FEB - Bath Iron Works

January 2010Service AnniversariesDept. Name40 Years10 Freeman, Gary Llewellyn35 Years20 Dodge, David Robert09 Morton Jr, Henry Abbott24 O'Neill, Jeanne Therriault30 Years10 Ater, Robert Gordon68 Blake Jr, Donald Edward25 Boilard, Robert Lawrence52 Douglass, Glenn Lee10 Durgan Jr, Raymond Earl66 Giasson, Ronald Emilen10 | February 2010 | BIW NEWSDept. NameOpen Mic, Insert CookiesCarl Ferris (D20) and friends are regularsat the Open Mic sessions heldmonthly at Marnee’s Cookie Bistroin Bath. A cookie shop might be an unusualvenue for local musicians, but not the onlyunorthodox method that owner MarneeRobinson has employed to make her successfulinternet cookie business a welcomingdrop-in for locals as well.Carl first stopped by a couple of summersago when he helped another musiciancarry his equipment inside. He stayed for afew songs and was soon returning regularly.Marnee said, “Over the past year, Carl hasorganized most of the sessions and madesure that there’s at least a couple of peopleplanning to play or sing.”If you’ve never thought of finding livemusic at a place whose fame rests on lunchplate-sized cookies with names like Destinyand Euphoria, you would be in for a surprise.On a recent Friday night, the placewas filled with children coloring at a tablewhile moms gathered in a corner overcoffee, family members taking photos andleading the applause, a few people orderingsoup and cookies as a hedge against the coldtemps outside and several guys who stoppedbecause they saw the lights on and stayedfor the free coffee and music.Carl’s line-up of fellow BIW musiciansincludes Jim Hamilton (D86) a member ofFiddle-icious, a group of fiddlers and othermusicians who play the Scottish, Irish,Quebecois and Acadian music of theirMaine ancestors; Bob Knowles (D1310)from Environmental who has a jazz bandnamed Loco Trio; Dave Heath (D40) who81 Grover, Brian Leeman91 Haley, Sandra Lynne50 Hull, Stuart Boyd19 Lane, Richard Nelson66 Leach, Bruce Conrad25 Leet, Russell Clinton54 Liller, Robin Porter20 Marquis, Dennis Paul17 McFarland Jr, Arthur Ellsworth91 Morawski, Debra Susan57 Osgood, Cynthia Lee50 Pinkham, Cheryl Ervine17 Stanhope, Brett Jordan86 Stearn, James Anthony19 Stegna Jr, Lawrence EugeneDept. Name19 Ward, Michael James87 Webster, Thomas Winfield25 Years19 Barnes, Daniel Charles20 Carrier, Roger Edmond89 Day, Donna Lee07 Ross, David Lee20 Years20 Doyle Jr, James Daniel87 Foss, Richard Mark87 Gourhan, James William87 Grant, Kim Marie17 Monsen, Arthur Maurice87 Nadeau, Anthony Wayne87 Pelletier, Gary Joel40 Ross, Brett Wotton24 Sherburne, Kimberly Annesometimes brings his Augusta-area musician-friendsalong, and Rick Harris (D20),a Facilities supervisor who premiered a newsong, Going to the Cookie House in Bath lastsummer. Available on You Tube, it is amust-view example of cookie shop music,a genre whose popularity, if fully realized,will be due in part to Marnee’s cookiesbeing recognized by Forbes magazine asamong the 10 best in the U.S.In early February, Derrick Tisdale,Jenny’s (D49) 15-year-old son, proved tobe a talented, congenial musician who introducedCarl and Jim Hamilton to his JohnnyCash repertoire. His father said that Derrickhas been playing various types of music formany years, but for now, is concentrating onguitar. It shows.Summers bring in young people andsometimes there are surprises in the form ofthe occasional professional musicians thatfind their way to the open mic through littleDept. Name87 St Onge, Daniel Roger82 Witherell, Doris Theresa10 Years40 Crowe, Kenneth Charles26 Flanagan, Michael Paul84 Kelly, Reuben Rival40 Pazdziorko, Emil Jude5 Years40 Boyle, Matthew Scott40 Burkhardt, Todd Alan40 Desjardins, Jason Edward40 Elkins Jr, Peter Graeme01 Gamage, Michael Douglas71 Malis, Michael Anthony40 Pashos, Costas Vasilios40 Sookma, AttapolOpen Mic-sters,l to r: JimHamilton, DerrickTisdale and CarlFerris.more advertising than a sidewalk chalkboard.One September, a banjo player whofrequently performs in Branson, Missouriwalked into the shop and in Carl’s words,“I never sounded better than the night Iplayed with that guy.”Carl has advanced his standing as anamateur musician through the cookie shopgigs but also finds it a chance to reach out tothe young people who show up with guitars.He said, “I encourage them to play and ifthat’s not enough, I tell them to just get upand do it. Two kids later told me that playingat Marnee’s got them over their initialstage-fright and when MOHIBA (the annualMorse High School Variety Show), camearound, they had the confidence to play infront of a couple hundred people.”Carl said, “I’ve done some crazy things—this is not the most unusual by any means,and the people and the cookies are great.”