Maine Native American History

This series of blogs was inspired by my brother, Ted, and my niece, Brenda Sylvester Peabody. When Ted was researching his wife’s family history he came to a dead end quickly. His wife, Nat, is of Native American descent and the history of her family just wasn’t there. My niece Brenda, in researching our family history came across a possible Native American connection. Again the information was very sparse.

Therefore, I decided to try a little research of my own. I must say the information I found was overwhelming at first. I cannot call myself a Native American historian by any means based on the information presented here. It will only serve to make us aware of our Indian history in Maine. I will give you further avenues of research if you so desire to further your studies beyond this blog presentation, including information for children to use to learn about Maine Indians.

Some of the information I found was disturbing. As kids in school we were never fully informed of the true life that our Indians led amongst us. Before the Europeans came to North America, the Indians fared quite well. They thought they could trade with the Europeans who came to their shores in the same manner in which they traded amongst themselves. They were wrong and the consequences were not good.

In a later blog I will discuss a very disturbing YouTube video I found comparing what is called the “American Holocaust of the Native American Indians” to Hitler’s holocaust during WWII. It was said that he used our treatment of the Indians as a model for his treatment of the Jews in Europe. I will discuss those comparisons later.

I must say that in viewing several videos, I was struck by the obvious knowledge of the Indian people who were speaking. They presented their point of view in a way that will make you think and respect their culture. They were articulate and were obviously true historians of their own history.

So let’s start at the beginning. Did you know that Indians were living in Maine long before the pyramids were ever built? They traversed the Siberian land bridge and inhabited American continents before the Europeans discovered the area. Here’s some information I found that pre-dates the appearance of Europeans upon our shores. By the way, the name “Indian” was given to the native people by Columbus because he thought he had landed in the East Indies, thus concluding that the people he found here were “Indians.”

Some 40,000 years ago, just after the Ice Age, the Paleo Indians came to the coast of Maine. They were big roamers who roamed from Mexico, through the United States, and Canada. Only traces of them remain in the form of large stone tips presumably used to kill the animals of the Stone Age, like mammoths, giant bisons, mastodons and the like. Some of these artifacts date back 11,000 years. The Paleo Indians roamed in Maine for about 2,000 years.

Then about 8,000 years ago, the Archaic Indians appeared. They used smaller tips because the previous huge animals hunted by the Paleos were now extinct.

The Red Paint (or Red Clay) people lived and flourished here 4,000 years ago. They once lived on Vinalhaven. They were so called because of the red clay found in their graves which was stained red by iron oxide. It is said they carried that clay from Mt. Katahdin. They may have been the first Indians to fish in the choppy ocean. Few skulls or skeletons have been found because of the acidity of Maine’s soil. Their history has been entirely lost.

2,500 years ago saw the Ceramic People arriving and establishing the first year round communities. They were the first peoples to make ceramics and many remnants of their pots have been found. They were farmers and lived inland most of the time, but in the summer they would travel by canoe (they made the first birch-bark canoes) to the islands. Here they would fish for winter food. They were a sociable people and great mounds of ancient oyster shells can be found along the Damariscotta River. On their migration up and down the river they would visit sometimes for weeks enjoying huge reunions.

Some of those Indians came to Matinicus and after the Europeans came there was continued violence, which I have reported before. A struggle for possession ensued with Ebenezer Hall, a squatter, in which he was scalped. There was also a lot of pirate activity.

Brenda’s Indian connection to our family may fit in here. I will quote her: “Mary Bloom is rumored to be a Native American woman who while living on Matinicus was captured and sold, lost touch with her family—all but the son, Joseph. The family all were massacred as retaliation for something her husband had done (he was white). Eventually she found her way back.”

Here is a map of Indian tribes in Maine before the Europeans arrived.

The next blog of Maine Native American History will begin with the arrival of Europeans to North American soil and what that meant to the future of the Indians living here.

Thanks for listening.

A Visit to Monhegan—Guest Blog Aimee Moffitt-Mercer

I share this blog with the daughter of Rose Ann Small Chaisson, my best friend on Fulton Street back in the day. Amiee is my queen bee Facebook friend now. She is a beekeeper extraordinaire. Recently she posted these fabulous pictures of Monhegan on Facebook. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I do.

Monhegan is accessible via ferry from Port Clyde, just outside of Rockland. For trip hours call 207-372-8848. Ferries also run to Monhegan from Boothbay Harbor and New Harbor. See www.maine.gov/mdot/msfs/ for trip times.

Monhegan is a plantation of Lincoln County. Its Indian name, Monchiggan is Algonquin for “out-to-sea island.” Like Matinicus, it also endured pirate activity in the 1700s. The island was explored by Martin Pring in 1602; Champlain in 1604; George Weymouth in 1605; and Captain John Smith in 1614.

The island got caught up in the struggle for control between New England and New France. It also endured King Williams War in which it was captured by the French. After the French and Indian War ended in 1763, peace finally came. It became an artist colony in the mid-19^th century and continues to draw artists to paint its beautiful rock bound boundaries.

Here are Aimee’s beautiful pictures of the island. Also enjoy the YouTube video of the island at the end of this blog.

This is Rose Ann and her grandson, Randy, eating the lobster dinner special
 at the Trailing Yew. The menu was
 lobster, homemade cole slaw, herbed potatoes
 and carrots, red pepper soup, potato bread and a brownie.
 Sounds good to me.

Here's the YouTube video.

Maine Island Hopping

It’s vacation time again in Vacationland, or our beloved great State of Maine. Last year I gave you several options to visit in the midcoast area. To review those blogs and perhaps use them as a guide for your summer guests, go to the June 2011 archive, “Maine Vacationland – Part 1” and “Part 2.”

This year I thought I’d introduce your summer guests, and maybe even you, to our Maine islands. I’ll only mention a few, mostly in the mid-coast area, because there are approximately 3000 plus islands off the coast of Maine. Some of them are plantations attached to the county in Maine closest to them; some have their own town government; all depend of the county closest to them on the mainland for county assistance when needed.

I have visited Vinalhaven, where some of my ancestors came from; North Haven, Swans Island, and  Great Cranberry Island, where I also have family members.

All visits to these islands, unless you have your own yacht, are dependent on one ferry or another. For a complete list of ferry services in Maine, go to the Maine DOT site, www.maine.gov./mdot/msfs/. I will list the individual ferry services’ phone number for each island as we continue.

Vinalhaven

207-596-5450, Ferry leaves from Rockland

Main Street in Vinalhaven, c 1915

The “Red Paint” people once lived here. That nation of Native Americans has become extinct and no records of them exist. Granite was discovered here in 1826 and Vinalhaven became Maine’s largest quarrying center for the next century. Many of the islands off the coast of Maine had quarrying ventures. These days the island depends on the summer tourist trade to boost its economy.

North Haven

207-867-4441, Ferry leaves from Rockland

North Haven harbor and ferry terminal

North Haven was also home to the Red Paint people and later the Abenakis. The island was originally called North Island of Vinalhaven. Tourism is a big draw here. Residents also live by fishing, farming and boat building.

Islesboro

207-789-5611, Ferry leaves from Lincolnville, next door to Camden

Grindel Point Light

The Indian name for this island was Pitaubegwimenghanuk, meaning “the island that lies between two channels.” I dare you to try to pronounce it. The island is in fact the marker between East and West Penobscot Bay. It was first called Long Island Plantation. It was incorporated in 1789 as Islesborough which over time was shortened to Islesboro. Some of the famous people who have visited or spent a good amount of time in Islesboro are Kirstie Alley, Honor Blackman, J.P. Morgan, Chris O’Donnell, Kelly Preston, Parker Stevenson, and John Travolta.

Swans Island

207-526-4273, Ferry leaves from Bass Harbor

Swans Island quarry swimming hole, from trekearth.com

I visited this island when I was cruising on the Victory Chimes years ago. Many of my classmates at Higgins Classical Institute came from this island. It was the school the town sent them to because they had no high school of their own. On the day I visited, one of my classmates was visiting family, so we had a chance to catch up.

The island was founded by Colonel James Swan of Fife, Scotland, in the 18^th century, who purchased the island and some surrounding areas as well. Before that time it was explored by Samuel de Champlain’s expedition in 1606. At that time Indians used the island as seasonal hunting grounds.

Matinicus

Call the Rockland Ferry office, 207-596-5400 for special ferry service to this island.

Markeys Beach, Matinicus, from www.mainetimes.org

Matinicus is a plantation in Knox County. Many lobstering families live and work on this island. Matinicus is an Abenaki Indian name meaning “far-out island.” There was a lot of pirate activity on this island in the 1700s. It was first settled by a squatter, Ebenezer Hall, in 1750. He got into trouble with the Indians when he refused to leave the island. The Penobscots eventually raided his homestead in 1757 at which time he was scalped. He is buried in the vicinity called “store well” with a bronze plaque to commemorate him. What followed was 250 years of frontier violence on the island.

Great Cranberry Island

Private Ferry Services:

Beal and Bunker Mail Boat, 207-244-3575, Northeast Harbor; Cranberry Cove Ferry, 207-460-1981, Southwest Harbor; Cranberry Isles Commuter Serivce, 207-244-4475, not sure where it leaves from.

Great Cranberry Island is part of the Town of Cranberry Isles. The town consists of five islands: Great Cranberry, Little Cranberry, Sutton, Bear, and Baker Islands. Only the first two have post offices and are occupied year-round.

Great Cranberry is so called because of its abundance of low-bush cranberries in the fall, if you know where to look for them.

I have relatives on this island and have visited it many times. I remember going blueberry picking there when I visited my Aunt Ruth. There are also some neat rocks to collect on the shore as well as sea heather along the edge of the water.

The Beal and Bunker Mail Boat belonged to my Uncle “Tud” and later was run by his son, Arthur. It has been a family owned business for over 50 years. I’m not sure what family member, if any, is affiliated with it now. I do remember that Uncle Tud was concerned that too many tourists came down to stand on the float all at once where you boarded from. “You are gonna swamp my float here if you all come down the steps at once,” he’d say.

Tourism is a big industry here. My cousin, Gayle, took care of Lady Astor, of the Astor family for many summers. She and Aunt Ruth made the best lobster sandwiches going.

My bucket list of islands to visit is headed by Monhegan. I’ve mentioned that island before. Look for a special blog this month on that island.

Thanks for listening and have a great vacation island hopping in Maine.

Submitted by Joanna Hynd, Thomaston Library,  354-0295

Midcoast Permaculture Design Talk

Thomaston Public Library

June 25, 6:30pm

Photo: Jesse Watson, presenter & permaculture designer

For those who are unfamiliar, permaculture is a design system and set of techniques for creating resilient human habitats and healthy ecosystems. It is modeled on ecological principles and covers a wide range of design areas including food production, shelter, energy, water, wellness, community, culture and economics. In this presentation we will talk about some of the ethics, principles, strategies and techniques and discuss the importance and potential of permaculture’s design-based solutions in today’s world of economic, energy and environmental uncertainties.

Jesse Watson is a certified permaculture designer. In 2009 he started a permaculture landscape design/build and sustainability consultation firm in the Midcoast area, serving residential, business and institutional clients. He attempts to integrate regenerative landscape design, traditional folk skills, sustainable economics, technological and cultural innovation into his design practice. Jesse brings an artist’s paintbrush, a philosopher’s pedantry, a tracker’s attention to detail and a holy fool’s comedic relief to the company he keeps. He lives with his young family in Rockland.

This presentation is at the Thomaston Public Library located inside the Thomaston Academy building on 60 Main St. in Thomaston. Public parking and library doors are located behind the Academy. Contact us to find out more: 207-354-2453 or tpl@thomaston.lib.me.us

This event is free and open to the public.

A Day With Daddy

Here in the South grown men call their fathers “Daddy.” That’s what I called my father from the time I was old enough to call him that and into my adulthood.

My Daddy was an easy-going man who never knew a stranger. I loved having my own special time with him. I was “Daddy’s girl.”

We had similar personalities and interests. Many’s the time I heard the phrase, “You’re just like your father.” That could be in reference to a bad thing or a good thing.

On this particular special day with Daddy we took our mopeds out on a little spin. Let me tell you why we both had mopeds. I got mine in the 70s when they became a popular toy to have. I used it a lot where I lived in Connecticut.

It wasn’t long after I got my moped that Daddy decided that he just had to have one of his own. Mine was a yellow Puch, one of the best mopeds at the time. I don’t know what brand his was.

Connecticut didn’t require a moped to be registered, but Maine did. I’ll explain why I acquired a Maine license plate for my moped later.

In 1978 I was between semesters in grad school at Fairfield University and decided to spend some quality time in Maine with my family for a while. It was September and the folks were still at the cottage in Spruce Head. I stayed in the other cottage we owned at the top of the hill. How do I know it was 1978? No, I do not have total recall like Marilu Henner.

As mentioned, Maine required registration in order to ride a moped in the state. Therefore, when I brought my moped to Maine to ride while I was there, I had it registered. You can see by the plate that it says FEB 79. That means it would expire in February of 79. From what I can remember, I only registered it for six months, September 1978-Feb. 1979, so I wouldn’t have to pay so much insurance on it. Notice the MC on the plate. I guess that meant it was a motorcycle license and they didn’t have ones specifically for mopeds. When you come right down to it, it was a cycle with a motor, so yes, you could say it was a “motor cycle.”

You didn’t need a special license to ride a moped, however, like you did with a big Harley or something. You just needed a regular license. So my Connecticut driver’s license was perfectly fine.

So that’s how I can place this little excursion with my Dad. I was 47 at the time, he in his late 60s or early 70s. Hard to believe I am now about the same age as he was in this picture.

Here’s how these pictures came to be. One day in Spruce Head, Daddy suggested we take a little ride on our mopeds. I said, “Where?” He said, “Oh, just around. Follow me.” I said, “Great, let’s go,” like the Daddy’s girl I was.

As you can see from the lighthouse, we ended up at Marshall’s Point in Port Clyde. There were a few hills to climb with our mopeds before we got to that destination. Those motors were small, only going 35mph at the most, so some of those hills were a struggle. It was a fun day as we laughed trying to get up the hills. Thankfully, on those back roads, the traffic is not heavy. It was a wonderful excursion.

After we left the point, we continued on to the village and had some great fish chowder or clam chowder, I forget which. I believe it was in that grocery store that is quite well known there which serves food. If I am wrong as to that location, please correct me.

The three little pictures you see I cut to fit into a neat hanging chain picture frame and I have it on my office wall. I can see them from where I sit. I was not about to leave it behind in the flood mess. I still have this plate too which I stick on the bottom of a frame of a picture of the coast of Maine, also in my office.

When I moved to Georgia, I brought my moped with me. When I was between cars I used it as my main means of transportation around my town. I went to the bank, grocery store, post office, and to work, which was nearby. I eventually sold it when I moved to an area where it was not safe to drive a moped. My Dad eventually upgraded to a motor scooter which he actually drove back and forth from Spruce Head when he was still working at Bald Mountain Printing on Main Street in Rockland. I have no idea where he parked it during the day.

I tried driving that scooter once and nearly ended up on my rear end when I let the clutch out too quickly. That one summer was the only time Daddy and I got to have fun together on our mopeds. The precious times we share with our mother and father are held in our hearts all our lives. I never forgot that day and the fact that I got to hang out with my Daddy for a while.

This Sunday, June 17^th, is Father’s Day. If your “Daddy” is still living, give him a big hug and kiss. Happy Father’s Day!

Thanks for listening.

Summer Reading—Maine Writers,

Guest Blog—Sara Tavares

Sara Sylvester Tavares

I share this blog with my sister, Sara Sylvester Tavares. She has discovered a few Maine writers you may not have heard of before. I will share her comments as well as give you my own additions to the blog.

If you plan to vacation in Maine this summer and would like some suggestions for your summer reading featuring Maine writers, here are some suggestions for you.

Here is Sister Sara’s contribution along with some comments of these authors:

“Sarah Graves, of Eastport, writes a series called “The Home Repair Mysteries.” Descriptions of the area and people are great.”

Sara discovered two more book series about Maine:

“The first Vickie Doudera, author of the series called the “Darby Fair Mysteries.” The author is a real estate agent in Camden who writes these books about an agent who finds dead bodies. (She was featured in Village Soup.) Book was ok, but didn’t recognize the actual area she was writing about.”

“The second one I got free for my kindle and they are called “The Gray Whale Inn Mysteries,” by Karen Maclnerny, about a bed and breakfast on Cranberry Island. Was your basic whodunit but a fun read.”

Of course Sara mentioned a now very famous author, Tess Gerritson, a retired physician who lives in Camden, who wrote the Rizzoli and Isles series which is now a dramatic series on TNT television.

Besides the Rizzoli and Isles series, Gerritson has also written medical thrillers and romance novels. Her Rizzoli and Isles novels include:

The Silent Girl; Ice Cold; The Keepsake; The Mephisto Club; Vanish; Body Double; The Sinner; The Apprentice; and The Surgeon. Look for them wherever books are sold and at the online book sites.

Some information on Gerritson via Wikipedia includes the awards she has won for some of her books. The Surgeon, 2002 Rita Award for best Romantic Suspense Novel; Vanish, 2006 Nero Award for Best Mystery Novel.

She has received approval for her work from James Patterson and Stephen King. King says, “even better than Michael Crichton.” (By the way, King’s latest installment of the “Dark Tower” series, The Wind Through the Keyhole, is now out.)

Sara lives in Camden with her husband Jacob and their two sons.

The most recent discovery I have made is of an older author no longer with us who used to live in several Maine locations with his wife, Iris. His name is Alonzo Gibbs. I haven’t been able to find much in the way of a biography yet, but from what I’ve read of his work so far I believe he grew up in the Long Island, New York area when there were still mashes there.

The book I have read so far is called In The Weir of the Marshes, which was introduced to me by my cousin Mary Sue Weeks. At the time he wrote this small book of essays, he lived within walking distance of the farm in Bremen. One of the stories in the book is about my Aunt Freda and Uncle Carl, who ran that farm, and where I spent much of my summers as a kid. As it is a Christmas story, I’ll bring that to you in December.

He wrote several books and also some poetry as well as young adult books. A few are now out of print, but your best bet is to contact Stone Soup Books of Camden, where I got The Weir of the Marshes. There is a book called Bremen Bygones in his long list of work which I hope to read next.

He writes very poetically, in a way that will put you immediately into the scene he is writing about as the first two sentences of The Weir…will illustrate: “Evening puts a glaze of yellow behind the flimsy houses which lean on stilts at the inshore edge of the wetlands. Between the geometry of silhouetted roofs the cross-trees of telephone poles along some unseen street diminish in the distance.”

If all this is not enough to get you started, Eva Murray, our Matinicus writer, has a second book out later this summer called Island Schoolhouse, One Room for All. Eva used to teach school on the island and now resides there. She also writes articles about the island for Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors. You might want to pick up a copy of that magazine as it has some great Maine stories in it, especially if you are a “boat” person.

I might also suggest that if you haven’t already read it, my novel, The South End, which takes place in the South End of Rockland. It is available at the Reading Corner on Main Street  and at other local bookstores and also at online sites including www.buybooksontheweb.

If you are in Maine, please support your local independent book seller. Oftentimes you will find books there that you will not find at the big box stores. The Reading Corner and the Owl and Turtle in Camden, Personal Book Store in Thomaston to name a few, have many Maine writers to choose from. Stop by and check them out if you are in the area. I’m not sure if Stone Soup Books in Camden has a retail outlet, but if you’re interested their address is 35 Main St., Camden, ME 04843.

The Reading Corner has a Facebook page. Check them out and “like” them if you want to keep up on the latest news at the store.

Thanks for listening.

We’ll Always Have the Memories

Photo from the Bangor Daily News

As the new Oceanside High School seniors prepare to be the first class to graduate from the new school, our thoughts turn to the old Rockland High School, now the soon to be closed Lincoln Center on Lincoln Street.

The saga of the 144-year-old building has been of concern to residents this past month. The Lincoln Street Center, a non-profit organization, took over the building in 1998, buying the property in 2002. They recently announced, however, that they will leave the building at the end of this month. They have insurmountable debts totaling around $69,000.

According to board member John Bird, who attended the school in the 50s, keeping the old place going has been a “Herculean” task, despite generous support from donors. Efforts to find ways to pay for much needed repairs proved to be too daunting.

Closing of the Lincoln Center means that about 50 artists will need to find new studios; the Watershed School will need to find new quarters; and our beloved heritage room which displays memorabilia from the 144 years of history of both Rockland High School and Rockland District High School is in jeopardy. Board member Ben Perry overseas the room, which is sponsored by the alumni association. The association cannot afford to rent a space for the articles which contain old sports jerseys, yearbooks, and the like. The room itself has also been preserved as the way it was when we were attending classes there. What will happen to these treasures now?

The Heritage Center at the Lincoln Center,
 photo by Bangor Daily News

Enter Joseph Steinberger, a Rockland lawyer and former city councilor. The next part of this saga concerns the establishment, by Steinberger, of a non-profit organization called “The Old School.” He called for a public meeting in the old auditorium at the school for May 15 to try to figure out ways to save the old place.

Before that meeting took place, an inspection of the building was made and it was determined that “yes” it could be saved.

However, by the time the meeting took place that position had been changed. It might have had something to do with the fact that the furnace is 25 years old and has only one zone for the entire building. There are also about 100 windows that need to be replaced because they are not thermal and many are opaque, which evidently were that way to keep the students from gazing out the windows and daydreaming. Cost: a whopping $120,000. Where is a non-profit supposed to get that kind of money in this economy?

Therefore the meeting turned out just to be an announcement that “no” sorry, we can’t do what we said we could.

In a Courier Gazette survey around this time, four out of five people asked about the future of the building wanted it renovated so that it could continue to be an arts center for the community. OK, people. Do you have the deep pockets needed to do this? Is your name Farnsworth, Wyeth, or Rockefeller?

Here’s my take on the whole dilemma.

The building has seen more than one revival in its 144 years. It may be time to demolish it in the manner of the old post office. How many times can you use a chewing gum approach and pray that it sticks?

A new smaller, more efficient building may be the answer. Where the money is coming from I haven’t figured out yet. Perhaps a fund-raiser needs to be hired, and the city could help a little couldn’t they?

As for the heritage room of the Rockland High School Alumni…perhaps a time capsule could be buried somewhere on the property after said razing. In it could be a picture of the room and a sample of all the articles now displayed there. The historical society could perhaps take possession of some of it, or they could share those duties with the Rockland Public Library. What do you think?

Memories

Something that can’t be destroyed is our memories. Those of us who attended the old Rockland High School have many of the same memories. No one can take them away from us whether the building is there or not.

How many of you have these memories:

I remember the old bike rack which stood on one side of the building by the sidewalk. Before I got my license and was therefore embarrassed to ride my bike to school from the South End, I used that bike rack. I had no lock on my bike, nor did the rack provide any. How many bikes do you think were stolen from that rack in the 50s?

I remember all the hot rods and souped up cars which some of the boys owned parked up and down Lincoln Street and Grove Street.

I remember some of the boys who between classes tried to take the down staircase “up” instead, taking them two at a time before someone caught them.

I remember playing basketball with the girls’ team on the old gym floor where the sign on the wall read, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you played the game.” At least it goes something like that.

I remember the canteen on that same gym floor and the Kippy Karnival games that took place there every year.

Kippy Karnival time was of course the highlight of our year. It was a lot of fun to do things for the school as a class.

I can see Mrs. Viik, (sorry forgot how to spell her name), reprimanding our senior class, which she led as the teacher representative, as we sat in the auditorium practicing for our graduation walk at the Community Building.

“Now everyone please stop signing yearbooks and pay attention. I swear you all have senioritis,” she said.

I have so many more memories I can’t name them all here. Some of them can be found in another log, “Scrapbook Memories,” in the archives for May 2011.

Say Farewell and Walk Through Your Memories

Today, June 1, the Lincoln Center is giving you the opportunity to revisit your old school. Come and walk the halls, check out the heritage room, sit in the old auditorium and go down to see the old gym one more time.

You may visit from 6:30-9:30pm. Potluck snacks will be provided in the second-floor art gallery.

To celebrate the event and the spirit of our artistic community, artist Alexis Iammarino will install an art installation that will stretch from Main Street to the Lincoln Center.

The installation will consist of long-sleeved shirts sewn together at the cuff and creating a continuous line in honor of the first Friday art walk and the farewell party at the center’s gym at 9:30pm.

The shirts will be held up by long stakes, symbolizing the importance of having stakeholders in the community to uphold the importance of the arts in our society.

Come and reminisce, enjoy the night with your friends, maybe even some old classmates. Sneak up the down staircase if you dare. Celebrate and say good bye. There will be more memories to be made later on in a new place. Trust me.

Thanks for listening.

Sonny’s

Sunshine

Corner

Sonny’s corner may not be so sunshiny this month as I have a few gripes to air here. More on that later.

Another technical glitch has appeared in the past month. Evidently, my blogs are no longer posted to my South End Stories Facebook page automatically. I have, therefore, been posting them separately along with the posting on the Village Soup site. I still forward the blog to FB and it does appear there OK.

You can reach the South End Stories page without going to the blog first by using the new URL: www.facebook.com/SouthendS. I am now posting some items to that page that will not appear on the regular blog site, so check both places to keep up on all the news I have discovered I want to alert you about.

Now for the gripes. Some of the news from the old home town recently has given me cause for distress. After I wrote the blog about the history of lobstering last month, it hurt me to discover that two lobster boats owned by very young boys down Friendship way were vandalized. One of the boys was six years old when he got his lobstering license, the youngest in the state. He’s had his boat since he was 10 and was proud that he was keeping up the family tradition of lobstering. The boats were saved, but the event reminds us that the life of a lobsterman is not always easy. I wish both the boys a good lobstering season.

I noted a story about a whole neighborhood being demolished because the 100 years plus old houses are uninhabitable. The twelve houses on Philbrick Avenue, a short street off Camden Street are owned by Madeline Philbrick. Her grandfather, the late Eugene Philbrick, built them all one by one. The septic systems began to be bothersome which led to Madeline’s decision. Evidently the city has no money to install a sewer system in the area. The old established neighborhood will be missed. Hopefully we will see some new homes built in that area in the future.

Speaking of old buildings, I have been following the saga of the Lincoln Center and its closing at the end of their season. Look for a special blog on that subject. I’m afraid it may have to go the way of the Philbrick houses.

The last gripe I have is about all the flak at Lynn Archer’s restaurant, The Brass Compass, on the corner of Main and Park Streets. The mayor has said you need to read all the pros and cons about the situation. I did and I for one will agree with Lynn here. She has added a lot to the area to attract the summer tourists. She’s willing to work with the city, so why are they spending all that money to “improve” the park? If I were there, Lynn, I would be number 401 on your petition to let you use the space for seating for your restaurant.

Also this month, look for another Fish and Chips column from brother Ted; a guest column- collaboration with sister Sara about summer Maine reading; and a possible blog about Maine and New England foods. Stay tuned, I may get some more inspirations from other sources.

 

Do-it-yourselfer lends expertise

This column appeared in the Bangor Daily News on December 4 or 5, 1982

In answer to several inquiries, we are happy to report our friendly do-it-yourselfer is still alive and kicking. He was rather inactive for several months, opting for a few simple repair jobs around the house. He did tangle with the kitchen sink drain again and managed to shower himself with murky drain goo when back-flushing the clogged pipe. Got the mess all over the kitchen and cabinets. Learning from experience, he tackled the job while his wifemate was away and had ample opportunity to clean up the mess before she got home.

Last summer he became involved with the largest project ever, helping out on the construction of a whole house. The big difference this time was that he did not have to be responsible for the planning and execution of those plans. He was more or less a bystander helping out here and there.

You have to understand the picture. Here, for the first time in his vast experience as a do-it-yourselfer, he was working with others who actually knew what they were doing. He was constantly amazed at the exactness and correctness of calculations and construction. Why, they even cut wall-partition studs the correct length the first time. Do-it-yourselfer always thought it was perfectly acceptable to cut the studs too long the first cut, too short the second cut, then insert a shim to make it fit.

Even more amazing was to have the exact quantity of materials on hand to complete a segment of the construction. It seems reasonable to believe that if one correctly measures an area for materials and orders what it needs, it would come out all right. Never in his experience has do-it-yourselfer ever enjoyed this luxury.

Even more amazing than this was that framing of windows and doors was made well in advance of installation. When it came time to insert the windows, every one fit perfectly into the frame. Our friend could not understand why at least one of the openings was not too small or too large. That’s the way he always did it.

What really took the cake was to see a hole cut into the roof for the chimney and have it located exactly where it was supposed to be. It’s enough to make a grown do-it-yourselfer close his tape measure forever.

There were other new experiences for our friend. Imagine, if you will, here he is perched atop a pretty steep roof shingling between two young bucks half his age and part monkey. The two young men jumped around on the bouncing staging boards as if they were walking down Main Street on a cement sidewalk. Well, after a day of shingling, do-it-yourselfer couldn’t open his hand for three days as it was clamped closed where he had clung to the roof and staging.

Standing atop three sections of portable staging installing collar beams and insulation is an experience not to be forgotten.

With progression of construction to a point-of-interior work, it was time for installation of kitchen cabinets. Do-it-yourselfer was beside himself. With the cabinets situated in place, he drilled a hole to fasten it to the wall, and would you believe it, there were actually solid stringers behind the sheetrock to screw into. Why, any respectable do-it-yourselfer would have to remove at least one piece of sheetrock to install the necessary backing.

Finally, do-it-yourselfer found even the experts can become frustrated and upset when something doesn’t go right. After the cabinets were installed, the stove and refrigerator were installed. The door of the refrigerator opened from the wrong side. This was not a problem as the doors are reversible. The task was begun to reverse them. Everything went smoothly until it came time to install the bottom hinge, which for some reason would not fit to accept the door.

The installer even had to resort to an old trick of the do-it-yourselfer; he read the directions. But no amount of finagling could make the hinge fit. Giving up in disgust, the installer declared the manufacturer must have made an error and installed the wrong part. Ha, thought the do-it-yourselfer, there’s another ploy he has utilized in the past, blame it on the manufacturer. Wow, these people really are human after all.

The sequel to this, however, is that an inquiry from the dealer about the reversible refrigerator door brought a service representative to the house to make the necessary changes. Know what the serviceman discovered? The manufacturer had installed the wrong hinge which would require his sending for a new part.

Well, at least the do-it-yourselfer can still clean out a clogged sink drain even if he usually sprays himself with water in the process.

Thomaston Library

Summer Reading Program

Submitted by Joanna Hynd

Wiffle Ball Game to Start Summer Reading Program! Come to the Thomaston Public Library to celebrate reading and baseball on Saturday, June 16^th at 11am! We have 50 TICKETS to the Portland Sea Dogs we are giving away to the first 50 kids who sign up for our summer reading program.

Stop by the Thomaston Public Library at 60 Main St. Thomaston. Public Parking is located behind the Thomaston Academy Building. We will meet to sign up in the Children’s Room and give away ticket vouchers. Then we will travel to the Thomaston Little League Field on Watts Lane (behind the American Legion) and play wiffle ball coached by our own Parks and Recreation manager, Matt Judkins. After the game we will be giving away free popsicles. We hope to see you there!

We recommend kids between the ages of 7 and 12 participate in the wiffle ball game, but all are welcome to attend!

For more information contact Joanna at the Thomaston Public Library

(207) 354-2453 or childrensdesk@thomaston.lib.me.us