Editorials - Fiddlehead Focus

Editorials

Update utility pole laws to enable digital access

We are now about two years removed since the start of the pandemic, and the unfortunate reality is that this virus is still very much a part of our lives.

Buried family secrets

Family secrets can be buried deep and quite often succeeding generations never knew them. One issue families in the past felt compelled to hide was if a family member exhibited a mental illness or was born with a lower mental capability.

‘Making the cut’ is a lifetime trial

I am not sure how long I stood there in front of that classroom door, reading the list of names over and over again before finally admitting to myself that my name was not there.

At last: the wedding

The best way I can describe the wedding I had planned to you, dear friends, is a snowball running amok, gathering vast amounts of snow as it rolls uncontrollably down a treacherous hill. I was helpless. I could no longer add to it, nor take away.

New England treasures

Many genealogists like to accumulate a reference library for easy access to records. If your area of research is New England, here are five books that may interest you. Much depends on the areas you are researching but there’s something here for almost everyone.

57 la lettre L

Y a tu faite assez frette pour toué? Moué j’suis a la retraite so j’sortais pas trop trop. Mais le poêle a bois dans la cave y a gouté. On l’fait pas chauffer souvent mais y a chauffé en p’tiot pepére pendant l’mois d’janvier.

Honor the old stories

Some of us love winter. Others not so much. For our ancestors winters could be brutal. Until the mid-20th century, a majority of Americans lived in rural areas, many on back roads. For them there were no town plows, sanding trucks, ambulances, phones or cars. Horses with sleds couldn’t fight their way through deep snow drifts.

How much wood?

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck … no, we're not doing that one. Instead, we're going to talk about actual wood. As in, how much have you gone through during the cold snaps this winter, and how can you compare energy use so far this year to other years?

Always go for the dress

So, what is it like to be a bit older than most brides-to-be and also the star of a scenario much like that of the television show, “Say Yes To The Dress?” Well, dear friends, let me borrow your attention for just a bit and I will tell you.

Les lettres I pi J

Well, les fêtes ont passé pas mal comme une base messe. Pas trop d’visite, pas trop d’neige, pi pas trop d’voyageage. Comme vous savez, ça fait deux ans qu’ c’est d’même pi j’crée b’en qu’ont a pas fini avec toute les nouvelles sortes de covid.

Preserving family photos

It’s a new year. Perhaps it’s time for a new project. If you’re like most of us your photo collection is probably housed in albums, scrapbooks, paperboard boxes or even plastic bags.

‘Dear Diary’

Editor's note: This is a reprint of one of Ted Shapiro's original Weather Whys columns. Most folks don’t know that some very important weather information has been gleaned from old weather diaries, which were often kept by farmers and town folk alike.

Humanity unites us

I had what is categorized as a “sleepless night” last evening. I am not sure what it was that was behind such turmoil within me, but it was causing great havoc and dismay. I believe we all strive for peace of mind and during the usual hours of sweet and welcome slumber.

Ending the year grateful for Aroostook County

As 2021 officially comes to a close, it’s hard not to look back and reflect upon this past year -- all the ups, the downs and everything in between.

Genealogy goals

It hardly seems possible that 2021 is coming to a swift end. For some it’s flown, while others can’t wait for it to be over. Whichever category you fall into, 2022 is looming on our horizon and it’s a good time to take stock and reflect on what needs doing in your research and how to accomplish your goals.

The slippers – part 2

Upon returning home, we sat in the dooryard for a few minutes, the three of us rewinding the events that had just taken place. What was in that box that was breakable? Certainly not my seasonal slippers.

Does a storm draw nigh? Watch the sky

Have you ever noticed that in advance of a winter storm, an otherwise sunny day may feature a sky criss-crossed with lines? Well these lines are actually ice crystals from jet exhaust, called contrails (short for condensation trails).

Connections with people are what matter

Despite COVID-19 and all its variants, we as a community seem to have found an anchor to keep us from drifting: each other.

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