Monday, October 31, 2011

Drive-In Movie Monsters



<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UyhhhGfcapo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


Just copy and paste the above into your browser and the video will appear.

At this time of year, when ghosts and goblins are about, I am reminded of the biggest venue for horror movies, the Drive-In Movie Theater. We had a wonderful Drive-In up there on Route 1 in Rockport.

We still have a few drive-ins left in Maine. I’ll tell you where they are at the end of this blog.

This video shows the trailers for some of the best of the horror flicks. The same producer who brought us “Night of the Living Dead,” brings us “Dawn of the Dead” in this video. Also featured are horror movies such as the double feature: “Terror from the Year 5000” and The Screaming Skull.” The trailer also includes a clip of an “authentic” certificate for free burial service should you die of fright while viewing these movies. Other featured horror films include “Beast From Haunted Cave” and “Dracula vs Frankenstein” and “Man with the Synthetic Brain.”

I’m sure all of these films played at our drive-in at one time or another. The thing about drive-in movies was that they were always B level movies. I don’t ever remember viewing a top-rated film at a drive-in. I firmly believe that a pre-requisite for being an actress in one of these horror films was determined by the quality of your scream. Whoever came up with the best and most spine-tingling scream won the part.

Besides the horror flicks, the drive-ins also featured “biker” films and “bad girl” films. This video features “Angels’ Wild Women,” which I assume are Hell’s Angels’ girlfriends. Also featured is “Satan’s Sadists,” starring of all people, Russ Tamblyn. I suspect that this role came way before his role in our favorite mid-coast film, “Peyton Place.”

These biker films were the B films copied from such A films as “The Wild Ones,” with Marlon Brando; and “Rebel Without a Cause,” starring James Dean. Both of these films are now classics.

The next video features drive-in intermission ads. Do you all remember “Let’s All Go To The Lobby?” The Lobby was, of course, the concession stand. The drive-in made their money selling food and drink to its patrons rather than from the sale of an entrance ticket. The same is true of most movie theaters today.

http://youtu.be/Xg8aqu9HL_o

http://youtu.be/28aSBRPDfh4

Just copy and paste these two into your browser.

Teenagers who went to these drive-ins during their heydays in the 50s were often times up to no good. If they could, they would try to sneak in an extra kid or two by hiding them in the trunk. It was also a favorite place for a guy to take his girlfriend on a date, especially if it was a horror movie, or better yet, a double-feature horror movie. What better way to get your girl into your arms than through fright. There were no bucket seats to contend with either.


A lot of car-hopping and running back and forth to the concession stand took place. If a car’s windows were steamed up you either just left them alone or knocked on the driver’s window to scare the two lovers inside.

I know for a fact that more than one boy drove off with a speaker still attached to the window. Said speakers would then be attached to the guy’s radio wires in his car and placed in the back window…shazam…you had one of the first stereo speaker systems.

We had a lot of fun at the ‘ole drive-in, didn’t we. If you want to recapture an “American cultural experience,” you could try out one of the five drive-ins left in Maine. They mostly run in the summer though. Here are the ones we have left in Maine, per Maine Magazine:

Westbrook, Prides Corner Drive-In holds 550 cars, the largest capacity in the state. The theater opened in 1953.

Bridgton, Bridgton Twin Drive-In, built in 1957, is the only twin drive-in theater remaining in Maine.

Saco, Saco Drive-In, built in 1939, is the second-oldest operating theater in America and the oldest in Maine.

Madawaska, Skylite Drive-In, opened in 1973, which makes it the newest drive-in in the state.

Skowhegan, where a drawing is held during intermission for all ticket holders. The winner receives free admission for a future screening.

Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr., the chemical-company magnate, who started this whole thing in his driveway in Camden, New Jersey, in 1932, probably never envisioned the development of his drive-in patent being used all over the country. He tried out the concept of his “drive-in” idea in his own driveway after nailing a screen to trees in his backyard. He set up a 1928 Kodak projector on the bonnet of his car and put a radio behind the screen to test volume levels.

His “experiment” resulted in his patent being established in 1933. Thanks for all the joy you brought to us all, Richard. Take a road trip to one of the above drive-ins this summer. Enjoy the show!

Thanks for listening.

Halloween Masks




Halloween masks and
other fun stuff to make
for Halloween can be
found on the following sites:

or

Have fun and

Happy Halloween…Boo


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Carving Your Halloween Pumpkin

If you want tips on carving your Halloween pumpkin this year, check out the video from a carving professional at Southend Stories. The site it came from is called www.extremepumpkin.com.  It has a bunch of good ideas involving pumpkins. You might also be able to see the video better from the actual site.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives (Maybe?)

Our friend on the Food Network, Guy Fieri, has a whole show devoted to Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. There is a diner in everyone’s life. We’ve all had our favorites. Diners are an important part of physical Americana. They all have their histories; some have been in families or in business for almost 100 years.

I’ve been in a few diners and drive-ins in my lifetime. Here are some of my favorites. Some of them you will recognize and some you won’t, depending on what part of the country you live in. My experience with diners and the like centered on Maine, Connecticut, and Atlanta. What’s your favorite?

As far as Maine and the coastal area, we are all familiar with Moody’s. We might also include the old Dave’s Restaurant over on Rt. 1 in that category. I loved their fried clams. Dave’s had the same comfortable and welcoming feeling as Moody’s has. We all miss Dave’s. (See a video of Dave's on South End FB page. Thanks Rockland Maine History for supplying it.) I think there was also a diner down on Park Street where the bank is now. It appeared after I left town, but I think it had a good reputation too.

Some of these iconic places have gone viral as far as merchandizing goes. Many have gift shops as well as their own websites and Facebook pages.

Here’s “The Story of Moody’s Diner” which I borrowed from their website:

Moody's began in 1927 when "P.B." Moody built 3 small cabins renting for $1.00 per person. In 1930 a small restaurant was opened at the entrance road to the cabins. In 1934 this little business of 18 cabins was by-passed by the new Route #1. "P.B." promptly bought land connecting the cabins to the new route, built a road, moved a small take-out stand to this location and the present Moody's Diner began. 

All nine children worked in the family business: on the farm, cabins, or in the diner. Son, Alvah Moody, and son-in-law Bill Jones remained with the business as chefs and buyers until their retirement. Daughters Judy and Nancy were also involved from the 80's until the present in cooking, waitressing, and management.

At the present time, grandsons Steve Moody and Dan Beck are in management positions. There are now 31 members of the family working in various aspects of the business, many of them great-grandchildren. It is a "family tradition" in every sense of the word!


Now, over eighty years later, we are very pleased to have served over a million people in our motel and diner. We have evolved from three cabins our first year, with no diner, to our present 18 cabins and rooms and a 104 seat diner that has become a national icon, featured in magazines and on television shows around the world.

The blueberry muffins have garnered a gold medal from the Culinary Hall of Fame, Gourmet magazine has requested the recipe for the world-famous walnut pie, and Saveur magazine named the whoopie pie one of the 100 top food finds of the year in 1999. For 80 years, Moody's Diner has been a national icon, serving great food to more than a million satisfied customers.

Those who have been to Moody's Diner know that Moody's is not a 'quaint-on-purpose' tourist attraction. It is a diner on US Route 1 in Waldoboro, Maine, plain and simple. It has survived, prospered and grown these 80 years because of good food, reasonable prices and quick, pleasant service. There are people who eat at Moody's everyday, and those who come in every time they travel to Maine. All are made welcome. Locals aren't expected to go elsewhere during tourist season and tourists aren't gouged for their vacation cash - it's never going to be that kind of place.

There are two diners I frequented while I lived in Connecticut in the Hartford area. The first one was the East Hartford Diner. It was a huge place which was essentially an after-hours place to get coffee and try to sober up before you tried to drive home. I was never in such a state, but I did go there with friends on many a weekend night. You could put it in the “Dive” category as you might have to get past a drunk or two before you got to your own booth. Kind of a rough place now that I think about it; but then again I was young and things like that didn’t bother me too much.

The other place I remember quite well was a diner that sat across the highway from me down on Rt. 15 in Meriden. I think it was called The Silver Diner; but changed names later on when a different owner took over.

Rt. 15 runs the length of the state and has several names the further south it goes. It is called the Merritt Parkway in the southern end. It generally runs parallel to Interstate 91. I traveled both of these roads when I went to grad school down at Fairfield University.

In the Hartford to Meriden section of the highway, it was often called “Fire Alley.” The name came from the fact that on occasion, a restaurant on that strip would be burned out. It was said that the Mafia controlled that road and if you got on their bad side, you might find your business in ashes the next day, therefore “Fire Alley.” I remember that one of the restaurants on the strip was allegedly a meeting place for the Mafia. You could call that place a dive also.

Anyway, the reason I tell you this history is because the diner across from me, which was taken over by a Greek guy I think, just went up in smoke one night. In matter of fact, it exploded. It was said that the guy “accidentally” left the gas on for the stoves, the gas built up, and the whole place exploded. Believe it or not, I slept though the whole thing.

When I moved to Georgia and worked down near 10th street at the old “CNN” studios, I was introduced to the nearby Varsity, the biggest drive-in in the world. As it says in the picture "What'll Ya Have?" became their slogan because the guy at the head of the food line inside always said that several times in a row to the next customer in line. If you didn't hear him say that, you felt slighted.  Here’s some fun facts from their website:


(Story continued below)





























History The original Varsity was opened in 1928 on a 70' X 120' lot with a white picket fence by a man named Frank Gordy; a man with a $2000 nest egg and "million dollar taste buds." Through his dedication to freshness, superior quality, advanced technology and serving the best food fast, he gained a reputation that is known worldwide. The Varsity has hosted well known people from the entertainment industry, the sports industry, the Governor's mansion, the White House, as well as visitors from all over the globe. Through Frank Gordy's determination, the original Varsity has grown into a two-story "Lunching Pad" and there are now 6 sister locations. The Varsity has become an Atlanta institution known and loved by all.

It's the World’s Largest Drive-In The Downtown Atlanta location is on more than two acres and can accommodate 600 cars and over 800 people inside. On days when the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (the school is nearby) are playing a home game, over 30,000 people visit The Varsity.

Legendary Volume Two miles of hot dogs, a ton of onions, 2500 pounds of potatoes, 5000 fried pies and 300 gallons of chili are made from scratch daily

Car Hops Identifying cars by number has always been an integral part of the Varsity Drive-In system. "Curb men" would sing and dance their way to fame. The most famous of our car hops was a man named Flossy Mae, who sang the menu to customers for over 50 years. Well known TV and Movie star Nipsy Russell also got his start at The Varsity as car hop #46

Desserts Dessert at The Varsity is a must. Homemade ice cream and fried pies are the only way to top off a meal. Over 5,000 pies, peach and apple, are made daily. Of course, family recipes are followed very closely to ensure quality everyday of the year.

Besides the car hop experience where the car hops come to you on roller skates, there is an eat-in area in the Atlanta location that is on a couple of levels. It also has its own “gift shop.”

The headquarters for another popular chain of diners is in Gwinnett County, a suburb of Atlanta, where I live. That chain is called “The Waffle House.” When Nanci and I were “between homes” during the time of the flood, we must have hit every Waffle House that exists. We had an insurance voucher to help with our daily food needs so we had fun trying to eat at a different Waffle House every day.


The Waffle House has its own museum, if you can believe it, in Avondale, another suburb of Atlanta. I’ve never been there, but may check it out one day. The diner inspired me to create my own diner in my home, which I did. The booths and stools survived the flood and the whole diner I had will be replicated when I have my own home again.

Here’s what their website had to say:

It's the mid 1950's. Joe Rogers and Tom Forkner were neighbors–Joe working for a national restaurant chain, the Toddle House, and Tom in the local real estate business. Since employee ownership was not available with the Toddle House, the idea of starting a business they could own and share some ownership with other seemed like a good idea. Joe and Tom wanted to create a restaurant focused on people–both the associates and customers–while serving quality food at a great value.

On Labor Day 1955, their dream became a reality–and an icon was born–when the first Waffle House restaurant opened its doors for business in Avondale Estates, an Atlanta suburb. After Unit 1 opened there were no plans for another Unit, but the first restaurant established the Waffle House tradition of providing the friendliest service in town. Customer loyalty developed and the business grew steadily. A couple of years (1957) Unit 2 was acquired and by 1961, there were four small restaurants.

In 1961, Joe left Toddle House and went to work full-time at Waffle House®. Tom went full time soon after. The 1960's saw the emergence of a restaurant chain focused on customer service with a short order concept and, true to its founding beliefs, shared the ownership generously with management.

The company began to expand and new units were built in Georgia and neighboring states. The "Yellow Sign" soon became a familiar landmark along city streets and interstate highways across the Southeast. Under the guiding philosophy of "better before bigger," Waffle House restaurants continued to grow in both new and existing markets.

So these are some of the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (?) I’ve eaten at over the years. The movie, “The Diner” starring Daniel Stern, Ellen Barkin, Kevin Bacon, Mickey Rourke, Paul Reiser, Steve Gutenberg, and Barry Levinson is the best example of an “Americana” diner. Check out that trailer on my South End Facebook page.

As far as dives go, the epitome of dives was the subject of three “Porkies” The first one appeared in 1982. Set in 1954, a group of Florida high schoolers seek out to lose their virginity which leads them to seek revenge on a sleazy nightclub owner and his redneck sheriff brother for harassing them. The film starred Dan Monahan, Mark Herrer, and Wyan Knight. That trailer also appears on the South End page. A warning: it may contain scenes “inappropriate” for some viewers.

I would be happy to hear about your own favorite eating establishment and add it to my own list. Just email me at southendstories@aol.com.

Thanks for listening.


NOTE: By the way, I originally planned to include "Drive-In Movie Theatres" in this story, but decided to save it for another time.

Pumpkin Waffles

In honor of the season and to celebrate “Diner Week” here at “On Being a Southender,” I decided to include this pumpkin waffle recipe for you. Enjoy.


Pumpkin Waffles With Trail-Mix Topping

Recipe courtesy Claire Robinson for Food Network Magazine


For the Waffles:

  • 1 small sugar pie pumpkin (2 to 3 pounds)
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Topping:


Directions

Prep the pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the stem and cut the pumpkin into quarters with a serrated knife. Scrape the seeds and pulp into a strainer; set aside.

Roast the pumpkin: Put the wedges on a baking sheet and cover tightly with foil; bake until the flesh is tender, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Remove the foil and let cool.

Puree and strain: Scoop the pumpkin flesh into a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a sieve set over a bowl to drain the excess liquid, about 1 hour.

Toast the seeds: Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Rinse the seeds under cold water and discard the stringy pulp; blot dry. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (this helps dry them out).

Make the topping: Transfer 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds to a bowl and add the almonds, sunflower seeds and syrup. Spread on 2 baking sheets lined with silicone mats or parchment paper and season with salt; bake until just golden, stirring several times, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on the pan, then toss with the dried cherries.

Make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin-pie spice in a bowl. Whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a separate bowl, then whisk in 1 1/2 cups strained pumpkin puree, the yogurt and milk. Whisk in the melted butter. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined (it will be lumpy). Beat the egg whites with a mixer until stiff, then gently fold into the batter.

Cook the waffles: Preheat a waffle iron and grease it if it's not nonstick. Spoon in the batter and cook until golden brown. Keep warm in a 250 degree F oven (directly on the rack) until serving. Serve with whipped cream, if desired, and sprinkle with the topping.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Nostalgic videos

Check out these fun nostalgic videos on my South End FB page which came to me via the Rockland Maine History FB page. They are YouTube videos so you can probably find more if you investigate.


It may take me a while to upload them, so be patient. 

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Flower Video

Please view the beautiful flower video which was shared by my cousin Mary Sue Weeks on South End Stories FB page. She did not produce it herself. Just click over on the right. It's really beautiful. Thanks, Mary Sue.

Monday, October 17, 2011

The Church That Wouldn't Die

Many of us who grew up in small communities, moved away, and then returned after several years often can’t believe how things have changed in the old home town.

I have kept in close touch with my hometown of Rockland as I still have many friends and family there. However, I have the advantage of seeing changes from a different vantage point than local people who live there year-round. They take these changes in stride, while I’m often amazed at all that has taken place in my old home town since I moved away.

Buildings and changes in businesses stick out the most. The buildings on Main Street are basically the same. The storefronts and sidewalks have changed; and with the closing of Goodnows, on the corner of Park and Main, there are not any familiar businesses anymore.

Rockland High School on Lincoln Street, where I spent four happy years, is now an arts center. Knox Hospital, where I was born, is now a nursing home. The Community Building is now a sports center. The library is still a library, however, the interior is not what I remember at all. Even my beloved South End has seen many changes since I left over 30 years ago.

So what has all this to do with a church that wouldn’t die? It’s about history and memories mostly. The buildings you spend the most time in when you are growing up are the ones you become most attached to. We often say, “If only these walls could talk.”


As I was looking through my newspaper clippings for stories about my Dad, I came across a story about the Free Will Baptist Church in the little town of Rockville, which is really a part of Rockport. I believe my mother sent me this clipping, as she often sent me stories she thought I might be interested in when she wrote me a letter. It probably came from the Portland Press Herald as she didn’t receive the Bangor paper in those days.

Then I remembered that I had recently cut out a story from the Herald Gazette pertaining to that same church, now called Rockville Community Chapel. That piece will be “the rest of the story” later on.

The story my mother sent me I believe was from the 1970s or perhaps even earlier. The two women pictured in the same story, were Mary and Josephine Tolman, then the last two members of that church which has existed in that place since 1851. Imagine that!  Maine had only been a state for 31 years. The Civil War was a mere 10 years later. At the time of this story, the church had been in existence for approximately 130 years. What must have taken place in that little church in all that time? How many generations of Rockville families have walked through those doors?

Churches in those days were often multi-purpose facilities. A church was often the first public building built in a new town. It was therefore used as a school, church, and for any event where the villagers needed to meet, such as a town meeting. I don’t believe this church was used for those purposes, since they did at one time have a Town Hall and a School, which have long since been torn down.


I was familiar with the Free Will Baptist Church in Rockville as I was growing up because my grandmother lived right across the road from the church. She was the founder, along with her second husband, Roy Tolman, of the Tolman branch of our family. Ida Emery (Sylvester) Tolman lived in that little house since she was married. Mary and Josephine were two of five Tolman children. The Tolmans were among the original settlers of the area in the 1700s.

Three of the girls, Mary, Jo, as we called her, and Gladys, lived with my grandmother after Roy passed away. You would never meet three sweeter women. I don’t think they ever ventured further than New Hampshire in their lives. They were devoted to the family, their fellow Rockville friends, and to the Freewill Baptist Church.

The church has seen many revivals. The followers of Rev. Jason Marriner grew to be about 100 souls when they decided to build this new church in 1851. In 1906, the spire was removed because of costly repairs; but several years later money was raised for new pews and a carpet.

In the 1950s, the Tolman girls were members of the Meet Again Club of Rockville and they began to raise money to repair the church. They did manage to make several repairs and improvements. However, as the club members aged and expenses grew, they were not able to keep it up. It appeared that the church would go the way of the Town Hall and the school. Finally, at the time of this story, the “girls” were the last two members of the church and were not able to maintain it anymore. Mary and Jo have since passed away.

I have my own memories of Rockville and of that church. I remember Christmas Fairs in the old town hall. Mostly I remember how it smelled with the combination of baked goods and Christmas firs. I always enjoyed going to that fair. I also remember going to the church on Mother’s Day when they would give everyone a carnation; red if your mother was alive; and white if she was deceased.

There was still hope at the end of the story from Gudrun Kononen of the Rockport Landmark Commission that the building could be saved and used for such functions as weddings and concerts. “This is the only one of Rockport’s original churches that has been preserved,” he said. “We’ve got to save it. I’m sure we can save it.”

This is where “the rest of the story” comes in. Fast forward to the present time. August of 2011 is when the next story appeared, when a Rockport historian and a native of Rockville, named Vernon Hunter, delivered a talk entitled the “Lost Village of Rockville.” The talk was given at Freewill Baptist Church in Rockville, now renamed Rockville Community Chapel.

Evidently it has been known by that name since the 1970s. At that time the church was decommissioned as a church and became Rockville Community Chapel. It is the only public building remaining in the village of Rockville. Community concerts, weddings, funerals, and civic group meetings are held here during the warmer months. So it seems that in a way Gudrun Kononen’s wishes came true. The old church is now being used for many of the things it would have been used for in the 1800s.


Vernon Hunter and Fran Hart sitting outside the
Rockville Community Chapel
 talking about times past in Rockville.
Hunter is a member of an association, which is not named in the newspaper story, which seeks to restore the old church. To quote the last two paragraphs of this story:

“The ongoing restoration of the chapel has included replacing the roof {The Tolman girls used to go over and put barrels under the drips when it rained.}; repairing the belfry (its famous Hooper bell was cast in Boston in 1898); and installing new windows. The association also wants to paint the last side of the building needing a new coat of paint.”

“The association is a non-profit dedicated to restoring and preserving the chapel, which is also to be the site for the preservation of historical materials pertaining to Rockville.”

The Tolman house across the street from the new “chapel” has since been sold to others. I have no reason to visit the area anymore. However, I can’t wait to revisit the old church as it has been revived and to view the historical materials that have been collected.

I have no doubt that memories of the Tolman girls and of my grandmother, Ida Tolman, will flash through my mind as I reenter the chapel. Old buildings and old memories. You can’t get much better than that. I know the Tolman girls would be happy about the continued restoration project of their beloved Free Will Baptist Church even if the name has changed.

Thanks for listening.

NOTE: By the way, the Freewill Baptist Church always reminded me of the old songs, “The Little Brown Church in the Vale” and “Little Jimmy Brown.” See those YouTube videos on my Southend FB page.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Sharing Family History


As today was my Dad’s birthday, I thought I’d share a little of his history with you.

This picture was published, but I don’t know in what publication or book it appeared. It shows my Dad’s family. The caption reads:

Seated in front: Theodore Sylvester, left, and Alice Evelyn Emery; first row, from left, Faith Emery, Harlan Sylvester (holding Robert Emery), Sarah Sylvester, Frederic Elmer Sylvester; back row, from left, James Emery (holding son, Elmer) Clara Emery, Mary {shoud be Mary Sue} Emery, Ida E. Sylvester (holding daughter, Ruth).

Frederic and Ida were Dad’s mother and father. Ruth was his sister. His other sister, Frederica, is not pictured. His dad died very young and my dad was eventually absorbed into the Emery side of the family when he was growing up.

Tell me why everyone is so stern in this picture. It appears that my Dad and his Dad are sharing a private joke as they both have the same smirk on their faces. I’ll bet my Dad got his great sense of humor from his Dad. My Dad always liked to be in front when pictures were taken. It could be that that habit started with this picture.



I think my Dad was in his forties here. It is probably the only professional shot ever taken of him except for family pictures. I believe it was done when he was a high officer in the union over at the Cement Plant in Thomaston. He was in that company’s machinists’ union and often attended conventions outside of Maine. I see he doesn’t have on his signature bow tie and that he is trying his darndest to look serious, but you can still see the devil in him behind the eyes.

My Dad was active in many civic organizations around town. He was also elected to receive the 33rd Degree honor in the Masons. The newspaper story said, “For outstanding contributions to Freemasonry and for dedicated service to humanity, several Maine Masons were recently elected to receive the 33rd Degree honor.”

This picture was taken when he became president of the Golden K Kiwanis Club of Knox County in 1987. He is on the far right.


Happy Birthday, Dad. We all miss you.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Sing a Song of Maine

While surfing through YouTube I came across quite a volume of work dedicated to the State of Maine. Music varies from rock to country to folk and even rap. The thought occurred to me that perhaps I could educate my fellow natives and lovers of Maine about what music is out there pertaining to our beloved state.

I chose some of my favorites to share with you. Some of these videos have beautiful Maine scenery to go along with the music. I hope you will enjoy them. This blog may take a while to view, therefore, my friends, I give you this blog as an assignment for the week. Go back to it during your busy week to enjoy a little bit of Maine and a lot of enjoyable Maine music. Have fun.


http://youtu.be/j-sfdtRBIfI

Copy and paste this link into your browser
 to hear the song and see the video 
 I will give you more links as we go along.
 It's the only way this format will let me do it.
 If you have problems, email me
. I will post each video during the week on FB
 and on my FB South End Stories FB page also.

We begin with the Maine Stein Song as sung by Rudy Vallee in 1930. This official song of the University of Maine was actually written by two college roommates at the UofM. The lyrics were written by author and journalist, Lincoln Colcord and the music by Adalbert Sprague.


http://youtu.be/9uiY4FGxg1Y


This video is of the UofM Marching Band Homecoming 2008. They play the Stein Song during this concert. I included it for all my drum corps buddies who remember doing concerts like this.


http://youtu.be/RN183PdfTYg


This song claims to be the Maine State Song.

http://youtu.be/93EBH4n3dO0


This "Anthem of Maine" was written by Roger Vinton Snow. I wonder if he's related to the South End Snows or the Snows of Snows Shipyard? Anybody know?

http://youtu.be/ynL3pHh6Ayk

"Pretty Maggie of Maine" was inspired by the soap opera, "Dark Shadows" which some of you may remember. It tell of Maggie Evans from that soap.


http://youtu.be/3IAp0E5pujQ

http://youtu.be/HtIESzxUYdA

Here's Maine Balladeer, Matthew Heintz, who works the fairs in Maine. Check him out. He comes with his own background scenery.

http://youtu.be/2sy7ZJG1P-E

This video is a homage to Johnny Cash and the Pine Tree State from Slaters Garage up in Mattawamkeag, Maine, a place I've written about before if you remember my snow stories. Look for Stephen King.

http://youtu.be/78poqeW3Tb4

"Boothbay Weekend" by Arlo West. There are some beautiful shots of Boothbay in this video.

http://youtu.be/CLH1w4ZOlA4

This song, "Take Me Back" has beautiful scenery too. Written by Marc Rancourt, it is a song about growing up in Maine; then leaving Maine; to finally returning to Maine.

http://youtu.be/az6WmX-umAc

Of course we can't forget our very favorite song of Maine, "Driving Old Memories" by our very own Rockland native, Ervin Robinson.

Did you learn a lot about Songs of Maine? I hope so.

Thanks for listening.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Harlan's Song

I have a niece I share a special bond with as we share the same birthday. She is exactly 20 years younger than I am.  Her name is Dr. Bette Bergeron and she has accomplished a lot in her lifetime.


Bette has a Doctorate in Education and presently is Dean of Education at Southern Illinois University. She is also an accomplished writer like her aunt. She writes beautiful poetry and we all wait anxiously for her Christmas poem every year. If we have a death in the family that year, she will dedicate her poem to that person.

Her father, my brother, Harlan, died in 2006. He would have been 76 on September 30. She dedicated her poem to him that year. Although this is a Christmas poem, I’d like to share it with you. He was a watercolorist and won many awards at the Lobster Festival for his work. The Thomaston Library had an exhibit of his work this year. Please see the archives for March, 2011, “Harlan Sylvester’s Art Exhibit at Thomaston Library—Guest Blog—Brian Sylvester” (Harlan was his great-uncle) to see samples of his work.

The watercolor I include here was one of his ocean pictures. The masthead of this blog also features one of his paintings, done when he was just 16, down on Mcloud Street. I also use that picture as wallpaper on my computer so that I can remember him every time I turn on my computer.

Here’s Bette’s poem for 2006:

Dr. Bette Bergeron
Christmas Canvas

Christmas is a canvas
            Of brilliant, shining hues,
Painted by an Artist
            In greens and vibrant blues.

A Master is the craftsman,
            That traces in the sky
A star of proclamation,
            Where hope and promise lie.




The greens of Christmas holly
            And yellow candlelight,
Blend with anticipation,
            In angel’s purest white.

This canvas is a portrait
            Of simple gifts of faith;
Of families sharing wonder,
            In prayers of joy and grace.

A father stretches canvas
            To hold his family safe;
It warms the coldest winter,
            And brightens Christmas day.

The father’s Christmas canvas
            Paints trees of deepest green,
With scents of pine and snowflakes,
            And daughters’ wistful dreams.

                        Tonight the father’s canvas
                                    Is traced in velvet black,
                        With sparks of golden starlight
                                    That celebrate the past.

                        Tomorrow’s Christmas canvas
                                    Will leave a tender mark,
                        As the Artist and a father
                                    Paint love within our hearts.

Bette, you have done your father proud.

Thanks for listening.