First, I wish to thank all of you that have filled out our surveys over the past many months. Your answers helped us understand what you want to read about in our paper, and we have made changes in response to them. You have helped us make the Coastal Journal a better publication. Thank you again.

I recently attended a seminar that was part of the Business Icon Series at the Lincoln Home, a beautiful independent and assisted living community in Newcastle right on the Damariscotta River’s edge. John Reny, son of founder R.H. Reny and current President of Reny’s Department Stores, spoke about some of the history of his family’s very successful business. It was a light-hearted, fun chat, and I learned a few new things. 

I have often heard that people will go to a big box store only when they can’t find something at a locally owned business like Reny’s. This issue came up in the question-and-answer period. However, John said Reny’s can often get what people want even if it isn’t in the particular store. Reny’s has a huge storage facility in Newcastle, and some of the other stores besides Camden, Bath and Damariscotta are actually quite large and have far more merchandise on their shelves. They can often get what we want if we only ask for it. 

Here we are, the beginning of the major holidays for the year. It is early Sunday morning and I am excited about the whole thing. My wife and I are going to make a list for food shopping and plan for Thanksgiving, which is in just a few days. My brother, his wife and their two young children are coming Wednesday for a few days from Long Island, New York. Their youngest is named Jenna Marie, after my mother (Jenny) and her maternal grandmother, who has passed. Jenna is only three months old, and it will be wonderful to have that infant spirit in our home again. My mother, who lives with us, lights up when her grandchildren are around. And since she doesn’t see my brother and his family often, this will be particularly sweet for her. 

Thanksgiving has always had exceptional meaning for me. My maternal grandmother, Grandma Mitzi, was born on Thanksgiving, and had a profound impact on the lives of my sister Lauren and I, even though she died when I we were only in our teens. My brother didn’t know her as well, since he is nine years younger than I. She was philosophical and wise, a great mentor. In the years following her death, I made sure to always toast her on Thanksgiving Day with all my family and friends around. For the past several years, the family has come to my home for the holiday, and I have created traditions specific to it, giving thanks in her honor. 

I love live theater. I’m not sure I know why. It somehow seems to expand my life, deepen my understanding of the human experience – not analytically, but in some ineffable way. 

Growing up in a Long Island suburb about 60 miles from New York City, I didn’t have much opportunity for exposure to live theater. Long Island is not culturally rich like NYC is, or like midcoast Maine, for that matter. My folks didn’t have much money either, so that made it even less accessible. But here in the midcoast, we have an abundance of theater, and much of it is actually quite affordable, for nearly any budget. 

I took my daughter Olivia to the Waldo Theatre in Waldoboro recently and saw “Beauty and the Beast, Jr.” All the actors were school children. It was delightful. We both thoroughly enjoyed it, and tickets were only $5 for children and $10 for adults. All profits go to maintaining and enhancing the theater, a blessing in our community. Days later, I asked Olivia what she thought of the play, and she said “It was awesome!” I asked her what was awesome about it, and she said she loved the acting of the beast, and learned to feel sorry for him. 

She got it. The story is a classic for a reason. It is about something, a lesson about life, how we view and treat one another, or at least how we ought to. I usually enjoy any story that makes me think, and again, there’s just something about live theater.