My Favorite Falmouth
During our 300th anniversary year, the Falmouth Tercentennial Committee asked residents to consider: How do we understand our hometown? How do we perceive our community? Which places speak to us? Which landscapes define us? Where or what is our favorite Falmouth?
The answer was as varied as the individuals who live here.
Town Landing, Falmouth by Skyler Piltch |
Neighbors by Andy Cadigan
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Christmas 1982
Dear Friends,
...Everyone knows that the holiday season brings warm thoughts of friends, neighbors, and relatives far and near. For our family, however, these wishes and greetings come deeper from our hearts than ever before, and our list has grown bigger than ever.
On October 21st of this year were were faced with the loss of half our home by fire. As one of our neighbors worded it, "Fire is one of the cruelest things to happen to anyone." and she is so right.
--But we are somehow being watched over, and although we were quite shaken, we were all safe, and--house or not,--we still have each other. This by far, we learned, is so much more important than "things", as most "things" can be replaced, while human lives, loved one, cannot.
We're now back in our house after seeral weeks of temporary displacement, living out of boxes and barrels, but happy to be celebrating our eighteenth Christmas here on Blackstrap--home and together!
As the holidays approach, we would like you to know how much we appreciate all the helping hands, hard work, delicious foods, clothes, gifts, encouraging letters, the warm hugs and emotional support we received from all of you. We are really thankful, also to have had a house to stay in temporarily while workmen worked through the weekends, holidays and past working hours to put our house back together....
In this impersonal day and age, with the rush-rush and involvement within everyone's own realm of activities, we are overwhelmed to realize that there are peorple who still stop and take the time to care about their fellow man.
To quote a well known piece from that famous old newspaper editorial: "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exisits as certainly as love and generousity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to our life its highest beauty and joy."
SEASONS GREETINGS AND PEACE TO ALL OF YOU
The St. Pierres, Dick, Margaret, Pat, Karen
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Highland Lake by Sean Riley |
Peony (Gisland Farm, ME Audubon) by Anne Schutz |
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| A Soccer Mom by Karen Dunn
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Misty Morning on the Farm by Angela Ostlund |
Towering Pines by Rhys Cadigan |
They Say We Are Rich by Hannah Gordon
They say we’re rich: What does that mean? We don’t define it in finances, But in woods of green.
It’s in friendly, cheerful faces Everywhere you go-- From grocery stores to playgrounds, The enduring heat of summer, Through every winter snow.
Some people prefer city life But the best part of this town Is that neighbors always lift you up And never let you down.
It’s a pleasure to be able to say, ‘We love this town; life should be this way’; There’s a sense of calm and peace In the words, ‘I’m glad you’re my neighbor, Just down the road apiece’.
So rich we are, In words and deeds, In warmth and in willingness To help a friend in need. |
Wilshore Rememberd by Anne Strout |
Don't Slip! (Macworth Island) by Anne Schutz |
Falmouth Town Landing by Skyler Piltch
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Falmouth Trails by Rhys Cadigan | A Frequented Trail by Karen Dunn
Rocky, puddled, twisted roots
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Highland Lake Loon by Andy Cadigan
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May 1983
Dear Falmouth School Department;
It is with the deepest sincerity we wish the entire Falmouth School Department for a job well done! It seems we have watched a miracle unfold before us in the past thirteen years.
In 1970 we saw our daughter Patricia step onto that big yellow school bus for the first time to start kindergarten. Now, here she is, legally blind, ready to don her cap and gown as her high school days reach an end...
A small miracle for any parents of a senior, to be sure, but many to one public school year at at time with a "special school" in mind for the future. Patty beat the odds though, despite her visual handicap. Not only did she finish in public school, but with flying colors! We owe a lot that education has taken great strides from the narrow archaic idea of the handicapped being slotted in certain spaces. Patty was fortunate enough to be born into an era of advanced development in this area of public education.
Perhaps we as parents can humbly take some credit for the drive, perserverance and courage of our dauther. Yet we are very much aware of tremedous effort, patience, dedication and professionalism upon the Falmouth school staff.
It must be mentioned here, however, that the Falmouth teachers gave of themselves. they have visited our home when personal times were tough...And showed genuine concern regarding Pat's welfare. These gestures of kindness have marked a tremendous impression on us all. And now here we are, watching Patricia heading off to college in the fall, ironically to major in Special Education. This has been a life-long dream of hers, undoubtedly influenced by the teachers around her.
Sincerely, Margaret St. Pierre | |
Thank you to all our contributors.