All My Letters are Love Letters

   I set out to give you a love letter blog and realized that every letter I have ever received is a love letter. Why? Because every time I reread old letters sent to me I can feel the love behind the person who is writing it. Many of these letters come from family and I’m very lucky to be a part of them. Many of the excerpts below are from family who is now gone which makes them ever more precious to me. My intent here is to give you a better insight into my background, who it is who is writing to you here every week.

Except for our dear Aunt Virginia, my generation has now taken its place as the “first generation.” It still seems odd to me. The Sylvester branch of this big family I belong to was in danger of dying out when I was a kid. Of my two brothers, Harlan and Ted, Ted was the only one to produce three sons. Two have married and produced three more sons altogether, so the Sylvesters are on the rise again.

On September 12, 1982, my extended family and ours held one of our famous “family reunions” at the home of my second cousin, Dwight Wass. It was one of the many family events I missed since I moved away from Maine. At this particular reunion a letter was sent out to those missing which several people there added notes to. I’ll give you some excerpts to show you how much they tried to include the “away” relatives into the day.

“Having a lovely time at the reunion. Ted Sr. (my dad) said his favorite sister-in-law was here. You know, Avis, his only sister-in-law. He always has a great time with that.” Avis is from the Tolman branch, having married Evans Tolman, my Dad’s half brother and only brother. Evans has passed away. They were married for well over 50 years I think and you rarely saw one without the other unless Evans was working.  A true love story those two. They both were parental chaperones when their son Jimmy and I were both in the Drum Corps.

“It’s a beautiful day here in Maine at this beautiful reunion at Dwight’s. Wish you were all here with us. Had such lovely food etc. Everyone is talking at once and happy as larks. Hope to see you some day. We’ll have a lot to talk about. Love Aunt Freda and Uncle Carl XXXXXXXX” From my dear Aunt Freda Hilton, mother to my twin cousin, Diane, and cousin Mary Sue. I spent many happy days with them on the farm in Bremen. I miss her.

“Just arrived 2 pm from World’s Fair, Detroit in one day. Loved the China exhibit the best. Great to see all the folks again. I’m in Florida from Nov. to May so don’t see them often…Great to be retired and going strong. Here’s to you, and may we always be a happy tribe. Aunt Alice Emery Gray.” Alice was from the Gray side, a family she founded with her husband. She had 5 kids, and then proceeded to go back to school and get an education degree. She then taught school and after she retired she became a world traveler and enjoyed every minute of it. When we were kids, she often stood in at our house when my mother was sick in the hospital, leaving her own brood in Orrington to come take care of ours. Bless her, we all miss her.

“Hi, it’s me Cynthia (cousin Cynthia Wass). Sorry you couldn’t be here too. Maybe someday you’ll be able to. Had a wonderful time. Also I have a new granddaughter, 1 month old, Michelle Wass (Eric’s baby).” Cynthia is older sister by another marriage to cousins Diane and Mary Sue Hilton.

“This is Mom. I’m writing standing up so hope you can read it. We had a nice time today, beautiful day and all kinds of food, missed you all. Heading home now, taking Aunt Ruth over to Freda’s for a few days. Maybe someday we can all get together, guess we would have to hire the Community Building. About 50 here today. Love, Mom.” Aunt Ruth was Freda’s only sister. She lived on Cranberry Island and they didn’t see each other often. They and my mother were all of the same age. The three of them were able to get together on the island one afternoon when cousins Mary Sue and Cynthia took them down.  They all had a wonderful day and it was the last time they were all together before Aunt Ruth died

.

The letter ends with a guest book affair when someone from each family signed their names. There were 41 entries. It was one of the best letters I every received from my family.

Here are some more excepts from my family “love letters.”

From my dear "twin" cousin Diane Hilton, who recently passed away. Dec. 12, 1983. “Dear Sandra, What a great surprise to get your letter! I agree—it’s been far too long. Coincidentally enough, just last week in the office, I mentioned how we used to look and dress alike until we were about 6 and then you zoomed up and left me behind. Remember—even when we were 12 we still had dresses alike—they were blue and for Easter…It’s interesting that after going our separate paths, we’re both in the same kind of work. PR and promotion is what I do for the Forest Service.” Diane then lived and worked in D.C. from where she retired and moved back to Maine to the farm house in Bremen. She went on to describe her bout with breast cancer and how well she was doing. Unfortunately, she died of cancer this past year. We love and miss you, Diane.

A rare letter from my Dad in which he gives me an extensive weather report. Feb 3, 1984. “Hi, Have you heard that we were snowed in, we have quite a lot of snow, about 14” on the level, and we have some high drifts. Harlan went down to Spruce Head and shoveled off the cottage roofs today. Tell your boss we appreciate his concern of our welfare. (Don’t remember what boss or what the problem was) Your mother is getting ready to go get her hair done and then we are going shopping. You should see the drifts in our parking lot where they plowed the snow, about 8’ high. Can’t get out our back door. I’m still working for Rex (at Bald Mountain Printing) and the Sherriff’s Dept. (he worked as the “hear ye, hear ye” guy in the court system and as Deputy Sherriff directing traffic for fires and other emergencies.) I think I will retire when in 1985 will be 80, don’t seem possible. Give my regards to everyone.” My Dad died at 85 at which time he was still involved in several local organizations as well as volunteering at the hospital. He was a man with a great sense of humor, which my brother Ted inherited, and a man you could always depend on.

A Thank-You note from Aunt Freda regarding her 50^th Anniversary party which was attended by about 200 people. April 9, 1987. “Dearest Sandra, We do wish you could have been here for our anniversary party. It was such a grand time. So many of our dear friends, neighbors and family on both sides came to help us celebrate. I want to thank you for your part in the celebration too. Diane played the tape and it was so wonderful of you to make and send it, and the letter for the memory book. It brought back so many memories of the past. We just did things to give you all a happy time when you were with us and we enjoyed doing it too. The framed picture of the invitation on the gold background was a very thoughtful thing for you to do. I have it on display with my other anniversary gifts in my dining room dish cupboard. Thank you for being so thoughtful.” It was the least I could do. Uncle Carl and Aunt Freda will always be loved in our hearts.

A rare letter from Aunt Ruth over on Cranberry Island. She was quite infirm at the time and in a wheelchair. She describes later in the letter how her daughter, Gaile and her friend Arvard came and got her in the car, drove it onto a barge, and took her to the mainland that way. She really enjoyed the trip. She also added a P.S. at the top of the letter: “Hope you can get to visit next year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.” I did get to go over to the island and visit with her a couple of times with my family.

Dec. 17, 1988, 11:00 a.m.

“Dear Sandra, I take pen in hand to write you greetings from Cranberry Island and the State of Maine, a beautiful winter’s day, sky very blue, sun shining and all is calm, but weather man reports a big storm coming tonight, snow, wind etc. I hope it passes us by and goes out to sea. (Winters can be harsh on our islands as you know.) I want to thank you for all the written material you sent, and for the lovely memorial to Aunt Alice. She was a beautiful person, a sister to me, and I shall always have a place in my heart for her. Aunt Fay (Alice’s sister) is 89 and doing quite well but getting very frail. Myself I keep busy as always working on projects for the Church Fair. I’m on several committees and that keeps me writing quite a bit and with cooking and writing my Christmas cards, you can see I’m really busy. I have 12 great-grandchidren and 13 great-great grandchildren, and one more expected in January. Tud and I started quite a family. Now I wish they would stop coming. (She had three children to begin with, Gaile, Arthur, and Allison.).”

Finally, I include a card from my second mother, Thelma Small, mother of my best friend, Rose Ann when we both lived down on Fulton Street in the South End. Thelma at this time was housemother for a school of nursing in New Hampshire. This card is undated but I believe it comes from when I lived in Hartford in the early 70s and worked nights for the Hartford Courant. I was in my 20s and evidently going through some problem or other in my young life.

This is what the type on the card said:

"A new strength…There are times in every life when we feel hurt or alone…But I believe that these times when we feel lost and all around us seems to be falling apart are really bridges of growth.

We struggle and try to recapture the security of what was, but almost in spite of ourselves…we emerge on the other side with a new understanding, a new awareness, a new strength.

It is almost as though we must go through the pain and the struggle in order to grow and reach new heights."   –Sue Mitchell

How long did she search for just the right card to send to me? She herself didn’t have the easiest life, but she was always there for me. I love her and miss her. Here’s some of what she said in her letter with the card.

“I’m sorry that so much has gone on in your world in such a short time—the words on this card sort of say what I’d like to say because I believe in what it says. I know that struggle is where you are at right now—but hang in there…I care about you and what happens to you so please keep in touch…”

Dear Thelma, you were always there for me. I love you and miss you.

These are just a few of the “love letters” I’ve received in my life time. I hope they have comforted you in some way if you are going through a hard time right now. If you are fortunate to have an extensive and loving family like I do you are truly blessed.

Thanks for listening.

Thomaston Public Library on Facebook

Submitted by Joanna Hynd of the library, contact number 354-2453

Thomaston Public Library on Facebook

The Thomaston Public Library has added a facebook page and is looking for more fans!

To like the Thomaston Library facebook page go to the library homepage http://www.thomaston.lib.me.us/ and click on the box that says, “Like us on Facebook!”

We will keep updates about upcoming library programs and events posted in addition to photos of previous events. We appreciate your patronage!

Did You See This Lobster?

Thanks to cousin Mary Sue Weeks for bringing this story to my attention. It's quite incredible!

Depicting the rocky coast of Maine, the Maine State Aquarium serves to foster an appreciation for the Gulf of Maine, its species, and resource conservation by connecting research and education.Depicting the rocky coast of Maine, the Maine State Aquarium serves to foster an appreciation for the Gulf of Maine, its species, and resource conservation by connecting research and education.Aquarium Manager, Aimee Hayden-Roderiques holding “Rocky,” a 27 lb. lobster donated by “Bobby Malone from a shrimp dragger. Caught off Rockland. This picture comes from Fox News out of Boston. The story has been picked up all over the world in places like the UK, Africa, Spain, Canada, and others.

"Rocky" is shown here next to a lobster of normal size.

Rocky, pictured here, is 26 ¾ lbs., 40” long. The child is 22 lbs., 32 ¼” long. What you want to bet he becomes a lobsterman someday, hoping he’ll find another one like this. It probably wouldn’t be good eating though and would take about five pounds of melted butter too.

Rocky was released into deep waters under Maine’s protective regulations which prohibits the taking of lobsters this size. He was released at 11 am. Thursday. Don Carrigan of Channel 6 News covered the release.

Got a Rocky to Donate?

Before “donating” a species like Rocky to the Aquarium, you must first contact Maine Marine Patrol before it comes to shore. There are regulations protecting marine life. The patrol must approve the transportation of such specimens and ensure that it is covered by state collection permits.

Maine State Aquarium, West Boothbay Harbor

Did you know there was even a Maine State Aquarium? Take your kids over and check it out. The goal of the aquarium according to their site is: “Depicting the rocky coast of Maine, the Maine State Aquarium serves to foster an appreciation for the Gulf of Maine, its species and resource conservation by connecting research and education.”

Movies at the Thomaston Library

The following was submitted by Brian Sylvester, head librarian at Thomaston Public Library:


Movies at the library for March 2 and March 9:


March 2: Paper Moon

On Friday, March 2^nd, the Friends of the Library will present “Paper Moon”, starring Ryan O’Neal and Tatum O’Neil, who was awarded an Oscar for her role.  The film will begin at 6:30 PM in room 208 of the Thomaston Academy Building. The film is the first in a series of five films hostess Erika Pfander has titled “Have you seen these?”  She will be showcasing forgotten and overlooked gems each Friday in March.

In 1973s “Paper Moon”, a con man and his precocious “daughter” con their way across the heartland of depression-era America in director Peter Bogdanovich’s nostalgic look at the 1930s.  As the two try desperately to scrounge up enough money to live on, they realize they need each other to survive.  “Paper Moon” is rated PG and runs for approximately 102 minutes.

 March 9: Gaby

On Friday, March 9^th , the Friends of the Library will present “Gaby”, starring Rachel Levin and Norma Aleandro.  The film will begin at 6:30 PM in room 208 of the Thomaston Academy Building.  The film is the second in a series of five films hostess Erika Pfander has titled “Have you seen these?”  She will be showcasing forgotten and overlooked gems each Friday in March.

“Gaby” is based on the life of cerebral palsy sufferer Gabriela Brimmer (Levin). This unsentimental drama celebrates strength in the face of adversity.  It takes the family maid (Aleandro) to discover the keen mind trapped in the girl’s incapacitated body.  Armed with determination and a lust for life, young Gaby soon succeeds beyond anyone’s wildest dreams – except hers.  Liv Ullman and Robert Loggia portray her parents.  “Gaby” is rated R and runs for 110 minutes.

 The Friday Night Film Series is presented to the public free of charge.  Light refreshments will be served and donations are gratefully accepted.  The Thomaston Academy Building, located on US Route 1, is handicapped accessible from the parking lot entrance.  For more information, call the library at 354-2453.

Kids and Books

This is what I meant by giving kids real books to look at at an early age. This video was taken by Barbie Sylvester, wife of my nephew, Steve, when the subject of this video, Alyson Sylvester, my great-great niece was visiting her grandmother recently.

Sandra and Bill--A Love Story

Yesterday, February 18, I read a shorter version of this story, via phone, to Sandra and Bill at their 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration in Machias, Maine. I wanted the story to be a surprise which is why I haven't posted it till today.

The year was 1962 when I arrived at Washington State Teachers College, now University of Maine at Machias, in Machias, Maine, as a Freshman/Sophomore. I was placed with another girl named Sandra Kinney and a third roommate, who moved out shortly after we all arrived.

It was a suite really, with another small bedroom, two beds in the main room, and our own bathroom, including tub. It was the primo room at Kimball Hall.

Sandra and I hit it off right away. As our birthdays were March 5 and 11, we clicked as two Pisces. As I was a class crossover student, I was about exactly two years older than she. She was like another kid sister to me and I enjoyed seeing her engulf herself in the collegiate scene.

We both came from the South End of things, so to speak; she from the South End of Eastport, Maine, a downeaster; and me from the South End of Rockland. Eastport, at that time, however, was a rather depressed area. Not many tourists find themselves at the very easternmost point in the country very often. Their claim to fame was in fact that it was the most out-of-the-way eastern point. It is the very Eastport you hear referred to as “Eastport to Block Island” when you hear the weather report.

Sandra didn’t come from a big family. Her parents’ marriage was beginning to fall apart. Sandra worried about how her mother was doing down in Eastport without her trying to run an old run-down hotel by herself. Sandra had only a baby sister and an uncle, besides her folks, to call family. Even though Eastport is a mere 45 miles or so down Rt. 1 as the crow flies, Sandra didn’t have transportation and had to rely on rides with others when she could. Her mother, likewise, could not take time away from trying to make a living to get up to the college.

It seemed like hundreds of miles away to Sandra sometimes; a girl who had never been away from home before. I tried to make her feel at ease as much as I was able to.

However, Sandra, a beautiful Freshman coed, was not about to be alone for long. Soon all those college boys starting circling around her. “They were comin’ round the mountains” so to speak.

The boy Sandra was attracted to right away, was a senior, a local Machiasport boy by the name of Bill Prescott.

They were both downeasters and a whirlwind romance ensued rather quickly. In a mere five and a half months they were making plans to marry.

Money was tight of course. Bill tried the best he could to get a scholarship for himself to help ease the burden. I must explain here that our president at that time was a man we called “Mac” Sennett. He was a strict disciplinarian and never gave the “town” boys much of a break. He couldn’t keep them under his thumb as well as he could the rest of us who lived on campus.

Bill had to go in to see Mac to get his scholarship approved. As WSTC was a small college, everyone knew what everyone else was into most of the time. We had no secrets. So when Bill asked for Mac’s consent for his scholarship, Mac replied, “I ain’t paying for no damn wedding!” Nice, huh?

So Bill basically told Mac what he could do with his scholarship, that he’d find another way, and walked out. Remember that it was the 60s and things were really starting to escalate over in Vietnam. The guys did everything they could to stay in school and avoid the draft. As long as they were in school, they could get a deferment from serving. 'Nam was not a war young men  then wanted to become involved in unlike the big war, WWII, when young men enlisted in droves after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the 60s, however, if your grades slipped, or you left school for any other reason, it was more than likely that you'd be swallowed up by the draft process.

When Sandra told her mother about Bill’s proposal, she had this advice to give which Sandra wrote to me in a letter the day after he proposed. Here’s the gist of that letter:

Bill stayed last night till 11:00 then he went home.

Mom invited him down Saturday to stay till Monday. I’m so happy!

When Bill left, Mom and I had a talk. I was planning on waiting until today but I couldn’t.

I started out. Do you like Bill? She loves him. She thinks he is wonderful. So then I said I love him. She said she was glad, that she thinks he is the right guy and she is proud of my choice. Then I said, He has asked me to marry him. She was happy. She said when he comes down this weekend we are going out to dinner to celebrate. She is going to talk to us both then. She didn’t tell me NOT to get married she only said, Don’t marry for anything besides love. Make sure I love him. And never interfere with any of his education he wants to get.

She nor I said anything about when it would be, but she wouldn’t be mad if I marry him now. I’m sure.

There are so many things I’ve got to buy and I’m so broke. I’ve been thinking—maybe one of the girls at the dorm would have a white dress or something I could borrow to wear so I wouldn’t have to buy anything. Do you think that would be alright?

Sandra’s Mom was smart to realize that a young couple starting out needed a solid background to begin with, such as an education. Bill had no intention of dropping out of school, even though Sandra did after the marriage. He finished his education, in spite of Mac, and went on to have a great career in the field of education. In fact, he ended up his career teaching Math as an assistant professor at UMM, where he had begun his own education.

Even though money was tight Sandra asked for two things for her wedding which was planned for Feb. 16, two days after Valentine’s Day: a white dress and to be married in a church.

She did manage to borrow a dress from another girl and the ceremony was arranged to take place at a local church by the minister of that church.

The ceremony was planned for the evening, just after supper time at Kimball Hall, which also contained our dining hall. The center stairway going up to our rooms dumped into the hallway going into the dining hall. There was no other way to exit. Everyone knew about the wedding of course, and when Sandra came down the stairs in her borrowed white dress, those just coming out of the dining hall, cheered.

I think they all felt like they were part of the wedding too. It was the campus event of that winter. Even though those in attendance at the church were only the bride and groom’s parents and the witnesses, I and another Bill, Bill Kennett, a classmate of Bill's, we all felt the presence of the student body. As the wedding party consisted of two Bills and two Sandras I was quick to remind the minister; however, to be sure he married the correct Sandra and Bill.

Sandra and Bill recently celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary. They have had their adversities through the years.

When Bill and Sandra married, Sandra’s mother asked her to take over the care of her baby sister, then about one-year-old at least for that summer after Bill graduated. Bill got a job in Lincoln and they moved there with Vicky.  Sandra's mother paid them $15 a week for her care. They were happy to do it. So the young couple, Sandra only 18, started out with another person to care for from the very beginning.

Sandra’s mother died at 48 of cancer. Vicky lived with Sandra and Bill after that and was enrolled at school where they lived. One day, Sandra’s father came and took Vicky out of school. They didn’t have any guardian rules like they do today when it comes to picking up kids from school. A custody battle ensued, which Sandra’s dad won. He had remarried and they moved with Vicky to Massachusetts.

Understand again that Vicky and one uncle were now her only living relatives. So then she had no one. Relations between the sisters were estranged until they were older.

Meanwhile, throughout this dark period, Bill’s family enfolded Sandra into the love of their family.  They loved Sandra from the very beginning and they did indeed become her family.

Vicky and Sandra are now friends and sisters again. Vicky is married, lives in Eastport, and has six children of her own. Sandra and Bill have three children and two grandchildren. So she and her sister have reestablished the family again. Their dad died at age 57.

I still proudly call Sandra and Bill my friends. Sandra would go on to serve several terms as a State Representative and Bill had a stellar career in education. Kudos to you both.

So this month, the month of love, we celebrate the 50^th Wedding Anniversary of Sandra and Bill Prescott. May they have many more happy years together.

Thanks for listening.


Wedding Album

Left to Right: Bill Kennett, best man; Sandra's mother, Groom Bill Prescott

First picture: Sandra with her folks in our dorm room just before she came downstairs. Second picture, Sandra and Bill at his parents' home after the wedding.

SPECIAL NOTE: They made me leave that beautiful room after Sandra was married. I roomed with Diane Longstaff, who also became a good friend and whose wedding I also participated in. Guess what? She also married a local student, Lyle Huntley, who hailed from Jonesport, near the school.

I also was a member of the wedding party for classmate and later roommate after school, Lucille Valiante. She also married a Navy man who hailed from Calais, another downeast town. She had to go to Japan to meet him though when he was in the Navy and she was teaching American children in Japan. Ironically she had dated his best friend, John, while John and Lucy were both students at the school. I’ve written about her before.

Read Across America with Dr. Seuss!

The following was submitted by head librarian at Thomaston Public Library, Brian Sylvester. Photo by Brian Sylvester also.

Read Across America with Dr. Seuss!

Celebrate the writing of Dr. Seuss with the Thomaston Public Library on Friday, March 2^nd. During after school hours there will be snacks to munch and books to devour. Starting at 3:30pm, classic stories like The Cat in The Hat and Yertle the Turtle will be read aloud by the new children’s librarian, Joanna Hynd. “Here at the library we want children to become enthusiastic about reading. What better way to introduce Dr. Seuss to a new generation than by celebrating his work on his birthday?” There will be Dr. Seuss coloring pages, a certificate of completion of the Read Across America with Seuss, and other Seuss activities available during and after the celebration. This program is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome! For more information please contact the Thomaston Public Library at 354-2453.

A Little Mixed Up

With all the ailments I’m going through lately, I thought I’d share this note from sister-in-law, Kay Sylvester, which I received in the mail from her a few years ago. I know a lot of my friends out there can relate to it.

A Little Mixed Up

Just a line to say I’m living,

That I’m NOT among the dead;

Though I’m getting more forgetful,

And more “mixed up” in the head.

For sometimes I can’t remember,

When I stand at foot of stair,

If I must go up for something,

Or I’ve just come down from there.

And before the fridge, so often,

My poor mind is filled with doubt,

Have I just put food away, or

Have I come to take some out?

And there’s times when it is dark out,

With my nightcap on my head,

I don’t know if I’m retiring,

Or just getting out of bed.

So, if it’s my turn to write you,

There’s no need in getting sore,

I may think that I’ve written,

And don’t want to be a bore.

So, remember—I do love you,

And I wish that you were here;

But now, it’s nearly mail time

So, I must say, “Goodbye, dear.”

There I stood beside the mailbox,

With a face so very red,

Instead of mailing you my letter,

I had opened it instead.

         --Anonymous

Hang in there, Everyone!

Our Lobstermen are Stars

Did you see this Red Lobster commercial featuring our very own Laura and Doug McLennan, lobstermen out of Spruce Head? They are related to my brother Harlan's good friend in the old South End neighborhood, Ducky McLennan. Are you watching up there, Ducky?

The End of an Era

The following is a story by our friend, Emmett Meara written in 2010. It concerns the end of an era in midcoast journalism. He graciously allowed me to post it. The article can be found on the Bangor Daily News site “Living.” I am posting it because it contains a lot of the old stories my brother Ted has told me about those days in Rockland. It was quite a crew who met at the coffee shop across from the BDN office every day. It used to be Ashton’s (I think the name is right) dime store. I’m told that local politicians also met at the coffee shop. They had to be careful about what they said, however, or they might see their words in Ted’s "Fish and Chips" column.  You can find many more stories by Emmett at the BDN site. Enjoy this glimpse into the past.

Emmett Meara

Heyday of midcoast reporting 
comes to an end

By Emmet Meara, Special to the News

Posted Jan. 15, 2010, at 5:46 p.m.

Those were the days, my friend. We thought they’d never end.

It was the heyday of the Midcoast Press Association, a loose conglomerate of reporters (no editors, please) from the Bangor Daily News, Portland Press Herald, Courier Gazette, WRKD radio station and assorted other publications. It was a time when newspapers really mattered and it ended officially when Walter Griffin, the Last of the Mohicans, retired Saturday night.

We hardly ever stopped laughing when we met at ground Zero, Ye Olde Coffee Shop on Main Street. We scrounged our own table and we even laughed when the coffee shop had an aborted fire bombing. The FBI expert said the whole block would have gone, if they did it right. They didn’t, of course.

Rockland was the only Maine outpost that could boast having a BDN and PPH office. It was the battleground and we won. You have to understand that when the Camden town manager called a press conference in those days, there would be five or six reporters, scribbling away. Now there isn’t even a press conference, nor reporters at the weekly “select board” meetings.

When I came to Rockland around 1970, venerable Jim Moore had been replaced at the PPH by David Himmelstein, another Mass. transplant. Himmelstein was as smart as they come and ended up writing movie scripts. His claim to fame was a White House hoax he pulled on BDN bureau chief Ted Sylvester. He somehow got some White House stationary to report that Jimmy Carter read Sylvester’s “Fish ‘n Chips” every week.

We got even by spreading all kinds of lies, like opening a new BDN office in Wiscasset, which Himmelstein dutifully told his bosses. Whenever I saw David, I would tear off down the street, forcing him to come into the office to ask where I was going. “He’s on the big one,” Sylvester would tell him, again and again.

Himmelstein was replaced by one Ted Cohen, who left Vermont in mysterious circumstances. Cohen was one of a kind, driving a “Heavy Chevy” convertible equipped with a siren and flashing lights. In an idle moment, Cohen memorized the spiel of a boardwalk kitchen knife salesman in Old Orchard Beach, which he would repeat at the drop of a hat.

He, in turn was replaced by Larry Ouellette, who was driven out of New Hampshire by an angry mob. Ouellette came to town with one of Charlie’s Angels and taught me all I know about finance. When his checkbook was out of control, he would simply start from zero, ignoring all previous transactions. ‘“Relative zero,” he called it. When it was too fried, he simply opened up a new account at a new bank. “Absolute zero” was the term for that maneuver.

Sylvester loved to beat the PPH and took great pride when he drove the enemy out of town. Beating the tri-weekly Courier Gazette, however, was “like kissing your sister,” he once opined.

The night I met Courier reporter John Selmer Larsen, we stood on Main Street and a woman in the car drove by and gave him a familiar obscene gesture. “Don’t even know her,” he said.

His boss, John Hammer, focused heavily on barroom athletics and he won every pool and dart tournament that Dick Libby could dream up at his cellar bar, The Red Jacket, where expense checks went to die.

Dick Dooley was a Courier reporter and an honors grad from Amherst College who was always writing a book about some obscure mutiny. He did tons of research but I never saw the book.

We loved Courier reporters Natalie Slefinger and Helen Barnes, because they would always call us to party when they got their expense checks. We hated CG reporter Pete Coffey because the girls would always argue whether he looked more like Redford or Newman.

We loved Courier reporter Michael Maguire, because he was so skinny we could hang him out the second-story window by his skinny ankles. That was the night of the five-cake food fight, if memory serves.

The radio station had its all-stars, as well. Michael Gross would rip the top off a piano and start playing perfect ragtime at the drop of a hat. Who knew? John Jernigan once interrupted a Red Sox broadcast to say “hello” to Blue Eyes and I. I always wondered if his bosses heard that one.

Then there was radio reporter Jeff Nims who was doing a live broadcast from the Union Fair about Moxie, the horrible soft drink. He was interviewing someone when I walked up to the mike and said “Makes me gag.” I just assumed it was on tape.

We could have been the worst softball team of all time. But no one had more fun.

There was no place funnier than that coffee shop table. Sometimes we would let non-reporters sit down, like City Councilor Richard Warner, patrolman (eventually Chief) Al Ockenfels, barber George Black, George Burr and “Bud” Doughty because they were funny enough, all right.

We would laugh and laugh until bureau chief Sylvester said it was time to go to work, for heaven sake.

Now, the old Rockland BDN bureau is gone, along with the PPH bureau, the Courier Gazette and the Camden Herald. A lot of the old gang have been lost along the way. The rest are spread from Hollywood to Texas to Spring Hill, Fla. Griffin was the last of them. Those days have ended, my friend.

We thought they would never end.

I Always Wanted to Write a Children's Book

This week I’m back on my reading kick again with my views about writing children’s books and reading to children from an early age. I also offer a separate blog of award-winning children’s books you may want to start with when you read to your child.

Whenever I tell someone I’m a writer, I inevitably get the reply, “I’ve always wanted to write a children’s book.” It seems like it should be an easy thing to them. It’s not. Next to play writing, writing a children’s book is the hardest kind of writing to do. It is not the way to go to introduce yourself to the literary world as a writer. Learn your craft first. I had to.

Here’s the real world when it comes to this genre. If you’d like to write a picture book for small children, first of all you have to be a professional illustrator or know one who is willing to collaborate with you. There is stiff competition for shelf recognition and children’s publishing companies are not going to take a chance on a sub-par work.

In today’s world, children are used to action and action figures. Stories about cute little talking bunny rabbits are not going to capture the short attention span of these small readers.

Remember who buys children’s books: librarians and parents. Four-color printing for these books is very expensive and that cost is passed on to libraries on a tight budget and likewise to parents in the same boat. They are both going to be very particular about what they buy for the children. 38% of children’s books are bought from a bookstore because the parents like to look through the whole book before they buy it. Therefore, your book must stand out in order for it even to be picked up by parents.

If all these facts aren’t enough, you also have to contend with publisher’s word lists, or the vocabulary that is accepted for your book to be printed. If you are thinking of writing a children’s book, therefore, stick to those without pictures for kids in the 10-14 year-old range. The separate blog will give you some good ones to think about.

When I was in college for my education degree, I took a course we called “Kiddie Lit” or Children’s Literature. I learned to love and appreciate the beautiful full color children’s books I came across in this course. Years later, when I participated in Ruby Zagoren Silverstein’s writing workshops at the University of Connecticut extension, I thought about writing a children’s book. It would be a “tween” book, for those 10-14 with no pictures. It was about a city boy who was forced to spend the summer with some folks in Maine for the summer.

It was a good idea, a good premise, but nothing came of it. I think I still have some of that manuscript lying around somewhere. After many years of studying my craft, I found my niche in adult fiction. I think The South End came out pretty well.

Another topic concerning children’s books I’m happy about is the fact that parents still want their children to read paper copies of books and not as an e-book. Even though the parents may download books to read themselves, they insist that their children read paper books. There are several reasons for that.

Sitting down to read with and to your child is an intimate moment which can become less so with the introduction of an electronic device. Children see them as toys and expect to play games on them, not read.

Sometimes even the physical makeup of the book enhances the story. Wider pages make for wider landscapes and taller ones for taller objects that may be in the story. When a child reaches out to touch that page and helps you turn that page to the next picture in the story, you have a unique bonding moment to share.

Sales of e-books for children has been slow and rightly so. Let’s keep this one area of their lives electronic free for just a while longer, please.

I urge parents to go to the library with their children. Help them pick out books to bring home for you to read together. This practice helps in the development of the child’s love of reading. It won’t be long before they are old enough to go to the library and pick out their own books to read. You will find books for the 10-14 age range in the other log.

The next time you are thinking of writing a children’s book, pull out this blog and read it first. If you do get into the game eventually, be sure to see what’s out there, what the trends are as far as subject matter goes, and good luck.

Thanks for listening.

Books for Your Children

My most favorite children’s book is, Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Green. I attended a children’s writing conference in 1973 which Bette attended. She signed my book for me. I wish I still had it.

The story is told in first person narrative by a twelve-year-old Jewish girl named Patty Bergen living in Jenkinsville, Arkansas during World War II. The story focuses on the friendship between Patty and an escaped German POW named Anton. Patty first meets Anton when a group of German POWs visits her father's store. Anton teaches Patty that she is a person of value. In return, she protects Anton by hiding him above her father's garage.

When picking out books for your children, don’t forget our Maine writers, Robert McCloskey, Blueberries for Sal, Make Way for Ducklings, One Morning in Maine; and Margaret Wise Brown, Goodnight Moon, Runaway Bunny.

The following are award-winning books for 2011. The Caldecott and Newbery Awards for children’s literature is the Pulitizer Prize of that genre. These books should give you a good base to start from when picking out or helping your child pick out a book to read. I have given you some reviews and some descriptions to help you.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee, Illustrated by Erin Stead/Written by Philip Christian Stead

Winner of the Caldecott Award, 2011

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2—Amos McGee, an elderly man who works at the zoo, finds time each day for five special friends. With empathy and understanding he gives the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl the attention they need. One morning, Amos wakes up with a bad cold and stays home in bed. His friends wait patiently and then leave the zoo to visit him. Their trip mirrors his daily bus ride to the zoo and spans three nearly wordless spreads. Amos, sitting up in bed, clasps his hands in delight when his friends arrive. The elephant plays chess with him, and the tortoise plays hide-and-seek. The penguin keeps Amos's feet warm, while the rhinoceros offers a handkerchief when Amos sneezes. They all share a pot of tea. Then the owl, knowing that Amos is afraid of the dark, reads a bedtime story as the other animals listen. They all sleep in Amos's room the rest of the night. The artwork in this quiet tale of good deeds rewarded uses woodblock-printing techniques, soft flat colors, and occasional bits of red. Illustrations are positioned on the white space to move the tale along and underscore the bonds of friendship and loyalty. Whether read individually or shared, this gentle story will resonate with youngsters.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

Interrupting Chicken, by David and Ezra Stein

Caldecott Honor Award, 2011

By Bibliophile By the Sea

Interrupting Chicken is the cutest story. It is about The Little Read Chicken who cannot help but interrupt Papa when he reads a bedtime story each night. As Papa reads, the little chicken knows the characters, whether Hansel and Gretel or Little Red Riding Hood, are about to get into trouble, so she shouts out and interrupts the story never allowing Papa to finish. Little Red Chicken gets so excited keeping the story characters out of trouble, that she still isn't asleep. It's frustrating for Papa, so Little Red Chicken offers to read him a story instead, and before long she puts him to sleep.

This is the perfect story to teach little ones manners and the concept that it is rude to interrupt. David Ezra Stein is both the author and the illustrator. The colors are fabulous and the illustrations are whimsical. It's a cute story for parent and child. Ages 4-8; RECOMMENDED - 5/5 stars.

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, Illustrated by Brya Collier/ Written by Laban Carrick Hill

Caldecott Honor Award, 2011

By Yana V. Rodgers "econkids.rutgers.edu"

Enslaved potter Dave produced thousands of beautiful pieces of pottery over the course of his life, a true accomplishment given that the institution of slavery denied most African Americans access to skilled trades. Dave's pottery is even more extraordinary given that a number of pieces were inscribed with poems he wrote himself at a time when southern states prohibited the education of slaves.

This thoughtful, creative picture book pays tribute to Dave the potter. Rhythmic verse and expressive watercolor/collage images harmoniously present the story of how Dave would have created one of his lovely jars, from transforming the earth into clay and spinning the clay on the wheel, to finishing the piece with an inscription and glaze. Together with the afterword, the prose and illustrations provide a useful resource for teaching young learners about slavery and different ways in which African Americans resisted this oppressive system.

Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpod

Winner Newbery Medal, 2011

By Sunny @ the Library "sunnyatthelibrary.com"

Moon Over Manifest begins with rough-and-tumble, Depression-era stock heroine, Abilene Tucker, arriving in her father's hometown of Manifest, Kansas. She's used to hopping trains, poor living conditions, a rough life and being a little rough around the edges. You know the type. Her father has taken a railroad job in Iowa, and claiming that the situation isn't proper for a young lady, has sent her to spend the summer with his old friend, bootlegger-turned-pastor, Shady Howard. Or, at least, her father says it is only for the summer...

Looking for clues to her father's past, Abilene instead stumbles instead on a little tin filled with some keepsakes and letters, piquing her interest in a couple of young men named Ned and Jinx, and a spy called "the Rattler."

And this is where the story comes alive...

Through the recollections of an old Gypsy fortune teller, Abilene learns about the lives of Jinx, Ned, and about the once-lively town of Manifest, Kansas. Vanderpool manages to effortlessly weave in the stories of Manifest in 1918, on the brink of the Great War, with the Depression-era Manifest of 1939. Sometimes, stories with multiple narratives can be frustrating -- just as you start to get into one story, the author switches to the other -- but Vanderpool balances both very well, never sinking to obvious cliff-hangers nor spending too much time in one "place."

A book about a girl I think you could get a boy to read, best for ages 10-14.

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night, Illustrated by Rick Allen, Written by  Joyce Sidman

Newbery Honor, 2011

By Midwest Book Review

"Dark Emperor and other Poems of the Night" is a spectacular collection of nocturnal songs of plants and animals who love and inhabit the night world. Each poem describes the habits and behaviors of a special nocturnal plant or animal in terse, imaginative poetry. On the facing page is a prose section giving further information about the subject of the poem, like an added nature study. The final embellishment consists of the layered, dark prints made by a special and tedious process of relief printing, then laboriously hand tinted. "Dark Emperor" is a spectacular work of yoked imaginations and arts that teaches while it enchants/ A glossary of terms in muted colors completes this lovely book of original verse. From a bay porcupine, called a porcupette, to a little red eft, many exotic creatures of the night inspire these poems. In closing, a quotation from the poem of the title: "O Dark Emperor/ of hooked face and/ hungry eye: turn that/ awful beak away/ from me;/ disregard/ the tiny hiccup of my heart as I flee (p. 12)." "Dark Emperor" is suitable for children ages 7 and up.

Heart of a Samurai, by Margi Preus

Newbery Honor, 2011

By Yana V. Rodgers "econkids.rutgers.edu"
In 1841, fourteen-year-old Manjiro worked as the youngest fisherman aboard a small Japanese boat with four other men. After a severe storm caused their boat to drift far out to sea, the men finally found shelter on a small deserted island. Not only did sheer survival prove a growing challenge, but the men had to face the nagging worry of how Japanese officials would treat them if they were rescued. The government had closed Japan's borders to all foreigners in the early 1600s, and anyone who left the country could be put to death upon returning to Japan. 

After six grueling months living as castaways, Manjiro and his compatriots were rescued by an American whaling ship and brought to Hawaii. During this period the captain and Manjiro developed a father-son connection, so Manjiro continued the voyage with him to Massachusetts. Although Manjiro enjoyed life on the captain's farm and he learned quickly at school, the discriminatory treatment he faced in the community as the only Japanese boy prevented him from feeling completely at home. Year later, California's gold rush provided an opportunity to save enough money for returning home, but would the Japanese government permit him to re-enter the country after such a long time of living with the "barbarians"?

Middle grade readers will appreciate this engaging tale of a courageous child who survived near starvation on a deserted island, earned the respect of a bunch of rough sailors on a whaling ship, adapted to an entirely different culture, and risked execution for returning to Japan. Intrinsic to the storyline are a set of useful economics lessons about jobs, savings, and natural resources. The historical context provides an interesting opportunity to discuss the repercussions of sealing a country's borders to the outside world, an issue that is still relevant today.

One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia

Newbery Honor, 2011

By Yana V. Rodgers "econkids.rutgers.edu"

In 1841, fourteen-year-old Manjiro worked as the youngest fisherman aboard a small Japanese boat with four other men. After a severe storm caused their boat to drift far out to sea, the men finally found shelter on a small deserted island. Not only did sheer survival prove a growing challenge, but the men had to face the nagging worry of how Japanese officials would treat them if they were rescued. The government had closed Japan's borders to all foreigners in the early 1600s, and anyone who left the country could be put to death upon returning to Japan.

After six grueling months living as castaways, Manjiro and his compatriots were rescued by an American whaling ship and brought to Hawaii. During this period the captain and Manjiro developed a father-son connection, so Manjiro continued the voyage with him to Massachusetts. Although Manjiro enjoyed life on the captain's farm and he learned quickly at school, the discriminatory treatment he faced in the community as the only Japanese boy prevented him from feeling completely at home. Year later, California's gold rush provided an opportunity to save enough money for returning home, but would the Japanese government permit him to re-enter the country after such a long time of living with the "barbarians"?

Middle grade readers will appreciate this engaging tale of a courageous child who survived near starvation on a deserted island, earned the respect of a bunch of rough sailors on a whaling ship, adapted to an entirely different culture, and risked execution for returning to Japan. Intrinsic to the storyline are a set of useful economics lessons about jobs, savings, and natural resources. The historical context provides an interesting opportunity to discuss the repercussions of sealing a country's borders to the outside world, an issue that is still relevant today.

Turtle in Paradise, by Jennifer L. Holm

Newbery Honor, 2011

A Kid's Review

11 year old Turtle knows life is not all peaches and cream, unlike her single mother who has big dreams of Hollywood. Now, Turtle does not like people who make life seem like this, such as Shirley Temple. Turtle is head- strong and doesn't shed a tear when she's sent off to spend the summer with her aunt and cousins for the summer, while her mother is working as a housekeeper for a woman who does not like children one bit.

In her relative's Florida home she meets her cousins, which are all boys. Her cousins are in a group called The Diaper Gang, which is a club of all boys, who take care of babies who cry a lot and take care of them to change their crying personality around. Instead of getting paid by money, they get paid by candy. 

Turtle ends up sort of joining this club even though the boys have one major rule and that is "No Girls Allow". The Diaper Gang ends up going on a fantastic adventure and find some long-last treasure on an island a while away from their home. They end up "borrowing" a boat to get there. On the island they end up going through The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, a strong, massive hurricane which was a Category 5, the worst of all. They do feel some strong winds, but most of the hurricane had its eye on a different section of Florida. They do end up finding the treasure, which contained thousands of dollars, and they also end up getting rescued by a local sailor that lives near them, since their boat floated away when they first got to the island.

When they return to Key West, they all divide the money between them. Turtle's grandmother also ends up liking her, and under all of her grandmother's tough personality they actually end up sharing a special bond together. There is also a surprise at the end that ends up being sad, but happy at the end.