Athletes in grades three through eight had a chance to go to an hour-long clinic to work on baseball skills with the high school team. (photo courtesy of Crystal Pomerleau)
The Winslow High School baseball team held a clinic for youth baseball on Thursday, April 7.
by Melinda MyersGrowing a beautiful landscape starts with the soil under your feet. The best place to start building a healthy soil foundation is with a soil test. The results will tell you what type and how much, if any, fertilizer is needed for the plants you are growing. Using the right type and amount of fertilizer is also good for your budget and the environment.
Test the soil when starting a new garden or one that is struggling. Since soil and fertilization practices vary greatly, collect and submit separate samples for each garden bed or landscape area to be tested. Repeat every four or five years to check on your garden maintenance.
You can take a soil test anytime the ground is not frozen and you have not recently fertilized. Early spring and fall are good times since you can make needed changes when preparing your garden.
Contact your local Extension service for details on submitting a sample. If they don’t have a soil testing lab, they will likely recommend a state certified lab that tests home lawn and garden soils, or you can search the internet for a certified lab near you.
Taking a soil test sample is simple. Use a clean trowel and bucket to gather a soil sample.
Slide away any mulch or debris on the soil surface. Use a trowel and remove a slice of soil that is four to six inches deep and right where the plant roots grow.
Take several samples throughout the garden you want to test. Collect samples from each edge and several throughout the middle of the bed. Mix them together and place about a cup of the soil in a plastic bag or the one provided by the lab. Be sure to complete and include the submission form. This includes a place to list the types of plants that will be grown in the area being sampled. The lab uses this and test results to make the fertilization recommendations. Send the sample and form together to the soil testing lab.
Allow several weeks for the test to be completed and the results to be returned. Most basic soil tests report the amount of phosphorus and potassium in the soil. Phosphorus promotes flowering, fruiting, and root development. Potassium promotes drought tolerance, disease resistance and hardiness. Many soils are high to excessive in these plant nutrients. You cannot remove the excess but should avoid adding to the problem. Soil test reports can help you do just that.
Most labs do not measure the amount of nitrogen in the soil since the levels change quickly and are not easy to test accurately. Instead, they make nitrogen recommendations based on the plants you are or will grow in the area being tested.
Soil pH is also measured in most soil tests. Acidic soils with pH below neutral (7.0) are often referred to as sour, while alkaline soils with a pH above 7.0 are called sweet. Soil pH influences which nutrients in the soil are available for the plants to absorb and utilize for growth. Blueberries, azaleas, and red maples are examples of acid-loving plants. Clematis, crabapples and spireas are a few of the alkaline tolerant plants.
Always use soil test results when trying to change the pH. Lime is used to sweeten soils while sulfur is often used to lower pH. Using too much or the wrong amendment can negatively impact the health and productivity of your garden. Undoing misapplications can take years to correct. Growing plants suited to the soil pH may be the best solution for those with acceptable, although not ideal, soil pH.
Include soil testing when planning new gardens or helping those that are struggling. Understanding your soil can help you create a strong foundation important to the health, longevity and beauty of your gardens and landscapes.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Summit for her expertise to write this article. Her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Roger Files, a 12th-grader from Palermo, was recently inducted into the National Honor Society at Maine Connections Academy. He is among a total group of 12 students who received National Honor Society membership at the school, the state’s first online charter school. He plans to enter the workforce following graduation.
Bethanie Farr, of Winslow, has earned an Award of Excellence at Western Governors University College of Health Professions, in Jersey City, New Jersey. The award is given to students who perform at a superior level in their course work.
The following local residents have earned an Award of Excellence at Western Governors University, in Jersey City, New Jersey. The award is given to students who perform at a superior level in their coursework.
Marsha Polley, of Chelsea, has earned an Award of Excellence at Western Governors University College of Business.
Kit Potelle, of Winslow, has earned an Award of Excellence at Western Governors University Teachers College.
China residents enjoy Senior Day, at the portable building near the China Town Office. (photo by Becky Hapgood)
CHINA, ME — Senior Day is held every Wednesday, from 10 a.m. – noon, in the portable building at the China Town Office. Residents of other area towns are welcome to join in the fun and camaraderie.
MSAD #49 (Lawrence) – from left to right, Dan Bowers, Lawrence HS Principal; Patricia Watts, Assistant Superintendent; Jeff Melanson, President, Waterville Rotary Club.
The Waterville Rotary Club recently donated $500 to four local high schools to provide support to youth who are experiencing homelessness or other challenges that impact their learning and/or engagement in school. Members of the Club’s Community Services Committee delivered checks in person to each of the schools. These donations dovetail with the club’s focus the past two years on providing resources in the community to address food insecurity and/or lack of access to basic necessities, issues which have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
MSAD #49, in Fairfield, plans to use the funds specifically for food, clothing, or transportation. They may also use some of the funds to purchase sports equipment or materials for students that do not have means to purchase these items to participate in a sport or other activity.
Winslow High School – from left to right, Roger Krause, Waterville Rotary Club; Ms. Jones (JMG teacher) and some of the JMG students who help organize and stock the Raider Closet. (JMG = Jobs for Maine’s graduates)
Winslow High School will use the funds to support their Raiders Closet. Non-perishable food and clothes will be purchased, as needed. In some cases, food-specific gift cards will be provided to families to purchase perishable items.
Messalonskee High School, in Oakland, has an initiative that provides food for families for the weekend and snacks during the school day. They actively seek additional funds to provide for necessities that many of us take for granted in our daily lives, such as personal hygiene items, clothing, school supplies and food that can be prepared with minimal resources for those in temporary housing.
Messalonskee High School, from left to right, Keith Morin, Assistant Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer; Katelyn Pushard, Waterville Rotary Club; Carl Gartley, Superintendent.
Waterville High School will use the funds to support their school’s Food Pantry. They may also use some funds to purchase other necessary items for students, such as seasonal clothing.
All the representatives from the various schools expressed a deep appreciation for this donation and the show of support for their most vulnerable students. The committee members truly enjoyed the opportunity to visit the schools, meet with staff and students, and hear about the ways that our local schools are looking out for their students.
For more information about the Rotary, visit the website at watervillerotary.com.
Waterville High School, from left to right, Michele Prince, Waterville Rotary Club and the four class presidents, Kate Rice, freshman, Emily Campbell, senior, Brianna Bates, junior, and Gabby St. Peter, sophomore. (contributed photo)
An iceberg passing by a Newfoundland village. (photo courtesy of PBS.com)
by Roland D. HalleeA strange phenomenon occurs every spring in the north Atlantic. Large icebergs come floating down the south shore near Ferryland, Newfoundland, Canada. People journey to the site – some traveling thousands of miles – to see this spectacle.
For the locals, it’s no big deal. But for others, seeing them for the first time, it’s a breath taking sight.
Slowly, an entire flotilla of massive chunks of ice several stories high gradually make their way south from Greenland.
Most years, hundreds of icebergs break off from glaciers and their one- to three-year nomadic journey begins. If the winds are favorable enough, they reach “iceberg alley,” an area of the Atlantic that roughly stretches from the coastal waters off Labrador, in Canada, south along Newfoundland.
Although last year proved a big disappointment, with only one iceberg making it across the 48th N parallel during iceberg season – generally April through July. Not anything like 2019, which saw more than 1,500.
Meteorological and oceanographic conditions – wind direction, ocean currents and air and sea temperatures – play a role and impact the flow of the icebergs, determining how big a show Mother Nature will put on each year, according to the U.S. Coast Guard International Ice Patrol, which monitors the area off Labrador and Newfoundland for icebergs.
Some observers believe that stronger Labrador winds this spring may draw a larger number of the icebergs south.
This year, there is more ice in the harbors, more seals and even polar bear sightings in certain areas. The same currents carry icebergs so this is a positive sign. Sightings in the past couple weeks confirm that some icebergs are getting closer to shore than last year.
The icebergs have become a major attraction, giving rise to some iceberg tourism and delivering lucky spectators with a front-row seat to an unusual parade.
Tour boats actually venture out for a closer look at any number of the many icebergs. However, they never get too close in case the icebergs continue to break up.
Speaking of boats, could it be possible that one of these giant icebergs was responsible for the sinking of the RMS Titanic? The sea disaster happened on April 14, 1912, in the north Atlantic when the British luxury passenger cruise liner collided with an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland. The timing would be right.
These gigantic icebergs can reach up to 300-feet above sea level. That, plus most of the icebergs are not visible, with 90 percent of an iceberg’s size beneath the surface. Some take on odd shapes as they melt, even looking like ice castles by the time they pass along the Canadian shore.
As many enjoy the icebergs and all of what they have to offer, some are concerned, hoping that future generations will be able to marvel at these giants of nature as many do today.
They should be enjoyed while they last, with the current climate changes, there’s no guarantee we’ll see this spectacle in years go come.
Are you planning a vacation to Newfoundland, yet?
AccuWeather is the primary source of this article.
Last week, I received a letter from a reader concerned about flying squirrels and their “health.” She noted that she had captured several flying squirrels above a suspended ceiling in the home they purchased. After baiting and capturing them, she found a farmer who allowed her to release them in an old, large barn in Sidney.
This last time, he said “no” because he researched and found that flying squirrels are territorial and will attack and kill other flying squirrels in the area.
Well, this is what I was able to find about flying squirrels and relocating them. It is best to relocate in an area near where they were found, more familiar territory.
Competing males chase until they catch the other. This is followed by violent fighting among males. In these chases, they are not always about the size or the strength of the squirrel, but also the maturity. It has been noted that on many occasions, it’s the older male squirrels that win the fight to claim dominance.
So, probably the best way to handle flying squirrels once they have entered your home is to place a one-way door or another type of exclusion device over the hole. The flying squirrels will be able to leave but not get back inside. Over the course of a few days, they will leave in search of food and remain outside with no way to get back in.
That’s probably the best way to take care of that situation.
Have any Boston Red Sox pitchers’ numbers been retired?
Have any Boston Red Sox pitchers’ numbers been retired?
One, Pedro Martinez (45)
Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District is hosting Maine Audubon to present Stream Smart Training – Phase One on Thursday, May 26, at the Camden Opera House and online. The hybrid training will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and includes refreshments and resource materials.
This half-day introductory workshop provides training for professionals to expand the local knowledge base on how to include aquatic organism passage and higher storm volume capacity when designing stream/road crossings.
Applying the Stream Smart principles to road crossings can help connect and maintain fish and wildlife habitat while protecting roads and public safety. Stream Smart crossings can also help towns prepare for the large and frequent storm events that have been washing out roads around the state and the northeast. Participants will learn about learn about: the value of free-flowing streams; the regulations that are applicable when working on road/stream crossings; the principles of building Stream Smart crossings; the costs and benefits of Stream Smart crossings; and where to look for funding.
These workshops are designed for professionals responsible for road-stream crossings, including municipal leaders, managers, and public works employees. They cover road-stream crossing projects from site assessment to permitting and installation, and emphasize maintaining and restoring aquatic habitat and economic values of the stream. Workshop presenters include professionals from state and federal agencies and statewide non-profits, participants can receive recertification credit for Maine DEP’s Voluntary Contractor Certification Program, and information on potential funding sources.
Pre-registration with payment of $25 (mail-in registration) / $26 (online registration) is required by Friday, May 20. Attendees may register and pay online or download a registration form from the Knox-Lincoln SWCD website at www.knox-lincoln.org/events-workshops/stream-smart or for more information, contact Knox-Lincoln SWCD office at 596-2040, julie@knox-lincoln.org.
Knox-Lincoln SWCD is an equal opportunity provider and employer.