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Comment by Long Islander on May 15, 2014 at 9:33am

J was a great man who truly cared about Maine, Mainers and the truth.

He fully understood how groups like "the environmental elite" were putting their own personal interests ahead of Mainers and the environment they purported to protect and was not shy about educating the people on such things.

Below is a link to a piece he had written back in April 2012, not long before his tragic death.

R.I.P. J.

Op-Ed: Maine’s wealthy elite profit from political connections

http://www.themainewire.com/2012/04/op-ed-maine%E2%80%99s-wealthy-e...

Comment by Brad Blake on May 14, 2014 at 5:41pm

He was a brilliant man and losing him was tragic.  He would have helped our efforts against the wind scourge the last two years immeasurably.  RIP, J.

Comment by Steve Thurston on May 14, 2014 at 4:31pm

 I read one of J's first Sun Journal columns about wind power in the summer of 2009.  I called him, and soon realized we shared a common vision of the uselessness and horror of wind power, and the outrageous scam perpetrated on the state of Maine by the wind lobby and complicit politicians.   The depth of J's passion, and the breadth of his intelligence were astonishing to me.   As outraged as he was about the destruction of Maine, both from an ecological and political perspective, he also managed to apply his wry sense of humor to his comprehensive analysis and focused observations.  He was larger than life,  and his absence has leaves an equally large void.  

Comment by Monique Aniel Thurston on May 14, 2014 at 2:52pm

Thank  you  Timothy for sharing  J's eulogy read  by  you on this  day  two years ago reflecting his depth , complexity ,passion ,talents and hopes.

J would have be outraged at  the results of the last legislative  session where the party in power did not even want  to give back  to some Maine citizens the right to self determination , or allow  the DEP to use tools necessary for a more  critical analysis  of wind  projects , he  would  have screamed  at  the  revelation that First Wind , Patriot Renewables  and attorneys  and supporters of those  firms can be  found as Maine Audubon corporate partners and that Maine Audubon in their  report published last December basically gave a free  pass to the wind developers .

Rest In Peace J, many new voices  have  tackled the battle for the safe keeping of  Maine 's landscape , birds  and people you loved  so much

Monique 

Comment by Timothy H. 'Dutch' Dwight on May 14, 2014 at 10:11am

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. 

 

Greetings To you J, my beloved child: Grace mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus my Lord.

Passion, Principle, & Courage

 

Perhaps a month ago, I shared with J this passage from Isaiah 1:21,

‘Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they will be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.’

I spoke with him in regard to our frustrations with aspects of our lives. We spoke of family issues, bouncing from those in his, to mine, to ours.   Ranging from local politics in Wilton to Augusta, the results of the recent Republican convention, to Kennebunk, Parsons Beach to Wassaw and back again.

In context, this biblical passage, is difficult to instill within your person and conscience.  It speaks of moments of passion, in which all of us are familiar.  But, Isaiah is saying that by talking your sins out, God will forgive them, and you will be cleansed.  J shared with tongue in cheek that he sought to cleanse himself of the lies of the opposition.

J was very passionate about his family, birding and politics, in particular, as many of you on both sides of the aisle may know.  His passion was writ large through his retelling and visioning of events in the State of Maine, national and international.  From interviews with CNBC to the local papers he was well known thorn in the oppositions’ side.  He collaborated with many in the region to rake at the gross waste, and corruption by the Democratic establishment. 

You may have read his articles.  You can see them in a binder after the service.  These articles reflect his passions and the foundational principles in which he deeply believed.   Most recently, on the Maine Heritage Foundation blog site he outed the 6 most powerful people in the State of Maine.  This blog details the internecine web of corruption at the highest levels.  And they took notice.

He had more to come and was in the midst of the research against the cabal - the Democrats, and most importantly the fake ‘environmentalists’.  Why did he talk about these ‘fake’ environmentalists, such as the Sierra Club and Audobon average supporters.  Because from his perspective it is always about the hypocrites stealing money and rights from the hard working little guy.   Just yesterday in the Wall Street Journal Op Ed “Sierra Clubs Natural Gas”, caught up to J’s vision, style of writing and stating;  “The green left has decided it must do everything it can to reduce the supply of gas and keep its price as high as possible.’  We know that this kind of politics hurts the little guy. 

We spoke of never spotting – to use a birding term - an ‘environmentalist’ deeply or even on the margins of the woods.  They joined him for ‘birding sessions’ but would not venture into the woods to find the most elusive life bird.   He shared that they are not deep in their love of the wildlife, not courageous, only surface level people, seeking to be liked by their neighbors - the Joneses.

To them – the opposition, J was an enigma.  The hard part for his enemies is that he was a more passionate environmentalist than all of them.  For those who do not know he is renowned Ornithologist.  A bird watcher of the highest caliber.  All of us in the family had their favorite nickname for him – mine was simply Bird!  Many of them ‘Birders’ could not hold a candle to him in the field.  He knew his birds, their calls and songs, favorite plants and habitats.

You can hear them – the radical greens - say in their parlors, ‘he is anti-wind’, we were too – until we sold out.   ‘He is passionate in his protection of the trees and the birds - the environment,’ we cared too, until, we sold out – but don’t let anybody know’!   Just keep up the Lie, until the price of Gas is too high!

He was independent.   Had his own successful company, once again you can hear them say “we can’t pressure his boss or shame his Family they have an unbeatable record and continue to outdo us in too many good things. 

They looked for angles and found a way.  After the Tea Party Win in 2010 they figured it out.  His articles were having such a deep public ‘anti-wind’ reaction he was told that his free lance articles would no longer be allowed to be published by the Sun Journal in late 2010 – check date.  This did hurt him. 

The largest most vocal Wind power person in the state – former Governor Angus King could not hold a candle to his oration skills.  J was the Voice in the western hills where native independence and a dramatic drop in the population of the swing towns of Auburn & Lewiston threatened the power structure in the State.  This passionate, principled Voice of independence, courageously traveled around the state to local hill town meetings in the districts where the Wind people thought that there were no voices.  They heard his passion and hated his principles. And it scared them.   

He was touted as an expert on energy in the state of Maine.  I truly believe his principled & passionate stance against Wind power was appropriately placed in defending the destruction of the environment and the innocent birds flying into the swinging path of the blades.  Never mind the stealing of taxpayers monies via subsidies and sell outs. That was cream for the conservatives.

I shared another bible verse with him: Isaiah 1:23 which speaks of the degenerate city, especially this passage, “your princes are rebels and companions of thieves.  Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts.  They do not defend the orphan, and the widow’s cause does not come before them.”   After this last line he shared that this fight is about the little guy. 

He was passionate about helping the party on the Right to gain power so the citizens, especially a man with small guy roots, like Paul Le Page, could rise and help unburden the slavery policies which put his family there. 

It was the common theme in his last few articles.  The little guy.  His writing was terse, easy to understand.  Filled with facts laid out so all of us could understand.  This raised the gall of the opponents the most.  Taking away their last martial column – defense of the small guy, with his pen.  Delving deeply into the independent spirit of the Mainer, whose jobs have been driven off by the Nimbi’s and nay sayers.  From Lumber to Fishing, to simple craftsmen, out regulated and outgunned, because they these simple businessmen were independent.   According to J, the independent Maine spirit is just beginning to rise again.   The path he foresaw is energy independence ala North Dakota or Alaska, based on oil & natural gas.  Imagine, each Mainer getting paid to live in the State?  Well he believed in the possibility.  If you believe in it, it could happen right here.

He was inspired by; Patrick Henry, especially the Live free or die speech.   Late nights he and I would parse the words – let me share a few.   The last few sentences from the first paragraph were very real to him:

“For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility, which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.”

Courage:  His courage should be obvious to the outside observer.  He spoke to me of the courage of the Philoppino’s fighting the Muslims in their home country after he arrived back from his year abroad.  This inspired him to take up writing again in college.   While at Umass he took on the other side and we took over the student senate.  Boy were they pissed.  It took them a full 2 years to figure out how to kick us out.  That was fun! 

While so few were doing nothing J was engaged.  Relentlessly, tirelessly, seeking the truth, and from a biblical perspective he shared with me the following: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16.

He took on the power structure where he saw injustice.  He was not shy to tell you where he stood!  Passion, Principal & Courage, inspired, not just by Patrick Henry, but by his Mother and Father around the dinner table.  They thank God, encouraged rousing debates there.  Strangers and acquaintances would come over to join us and watch the fireworks across the table and think these people must hate each other.  Often there were moments, but I remember Dad admonishing ‘Now get up and respect your brother and sister and tell them that you love them!’  J took this command to heart.  He wished for peace, but when slighted, he was like a snake fighting back with his quick wit and rapid logic, often too many steps ahead of the pack, especially when he called a spade a spade, and could not stand the drivel of excuses thereafter in the argument.

Courage – Courage to do the right thing.  It is hard to think about this statement.  He set the bar high for himself and those around him.   J was not an easy man to get along with.   But if you take a look at his photograph and you can see the “Square Jawed, sexy good looks” and then higher up, you can see the complexity in his continence, the brooding within his brow.   God knows I will miss him. 

Here is what he and I close with, words from 2 Timothy 20 - 21:

“Guard what has been entrusted to you.  Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge; by professing it some have missed the mark as regards to faith.  Grace be with you.  Amen.”