SOLON & BEYOND: Schools and what should be taught

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

Received the following information from Margaret Chase Smith Library.

Sorry it’s coming out so late in the month. We miss editor Angie Stockwell. Speaking of which, in this issue you will be introduced to her replacement, Nicole Potter, although she has not been brought on board to edit the newsletter. You can also read about the many awards the Margaret Chase Smith Library and Foundation presents to honor and encourage young people involved with National History Day, the Margaret Chase Smith Essay Contest, the United States Military Academy, and the United States Naval Academy. You will also find a concluding report on the Library’s Maine bicentennial Maine Town Meeting series as well another installment about the recently discovered Clyde Smith letters. End.

In this day and age much is spoken and discussed about schools and what should be taught there. I came across this little yellowed piece of paper that I had cut out and saved entitled Character Traits, and it says “In 1995, the Alabama legislature passed a law that requires schools to discuss 25 traits that they consider make good character. Here are those traits: Cheerfulness, Citizenship, Cleanliness, Compassion, Co­oper­ation, Courage, Courtesy, Cre­a­tivity, Diligence, Envi­ronment, Fairness, Generosity, Honesty, Kindness, Loyalty, Patience, Patriotism, Perse­verance, Punctuality, Respect for others, School pride, Self-control, Self respect, Sportsmanship, and Tolerance. It would be interesting to know how many of the above mentioned character traits are still taught in 2021.

The above is the only recent news that I have received, and so again, I’m going to print something from an old clipping (don’t know what paper it came from, but the writing is mine!) At the top of this little piece of paper it states, Bear Visits Solon! Raps May Prompt Natives To Ask, ‘Who’s That Knocking At My Door? by Marilyn Rogers SOLON:

When I was asked last week by the Morning Sentinel to become the Solon correspondent, they emphasized the importance of feature and unusual stories. At that time, I thought what a silly idea – an unusual story in Solon! But the idea intrigued me as I have always wanted to write so I dreamed that someday maybe….? Then, Monday morning, I received a tip that the Victor Baika family on Pleasant Street had an unexpected visitor during the night. My thoughts quickened with the idea of a feature story, photo and the works, but was somewhat disappointed as far as to get the picture was concerned because the visitor was no longer around. I went to see Mrs. Baiko to get the story and it proved to be an exciting tale. At 10:15 p.m., when the Baiko’s daughter, Linda, came home from her work at The Country Store everything seemed as usual about the grounds of their home. About 11:30 p.m., Mrs Baiko and Linda heard someone shaking the screen door and their two dogs started barking excitedly. The shaking and scratching continued, and they thought someone was trying to break in. Suddenly, there was a big thud and one of the dogs let out a yelp of pain. Well, Linda wasn’t about to let anyone hit her dog, so she picked up a butcher knife and started for the door. But by this time, Mrs. Baiko had awakened her husband. When he opened the door there didn’t seem to be anyone around, but the dogs were barking madly at the bottom of a tree on the front lawn. As the Baikos flashed a light in the tree, two immense eyes peered back. They soon discovered that their visitor was a bear. That was surely a great way to start a new job!

But now for another incident that happened about a wild animal and Lief recently! We feed the birds and enjoy watching them. But, of course, the small animals enjoy the seeds as well! Anyway, three raccoons had been taken for a ride in Hav-A Heart traps this summer and released with no problems, but the fourth one, which happened last week was a disaster! Lief had gloves on when he tried to get the cranky animal out and got a nasty bite on one finger! We started for Skowhegan to the hospital and were there for quite some time so that Lief could get medications for several things. We went down this morning to get the next to the last shot that he needed. It has not been a fun experience!

And now for Percy’s memoir: “Love is not written on paper, for paper can be erased. Nor is it etched on stone for stone can be broken. But it is inscribed on a heart and there it shall remain forever.” – Unknown.