Free concert set for Windsor Veterans Memorial fundraiser

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Downeast Brass Band.

The Windsor Veterans’ Memorial Committee will be holding a fundraiser concert at the Windsor Town Hall on July 25, at 7:00 p.m. Donations will be requested in lieu of a ticket charge. The themed concert will feature the Downeast Brass Band putting on an “informance.” The performance will spotlight music from the 60’s and include stories, taking concert goers behind the scenes of their favorite songs and artists.

Downeast Brass Band founder Dwight Tibbetts said, “The narrative will discuss the top ten songs from each year and will explain why the music is the way that it is.” Refreshments will be provided by the Windsor Ladies Aide and be served after the hour and a half of entertainment.

The Veterans’ Memorial Committee will also be offering concrete and granite pavers to be purchased by the public as an additional way to help support the monument. Information on the pavers will be available the night of the concert or at the Windsor town office.

The Windsor Veterans’ Memorial will be located on Ridge and Reed roads and incorporate the existing monument. Original cost estimates for the project were over $45,000. Since 2017, over $14,500 have been raised through Veteran’s Beano games at the Windsor Fair, flower sales, pie auctions, public supers, other concerts and private donations. The citizens of Windsor also voted to give the Memorial $19,000 from the last two budgets. In addition, J.C.Stone Inc. from Jefferson has also donated 2 stone benches for the site. However, the committee still needs to raise over $11,000 to complete the project.

Once completed, the memorial will list the names of Windsor residents who have served our nation. For more information on the concert, please contact Windsor Cemetery Sexton Joyce Perry at 445-2998 or jperry@windsor.maine.gov.

I’M JUST CURIOUS – Caution: Sugar Free Candy

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by Debbie Walker

This may be a subject most people would rather not think about much less talk about, if they have any awareness about it. Sugar free candies are not totally free of punishment.

If anyone could eat a whole bag of Oreo cookies (and probably some have done such) there is a price to pay. We all know this. Even though we are in the USA there is a price of pounds (not to be confused with the English pound values at $1.25). Ours is actual weight gain.

When we purchase sugar free anything, we may believe we are doing something good for our bodies and to some degree it probably is (I won’t get into that debate here). It does allow some folks a treat they wouldn’t be able to have otherwise. I am sure they are grateful for that little freedom.

Have you ever purchased a sugar free candy and read all the print on the bag? I believe that’s something few people would do. I don’t think I ever did before my dad had a mishap with some chocolate.

Dad was a diabetic and I guess mom was trying to help him stay sugar free when she bought him a small bag of sugar free chocolates.

Mom had read the bag and knew about the “caution.” She also knew dad would not read it, so she tried to explain it to dad. Dad being “dad,” he wasn’t hearing much of it. He was already eating a piece and I guess he liked it.

I will get back to this shortly. I first want to tell you how this got brought back to my mind.

I don’t know how the subject came up but my son-in-law, Todd, asked if I had ever seen Amazon’s reviews on the Haribo Sugar Free Gummy Bears. He continued by reading a couple of them to me. As I continue let’s leave it this way. People bought them, ate a few too many and had ‘stories’ to tell, just not for folks with weak stomachs.

So… Dad ate his candy, all of it, despite the caution mom tried to give him. Let’s just say he wasn’t able to make it the 30 feet to the bathroom in time to be of help to him! Lesson Learned!

I’m just curious if you will remember you have now been cautioned.

I am finishing this up with some cute sayings I saw on little posters at the Slippery Rock Strawberry Festival last month. Hope they give you a chuckle:

‘If it scares you it might be a good thing to try.’

‘I don’t care about my Prince Charming. Where are the forest animals that clean?’

‘I’ll call it a smartphone the day I yell “where’s my phone?” and it yells “Down here! In the couch cushions!”

‘Some days my life feels like trying to stand on a hammock!’

‘Not only did I fall off the diet wagon, I dragged it into the woods, set it on fire and used the insurance money to buy cupcakes’

‘Welcome to adulthood, I hope you like ibuprofen’

‘I’ve put myself in timeout until I can play nice with others. This may take a while.’

‘Google Earth gives you the opportunity to see anywhere in the world…so what do you do? You look at your own house!’

I’m just curious what silly sayings you have heard. Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com Thanks for reading!! Enjoy the sunshine!

REVIEW POTPOURRI: The Desert Song

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

The Desert Song

Mario Lanza, Judith Raskin etc.; RCA Victor LSC-2440, LP, recorded 1959.

Mario Lanza

Mario Lanza (1921-1959) was one of the finest tenors who ever lived, when it came to beauty, tone, powerful one-on-one communication and love of singing. I have a number of his recordings covering opera arias, popular songs from the ‘40s and ‘50s, Broadway show tunes, Christmas carols etc.; but I have most often enjoyed his singing of the two operettas, Rudolf Friml’s The Vagabond King and Sigmund Romberg’s The Desert Song, both of them taped shortly before his sudden death from a blood clot on October 7, 1959, and with the late soprano, Judith Raskin (1928-1984).

Sigmund Romberg’s operetta was based upon the book by Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, and Frank Mandel. Its first performance in New York was November 30, 1926, at the Casino Theater on Broadway and 39th Street, after successes in Wilmington, Delaware, and Boston.

Judith Raskin

Lanza and Raskin’s duets in the title song and One Good Boy Gone Wrong resonate with the great duet recordings of Nicolai Gedda and Mireille Freni in La Boheme, Jussi Bjoreling and Victoria de los Angeles in Madame Butterfly, Angela Gheorghiu and Jonas Kaufmann in the Tosca Love Duet, Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstine’s Passing Strangers, Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s Something Stupid, Frank Sinatra and Dinah Shore’s My Romance and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Maria Stader’s in Mozart’s Magic Flute, The solos of Lanza’s One Alone and Raskin’s Romance are some of many reasons life is worth living.

Selections from the album can be heard on YouTube.

Before his death, he was approached by RCA Italiana to record a few operas. Unfortunately, fate intervened. His widow, Betty, died of a drug overdose in early 1960. three of their four children since then; two sons, Marc and Damon, from heart issues, and a daughter, Colleen, after being hit by a driver while crossing the street and dying two weeks later in a coma.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Invasive insects already in Maine; Free presentation on invasive forest pests set

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Emerald ash borer is now found in the St. John Valley and in York County. Beetle larvae feed under tree bark, pupae overwinter in the wood and the tiny adults emerge in spring leaving D-shaped exit holes. (Photo courtesy Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

There are invasive pests making their way into Maine, and it is important that we learn more about them. One of them, the Emerald Ash Borer, has already been spotted in Vassalboro.

This week, I will turn my column over to Hildy Ellis, of the Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District, who will be holding an informational program on these insects that are raising havoc on our forests.

by Hildy Ellis

Invasive forest pests like emerald ash borer (EAB), hemlock woolly adelgid are already having devastating impacts on Maine’s forests; browntail moth is affecting human health as well as tree health; Asian longhorned beetle, with a large host range could be the next invader on the horizon! On Saturday, July 27, from 10 a.m. – noon, Hildy Ellis, of Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) will present a program about these invaders at Merryspring Nature Center, in Camden, as part of their Saturday workshop series.

Using slides and an outdoor tree ID walk, this workshop will help landowners and users, as well as landscape and forestry professionals, learn to

  • identify current and potential invasive forest pests and their host species,
  • understand the threats to our forests and woodlands posed by these pests,
  • limit their spread, and
  • how to report suspected pest sightings or damage to trees that may be a result of pest infestations

All participants will receive an information packet with fact sheets about the major pest species, a list of host trees that the species may be found on, how to make decisions about treatment, current quarantine information for EAB in Maine, and other relevant information. The following recertification credits are pending for this program: Professional CFE credits by the Society of American Foresters. Category 1-CF: 2.0; and Pesticide Applicator credits by the Board of Pesticides Control: 2.0.

Knox- Lincoln SWCD, a member of the Maine Association of Conservation Districts, is presenting Invasive Forest Pest Outreach Programs through a grant from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Materials are funded in part by a Cooperative Agreement from the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. More information about invasive forest pests in Maine may be found at https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/forest_health/invasive_threats/index.htm.

FMI and to RSVP for this free workshop, visit www.knox-lincoln.org/invasive-forest-pests, contact Julie at 596-2040 or julie@knox-lincoln.org.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Who was the first manager of the Texas Rangers in 1972?

Answer can be found here.

Independence Day: remembering those who made it happen

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Independence Day painting by John Trumbull, in 1819.

by Gary Kennedy

Independence Day is an American holiday which is celebrated on July 4 of each year. It is the solemnity of the official document which declared the original 13 colonies independent from Great Britain, in the year 1776. During this time period the already existing Continental Congress formally adopted the need for total independence by drafting a document declaring such, not only for America, but to give notice to Great Britain of the action. Most of this most famous document was actually concluded on July 2 but the fourth became the day of celebration.

This was the birth of American Independence. The birth didn’t come without a cost. King George III, Then King of Britain, didn’t accept the Americans to be free from the British rule. Britain accrued a great debt fighting against the French and felt the American colonies owed a great portion of that debt which they should pay to Britain.

The Americans relied upon their Preamble which basically stated, the Americans were declaring “unalienble rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Thus a revolution was born to defend the new found freedoms that the colonists had grown to enjoy. Needless to say this was won at great expense to property and lives; the earth shook and thousands died. Britain’s need for money brought about “Taxation without Representation.” Eventually, it was declared that the total abolition from the British Crown was necessary.

The United States of America was born with the Articles of Confederation agreed to by Congress on November 15, 1777, and ratified on March 1, 1781. The United States Constitution with its Amendments became the foundation and governing laws of our nation.

The United States of America was born with the Articles of Confederation agreed to by Congress on November 15, 1777, and ratified on March 1, 1781. The United States Constitution with its Amendments became the foundation and governing laws of our nation.

The Revolutionary War was fought from April 1775 to September 1783. In 1775 George Washington was appointed Commander-In-Chief of the Continental Army. He later became the first president of these United States and earned the name, “Father of our Country.” His presidency lasted for two terms, 1789-1797. Later from general to president he was also elected president of the convention that wrote the United States Constitution. Needless to say the foundations of our great country was guided in part by a very remarkable man, George Washington, who himself owned thousands of acres of land in several states as well as the largest whiskey distilling company at the time.

There were many years of war and changes to our great country which in fact fill thousands of books for those who want to read about the greatest historical event, besides the faith in our God, who always takes first place.

All this being said, we, in retrospect, think of such things as the “American Flag,” created in 1792 by Betsy Ross. Although some things in our history are debated, this is what we accept as truth. Also, it would be fair to mention a young Maryland lawyer and poet by the name of Francis Scott Key, who wrote the lyrics of the “Star Spangled Banner” which later became our National Anthem. Key was a temporary prisoner on the HMS Tonnant, a British man ‘o war, which was bombarding Fort McHenry, at Baltimore, Maryland, during the war of 1812. Key was inspired by the flag still waving after a night filled with heavy bombardment. All these events are envisioned when we think about the Fourth of Jul; or should be.

The other part of this story is the congregation of family and friends to celebrate this event in a customary manner. We share our love of “God and Country” with the mischief of some fireworks to describe the original events of our country’s beginning.

So, from all of us, to all of our beloved and loyal readers, we hope this brief explanation of the Fourth of July will give you all that Great Spirit of Patriotism, as intended, while you enjoy the love of family and friends. May God be with you all and as always, God Bless America.

FOR YOUR HEALTH – Uniformed Services Members: Protect Your Family With The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program

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(NAPSI)—The prospect of needing long term care may be far from your mind today, but be aware, circumstances can change. A long term care event can happen at any age, and the potential financial and emotional strain that comes with it can affect you and your loved ones.

Millions of Americans require long term care during their lifetimes*. This includes needing either cognitive or physical assistance with simple tasks such as bathing, eating and dressing—trivial things most people do every day without a second thought. Unfortunately, traditional health insurance plans—including TRICARE For Life—do not pay for the chronic, ongoing assistance with daily living that is most often associated with long term care.

In fact, the long term care benefits offered through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are tied to specific triggers, including service-connected disability, available funding and even your ability to contribute to the cost of care. Long term care can be expensive and service members often rely on the VA to cover the associated costs. Depending on your eligibility status in the VA program, the level of coverage available to you may not be enough. For this reason, you may want to research stand-alone long term care insurance such as a plan offered through the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP).

Since its launch in 2002, the FLTCIP has offered active and retired members of the uniformed services the opportunity to help take control of their future long term care needs. Designed to provide solutions for a range of financial situations, this employer-sponsored program provides comprehensive coverage for more than 270,000 enrollees.

Many members of the federal family are eligible to apply for coverage under the FLTCIP, including active and retired members of the uniformed services. Certain qualified relatives are also eligible to apply even if you do not. Qualified relatives include your spouse, domestic partner, parents and parents-in-law, and adult children.

Coverage under the FLTCIP

The FLTCIP can lessen or even eliminate an individual’s reliance on a loved one to provide hands-on care. Consider these important benefits:

  • The FLTCIP offers coverage in a variety of settings—at home or in a facility, such as an assisted living facility, an adult daycare, or a nursing center—and your choice of caregiver.
  • If home care is your preference, the stay-at-home benefit includes a range of services that support care in your home, helping you maintain your quality of life in familiar surroundings.
  • Informal care provided by friends and family members, as long as they do not live in your home at the time you become eligible for benefits. Benefits for care provided by family members are limited to 500 days.
  • The program’s care coordination services offer enrollees and their qualified relatives information about long term care resources, such as local care providers and relevant community programs, as well as valuable support to your family and friends.

Talk candidly with your family members and tell them about the FLTCIP. Starting the conversation prior to needing care can help you prepare for the unexpected. Visit LTCFEDS.com/militaryfamily to learn more about the benefits of applying for the FLTCIP.

For personalized assistance, call (800) LTC-FEDS (800) 582-3337/TTY (800) 843-3557 to speak with a program consultant. He or she will answer any questions you may have and can walk you step by step through the plan design and application process.

You should also know that certain medical conditions, or combinations of conditions, will prevent some people from being approved for coverage. You need to apply to find out if you qualify for coverage.

More about the FLTCIP

Established by an act of Congress in 2000 and overseen by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the FLTCIP is designed to meet the specific needs of the federal family. The long term care insurance under the FLTCIP provides industry-leading benefits and offers flexible options that allow enrollees to tailor coverage to meet their needs.

The FLTCIP is sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, insured by John Hancock Life & Health Insurance Company, and administered by Long Term Care Partners, LLC.

New pastor at First Baptist Church, in Waterville

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Moderator of First Baptist Church, Sam Goddard, has announced David A. Rodrigue as its Interim Pastor.

Rodrigue, a native of Waterville and educated in Waterville and Winslow schools, currently resides in China with his wife Valma.

Rodrigue served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam Conflict. A Marine for a total of 21 years, retired with the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant. His occupation in the Marine Corps was telecommunications and data processing. Upon retirement from the Marines, Rodrigue was employed for 26 years by Maine state government.

Rodrigue has been a youth coach at various levels of Tiger Cub, Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader, and coached wrestling in New York and Maine.
Currently a member of the China Baptist Church, he served as its chairman of the Board of Trustees, board member of Board of Deacons, and Sunday School teacher. In addition, he has been clerk for the Kennebec Baptist Association and past president of the American Baptist Churches of Maine.

Benton native serves aboard U.S. Navy assault warship

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Petty Officer 1st Class Maegan Findley

A Benton native and 2004 Law­rence High School graduate, in Fair­field, is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Whidbey Island, a warship which transports and launches U. S. Marines from sea to shore as part of amphibious assault operations.

Petty Officer 1st Class Maegan Findley is a hospital corpsman aboard the dock landing ship operating out of Little Creek, Virginia.

Lovejoy Center welcomes back Dr. Austin

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Dr. David Austin

The staff at Lovejoy Health Center recently welcomed David Austin, MD, back to the practice. He previously joined Lovejoy in 1993. David brings over 30 years experience providing medical care both in Maine and globally through volunteer organizations including Médecins Sans Frontières. He obtained a doctorate at the University of Vermont, College of Medicine, in 1985 and completed Family Medicine Residency in 1988 at Highland Hospital, University of Rochester, New York. Previously, he graduated from Bowdoin College, in Brunswick.

David recently shared: “I believe that all people deserve to be treated with respect and compassion. After deeply enjoying my fifteen plus years of work at Lovejoy and four years of work abroad, I feel that it is time for me to return to Maine, land of my birth. There is no better workplace for me today than Lovejoy Health Center.”

David will be joining physician Dean Chamberlain, physician assistants Gretchen Morrow and Bobby Keith, family nurse practitioner Kaitlynn Read, and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Marta Hall. In addition, Deb Daigle offers behavioral health services to patients of the practice.