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Public Radio Behind the scenes at three area radio stations

A Piece of Maine:

Bucksport Kitchen Confidential Natalie’s at the Camden Harbour Inn

Cancer Research

A partnership between JAX and EMMC

Inside:

UMaine Machias Soccer Chicken Satay Tips from an aging sportsman

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May 2013

Still Going

strong Three area seniors share their stories Bonus Inside

Route 55 Senior Guide

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contents

features Penobscot bay pacesetter / 11 Shari Closter is taking Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce to the next level.

Avatar Advancements / 14 How patients at EMMC and mice from JAX are joining forces to help cure cancer.

Super Seniors / 18 Meet Larry, Esther, and Art—three senior citizens with superior stories.

A Piece of Maine: Bucksport / 38 This river town is chock full of history and legend.

Big Flavor from a Little Kitchen / 54 How Nicole Ouellette makes the most of her Bar Harbor home.

Natalie’s / 56 Belgian Geoffroy Deconinck reigns supreme in the kitchen at the Camden Harbour Inn.

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38 2 / Bangor Metro May 2013

18

Photos: (top) melanie brooks; (bottom left) melanie brooks; (bottom right) mark McCall

Radio Renaissance / 28 What three local radio stations mean to the Maine community.

Photos: (top) melanie brooks; (middle) Edwin martin; (bottom) melanie Brooks

12

in every issue

columns

TaLk of the Towns / 6 Fighting crime in Piscataquis County, hunger relief in Unity, and Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion.

eye on industry / 12 Agriculture is a staple of the U.S.— and Maine’s—economic backbone.

Biz Buzz & sightings / 8 People and places on the move.

What’s Happening / 46 A list of events to welcome spring.

Metro sports / 52 A new indoor practice field in Brewer and soccer coach in Machias.

62

Perspectives / 62 Bangor’s Edwin Martin shares his view of Mainers at work.

Metro fitness / 17 The benefits of interval training. woods & waters / 64 You don’t have to give up enjoying the great outdoors just because you’re getting old. last word / 72 Going on vacation? Make the commitment to eat your way through your pantry.

savvy seniors / 65 Dealing with dementia.

52 www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 3

editor’s note

O

ur annual Senior Issue is always chock-full of useful information, and this year is no different!

One of my favorite features is always the one profiling three Super Seniors in our area. This is the third year we have published this story, and every year it puts a huge smile on my face. We sat down with three very active people who happen to fall into the “senior citizen” category. But reading their stories, you’d never guess they were in their golden years. Larry Sherwood, Esther Rauch, and Art Webb share some great anecdotes from their accomplished lives, and we’d like to thank them for taking the time to sit down with our writer and photographer for this feature. All three of our seniors are very busy people, which is a true testament to the saying, ‘You’re only as old as you feel.’

Our Senior Guide pull-out, which you will find tucked into the middle of this magazine, has some great information for seniors as well as younger people who may be thinking about retiring or caring for an aging parent. It’s never too late, or too early, to start planning ahead, and we have several stories from experts in the field of finance, health, fitness, and education.

Recently, Forbes magazine rated Bangor as one of the top 25 places to retire in the nation in 2013. They cited the benefits of our low crime rate, many good doctors per capita, high level of volunteering, and above average air quality. The cons they listed included cold winters (no kidding) and poor state tax climate.

Their list of pros and cons for retiring in the Bangor area aren’t a surprise to those of us who live here. A few of the cities listed were Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Clearwater, Florida. Bangor was the only town in all of New England to make the list. What surprised me was the fact that 12 out of the 25 places named had crime as one of the cons to retiring there. With all of the scams targeting the elder population, living in an area with a high crime rate would make me nervous.

All in all, Bangor looks pretty stellar!

You can see the entire list of 25 Best Places To Retire In 2013 at www.forbes.com.

The Bangor Metro Region Photo: Kate Crabtree

Melanie Brooks, editor

4 / Bangor Metro May 2013

Above & Beyond.

Way Beyond.

www.bangormetro.com 263 State Street, Suite 1 Bangor, Maine 04401 Phone: 207.941.1300 PUBLISHER

Jack Cashman EDITOR

Melanie Brooks melanie@bangormetro.com SALES DIRECTOR

Christine Parker christine@bangormetro.com ad sales consultants

Karen Bean karen@bangormetro.com Laura Cole laura@bangormetro.com ART DIRECTOR

Sandy Flewelling production assistant

Kayla Nadeau Copy editor

Sara Speidel editorial intern

Kaylie Reese CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Tom Avila, Jack Cashman, Brad Eden Naomi Graychase, Joy Hollowell Chris Quimby, Kaylie Reese, Erik Smith, Carol Higgins Taylor Wendy Watkins, Kellly Lee White

April Murchinson Possibilities Fine Gifts & Home Furnishings | Lincoln, Maine

Contributing PHOTOGRAPHers

Kevin Kratka, Edwin Martin Mark McCall Circulation

Bill Osborne bill@bangormetro.com SUBSCRIPTIONS

Sue Blake sue@bangormetro.com 10 issues $24.95 Bangor Metro is published by Metro Publishing, LLC. Inquiries and suggestions are welcome and encouraged.

Letters to the editor, story suggestions, and other reader input will be subject to Bangor Metro’s unrestricted right to edit and publish in the magazine or on the web.

Please address written correspondence to 263 State Street, Suite 1, Bangor, ME 04401. For advertising questions, please call Christine Parker, Sales Director, at 207-404-5158.

Bangor Metro is mailed at standard rates in Bangor, Maine.

Newsstand Cover Date: May Vol. 9, No. 3, copyright 2013, issue No. 79. Advertisers and event sponsors or their agents are responsible for copyrights and accuracy of all material they submit.

ADDRESS CHANGES: To ensure delivery, subscribers must notify the magazine of address changes one month in advance of cover date.

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Bangor Metro is published 10 times annually. To subscribe, call 941-1300 ext. 121 or visit www.bangormetro.com.

At Machias Savings Bank we believe in going above and beyond the call of a traditional business banking relationship. We want to share in the vision of your business and be an active player in your success by offering you the right balance of products and services. We helped April at Possibilities Fine Gifts & Home Furnishings select the perfect business checking account for her needs, and we can do the same for you.

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Business Relationship Checking Business Analysis Checking Community Checking

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Cover photo: Mark McCall

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 5

talk of the towns

Unity: Students at Unity College are taking a unique approach to assist in hunger relief efforts.

Rather than hosting a traditional nonperishable food drive, college and high school students from Waldo County Technical Center are working together, through the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program, to grow fresh produce and raise pastured chickens for local area food pantries as part of the newly minted “Food for All” campaign.

Thousands of pounds of fresh, campus-grown vegetables have already been harvested to assist local area food pantries as part of an ongoing effort through the “Veggies for All” program, made possible by a collaborative grant from FFA and Waldo County. This year, the program has expanded to include the raising of free-range chickens. All of the produce will go to the Volunteer Regional Food Pantry in Unity and the Belfast Soup Kitchen.

6 / Bangor Metro May 2013

In addition to aiding local food pantries, the program provides an excellent opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience, learning the complexities of agriculture beyond the farm, including food production, marketing, and distribution.

As president of the Unity College FFA chapter, poultry project manager, and a sustainable agriculture student, Shayne Van Leer attests to the value of the program for students and surrounding communities.

“This project has taught me about many aspects of farming,” Van Leer says. “I’ve learned handson skills, such as building, and business skills like budgeting. I’ve even learned life skills, such as being patient and learning to lead a team.” In 2012, Van Leer won the 2012 Sustainability Award at the Unity College Student Conference for his work with the program. —Kaylie Reese

photo: istockphoto/thinkstock.com

Students Aid Hunger Relief

Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion Bangor: You may have noticed a few changes to the venue for the Waterfront Concert Series in Bangor, which includes a new, familiar name: Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion. This spring, local car dealership and dedicated event sponsor Darling’s and Waterfront Concerts signed a four-year naming rights agreement.

“Darling’s has had a great working relationship with Waterfront Concerts since the very first year,” says Matthew Smith, Darling’s marketing manager. “We believe the concert series brings a lot of economic activity to our area, and we wanted to help support that and to promote Bangor as a great destination city. We think Darling’s

Waterfront Pavilion is poised to become one of the premier concert destinations in the Northeast, and that’s something we are proud to put our name on.”

Darling’s isn’t simply lending its name to the venue. They will have a strong onsite presence during concerts, which will include advertising vehicles and their photo booth. The company’s ice-cream truck —Darling’s Ice Cream for a Cause—may even make an appearance at certain events. In addition, they will host a VIP tent for certain shows, where people will have the chance to win passes to meet the visiting stars.

“The entire Bangor area gains from

having the concerts here in our city, and we benefit from having our name alongside Waterfront Concerts and the artists that will grace the stage this year and for years to come,” Smith says. “We’re really looking forward to supporting [Waterfront Concerts head] Alex Gray and his team as they work to bring the very highest level of entertainment to Bangor.” — Kaylie Reese

images: (top) courtesy of darling’s; (Bottom) Natalia Siverina/thinkstock.com

Fighting Crime One Tip at a Time Piscataquis County & Dexter: In an effort to keep their communities safer, Piscataquis County and Dexter have embraced technology, by implementing several digital methods that make it easy, efficient, and anonymous to submit tips to local police departments.

TipSubmit Mobile is an anonymous and secure tool that allows users to submit tips to local law enforcement agencies. Users must first download the free application on their iPhone or Android phone and create a password in order to submit a tip. Through the same program, tips can also be submitted online, by phone, or by text, with the same promise of personal security and anonymity. The tips are sent directly to police dispatchers within the jurisdiction of the reported crime.

The use of the app is part of a collaboration between the Piscataquis County Sherriff’s Department, police departments in Dover-Foxcroft, Greenville, Brownville, Milo, and Dexter, and efforts by the Piscataquis Public Health Council, Healthy Maine Partnership, and Public Engine. The Maine Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services funded the program.

—Kaylie Reese www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 7

biz buzz On the Move DIANE DICKERSON has

been hired as the executive vice president of marketing, development, and community engagement for the Bangor YMCA. Dickerson has more than 30 years of experience in the business, having owned and operated successful marketing, advertising, and strategic planning agencies in Nevada and California. www.bangory.org BRIAN HINRICHS has been

hired by the Bangor Symphony Orchestra as their new executive director. Hinrichs and his family are moving to Bangor from Madison, Wisconsin, where he spent three seasons working for the Madison Opera, first as the manager of communications and outreach, and later as the director of marketing. www.bangorsymphony.org LANI NAIHE has been

promoted to the role of director of advancement for Mount Desert Island Hospital. She began her career at the hospital in 2007 as a philanthropy assistant, then as philanthropy officer. Naihe is the development chair at the Bangor Humane Society and was recently welcomed to the board of the Downeast Aids Network. www.mdihospital.org SCOTT BUCKHEIT has been named senior vice president and senior technology officer for information technology and loan servicing at Camden National Corporation. In 2012, Buckheit was awarded the company’s Officer of the Year Award, and in 2010, the Commitment to the Employee Award. He brings 24 years of experience to his new role. www.camdennational.com LILI PEW is the newest addition to the

board of trustees at College of the

8 / Bangor Metro May 2013

Atlantic. Pew is an associate broker and real estate partner at The Knowles Company of Northeast Harbor. She also works as a specialty sales consultant to Home Depot. She is on the board of Friends of Acadia and has served on the boards of Down East Family YMCA, Hospice of Hancock County, and The Grand Theatre. www.coa.edu SHANE PERRY has joined

the community relations team at Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems as their lead innovation communication specialist.

Perry previously worked for EMHS as a Share Point administrator for their network applications team. An Iraq War veteran, Perry is a project engineer and unit public affairs representative for the Maine Air National Guard’s 243rd Engineering Installation Squadron, based in South Portland. www.emhs.org Two rheumatologists have joined The Aroostook Medical Center staff. JOHN ASSINI, MD has been operating his own private practice in Schenectady, New York for three decades and PHILIP MOLLOY, MD operated his own private practice in Plymouth, Massachusetts for 25 years. Both doctors are board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology. www.tamc.org The law firm of Eaton Peabody has made four attorneys new shareholders in its Bangor-based company. JEFF SPAULDING is a business advisor, MICHAEL HAHN a corporate finance attorney, SARAH NEWELL’s practice focuses on employment and labor law, and SARAH REINHART focuses on real estate and estate planning and administration. www.eatonpeabody.com BRAD HUGHES has been hired as the

vice president of lending at Seaboard Federal Credit Union in Bucksport.

Hughes brings 25 years of experience to his new position. www.seaboardfcu.com

MARIA CHASE has taken over owner-

ship of Bar Harbor-based Morning Glory Bakery. Chase has been employed at the bakery for five years and has worked as the kitchen manager. www.morningglorybakery.com JACK FROST is the newest member of

the board of directors for Healthy Acadia, a community health coalition serving the Downeast Acadia region.

Frost has extensive experience working for the Maine Coast Healthcare Foundation, Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, and Training & Development Corporation. www.healthyacadia.org DAVID G. BUTLER is the new branch

manager for the Ellsworth KeyBank.

Previously, Butler worked as the relationship manager for the branch and as an operations manager, sales manager, and administrative manager for Lowe’s in Bangor. www.key.com The American Red Cross of Maine, Pine Tree Chapter, has announced new board members: SISTER MARY NORBERTA , retired CEO of St. Joseph Healthcare, STEPHEN ANDREW, clinical supervisor of Manna Ministries of Bangor, THOMAS HIGGINS, Bangor Fire Department assistant fire chief, and CHRISTOPHER HOPKINS, headmaster of Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield. www.maineredcross.org Six individuals at Camden National Corporation have been promoted in recognition of their outstanding commitment and contributions to the company. Barry King is now senior credit analyst and vice president, ERIN MERRILL is now deposit services manager and assistant vice president, AMY ELDRIDGE is now item processing officer, MEGAN KENNEDY is the deposit services officer, ELIZABETH GRIERSON is the electronic banking officer, and JASON R. FREEMAN is the information technology officer. www.camdennational.com ZACHARY GREENIER, PA-C has joined

the medical staff at Penobscot Community Health Care’s Brewer Medical Center. His practice centers on all

aspects of high-quality medical care, including patient physicals, acute visits, and health care maintenance. www.pchc.com KATRIN TEEL has been hired as the

program director of Beal College’s Business Studies programs. Teel previously served as a senior policy adviser on issues related to health and health care for the LePage administration. She also previously taught in Beal College’s Business Management and Allied Health departments. www.bealcollege.edu ROBERTA WESSELL , supervisor at Mount

Desert Island Hospital’s Breast Center, has been elected president of the Maine Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC). The MBCC is a nonprofit, grassroots, volunteer-based organization that is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of Mainers. www.mainebreastcancer.org HEATHER BALL , Ed.D and assistant

professor of special education at the University of Maine at Machias, has joined the Penobscot Community Health Care board of directors. Ball is the chair of the Diversity Committee at UMM, serves on the UMaine System Diversity Steering Committee, and is an active volunteer. www.pchc.com EMILY DAVIS, PNP has joined the

medical staff of Penobscot Pediatrics in Bangor. Her practice centers on all aspects of high-quality pediatric care, including patient physicals, acute visits, and health care maintenance. Davis previously provided nursing care at Camp Runoia in Belgrade, Maine. www.pchc.com

Awards SW BOATWORKS of Lamoine has been

recognized by SafetyWorks as one of the safest worksites in Maine. The company was given an award from the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) and is one of 57 locations in the state to receive the award. www.swboatworks.com

Houlton police chief BUTCH ASSELIN received the Chief of the Year award from the Maine Chiefs of Police Association. His decorated law enforcement career spans four decades. Asselin worked for the Skowhegan Police Department before his move to Houlton, and has been involved with Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit. He has been awarded the Maine Chief of Police Association President’s Award in 2006 and 2012. www.houltonpolice.com DAVID ROBERTS, sales manager at Quirk

Auto Group in Bangor, was recognized

by Mercedes-Benz as one of the top three new car sales managers in the northeast region. His hard work has earned Mercedes-Benz at Quirk Auto Park the prestigious Best of the Best dealer award for the state of Maine. www.quirkauto.com CHRISTINE KILPECK of Castine was

named the 2013 Maine’s School Secretary of the Year by the Maine Principals’ Association. Kilpeck, who works at Penobscot Community School, received the award for her leadership, service, understanding, patience, and working beyond expectations. www.mpa.cc GAIL KELLY, director of patient and

community advocacy at Penobscot Community Health Care, has been named the Congressional Staff Person of the Year by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The award recognizes the key role staff persons play in raising awareness and furthering issues important to those impacted by MS. www.pchc.com The Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau announced the winners of their Tourism and Hospitality Eagle Awards. ALEX GRAY, Waterfront Concerts promoter, was given the Impact Award, MIKE DYER , director of Bass Park, won the Individual Achievement Award, and the NORTHEASTERN LOGGERS ASSOCIATION was awarded the Organizational Achievement Award. www.visitbangormaine.com

ST. JOSEPH HEALTHCARE was

presented with the Live United Award from the United Way of Eastern Maine.

They were given the award for going above and beyond traditional fundraising for their support of the nonprofit’s Backpack Program. www.stjoeshealing.org ROBERT C. ALLEN of Bangor-based UBS

Financial Services has been included in Barron’s Top 1000 Financial Advisors list for 2013. This list is released annually to recognize financial advisors who have risen to the top of their industry and represent the most influential professionals by state. Allen has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, and this is the second consecutive year he has made the list. www.ubs.com

Grants The MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING NETWORK has received a Digital Transition Grant in the amount of $750,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Administration. The funds will help improve the station’s infrastructure across the state, including replacing old analog microwave equipment, to make services more reliable and less affected by weather and other atmospheric conditions. www.mpbn.net DR. SHALLEE PAGE , a biochemistry

professor at the University of Maine at Machias, has been awarded a $200,000, two-year grant from the National Institutes for Health to study the DNA of fast-growth soft-shell clams and the relevance of fast-growing cells to human health. www.machias.edu COLUMBIA FALLS UNION HALL has

received a $20,000 grant from the Davis Family Foundation to fund improved access to the historic building’s entrance. The money also has helped to add access for the handicapped. www.columbiafallsmerecord.org

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 9

sight ings 1

2

3

4

Photos: #3 brian feulner; #4: Justin Russell

5

6 1: Elaine Poulin and USDA Rural Development State Director Virginia Manuel celebrating the reopening of Poulin’s bakery in downtown Milo.

4: Orson Horchler, Mike Constantine, and Matt Chabbe pose with Paul Bunyan at a recent Bangor Greendrinks event at COESPACE.

2: Epic Sports employees Alexandra Fahey, Matt Bishop, Ethan Tremblay, and Jennifer Sonnenberg take part in Fusion:Bangor’s 2013 dodgeball league.

5: Members of the Quad County Snowmobile Club enjoy the Ride the Wind event.

3: Ellie Barker and Pat Lemieux from BDN Maine Events announce the company’s 2013 events at COESPACE in Bangor.

6: Susan Stephenson and Carrie Meo at a recent Young Leaders Event in Bangor honoring Senator Susan Collins.

10 / Bangor Metro May 2013

movers & shakers

A

Penobscot Bay

Pacesetter Shari Closter isn’t afraid of harnessing new technology to help promote the Penobscot Bay region.

By kaylie reese

As the director of operations at Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce (PBRCC), it would seem unlikely that Shari Closter would be excited about a cloud. But when it comes to migrating to the new cloud technology, for her, the sky is the limit.

Closter will soon be working on the implementation of the Microsoft SharePoint cloud program, which will allow all staff to have a single, integrated storage and collaboration space for documents, information and ideas. The chamber’s employees are split between two locations—Camden and Rockland—which presents unique challenges to internal operations. While the new technology seems like an exciting step forward, it isn’t the only one at the chamber. The addition of a marketing and communications manager is already proving beneficial to the promotion of the greater Penobscot Bay area.

“One of the things we focus on is developing marketing and branding, to fully develop the uniqueness of every single one of the communities we’re trying to represent, both internally and externally,” Closter says with excitement.

Closter was born into an Air Force family that moved frequently during her childhood. When she was 14 years old, her family settled in the Newburyport, Massachusetts area, where her father was born and raised. After attending high school and college in Massachusetts, she worked in sales positions at several companies in the high-tech industry. The stress got to be too much, and, 25 years ago, she decided to make a change.

“Eventually I just quit my job and

the career she began 16 years ago, when she began working for the chamber.

As the director of operations at the PBRCC, Closter is responsible for overseeing internal operations and procedures, and she serves as a point person between the staff, chamber members, and the board of directors.

“There is no typical day,” Closter says.

“I could be out in the community, working directly with members, addressing and resolving administrative or member issues, negotiating ad rates or trade agreements, helping a visitor, working internally with staff, or monitoring our database and website. It really runs the gamut.”

Closter works tirelessly with her staff to produce several large events, including the chamber’s annual auction, which is one of their largest fundraisers. The chamber partners with two organizations—Bidding for Good and Silent Partners—who specialize in helping nonprofits raise money. Working with these organizations and utilizing their online platforms and fundraising experience will help to bring a more nationwide audience and greater revenue to the auction.

“It will help market the members across state and country,” Closter says of the new alliance. “A lot of people who don’t necessarily live here year-round have a connection to nonprofits and to Maine.”

Other annual events include the spring gala, the annual Business Expo, the Harbor Arts show in July and October, Christmas by the Sea, and the Maine Made Show, which will happen in the fall. In addition, the chamber works with other organizations and members to assist with events, such as the Camden Windjammer Festival each Labor Day weekend and Rockland’s Maine Lobster Festival.

When Closter isn’t pro—Shari Closter moting the Penobscot Bay area, she’s out enjoying it for moved to Maine,” she says. She originally herself. In addition to Owls Head, one of lived in Searsport and eventually landed her favorite places to go is a special isin Owls Head. “It’s the peace and serenity land in the Muscle Ridge Channel. that comes with the place. It’s here where “I like to go to out-of-the-way places,” there is plenty of opportunity.” she says. “I absolutely love the outdoors. I She started working in marketing love the quieter side of where things are, for two midcoast companies. While she whether it’s hiking or going to Birch Point speaks fondly of her past jobs, she beState Park. I love to hike, I love to explore, comes truly energetic when she speaks of and I love to walk the breakwater.”

Photo: Maggi Blue

“It’s the peace and serenity that comes with the place. It’s here where there is plenty of opportunity.”

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 11

eye on industry

Maine Agriculture Food is a necessity of life, and the production of food is an important industry that cannot be efficiently outsourced to other countries. Agriculture is a staple of the U.S. economy. Food production on Maine farms provides in excess of 10,000 direct jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars to our gross state product. By Jack cashman

12 / Bangor Metro May 2013

photo: istockphoto/thinkstock.com

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ccording to figures from the U.S. Census of Agriculture, Maine’s largest agricultural products are vegetables and potatoes, followed by milk and dairy, fruits and berries, and poultry and eggs.

Maine’s single largest crop continues to be potatoes. With over 57,000 harvested acres, Maine ranks fifth in the nation in potato production. All together, Maine’s agricultural production in 2011, at the wholesale or farmgate price, paid Maine farmers $718 million.

U.S. Census of Agriculture figures show that, of the six New England states, Maine has the largest number of farms (8,136), followed by Massachusetts. Maine ranks second to Massachusetts in farm employment, with 10,025 total farm jobs, as compared to Massachusetts’ 10,092. We are second to Vermont in the value of agricultural products sold. The U.S. Census Bureau figures also show that Maine ranks third in New England, behind Massachusetts and Connecticut, in food processing.

In recent years, Maine has been expanding its food processing capabilities.

A number of lobster processing facilities have opened, as well as a new business in Belfast, which provides state-ofthe-art frozen storage facilities. Coastal Farms & Foods provides food processing and storage for valued-added potatoes, broccoli, carrots, blueberries, cranberries, and fish. Thanks to Coastal Farms & Foods, production is no longer curtailed for lack of climate-controlled storage or a place to process what farmers harvest.

The agricultural community receives strong support from the USDA in the areas of finance, business planning, and marketing strategies. In the past year, USDA Rural Development assisted in creating marketing plans for a new value-added product in blueberries, and provided financial help to a maple syrup producer and a wreath manufacturer.

State director Virginia Manuel, who was raised on an Aroostook County farm, pointed to these examples as just part of the $402.5 million invested in Maine in 2012 by the USDA. Innovation is a key to agriculture’s future. The Maine agriculture community has been active in finding new ways to promote efficiency and maximize the use of their products. In Aroostook County, the University of Maine has been

photo: Courtesy of Backyard farms

Backyard Farms’ 42-acre greenhouse in Madison.

working with the Maine Potato Board and potato growers on a process to turn potato waste into plastics. Potato waste is also being used to create a biofuel to provide some of the energy needs for an Aroostook County food processor.

UMaine’s cooperative extension programs have played an important role in the Maine agricultural industry. They are present in all 16 counties, offering education programs and assistance to Maine growers. The role of the University is to provide research-based information that is unbiased and credible, to help Maine farmers and consumers make more informed decisions.

John Rebar of the Cooperative Extension Service sees Maine agriculture as a growth industry. The USDA Economic Research Service estimates that the worldwide demand for food will increase by 70% to 100% by mid-century.

Advanced technology, as well as returning fallowed farmlands back to production, will both be needed to meet that demand. “The future for Maine food production and processing is very exciting,” Rebar says. “The 21st century will see Maine farmers and food processors be successful with new crops, new products, and new methods.”

In 2007 Madison, Maine became the site of a 42-acre greenhouse that added a new dimension to our state’s food production. Backyard Farms grows beefsteak tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine, and cocktail tomatoes year-round. They limit delivery of their tomatoes to locations that are within a day’s drive, so the tomatoes offered to the public are always fresh.

Year-round production of vegetables is a new concept in Maine with far-reaching potential. “We believe the way we do business can be a model for agriculture as a year-round profession that can be a positive force in a community,” says Chuck Green, CEO of Backyard Farms.

They recently opened a new research and development facility that includes a 4,400-square-foot research building with an attached 15,000-square-foot greenhouse. They will be at the forefront of discovering new tomato varieties and growing methods. Today, their concentration is on tomatoes, but it is not a stretch to imagine that in the future we may well see year-round growing of cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, and other vegetables.

Maine can lay claim to the most diversified agricultural industry in New England. As the U.S. and the world demand higher food production, Maine has the available land, adequate water, and a strong work force to address that demand. As in all industries, innovation and new technologies will be required to meet the economy of the future, and Maine has demonstrated an ability to employ new technology. All that, coupled with our proximity to regional markets with large populations, point to a bright future. Maine can be the food basket of the Northeast.

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 13

metro health

Avatar

Advancements

E

ight. That’s how many members of Carol Damon’s family had cancer. “My mother’s mother, she had ovarian cancer when she was 25,” says the Brooklin woman. “My aunt had breast cancer. Then my mother had lung cancer. She had part of her lung taken out, but 11 years later, it came back in her breast.” All three of them eventually succumbed to the disease.

“My brother has skin cancer, he’s a survivor,” says Damon. “My sister has ovarian cancer, she’s a 25-year survivor.

My grandson had testicular cancer when he was two—he’s 10 now. And four years ago, my oldest son had his left lung taken out because of lung cancer.”

Number eight on the list is Damon herself. In 2011, the 71-year-old had her left breast removed due to cancer. “I never really gave it much thought that it was hereditary until I had it,” Damon says.

“Never really connected the dots until it happened to me.”

The day before surgery, Damon was approached by Eastern Maine Medical Center’s Cancer Care about a unique opportunity. “They asked me if I wanted to donate some of my tumor tissue,” she says. Damon was told it would be used to research the role genetics plays in cancer and that no additional tissue would need to be removed. “Of course I said, ‘Yes.’” 14 / Bangor Metro May 2013

EMMC Cancer Care started up a biorepository—tumor tissue—bank, about three years ago. To date, approximately 120 patients have agreed to donate. “The surgeons are actually all on board with this,” says Dr. Jens Rueter, Medical Director of the EMMC Bio-repository. “They’re very enthusiastic as well.”

When consenting patients have surgery to remove their tumors, the masses are taken to the pathology department for analysis by someone from the biorepository. Whatever the lab doesn’t use for testing is then given to the tumor tissue bank.

Currently, the specimens are being shipped to the Jackson Laboratory in Sacramento, California, for its Avatar program. The multi-site research initiative involves all three facilities in Northern California, Connecticut, and Bar Harbor. The idea is to create models of human patients, or avatars, using the donated tissue.

“It allows us to reproduce the patient’s disease as a living tumor resource that can be experimented with indefinitely, over time,” says Dr. Neal Goodwin, director of business development at Jackson Lab’s Cancer Pharmacology Laboratory in Sacramento.

The avatars are grown in special genetically modified mice developed at the

Jackson Lab in Bar Harbor and kept at the Sacramento facility. “The mice have specific genes turned off that allow the animal to receive human tissue better than any other mouse,” Goodwin explains. “And we don’t just use solid tumors, such as lung and breast cancer.

These mice also have the rare ability to propagate human leukemia and other blood cancers.”

The development of these mice in 2007 allowed Jackson Lab to start up its

photo: courtesy of Jackson Lab

Patients at EMMC are donating tumor tissue to help Jackson Laboratory recreate cancer in mice. By Joy Hollowell

photo: Mark McCall

Carol Damon is pictured at the Lafayette Family Cancer Center in Brewer with her son Brian (in back), her sister Catherine Hutchinson (left), and her grandson Adam Damon. They have all battled cancer.

PDX program, which stands for Patient Derived Xenograft. “Xeno” means going from one species to another—in this case from humans to mice. Scientists can then track the progress of the tumor in its natural state, as well as how it reacts to certain drugs, and correlate those findings with the genetics of the cancer tissue donor.

“Over the last decade, assumptions were made about cancer based on a few patient models,” says Goodwin. “By treat-

ing individual patients that have individual genetics and individual cancers, drug treatments can be more personalized and therefore more effective. [With the PDX program] we’ll have an understanding of an individual’s genetic background, an individual’s environmental setting and that individual’s tumor. That will allow us to personalize treatments.”

The mission is to turn cancer into a chronic disease. “If you think about it, heart disease to some extent has been

turned into a chronic disease,” Goodwin says. “With effective medical intervention, it can be managed. That ability with cancer is very close—that people can live with cancer and have full lives and have personalized treatments that are perhaps not so toxic because of the advanced medicines that are being tested and developed.”

It’s a goal Goodwin sees happening in next five to 10 years.

“I think underDr. Carey Fister and one of standing the fundamental genetics of her pediatric patients. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 15

metro health

the patient will give us great clues as to who gets cancer and who doesn’t,” he says. “The idea is to find out who might be predisposed to cancer, find the cancer as early as possible, and find out in a personal way how to get rid of it.”

At some point in the near future, Goodwin believes whole genome se-

quencing will become a standard. “You’ll first have it done at an early age to establish your baseline,” he explains. That guide will help doctors determine if cancer is in your system rather than waiting until symptoms start to show.

More than 25 hospitals around the country send human tumor tissue to the

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PDX program. Of them, EMMC Cancer Care, has the second highest rate of donations. “And these tumors, many of them have successfully established models in the mice and become avatars of the patients. It’s become quite successful, and I have a lot of gratitude to Eastern Maine Medical Center,” says Goodwin.

“The patients are really receptive,” says Rueter, also a hematologist and oncologist at EMMC Cancer Care. “This is sort of the one positive aspect of their cancer that they can contribute to science. And a lot of patients also like the fact that it’s something the Jackson Lab is doing.”

Carol Damon is among that group.

“It would be great if there was a cure for cancer in my lifetime,” she says. “I have 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and they could have cancer in their genes right now. Hopefully, this research can help them, or help somebody.

Even if it can help just one person, then it’s worth it.”

photo: courtesy of Jackson Lab

Jackson Neal WarrenLab’s Grass,Dr. a student, spends some laboratory Goodwin, whoofishis based in in the new Northern Maine time as part training Sacramento, and Community College community paramedicine program.

Dr. Leonard Schultz, who is based in Bar Harbor.

metro fitness

The Benefits of Interval Training One great way to get yourself out of your workout rut is to start interval training.

By Wendy Watkins

Photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock.com

S

tuck in a rut with your fitness routine? Or maybe you’ve been trying to lose a couple pounds, and they just won’t budge, even though you’re getting out for a brisk walk several nights a week? Or maybe you are short on time and still want to stay in shape.

One type of workout helps with all three situations—interval training. It’s fast, effective, efficient, and it’s not boring. Plus, now that the weather is warmer, it’s a great way to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.

Recently one of my clients—a lifelong exerciser—made my day when she told me she had finally started seeing changes after incorporating modified interval training into her routine. After being stuck at a certain weight for months, suddenly inches started dropping off, and the scale was moving. Maybe even more importantly, she felt more energized and less winded as she went about the business of her daily life.

Interval training has been around for a long time, and, chances are, you’ve heard about it. Even though it sounds advanced, it’s a safe exercise technique for just about everyone. All it entails is alternating less intense bouts of exercise with more intense bouts. For some of us, that might mean speeding up our walking pace a little. For others, that might mean alternating jogging with sprints.

By throwing in some more challenging work, your body gets fitter and burns more calories. And because you’re working harder, you can cut back on how long

you’re working out. Always check with your health care provider before starting an exercise regimen, especially if you’ve had health issues or are over the age of 40.

The best thing about interval training is that it can be done with almost any kind of exercise: swimming, biking, rowing—you name it. Your after-dinner walks can even become a playground for intervals.

Here’s how to come up with your own interval training program for doing practically any kind of exercise. Warm up for about five minutes doing the kind of exercise you’ll be performing for your workout, then pick up the pace a bit, for 30 seconds to a minute. If you are walking or bicycling, you can go for distance instead. When I was training for a road race, I’d do intervals based on telephone poles, starting by going faster between two telephone poles, and then working my way up to several.

The general rule of thumb for newcomers to interval training is a 1:2 ratio of hard:easy work. That could mean 30 seconds of faster walking and 1 minute of slower walking. This is called active recovery. Over time, you can lower that ratio to 1:1, alternating 30 seconds to 1 minute of jogging or brisk walking, with an equal amount of active recovery.

You also could do this by walking or biking up hills. In a pinch, you also can do intervals by walking up flights of stairs. Take one stair at a time, and then try taking a flight at two steps a time, alternating. Your rest intervals can be when

you’re heading back down the stairs (take your time).

If you’re doing swimming intervals, you can swim faster and slower—or maybe swim for a specific distance, then rest for a set period of time.

On cardio machines, there are infinite ways to do interval training—play with resistance, incline, speed, and time.

One of my favorite ways to knock out a cardio workout on days I’m trapped in the gym is to do interval training in a circuit, spending 10 to 15 minutes on two to three different cardio machines, doing intervals on each.

If you’re new to working out, you might want to keep your interval workouts to 15 to 20 minutes in length. More advanced exercisers can work up to 30 to 40 minutes of interval training, depending on what activity they’re doing. Superintense intervals, like hill sprints, call for shorter workouts. Also, depending on the intensity of your workouts, you shouldn’t do interval training every day. Again, harder workouts call for more rest.

And speaking of rest, it’s really important to take time to cool down after a challenging interval workout. It’s hard work for your body’s systems to return to normal after a training session; be sure to allow it time to adjust by gradually cutting back on the intensity, so your heart rate can return to normal.

Wendy Watkins is a personal trainer and lifestyle coach at Bangor-Brewer Athletic Club in Brewer. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 17

feature story

Super Seniors Senior citizens always have the best stories to tell. Sit back and spend some time with Larry, Esther, and Art— you won’t be sorry you did. story by Tom Avila | photos by mark mcCall

18 / Bangor Metro May 2013

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 19

feature story

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veryone has a story to tell.

Take Larry Sherwood, for instance. As we were finishing up our conversation with him, he said he had another story we might be interested in hearing.

In August, 2010, Sherwood got a call from a woman he had never met. She’d seen an Internet notice from a man trying to track down his biological father.

“When I was a young sailor in California, I had a girlfriend,” Sherwood explained. “I came back from a six-month deployment, and she had had a child.

Well, I said, let’s get married. She said no.

The next time I was out to sea she disappeared, and I had no way of finding her.”

As it turned out, finding Sherwood wasn’t easy either. His son had spent 20 years trying to track him down, only to have the search frustrated by a name change (the adult Sherwood had changed his last name back to that of his own biological father) and some sealed military records. When the stranger on the phone finally reached Sherwood, she said that his son was leaving it up to him.

He could be in touch or, if he didn’t want to be found, it could end right there.

“I called him that night,” Sherwood says. “My first statement to him, when I found out I had all these grandkids and great-grandkids, is that he had destroyed my Christmas budget.”

This proves the other part of that old truism, one that is too often overlooked.

Everyone has a story to tell, but some have the gift for making great stories even better. It’s knowing where to place a joke. When to leave the listener wanting more.

The three individuals featured this year are that kind of storyteller. Funny, energetic, and with no shortage of charm, these are people who know what to do with a great story.

“I think when I came down the chute I had a camera in my hand.”—Larry Sherwood

Larry Sherwood It ’s hard to know exactly how many working hours are spent daydreaming of retirement—a time when you can sit back, relax, and spend long, slow stretches doing absolutely nothing.

20 / Bangor Metro May 2013

Larry Sherwood, who lives in Holden, would like folks to put this ridiculous notion out of their heads. “I have three children, eight grandchildren, five greatgrand, a half-great-grand, and another

great-grand on the way,” he says. “I want to be around for the great-great-grands, and I won’t be if I’m just sitting around all day. You have to keep yourself busy if you want to stay in good health. I’m 75,

and I’m still climbing towers,” Sherwood says, without the slightest hint that he’s bragging about it.

The towers Sherwood refers to are the broadcast and cell towers that New England Tower Service, which he owns

and runs, constructs, tears down, and maintains.

A 2009 George Hale Silver Frame Award winner for lifelong learning, community support, and entrepreneurship, Sherwood’s life is one of constant en-

gagement and motion. As it turns out, that’s nothing new.

“I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but I had four fathers—my biological father, who taught aviation in the Army Air Force before there was an Air Force, and www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 21

feature story three stepfathers—who were all in the service. So, I was kind of from wherever,” he jokes. “I’ve [gone to] more schools than I can remember.”

Sherwood continued the family tradition of military service and spent 28 years in naval aviation. And that dedication didn’t end with him. One daughter and her husband are retired Air Force, and a son, who is also retired military, is currently working in northern Iraq. Another daughter has her father’s fondness for constant motion and is a dedicated marathon runner.

It was the Navy that brought Sherwood to Maine. “I was in Norfolk, Virginia, and was due for orders. They said I could go to Florida or Maine. I asked everybody

that I could, and when it came to Maine, people either loved it or hated it. So I said, ‘Maine is where I’m going, because I’m either going to love it or hate it.’”

He spent 10 years at Brunswick Naval Air Station, the longest he had ever been in one place in his life. After a brief time in Alaska, during which he retired from the military, he came back and set himself up in the Bangor area.

Today, Sherwood is commander of the United States Power Squadron, a nearly century-old nonprofit educational organization that provides classes in seamanship, navigation, and related skills like lines and knots. He’s also an officer with the Coast Guard Auxiliary and, for the first three months of the winter,

participates in competitive pistol shooting. Which isn’t the only kind of shooting that Sherwood does.

“I think when I came down the chute I had a camera in my hand,” he laughs.

“I’ve traveled to every state in the United States, I’ve lived in a quarter of them, and traveled all over the world, and I always had a camera with me,” Sherwood says.

“When I was in Alaska, I turned professional. I did a lot of camera work for portraits and team photography.”

He takes pictures of everything and is an officer in the Eastern Maine Camera Club. “Everyone says if you want to be a good photographer you have to concentrate on one thing, but I don’t care if I’m good. I just love to take pictures,” he says.

Esther Rauch There are a few things you learn when talking to Esther Rauch.

First, she has a quick smile and a dangerously infectious laugh. Next, what you would want to characterize as humility in some comes across as something more engaging. “I don’t know why you want to talk to me,” Rauch says, her voice a perfect deadpan. “I don’t do anything. I knit. I read. Chick is who you should be talking to.”

Chick is Rauch’s husband, Rear Admiral Charles F. “Chick” Rauch, Jr., Ret., and her pride in his accomplishments is just as evident as the artwork that fills their tidy house in Glenburn. Bound books filled with his photography line the shelves, and a beautifully carved miniature carousel complete with tiny horses captured in mid-gallop takes center stage on the dining room buffet.

But, while Esther Rauch is quick to direct attention to her husband and their collection of colorful, talented friends, her own story is nothing to dismiss.

Born in Mobile, Alabama, to an educated, middle class African-American family—the kind of family, she notes, which many in the North wouldn’t have recognized before The Cosby Show— knowledge had great value in her household. “My father graduated from Tuskeegee in 1907, when Booker T. Washington was still principal, and George Washington Carver was his science teacher,” she says. “My mother’s great pleasure was parsing Greek verbs. Because of the way things were in the South at that time, 22 / Bangor Metro May 2013

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feature story

“I don’t count. I celebrate.”

—Esther Rauch on age

all of our fun and entertainment was at home. So, my father had a group of friends who would sit on our porch and read things like Richard Hooker’s Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. I sat under the steps and listened to them talk.”

When Rauch talks about her father, a bright smile breaks across her face.

“There were eight of us and, because he didn’t have that much time, I wanted to impress him. When he asked what I was reading I would say, ‘Richard Hooker.’”

While the writings of a 16th-century theologian were a bit beyond the reach of the eight-year-old Rauch, a passion for learning would propel much of her life.

An early college admission program run by the Ford Foundation took Rauch to Fisk University, one of the nation’s leading all-black private, liberal arts colleges in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 15. She attended graduate school at the University of Hawaii, and after work and travel took her from Hawaii, to California, to Texas, Rauch landed in Washington, D.C., at the Center for Naval Analysis.

“It was a wonderful job,” she says. “I was surrounded by really bright people who 24 / Bangor Metro May 2013

did work on futures and weapons systems and personnel matters. Everybody who came and interviewed with us had to give a lecture, and I went to all of them.”

She met Chick when she was working at the Center and, after a time where she believed they were just colleagues, an unexpected after-church trip to meet his parents (which, to Esther’s surprise, involved driving from D.C. to Ohio) led to Chick’s proposing.

It was a job at the University that brought the couple to Maine. They settled in Castine, with the idea that Chick would make the drive to Orono to teach.

“When we got to Castine, it was about two weeks before the start of the next semester at Maine Maritime Academy,” she says. “The person who was supposed to be teaching English got a late Fulbright and had left for that. Our realtor mentioned to the academic dean, ‘Well, Esther has a PhD in English.’ The next thing I know he’s at my door asking if I’d like to teach for the semester.

I looked around at all the moving boxes and thought, yes, I’d much rather teach than deal with all this.”

Rauch’s stories—whether it was learning how to bake bread from the worldrenowned American soprano Eileen Farrell, or how she was involved in a brief, illegal breakfast operation, or how she introduced computers to the University of Maine’s English department, or how she became vice-president of the Bangor Theological Seminary shortly after celebrating her “retirement” by rereading The Iliad, The Odyssey, and all of Shakespeare—are all told with the same bright enthusiasm. This woman, whose accomplishments and recognitions include the University of New England’s Deborah Morton Award, an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Husson College, serving as a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of Maine System, and being a charter member of the Eastern Maine Healthcare System, has taken on every project or occasional flight of fancy (that illegal breakfast operation…) as a chance to learn and experience something entirely new.

It’s an attitude that seems evident when Rauch responds to the question of age. “I don’t count. I celebrate.”

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feature story “As I look back, I say to I have lived

Arthur Webb There are some lives that seem more suited to the silver screen than to real life.

Arthur Webb has had—and continues to have—one of those lives. The 97-yearold has traveled down more paths and re26 / Bangor Metro May 2013

invented himself more times than many would dare. And, most remarkably, at the close of every chapter, he’s been as ready as anyone to see what might come next.

“I was born in Boston, though I only lived there two or three weeks before my grandparents came and brought me back

to Brooks, Maine,” explains Webb. “That’s where I lived the first seven years of my life, with my grandparents. My mother was in a sanitarium because she had TB, and in those days they didn’t have much treatment for it.

Then, when I went into the second

myself, that American dream.”

—Arthur Webb

grade, she was feeling better and decided she wanted to have her son back. I went back to Boston, and here I am living with entirely strange people. I just didn’t know them.”

But Webb was both a fast study and quick to adapt. He started to learn Italian

from the owner of his family’s apartment building, a barber with three sons about his own age. When Webb moved with his mother and sister to Malden, he elected to attend junior high school with friends who were primarily Jewish.

“The interesting thing is, later on in life, when I changed occupations up here in Maine, here I was with all the guys I used to run with,” he says. “You had the Mendelson’s who owned Maplewood Poultry Company in Belfast. You had Savtiz who owned Penobscot Poultry.

You had Bae Mendelson who owned Hillcrest in Lewiston. All these fellows were my buddies, and then years and years later, we all meet here.”

It was in Malden that Webb decided to learn to play the violin. “I didn’t have any money, so I started with a five dollar violin in a canvas case, and it only cost me a couple of dollars for lessons. One day the teacher came along, and he grabbed me by the wrist because I was the only one in the group with a natural vibrato.

He said, ‘You’re not going to stay in this class, you’re going to take lessons privately from me at home. If you’re willing to come in on Saturday mornings and work half a day, your lessons will cost you nothing.’ So I went in and learned how to repair violins.”

When Webb’s mother became ill again in his senior year of high school, a violin was one of the belongings he took with him when he headed back to Brooks. It helped keep his head above water while studying education at University of Maine at Farmington.

“I didn’t have any money,” Webb explains. “We had a small five-piece band and played in all the little towns around there, picking up enough money so that I could buy my clothes. Two summers I worked shoveling sand on state tar crews for 30 cents an hour. That was how I earned money towards tuition. Then I worked in the dormitory kitchen as a busboy and I got my board. I lived in a private home, where I took care of the grounds and did maintenance work and got a nice room.”

Webb earned a three-year degree from Farmington before heading to University of Maine’s campus in Orono, where hard work and attention from the Dean led to a Master’s degree and, ultimately, a principalship at a small high school in Monroe, Maine, where he taught math and science

and even coached a boys’ basketball team.

And this is where Webb’s already interesting story picks up speed. From that small school in Monroe, he was offered a position as principal in Winterport, which led to becoming the superintendent of four and, later, five schools, which led, inexplicably, to chickens.

“One day, a fellow who had been on the school committee came to my house and said, ‘Art, I’d like to have you come work for me.’ He had a small chicken hatchery. I said, ‘I can’t do that. I do not know one single thing about that business.’ He said, ‘That’s the way I want it.’ For three months I was wearing boots and doing every single job that was ever known in the poultry industry. After I had gone through that, he said I’m going to turn the hatchery over to you, you run it.”

The hatchery would become Clement’s Chicks, just about the time that Maine’s broiler boom was taking shape.

By the time Webb left—a decision motivated by a disagreement over the business’s future—Clement’s was putting some 500,000 chickens on the road every two weeks.

After that, a suggestion from a doorto-door insurance salesman led Webb to pay a visit to the Union Mutual Life Insurance Company on Exchange Street in Bangor. He walked in unemployed and walked out an assistant manager.

But it was his wife Euleta (who passed away in 2001)—an accomplished violinist with whom Webb played in the Habenicht Chamber Music Society of Bangor, and later in the Bangor Symphony Orchestra— who brought him back to teaching.

“My wife said to me, ‘Arthur, you studied for years to be a teacher. I think you ought to go back to school.’”

On cue, Webb ran into a former colleague—a superintendent—outside the old Freese’s department store in downtown Bangor. He was soon teaching at Bucksport High School and would spend the next 14 years there. “Those 14 years that I had at Bucksport were the best years of my life,” he says. “I ended up doing exactly what I was intended to do.

Today we hear so many people talking about the American dream, immigrants come here looking for the American dream, because they know they can do things, and they can go places,” Webb reflects. “And as I look back, I say to myself, I have lived that American dream.” www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 27

feature story

MPBN’s Rich Tozier in the Bangor studio.

28 / Bangor Metro May 2013

Radio Renaissance Radio is an old-time technology—our parents and grandparents gathered around the radio together to listen. Technology has changed, but the passion for public radio has never been stronger. story by Naomi Graychase | photos by kevin kratka

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 29

30 / Bangor Metro May 2013

feature story

MPBN’s Charles Beck.

M

ainers have a lot in common with each other. Whether we make our living pulling lobsters out of the ocean or trees out of the forest, whether we spend our time driving tractor-trailers across the state or kindergarteners across the playground, we each still come home to communities that are small—even the big ones feel that way.

But, in our rural state, our homes and our towns are often far apart from one another; there are few experiences that can extend all the way from Aroostook County, to Downeast, to Rangeley. Politics, weather patterns, local sports team alliances—these things shift from region to region. And with disparities in the availability of cable and satellite from town to town, and sometimes from street

to street, our neighbors may not even be able to watch the same local news we do. But for virtually every Mainer, one thread of shared experience can still run through our daily lives. There is one thing that doesn’t require broadband access or a satellite dish or an expensive subscription; there’s no need for a pricey appliance or an HD adapter. And that thing is public radio.

The best known and most widely broadcast of Maine’s public radio suppliers, of course, is the Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN). In order to meet the challenge of extending its signal to reach almost all of the towns in Maine, MPBN operates seven different radio transmitters that are located in Bangor, Calais, Camden, Fort Kent, Portland, Presque Isle, and Waterville.

“Our signal pretty well blankets all populated areas of the state,” says Charles Beck, vice president and director of radio and television for MPBN. The MPBN radio audience has grown steadily over the years, and today’s listenership is somewhere around 170,000, Beck says.

MPBN produces independent content out of its main studio in Bangor and a second studio in Portland. It also purchases and delivers content from other providers, such as NPR (National Public Radio), PRI (Public Radio International), and APM (American Public Media). MPBN then broadcasts each day’s programming simultaneously from all seven stations. The most popular programs, says Beck, include the NPR programs, Car Talk, hosted by the iconic “Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers;” Morning Edition, hosted by www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 31

feature story

Suzanne Nance from MPBN.

“We don’t make any sort of endorsements or anything in terms of political leanings, and we have friends on both sides of the aisle and supporters among all political persuasions out there.”—Charles Beck

32 / Bangor Metro May 2013

Renee Montagne and Bob Edwards; Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me, “The Oddly Informative News Quiz;” and Weekend Edition Saturday with Scott Simon.

APM productions include the popular programs Marketplace and A Prairie Home Companion; PRI produces This American Life and Selected Shorts, among others.

The funding it takes to buy programming from the national providers is substantial. “We select what we feel is best for our community, what listeners and members are valuing, and we pay a price for that programming,” says Beck. “The news product from NPR is the most expensive. It includes Weekend Edition, Morning Edition, All Things Considered—for all the news from NPR, we pay $600,000 annually.”

This year, MPBN, a nonprofit entity, has a budget of about $11.6 million, $1.6 million of which comes from the state, says Beck. Not every Mainer feels that taxpayer money should be spent on public radio—most notable among them is Gov. Paul LePage, who was outspoken early in his term about his opposition to state funding for public broadcasting, even going so far as to call it a form of “corporate welfare.”

“Those remarks were made a year or two ago, and I do think that more and more people are realizing the full value of MPBN,” says Beck, who has been working in public radio for 30 years.

Part of the objection to public funding for public radio by those of LePage’s mindset seems to come from a misconception that the money funds programming that right-leaning thinkers tend to demonize as too liberal.

“The irony here is that we are a nonpartisan organization,” Beck says. “We don’t make any sort of endorsements or anything in terms of political leanings, and we have friends on both sides of the aisle and supporters among all political persuasions out there. I’m the person who’s been programming MPBN radio for years and years and years, and never, ever have we put anything on the air for political reasons or because of political pressure.”

The funding for public broadcasting in Maine underwent its last major shift about 20 years ago. In 1992, MPBN radio and television merged with WCBB in Lewiston, the public TV station operated

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the taxpayer burden and do nothing to lower budgetary spending, the ostensible reason for objections about the funding in the first place.

“MPBN doesn’t want to go through this discussion on a regular basis about whether we’re worthy or whether the state should be spending money, so one way to deal with that is to, like so many other entities might do, just charge the state for specific services,” says Beck.

Julia Clark, an anthropologist and volunteer firefighter in Orland, spends two hours each weekday commuting to her

ARTS & CULTURE

by Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin. “It didn’t make sense to have two TV stations in this sparsely populated state competing with each other,” Beck says. “We could combine our resources and provide a better product. We were one of the first in the country to go down this route, and the result was more efficient operations, better programming, and better resources that we could devote [to serving communities in our region].”

As part of that merger, the “new” MPBN was no longer funded by the University of Maine system. “When we merged in 1992, the statute was created that provided for an annual appropriation from the state legislature,” explains Beck. “That appropriation was designed to cover the cost of MPBN’s expenses to get the signal to all of these various areas of the state, which we otherwise wouldn’t be trying to reach, because frankly, there’s not a lot of people there.

If we had an appropriation from the state to provide for the transmission of our programming, that would help us maintain this public service.”

In other words, the appropriation isn’t for the programming; taxpayer dollars aren’t funding All Things Considered or Morning Edition—or Big Bird, for that matter. The state money is earmarked simply to help distribute the programming, so that all Mainers (or as many as is feasible) can have access to emergency broadcasts and any other programming that listeners support putting on the radio.

“The problem with that, is that the state’s appropriation never kept up with the actual expense of providing that service, of getting the signal around the state,” says Beck. “We’re at $1.6 million from the state, when the actual expense to distribute is somewhere between $2 and $2.2 million.”

Rather than receiving welfare, MPBN is actually providing a service to the taxpayers at roughly a $600,000 per year discount. One solution to the public funding debate that’s taken root recently is to have the state pay for the public service MPBN provides. In this fees-for-service model, instead of “giving” money to public broadcasting via appropriations, MPBN could simply send the state a bill.

No more talk of corporate welfare. Of course, if the bill reflects the actual service delivered, it would likely increase

job in Bar Harbor. She, like many Mainers, enjoys listening to MPBN during her drive. “I think public radio is essential for Maine,” she says. “I think that it should be funded as much as possible by donors, foundations, grants, etcetera, with the model of fee-for-service for things like the emergency alert system billed to the state.” Clark’s reason for supporting feefor-service comes from a desire for public radio funding to be stabilized. She also gives as an Evergreen Member, which means that every month a donation is automatically deducted from her account www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 33

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“...if you look outside and get news from other parts of the world and music from other cultures, you start opening your mind, and understanding how this world works as a whole.”—Jeoff Tardiff to MPBN. “With the way state government can change, I don’t really want public broadcasting to have to rely on government appropriations,” she says.

For about 25% of Mainers, especially those living in coastal sections all the way from Waldoboro to Gouldsboro and out into the islands, there is another noncommercial radio option near MPBN on their radio dial. WERU is a communitysupported radio station broadcasting at 89.9 FM (Blue Hill) and 99.9 FM (Bangor).

Founded on May 1, 1988, the station celebrates 25 years of being “The Voice of

Many Voices” this month.

“We are providing something that’s different,” says Matt Murphy, general manager at WERU Community Radio.

“We go from really serious news and public affairs to really wacky programs. I think that variety is in the people who volunteer here and in the people in our communities. The variety is very important.”

Operating out of Orland, a town with a population of about 2,000 people, WERU is supported by more than 300 active volunteers—about 100 of whom are on the air, 2,000 household donors (called

WERU volunteer music programer Rich Hilsinger and WERU staff member Caren Mulford working in the Orland studio.

“members”), and 400 business underwriters. The station broadcasts all day, every day, year-round, giving listeners in seven of Maine’s 16 counties access to everything from Amy Goodman and local public affairs programming to a truly wide variety of music, including Celtic, reggae, country gospel, punk and surf, Franco/Acadian/Cajun, and, of course, the old public radio standbys, classical music and jazz. WERU doesn’t offer any NPR programming.

“A lot of [our national programming] comes from independent sources,” says Murphy. “Our international LGBT show This Way Out comes from an organization that only produces that program.

The Pacifica Foundation is where we get Democracy Now, our flagship national show. Some programming is the parallel of what MPBN would use from NPR or PRI. MPBN does a wonderful job with NPR programming, so we try not to duplicate what they’re doing. It’s be-

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feature story ing done and done well. Our mission is filling in the gaps that aren’t available in radio and Internet radio in these parts.”

Murphy, part of a full-time staff of seven operating with an annual budget of $545,000, estimates that WERU reaches more than 240,000 potential listeners and that about 25,000 of them tune in. Thanks to summer visitors and live streaming online at weru.org, the station also has a large

36 / Bangor Metro May 2013

listenership “from away.” During a fund drive this winter, for instance, pledges of support came in from states as far away as Texas and North Carolina.

Because it is a true community station, not beholden to any commercial or corporate entity, “ERU,” as fans and volunteers call it, is able to do unique things, such as hold weddings and memorial services on the air. “We had a program-

mer who passed away and his family was able to listen to the tribute show from California. It was beautiful; it was pretty special,” Murphy says.

For many within its broadcast range, ERU has played an important cultural role, right from its outset. Peter Backus, a listener who lives in Bucksport and works and attends school in Ellsworth, tunes in on his daily commute, which takes him right past WERU’s studios on Route 1 in East Orland. He remembers the impact WERU had on him as a teen in the late 1980s.

Back then, both Backus and WERU were new to the area. Backus was a high school senior and a recent transplant to Bucksport, a small mill town that is pretty much the opposite of his previous hometown of Seattle, Washington.

For Backus, a kid who sported a Mohawk hairstyle and was more into punk music and art class than the popular local pastimes of football and hunting, one thing made the drastic transition to Maine doable. “It was radio,” says Backus. “One of the first things I did when I got here was grab my transistor radio and start thumbing through the dial trying to find anything that was my kind of music. I stopped when I got to ERU.” While Backus missed the community he had been part of in the Pacific Northwest, the voices he found at WERU made him feel less isolated. “The culture, the counter-culture, was missing here in Bucksport, but at least I still had the music,” he recalls.

Backus also eventually found another non-commercial station that was playing his kind of music, the college radio station WMEB (91.9FM), broadcasting out of the University of Maine at Orono.

WMEB hit the airwaves for the first time in March of 1963.

Jeoff Tardiff, a UMaine graduate who now makes his home outside Boston, volunteered at the student-run station from 1991 to 1996. He began as a programmer and then served as promotions director and, finally, as general manager. “I took a lot away from that experience,” says Tardiff. “I learned a lot about the music business, management roles, nonprofits.

I learned so much by holding that role and being part of the station. I learned more outside the classroom than in it during college. It was a creative environment and very rewarding.” Tardiff went

on to turn the computer experience he gained at the station into a career in IT and audio/visual production.

WMEB is now in its 50th year and can still be heard at 91.9FM, as well as online at wmeb.fm. Lauren Fleury, the current station manager, is a fourth-year senior with a double major in philosophy and journalism. She, along with about 50 of her peers, run the station as volunteers, doing everything from deejaying to producing sports coverage and planning WMEB-sponsored live music events.

“I enjoy college radio because it is focused solely on the music—no gimmicky awful commercial interruptions, not the same song playing every three hours, not the same playlist every day.

Students who partake in WMEB are doing so because they love music and want to share what they’re interested in with the community, and to me that’s what it should be all about,” Fleury says.

As technology shifts the landscape of both human interaction and media consumption, radio is in a unique position.

It’s an old-time technology—our grandparents and great-grandparents gathered around the radio. But this 19th-century invention is not going the way of 8-tracks, VHS, or analog. Even as we become more mobile and more digital, the Internet— instead of making radio obsolete—has enabled radio to evolve to broaden its audience, so that it can now unite, not only Mainers, but those living anywhere who feel a connection to this place.

“It’s global radio,” says Tardiff, a Maine native. “You grow up in an area, and you’re used to that area. If you don’t look outside that, you stay inside what’s the norm. But, if you look outside and get news from other parts of the world and music from other cultures, you start opening your mind, and understanding how this world works as a whole, not just your piece of it. Radio is a huge part of that, and the way it’s delivered doesn’t matter as much as what’s being delivered, whether it’s CD, MP3 or streaming media. I still have a connection to Maine; those who grew up and moved away, they still have a connection to that state.

That’s the benefit of content that’s local, but still reachable by those outside that location. It’s a huge shift in how we think about communication.”

Beck agrees. “Radio is not going away, it’s going everywhere.”

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a piece of maine: bucksport

More Than Meets the Eye History

B

ucksport’s first residents were the Red Paint People, a prehistoric fishing culture that buried red paint in their graves, along with their handmade stone tools and weapons. Bucksport was also home to the Abenaki Indians before Colonel Jonathan Buck came from Haverhill, Massa38 / Bangor Metro May 2013

chusetts in 1763 in his sloop Sally to settle the area. Buck built a sawmill, a house, and a store, and by 1775, the plantation had 21 families. The area was known as Plantation No. 1.

Rufus Buck wrote a history of Bucksport in 1857, which included this description of what the settlers might have

Photo: courtesy of christopher grindle

Bucksport’s marketing campaign touts the town as “The Center of the Known Universe.” How can you not want to take a closer look at this historic and legendary community on the bay? By melanie brooks

seen from the sloop upon setting ashore:

Photos: courtesy the Bucksport historical society

…Not a mark of civilization greets the eye. Before us the great Penobscot is silently rolling to the ocean, its mirrored surface giving aback a true picture of every variety of foliage upon its banks. The island, with its varied hues of green, is now dressed in its richest attire, and the rays of the rising sun are just breaking upon the tops of the tall pines like streaks of gold. As we look in the west, there seems to arise a vast pyramid of wood, whose branches are reaching down to the water’s edge. On yonder point a little opening is seen, and two Indian wigwams of conical form, from which the smoke is slowly ascending till it vanishes in the thick forest behind. There for a time dwelt the natives of the woods. Behind us, all around is one vast primeval forest, which has cast a gloom over the earth for centuries.

During the Revolutionary War, the British built Fort George in nearby Castine. In 1779, a 21-day battle raged at Fort George, which became known as the Penobscot Expedition, the largest American naval defeat until Pearl Harbor.

Many settlers, including Buck and his family, fled their homes with what they could carry and traveled north to Bangor, then back to Haverhill, Massachusetts.

The day after the naval disaster, the British sloop Nautilus landed in the harbor of Plantation No. 1 and its crew burned everything to the ground.

After a peace treaty was signed in 1783, many of the former townspeople returned. Plantation No. 1 was resettled and was incorporated as Buckstown (after Colonel Jonathan Buck) in 1792. It was renamed Bucksport in 1817.

Early on, farming, shipbuilding, fishing, and lumber made up the primary industries in Bucksport. In 1874, the Bucksport and Bangor Railroad was completed, which gave Bangor shipping access to Penobscot Bay during the winter when the Penobscot River was completely frozen.

The Maine Seaboard Paper Company, now owned by Verso Paper, opened in 1930. The paper mill started out with two machines that produced 300 tons of newsprint a day. Today, the mill has the capacity to produce over 482,000 tons of paper each year and competes in a global market.

Top: Bucksport Landing viewed from the Penobscot River. Middle: The Bucksport and Bangor Railroad.

Bottom: A view of Main Street. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 39

a piece of maine: bucksport the depiction of Bucksport in the 1960s ABC television series Dark Shadows.

Jonathan Buck’s memorial

Legend Jonathan Buck is an important figure in Bucksport—the town and the public library were named after him. If you travel through the town today and visit the monument erected in his name, the outline of what appears to be a foot and a leg appears on the stone. Legend has it that Buck burned his mistress for being a witch, and her leg rolled out from the bonfire. It’s believed that it’s her foot and leg that appear as a mysterious stain on his tombstone. People have tried to 40 / Bangor Metro May 2013

clean the mark off the stone, and even replaced the monument, but the stain kept coming back.

No one really knows what happened, but it makes for a great story and has brought tourists to the area to seek out the mysterious foot.

Other noteworthy and notorious happenings took place in early Bucksport, including a circus elephant breaking free and roaming the town in 1892, the trial of a triple homicide—the biggest trial Maine had seen—in 1876, and, more recently,

As you drive along U.S. Route 1 into Bucksport from the north, the first thing you see is the colossal Verso Paper Mill.

About 580 employees work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, turning Maine spruce and fir into paper.

“Almost 50% of our employees live within the Regional School Unit,” says Verso’s Bill Cohen. “Not only is the mill in Bucksport, but the employees are ingrained in the Bucksport community.”

Paper mills across the state are dealing with an aging workforce, which is something that Verso is acutely aware of. “The next generation of papermakers is high on our list of issues,” Cohen says. Noting this, the town of Bucksport, Bucksport High School, and Eastern Maine Community College proposed a training program for high school students to gain the education necessary to enable them to get a good job in the Bucksport mill.

“It’s the kind of thing where we all said, ‘OK, how can we help each other?’

The town and school officials in Bucksport really thought outside of the box with this program. They made a proposal to Verso that made it easy for us to come on board.”

The program’s ultimate goal would be for Bucksport High School students to graduate with enough college credit so that they would need only one year of education at EMCC to earn a two-year certificate. For years, parents didn’t encourage their kids to go to work in the mill, Cohen says, saying that for years, the mill wasn’t hiring. But that’s changed in the past three years.

“We have good jobs,” Cohen says.

“The science of papermaking is changing. The old days, where you joined the mill and did one thing for your entire life, have changed. People need to come into the mill with a broader array of skills.”

Drive a little further down the road and you come upon Bucksport’s Main Street, the commercial center of the town, which includes the Alamo Theatre, one of New England’s oldest standing cinemas. Erected by O.J. Hussey in 1916, the original cinema had 600 seats, a movie screen, and a stage for live performances. It was run as a theater until

Photo: melanie brooks

Community Connection

Photo: courtesy of verso Paper Corporation

A view of the Verso Paper mill from above.

1956, and the space was subsequently used as a grocery store, health clinic, a restaurant, and video rental store, before being boarded up.

In 1992, Northeast Historic Film bought the building and worked to raise money to open the theater once again, which happened in May of 1999. Today you can see all sorts of films at the Alamo, from Hollywood blockbusters to films made by local people. The theater can also be rented out for a special event or a meeting, giving the community a wonderful space to congregate.

In an effort to market the town of Bucksport and show off her hidden gems, like the Alamo, the town leaders started to create an economic development strategy in 2006. “We started doing some asset mapping—figuring out what makes Bucksport unique,” says Dave Milan, economic development director for the town of Bucksport. “Through this mapping, we figured out Bucksport was 18 miles from Bangor, Ellsworth, Belfast, Castine, and Blue Hill. When Don Houghton from the Bucksport Enterprise, Bucksport’s weekly newspaper, saw the figures, he said ‘Heck! We’re the center of the known universe!’ and the saying stuck.”

Milan and his team surveyed citizens

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a piece of maine: bucksport Leslie Wombacher

and tourists on the streets of Bucksport, and found that most of the people who were staying in Bucksport on vacation were doing so because it was smack-dab in the middle of places they wanted to visit. “It’s more affordable to stay here,” Milan says. “And it’s just a short drive to so many destinations.”

Leslie Wombacher, the executive director of the Bucksport Bay Area Chamber of Commerce landed in Bucksport by happenstance 11 years ago. “My husband John and I came from Cincinnati, Ohio, and wanted to live somewhere beautiful with a view of the water,” she says. “We moved to Maine with no jobs, and Bucksport was the most affordable choice in the area.”

Wombacher has been at the helm of the chamber for almost one year, but she has been active in the community for years.

“This town has so much going for it— there is so much here,” she says. Indeed Bucksport has everything: a Hannaford Supermarket, restaurants, banks, pharmacies, hair salons, a bookstore, car and engine repair shops, a hardware store, and much more. Wombacher and her husband are also small business owners.

They run Sundial Framing and Photography out of their home on Mechanic Street.

The chamber staff, along with a bevy of volunteers, is working to create more community involvement. This summer, the chamber is coordinating a farmer’s market to be held on Thursday afternoons in the post office parking lot. While Bucksport has tried to hold a farmer’s market in the past, Wombacher has worked with local farmers to figure

bucksport stats Population: 2,885 Population Density: 253 sq/mi Median Household Income: $45,799 Median Age: 42.9 Mil Rate: 12.94 Median Home Value: $126,241 42 / Bangor Metro May 2013

Education: • G.H. Jewett School • Miles Lane Elementary School • Bucksport Middle School • Bucksport High School • Reach School • Evangel Baptist Academy Major Employers: • Verso Paper mill • Town of Bucksport • RSU 25 • Several local health care facilities

Leading Employment Sectors: • Manufacturing • Construction • Health Care Major Natural Resources: • Penobscot River • Bucksport Bay • Silver Lake

Photo: melanie brooks

Incorporated: 1792

Photos: (top) Sundial Framing and Photography LLC; (right) christopher grindle

Coffin races at the annual Ghostport Festival.

out what will make this year’s market a success. “The market is farmer-driven,” she says. “They’ve created the bylaws and have made it all happen.” The chamber will have a community tent to rent for people or businesses that want to give the market a shot without committing to the entire season. They also hope to bring in live entertainment to create a celebratory atmosphere.

The Great Outdoors There are so many different ways to enjoy the great outdoors in Bucksport that it’s hard to know where to start. The Downtown Waterfront Walkway is the most popular recreational destination in town, and the mile-long trail along the bay is great for people of all ages and activity levels. There are several access points to the pedestrian-only trail along Main Street, with plenty of parking.

There’s another system of trails off Miles Lane, which were made for easy use bywalkers and runners close to

Runners racing in the Bucksport Bay Festival 5K.

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 43

a piece of maine: bucksport

Megan Higgins at Wahl’s Dairy Port on Bucksport’s Main Street.

44 / Bangor Metro May 2013

residential neighborhoods. These trails are not paved but are well-groomed and easy to traverse.

“As a Bucksport citizen, I’d love to see our town become more of a walking community,” Wombacher says. “We have great trails here. Where I live, I can walk or ride my bike just about everywhere.”

There is a public boat launch at Silver Lake, the largest body of water in Bucksport. It’s a great place to go fishing—in any season—and provides a serene location for kayakers and canoers to get out on some fresh water. If you feel like hitting the bay, there is a public dock in town.

The town has lots of places to get out and play—like the public swimming pool, basketball and tennis courts, a public park on Elm Street, and a playground.

There’s even a municipal ice skating rink during the winter months.

Photos: melanie brooks

Small Town Business “Thank goodness for Wahl’s Dairy Port!”

Wombacher exclaims. “It’s one of the busiest places on Main Street.” Indeed, Megan Higgins, who works at the Dairy Port, said that they’ve had a line outside even during a snowstorm.

The majority of the most successful businesses in Bucksport are locally owned—Wahl’s Dairy Port, BookStacks, and McLeod’s Restaurant & Pub, to name a few. “These business owners give back to the community in profound ways,” Wombacher says. The recent announcement that Rosen’s Department Store, which has been in existence for over 100 years, is closing will leave a big hole on Main Street.

Both Wombacher and Milan agree that there are still niches in Bucksport for local businesses to fill. “Being 18 miles from Bangor and Belfast is a doubleedged sword,” Milan says. The proximity to these hubs creates competition when it comes to retail businesses. “Bucksport needs to create a niche retail market that creates a destination,” Milan says.

While it’s harder for local businesses to compete with larger stores on price, they can compete when it comes to convenience and service. “Successful businesses in Bucksport can offer tremendous service, as compared to the big box stores in Bangor,” Milan says. When the town surveyed 800 Bucksport citizens in 2006 on where they like to shop and why, their top three local stores were

Rosen’s Department Store.

Rosen’s Department Store, BookStacks, and Bucksport TrueValue Hardware. “All three of these businesses have excellent quality of service,” Milan says. “That’s where they have the advantage over their competitors elsewhere.”

“For the past 10 years I’ve said, ‘Bucksport is next in line,’” Wombacher says.

She has watched Belfast go through a transformation, as well as Searsport and Eastport. “When my husband and I honeymooned in Eastport over a decade ago, there was nothing there. Now look at it!

It’s an artistic haven.” Wombacher would like to bring more art to Bucksport, as well as a co-op. “The farmer’s market is the first step in that direction,” she says.

Wombacher would also like to bring more businesses to Bucksport, which take advantage of what the locals have to offer. She has in mind a restaurant that would use fresh local produce and meat from local farms and hang local art on the walls. “I’d love to see our Main Street grow,” she says. “We have tons of services here and I’d like to build upon that.”

The chamber has already expanded its involvement in the community under Wombacher’s lead. Working with the Friends of Fort Knox, Wombacher created Ghostport from the ground up. “Leon Seymour at Fort Knox met with us and basically said the fort was getting about

10,000 visitors for their annual Fright at the Fort event—and we had none of them stopping in Bucksport,” Wombacher says.

What started as a mere parade has turned into all-day events that include a carved pumpkin contest, “trunk or treating” (where kids trick or treat from decorated car to car in a parking lot), coffin races, a family dance, kids’ crafts, a fireworks show, and so much more.

The chamber also organizes the Bucksport Bay Festival, their biggest annual event. Wombacher has been working to create more local events yearround. Over the past year the town has been participating in a local cash mob once a month to benefit a local business.

The chamber organized a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt, caroling at Christmastime, and a week-long festival during February break called Frost Fest.

While these events certainly appeal to the locals, families from the surrounding communities are heading to Bucksport, too.

Wombacher, who is “from away” truly feels as though Maine, and Bucksport in particular, is home. “One of the most wonderful compliments I ever received was when someone, when learning I was from Ohio, said, ‘Wow, you blend in well.’

I know it sounds crazy, but I truly feel like I was meant to live here.” www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 45

what’s happening

May 12 Mother’s Day Afternoon Swing Dance / Rockport

Mother’s Day Afternoon Swing Dance With the Hot Club of San Francisco Rockport • May 12 Take a family-friendly swing dance lesson, then dance the afternoon away to the sounds of the Hot Club of San Francisco.

Spring Bird Walk Lincolnville • May 15 Grab your binoculars and head to the coast to catch your first sight of Maine’s springtime creatures.

May 15 Spring Bird Walk/ Lincolnville

46 / Bangor Metro May 2013

Photos: (left) Michael Stubblefield/thinkstock.com; (above) Ryan McVay/thinkstock.com

may

Events

May 1 Taping of The Nite Show Next Generation Theatre, Brewer If you ever wanted to see a live, latenight talk show but didn’t want to travel to New York or Los Angeles, attend a studio-audience filming of The Nite Show with Danny Cashman.

Audience members must be at least 14 years old. 5:45 pm. Admittance is free, but you must RSVP in advance. www.theniteshowmaine.com

P.A.W.S. animal adoption center. Visit the website below for a continually updated list of participating restaurants.

236-8702 • www.pawsadoption.org

May 2–4 Presque Isle Shrine Circus Presque Isle Forum Celebrate spring with a trip to the circus. Thurs. 7 pm; Fri. 3 & 7 pm; Sat. 10 am, 2 & 7 pm.

764-0491 www.presquisleforum.com

May 7 Spring Bird Walk Beech Hill Preserve, Rockport As the only bald hilltop in the area, Beech Hill is an extraordinary hiking, picknicking, and birding destination that offers panoramic views of Penobscot Bay, the Camden Hills, and the St. George peninsula. The tour will be led by experts from the Mid-Coast Audubon society. 10 am–12 pm. www.coastalmountains.org

May 4 Steep Canyon Rangers The Strand, Rockland The 2013 Grammy award-winning band for best bluegrass album, Steep Canyon Rangers, are bringing bluegrass to music lovers across the country and around the world with their smooth vocals, smart songwriting, ferocious instrumentals, and jaw-dropping harmony. 7:30 pm. $22–$25.

594-0070 www.rocklandstrand.com May 4 & 5 Music, Music, Music!

The Grand, Ellsworth The fabulous music of the 1940s and 1950s will be featured during this nostalgic variety show. The show will incorporate music, trivia, and comedy, as the audience is transported back to a different time and place. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Ellsworth Fire Department. Sat. 7 pm; Sun. 2 pm. $20 general admission; $15 youth, 12 years old and under.

667-9500 • www.grandonline.org May 5 Cinco de “Meow” Belfast to Rockland Dine at one of several participating restaurants between Rockland and Belfast to celebrate the Mexican holiday of independence and support

May 7 Bangor Schools All City Choral Concert Bangor Auditorium Listen to songs sung by the area’s youth at this free, public event. 7 pm.

941-6260

May 9 Business Expo 2013 Bangor Civic Center Mark your calendar for the region’s biggest and best business expo. It’s the perfect venue to market your business and find information on other businesses in our area. Network, attend seminars, and sample great food.

947-0307 • www.bangorregion.com May 10–12 21st Annual Free Camping During Ship Shape Weekend Searsport Camp for free in exchange for helping the Searsport Shores Ocean Campground with its seasonal chores.

Guests will be offered tours of the site.

548-6059 • www.campocean.com May 11 Hot Club of San Francisco Presents Cinema Vivant The Strand, Rockland An evening of vintage silent films accompanied by live gypsy swing.

French wines will be served at intermission. 7 pm. $40; $30 ages 21–35; $10 under age 21.

236-2823 www.baychamberconcerts.org

Theater

Music

May 12 Mother’s Day Wine and Chocolate Extravaganza Savage Oakes Vineyard & Winery Union Treat your mother to wine and chocolate pairings at the Mother’s Day Wine and Chocolate Extravaganza, hosted by Savage Oakes Vineyard & Winery and Sweetgrass Farm Winery & Distillery. 11 am–4 pm.

785-2828 • www.savageoakes.com May 12 Hot Club of San Francisco Presents a Mother’s Day Afternoon Swing Dance Union Hall, Rockport A unique experience for the whole family. After a fun swing dance lesson, dance the afternoon away to live gypsy swing music. Delicious cakes, tea, and Cellardoor Winery dessert wine will be served. 3–3:30 pm for the dance lesson; 3:30–5:30 pm for swing dancing.

236-2823 www.baychamberconcerts.org May 14 Bangor Greendrinks Bangor YMCA Support Maine breweries and home brewers at the gathering that brings together a lively mix of people interested in environmental and sustainability issues. Cold brew and conversation are always on hand. 5–8 pm. www.bangorgreendrinks.org May 15 Spring Bird Walk Ducktrap River Preserve, Lincolnville Join the Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition for a spring bird walk at the largest preserve in Maine. 6:30–9:30 am. www.coastalmountains.org May 15–June 2 Around the World in Eighty Days Bangor Opera House The Jules Verne tale of adventure, romance, and stampeding elephants is not one to be missed. $22.

942-3333 • www.penobscottheatre.org May 16 MÖTLEY CRÜE Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion, Bangor 1980s rockers MÖTLEY CRÜE have reunited and will kick off U.S. leg of The www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 47

Events

Theater

Monster Tour at the Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion on the Bangor waterfront. 5 pm. $41–$92.

800-745-3000 www.waterfrontconcerts.com May 16 London’s National Theatre LIVE: This House The Grand, Ellsworth James Graham’s biting, energetic, and critically acclaimed new play strips politics down to the practical realities of those behind the scenes during the 1974 parliament, when a staggering number of politicians die, and age-old traditions and allegiances are thrown aside in the struggle for power. 2 pm. $10–$17.

667-9500 • www.grandonline.org May 16–19 3rd Annual Taste of Bar Harbor Bar Harbor

Music Indulge in epicurean delights that locals and visitors enjoy in Bar Harbor. Dining adventures vary by day and include a dessert night, a pub tour, a chef’s table, and a royal brunch. Prices vary by event.

288-5103 • www.barharborinfo.com May 17 Chris Smither Live!

The Grand, Ellsworth Chris Smither has always been his own man, eschewing sophisticated studio tracks and staying true to his musical vision of cosmic blues, from his early days as the hot New Orleans transplant to the Boston folk scene, through his wilderness years, to his reemergence in the 1990s as one of America’s most distinctive acoustic performers.

7:30 pm. $22.

667-9500 • www.grandonline.org

museums Aroostook County Caribou Historical Society Caribou 498-2556 • www.cariboumaine.net Hancock County Abbe Museum Bar Harbor 822-3519 • www.abbemuseum.org Birdsacre-Stanwood Wildlife Sanctuary & Homestead Ellsworth 667-8460 • www.birdsacre.com George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History Bar Harbor 288-5015 • www.coamuseum.org Wendell Gilley Museum Southwest Harbor 244-7555 www.wendellgilleymuseum.org Woodlawn Museum Ellsworth 667-8671 www.woodlawnmuseum.org Knox County Coastal Children’s Museum Rockland 385-1105 www.coastalchildrensmuseum.org 48 / Bangor Metro May 2013

Farnsworth Art Museum & Wyeth Center Rockland 596-6457 www.farnsworthmuseum.com Maine Lighthouse Museum Rockland 594-3301 www.mainelighthousemuseum.com Owls Head Transportation Museum Owls Head 594-4418 • www.ohtm.org Penobscot County Hudson Museum at the University of Maine Orono 581-1901 www.umaine.edu/hudsonmuseum Maine Discovery Museum Bangor 262-7200 www.mainediscoverymuseum.org University of Maine Museum of Art Bangor 561-3350 • www.umma.maine.edu

May 17 Senior Expo 2013 Spectacular Event Center, Bangor This annual free expo is filled with vendors who have services and products sure to please seniors. Come to the expo, meet the vendors, pick up important information, and enter to win a door prize. Sponsored in part by Rosscare, Winterberry Heights Assisted Living, AARP, Penobscot Community Health Care, and Sam’s Club. 9 am–2 pm. www.eaaa.org May 17 & 18 Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Expo Bangor Auditorium and Civic Center Don’t miss the premier forest industry equipment trade show in the Northeast featuring over 175 vendors. Fri. 9 am–5 pm; Sat. 9 am–4 pm. $7; free for children under 16.

315-369-3078 www.bangorciviccenter.com May 17–19 Wings, Waves, and Woods Stonington This year marks the 7th annual festival for “birding by land, by sea, and by art.”

There will be puffin and pelagic boat trips, eagle spotting, lectures, walks, and other fun activities. $15 registration fee.

348-2455 • www.deerisle.com May 18 Spring Bird Walk Pleasure Point Nature Preserve Cushing Join Bill Goodwill, local bird enthusiast and former president of the Mid-Coast Audubon Society, at the Pleasure Point Nature Preserve to seek out migratory birds, particularly warblers. Attendees are encouraged to bring binoculars. 7 am.

594-5166 • www.georgesriver.org May 18 Ghosts of Fort Knox Guided Tours Fort Knox, Prospect Join the East Coast Ghost Trackers on a guided tour of Fort Knox in search of ghosts and paranormal phenomena.

7, 8:30, and 10 pm. $15. Advanced reservations and prepayment required.

469-6553 • fortknox.maineguide.com

May 18–June 16 Moose Mainea Greenville Each spring the Moosehead Lake Region hosts a month-long celebration of the moose. Events include the Moosterpiece Craft Fair, Moose Mainea Kid’s Fun day, a town-wide yard sale, and the Maine Moose Lottery, just to name a few. Join in the celebration of the area’s most famous resident: the moose.

695-2702 May 21 Odeon Spring Concert Rockport Opera House This popular free concert is performed by music student groups of all ages. 7 pm.

236-2823 www.baychamberconcerts.org May 21 18th Annual Tourism Awards and Silent Auction Jeff’s Catering, Brewer This annual event by the Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau, with presenting sponsor Hollywood Casino Hotel and Raceway, will feature their Eagle and Hospitality Awards. There will be heavy hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and silent auction. 5 pm. $35 per person; group seating pricing also available. www.visitbangormaine.com May 23 Mid Coast Maine Has Talent!

The Strand Theatre, Rockland In support of Rockland Maine Street, Inc., this variety show event will bring together local talent to perform at the Strand Theater. The event is sponsored

by North Atlantic Blues Festival. 6 pm. $10.

596-6055 www.rocklandmainstreet.com May 23 An Evening with Garrison Keillor Collins Center for the Arts Garrison Keillor is a charming, witty, and always-entertaining writer, humorist, and celebrity speaker, who is perhaps best known for his popular radio programs, A Prairie Home Companion and The Writer’s Almanac.

True to his radio form, Keillor will share hilarious anecdotes about growing up

in the American Midwest, the people of Lake Wobegon, and late-life fatherhood.

7 pm. $58–$78.

581-1755 www.collinscenterforthearts.com May 24 Full Moon Sail Camden Aboard the Schooner Olad, watch the sun set behind the mountains of Camden Hills State Park, then turn around to watch the moon rise over the islands of Penobscot Bay. 6–8 pm. $37.

236-2323 • www.maineschooners.com May24–27 10th Annual Down East Spring Birding Festival Trescott The 10th annual birding event provides a unique birding experience during spring migration and the breeding season, with four days of self-guided explorations, guided hikes, boat tours, and presentations led by area experts.

Over 400 bird species have been sighted in Maine, and almost three-quarters of them have been sighted here.

733-2233 ext.330 • www.cclc.me May 25 West Bay Rotary Duck Derby Camden A flock of numbered, bright yellow rubber ducks will race down the Megunticook River to Camden Harbor for this annual fundraiser. Prizes will be awarded to the “owners” of the first ducks to cross the finish line. 1–3 pm.

236-7997 www.westbayrotaryofmaine.org May 25 Boots on the Ground The General Henry Knox Museum’s Montpelier, Thomaston This free outdoor community event honors America’s veterans and military families, featuring commemorative ceremonies with color guard and musket salute, live musical entertainment, and great food. Rain or shine. 11 am–2:30 pm.

354-8062 • www.knoxmuseum.org May 25 & 26 Owl’s Head Spring Antique Auto & Aeroplane Show www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 49

Events

Theater

Owl’s Head Old cars, trucks, and planes kick off the new season. Pre-1993 vehicles of any make and model are welcome to the exhibit. The event will host vehicle demonstrations, Model-T rides, family activities, and more. 9:30 am–5 pm.

594-4418• www.ohtm.org May 27 Memorial Day Commemoration Cole Land Transportation Museum Bangor This annual event includes a performance by the Bangor High School band at noon, with the commemoration service starting at 1 pm. There will be a color guard, wreath laying, and a guest speaker—Brigadier General James D. Campbell.

990-3600 • www.colemuseum.org May 29 Mahler’s 3rd Symphony Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet The Strand, Rockland

Music Mahler’s 3rd Symphony, combined with John Neumeier’s lyrical and powerful choreography for the Paris Opera Ballet, creates an elegant and inspired evening of dance. 7 pm. $15 adults; $10 students.

594-0070 • www.rocklandstrand.com May 29–31 Children’s Days Leonard’s Mills, Bradley Children are invited to participate in period-appropriate activities to learn what life was like in the 1790s. Preregistration is required. 9 am–1 pm. $3. www.leondardsmills.com May 30–June 1 Acadia Birding Festival Bar Harbor Join fellow bird enthusiasts for the 15th annual Acadia Birding festival. Featured keynote speakers are Bill Thompson III and Marshall Iliff. $10 registration fee, event prices vary.

233-3694 www.acadiabirdingfestival.com

May 31–June 2 Piscataquis Heritage Hot Air Balloon Festival Charles A. Chase Junior Memorial Field, Dover-Foxcroft This first annual event will feature hot air balloons as well as many local artisans and businesses, highlighting the charms and products of the local area. Sponsored by Kiwanis and the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce.

564-7533 www.piscataquischamber.com May 31–June 2 Chris Angell Summer Classic Memorial Tennis Tournament Ellsworth Tennis Center This single elimination tournament is open to boys and girls ages 16–18. The tournament is co-hosted by the National Alliance for Mental Illness. $30.

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Terren Hall and Karl Ward at Sluggers.

Field of Dreams Sluggers is filling a niche with baseball and softball players in central Maine. By melissa kim & melanie brooks

S

luggers, the new indoor baseball and softball facility on Acme Road in Brewer, wouldn’t exist without Karl Ward’s hard work, passion, and love of the game. The president and CEO of Nickerson & O’Day has been a local little league and AAU coach for years and knew that the Bangor area would benefit from an indoor facility.

“We opened on Super Bowl Sunday,” Ward says. “That first weekend we had 450 people come check us out, and we knew we were on to something. We were overwhelmed.”

Once Ward found the perfect location, it took a mere 14 weeks to design and build the 9,000-square-foot facility. Ward conceptualized the entire project, from the design of the structure, to the concessions they sell. He spent $850,000 and, using all-Maine contractors, built a state52 / Bangor Metro May 2013

of-the-art facility that is second to none.

“There really isn’t anything like it around,” says Terren Hall, general manager and director of softball at Sluggers. “The only other place is in Portland. Instead of traveling three or four hours, we have this facility right here for players to utilize.”

Sluggers is especially beneficial for kids who want to practice year-round and go on to play in college, Hall says. And she would know. The Bucksport High School softball star went on to pitch at UMaine.

The rest of the staff is just as talented.

With a combined 350 years of coaching and playing experience, the staff is spearheaded by Terren Hall, Mike Coutts, president of the Maine Baseball Coaches Association, assistant UMaine softball coach, and co-captain of the UMaine 1981 World Series Baseball team, and Travis Thome, the head coach at East-

ern Maine Community College. Sluggers even has two professional baseball players on their staff during the off-season.

Sluggers is the official practice facility for EMCC, Husson University, John Bapst High School, and Brewer High School. If you played baseball or softball as a high school kid in Maine, you know how Mother Nature can throw a wrench in your practice schedule. Because of soggy fields, many teams don’t even get outside to practice until days before their first game.

Ward decked out the practice facility with high quality turf grass (that won’t leave turf burn when you slide into home plate) on top of dirt, instead of concrete, a cool observation deck, a set of bleachers, a big screen TV tuned to ESPN, and video batting cages that would knock your socks off. But he knew Sluggers would only be successful if it was affordable.

“We charge half of what they charge at the facility in Portland,” Ward says.

For their recent indoor league, Sluggers charged $40 a child for the entire season.

“We had over 200 kids take advantage of that program. They’re getting a jump on the season and getting exercise.”

Besides the indoor baseball and softball leagues, Sluggers is running a competitive AAU baseball program that will give players from nine to 18 a chance to play at a high level all over New England.

The Sluggers AAU teams will play their home games at the Dedham school or at Husson University, depending on the team.

Sluggers also has an American Softball Association (ASA) Junior Olympic team for girls ages 10 to 18. Along with the team play and leagues, Sluggers also offers one-on-one training. “A lot of kids say, ‘I want hitting lessons with Pat Moran!’ or ‘I want pitching lessons with Terren Hall and Jen Eberhardt!’ The kids all want role models, someone to look up to, someone to be like,” Hall says. “I think it’s great watching kids grow and progress through their younger years, on through high school, and become amazing players.”

The response has been outstanding, Ward says. Since Sluggers opened its doors in the beginning of February, 875 kids have joined the system. “Why not have a state-of-the-art facility in central Maine?” Ward asks.

photo: melanie Brooks

metro sports: youth

metro sports: college

Clipper Pride

Photo: courtesy of the university of Maine at Machias

A

s P.J. Singh watches his team from the sidelines, he can’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu. The first-year head coach of the University of Maine at Machias women’s soccer team knows exactly what his players are going through—living far from home, spending hours traveling by bus to and from games, and the highs and lows that accompany victory and defeat.

That’s because Singh also wore the green and white as a member of the UMM men’s soccer team from 2001 to 2004.

When Singh stepped off the bus at the entrance to UMM on a snowy day in January 2001, he hoped that his decision to attend college in rural Maine was the right one. The international student from Accra, Ghana, had never been to the United States, and his familiarity with Maine was limited to photos he had seen online. Nearly 5,000 miles from home, he immediately fell in love with the campus, the coastal location, and the people.

Singh, who was studying business administration, found a natural fit with the Clippers and head coach M.J. Ball. The Academic All-American helped lead his team to three consecutive Sunrise Conference Championships and a spot in the

Coaching at alma mater “a dream come true” for UMM’s Singh. By Erik Smith

2003 USCAA National Tournament.

Singh didn’t realize it then, but Ball’s personality and coaching style had made an impression on him that would resurface years after his last collegiate game.

Remaining in the Machias area after graduation, Singh was hired by the UMM Admissions Office in 2007 as an admissions counselor. It didn’t take long for him to gravitate back toward the game, agreeing to serve as an assistant for the men’s and women’s soccer teams under then head coach Tony Turini. He enjoyed working with the players, helping them develop and succeed on the field and in the classroom.

Then, during the summer of 2012, Singh was presented with what he calls “the ultimate opportunity.” Turini had accepted a position in Kansas, opening up the top coaching positions for both soccer teams. Singh jumped at the chance and was selected to lead the women’s team.

He credits his former coach with inspiring him to get involved in the game from the sidelines.

“M.J. was a very approachable coach,” says Singh. “I want to see myself as someone players can relate to and come

to with anything, someone they have the utmost respect for.”

In his first year at the helm, Singh’s Clippers closed the season with a 13-6 record, earning them the top spot in the Yankee Small College Conference.

The Clippers went on to win the conference championship and secure a trip to Asheville, North Carolina, for the USCAA National Tournament. Finishing with one win and one loss at the tournament, the trip brought things full circle for the newly minted head coach.

“To win a conference championship and go to the national tournament as a player and again as a head coach was a great feeling,” says Singh. “To do it at my alma mater made it even better.”

There is no denying Singh’s pride in UMM, as he talks with prospective students about his undergraduate years.

With a big smile on his face, he recounts the experiences, the friendships, and the decision that made it all possible.

“Twelve years ago I boarded a plane in Ghana and left behind everything that was familiar to me,” says Singh. “I never imagined that I would still be in Machias, doing what I’m doing now. It’s a dream come true.” www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 53

food file

N

icole Ouellette lives in a tiny house in Bar Harbor. But it isn’t as tiny as her previous residence, which was a 200-square-foot apartment on Cottage Street. If anyone knows how to make the most out of very limited kitchen space, it’s this girl.

“I love to cook for others, but I can’t have a sit-down meal for more than four or six people at home,” Ouellette says.

“Just because I have a small house doesn’t mean I’m not going to have friends over!

I cook a lot of substantial appetizers. I like to entertain, and I like to offer more than just chips and dip.”

Ouellette’s most popular “substantial appetizer” is her chicken satay with pea54 / Bangor Metro May 2013

nut sauce. In fact, people love this peanut sauce so much they invite her over just so she’ll bring it. “They tell me, ‘don’t worry about the chicken, just bring the sauce,’” she says.

The trick to cooking in a small kitchen that has limited cabinet and countertop space is to plan ahead. She plans a lot of her meals using items from her pantry, things that have a long shelf life. Her kitchen forces her to pick up and do the dishes as she cooks, and has also helped her learn to cook using limited pans. “I had to go out and buy this round cookie sheet, because the one I had was too big for my oven,” Ouellette says. Adapting and modifying has never been an issue for her.

This Fort Kent native has made a home in Bar Harbor, where she enjoys year-round entertaining.

By melanie brooks

Ouellette grew up in Fort Kent and attended Bates College in Lewiston. After a stint on Vinalhaven with the Island Institute and in Ellsworth, Ouellette settled happily in Bar Harbor, where she runs her business, Breaking Even Communications.

“Breaking Even Communications helps small businesses and nonprofits do more online through social media, blogging, web development, and email marketing,” Ouellette says. “I could run my business anywhere, but I choose to live here.”

Her business was born out of a personal finance blog Ouellette started while working at The Ellsworth American. The housing crisis hit six months into her

Photos: melanie brooks

Big Flavor from a Little Kitchen

blogging project, which gave her a lot to write about. When a friend asked her for help on setting up a blog, Ouellette knew she had found a niche.

This is the fourth year Ouellette has been running her company full-time, and she has an office space as well as employees. She also offers workshops in Ellsworth, teaching the public how to use Facebook for their businesses, how to market via email, and, her most popular, One-Day Website.

“I started my business in Bar Harbor without knowing anyone,” Ouellette says. “But enough people had faith in me to give me a shot. There are a great group of year-round people here who are really friendly. After one week of living here, I felt like I already had friends.”

Ouellette says that living in Bar Harbor gives you the best of both worlds. In the summer it’s busy and chaotic. “You can walk down the street and hear five different languages,” she says. “You get the feel of a bustling city in the summer.” In the winter is when she and her local friends settle in, play a lot of board games, and Be sure to soak your skewers in water for 30 minutes so that they don't burn when cooking.

socialize at each other’s homes.

As Ouellette cooks, her rescue dog, Gidget, lays on the floor, looking up at her with wanton eyes. The chicken was marinated before being skewered and put in the oven on that round cookie sheet. It smells wonderful, and Gidget begs silently.

Ouellette uses a bunch of different ingredients for her peanut sauce, and depending on what’s at the grocery store or what she has in her pantry, the recipe changes slightly every time she makes it. For example, this time she’s using red onion instead of white, and lime juice instead of lemon, because that’s what she had on hand. It’s not worth it to her to go out and buy a ton of ingredients to use for just one meal.

She points out that this recipe is also easily modified. If you like it spicy, add extra sriracha. If you love a savory flavor, add more salt. Adapt it to your taste, and even make it ahead of time. “I don’t want to spend all my time in the kitchen when I have friends over,” Ouellette says. “This recipe is perfect for that.”

recipe

Chicken Satay 6-8 chicken breasts, cut in small pieces Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes Marinade 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil 4 Tbsp. soy sauce (or Bragg's liquid amino acids) 3 Tbsp. lime juice 1-inch piece ginger, chopped 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 2 Tbsp. chili garlic sauce (or sriracha) Peanut sauce 4 Tbsp. smooth peanut butter 4 Tbsp. soy sauce (or Bragg's liquid amino acids) 1 Tbsp. sesame oil 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar 2 scallions, chopped 2 Tbsp. lime juice 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 2 Tbsp. chili garlic sauce (or sriracha) 1/2 cup water (optional) Chopped cilantro in sauce or for garnish (optional) Prepare marinade and toss with chicken.

Let chicken marinate for at least two hours or overnight.

Skewer chicken and cook in oven (or on a grill) until cooked through. In a 350° oven this takes 15-20 minutes.

Mix all sauce ingredients except liquid in a bowl. Add water little by little if you desire a more watery consistency.

You can serve the chicken and sauce warm or at room temperature.

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 55

kitchen confidential Where are you from, and how did you end up in Maine?

I’m originally from Belgium but moved to Camden from New York City—where I spent almost a decade—two years ago.

I chose Maine, and Natalie’s, because my wife and I were looking to raise our family in the country, and I wanted to be able to continue to cook at a high level.

What is your first food memory?

The birthday cake on my fourth birthday.

My grandmother made this wonderful genoise (Italian sponge cake) filled with chocolate-orange cream and topped with icy lemon sugar.

What are some of your early cooking experiences?

I use to make crêpes with my mother after school. It was the perfect afternoon snack.

Any family influences on your style and taste?

I still use recipes from my mother today.

The flavors and cooking methods are timeless.

Where did you study and apprentice?

I studied in Brussels. After that, I had the good fortune to work under the leadership of Alain Ducasse at his restaurant, Restaurant Alain Ducasse on the Plaza Athénée in Paris, France, and then in the United States with Daniel Boulud in his restaurants Café Boulud, Restaurant Daniel, and Bouley Restaurant.

When did you realize you were a chef?

When I was cooking for my friends during my school years, about 15 years ago.

Geoffroy Deconinck was twice nominated Food & Wine magazine’s People’s Choice Best New Chef. He brings his French culinary training and imagination to Natalie’s at the Camden Harbour Inn. By Melanie Brooks

56 / Bangor Metro May 2013

When did the restaurant open?

The Camden Harbour Inn opened in 2007, and Natalie’s was part of it at that time. I joined Natalie’s in 2010.

What do you love about your location?

The proximity of the ocean and the mountains. Camden is a small town with

Photos: kevin kratka

Natalie’s

What do you consider to be your pivotal career move?

Daniel and Café Boulud were, for me, essential career moves. I basically learned the food I love to make, and I’m happy that I’m still able to make the food that I love today at Natalie’s.

great charms and great people. I love the fact that the community is nature-oriented and supports its farms and local produce with enthusiasm.

What is your favorite ingredient to work with?

Maine shrimp, swordfish, North Star Farm lamb, mackerel, Pemaquid oysters—so many great, fresh ingredients and many aromatics to season with.

11 CENTRAL Opposite page: Chef Geoffroy Deconinck.

Below: A dish featuring Maine scallops.

922-5115

Gather, Eat & Be Merry

,ODGING s &INE $INING s )RISH 0UB

At Natalie’s we decided to describe our use of spices and condiments in our menu as an outgrowth of my natural culinary direction. I have always enjoyed the use of spices and seasonings but didn’t share those subtle enhancements with our guests. We discovered that they enjoy hearing about the more hidden elements of the dishes. It’s easy to see what the main ingredients are on your plate, but the delicate spices add that special touch. I really enjoy the way food can change depending upon what spices are used.

What is the dish we will be featuring? How did it come about, and what ingredients are used?

A scallop dish. I like to work with Maine scallops. The concept is classic, with traditional ingredients: cauliflower, citrus, capers.

Winter is all about citrus. I love the exotic taste and colors of citrus fruits; they are like precious stones shining on the plate.

We add an interesting spice mix from a friend of mine, Lior Sercarz from La Bôite à Epice in New York City called OMG (onion, mustard, garlic), and the result is pretty tasty.

Least favorite job-related task?

Yelling and beating my cooks. Of course I don’t really do that!

The last time you really surprised yourself in the kitchen?

Just last month, when under the pressure of time, I came out

OPEN ALL YEAR

Eclectic Dining from a Classic Kitchen Winter Getaway Special $155 Room for two, breakfast, and all the dinner you can eat

22 Reach Rd, Brooklin

207 359 2777

HURRY! Votes must be

received by June 7, 2013!

VOTE TODAY

for your favorite restaurants!

From Rockland to Fort Kent

www.bangormetro.com www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 57

)DEAL ,OCATION ,UXURIOUS 'UEST 2OOMS /NSITE 2ESTAURANT

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kitchen confidential with a great gingerbread soufflĂŠ recipe.

There are constant surprises.

What does a perfect day off look like?

It is about family.

What would you want your last meal to be?

A Long Island roasted duck breast with smoked cinnamon and paprika, because my boys love it.

(ASKELL 2OAD s "ANGOR -% s s WWW BANGOR HGI COM

What do you love most about your job?

Besides the actual cooking, the interaction with the community, the opportunity to listen to the guest expectations, and to talk to local purveyors.

more info Natalie’s at the Camden Harbour Inn 83 Bayview Street, Camden Hours: 5:30–9:00 pm. (last reservation) November–May: Tues.–Sat. May 27–October: Mon.–Sat. July & August: Every day Specialties: Modern French cuisine with an emphasis on Maine ingredients.

Accolades: • 10 Maine Hot Restaurants in 2011 by Gayot • Best French Restaurant and Most Romantic Restaurant in New England in 2011 by Open Table • Diner’s Choice Winner 2011 for Best Food, Best Service, Best Overall, Notable Wine List, Fit For Foodies, Most Romantic, Best Ambiance.

First-timer Tip: If you are dining with us in the summer, the outdoor porch is a great spot to watch the sun set. In addition to our prix fixe menu, there is a bar menu, if you are looking for something a little more casual.

Directions: Traveling south on Route 1 through Camden, Bayview Street will be on your left in the center of town.

58 / Bangor Metro May 2013

business in hermon

A GREAT TOWN TO WORK

Hermon is home to some of the largest and most thriving business parks in the area, which include Freedom Commerce Park, Coldbrook Business Park, and Pinewood Business Park.

Whether you’re looking to relocate, expand or start a new business, we’re here to provide you with the assistance needed to make your business goals a reality.

www.hermon.net

AUTO

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Grantron@aol.com

HOME

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BUSINESS

947-8595

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1-800-648-8335

HEALTH

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LIFE

DIKH7D9;Å<EHÅ7BBÅ OEKHÅ:H;7CI

By purchasing your insurance coverage through Sargent Tyler & West, you will get the coverage you need with the personalized service you deserve.

Our new website makes it faster and even more convenient to do business with us!

60 Summer Street | Bangor, Maine | 992-5200 | stwinsurance.com www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 59

Vote today for your favorite restaurants!

From Fort Kent to Rockland and Greenville to Eastport.

HURRY! Votes must be received by June 7, 2013!

www.bangormetro.com

Photos: Pie: Julie Barker; wings & fries: mark mccall; omelet: ragina kakos; sushi & cocktail: donna just; beer bottle: seth whited

A sampling of last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winners

Vote by region: Bangor Greater Bangor: Includes Brewer, Hermon, Hampden, Winterport, Frankfort, Bucksport, Holden, Eddington, Orono, Old Town, Veazie, Glenburn, Milford*

Coastal: Includes Thomaston, Warren, Rockland, Rockport, Camden, Lincolnville, Northport, Belfast, Searsport, Stockton Springs*

Downeast: Includes Castine, Blue Hill, Ellsworth, Trenton, MDI, Jonesport, Machias, Eastport, Calais*

North: Includes Millinocket, Lincoln, Lee, Topsfield, Danforth, Houlton, Presque Isle, Caribou, Fort Kent*

West: Includes Palermo, Unity, Thorndike, Pittsfield, Newport, Skowhegan, Jackman, Greenville, Dover-Foxcroft, Dexter*

*And everything in between!

per spectives

Edwin Martin

62 / Bangor Metro May 2013

Edwin Martin has been making photographs for over 30 years.

He has taught photography and worked as a photojournalist and a collections curator. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Lilly Endowment. Two books of his photographs have been publishedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one on tent circus life, and one on island life in North Carolina.

He lives in Bangor and owns Lumière Photographic Studio, located at 58 Main Street. More of his work can be viewed at his website, www.edwinmartin.com.

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 63

maine woods & waters

A The Aging

Outdoorsman

Just because you have some aches and pains doesn’t mean you can’t be out there enjoying the great outdoors.

by Brad Eden

few years ago, I started to get junk mail from the Association of American Retired Persons—AARP. I hardly gave it a glance before tossing it out, since I couldn’t possibly be old enough to be receiving solicitations from them, and being self-employed for most of my working life, the word “retirement” isn’t part of my vocabulary.

But the reality is: I am an aging outdoorsman, and they had the correct address. The gray in my beard, my deteriorating eyesight, and all the annoying aches and pains remind me of that every day. I’d like to report I am proceeding through my midlife years with grace and dignity, but that’s not the case. I am, admittedly, a bit disgusted. It takes extra work to continue to enjoy a vigorous outdoor lifestyle as we age. The question is how to deal with the challenges thrown in our way when our lives are well past the halfway mark.

My close range eyesight was the first thing to go. I can’t read a thing if it’s within an arm’s length. Luckily, I am still blessed with what I call predator eyes and can spot a deer a quarter mile away in a field at dusk, without binoculars.

When my eyesight started going downhill, I used cheap over-the-counter reading glasses, but kept getting headaches, until an eye exam revealed astigmatism.

So now I am burdened with prescription reading glasses. If I don’t have them perched on the bridge of my nose, I can’t tie a fly to a tippet or a swivel to a fishing line. And if I leave them at home and get “turned around” in the woods, my compass and GPS are worthless. Don’t ask

of a boot fetishist, and my closet looks like something in Imelda Marcos’ house.

I am always on a quest to find the most comfortable, warmest, and best waterproof boot, comfort being the highest priority. After extensive field research, I have concluded that all boots need to have the standard insole replaced with an aftermarket orthotic. I replace mine with a running shoe-style gel insert, and my feet thank me for it and carry me further up the mountain without too much complaint.

For most of my life I could keep myself in respectable shape without any regimented exercise program or even watching my diet. Any extra pounds I put on during a long Maine winter would start to melt away during spring turkey and fishing seasons, and what was left disappeared after I started hunting upland birds with my dogs and chasing deer around through the fall. By December, I had often lost upwards of 10 to 15 pounds without consciously trying. I now have to make a concerted effort to hike and snowshoe year-round to keep the pounds off. Luckily, I have a very active young spaniel that demands a lot of exercise. So, my recommendation for weight loss is to get a dog.

The biggest obstacle for the aging outdoor person is mental. As with many other aspects of our lives, we simply start to lose the fire and the desire. When the sporting bucket list is filled with our share of trophy fish, big game, and upland birds, it’s no longer about the take but about the places those critters take us to and the people who join us there. The outdoors has brought too much joy to my

me why I know that. Like me, you may need to scope your open sighted rifles and get an extended sight for your compound bow.

The next thing to go for us old outdoor farts is our feet. After dragging our sorry butts up hill and down dale for fifty-plus years, they get cranky and need to be pampered. I’ve become somewhat 64 / Bangor Metro May 2013

life to just sit on the sidelines, now that I’m a bit gimpy, need reading glasses and cushy boots, and can’t pound the brush or wade the rivers like I once could. I’ll just do it a bit slower and more carefully, and I won’t forget my glasses.

Brad Eden is an artist, writer, and Registered Maine Master Guide.

photo: istockphoto/thinkstock.com

The outdoors has brought too much joy to my life to just sit on the sidelines, now that I’m a bit gimpy, need reading glasses and cushy boots, and can’t pound the brush or wade the rivers like I once could.

savvy seniors

Get Savvy About

Dementia

Photo: Catherine Yeulet/thinkstock.com

by carol higgins taylor

W

hen Shirley Chinn’s mother-in-law Barbara came to live with her family at the age of 81, life for everyone changed, as could be expected from such a drastic move. But Chinn’s family faced the additional complication of Barbara having Alzheimer’s disease.

From June 2011 to October 2012, the Chinns did the best they could, but novices to Alzheimer’s are no match for the disease. Something had to give, and fast.

Chinn enrolled in the Maine Savvy

Caregiver Training program, which is typically offered by area agencies on aging, sponsored by the Office of Aging and Disability Services, and funded by the Administration on Aging Alzheimer’s Disease Supportive Services Program.

“This class is totally worth taking,” Chinn says. “You learn about yourself and that the person [you are caring for] is more than the disease. They still have feelings.”

The Savvy Caregiver Training gives family caregivers the essential information they need in order to be better care-

givers for someone with Alzheimer’s or related dementia.

“Caregiving is difficult in and of itself, but when dementia is involved, the challenges get kicked up a notch,” says Deb Poulton, director of family caregiver services at Eastern Area Agency on Aging.

“The Savvy Caregiver training is imperative for these caregivers, because many details and scenarios that they face daily are addressed.”

Betty Beless agrees. She took part in the training last summer, when her mother’s dementia progressed to the point Beless knew she needed help. Her mother, Marie, 90, is still able to live alone in her own apartment, which only adds to Beless’s anxiety.

“The first thing I learned is that I have to get out of my own grief over the situation, and then I learned about the disease and what it means,” she says. “The first thing to go with dementia is the ability to reason. I was trying to reason with her all the time, and it didn’t work.

I just didn’t understand. And it was great to hear from other people going through the same thing.”

Offered statewide in a variety of settings, the Maine Savvy Caregiver Training focuses on building three tiers of information: knowledge, attitude, and skills.

Knowledge: Caregivers learn exactly what dementia is and is not, how it affects their loved one’s personality and behavior, and how to manage a disease that will not “get better” due to its progressive nature. Information is provided on tailoring caregiving strategies based on the stage of the person’s disease.

Attitude: Caregivers will develop a sense of confidence in their caregiving abilities and will learn how to care for themselves as well. Often caregivers put themselves last on the list, which, while understandable, is unwise and can lead to caregiver burnout.

Skills: During the class, caregivers learn the best ways of interacting and communicating with their loved one, how to best handle challenging behaviors, and how to keep the person engaged in daily tasks, while keeping in mind the person’s current skill level with regard to the progression of the disease.

Chinn reports that she and her mother have a better relationship now, because Chinn has learned to be proactive www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 65

savvy seniors

Support at any point in your life â&#x20AC;˘ Skilled nursing, personal support and companionship services for the aging and disabled â&#x20AC;˘ Serving people with combined medical and mental health needs â&#x20AC;˘ Case management and in-home behavioral support services for children and adults â&#x20AC;˘ Teaching and role modeling the tasks of daily living at home and in the community for children and adults with intellectual disabilities â&#x20AC;˘ Providing psychiatric medication management and outpatient therapy to adults and children in 3 locations across Maine.

1-800-781-0070 www.assistanceplus.com

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not reactive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m calm, cool, and collected, she can figure some things out herself. I would have had no idea of the behavior before the class,â&#x20AC;? Chinn says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We always enjoyed doing 1,000-piece puzzles together. We still do puzzles, but the pieces have been reduced to 500 or maybe 750.

And I realized that Barbara can still set the table if all the components, dishes, and silverware are laid out for her. She knows who sits where.â&#x20AC;?

Chinn also learned that too many decisions are hard for Barbara, and the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mismatched glasses could throw her off at dinnertime. Chinn has fixed the problem by buying matching glassware.

Problem solving is another benefit of the Savvy Caregiver class. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I look for ways to empower her and mentally keep her engaged,â&#x20AC;? Chinn says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And she did the dishes her whole life, so now does them every night here. My kitchen is clean as a whistle.â&#x20AC;?

The Maine Savvy Caregiver Training is a 12-hour course, broken down into two-hour sessions over six weeks, and includes participation in a research project to evaluate the effectiveness of this program. Caregivers are asked to complete surveys regarding their experience with the training. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The training also gives the caregivers objectivity, so they can make decisions without being too emotional, which is difficult, and gives them self confidence, so they will feel less overwhelmed,â&#x20AC;? Poulton says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being more analytical, clinically detached, and taking a step back will not only benefit the caregiver but the person with dementia as well.â&#x20AC;?

The caregivers also will learn about the physical, mental, and emotional toll caregiving has on them.  â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Savvy training gave so many helpful hints that you could incorporate into your daily life without even realizing it,â&#x20AC;? Beless says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And it just makes life better and smoother for the person with dementia because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a calmer person.â&#x20AC;? For information on Maineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Savvy Caregiver Training program, call 1-877353-3771.

Carol Higgins Taylor is director of communications at Eastern Area Agency on Aging. She may be reached at chtaylor@eaaa.org.

Photo: fuse/thinkstock.com

A

A New Look at Prevention

By Kelly Lee White

ccording to The Centers for Disease Control, some of the most prevalent causes of death for Americans in 2010 included heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, stroke, and diabetes. As the death toll climbs into the millions, effective prevention and treatment for these conditions is under research. Studies repeatedly verify that exercise is effective in significantly decreasing one’s risk of developing any of these life-threatening illnesses. However, despite this proven knowledge, innumerable Americans deny themselves the opportunity to achieve exercise more by abstaining from a membership at their local gym.

Results Physical Therapy and Wellness Center offers a unique alternative to joining a conventional gym. Results is spacious, bright, clean, welcoming, and fully equipped with state-of-the-art exercise machines and a friendly, knowledgeable staff to help you along the way.

Results is known to provide top-ofthe-line rehabilitative physical therapy to patients suffering from back pain, recovering from surgery, or living with other discomforts and conditions. But while Results has established a reputation for delivering great rehabilitative therapy, many do not realize that Results is also on the cutting edge of preventative physical therapy.

“We strive to keep people from having health problems down the road,” says Carol Lane, CEO of Results Physical Therapy. “Through our prevention programs, we are helping gym members to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol, improve their flexibility, posture and strength, increase their energy levels, and handle stress better. Why wait until someone has a problem? Let’s handle it now so the problem won’t happen at all.”

Insurance companies are starting to realize that preventative programs are actually lowering medical expenses, thus saving money, Lane says. “ We are on the cutting edge of an improved health care system, working toward reversing the statistics of rising health costs. Others will follow as they see more and more of the positive effects we are having in our community.

Anybody can join Results Gym at an affordable monthly rate just like traditional gyms, but at Results, your individual needs are a priority. Detailed wellness www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 67

savvy seniors evaluations are available to all members.

On-site physical therapists can assess the status of your health through a detailed evaluation of muscular, skeletal, neurological, cardiovascular, and pulmonary systems of the body. This evaluation will be used to design an individualized exercise program specifically for your needs and goals.

“Since February, by coming to the gym and working out, I have stopped taking two different blood pressure medications and cut my blood sugar medication in half,” says Skip, a wellness member at Results.

In addition to wellness evaluations and customized exercise programs, Results’ wellness staff is also available to perform fitness reassessments and to revamp your exercise program to keep you motivated and continuously making progress.

Results also offers an excellent cardiopulmonary exercise class. After the cessation of longtime Phase III Cardiac Rehab at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bangor, Results stepped up to the plate and worked closely with health professionals at St. Joseph’s to develop a cardiopulmonary exercise program to fulfill the need in the community. Classes are carefully supervised by wellness staff, who monitor body weight, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation levels.

“Armand and I started the cardiac program at Results in Brewer during the fall of 2011,” says Marquette, a cardiopulmonary class member. “ We look forward to going to therapy, because they help us with individual health needs. The atmosphere at Results makes us happy and comfortable. The camaraderie in our group is fun and relaxing. They inject a good dose of humor into our exercise program. Life at Results is great!”

This one-hour class occurs biweekly and includes a facilitated warm-up and cool-down, and customized exercise programs for each participant. Each member is provided a personal log to record measurements and to track progress on their personalized program.

Results Physical Therapy and Wellness Center is committed to improving the health and well-being of the community. By providing free informational seminars and workshops, Results aims to educate locals about diabetes, moti68 / Bangor Metro May 2013

vation, exercise, nutrition, heart health, and more. Results also strives to get involved with the community. For the second consecutive year, Results has created a team to fundraise for and participate in Champion the Cure Challenge, a fundraiser sponsored by Eastern Maine Medical Center for local cancer research.

Results has also coordinated programs such as Fit for the Future and their Biggest Loser Competition, which encourage participants to take their health into their own hands while also raising money for a great cause.

Choosing to improve your health and combat some of America’s most lifethreatening illnesses is a simple choice.

That choice is exercise. Results Physical Therapy and Wellness Center not only provides great rehabilitative physical therapy, but also cutting edge preventative physical therapy. Boasting an open and clean facility, and a friendly and knowledgeable staff, Results welcomes anybody to take advantage of their affordable wellness program and take their health into their own hands.

Kelly Lee White is a 2010 graduate from The University of Maine with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. She has been the wellness director for Results Physical Therapy and Wellness Center since September 2012.

resources for seniors Area Agencies on Aging

Maine Hospice Council

Legal Services for the Elderly

Pharmacy Help Desk

Medicare

Consumers receive information on their Medicare part D plan, and Medicare Savings Programs.

877-353-3771

800-750-5353

800 – MEDICARE (800-633-4227) Attorney General Health Care Crimes Unit

888-577-6690

Adult Protective Services

800-624-8404

Confidential number to report suspected elder abuse or financial exploitation.

Maine Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

800-499-0229

Investigates complaints made by or on behalf of someone in a long-term care setting or who is receiving in-home care.

Safe Return

888-572-8566

Nationwide system that helps identify and locate individuals who wander due to Alzheimer’s or dementia.

800-438-5963 866-796-2463

Consumers for Affordable Health Care

800-965-7476

Helping consumers with insurance problems and answering questions on health coverage and the new healthcare reform law.

Office of Consumer Regulation

800-332-8529

Public Utilities Commission

800-452-4699

Northeast Health Care Quality Foundation

800-772-0151

Serves as the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for the states of ME, NH, and VT.

Medicare Part D Appeals Unit

877-774-7772

A division of Legal Services for the Elderly.

real estate: estate Visit www.bangormetro.com for additional listings & virtual tours insurance

Life Insurance You insure your home and car for the unexpected times in life: why wouldn’t you insure yourself?

Office: 207-947-4579 792 Stillwater Ave, Bangor

penobscot County

*I ÜI I Í aØ0M á ø Lot 4 White Tail Lane in the Morgador Subdivision. Owner will entertain all offers. 3 acre lot w/245' frontage on Gouldsboro Bay. Paved roads, underground utilities installed. Listed $199,500 Barbara Bragdon The Winter Harbor Agency Office: 207-963-2347 babragdon@prexar.com

agents

ÙHL I Í aØ0M % øø$ Fabulous “Bangor Box” in move-in condition! Call for the addendum containing all of the updates. A rare Bangor Gem! $129,900 Mary Condon Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Town & Country Ô

ā $ÿâø ÿá$ Í ā $ÿ$ø"ÿ á$"

Louise Rolnick, CRS, GRI, ABR Relocation Specialist Buying, Selling or Relocating – It’s a Breeze with Louise!

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Town & Country Office: 207-942-6711 X114 Cell: 207-299-7768

Commercial

hancock County

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Ù + Í aØ0M "$ !"

Sunny year round New England farmhouse on 3.5± acres with distant views of Blue Hill Bay. Two waterfront cottages, great rental history. 180' shore frontage with deep water. $625,000 Ann McGraw Compass Point Real Estate Office: 207-374-5300 www.compasspointrealestate.com

*I ÜI I Í aØ0M øø%%ø Pond Road, 50 wooded acres w/ winding gravel road to the top of the property. Highest point in Gouldsboro.

The views overlook Jones Pond. Great subdivision opportunity. Listed $215,000 Barbara Bragdon The Winter Harbor Agency Office: 207-963-2347 babragdon@prexar.com

BELFAST: 10,000 sf. building. Mostly wide open.

Ready for build out. Ideal Rte. 1 location. Near Downtown. 1 acre lot. GREAT INVESTMENT! Assessed at $385,000. Asking $225,000.

BANGOR: 15,000 sf. building. 9000 sf. warehouse/ garage, 3000 sf. Showroom, 3000 sf. office space.

Natural gas at site, GREAT LOCATION near I95 and I395. JUST BEAUTIFUL! Assessed at $445,000.

Asking $425,000

207-745-8118 | 4 Union St. | Bangor, Maine Dave Giroux, Broker | www.ProRealEstate.com

www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 69

Coastal Laser Center, ELLSWORTH

C

oastal Laser Center located in Ellsworth and leading eye surgeon Lawrence Piazza, MD are pleased to be the first and only center in Downeast Maine to offer patients the benefits of iLASIK, a customized all-laser method of LASIK, endorsed and approved by NASA and the U.S. military. Our all-laser method of LASIK is the procedure of choice for surgeons worldwide and has helped correct the vision of millions of men and women during the past two decades.

The first part of the iLASIK procedure involves the creation of your unique custom vision profile.

Using advanced wavefront technology, a three dimensional map is created of your eye, documenting all the imperfections that exist in your vision.

This information is then translated into a custom treatment plan designed to correct all your unique visual imperfections and aims to leave you with nothing but spectacular vision.

In the second part of iLASIK’s 2-step process, Dr. Piazza creates a thin flap on the outer part of the cornea. This flap is then folded back to allow vision correction to be applied by the VISX Excimer laser to the exposed area of the cornea.

After treatment, the flap is folded back, where it quickly heals in place.

Traditionally, the first step of the procedure—

making the thin, protective flap—is done with a handheld bladed device called a microkeratome.

While still extremely safe and accurate, the bladed method poses some risks of complications that no longer exist when using the Intralase laser to create the flap.

Our IntraLase Method is a 100% blade-free approach to creating a corneal flap. The computer-guided Intralase laser delivers extremely rapid pulses of light to a predetermined depth in your cornea. These pulses form tiny microscopic bubbles that gently separate the tissues of your cornea without severing them as with a blade. Once all the bubbles are formed, they connect together to make a smooth flap, which Dr. Piazza can gently lift to allow for the second step of the process; cornea reshaping with the VISX laser.

NASA’s approval of the iLASIK method of LASIK validates the clinical excellence of the combination of our advanced CustomVue technology with the IntraLase method. Patients in Maine seeking information on the safety and effectiveness of iLASIK are encouraged to view a free documentary highlighting LASIK’s successful performance in the military called “LASIK On The Front Lines.” The video is available for viewing on our new Coastal Eye Care website, www.coastaleyecare.net.

LASIK is the most commonly performed elective refractive procedure. During the past 20 years, more than 11 million people have undergone LASIK to correct their NEARsightedness, FARsightedness and Astigmatism. The combination of Advanced CustomVue iLASIK with the IntraLase flap making method is safe enough for astronauts and Top Gun fighter pilots. It is also safe enough for you. iLASIK has now been put through extensive tests for safety and effectiveness and has proven to be a procedure ready for the rigors of space travel.

All surgical procedures have risks, but with its exceptional track record, the average consumer may now undergo iLASIK with the lowest possible risk. iLASIK is the culmination of years of development and research in laser vision correction. It is the combination of all the best technological innovations into one truly customized procedure that produces outstanding visual results.

After receiving the iLASIK procedure, patients should expect to see as well as, or better, than they ever could with glasses and contacts. Clinical studies of the iLASIK method of vision correction have shown it to produce vastly superior results to the national average of LASIK patients, with over 98% of patients s seeing 20/20 or better after their procedure.

Sapphire & Ruby, 14k

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Each month we showcase one of the business practices of our partners. Our June/July 2013 featured business will be Jeffrey W. Jones, P.A.

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last word

No Food Left Behind A little creativity and commitment is all it takes to empty your cupboards.

By Chris Quimby

Chris Quimby is a husband, father, Christian comedian, writer, and graphic designer from Brooks. Visit him on the web at chrisquimby.com or nachotree.com.

72 / Bangor Metro May 2013

photo: istockphoto/thinkstock.com

O

ne of the loneliest places in the world is in the back of our kitchen cupboard. Just ask our sauerkraut.

And we need not rely upon its testimony alone, for he (or she, not sure of the gender of sauerkraut) fellowships in suffering with a can of baby corn, the posse of unprepared Jello boxes, and the bag of generic pinto beans.

At the end of April, our family will be heading out on my first national comedy tour, Spokes and Jokes, during which I will cycle from Maine to Texas and perform comedy along the way.

We decided that part of our pre-trip planning should include a mission to eat as much food in the house as we can. Now, don‘t get me wrong. We already were consuming our fair share of food. I have two teenage children and, oftentimes, it appears we might have hooked up our refrigerator to a central vacuum system.

But our popular methods of attack involve eating the most desirable foods first. This makes any visit by Ben, Jerry, or Mrs. Dunster short-lived.

However, if you happen to be a weird food, one of those items we’re never really sure how we acquired, you should plan to stick around for a while. Realizing there are many starving people in the world, we never feel comfortable throwing them away, but never being thirsty enough to drink a bottle of raspberry wine vinegar, we keep it on the shelf.

Some of our recent meals have been adventures, but none of them have been dangerously bad. For example, a few weeks ago my wife compassionately lifted a can of chickpeas from its dark morgue and made a salad according to a recipe.

The kids and I ate it obediently that evening, not repulsed, but ever-aware that it was not pizza. The next day when lunchtime came, I opened the refrigerator and saw the leftover portion of the chickpea salad sitting on the top shelf, surrounded by more attractive options.

With the countenance and posture of a martyr, I answered my conscience and dropped some into a bowl before I had a chance to change my mind. Sitting at the table with my two children in the absence of my wife, my daughter exclaimed, “Whoa! You’re eating that?”

She was equal parts impressed and bewildered, not easily able to process why I would voluntarily do such a thing. I reminded her of our two-month mission to rid the world of too-often ignored fare. I also provided a direct application regarding how that mission would affect their choices for lunch.

“Yes, I’m eating it. And it’s what you guys are having for lunch, too. This is a team effort.” No food left behind.

All and all, it’s been fun. Rather than snitching chocolate one night, my wife chose to make Jello. She tried to entice my daughter to join her for a “Jello date,” but Emma was less than excited. The next morning, when asked about her degree of satisfaction with her gelatin bender, my wife replied that it was OK and described the experience by saying it was “like wiggly Kool Aid.” It really is pathetic that we would make such a big deal about this, especially when you consider that there are children in impoverished lands digging through garbage cans for anything that resembles food. We have been spoiled, though, to the point that my daughter recently (and dramatically) announced that we had “no chocolate in the house” with the urgency that one might inform the general public of a house fire or alien invasion.

It was an inaccurate conclusion on her part, since, as she knew, we had two different kinds of chocolate at our residence, neither of which she was fond of.

But not to worry, for neither of them will melt in Brooks under this summer’s heat, for I will dutifully make it my mission to use them in some sort of recipe.

One that hopefully will also use up three jars of sauerkraut.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a complete surprise to me that I could receive while giving back.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Charles Kirby, Bucksport

W H E N C H A R L E S K I R B Y of Buck- Waterville with your gift of cash or assets. In sport lost his wife of 63 years to heart disease, return, you receive fixed payments for the rest he wanted to do something special to remem- of your life. You receive an immediate tax deber her and to recognize those who had cared duction and a portion of your payments are for her when she was a patient at Eastern Maine tax-free. The amount of your gift annuity payMedical Center. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The staff at EMMC, they really ments will never change, regardless of how took care of Jean,â&#x20AC;? he says, recalling his decision long you live or economic fluctuations. The to make a donation to the hospital in his wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remaining principal is transferred to EMHS name. Charles worked with Foundation after the lifetime of Age Single Double EMHS Foundation to create a the income beneficiaries.

4.7% 4.2% charitable gift annuity to benefit â&#x20AC;&#x153;The additional income 70 5.1% 4.6% cardiac services at EMMC. from the charitable gift annuity 75 5.8% 5.0% With a charitable gift annureally comes in handy for me,â&#x20AC;?

6.8% 5.7% ity, you can support healthcare Charles remarks, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;?I have been

7.8% 6.7% in Bangor, Blue Hill, Greenable to give more, while actually 90 9.0% 8.2% ville, Pittsfield, Presque Isle, or receiving in return.â&#x20AC;?

For a no-obligation consult with an EMHS Foundation professional, please contact EMHS Foundation at:

t Or visit our home office at:

ACCREDITED CHARITY bbb.org

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