Glidden family honors WWII soldier from Palermo

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The Glidden family, group on left, Buffy, Sam, Nelson, Gayle and Sue. Group on right, Amy, Laraine, Paul, Pat, Clair and Delores. (contributed photo)

Submitted by Patricia Glidden Clark

Saturday, September 30, 2023, family members of World War II soldier from Palermo, Malcolm Leroy Glidden, honored his memory with a gathering at the Malcolm Glidden American Legion Post #163, in Palermo. The presentation was put together by Post Commander Paul Hunter with documentation that he researched and obtained from the National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri, and information from other sources like Newspapers.com, Ancestry.com, Sons of Liberty Museum and American Legion records. It was supplemented by historic records, clippings and photos that Mr. Glidden’s parents, George and Esther Glidden, had saved from the 1940s. Two of their granddaughters, Patricia (Pat) Glidden Clark and sister Laraine Glidden (daughters of Malcolm’s brother Lawrence) provided a great deal of information to the Legion.

Malcolm left Palermo on March 20, 1944, at just 18 years old, to serve his country in the U.S. Army. He served in the European Theater of Operations, Signal Corp, 94th Division of General George Patton’s 3rd Army. Unfortunately, he never made it home, becoming the only soldier from Palermo to be killed in World War ll. Malcolm died in battle in Germany on March 23, 1945, near Luxembourg. He would not be returned home until April 9, 1949, and was buried on April 10, 1949, at Chadwick Hill Cemetery, in South China.

Family members in attendance were: Patricia Glidden Clark and Laraine Glidden (children of brother Lawrence Glidden); Delores Kennedy Douglas (daughter of sister Eloise Glidden Kennedy), Buffy Glidden Whitaker (daughter of Malcolm’s namesake nephew Malcolm) and son Sam, and Nelson and Gayle Glidden (children of Malcolm’s brother George). Additional family present included Amy Glidden, widow of Bruce Glidden who was brother to Buffy; Clair Clark, Pat’s spouse, and Nelson’s wife Sue. We were also joined by Paul’s wife Bonnie and daughter Chelsea.

Paul and Bonnie put together a booklet for the family with many of the significant details of Malcolm’s life and service to his country. The family is looking forward to receiving copies of the booklet for each member. At the close of the visit, Pat and Laraine presented the American flag to the Legion that had been given to them following the death of their father Lawrence in 1982.

Davidson Nature Preserve Full Moon Hike

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Join Kennebec Land Trust staff and volunteer property stewards to take advantage of the full moon for a hike at the Davidson Nature Preserve on Monday, November 27 at 5:30 p.m. Bring what you need to be comfortable for a night walk, including a headlamp or flashlight, warm clothes, water, snacks etc. The family-friendly hike will be approximately one mile long. For more information or to RSVP, contact Marie at mring@tklt.org or 207-377-2848

Directions: From Augusta or Waterville take Route 201 to Vassalboro. Turn east on Bog Road for approximately 2.2 miles to the intersection with Taber Hill Road. Turn north (left) on Taber Hill Road for approximately 1 mile. Look for the KLT sign, parking lot, and sign-in box on the left (west) side of Taber Hill Road, just before Hussey Hill Road.

PHOTO: Harvesting success

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Reese O’Brien became a member of the Big Buck Club of Maine on Saturday October 21, the second day of the youth hunt, when he harvested an eight point Buck which weighed 200 lbs in Vassalboro. This was the third deer that Reese has harvested since he started hunting. Reese is from Winslow and was being mentored by his great-uncle Jim Rafuse. (contributed photo)

SCOUTS: Tristan Morton completes orienteering course

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Tristan Morton, of Augusta, shooting a reverse azimuth.

by Chuck Mahaleris

Tristan Morton, of Augusta Troop #603, moves across terrain and trails as part of his Orienteering Requirement for the First Class Rank at Augusta’s Viles Arboretum. Working over a mile, he navigates to landmarks and cross-country, Tristan shoots a back azimuth to verify his position after boxing around Viles Pond. After verifying his position, he is ready to navigate to his next objective.

Scouts need skills like map reading, terrain identification, and compass work to be at home in Maine’s woods. Since ancient times, rough maps of the Earth and simple compasses have guided explorers, warriors, and pioneers like Lewis and Clark, Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, and Amelia Earhart. The skill of learning to understand a map and compass are vital to anyone who spends time outdoors and is an integral part of Scouting itself.

The World Crest is a Scout emblem that has been worn by an estimated 250 million Scouts worldwide since the Scouting movement was founded in 1907 by Lord Robert Baden-Powell. He later explained the significance of the World Crest, “Our badge we took from the ‘North Point’ used on maps for orienteering.” His wife, Lady Baden-Powell, added, “It shows the true way to go.” The emblem’s symbolism helps to remind Scouts to be as true and reliable as a compass in keeping to their Scouting ideals and showing others the way. It is hard to show others the way if you are not familiar with map and compass skills, and so all Scouting programs teach Scouts orienteering.

Scouts hold haunted woods event at Camp Bomazeen

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Dread Pirate Eric Handley, of Sidney, helped with registration for the Haunted Woods. He is also Scoutmaster of Sidney Troop #401 who camped over the weekend.

Text and photos
by Chuck Mahaleris

Sullivan Mudie, of Augusta, was at camp with his mom Lynette Mudie. Sullivan is a Lion Cub in Pack #684 and is in kindergarten. “I liked seeing the bumblebees,” Sullivan said. “And shooting the pumpkins with the BB Gun.”

Kids and parents clad in cute or creepy costumes skulked through Camp Bomazeen on October 14 for the annual Haunted Woods event. Cub Scouts and their parents donned fantastic or phantasmic costumes on Saturday and visited different activity areas around camp such as Archery, BB Gun Shooting, the Haunted House run by Augusta Troop 603, outdoor cooking, the obstacle course, pumpkin painting, and arts and crafts. In the evening, after the younger Scouts went home with their parents, the older Scouts from area Troops took part in the haunted hike that lasted until the witching hour (11 PM). Julie McKenney of Belgrade organized the program. “It is so much fun to watch the younger kids and their parents have fun together at Camp,” she said. “Everyone loves to get into the spirit of Halloween and it is a great family program. Then at night, the older Scouts test their Scouting knowledge and their courage as they have to survive the Haunted Trail at night.” The Troops also had a gateway competition and a stew cookoff.

The Haunted House beneath the dining hall was guarded by the Grim Reaper (Joseph Maranda) and his son Owen Maranda, of Augusta and Chelsea. Owen is a Tenderfoot Scout in Troop #631, where his dad is one of the Assistant Scoutmasters. “I’m having fun directing people into the Haunted House,” Owen said.

Vassalboro scouts learn orienteering

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Front row, from left to right, Lion Scouts Alex Madison and Boone McLaughlin, Tiger Scouts Greyson Malloy and Kasen Maroon. Second row, Webelos Scouts Henry Gray, Anthony Malloy, and Eli Richmond, AOL Scouts Christopher Santiago, Hunter Brown, and William Vincent, Wolf Scouts John Gray, Sam Madison, Beckett Metcalf, Connor Millett, Lux Reynolds, and Declan McLaughlin. Back row, Cubmaster Chris Santiago and members of the Maine Wardens Service. (photo by Chuck Mahaleris)

by Chuck Mahaleris

Members of the Maine Warden Service took time out of their schedules to teach Scouts in Vassalboro Cub Scout Pack #410 orienteering to help the Scouts understand how to navigate their way in Maine’s woods. The compass training took place at Thurston Park, in China, on Monday, October 16. Jessica Murray was very pleased, “Thank you wardens,” she said. “My kids learned a bunch and we appreciated the time everyone gave the kids and parents.”

Mid-Maine Chamber names new community engagement specialist

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Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce welcomes Michael Guarino as its new Community Engagement Specialist.

Michael Guarino

Guarino, who was the associate director for the Maine Sports Commission and former community relations director at Snow Pond Center for the Arts, in Sidney, has 25 years of tourism, community relations, and event experience in Maine. He currently chairs the Kennebec Valley Tourism Council and has operated Maine Wilderness Tours since 1996.

Guarino is a graduate of Thomas College, in Waterville, with a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in marketing/management.

This new position will work with event organizers to secure the Mid-Maine region as their destination for a variety of events and conferences while developing and implementing strategies to engage local businesses.

Mid-Maine Chamber President and CEO Kimberly Lindlof said of Guarino, “Mike brings a vast knowledge of event and tourism expertise, destination management experience, and business connectivity to our team. We are excited to have a point person here at the Chamber to roll out the red carpet for event organizers interested in bringing their activities to our region. Staff and volunteers alike are pleased to welcome him onboard.”

Sheepscot Lake Association fall newsletter

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submitted by Maria O’Rourke,
SLA President

The saying, “time flies when you’re having fun” certainly holds true when it comes to summer on Sheepscot Lake! The 2023 season is now in the books and the Sheepscot Lake Association is reflecting on our activities and projects, as well as looking ahead to 2024.

June had us hiring and training our three Courtesy Boat Inspectors, who check for invasive species on boats and trailers entering and leaving the lake. This program is made possible in part due to a grant from the Maine DEP, as well as your membership dues. The rainy season was tricky to navigate, but 85 inspections were completed this season and zero invasive species were found! Thank you to our CBI team for your efforts – Alex Reichtel, Addison Turner and Olivia Childs.

Our annual 4th of July Boat Parade was successfully held in between the raindrops! Despite the questionable weather, 26 boats participated. Thank you to our 2023 Grand Marshal Tim Paul, a former board member and original CBI Coordinator. We look forward to another fun-filled parade in 2024!

SLA’s annual General Membership meeting was held in July at the Fish and Game on Rte 3. This year was a “dessert potluck,” and there were numerous yummy treats shared! This was a chance for residents to meet with neighbors, learn about our programs, renew memberships and hear our guest speaker. This year we were visited by Shawn Herbert, the Harbormaster of Naples, who discussed the recent Mooring Ordinance passed by the Town of Palermo. This ordinance will go into effect in 2024. For more information about the ordinance and its importance, please visit www.townofpalermo.org and look under Ordinances.

Sheepscot’s water quality has been tested throughout the summer for clarity, dissolved oxygen levels, and phosphorus levels. As has been the case over the years, Sheepscot has healthy levels in all categories, and we have a lot to be grateful for! Thank you to Jeff Levesque, our volunteer water quality tester!

Our online store has been filling merchandise orders all summer. In addition to the shirts and tote bag from last year, we have now added more shirt designs, sweatshirts, and a coffee mug! Your purchase enables us to continue to provide programs that help keep Sheepscot Lake healthy. Please visit www.bonfire.com/store/sheepscot-lake-association to browse our selections!

If you have not renewed your membership, or have yet to become a member, please visit our website at https://sheepscotlakeassociation.com where you can renew or join by paying via paypal. Or, you can send a check to Sheepscot Lake Association, Box 300, Palermo, ME 04354. Our membership dues have not risen since our inception over a dozen years ago! Can you say the same about anything else these days? Individual – $20, Family $30, Patron $50. We would not be able to provide what we do without your support!

We could also use your help by volunteering as well. Our LakeSmart Team needs some evaluators, and if you are interested you would receive training online this off-season and be able to join us in 2024. LakeSmart is a state-wide educational outreach program coordinated by Maine Lakes that helps waterfront property owners keep their spaces “lake friendly” and free from erosion. Interested homeowners reach out and evaluators determine whether the property has any erosion issues and offer advice on how to combat it. Stormwater runoff from roads, driveways, and properties can be detrimental to the health of the lake. LakeSmart gives homeowners tips and tools to keep erosion at bay. The Lake Association completed two evaluations this season and we hope to increase that next year. If you are interested in having your property evaluated, or in being trained as an evaluator, please email us at sheepscotlakeassoc@gmail.com

Another opportunity to become involved will present itself in the late spring/early summer of 2024 when we hope to host an on-site Invasive Plant Patrol Training Workshop. This program is run by the Lake Stewards of Maine, who will come to our lake to train us on determining the difference between invasive and native plants. After the training on land, we will go on a “paddle patrol” in kayaks to inspect the plants in their habitat. Once the training is completed, participants will then feel confident to go on “patrol” whenever they are on a kayak ride. This will enable us to “inspect” the lake much more broadly than just the boats coming in and out of the launch. If you are interested in being put on a list to join the Invasive Plant Patrol training in 2024, please send us an email at sheepscotlakeassoc@gmail.com

To keep up with Sheepscot Lake Association’s activities, please visit our website and “like” and join our Facebook page. Thank you for your continued support in keeping Sheepscot Lake as healthy as it is! Please enjoy a happy winter season and we will see you on the lake in 2024!

Thank you for your support.

AARP Maine seeks applicants for new volunteer state president

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AARP Maine seeks applications for a new Volunteer State President, a lead volunteer position that reports directly to the AARP Maine State Director and works closely with AARP staff and volunteers on a range of key issues that impact Mainers 50-plus. Applications will be accepted until October 31, 2023.

“The central pillar of AARP Maine’s mission is to help Mainers 50-plus and their families age with dignity and respect,” says Noël Bonam, AARP Maine State Director. “The role of the Volunteer State President is an integral part our work to advance AARP’s social mission in Maine. We seek a passionate, strategic thinker with outstanding leadership qualities and the ability to collaborate, motivate and inspire others as we work together towards this mission.”

The Volunteer State President works closely with hundreds of AARP Maine volunteers supporting important advocacy issues at the state and federal level. Advocacy activities include testifying on bills at the state legislature, bringing concerns and issues to Maine’s Congressional Delegation, representing AARP Maine in local media, hosting and speaking at local events, and providing inspiration and guidance to a growing body of volunteer advocates in the Pine Tree State.

Responsibilities of this volunteer role also include the sharing of information and resources on topics such as caregiving, fraud prevention, Social Security and Medicare. The Volunteer State President will lead events and work with local officials to bolster efforts that make Maine communities more age-friendly.

“This leadership volunteer position offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to utilize one’s skills and experiences to make a positive difference in the lives of all older Mainers and their families,” Bonam says. “The successful candidate will serve as a pivotal member of the AARP Maine team and our work on behalf of our more than 200,000 members in the state.”

The Volunteer Maine State President will:

● Serve as Chairman of the Executive Council, an all-volunteer panel made up of leaders from across the state and the AARP State Director.
● Report to the State Director and support staff and volunteers to help achieve AARP’s vision, mission and strategic priorities within Maine.
● Act as the primary volunteer spokesperson for AARP Maine, communicating AARP’s messages statewide.
● Have the opportunity to build networks and partnerships with organizations and key Maine decision-makers that will endure long after their term in office.
● Be governed by the policies and procedures of the Association.

Eligibility:

● An AARP membership is required.
● A commitment to the goals and priorities of AARP, a strictly non-partisan organization.
● An ability to lead in a collaborative manner.
● A proven track-record in strategic thinking and planning abilities.
● An inspiring team player with strong interpersonal skills, particularly in understanding group dynamics and facilitation.
● An excellent public speaker with strong oral and written communication skills.

To see a full list of responsibilities and qualifications or to apply by October 31, 2023, please click here.

To learn more about AARP and our work in Maine, visit www.aarp.org/me and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @aarpmaine.

An afternoon of viewing a slice of the ‘Roaring ‘20s’

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The audience takes a trip to the past with silent films at the Vassalboro Historical Society. (photo by Roberta Barnes)

by Roberta Barnes

Sunday October 15, 2023, the Vassalboro Historical Society opened a window into the past by showing silent films written and produced by Holman F. Day, a native of Vassalboro.

photo by Roberta Barnes

These black and white silent windows into the past remind us of the importance of body language, musical sounds, and even tapping of the foot. While in silent films we cannot hear what is spoken, the actions and body language of the characters speak in a language sometimes overlooked.

Another important part of silent films, just as in films today, was always the piano or organ music. At one time I spoke to an older woman who had watched silent movies in theaters and said how there was always a piano player. It is the music that tells you if a person is joyfully running to something or fearfully running from something. Sunday in Vassalboro Joel Estes, a music teacher from Temple Academy, in Waterville, with his electric keyboard provided the perfect sound background that enhanced the actors’ actions.

Prior to showing the first silent film, Suzanne Griffiths presented the history of Holman F. Day, born in Vassalboro 1865. Griffiths covered his career as a newspaper man, journalist, novelist, poet, and filmmaker. While she spoke, the society’s president Janice Clowes, and others set up the popcorn maker and made certain there was enough coffee and bottled water for film viewers.

David Theriault explained differences to expect between black and white silent films of yesterday, and today’s movies filled with special effects. Any needed dialogue and background story appears written in full screen rather than in captions as we see in today’s films. Once people sat down with popcorn the lights were turned off, and the score or music introduced the film Knight of the Pines. This silent comedy filmed in the cold around Augusta, Maine, in 1920 was produced by Holman Day Film Company.

Following a short intermission, more popcorn and Kent London speaking about Day’s life, the lights were again turned off. Music introduced the 1921 silent film Brother of the Bear. Written by Day, this film introduces a tame bear adopted by a man living in a shack in the forest. Between the body language of those not knowing the bear had been trained, and the keyboard sounds, spoken words are not required to know what is happening in the film.

The afternoon of delights from the 1920s ended with the silent film, My Lady O’ the Pines. It revolves around Norah Collison, a young woman who owns a huge timberland in Maine, full of white pines. Collison is played by Mary Astor, who later became one of Hollywood’s big stars.

The afternoon of visiting a part of our past closed with a raffle of several donated arrangements of white roses.

Roberta Barnes is a freelance contributor to The Town Line.

photo by Roberta Barnes