Those of you who settled in for some solid newspaper reading before or after Christmas dinner, may have read the Bangor Daily News story from Cherryfield about the animals and the staff of The Ark, who were settling into their new home on Barber Lane.

The Ark is a no-kill shelter founded in 1984 under the leadership of Alanna Gertz, who resigned as its director in October 1998, citing health reasons.

And while The Ark’s current board of directors is working out easement problems with landowners at its original facility in Harrington, the nonprofit organization is leasing the Barber Lane home from the Pet Society of Cherryfield.

On Christmas Day, according to the NEWS, Ark director Lorna Konyak was preparing “Christmas dinner” at the 1800s farmhouse – and giving out new toys – to the five dogs and 18 cats sheltered there during the holidays.

Adding to the Christmas Day story about The Ark, is the concern that supporters have about the organization’s ability to continue to operate in Washington County.

Earlier this Month, the NEWS received a letter from Karen Rockwell, writing not only for herself, but for all “Animal Lovers from Bangor, Maine.”

Rockwell requests that our readers help keep The Ark Animal Shelter afloat.

She goes on to explain that due to a series of unfortunate events, The Ark had to relocate to a rented farmhouse in Cherryfield.

“The high cost of fuel, and unanticipated moving expenses, have seriously depleted this unique ‘no-kill’ shelter’s budget,” she wrote.

But Rockwell expressed even more concern for the fact that “the new quarters can only accommodate less than one-half of the animals that it previously could.”

She believes that an “unpleasant reality of this situation” is that “many animals will be left to fend for themselves, or be euthanized by animal control authorities.”

To help The Ark continue its good work, Rockwell appeals to all animal lovers.

“The Ark needs your support if it’s to continue to keep its very special ‘no-kill’ facility in operation,” she wrote. “Any donations to The Ark, in their time of need, would be greatly appreciated.”

Donations can be mailed to The Ark Animal Shelter, PO Box 202, Harrington 04643.

.

We were happy to learn that the city of Brewer’s holiday food drive was such a success.

Drew Sachs, who organized the second annual event among staff at Brewer City Hall, reports that 1,200 nonperishable food items and $100 in cash was collected for those in need.

This year’s collection exceeded by nearly three times the 400-item goal Sachs set for the drive when it began in late November.

Sachs was particularly pleased with the participation of students at Brewer Middle School.

Under the leadership of BMS teacher Gary Gonyar and student leaders Ashley Crockett and Megan Fraser, nearly 1,000 items were collected to help the needy.

Most of the items will be donated to St. Patrick’s Church on North Main Street in Brewer for use in its food pantry, especially during the weeks and months following the holidays when giving often decreases and supplies become low.

Barney and Charlotte Thompson of Bangor donated the $100 which also went to St. Patrick’s Food Cupboard, and 100 of the donated items were given to employees of Eastern Fine Paper, who were recently put out of work by the company’s reorganization.

.

This request comes from England via Muriel Parker, librarian of the John B. Curtiss Free Public Library in Bradford, and John Dudley of the Alexander-Crawford Historical Society in Alexander. Dudley wrote seeking help from readers for a query the society received and could not answer. Parker, too, received the request and wrote, “We librarians would like to help all we could and, with wider exposure, who knows? We might hit pay dirt!”

The request for information comes from Sally Vincent of Kirby Cross, Frinton-on-sea in Essex. She is searching for a Maine lumbering family, and has contacted libraries and historical societies in the Pine Tree State for assistance.

Vincent is trying to trace a family that owned a lumberyard or lumber mill, in the 1940s, somewhere in our state.

Vincent wrote that she knows “the surname of the family began with ‘M,’ and was pronounced either as Marcott, Merrill, Marner, Mornea, Mayyo, or something similar.

Vincent adds that “the mother was running the timber yard whilst the son, Robert (Bob) was away here in England, serving in the American Forces” during World War II.

“The family is spoken of, often, by some English ‘oldies’ with great affection, and I would dearly love to trace the family,” she wrote. However, she adds, “all correspondence has been lost, and the only memory is of the name as I have just mentioned.”

Anyone with any information that can help Vincent locate this Maine lumbering family can write her at 15-19 Frinton Road, Kirby Cross, Frinton-on-sea CO13 OLB, Essex, England.

Her fax number is 004-1255-675109 and her e-mail address is Salvin@lineone.net.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.