Tales from Rural Maine: The crime report

One of my favorite pastimes here in rural Maine is reading the crime reports in our various local papers. From the 12/22 edition of the Ellsworth American: "(Winter Harbor) A 71-year-old woman told police Nov. 22 that her pocketbook was missing from her car, police said. Police said the woman told them she had gone to the bank and other businesses on Main Street then took a walk. Police said the woman called a few days later to say she found her purse at home. Police received a complaint Nov. 21 that careless deer hunters were driving over lawns at homes on Grindstone Neck, police said. Police said they spotted two hunters in the area and the men agreed to be more careful...A man from Old Town complained to police Dec 8 that he had received a birthday card from a man in Winter Harbor despite an order by police that the two not contact each other, police said. Police said they told the local man that no contact means absolutely no contact." Also there were two accidental calls to 911 and someone had trouble entering his alarm code at his home on Deep Cove. (After living much of my adult life in major metropolitan areas, I find it charming and very nearly comforting that these things rate as criminal concerns.)