Le FORUM, Vol. 34 No. 1 Lisa Desjardins Michaud, Rédactrice
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Le FORUM Journal Franco-American Centre Franco-Américain Fall 2008 Le FORUM, Vol. 34 No. 1 Lisa Desjardins Michaud, Rédactrice Nundy Guiisti Julina L'Heureux Chip Gagnon Pearley Lachance Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/ francoamericain_forum Recommended Citation Desjardins Michaud, Rédactrice, Lisa; Guiisti, Nundy; L'Heureux, Julina; Gagnon, Chip; and Lachance, Pearley, "Le FORUM, Vol. 34 No. 1" (2008). Le FORUM Journal. 26. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/francoamericain_forum/26 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Le FORUM Journal by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Le“AFIN D’ÊTREFORUM EN PLEINE POSSESSION DE SES MOYENS” FALL/AUTOMNE VOLUME 34, #1 WINTER/HIVER 2008 Le Château Frontenac Québec City Celebrates 400 Years of History Photo courtesy of Bob Rivard For more photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/Bob.Rivard.PhotoGallery/Quebec2008# www.FrancoMaine.org www.Francoamerican.org New Website: www.francoamericanarchives.org http://homepages.roadrunner.com/frenchcx/ and www.FFA-USA.com/ Franco-American Women’s Institute: http://www.fawi.net $6.00 US Le Forum Sommaire/Contents Le Centre Franco-Américain Université du Maine Orono, Maine 04469-5719 [email protected] Features Téléphone: 207-581-FROG (3764) Télécopieur: 207-581-1455 Volume 34, Numéro 1 Letters/Lettres...........................................3, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 automne-hiver Éditeur/Publisher Yvon A. Labbé L’États du Maine.............................................4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12 Rédactrice/Gérante/Managing Editor Lewiston's "Al" Couture by Nundy Giuisti Lisa Desjardins Michaud Mise en page/Layout Play about local culture goes to France by Juliana L'Heureux Lisa Desjardins Michaud Native People in the Upper St. John River Valley by Chip Gagnon Composition/Typesetting History of the Franco American War Veterans Robin Ouellette A French Foreign Legionnaire...? by Pearley Lachance Naomi Muhlberg Angel Sirois Lisa Michaud L’États du Connecticut............................................17, 18, 19, 32-43 Aide Technique Waterbury L'exilé par Alice Gélinas Lisa Michaud Franco-American Day at the CT State Capitol by Albert Marceau Yvon Labbé 25 Years of the FCGSC by Albert Marceau Tirage/Circulation/4,500 Imprimé chez/Printed by Centre Franco-Américain, Orono, Maine Books/Livres...............................................................................23, 31 Publié 4 fois l’an par le Centre Fran- co-Américain. Le Forum est distribué surtout aux Franco-Américains des États-Unis. Les Genealogy/Généalogie............................................................... 52-55 énoncés, opinions et points de vue formulés dans Le Forum sont ceux des auteurs et ne représentent pas nécessairement les points Poetry/Poésie..............................................................................24-25 de vue de l’éditeur ou de la rédactrice, ou de la Division pour l’Éducation Permanente à l’Université du Maine. Recipes/Recettes........................................................................28, 29 Le Forum is published 4 times a year by the Franco-American Center. Le Forum is distributed in particular to Franco-Americans Guest Contributors..............................................................20, 23, 44 in the United States. Statements, opinions and points of view expressed are not necessarily those of the editor, the publishers or the Division ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION: of Lifelong Learning or of the University of WE NEED YOUR HELP, IF YOU HAVE OR KNOW OF ANY Maine. Tous les textes soumis doivent parvenir ORAL HISTORIES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE, à —Forward all submitted texts to: Lisa D. ON CASSETTE OR VIDEO, WE WOULD LIKE TO DIGITIZE Michaud, Rédactrice-en-chef/Editor-in-chief, Le Forum, University of Maine, Orono, Maine THEM FOR YOU (THIS WOULD PRESERVE THEM) AND 04469-5719, U.S., au plus tard quatre semaines POST THEM ON OUR WEBSTIE: précédant le mois de publication—at least four weeks prior to the month of publication. FRANCOAMERICANARCHIVES.ORG Les lettres de nos lecteurs sont les bienv- HELP US IN MAKING OUR VOICES HEARD! enues—Letters to the Editor are welcomed. La reproduction des articles est autorisée sans préavis sauf indication contraire—Our original articles may be reproduced without notice unless otherwise indicated. REMINDER! CHECK YOUR MAILING L’équipe de rédaction souhaite que Le Fo- LABELS FOR rum soit un mode d’expression pour vous tous les Franco-Américains et ceux qui s’intéressent SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL à nous. The staff hopes that Le Forum can be a vehicle of expression for you Franco-Americans YEAR/MONTH and those who are interested in us. Le Forum et son staff—Uni- 09/10 versitaires, gens de la communauté, IF THE FIRST TWO NUMBERS ARE NOT '09 les étudiants --Naomi, Angel et Robin. THEN YOUR SUBSCRIPTION IS DUE! 2 Vol. 34 # 1 • AUTOMNE/HIVER A Special "Thank You" to Mr. Dan Lapierre OUR FRENCH CONNECTON Thanks to Le Forum Annette Paradis King Gouldsboro, ME I’m conscious of the fact that Le Forum’s ripples extend beyond Maine. Even so, I never imagined my book Growing Up On Academy Hill..to The Franco-American Centre I would also like to thank the following travel as far as it has after appearing in Le wishes to extend a special "Thank You" individuals and organizations for their Forum. I have received requests for my to Mr. Dan Lapierre for his generosity. book donations: book from time to time from more than a Mr. Lapierre aided the Centre in few other states, occasionally with a note distributing over 300 cases of French Oneil T. & Colette M. Devost attached with a word or two of encourage- books to Madawaska. He stopped by Berlin, CT ment. I find it very gratifying to be hearing the Centre loaded 50 cases of books and from anyone who takes from their busy delivered them to the French Library in Knights of Columbus Museum schedules the time to write after reading Madawaska, the Marie-Reine Mikesell New Haven, CT an essay I’ve submitted, or from checking Library. He made 6 trips to Madawaska. the sidebar that was so generously added. Once there, Mr. Guy Dubay of Patrick Senecal Out of this small outpouring of the Library, sorted the books and dis- Mont-St-Hilaire, QC correspondence one woman stands out in tributed them throughout the Valley. my mind. Her name is Marie S. Landry. We would like to thank Albert Marceau * She is also a writer and an occasional these two fine gentleman for Newington, CT contributor to the LF magazine. Our their many hours of generosity. friendship began with a two page letter, The Centre is truly fortunate A "Special Thank You" to Dr. George which in part, she told me she is also an to have community volunteers to A. Lussier of Salisbury, MA, for ‘Academy Hill-er.’ She was writing to aid with the many projects and ac- without his contributions Le Forum say she was impressed with my ‘advocacy tivities associated with the Centre. would not be... for female independence’ that appeared in the spring Issue of Le Forum. ** She your life is what you were meant to do” she were there that night, too. Memories spoke of having a nagging feeling all her and Marie said this statement gave her a came flooding back, like stopping by the adulthood for failing to do something new outlook on her life’s vocation. I Memorial for Veterans in front of the more than bringing up a family. Yet, find this simple thought extraordinarily Old Town Post Office where her father’s here she was ‘a mother, a wife, a home- healing, too... Bless Marie for her insight- name was placed in honor of his 21 years maker, a manager of’ and respectful of ful words, and thank you Le Forum for of service; the path we use to take that the finances that her husband worked making it possible for me to know them. started on Jefferson Street and ended on for, but nevertheless ‘the nag was there.’ In Marie’s next letter she described Center Street; the Picnic Rock that sat She hadn’t completed her education; the arrival of Growing Up On… and off the path; her memories were of taking rather left her father’s house to go to that how she ‘read every word.’ My little a lunch to the rock and eating a peanut of her husband’s. At some point in her vignettes brought her back she said to butter sandwich there, drinking a soda later life she heard someone she respects the walks she took often in Old Town, that cost 7 cents, returning the bottle and say, “Maybe what you have done all the 4th of July from my eyes she saw as if (Continued on page 9) 3 Le Forum what film critics consider one of the best movies of the l980s, Raging Bull, Lewiston’s “Al” Couture starring Robert DeNiro as LaMotta. Holder of the world record for the fastest KO in history Couture’s own brush with Hollywood (N.D.L.R. This article is reprinted with permission from the author. It first appeared came in the ‘40s, when he performed as in Discover Maine, Vol. 5, Issue 6) a stand-in for John Garfield during fight sports desk. He was a gregarious figure scenes in the superb film Body and Soul. by Nundy Giusti around Lewiston-Auburn, where he was Born in 1922, Couture was one widely known by the nickname “Shiner,” of 19 children of Michael and Meye- Aurel “Al” Couture was a profes- liece Couture of St. Melachie, a hamlet sional boxer who made history in his a result of all the black eyes he acquired over the years. He’d been fighting since near Sherbrooke in Quebec Province. home city of Lewiston on September 29, They moved to Lewiston when Al was 1946, when he knocked out middleweight the age of 15, turned pro at 17, and by his 18th birthday he’d won 72 of 80 bouts.