Local Blog: A Maine Shoemaker’s Potato Patch Plan Feeds the Poor

Today's blog is about a man from Maine who came up with an idea to feed the poor in 1893, and he was scoffed. His plan was brilliant and was later adopted by cities across the U.S.A.!    Today's blog is about his story thanks to the New England Historical Society. 

(Image: Hazen Pingree. Credit: New England Historical Society.)

A Maine Shoemaker’s Potato Patch Plan Feeds the Poor

During the terrible depression that followed the Panic of 1893, a transplanted Maine shoemaker came up with a widely ridiculed idea to feed the poor: a potato patch plan.

Hazen Pingree, mayor of Detroit, wanted to let poor people plant vegetable gardens on vacant city land. Though he was mocked by his political opponents, ignored by the clergy, lampooned by the newspapers and stonewalled by the city’s elite, Hazen Pingree’s potato patch plan was wildly successful.

The potato patch plan also inspired the victory gardens of World War I and World War II.

Hazen Pingree was born in Denmark, Maine, on Aug. 30, 1840. At 14 he moved to Saco to work in a cotton factory. At 16 he moved to Hopkinton, Mass., to work as a cutter in a shoe factory.

When the Civil War broke out he enlisted in the Union Army and fought a number of battles. When the war ended, he moved to Detroit, where he got a job as a shoemaker. He soon bought his employer’s shoe-making machinery and went into business, building Pingree and Smith into the second-biggest shoemaking company in the United States.

(Image: Denmark, Maine, birthplace of Hazen Pingree)

In 1889, Hazen Pingree was elected mayor of Detroit as a citizen reformer.

Detroit’s poor were suffering during the depression and the city’s treasury was almost empty. In many cases, Detroit’s poor were peasant farmers who had recently emigrated from Europe.

The Potato Patch Plan 

Pingree came up with his potato patch plan, and tried to enlist the city’s leaders in helping him.

Potato plants 

Pingree asked the churches to contribute money to buy plows, tools and seed.

One of his aides told a reporter, “The Mayor proposes to find out if those elegant churches are only for show or for doing some real good.”

The Church Made Fun of the Brilliant Idea

They were for show. Detroit’s clergy ignored or mocked the plan, contributing $13.80 to the effort. Pingree tried to retaliate by repealing the tax exemption for church property.

Newspapers made fun of him. His conservative opponents charged potato bugs would invade the city. They said the city’s poor were too lazy to work. “They are willing to work, and we ought to give them a chance to do it,” Pingree said.

The city’s wealthy families refused to contribute anything to the project. So Pingree tried to shame them by auctioning off a horse for which he had paid $1,300. He got $387 for it.

(Photo: A Polish family's potato patch in Detroit.  Credit: New England Historical Society).

Undaunted, Pingree found 430 acres of city land and levied a small tax on municipal employees to pay for seed and equipment. In the spring of 1894, fighting almost broke out among the 3,000 poor families who wanted one of the 945 half-acre plots.

Harvest 

That fall, Detroit’s lazy poor harvested potatoes and vegetables with a retail value conservatively estimated at $14,000. Pingree asked some of the city’s prominent merchants to display some of the best-looking produce, but the merchants refused.

“The unqualified success of the experiment has silenced the croakers,” Pingree said in 1895. That year, 1,546 families were assigned half-acre plots. Then the next season, nearly half of all families on public relief joined the plan. That year, the potato patch farmers had a cash value of $30,998, more than the $23,729 given out by the poor commission.

The potato patch plan was so successful it was adopted in such cities as New York, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, Duluth and Denver.

Pingree was elected governor of Michigan in 1897. In 1901, he and his son went on an African safari and came home by way of London. Pingree contracted peritonitis. King Edward VII of England, to whom Pingree bore an uncanny resemblance, sent his own doctor to care for the former governor – but to no avail. He died on June 18, 1901.

DISCOVERY- High-fiber diet may 'rejuvenate' immune cells that fight cancer, study finds

Today's blog is another encouraging study to combat cancer. This study found high-fiber diets may help. The study was conducted with mice, and makes me wonder if it would have also helped with dogs (as our Dachshund Tyler passed from an agressive cancer). If you're recovering after cancer treatments or dealing with it, read this and discuss it with your doctor. Everything is worth a try.

(Image Credit: Iherb.com) 

High-fiber diet may 'rejuvenate' immune cells that fight cancer, study finds

By RJ Mackenzie , Live Science , nov 18, 2025

A laboratory study reveals an interaction between dietary fiber and the gut microbiome that may be helpful for fighting cancer.

A high-fiber diet may help support the function of immune cells that spot and kill cancer, mouse studies suggest.

Microbes in the gut can help the immune system fight cancer, and a fiber-rich diet may be the key to unlocking those benefits, a study in mice suggests.

The immune system is a key player in the body's battle against cancer. On the front line of this resistance are CD8+ killer T cells, a type of immune cell that marauds around tumors and then exterminates the cancerous cells. But after each successive battle, these cells become worn out and don't find tumors as effectively. As such, treatments that provide the cells with enough pep to finish their job are in high demand.

Now, in a study published Nov. 11 in the journal Immunity, researchers report that simple dietary changes may help revive these key immune cells by affecting the gut microbiome — the collection of microbial species in the gastrointestinal tract.

Chemo hurts both cancerous and healthy cells. But scientists think nanoparticles could help fix that. The team, led by Dr. Sammy Bedoui, an immunologist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, didn't set out to study cancer at all. Instead, their project began nearly a decade ago with "blue-sky discovery research," without a particular outcome in mind, he told Live Science.

The team was broadly exploring how CD8+ T cells defend the body. Some of their research involved mice that were genetically modified to lack gut microbiomes, and the team noticed that T cells transferred into these rodents started to die out after a couple of weeks. They began to look for a factor released by the microbiome that could help T cells thrive.

In a 2019 paper, they found that factor. When a lot of dietary fiber reaches the gut, bacteria in the colon cause the fiber to ferment. This process releases different chemicals, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Bedoui, alongside study co-author and senior research fellow Annabell Bachem, showed that a particular SCFA — butyrate — rejuvenated tired-out T cells.

"They look very much like those cells that we would like to have when we treat patients or mice with immunotherapies," Bedoui said.

My Latest Paranormal Conference Adventure

Earlier this summer, you may remember reading a blog I wrote about my experience attending a paranormal conference in Connecticut with my good friend and co-author/co-investigator Monique Toosoon. That conference was good and bad. Recently I attended another Paranormal conference, (fortunately closer to home that didn't require 2 nights hotel and rental car)... and it, too, was a financial disaster. Today's blog is about the good and bad.

(Photo above: The Emery Group Reunited (minus Monique) L to R: Santa (Derick), Rob, Thomas, and Mrs. Santa (Candace). Credit: R.G/ 

Photo right: The "Paraclauses" hold up the Emery Estate Book that they are featured in! Credit: R.G.)

THE GOOD STUFF -  First, the good. The conference was in Salem, Massachusetts. You'd think that Salem, Mass. would be the perfect place for ghosts, haunted stuff, horror, and witches (the Salem Witch trials happened here). You'd be right, except that I learned after Halloween, everyone flees the city. The Conference happened on Nov 15th. I found a Dunkin' nearby, so that helped.

(Photo: My friend Thomas D. from the Emery Investigation crew! Credit: R.G.) 

During the 7 hour conference, I would be surprised if 150 or so people came. There were 20 vendors and several speakers. Fortunately, I got to speak and there were about 20 people in my audience. Sadly, none of them bought books. I sold 5 books (mostly to other vendors) and swapped one with my friend and fellow author Alex Matsou (she writes great books, like "Women in the Paranormal").

(Photo right: Me and my friend and fellow author, paranomal investigator and podcast host, Alex Matsou. Credit: R.G.) 

SEEING OLD FRIENDS - In addition to seeing Alex, my friends and fellow paranormal investigators from my Emery Estate book were there. The Paraclauses, Derick and Candace- a tech whiz and a medium who dress as Santa and Mrs. Claus and investigate haunted places known to have ghosts of children, so they won't fear communicating with Santa and Mrs. Claus (and it works). Thomas D. was also there, and he did the basement part of Emery. I also got to see Christopher Brown, an amazing Medium from Augusta, Maine. Seeing all of those friends were the highlight of the paracon.

(Photo right: Me and my friend Christopher Brown, an amazing medium from Augusta, Maine. Credit: R.G.) 

THE SAD PART - Second, the not-so-good. Packing up books, banners, postcards, borrowing a table and chair from the library, driving 3 hours round trip, no food vendors at the conference and really disappointing attendance led to selling just 5 books. That gave me a profit of $25.  The gas was about the same as my profit. 

The conference registration cost $200, and I was gone the entire day from home. So, although a $200 financial loss, at least I got to see some old friends. That's my focus. 

(Left: This half of the convention was empty of attendees when I took this photo at 3pm. Credit: R.G) 

(Right: My set up took some effort to put together, bringing in the table and chair, table cloth, banners, post card, books and signage)

BOTTOM LINE - The bottom line is that there's good and bad experiences. You learn from the bad and don't repeat them. So I won't be returning to the Connecticut or Salem events in the future. Instead, I'll focus on other things that bring people comfort and places that bring in a better reception. It's all good.

Idiot of the Month: GA Prosecutor Pete Skandalakis Drops Trump Election Interference Case

Why is everyone so afraid of the orange felon? This week's IDIOT, Pete Skandalakis, clearly had a strong case against the felon, who was recorded begging for interference with the Georgia Election in 2020. IT WAS ON TAPE. What more do you need? Yet, This Republican Prosecutor who is supposed to follow the LAW refuses to do so, and instead let the felon get away with yet another crime. What happened to morals and following the law if you're a Republican? Ironically, Skandalakis's philosophy over his decades as a prosecutor was:“If we do the right thing, we can always defend it." Well, he didn't do the right thing. He's an IDIOT.

New prosecutor won’t pursue charges against Trump and others in Georgia election interference case 

By Kate Brumback, Associated Press, November 26, 2025

ATLANTA — A judge on Wednesday dismissed the Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump and others after the prosecutor who recently took over the case said he would not pursue the charges.

Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, took over the case last month from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who was removed over an “appearance of impropriety” created by a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she chose to lead the case.

After Skandalakis’ filing, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee issued a one-paragraph order dismissing the case in its entirety.

The abandonment of the Georgia case is the latest reflection of how Trump has emerged largely unscathed from a spate of prosecutions that once threatened to imperil his political career and personal liberty.

Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who had charged Trump with conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election and hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, dropped both cases after Trump won the White House last year. Smith cited longstanding Justice Department policy against the indictment of a sitting president.

And though Trump was convicted of felony charges in New York in connection with hush money payments during the 2016 election, he was sentenced in January to an unconditional discharge, leaving his conviction intact but sparing him any punishment.

It was unlikely that legal action against Trump could have moved forward while he is president. Fourteen other defendants still faced charges, including former New York mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

(AND A SECOND IDIOT: Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead attorney)

Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead attorney in Georgia, applauded the case’s dismissal: “The political persecution of President Trump by disqualified DA Fani Willis is finally over. This case should never have been brought. A fair and impartial prosecutor has put an end to this lawfare.”

The Associated Press has reached out to a spokesperson for Willis seeking comment on the dismissal.

“The strongest and most prosecutable case against those seeking to overturn the 2020 Presidential election results and prevent the certification of those votes was the one investigated and indicted by Special Counsel Jack Smith,” Skandalakis wrote in his court filing Wednesday.

He added that the criminal conduct alleged in the Georgia indictment “was conceived in Washington, D.C., not the State of Georgia. The federal government is the appropriate venue for this prosecution, not the State of Georgia.”

After the Georgia Supreme Court in September declined to hear Willis’ appeal of her disqualification, it fell to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council to find a new prosecutor. Skandalakis said last month that he reached out to several prosecutors, but they all declined to take the case. McAfee set a Nov. 14 deadline for the appointment of a new prosecutor, so Skandalakis chose to appoint himself rather than let the case be dismissed right away.

He said Willis’ office only recently delivered the case file — 101 boxes and an eight-terabyte hard drive — and he hadn’t had a chance to review everything yet. Citing the public’s “legitimate interest in the outcome of this case,” he said he wanted to assess the evidence and decide on appropriate next steps.

Skandalakis, who has led the small, nonpartisan council since 2018, said in a court filing last month that he will get no extra pay for the case but that Fulton County will reimburse expenses. He previously spent about 25 years as the elected Republican district attorney for the Coweta Judicial Circuit, southwest of Atlanta.

Willis announced the sprawling indictment against Trump and 18 others in August 2023, using the state’s anti-racketeering law to allege a wide-ranging conspiracy to illegally overturn Trump’s narrow loss to Democrat Joe Biden in Georgia.

Hero of the Week: 16-year-old from Columbus, Nebraska Saves Man with CPR

 This week's hero is a 16 year old girl from Nebraska who saw a man lying in a parking lot and administered CPR, saving his life. Here's the story. 

(Photo: Ashley de la Cruz Martin was walking into Pawnee Plunge Water Park when she saw an unresponsive man, Chuck Putnam (right). Credit: KETV) 

  16-year-old from Columbus, Nebraska Saves Man with CPR

KETV Nov 27, 2025, Pete Cuddihy

COLUMBUS, Neb. —Friday marks the 15th annual Heroes Game between Nebraska and Iowa. Each year, both schools choose a person to represent the state as its very own hero. Nebraska's homegrown hero is a 16-year-old from Columbus.

Ashley de la Cruz Martin was walking into Pawnee Plunge Water Park when she saw an unresponsive man, Chuck Putnam, on the ground in the parking lot. "I found out that he fell on the floor, hit his head and was unconscious," she said. After checking his pulse and breathing, she noticed he was gasping for air and had a very low pulse. "So then I was like, OK, then we're just going to start with CPR," she said.

Putnam had gone into cardiac arrest, and de la Cruz Martin performed CPR on him until first responders arrived. "If she didn't perform CPR until the paramedics arrived, I wouldn't have made it," said Putnam.

Despite having learned CPR in school just two months prior, de la Cruz Martin was not afraid to act quickly. "I just started, like, looking at Chuck, and I'm like, he is in my hands right now. And that genuinely just made me take it more serious," she said.

"God put a guardian angel in that parking lot that they named Ashley, and thank goodness she, she played the role to a T," said Putnam.After being released from the hospital, Putnam made it his mission to meet and honor his guardian angel."I want to nominate her for whatever was out there because of what she did for me," he said.

De la Cruz Martin was first recognized by the Columbus School Board, then the city of Columbus. Her biggest honor will be Friday, when she represents the state as Nebraska's hero at the Nebraska-Iowa game. "Without you being there, I probably wouldn't be here today. So, she is my hero," Putnam said.

"I'm really thankful that I'm going to get supported," de la Cruz Martin said.In front of 90,000 fans at Memorial Stadium, Putnam will join his hero on the field. "I'm going to be so proud to be standing next to her, the person that saved my life," he said.

De la Cruz Martin's heroic act even inspired Putnam to learn CPR so he can be someone's guardian angel if needed. "What she did was not unbelievable. What she did was Ashley being Ashley," Putnam said. Her bravery has created a lasting bond between the two unlikely strangers. "This has been a friendship that started on July 27, and it's going to last forever," Putnam said.

Book of the Week: Dashing Through the Snow by Mary and Carol Higgins Clark

 I really enjoyed Dashing Through the Snow" by Mary and Carol Higgins Clark. It's a holiday-themed novel that takes place in a small New Hampshire town, and involves a kidnapping, a bunch of lottery winners and uncovers a years-old mystery. I picked this book up at a Library book sale, and am glad I did. It was a feel-good and fast read. I enjoyed some of the characters, and the story was great. I didn't want to put the book down until I got to the end. 5 of 5 stars. 

ABOUT THE BOOK: From the beloved mother-daughter duo of Mary Higgins Clark, America’s Queen of Suspense, and Carol Higgins Clark, author of the hugely popular Regan Reilly series, comes Dashing Through the Snow, a holiday treat loaded with as many surprises as Santa’s sleigh.

In picturesque Branscombe, New Hampshire, on the night before the village’s first (and many hope annual) Festival of Joy, a group of employees at the local market learn they have won $180 million in the lottery. But the one worker, Duncan, who decided at the last moment not to play, is nowhere to be found. And while a second winning ticket was purchased in the next town, that winner hasn’t come forward. Could Duncan have secretly bought it?

Alvirah Meehan, amateur sleuth, and private investigator Regan Reilly have arrived in town for the festival. And as they dig beneath the surface, they find that life in little Branscombe is not as tranquil as it appears. But while Alvirah and Regan have to put aside their visions of an old-fashioned weekend in the country, this fast-paced holiday caper is sure to keep you dashing through the pages.

November: The Month X-rays were discovered in 1895

I didn't know that X-rays were discovered in the 19th century, did you? I also didn't know who discovered them, but it was German scientist Wilhelm Röntgen. Today's blog gives you the background, thanks to History.com.

(Photo: Various x-rays. Credit: Image care centers) 

German scientist discovers X-rays

HISTORY.com Last Updated: November 05, 2025

On November 8, 1895, physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845-1923) becomes the first person to observe X-rays, a significant scientific advancement that would ultimately benefit a variety of fields, most of all medicine, by making the invisible visible.

Röntgen's discovery occurred accidentally in his Wurzburg, Germany, lab, where he was testing whether cathode rays could pass through glass when he noticed a glow coming from a nearby chemically coated screen. He dubbed the rays that caused this glow X-rays because of their unknown nature.

X-rays are electromagnetic energy waves that act similarly to light rays, but at wavelengths approximately 1,000 times shorter than those of light. Röntgen holed up in his lab and conducted a series of experiments to better understand his discovery. He learned that X-rays penetrate human flesh but not higher-density substances such as bone or lead and that they can be photographed.

Röntgen's discovery was labeled a medical miracle and X-rays soon became an important diagnostic tool in medicine, allowing doctors to see inside the human body for the first time without surgery. In 1897, X-rays were first used on a military battlefield, during the Balkan War, to find bullets and broken bones inside patients.

Scientists were quick to realize the benefits of X-rays, but slower to comprehend the harmful effects of radiation. Initially, it was believed X-rays passed through flesh as harmlessly as light. However, within several years, researchers began to report cases of burns and skin damage after exposure to X-rays, and in 1904, Thomas Edison’s assistant, Clarence Dally, who had worked extensively with X-rays, died of skin cancer. Dally’s death caused some scientists to begin taking the risks of radiation more seriously, but they still weren’t fully understood.

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT XRAYS AND SHOE STORES? 

During the 1930s, 40s and 50s, in fact, many American shoe stores featured shoe-fitting fluoroscopes that used X-rays to enable customers to see the bones in their feet; it wasn’t until the 1950s that this practice was determined to be risky business.

Wilhelm Röntgen received numerous accolades for his work, including the first Nobel Prize in physics in 1901, yet he remained modest and never tried to patent his discovery. Today, X-ray technology is widely used in medicine, material analysis and devices such as airport security scanners.

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MOST COMMON REASONS FOR X-RAYS 

According to Image Care Centers, here are some of the most common reasons to take x-rays:

To evaluate symptoms in the body. An x-ray can help doctors look inside the body and may help them evaluate symptoms you’re having. This is especially useful when helping to diagnose illnesses, such as pneumonia or heart problems.

To diagnose injuries. When you have sustained sudden trauma, doctors may use an x-ray to identify injuries, such as broken bones and joint dislocations.

To perform dental checks. Dentists often use x-rays to check the oral health of their patients. X-rays are ideal for finding cavities and tooth decay.

To diagnose cancer. Doctors often use x-rays to diagnose and stage various cancers. They’re also used in mammograms to help detect breast cancer.

To identify joint changes. Specialists often use x-rays to identify arthritis in elderly patients. While a typical x-ray might not work to detect joint changes, special x-rays called arthrograms can identify problems and help doctors treat arthritis.

First world map to mention ‘America’ was published in 1507.

Did you ever wonder where the word "America" came from and when it first came to be? Today's blog is an article from History Facts dot com that gives the story!

(Image:  Created by German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller and scholar Matthias Ringmann, the map was the first to show the New World as a separate continent, surrounded by ocean, rather than as part of Asia. Credit: U.S. Library of Congress) 

The first world map to mention ‘America’ was published in 1507 

History Facts.com Nov 16, 2025

In 1507, a group of scholars in the small French town of Saint-Dié published a world map that changed how Europeans saw the globe — and gave “America” its name. Created by German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller and scholar Matthias Ringmann, the map was the first to show the New World as a separate continent, surrounded by ocean, rather than as part of Asia.

The two men drew on Portuguese nautical data and letters attributed to Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci to create the map. Though it later emerged they were doctored, the letters appeared to argue that Vespucci had found an entirely new landmass, not the eastern edge of Asia, as Christopher Columbus believed. Waldseemüller and Ringmann agreed with this idea — and in an accompanying book, Cosmographiae Introductio, they proposed naming this “fourth part” of the world “America,” after Vespucci’s Latinized first name, Americus.

Though Waldseemüller later dropped the name from his maps, others embraced it. When cartographer Gerardus Mercator applied the name “America” to the entire Western Hemisphere in 1538, it quickly became standard.

Only one copy of Waldseemüller’s 1507 map survives today — discovered in a German castle in 1901 and now housed at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Sometimes called “America’s birth certificate,” it marks the moment when a new name — and a New World — entered the map of human understanding.

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KEY HIGHLIGHTS TO THE MAP - (from the U.S. Library of Congress)

1. The 1507 World map is the first known map to show the Continent of South America separated from Asia in a way that reveals the existence of the Pacific Ocean. This fact is problematic in that neither Magellan nor Balboa had reached the Pacific Ocean by this time. The geographic and cartographic sources that Waldseemüller used for his depiction of the New World remain unknown to scholars although Waldseemüller discusses some unknown Portuguese charts in his book the Cosmographiae introductio.
2. Waldsemüller named the continent of South America after Amerigo Vespucci. The name appears for the first time on any map on the 1507 world map and is discussed by Waldseemüller in his book the Cosmographiae introductio. Waldseemüller and Ringman say, “Today these parts of the earth have been explored more extensively than a fourth part of the world, as will be explained in what follow, and that has been discovered by Amerigo Vespucci [. . . .] I can see no reason why anyone would object to calling this fourth part Amerige, the land of Amerigo, or America, after the man of great ability who discovered it.
3. In several areas on the 1507 world map corrections have been made to the woodblocks. The most obvious change is the relocation of a group of islands off the west coast of Africa. The islands have been relocated a little farther north and to the east than their previous position. These islands were important in defining the line between Spanish and Portuguese territories in the early sixteenth century.
4. The northwest coast of Africa on the 1507 map has a shape that is not modern but was defined and modeled after that found in the Geographia of Claudius Ptolemy. Ptolemy was a Greek second–century geographer and astronomer whose works were important far into the Renaissance. Waldseemüller and Ringmann combined the new geographic information provided by Columbus and Vespucci along with that of Ptolemaic and other ancient sources to make the 1507 world map.
5. Besides naming the continent of South America after Amerigo Vespucci,  Waldseemüller also pays homage to him on the 1507 map by showing his portrait opposite that of Ptolemy.  The portrait is accompanied by a map that shows the new lands whose discovery Waldseemüller attributed to him. The insect that sits near Vespucci’s shoulder above the "q" in Aquilo may be a wasp (in Latin “vespa”). The pictured insect could also be a fly, thought by sixteenth–century printers to protect their works from damage.
6. Waldseemüller indicates why he made the 1507 map. In the last line he recognizes that his new view of the world might disturb viewers until they understand and accept the new discoveries. The full translation is "Although many of the ancients were interested in marking out the circumference of the world, things remained unknown to them in no slight degree; for instance, in the west, America, named after its discoverer, which is now known to be a fourth part of the world. Another is, to the south, a part of Africa, which begins about seven degrees this side of Capricorn and stretches in a large expanse southward, beyond the torrid zone and the Tropic of Capricorn. A third instance, in the east, is the land of Cathay, and all of southern India beyond 180 degrees of longitude. All these we have added to the earlier-known places, so that those who are interested and love things of this sort may see all that is known to us of the present day, and may approve of our painstaking labors. This one request we have to make, that those who are inexperienced and unacquainted with cosmography shall not condemn all this before they have learned that it will surely be clearer to them later on, when they have come to understand it."

Discovery: First-ever 'mummified' and hoofed dinosaur discovered in Wyoming badlands

 New dinosaur discoveries fascinate me, and as a kid I collected plastic dinosaur figures and read every book I could find about them. As an adult, I love reading about new fossil discoveries and some of the higher-level science books. Today's blog is about a dinosaur "First." 

(Image: Edmontosaurus annectens as it appeared in life. | Credit: Artwork by Dani Navarro)

First-ever 'mummified' and hoofed dinosaur discovered in Wyoming badlands 

LIVE SCIENCE By Patrick Pester published October 29, 2025

Researchers have unearthed two dinosaur "mummies" in the badlands of Wyoming, confirming duck-billed dinosaurs had hooves, alongside a string of other discoveries.

Two extremely rare dinosaur "mummies" found in the badlands of Wyoming are the first examples of hoofed reptiles, according to a new study.

Researchers discovered the pair of 66 million-year-old duck-billed dinosaur (Edmontosaurus annectens) skeletons complete with skin, spikes and hooves, as if the creatures had been naturally mummified.

The fossils aren't true mummies, as their original tissues have been replaced with rock, but they give scientists an unprecedented look at duck-billed dinosaur biology, confirming they had hooves. The researchers reported their findings Oct. 23 in the journal Science.

"It's the first time we’ve had a complete, fleshed-out view of a large dinosaur that we can really feel confident about," study senior author Paul Sereno, a professor of organismal biology and anatomy at the University of Chicago, said in a statement.

(Image:  This mummified duck-billed dinosaur fossil is a juvenile Edmontosaurus annectens, nicknamed "Ed Jr." (Image credit: Photograph courtesy of Tyler Keillor/Fossil Lab)) 

Duck-billed dinosaurs used their hooves to stomp through mud at the end of the Cretaceous period (145 million to 66 million years ago). They lived alongside other large dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops, just before the age of dinosaurs came to a crashing end when a massive asteroid hit Earth and wiped them all out (except for birds).

Dinosaur mummies are exceptionally preserved fossils that contain a clay copy of dinosaur skin and other organic tissues. Several of these fossils were discovered in Wyoming in the early 1900s, which inspired the new research. Sereno and his colleagues found the two new specimens by tracking down the locations of the historical discoveries, using old photographs and letters, and mapping out what they described as a "mummy zone."

One of the newly discovered Edmontosaurus specimens, nicknamed "Ed Jr.," was a late juvenile and estimated to be about 2 years old at the time of its death. The other specimen, nicknamed "Ed Sr.," was an early adult about 5 to 8 years old when it perished.

BIG NEWS!!! Available today on Pre-order: "Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library" by Rob Gutro and Monique Toosoon

 My next book,  "Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library" by Rob Gutro and Monique Toosoon is now available on Kindle Preorder! It will publish January 1, 2026.

RELEASE: 25-06                                                                             November 24, 2025

New Book on Pre-Order "Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library” Uncovers Ghostly Secrets     

NASHUA, NH –  The #1 selling authors of "Haunting of Emery Estate" announce their follow-up true-paranormal book, “Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library.” Together with other paranormal professionals and members of the public they uncovered a haunted secret love, illicit trysts, a ghostly teenage accident victim and haunted paintings. When reading this, you’ll feel like you’re on the paranormal investigation!

The E-book of “Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library” is now available on Amazon pre-order, and the paperback, ebook and audiobook will publish on January 1, 2026.

Rob Gutro, author, renowned pet medium and paranormal investigator joined Monique Toosoon, New England’s paranormal drag queen and para-technology wizard with a sensitivity to earthbound ghosts conducted a 3-hour public paranormal investigation that uncovered secrets of three ghosts in an historic building in Nashua, New Hampshire.

The investigation was coordinated and hosted by Monique who said, “Amy, who works at Hunt Library always spoke of the weird things happening there, so we decided there was no better place for a book party. It turned out to be quite an adventure that no one expected.”

The team encountered three ghosts who chose the building as their residence: a century old rebellious teenager, a lost lover and another who wanted to keep his past indiscretions secret. After the initial investigation, Monique and Rob had to return to uncover the secret of the third-floor ghost with a secret past.  

“Monique is one of the most talented investigators and a technical wizard,” Gutro said. “She knows how to operate countless pieces of equipment from a Phasma Box to EMF trip wire. Tech equipment helped confirm medium impressions and provide answers that unlocked the secret past of the ghosts!”

The Hunt Memorial Building was a former library location for the City of Nashua, New Hampshire. Today, the building is used for events.

The book walks you through the investigation from beginning to end, as investigators and members of the public attempt to piece together the identities, stories, and reasons for why the ghosts remain behind.

“One surprise happened when I connected with one of the public investigator’s friends-in-spirit who had recently passed,” Gutro said.

“Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library” is Gutro’s fourteenth book; he has four series of true paranormal best-selling books: "Pets and the Afterlife," "Ghosts on a Medium’s Vacation,” “Ghosts versus Spirits,” and the “Haunting Of” series of which this new book is a part. He is the first in the paranormal field to make the distinction between earthbound ghosts and spirits who have crossed over. Rob has encountered ghosts everywhere he has traveled. He has crossed many ghosts over and is known for sketching them. 

Monique Toosoon is a captivating force in the world of drag and paranormal exploration. With a career spanning 2 decades and named New Hampshire's “Ghostess with the Mostest,” she was crowned Best Local Entertainer for four years. Monique's ascent knows no bounds, from sold-out extravaganzas across New England to riveting appearances on esteemed paranormal showcases like Dark Echoes Paranormal Show and Ghost Finders. Monique also graced the grand finale of Ghost Finders in the Fall of 2024. She is also the host of a YouTube and podcast program, “Ghosts and Glitter,” and the host of Scared Toosoon Tours. 

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Rob Gutro Contact Information:

www.robgutro.com or www.petspirits.com

Email: Rob@robgutro.com 

Monique Toosoon Contact Information:

www.moniquetoosoon.com

Email: moniquetoosoon@gmail.com

Idiots of the week: Anti-Measles Vaxxers- WHY? US could lose its measles elimination status within months

Science and medicine has worked SO HARD to eliminate deadly diseases in the modern day, and the Idiots of the Week are the Anti-Vaxxers who are not vaccinating their children or getting the vaccine as adults. They don't understand that Measles can also have fatal complications, including pneumonia and brain swelling. Now, Measles is taking its toll. Here's the awful story.

(Photo: A toddler covered in measles. Credit: CDC) 

US could lose its measles elimination status within months, experts say

Live Science, By Stephanie Pappas, Nov. 19, 2025

With 45 outbreaks of measles over the past year, the United States is at risk of endemic spread within months, experts told Live Science.

The United States may lose its measles elimination status as soon as January, marking the sustained resurgence of a disease that had been eliminated from the country 25 years ago.

                Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine reduce the chance of catching measles by 97% 

On Nov. 10, Canada lost its measles elimination status, after the Pan American Health Organization concluded that the country's recent measles outbreaks were connected and represented ongoing transmission lasting more than 12 months. Measles is considered eliminated in a country or region only when there are no outbreaks lasting longer than a year. Thus, to maintain "elimination status," any introductions of the disease from travel must be quashed before 12 consecutive months of spread.

A large measles outbreak in West Texas began in January 2025 and has since ended — but while it was raging, it may have sparked cases in Arizona and Utah, where ongoing outbreaks are still occurring. If public health officials find enough evidence linking these outbreaks, the United States will likely see its measles elimination status vanish in January 2026.

'We have basically destroyed what capacity we had to respond to a pandemic,' says leading epidemiologist Michael Osterholm "We still don't know how the determination will come up in January," said Dr. Diego Hijano, an infectious-disease specialist at St. Jude Children Research Hospital. "But it's likely, as they look at the cases that started off in Texas and have continued to spread, that they will think there have been 12 months of cases coming from that area."

Measles elimination is a cherished goal for public health. 

The disease, marked by a high fever and dramatic red rash, is miserable at baseline, but it can also have fatal complications, including pneumonia and brain swelling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children who catch measles die in this acute phase of the infection.

For survivors, measles can have long-term health consequences, including immune "amnesia" that leaves them prone to other illnesses. And about 7 to 11 survivors out of every 100,000 people infected face a fatal long-term complication called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a degenerative nervous system disease that arises years after the measles infection.

Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine reduce the chance of catching measles by 97%, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Because measles is one of the world's most transmissible infectious diseases, however, eliminating it requires high levels of vaccination. In a population without immunity, one person with measles can infect between 12 and 18 others. To snuff out an outbreak, you must bring that number down to less than 1, meaning about 95% of the population needs to be protected via vaccination or immunity from a prior infection, Hijano told Live Science.

Hero of the Week: Bangor, Maine Man Helps Police Subdue Suspect

This week's hero is a handsome citizen from Bangor who helped a police officer subdue a criminal.

(Photo: Kyle Meehan, Challenge Coin Recipient. Credit: Bangor Police Department) 

Bangor Man Receives ‘Challenge Coin’ From Local Police For Helping Them Subdue Suspect

Published: November 12, 2025

What does it take for an average Joe to earn the honor of receiving a "Challenge Coin" from the Bangor Police Department? Well, it's spelled out pretty specifically in their latest social media post, as a man from Bangor recently received one!

According to the Bangor Police Department's statement, the Challenge Coin is an honor given to citizens that the police department members believe have performed "true acts of extraordinary kindness and helpfulness" on behalf of the residents of Bangor.

Bangor resident Kyle Meehan fit that bill this past October when he assisted a Bangor Police Officer who was caught in a tough situation, waiting for backup to arrive.

Meehan's quick thinking and response in a moment of need helped keep things from getting out of hand.

"On October 28th, Kyle saw Officer Hayward wrestling with a suspect on the side of Garland Street. Officer Hayward had called for back-up, and several officers were responding. Kyle recognized Officer Hayward needed help immediately and jumped in to assist. He helped Officer Hayward maintain control of the suspect until back-up arrived."

Because Meehan's actions directly and significantly assisted Officer Hayward, Hayward submitted his name for the special honor.

Meehan received a special visit from Officer Hayward this past weekend, along with some Bangor PD swag and his Challenge Coin.

Good job, Mr. Meehan, for being in the right place at the right time and for stepping up to help in a moment of need.

And good job to the Bangor PD for recognizing when someone goes above and beyond.

Read More: Community Recognition: Kyle Meehan's Quick Action Saves The Day | https://i95rocks.com/bangor-challenge-coin-honor/?alef=&lh_aid=7302&lh_cid=fn3a4yd1ai&utm_campaign=bangor_police_recognize_kyle_meehan_for_his_quick_response_on_garland_street&utm_medium=email&utm_source=letterhead&utm_term=i95rocks&di=21f012d454b946f8eb2e9f8101a13ca1&utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral