REVIEW POTPOURRI: Les Majorettes De Shawinigan

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PHOTO : RADIO-CANADA

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Les Majorettes De Shawinigan

MG-4853; 45 vinyl record, release date unknown.

This record came into my possession because of its inclusion in boxes of records doomed otherwise to the dumpster. It doesn’t have the name of any record label, just the listed catalog number, and features the enthusiastic pounding notes of a marching band of majorettes playing woodwinds, brass and percussion.

Their concert consists of Johnny Mercer’s Autumn Leaves, Artie Shaw’s Begin the Beguine, Glenn Miller’s In the Mood and Franz von Suppe’s Poet and Peasant Overture; the tunes might be recognized if the titles aren’t. This recording session may also have been paid for by the school sponsoring the band, if not from donations of folks in the community, with the 45 rpm aimed at families and friends of the musicians.

What drew my interest was not so much the listening experience as the name of Shawinigan, which is a city in the Province of Québec, on a set of natural falls along the Ste. Maurice River. It is 248-miles northwest from our Waterville and 90 miles southwest of Québec City and has been a major industrial hub in the Québec province since the late 1890s, when it attracted the interest of two wealthy entrepreneurs, themselves gentlemen of historical interest and worthy of digression for a couple of paragraphs.

The first, John Edward Aldred (1864-1945), was president of Baltimore Gas and Electric and the owner of a vast estate in Nassau County, Long Island, New York, which is listed as a historical site, because of its exquisitely sculpted grounds by the famous Olmsted brothers (that family’s firm was involved in the design of Acadia National Park and those in the cities of both Portlands, in Maine and Oregon, and in Shawinigan’s own parks). That estate is now a monastery.

The second individual was Hubert Biermans (1864-1953), the Dutch-born director of the Belgo-Canadian Paper and Pulp Company, who also amassed a fortune with his involvement in this firm, based in Brussels, Belgium, and its projects in other parts of the world such as Leopoldville in the Belgian Congo. He owned several homes and spent much time during his last years on the island of Monaco.

Both saw potential in the hydroelectricity that could be generated by the falls and spear-headed the establishment of a power grid infrastructure, through a Montréal firm, for Shawinigan’s economic future. They were proved right. The paper, electrical power, and different chemical and textile industries boomed.

Allowing for downturns during the Great Depression of the 1930s and the gradual dwindling of industry starting in the 1960s through the ‘80s, the quality of life was high, jobs were plentiful and the wages among the best in Canada. Shawinigan was the first Canadian city to see the installation of electrical streetlights.

During the 1950s, there was a proliferation of independently-owned men-only bars and taverns that prevailed until the early ‘80s, when women broke that gender barrier.

Another source of income since the early 1900s has been the city’s hospitality industry due to tourism and it has received major boosts and construction of tourist attractions in the last 30 years from the Canadian government.

I noticed the absence of any books on the city’s own history and on Aldred and Biermans, and hope that some talented historians and/or biographers might get attracted to them as subjects.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity For Life

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(NAPSI) — No matter what stage of life you’re in—whether you’re an adult, an older person, a pregnant woman or a parent—consuming healthy foods and beverages, combined with getting regular physical activity, stress relief and adequate sleep, may help you or your children stay healthy for life!

The recently updated National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases’ (NIDDK) Healthy Eating & Physical Activity for Life series offers tips for developing and maintaining healthy habits for many stages of life.

Health Tips for Adults

Reaching and maintaining a healthy body weight as an adult may help prevent future health problems. Some tips to follow include making healthier food choices, being aware of food portions and the kinds of foods and beverages you consume, and how often you have them.

It’s also important to engage in regular physical activity. Try to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as biking or brisk walking. Aim for at least two days a week of muscle-strengthening activities, such as heavy gardening. If your time is limited, work in small amounts of activity throughout your day.

Finally, get enough sleep and manage your stress to stay on track with improving your health.

Health Tips for Older Persons

As you grow older, good nutrition and staying active are as important as ever. Your lifestyle choices may prevent some health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. For example, focus on eating nutrient-dense foods and drinking fluids throughout the day, including those with added vitamin D and calcium.

As you get older, it’s also important to engage in physical activities you enjoy—either on your own or with a friend. Ask your healthcare professional about whether and how you can safely become active or increase your physical activity.

Also talk with your healthcare professional if you feel that changes in your home life, health, medicines, income, mobility or sense of smell and taste are affecting your interest in consuming healthy foods and drinks and engaging in physical activity.

Health Tips for Pregnant Women

Whether you’re ready to try for a baby or are already pregnant, you may be inspired to get healthy. Developing and following a healthier eating plan may help you have a safe pregnancy and delivery and a healthy baby.

Think about new, healthful foods and beverages you can try—such as berries or a banana with hot or cold cereal for breakfast; a salad with beans, tofu or other non-meat protein for lunch; and a lean serving of meat, chicken, turkey or fish and steamed vegetables for dinner.

It’s also important to engage in physical activities while pregnant. Most women need the same amount of physical activity as they did before they became pregnant.

Helping Your Child: Tips for Parents

As a parent, it’s important to share tips with your children on what to eat and drink to fuel their bodies and get them moving. Healthy habits may help children grow, learn and build strong bones and muscles while maintaining a healthy weight. Work together as a family to form healthy habits—such as consuming healthful foods and beverages, doing regular physical activity, getting adequate sleep and limiting screen time. You can set a good example by going for a walk or riding a bike. Or find an activity that you enjoy and can do together.

Learn More

To find more tips and resources for weight management and healthy living at whatever life stage you’re in, or to access the Healthy Eating & Physical Activity for Life series, visit the NIDDK website at https://www.niddk.nih.gov.

GARDEN WORKS: A garden on your countertop

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Countertop Sprouts

Emily Catesby Emily Cates

Growing fresh, delicious, nutritious sprouts for the winter table

Brrr! I don’t know about you, but the most I’m getting out of my garden right now is icicles. Wouldn’t it be nice to grow something fresh and green? Is it even possible when it’s so cold outside?

Enter sprouts, the superheroes of nutrition – here to save the day! Not only are freshly prepared sprouts delicious, but they are alive and loaded with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that are very good for you. As an added bonus, they are inexpensive, easy to grow, and take up very little room in the kitchen. Kids are oftentimes fascinated at the sight of germinating seeds- which affords all of us an opportunity to enjoy a closer, more personal relationship with the food we eat. And even folks in urban areas and those with limited space can enjoy the benefits of fresh, delicious, nutritious sprouts.

If you’d like to give it a try, the first thing you might like to do is find a source of sprouting seeds. Clover, alfalfa, wheat berries, mung beans, fenugreek, onion, and chia are some popular choices. Whole grains like brown rice, wheat berries, whole barley, rye, quinoa, millet, and beans are easier to digest and even more nutritious when sprouted. (I always prepare them this way before cooking and thoroughly enjoy it!) A word of caution, though: Never sprout treated seeds and always make sure your seeds are food-grade. Some seeds such as those from tomatoes, potatoes, and other nightshade vegetables are poisonous when sprouted. And, of course, use common sense while growing sprouts. When in doubt to the freshness or safety of sprouts that have an off-odor or develop mold, throw them out and try again. Keep records when starting out to streamline the learning experience.

With that in mind, a great source for sprouting seed is local health food stores. Sometimes seed companies like Pinetree and Johnny’s sell sprouting seeds along with special sprouting equipment. (For a long term, sustainable source of sprouting seed stock, try starting your own crop outside in the spring.) For best results, use fresh seeds and store the unused portions in a cool, dry location in an airtight glass jar. The freezer is by far the best place for long-term storage of seeds. Just make sure to let the jar warm to room temperature before opening to prevent the formation of moisture on the seeds. That will keep any seeds from that batch from losing their viability if they are to be stored again.

Now that you have obtained the seeds, it’s time to start sprouting! Germination will occur sooner in a warm room. There are several different methods of growing sprouts, but I have found this way to be the easiest: Soak the seeds in water overnight. Use a strainer or colander for the sprouting vessel, and line it with screen or cheesecloth if the holes are large enough for seeds to fall out. Then place the seeds no more than 2 cm thick in the vessel and rinse several times each day. Keep them moist but not waterlogged. In a day or two, depending on the seed, you should see some action. The seeds can be eaten soon after they have sprouted or a while later when they have grown a couple inches or longer. Experiment on what suits your taste. Expose the sprouts to sunlight until they turn green with nutrition. Then enjoy some fresh garden goodness straight from your countertop!

SOLON & BEYOND: School news; open municipal positions

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

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

Didn’t have room for all the Solon Elementary School news last week, so I’m going to start with that this week.

The Solon School had a Thanksgiving Food drive and they wood like to thank families for donating to their Thanksgiving Food Drive during the month of November. Students brought in 554 items which were donated to the Solon Food Cupboard to help needy families in our area. This was the most food they have ever collected!

After a lively competition between classes to see which class could bring in the most items, Mrs. Campbell’s first graders won with 174 items. Thanks to all of the families who donated to this worthy cause!

Students celebrate on the Polar Express. This fall students have received a colored pom-pon each time they did a good job meeting school expectations, displaying positive behaviors, or being helpful and/or cooperative as part of the second year of our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. Students put these pom-pons in a jar on the counter behind Mrs. McFadyen’s desk. When the jar is full, they hold a special schoolwide celebration activity.

In December the jar was full so they held a Polar Express activity. Students could wear pajamas and they served hot cocoa, popcorn and marshmallow treats during the movie. Students had the chance to enter into a raffle to win holiday prizes.

At Halloween, Ms. Rich’s third grade class decorated a pumpkin and won second place in the annual contest sponsored by Smart & Edwards Funeral Home in Skowhegan.

The Solon Staff all dressed up in emoji T – shirts for their Halloween costumes this year.

As always, I was so happy to receive the above news from Solon Elementary School and many thanks are extended!

The Solon budget meeting was held last Saturday. I am pretty sure that was the only one I have missed in all these years….but, I will try to get some information to share with you in next weeks column.

I wrote in last week’s news who was running for the empty selectmen’s seat. (For those who might be considering putting their name in a write-in vote, the following information required for the job is that the selectmen meet every Wednesday from 7:45 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 4 p.m., and 6 to 7:45 p.m.. Also in the spring, property tax assessing on several other days. Most of the work is done on computers using Word and Excel so familiarity with those programs is very helpful.

For those considering road commissioner a Class A or B driver’s license is needed along with knowledge of plowing, road maintenance, and equipment maintenance . It is a full time job with overtime when weather and/or road conditions demand it. The road commissioner is in charge of the road crew employees.

You all know by now, if you read this column, how old I am ! This goes out to all you older women who are in your 80s or older! I didn’t let on how old I was because I didn’t want to be classified as a ” Little Old Lady!” But now you all know my age after the wonderful birthday party I was given in April on my 90th birthday. Anyway, I sent away for a book entitled How Not To Become A Little Old Lady.

Already knew I had some of the traits such as wearing the plastic rain hats and all my slacks have elastic tops, to name a few, so I’m going to quote one of the items mentioned in this book, entitled Need Things Explained: “A Little Old Lady called her travel agent and asked, ‘Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage it is?’ The agent said, ‘No, why do you ask?’ The little old lady replied, ‘Well, when I checked in at the airport at Fresno, they put a tag on my luggage that said FAT, and I’m overweight.’ The travel agent explained that the city code for Fresno is FAT, and that the airline didn’t think she was obese.”

Percy’s quick memoir is For Every Minute you Frown You lose 60 Seconds of Happiness.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Keep those customers coming back

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Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

Going the extra mile will always pay off in the end

The facts are this. When people receive poor service, they love telling other people about it. Some statistics claim that if a person gets bad service from a business over 250 people will end up hearing about it. Yikes! How scary is that? All you need is one slip up; one bad day and you can destroy all the good will you have worked so hard to build up over the years.

It’s almost as if people feel that the one good thing about getting poor service is being able to talk about it to other people…and we all know that they do. Fact is, people love retelling horror stories.

And I have to admit that I fall victim to that as well. We all do.

But don’t get scared, or worse yet, discouraged, there are ways to prevent your company and your team from ever performing poorly and that is to create a company culture that instills good service into everything your company does.

But it starts at the top, it starts with the owners, the managers and most importantly it begins with the examples these people set.

If your employees hear you complain about a customer, they are tacitly being given permission to do the same. If on the other hand they watch the company owner, for example, treat every customer with the utmost respect, they will model that behavior as well. In the way business is like parenting. The children in a family are much more likely to model their parents’ behavior than they are to do what their parents tell them to do. Remember that old adage, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Sorry, but that could be the dumbest thing any parent or any company leader ever told anyone.

We all know that the first rule of running a business is that the customer is always right. Second and third rules are, refer to the first rule. While that is the paradox of customer service there is another rule that I recommend and that is developing the customer for life.

It is much easier for better business to have customers for life than to consistently have a turnover in new customers Here is the thing to remember, most people will use your service once. The key is to get them to use your service forever.

That idea should always be at the front of your company thinking so that when someone comes into your hardware store for the first time, even if it’s only to buy a box of nails, you should treat that person with the same special service as you do the contractor who is buying thousands of dollars of materials from you every month.

In the end, this is a very simple idea. No matter what your business, from bookstore, to diner, to hardware store, if you treat every customer as a lifetime customer, and give them the special service that it takes to do that, you’ll always be growing your business.

Dan Beaulieu has owned his own business consulting firm since 1995, during that time he has helped hundreds of companies all over the world with their sales growth challenges and issues. Originally from Maine he returned a few years ago and is ready and willing to help his fellow Mainers start and grow their business. He can be reached at 207-649-0879 or at danbbeaulieu@aol.com.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Lyme cases reported to Maine CDC in 2019 reach record high

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deer tick

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

I received this press release from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently. It has some interesting information that I thought I would share with you.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received a record number of Lyme disease case reports from health providers in 2019, with 2,079 cases as of January 16, 2020. This is the highest number of cases ever reported in the state, and the number may continue to rise as providers make additional case reports.

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria carried by infected deer ticks. The hallmark sign of the disease is a rash referred to as the “bull’s-eye” rash due to its pattern on the skin. This rash occurs in just over 50 percent of patients in Maine, usually within three to 30 days of a tick bite. Other symptoms include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and muscle and joint aches, with later signs of illness including arthritis and heart problems. Lyme disease cannot be transmitted from human to human.

“While we can’t yet speculate about the reason for this increase, these new numbers emphasize the importance of preventing tick bites,” said Nirav D. Shah, Director of the Maine CDC. “Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases are on the rise, so Mainers need to proactively protect themselves.”

In 2019, Maine also experienced increases in two other tickborne diseases, anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Last year, 685 cases of anaplasmosis and 138 cases of babesiosis were reported. Cumulative reporting of Lyme disease cases takes more time because the process of confirming a Lyme disease diagnosis often takes longer than for anaplasmosis or babesiosis.

Although ticks are not normally active during the winter, they can be out anytime that the temperature is above 40 degrees, as it was two weekends ago. Maine CDC recommends that residents and visitors protect themselves by using the No Ticks for ME approach:

  • Use an EPA-approved repellent;
  • Wear protective clothing;
  • Perform daily tick checks;
  • Use caution in tick-infested areas.

Recently, Maine CDC launched a new Maine Tracking Network dashboard to continue to monitor 2019 cases for the next few months, alongside near real-time tracking of 2020 cases. Maine CDC plans to add final 2019 data to the Tracking Network in May.

For more information on Lyme disease, please visit: www.maine.gov/lyme. To view Lyme data on the Maine Tracking Network, visit: data.mainepublichealth.gov/tracking.

If diagnosed in the early stages, Lyme disease can be cured with antibiotics. Without treatment, complications involving the joints, heart, and nervous system can occur. But these symptoms are still treatable and curable. But if it goes untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, the heart and the nervous system, which explains some of Greene’s symptoms. Patients may suffer with severe headaches and neck aches, heart palpitations, facial palsy, and arthritis with severe joint pain.

A blood test for antibodies to the bacteria is the preferred test for the diagnosis of Lyme disease. However, if a person has central nervous system symptoms, such as meningitis, then IgM, IgG, and western blot testing may sometimes be performed on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Symptoms may last up to six months or longer. These symptoms can interfere with a person’s normal activities and may cause emotional distress as a result. However, most people’s symptoms improve after six months to a year. It’s not known why some people develop post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome and others don’t.

If treated, Lyme disease does not last for years. However, for some people, the after-effects of the disease can linger for months and sometimes even years.

Most people know Lyme causes joint pain, and it does. But when it goes undiagnosed for too long, the bacteria can replicate and cross the blood-brain barrier, invading the central nervous system. Without proper diagnosis, neurological Lyme disease can lead to paralysis, schizophrenia and even death.

“It’s certainly possible for people to get Lyme disease and to clear the infection on their own, without treatment,” says Dr. Richard Kuritzkes, a gastroenterologist, in Burbank, California. “But it’s better to be treated, because some of the complications—like arthritis and myocarditis and damage to the central nervous system—can be very serious.”

Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in the Northern Hemisphere. It is estimated to affect 300,000 people a year in the United States. Infections are most common in the spring and early summer.

Lyme disease was diagnosed as a separate condition for the first time in 1975 in Old Lyme, Connecticut. It was originally mistaken for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The bacterium involved was first described in 1981 by Willy Burgdorfer. Chronic symptoms following treatment are well described and are known as “post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome” (PTLDS). PTLDS is different from chronic Lyme disease; a term no longer supported by the scientific community and used in different ways by different groups. Some healthcare providers claim that PTLDS is caused by persistent infection, but this is not believed to be true because no evidence of persistent infection can be found after standard treatment. A vaccine for Lyme disease was marketed in the United States between 1998 and 2002, but was withdrawn from the market due to poor sales. Research is ongoing to develop new vaccines.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

The Kansas City Chiefs only Super Bowl win came in Super Bowl IV, in 1970, 50 years ago. Who did they beat?

Answer can be found here.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: The Good Wife’s Guide

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by Debbie Walker

This was copied from Good Housekeeping magazine May 13, 1955.

  • Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favorite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.
  • Prepare yourself. Take 15 to rest so you’ll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. (a ribbon, oh, please!)
  • Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it. (duty! Not because you care.)
  • Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc and then run a dust cloth over the tables.
  • Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction. (Oh, please!)
  • Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. (Yeah, right, little angels.)
  • Be happy to see him.
  • Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
  • Listen to him. You my have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first – remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours. (Cough, Cough, with eyes rolled.)
  • Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.
  • Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.
  • Don’t greet him with complaints and problems.
  • Don’t complain if he’s late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. (all night, that’s some job!) Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.
  • Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or a warm drink ready for him.
  • Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
  • Don’t ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him. (Time to leave!)
  • A good wife always knows her place.

I’m just curious what your thoughts are on this subject. I can tell you I would not have been a good wife! Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com. Thanks again for reading!

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: The Rainy Day

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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Rainy Day

Maine’s own Henry Wadsworth Longfellow achieved in one poem, very simply titled “The Rainy Day,” a harrowing depiction of the gray days we all face in more ways than meteorological:

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

Because of his belief in the hope of eternity, Long­fellow did call for his readers to “cease” weeping and came close to being predictable and stupidly cheerful in “Behind the clouds is the sun still shining.”

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: There are no small companies; Paul’s start up story

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by Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

There is no such thing as having a company that is too small. No matter if you are the smallest of all, a one person operation, you can still handle yourself professionally. You can still do things the right way and poise your company to grow primarily because of great customer service.

Okay let’s go exploring…some ideas, that is. Here’s the scenario, you’re working at a job you don’t like, you’re not making much money and the boss is a jerk, but hey, it’s a job so you go in every day and you do what you have to do to get that paycheck. You gotta eat right?

Now, because the boss is such a jerk, he screws up the business and goes bankrupt. He’s done, the company is done, and you’re done, no job and no prospects. That’s about as bad as it gets. What are you going to do? Oh, did I forget to mention that unemployment is over seven percent…there are no jobs out there!

You don’t have much, but you do have, your health, your energy and your ambition. If you have those things and you are willing to work. Here is a sure fire, yes, I mean sure fire way, to not only make some money, but also work for yourself. You offer your services to homeowners you will simply do whatever they need you to do. No, this is not a made up pipe dream of an idea, not at all, I know two people who got started exactly that way.

Let’s take my friend Paul, for example. The scenario I started this column with was exactly his deal. This is what happened to him. And this is what he did when he found himself unemployed through no fault of his own. Keep in mind that old adage, “when a door closes, a window will open.”

He sat down and evaluated what he could do, what services he could offer. He knew he could provide unskilled labor to homeowners. He could provide all the services that the professionals could not or would not do. He decided to hire himself out as a handy man, he could clean out attics, and cellars and take the junk away. He could wash windows, he could clear brush and clean out yards, he could fix and paint fences, he could seal driveways, he could haul junk away. He could do minor repairs on a house, he could paint the house, he could do all the jobs that are too small to call the pros to do.

Then, once he had decided what he was going to do, he went to the library, used one of their computers, and created a neat flyer, made one hundred copies for just a few dollars and went to the various neighborhoods in town passing out his flyers. He made sure the flyers were well-written with a clear definition of his services and, of course. how to get in touch with him.

In a matter of days, his phone started ringing. Now remember, he had not even been unemployed long enough to get an employment check yet and, by the way, he also was looking for a job all this time, too. He was covering all the bases. But honestly, in a matter of two weeks, he was getting more orders than he could handle.

And he was in business!

Now I’m not saying he wasn’t a bit lucky, but remember the old saying… “the harder you work the luckier you get?” Well that was Paul’s deal, and he had, in a matter of days, started a small business with nothing more than optimism, ambition and some creativity.

But stay tuned, this is only the first chapter of Paul’s small business story. We’ll visit with Paul again soon and talk about how he grew his business.

AARP Tax-Aide program offered

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Free federal and state income tax preparation offered to qualifying individuals

The AARP Tax-Aide program provides free federal and state income tax preparation and electronic filing to low- and moderate-income individuals. Returns are prepared by IRS-certified volunteers. The program is funded by the AARP Foundation, a tax-exempt charitable organization, and the IRS.

Counselors will help individuals navigate the many changes on the 2018 federal and state income tax returns. You do not need to be an AARP member to use this service. Assistance is available by appointment only at the following sites from February 1st to April 15th.

AUGUSTA: Buker Community Center, 22 Armory St.: 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Mondays and Fridays. Call 582-3053 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ONLY to make an appointment.

HALLOWELL: Cohen Community Center, 22 Town Farm Road: 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. Call 626-7777 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to make an appointment.

FAIRFIELD: Fairfield Community Center, 61 Water St.: 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Call 643-2559 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ONLY to make an appointment.

MADISON: Crossroads Bible Church, 705 White Schoolhouse Road: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Mondays and Saturdays. Call 643-2559 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ONLY to make an appointment.