On World Zombie Day, October 10, hordes of the living dead staggered to the Eastern Prom for the 5th Annual Zombie Kickball game. While the zombie turn out was smaller than last year, there was still plenty of action for the large group of spectators that turned out to see the dead stumble, growl, and try to kick the ball.
Photos by Chris Wallace, video by Monkey
A zombie is thrown into a state of confusion when he sees Monkey. Zombies attempt to climb the fence so they can gorge on the living. The sight of Monkey makes a child zombie go crazy. This young zombie spotted Monkey and decided to eat Monkey's brain. Good thing Monkey had his biohazard helmet on. Zombie Michael Jackson treated the crowd to moon walking and a brief version of the Thriller dance. Mother and daughter zombie make it safely to third base due to confusion on the playing field. The littlest zombie works it for the crowd. This is the zombie idea of a picnic - a comfy blanket to sit on and a bag full of human limbs. Scout Master zombie has a marshmallow on a stick in his brain. Zombie competition causes chaos on the field and zombies chase each other. It's never good when a zombie has green gunk spewing from her mouth. Zombie Jesus gets in on the action. Monkey receives a banana from a thoughtful zombie. See how Monkey survived the Zombie Kickball game.
Once again, another fun day of Zombie Kickball in Portland. Can't wait for next years game!
WHAT: Free Halloween open house at the International Cryptozoology Museum! WHEN: 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM, Sunday, October 31, 2010 WHERE: 661 Congress Street, Portland, Maine (enter through the Green Hand Bookshop) FMI: (207)518-9496 or http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/icm-oct31/
On the occasion of his 1st Year Anniversary, Loren Coleman has announced that the International Cryptozoology Museum will be opening free to the public for one day only.
Since it is Halloween, there will be treats for trick or treaters of all ages! Come in costume if you can!
As Allen Baldwin says, "We made a bunch of really good short horror films, one of which i co-wrote and directed. You should come out and see them, because this ain't no amateur hour. This stuff is good, nasty, campy, disturbing horror films."
WHAT: House on Haunted Hill screening WHEN: 9:00pm showtime, Monday, October 18, 2010 WHERE: Geno's, 625 Congress Street, Portland COST: $3 suggested donation FMI: (207)329-5385
MONDAY NIGHT! Come see the famous William Castle film, "House on Haunted Hill" (the original starring Vincent Price, NOT the crummy remake), presented by Fun Box at the Movies! With Skeletorama action!!!
...and if that wasn't enough...the following Monday there's another exciting Fun Box at the Movies event!
WHAT: Dark and Stormy Night, the premiere Maine showing! WHEN: 9:00pm showtime, Monday, October 25, 2010 WHERE: Geno's, 625 Congress Street, Portland COST: $6 admission FMI: (207)329-5385
Larry Blamire's epic old dark house meets locked room mystery spoof, "Dark and Stormy Night" will be premiering at Geno's with a guest appearance and Q&A with star, Robert Deveau. Did you love "Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" and "The Lost Skeleton Returns Again"? This is by the same folks! Did you love the movie "Clue"? Alright, we're on the same page -- make sure to put this on your calendar!!! Besides, Robert Deveau is so charming how could you possibly miss a chance to meet him again?
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WHAT: Wicked Walking Tours WHEN: through October, Wednesday to Saturday @ 8:00pm, Sundays @ 7:00pm WHERE: Tours meet in the small park next to Flatbread Pizza and Ri Ra at 72 Commercial Street, Portland. COST: $15 ($13 for seniors & children under 12) FMI:http://www.wickedwalkingtours.com/ or call (207)730-0490
Another thing we missed in our Round I and Round II event listings was the wicked fun Wicked Walking Tours here in Portland, run by the one and only Gordon Tweedie. Reservations are required, but Gordon puts on a great tour. If you're a fan of ghosts and local history, then this is the event for you.
You can read our review of the tour below, as published in the Bollard back in 2007, when they first started:
A Wicked Treat for October Wanderers
By Michelle Souliere
The fog came curling in off Portland Harbor as I waited by the ferry terminal to meet the guide for Portland’s new Wicked Walking Tours. It was the perfect night for a tour of old Portland’s haunted waterfront streets. Ships moved in and out of the pier slips with their lights glowing softly as I sat on a wooden bench. Across the water came the mournful sound of fog horns.
Raising high a lantern, Gordon Tweedie introduced himself. His resume is impressive. Tweedie is an accomplished baritone, and has toured extensively in both Europe and the U.S. He currently teaches at the Portland Conservatory of Music. He created Wicked Walking Tours with a tiny start-up budget, spent entirely on printing full-color flyers and posters, which he has sown around Portland at hotels and other public spots. Like a spell cast wide, his colorful lures draw people in a few at a time. Like me, they are enticed by a unique chance to hear about a side of Portland’s history few among the living know about.
Tweedie's tale-telling is woven from a variety of sources. In addition to poking around at the Maine Historical Society, he has painstakingly collected scores of ghost stories from people who live and work downtown. The stories are many and varied, from office workers who have seen the Jolly Roger sailing past their third floor conference room windows, to spectral traces of escapees from one of Portland’s great fires, doomed to repeat their hurried exits over and over again.
Other tales are woven from documented historic events, or are retellings of lore about past Portland personalities. The flyer advertises such eerie delicacies as a disembodied diva, a ghostly pirate ship, a cursed society lady, and a minister who escaped Indian attacks only to be subsequently burned as a witch. (While no witches were actually burned down in Salem, it is true that in the late 1600s, during the witchcraft craze, onetime Portland resident and minister George Burroughs was hanged as one of the accused after being roughly hauled away from his Wells dinner table. These are the kind of facts you don’t find on plaques commemorating local history.)
The tour is well worth the hour-and-a-quarter spent in Tweedie’s company. He is an inventive entertainer who can pick up and drop an accent with ease, and he tells his tales with obvious enthusiasm. The walking tour provided good opportunities to check out the backsides of buildings one seldom sees in the course of everyday travels. It wends its way around the Old Port, focusing on the wharves, Commercial Street, Fore Street, Exchange Street, and their connecting lanes, stopping here and there for a little storytelling along the way.
Here are some more Halloween events that have emerged since we posted Round I last week. As in the first listing, earlier events are at the top, and events closer to Halloween are nearer the bottom of the list. Have fun!
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Ghost Hunting Talk with Maine Paranormal Society
October 16 @ 3:00pm
Feel like you're not alone in the fiction stacks? Come and find out what the Maine Paranormal Society has to say about ghostly activity in the Dyer Library! Members of the TAPS family will show their equipment, some past evidence collected, and answer questions.
This free presentation is open to the public and will be held in the Deering Room at Dyer Library at 371 Main Street in Saco, Maine, on Saturday, October 16, at 3 p.m.
FMI: (207) 283-3861 http://www.sacomuseum.org/lib_events.shtml
The Schoolhouse Arts Center on Route 114 in Sebago Lake Village has been spooked up for the season! Tours will run continuously each weekend evening between October 15th and Halloween. This is a scary haunted house, not recommended for very young children. A "safe" room for young children is available. $8 adults, $5 children 12 and under. 16 Richville Road (Route 114), Standish.
The Haunted Library haunted house at Dyer Library
October 16, tours start @ 6:30pm
It's a SPOOKTACULAR annual tradition! Join us after Saco's Pumpkin Harvest Festival for a HAUNTED TOUR of the Dyer Library, and find out what ghosts lurk about in the library after dark! This event might be too scary for our younger patrons; the recommended age is ten and up.
This free event is open to the public and will be held at Dyer Library at 371 Main Street in Saco, Maine, on Saturday, October 16, starting at 6:30 p.m.
FMI: (207) 283-3861 http://www.sacomuseum.org/lib_events.shtml
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The Gauntlet haunted nightride
Open for the season, Maine's newest haunt ride is located in Mechanic Falls at Harvest Hill Farms, on Rte. 26 at 125 Pigeon Hill Rd. Please check website for schedule and ticket prices. Daytime hayrides for children are available, but the haunt is engineered for adult horror fans, and promises to be terrifying.
Destination Haunt
October 14-17, 21-24, 27-31
open from 6:00-11:00pm (all nights except Sundays 6:30-10:00)
Another Maine haunt attraction which is new to me is Destination Haunt, at 249 Lord Rd in Lebanon, off of Long Swamp Road (how perfect is that?). Offering a "toned down version for kids" on Sunday 2:00-5:00pm, this is another adult-oriented haunt that sounds like it aims to scare you silly. Features four attractions: Buried Alive Cemetery, Lebanon Laboratory, Twilight Trail, and Execution Center.
$20 General Admission (Recommended Ages 13 and up). VIP pass: $35 (get to front of line). $3 discount on any ticket with Military ID or College ID. Tickets can only be purchased at the door, Cash Only please. $5 off coupon available on their Pricing page valid Sun-Thurs.
The New School is doing a haunted house! Get spooked for your $5 admission at this great school fundraiser. 38 York Street, Kennebunk, ME 04043.
FMI: (207)985-3745 http://www.tnsk.org/
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The Haunting: Nightmare at Par Sem
October 22, 23, 29 and 30th from 6:30-9:30pm
"Make our nightmares yours" as you tour through this ancient 42-room dormitory, built for students in 1832 but now housing a school of ghouls. Starting at the Buzzell Family Crypt, visitors will find themselves haunted by unimaginable horrors as they make their way through three floors of eerie antics and across the campus. "Not for the faint of heart."
Located at the Parsonsfield Seminary, Route 160, in North Parsonsfield. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids age 12 and under. Funds raised will assist their Restoration Fund.
Sacred and Profane festival 2010!
October 23rd, leave Portland on 2:15 Peaks Island Ferry!
Every year Peaks Island hosts this festival around the time of a full moon during harvest season. Artists are gathered months ahead to prepare for a transformation of the abandoned Battery Steele, which sits at the center of the island.
On arrival at the island, visitors approach the event in a procession, encountering costumed performers and other unknowns along the way. No electricity is available, so participants wander through the different rooms of the complex by provided candlelight. Site specific works are many and varied, and the experience is apt to product a mystified, euphoric mood in participants as they wander through, never knowing what they'll encounter next. It's its own kind of spooky. :)
At the tail end of the festival, delicious hot food is provided to visitors before they depart back to the mainland.
Visitors are responsible for buying their ferry tickets at the Casco Bay Lines terminal. Festival tickets are sold separately and are $10 each. The number of tickets is limited due to capacity, so advance purchase is encouraged. Tickets are available at Strange Maine (the shop, at 578 Congress Street, Portland, ME 207-771-9997, http://www.kraag.org/strange/) and at the Green Hand Bookshop (661 Congress Street, Portland 207-450-6695 http://greenhandbooks.blogspot.com/)
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Kathryn Skelton for the Lewiston Sun Journal the other week, which was included in their recent article about spooky Maine reads. Check out the full article online for more book recommendations and info! http://www.sunjournal.com/bplus/story/916288
Weird, Wicked Weird: Hauntingly good Maine reads, in time for fall
By Kathryn Skelton, Staff Writer
Published Oct 03, 2010
Sure, it’s not as famous as the legend of the bloody hook swinging from a door handle, but just try beating the story about the Maine witch who forever cursed Manhattan clam chowder.
(Fair warning: It’s a killer of men and libidos.)
Try beating the story about Catherine, Down East's vindictive, hitchhiking ghost.
Or, the one about the southern Maine attorney who kept a murder victim's head ... and ... maybe ... lost it.
All true — or true-ish — according to the authors of recent books on the bizarre, curious and ridiculously haunted.
Bone up for Halloween on a half-dozen nonfiction works based, at least in part, in Maine, and read the authors' takes on the unusual, in their own words.
The Turner Beast and other tales
“Strange Maine” by Michelle Souliere
Published: May 2010, The History Press ($17.99)
Some places don’t need a ghost. Phantom lights. Chilling sounds.
Battery Steele, the old World War II-era bunker on Peaks Island, Souliere says, is one such place.
“The main hallways form sort of an ‘I’ shape: There are two short entrance hallways on either end and then a long hallway that stretches between those,” she said. “You don’t think you’re going to need a flashlight, but as you get to the center of the very long part of the ‘I’, it’s actually incredibly dark and kind of terrifying. The light at either end of the tunnel becomes very appealing and you start to move a little more quickly.”
It’s so good, so naturally creepy, it doesn’t have any ancillary legends and doesn’t need them, Souliere said. “Battery Steele itself is a presence.”
And, unusual enough to fit into “Strange Maine.” The material for her book, arranged in chapters by themes like things in the woods and spooky spots, comes partly from pieces researched for her “Strange Maine Gazette” and ideas in newspaper clips, books and word of mouth.
Some are straight stories of the weird (the Specter Moose, an allegedly giant moose roaming the woods, and Turner’s mystery beast — less mystery, more dog), some of unusual places (Houlton's Hubcap Heaven, Brian Read’s Recycle Zoo in Washington) and some are spots the reader can visit, like Fort Knox.
“There’s just something about all the tunnels and stairways that wind through the fort that really sparks my imagination,” Souliere said. “There are stories of hauntings there, but in and of itself, it has a spooky feel to it.”
(Spookiness egged along by the annual “Fright at the Fort” Halloween benefit.)
“I think those of us who live in the state don’t necessarily visit (places like Battery Steele, Fort Knox) as much as tourists from outside the state,” she said. “I think we miss out on some of the fun we could be having here at home.”
Souliere, who lives in Portland, is working on a Maine Bigfoot book with cryptozoologist Loren Coleman for the next year. After that, it's a “Strange Maine” followup, which will include the story of the Phantom House of Northport, something that didn’t fit in the first edition.
I was going to include this with my Round II posting of this year's Halloween events, but the number of dates and special events occurring in conjunction with the Bangor Opera House production of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is hefty enough to warrant a post of its own, so no one gets confused in the process. Besides the performance run of the play, a book discussion will be held 10/26, the 1920 film will be shown with live accompaniment on 10/30(see below), and there will be a special screening of a new local ghost hunting group's latest work.
WHAT: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde WHERE: Bangor Opera House, 131 Main Street, Bangor, ME FMI: For tickets or more information, phone the box office at (207)942-3333, or visit penobscottheatre.org WHEN: Performances will be held on:
October 20, 2010 at 7:00 PM
October 21, 2010 at 7:00 PM
October 22, 2010 at 8:00 PM - OPENING!
October 23, 2010 at 5:00 PM
October 24, 2010 at 3:00 PM
October 27, 2010 at 7:00 PM
October 28, 2010 at 7:00 PM
October 29, 2010 at 8:00 PM
October 30, 2010 at 8:00 PM
October 31, 2010 at 3:00 PM
November 4, 2010 at 7:00 PM
November 5, 2010 at 8:00 PM
November 6, 2010 at 3:00 PM
November 6, 2010 at 8:00 PM
November 7, 2010 at 3:00 PM COST: $20-35 (all Wednesday show tix are $20)
Penobscot Theatre, Bangor’s professional theatre company, continues its 2010-2011 season with a surprising, inventive, and provocative theatrical production of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic, Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Celebrated playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation is in performances at the Bangor Opera House between October 20 and November 7.
“This is a dark, sexy and shocking production of the story you think you know,” says Producing Artistic Director Scott RC Levy. “In one of the most theatrically inventive tellings I’ve come across in a long time, our production of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is sure to get under your skin.”
On the fog-bound streets of Victorian-era London, Henry Jekyll's experiments with exotic "powders and tinctures" have brought forth his other self — Edward Hyde, a sensualist and villain free to commit the sins Jekyll is too civilized to comprehend. When Hyde meets a woman who stirs his interest, Jekyll fears for her life and decides to end his experiments. But Hyde has other ideas, and so the two sides battle each other in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse to determine who shall be the master and who his slave. With multiple Hydes portrayed by members of the cast, this new and shocking version of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of depravity, lust, love and horror is a perfect adult treat this Halloween season.
Penobscot Theatre’s production of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is written by Jeffrey Hatcher whose work was last presented in Bangor in 2007 (Tuesdays With Morrie). The ensemble includes Allen Adams as Dr. Jekyll and Christie Robinson as Elizabeth Jelkes. Bernard Hope, Jeri Misler, Arthur Morison and Drake Andrew (in his Penobscot Theatre debut) portray all of the other characters, including Hyde. Directed by Producing Artistic Director Scott RC Levy, the production is designed by Erik Diaz, Jonathan Spencer and Jimmy Johansmeyer.
Penobscot Theatre is also thrilled to announce a number of additional events surrounding the production of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde:
· FREE NIGHT OF THEATER – For the third year in a row, PTC is taking part in this national initiative and giving away 50 tickets to each of the first 5 performances of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Designed to re-introduce people to the wonder of live theatrical performance, information can be found at www.freenightoftheater.net
· HALLOWEEN WEEKEND – PTC will host a full day of activities on Saturday, October 30th, to coincide with other Halloween events in downtown Bangor.
.....At 2:00PM, PTC continues its Humanities Series with a screening of the silent film version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde starring John Barrymore. This screening will feature live piano accompaniment by Harry Weiss.
.....At 5:00PM, the East Coast Ghost Trackers will hold the premiere screening of their pilot television episode, featuring ghost tracking at Fort Knox in Bucksport. The East Coast Ghost Trackers will be on hand to talk about their experiences, including the ghosts of the Bangor Opera House. Tickets are free, but require a reservation.
Additional activities, including downtown trick or treating and costume parades are still being developed.
· BOOK READING AND DISCUSSION GROUP – Facilitated by Esther Rauch, professor of English at the University of Maine, PTC will hold a free discussion of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at the Bangor Opera House on Tuesday, October 26th from 6-7:30 PM. Free copies of the novella are available on a first-come, first-served basis, by calling 942-3333 or emailing Marcie@penobscottheatre.org
Tickets for all performances and events to Penobscot Theatre’s production of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde are available for purchase through the theatre’s website (www.penobscottheatre.org), by phone at (207)942-3333, or in person at the Bangor Opera House, 131 Main Street, downtown Bangor.
Performances begin October 20th and run November 7th. Tickets range between $20 and $35.
***NOTE: NEW THIS SEASON: $20 Wednesdays - Tickets to all performances on Wednesday evenings are $20
WHAT: Tales of Terror read by storyteller Lynne Cullen WHEN: Saturday, October 16, 2010... Two Performances: 6-7:30 PM and 8-9:30 PM WHERE: Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, Maine COST: Tickets: $20, $15 for members, $10 for children FMI: Please visit www.victoriamansion.org, or call (207)772-4841 (ext. 10) or email information@victoriamansion.org
What could be a more perfect setting than a big, Victorian mansion for experiencing two wickedly creepy tales, by two masters of horror? Join Lynne for a chilling performance of 'The Beckoning Fair One' by Oliver Onions (1873-1961), which has inspired writers of horror from H.P. Lovecraft to Stephen King, and 'The Masque of the Red Death' by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849). To set the tone, she will first recite 'The Haunted Chamber', a melancholy poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882).
This evening will begin with tours of the house, dimly lit at gas light levels and complemented by eerie, nineteenth-century music. Ghoulish guides will grant you passage through the dark halls of the Mansion!
To participate in this terrifying evening, you must reserve your space in advance... if you dare! Please call 207-772-4841 (ext. 10) or email information@victoriamansion.org
Listings below are chronologically arranged (i.e., earlier events at the top, later in the month further towards the bottom). This is the roster so far, folks! We'll do another post if anything else... SPOOKY... pops up.
Red Cloak Haunted History Tours of Damariscotta, Wiscasset, Camden, and Boothbay Harbor
Now through October 30, 2010
Come with The Lady in the Red Cloak as she tells local tales of ghosts and history, spirits and mystery. Appropriate for all ages. Occasional special tours, such as walks including the Maine Ghost Hunters Society. Location: downtown areas; see website for details. Time: 7:00 p.m. Cost: adults, $10; children 5 - 12, $7; under 5, free. Information: 207-380-3806 or visit www.redcloakhauntedhistorytours.com.
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Ghost Lamp Tours Tour Dates
Tuesday, October 5 @ 7:00pm
Thursday, October 14 @ 7:00pm
Thursday, October 28 @ 7:00pm
Are you a history buff? Or maybe someone looking for fun in the Bangor area? Look no further than Downtown Bangor. The Bangor Museum and Center for History is hosting Ghost Lamp Tours in October.
As you walk through Bangor, imagine yourself at the meeting of the Kenduskeag Stream and the Penobscot River in the 1800s—ships filling the river and the banks of the stream alive with activity. Taverns and brothels, shops, businesses, and warehouses vying for your business, and the nearby Bangor House hosting famous and infamous people of the time. Do you see presidents, gangsters, and ghosts as you tour historical Bangor?
The tour starts at the Waterfront Parking Lot, next to the Sea Dog Restaurant, and takes you on a journey through Bangor's history. $5 for non-members; Free to BMHC members and children under 12.
For more information visit Bangor Museum and Center for History's website.
http://www.bangormuseum.com/html/toursandactivities.htm Private Tours- We are happy to provide personal tours for your family, business or group. Minimum fee: $30. Please call (207)942-1900 to schedule a tour or for more information.
---------- The United Volunteers of Maine haunted house
Friday, Oct. 8, opening @ 6:30 p.m.
The spook‐tacular event of the year is located within the Marketplace at Augusta in the former Circuit City building. The cost is $10 per person, with special pricing of $8 per person on opening night and both Thursday shows. The dates for the other haunted house shows are Oct. 9, 15, 17, 21, 24, 28 and 31. There will also be a matinee on the 31 from 1‐4 p.m.
The United Volunteers of Maine Haunted House is a tradition in the area, helping to raise tens of thousands of dollars for area schools, non‐profits and community organizations. The kids who raise money by helping with the Haunted House are involved in the process from start to finish, including designing the skits, building props, helping assemble the structure, staffing the various rooms when we’re open, and even helping take everything down when we’re done.
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Halloween Music with Dan Blakeslee, a.k.a. Doctor Gasp
October 13, 2010 @ 8:00pm
Doctor Gasp is paying a house visit at the Green Hand Bookshop! Doors open at 7:00, and Dan Blakeslee will tune up and be ready to shake his chains at you by 8:00! Who knows what disguise the doctor will be wearing this year?
This event is free, although donations will be appreciated. The Green Hand Bookshop is located at 661 Congress Street, near Longfellow Square in Portland, next to Joe's Smoke Shop.
Haunted Woods Walk
October 15, 2010 to October 16, 2010
Walk through the woods at Aroostook State Park before Halloween. Beware the spooks and spirits that are celebrating the season. Make sure you take your flashlight and lots of courage. Enjoy snacks and hot refreshments provided by various service organizations. Location: Aroostook State Park, State Park Road, Presque Isle. Time: 6 - 9 p.m. Cost: $5. Information: 207-764-6561 or visit www.pichamber.com.
For the kids:
PIACC and Momentum Aroostook are co-hosting the Haunted Kinder Walk Saturday, October 16 at Aroostook State Park. This event starts at 10:00 am and ends at 1:00 pm. There will be games and activities for children. Tickets for activities will be available, $5.00 for 12 tickets. Most games will require 1 ticket.
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15th Annual Haunted Hayride at the Cathedral Pines Campground
October 16th
It is time again for the 15th Annual Stratton PTC Haunted Hayride at the Cathedral Pines Campground in Eustis, Maine on Saturday, October 16th. The evening begins with a Family Festival from 5:00-6:00 pm, including face painting, games and prizes for everyone who comes dressed in costume. The Haunted Hayride takes place from 6:00-9:00 pm and admission is $4 per person.
Spooksters are still needed, so please consider getting your family or friends together to join us and set up a site! There is no cost to set up a scary scene, though adult chaperones are required at all sites. Electricity and fireplaces are provided at each site. To volunteer or for more information, please contact Sarah Strunk at 246-2002.
The money raised from this event helps the PTC support the Stratton Elementary School’s steel drum band, college & athletic scholarships, support of school sports, yearly donations to teachers, and the Boston Museum of Science trip for the 4th, 5th & 6th graders taken once every three years!
Walk Among the Shadows is Back!
October 21-23 & 28-30 from 6:30pm - 7:30pm
First-come, first-served
Please join us for Walk Among the Shadows III, 6 evenings of tours through the Eastern Cemetery in Portland, Maine. From October 21st to 23rd, we are pleased to welcome actors from Acorn Productions who will portray the interred. Hooded specters will lead groups from person to person, stopping to listen to the stories of the dead on the way.
From October 28th to 30th, we're excited that Portland Playback actors will bring the dead to life in the same spooky manner — with a mix of eeriness and fright for young and old.
Tours are first-come, first-served (so get there early as there are only 5 tour groups allowed through each night). Admission is $10 and $5 for children 12 and under.
This is the largest annual fundraiser Spirits Alive (http://www.spiritsalive.org/) has to help keep the cemetery active and open all year long, please bring your friends and family for a spooky night of history.
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The Junkins Haunted Estate
October 21, 2010 to October 31, 2010
October 21-24 and 28-31. Experience the largest non-commercial Halloween event in New England; take a stroll on the old family estate, get scared, have fun. Location: 87 Wilson Road, Kittery. Time: October 21 - 24, and 28 - 31, 6 - 9 p.m. Cost: free. Information: email hauntedestate@aol.com.
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Fright at The Fort -- Prospect, ME
October 22, 2010 to October 30, 2010
Visitors are led through the dark passageways of Fort Knox where indescribable things lurk in the shadows, creating screams of fright. Location: 711 Fort Knox Road, Prospect, ME just outside of Bucksport. Time: Fridays and Saturdays, 5:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Cost: $5. Information: 207-469-6553 or for directions, etc go to www.fortknox.maineguide.com. Check out Fright at the Fort's own website at http://fortknox.maineguide.com/fright/!
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Ogunquitfest
October 22, 2010 to October 24, 2010
Join the fun at the 7th annual OgunquitFest, a fun-filled weekend of fall-themed events. Activities include pumpkin and cookie decorating, costume parade, classic car show, craft bazaar, haunted house, high heel race, bed race, ghost tours, wagon rides, storytelling, and a scarecrow contest. Location: Main Street, Ogunquit. See website for schedule and various event fees at www.ogunquit.org.
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Tommyknockers and More Bus Tour
October 24, 2010 @ 2:00pm - meet beforehand at 40 Harlow Street, Bangor, ME
Join the tour guide as he takes you through the sites and sounds of Stephen King's Bangor. Visit the places that inspired King's books and movies. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Location: tour begins at 40 Harlow Street. Time: tour leaves at 2 p.m. Cost: $20. Information: 207-947-5205.
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Embalming and Edgar Allen Poe for Halloween
October 29 and 30 @ 7:30pm
Come learn about Victorian funeral practices and enjoy a spooky reading at the Thomas A. Hill House, 159 Union Street, on October 29 and 30.
The evening program will begin with an exhibit of antique funeral objects loaned by Brookings Smith Funeral Home and a presentation about Victorian funeral practices and early embalming techniques. Next, Ben Layman, Penobscot Theatre Company, will present a dramatic reading of Edgar Allen Poe’s short horror story, “The Premature Burial.”
Many believe that Samuel H. Dale, former owner, haunts the Thomas A. Hill house. Dale died in his home in late 1871 under a cloud of suspicion about missing funds that were intended for the victims of Chicago’s Great fire. His death was thought to be a suicide.
The Bangor Museum and History Center is hosting this program in collaboration with Bangor Arts. Doors open at 6:30 with the program scheduled to begin around 7:30. Admission is $10.00. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Please call 942-1900 or email curator@bangormuseum.org with your name, number attending and phone/cell number.
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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ballet
October 29, 2010 to October 30, 2010
Portland Ballet presents the premiere production of this famous Washington Irving tale, with choreography by Nell Shipman and newly commissioned music by Kirt Mosier. Location: John Ford Theater at Portland High School, 284 Cumberland Avenue. Time: Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. Cost: adults; $30 in advance, $35 at the door; students, $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Information: 800-838-3006 or visit www.portlandballet.org.
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Gleefully Grim Ghost Stories at the Green Hand Bookshop
October 30, 2010 @ 7:00pm
Join storyteller Lynne Cullen amid the shelves of old books as she shares her darkest folktales in the shadow of the Crookston Bigfoot, at the Halloween Eve event "Stories from the Dark."
For details, contact proprietor Michelle Souliere at michelle.souliere@gmail.com or visit greenhandbooks.blogspot.com
This event is free, although donations will be appreciated. The Green Hand Bookshop is located at 661 Congress Street, near Longfellow Square in Portland, next to Joe's Smoke Shop.
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All Souls' Walk and Dinner
October 30, 2010
All Souls' Walk - continuous tours offered beginning at 1:00PM, with the last tour departing at 4:00PM
All Souls' Dinner at 7:00pm
Begin at the Museum (117 Main Street, Kennebunk) for a narrated walk with costumed interpreters through Hope Cemetery to visit the graves and hear the fascinating and sometimes tragic tales of Kennebunk residents from the past three centuries. Featured stories include ones about ill-fated sea captains, a Kennebunk Civil War soldier, a spinster and her namesake ship, and a tragedy in the White Mountains. The tours conclude back at the Museum for light refreshments and for viewing the portraits in the galleries of many featured on the walk. Not too spooky, it's perfect for the whole family!
Cost is $5/person (cash/check/Visa, MC, Discover); no advance reservations are required unless for large groups. This event occurs rain or shine, as we do have the capability to run an "indoor version" as an illustrated talk.
Consider extending your All Souls' experience by attending our all-new All Souls' Dinner that evening (see below).
Keep the All Souls' experience alive just a little longer by attending the All Souls' Dinner at the Nonantum Resort (95 Ocean Avenue, Kennebunk), rumored to have a friendly ghost all its own! The Nonantum's ballroom will be decorated in its Halloween finest and will feature a hearty harvest buffet dinner. In the ancient All Souls' tradition, an empty seat will be left at each of the banquet tables in honor of the dearly departed, and the historical figures from the Museum's All Souls' Walk (see above) will make guest appearances to mingle with the diners.
This event is great both for those who want to spend more time with our costumed characters and those who may not have otherwise been able to attend the All Souls' Walk.
The cost is $25/person with proceeds to benefit the Museum; advance reservations are required by calling Tim Ames at the Nonantum Resort at 207.967.4050, ext. 651.
FMI: http://www.brickstoremuseum.org/
Courtesy of Herb Adams, who found the story while looking at microfilm for other information! This appeared in the January 12, 1895 issue of the Eastern Argus, a Portland newspaper, on page 2.
A Fossil Sea Serpent
In the show window of Ira F. Clark & Co.'s clothing store is what purports to be the fossil remains of a sea serpent unearthed along the coast of Labrador or somewhere in that locality. It represents a monster of genus reptile. It is 10 feet long, with web claws like those of a dragon. It is a rare species of saurian that perhaps not over two or three of our citizens have ever seen. It is a wonderful and odd-looking creature, looking more like a pre-historic animal than any existing today. It is surely one of the wonders of the deep and when alive no doubt weighed hundreds of pounds.
In all this iffy weather, why not duck in at your favorite coffeehouse? Maybe there's a fine bucket of java on hand and ready for your consumption!
In this photo, taken on February 25, 1956, Maine's state checker champions are taking their coffee breaks, as they limber up at the Portland YMCA. Pouring the coffee is Paul Levesque, at left is Nate Cohen, and at right is Ray Gould- the state checker champion at the time the photo was taken. Your move!
Photo from the Portland Press Herald Still-Film Negative Collection, Portland Public Library.
So far as I know, not since 2007's self-immolation in Kittery has someone in the state intentionally set themselves on fire. This time it has taken place in Portland, at Longfellow Square. According to an eyewitness, the man had a miserable look on his face, set down his backpack, and the next thing he knew, the man was a pillar of flame. He ran screaming out into the intersection of State Street and Congress Street and collapsed. Emergency crews rushed to the scene as smoke filled the street -- everything seemed to happen faster than most people could react to what was going on. No word yet on who the unhappy man was.
Emergency vehicles and traffic swarm around the scene just before 12:30pm.
UPDATE:
The Press Herald has released more info, though the man's name is still being kept private until family has been contacted. The man was apparently a resident of 675 Congress Street, where he doused himself with gasoline in his apartment before going out to the square and setting himself on fire. He is 24 years old.
Zombie Kickball has NOT left the field! The 2010 game will commence on Sunday, October 10, starting at 1:00pm and shambling about until around 5:00pm on Portland's Eastern Promenade. It's their 5th birthday! Hooray!!! Better late than never!
Back in June, Kathryn Skelton of the Lewiston Sun Journal caught up with two members of the Real Life Superhero Project (http://www.reallifesuperheroes.org/) that live and patrol in Lewiston. The full-length interview is extensive and well worth reading, especially in light of the current Guardian Angel recruiting efforts in Portland:
Weird, Wicked Weird: Maine's Real Life Superheroes. Yup, for real.
By Kathryn Skelton, Staff Writer
Published Jun 05, 2010 12:00 am | Last updated Jun 04, 2010 11:10 pm
Her mom thought she was doing drugs, slipping out at night, wandering the streets.
Mom didn’t realize her little girl was actually busy atoning and avenging.
As the self-styled superhero "Dreizehn" (that’s the number 13 in German), she’d slip out and look for trouble, interrupting drug deals and vehicle break-ins. Think “Kick-Ass,” but in real life. Sometimes it worked, sometimes the teenager got beaten up, badly.
Dreizehn moved to Maine from a big city outside New England a few months ago to join her similarly self-styled superhero boyfriend, "Slapjack." Several nights a week they walk Lewiston-Auburn for hours on end as roving Good Samaritans, looking for trouble.
The streets here? Much less mean, in her limited experience.
Most nights their foot patrol means giving bottled water and granola bars to the homeless and maybe yelling at a graffiti artist, all the while costumed and armed with batons, knife-proof protective wear and brass knuckles electrified with Tasers.
Dreizehn and Slapjack are in their 20s. Their parents? They still have no clue.
“You kind of have to be a little unstable to do it,” Dreizehn said. “Going out at 2 a.m. with a mask on and thinking you’re going to save the world, it says a lot about you.”
[...]
Gunnar Hansen, author, poet, portrayer of Leatherface, and Maine resident, will be in Portland tonight for a special guest appearance at a screening of Texas Chainsaw Massacre!!! Sorry, you must be at least 21 years old to attend.
Available for purchase at the event will be specially designed limited edition silkscreen posters, which you can have Gunnar sign when you meet him! Hot diggity.
WHAT: Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie screening with special guest Gunnar Hansen WHEN: TONIGHT! Monday, September 27th, 2010, doors @ 8:00, movie plays @ 9:00 WHERE: Geno's, 625 Congress Street Portland, ME 04101 COST: $20 per ticket (only 100 available), can be purchased in advance at the Fun Box Monster Emporium, 656B Congress Street FMI: call 329-5385
The Fun Box sez: We will be presenting the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, uncut, with an introduction and q&a with Leatherface himself, Gunnar Hansen, followed by a signing. Tickets will be on sale at The Fun Box Monster Emporium. There are only 100 tickets available and no more! 20$ per ticket, 21+.
Well, Maine has all sorts of innovative(?) racing sports to pick from. Now you can add lawnmowers to the list (if you haven't already). The Winterport Dragway lets riders rip loose on a regular basis. Next race? That would be Saturday, October 2nd, 2010, when they host the 9th Annual Fall Car Show, Drag Race, Gassah Guys (Flag Start), Hot Rod Lawn Mower Shoot Out, ATV/Quad Challenge, Swap Meet, Camp Out Weekend, AND MORE!! http://www.winterportdragway.com/
As usual, the Bangor Daily News was fast on the draw back in June, and covered the story:
'It's fun': Hot rod lawn mowers compete at Winterport Dragway
6/12/10 05:57 pm Updated: 6/14/10 12:22 pm
By Heather Steeves, BDN Staff
WINTERPORT, Maine— While hundreds of people were at the Winterport Dragway on Saturday to see fancy car after fancy car, for five drag-racing friends, it was all about lawn mowers.
During a car show Saturday, five souped-up lawn mowers competed in the Hot Rod Lawnmower Shootout.
Peter Gould of Corinna may be the one to blame for all this. He built three of the racing mowers, including a purple one for his daughter.
“We built it just to race it,” Gould said of his orange Case tractor.
To build it, Gould bought a generator so he could rip out the engine and install it in his racer.
“The kids started doing it and, of course, the adults got into it, too,” he said Saturday as he sat waiting for his race.
So maybe Gage Reynolds, 17, of Bangor is really the one to blame.
“We used to pick on him. Now he is kicking our butts,” said fellow racer Lenny “The Viper” Voisine of Waldoboro.
Voisine said they’re a competitive bunch. He has a red Craftsman stick-shift lawn mower he calls “Bad Attitude.” The five of them all race for points. At the end of the season in October, a Hot Rod Lawnmower Shootout champion will be named. For now, they race for points to earn that title.
“It’s just a bunch of guys acting crazy,” he said at the dragway.
A bunch of guys and a 12-year-old girl, that is.
Kassey Gould, 12, of Dexter drives the small purple tractor she helped her dad build from scraps.
[...]
“[At school] they think I’m weird because I’m the only girl who drag races. No boys at school do. It’s fun,” she said.
[...]
For $12, anyone with a riding lawn mower can cruise down the runway for trophy prizes. The sport has evolved in its time at the Winterport Dragway.
“We started this six years ago for the kids to ride real lawn mowers,” said track president Bob Reynolds, stressing the word “real.” “Look at what it has become.”
Bob Reynolds, who is Gage’s grandfather, said that when the lawn mower races started, they ran them only halfway down the dragway.
“When we started this they were so slow that it reset the timing system before they reached the finish line. They dialed in minutes — not seconds,” Bob Reynolds said.
Bob Reynolds said his grandson’s lawn tractor now can go as fast as his Chevy pickup — but it might not be as reliable.
“A lot of them break. They have a tremendous amount of mechanical errors,” he said.
[...]
For information, call the dragway at 223-3998.
Yet another one for the books -- Bangor Daily News reported on a July bank robbery during which a woman had a cab driver unknowingly ferry her getaway car -- until he caught on and tipped the police to her location!
Driver 'furious' about use of taxi by alleged bank robber
By Nok-Noi Ricker, BDN Staff
7/7/10
BANGOR, Maine - There was nothing unusual about the three women Ace Taxi owner-operator Yehoshua "Josh" Mizrachi picked up Tuesday morning for a ride to a downtown bank. In fact, the cab driver said the trio were regular customers, and he already had transported them once that morning.
Mizrachi wasn’t even concerned when one of the women, later identified as Matisha Pitts, 25, of Bangor, asked him to park in front of Bangor Savings Bank on State Street while she ran inside at around 9:30 a.m.
"That's not unusual," he said Wednesday morning at a local coffee shop.
[...]
Mizrachi then took the trio of women to Market Street, where he said Hall [Ariel Hall, 19, of Bangor] went inside an apartment for a minute or two and then returned to the cab.
After leaving Market Street, the cab was taking the women to Kenduskeag Avenue when a Bangor police officer called him.
"He wanted to know if I picked up anybody on State Street," the driver said. "All of a sudden, it gelled in my mind about what was going on."
[...]
"The minute I realized what was going on, I was furious," Mizrachi said. "I was furious at [Pitts'] audacity to use my cab."
How I missed this story when it broke back in late June, I'll never know. And who knew this was enough of a problem to prompt a tri-state law enforcement coordination effort? By the way, great headline, Bangor Daily News! I figured it deserved a custom illustration, do enjoy.
Police say be wary of rogue meat sellers Unscrupulous peddlers turn up during summer
6/30/10 08:27 pm Updated: 7/1/10 09:26 am
By Heather Steeves, BDN Staff
ROCKLAND, Maine — The Police Department is warning midcoast residents to turn away unauthorized door-to-door meat salespeople this summer.
“Every year we get complaints of people selling meat out of the backs of their trucks,” said Rockland Deputy Chief Wally Tower. There have been no specific complaints yet this year, but Tower emphasized that “a lot of these people are convicted felons.”
In an effort to get a handle on the scope of the problem, police agencies across Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts have been sharing information on the issue, Tower said. In Massachusetts, there have been cases in which the meat sellers stole purses from houses, he said.
“That seems to be a common [mode of operation]. Once they are in the house, they steal,” he said, citing law enforcement information bulletins. Tower did not cite any recent theft cases in Maine related to meat sellers.
Regardless of that, Rockland police advise people to shut their doors to the salespeople and call police immediately.
“The trucks are marked,” Tower said. “The ones in Rockland are beat-up pickup trucks with placards on the side.” He said the trucks typically have freezers in the back.
The Better Business Bureau also advised against purchasing from unlicensed salesmen. According to the bureau, door-to-door meat salesmen tend to start making their rounds in the summer.
The bureau receives complaints against these sorts of companies — some in Maine — including health concerns about the meat.
[...]
Maine’s Department of Agriculture licenses some vendors to sell meats out of their trucks. The Department of Agriculture’s Dr. Henrietta Beaufait advised anyone purchasing meat from a door-to-door salesperson to ask to see the vendor’s license and then make sure it is current and the license plate number on the license matches the vendor’s car.
She said customers also should check the boxes of meat, which should be cold. Every box should be labeled with safe handling instructions, a net weight, the company name that cut the meat, and a USDA certification sticker with a number inside it.
[...]
She said problems can arise when unlicensed people start selling meat.
[...]
Rockland resident Andrew Williams said a meat salesman approached him about six months ago. The salesman got out of his white pickup truck, which had a freezer in the back, and offered him a box of T-bone steaks and Angus beef burgers for about $56.
“It was the best meat I’ve had in a long time. It was weird, it was better meat than I get at any grocery store,” Williams said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I don’t know where the meat came from, but I didn’t get sick after eating it.”
Williams described the salesperson as a “shifty guy” who didn’t offer his name, nor did he give Williams a receipt. Nonetheless, he bought the meat, which he said was a good deal.
People with questions about purchasing meat can call the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854. Rockland police ask anyone who encounters one of these salespeople to call the department immediately at 594-0316.
WHAT: Fun Box at the Movies presents: God of Vampires WHEN: Monday, September 20, 8:00pm - 11:00pm (Doors open @ 8pm, film starts @ 9pm) WHERE: Geno's, 625 Congress Street, Portland, ME COST: Suggested Donation of $5 to support the film maker, Rob Fitz FMI: Call the Fun Box Monster Emporium at (207)329-5385
God of the Vampires website: www.godofvampires.com
This flick looks awesome, especially if you've been a fan of the old school Hopping Chinese Vampire movies in the past -- this is the new breed! Come support independent New England horror cinema! If you'd like to read more about it (warning, there may be spoilers), there's a great write-up over at Dread Central: http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/god-vampires-2006
Synopsis: Professional Killer, Frank Ng, has been contracted to murder a Chinese crime lord. The routine hit goes awry when Frank discovers his mark is actually a vampire.
Suddenly, the tables have turned. The professional killer – the hunter – has become the hunted. This is no ordinary vampire of myths and legends, however. Frank has come face to face with the vengeful Kiang-Shi (Chinese vampire), and it vows to inflict upon Frank such unbearable pain that death will be his only sanctuary.
Cursed, Frank is condemned to helplessly witness the horrific and merciless deaths of those he loves, everyone he knows, and anyone he merely brushes by. His anguish intensifies when he dooms his younger brother to this terrible fate.Enlisting the help of a Chinese herbalist, knowledgeable in the ways of ancient lore, and an unlikely team of vampire hunters, Frank strikes out in a final battle against the Kiang-Shi and his minions of the dark.
Tonight, Frank Ng will discover that to destroy the monster, one must become the monster!
The Friends of Fort Knox are once again looking for volunteers to assist with their annual Fright at the Fort haunt attraction.
Volunteers are being recruited to help haunt the fort or lead guests through the twists and turns of the Fright course. Groups of volunteers are encouraged as the haunt is arranged area by area throughout the fort, making it easy to assign volunteer groups to each area. An orientation session for all Fright volunteers will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Fort Knox Visitor and Education Center in Bucksport.
Interested volunteers may contact Leon Seymour, executive director of the Friends of Fort Knox, at 469-6553 or e-mail him at FOFK1@aol.com
See below for directions.
One of Maine's largest Halloween events, Fright at the Fort will creeeep from the grave to scare all you happy campers on four nights in late October:
5:30-9:00 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, Saturday, Oct. 23, Friday, Oct. 29 and Saturday, Oct. 30
FMI: http://fortknox.maineguide.com/fright/ has more info, including the volunteer application form
Readers will remember how the Fort impressed me in broad daylight. Imagine the same setting at night! Guests are guided through the shadowed passages of the early Victorian-era granite fortification, where imaginatively terrifying scenes and spirited spooks await them.
Proceeds help the Friends of Fort Knox with ongoing restoration efforts. The organization's mission is to preserve Fort Knox and enhance its educational, cultural and economic value for the people of Maine. Fort Knox is a Maine State Historic site managed by the Maine Department of Conservation's Bureau of Parks and Lands on behalf of the people of Maine.
Directions: From Belfast: Proceed north on US Rte 1, through Searsport and Stockton Springs, immediately before crossing the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, take a left onto Rte. 174. Fort Knox will be approximately 1/4 mile up on your right.
From Bar Harbor: Follow US Rte. 1 south across the Penobscot Narrows bridge, immediately adjacent to the town of Bucksport. Once over the bridge take a right onto Rte. 174. Fort Knox will be approximately 1/4 mile up on your right.
From Bangor: On Rte. 1A South....follow Rte 1A South through the towns of Hampden, Winterport, Frankfort and Prospect. In Prospect Center, take a left onto Rte. 174. Follow Rte 174 approximately 4 miles. Fort Knox will be on your left. On Rte 15 South....follow Rte 15 South through the city of Brewer and the towns of Orrington and Bucksport. In Bucksport, take a right onto US Rte.1 South and proceed over the Penobscot Narrows bridge. Immediately upon exiting the bridge take a right onto Rte. 174. Fort Knox will be approximately 1/4 mile up on your right
Tons of cool photos, some fun descriptions of some of the museum's featured items, and a great jumping off point for Ocker's blog, which covers enough intriguing New England things to make you want to jump in your car and go see them yourself!
When I first saw the article title "The Vegetable Boat," the first thing I thought of was the Maine tradition of using giant pumpkins as boats. Well, the story is actually much more normal than that, but still interesting!
Mainers are aces at finding footholds for non-traditional markets to sell their wares. From coolers left deep in the woods to sell trekkers ice cold sodas, to unexpected caches of unique handmade items tucked into the shelves of local convenience stores, to global marketing of innovative inventions, we've done it all.
The Vegetable Boat is reported on by the folks over at the Spoonandshutter blog, who sampled its wares at Pratt's Island dock this summer.
A truck from DS Foundations Incorporated carrying metal racks full of heavy plywood foundation wall forms crashed into a parked car and the corner of the brick building at 696 Congress Street just before 9:00am on Sunday, September 12, 2010. Previously the truck had lost a portion of its load at the end of Valley Street, near the Veterans Bridge between Portland and South Portland, which as late as 11:40am was being supervised by a Portland Police vehicle after it was abandoned at the side of the road.
People at the scene stated that witnesses of the crash apprehended someone exiting the truck when he attempted to flee the scene.
At the scene, fire officers and police officers had strung caution tape around the 7-11 convenience store, and were supervising the removal of the truck and the bulk of its load of plywood foundation forms, which had toppled off the truck bed along its path to destruction.
Above, fire and police personnel consult near the scene of the accident. Concern was expressed over the worrying possibility that the structural integrity of the Congress Street apartment building had been compromised by the impact.
Above, the DS Foundations truck is towed away. A number of heavy duty trucks from Stewart's Towing were on the scene, as well as a smattering of trucks from other towing companies, as the wrecked truck's cargo had to be parceled out due to its heavy weight. You can clearly see where the truck impacted the building and crushed its fender at the center. The windshield is also cracked.
UPDATE:
WCSH-6 was on the scene, and reports that Arthur Lariviere of Portland was put into custody at the Cumberland County Jail after stealing the truck from a construction site on Danforth Street. "Lariviere crashed into a car in the parking lot of the 7/11 on Congress Street in Portland around 8:45 AM Sunday. The truck pushed the car forward, then veered off and slammed into another car. The second car was crushed - pinned between the truck and the building at 696 Congress street."
Okay, the first time a bait truck dumps its load in your front yard, it stinks. The second time it happens, it stinks again. The third time, it stinks even more, and you start to wonder...
a) Do the bait truck drivers have it in for you?, or
b) Has the local cat population developed a cunning plan that the rest of us don't know about?
Truck overturns in Whiting, spills load of herring
7/31/10 04:02 pm Updated: 8/2/10 09:03 pm
By Sharon Kiley Mack, BDN Staff
WHITING, Maine — A truck carrying herring overturned on a sharp curve near the intersection of Routes 189 and 1 in Whiting early Saturday, spilling its cargo and injuring the driver.
According to Maine State Police Trooper Andrew Foss, the driver of the truck blew a tire as he drove through the curve, causing the truck to flip onto its side.
About 22,000 pounds of lobster-bait herring tumbled out alongside the road, and the truck owned by D.C. Airfreight of Winter Harbor had $25,000 in damage.
[...]
This is the third time a fish truck has dumped its load in Esther MacLaughlin’s front yard, her daughter Robin McPhail said Saturday.
[...]
Recent events in Skowhegan after a local man was denied the ability to build on his property have the town in a tizzy. The full Morning Sentinel article with photos is available online:
Homeless park draws concern: Land owner Bruce Obert rejects claim he's allowing it out of spite
By Doug Harlow, Staff Writer
August 24, 2010
SKOWHEGAN -- There are a picnic table, a portable toilet and blankets on the ground in woods at the edge of Coburn Avenue, near downtown.
[...]
There also is a banner stretched across the trees saying: "Nature Park, Nature Trails for the Homeless People of Somerset County."
On Friday, the site got its first visitor since landowner Bruce Obert, a developer from Norridgewock, laid it out earlier this summer. Obert said he was just trying to give underprivileged people a place to go and in no way was trying to spite the town or the Coburn Avenue neighbors.
Eighty-four-year-old Rod Rodriquez and his Rottweiler have set up camp on the property -- and the neighbors on the otherwise quiet, residential street are unhappy.
No laws have been broken, town officials said Monday. Police Chief Michael Emmons said he takes full responsibility for moving Rodriquez to the site, as he and town officials look for a place for the man to stay.
[...]
[Neighbor Pam] Nixon and others said they remember reading about Rodriquez a few years ago when he set up a blanket camp behind Empire Grill, off Water Street in Skowhegan. Rodriquez in September 2006 had a Great Dane with him. Before Skowhegan, he had been in Farmington, Waterville and Madison. Residents complained about his sudden outbursts, and said he often appeared verbally confrontational, according to published reports at the time.
[...]
An attempt to interview Rodriquez on Monday while he was having lunch behind the police station was not successful because of the presence of the dog.
[...]
Contacted by phone Monday afternoon, Obert said he is not trying to spite the residents of Coburn Avenue or the town.
He said homeless people, such as Rodriquez, can visit the site any time they want, but cannot live there.
"It's a useless piece of land to me," Obert said. "The town told me that I can't build on it because of the set-back rules on a little stream, which doesn't have a name and is dried up at this point now. So I thought I'd make it into a little park and let the unprivileged people get a chance to have a place to sit and use the picnic table and enjoy the fresh outdoors. He should be able to come and go as he pleases."
Zombies attempt to climb the fence so they can gorge on the living.
The sight of Monkey makes a child zombie go crazy.
This young zombie spotted Monkey and decided to eat Monkey's brain. Good thing Monkey had his biohazard helmet on.
Zombie Michael Jackson treated the crowd to moon walking and a brief version of the Thriller dance.
Mother and daughter zombie make it safely to third base due to confusion on the playing field.
The littlest zombie works it for the crowd.
This is the zombie idea of a picnic - a comfy blanket to sit on and a bag full of human limbs.
Scout Master zombie has a marshmallow on a stick in his brain.
Zombie competition causes chaos on the field and zombies chase each other.
It's never good when a zombie has green gunk spewing from her mouth.
Zombie Jesus gets in on the action.
Monkey receives a banana from a thoughtful zombie.
See how Monkey survived the Zombie Kickball game.
Zombies attempt to climb the fence so they can gorge on the living.
The sight of Monkey makes a child zombie go crazy.
This young zombie spotted Monkey and decided to eat Monkey's brain. Good thing Monkey had his biohazard helmet on.
Zombie Michael Jackson treated the crowd to moon walking and a brief version of the Thriller dance.
Mother and daughter zombie make it safely to third base due to confusion on the playing field.
The littlest zombie works it for the crowd.
This is the zombie idea of a picnic - a comfy blanket to sit on and a bag full of human limbs.
Scout Master zombie has a marshmallow on a stick in his brain.
Zombie competition causes chaos on the field and zombies chase each other.
It's never good when a zombie has green gunk spewing from her mouth.
Zombie Jesus gets in on the action.
Monkey receives a banana from a thoughtful zombie.
See how Monkey survived the Zombie Kickball game.
