05/25/2008
from the Kennebec Journal
Finding shelter for those who serve their nation
Immigrant recalls her special greeting
State gains $85M in Homeland Security funds
Man arrested after swerve toward cop
School unit in limbo
Rain? What rain?
LEE LATCHES ON WITH THOMAS
Modern camping equipment takes it to the extreme
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Kennebec Journal
from the Morning Sentinel
Civil War-era flag finds honored position
Residents wonder if the rain will ever go away
FAIRFIELD Sewage plant rejection irks man
Winslow's fireworks guy doesn't mind the obscurity
At holiday derby, the fun is catching
Vets' champion 'very passionate' about her work
Hersom deals with change
Sandals work for outdoor types
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Morning Sentinel
Nabisco has again announced that it will no longer produce the Crown Pilot cracker -- first produced commercially in 1792. Nabisco tried to stop making the cracker in 1996, but that turned into only a momentary moratorium because cracker enthusiasts -- mostly in Maine -- rose up in outrage at the move. Chowder without pilot crackers? Not possible. At the time, Nabisco came to see the wisdom of that conclusion.
Now, the company is really serious.
The Crown Pilot market hasn't proved big enough to justify Nabisco's attention since bought by giant Kraft Foods in 1990.
The conglomerate's spokeswoman, Laurie Guzzinati, exhibited perfectly calibrated corporate composure when she mixed regret and hardheadedness in her statement: "I realize this is disappointing to consumers and it was definitely a difficult business decision to make."
In other words, that's the way the cracker crumbles.
But you might as well tell New Englanders to stop being New Englanders, to drop their reserve, join the Ashram, wear purple, hug strangers and eat garlic.
Crown Pilot crackers aren't just reflective of New England, they're not just a part of our history, they are the culinary equivalent of the New England character. They're hard, flinty and sturdy but not strong-tasting. Instead, they're dependable, last a long time and, well, make up in substance what they lack in flash. They're round, efficient and compact expressions of who we are.
So get ready, Nabisco. You haven't heard the end of Crown Pilot. And if we can't convince you to continue with your franchise, perhaps we can convince you to part with it.
We're sure there's an industrious New Englander out there, somewhere, just itching to fill this niche market.




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