BOSTON, Mass. — Earlier this week, Penobscot Bay Pilot readers learned that Jessica Manbeck, wife of Seth Silverton, had won a prize package that included a spot for two alongside the red carpet entrance into the 86th annual Academy Awards and Oscars in Los Angeles, Calif.

Silverton drove his wife and their daughter, 15-year-old Emma Silverton, from the family’s home in Rockport to Boston, Mass., late Thursday night and lo and behold, early Friday morning the ladies met their first celebrity before even stepping a foot out of New England! They spied actor and comedian Bill Cosby, also awaiting a flight out of Logan Airport. Cosby, one of America’s favorite television “dads,” was happy to pose for the intrepid Oscar groupies’ first celebrity photo.

Jessica and Emma are armed with cameras, smart phones, lots of rechargeable batteries, spare data cards, and video and photo transfer gadgets and we hope to hear from them often this weekend, as they oogle and gawk at myriad celebrities. Who knows, maybe they’ll make their way over to TCL/Mann/Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and wander down Hollywood’s Walk of Fame or find a way to photobomb the famed “Hollywood” sign up on Mt. Lee in Griffith Park. 

Regardless, for some this will be a nice local distraction from the doldrums on this winter in Maine. And speaking of winter, there’s snow in the forecast for Sunday and Monday. But the official first day of spring is just 22 days away...

The Oscars will be televised live on ABC Sunday, March 2, beginning at 7 p.m. EST; 4 p.m. PST.