It’s never too late to say ‘thank you’
To the editor:
I was only 12 in 1973 and one of three traveling in a new 1973 Mercury Montego MX. Growing up in Aroostook County it was not out of the ordinary that we would make weekend visits to our aunts/uncles in Littleton.
It was during one of our visits that Dad, my cousin Mike, and I made a trip to the country store. As we returned from the store Dad decided to take a shortcut on a gravel road so he could safely quench his thirst.
When he pulled onto Shanks Road from Route 1 there was a slight grade up to the railroad tracks. The car began to spin on the train tracks as the snow had not yet melted completely. If I remember correctly this road was not maintained during the winter.
It was at this moment on the tracks that I looked up from the magazine I was reading because I heard the sound of a very loud horn. A train’s red light seemed like it was the size of a stop sign as it was within 20 feet and quickly closing the gap between us. A last push on the gas pedal gave us enough momentum to get the car two thirds of the way across the track before the train hit us behind the back driver’s side rear wheel.
The car was thrown in circles and ended up in the ditch still running.
It seemed like minutes had passed as we felt stunned by the blow of the fast moving train. We got out of the car and checked ourselves for broken bones. Thankfully we had none and Dad was the only one that had some glass embedded in his neck. (Later in life I had to have knee surgery that I believe was caused by this accident.)
Witnesses that gathered yelled to us to turn the car off as there was gas pouring from under the trunk area. Father was a woodsman and at the time was carrying three 5-gallon metal cans of gas in the trunk along with two chainsaws. It was amazing that there was not an explosion from the eruption of those cans.
We quickly were taken to a home across the road to check ourselves more closely, clean up and then calls were made to the Houlton hospital and family members. I was only 12 at the time and didn’t remember if we had properly thanked this couple for opening their home to us.
So, last year we made a trip from our Alaska home to visit family in Maine and the Maritimes and enjoy the incomparable fall beauty. As my wife and I were traveling from Ft. Fairfield to Houlton I felt compelled to stop and once again view the place where I could have lost my life 41 years ago and give thanks.
Things have certainly changed since that spring day back in 1973. My father and cousin have since passed away, the old train tracks have been removed and a couple of homes have been built near the accident site. As I was standing on Shanks Rd. reliving the story with my wife, I casually glanced across the highway and viewed the little white home whose owners had graciously opened their door to us many years ago when we were in the time of need. I pondered and I questioned my wife … could they possibly still live there?
My curiosity got the best of me and I drove down to the little house. I had never seen these people for 41 years and honestly didn’t know if someone could live that long in one place or if they could still be living after all these years.
I knocked on the door several times and turned to look around when a sweet little lady came from the back yard. At first she had a puzzled look on her face but I quickly asked the question “do you possibly remember a train wreck that happened here back in 1973?” She quickly answered “why yes I certainly do.”
When I told her who I was and that I was the last survivor of the crash she began to tell me many more stories that have happened since that time. When we were about to leave we exchanged hugs and pictures and I then thanked her for opening her home to strangers in need.
I guess it is never too late to say “thank you.”
Daniel Lint
Fort Greely, Alaska
What debate?
To the editor:
Hello! Hello! Is anyone out there? Are you awake? Are your senses working? Are you that distracted that your emotions and common sense no longer work? Where is the disgust, the outrage, the anger?
If any adult that is alive today who was an adult at the turn of the century, you should be flipping mad and insulted at the control that your political party has on you today.
What happened to your memory, do you recall your days in history class. Do you remember who the enemy was during the Second World War, the Korean War and the Cold War? It was the Socialist and the Communist! Do you remember why? Other than the fact that those countries were killing their enemies and their own people that resisted the boot of their government, your freedom and liberty (and your lives) could have been lost if we did not fight for what was right.
That fight was not long ago.During the 1960’s when the Socialist and the Communist tried to influence the American youth, we told them to go away and if you do not like our way of government, get into politics and change it from within. We thought we were smart and that acceptance would never happen because the American people were too smart and they would never slit their own throats in the future.
Well here we are today and the elephant in the room is no longer ignored, the Socialist and the Communist are out in plain view today, stronger than ever and they are the leaders of both political parties and they admit who they are and they are bragging.
Did that statement shake you up? Good. Now that I have your attention and your emotions and senses are working, let’s look at what the two parties have done to you. While you fooled over political emotion and your greedy philosophies, the politicians in Washington and Augusta daily took away your God given, inalienable rights (and your money) away from you and they gave them to others who do not deserve what you have worked for. Let us not forget the illegal aliens who just have to show up at the steps of your capitol buildings and they get everything free that you had to work for and earn.
When you finally complain, or try to fight for your rights, the political leaders shame you; you are called a racist, a bigot; you’re called selfish and heartless. Everything is turned upside down, inside out and soon, you will understand what you have let slip through your fingers.
Your religious leaders cannot talk against the government, the schools no longer teach the Constitution and your state and federal legislators will not read or study the Constitutions. Some day they all will tell you the truth and tell you that they have taken away the state and federal Constitutions and have destroyed them before your eyes.
What is sad is while they were visibly doing it, you did nothing about it!
Phil Merletti
Maine Constitution Coalition
Lee
Humane Society board improperly seated
To the editor:
Regarding the Houlton Humane Society article in the Oct. 14 edition of the Pioneer, a business is not a high school clique. Regardless how executive director Heather Miller wants to put a spin on the HHS board of directors, the fact is, yet another group of people have been handpicked and called the board of directors — the sixth different version since June — without an open, unbiased nomination process and election meeting in compliance with the existing HHS bylaws put in place with the last lawfully-inducted governing board in 2013.
Regardless that Miller and said ‘new’ board will write “new” bylaws, the fact is such bylaws will be as null and void as is the improperly-seated board that writes them.
Corporate officers have responsibilities and duties to the corporation, as well as local, state and federal governments. It’s a governing body. It’s not a high school clique. It’s grown-up business and chartered by the State of Maine.
Regarding the ‘new’ board’s collective Letter to the Editor in the same edition, they mention taking the ‘high road’. What does that even mean? Sounds as if their heads are in the clouds; sooner or later they have to come back down to reality. It’s a blanket over their collective heads, more content to continue to mislead the public that everything is peachy-keen at the shelter instead of working lawfully, with actual business sense, accountability and responsibility to bring HHS back to a legal business structure.
The Trustees of the corporation — former, properly-inducted Board officers — can accomplish that. But for that to happen, their presence has to be embraced, not locked out. Violations need to be corrected, instead of compounded. This issue will not resolve itself without knowledgeable guidance and the implementation of and respect for the bylaws, as well as the state and federal regulations governing the organization and its business practices. Former Board officers know how to do that and can get it done in compliance with the bylaws.
Darlene Kenney
Calling community to help
To the editor:
It’s already started to get colder and that time of year is here again — The Salvation Army of Houlton is busy preparing for Christmas! In an effort to serve anyone in Aroostook County this year we are reaching out to anyone and everyone we can to help those in need this holiday season. We are hoping to get you and your business involved in some way.
In order to help all of our clients with a food basket we are asking businesses to commit to donating as many of one item as they can. For example, if one business provides 100 boxes of stuffing and another 200 cans of green beans then we know exactly what we are getting and can easily sort and box it up for the families we serve. If you would like to help your community in this way the items we are looking for are turkeys/hams, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce and canned vegetables.
If you are a smaller business we also have a paper kettle fundraiser, similar to other nonprofits, customers can donate $1, $2 or $3, sign their name and have it posted in your store. Another similar option is a tabletop kettle.
We are having the Angel Tree program again this year. If you would like to have a tree in your business with the angel tags we can provide more information on how this program works and how we can do this together. You can also help with this program by coming to our building and asking for as many angels as you would like. You can buy clothes and toys for a child and return the angel tags with the gifts to our center and we will distribute your donation to the angel you chose.
The last full week before Christmas we will be busy packing Christmas gifts and food boxes for our clients. We can use all the help we can get for this process. The dates are Dec. 17-20. We could also use your help on distribution days, Dec. 21 and 22.
One of the greatest ways you can help is to stand kettles for us. Give us a call and we can sign you up for a day and location of your choosing. You stand and we can even let you know how much money you raised for us. This year we will be having a competition between any service club, church or business who stands. The winner gets bragging rights, a plaque, and mention in the Houlton Pioneer Times in one of our Christmas stories. Days, times and locations are on a first-call-and-sign-up basis, so be the first to sign up for the best place.
Give us a call or stop on in to let us know what you can do to help our community this Christmas season.
Lieutenant Dominic Nicoll
Lieutenant Elizabeth Nicoll
