It was a rare, three-day weekend in our household as the nation celebrated Veterans Day on Friday.
Working for a newspaper, holidays are typically more of a nuisance than a blessing. It means the same amount of stories have to be collected and written in a fewer amount of days. Or in the case of Monday holidays, the Friday before becomes “Monday,” as everything that is typically done on Monday gets moved to Friday.
Americans recently paused on Veterans Day to honor the brave men and women who have secured our freedom by their duty, honor, and sacrifice. We honor them because we know we cannot fully enjoy our freedom without remembering the great price at which it has been purchased.
When researching genealogy, it doesn’t take long to realize that one’s family stretches out to encompass thousands of people in the past.
It’s not uncommon to see a bundle of birds on your front lawn, especially if there is a bird feeder nearby. Chickadees, blue jays, mourning doves, finches, black birds and pigeons are all potential fowls to find on your lawn. Even a gaggle of Canada geese is not totally out of the realm of possibilities.
As Mainers and Americans gather this November 11th to recognize Veterans’ Day, all of us pause to commemorate the service and sacrifice of our phenomenal veterans. From our founding to the present, America has been tested time and again, and our democracy – and our love of liberty that undergirds it – has not only survived, but thrived.
As Mainers and Americans gather this November 11th to recognize Veterans’ Day, all of us pause to commemorate the service and sacrifice of our phenomenal veterans. From our founding to the present, America has been tested time and again, and our democracy – and our love of liberty that undergirds it – has not only survived, but thrived.
Next Tuesday, voters throughout the state will head to the polls to cast their ballots on four state referendum issues. While some may be tempted to pass on casting their votes this year, due to relatively few items on the ballot, there is no greater responsibility for a citizen than voting.
When researching genealogy, it doesn’t take long to realize that one’s family stretches out to encompass thousands of people in the past. This fact makes it very likely that pieces of your past have already been published. Take my own family as an example; we are not directly descended from anyone famous, yet there are at least a dozen published sources with information about some branch of the family tree.
Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve, is a time of both celebration and superstition. For children (and some adults too), it is a time to dress up in costume and canvas the neighborhood, knocking on doors and soliciting candy.
With voting day less than a month away, I thought of searching voter lists for an ancestor. These are public records. One must be a resident to vote, so finding an ancestor on a list verifies town of residence at the time of registration. Other town documents such as tax lists may hold the clue you need. Ask your town clerk what kinds of old records may have lists of residents. Sometimes, even if the town no longer has them, they may be held at a library or historical society.
