SOLON & BEYOND: Pine Tree 4-H Club reorganizes

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

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

The Solon Pine Tree 4-H Club reorganized on Saturday, October 12, with 15 members joining. Two new members were welcomed.

The Somerset County Achievement night will be held at the Kennebec Grange Hall on Friday, October 25, with a potluck supper. After the supper a fun activity will be enjoyed with awards program.

The members voted to have a family supper on November 1, at the Solon Masonic Hal,l with a potluck supper at 5:30 p.m.

The members from last year are displaying some of their projects at the Coolidge Library in observance of National 4-H Week.

As a fun activity the members did a picture frame using colored leaves and other nature items.

The next meeting will be on Saturday, November 9, at 9:30 a.m., at the Solon Fire Station. Election of officers will be held at this meeting.

If you are looking for a Halloween costume, check out the Embden Community Center Thrift Shop (Wednesday 10 a.m. -12:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.).

There is a holiday craft fair coming up on Saturday, November 9, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Solon Elementary School. There will be a gym full of crafters/vendors, holiday goodies and much more.

There will be a Kids Room. Kids only allowed! Children can buy gently used items as Christmas presents for parents and family. Wrapping and name tags included.

Hosted by Solon Congregational Church; vender/crafters space rentals – Contact Jen @ 643-2180, 399-6510 or hebertjenniferO@gmail.com.

Another really great event that the Solon Congregational Church hosted, was their Annual Harvest Supper which was held at the Solon Masonic Hall on October 19. It was a packed house with lots of good food and fellowship. Former residents, Clayton and Peggy Davis, had traveled up from their home in Augusta, and Lief and I sat near them. We had a great time talking about old times and memories of long ago.

Lief and I spent last week at the time share, in Rangeley. We checked in on Saturday afternoon, and went to the cabin where we would stay. As we approached the walk leading up to the door we noticed a huge old tree nearby had a very rotten bottom to it. With the wild weather predicted for that night and next day it sort of worried me, (I know, I always preach, Don’t Worry)!) Anyway, I said an extra prayer that night about that tree, and hoped for the best! The next morning when we opened the door to go to the car, that old tall, tall tree laid out between the cabin (within inches of the cabin, well, maybe that’s stretching it a little bit!) and the woods! And….. And the top of another tree on the other side of the path had come down, but missed our car that was parked there! And I believe more firmly than ever, that God works in mysterious ways, the wind had to have been blowing in just the right direction to perform that miracle!

We came back to Solon to check if there was any damage to our home the next day and the entrance to the South Solon Road was blocked off on Rte. 201, but we managed to get to our house, and there was no damage to it. There were several trees down on the South Solon Road and power was lost .

Would like to thank my good friend Donna Bishop from the bottom of my heart, for delivering The Town Line papers for me while we were in Rangeley. Friendship is precious.

And now for Percy’s memoir entitled Value Every Day: A day without love is a cold day when worldly riches fade away. A day without hope is a dreary day filled with shadows of dismay. A day without faith is a fruitless day as we trudge along life’s way. A day without friends is a lonely day without a cheery word to say. Embracing faith, hope and love assures sweet blessings from above. (words by Catherine Janssen Irwin.)

Give Us Your Best Shot! Week of October 24, 2019

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

PICTURESQUE: Tina Richard, of Clinton, captured this horse posing in front of some beautiful fall colors.

HMMMM!: Michael Bilinsky, of China Village, photographed this bird enjoying some orange nectar in his backyard.

ONE AT A TIME: Joan Chaffee, of Clinton, snapped this robin enjoying some berries from her Hawthorne tree.

WEBBER POND for Thursday, October 17, 2019

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Webber Pond is drawn by an anonymous central Maine resident.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Removing the mystery from a prostate cancer diagnosis

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(NAPSI)—According to the American Cancer Society, about one in nine American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. A leading cause of cancer in men, more than 173,000 new diagnoses are expected in the U.S. this year. Fortunately, this disease can be treated successfully, especially if caught early.

What To Do

If you’re 50 or older or have a family history of prostate cancer, you should speak to your doctor about whether screening for the disease is right for you.

Understanding Prostate Cancer

“In the early stages, the most common symptoms of prostate cancer are no symptoms at all,” says Deepak A. Kapoor, M.D., founder of the non-profit, Integrated Medical Foundation, and President of Advanced Urology Centers of New York.

There are four stages of prostate cancer. Stage one is diagnosed very early and confined to the prostate. At this stage, the patient is unlikely to be experiencing any symptoms. He may not need treatment beyond regular follow-up blood tests, exams and possibly biopsies. The disease is very treatable. When diagnosed early, the five-year relative survival rate is almost 100 percent.

Why Do Some Men Resist Routine Screenings?

Many men are embarrassed by the digital rectal exam, concerned about treatment or fear they can’t afford it.

Some Answers

Testing: Since the 1980s, prostate cancer was being diagnosed with a simple blood test, the PSA. It checks the level of prostate-specific antigen in your blood.

In the past, there was controversy about whether having a prostate cancer screening done was beneficial or if it produced more harmful effects due to complications from over-testing. PSA testing was the best thing available for a long time.

New tools now exist that provide much more information, giving predictability about the aggressiveness of the cancer and data to help urologists safely manage their patients’ disease. With this information, urologists have higher numbers of appropriate candidates on active surveillance regimens. Using tests such as the Gleason grade score, overall patient health and risk factors—age, race, ethnicity, family history and exposure to Agent Orange—urologists can determine with confidence how aggressive the cancer is and which patients will do well on active surveillance. They will also know which therapy options will be the optimal for the patient.

Making it easier for doctors and their patients to do this testing is the full-range of diagnostic equipment and supplies available through the trusted advisors at Henry Schein Medical, a provider of medical and surgical supplies to health care professionals.

Treatments: There are many ways to treat prostate cancer, including hormone therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and cryoablation. The newest innovation being successfully utilized is immunotherapy, which uses your own immune system to identify, target and destroy the cancer cells without harming the body’s own “good cells.” Your doctor can help you decide what’s best for you.

It is important to remember that you have the most options available when prostate cancer is diagnosed early and is in the most treatable stage. It is important for men to be vigilant with their routine screenings.

Paying: Many insurance policies will pay for diagnostic tests and in some places, such as New York State, there’s no co-pay or co-insurance cost sharing responsibility for diagnostic prostate cancer screenings (with such policies). This puts PSAs on the same level as mammograms, thanks to efforts of advocates and doctors such as those at Advanced Urology Centers of New York, one of the largest urology group practices in the country.

Learn More

For more facts, visit the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org and Integrated Medical Foundation (IMF) https://imfcares.org/. IMF provides screenings, education and support services FREE.

I’M JUST CURIOUS – The Wandering Nanas: backyard home training

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by Debbie Walker

No, the horse wasn’t getting trained. It was me and Nana Dee who were receiving the training. The following is the beginning of this story:

Nana Dee and I were visiting with my daughter, Deana about 10 p.m. Suddenly, usually quiet dogs, the two dogs of our family were going nuts at the back door. Crazy, I have never seen them carry on like that before. Deana and Todd, however, knew they didn’t like something going on in the back yard. Todd was awakened by the barking, he came to the door practically walking in his sleep, he looked out the back door. I don’t think his eyes were really open yet! Deana looked out a window and right into the face of the intruder, our neighbor’s white mare, Silver.

This past spring when the folks moved in, we all discovered the horse’s fence was not nearly as solid as they were led to believe when they bought the place. Silver has been here to visit several times since her first visit. That first visit was a real shocker, saying it was a surprise was an understatement.

Silver has visited us a few times but not lately. I kind of missed seeing her out here in the back yard. I had told Nana Dee that I had even wondered, “Wouldn’t Jackie please let her come over for a visit? I was completely forgetting when you wish for things you must be very specific. I should have added “in the daylight.” I believe I have now learned.

The night of the ‘visit’ Nana Dee and I learned the steps to take when Silver decides to visit (escape). We make sure she is okay. One of us keeps an eye on her and the other calls her people and prays we can reach them! We still are not sure what to do if they are unreachable. Silver is quite content to eat the green grass here, of course, the fact that she may get carrots and/or apples in the visit seems to go over well with her.

The story continues when we saw a flashlight coming through the woods with her people ready to retrieve her. You can tell she knows they are coming. She picks up her head in recognition and then back to eating this grass.

Our training of back yard horses complete, we now know what to do. We just may not hurry her off. I now am reminded of the time of day I will wish for her to visit us. I definitely need to wish for the before sundown time frame.

I’m just curious if you have any critter training sessions in your past. Please contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com with your questions and comments. I’ll be waiting! Have a great week!

P.S. I decided to add some PHILOSOFACTS I got from the Farmer’s Almanac:

Years may wrinkle the skin, but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.

Aspire to inspire before you expire.

Optimism is when a tea kettle can be up to its neck in hot water and still sing.

Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.

THE END for today!

REVIEW POTPOURRI: The Headliners

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The Headliners, Volume 3

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

The Headliners, Volume 3

Columbia Record Club, GB 11, LP, released December, 1962.

A number of record collectors with very long memories, including myself, joined the now-extinct Columbia Record Club which started in 1955 and was based in Terre Haute, Indiana. Every year around Christmas starting in 1960, it would send a free limited-edition album to its members as its way of saying thank you for their continued spending and good standing.

There were two series of titles — The Sound of Genius for members in the classical division and The Headliners for those in the four non-classical categories; listening and dancing, country and western, jazz and Broadway musicals. Each record was an anthology of complete tracks from current releases on Columbia and its subsidiary labels.

Headliners, Volume 3, contained 14 selections from 14 musical artists, each one very pleasant listening:

Steve Lawrence – Tell Her That I Said Hello.
Dave Brubeck with strings – Kathy’s Waltz.
Marty Robbins – Never Look Back.
Jerry Murad’s Harmonicats – Chiquita.
Bobby Vee – Tenderly Yours.
Andre Previn Trio – Lose Me Now.
The Banjo Barons – Hello My Baby/Red River Valley.
Ray Conniff and His Orchestra and Chorus – To My Love.
Andy Williams – The Wonderful World of the Young.
Ferrante and Teicher – Theme from “Goodbye Again.”
Les Paul and Mary Ford – Go on Loving You.
Roger Williams – Greensleeves.
Brook Benton – Revenge.
Andre Kostalanetz – Cielito Lindo.

Steve Lawrence, Marty Robbins, Bobby Vee, Andy Williams, Mary Ford and Brook Benton were singers; Dave Brubeck, Andre Previn, Ferrante and Teicher and Roger Williams, pianists; Jerry Murad’s Harmonicats, The Banjo Barons and Les Paul, instrumentalists; and Ray Conniff and Andre Kostelanetz, orchestral conductors. Information about their lives are more than likely to be found on Wikipedia while their records, including these, could be heard on YouTube.

AARP SCAM ALERT: Medicare Open Enrollment Scam

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Medicare Open Enrollment season is here, which means it is also Medicare fraud season. Between now and December 7th seniors across the country will be shopping for the best deal for their health care dollar. Unfortunately some of the deals they will be offered won’t be deals at all.

Medicare scams are expected to spike during open enrollment season with scammers posing as impostors calling and emailing seniors offering free gifts or limited time offers. These scams are all designed to capture your Medicare number so the crooks can charge Medicare for services you didn’t receive.

Be suspicious of anyone who calls, emails or visits you promoting a Medicare plan. Legitimate health plans can only contact you if you’ve requested information. Don’t give personal information to anyone who calls or visits out of the blue and always review your Medicare statement to ensure fraudulent charges aren’t included.

Be a fraud fighter!  If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork  or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Give ‘em what they want

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Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

Learn to say yes!

The old adage goes that rule one is that the customer is always right; rule two, the customer is always right and rule three, when in doubt refer to rules one and two. Then why is it that so many companies these days do not follow these rules.

There is a chain of sandwich shops in Milwaukee where I used to live that have pickles, not only do they not have pickles, they don’t have pickles with extreme prejudice and look at you, the customer, like you are the weird one, because, well after all who ever heard of a Deli having pickles?

Then there is “In N Out Burgers.” They are loved, nay adored, by customers out west where they are mostly. They pride themselves on only having what they have and not bothering to have anything else. When we were in Tucson, Arizona, a while back, my wife innocently asked for mayonnaise to go with the tomato and lettuce on her hamburger (what, growing up in Auburn, we used to call a North Burger). The person taking our order proudly told us that In N Out burger does not have mayonnaise! Not only was she telling us she could not give us, the customers, what we wanted, she was proud of it; acting like we were the idiots for asking for such something so esoteric as mayonnaise on a burger. By the way this is the same chain that prides itself on having a “secret menu” …please!

The important lesson here is to give customers what they want, when they want it and how they want it, and you will create a loyal customer base, whether we’re talking about restaurants or any other kind of business, for that matter.

Every customer wants to feel special. Every customer wants to know that you care for her and for her business. The rule is simple, give customers what they want, and they will keep coming back.

Avoid saying “No,” as in: NO substitutions! NO sharing entrees! NO doggie bags! NO reservations! And NO one seated until the entire party is here! You know what? All of these could be easy yeses, and the customer would be happy. And your business would thrive

Try saying “yes” as much as possible. I was in a nice restaurant in Chicago a few years ago just finishing a very nice dinner with a group of business associates and when it came for dessert, I asked for a dish of chocolate ice cream. The woman waiting on us made a sad face and said she was sorry, but they had run out of chocolate ice cream that evening. She asked if there was anything else, I’d like instead and I said, “No, I’ll just have a coffee.” A little while later when she brought desserts and coffees to the rest of my party, she put a dish of chocolate ice cream in front of me with a big smile on her face. When I asked if they had found some, in the freezer somewhere, she said, no but there is a grocery store two doors down and we sent a busboy to get some for you. Now how about that for saying “Yes,” and by the way, for growing your business!

VETERANS CORNER: The veterans pathway to getting medical assistance needed

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Veterans Administration facility at Togus. (Internet photo)

by Gary Kennedy

Each veteran who is trying to file a claim for what they feel is a service connected medical condition should seek the formal advise of a service officer from one of the many agencies, American Legion, Veteran of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Amvets, or Paralyzed Veterans of America. Although clerks and secretaries can give you minor advice you should not rely on anything other than the forms that they may give you.

Although many people want to be of assistance, not all are qualified to give good sound advice. Some of you have probably discovered that there are some that are trained to assist you with your needs and others that can just muddy up your water. In any case, unless you yourself are a trained authority on how the system works, you will probably be doing your case more harm than good.

There are several issues that put you in the ball park for VA help:

(1) You might have a direct service connected issue; something that happened while in the military.
(2) Secondary service connection which is a condition which is caused by a previously service connected condition.
(3) Aggravated service connection and outside conditions that are aggravated by military service.
(4) Presumptive service connection which is a condition that is presumed to have been caused or aggravated by the job the veteran was assigned to do.
(5) VA faulted situation such as, error in adjustment, negligence, lack of a proper skill set, also carelessness and/or negligence.

The government doesn’t allow anything to be easy. So, of course, it would be wise to begin these things with a good representative/advocate to assist you with all the hurdles. All successful cases are based upon honesty and the compilation of all the relevant data that could possibly be necessary. Never assume you have a winner because you know it to be the truth. The government sees the truth only through the eyes of evidence. I used the word mostly intentionally as I previously mentioned the presumptive issue. There are situations that can be presumable, by the nature of one’s injury, the position held by the veteran in the military and the probability of the happening is a few other venues. Examples could be flat or damaged feet of a foot soldier wearing combat boots or perhaps a rifleman with Tinnitus and/or hearing loss. In these cases the story might be the decision maker. There are avenues a good advocate can use to help prove his/her clients case. I don’t want to sound demeaning but like any kind of business, there are good and not so good advocates. Think of your advocate like a lawyer and you will understand what I am trying to convey.

It’s wonderful to have copious amounts of support data, which all advocates should have but then again it’s another thing to know how to use and deliver that information. Also, your veterans representative must have time for you. All cases are not black and white and some require stepping outside of the coveted box and do a little extra. I have had many veterans who have applied for help on several different occasions and failed. Some used themselves as a representative and others had an advocate who couldn’t /wouldn’t give enough time. Don’t be discouraged because you have failed in the past. I personally have presented many cases that had failed previously and won. You must follow the appropriate pathway no matter how tedious and difficult. The quality of someone’s life depends on it and the advocate’s reputation relies on it.

When you begin your claim you need to have your form DD-214, you will need copies of your medical records, both military and civilian, especially those which are relevant to your claim. If you need assistance with those documents, visit your local VBA and they will assist you. You will still need an advocate after you receive these things. (Building 248, first floor or bldg. 205, third floor).

As far as administrative records, you can request a form for the procurement of these also. They are usually housed at a different facility. I always look at administrative records for the entrance exam and the exit exam. There is much information that may be disseminated from the admin, file. Cases have been won with just that file. So in conclusion of this brief explanation I will explain the pathway. You are not eligible for VA services and compensation just because you would like it. You need to present evidence that military service was in some way more likely than not the causation of your problems. I probably should mention that being in direct contact with one of the many chemical agents such as Agent Orange can be relied upon in many cases as, Direct Service Connection or even, Presumptive Service Connection, it depends on the situation. Help is available to all Honorably Discharged Veterans. In Maine just call 207-623-8411 and press “0” when you get the recording and explain the nature of your need. The operator will direct you to the correct department.

I am not sure if you will read this article before Veterans Day or not, but November 11 is the day we officially honor our veterans. I honor our vets with information that can help them along the way. “Veterans Day” has been known by several names, Remembrance Day, Armistice Day and now Veterans Day. Veterans Day got its day because WWI. Armistice day ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. In any case, remember, freedom isn’t free even if sometimes it is taken for granted. We owe so much too so many for the ultimate sacrifice they gave to God, Country and those that they loved. God bless all that have served and God bless America. Happy Veterans Day and remember to pray for those who made it all possible.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Lady bug, lady bug, fly away home…

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

That is the beginning of the popular child’s rhyme about lady bugs. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Many years ago, when our kids were growing up, we did a lot of camping in our popup camper. Every year, after the campgrounds closed, usually on Columbus Day weekend, we would take our “last picnic of the year.”

Last week, our daughter called and wanted to do that again. It was a little strange request seeing that she is 48 years old. Maybe it was the anticipation of the empty nest syndrome seeing that her youngest child is a senior at Waterville High School, and will be leaving after the school year to pursue her education.

So, my wife and I agreed. It was just a matter of where we would go with limited time on our hands. We decided on Blueberry Hill, in Mt. Vermon. From there, we could have our picnic, and take in the brilliant foliage from that vantage point. Looking east, you can see Great Pond and Long Pond, along with miles and miles of colorful fall leaves.

While there, we were infested with lady bugs. They were swarming around us, landing everywhere on us. As we tried to flick them off more would come. As we were leaving, they also were inside the car.

We finally decided to go to Lemieux’ Orchard, in North Vassalboro. My wife wanted to make an apple pie for our trip to Vermont this coming weekend, and some homemade apple sauce.

While there, the lady bugs made their appearance. They were everywhere, also. I ran into an old friend and we began talking. He also commented on the lady bugs.

The family is commonly known as lady bugs in North America, and ladybirds in Britain. Entomologists prefer the name ladybird beetles as these insects are not classified as true bugs.

The majority are generally considered useful insects, because many species prey on herbivorous insects such as aphids or scale insects, which are agricultural pests. The lady bug, or ladybirds, are only minor agricultural pests, eating the leaves of grain, potatoes, beans and various other crops, but their numbers can increase explosively in years when their natural enemies, such as parasitoid wasps that attack their eggs, are few. In such situations, they can do major crop damage. They occur in practically all the major crop-producing regions of temperate and tropical countries.

The lady bugs usually begin to appear indoors in the autumn when they leave their summer feeding sites in fields, forests and yards, and search out places to spend the winter. Typically, when temperatures warm to the mid-60s F, in the late afternoon, following a period of cooler weather, they will swarm onto or into buildings illuminated by the sun. Swarms fly to buildings in September through November depending on location and weather conditions. Homes or other buildings near fields or woods are particularly prone to infestation.

A common myth, totally unfounded, is that the number of spots on the insect’s back indicates its age. In fact, the underlying pattern and coloration are determined by the species and genetics of the beetle, and develop as the insect matures. In some species its appearance is fixed by the time it emerges from its pupa, though in most it may take some days for the color of the adult beetle to mature and stabilize.

The harlequin ladybird, is an example of how an animal might be partly welcome and partly harmful. It was introduced into North American, from Asia, in 1916 to control aphids, but is now the most common species, out-competing many of the native species. It has since spread to much of western Europe, reaching the United Kingdom in 2004. It has become something of a domestic and agricultural pest in some regions, and gives cause for ecological concern. It has similarly arrived in parts of Africa, where it has proved unwelcome, perhaps most prominently in vine-related crops.

It does explain something, maybe. As we have discussed before, toward the end of the summer, particularly in September, we were inundated with parasitoid wasps at camp, and saw no lady bugs. On Blueberry Hill, we saw plenty of lady bugs, but no wasps. We have yet to see a lady bug in our house this fall.

So, what about that rhyme? Here goes:

Lady bug, lady bug, fly away home;
Your house is on fire and your children are gone;
All except one, and that’s Little Anne;
For she has crept under the warming pan.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Of the four remaining teams in the MLB playoffs, which team has never won a World Series?

For the answer, click here.