A group of local Somalis had good intentions when they invited the general public to a big party to celebrate the anniversary of the day that north and south Somalia joined as one country.

They invited the people of Lewiston-Auburn to come to the party on July 2 and learn about their culture. They planned eight hours (6 p.m.-2 a.m.) of food, music and dancing.

Only not in that order, to the disappointment of some.

Many of the non-Somali guests showed up at 6 p.m., ready to fill their dinner plates. Since most Somalis don’t eat their nighttime snack until 9 or 10 p.m., the buffet tables were empty.

Said Mohamud, one of the event’s organizers, was afraid things would get ugly.

“I could see it in their faces,” he said. “People were hungry.”

Although some left in search of grub, others stuck around and distracted themselves with music and conversation until the food started to arrive.

Next year, organizers could compromise by preparing the food for 8 p.m. Or, they could feed the guests in shifts.

– Lisa Chmelecki
Cell-tiquette

Hey, you, in that next stall over? Hang up the phone.

Among the findings in the 2004 Sprint Wireless Courtesy Report out this week:

• 77 percent of people have listened to someone carry on a wireless call in the bathroom.

• 88 percent say cell phone users are less polite today than five years ago.

• 97 percent of users consider themselves “very” or “somewhat” courteous.

• 40 percent ‘fess up to having private conversations in public.

• 28 percent leave their phones on in restaurants, and

• 2 percent leave them on in church.

The survey was timed to coincide with National Cell Phone Courtesy Month, so declared four years ago by Jacqueline Whitmore, founder and director of The Protocol School of Palm Beach. According to a spokesman, she also conducted the survey for Sprint.

– Kathryn Skelton
Up in smoke

After waiting hours to get within a half-mile of the liquid propane tanker’s rollover on Route 100 in New Gloucester on Thursday, it came as a shock to see two firefighters light up cigarettes at the Haz-Mat command post at Jack Hall Road and Route 100.

A one-mile radius, affecting about 100 homes, had been evacuated as a precaution; officials were afraid the flammable gas might ignite when it was transferred to another truck.

No propane had been spilled initially, but cars were diverted around the accident and power was shut off to the immediate area for hours to avoid a fire hazard.

Access was restricted, and the press photographers didn’t know what dangers were hidden around a curve in the road where the tanker was.

But, when we saw that thin line of smoke curl into the air, we knew there couldn’t be too much danger in the area.

At least we hoped not.

– Amber Waterman