I know it's been a while since I lasted posted a column on here. Unfortunately, the days of posting my Observer columns on here are over since I moved back home... more on that at some other point.
I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Stay safe. Good luck hunting to those that are going out, and those that are staying in (and avoiding the windy, damp morning, I don't blame you) have fun watching the Packer game.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
An unwelcome cold snap
It first hit me Sunday morning driving to the Dover-Foxcroft Fire Station. Temperatures dropped that morning to the point my Sport Trac was a little frosty. With the windshield defroster turned on, I began to think about the possibility of having to unearth my winter coat.
I didn’t want to do it. Heck, fall just started, didn’t it? I mean, the summer didn’t officially begin until mid-August or something like that and fall wasn’t supposed to be this short. I know I’ve had the heater on in the house a few times and installed a few heat-shrink plastic window kits in the house, but I just kept telling myself I was preparing for the that cold, post-fall season. It couldn’t be here already, could it?
When I went to grab the morning paper off the porch Monday morning and felt a cold chill rush down my spine, that’s when I knew it was inevitable. Fall seems to be coming to an end and the winter jacket was going to make it’s return.
Now I’m not the type of guy that will defy logic and wear shorts as long as I can like some people, or swear they will not wear a jacket to protest the cooling temperatures. I’ve seen people do that before, and it just seems to end them getting knocked out by a nasty cold. Nah, I’ll swallow my pride and reach for the Carhartts instead.
The weather forecast for the end of the week is calling for nighttime lows to drop below freezing and daytime highs edging close to 50 if not eclipsing it by a degree or two. Toss in those cold fall rains like we had on Tuesday and it’s that time of year where a good Saturday afternoon involves a seat on the couch, a blanket and a full day of college football or Season 4 of “How I Met Your Mother” (I’m hooked, what can I say?).
The thing is — and I hate to say this — but it could be worse. Family and friends back home in Wisconsin have reported traces of that dreaded white, fluffy stuff already. Nothing is sticking yet, I’m told, but that’s not that far away anymore either.
Oh wait, trees in Greenville have already been covered in snow and there were reports Tuesday of it falling with the rain in the Penquis region.
I guess the winter jacket is here to stay. Now, what did I do with my gloves?
I didn’t want to do it. Heck, fall just started, didn’t it? I mean, the summer didn’t officially begin until mid-August or something like that and fall wasn’t supposed to be this short. I know I’ve had the heater on in the house a few times and installed a few heat-shrink plastic window kits in the house, but I just kept telling myself I was preparing for the that cold, post-fall season. It couldn’t be here already, could it?
When I went to grab the morning paper off the porch Monday morning and felt a cold chill rush down my spine, that’s when I knew it was inevitable. Fall seems to be coming to an end and the winter jacket was going to make it’s return.
Now I’m not the type of guy that will defy logic and wear shorts as long as I can like some people, or swear they will not wear a jacket to protest the cooling temperatures. I’ve seen people do that before, and it just seems to end them getting knocked out by a nasty cold. Nah, I’ll swallow my pride and reach for the Carhartts instead.
The weather forecast for the end of the week is calling for nighttime lows to drop below freezing and daytime highs edging close to 50 if not eclipsing it by a degree or two. Toss in those cold fall rains like we had on Tuesday and it’s that time of year where a good Saturday afternoon involves a seat on the couch, a blanket and a full day of college football or Season 4 of “How I Met Your Mother” (I’m hooked, what can I say?).
The thing is — and I hate to say this — but it could be worse. Family and friends back home in Wisconsin have reported traces of that dreaded white, fluffy stuff already. Nothing is sticking yet, I’m told, but that’s not that far away anymore either.
Oh wait, trees in Greenville have already been covered in snow and there were reports Tuesday of it falling with the rain in the Penquis region.
I guess the winter jacket is here to stay. Now, what did I do with my gloves?
Monday, October 12, 2009
Texting ban to save us from ourselves
There are laws on the books for a wide variety of things. While many are much-needed and well-enforced, there are some that just make you go, “Wait, they had to make that a law?”
Case in point, President Barack Obama created a mandate that federal employees cannot write text messages while driving a vehicle. That’s on top of the bill considered by the Senate to ban texting while driving nationwide.
Every society has to create “common sense laws,” laws that everyone should know is wrong to do but have to be on the books anyway for the few that need to be protected from themselves. The text message ban falls into this category.
Driving isn’t the most difficult of tasks to complete, but most people nowadays are multi-taskers — me included. The idea of just chilling out in a driver’s seat and watching the open road come and go isn’t as mentally challenging as, say, writing a column while watching Sunday NFL pregame shows and reading stories on the Internet about Saturday’s college football games, but that doesn’t mean drivers should be playing with the radio while eating and texting family and friends about their every move. It’s not only foolish; it’s dangerous.
According to a national survey conducted by Ford Motor Co. and presented to the Senate in September, 86 percent of licensed U.S. drivers called handheld texting while driving as “very dangerous,” with 93 percent supporting a nationwide ban on texting. Also in the study, which was published in the U.S. News and World Report, research showed distractions that take drivers’ eyes away from the road for an extended period of time were a factor in nearly 80 percent of accidents.
I’d like to think we’d all say “Well, duh!” and stop text messaging people when we get into the driver’s seat of a car. There’s enough on the road to keep your eyes on, like other cars, deer, moose, and with winter coming, slick roads and snowbanks. If you want to text a friend, here’s three novel concepts: call them, pull over and text them or just put the phone down and wait.
It seems foolish at this time that the Senate needs to spend time creating a nationwide texting ban when there’s bigger issues, like health care reform, taxes, war, climate change and reduced government spending, that our elected federal officials should be focusing on instead. That said, sometimes we just have to be saved from ourselves.
Case in point, President Barack Obama created a mandate that federal employees cannot write text messages while driving a vehicle. That’s on top of the bill considered by the Senate to ban texting while driving nationwide.
Every society has to create “common sense laws,” laws that everyone should know is wrong to do but have to be on the books anyway for the few that need to be protected from themselves. The text message ban falls into this category.
Driving isn’t the most difficult of tasks to complete, but most people nowadays are multi-taskers — me included. The idea of just chilling out in a driver’s seat and watching the open road come and go isn’t as mentally challenging as, say, writing a column while watching Sunday NFL pregame shows and reading stories on the Internet about Saturday’s college football games, but that doesn’t mean drivers should be playing with the radio while eating and texting family and friends about their every move. It’s not only foolish; it’s dangerous.
According to a national survey conducted by Ford Motor Co. and presented to the Senate in September, 86 percent of licensed U.S. drivers called handheld texting while driving as “very dangerous,” with 93 percent supporting a nationwide ban on texting. Also in the study, which was published in the U.S. News and World Report, research showed distractions that take drivers’ eyes away from the road for an extended period of time were a factor in nearly 80 percent of accidents.
I’d like to think we’d all say “Well, duh!” and stop text messaging people when we get into the driver’s seat of a car. There’s enough on the road to keep your eyes on, like other cars, deer, moose, and with winter coming, slick roads and snowbanks. If you want to text a friend, here’s three novel concepts: call them, pull over and text them or just put the phone down and wait.
It seems foolish at this time that the Senate needs to spend time creating a nationwide texting ban when there’s bigger issues, like health care reform, taxes, war, climate change and reduced government spending, that our elected federal officials should be focusing on instead. That said, sometimes we just have to be saved from ourselves.
Elections, holidays loom large on the horizon
Yet another month on the 2009 calendar is coming to a close. October is here, bringing with it pumpkins and Halloween, some of the most magnificent reds, oranges and yellows as the Piscataquis woods change colors, and the two things no one wants to truly think about quite yet.
Elections and Christmas.
Yep, that’s right. I just linked the birth of Christ with something most Americans tend to avoid more often than bill collectors and root canals. That is, unless it’s a presidential or gubernatorial election, and luckily 2009 is not one of those years.
I may have just managed to get my name inked on two lists you don’t want to be on.
It’s true though. Election Day 2009 is coming up, and with it is a whole host of decisions that need to be made on a local and statewide level. Locally, residents in SAD 4 need to determine whether to close their final two elementary schools and consolidate resources into just Piscataquis Community Middle and High schools.
Come to think about it, the way the state’s running out of money and the way small, rural districts are getting hammered in this economic storm, how long will it be before one-room school houses become chic again?
Statewide, there’s a whole host of issues that are already polluting the airwaves. There are seven ballot measures for voters to choose from this year, from the repeal of gay marriage to the legalization of marijuana, from repealing the school consolidation law and to the reduction of automotive excise taxes, and there’s also the promotion of tax relief. All five of these topics The Piscataquis Observer will tackle in the coming weeks.
There are also two questions seeking approval for $71 million in bonds and for more time in seeking signatures on direct initiative petitions. Again, more to come in the coming weeks.
No matter how November 3 turns out, there will still be the two camps in our state that will have widely different takes on the outcome. The backlash and back and forth will carry us straight to Thanksgiving, and from there it’s a snowball’s throw to Christmas.
Speaking of November 3, that is Election Day. Even with this non-gubernatorial or -presidential election, go out and exercise your right to vote. It’s not just here to pick governors and presidents that we’ll all debate and scream about for the four years that follow. It’s about selecting town council members and selectmen, about deciding local issues and doing your part in this republic. OK, I’ll step off the ledge I call my soapbox now.
Now after the winds of school consolidation, gay marriage and taxes blow through and get people all wound up like that first cold October breeze, we can all get ready for Christmas, with all the stress and headaches that go along with it. Christmas is supposed to be about family, being together and enjoying each other’s company.
Oh yeah, and our Lord Baby Jesus being born. I can’t forget that or I will definitely be left off that list.
So here’s hoping for the best from now until New Year’s. We all deserve a peaceful and productive final quarter of 2009.
That way we can get ready for the gubernatorial race in 2010. There are 21 people currently listed as candidates vying for our state’s top spot, according to WMTW-TV 8 in Portland. That’ll surely be coupled with a half-dozen citizen initiatives on who knows what else.
Somehow I get the sense that Santa just put my name in permanent marker on his list for saying that. Well, at least the coal’ll be good for heating the home this winter.
Elections and Christmas.
Yep, that’s right. I just linked the birth of Christ with something most Americans tend to avoid more often than bill collectors and root canals. That is, unless it’s a presidential or gubernatorial election, and luckily 2009 is not one of those years.
I may have just managed to get my name inked on two lists you don’t want to be on.
It’s true though. Election Day 2009 is coming up, and with it is a whole host of decisions that need to be made on a local and statewide level. Locally, residents in SAD 4 need to determine whether to close their final two elementary schools and consolidate resources into just Piscataquis Community Middle and High schools.
Come to think about it, the way the state’s running out of money and the way small, rural districts are getting hammered in this economic storm, how long will it be before one-room school houses become chic again?
Statewide, there’s a whole host of issues that are already polluting the airwaves. There are seven ballot measures for voters to choose from this year, from the repeal of gay marriage to the legalization of marijuana, from repealing the school consolidation law and to the reduction of automotive excise taxes, and there’s also the promotion of tax relief. All five of these topics The Piscataquis Observer will tackle in the coming weeks.
There are also two questions seeking approval for $71 million in bonds and for more time in seeking signatures on direct initiative petitions. Again, more to come in the coming weeks.
No matter how November 3 turns out, there will still be the two camps in our state that will have widely different takes on the outcome. The backlash and back and forth will carry us straight to Thanksgiving, and from there it’s a snowball’s throw to Christmas.
Speaking of November 3, that is Election Day. Even with this non-gubernatorial or -presidential election, go out and exercise your right to vote. It’s not just here to pick governors and presidents that we’ll all debate and scream about for the four years that follow. It’s about selecting town council members and selectmen, about deciding local issues and doing your part in this republic. OK, I’ll step off the ledge I call my soapbox now.
Now after the winds of school consolidation, gay marriage and taxes blow through and get people all wound up like that first cold October breeze, we can all get ready for Christmas, with all the stress and headaches that go along with it. Christmas is supposed to be about family, being together and enjoying each other’s company.
Oh yeah, and our Lord Baby Jesus being born. I can’t forget that or I will definitely be left off that list.
So here’s hoping for the best from now until New Year’s. We all deserve a peaceful and productive final quarter of 2009.
That way we can get ready for the gubernatorial race in 2010. There are 21 people currently listed as candidates vying for our state’s top spot, according to WMTW-TV 8 in Portland. That’ll surely be coupled with a half-dozen citizen initiatives on who knows what else.
Somehow I get the sense that Santa just put my name in permanent marker on his list for saying that. Well, at least the coal’ll be good for heating the home this winter.
First blaze hits home for rookie firefighter
DOVER-FOXCROFT — When I was told a few months back that the Dover-Foxcroft Fire Department could use some help, I balked at the idea that I could make it on the department. For one, I live an hour away in Old Town. Two, I know nothing about fighting fires except what I saw in the TV show Rescue Me and the movie Backdraft.
The fact that I worked in Dover-Foxcroft meant I was eligible to join, and the department was looking for daytime help so my lack of skills would be offset by some training in the near future. All that the department was looking for was those who were willing and able to give it a try.
So most of my fire training was basically tied to my TV habits and a few parties in my high school years that included some pretty sizable wood piles.
Neither of those two really helped out much Friday when the pager went off at 9:45 a.m., the first time I was on hand to be called out for a fire in Dover-Foxcroft. All those thoughts of those high school burns and TV shows went right out the window as I raced to the fire station, hopped into my turn-out gear and jumped into the first truck headed to the Dyer residence on the Dexter Road.
I wasn’t naïve to think I would jump right in on my first fire call with little training and be on the front lines to save a home like that. There are plenty of firefighters from other stations in neighboring towns on scene to help fight that fire. In the end, my first fire call pretty much involved me spending more time watching those trained to fight fires do their job until the fire was put out. I got to help later on work through the home and make sure it wouldn’t flare up again, but the immediate action of fighting the fire was left to the seasoned volunteers from Dover-Foxcroft, Dexter, Sangerville and Guilford.
The thing I got from Friday’s incident was the impact such a disaster can have on the family. I saw the raw emotion that was visible on the faces of those who called it home once. It was heart-wrenching to see that, because you never want to see a family have to go through something like that.
Backdraft didn’t teach me about the emotional side of a fire call, but it’s one that has become a huge motivating factor for me. It drives me now more than ever to get my act together, get trained and become a valued member of the fire department.
Well, there’s that and the fact that Rescue Me does make it seem pretty cool to be a firefighter, and you can’t go wrong with that either.
The fact that I worked in Dover-Foxcroft meant I was eligible to join, and the department was looking for daytime help so my lack of skills would be offset by some training in the near future. All that the department was looking for was those who were willing and able to give it a try.
So most of my fire training was basically tied to my TV habits and a few parties in my high school years that included some pretty sizable wood piles.
Neither of those two really helped out much Friday when the pager went off at 9:45 a.m., the first time I was on hand to be called out for a fire in Dover-Foxcroft. All those thoughts of those high school burns and TV shows went right out the window as I raced to the fire station, hopped into my turn-out gear and jumped into the first truck headed to the Dyer residence on the Dexter Road.
I wasn’t naïve to think I would jump right in on my first fire call with little training and be on the front lines to save a home like that. There are plenty of firefighters from other stations in neighboring towns on scene to help fight that fire. In the end, my first fire call pretty much involved me spending more time watching those trained to fight fires do their job until the fire was put out. I got to help later on work through the home and make sure it wouldn’t flare up again, but the immediate action of fighting the fire was left to the seasoned volunteers from Dover-Foxcroft, Dexter, Sangerville and Guilford.
The thing I got from Friday’s incident was the impact such a disaster can have on the family. I saw the raw emotion that was visible on the faces of those who called it home once. It was heart-wrenching to see that, because you never want to see a family have to go through something like that.
Backdraft didn’t teach me about the emotional side of a fire call, but it’s one that has become a huge motivating factor for me. It drives me now more than ever to get my act together, get trained and become a valued member of the fire department.
Well, there’s that and the fact that Rescue Me does make it seem pretty cool to be a firefighter, and you can’t go wrong with that either.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Mil, one year later; 9/11, eight years later
MILO — This past week was one filled with anniversaries of the sentimental sort.
The eight-year mark of September 11 came Friday without the similar fanfare that had come to mark the day in the past. There were the standard memorials that took place and there were the TV specials, but the day since dubbed as Patriots Day seemed much more subdued than it has in years past.
To a certain extent, that’s a good thing. Now before people start shouting at me that I’m not patriotic or sensitive to the nature of one of our nation’s gravest days in its 250-plus year history, I by no means am saying we should forget what happened all those years ago. Instead, our relaxed nature about the day means we may have found it in ourselves to move on to a little bit — much in the way our nation remembers Pearl Harbor.
That being said, the documentaries that were aired on the History Channel last Friday night of that fateful day — with the sights and sounds of the Twin Towers in New York City — still are hard to watch. The whole event still brought deep chills to my spine and tears to my eyes, even eight years later. I doubt that will ever really change.
Another anniversary was marked, one that hit closer to home on Monday. The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council hosted its annual fall quarterly meeting on Monday, Sept. 14 at the new Hobknobbers Pub in Milo — a year to the day that the old pub was the sight of an arson fire that spread from the tavern on Main Street to the adjoining buildings, taking out five buildings in total and displacing five businesses and two apartments, one that included a family.
Monday was the first day that Hobknobbers reopened, and it opened with a packed house as numerous county leaders came to listen to the state legislative delegation from Piscataquis County and talk about the council’s goals for the future. The sight of a former hospital, the new bar looked great from the inside and added a number of features that tied the tavern to the old hospital, including using the old light above the surgery table to illuminate the bar.
While the meeting was going on, dozens of people gathered on the gravel patch that used to house the Milo True Value, flower shop, game stop, theatre and pub for a commemoration. A band played as the sidewalk filled — in some spots as much as three to four people deep — just to remember what happened one year ago.
Plans are in place, thanks in large part to the PCEDC, to replace what was lost in the fire with a new block of downtown businesses that is sure to attract people to the heart of this eastern Piscataquis County town. Who knows, in another year’s time, maybe that block will be rebuilt and a larger festival held in the nearby parks to celebrate what had risen from such a terrible loss.
There is some good that can come from both these anniversaries, some lessons to learn and things to remember. It’s just good to see, in both instances, that we as a region are moving forward to make our lives better while never forgetting those key events in our past.
The eight-year mark of September 11 came Friday without the similar fanfare that had come to mark the day in the past. There were the standard memorials that took place and there were the TV specials, but the day since dubbed as Patriots Day seemed much more subdued than it has in years past.
To a certain extent, that’s a good thing. Now before people start shouting at me that I’m not patriotic or sensitive to the nature of one of our nation’s gravest days in its 250-plus year history, I by no means am saying we should forget what happened all those years ago. Instead, our relaxed nature about the day means we may have found it in ourselves to move on to a little bit — much in the way our nation remembers Pearl Harbor.
That being said, the documentaries that were aired on the History Channel last Friday night of that fateful day — with the sights and sounds of the Twin Towers in New York City — still are hard to watch. The whole event still brought deep chills to my spine and tears to my eyes, even eight years later. I doubt that will ever really change.
Another anniversary was marked, one that hit closer to home on Monday. The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council hosted its annual fall quarterly meeting on Monday, Sept. 14 at the new Hobknobbers Pub in Milo — a year to the day that the old pub was the sight of an arson fire that spread from the tavern on Main Street to the adjoining buildings, taking out five buildings in total and displacing five businesses and two apartments, one that included a family.
Monday was the first day that Hobknobbers reopened, and it opened with a packed house as numerous county leaders came to listen to the state legislative delegation from Piscataquis County and talk about the council’s goals for the future. The sight of a former hospital, the new bar looked great from the inside and added a number of features that tied the tavern to the old hospital, including using the old light above the surgery table to illuminate the bar.
While the meeting was going on, dozens of people gathered on the gravel patch that used to house the Milo True Value, flower shop, game stop, theatre and pub for a commemoration. A band played as the sidewalk filled — in some spots as much as three to four people deep — just to remember what happened one year ago.
Plans are in place, thanks in large part to the PCEDC, to replace what was lost in the fire with a new block of downtown businesses that is sure to attract people to the heart of this eastern Piscataquis County town. Who knows, in another year’s time, maybe that block will be rebuilt and a larger festival held in the nearby parks to celebrate what had risen from such a terrible loss.
There is some good that can come from both these anniversaries, some lessons to learn and things to remember. It’s just good to see, in both instances, that we as a region are moving forward to make our lives better while never forgetting those key events in our past.
Time for neighbors to stand up for each other
DOVER-FOXCROFT — The stories have run rampant through town. Vandals have slashed tires, spray painted construction equipment and been an overall nuisance for the past couple of weeks.
While most of what had happened previous to this weekend was small potatoes, these vandals have upped the ante this past Labor Day weekend with a series of mind-numbing and careless acts. While I won’t get into the full details here (the main story is on the front cover), the gist of what happened is this: vandals overflowed an oil tank with a water hose, causing a great deal of damage to a business and home on Monument Square. Vandals also broke into the former Moosehead Manufacturing building on three separate instances this past weekend to break windows, spill stored water for emergencies and start a number of small fires in the upstairs of the offices along Main Street. Moreover, these troublemakers threw furniture tacks onto Main Street from the offices, creating headaches for drivers.
These are the actions of a stupid few, we all know this. For the most part, Dover-Foxcroft is a safe, quiet community that is filled with people who help each other out, whether it’s something small like shovel out a sidewalk to bigger things like being their during disasters and in times of need.
It’s hard to say that all these instances of vandalism are by anyway connected, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
While the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department is working on finding these vandals and charging them with the crimes they have committed, it is up to us, the public, to do something too — look out for each other. Like I said before, this is a community that responds in times of need and unfortunately this is one of them.
What happened at the residence of John and Lisa Clark on Monument Square Tuesday morning means the minor annoyance these vandals had been for the past few weeks is minor no more. The Clarks are now left to contend with the days of work that will go into restoring the basement after oil seeped everywhere. The old oil tank that was ruined with the water hose will have to be replaced with a new tank. The basement will have to be scrubbed and cleaned to make sure the fumes don’t linger in the house anymore.
All of this costs money — big money. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection, as well as a contractor from Portland, were on hand to clean up the spill. Members from the Dover-Foxcroft fire and police departments responded to the initial 9-1-1 call, so there’s a cost there as well. All these folks just don’t show up to an emergency for free. Someone’s got to pay for this.
Until the police find and apprehend those responsible for this weekend’s activities, neighbors throughout Dover-Foxcroft help each other out and keep an eye out for these vandals before they strike again.
As Lisa Clark said, “I just don’t want anyone else to go through this.”
While most of what had happened previous to this weekend was small potatoes, these vandals have upped the ante this past Labor Day weekend with a series of mind-numbing and careless acts. While I won’t get into the full details here (the main story is on the front cover), the gist of what happened is this: vandals overflowed an oil tank with a water hose, causing a great deal of damage to a business and home on Monument Square. Vandals also broke into the former Moosehead Manufacturing building on three separate instances this past weekend to break windows, spill stored water for emergencies and start a number of small fires in the upstairs of the offices along Main Street. Moreover, these troublemakers threw furniture tacks onto Main Street from the offices, creating headaches for drivers.
These are the actions of a stupid few, we all know this. For the most part, Dover-Foxcroft is a safe, quiet community that is filled with people who help each other out, whether it’s something small like shovel out a sidewalk to bigger things like being their during disasters and in times of need.
It’s hard to say that all these instances of vandalism are by anyway connected, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
While the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department is working on finding these vandals and charging them with the crimes they have committed, it is up to us, the public, to do something too — look out for each other. Like I said before, this is a community that responds in times of need and unfortunately this is one of them.
What happened at the residence of John and Lisa Clark on Monument Square Tuesday morning means the minor annoyance these vandals had been for the past few weeks is minor no more. The Clarks are now left to contend with the days of work that will go into restoring the basement after oil seeped everywhere. The old oil tank that was ruined with the water hose will have to be replaced with a new tank. The basement will have to be scrubbed and cleaned to make sure the fumes don’t linger in the house anymore.
All of this costs money — big money. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection, as well as a contractor from Portland, were on hand to clean up the spill. Members from the Dover-Foxcroft fire and police departments responded to the initial 9-1-1 call, so there’s a cost there as well. All these folks just don’t show up to an emergency for free. Someone’s got to pay for this.
Until the police find and apprehend those responsible for this weekend’s activities, neighbors throughout Dover-Foxcroft help each other out and keep an eye out for these vandals before they strike again.
As Lisa Clark said, “I just don’t want anyone else to go through this.”
Rain couldn't wash fun away from Wiffle ball tourney
BANGOR — When I explained that I never played wiffle ball before as I was signing up for a fund-raising tournament for the Make a Wish Foundation, the event organizer asked me flat-out, “What kind of sheltered childhood did you lead?”
It’s not that I have never swung those skinny, yellow plastic bats or thrown that trademark plastic ball with holes in one-half of it. It’s just, I never played an official wiffle ball game, by the rules, at any time in my life.
So on Saturday, in the early morning hours while Tropical Storm Danny was just getting started dumping over two inches of rain on the region, I stood there with about 50 other men listening to the rules of wiffle ball and wondering aloud to myself, “What did I get myself into?”
What I got myself into was a lot of fun — even in spite of the pouring rain, soaked tennis shoes and bruise on my right arm (more on that later). The Wiffle for a Wish fund-raiser was set up by WABI-TV morning anchorman Wayne Harvey as a way to raise money to grant children who are suffering from life-threatening medical conditions. The tournament consisted of 16 teams paying $100 per team to compete in a round-robin qualifier with playoffs to follow.
For those who haven’t played before, wiffle ball is played with five people in a field that barely resembles a baseball diamond. There are lines painted in the grass that signifies an out, a single and a double with a fence in the back. There’s no base running in wiffle ball. Instead, hitters need to hit the plastic ball past one of those lines to be considered a hit. If it falls short of the first line, it’s considered an out. You can also strike out and pop up to the other team. Everything depends on where the ball lands.
At this tournament, I ended up playing for the Longhorn Steakhouse team, which consisted Paul, an Old Town man, along with his 12-year-old son Jonathan, and myself. All three of us were fill-ins playing against some serious competition. Some men were throwing those wiffle balls as hard as some high-level college pitchers throw a fastball, and the curve a wiffle ball can make is ridiculous.
Needless to say, in all four games we played in we got hammered. It may be no coincidence that I pitched all four games and had never pitched a wiffle ball game before in my life. In the first inning of my first game I gave up a grand slam — a GRAND SLAM in wiffle ball — en route to a 10-0 drubbing. The other two round-robin games and playoff game went pretty much in the same fashion.
As for that bruise I got on my right forearm, I never expected to have my life put in danger by a wiffle ball come-backer. I’m fairly certain if that hit would have found my face I’d have one of those unique wiffle ball dimples imprinted onto my skin.
In spite of all the losing, the Wiffle for a Wish tournament was a lot of fun and something I hope to do again next year. Then again, losing four straight games pretty quickly did have a silver lining to it — it did allow for the three of us to finally get out of the pouring rains of Tropical Storm Danny, but not before we were soaked to the bone.
It’s not that I have never swung those skinny, yellow plastic bats or thrown that trademark plastic ball with holes in one-half of it. It’s just, I never played an official wiffle ball game, by the rules, at any time in my life.
So on Saturday, in the early morning hours while Tropical Storm Danny was just getting started dumping over two inches of rain on the region, I stood there with about 50 other men listening to the rules of wiffle ball and wondering aloud to myself, “What did I get myself into?”
What I got myself into was a lot of fun — even in spite of the pouring rain, soaked tennis shoes and bruise on my right arm (more on that later). The Wiffle for a Wish fund-raiser was set up by WABI-TV morning anchorman Wayne Harvey as a way to raise money to grant children who are suffering from life-threatening medical conditions. The tournament consisted of 16 teams paying $100 per team to compete in a round-robin qualifier with playoffs to follow.
For those who haven’t played before, wiffle ball is played with five people in a field that barely resembles a baseball diamond. There are lines painted in the grass that signifies an out, a single and a double with a fence in the back. There’s no base running in wiffle ball. Instead, hitters need to hit the plastic ball past one of those lines to be considered a hit. If it falls short of the first line, it’s considered an out. You can also strike out and pop up to the other team. Everything depends on where the ball lands.
At this tournament, I ended up playing for the Longhorn Steakhouse team, which consisted Paul, an Old Town man, along with his 12-year-old son Jonathan, and myself. All three of us were fill-ins playing against some serious competition. Some men were throwing those wiffle balls as hard as some high-level college pitchers throw a fastball, and the curve a wiffle ball can make is ridiculous.
Needless to say, in all four games we played in we got hammered. It may be no coincidence that I pitched all four games and had never pitched a wiffle ball game before in my life. In the first inning of my first game I gave up a grand slam — a GRAND SLAM in wiffle ball — en route to a 10-0 drubbing. The other two round-robin games and playoff game went pretty much in the same fashion.
As for that bruise I got on my right forearm, I never expected to have my life put in danger by a wiffle ball come-backer. I’m fairly certain if that hit would have found my face I’d have one of those unique wiffle ball dimples imprinted onto my skin.
In spite of all the losing, the Wiffle for a Wish tournament was a lot of fun and something I hope to do again next year. Then again, losing four straight games pretty quickly did have a silver lining to it — it did allow for the three of us to finally get out of the pouring rains of Tropical Storm Danny, but not before we were soaked to the bone.
Hurricane scare all for naught
OLD TOWN — “Hurricane Bill could hit anywhere from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia …”
My eyes picked up from the card game I was playing on my laptop to the TV screen, finally listening intently to what was just background noise moments ago.
“A hurricane could hit where?” I thought to myself.
The storm tracked showed it moving well east of Maine, but the report was there. A hurricane could possibly, maybe, sort of glance the Pine Tree State.
It doesn’t take much for my imagination to go into overdrive. Images of Florida after Hurricane Andrew, and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina popped into my head as I started to surf the Internet for a more detailed forecast of this new megastorm, Hurricane Bill.
Growing up in the Midwest, hurricanes are those storms you hear about on TV that sometimes survive long enough to drop rain on you a few days after landfall, but that’s about it. More often than not they were just the big storms that made the news back home. Tornadoes, on the other hand, you could expect a few to drop in the region every summer.
Now it finally hit me, two years into living on the East Coast, that a hurricane could strike Maine. Everyone I talked to, however, laughed off my irrational fears and told me everything would be fine. For one, Bill (somehow this storm and I got on a first name basis pretty quick) was to go well east of Maine so we had nothing to worry about. Secondly, we lived far enough inland that nothing would really happen except a bunch of rain would fall on us — and after the summer we had, how would that be any different than what happened in June?
This weekend came and went with little in the way of rain from the storm that churned in the Atlantic. No homes were destroyed and no low-lying lands were flooded. Heck I don’t even think Bill was able to keep the dust down in these parts of the state.
Bill did not pass by without causing some harm, however. There were reports of people being swept to sea at Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park, with the sad news that a 7-year-old girl from New York City passed away in the incident. But in Piscataquis County, Hurricane Bill was nothing more than a report on the news — and that’s not such a bad thing after all.
My eyes picked up from the card game I was playing on my laptop to the TV screen, finally listening intently to what was just background noise moments ago.
“A hurricane could hit where?” I thought to myself.
The storm tracked showed it moving well east of Maine, but the report was there. A hurricane could possibly, maybe, sort of glance the Pine Tree State.
It doesn’t take much for my imagination to go into overdrive. Images of Florida after Hurricane Andrew, and New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina popped into my head as I started to surf the Internet for a more detailed forecast of this new megastorm, Hurricane Bill.
Growing up in the Midwest, hurricanes are those storms you hear about on TV that sometimes survive long enough to drop rain on you a few days after landfall, but that’s about it. More often than not they were just the big storms that made the news back home. Tornadoes, on the other hand, you could expect a few to drop in the region every summer.
Now it finally hit me, two years into living on the East Coast, that a hurricane could strike Maine. Everyone I talked to, however, laughed off my irrational fears and told me everything would be fine. For one, Bill (somehow this storm and I got on a first name basis pretty quick) was to go well east of Maine so we had nothing to worry about. Secondly, we lived far enough inland that nothing would really happen except a bunch of rain would fall on us — and after the summer we had, how would that be any different than what happened in June?
This weekend came and went with little in the way of rain from the storm that churned in the Atlantic. No homes were destroyed and no low-lying lands were flooded. Heck I don’t even think Bill was able to keep the dust down in these parts of the state.
Bill did not pass by without causing some harm, however. There were reports of people being swept to sea at Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park, with the sad news that a 7-year-old girl from New York City passed away in the incident. But in Piscataquis County, Hurricane Bill was nothing more than a report on the news — and that’s not such a bad thing after all.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
How Brett Favre helped the Green Bay Packers out in the long run
The epic drama that is Brett Favre's long and illustrious NFL career was given another chapter Tuesday when the gunslinger from Mississippi stepped off the chartered jet in Minneapolis-St. Paul, was followed like the Beatles in their hay-day on a freeway on the way from the airport to the Winter Park training facility and signed his name to the bottom of reportedly a two-year, $10-12 million contract with the hated Minnesota Vikings.
Here's the thing: his actions today helped the Green Bay Packers out in the long run.
No really. Here me out.
As I'm typing this, I'm pretty much certain he'll find a way to convey that same message to Ed Werder, Rachel Nichols or friend/reporter Al Jones.
Here's why Favre's unretirement (Did he actually retire this last time? And how will anyone believe this King of Wafflers when he finally does hang up the cleats again for the third time?) actually helped Green Bay in the long run. In years past, no one wanted to be that guy -- the guy that follows the legend. Look at Brian Griese in Denver after John Elway left, or Elvis Grbac after the era of Steve Young and Joe Montata ended in San Francisco, or even Mr. What's His Face after Troy Aikman was concussed for the last time in Dallas. That guy usually gets its butt kicked, leaving everyone wishing for the Legend to return.
Look in Green Bay. No one's looking for Favre to come back. The town, the team and Packer Nation has galvanized behind Aaron Rodgers, a quarterback that did alright in his first year but only lead Green Bay to a 6-10 record after the team made the NFC title game the year before. Part of that had to do with Ryan Grant running on a bad leg, part a piss-poor defense. But going into Year 2 of the Rodgers Era in Green Bay, no one's looking for Favre to ride in on his tractor from Mississippi to save the day.
Instead we as Packer Fans are looking forward to Week 4 of the NFL season, when Rodgers and Co. travel to the Humpty Dump to take on Minnesota and Favre. How sweet would it be to see Rodgers lead the Pack to a big win over Minnesota and lead the Pack to a 4-0 record going into the bye week?
Brett Favre, through all his crying, whining and diva B.S., has made Green Bay a stronger team in the long run.
Thanks again Brett.
Here's the thing: his actions today helped the Green Bay Packers out in the long run.
No really. Here me out.
As I'm typing this, I'm pretty much certain he'll find a way to convey that same message to Ed Werder, Rachel Nichols or friend/reporter Al Jones.
Here's why Favre's unretirement (Did he actually retire this last time? And how will anyone believe this King of Wafflers when he finally does hang up the cleats again for the third time?) actually helped Green Bay in the long run. In years past, no one wanted to be that guy -- the guy that follows the legend. Look at Brian Griese in Denver after John Elway left, or Elvis Grbac after the era of Steve Young and Joe Montata ended in San Francisco, or even Mr. What's His Face after Troy Aikman was concussed for the last time in Dallas. That guy usually gets its butt kicked, leaving everyone wishing for the Legend to return.
Look in Green Bay. No one's looking for Favre to come back. The town, the team and Packer Nation has galvanized behind Aaron Rodgers, a quarterback that did alright in his first year but only lead Green Bay to a 6-10 record after the team made the NFC title game the year before. Part of that had to do with Ryan Grant running on a bad leg, part a piss-poor defense. But going into Year 2 of the Rodgers Era in Green Bay, no one's looking for Favre to ride in on his tractor from Mississippi to save the day.
Instead we as Packer Fans are looking forward to Week 4 of the NFL season, when Rodgers and Co. travel to the Humpty Dump to take on Minnesota and Favre. How sweet would it be to see Rodgers lead the Pack to a big win over Minnesota and lead the Pack to a 4-0 record going into the bye week?
Brett Favre, through all his crying, whining and diva B.S., has made Green Bay a stronger team in the long run.
Thanks again Brett.
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