Photo by Mark Huard/ Central Maine Photography
Huard’s Sport Karate team member Isabella Citro, of Waterville, captured first place in fighting and second place in forms for the 2017 season. She competed at various tournaments throughout New England to earn this title.
by Roland D. HalleeIt’s that time when I have a love-hate reaction to this day. The love: It’s February and I get to go visit my gopher friend, Woodrow Charles. The hate: I have to trudge through snow, cold and wind to his lair in the woods of Center Vassalboro. Woody is a weather prognosticating groundhog that I visit every year for his prediction on the length of the remainder of winter.
Folklore has it that if Woody sees his shadow, we are in for six more weeks of winter-like weather. If he doesn’t see his shadow, we can look forward to an early spring.
So, I bundle up and head out. It’s a cold, sunny day. The snow is not deep, but there is ice as far as the eyes can see. Actually, with the sun shining on the icy surface, it is a rather beautiful sight, like diamonds spread out on the snow.
I finally arrive at Woody’s den. The light is shining through the window, and the smoke is billowing from the chimney. He’s home.
As I approach, I notice the Christmas wreath still hanging from the door. Kind of unusual for my little furry friend who is usually so meticulous about his surroundings. I knock gently.
Woody
Woody answers the door, dressed in a smoking jacket with an ascot, holding a glass of brandy and a cigar. He looks quite distinguished.
“Hi friend,” he greets me. “Come on in. Can I get you something?”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“What brings you out here in this weather,” he asks.
“lt’s February,” I respond. “How come your Christmas wreath is still up, and what’s with the cigar?”
“Oh, I’ve been really busy,” he answers. “And the cigar is just a phase I’m going through, to kind of celebrate the moment.”
“How busy can you be,” I inquired.
“Well, the stock market is up, and I check my portfolio a couple times a day. I’m doing very well at this time. I’ve been trading and making moves. I’m investing in steel and concrete. Plus, with the new tax reform law that was just passed, I’m trying to figure out how that will affect my bottom line.”
“That’s only for really rich people,” I come back.
“Hey, my finances are my business,” he snaps back.
“That takes up all your time?” I ask.
“No, I also have to get ready for the Super Bowl. The boys are coming over again, and I have lots of cooking to do. You must remember Frank, Butch and Slim? By the way, they say ‘Hi,’”
“I’m glad they remember me. Why don’t you ever go to their place,” I ask reluctantly.
“What, and hang out in those drafty places where they hole-up for the winter. It’s much more comfortable here.”
“Any prediction?” I ask.
“It’s going to be a really tight game, as usual when it involves the Patriots. But I think they will win 27-17. Nick Foles will look like a backup quarterback against the Patriots defense, and Brady will, … well, Brady will be Brady.”
“No, I’m talking about the weather. It is Groundhog Day, you know.”
“Oh, that again,” he says with a sigh.
We both sit there, uncomfortable, for a moment. We glance at each other. What is he thinking?
“Well, if I must,” he snorts. “OK, February will bring below average precipitation and slightly colder weather, maybe one degree below normal. March will be warmer than normal, about five degrees above normal with about one inch above normal precipitation. It looks to me that we most probably will have another six weeks of winter, but with a possibility of an early spring.”
“Hey,” I interrupted. “You’re starting to sound like a weather man, even worse, a politician.”
“Isn’t that what you want,” he snaps back.
I guess he is right.
As I headed toward the door, I stopped, turned, and looked back.
“So, why concrete and steel?” I inquired.
“Don’t you read the news? Last, week the nine prototypes for the wall on the Mexican border were tested, and all contained either steel, or concrete, or both. I may as well get in on the action.”
I shook my head, turned and walked out the door.
“See you next year!” he called, as the door slowly closed behind me.
Which NFL player has scored the most individual points in a single Super Bowl game?
The following Personal Representatives have been appointed in the estates noted. The first publication date of this notice is January 25, 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.
2017-356 – Estate of KAY L. HAGGAN, late of Moscow, Me deceased. Frank M. Haggan, Jr., 296 Point Road, Belgrade, Me 04917 appointed Personal Representative.
2017-361 – Estate of LASZLO KAKUK, late of Madison, Me deceased. Mary DaCosta, 1309 E Madison Road, Madison, ME 04950 and Kim Orlando, 23 Pincrest Avenue, Mashpee, MA 02649 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.
2018-001 – Estate of DARLEEN R. WAYE, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Monica L. Morin, 136 East Madison Road, Madison, Maine 04950 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-002 – Estate of NANCY L. HOLT, late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Nancy L. Gold, 370 North Avenue, Skowhegan, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.
017-340 – Estate of ROBERT T. GREENLAW, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Danna J. Greenlaw, 11 Weeks Street, Fairfield, Me 0437 and Evelyn A. Greenlaw, 56 Tampa Street, Lewiston, Me 04240 appointed Co-Personal Representatives.
2018-005 – Estate of BETTE ANN CHESLEY-PHINNEY, late of Norridgewock, Me deceased. Woodrow C. Phinney, PO Box 474, Norridgewock, Me 04957 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-006 – Estate of GLADYS P. TOTH late of Mercer Me deceased. William H. Toth 99 Pond Road, Mercer Me 04957 appointed Personal Representative.
018-007 – Estate of ELIZABETH ERB HOGATE, late of Cornville, Me deceased. Melvin J. Hogate, Jr., 169 West Ridge Road, Cornville, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-008 – Estate of FLORIENE C. NELSON, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. John H. Nelson, Jr., 41 Pleasantdale Avenue, Waterville, Me 04901 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-009 – Estate of EDGAR McDONALD, late of Moscow, Me deceased. George McDonald, 614 Pierce Hill Road, Moscow, Me 04920 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-010 – Estate of REGINALD A. CLEMENT, late of Starks, Me deceased. Kathryn L. Clement, 771 Sandy River Road, Starks, Me 04911 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-011 – Estate of DAVID A. JACKSON, late of Henderson, NC, deceased. Jodi Elliott, 5037 Goochs Mill Road, Oxford, NC 27565 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-012 – Estate of GERALD ALBERT RAYMOND, late of Fairfield, Me deceased. Ginger M. Raymond, 196 Pleasant Street, Clinton, Me 04927 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-013 – Estate of EILEEN R. STEVENS, late of Skowhegan, Me, deceased. Secha E. Steward, 190 Corson Road, Mercer, Me 04957 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-014 – Estate of DARREN A. DOMONSKI, late of Palmyra, Me deceased. Lorrie L. Farewell, 811 Main Street, Pittsfield, ME 04967 appointed Personal Representative.
2018-017 – Estate of RICHARD E. PARSONS JR., late of Skowhegan, Me deceased. Julie A. Fitzgerald, 547 Middle Road, Skowhegan, Me 04976 appointed Personal Representative.
To be published on January 25, 2018 & February 1, 2018.
Dated: January 22, 2018 /s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(2/1)
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, on February 14, 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.
2018-004 – Estate of SARAH EMILY SMITH. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Sarah Emily Smith, 41 Grassland Ln, Skowhegan, Me 04976 requesting her name be changed to Sarah Emily Leavitt for reasons set forth therein.
2018-016 – Estate of JAKE MICHAEL OCTAVE GEHRKE. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by Jake Gehrke, 63 Joaquin Road, Athens, Me 04912 requesting his name be changed to Jake Michael Octave Norton for reasons set forth therein.
2018-021 – Estate of AIDAN W. LORENTSEN. Petition for Change of Name (Minor) filed by Louise McGraw, 381 Hartland Road, St. Albans, Me 04971 requesting minor’s name be changed to Aidan Wesley McGraw for reasons set forth therein.
2018-020 – Estate of ISAAC JAMES DORKO. Petition for Change of Name (Adult) filed by petitioner Isaac James Dorko, 676 Waterville Road, Skowhegan, Me 04976 requesting his name be changed to Avery Dorko for reasons set forth therein.
Dated: January 22, 2018 /s/ Victoria Hatch,
Register of Probate
(2/1)
by Peter Cates4th Violin Concerto
Szymanowski Ist Violin Concerto – Piotr Janowski, violin; Stanislaw Wislocki conducting the Warsaw National Philharmonic; Stolat SZM 0105, stereo LP, recorded 1967-68.
Piotr Janowski
Polish born Piotr Janowski (1951-2008) recorded both of these Concertos when he was 16 years old but plays in a wonderfully matured, accomplished manner with musicality galore and a seasoned conductor and orchestra. The Concertos are richly rewarding listening experiences that hold up well. The Szymanowski is a very shimmering, coloristic piece that has become a big favorite of mine in recent years. Mozart’s joyous 4th, along with his 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Concertos, was finished by 1775, when he was 19 and would never write again for any solo string instrument. A record well worth the search.
hosted by Nelufar Hedayat; produced by Fusion and available on Netflix; premiered November 13, 2016; approximately 41 minutes for each of 8 episodes.
Nelufar Hedayat
Recently I watched the first episode of what promises to be an interesting series of investigative journalism on the black market in illegal commodities, The Traffickers, with already seven additional programs available on Netflix. Its topics include human trafficking, fake pharmaceuticals, weapons, human organs, etc.
The host, Nelufar Hedayat, is a 30-year-old Muslim woman, who has traveled light years around the globe to follow up even the most minor threads to both heighten and bolster each weekly topic. The one I saw dealt with the wholesale poaching of the rhino population, mainly found in South Africa’s Kruger Preserve. It is one of huge profit and supposedly minimal risk. But researchers have found an average of three rhinos being killed daily, thus concluding that the population will end up extinct. The demand, mainly found in Southeast Asia, centers on the supposed healing of every known disease through grinding the powder of the rhino’s horn, a belief held since the Middle Ages. Secondly, the filthy rich enjoy the various trinkets carved and whittled from the horn, with which they flaunt their wealth .
Hedayat and her staff risk their lives talking to the involved criminal elements and depict the dangers to communities where the animals are processed.
Highly recommended!
Floating Into the Night
Warner Brothers, 4-25859, cassette, recorded 1989.
Julee Cruise
I have commented elsewhere on this cassette being one of the most beautiful albums of late ‘80s pop music I have ever heard. Julee Cruise, now 61, is a very talented singer who was provided a number of songs here by composer Angelo Badalamenti, all of them in the sweet, dream-like, ethereal category and music one can listen to or simply relax with. Cruise and Badalamenti both worked with director David Lynch who was then involved with his creation, Twin Peaks, a cult favorite among TV viewers, and were associated with some of Lynch’s other projects as well. The Wiki bio on Cruise is rather insightful and quite interesting.
IF WALLS COULD TALKWell, faithful readers, WALLS has definitely appreciated your concern about not having you to read in last issue of The Town Line. I think I typed and sent as always, but weather surely got in the way! Yes, we had ice, ice and more ice! Oh, well, it’s Maine and we recently read that Maine is a wonderful place to live, as it is too small to be a big town and too big to be a small town and everyone is a neighbor to each other. Nice and that is why I’m back to Maine twice!
Yes, I’ve also told you faithful readers that East Madison used to have seven industries and a boat that delivered mail to folks who lived on Lake Wesserunsett in summer and, yes, took folks to the trolley that was at Lakewood. Well, faithful readers, I sure did find a lot of history in my ‘stuff’ and will share it with you as time goes on.
What else did I find? Well, I found an incredible history of the first people to live in these borders when reading something that was printed on January 4, 2018.
WALLS, did you know that our Native Americans were originally from Asia? It seems there was, once, a Beringia. What’s a Beringia? Well, didn’t look the word up in the dictionary, because the article said it was, in its day, an earthen connector between Asia and North America. How did the discovery begin? Well, scientists found the body of a baby girl and her DNA told the scientists that they had made a great discovery! That Baringia enabled those who became the first Native Canadians and Americans a way to migrate south and east and ultimately set up their homes even in Africa (yes, if you studied history in school as I did, you know that our continents were connected at some place or at some time.)
Well, faithful readers, I think I’ve run out of space for this column, but never fear, there is a lot more information that will fascinate you. Yes, last week, I quoted a thought that our Senator Margaret Chase Smith had for us in Maine. Thanks for missing WALLS and the phone calls and maybe time will allow our senator’s thoughts to appear when WALLS TALK to you another time.
SOLON & BEYONDGood morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!
After the Solon Budget Committee meeting had ended the other day, I went over and introduced myself to Keith Gallagher, who is running for the selectman position, and told him I write for The Town Line newspaper, and asked him if he would like to have me put something in the paper about this fact. He said he would like to and brought it down to me one day this past week. The following is what he wrote:
“My family and I moved to Solon in June 2016 from Montana. We have developed our property on Hole In The Wall Road into an off Grid Home. We are also striving to become self-sufficient . I am a father of four children under 10 years old. I have a strong faith in God and believe that living and acting with integrity is very important. I am a former successful business owner and put 110 percent into everything I do. I feel like Solon needs more involvement from younger people. I currently serve as vice chairman of the Solon Planning Board and look forward to serving Solon on a bigger scale.”
I also went over and spoke to Gaye Erskine, who is running for that same position, and told her the same thing, but at this writing, I have not received a response from her. Mary Lou Ridley is the selectperson not running again.
I have been rather bothered since that Solon Budget Committee meeting. Something happened there that I never would have dreamed would take place in Solon, Maine. The meeting started with the solute to the flag and one member of the committee did not stand and salute the American Flag. I am a strong believer that everyone has a right to their own opinions, but…. in this case, my thoughts are that America needs more Love than Hate.
And now for Percy’s memoir: Guidelines for Sane Living: 1. Strike a balance between work and play – between seriousness and laughter. Go to church regularly, and also to the ball game. 2. Stick with the truth, even if it makes you look or feel bad. Falsehoods are like wandering ghosts. 3. Forgive your enemies as part of the price you pay for the privilege of being forgiven. Realize you are sometimes a pain in the neck yourself. 4. Walk. Gets lots of air and sunshine, and occasionally get some rain or snow in your face, some dirt on your hands. 5. Talk through your troubles and mistakes with someone you trust–and your dreams too. 6. Don’t underestimate the ability of God to straighten out a situation even when you can’t, and give God a little time! 7. Discriminate among your fears. Learn to tell which ones are useful and which ones are destructive. 8. Remember that the ultimate death rate is still 100 percent. You would be getting short-changed if everyone got to die and you didn’t. 9. When you can’t sleep, say, “Aha! Here’s a chance fror a little privacy and creative thinking. All day I’ve been too busy to pray, and now I can get around to thanking God.” 10. Fall in love with life – with children, older people, (that’s hard to find for me these days!) middle agers, sports cars; the theater, music, books, cities, hills, the sea, the Bible – with everything except money. (words by James Angel) This from another one of those old yellowed papers I saved, not sure it kept me totally sane, but I hope it will help you, who may read it!
To the editor:
Isaac Newton, in 18th century England, discovered natural laws which formed a basis for classical physics. One of these relates force and motion. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Recoil.
On the scale of forces now possible with nuclear weapons, Earth’s path in space could be disturbed. Distance from the sun, a skewered axis, irregular tides and flooding.
Strata in the Earth’s crust are like pages in a book. They tell the history of the Earth.
Thus, it may be that another form of life in the distant future may uncover deposits which record two mass extinctions. The age of dinosaurs from a collision with a massive meteor, and the age of mammals followed caused by forces linked to lingering radiation.
Every species has a predator. Even us. Man is his own predator.
Russell Vesecky
Harmony
Contributed photo
Catherine Durant, of China, who won first place in Grace Academy’s school-wide Poetry Out Loud competition, will be representing the school at the regional compettion on February 12 at the Hampden Academy Performing Arts Center, in Hampden. Poetry Out Loud, created in 2006, is a partnership among the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and the Maine Arts Commission to encourage our youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. She is the daughter of Scott and Lisa Durant, of China.
ERIC’S TECH TALKI opened the door and stepped hesitantly into the dimly lit room. Curtains covered all the windows. The only light came from a half-dozen computer screens glowing menacingly in the darkness. A scary-looking German Shepherd slumped in one corner. She growled low in her throat as I came in, and then went back to scratching at imaginary fleas. She had seen it all before: just another poor sucker thinking it was possible to predict the future.
But this wasn’t some hole-in-the-wall gambling den in a seedy part of Augusta. It was my office at my house here in China, Maine. I sat down at my desk and pulled up the website PredictIt.org. Would I be up or down today?
source: predictit.org
PredictIt is a different kind of gambling website. Instead of betting on sports events or dog races, you bet on events happening in politics. For example, the Friday before the recent government shutdown, I pulled out of the “Will the government be shutdown on January 22?” market after quadrupling my initial investment. I got into the market two weeks earlier when I thought shares for ‘Yes’ were severely undervalued at only 16¢ a share. When I exited the market on Friday, my 20 shares were valued at 69¢ each. I should have held the line, but still not a bad return on investment in only two weeks. When in doubt, bet on the incompetence of the American Congress.
Called the “stock market for politics,” PredictIt is an experimental political gambling website created by Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. They work in partnership with more than 50 universities across the world, including the American colleges of Harvard, Duke and Yale.
Why would a bunch of academics be interested in political gambling? They’re studying a psychological phenomenon called “the wisdom of the crowd.” This is a theory that postulates that a prediction derived from averaging the opinions of a large group of diverse individuals is often better than the prediction from a single expert.
The way it works on PredictIt is pretty simple. Political questions are posed which have a binary response, usually ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Shares in either option cost between 1¢ and 100¢ (or $1). The value of shares is determined by the supply and demand of each market. In other words, if a lot of people are buying shares in the ‘Yes’ option, those shares will increase in value, and ‘No’ shares will decrease.
This set up allows one to quickly look at a share price and know how likely that particular prediction is of coming true. Will Trump be impeached in his first term? Since shares are currently at 37¢, that means the market thinks there’s a 37 percent chance of that happening. I own 15 ‘Yes’ shares in this market. Shares have increased by 4¢ (or 4 percent) since I entered the market several months ago (from 33¢ to 37¢), so my initial investment of $4.90 has increased by 65¢ to $5.55 as of today.
If you can think of a question related to politics, there’s likely a market for it on PredictIt. Will North Korea compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics? Currently likely at 94 percent. Who will be the 2020 Democratic nominee for president? At the moment, Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris hold the top spots. How many senate seats will the GOP hold after the mid-term elections? “49 or fewer” is the most likely answer according to investors on PredictIt.
What are the chances that events over the next year will change things up? There’s no market for that question on PredictIt, but I’d say it’s at least 100 percent. Of course, that’s exactly what makes the game so exciting!
I first entered the world of political gambling back in May. I’d become a bit of a news junkie during the 2016 election (Donald Trump is the news equivalent of heroin), and was looking for something to give meaning to the endless hours I spent following the machinations in Washington. Initially, I started with just $20. Later, I added another $25 for a total account investment of $45. I lost $8 on a couple of bets early on, and have spent the past six months trying to make up for the losses. This government shutdown drama put me back on top. According to my trade history, after more than 169 bets and minus any trading fees, I’m currently up by $9.96.
Okay, so the IRS is unlikely to come knocking on my door when I don’t report it on my taxes in April. Still, it feels good to be back in the black.
Eric Austin is a writer, technical consultant, and news junkie living in China, Maine. He can be contacted by email at ericwaustin@gmail.com.
movie poster (source: imdb)
The citizens of the Town of Unity have expressed interest in opening a green cemetery. Therefore, the Unity Cemetery Committee has arranged to show, “A Will for the Woods,” an award-winning documentary about green burials. The presentation will take place at the Unity College Center for Performing Arts on February 8, at 6 p.m. Admission is free. All are welcome to attend. A snow date has been set aside for February 15, at the same time.