December 2008

MHN is pleased to announce that the electric power is back on and MHN will resume online publication of the news as soon as the thawed out food from the refrig is thrown out, etc.

MHN looks forward to reporting the news of the Hill once again!

Thank you very much for your support of the “MHN” since it began the end of June ’08. Your enthusiastic feedback to it and the concept has been most gratifying. There continues to be a dearth of coverage of news on the Hill and the MHN is intended to make up in part for that lack.

I wish everyone a most Happy and Peaceful Holiday Season! And I ask for your continued support for the MHN in ’09!

Cheers!
Carol McCracken
Editor

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By Carol McCracken

For those who wish to buy all natural meat, poultry, eggs and more from local farms, it can be done on alternate Wednesday afternoons in Monument Square – its an abbreviated Farmers’ Market that runs during the summer months. Participants plan to run it right through until next spring when the regular summer one starts up.

Dan Perron was standing under a wet tarp that extended from the back of his truck far enough out to keep his new customers dry yesterday afternoon as they picked-up orders previously placed on-line. The overall numbers were down because of the miserable weather, but others curious about his new service to the area asked questions about how it works. Because of the  weather, MHN did not linger long enough to get many details, except: many of his customers prefer to ‘buy locally” because it’s a better product and the prices were reasonable. Dan is from Sumner Valley Farm in Sumner, which is near Bethel. You may call him at 388-3440 or email him at: Sumner valley@hotmail.com to learn about prices and to place an order. His next trip to Monument Square will be Wednesday afternoon, December 24^th.

At a truck next to Don’s several farmers had gotten together to sell fresh produce. Thirty Acres from Whitefield was one member of the co-op. Sara Ewing-Merrill had just purchased carrots, squash, potatoes and other items from this group – but everyone was in a rush because of the weather making it impossible to get more info!

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By Carol McCracken

Since The Good Theater at the St. Lawrence Arts Center on the Hill began its holiday fundraiser ‘Broadway at the St. Lawrence’ five years ago, it’s become a centerpiece of MHN’s holiday observation. For the last two years, there has been an added attraction to the show for MHN. Both years, MHN has had the pleasure of sitting beside the mothers of two of the female singers in the show – last year MHN sat in the front row beside Jennifer McLeod’s mother and this year it was beside Ernestine Pittman, the mother of Marva Pittman – Marva has been in the show three years running now.

Both mothers insights into the lives of these two talented singers is fun to listen to. Marva has a big contralto voice that music lovers associate with African American gospel music singers whose first audiences were in the Baptist Churches of the South; and that’s as it should be because that’s exactly who Marva is!

According to Mrs. Pittman, Marva never took voice lessons until she reached college, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she now lives. Marva, 25 years old,  teaches choral music to middle school students in Greensboro. When Marva was four or five years old, she started singing at their Baptist church in Raleigh, her home town. Her reputation grew and grew so that she was invited to sing all over the State of North Carolina. A few years ago, director of the Good Theater, Brian P. Allen worked with her in Georgia and invited her to participate in the holiday show at the St. Lawrence.

“Every year she sings, she rips my heart out,” said Susie Sharp, who comes down from Harpswell to see the holiday show with her mother. (By the way most of the second row at the Sunday afternoon, 12/7/, performance of the holiday show agreed with Susie’s remark and if MHN doesn’t include that, MHN’s heart will be ripped out)!

But that’s not all: Mrs. Pittman is an accomplished soprano herself. She sang solos in college and still does in her church in Raleigh. But curiously, the two never sang any duets. Mrs. Pittman, 58 years old, became too busy supporting her daughter in her singing career. She said she never gets nervous before one of Marva’s performance, but she does get emotional – occasionally dabbing at her eyes with a hankerchief – but then so was almost everyone else in the audience this past Sunday afternoon – the last performance  of the 2008year  at the Good Theater on the Hill.

“Ernie” (the name her husband calls her by) said that she would be interested in a mother-daughter duet next year at the 6^th annual holiday show at the St. Lawrence. Good Theater Director Brian P. Allen said he would be interested in a mother-daughter duet next year at the 6^th annual holiday show at the St. Lawrence. It could be a fit! Another tradition in the making.

Mrs. McLeod – would you sing a duet with Jennifer next year?

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By Carol McCracken

She’s been doing it for 35 years now, but Marie Trott never grows tired of her annual Christmas party for underprivileged children living on the Hill. Each year it has grown – from about twenty-five the first year – to about one hundred this year. The first year the party was held in her home and for the last three years now, it’s been held at the Root Cellar on Washington Avenue on the Hill.

“I look forward to these kids every year – giving them pizza, hot dogs, and especially when Santa arrives,” Marie said. She asks the children to sit in a circle, clap their hands and stomp their feet and to listen for bells ringing. Eventually, they hear tiny, tiny bells ringing in the distance . They get louder and louder. All of a sudden  Santa arrives with all his presents.  Each child has a picture taken of himself with Santa to take home.  And each child receives a present or two or three depending on how much money the Munjoy Hill Mother’s Club has raised.  Another Christmas party on the Hill  to be cherished by all involved.

Marie has put out a collection jar at Colucci’s Market on North Street. The jar will be there until December 19^th to receive your donations. If you do not shop there, you can still contribute to this long-time tradition on the Hill. The names of the children eligible to be invited to the Christmas party are provided by the East End Community School on the Hill. About l/3 of the children are repeats from year to year.

Marie says she is slowing down a little after thirty-five years of organizing. Fortunately, she has a large family that is getting more involved each year. (Nine children, twenty-seven grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.) MHN expects it will take all of them and more to duplicate the massive effort of Marie Trott over these years! If MHN readers can help “Mrs. Santa Claus of the Hill,” it would be appreciated.

Please visit www.mhnckids@yahoo.com  Or please call Marie at 772-8799 if you can give Marie and her Elves a hand.

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