CAMDEN – Although the federal partial government shutdown is over, members of American Legion Post 30 in Camden see it differently.

On Sunday morning, January 27, all the proceeds from their pancake breakfast were donated to the U.S. Coast Guard. According to post Commander Frank Carr, although the shutdown ended the day before, it will be a while before things are back to normal.

“This especially affects retirees, who have not seen any pension money,” he said.

The Sunday breakfast, held every Sunday morning at the post at 91 Pearl Street, has been used to help fund furnace repair. The decision to give the funds from the breakfast to the Coast Guard had already been made before the announcement that the shutdown had ended.

Jeff Sukeforth, a post member and veteran, echoed Carr’s words and sentiment in that even though the shutdown is over, money will not magically show up tomorrow.

“It’s one veteran to another,” he said. “We want to do what we can for them. Our concern went out not only for the active duty Coast Guard, but for the retirees, as well.”

Post member Rosey Gerry was unsure of the exact number of people that had been fed so far that morning.

“I know some people just came in and made a donation and then left,” he said. “Others have stopped and dropped off food and didn’t have breakfast. They are supporting our cause.”

Gerry will be guest speaker at the Appleton Historical Society annual meeting Feb. 4. He will be reading some of his true stories about growing up in the 1950s and 1960s in Midcoast Maine.

The meeting will be at the Appleton Library, 2916 Sennebec Road, at the bridge in Appleton Village, opposite the Town Office. The potluck super will begin at 6 p.m. The Annual Meeting portion at 7 p.m., and following the business portion and election of officers for 2019, Rosey will relate his stories.