TECH TALK: Firewalls and VPNs, Oh my!

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ERIC’S TECH TALK

by Eric Austin
Computer Technical Advisor

This week I’ll talk about two networking related topics that every modern computer user should know about.

You’ve likely heard the term “firewall” thrown around in the dialog of movies or television shows during a computer hacking scene — as in, “They’re breaching the firewall, Jack!”

What exactly are they talking about? Simply put, a firewall is a set of computer programs that work together to monitor and control network connections coming and going on your PC. Typically, this is the Internet traffic that happens as you browse, send emails and watch videos online.

Certain other applications will also transfer data between the Internet and your computer, like games being played online, programs downloading updates, or certain programs that have specific network functions such as FTP programs for updating websites, or P2P (Peer-to-Peer) file-sharing applications for downloading large files.

All these different activities are happening constantly as you use your computer. A firewall program sits and watches this traffic to make sure it’s all legit.

Malicious hackers, or malware your computer could be infected with, might also attempt to communicate across your network and you want to stop that from happening.

A computer without a firewall is like a border crossing without an armed checkpoint.

Fortunately, beginning with XP, Windows comes with a built-in Firewall app included and turned on by default. So, most likely you are already protected!

Apple has also built a firewall into Mac OSX with version 10.6 (Snow Leopard) onwards.

There are a number of 3rd party security suites on the market if you feel you need something more robust, but the firewall protections already built into modern operating systems should be sufficient for most users.

However, you should never turn off your firewall! If you experience problems allowing certain network traffic because of a Windows/Mac firewall, it’s worth learning how to set incoming and outgoing “rules” correctly rather than turning it off completely. Email me if you’re having problems and I can direct you to some web pages that show how to do this.

So, let’s move on to our second topic today: VPNs. “VPN” stands for Virtual Private Network. As the name implies, it refers to a virtual network within another network, and the word “private” should tip you off that security has something to do with it.

The term, Virtual Private Network, in the technical world, can apply to a number of different networking situations, but for us, we will think of it in its most typical usage. That is, a method of obscuring the source of network traffic by funneling that traffic through another “virtual” server.

If that sounds confusing, its because you lack a little background. Stay with me and I’ll fill you in!

Normally, network traffic originates from your home PC, identified by your computer’s IP Address (Internet Protocol #). Whenever you do anything online, you’re sending information tagged with your identity (your IP#) through your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and out to the wider Internet. Everything you do is associated with that IP Address and can be linked directly back to you!

Sometimes this is not what you want.

A VPN service accepts your network communications, and then sends them back out to the Internet using its own IP Address in place of yours. In this way, none of your activities can be linked back to your personal computer. Instead, they would link back no further than your VPN server, which millions of other people also use.

Another reason to use a VPN is to by-pass geographical blocking. Some websites will block access based on the geographical location of the user. If you are trying to access the Japanese version of Hulu, for example, you could connect to a VPN server in Japan and trick Hulu into thinking you are actually Japanese!

Also, in countries that heavily restrict Internet content, like China or Saudi Arabia, VPNs help people to get around these restrictions to communicate with the wider world.

In the movies, when the heroes are tracking the hacker and they show the “link” hopping across a map of the world, this is an example of VPNs in action. Each of the points on the map is a different virtual server the hacker has used to mask his own identity. You’ll only need a single VPN yourself, but experienced hackers layer VPN upon VPN in order to further obscure the real source of the intrusion. (Although it’s never as easy to trace such a person as they make it seem on TV!)

You won’t be doing anything so nefarious, so for our purposes it’s much simpler. To use a personal VPN, all you’ll need is a subscription with an appropriate vendor, who will give you a small software program to run on your computer. This program redirects all your Internet traffic through the vendor’s servers and substitutes your IP Address for theirs. Simple as that!

Choosing a VPN can be difficult because services vary wildly, as do prices which range from $40 a year to $40 a month, depending on several factors, including: number of available servers, allowed simultaneous connections, P2P support, and guaranteed download speeds, among other bells and whistles most people won’t care about.

Personally, I can only recommend a service called Private Internet Access (https://www.privateinternetaccess.com), since it’s the one that I use. It costs $39.95/year and although bare bones, is very reliable and easy to use.

Most importantly, whichever VPN service you choose, you want to make sure they do not log network traffic. By default, servers will log any connections they receive, but since the objective of a VPN is to stay anonymous, recording your connection to it would defeat the purpose! Because of this, most VPN services purge their logs on a regular basis, but it’s worth checking before you sign up.

As they say in those after-school programs, abstinence is the best policy. But if you’re going to be a bad boy (or girl) on the Internet, make sure to use protection: always keep your firewall turned on and install a VPN for those times when you want full anonymity!

Eric W. Austin is a technical and marketing consultant specializing in helping small businesses succeed. When not writing for The Town Line, he exchanges advice for money and can be reached at ericwaustin@gmail.com.

Give Us Your Best Shot! Week of April 13, 2017

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SIGN OF SPRING: Joan Chaffee, of Clinton, snapped these pussy willows in March.

 

IN A FOG: Michael Bilinsky, of China Village, photographed the church shrouded in fog.

 

FREQUENT VISITOR: Gene Kinnaly, of South China, was finally able to snap a photo of this barred owl that frequents his home.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Brook trout fishing is on the horizon

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Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee

The weather has warmed, the snow is melting and the streams are bustling with activity as the spring runoff is in full swing.

A party of six anglers landed these 22 brook trout on a trip to Nesowadnehunk Lake several years ago. Contributed photo

On a recent trip to Vermont, my wife and I saw many streams along the route swelling their banks and looking primed for brook trout fishing.

I have been on many a brook trout fishing trip, mostly to Nesowadnehunk Lake in northern Maine where the lake is exclusively brook trout – fly fishing only.

The meat of the brook trout, in my humble opinion, is the best tasting and sweetest of all the fish species, including salmon, probably because they are of the same family of Salmonidae. We have consumed many a brook trout by simply cooking them straight over a wood fired, outside fireplace, with no seasoning whatsoever.

The Eastern Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, varies in size depending on water temperature, productivity and food sources. Brook trout sizes will range from 7-1/2 to 17-1/2 inches in different lakes and streams. The stream brook trout is slower growing and usually much smaller than their lake relatives.

The brook trout is also known in other parts of its range as speckled trout, squaretail, mud trout and brook charr.

KI Jo-Mary Multiple Use Management Forest is a 175,000-acre, privately-owned, commercial forest located between Millinocket, Greenville and Brownville. Included within its boundaries are over 30 miles of the Appalachian Trail, the Gulf of Hagas Reserve, the Hermitage, the east and west branches of the Pleasant River, White Brook, more than 50 lakes and ponds and over 100 miles of brooks, streams, and rivers.

The brook trout has a dark green to brown color, with a distinctive marbled pattern of lighter shades across the flanks and back, and extending at least to the dorsal fin, and often to the tail. A distinctive sprinkling of red dots, surrounded by blue halos, occurs along the flanks. The belly and lower fins are reddish in color, the latter with white leading edges. Often the underparts, especially in the males, becomes very red or orange when the fish are spawning.

The brook trout’s range is varied but are increasingly becoming confined to higher elevations. Their southern range has been drastically reduced, with fish being restricted to higher-elevation, remote streams due to habitat loss and introductions of brown and rainbow trout.

They prefer clear water of high purity and a narrow pH range caused by environmental effects such as acid rain. Warm summer temperatures and low water flow rates are stressful on the brook trout populations, especially larger fish.

Brook trout have a diverse diet that includes larval, pupal, and adult forms of aquatic insects, and adult forms of terrestrial insects. The brook trout we catch at “The Hunk,” as the lake is known locally, had large amounts of crayfish in their stomachs.

Kassie Brunette, of Belgrade, displays a brook trout she caught last summer while fishing in the Jo-Mary Multiple Use Manage­ment Forest, in northern Maine.

Until the introduction of brown and rainbow trout, the brook trout attracted the most attention among anglers, especially fly-fishermen, from colonial times through the first 100 years of U.S. history. Following the decline in brook trout populations in the mid-19th century, anglers flocked to the Adirondacks in upstate New York and the Rangeley Lakes region in Maine to pursue the brook trout.

The world record brook trout was caught by Dr. W. J. Cook on the Nipigon River, in Ontario, in July 1915, at 31 inches. The weight couldn’t be confirmed because the badly decomposed fish weighed only 14.5 pounds after having been in the bush without refrigeration for 21 days.

Brook trout in North America became extirpated from many waterways due to land development, forest clear-cutting, and industrialization. Streams and creeks became polluted, dammed, or silted. The brown trout, not native to North America, has replaced the brook trout in many of its native waters.

Let’s just hope the many clean, pure waterways we still have in Maine remain that way to sustain the fate of the brook trout in a positive way. In some lakes where brook trout is supreme, we anglers always fear the possibility of other species being introduced illegally. We must remain vigilant.

Legal Notices, Week of April 13, 2017

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STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
Court St., Skowhegan, ME
Somerset, SS
Location of Court
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
18-A MRSA sec. 3-801

The following Personal Representatives have been appointed in the estates noted. The first publication date of this notice is April 6, 2017

If you are a creditor of an estate listed below, you must present your claim within four months of the first publication date of this Notice to Creditors by filing a written statement of your claim on a proper form with the Register of Probate of this Court or by delivering or mailing to the Personal Representative listed below at the address published by his name, a written statement of the claim indicating the basis therefore, the name and address of the claimant and the amount claimed or in such other manner as the law may provide. See 18-A MRSA 3-804.

2017-065 – Estate of ARMANDE M. NELSON, late of Salt Lake City, Utah, deceased. Valerie A. Larabee, 375 Spencer Way, Farmington, UT 84035 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-066 – Estate of GERALDINE ALLMENDINGER HENDERSON, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Bonnie Y. Rogers, 157 Rogers Road, Clinton, Me 04927 appointer Personal Representative.

2017-067 – Estate of NEIL C. ROBERTSON, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Liam C. Hodgdon-Robertson, 325 Main Street, Waterville, Me 04901 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-068 – Estate of DOROTHY S. MARSH, late of Bloomfield, CT deceased. James J. Marsh, 28 Brook Drive, Simsbury, CT 06070 and Ralph Perham Marsh, PO Box 966, Windsor, CT 06095 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.

2017-069 – Estate of EDITH M. WIETZKE, late of Hartland, Me deceased. Dale T. Wietzke, 18725 State Highway 106, Spc 9, Jamestown, CA95327 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-070 – Estate of RICHARD ARTHUR CLARK, late of Canaan, Me deceased. Pamela Jean Corson Clark, 94 Moores Mill Road, Canaan, Me 04924 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-071 – Estate of CECELIA A. BURKE, late of West Bridgewater, MA, deceased. Diane Correia, 7 Loralei Way, West Bridgewater, MA 02379 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-073 – Estate of GARDNER H. SALISBURY, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Diane L. Salisbury, 120 Chadbourne Road, Harmony, Me 04942 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-074 – Estate of JANE PARKER CARLSON, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. David P. Carlson, 65 Crestwood Drive, Gorham, NH 03581 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-075 – Estate of MARY C. GOODRICH, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Paul K. Goodrich, 2196 Sanford Road, Unit 31, Wells, Maine 04090 appointed Personal Representative..

2017-085 – Estate of JUNE O. SHAW, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Michael W. Shaw, 5413 Ignacio Frias Drive, El Paso, TX 79934 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-088 – Estate of ELMOTH A. KURRO, late of West Springfield, MA deceased. Eian A. Kurro, 5172 Velasko Road, Syracuse, NY 13215 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-089 – Estate of EDITH M. McGINNIS, late of Detroit, Me deceased. Mary L. Tuttle, 61 Tuttle Drive, Corinna, Me 04928 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-090 – Estate of DENNIS K. MOODY, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Janet Moody, 328 Center Road, Fairfield, Me 04937 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-092 – Estate of CHARLES L. POOLER, late of Bingham, Me deceased. Rance A. Pooler, 26 French Hill Road, Solon, Me 04979 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-031 – Estate of JOHN A. MONROE, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Christopher Monroe, 2793 Hallowell Road, Litchfield, Me 04350 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-097 – Estate of LINDA D. CORSON, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Stacy L. DeMerchant, PO Box 714, Norridgewock, Me 04957 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-098 – Estate of ADAM W. LITTLEFIELD, late of Hartland, Me deceased. Dwayne Littlefield, 2745 Athens Road, Hartland, Me 04943 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-099 – Estate of DANIEL R. LONG, late of Canaan, Me deceased. Pamela J. Dunphy, 122 Lincoln Street, Pittsfield, Me 04967 appointed Personal Representative.

2017-081 – Estate of AMANDA J. CARTER, late of Embden, Me deceased. Amy Carter, 150 Meadowbrook Road, North New Portland, Me 04961 and George Carter, Jr., 247 Fox Hill Road, Athens, Me 04912 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.

2017-101 – Estate of RICHARD H. LONGLEY, late of Embden, Me deceased. Holly D. Cianchette, 1116 West Baffin Drive, Venice, FL 34293 appointed Personal Representative.

To be published on April 6 & 13, 2017
Dated: March 31, 2017 /s/ Victoria Hatch
Register of Probate
(4/13)

STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
41 COURT ST.
SOMERSET, SS.
SKOWHEGAN, ME
PROBATE NOTICES

TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE ESTATES LISTED BELOW

Notice is hereby given by the respective petitioners that they have filed petitions for appointment of personal representatives in the following estates. These matters will be heard at 10 a.m. or as soon thereafter as they may be, on April 19, 2017. The requested appointments may be made on or after the hearing date if no sufficient objection be heard. This notice complies with the requirements of 18-A MRSA §3-403 and Probate Rule 4.

2017-076 – Estate of DEBRA ANN SOUTHARD, adult of Hartland, Me. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Debra Ann Southard, 2004 Athens Road, Hartland, Me 04943 requesting her name be changed to Debra Ann Smith for reasons set forth therein.

2017-078 – Estate of ZHONGLING CAO, adult of Madison, Me. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Zhongling Cao, 203 Ash Street, Madison, Me 04950 requesting that her name be changed to Zhongling Cao Elias for reasons set forth therein.

2017-082 – Estate of CORREY ANN ZEOLLA, adult of Concord, Me. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Correy Ann Zeolla, 5 Jackson Pond Road, Concord, Me 04920 requesting her name be changed to Correy Ann Gordon for reasons set forth therein.

2017-094 – Estate of SHAUNNA RAE JAMES, adult of St. Albans, Me. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Shauanna Rae James, 34 Nokomis Road, St. Albans, Me 04971 requesting her name be changed to Shaunna Rae Malcolm for reasons set forth therein.

Dated: March 31, 2017 /s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(4/13)

I’m Just Curious: How about if ..…

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by Debbie Walker

I don’t usually spout off about the following things but every once in a while…

How about if ..… taxpayers’ money are no longer used to fund world catastrophes. If people in this country want to donate to those causes let them write out their own personal checks. If taxpayers’ money are going to be used for any catastrophes let it be the ones right here in the states like the recent tornados. There would be more money to help these people or more money for our kid’s schooling and elders’ medications.

How about if….. we stop putting out money for stupidity? As far as I know there is no way to predict a line of tornados hitting anywhere. However, when we have hurricanes come into the same areas time after time creating the same devastation why do insurance companies even consider paying for people to rebuild on the same land. New Orleans is a great example of that one. Most of New Orleans is below sea level. Does it make any sense whatsoever to rebuild on those properties “hoping” the new sea walls won’t weaken in another storm in years to come? Wanna bet on that one happening?

How about if….. we stop all the fuss and ta-do about “illegal” immigrants? The primary word, illegal, says it all. If they don’t come here legally, they get sent back to wherever they came from instead of taking them under a wing already over-burdened. I totally admire a man in Ohio, Sheriff Rick, of Hamilton, Ohio, Google him on the internet, it’s entertaining. Sheriff Rick is a fair man but if you’re illegal in his county you’ll be treated as such. He sends you back home.

How about if….. we stand up and say enough is enough. Who are we trying to make happy? We’ve taken God out of school and multiple facilities. Why? Who did it really hurt? So if there was a prayer time, pray to whoever is your higher power, if you’re atheist, read a book! If you are in our schools and don’t speak English go back to your home learn English and then come back. Our school budgets are being cut everyday. I heard there is a need for Spanish speaking teachers. In previous generations did we provide French, German, Italian, etc., speaking teachers. I don’t think so. Come on, some common sense.

I’m not a harsh person, but things are completely out of hand here. I may appear to have over simplified in this but I only am allowed so many words. Have you ever heard it said, “Some things are as clear as the nose on your face.” Sometimes the simplest things get over complicated. How about if…. We quit wasting money on things that just don’t make sense!

I’m just curious when the powers that be are going to start using common sense, at this point I am hoping President Trump will maybe shake things up for the better before he is done. I am willing to give him time.

Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com, subject line: How About. Thanks for reading!

Film Review: Human Desire; Composer: Bizet; Singer: Nelson Eddy

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Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by  Peter Cates

Human Desire

starring Glen Ford, Gloria Grahame, Broderick Crawford, etc.; directed by Fritz Lang; Columbia Pictures, 1954, 91 minutes.

Human Desire was directed by the German-born Fritz Lang (1890-1976), whose fame in his homeland with a few classics, examples – M and Metro­polis, preceded his highly successful career in the U.S.

Gloria Grahame

This gritty, gripping thriller deals with a romantic triangle that becomes as ugly and deadly as one can get. Broderick Crawford (1911-1986) plays, with formidable authority, a railroad yard supervisor, Carl, who has lost his job. However, his very young, pretty and spoiled wife, Vicki, portrayed with vampish swagger by Gloria Graham (1923-1981), used to be the boss’s secretary and thus is asked by Carl to intervene on his behalf. Carl gets his job back but Vicki sleeps with the boss to seal the deal.

Carl, of course, loses it and kills the man, forcing Vicki to help; unfortunately, a fellow employee, Jeff, (who is rendered with professional presence by Glen Ford, 1916-2006) stumbles into the situation, impulsively becomes attracted to Vicki and exacerbates the perilous nature of this chain of events for everyone.

The footage of early ‘50s trains adds much to the suspense of the film, a tribute to Lang’s imaginative cinematography.

Columbia Pictures was run by, arguably, the nastiest, meanest studio boss, Harry Cohn (1891-1958), in a business where such individuals frequently thrive. When he died, crowds attended his funeral – a possibly apt confirmation of Cohn’s own observation that when one gives the public what it wants, it will turn up.

Bizet

Symphony in C
Roland Douatte conducting the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Luxemborg; Musidisc 30 RC 628, 12-inch disc, release unknown.

Bizet

I know little of conductor Douatte but do own an LP of him performing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, it being a very fine performance of a work with at least 100 recordings available.

That philosopher of darkness, Friedrich Nietzsche, called Bizet’s music, especially the opera Carmen, “a return to nature, health, gaiety and youth.” Bizet supposedly had his black moods, but his symphony, which lay unheard until 1935, 60 years after this composer’s death in 1875, is a joyful, positive piece, one very listenable.

This recording is both hard to find and out of print but many other good ones exist and are available for ordering in most music venues.

Nelson Eddy

By Request
with Robert Armbruster conducting; Columbia 2037, ten-inch vinyl LP, released, 1949.

Nelson Eddy

Nelson Eddy (1901-1967) started out as a news reporter in Philadelphia before his love of singing led to training and work on stage and radio and in the movies, all of which led to huge success.

The LP contains his sincere effusive singing, best listened to one track at a time, applied to various old favorites like Danny Boy, Without a Song, I Love You and Because.

SOLON & BEYOND, Week of April 13, 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 Solon Pine Tree 4-H Club met on April 8 with Michaela Marden presiding.

The members voted to do flowers for Mothers Day at the Solon Congregational Church. Several members are planning to attend to pass out the flowers.
The educational exhibit for Skowhegan Fair was discussed. The members decided to do it again this year.

Leader Hailey Dellarma and several members are planning to attend the “Luck of the Draw” being put on by the Somerset County Leaders Association on Saturday, May 6, at the American Legion Hall, on Route 201, in Skowhegan.

Michaela Marden, Cooper Dellarma, Hunter and Brook Souca gave demonstrations.

After the meeting, Linda French invited the club to visit the Solon Food Cupboard. She explained the days the food cupboard was open, how to apply and some of the items that are available.

The next meeting will be on Saturday, May 13, at 9:30 a.m., at the Solon Fire Station. A guest speaker is planning to come and make jewelry with members for Mothers Day.

The North Anson Congregational Church will be having a 6 a.m. Sunrise Service and breakfast at the church on April, 16, Easter Sunday. The regular worship service will start at 10 a.m.

Received the April letter from the New Hope Evangelical Free Church, in Solon, telling of the many things going on there for good such as, “Through a grant given to the shelter, we were able to install a new large generator that is a big necessity in Maine where the power is apt to go off in any storm. And we were able to have an entrance built around the front door to keep the snow from blowing in against it.”

Also in this letter, “One of the ‘pleasures’ of living in Maine is all the snow we get. Well, we have gotten a lot of ‘pleasure’ this year and along with it some broken trusses in the section of our lower church roof. Snow and ice fell off the upper roof and caused the trusses to snap.” The letter shows pictures of how much snow was up around the building and all the people out shoveling it! The letter states, “The trusses broke in spite of all our shoveling efforts. Spring is coming…they say!”

More from the letter: “Over 500 plus women and children have now come and gone through the Women’s Shelter. The average stay is around three to four months, though some will stay as long as nine or ten months. Others stay for just a day or two and then leave. We require the women to be at morning devotions and evening Bible studies, and they are required to attend all church services. We also have morning classes for the women that help them in practical ways. Recently, we had several of the shelter women commit to following Christ, and four were baptized just a few weeks ago.” (My many thanks to Tim and Pat for giving this letter to me.)

And Percy’s memoir this week is: “I would not trade my lot in life for anyone’s I know, For in my trials, and happiness, I’ve felt my spirits grow, I’ve squelched a tear, and laughed some, too, And done some things that others do, For through the years I’ve had so much Of human love and human touch, I would not trade my lot in life for anyone’s I know. I would not trade one day of time for all the years of others, For even with some heartbreaks, and the pain that sort of smothers, I’ve glimpsed through clouds of darkest hue A glorious sight of all things true; With silver lining that leads me on Towards life’s sunset, with my work well done. So I would not trade one day of life for all the years there are, But keep my chin raised high and firm, and my eyes upon a star.” (words by Velta Myrle Allen.)

IF WALLS COULD TALK, Week of April 13, 2017

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Katie Ouilette Wallsby Katie Ouilette

WALLS, needless to say that The Town Line is impressive. There are so many new columns for our faithful readers’ information! Autism has been avoided by so many folks, but Winslow is among the many that is scheduling autism information during this April which is Autism Awareness Month. WALLS, this subject must be appreciated by those that recognize that something is wrong with their child, but they just don’t know what to do about it. Yes, there are those who are aware that there is a problem, but they also know that, while Autism is difficult to deal with, there are those who are afflicted, ask for understanding, and want to be included, just like others. Frankly. WALLS, there is much I wasn’t aware of until I learned of so many therapists that are available to help parents, teachers and, yes, those afflicted, because Autism must be ‘lived with’ throughout life. Certainly, all who are affected by Autism deserve our learning from such efforts as are bringing awareness to folks instead of just hoping it will ‘go away’.

As I turned to page 3, WALLS, I learned that China is hoping to have an animal and grain shop. Well, Skowhegan has recently welcomed The Maine Barkery shop in its downtown and, when TV Channel 11 has Now You Know and Keeping Pace scheduled, the owner of The Maine Barkery is to be a guest on one of the programs. Yes, it is important to keep our pets, whether in house or not, healthy and happy. Frankly, WALLS, I always have doggy bones here for our neighborhood ‘caller’ Ehler or our Grand-doggy, Daisy.

WALLS, I’m sure you already know that Eric has committed himself to Tech Talk and helping us all with computer problems that set us screaming ‘HELP.’ Wow, what a great help he has outlined for us. There are so many ‘helps’ in The Town Line. Debbie Walker told us about scams, Emily Cates tries to helps those of us who know nothing about gardening and the musician and performer in me, WALLS, loves the memories that Peter Cates revives. Yes, WALLS, I’ve been a columnist for The Town Line for a very long time, but there is always wonderful news, whether sports, local political doings or many thanks to Marilyn and Percy who let us know about Solon and Beyond, while Percy’s ‘words to live by’ make us feel good ‘all over’!

Yup, The Town Line may be a small newspaper, but it is very big with so many. Goodness, WALLS, so many of the places that have this newspaper left there out of the issue within a day or two!

Earth Day, April 21-22 in China

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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

by Irene L. Belanger
China transfer station coordinator and China selectman

CHINA —  Please know that there is a free electronics collection at Skills Inc. E Waste Alternatives, at 60 Industrial Street, in Waterville (207-872-2615). You will not have to get out of your car! Just pop the trunk and the electronics will be unloaded and sorted for you. All you have to do is fill out some quick paperwork.

Also, April 22 is the key day to engage in the roadside clean-up, and we need your help. I would like to thank China Boy Scout Troop #479 and the Goodine family and friends for their continued support of the annual roadside clean-up effort that has been happening for many, many years. This year we are reaching out to the community asking for additional volunteers throughout town.

Please call Irene Belanger at 445-2349 or Sheldon Goodine at 215-9780 to volunteer your services. Bags and bottled water will be supplied. You will be directed to certain roads if needed or you can tell us you wish to take care of the road you live on. Please help us take care of our town.

While spring cleaning, if you have unwanted re-usable clean items, please take the opportunity to share with others and drop those items off at the “Free-for-Taking” area at the China transfer station.

Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday, April 29, from 9 a.m. to 2: p.m. at the China transfer station.

Thank you!

Dog Training: Could positive methods ever cause stress?

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TRAINING YOUR PERFORMANCE DOGTRAINING YOUR PERFORMANCE DOG

by Carolyn Fuhrer

The answer is yes. While all well-educated trainers strive to use positive methods to train, this choice of method does not automatically imply the learning situation is stress-free. Poor communication between dog and handler, lack of proper manipulation of consequences by the handler, failure to accurately recognize feedback from the dog, and poor timing and/or lack of feedback from the handler can lead to great stress in training, even when no harsh methods have been used.

It is important that the pathway of communication between handler and dog remains an open, two-way street, where the handler is looking and respecting feedback from the dog and the dog clearly sees the handler as a partner ready to assist and offer feedback during learning and performance of skills.

Sometimes, when we embark on a new activity, we can be over zealous because we are excited and we really think our dog is going to love this new activity. Our enthusiasm can bring with it a great deal of pressure even though we are happy, providing plenty of cookies and telling our dog how much fun this new activity is. Sadly, many new handlers come away from a new activity saying “oh, we tried …. and my dog doesn’t like it.”

When you introduce a new activity to your dog, you must take into consideration what kind of dog you have. Is your dog bold, inquisitive, likes surprises – or, is your dog thoughtful, shy maybe a little timid or wary. Introducing all dogs to a new activity the same way will not work. One size does not fit all. The way your dog is introduced to a new activity will have a profound effect upon how he views that activity in the future.

Too many trainers want to see the finished product or the complete exercise instead of building confidence and enjoyment each step along the way and usually the best results you can hope for is that the dog tolerates the exercise but never really enjoys it. You need to recognize and reinforce the early stages of initiatives each step along the way so that the dog becomes confident and will begin to drive the training.

Dogs are empowered by training and learn to be self-confident when they know they will receive consistent, fair feedback regarding their behavior. They learn to pay more attention and to try harder because they understand winning behaviors will pay well and that they can win.

We, as trainers, need to pay close attention to the choice the dog makes after he receives feedback (a consequence for behavior) in order to understand whether we are changing the behavior (strengthening or diminishing it) the way we intended to change it. We need to be observant and listen to what our dogs are trying to tell us. Just continuing down the same training path despite feedback from our dog that this is not working is a recipe for disaster.

We must keep the pathway of communication open in order for our dog to be confident and trust us. We want to build on success, not repeat failure; so, many times we must really simplify what we are asking or work with less distraction.

Training is a balance. – a two-way street between you and your dog. Without an open pathway of communication where we look for and accept feedback from the dog, we will never develop the training relationship we want.

By making a sincere effort to “listen” to what your dog is telling you and adjusting your feedback to the dog, you will open up a whole new world of enjoyable training.

Carolyn Fuhrer has earned over 80 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.