REVIEW POTPOURRI – Soprano: Dorothy Maynor; TV Show: Last Man Standing; Poet: Edna St. Vincent Millay

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Dorothy Maynor

African-American soprano Dorothy Maynor (1910-1996) sang at the inauguration of Harry S Truman in 1948 and Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953; however, while singing frequently in concert and on radio and recordings, she was never invited to the Metropolitan Opera during her peak years.

In 1964, she founded the Harlem School of the Arts, which provided low cost music education to African-American students, and served as director for many years. Its enrollment had gone up to 1,100 students by the time she retired in 1979. Interestingly, while the Metropolitan Opera would never engage her due to prevailing racism in earlier decades, she was invited in 1975 to become the first African-American to serve on its board of directors.

A 1950 78 rpm set of three 12-inch discs, Sacred Songs (RCA Victor Red Seal M 1043), features arias by Bach, Handel, Mozart and Mendelssohn in which her uniquely warm, very heartfelt soprano voice is a special pleasure. Unfortunately, only a couple of the selections from this album are available on YouTube but there is a sizable number of others and, in time, somebody may post the other four sides.

Last Man Standing

I recently finished watching all 9 seasons of the comedy show Last Man Standing, starring the incredibly gifted cast of Tim Allen, Nancy Travis, Hector Elizondo, Jay Leno, Amanda Fuller, Molly Ephraim, Kaitlyn Dever, etc. Even the facial expressions and body movements were distinguished by brilliant timing, as well as the dialog and constant insults and repartee.

Edna St. Vincent Millay

The Maine poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) was born in Rockland and spent her adolescence in Camden.

After graduation from Vassar College, she found her way to Greenwich Village and published books of her poems, achieving fame and being awarded a Pulitzer Prize.

Although, and very unfortunately, little read today, her writing had a particularly extraordinary power and eloquence, as seen in the closing stanza from Renascence:

“The world stands out on either side
No wider than the heart is wide;
Above the world is stretched the sky,-
No higher than the soul is high.
The heart can push the sea and land
Farther away on either hand;
The soul can split the sky in two,
And let the face of God shine through.
But East and West will pinch the heart
That cannot keep them pushed apart;
And he whose soul is flat-the sky
Will cave in on him by and by.”

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Black and white squirrels…and football

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

My two recent columns on squirrels, black, and gray with white-tipped tails, have brought some local reaction. Over the last 30 years I have seen no more than three black squirrels, and one gray squirrel with a white-tipped tail.

A faithful reader and supporter in Vassalboro wrote: “You mentioned black squirrels – you have seen them in Vassalboro – well I live in Vassalboro and I have a small herd of them in my yard – up to 6 – and growing! Not rare here! I have two varieties of gray ones and red ones as well as the black ones. I also have a friend that lives on the lake in Palermo and they too have seen black ones. Just wanted you to know. I have not seen any with white tails – yet.”

Another reader sent this along to me: “Hi, love your column and thank you for so much information. Wanted to share this with you after reading your squirrel article in December 9, 2021, issue [of The Town Line]. Brevard, North Carolina, is the home of the rare white squirrel. My sister lived there and white squirrels ranged everywhere! Brevard even has a white squirrel festival! Thanks for your enlightening articles.”

I guess depending where you live, the subject is as plain as black and white.

* * * * * *

Let’s shift gears and talk football – New England Patriots to be exact.

Everyone who knows me knows I have been a Patriots fan since day one, in 1960. I have followed them through some really rough times. But, the last 20 years have been a wild ride. Eleven Super Bowl appearances and six victories. They have played in 15 AFC championship games, winning eleven. The Super Bowl losses have been to the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, twice – ugh! I don’t want to talk about those. Especially since I was a Giants fan prior to 1960, when they were “New England’s team”. – and the Philadephia Eagles – losing on a trick play.

Last year was a bit of a disappointment, but then this year has been a pleasant surprise.

Let’s play “what if!”

The Patriots are currently 9-4 on the season, back home in first place in the division and the number one seed overall in the conference, holding tie breakers over Tennessee (a win in head-to-head competition) and Kansas City (because of the Patriots’ 7-1 record in the conference).

So, here we go. What if Damien Harris doesn’t fumble on the three yard line in the season opener against Miami. He was ready to score a game-winning touchdown. Patriots lose by one point.

Next, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady. The Patriots were down two points late in the fourth quarter and driving for a go-ahead score. The Patriots were forced to attempt a field goal by a very reliable kicker in Nick Folk. In a driving rain, the ball caroms off the left upright and is no good. Patriots lose by two points.

Third, the Patriots were leading the Dallas Cowboys by three points late in the game. They had the Cowboys pinned on their own side of the field, with a third down and 25 yards to go. Should have been game over. However, Dak Prescott completes a 24-yard pass to bring up fourth down. But now they were in field goal range. The kick is good, and we go to overtime. The Cowboys score a touchdown and the Patriots lose by six points.

Now, if you’ve been following this, and doing some math, you know the Patriots were three plays, and nine total points from being 12-1.

What if?

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Tom Brady is 6-3 in Super Bowl games with the Patriots. Who were the quarterbacks against losses to Chicago and Green Bay?

Answer can be found here.

SOLON & BEYOND: A look at some back issues

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

This morning I’m going to write some of the August 4, 2005.

My many thanks to all of you who have told me you liked the Flagstaff article, my thanks also to Roland for doing this series, it means so much . This week I’m going to let Percy (he was still alive then ) have more space, he would like to share these words with you: Realize that you are capable of working miracles of your own making. Remember that it’s up to you to find the key that unlocks the door to your happiness. Understand that increased difficulty brings you nearer to the truth of how to get beyond it. Cross your bridges. Meet your challenges. Reach out for your dreams, and discover how to get closer and closer to a more fulfilling life. Get rid of the ‘if only,s and get on with whatever you need to do to get things right.” ( words by Douglas Pagels.)

A regular meeting of the Solon Historical Society was held at the Masonic Hall on July 25 with 18 attending. A short business meeting was conducted by president Lois Starbird. It was reported that someone has cut the cable across the society’s land on Parkman Hill and fires have been started there. Betsy Graboyes has given an answering machine for the History house and Enid Tozior donated a step ladder. The next meeting will be a picnic at the home of Harriet Dolan, in North Anson, on Monday, Aug. 22. The program, The History of the Boston Post Cane will be presented by Marilyn Rogers.

Now Percy and I will end this column with these wise words from George Washington: “Be courteous to all but intimate with few; and let these few be well tried before you give them your confidence.”

The following information is from another of The Town Line papers on December 19, 2019. Received a most welcome letter this week that pleased me greatly. It was from the Natural Resources Council of Maine….. and it starts with these words: “thank you for submitting your letter to the editor titled Thankful for Strong Opposition to CMP Corridor that ran on November 17, in the Kennebec Journal. We value your commitment to make the public aware of this critical environmental issue.”

I was very pleased to get that letter and, of course, I saved it! The letter ended with these words, “Thank you again for bringing awareness to concerns facing the nature of Maine. You have made a difference.”

And now I will end this week’s column with these words: And now for Percy’s memoir called Of Gifts of Life! Do what you can with the gifts of life and gifts of heart and mind, while they are still within our power to share with humankind – for it is seldom meant to be that gifts we own today, will be forever ours to keep or ours to give away. Don’t let them fade to trials of time or waste to dearths of age, for they are like the joys of youth luxuries of wage, they’re ours to own for just a while, to do with as we can, that will endear our souls to God and grace our fellow man. (words by Michael Dubina.)

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Jazz & Christmas

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Keiko Lee

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Keiko Lee

Keiko Lee is a 56-year-old jazz singer, born in South Korea and now living in Japan. She has rightfully achieved fame for her understated performances in concerts and on CDs since 1995.

A 2010 CD, Smooth (Sony Music Japan S70614C), contains 10 songs that include Hoagy Carmichael’s The Nearness of You, Burt Bacharach’s A House Is not a Home, Stevie Wonder’s Weakness, and John Lennon’s Across the Universe. Several of her performances are on YouTube.

Kheigh Deigh

Kheigh Dhiegh

In addition to Jack Lord’s (1920-1998) very persuasive Chief Steve McGarrett of the Hawaii State Police on the first Hawaii Five-O, which ran for over 12 years on CBS from 1968 to 1980, I was very entertained by Kheigh Deigh (1910-1981) as the frequently appearing Chinese Communist spy Wo Fat who conveyed both sly wit and slimy malevolence in his fierce determination to loyally serve Mao’s government.

Jack Lord

Earlier in 1962, he gained fame as the doctor supervising experiments on kidnapped American soldiers in Frank Sinatra’s classic film The Man­chur­ian Can­didate, in which he states, “We not only brainwash our subjects, we dry-clean them.”

Deigh also appeared as Genghis Khan during the late ‘70s on Meeting of Minds, Steve Allen’s talk show in which historic figures discussed major issues.

Kheigh Deigh was born Kenneth Dickerson, in Spring Lake, New Jersey, to a man whom he described, “as Portugese, Italian and Zulu, while Mother was Chinese, Spanish, English and Egyptian.”

Great Songs of Christmas

For several years starting in 1961, Columbia Records, in conjunction with Goodyear Tires, released the annual Great Songs of Christmas, an anthology of Xmas favorites performed by different artists in Columbia’s record catalog, and sold them for $1 per record.

I first encountered Album 2, from 1962, at a friend’s house almost 60 years ago and now own it and this gentleman’s other records; his widow left it to the Vassalboro Historical Society, after which its representatives made me an offer I just couldn’t refuse.

That particular Album 2 consists of 21 Yuletide favorites performed by Columbia’s musical stars – Percy Faith, Eileen Farrell, Andre Kostelanetz, André Previn, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Leonard Bernstein, etc. Particularly enjoyable were Faith’s Hark the Herald Angels Sing, the Norman Luboff Choir’s The Holly and the Ivy, and Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic in Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker excerpts.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Wisdom Teeth Removal: Why, When And How

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Here’s something to smile about: Tips for the 85 percent of young adults who don’t have room for third molars.

(NAPSI)—This year, more than five million Americans, mostly between the ages of 17 and 25, will have their wisdom teeth removed to prevent or address teeth crowding or pain. Dentists recommend that most people (85%) have their wisdom teeth taken out to prevent health issues—such as impactions, infections, or decay—because modern mouths are smaller than our ancestors’ and typically don’t have room for this third set of molars.

That’s the why. But when is best for this preventive surgery? Wisdom teeth (so-called because of how late in life they form, once a person has a bit more wisdom), are easiest to remove when the roots are not yet fully formed, so many dentists recommend removing them in late adolescence. Waiting until they come in fully can make extraction and recovery more difficult.

According to Nadia Fugate, DMD, a licensed dentist who serves as a Delta Dental of Washington dental consultant, “Many people’s mouths just aren’t big enough for all 32 teeth, making crowding issues worse. This leads to potential damage to the adjacent teeth, difficulty keeping teeth clean and leading to decay or infections of the gums around these teeth. Wisdom teeth can also cause jaw, muscle, and headache pain. Because every person’s mouth is different, you should ask your dentist if your or your child’s wisdom teeth need to be removed.”

Wisdom teeth recovery tips for patients and caregivers 

While removing wisdom teeth requires outpatient surgery and anesthesia, the extraction process itself is usually short and pain-free. The more difficult part for wisdom teeth extraction patients is the recovery portion, which typically lasts between three and seven days.

The first two days are the most painful and is when blood clots form to protect the wound from infection and prevent excess bleeding. During this period, patients should keep the area clean, brush gently near the extraction site and avoid chewing.

Pain relief medication, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can be taken as needed. Dentists recommend icing the cheeks on the first day and keeping the head elevated. A gentle rinse with antiseptic mouthwash is okay after the first 24 hours. Additional gauze can be applied to the surgery site if there is a lot of bleeding. In some cases, sutures will need to be removed by the dentist, about a week after surgery.

As far as food is concerned, for the first two days, consuming yogurt, pudding, smoothies and liquids is fine but don’t use a straw; it can loosen blood clots. After then, patients can eat soft foods such as scrambled eggs, Jell-O or mashed potatoes. Most importantly, avoid hard or sticky foods for at least a week, as well as foods with seeds which can easily get stuck in the extraction site.

Complications are rare and, typically, the only thing you may need is to have sutures removed, approximately one week after the surgery. Watch for signs of fever, difficulty swallowing or breathing, persistent numbness or pus oozing from the socket and alert your caregiver if any of those symptoms arise. Swelling should reduce after two days; let your dentist know if it doesn’t.

One of the more serious complications of wisdom tooth removal is a condition known as “dry socket,” in which the protective blood clot is disturbed and the bone is exposed to air, food, and bacteria. This can be very painful, as well as a cause of infection. Avoiding the use of straws, smoking, spitting or getting strenuous exercise for the first two weeks after surgery can help prevent this condition.

Learn More

For more facts about wisdom teeth, visit www.DeltaDentalWA.com/blog.

FINANCIAL FOCUS: Retirees fear becoming a burden

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by Sasha Fitzpatrick

It’s human nature to want to make things easier for our loved ones – and to have great concern about adding any stress to their lives. In fact, 72 percent of retirees say that one of their biggest fears is becoming a burden on their families, according to the Edward Jones/Age Wave Four Pillars of the New Retirement study. How can you address this fear?

First, don’t panic. In all the years leading up to your retirement, there’s a lot you can do to help maintain your financial independence and avoid burdening your grown children or other family members. Consider these suggestions:

Increase contributions to your retirement plans and health savings account. The greater your financial resources, the greater your financial independence – and the less likely you would ever burden your family. So, contribute as much as you can afford to your IRA, your 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan. At a minimum, put in enough to earn your employer’s matching contributions, if offered, and increase your contributions whenever your salary goes up. You may also want to contribute to a health savings account (HSA), if it’s available.

Invest for growth potential. If you start investing early enough, you’ll have a long time horizon, which means you’ll have the opportunity to take advantage of investments that offer growth potential. So, in all your investment vehicles – IRA, 401(k), HSA and whatever other accounts you may have – try to devote a reasonable percentage of your portfolio to growth-oriented investments, such as stocks and stock-based funds. Of course, there are no guarantees and you will undoubtedly see market fluctuations and downturns, but you can help reduce the impact of volatility by holding a diversified portfolio for the long term and periodically rebalancing it to help ensure it is aligned with your risk tolerance and time horizon. Keep in mind, though, that diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market.

Protect yourself from long-term care costs. Even if you invest diligently for decades, your accumulated wealth could be jeopardized, and you could even become somewhat dependent on your family, if you ever need some type of long-term care, such as an extended stay in a nursing home or the services of a home health care aide. The likelihood of your needing such assistance is not insignificant, and the care can be quite expensive. In fact, the median cost for home health services is nearly $55,000 per year, while a private room in a nursing home can exceed $100,000, according to Genworth, an insurance company. To help protect yourself against these steep and rising costs, you may want to contact a financial professional, who can suggest an appropriate strategy, possibly involving various insurance options.

Create your estate plans. If you were ever to become incapacitated, you could end up imposing various burdens on your family. To guard against this possibility, you’ll want to ensure your estate plans contain key documents, such as a financial power of attorney and a health care directive.
It’s safe to say that no one ever wants to become a financial burden to their family. But putting appropriate strategies in place can go a long way toward helping avoid this outcome.

Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in all states and Washington, D.C. Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors cannot provide tax or legal advice. You should consult your attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation.

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS: Treat your employees well

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Growing your businessby Dan Beaulieu
Business consultant

A few years ago, Herb Kelleher, the CEO and founder of Southwest Airlines shook up the business world by declaring that the employee comes first, and the customer comes second. At first people were shocked, they could not understand such heresy. Of course, the customer comes first, everybody knows that since the customer is always right …right?

But wise old Herb Kelleher went on to explain that the happier the employees were, the more prone they would be to treat the customers like gold, the way they should be treated.

And to those of us who have flown Southwest Airlines we have witnessed first hand that Kelleher was right. Those flight attendants are the cheeriest bunch of people I have ever met. They even have jokes they like to say like, “There might be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only four ways to get off this airline.” And songs they like to sing. Sure it’s all a little corny, but I have to admit that these antics do tend to cheer up even the crabbiest of tired travelers (yours truly included).

I do know from my own experience working with companies that the companies that are committed to keeping their employees happy and satisfied, and the companies that go to great lengths to look out for their employees, are indeed the best run companies and they do in fact have the best customer service.

So here, from a great little book called Amaze Every Customer Every Time, by Shep Hyken, are some very useful tips on how to treat your employees well so they will treat your customers even better:

  • Treat employees the way you want the customer treated, maybe even better.
  • The only way you can possibly amaze your customers every time is by amazing your employees first.
  • Talking about the employees’ golden rule is not enough. You, as a leader, must model it daily.
  • Create a clear and precise mission for your company and make sure that your employees not only know it and understand it…but believe in it as well, and that starts with you as their leader.
  • As a leader you have to walk the walk and lead by example. If your employees see you treating your customers well, they will follow your lead.

And one of my own: Remember that what a company leader or owner says or does resonates very loudly in the company. As a leader be very careful with your words, and never, and I mean never, complain or knock a customer. And never let them see you treat a customer poorly.

In short, if you treat your employees the way you want them to treat your customers it will be a perfect way to run your business and, yes, to grow your business.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Seeing another rare wild animal

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

This column was a long time coming. A couple of months ago, while driving to an engagement on Eustis Parkway, in Waterville, I noticed a grey squirrel cross the street in front of me. What’s so great about seeing a squirrel, you ask? Well, just a few weeks prior to this sighting, I had seen a black squirrel, in Vassalboro, which are somewhat rare. Well, this particular squirrel was even more rare. It’s tail was white on the tip. Never seen, or heard, that before.

Well, the reason it took so long to write this column is that there isn’t much information on them that I could find. My research took me to different parts of the country, but not in Maine. What does it mean when a squirrel has a white tail?

According to an article on globegazette.com, white-tailed squirrels are not albino squirrels. The color variation can come from a recessive trait that will occasionally appear in the genetic line. … If the mother has a white tail, that characteristic is carried to offspring.

I found that white-tailed antelope squirrels are found in the southwestern United States and the Baja California Peninsula of northwestern Mexico. Their range extends north to south from southwestern Oregon to New Mexico, and east to west from western Colorado to Baja California, Mexico.

So, what about here, in central Maine?

White-tailed squirrels are uncommon but locally they can become common. James H. Harding, an instructor and outreach specialist in the Department of Zoology at the Michigan State University Museum, comments: “These unusual squirrel coloration variations are not rare; they can turn up in any population and are probably related to the same types of genetic (or developmental) variants that can lead to albino (white) and melanistic (dark, black) individuals,” he said.

“Because inheritance of color involves many genes, and can be modified by environmental factors, it is more common to see these partially odd-colored variations. Presumably, these types of anomalies would be more common in suburban and urban areas, where inbreeding can occur, due to partial isolation of populations hemmed in by roads and other human activities.

“In addition, whereas wild squirrels with white tails might be more likely to be seen and killed by a predator, in the city they are more protected from these dangers.”

Of course, the fox squirrel also comes into play. In the western part of its range, it is gray above and rust colored on its undersides. In the southern part of its range, it is black and brown with a white stripe on its face and a white tip on its tail. The fox squirrel is also known as the eastern fox squirrel.

The fox squirrel’s natural range extends through most of the eastern United States, north into the southern prairie provinces of Canada, and west to the Dakotas, Colorado, and Texas. They are absent (except for vagrants) in New England, New Jersey, most of New York, northern and eastern Pennsylvania, Ontario, Québec, and the Atlantic provinces of Canada. More questions arise from this information, but not enough answers.

In Osage, Iowa, Vince Evelsizer, a wildlife biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says the white-tailed squirrels are “unique.”

The white-tailed squirrel is also described in old folklore. What does seeing a white-tailed squirrel mean? They can be symbolic of good luck, especially because they’re so rare that you’re unlikely to find them. But when you do, they might symbolize good luck to you in the future. Peace. This type of squirrel is also symbolic of peace.

White squirrels also exist, but are far more rare than a white-tailed squirrel. Albino gray squirrels are the rarest form of white squirrel. Mammalogists estimate that the odds of a female gray squirrel giving birth to an albino offspring are 1 in 100,000.

Based on what I could find, the squirrel I saw that day in October could, and possibly was, a vagrant eastern fox squirrel. It all happened so fast I didn’t get a really good look at the rest of the coloration. But the white-tipped tail was very obvious.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Now that the Detroit Lions finally won a game, can you name the five NFL teams to go winless in a season, since 1944?

Answer can be found here.

OPINIONS: Plea to keep Bomazeen a scouting camp

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Chris “Montawagon“ Bernier at his lodge.

COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

by Chris Bernier

My name is Chris “Montawagon“ Bernier. I am a long time scouter from Winslow here in Pine Tree Council. I joined scouting in 1983. I received my Eagle Scout in 1994. Without scouting my life would have turned out drastically different. I was lucky to have both of my parents in our home growing up, however, my father worked a million hours a week it seemed. My two brothers and I got to see him often but not nearly as much as I wished growing up. I would say more than half of my male influences growing up came from scouting leaders. The other half my father.

My fondest memories in scouting were from summer camp. For me that was Camp Bomazeen. For some of the other youth in my troop it was a combination of Bomazeen and Camp Hinds. I was lucky enough to have attended Camp Hinds in 1989 for a week. I got to see both camps and participate in programs at both camps, however, my heart will always lay at Camp Bomazeen.

Many other youth, have made great memories at Camp Gustin, or Camp Nutter. Many at Camp Hinds. Pine Tree council is lucky enough for the moment to have four amazing non-replaceable assets. This is in danger of changing.

The council has incurred some debts and the national Scouts BSA lawsuits are requiring councils to fork over costs of damages. Yet another debt to our council. It is the responsibility of our council board to figure out how to pay those debts. Unfortunately, the executive board feels selling property (even if protected as a trust) is an option to pay those debts. I, as a Scout of 38 years and an adult leader/volunteer of 27 years feels that Pine Tree Council is about to jump off the cliff by the sale of Bomazeen, with Nutter and Gustin to follow.

That is why I am contacting you today. I would like to ask everyone in the district. Every Pack, Troop, and Crew member who wants to see this stay as a camp for Scouts in perpetuity, to write a personal letter stating why you think it is a bad idea to sell Camp Bomazeen, specifically. I would like to see leaders as well as youth include letters. I would ask you to personally sign it. Then either bring it to the roundtable where I will collect them and make sure they are used in a productive way to try to preserve our camps. If you cannot make it out to the roundtable, please mail them to me or you can scan them on your computer and mail them to me via email where I will print them out.

However, a signature is still strongly advised. I would like to put a deadline of getting these letters in my hand by December 15. At that time, I will take all the letters and make sure they get down to Pine Tree Council. Addressed to every board member and council employee. Think of this as a petition but with more bite as you are not just signing your name, you are explaining why you are signing your name. I would urge you to contact me about how you feel about this via email at circleofone555@hotmai.com.

I would ask that you contact your chartering organizational representatives. Encourage them to become active in what council does. Every Troop’s chartering organizational representative has the obligation to vote on who Pine Tree Councils board members are annually. The council hosts a January meeting with a list of board members. If a majority “Yes” vote is passed those people are that year’s board for council. If a majority “No” vote occurs council must wipe the slate clean and start over. I encourage a “No” vote. Our council is in desperate need of a new board of directors. Most people are not aware of this. It is crucial, even vital, now more than ever, that we let council know that selling irreplaceable property potentially protected in trust is not a good use of resources. A better use of their time should be focusing on membership, “quality” program at all four camps and capital campaigns. If done properly this council could easily recover from its debts. Something the current board clearly is not focused on.

You may or may not be aware of it but the attorney general’s office along with the Bomazeen Oldtimers Association 501(c)(3) is suing Pine Tree Council in an effort to protect the property. The deed of Doctor Averill, who gave the camp for use to central Maine scouts, states that the trustees of Camp Bomazeen govern it. If for any reason a Camp Bomazeen Trustee member leaves said board, the council, who has jurisdiction over Camp Bomazeen, “Shall appoint a successor from the vicinity of where the former Trustee resided.” The deed also states that the original Trustees of Bomazeen were all from the Central Maine, Waterville, Madison, Skowhegan area. The last time I heard there was a Camp Bomazeen board of trustees was more than 20 years ago. The council has failed in its duty to put in place successors.

The deed states “First: Said property is to be held by said Trustees for the use and benefit for members of the Boy Scouts of America, said premises to be at all times available for camping purposes to the troops and members of the Boy Scouts of America, and especially for the troops and members of the Boy Scouts of America in the central part of the State of Maine.” If the council were to sell, it is Pine Tree Council’s obligation that the money received be held in trust for Central Maine Scouting, not to pay debts for poor money management. Any sales of this trust are to be done to further the intention of the trust.

In recent years scouting has been on the decline. Covid struck and rapidly helped to disrupt scouting. The answer to debt is not selling stuff and hope membership rises. The answer to debt is increased membership and give as many opportunities to children within scouting, at as many places as possible. Without our well distributed camps, providing outstanding programs becomes that much more challenging. The current board of directors at Pine Tree Council has clearly lost its way. We the leaders of the packs, troops and crews on the ground sometimes need to remind them what they are voting on. This is one of those times as our packs, troops and crews are the larger bases of income to the council.

I want to thank you for your time and I hope you will consider sending before December 15.

Please, let’s band together as a council and help to protect these four great properties for every youth of scouting to enjoy for the next 100 years of scouting.

Send your letter to Preserve Camp Bomazeen Letter Drive, c/o Chris “Montawagon” Bernier, P.O. Box #2444, Waterville, ME 04903.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: T-E-N-S-I-O-N

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by Debbie Walker

Do you have a sewing machine? (If so, I know you deal with tension!) When did you start sewing? Who taught you? If I mention the word “tension”, does it cause you to grin? How about patterns? Do you know how to read a pattern?

I grew up thinking everyone knows how to sew. Hand sewing or with the use of a sewing machine, including sewing on buttons, all could bring about tension,

Problems with “tension” can cause you to have physical body “tension” (stress). I know I am being a bit confusing with the use of the word tension. The tension on a sewing machine is designed to control how smoothly the machine stitches and the length of those stitches. Just recently I got out my machine, hoping that I could just give it a few drops of oil and be on my way. Well, it was not agreeable, the stitches wouldn’t have even come close to holding anything together. Now I put the little job away until I had more time to mess with the tension.

A couple weeks later I got the machine out again. Now I had enough free time to take my time. Would you believe the test subject got just about perfect stitches? No problem with either my body or machine “tension”!

I learned quite a bit about sewing long before I took Home Economics in my freshman year of high school. Before that class I was self taught by watching my great-grandmother sewing her patchwork aprons (She had one on when she was making a new one and she sewed the old one to the new one!) And I watched mom doing mending with just needle and thread.

I had a pair of pants that I loved, the zipper died, and I was heartbroken. Mom added to that pain by refusing to replace the zipper. I was a bit stubborn and decided I would put in the zipper while mom was at work. It was the first time I ever used her sewing machine without supervision. Through trial and error that day I managed to get the zipper in before mom got home from work. Mom never put in another zipper; those were jobs for me.

My home economics teacher left a lot to be desired. If my only experience with sewing was with her, I probably never would have attempted sewing again. However, I had enough positive influences around me that I still enjoy sewing, even dealing with the machine tension!

Sewing is fast becoming another lost art, much like tatting (making lace by looping and knotting a single strand of thread), also canning (seat weaving, it’s a craft using the cane from the inner skin of a rattan palm. Its woven to make the seat of a chair).

I couldn’t believe it but it happened where ever I was working. Once word got out that I sewed I always had buttons to sew on, jackets needed zippers, and dresses needed hemmed. It has already happened here in the campground. I really don’t mind, it doesn’t take much of my time.

Sewing today brought up a lot of memories. As crazy as things have been this week in the world around us. I didn’t want to become depressed. So my sewing today put me on the right track. The only “tension” I was willing to deal with today was with my machine.

I am just curious if you have hobbies to relieve your “tensions”. How about contacting me at DebbieWalker@townline.org and sharing with me? Have a wonderful week and thank you for your time to read!