PURPLE SKY: Ashley Wills, of Palermo, photographed this purple sunset last summer.
HMM GOOD!: Lindy Sklover, of Vassalboro, snapped this bee feasting on nectar last summer.
KISSING COUSINS: Emily Poulin, of South China, captured these two gold finches at her feeders.
You can avoid bad breath during holiday gatherings.(NAPSI)—Here’s a hint to help everyone breathe easier this holiday season: Before you head out the door to your next holiday function, make sure your breath is set for close conversation by knowing the culprits of bad breath and the simple solutions that keep you safe from catching an unwelcome whiff.
“Bad breath can be from skipping healthy oral hygiene habits or it can be indicative of a deeper issue,” said Kyle Dosch, DDS, Delta Dental of Washington’s dental director and member dentist. “Combining good habits and consistent visits to the dentist will help keep halitosis away.”
There are many causes of bad breath, and even those who are diligent about their oral hygiene can suffer from it. The most common are:
•Dehydration: Not consuming enough water can lead to a decrease in saliva production, causing bacteria in the mouth to grow.
•Dry mouth: Saliva contains antimicrobial properties that help eliminate bad breath. When this saliva is not naturally produced, it can cause your breath to smell stale.
•Lack of denture cleanliness: If you have dentures, food particles can get stuck in them, and if left overnight, they can begin to break down and cause bad breath. Consistently removing dentures at night and regularly cleaning them is important.
•Tonsil stones: Tonsil stones develop when food and bacteria get trapped and harden in the crevices surrounding the tonsils, resulting in little white spots at the back of your tonsils and, sometimes, a foul odor.
•Mouth, nose and throat infections: Postnasal drip, which can be caused by a cold or sinusitis, is a sign that bad breath may be close behind. The bacteria from these infections feed on mucus your body produces when it begins an immune response, leading to bad breath.
•Acid reflux: Suffering from heartburn or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) can go hand in hand with bad breath. When food doesn’t move out of the body effectively, it can start to decay in the stomach and contribute to bad breath.
•Consuming certain food or beverages: Garlic and onions are delicious additions to dishes, but they are also rich in sulfur compounds. When cut, mashed or chewed, they release gasses which combine with bacteria in the mouth to form bad breath that can last hours after a meal.
•Low-carb diets: Low-carb diets can result in bad breath from a release of chemicals which happens as the body burns fat.
•Tobacco use: Smokers’ breath is a direct result of tobacco use. Tobacco products leave their own odor, and smoking can lead to dry mouth and gum disease, which contribute to many issues including halitosis.
What You Can Do
•Brush and floss twice a day.
•Use antibacterial toothpaste to keep bacteria and plaque at bay.
•Scrape your tongue with a tongue scraper or your toothbrush in the morning and at night.
•Replace your toothbrush around once every two months.
•Drink plenty of fluoridated tap water to avoid dehydration and dry mouth.
•Visit your dentist for bi-annual checkups and cleanings.
•Chew fresh mint, cilantro or parsley.
•Avoid eating garlic and onions.
•Stop smoking.
Learn More
Water St. looking north. Notice the row of tenement buildings on the right. Those were built on the river bank, and were supported by stilts. They were removed in the 1960s and 1970s. (photo courtesy of
E. Roger Hallee)
by Roland D. HalleeThis week, I’ll let Peg Pellerin tell her story about the cuisine on The Plains.
I have found Roland Hallee’s articles about The Plains (La Plaine) in Waterville so interesting, especially since I grew up there from 1952 to 1972. His renderings have brought back so many memories and some of those memories involved the foods we ate.
Most residing in that area were mill working families. Since most of the laborers were the men of the families, the mothers did their best to make paychecks stretch, especially when it came to groceries and meals.
The majority of the people living in that part of town were of French Canadian descent, which meant French Canadian cuisine. I can still remember the aromas coming from the homes in the area, giving away what my friends were having for “souper” (pronounced soo-pey), the French terminology for supper.
A lot depended on what day it was even to what time of the year it was. The largest meal of the week was made on Sunday. What was left over was eaten during the week. I remeber my mother baking or boiling jambon (ham) (pronounced jean-bon) with carrots and potatoes. She would use the ham bone with some of the meat still on the bone and make “soupe aux pois” (pea soup). It was not a favorite of mine but I ate it because it was what my mother put in front of me. The choices of meals back then was take it or leave it, or go without. We never went without because we ate it.
Crèpes weren’t just eaten for breakfast. In fact it was more of a supper for my family than a morning meal. For those who aren’t familiar with this yummy food, it is a very thin pancake. We’d put loads of butter and
maple syrup on it. (Roland’s two cents: my mother would make them for breakfast. We’d put a line of brown sugar, roll them into a cigar-like shape, and put maple syrup on top.)
Another stretch of Sunday meal was taking leftovers of roasted chicken or turkey and making “ragout” (pronounced rag-goo). Some folks call it chicken and dumplings but it was mostly the poultry in a thick gravy with dumplings. We’d scoop it over mashed potatoes or bread.
Mom would make a roast of both beef and pork with potatoes and carrots. She’d purposely include more potatoes than she knew we’d eat because she intended to take the meat and grind it, then mash the potatoes and combine all with onions and place in a pie crust and, voila, tourtière. (Roland’s two cents: Our mother would grind the meat with the potatoes and onions and make a hash. I liked to put ketchup on mine.)
Most, including myself, usually make it around Christmas time, but mom made it often during the year. She would also take leftover pork and make creton, which is like having a pork paté, which was usually spread onto bread for a sandwich or spread over crackers.
Whatever my mother made, we’d never know that it was an inexpensive meal. It was a treat. Besides having beans and franks (Roland’s two cents: Don’t forget the pickled beets) on Saturday nights, which was primarily a Yankee tradition since the Civil War, (we also ate many non-French Canadian meals, too). Mom would cut potatoes in thick strips, fry them and pour gravy over it. Yup, that in itself was supper. Many now know it as “poutine”. We never had the curds put on it and to this day, I won’t eat it with curds. My most favorite inexpensive meal was “gallettes”, a/k/a fried dough. We would walk to Veteran Court, which was several streets away from ours and go to Bolduc’s Bakery, where anyone could go in to purchase baked bread or, in my mother’s case, uncooked dough. She’d fry pieces of it and while still warm pour maple syrup over it. YUMMY! (Roland’s two cents: One of our favorite desserts was a slice of bread dipped in molasses. Of course, mother’s “ice box cake”, for special occasions, was the best of all. Graham crackers which were placed standing, with a chocolate whipped cream filling between the crackers, then covered with the cream. Everyone fought for the end pieces because they were the best. It was to die for.)
I will end this article with a mouthwatering treat; at least it was for us back in the ‘50s and early ‘60s. “Tire d’erable”, a/k/a maple taffy, but mainly it is thick maple syrup poured over fresh clean snow. It’s difficult to find clean snow, even when it’s fresh. I guess if you want something similar, make snow cones and pour maple syrup over it. It’ll be good but not as good as we had “back in the day”.
Rutherford B. Hayes
by Peter CatesFormer 19th President Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822-1893) wrote at the age of 19 of his determination “to use what means I have to acquire a character distinguished for energy, firmness and perseverence.”
Through a career that included Brigadier General during the Civil War, U.S. Congressman and Governor of Ohio, Hayes acquired a reputation for courage (Hayes was wounded five times during the Civil War and maintained the respect of his men), honesty, fiscal conservatism and social reform, as well as “energy, firmness and perseverence.”
Among his accomplishments while governor, he pushed for voter registration, battled election fraud, reformed the civil service, got improvements in prisons and mental hospitals, and troubleshooted the founding of Ohio State University.
Although a Republican, he consistently stood apart from partisanship and for what was right.
During the 1876 Republican primary, Hayes and Maine’s James G. Blaine were the leading contenders but Blaine’s hopes and popularity were tainted by yet another of the scandals that much too frequently reared their ugly heads during his political tenure. Therefore, some of the smarter party regulars saw the impeccably honest Hayes as their best hope and he won, in a close convention battle among the delegates meeting in Cincinnati.
The presidential race itself was arguably the closest one in history between Hayes and the Democrat, New York Governor Samuel J. Tilden, who also had accomplished reforms in his home state – a major one smashing the corrupt political gang of Boss Tweed at Tammany Hall.
The issues involved in Hayes defeating Tilden by just one hotly contested vote are much too detailed to go into at length but one of them was the ending of Reconstruction in the South.
While in office for just one term, Hayes’s other major accomplishment was civil service reform in which all federal government employees were prohibited from taking part in political organizations.
Lucy W. Hayes
Hayes married Lucy Ware Webb (1831-1889) in 1852 who became the first First Lady to be a college graduate. She was also a member of the Women’s Temperance Society and thus referred to as “Lemonade Lucy” because she banned alcohol from the White House (In reality, it was her husband who banned alcohol but she gladly shouldered the blame.).
She was also, according to others, one of the kindest, sweetest human beings who ever lived and was the first First Lady to invite an African-American musician to perform at the White House.
The couple had seven sons and one daughter, of which three boys died in infancy, while the others lived well into the 1900s, daughter Fanny dying at 83, in 1950.
Hayes’s vice-president was New York Representative William A. Wheeler (1819-1887) whose own reputation for honesty matched that of the president. When Wheeler was mentioned to Hayes as a running mate at the Cincinnati convention, Hayes uttered, “WHO IS WHEELER?”, but both men became very close friends.
Widlliam A. Wheeler
by Melinda MyersBoost the flavor and nutritional value of winter meals by growing a container of greens indoors. Plant, tend and harvest greens for garden-fresh flavor now and throughout the year.
Green leafy vegetables are healthy sources of carbohydrates, typically rich in fiber and nutrients, while also being low in fat and calories. Many of these vegetables can help reduce the risk of stroke, anemia, high blood pressure, certain cancers, and diabetes. They also help improve the health of your gut, heart, bone, and skin while boosting your body’s immunity.
To create your own indoor garden of greens, all you need are seeds, a container, potting mix, and a sunny window or artificial lights. Select a container or planter with drainage holes or reduce maintenance with the help of self-watering containers like the Viva Round or Square self-watering planters. Their water reservoirs reduce watering frequency.
Fill the container with a quality potting mix that is well-drained and retains moisture. Plant seeds as recommended on the seed packet. You can grow each type of green in its own container or mix them up for an attractive display in larger planters like the Tartu Elevated Rectangular Planter (gardeners.com).
Water thoroughly and often enough to keep the soil moist while waiting for the seeds to sprout. Reduce the need for frequent watering by covering newly planted containers with a plastic sheet or dome. Once sprouts appear, remove the plastic and begin watering thoroughly when the top inch of soil begins to dry.
Boost productivity and increase planting space with the help of artificial lights. You will find a variety of setups for any space in your home. Counter and tabletop light stands like the Micro Grow Light Garden can be conveniently located in the kitchen or dining room. Stand-alone light shelves provide more growing space within a small footprint. Furniture-grade light stands make them easy to use in any room in the house.
Grow greens you and your family like to use in your favorite recipes and salads. Green or red leaf lettuce is easy to grow indoors and its mild flavor is most appealing to children and picky eaters.
Spinach is another popular and easy-to-grow leafy green vegetable used fresh in salads and smoothies or added to soups and sauces. It contains many vitamins and nutrients, including iron, folic acid, and calcium.
Kale is considered a superfood. This nutrient-dense vegetable is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. If the flavor is a bit too intense for you, try the baby leaf types that are milder in flavor, or try braising kale for a milder flavor and more tender texture.
Add a bit of peppery flavor to salads, soups, pastas, and other dishes with arugula. Add a spicier flavor with mustard greens. Sauté mustard greens or add them to your favorite Southern, Asian, Indian or savory dish.
Include color and flavor in your winter meals with beet greens. The leafy part of this vegetable is often overlooked but is the most nutritious part of the plant. Use these the same way you would spinach or kale. You can purchase beet varieties selected for growing the best greens to harvest from baby to full size.
Make it more fun by getting others involved. Hand family members and guests a plate and kitchen shears so they can harvest and help prepare the meal.
Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Gardener’s Supply for her expertise to write this article. Her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Webs can look like fist-sized clumps of leaves tied together tightly with silk or like single leaves hanging onto twigs.
by Roland D. HalleeWith spring and summer several months away, now is not too early to be thinking about the browntail moth caterpillar.
Following a severe outbreak in 2021 (a summer in which I had six battles with the rash they are famous for delivering), I saw only one caterpillar all of 2022. That doesn’t mean we are scott free.
I will pass on to you a news release from the Maine Department of Agriculture and Conservation and Forestry, and the Maine Forest Service, on the four Rs to knock out the caterpillar.
Browntail Moth Awareness Month is right around the corner in Maine! February is when our community is encouraged to take advantage of the dormant season of the insect and join together to “KNOCK OUT” Browntail Moth (BTM).
Winter is the best time to clip and destroy BTM winter webs within reach or hire licensed arborists or pesticide applicators to reduce out-of-reach populations. BTM populations in Maine have been in an outbreak phase since 2015, and the pest cannot be eradicated. While long-lasting tree defoliation and branch dieback are major concerns, BTM’s microscopic, toxic hairs can cause trouble breathing and skin irritation similar to poison ivy from a few hours up to several weeks.
Follow the four Rs to reduce BTM populations on your property and protect your family and your community.
Learn how to recognize if the trees where you live, work, and play have BTM. Their winter webs can look like single leaves hanging onto twigs or fist-sized clumps of leaves tied together tightly with silk. Winter webs are easiest to locate on sunny days, where the silk in the webs makes them “shine” in the sun. Knowing where the nests are in your yard or town can help inform your management decisions. Learn more by participating in the BTM Awareness Month events included below.
With permission, remove webs with hand snips or an extendable pole pruner in areas within reach of the ground and away from hazards such as powerlines. Protect your eyes and skin from hairs that might be present from past caterpillar activity. After removal, destroy webs:
Burn them safely and legally or soak them in soapy water for several days, then dispose of the webs in the trash.
Winter is a great time to identify webs that may be too difficult to remove on your own. Recruit professional help to treat webs out of reach or near hazards on the property you own or manage. Licensed Professional Arborists can remove BTM webs in larger trees and shrubs in the winter. In trees where the caterpillars’ hairs cause a nuisance and where it is not practical to remove the webs, Licensed Pesticide Applicators may be able to use insecticides during the growing season to manage BTM.
If you find BTM in your neighborhood, reach out and let your neighbors and town officials know. The more neighbors, businesses, and others that get together to respond to the problem, the better the results.
The Maine Forest Service (MFS) Forest Health and Monitoring Division coordinates within state government, local communities, and directly with citizens to respond to this issue. Comprehensive BTM information and tools compiled by MFS, Board of Pesticides Control, Maine Center for Disease Control, the University of Maine and other partners, including research, infestation tracking, FAQs, and educational resources for communities, municipalities, businesses, and healthcare providers, are available on the Maine Forest Service website.
Name the four NFL teams to never appear in a Super Bowl.
by Dan BeaulieuHow well do your customers know you? Do they know every service that you offer? If you are a landscaping company, do all your customers know that you offer snow removal and roof clearing in the winter as well?
If you are a contractor, do your customers know that you also build things like sheds and picnic tables and gazebos as a side business using your team to work on these things when they cannot be outdoors due to weather?
If you own a small restaurant, do all your customers know that you do at-home catering as well?
If you own a beauty salon, do your customers realize that you offer in-home hair cutting for people who cannot easily leave their homes?
A friend of mine was disappointed recently to see a competitor’s truck and crew doing tree removal at the home of one of his best customers. When he bravely called that customer later asking him why he was not hired for that job. The customer was surprised and told him, “Of course, I would have called you…if I had any idea, you provided tree removal services as well.” Talk about a lost opportunity! Talk about a wake-up call!
As a business owner you have to always make sure that your customers have a good idea of everything you can do for them.
You have already done the hard work. They are already your customers and you have developed a good bond with them. Now what you have to do is make sure they have a good understanding of all you can do for them.
The frustrating thing about this is that you probably did tell them. And I will give you the benefit of the doubt and agree that you probably told them many times.
But alas, customer forget, or they don’t listen, or they don’t care, until they need that particular service. Then they start looking and they start paying attention.
You can see ten thousand commercials for that Ford F-150 truck, but you are not going to pay attention until you are looking for a new truck, then and only then will you notice those ads.
It’s the same with your customers, which is why you have to find ways to constantly remind them of everything you can do for them. They only notice what they are looking for.
Some ways to do this are to provide them with a brochure listing everything you do. Create a wall hanging calendar that is a constant reminder of everything you do. Send out a monthly newsletter that lists all that you do and more (these are great for offering monthly specials as well).
Your job is to never, ever stop your focused messaging. Your job is to say the same thing in all kinds of different ways, over, and over, and over again, ad nauseum. I don’t care how much you get sick of hearing or reading or saying your message you have to keep doing it and even then, you are still going to drive by your good customer’s house one day and see one of your competitors doing something that you thought your customer knew you did.
That is just the way it works, And that’s why you have to always be finding new and innovative ways to get your messages in front of all your customers. Doing that will help you grow your business.
GREEN BUGS: Emily Poulin, of South China, photographed these green bugs last summer.
FULL MOON: Dwayne West, of Palermo, captured this spectacular full moon recently.
EARLY MORNING FOG: Joan Chaffee, of Clinton, snapped this male cardinal during an early morning fog.
When clearing snow, it’s a good idea to keep safety top of mind.
(NAPSI)—Snow flurries and winter storms can be unpredictable, so the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) encourages home and business owners to prepare in advance before bad weather hits.
“Outdoor power equipment such as snow throwers can make quick work of a big job,” says OPEI President and CEO Kris Kiser. “Just remember: When getting out your snow thrower, review your owner’s manual. You should know how to correctly operate controls and quickly shut it off if necessary.”
Have you read your owner’s manual? Know safe handling procedures and how to operate the controls of your machine. If the manual cannot be found, look it up online and store a copy on the computer.
Have you checked your equipment? Equipment should be powered off when checking it. Adjust any cables and check the auger. If you forgot to drain the fuel before storing your equipment last year, empty the gas tank.
Have you purchased the right fuel? Be sure to use the fuel recommended by the equipment manufacturer. Fuel that is more than 30 days old can phase separate and cause operating problems. Buy gasoline ahead of a storm. For more information see LookBeforeYouPump.com.
Is gasoline used safely? Never add fuel to a running or hot engine. Store gasoline in a fuel container and label with date purchased and ethanol content. Make sure fuel is stored safely and out of reach of children.
Are batteries charged (for battery-powered equipment)? Make sure batteries are fully charged before a storm, in case electricity goes out.
Is the yard clear of obstructions? Snow can hide objects. Doormats, hoses, balls, toys, wires, and other debris should be removed. When run over by a snow thrower, these objects may harm the machine or people.
Are you dressed properly? Wear safety glasses, gloves and footwear that can handle cold and slippery surfaces.
Is your clean-out tool ready? NEVER put your hands inside the auger or chute. Use a clean-out tool to unclog snow or debris. Always turn off the snow thrower and wait for all moving parts to come to a complete stop before clearing any clogs.
Is your snow thrower operated only in visible conditions? Never operate the snow thrower without good visibility or light.
Will you use extreme caution clearing slopes and hills? Never attempt to clear steep slopes. Use caution when changing directions on slopes or inclines.
For electric equipment, do you pay attention to where the cord is? Use an extension cord designed for outdoor use. Be aware of where the power cord is at all times when using the machine. Avoid tripping. Do not run over the power cord.
Are pets and children inside while the snow thrower is operating? It’s best to keep kids and pets indoors and supervised while a snow thrower is operating. Do not allow them to play in the snow as it is tossed out of the chute.
About OPEI
OPEI is an international trade association representing manufacturers and suppliers of outdoor power equipment, small engines, battery power systems, portable generators, utility and personal transport vehicles, and golf cars.
by Roland D. HalleeAs everyone knows, The Plains, in Waterville, runs along the west shore of the Kennebec River in the South End of the city.
The river played a large part in the development of the city and contributing to high numbers of industrial jobs. Many of the residents of The Plains, the majority of which were men, worked at these locations – Hollingsworth & Whitney Paper Mill, the Wyandotte-Worsted Textile Mill, Maine Central Railroad, Waterville Iron Works – just to name a few. Of course, the female workforce was not totally omitted. Many women worked at the C. F. Hathaway Shirt Factory, and at the other industries mentioned.
But two of the occupations that are not very often mentioned were the two that primarily existed because of the Kennebec River.
There were the log drives that brought pulp wood to the mill in Winslow. They would begin in the north woods where many men worked felling trees – by hand with axes – then sawing them, also by hand. No chainsaws back then. The logs were then brought to the river on skidders usually drawn by horses or mules. Once in the river, the logs would work their way south to the mills waiting their arrival in Winslow and Augusta.
Many a man died working those logs down stream. In Winslow, there was the famous “Queen Mary,” – a platform that extended out into the river – where men, with grappling hooks, would pull the logs ashore that were destined for the Winslow mill, and threw back the ones that were designated for the Augusta mill. It was a strenuous and dangerous job. My oldest brother, and younger brother both worked on the “Queen Mary” during summer vacation while they were in college. The river log drives ended in 1972.
During the winter, the river became a source of refrigeration for area homes. Ice boxes were used in those days, and ice deliveries had to be made year round.
Again, men with hand saws would cut large cakes of ice from the frozen river, and transport them to the ice sheds, located at the Springbrook Ice and Fuel Co., on the corner of Pleasant and North streets, in Waterville. There they were covered with saw dust that kept the ice from melting well into the summer months. I remember getting ice deliveries while growing up, before our dad purchased a “real” refrigerator.
Unfortunately, the river could not be used much for recreational purposes because of the toxic discharges from the mills that polluted the water. There were two famous sayings that evolved from that: One was that the river was so polluted, you could not drown in the river because the skum on the river was so thick. Also, it was said, the river was so polluted you could walk across without getting your feet wet. Fortunately, laws were passed, in the 1980s I think, that cleaned up the river, and it is actually used today for fishing and kayaking recreation.
Actually, we used to go down to the river, and played “pirates” on the island that hugs the west shore just south of the Hathaway Creative Center. There we would spend the day exploring what is basically a swath of land that is elevated enough from the waters to form an island. It is used today as a walking trail, – there also is a tent city of homeless people – that is when the river waters are at their normal level. Access is more difficult in the spring when the waters rise due to the melting snow runoff, or following a heavy rain.
Our parents weren’t crazy about us going there, but we would manage to sneak off once in a while, until someone came home wet.