P
N E S
H E A LT H S E RV I C E S
97%
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Contents October, November and December 2009
F e at u r e s 20 Aroostook’s Veterans
Chris Jenkins talks to a few Aroostook Veterans to provide a look into their experiences and how the veteran experience has changed over the decades.
28 A Growing Commitment to Maine The forests play a large role in Northern Maine. We check in with Irving Woodlands to gain some insight into their role as land managers and sit down for a conversation with a logging family recently made famous by their Discovery Channel show to learn about their history and plans for the future.
36 Christmas Song
Music plays a huge part for many county residents during the holiday season. The Caribou Choral Society and the Living Christmas Tree let us in on what goes into preparing for their signature shows.
Departments 8 43 49 50 52 54 62 67 68 79
County Events Health Matters County Critters The County Eats Focus on Business Our Communities Higher Education Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Local Artists Our Farm by Holly Hardwick
o
ur Thoughts letter from the magazine team
When I sat down to write the opening letter for the first issue of Our Maine Street Magazine I had no idea just how our magazine project would be received by the general public. Now, three months later I am pleased to say that we couldn’t be more pleased with the messages of support we have received and the number of copies that people are picking up to take home with them whether home is in The County or across the United States. We also know that our first issue wasn’t perfect and we have been listening to your suggestions and advice. We have tried to pay more attention to the details and are testing out a different paragraph style for this issue (let us know what you think). This issue we are pleased to present three very different articles: “Aroostook’s Veterans” provides a look at the experiences of a small sample of Aroostook County’s Veterans who served their country when called upon and chose to reside here in Aroostook when their task was done. No matter the role they played in our country’s conflicts, it takes a courageous soul to step forward and do what is asked of them. To these men and women, thank you. “Christmas Song” will introduce you to two very special local groups and provide a bit of insight into the process and motivation behind the work that they do during the holiday season. “A Growing Commitment to Maine” is a combination piece that includes a look at what Irving Woodlands has been up to as well as checking in with the Pelletier family to learn a bit about where they come from and where they are going. Some new photographers join us this issue so look for the work of Mike McNally of Ashland, Janet Kelle of West Chapman and Kathie M. Beaulieu of Limetone throughout the issue. We encourage you to send in your photos, paintings, poems and stories. All too soon the crisp snap of leaves will give way to the crunch of ice and snow and the sights and sounds of people gathering for the fall and winter holidays. We here at Our Maine Street Magazine wish you and yours a safe and happy end to the year and we look forward to seeing you again in January.
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FALL & WINTER 09
Craig Cormier Our Maine Street Magazine www.ourmainestreet.com craig@ourmainestreet.com www.facebook.com/ourmainestreet
Our Maine Street
This publication is made possible by the generous support of our advertising partners.
Publisher Our Maine Street LLC
Please let them know you saw them in Our Maine Street Magazine and that you appreciate their support of County projects.
m agaz ine
Editor In Chief Craig Cormier Advertising Director Bernie Lagasse Circulation Director Charles Cormier Contributing Writers Robin Elsbeth Jenkins, Chris Jenkins, Kim Jones, Bill Flagg, Dianne McCormack Edgecomb, Regis Trembly Contributing Photographers Mike McNally, Janet Kelle, Kathie M. Beaulieu Editorial and subscription information: content@ourmainestreet.com 207.472.3464 232 Main Street Suite 2 Fort Fairfield, ME 04742 www.ourmainestreet.com Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements, unless otherwise noted, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher, staff or advisory board. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information present in this issue is accurate, and neither Our Maine Street Magazine nor any of its staff are responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. Copyright © 2009 Our Maine Street LCC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system without written permission, in writing, from the publishers. Our Maine Street LLC is jointly owned by Charles Cormier, Bernie Lagasse and Craig Cormier. Proudly printed in the State of Maine, United States of Amerca.
Advantage Gases & Tools Aroostook Technologies Audibert Polaris Boondock’s Grille Bouchard Family Farms Bradley’s Citgo & C-Store Chadwick - BaRoss Cary Medical Center Connect North America Cormier Cabinetry County Federal Credit Union Daigle Furniture Dean’s Motor Lodge Evergreen Geothermal & Wind Energy First Choice Wireless Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce Fort Kent Ski-Doo Frank Martin Sons, Inc Gene’s Electronics Greater Van Buren Chamber of Commerce HERBALIFE Hotham’s Veterinary Services, Inc. Houlton Tire Co. Husson University Integrys Energy Services, Inc. Irving Woodlands LLC John’s Shurfine Food Store Katahdin Trust Co. Lew Rioux & Company Inc. Limestone Chamber of Commerce Maine Fire Prevention Maine Solar and Wind LLC Maine Veteran’s Home Marden’s McGillan, Inc. Nadeau House of Furniture Nadeau Logging, Inc. Norstate Federal Credit Union Northern Maine Commuity College Northern Maine Medical Center P & D Carpet Service Paradis Shop & Save - Fort Kent Peter S. Kelly PNM Construction, Inc. Professional Home Nursing Quigley’s Building Supply Robin’s Chocolate Sauce Roger’s Sport Center, Inc. Sitel Corporation SLK Security Spring Break Sugar House and Gift Shop St. John Valley Pharmacy The Ski Shop University of Maine at Fort Kent University of Maine at Presque Isle Up North Main Fly Castings Wholistic Chiropractic Center Thank You!
FALL & WINTER 09
5
Š 2009 Mike McNally, Ashland
BOONDOCK’s BOONDOCK’S ~ ~ GRILLE est. 2009
Steak, Seafood, Pizza Phone: 207-472-6074 294 MAIN STREET, FORT FAIRFIELD T-TH 11am-8pm FR-SAT 11am-9pm SUN 8am-1pm CLOSED MONDAYS
County Events
October-December 2009 a look at upcoming activities in aroostook
Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce at 532-4216 or chamber@greaterhoulton.com
October 8th
October Harvest Show For more information contact Galen Doody at 764-2616 or management@aroostookcentremall.com
October 9th
October
Halloween Scavenger Hunt Check www.connectmaine.com/portage for more information Haunted Woods Trafton Lake, Limestone Starting at Dusk
Contact Limestone Rec. Dept. for more information 325-4791
1st Annual Corn Maze Edgecomb Farms Van Buren Road, Limestone Saturday and Sunday only For more information call 325-4656
October 3rd
Houlton Community Market For more information contact the
8 County Events FALL & WINTER 09
October Harvest Show continued October 8-11
October 10th
October Harvest Show continued October 8-11 Fall Arts & Crafts Fair For more information contact The Presque Isle Forum at 764-0491 or theforum@mfx.net
Houlton Community Market For more information contact the Houlton Chamber of Commerce at 532- 4216 or chamber@greaterhoulton.com
Caribou Homecoming Barbeque For more information contact the Caribou Chamber of Commerce at 498-6165 or info@cariboumaine.net
October 11th
October Harvest Show continued October 8-11
Fall Arts & Crafts Fair continued October 10-11
October 16th
Second Annual Haunted Woods Walk Aroostook State Park, Presque Isle For more information call the Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce at 764-6561
November
Hunters Pancake Breakfast For more information check www.connectmaine.com/ portage
October 17th
Second Annual Haunted Woods Walk continued October 16-17
Houlton Community Market For more information contact the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce at 532-4216 or chamber@greaterhoulton.com
October 18th
Caribou’s Fall Arts & Crafts Fair For more information contact the Caribou Chamber of Commerce at 498-6165 or info@cariboumaine.net
October 19th
Caribou’s Fall Arts & Crafts Fair continued October 18-19
October 24th
Houlton Community Market For more information contact the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce at 532-4216 or chamber@greaterhoulton.com FALL & WINTER 09 County Events 9
The closeness of a college;
Thanksgiving Dinner for the Seniors & Homebound Individuals For more information contact the Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce at 472-3802
November 6th
Husson University offers:
Annual Rotary Dinner Auction Limestone Community School Dinner - 5-6:30 P.M. Auction - 6:30 P.M.
November 10th
• Graduate and undergraduate programs in Business, Education, Health, Legal Studies, Pharmacy, and Science & Humanities • Regionally and professionally accredited • NCAA Division III • Affordable tuition In addition to our main campus in Bangor, the School of Extended Learning offers Husson degree programs for adult learners at off-site centers in Presque Isle, Calais and South Portland.
Annual Methodist Church Election Day Chicken Pie Supper Limestone United Methodist Church 4:30-6:30 P.M. Tickets available at the door
November 11th
the breadth of a university. For information on Aroostook County offerings, please call the Presque Isle site at 760-1177 or visit us on the web at www.husson.edu/presqueisle.
Holiday Arts & Crafts Show For more information contact Galen Doody at (207) 764-2616 management@aroostookcentremall.com
November 12th
One College Circle • Bangor ME 04401 • www.husson.edu
Holiday Arts & Crafts Show continued November 11-15
November 13th
Holiday Arts & Crafts Show continued November 11-15
November 14th 10 County Events FALL & WINTER 09
Holiday Arts & Crafts Show continued November 11-15
November 15th
Holiday Arts & Crafts Show continued November 11-15
November 20th
Main Street Mania For more information call the Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce at 764-6561
November 22nd
16th Annual Dickens of a Christmas For more information contact the Greater Fort Kent Area Chamber of Commerce at 834-5354 or info@fortkentchamber.com
November 28th
Annual Christmas Tree Lighting For more information contact the Greater Fort Kent Area Chamber of Commerce at 834-5354 or info@fortkentchamber.com
29th Annual Arts & Crafts Fair For more information contact the Greater Fort Kent Area Chamber of Commerce at 834-5354 or info@fortkentchamber.com
November 29th
29th Annual Arts & Crafts Fair continued November 28-29
Annual Holiday Light Parade Main Street Limestone 6:00 P.M. Caroling/Bonfire 6:30 P.M. Light Parade
December
SAD #20 Christmas Concert For more information contact the Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce at 472-3802 FALL & WINTER 09 County Events 11
Tree Lighting at the Community Bandstand For more information contact the Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce at 472-3802
Christmas Caroling & Santa Visits For more information contact the Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce at 472-3802
Christmas Dinner for Seniors & Homebound Individuals For more information contact the Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce at 472-3802
Town Christmas Party Check www.connectmaine.com/portage for more information
Lunch with Santa Check www.connectmaine.com/portage for more information
December 5th
Annual Historical Society Christmas Tea Limestone Historical Society 1:00 - 3:00 P.M. Hospitality & Entertainment
Caribou Choral Society Christmas Concert Holy Rosary Church, Caribou 7:30 P.M. Free, Donations Accepted
Holiday Light Parade For more information call the Presque
Isle Chamber of Commerce at 764-6561
December 6th
2nd Annual Larry Doody Memorial Race For more information contact the Caribou Chamber of Commerce at 498-6165 or info@cariboumaine.net
Caribou Choral Society Christmas Concert St. Mary’s Church, Presque Isle 3:00 P.M. Free, Donations Accepted
12 County Events FALL & WINTER 09
December 11th Corporate Office
Mall
Greater Madawaska Light Parade For more information contact the Greater Madawaska Chamber of Commerce at 728-7000
December 14th
Holiday Decorating Contest For more information contact the Caribou Chamber of Commerce at 498-6165 or info@cariboumaine.net
December 19th
NENSA Eastern Cup Opener For more information contact the Maine Winter Sports Center at 492-1444
December 20th
NENSA Eastern Cup Opener continued December 19-20
December 31st
Gentle Family Chiropractic Care Diet/Nutritional Consultations Natural Supplements/Herbs
www.wholisticchiro.com
Jefferson Cary Foundation’s New Year’s Eve Party For more information contact the Caribou Chamber of Commerce at 498-6165
Cormier Cabinetry (207) 834-3011 cell (207) 329-9742
FALL & WINTER 09 County Events 13
Photo Š 2009 Mike McNally
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Customer purchases checks. Please refer to our “Fees for General Services” brochure for charges for unusual activities such as overdrafts, stop payment orders, etc. that may be assessed. Bring in your check card and unused checks from your current account at another financial institution when opening any new checking account. We’ll buy them from you for up to $25. The value of the free gift may be reported on form 1099-INT. †We’ll gladly refund all the fees when you use a non-Katahdin Trust Company ATM, up to five per month. Simply stop by, call, or email us to get your money back. *
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764-6130 Presque Isle’s only 24hr Store 16 County Events FALL & WINTER 09
HOURS: WED - FRI 10am - 4pm SAT 9am - 1pm Specializing in MAINE & USA made products 207-757-7373 (Sugarhouse) 3315 US Route 2 Smyrna Mills, Maine 04780
You can take advantage of the same high quality papers and vibrant colors as we do. Introducing Our Maine Street Press a partnership with C3 Creative that provides graphic design services and high quality printing services for businesses, organizations and individuals at an affordable price point. - aluminum signs - back-lit panels - banners - booklets - bookmarks - brochures - business identities / logos - business cards - calendars - canvas prints - catalogues - greeting cards - hard and soft cover books - note cards ca - photo retouching / composites - post cards - posters - presentation folders - stationary -custom projects
SUMMER & FALL 09 County Events 17
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232 Main Street Suite 2, Fort Fairfield, ME 04742 www.ourmainestreet.com 207.472.3464
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FALL & WINTER 09
Would you like to join the Connect team? All of our employees enjoy the following benefits: Competitive hourly rates Flexibility with work schedules. Differential pay for night shift positions Opportunity for Advancement Telemarketing and data entry positions. Positive and enthusiastic work environments.
18 Green Hill Drive Presque Isle, ME 04769 (20) 760-9120 k.dyer@connectna.com
Original Photo Š 2007 Justin Marty 20 Aroostook's Veterans FALL & WINTER 09
Aroostook’s Veterans by Chris Jenkins
Though tucked away in the northeast corner of the United States, Aroostook County has produced its fair share of servicemen who have participated in our country’s wars. From the World Wars to the current struggles in Iraq and Afghanistan, Aroostook County men and women have responded to the call and have willingly done their duty for their country. Many were born and raised in the County, and returned home after the conflicts. Other veterans are transplants from different parts of Maine or from other states, who found Aroostook an attractive place to settle down after their service. Floyd Harding, an Aroostook County veteran of World War II, was originally from Albion, Maine. After signing up in 1942, Harding went through basic training and then the Army Specialized Training Program. But as the war went on, the Army found itself short of manpower and had no need for specialized soldiers. Many men who had been in the program became replacements in regular infantry units and were shipped to the front lines in Europe. Harding was a gunner for a mortar team and was stationed near the German border. At the time, it looked as though the war was drawing to a close, but Harding was caught up in the infamous Battle of the Bulge in December of 1944, the final attempt of the German forces to turn back the Allied advance across Europe. “We had no medicine, had no ammunition, no food, and our battalion commander ordered us to surrender, and we did,” Harding said. Harding and his fellow soldiers were packed aboard cattle cars and taken to the German city of Dresden. They were placed in labor camps with little food, water, and clothing. It was here that American and RAF bombers dropped high-explosive bombs, effectively incinerating the city. The “Fire-bombing of Dresden”, as it became known, was the topic of author Kurt Vonnegut’s book, Slaughterhouse-5. Vonnegut, also a captured soldier, was a friend of Harding’s. Along with many of the American troops, they managed FALL & WINTER 09 Aroostook's Veterans 21
to survive the bombings and make it out of the city with their German captors. Harding recalled, “The scene where Scarlet O’Hara is escaping from Atlanta in Gone with the Wind, there was an orange glow, Dresden was like that. When we got about five miles out, we turned around and looked at the city. It was like the whole world was on fire.” After being forced to clean up the rubble of Dresden, the American POWs were rushed along by their German guards, who were in retreat from the Russian army. The rule was that if anyone stumbled, he was shot. Near exhaustion, Harding fell, and heard a man say in a thick English accent, “I say, old chap, you look a bit down at the bump! Can I give you a hand?” Harding was helped to his feet by a British soldier and managed to march on. However, with the German army in full retreat, it was pandemonium. Harding and a group of American soldiers managed to slip away from the Germans, and soon after that were picked up by Russian soldiers. They took shelter in a farmhouse with a clear view of the road, and watched as the combined armies of the Allies marched by. “What was surprising,” Harding remarked, “was that the Russians were so unkempt and so dirty, and they brought along the cavalry, actual horses, all polished, just like they came out on parade, stallions prancing along. It was a beautiful sight.” After hiding out in the farmhouse, the American soldiers managed to get a truck, fixed it up enough to run, and headed out. The Russian soldiers greeted them with cries of “Amerikanski!” and cheered them on until they made it back to the American lines. Upon arrival they were arrested by an American officer and held in custody. They were filthy and in rags, and convincing him that they were American soldiers without uniforms was difficult. The officer only wanted their truck, so they gave it to him in exchange for their release. It was a small price to pay. Following the war, Harding left Albion and came to Aroostook to work as a lawyer, later becoming a founder of Northern Maine Community College and a member of the Legislature. Vietnam proved to be a much different war than World War II. While previous wars were against known foes, in Vietnam, American soldiers faced an enemy who did not always wear a uniform or have recognizable territory lines. Ken Peters knew this perhaps more than many of his fellow soldiers. He came to Aroostook from Eastport, Maine, to attend the University of Maine at Presque Isle, and after graduation, taught in Caribou. When he was drafted in September of 1967, Peters opted to go to Officer Candidate School, where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Combat Engineers. He spent twenty weeks at Army Intelligence School in Maryland, landing in Vietnam in July of 1969. He was assigned to work in Hue City with a South 22 Aroostook's Veterans FALL & WINTER 09
eters Ken P
Vietnamese Chief of Police and various other agents and officials. “We were looking for the Viet Cong infrastructure, in other words, the hidden gunmen that were in all of the villages and all of the cities.” The nature of the task made it more difficult to locate them in the cities and villages than in the jungle. As Peters described it, “I was always alone with my interpreter and I was always among the people, never knowing who was the good guy and who was the bad guy.” What separated Vietnam from previous wars was the reaction of the American public back home. Soldiers would be greeted in airports by jeering crowds who were protesting not only the war in Vietnam, but also the soldiers who fought it. This had damaging effects for many of the veterans who felt that they were just doing their duty for their country and their government. Peters remembers how the Viet Cong launched attacks on American bases, timing the assaults to happen at the same time as the protests back home. “They were using the protests and if they could kill off a lot of us, then it would reinforce what the protesters were saying.” Events like Woodstock and the Kent State shootings provoked massive attacks by the North Vietnamese soldiers, which would, in turn, urge on the protestors. Peters pointed out that Americans came to understand the struggles that the Vietnam veterans were going through, and gradually, professional help was made available. He observed, “…they had anger, a lot of things built up inside them. It was such a different type of war, the first time that the US had been in that type of war. I think that the government has learned from the experiences of the Vietnam vet.” After coming home from the war, Peters gave talks at schools throughout Aroostook County, teaming up with other veterans and discussing the repercussions that were felt by the returning Vietnam vets. Peters went on to graduate school at Orono and later came back to Aroostook, to teach again in Caribou and after that, Fort Fairfield. In Fort Fairfield, he worked in everything from remedial reading to becoming the principal of the middle school, and has greatly enjoyed his years of living in the area. The County has had more servicemen and women deployed abroad over the last several years with the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Shawn Rogers, a lifelong resident of Aroostook, served in Iraq. In 2001, he joined the National Guard, went through basic training and was deployed to work with the border patrol to conduct searches and work in security. It was during his basic training that 9/11 happened, and the US geared up for the invasion of Afghanistan and later, Iraq. Rogers recalled, “At the time, we thought that it was just the National Guard, and we weren’t going anywhere; but it was still pretty serious because there FALL & WINTER 09 Aroostook's Veterans 23
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was nothing saying that we wouldn’t go.” Before long, National Guard units were called up from all over Maine. “It was getting to the point that Maine had been picked so much, and I was thinking I was either going with the guys I knew by volunteering to go over, or I’m going to be going with the people I don’t even know. It was going to happen eventually.” Rogers had been married for only a few years, with step-children and a young daughter of his own. He eventually chose to go with the soldiers he knew as friends, rather than waiting to be deployed with strangers. Rogers and others in his company signed up to go to Iraq with a mountain infantry unit out of Brewer. The training was challenging at first, as soldiers from both infantry and artillery units were mixed together. In the end, “We were a well-oiled machine, we were pretty cool.” After his arrival in Kuwait, Rogers’ initial assignment was convoy security. The duty consisted of providing escort with gun trucks, to shipments of fuel, ammunition, mail, and other supplies. Over the following months, the responsibilities of both planning and carrying out these convoys were shifted over to Rogers’ unit, with Rogers starting out as a team leader and later becoming the convoy commander. “We called all the shots, we provided the security, we did all of the maps, we made sure everyone was fed, we took care of it.” Soon after they arrived, Rogers’ company began making some definite changes in day-to-day happenings on the base. An example was organizing classes, for soldiers who had been there for a while, and for the new soldiers. The classes ranged from instruction on assembling the .50 caliber machine gun, to combat medics teaching soldiers how to administer their own IV’s. Rogers’ company made sure that most of the soldiers’ wants were taken care of. “It’s not that I’m from the state of Maine, but the way we are in Maine. We were all more than happy to do something for everybody else…this was something that our company was proud of, something that wasn’t happening before.” The situation in Iraq was similar to Vietnam, in that no one ever knew where the next attack was coming from. Rogers recalled several times when rockets would strike
the base, proving that the danger was always there from an unseen enemy. Many insurgents would be dressed just like the regular population. Unlike Vietnam or other wars in which the United States has fought, soldiers in Iraq were able to keep a relatively steady connection to home through the internet and pre-paid phone cards. Rogers’ company even chipped in and bought two satellite dishes and their own internet system. “Technology is amazing now, that was one good thing that saved a lot of good men over there, being able to talk to loved ones.” Returning to the US brought much relief to the soldiers of Rogers’ company and their families. Arriving at the airport, they were greeted with cheers from their families and from crowds who came to thank them and give them handshakes. After loading onto the buses, the soldiers returned to Maine with an honorary police escort. Rogers reflected on the huge reception they received. “In Vietnam, there were few people thanking them, which is sad to think about. It was not because they chose to be there, but they were forced there.” Rogers has settled back into everyday life in Fort Fairfield. The perceptions of departing soldiers and returning veterans have changed Americans’ viewpoints over the years, and Aroostook County has been no exception - from the patriotism Shawn Rogers of World War II, to Vietnam era protests, to the enthusiastic crowds welcoming our servicemen and women home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers and sailors from northern Maine have gone to war for various reasons; for the love of country or just because they had to. Those who were born here returned to a place that was home; while other Maine veterans discovered Aroostook County later, drawn by family relationships or job opportunities, or by the allure of living on an open landscape perfect for winter activities like snowmobiling. Ken Peters loves hunting and fishing in the North Maine Woods. “I even don’t mind the winters up here. Somebody once asked me, ‘Why don’t you go back to the coast?’, and I said, ‘Because I like it up here!’”
FALL & WINTER 09 Aroostook's Veterans 25
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Limestone Chamber of Commerce 93 Main Street Limestone, ME 04750 ph: 325-4704 fax: 325-3330
A Growing Commitment to Maine by Mary Keith Irving Woodlands has been working in Aroostook County for more than 60 years, and is focused on sustaining jobs in the State for a long time to come. Irving Woodlands employs 300 forest workers (employees and contractors) and another 220 people work at the Irving sawmill in Dixfield. 98 percent of Irving’s employees are residents of Maine. Last year, the company’s direct payroll was $18 million, with another $55 million paid to contractors and private wood suppliers. In total, Irving woodlands and sawmill operations spent $97 million in Maine last year. “We work hard to provide competitive earnings and the opportunity to significantly increase those earnings - pioneering the use of best-in-class technology and work practices,” said Peter Tabor, Regional Manager for Maine. “Over the last five years we have invested $1 million in training for our employees and contractors to increase both their skills and the money they receive for their
28 Growing Commitment FALL & WINTER 09
efforts. These training investments will continue. And while we own about 10% of the forested land base in Maine, we are responsible for 90% of the investment in planting new trees in Maine since 2003. In just the last five years we have planted more than 14 million trees in the state – our commitment to a strong forest future. We also have contributed over $1 million to forest research at the University of Maine to help keep Maine’s forest lands healthy, productive and sustainable.” Irving’s forest land base up in the County is providing a sustainable wood supply to 20 Maine mills. The trees that company plants also helps absorb greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Trees are nature’s air filters and a growing tree can absorb up to one ton of carbon dioxide in its growing cycle. Irving Woodlands, LLC has been a member in the Cooperative Forest Research Unit (CFRU) at the University of Maine in Orono f o r
many years. Along with 19 other landowners and several other Wood Processing and Corporate members, resources are provided to address important forest sustainability issues in the State. An advisory board determines the most important priorities to be addressed. Some of the specific areas of research pursued in the past few years include: •Assessing biodiversity contribution of watercourse zones •Assessing risk and impact of future spruce budworm outbreaks in Maine forests •Strategies for improving hardwood regeneration •Pine marten habitat •Studying relationships between Snowshoe hare, lynx and forest harvesting •Monitoring headwater stream temperatures in areas where harvesting has been conducted Every year the company’s forest practices are audited by independent experts in accordance with the 75 criteria of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). This is an independent forest certification program that measures responsible forest management. The SFI seal of approval certifies that forest lands are promptly re-generated and measures are taken to protect water quality, wildlife habitat, and species at risk.
ployees
Irving Em
FALL & WINTER 09 Growing Commitment 29
Employees of Irving Woodlands in Maine are proud of the recognition they have received for their environmental efforts – including the following: •Commendations received for the 15 critical land sites within its woodlands operations •Active participation in the Maine River Quality Association. •Volunteer efforts with the St. John River Protection Zone. The company has been involved with this group for over 15 years. •The company is a recipient of the Gulf of Maine Visionary Award and is part of the Advisory Board of the nationally recognized Allagash Wilderness Waterway organization. •Internationally recognized by the World Wildlife Fund for research efforts •International recognition for research and conservation from the Atlantic Salmon Federation •Nationally recognized by the Nature Conservancy •Recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior for research and conservation of Northern Forest Woodcock “We are proud to live, work and raise our families in Maine,” said Peter Tabor. “Our everyday work in the woods is about sustainability – for the community, the environment and for the economy.”
30 Growing Commitment FALL & WINTER 09
p left: e from to nd is w k c lo C ent of Inla Departm nd Wildlife a Fisheries with tagged e e y lo p ck em ns, Big Bla lynx kitte tected area on River a pro odlands, a pine o Irving’s w rbish’s Louswort u F , n e rt a nd lynx m d plant a te c a prote kittens
FALL & WINTER 09 Growing Commitment 31
A Conversation with
Eldon Pelletier Back in 1954 Gerald Pelletier began a log hauling operation in Fort Kent. Gerald reared eight sons and one daughter in Fort Kent. Gerald’s son Eldon recalls that his father’s work took him away from home as he trucked out of the Ashland – Portage area. Gerald would leave home late Sunday evening or early Monday morning and wouldn’t return home until late Friday. During that period of time Gerald worked out of woods camps located in Oxbow, Round Pond and Chamberlain Lake. In 1959 Gerald hauled logs to Chamberlain Lake where they were either milled or dumped on the ice-covered lake. With spring ice out the logs would be boomed and hauled by tugboat to the Great Northern Paper in Millinocket. In 1989 Gerald became involved in wood harvesting operations and road construction. In August of 1976, records show that Gerald incorporated as Gerald Pelletier Inc. Over the years, as each son became of age they joined the ranks of their father’s operation. Thus the foundation for Pelletier Brothers Inc was formed. Incorporated in June of 1995, a partnership of seven brothers – Danny, Eldon, Rudy, Larry, Gary, Jeff and Wayne became know as Pelletier Brothers Inc. Each brother has his area of expertise and oversees a different aspect of the business. Eldon oversees the operations and manages upwards of 70 employees many of which are Certified Logging Professionals. The brothers usually meet on Friday to discuss business affairs. Either way they communicate daily and all are involved in the decision-making process. Eldon states that like any family, differences of opinion may occur, but the brothers have a mutual respect for each other and their working relationship has never 32 Growing Commitment FALL & WINTER 09
been compromised. A third generation of Pelletiers has now joined the ranks with sons Jason, Matthew, Aaron and Dustin. Pelletier Brothers Inc currently operates out of their main shop located on The Golden Road in Millinocket and two woods camps located at Telos and Fifth Saint John Pond. They harvest nearly 200,000 cords of wood annually and operate in 22 to 25 townships north – northwest of The Golden Road situated in the North Maine Woods. For the most part their trucking operation is off road except for limited operations in the Milo – Brownville area. Another important part of their operation includes road construction and maintenance for themselves and others. They harvest a variety of softwoods and hardwoods most of which is destined for mills in St. Juste, St. Auralle, and Daaquam Quebec. Due to the fact that they are hauling to Canadian mills the downturn in the economy has not had a major impact on their operation. This past winter was one of their busiest as they had contracts with seven different landowners. However, the road construction and maintenance part of their business has slowed down. This past winter Pelletier Inc – seven brothers and four sons were featured on The Discover Channel’s American Loggers. Needless to say the show has given them notoriety. There’s now a Bone Crusher sandwich on the menu at Dysart’s Restaurant. People stopping them on the street for pictures and autographs are a common occurrence. They were also featured in Downeast Magazine’s August issue. And yes, they do have a line of tee shirts, sweatshirts, hats and coffee mugs on their corporate website – http://www.americanloggers. com. However, the Pelletiers have remained grounded to their family values and managed to remain focused on
FALL & WINTER 09 Growing Commitment 33
the family business. The Pelletier’s latest endeavor has taken them in a completely different direction. Last year Eldon placed the winning bid on the Down Town Restaurant formerly know as the Theater Grille in Millinocket. The restaurant also has an adjoining Laundromat. The building’s interior has been completely gutted, renovated and outfitted with new restaurant and laundry equipment. Eldon states that the family will hire someone to manage the facility but he will still oversee the operation. The restaurant is slated to open late fall as the American Loggers Bar & Grille. Another diversion from the family business is Pelletier Pride. For the past 28-30 years Eldon and his father, Gerald (until he passed away on April 15, 2002), competed in four wheel drive modified truck pulling as members of the Maine State Pullers, the Northern Penobscot Pullers and the National Truck Pullers Association. When there’ s time to play they can be seen competing at venues in Skowhegan and Presque Isle. Pelletier Brothers Inc is part of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), members of the Maine Forest Products Council and the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine.
Local Wood Identification Guide Attracts Global Attention UMFK’s Forestry Technology’s on-line Wood Identification Study Guide has an appeal that spans the globe. The guide is the work of Jeff Dubis, instructor of Forestry at UMFK. The guide is available on the UMFK website at: http:// www.umfk.maine.edu/forestry/woodid/ The Wood Identification Study Guide is designed to assist forest technology students in identifying the wood of different tree species that are covered in classes at UMFK. In addition to assisting his own students in the St. John Valley, Dubis’ study guide also has been used accessed in such diverse locations as: Tarbiat Modares University (Tehran, Iran); the Howard County (Indiana) Historical Society; the University of Zagreb (Croatia); and the Helsinki (Finland) University of Technology. All photos in the study guide were taken by Dubis using a point and shoot digital camera. A recently-updated version of the guide contains new, high-quality images. Important macro-features, useful for identification purposes, describe each image.
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Christmas Song by Robin Elsbeth Jenkins
For over thirty years, two events have marked the beginning of the festive holiday season in central Aroostook County. One is the Caribou Choral Society’s joyful celebration of holiday music at their annual Christmas concert. The other is The Living Christmas Tree, held at the Caribou United Baptist Church, a spectacle of lights, music and Biblical storytelling. Both events involve extensive work and preparation by every member of the two volunteer groups, starting in mid-September and ending the first or second week in December, undeniably the busiest time of the year. And both are eagerly looked forward to by people who live in the surrounding communities, who come to watch and to listen, making special memories of Christmas that are not easily found elsewhere. Dan Ladner, the conductor of the Caribou Choral 36 Christmas Song FALL & WINTER 09
Society since its beginning in 1976, shares comments that were made by guest conductors from central and southern Maine, about the vibrant and strong nurturing of musical appreciation and talent that is apparent at these holiday concerts and All-Aroostook music education events. “You have something here that we don’t have – you can see it, hear it, and feel it,” was said to him on more than one occasion by well-known music directors in Bangor and Portland and one bona fide music critic. “We are not professionals, but we strive for professionalism,” he says. And although there are music educators and instrumentalists in the group who have had professional training, many members do not read music. At times, Dan will call upon Mari-Jo Hedman, who accompanies the group on the piano and pinch-hits as the conductor in his absence, to demonstrate how a particular passage should be sung. According to one member, Dan’s incidental teaching about the elements of music - time,
tempo and pitch - has added greatly to her appreciation of music and her pleasure in performing with the group. Ladner’s only requirement is that members do not miss more than three practices – and on the third miss, they need to discuss with him whether or not they are ready for the concert. The Christmas program lasts for approximately two hours, with a ten-minute intermission. Sacred and classical art songs and spiritual music are first on the program; while the second half is usually light and entertaining – a collection of contemporary and traditional secular songs of the season. The Choral Society’s Christmas program is an eclectic mix of music, with everything from selections from Handel’s “Messiah” to “Silent Night”, “White Christmas”, and other traditional holiday carols and songs. Reflecting on a long career in public education and civic involvement in the arts, as well as currently directing two church choirs, Dan admits that the Caribou Choral
Society is the organization that has always been closest to his heart. One would certainly know that by watching him at one of the Choral Society’s two annual programs – the second one performed in the spring for Mothers’ Day – by the look of joy that radiates from his face as he conducts. Although membership has declined over the past few years – there are now 60 members where there were once 120 – he continues to be amazed by the full, resonant, and vibrant sound of the chorus. With a touch of awe, he explains, “Everything just comes together at concert time, and the sum is greater than the parts.” At the end of each holiday concert, he expresses his delight in how well the members of the group have performed together. The successful performances are highly motivating for Dan and for every member of the chorus. Sue Herold, a member of the chorus and a music FALL & WINTER 09 Christmas Song 37
educator in the Caribou schools, recalls a comment made by her sister-in-law, Jane Dietrich, while she was visiting from Long Island, New York. After attending a holiday concert, Jane observed that people in Long Island are surrounded by a culture of professional artists and musicians, but they do not seem to have the special combination of civic pride, talent for singing, and personal commitment that is so evident in this area. Many people in Aroostook County participate in choral groups just for the pleasure of rehearsing with others and putting on a great show. They find it to be a stress-reliever, a time to put everything else aside and live in the moment – to sing and have an extraordinary amount of fun. Sue also remembers Helen MacDonald, a Choral Society member and retired schoolteacher in Fort Fairfield, saying, “Where else can you pay $10.00 [the nominal fee for registration at the time] and have so much fun?” Many members, especially those who have been with the Choral Society for ten years or more, share a special bond with the group, and say it’s like coming home when the rehearsals start up again in the fall. “It’s a family,” says Dan Ladner. Neither the Caribou Choral Society nor The Living Christmas Tree chorus hold auditions – the only requirements are a love of music and a willingness to commit to rehearsals that are two or twoand-a-half hours long, and are held one night a week for eleven or twelve weeks – with some additional time put in as the concert date approaches. To participate in The Living Christmas Tree, one must also be a professing Christian. For both groups, music selection starts in July or August, and the rehearsals begin in September. The Living Christmas Tree has its own unique demands, starting with the construction of the tree. According to Erla Duncan and Becky Woodman, elementary school teachers from Fort Fairfield who have both participated in the chorus for a number of years, the 38 Christmas Song FALL & WINTER 09
tree is re-built each time using a very specific design and formula. First, the wooden staging is assembled, then the lighting and sound systems are put into place, and finally the decorations are added, creating an old-fashioned Christmas tree with garlands, greenery, flower arrangements, and red or white ribbons. The construction of the tree takes many hours and happens over the course of a week, but volunteer efforts do not end there. The musical performance is a Cantata, an hour-long piece of music that is difficult in its execution and is designed to teach the Gospel, or to display a facet of Christ’s life and ministry. John Kiehn, Pastor of the Caribou United Baptist Church, feels that the most important part of the program is the result. According to Pastor Kiehn, it is the hope of the church that everyone who witnesses the spectacle of The Living Christmas Tree will carry away an understanding of a very special message – “that Christ is alive, and that knowing Him makes all the difference in life and for eternity.” With the hour-long presentation comes the necessity of having teams of church members handling the responsibilities that go with the outreach mission, one of many that take place throughout the year. Ushers are needed, as well as people to create programs and cards inviting visitors to come and worship with the church and take part in celebrating the Advent of Christ’s birth. Children and adults have roles in smaller drama groups that perform at intervals throughout the program. Someone needs to keep the music organized, and to get the costumes ready. People are needed to plan and cook the dinner for the volunteers, served right after the program. And a director is critical for putting it all together. Jay Siddiqui has been The Living Christmas Tree’s director for the past two years. He oversees the entire program, with assistance from Joyce Anderson, Pam Searles
and others, as needs arise. Jay also directs the church choir every week, but he says that he has a special passion for Christmas and loves to hear so many voices singing together all at once. The Cantatas are different from year to year, but they all require the traditional voice sections and smaller singing groups – duets, trios and quartets - and the logistics
church to the rafters and spilling out into the street. From the pews, one can make out the faces of individual choir members among the “branches” of the tree, but they are difficult to see clearly. The intended result is one of unity and wholeness. Everyone who has worked so hard in the intervening months is there for one purpose – to present the
to figure out where everyone needs to be placed for the best sound. The lighting involves a number of varied displays of spotlights and colored lights, changing with the songs and even within the same song, helping to focus attention on groups in the chorus and on the drama sets that take place throughout the sanctuary. As the audience assembles in Caribou United Baptist Church one evening in early December and the house lights grow dim, there is a hush while the singers, 40 or 50 of them, enter the sanctuary from a door to the side, treading carefully and quietly up the steps and across the staging to take their positions on The Living Christmas Tree. When everyone is in place, the singing begins. The tree lights are brought up, one row at a time, starting at the bottom of the tree, and ending with a brightly glowing star at the top. The effect is stunning. The church becomes infused with warmth and light against the background of a dark December night, with the beautiful sound of harmonious singing filling the
Gospel wrapped in a gift of glorious music. The Living Christmas Tree is one outreach mission that the church has decided to forego this year, in order to focus on other initiatives. According to Pastor Kiehn, taking a year off is not unusual. The church has presented The Living Christmas Tree 27 times over the course of 34 years, since the first one in 1975. And as the production involves so much work and commitment on the part of so many in the church, sometimes a rest is a good thing. As Jay Siddiqui observes, they took a break from The Living Christmas Tree three years ago, and quite a few folks were disappointed – but it was with renewed vigor that they performed again the following year, and seemed to be all the more appreciated by the audience. Jay believes that the same feelings will hold true in the coming year.
FALL & WINTER 09 Christmas Song 39
© 2009 Kathie M. Beaulieu, Limestone (mailkath@yahoo.com)
163 Van Buren Road, Caribou, Maine www.carymedicalcenter.org 207.498.3111 an equal opportunity provider
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Swine Flu - H1N1 Influenza by Professional Home Nursing
What is Swine Flu or H1N1 Influenza? - It is a common virus that produces flu symptoms in pigs. Very rarely, people who were in close contact with pigs would develop the same flu symptoms as the pigs. Until recently, the ill humans never passed the virus onto other humans. Currently the swine flu - H1N1 influenza virus can be passed on from human to human just like any other flu virus. However, because this is a new virus for humans, our yearly flu shot is not effective against the swine fluH1N1 influenza virus. How Does Swine Flu – H1N1 Influenza Spread? - The virus is transferred from human to human like any other seasonal flu virus. It enters a healthy person’s body by tiny droplets that are sneezed or coughed into the air by an infected person. These droplets are breathed in by anyone who maybe nearby or the droplets may land on a surface that a healthy person comes in contact with. After being exposed to the virus, it may take 3 to 5 days before you develop symptoms and your symptoms will continue for about a week after that. You can pass the virus on to others for about 8 days starting about 24 hours before you show any symptoms. What are the Symptoms of Swine Flu – H1N1 Influenza? - The symptoms for swine flu - H1N1 influenza are the same as most seasonal viruses: * Fever * Chills * Cough * Nasal congestion * Sore Throat * Body Aches * Headache * Fatigue * Diarrhea * Vomiting What are the Risks of Swine Flu – H1N1 Influenza? - The risks of swine flu - H1N1 influenza to a healthy person with a good immune system are the same as any seasonal flu. However, the very young, older individuals and people with health problems such as heart or
lung diseases, cancer, diabetes or chronic illnesses have an immune system that is not well developed or under stress. Because this is a new virus for humans and these individuals have a weaker immune system, they are unable to fight off the virus as well as a healthier person. How Do I Lower the Chances of Spreading Swine Flu – H1N1 Influenza? - You can lower the chances of spreading swine flu – H1N1 influenza by staying as healthy as possible by: * Frequent hand washing * Eating a well balanced diet * Getting a seasonal flu shot * Having a current pneumonia shot * Avoiding crowds * Avoiding people with the flu * Getting plenty of rest * Covering your mouth if you cough * Staying home if you are sick * Avoid sharing food or other items * Cleaning your home/workspace with a bleach based cleanser What Do I Do if I Get the Flu? – If you experience flu like symptoms it is very likely it is not swine flu - H1N1 influenza. Call your healthcare provider and follow their instructions. Other common measures when fighting the flu are: * Stay home and go to bed * Drink plenty of liquids * Take medication for aches and fever * Eat soups and bland foods * Good personal hygiene * Avoid family members (if able) * Clean hard surfaces with a bleach solution of ¼ cup bleach to 1 gallon of water and let the surface air dry - use a fresh bleach/water solution after 20 – 30 minutes because bleach losses it’s strength to kill viruses after a short period of time.
FALL & WINTER 09 County Health 43
What is a HEalthy Diet? by Darla Nesbitt, RN, Cardiac Rehab Nurse
Eating healthy can improve longevity, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and provide adequate energy so you can lead an active lifestyle and maintain a healthy weight. Every day, we are bombarded with conflicting nutritional advice. Developing a healthy diet isn’t as restrictive as most people imagine. A healthy diet consists of a wide variety of foods which contributes to different nutritional needs. Healthy eating is an opportunity to expand your range of choices by trying foods that you don’t normally eat. Fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes provide energy, most of the vitamins and minerals you need, plant chemicals (photochemicals which have powerful disease preventing capabilities) and fiber. Energy comes from the three major nutrients in food – protein, fat and carbohydrate. We do not get energy from vitamins, minerals or water. To lead an active lifestyle, you need the right mixture of these nutrients. Carbohydrates are your body’s main energy source. Complex carbohydrates include legumes, grains and starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, peas and corn. Simple carbohydrates are found mainly in fruits, milk, and in foods made with sugar. Protein is important for growth and repair of all tissues in your body and helps reduce hunger between meals. Protein sources include both animal and plant products. Legumes, fish, lean cuts of poultry and meat, dairy products, nuts and seeds are your richest sources of protein. Fats help your body absorb essential vitamins, maintain the structure and function of cell membranes, and help keep your immune system working. Too much of certain types of fat can increase your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, 44 County Health FALL & WINTER 09
increase risk of coronary artery disease and cancer. Saturated fat is found in animal products (such as red meat, poultry, butter and whole milk) and in foods made with coconut, palm, and other tropical oils. Trans fat comes from adding hydrogen to vegetable oil. Trans fat is found in commercial baked goods (crackers, cookies, cakes), fried foods (doughnuts, French fries), shortenings and is found in some types of margarine. Fiber is the part of plant food that your body doesn’t digest and absorb. There are two types: soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool and can help prevent constipation. Soluble fiber may help improve your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Sodium helps maintain the right balance of fluids in your body, helps transmit nerve impulses, and influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Too much sodium can be harmful. Most sodium in your diet comes from eating processed and prepared foods (canned vegetables, soups, luncheon meats and frozen foods). Avoid adding salt during cooking or at the table.
November: American Diabetes Month by Roberta Guerrette, RN, Diabetes Educator / Coordinator
November is American Diabetes Month. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the number of people with diabetes has increased to 24 million. This can mainly be attributed to fewer people losing their lives to diabetes-related causes and thus living longer with the disease and more new cases of diabetes occurring. The goal of diabetes management is to prevent complications before they develop. If you have just found out you have diabetes, you may be upset and need some help. Even if you have lived with diabetes for a while, you may want to do more to take care of yourself. Diabetes is a serious disease. It affects almost every part of the body. That is why a team of people may help you take care of your diabetes. These may include you primary care provider, diabetes educators, dietitian, eye doctor, foot doctor, dentist, pharmacist, social worker, mental health counselor, family and friends. Certainly the most important person of the team is You! Help your health care team make a diabetes plan that will work for you and learn to make wise choices for your diabetes care each day. Following are four key steps to help you control your diabetes and live a long and active life. 1.Learn about diabetes. People with diabetes need to make healthy food choices, stay at a healthy weight and be physically active
every day. Taking care of yourself and your diabetes can help you feel better. It may help you avoid problems caused by diabetes, such as heart disease and stroke, eye problems, nerve damage, kidney problems and gum disease. When your blood glucose is controlled, you are likely to have more energy, be less tired, heal better and have fewer medical problems. 2.Know your diabetes ABC’s Ask your health care team what your A1C, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers are, what they should be, and what you can do to reach your target. 3.Manage your diabetes Use your diabetes meal plan - eat healthy foods and watch portion sizes. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week. Learn to cope with stress and ask for help when you feel down. Take all your medicines as ordered. 4.Get routine care to avoid problems. Visit your health care team at least twice a year to find out (and treat) any problems early. Ask what steps you can take to reach your goals. Remember that you are responsible to take charge, and control, of your health. The team is there to assist you. FALL & WINTER 09 County Health 45
Healthy You:
The Pandemic of 2009 by Kim Jones, Cary Medical Center
How could this happen? Just days before my much about 100,000 cases of the illness and less than 500 deaths anticipated university graduation, rumors swirled around worldwide that could be directly attributed to the H1N1 the student community that the commencement ceremony virus. But most healthcare experts agree that the number of may actually be canceled! After all that studying, test taking, those infected may be significantly underestimated because time, energy, and money, how could they possibly deny us of poor data collection methods in many countries and the the opportunity to walk across the stage and receive our unnecessary need for medical attention by those who were diplomas in front of family and friends? The answer, as infected. “So far, this pandemic has been far less severe than we all soon found out, could be summed up in two short previous ones,” said King. “Many people who have had the H1N1 virus experienced symptoms words: swine flu. like those of a common cold or In June 2009, the World seasonal flu and did not require a Health Organization (WHO) What’s the difference? trip to the hospital. Without actual declared the H1N1 influenza (flu) laboratory testing, it is very difficult was a global pandemic. Practically to determine the exact cause of a overnight, international air travel Endemic: A disease that exists person’s cough, fever, sore throat, slowed or halted, hundreds of schools permanently in a particular region or headache, or other general ailment.” were closed, disaster plans were population. For example, malaria is These circumstances have lead to the launched at thousands of healthcare endemic in parts of Africa. CDC discontinuing official reporting facilities, and a world-wide media on individual H1N1 cases as of July frenzy ensued. For several weeks, 24. it was nearly impossible to turn on Epidemic: A disease that occurs in While there has been the television or pick up a newspaper many people at about the same time a great sense of relief that this without seeing images of people and spreads through one or several summer’s outbreak of the H1N1 wearing face masks. By early July, the communities. virus has been mild and medically H1N1 flu had been confirmed in 122 manageable, officials at the WHO, countries and a global-wide feeling of nervousness set in. Pandemic: An epidemic that spreads CDC, National Institute of Health, “Much of the fear associated throughout several countries and has a and other healthcare organizations are concerned about the future. with the H1N1 virus stems back to the global impact. On August 24, President Obama’s 1918 influenza pandemic, commonly scientific advisors released a statement known as the ‘Spanish Flu’,” said Ann outlining one possible, albeit worstKing, Infection Control Specialist at case scenario that more than 100 Cary Medical Center. “That was a devastating pandemic that affected nearly one-third of the million Americans could contract the H1N1 virus and some world’s population and caused the death of more than 50 90,000 people could die from it during the 2009-2010 flu season. “The worry is that H1N1 could combine with the million people.” The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates upcoming seasonal flu and mutate into a new, drug-resistant that nearly all cases of influenza A pandemics since 1918 form of the virus,” said King. “This ‘super-bug’ could be have been caused by descendants of the Spanish Flu virus. extremely difficult to control and have a much more severe The most recent outbreak was originally thought to be a consequence.” “The challenge,” King said, “is to educate form of “swine flu” because early laboratory testing found the public about the seriousness of this pandemic while not similarities to viruses normally occurring in pigs. However, causing wide-spread panic. People tend to ignore warnings continued testing showed that the 2009 pandemic was likely when they feel like the danger has passed or that the risk is caused by a mutation of four known strains of type A virus, not that great. The reality is, however, that everyone should take precautions to minimize their chance of acquiring the including human, avian (bird), and swine (pig). Fortunately, this “quadruple reassortant” virus, H1N1 virus.” There are some simple yet very effective ways to known as H1N1, has been fairly mild. In cases where death occurred or more severe symptoms were recorded, most often drastically reduce the spread of respiratory illness caused the patient was very young, elderly, or had a pre-existing by the H1N1 virus. They include: •Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when health condition. As of July 6, the WHO had recorded only 46 County Health FALL & WINTER 09
coughing or sneezing. Throw the used tissue in the trash. If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough in to your sleeve. •Wash your hands with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze, after using the bathroom, and before eating. •Maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep your immune system strong. This should include getting plenty of rest, eating a well-balanced diet, and exercising regularly. •Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, which are all places where germs can enter your body. •If you are sick with flu-like symptoms, the CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24-hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care. •Try to avoid close contact with people who are sick or exhibiting flu-like symptoms. Another course of action for preventing the spread of influenza is vaccination. The seasonal vaccine, which is usually given in late fall, offers protection against viruses that typically cause the flu during the winter months. While it’s impossible to predict with complete accuracy what strain of the virus is likely to cause illness each year, researchers gather and analyze data from around the world to come up with a “very well-informed guess” as to what vaccine combination will work best at preventing the spread of the flu. However, the seasonal vaccination will provide little to no protection against the H1N1 virus because it is a different strain from the common wintertime flu. To get the maximum protection this year, people will need to get one vaccination for the seasonal flu and one (or possibly two depending on clinical trials currently in progress) for the H1N1 virus. “We anticipate that seasonal flu vaccines will be available a little earlier this year because manufacturers have increased production sooner in response to the pandemic,” said King. “The H1N1 vaccine is new, so the production of that vaccine will take a little bit longer.” King added that the CDC estimates the H1N1 vaccine should be available in the United States sometime in November. While there is no anticipated shortage, people at greater risk will be among the first to receive the new H1N1 vaccine. These groups include: •Pregnant women •Household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 6 months of age •Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel •All people ages 6 months to 24 years of age •People 25 to 64 years old who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza. For more information about upcoming local flu vaccination clinics, visit www.carymedicalcenter.org or call Cary Medical Center’s Public Relations Department at 498-1158. Additional resources about the H1N1 virus can be found at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/, www.medlineplus.gov,
www.who.int, and www.maine.gov/dhhs. Oh, so what about graduation you might ask? As it turns out, much of the cancellation talk leading up to commencement day was, in fact, rumor. In May, my classmates and I proudly marched across the stage during a lovely outdoor ceremony at which I received a Master’s of Science in Business diploma. The weather was fantastic, thousands of people filled the stadium to cheer us on, and, aside from the University President announcing that, “in light of recent news, graduates don’t have to feel obligated to shake hands in the receiving line”, the nasty little bug known as H1N1 didn’t spoil our otherwise wonderful day. Healthy You is a free community health and wellness program from Cary Medical Center. For program information or calendar of events, log on to www. carymedicalcenter.org or call Cary Medical Center’s Public Relations
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FALL & WINTER 09 County Health 47
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County Critters with Dr. Hotham
If you have experienced problems with fleas this past summer, you are not alone. Fleas can be a problem year round and people without pets can experience flea infestations in their homes too. To avoid this problem next summer or treat your way out of a current problem, you need to understand the life cycle and implement an integrated flea control plan. Adult fleas live on dogs, cats and small wild mammals and the female flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day. These eggs fall out of the hair coat of the host and develop into flea larvae in 1 to 6 days. The larvae avoid direct light and crawl under furniture or deep into carpets, cracks or under organic debris (branches, leaves, grass, soil). This larval stage lasts approximately 5 to 11 days and then forms a cocoon in which it pupates or develops into a flea within 1 to 2 weeks. The flea can survive dormant in the cocoon for up to 6 months. The adult flea emerges from the cocoon when stimulated by heat, carbon dioxide, physical pressure or vibration (the presence of a host). During hot, humid weather like we experienced in August, the flea life cycle can be completed in 12 to 14 days, thus ten female fleas could produce 250,00 fleas in 2 weeks. Keep in mind that when combating fleas the adult flea is only 5% of the flea population with the majority being eggs and larvae, which can be demonstrated by the flea pyramid. There are many flea products on the market with the newest, most effective and safest ones being available through your veterinarian. In addition, your veterinarian can recommend and help you choose the right product for your pets and advise you in developing an integrated flea control program. If you are seeing fleas on your pets, you need to use a product every month that kills adult fleas and also has insect growth regulator to kill flea eggs and larval stages. You will also
have fleas in your home and should use a premise spray to kill fleas and immature life stages. Foggers are of little value because they do not get adequate coverage deep into carpet or under furniture and in closets where the majority of eggs and larvae live. Use the correct amount of cans when spraying the home. Most cans effectively spray 500 square feet and many people try to treat the home with one can when they need 3 or 4 cans. If you do not use a premise spray, it will take a minimum of 4 to 5 months to get control of the flea problem even if you are using the best products on your pets. Treat all the pets in the house even if you have a cat that doesn’t go outside. This indoor animal could be hosting fleas and be part of your program failure. In general, pets should be treated monthly with oral or spot on flea products from May 1st up until December 1st in our area and sometimes year-round if your pet is at increased risk of infestation. I recommend avoiding over-the-counter products, as many of them are under review by the Environmental Protection Agency for causing neurologic disease and deaths in many pets. Do not waste your money on flea collars and flea shampoos because they have little value. In summary, fleas reproduce rapidly and cause unnecessary suffering to pets and people. Talk to your veterinarian and use the right product or products before you have a flea problem. Use them monthly and keep your pets happier and healthier. Dr. Hotham is an Aroostook county native and owner of Hotham’s Veterinary Services Inc., which offers a wide variety of small and large animal services.
FALL & WINTER 09 County Critters 49
50 Aroostook Eats FALL & WINTER 09
Aroostook Eats
are far enough apart for privacy, close enough for sharing good times. We’re able to have small parties with a touch of privacy. We’ll do private parties during our regular hours, or will open on our closed days for parties of a certain number. (Our Maine Street) Can you introduce yourselves to our We also do many catering functions, including: weddings, reunions, barbeques, Christmas parties, etc. readers?
Horn of Plenty
(Bill and Nancy) We’re originally from Newport, R.I. (Our Maine Street) What is your menu? We’ve been in Island Falls with the Horn of Plenty since (Bill and Nancy) Our menu is International Cuisine. 1993. We serve sea scallops, shrimp dishes, black angus steaks, (Our Maine Street) Can you fill us in on the history you lasagnas, tetrazzini, chicken sicily, fish n’ chips, just to name a few. We usually have twelve specials daily. We also have have with the restaurant business? a variety of appetizers, big salads, sandwiches, and we serve (Bill and Nancy) Bill is a culinary graduate from Johnson beer and wine. We have homemade desserts: and Wales. He has been the chef lava cakes, bread puddings, and of R.I. and Mass. restaurants. volcanoes, just to name a few. Prior to Maine, he left as the No one ever goes away hungry. Executive Chef of Oceancliff Our kitchen staff and waitstaff Resort, Newport, R.I., after is amongst the best. twelve years of service. Nancy owned and operated a local (Our Maine Street) Horn of bar in Newport, R.I. for twelve Plenty is located at 342 North years, ‘Friends Bar’. St. (Rt1) Houlton and their hours are Wednesday through (Our Maine Street) What is the Saturday: Lunch 11:00 A.M. theme of your establishment? 2:30 P.M., Dinner 5 P.M. - last seating 8 P.M. Reservations are (Bill and Nancy) “Nice Dining”, recommended 532-2260. with an open atmosphere. We are able to accommodate 50 customers at a time. The tables FALL & WINTER 09 Aroostook Eats 51
Focus on Business:
Frank Martin Sons, Inc. Steve Ouellette, President
Dave Ouellette, Vice President
(Our Maine Street) How long have you been in business alternative. It’s worked for us. and if you could do it again, would you change anything? (Our Maine Street) Explain a little bit about your service (FMS) I’ve been here twenty years now. The way the industry department. has evolved, we’ve made changes as things have gone by. We have replaced the John Deere line. That was something that (FMS) Our service department has three bays in our as time went by; we needed to diversify a little bit. Instead of location right here in Fort Kent. We also have two service representing one manufacturer, we would represent others trucks on the road up here in northern Maine. That seems so we picked up the Tiger Cat line to expand our forestry to be the trend we see more often. People want their exposure. I think one thing work done at their job site I’ve learned since I’ve been instead of bringing the here. “Don’t put all you eggs equipment to our garage. in one basket.” As much as We will work on most manufacturers hate it, you types of equipment, even need to have competing lines competing equipment. in case something happens We have well qualified to another manufacturer for technicians and we can various reasons. Since I’ve find parts for many of our been here, I’ve been pretty competitors. We also have pleased the way things have service vehicles that run fallen into place for us. We in the southern part of the have both the forestry and state, with the opening construction lines. I think of our new location in that to diversify more into Madison; which is a parts the construction line would only location. have been something I I’m projecting in would have liked us to do the next couple years we earlier. There is a market will probably open up potential especially in the southern part of the state. a full-blown service center down at our new location in Madison. (Our Maine Street) Can you explain the different products and brands you carry here at FMS (Our Maine Street) What’s the best part of running your business here in Fort Kent, Maine? (FMS) We are a Tigercat Forestry equipment dealer. We have pretty much a full line of forestry equipment, like (FMS) Knowing the area, there’s no question about it. skidders, feller-bunchers, forwarders, processors and log I’ve lived here my whole life, knowing the people, the loaders. We sell the Tigercat product line state wide. customers. We interact with our customers on a business The other product line we carry is Liugong and professional level, and also in a personal level. You construction line, which replaced the John Deere line that might socialize with them. Your kids may socialize with we used to represent for many years. They are a Chinese their kids. So you feel their pain when something is going manufacturing line. We were one of the first dealers in wrong. I guess its kind of the philosophy we’ve always had. the country to sign up with them. They have a full array We put ourselves, the employees put themselves, in our of construction equipment. They have excavators, wheel customers shoes should something go wrong with their loaders, compactors, skidsteers and coming soon graders, equipment. We try our best to go out here and get them dozers and backhoes. Customers state wide have been running as quick as possible. We don’t want to lose the pleased how the units have performed. They are a low cost personal touch.
FALL & WINTER 09 Focus on Business 53
Fort Fairfield honoring the heart and values of family Sitting on the lawn of the Community Bandstand, I watched the fireworks over the Aroostook River and breathed a tired breath, this year’s festival was over. There were still hundreds of people milling around and walking Main Street enjoying the last of the summer evening excitedly discussing the spectacular light show they just witnessed. A beautiful, warm summer day to end an event filled week. For those who have never participated in organizing such an event, the only thing I can even slightly compare it to is Thanksgiving dinner. You spend days preparing, planning, shopping, stressing about the details and wanting everything to be perfect only to have it over in what seems like a flash and the whole event is a blur. Now multiply that by 9 and you get a sense for what it is like for the festival committee. This year’s festival wasn’t without its challenges, but all things considered I think the week went well. One new event we added this year was giant inflatables which over 300 children and their families enjoyed. We had some great entertainment this year, a nationally acclaimed comedian, music from all genres: country, folk, rock, and gospel, featuring artists from all over the State of Maine. Motor Booty Affair was back again, this year joined by Turning Point, they drew thousands to town on Saturday night. Mother Nature wasn’t always cooperative, causing the festival committee to make some tough decisions, one of which was to change the parade to Sunday. Thankfully we had a beautiful summer day on Sunday for the parade which brought large crowds to town once again. We crowned a new Miss Maine Potato Blossom Queen, Katelynn Hartt from Mapleton as well as her sister queens, Jr. Miss Regan Buck from Caribou and Little Miss Taylor Hedrich from Presque Isle. If you would like to see pictures of all of the events you can see them on http://www.flickr.com/photos/ fortfairfieldchamber/ or visit the festival website www. potatoblossom.org. My heartfelt thank you goes out to the Festival Committee and all the people who volunteered their time to make this year’s festival happen. The 2010 Maine Potato Blossom Festival is scheduled for July 10-18th and plans are already underway. All Aroostook County residents are invited to come to the planning meetings. Contact the Maine Potato Blossom Festival Chair at 472-3802 if you would like to be a part of the oldest festival in Maine.
Janet Kelle Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce
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Riverside Park Project Thanks to a grant from the Dept of Economic Development, we have an exciting new project taking place in our community called Riverside Park. A Riverside Park Committee has been formed and has been meeting to discuss what this new park will look and feel like. The goal is to have a family and animal friendly location with places for picnics and activities. The first phase has already begun! Public works has completed upgrading the boat landing. The dock has been improved making the landing easier for kayakers and canoeists. This phase also includes an upgrade and increase in the number of walking and riding trails along the river. The town has just received the environmental clearance to move forward with work on the trail system. In addition to the trail system the committee is also looking at adding hitching posts and public water systems including water troughs for horses. Also included in this phase will be the addition of picnic shelters, regulation horseshoe pits and a volleyball court. Future phases will include tennis courts, bathroom facilities, additional parking, and infrastructure for the community market. The Riverside Park Committee will continue to meet to brainstorm and prioritize projects for the park. This park will be an amazing communal space for so many people looking for an inviting and relaxing place to spend time. Families will be able to visit and use the picnic and recreational areas, schools, churches and civic organizations will be able to make use of the park for outings and events. What a great addition to our community and a wonderful way to utilize our beautiful riverside. Stay tuned!
Houlton
FOSTERING COMMUNITY SPIRIT Celebrations and events! Reasons to gather and celebrate important dates and our communities. Reasons to travel home for the festivities; a home-coming with purpose and tradition. Community sponsored events bring a wide variety of benefits into a community. It provides the perfect opportunity to showcase the local business community while also providing the perfect networking experience for all who attend the event. From celebrating the establishment of our towns, to local country fairs and crops that sustain us, the County is a busy place. Nothing speaks more highly of a community than when folks travel home to once again be a part of the community that they grew up in, and in some cases it goes beyond that. During Houlton’s Midnight Madness event we discovered a young gentleman who travels back to Houlton every year for just that event. He did not grow up in Houlton but had spent his last three years in high school here. Every year he brings friends and relatives from around the United States back to Houlton for just this event. We asked him why and the response was, in his own words “because of the sense of Community and the reunion of familiar faces and families.” While he spent the majority of his life living
elsewhere, the County and Houlton are where he feels his home is. His story is not unique. We sometimes lose sight of what we have. How important are the celebrations and events to our communities? Extremely important. Is it worth the time and effort to put on these yearly events? Absolutely. It is more than about the fun and interest it brings. A single event can and does keep apathy at bay. It brings a community to life. How important are you in these ventures that encourage community spirit? So important that the events wouldn’t happen without your volunteerism, sponsorship, donation of time, participation, ideas and cooperation. It’s as simple as that. Each community is unique and continues to thrive and grow because of you.
FALL & WINTER 09 Our Communities 55
Greater Madawaska Frenchville, Grand Isle, Madawaska, St. Agatha and Sinclair
The Greater Madawaska Area is well known for its friendly people and warm hospitality, while also serving as the center of Acadian culture in Maine. During the fall and winter months, one can expect an abundance of unique events that are only available in our own special corner of America. The fall and winter in northern Maine bring out the explorer in all of us. There is something about the anticipation of the changing foliage and winter’s first snowfall that brings excitement to young and old alike. Outdoor enthusiasts and photographers are guaranteed to enjoy northern Maine’s fields, rolling hills, valleys, lakes, ponds, streams, and the scenic St. John River during this special time of year. During the fall, you can continue to enjoy the endless scenery by walking, hiking or bicycling on the infinite amount of back roads and trails. You can also enjoy beautiful Long Lake, where you can go canoeing, kayaking, boating and fishing. Don’t forget, ATV enthusiasts can still enjoy some of the best riding in Maine, on the miles of interconnecting trails that run throughout Aroostook County. Once the snow begins to fall, strap on a pair of snowshoes or a pair of cross country skis. Experience the independence and tranquility of walking or skiing through fresh powder, in our vast fields and lush forests, off the beaten path and away from the complexities that lurk beyond the parking lot. For those who are looking for a little bit more excitement, try traversing on hundreds of miles of the best well-kept trails for snowmobiling in all of Maine. The Four Seasons Trail Association invites everyone from everywhere to enjoy the free use of their trails. Through cross country skiing and snowshoeing
56 Our Communities FALL & WINTER 09
we hope to encourage healthier lifestyles and a greater appreciation for the natural beauty of Aroostook County. We currently offer 7 km of groomed Nordic ski trails. We also maintain 4 km of snowshoe trails which connect to an extensive trail system throughout the Valley. We wish everyone a safe and successful winter season. See you on the trails! Visit these websites to find out more information about the Greater Madawaska Area: www.greatermadawaskachamber.com www.madatvclub.com www.fourseasonstrail.org www.madawaskafourcorners.org www.townofmadawaska.com www.aroostook.me.us/frenchville www.grandislemaine.com www.stagatha.com No matter what time of the year you visit us, you will find everything you need to enjoy a relaxing and memorable stay. If you enjoy the outdoors, festivals or colorful eye-catching sceneries and no matter what your interests or leisure pursuits are, you will find something here, in the “Heart of the St John Valley.” Stephen Hughes Greater Madawaska Chamber of Commerce For more information on upcoming events call 207728-7000
Presque Isle the star city
As summer fades away, we look forward to the majestic colors of fall in central Aroostook. The natural beauty of the area changes from lush green to gold and then to a painter’s palette of reds, oranges and yellows as autumn develops. The clear blue skies filled with colorful hot air balloons are now just memories and we look forward to the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest next year on August 26-29, 2010. Now is the time to enjoy walks in the crisp, clean air. Whether you are a hunter, bird watcher or a nature enthusiast this is the time to enjoy all that central Aroostook has to offer. October 16th and 17th Aroostook State Park will be the site of our Second Annual Haunted Woods Walk. The Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce will be selling tickets in advance. Don’t miss your chance to be spooked and entertained on a dark and haunting night! The Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce also encourages everyone to put Main Street Mania on their calendars for November 20th. Fun, frivolity and good bargains at participating businesses will be in abundance! The Holiday Light Parade has become a tradition in Presque Isle. Join us this year on December 5th! The Presque Isle Elks Club serves warm soup before the parade and University of Maine offers a space to warm up after the cold trek through town. What a great chance to enjoy the blissful holiday spirits with
family and friends. Whatever the season, Central Aroostook has something to offer that cannot be found anywhere else. The warm hospitality shown to visitors only increases as the temperatures drop. Come now for stargazing, ATVing, hunting or relaxing. Life is better in the County
FALL & WINTER 09 Our Communities 57
Greater Fort Kent Wintervill Plantation to the town of Allagash and North East to St. Agatha
Christmas in Fort Kent? Imagine coming to November 29 for a chance to win $250 in crazy cash. Fort Kent to celebrate the holidays or at least shop for The Crazy cash is redeemable for merchandise at the them. Fort Kent provides the ultimate winter setting participating businesses. A name will be drawn from for anyone wanting to embrace this year’s holiday each business for a chance to win and the winner season. With the snow blanketing the lamp posts will be announced on Monday, Nov. 30th. and trees, Christmas music playing in the quaint The Greater Fort Kent Area Chamber of little shops, and some of the friendliest service you Commerce will be hosting the 29th Annual Arts and will ever find. Sounds to me like the perfect setting Crafts Fair on November 28 and 29 at the University to do all your holiday shopping. of Maine at Fort Kent Sports Center. This is one of Our holiday season starts off with the 16th Fort Kent’s longest running community events and Annual Dickens of a Christmas on Sunday, November it is a huge success year after year. Come check 22, from 12-4 in the out over 100 of afternoon. What the area’s talented is Dickens of a crafters and artisans. Christmas some After you’re done might ask? It is shopping for your a holiday open homemade gifts stay house where local in town to eat, visit merchants are decked our local merchants, out for the holidays, and check out the tree offering great lighting ceremony deals, giveaways, Saturday evening in and refreshments. Monument Square. Come see our local The Greater businesses as they Fort Kent Area will roll out the red carpet Bangor Daily News photo by Gabor Degre be bustling this to help make your holiday season. We holiday shopping a better experience. The economy hope that everyone will come celebrate and support is tough on all of us, so you need to come and check our efforts to make this season a special one. out the savings in downtown Fort Kent. Dickens of a Christmas also kicks off customer appreciation days in the Greater Fort Kent Area with the Green Ribbon raffle. Sign up at a participating business from November 22 till
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Nestled along the shores of the St. John River, Van Buren is known as the “Gateway to the St. John River Valley” and is a main port of entry to St. Leonard, New Brunswick, Canada. A port of entry to Grand Falls, Canada is also located in the town of Hamlin. This French Acadian Community was settled in 1790, by Acadians who had been displaced from St. Anne-DesPays-Bas, Fredricton, New Brunswick, Canada. The early name of the town was Violette Settlement, but in 1881 the town was renamed for President Martin Van Buren. Life is pleasant here and whether it is summer or winter, numerous recreational activities are available. The St. John River, the longest river in Maine, offers a sea plane port and boat landing facility from May 15 to October 1. Summer finds residents living at Van Buren Cove on Long Lake enjoying boating, water skiing, swimming and fishing. Van Buren Recreation Summer Programs conduct some of its swimming activities at the cove’s public beach. The cottages can be rented from local residents. Split Cedar Trail Network is a multi-use trail used by bikers, hikers, walkers, and ATVers, and has well groomed cross country skiing and snowshoeing areas in the winter. Snowmobile trails are all connected to the town of Van Buren. There are over 100 miles that are maintained by the Pine Runners ATV Club. Warming huts and picnic sites are available along the trails. St. Mary’s Brook also offers canoeing and kayaking opportunities. Neighboring towns have down hill ski slopes available within a short traveling distance. The area’s woodlands, lakes, rivers and streams provide good fishing and hunting opportunities. The town’s Recreational Park maintains basketball and tennis courts during the summer months, a skating rink in the winter, and competitive events for all ages. The park also caters to the younger set with various slides, climbers and swings. There are also picnic tables available to the public. Potato production still plays a major part in the local economy. Due to the need for crop rotation, oats and barley are also grown. Logging is also a moving force behind the town’s economy.
Van Buren
The World Acadian Congress is a huge gathering of Acadians from all over the world. It takes place every five years and the next one will be in 2014 right here in our own back yard. It’s a unique occasion for the residents of the St. John Valley to showcase themselves to the rest of the world, as well as the perfect opportunity to meet with cousins from far away. A moment to celebrate together our common past. FALL & WINTER 09 Our Communities 59
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u o b
r Ca
A Caregiver for All Seasons By Bill Flagg, Cary Medical Center
In all the talk about healthcare reform often not mentioned are the men and women who, day in and day out, serve the needs of patients 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days each year. One particular individual who will soon celebrate a magnificent milestone at Cary Medical Center is Laboratory Technologist, Mary Lou Nelson. Born and raised in New Sweden, Maine and a graduate of Caribou High School, Mary Lou had no idea what her future held as she completed one year of college at the University of Maine. Upon coming back from college for the summer, she learned that the local hospital, then named Cary Memorial Hospital, had a new pathologist who wanted to train staff to open a more dynamic hospital laboratory. That was 1960 and the rest, as they say, is history. Joan McElwain, now manager of the Cary Medical Center Laboratory describes the experience of a young phlebotomist in her first infant blood draw under the watchful mentoring of Mary Lou Nelson. “Imagine, a newborn, hours old, squirming all arms and legs, parents and grandparents looking on in amazement. Your job is to greet this little miracle by needle sticking the infant for a blood test. It’s your first time ever and you are very nervous. But you have an angel at your side. She has been a test subject for you and has given you confidence. So, you go for it and the baby never felt a thing.” That is generally how patients describe having their blood drawn by Mary Lou: “I never felt a thing,” “have you done it yet,” “there is just something special about how she does it.” People literally travel from outside the community to Cary Medical Center to have Mary Lou do their blood drawing. Her special sense of compassion is evident when you speak with her about her skills. “After all of these years of working in the lab I have come into people’s lives at some of their most difficult moments here in the hospital or at some of their most joyous times, like after having a baby. If people feel like talking I can listen, but if they prefer silence, I can do that too. I have always tried to keep the patient at the center of everything I do.” After joining Cary Memorial Hospital in 1960, Mary Lou has spent the past near 50 years working in the hospital lab. Speaking of the early days, she recalls manually counting white blood cells and red cells and using pipettes by sucking on the end of the glass tube, holding the other end with your finger, and releasing the liquid into containers for study. In 1964, Mary Lou became the manager of the Cary Laboratory, a position she held during the transition to the new Cary Medical Center in 1978. In 1987, she received the first Cary Manager of the Year Award and in 1988 was named one of three “employees of the decade”. Mary Lou also helped establish the most successful blood donor program in Aroostook County, 60 Our Communities FALL & WINTER 09
a cholesterol screening clinic at the Cary Medical Center Health fair, and, over the years, has helped screen more than 10,000 people to identify potential health risks. She has been a mentor, trainer, and guide to hundreds of aspiring laboratory technologists and phlebotomists and has touched the lives of untold numbers of patients, families, and other co-workers. Of all her training and mentoring experiences, one really stands out to Mary Lou. The hospital had been approached by the Loring Job Corps Center to offer workbased learning to some of their students. Mary Lou was asked if she would take on one aspiring student who wanted to be a phlebotomist. She immediately recognized a spark in the student’s eyes and a special compassion in her nature. Ultimately, this woman became a star phlebotomist overcoming many obstacles and gaining the confidence that comes with success. While her professional career has been one of memorable successes, Mary Lou has also experienced healthcare from the patient perspective. In 1987, she discovered a lump on her breast, which soon after diagnosed as breast cancer. After mastectomy surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments, she went in and out of remission. Eventually, she was referred for a then experimental treatment and a bone marrow transplant, but due to the experimental nature of the medicine, her insurance company would not cover the cost of the procedure. To her surprise, the people she worked with at the hospital, including doctors, nurses, her colleagues in the lab, and others coworkers, along with friends and supporters in the greater Caribou community, raised $45,000 within one month to help pay for the treatment. During this ordeal Mary Lou said it was her deep and abiding faith in God that carried her through. Music is a big part of Mary Lou’s life. Growing up singing in a church choir and very active in her church community, she recognized how many talented young people lived in the County. She also knew that the cost of private lessons and instruments would often be beyond the reach of most families. So, working with her sisters in Alaska, who were in the music instrument business, she put together a plan to open the Nelson Piano Education Center in Caribou. Now, some 12 years later, the school averages 60 students a year and offers piano, guitar, and drum lessons. A caregiver at heart, Mary Lou has lived in New Sweden at her original family homestead for many years caring for her mother and driving the often snow covered roads into Caribou. In the early days of her work in the lab, she was often on-call and remembers many times just arriving home from a long shift at the hospital and her mother coming out the door to say the hospital needs you. She has answered that call for nearly half a century and, in January 2010, she will become the longest tenured staff member at Cary Medical Center with 50 years of service delivered with exceptional dedication and compassion.
A Promise Kept
Limestone
By Dianne McCormack Edgecomb
When traveling to Limestone on Route 1A nestled under Main Street hill stands a small brick structure with white shutters which has become the information center for the town and frequent travelers. This is where students research and study, where community groups meet, where those without the internet have access to the world, and where the occasional tourist stops for directions and information. The Robert A. Frost Memorial Library may seem, at first sight, to be just a building of brick and mortar but in effect it is alive with activity and learning. The original library was actually constructed in 1941 with a donation from the Aubrey Frost Family. The town was to build a free public library for the community, to promise to fund and maintain it, and it was to be named the Robert A. Frost Memorial Library in memory of their son. As Limestone grew so did our library needs, and the Erwin Somers family donated monies in the early 1970’s for the addition on the south side of the library to be used as a reading room in memory of his parents Linwood and Ruth Somers. This room has carpeted floors, soft comfortable chairs and was designed to be a quiet, comfortable place for reading and studying. Today the citizens of Limestone are once again standing faithful to their promise to the Frost family of maintaining and supporting our public library to meet the needs of all our citizens by constructing a handicapped accessible addition on the east side of the library. This two-level addition will be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Dreams and plans for this library expansion began approximately ten years ago under the chairmanship of Leitha Doughty. Fund raising began in earnest. With the demolition of the old fire station the library finally had the space it needed to construct this new addition and expand its parking area. When completed, the new addition will be a twolevel structure offering a room for local and area history and genealogy, an activities and after hour group, a program meeting room and more tutoring space. Our librarian Rhea Caldwell will have wireless internet available and more computers for the public use. With the addition of three donated computers she plans to have one computer for the children’s use; one for young adults and two for the adults. An elevator will be installed for our handicapped and disabled to move from one level to the other and the facility will accommodate wheelchairs.
Many in Limestone view the Frost Memorial Library as a focal point in our community. For some they have fond memories of scout meetings in the basement and piano lessons with Ms. Bailey were held there. Many of us were excused from our classes in school to walk to the library for our weekly piano lessons. What a thrill that was! Independent learning! At one time many children did not have encyclopedias and reference books at home, so the library was where they found their research information. The library was where you met your friends, worked on your projects and reports, and the librarian was always there ready and willing to help. Today many families cannot afford internet access and our library is there once again to help bring the latest information to inquisitive minds. Our grown-up children remember summer reading programs held on Wednesday mornings for six weeks where they met with twenty to twenty-five children to be read to, to sign out books for the week, to do crafts and play games. They looked forward with anticipation to these weekly gatherings at the library during their summer vacation. It was a positive and fun learning experience and the programs continue to be offered to Limestone youngsters today. Our librarian and her assistant continue to work to build the library as a strong center of learning within the community. Even though construction for the new addition is underway--fundraising continues. An endowment fund has been established where each dollar donated will be matched dollar for dollar up to $25,000 by the Maine Community Foundation Grant to be used to keep the library and technology up to date. Leaves on the Tree of Knowledge can be purchased in memory of, or in honor of a business or individual and those monies go to the building fund. The library also has an established memorial fund. The Robert A. Frost Memorial Library will now become a more accommodating center for Limestone, offering more accessible technology in the form of an increase in the number of computers available and wireless access. It will offer more after-hour meeting space and will return the Somers reading room once again to a quiet area for adults to read and study. The handicapped accessibility will be much appreciated by our disabled citizens and a big “thank you” goes out to all those who have worked diligently and tirelessly in this effort to bring this dream for the library to fruition. Despite many setbacks and delays a handicapped accessible addition to the Robert A. Frost Memorial Library is becoming a reality. FALL & WINTER 09 Our Communities 61
NMCC Strengthens the Bridge Between High School & College It comes as no surprise that those holding a college degree will earn more in their lifetime than those without one. While Aroostook County has very respectable high school graduation rates, the number of those students who then choose to continue on to college needs improvement. One avenue in which Northern Maine Community College is striving to do just that is by offering early college opportunities for students that allow them to earn college Amy Wh ite teach es NMC credit while still in high school. C e to Com ’s Introduction puters a becam “Going to college is never easy, but these opportunities t PIRCTC Ruest dent at y e n t . Cour ll-time stu ll. help ease the challenges of transition and in many cases, this fa a fu NMCC reaffirm that college, and sometimes even a particular major, is the correct path for a student,” said Elizabeth Crawford, Frenchville, Van Buren District Secondary School, Caribou coordinator of the On Course for College efforts at NMCC. Regional Technology Center, Region Two School of Applied “Students who take advantage of early college opportunities are Technology in Houlton, Northern Penobscot Tech Region more likely to persist in their college experience to graduation, Three in Lincoln, United Technology Center in Bangor, and generally have a higher GPA than their peers, and seem better Westbrook Regional Vocational Center. able to adjust to the college environment.” In addition to taking a class at their own school, Through dual enrollment, high school students may qualifying high school juniors and seniors can have tuition complete college-level coursework while in high school, waived for up to six credits a semester under the High School typically through a course taught in their own school by an Aspirations program. They can take classes at NMCC’s main instructor affiliated with the College, using the College’s campus in Presque Isle, or at its outreach centers in Houlton course syllabus. Students may earn both high school and or the St. John Valley. Students from any high school in the college credit for their work. For example, there are currently State, as well as home-schooled students, may be eligible to five NMCC courses being offered at Presque Isle Regional take part in the High School Aspirations program. Career and Technical Center (PIRCTC): Introduction to “Whether a student has exhausted a school’s options in a Business, Entrepreneurship, Personal Finance, Accounting, given subject, is looking for a different classroom environment, and Introduction to Computer Applications. or just wants to test the college waters, Aspirations meets those “Our partnership with the Community College opens needs,” said Crawford. opportunities for our students to continue their education “Taking a class at NMCC helped me meet new people, more easily,” said Amy White of PIRCTC, who teaches three learn how college instructors teach the class, and discover if I of the courses. Often, students take these classes, which are needed to change my study habits for college,” said Ruest, who electives toward high school graduation, because they have an also took two night classes at NMCC before she graduated interest in earning a business degree. Others may take a class from PIHS. simply because they know it may help them in the future. The early steps Ruest took through NMCC helped “The cost savings to our students is obviously a huge to firmly put her on the path to continuing her education. benefit, but being able to take the class spread out over the full With 10 college credits already in hand, she entered NMCC’s academic year, rather than compressed into one semester, is Liberal Studies program this fall. After earning her associate also a great benefit. Students aren’t so rushed, and oftentimes degree, she plans to transfer on to a four year college. they are able to take part in additional projects that they With more schools entering into dual enrollment otherwise wouldn’t have been able to,” said White. agreements with NMCC each year and more local high school Courtney Ruest, a 2009 Presque Isle High School students taking advantage of the Aspirations program, College graduate who earned NMCC credit for an accounting course officials are hoping to see a growing number of students like she took at PIRCTC, agrees. “It really made a big difference Ruest successfully bridge the step from high school to college. to me to be able to take accounting spread out over the whole Interested students and parents can talk to their local guidance year. It was at a slower pace and with people I know.” department to determine which opportunities would best suit Other schools taking part in dual enrollment with them. Crawford can also be contacted for more information NMCC are: St. John Valley Technology Center in at Northern Maine Community College. 62 Higher Education SUMMER & FALL 09
Falling into another action-packed year at the University of Maine
at Presque Isle
There’s plenty of energy at the University of Maine at Presque Isle as it rings in its 2009-2010 academic year, but it’s not just coming from the newly installed 600 kW wind turbine spinning on campus. From Homecoming festivities to acclaimed performers to visits by some very Distinguished Lecturers, there are lots of fall events to keep the campus and community busy. Homecoming 2009, held Sept. 18-20, was filled with pep rallies, luncheons, socials, alumni athletic games, and main event comedians Ryan Gartley, Jim Colliton and Rob Steen. On Sept. 18, President Don Zillman delivered the annual State of the University Address and, as always, crowds turned out for the annual Hall of Fame dinner. Special honors were given during the Alumni Luncheon and Awards Ceremony on Sept. 19. Jane White Kilcollins, Class of 1993, received the Educator of the Year Award and Ronald Fitzgerald, Class of 1969, received the Distinguished Alumni Award. The University received a special visit from Thomas King – the award-winning author and creator of the popular CBC Radio Show The Dead Dog Café Comedy Hour – when he presented a Distinguished Lecture on Sept. 24. King spoke about the Native American experience, weaving together oral stories, history, politics, and Thomas King popular culture in his talk An Evening Wasted with Thomas King. The Phish Retrospective began on campus Sept. 28 and continues until Oct. 4, providing a look back, through art and discussion, at the three enormous Phish concerts held in northern Maine between 1997 and 2003. Each of these concerts resulted in the town of Limestone becoming, during the events, the ‘largest city’ in the state. The concerts also had a huge economic impact on the region.
On Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m., the University welcomes Grand Forks Herald Editor and Publisher Mike Jacobs to campus to deliver a Distinguished Lecture on the Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage his North Dakota newspaper provided in the wake of flooding, a blizzard, and a fire that devastated much of Grand Forks in the spring of 1997. Jacobs will reflect on some of the newspaper’s and Mike Jacobs community’s experiences and discuss the importance of service and community journalism. On the cultural arts scene this semester, the campus and community have the opportunity to see everything from opera to jazz to Gregorian chanting. Suzanne Nance, the music director and host of MPBN’s Morning Classical Music, performed a recital featuring opera and classical music selections on Sept. 13. The sounds of Schubert, Brahms, and Dvorak will fill the Campus Center when a husband and wife classical piano and violin team perform on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. New York City based Suzanne Nance Jazz ensemble SPOKE returns for a campus performance at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30 in Wieden Auditorium. And at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 29 in Wieden Auditorium, the region will have the opportunity to hear Gregorian Chants sung by vocal artist Jay Violette, the director of the Gregorian Chant group Spiritus Schola. And that’s just the Fall semester. Find out more about what’s happening at the University of Maine at Presque Isle by visiting www.umpi.edu.
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UMFK’S FOREST TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM LOOKS FORWARD TO PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION THIS FALL The University of Maine at Fort Kent Forest Technology Program faculty is cautiously optimistic about receiving accreditation from the American Society of Foresters (SAF) later this fall, following a two-day visit from an accreditation team earlier this year. The anticipated accreditation should come as no surprise, however, as SAF recently extended its recognition of UMFK’s Forest Technology curriculum through 2017. SAF accreditation for forest technology programs is new, having begun this year. “The Society of American Foresters is the professional organization for forestry across North America. As such, it sets the standard for professional forestry education -- what every forester or forest technician should know from their college,” said Dave Hobbins, professor of Forestry and Environmental Studies at UMFK. “The Society evaluates a college or university based on a number of factors, including: a faculty member’s education and experience, the institution’s commitment to the program, the success of its graduates, and other components, including curriculum,” Hobbins adds. UMFK is the only SAFrecognized college or university forest technology program in Maine, and one of only two such programs in all of New England. UMFK Boasts State-of-the-Art GIS Facilities UMFK recently completed an upgrade of its Geographic Information System (GIS) classroom and laboratory. The facility now provides students interested in careers in forestry, environmental studies, or computer applications with the most modern, comprehensive learning facilities available anywhere. The 16-seat laboratory houses a modern teaching station and a GIS digitizing station. The laboratory serves the forest technology and environmental studies programs, as well as students in computer applications, business, and rural public safety. The GIS lab is the center of computing and technology application for forestry, surveying, digital cartography, spatial analysis, and global positioning systems (GPS). The lab is located adjacent to the University’s Forestry laboratory on the first floor of Cyr Hall. The facility also is equipped with a bank of GPS receivers that are used for scheduled classes and student projects. The program utilizes the latest in GIS software, using the ArcGIS family of software, which provides 3-D and image 64 Higher Education FALL & WINTER 09
analysis capabilities, as well as software used for analysis of satellite imagery. Giving Back to the Community The UMFK GIS program was established in the late 1990’s as a concentration in Computer Applications and Environmental Studies. A minor in GIS was added later. A dedicated GIS laboratory was established in 2000 to support both programs, as well as to provide training for regional professionals and municipal officials. Short courses and workshops in GIS and GPS for regional professionals (licensed foresters, engineers and surveyors) and municipal officials have been offered annually at UMFK since 2004. UMFK faculty and students have been involved over the past decade in community-based projects, which include: mapping of the Fort Kent golf course, the Maine Winter Sports facility, the Heritage Trail map, and the Fort Kent Town Garage restoration project, among others. UMFK Provides Students with a Quality Education Following the spring visit by the three-member SAF accreditation team, the chairman of the visitation team, Christopher L. Westbrook, director/professor of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Wanakena, New York, commented on the team’s visit to Fort Kent. “The SAF accreditation visiting team enjoyed having the opportunity to meet the faculty, staff, students and administration at the University of Maine Fort Kent and we enjoyed being able to see the campus and to learn more about the Forest Technology Program. The visiting team was impressed with the Forest Technology Program and we appreciated the hospitality of our hosts,” chairman Westbrook said. The Forest Technology Program at UMFK is a conservation-oriented program that focuses on the wise use of forests as a renewable resource. With recognition, and shortly, accreditation, the program ensures that students receive the best education possible. “UMFK has passed every standard for recognition by the Society and continues its strong tradition of providing excellent graduates for the forestry profession. We are confident that our program is positioned to pass the test to reach the next level – accreditation,” Professor Hobbins notes.
ff cc
Here’s to Our Maine Street continuing Fort Fair field’s tradition of creativity and innovation.
THE SKI SHOP
Lyn Michaud 31 Main Street Van Buren, ME 04785 868-9808
Fort Fair field Chamber of Commerce www.fortcc.org
For all of your holiday needs, shop marden’s first! If we have it, it will cost you less!
MADAWASKA 81 Fox Street
There’s sure to be a Marden’s along you r way. be sure PRESQUE ISLE 207-762-3417 803 Main Street to sto p in and see I95 North to Houlton � Rt 1 North to Presque Isle. Marden’s is on the left. why we’re maine’s HOULTON 207-532-9125 best bargain store! 120 North Street
I95 North to Houlton � Rt 1 North to Madawaska � Left onto 25th Ave. � Left onto Fox St. Marden’s is on the right.
stretch your dollars across maine
I95 � exit 302. Marden’s is on your right.
LINCOLN 207-794-2013 28-32 Main Street
I95 � exit 227. Right turn off exit � At intersection, turn left onto Rt 2 � 1-1/2 mile stop light � Left turn onto Main Street.
CALAIS 207-454-1421 189 Main Street
I95 � exit 182A � 395E � Rt 9E � Rt 1S Follow to Canada. Marden’s is on the left just before the border. Furniture/Flooring store is on right across from McDonalds. Ph. 207454-1459
our inventory comes from unlikely sources: closeouts, bankruptcies, salvage losses and more
We carry • shoes • clothing • hardware ELLSWORTH 207-669-6036 • furniture • flooring 225 High Street I-95 � exit 182A � 395E � Merge onto • fabric • housewares Rt1A to Ellsworth � Rt 1A becomes Rt 1 and Rt 3 North � Marden's is located on • general merchandise the right where Rt 1 and Rt 3 splits • seasonal items! (behind McDonalds). BREWER 207-989-1750 we also have stores in biddeford, sanford, Portland, 564 Wilson Street I95 � exit 182A � 395E � Parkway Gray, Lewiston, Rumford and waterville. Visit our exit � Right turn � Traffic light. Right turn onto Wilson Street. website at www.mardens.com for driving directions
It is most acute in rural areas like Aroostook County,” said Drew. “As a clinical mental health counselor who works and supervises in rural settings, Drew points out that “this work requires that students be well trained in generalist practice and understand the unique characteristics and challenges of rural practice.” New this year, this program has begun to train students who wish to practice in Aroostook County. The Master of Science in Human Relations is designed for individuals who wish to pursue graduate work by Julie Green for professions that require human relations skills. The The Husson University Extended Learning Center courses are constructed to enhance communication skills, located at NMCC in Presque Isle has been offering programs understanding of human development, career development, in Aroostook County since 1971. Along with programs in group dynamics, and to develop techniques and skills for business, the newest additions to the curriculum are three interacting with people. Students are able to choose a core graduate programs aimed at training residents of Aroostook of graduate electives from counseling, education, business, County in specific skills that will allow graduates to stay there criminal justice, or other fields to tailor the program to best and work there. meet their goals. The Master of Science in School Counseling is designed “This program is unique in the way it allows a student for anyone with a bachelor’s degree wanting to become a to steer it toward a goal specific to the K-12 school guidance counselor. student’s interests,” says Drew. “In Students with two years of experience its first year, this program is drawing as teachers or counselors complete interest from students who wish to 36 hours of course work and a 300work in higher education, career hour clinical internship. Without development services, as well as in that experience they complete a 600human relations positions in local hour internship. “Our goal with this business and government.” is to fill the need in area schools for The Master of Science in school counselors with people that Pastoral Counseling is a new program are already living here and want to that will be available to students at stay here,” said Dr. Deborah Drew, Husson in Presque Isle beginning Coordinator of Graduate Counseling in the Fall of 2009. This program, a Programs at Husson University. “We cooperative effort between Husson recognized that there was a need and Bangor Theological Seminary, for school guidance counselors in prepares students who wish to practice Aroostook County schools. Students clinical mental health counseling in the program are now working as with a spiritual orientation and to counselors in six County schools.” prepare students to be eligible to “For much of my career I was apply for licensing or certification as Director of Guidance at Katahdin a Pastoral Counselor. and Stearns High School,” said Drew. “It has been exciting to work “Because of that I am aware of the Dr. Deborah Drew is the Coordinator of Graduate with Bangor Theological Seminary shortage of good candidates for school Counseling Programs at Husson University. to put this program together. Maine counseling jobs in the northern part has a license for Pastoral Counselors of the state. When I was hired at Husson for this program my but has not had a graduate program specifically designed to mission was to be able to train good qualified counselors. It is prepare them. We expect that this program will help fill a exciting to see this come to fruition.” unique aspect of the mental health shortage by providing well The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health trained counselors for people who prefer a spiritual or pastoral Counseling is designed for students with a bachelor’s degree perspective.” in psychology, counseling, social and behavioral sciences or “These courses are taught through the ITV system a related field who wish to work in mental health agencies, but I have a commitment to knowing my students personally hospitals, private practices, ministry-related counseling centers, and working with them one on one” said Drew. “I travel to and other facilities. The program consists of a minimum Presque Isle to do advising work and get to know them and of 60 credit hours of courses that provide students with a teach some of the classes from there.” background in counseling theories, skills and clinical practice. Drew is an Associate Professor in the School of Students who successfully complete this program are eligible Education at Husson. She received her Ed.D. in Counselor to apply for licensure as Clinical Professional Counselors or as Education from UMaine, is a certified school counselor as Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselors. well as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. “There is a shortage of mental health services and For information regarding these programs, you can mental health professionals throughout Maine and the U. S. contact Husson in Presque Isle at 207.760.1177, by emailing graduateschool@husson.edu or visiting www.husson.edu. 66 Higher Education FALL & WINTER 09
Promoting Outdoor Recreation by Regis Trembly
While most of the attention for the past few months has been on the Department’s budget and a slew of hunting and fishing related issues, I thought it would be good to reflect on what the Department does to promote outdoor recreation and ecotourism, the lifeblood of the state’s economy. Providing quality outdoor recreational activities in a clean and pristine environment is at the core of our mission. After all, the combined impact on Maine’s economy from hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, white-water rafting, snowmobile and ATV riding, hiking, camping, canoeing and kayaking exceeds $2.4 Billion annually. It also must be pointed out that DIFW doesn’t work alone, but in partnerships with the Department of Conservation, which manages and maintains our state parks and forests, and the Department of Marine Resources which regulates coastal activities and recreation and protects both commercial and recreational boaters. Not to be forgotten is the Department of Agriculture that works to support large and small scale farming in Maine. Since 90% of all the land in Maine is privately owned by farmers, foresters, and private citizens, Maine’s economy would not survive without access to their property. Without close working relationships with the Department of Environmental Protection, keeping Maine clean and safe for humans and wildlife, the natural resources would not survive. Finally, since Tourism is touted as the state’s largest industry, DIFW is an active partner with the Office of Tourism in promoting and marketing outdoor recreational activities, as well as the unique and special quality of our state. So, in this month’s column, I thought I would give a high level, birds-eye view of the work your DIFW does to support outdoor recreational activities, which are the foundation of our economy. Many people do not realize that DIFW acquires land for a variety of purposes and in a variety of ways, principally to develop land for the protection, preservation and enhancement of inland fisheries and wildlife resources. Public Recreation is allowed on all of these lands for all or most of the year. Roughly 200,000 people ride ATVs and snowmobiles and thousands more hike and cross-country ski on thousands of miles of maintained trails. The Department allows access on specifically designated Wildlife Management Areas statewide, generally with existing trail networks already in place. The Maine Warden Service enforces ATV and snowmobile laws and works with local landowners to protect their land and to provide and maintain access to private lands while the Department’s Recreational Safety Division not only provides safety courses for hunting and boating, but courses for ATV and Snowmobile riders in one of the state’s booming industries. Wildlife Management Areas and boating access sites are open for public access and remote wilderness recreation including Whitewater Rafting, a fast growing segment of the economy that is regulated, licensed, and patrolled by the Maine Warden Service.
Additionally, Maine’s wild brook trout fishery in remote ponds and streams is the crown jewel of the East with more native brook trout than all of the eastern states combined. And of course, the Department provides for hunting, fishing, and trapping activities for 500,000 residents and nonresidents each year. Our hatcheries stock more than 1.2 million fish in most of our 6,000 lakes and ponds, many in remote wilderness areas. The Public Information and Education division actively promotes all of these outdoor recreational activities by attending in-state and out-of-state sportsman’s shows; through numerous publications, maps and brochures; PSAs and short videos; and our website @ www.mefishwildlife.com where sportsmen can buy licenses, register recreational vehicles, and get regular fishing and hunting reports. Thousands of dollars raised from the Moose Lottery are used to sponsor annual youth scholarships at summer conservation camps that introduce children to the outdoors and the many possibilities for recreation, conservation activities, and safety. DIFW’s “Hooked on Fishing” Coordinator works with a private Board of Directors to operate and maintain the Maine Youth Fish and Game Associations facility at Pickerel Pond, specifically for youth fishing opportunities, and serves as the liaison to dozens of local clubs and communities that promote Kids Fishing Derbies. Becoming an Outdoors Woman is a program that introduces women 18 years and older to hunting, fishing, canoeing and kayaking, and a myriad of skills such as building a fire, using chain saws, map and compass reading, and even selfdefense. DIFW’s Engineering Division maintains dams, bridges, and buildings owned, operated and/or managed by DIFW, while the Wildlife Division maintains access roads on and in WMAs, and the DIFW Federal Aid Coordinator works in conjunction with Engineering to acquire, build and maintain boater access sites. All of this is not a random, haphazard approach, but a systematic state-wide planning effort that builds on wildlife species planning ongoing in Maine since 1968; a landscape approach to habitat conservation, Beginning with Habitat, initiated in 2000; and a long history of public involvement and collaboration among conservation partners. This Strategy covers the entire state, from the dramatic coastline to the heights of Mt. Katahdin. All DIFW planning efforts incorporate and
emphasize providing public recreational opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, nature appreciation, recreational boating, ATVs, and snowmobiles. Regis Tremblay is the Director of Public Information and Education at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. He can be reached at: regis.tremblay@maine.gov. FALL & WINTER 09
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Our Local Artists crafters, painters, photographers, poets & writers
featuring aroostook talent
68 Local Artists
FALL & WINTER 09
Our Maine Street Magazine is pleased to set aside a portion of every issue to feature the work of our local artists whether they be crafters, painters, illustrators, photographers poets or writers. This issue we feature photos from two local photographers Mike McNally of Ashland and Janet Kelle of West Chapman. We are also pleased to welcome back Holly Hardwick of Cross Lake.
Š 2009 Mike McNally, Ashland
Š 2009 Mike McNally, Ashland
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Š 2009 Mike McNally, Ashland
See the world from a different perspective
University of Maine at
PRESQUE I SLE North of Ordinary ďż˝
www.umpi.edu
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Local Artists 73
74 Local Artists SUMMER FALL & WINTER & FALL 09
Images on these pages © 2009 Michelle Olsen, Caribou, http://www.artwanted.com/ditzy
© 2009 McNally, Ashland SUMMER & FALL 09 Mike Local Artists 75
76 Local Artists SUMMER & FALL 09
Images on these pages © 2009 Christine Chabre, Cyr Plantation, chrstchab@aol.com
© &2009 Kelle, West Chapman SUMMER FALLJanet 09 Local Artists 77
Image this page © 2009 Christine Chabre, Cyr Plantation, chrstchab@aol.com © 2009 Janet Kelle, West Chapman
SUMMER & FALL 09 Local Artists 78
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