In the pursuit of interesting but probably meaningless Maine political information it was discovered last week that no matter which of the top three contenders in Maine’s U.S. Senate race win the election this November, they will join the ranks of a minority group — senators from Maine who were not born in the Pine Tree State.

Former Maine governor and independent candidate Angus King was born in Virginia. Maine Secretary of State and Republican candidate Charlie Summers was born in Illinois. And state Sen. Cynthia Dill, the Democratic candidate, was born in New York state.

We know how Mainers appreciate their roots and have all heard the saws about people “from away” or cats having kittens in the oven and so on — so it makes sense that only 12 of the state’s 36 U.S. senators were not native born.

That includes six people from Massachusetts, two each from Michigan and New Hampshire and one each from Pennsylvania and Vermont.

Lewiston wins the prize for having the most native U.S. senators with three.

Sens. Fred Payne,William Frye and Wallace White were all born in Lewiston.

Waterville can claim to be the birthplace of two U.S. senators, Wyman B.S. Moor and George Mitchell. 

Bangor is the birthplace of former U.S. Sen. William Cohen but Maine’s biggest city — Portland — sadly, never produced its own U.S. senator.

Also notable is the number of local small towns that can claim a U.S. senator, including Hebron, Rumford, Paris, Poland, Turner, Fryeburg and Hallowell, to name a few.

— Scott Thistle

Clean cars for Lisbon VFW post

A car wash on Sabattus Street in Lewiston is lending a hand to the effort to save Lisbon’s VFW hall, the Raymond J. Lavigne Post 9459, on Route 196.

Beginning Saturday, Sept. 8, and continuing for several more Saturdays, Liquid Sunshine Car Wash & Detail will donate 30 percent of his car wash sales to the post.

Car wash owner Steve Dubois read about the post’s money troubles and offered the help.

He plans to donate 30 percent of his car wash sales on those days to the post. Customers can purchase an exterior hand-wash for $12 or an exterior and interior cleaning for $25. The prices rises to $15 and $30 for trucks.

The Lisbon VFW post has announced its plan to sell its hall and relocate. However, leaders say they would pull the hall from the market if they had enough money.

— Daniel Hartill

Walking the school halls

LEWISTON — When school opened Aug. 29, Superintendent Bill Webster walked the halls of all nine city schools “to get a pulse” of what’s going on.

He estimated he walked 2 miles of halls and had chance meetings with teachers and students, including a middle school student looking for the bathroom, and an anxious high school freshman late for school.

“He missed his bus and had no idea where to go. I brought him to the office,” Webster said.

He said he was impressed with the conditions of the school buildings. “The lawns were mowed, the litter picked up, the floors shined. I was equally impressed with students and staff.” There were no discipline problems, everyone seemed ready, he said.

When he makes such informal visits, Webster said he learns something he didn’t know. On Wednesday he heard from teachers about new classroom sound systems, and found out a couple of classes using inferior material for their white boards (today’s black board). “They had shower boards, cheap bathroom walls.” An order has been placed for new boards, Webster said Friday. 

— Bonnie Washuk