| September 2009 Reader Mail |
ASK, RANT OR PRAISE, BUT NEVER IGNORE
This is the heart of our web site, the place where readers reign. So many of the best ideas come from you. But don't forget that we need you to subscribe to our email NEWSLETTER. And more, we need you to tell your friends to sign up. That's how we measure our success and draw in our advertisers who pay for this all to happen -- in our 13th year.
ANOTHER DEAD PUBLICATION
Did you ever see "The Fishwrapper" that was published sometime in the 1980s? Small format, maybe photocopied. Don't have any idea who published it, probably someone who was a graduate student at UNH, as it had an odd mix of expose-type articles about UNH, plus a lot of stuff about small music groups of the type that used to play at the Stone Church in Newmarket. Don't think it lasted more than a couple years. I always figured that whoever produced it, finally graduated!. (Read about many more dead Seacoast publications here.)
Jim Cerny
WENTWORTH WAITER MEETS KENNEDY
I still get the random email from people who think they have recognized themselves within the pages of [Sue’s self-published novel] "Wentworth By the Sea, 1969" -- and often they are right. They also supply me with wonderful vignettes and photos that could be -- should be -- yet another volume. Here is one of those photos. The young waiter is Loren Durant. The "young cub" is Teddy Kennedy. (See anopther Ted Kennedy photo here)
I am seeing my book (and yours) turn up on eBay now and then -- I haven't adjusted to that emotionally, but I guess it is a good thing. The more who read it, the merrier! You set me on the path of self-publishing and I now have eight books, all very different genres, out there...which buys me a great deal of satisfaction.
Sue Chapman Melanson, South Hiram, Maine
UNH NO LONGER RUNS PARK GARDENS
This morning while out for a walk with a friend, we wandered through the gardens and met a staff gardener. We got on the subject of what we all think of as the UNH gardens where all the flowers are in neat rows and are labeled. She told us how UNH is not involved any longer and hasn't been for years, but that that myth is perpetuated daily by many, including myself. So I think we need to set the record straight....maybe in your weekly Herald column and the newsletter....perhaps a history of the gardens and how UNH was involved but is no longer. I think the public needs to know who takes care of them. It is such an incredibly beautiful part of the City. Also, very excited about the Lynx...we saw it in Rockland during construction and met the owner as well. it would be great to have it here, especially if it could be docked at Prescott Park. Thanks for the newsletter.
Natalie at Tugboat Alley
AUTHOR OF AUTHOR CARDS 
Dennis, I actually did some added card decks for U.S. Games Systems of Stamford, CT and its owner, Stuart Kaplan, about 15 years ago. I did decks on American Authors, Children's Authors, Inventors, Explorers and the like. I spent hundreds of hours on each card deck writing a tiny story line for each 4-card unit, choosing books/events and people's names, and the like. Fortunately, I worked at a research library at the time. I also had to submit tiny symbols for the tops of each card, which took a huge amount of time. It was a labor of love. No wonder I never took morning or lunch breaks. A Russian artist did most of the portraits of famous people, but he sadly died in his early 50s. I clearly remember the day Mr. Kaplan called me and told me of the death. (See more on Author Cards here)
Best wishes, Thomas C. Claire
READER DEFENDS GHOSTS
I just read your Paranormal Husksters blog. You sounded like someone in the bone ages who squawked about cutting edge science in the old days. Paranormal investigations are just starting to be taken seriously by major universities. Is the methodology perfect yet? No, but certain groups are making attempts at understanding the world of energy which is cutting edge right now. We know the earth is round not flat because certain people (called crazy in their day) were willing to risk their reputations to get a better understanding of the mysteries of life.
We know from stories throughout history that ghosts or paranormal activities exist. Why not use what we have at the moment to investigate these occurrences and see if we can gain a better understanding of what is going on energetically? If we can uncover some aspects of the mystery of death, perhaps it would give some people peace about dying. Look at paranormal investigations as being in the infancy stage of moving the science of death forward--which doesn't really have to be a mystery. It's all about quantum physics and energy. Keep an open mind. The 21st century will be the age of Energy...how we power our homes, cars, and gaining an understanding about the energy of life. Look at the work being done in Cern, Switzerland. There is a direct connection between that project and the paranormal.
Thank you for your hard work in researching the history of my favorite city. We can agree to disagree on this point...but I hope you keep an open mind in the future. Maybe you should think about going on an investigation to get a better idea of how it works before judging it. Other than reading your horoscope in the newspaper (which is nonsense), study the science of astrology in depth. You may be surprised when you dig deeper--as you do with your research of history. You would be surprised how many highly educated people in Portsmouth study and use astrology. Very surprised.
Robin Rousseau, CPA
SEEKING SQUALUS
It has been brought to my attention that you have made a movie about the Squalus. Where can this be seen? I am a direct descendant of a Navy Master diver involved in the rescue of the 33 men, James E. Baker. I was honored last evening at a reunion banquet of the USS HALFBEAK, in Groton, CT. I shared the pictures and information with those in attendance at the banquet; documentation that is over 70.
Name not provided
EDITOR’S REPLY: We did not make the movie. We posted an article and some pictures about the movie made years ago called SUBMERGED. As far as we know it has never been made commercially available, although sometimes appears on TV and may be owned by the USA network.
MORE SHOALS DESCENDANTS
I have been told by my father many years ago, that my grand father's people are from the Isles of Shoals. I was told that my grand father was a lobsterman from the Portsmouth area, but we have been told of a connection with the Isles. My dad has passed away back in the late 70's, but my nephew was asking about the family history. My dad had been a ward of the state of NH as a kid, my grand mother had passed and my dad, his 2 brothers and a sister were taken in by the state. How would I go about finding info to pass on to my nephew? Any help would be greatly appreciated. (ED NOTE: We forwarded this letter to ISHRA, the Isle of Shoals Historic Research Assoc.)
Marilyn (Caswell) Walker
SEEKING SAM WALTER FOSS
I have been researching Mr. Foss for about a month now. I purchased an old copy - I think it is a first edition -of Whiffs and while at the time of the purchase it was for the beauty of the binding and that there was an inscription and photo glued inside. I purchased 20 books at the time and really didn't know what I had picked up until I got home. It was a personally inscribed copy of the book signed by Foss. " To Florence May Wynan ? (writing is difficult to read) with sincere regards of Mr. & Mrs. Sam Walter Foss Oct 14. 1908 and the photo is of Foss and it is dated in his writing May 1899. In your article you stated that photos of Foss were rare. I don't know too much about him, and I have had a hard time finding a signed copy of any of his books. If you have any info for me, I would appreciate it. Would love to know more about his life, especially at the time of the photo.
Elizabeth Donen
EDITOR’S REPLY: My piece about Sam Walter Foss is pretty much the summary of what I know, although the research continues. One of my nutty goals is to bring his work back into the light. Although there are few pictures of him, the one or two that are published are widely distributed in the front of his popular poetry books, all of which are out of print, but easily available on used book web sites.