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

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

The Solon Pine Tree Club met at the Solon Fire Station on January 11 for their meeting. In attendance, there were six members and five leaders.

The craft project was wood burning and finishing candles from the previous month.

Leader Mrs. Pooler shared information on Maine 4-H camper scholarships ranging from $100 – $200. These camps are at Blueberry Cove, Bryant Pond, Greenland Point and Tanglewood.

Hunter, Cooper, Kaitlin and Sarah will give their demonstrations in February. The remaining members will give their demonstrations in March.

4-H members will be doing their annual food trays as a community service during the February meeting.

The club will provide food for the dinner during town meeting day, Saturday, March 7. This will take place at the Solon Elementary School.

The next meeting of the Solon Pine Tree 4-H Club will be on Saturday, February 8, at 9:30 a.m.

Received the following e-mail from Angie Stockwell about news from the Margaret Chase Smith Library, in Skowhegan: First issue of 2020 is ready for viewing. Even in the dead of winter with freezing temperatures, the MCS Library continues to be busy. Chancellor Malloy visited; PBS featured a McCarthy documentary; Scott joins the MCS Policy Center; National History Day in Maine judges are needed; Essay Contest focuses on Maine’s Bicentennial; and two high school students are off to Washington, DC, as winners of the U.S. Senate Youth program. Opportunities to contribute to the annual fund are bolstered by a Hannaford Supermarket fundraiser. Here’s the link: Margaret Chase Smith Library newsletter.

There will be a marijuana opt-out or not options with (these options listed under Adult Use Establishment options are Adult Use Retail Stores, Cultivation Facilities (inside and/or outside) Manufacturing Facilities, Testing Facilities and Note: No “Social Clubs” are allowed. Medical establishment options are: Caregiver Retail Stores, Registered Dispensaries, Manufacturing Facilities and Testing Facilities..

The Maine State Law provides that all the above options are not allowed in a municipality unless that municipality votes to allow them.

In the above paper that I took this from, it states that,”The state has created the rules and regulations covering each of the above options. The state will not issue any licenses to a proposed business unless the municipality the business will be located in has voted to allow that option in their municipality. Currently Solon has not voted to “Opt In” on any of the above options and is not required that we do so.

Carol Dolan sent me this email awhile ago and I did put it in at the time but perhaps you have forgotten and need more things to do in these cold days of winter. A sewing class at 10 a.m. – noon, on Wednesday. TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly) 10:30 – 11:30 a.m., Wednesday; Weight Watchers: 5 – 6 p.m., Wednesdays. Come in an sign up – new members accepted. Pickle Ball: 6 p .m., Monday’s, except second week, when it’s on Tuesday. Community Center meetings: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, prior to the second Saturday supper.

If you have any questions, contact Wayne at 474-1065.

And so now for Percy’s memoir: I seek in prayerful words, dear friends, my hearts true wish to send you, that you may know that far or near, my loving thoughts attend you. I cannot find a truer word, nor better to address you – nor song, nor poem have I heard is sweeter than “God bless you.” God bless you! So, I’ve wished you all of brightness life possesses , for can there any joy at all be yours unless God blesses? And so, “through all your days may shadows touch you never – but this alone – God bless you – then thou art safe forever!”

The above didn’t say who wrote it. Anyway, I’m going to put in another one this morning to cheer you: It is called, Love Hath No Season: Love is never out of season, we can always find it where we connect with one another, through thoughts and deeds we share. We may avow it in a letter or recite sweet words of prose; We may show it by a loving glance, or express it with a rose. We may shout it from the rooftops or whisper it soft and low, but no matter how we show it, it sets another’s heart aglow. (words by Catherine Janssen Irwin.)

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

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

It is with great pleasure that I send you Solon School News this morning and I thank them very much! Will start off with the First Quarter Honor Roll: All A’s, Lane Frost, Charlotte Hamilton, and Jillian Robinson. All A’s & B’s, Isabella Atwood, Izaiah Busler, Maxx Caplin, Kaylynn Clark, Amelia Cooper, Katelyn DeLeonardis, Kaitlin Dellarma, David Dixon, Lydia Dixon, Allyssa Hutchins, Alex Jerkins, Jayden McKenny, Joseph McLaughlin, Nevaeh Palmer, Riley Pelkey, Hunter Pouliot, Benjamin Powell and Spencer Rogers.

The Solon PTO sponsored a special Children’s Shopping Day on December 17. Students were able to shop for gifts for their families at a “store” set up by the PTO. Thanks to the parents and family members who donated items for this activity and those who helped students who wrapped presents on that day.

The Solon Christmas Program took place on December 12. Students from preschool through fifth grade performed songs and skits for their families and friends, The Solon PTO also held a book fair on this night. They had a large crowd for this annual festive event. They were also pleased that residents from Tissues Country Estates in Athens and Somerset Residential Center in Bingham attended the dress rehearsal.

On December 19, they recognized the top sellers in the Nature’s Vision fundraiser. Each one received a Walmart gift card. Top sellers Taylor Dube (kindergarten), Mason Boothby (first grade), Eva Mullinax (second grade), Charlotte Hamilton (third grade), Nevaeh Palmer (fourth grade), David Dixon (fifth grade), and Mrs. Pat Hines (staff).

They thank all the parents and family members who bought from students during this fundraiser. The profits will be used for special activities for our students.

Solon Fire Department holds Christmas parties for students: On December 13, the Solon Fire Department came to the school to hold Christmas parties for the grades K-2 students and the grades 3-5 students in the gym. There were games and food, and Santa Claus made an appearance. They thank the Fire Department for supporting the students in so many ways all year long.

Congratulations to a girl from the Carrabec girls basketball varsity basketball team, Courtney Rollins, for winning the Central Maine Central Region State foul shooting contest. She made 45 out of 50 baskets. Way to go, Courtney!

Don’t forget the Solon budget meeting will be held on Saturday, January 18, at 8 a.m., at the Community Building .

Those who will be running for the following offices are Sarah Davis for a three- year term as a selectman; Wayne Johnson is running for a one-year term as a selectman, Gary Bishop is running unopposed for road commissioner and Laura Layman for school board.

A 2020 preliminary budget meeting was held in Solon on December 11, 2019. The agenda was call to order: election of moderator, financial state of town and staff changes at town office and budget ramifications. Road budget issues and gravel road maintenance. Marijuana opt-in or out. The regular Solon budget meeting will be held on Saturday, January 18, at 8 a.m.

When I went to the town office to get information to share with you, Elaine was the only selectman present and she gave me some papers. On one that said, Proposed 2019 State valuation for Somerset County, it lists Solon’s as 96,500,000. Elaine said that the town will be doing a revaluation this year.

The annual Solon town meeting will be coming up in March.

And now for Percy’s memoir: This comes from a small book by Susan Polis Schutz: entitled, One World, One Heart. We all hear the same sounds. We look up and see the same sky. We cry the same tears. Our feelings and emotions are the same. All mothers are sisters. All fathers are brothers. All children are one. Yet there is hate. There is violence. There is intolerance. There is confusion among people. We don’t try hard enough to understand each other. We don’t seem to realize that we all have the same basic needs, no matter who we are or what part of the world we come from.

We must understand the differences among us and celebrate the sameness. We must make the world a place where love and friendship dominate our hearts. Equality, respect, compassion and kindness must guide our actions. Only then will we all be able to peacefully and lovingly live the life we each choose.

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

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

Thanks be to my son Peter for coming down on a cold icy winter night to straighten out this strange, contrary computer for me. I knew that there wasn’t going to be any paper last week, and I had tried my best to get the thing up and running again for several days without success. I had come to the point of even considering using some pretty foul words (but , I didn’t!).

The worst part was the blasted machine had put an email of a 4-H Club report that I should have received and put in this paper weeks ago; so even though it is late but I’m going to send it anyway.

The Solon Pine Tree 4-H had their monthly meeting on November 9. They had 13 members in attendance and three visitors. The craft project was making decorative plates with fabrics.

Cooper Dellarma started the business meeting. They shared information on making swags or center pieces at the Christmas workshop being offered at the Somerset County Extension office. They voted in favor of adopting a family for Christmas dinner. They also voted in favor to donate items to the animal shelter and have a Yankee swap at our Christmas party. During the meeting They also elected officers.

Received the following e-mail from Carol Dolan: The next Embden Historical Society meeting is Monday, April 13, 2020, at 6:30 p.m., at the Embden Community Center (797) Embden Pond Road, Embden). At 7 p.m., Jack Gibson will give his presentation along with a Power Point presentation of ” Properties, Trails & History of Somerset Woods.” ( There is some land in Embden that’s part of this.)

I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas and it will continue into the new year which will be here when this issue comes out.

I came across these words in a little book by Susan Polis Schutz entitled “One World, One Heart.” We who inherit the earth will cheer the new moon peaking through the womb who admire the green leaves of summer turning to lustrous reds and yellows who watch them fall to the ground cold, brown and stiff.

We who give birth to new life who are exhilarated by the sun rising who are romanced by the sun setting who dream to the floating clouds…

We who have a passing mark on the future of the world must have the same heart must have compassion for one another must have respect for one another must understand that though we have differences we all want the same things Nothing should divide us.

I admit that I dream a lot but I’m hoping and praying that these words stay with many of you in this coming year: All Hearts Must Be One: Everyone has the same emotions, Everyone has the same feelings, Everyone has the same desires, No matter where we live or what we believe in all hearts must be one. We must make the world a place where love dominates our hearts, nature sets the standard for beauty, simplicity, and honesty are the essence of our relationships , kindness guides our actions and everyone respects one another.

And now for Percy’s memoir: He had helped me write these columns for many years, and it was a sad day on November 4, 2015, when he died at the ripe old age of 17. He had been giving his advice on how to live and love at the end of these columns for much of that time. (I did let him write the whole column one week, and his faithful readers were truly pleased!) Received a little book (5+ 7) and only 24 pages book for Christmas that I shall treasure, called Positive Thinking and Laughter For The Soul. The following is from that little book and remember the words as you enter 2020! Life isn’t about Waiting For The Storm To Pass…It’s About Learning To Dance in The Rain… So I wish you very Happy New Year!

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

Good morning, my friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

The Solon Congregational Church will be having a Christmas Concert at 4 p.m., at the Solon Congregational Church on North Main Street, on Saturday, December 14. Entertainment will be Voices of Hope, all male quartet, and the Liberty String Band. Refreshments will be served, and admission is a donation at the door.

Received an e-mail from Carol Dolan about upcoming events of the Embden Historical Society, Inc. The committees for the 2020 year are as follows: Boston Post Cane: Larry Witham, Brainard Tripp and Emily Quint; Cemetery: Johnny Bigelow, Mitchell Quint, Bob Donovan, Patty Cobb, Billy Messer and Bob Berry. Genealogical, Emily Quint and Bob Donovan. Historical/scrapbook Team: Carol Reed and Emily Quint: Nominating: Two members to be appointed in July; two months before annual meeting. Set to rule over us: Carol Dolan; Historical Recordings: Emily Quint; Guest Book: Volunteer Refreshment Coordinator, Carol Dolan. Scholarship: Sara Donovan, Brainard Tripp, Mary Hatch and Jerry Sass. Town House and Grounds: Larry Witham, Bob Donovan, Jim Lightbody, Brainard Tripp, Ken Ingalls and Mitchell Quint. Lawn Care: Ken Ingalls and Recording Secretary and Year – In – Review: Mary Frear.

Meetings for the above is the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Embden Town House, unless otherwise stated. No regular meetings are held in December, January, February and March. Program is subject to change. Dues are payable in August for the upcoming year at the rate of $3 per person. Dues may be mailed any time to the Treasurer, Bob Donovan, 547 Dunbar Hill Road, Embden, Maine 04958. If a check, please make payable to Embden Historical Society. Any donations made, unless otherwise ear-marked will be placed in the Scholarship Fund, given annually.

Volunteerism provides for a strong group interested in preserving local history.

Lief and I attended the New Hope Church, in Solon, on South Main Street, on December 7, for the wonderful program put on by the Skowhegan Community Chorus and Voices of Hope Quartet Christmas Concert. There were many other people in attendance who enjoyed the event as well. According to the program, there are 35 members in this choir, and most of them, if not all took part to blend their voices for all of us who attended to enjoy!

There was also a quartet that sang six songs, made up of Kenneth Martin, director, Mark Cayouette, Craig Carl and Valmore Vigue.

A solo was sung by Deborah Perkins.

Refreshments and visiting after the program were enjoyed as well before everyone stepped out into the very cold weather that evening, but it was worth it!.

Lief and I had a wonderful time one day last week when we traveled to Portland and met with his son Dean, his granddaughter, Kristin, and his great-grand-daughter, Dryce, who all live in Georgia. They were staying with relatives in New Hampshire. We met them at the half way spot, after bad weather and sickness had held us apart. We don’t get to see them very often, and we all had a wonderful time!

The visiting cardinals are still with us, and the female is still trying to peck through the window glass to get in to see us. It makes me feel quite inhospitable and sad, but the only thing we can do is continue to put seeds in the little glass bird feeder that is stuck to the window where she lands. ( I appreciated your column on cardinals last week, thanks, Roland)

And now for Percy’s memoir entitled, Peace on Earth: Hear, O God, this holy season, hear my prayer for peace on all the earth; You came on earth to be our Brother- No other reason for Your birth. You came not as a conquering monarch To force allegiance from a slave – You came to win my love and service, As in a dim-lit cave. A little Child will surely lead us Where a conqueror must fail-E’en three rich kings on stately camels, Bowing, murmuring “Child, all hail.” And so my prayer-for peace I whisper To the God who made us all; Little Child, our God, our Brother, On this our earth let blessings fall. (words by Rev. Thomas Foy. )

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

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

Received this e-mail from the Solon Town Office: There will be a preliminary budget meeting for annual town meeting on Wednesday, December 11, at 6:30 p.m., at the town office conference room. This is a preliminary meeting to discuss town budget issues before the annual budget meeting and the marijuana “Opt In” options for a town vote in March.

The selectmen will be attending a workshop on December 4 on the new marijuana laws and what it means for the towns.

Also Selectman Keith Gallagher is resigning effective November 28, 2019. He and his family are moving out of state in December. The selectmen are sad to see him leave. He has been a real asset to the town and brought new knowledge and insight to the board of selectmen.

The selectmen will not hold a special election to fill his seat. Instead, at the March 2020 annual town meeting there will be two selectmen positions on the ballot; one a three-year term and one a one-year term. Selectman Sarah Davis will be running again for the three-year term position.

Nomination papers will be available for the two selectmen positions and the road commissioner position on Wednesday, November 27, and due back by Tuesday, January 7, 2020. The nomination papers will be available from the town clerk and are required to have the signatures of at least 25 registered Solon voters when they are turned in.

That is all the recent news I have since I just sent my column for this week. (I will be delivering the papers on Wednesday that week because of Thanksgiving the next day.)

Hoping to give you a few laughs, I’m going to write down an old poem (October 4, 1943). It was one I had written for English I, at Flagstaff High School, I had named it Saving Gas! Some people go to the movies in cars, and that is luck, But we have to go in a breezy old truck. What do we care, if we only get there. With many a song our singing is rare. We don’t have much style, but we have lots of fun. The people of Stratton always know when we’ve come!

I received an A- for this crazy poem, we had some great teachers! But…… there wasn’t any movie theater in Flagstaff, but there was one in Stratton and my wonderful uncle loaded up his truck with as many of us who fit in safely, and off we would go to Stratton! I brings back many wonderful memories!

Now I want to tell you more about the great calendars we at the Skowhegan Adult Ed teacher-less painting class have had made. There are some beautiful special pictures painted by members in this group for each 12 months of the year 2020. Much of the work done to get these calendars finished was done by Lee York, who has been with this group of artists since the beginning. I can’t call them my students since I don’t teach them anything, but I do call them wonderful friends. Don’t know how to tell you how proud I am of these painter friends of mine and their talent shows in the paintings. If any of you are interested in purchasing a calendar you can call me at 643-5805. The money that we take in for them is going to go towards scholarships.

And now for Percy’s memoir: Don’t wait with longing for the day when better times might come your way. Discard the fears that may depress; Live now and garner happiness.

It’s such a waste to dwell on gloom. Though you have problems, find the room for loving when the path is rough; For laughter when the going’s tough.

To fully live means you must face whatever comes with humble grace. And if you mourn, turn it to praise. How much to do, how few the days!

May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!