1609

GOR • ANDOVER • PORTLAND • EUSTIS • PORTAGE LAKE • CASTINE • BROOKLIN • HAMPDEN • KINGFIELD • ELLSWORTH • SOUTH BERWICK • WATER

THE RESULTS ARE IN 18,865 online votes + 1,467 write-in votes

= 20,332 total votes!

PLUS

brewing takes flight come hungry

maine food trucks then & now:

cadillac mountain $5.95

September 2016

Your people, your region, your magazine.

contents

SEPTEMBER 2016

features A CAN-DO ATTITUDE / 18 Meet MDI Hospital’s volunteer of the year RECIPE FOR BUSINESS / 20 Learning to cook and testing recipes in Veazie STRONG FUTURE / 22 Former U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe is inspiring confidence in future generations of Maine women BALANCING ACT / 24 Steps for achieving a better work-life balance COME HUNGRY / 28 Discover tasty on-the-go treats from food trucks in your area 2016 BEST RESTAURANTS / 36 Readers’ picks for the best restaurants all around our state

36

THEN & NOW: CADILLAC / 52 Discover the wonders of Acadia’s Cadillac Mountain through the years POT LUCK’S BACK / 60 Tips for perfecting pot luck dinners FINELY CRAFTED ALES / 64 Ellsworth brewery takes flight

JUST FOR THE RUN OF IT / 76 Caribou prepares for its first-ever marathon

28 2 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

PHOTOS: BDN FILE

MONUMENTAL WORK / 68 18-year installation project comes to completion in Maine mills

Take a trip up Cadillac Mountain, page 52 Make your own ice cream, page 72

64

PHOTOS: (BEER) LINDA COAN O’KRESIK; (ICE CREAM) UNALOZMEN/THINKSTOCK; (RUNNERS) JOSHUA ARCHER

76

in every issue

columns

TALK BACK & SIGHTINGS / 8 Our readers thoughts and photos

METRO WELLNESS / 27 Tips for clean eating

BIZ BUZZ / 10 People and places on the move

METRO FAMILY / 74 From the mouths of babes

WHAT’S HAPPENING / 11 Local news and events

MAINE WOODS & WATERS / 78 Just winging it with Maine bats

PERSPECTIVES / 70 The work of Jay Merton Sawyer

LAST WORD / 88 The making of a Mainer

AIMEE & AMY TRY... / 72 We’ve got ice cream in the bag SAVVY SENIORS / 80 Nurturing healthy behaviors METRO HOME / 82 Finding the right fence CROWN OF MAINE / 85 News from Aroostook County

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES • Scan the code to visit us at bangormetro.com Visit us out on Facebook to enter fun giveaways!

Check out our interactive map of Cadillac Mountain (featured on page 52)

INSIDE! 2016 BEST RESTAURANTS You voted, now discover the winners!

More photos from events around our region.

Email your own event photos: sightings@bangormetro.com 2016

FOR

Page 36!

We know you love to eat. We get it.

If you've ever checked out the Metro Facebook page, you know we too. We just didn't do realized quite how much you love the local food scene until now. More than 20,300 votes (!!!) were cast for restaurants from Augusta to Fort Kent! Thousan ds of write-in votes, dozens of close calls, and hundreds of social media shares and commen ts culminated into the most popular Best Restaura contest we've nts held to date.

And now the results are in... check them out and be sure to visit spots for the tastiest some of these food around.

THE RES ULTS

ARE IN

18,865 VOTE S + 20,332 1,467 WRITE -INS = TOTAL VOTES

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 3

editor’s note

Burgers, ice cream, vegetarian, cocktails, outdoor seating, overall experience, take out — we’ve got the best of all of this in Maine and more.

Why? Because of you!

The response to this year’s Bangor Metro Best Restaurant contest was amazing. You cast more than 20,000 votes from all across the state. While there were some returning champs among the results, there were also plenty of new names. The results are in and you can check them out starting on page 36.

Thank you to all of you who participated, and to all the businesses who shared, liked, commented and promoted the contest. I’d also like to recognize Frances D’Errico of Hampden, who was chosen as the random winner of gift cards to Moe’s and the Sea Dog in Bangor. Thank you for voting!

And if our Best Restaurant winners don’t fill your appetite, be sure to check out all of the other amazing food-related stories in this issue. My personal favorite — we made ice cream with our kiddos for Aimee & Amy Try on page 72.

I’ve always wanted to try it, but had memories of sore arms after churning my grandparents old fashioned ice cream maker in the backyard for what seemed like hours. Don’t be scared. This was super easy — took about 30 minutes total — and was delicious! If you give it a try, be sure to let us know what flavors you experiment with.

Connect With Us Online! bangormetro.com facebook.com/BangorMetro @BangorMetro bangormetro editor@bangormetro.com

4 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

PHOTOS: BDN FILE; (ICE CREAM) UNALOZMEN/THINKSTOCK

AIMEE THIBODEAU, MANAGING EDITOR

www.bangormetro.com P.O. Box 1329 Bangor, Maine 04402-1329 Phone: 207.990.8000

PUBLISHER

Richard J. Warren

MANAGING EDITOR

Aimee Thibodeau athibodeau@bangordailynews.com

STAFF WRITER

Emily Burnham eburnham@bangordailynews.com

SALES MANAGER

Laurie Cates lcates@bangordailynews.com

ART DIRECTOR

Amy Allen aallen@bangordailynews.com

SUBSCRIPTION & PROMOTIONS MANAGER

Fred Stewart fstewart@bangordailynews.com

Need a

Bright Gift Idea?

Show your love all year long with a subscription to

Bangor Metro!

For subscriptions, call 990-8219 www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 5

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jane Margesson

Bob Duchesne

Chris Quimby

Richard Shaw

Emilie Brand Throckmorton

Bangor Metro Magazine. September 2016, Vol. 12, No. 9.

Copyright Š Bangor Publishing Company.

Bangor Metro is published 12 times annually by Bangor Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or part in any form without the written permission of the Publisher.

Bangor Metro is mailed at standard rates from Portland, Maine.

Opinions expressed in either the editorial or advertisements do not represent the opinions of the staff or publisher of Bangor Metro magazine. Advertisers and event sponsors or their agents are responsible for copyrights and accuracy of all material they submit. Bangor Metro magazine to the best of its ability ensures the acuracy of information printed in the publication.

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 both in print and online.

Editorial: Queries should be sent to Aimee Thibodeau at athibodeau@bangordailynews.com.

Advertising: For advertising questions, please call the Sales Manager, Laurie Cates at 207-990-8149.

Subscriptions/Address Change: A one year subscription cost is $24.95. Address changes: to ensure delivery, subscribers must notify the magazine of address changes one month in advance of the cover date.

Please contact Fred Stewart at 207-990-8219.

Accounts Payable/Receivable: For information about your account please contact Laurie Cates at 207-990-8149.

COVER PHOTO: (Burger) Badmanproduction/Thinkstock

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 7

talk back & sightings

We Love Hearing From You

You voted, shared, rallied and now we have your picks...

2016 FOR

The 2016 Best Restaurant results are here! Thank you to everyone who voted and shared our contest on social media. We’ve got the best of the best (more than 100 total winners!) from six Maine regions — we encourage you to go try them for yourself!

Check it out on page 36!

You can find this article in our July 2016 issue.

metro

This Land is

My Land

BY EMILIE BRAND THROCKMORTON

From Facebook: So beautifully articulated, Em! I couldn’t have said better (any of it!) your sentiments about California.

Patricia B.

After a while, I figured out that the vast landscape of the west wasn’t my landscape. I craved a more subtle, less grandiose land with defined seasons and a quieter quality. When the opportunity arose to get my first teaching job in Maine, I took it and moved east.

When I first arrived here, I took photos of the fields of wildflowers and abandoned barns on my road and sent them to my city friends. I spent every weekend hiking the granite mountains or exploring the coast.

I felt a welcome and familiar satisfaction as the season began to change. In the crisp first weeks of autumn, I started teaching and watched from my classroom window the glorious show of color in the leaves.

sky. And that was it; I knew I was home.

Since then, I have worked and loved and raised children here, accepted Maine’s quirks, and become even more connected to this land. I have flown out west, or driven south, and crossed back over that bridge many times. Just recently I flew to Arizona for a weekend getaway with my sister. What a different land. The sun was high and hot by 9 a.m., the desert sand was dusty on my sandals, and there were way more species of cacti than I had ever imagined. I find the desert beautiful but in a slightly haunting way; the earth is so dry and the vegetation so prickly under the big blue sky. It’s fun to walk around and point at a cartoon-looking cactus

I need what Maine has: birches and maples, puffy clouds, heat with slight humidity in the summer, big nasty snow storms in the winter, and a screen door that slams shut behind me on my way to the lake.

I loved the way time was defined by the weather, as the waist-deep ferns behind our house changed to waist-deep snow.

During one of my first years in Maine, I took a road trip to North Carolina to visit friends. I vividly remember coming back at the end of that week and crossing the Piscataqua River Bridge at the Maine border; the evening light had that Edward Hopper glow, the landscape infused with a golden honey color that made the edges of the green highway signs and weathered red barns cut a crisp edge against the

and desert bird, but at the end of the day, I found myself thinking about the cool breezes and damp earth of home.

I love to travel, and feel lucky to have the resources to explore different landscapes and climates from time to time.

But Maine is my land now. In order to feel most like myself, I need what Maine has: birches and maples, puffy clouds, heat with slight humidity in the summer, big nasty snow storms in the winter, and a screen door that slams shut behind me on my way to the lake.

EMILIE BRAND THROCKMORTON is a mom and runner who co-chairs the English Department at Bangor High School and writes the blog One Mom in Maine.

22 / BANGOR METRO July 2016

WE’RE EXCITED Here’s a look at what our staff is psyched to share with readers this month

Laurie and Sara trying to make our edit orial staff jealous (it worked).

Best Day Ever.

Num, num, num...

We’re eating our way across the state this month!

Meet a selfless boy from Fort Fairfield, page 85 Tasting local brews in Ellsworth, page 64

PHOTO: BDN FILE

W

Feeling at home in Maine.

hile I was

THE RESU LTS ARE IN

18,865 VOT ES + 20,332 1,467 WRITEINS = TOTAL VOT ES

Some days are tougher than others for our sales staff. Laurie Cates and Sara North recently visited Stone Fox Farm Creamery and got a lesson in ice cream making.

wellness

born in New Jersey, grew up in Michigan, and spent my first four postcollege years in California, I have now lived in Maine for 16 years, longer than I have lived anywhere else.

I first fell in love with this region when I spent one semester in college on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire studying New England Literature. The lake, the pines, the old stone wall foundations in the woods, and the distinct seasons just felt right to me. Everyone has a landscape they connect with; sometimes you are born and raised in that land, sometimes you find it later in your life.

I always thought I wanted to live on the West Coast, and I heard California calling my name through many cold Michigan winters. The second I graduated from University of Michigan, I hopped in my car with my dog and drove west.

For four years, I lived in San Francisco with its endless green parks, dramatic coastline and burritos that I still dream about, and explored the mountains and redwoods of Northern California.

I can’t quite get my bearings on my memories of California because the seasons there have little distinction from one another. There is no snow, no leaves falling or crunching underfoot, no thunderstorms. Calla lilies with big, open, white blooms fill the parks all year, flowering trees at every street corner, every day a perfect one for a bike ride across the bridge. And though it was lovely — trust me, it was — I did nothing to earn the warm sunshine.

After a while, it felt cheap and easy. No mornings scraping ice off my windshield, no muddy March days, no black fly bites, no suffering. Without the cycle of seasons and weather to anchor my memories, my sense of who I was in California is a little foggy.

We know you love to eat. We get it.

If you've ever checked out the Metro Facebook page , you know we do too. We just didn' t realized quite how much you love the local food scene until now. More than 20,300 votes (!!!) were cast for restaurant s from Augusta to Fort Kent! Thousands write-in votes of , dozens of close calls, and hundreds of social medi a shares and comments culminated into the most popu lar Best Resta urants contest we've held to date.

And now the results are in... check them out and be sure to visit spots for the tastie some of these st food aroun d.

All over the state – food trucks are popping up everywhere! Check out the story on page 28 Take a drive or hike up Acadia’s Cadillac Mountain, then and now, page 52

We’ve been known to get overexcited about many things — making giant bubbles, fun magazine covers, lunch. But meeting the Duck of Justice topped our list recently. If you’re not familiar, the DOJ is the taxidermied mascot of the Bangor Police Station. He’s got his own handler, a special sign-in book — trust us, it’s a big deal. Our thanks to the Bangor PD for letting us hold him, and for all the amazing work they do every day to make our community an amazing place.

Coming NEXT MONTH...

We’re getting comfy with all things home, and taking a visit to the old Indian Highways of Maine. Stay tuned!

Have a comment or story idea? Share! Email us at editor@bangormetro.com

8 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

Summer has a

way of bringing out fun and games all over our state. Here’s a look at just a few special events from the past month...

2

1

1 & 2: The Maine Celtic Celebration took place recently in Belfast. Three days of music, food and fun, including dancing lessons, a Celtic dog show and of course, the annual Cheese Roll.

PHOTOS: (1 & 2) JAYNE L. BOWLER; (3) COURTESY OF PENOBSCOT SHORES

3: Penobscot Shores residents participated in the second annual Bocce Ball Throw

Down in hopes of taking home the coveted Penobscot Pudding Cup Trophy. They beat Dirigo Pines Retirement Community, but in the finals between Penobscot Shores and Avalon Village, host Avalon Village retained their title and the trophy for another year.

3 www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 9

biz buzz On the Move C&L welcomed JORGE GONZALEZ as regional sales manager at C&L Aerospace, a division of C&L Aviation Group, where he will focus on Hawker and Beechjet parts and support. Gonzalez, formerly of Private Sky and ARNIC, has been in the corporate aviation industry for 30 years.

His experience spans all aspects of support, from maintenance and parts to operations management. Gonzalez will be based out of C&L’s Bangor, Maine, facility, where he will work closely with other members of the C&L Aerospace team.

ALYSSA J. VERRILL, O.D.

has joined the staff of Penobscot Eye Care. Verrill is a 2016 graduate of Pennsylvania College of Optometry. She got her start at Penobscot Eye Care as an ophthalmic technician while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Maine. She attended graduate school at The Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University, earning her doctorate in optometry in 2016. She has completed clinical rotations in primary care, contact lens, pediatrics, and ocular disease. She is a member of the International Optometric Honor Society, Beta Sigma Kappa, the Maine Optometric Association, and the American Optometric Association. Verrill resides in Winterport with her husband.

KAREN MUELLER, RN, BSN, MBA , chief nursing

officer at Mount Desert Island Hospital, was appointed to the Maine Hospital Association Board of Directors as the Organization of Maine Nurse Executives representative at the association’s annual Summer Forum. Arthur Blank, president/CEO of MDI Hospital, also was appointed to the board as the delegate to the American Hospital Association.

DR. ROBERT NEELY has

been appointed the new Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the University of Maine System. For the last five years, Neely has served as the provost 10 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

and vice president for academic affairs at Texas Woman’s University, a public institution with three distinct campuses, more than 15,000 students, and nearly 140 undergraduate, masters, and doctoral programs.

Penobscot Community Health Care welcomed three new volunteers to its governing Board of Directors: CARIN SYCHTERZ, MA ; NED ROBERTSON, DMD; and ROBERT ALLEN, MD. Sychterz is director for Maine Career Connect where she works with the community to enhance and support the recruitment and retention of quality professionals in our state.

Robertson, DMD, is a dentist at Penobscot Indian Nation Health Department in Old Town where he has served the community since 2012. And Allen Allen, MD, FACC, served as PCHC's Executive Medical Director from 2006-2014 and is currently retired.

Dougherty Project Management of Bangor has hired RHONDA HAMEL, PMP, as senior project manager to lead outsourced technology and facility projects for the company. Hamel comes to Dougherty Project Management after a 20-year career with Androscoggin Bank serving most recently as VP Project Manager/ Security Officer. Hamel has earned her Project Management Professional Certification from the Project Management Institute and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Husson University. Hamel currently serves on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Androscoggin County.

BerryDunn CPA and consulting firm recently hired 10 new employees, bringing the company to nearly 300 employees: JILL GOLDSWORTHY, staff accounting; TORRIE LALIME , staff auditor; JULIE BLACKWOOD, CATHERINE COREY, and RICK GAMACHE , senior consultants; HANNAH MAY and ANTHONY SYLVIA , consultants; JAMIE PHILLIPS , paraprofessional; DACEY WESLEY, project coordinator; and KEVIN EMMONS , database marketing administrator.

The Unity College Board of Trustees has added two new members with broad experience in business and nonprofits, and elected JOHN NEWLIN its chair.

The newly elected trustees are LUKE MUZZY, of Greenville; and HOWARD “CHUCK” JOHNSON ’73, of Toano, Virginia.

Awards The American Boat Builder & Repairers Association presented the first ever Boat Builder of the Year Award to HODGDON YACHTS and the 2015 Boatyard of the Year Award to HODGDON YACHT SERVICES at their annual award ceremony and symposium in Portland.

Having started in 1816 during the era of clipper ships, Hodgdon, based in East Boothbay, is America's oldest boat builder and remains a family-owned company.

The New England Museum Association announced that these Maine museums won recognition in the 2016 Publication Awards Competition: BRICK STORE MUSEUM in Kennebunk, first place in the Annual Fund, Capital Campaign and Other Development Materials category: Capital Campaign Materials; OGUNQUIT MUSEUM OF ART, first place in the Invitations category, Art

By The Sea; and second place in the Newsletters and Magazines category: View; and PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART, honorable mention in the Newsletters and Magazines category: Inside the Circle: Portland Museum of Art Members Magazine Spring 2015Winter 2015.

Grants SPECTRUM GENERATIONS and the SOUTHERN MAINE AGENCY ON AGING

were awarded $636,500 and $478,779 respectively, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to build a sustainable network of evidence based health and wellness programs dedicated to older adults and disabled persons.

The agencies received two of only 16 grants awarded throughout the country for these initiatives by the U.S. HHS Administration for Community Living.

what’s happening

Celebrations

in the East

PHOTOS: BDN FILE

EASTPORT: It’s population might only be around 1,300 according to the 2010 census, but for a tiny city in Down East Maine, Eastport knows how to put on an event. That’s why they’ve got two big festivals practically back to back in September.

For almost 30 years, the end of summer has been celebrated with a gathering, an homage to our local resources, especially the Atlantic salmon raised in the cold waters of Passamaquoddy Bay. The centerpiece of the Eastport Salmon & Seafood Festival is Salmon Sunday — a barbecue with the meal’s focal point being a delicious piece of grilled salmon. And although the food is the highlight, there’s music, arts and crafts, a Fiber Arts Show, galleries, gift shops and museums, locally brewed beers, (wine, too), a farmers’ market, and a flea market. This year’s event is set for Sept. 3 and 4. For a full schedule, visit eastportsalmonfest.com.

The following weekend, the city is invaded by none other than a crew of buccaneers. The Eastport Pirate Festival is the biggest of its kind in New England and the Maritimes. The weekend — Sept. 9-11 — includes events, shows, food, vendors and street fanfair, a parade and fireworks. For more information, visit eastportpiratefestival.com.

Throngs of people make their way through the streets of Eastport during the pirate festival.

The bed-race team from the Pickled Herring restaurant rushes down Main Street in Eastport during Saturday's Pirate Festival. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 11

what’s happening

SEPTEMBER Sept. 2-4 Camden Windjammer Festival The majestic fleet of windjammers sails into Camden Harbor on Friday, Sept. 2 where it will remain all weekend — along with three days of wonderful late summer events, like a talent show, fireworks, a chowder contest, pancake breakfast, crate race, lots of music and a boat parade. camdenwindjammerfestival.org Sept. 3 Blink-182, A Day To Remember and All Time Low, Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion One of the season’s last Waterfront Concerts at the Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion is the highly-anticipated 2016 tour of pop punk standard bearers Blink-182. The band will be joined by fellow rockers A Day To Remember and All Time Low. waterfrontconcerts.com

12 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

Sept. 8-25 Penobscot Theatre’s “Calendar Girls,” Bangor Opera House The ladies of the Women’s Institute of Knapely, England, gather often for “enlightenment, fun and friendship” — emphasis on the fun — but when Annie’s husband dies of leukemia, they embark on a serious mission. To raise funds for a commemorative settee at the hospital, six members pose au naturel for a calendar that gets everyone’s attention!

The women’s charitable venture is a success, but their disrobing reveals personal foibles, too, which puts their friendship to the test. A Maine premiere and a season opener for Penobscot Theatre, this show runs for three weekends at the Bangor Opera House.

Maine’s largest body of water at the annual Seaplane Fly-In. There’s lots to do here, beyond watching planes take off and land — like enjoying lovely Greenville. For information, call 695-2928.

Sept. 8-11 International Seaplane Fly-In, Greenville Take in the beauty of Moosehead Lake and see hundreds of seaplanes fly into

Sept. 11 Pedal the Penobscot Bangor Land Trust’s Pedal the Penobscot celebrates cycling and supports the city’s wild back yard.

Sept. 9-11 Eastport Pirate Festival This annual weekend of fun for the whole family is set for scenic Eastport, and it’s arrrrrrrrrrguably the most fun thing happening in Downeast Maine in September! Pirates, cannons, treasure, games, costumes, vendors, and more will overrun Eastport for three full days.

Visit eastportpiratefestival.com for a full schedule of events. eastportpiratefestival.com

The ride offers five distance options, from a family-friendly 10 miles to a must-do ‘flat’ century route. This oneday ride offers beautiful views of the mighty and historic Penobscot River, tours small towns, and winds along rural roads. Challenge yourself to go farther than you’ve gone before! Visit bangorlandtrust.org to sign up. bangorlandtrust.org

Sept. 8-11 International Seaplane Fly-In, Greenville

PHOTO: BDN FILE

Sept. 11 Mount Desert Island Garlic Festival The “stinking rose” is celebrated with this afternoon-long party, set for Smuggler’s Den Campground in Southwest Harbor. Local restaurants and chefs, including Nostrano, Flour Shop Bakery, Eat at Joe’s Farm Fresh, Blaze Restaurant and more will offer garlicky food, there’s live music and even dog agility trials. The fun is set for 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and admission is $5 at the gate. Bring extra cash for food.

Sept. 15-17 Camden International Film Festival The Camden International Film Festival is a uniquely intimate setting www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 13

what’s happening

in which to experience the very best in international documentary film. Recognized as one of the top 25 documentary film festivals in the world, one of the 12 best "small town" film festivals in the U.S. and New England’s most respected documentary event, CIFF highlights work that shows dedication to craft and an artistic approach to telling a darn good story, with films that blur the line between fact and fiction, and films that inspire, inform and entertain.

Films are screened in locations in Camden, Rockport and Rockland; visit camdenfilmfest.org for a full schedule. camdenfilmfest.org

Sept. 16-18 Trail’s End Festival, Millinocket

14 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

Sept. 16-18 Trail’s End Festival, Millinocket The final festival in the thru hiker's guide to the Appalachian Trail is the Trail's End Festival, celebrating Katahdin and the region with music, food, arts and crafts, horseshoe tournament, water activities, public suppers, and kids activities. Sponsored by Katahdin Area

Chamber of Commerce, the festival is free and open to the public. Contact the chamber for more information or to participate at 723-4443 or info@ katahdinmaine.com.

PHOTOS: BDN FILE

Sept. 17 Capitol Steps at the Collins Center for the Arts This is the gala season opener for the 2016-2017 Collins Center for the Arts season in Orono. Over 30 years ago, the Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them. Since they began, the Capitol Steps have recorded more than 35 albums. They’ve been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS, and can be heard twice a year on National Public Radio stations nationwide during their Politics Takes a Holiday radio specials.

The event will be preceded by the CCA’s annual gala dinner.

Sept. 18 BDN Foliage Music Festival, Fort Kent Starting at noon, Fort Kent’s Outdoor Center will be the setting for a day of Maine music in Aroostook County.

Sept. 18 BDN Foliage Music Festival, Fort Kent

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 15

what’s happening

Sept. 23-25 Common Ground Country Fair, Unity This beloved early fall event, set as always at the headquarters of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association at Unity Fairgrounds, brings together farmers, gardeners, artisans, artists, activists, chefs, thinkers, dreamers and lovers of the land. Amazing food, great people watching and tons of sweet nature farm animals for the kids to visit with.

Admission is $10 in advance or $15 at the gate, $8/$10 for seniors and free for kids 12 and under.

16 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

PHOTO: BDN FILE

Sept. 23-25 Common Ground Country Fair, Unity

Bands include The Ghost of Paul Revere, Dark Hollow Bottling Company, Ellis Paul, and Soggy Po Boys. The fun goes until 7:30 p.m.; admission is $10-$30. For more information, visit fiddleheadfocus.com. fiddleheadfocus.com

Looking for

Something To Do?

Find Ideas on our online

calendar of events

bangormetro.com www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 17

unsung hero

F Attitude A Can-Do

Shirley Conklin named 2016 MDI Hospital Volunteer of the Year.

or more than

four years, Shirley Conklin has brought her leadership abilities and can-do attitude to the Mount Desert Island Hospital Auxiliary, and although she doesn’t think there’s anything extraordinary about what she does, others disagree.

In July, she was recognized for her contributions to the community and commitment to the auxiliary by being named Mount Desert Island Hospital’s 2016 Volunteer of the Year.

“I don’t feel like I’m anything special but I just like to help people and make a difference in their lives,” she said.

In addition to her service to the hospital auxiliary, where she has recruited new members and encouraged and increased participation at all levels, Conklin is also active in the Eden Baptist Church.

Shirley Conklin of Salisbury Cove was named Mount Desert Island Hospital’s 2016 Volunteer of the Year.

day life, in her community and through her commitment to our hospital auxiliary.

Shirley not only became involved with our auxiliary but became president in only her second year as a member.”

The celebration also recognized the contributions made by MDI Hospital’s 211 volunteers.

“Our volunteers provide an invaluable service to our organization and our community,” said Brenda Sprague, MDI Hospital’s volunteer coordinator.

“Many of our volunteers also contribute to other area organizations, which is a testament to their selfless commitment to our community.”

According to Sprague, volunteers contributed 5,923 hours throughout the organization. Volunteers support MDI Hospital, the MDI Hospital Auxil-

–Shirley Conklin “Shirley is someone who exemplifies MDI Hospital organization’s values of compassion, commitment, improvement, integrity, respect and teamwork,” said award presenter Lani Naihe, advancement director at MDI Hospital, during the hospital’s annual Volunteer Celebration at the Kebo Valley Golf Club. “She carries these values through in her every18 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

iary, Birch Bay Retirement Village, the Don and Beth Straus Program, and serve on boards and committees and therapy dog teams. While their tasks vary based on their unique experience and skills, their role is always the same, to support the hospital organization in its mission to provide the best possible care for the community.

PHOTO: (HANDS) ALEXRATHS/THINKSTOCK

“I don’t feel like I’m anything special but I just like to help people and make a difference in their lives.”

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 19

eye on industry

R.M. Flagg Food Service Equipment has been part of the local food scene since 1928. BY EMILY BURNHAM

20 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

S

ince buying

the company in 2009, Stacey and Joe Guerin, owners of R.M. Flagg Food Service Equipment in Veazie, have seen lots of changes in the way they do business — from things as personal as the relationships they have with their many clients, to major transformations, like their addition in 2014 of the cooking school and test kitchen.

Perhaps the biggest change of all is the way in which the community around their business — which has sold restaurant and kitchen equipment statewide since 1928 — has changed. In 2009, the food scene in the Bangor region was just starting to take off. In 2016, it’s exploded.

“The buy local movement has really taken off in this area,” said Stacey Guerin, who is also a state representative for Glenburn, Kenduskeag and Levant.

“Restaurants buy here, we eat there, they buy from local food salesman. It’s a great circle, and we have enjoyed being a part of that tremendously.”

People from outside the state have taken notice of R.M. Flagg’s success — this year, the business was honored with the Great Expectations Award from the Excell Buying Group, the national restaurant

supply industry group, in recognition of its innovation and growth over the years.

“We were really thrilled by it, since there were 130 other companies in the running for the award,” said Stacey Guerin.

R.M. Flagg in 2014 opened its cooking school and test kitchen, and has seen continued growth in both the classes they offer to area cooks — professional and amateur — and in the opportunities for restaurants both new and established to try out new equipment.

“For example, we had Biggi’s Organic Breads [from Bangor] come in and try out a new convection oven to see if they liked it and wanted to buy it,” said Guerin.

“Turns out, they did, and we were able to deliver it to them. We had several businesses come in and do that. It’s really been a huge benefit for everyone.”

The classes R.M. Flagg offers in it’s Maine Kitchen Cooking School also have helped the business to reach new audiences. Between learning how to make cured salmon with Allan Schaffer of the Bangor Bacon Club, challah bread with Donna Mionis of Daily Bread in Levant, crepes with Billi Barker of the Enchanted Kitchen in St. Albans, paella

PHOTOS: (CLASS) COURTESY OF R.M. FLAGG; (GROUP) BDN FILE

Recipe for Business

with Jonathan Chase of Buck’s Market in Brooksville, savory cheesecakes with Chef Brian Ross, fresh pasta making with baker Cathy Speronis and many, many other classes, there’s something for just about any type of cook.

“Being able to feature local chefs and have them tell customers about what they do has been a real pleasure,” said Guerin. “These are creative people, and they are passionate about what they do, and it’s been great to get them out from behind the kitchen doors and up on the stage, sharing what they do.”

As the Bangor region has grown and diners have become more sophisticated, the demands of the people coming in to buy from R.M. Flagg also have changed — and the 88-year-old business has the expertise to help. “it’s been wonderful to see new restaurateurs succeed. Matt Haskell of Blaze in Bangor has become a friend — we text about things not related to food,” said Guerin. “We’ve loved seeing what Dysart’s has done with their Broadway location. In Ellsworth, we helped the new R.H. Foster store get open. They’re doing some real foodie-type sandwiches and salads.

It’s been so neat to see things change.” www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 21

movers & shakers

F

ormer U.S. Sen.

Olympia Snowe left the Senate in 2013 after her third six-year term and a lengthy political career, but she hasn’t slipped into seclusion. Instead, Snowe is focusing on raising aspirations and confidence in future generations of Maine women.

Snowe, orphaned at age 9 and widowed at 26, knows from her observations and experiences what the studies show: that between elementary and high school, girls’ self-esteem drops, on average, 3.5 times more than boys’.

“Everywhere I go, I hear these same concerns about girls lacking the confidence to be what they have the ability to be.

So I decided to do something about it and founded the Institute,” Snowe said. “By assisting more young women to be grounded in their values, find their voice and create a network of support, we will help them on a path to fulfill their potential.”

This drop in female confidence often leads to not trying new things or taking on bigger challenges, dropping out of school activities, and not believing they are good in math or science. Other studies show that as early as middle school, girls are 25 percent less likely than boys to say they like taking the lead.

Even women well into their careers suffer from a lack of confidence.

She hopes to change this with the Snowe Leadership Institute, based in Portland, which is working to help girls develop leadership, collaboration, and problem solving skills.

22 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

Future

“The Institute helps young Maine women connect with each other and a network of women who can help support them,” Snowe said. “I want each and every Maine girl to know she can be whatever she wants to be, and that there are many women eager for her to reach her full potential.”

The Institute emphasizes the connections that participants have with successful women from a wide variety of career paths and life experiences.

Its three-year evidence-based program is designed to intervene at a pivotal moment in girls’ development, giving them the skills and confidence that will serve them well throughout their lives.

The Institute launched in 2015 using Olympia’s compelling personal story and her historic career as the inspiration to create a meaningful leadership experience for 10th-12th grade girls. Supporting Snowe in this work is a diverse group of successful women from all walks of life, as well as hundreds of donors.

With this tremendous support, the Institute has designed a three-year program focused on the themes My Values (sophomore year), My Voice (junior year), and My Vision (senior year).

Each year offers an intensive one-day kick-off session in which all the girls hear from Olympia and other accomplished women, followed by monthly meetings with trained advisors and continued communication through a private online community.

The 2015 beta model, comprised of 50 10th grade girls from the seven high schools that serve Androscoggin County, is continuing as the beta cohort in 2016 and 2017, testing the junior and senior year programming. To date, program monitoring shows that Snowe’s Institute has focused on a large unmet need, and is experiencing promising results.

For the 2016-2017 school year, the Institute will expand to a statewide model for the incoming 10th grade class, partnering with one school from each county and the initial seven schools from the beta group, while simultaneously introducing the 11th grade (My Voice) to the original seven beta schools. Each new school in the program will choose five 10th graders to participate, bringing the total program size to 155 students in the 2016-2017 school year.

The Institute plans to continue its expansion over the next several years. By the fall of 2019, the Institute will be partnering with 36 schools and will serve 540 girls.

“The response to The Institute has been heartening — from the girls, their parents, the schools, the business community to the several hundred women leaders from across Maine who are supporting our effort,” Snowe said. “We are off to a great start and are pleased that measurement of outcomes illustrate we are meeting our goals and delivering on our mission. There is no doubt in my mind the Institute will continue to grow and strengthen to serve more young girls in Maine.”

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SNOWE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

Olympia Snowe is inspiring the future generations of Maine women. BY AIMEE THIBODEAU

Strong

Since 1947

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 23

metro health

g n i c n a l a B Discover the steps to achieve a better work-life ratio.

BY METRO NEWS SERVICE

Act

M

any people

face the challenge of balancing work and family. Workloads may be hefty on both fronts, and the pursuit of a healthy balance between home and career may seem like an unattainable goal.

Stress can build from feelings of being pulled in too many directions. According to Mental Health America, stress can compromise a person’s ability to concentrate, lead to feelings of irritability or depression, negatively affect personal relationships, and weaken immune systems, increasing a person’s susceptibility to a variety of ailments. Research even indicates chronic stress may double a person’s risk of having a heart attack.

The desire to have a fulfilling career and a full life at home is a goal shared by millions of people across the globe. But it’s important that one’s pursuit of such goals not come at the expense of personal health. Living a fulfilling life often involves finding the right work-life balance, and the following tips can help make that possible.

One of the keys to creating a work-life balance is to hone your time management skills. Effective time management can help you fit more in without feeling rushed or anxious.

Learn to manage your time. One of the keys to creating a work-life balance is to hone your time management skills. Effective time management can help you fit more in without feeling rushed or anxious. Start by determining just how much time you need to perform certain tasks. Then divide up the day accordingly. You may find that by waking up an hour earlier each day, you achieve a lot more without affecting your well-being. Quiet time at home in the morning can be a prime time to fit in a workout or catch up on paperwork.

Don’t procrastinate. Stick to your schedule so you don’t feel stressed and as if you are constantly rushing around. Complete one item before you move on to the next.

Communicate effectively with your bosses. Be honest with your bosses or colleagues if you feel like work is negatively impacting your home life. Supervisors may be flexible and receptive to feedback if it means keeping good employees happy and productive.

Bosses may allow you to work from home or be willing to arrange a flex schedule.

24 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

PHOTOS: ALEXSTAR, M-IMAGEPHOTOGRAPHY/THINKSTOCK

Establish your priorities. Make a list of the things that are most important to you.

Having this list put on paper can make goals more attainable. Think about the main things you want to focus on in life and go from there.

Unplug at home. When spending time at home with your loved ones, disconnect from your devices, especially those that connect you to work. Making yourself too available for work can be a detriment to your health and family.

Divide your responsibilities. Allow family members to tackle some chores or other household duties so it will free up more time to spend together.

Schedule a mental break each day. Give yourself time to perform one activity per day that you really enjoy. This will help you recharge and manage stress even further. Activities may include sports, hobbies or exercise.

Need a

Bright Gift Idea?

Show your love all year long with a subscription to

Bangor Metro!

For subscriptions, call 990-8219 www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 25

Paid Advertisement for Myerowitz Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic.

26 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

metro

Clean Eats

I

have taken

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be hard. BY EMILIE BRAND THROCKMORTON

the “Clean Food Challenge” a few times a year, where I would give up sugar and any processed or refined foods for a week. These challenges were hard for me, because while I was already a pretty healthy eater, I still love foods that aren’t considered “clean”: sugar in my coffee, pizza, breads, and basically any type of dessert. The rewards of eating clean are immediate and enormous, and so when I was doing my weeklong challenges, I always felt great. But when the week came to an end, I’d pretty quickly revert back to my normal.

and vegetables. Lean proteins, and whole grains are clean. Stay away from sugar, artificial sweeteners, white breads, processed meats, unhealthy fats, soda, and processed foods. Processed foods, which most of us eat more than we’d like to admit, strip foods of their nutrients and add chemicals to lengthen the shelf life.

After two weeks of eating clean, we talked a lot about how this diet did not feel as though we were sacrificing anything. The more we ate clean food, the more we wanted to keep the challenge going. Instead of seeing the “Clean Food

A simple rule for eating clean is that if you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce any of the ingredients in a food, you shouldn’t eat it.

PHOTO: ALINAMD/THINKSTOCK

wellness

At the beginning of this past summer, my husband and I decided it was time to eat clean for one week. We stocked up on tons of veggies, lean meats, fruit, oats, and nuts. We switched out our regular peanut butter for all-natural, and our sugar for agave nectar.

After a week, we both felt fantastic, and decided to keep going. We ate clean for another week and we felt even better. Probably because we were eating clean together, this “challenge” wasn’t hard at all.

You’ve probably heard about the Clean Food craze, and you might be confused.

You may wonder: Is my food dirty? Well, it might be, actually, once you know the definition of “clean.” Clean Food is a fairly simple concept that just means eating natural, wholesome foods that are as close to their original state as possible. The term Clean Food first came about as a push back to the rise in pre-packaged, processed and frozen food. It is basically a reminder to eat the way the earth intended us to eat, and to clean out our bodies of chemicals.

A simple rule for eating clean is that if you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce any of the ingredients in a food, you shouldn’t eat it. Focus on fresh fruits

Challenge” as an all-or-nothing kind of diet that came to an end, we just adopted all of the principles of eating cleaner all the time. But we are realistic; sometimes we are going to want pizza. Sometimes we order dessert. Sometimes we’ll be too busy to cook and will need to grab something on the run. But what if instead of thinking of “Eating Clean” as an isolated challenge, we just decided to eat cleaner all the time, as clean as we can?

And that is just what we did. My husband is a true convert now because he lost more than 10 pounds and his cholesterol levels dropped considerably. The benefits of eating clean go well beyond weight loss, and include a general feeling of well-being, increased energy and mood, improved sleep and even healthier hair and skin.

The initial challenge, once you are committed to eating cleaner, is the need to cook most of your own meals and plan ahead. If you don’t want processed foods, you can’t rely on convenience-store snacks or drive-thru lines.

WHAT TO EAT

Breakfast:

• Plain greek yogurt with granola (the store-bought granola is packed with sugar and preservatives, so I make our own, sweetened with maple syrup) • Omelets, frittatas, poached or hard boiled eggs • Oatmeal with fresh fruit, chopped nuts, dried fruit, and a drizzle of maple syrup

Lunch:

• Whole grain bread (we use “Ezekial” sprouted breads) with vegetables, hummus, lean meat, or nut butters • Vegetable soups • Quinoa salads with veggies, avocado, herbs, and chopped nuts

Dinner:

• Salads topped with fruit and grains, lean meats or fish • Grilled fish or meat • Sides of roasted or steamed vegetables • Curries, stews, or soups • Egg dishes such as frittatas or poached eggs over vegetable hash

Snacks:

• Sliced apples with nut butter • Fresh fruit or veggies with hummus • Organic corn chips (check the label for simple ingredients) with fresh salsa • On the run, try minimally processed bars such as Kind Bars or Lara Bars

If you eat this way even 80 percent of the time, you will feel the rewards.

Your dependence on sugar and your sweet tooth will diminish. You will begin to see food as fuel for your body. I’ve decided that clean eating should not be cast as a challenge or a short-term goal, but rather a shift in thinking that will lead you to a healthier life.

EMILIE BRAND THROCKMORTON is a mom and runner who co-chairs the English Department at Bangor High School and writes the blog One Mom in Maine. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 27

feature story

Come

Hungry

Food trucks are popping up all over the state.

We did a little legwork to find some of the tastiest trucks around. You’re welcome. BY EMILY BURNHAM

28 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

Today’s Specials

W

e all enjoy

a fancy, sit-down dinner now and again, but there’s something to be said for walking up to a truck parked on the side of the road, ordering whatever suits your fancy, and devouring every morsel while still standing on the sidewalk, sauce running down your hands, evidence crumbs on your face. The food truck movement has exploded across the country in the past decade, and Maine is no exception. Ten years ago, there was hardly a food truck to be found; now most cities and towns of a certain size (or not) have at least one, if not many. Bangor Metro selected some of the choicest food trucks from all over the state, representing an array of cuisines and approaches. Bring extra napkins. You’re gonna need them. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 29

feature story BANGOR AREA

Pompeii Pizza

What: Brick oven pizza Where and when: Bangor Waterfront, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Wednesday-Saturday, early May-early October. Open late during Waterfront Concerts.

Why: One of the first food trucks in the Bangor area, this family-run business offers crispy thin crust pizza with a variety of toppings. Local favorites topping include buffalo chicken, ratatouille, spinach and artichoke and the famous “pickle burger,” which is exactly what it sounds like.

Grammy’s Grilled Cheeses and Melts

What: Grilled sandwiches and other rolls Where and when: Bangor Waterfront, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Monday through Saturday, May through fall. Open late during Waterfront Concerts, as well as at other special events.

Why: From the folks who brought you The Family Dog in Orono, this cheerful blue food truck pumps out grilled cheese sandwiches and paninis, as well as specials like a lobster roll with truffle aioli or a pot roast sandwich with horseradish and gouda cheese.

Wild Cow Creamery

Blazin’ Nation

What: Wood-fired pork, pizza, sandwiches and other treats Where and when: Special events statewide; like the Blaze Bangor Facebook page for info.

Why: Though the Blazin’ Nation food truck — owned and operated by the folks that run Blaze Restaurants in Bar Harbor and Bangor — isn’t in one specific place, it does show up at music festivals, fairs and fundraisers statewide. They make some mean barbecue, great pizza and fantastic grilled hot dogs.

YumBus

What: Tacos, paninis and crepes Where and when: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Fridays at the Belfast Farmer’s Market; 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays at the Orono Farmer’s Market; and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays at the Bangor Farmer’s Market.

Why: As long as it can be handheld, Billi Barker can make it, be it sweet or savory crepes, paninis, tacos or other easy to eat treats. Barker, a familiar face at local farmer’s markets, has upgraded her operation to include a refurbished school bus, from which she’ll make her goodies.

30 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

Customers gather at the Pompeii Pizza food truck on the Bangor Waterfront. The truck offers up tasty brick oven pizza on the fly.

(Right) Avid home cook and food blogger Malcolm Bedell with his ‘Wich Please sandwich truck parked at Rockland’s Buoy Park.

MIDCOAST

Wag’s Wagon

What: Gourmet sandwiches, entrees and other goodies Where and when: 39 Main St. in Belfast; breakfast and lunch, Monday-Friday, lunch on weekends.

Why: Fresh donuts. Foraged wild mushrooms and garlic sandwiches. Breakfast burritos. Kale caesar salad. Meatball subs. What’s not to love? There’s something for everyone at this summertime food wagon.

‘Wich P lease

What: Every kind of sandwich Where and when: Buoy Park, Rockland; 5-7 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturdays, and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday Why: Food blogger Malcolm Bedell turned his popular food blog into a food truck, offering up his take on the art of the sandwich. The varieties of their fried chicken sandwich alone are enough to drive you mad with hunger — though the seafood po’ boys, lobster rolls and fluffernutters look pretty darned tasty, too.

PHOTOS: BDN FILE

What: Handmade ice cream Where and when: Bangor Waterfront, noon to 8 p.m.

Wednesdays-Sundays; there’s also a stop in Belfast on Front Street, open from noon-9 p.m. Monday-Sunday.

Why: This Hampden-based micro-creamery makes such unique ice cream flavors as Peach Compote, Raspberry Lime Rickey or Mexican Hot Chocolate — though the Lemon Heaven flavor is by far the fan favorite. Try their milkshakes and ice cream sandwiches, too.

YOUR INJURY IS PERSONAL Uproot Pie Company

What: Wood fired pizza and breakfast sandwiches Where and when: First and third Wednesdays, 5-7:30 p.m. Oyster River Winegrowers, Union; second Wednesdays, 5-7 p.m. Dandelion Spring Farm, Edgecomb; 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursdays, Rockland Farmer’s Market; 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays, Camden Farmer’s Market.

Why: Jess Shepard has kept her sourdough bread starter alive for more than 10 years, and her chewy, tangy crust is hard to beat — not to mention the wood-fired breakfast bialy sandwiches. Her pizza is often topped with locally-sourced veggies, sausage, bacon, cheese and other delights.

You did not expect to be in a car crash.

The other driver was negligent and now you are in pain and out of work.

Your hospital bills are piling up and you are getting the run-around from the insurance companies.

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CALL (207) 942-2898 FOR A FREE CONSULTATION TODAY. 133 Broadway, Bangor • lanhamblackwell.com www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 31

feature story

Joseph Urtuzuastegui applies the finishing touches to a Sonoran hot dog in the El Corazon food truck

El Corazon Food Truck

What: Mexican food Where and when: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, corner of Spring and Temple, Portland; many other special events.

Why: This Portland favorite offers authentic and delicious Mexican food throughout the year — after all, tacos are the classic food truck cuisine, and are what made food trucks popular originally on the West Coast. There’s fish tacos, tamales, burritos, taquitos, Sonoran hot dogs and agua fresca. Like them on Facebook to keep up with where they are!

C N Shawarma

What: Middle eastern food Where and when: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays.

Like CN Shawarma on Facebook to get a location.

Why: Middle eastern food is sometimes hard to come by in Maine, but CN Shawarma cooks it up all weekend in the Portland

32 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

area. Get your falafel, shawarma, grilled halloumi cheese and special desserts from these guys.

Love Kupcakes

What: Cupcakes Where and when: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays at 28 Monument Square, Portland, and concerts at Thompson’s Point.

Why: If you’ve got a sweet tooth, well, you’re in luck: Love Kupcakes most definitely has what you need. How does a banana nutella cupcake sound? Vegan chocolate strawberry?

Lemon ginger? Chocolate stout and peanut butter caramel?

Hungry now? Thought so.

Salt Box Cafe

What: Breakfast treats Where and when: 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, Congress Street and Eastern Promenade, Portland, and at Sunday River in Bethel in winter.

PHOTOS: BDN FILE; (PORK BUNS) COURTESY OF MAMI FOOD TRUCK

PORTLAND

Steamed pork buns from Portland’s Mami Food Truck.

(Below) Handmade ice cream from the Wild Cow Creamery food truck in Bangor.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 33

feature story Why: If you’re a breakfast sandwich fan — and really, who isn’t?

— you have to check out the Salt Box Cafe, a new addition to the Portland food truck scene, with gourmet breakfast sandwiches to satisfy all sorts of breakfast-is-anytime true believers.

Urban Sugar Donuts

What: Specialty doughnuts Where and when: Like Urban Sugar Donuts on Facebook to keep up with them in Portland and Carrabassett Valley.

Why: Portland in the summer, and the Sugarloaf area in Carrabassett Valley in the winter. Skiers and snowboarders tell tales of little doughnuts so sweet, crispy and delicious that after just one they’re fueled up to hit the slopes over and over again.

There are too many flavors to list here, so just trust us, they’re really, really good.

Mami Food Truck

What: Japanese street food Where and when: Like Mami Food Truck on Facebook to keep up with them in the Portland area.

Why: Rice and noodle bowls, dumplings, steamed pork buns, hot dogs topped with crispy wontons, scallions and ponzu sauce. Think the casual fine dining of the Momofuku/David Chang empire. If you’re not familiar with him, think fried, crispy, savory Asian fusion.

Fishin’ Ships

What: Fish and chips Where and when: Like Fishin’ Ships on Facebook to keep up with them in the Portland area.

Why: Fish and chips are classic comfort food. Dig into a big ol’ plates of battered, fried fish and French fries, and be glad you live in Maine, the home of great seafood.

CENTRAL MAINE

Pinky D’s Food Truck

What: Poutine and other Canadian-American delights Where and when: Like Pinky D’s Food Truck on Facebook to keep up with their location in the Lewiston, Augusta and Waterville areas.

Why: Anyone will tell you that real poutine is made with cheese curds, not shredded cheese. Fortunately, Pinky D’s does it right — along with deep fried cheese curds, chili cheese fries and other artery-clogging goodies. Don’t pretend it’s good for you.

That’s definitely not the point.

What: Diner food and comfort food Where and when: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays, Picker’s Flea Market in Skowhegan.

Why: Why go gourmet when a fried shrimp basket sounds just fine? Two Maine Guys keep it simple. Clam chowder. Mac and cheese. Shepherd’s pie. Lobster rolls. Steak and cheese.

Cheeseburgers. Jalapeno poppers. Two Maine guys, making tasty Maine food.

34 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

Sweet, crispy and delicious little specialty doughnuts from Urban Sugar Donuts.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF URBAN SUGAR DONUTS

Two Maine Guys

2016 FOR We know you love to eat. We get it.

If you've ever checked out the Metro Facebook page, you know we do too. We just didn't realized quite how much you love the local food scene until now. More than 20,300 votes were cast for restaurants from Augusta to Fort Kent! Thousands of write-in votes, dozens of close calls, and hundreds of social media shares and comments culminated in the most popular Best Restaurants contest we've held to date. And now the results are in ... check them out and be sure to visit some of these spots for the tastiest food around.

THE RESULTS ARE IN 18,865 VOTES 20,332 + 1,467 WRITE-INS = TOTAL VOTES

NOCTURNEM DRAFTHAUS

38 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

PHOTOS: BDN FILE

Best Bar

best restaurants Best Mexican MIGUEL’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Best New Restaurant

Best Pizza

TIMBER KITCHEN & BAR

BEST BAR

VEGETARIAN

NOCTURNEM DRAFTHAUS 34%

VERVE 34%

FORK & SPOON 35%

PADDY MURPHY’S 33% GEAGHAN’S 33%

READERS’

PICKS

TRI CITY PIZZA

BANGOR

MIGUEL’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT 31%

INTERNATIONAL

NOCTURNEM DRAFTHAUS

KOBE NINJA HOUSE

BREAKFAST

GEAGHAN'S

SANDWICH

FRENCH FRIES

HARVEST MOON DELI

BURGER FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES

COFFEE SHOP BAGEL CENTRAL

COCKTAIL 11 CENTRAL

BAKERY FRANK'S BAKE SHOP

SEA DOG 38%

BLAZE RESTAURANT 31% PADDY MURPHY’S 30%

2016 BEST RESTAURANT WINNERS

BAR

BAGEL CENTRAL

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OFTOWNERS

FAMILY-FRIENDLY

BEST DATE NIGHT RESTAURANT

CHINESE

11 CENTRAL

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OFTOWNERS

ORIENTAL JADE

SEA DOG

FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES

SUSHI ICHIBAN

MEXICAN

ICE CREAM

VEGETARIAN

GIFFORD'S

FORK & SPOON

MIGUEL'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

MICROBREW

WINGS

GEAGHAN'S

GEAGHAN'S

NEW RESTAURANT

OVERALL EXPERIENCE

TIMBER KITCHEN & BAR

PIZZA

11 CENTRAL

BEST OUTDOOR SEATING SEA DOG

BEST TAKE-OUT MOE'S

TRI CITY PIZZA

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 39

best restaurants

Best Seafood EAGLE’S NEST

Best Date Night

Best New Restaurant

WOODMAN’S BAR & GRILL, ORONO

MASON’S BREWING COMPANY

READERS’

PICKS

TIE!

GREATER BANGOR

2016 BEST RESTAURANTS

BAR

INTERNATIONAL

PIZZA

WOODMAN’S BAR & GRILL, ORONO

YOSHI JAPANESE RESTAURANT, BREWER

PAT’S PIZZA, ORONO

BREAKFAST

FAMILY-FRIENDLY

DYSART’S, HERMON

PAT’S PIZZA, ORONO

BURGER

ICE CREAM

WOODMAN’S BAR & GRILL, ORONO

JIMMY’S, BREWER

SANDWICH

SEAFOOD

ORONO BREWING COMPANY, ORONO

HARVEST MOON DELI, BREWER

MEXICAN

THE FAMILY DOG, ORONO

MICROBREW

BAKERY

EAGLE’S NEST, BREWER

NEW RESTAURANT

BEST OUTDOOR SEATING

COCKTAIL

MASON’S BREWING COMPANY, BREWER

WOODMAN’S BAR & GRILL, ORONO

40 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

BEST DATE NIGHT RESTAURANT WOODMAN’S BAR & GRILL, ORONO

GOVERNOR’S, OLD TOWN

CHINESE FRESH GINGER, HAMPDEN

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OFTOWNERS THE BACON TREE, WINTERPORT

TIE!

WOODMAN’S BAR & GRILL, ORONO MARGARITA’S, ORONO

HIGH TIDE, BREWER

BEST TAKE-OUT PEPINO’S TACO STAND, BREWER

Best International

YOSHI JAPANESE RESTAURANT

BEST BURGER TIE!

WOODMAN’S BAR & GRILL, ORONO 37% THE FAMILY DOG, ORONO 37% MASON’S BREWING COMPANY, BREWER 26%

ICE CREAM

JIMMY’S, BREWER 48%

SPENCER’S, BRADLEY 42% ERICKSON’S ICE CREAM, HAMPDEN 10%

OUTDOOR SEATING HIGH TIDE, BREWER 36%

MASON’S BREWING COMPANY, BREWER 34%

MCLAUGHLIN’S, HAMPDEN 29%

PHOTOS: BDN FILE

BAKERY

GOVERNOR’S, OLD TOWN 42%

WHOOPIE PIE CAFE, BREWER 30% MASSIMO’S BREAD, BREWER 28%

best restaurants

Best Overall Experience

Best Place to Take Out-of-Towners

PRIMO, ROCKLAND

YOUNG'S LOBSTER POUND

BEST COFFEE SHOP

NEW RESTAURANT

FOOD TRUCK

BELL THE CAT, BELFAST 43%

THE BROKEN EGG, ROCKLAND 42%

GREET’S EATS, VINALHAVEN 40%

ROCK CITY COFFEE, ROCKLAND 29%

MEANWHILE IN BELFAST , BELFAST 37%

THE MOODY DOG, ROCKLAND 32%

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cadillac mountain then & now Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain.

(Below) An aerial view of Acadia National Park is featured on an old postcard.

52 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

Mountain Time Discover the wonders of Acadia’s Cadillac Mountain.

PHOTOS BY RICHARD R. SHAW, BRIAN F. SWARTZ AND GREG A. HARTFORD HISTORIC PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAINE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION, PETER DOW BACHELDER, AND UNIVERSITY OF MAINE FOGLER LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

PHOTO: (TOP) GREG A. HARTFORD

T

he date

was July 16, 2010, and an important family was arriving in Bar Harbor for the weekend.

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle, and daughters Sasha and Malia were about to cram a lot of lobster eating and sightseeing into their twonight Mount Desert Island vacation.

But before Saturday’s dinner and cocktails at Havana Restaurant, scoops of Mount Desert Island Ice Cream, and a trip into Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, the first family headed up Cadillac Mountain. Tourists’ giddiness at seeing the 44th president and his family was matched only by the Obamas’

ARTICLE BY RICHARD R. SHAW

obvious joy in touring one of America’s most beloved natural landmarks.

It didn’t hurt, politically, for the first family to be featured Saturday on newspaper front pages around the globe. Visitation to the 1,530-foot peak spiked in the weeks following the president’s visit.

The Obamas never returned to Acadia National Park, but a highlight of their trip had to have been taking the winding, 3.5mile highway to the East Coast’s highest peak, complete with an island-studded view that has changed little over time.

Other celebrities have turned heads on Cadillac’s summit, including Seal Harbor resident Martha Stewart who showed up one day to promote her latest venture. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 53

cadillac mountain then & now President Obama and his family enjoy a quick vacation in 2010 to Acadia National Park.

But the majority of visitors are regular folks who only want a few moments of inspiration, even when the summit parking lot is filled with 200 cars.

Many hail from “away,” some having arrived on cruise ships that stretch Acadia’s tourist season into late autumn. Others are locals who have been enjoying Cadillac since childhood, never tiring of the views of Eagle Lake, the Cranberry Isles, Blue Hill, Schoodic Point, and Frenchman Bay’s Porcupine Islands.

“It has been a very busy summer around Bar Harbor,” said Denise Morgan, who since 1992 has operated the familyowned Oli’s Trolley tours with Larry Sweet. “All the publicity surrounding the National Park Service centennial and our own park’s 100th year has drawn people in big numbers.”

The Green Mountain Railway chugged from Eagle Lake to the summit of Cadillac from 1883 to 1890.

“All the publicity surrounding the National Park Service centennial and our own park’s 100th year has drawn people in big numbers.”

–Denise Morgan Morgan said their most popular excursion is the 2.5-hour island tour. A close second is the one-hour run around Bar Harbor and up Cadillac Mountain.

Tourists might think they’ve won the lottery when a sprightly senior citizen named Mike Tomasello is the day’s driver. Guiding the red and green trolley through Bar Harbor’s crowded streets, he points out the Bar Harbor Club and the smattering of landmarks that survived the 1947 fire that charred much of the island. And there’s that name — Cadillac — named for an egotistical French adventurer who, in 1688, gained ownership of much of the island.

“They call these granite ‘guard rails’ beside the road ‘Rockefeller’s teeth,’” Tomasello says, while proceeding up the always-free 1931 summit highway. “Over there is metal hardware, all that remains of the Green Mountain Railway.”

54 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

George B. Dorr, known as the “father” of Acadia National Park.

Town Stats Elevation: 1,530 feet

Geology: Consisting mostly of pink

First sunrise seen from summit: Only

granite, it is the highest point within 25

in fall and winter, when sun rises south of due east Named for: French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, who in 1688 gained ownership of a parcel of land that now includes Mount Desert Island Earlier name: Green Mountain, changed

miles of the shoreline of North America between Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia, and Mexican peaks Landmarks: Cadillac Mountain Eco-Store; various wedding-site outlooks; bronze tablet honoring Stephen Tyng Mather, who in 1917, was appointed the first National Park Service superintendent

to Cadillac Mountain in 1918

Notable people:

GPS coordinates: Latitude 44.352643;

• George B. Dorr, “father” of Acadia National Park

Longitude -68.224610 Summit road: Opened 1931, roughly 3.5

• John D. Rockefeller, financed summit road construction

• Francis H. Clergue, built Green Mountain Railway • Louise de Koven Bowen, recounted 1883 Cadillac woods fire memories in 1944 book, “Baymeath” Quotable quote: From “Maine: The American Guide Series,” Houghton Mifflen Co., 1937: “… The sweep of sea, islands, coves, and inlets is increasingly wide as the [summit] road rises, and craft in the waters below become no more than toy boats.”

For more information: acadianationalpark.com; acadiamagic.com

miles long www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 55

56 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

PHOTO: GREG A. HARTFORD

Photographers and nature lovers gather to watch the sun rise at Cadillac Mountain.

cadillac mountain then & now Peter Dow Bachelder wrote a book, “Steam to the Summit,” about the cog railway, which chugged from Eagle Lake to the summit from 1883 to 1890. It turned a profit, but was done in by complaints about the constant noise, pollution, and a forest fire started by the locomotive’s sparks. The Green Mountain House’s destruction by fire in 1884 was a blow to visitors who enjoyed lodging there.

Various websites, including Greg A. Hartford’s Acadiamagic.com, and numerous books and pamphlets, explore Acadia and Cadillac Mountain history.

Also recommended are three institutions: the Abbe Museum, 26 Mount Des-

ert St.; the Bar Harbor Historical Society, 33 Ledgelawn Ave.; and the Mount Desert Island Historical Society, located in an old schoolhouse at 373 Sound Drive and at the corner of Main Street and Oak Hill Road in Mount Desert.

Before hiking any of Cadillac’s eight trails, which range from moderate to strenuous, it’s wise to drop by the national park visitor’s center in Hulls Cove and ask a ranger which route suits your abilities. September weather can vary from hot to chilly, so dress in layers and wear comfortable hiking shoes. Some climbers take the Island Explorer bus or Oli’s Trolley back down to Bar Harbor.

Park rangers at Cadillac’s summit give regular talks on the mountain’s history and geology. No trip to Acadia is complete without an early drive up the summit road to watch the sun rise over Frenchman Bay. The stunning view is worthy of a president’s admiration, and of the everyday tourist who returns for its unique beauty.

Check out our interactive map of Cadillac Mtn. at bangormetro.com

A photo of Cadillac and Bar Harbor before the fire of 1947.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 57

1922: Railroad up Cadillac Mountain

Beauty

and History

I

n the 1840s,

1866: The Rodick House

1910: Bar Harbor greets President Taft

two young painters put the quiet fishing village of Eden (later known as Bar Harbor) on the map as their magnificent artwork proclaimed the beauties of the quaint, coastal retreat to the world. The paintings of Thomas Cole and Fredric Church of the Hudson River Valley School of Painting found their way into popular East Coast salons, inspiring people to journey Down East to see for themselves the island that had inspired such beautiful canvasses.

The first visitors to Eden stayed with local farmers and fishermen in crude housing. Soon, the demand for better lodging facilities increased as wealthier travelers journeyed to the Island. Consequently, grand hotels quickly began to sprout up and by 1875, there were 16 hotels in town that were often booked two years in advance.

Paid Advertisement for Whitham Family Hotels.

In 1866, David Rodick built a small guesthouse on his property to welcome summer visitors. A large addition was built in 1875 and with the final expansion in 1881, the Rodick House was advertised as the largest hotel in Maine. It included 400 guest rooms, dining facilities for 1,000 and a renowned watering hole known as the “Fish Pond.” In the late 1800s, Eden had become a haven for the rich and famous. Visitors included the Rockefellers, Carnegies, Vanderbilts, Astors and Fords. Lavish parties, grand yachting adventures, tennis matches and golf were the pleasures of the day.

This Rodick House was demolished in 1906, followed by a great fire in 1947 that changed the face of Mount Desert Island. The Bar Harbor Grand Hotel was built in 2011 by David J. Witham as a historic replica of the famed Rodick House.

In 1887, The Oasis Club of Bar Harbor completed construction of their new clubhouse called the Mount Desert Reading Room. The avowed purpose of The Oasis Club was to promote “literary Paid Advertisement for XYZ.

2016: The Bar Harbor Inn

and social culture.� The handsome new cedar shingled structure, designed by architect William Randolph Emerson, became the center of social activities during the summers before World War I. In 1910, President William Howard Taft was provided a grand reception at the Reading Room. When World War II arrived, the U.S. Navy leased the building and utilized it as an observation headquarters. It’s panoramic ocean access made it an ideal location. When the terrible fire of 1947 raged throughout Bar Harbor, the American Red Cross used the building to give assistance to many who were burned out. After the fire, Bar Harbor was left without a single hotel to attract visitors back to the area.

Over the next 30 years a group of townspeople joined together to develop the Hotel Bar Harbor and Reading Room.

In 1987, David J. Witham purchased the property and has spent nearly 30 years renovating it to its former glory. 2017 marks 130 years of history at the Bar Harbor Inn. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 59

food file

Potluck's Back —

Gather ‘round and share your favorite home cooking.

BY CARLA JORDAN, METRO NEWS SERVICE

60 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

C

all it a

sign of the times or just plain good luck for those of us yearning to swap fast food fare for some tasty home cooking. Potluck gatherings are back and one of this year's hottest trends in entertaining.

Although these communal "luck of the pot" meals (where everyone brings their favorite dish) hearken back to the late 19th century, they found their footing in the mid-1950's when it seemed like every mom in the neighborhood was filling casserole dishes for church socials and family get-togethers.

"There are three primary reasons driving the return of potluck — our schedules, the economy and childhood memories," says Chef Jeff Gillis of CelebratingHome. com. "We live such fast-paced lives that divvying up the cooking makes home entertaining more realistic than putting all of the burden on the hostess. Making one dish instead of several also helps stretch the budget — something we're all looking to do these days. And, let's face it — after years of dashing through the drive-thru, wouldn't you like to sit down to some home-cooked food, even if it's only once a week?"

Got potluck fever but not a clue what to do? Here are four tips that'll make your next gathering both tasty and stylish, plus, a family-fave recipe that'll put your home on the map as potluck heaven.

PHOTOS: RAWPIXEL LTD, MONKEYBUSINESSIMAGES/THINKSTOCK

Let's Eat!

Perfecting

Pot Luck Organize Participants

Divide the meal by categories so guests will have a balance of appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts from which to choose.

Cooks needn't commit to a specific recipe but it's helpful to know up-front that a wellrounded meal is in the making.

Agree on Advance Prep

All dishes should be cooked prior to arrival so only a quick re-heating is required. Everything should also hit your doorstep ready for presentation to avoid last minute searches for serving bowls and platters.

Choose Easy-Fix, Crowd-Pleasing Recipes

To appeal to guests varying tastes, save the exotic for later and dust off mom's (or grandma's) cookbook. Traditional potluck dishes like casseroles, chili, soup, bread, and cakes are always popular and easy to make.

Dress Up the Table

Remember the special tablecloth mom used for Sunday dinner?

Create some memories for your own family with a pretty fabric tablecloth, cloth napkins (pretty and eco-friendly!) and some candles. A few minutes is all it takes to create a festive look that'll make guests feel honored to have gathered around your table.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 61

food file

Food File

Bean Pot Beef Stew This twist on an American favorite yields a hearty, flavorful entree that takes less prep time because it slow cooks in the oven in a bean pot.

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1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, chopped fine 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes 6 cups beef broth (or stock) 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme 3 bay leaves 2 cups potatoes, cubed 1 cup celery, diced 1 cup carrots, diced Salt and pepper to taste Directions Rub steak with olive oil and coat with salt and pepper.

Let steak sit at room temperature in bean pot while preparing all other vegetables.

Chop and dice everything, then add to bean pot. Add beef broth (or stock), thyme, bay leaves, diced tomatoes and salt and pepper. Cover and bake in at 375 degrees for 3 to 4 hours until meat is tender. *Recipe courtesy of CelebratingHome.com

PHOTO: MONKEYBUSINESSIMAGES/THINKSTOCK

Need a

Ingredients 1 pound round steak, cut into bite-sized pieces

kitchen confidential

T

he neighborhood

pub is one of the great contributions to society of the English. Cozy and intimate, the pub is a place to enjoy good ale, simple food, and company.

“It’s the social interaction on a local level, mixing with friends and strangers, alike,” said Gary Cresswell, who with his wife, Sharon, opened Airline Brewing Company in Ellsworth in July. “Hearing local and personal stories — laughing and joking — seeing the best of people and what they can achieve when given the ability to help each other.”

That’s exactly the sort of thing that the Cresswells hope to see in their pub. There’s no television broadcasting sports games.

Cell phones are frowned upon. At Airline, it’s all about conversation, community and beer — beer that’s made by head brewer Ray Edgar, at Airline’s brewery facility on Route 9 in Amherst. Route 9 is, of course, known popularly in Maine as “the Airline” — hence the brewery’s name.

Ellsworth brewery takes flight. BY EMILY BURNHAM

–Gary Cresswell The interior of the new pub, located at the corner of Main and Hancock streets in Ellsworth, has been completely renovated. Dark wood accents, deep burgundy leather benches and late 19th century illustrations add to the old-fashioned, laid back-yet-civilized atmosphere.

“Having been born and raised in the UK, I have seen what an important role a pub plays in the local community,” said Gary, a native of Yorkshire, who lived in Texas with Sharon until 2014 when they moved to Maine.

Area beer lovers may already know that Airline used to be known as Square Trail Brewing. But when former brewer Wes Ellington left the company over the winter, Edgar stepped up to take his place, and put his own stamp on the brews, changing the name and taking the op-

PHOTOS: LINDA COAN O'KRESIK

Finely Crafted Ales

“Having been born and raised in the UK, I have seen what an important role a pub plays in the local community.”

eration in a more traditionally English direction, with a focus on cask-conditioned brews, as opposed to kegged beer.

Airline’s four cask-conditioned varieties are stored separately in the pub's cellar and are fed through temperaturecontrolled lines to taps that have to be manually pumped back and forth in order to make the beer flow. In addition to not being as cold, cask-conditioned ales have less fizz because, while they are naturally carbonated through fermentation, they are not artificially injected with carbon or nitrogen.

“Cask conditioned ales are smooth, easy drinking session beers that are not excessively carbonated, and have richer aromas and tastes due to the fact they are still live beers with active yeast in the casks,” said Cresswell.

“They are truly fresh beers, requiring a lot of careful handling to ensure the customer is getting a product that is a traditional craft ale.”

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 65

kitchen confidential Airline’s other six brews are kegged beer — the sort that most beer drinkers are much more accustomed to, including pale ales and IPAs. Aside from the beer, however, Airline offers a small but appealing menu of pub favorites, the highlight of which is the Ploughman’s Lunch: a traditional English spread consisting of cheese, bread or crackers, and pickles. Airline gussies it up with grainy mustard, nuts and dried fruits and meats, and serves it on a wooden board. Also available are cheese toasties — a melty, gooey cheese sandwich — nachos, salads, flatbreads and other rotating specials.

“At the present, we are offering light bites and sharing platters that can be enjoyed while having a couple of drinks with friends,” said Cresswell. “Once we have been open a little while we will extend the menu into more pub classics, but our goal was to ensure everybody had something tasty to enjoy whilst relaxing.”

BREWER

more info AIRLINE BREWING COMPANY 173 MAIN ST, ELLSWORTH (207) 584-2337 Website: abcmaine.beer Description: Cask and kegged beer, along with a small menu of pub favorite foods and sharing platters.

BROOKS

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arts & culture

Monumental Work A

Maine artist completes 18-year installation project in Maine mills. BY EMILY BURNHAM

fter 18 years

working on what may be the single largest art installation in Maine history, Amy Stacey Curtis is finally watching her magnum opus begin to draw to a close, with “Memory,” the ninth and final in nine large-scale solo biennial installations Curtis has installed in eight Maine mills across the state, from Sanford to Waterville.

“Memory” begins where her 18-year project started, in the Bates Mill in Lewiston. Back in 2000, “Experience” launched the project, before transitioning into “Movement,” “Change,” “Sound,” “Light,” “Time,” “Space,” and “Matter,” before ending with “Memory,” which opens to the public on Sept. 17 and runs through Oct. 28 at Bates Mill from noon to 5 p.m. daily. Curtis explains on her website that she “has committed to this ambitious participatory work to convey that we are a part of a whole, that everyone and everything is connected.”

Each exhibit has featured multiple interactive installations, reflecting its overarching theme; it truly must be experienced to be fully understood. Though her work on the project isn’t fully complete until 2018, when a major retrospective will be mounted and a book published detailing her process, “Memory” marks the end of her 18-year cycle.

68 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

Bangor Metro spoke with Curtis about what it’s like to reach the end of the road, and how art can transform both individuals and communities.

Finally, at the completion of this monumental work — how are you feeling?

Overwhelmed, and sad. At the same time excited.I’ve been working intensely toward this project for 18 years. It is not only my opus. It’s also been my life. I’ve of course had other exhibits, and done normal things like hang out with my husband and friends. But these solobiennial exhibits have been what I think about when I wake up and what I think about before I sleep.

Another, larger aspect is that in keeping with a major project like this, sticking to the timeframe I gave myself (an exhibit every two years, each exhibit 22 months of work, with two months off in between) is that my life has had steadfast structure the last 18 years. My life and work planned since the start. It is staggering to think I am about to enter a life without a plan. Part of of me is terrified while part of me is both curious and thrilled to not have a plan. Anything can happen. Anything is possible.

The Bates Mill you started preparing for in the late 1990s — now that you have returned, how has it changed?

The Bates Mill Complex, overall, has changed quite a bit. There’s a lot more business, as well as work/live spaces. Parts of it, like the main entrance between Mills 1 and 2 (what the mill refers to as its Atrium) are gorgeous, while others are now more rundown than when I was there. They are fixing things as they get leased, etc.

The 30,000 square feet of space I used in 2000 (the fifth floor of Mill 2) is now divided between raw space and condos.

The raw space is still beautiful. I remember where everything went, of course, even though it looks completely different.

How has Maine changed in those years?

Everything is always changing. But speaking about Maine art specifically, we still have, I think, the largest amount of artists per capita? And since I began my work in 1998, we have many more art organizations and resources for artists. Unfortunately, since I started, art is no longer a requirement in all our grades/schools.

As you say on your website, "Without participants my installations are literally incomplete, static." Who are the

people that come to your installations?

All ages, from within and from outside our state. I anticipate 1,000 to 1,500 people will travel to Lewiston to participate with MEMORY’s 9 new installations (by the time I’m done with my opus there will have been 81 interactive works, that’s 9 unique, large-in-scope works per exhibit). Most of my participants will likely be people who have participated at any number of my previous solo biennials. But I hope anyone who has wanted to come, will finally make a point, where this is the last exhibit in the series.

What sorts of interactions between participant and installation are most special or interesting to you?

Each of my installations have brief instructions that participants must read before they can approach and participate with my work. This is so participants will know what it is I am asking them to do to complete my concepts/to be part of this work. I most appreciate those interactions where the participant tries to follow my guidance, tries to help me see my vision through. This being said, if someone accidentally or intentionally does something different, I only interject if it could be harmful to the participant or my work.

This becomes an important part of each concept and the solo biennial as a whole.

You’re an accomplished artist and could do your work anywhere. What compels you to stay in Maine?

Maine is where I first felt I belonged; and Maine is where I learned I am an artist.

Me, my mother, and my 3 brothers moved to Maine in 1986 when I was 16 after moving many times in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. My only interest up to this point was mathematics, the only constant in my life. Within the first hour of my first art class at Massabesic High School, one of the art teachers (Sheila Clough, since retired) moved me into a more advanced class where both Sheila and Stan Colburn (also retired, who was running this more advanced class) said, “Amy, you’re an artist.”

And it was through their encouragement that I chose to continue at the University of Maine as an art student rather enter into the university’s excellent engineering or mathematics program.

Maine gave me this incredible gift; of course I should complete this opus here, and continue to stay and work here long after.

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Something To Do?

Find Ideas on our online

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per spectives

70 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

Jay Merton Sawyer

W

ith a background

in iron working, welding and repair, Jay Merton Sawyer is the owner of sculpture studio and outdoor gallery in Warren. His work includes pieces at the Woolen Mill Park in Warren, Owls Head Transportation Museum, Sandy Beach Park in Rockland and Portland International Jetport.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 71

aimee & amy try...

Who We Are..

With a grand total of 4 children ages 1-9, Bangor Metro staffers Aimee Thibodeau and Amy Allen are well versed in keeping kids busy.

Each month we’ll try a new project and share the results – be they great or disasterous.

W

Ice Cream is

in the Bag

Simplify ice cream making with this kid-friendly recipe.

e’ve all been

known to scream occasionally for ice cream. It’s cold, delicious and the perfect way to cap off those end of summer days. But it’s also a pain to make at home – do you remember spending hours cranking the wheel of your grandmother’s homemade ice cream maker or if your grandmother was a little more hip, spending hours watching her electric ice cream maker go round and round? Totally unnecessary.

Single serving ice cream is super fun and easy with this recipe. No special equipment – just a couple of Ziploc bags and a few ingredients you may already have on hand. And the kids (and grown-ups) can pick exactly what they want mixed in – perfect for picky eaters and kids who will only eat one color of M&Ms. We’ve done this one a couple of times now. It’s lots of fun if you’re just looking for a quick dessert or you’ve got a whole slumber party of kids to entertain. Try it at home and post your photos to our Facebook page – we want to see what flavors you come up with!

Supplies • Heavy cream • Milk • Vanilla • Sugar • Salt (ideally kosher or rock salt, but we found any salt will do the trick) • Gallon and sandwich-sized Ziploc bags • Crushed ice

72 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

Ice Cream Recipe • 1/2 cup heavy cream • 1/2 cup milk • 1 tsp vanilla • 2 Tbsp sugar

Step 1: Combine heavy cream, milk, sugar and vanilla in a sandwich-sized Ziploc bag.

Step 2: Select your favorite color M&Ms, mini chocolate chips, or other add-ins.

Close the bag tightly and shake to mix.

Step 3: Start adding ice to a gallon-sized Ziploc bag.

Step 4: Add 6 Tablespoons of salt to the ice. Then place the sealed smaller sandwich bag in the ice-filled gallon bag.

Step 6: Feel the bag to check for firmness to see if your treat is frozen. A few minutes in the freezer doesn’t hurt.

Step 7: Scoop, serve and enjoy!

Step 5: Shake, shake, shake for 10 minutes. We used towels and oven mitts to protect little hands from the cold.

Project Review • Degree of Difficulty: Easy peasy! When the ice gets extra cold, the kids might need some grown-up help.

• Average Time: 20-30 minutes. 10 minutes to mix, 10 more to shake.

• Degree of Fun According to the Kids & Moms:

1:

We better get paid for this.

5:

Fun, but once was enough.

10:

Super fun, let’s make one for everyone!

We’ve already done this one more than once. It’s fun and yummy! www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 73

metro

family

From the

Mouths Turning embarrassment into teachable moments.

BY ASHLEY THORNTON

74 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

C

hildren always

do embarrassing things. I have found that from my own children, but also from years of working with children. They do and say some of the most embarrassing things, and there is nothing that you can do to stop it when that moment starts. I am an early childhood special education teacher, so I am fully aware that children around my son’s age are starting to become aware of people’s differences. The only trouble with is that children aren’t aware that pointing out these differences can be extremely rude.

As a teacher, I frequently heard comments such as, “You’re bigger than my mother,” or, “What did you do to your hair!?” I always laughed it off and tried to answer as honestly as I could. I knew that the kids were not trying to hurt my feelings; they just did not understand that pointing out my flaws could hurt my feelings. I am now experiencing this from the other side. It is my own child that is not only pointing out my differences, but those of others, as well.

Most recently, he has been pointing out people’s weight, particularly if they are overweight. While we were seated next to one of the kindest women I know, he questioned loudly why she was larger than me, and even though I told him that it was not nice to say and he should apologize, he continued to repeat it over and

over. I wanted to melt into the floor because I was torn about making a teaching moment out of it at the risk of embarrassing my friend, or finding a way to redirect him so that he would start talking about something else. He eventually stopped saying it and ran outside to play. I went to apologize, but she had clearly moved on, and I hoped had brushed it off as I had so many times as a teacher. I hoped that I would be lucky and this would be the only incident of its kind, but I knew even then that it had only just begun.

At a family gathering when he spotted an unfamiliar relative, he told her that she looked like a witch. She laughed and asked if he thought she was a good witch or a bad witch, he answered that she was a bad witch and kept on his way. I tried explaining his thought process, but ended up making the situation worse. Once I caught up with my little Casanova, I tried reasoning with him and telling him that he hurt her feelings, but even then he seemed unfazed.

The teaching opportunities did not end there. We went out for ice cream one night and happened upon a large man who was headed for a picnic table. My son managed to shout out, “he’s going to break the table” between bites of cotton candy ice cream. When we were out of earshot I explained to him that it wasn’t nice to point out people’s differences like

PHOTOS: (TOP) DEANDROBOT/THINKSTOCK; (CHILD) ASHLEY THORNTON

of Babes

that, and that it would hurt the man’s feelings. He seemed thoroughly confused but agreed to exercise restraint from then on.

I patted myself on the back for a job well done, and looked forward to going out in public without dreading what would come out of my son’s mouth.

I arrogantly packed us up again and headed for Chinese food take out. There hadn’t been an embarrassing moment since the ice cream incident several weeks prior, and I was confident that he understood what I had told him. My husband headed into the restaurant to pick up our supper when another large man made his way out. My son instantly pointed out how big he was, and positioned himself for a good look. I was thankful for the privacy of our car as I tried to explain that pointing out the man’s size was not a nice thing to do.

He agreed, but then gawked as he saw him approach a small car. The man noticed him watching and waved hello, then made a silly face. He laughed and waved back, then told me how nice the man was. I was grateful to him for making his personality and humility more interesting than his size. My son was making silly faces back at him and the only comments coming out of his mouth were giggles as the man reciprocated the playful banter. He drove away and I had a conversation with my son about the nice man. We talked about how my son’s comments might have hurt the man’s feelings. But the talk quickly turned to how funny the man was and about the faces he made.

I am sure that these embarrassing moments are not over, and I am sure that it is an awkward developmental milestone. I am also sure that what my son will remember about that man is the silly games that he played, and the way that he made him laugh, not his size.

Perhaps, instead of telling my son not to point out people's differences, I should be teaching him to recognize and point out the differences that have nothing to do with their physical appearance.

He should be recognizing and pointing out how funny, loving, and thoughtful people are, and perhaps I should do that more often, too.

ASHLEY THORNTON of Milford is a mom of two rambunctious toddlers.

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metro sports

S Run of It Just for the

Caribou prepares for its first marathon – and perhaps its biggest event ever.

STORY & PHOTOS BY JOSHUA ARCHER

76 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

eptember in

Aroostook County means it’s harvest time.

While most folks will be busy picking potatoes, the city of Caribou will hold its first marathon. If everything goes according to plan the event might just become a new tradition.

A year ago, the idea of a marathon in the County was simply a pitch in a job interview. Lydia Kieffer was up to become Caribou’s new marketing coordinator when she shared her big idea with Caribou’s city manager of turning her city into a marathon destination.

“He liked it,” she said.

And as luck would have it, she landed the job.

Traveling to northern Maine for a run might seem a bit out of the way. But knowing that you can qualify for the Boston Marathon in your home state makes it worth the trip. If you’re familiar with the County, then you know that the gears are always turning to find new ways to bring folks into the area. A marathon might just

be the ticket to draw people to Caribou, the most northeastern city in the United States.

Once she’d been given the green light, Kieffer had a year to pull things off.

On top of that, she was in the midst of building a new home and planning her wedding. Having an outstanding race committee relieved some of her stress.

“I would never be able to do it if I were all by myself,” she said.

If the marathon was going to bring in hundreds of runners, her team would need a partner with experience. The committee brought in Race Director Chris Bernier. He’s been racing since he was a kid, and for the past decade has been the director for numerous marathons.

Bernier took care of getting Caribou certified for its marathon, making sure the city was adequate to be a Boston Marathon qualifier, so it could bring in those diehard runners.

“The Boston Marathon is the crown jewel,” he said. “Something you cross off your bucket list.”

After the marathon was announced, and within the first week registration was opened, over 100 runners signed up. At press time, more than 300 runners had registered. There’s a mix of athletes from Aroostook County, other Mainers, and folks from away, including some Canadian neighbors who plan to lace up their sneakers and hit the streets of Caribou for the first ever USATF certified marathon in the County.

A 42-kilometer stretch will take runners through the city of Caribou. A 13.1 mile half marathon also has been mapped out, as well as relay races and a kids’ marathon. Dozens of corporate and individual relay teams are coming together to compete.

“The marathon will have a small town atmosphere with a big time professional race,” Bernier said.

Not a runner? No problem. Spectators are encouraged to gather for a street festival happening alongside the race where you can listen to live music, chow down

on some good eats and support more than 70 local vendors. And the night before the marathon, there’s a pre-race pasta dinner at the Caribou Wellness Center.

The cost to put on Caribou’s marathon should come in under $100,000. All of which is 100 percent sponsored (which means no taxpayer dollars). On race day, a large portion of city employees will be on hand as volunteers to make sure folks are safe and having fun.

A portion of the proceeds from the marathon will go to Camp Adventure, a local camp for teens with diabetes. Other funds generated will go to the Caribou Parks & Recreation Foundation.

Kieffer’s leadership has brought both residents and businesses together to celebrate the city of Caribou and to remind its folks they can stay in their small hometown and still think big.

“This may be the biggest event Caribou has ever seen,” Kieffer said.

For more information on the Sept. 18 marathon visit caribouraces.com. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 77

maine

woods & waters

Winging It

BY BOB DUCHESNE

I

’ll never

look at bats the same way again. Like many, I was never fond of them. From the time I was a toddler, I was admonished to avoid them. They carried rabies, flew into hair, and sucked blood. As with most of the knowledge I acquired as a youngster, everything I learned was wrong.

bounce off objects, and the echo returns to the bat like sonar, enabling them to hunt insects in total darkness.

Fortunately, there’s an app for that.

Researchers now have tools to hear bats.

Microphones designed to pick up ultrasonic frequencies can be plugged into laptops, translating the sounds into lower

With the aid of the monitors, I heard a musical chorus in the night sky that had been there just beyond my human senses my whole life.

But seriously, what do bats have to offer? They hide in your attic, come out only at night, and make no sound.

Ah, but they do make a sound. I just can’t hear it. Until recently, nobody could. The frequency is too high for human perception. But, as everybody knows, bats “see” with their ears.

They emit high frequency sounds that 78 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

frequencies we can hear. Furthermore, these programs analyze the frequencies to predict the bat species present. That’s fortunate, since there are eight breeding species of bats in Maine.

I got to try it out this summer. University of Maine biologists Erik Blomberg and Sabrina Morano brought two specially-configured iPads over to the

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Learning the ways of Maine bats with the help of technology.

Curran Homestead in Orrington. Bats are roosting in one of the outbuildings. All we had to do was turn on the units and wait for sunset. As twilight approached, we could easily watch the bats emerge from the eaves.

Still, I wasn’t prepared for the sound.

As each bat emerged, the two iPads chirped out a rapid series of clicks. Suddenly, the air was full of music. Other bats joined in, coming from roosting places unknown. Every few moments, the air would go silent, and then come alive again with another passing bat.

You could hear them coming, usually before you saw them.

Most were big brown bats, the primary species roosting in the outbuilding. Maine is also home to little brown bats, but these have suffered catastrophic declines due to an infectious fungus known as white-nose syndrome. This disease has destroyed bat colonies throughout the eastern United States.

Not much is known about Maine’s bats, because populations were so healthy prior to this imported fungus that there

was no urgency to study them. Now scientists are trying to catch up.

Five bat species hibernate in Maine: big brown, little brown, northern longeared, eastern small-footed, and tri-colored. Three migrate south: hoary, silverhaired, and eastern red. White-nose syndrome can spread quickly among bats that hibernate in colonies. Migrating bats face their own dangers while traveling long distances.

My opinion about bats began to change when I learned how many insects they can eat in one night. A nursing little brown bat can consume her own weight in a single evening. Birds do a respectable job of eating pests, but most feed in the day. Mosquitoes and other pests proliferate at night, and it helps to have plenty of bats around to vacuum them out of the sky.

Nor is rabies quite the problem I thought it was in my misinformed childhood. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife estimates that the disease afflicts less than 1 bat in 20,000, and there is virtually no danger to humans unless some-

body decides to pick up a sick bat and play with it. They bite only in self-defense.

Nor do bats fly into your hair. If they sometimes veer close, it’s probably your fault. You’re attracting mosquitoes, and they’re just swooping in for an easy meal. Be grateful.

As we watched, the sky dance continued. I marveled at everything I had been missing. With the aid of the monitors, I heard a musical chorus in the night sky that had been there just beyond my human senses my whole life.

It gave me pause about how limited my senses really are. Many creatures can see ultraviolet light, beyond human perception. Migrating birds see magnetic fields. Dogs perceive the world as a place full of intriguing aromas. Owls can hear a mouse rustle in the leaves from 100 yards away. I miss so much.

BOB DUCHESNE is a local radio personality, Maine guide, and columnist. He lives on Pushaw Lake with his wife, Sandi.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 79

savvy seniors

Happy, Healthy Aging Nurturing healthy behaviors to improve your mental well-being.

BY JANE MARGESSON

M

ost of us

have experienced great stress in our lives at one point or another, and this stress often comes from multiple sources. Addressing family concerns while at the same time holding down a demanding job, for example, can be a great challenge. Very often when we experience a great deal of stress, it is our happiness and mental well-being

things are the best ways to improve your mental well-being as you age.

Interestingly, according to the survey, mental well-being improves in mid life with people age 54 and older having above average scores. Adults between the ages of 27-35 had the lowest average well-being score, while people ages 72 and older had the highest average. The full results of the survey can be found at

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that suffer. Are there healthy behaviors each of us might adopt that could help to counteract this? A new AARP survey may help us find the answer.

Using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), AARP’s latest survey conducted this year asked adults age 18 and older about their mental well-being and which healthy behaviors they engaged in on a consistent basis. Searching for the connections between positive mental health and brain health, the survey found some of the building blocks for successful aging. Exercising, eating a healthy diet, socializing, managing stress and learning new

aarp.org/2016SurveyonWellBeing. So often we hear about mental decline being a factor of aging, but it is encouraging to know that we can actually improve our mental well-being as we age by engaging in healthy behaviors.

What does this mean when it comes to managing stress? The survey reveals that managing stress effectively and pursuing a purpose in life are the two activities most closely associated with mental well-being. One way you can manage stress levels is to simply say “no.” It can be hard to accept the fact that you simply can't do everything! Resist the urge to take on more activities,

PHOTO: ABLEIMAGES/THINKSTOCK

Very often when we experience a great deal of stress, it is our happiness and mental well-being that suffer.

projects or financial obligations than you can handle. If someone asks you to do something that will stretch you too thin, explain honestly why you can’t (and don't feel guilty).

While we can’t always control the stressful situations that come our way, we could adopt one or two behaviors in an effort to keep our mental well-being in check. For example, think about something you have always wanted to learn.

Perhaps you’ve always wanted to learn how to play an instrument or how to tackle home improvement projects. There are plenty of opportunities to learn through the Maine Senior College or community college programs. Keeping your brain healthy is the key to staying sharp and keeping your brain fit, engaged and active now can help you maintain mental alertness throughout your life.

It appears that the more brain healthy activities adults engage in, the higher their mental well-being. Take a look at the results from the survey and see which behaviors capture your imagination. There’s no need to wait for New Year’s to make a resolution!

JANE MARGESSON is the AARP Maine communications director.

metro home

Good Fences

Finding just the right fencing fit for your property. BY METRO NEWS SERVICE

to erect fences on their properties for various reasons. Parents may find fences provide peace of mind during those times when their youngsters are playing in the yard, while other homeowners prefer fences for the privacy they can provide.

Whatever compels homeowners to consider fencing for their properties, those that have decided to install fencing will soon realize they have numerous options. Finding the right fencing material for your property requires considering a host of factors, including budget and personal style.

Aluminum

Aluminum fencing is ideal for those looking for something that’s both ornamental and functional. Aluminum fencing may not appeal to those homeowners whose biggest priority is privacy, as aluminum fences are not solid walls.

But aluminum fences are typically low maintenance, and they can be effective at keeping both kids and pets in the yard.

Aluminum fences painted with a rustinhibiting primer may require even less maintenance than aluminum fences painted without primer.

82 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

Bamboo

Bamboo is a less traditional fencing option that may appeal to homeowners who want to do something that’s both different and eco-friendly. Bamboo grows naturally, which should appeal to homeowners who want their homes to have as little negative impact on the environment as possible. Bamboo provides ample privacy and comes in various styles. Homeowners should consult with a fencing specialist before choosing a style so they can be certain they choose the most climate-appropriate option.

Chain-link

Chain-link fences may not add the aesthetic appeal homeowners are looking for, but they are relatively inexpensive, durable and functional. Chain-link fences are low maintenance, though homeowners looking for fences to provide some privacy may need to get creative if they install chain-link fencing. Planting flowers, shrubbery or trees near chainlink fences can add some aesthetic appeal and a little privacy.

Vinyl

Among the more expensive fencing options, vinyl can make up for that initial

sticker shock thanks to its durability. In addition, vinyl fences require little maintenance, saving homeowners the expense of paying for upkeep such as repainting.

Vinyl fencing comes in various styles, and homeowners can choose the style that best suits their priorities.

Wood

Of course, no discussion of fencing would be complete without mentioning wood fencing. Many homeowners love wood fencing because of its versatility with regard to design and color. The options are endless when it comes to crafting wood fencing, which also can be stained in any color homeowners prefer. Wood fencing can be designed not only for homeowners who prioritize privacy, but it also can be crafted for homeowners for whom privacy is not a significant concern. Wood is a relatively inexpensive fencing material, but the maintenance required to keep wood fencing looking great can sometimes be costly and time-consuming.

Options abound for homeowners looking to add fencing to their properties. Homeowners hesitant to choose a material and/or install their own fencing can consult local professionals to find the best fencing fit for their properties.

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H

omeowners choose

HANCOCK COUNTY

INSURANCE

WALDO COUNTY

LANDSCAPE SUPPLIES

Searsport • MLS#1272087 Location! Location! Large colonial family home with ocean view, 11 rooms, 4-5 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, guest apartment, elegant stairway, antique lights, corner lot, close to town. $395,000 LuAnne Adams 107 Main Street, Belfast Cell: 207-322-5930

Searsport • MLS# 1268199 Beautifully landscaped and impeccably maintained 3 bed 2 bath Colonial in Searsport. Nestled quietly in the woods surrounded by 6 acres and a stream, minutes to the harbor. $275,000 Tim Dutch 107 Main Street, Belfast Cell: 207-323-0440

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Something To Do?

Your listing could be on this page Sell it faster. Advertise in Bangor Metro’s Real Estate Guide. Call 941-1300.

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Special Section Featuring Northern Maine

by Bangor Metro

Path of Good Deeds With donated bike, Fort Fairfield boy pays it forward and inspires others.

PHOTO: INGRAM PUBLISHING/THINKSTOCK

BY ANTHONY BRINO

A

s school

was winding down at Fort Fairfield Elementary School in June, then-second grader Eric Helstrom won a reading contest and the prize of a new bike.

Helstrom could have kept the bike as

cided that he should donate it. “I thought someone else could use it,” said 9-yearold Helstrom.

Helstrom told his family and his grandfather approached Fort Fairfield Police Chief Shawn Newell to ask if the

“What really hits me in the heart is this generosity came from a 9-year-old boy. I can tell you that when I was his age the thought of giving a brand new bicycle away would never have crossed my mind.”

–Police Chief Shawn Newell a spare. He and his brother like to ride their bikes around town and over small ramps and could always get a flat tire.

Instead, Helstrom was thinking not so much of himself but of others, and de-

police could help find a someone who could use the new Huffy bike.

“After being in this job for over 21 years, I've seen a lot of good people do great things for others, and it's remarkable www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 85

crown of maine

what some people will do to help others,” Newell wrote in a Facebook post. “What really hits me in the heart is this generosity came from a 9-year-old boy. I can tell you that when I was his age the thought of giving a brand new bicycle away would never have crossed my mind.”

“I hope some other boy has fun riding on it,” Helstrom said.

Newell later took Helstrom out for ice cream at R&J’s Market, where Helstrom picked coffee, his favorite flavor, and got an idea for he might like to do when grows up — become a police officer, he said.

As of late July, the the Fort Fairfield police had not yet found a new rider for Helstrom’s donated bike, but his spirit of sharing had already spread.

A few days after word of Helstrom’s gift spread, an anonymous donor called the Fort Fairfield Police Department saying he wanted to help and would 86 / BANGOR METRO September 2016

buy a new bike for a youngster in town who could use it.

Newell said he quickly thought of Jacob Williams, a Fort Fairfield middle schooler

his tenure as Fort Fairfield’s police chief, said the two acts of generosity were both worth appreciating among the town’s community.

A few days after word of Helstrom’s gift spread, an anonymous donor called the Fort Fairfield Police Department saying he wanted to help and would buy a new bike for a youngster in town who could use it. whose bike had recently been vandalized and damaged by a group of teenagers.

Helstrom’s donated bike would have been too small for Williams, but the anonymous donor bought him a new youth mountain bike that he’s now riding around town.

Newell, who’s less than a year into

“To the exceptional gentleman who purchased this bicycle, I wish you could have been here to see Jacob's smile and appreciation,” Newell wrote. “To Jacob, enjoy your new bicycle. Ride safe and some day when you are able to do so, pay it forward.”

PHOTOS: (HELSTROM BOYS) COURTESY OF CHRISTINE HELSTROM; (JACOB WILLIAMS) COURTESY OF FORT FAIRFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT; (BIKE) GRAFNER/HTHINKSTOCK

(Top) Eric Helstrom, left, with younger brother Jack.

When Eric won a new bike in a reading contest at Fort Fairfield Elementary he decided to give it away, because both he and his brother have good working bikes. (Right) Jacob Williams received a new bike donated by an anonymous community member who was inspired

by Eric Helstrom.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 87

last

word

A

s a lifelong

The Making of a

Mainer Is lobster the key?

BY CHRIS QUIMBY

Mainer, I feel the need to participate in certain activities that characterize our region.

I’ve been marginally successful with this goal.

For example, I have had encounters with lobsters on two occasions.

The first was while eating a lobster stew at the home of a relative. I don’t remember loving or hating it, but I do remember — for reasons unknown to me — that it came back up that night. The second meeting with a lobster was at my sister’s wedding rehearsal, during which she attempted to show her appreciation to the wedding party by placing one of the creatures on each person’s plate.

I stared at mine for a long time, trying to feel prehistoric enough to rip into the monster in front of me, but could not summon the motivation. I sat there, a Maine Failure, finishing my baked potato while dozens of friends and families sucked meat from legs.

But all of my regional exploits have not ended in failure. In fact, I’m proud to say I’ve legally shot a buck after a career of deer hunting that consisted of no more than four total hours in the woods.

It was a few years ago. I was a bit of a metrosexual who had his wife regularly color highlights in his gel-soaked hairdo. I wore a chain and cologne regularly, but started to fear I was becoming too much of a pretty boy. I frequently looked out my back window and saw many of my male family members toting guns and looking for their prey for hours, weeks, months and years with varying degrees of success, and felt I should do the same.

After a hunter safety course, I went out with my uncle during a couple of cold mornings while he taught me how to hunt, which consisted of us pretending we weren’t freezing cold while we sat still and looked around for animals that were not there. Being impatient, I figured my hunting career was over, until I summoned the motivation to head out that Friday to give it a try on my own. After a quick prayer (which I’m sure everyone has tried at least once in their lives) and while listening to talk radio on my Walkman, I spied a buck deep in the woods and took one shot through the thick of the trees. Surprisingly, I hit it in an ideal location (according to me, not the deer) and I phoned my uncle to come over and help me dress the animal. I was not interested in placing my hands inside a dead thing. If I was fine with such activity, I would probably be a greater fan of lobster.

I stared at mine for a long time, trying to feel prehistoric enough to rip into the monster in front of me. I sat there, a Maine Failure, finishing my baked potato while friends and families sucked meat from legs.

I never hunted again. Part of this is because I lost interest, but the other part is because it makes it a cooler story — especially to other hunters who still haven’t shot a buck. The thrill I get from telling unsuccessful sportsmen of my four-hour hunting experience greatly outweighs the fear I should feel for making men with guns angry.

Three years ago, I climbed Mount Katahdin with my daughter. It was my sixth such trip. Each time, on the way down, I try to force the painful memories of hiking deeply enough into my brain in hopes that I will remember to never make the trek again. I am never successful, though, as evidenced by the fact that I continue to accept people’s invitations.

I predicted I would use my great powers of worrying to keep her safe.

Instead, she did great, while I seemed to trip on more rocks than anyone.

It’s hard not to conclude that, even though I’m gaining more credibility as a Mainer by the activities I participate in, I’m still aging, and I’m not quite sure what to do about that.

Perhaps I need to eat more lobster.

CHRIS QUIMBY is a Christian comedian, speaker and writer, morning news anchor and host of Soup du Jour on VStv, and owner of Chris Quimby iPhone Repair. He resides in Brooks with his wife and two children.

88 / BANGOR METRO September 2016