by Lucy Charlebois-La Plante
   Someone has to Eat the Broken Egg by Shirley Knott. Published by Athens Press, a subsidiary of Grenoble Publishing House.
   Sibling rivalry and birth order are examined by Shirley Knott in this compelling illustration of how martyrs develop in a world that no longer seems to want or need them. This book is a fascinating portrayal of the childhoods of five modern day martyrs and the forces that shaped them. Knott, who is fluent in seven languages, chose her martyrs from China, Germany, Botswana, Haiti, and Brazil. Each of her subjects is treated with deep respect bordering on reverence and that is probably the weakest element in the book. Knott fails to maintain the distance readers should be able to expect from someone with Knott’s credentials. This is after all the writer who brought us From Cronus to Canaan: An Examination of the Influence of Pre-Linear B Era Mythology on Our Understanding of the Word of God.
   Nevertheless, fans of Knott will not be disappointed. She has an uncanny ability to make connections out of seemingly disparate events and draws them so convincingly as to leave no doubt in the mind of the most discriminating of armchair anthropolgists. We will keep reading Knott, regardless of her loss of objectivity, as long as she continues to introduce us to places we have never been and to people, such as the martyrs, for whom we should all be profoundly grateful.
   There are two copies of Someone has to Eat the Broken Egg at the Germaine Library.

Shame on you, Howard

To the Editor:
   Shame on you, Howard Applegate! I just read the article on those protesters, and I want to know why you are giving them a forum in your newspaper? You are just encouraging them. This is the third time this year they have disrupted life in our little town, and each time there is more of them.
   If you would ignore them, they would all go back to the city where they no doubt came from. Not only do they hold up traffic, and harrass poor businessmen like John, these outside agitators influence our children to disobey their parents, and disrespect our president. I heard that even the Sheriff’s son Ezra was there making noise to raise the dead.
   Please stop coddling them.

Jane Annabelle Arnold

editor’s note: According to Susie, who wrote this article, all of the participants were native Germainers.

by Susie Applegate
   Claiming they were there to “drown out the lies,” about a dozen protesters banged their pots and pans for nearly an hour, beginning at 6pm on January 31st. That was the scheduled time for President Bush’s State of the Union speech.
   Willie Walkingstick, a leader of the protest said, “People all over the country are declaring a state of emergency today.” He was referring to a nationwide campaign by anti-war groups, environmentalists, privacy advocates, and others, to bring attention to policies they say are unconstitutional and a threat to democracy, and to press for impeachment of the president.
   ”These folks are nuts,” said John Arratola, owner of Arratola’s General Store. Although the protest was after business hours, Arratola claimed he was unable to work on his end-of-the-month book-keeping. “What the hell are they trying to prove. They’re like the tree falling in the forest, Only the squirrels are going to hear.”
   Arratola’s daughter, sixteen year old Becky Arratola, disagrees with her father. “it’s a start,” she said. “Sure, Germaine is just a little piddlepool in the desert, but they told me in school that every voice counts. Even mine.”
   When told of his daughters response, Arratola blamed the schools. “These damned teachers, they’re fomenting this. And that Charlebois-LaPlante woman and her socialist ideas. That’s what has stirred up these kids.”
   ”I’d spank Becky’s butt,” Arratola continues, “except she’d have me arrested for child abuse. Or worse, if you know what I mean. These kids are uncontrollable.”
   The protest briefly held up traffic on main street, but, according to Deputy Shawn Hinterteil, who was on the scene, “It was minor, really. Most people were able to go around the block. In any case, it only lasted a minute or two.”

by Susie Applegate
  In the early morning hours of January 3rd, the Budreau family of N. Plains Road was awakened by the shriek of the smoke alarm. The frantic parents, Rita and Hugo, hastily rounded up their eight children and fled the house. “My eyes was running from the smoke and I was coughing so I could barely talk. I kept telling the children get down, bend down, get under the smoke,” Hugo said. “We was all coughing by the time we was outside.”
  The Budreaus drove the three miles from the Arlington house to the fire station in town. Nancy Budreau, 9, said she could see an orange glow from the fire by the time they got to town.
  Volunteers were immediately alerted by the siren and seven men responded meeting the fire truck at the scene of the fire. Unfortunately, it was too late to save the house, but the fire was contained to the immediate area of the house and the outbuildings where Andy Childers stores his honeydew harvesting equipment were completely spared.
  A complete investigation is yet to be conducted, but Fire Chief Lundgren indicated that the cause of the fire was probably faulty wiring.
  Those of you new to Germaine may not be aware that the Budreau family came to us from Biloxi, Mississippi after hurricane Katrina devastated that city. In spite of this new tragedy, Hugo is grateful to Germaine, “I tell you, we come here with nothing and you folks opened your hearts and gave us that pretty house to live in and blessed us with all the things we needed. I couldn’t ask for more. I got a job now. We’ll get on.” Hugo Budreau is now janitor and general handyman at Mary of the Immaculate Heart Catholic Church.
  Just before dawn, as the family waited for a report from the firemen, Shaherazade Budreau, 11, told this reporter, “I wish we could just keep a place. If it ain’t fire, it’s wind. If it ain’t wind, it’s flood. I spent my whole life going from one disaster to another.”
  Her mother, Rita, put her arms around the girl’s shoulders and stared at the dawn just breaking. “We got each other. We got out alive, that’s the thing that matters. We’re survivors. We’ll be okay.”
  The Red Cross has put the family up at the Restin’ Easy for one week. In the meantime, a fund has been set up at the Wilbur County Credit Union and is accepting monetary donations on behalf of the family. Mary of the Immaculate Heart is gathering donations of food, clothing, furniture and household items. Anyone with a three to four bedroom house they would like to rent to the Budreau may contact them through Lucy Charlebois-LaPlante at the library.

The Stars Over Germaine – horoscope for February

In general, the stars over Germaine are scintillating.
Aries (March 21-April 20) You will become obsessed with a person of the opposite gender or the same gender depending on your orientation. You will take huge risks, clean your house for the first time in months and delude yourself into thinking you are a person of exceptional integrity so that you believe yourself to be worthy of this new-found object of desire. Taurus (April 21-May 20) You will wake up on February third with an urge to get out of town. don’t be surprised if you make an impromptu trip to Caldwell or Provo. From there you’ll think that Bryce Canyon and Sedona are not too far to go. Don’ worry you’ll be back and we’ll be waiting to hear all your fabulous stories. No slides this time, okay? See you in March. Gemini (May 21-June 20) Everyone has been cautiously pleased about your self-control over the past year vis-a-vis your mouth. You’ll be coming out of that in February. Might consider holding a salon or two, maybe get yourself a show on Radio Germaine. However, this will only be successful if you can curb your penchant for butting into everybody’s business. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Suddenly, the dysfunction that hs been simmering at the heart of all your relationships is going to boil over. That someone whom you have been admiring is going to come on to you like gangbusters, shower you with flowers ad compliments–whoa, slow down–this person wil make fatal attrction look like a walk in the woods. Get your rabbits out town if you care for them at all. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) God you’re desperate and discriminating bordering on the ridiculous. This is not a positive attribute. Fortunately you will develop the ability to actually become fond of someone other than yourself. This is a step toward commitment. Baby steps. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) God you’re desperate and discriminating bordering on the ridiculous. This is not a positive attribute. Fortunately you will develop the ability to actually become fond of someone other than yourself. This is a step toward commitment. Baby steps. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) The false sense of security that surrounded your home life at the start of January will fall away like the veils of Salome until everyone’s ugly thoughts stand exposed. Well, you can’t say you are surprised you always knew they were cunning, self-serving, petulant prigs. Still, they are family so embrace them and move on. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) How was that January? Pretty hot, huh? And now, in February everyone is ready to pay attention to everything you say. The only caution is take a deep breath before you speak or your adoring audience will treat you like Jane Fonda at an American Legion cook-out.	Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Always the one to grow and change, now that the diet of 2005 has turned you into a svelte kitten, you will urn to your finances and put our accounts in such good order that your banker will become suspicious. Don’t be surprised if the police show up at your door to make sure you aren’t being held captive. Capricorn (Dec.22-Jan. 19) Look at you. Just look at you. Didn’t I tell you that if you gave people some space they’d be all over you like spam in your email? Keep acting like a reasonable person and you might get that part in Mephistopheles you’ve been coveting ever since you first saw The Tragical History of Dr Faustus by Christopher Marlowe on the bookshelf in your uncle Ted’s secret basement room where you were forbidden to go. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Your friends and family were amazed last year when you appeared to turn over a new leaf where your bank account was concerned. They praised you in the best way they knew how. But little did they know that you were just too depressed to open your wallet and that day when your mother-in-law was so proud of you for walking right by that little red dress in the window of Meier & Frank on that trip to Portland you all took last August–that apparent act of supreme self-control was actually the result of you finding it necessary to concentrate on the cracks in the concrete sidewalk so you wouldn’t burst into tears. Well, here is reason to celebrate, you’ve finally got more than a hundred bucks in the credit union. Just in time too, because March isn’t looking too good. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) You’ve always believed you were a liar and that accounts for how scrupulously honest you always are. Your best friend is going to take this integrity trait of yours as a sign that she can bare her soul to you. What an idiot. If Your Birthday Is in February This will be a watershed year for you. One day around the 10th, on your drive home from your janitorial job at St Charles Hospital in Bend, as the sun is first streaking the sky over highway 20, you will realize that you want to work out of doors. You will apply for a job with the Forest Service and will spend the rest of the year tramping around the forest gathering soil samples and watching tree bark grow. Unfortunately, your assignment will be in the Winema National Forest and your commute will be even longer.
Disclaimer: This horoscope is presented for entertainment purposes only. The Germaine Truth does not endorse any particular system of divination.