A special holiday supplement to the Castine Patriot, Island Ad-Vantages and The Weekly Packet. Also online at www.penobscotbaypress.com. November 17, 2011 A guide to making the holidays special with information about local celebrations, events and the organizations that support the community. Featuring ◆ Holiday Traditions and Memories, pgs. 2-3 ◆ Harry Kaiserian’s Holiday Food, pgs. 8-9 ◆ Gifts for Child Development, pg. 4 ◆ Local Events, pgs. 6-7, 10-11 2 Holiday Entertainment Special Section, November 17, 2011 Holidays create traditions and evoke memories from years past by Anne Berleant and Jessica Brophy the Island Nursing Home and the Penobscot Francis Bray—Penobscot Nursing season was filled with church activities. “For 32 The holidays are a time for togetherness and Nursing Home. Home years I taught Sunday school,” said Marion, family, for making and sharing memories and who lived in South River, N.J. “World War I changed everything.” Francis for traditions. Often the traditions and reminis- “The First Reform Church was a small Mary Cousins—Island Nursing Bray was born in Hartford, Conn., but moved to cences of holidays are some of the best memo- congregation, mostly European immigrants and Home Orland as a child after the war began. She ries of childhood. As 104-year-old Mary their children,” Marion continued. “Everything “One of my favorite memories was listening stayed in Maine with her mother and four Cousins put it, “everything was wonderful was family oriented then.” for Santa,” said Mary Cousins. “I loved Santa, I brothers and sisters in a house on Castine Road when I was that age.” Marion and her family used to go caroling believed in Santa until I was 12 years old. My until she was 10. “My father had graduated Compiled here are just a few windows into around town with other members of the congre- mother said he wasn’t real, and it just about from Wilson Hall, the old Bucksport high the past, memories shared by some residents at gation. Her favorite carol was “O Little Town broke my heart.” school,” she said. of Bethlehem.” Mary used to walk into the woods with her When the family moved back to Connecticut, The hallmark of the holiday season was the father behind their property in Stonington, they took the Boston boat from Bucksport, and baking. “We would start two months ahead of picking out a Christmas tree and bringing it then the train to Hartford. time, making cookies, fruit cake and more. I home. “One year they just had to try and see “Those years there wasn’t much celebrating, really enjoyed baking.” what it would look like with candles lighting up but as the years went on, things got better. Marion also enjoyed the sense that the the tree,” said Mary of her parents. “They had Mother was a good cook,” she said. One year community members were close to one another. those old fashioned clips, maybe a half dozen, they ate goose. “But we never had another one,” “It was really a joyous season,” she said. and for about 15 minutes they lit up, and it was she said. “We always had turkeys and pies. We lovely.” They didn’t dare burn the candles any were a close family.” longer than that, she remembers. After the Depression years, the family would Fulton Leach—Penobscot Nursing “No one gave gifts of enormous price like visit their grandmother in Maine. “We just Home they do today,” said Mary. “A doll, a book, a loved Maine.” In 1978 Francis moved back to “We always would get together, a whole few toys, and oranges. You looked forward to Orland, and three of her children are still in bunch of us, anywhere from 18 to 22 of us,” oranges at Christmas every year.” Maine. Fulton Leach said. He was talking about Mary and her siblings hung stockings, which “I go down to Leeches Point [in Orland] for Thanksgiving in Penobscot, where he grew up would be filled by Santa with candy, fruit, nuts Thanksgiving with the children and grandchil- and lived his adult life. “There was turkey, there and small toys. dren. I divide myself among the other three for was everything.” “My mother was always cooking,” she said. the other holidays.” “I always used to hunt on Thanksgiving Day. “Fancy cookies and fudge for the neighbors. One time I did bring home a Thanksgiving When I got big enough I helped, and decorated buck.” Kendall Eaton strings lights on the 40-foot Marion Bauman—Island Nursing them too.” Fulton said hunting on Thanksgiving was his blue spruce at the front entrance of the Home favorite memory. “We always hunted in Island Nursing Home in 2010. Photo courtesy For Marion Bauman, much of the holiday of Island Nursing Home Penobscot, and I used to let myself go every once in a while. We had a good time.” Thanksgiving dinner meant “turkey and just turkey. And all the fixings.” Delivery makes a difference at Thanksgiving Penobscot Bay Press Fulton still shares Thanksgiving dinner with Community Information Services his family in Penobscot, and is looking forward If you are homebound, or think you ered by about six volunteers, usually by to eating there once again this month. might be alone in Deer Isle or Stonington 11 a.m. Tate and volunteers are working Publisher: R. Nathaniel W. Barrows and in need of some home cooking on with Island Food Pantry. Special Sections Editor: Thanksgiving, look no further than your If you would like to be included in this Jessica Brophy front door. With a call ahead to the Island special holiday meal, contact Gross at Managing Editor: Faith DeAmbrose Community Center, Executive Director Pat 367- 2735 or email [email protected] R a ckliffe Pottery Copy Editors: 3 Generations of Family Business Gross will make sure you get a plate at least three days before Thanksgiving. If Judy Mathewson, Cindy Reilly complete with turkey and all the fixings, you are interested in volunteering to make Calendar of Events: From the ground up – along with a fresh-baked dessert. some food, delivery, or offer companion- Alix Tillotson-Sarain “A Real Piece of Maine” In its sixth year, the idea of creating deli- ship, also contact Gross. Production Staff: cious meals and delivering them within the Cindy Haskell, Debby Oliver, for Christmas! community was the brainchild of Jeremiah Savage, Phil Schirmer Stonington resident Sylvia Tate, said Advertising Representatives: We get all the clay for our Gross, and each year approximately 40 Susan Sorenson, Ryan Kunkel pottery from family farm land in East Blue Hill. meals are made in Tate’s kitchen and deliv- Circulation Manager: Won’t you stop in? Beverley Andrews 132 Ellsworth Rd. 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Deer Isle 348-2535 www.ronaldhayespearson.com Holiday Entertainment Special Section, November 17, 2011 3 John Griskivich—Island Nursing As a child, she would stay home and help Home with the cooking. “I came from a very poor “It was all in the Russian theme,” said John family,” Shawna said. “My mother would go Griskivich of his childhood holidays. His deer hunting in the morning with my father.” mother, father, aunts and uncles were from “Mother would make a pie for every person Russia. His family lived in Falmouth. who came to the house. She was a great pastry The primary focus of the holidays was to “get cook.” filled up eating and go to bed,” he said. “But the men came first,” she said. “We were Cabbage, chicken, ham and sauerkraut were very traditional.” served in various forms. “We had our own little farm,” said John. Hattie Webb—Island Nursing “Most of the food was grown in our own Home gardens.” Some holidays even included rabbit. “There were eight grades, one room and one “We all had to behave ourselves,” he teacher,” said Hattie Webb of the schoolhouse continued. “We would sit around and listen to in Oceanville of her youth in the 1930s. “The the radio—there was no TV then.” teacher would come early to fetch drinking water and start a fire in the woodstove. Each Shawna Juskewitch—Penobscot student would have their own drinking cup.” Nursing Home Each Christmas, the 12 to 15 students would “One Thanksgiving I invited everyone to my put names in a box and each student would house and made everything from scratch,” draw one name for gift exchange.