IF WALLS COULD TALK, Week of September 28, 2017

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by Katie Ouilette

O.K., WALLS, you guessed! You guessed what I had been doing, when I challenged you. Yes, faithful readers, I truly appreciate your having said thanks, the last time I divulged that I had been going through some old memories. Well, I’ve done it again, but this time WALLS wanted me to make a favorite “Robert Redford Cake” for a family gathering. The recipe was sent to me a very long time ago by close Oak Ridge, Tennessee, friend and godmother of son Craig. Actually, Ed and Nina are Craig’s godparents. They are both gone ‘to a better place’, as we have all been promised, but that recipe lingers on in my scrapbook, as do wonderful and heartwarming memories.

Now, I simply must share some memories of Nina and Ed. Especially, with all the ‘brewing events’ that seems to have overtaken folks’ “way of life these days.” Now, I’ll go back to those Oak Ridge days, when all forms of alcoholic beverages were against the law to sell. Ed decided to make some beer in their basement…and he was definitely a wonderful brewer, when not working at Oak Ridge National Laboratories. The taste test passed and bottling was next on Ed’s agenda. All was wonderful, as long as summer’s heat hadn’t arrived, but it did! OK, so you faithful readers and WALLS guessed! The caps popped and even hit the cellar’s ceiling which made that familiar sound! What’s more, the odor soon filled the cellar and the house! Yes, that was the end of the beer production, at least until cool weather arrived!

Well, WALLS and faithful readers, I hope you are laughing, because, with all the news of the hurricanes that come to us from the Caribbean, and the earthquake, in Mexico, we all need something to laugh about. Actually, I made the cake for Last Rose of Summer Day, when we honored Senator Margaret Chase Smith, and David Richards evidently had a long time to enjoy it, since our audience for the day was miniscule!

Speaking of David, who is now the Margaret Chase Smith Library’s executive, he was on Now You Know for which Chris Perkins is the host and which was the first Now You Know of this 2017 fall season. David gave our audience such interesting information about the library. WALLS surely hope that you who do get Channel 11,
will enjoy!

I think, WALLS, that our word-count has about reached the limit for this week. Yes, I did mention Now You Know, but will take the liberty of telling our faithful readers and faithful viewers that we will soon have John Harlow with us to tape the program from its new downtown Skowhegan location for Maine’s Cornville Charter School.

SOLON & BEYOND, Week of September 28, 2017

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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!

Have just one other little bit of Solon Elementary School news from the Solon School Newsletter, and it is: Our Maine Dance institute (MDI) program for students in grades 4 and 5 started on September 13. This is our students’ chance to learn two great dance numbers, have a lot of fun, and shine on the stage at the MDI performance on Saturday, April 28. All your child needs is a pair of indoor sneakers and a good attitude to be part of this exciting program!

The next meeting of the Embden Historical Society is scheduled for Monday, October 9, at 7 p.m., at the Embden Town House. There will be election of officers and committee reports. Following the business meeting a few people will get up and tell of their accomplishments.

The Anson-North Anson Snowmobile Club will be doing its annual craft fair to be held at Carrabec High School on Saturday, November 4. To be held from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

If anyone wants to try and get a table space, you should call the school as soon as possible. I have had a space there for years, it is a fun and great fair.

On Saturday, September 30, there will be a North Anson Congregational Church Yard/Bake Sale at the church from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Dan Schall will be the guest speaker and have a worship concert at the North Anson Congregational Church on Sunday, October 1. He comes every year and it is always a most inspiring service. The hour of worship at the church starts at 10 a.m.

Received an e-mail about the Embden Community Center’s regular events: Neighbor to Neighbor Thrift Shop/Lending Library 10 a.m. – 3 p.m./Wed., Fri. and Sat. (Note: Thrift Shop will be closed at noon on Wednesdays for January and February.)

Suppers: 5 p.m./second Saturday each month, except December.

Country Sunday: 1 – 4 p.m./second and fourth Sunday. By donation.

Bone Builders/Maine General-RSVP: (Low impact weight training for any age. All the exercises are done with chair, weights and slow movements to build muscle/bone strength.) 9 – 10 a.m./Mon. and Wed.

Sewing Class: 10 a.m. – noon/Wednesdays.

Weight Watchers: 5 – 6 p.m./Wednesdays. Come in and sigh-up…new members accepted.

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly): 10:30-11:30 a.m./ Wednesdays.

Community Center meetings: 6:30 p.m. Thurs. prior to the second Sat. Supper.

Yoga: 6:30 p.m. (one hr.) Bring your mat. Cyndia 566-5089, Thurs. starting Sept. 14; weekly; by donation.

If you have any questions, contact Wayne at 474-1065.

Received the following e-mail from Angela Stockwell: Dear Readers: Margaret Chase Smith has a bobblehead! Leeke Lecture coming up in November. NHD students recognized by “American Experience.” Fiber Materials names MCS SCholar. Navel Academy appointee returns. Lots of interesting stuff! Here’s the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/OBzVM1LsAXnZuelpobVIKcVF1bjg/view?usp=sharing. Enjoy!

And now for Percy’s memoir entitled “Practice Makes Perfect” “When I feel alone and lonely And my empty world seems void, I relax for just a moment And I trust joy will unfold. For in my quiet time I listen To the gentle voice within, And He hears my prayers clearly For He let’s the sunshine in. Oh, how marvelous this practice Which can make our dreams come true, But the beauty of the challenge My dear friend, is up to you. So remember perseverance Is a gift, but yours be choice, And if you continue in this practice Rest assured you will rejoice. For no words can ever tell you Of the treasure deep within, But with the art of silent practice He will let the sunshine in. (words by Chris Zambernard.)

TECH TALK: The Equifax Hack – What you need to know

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ERIC’S TECH TALK

by Eric Austin
Computer Technical Advisor

Do you have a coin? Flip it. Tails, you are about to be the victim of identity theft. Heads, you’re safe — maybe. That’s the situation created by the recent Equifax data breach.

The hack exposed the personal information of 143 million Americans. That’s half of everyone in America. Names and addresses, Social Security numbers, birth dates, and even driver’s license numbers were stolen, as well as 209,000 credit card numbers.

“This is about as bad as it gets,” Pamela Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, a nonprofit research group, told the New York Times. “If you have a credit report, chances are you may be in this breach. The chances are much better than 50 percent.”

As a precaution, the widespread advice from financial advisers is to request a freeze of your credit from each of the three big credit reporting agencies: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Each freeze request will cost you $10 – although, after some seriously negative press, Equifax has decided to wave their fee until November 21.

The details of the hack and Equifax’s handling of it are also concerning. According to the Times, Equifax detected the breach in July, but didn’t warn consumers until September. It’s estimated hackers had access to Equifax data from mid-May until July 29, before the hack was finally discovered.

The New York Post first revealed the cause of the breach: a vulnerability in the software package Apache Struts, an open-source, web development framework used by many big financial institutions. The developer of the software discovered the vulnerability back in March, and issued a fix for the problem, but Equifax neglected to update their systems.

After the public announcement in September, Equifax set up a website, Equifaxsecurity2017.com, where consumers can check to see if they are among those affected. According to the company, at the site you can “determine if your information was potentially impacted by this incident.”

You can also sign up for a free year of identity protection through their service, TrustedID. Initially, Equifax received some backlash when it was discovered that consumers signing up for the program were forced to agree to a “terms of service” that waived their rights to sue for damages. The language has since been altered, and Equifax recently released a statement insisting that using the service will not require individuals to give up any of their rights to participate in a class-action lawsuit.

Other troubling reports have come to light as well. The day after Equifax discovered the data breach – but over a month before it was disclosed to the public – three Equifax executives, including the company’s chief financial officer, unloaded nearly two million in corporate stock. The company’s stock value has fallen more than 35 percent in the days since, and Congress is calling for an investigation into possible insider trading.

Equifax’s recent activities in Washington have only added to the bad press. In the months leading up to the hack, Equifax was busy lobbying Washington to relax the regulations and safeguards on the credit reporting industry. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the company spent more than $500,000 seeking to influence lawmakers on issues such as “data security and breach notification” and “cybersecurity threat information sharing” in the first six months of 2017.

This includes an effort to repeal federal regulations upholding a consumer’s right to sue credit reporting companies. In July, as reported by the Consumerist, an arm of Consumer Reports, Congress passed the Congressional Review Act in a slim, party-line vote. If upheld by the Senate and signed by the President, the resolution would overturn certain rules created by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to regulate the financial industry. This agency was set up as a safeguard for consumers after the financial crash of 2007-08. Among the rules under danger of repeal are measures meant to protect consumers by “curbing the use of ‘forced arbitration’ in many consumers’ financial contracts.”

And Equifax is likely to profit from this act of negligence, as it fuels existing paranoia about online privacy and will inspire millions to spend money on the pseudo-security of identity protection services, including Equifax’s own TrustedID.

The fallout from this hack is still being assessed, and likely won’t be fully known for years, if ever. This is the Deepwater Horizon of data breaches, and it should serve as a similar wake-up call for consumers.

We need a higher standard of accountability in the financial industry. These institutions no longer simply protect our money. Now they guard our very identities. Their servers should be as secure as their bank vaults. Money is replaceable, but most of us have only the one identity.

Vassalboro recognized for supreme annual town report

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The municipalities of Caribou, Vassalboro, Mount Desert, Carrabassett Valley and Cranberry Isles were recognized for producing the highest-quality Annual Reports, during recent judging held at Maine Municipal Association.

MMA’s Annual Report Competition, which has been held for 50 years, recognizes municipalities for producing reports for their citizens that have excellent content, are well organized and visually appealing. More than 240 municipalities entered reports this year.

Judges for MMA rate the reports in five population categories: 5,000 and over; 2,500 to 4,999; 1,000 to 2,499; 500 to 999; and, under 500. Awards are named Supreme (first place), Superior (second place) and Excellence (third place) in each category.

Winning municipalities were notified by letter earlier this month. They will be recognized and the reports will be displayed at MMA’s Annual Convention, Oct. 4-5 at the Augusta Civic Center.

Winners by population category were:

  • 5,000 and over: Caribou, Supreme; Freeport, Superior; South Portland, Excellence.
  • 2,500 to 4,999: Vassalboro, Supreme; Mapleton, Castle Hill & Chapman, Superior; Rockport, Excellence.
  • 1,000 to 2,499: Mount Desert, Supreme; Hope and Newcastle (tie), Superior; Easton and Owls Head (tie), Excellence.
  • 500 to 999: Carrabassett Valley, Supreme; Alna, Superior; Southport, Excellence.

Know the signs of peripheral artery disease

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For Your Health

(NAPSI)—Many people dis-miss leg pain as a normal sign of aging. But for 8.5 million Americans, the cause of their pain can be a life- or limb-threatening condition called peripheral artery disease (PAD). Everyone, especially those at highest risk, should know the signs of PAD and know how to prevent and treat it. With new drugs on the horizon, health plan coverage for exercise therapy, improvements in procedures to treat advanced disease, and new treatment guidelines for health care providers, there are now more tools than ever to combat this disease. Unfortunately, the disease often goes undetected and untreated although it’s more common than atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

What is PAD?

PAD happens when fatty deposits build up in arteries in the legs and feet. The condition is often undiagnosed, yet ignoring the signs of PAD is dangerous. Not only does it increase your risk for heart attack and stroke, these blockages can restrict circulation to the legs and feet. Left untreated, PAD can end in amputation. Cigarette smokers have the highest risk—so high, in fact, that PAD screening should be routine in smokers. People with diabetes and those with cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pres-sure, obesity or physical inactivity are also at risk.

What can I do about it?

Simple measures can catch PAD before it’s too late. You can manage or reverse it with proper care. If you have risk factors, take your socks off at the doctor’s office. Your socks and shoes cover up many of the signs of this crippling disease:

  • Leg Pain: The most common symptom of peripheral artery disease in the legs is painful muscle cramping in the hips, thighs or calves when walking, climbing stairs or exercising. The pain often goes away after a few minutes of resting. This type of pain is called intermittent claudication. Thanks to a recent ruling, it’s easier for people to keep PAD from getting worse. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services now covers supervised exercise therapy for people with intermittent claudication. You may be eligible for up to 36 sessions during a 12-week period with an optional second round of treatment. Ask your doctor if this therapy is available to you.
  • Skin problems or discoloration on your legs and feet: Be aware of redness or other color changes in the skin on your legs and feet. Temperature changes may also be noticeable—your feet will feel cooler than other parts of your leg.
  • Leg or foot wounds that are slow to heal: If cuts or other wounds on your feet or toes aren’t improving after a couple of weeks, you should ask about PAD.
  • Poor nail growth: Slow-growing or thickened toenails can be a sign of reduced blood flow to the legs and feet.

Even if you aren’t having symptoms, if you have risk factors, you should be screened regularly. Early detection and treatment are key. Speak to your doctor about any problems you’re having with your legs and feet.

Learn More

For more information about PAD management, visit the American Heart Association at www.heart.org/PAD.

Contact legislators with your opposition to the opening of Sheepscot dam to alewives and lampreys

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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

by Gary Miller, Longtime Palermo visitor

I’ve been a long time visitor to Palermo, since the ‘70s. We liked Palermo, the people and Sheepscot pond so much that when I retired, we bought a camp on the shores of this beautiful body of water and have spent half our life here for the past 25 years.

Now, in the search of increased power, profits and campaign funds, the powers that be are ganging up on the town of Palermo, Sheepscot Fish & Game Club, the Lake Association, IF&W, who manage the fish nursery and the residents of Palermo and plan to open the lake’s dam to sea lam-prey and alewives. We’ve been down this road before and found nothing but misery; let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past just so those with financial interests can improve their lot at the expense of those who live here.

The stories are available and tell a tale of lamprey becoming “landlocked” and unable to get to the sea. They grow into adult-hood and attack our togue, bass and other sport fish, leaving them weakened and prone to disease. Alwives are not any better, they are toxic to togue, destroying vitamin B-12 and causing early death of the offspring. They also potentially carry PEN, a virus deadly to other fish which would be a disaster for the trout nursery at the foot of our dam and could spread that virus across the state hatchery/nursery system as fish are moved into place. By their sheer numbers, they can over-populate the IF&W nursery, crowding out the trout and requiring routine manual removal at great expense.

LD922, which mandates the opening the dam, without regard to these and other risks, will be brought forward in the next legislative session and all who love the beauty of what we now have need to write their state legislators and demand that nothing be done until the state is allowed to conduct environmental and engineering studies showing the true and complete impacts on our existing fish populations, IF&W operations, boating, swimming and property values. Politicians respond to numbers so we all need to write them and let them know how we all feel. Also, stay informed, watch the Palermo area organizations websites and attend the legislative committee meetings, in Augusta, where the decisions are made. Demand attention and follow up when it isn’t given, a way of life is at stake.

IF WALLS COULD TALK, Week of September 21, 2017

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Katie Ouilette Wallsby Katie Ouilette

Oh, WALLS, surely you have wondered right along with me about those folks who have chosen to be in Florida-territory or in the Houston, Texas, area in recent weeks. Maybe we Mainers don’t have anyone in the Houston vicinity, but Florida and the Islands in the Caribbean have caused many of our faithful readers to suffer anxiety.

Well, our next-door neighbor who went to Jacksonville to help his son, Andrew, wife Jamie, and new baby son Madis throughout the preparations for the coming storm, is home and all are safe. Drew did tell us that some trees were victims of the hurricane, but he said they were lucky. Now, we hear of more hurricanes, so we’ll keep praying for everyone who has become a victim and who may be destined to have more destruction. Yes, donations of much needed objects for living through such destruction that has created hard times for folks will be needed for years. Sad. Yes, truly sad. We will definitely be asked to share as time goes by, for sure.

Speaking of sharing. Yes, even here in Maine we have opportunities to help. In fact, WALLS, you know of the thrift shops that have become part of our landscape in recent years. I am reminded of my young years and my parents who brought me up to ‘pay for whatever I would buy, and we should buy only what we need and not what we want.

Actually, WALLS and faithful readers, we should all live by those words. We read of every-one’s raising dollars to help folks in need of things, and health and our public places. Our thanks for folks and their caring is much deserved.

While you are about it, WALLS, we have to thanks folks who, throughout the last weeks have taken animals to their homes. Kindness seems to have been awakened by so many and for so many reasons and we have been so fortunate to hear about it. Y’know, WALLS, last week you reminded folks to say ‘thank you’…so now it is you saying ‘thanks’ to our faithful readers who have been willing to share so much with so
many.

SOLON & BEYOND, Week of September 21, 2017

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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!

The K-5 students at Solon Elementary School will visit Lakewood Theater on September 21st to attend their fall production of “The Untold Story of Johnny Appleseed and Jane Peach Pitt,” performed by the Lakewood Jesters. This is the 19th year that Lakewood has produced a show specially customized for elementary students.

The play lasts about an hour, and students get to interact with the performers during the show and meet them after the show. We are fortunate to have this historic theater so close to home. Parents are welcome to join them on this trip. Thanks to the PTO for funding the admission for the students.

As the new year begins, we hope to see all of our students set a goal to have a good rate of attendance. It is very important for students to be in school to gain the maximum benefit from their educational experience. Unless students are ill or there is a family emergency, they need to be in school. We ask that parents try to schedule routine doctor or dentist appointments after school hours as often as possible.

Punctuality is also a key to a successful school year. Our buses arrive between 7:20 and 7:40 in the morning. If you bring your child to school, please be sure that he or she arrives by 7:45 in order to be ready when teachers start their classes at 7:50. A student who arrives late misses important learning time.

There are several testing pro-grams scheduled for our students this fall. Students in grades K-1 will be given the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessment in September to help us identify students who might need extra help to enable them to reach bench-marks for their grade level in reading by the end of the year. They will be assessed again in January and in May.

All first grade students are given the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) to help us monitor their reading achievement and design pro-grams to increase their reading skills. We also give this test to new students and those who have received Title 1 services in the past.

All students in grades K-5 Took the Measures of Academic Progress from Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) last spring. This test will be given again in reading and math in the spring to assess student’s progress over the course of the school year. Kindergartners, third graders, and new students will take the test this fall, and teachers can choose to test their students in the fall and the winter if they choose to do so to monitor students’ progress.

In the spring, our students in grades 3-5 will participate in the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA), taking tests in reading, writing, and math. Fifth graders will also take a science test.

If you have any questions about any of these assessments, please contact Ms. Butler at 643-2491.

Stewart Public Library in North Anson hours are now Wednesday, 2 – 5 p.m., and Saturday, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m., or by appointment.

Lief and I took our paintings over to North New Portland one day last week to exhibit in their annual fair. I was really proud and impressed with the Solon Pine Tree 4-H Club exhibit, a lot of time and energy went into it. Was glad to see that the Solon Extension had a really nice exhibit also. All of the exhibits were excellent and the North New Portland Fair is still a wonderful family fair.

And now for Percy’s memoir entitled Masterworks: “In Autumn when the leaves turn brown And red and gold, they all fall down To paint a picture, oh so rare! I know that God is there… To mastermind His ebb and flow; To stage His wondrous Autumn show, To brush His skies with molten gold; I watch His art unfold.. No grander sight could I behold: These leaves of brown and red and gold. But Winter bodes its icy chills Upon the snow-clad hills. In time the land, a living scene, Comes bursting forth in savage green; And I con-front the seasons’ thieves That took my Autumn leaves. But soon a softness in the air! God paints a picture, oh so rare Of Autumn leaves that all tun brown And red and gold as they fall down. (words by Henry W. Gurley.)

Give Us Your Best Shot! Week of September 21, 2017

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HUMMINGBIRD OR MOTH?: Eric Austin, of China, snapped this sphinx moth, AKA hummingbird moth, in one of his mother’s flower beds.

 

GROWING UP: Tina Richard, of Clinton, photographed this eaglet while on a walk on her favorite trail.

 

FIREBALL: Tawni Lively, of Winslow, captured this fireball sunset following the recent eclipse.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Big green caterpillar

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Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee

Last week a reader sent a photograph of a caterpillar that she couldn’t identify (see photo).

The photo she sent shows the Hyalophora cecropia in its fifth instar (stage) of development, or the cecropia moth caterpillar. It is the largest native North American moth.

Cecropia caterpillar

The female moth has had its wings measured up to six inches or more. Its range is from Nova Scotia in eastern Canada and Maine south to Florida, and west to the Canadian and U.S. Rocky Mountains. It can also be found in California.

Like all members of the giant silk moth family, the moths only reproduce because they lack functional mouth parts or digestive system, meaning they never eat. Therefore, the life expectancy is only about two weeks.

The female lays up to 100 eggs, which hatch into tiny black caterpillars. The larvae feed upon many common trees and shrubs, including maple, birch and apple. The larvae are more commonly found on maple trees. As they grow larger, it becomes clear that the black color is actually small hairs growing. In the early stages they are yellow-green. As they grow larger, the colors change to green to bluish-green, with the tubercles becoming blue, yellow and orange. Upon reaching matu-rity in autumn, the caterpillar, now about four inches long, spin large cocoons on trees or wooden structures to emerge as adults in the first two weeks of seasonally warm weather in early summer. They only have one generation per year.

Pests of the moth have become a significant problem. Parasites such as wasps and flies lay their eggs in or on the young caterpillars. The eggs then hatch into larvae, which consume the internal organs and muscles of the caterpillars. Once the eggs hatch into larvae, the para-sites release chemicals that override the regulatory mechanisms of the caterpillar, and will eventually kill the cecropia pupa. Squirrels also consume the pupae of the cecropia moths, which decreases the population significantly. Pruning of trees and leaving outdoor lights on at night can also be detrimental to the moths.

Cecropia moth

The wings of the moth are brownish with red near the base of the forewing. Crescent-shaped spots of red with whitish center are obvious on all wings, but are larger on the hindwings. All wings have whitish coloration followed by reddish bands of shading beyond the postmedial lie that runs longitudinally down the center of all four wings. The body is hairy with reddish color-ing. The body has alternating bands of red and white.

The coloration of the moth is so spectacular they are prized by collectors and nature lovers, specifically for their large size and extremely showy appearance.

Now you can impress your friends when someone sees one of these and you can identify it as the Hyalophora cecropia.