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Good morning,
Today we recognize Presidents Day, fittingly scheduled between the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln — the Great Emancipator — on Feb. 12 and George Washington — the Father of our Country — on Feb 22.
February is also Black History Month. Unfortunately, some of that history is at risk of being lost, as some stories of Black Americans are being stripped from national historic sites.
One such narrative belongs to Ona Judge, a slave born around 1774 who belonged to Martha Washington, wife of the president-to-be. Ona's mother was a house slave and her father was a white indentured servant and Washington's personal tailor for eight years.
In 1796, Ona escaped the Washington household in Philadelphia with the aid of a 1780 Pennsylvania law that any enslaved person brought into the state for six months would be considered free.
She fled to New England, married and raised a family. But the Washingtons always considered her to be their property. It was only after George Washington died in 1799 that Ona was no longer in danger of being seized by slave hunters.
In 2021, a historical marker sharing the story of Ona's flight to freedom was unveiled at Mount Vernon, the Washington family's plantation in Virginia. Just last month, however, the exhibit of her life was removed from the site.
There are plenty of books about Ona Judge. One is "My Name is Ona Judge," a young adult novel by Suzette D. Harrison. I read it a couple of years ago. It is $3.99 on Amazon; free if you have Kindle Unlimited.
Among others, there is also "Never Caught: The Washingtons Relentless Pursuit of their Runaway Slave ONA JUDGE," a biography and National Book Award finalist written by Rutgers University Professor Erica Armstrong Dunbar. I have download this book to read as my annual observance of Presidents Day and Black History Month.
If held in bondage, would you use any possible means to escape? Would you want people to know your story? I think I would!
Thanks for reading,
Nicole Carter |
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Fans react as Bethel native Nathan Pare competes in the snowboard cross at the 2026 Winter Olympics last week. Gould Academy students and faculty watched the race at the Kailey Snow Sports Center at Sunday River. Moments later, below, Pare was disqualified in the quarterfinal round for making contact with another rider. (Rose Lincoln/Staff Writer) |
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MORE NEWS |
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Residents of Norway Commons have asked the Norway Select Board to issue an immediate and retroactive six-month moratorium on lot fee increases and develop an ordinance to regulate future increases.
Nineteen Oxford Hills high school students were suspended after parents were told their children were being disciplined in connection with the harassment and intimidation of a student.
An open house is being held to celebrate the area’s first sober house in Woodstock, where Mary Ellen and Marc Montplaisir have been renovating the nearly completed Chris’ Haven at 47 Old County Road for eight months.
A Brownville family’s food pantry for deer is a YouTube hit, but wildlife experts aren’t fans. While thousands watch a Maine family feed the growing group of deer in their yard, some wonder if the animals actually need the help.
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NSB Commits $20,000 to CrossWalk Community Outreach!
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NSB is pleased to announce a $20,000 commitment to CrossWalk Community Outreach as it completes the transition to its new Naples home! CrossWalk assists residents in five towns, providing over 15,000 pounds of monthly food donations to more than 400 local families, free meals, a community garden, services for veterans and seniors, a clothing closet, a back-to- school backpack program, resource referrals, and so much more. Hear from CrossWalk leadership and learn the many ways the organization is helping people in need beyond basic necessities: www.norwaysavings.bank/press_news/cco26.
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Use the buttons below to see news from a specific community. |
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THINGS TO DO |
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Are you a homeschool family and looking for some mid-day outdoor fun?
Come join Norway Recreation on Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon for the Home School Ice Skating Program. Bring your own skates or borrow a pair for free.
Community Art Day, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2-5 p.m. Join us at Lights Out for a Sunday Community Art Afternoon. This weekly time is open for everyone to convene, make new friends, and make arts and crafts with other people. Supplies for a community drawing are available to use. We also welcome and encourage people to bring their projects. Check out the calendar online.
Community Potluck Supper, Feb. 19, 6 p.m., Wilkins House. A wonderful community tradition and way to make new friends. To participate just bring a main dish, salad, side dish or dessert. Beverages provided. All are welcome to come and bring someone new. Call Nancy Engdahl at 583-6677. |
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THE WAY IT WAS IN OXFORD HILLS |
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It's Black History Month and here is a Oxford Hills resident we profiled four years ago. Hector Fuller came to Paris in 1799 with enough wealth to purchase real estate.
Like Pedro Tovookan Parris, whose life story is better known to Maine history, Hector was kidnapped from Africa as a child.
By reading between the lines of this Advertiser Democrat article, you get an idea how different his life experiences were, especially without the support of wealthy benefactors like the Parris family.
Subscribers enjoy exclusive access to search and browse our digital archives on Newspapers.com. |
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Nicole Carter has been the Advertiser Democrat's main staff writer since 2019, winning several Maine Press Awards for writing and photography. Previously she reported on Franklin County news with the Franklin Journal and Livermore Falls Advertiser, and worked at several multi-media companies in Southern Maine Send story suggestions or newsletter info to Nicole. You can support this newsletter by sharing it and encouraging friends and family to sign up. Explore our other newsletters. |
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