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Understanding the importance of town meeting

March 22, 2017/0 Comments/in China, Community, Community Commentary/by Website Editor

COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

by H David Cotta
China resident and former state legislator

In just a short couple of days the town of China will be conducting the China town meeting. This meeting is held each year and at times I wonder if the citizens of China fully appreciate the form of government that the town meeting represents.

The town meeting form of government is the most democratic form of governance. Some not familiar with this form of governance and may believe that the town manager is the executive of the town of China and the town is governed by the select board, but neither is true. The governing body in China is the town meeting where the citizens cast a vote to direct the actions of the select board. At the start of the meeting the citizens in attendance elect a moderator who must conduct the meeting according to Roberts Rules of Order. Proposals, which are referred to as Articles, are presented for the people to approve or disapprove. The articles can also be amended.

I guess the best way to describe the town meeting form or governance is the people hold all the power to govern. The select board can only do what the people authorize the board to do (of course, the people can not direct the board to take illegal actions). It is at the town meeting where the people, by their vote, guide the course of their town and the actions of their elected town officials. The town manager is hired by the select board and works for the select board within statutory guidelines the town meeting is the most direct and equal form of governance. This form of governing is only as good as the level of participation by the citizenry, and there in lays the proverbial “fly in the ointment.”

Apathy is a stern heartless master and can only survive by inaction of the good people of our town. We all have our lives to lead and life has a habit of getting in the way of what we planned or intended to do.

Several (30+/-) years ago the level of participation at the town meeting had declined to the point that the people established a quorum which was a percentage of the number of voters who voted in the last gubernatorial election which must be present to open the meeting and conduct business. The quorum for this upcoming meeting is 126 voters which when you think, represents 126 of over 2000 voters who voted in China during 2014.

So what happens when there is minimal turnout at the town meeting? Each vote on the floor of the meeting represents many who did not attend the meeting. The citizens that chose not to attend will have no voice in the process, so the town governance will be by a small minority. Additionally, the result of low voter participation could take a couple of forms.

First, the direction given to the select board (municipal officials) may not be representative of the town as a whole. Second, would be to consolidate power which can be a matter streamlining the conduct of business but at the cost of the checks and balances that we as citizens are afforded. Granting an expanded range of powers to the administrators is not good governance. Some indicators of the “Flying by the seat of your pants” are reflected by comments by the auditor clearly stated in the 2015 report – (China 11-10-15) addressing the lack of internal controls. Further, the select board meetings are not recorded which can and has lead to a discussion of what was stated in a motion during previous meeting. Clarity, transparency and accountability is lost.

In closing I would encourage all citizens of China to attend the town meeting. Please provide your officials the insight and guidance of the citizenry. If you have questions do not hesitate to ask because your select board and others are there to answer questions. I hope I will see you there. Thank you.

Speaking for China Lake: the lake’s perspective

March 22, 2017/0 Comments/in China, Community, Community Commentary/by Website Editor

COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

by Scott Pierz
President, China Lake Association

At the China Lake Association (CLA) mid-winter meeting held February 16, 2017, CLA board members voiced concern over the town’s placement of several warrant articles at the upcoming open March town meeting. These particular warrant articles are designed to seek approval of a series of proposed revisions to the China Land Development Code and its Land Use Ordinance. These proposed changes were just defeated less than six months ago at the November 2016 election. Some CLA board members believe the proposed changes “severely relax” the local Shoreland Zoning Ordinance and diminish the town of China’s Home Rule Authority on several issues that have been in-place for decades.

Included in our meeting’s discussion was why the selectmen would deviate from the town’s long-standing tradition of placing ordinance revisions before the voters at an annual November (or June) ballot election where the voter-turnout is significantly higher than the open March town meeting. The open March town meeting is customarily a discussion for approval of financial appropriations to operate the town’s budget, and most people will not recall a time when the open March town meeting sought approval of ordinance “changes” at this forum over the last 25 years. These proposed changes came as “recommendations” from the planning board, but it is still the selectmen’s warrant and the selectmen can move forward with their warrant articles as proposed, it is their prerogative. But it is unprecedented, and it seems to many that this circumvents tradition, relying on an extremely limited number of quorum voters (126 by number) rather than the numbers of voters who turn out in a November (or June) ballot election vote (often more than 1,000). Also, the articles appear at the tail end of the warrant and people know that the crowd thins out to even less than the quorum requirement as most of our open March town meetings go on for hours.

This could mean that it is likely that even less people will have voting power on the warrant at that time, substantially less than the number of people who defeated the same proposed changes at that November 2016 election. Of course, someone could move to advance the articles to an earlier portion of the meeting so that at least a majority of the voters present can decide on these important changes. The town’s strategy to gain approval for these proposed changes leaves many folks wondering why this avenue was taken if not to “push through” the proposed ordinance changes without much resistance (if any at all). If true, this is just very disappointing given that the changes are complicated, and probably not too many voters at the open March town meeting will have a thorough knowledge of or completely understand the nature of the changes and their ramifications on China Lake and its water quality.

By way of example, here’s one of the comments from a CLA board member: “The Town (and others) have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to improve water quality in China Lake by reducing the phosphorus loading to the lake. The proposed amendments will increase the phosphorus loading and thus will undo work that has already been accomplished and will make future efforts both more expensive and difficult. The town is voting to spend 3/4 million to improve access to the lake; along with that should be a commitment to improve water quality, not degrade it. As a lake that does not comply with water quality standards, the town which derives substantial economic benefit from [China] lake should not be allowed to pass ordinances that allow more phosphorus into the lake to mirror DEP’s relaxed shoreland zoning guidelines.”

The comment is directed at the town and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and a set of “relaxed guidelines” the DEP is proposing for local communities to consider. Please know that these are “proposed” guidelines, and towns can always chose a stronger set of rules and regulations to manage their shoreland zoning codes. Over the last few decades the town of China has had a set of shoreland zoning standards stronger than any community in the region, and one reason for these stricter standards being in-place for so long is to protect our environment, and especially China Lake.

A close examination of the proposed changes shows a serious digression from the current shoreland zoning regulations that have been in place for decades, so much so that they represent a potential negative impact to the water quality of China Lake.

Here are some of the downsides to the proposed changes the voters are being asked to consider:

The elimination of volume in determining expansion for shoreland principal structures (causing structures to increase their impervious surfaces and creating more storm water runoff and phosphorus into the lake). The town’s current practice requires the review of both footprint and volume thresholds (along with detailed record keeping the town has maintained for the last 25 years). This would be a significant reversal in policy and would allow shoreland properties that have already maxed out their expansion limits based on volume to continue to expand using only the footprint of a residential building(s) on a property.
The allowance to combine the footprint of existing non-conforming shoreland accessory structures with existing principal residential structures. This would allow even more expansion of a principal residential structure. In some cases this could be in very close proximity to the lake (again, more expansion, more runoff, and more non-point source pollution into China Lake without any plan to mitigate phosphorus from entering the lake);
A revision to the current timber harvesting standards that have been in-place for decades and have been integral to the local enforcement that the town has maintained over the years. It is vital that timber harvesting activities have a local steward since sound timber harvesting practices are essential to immediately prevent water quality impacts from timber harvesting activities in China Lake’s watershed;
The relaxation of seasonal conversion standards, allowing more year-round conversions, more activity in shoreland districts, more impact on local services, and with the potential of restricting property owners to only occupy their properties during certain months of the year. Questions include: What is the rationale for this proposed change? How many properties would be affected?
The allowance of additional exemptions to the clearing and vegetation removal standards, thereby reducing areas required to be buffered. Vegetative buffering is essential to water quality as the CLA is promoting through its LakeSmart Program; and
A new proposed change that was not on the November 2016 ballot concerns the conditional use requirements reviewed by the planning board for commercial development. The proposed change seem to remove the planning board’s responsibility to make “findings of fact” as it reviews each criteria for conditional use applicants. If this is the case this may not be quite legal as Superior Court cases have rested upon the mandate that the findings-of-fact are critical to the review of a development proposal. The court’s position has respect to the rights of the abutters to know and understand the ramifications of development proposals in their neighborhood and the potential impact on their “peaceful use and enjoyment” of their personal homesteads and local environment.

There’s no “sugar coating” the proposed changes; overall the proposed changes do not seem to be in the best interest for China Lake’s water quality. The China Lake Association’s Mission is to protect China Lake. It is not enough to say that the DEP provided these “relaxed guideline changes” to the towns and so the town of China should (or must) adopt such drastic changes. As citizens we would leave behind our town’s well-maintained existing rules and regulations, along with our long-standing Home Rule Authority that has existed for decades.

As president of the China Lake Association it is an obligation to represent my constituency and inform the public on these matters. Although represented here are the thoughts of many of those present at our mid-winter meeting, they may not represent everyone’s opinion. As for me, I can only speak for myself. It may be that the proposed changes are adopted by the minimal number of voters who turn out at the open March town meeting, but this could represent a big step backwards. I will only repeat what I was quoted as saying in The Town Line newspaper last year: “I can’t tell anyone how to vote, I just know I’m voting “NO.”

Scott A. Pierz, President
China Lake Association

TECH TALK: One account to rule them all

March 22, 2017/0 Comments/in Eric's Tech Talk/by Eric W. Austin

ERIC’S TECH TALK

by Eric W. Austin
Computer Technical Advisor

This week, in our continuing series on finding anonymity online, we’re going to address one of the most important ways to ensure your life online is a safe, secure and happy one.

Passwords.

Remember when the most you had to remember was your ATM pin? Those days are gone, and now pretty much every website wants you to log in with a username and password. If you are like many people, you might use the same combination for multiple sites (except for those sites where somebody already took my username! Arrgghhh!).

You also probably know just how insecure this practice is – hack that one password and a hacker will have access to all your other accounts!

So, it’s utterly important to use unique passwords for every site you visit — or at the least any site that has sensitive or important personal information about you, such as online banking, or places you use a credit card and with your address like Amazon or Target.com.

Before we go any further, let’s review what makes a good password. Stay away from using personal information for your password, like a birthday or pet’s name, even though it would be easier to remember. Try to use numbers as well as letters and include a special character or two (@!#$% etc…). Make it at least eight characters long, the longer the better. According to Google, using numbers and special characters makes an eight character password 30,000 times more difficult to guess than one of lowercase letters alone!

But how do you remember all these passwords? There are a number of ways to go about this, and they each have their own pluses and minuses. Many people (including myself) use a password manager, which usually is an extension for your browser that automatically saves passwords for you.

There are a number of good ones available. Personally, I use LastPass, which is available for all platforms. My only quibble with it is that it is only free for the desktop version. The app for IOS or Android will cost you.

But any similar password manager will do. Just ensure it’s a company that has been in business for a while (you don’t want them going belly-up and taking all your passwords with them). And read through their policy FAQ to make sure they take security seriously. The benefit of a password manager is that many will also generate passwords for you, and being random, they are highly secure.

Of course, no one can remember dozens of completely random passwords, so if you lose access to your password manager you often lose access to your passwords as well.

If you don’t want to use a password manager service, you’ll likely have to write them down somewhere. I recommend that you don’t keep a password file online for obvious reasons, and if you use Word or Excel to store passwords locally, secure the file with a password so that it is encrypted and cannot be digitally scanned if you get hit with a virus.

Also, don’t name the file “passwords.doc”!

Surprisingly, the most secure way to store your passwords may be the old-fashioned way: with paper and pen. Keep a notebook next to your computer and write each one down. Just don’t leave your notebook somewhere carelessly like an airport or restaurant!

Assuming you’ve decided on the best way to st
ore your passwords, and you do not want them to be randomly generated for you, how does one come up with so many secure, unique passwords?

While completely random passwords are the most secure, second best is a password that at least appears random. This is a tip a friend of mine suggested years ago and I have used it ever since.
Create a password “formula” that will look random to anyone else, and allows you to make it unique by tweaking only a single element of your formula. Let me show you what I mean.

For example: Let’s say my password for Amazon.com is “P48:bates!@AM” (without the quotes). It’s obviously not a completely random password, but because none of the elements directly relate to me it’s very difficult to guess. My formula for this password is simple: favorite bible verse [Philippians 4:8] + name of favorite movie villain [Norman Bates] + “!” + “@” + first two letters of the website name capitalized [AM].

Using this formula my password for Target.com would be “P48:bates!@TA”. Although the password looks complex, it’s made up of parts I can easily remember. This way we achieve a complex, unique password that is made up of numbers, symbols and lower and upper case letters, but is still easily generated and easily recalled.

Is it as secure as a completely randomized password? No. Is it better than using the same password on every site? Absolutely! How ever you define your password formula, use elements that are unique but unrelated to you and never — never ever — use any personal information like your name and address or birthday as part of that formula.

As a final piece of advice, and tying back to my headline, let me emphasize that not all accounts are created equal. If you have a Google or Microsoft account which ties all your other accounts together (the one where a password support request from other websites will be sent), give special care to the password you use for that account, and change it at lease every six months.

I hope this has been helpful, and please tune in next time when I’ll dig deeper into VPNs, proxies and firewalls, oh my!

Have a question or idea for a column? Eric W. Austin is a marketing and technical specialist and can be reached by email at ericwaustin@gmail.com.

IF WALLS COULD TALK, Week of March 23, 2017

March 22, 2017/0 Comments/in Columns, If Walls Could Talk/by Katie Ouilette

by Katie Ouilette

Well, WALLS, as the old saying has taught us, “What a difference a day makes,” and so it is for our faithful readers today. Yes, you wrote and sent your message on March 17, but it didn’t arrive. Yes, I know that one of the subjects was Lew’s and my stopping at the Red Barn Restaurant when we were en route from going to Sabre Boat’s factory in Raymond. So, it is very appropriate that you repeat our experience at Red Barn Restaurant, as Lew, who is a veteran of a long time ago, still warranted his getting a discount, as he started to pay for our order.

He couldn’t believe that anyone cared about a person who served in World War II, but those folks at Red Barn surely did. Surely, you have read about the wonderful things the Red Barn’s owner, Laura, has done for folks, and now you, WALLS, are proof of her generosity and good deeds through the years. Oh, the reason we were at Sabre Boat was that we went there to approve a boat for shipping to Bellingham Yachts, which is owned by our sons Dean and Nick.

Now, for sure the days since last Friday have given you a new twist for your column, WALLS, but you can still tell our faithful readers about Governor Abner Coburn Day. Yes, The Town Line will not be available until after March 22, but at least our faithful readers will know that invitations were sent to all the historical societies in Somerset County and elsewhere, and the day, which was chaired by Rob Washburn, a member of the Skowhegan Heritage Society. His message dealt with the education of young folks, a subject that Abner Coburn held firmly to, since his formal education ended when he was 14 years of age, when his dad decided he should learn about Maine forests and surveying. Yes, when any of you faithful readers go to Jackman, you will see Coburn Mountain standing tall on the landscape.

Yes, Governor Abner Coburn’s caring about the people of Maine and our entire USA make him one to be held in highest esteem by students who have had the privilege to study at the colleges his many millions financed. He gave Skowhegan its Free Public Library, was responsible for the Maine Central Railroad and Skowhegan Savings Bank in his Skowhegan and was on many committees and boards that made our USA all that he envisioned it could be. He was our Civil War Governor and friend of Abraham Lincoln. In fact, antique photos show his sitting directly behind Lincoln, as our, then, president delivered his Gettysburg Address.

It is important to know that Chairman Washburn is available to schools throughout our Somerset County, so that our young people will know of a very important person in our Maine history. Probably one of the most important of Governor Coburn’s lasting virtues was his generosity. He readily gave his money to those who were in need. In the words found in an antique book about Abner Coburn by Charles Williams: “There are few in Maine, in fact anywhere in the Union, whose life offers a more worthy illustration of what a (person) is capable of achieving.”

Take time to say ‘thanks’ for Maine’s being the way life should be, faithful readers.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Skunks are not pests that everyone thinks

March 15, 2017/0 Comments/in Columns, Scores & Outdoors/by Roland D. Hallee

SCORES
&
OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee

“You got yer dead skunk in the middle of the road, dead skunk in the middle of the road; You got yer dead skunk in the middle of the road, stinkin’ to high heaven.”

Those lyrics to the song by Loudon Wainwright III tend to speak the truth this time of the year. With the warmer weather during the day, skunks are finding their way out of the winter dens.

Skunk preparing to dig up an in-ground bee hive.

A dead skunk by the side of the road in North Vassalboro last Sunday is witness to that rite of spring.

Skunks are placid, retiring and non-aggressive by nature. They try very hard not to get in harm’s way. I’ve had several encounters with skunks and have been able to “talk my way” out of trouble. Some people call me the “skunk whisperer.” Speaking to them in a soft, calm, yet firm voice will convince them that you, also, mean no harm.

“Crossin’ the highway late last night
He shoulda looked left, and he shoulda looked right;
He didn’t see the station wagon car,
The skunk got squashed and there you are.”

Skunks eat mostly insects, many of which are pests to humans. Therefore, they are very beneficial to have around. They also eat some plant material, including wild fruits, apples and corn. In winter and spring, they may eat mice and the eggs of ground-nesting birds. In the summer, they find inground bee hives to be a delicacy.

Above, the aftermath. Note the honeycomb to the left.

Breeding usually occurs in late winter or early spring and gestation averages about 60-75 days, so babies are usually born in May or June. Second litters and late births do occur. After mating, a female can store the male’s sperm and delay initiating pregnancy for some weeks. Litters range from three to as many as 10 young who remain in the nest for about two months, after which they begin to follow their mom as she forages.

Skunks are able to dig their own burrows but will also use abandoned dens of other animals, hollow logs, wood or rock piles, under buildings, stone walls, hay or brush piles and trees or stumps. We had a family of five once reside under our deck at camp. Had I not observed them going under there at dawn one day, I would never have known they were there.

“Take a whiff on me, that ain’t no rose,
Roll up yer window and hold your nose.
You don’t have to look and you don’t have to see,
‘Cause you can feel it in your olfactory.”

The skunk’s main defense is a complex chemical substance that includes sulfuric acid that can be fired from either one or two independently targetable anal glands. Because of this ability, skunks will stand and face a threat rather than run away. This works well with people and animals but is usely against cars. As a result, many skunks die on roadways. They just can’t seem to win that battle.

Skunks generally will give you ample warning before unloading its odoriferous defense system. Each year, many skunks are killed because someone is afraid of getting sprayed. Those who are familiar with skunks know that it takes a lot to get sprayed. Hopefully, through education, people will come to recognize and understand the role these mild animals play and the benefits of tolerating their presence.

Skunks can carry rabies, but it is important to remember that not every skunk is rabid. Only if an adult skunk seen in the daytime is showing abnormal behaviors such as paralysis, unprovoked aggression, moving in circles, or self-mutilation should you call your animal control officer or police department.

“Yeah, you got your dead cat and you got yer dead dog,
On a moonlight night you got yer dead toad frog;
Got yer dead rabbit and yer dead raccoon,
The blood and guts, they’re gonna make you swoon.”

They can be frightening when you encounter one, especially in the middle of the night, but these critters are kind of nice to have around at times. I remember one time when I came out of the house in early morning to fetch my newspaper, and found a large hole dug in the side lawn. At first I was upset at the sight. Closer inspection showed that a skunk had dug up a hornets nest that I did not know even existed. It could have brought some painful consequences the next time I mowed my lawn. I still thank that skunk to this day.

If you’re given lemons, make lemonade?

March 15, 2017/0 Comments/in Columns, I’m Just Curious/by Debbie Walker

I’m Just Curious

by Debbie Walker

Okay, so some days it would seem unthinkable to do anything other than make lemonade with those pretty little yellow things. Imagine a really hot, sticky summer day and someone hands you a clear glass of lemonade on ice. So what are your thoughts as you take your first sip?

I’ll just bet the next words out of your mouth won’t be: “Oh here, let’s pour this on the floor and use it to get rid of roaches, ants or fleas! Let’s watch the fleas flee!” After all the stuff I have been reading today I am not sure what my reaction will be here on out! I had fun with all this stuff I was reading and decided to pass it on for you to hopefully enjoy and maybe find some of it helpful.

Michelle Nati had a page in our 2017 Farmers’ Almanac about “Lemonade & Other Delights,” that is what got me started. I read her words and then went cruising on the “web.” And the following is some of what I found:

Headache? Lemon juice and hot tea are said to do the trick.
First Aid lemonade: Minor cuts and scrapes, use the lemon juice; stops bleeding and clean the wounds.
Acne problems? A little lemon juice on a blackhead will draw it out overnight. To help keep yourself free of those things you could try washing with lemon juice. It’s a natural exfoliate.
Itching? (Poison Ivy, too) Lemons have anti-inflammatory properties that relieve itching. Squeeze the juice from a lemon wedge directly onto itching skin and allow to dry.
Hand cleaner, softener and odor remover: Cleanse and soften the hands after washing dishes or to remove veggie stains, rub hands well with lemon juice.
It will remove strong odors like onions and fish from hands, also.
Wood floors: A half cup of lemon juice in a pail of mopping water works well to sanitize wood floors.
Freshen your fridge with a few drops of lemon juice on a cotton ball left inside for a few hours.
Try lemon water for gargling to fight a throat infection.
Finger tips and nails: soak in juice of half a lemon to 1 cup warm water and soak for five minutes.
Remove warts (that’s what I read): apply lemon juice directly to the wart using a cotton swab. Repeat for several days. Lemon juice will dissolve the wart.
Metal Polish? Yup, slice lemon in half, dip it in salt and rub on metal surfaces.

So how many of you will look at a little lemon in the same way again. I’ll bet you’ll be making lemonade one day and you will remember these other uses. Will you try them? Bet you do! Lemons aren’t just for Lemonade anymore!

Note: The progress on my bionic knee has gone on smoothly. Doc Collett says we’re a bit ahead on the deal (thanks to him). My PT guy, Jason, is getting ready to cut me loose by the time you read this. (Still more therapy but I can leave home now). Kids at school are making the cutest cards!! Thank you all!

Yup! I’m still just curious! Thanks for your thoughts! Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com!

Composers: Prokofiev & Bartok; Country singer: Lynn Anderson

March 15, 2017/0 Comments/in Columns, Review Potpourri/by Peter Cates

REVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates

Prokofiev and Bartok

3rd Piano Concertos
Boris Krajny, piano, with Jiri Belohlavek conducting the Czech Philharmonic; Stradivari- SCD-6068, CD, released 1989.

Bela Bartok

Boris Krajny (1945-) is a Czech-born pianist who has performed in this country a few times while still being better known in Eastern Europe; also his list of recordings is quite small and include this long out of print and rarely seen gem from the late ‘80s, which – and I mean this in the truest sense of the word – miraculously appeared one day out of the blue at Waterville’s Bull Moose.

Sergei Prokofiev

The 3rd Concertos of both Bela Bartok (1881-1945) and Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) are two very good introductions to 20th century piano music, along with the 2nd and 3rd Concertos of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) .

All four have a most engaging combination of melody, rhythm and deep, sincere emotion that give pleasure on the first hearing, especially with a great performance and very good recorded sound.

The great conductor, Jiri Belohlavek (1946-), and world class Czech Philharmonic rise to the challenge, giving very satisfying performances; Stradivari’s engineers deliver superb sound.

Unfortunately, since the CD is hard to find, I recommend the very reasonably priced classic DG recording of Geza Anda, with Ferenc Fricsay conducting for a two-CD package containing all three Bartok Concertos and a cheap Sony single CD presenting Gary Graffman and the arch- perfectionist, George Szell, in Prokofiev’s 1 and 3.

Lynn Anderson

Flower Of Love
Pickwick SPC-3267, 12-inch stereo vinyl LP, released during the 1970s as a re-issue of singles from the Chart record label.

Lynn Anderson

Flower of Love brought together 10 of Lynn Anderson’s (1947-2015) singles from Chart records, for whom she recorded between 1966 and 1970 before her move to Columbia records. They include such hits as Joe South’s Games People Play, Merle Haggard’s Okie From Muskogee and Tammy Wynette’s Stand by Your Man, all of whom are sung with spirit and personality, the very traits which rightfully endeared her to many listeners during her more than 40 years of performing.

She was also the daughter of the very talented singer/songwriter, Liz Anderson (1927-2011), who had already been signed also to Chart records in 1965, one year before her daughter, with one of her songs being a megahit for Merle Haggard, namely All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers.

Unfortunately, daughter Lynn’s private life was a horror show of difficulties with alcohol and the legal system – blatantly cursing her children in court, DWIs, and punching an arresting cop; one can read more details in her wiki bio.

In 2015, Lynn Anderson died of complications brought on by pneumonia and a heart attack.