12 Days in China: A Reporter’s Perspective

By Devin Beliveau
Staff Columnist

(Editor’s note: Weekly Sentinel Columnist Devin Beliveau recently traveled to China. This article is the first in a series that detail his thoughts and impressions about the world’s most populous country.)
On the complete opposite side of the globe lies the most populous nation in the world, the 1.3 billion strong People’s Republic of China. Often dubbed as the world’s next superpower, China in 2009 is a country that clings to its cultural traditions while also cautiously reaching out to the global economy. For 12 days I was lucky enough to travel around China, the largest country in Asia. This article is the first of 3 articles that will document a snapshot of my observations and experiences in this huge, complicated and rapidly changing communist country, beginning in the capital of Beijing.
Before passengers can even take off their seatbelts following the 13-hour flight from Newark, New Jersey to Beijing, several government officials in white hazardous-material suits board the plane to take the temperature of everyone on board. An airport quarantine area awaits any passenger with symptoms of the H1N1 flu (Swine Flu).
The first thing one notices once off the plane is the heat. In July in Beijing the temperature rarely drops below 90 degrees. The Chinese women make a concerted effort to stay out of the sun. Since the traditional Chinese ideal of beauty is a porcelain-white skin color, most women carry an umbrella while walking down the street to shade themselves from the intense summer sun. The preferred method for men to beat the heat is to pull up one’s shirt to the belly button area and walk around bare-bellied.
There are far fewer bicycles lining the streets of Beijing than one might expect. This is due to the recent expansions of the Beijing subway system in the ramp-up to the 2008 Summer Olympic games. The capital’s subway is now a clean, modern and efficient system that covers the whole city. It even has direct rides to the airport, and the average price equates to only 30 American cents.
Another big difference was the widespread conversion from the public “squat” toilets to the western sitting toilets. Spitting in public, once a national Chinese pastime, had all but disappeared from the Beijing streets thanks to the government’s pre-Olympics anti-public-spitting campaign. Another big change is simply the overall cleanliness of the city, a development designed to better impress the thousands of international visitors that poured in for the 2008 summer games. It is a much cleaner city than one would expect for a city of over 15 million people.
Air pollution remains a problem in Beijing. Because of the polluted air, the current H1N1 flu pandemic, and the recent history of airborne sicknesses such as SARS, it is very common to see people wearing facemasks to protect themselves as they go about their day. The water situation is not any better. It is common knowledge that people should not drink straight from the tap.
English is everywhere in Beijing. Business signs, road signs, subway signs and consumer products all usually include English along with Chinese, thereby making Beijing an American-friendly city. English-speaking travelers will be pleasantly surprised at the ease with which one can navigate through Beijing’s numerous streets, subways and historic tourist attractions.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has run China’s government since 1949. The CCP has implemented policies that would certainly surprise most American visitors. On international television channels such as CNN, it is commonplace for TVs to suddenly go black. This is the government simply censoring a story it does not deem appropriate for Chinese viewers. Indeed, the CCP employs 30,000 censors to monitor television and the internet.
Last week on the news a man was arrested for signing a pro-democracy petition. As there is no right to free speech, especially when challenging the government, this also is not an uncommon occurrence. The only English newspaper usually available is the China Daily, and since the government prints it, it is difficult to believe that it is always unbiased accurate reporting.
Beijing appears to be in flux. On one hand visitors see the age-old Chinese traditions, culture and history throughout the city. And on the other hand visitors see the arrival of global businesses en masse, the impressive Olympic upgrades, and almost all signs in English. And while the government has certainly loosened its grip on controlling the economy in recent years, it remains omnipresent in the daily lives of Chinese citizens. Whatever direction it’s heading in, Beijing is certainly an intriguing place to visit.
(Next week will feature a story on China’s turbulent history, and then a personal narrative of the reporter’s 12-day family trip throughout northeast China.)
Photo caption: Staff Columnist Devin Beliveau on the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu. (Courtesy photo)

1600s French and Indian Encampmentto be Presented at Counting House Museum

SOUTH BERWICK—
A living history presentation of a Native American and French encampment will be held on Saturday, July 18, at the town’s riverfront museum and park.
Sponsored by the Old Berwick Historical Society, owner of the Counting House Museum, the program is free to all ages and runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Presentations will be held rain or shine at the museum and at nearby Counting House Park along the Salmon Falls River, a spot known for generations as Quamphegan Landing.
Interpreters Ken Hamilton, Jamie Foote, John Santos and Garret MacAdams will show visitors examples of equipment, clothing and Native and French culture typical of the period around 1690.
In the late 1600s, during a conflict known as King William’s War, French and Native war parties attacked English settlers in the area of today’s South Berwick, then known as Quamphegan. Among the homes believed destroyed in such a raid was that of Thomas Holmes, whose mill stood at Quamphegan falls near the site of the history presentation, and Humphrey Chadbourne, who operated a sawmill near today’s Leigh’s Mill Pond. Archaeological artifacts from the Chadbourne homestead are displayed at the Counting House Museum.
“We will interpret a military flying camp as well as the Native fur trade, fishing and hunting culture of the ‘half Indianized’ French and ‘half Frenchified’ Indians,” Hamilton explained.
He said today’s South Berwick and Rollinsford, N.H., on both sides of the Salmon Falls, were once a Wabanaki or “East/Dawn Land” center for seasonal habitation, fishing, and canoe travel. English colonization and settlement forever altered the traditional access and use of this important area.
“European wars between the English and French then gave the displaced descendants of the original Native families the opportunity to ally with the French and retaliate against the loss of this important part of their original homeland and its resources (critical during fish runs, canoe routes and portages, etc.), and avenge grievances against the vulnerable, remote English settlements and habitations,” Hamilton said.
As a natural water/canoe highway system, the area’s connecting rivers, lakes and bays made Quamphegan both a natural/automatic target and “pit stop” for French invasions and raiding parties, especially when the rivers froze. French raiders were accompanied by “local” Native guides.
Raids on our area in March 1690 and on Haverhill in August 1708 were led by a Frenchman named Hertel de Rouville. Retreating French and Native raiders from the Haverhill attack set up a rear guard counter ambush on pursuing militia at the Salmon Falls bridge.
More information on living history events and all the society’s programs is available by calling (207) 384-0000, writing info@obhs.net, or logging on to www.obhs.net.
Photo caption: The living history presentation of a Native American and French encampment will display equipment, clothing and Native and French culture typical of the period around 1690. (Courtesy photo)

Historic Former Factory Will Provide Affordable Homes for the Elderly

NORTH BERWICK—
In its glory vanguard days, the Olde Woolen Mill building used steam power to manufacture woolen blankets for the Union Army during the Civil War. The mill closed in 1955 and, with the exception of it being used as a set location during the filming of Jumanji in 1995, the building has mostly been vacant until recently when The Caleb Foundation bought the property to redevelop into affordable housing for the elderly. This innovative reuse of a historic property is the first preservation project funded by Maine's State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program signed into law last year.
In September, residents will be moving into 40 newly created apartments in the rehabilitated Olde Woolen Mill, a centerpiece of the community overlooking the Great Works River, the town green and town hall. Once the largest employer in town, it is now the largest complex of affordable housing for elders with 33 one-bedroom and seven two-bedroom apartments. And whereas the building was at one time powered by one of the earliest steam engines in the country, it is now powered, in part, by green technology, including solar panels that will provide enough non-polluting energy to heat hot water. The property has a patio in the back that overlooks the river, offers a walking path along the river to local residents for fishing and recreation and is easy walking to town services and local shops.
The complex, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, also boasts a community center where the steam engine will be on display. There will be an exhibit on the historical role of the property in the Civil War and in the community open to the public periodically. In 1995, the landmark Greek Revival style building was used as the Parrish Shoes Factory for the filming of Jumanji.
The Olde Woolen Mill is an important reminder of the very beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. Manufacturing operations were powered by one of the first steam engines in the country, housed in the basement, along with a floor to ceiling flywheel that powered the looms. The river water was diverted into the base of the building via a dam and fed a boiler, which turned the water into steam energy. The steam engine and the Bell Tower remain intact and are part of the preservation and reuse of a neglected, but historically valuable, property. The town, for example, will continue to be able to ring the Bell Tower to celebrate 4th of July, as has been community tradition.
The Woolen Mill was built in 1832 by John Lang and in 1850, William “Friend” Hill, a Quaker, became Lang’s partner and principal owner. In 1861, the original wooden building was burned to the ground, but was quickly rebuilt with locally made bricks and the company was commissioned to weave blue woolen blankets for the Union Army. Friend Hill found himself in a precarious position, since, like his fellow Quakers, he was committed both to peace, but also the equality of mankind. Quakers were among the earliest abolitionists.
“We are thankful for the support of the North Berwick community and we are grateful to Maine State Housing Authority, TD Banknorth, Key Bank and Northern New England Housing Investment Fund for funding the acquisition, construction and operations of this project. We believe this innovative reuse of such a historic property will be an asset to the community and lives up to the vision that legislators had in mind when they passed the Maine State Historic Tax legislation last year,” says Debra Nutter, Executive Director of The Caleb Group and The Caleb Foundation.
The Caleb Foundation operates 2,000+ units of affordable housing at 22 facilities in four New England states, including residences in Bangor, Lewiston, Portland, Old Orchard Beach and Saco, Maine. The Caleb Foundation, a non-profit organization, has created and maintained homes for low-income residents since 1992. Its affiliate, The Caleb Group, was created to connect families, elderly and disabled residents with services in order to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency.
As part of the resources provided to residents of the Olde Woolen Mill, a Caleb service coordinator will be on staff and on site at the complex. Anyone who is age 55 or older with a yearly income of $27,000 to $39,000 depending on the number of people in the apartment is eligible. For more information about apartment availability or to submit an application, contact Nancy Huffman at (781) 595-4665 or visit www.thecalebfoundation.org.

Photo caption: he newly renovated Olde Woolen Mill building in North Berwick. (Courtesy Photo)

Exemplary WOCSD Volunteer ofthe Year Announced

WELLS—
The Wells Ogunquit Community School District held the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. This event is held near the end of the school year to thank the District’s many volunteers for their multitude of hours of service assisting students and staff throughout the school year. The event is arranged by Maryanne Foley, Community Resource Coordinator.
At the breakfast it was announced that Carolyn Beecher was selected to be recognized as the District’s Exemplary Volunteer for the 2008-09 school year. Beecher has been volunteering at Wells Elementary School for the past nine years in Kindergarten and Grade 2. School children look forward to seeing her and listening to the classic children’s story that she has selected to read to them.
Mrs. Beecher, known to the students as “Nana,” also helps with the judging process for the District’s Literary Achievement Awards Contest and the Literary Achievement Awards Ceremony. She even helps out with the set-up and clean up for the Volunteer Breakfast.
Mrs. Beecher’s name will be added to the Exemplary Volunteer Plaque that hangs in a hallway at Wells Elementary School.
School volunteers vary in age and do many different things in the District’s schools. Volunteers come from the community or, according to Foley, many volunteers are school students in the District. Foley said that some volunteers turn out to be members of the School Committee.
Donations for the breakfast were obtained from Hannaford in Wells, Congdon’s Doughnuts Family Restaurant and Dunkin’ Donuts in Wells.

Photo caption: From left – At left is WOCSD Community Resource Coordinator Maryanne Foley. Next to her is the 2009 Exemplary Volunteer of the Year, Carolyn “Nana” Beecher. They are standing outside of Wells Elementary School. (Reg Bennett photo).

Groups Applaud Commitment to Help Close Medicare Part D Coverage Gap

PORTLAND—
Several Maine health groups applauded the agreement reached last weekend by the White House, Senate Finance Committee and the nation’s pharmaceutical research companies to help seniors pay for their prescription medicines during the Medicare Part D coverage gap, also known as the “doughnut hole.”
“This is a huge step toward national health care reform,” said Susan Rowan, Executive Director of the Maine Cancer Foundation. “The commitment to close the coverage gap for affected Part D beneficiaries will be an enormous help to thousands of seniors in Maine who have prescription drug coverage thru Medicare and fall into the coverage gap.”
“This is a truly meaningful step in the right direction toward relieving health care costs,” said Jim Phipps, Executive Director of the Iris Network, which serves thousands of older people in Maine who are visually impaired or blind. “Thousands of Maine Medicare Part D beneficiaries are going to see real savings on their prescription costs thanks to this voluntary agreement.”
Although the Medicare prescription benefit program has been a tremendous success for the vast majority of seniors, the coverage gap has posed a challenge to some. Specifically, pharmaceutical companies will provide a 50 percent discount to most beneficiaries on brand-name medicines covered by a patient’s Part D plan when purchased in the coverage gap.
Additionally, under the agreement the entire negotiated price of the Part D covered medicine purchased in the coverage gap would count toward the beneficiary’s out-of-pocket costs, thus lowering their total out-of-pocket spending. Importantly, the proposal would not require any additional paperwork on the part of the beneficiary nor would an asset test be used for eligibility.
Currently, Medicare beneficiaries fall into the coverage gap after spending $2,700 on prescription medicines, of which Medicare pays 75 percent. With the exception of Part D beneficiaries who qualify for the low-income subsidy, there is no drug coverage after $2,700 until a patient reaches $6,100 in prescription costs, after which Medicare pays 100 percent of a patient’s drug costs.

Escaped New York Times Reporter’sFamily Issues Statement

David Rohde, the New York Times reporter who escaped seven months of captivity by the Taliban in Pakistan last week, has ties to the area. His parents reside in Kennebunk. They issued the following statement through Edelman Public Affairs.

Statement from the Family of David Rohde:
It is hard to describe the enormous relief we felt at hearing the news of David's escape and knowing he is safe. Every day during these past seven months, we have hoped and prayed for this moment.


We continue to be grateful for the generous support from so many around the world including The Times, the media, private consultants, the U.S. State and Defense Departments, as well as the governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere.


To the countless others who were generous with their thoughts, prayers and counsel, we extend our heartfelt thanks.


As we eagerly await reuniting with David, we ask that our family's privacy be respected at this time.

South Berwick’s 33rd Strawberry FestivalSet for June 27

SOUTH BERWICK—
Strawberry Festival has gone green!
The Strawberry Festival Committee is pleased to announce that they will serve their Strawberry Shortcake and Cheesecake on biodegradable bowls, plates and spoons. These items are made out of sugar cane called Bagasse tableware. Bagasse is the biomass remaining after sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract their juices.
Always the last Saturday in June, this year the festival will be on 27 June 2009. The South Berwick Strawberry Festival officially kicks off summer for this quaint, southern Maine town. The kids are out of school, camps are open and the weather is getting warm. All over town one can see the bright red, white, and green strawberry flags that not only line the main streets, but can also be seen flying from many houses. The day is filled with food, entertainment, games, and crafts.
For thirty-three consecutive years, hundreds of volunteers from South Berwick have come together to put together a South Berwick tradition. As always, official Festival activities will take place only on the grounds of Central School, on Main Street, in the center of town. A stop at the Strawberry Festival Information Booth is a must to find out more about the day’s schedule for the entertainers, as well as where all the various activities are located and to purchase strawberry festival memorabilia.
Preparation of the strawberries start on Friday, the morning before the Festival at the Community Center, where over a hundred and fifty volunteers get together for a good old fashioned social to hull, slice, and sugar the berries. Other volunteers get to the day of the Festival early to slice the biscuits, prepare the whipped cream and move everything under the Strawberry Shortcake tent so all will be ready for the Festival goers when it opens at 10 a.m. Things stay pretty busy for the entire Festival that calls it quits at 4 p.m.
On the Friday before the Festival, there will be a roast beef supper hosted by our local First Parish Federated Church, from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Old Fashioned Trolleys: Running every 20 minutes, there will be old-fashioned trolleys, which will provide free transportation to the Festival from parking locations at Marshwood Great Works School on Route 236, Community Center on Norton Street, Powder House Hill, and Agamenticus Field.
Strawberry Tent and Food: Strawberry shortcakes have always been a favorite of the Festival. They will begin serving at 10 a.m. until we run out. Last year we served up over 4,000 pounds of fresh strawberries, several dozen gallons of whipped cream and over 500 dozen biscuits. Strawberry cheesecake has also been added to the menu and complimented with, you guessed it, strawberries. The costs of these items are only $4.
In addition to shortcakes and cheesecakes there is also a huge food court. There will be a pancake breakfast from 6 – 10 a.m. Throughout the day there will be other various food items sold by local non-profit groups. The Fire Dept. will be selling hamburgers, hot dogs, fries and cold drinks. The Community Pantry will be serving up frozen lemonade. Knights of Columbus with fried dough, Masons with chicken BBQ and other assorted non-profit groups serving sandwich wraps, teriyaki, nachos, fruit cups, cotton candy and water.
Road Race: The day’s activities begin at 8 a.m. with a 5-mile road race and 2.5 mile fun walk, sponsored by the South Berwick Recreation Department and local businesses. It kicks off from Marshwood Middle School on Academy Street.
Entertainment: Throughout the day, a variety of entertainers from around the area will be performing on two stages set up around the grounds.
At the Central School Field Stage, Todd Wellington, professional silly person, gets things going at 9 - 11 a.m.; Women of Note, a cappella group at 11:30 – 1 p.m.; the Schaff Brothers at 2 - 4 p.m.
At the food court stage, Chronic Jazz Syndrome at 9 – 10:30 a.m.
Northern Explosion Cloggers, a great group of cloggers, at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m.; Funky Diva’s of Gospel at 2 - 4 p.m.
In the field area from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Wildlife Encounters. For the kids there will be a climbing wall, pony rides, a giant tiger slide, dunking booths, exotic animals’ exhibition and much more.
Crafts: Over 110 juried artisans will be on hand to display and sell their hand-made wares, including clothing, pottery, wood products, jewelry, paintings, photographs, candles, jams and dips, furniture, and much, much more. These crafters will be located both at the side of Central School and in the area around the food court.
Remember be kind to your pets and have them stay in the coolness of your home.
Web Site: www.southberwickstrawberryfestival.com
Photo caption: This year's Strawberry Festival Logo. (Courtesy Photo)