Serving Maine and Lincoln County for over 140 years
The Fourth of July as seen through the eyes of us young children back in the early 1940s, some 77 years ago:
Many of my parents’ brothers and sisters would always plan to come to my parents’ home and have a family picnic somewhere on the Damariscotta River. Mostly, the event was held down on the River Road by the water’s edge.
It’s all about the windows: On the afternoon of Tuesday, June 20, Lincoln Theater celebrated the recent installation of its beautifully restored 14-foot windows with a well-attended reception at the theater.
Just a few days ago, in reading The Wall Street Journal, I saw an ad for the latest CGTG 4 Lusso Ferrari car. Really nice car. Price $330,000. But don’t worry. It’s for the whole family. And it comes equipped with baby seats if desired. So there.
Last Saturday, I played woodwinds in a benefit concert in Camden. The Midcoast Community Choir, under the direction of Steve Weston, presented a beautiful collection of vocal performances. Those in charge decided, in light of the proposed federal budget to cut funding to Meals on Wheels, to give the net proceeds of the concert to that worthy institution.
Getting into the arts at Buzz Maine: Things are happening over at Buzz Maine, the cool cafe and collaborative co-working space at 133 Main St. in Damariscotta. B
If one Googles the term “fine art,” one comes up with two definitions: 1) “creative art, especially visual art, whose products are to be appreciated primarily or solely for their imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual content,” and 2) “an activity requiring great skill or accomplishment.” The work of Wiscasset artist and master printmaker R. Keith Rendall qualifies as fine art on both accounts. His meticulous copper-plate etchings of landscapes are fascinating; his paintings are colorful, imaginative, and playful; and his massive woodcuts of wildlife are no less than stunningly beautiful.
Spring’s fleeting whims have dictated some interesting bouts of weather, no doubt, with previews of sultry summer heat and a few whiz-bang storms to boot. Throughout it all, our faithful marketeers have gathered to provide you with quality local products. With Monday markets now afoot, from 3-6 p.m. in the parking lot of Rising Tide Community Market in Damariscotta, a few more vendors have joined the roster, adding their own unique and fabulous products to an already staggering array.
McKane’s Maine: Talented Wiscasset filmmaker and musician Sumner McKane is accepting preorders for his forthcoming film, “Speedway Maine,” a 110-minute feature documentary due out July 1 that tells the story of more than 100 years of auto racing in Maine. The film features current footage from raceways around the state, and also “showcases scarcely seen films from the 1940s through the ’90s,” McKane said.
I had a nice email from the folks at the Jefferson Historical Society this week. There are 2018 calendars available for $10 each. The theme is “People at Work” and there are photographs of many different jobs and chores that people in this area had over the years. The calendars are a great resource for illustrated local history buffs and have value long after the year has passed.
According to a new report by Stanford University economist Dr. Tony Seba, within 10 years, radical technological changes will affect the way we get around. We will switch from gasoline and diesel to self-driving electric vehicles. Individual car ownership will become passe as people switch to fleet-owned self-driving electric vehicles 10 times cheaper to run and environmentally more benign.
This week’s column begins with a couple of announcements. The Somerville town meeting is Saturday, June 17 from 10 a.m. to noon in the gym at the old Somerville School. The town meeting is especially of interest this year due to the recent townwide revaluation. Also, the road engineering report from Coffin Engineering is in, and bids have been taken for the work associated with the plan. There were also bids submitted for the paving of Somerville Road, Jones Road, and South Colby Road.
Most people do not have an opportunity to commune with frogs and their allies, but leave it to children to find and play with them. I would guess if frogs didn’t hop, revealing their presence, most children would never find them. But they do hop, their primary method to escape both playful children and serious predators, such as raccoons, fox, weasels, mink, otters, and owls.
Just when you think the station couldn’t get any busier, Saturday comes again. What a day that turned out to be. I think we set some records. Once again, when we have days like that, we ask for your patience if you experience any delays.
Braley off Broadway: I chatted recently with Lincoln Academy Director of Communications and Community Engagement Jenny Mayher about the arts scene at Lincoln Academy, and she eagerly told me about the success of LA drama teacher Griff Braley’s three-week-long Eagle Term class called “Just Off Broadway,” which wraps up Friday, June 9.
