AARP NEWS YOU CAN USE: AARP offers free tax assistance for seniors

by Joyce Bucciantini

February is one of the most beautiful times in Maine. Gone are the super short days of early winter, leaving us with more daylight to enjoy the great outdoors in Maine. Many cities and towns have winter-themed celebrations which might include snow sports, ice fishing, or maybe an opportunity for hot cocoa. These are great ways to fight off cabin fever and reconnect with our neighbors and friends. For those who enjoy warmer activities, there is always excitement to be found at the state high school basketball tournaments during the February school vacation week.

In between enjoying the bright winter weather and fresh air, we must also keep in mind a yearly task that we all must do, but few enjoy: get our taxes done! Yes, as surely as the new year moves forward, it is important to start making a plan for gathering our financial information and completing our tax forms. However, there is good news! The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program offers free tax preparation services in 47 locations in Maine. Last year, 240 Tax-Aide volunteers filed 13,671 Federal returns helping Maine taxpayers receive $10.4 million in Federal refunds. They also filed thousands of state tax returns, all at no cost!

This remarkable program offers free tax preparation services, focusing on taxpayers who are over 50 years old and have low to moderate incomes. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is offered by AARP Foundation in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service. All Tax-Aide volunteer counselors are IRS-trained and certified to prepare and file most types of federal and state tax returns for Maine taxpayers.

The online Tax-Aide Site Locator tool will help you find the Tax-Aide location nearest to you. This website provides the locations, the operating schedules and who to contact for making tax preparation appointments. Visit https://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/locations/ or call 1-888-227-7669 for more information.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide appointments fill up fast. It is a good idea to make your appointment early in the tax season. Then you can rest easy and enjoy all that the great Maine outdoors has to offer, or for indoors fun, check out an AARP Maine coffee social near you. Perhaps I’ll see you there!

Joyce Bucciantini is a retired middle school educator. She currently coordinates Delta Kappa Gamma’s Read to Me program, is a tutor with Literacy Volunteers-Androscoggin, and is an active AARP Maine volunteer. In her spare time, she enjoys her gardens, being outdoors and traveling.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Understanding Thyroid Health

Once properly diagnosed, thyroid disease can be treated in many ways.

(NAPSI)—An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease.1 During January, recognized as Thyroid Awareness Month, YARAL Pharma is raising awareness of thyroid disease, particularly hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. Despite its prevalence, thyroid disease remains widely misunderstood, with many people unaware of its signs and symptoms.

The Role of the Thyroid

The thyroid, a small butterfly-shaped gland located in the neck, plays a vital role in regulating metabolism, energy levels, and overall hormonal balance. Conditions such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid nodules can significantly impact health and quality of life. However, up to 60% of individuals with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition, often due to a lack of awareness about the signs and symptoms, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment.1

Signs and Symptoms

Thyroid disorders can manifest in various ways, including fatigue, weight changes, mood fluctuations, and cognitive difficulties. These symptoms often resemble common day-to-day ailments, making them easy to overlook. As a result, many patients live with thyroid conditions for years before seeking treatment.
What Can Be Done

Treatment for thyroid disease varies depending on the type and severity of the condition, as well as the patient’s age and overall health. Some common treatments include:2

• Antithyroid drugs: These medications stop the thyroid from producing hormones.
• Radioactive iodine therapy: A widely used and effective treatment involving the oral intake of radioactive iodine. Most patients who undergo this therapy eventually develop hypothyroidism.
• Beta-blockers: These medications don’t affect the thyroid but can help manage symptoms such as rapid heart rate, tremors, and nervousness.
• Surgery: In rare cases, a healthcare provider may recommend surgically removing the thyroid. Patients undergoing this procedure will need to take synthetic thyroid replacement hormones for the rest of their life.
• Thyroid hormone replacement: For hypothyroidism, patients typically take a daily dose of synthetic thyroxine (T4), a hormone that replaces what their thyroid can no longer produce.

Take Control of Your Thyroid Health

If you’re experiencing symptoms of thyroid disease or have concerns about your thyroid health, don’t wait—talk to your healthcare provider to learn more about diagnosis and treatment options.

References

1. American Thyroid Association. Press Room. https://www.thyroid.org/media-main/press-room/. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.
2. Cleveland Clinic. Thyroid Disease. Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8541-thyroid-disease. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.
Sponsored by YARAL Pharma, Inc.

FARMGIRL AT HEART: Winter sowing in Maine

by Virginia Jones

Maine is one of those states that seems to keep winter close at hand. We have a very long cold season with short warmer seasons following. It seems like winter could last forever. Even though we have longer seasons of frigid weather that doesn’t mean that we have to discontinue our gardening until the warmer temperatures come our way.

Last Winter I discovered a type of gardening called Winter Sowing. I happened to be scrolling through some YouTube videos and something came up about this type of gardening. I found it to be an interesting way to jump start my desire to get some seeds into the soil in the middle of the cold and frigid weather. You can do winter sowing from December thru January, and even possibly into February and March.

I have always enjoyed getting out in the garden, although this past year, my garden got away from me. That doesn’t mean that I won’t try again to conquer the weeds and have some healthy and amazing produce throughout the year.
I don’t really have the funds or the space to set up a greenhouse indoors so this was the perfect solution for getting some plants started to germination. It takes items that we all pretty use every day.

To get started, you need to collect a few items: one gallon water jug or clean one gallon milk jug, duct tape, box cutter, oointed tool for poking holes, waterproof magic marker, compost or seed starter, seeds (heirloom, self-sowing, hardy and frost tolerant varieties), spray bottle filled with water.

The first step, after having washed each jug, is to poke several holes in the bottom of each jug in order to have drainage. After having done that, you then need to take your box cutter and cut around the jug leaving a two-inch hinge for opening and closing. Fill each jug with an ample amount of soil mix, bringing it almost to the rim of the bottom of your jug. You then need to plant your seeds; there should be the number of seeds as stated on the package for the alloted space. It is important to choose seeds that need to be stagnated over the winter or ones that require a cooler temperature to bring them to germination. Taking your water bottle, spritz the soil several times until moist but not soaking wet.

You now can close your water jug and tape around the jug sealing it closed. This will allow the moisture to collect and keep your seeds moist for growth. Label each jug with the seed names that you have planted inside. It is a good idea to just have one variety of seed per jug. * Be sure to keep the cap on the jug until seeds have germinated and grown several inches, then remove cap in order to have some air flow.

You can now place your jugs in a place where they will receive ample sunlight, yet be free from wind and heavy snowfall. They should be on a level surface as well. All that is left is to observe the magic of germination.

If you have any questions or comments, you can email me at acupfullofcountry@gmail.com or find me on Instagram @farmgirl2heart.

CRITTER CHATTER: Reminiscing – Part 4

by Jayne Winters

As noted in recent columns, I’ll be sharing some of Carleen Cote’s past articles because Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center isn’t accepting any wildlife or phone inquiries right now. What follows is a story entitled, Labor of Love, from August 3, 2002:

“This week’s Critter Chatter is not about the Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center and its current population, nor is it about the time and efforts my husband, Donald, and I invest in caring for the babies that arrive at the Center for a second chance at life. It is about the students at Windsor Elementary School who care enough about the wildlife to put their own time and effort into raising money to help buy food and other supplies for our young boarders.

Last fall, teacher Sheila Ready called to ask if her students could come for a tour of the Center. She told me that perhaps another fundraiser for the Center would be undertaken by the students and she thought seeing the animals would give the students a perspective of what we do and the animals we care for – and how the money they raised would be used. The class arrived and, to their credit, the students were well-behaved and appeared to enjoy their tour.

In June, I received a call from Sheila telling me she had a very special surprise – and did I want her to mail it to me or could I come to the school and accept the gift. I decided to go to the school (taking along some of the young critters to show) and talk about the animals and our work at the Center. I took a baby raccoon and a flying squirrel. The children listened attentively and asked many good questions. They then very proudly and excitedly presented me with a check for $374.

The students raised this in one week. Sheila’s students used computer technology to make posters and covers for the donation cans. They spoke to classes to tell students why the money was being collected and about their tour of our Center and the wildlife they saw. They also studied eco-systems, nature and safety with wildlife – stressing never to touch any wild animal they might encounter. In math class, real money is used to learn counting – and that was donated. The donations came from many sources – from students’ allowances or, perhaps, tooth fairy money and, of course, parents also donated.

The class that raised the most money was treated to ice cream floats. This year, Mrs. Stanley’s and Mrs. Beasley’s tied for first place.

Great job, students! Your thoughtfulness, generosity and hard work is very much appreciated. The money you raised will buy lots of food for all the little animals and birds here at the Center. We cannot thank you enough for remembering us and wanting to help support the wildlife.”

Wildlife rehab facilities are typically non-profits that primarily depend on personal resources and outside donations. For any students who would like to help riase funds for such an important cause, please be advised that Duck Pond has been working with Wilderness Miracles Rehab, in Bowdoin, (Kathi at 207-720-0074), Misfits Rehab, in Auburn (Jen at 207-212-1039), Bridget Green, in Wiscasset (207-631-0874), Critterville Wildlife, in Brooklin (845-549-2407), and Saco River Wildlife (207-702-1405). Pam Meier at Mid-coast Maine is a turtle rehabber and can be reached at The Turtle’s Back (203-903-2708). Please check these websites for a rehabber close to you: https://www.mainevetmed.org/wildlife-rehabilitation or https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/living-with-wildlife/orphaned-injured-wildlife/index.html In addition, you can contact your local Animal Control Officer through your town office. – PHONE MESSAGES & EMAILS ARE NOT BEING MONITORED AT THIS TIME.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: It’s later than you think

Woodrow Charles

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Oh, my goodness!

Sunday is Groundhog Day. My, how times flies.

For starters, I have to find out where my friend Woodrow Charles is hanging out these days. Last year, he had moved to less than flattering surroundings. A quick email will tell me where he is.

I hope it doesn’t take too long for him to respond. I only have three days to find him, do an interview and write the story.

Wow! There he is.

He’s back in his old digs.

So, let’s trek out that way, in Center Vassalboro, and visit with the little fella.

The walk out to his place from Rte. 32, is rather easy. No snow on the ground, and very little ice to deal with. It takes about 20 minutes to get there. The familiar smoke is emanating from the chimney, and there are lights on inside.

A knock on the door and Woody answers.

“Come on in, buddy. Have a seat while a get us some tea,” says Woody. “Nice weather we’ve been having.”

I agreed, as usual, as he begins with the small talk. He knows darn well why I’m here.

“So, how did you end up back here?” I inquire.

“Well, the other tenant didn’t work out, I would say, ” as Woody answers. “Didn’t pay the utilities, heat, or other expenses, and the pipes froze. Was quite a mess from what I hear.”

That’s too bad.

“Not only that, but besides shutting off the utilities, because the guy didn’t pay the rent, the bank threatened to foreclose,” Woody added. “I guess the old guy figured he was never going to find another tenant like me.”

“I see everything is back to normal,” I said. “You’ve got your TV back, internet, Wi-fi, and every other conveniences.”

“Just in time,”said Woody. “With the Super Bowl and all next Sunday.”

“Any prediction this year?” I prodded.

“Well, the early betting has Kansas City as a slight 1.5-points favorite. A little surprising I would say. The Vegas over-under is 49.5.”

“How much are you betting?” I asked.

“Ooohhh, no! Woody retorted. “I’m not laying down hard earned money on such slim odds. And I’m not giving points. You could lose your fur.”

“Come on, you’ve never hesitated in the past,” I replied. “How about your buddies Frank, Slim and Butch?”

“Are you kidding, they lose their fur every year. I wouldn’t bet the stump based on their prediction,” Woody lamented.

“Well, just a wild guess,” I pressured.

“OK, I’ll go with Philadelphia by three,” Woody finally caved.

“Now, how about the rest of the winter? I asked.

“Oh, that again.You must think I have a crystal ball or something,” he answered.

“Come on, I’m running out of time,” I darted back.

“OK, I can wrap this up with one sentence. This winter, in Maine, is expected to be milder, with warmer temperatures and slightly less snow. You can look for an early spring.”

Education

For those of you who didn’t figure it out, last week’s mention about the mayor of Philadelphia, and the person at the TD Garden, both misspelled their message.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What is the highest scoring Super Bowl in history?

Answer
The San Francisco 49ers defeated the San Diego Chargers, 49-26, in Super Bowl XXIX, on January 29, 1995.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Updated Pneumococcal Vaccine Recommendations Will Help Save Lives

Karyne Jones

Karyne Jones says it’s a good thing the CDC now recommends that everyone over 50 get a pneumococcal vaccine.

(NAPSI)—Good news for those Americans over the age of 50 (and the people who care about them): You now have access to vaccines to stop the spread of pneumococcal disease, or pneumonia.

The change comes by way of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which updated its recommendation for pneumococcal vaccines, dropping the age to 50 from 65.

My Story

I know the importance of being vaccinated against this disease far too well.

In January 2018, I thought I had a bad cold. I was dealing with a terrible cough, chest pain, exhaustion. When I finally ended up in the hospital needing breathing treatments, we realized this was beyond a normal cold or bronchial infection. Pneumonia took me out for the next six weeks. I couldn’t work, I could barely eat or drink. I’m an otherwise healthy, on-the-go person. This disease leveled me. And because I was 64 at the time I caught it—I hadn’t yet been vaccinated. Make no mistake, I had my sleeve rolled up and was ready for my shot when my birthday rolled around later that year.

Too Many Stories

I’m far from the only person who has dealt with pneumococcal disease.

Roughly 150,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized each year with pneumococcal pneumonia and 1 in 20 of those patients die. The risk is greater for older Americans, as is the risk of their cases being fatal.

Pneumonia is a Particular Problem For Persons of Color

These numbers only increase for racial and ethnic minorities. Black people are more likely to get pneumonia, be hospitalized longer, and suffer worse economic impact than non-Blacks. This is in part due to the fact that Black Americans have far greater rates of chronic diseases—including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. African Americans are 60 percent more likely to develop diabetes than white adults.

Vaccination rates are also considerably lower for Black, Hispanic and Asian adults when compared to white adults.
I’m hopeful that streamlining timing of vaccines and the related recommendations will help boost vaccination rates. For far too many adults, there is considerable confusion about what vaccines you need and when, so adding pneumococcal at age 50, when most people know you also need your shingles vaccine is a good way to get more people protected.

An Answer

That is why my organization joined forces with other aging and patient groups to advocate for this important change.
As we are in the midst of another respiratory season, I urge all adults aged 50 and older to talk to their healthcare provider about getting vaccinated against pneumococcal disease.

It could be a decision that saves your life.

Learn More

For more facts, visit www.cdc.gov/pneumococcal.

  • Ms. Jones is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, Inc.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Composer: Gustav Mahler; Author: William Saroyan

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Gustav Mahler

Gustav Mahler

German composer Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) suffered three major traumas the summer of 1907 – His oldest daughter Maria died from diptheria.

After a brilliant few years as music director of the Vienna Court Opera, Mahler was forced out by a combination of systemic anti-Semitism and sleazy underhandedness.
Finally he was diagnosed with angina and given at best two to four years to live .

In a letter to his good friend Bruno Walter, Mahler wrote:

“With one stroke, I have lost everything I have gained in terms of who I thought I was and have to learn my first steps again like a newborn. ”

In 1908, the composer began work on Das Lied von der Erde, translated as Song of the Earth and based on ancient Chinese poetry. It is a song cycle of six movements scored for tenor, contralto (or baritone), and orchestra and, along with the Ninth and unfinished Tenth Symphonies, was not performed until after Mahler’s death.

The poems from which the composer drew inspiration speak of the transience and superficiality of life in this world, of its temporary joys and sorrows and of fate, with such titles as Drinking Song of Earth’s Misery; Lonely One in Autumn; Of Youth; Of Beauty; Drunken Man; and Fate, topics already preoccupying his mind with the cardiac Damocles sword hanging by a thread.

The Symphonies and Song Cycles all evoke the constant clash between Mahler’s intensely spiritual side – his ongoing desire to experience peace and create his music; and his bitter, angry, at times vitriolic personality in dealing with a world that made it impossible to experience that peace because of all its bombast and violence. In short, Gustav Mahler was a manic/depressive.

In his liner notes for a 78 set of Das Lied, Nicholas Slonimsky (1894-1995) pinpointed a certain duality in this musical worldview and then recounted the circumstances of this piece’s composition:

“Although Mahler invariably denied that his symphonies had a program or story behind them, each work was a chapter in his struggle with himself, or, as he believed, with some mystical evil force.

“Bruno Walter [1876-1962], his friend and interpreter, tells us a strange story which seems to have come from out of Edgar Allan Poe:

‘While at work in his cottage in Toblach [a summer lakeside retreat in Italy], he was suddenly frightened by an indefinable noise. All at once something terribly dark came rushing in by the window, and, when he jumped up in horror, he saw that he was in the presence of an eagle which filled the little room with its violence. The fearsome meeting was quickly over, and the eagle disappeared as stormily as it had come. When Mahler sat down, exhausted by his fright, a crow came fluttering from under the sofa and flew out. ‘

“Walter thinks that this episode happened at the time Mahler was composing Das Lied, and that Mahler referred to the work as a Symphony in songs:

‘It was to have been his Ninth. Subsequently, however, he changed his mind. He thought of Beethoven and Bruckner, whose Ninth had marked the ultimate of their creation and life, and did not care to challenge fate. He turned to the last movement of Das Lied, it also being the longest, and said to me, “What do you think of it? Will not people do away with themselves when they hear it?” ‘ ”

As mentioned earlier, Mahler managed to complete the Ninth Symphony and a completed movement and sketches for a Tenth Symphony. On May 18, 1911, he died from a combination of pneumonia and other ailments. Six months and 12 days later on November 30, Bruno Walter conducted the world premiere in Munich.

On May 24, 1936, Walter led the Vienna Philharmonic in a live performance which was recorded and released on Columbia Masterworks (MM-300, seven 12-inch 78s) with contralto Kerstin Thorborg and tenor Charles Kullman; the Maestro would record it again with the VPO in 1947 and with the New York Philharmonic in 1960. Each of them is very good.

The work has generated many other recordings of distinction. My first exposure to this extraordinary music came via a 1967 recording on the Decca/London label, yet again with the Vienna Philharmonic but this time conducted by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) with tenor James King and baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and a performance brimming with eloquence on a sublime level.

It and other performances can be heard on YouTube.

Bernstein also left very persuasive recordings of the ten Symphonies and the Songs of a Wayfarer and Kindertotenlieder Cycles. Interestingly he declared Das Lied von der Erde “Mahler’s greatest Symphony.”

William Saroyan

William Saroyan

A 1943 novel, The Human Comedy, by the Armenian/American writer William Saroyan (1908-1981), opens with a joyously colorful scene through the mind of a little boy:

“The little boy named Ulysses Macauley one day stood over the new gopher hole in the backyard of his house on Santa Clara Avenue, in Ithaca, California. The gopher of this hole pushed up fresh moist dirt and peeked out at the boy, who was certainly a stranger but perhaps not an enemy. Before this miracle had been fully enjoyed by the boy, one of the birds of Ithaca flew into the old walnut tree in the backyard and after settling itself on a branch broke into rapture, moving the boy’s fascination from the earth to the tree.

Next, best of all, a freight train puffed and roared far away. The boy listened, and felt the earth beneath him tremble with the moving of the train. Then he broke into running, moving (it seemed to him) swifter than any life in the world.”
Saroyan once gave the following advice to a young writer “to learn to breathe deeply,…to taste food when you eat…when you sleep really to sleep…to be wholly alive with all your might.”

In 1939, Saroyan collaborated with a younger cousin Ross Bagdasarian (1919-1972) in transforming an Armenian folk song into Rosemary Clooney’s 1951 megahit record Come On A My House.

Bagdasarian would achieve his own fame as David Seville, the creator of TV’s Alvin and the Chipmunks.

SMALL SPACE GARDENING: Maximize seed starting with a seed starting chart

Seedlings

by Melinda Myers

Now is the time when many of us are busy ordering seeds. We often end up with many seeds, some new ones we needed or wanted and perhaps a few duplicates of those we have left from past seasons. It is easy to overlook some of these as the indoor and outdoor planting season begins.

Save money by inventorying your current seed collection, reducing the risk of ordering seeds you don’t need. Decide what seeds you want to keep and grow this season and those you want to pass along to or swap with gardening friends. You may choose to make seed art with older or improperly stored seeds and invest in fresh seeds that are sure to germinate.

If in doubt, check the seed viability of older stored seeds with a simple germination test. Wrap ten seeds in a damp paper towel and place them inside a plastic bag. Check the seeds in a week or so to see how many sprout. If all the seeds sprout, follow the planting guidelines on the seed packets. When only half the seeds sprout, you will need to plant the seeds twice as thick and so on.

Check catalogs and your favorite garden center for any seeds you need to purchase. Place your order early for the best selection.

Once the seeds arrive, look at the back of the packet to determine when to start the seeds indoors or out. Many seed companies now provide this information on their website instead of the seed packet. Check with your local University Extension website for recommended planting dates in your area.

Record the start date on your calendar, garden chart, or spreadsheet to make the process easier. Consider organizing your seeds to make it easier to find and plant them at the proper time. You may want to organize the seeds in alphabetical order or by the month for planting. Design a system that works best for you.

You can create your own seed storage organizer or purchase one. Store the seeds in a cool dark location in an airtight container to help maintain their viability and keep them safe from mice.

Once your seed starting schedule is created and seeds are organized, prepare the space for starting seeds indoors if needed. Make sure your grow lights are in working order and you have sufficient containers, flats, and seed starting mix for planting.

Save money by repurposing yogurt, applesauce, and similar food containers into seed starting pots. Just clean and add drainage holes. Look for used cell packs, flats, and small pots that can be used again. Disinfect these by soaking them in a one-part bleach and nine-part water solution for ten minutes then rinse with clear water. Repurposing saves you money and helps reduce plastic waste and the risk of disease that could kill your seedlings.

Taking time to plan and organize now can save you money while helping you maximize the productivity and beauty of your gardens.

Melinda Myers has written over 20 gardening books, including Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, Revised Edition, and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers’ website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Black Crappie escalating in Central Maine lakes

Black crappie

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Because I spend my summers on Webber Pond, in Vassalboro, I have the chance to fish that lake extensively. In the 35 years my wife and I have summered there, we have caught plenty of fish of many various species: small and largemouth bass, white perch, yellow perch, chain pickerel, eels, to name a few.

Until 2009, we had not heard of anyone catching black crappie. But the catch has become quite common in the ensuing years.

The first question that comes to mind is whether the fish ladder at the dam on the Webber Pond Road (built in 2008) had anything to do with it. Probably not, but why, all of a sudden, are there crappies in the lake? That is the same question people residing on Togus Pond, in Augusta, have been asking, since the fish has made its appearance there recently.

Black crappie, also known as calico bass, is a member of the sunfish family. These fish seem to fall in the love-hate category. Many people I have spoken with like the fish, saying they are a very tasty pan fish, while others put them in the same class as sunfish – what they describe as trash fish.

Despite that, they are a fairly popular fish although most of them have been artificially introduced. Black crappies are a schooling fish which leads to fast, intense fishing, an experience that many anglers prefer.

Adult crappies are typically around 6-12 inches long and weigh somewhere between two to three pounds. Typical crappie fisheries produce fish between 6 and 11 inches long, although crappies exceeding 14 inches and three pounds have been caught in Maine waters.

Their spawning season varies by location, due to the species’ great range. Water temperature at breeding is 58-68 degrees F. and occurs between April and June. Spawning takes place in a nest built by the male, who guards the eggs and young.

Closely resembling bass and sunfish species, which have 10-12 dorsal fin spines, crappies possess 6-8 dorsal fin spines. Body form is very deep and narrow, much like the sunfish. The coloration is silvery-olive to golden brown, with an irregular mosaic of dark black blotches.

Adults feed predominantly on smaller species, including the young of their own predators. They have diverse diets, however, including zooplankton, insects and crustaceans. This could be an added plus to Webber Pond. Over the last 10 – 12 years, Webber Pond has experienced a tremendous improvement in water quality due, in part, to the return of the alewives, who also feed on zooplanktin. Zooplanktin feed on algae, and when alewives, in turn, ingest the zooplanktin and leave the waters in the fall, they take with them large quantities of algae. With the addition of the black crappie as an eater of zooplanktin, it can be interpreted as a potential for even more improvements. It would be nice if their presence helped with the declining water quality on Webber Pond over the last couple of years.

By day, crappies tend to be less active and to concentrate around weed beds or submerged objects, such as logs and boulders. They feed especially at dawn and dusk, moving then into open water or approaching the shore. Because of their diverse diets, crappie may be caught in many ways, including casting light jigs, trolling with minnows or artificial lures, using small spinnerbaits or worm and bobbers. We catch them on red shad plastic worms, using the cast and retrieve method.

This year, for the first time, we have kept our catch of black crappie and fileted them. Rolling them in a batter of egg and corn meal, with some garlic pepper, we fry them in a pan, or cook them over an open fire. They make great fish filet sandwiches with cheese and lettuce.

Fishing for black crappies is most productive during the early morning or early evening while the air is relatively cool. They can be caught during the day, however, in more active waters. Be patient.

Black crappie are fairly common in the waters of southern Maine and in some of the Belgrade lakes.

A big ”Hooray”! for public education

I might be a little harsh right now, but I saw and heard a couple of things this past weekend that makes me wonder about education in general.

First, there was the mayor of Philadelphia who, at a rally to celebrate the Philadelphia Eagles advancing to the NFL championship game, gave the cheer, E-L-G-L-E-S, GO BIRDS!.

Then, I was in Boston on Monday at a Bruins game when I saw a fan in the stands displaying a sign that read, ”Go Bosten!”

Notice the similarities between the two?

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Name the only female race car driver to have led both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500.

Answer
Danica Patrick.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Interesting people

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Former New York Gov. Thomas Dewey

Thomas Dewey

Former New York Governor Thomas Dewey (1902-1971) has been pretty much tossed in the dumpster of 20th century ancient American history, except for brief mentions as the Re­pub­lican opponent of FDR – Franklin Delano Roosevelt – in 1944 and of Harry S Truman, in 1948, (the photo of smiling Harry holding the New York Times cover story, Dewey Beats Truman, when that News that’s Fit to Print institution called the race a bit too early, has reappeared zillions of times in history books as a quite telling example of “losers” getting the last laugh).

To Dewey’s credit, his work as a prosecutor during the 1930s smashed the Murder Incorporated crime syndicate and sent its leader Lepke Buchalter to the electric chair in 1944.

Dutch Schultz attempted to murder Dewey in 1935, despite orders not to from the mob leadership, which resulted in his own death soon after by a hit man while using the restroom in a Newark, New Jersey, bar .

Lucky Luciano was successfully prosecuted by Dewey for his prostitution rackets, later commenting how much he detested Dewey for “making him a gangster in the public’s eye.”

As a presidential candidate, Dewey campaigned on a carefully blended mix of “pay as you go liberalism and compassionate liberalism. ” During the 1950s, Dewey exerted powerful influence in the Republican party and his backing of Eisenhower helped much in the 1953 White House victory.

A quite interesting 1975 book, The Best Years 1945-1950, has a chapter, “The GOP: Dewey, Again, ” in which author Joseph C. Goulden casts a not so favorable light on his insufferable arrogance. Dewey divided people into two groups – those “who could help him politically; and the press, servants and lesser public.”

Goulden writes one paragraph that conveys just how despicable Dewey could be:

“Warren Moscow, a political writer for the New York Times who knew Dewey well, said of him, ‘Mr. Dewey is a strange character – or perhaps I might say, he’s a strange lack of character. ‘ According to Moscow, soon after Dewey became governor he received a report about an outbreak of amoebic dysentery at a state mental hospital. One patient had already died. A legislative leader asked Dewey privately what he intended to do. Dewey replied, ‘Oh, we’ll let it slide a bit, let it coast for a little while, and then we’ll make a bigger splurge when we clean it up.’ Seven deaths later Dewey acted, depicting the hospital situation as ‘typical of twenty years of dry rot and incompetence’ of preceding Democratic administrations. ‘In my opinion,’ Moscow said, ‘it boils down to seven people dying so that Mr. Dewey could get his name in bigger headlines.’ “

My first awareness of Thomas Dewey came via a 1960 Look magazine with a photo gallery on its front cover of six famous political leaders – FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Nelson Rockefeller, then-Massachusetts Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Dewey with his own beaming smile and little black mustache.

Marguerite Matzenauer
Pasquale Amato

M. Metzenauer

Donizetti: La Favorita – “Ah! L’alto armor (Oh, Love)”; Pasquale Amato, baritone, and Marguerite Matz­enauer, soprano; Victrola Red Seal 89062, one-sided 12-inch acoustic shellac disc, recorded 1912.

Soprano Matzenauer (1881-1963) was a native of Timisoara, Romania, and sung in a number of Italian and German operas at the Met during the World War I years. She also had a phenomenal memory and learned the very demanding role of Kundry for a production of Wagner’s opera Parsifal on short notice.

Italian baritone Amato (1878-1942) appeared at Milan’s La Scala in 1907 in several successful productions conducted by Arturo Toscanini and followed the Maestro to the Met when the latter became Music Director in 1908, Amato remaining there until 1921. During the mid-’30s, he landed a job teaching voice at Louisiana State University.

Both singers left a sizable number of recordings. Their 1912 collaboration in a love duet from Donizetti’s richly melodic opera La Favorita, despite the acoustic sound, is one very exquisite example of blended vocalism with each doing solo turns. This performance can be heard via YouTube and, for connoisseurs of fine operatic singing, is most highly recommended.

John Capodice

John Capodice

During season 8 of the series CSI, accessible without commercials on Hulu, character actor John Capodice (1941-2024) did a skilled performance in a recurring role as a Las Vegas mobster Gedda who has several police officers, prosecutors and judges on his payroll. Just the manner in which Gedda eyeballs different individuals with undesirable attention is something to watch.

 

 

 

 

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