Page 46 - WCM 2019 Winter

West Coast Maine Factoids By Kelsey Goldsmith
Our corner of the state has a claim to fame, from local celebrities, to funny laws and zanny geography. As the locals would say, “Who’d ‘a thunk it?”
Local Celebrities
Hannibal Hamlin, born August 27, 1809 when Maine was still part of Massachusetts, was a native of Paris, and the 15th Vice President
of the United States, under President Abraham Lincoln.
Edmund S. Muskie,
of Rumford, served
as U.S. Secretary
of State during the Carter administration, and was a candidate for Vice President of the United States in 1968.
Leon Leonwood Bean, inventor of the boot meant to keep hunters’ feet warm that launched his multi- million dollar outdoor empire L.L.Bean, was born in Greenwood on October 13, 1872.
Patrick Dempsey, who will turn 53 in January of 2019, spent his childhood in Buckfield, and performed locally as a teenager -- then became famous in
the mid-2000s for
his role as Dr. Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy.
Law & Order
Here, it is against the law to step out from a plane while it is in flight. Bet local law enforcement would have a hard time prosecuting you for the crime, though.
Legally speaking, if you hit a moose with your car in Maine, you get first dibs on the carcass. But, they’re giant animals known to cause bodily harm when struck at high speeds, so it’s better to avoid them if you can.
Bah humbug! Though frequently defended as gospel truth, there is no state law against leaving your Christmas decorations up after January 14th.
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Arts, Entertainment, Adventure and More in Western Maine