The second issue of The Messenger has since gone to press and has now been delivered to almost 400 rural homes from Canterbury to Forest City, NB and appears to be enjoyed by many. Since the recent slayings of three RCMP officers in Moncton, an event that quickly went nation-wide, I drew a pen and ink sketch of a mountie holding a flag at half-mast for the cover. I also wrote a short article as a tribute to the RCMP, which is as follows:
On June 4th, 2014, three RCMP constables were killed in Moncton, NB, when they answered their call to duty. Two other officers were injured by the same lone gunman.
I can remember, when just as a boy, incidents of this nature, if they even existed, were very rare - tragically - now it seems, they are almost everyday occurrences.
LIke many people in positions of authority, there are good ones and bad ones, which is too bad because I believe all police officers should be revered and respected - remember - when they are asked to respond to a call for help or just happen to be there when trouble breaks out, they often put their very lives at risk, which the three RCNP Constables, Gevaudan, Ross and Larche did and doing so, they lost their lives. Also, their families and friends will be tragically affected by their untimely deaths.
The times they are troublin', may possibly even get worse, and if so, it's still good to know that in these perilous times, maybe a Mountie just might show up on your doorstep. He won't be wearin' a crimson-red jacket or ridin' a fine horse like in the olden days, but he'll be there - and that's what counts!
Production of the third publication of The Messenge,r for the month of August, is already in the works. Since New Brunswick Day falls on the first Monday of every August, I've just finished writing a short article called New Brunswick - Then and Now and sketched another illustration for the cover. In the last issue, my wife Sarah wrote an article about Gladys Foster, a long time resident of Fosterville and in the upcoming issue she is already writing about another interesting person. We look forward to other people writing articles as well and are always on the lookout for photos, poetry or anything else readers may like to submit. We were amazed by many people who read the ads, which were submitted from the State of Maine and have shown a great interest in what is happening there, such as the CLIC Free Island Picnic, Woodie Wheaton Land Trust events and the delicious meals at First Settler,s Lodge.
I realize nobody wants to think about winter, especially since last winter was so harsh - my back still aches from shoveling so much snow - but I have to turn my thoughts towards that direction where The Messenger is concerned because I'd like to keep it a monthly publication. As much as people don't like advertisements, it's an essential segment of The Messenger because the printing and postal costs are constant. However, that being said, we are still trying to incorporate a good portion of the publication to content that our readers will find interesting and hopefully enjoy, whether their views are the same as others or not.
We already have some outlets in Woodstock where The Messenger can be picked up or just read while you enjoy a cup of coffee - mainly the Celtic Fox (O'Toole's Gallery) in Grafton or at the Woodstock Farmer's Market downtown. If there are any other businesses in the Woodstock area or other areas that would like to be an outlet for The Messenger or perhaps run an advertisement, please feel free to get in touch with us by either sending an email to goldenunicornpublishing@gmail.com or lenwsherman@gmail.com or phoning (506-894-2420).
To see the whole pdf file of The Messenger click on goldenunicornpublishing
