REVIEW POTPOURRI: Sir Eugene Goossens

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Sir Eugene Goossens

Sir Eugene Goossens

Sir Eugene Goossens (1893-1962) conducted the Rochester Philharmonic during the 1920s; succeeded Fritz Reiner as Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra from 1931 to 1946; moved to Australia to lead the Sydney Symphony for ten years until forced to resign in 1956 due to his involvement with a woman who practiced witchcraft and other bizarre activities (just a year after he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth) ; and returned to England feeling emotionally disgraced.

Interestingly he still conducted English orchestras and made several very exciting LPs for Everest Records and EMI, some of the latter released here on Capitol Records when it was still marketing classical music before signing the Beatles in 1964.

Goossens’s Everest LPs included especially magnificent performances of Respighi’s Roman Festivals, a hyper colorful showpiece that displays the full orchestra in all its sonic glory, and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, itself a masterpiece of rhythmic eloquence from the composer’s last ten years.

I own several 78 sets of Goossens that were released in the U.S. on both Victor black label and Red Seal between the late ‘20s and early ‘40s. They include Tchaikovsky Nutcracker excerpts and the 1812 Overture with the Royal Opera Orchestra of Covent Garden, a vibrantly expressive Schumann 4th Symphony from Cincinatti and the Grieg Peer Gynt Suite #1 from another London Orchestra.

Some of these earlier recordings were dismissed if not ignored by so-called music critics “in the know” who usually didn’t know what they were talking about; Goossens always conducted with sound musicianship and ability at conveying the inner meaning of a piece.

His family background included both a father and grandfather who were also conductors and named Eugene, Sir Eugene being Eugene III. He was the oldest of five children, each of whom were talented musicians.

Brother Adolphe was a French horn player of great potential but was tragically killed in the World War I Battle of the Somme in 1916 at the age of 20.

The remaining three siblings, oboist Leon and two sisters Marie and Sidonie who were harpists lived well into their 90s, Sidonie living three centuries (1899-2004) making it to 105 and for decades principal harp in the BBC Symphony.

Two BBC Maestros, Sir Adrian Boult and Pierre Boulez praised Sidonie’s “reassuring presence, irreproachable professional conscience and faultless attitude” and were very close personal friends. As a sideline she and her husband raised chickens and pigs on their 400 acre farm.

Arthur Schlesinger Jr.

Arthur Schlesinger Jr.

The Letters of Arthur Schlesinger Jr. (1917-2007) chronicle the perceptions of a very active historian of the 20th century United States in both its progress in social and political change and its lack of change. He taught for decades at Harvard and was one of the inner circle of intellectuals working in the White House during President John F. Kennedy’s Thousand Days, itself the title of his account of that period before Dallas ended it on November 22, 1963.

Two letters capture Schlesin­ger’s innate Democrat party loyalty. In a 1958 letter to a now forgotten journalist/diplomat, he displays a concern about then Vice-President Richard Nixon’s proclamation of himself as the “new Nixon” who is more congenial and less sleazy than the Nixon who threw dirt at his opponents in the 1946 and 1950 Congressional races, both of which he won.

Schlesinger writes, “Plainly, if the Democrats have any sense, they must do something to combat it before 1960 [the year Nixon ran against Kennedy for the White House and lost by a narrow margin].” But then Schlesinger admits quickly that, despite a lot of possible solutions being thrown around, it would be wasted efforts and that, “in the end, Nixon will have to destroy himself.”

In September, 1960, Schlesinger sends a more positive note to Jackie Kennedy, “I think that Nixon’s ugliness is going to boomerang before too long. ” A month later in the televised Nixon/Kennedy debates, Nixon’s 5 o’clock shadow worked against him compared to Kennedy’s smoothly shaved youthful charisma.

Elsewhere Schlesinger had some misgivings about the conservative William Buckley’s world view yet the two were friendly.

With the radical leftist Noam Chomsky, Schlesinger heavily trashed Chomsky’s 1969 book American Power and the New Mandarins in a Chicago Tribune review and some time later wrote that Chomsky “begins as a preacher to the world and ends as an intellectual crook.”

AARP NEWS YOU CAN USE: Maine legislature at work on topics concerning citizens

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by Joyce Bucciantini

The Maine Legislature is in full swing. Legislators are working diligently through a myriad of proposed bills on a wide range of topics of concern to the citizens of Maine. In Maine, every proposed bill receives a public hearing by the appropriate legislative committee. These hearings provide opportunities for Mainers to make their voices heard by elected officials, creating empowering opportunities for community engagement.

AARP Maine is closely following LD 186, “An Act to Clarify the Public Utilities Commission’s Authority to Establish Time of Use Pricing for Standard Offer Service”. This bill seeks to allow the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to change the standard offer rate (the default rate for the supply of electricity set by the Commission) from a flat rate to a time of use (TOU) rate. Electric rates would be higher for morning and late afternoon peak usage times—a big change for most home consumers.

AARP Maine has concerns about the impact of LD 186 on the pocketbooks of Mainers who already concerned about the rising cost of electricity. Families could be forced to pay more to keep their homes warm during evening hours—often when it gets coldest. The legislation could also lead to higher utility bills for people who rely on life saving medical devices.

AARP Maine advocacy volunteers are asking the Maine legislature to vote NO on LD 186. Instead, we encourage the PUC to wait until December 2025, when the results of an already ordered rate design study will be available. These findings will help them consider the best options for possible time of use rate changes. We’re also urging the PUC to develop a pilot program that would allow consumers to opt in to time of use rates to provide useful data for consideration.

One thing I have learned on my trips to the Maine State House is that our legislators are happy to hear from their constituents about any proposed legislation. Our state legislators are concerned individuals who seek to do the best for their communities, and for our great state. Maine residents have a great opportunity in the ability to share their ideas with our legislators about the proposed bill, LD 186, or any other issues in Maine. Every voice does truly make a difference.

Joyce Bucciantini is a retired middle school educator. She currently coordinates Delta Kappa Gamma’s Read to Me program, is a tutor with Literacy Volunteers-Androscoggin, and is an active AARP Maine volunteer. In her spare time, she enjoys her gardens, being outdoors and traveling.

CRITTER CHATTER: Many hands made light work

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by Jayne Winters

Reminiscing,
Part VI

During our recent series of “Taking a Trip Down Memory Lane,” I’ve shared a few stories that Carleen Cote wrote about local school children initiating various fundraising projects for Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center. However, not only young members of our community have supported this facility over the years. In September 2003, Paul Basham wrote about 35 adult volunteers who gathered at Duck Pond:

“All during the workday, volunteers hammered, sawed, cleaned and repaired old cages and built new cages. The workers stopped in mid-day to enjoy a generous lunch catered by Rhonda Boynton, Mrs. Staples, and Blanche Bourdeau.

I asked Carleen how this workday got started and she said, “Ever since the news spread about the ruling of the USDA, prohibiting our Wildlife Care Center from conducting tours, our phone has been ringing off the hook with callers offering to help us.” She paused for a moment, and then continued, “I was overwhelmed by all the people – near and far – giving us their support, and I took down their names and phone numbers. Then I came up with the idea of calling these folks back and scheduling a workday. And this is what happened,” Carleen said, swinging wide her arms as if to display all the improvements.

I talked with Fred Turner and Michael Brown who were still repairing an old cage during the lunch break. Turner operates the Critta Gitta, in Augusta, where he helps control animal damage, and Brown manages Second Chance Wildlife, an animal rehabilitation facility in New Sharon. Both men said they often work with the Cotes regarding wildlife issues.

Don Cote said he did not know how to act with so many people scattered across the Center “doing his work.” But he could not disguise his delight.

Carleen remarked with emphasis, “Some of these volunteers, after working all day, handed me a check before they left!” She added that many workers said, “Let’s make this an annual event!” It looks like a new tradition has been established at Vassalboro’s Wildlife Care Center – and Don and Carleen Cote could not be happier. At the end of the day, Carleen said, with her eyes dancing, ‘It would have taken three years for my husband and me to do what was achieved today!’’

I don’t know if Volunteer Workdays became an annual tradition, but photos from 2016 show a crew building a new duck house and an article entitled “Old-Fashioned Barn Raising” tells of a storage building project to house bulk animal food. In addition to friends and carpenters, volunteers included IF&W Warden Scott Thrasher, of Madison, and State Police Sgt. Aaron Hayden, of South China. Every person involved donated their days off, as well as some of the materials. Carleen’s column ended with, “Whether in the baking sun or the pouring rain, the construction crew carried out the Maine tradition of neighbor helping neighbor. Our “thank-you’s” do not adequately express our appreciation for all the hard work from folks who had nothing to gain except the good feeling of having helped a neighbor in need and helped support the care of Maine’s wildlife.”

So, we have more examples of how simple, but thoughtful and generous acts can make a big dif ference not only to human neighbors, but wildlife neighbors as well. Remember that while donations to causes close to your heart can be financial, there are other ways to contribute.

Duck Pond is not accepting admissions or phone messages at this time, but we have worked closely with Wilderness Miracles Rehab, in Bowdoin, (Kathi at 207-720-0074), Misfits Rehab, in Auburn, (Jen at 207-212-1039), Bridget Green, in Wiscasset, (207-631-0874), Critterville Wildlife, in Brooklin (845-549-2407), and Saco River Wildlife (207-702-1405). Turtle rehabber Pam Meier can be reached at The Turtle’s Back (203-903-2708). Otherwise, please check these websites for a rehabber close to you: https://www.mainevetmed.org/wildlife-rehabilitation or https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/living-with-wildlife/orphaned-injured-wildlife/index.html or contact your local Animal Control Officer through your town office.

MAINE-LY GARDENING: Getting a head start on gardening

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by Jude Hsiang

Starting seeds indoors is easy, economical, and fun. Most garden seeds can be planted in April and ready to transplant outdoors when the danger of frost is past. If you haven’t done this before, start small with one or two of your favorite vegetables or flowers. Young children can plant larger seeds like beans, which are easy for tiny hands. Older kids can grow their favorites. When I was 6 years old my father gave me a 29-cent packet of radish seeds. I didn’t like radishes, but he explained that I could offer to sell them to a neighbor’s restaurant. Back then the price of a small bunch of radishes was 35 cents. I’ve been gardening ever since.

Seeds can be started in small containers 2-3 inches deep and punched with a few drainage holes: yogurt cups, cut off bottoms of milk cartons, even egg cartons. You will need a soilless planting medium which will be free of weed seeds and disease organisms found in yard or garden soil. While at the store you could buy trays of plastic six-packs for your seeds if you don’t have little containers at home. They can be reused many times with yearly disinfecting using one part bleach to nine parts water. Seeds have all the nutrients baby plants need, so fertilizer isn’t needed.

Soilless planting mediums are water resistant, so you’ll want to wet it thoroughly – mixing and squishing until it’s damp but not soggy – before filling your containers. The seed packet or catalog will show how deep to plant. Very tiny seeds often require light to germinate and so aren’t covered. Set the containers on a tray to catch the drips and put them in a warm place – the top of the refrigerator or other spot out of the way of pets or small children. Seeds take different lengths of time to germinate – another opportunity for young scientists to keep records.

Covering them lightly with a layer of plastic wrap, or the clear plastic covers sold for seed starting trays will keep them warm without drying out. A light watering with lukewarm water when the surface of the planting medium is dry will be all they need. Too much water can cause a fungal disease called “damping off.”

Once the little seedlings have appeared, watch for them to develop their first true leaves, which often look different than the first “seed leaves.” Find a sunny window for them. They’re likely to get leggy as they reach for the sun but turning them each day will help. Move the plants away from the window on very cold nights.

When the second set of true leaves opens, the seedlings can be thinned to about an inch apart. You can give them a little fertilizer at half the rate given on the package. If they are getting crowded, transplant them into larger pots. Hold them by a leaf, as they are still very delicate and can’t survive a damaged stem.

Mid-May days are warm enough to “harden off” the seedlings by adjusting them to the outdoors. Set them in an area protected from strong sunlight or breezes such as on a porch or under a shrub for a few hours a day and increase the time over a couple of weeks. Around the first of June when the risk of frost is over, transplant them into their garden spot or larger containers. Water them well.

More ambitious gardeners can start more seeds and try some fussier plants by spending a moderate amount of money to provide better light and heat. Special heat mats help germination by heating from the bottom and are only needed until the plants have popped up. (Do not use heating pads or electric blankets for this!)

Light can be enhanced by setting up fluorescent shop lights and using a timer set for 16 hours a day. One “warm” bulb and one “cool” bulb combine to give the range of light wavelengths needed by seedlings. Shop lights are hung from chains that allow them to be adjusted to 2-4″ above the tops of the seedlings. Specialized, and more expensive, “grow lights” have a wider wavelength range needed for flower production, but not seedlings. It’s best to talk to a supplier of garden equipment as not all brands of lights aren’t equal. The University of Maine Extension can provide more tips on successful seed starting and all gardening topics.

Whether a few marigold seeds or two dozen tomatoes, it’s very satisfying to watch over the seedlings that promise a bountiful summer.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: The frightening and harmless earwigs

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Recently, someone showed me a photograph of an insect they alleged bit one of their children. They wanted to know what it was and whether it was harmful. It didn’t take long for me to identify it as an earwig.

Earwigs are a relatively small group of insects. Earwigs often upset people when discovered indoors. Their forcep-like tail appendages make them look dangerous, but they are quite harmless. Earwigs run rapidly around baseboards, and they may emit a foul-smelling, yellowish-brown liquid from their scent glands when disturbed or crushed. Earwigs are mainly active at night, usually hiding during the daytime. They’re often found in clusters hiding in dark crevices like door or window frames.

Earwigs normally live outdoors and do not establish themselves indoors, though the ringlegged earwig is a common resident in greenhouses. Earwigs are harmless to humans and animals, though if picked up and restrained, adult earwigs can give a slight pinch with the forceps. While mainly predaceous on other insects, earwigs often feed on flower petals, soft vegetables and fruits, or seedling plants when hot and dry conditions persist.

The name earwig actually comes from an Old English name, which was derived from the superstition that earwigs can enter your ears at night and burrow into your brain to lay eggs. This belief is totally unfounded, though earwigs will occasionally seek out ear canals of campers as dark, moist hiding places. This can obviously be a traumatic experience!

Adults of the European earwig are usually winged, while the ringlegged earwigs are wingless. If wings are present, the first pair are hard, short, and scale-like, while the second pair are membranous, fan-shaped, and folded under the hard first pair of wings. Tips of the second pair of wings usually protrude from under the first pair. The European earwig ranges from 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, with banded legs and a reddish head. The ringlegged earwig ranges from 1/2 to 3/5 inch long and is black-yellowish underneath with legs having white crossbands at the joints. Young earwigs (nymphs) are similar to adults except the nymphs lack wings and the cerci are short.

Earwigs develop from egg to adult through gradual, or incomplete, metamorphosis with four to five nymphal instars. Generally, most earwigs lay eggs in late winter into early spring in chambers in the ground, under logs, or under stones. Usually, 20 to 50 smooth, oval, pearly-white or cream-colored eggs are produced. The female moves, cleans, and provides maternal care by protecting the eggs and new young until the first molt.

When spring weather is suitable, the female makes an opening to the soil surface where the young nymphs can leave the nest and forage for food. The small nymphs often return to their burrow during the day, but soon they are large enough to fend for themselves without a burrow. Earwigs are active at night and are often found around lights preying on other small insects that come to lights. During the day, earwigs hide in moist, shady places beneath stones, boards, sidewalks, and debris. They are rapid runners and feed on mosses, lichens, algae, fungi, insects, spiders, and mites, both dead and alive.

Earwigs rarely fly and are unable to crawl long distances, but they often hitchhike in laundry baskets, cut flowers, luggage, newspapers, lumber, baskets of fruits and vegetables, automobiles, etc. They prefer moisture and may migrate indoors during periods of prolonged heat and drought. Forceps at the end of the abdomen are used to defend the nest, capture prey, probe narrow crevices, and fold or unfold wings.

If earwigs are persistently invading a home or building, one should first attempt to control the earwigs outdoors. Since earwigs breed in soil chambers and spaces under landscape stones and timbers, reducing mulch layers and landscape structures can help reduce populations.

During dry, hot weather, earwigs sometimes migrate indoors in search of cool and moist habitat. They are easily killed by residual insecticide treatments in cracks and crevices, along baseboards, beneath cabinets, along door and window sills, and in other hiding places during the day. Unfortunately, control will be short-term due to new earwig entry from outdoors. Therefore, the best strategy is to better seal around doors and windows, which serve as the major entry points.

They are plentiful, ominous looking, but they are harmless to humans. I just don’t care to be pinched by one.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which major league players were known by these nicknames. 1. The Splendid Splinter. 2. The Bambino. 3. Charlie Hustle. 4. The Say Hey Kid.

Answer
1. Ted Williams, 2. Babe Ruth. 3. Pete Rose. 4. Willie Mays.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Samuel de Champlain

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Samuel de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain

In his fascinatingly detailed Voyages, Samuel de Champlain (1567-1635) wrote of traveling up the Penobscot River in the following entry for September 5th, 1604:

“The same day we passed also near to an island about four or five leagues long. From this island to the main land on the north, the distance is less than a hundred paces. It is very high, and notched in places, so that there is the appearance to one at sea, as of seven or eight mountains extending along near each other. The summit of most of them is destitute of trees, as there are only rocks on them. The woods consists of pines, firs, and birches only. I named it Isle des Monts Deserts.”

As a younger man growing up in France, Champlain was an accomplished military officer for five years during the various bestial religious wars that King Henry IV was constantly waging. In return for his faithful service, the King supported Champlain’s interest in traveling to North America to explore and report on the region; he journeyed upwards of 30 times across the Atlantic.

David Oistrakh

David Oistrakh Plays the World’s Greatest Violin Concertos – Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky; Murray Hill S27606, three LPs.

David Oistrakh

David Oistrakh (1908-1974) was the most frequently recorded violinist to emerge from the former Soviet Union. Before his first trip to the United States in 1955, he was lionized by record collectors via the many Melodiya tapes released on dime store LPs from such labels as Vox, Period, Hall of Fame, Colosseum etcs. The fidelity and record surfaces were often grainy but the wondrously heartfelt playing and stunning virtuosity stood him in the same class as Jascha Heifetz, Isaac Stern, Nathan Milstein and Zino Francescatti.

The Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky Concertos were each recorded several times by Oistrakh. The above recordings were derived from Melodiya with Alexander Gauk conducting the Moscow State Symphony in the Beethoven; Kiril Kondrashin and the Symphony Orchestra of Radio Moscow in Brahms; Kondrashin again and the National Philharmonic in Mendelssohn; and Samuel Samosud leading the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra in Tchaikovsky. All four performances have been previously released several times on other labels.

Murray Hill Records was a boon for budget-minded record collectors including myself. While attending the University of Southern Maine at Gorham over 50 years ago, a friend who was manager of the campus bookstore drew my attention to several of the label’s multi-disc albums and those of others including Vox, Everest, Concert-Disc, and Westminster Gold.

She graciously allowed me to store a large number of those records on layaway; by purchasing one or two weekly, I was finally able to acquire all of them within six months.

David Oistrakh was also a gifted violist and collaborated with his violinist son Igor (1931-2021) in the Mozart K. 364 Sinfonia Cocertante for both instruments. Finally, he achieved a very justified reputation as a conductor and his recordings of the Tchaikovsky Pathetique Symphony, Grieg’s Piano Concerto with his good friend Sviatoslav Richter and the Mahler 4th Symphony are superb examples.

During World War II, Oistrakh performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, in Leningrad, while it was bombarded and starved by the Nazi armies during the 900-day siege and did concerts for Soviet troops on the hazardous front lines.

In 1964, Oistrakh suffered a heart attack, was told by the doctors to take it easy but ignored their advice, continuing to perform, conduct and teach non-stop. In October 1974, he was conducting the Brahms Symphonies with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam when he died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 66.

Many Oistrakh performances can be accessed through YouTube.

One of my absolute favorite Oistrakh recordings is the one he did on a Columbia Masterworks LP of the Sibelius Violin Concerto in 1960 with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra – the note by note teamwork of soloist, conductor and responsive orchestra musicians still leaves me breathless.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Profound Relief For Cancer Patients Facing Oral Side Effects

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An ingenious new rinse can provide relief from mouth sores and ulcers due to cancer treatment.

(NAPSI)—According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than two million new cases of cancer are diagnosed in the United States a year. If you or someone you care about is among them, take heart: These days, the vast majority of people with cancer survive the disease.

What You Can Do

There are several approaches you can take, the NIH goes on to say, to combat cancer. These include: chemotherapy, hormone therapy, hyperthermia, immune therapy, photodynamic therapy, radiation therapy, stem cell transplant, targeted therapy and surgery.

What About Side Effects

While side effects can vary with treatment and patient, it’s not uncommon for cancer patients to develop mouth sores, dry mouth, oral pain, and ulcer.

Fortunately, ioTech International has developed an advanced oral rinse called ioRinse MR™ specifically to provide substantial relief for cancer patients whose oral symptoms affect their quality of life and overall comfort, and impose a significant cost burden.

Leveraging ioTech’s proprietary molecular iodine technology, ioRinse™ MR offers a pleasant taste and provides immediate, lasting relief without causing tooth staining.

Transformative Relief from Cancer Treatment Side Effects

“Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause painful mouth and throat ulcers so severe that eating, drinking, and speaking become incredibly difficult, often necessitating feeding tubes,” explained Dr. Herb Moskowitz. “ioRinse™ MR provides a major benefit by supporting healing and providing instant relief while rapidly mitigating the severity and duration of these oral mucositis symptoms, enabling patients to resume their daily activities.

“We’re thrilled to offer ioRinse™ MR to support the well-being of cancer patients,” added Dr. Moskowitz. “ioRinse™ MR stands for Maximum Relief, aptly named for its breakthrough effectiveness in managing the painful side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This product underscores a commitment to enhancing the quality of life for those who need it most.”

Oncologists and dentists who have recommended ioRinse™ MR to their patients report dramatic results. “Typically, patients find ioRinse™ MR more effective and faster acting than any other product they’ve tried,” Dr. Moskowitz shared.

Among the benefits of ioRinse™ MR are the following

The rinse is:

• Safe and easy to use
• Tested and proven effective in providing substantial relief from mouth sores, dry mouth, oral pain, and ulcers
• Not a cause of microbial resistance, non-staining and pleasant tasting
• Cost-effective preventative care
• A long-lasting breath freshener.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Arrival of the Red-Winged Blackbird sure sign of spring

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Red-winged Blackbird

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

More and more in recent days, I have seen and heard of the return of the red-winged blackbird. It is the first of migrating birds to return in the spring. A sure sign that spring is near.

The red-winged blackbird is one of the most abundant birds across North America, and one of the most boldly colored, the red-winged blackbird is a familiar sight atop cattails, along soggy roadsides, and on telephone wires. Glossy-black males have scarlet-and-yellow shoulder patches they can puff up or hide depending on how confident they feel. Females are a subdued, streaky brown, almost like a large, dark sparrow. Their early and tumbling song are happy indications of the return of spring.

You can find red-winged blackbirds in the breeding season by visiting cattail marshes and other wetlands, or simply by watching telephone wires on a drive through the country. Driving in and around China’s wetlands, the bird can be seen perched on small trees in the marshes. Where there’s standing water and vegetation, Red-winged Blackbirds are likely to be one of the most common birds you see and hear. Listen for the male’s conk-la-lee! song.

Red-winged blackbirds may come to your yard for mixed grains and seeds, particularly during migration. Spread grain or seed on the ground as well, since this is where red-winged blackbirds prefer to feed. Find out more about what this bird likes to eat and what feeder is best by using the Project FeederWatch Common Feeder Birds bird list.

Different populations and subspecies of Red-winged Blackbirds vary markedly in size and proportions. An experiment was conducted that moved nestlings between populations and found the chicks grew up to resemble their foster parents. This study indicated that much of the difference seen between populations is the result of different environments rather than different genetic makeups.

The Red-winged Blackbird is a highly polygynous species, meaning males have many female mates – up to 15 in some cases. In some populations 90 percent of territorial males have more than one female nesting on their territories. But all is not as it seems: one-quarter to one-half of nestlings turn out to have been sired by someone other than the territorial male.

Male Red-winged Blackbirds fiercely defend their territories during the breeding season, spending more than a quarter of daylight hours in territory defense. He chases other males out of the territory and attacks nest predators, sometimes going after much larger animals, including horses and people.

Red-winged Blackbirds roost in flocks in all months of the year. In summer small numbers roost in the wetlands where the birds breed. Winter flocks can be congregations of several million birds, including other blackbird species and starlings. Each morning the roosts spread out, traveling as far as 50 miles to feed, then re-forming at night.

One California subspecies of the Red-winged Blackbird lacks the yellow borders to the red shoulders (epaulets) and has been dubbed the “bicolored blackbird.” Some scientists think this plumage difference may help Red-winged Blackbirds recognize each other where their range overlaps with the similar Tricolored Blackbird.

The oldest recorded Red-winged Blackbird was 15 years, 9 months old. It was banded in New Jersey in 1967, and found alive, but injured in Michigan in 1983. It was able to be released after recovering from its injuries.

Bruins slumping

For those of you who watched the Boston Bruins embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, March 15, here is something you probably didn’t see on television. I attended that game, and after the Bruins were outshot 20-0 in the second period, and at the end of the game, when they were outshot 39-12 in a 6-2 loss, the team was vociferously booed off the ice by the fans. Oh, the fickle finger of fans.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Who was the last MLB player to win the triple crown (batting average, home runs, RBI)?

Answer
The last MLB Triple Crown winner was Miguel Cabrera, of the Detroit Tigers, who achieved the feat in 2012

Veteran columnist Marilyn Rogers dies at 95

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Marilyn Rogers

SKOWHEGAN – Marilyn Houston Rogers-Bull, 95, passed away on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at the Cedar Ridge Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, in Skow­hegan. Marilyn was born April 29, 1929, in the village of Flagstaff, the daughter of Doro­thy Steven Jones and Benjamin Houston and step-father Clarence Jones.

She graduated from Flagstaff High School soon to marry Frank Rogers. In 1949 Marilyn, Frank and son Mark moved to Solon when the residents of Flagstaff, Dead River and Bigelow towns were displaced by CMP as the Dead River Dam was built. Their family grew to include David, Peter and Mary.

Marilyn was very active in community affairs and organizations. She was a member of the Solon Congregational Church serving in numerous capacities for many years. Over the years, she wrote articles for The Somerset Gazette, The Somerset Reporter, The Morning Sentinel and The Town Line. She was well known for her opening line “Don’t worry be happy.” and closing with a bit of wisdom from her beloved cat Percy.

She was a 4-H leader, Extension member, Registrar of Voters for Solon. She was a barber and waitress, and became an expert in wallpaper hanging for many homes in town. Marilyn was a teacher’s aide for the Solon School. She was instrumental in forming what became the Solon Summer Recreation for all the children in town. Her future son-in-law remembers the sandwiches she made for the crew cleaning out the chicken barn at Lewis Adams farm every summer. She was a gifted and naturally taught artist and had won many awards for her paintings, and became the art teacher for the Skowhegan School of Adult Education. Over the decades she was the Solon Coolidge Library librarian. In her 50s and 60s Marilyn operated her own shop called Grams selling much of her knitting and crafts, but most of all she loved meeting people.

In 1995 her husband Frank died. In 2011, she married Leif Bull, of South Solon. They enjoyed traveling all around the state and eating in many of their favorite restaurants. In the last few years of her life dementia progressed to where she needed 24-hour care. The staff at Woodlands Memory Center, of Madison, and eventually Cedar Ridge did just that for Marilyn. From a remarkable family and village Marilyn grew up with strong and steadfast values that embraced community and faith. She was gifted to know and understand right from wrong, and good from bad. Her faith caused her to live bravely and courageously throughout her life. She was a blessing for all who knew and loved her.

Marilyn is survived by her husband Lief Bull; sons Mark Rogers and wife Karen, of Dunedin, Florida, David Rogers and wife Eleanor, of Falmouth, Peter Rogers and wife Sherry, of Solon; daughter Mary Walz and husband David, of North Anson; stepson Dean Bull and wife Cheryl, of Jasper, Georgia; stepdaughter Cindy Fitzmaurice and husband Allan, of Anson; and brothers Steven and Larry; 13 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and one great-great- grandson.

She was predeceased by her brother Tom.

There will be a graveside service in the spring at the Flagstaff Cemetery, in Eustis.

MAINE-LY GARDENING: A community gathers to garden

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Raised garden beds.

by Jude Hsiang

A group of residents of China are forming a community garden to be ready for planting this spring. It will join the list of community gardens around Maine. There are several types of cooperative gardens just as there are several reasons that bring people together to garden.

The typical community garden in the US provides small plot rented by the season. A 4-foot by 8-foot raised bed garden, like those in the China Community Garden, can provide a nice harvest: vegetables, herbs, flowers. There will be a space devoted to attracting pollinators, and children will be encouraged to lend a hand there when they are not busy in their family’s patch. Extra produce will be collected to donate to the China Food Pantry. All gardeners will share in the general upkeep.

Some people don’t have a yard, or even an apartment balcony where they could have a few container plants. Others have gardened in the past, but aging bodies make it a struggle. People with disabilities or recovering from injury may also find the physical challenges too much to take on alone. Folks who’ve never grown so much as a small houseplant feel the urge to raise vegetables or flowers and want to learn from experienced gardeners. Families with children realize gardening with other people makes gardening a social event, not a chore. Experienced gardeners help learners; and all can learn tips from each other.

“Soup kitchen” or “food pantry” gardens tend to be large, perhaps an acre or more, and the volunteers don’t grow for themselves, but share the work to provide for people in need. These gardens are often teaching gardens as well, with children’s areas, or demonstrations for others in the community.

Some group gardening projects are focused on esthetics. Many garden clubs select public areas such as a town hall, library, or an odd, neglected street corner to beautify, proving all the plants and labor.

In Europe and the United Kingdom, allotment gardens have been a fixture of many municipalities since the Industrial Revolution caused rural people to move from their villages. The local Council (town government) sets aside common land and rents space for a small fee. There might be six to eight plots per acre. The gardeners keep their space from year to year as long as they are able to pay the fee and take care of the plot. The size of the plots permits small greenhouses or sheds, if desired.

School gardens have been increasingly popular. However, they can be a challenge as the height of gardening season occurs when school is out for summer in Maine. Some Community Gardens address the challenge by setting aside plots for use by school groups to grow vegetables for local food pantries.

Whether you garden at home or away, on your own or as a member of a group, we wish you a fruitful season.

© Judith Chute Hsiang
Jude Hsiang is a retired Extension Master Gardener Instructor and member of the China Community Garden Committee.