1978 UFO report from Strong, ME

A report was filed April 12th on the MUFON website (http://mufon.com/) relating a 1978 sighting (reproduced verbatim below):

Three of us, July 1978, teenagers at the time, were night fishing for eel on the shore of the Sandy River in Strong Maine. We heard a whooshing sound, like the wind, directly overhead, we looked up, and said at the same time, "Wow look at that", and there was a black triangle, with rounded points. Each point had a fixed colored light, (not blinking)red, blue, and green. The round lights were at least 10 feet in diameter, much bigger than any man made aircraft lights i've seen otherwise. The triangle was an estimated 300 feet each side. The craft was approximately 300 to 400 feet above us and made no noise except the sound of the craft cutting the air. The speed of the craft was about 20 miles per hour, too slow to be a conventional aircraft. It was below stall speed and should have crashed, but it kept slowly flying west, up river until it went out of sight. Time span was about 30 seconds. my brother still thinks to this day that it was an experimental military aircraft. In my opinion, it was a technology out of our reach and beyond our capabilities at the time. This is the only flying triangle I have seen. I have had 9 other experiences that I will share at another time, 4 of which were during my childhood in the 1970s. Keep looking skyward my friends. Phil62.

Source:
http://mufoncms.com/cgi-bin/manage_sighting_reports.pl?mode=view_long_desc&id=28639&rnd=378201303516069

Just one more example of the high-strangeness era of the 1970s! Even Maine wasn't immune to a rash of UFO sightings. In the September 7, 1976, issue of the Biddeford Journal, mixed in with all the other classified ads for lost wallets and "Hairdressing in your home" by Mr. Andre, the following ad was run:

PLEASE report UFO sightings or encounters in your area to:
Shirley C. Fickett, 797-2664, International UFO Bureau, East Coast Headquarters, 482 Auburn St., Portland Me. 04103.
We are serious about UFO's and need information. They are also being seen in other areas. We will be confidential, we are not with the government.

Maine Talks... but how?

One fascination that folks seem to have with Maine is the so-called "Maine accent," which is liberally abused by actors from all over the place.

Mainer Tara Taylor did a bunch of research on the topic for her thesis project, which can be seen online at http://mainetalks.com/, and is called "Hahd Tellin' Not Knowin'"

The project itself takes the form of a massive Flash file, which will take some time to load and watch. But the end result is pretty neat. The page that loads gives you several options. You can listen and read about "The Dialect," "The Words" (there's a great vocabulary list), and "The People" who use them. For another melange of words and images, you can click on "The Place." All in all, it's a fun way to focus on the rhythm of speech that most of us here in Maine take for granted.

I realized when listening to her recorded interviews that I run across the Maine accent all the time, but being from here I don't think about it, my brain just fills in the blanks and accepts certain turns of phrase and pronunciations as normal. For me, they are normal. There's almost a tidal push and pull in the way Mainers talk that grows on you, and while it drives some folks from away nuts trying to decipher it, there are those of us that delight in it as a simple element of who everyone here is.

Review: Umbrella Cover Museum guide!

What can I say about Uncovered and Exposed! A Guide to the World’s Only Umbrella Cover Museum? Once again, Nancy 3. Hoffman has outdone herself.

As director and curator of the Umbrella Cover Museum on Peaks Island, Nancy has long done her darnedest to remind the rest of us about the magic and delight that can be found in the most mundane objects. Now, as the author of this book, she is spreading the word even further than the shores of Peaks.

Like the narrated tour she gives to guests of the museum, her guide is peppered with inimitable Nancy-isms and keen observations about umbrella covers and their reflection of our culture. From statistical facts about the mysterious little tabs (a.k.a. doo-hickeys) that appear on many umbrella covers to the battle with her word processor over whether or not “doo-hickey” should be one word or two, the guide sets out to entertain and educate us in fine fettle.

The book is self-published in a sturdy square-bound format, and is packed with full-color photos of museum treasures and events. Like any good museum guide, it walks armchair visitors through the museum piece by piece, pointing out the items that might be missed in the midst of their normally distracting surroundings. Not only do you get to see the covers as documented by Nancy’s camera, but also you find out each piece’s provenance, which in some cases can be far more intriguing than their plain appearance would indicate to an uninformed spectator.

Are you curious yet? The book is available at local bookshops or through the museum’s website at http://www.umbrellacovermuseum.org/ The museum reopens for the season in May, and can be reached by calling (207)766-4496. The best way to get there (unless you have your own boat) is to take the Casco Bay Lines ferry to Peaks Island, a pleasant 20-minute ride out of Portland Harbor.

New Issue of the Gazette!

Hello everyone! Just a note to let you know that issues of the Strange Maine Gazette's first issue of 2011 are on their way out into the world. I just updated the list of places you can get copies of it (see righthand side of blog page), and added a bunch of new spots. If you know a place that would like to carry issues of the quarterly publication, drop me a line with the address to send them to and I'll add them to the list.

Most of the Portland locations have the new issue, and other towns' issues will be in the mail on Monday, so check with those fine establishments later next week! Subscribers will have their new issues within the next few days. Hooray!

Image from http://doversociety.homestead.com/CHARACTERS.html depicting Mr C. BECKER, Dover Town Crier (PHOTO of him) “celebrates 80th Birthday on February 27th. Town Crier for 48 years (Dover Express 6.2.1914 p.2)

Ragged Isle! Episodes 1-3 online

Fans of Dark Shadows and other gothic Down East fare will be really thrilled to find that three episodes of locally-produced show "Ragged Isle" are now available online. If you really want a treat, click through to their YouTube page and watch them in HD. It's well worth it.



Bangor Daily News does a great interview with filmmaker Barry Dodd:

There’s something in the water. Something dark, mysterious and possibly hostile. Everybody on the small, insular Maine island knows about it, but nobody much wants to talk about it directly — except one newcomer, who appears determined to figure out what exactly is going on.

That’s the basic premise of “Ragged Isle,” a 10-part Web series that launched online at raggedisle.com on March 9, with a new 10-15 minute episode premiering each Wednesday through May 11. The series was written, produced and directed by a group of Portland-based filmmakers and writers called the Entertainment Experiment, led by the husband-and-wife team of Barry and Karen Dodd, both natives of Waldo County and graduates of Belfast Area High School.

Read full article here: http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/03/21/lifestyle/maine-island-of-mysteries-featured-in-web-episodes-of-the-new-%E2%80%98ragged-isle%E2%80%99/?ref=latest

For those who want to dig further, there is a blog with lots of behind-the-scenes material here:
http://www.raggedisle.blogspot.com/

EVENT: Fort Knox Ghost Hunters premiere

SyFy Channel’s "Ghost Hunter" TV program will air the results of its February investigation of Fort Knox, in Prospect, Maine, on Wednesday, April 6 at 9 p.m.! Shown here is Leon Seymore, of the Friends of Fort Knox, sitting with Amy Bruni and Grant Wilson of TAPS, ready for the "reveal" segment of the episode.

A live public screening of the "Ghost Hunters" Fort Knox episode, which is titled “Residual Haunts,” will take place Wednesday, April 6 from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. at the Bucksport Golf Club on Route 46.

The special event fundraiser, sponsored by the Friends of Fort Knox, will provide viewers an opportunity to meet people who have reported paranormal experiences at the fort and watch the show on a big-screen TV.

Advanced tickets for the Bucksport event are $7 in advance, $10 night of the event, and may be purchased by calling (207)469-6553 or stopping by the Friends’ office at Fort Knox. Attendees will receive snacks, and a cash bar will be available.

Source: http://waldo.villagesoup.com/ae/story/fort-knox-ghost-hunters-to-air-april-6/388049

Facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=180247668687843&ref=ts

EVENT: Orono UFO interest group

WHAT: Meeting of UFO Interest Group (held 3rd Sunday of each month)
WHEN: 4:00-5:00PM, March 20, 2011
WHERE: Fire Sign, 50 Main Street, Orono, ME 04473
FMI: call (207)866-3626 or email firesign@myfairpoint.net

Join other locals for a monthly UFO interest group. Open discussion about past, present and & future UFO activity in a safe and anonymous environment. To register, call (207)866-3626 or email firesign@myfairpoint.net

http://home.myfairpoint.net/~firesign/products.html

About Fire Sign:
Fire Sign is a shop which features items for metaphysical and New Age interests, including books, incense, crystals, jewelry, candles, magazines, cards, Tarot & more. Check their calendar of events for more classes and interest groups, and information about tarot, rune, and psychic reading availability.

EVENT: Death & Civil War lecture

WHAT: Death and Survival in the Civil War, lecture
WHEN: Saturday, March 26, 2011, 10:00 - 11:00am
WHERE: Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress Street, Portland, ME
COST: Free, Donations Appreciated
FMI: http://www.spiritsalive.org/events/lectures.htm

The last lecture in the series, "Death and Survival in the Civil War," will take place on March 26. “Dead Men’s Pockets: Gettysburg Bodies and Other Stories” will be presented by Margaret Creighton, Professor at Bates College. Creighton wrote Colors of Courage: Gettysburg's Forgotten History which considers the legendary battle of Gettysburg from the perspectives of white women civilians, African American civilians, and immigrant soldiers. This book was a runner-up for the Lincoln Prize and named as one of the five best books on Gettysburg by the Wall Street Journal.

The theme of this year's Spirits Alive 3-lecture series was chosen in support of the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War (2011–2015). The lectures offer insight into this country's greatest national crisis in relation to death and dying. It is estimated that up to 700,000 people, or 2% of the population died in the War Between the States.

About Spirits Alive
Spirits Alive is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of Portland's historic Eastern Cemetery through a range of activities including promotion and education. Founded in 2007, the group carries out an active program of seasonal tours of the cemetery, a winter lecture series, and is conducting a stone-by-stone inventory of the nearly 4,000 grave markers still existing in the 340-year-old cemetery. http://www.spiritsalive.org

Maine Ghost Hunters on WCSH6

Back at the beginning of March, the Maine Ghost Hunters visited the studios of WCSH-6 here in Portland to answer some questions on their morning show. Check it out!


Source: http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=150576

Maine's sister-state in Japan

Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture

Bill Nemitz did a great piece in today's Portland Press Herald about Aomori, Maine's sister state in Japan. I was not surprised to find out we have a sister state there, knowing already about Shinegawa's sister city relationship with Portland, but apparently many Mainers were unaware of this relationship, and how it came about.

I've posted the article below, but for a quick link to Maine efforts to assist Aomori in its own hour of need, here are a few starting points:

-- Maine Japan Earthquake Relief Effort on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Maine-Japan-Earthquake-Relief-Effort/110509232363317

-- Maine + Aomori Partners Relief Efforts for the Earthquake/Tsunami Disaster in Japan https://sites.google.com/site/friendsofaomori/relief-efforts

-- Japan America Society of Maine http://www.maine-japan.org/

How the relationship started over 100 years ago is well worth learning. Let us remember that we have Japanese friends who are struggling through a very difficult time.

Linked by disasters, sister-states bond
March 16
By Bill Nemitz, Staff Writer

Late last week, as the horror of Japan's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear catastrophe was just beginning to unfold, Gov. Paul LePage issued a statement of condolence and prayer for the victims of that country's worst calamity since the end of World War II.

LePage also noted that Maine "has a sister-state relationship with the Prefecture of Aomori," about 150 miles north of the all-but-obliterated city of Sendai.

Sister state? When, some Mainers undoubtedly wondered, did that happen?

Well, it depends on how you look at it.

The formal relationship was struck by Gov. John McKernan in 1994.

But the story, as told in a 1997 speech in Aomori by a local resident, Kou Ootaka, goes back more than a century.

It was late October of 1889. The Chesebrough, a three-masted ship built by Arthur Sewall and Co. in Bath, had sailed from Maine to Japan with a shipment of case oil, refilled its hold with 2,300 tons of sulfur and was just getting under way on its long voyage back to the United States.

It had been a rough trip. A typhoon the previous month had heavily damaged the Chesebrough, forcing its 23-member crew to lay over in the port of Hokkaido for 34 days while the vessel was repaired.

Their luck would be no better as they finally set sail on Oct. 28. Another ferocious storm hit the Japan Sea the next day, toppling the ship's main mast and leaving Capt. Peter Erickson and his men helpless as the Chesebrough broke up and sank within sight of the Japanese village of Shariki.

Villagers came running to the shore and built bonfires. Fishermen boarded a rescue vessel and headed out to search for survivors.

They found only four.

"Are you Napoleon? Are you Bismarck? Are you Washington?" asked a policeman, trying to determine the sailors' nationality. At the mention of "Washington," they replied, "Yes! Yes!"

"They are Americans!" the policeman announced.

One of those pulled from the water, a man named Wilson, was unconscious and appeared to be near death. But something remarkable happened.

"At this time, one of the women who had brought food from the village, Mrs. Han Kudo, 45 years old and the wife of Mr. Yoshiemon Kudo, did not hesitate in public," Ootaka recalled. "She took off her clothes and hugged Mr. Wilson in the sleet to warm him up. People still say she looked like a heavenly maiden. Miraculously, Mr. Wilson was revived."

For days, even after the survivors recovered from their ordeal and departed for their long trip home, Japanese villagers found the bodies of other crew members washing up on their shore. All of them, including 40-year-old Capt. Erikson, received solemn burials.

And the Japanese never forgot.

At the top of a hill overlooking the village is a religious shrine. And near that is a stone commemorating the wreck of the ship from faraway Maine.

"Every year since the disaster, the people of Shariki hold a service for the sailors who lost their lives on that night in 1889," Ootaka said. And for 100 of those years, few if any Mainers even knew about it.

That changed in 1990, when the mayor of Shariki sent a letter to Bath City Hall to tell officials of the annual memorial service, and to lament the fact that in 100 years, no representative from Bath had visited the village.

That simple communication, and the visits between dignitaries from both communities that soon followed, led to the establishment of a vibrant sister-city relationship between Bath and Shariki in 1996. (The connection was expanded in 2006 to include the city of Tsugaru, which encompasses Shariki.)

It also spawned the sister-state connection between Maine and Aomori Prefecture, which in the past 17 years has included a variety of trade missions, cultural exchanges and business deals.

And now this.

Tuesday morning, representatives from four Maine organizations that have strong tethers to Japan – the Japan-America Society of Maine, the Maine-Aomori Sister State Advisory Council, Friends of Shinegawa (Portland's sister city) and the Maine International Trade Center – met in Portland to compare notes about the still-unfolding disaster and explore what might be done to help.

The news from Aomori could be much worse – the port of Hachinohe on the east coast sustained considerable damage from the post-earthquake tsunami, but nowhere near the widespread death and destruction that occurred to the south. (Shinegawa, near Tokyo, also escaped the brunt of the disaster.)

Still, Steve MacDougall, chairman of the Maine-Aomori Sister State Advisory Council, said the various groups feel a need to do something – starting with contacting their counterparts in Japan to ask how Maine can help.

They've also created a Facebook page – Maine Japan Earthquake Relief Effort – where they hope to provide firsthand reports and images from Japan and, just as important, links to various relief organizations that are collecting donations.

"We are so saddened by the tragic images coming out of Japan," MacDougall said. "We have no doubt that Mainers will want to come to the aid of one of our country's and Maine's closest friends."

One last thing about the wreck of the Chesebrough, as recalled in that speech by Kou Ootaka:

Not long after the Maine ship went down, a villager named Nakamura found a pear that had washed ashore from the Chesebrough's food stores. It was much better tasting than the smaller ones grown locally, so he planted one of the seeds in his backyard.

The tree – still there in 1997 – grew to 24 feet, Ootaka said. And every year as it bore its delicious fruit, Nakamura would pick 19 pears and lay one as an offering at each Maine sailor's grave.

Concluded Ootaka, "We have such wonderful history. We won't forget this."

Nor, in Japan's hour of need, should Maine.

Source:
http://www.pressherald.com/news/linked-by-disasters-sister-states-bond_2011-03-16.html

EVENT: Mechanic Falls ghost hunt

The Congregational Church, New Home to the Historical Society

WHAT: Mechanic Falls Historical Society ghost hunt demo
WHEN: Saturday, March 19 5:00 p.m. - 12:00
WHERE: 64 Elm Street, Mechanic Falls, Maine 04256
FMI: (207)345-3134
COST: $25.00

An authentic, hands-on ghost hunting experience is coming to Mechanic Falls on a full moon. The Mechanic Falls Historical Society in association with Everything Paranormal of New England will show how a paranormal investigation is done on Saturday, March 19 from 5 PM until midnight at the Mechanic Falls Historical Society, 64 Elm Street, Mechanic Falls (the former First Congregational Church).

Renee Alling and her troupe of investigators will guide, teach and show a paranormal investigation.
Source: http://wcsh6.planetdiscover.com/localevents/event/200/26088-Mechanic-Falls-Ghost-Hunt

Mechanic Falls Historical Society website: http://mechanicfalls.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={8F1AABA3-E2F0-410C-83B3-5B8381EB9991}

EVENT: Tomorrow! Gravestone symbolism

WHAT: William Macomber reveals elements of 'Gravestone Symbolism'
WHEN: Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 6:30pm
WHERE: Augusta City Center, 16 Cony St., Augusta, ME
FMI: Call Kennebec Historical Society (presentation sponsor) (207)622-7718 or visit http://www.kennebechistorical.org/

Taphophilia is a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries, and many interested in local and family history find themselves joining this group as they do field research.

Also of interest for taphophiles is Macomber's membership in the Maine Old Cemetery Association, and the Association for Gravestone Studies, which will hold its 34th annual conference June 14-18 at Colby College in Waterville.

Macomber noted that certain flowers and plants carved on gravestones have particular meaning. A broken tree trunk, for example, symbolizes premature death, while a weeping willow symbolizes grief, death and earthly sorrow. A wreath symbolizes victory in death, the indestructible crown and eternity.

Macomber will discuss these and other symbols during his presentation. “Hopefully, they’ll get a better idea of what they’re looking at,” he said.

If you would like to visit the Kennebec Historical Society, sponsor of the event, they are located at 107 Winthrop Street in Augusta, and are open to the public 10:00AM to 2:00PM from Wednesday through Friday, with additional research hours by appointment. They can be reached at (207) 622-7718

About Maine Old Cemetery Association
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~memoca/moca.htm
The Maine Old Cemetery Association, M.O.C.A., was founded in 1969 for the main purposes of locating old cemeteries in the state of Maine, encouraging the care and preservation of those cemeteries, and the gathering and preservation of historical information regarding these cemeteries.

The Maine Inscription Project (MIP) is THE primary project of MOCA. This entails transcribing all old cemeteries in Maine. MOCA is continuing to prepare its county cemetery listings for publication. This has been an ongoing project since MOCA's beginning. There are still many cemetery listings undone or incomplete. Contact us as to format and data collection procedures. Volunteers are urged to submit listings, updates and corrections for this project.

About the Association for Gravestone Studies
http://www.gravestonestudies.org/
he Association for Gravestone Studies (AGS) was founded in 1977 for the purpose of furthering the study and preservation of gravestones. AGS is an international organization with an interest in gravemarkers of all periods and styles. Through its publications, conferences, workshops and exhibits, AGS promotes the study of gravestones from historical and artistic perspectives, expands public awareness of the significance of historic gravemarkers, and encourages individuals and groups to record and preserve gravestones. At every opportunity, AGS cooperates with groups that have similar interests.

Ghosts put on hold in Hallowell

The Kennebec Journal reported on the latest steps in CMPI's efforts to do an investigation at Hallowell's city hall building. Sounds like they really don't want them there, but don't want to come out and say it!

No ghost hunters yet for Hallowell City Hall
March 9
By Betty Adams, Staff Writer

HALLOWELL -- Paranormal investigators won't be seeking poltergeists at Hallowell City Hall anytime soon.

City councilors on Monday sent the investigators' requests back to the Property Committee to resolve some confusions.

In January, Holly Cooper of Central Maine Paranormal Investigations asked to observe City Hall for evidence of paranormal activity. The matter was referred to the Property Committee.

The committee then recommended the paranormal investigators carry liability insurance naming the city as insured, and that a police officer supervise the setup and takedown of equipment.

City Manager Todd Shea said one of the paranormal investigators he spoke with indicated the group does not purchase liability insurance.

Other councilors too wanted to be sure that the investigators would pick up the cost if police are called to for special duty to supervise the setup.

Mayor Charlotte Warren suggested possibly requiring a deposit.

Councilor Peter Schumacher will seek clarification of the issue at the next Property Committee meeting.

Hallowell City Hall, at 1 Winthrop St., was constructed in 1898-1899 in the Classical Revival style. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, because it located in Hallowell's Historic District.
[...]

Read full article here:
http://www.kjonline.com/news/ghost-hunt-stalled-at-hallowell-city-hall_2011-03-08.html

Back in January, Ms. Cooper broached the subject of an investigation at the council meeting. According to the meeting minutes, the request is very mild and unobtrusive in nature: "She asked to be able to come into city hall at night for a few hours to record some of the strange paranormal activities that have been reported. She will put together a package of what they document."

For those interested in seeing more of Hallowell's great wealth of historic buildings, there is a wonderful list of them which can be used as a walking tour on this page:
http://hallowell.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={724BEFBA-4433-4E61-A6AD-04BC4A89956C}
Also at hallowell.govoffice.com you will also find a brief history of the town, which rests on the banks of the Kennebec River, and aerial photos of the region which give a clear image of its presence on the riverside, as well as a detailed account of the ongoing restorations of their City Hall.

Dear Strange Maine fans!

It is once again time for voting in the Portland Phoenix's "Best of 2011" poll!

BEST BLOG category:


Now, as in past years, we've been nominated in the Best Blog category, under "City Life," (we won in 2008 and 2009, but were ousted in 2010). However, this year there is a new development! This year, because of the publication of my book, Strange Maine: True Tales from the Pine Tree State, I landed in the author category as well! So, if you've read the book, enjoyed it, etc, and would like to help give me a shot at Best Author, I would be very happy if you also voted for me in this category. I'm up against some heavy hitters, so the odds are slim... but who knows?

PORTLAND AUTHOR category:


Please note two important things:
1) You can vote once a day.
2) Your vote will not be counted until you click on the "VOTE NOW" button on the FINISH page, which can be reached at any time in the process by clicking the "SKIP TO FINISH" button on each page.

Thanks everyone!! :)

--Michelle Souliere, Editor

EVENT: Spirits Alive lecture series

Winter Lecture Series Continues
WHEN: Saturday, March 5, 2011, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
WHERE: Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress Street, Portland, ME
COST: Free, Donations Appreciated

TOPIC: Evergreen Cemetery Civil War Monument, 1895

Join us as Tom Desjardin, PhD, Chief Historian, Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands will speak on "Civil War Heroes and Heroines Buried in Evergreen Cemetery."

Evergreen Cemetery is 239 acres located on Stevens Avenue. In addition to being the fourth city cemetery, it is a place to birdwatch and see numerous examples of Victorian memorial sculpture, and a experience the beauty of rural cemetery landscape.

Many civil war veterans are part of the over 65,000 interred in this cemetery, and a monument has been erected in their memory.

The last lecture in this series, "Death and Survival in the Civil War," will take place on March 26.

Find out more about the lecture series here:
http://www.spiritsalive.org/events/lectures.htm

The mystery of Jeremy Alex

The television show "Disappeared" focused on a 2004 missing person case from Maine earlier this month. Jeremy Alex, 28, disappeared from Northport almost 7 years ago. Since then, his father has started the Jeremy Alex Fund with the purpose of helping at-risk kids. Bangor Daily News revisits the story:

TV show to air about Maine man who disappeared in 2004
By Abigail Curtis, BDN Staff
Posted Feb. 06, 2011, at 8:00 p.m.

Editor’s Note: This article is part of a feature called Follow-up in which BDN staff update stories from the past to inform readers of the status of subjects covered in initial reports and any new developments.

NORTHPORT, Maine — Almost seven years ago, Jeremy Alex disappeared in the woods of Northport under mysterious circumstances.

Despite a $20,000 reward for information on his whereabouts, his family is still left with many questions, no answers — and no Jeremy.

They hope that a television program about him that airs Monday night on the Investigation Discovery channel’s series “Disappeared” will change that.

“There’s not too many things left to do that will spark an interest again,” his father, Ted Alex, said Friday from Portsmouth, N.H., where he lives. “We’re optimistic … Hopefully, somebody will call and give us some information.”

Jeremy, a landscaper who was in the process of moving to Northport from Islesboro, was 28 when he last was seen running into the woods off Pound Hill Road the evening of April 24, 2004. Although the disappearance was treated initially as a missing-person case, his family believes that the man they describe as kind and a free spirit may have been murdered.
[...]
Deputies found Jeremy’s car nearby, but were unable to locate him. A search was mounted immediately, but nothing was found. After the public was notified that Jeremy was missing, a second witness recalled seeing a man who matched his description run across Route 1 near Northport Marine at about the same time. That area also was searched extensively, but nothing was found.

For years, there were no more reliable clues, Ted Alex said last week. But about 2½ years ago, Jeremy’s driver’s license surfaced at a home on the shore in Northport along with a story of missed opportunity.

In 2004, a Northport couple was building a house on the ocean, and about a month after Jeremy disappeared, money started washing up onshore. Workers found about $30 in all, according to Alex.

About two weeks after that, Jeremy’s driver’s license washed up, too.

The couple had a bowl on their coffee table that was filled with everything that had floated in on the tides, and they put the license and the money in that. They never made the connection to the missing man. After the husband died, friends came to a get-together after his funeral. A retired highway patrol officer saw the driver’s license in the bowl and remembered hearing about Jeremy Alex.

“He called the police,” Ted Alex said. “He ended up e-mailing me about it, saying ‘I have $30 of Jeremy’s money and his license,’ which was obviously really bizarre.”
[...]
The $20,000 reward, too, has led to nothing more tangible than rumors, he said.
[...]
He remembered his son as a nice guy who struggled with addiction but loved snowboarding, chess, music, gardening and Maine.
[...]
Anyone with information about Jeremy Alex should call Trundy at the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office at 338-2040.

For more information, visit www.jeremyalex.com.

Source: http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/02/06/lifestyle/tv-show-to-air-about-maine-man-who-disappeared-in-2004/

The Jeremy Alex episode of “Disappeared” aired at 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7, on the Discovery channel. See below for videoclip:

Cat stuck in a sewer for 2 days

Karen Douglas isn't the only one having a rough February. This poor cat had a run-in with a 300-pound sewer grate! Ouch!! Maine Public Broadcasting Network reports:

Boots the Cat Endures Two-Day Ordeal in Maine Storm Drain
The seven-year old feline's head was stuck in the storm drain for two days.
02/17/2011 04:32 PM ET

A South Berwick veterinarian encountered an unusual case today--a cat that was brought in with a 300-pound sewer grate attached to its head.

Authorities say Boots the cat got it's head stuck in the grate on Highland Avenue in the southern Maine city and was trapped for two days. A passerby finally noticed the trapped feline and called the highway department for help.

After chipping ice away from the grate, crews brought the cat, sewer grate and all, in to Dr. Amanda Rizner at the South Berwick Animal Hospital. "And we extricated the cat from the sewer grate," Rizner says. "She just has some bumps and bruises and she was really cold from being stuck it the sewer grate, so we treated her hypothermia and her bumps and bruises."

Rizner says Boots, a seven-year-old spayed female, was scheduled to return home today and is expected to make a complete recovery.

Source: http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/15233/Default.aspx

Ghost Hunters here and gone

The Village Soup reports on the recent visit of members of TAPS and their visit to Fort Knox in Prospect, near Bucksport.

'Ghost Hunters' wraps Fort Knox investigation
Show to air late March or April
Feb 12, 2011

Prospect — The Friends of Fort Knox, working in partnership with the Maine Department of Conservation’s Bureau of Parks and Lands, has announced that the SyFy Channel’s "Ghost Hunters" TV program has concluded its paranormal investigation of the state historic site.

The investigation and filming began late Feb. 6 when the 19-member production crew arrived at Fort Knox. Leon Seymour, Friends of Fort Knox executive director, provided the investigators a tour of the site and recounted visitor reports of paranormal experiences. After the initial tour and overview, SyFy "Ghost Hunters" stars Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson began their investigation of the fort. Their efforts extended to approximately 3:30 a.m.

The investigation continued the evening of Feb. 7 into the following morning amidst brief snow showers. On the afternoon of Feb. 8, the "Ghost Hunters" production company interviewed individuals who had reported as having a paranormal experience at the fort to the Friends. One of those interviewed by the crew was local radio personality Sky Taylor, who reported hearing various sounds and even seeing an apparition. On Feb. 9, Bureau of Parks and Lands Historic Site Specialist Tom Desjardin provided the production company with a brief history of Fort Knox. The "Ghost Hunters" film crew spent the rest of the day shooting exterior shots of the fort from various locations and some shots of the town of Prospect.

On Feb. 11, Hawes and Wilson, presented their paranormal investigation findings to Seymour. This portion of the investigative process, known as "the reveal," will be kept confidential until the TV program airs.

"Ghost Hunters" producer Patrick Powell, based in California, told Seymour that he expects the Fort Knox episode to air in late March or April. The Friends of Fort Knox are giving some thought to having a screening party the night the episode airs on the SyFy channel. The organization says that they will release details and how the public may obtain tickets in the near future.
[...]
Individuals interested in learning more about the Friends of Fort Knox, special events and the history of the historic site are encouraged to visit fortknox.maineguide.com.

Full article source: http://capital.villagesoup.com/ae/story/ghost-hunters-wraps-fort-knox-investigation/380561

Mowed over by a moose!

Bangor Daily News reports on one woman's encounter with a very big bull moose! "Douglass suffered an injured shoulder from the moose impact, another injured shoulder from hitting the ground, mild hypothermia and frostbite on her lower legs. She also suffered severe leg bruising, mostly from the difficult trip home without her snowshoes."

Orland woman: I was run over by a moose
By Karen Douglas, Special to the BDN
Posted Feb. 18, 2011, at 11:44 a.m.

ORLAND, Maine — [...] This winter’s exceptional snowfall prompted me to take up snowshoeing, and lately my three dogs and I have been regular visitors to the woods.
[...]
My dogs caught scent of something and took off. [...] I could hear them all barking like mad in the distance, which is generally not a good sign. My first thought was that they had encountered a porcupine and all I could think about as I made my way toward them was how much a veterinarian visit for quill removal was going to cost me this time.
[...]
As I clawed to the top of the embankment on the other side of the stream I saw him — a bull [moose] about 6 feet high at the shoulder. I’m 6 feet tall, and he was looking down at me. Mature bulls drop their antlers after mating season, to conserve energy for the winter, and this one was not sporting a set, so I assumed he was an adult. He also had a large “bell” on his neck.

The moose didn’t seem especially concerned about the three dogs barking at his heels. All three were keeping their distance, just making a lot of noise. The moose was standing under a grove of trees, where there was relatively little snow, munching on vegetation. I had heard that moose can be aggressive, but I was fooled into complacency by this moose’s calm demeanor. I thought the best thing to do was to grab the dogs’ leashes and lead them away before the moose got riled.

I made a wide circle as I approached. When I was about halfway to the dogs and out in the open, the moose charged. My right side was to the moose. I was trying to avoid direct eye contact, so I only saw him from my periphery just before he rammed me.

The force threw me to the ground. I stayed down, stunned, in a fetal position. I wanted to make certain that he wasn’t coming back to trample me or kick me in the head. All three dogs came over to empathetically lick my face, and I was able to grab the leash of the largest and loudest of the three dogs. I figured if I could lead him away, the other two would follow.

Content that the threat was gone, the moose went back to his spot under the trees to stand his ground.

I crawled with the leash in hand to a stand of trees where I could be out of sight before I stood again. [...] I realized that one snowshoe had been knocked off in the attack. I scanned the ground for it, but I didn’t see it. I wasn’t fond of the idea of revisiting the moose to fetch it. Had I realized how difficult it was going to be to hike out of the woods without snowshoes, I probably would have risked going back. I abandoned the remaining snowshoe because it wasn’t doing me any good.
[...]
Many times I had to crawl across the snow to make headway, pausing often, exhausted, wet and freezing, wondering why I had left my house without my cell phone that morning. I knew I was getting hypothermic because I was trying to tell the dogs that had now rejoined me to “just go home!” afraid that they would freeze. I heard myself slurring words. My feet and lower legs felt like slabs of meat fresh out of the freezer, but I didn’t dare pause to look closely. I just wanted to get myself to the safety of home, then worry about frostbite.
[...]

Read full article and see photo on the Bangor Daily News site:
Source: http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/02/18/outdoors/orland-woman-run-over-by-moose/

BOOM! Timing is everything!

Portland Daily Sun's Bob Higgins points out the timing of Maine Legislature's unexpected attempts to re-legalize fireworks in the Pine Tree State looks almost as though they were trying to shoot themselves in the foot. Why else would they time the debate to occur during Portland Firefighters Children’s Burn Foundation “Burn Awareness Week”?

Yep.

If properly used under adult supervision, fireworks are no more dangerous than sparklers. But everybody forgets that last part about adult supervision. Adults have a hard enough time supervising themselves in this state, evidence being on the weekly police blotter. Let’s not add to the number of folks nicknamed “Lefty.”

Read the full run-down here:
http://portlanddailysun.me/opinion/story/burn-notice-fireworks-issue-timing

Photo by Michelle Souliere. July 4th, 2007, fireworks on the Eastern Prom in Portland, ME.

Nominate for Best Blog?

If any of you feel inclined, I would be tremendously happy if you nominated the Strange Maine blog to be part of the annual contest for the Portland Phoenix's Best of Portland 2011 candidates!

Go here: http://thephoenix.com/thebest/portland/vote/

To complete your vote, make sure you click on the "FINISHED" button to submit your vote! You'll know you're official when you get to the page where they ask for your email before clicking the last button.

Many thanks, all! We didn't win last year, but I'd like to give it a try again this year! :)

Ghost Hunters at Fort Knox in Bucksport

Some of you may remember rumors from about a year ago that the television show Ghost Hunters was interested in paying a visit to Fort Knox, located across the Penobscot River from Bucksport, Maine. Now, seen on Fenceviewer and elsewhere, the confirmation of the soon-to-be visit of Ghost Hunters to Maine's own Fort Knox is official!

Some of you may remember the write-up I did a couple of years ago after my first visit to the Fort during their annual Paranormal and Psychic Faire: http://strangemaine.blogspot.com/2009/09/not-your-normal-fort.html The episode will definitely be worth watching!

“Ghost Hunters” to Visit Fort Knox
Tuesday, February 01, 2011 at 4:10 pm

PROSPECT — SyFy television network’s “Ghost Hunters” program will film an episode of the popular series this month at Fort Knox.

A video crew will spend six days at the fort looking for evidence of “ectoplasmic apparitions,” according to a press release from the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands.
[...]
“The fort has the feel of a big, medieval dungeon, so it’s really natural for people to wonder if it’s haunted,” Desjardin said.

The park historian said there are no official reports of hauntings at Fort Knox, and only one soldier on record died while at the fort.

The fort’s barracks were not located in the fort, but in an unspecified wooden structure located somewhere on the fort property, Desjardin said. In 1866, an artilleryman, a new recruit that spoke only German, died of disease while stationed there.

“He was buried at the fort, but we don’t know where,” Desjardin continued. “No one knows where the burial ground is. It was never fenced off — and he’s the only occupant.”

Desjardin said he will give the video crew a tour of the fort, help with setting up and do a historical interview. The crew is expected to do two nights of investigation, the park historian said.

“We hope the crew will be prepared for winter nights on the Maine coast,” Desjardin said.

Leon Seymour, executive director of the Friends of Fort Knox, will serve as “the client” who points out where visitors have had unusual experiences.

For more information about “Ghost Hunters,” visit http://www.syfy.com/gh/.

Source: http://fenceviewer.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58445:%E2%80%9CGhost%20Hunters%E2%80%9D%20to%20Visit%20Fort%20Knox&catid=1:latest-news

Photo by Michelle Souliere, (c)2009.

EVENT: Stephen King story in Belfast

From the Waldo Village Soup!

WHAT: Åarhus Gallery's as if stories, an ongoing series of readings of short stories by Maine writers performed by Maine actors, present "The Reach," a lyrical winter ghost story by Stephen King
WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 13 at 3 p.m.
WHERE: Åarhus Gallery, 50 Main St., Belfast ME
FMI: (207)338-0001 aarhusgallery[at]gmail.com

“The Reach” will be performed by Helen York and Bonnie VersbenCoeur, with musical accompaniment by Doug Ludwig. Suggested donation is $10.

The mission of as if stories is to showcase the work of Maine writers — the known, the lesser known, and the great unknown — by bringing their stories to life in live readings by Maine actors. Everyone is invited to join the growing and enthusiastic audience for this lively and compelling afternoon of story, music, art and conversation. Light refreshments will be served.

"The Reach" was first published in Yankee in 1981 under the title "Do the Dead Sing?", it was later collected in King's 1985 collection Skeleton Crew. [Source]

Another UFO in Vassalboro?

Back in 2007, we posted a possible UFO sighting from Vassalboro that had appeared in the Kennebec Journal. This past week, I received an email from a reader who saw something herself, and was wondering if anyone else had any insight into the event (the "something like this" refers to the prior Vassalboro report):

I did and have seen something like this several times. I was at my mothers yesterday [Feb 4, 2011], in Vassalboro, Maine. It was around 3:10 pm and I was taking the dog out.

I saw an extremely large, sort of oval shaped object in the sky, it was not very high up or far away. It was super bright!!! Silver and light like a window (maybe) towards the upper part. It dissapeared within seconds. It was not a jet or plane. There were no clouds around it and no lines left behind as there are with jets.

I would like to know if anyone else saw it?

The National UFO Reporting Center site (NUFORC) lists multiple sightings in Vassalboro, ME, both recent and from the 1960s (you can click on links for additional details for each reported incident):

6/1/60 20:00 Oval, + multi experiences with unknown.
http://www.nuforc.org/webreports/056/S56732.html

7/3/63 21:00 East Vassalboro, Black triangle with central orange light moving slowly across sky.
http://www.nuforc.org/webreports/054/S54777.html

6/28/65 Disk, round about 300" in diameter, silver with windows, no sound
http://www.nuforc.org/webreports/014/S14460.html

3/9/00 19:45 Saw bright crescent shape light through curtains; pulled back to reveal crescent with very bright beacon or headlight hovering over trees
http://www.nuforc.org/webreports/012/S12404.html

8/28/01 21:00 Streaking fireball over central Maine
http://www.nuforc.org/webreports/019/S19331.html

12/4/09 04:50 Circular light/orange craft out running a pursuing military helicopter
http://www.nuforc.org/webreports/073/S73584.html

Velocipedic experiments in Gorham

In reading through Hugh McLellan's History of Gorham (1903) I found a tidbit about the venturesome attempts of some local citizens to find out what those there new-fangled velocipedes were all about. It sounds like they created a monster! I can only imagine what it looked like.

About the year 1820 an attempt was made to manufacture a velocipede in Gorham. The idea was suggested by a rough woodcut in an English magazine which had come into the possession of some one in the village.

A number of men subscribed small sums toward defraying the expense, and Mason Frost and George Hight undertook its construction; their only guide being the picture and its description in the book. The machine was built in the shop afterwards owned by Capt. Bailey, and which at that time stood close to the street, but was moved back about 1840 to its present location in Alfred Bailey's yard. Mason Frost, who was a carriage maker, got out the frame and wheels, while George Hight undertook the iron work.

The machine consisted of a stout piece of white oak, supported at each end by a sturdy oak wheel. The rider sat astride of this backbone, and propelled the vehicle by striking his toes against the ground. There were no pedals or other machinery to it. It was steered by an iron bridle, attached to the forward wheel; and, as represented, was able to go up hill as fast as an active man could walk, while it could spped down a moderate slope at the rate of about ten miles an hour, and on level ground nearly as fast.

At last the thing was completed, and a trial was made of it in the presence of a throng of interested spectators, but no one could do much with it, excepting to amuse the crowd. At this time there was no saddle or seat on it, but one was afterwards added. Frost was the only one able to make any headway at all on level ground, and he but little, while as to riding up hill, it was no go. The velocipede was finally stowed away in some corner, and the experiment abandoned.

The mad moose of Lewiston

Here's another piece of urban legend or folklore, depending on your preference for terminology.

Back in the mid-1980s, a friend of mine grew up in Lewiston, Maine. Her family lived on a sideroad off of Grove Street. Not too far away was a sandpit which was accessed via trails that ran past a marshy wildland that ran in back of the neighborhood.

Among the local kids who used to hang out in the sandpit, riding their bikes and so on, there was a story that circulated -- the Legend of the Brainless Moose!

Legend had it that the moose had a parasitic worm that entered its head through its ear and ate away at its brains over the years. The result was a crazed, rampaging moose with only half a brain left! If you heard rustling in the undergrowth, you knew the moose was coming, and you got out of there fast!

Lewiston is no stranger to rampaging and roaming moose, with or without brainworms, according to other friends who grew up in the area. I'm sure other groups of kids in the area had their own tales, but it'll be hard to top this one!

St. Barnabas and its legends

I was recently sent a note from a reader who as a child had played in and around some foundation ruins at the corner of Norwood and Woodford Streets in Portland. Among his friends, legend had it that the foundation was the remains of the old St Barnabas Hospital or possibly an animal infirmary, and the 3- to 4- foot steel chute that transected it was used to dump bodies to the morgue. There were plenty of rumors that there were "forgotten" basements and sub-basements in the area with all types of hospital oddities in them.

While there is not a whole lot of info about St. Barnabas available upon a cursory search, between the web and the Portland Public Library I did find a few things.

The hospital, known alternately as "Saint Barnabas" and "Dr. Cousins' Private Hospital," was founded by Dr. William Lewis Cousins in 1904, opening its doors at 231 Woodfords Street to patients on July 21, 1905. Photos of the reception rooms and grounds bespeak a gracious impression, though no photos of patient facilities are shown. The hospital boasted a terraced lawn, a broad, glass-enclosed sun parlor, an elevator, and refrigerator ice gleaned exclusively from Sebago Lake.

To give you an idea of what type of hospital it was, here is a description of St. Barnabas' from an ad in the Journal of the Maine Medical Association, Vol X, No. 1, Aug. 1919, pg ii. The facility's expertise focused on ailments that required surgery, attended to in their state-of-the-art operating rooms on the 3rd floor, but cases with purely medical treatment options were accepted as well. 30 student nurses resided in a dormitory adjacent to the hospital.

DR. COUSINS' PRIVATE HOSPITAL
SAINT BARNABAS

A private institution for the care and treatment of all Surgical Diseases

Thoroughly modern in every respect, steam heating, vacuum cleaning, electric lighting and electric elevator, most modern fire protection including private alarm box, extinguishers in each room, corridors fitted with hose and water mains, and fire escapes surrounding the building. Abundance of private baths, latest and most approved operating room and laboratory facilities.

Complete X-Ray Outfit. Special attention given to diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR FIFTY -- Rates given upon application.

EXTRAS—Patients' private laundry, drugs, laboratory fees, operating room and special nurse. This latter is $2.50 per day.

SAINT BARNABAS HOSPITAL TRAINING SCHOOL FOR NURSES

Course of training extends over a period of three years, embracing instruction in both medical and surgical nursing including special branches. A maternity department offers valuable training in this important line of work. Nursing in private cases which forms such a very large portion of the work will be found of especial value as representing the class of practice encountered after graduation. Applicants must present satisfactory evidence of good health, morals and a degree of education equivalent to a four years' high school course or certificates from normal schools, academies and institutions of like standing.

SAINT BARNABAS HOSPITAL REGISTRY for GRADUATE NURSES
is run in connection with the Training School for the assistance of physicians employing graduate nurses.

For information, write or telephone

Supt. Saint Barnabas Hospital

231 Woodford St., - Portland, Me.

TELEPHONE NUMBER 82440

So far as the foundation remembered by the reader goes, "The heating plant and boiler room is in a separate building a short distance from the Hospital. The garage, laundry, and engineer's rooms are also in this building, in addition to accommodations for the help." This location matched with his recollections of the location of the foundation.

[Source: Report of Work Done at Saint Barnabas Hospital from July 21, 1905 to January 1, 1914 (George D. Loring, Printer, 1914)]

Based on that information, we are guessing that the chute was for coal or other heating fuel. The stories of forgotten basements with hospital oddities in them is entirely likely-- according to the same report, "In the basement, which can be entered from a side street [Norwood???], is a well-equipped laboratory, and the storerooms."

Since the hospital seems to have specialized in surgical procedures, who knows...?

Among the available St. Barnabas info, I found a listing of the hospital rules. Some of them (especially #3!) seem so common sense you'd hope they wouldn't need to be told to folks, but I guess then as now people don't think clearly about how their actions affect those around them!

1. Do not deface walls or furniture, sit on sides of beds, talk in loud tones in wards or halls.

2. Relatives are allowed to see patients daily when the patients are convalescent.

3. Refuse of any kind must not be thrown into bath tubs or water closets, nor out of the windows, but will be placed in a proper receptacle and removed by a nurse.

4. Patients are not allowed access to the wards or private rooms unless by special permission, nor are they allowed to leave the premises without permission of the physician in charge.

5. Patients are required to bring sufficient clothing in order to make frequent changes. All laundry work must be done outside of hospital at the expense of patient.

6. Patients should not question nurses regarding ailments of other patients. Nurses are cautioned against answering such questions.

2010 Maine Crime round-up

Fans of weird crime coverage will be pleased to find that the Maine Edge has done a bang-up job of compiling the cream of the crop from 2010's Maine crime blotters for our enjoyment. My favorite?

Catfight? Not exactly

OLD TOWN - Police responded to a 911 hang-up call that turned out to be quite innocuous.

On Feb. 17, around 8:30 a.m., dispatch received a hang-up call that also sounded like someone struggling. When the officer arrived at the address, he saw a woman talking on the cell phone. She was speaking with another officer on the phone and police learned that she had called dispatch in order to contact the fire department because three cats were stuck in a tree. While she was on the phone, one of the felines jumped on her head, causing her to drop the phone.

Source: http://www.themaineedge.com/content/19610/2010_Crimees/

Portland Citywide Snowball Fight!

SNOWBALL FIGHT!!! Whoever has the day off or gets sent home early because of the snow, meet at the bridge in Deering Oaks Park at 3:00PM. If you have goggles, wear them. INVITE YOUR FRIENDS! Dress Warm!!!! If you can make it, or if you can't make it, please repost this, let's see how many people we can get!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=170836926293080

And while you're at it, someone should bring a big kettle of hot chocolate!!!

Ragged Isle makes a splash

A couple of weeks ago the Press Herald published a pretty great teaser of an article by Dennis Perkins for a new Maine supernatural mystery show, Ragged Isle. The cool thing? It's completely homegrown, being put together by two very talented locals Barry and Karen Dodd.

The long-gestating brainchild of Mainers Barry and Karen Dodd, "Ragged Isle" is a Web series about a young woman who accepts a job as photographer for the titular island's lone newspaper and finds, amongst Ragged Isle's small and secretive population and isolated yet beautiful scenery, that things are not what they seem.

While decidedly not an amateur (he's been working in local broadcast TV for 17 years) Barry Dodd has certainly embodied the DIY spirit in bringing "Ragged Isle" to life. Originally conceived as a "Dark Shadows"-style soap opera for a contest for Soap Net, some years ago, "Ragged Isle" lay fallow for years. But, you might say, it continued to haunt Dodd, until last year, when he gathered everyone together again, brought in new talent and added elements of series like "Twin Peaks" and "The X Files."
Source: http://www.pressherald.com/life/go/ragged-isle-web-series-blends-beauty-with-spooky_2010-12-23.html

Sounds good to me.
For more info, and to stay updated, check out the website at http://www.raggedisle.com/, and treat yourself to a look at the very slick trailer for the series, below. It's all we have to tide us over until a projected February release for the first episode's final edit! I suspect you'll find yourself wanting more, as soon as possible.

Ragged Isle Season One Trailer from Barry Dodd on Vimeo.

Rent-a-haunt

I ran across a listing for a vacation rental located in China, Maine. Interestingly enough, under the amenities is listed "paranormal activity." That's a new one on me!

Under "Other Activities," the listing goes into more detail:

The Old Maine Farmhouse is nearly 300 years old and it is not unusual to experience paranormal activity. Doors that open and close by themselves, footsteps in the attic, lights coming on or turning off, the television changing channels...scents and fragrances......are all things we have come to consider 'normal' for the Old Maine Farm. If you are bothered by this kind of unexplainable phenomonon [sic] we suggest you book the cabin. It has over 2200 sq feet of contemporary living space. It was built 5 years ago and doesn't yet have the rich history or the 'aura' of a building that has been around for nearly three centuries.

Well, even if it is all a ploy to get you to rent from them, it does look like a pleasant place to stay if the photos are any indication.

Here's the site listing the house as a rental: http://www.vrbo.com/335986

Cold ghosts of Bethel

The Boston Globe did a neat article about Bethel's haunted history on Halloween.

Maine town appears quieter than its ‘spirits’
By William A. Davis, Globe Correspondent
October 31, 2010

BETHEL, Maine — Centuries ago it was widely believed that Halloween, the evening before the Feast of All Saints, was the one time in the year when spirits of the dead freely roamed the earth. There are still people who believe in ghosts and some who think there are places where numbers of these restless spirits are present all the time.

One such reputed haunt haven is Bethel, an old resort town of some 2,400 year-round residents on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. “I think we have a dozen ghosts here, maybe more," says Stanley Howe, research director of the Bethel Historical Society.
[...]
At The Oaks, now part of the Bethel Inn but built in the 1890s and once used as a clinic dormitory, there have been sightings of a mysterious woman in black along with sounds of high heels where no one could be seen.
[...]
The Chapman Inn, which like the Bethel Inn looks out on the common, is said to have at least one but possibly two resident ghosts. One is suspected of being the daughter of the building’s original owner, a girl named Abigail Chapman, who died in her teens in the house after a long illness; and the other a woman who had been her paid companion.

“We kept hearing from guests about strange things such as the sound of women’s voices coming from empty rooms, a mysterious black cat, and a girl in a white dress who disappeared,’’ says Fred Nolte, who runs the inn with his wife, Sandra Frye.
[...]

Read full article, including info about visiting the sites, here:
http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/maine/articles/2010/10/31/maine_town_appears_quieter_than_its_spirits/

graphite from the Colonies !

As early as 1630, when the region known as Massachusetts Bay Colony would have also been the address for a contiguous southern Mainer, colonial explorers searched the area for resources that were of especial value in London markets. None less than Governor John Winthrop's son- also named John- began a graphite trade with the Nipmuc. The native Nipmuc mined graphite from the hills in Tantiusques (near today's Southbridge, Massachusetts) to produce ceremonial paints. Winthrop used the mine to supply English pencil manufacturing. The Tantiusques graphite mine is among the oldest mines in America, and its fame is also connected to Captain Joseph Dixon who worked in the mine and built up a crucible-making business and the famous Dixon Ticonderoga pencil company. The mine was closed in 1910.

Today, the mine site looks like this:

In 1901, George H. Haynes wrote:

The mine is situated in the midst of a tract of land, still wild and desolate.

StrangeMaine readers might know that Henry David Thoreau's family business was a pencil factory. Thoreau pencils were made in the Tantiusques region- and were used atop Mount Katahdin by Charles T. Jackson for the early geological surveys of Maine.

Read the whole story about this ancient mine here.

Ghost Trackers on track for TV?

Back at the end of October, the Maine ghost hunting team called East Coast Ghost Trackers announced a screening of a pilot episode of their nocturnal adventures, which they hope to find a home for on the airwaves.

WABI TV-5 in Bangor reported on the story, interviewing Ken Ort, founder and lead investigator of the group. You can read their article and see a video clip of the interview on their website here:
http://www.wabi.tv/news/15271/east-coast-ghost-hunters-hosts-screening-of-television-pilot
 

A preview for the team's proposed show can be found here:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1393827300379&ref=mf (I suggest watching the regular quality video, as the HD one tends to misfeed if your access is at all slow.)

You may recall hearing about the Ghost Trackers in conjunction with paranormal reports from Fort Knox, near Bucksport, when during their investigation they believe they encountered a manifestation of the spirit of Leopold Heghyi, who was stationed at the fort and was buried nearby.

Cougar: "Ghost of the Maine woods"

The Bangor Daily News has published an excellent and extensive article about cougar sightings in Maine.

Despite hundreds of sightings, cougar’s status remains in doubt
12/3/10 04:50 pm Updated: 12/5/10 06:57 am
By Kevin Miller, BDN Staff

Roddy Glover said he will never forget the day a decade ago he came face to face with the fabled ghost of the Maine woods, a predator that according to virtually all scientific accounts no longer existed in New England.

It was mid-September 2000 and Glover, then 39, was scouting out some easily accessible spots along railroad tracks in Monmouth where, with an injured foot, he could more easily bowhunt for deer.

Standing on an embankment above the tracks, Glover saw a large, tawny-colored animal strolling toward him in the mud beside the railroad ties, he said.

“I thought, ‘That looks weird. It doesn’t look familiar,’” Glover, a lifelong hunter as well as a taxidermist, recalled recently. “It was friggin’ huge.”

But when the animal turned sideways, revealing its characteristically long tail, Glover said he realized with a shock what was headed his way: a mother mountain lion with its good-sized offspring in tow.

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” he said. “I just laid down … because I couldn’t run because of my foot. They started coming closer and closer, and they got within 50 yards of me when they turned and went into the woods.”

A biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife later would say in media reports that the tracks he documented at the scene were “the most solid piece of cougar evidence we’ve ever had.”

In the decade since, DIF&W has received scores of reports — and even some grainy photos — from people throughout Maine convinced they spotted a mountain lion crossing a road, stalking prey in a field or lounging in the sunny backyard like a gigantic house cat.

Reports of mountain lions — including one sighting near Greenville last month — have come in from all around the state in recent years. But officially at least, self-sustaining populations of wild cougars or mountain lions exist only in Maine’s history books.

[...]

Read full Bangor Daily News article here (this excerpt is only the tip of the iceberg!):
http://tinyurl.com/2b2zfah

Victoria Mansion in holiday best

The Victoria Mansion is one of the historic prides of Portland, Maine. Nearly missing this role when it came close to being demolished in 1940, the Mansion survived due to the foresight of a local patron who purchased the big old beautiful beast of a house and ensured it would be available as a museum of Portland past for those to come. Built between 1858 and 1860, the house made headlines at the time as all sorts of lavish fixtures and materials were shipped through Portland's harbor to arrive on its newly constructed doorstep, making the home a showplace of appropriately preposterous Victorian fashion.

Today, the Victoria Mansion allows visitors to step back in time and get a sense of the atmosphere in which Portland's more privileged citizens lived their daily at-home lives. As such, it has the feeling of a fantasy world, and never more so than during this time of year, when local designers enter the rooms and work Christmas magic on their surroundings, until the Mansion in its entirety is a fabulous concoction of effervescent Yuletide cheer. Each year a theme is selected, and the many rooms are decorated to suit. This year's theme? The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Having had a chance to visit the newly-bedecked Victoria Mansion during their holiday press reception this past week, and meet the museum's enthusiastic new director, Thomas Johnson, I feel it my duty to tantalize you but not give away all the lovely treats in store for you at that venerable location. Below the photos I took, you will find all the details of upcoming holiday events (including the gala on 12/2) and tours at the Victoria Mansion. Why let the tourists have all the fun?  Enjoy! If you click on any of the images you can see a larger version for more detail.

INFO:
Victoria Mansion Holiday Gala
Thursday, December 2, 2010
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Don't miss the Mansion's most elegant and spectacular event of the the year. Get an early look at two floors of period rooms transformed by local designers with dazzling decorations inspired by this year's theme: The Twelve Days of Christmas. Fabulous food and drink provided. Tickets are $50/person, all proceeds to benefit the restoration and operation of Victoria Mansion. Please call (207) 772-4841 ext.. 10 for reservations.

Christmas at Victoria Mansion
Friday, November 26, 2010 - Saturday, January 8, 2011
Open daily 11:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day

Each holiday season, local designers showcase their talents by transforming the Mansion's interiors with extravagant decorations. This year, the Mansion will be decorated to reflect the stanzas of the much-beloved Christmas carol The Twelve Days of Christmas. This not-to-be-missed event is now in its 26th year!

Adults $15; AAA/Senior $13.50; Members $7; Children (6-17) $5; Children under 6 free; Family ticket $35

EVENT: Maine horror double feature Monday!

WHAT: Screening of locally made horror films: Award-winning SHE FEAST (15 minutes), feature film THE WRONG HOUSE (82 minutes) and trailer premieres for THE STALKER and JUBILEE JONES.
WHEN: Monday, Nov. 22, 9:00 p.m. (doors open at 8:00)
WHERE: Geno’s Rock Club, 625 Congress St. Portland, ME
COST: $5 suggested donation. SHOW IS 21+
FMI: Call the Fun Box Monster Emporium at (207)329-5395 or visit the Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156896187676741

Sunday night at The Orpheum in Foxboro, MA, the Maine-made short film SHE FEAST took top honors at the international Killer Film Challenge. The challenge assigns groups of filmmakers a horror sub-genre and gives them 72 hours to create and submit a completed short horror film.

The Maine Murder Party were assigned the splatter genre and created the bloody short film SHE FEAST, directed by Nate LaChance and starring Carrie LaChance, Krystal Kenville and Vanessa Leigh.

Three days after cleaning up at the Killer Film Challenge, SHE FEAST struck again, winning BEST PRODUCTION at the Portland Phoenix 5th Annual Short Film Festival.

Monday night (Nov. 22) at 9 p.m. at Geno’s in Portland, Mainers will have a chance to catch the extended cut of SHE FEAST, along with a special screening of the Maine-made horror thriller THE WRONG HOUSE. Also premiering are the trailers for locally made feature films THE STALKER (director Nate LaChance) and JUBILEE JONES (director Teymur Lazimov).

THE WRONG HOUSE was inspired by a break-in at the home of director Shawn French and his wife (and co-producer) Sue Stevens. It stars Stacy Ann Strang, Brendan Potter, Daniel Galloway, Megan Mathieu and Julian Brand as a group of friends camping in the Maine wilderness who burglarize an isolated home in the woods. When the owners track them down, the thieves learn too late there are some people you just shouldn’t mess with… and that they picked THE WRONG HOUSE.

THE WRONG HOUSE is one of the best-reviewed independent horror films to ever come out of Maine, racking up raves from critics in over a dozen states and three countries. It was an official selection at the Queen City Scare Fair in Meridian, MS and will be represented at this weekend’s Dark Carnival Film Fest in Bloomington, IN.

Currently self-distributed on DVD through Amazon and all Bull Moose locations, THE WRONG HOUSE has been picked up for international distribution by Elite Entertainment and an Elite DVD/Blu-ray edition loaded with over an hour of special features will be on store shelves later this winter.

“We’re psyched to be screening THE WRONG HOUSE again in our home state,” said writer/director Shawn French. “So many people have had their homes or cars robbed and Mainers are really enjoying our twisted little tale of revenge.”

www.thewronghousemovie.com
www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wrong-House/281901606309

Lobstering in November

I figured since I'm writing about Maine and its history I really should know what a working boat is like, so I seized the opportunity to go out with my friend Brian on Capt. Tom Marr's boat, the Blue Dolphin II, this past Monday. I'll be writing up an article on it soon, but meanwhile the photos are up and ready for viewing if anyone is curious!

It was a grey day, but not too cold. We hit the water around 6:00am and finished up around 3:00pm.

Here's the link to my Flickr album with all the photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darkbrilliance/sets/72157625431852808/with/5192799096/