As the fisherman’s skiff slices through the calm harbor waters off Phippsburg toward a nearby island, Gerald Talbot scans the rocky cliffs ahead for any vestige of Maine’s African-American history. Moments later, the 69-year-old black activist reaches the shore and begins retracing timeworn footsteps to… Read More
Illegally stocked fish can threaten Maine’s pristine fisheries. The notion that these unwanted transplants can be eradicated through a law requiring anglers to kill them has hooked some fishermen in Ellsworth and Greenville, where the proposal faces a public hearing at the end of the month. While biologists… Read More
GUILFORD – Wayne Williams calls Linda Anderson of Abbot his guardian angel. It seems fitting, then, that Anderson took the Angel Flight home on Wednesday, after undergoing surgery at the New England Medical Center in Boston to donate 60 percent of her liver to Williams. Read More
GREENVILLE – Maine would have to attract an additional 11.6 million tourists a year to make up for lost timber revenues if a national park were created in the North Woods, Department of Conservation Commissioner Ron Lovaglio said at a forum here Thursday. Last year,… Read More
BANGOR – A federal judge on Friday struck down a section of the Maine Constitution that prohibited those under guardianship for mental illness from voting. In a 41-page decision, U.S. District Court Judge George Z. Singal found that the state’s restriction, adopted in 1965, was… Read More
Sunday hours for Porteous were listed incorrectly on Thursday’s Business page. The store is open from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Read More
WASHINGTON – The Bush administration announced Friday that it would impose a 19.3 percent penalty tariff on softwood lumber imported from Canada in retaliation for what the administration said were unfair government subsidies given to the Canadian lumber industry. The penalty tariffs are expected to… Read More
Elizabeth Brooks, occupational therapist, is the newest member of the Northern Maine Medical Center rehabilitation therapy department in Fort Kent. Brooks received her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. She will work with patients in psychiatric units as well as those in… Read More
CASTINE – EKG machines that map a heart’s rhythm may someday be as widespread as blood-pressure cuffs thanks to a new inexpensive, portable unit created by a husband-and-wife entrepreneurial team in this seaside town. Jeffrey and Karen Siegel, Castine residents who are also on the… Read More
Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to allow oil drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. What a wonderful idea. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
More than one person in 10 in rural America has never visited a dentist, according to the American Dental Association, a figure produced in part, perhaps, from habit and in part from poverty, but certainly also in part from a nationwide shortage of dentists. Sen. Susan Collins, observing… Read More
In announcing his policy on embryonic stem cell research Thursday night, President Bush could have merely split the difference between the extremes. Instead, his thoughtful response begins in earnest what is certain to be a long public debate on biomedical ethics. Mr. Bush, who clearly gave the matter… Read More
This has been quite the week for news of scams, swindles and assorted fraudulencies that have served to jack up an already high misery index during these sweltering dog days of early August. Tuesday we got word that the Alfred Knopf publishing house would pay… Read More
AUGUSTA – With nearly a dozen candidates and potential candidates vying to represent Maine’s sprawling 2nd Congressional District, it’s easy to become confused over who might succeed John Baldacci. Although politicians and their operatives may try to spin the media, they’re hard-pressed to equivocate with… Read More
BANGOR – Despite Friday’s 90-degree weather and stifling humidity, dozens of purebred pooches spent much of the morning and afternoon jumping through hoops, crawling through tunnels, balancing on seesaws and other feats as part of this weekend’s American Kennel Club agility and obedience competitions at Bass Park. Read More
BANGOR – Brianna Jeanne Speed, the $2 million miracle baby who spent her life in a hospital room, died Friday at the Eastern Maine Medical Center surrounded by her family. Born prematurely July 3, 2000, with a rare condition that affected her liver and intestines,… Read More
From a small town, Bert Clifford made big things happen. A nationally recognized telephone industry pioneer and Maine philanthropist and one of the founders of Unity College, Clifford died Friday at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
The drought that is shrinking Maine’s 2001 wild blueberry harvest has rekindled the anger of some Washington County camp owners who say their lakes and ponds are being sucked dry by blueberry irrigation pumps. Particularly concerned are camp owners on Schoodic Lake, a 389-acre lake… Read More
PORTLAND – A lawsuit filed Friday on behalf of three developmentally disabled adults seeks to force two state agencies to do a better job of providing services under the Medicaid program. Even after qualifying for assistance, the plaintiffs have faced delays of a year or… Read More
FRENCHVILLE – A 33-year veteran teacher in SAD 33 has been named director of the St. John Valley Technology Center. Conrad Cyr, who taught English, sociology and psychology at Wisdom High School, was named to replace David Keaton this week. Keaton resigned his position last… Read More
Waldo County Superior Court Seth J. Whited, 28, Unity, violation of privacy, six months jail, all but seven days suspended, one year probation, no contact with victim, prohibited from being within 100 yards of victim’s house; stalking, dismissed. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
WATERVILLE – A convicted molester who vowed to stay away from children four years ago was back in court Thursday to plead guilty to raping a 13-year-old boy and using a camera to record boys in a locker room. Brian Moreau, 33, was arrested last… Read More
BANGOR – Police on Friday continued their investigation into a stabbing on the city’s West Side that sent a Bangor man to the hospital with wounds to his chest and back. Mitchell Fernandez, 24, was treated at Eastern Maine Medical Center and released after he… Read More
When it came to meeting his obligations, from construction work he had been paid for to a court-ordered surrender to jail, 47-year-old Lloyd Bryant was nowhere to be found. Wanted in several Bangor-area communities, Bryant had eluded police for nearly three weeks and almost gave… Read More
Kate Baldacci of Bangor recently attended the American Legion Auxiliary’s 55th session of Girls Nation in the last week of July in Chevy Chase, Md. During the week, Baldacci’s accomplishments included being named Department of Treasury-director, Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Delegates also ran political… Read More
ORONO – Public hearings will top the agenda of the Town Council when it meets at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the municipal building. The topics are: . Amendments to the Land Use Ordinances. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
Notes from the world of adoption: . Hats off to Larry and Belinda Smith of Calais, who have adopted six foster children in the past five years. The busy couple started out as foster parents and, like many who take state foster children into their… Read More
AUGUSTA – MaineGeneral Medical Center’s second annual “Overcoming Barriers” Achievement Award nominations are being accepted through Aug. 31. Awards will be made in September. The award was established last year by MaineGeneral’s Rehabilitation Services Department to recognize those who through rehabilitation have overcome barriers to… Read More
GARLAND – Jacques and Deena Weinstein will open their tree farm for tours from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26, at Ernest Stone Field. The Weinsteins are Outstanding Tree Farmers for 2001. U.S. Rep. John Baldacci, candidate for Maine Governor, will attend, and… Read More
GREENVILLE – The Moosehead Historical Society will hold a bus trip to Quebec on Friday, Aug. 24, for a rail excursion on the Quebec Southern Railway and to Quebec City. Lunch will be held at Quebec City and the group will go to St. Marie… Read More
WATERVILLE – Hospice Volunteers of Waterville Area will hold two new bereavement support groups, the Grieving Parent Group from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays each month, and the Widow and Widowers Drop In Support Group, from 10 a.m. to noon on the second… Read More
PATTEN – The Patten Lumbermen’s Museum recently acquired a generous gift from writer and artist, Tom Hennessey. The donation is a series of three prints of Hennessey’s watercolors that commemorate the logging history of Maine. The museum will hold an unveiling of the prints at… Read More
WESTFIELD – The Seventh Annual Westfield Jubilee will be held Friday, Aug. 24, and Saturday, Aug. 25. Events will begin with ATV pulls at 6 p.m. Friday in the Westfield baseball field. The festivities begin with a parade and horseshoe games at 11 a.m. on… Read More
FORT KENT – The University of Maine at Fort Kent will hold Occupational Safety and Health Administration update training sessions from 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 14, at the UMFK Fox Auditorium. The morning session is for businesses, production and industrial… Read More
Presque Isle District Court Colleen Langley, 40, assault, filed. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0] googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
LIMESTONE – The Loring Applied Technology Center, one of seven such centers in Maine, will open its doors at the Loring Commerce Center next week. The center is a business incubator facility where technology-based businesses can develop while high overhead expenses are minimized. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
CARIBOU – The Northern Maine Development Corp. has received a $58,400 grant to assist solid-waste landfills and educate residents of Aroostook County on the benefits of recycling. The grant continues the work of a $60,000 grant received by the NMDC in 2000. With the money,… Read More
PROSPECT HARBOR – The Stinson Seafood sardine canning plant here, despite the recent closing of Stinson plants in Lubec and Belfast, is exploring the possibility of expanding its operations and hiring more employees. One of the primary issues with taking on more workers is housing,… Read More
ELLSWORTH – An 18-year-old Sullivan man who is accused of causing $50,000 in damage to a Sullivan home in April has had his bind-over hearing postponed from Aug. 10 to Aug. 24. Christopher Kidder, who is charged with the felony crimes of burglary and aggravated… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine Darling Marine Center in Walpole has received its eighth facility award from the National Science Foundation in 10 years, this time providing $200,000 to renovate and expand the center’s library. The project will include an addition to the first… Read More
CAMDEN – Few people would disagree that spending a day sailing on Penobscot Bay can help restore the mind, body and soul. With that in mind, a new nonprofit organization has formed to provide free day-sails for those fighting cancer or physical disabilities. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
MACHIAS – Five graduates of Machias Memorial High School have scored high enough on advanced placement exams to be given college credit for some of their high school courses, according to Principal Terry Atwood. Atwood said the students took the exams in May and recently… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – The Moosehead Manufacturers apologize for any inconvenience caused to visitors wishing to tour the Dover-Foxcroft plant Aug. 3. The tours were canceled due to a massive power outage and have been rescheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24. Tours will… Read More
TENANTS HARBOR – Four poets who spend summers here will give their fifth annual reading Saturday, Aug. 11, at the Jackson Memorial Library on Route 131. The poets – Jonathan Aldrich, Mary Burchenal, Elizabeth Gordon McKim and David Riley – have been published in Maine… Read More
WALDOBORO – An apparent drowning Wednesday at Storer Pond is under investigation, police Chief Leroy Jones said Friday. Kevin A. Mateczun, 16, of Bremen appears to have drowned at about 2:20 p.m., while swimming at the Storer Mountain Road pond, which is also known as… Read More
CAMDEN – Police are investigating a break-in at the Irving gas station on Elm Street discovered early Friday morning. Lt. Ron Campbell said the break-in occurred sometime between 8 p.m. Thursday, when the station closed, and 6 a.m. Friday. The glass door that opens into… Read More
CAMDEN – Four vehicles were vandalized in the parking lot of the River House Best Western, police reported. Side-view mirrors on the vehicles were broken off, Lt. Ron Campbell said. The vandalism was reported at 7 a.m. Friday. Read More
DEER ISLE – Maine humorist Tim Sample will appear at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, at the new, air-conditioned Deer Isle Stonington Elementary School Auditorium. The performance will benefit the work of the Blue Hill Society for Aid to Children, which operates two day camps… Read More
BELFAST – A man who led police on a short chase crashed into a telephone pole Thursday night. Chief Allen Weaver said Sgt. John Gibbs attempted to stop a vehicle for excessive noise near the intersection of Main and High streets at about midnight. The… Read More
OWLS HEAD – A group of residents represented by the Conservation Law Foundation has appealed the town planning board’s approval of an expansion of the Knox County Regional Airport. The appeal hinges on the meaning of the term “expansion,” with the appellants arguing that the… Read More
HERMON – Several teaching appointments will be on the school committee agenda when it meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the library at the high school. Four teachers will be hired at the high school level for art, foreign language, math and special education positions. Read More
ORONO – Any person with a disability who requires auxiliary aids or services to fully participate in the activities of the Orono Town Council should contact the town manager’s office at 866-2556 or TDD Relay at 1-955-3323 72 hours prior to a meeting. Read More
AUGUSTA – Using dental records, authorities recently confirmed what police investigators already had suspected, that the body found in the woods of Stetson earlier this month was that of a 60-year-old man missing from the area. An initial autopsy was not enough to identify the… Read More
TRENTON – A family of three from Pennsylvania was taken to the hospital with minor injuries Friday afternoon after their 2001 Jeep Cherokee drifted off the side of Route 3 and hit a telephone pole and an unoccupied van. Stewart Benson, 31, of Gouldsboro, Pa.,… Read More
BANGOR – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $70,000 Community Facility Direct Loan to the Aroostook Band of Micmacs. The funds are being made available through the USDA’s Rural Development Agency, according to U.S. Rep. John Baldacci, who serves on the House Agriculture… Read More
WELLS – A Clinton man was killed when his pickup truck was crushed between two bigger trucks in a pileup that tied up a busy stretch of the Maine Turnpike for eight hours on Friday. Dale Caverly, 27, was killed instantly when he was rear-ended… Read More
SCARBOROUGH – A South Portland man was killed when the fork lift he was operating tumbled over and pinned him underneath, police said. Curtis Thurston, 30, was working alone and no one saw the accident Thursday afternoon at William Goodman and Sons Wastepaper, said Scarborough… Read More
The State of Maine graduated 15 game wardens from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro on Friday, adding nine game wardens to the Warden Service and six tribal wardens. The graduation marks the culmination of 24 weeks of training that included a 12-week law… Read More
Known locally as the Bay Church, the Penobscot United Methodist Church has been serving the spiritual, social and civic needs of greater Penobscot-area residents and visitors for more than 150 years. Today, its members, including people such as Dorothy McMahan of Penobscot, are working with… Read More
The Graves family reunion will be held from Aug. 10 to Aug. 12 at the Dixmont Snowmobile Club in Dixmont. Bring something to share for lunch and the auction. There will also be a dunk tank, bounce house and games for all ages. For more information, contact Mary… Read More
BANGOR – Jason Stevens, 46, formerly of Canaan, was sentenced Friday to 27 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for making a false claim to a $5,211 income tax refund on his 1997 personal federal income tax return. The false… Read More
Across Maine, many folks had bags under their eyes as they dragged into the end of the hottest week of the summer with a glimmer of hope for a good night’s rest with falling temperatures. Mainers who faced another steamy day Friday relished the prospect… Read More
KITTERY – Two Boston parents have been charged with endangering the welfare of a minor after allegedly leaving their 4-year-old boy in a parked car while they went shopping. Alberto Morantes, 39, and his wife, Clara Morantes, 35, left the boy sleeping in the hot… Read More
BANGOR – The New England School of Communications, an affiliate of Husson College, will hold an open house at its new communications center from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, on the circle at Husson College. The public is invited to visit for… Read More
ALBION – The Maine Department of Transportation has advised that motorists using Route 202 in Albion should allow extra time and caution from Aug. 13 through late September while repairs are made to the Tannery Bridge. The roadway width will be narrowed to 11 feet… Read More
Parents of children enrolled in the Medicaid and Cub Care Programs are invited to Kids Health Care Quality and Access meetings at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15, at the Alfond Youth Center-Youth and Girls Club-YMCA in Waterville and at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 22, at the Consumers for… Read More
AUGUSTA – Gov. Angus King will appoint his military Aides-de-Camp as authorized by state law in a ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 14, at the Blaine House. These individuals, who are the statewide commanders of their respective veterans organizations, are appointed to the honorary… Read More
AUGUSTA – The King administration says state revenue for the fiscal year that ended June 30 topped projections by $32.6 million, more than enough to cover contingent spending agreed to by the governor and Legislature. Combined with departmental savings, the state ended fiscal 2001 with… Read More
THOMASTON – James Sanfilippo surely was smiling down on his family and friends Friday as they remembered him during a graveside service at the Village Cemetery. Sanfilippo, 36, died Sunday while fishing 130 miles off Cape Ann, Mass., on the Rockland-based herring trawler Starbound. The… Read More
BOSTON – A Canadian special operations team rappelled down the hull of a Russian-owned tanker Friday to scrape a paint sample that could determine if the tanker was involved in a fatal collision that killed three fishermen, a U.S. Coast Guard official said. The operation… Read More
BANGOR – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded more than $1.7 million to support projects in Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin and Washington counties. The grants will be used for a variety of purposes related to health care and education in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Read More
There comes a moment in every man’s life – a moment of perfect, enlightened, dumbfounding clarity – when he looks at himself, slaps himself upside the head (literally or figuratively, depending on his individual philosophy on corporal punishment), and starts asking questions that have no answers. Read More
Harbor officials in Southwest Harbor were on alert late Friday night as the boat and crew of an aborted trans-Atlantic record attempt were expected there Saturday morning, harbor master Joe LaChance said. The Team Adventure, a 122-foot-long catamaran co-skippered by Cam Lewis of Lincolnville, was… Read More
Twelve swimmers – from an Olympic gold medalist to casual swimmers – will swim for charity at the first Beach to Beach Swim for Breast Cancer Sunday. Starting at 6 a.m. the 12 entrants will participate in a relay between Jenkins and Violette’s beaches on… Read More
FALMOUTH – Eye on the prize. That’s the approach Jim Gilleon of Summerfield, Fla., is taking in his golf career. Doing well in one tournament allows a player the opportunity to compete some more. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
Starting at the end of the month, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is sponsoring four youth field days that give children ages 8-15 the chance to learn outdoor skills such as fishing, ATV riding and shooting. Space is limited at these events to… Read More
Deborah Morrison of Harmony and Robert Wood Sr. of Bangor emerged with top finishes at the 2001 World Horseshoe Pitching Tournament Aug. 4 in Hibbing, Minn. Wood won the men’s G2 Class with a win-loss record of 101/2-21/2 and a ringer percentage of 38.65. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
The Millennium Bassmasters of central Maine are sponsoring a fun fishing tournament with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Kennebec Valley on Saturday, Aug. 18. The tournament groups kids and their Big Brother or Sister with a bass club member to learn basic bass angling… Read More
HOLES-IN-ONE Mike Crosby googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0]… Read More
ST. AGATHA – Christa Lizotte scored an unassisted goal with 4:49 left in the first half to lift the Wisdom girls soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Washburn Friday as Aroostook County high schools opened their fall sports seasons. County schools stop play in September for harvest… Read More
BRISTOL, Conn. – Ben Mowzcan spun a one-hit shutout as South Burlington, Vermont, cruised by Lincoln County 10-0 in the Eastern Regional Little League tournament Friday. South Burlington and Damariscotta both finished pool play with 1-3 records. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
PORTLAND – Maine’s two Republican senators applauded President Bush’s decision Thursday to approve federal funding for limited medical research on stem cells, but one lawmaker expressed disappointment with the limited decision. “I believe the potential benefits of human pluripotent stem cell research must be explored… Read More
?Art is never chaste.? ? Pablo Picasso Some theme shows in the art world seem obvious. Georgia O’Keeffe’s flowers or Winslow Homer’s seascapes, for instance. That a current traveling exhibition detailing 75 years of Picasso’s erotic works – earmarked as one of this year’s hottest… Read More
A VOYAGE FOR MADMEN. By Peter Nichols, HarperCollins, N.Y., 2001, 290 pages, $26. You’ve probably heard the rather derisory phrase, “About as exciting as a sailboat race,” meaning dull with a capital D. It’s not true, not true at all. You’ll know why when you… Read More
According to recent U.S. Census statistics, Maine is the whitest state around. Fortunately our children’s literature has begun to boast real ethnic diversity. The illustrations of our own Enrique O. Sanchez add warm coffee and chocolate tints to our state’s literary skin color in a wide range of… Read More
THE MAINE MULCH MURDER, A. Carman Clark, The Larcom Press, 2001, 228 pages, $22. “The Maine Mulch Murder” opens with a mundane errand done by a seemingly ordinary woman. Sixty-year-old Amy Creighton goes to the local mill to help herself to the free sawdust she… Read More
DARK HOLLOW by John Connolly, Simon & Schuster, 2000, 443 pages, $25. Now here’s a murky mystery about a serial killer, laid in Scarborough. The protagonist is a former cop, Charlie “Bird” Parker, whose wife and daughter have been killed. He has some weird friends… Read More
AFRICA IS NOT A COUNTRY. Written by Margy Burns Knight and Mark Melnicove, illustrated by Anne Sibley O’Brien, The Millbrook Press, Brookfield, Conn., 2000, 40 pages, $24.90. Thomas and his father travel over snow covered paths by pony to go to market and visit friends… Read More
RACING THE PAST by Sis Deans, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 2001, 151 pages, $15.95. Many spend their lives running from the past, but Maine writer Sis Deans has created a character that is able to put a more competitive spin on things –… Read More
BLUE HILL – Daniel E. Cutshall has been appointed youth pastor of the First Baptist Church of Blue Hill. Cutshall, a native of Michigan, has lived in the Ellsworth-Blue Hill area with his wife Amy and son Isaiah since 1999. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
BANGOR – Grace Evangelical Seminary will offer its first classes starting Sept. 10 at Bangor Christian Schools on outer Broadway with a faculty of five pastors from churches in Penobscot, Hancock and Washington counties. Dedication services will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7. Read More
My heart goes out to all the men and women affected by the recent mill closings and other facilities as well. Maine seems to be particularly hard hit by this economic downturn. This would seem an opportune time to revitalize the windmill project. Many of… Read More
I found a short article in the business section of your Aug. 1 edition disturbing. Many of your readers may have missed it; it was titled, “Tax cut, weak economy could force government to borrow $51 billion,” and it was next to an unrelated picture of purple ketchup. Read More
I had a flat tire several weeks ago. It was a cold and windy day and I had to park on the narrow shoulder of the Maine Turnpike. The cold wind from the passing vehicles could almost knock you down. I was alone and had no cellphone to… Read More
The north shore of Mount Desert Island, Salisbury Cove past Hulls Cove, is different from other portions of the island coast. With mature mixed forest down to the natural, essentially unmarred shore, it does not deserve a 165-foot pier, ramp and float piercing its beach. Read More
I agree with Ted Elliott (BDN, Aug. 6) concerning the current situation at Baxter State Park. A few years ago, I was turned back at the gate because the trailhead of the mountain I wanted to climb began at a campground that was already full. Luckily, a few… Read More
Robert Hanssen, the former FBI agent, pleaded guilty to spying for Moscow and according to Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson, the death penalty would be waived if he cooperates with prosecutors, and also his wife would get his pension. Isn’t there something wrong with this… Read More
We would like to commend the town of Crystal for the wonderful celebration for their 100th year. It was one of the most organized, best times we have attended. The food was great and the entertainment was super. Everyone worked together so well and so… Read More