INside the OUTside: Winter in Maine; checking out the local ski resorts

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Dan Cassidyby Dan Cassidy

This has been such a whirl-wind spring, summer, fall and now we’re heading into a winter such as many of us have never seen before. All this thanks to COVID-19 that has affected lives and has changed the way we live here in Maine and around the world.

I checked out several Maine ski areas, some who held open houses while others plan and watch for the snow to cover their trails in hopes of opening soon.

Sugarloaf Mountain Homecoming

I did get the opportunity to attend the Sugarloaf Ski Homecoming this fall, however rather than greeting friends or visiting booths filled with art show, new and interesting ski gear and ideas of what’s new in the ski industry.

Things have changed. The base lodge was just about empty and the crowds were minimal to say the least.

This ski season is going to have significant changes including parking in the parking lots, social distancing, wearing masks and/or wearing goggles, boarding chairlifts with spacing on the chairs and many other things that we all took for granted in years past that have all changed including locker room spacing, restaurant or food consumption that will have new rules. Also, to take some of the waiting in line to purchase day tickets, a new kiosk has been built so transactions can be done outside with new kiosk machines to take place of personal ticket sales.

The base lodge won’t be able to accommodate gear and bag storage and the Mountain staff has many strict changes that will be enforced this season.

HOLD ON ….WORD HAS JUST BEEN RECEIVED … Sugarloaf and Sunday River are scheduled to open Monday of this week! That’s great news for skiers and snowboarders who can make it to these ski resorts over Thanksgiving!

Sugarloaf getting ready to open

The base lodge at Sugarloaf will have strict indoor capacity access, according to staff management. Capacity will be strictly limited inside the base lodge. Gear storage and changing will not be permitted and guests should come prepared to boot up in the vehicle parking lots and you should carry gear in small day packs. Minimal time indoors should be expected.

“This will be an interesting winter for sure,” Noelle Tuttle, Communications Director said. “While we still don’t know exactly what the landscape will look like, we’re fully committed to opening safely for Sugarloaf’s 70th winter season.”

According to Tuttle, all ticket sales and guest service needs will be managed through the outdoor ticket windows at the Base Lodge and online ticket purchases will be encouraged to utilize the new online express kiosks. Online tickets will be priced lower and will be available for purchase in the next few weeks.

So, let’s say you and a few passengers drive for an hour to reach the mountain. Let’s hope that at least the driver is wearing regular boots, sneakers or the like, and NOT ski boots. That would be an accident waiting to happen if that person is behind the wheel driving.

Shuttle capacity has been reduced by 50 percent as per state recommendations and will be cleaned after each drop off. The new RFID gates at the mountain base loading area will help eliminate interactions between guests and staff members while reloading pass holders.

According to mountain personnel, face coverings are mandatory at all times in public areas, including while riding the lifts. You will not be permitted to ride the lift without appropriate face covering.

Social distancing is required for everyone to stay at least six feet apart. Indoor occupancy will be strictly limited.

Tuttle said that the centerpiece of the 2030 vision is the new West Mountain development, which will include a new lift, new alpine trails with snowmaking and a new real estate development. In addition, the development will provide mew summer opportunities with a new downhill mountain bike park and upgrades to Bullwinkle’s that will allow it to operate during the summer months.

At Bullwinkle’s, a new temporary building and bathroom facility will provide additional space for guests to warm up and use the bathroom facility. Also, an additional temporary bathroom facility will also be installed at the Base Lodge.

Sunday River Ski Resort, located in Newry, is just minutes from Bethel village in western Maine’s Mahoosuc Mountains and is a true four-season destination.

The resort has made major upgrades to its snowmaking system that will double snowmaking capacity. They have added an additional 10 percent this year. The resort also has plans to add more automated snowmaking over the next 10 years, according to Karolyn Castaldo, Director of Communications.

Sunday River is a Boyne Resort facility and is one of the largest ski areas in the Northeast. The mountain consists of 870 skiable acres, 135 trails and glades, 2,340 vertical feet and has 18 lifts to transport skiers and riders to the upper slopes.

RFID will allow direct-to-lift access for ticketed as well as season passholders. According to Castaldo, they will be implementing a new food and beverage system that allows for contactless ordering and payment of food. This will be an integral piece to the COVID-19 operational plan for the mountain’s dining outlets.

Online ticket purchasers who have not picked up an RFID card at the resort yet will be able to do so from kiosks at the base lodge and hotels. Once a guest has their card, they can reload online to skip the ticket line altogether upon arrival.

While Sunday River has not set an opening date for this ski season, they intend to open the resort as soon as there is top-to-bottom coverage on at least one trail.

Saddleback Mountain is located in the beautiful High Peaks of western Maine. It was founded in 1960 and has some of the best skiing terrain in the east. The mountain sits at 4,120 feet of elevation and 2,000 feet of vertical. It is Maine’s third biggest mountain with a base elevation of 2,100. The mountain is set to reopen in the next several weeks. As just about everywhere in Maine, access to the base lodge will be limited and skiers and riders are requested to carry a day pack and prepare to spend most of your day outdoors. Everyone will be requested to make reservations for lunch and still maintain an enjoyable time with friends and family. The Casablanca Glades have been recut and the rest of the trails are scheduled to be in top shape for this season.

Baker Mountain, located on Route 201 in Moscow, is just north of Bingham. There is one main trail and two trails of less difficult.

“We’re just waiting for snow and would like to have volunteers,” Corey Farnham, of Baker Mountain said. The hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with night skiing from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $12.00 per person.

Ski lessons are available from volunteers who fit equipment, and also run the lift and work in the kitchen. Races are posted on Facebook at Baker Mt. Ski Tow Club. For additional information, call (207) 717-0404.

Quarry Road Trails is located off North Street, in Waterville, just beyond Thayer Hospital. The good news is that the facility has just made snow on the East Pine Tree trail up to the Meadow, according to a Facebook page.

The area is a year-round recreation facility where people of all ages can take part in walking trails, cross-country ski, snowshoe on several trails. A large Quonset hut is located at the end of the trails for people to warm up. Day tickets and season passes are available for skiers. No pass is necessary for snowshoe trails.

SOLON & BEYOND: Recalling the story on Morris Wing

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

Just read the e-mail from Roland, my editor, about the need for another column early and so as you probably know by now, that I have been going through my large stash of old papers. I picked up one of the old (February 10, 1974) Maine Sunday Telegram papers I had been reading. It started with the headline, Maine Profiles : 5 Generations OF WOODSMEN. It was written by Lynn Franklin and it starts out “with these words Morris Wing is regional manager, department of woodlands, for the International Paper Co., at Chisholm, supervising work on a million acres of land that supplies about 500,000 cords of wood for the company mill and about 100 million feet of logs to other firms.”

What I am about to write is the article from the paper when Morris Wing was interviewed by Lynn Franklin: All my relatives are engaged one way or the other in logging and always have been. We’ve been in Maine five generations that I know about.

The article reads: My father was born at Flagstaff, which is under water now because of the Flagstaff dam on Dead River. Grandfather, Warren Wing, was born in the upper Dead River country and was a logger and also a hunter and fisher. He loved it and trapped for spending money all his life. As I recall he’d rather trap than do anything. He inherited land from his father, who was Cyrus Wing, also born in the Dead River area.

My father is 93 and lives with us. His father, Warren, was a logger as was his father Cyrus.

Joseph Wing, Cyrus’ father, was born in Kingfield, Maine. He was also a logger and his father Paul, was born in Harwich, Massachusetts. Paul came to Maine at 14 with his parents. That’s five generations.

I grew up on the Kennebec River at Bingham. There were six children, four boys, and most of us have remained woodsmen.

When I come along father was logging and contracting and we lived on a small farm. We had little monetary income and lived on a few beef cattle, a couple of milk cows, We cut a lot of hay in the summer and what we didn’t need for the logging horses we could sell.

But father’s primary income was logging and the whole family worked with him.

My first year in the woods I was nine and I remember it very clearly. My older brother, Glen, was six years older. He was able to do a man’s job and he was actually chopping. They call it cutting now, but we used axes exclusively then.

We was cutting pulp wood, sap peeled. You don’t see the bark removed by hand any more. There were other people working on the job. It was a small crew, five or six men, and I remember my first instructions.

“Take a spud, Morris, said my father. “You can keep up with us all right. We’ll fell the trees and cut the limbs off. All you got to do is take the bark off.”

I thought I could keep up with them but I soon found that I couldn’t. However you just kept working. That’s the way it was, pretty tough. I chased those choppers all summer long, never did catch ’em, but I took a lot of bark off a lot of trees. (I will tell you more about logging in the old days next week.)

And now for Percy’s memoir: May you have… Enough happiness to keep you sweet, Enough trials to keep you strong, Enough sorrow to keep you human, Enough hope to keep you happy, Enough failure to keep you humble, Enough success to keep you eager, Enough friends to give you comfort, Enough wealth to meet your needs, Enough enthusiasm to look forward, Enough faith to banish depression, Enough determination to make each day better than yesterday.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Old traditions create memories

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by Debbie Walker

Oh yeah, it is that time of year, the time to start preparing for the holidays. In a Woman’s Day magazine, April Franzino honored her family’s Thanksgiving tradition of serving dinner to homeless. However, her spin on it is to volunteer at a local food pantry. And, of course, either of these would work any day of any week.

An editor of Woman’s Day, Kaitlyn Pirie, focused her traditions on children. Again, hers was done for Turkey Day. Between dinner and dessert, they play games. They put butcher block paper for a tablecloth. Draw rectangles around each place setting and let them decorate.

Yet another tradition, by Lizz Schumer, of Woman’s Day, wrote that they take a walk around the neighborhood after dinner. They like to get moving and continuing conversations. Once they get back, they eat dessert.

Christy Pina, associated with the same magazine, says after dinner her mom asks everyone to write down for what they are thankful, (to me it seems we could do this on a daily basis and it wouldn’t hurt anyone). They all take turns reading them aloud and sharing.

One thing we started doing in my family years ago is called a “Memory Jar.” Because we only get together every so many years the memory jar had multiple uses. My mother and the Maine grandchildren used to enjoy reading about the memories we all had at that gathering. In later years Mom always had it handy. We took that idea and requested memories for Mom’s Celebration of Life party. No one seemed to mind. And we soooo… appreciated the words.

Don’t be afraid to add new traditions and with that thought I would like to recommend a tradition worth adding, for peace in the home:

I believe this applies mostly to the ladies. Year after year I hear women complaining about their spouses awful gifts to them for Christmas. “I don’t know what he was thinking to give me this. What am I going to do with a bread machine, I don’t bake!”

You may have been dropping hints for weeks. HE Won’t Get It. You can drop hints to your female friends, and they will understand but sad to say most men will still be without a clue!

I learned years ago to cut out a picture from a flyer. You are still leaving it to chance. You and I know very often we get to the store and “Oops” it’s gone. There were only three to begin with.

My answer to that was when I find something I want; I buy it, and much to his happiness he doesn’t have to struggle. The other option is order online with him sitting with you or you go to the store together. My history tells me he wants nothing to do with the store, shoppers, etc., so I would buy. Just a suggestion, but in my experience, it made for a peaceful holiday for all.

I’m just curious if you will share some of your traditions with me. You can, find me at DebbieWalker@townline.org. Please share. Thank you all for reading and have a great week!

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Composers: Cesar Cui, Mily Balakirev, Alexander Borodin, Modeste Mous­sorgsky and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov

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Cesar Cui

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Cui

Orientale; Glazunov: Arabian Melody.
Hans Kindler, cello, with orchestra. Victrola 702, ten inch acoustically recorded shellac from May 27th, 1920, and December 12th, 1921.

Cesar Cui (1835-1918), along with fellow composers Mily Balakirev (1837-1910), Alexander Borodin (1833-1887), Modeste Mous­sorgsky (1839-1881) and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908), forged a bond known as the Russian five in writing music with nationalist feeling, rhythms and melodies of their country’s history, legends and folk music sources.

Moussorgsky was best known for the opera Boris Godunov, the Halloween showpiece Night on Bald Mountain and Pictures at an Exhibition. Unfortunately he drank himself into an early grave.

Borodin was a medical doctor and organic chemist and composed on a part time basis but left the justly popular opera Prince Igor with its exotic Polovetsian Dances and the delicate tone poem In the Steppes of Central Asia. He succumbed to a heart attack while attending a ball.

Rimsky-Korsakov was a naval officer but also taught composition to such pupils as Igor Stravinsky. His arguably most famous work is Scheherazade.

Mily Balakirev

Balakirev was a composer, pianist and conductor who left a solo piano showpiece Islamey and 1 Symphony of note and was the leader of the group as well.

Cesar Cui taught fortifications and wartime strategies at several military academies and may be the least known of the group. His Orientale for cello and orchestra was recorded two years after he died and has a plaintive melancholy and beauty rendering it worthy of popularity. Dutch-born cellist/conductor Hans Kindler (1892-1949) gave a deeply felt performance.

Alexander Glazunov was a famed teacher of composition whose most well-known student was Dimitri Shostakovich. He would unfailingly show up at concerts of his students music, no matter its quality and would sit in front row center with seemly very attentive listening. What was not noticed by many was that Glazunov stuffed his ears with paper tissue so he could be alone with his thoughts.

His very lyrical Arabian Melody also received a rapturous performance. And this old record has stood up with several hearings and can be heard via the internet.

Hans Kindler started the National Symphony Orchestra of D.C. from a small community group in 1931 and, despite the Depression, achieved extraordinary success. He recorded a batch of music on Victor 78 sets including a very exciting performance of Tchaaikovsky’s 3rd or Polish Symphony. His google images have a photo of him shaking hands with FDR.

SOLON & BEYOND: More Solon Elementary School news; 4H club holds meeting

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

This week I am continuing with more Solon School News:

Last March the students participated in the annual Bookmark Contest in which students designed bookmarks to promote reading. The winners in each class was to receive a certificate and book from the Coolidge Public Library and to have his/her bookmark duplicated and distributed to patrons at the library. Students submitted their bookmarks, and art teacher Mr. Reichenbach chose the winners. An assembly was planned at which Ms. Megan Myers from the library would announce the winners. Then the school shut down due to the coronavirus so we never got to hold that assembly.

This fall they announced the winners and presented each one with his/her certificate and book from the library. Winners were Everly Cox from kindergarten, Hunter Ingersoll from first grade, Sophie Duquette from second grade, Lydia Dixon from third grade, Nevaeh Palmer from fourth grade, and Katelyn DeLeonardis from fifth grade.

Thanks to Ms. Myers and the Coolidge Library for supporting this contest in our school.

Last spring the Solon PTO planned a calendar raffle. Students were given tickets to sell for the month of March, and winners would be drawn every day in April. When the school went to distance learning starting March 16, the raffle was put on hold.

This fall the PTO gave out more tickets to students to sell while also keeping all the tickets that had been sold in the spring. Those were put together, and the drawings were done during the month of October.

The raffle brought in $700, which was amazing for a fundraiser that happened in two parts! Thanks to all of the families and community members who donated items for the raffle and who bought raffle tickets.

The student who sold the most raffle tickets was fifth grader Jayden McKenney. Jayden received a Walmart gift card from the PTO for his efforts.

My many, many Thanks for sharing all this interesting news!

The following email is from Carol Dolan; and she writes, ” I’ve been asked to circulate the following: Just to let you know, the New Portland Library is closed until further notice. Curbside service is available. You can call 628-6561 or send an e-mail to newportlandc@gmail.com and ask for specific books. We will check them out for you and pickup is 9-11am on Tuesday and Thursdays. All books to be returned in the outside drop box.

“Our on-line catalog of all circulation items is at:  http://newportlandmaine.org/town-services/community-library/. Let us know what you would like and we will do all we can to check them out in your name/patron number. Two weeks rentals for all items.

The Solon Pine Tree met on Saturday, November 14, at the Solon Fire Station. In attendance were Cooper and Kaitlin Dellarma, Devyn and Katelyn Deonardis, Lindsay and Charlotte Hamilton, Desmand and Jillian Robinson, Sarah Craig, Isabella Atwood and Autumn Ladd.

The craft project was to make grape vine wreathes. They used Christmas items to decorate them.

The members chose to adopt a family this Christmas and will be providing a Christmas dinner. There will be a swag workshop at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 21, on Zoom. The material will be picked up at the Skowhegan Extension Office on Friday November 20. Five members are interested in going. The December meeting will be collecting items for the animal shelter.

The next meeting will be Saturday, December 12, at 9:30 a.m., at the Solon Fire Station.

It is hard to stay cheerful with all that is going on in our world today, but sometimes there are surprises that can cheer you up! One day this week, Lief and I were sitting on the coach watching the little birds eating from their many feeders when I noticed a BIG bird fly in to help them. I couldn’t think what it could possibly be! Lief was sitting beside me but he hadn’t noticed what was going on, so I poked him and excitedly said, “What is that big bird?” He couldn’t believe that a partridge had stopped in to dine with the little folks! Perhaps he stops in often but we have never seen one out there before. He stayed quite awhile going from branch to branch, but the little guys weren’t too hospitable to the big guy!

And now for Percy’s memoirs to try and cheer you up! They are taken from a little book called, “A Book of Quotations, Good Advice for a Happy Life.” The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer somebody else up, by Mark Twain. Another one states; ” The heart that loves is always young,” A Greek Proverb. One more: “Give truth, and your gift will be paid in kind, And honor will honor meet; And the smile which is sweet will surely find A smile that is just as sweet,” by Madeline S. Bridges.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Water Stations Keep Kids Safe, Hydrated In School

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Bottle-filling stations in schools, while a good thing in 2019 when this photo was taken, are even more important for health and safety today.

(NAPSI)—If you’ve ever been the parent of a school-aged child, you know the drill. A new school year means a new list of required school supplies. And these days the list is definitely different.

Hoping to prevent the spread of coronavirus this year, most schools sent parents shopping for items such as face masks, hand sanitizers and personal water bottles.

Normally, students can quench their thirst at school water fountains. But there’s nothing normal about this school year. And after the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction recommended schools discontinue the use of shared drinking fountains, many did just that.

But that meant some schools didn’t have a convenient, affordable way to keep students hydrated throughout the day. That’s one of the reasons the Delta Dental of Wisconsin Foundation decided to offer more water refill stations to schools in need through its Cool Water program. The foundation is the charitable arm of Delta Dental of Wisconsin.

Today, more people understand the importance of adequate water intake to overall health as well as dental health. Drinking enough water can help increase energy levels, decrease headaches, and improve cognitive function. Water, especially when fluoridated, can help reduce cavities and protect tooth enamel by washing away harmful bacteria.

Youth who drink water during the day are also less likely to consume sugary beverages, which can help to reduce excess weight gain and diabetes. Yet over half of U.S.. children and teens are not properly hydrated.

Through its Cool Water program, the Delta Dental of Wisconsin Foundation provided grants to dozens of Wisconsin schools to help them replace existing drinking fountains with water-bottle filling stations. The program covers the cost of installation and a supply of reusable water bottles for students and staff.

This year, the Foundation paid for water bottle filling stations and their installation—valued at over $100,000—to dozens of schools across the state.

The touchless systems ensure that learners stay well hydrated while helping to prevent the spread of germs. Many schools also have fluoridated water, adding extra protection for teeth.

Almost all water contains some of the naturally occurring mineral fluoride, but the levels are usually too low to prevent tooth decay. That’s why most U.S. communities—and dozens of developed countries worldwide—add very small amounts of fluoride to their public water supplies.

“In optimal amounts, fluoride is proven to be a safe way to make teeth stronger and more resistant to cavities,” says Dr. Greg Theis, DDS, MBA, Dental Director at Delta Dental of Wisconsin.

“In fact, every $1 invested in fluoridation saves $32 in costs to treat dental problems,” he adds. “As a parent and a dentist, I’m pleased to know more of Wisconsin’s students will have the advantage of fluoridated drinking water during the school day, and I’m proud that Delta Dental of Wisconsin can help make an impact.”

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Be the best you can be

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Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

To grow your business, you have to not only be better than your competition, but you also have to be the best you can be.

No matter what your business is. Whether you are a landscaper, or a plumber, or a contractor, or you own a small business, you have to find ways to not only differentiate yourself from you competition but also be better than anyone else in your field. And yes, be better than you have ever been.

There is an old business term that I have lived by for years which is called continuous improvement. The Japanese have a term for it as well which is “Kaizen.” This is something that needs to be part of all businesses. This is the thing that is going to not only keep your customers loyal to you and your company, but also will make your customers want to brag to their family and friends about how smart they are for doing business with you.

The better way to do things can be different for every business. Well, at least there are some common things that everyone can do to be outstanding. Here are the ten things to make sure you have a good company delivering good products and services.

  • Deliver a great product or service;
  • Consistently deliver a great product or service;
  • Have great communications. Answer your phone. Return phone calls within hours if not minutes;
  • Show up when you say you are going show up;
  • Do what you say you are going to do and more;
  • Be consistent on your pricing;
  • Always be courteous;
  • In these times respect the Covid safety rules;
  • Present well. Clean uniforms, clean establishments, clean trucks, and tools. And leaving the work site clean when you’re finished.
  • Always follow up to make sure the customer was satisfied with your product or service.

But if you want to be a great company there’s more. Let’s assume that you have a good company. Good for you, congratulations. But now you want a great company. What do you do now?

This is where you have to be creative. Here is when you are going to have some fun.

You have to study your customers and decide what you think they will like. You have to be introspective and consider what you like when someone is providing you with a service or product. You have to ask the questions .

What will make my company memorable?”

What extra thing can I do that will get my customers talking about my company?

What can I do that will make my customers, customers for life”

Think about that for a long time. In fact, always be thinking about that. Always be looking out for a better way to do things. Come up with better ways to help your customers.

If you are a landscaper, it can be always offering an extra plant or shrub. If you are a restaurateur, it can be a special trademarked dessert that you surprise your customers with. If you are a plumber, always offer to check out all the faucets in the house to make sure they are running properly once the job you were hired for is done.

You get the picture. Do more, investing in delighting your customers, is the same as investing in your own company. It is the best self-promotion you can do for your company. And yes, the very best way to grow your business.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Turkey was almost national bird

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Benjamin Franklin preferred the turkey as the national bird of the United States, but he never publicly voiced his opposition to the bald eagle.

In a letter to his daughter, Sarah Bache, on January 26, 1783, he wrote how he disapproved of the Society of Cincinnati, which he described as a chivalric order, for having a bald eagle in its crest.

He wrote, “Others object to the bald eagle, as looking too much like a Dindon [turkey]. For my own part I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead tree near the river, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labour of the fishing hawk [osprey]; and when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish, and is bearing it to his nest for the support of his mate and young ones, the bald eagle pursues him and takes it from him.”

The wild turkey, throughout its range, plays a significant role in the cultures of many Native American tribes all over North America. Eastern Native American tribes consumed both the eggs and meat. They provided habitat by burning down portions of forests to create artificial meadows which would attract mating birds, and thus making the hunting of the turkeys much easier.

Of course, clothing and headdress of many chiefs and significant people of the tribe were made from turkey feathers.

Thanksgiving is next week, but do we really know anything about the bird that we cherish at our dinner tables on that day?

There are two species of large birds in the genus Meleagris native to North America. The domestic turkey is the bird most commonly referred to when the term “turkey” is used.

Turkeys have a distinctive fleshy wattle that hangs from the underside of the beak, and a fleshy bulge that hangs from the top of its beak called a snood. As with many species, the female (hen) is smaller than the male (tom or gobbler), and much less colorful. With wingspans of almost six feet, the turkeys are by far the largest birds in the open forests in which they live, and are rarely mistaken for any other species.

When Europeans first encountered turkeys in the Americas they incorrectly identified the birds as a type of guineafowl, also known as a turkey-cock from its importation to Central Europe through Turkey, and the name of that country stuck as the name of the bird. The confusion is also reflected in the scientific name: meleagris is Greek for guinea-fowl.

The name given to a group of turkeys is a rafter, although they are sometimes incorrectly referred to as a gobble or flock.

Several other birds which are sometimes called turkeys are particularly closely related: the Australian brush-turkey and the Australian Bustard. The bird sometimes called a Water Turkey is actually an Anhinga.

While the large domestic turkey is generally unable to fly, the smaller wild turkey can fly extremely well. This is usually enough to perch in the branches of trees, however, it is an ineffective method of transportation. Turkey chicks are unable to fly for the first two weeks after they hatch.

And what about the first Thanksgiving? Many myths.

As the Puritans prepared for winter in 1621, they gathered anything they could find, including Wampanoag supplies.

One day, Samoset, a leader of the Abenaki, and Tisquantum (better known as Squanto) visited the settlers. Squanto was a Wampanoag who had experience with other settlers and knew English. Squanto helped the settlers grow corn and use fish to fertilize their fields. After several meetings, a formal agreement was made between the settlers and the native people and they joined together to protect each other from other tribes in March 1621.

One day that fall, four settlers were sent to hunt for food for a harvest celebration. The Wampanoag heard gunshots and alerted their leader, Massasoit, who thought the English might be preparing for war. Massasoit visited the English settlement with 90 of his men to see if the war rumor was true.

Soon after their visit, the Native Americans realized that the English were only hunting for the harvest celebration. Massasoit sent some of his own men to hunt deer for the feast and for three days, the English and native men, women, and children ate together. The meal consisted of deer, corn, shellfish, and roasted meat, far from today’s traditional Thanksgiving feast. Notice, there was no turkey.

Although prayers and thanks were probably offered at the 1621 harvest gathering, the first recorded religious Thanksgiving Day in Plymouth happened two years later in 1623. On this occasion, the colonists gave thanks to God for rain after a two-month drought.

Much of what most modern Americans eat on Thanksgiving was not available in 1621.

The peace between the Native Americans and settlers lasted for only a generation. The Wampanoag people do not share in the popular reverence for the traditional New England Thanksgiving. For them, the holiday is a reminder of betrayal and bloodshed. Since 1970, many native people have gathered at the statue of Massasoit in Plymouth, Massachusetts, each Thanksgiving Day to remember their ancestors and the strength of the Wampanoag.

One other thing about the turkey. Did you know that it missed by one vote of being our national bird instead of the bald eagle.

Kind of gives you some food for thought, doesn’t it?

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which Super Bowl was the only one not designated with Roman numerals?

Answer can be found here.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Making Diet Decisions During A Pandemic

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(NAPSI)—Dreadful as the pandemic has been, for some people it has meant a positive health change. Three in 10 Americans made a major change to their diet during this time, according to new research.

As with most changes, the big question always lingers—will the changes last?

The study suggests they may well. Seven in 10 of those respondents said their new diet has lasted longer because they did it during the ongoing pan¬demic, versus if they made the change at another time.

What the Study Showed

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Herbalife Nutrition, the survey looked at specific changes respondents made. Of Americans surveyed, 47% started eating more plant-based foods, while 54% started eating more fruits and vegetables—and 43% made an effort to eat less meat.

Results also found that a third of American respondents cut out or ate less sugar, and 39% cut down on the number of treats they ate.

Why the Choice to Change Now? 

For many respondents, it was because they had extra time on their hands. In fact, fifty-three percent said they had more time to research healthier foods, while 51% said they had time to cook more and learn new recipes.

In addition, 40% said they were away from such negative influences as office snacks, while 37% wanted to use this time to make a positive change.

A third made the change to accommodate their loved ones. For nearly one in four the cost of meat was the cause, and for another quarter, it was on the advice of a healthcare professional.

“There is never a bad time to make a positive change in your lifestyle, especially when those changes lead to lasting, healthy results,” said Dr. Kent Bradley, Chief Health and Nutrition Officer, Herbalife Nutrition. “During this pan¬demic it appears more individuals are choosing quality nutrient-dense sources like those found in a plant-based diet.”

When asked about their current diets, 75% said they eat meat while 18% identified as “flexitarians,” and the rest were vegan or vegetarian.

Yet plant-based diets might be on the rise: 61% of respondents said they’d like to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diet, but they aren’t sure where to begin. The survey also found 40% of American respondents are more open-minded about plant-based foods and “meatless meat” options during the pandemic. In a similar survey conducted last year, half of respondents were more open-minded about plant-based foods and “meatless meat” and 70 percent believed meatless meat would continue to grow in popularity.

Bradley added, “I commend all those who are empowering themselves in the midst of this pandemic and have found a way to create new healthy habits.”

STUDENT WRITERS – Examining “The Social Dilemma”: The real impact on young people

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STUDENT WRITERS PROGRAM
This week featuring: ERSKINE ACADEMY

by Olivia Bourque of Vassalboro, Maine
Erskine Academy Junior

It is truly paradoxical that a generation has been raised to be enthralled by inventions detrimental to their mental health and wellbeing. A Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, addresses the evolution of and dangers of social media, an enigma and issue growing exponentially along with the minds of young adults. Simply stated, exposure to harsh and unfiltered content on social media harms teens’ self esteem, while captivating them with unlimited information tailored to their wants and interests. Software smarter than anyone and worth millions of dollars generates a feed of suggested content to keep everyone mindlessly engrossed, though this software was never created to improve the mental state of the person behind the screen, but rather to make some people an enormous amounts of money.

An embellished version of this enchantment is demonstrated with a teenage boy, a standard social media app, and a fictional group of people controlling his suggested feed (replacing the job of designated software for this purpose). At the beginning of the documentary, this group of people keeping the teenage boy actively swiping seems innovative, although the boy’s family and friends blatantly express their concern and frustration with his obsession. Any parent of a child with a smartphone would likely wholeheartedly confirm this aggravation, as these apps truly are addicting. This is expected, however, especially with the knowledge that machines present users with content hand-selected for their amusement.

As the film continues, the people controlling the teenage boy’s suggested feed and notifications slowly come to the epiphany that their job is not in the best interest of the user whom they’re supposed to keep engaged. Though this was a satisfying ending, it is unrealistic, as these groups of people are actually machines, incapable of understanding human emotions, actually observing how its work affects their users, and finally does not have the power to discontinue their work. With this, society does not have anyone to rely on to contain this mass craze, and therefore we must come to this revelation on our own.

In a smaller part of The Social Dilemma, a teenage girl represents a massive demographic of those whose mental health and self esteem is at jeopardy; she is also spending far too much time scrolling through content tailored to her, and along the way she begins to compare herself to others, instilling unrealistic expectations for herself. Like this girl, many young adults question their worth once they see what the ideal woman or man should look like through a series of heavily edited pictures.

This can often lead to numerous mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Instead of taking away social media’s power to contort self-image, the girl responds to this insecurity by fixing her hair, makeup, and lighting, finding the perfect filter, and posting a picture of herself attempting to conform with current beauty standards.

This backfires on her when she receives mean comments online about her ears. From this, her self-esteem plummets, and she does everything in her power to cover her ears. Not only does this teenager unknowingly succumb to temptation of handpicked material online, but she also alters her emotional state as a result. This enforces the idea that a generation of self-destructive slaves to the internet are being created, and it’s almost unavoidable.

Student Writer’s Program: What Is It?

The Town Line has published the first in what we hope will be many articles from local students under the heading of the “Student Writer’s Program.” While it may seem plainly evident why The Town Line would pursue this program with local schools and students, we think it’s worth the time to highlight the reasons why we enthusiastically support this endeavor.

Up front, the program is meant to offer students who have a love of writing a venue where they can be published and read in their community. We have specifically not provided topics for the students to write on or about, and we have left the editing largely up to their teachers. From our perspective this is a free form space provided to students.

From the perspective of the community, what is the benefit? When considering any piece that should or could be published, this is a question we often ask ourselves at The Town Line. The benefit is that we as community are given a glimpse into how our students see the world, what concerns them, and, maybe even possible solutions to our pressing problems. Our fundamental mission at the paper is to help us all better understand and appreciate our community, our state, and our nation through journalism and print.

We hope you will read these articles with as much interest and enjoyment as we do. The students are giving us a rare opportunity to hear them out, to peer into their world, and see how they are processing this world we, as adults, are giving them.

To include your high school, contact The Town Line, townline@townline.org.