REVIEW POTPOURRI – Pianist: Emil Gilels

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Sviatoslav Richter

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Emil Gilels

Emil Gilels

In 1955, Russian pianist Emil Gilels (1916-985) made his debut in the United States, being one of a handful of musicians allowed to tour outside the Iron Curtain. His entourage, like other touring musicians from the Soviet Union, included several ‘friends’ who were KGB operatives prepared to shoot in case Gilels tried to seek asylum.

Fritz Reiner

He made two recordings with Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony – the Tchaikovsky 1st Piano Concerto and the Brahms 2nd – which were distinguished by an unusually refined technical virtuosity, delicacy but full-blooded musicality. He and Reiner, who was otherwise notorious for scathing sarcasm with orchestra members, had a most congenial relationship. (Many years later, Gilels was collaborating with the young Simon Rattle who made a mess with his conducting. Gilels jumped up from the piano bench and screamed at the young maestro for his stupidity. Since then, Rattle’s conducting has drastically improved.)

When Gilels was complimented for his playing during his first appearances, he replied, “Wait until you hear Richter.” He was referring to his good friend, pianist Sviatoslav Richter (1915-1997) who first toured the U.S. in 1960. Richter was a big, broad-shouldered man with huge hands that swept across the piano with dazzling power, unlike Gilels who was shorter and had smaller hands.

Simon Rattle

Two outstanding Richter recordings are his ones of the 2 Piano Concertos of Franz Liszt and of Rach­ma­ninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto. I would also add his record of Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata, one that Gilels did very well with a much different approach from Richter.

Richter had a miraculous memory for the names of every single individual he ever met, no matter how briefly, and found it annoying. He also preferred doing free concerts for small groups in such places as a country church.

Both pianists have recordings accessible on YouTube.

 

 

 

MAINE MEMORIES: A fun birthday when I was a girl

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photo by Will Clayton (flickr.com/photos/spool32)

by Evangeline T.

Hello and welcome to Maine Memories, little snippets of life from our home state.

This week, I want to tell you about a fun birthday I had as a girl.

When I was ten, we moved to a 250-acre farm.

Like most farms back then, the house, shed, and barn were connected. If you walked around the house outside, you needed to walk around the shed and barn, too.

Dad had fenced off an area for pasture, so walking around the house meant climbing over the first section of fence, walking across the corner, and then climbing over the second section to complete your journey. The second fence section had a large pole gate in it. A pole gate was long poles that slid to one side so you could have access to the pasture.

For my 11th birthday, mom gave me a party with my new friends. She planned games, baked a beautiful cake, and made delicious ice cream. We all got a chance to turn the crank on the churn to help the ice cream freeze.

One of the games we played was if you lost, you had to pay a forfeit. The forfeits were written by mom on slips of paper placed in a jar. Of course, I lost. When I picked out my forfeit, it said to run around the house once.

Out the door I went, everyone else went also to watch me.

I wore a pretty blue dress, so I was careful. I slid under the first section of fence without a problem. Cheers went up from my friends.

I crossed the corner and came to the second section of fencing. Going between the poles on the gate seemed my easiest way.

It was a great plan, except for one thing: the old cow in the pasture had been observing me and figured I might need a little help. My blue dress going between the poles of that gate caught her eye, and she proceeded to butt me with her big hard head right where I sat. I landed on the other side of the gate, dress safe and sound. My pride was another matter!

Everyone laughed, and the cow, well, she voiced her opinion of the whole thing with a loud “moo”. I never did like that cow!

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Where have all the Whippoorwills gone?

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Whippoorwill

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

While sitting on the deck at camp one lazy afternoon recently, one of our friends asked, “Why don’t we hear Whip-poor-wills anymore?”

Interesting question.

Besides the fact that whip-poor-wills are strictly nocturnal – that meaning they are active at night when I’m sleeping (something that seems to be happening earlier all the time) – whip-poor-wills are elusive.

Often heard but seldom observed, the whip-poor-will chants its name on summer nights in the eastern woods. Sometimes, the song seems to go on endlessly.

The whip-poor-wills, Antrostomus vociferus, have been made famous in folk songs, poems and literature for their endless chanting on summer nights.

Randy Travis features that fact in his song, Deeper than the Holler, with the stanza that goes:

My love is deeper than the holler, stronger than the river
Higher than the pine trees growin’ tall upon the hill
My love is purer than the snowflakes that fall in late December
And honest as a Robin on a springtime window sill
And longer than the song of a whippoorwill.

During the night, they will lay low and fly upwards to catch moths and other aerial insects.

At dusk and dawn, and on moonlit nights, they scurry out of their perches to sweep up insects in their large mouths.

During the day, they roost on the forest floor, or on a horizontal log or branch, and are very difficult to spot. Their brindled plumage blends perfectly with the gray-brown leaf litter of the open forests where they breed and roost.

Look for them in open understories. They can be found in both purely deciduous and mixed deciduous-conifer forests, often in areas with sandy soil.

Eastern whip-poor-wills migrate to Mexico and Central America for the winter, apparently traveling mostly over land to get there. In spring they arrive in breeding grounds between late March and mid-May. Since they are less vocal in autumn, less is known about their southward migration routes and timing, but they seem to leave between early September and late November.

The Eastern whip-poor-wills are medium-sized birds with a large, rounded head and a stout chest that tapers to a long tail and wings, giving them a distinctly front-heavy look. Like all nightjars, they are patterned with a complicated mottling of gray and brown, which camouflages them nearly perfectly with leaf litter and tree bark.

Nesting activities may be timed so adults are feeding young primarily on nights when the moon is more than half full, making it easier for them while foraging. Males sing at night to defend their territory and to attract a mate. They do not build nests in the traditional way. The nest site is on the ground in shady woods but often near the edge of a clearing, on open soil covered with dead leaves. They do not build a nest, but instead the eggs lay on the flat ground.

The entire state of Maine is part of the whip-poor-wills range.

But, getting back to the original question: Eastern whip-poor-wills are still fairly common birds, but their numbers declined by almost 3 percent per year between 1966 and 2015, resulting in a cumulative decline of 75 percent during that time, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. In some areas, parts of their range seem to have become unoccupied. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 2 million with 95 percent living part of the year in the U.S.

The decline in parts of their range is blamed mostly on open forests being converted to pasture urbanizing and agriculture. Although it’s not fully understood, the decline may also be caused by a general reduction in numbers of large moths and beetles.

The Eastern whip-poor-will is on the 2016 State of North America’s Birds’ Watch List, which includes bird species that are most at risk of extinction without significant conservation actions to reverse declines and reduce threats. Also, because whip-poor-wills often fly over roads or sit on roadways while foraging, they are also vulnerable to collisions with cars.

Restoration could occur when abandoned farmlands revert to forest.

So, on those quiet, moonlit nights around a campfire, listen off in the distance, and you just might here the call of the whip-poor-will.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Name these five Major League baseball players: The Bambino, Teddy Ballgame, Hammerin’ Hank, Charlie Hussle, The Say Hey Kid.

Answer can be found here.

Give Us Your Best Shot! for Thursday, June 3, 2021

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To submit a photo for this section, please visit our contact page or email us at townline@townline.org!

SING ME A TUNE: Jayne Winters, of South China, snapped this squirrel who appears to be serenading her.

LUPINES ARE BACK: Greg Mazoti photographed these lupines last year. June is the time for their return.

RELAX: Michael Bilinsky, of China Village, photographed this loon as it sits in the lake, relaxing.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: New Hope for People with Alzheimer’s Disease

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Researchers are testing a new drug that may someday be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

(NAPSI)—There could be promising news for the more than six million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and the people who care for them.

The Problem

Although nearly one in every three people will eventually be afflicted and it’s the third leading cause of death of older adults in the U.S. (surpassed only by heart disease and cancer in non-pandemic years), there may be effective treatments on the horizon.

An Answer?

One contender is about to start a Phase I clinical trial. It’s a novel drug known as NVG-291 and it’s designed to repair damaged nerves. Originally developed by NervGen Pharma Corp. (TSX-V: NGEN) (OTCQX: NGENF) to treat spinal cord injury, it soon became apparent that the drug may be healing nerve damage at a biologically fundamental level. That suggests it can also help people who have multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.

Why It May Work

According to NervGen President & CEO Paul Brennan, NVG-291 is a truly unique and logical approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease patients. “What differentiates NVG-291 from other drugs in development is that it leverages multiple mechanisms for repairing nerve damage,” he explains, “while most others focus on a single approach. Alzheimer’s disease is a complex condition and likely caused by multiple factors. We believe that a systems approach to treating the disease is an important distinction.”

NVG-291 is designed to achieve this by liberating the body’s own repair mechanisms to accelerate nerve repair. When nerve damage occurs, either as a result of an injury or disease, molecules called chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, or CSPG, accumulate and inhibit the body’s ability to repair itself. NervGen’s technology is designed to counteract this inhibition and result in the initiation of multiple repair mechanisms, including nerve regeneration and remyelination – the repair of the protective coating of the nerves. It should also improve plasticity, which is where surviving nerves take on additional function.

There are two additional mechanisms that are seen to be very important in treating Alzheimer’s disease. Data in animal studies show that inflammation in the immune cells of the brain is reduced and autophagy, a cellular cleaning mechanism necessary for healthy neurons, is promoted. Researchers believe the same nerve-rejuvenating biotechnology can be adapted to remedy this mind-desecrating disease.

Currently approved Alzheimer’s disease drugs merely address symptoms, whereas NVG-291 should act at a more fundamental level to let normal repair mechanisms kick in to create a favorable environment for nerves to grow and form entirely new nerve connections, according to Brennan.
The ability to bring to bear numerous mechanisms of repair, including two that are increasingly viewed as critical to addressing Alzheimer’s disease, represents an unprecedented medical breakthrough.

Learn More

For additional facts on the clinical trials and NervGen, visit www.nervgen.com.

SOLON & BEYOND: The time I attempted to publish my own ‘hometown’ newspaper

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Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

When I opened my computer this morning I was very pleased to find this bit of news about the Embden Thrift Shop: The Embden Thrift Shop is planning to be open Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Clean donations are accepted, however no electronics. Items can ONLY be left on Saturdays while the Thrift Shop is open.

Now for some news that I wrote about 0n March 25, 2005, in the small paper I started. It started with the words Solon and Beyond! Good Morning My Friends, Don’t Worry be Happy! From Percy and me. I had become upset with the paper I was writing for at the time, and decided to start my own paper.

Would like to say once again how much I appreciate the many, many kind and encouraging words I have received from so many of you in response to this little paper. Tears of joy have formed in my eyes more than once at your appreciation for my efforts to bring you love and laughter via the written word. To a certain extent this is the way I have always written, some editors have let me get away with it, some have not! (Being the editor of this paper, I got away with it.) Could write a book about editors, have written under many in the more than 40 years that I’ve been writing. This is a neat example of some of the support I have received from loyal readers when I was having a problem with an editor. This was many years ago when I was writing for the Somerset Reporter. This lady in her middle 80s who didn’t have a license to drive, hired someone to take her to the Somerset Reporter office in Skowhegan. She had whoever had taken her to Skowhegan go in the office and bring the editor out so she could give him a piece of her mind. She was a lady who only needed a few words to get her message across, She helped my case immensely! As I said, I could write a book, but only once did I ever quit writing( for a short time) because of an editor!

I had taken a picture of four of my friends and put it on the front page of this particular paper. And this is what was written beside the picture, “And since this issue is dedicated to friendship, I am going to print a picture of some of the UCCEBDMSS members. For those of you who have never heard what those letters stand for, we are Solon Chapter Chowder Eating Beer Drinking Marching and Singing Society members. And to set the record straight, we are not a boozing bunch! They don’t know I’m putting this picture on the front page, it was taken 16 years ago, the picture is of Gloria Barnes, Dorothy Brown, Marge Adams and Alice Heald.

There is more local news in this issue, one tells about the Solon Congregational Church, the Embden Historical Society and other events and it ends with these words: Some people who have been picking up these little papers since the first issue on January 15 will know that I couldn’t afford to give them to you forever. This is the seventh and last issue of probably the smallest and shortest lived newspaper ever. I do believe that the newspaper business is in my blood, and when I couldn’t get the news printed in the paper I was writing for at the time, I decided to start my own paper. Knew I couldn’t keep giving them away forever and prayed for a miracle. As stubborn as I am , don’t know how deep a financial hole I would have dug myself into if the miracle hadn’t materialized! Next week you will be seeing Percy and me once again in The Town Line. Those of you who pick up that paper will have started to see how much it has improved since Roland Hallee has taken over as editor.

Just a few facts about this little paper I started, the first week I printed 62 copies with two pages in it on my printer. I distributed them to three stores here in Solon and to Pinkam’s Elm St. Market, in North Anson. The next three issues I also printed on my protesting old printer and they were now up to three pages. By that time I had started checking out the cost of having them printed professionally because I was having to buy a print cartridge for each issue. The fifth issue had a picture of my faithful helper Percy on the front page as well as a couple of ads and was printed by Deck Copy, in Skowhegan, and I expanded to two stores in Bingham. The last two issues were also printed by Deck Copy and the distribution is up to 170 papers a week, and again I can’t tell you, my friends, how much I have loved your support. Didn’t realize it was going to be a full time job, I had become an editor/publisher, writer, ad salesman, business manager and paper deliverer. I am going to print my financial statement so that you will understand that it takes money to run a paper and I hope businesses in this area will take out ads in The Town Line to keep it in Somerset County. My printing costs for the seven issues published: $231; received $20 for ads, making a total spent of $211, this doesn’t include money for gas, all the time I spent writing, postage for all the papers I mailed out. I’m not trying to make you feel sorry for me, just hope you know how much I want a small weekly paper in this area.

And now for Percy’s memoir: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow. Words by Garry Gogetter.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Little tidbits of information

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by Debbie Walker

The other night I was flipping through my 2020 Farmer’s Almanac for the 100th (at least) time since I bought it last fall. I would have told you, if asked, that I had studied that volume front to back and there would be no surprises left for me in that issue. I discovered I was wrong. I had indeed missed something. I missed two of what I consider the funniest advertisements.

Let me first tell you I did not know the word “Biffy” is another term for toilet or outhouse. It may have come from the term Bivouac. This is a temporary military camp. The “Biffy Bag” was believed, in this description, to have been a carrier for the soldier’s toiletries. However, that is not the reason for the ad I saw.

The “Biffy Bag” advertisement I saw shows a cartoon picture of its use.

Next ad I saw was directly beside the Biffy Bag. This one is promoted by a company called “PStyle”. The ad reads “PStyle: A ‘Stand to pee’ device ideal for woman who work and play outside. The thing to me looks like a swim flipper, just a little smaller. I haven’t figured out just how easy or difficult this would be. I am still thinking a collapsible funnel with a tube attached would work!

I am sorry, I am sure some of you may be thinking how tacky this is. I admit that when I finished my last article about my Urinary Adventure, I had no plans to travel with anything else along that line. But this info was visible to me and I couldn’t resist.

Since I am still in that arena I may as well add that the surgery seems to have been a great success. Needless to say, I am thrilled. I will be going back to see the surgeon/urologist on May 26. Please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime.

There was an article in that same issue about salt being a miracle cure. It was written by Deborah Tukun. We always used salt to gargle when we had a sore throat. I am surprised my mom didn’t know about the cure for infected ears.

I always had trouble with ear aches and infections. Possibly that information was unavailable when we were kids. It is done with a warm ‘salt sock’. The warm salt sock is a do-it-yourself treatment. It creates a shift in the pressure within the ear, draws fluid out and eases the pain. There are boughten pillows or you can make one with a WHITE sock. It has to be white, no dyes.

You will need one white, cotton sock and 1-1/2 cups of coarse sea salt. Pour into a white sock and tie end in a knot. Heat in a clean, dry skillet over medium/low heat (NEVER a microwave) for about 4 – 6 minutes. Shake it around to make heat even. Heat till very warm, test on your arm to make sure it’s not too warm. Cover ear and jaw line and relax. I have never tried this so please do your own research.

I’m just curious what you thought was most useful in this column. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org.

Thanks for reading and have a great week.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Count Basie

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Count Basie

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Count Basie

Count Basie (1904-1984) recorded Broadway Basie’s Way for Enoch Light’s Command label on August 18 and September 7 and 8, 1966. It contained 12 classic Broadway tunes:

Hello Young Lovers from The King and I. A Lot of Livin’ to Do from Bye Bye Birdie. Just in Time from Bells Are Ring­ing. Mame. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. It’s All Right With Me from Can Can. On the Street Where You Live from My Fair Lady. Here’s that Rainy Day from Carnival in Flanders.
From this Moment On from Out of this World. Baubles, Bangles and Beads, from Kismet. People from Funny Girl. Everything’s Coming Up Roses from Gypsy.

Basie’s arranger was the Cuban-born Chico O’Farrill (1921- 2001) and he had on hand the phenomenal trumpeter Roy Eldridge (1911-1989) who otherwise was a free-lancer after years in Gene Krupa’s band, and rhythm guitarist Freddie Green (1911-1987) who had been with Basie for over 30 years.

Except for a few desultory moments – almost as if everyone is on auto-pilot – the album is a good one. Part of its problem may have been the commercialized pressure to do tunes that the band wasn’t that excited about; what saved it from total boredom was the sheer professionalism of Basie and his players and their commitment to a minimum standard of quality and reliability in all of their sessions. As with Basie’s friend Duke Ellington (1899-1974), neither gentleman ever made a bad record and I have many of each of them.

Basie and his wife, Catherine, had one daughter, Diane, who was born in 1944 with cerebral palsy. The doctors told them she would never walk. His wife felt otherwise and taught the little girl to walk and swim.

Continuing with R. P. Tristram Coffin’s Kennebec Crystals:

“But back up on the farms the men were grinding their picks. Women were laying out armfuls of gray socks with white heels and toes, piling up the flannel shirts, packing up bacon and ham and sausage meat and loaves. Boys were oiling harness and polishing the glass sidelights of headstalls. Chains were clinking, and sleds were being piled with blankets and bedding and victuals and extra whiffle-trees, cant dogs, picks, and feed for the horses.”

More next week.

SPECIAL TO THE TOWN LINE: Memorial Day about fallen soldiers

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A close-up view of a tombstone at the Arlington National Cemetery, marking the grave site of four unknown crewmen assigned to the battleship USS MAINE (BB 2). The Marine sank after exploding off the coast of Havana, Cuba, killing approximately 260 crewmen. The sabotaging of the main precipatated the American declaration of war against Spain in 1898.

by Gary Kennedy

Memorial Day is a federal holiday which is celebrated on the last Monday of May, each year. To me Memorial Day indicates a day of memory. In our case it is the American realization that our freedom isn’t free at all. Young men and women have gone to war to protect the American way of life for several centuries now.

Fortunately, for those who did not serve in a military capacity had the support of those who would give their all to protect this great country and the residence who resided in the place they called home. This day is full of “do’s and don’ts”. The don’ts are what we need to avoid. Research shows five things we should not do on Memorial Day;

  • Don’t wish anyone a “Happy Memorial Day”. Memorial Day was not born out of happiness and joy.
  • Don’t thank the current troops. (Thank you for your service) it’s not about them.
  • Don’t regard the sale at Wal-Mart as a tribute to our deceased brothers and sisters. Be respectful.
  • Don’t forget it exists and why, explain it to the children.
  • Don’t let politics sway you from the respect that is deserved to those who gave their life for you. If you don’t respect what was given, then life means very little to you.

It’s very important to remember we are not celebrating veterans here; we are memorializing those who gave their lives. In 1868 General John Logan declared the day for paying respect to “those who have died”, defending our way of life with flags and flowers. As you can see there is an important distinction. Thank you for your service and wish you were here are very different. Even though some of us may disagree with the politics of war; that is not the issue of the holiday. We are showing thanks for our existence and respect for those who died securing that. No one could give more than his/her life for family, friends and country.

Historically our flags are flown at half staff from dawn until noon. You can put flowers on the grave of any fallen hero. It is customary to pause at 3 p.m. and say a little prayer. Wearing a red poppy is a symbol of respect which began early on when Memorial Day was known as Decoration Day. (May 30, 1868).

The Ohio Congressman and future president, James Garfield gave the first speech which took place at Arlington National Cemetery. This began as a Civil War event, in which over 620,000 men and women died. Later this was expanded to include all wars. Remember, Veterans Day honors all that have served in the armed forces but Memorial Day honors those who gave their lives. The late Billy Graham said, “Courage is Contagious”. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened. President James Garfield stated, “For love of country they accepted death.” Nathan Hale stated, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”

There are so many famous quotes surrounding this holiday. “In Flanders Field” probably is the greatest of them all. It was written by a Canadian physician during World War I, Lt. Colonel John McCrae. McCrae was inspired to write the poem while presiding at the funeral of a dear friend. Later he discarded the poem believing it to not be good. It was retrieved by another and published giving credit to McCrae.

In Flanders Field was first published on December 8, 1915. It is one of the most quoted poems to this very day, and applies to all conflicts of war and has even been used in advertising. In the U.S.A. we use it with Veterans and Memorial days. It was used as a recruiting tool during the romance period of war and was written in order to give a voice to the dead. A simple wooden cross in a field of poppies is where it received the breath of life from the mind and hand of one trained to save life. Bury your friend with a raincoat for cover. War is hell. When will we ever learn? Don’t forget this and be sure to pause at 3 p.m., and whisper your prayer. The world is in a bad place, even now. Enjoy your day off with friends and family and remember those who have allowed you to do that.

God Bless and stay safe.

In Flanders Field

The Larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce head amid the guns below

We are the dead. Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high
If ye brake faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Field.

CRITTER CHATTER: The difference between animal control officer, and animal damage control officer

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A caged mink at the Wildlife Center. (photo by Don Cote)

by Jayne Winters

When Don and I talked about a topic for this month’s column, he suggested letting readers know what the differences are between an Animal Control Officer (ACO) and an Animal Damages Control Agent (ADC). Although the titles of “Animal Control” and “Animal Damage Control” are often used interchangeably, they represent two different areas of specialty. Simply put, Maine Animal Control Officers handle domestic animal complaints, while Animal Damage Control Agents deal with wildlife issues. Both must be licensed or certified by the overseeing state agency and successfully complete continuing education or training; both are required to have a current Maine trapping license.

Animal Control Officers are licensed and regulated by the Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry under its Animal Welfare Program. According to semi-retired ACO Patrick Faucher, of Oakland, municipalities are mandated by the state to have Animal Control Officers, but due to limited budgets, often hire and share an officer to cover several towns in the area.

According to the National Animal Control Association (NACA), Animal Control Officers “work to maintain public health standards by making communities safe for both people and animals.” Most entry-level ACO positions require a minimum of a high school diploma, but agencies often require additional training and education related to animal or veterinary sciences, and/or law enforcement. Typical duties include investigation of complaints; working with the public, animal shelters, and potentially dangerous animals; maintaining records and preparing incident reports; monitoring dog licensure; capturing and possibly quarantining loose or stray animals; issuing warnings or citations to pet owners for appearance in court; and trapping/rescuing/transporting injured or sick animals. They also need to know the appropriate, safe practices and use of various equipment used in animal handling. In addition to having the physical abilities required to perform field work, they also need a valid driver’s license and must be certified as an ACO at the time of hire or within six months. Maine ACOs must fulfill mandated 8-hour training requirements annually; failure to do so results in Phase I (core competencies) and Phase II (practical instruction and exercises) recertification. Many training options are currently provided on-line due to Covid-19 restrictions until regular in-person training can be safely held.

Conversely, Animal Damage Control Agents are licensed and regulated by the Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, but operate as independent contractors. Pat Faucher noted that because the state has no standard or base fees, agents can charge whatever they want, often for each animal captured. Common nuisance species include raccoons, skunks, squirrels, mice, opossums, or weasels seeking shelter in or under a house, garage, or shed. They may occupy an area sporadically, using the site for a few days until food sources are exhausted, or to give birth and raise their young. If an animal doesn’t pose a problem to you, your family, pets or other animals, you may choose not to have it removed. However, sometimes animals make noise, chew or destroy property, create odors or present a potential health hazard. Pat Faucher told me that if there is a health hazard, the town is required to respond. Due to liability issues concerning health or safety hazards, such as a potentially rabid animal or relocating a mother animal and her young, an Animal Damage Control Agent should be utilized.

Pat stated trapping is not as simple as the general public may think: wild critters, especially raccoons and squirrels, are very smart. The individual trapping must have knowledge of what type of bait to use, where and how to place it, e.g., loose or wired to the cage. Agents do not handle domestic animal calls unless they are also a licensed ACO for a given town. Some Agents specialize in certain species, such as beavers or bats, so be sure you choose a person with the right expertise. If you have questions, you should contact your town or the local wildlife biologist, game warden or rehabber. State wildlife offices do not really have the staff resources to provide animal removal services, but can provide the names of individuals and companies that do.

As noted in April, Donald and Amy are recovering from recent health issues, so the Care Center is receiving assistance from other rehabbers to help with spring admissions. We ask that you check these websites to see if there is a rehabber closer to you to help make critter care at Duck Pond more manageable: https://www.mainevetmed.org/wildlife-rehabilitation or https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/living-with-wildlife/orphaned-injured-wildlife/rehabilitation.html. Thank you.

Donald Cote operates Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center on Rte. 3 in Vassalboro. It is a non-profit state permitted rehab facility & is supported by his own resources and outside donations. Mailing address: 1787 North Belfast Ave., Vassalboro ME 04989 TEL: (207) 445-4326. EMAIL: thewildlifecarecenter@gmail.com.