Thursday, November 17, 2005

A HAPPY RETURN

“Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”

(Luke 15:18-24)

QUOTATIONS FOR THE DAY

"Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to."

(John Ed Pearce)

“Be he king or peasant, he is happiest who finds peace in his home.”

(Goethe)

"Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, a dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest."

(Robert Montgomery)

A FITTING SYMBOL FOR MAINE

“Massachusetts put the pine on its coinage. Maine took it for its symbol. Our forefathers did not choose it for its beauty, because along by the sea it is gnarled and twisted. They chose it because it is an out-post tree, protecting the weak; because it is rugged and strong; because it is clean; because it is ever-green and never-dead. They chose it because they saw in it an augury of the people of this State. They chose it because they hoped we might be as undaunted as the Pine.”

(Arthur G. Staples)

OXFORD CHURCH SHOWS SUPPORT FOR RESTAURANT “BOYCOTTED” BY GAY RIGHTS SUPPORTERS

Last week we reported on a development in the town of Oxford, in which a group from a local church had a party of twenty who were scheduled to eat at Viddles & Griddles Restaurant, but then cancelled due to “Vote Yes on One” appearing on the restaurant sign.  We wanted to point out that there is most definitely discrimination in Maine, but it isn’t against homosexuals - it’s against Christians who stand for civic righteousness. The story didn’t end there however.
 
Today, another local church in the town of Oxford met at Viddles & Griddles with a party of fifteen in order to make up for the lost income the restaurant owners, Mr. & Mrs. Rick Kimball suffered due to the discrimination of the other local church. The time slot was the same as the one originally scheduled.
 
One of the pastors of this second group got the idea that he could help with that lost income by promoting a luncheon inviting his church members to eat there. Rick Kimball had indicated that food had already been purchased for the event. Members of the daytime ministries of the church showed up and enjoyed a wonderful meal and great fellowship.
 
This was an example of Christian love in action – supporting one another according to I Corinthians 12:26. A man who happened to be in the restaurant for lunch with his wife, but who was not connected with the church group, was moved by the love shown in the gathering. He came over and plunked down several dollars to go toward tip money, and said, “It’s good to see people out doing the Lord’s work. Keep it up!”
 
Another leader in the church emailed the pastor to say, “Let’s schedule one of these for supper time too, so that those of us with day jobs can pitch in and be part of the effort.” This  shows strong support for Viddles and Griddles on the part of the people of this church.

The RECORD encourages its readers to patronize the Viddles and Griddles restaurant.   
 
HOLLYWOOD SLOTS RAKES IN A MILLION IN CASH EACH AND EVERY DAY

Hollywood Slots in Bangor received rave reviews in the mainstream press after its recent gala opening, no doubt because it is already producing an unimaginable amount of revenue. Recent reports have it that Hollywood Slots is taking in over one million dollars in cash, seven days a week, non-stop - an unprecedented sum for any cash business in Maine.

The press was all smiles the day the casino opened, each paper trying to outdo the others in praising the glitz and glitter of a little bit of Hollywood come to Main Street. The Bangor Daily News ran a headline reading “Hurray for Hollywood!” accompanied by a photo of a throng of people eagerly waiting for the doors to open. A Marilyn Monroe look-alike was shown by the entrance greeting the crowd. What was unusual about the photo in the Bangor Daily News was that an identical photo appeared in another daily, leaving readers to wonder if the photo came from Penn National itself.

Many are lamenting that the new facility is not at all what voters imagined it would be when they voted to approve it in 2003. Those who attended the town hall meetings in Saco and Scarborough  heard the promoters of the casinos make a fervent pitch for the gambling “industry”  as “the salvation of horse racing in Maine.” Local horse breeders spoke at length, playing on the heartstrings of those present, asking them to vote for “a dying industry.” Those familiar with the history of legalized gambling in New Jersey, Las Vegas, and Chicago just had to sit back and shake their head in disbelief at the gullibility of the crowd. The casino is now located at a temporary facility blocks away from the race track, and Penn National is eyeing two motels across Main Street for a permanent $71 million dollar facility. Those still interested in patronizing the racetrack after they have lost all their money on the slot machines will have quite a ways to walk.