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Friday, January 23, 2026 Volume 21 • Issue No. 4
A Perfect Run: Don Crisman Heads to Super Bowl LX By Karen Marie Arel, Staff Writer KENNEBUNK While attending his very first Super Bowl game back in 1967, Don Crisman, at 30 years old, had an idea that became a reality. For the past 59 years, Crisman has been known as one of the members of the “Never Miss a Super Bowl Club.” According to Crisman, it all started with a group of men in Denver, Colorado. “It was back in 1967. My wife and I were new to town and started attending Air Force Academy and Denver Broncos games with four other couples,” Crisman recalls. “When the Super Bowl started, it was easy to get tickets, at only $12 per ticket and plenty of seats available. It was at
Don Crisman, wearing his first Super Bowl hat.
that first game in Los Angeles when Vince Lombardi’s Packers defeated AFL champions Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10, that my friends and I decided to attend every Super Bowl game for as long as we could. Most of the group gave up soon after we started.” Crisman’s second attempt to attend that next year’s game in Miami almost ended before he got very far. As he shares his story: “I took a private plane that had to land due to ice, safely landing on an abandoned Air Force Base runway. We scrambled over a fence, where a state trooper saw us and asked a lot of questions. He then took the pilot and me to Orangeburg, South Carolina, so I could catch a train to Miami.”
Over the years, the members in the group changed. “There was Stanley Whittaker, who didn’t want to fly, so he drove to every game. He had a bumper sticker on [his car’s] back bumper – ‘Never Miss a Super Bowl!’ Super Bowl XVII was in California, so Stan and I decided to catch the 3 p.m. Johnny Carson Show. Stan parked his car in the parking lot and while we were in line to catch the show, there was a guy running around trying to find out who owned the car with the bumper sticker. Tom Henschel was the guy. After learning that he had never missed a Super Bowl, we invited him to join our club. Tom was a fan of the See CRISMAN on page 17 . . .
Annual “Give Warmth: Warm Hands, Warm Hearts” ELIOT Eliot Connects invites the public to attend its annual “Give Warmth: Warm Hands, Warm Hearts” event on Saturday, Jan. 31, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day will feature family-friendly activities, camaraderie, and an opportunity to give back to the community. Warm soup, baked treats, board games and live music will be available inside the Eliot Fire Station. A “pay what you can” donation is suggested for the food, with proceeds supporting Eliot Connects programs, initiatives and events. Attendees are encouraged to bring gently used board games, which will
be donated afterward to Eliot Elementary School, KidsPLAY and Baran Place, a 41-unit senior housing community in Eliot. Outside, guests can enjoy a hot cocoa bar, courtesy of Haven Homes & Lifestyle, and a fire pit for making s’mores. Outdoor activities will depend on the weather but may include skating, snowman making, street hockey, cornhole, and other outdoor games. Additional fundraising efforts include a Winter Outer Gear Swap and Drive. Community members are invited to donate or swap children’s winter outerwear during the event. Donated items for children ages 4 to 14
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BOSTON, MA Scientists from the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life spotted right whales during aerial surveys off Massachusetts earlier this month. On Jan. 5, researchers sighted eight whales about 37 miles south of Nantucket. A second survey on Jan. 8 found more than 20 whales. Between the two surveys, at least 23 individual whales have been identified. The group included two females who have calved in recent years, Braces (catalog No. 3320) and Maple (catalog No. 1711), as well as Atoll (catalog No. 4714), a young adult female who may be nearing calving age. All three were observed in surface-active groups, a social behavior in which several right whales closely interact at the surface. These gatherings can also provide mating opportunities, though not
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the Eliot Police and Fire departments. Eliot Connects is a mutual aid nonprofit made up of community-minded members who support the well-being of Eliot by bringing neighbors togeth-
er through programs, initiatives, and events that serve and strengthen the community. For more information, visit www.eliotconnects.org, www. facebook.com/eliotconnects, or email eliotconnects@gmail.com.
Right Whales Return to New England
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must be clean and gently worn or like new, including boots, snow pants, jackets, gloves, and hats. Items not claimed during the event will be donated to Eliot Elementary School, KidsPLAY and the York County Community Action Committee. Volunteers are needed throughout the day to help the event run smoothly, and organizers are also seeking donations of soup and baked goods to share. High school students may apply their time toward community service hours. The day’s events are cosponsored by Eliot Connects, Eliot Community Services, and
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always. The majority of the whales identified were adult males, including Batman (catalog No. 1017) and Dune (catalog No. 3351). Assistant Scientist Kate Laemmle, who was one of the observers aboard the survey plane, noted the high number of these social groups in such a concentrated area. “All around us, we saw groups of whales rolling, splashing, and bursting out of the
water,” Laemmle said. “Seeing these critically endangered right whales on our first surveys of the New Year is a great way to start the season and leaves us hopeful for more whales returning to the area.” The winter/spring season marks the peak time of year for right whale sightings in southern New England waters. In addition to the sightings south of Nantucket, the Center for Coastal Studies has also sighted right whales in Cape Cod Bay over the last month. Cape Cod Bay is subject to a mandatory slow zone for boats and ships known as a Seasonal Management Area (SMA) until May 15. The Jan. 5 sightings triggered the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to implement a voluntary slow speed See WHALES on page 13 . . .
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