Benton sixth-grade students visiting the State Capitol. (Contributed photo)
Sixth graders from Benton Elementary School visited the State Capitol on Tuesday, January 15. During their visit, they toured the Maine State Museum and the Maine State house. Pictured above is Ms. Kellie Paisley-Hopper’s class visiting with Sen. Scott Cyrway (R-Kennebec) in the Senate Chamber.
by Elizabeth NewportIn the digital age, frauds and scams are an unfortunate part of doing business online. Social Security has seen a spike in phishing scams, and we want to protect you as best we can.
We urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your Social Security Number (SSN) or bank account information to unknown individuals over the phone or internet. If you receive a call and aren’t expecting one, you must be extra careful. You can always get the caller’s information, hang up, and — if you do need more clarification — contact the official phone number of the business or agency that the caller claims to represent. Never reveal personal data to a stranger who called you.
Please take note; there’s a scam going around right now. You might receive a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security or another agency. Calls can even display the 1-800-772-1213, Social Security’s national customer service number, as the incoming number on your caller ID. In some cases, the caller states that Social Security does not have all of your personal information, such as your Social Security number (SSN), on file. Other callers claim Social Security needs additional information so the agency can increase your benefit payment, or that Social Security will terminate your benefits if they do not confirm your information. This appears to be a widespread issue, as reports have come from people across the country. These calls are not from Social Security.
Callers sometimes state that your Social Security number is at risk of being deactivated or deleted. The caller then asks you to provide a phone number to resolve the issue. People should be aware the scheme’s details may vary; however, you should avoid engaging with the caller or calling the number provided, as the caller might attempt to acquire personal information.
Social Security employees occasionally contact people by telephone for customer-service purposes. In only a few special situations, such as when you have business pending with us, a Social Security employee may request the person confirm personal information over the phone.
Social Security employees will never threaten you or promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up. If you receive these calls, please report the information to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report.
Remember, only call official phone numbers and use secured websites of the agencies and businesses you know are correct. Protecting your information is an important part of Social Security’s mission to secure today and tomorrow.
(NAPSI)—People often think of the New Year as a time to set new goals for healthy eating and physical activity. But weight management requires ongoing effort, during the holidays and every day. That’s why the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health, is promoting simple tips and tools to help Americans start and maintain healthy habits.
“Why wait to start improving your health when you can start today?” NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers said in a statement. “It’s never too soon or too late to achieve a healthy weight.”
Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight through healthy food choices and regular physical activity may help lower the risk of developing health problems associated with obesity, such as heart disease, kidney disease and Type 2 diabetes. About 40 percent of adults and 19 percent of children and teens in the United States have obesity, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Continue or establish healthier eating habits, such as reducing the overall calories you consume and limiting your intake of foods and beverages with added sugars, fats and salt. Bringing healthier versions of your favorite dishes to holiday gatherings, and choosing smaller portions of holiday treats and alcohol, may help with managing weight during this time of year.
The NIDDK recommends making physical activity a priority for the whole family. Choosing a set time for physical activity and sticking to it may help you manage stress, improve your mood, and give you the energy to tackle your busy schedule. If it’s too cold to walk or run outdoors, take your workout to your favorite mall or indoor sports field. Even if you’re pressed for time, doing some physical activity is better than skipping your workout and doing nothing.
Another tip to consider during the holiday season and every day to improve health and manage weight is to reduce screen time and time spent sitting. Watching TV for more than two hours a day has been linked to overweight and obesity. Try creating a holiday-themed playlist and having a dance party. You can have fun dancing alone or with family or friends.
To further encourage adults and youth to be active, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also recently released new Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. The new Guidelines recommend that adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, such as brisk walking or dancing. Youth ages six through 17 need one hour each day, and children ages three through six should be active throughout the day.
By establishing and sticking to healthy habits, parents, caregivers and youth may achieve better health together during the holiday season and beyond.
To find more tips and resources for weight management and healthy living during the holidays and every day, visit the NIDDK website: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management.
Jolie Snipe, 10, of Winslow, left, and Adam Fitzgerald, 10, of Skowhegan, captured the 10-year-old sumo wrestling championships in November. (Photo by Mark Huard, Central Maine Photography)
A scene from the film Fly Away Home.
by Roland D. HalleeLet me begin this column by emphatically stating that I am not a film critic by any stretch of the imagination. I usually leave that up to Peter Cates, The Town Line’s esteemed reviewer. But I saw a film recently that truly inspired me, and because it is about geese, I think it fits the theme of this column.
The name of the movie is Fly Away Home, and for those of you who have already seen it, you’re excused from reading the rest of this column.
It was filmed in 1996, and dramatizes the actual experiences of Bill Lishman, who, in 1986, started training geese to follow his ultralight and succeeded in leading their migration in 1993.
The story line of the film begins when Amy Alden, played by Anna Paquin, survives an automobile accident in New Zealand in which her mother is killed. The girl is sent to live with her father, Thomas Alden, played by Jeff Daniels of Dumb & Dumber fame, on an Ontario, Canada, farm.
Her father is involved in a dispute with a local developer who is prepared to bulldoze some of the wilderness surrounding Alden’s farm. The crew begins to clear the land, but, for some unexplained reason, the project is put on hold. Amy goes out to the scene only to find a bunch of goose eggs left behind by their parents. Without anyone knowing, she takes the eggs to the barn where she uses a drop light to provide heat to incubate the eggs. To her surprise, they all hatched.
The local game warden appears at the house and informs everyone that because of a local ordinance, he would have to clip the wings so the birds would be rendered flightless. This upsets everyone, and Tom throws the game warden out of his house, after which the warden threatens that if the birds fly, he would have to confiscate them.
Tom begins to research the species and learns that if the birds aren’t taught to fly properly, as they have no goose parents to teach them, they would not survive during the Canadian winter, and would probably get lost and die. Once he notices the geese follow Amy wherever she goes, he decides to use ultralight aircraft to teach the birds to fly. The geese would not follow him, so he comes up with a plan to teach Amy how to fly, and the geese would probably follow her.
Amy’s uncle Dave, played by Terry Kinney, travels to North Carolina to talk to a friend who owns a bird sanctuary about the plan. The friend thinks the idea is absurd, and also informs Dave that if the birds don’t reach the sanctuary by November 1, it would be torn down by developers who plan to turn it into a housing project.
While the group is off trying to find a goose (Igor) that became lost due to injury while the Aldens were trying to teach the geese how to fly, the game warden confiscates the birds. But, through a clever plan, they reclaim the geese, and set off on their intrepid flight to North Carolina, breaking a lengthy list of laws during the journey. Some misadventures occur along the way, including an emergency landing at a highly-classified U.S. Air Force base on Lake Ontario, and Tom’s ultralight going down in a cornfield, only 30 miles from the destination, due to a faulty rudder. By now, Tom and Amy have become national news with residents cheering them on and offering places to stay during their overnight stops.
Tom convinces Amy that she must go on alone, and she completes the journey safely.
One of the most moving scenes in the film occurs when, while piloting through a cloud of mist, the office towers of Baltimore, actually shot in Toronto, suddenly materialize, and office workers see the little girl and her geese flying past their windows. While watching that, I felt a lump in my throat and goosebumps on my neck.
In the final screen credits, it is revealed that all 16 geese, including Igor, who had been injured, and rode the whole way with Amy in her ultralight, returned to the Aldens’ farm the next spring, safely, and on their own.
It is a heart-warming story as you get captivated by the dedication of the family, and the steadfastness of the geese. I highly recommend it.
When was the last time the Kansas City Chiefs appeared in a Super Bowl?
When was the last time the Kansas City Chiefs appeared in a Super Bowl?
Answer:
1970. The Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7.
The following Personal Representatives have been appointed in the estates noted. The first publication date of this notice January 10, 2019
If you are a creditor of an estate listed below, you must present your claim within four months of the first publication date of this Notice to Creditors by filing a written statement of your claim on a proper form with the Register of Probate of this Court or by delivering or mailing to the Personal Representative listed below at the address published by his name, a written statement of the claim indicating the basis therefore, the name and address of the claimant and the amount claimed or in such other manner as the law may provide. See 18-A MRSA 3-804.
2018-339 – Estate of JOAN CHARLENE RICE, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Catherine E. Schmitz, 200 W Maberry Drive, #101, Lynden, WA 98264 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-340 – Estate of CRYSTAL DAWN TUFTS, late of Madison, Me deceased. Michael N. Tufts, 334 Ward Hill Road, Madison, Me 04950 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-341 – Estate of VERNON H. KEENE, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Mark W. Keene, 54 Stewart Hill Road, Skowhegan, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-342 – Estate of GREGORY ALAN GRIFFETH, late of Cornville, Me deceased. Michael Alan Griffeth, 46 Big Bird Street, Skowhegan, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-346 – Estate of STEPHEN J. POULIN, late of Detroit, Me deceased. Mary Marshall, 151 Malbons Mill Road, Skowhegan, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-349 – Estate of DENNIS B. WRIGHT, late of Madison, Me deceased. Taylor Mae Wright, 15 Lowe Street, Madison, Me 04950 appointed Personal Representative.
2018- 350 – Estate of LILLIAN MAE McKENNEY, late of Jensen Beach, FL deceased. James Foreman, 70 High Street, Dayton, OH 45403 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-351 – Estate of WILLIAM E. LYBROOK, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. William E. Lybrook, II., 436 Center Road, Fairfield, Maine 04937 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-352 – Estate of DANA L. JONES, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Jodi McGlashing, 510 Beech Hill Road, Norridgewock, Me 04957 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-353 – Estate of VIRGINIA L. WEEMS, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Amber M. Wing, 1099 Thurston Hill Road, Madison, Maine 04950 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-354 – Estate of TERI-LEE MUNN, late of Hartland, Me deceased. Peter S. Heartquist, 189 Coboro Road, Stetson, Me 04488 and Steven Munn, 542 Munns Flat Road, Hartland, ME 04943 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-355 – Estate of ANDREW J. DENALSKY, late of Embden, Me deceased. Kimberly A. Leigland, PO Box 770, Redding, CT 06896 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-358 – Estate of JUDITH W. PELLETIER, late of Embden, Me deceased. John Pelletier, 211 Main Street, Gorham, Me 04038 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-361 – Estate of MARION G. CURRIER, late of Madison, Me deceased. Ronald Currier, 306 Beech Hill Road, Norridgewock, Me 04957 appointed Personal Representative.
2019-003 – Estate of DENNIS M. ARSENAULT, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Darcy A. Arsenault, 306 West Front Street, Skowhegan, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.
To be published on January 10 & January 17, 2019.
Dated: January 7, 2019 /s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(1/17)
by Debbie WalkerShared by Debbie Walker
This week I came across a little article my mother had saved. After reading the little article that was authorized by “Voice for Health Odd Fellow Tape Pals”, I decided to share it with you all. It’s about the time of January that folks begin to give up on their new resolutions. I thought I might try this one:
There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.
One of these days is yesterday with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.
The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow, with its possible adversaries, its burdens, its large promise and poor performance. Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.
Tomorrow’s sun will rise, whether in splendor or behind a mask of clouds – but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.
This leaves only one day – today. Any man can fight the battles of just one day. It is only when you and I add the burdens of these two awful eternities – yesterday and tomorrow – that we break down.
It is not the experience of today that drives men mad – it is remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday, and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.
Let us therefore live but one day at a time. (the end of what I found printed)
Here is something I wrote when I lived in Wells and would go to the beach:
Haze over the water today
Tides out again
Water is green, very light
Then blue, then black
Under the haze over the water.
A dog running on the beach
He runs out into the small waves
Then runs back and back again
The he follows his friend on the beach
Under the haze over the water.
These little girls walk out to touch
Two little blondes and on brunette
Hand in hand they walk out till
They all giggle and run back
Under the haze over the water.
There’s a small boat out there
Working hard to cut the waves
White water spraying back as it cuts the blue
You can actually see it bounce
Under the haze over the water.
I come here to see the rocks
Today they’re out of the waves
Tomorrow as things change, the
Water will be hitting the rocks
And spraying over making
It’s own natural wonder
Tomorrow there may be
No haze over the water.
Okay, so that’s enough of that. I am just curious what you think of these. How about some comments? Let me know what you collect for sayings or do you write? Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading!! Don’t forget, we do have a website!
The album, Farther Down the Road
by Peter CatesCBS Special Products, cassette, recorded 1972-1985.
The above was one of a cassette/CD series under the same title of more than 60 volumes, sponsored by Rotella, a line of lubricating products for the heavy duty engines inside extremely large trucks. As with the entire series, this week’s second volume was an anthology of country/western recordings, distributed only through gas stations and truck stops and given to any customer purchasing a minimum of three gallons of the Rotella lubricating oil. Its selections were:
Johnny Cash – One Piece at a Time
Janie Fricke – He’s a Headache
The Gatlin Brothers – Houston
Barbara Mandrell – Midnight Oil
Charlie Daniels Band – Devil Went Down to Georgia
Willie Nelson – Midnight Rider
Tammy Wynette – Another Chance
Ronnie McDowell – Watchin’ Girls Go By
Charly McClain – Men
Merle Haggard – Are the Good Times Really Over ?
My favorites are those by Cash, Nelson and Wynette, the anthology itself being a good one.
A quote from Graham Greene’s essay on Saki, but referring to the novelist who wrote Tale of Two Cities and other such books – “Dickens developed a style so easy and natural that it seems capable of including the whole human race in its understanding.”
Grade 12High Honors: Molly Babson, Gavin Blanchard, William Bourque, Madison Boynton, Justin Browne, Jenna Butler, Joseph Clark, Dominic Durant, Cameron Falla, Courtney Gallagher, Ashley Gillis, Sage Hapgood-Belanger, Alexis Haskell, Samantha Heath, Eleanor Hodgkin, Kayla Hodgkins, Amber Rose Holmes, Andrew Jackson, Christopher Jamison, William Jones, Trinity Kibbin-Tamburo, Robert King, Morgaine Kmen, Caitlin Labbe, Noah Labbe, Milo Lani-Caputo, Maverick Lowery, Rivers Malcolm, Joshua Peaslee, Jacob Praul, Seth Reed, Christina Roy, Hunter Rushing, Caleb Sacks, Anthony Sanborn, Seth Savage, Conor Skehan, Katherine Smith, Braden Soule, Briana Strout, Elizabeth Sugg, Willow Throckmorton-Hansford, Mercedes Tibbetts, Megan To, Kassidy Wade, Hagen Wallace, Jacob Wright, Alana York and Peilin Yu. Honors: Austin Ahearn, Dominque Andrews, Brenna Audet, Alex Barney, Mark Barney, Lydia Boucher, Nina Boudreau, Arthur Carey, Shannon Cornett, ArizonaLee Crooker, Mireya Dos Santos, Keara Doughty, Travis Dow, Marshall Dugal, Austin Dunn, Dawn Elliott, Ethan Furlong, Madeline Geidel, Phillip Gilbert, Regina Harmon, Tristan Hawk, Kaleb Hopper, Alicia Hotham, Peyton Houghton, Garrett Keezer, Dylan Keller, Tiffany Kiefer, Haeden Landry, Searra Lord, Alexander Mahon, Tara Maltese, Desiree Mayo, Noah Miller, Myles Nored, Conner Paine, William Pfleging, Zachary Plourde, Nicholas Rancourt, Hannah Reid, Cole Roberts, Austin Roderick, Jessie Sepulvado, Brianna Soucy, Shayleigh Springer, Shaine Staples, Jack Tobey, Caden Turcotte, Ashlyn Wing, Taylr Wood and Jiwei Jeff Ye.
High honors: Jay Austin II, Alec Baker, Julia Basham, Derek Beaulieu, Haley Breton, Abigail Cordts, Devin Davis, Michael Dusoe Jr, Vincent Emery, Alyssha Gil, Annika Gil, Lydia Gilman, Emma Harvey, Keimi Henry, Summer Hotham, Sarah Jarosz, Parker King, Benjamin Lavoie, Eleena Lee, Madison Leonard, Stephanie Libby, Jordan Linscott, Reece McGlew, Jakob Mills, Adalaide Morris, Lyndsie Pelotte, Hunter Praul, Miina Raag-Schmidt, Benjamin Reed, Andrew Robinson, Dominic Rodrigue, Michael Rogers, Alyssa Savage, Shawn Seigars, Taylor Shute, Dominic Smith, Lily Solorzano, Brandon Tibbs, Hailee Turner, Cameron Tyler and Mary-Jane Williams. Honors: James Berto, Adam Bonenfant, Kole-Tai Carlezon, Jacob Cater, Samantha Couture, Colby Cyr, Norah Davidson, Lily DeRaps, Joshua Donahue II, Joshua Duggan, Dominick Dyer, Nathan Evans, Cheyann Field, Jada Fredette, Mitchell Gamage, Boe Glidden, Bryce Goff, Joshua Gower, Clara Grady, Tori Grasse, Nicholas Hayden, Jesse Hayes, Gage Henderson, Nicholas Howard, Ashley Huntley, Emily Jacques, Cameron Johnson, Colby Johnson, Luke Jordan, Zaria Kelly, Marisa Klemanski, Tristan Klemanski, Benjamin Lagasse, Cole Leclerc, William Leeman, Desiree Leighton, Sydney Lord, Brandon Loveland, Shawn Manning, Lexigrace Melanson, Grady Miller, Krysta Morris, Nathaniel Mosher, Alecia Paradis, Joseph Peaslee Jr, Chloe Peebles, Chandler Peele, Matthew Picher, Jareth Pierpont, Morgan Presby, Hailei-Ann Reny, Mitchel Reynolds, Serena Sepulvado, Santasia Sevigny, Nicholas Shelton, Ryan Sidelinger, Kayla Sleeper, Samuel Smith, Alisha Stevens, Jacob Sutter, Nicole Taylor, Courtney Tibbetts, Katelyn Tibbs, Ashleigh Treannie, Matthew Veilleux and Richard Winn.
High honors: Philip Allen, Nicholas Barber, Abbygail Blair, Everett Blair, Jane Blanchard, Samantha Box, Eleanor Brown, Zoe Butler, Cody Devaney, Jacob Devaney, Abigail Dumas, Amelia Evans, Addison Gamage, Margaret Gamage, Hailey Haskell, Paeshance-Rae Horan, Emma Hutchinson, Muzzammil Iqbal, Delaney Ireland, Bryan Joslyn Jr, Madyx Kennedy, Kaylah Kronillis, Sierra LaCroix, Isabela Libby, Emily Lowther, Chiara Mahoney, Jonathan Martinez, Riley Mayo, Michael Nicholas III, Ian Oliphant, Brian Ouellette, Olive Padgett, Courtney Paine, Aiden Pettengill, Sydni Plummer, Harry Rabideau, Kristin Ray, Hanna Spitzer, Emma White, Mollie Wilson, Samuel York and Kelby Young. Honors: Mara Adams, Zoe Bartlett, Kylie Bechard, Paris Bedsaul, Rylee Bellemare, Vanessa Berry, Isabella Bishop, Christopher Bourdon, Trevor Brockway, Emma Burtt, Ethan Cates, Anthony Chessa, Ashley Clavette, Adrianna Cook, Saydi Cote, Joshua Cowing, Joleigh Crockett, Jake Emond,Nathaniel Farrar, Cameron Gifford, Avril Goodman, Patrick Hanley, Avery Henningsen, Braydon Hinds, Nathan Howell, Keith Knowles, Haley Laird, Graydon Leeman, Joanna Linscott, Colby Lloyd, Eva Malcolm, Xavian Marable, Hailey Mayo, Mikala McIntyre, Isaiah Michaud, Alicia Nelson, Tyler Ormonde, Isabella Parlin, Annaliese Patterson, Elek Pelletier, Jacob Pomelow, Allison Roddy, Hayden Rowe, Colby Rumpf, Acadia Senkbeil, Paul Slimm, Hunter St. Jarre, Ariel Stillman, Riley Sullivan, Logan Tenney, Jackson Tirrell, Joshua Tobey and Dylan Wing.
High honors: Anastasia Ames, Griffin Anderson, Isaac Baker, Julia Barber, Alana Beggs, Jacob Bentley, Jack Blais, Joshua Bonsant, Wyatt Brann, Lilian Bray, Evan Butler, Austin Campbellton, Emily Clark, Tabitha Craig, Colby Cunningham, Isabella DeRose, Luke Desmond, Madison Devine, Tiana Dingwell, Alexander Drolet, Cailee Elsasser, Emma Fortin, Samantha Golden, Trace Harris, Isaac Hayden, Grace Hodgkin, Hannah Huff, Rachel Huntoon, Emma Jefferson, Grace Kelso, Taidhgin Kimball, Aidan Larrabee, Robert McCafferty, Wes McGlew, Hayden McMurtry, Adam Ochs, Brady O’Connor, Abigail Peaslee, Garrett Peebles, Kaden Plourde, Devon Polley, Lilly Potter, Sarah Praul, Riley Reitchel, Mackenzie Roderick, Abbey Searles, Shawn Searles, Nathaniel Solorzano, Hannah Soule, Natalie Spearin, Lily Vinci, Samuel Worthley and Hayden Young. Honors: Clayton Allen, Nickolas Berto, Nathaniel Collins, Hunter Colson, Liberty Crockett, Jasmine Crommett, Daniel Cseak, Blaze Cunningham, Caleb Cyr, Kaden Doughty, Abigail Dutton, Kelsie Fielder, Jacob Fisher, Chase Folsom, Wyatt French, Jenna Gallant, Bryce Garcia, Josette Gilman, Thomas Hanley, Larissa Haskell, Skye Havey, Hayden Hoague, Hunter Johnson, Mallory Landry, Lili Lefebvre, Shawn Libby, Madison Lully, Isavel Lux Soc, David Martinez – Gosselin, Kaden McIntyre, Ben Monroe, Christian Moon, Rebecca Morton, John Nutting IX, Connor Owens, Paige Reed, Julian Reight, Parker Reynolds, Kadince Rideout, Natasha Ryder-Lewis, Andrew Shaw, Hugo Smith, Hannah Strout – Gordon, Evan Strout, Daniel Tibbetts, Hannah Torrey, Brennen Wade, Summer Wasilowski and Hannah York.