SOLON & BEYOND: Wrapping up the school year; encounter wildlife on drive home

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

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

Received the following e-mail from the Solon School News: We want to extend our best wishes and good luck to our fifth grade students who will enter sixth grade at Carrabec Community School in the fall.

Goodbye and good luck to…Tyler Ames, Gavin Atwood, Delena Cabral, Michael Crane, Charlie Golden, Courtney Grunder,Zackary Hemond, Alexis Leidy, Ciara Myers-Sleeper, Abigail Parent, Machaon Pierce, Allison Pinkham, Cailan Priest, Paige Reichert, Desmond Robinson, Gerald Rollins, Lawrence Soucie, Brooks Sousa, Carl Ward, Braden Wheeler, Ciarrah Whittemore and Nicholas Wildes.

Solon students participated again this year in the annual Bookmark Contest in conjunction with the Coolidge Public Library. Each student designed a bookmark with a theme that promoted reading. Town librarian Megan Myers and art teacher Richard Reichenbach judged the contest and picked a winner from each class. These students each received a book from the library, and their bookmarks were duplicated to hand out to patrons at the library.

Winners were kindergartner Evangeline Mullinax, first grader Dylan Priest, second grader Lane Frost, third grader Katelyn DeLeonardis, fourth grader Macie Plourde and fifth grader Ciara Myers-Sleeper.

The top readers in each class were Olive McDonald, Charlotte Hamilton, Annabell Roderick, Jillian Robinson, Cody James, Courtney Grunder, and Ciarrah Whittemore.

Congratulations for reading all of those books!

Winners of the Portland Seadog’s Most Improved Student Contest this spring were kindergartner Eva Mullinax, first grader Hunter Pouliot, second graders Gavyn Perigo and Levi Hamblen, third grader Hunter Emmy Golden, fourth grader Cody James, and fifth grader Abby Parent.

Received the following e-mail from Somerset Woods Trustees of Skowhegan: We have declared June 30 as Mountain Biking Day at Coburn Woods. The town of Skowhegan, Somerset Woods Trustees, the Somerset Trails Committee, and the Central Maine New England Mountain Bike Association have teamed up for a great morning of mountain biking. Bring your own bike and helmet or borrow (ages 10-adult) from them from the town. Bikes will be on site to borrow. Tours of the trails will be lead by experienced bikers. Again, thanks so much for sharing, sounds like a fun day.

Lief and I started out for Dave and Eleanor’s camp up to Flagstaff, where they were staying for a few days. Mark and Karen and Peter and Sherry were also staying the night. As always, there was perfect peace and quiet up in God’s country.

We had seen one beautiful doe on our ride up, which was great! We had intended to spend the night also, but something came up, so after a scrumptious supper we started back to Solon. When we left camp the sky was threatening rain and the bank of the road is very close to Flagstaff Lake, so we wanted to get out closer to civilization before darkness over took us.

We did get out to the main road when all of the miracles started to happen! The first wildlife was a fox that ran across the road in front of us. Soon after that, it started to rain lightly, and we couldn’t help exclaiming when a moose appeared in the road just up ahead of us, soon followed, by the tiniest baby moose. I got out of the car and took a few pictures, but not wanting to get wet or ruin my camera, I doubt that they will be very good.

By the time we had calmed down it had started to pour and darkness had overtaken us. Usually when we are up in that country we don’t see quite that much wildlife, it was a joy. But we decided, since the weather was definitely getting really rough we started out once more. We had traveled several miles, when to our wondering eyes, what should emerge from the bushes but a deer followed by her two babies!

Forgot to mention that when we left camp, to head home, an eagle was soaring over us, and miracles do happen!

Now for a quick one from Percy…..Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be. (words by Grandma Moses.)

I’M JUST CURIOUS: How I love to read those magazines

by Debbie Walker

Magazines. I love them! In my world some are for reading, like “Reminisce” (I even had a little Christmas story in one issue), “Good Old Days” and “Reader’s Digest.” There are more but I can’t think of them right now.

Some magazines I buy like “Woman’s World” and “First” for reading and cutting up. I give some of the cut ups to friends when it is a subject I know they are interested in. Sometimes the magazine articles give me ideas to add to my writing.

There are some cooking magazines that I find in thrift stores and I save them for my granddaughter. She seems to be the cook in our family. It sure isn’t me! Those recipes always require odd spices and such; too many steps to complete for me to be interested.

There are wonderful magazines like “Farmer’s Almanac” and the other almanacs. I thought forever that they were only weather and gardening information so I never even looked at one. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the terrific articles they print. I have used them as great resource materials!

Kid’s magazines have even given me ideas to write about for these columns.

I have a great time going through “Flea Market,” “Cottage Decorating,” “You Can Make It,” “Better Homes and Gardens” and “Good Housekeeping.” These magazines I really cut up, I pull out pages that have some part that I would like to remake to my own ideas.

Catalogs I pull apart for clothing ideas. I like to copy ideas for jewelry, too. I saw a bracelet made out of old watches that I loved but not $150 worth of love. It gave me a great idea to make my own. I even added a working watch to it. I bought some watches at thrift stores and made my own bracelet/watch for under $20. It was fun and SO satisfying.

My Dad used to have a trash and treasures shop and he was forever bringing home odd things. Once when I was up from Florida visiting, Dad had brought home some old magazines I really enjoyed. They were ‘50s and maybe some early ‘60s “Ladies Home Journal” and “Good Housekeeping.” I would love to have them now. I found them to be hysterical that night. I don’t know what happened to them but I would love to be able to sit with them again! If you know where there are any, please let me know. I promise I won’t cut or tear anything. I would make copies of the things of interest to me. You can call me at 948-4231. I will tell Ken that I am hoping for some phone calls so he won’t give you his ‘grumpy’ voice!

To finish this tonight I found a few more T-shirt sayings I wanted to add to last week’s list of ‘greats’!

When I get tired of shopping I sit down and try on shoes.

Some days my life is just a tent away from a circus.

I call my fashion style “Clothes that still fit”!

I’m just curious what you like to read. Contact me with any questions or comments at dwdaffy@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading! Don’t forget, we are on line, we even have archives.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: New Transplants Are Changing Lives

(NAPSI)—Organ transplants have been saving lives for many years. You may even know someone who has received a kidney or a heart transplant, and what a difference that gift of life has made.

Another type of transplant has been changing lives in incredible new ways—the transplantation of hands and faces. More than 100 people worldwide have received these types of transplants: a veteran who lost his limbs in war, a woman whose face was devastated in an attack, a child who lost his hands to severe infection. All have had their lives transformed.

These procedures are called “Vascularized Composite Allograft” organ transplants, or VCA transplants. They are composed of multiple types of tissue. With a hand transplant, for example, bones, blood vessels, nerves and skin must all be attached to the remaining arm.

So many tissues, however, make VCA transplants extremely complex. The surgery requires the involvement of dozens of surgeons and other medical professionals and can take 16 hours or more. Recovery is also demanding for patients; rehabilitation can be a full-time job for one to two years.

Yet, the results are life changing. VCA transplants can restore abilities and independence in ways that artificial limbs and reconstructive surgery cannot. Just consider the difference a working hand with moving fingers and a sense of touch could make. It can mean the ability to take care of oneself, work, drive and play. Face transplants enable recipients to rejoin society, often ending isolation and depression.

VCA and traditional organ transplants are the same in some respects. Criteria for matching donors and recipients include the need for compatible blood and tissue types. However, VCA requires matching for additional features such as skin tone, body size and hair color. Gender may also be taken into consideration.

A commonly asked question about face transplants is whether the recipient will look like the donor. The answer is yes and no. Yes, skin characteristics such as moles, freckles and scars will transfer to the recipient. However, because the recipient’s underlying bone structure is apt to be different from the donor’s, resemblance will likely be minimal.

Like with kidneys, livers and other organs, there is a national waiting list for VCA transplants that matches donors with potential recipients. However, enrolling as an organ donor on a state or national registry does not mean you’re authorizing VCA donation. Your family would make the decision about VCA donation after your death.

You can learn more at www.organdonor.gov, a website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: The irritating brown-tailed moth is back in the news

brown-tailed moth

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

The brown-tailed moth is back in the news. We covered this subject a couple of months ago, but it may warrant going over again. It is not a human friendly insect. This particular moth, Euproctis chrysorrhoea, is one that we probably could do without.

This moth, once native only to Europe, was accidentally brought to Massachusetts in 1897 on nursery stock, and soon spread to the rest of New England, Today, it is found only on Cape Cod and along the coast of Maine, where it is considered an invasive species.

The brown-tail moth is armed with defensive barbed hairs throughout its life span but especially during the caterpillar stage. These hairs break off, and for many people exposed, are susceptible to skin rashes, headaches, and even difficulty breathing. This caterpillar also has a huge host range of plants on which they feed.

The brown-tail moth caterpillar has tiny poisonous hairs that cause rashes similar to poison ivy on sensitive individuals. Rashes may develop when people come in direct contact with the caterpillar or indirectly from airborne hairs. The hairs become airborne by either being dislodged from living or dead caterpillars, or they come from cast skins with the caterpillar molts. Respiratory distress from inhaling the hairs can be serious.

Typical brown-tailed moth rash.

Caterpillars are active from April to late June. Hairs remain toxic throughout the summer but get washed into the soil and are less of problem over time.

The moths, which are attracted to light and fly at night, and active in July and August, have a wingspan of about 1.5 inches. The wings and midsection are solid white on both the male and female. The abdomen has brown on it, and the brown coloration extends along most of the upper surface of the abdomen in the male, whereas the top of the abdomen is white on the female, but the tuft of brown hairs are much larger.

The factors underlying brown-tail moth population dynamics are little understood and have been only thoroughly investigated by few researchers.

According to the Coastal Pharmacy & Wellness staff, the brown-tail moth has been getting plenty of attention over the past few years. This is because the numbers have spiked to a level that haven’t been seen in quite some time. Last year was a banner year and this year’s population is predicted to be even higher.

Throughout much of its life cycle, the moth sheds its toxic hairs. Eggs are laid in August-September, when a female can lay up to 400 eggs. They build their winter nest in the fall and remain there from September to June. In June and July, the larvae spin cocoons in which to pupate. The cocoons are full of toxic hairs. The moth emerges in July and August, mate and lay eggs to begin a new cycle. During this period, more hairs are shed to cover the egg mass.

The brown-tail moth’s excessive desire to eat, and its habit of feeding on many different kinds of foods, together with its tendency to reach outbreak densities, makes this species a major pest of hardwood forests and may also attack fruit and ornamental trees.

According to the Coastal Pharmacy and Wellness staff, moth spray or lotion, to combat the rash, are available by prescription from your doctor. There is no antidote for the toxins, so treatment is focused on relieving symptoms and eliminating further exposure. “Since many reactions occur over weekends, seeing a doctor may not be immediately possible. In these cases, you may find relief by soaking in a warm bath and applying calamine lotion or antihistamine cream.”

Pursuant to Maine Statute Title 22§1444 the Chief Operating Officer of the Maine Center for Disease Control can declare an infestation of brown-tail moths as a public health nuisance. The declaration may be made on the COO’s initiative or upon petition by municipal officers.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

With his win in game five of the 2013 World Series, Jon Lester of the Boston Red Sox became only the second Red Sox left-handed pitcher to win three World Series games. Who was the first?

Answer can be found here.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: New T-shirt sayings

by Debbie Walker

Okay, so I spent too much time looking at catalogs! I see these T-shirts and I like some of the sayings, I rip out the page and maybe more than one! I eventually have enough collected to share with you. I hope they entice you to smile like I am.

Not my circus, not my Monkeys

Can we just admit we may have taken this “anyone can grow up to be President” thing just a bit too far?

Wait! I do not snore! I dream I am a motorcycle!

You are about to EXCEED the limits of my medication.

I’m going to stop asking “How dumb can you get?” People seem to be taking it as a challenge!

If I am ever on life support, Unplug me. Then plug me back in. See if it works!

Being an adult is like folding a fitted sheet!

I’m not even a hot mess… I’M JUST A MESS!

Sorry I’m late…. I didn’t want to come.

Marriage: When dating goes too far!

You know that little thing inside your head that keeps you from saying things you shouldn’t? Yeah, I don’t have one of those.

Elect a clown, expect a circus!

DON’T grow up, It’s a trap!!

Sometimes I meet people and feel bad for their dog.

Telling a woman to calm down works about as well as baptizing a cat!

Life is too short to waste time matching socks.

Sawdust is Man glitter!

Being cremated is my last hope for a smoking hot body.

I’m more confused than a chameleon in a bag of Skittles!

I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain this to you.

I meant to BEHAVE but there were too many other OPTIONS.

In my defense, I was left unsupervised.

You couldn’t handle me even if I came with instructions!

You can’t scare me, I have a daughter!

When women get to a certain age they start accumulating cats, this is known as ‘many paws’

I didn’t trip I do random gravity checks (me lately!)

If I woke up in the morning and nothing hurt I would think I was Dead!

The 12-Step Chocoholics Program, Never be more than 12 steps away from chocolate!

I should be given an award for keeping my mouth shut when there’s so much that needs said!

Crazy? I prefer the term Hilariously Unstable.

Onion rings are vegetable donuts.

I am NOT just an Aunt. I am a loving, beautiful, awesome bundle of wonderful.

Line dancing was started by women waiting to use the bathroom.

I’m still hot; It just comes in flashed now.

I hope this gave you some smiles. I always enjoy reading them. I like the ones like “Crazy, I prefer Hilariously Unstable!” That is me! My niece tells me I am a wonderful aunt but of course she is a wonderful niece!

I’m just curious what T-shirt line gave you a laugh. Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com with your questions or comments. I enjoy them. Okay, onto my next project for the day! Thanks for reading.

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Composers: Anton Bruckner and Burt Bacharach

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Bruckner

Symphony No. 8
Anton Nanut conducting the Ljublana Symphony Orchestra; Stradivari Classics, SCD-6059, CD, recorded 1980s.

Anton Bruckner

If I had to pick only one conductor whose recordings I could take to a desert island, it would be Anton Nanut (1932-2017) . He conducted almost every piece of music as if it were the most beautiful and exciting music to be heard this side of heaven, equaling, if not surpassing, the most well known conductors of the last 100 years.

He was below the radar of listeners in the United States during the Iron Curtain years, pre-1989, as he transformed the orchestra in Ljublana, Slovenia, then a part of Yugoslavia, into a world class ensemble. Since the late ‘80s, his recordings began appearing mainly on cheapie labels while his frequent appearances in Japan and more sporadic ones in the U.S. increased his international reputation. Meanwhile, live concerts with Japanese orchestras have appeared on that country’s labels and are super expensive on Amazon- I do own a CD of a 2013 live concert featuring one very powerful and beautiful Brahms 4th Symphony among the batch of Brahms 4ths on my shelves and paid a few dollars more than the norm.

The 8th Symphony of Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) is a magnificently beautiful, soaring, exciting 76 minutes of music that displays the full range of the orchestra. Being a devout Catholic, Bruckner intended for his music to praise God, to evoke His full glory. Nanut delivered a gripping, deeply moving performance and I found a copy of the cd at the Waterville Bull Moose for 4 bucks after searching high and low on Amazon.

Several Nanut recordings can also be heard on YouTube.

Burt Bacharach

Plays His Hits
Kapp, KS-3577, stereo LP, released 1965.

Burt Bacharach

Now 90, Burt Bacharach has been intertwined with so much of pop music’s infrastructure as a composer, pianist, arranger, conductor, etc. I would recommend a reading of his Wiki biography which is a super-lengthy chronicle of his hugely phenomenal musical achievements by themselves. The Dionne Warwick mega-hits; the musical Promises, Promises; and his collaborations with Carol Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Elvis Costello are still tips of the iceberg.

The LP posted above with chorus and orchestra is a suavely and vibrantly played assortment of 11 songs, over half of which have been recorded a zillion times and features such classics as Always Something There to Remind Me, Walk on By, Wives and Lovers, Blue on Blue, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart and Joel Grey doing vocal honors on What’s New Pussycat.

And most of it can be heard on Youtube!

The great conductor, Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989), recorded one beauty of a Dvorak New World Symphony for Deutsche Grammophon with the Berlin Philharmonic back in 1964, and it can be bought cheaply through Amazon as part of a mega box set of many CDs featuring this conductor’s legacy or as a single CD. He did at least four others but this is the only DG one with the Berlin Philharmonic. And this recording is on YouTube also!

Waterville’s First Baptist Church celebrates 200 years

by Roland D. Hallee

On the corner of Elm and Park streets, in Waterville, stands one of the more magnificent buildings in the city. An iconic landmark that stands tall in the Waterville skyline. This year, the congregation of the First Baptist Church will celebrates its 200th birthday. The official date of the anniversary is July 15, 1818.

According to Jan Goddard, chairman of the 200th anniversary committee, church secretary, and China resident, “Two hundred is a number. Numbers in themselves are insignificant; it is the events of those years that make it significant.”

The First Baptist Church, circa 1955, which doesn’t look much different than today. (Contributed photos)

Organized by Rev. Jeremiah Chaplin, in 1818, the original meeting house was located in a farmhouse on the site later occupied by the Elmwood Hotel, at the intersection of Main Street and College Avenue. Chaplin was the first president of Colby College, when it was located on College Ave., where the Waterville Police Station, Social Security Office, and the Waterville Homeless Shelter now stand. Recognizing the need for the college to be affiliated with a church, Chaplin gathered a few Baptist families at his home, a building later known as the Elmwood Hotel.

The First Baptist Society, a legal entity to hold property, was formed in 1924, and the society sold pews to help finance the new meeting house. At a cost of $4,000, the new meeting house was completed in 1926, on the corner of Elm and Park streets. The main part of the building still rests on the original foundation. The land was donated by Timothy Boulette, Waterville’s leading attorney and state senator.

“This small group of Baptists did not want to depend on the availability of the town meetinghouse, where most others met to worship,” Goddard added. “They were determined to have their own church.” *

Stephen Chapin served as part-time minister until the election of the first full-time pastor, Harvey Fritz, in 1829.

Between 1836 and 1904, additions were built in four separate stages, resulting in the present vestries, classrooms, parlors and dining facilities.

The bell was hung in the belfry in 1844 and the first small reed organ was put in place in 1850.

In 1855 saw the first major alterations to the sanctuary with the removal of the doors from the pews, the lowering of the pulpit and the installation of carpeting.

In 1866 the congregation accepted into membership Samuel Osborne, a former Negro slave, on his own statement that he had been baptized and accepted into a church in Culpepper, Virginia, where the Civil War had destroyed all records.

In 1877, the first baptism was performed inside. Previously, all baptisms had taken place either in the Kennebec River or Messalonskee Stream.

The church underwent major renovations in 1875, and services were temporarily held at the Unitarian Church. The re-dedication sermon was delivered by Rev. George Dan Boardman Pepper, the only man since Jeremiah Chaplin to be both pastor of the First Baptist Church and President of Colby College.

In the 35 years between 1879 and 1914, only two men served as pastor, William Spencer (1879-1899) and Edwin Whittemore (1899-1914).

Electric lighting was installed in 1889.

The pipe organ that is now used in the church. Contributed photo)

Rev. William Spencer, who had a successful pastorate at the church for more than 20 years, shared his appreciation of music and secured the enrichment of the service of song, most notably with the purchase of a new, hand-pumped organ in 1893 at a cost of $2,200.

In a change in the law in 1901, permitting churches to hold property, the society was incorporated as the First Baptist Church of Waterville, thus ending its run as a “society.

A new Purinton organ was installed in 1924.

On the 100th anniversary of the building, the Philbrick parlors and Morse Baptistry were opened, and new lighting was installed.

The sanctuary underwent another remodeling in 1951 when the central pulpit was changed to a lectern and pulpits were added on either side of the chancel, with the altar in the center. This remodeling cost $60,000 – 17 times the original cost of the entire building back in 1826. In 1960, the Purinton organ was rebuilt and placed in the balcony.

The building was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1976.

Many other occasions were instituted in the more recent years. The steeple was renovated in 1990, and the Purinton organ underwent another reconstruction in 2002. From 2002-2009 the Handoll Mission Church (Kor­ean) used the facilities for their services.

In 2010 the lower level of the building opened to accommodate the overflow of the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter. From 2012-2014 the basement became the the shelter’s primary facility.

Some facts about the church:

  • The First Baptist Church is the tallest building in Waterville, and its oldest public building.
  • While many of the ministers who have served at the First Baptist Church have a notable history, perhaps none would exceed that of Samuel Francis Smith, composer of America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee), who served as pastor from 1834-1841. The first time the song was sung indoors was in this church.
  • Rev. B. F. Shaw, who became pastor in 1867, was said to have been the most popular pastor the church has ever had.
  • Every Colby College annual commencement and baccalaureate sermon were held there from 1827-1917.
  • Four former members of the church have streets named after them in Waterville: Jeremiah Chaplin, Nathaniel Gilman, international merchant and the town’s wealthiest man, Asa Redington, the most prominent local Revolutionary War veteran who served in George Washington’s honor guard, who also built the Ticonic Dam, and buried at Pine Grove Cemetery, in Waterville, John Burleigh, publisher of the town newspaper.

When the First Baptist Society was formed in 1818, Maine was still part of Massachusetts (becoming a state two years later in 1820).

Jeremiah Chaplin was president of the Maine Literary and Theological Institution (now Colby College) when he organized his friends to convince them to organize the church.

James Monroe was president of the United States, and William King was Maine’s governor.

Goddard once reflected on a sense of what had filled the past 200 years.

“I came into the sanctuary one morning, and had a compelling feeling to sit in silence for a bit to enjoy the peace, the beauty, the tranquility of this room. Sitting in silence is not entirely true; I may have been silent, but the building was not. I do believe that this building ‘talks.’”

Local and foreign missions were a prime consideration for members of the First Baptist Church.

Rev. Jonathan Forbush started what was known as the “French Mission,” serving French Canadian immigrants. Later, Rev. Isaac LaFleur presided over morning worship in French. The French mission eventually grew to the point where they moved on to what is now the Second Baptist Church, on Water St., in Waterville.

Since 1990, the church has held weekly organ concerts during the Lenten season, featuring many local organists, including China resident Don Pauley.

In an anniversary presentation, Goddard once commented, “Only during the organ concerts held each Sunday afternoon during the Lenten season, does it [ the organ] come out of the corner and is placed in the middle of the sanctuary for all to see and hear the various area professional organists. Then, the congregation and audience can truly appreciate the art of the organist, for not only can we see the hands on the keyboard, but also the feet dancing on the foot pedals.”

Current pastor Russell D. Laflamme.

Current pastor, Russell D. Laflamme, assists in providing a time of worship to residents living in area nursing homes.

“The First Baptist Church, which we in the community use and enjoy, represents our inheritance from hundreds of devoted and generous forefathers,” Goddard concluded. “Proudly, we say, ‘Happy 200th birthday, First Baptist Church!”

The celebration will continue throughout the year with Adoniran Judson, by Rev. Foster and Mary Jane Williams, in July; Tea and Tour, in August, which is open to the community; Dean Ernest Marriner’s Little Talks on Common Things,” by David Brown, in September; Earle Shettleworth: ˆWho was Rev. Henry S. Burrage?, in October; The Mt. View Chamber Singers, in November; and December will see the Christmas Cantata, the combined choirs of Getchell Street and First Baptist churches.

* From an article written by Jan Goddard in Discover Maine magazine, Vol. 27, Issue 2, 2018.

IF WALLS COULD TALK: Local clubs continue to do wonderful things

Katie Ouilette Wallsby Katie Ouilette

Guess what I found, WALLS! I know, I know, WALLS, I do keep a lot of STUFF, as I might need a subject to write about some day. Well, WALLS, I found an October 27, 2011, issue of The Town Line, on the page entitled Somerset County News was an article written by Lee and Marcia Granville and was titled: What’s happening at the Skowhegan Free Public Library. Well, thanks to Builder, Steve Dionne and his crew, the work that is described in the column has been completed, but, faithful readers, the new news is that Librarian Jandreau is retiring on July 1. We WISH YOU THE BEST OF EVERYTHING throughout your retirement, Mr. Jandreau and say it with all honesty, we were so fortunate to have you at the Skowhegan Free Public Library.

Y’know, WALLS, one of the things that has captured the minds of members of the Skowhegan Woman’s Club is the many books that have been written and the speakers that they have had have brought such interesting subjects to the group. Yes, I was a member of the Skowhegan Woman’s Club and always found the meetings to be interesting. True, even at my age (87) I found my life was getting so busy that ‘something had to go’. I am glad that the Skowhegan Woman’s Club has had a representative serving on the Skowhegan Heritage Council, however. Yes, people often say that memberships are dropping in various local clubs, but the clubs continue to do such wonderful things for people in whatever locale a club serves. And, by the way, the Clubs serve folks in our own state of Maine, but all over the world! We are so fortunate to have such dedicated people in our U.S.A. and World!

Now, faithful readers, I’m sorry that space doesn’t allow me to list the names of people who are doing so much to make our world a better place in which to live, but I try to do my part and I hope you do, too.

Give Us Your Best Shot! Week of June 28, 2018

To submit a photo for The Town Line’s “Give Us Your Best Shot!” section, please visit our contact page or email us at townline@fairpoint.net!

HUMMINGBIRD MOTH: John Gardner snapped this Sphinx moth, a/k/a hummingbird moth, recently.

 

COMING AT YOU: Tina Richard, of Clinton, captured this spectacular photo of a bald eagle exiting its nest. Its mate and young can be seen in the nest.

 

SOAKING THE SUN: This turkey vulture was photographed by Pat Clark, of Palermo, stretching its wings while soaking in the sunshine.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Three Cool Ideas For A Better Night’s Rest

(NAPSI)—The next time you find yourself kicking your leg out of the side of your blankets to cool off or turning your pillow over because it’s too hot—you won’t be alone. Some 50 million Americans are affected by intermittent sleep problems, potentially created by bedding choices, according to the National Sleep Foundation—but you don’t have to be.

Not many people realize it, but surrounding yourself with breathable fabrics while you sleep is essential for a restful night. Airflow matters because it lets heat naturally dissipate away from your body and helps keep your temperature regulated. Overheating can lead to a night of tossing and turning, leaving you groggy the next day because you didn’t recover properly the night before.

What To Do

So what’s the solution? It’s possible to get more out of each day by enhancing your sleep environment. There are options that can cater to your individual sleep position, body frame and temperature to help you maximize recovery at night.

Consider these facts and tips for a better night’s sleep:

  1. There are 24 vertebrae in your back, eight of which are supported by a pillow and the rest by your mattress. Therefore, while you’re sleeping, 30 percent of your comfort comes from your pillow and 70 percent comes from your mattress. This is why it’s important to have the right fit of sleep equipment that supports your body’s needs.
  2. Get personalized. It’s true that one size doesn’t fit all—especially when it comes to your bedding. You might want to check out Bedgear, which offers a personalized Performance Sleep System and a Pillow ID fitting process, used by professional sports teams such as the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. The process is designed to fit people with individualized products for the best sleep every night.
  3. Spend the last hour before bed away from electronics. Taking some time to relax and unwind calms your body and helps your brain transition more easily into deep sleep. At the same time, you’re removing artificial sources of the blue light found in electronic devices that activates your brain to stay awake and can disrupt sleep.

Personalization, coupled with fabric technologies that are engineered to promote airflow and assist with temperature regulation, can ensure that your sleep environment is optimized for the best rest.

Learn More

For further information on how to upgrade your sleep, visit www.bedgear.com.