not THE Crystal Lake

Happy Friday the 13th! With the release of the new Jason Voorhees movie this week, I wanted to celebrate the day with a little research (because I am just that weird). In this vein, I discovered that Maine not only has its own Crystal Lake, it in fact has TWO of them, one in Gray, and one in Harrison. One of them was formerly named "Anonymous Pond." Why does this make me laugh? I don't know, but there it is.

According to Maine's Lakes Environmental Organization, one Crystal Lake "is the only lake completely within the borders of Harrison. Mill Stream, which is the outlet of the lake, provided early village settlers with power to run both a grist and saw mill." [Source] The second Crystal Lake is has its own Crystal Lake Association, formed in 1970, whose website has some beautiful photos.

Back in 1963, the New Yorker, of all sources, reported on how Anonymous Pond (now Crystal Lake in Harrison) was about to lose its anonymity: "Incidental Intelligence: In Cumberland County, Maine, there is a body of water that has the arresting name of Anonymous Pond. Now some spoilsports are trying to have it officially called Crystal Lake, and it may become anonymous." [Source: John McCarten, Incidental Intelligence, The New Yorker, March 2, 1963, p. 24, read abstract here]

Anonymous Pond, though quiet in recent years, has a lively history, including one of Maine's first alligator captures. Yes, I said alligator! To quote Chris Dunham, over at All Things Maine, "The first [recorded alligator in Maine] was probably the one shot in Owlsley Cove, Anonymous Pond (Crystal Lake) in Harrison in November of 1895." You can read a full account here, but I will tantalize you with this tidbit: "The alligator was first seen by W. M. Shaw of South Paris. In company with other members of the Owlsley club he was returning from Harrison with a load of provisions when he noticed a large black object floating on the sunlit waters of the quiet little cove, near which the camp of the Owlsley club is situated. ... During Friday and Saturday the mysterious creature was occasionally seen by various persons, and shot at several times without apparent effect."

The THRILL of a lifetime!

Along with the rash of zombie events worldwide, the Thrill the World group has been trying to coordinate a record-breaking assembly of zombie hordes dancing simultaneously to Michael Jackson's classic monster mash song, Thriller. The event doubles as a fundraiser for each involved community's choice of charity cause. This year, Gray-New Gloucester's middle school students are joining the throng, and you can too!

Thrill the world is almost here
Calling all Zombies! You're invited to dress up like a Zombie and "Thrill the World."
By Zoe Adams
Maine Hometown News, Community

Sep 16, 2008 – Gray-New Gloucester Middle School is trying to help break the world record for the most people dancing at one time. What this means is there might be 100 people dancing to the song Thriller at the Middle School and also people all over the world at the same time and date.

On October 4, 2008 there will be a big "learn the dance" so if you know any one who wants to do the Thriller dance bring them to the Middle School gym from 9 a.m. to noon. They don't have to be in middle school, they can be in high school. Just no one under 10 years old. We need as many people as the drama club can get.

The day the Thriller dance will actually will be on is October 25, 2008, in the middle school gym. The dance will start at 2:00 p.m. the doors will open at 1:30.

From: www.thrilltheworld.com: Thrill The World is a worldwide attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the Largest Simultaneous Dance with Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Thousands of people in cities around the world will learn the "Thriller", dance and perform it together on the day that Thrill the World takes place.

[Source]

Good Maine Spirits and Bad

Maine has its share of tales about spirit mediums and their positive work with the spirit world. Alongside this is the complementing current of legends and rumors of a more negative nature -- tales of evil influences, destructive hauntings, and curses. Today we've got a couple of stories for you, one from each side of the spirit river.

Story No. 1: Evil Spirits in Gray
While I've known that town government in Gray is full of infighting, I never thought I'd hear this said about it (emphasis is mine):

Gray has always been contentious. Some say all towns to some degree are. Others, who are sensitive to the spirit world, say Gray is haunted by human evil doers and their spirit evil counterparts and the veil between human and otherworld is thin. Either way, the degree of misbehavior has been unparallelled lately.

Last year we had more than one Council meeting recessed due to the inappropriately angry behavior of several audience members. We had people throwing up their middle fingers, and slamming out the door, rattling timbers in their wake. This year we have the usual angry bloggers again with hate speech and insults, and council-appointed committee members grasping the public podium and immaturely contributing to the civic dialogue by stating the the Vice-Chair is an idiot.

Monument News reporter Gordon Lane reported:
"The contentious March 20 meeting has also found itself on a YouTube post (MY NOTE: view video here, it's worth watching) in addition to the standard anonymous Gray blogs. The video, posted by Paul Proudian on Nathan Tsukroff’s blog, "Black and White in Gray" (bwgray.wordpress.com), shows a heated exchange between town residents and Foster, and is then followed by a political attack ad. Foster is currently considering whether to run for another council term."
[Source]

Story No. 2: Good Spirits in Durham
Lewiston Sun Journal continues with its excellent "weird Maine" series this week with another piece by Kathryn Skelton, this time about a psychic medium in Durham, Maine:

Transmitting spirits, Eddita Felt has offered apologies from an expired mother-in-law and revealed past lives that may have ended in death by alligator. The Durham woman behind the Northeast Professional Psychics, Mediums & Healers Guild, Eddita Felt insists she's shy.

It's spirit guides that motivated her. One named Fergus in particular. They wanted her to get out more, to be out more.

So much so that they goaded her into forming the Northeast Professional Psychics, Mediums & Healers Guild.

[please click here for full article: Source]