Beyond the South End

Sonny’s

Sunshine

Corner

This month I should get a lot done because the outside temperatures in Georgia are reaching beyond the 100 degree mark. 105 here yesterday. Guess where yours truly was before it got to that point—yep, at home in the AC. Here’s hoping the hot weather doesn’t follow me when I go up to Maine in August. I love to sit outdoors as much as possible when I come home because it isn’t something I can do here in the summertime.

I have a few thank yous I’d like to give here to Raymond Harrington, Becky Wilcox-Brann, and Kishan Chentrappinni for their recent likes of my South End Stories Facebook page.

The regular blog “On Being a Southender,” has now reached a readership of 14,000 plus. Thank you, everyone, for your continued support of my work. I welcome comments from you—just use the comment section at the bottom of the story. Once I approve it, it will appear on that blog story’s comment section.

As always, if you could possibly become a friend to the SE page, I would appreciate it. And keep the likes coming.

I received an email from Janet Bennett, up in Maine, informing me of a Facebook page called, Native American Festival & Basketmakers Market. She had read my Maine Native American Indian story. It’s a good page and very informative. The page is for the Wabanakis Indian tribe, who will hold their festival down in Bar Harbor on July 7. It would make a nice day trip if you would like to purchase some Indian crafts.

I would like to send my prayers to the little boy up home who lost his hand in a terrible accident on Main Street. From what I’ve learned today, they did reattach it at the hospital in Massachusetts and he does have feeling in it. He still faces another operation. Let’s all keep him in our thoughts.

As far as thinking ahead to the physical appearance of architecture in Rockland, I note the beginnings of demolition of those abandoned houses on Philbrick Avenue, a dead end street off Camden Street. Will the area become an expanded commercial area to go along with the rest of the businesses on Camden Street? The area would probably be good for a big box store of some kind, maybe a specialty box store like Home Depot, which is already established in that area. We’ll see.

Philbrick Avenue
From the Rockland History Facebook Page

And what is going to happen to the old Rockland High School, or the Lincoln Center, on Lincoln Street. Anyone heard anything about that?

My stories this month will focus on more history of Native Americans in Maine; a review of Kendall Merriam’s new book of poetry, The Light Relaxes into Evening, which I have read and re-read already; and whatever else comes to mind during the month. Also look for a new Fish and Chips from brother, Ted. His column has been well received by my readership.

As more and more organizations up home start up Facebook pages to display their activities and important news, I have decided not to run my own version here on this blog space. The latest in this list is the museum in the South End, Sail, Power, and Steam Museum. If those folks send me a specific item they would like advertised, I will surely include it, but I will not do a regular blog on the museum. Their Facebook pages can do a much better job of it than I can. I may also bring you an historic piece like the Traverse Board last month.

OK, it’s time for a new notebook for my blog pages. I do keep a written copy…just in case…and it’s easier to go back that way if I reference previous blogs in a story. Call me an anti-techy, but that’s just the way I do things.

Have a wonderful July, especially if part of it will be spent in the Great State of Maine.

Sonny gives you a big purr right in your ear.

Note to my Classmates: I will be in Maine late in August and will attend the class breakfast on August 17.