Cutting costs
We read in the Oct. 28 New York Times that operas and orchestras must also “Batten Down the Hatches” along with many families and businesses, in these tough times.
We’re all aware of the economic slump. The Michigan Opera Theater has canceled a production of “Pagliacci” because of the economy’s southward plunge. The Pasadena Symphony Orchestra has abandoned its plans for three pops concerts.
Classical music depends on donations, as well as by ticket sales, and donations are way down.
Here’s some of what the Times reported:
“In the opera world, some companies have reduced the draw on their endowment that helps pay for operations, and at some houses, donors are asking for more time to fulfill multi-year pledges.
Marc Scorca, an opera trade association official, said, “These are facts which are just flowing in. Everyone is examining every expenditure to see if there’s a more economical way to move forward. it’s so hard to know how it’s going to play out, because it’s so early in the season.”
The situation is particularly dire in Detroit, where each season Michigan Opera usually presents five productions, with five or six performances each. in addition to canceling “Pagliacci” next spring the company is letting three employees go , canceling a big Wagner production next year, in favor of less financially taxing “Don Giovanni,” and doing without the final performance in an April run of Donizetti’s “Elixir of Love.”
At least many of us have our classical music collections, and can, if necessary, play our favorites at home and wait for economic improvement.
Military musuem
Lee Humiston, Cape Elizabeth, director of the Maine Military Museum and Learning Center, spoke at the Nov. 5 Westbrook Historical Society meeting.
The old engineering building located in Mill Creek Park in South Portland will soon house his museum, once it is renovated. The museum will contain military artifacts and uniforms honoring Maine veterans from all wars, and also peacetime service. The centerpiece will be what he calls the “largest display of Vietnam POW items ever seen in the United States,” comprising actual POW uniforms and artifacts made in prison and smuggled out at release, such as a small Christian cross, a bamboo rosary, the Chinese lock and chain used to hold a prisoner in his cage, secret writing on toilet paper and cigarette wrappers, art work done after homecoming and much, much more.
Humiston said he now has two major displays at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., plus displays at the Richard M. Nixon Library in California, at the Naval Air Station in Lakehurst, N.J., among other places. What a busy man he is! He described to us and gave us printed sheets with information about his museum.
Nice notes
This week, we received two notes from people who worked for us when we owned the American Journal. What a pleasure.
Phyllis Bailey, who was our office manager when we were located at 820 Main St., Westbrook, wrote that she enjoyed my comments about the time-and-temperature answering machine, which we wrote about. She also had seen our Apple Brown Betty recipe, and baked it right away. I wish I had been there to help her eat it up.
Joyce Pike, who worked for us as office manager, also at 820 Main St., wrote us, too. She was with us from 1991-1992, just before accompanying her husband Earl Pike to Turkey to teach.
She told me they had just received their copy of the Smithsonian, with a wonderful article about newsman John Rich and the Korean War.
She said that that piece brought back wonderful memories of working with us. She recalled that John was sending us news stories from the first Gulf War while she was in our office.
She also wrote that she has a daughter-in-law “whom we adore” from Korea, and that, she wrote,”makes us all the more tuned into the Korean War, and all the horror of the time, yet the beauty of the people.”
Joyce and her husband are now living in Casco.
I must add another of her comments” “Working for you (Harry) was the best job I ever enjoyed. I felt as if I were right in the middle of all the news of the world.”
I am looking forward to seeing a copy of the Smithsonian magazine, to read John’s article and to be able to write more about John and his interesting career.
Reader’s choice
Ah, another note from a column recipe reader, and this one includes today’s recipe, which you can bake for your Thanksgiving dinner. Rhoda Daley Leroux, Westbrook, sent us this recipe for Turnip Casserole. She wrote that it was among those in a cookbook published for a Culligan family reunion held in New Brunswick, Canada. (Her mother was a Culligan.)
“At the Culligan reunion, the clan came up with 33 recipes and ended up with a beautiful recipe book. Leave it to the Irish,” she wrote.
TURNIP CASSEROLE
3 cups mashed turnips
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup cracker crumbs
Mix all ingredients together. Spoon into greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese of choice. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. She adds, “Yum, yum, Enjoy.”
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