LIFE ON THE PLAINS: An icon on lower Main Street

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by Roland D. Hallee

This is the beginning of a series of articles on growing up on The Plains, in Waterville, in the 1950s and 1960s. The Plains was a flat area along the Kennebec River that stretched from the end of lower Main St., south toward Grove St., and slightly beyond to Couture softball field. I was born into a French-Canadian Catholic family, in the south end of Waterville.

But, before we get into that, there was one significant chapter in my growing up that must be acknowledged.

Just north of The Plains, at the most southern end of Main St., stood an iconic landmark known, pretty much, nationwide – The Levine’s Store for Men and Boys.

In my growing up years, there wasn’t a stitch of clothing I owned that did not come from Levine’s. Back in those days, there was no Walmart, Kohl’s or Target. When you needed clothing, you went to the local haberdashery, picked out your item, had them fitted, and tailored to your size and specifications, at no extra charge.

One of the main reasons we went to Levine’s – there were other clothing stores, Stern’s Department Store, and Dunham’s of Maine to name a couple – but for our family, it was Levine’s.

My mother’s youngest brother, Leonel “Nel” Libby was a sales clerk at the store, and he was our go-to-guy. Anytime, anyone in our family walked through the front door, we were not approached by other sales clerks, but they would go looking for “Uncle Nel” – You could hear them yelling for “Libby” throughout the store.

I remember when I was about 10 years old, my father took me to Levine’s to buy my first suit. Actually, it was more like a sports jacket. It was a red checkered coat that was worn with black pants. Boy, did I feel like I was the cat’s meow with that snappy jacket. Even took it on trips to Canada.

Levine’s had the latest fashions.

During my sophomore year in high school, I was finally able to buy my own clothes after I got a job working in the mailroom at the Morning Sentinel. The rage at the time were khaki “chinos”. That was something my mother would not buy for us. We always wore corduroy or flannel pants.

How proud I was of those chinos. I now looked like one of the guys in school. Even the girls noticed.

Until the day came when they went into the laundry. Before I go any further, you have to understand my mother was a very meticulous person. Never any dust on the furniture, floors that shined all the time, and laundry that was ironed perfectly before being put away.

The style for wearing chinos back then was more like boot cut jeans of today. No creases. Well, my mother went and ironed them, putting a clean, crisp pleat in the legs. Destroyed! I couldn’t wear those to school again. Even though they came from Levine’s.

Levine’s store, founded in 1891, has been closed since 1996, as have the other two stores. Even my Uncle Nel has passed on. Something is definitely missing downtown.

So, descendants of William Levine, founder, and his sons Lewis “Ludy” and Percy “Pacy”, have come together to remember the store and its location in Waterville. After moving the store to its most recent location on lower Main St., early in the 20th century, the store expanded in the 1960s to the former site of the Crescent Hotel, which was located on the traffic circle that existed in the middle of Main St., Water St., Spring St., and Bridge St.

Levine’s Store for Men and Boys served as a beacon of business development and community gathering in downtown Waterville for 105 years. After closing its doors in 1996 the building lay dormant until it was razed. location is now the site of the newly-built Lockwood Hotel, which is owned by Colby College. Levine’s was internationally known. Colby students and satisfied customers spread word across the globe about Levine’s. Thus, Levine’s Store is inescapably tied to Colby College in putting Waterville on the international map.”

Descendants of the Levine family have created a fundraiser to preserve the family’s legacy with a plaque to be erected in the southern park.

The GoFundMe organizer says: “It is time to memorialize and honor the legacy of Levine’s Store and the memories of Ludy, Pacy, and their nephew Howard Miller. In partnership with the Mayor of the City of Waterville and with Colby College, the descendants of Ludy, Pacy and Howard have banded together to honor the store and the Levine family with parks on both sides of the hotel, and with a special naming of the hotel’s conference room. An exceptional dedication ceremony is currently being planned for mid-July 2022. Colby College is funding the development of the memorials that will live in the northern park and in the conference room. It is the family’s responsibility to fund the memorial for the southern park.”

To view the GoFundMe, please visit: https://gf.me/v/c/z4lq/levines-park.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Conductors Bruno Walter and George Szell

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Bruno Walter, left. George Szell, right.

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Back during eighth grade in 1964, I was hungrily eager to hear every record of classical music that I could beg, borrow, buy, barter for; and one neighbor was kind enough to loan the Arturo Toscanini/NBC Symphony RCA Victor Red Seal LP of Beethoven’s 5th and 8th symphonies, that I auditioned on another neighbor’s hi-fi which was quite superior in sound to the $32 manually operated phonograph I owned.

I was already quite familiar with the 5th Symphony via an old Columbia Masterworks set of five 12-inch 78s, conducted by Bruno Walter (1876-1962) with the New York Philharmonic.

I remember the black and white photo of Walter raising his arms in the air and conveying, in his stern eyes, that he meant business; Leonard Bernstein called him one of the great saints of music with a sweet gentle spirit and wearing silk gloves but beneath those silk gloves was an iron fist and a sneaky snakiness in Walter’s ability to look out for number one.

But Walter was a truly great conductor on the same level as his close friend Toscanini (1867-1957) and his recording of the 5th had a combination of dramatic power and nicely contrasting poetry while Toscanini’s performance had the excitingly riveting volatility of a sledgehammer.

Back to my first encounter with the 8th Symphony. Toscanini and his players tore into the first movement and fully communicated its growling jubilation, Beethoven being a 100 percent manic depressive.

This symphony had its first performance in 1812 in Linz, Austria, where the composer was visiting his brother Johann, enjoying his hospitality and, at the same time, trying to break up a relationship Johann was having with a woman whom Beethoven considered a lowlife. The situation and how it was resolved makes for hilarious reading.

The second movement is a perky dance with the bassoon taking center stage with its staccato notes.

The third movement is labeled as a Menuet but its beauty is a passionate outpouring of the heart, as opposed to a graceful elegant dance, with some very eloquent, almost heavenly writing for the strings.

The final movement is a vivacious highly spirited romp for the entire orchestra.

A similarly exciting performance of the 8th was an early 1960s one conducted by the arch perfectionist, SOB, taskmaster George Szell (1897-1970) with the Cleveland Orchestra while another one from 1957 with Andre Cluytens (1905-1967) conducting the Berlin Philharmonic has a more relaxed sedate quality that works beautifully, this Maestro being one who was quite underrated during his own lifetime.

While the 7th Symphony is a colossal masterpiece with the much shorter 8th seeming to a number of listeners anticlimactic, Beethoven himself considered the 8th immensely superior to the 7th.

Beware of energy saving scammers

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image: AARP

Summer is coming, and rising temperatures mean high air conditioning bills. Scammers have devised a new con that claims to “save you money.” Con artists, posing as local government and utility company representatives, are offering phony home energy audits and services. Here’s what you need to know to spot the scam.

How the scam works

You are contacted over the phone or in person at your front door. The “representative” introduces themselves as working for your utility company or with the energy division of your local government. They may even show you identification, but it isn’t real.

Scammers inform you that you could be saving big on your energy bill. Some con artists will even insist on a tour of your home. These individuals may offer to install filters, thermostats, or other energy equipment to lower your bill, or they may say simply you are eligible to pay less. In either case, they’ll ask you to sign a contract and possibly even run a credit check. They will also ask for billing information, including your debit or credit card number.

In the end, you won’t receive any discount on your energy bill or any services. The equipment you were promised won’t be delivered. That’s because this “home energy audit” is a scam. You may, however, be charged the fees mentioned in the contract, and your personal information will be in the hands of a scammer.

How to avoid impersonation scams

Don’t agree to anything on the spot. No matter how good the deal seems or how urgent the individual makes their offer seem, take time to do your research. Tell the person you need time to think about their offer and hang up or close the door. Scammers may tell you you’ll miss out on the deal, but taking immediate action isn’t worth getting scammed.

Go to the source. Contact your local government agency or your utility company directly to confirm whether they really are offering energy audit services. This is the quickest way to find out if you are dealing with an impostor.

Get help. If you aren’t sure about what you’re being offered, talk to someone. Call a trusted friend or family member or contact your local BBB to find out if it you are dealing with a scam.

For more information

Learn more ways to protect yourself from scams by reading the BBB’s tip on avoiding impostor scams. You can find additional information at BBB.org/AvoidScams.

Become a skilled scam spotter by visiting BBB.org/SpotaScam and report any suspicious activity to BBB.org/ScamTracker.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Things you see in the dark

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Wolverine, left, and Fisher, right.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Well, today we have an interesting question.

A supporter sent an email to me stating they had seen a wolverine crossing the Bog Road, in Vassalboro, on their way home from the Vassalboro town meeting last Monday night. After looking online, this person is sure it was a wolverine.

The wolverine is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae (otters, weasels, badgers, ferrets, martens, minks). It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The wolverine has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to its size, with the documented ability to kill prey many times larger than itself.

The wolverine is found primarily in remote reaches of the Northern boreal forests and subarctic and alpine tundra of the Northern Hemisphere, with the greatest numbers in Northern Canada, the U.S. state of Alaska, the mainland Nordic countries of Europe, and throughout western Russia and Siberia. Its population has steadily declined since the 19th century because to trapping, range reduction and habitat fragmentation. The wolverine is now essentially absent from the southern end of its range in both Europe and North America.

Anatomically, the wolverine is an elongated animal that is low to the ground. With strong limbs, broad and rounded head, small eyes and short rounded ears, it most closely resembles a large fisher. Though its legs are short, its large, five-toed paws with crampon-like claws and plantigrade posture enable it to climb up and over steep cliffs, trees and snow-covered peaks with relative ease.

The adult wolverine is about the size of a medium dog. Wolverines have thick, dark, oily fur which is highly hydrophobic, making it resistant to frost. This has led to its traditional popularity among hunters and trappers as a lining in jackets and parkas in Arctic conditions. A light-silvery facial mask is distinct in some individuals, and a pale buff stripe runs laterally from the shoulders along the side and crossing the rump just above a bushy tail. Some individuals display prominent white hair patches on their throats or chests.

Like many other mustelids, it has potent anal scent glands used for marking territory and sexual signaling. The pungent odor has given rise to the nicknames “skunk bear” and “nasty cat.” Wolverines, like other mustelids, possess a special upper molar in the back of the mouth that is rotated 90 degrees, towards the inside of the mouth. This special characteristic allows wolverines to tear off meat from prey or carrion that has been frozen solid.

Wolverines are considered to be primarily scavengers. A majority of the wolverine’s sustenance is derived from carrion, on which it depends almost exclusively in winter and early spring. Wolverines may find carrion themselves, feed on it after the predator (often, a pack of wolves) has finished, or simply take it from another predator. Wolverines are also known to follow wolf and lynx trails, purportedly with the intent of scavenging the remains of their kills. Whether eating live prey or carrion, the wolverine’s feeding style appears voracious, leading to the nickname of “glutton”. However, this feeding style is believed to be an adaptation to food scarcity, especially in winter.

The wolverine is also a powerful and versatile predator. Its prey mainly consists of small to medium-sized mammals, but the wolv­erine has been recorded kill­ing prey such as adult deer that are many times larger than itself. Prey species include porcupines, squirrels, chipmunks, beavers, marmots, moles, gophers, rabbits, voles, mice, rats, shrews, lemmings, caribou, roe deer, white-tailed deer, mule deer, sheep, goats, cattle, bison, moose, and elk. Smaller predators are occasionally preyed on, including martens, mink, foxes, Eurasian lynx, weasels, [coyote, and wolf pups. Wolverines often pursue live prey that are relatively easy to obtain. Their diets are sometimes supplemented by birds’ eggs, birds (especially geese), roots, seeds, insect larvae, and berries.

Wol­ver­ines frequently cache their food during times of plenty. This is of particular importance to lactating females in the winter and early spring, a time when food is scarce.

Wolves, American black bears, brown bears, cougars, and golden eagles are capable of killing wolverines, particularly young and inexperienced individuals. Wolves are thought to be the wolverine’s most important natural predator. Armed with powerful jaws, sharp claws, and a thick hide, wolverines are remarkably strong for their size. By far, their most serious predator is the grey wolf.

Wolverines live primarily in isolated arctic, boreal, and alpine regions of northern Canada, Alaska, Siberia, and Fennoscandia; they are also native to European Russia, the Baltic countries, the Russian Far East, northeast China and Mongolia. In the Sierra Nevada, wolverines were sighted near Winnemucca Lake in spring 1995 and at Toe Jam Lake north of the Yosemite border in 1996; and later photographed by baited cameras, including in 2008 and 2009, near Lake Tahoe. According to a 2014 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publication, “wolverines are found in the North Cascades, in Washington, and the Northern Rocky Mountains, in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Wyoming. Individual wolverines have also moved into historic range in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado, but have not established breeding populations in these areas.

Most New World wolverines live in Canada and Alaska. However, wolverines were once recorded as also being present in Colorado, areas of the southwestern United States (Arizona and New Mexico), the Midwest (Indiana, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts) and in New York and Pennsylvania.

Many North American cities, teams, and organizations use the wolverine as a mascot. For example, the US state of Michigan is, by tradition, known as “the Wolverine State”, and the University of Michigan takes the animal as its mascot. There have also been professional baseball and football clubs called the “Wolverines”.

Marvel Comics character James “Logan” Howlett was given the name “Wolverine” because of his short stature, keen animal senses, and ferocity.

The wolverine is prevalent in stories and oral history from various Algonquian tribes and figures prominently in the mythology of the Innu people of eastern Québec and Labrador.

So, now the question is: are there wolverines in Maine? According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, wolverines are not found in New England, although they did at one time. But fishers are, and in the right light, they could look like small wolverines. What did that person see that night? In the dark, it could possibly have been a fisher, which bears a resemblance to a small wolverine.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which Boston Red Sox player was the first rookie in history to gather both the Rookie of the Year, and Most Valuable Player awards, in the same year?

Answer can be found here.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Keeping Your Kids Covered Finding Health Insurance Post-Graduation

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There are a number of ways the new grads in your family can get the healthcare coverage they need.

(NAPSI)—When your children graduate, there are two things you should know. First, congratulations. Second, consider their health insurance needs. Perhaps this is the last thing you ask yourself but it may be among the most significant. About one in five people in their 20s do not have health insurance, according to recent studies. However, one unexpected illness or accident could have long-lasting health and financial consequences.

“Choosing the right health coverage for your child may seem difficult as many people have never shopped for their own health insurance or worry they cannot afford it,” said Mark Smith, president of HealthMarkets Insurance Agency, one of the largest health insurance agencies in the United States. “A wide range of coverage options are available to meet your child’s unique care needs and financial situation post-graduation.”

And now is the time to start. Many colleges and universities require undergraduate and graduate students to have health care coverage while enrolled. While some may have coverage under parents’ health insurance, others choose health plans offered by health insurers through the school. Students have until their plan expiration dates, which vary by plan, to enroll in new ones. So “Step One,” know when that is.

Health Care Coverage Guidance and Enrollment Support

Families can find support through health care marketplaces, insurance carriers, insurance brokers and other licensed insurance agents to help determine what plan is best for them.

For example, GetCovered, powered by HealthMarkets, is a free service that provides guidance for people who need health coverage. Call (877) 650-1065 or visit www.getcovered.com/graduate to get started. Working with licensed insurance agents, individuals can learn what they are eligible for that best meets their needs. Agents can also help them enroll in these plans, where they are able.

Questions to Ask

To find the right coverage, it’s important to know what’s available, what to ask and what information is needed to enroll. To narrow the options, know:

•When your child’s current coverage ends?

•Is coverage under my plan an option? Under the Affordable Care Act’s “Age 26” rule, parents and guardians may maintain or add their children to their plans until their 26th birthday or another date that year, if you are enrolled, and ­additional premiums are paid. Go to https://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/about-the-aca/young-adult-coverage. Also, be sure to check state regulations as some have extended eligibility beyond age 26.

•What benefits does my child need or want?

•What can we afford? Think about what portion of his or her monthly budget can be used for health coverage or other insurance. Young adults may be eligible for additional options based on their specific financial situation.

Health Coverage Options

If coverage under the “Age 26” rule is not an option, consider:

•Medicaid/Medicare—While Medicare coverage is primarily available to individuals over age 65, Medicaid eligibility is based on income, disability, and other circumstances.

•Individual exchange/marketplace plans—These ACA plans are available through federal or (Affordable Care Act) state enrollment sites. Based on income, your graduate may be eligible for plan subsidies—making one of these plans more affordable. Graduation would be a “qualifying life event” to enroll in an ACA plan outside of the annual Open Enrollment Period.

•Short-term plans—Short-term limited duration insurance plans provide temporary coverage to bridge the gap between longer-term insurance coverage. These plans have a fixed duration of a few months to even several years and offer different levels of coverage than ACA plans.

“Health coverage decisions can be made simpler—and there are resources to help,” Smith said. “Whether your family chooses to do its own research and enrollment or engage outside services, determining what your graduate may need and can afford will help you find health coverage that ensures your child has access to care now.”

REVIEW POTPOURRI: First Lady Elizabeth Monroe

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Elizabeth Monroe

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

First Lady Elizabeth Monroe

Former 5th First Lady Elizabeth Kortright Monroe (1768-1830) was one of the most anti-social FLs to live at the White House during her eight years (1817-1825) while her husband James Monroe (1758-1831) ushered in what was known as the Era of Good Feelings, that period of “happiness” sometimes referred to by cynical misanthropes as the Era of Good Stealings, that story for another week.

One of the most lively chapters in Christine Sadler’s 1963 America’s First Ladies concerns the quiet Mrs. Monroe:

“She was forty-eight years of age when her husband became president and she had lived in Washington as a Cabinet wife for seven years without, it was said, making neither friends nor enemies. ‘The Monroes are perfect strangers, ‘ wailed Margaret Bayard Smith, the capital city’s most ardent note taker during the period and the one most often quoted, ‘not only to me but to all the citizens.

“The story of Elizabeth is almost entirely the story of her husband, on whom she was unusually dependent. It was an arrangement which apparently suited him perfectly and which he perhaps had fostered. She was only seventeen when he married her in New York City on February 16, 1786, while he was a member of the Continental Congress. He was twenty-seven and a veteran of the Revolutionary War, with a scar to prove it, and had studied law under his idol and mentor, Thomas Jefferson. One of his Virginia colleagues in the Congress described Elizabeth as ‘the smiling little Venus’ when she and her tall husband departed for a week-long honeymoon on the outer reaches of Long Island. ”

Pres. James Monroe

One very noble deed of Mrs. Monroe occurred when her husband was George Washington’s Minister to France in 1794. Adrienne Lafayette, wife of the Marquis who had provided much help with French troops during the last years of the American Revolution, was in prison with her two daughters and awaiting execution by the guillotine (She had already lost her mother, grandmother and sister to the blade.).

All Americans in France were under strict orders to maintain strict neutrality, even though Washington himself cherished Lafayette like a son. The Monroes decided otherwise and devised a plan.

Dressing in the finest apparel and the carriage decorated in full U.S. insignia, Elizabeth arrived at the prison with her entourage in all innocence to pay a visit to her dear friend and so charmed those powers that be that Madame Lafayette and her daughters were released from prison within a few days and given passports out of the country.

Upon the Monroes replacing the Madisons in the White House, they lived a very quiet life and pretty well shunned most Washington society, entertaining very small groups of family and friends.

Their older daughter Eliza and her husband George Hay (He was the prosecutor in the trial of Thomas Jefferson’s former vice-president Aaron Burr for treason) came to live with them at the White House and, with her mother’s blessing, she assumed most of the responsibilities for the limited social calendar in a most unfortunately arrogant manner. Furthermore, the First Lady was suffering from poor health.

Meanwhile the President had expensive tastes for finely crafted furniture from France and was granted $30,000 from Congress to decorate the newly-rebuilt White House. He also sought the most costly linen, china and silverware, running up the kind of bills which caused a previously supportive Congress to take notice.

After leaving the White House when Monroe’s Secretary of State John Quincy Adams assumed office in 1825, they retired to their country estate, Oak Hill, near Leesburg, Virginia, where Elizabeth Monroe died in 1830 at the age of 62 followed a year later by her husband at 73.

A couple of footnotes:

Elizabeth Monroe’s father served as a captain for the British during the American Revolution, a fact slyly concealed by Monroe from his family and friends.

In 1814, Monroe was riding on horseback near Baltimore Harbor when he saw several thousand British troops arriving by ship but, since nobody believed they would invade, it was too late for any advanced warning.

MY POINT OF VIEW: Let’s not ever forget the importance of D-Day

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by Gary Kennedy

June 6, 1944, five naval assault divisions landed on the shores of Normandy, France. An assault of this magnitude has never been seen in the history of mankind. The landings sites were given code names, Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. The operation itself was given the code name, Operation Overlord. There were 7,000 ships with landing craft manned by over 195,000 naval personnel from the eight allied countries. England, Canada and the USA supplied more than 133,000 troops. During this landing 10,300 troops were casualties of war. By the end of June more than 850,000 men and 570,000 tons of supplies and equipment were involved. Also 148,000 vehicles were used.

Allied forces held the western front and the Russians held the Eastern front. All of Europe was involved. This would be the one time in history that all of Europe was united, and race, ethnicity, color went unnoticed. For me it seems so strange that we are united in war but divided in peace. We should have learned something given this great unity.

There are many brave men and women buried on foreign soil. Although this is sad the burial sites are very well maintained, respected and protected. On May 7, 1945, German General Alfred Jodi signed an unconditional surrender at Reims, France. The President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt, on a hand written note, gave total authority for Operation Overlord to General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who would eventually become president of the United States.

World War II actually began on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. This horrific war lasted until September 2, 1945; claiming hundreds of thousands lives. Two days later September 3, France and Britain declared war on Germany in defense of Poland. World War II became a global war with Japan and Italy joining Germany and the United States eventually joining when things became tough for the now known allies. Democracy and freedom was the theme and the avoidance of world dominance by an evil dictator, Adolf Hitler. However, if it hadn’t been for the USA we would be looking at a different world today.

So as you can see by going back in history D-Day and Normandy became famous dates, places and events. Once again we must remember our veterans, especially those who gave it all. The greatest sacrifice given for God, country and family is one’s life. I don’t believe any soldier, land, sea or air ever intended to die but were prepared to do so if it became necessary. Older Americans have a family member in their past who perished because of events such as D-Day and its aftermath.

Currently we and the world are on very shaky ground and very close to world conflict, again, yet many of our leaders aren’t paying attention. Some of us see, remember and worry when we see what is happening in our country and around the world. When you start to count your allies it’s time to worry and pay attention to the big picture. If world peace is disrupted again can you count on those around you? Does everyone truly love these United States? Keep freedom in your sights on this D-Day and freedom in your heart. May the good Lord bless and keep you and yours safe and free from another D-Day. God bless America.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Five LPs from my youth

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Arlo Guthrie

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Arlo Guthrie

During my senior year at Kent’s Hill boarding school the spring of 1969, I lived in Wesleyan Hall dormitory and was acquainted with a fellow whose father was a wholesale record distributor.

He provided me with five LPs for sale at $2 each and gave me several days to audition them.

They were as follows:

Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant devoted an entire side one to his satirical account of an environmental incident which, for purposes of space, will not be recounted here, while the flip side had five songs of very minor charm.

His father was folk singer Woody Guthrie whose most famous song was This Land Is Your Land.

It was also the basis for a movie.

In recent years, Guthrie announced that he was retiring, at 74, from performing and touring, aptly stating that it was time to hang up the “Gone fishing” sign.

He also scored a hit with the beautiful Steve Goodman folk ballad The City of New Orleans 50 years ago.

Rod McKuen

Rod McKuen

The second LP was one by singer/poet songwriter Rod McKuen (1933-2015) whose recordings and books sold hundreds of millions of copies. His singing was not exactly beautiful after he all but des­troyed his vocal chords as a much younger man working in night clubs.

His most famous songs are Seasons in the Sun which was a hit for the Kingston Trio; Love’s Been Good to Me covered by Frank Sinatra who devoted his LP, A Man Alone, to McKuen; and the English lyrics for Jacques Brel’s If You Go Away.

I am particularly fond of If You Go Away while my father enjoyed Stanyan Street. Glenn Yarborough of the Limelighters devoted several albums to McKuen .

McKuen lived in a large Spanish-style house on Southern California’s Pacific coast and owned a humongous record collection.

Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach

Number three was the original Broadway cast recording of Burt Bacharach’s Promises Promises. Jerry Ohrbach and Jill O’Hara did top notch starring and singing roles, Ohrbach with She Likes Basketball, A Fact Can Be a Beautiful Thing and the title song which was a megahit for Dionne Warwick while Jill O’Hara’s Knowing When to Leave was and remains to this day a show stopper.

Bacharach recently celebrated his 94th birthday.

Ray Coniff

Ray Coniff

The 4th album was one of the Ray Conniff (1916-2002) Singers performing mid ‘60s hits such as My Cup Runneth Over and Winchester Cathedral.

Conniff was one of the finest jazz trombonists during the ‘30s and ‘40s and can be heard in quite a number of old recordings of small combos from those years, especially with clarinetist Artie Shaw.

During the 1950s, Conniff worked side by side with Mitch Miller at Columbia records producing numerous discs by such singers as Tony Bennett, Marty Robbins, and Johnny Mathis.

Along about then, he formed the Ray Conniff Singers as a means of providing sophisticated easy listening albums for its huge market, as did Andre Kostelanetz, Percy Faith, Paul Weston, Nelson Riddle, Hugo Winterhalter, etcs.

And he utilized a number of the same men who were part of Mitch’s Sing Along Gang because every one of them could sight read music.

Mary Hopkins

Mary Hopkins

The last album was a solo LP featuring the wonderful Mary Hopkin singing her classic Those Were the Days and covers of other vintage hits-examples being Ray Noble’s Love is the Sweetest Thing, Inch Worm and There’s No Business Like Show Business. It was released on the Beatles’ own label, Apple records. She is still living at 74.

My friend was one happy camper when I handed him a $10 bill.

 

 

 

 

CRITTER CHATTER: Vicious vermin or rodent regulator?

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The different coats of the winter and summer ermine.

by Jayne Winters

You never know what you’ll find in Don Cote’s living room at the Duck Pond Wildlife Rehab Center, in Vassalboro. When I visited him a few weeks ago to decide on a topic for this month’s article, as soon as I walked in, I knew what it would be: weasels. I’ve never seen one in the wild and feel fortunate to have arrived at Duck Pond the same day Don had one that had been captured locally.

My first question to Don was if “weasel” and “ermine” were the same critter, and he confirmed they are. I think many of us associate “ermine” with the fashion industry and I suppose that does sound more appealing than a “weasel coat.” The body fur changes (molts) from tan with white belly in the summer to white in the winter to provide camouflage during the change of seasons; it sports a black-tipped tail year ‘round. The molts are controlled by hormones that respond to the hours of daylight.

Weasels are not only found in North America, but also Europe, Asia, South America and even parts of Africa and the Arctic. They are part of the Mustelidae family, which includes skunks, mink, otters, ferrets, badgers, fishers, martens, and wolverines. Their common feature is the presence of anal scent glands which produce an easily recognized and smelly liquid used for marking their territory and for self-defense when the animals feel threatened.

The two most common types of weasels in Maine are the long-tailed, which can grow to 11-22 inches long with a tail of 3-7 inches, and the short-tailed, which is typically 7-14 inches long with a tail of 2-4 inches. The jury is still out on whether we also have a population of the least weasel, which, as the name suggests, is the smallest, 7-9 inches, including tail which does not have the black tip.

Weasels are slender animals, with stubby legs and short, round ears, only weighing three to eight ounces as adults. They are relatively shy and mostly nocturnal, although they will forage during the day. Their diet mainly consists of mice, voles, shrews, rats, frogs, and insects, but they are also known to kill squirrels, small rabbits, worms, snakes, birds and eggs. A weasel will eat up to two-thirds of its body weight every day due to its a high metabolism (heart rates can exceed 400 beats a minute) and minimal body fat.

They live in underground burrows, often around stone walls, brush piles and old foundations for denning. Weasels are solitary except during mating season and when raising young; they are not monogamous and females care for the pups alone. The female weasel, called a “jill”, will have a litter of four to ten pups in April or May after a nine-month gestation period. After nursing for a few weeks, the pups are fully independent by autumn. Their life span is only four to five years; despite their ability to reach speeds up to eight miles an hour, jump to heights of six feet, and put up a good fight with their sharp teeth, they fall prey to raptors, fox and larger mammals, as well as domestic dogs and cats. In addition, weasels are subject to Maine’s two-month trapping season.

And the weasel at Duck Pond? Don stated he usually gets only one or two a year to rehab and this one had been caught accidentally by a homeowner who was trying to trap squirrels. Upon examination, Don noticed one of its eyes looked infected, so after three days of treatment (always a two-person job!), it was released back into the wild.

Don continues to keep admissions and long-term residents at a limited number by transferring many rescued critters to other rehabbers who have generously offered to assist in their care. Please check these websites to see if there is a rehabber closer to you to help keep critter care at Duck Pond more manageable: https://www.mainevetmed.org/wildlife-rehabilitation or https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/living-with-wildlife/orphaned-injured-wildlife/index.html.

Donald Cote operates Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center on Rte. 3 in Vassalboro. It is a non-profit state permitted rehab facility supported by his own resources & outside donations. Mailing address: 1787 North Belfast Ave., Vassalboro ME 04989 TEL: (207) 445-4326. PLEASE NOTE THE PRIOR wildlifecarecenter EMAIL ADDRESS IS NOT BEING MONITORED AT THIS TIME.

VETERANS CORNER: Remembering the fallen on Memorial Day

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by Gary Kennedy

The last Monday in May is strategically placed as to generate the name Memorial Day weekend. As you can see placing this holiday in this position allows for a long weekend for most of us. Schools, federal and state agencies as well as others will be closed. It is considered a federal holiday. Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial beginning of summer. We still consider June 21 official first day of summer. (Season)

Memorial Day was originally referred to as Decoration Day. This being a time for paying our respects to those who died in battle defending the United States of America. President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, New York, as birthplace of this holiday. Waterloo held an event on May 5, thus celebrating the fallen. However, in 1865, a couple of weeks before the end of the Civil War, freed slaves in Charleston, South Carolina, held a ceremony giving Union soldiers a proper burial.

The first Decoration Day was observed on May 30, 1868, proclaimed by General John A. Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. Flowers were placed on both the Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery, in Washington, DC, with President James Garfield as the guest speaker. In 1868 until this present date approximately 5,000 people gather at Arlington National Cemetery. Flowers were placed on all graves. In 1890 it was recognized by the North and South to pay respect on the same date. This was due to World War I and those fighting in any war. The date of the holiday, if we can refer to it as such, was changed from May 30 to the last Monday of the month of May, thus creating the long weekend.

Since 1950, 1,200 soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry place small flags at each of the more than 260,000 graves at Arlington. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to insure that no flag has fallen. Red poppies are also often placed on the crosses. As I stated last year, the idea poppies was derived from the poem in 1915 by John McCrae, titled In Flanders Field. The poppy is famous from the battles in Belgium and France and is celebrated by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Other key remembrances are the candles that are placed by the Boy and Girl Scouts on the 15,300 grave sites of buried soldiers at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Parks. Also, it is requested that all governors of the United States direct the flag to be flown at half staff until noon on Memorial Day on all buildings both foreign and domestic.

Remember there is a difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial is intended to commemorate those who died for country whereas Veterans Day honors all who have served their country. This is just a little information on a very important holiday. We realize for most of you this is the wonderful long weekend. Just remember the veterans didn’t die to create a holiday. They died because they love God, Country, family and freedom. They were all aware that service to their country could be a one way ticket. And for hundreds of thousands it was just that. So love and enjoy your family, friends and God but take a few minutes to give thanks to the men and woman who made it all possible.

Also, say a special prayer for those brave men and women who are now standing up to the tyrannical hand of those merciless killing the innocence of the Democratic Christian country of Ukraine. My heart and the hearts of many other veterans go out to them as we watch their country and people being destroyed. A braver country cannot be found anywhere. Many people are new to our country so they are perhaps not as passionate about the faith of others but they obviously know what it means to be free or they wouldn’t have come here.

I say a special prayer for the Americans that have left on their own free will to fight along side the Ukraine people. I wish I was young again. May God be with you during this sad holiday. Teach your children well as they are our future and I hope they take it on with a pure, loving and compassionate heart. God bless you and those you have lost. Stay safe my friends.