ISLAND NEWS
OCT - DEC 21 1998
LATEST NEWS
December 21, 1998 - This has been a very
busy time for us. The Christmas Party was at the church and parish
house Saturday night and featured all the children in a wonderful
Christmas Play directed by Mrs. Kathy George, who is the preschool
teacher and assistant to Mrs. Williams. I took lots of pictures
and hope to find some time between shopping, wrapping and entertaining
(maybe bills) to get them on the page. All you out there wondering
where their plumbing bill is - I'm sorry I won't get to them till
after Christmas - what a responsible business person I am - not!
December
16, 1998 - We took a ride down to the West End to take some
pictures and when the kids saw Sanford's Pond starting to form
ice everyone cheered - they can't wait to go skating. I don't
know about everyone else but my kids are hoping for cold, cold,
snowy weather - isn't everyone! I took a great picture and can't
wait for picture of the week so I'm adding a Sanford's
Pond page.
December 14, 1998 - Yesterday
I added some pictures from the Chebeague Care
Resource Commons Open House and today have added lots more
so please check them out. What a wonderful place and such a beautiful
job decorating.
December 12, 1998 - I just
added the Island Santa to the Christmas
Page. Today was CTC free boat day and Santa was there for
most of the boats - very exciting!
December 9, 1998 - The kids were in heaven
this morning when they awoke to a blanket of snow. They didn't
want to eat or anything - all they wanted to do was get out and
make snow balls. I guess that means winter is going to come to
Chebeague.
The Island Commons Open House is this Sunday afternoon,
December 13th from 1 to 5. Construction is complete! Furnishings
are being purchased or donated! The yard has been graded and Cheryl,
Darren, and Benjamin Hillicoss, as well as Meesha, their furry
cat, are in residence!
I have added another picture and I have a few more of the Stone
Wharf - I promise I will get down soon to the West End and gets
some shots. I am trying to get more Christmas decoration pictures
but I really have to get them before the sun goes down unless
someone can tell me more about the camera than I've figured out.
I will let you know when I update the Christmas page again.
December
7, 1997 - Well, I just caught up with the "Island Christmas
Decorating Team" of Lewis Ross, Don Souchek, Robert White,
and Bob Jones. The were putting the lights on the tree of the
fifth fairway. They had finished the wharf tree and were heading
out to do another. So I am starting a Christmas
page where I will include decoration scenes of the island
if I can get some good pics with the new camera.
December 5, 1998 - As you can see I'm
trying to make this page more useful. I have been adding lots
of pictures to the CRC page
including some pictures in the Teen
Page of the five boys who were up there Wednesday night -
they were so into their football game - it was great! I will be
adding lots of people pictures as I go along and I will probably
do one shot deals of scenery for the Pictures of the week but
will include links to the people pictures. Let me know what you
are all interested in. I know some people are interested in only
scenery and some only people.
December 3, 1998 - I just stopped by
the Parish House where about 20 women were working away on the
annual wreath sale for the Ladies Aid. I have included pictures
on pictures of the week - the only problem is you can't smell
the balsam fir but just try to imagine how wonderful it was.
Don't forget that although the main hunting season is over
there is still two more weeks of black powder hunting on Chebeague.
Please wear your blaze orange for a little while longer.
November
30, 1998 - I have been in Vermont for the last few days and
just catching up on my emails and the pages. The school
page is getting refurbished thanks to our new internet specialist
Tyler P. who is in the sixth grade and has taken over the job
of web master for the school internet page. The older class is
also working on a Maine internet project. Each of the children
will be writing about different aspects of Maine and everyone
will have a county or two to write about. We will be using an
interactive image map of Maine. Within the next few weeks we will
be putting it all together.
I have purchased new digital camera through a grant from Recompense.
After much research and testing I decided on the Sony MVC-FD71
digital Mavica. The main reason is the use of floppy disks and
easy use. Any organization who has a need can borrow the camera
and I will be happy to teach the use of it and install the necessary
software if needed on the computers as soon as I learn how - I'm
going to try at the library tonight. The rec center computer can
already read it without the program. My new mac reads the pictures
just fine. I have added pictures to the library
page and of the Rec
center hooking class.
November 26, 1998 -
Happy Thanksgiving! - Elizabeth Hill has just turned in
a history assignment which consisted of a website online to teach
how
our government works - I think she and her friend did a great
job!
November 24, 1998 - Congratulations
to John Nickerson who is the new part time on call policeman for
the island.
The Sunday Telegram did a great article about the sinking
of the SS Portland in 1898. The internet article even included
a picture of Sara Fuller whose great grandfather perished along
with 200 other people.
November 20, 1998
- Tonight I took Vika, Denis and Dasha to see the Greely High
school production of "Anything Goes". It was one of
the best shows we have seen. We all saw Brunswick Music Theatre
production last summer and it was honestly almost as good - the
kids even said it was better. Rachel Damon, Lauren Miller and
Robert McCollum were all in it and did a great job. I have included
some pictures of them on the anythinggoes.html
page. Congratulations to you all. They are putting it on again
tomorrow night and then on Sunday afternoon so don't miss it!!
November 19, 1998 - I have decided to start a nostalgia
section -not that all of this isn't kind of nostalgic. I found
some clippings from January of 1971 which was the first year I
was married and moved full time to Chebeague. I thought if people
have stories or anecdotes they would like to include about the
winter of 1970 and 1971 you could email me. The picture in the
newspaper shows Charlie Kuntz who turns eighty tomorrow. I was
working in Portland at EC Jordan and I remember the boat rides
trying to push through the ice and finally we started commuting
Casco Bay Lines. The few of us who were commuting played cards
most of the way.
November 18, 1998 - I just
received a couple of emails from Malcolm and Sandra Rice who are
still in Jakarta where there has been some problems. They wrote
"Yes, Jakarta has been in trouble in the past few days but
we are fine. ... The Saturday morning paper referred to
Friday the thirteenth as BLACK FRIDAY....We are fine and in
no danger whatsoever..... We'll keep you informed and believe
us, in spite of what you see on CNN, we are fine. A lot
of the nighttime shooting scenes from CNN were filmed directly
in front of our office - not the neighborhood where we reside."
If anyone would like to read the rest of their adventure I have
included it all at jakarta.html.
November
16, 1998 - The PUC is contemplating some changes to the Casco
Bay Lines Schedule - please check out the Cliff
Island Boat Schedule Alert. I understand it is not too late
to voice concerns.
November 13, 1998 - Happy Friday the 13th - I have been
making some changes on the Chebeague
Recreation Center Page which now has a new address so please
bookmark the spot. There is a picture of the new director Neil
Taliento sitting proudly at his new desk which he will share with
Beth Dyer. I have included a lot of the pictures which you may
have already seen. I really need to get some pictures of our wonderful
tap dance teacher - Beth Dyer and the tappets which I am fortunate
to be one - I'm having a blast. I always wanted to be like Shirley
Temple and I'm getting closer every day.
November
11, 1998 - Happy Veterans Day! - I forgot to mention yesterday
that it was Neil Taliento's
birthday. Not only was it Neil's birthday but he has also been
hired by the Chebeague Recreation Center's new Program Director!
Congratulations Neil. Lucy Vaughn has also been hired by the CRC
as the new Teen Director. We all want to thank Donna
Damon for doing a fantastic interim job over the last three
months working day and night with Beth Dyer to keep the rec center
the swinging activity center that it is.
I have also added a new link to Ken
Marsh's homepage which he has put together.
November
10, 1998 - A couple of people have given me some pictures
of "the Car Wash" which
I have scanned and have included here - as I said before it was
a great day! We received a wonderful contribution for doing the
TRUCK - the kids had so much fun they would have done it anyway!
Saturday night was a huge success for the Chebeague Parents
Association and a great time for everyone who attended - I wish
I had brought my video camera so I could include some great scenes.
We are looking forward for more nights like that one.
The community has purchased a portable PA System with a grant
from Recompense. This system was used by the poetry readers on
Saturday night and I felt worked very well. This system is available
for any Island Organization which needs it. I will be administering
the disposition of the system and the organization borrowing it
will have to sign a statement that they will be responsible for
the system in the event it gets damaged. It is a Roland system
with a microphone and four more plug-in ports. It is new and has
a four year warrantee. It has to be plugged in to a power source
but I can see it being a great help to everyone such as the Golf
Club, Tennis Club, School Programs, Hall Programs, and recreation
events. Please contact me for more information.
November
7, 1998 - We are all back from Old
Sturbridge Village and had a wonderful time - we could have
stayed another couple of days and my car the kids were begging
to stay over - I know they got a lot out of it - they were mesmerized
by the working displays and people dressed in period time telling
about their lives. I have included some picture from my video
camera of our trip on pic of the week.
I thank you all enough for a wonderful experience!
I should have mentioned the Music and Poetry Night a long time
ago so all those from away could make plans to get to the island
tonight for an evening of entertainment provided by the music
teacher Georgia Humphrey and her sister; the older children's
teacher Len Bogh, Pat McGillicutty and Herb Maine; Nancy Chamberlain;
Mark Dyer; and of course our talented children! This event is
at the all from 7:00 - 10:00pm. Admission is $5.00 adults and
$2.00 children.
I also was asked by Nancy Putnam to send a farewell message
to everyone. She has moved off the island and to Yarmouth and
wanted to say goodbye to everyone.
November 4,
1998 - Tomorrow the whole island school goes down to Old Sturbridge
Village we all want to thank the Recompense foundation, the Island
Institute and all the people who bought car wash tickets, food
at the food sale and a number of donations we received. Thanks
to all of you!! I am bringing a digital camera and my video and
the school will be posting pictures on their web site which is
being reconstructed.
October 31, 1998 - Happy
Halloween!! - I just got back with the kids from a couple
of days in Boston with my brother and wife and we even had a chance
to do the Freedom Trail - what great weather we had while on the
island they had wind and clouds. Thanks for all the information
I'm getting from everyone on digital cameras.
I have just included pictures of most of the trick or treaters
who came to our house on the picweek page.
October
28, 1998 - Boy does it get dark early now. I don't know how
our after school nature hikes will go - we'll probably need headlamps
in a couple of weeks. Because of the hunting season the next hikes
will be on beaches and the woods one will be on a Sunday.
If anyone has any comments about digital cameras, good, bad
and ugly I would love to hear. I am about to buy one for the community
which can be used by organizations and the school and I will be
able to use for web pictures. I looked at a $499 sony which did
not have a zoom lens but the pictures looked great. It used a
floppy disk which I think would be very usefull for school and
others. For $699 I could get similar but with a zoom lens. I am
open to any ideas.
October 25, 1998 - What
a beautiful day today was and a busy one. From 11:00 til almost
2:00 the kids mostly under the supervision of their parents washed
and washed and washed cars, trucks and for the finale even one
of Wayne's biggest dump trucks - it was quite a time. Of course
none of us got wet - ya right! I have to say we exceeded our estimates
on what we made and it looks like we took in over $600. This added
to the grant from the recompense will hopefully totally pay for
our trip. After a quick change many of us headed over to the Hall
for Lori Rich's baby shower where the food was knock you over
great - I was glad I skipped lunch. There were lots of people
and the gifts she got were wonderful.
October
24, 1998 - Just got back from the Halloween Party at the Hall
and added a lot of pictures of the festivities to Picture
of the Week.
October 19, 1998 - The children
from the K-6 are planning an overnight trip to Old Sturbridge
Village in Massachusetts in November. They have decided to have
a car wash to help defray the costs. They will be going around
selling CAR WASH tickets for next Sunday, Oct 25, 11:00 to 1:00.
They will also be having a BAKE SALE at the same time!
October
15, 1998 - Please pass on that the Portland Press Herald obituary
for Bob Ensign should have said the memorial service is a week
from Saturday on the 24th of October.
October
14, 1998 - There was a lot going on last night, Chebeague
Parents Association had a meeting, the fire department had a meeting
and about 10 people including myself were learning how to tap
dance with Beth Dyer - it was great fun. I almost forgot that
yesterday they had the drawing for the chebeague Recreation Center
Quilt and the winner was Kathryn Hallock (Dianne Ash's mother).
Tonight we had an expert with the exercise equipment teach us
how to use the equipment safely and effectively - so now there
are a lot of experts ready to help anyone who wishes to come up
and use the fitness room. Donna and I are thinking of offering
coffee and muffins (low fat of course) to people who will work
out with us on Tuesday and Thursday morning - let us know if you
are interested!
Henrietta sounded great on Good Morning America and for those
who were wondering OCD stands for obsessive Compulsive Disorder
and the name of her book is "Is it Just A Phase" I found
a web site about her going to Washington
to speak and another one about women's
health.
October 12, 1998 - Tomorrow morning
on Good Morning America, Henrietta Leonard will on between 8 and
9 talking about her new book "It's Just A Phase" which
is about children and OCD.
October 11, 1998
- I don't know what is wrong with me - I missed my perfect chance
to show my expertise as an internet up to the date news reporter
with all the rain we had and major flooding around the island.
I could have had pictures. I only ventured out a couple of times
and went to the fire departments Open House. Of course the fire
trucks were out on calls trying to save peoples furnaces and pumps
which were flooded over. We also hit the pot luck supper for the
benefit of the hall. It was a packed room and food was wonderful
as usual. It looks like the rain has stopped now and tomorrow
it's supposed to be good.
October 8, 1998 -
I have just included pictures of one of the moose in picture of
the week.
October 7, 1998 - The CRC Fall
programs started this week and I have some rough pictures from
my video camera. Just click here!
I have also added to the Chebeague Care
Resource Page - Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ
click here!!!
October 4, 1998 - The pool
committee and many other volunteers worked all weekend to prepare
the area around the pool for grass and Wayne and Tommy and Doug
graded the parking area for better drainage. Gail worked tirelessly
around the whole building to get the grass growing and you can
all see some of the workers on picture of the week. I bought a
new MacOS300 and even got a 20 inch monitor and discovered that
I could take a video and freeze frames and put them on the internet
in no time - oh well - a little time. I keep thinking of all the
possibilities. Now when anything happens I will be able to provide
everyone with almost instant pictures and I didn't have to purchase
a digital camera. I stopped by and visited Ray Newcomb with my
camera and took this picture which you can see larger by clicking
on it. 
October 1, 1998 - Yesterday was a
great day to go to the Cumberland Fair with the special prices
on rides - it seemed like the everyone from the island was there.
Saturday the pool committee is looking for volunteers to help
with the seeding and fixing up around the pool - contact Doug
Ross for more information. Sunday is Island Appreciation Night
at the Chebeague Inn.
NEWS FROM JUNE 98 THROUGH SEPT
98
NEWS FROM FEB 98 THROUGH MAY 98
NEWS FROM DEC 97 THROUGH JAN
98
NEWS FROM OCTOBER THROUGH NOVEMBER
1997
NEWS FROM MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER
1997
NEWS FROM FEBRUARY THROUGH APRIL
1997
NEWS FROM DECEMBER
1996 AND JANUARY 1997
I would love to have any news, poetry, stories to add to
my news page so please email with anything you think would be
of interest to islanders around the world - yes Singapore, Egypt,
Mediterranean, Boston etc. checking out the news page everyday!
So please email me at bjohnson@nlis.net
Click
on the picture to go to
Chebeague Island Anchor Page