Week of May 31, 2018

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Week of May 31, 2018

Celebrating 30 years of local news

Senior Services Fair first event at renovated church

Many local people attended the Vassalboro Senior Services Fair on May 23, the first event held at the newly-renovated St. Bridget’s Community Center, formerly the St. Bridget’s Catholic Church, on Main St., in North Vassalboro. An open house will be held Sunday, June 10 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. […]

JMG students visit MCS library

The Jobs for Maine Graduates program at China Middle School recently visited the Margaret Chase Smith Library, in Skowhegan, as the JMG program was being recognized for a community service project that they had done earlier in the school year […]

Your Local News

Vassalboro residents ready for June 4 town meeting

VASSALBORO —  Vassalboro voters are scheduled to assemble at the Vassalboro Community School at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June, 4, for their annual town meeting, at which they will elect budget committee members, authorize spending for the 2018-19 fiscal year and settle policy questions […]

47 Daisies’ mission to provide healthier food

VASSALBORO — Since 2016, 47 Daisies has been a nonprofit operation providing food access programs to people of all ages and income levels, including housebound people who get deliveries. The Dillaways estimate they have more than 200 recipients throughout Kennebec County […]

Vassalboro Appeals board upholds permit to So. Stanley Rd. resident

VASSALBORO — At a May 22 meeting, Vassalboro Board of Appeals members unanimously denied Jonathan Blumberg’s appeal of a March permit granted by Codes Officer Richard Dolby to Bernard Welch of South Stanley Hill Road […]

Several day camps to be offered at China School Forest this summer

CHINA — Local educator and Maine Master Naturalist, Anita Smith, will be offering several day camps and family forest activities at the China School Forest. All programs start at the China Primary School bus circle, 763 Lakeview Drive, China […]

Palermo Historical Society holds open house for third graders

PALERMO — For the ninth year in a row Palermo Historical Society hosted an open house for local third graders on May 3. Presentations included weaving, old school classroom experience, grinding corn, how log cabins were constructed and a house tour […]

Local Lions award six scholarships to local students

WHITEFIELD — Six local students receive scholarships from the Whitefield Lions […]

Fallen law enforcement officers remembered

WATERVILLE — Maine Gov. Paul LePage, a former Waterville mayor, and Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Morris, former Waterville Police Chief, at the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial ceremony on May 17 […]

New ranks earned; first place winner

WINSLOW — Young students from Huard’s Martial Arts, in Winslow, earned new green and brown belt ranks on May 25. […]

Fairfield veterans lay wreaths

FAIRFIELD — Fairfield veterans laid wreaths at the cemetery and Memorial Park on Memorial Day, May 28 […]

Local fire chiefs cited

CENTRAL ME —  David LaFountain, retiring chief of both Waterville and Winslow fire departments, and Andrew Clark, chief of Albion Fire and Rescue, were both recipients of EMS Excellence Awards at a ceremony put on by Maine Emergency Medical Services, in Augusta, on May 23 […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

by Ken Fletcher – One ballot question asks if the voters will approve an increase in the school budget for the upcoming year that is $1,043,769 more than this year’s budget. This would be a 7.2 percent increase in spending and require property taxpayers to contribute an additional $601,417 resulting in a possible increase of 5.6 percent or $137 for the median household valued at $146,000 […]

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

by Phil St. Onge – Last fall, the voters of Winslow handily (54 percent to 46 percent) defeated a bond that, had it passed, would have have allowed for the construction of a Performing Arts Center (PAC) and added a seventh- and eighth-grade wing to Winslow High School […]

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

WATERVILLE — A plant sale will take place at the Congregational Church, on Eustis Parkway, on Sat., June 2, from 7 – 11 a.m. […]

Obituaries – week of May 31, 2018

OAKLAND – Ronald Terrence “Terry” Gilbert, 77, of Oakland, passed away on Sunday, May 13, 2018, following a short illness. He was born in Waterville, April 20, 1941, son of Ronald W. and Thena Sullivan Gilbert… and remembering 4 others…

Give Us Your Best Shot!

Michael Bilinsky, of China Village, has been busy with his camera. A cardinal, a blue jay, and, just as summer is approaching, a reminder from last winter […]

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SCHEDULE OF LOCAL TOWN MEETINGS FOR 2018 <– click here!

Check this page to find out when your town meeting is. We’ll be updating this page as more meetings are scheduled. If you don’t see your town listed, send us an email at townline@fairpoint.net or visit our contact page!

Town Line Original Columnists

Roland D. HalleeSCORES & OUTDOORS

by Roland D. Hallee | Blue jays, Cyanocitta cristata, are found in all kinds of forests but especially near oak trees. They are mostly found on the edges of forests as opposed to deep forest. They are common in both urban and suburban areas, especially where bird feeders are found […]

Peter CatesREVIEW POTPOURRI

by Peter Cates |  A very gifted pianist, composer, arranger and conductor, Morton Gould (1913-1996) straddled the worlds of classical and popular music very comfortably in a manner similar to Andre Kostelanetz, conductor and film composer John Williams and the latter’s Boston Pops predecessor, Arthur Fiedler […]

Marilyn Rogers-Bull & PercySOLON & BEYOND

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy | The Solon Pine Tree 4-H Club met on Saturday, May 12th at the Solon Fire Station with Cooper Dellarma presiding. Several members and four leaders helped at the Luck of the Draw on May 5 […]

I’M JUST CURIOUS

by Debbie Walker | Have you ever wondered how long kitchen ingrediantz are useful? I found an article written by Charlez Kelsey in a magazine; COOK’S Illustrated and and it has the answerz […]

Katie Ouilette WallsIF WALLS COULD TALK

by Katie Ouilette | WALLS, so sorry our faithful readers missed us last week! Yes, my phone rang and rang again! However, I used more words on the column about Dr. H. Leslie Sawyer’s name now gracing the New London, New Hampshire, four-year college […]

FOR YOUR HEALTH

If you ever get sick to your stomach due to pregnancy, chemotherapy, surgery, riding in a car, a boat, a plane or an amusement park ride, or even virtual reality gaming, you may be relieved to learn two things: First, you’re not alone. Nausea affects millions of people every day […]

Don’t Let Nausea Spoil Your Life

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Don’t Let Nausea Spoil Your Life

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(NAPSI) — If you ever get sick to your stomach due to pregnancy, chemotherapy, surgery, riding in a car, a boat, a plane or an amusement park ride, or even virtual reality gaming, you may be relieved to learn two things:

First, you’re not alone. Nausea affects millions of people every day. Scientists are not sure why, but according to a study published in the journal Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, there is a significant genetic contribution that may be responsible for as much as 57 percent of the people who suffer from motion sickness.

What To Do

Next, whatever the cause, you can feel better with the help of these four anti-nausea tips:

  • Eat light, plain food, such as dry bread and crackers.
  • Avoid anything too sweet or greasy.
  • Sip certain liquids if you can—ginger ale, ginger tea, mint tea and plain water may all help.
  • Get a fast-acting, drug-free, nausea relief band that works without the side effects of medications such as drowsiness and constipation.

How It Works

Featuring a clinically-proven technology, it’s a specially designed wristband that uses patented scientific knowledge, endorsed by health care professionals, and that emits accurately programmed pulses with highly specific waveforms, frequency and intensity. These pulses signal the median nerve at the P6 location on the underside of the wrist. This stimulation of the nerves, known as “neuromodulation,” uses the body’s natural neural pathways to send messages to the part of the brain that controls nausea, retching and vomiting. The signals have a rebalancing effect, normalizing nerve messages from the brain to the stomach and quickly reducing symptoms of nausea, retching and vomiting.

The unique band is easy to use and comfortable to wear, even over time, and the attractive design rivals the most fashionable wearables. Called Reliefband 2.0, it features a latex-free band and hypoallergenic surgical steel contacts for efficient transmission of pulses. The intuitive display has 10 intensity settings that can be moved up and down at the touch of a button and a battery that lasts about 18 hours on a full charge and recharges quickly. This adjustable band, designed to control nausea, helps put you back in control so you can live your life in full motion.

Learn More

For more information, go to www.reliefband.com, and to find a community of fellow nausea sufferers and learn how they cope, visit www.nationalstopnauseaday.com.

Roland’s Trivia Question for Thursday, May 31, 2018

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Which baseball team won the first World Series championship in 1903?

Answer:

The Boston Americans.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Despite 50-year decline in numbers, there seems to be a lot more blue jays

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

While taking a break from my chores at camp over the weekend, I tried to figure out what my column was going to be about this week. Thoughts were coming hard until I noticed all around me were blue jays galore.

Other than knowing they are scavengers, noisy and the mascot of a professional baseball team in Toronto, I had to learn more about them.

The very recognizeable blue jay.

Blue jays, Cyanocitta cristata, are found in all kinds of forests but especially near oak trees. They are mostly found on the edges of forests as opposed to deep forest. They are common in both urban and suburban areas, especially where bird feeders are found.

Blue jays prefer tray feeders or hopper feeders on a post rather than a hanging feeder. We have found at camp that many of the jays we see are feeding on the ground under the hanging feeders. They prefer peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet.

They also glean insects and take nuts and seeds in trees, shrubs and on the ground. Blue jays sometimes raid nests for eggs and nestlings, and sometimes pick up dead of dying adult birds. Stomach contents over the year are about 22 percent insect. Acorns, nuts, fruits, and grains made up almost the entire remainder. They hold food items in their feet while pecking them open. They also store food in caches to eat later.

Blue jays build their nests in the crotch or thick outer branches of a deciduous or coniferous tree, usually 10 – 25 feet above the ground. Male and female both gather materials and build the nest, but on average, the male does more gathering and female more building. Twigs used in outer part of the nest are usually taken from live trees, and the birds often struggle to break them off. The birds may fly great distances to obtain rootlets from recently dug ditches, fresh graves in cemeteries, and newly-fallen trees. Blue jays may abandon their nests after detecting a predators nearby.

The highly-recognizeable bird is known for its intelligence and complex social systems, and have tight family bonds. They often mate for life, remaining with their social mate throughout the year. Only the female incubates the eggs. The male provides all her food during incubation.

For the first 8 – 12 days after the nestlings hatch, the female broods them and the male provides food for his mate and nestlings. Females will share food gathering after that time. There is apparently a lot of individual variation in how quickly the young become independent. Blue jays communicate with each other by sound and by “body language,” using their crests. The lower the crest, the lower their level of aggression, and when they become more aggressive, the crest is high. When the blue jay squawks, the crest is virtually always held up.

Blue jays have a wide variety of vocalization, with an immense “vocabulary.” They are also excellent mimics. They have been known to mimic red-tailed hawks among other species of birds.

Some people don’t like blue jays because of their aggressive ways, but there are birds that are much more aggressive, like woodpeckers, grackles, mourning doves, mockingbirds and cardinals, throwing in gray squirrels in the mix. These species will actually keep blue jays away from feeders. So, to compensate for that, blue jays will imitate hawks when approaching a feeder to ward off the other, more aggressive birds, causing them to scatter. However, they usually return once they realize its a blue jay, and not a hawk.

Blue jay populations decreased by about 28 percent between 1966 and 2015, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Also, Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of about 13 million birds, with 87 percent of them present in the U.S., and 13 percent in Canada. The bird is not listed on the 2016 State of North America’s Birds Watch List. They are not endangered.

The most frequent cause of death associated with humans come from attacks by dogs and cats.

There may have been a sizable decrease in their population over the last 50 years, but we’ve seen an increase in their presence at camp, and at home.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which baseball team won the first World Series championship in 1903?

Answers can be found here.

Legal Notices, Week of May 31, 2018

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STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
COURT ST.,
SKOWHEGAN, ME
SOMERSET, ss
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
18-A MRSA sec. 3-801

The following Personal Representatives have been appointed in the estates noted. The first publication date of this notice May 24, 2018.

If you are a creditor of an estate listed below, you must present your claim within four months of the first publication date of this Notice to Creditors by filing a written statement of your claim on a proper form with the Register of Probate of this Court or by delivering or mailing to the Personal Representative listed below at the address published by his name, a written statement of the claim indicating the basis therefore, the name and address of the claimant and the amount claimed or in such other manner as the law may provide. See 18-A MRSA 3-804.

2018-117 – Estate of MARCIA J. KREBS, late of Starks, Me deceased. David Krebs, 86 Krebs Road, Starks, Me 04911 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-118 – Estate of LESLIE CLAYTON BEANE, late of Bingham, Me deceased. Judith Mae Lombard, 16B Sudeka Lane, Goffs Town, NH 03045 AND Cecil Leroy Beane, Jr., 47 Carry Pond Road, Pleasant Ridge, Me 04920 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.

2018-119 – Estate of BEATRICE A. WAITE, late of St. Albans, Me deceased. Robin Steinwand, 28 Luckman Road, St. Albans, Me 04971 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-120 – Estate of LAWRENCE V. SWEATT, late of Pittsfield, Me deceased. Stephanie V. Sweatt, 11113 Concord Woods Drive, Farragut, TN 37934 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-121 – Estate of WILLIAM A. HALE, late of Norridgewock, Me deceased. Steven L. Hale, 408 East Shores Road, Palermo, Me 04354 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-122 – Estate of EDWARD A. THOMPSON, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Vanessa Thompson, 104 Dr. Mann Road, Skowhegan, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-123 – Estate of DOROTHY D. TITCOMB, late of Rockwood, Me deceased. Stephan A. Titcomb, 6922 Shook Avenue, Dallas, TX 75214 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-124 – Estate of THOMAS H. KANNALLY, SR., late of New Portland, Me deceased. Thomas H. Kannally, Jr., 3 Liberty Drive, Northborough, MA 01532 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-128 – Estate of DARIA D. DONAHUE, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Wade Donahue-Beard, 5 Sturtevant Street, Waterville, Me 04901 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-131 – Estate of KAREN A. MAGNUSON, late of Madison, Me deceased. Karla Sevey-Dugas, 193 Eaton Mtn. Road, Skowhegan, ME 04976 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-089 – Estate of PRISCILLA I. BUTLER, late of Hartland, Me deceased. Rhonda E. Southard, 21 Cyr Way, Hartland, Me 04945 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-133 – Estate of LYNN VERNON OLIVER, late of Detroit, Me deceased. Scott Oliver, 21250 N. 17th Pl., Phoenix, AZ 85204 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-134 – Estate of EDWARD C. NICHOLS, late of Pittsfield, Me deceased. Joleen A. Booth, 3207 Kenton Court, Toana, VA 23168 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-138 – Estate of MAURICE P. VIGUE, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Carol A. Sawyer, 210 Bradford Road, Charleston, Me 04422 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-139 – Estate of SANDRA P. FEENEY, late of Jackman, Me deceased. Glen P. Feeney, PO Box 639, Jackman, ME 04945 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-140 – Estate of MILBRED V. POLLIS, late of Madison, Me deceased. Dana L. Pollis Sr, 39 Heald Street, Madison, Me 04950 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-141 – Estate of ALFRED J. HJORT, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Jodi L. Taylor, PO Box 244, Skowhegan, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-142 – Estate of LILLIAN VIOLET CANTERBURY, late of Solon, Me deceased. Angela Siranda-Staples, PO Box 412 Solon, Me 04979 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-143 – Estate of GENEVIEVE C. EMERY, late of Detroit, Me deceased. Dirk C. Emery, 225 North Road, Detroit, Me 04929 and Bryan K. Emery, 43 Main Street, Detroit, Me 04929 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.

2018-144 – Estate of BONNIE LYNNE DIXON, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Nikkia Finnemore, 5 Jodi Ave., Fairfield, Me 04937 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-147 – Estate of DOUGLAS CHARLES BREINGAN, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Hugh Breingan, 55 Hanover Street, Skowhegan, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-148 – Estate of GEORGE A. SCOTT, late of Cambridge, Me deceased. Sandra A. Blake, 708 Dexter Road, Cambridge, Me 04923 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-153 – Estate of DALE C. LAWERYSON, late of Bingham, Me deceased. Beatrice Laweryson, PO Box 62, Bingham, Me 04920 appointed Personal Representative.

2018-155 – Estate of JOSEPH A. MORIN, late of Hartland, Me deceased. Joseph Sargent, 10 Butler Street, Skowhegan, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.

To be published on May 24, 2018 & May 31, 2018.
Dated: May 21, 2018 /s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(5/31)

STATE OF MAINE
PROBATE COURT
41 COURT ST.
SOMERSET, ss
SKOWHEGAN, ME
PROBATE NOTICES

TO ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE ESTATES LISTED BELOW

Notice is hereby given by the respective petitioners that they have filed petitions for appointment of personal representatives in the following estates. These matters will be heard at 10 a.m. or as soon thereafter as they may be, June 13, 2018. The requested appointments may be made on or after the hearing date if no sufficient objection be heard. This notice complies with the requirements of 18-A MRSA §3-403 and Probate Rule 4.

2018-136 – Estate of MARY KATHRYN SUTTIE. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by petitioner Mary Kathryn Suttie, 10 Woodman Avenue, Fairfield, Me 04937 requesting her name be changed to Molly Kathryn Suttie for reasons set forth therein.

2018-137 – Estate of KACIE LADD. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by petitioner Kacie Weymouth Ladd of 56 Grant Road, St. Albans, Me 04971 requesting her name be changed to Kacie Weymouth for reasons set forth therein.

2018-151 – Estate of LEXY RAY MOORE. Petition for Change of Name (Minor) filed by petitioner Cheryl Moore, 235 North Avenue, Skowhegan, Me 04976 requesting that minor’s name be changed to Lexy Ray Lowe for reasons set forth therein.

Dated: May 21, 2018 /s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(5/31)

I’m Just Curious: How long thingz last

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by Debbie Walker

Have you ever wondered how long kitchen ingrediantz are useful? I found an article written by Charlez Kelsey in a magazine; COOK’S Illustrated and and it has the answerz.

I picked up the magazine intending to send it on to my granddaughter, Tristin, because of some of the really interesting articlez and this one caught my eye: “Keeping Kitchen Staples Fresher Longer.” Loved it, of course, I knew mine were far from fresh but….

Spices & Dried Herbz: Whole Spicez: Two year shelf life. Ground Spicez and Dried Herbz: One year. Whenever possible possible buy whole and grind before using. Don’t store on counter close to stove.

Vinegarz: shelf life: Long lasting – indefinitely. Sediment in vinegar is harmless and doesn’t affect taste. You can alwayz strain if you would rather.(coffee filter would probably work).

Olive Oil: Unopened: One year (goes rancid after). Open: three monthz. Keep in dark cabinet.

Other Oils: for optimal flavor, replace after opened for six months. Store in pantry: Canola, Corn, Peanut, and vegetable. Store in refrigerator: Sesame and Walnut.

Beyond Pantry:

Butter: kept in refrigerator no more than a month. Any longer, in freezer in a baggie for up to four monthz. Eggs: Never put eggz in the egg tray on the fridge door. – too warm. Keep in carton. Store in fridge for 3 – 5 weeks.

Soy Sauce: Shelf life: one year in pantry. If unpasteurized store in fridge.

Sweetenerz: Shelf Life: Sugar, honey and molasses = long lasting. Maple Syrup – two yearz unopened, one year open. Granulated sugar in airtight container. Molasses and honey in pantry. Opened maple syrup in refrigerator.

CHILL: These items stay fresh longer in freezer: Bay leavez , flourz with heavy germ content and cornmeal. Nutz and seed, and yeast.

Leavenerz: Shelf: Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Six monthz (Tested true despite manufacturer’z suggested datez). Instant or Active Dry Yeast: Four monthz in the freezer.

FLOUR: Shelf Life: All Purpose Flour: One year (in airtight container). Whole Wheat flour And Cornmeal: One year (in freezer in airtight container).

CHOCOLATE: Shelf Life: Unsweetened and Dark Chocolate: Two Yearz. Milk and White Chocolate: Six monthz.

VANILLA: Shelf life: Long lasting. (Testz proved it might last as long as 10 yearz and still be good).

Okay, enough of that for tonight! While thumbing through magazinez and bookz I came across this little saying and I think it fits us great! “It’z not the lionz and tigerz that’ll get you … It’z the MOSQUITOEZ!

We are nearing the end of the school year. The kidz I have been with this year have progressed so much, as all the other students. Everyone improvez their life with reading. For the children it couldn’t be more important. Please encourage the children in your life to read to you. If you are a grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle or a family friend allowing them to show you their skillz is sooooooo important. You be amazed at how this will make you feel, as well.

As usual I am just curiouz how your pantriez will do with the column information! Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com with any questionz or commentz. (I was just playing with the s/z stuff, I saw it on a local business: CONE’Z and liked it).

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Musician: Morton Gould; Singer: Frank Sinatra; Conductor: Tchaikovsky

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Morton Gould

South of the Border
Columbia, m-593, 4 ten-inch 78s, recorded mid-’40s.

A very gifted pianist, composer, arranger and conductor, Morton Gould (1913-1996) straddled the worlds of classical and popular music very comfortably in a manner similar to Andre Kostelanetz, conductor and film composer John Williams and the latter’s Boston Pops predecessor, Arthur Fiedler. His classical compositions, often evoking American history, include Fall River Legend with its depiction of Lizzie Borden; and my favorite, the very powerful Spirituals for Orchestra. In later years, he wrote pieces featuring a rapper and a singing chorus of firemen for the city of Pittsburgh.

His LPs conducting such favorites as Rimsky’s Scheherazade, Copland’s Rodeo, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 and ballet waltzes, etc., are on my shelves.

But his most successful endeavors lay in the imaginative arranging of pop standards on a slew of albums, from the ‘40s until the late ‘60s, that were frequently categorized as mood music, similar to those of Kostelanetz, Fiedler, Percy Faith, Mantovani, Paul Weston and Bert Kaempfert. The above set consists of such hits as Brazil, Cielito Lindo, La Golondrina, and the mirthful Mexican Hat Dance. Unfortunately, it was only released on 78s and a ten-inch LP and is out of print, but a copy is listed on Amazon for 12 bucks; two selections from the album are also accessible on YouTube.

Frank Sinatra

The Voice
Columbia CL 743, LP, released 1955.

By the time this re-issue of selected early-to-mid ‘40s 78s appeared, Sinatra had been with Capitol records a couple of years. However, Columbia had quickly realized the cash cow potential of their own stockpile of tapes and began releasing 10- and 12-inch LP transfers. The move has proven very successful in the 65 years since.

The Voice contains 12 exquisite examples of the singer’s phrasing, characterizing and other facets of his unique set of pipes. And Axel Stordahl’s arrangements achieved a compatibility with “Old Blue Eyes” that was later matched only by Nelson Riddle. The songs include A Ghost of a Chance, Try a Little Tenderness, Spring is Here, etc. and the album has been transferred to CD.

An FS quote – “Alcohol is man’s worst enemy, but the Bible says to love your enemy!”

Tchaikovsky

Symphony No.6, “Pathetique”; Serenade for Strings; for the 6th, Marko Munih conducting the Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ljubljana; for the Serenade, Conrad Von Der Goltz conducting a chamber orchestra; CBS Special Productions PT 21698, cassette, released 1989.

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) conducted the world premiere of his 6th Symphony just nine days before his death, caused supposedly by cholera after drinking an unboiled glass of water in a restaurant. To my mind, it is one very emotionally searing work and has benefited from a rich list of good to very great recordings, of which I own a few dozen.

The above is conducted by the 82-year-old Marko Munih, one of two very gifted conductors – the other being his late contemporary, Anton Nanut, who died just last year at 85 – whose recordings, via mainly cheap CDs sometimes labelled confusingly, have made their way to Western collectors since the collapse of the Iron Curtain. The performance is intensely powerful yet nicely poetic, while the playing is responsive and masterful, definitely as accomplished as the world’s finest in both Europe and the U.S. The sense of tragedy in the final 4th movement is well sustained.

The beautiful Serenade is also performed well.

Fairfield veterans lay wreaths

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Fairfield veterans laid wreaths at the cemetery and Memorial Park on Memorial Day, May 28. (Photo courtesy of Lyn Rowden)

IF WALLS COULD TALK: Back to the days at Colby Junior College

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Katie Ouilette Wallsby Katie Ouilette

WALLS, so sorry our faithful readers missed us last week! Yes, my phone rang and rang again! However, I used more words on the column about Dr. H. Leslie Sawyer’s name now gracing the New London, New Hampshire, four-year college. Yes, I’m not only proud to have been a 1950 graduate of the, then, two-year Junior College, but truly proud to be living in the Maine town in which, when a child, Dr. Sawyer grew up.

Just last week, a student at Colby Sawyer was written about in another daily newspaper and now, WALLS, let’s tell folks why my best friends in Skowhegan High School chose to go to Colby Junior College (CJC) back in 1948. So many people in Skowhegan knew of the fine education one might receive at the New London, New Hampshire, college. In fact, we learned in my medical secretarial class that Skowhegan’s Dr. Young was once the doctor who read all CJC X-rays!

I mentioned my classmates from SHS who were graduates of CJC in 1950. Both have elected to go to a full-care living facility. Marilyn Cockburn Leggett is now in South Burlington, Vermont, and Jean Finley Doughty isat Pierce House, in Wilton. In fact, I’m about to write both of them and tell about Jeanette Poulin Dionne, Violet LeClair Ferland, Dick Getchell (president of our ’48 class), meeting here at my house in East Madison to plan our 70th SHS reunion! Wow, lots of happy memories in those 70 years…yes, prior to ’48. By the way, faithful readers, we have been discussing those of ’48 with our SHS ’48 LEVERS in hand, so for those of you who know new addresses or ‘whatever’ about our classmates, please contact Jeannette Poulin or Vi Ferland with info.

Y’know, WALLS, the four of us have shared so much of our lives with each other. Our meetings have been truly fun. Just imagine what it will be like when we all get together!

Y’all come….hear?

SOLON & BEYOND: Percy’s words of wisdom remembered

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

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

The Solon Pine Tree 4-H Club met on Saturday, May 12th at the Solon Fire Station with Cooper Dellarma presiding.

Several members and four leaders helped at the Luck of the Draw on May 5.

On Mothers Day four members and one guest passed out flowers at the Solon Congregational Church.

Seven members are planning to attend Fun Day at Lake George on Wednesday, June 20.

After the meeting Logan Miller showed the members how to make key chains and dog leashes.

The next meeting will be on Saturday, June 9, at the Solon Fire Station. After the meeting the members will be going on an educational tour to the Buffalo Farm in South Solon.
My apologies that I don’t have anything else for real news this week. Since it is Memorial Day as I sit here at my computer, I am going to print this letter I wrote, (probably in 2005) in memory of Percy.

Dear Friends, Percy and I have missed you. He took it really hard when his picture and advice were no longer in this paper. In fact, he was down right impossible to live with! He needed more cuddling than I really had time for as I was trying to get things made for a craft fair I was doing. My patience ran thin on days when he wouldn’t let me knit. He would climb up in my lap and I would insist that that he lay across my legs so I could still maneuver the knitting needles. He would keep trying to get his face closer to mine and the knitting needles would hit him on his nose, he would get this martyred look on his face, and I would give up and put the knitting aside and cuddle with him.

My heart has swelled to its capacity from all the nice things that have been said and written to me about how much you have missed Percy’s and my column in this paper. As I stressed several times at meetings in South China, my goal in writing all these years has been to bring love and laughter to you, my old and new friends. And so it is with great appreciation and love and many thanks for your kind words, that I write this letter to you.

Percy and I also appreciate all the calls we received, asking if his bowels had moved yet. There were even more calls than I received before the election when all the campaigning was going on! Percy is a famous and special cat from all the good advice he has given out.

I checked, and he would like to end this letter with the best advice yet; “Live well, Laugh often, Love much (even if it hurts at times).” With love, from Marilyn and Percy.

For those of you who don’t know, Percy died two years ago in November. We still miss him immensely, he was truly a very special animal!

And now for Percy’s memoir: “Money will buy a bed but not sleep, books but not brains, food but not appetite, finery but not beauty, a house but not a home, medicine but not health, luxuries but not culture, amusement but not happiness, religion but not salvation, a passport to everywhere but heaven.”

Also came across a memory from 2004 from Walter Jones, who lived in Solon. It was a short e-mail: Marilyn, I was so happy and surprised to get The Town Line I read it and re-read it again, that was my first issue. I felt like I was back in Solon. I know my folks get it, Richard and Jean LaCasce, and I know they didn’t want me to be left out. Now I look for it. We don’t get much news here. Sometimes we can get on the internet and find out what is happening in our back yard and around the world but I really enjoy The Town Line. It makes my days go so much faster. Keep sending it to my unit in Iraq. Thanks.

(I had forgotten how far this little paper has traveled over these many years. So glad I had saved this precious scrap of paper with its heartfelt memory.)