SOLON & BEYOND, Week of February 9, 2017

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

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

As part of RSU #74’s participating in a Preschool Expansion Grant from the Maine Department of Education, they are forming a Community Literacy Team. With the increase in literacy demands for today’s job market, communities need to play a role in helping to promote and increase literacy skills in their citizens from birth to adulthood.

They are looking for community members who would like to be part of this team. Their plan is to meet once a month to create a literacy plan for the communities in RSU #74 to promote and expand literacy skills. Their activities need to include connections to early childhood, but they can also target people of all ages.

If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Ms. Butler at school or through e-mail at jbutler@carrabec.org. (The above is from an e-mail I received from Solon Elementary School.

Now for another apology, this time to Bill and Lori Messer… Sometimes I am either rushing to meet my deadline, or I have used up too many words already in a column, anyway… Last week in writing about their wonderful Blue Grass Show I didn’t write that they have Open Mic nights the first, third and fifth Sundays of each month from 1 to 4 p.m.

Lief and I recently traveled to Bangor where we had lunch with a former teacher of his from the “County,” Sam Coco. It was a most enjoyable time, he is a wonderful example, that no mater how old you are life can be exciting! We have been getting together with him several times and I always look forward to our get-togethers. He is a remarkable man…and he always assures me that Lief was a good boy back then.

Again, I would like to invite any of you painters, (in water colors, oils, or other mediums) to join us at Skowhegan Adult Ed for painting on Monday nights, starting on February 27, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. My faithful students and I always welcome new comers to our group of happy artists. Although I am a hard task master who loves peace and the joy of painting so my wishes are that during the few hours we are painting there won’t be any discussions about politics or religion. Please don’t let that stipulation keep you away! Many of these artists have been with me since I started this adventure many years ago, and I am proud to call them friends. You can sign up now at the Skowhegan Adult Ed office or on line, the fee is only $5.

And now for Percy’s memoir, he was a great believer in friendship: Friendship’s Token: Only a little token, Offered for Friendship’s sake – Picture and song together, Here, my greeting, take. What though on brightest pictures Time’s hand at last be lain; What though earth’s songs awaken Only to sleep again?

Voices once loved ring ever In faithful listening ears: The sacred hand of Friendship Gleams through the mist of years. (words by Ellis Walton). And Friends, like all good things in this life, can be had by any one who wants them. There is only one simple rule to follow, it is this; To have a friend, be one yourself. (that one came from my old, falling apart book “Uncle Ben’s Quotebook”. Percy and I studied that book a lot in all our years of writing, it was copyrighted in 1976. )

You guessed it…. I’m rambling, I need real news, I’m waiting to hear from you!

Agility: what skills do my dog and I really need?

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TRAINING YOUR PERFORMANCE DOGTRAINING YOUR PERFORMANCE DOG

by Carolyn Fuhrer

Handling systems, videos on foot work, and books on mental practice all can have a place in your agility training, but if you just want to enjoy the sport with your dog, work on building a solid basic foundation and relationship.

Your dog needs an introduction to agility equipment that is safe, sensible and will build your dog’s confidence. For this, you need a qualified instructor who can help you steadily progress and build your dog’s skills on equipment. Teaching your dog all the agility obstacles and the skills necessary to perform them will not get you very far on the course if you have no obedience background. Running a successful agility course with your dog requires that your dog takes direction from you and can switch from handler focus to obstacle focus and back again to the handler.

This requires a strong partnership with your dog. Agility trials are very stimulating. All your dog’s senses will be heightened by the surroundings. A good name recognition and recall is essential to performing agility to keep your dog off distractions and also to change your dog’s path and keep them on course.
I like to use the dog’s name to have them come into me. The best thing your dog should ever hear is his name and it should cause the dog to look towards you and move towards you. You can practice this as a fun game anywhere. It is essential for all dogs off leash, whether in agility or pet life, to have a strong recall.
A wait command is another essential obedience command. It is also another essential pet command. It will allow you to lead out in agility while still retaining your dog’s focus as he waits for a release.

Being able to tug with your dog in play and engage your dog with a toy in a distracting situation is also a valuable skill. Desire for a toy is a great training tool. It can help your dog focus. It is a great way to work on distance and sends. It is also a great way to teach self control. Your interaction with your dog and you, through playing with a toy, will reflect a great deal about your relationship with your dog. Much can be taught through interactive play. If you don’t have this with your dog, work on it. Some of us humans really need to learn how to play! If you are not a good player, get some help. Teach your dog to run with you by your leg on both sides – going faster when you accelerate and slower when you decelerate, leaving you when sent to an obstacle and returning to you on a pick up cue.

Many of these basic obedience skills can be worked on daily. No equipment necessary! Be creative – run with your dog and change direction, speed up, slow down, find unusual challenging situations where your dog must wait or come to you.

Enjoy building a strong foundation through everyday interaction with your dog – it is a wonderful investment.

Carolyn Fuhrer has earned over 90 AKC titles with her Golden Retrievers, including 2 Champion Tracker titles. Carolyn is the owner of North Star Dog Training School in Somerville, Maine. She has been teaching people to understand their dogs for over 25 years. You can contact her with questions, suggestions and ideas for her column by e-mailing carolyn@dogsatnorthstar.com.

Give Us Your Best Shot! (compilation) Week of February 2, 2017

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Catching up on Your Best Shots:
Local camera buffs submitted many good photos in 2016

Pat Clark, in Palermo, captured this raven in a tree behind her home.

 

Betty Dunton, of Gardiner, took this foliage photo last fall.

 

Susan Lohnes, of China, took this photo in Canmore, Alberta, Canada.

 

Emily Poulin, of China, photographed these water droplets on a spider web.

 

Tina Richard, of Clinton, snapped this female hummingbird on a branch.

 

Eric Austin, of China, captured this beautiful sunset last fall.

 

David Bolduc, of Waterville, snapped this trestle of flowers last summer.

 

Susie True, of Chelsea, caught this chipmunk eating some jelly.

 

Bob Poulin, of Winslow, snapped this chipmunk playing hide-and-seek from a rain downspout.

Groundhog says six more weeks of winter…maybe

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Well, it’s Wednesday, February 1, the next issue of The Town Line is due to hit the streets tomorrow, and my deadline is fast approaching. Tomorrow is Groundhog day and I have not yet visited by little friend, Woodrow Charles, the weather prognosticating groundhog. So, I dressed and headed out. Fortunately, there isn’t very much snow on the ground, but a light snow was falling. The footing was not all that great. The rain has frozen the snow and it was a little slippery.

I finally reached the woodchuck’s lair, and like every year for the last 13 years, smoke is billowing from the chimney, and lights are on inside.

Instantly, I realized, since a woodchuck can live up to eight years, that would make Woody about 144 years old in human years. Amazing!”

I knock on the door, and Woody answered quickly.

“Come on in,” he said.

I noticed a suitcase near the door. “Going somewhere?” I asked, not expecting an answer.

“Headed to Houston.”

“What’s in Houston?”

“Super Bowl, my boy,” he responded. “I’m meeting some prairie dog cousins for the big game.”

“I thought they built a wall to keep you guys out,” I inquired.

“They can contain us, but they can’t stop us. We’re gonna tunnel under it.”

“Do you know anything about football?”

“I know that the Patriots and the Falcons’ offenses are comparable, but the Patriots’ defense is superior. It doesn’t matter that Atlanta has the No. 1 rated offense. Remember the St. Louis Rams’ vaunted “greatest show on turf” offense? Where did that get them? The Patriots held them to 17 points in 2002.”

“So, do you have a prediction?” I asked.

“Yes. Patriots 34-27.”

“No, no,” I interjected. “I’m talking about the rest of the winter. It is Groundhog Day,” I retorted.

“It’s getting more difficult to predict the weather with the way things have gone over the last 30 – 35 years,” Woody responded.

“What do you mean by that,” as I tried to pin him down for more information.

“The winters don’t seem to be as harsh.”

“So, you’re saying that climate change exists.”

“You’d have to be an idiot if you don’t think so,” he darted back.

I pushed further. “And you have the evidence to back that up, that climate change exists.”

“I wouldn’t exactly say that. Just call it alternate facts,” he replied.

“You mean like fake news,” I asked.

“Something like that,” he answered.

“So, do you have a prediction, and I don’t mean the Super Bowl.”

“Okay, okay, if you insist. I have been checking my equipment, although I know you don’t believe me. I do have another life, you know.”

“I have an obligation to my readers,” I tried to convince him. “They deserve it.”

“All my science seems to point to coldest temperatures in early to mid-February and early March, with the snowiest period in mid-February and into early and mid-March.”

“Sounds to me like March will come in like a lion, meaning it will go out like a lamb,” I summized.

“You can say that,” he replied. “But I’m going to come to the conclusion that we’re looking at six more weeks of winter, although maybe not harsh,” Woody answered.

At first I was going to debate it with him, based on the information I gathered from Mother Nature’s other weather forecasters last fall, but I couldn’t really argue with him. He has been right 85 percent of the time.

IF WALLS COULD TALK, Week of February 2, 2017

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Katie Ouilette Wallsby Katie Ouilette

Y’know, WALLS, I guess one has to live through local history for as many years as I have to be able to share historic happenings.

Yup, I just got discharged from Skowhegan’s Redington-Fairview Memorial Hospital after a week’s stay and I just have to write to all you faithful readers how fortunate you are to have such an outstanding wellness center in our river city.

Yes, I remember the home of Margaret Chase Smith and her husband Clyde H’s being in the location of our present hospital, while Skowhegan’s first hospital had been across from our Free Public Library, that is before the Redington Hospital was located at 234 Madison Avenue. Yes, first the Smith House was purchased to become the Osteopathic Hospital, in Skowhegan, and, after several years, the hospital at 234 Madison Avenue moved to the original Bloomfield area of Skowhegan and grew and grew until it is presently “what you see.”

Now it is time for accolades to Redington -Fairview General Hospital’s CEO “Dick” Willette and his board of directors for assuring that Skowhegan has only the best of care and comfort for its patients.

Yes, WALLS, you usually take liberties allowed by Roland Hallee, managing editor of The Town Line with regards to word count, but surely you faithful readers will excuse this short column this week. Another time, I’ll elaborate more on my experiences, but for this time, I simply have to say that the ambulance driver and caregivers were extremely tolerant of my pain all the way from East Madison to the hospital, and their fast action allowed my remembering the ambulance’s entering the doors at the hospital and, from that moment, I was cared for but remember nothing until I was returned to my assigned room, hours later.

At this time, I can merely say so many thanks to all who put me through the surgery I needed, for their wonderful care for the seven days I spent there. The surgeons, the doctors, the RNs and CNAs, the physical therapists and the food that was prepared in the kitchen was truly outstanding! We are so fortunate to have had the foresight and caring of all involved in wellness for the Skowhegan area.

It is true that WALLS must make sure Katie does her breathing exercises and walks a bit before heading back to her chair, and WALLS promise more later, but, in the meantime, faithful readers, be thankful that Redington-Fairview General Hospital is for all of us and our care.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Orchestra leader: Billy Vaughn; Country artist: Chuck Reed; Recording artist: Tony Martin

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Peter Catesby  Peter Cates

Billy Vaughn

Melodies of Love
Dot DLP-109, 10-inch, mono LP, recorded 1955.

Billy Vaughn

Billy Vaughn

As a name in the annals for easy listening from 1955 to 1969, Billy Vaughn (1919 – 1991) was a very successful arranger, orchestra leader and multi-instrumentalist, his saxophoning most memorable on such mega-hits as Sail Along Silvery Moon. Melodies of Love consists of eight tunes celebrating the subject, including his hit cover of Wayne King’s 1940 blockbuster, Melody of Love. The program is a pleasant one, enhanced by what would become the frequent trademark of two saxes in so many of the later records. Also, his background support for most of singer Pat Boone’s 45s, starting in 1956, contributed so much to their sales.

A copy of this original LP is listed, as of January 11, 2017, on Ebay for $13.

Chuck Reed

Cry Like a Baby; I’m Gonna Get Some Sleep Tonight
Mercury 70527, 10-inch vinylite 78, recorded approx.
1954 or ’55.

Chuck Reed

Chuck Reed

Chuck Reed had a recording career mainly centered between 1954 and the mid ‘60s, generally getting some traction, as far as minimal charting and TV appearances, in 1957. The above record combines rural country with white rhythm and blues and is a nice example of the genre. Unfortunately, it has been out of print for decades – found my copy at a junk shop.

Tony Martin

One for My Baby
RCA Victor LPM 3136, 10-inch vinyl LP, recorded early ‘50s.

Tony Martin

Tony Martin

Tony Martin (1913-2012) had one of the top two or three baritone voices singing during the ‘40s – ‘50s pop era and achieved a huge success in film, radio, TV and records, through which I have a sizable number and first got to know his expressive vibrance and warmth as a singer, particularly of romantic ballads.

Harold Arlen (1905-1986) affixed his name to over 500 songs but was most likely best known for his score for the Wizard of Oz. The above LP contains eight of his classic selections: One for my Baby; Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea; Come Rain or Come Shine; I’ve Got the World on a String; Stormy Weather; It’s Only a Paper Moon; Let’s Fall in Love; and Get Happy. And Martin gives Arlen his total all, but this LP has been deleted for decades.

TECH TALK: “I know who you are and where you live…” – The Internet

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by Eric Austin
Computer Technical Advisor

In my first column, I wrote about the perils and pitfalls of shopping on the web. Over these next few weeks, I’d like to delve deeper into some of the new issues that face us now that we live in an online world.

Let’s face it. The internet is here to stay and it has been transformative. Things can’t go back to the way they were because they have been changed forever. For some of us, this is a bit scary. For others, not so much.

Part of the problem is that the internet has evolved faster than we have had a chance to adjust. To illustrate just how drastic this divide in generations is, let me give an example from my own life.

I have two sisters, one older, one younger. There is 14 years difference between them.

My older sister has a Facebook account, but you won’t find any pictures of her children there. Her main concern is that, unlike a physical photo, a photo on the web can be easily copied and shared without her being aware. This is a valid concern, and likely understandable to many of the parents reading this.

Now, in contrast, my younger sister recently had her first child, and his entire life is chronicled on her Facebook page. She and her husband share a huge amount of their lives online, and even used it to find a nanny. They harbor none of the fears of my older sibling.

So while online privacy will continue to be an important issue into the future, the discussion is going to change as the next generation, accustomed to life online, finds the open nature of the internet to be no more risky than walking through a busy mall. In fact, according to a recent report in U.S. News, online privacy barely registers on the risk radar of millennials.

Beyond individual privacy, the internet opens up interesting new ethical questions as well. My brother-in-law, who works for a company in New Hampshire, mentioned how he researches new job applicants on social media. “If they’re drunk and throwing up on the rug in every picture on their Facebook page,” he told me, “I might think twice about hiring them.”

Is it fair for a prospective employer to evaluate an applicant’s private life as part of the criteria for a job? Or is this a good thing, giving employers another tool for finding the right person for a job?

Over the next few weeks I’ll be looking at a number of these issues, what we can do about it, what we can’t, and why, in many cases, it’s not going to matter.

For my next column, I’ll explore how we are tracked on the web, what information we leave behind, and how that information is used to manipulate us. That’s right. Get ready, because I’m gonna scare the livin’ $@%& outta ya!

Have a tech question or idea you’d like to see covered in a future column? Email me at ericwaustin@gmail.com! Until next time, happy computing.

Pages in Time: Growing up in Augusta…priceless! (Conclusion)

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Pages In Timeby Milt Huntington

Conclusion (for part 1, please see Growing up in Augusta: Priceless)

Down at the other end of the street was the old Colonial Theater where Class-A pictures were shown. On Sunday, after week-long previews of coming attractions, we would be rewarded with musical extravaganzas starring Esther Williams, Bing Crosby or Jane Powell in living color or flicks like Casablanca, The Wolfman or war movies like Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. The Colonial played their movies continuously so we could sit through a good movie twice for the price of a single ticket.

Once in a cowboy thriller, an Indian chief, played by blue-eyed Jeff Chandler, stood in the middle of a pow-wow session, folded his arms and dramatically declared: “I walk away!” “Our Gang” had seen the movie once, but we stayed for a second showing to get back to that pow-wow scene again, when we stood in the theater, one by one, folded our arms and declared to the rest of the audience: “We walk away. People call them punks today. We were harmless “hooligans” then.

On the way home from the Colonial was Ed Houdlette’s Drug Store which was known to have a particularly vulnerable pin ball machine. We hung out there a lot because Mr. Houdlette was also nice to us.

Water Street is what I like to call a street of dreams because it conjures up so many memories of shops and businesses that vanished with our youth. Remember the five- and ten-cent stores that anchored the center of down town Augusta – McLellan’s, Kresge’s and Woolworth’s. We had ‘em all. I was a stock boy and soda jerk for the Kresge operation, but it suvived anyhow for awhile.

Then of course, we had JCPenny, D.W. Adams, Chernowsky’s, the Army-Navy Store, Lamey-Wellahan, Montgomery-Ward and Sears & Roebuck. A jewelry store graced the corner of Water Street and Bridge Street – A.J. Bilodeau’s. Another one sat on the corner between Farrell’s Clothing Store and the post office. It displayed a sign with a picture of a diamond ring. The caption stated: “I came here to talk for Joe,” a popular World War II love song. Speaking of Farrell’s, it once boasted just a single aisle between two counters with a little space downstairs where I bought all my Boy Scout gear and a tux for the senior prom. Nicholson & Ryan Jewelers was always there, it seems.

Near the bottom of Rines Hill was a liquor store where my father and grandfather liked to surreptitiously shop. They would always leave their change with the Salvation Army lassie who parked out front. Once, running an errand for my mother, I dropped some change into the lassie’s tambourine. When my mother questioned me about that, I replied: “That’s what Papa and Grampy always do.”

On the other end of Water Street were the beer parlors which gave the neighborhoods a shoddy reputation. Across the street was Allen’s Grocery Store. a fish market and Berry’s Cleaners. Depositor’s Trust Co. on Haymarket Square was on the ground floor of a six-story affair which is now the site of the Key Bank building. We’re talking ancient history, I know, but who can ever forget Stan Foster’s Smoke Shop next to the old Hotel North. He specialized in meals, smokes and some real great pin ball machines. Near the

Depot News was Al’s Barber Shop which took care of ducktail haircuts and crew cuts in the early years. His partner and relative bought him out and opened Pat’s Barber Shop at the other end of Water Street near the lights.

Swan Street and Water Street have undergone a lot of change in the last 60-plus years or so. Downtown was the main thoroughfare to all those movies, and it was the pathway to Cony High before the new bridge opened up. Most of those downtown places are now long gone, but the memories (some a little fuzzy now) will remain forever. I wouldn’t swap those memories for anything. Growing up in Augusta was as good as it gets.

Milt Huntington is the author of “A Lifetime of Laughter” and “Things That Make You Grin.”

GARDEN WORKS: Kombucha: Hooch or healer?

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Emily Catesby  Emily Cates

Conclusion: The Making of a “Miracle” Drink

Last time we took a look at the popular, yet controversial health tonic known as kombucha, and a few reasons why people drink it. This time, let’s explore a method behind the making of kombucha, highlighting needed containers, ingredients, and how to ensure a successful batch.

So, exactly how is kombucha made? And what’s that “mother” thingy all about? It’s the same idea as turning fruit juice into vinegar, the same organisms involved. (Ever heard of raw apple cider vinegar with “the mother”?) Instead of fruit juice or cider, however, the sugar source in kombucha is whatever is mixed in with the tea, such as plain sugar. The mother is a rubbery, pancake-shaped symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), that work together as they feed off the sugars and convert them into acids. You can oftentimes see a mother or pieces of one in a bottle of raw apple cider vinegar or store-bought unpasteurized kombucha. (I’ve used these to start a fresh batch with good results.) As each batch matures – in about two weeks – a new mother layer grows on top of the previous layer. These layers may now be separated to start new batches, or they will eventually pile up and take up all the space in the brewing vessel.

The “mother” in a batch of kombucha.

Speaking of the brewing vessel, be sure it’s non-metallic and not porcelain. Metals and lead can leach out into kombucha. A scrupulously clean, wide-mouthed glass jug with a non-metallic, loosely-fitted cover is a good idea. Start small at first, perhaps with a quart jar, to minimize the risks of losing a large batch if things don’t turn out as hoped for. Also, use organic ingredients such as black, green, oolong, chai, or other teas, organic sugars, and filtered water. Be aware, also, that there may be the possibility of a batch with an alcohol content of 5 percent. In theory there should be a minimal amount of alcohol, since the ingredients and mother are supposed to convert towards the vinegar side – though I have seen for myself that it doesn’t always happen that way in home brews. Keep your eyes out for mold, too, discarding the whole batch, and- if desired – starting fresh with a sterile vessel and a brand new mother. Alternately, if a mother is not available, a half cup or so of a previous batch, or store-bought raw kombucha may be added to the cooled mix before pouring into the vessel.

And, speaking of discarding a batch, be sure to get rid of any surplus mothers or raw kombucha appropriately. Never flush or dump down the drain, or you’ll grow a monster mother in your sewer – Ewww! Your compost pile will happily accommodate, as will your chickens or pigs.

So, now that you’ve heard the do’s and don’ts of making kombucha and wish to proceed, boil some water. Add your tea and sugar, then stir and cool to room temperature. Pour into the vessel and carefully place the mother on top. Cover and wait a couple weeks or so. When it is no longer sweet, it’s ready. Feel free to cut it with varying amounts of homemade juice and/or herbs and spices from the garden. The makings of a miracle drink? Maybe you’ll want to brew some up and then decide.

SOLON & BEYOND, Week of February 2, 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 annual Solon Budget Committee meeting was held at the town municipal room on January 21. Budget committee members present were Frank Ridley, Albert Starbird, Bruce Hills, George Williams, Mike Golden, Joseph Albuit, Donald Kenerson, Barbara Johnson, Eleanor Pooler, Ann Padham and Beverly Gephart. Members who were absent were Mike Sackett, Jeff Pomelow, Carol White, Sherry Rogers, Jeremy Gibson and alternate Lois Miller. Others present were Solon Selectmen Elaine Aloes, Mary Lou Ridley and Sarah Davis; Town Clerk and Tax collector Leslie Giroux, Treasurer Leslie Giroux and Road Commissioner Mike Foster.

Coolidge Library Trustees, Chairman Richard Roberts , Jane Auderkirk and Mary Farrar were present to speak on the budget requests for the library which are: request to increase the book budget from $2,400 to $5,000. Request that $2,700 be added to the town building maintenance budget for the purpose of sealing the bricks on the exterior of the library to delay the need for re-pointing. Request to increase the librarian’s wage to $12/hour. Install lighting in the library parking lot to improve safety and security. Bring interior library wiring up to code and improve lighting; request $240 to repair/refinish the surfaces of three library tables, request $250 to update the digital catalog system software and request to raise $100 to provide internet access.

Mike Golden was elected to preside over the meeting, election of chairman, update on budget issues, proposed warrant articles, proposed budget and it was adjourned at 11 a.m. There wasn’t too much discussion on most of the items taken up. ( Lief and I also attended.)

The annual town meeting will be held at the Solon Elementary School on Saturday, March 4, with election of town officials from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The town meeting will start at 1:30 p.m.

Recently, Lief and I were asked to accompany my brother and sister-in-law, Steve and Liz Jones to a Blue Grass Festival at Messer Hall, in Anson. We had an absolutely wonderful time! The band that night was the Misty Mountaineers and the show was a dedication to Dotty Farrell who played in the band until her death. There were between 85 and 90 other people who were enjoying the great music and singing. Part of the time I was watching all of the toe-tapping feet in the audience, who were enjoying it also, (Mine were tapping right along with them). There were people there from all over the state, Lief was even able to find some one from the “County” to talk with, and I was told there were others from all over the state who attended. This is probably going to sound crazy, …(but you know me!) I could feel the love in that room, there was lots of hugging going on between other blue grass music lovers. It was a very special evening for us and many others.

Now for a little bit of information about the Messer Building where this event took place. Bill and Lori Messer bought the old building at 62 Main Street, in Anson, in October 2015 and it needed an enormous amount of work and cleaning to get it ready for its opening on November 11, 2016. He had lots of help from volunteers and friends and is thankful for that. His goal is to try to book two bands a month and rent out the hall as much as possible. On Saturday, February 25, Doctor Phil and his wife will be playing there from 7 to 9 p.m. I’ve heard them and they are great, hope many of you will be able to attend.

Now for Percy’s memoir, I kinda’ thought maybe some of you might need a good laugh so picked this one from an old yellowed news print from many, many years ago: “A solution to drought: After reading about a shortage of water, especially in the wells, I remembered a verse written on the inside of a toilet lid at a camp in Carrabassett Valley. ‘In this land of sun and fun, we never flush for number one.’”( I’m not going to say who wrote it, but it was someone from Pittsfield.)