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SQUE ISLE • BANGOR • PORTLAND • STOCKHOLM • CHERRYFIELD • GOULDSBORO • MEDWAY • SANGERVILLE • KNOX • ELLSWORTH • ALNA • WINSL

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Restoring

History

Inn owners bring historic Dexter building back to life

Old Roads & Highways of Maine Discover how people have been getting there from here for centuries

Tricks &

TREATS $5.95

October 2016

Tricky Halloween crafts and treats to tempt all ages

Your people, your region, your magazine.

OCTOBER 2016

contents

features JUMPING TO THE RESCUE / 16 Lamoine rabbit rescue provides happy future to neglected animals JUST RIGHT / 18 Not too small, not too big – these small homes are just right MUSEUM TAKES FLIGHT / 20 Troop greeters create museum at airport BREATHE EASY / 22 Tips for improving indoor air quality OLD ROADS OF MAINE / 26 Well worn Maine roads with a story to tell A GUEST OF HISTORY / 34 Renovation of Dexter Inn honors historic legacy THE FASTEST ROUTE / 42 Take a ride along the Airline Road’s past and present

34

TRICKS & TREATS / 50 Deliciously disgusting Halloween treats

RUN MDI / 66 Local marathon is more than just a race

ON THE COVER Make your own Halloween tricks & treats.

See story on page 50.

Photo: Amy Allen 2 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

18

PHOTOS: (TOP) COURTESY OF THE BREWSTER INN; (BOTTOM) BDN FILE

BREWING IN BREWER / 56 Visit the newest addition to Maine’s craft brewery industry

16

Clever chalk art, page 60

New brews in Brewer, page 56

Follow the oldest roads in Maine, page 26

in every issue PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT) KELLEY DEAN; COURTESY OF COTTONTAIL COTTAGE RABBIT RESCUE; OSOZNANIEJIZNI/THINKSTOCK

TALK BACK & SIGHTINGS / 8 Our readers thoughts and photos

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES

BIZ BUZZ / 10 People and places on the move

• Scan the code to visit us at bangormetro.com

WHAT’S HAPPENING / 11 Local news and events PERSPECTIVES / 60 Chalk art from Kelley Dean

columns

AIMEE & AMY TRY... / 62 Light up Halloween decorations

METRO WELLNESS / 25 A taste of empty nest

SAVVY SENIORS / 70 Age-friendly initiatives in Bangor

METRO FAMILY / 64 Transitioning back to school

METRO HOME / 72 Pros and cons of adding an island

MAINE WOODS & WATERS / 68 A visit to Sugar Island

CROWN OF MAINE / 77 News from Aroostook County

LAST WORD / 80 Potty time privacy

Visit us out on Facebook to enter fun giveaways!

Check out our interactive map of the Airline Road (featured on page 42) More photos from events around our region.

Email your own event photos: sightings@bangormetro.com

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 3

editor’s note

Dressing up, more often than not, meant turtlenecks under princess and Minnie Mouse costumes. Snowpants were almost always mandated and made it impossible to look anything like a real witch — nice or scary. And although it was fun to visit my Nana and a few special neighbors to get homemade popcorn balls and assorted candy bars they knew were my favorite, I was too shy to knock on random doors and request treats.

My dad, on the other hand, has been a Halloween expert since I can remember. He would decorate the house, put giant silver speakers in the windows and play scary music, and, as a bus driver, he loved to dress up for the kids he drove. Embarrassing when you’re 13, awesome when you’re an adult. I never quite got it ... until now.

I have two little ones now and we have developed traditions of our own — Pumpkins in the Park, scooping guts on the dining room table and coming up with our own creations, and my favorite, trick-or-treating along the “tree streets” in Bangor.

Chloe is 5 and has made it very clear that going from house to house with her Unc, auntie and cousin is required. My crazy creative kiddo insisted on being a Pumpkin Princess last year, so I found a shirt and leggings, made a tutu and wand, and a princess was born. At Chloe’s request, her little brother was dressed as her pumpkin — adorable!

She’s already begun planning this year’s adventures, although a costume decision had yet to be finalized at press time. No matter what the decision, I will cherish each year, memory, and Halloween night bellyache.

AIMEE THIBODEAU, MANAGING EDITOR

4 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

PHOTOS: 3DMAVR & NELIK/THINKSTOCK

As a kid, Halloween was never my favorite.

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

ART DIRECTOR

Amy Allen aallen@bangordailynews.com

SUBSCRIPTION & PROMOTIONS MANAGER

Fred Stewart fstewart@bangordailynews.com

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

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 5

6 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jane Margesson

Bob Duchesne

Chris Quimby

Richard Shaw

Emilie Brand Throckmorton

YOUR INJURY IS PERSONAL Bangor Metro Magazine. October 2016, Vol. 12, No. 10.

Copyright © 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.

You did not expect to be in a car crash.

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.

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COVER PHOTO: Amy Allen

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 / 7

talk back & sightings

We Love Hearing From You

Thank you for supporting our Best Restaurant Contest!

“Honored to have been chosen as ‘Best Take-Out’ by the readers of Bangor Metro ... Thank you to all of our wonderful patrons and our hardworking & loyal staff!

And congrats to the other winners!”

Pepino’s Taco Stand

A lot of love on Facebook:

2016

“Wow! That’s a lot of votes.

Thank you so much for crowning Side Street’s burgers the best in Downeast Maine! We are honored to stand alongside such amazing food and beverage stars. Don’t miss this issue of Bangor Metro for tons of great ideas and recommendations on where to dine and how to find the best treats in our great state! #Maine” –Side Street Cafe

“A huge thank you to all who voted us Bangor Metro’s Bangor’s Best Bar for 2016. It would not be possible without the hard work and dedication from our awesome staff! Also a huge thanks to all of the breweries and distributors who help navigate the beer world so we can bring you the best beers on the planet. The biggest thanks has to go out to YOU...our guests, who make everything we do possible. We sincerely appreciate your patronage and support. Cheers!”

“Mason’s Brewing Company would like to say congrats to our staff and all other winners this year . We were able to sqeak in with a little more then a month left in voting and won Best New Restaurant in the Greater Bangor Area posted in the Bangor Metro. Cheers to all and thanks for the support.”

–Mason’s Brewing Company

–Nocturnem Draft Haus

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

Brew & Wine Fest on tap in Presque Isle, page 77

Behind the Scenes Help

We’re feeling at home all across the state!

Our home issue is full of tips and tricks for renovating or building your dream house.

Bangor gets age-friendly accolades, page 70

Running around MDI, page 66

Like any job, our staff often takes work home with them – and sometimes it’s really fun and we end up with extra helpers. When staff writer Emily Burnham wrote about puking pumpkins and other gruesome snacks for this month’s Food File (page 52), Art Director Amy Allen’s son Finn volunteered to scoop pumpkin guts and help carve this gross-out snack that’s obviously going to be an instant hit for Halloweenfanatics both young and old.

Coming NEXT MONTH...

Your guide to living well. From getting in shape at any age to tips from local health authorities, it’s time for a check up.

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

8 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

Fun and celebrations

have been taking place all over our communities in the past month!

1 2

1: The 13th annual Crown of Maine Balloon Fest was a huge success, with dozens of colorful hot air balloons taking to the sky throughout the weekend.

PHOTOS: (1) JAYNE LEDGER BOWLER: (2 & 3) JEFF KIRLIN / THE THING OF THE MOMENT

2: Bangor Land Trust’s Pedal the Penobscot celebrated cycling while supporting Bangor’s wild backyard. The ride offered five distance

options, from a family-friendly 10 miles to a must-do ‘flat’ century route.

3: Waterfall Arts celebrated a decade ago in Belfast with a free brass band concert in August. Waterfall Arts opened its doors in Belfast in the former Governor Anderson Elementary School building 10 years ago.

3

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 9

biz buzz Designer Lori Hardy of Hammond Lumber Company (left) with customer Laura Michaud in the finished kitchen that won a national award.

On the Move Bangor Savings Bank has hired FRANK BENEDICT as its vice president and regional mortgage development manager covering Cumberland and York counties. Prior to joining Bangor Savings Bank, Benedict served in mortgage operations, and most recently as a regional sales manager at TD Bank.

Prior to joining TD Bank, he served as a regional sales manager at H&R Block Mortgage. Benedict is active in his community, serving as the crew chief for the Autism Awareness Race. He also is involved with his children’s sports teams, previously serving as a football coach.

Benedict resides in Poland with his wife of 27 years and their five children.

Awards Three prominent Maine women were presented Deborah Morton Awards at the 55th annual Deborah Morton Society Convocation at the University of New England’s Portland Campus. Bestowed upon women who have achieved high distinction in their careers and public service, or whose leadership in civic, cultural or social causes has been exceptional, the award was named in memory of Deborah Morton of Round Pond, Maine, valedictorian of the 1879 class and a longtime faculty member of Westbrook Seminary, the forerunner of Westbrook College, which merged with the University of New England in 1996. In the past 54 years, the event has honored more than 180 Maine women.

This year’s award recipients are: DR. SUSAN J. HUNTER , University of Maine president; GILDA E. NARDONE , executive director of New Ventures Maine; and EILEEN F. SKINNER , a health care administration executive with many years of experience who was most recently the president and chief executive officer of Mercy Health System of Maine.

10 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

Hammond Lumber’s LORI HARDY has created hundreds of kitchens during her 14 years working as a designer, eight of them in the Kitchen Bath & Flooring Center at Hammond Lumber Company’s Bangor store. After helping a Dedham couple create a kitchen for their new home in 2015, she submitted her design to a national industry contest.

Candlelight Cabinetry selected Hardy’s design as the company’s Excellence in Design Gold Award for finishing second among more than 40 designs submitted nationally. Hardy originally designed the award-winner for the the home of Laura Michaud and her husband, Bill.

RUDMAN WINCHELL has received a Tier 1

ranking in the 2017 The Best Lawyers in America “Best Law Firms.” Rudman Winchell attorneys DAVID C. KING, FRANK T. MCGUIRE, EDMOND J. BEAROR, HANS S. PETERSON, ANNE-MARIE L. STOREY, and JENNIFER L. EASTMAN, have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017 Edition. As a firm, Rudman Winchell receives Top Tier rankings in Employment LawManagement, Labor Law-Management, Elder Law, Litigation-Insurance , Litigation-Municipal, Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants, Land Use and Zoning, Business Organizations including LLC’s and Partnerships, Municipal Law, and Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants. For the second time in his career, Edmond Bearor is recognized as the Lawyer of the Year for Land Use and Zoning Law. Bearor is the chairman of the Municipal and Government Law Group and is the Managing Partner of the firm.

Grants The following Maine organizations have been awarded a total of $290,000 in Rural Business Development Grants to help create jobs and economic growth across the state: MAINE FARMLAND TRUST INC., Belfast, $54,000, to provide a technical assistance program on the business of

farming for wholesale, to help Maine farms scale up to serve wholesale markets. The project has the potential to create five jobs and save 25 more. The project is also projected to assist 26 businesses; the CITY OF EASTPORT, $27,000, to complete a feasibility study for a high-tech incubator and training facility located in Eastport, which will also service the communities of Pleasant Point, Perry, Pembroke, Robbinston, Whiting, and Lubec. The project has the potential to create 45 jobs and assist 16 businesses; MAINE FEDERATION OF FARMERS’ MARKETS, Pittsfield, $66,510, to evaluate the economic impact and growth capacity of Maine’s rural farmers’ markets, with particular emphasis on those in Calais, Belfast, Bucksport, Norway, and Presque Isle. The project has the potential to create 13 jobs and save 55 others. It is also projected to assist 88 small farms and businesses; SOMERSET ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Skowhegan, $59,500, to acquire equipment for lease to Maine Grains for its “Efficient Grain Handling Project,” including a grain unloading and transport system and a 15-ton grain storage bin. The project has potential to create 11 jobs and assist eight businesses; and the TOWN OF NEW CANADA, $82,990, to acquire land and construct a garage and workshop for lease to Allagash View Farm for use in its Christmas tree, wreath, and proposed haskap berry operations. The project has the potential to create two jobs and save four others.

The project also will assist four businesses.

CORRECTION In the “Building Blocks” story in our August issue, UMaine Associate Professor Will Manion was misidentified. The professor in the photos is John Hwalek of UMaine Chemical Engineering.

what’s happening

PHOTO: COURTESY OF WRIGHT-RYAN CONSTRUCTION

Efficient BREWER: A new housing project in Brewer has put Maine on the map with one of the largest passive house projects in North America — second only to a development on the West Coast.

Village Centre Apartments at 266 Center St. offers 48 units of workforce housing built to the rigorous Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) design standard, making the development more affordable for residents and providing more long-term stability for building owners.

The development, owned by Community Housing of Maine, is so efficient that it’s likely tenants won’t have to turn the heat on even during Maine’s chilliest winter nights.

Passive building isn’t a new concept, but the idea is gaining traction. Its design principles attain a quantifiable and rigorous level of energy efficiency within a specific quantifiable comfort level. “Maximize your gains, minimize your losses”

Living

summarize the approach. To that end, a passive building is designed and built in accordance with these five building-science principles: • Continuous insulation through its entire envelope without any thermal bridging.

• The building envelope is extremely airtight, preventing infiltration of outside air and loss of conditioned air.

• High-performance windows (typically triplepaned) and doors • Some form of balanced heat- and moisturerecovery ventilation with a minimal space conditioning system.

• Solar gain is managed to exploit the sun’s energy for heating purposes and to minimize it in cooling seasons.

Passive building principles can be applied to all buildings — from single-family homes to apartment buildings to offices and skyscrapers.

Panelists at GrowSmart Maine’s forum at Village Centre in Brewer toured the precertified Passive House Institute U.S. project with attendees to point out energy efficiencies and the benefits of public-private investment. Among the panelists was Cordelia Pitman, Director of Preconstruction Services for WrightRyan, the project’s construction manager.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 11

what’s happening

OCTOBER October 2-9 Fryeburg Fair The yearly tradition is jam-packed with food, rides, animals, games, music including country and rock artists like the Mallett Brothers Band, Laura Bell Bundy, Sam Bush and the Brothers Osbourne, harness racing, historical displays, people-watching and all the wonderful parts of a true agricultural fair. The Fryeburg Fair is Maine’s largest fair of its kind. Admission to this classic fall event is $10 each day and free for kids under 12.

October 9 Bangor Symphony Orchestra’s “Rhapsody in Blue” A Maine premiere and American classics, including Gershwin’s iconic and beloved “Rhapsody In Blue” with pianist Andrew Staupe, kick off the BSO’s 121st season, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9 at the Collins Center for the Arts.

12 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

Other pieces set to be performed include Christopher Theofanidis “Dreamtime Ancestors” and Leonard Bernstein’s “On the Town: Three Dance Episodes,” as well as Peter Re’s “Celebratory Overture,” honoring the late former BSO maestro. bangorsymphony.org October 15 Pink Runway Project Fashion Show The Pink Runway Project Foundation is a celebratory educational and charitable organization whose purpose is, first and foremost, to increase professional and public awareness about the reconstructive and symmetry rights of breast cancer patients, the many new game-changing options now available, and the long term lifestyle and health implications of choosing reconstructive surgery over breast conservation. To honor Breast Cancer Awareness month, the organization will host a fashion show, cocktail party and

musical showcase from 5:30-11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. pinkrunwayproject.org October 15, 21-22, 28-29 Fright at the Fort, Fort Knox State Park By far the scariest haunted house or haunted experience in the state of Maine period, this annual spooktacular is recommended for older kids and adults, and is an all-out scream-fest not to be missed. Tours are at 5:30 and 9 p.m. and admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Don’t say we didn’t warn you…

October 20 New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players “The Pirates of Penzance” This New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players production set for the Collins Center for the Arts on Thursday, Oct. 20 is your chance to get carried away by “The Pirates of Penzance.” This exuberant

musical theater masterpiece, directed and conducted by Albert Bergeret with choreography by Bill Fabris, is performed in its original format. The rich sounds of full orchestra, chorus, and lvocal soloists resonate with classic elegance and power while the company’s vibrancy, energy and contemporary sense of humor keep the show alive and exciting to a modern audience. Tickets are available at the Collins Center for the Arts box office. collinscenterforthearts.com October 20-Nov. 6 “Murder For Two” at the Penobscot Theatre Company Everyone is a suspect in “Murder for Two,” a hilarious musical murder mystery with a twist: One actor investigates the crime, one actor plays all the suspects, and they both play the piano. A zany blend of classic musical comedy and madcap mystery, this fast-paced whodunit is a highly theatrical duet loaded with killer laughs.

Penobscot Theatre offers this Maine premiere from Oct. 20 through Nov. 6 at the Bangor Opera House. penobscottheatre.org

PHOTOS: BDN FILE

October 20-23 Harvest on the Harbor, Portland The state’s premiere food and wine festival takes place over five days around Portland, with events including the Maine Lobster Chef Competition, the annual Barbecue and Brews event, beer crawls around town, tons of special dinners and the huge marketplace.

Tickets for individual events or for the whole weekend vary in price; visit harvestontheharbor.com for more information. harvestontheharbor.com October 22 Bangor Uncorked If you like tasting different wines, hanging with friends and shopping, “Bangor Uncorked,” set for Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Cross Insurance Center, is the event for you! Sip, shop, socialize, listen to live music and spend a delightful evening surrounded by friends as you sample from over 50 different local, national and international wines.

Tickets are $35-$50 and are available at the Cross Insurance Center box office. crossinsurancecenter.com

Oct. 2-9 Fryeburg Fair

Oct. 15-29 Fright at the Fort, Fort Knox State Park

Oct. 20-23 Harvest on the Harbor, Portland

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 13

October 28 I Love The 90s Tour I Love The 90’s Tour is coming to Bangor on Friday, Oct. 28 for what is being billed as the largest throwback concert event in Maine. 90s kids will flip for hip hop and pop artists including Salt N Pepa with DJ Spinderella, Vanilla Ice, All-4-One, Color Me Badd, Tone Loc, Rob Base and Young MC. Tickets for this wild and crazy show are available via Ticketmaster. ticketmaster.com

14 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

PHOTO: BDN FILE

Oct. 23 Pumpkins in the Park, Bangor

October 23 14th annual Pumpkins in the Park, Cross Insurance Center This annual Halloween celebration is a family-friendly event set for the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, featuring tons of jack-o-lanterns, hayrides, trick or treating, clowns, face painting, bounce houses and more good, clean fun, set for noon until 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25. Admission is $3 per person or $10 for a family, and benefit United Cerebral Palsy of Maine. crossinsurancecenter.com

unsung hero

F Jumping

loppy ears,

to the Rescue Lamoine rabbit rescue providing a happy future for neglected animals.

fluffy tails and general cuteness make bunnies a popular pet – but caring for a rabbit is a bigger task than many pet owners are ready for and rabbits often end up neglected or abandoned. That’s where the volunteers of Cottontail Cottage Rabbit Rescue and founder Jenny Nichols step in to help.

Rabbits are one of the most cruelly neglected and misunderstood pets, according to Nichols. “Many come to the shelter in deplorable conditions and have received the very worst kind of inhumane treatment. Rabbits have no voice. Unlike other species, they cannot cry out, bark, whine or meow,” she said.

Cottontail Cottage Rabbit Rescue, located in Lamoine, is run entirely by volunteers, dedicated to rescuing abandoned, neglected or surrendered rabbits. Since 2011, the non-profit and fully licensed shelter has been spaying and neutering orphaned rabbits and providing them with physical and social rehabilitation at the “Bunny Barn.”

Some bunnies are available for adoption to approved homes, while many – especially the elderly or those who have experienced extreme neglect and abuse – live out the rest of their lives as “very spoiled” sanctuary rabbits at CCRR. “Most of these bunnies have only ever known tiny, rusty, wire cages with barely room to turn around,” Nichols said. “One of our recent rescues dragged her back feet and did not know how to hop as she had spent her entire life in one of these prisons. It wasn’t long before she was leaping in joy at her new found freedom, here, at CCRR.” When rabbits are at their happiest, Nichols explained, they leap into the air and twist their bodies in an acrobatic fashion called a binky.

“It is a sight to behold and the simple joy of it can take your breath away. This is how rabbits are meant to be kept.”

At CCRR, rabbits enjoy a safe and enriching environment with many natural elements like stumps, hollow logs and fresh cut branches to chew, and forest dirt to dig in. Thanks to a recent grant from the prestigious “Binky Foundation,” CCRR built several large stalls this past summer, with connecting, predator-safe, outdoor pens.

The organization is now accepting donations to help winterize their new Bunny Barn. The barn was purchased this past spring, with the support of donors, from the Amish in Pennsylvania and trucked to its new location.

“Winter is not far off and we need to raise funds to winterize the barn,” Nichols said. “This will include running electric, insulating the walls and purchasing a heating system. Without heat, water dishes freeze and have to be continually filled, not to mention, the rabbits having to endure the sometimes below zerodegree nights.”

One of the services Nichols is passionate about, is educating the public concerning the needs and welfare for domesticated rabbits and the importance of spaying and neutering. Folks from all over the world contact the organization on daily basis via the internet to ask questions and get advice regarding rabbits and their welfare.

Nichols says unfortunately many shelters do not accept rabbits due to the fact that they are considered “exotics.” CCRR serves most of New England, with a concentration in Maine’s Washington and Hancock counties based on their location. They draws visitors from as far away as Massachusetts and Vermont; some to surrender and adopt, others to enjoy their lecture series and hands-on learning events, many of which are directed at children.

For more information or to make a donation, visit ccrabbitrescue.org.

16 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF COTTONTAIL COTTAGE RABBIT RESCUE; (TWO BUNNIES) CHENGYUZHENG/THINKSTOCK

Some bunnies are available for adoption, while many – especially the elderly or those who have experienced extreme neglect and abuse – live out the rest of their lives as “very spoiled” sanctuary rabbits at CCRR.

A few scenes from Cottontail Cottage Rabbit Rescue in Lamoine.

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eye on industry

Somewhere between a tiny house and a McMansion lives the perfect fit.

BY ABIGAIL CURTIS

18 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

T

iny houses

may be trendy, but small houses are smart homes that are good solutions for many people.

That’s the feeling of a couple of Mainers who specialize in designing and building small — but certainly not tiny — houses. Their particular architectural niche hasn’t inspired as many how-to websites, admiring slideshows, explanatory articles, earnest documentaries and even sometimes-hilarious parodies as tiny houses, which generally are considered to be between 100 and 400 square feet. But small houses still have been gaining popularity in the last few years even as the burgeoning tiny house movement has grabbed what seems like all of the headlines in alternative design.

“There’s a ton of interest in small houses,” builder Jim Bahoosh of Morrill said this week. “From people all over the age spectrum and all over the economic spectrum. I’m as busy as I want to be.”

Bahoosh, who works by himself to build houses that generally range from 500 to 900 square feet, was putting the finishing touches on a two-story cottage tucked into a postage stamp-sized piece of land in the crowded, quaint village of Bayside in the town of Northport. He and a business partner purchased the property to build a speculative small house on it with hopes of eventually finding a

buyer. He started construction last October and the 1,000-square-foot house, built with deep gables and lots of light, was under contract before they ever had to advertise it for sale.

In many ways, the house fits right into the neighborhood of wooden, Gothic Revival buildings, many of which were constructed between 1870 and 1920 as part of the Northport Wesleyan Grove Methodist camp village. Just like the other homes nearby, it is diminutive and has breezy, charming touches, such as the gingerbread trim carved into phases of the moon. In other ways, of course, the new home is different, more modern. It is built to be energy-efficient, with lots of insulation and modern technology like an electric heat pump heating system.

For Bahoosh, who focuses on small houses, the fact that his brand-new house is a good match for the old-fashioned Bayside neighborhood is no coincidence.

“In the 1950s, the average-size new house in America was about 850 square feet,” he said. “Now, it’s about 2,700 square feet.”

That is a lot of space, he said, in a time when American families are getting smaller and more people are interested in having smaller utility bills and less of an environmental impact. Still, Bahoosh is not interested in building tiny houses,

PHOTOS: BDN FILE

Just Right

Jim Bahoosh (below) and a house he built in Northport in 2015 and 2016. Bahoosh, of Morrill, designs and builds small houses that usually range between 500 and 900 square feet.

which to him means something that is on wheels and is not code-compliant.

“Although it might sound freeing to have a little house on wheels, that’s not my skill set,” he said. “I am a lot more comfortable in small houses. I don’t like to feel cramped.”

David Foley, a designer with Northport-based Holland & Foley Architecture, said that he respects the people who are passionate about tiny houses.

“My hat is off,” he said. “I admire the spunk of folks trying alternatives. It seems to me we need a variety of approaches.”

However, he pointed out some of the same issues with the tiny structures that Bahoosh did.

“So far, few tiny houses are legal in many towns and cities as a full-time dwelling,” he said.

Building them on trailers means that they don’t have to meet all building codes, but it also means that tiny-house residents are not likely to have a fixed address.

That might be attractive to some people, but certainly not everyone. Foley said that he and his business partner Sarah Holland have been working quietly for a little more than a decade on designs for homes that range from a little over 300 square feet to just under 2,000 square feet.

“Somewhere between the tiny house and the McMansions, there seems to be a missing piece,” he said. “I think people are not happy in a bunch of wasted space with a bunch of clutter … and we don’t need to go down to everybody living in a camper trailer to make way better use of the spaces we have now.”

A couple of years ago, he and Holland decided the time was right to get louder about their small home designs and work to share them with more people.

“We were seeing an unmet need, and a middle class that was under some pressures. We weren’t seeing people designing for them,” he said. “We’re still building these great big things, and we’re not building places where people can grow old in place. In an aging state like Maine, we should be addressing that.”

Bahoosh said that is a concern of his, too. He pointed out ways that his Bayside house utilizes what he calls “universal design,” a way for people of different physical abilities to use the space, such as a first-floor room that could be used as a bedroom for someone who can’t get up the stairs.

“I call it thinking ahead,” he said.

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www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 19

movers & shakers

Museum

Takes Flight

Troop Greeters create museum at Bangor International Airport.

BY JODI HERSEY

Troop Greeters Gil Cory and Cathy Czarnecki.

T

he Maine Troop

Greeters, an all volunteer group made up of men, women and veterans dedicated to greeting troops any time, day or night, at the Bangor International Airport, may be getting older, but they aren’t slowing down.

The group is putting in some long hours these days in an effort to make the Maine Troop Greeters Museum a reality.

“The troop greeters really became active in 2003 and it started completely spontaneously. People were coming out and meeting flights. Over the course of almost 14 years, we’ve had more than 1.5 million greeting experiences. But if you tell someone you greet troops, it doesn’t tell the story,” explained Troop Greeter Gil Cory. “It’s like being on drugs. You want more.”

Since the number of troop flights coming into BIA has decreased fairly significantly, Cory, Cathy Czarnecki and dozens of other troop greeters are getting their high by fundraising for the museum. The goal is to collect $500,000 for an interactive museum located in the hallway that connects the main terminal building to the international building at BIA. It’s something that’s always been in the back of greeters’ minds, especially with the mass amounts of memorabilia they’ve collected over the years from soldiers.

“There are 5,800 coins, 2,400 patches. We’ve got over 3,000 decals and thousands of photos that are all being cataloged and scanned, put into the computer and saved,” said Czarnecki. “We also have a fallen heroes book going way back to 2001 and 2002 and that has been emotional. When we’d have a flight come home that lost someone, they’d all be huddled around that book. One soldier even left a rosary and a beautiful note in that book. It’s very nice.”

All of the items are currently in the troop greeter room located on the second floor of the airport, which is only open when a greeter is there. But the collection far exceeds the square footage of the room itself.

“If nothing is done, all of this is eventually going to be put in boxes and stored and the story won’t be told,” said Cory.

To prevent that from happening, the troop greeters have teamed up with a museum architect out of Portland to design the museum which is tentatively scheduled to open in November 2017.

“All in all, it has been an experience. If someone were to say to me, you can’t do this anymore, it would break my heart because it’s a passion,” explained Czarnecki.

“People say, ‘Why do you do it?’ That’s not a question you can answer. Unless you actually stand in line with us and welcome these heroes home I can’t tell you what it’s like. It’s amazing but that doesn’t say it.”

“The troop greeters really became active in 2003 and it started completely spontaneously. People were coming out and meeting flights. Over the course of almost 14 years, we’ve had more than 1.5 million greeting experiences.”

–Gil Cory

The troop greeters hope the museum will be able to capture the pride, feelings and emotions that so many of them have felt each and every time a military flight has passed through the airport.

“If you don’t get affected by it, you don’t have a pulse,” said Cory.

So far over 260 donors have generously stepped forward to support the project.

But many more donations are needed.

“I think the museum will speak for itself when it is done. It will be the Maine Troop Greeters Museum dedicated to those who served. And I think people, just out of curiosity, are going to check it out,” said Czarnecki.

For more information or to make an online donation, visit mainetroopgreetersmuseum.org. Donations by check can also be mailed to Maine Troop Greeters, 287 Godfrey Boulevard, Box 6, Bangor Maine 04401.

20 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

PHOTOS: JODI HERSEY

metro health

Breathe Easy

BY METRO NEWS SERVICE

U

pon the

arrival of winter, people in regions where winter is marked by cold weather tend to spend significantly more time indoors. Because windows tend to be closed during winter, indoor air quality can suffer, making conditions inside a home less than desirable.

may experience worsening symptoms thanks to the presence of endotoxins, which are substances that come from the broken-down cells of dead bacteria.

Because many people spend significantly more time indoors during winter than other times of the year, it’s essential that they take measures

Because windows tend to be closed during winter, indoor air quality can suffer, making conditions inside a home less than desirable.

According to the American Lung Association, poor air circulation in a home can promote the spread of bacteria and viruses. Once such bacteria or viruses are inhaled, coughs, colds and flu can spread.

In addition, asthma and allergy sufferers 22 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

to improve indoor air quality in the months ahead.

• Cut back on chemicals. It’s ideal to avoid heavy chemical usage inside a home throughout the year, but it’s especially important to do so

PHOTO: ANIKASALSERA/THINKSTOCK

Improve indoor air quality in advance of winter.

during winter. Solvent-based cleaners or cleaning products with strong fragrances can negatively affect indoor air quality and potentially trigger allergic reactions. In lieu of chemicallyenhanced cleaning products, use natural products that get the job done without sacrificing indoor air quality.

• Stop smoking indoors. Tobacco smoke can affect smokers and nonsmokers alike. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that secondhand smoke causes numerous health problems in infants and children.

Those include more frequent and severe asthma attacks and respiratory infections. In addition, reports from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have linked secondhand

smoke to an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Adults exposed to secondhand smoke are at greater risk for coronary heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of pollutants that can greatly diminish indoor air quality, so make sure smokers limit their smoking to outside the home throughout the year, but especially during winter.

• Take off your shoes when entering the home. Snowy conditions often require a home’s inhabitants and guests to remove their footwear upon entering a home, but it helps to remove footwear in a mudroom or just inside the front door when entering a home even when it’s not snowing. Shoes can pick up dirt, dust and a host of other particles

during winter, and if tracked inside those unwanted guests can negatively affect indoor air quality.

• Routinely inspect bathrooms for mold. During winter, mold can grow in rooms that are exposed to moisture but not properly ventilated.

In many homes, that’s the bathroom.

Even if a bathroom has a ventilation fan, routinely inspect the ceiling and shower for mold growth. Exposure to mold can cause a host of negative side effects, including nasal and sinus congestion and sore throat. Mold also can exacerbate asthma symptoms.

Improving and maintaining indoor air quality in winter can help a home’s inhabitants stay healthy during the colder months. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 23

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24 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

metro

A Taste of

wellness

Empty Nest

I

Reflections on sending kids to camp. BY EMILIE BRAND THROCKMORTON

PHOTO: ANTPKR/THINKSTOCK

always knew

that our kids would go off to sleepaway camp when they got old enough, but I was startled last winter when my 9-year-old stated quite adamantly that he was ready, that he wanted to go the very next summer.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “You wouldn’t see me for 7 days.”

He didn’t pause.

“Definitely. I’m ready. I want to go.”

We started looking at the website for Camp Jordan, the nearby YMCA camp that I’ve heard my students raving about during all my years as a high school teacher, and my 11-year-old daughter overheard the list I read aloud: “sailing, nature survival, modern dance, kayaking, archery.”

Not to be outdone by her little brother, she sat up, “Then I’m going, too.”

This all seemed like a grand idea last winter. The kids are confident! They are independent! They are ready to spread their wings! I was feeling so proud as I filled out the paperwork to send them away for a week of adventure.

As summer got closer, the kids got more and more excited about Camp Jordan while I got more and more anxious. Logically, I knew I’d made the right decision by signing them up, and they gave me every indication that they were ready. But I was a wreck, bad dreams and all, and I have no excuse for my overreaction. Did I mention that my kids were not even nervous?

I know some parents send their kids to camp when the kids themselves are ambivalent or downright scared. These were not my kids. My kids were psyched.

When I’d vent to my husband about my concerns: “What if they are lonely? What if they get sick?” he’d say, “We are sending them off to have the most fun week of their lives, playing outside all day with other kids.” Well, geez. Clearly, he was not going to jump on my worry train. These problems were mine and mine alone.

To quell my nerves, I spent all of my energy on packing. I made piles in our

living room of all items on the list, folded everything into neat little bundles, and wrote their names on their toothpaste, their shampoo, even on the washcloths I wasn’t sure they’d even use.

It was chilly and rainy on drop-off day, and my heart was in my throat as we bounced along the dirt road to camp. Once we arrived, time was a blur of scurrying to cabins and helping to tuck sheets under bunk bed mattresses. I made it out of my son’s cabin without letting him see my tears. When I hugged my daughter’s counselor, a student I knew from my school, I might have held on a little too long and she patted me slowly on the back.

every other bright, happy verb I could use.

It turns out, I didn’t have to worry about any homesickness or struggles at all. In the car heading home after pick up, they talked and sang and couldn’t physically make their mouths move fast enough to get all of the good things out they wanted to share.

Of course, I was relieved, thrilled even, to see this outcome. But I felt a little beat up, and definitely had to do some soul searching about why their fantastic week had been so hard for me. There was a disconnect between what I knew in my head was good for them and what I felt in my body as I missed them so much. I am trying to bridge that gap.

There was a disconnect between what I knew in my head was good for them and what I felt in my body as I missed them so much.

“They are going to have a blast,” she said.

I cried all the way home.

I want to tell you that the week at home without kids was wonderfully quiet and that I relaxed and enjoyed the peace. In truth, I didn’t. I felt a visceral loss without being able to contact them or know how things were going. Thankfully, the camp posts photos on Facebook each evening (a lifeline for parents!) and on day two, I found pictures of both of my kids which gave me some key information: they were no longer sitting in the dark cabins where I left them, they had changed their clothes, they were surrounded by new friends, and they were SMILING. You have probably already guessed that their first experience at sleepaway camp was a smashing success. They both thrived and shined and blossomed and

I am incredibly grateful both to have the resources to send our kids to camp and to have the kind of kids that want to go. And while I wasn’t singing camp songs around the fire every night, I probably learned as much as they did while they were gone. I learned to unclench my fists a little and to trust that the world outside my nest is good for my children; their world is bigger than just the world I’ve made for them, and thank goodness.

But at the same time, I won’t rewrite my story based on the fact that they had a great time at camp. Parents, it’s hard to let go. Be validated in the ache you feel in your arms when your kids grow up and start to go out on their own. The strength they feel in their independence is as real as the pull you feel in your heart. So yes, sign them up for camp, but give yourself some extra love, too.

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 / 25

feature story

Old Roads of Maine All over Maine, you’ll find well-worn trails with a story to tell.

BY EMILY BURNHAM

W

hether you’re on

PHOTOS: LEEJIANBING & ALBERTPEGO/THINKSTOCK; (PORTLAND) BDN FILE

your daily commute or on a weekend jaunt to visit friends or family, you probably aren’t thinking too much about the roads you’re traveling on — unless they’re full of potholes, but that’s another story.

And yet, some of those roads have incredible stories to tell. Some roads date back well into the 17th century, or sometimes even older, tracing the earliest trade routes between Europeans and Native peoples. In fact, if you think about where things like alewives, fish and beavers were — three valuable trading commodities all found in rivers and streams — then you can pretty well see where trails would lead and villages and later towns would pop up.

The oldest roads in Maine predate not just the founding of the state, but in many cases the dawn of the colonial era. Before they were paved or even just simply widened for horses or stagecoaches, they were footpaths, cleared and worn for centuries by Native peoples throughout the state.

This fall, when you’re out leaf peeping — or even if you’re just heading to the grocery store for milk — and you find yourself on one of the below routes, take a minute to reflect on the fact that there’s a lot of history on those well-worn trails.

26 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

Waterways along the coastline from Portland (pictured above) to Kittery were part of the original King’s Highway, which later became U.S. Route 1.

King’s Highway, aka U.S. Route 1 Kittery to Portland

Certainly the most heavily-trafficked road in Maine other than Interstate 95, U.S. Route 1 in Maine has a long, convoluted history. Though Route 1 today doesn’t perfectly follow the old King’s Highway — among the very first roads in colonial New England, dating back to the early 1653 — it is comprised of fragments of what was once the main trade route by land between Boston and Portland. Initially, the road was called the “Kennebunk Road by the Sea,” and according to a Maine Department of Transportation, “it consisted of nothing more than two cart wheel ruts with a horse path in the middle… there were no bridges, and waterways along the coastline were forded where possible at low tide and crossed with a ferry as travel grew in volume. This first King’s Highway was the only means of communication between the Province of Maine and Massachusetts for more than a century.”

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 27

feature story

Old Augusta Road The Old Augusta Road is another in those spokes of a wheel that lead to the Cushnoc trading post. Though you can drive the 15-or-so miles directing on the Old Augusta Road from Warren to Jefferson, according to Hardy, “The Old Augusta Road has a lost section; about 200 yards in the woods in Jefferson. But once you know it's there, you can connect it, and will see that the line continues along Route 32, out to Route 17, and goes all the way to the river's edge in Augusta, right to the spot of the 1628 trading post at Cushnoc. On the other end, it actually began at the water’s edge in Rockland; it’s line is preserved in today’s Limerock Street.”

28 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

PHOTO: (BRIDGE) MARCDUF/THINKSTOCK

Warren to Jefferson

With Augusta and the Kennebec River (pictured) as the center of trading, Route 23 from Sidney to Guilford has long been an important route.

Route 23

Sidney to Guilford According to Kerry Hardy, a Vinalhavenbased historian, Route 23 was one of many roads that led towards what is now Augusta, which was then known as Cushnoc, major trading post for a large percentage of Maine both Native and European, since it was centrally located on the Kennebec River (which likely had something to do with it later being named Maine’s capitol). Describing these roads as “spokes on a wheel,” with Augusta being the center, Route 23 was just one of those well-trod footpaths that Native people used to travel to Cushnoc. It runs just over 68 from Sidney to Guilford, roughly parallel to Interstate 95 for its entire length.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 29

feature story

Route 201

Brunswick to Canadian border Among the most scenic of byways in the state, this historic route was first a river trading route of the Abenaki people. In the 18th century, Benedict Arnold’s famed expedition to Quebec followed parts of the route, as the Revolutionary War colonel (and later traitor) led 1,100 troops up the Kennebec and through the woods in an attempt to invade Quebec (they failed). A number of sites along the way — Arnold Pond, Bigelow Mountain, the commemorative plaque in Eustis — are so named for members of the expedition. Today, the part that runs from Solon to the Canadian border at Sandy Bay Township is designated both a Maine Scenic Byway and a National Scenic Byway, highlighting 201’s natural beauty and historical significance. In the southern parts, enjoy rolling hills and less-traveled views of towns like Brunswick and Topsham. In the north, enjoy stunning mountain vistas and, quite possibly, a moose sighting or two.

30 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

MAINELY POTTERY

Bigelow Mountain is one of a number of sites named for members of Benedict Arnold’s famed expedition to Quebec along Route 201.

ALL LAMPS 15% OFF Oct. 1-30

Open Daily 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. • 181 Searsport Ave., Belfast • 338-1108

PHOTO: BDN FILE

mainelypottery.com

feature story

Indian Road

Wiscasset to Dresden Though it’s only 10 miles long, the Indian Road — starting in Wiscasset and running ten winding miles until Dresden — is a true relic of a distant past, following very closely an old Native trail that eventually lead to Swan Island in the Kennebec, which formerly was the home of Perkins Township, a town that disappeared in the early 20th century. Making a loop from Wiscasset down Indian Road to Dresden before heading back to Wiscasset via Route 27 would be a very nice little road trip indeed.

32 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

PHOTO: BWFOLSOM/THINKSTOCK

An old footpath in Wiscasset. Indian Road in Wiscasset is a true relic of a distant past, which eventually led to Swan Island.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 33

feature story

A Guest of

History

The exterior of the recently renovated Brewster Inn in Dexter.

34 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

W

The owner of the Brewster Inn in Dexter honors the historical legacy of his home. BY JOY HOLLOWELL

hen guests

of the Brewster Inn in Dexter are greeted by Mark Stephens, they immediately notice his accent.

“I’m from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, which is in the west near Wales,” says the owner of the bed and breakfast. “I use different words to explain things and my spelling is different, too.”

Stephens remembers the first time going into Tillsons True Value store in Dexter. “I asked for a torch,” he says. “They came back with a blowtorch. What I actually wanted was what you call a flashlight.”

Stephens admits he’s only had one whoopie pie in his life.

“A little too sweet for my liking,” he says with a smile. “I get my English chocolate and some other grocery items from Amazon.”

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 35

Inside the living room of The Brewster Inn in Dexter.

36 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

The Englishman came to call Dexter home, by way of the Internet. “I’ve always liked America and wanted to move here,” Stephens explains. “I had a lot of experience in sales and marketing so multitasking was natural. I had been looking into some B&B’s after staying in one.”

He found the Brewster Inn for sale online.

“There was something about it,” Stephens says. “It is hard to explain. I had a little look at some other places but I kept coming back to the Brewster Inn.” A visit to the site in 2005 sealed the deal. “It felt right when I came to see it,” he says.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE BREWSTER INN

feature story

The Brewster Inn’s sunny gallery is the perfect place to play a game or read in the sunshine.

As a nod to his English roots, Stephens decided to name many of the inn’s rooms after local villages in the United Kingdom, including The Hatherley, The Clifton and The Charlbury. Others, like the Truman Room are in honor of the home’s astonishing ancestry.

It was built for Governor, Congressman and U.S. Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster in the late 1930s. Numerous politicians as well as celebrities have stayed in the Brewster mansion including U.S. Presidents Harry Truman and Howard Taft, seven senators and MGM

President Louis B. Mayer. “How many people get a chance to say they’ve slept in the same room as a former president?” asks Stephens.

“A huge learning curve,” Stephens says with a laugh. “I had no experience in things like cooking for groups of people or organizing cleaning schedules.”

Stephens also discovered the historic home needed some major TLC. “To start with, the exterior was a horrendous yellow color with green trim,” he says. “There was a huge bush of trees blocking the front of the house. There was also a koi pond that couldn’t be seen because of large bushes around it.”

The almost 9,000 square foot B&B was

It was built for Governor, Congressman and U.S. Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster in the late 1930s.

In 1988, the home was entered into the National Register of Historic Places.

When Stephens took over the place nine years ago, he quickly realized he had his work cut out for him.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 37

feature story

The gardens surrounding The Brewster Inn are a work in progress, including a butterfly haven in the back of the house.

rior, particularly the entrance, living room and hallways.

The gardens continue to be a work in progress, says Stephens, including a recently added butterfly haven in the back of the house. “It’s been great pride trying to bring them back to the level they were when the Brewsters owned the home.”

cities,” he says. “This is what makes the Brewster Inn special, right in the center of Maine, everywhere within easy reach, whether it be the Maine coastline, Moosehead lake region or Bangor. So much is possible using the Brewster Inn as a base like hiking, moose and wildlife tours, skiing, fishing, snowmobiling, canoes and kayaks, whitewater rafting and more.”

Visitors to the inn come from Maine as well as from away. “UK, China, Japan, Canada, Spain, Russia, Vietnam, Argentina, Italy,” says Stephens. “Some find –Mark Stephens out about the B&B from Stephens says Dexter is the perfect travel agents, others word of mouth. place to run a B&B. “I loved Dexter There are also parents who are coming immediately because it has that small to bring or visit their children who attown homey feel, but still is within easy tend Foxcroft Academy, Maine Central driving distance of many activities and Institute and the Bossov Ballet.”

“I loved Dexter immediately because it has that small town homey feel, but still is within easy driving distance of many activities and cities.”

38 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE BREWSTER INN

also in need of a new heating system and roof. “It was a Monson slate roof,” Stephens explains. “We kept all the slate and are using it for landscaping.”

Stephens also replaced the 100 foot long exterior stone wall. “It was about 80 years old and in poor condition,” he says, adding those rocks were saved as well.

Rather than overwhelm himself both physically and financially, Stephens chose to tackle one project at the inn each year. “In 2011, we restarted planting lilac bushes around the exterior edges of the property. Local residents told us they remembered a time long ago when you could smell the lilacs before you got close to the home.”

Stephens credits his fiancee Tina with all the improvements to the inte-

The patio overlooking the gardens is the perfect place to enjoy breakfast.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 39

feature story

Preserving the home’s past, as well as appealing to the modern day needs of guests at the inn, is a balance that Stephens has worked very hard to achieve.

“I really am very proud of what has been accomplished here,” Stephens says.

“This is truly a beautiful house and without doubt, one of the most historic in this part of Maine. Lots of local businesses benefit from all the guests that come to stay here so that helps the community.

It’s a happy house.”

40 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

The family-inspired Game Room delights guests of all ages with its generous size and rustic charm.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE BREWSTER INN

The entry to The Brewster Inn welcomes guests.

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airline road then & now (This photo) The winding Airline Road in Washington County.

(Right) Route 9 in Amherst village in 1919.

(Below) A map of the Airline Road from 1901.

42 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

The Fastest Route

From the vertical drop of Breakneck Hill to the old Whalesback, everyone has a story about traveling the Airline Road.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY RICHARD SHAW

HISTORIC PHOTOS COURTESY OF ST. CROIX HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND UNIVERSITY OF MAINE FOGLER LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

A

nyone who

has ever driven the rugged 88-mile highway known as the Airline Road, which stretches across three counties from Brewer to Baileyville, has a story to tell. Some are of the whiteknuckle variety, involving tangles with snotty moose and tractor-trailer drivers itching to deliver loads on time. Others concern family vacations run amok.

“My wife and I returned home on the Airline in the pelting rain after a vacation in the Canadian Maritimes,” said Wayne Reilly. “A few days earlier, we had witnessed a driver fatality on the Digby, Nova Scotia, to Saint John, New Brunswick, car ferry, so we will

never forget that trip. I don’t think I’ve driven that road in years.”

In 1988, Reilly wrote a six-part Bangor Daily News series on the Airline’s troubled present and colorful past, when wolves were rumored to have accosted frightened travelers. Unlike today’s rebuilt highway, with passing lanes seeming to appear every 10 miles, the old accident-prone road was dreaded as much by Canadians as Americans. Many travelers logged the extra miles on coastal Route 1 or I-95 through Houlton rather than face the danger and boredom of an Airline jaunt.

“It’s a road that’s much too narrow for the use it’s getting. It’s a very dangerous situation,” said Greta May Johnson, www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 43

airline road then & now Residents of Wesley in 1940 traveling by motorcycle.

chairman of the Calais Chamber of Commerce’s Safety Committee.

The efforts of Johnson and state Rep. Tony Tammaro finally bore fruit when state highway crews began a road-building project that rendered some highway sections safer but unrecognizable from the old stagecoach days. George McCurdy, who drove the Airline stage in the mid-19th century, might wonder what happened to the bypassed Breakneck

George McCurdy, who drove the Airline stage in the mid-19th century, might wonder what happened to the bypassed Breakneck Hill, a near vertical drop on Route 9 in Township 31, or the old Whalesback, a onetime geological rollercoaster near the Union River in Aurora.

Beddington mill in the 1890s.

44 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

A postcard of the Airline Snackbar in the 1950s, and (at right) what it looks like today.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 45

airline road then & now The middle branch of the Union River at Whalesback turnoff in Aurora.

46 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

Hill, a near vertical drop on Route 9 in Township 31, or the old Whalesback, a one-time geological roller-coaster near the Union River in Aurora.

Today’s talk in Eddington and other Airline towns is about a controversial

The road went by several names, but eventually travelers settled on Airline owing to its comparatively shorter route to Washington County. proposed I-395 connector route that would direct truck traffic away from Route 9 and downtown Brewer, through Holden, and onto the Interstate. Discussions are ongoing.

Airline memories are collected in historical societies in Clifton, Amherst, Wesley, and other towns dotting the road.

Herbert T. Silsby II chronicled the road in a history of Aurora, and everything you need to know is told in an online history by John Dudley of Alexander, who in 2000 began writing about the road. Its story dates to the early 1800s, when Gen.

Stats Airline Road’s Total Length: 88 miles

Notable people:

Route 9 counties included: Penobscot,

• R. Leon Williams, 29 miles of Airline named for Clifton mill owner

Hancock, Washington Towns (west to east): Brewer, Eddington, Clifton, Amherst, Aurora, Beddington, Wesley, Crawford, Alexander, Baileyville Built by: Gen. David Cobb and Col. John Black, intending to sell large tracts of

• Tony Tammaro, Washington County section of road named for state legislator who pushed for Airline upgrades • Jefferson Davis, future Confederate president stayed at Humpback Mountain in 1858

lumber acreage

• George Spratt, established stagecoach mail route

Named for: Fastest route from Brewer to

• George McCurdy, Airline Stage driver

Calais region

• Wilbur Day and George Magoon, storied Airline poachers

Landmarks: Airline Lodge and Snackbar, Comins Hall (East Eddington), Chick Hill

Enduring mysteries: Did escaped slaves

(Peaked Mountain), Cliffwood Hall and

travel the Airline as an Underground Rail-

Harold Allan School (Clifton Historical

road route to Canada? Was rum running

Society), Amherst General Store and

prevalent on this road during Prohibition?

Restaurant, Aurora Brick Schoolhouse

Is Wilderness Lodge haunted?

(1827), Whalesback (Aurora), Beddington

Quotable quote: From “Traveling by Airline,” Maine Sunday Telegram article

by Deirdre Fleming, Aug. 28, 2005: “ …

The Airline is a way of life, an attitude, even an escape. It is a path back in time … or the path to the future, depending on who you talk with.”

stage stop (Schoppee house), Wyman’s blueberry plant (Wesley), Breakneck Hill (Township 31, bypassed 1994), Lawrence Lord’s Old Farm Museum (Alexander), Irving Big Stop (Baileyville)

Fox Hill in Wesley circa 1941.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 47

airline road then & now A highway sign along Route 9. (Below) Chick Hill in Clifton.

David Cobb, and later, Col. John Black, wanted to boost the region’s lumber sales. The road went by several names, but eventually travelers settled on Airline owing to its comparatively shorter route to Washington County. Dudley also expounds on the Whalesback.

“In the early 1970s, the Toby Averill family of Bangor built a camp on the east side of Beddington Lake,” recalled Joni Averill White. “We always looked forward to the rump-hump-bump ride over the Whalesback, atop the esker.

“One weekend,” she continued, “we were just beginning to cross the Whalesback when we heard the strangest sounds.

The kids watched as Sherman the cat threw up six baby mice and, finally, with the biggest of all bluuurps, their mother!”

One word of caution to Airline drivers. This is a high-speed highway where car and truck traffic can be heavy, so stay alert, keep your eyes on the road, and enjoy your travels.

The splendor of an October Airline drive is one thing that hasn’t changed over time. Hardwood trees still turn a brilliant orange and yellow near Chick Hill in Clifton and by Wesley’s rolling hills. Blueberry barrens still turn a Chinese red, so bring your camera and pack a lunch. Or, there’s always the house special at the Airline Snack Bar near Beddington, the Nook & Cranny in Baileyyille, or a handful of other restaurants.

After autumn, the traveling can get tricky on the Airline, although Peter LaCrosse of Bangor downplays the danger.

For years, he delivered the Northwoods Sporting Journal to businesses throughout Maine. He made lasting friendships along the road, a well-maintained highway he said he never dreaded driving.

One word of caution to Airline drivers. This is a high-speed highway where car and truck traffic can be heavy, so stay alert, keep your eyes on the road, and enjoy your travels.

48 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 49

food file

Tricks

& Treats

It’s a fine line between tricks and treats when it comes to Halloween party snacks.

BY EMILY BURNHAM

50 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

M

y favorite time

of year is Halloween. More than Christmas. More than summer. Give me crisp evenings full of spooky shadows, fiery orange and red trees, and the opportunity to put on a costume and act like someone else for a night and I’m happy. They say the veil between this world and the spirit world is at its thinnest at that time of year. And even though that’s probably a bunch of baloney, for me, it adds to the fun.

My husband and I always go overboard for Halloween. We have a huge box full of skulls, severed hands, green and purple lights and wall hangings that we drag out and hang up in early October, all leading up to our annual Halloween party. We don’t have kids, so it’s a party for grownups — though we’d would love to plan a kid’s Halloween party someday.

Over the years, I’ve amassed quite a collection of Halloween recipes to serve our guests. Initially, things amounted to little more than a bucket of candy and some champagne punch with food coloring added. Now, though, I like to offer a real Halloween spread. Here are a few recipes I’ve made that I know you’ll like, too, whether you’re planning a party for ghoulish adults or tiny superheroes and witches.

Eyes On You Slice a baguette into small rounds, arrange on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil, and toast in the oven; alternately, use pre-bought crostini. Slice grape tomatoes in half until there’s equal tomato halves to crostini. Spread your favorite spreadable cheese on the bread — I like Pineland Farms Bacon and Swiss Spreadable Cheese, available locally at most Hannaford grocery stores, though any lighter-colored cheese spread will do. Place one tomato half in the center of each crostini. Put a few tablespoons of hot sauce in a dish (or red food coloring diluted with a little water, if you don’t like things spicy), and with a toothpick, draw a few “bloody” lines out from the tomato.

Before your guests arrive, pop these in a 350 degree oven for 10 or so minutes so the cheese gets bubbly. One they’re out of the oven, dot a tiny bit of cheese on the back of a sliced black olive and pop it on the center of the tomato, for the pupil. Deliciously gross.

Guac Pumpkinhead Take a small-to-medium sized pumpkin — not a big one — and scoop out the guts, taking care to scrape the sides. Carve a face into the front that looks as though it’s thoroughly disgusted, with a big, wide open mouth, and set aside. Make guacamole your preferred way; for me, it’s three avocados, mashed with the juice of one lime, one small grated onion, and then salt, black pepper and hot sauce to taste. To display, place your carved pumpkin on one side of a tray. Fill the pumpkin up to the top of the carved mouth with guacamole, and then spread the rest of the guac out from the mouth onto the tray. Voila: A puking pumpkin.

If guacamole isn’t your thing, this can be replicated with salsa or with queso dip.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 51

food file

52 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

Horrible Sashimi This one is very silly. First off, make Rice Krispie Treats, which involves melting a bag of marshmallows and three tablespoons of butter in the microwave until completely melted, combining that with six cups of Rice Krispies and pressing it all into a sheet cake pan, until completely cool. Once those are made, slice the treats into equal-sized long rectangles; about 3 inches by 1.5 inches. You’ll need green-colored Fruit Roll-ups, and you’ll need a few bags of gummy worms or snakes — though if you can find some other gross or scary gummy products, like spiders or cockroaches, all the better.

Place a gummy on your “sushi rice,” and wrap it up with a strip of Fruit roll-up, standing in for nori seaweed. Mmm. Sushi. With a far longer shelf life than the real thing.

CREEPY CRAWLY COOKIES Oreos plus pretzel sticks and white chocolate chip eyes create spooktacular spider cookies

Meringue Bones If you’ve made meringue, you’ll know that this one should be extremely easy. To make, preheat oven to 250 degrees, and beat 2 egg whites on high, slowly adding 1/2 cup of sugar by the tablespoon, until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Using a pastry bag with a large nozzle attachment, pipe bones — one thick line with two round shapes at either end — onto a parchment lined baking sheet. If you want extra gruesome bones, spray diluted food coloring in places onto the meringue, or mix chopped nuts into the mixture. Bake for 75 to 90 minutes until the bones have dried out. This recipe would be very easy to double, or triple, and you could also make ghosts with your meringue, adding black M&M’s for eyes.

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 53

food file

SNACKS THAT SMILE BACK This simple and healthy snack is great for a kids party. Just combine apple slices, peanut butter and white chocolate chip “teeth” (marshmallows work too)

“Handy” Punch Make your favorite Halloween punch. I’m a fan of a classic champagne punch, which I make with one bottle of champagne (or ginger ale), 1 cup of vodka (which you can omit), 1 2-liter bottle of raspberry lime seltzer, and 12 ounces of lemon or limeade. I generally like to have enough of these ingredients to make two batches of punch, since this tends to go quickly. With this as your base, you can either add pomegranate juice for a punch that looks bloody, or pineapple juice mixed with green food coloring for a slimier presentation. Twenty four hours before your party, take two latex or rubber gloves, and carefully fill them with water until there’s just enough room at the base of the glove to tie it off with a rubber band wrapped tightly. Freeze the gloves overnight, and when you make your punch, remove the glove and add your frozen hand. If you have some frozen berries, throw those in as well. You’ll have an extra hand handy for that second batch, too.

This is also fun to make with a red sangria.

Mummies in a Blanket Simple, fun, tasty and an ideal Halloween dinner or party snack. On a sheet of parchment, unroll a tube of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and slice into strips. They won’t be perfect and they shouldn’t be – some variation gives the mummies a spookier look. Working quickly because the dough does get sticky, wrap your strips around hot dogs – full-sized dogs are great for dinner or halved or smaller franks would be great appetizers. Bake for the recommended time - at 375 degrees for 12-15 minuted until golden. Using mustard or ketchup, add creepy yellow or red eyes to your mummies.

Tip: use a toothpick to perfect the eyes.

Direct from the mustard bottle = Pinterest fail.

54 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

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kitchen confidential

M

ason’s

Brewing Company, a new restaurant and brewery located on the Brewer waterfront, opened its doors just a few short months ago on Friday the 13th. Some may have avoided such an unlucky day for a grand opening, but owner Chris Morley wasn’t the least bit frightened of his new endeavor. The New York native, who has lived in Maine his entire adult life, is a beer connoisseur who has spent the last five years carefully crafting his business and his beer recipes down to the very last detail. Now, he hopes patrons will stop by and visit often to discover which of his beer concoctions their taste buds enjoy the most.

Chris Morley

Owner and Brewer of Mason’s Brewing Company

Brewing in Brewer Mason’s Brewing Company is one of the newest additions to Maine’s growing craft brewery industry.

BY JODI HERSEY

Was opening your own brewing company always a dream of yours?

My wife and I traveled throughout the U.S. and a good part of Europe basically doing beer vacations the last 15 years. And then, with the resurgence of craft beer and Maine being a standout in that resurgence, it kind of inspired me to try and see if I could offer locally what wasn’t being done, and done in a way that was slightly different that would set us apart.

How is Mason’s Brewing different than the other breweries in the area?

Every brewer has their own specific style and taste. What we’ve done is fo-

cused on specific styles. We do a couple of American style ales, Belgian style ales and German style ales and just put a twist on it. Our beer is pretty bright, pretty hoppy, low ABV [alcohol by volume] with a lot of backbone. When you come here you can taste the rye in the beer or single out what hops went into the beer or taste the grain in the beer.

56 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

PHOTOS: BDN FILE; (HOPS) OSOZNANIEJIZNI/THINKSTOCK

Being here at Mason’s Brewing Company gives everybody a sensory overload. You can see the brewing, you can taste the beer, you’re on the water and you’re in a replica of an old grain mill building.

The building you’re in is part of the experience, as well, right?

It’s a new construction on what used to be the old shipping yard for public works in Brewer.

Being here at Mason’s Brewing Company gives everybody a sensory overload. You can see the brewing, you can taste the beer, you’re on the water and you’re in a replica of an old grain mill building. You walk in and you kind of get this feeling of an old German beer hall.

It’s also kind of unique the way we use the wood accents — the bar, the beams, old church pews and distressed wood table tops — to give you an Irish pub feel.

Then you go out on the deck to the beer garden and it’s this open concept that makes you think you’re someplace in Germany on the Rhine River, someplace other than Brewer, Maine.

What’s your favorite beer you make?

I’m a Belgian beer fan. I like that beer because it’s a low ABV beer. It’s a very easy drinking beer, yet it’s very complex. It’s just a unique beer. But then there’s so much competition in the market that you have to set yourself apart. Nobody’s beer tastes like anyone else’s. I think everyone kind of went in their own direction. Geaghan’s is in one direction, we go in another direction, Sea Dog does their

On the Menu

Just a few of the brewmaster’s favorite menu items from Mason’s Brewing Co. in Brewer.

Starters

FILTHY FRIES Hand cut, twice fried and tossed in garlic, cilantro, bacon and dirty house seasoning, and topped with delicious beer cheese and local cheese curds.

Burgers

PORK PILE 6 oz local patty, black cherry BBQ pulled pork, bacon and fennel-apple slaw with side of BBQ sauce FARM BURGER 6 oz local patty topped with local goat cheese, caramelized leeks, sunny side local egg, arugula and house mustard

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 57

kitchen confidential thing and Atlantic Brewing Company does their thing. It’s quite a unique industry. People can go to three or four different places and not have the same thing.

What’s the best food to go with beer?

It really depends on the style of beer you’re drinking. I like pizza. I’m a big bacon fan and cured meats guy. You can bake a pizza to go with any beer or IPA because you can augment the pizza toppings to bring out the flavors in the beer.

But then again, I’ve never had a bad beer.

Has opening your own business been everything you expected it to be?

It hasn’t been bad at all. We hit our numbers for the year a couple weeks ago. I’m very fortunate to have been brewing with a whole bunch of people before we started this project of developing recipes. I’m also fortunate to have landed a great manager to help me with the restaurant and kitchen side. My chef is absolutely amazing and has a great menu. The whole thing here has been my idea and I just plugged the right people in the right places.

Do you and your wife Barbara still go on beer vacations?

She’s had it with beer, I think. The last trip we did together was our trip to San Francisco and that was two years ago.

What we do now is visit all the accounts that have our beers. We travel to Bar Harbor [and] The Proper Pig in Waterville where we were one of the first beers they had on tap when they opened. And Portland has been huge for us. I’ve got my beer in three James Beard Award winning restaurants. I couldn’t ask for better product placement.

more info

BROOKS

BANGOR

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner

Weds – Thurs & Sun • 8 am – 2 pm Fri – Sat • 8 am – 8 pm

12 Purple Heart Hwy • Brooks (207) 722-3236

BUCKSPORT

MASON’S BREWING COMPANY 15 HARDY STREET, BREWER 989-6300 Website: masonsbrewingcompany.com Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily Description: “We take pride in creating the perfect beer with precision, hard work and quality ingredients, whether we are reinventing a traditional style or creating a new, exhilarating taste.”

58 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

Your listing could be on this page Attract more customers.

Advertise in Bangor Metro’s Restaurant Guide. Call 941-1300.

2016

The College of Our Hearts Always

Homecoming Craft Fair & Maine Marketplace

NEW BALANCE FIELD HOUSE | UNIVERSITY OF MAINE | ORONO, MAINE

One of Maine’s largest Craft Fairs showcasing Maine’s artisan, cottage industry, product and food vendors.

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OCT 16 10 AM – 4 PM

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per spectives

60 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

Kelley Dean

K

elley Dean

of Levant has always been creative, but found her niche over the last three summers in a form that spills over into her driveway for all visitors and onlookers to see.

“It’s just something fun and different to do and chalk is pretty inexpensive,” Kelley said. “I have a hard time coming up with stuff myself. But if I see something I can duplicate it and make it bigger.”

For the last three summers, Kelley has created memorable chalk drawings with her youngest daughter Ava. What’s so fascinating about her artwork is how she is able to position Ava in such a way that brings her storybook images to life. But Ava admits being her mother’s muse is sometimes a painful job.

“Sometimes it hurts because I’m lying on the ground and I have to pose a thousand times because she takes a lot of time [to get a picture],” explained Ava. Snapping the perfect pose may take several attempts and a small ladder, but Kelley’s actual artwork only requires about an hour out of her day.

So far, Ava has slayed dragons, hung the stars and even competed in the Olympics without leaving home. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 61

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.

H

AGood Glowing Time Light up Halloween with these fun and simple crafts.

alloween is a

great time for crafting up spooky decorations. These Mod Podged glowing luminaries were perfect for kids young and old, and make a cute glowing decoration for a mantle or table centerpiece. Everyone got to create something unique, and could dial up or down the level of difficulty based on their age. The older kids requested to make more, which is always a good sign!

A few tips – Mod Podge is awesome but it does make a mess, so we recommend lots of newspapers under your projects and plan to use disposable foam brushes to apply the glue. We set out paper bowls of Mod Podge for everyone to share. If you’re not familiar with Mod Podge, it’s widely available at any craft supply store and acts as both a glue and shellac to adhere the tissue paper to the glass container. Our kids got really creative with this project and everyone came up with something different.

Invite some friends and make a fun Halloween party out of it!

62 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

Supplies • Glass containers – Mason jars and old vases work well • Black cardstock • Tissue paper in a variety of colors • Googly eyes • Mod Podge • Paint brushes (disposable foam brushes work well) • Electric tea lights

Step 1: Let the kids sort through the available glass containers and jars to decide on what kind of luminary to make.

Step 2: Once they’ve decided what to make, cut strips of the appropriate colored tissue paper.

Step 3: Cut out the eyes, mouth and any other features that need to stand out from black cardstock.

Step 4: Paint Mod Podge on the container. Tip: we made ours upside down so the Mod Podge could dry easier.

Step 5: Wrap your strips around the container, reapplying Mod Podge to the top layer as needed.

Step 6: Note that more layers will be more colorful, but won’t light up as much when you add the candle.

Step 7: Let your project dry thoroughly.

Overnight is best.

Step 8: Add an electric tea light and display in the dark for full effect.

Project Review • Degree of Difficulty: Fun, easy, and just the right amount of messy.

• Average Time: 30 minutes or more, depending on complexity of the design.

• 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!

I don’t know about making one for every trick-or-treater, but it’s a fun project with great results that will last a whole lot longer than your average jack-o-lantern. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 63

metro

family

Welcome

Ashley Thornton’s son and a friend head back to school.

Back to School

Teachers – the other part of the parenting equation.

BY ASHLEY THORNTON

N

ow that

it’s October and school is in full swing, you must have pondered the thought that your children are now spending more time with their teachers than they are with you. How do you control how your children are being guided, molded, and encouraged? It is a very scary thought for a lot of people.

Children are at school for six to eight hours a day, and suddenly the two hours parents get with them in the evenings make you feel slighted.

As a teacher, I get the best of both worlds. I get to spend my days with your children, and then come home to my own. I miss my kids terribly during the

call and see how the day is going, or to try to manipulate the situation in a way that gave you some control.

But think about this: Teachers love their students. Many of them are like me, they have children of their own, and in their absence treat your children as if they were theirs. They love them, care for them, and truly want what’s best for them. They laugh at their jokes, try to inspire them, and feel responsible for them. This is a time for them to flourish as individuals. Plants do their best growing when they are able to move out of the shadows of the others, and soak up the sun. Kids are similar. They grow quickly and brilliantly when they are able to step

day (my son doesn’t attend the school where I teach), and I think of how lucky his teachers are to spend their day with him. I also feel blessed that when I can’t be with mine, I am able to be with yours.

Do you ever wonder what they are doing all day? Are their teachers nice to them? Who is on their side? I’m sure it’s crossed your mind, wondering how things are going in a situation where your children are left to be completely independent. It would be tempting to 64 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

out into their own light. The school environment is the perfect balance of love, respect, and tenacity for your child to feel brave enough to try, while knowing there is a safe place to land.

I saw an incredible example of this recently when a coworker reached out to a family. She had been working with their son until recently. She spent every day with him while he was in elementary school, and during the month of September had made the difficult transition to

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ASHLEY THORNTON; (CHALKBOARD) S-C-S/THINKSTOCK

They grow quickly and brilliantly when they are able to step out into their own light. The school environment is the perfect balance of love, respect, and tenacity for your child to feel brave enough to try, while knowing there is a safe place to land.

middle school. She missed him terribly and talked about him often. She requested that the family pick the son up from school first, so she could see him when they came to pick up their daughter. What I witnessed when he arrived moved me to tears. He ran to her, held his hands out to her, and embraced her so deeply and honestly. He held on to her arms and connected with her in a way that illustrated his immense love for this person that had truly made an impact in his life. It was nothing short of incredible — a moment that will be etched in my mind for years to come.

That moment was it — it was was why I became a teacher. That was why we all went into teaching, to positively impact the lives of children, to form a bond with them that is deep and meaningful, to see the recognition of a job well done in the actions of a growing person.

I turned away from their reunion with tears in my eyes, thankful for the teachers who care for my children. I worry constantly about how I am parenting. I second guess everything I do.

I find it comforting that I do not have to worry about their time while they are at school. Teachers want what is best for their students, they love even the most complicated of children, and they are doing an amazing job.

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

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 65

metro sports

I Run

t’s a banner

MDI Local marathon is more than just a race.

STORY BY AIMEE THIBODEAU PHOTOS BY KEVIN MORRIS

year for Acadia National Park as the landmark celebrates its centennial. The attention that has been brought to the region in the last few months is much-deserved, as are the accolades that have been given to the MDI Marathon in recent years.

It’s been heralded as one of the best races in the country — the most scenic, best overall, prettiest, best destination race — so it’s no surprise that the MDI Marathon was named the 2015 New England Runner Race of the Year and expects to see 2,000 runners this year.

The race is one of the elite Boston Marathon qualifier events and draws runners from all over the country.

“This was by far one of the most in-

The MDI race typically reaches its full registration capacity well in advance of the race — often in June or July for the event set this year for Oct. 16.

“I like to think of marathon running as the common person’s Mount Everest and as we are seeing each year a lot of people seem to have an inherent inner need to scale higher mountains,” said race founder and director Gary Allen.

In its 14 year history, the event (which also includes a half-marathon and relay), has attracted an impressive field of athletes and guests.

For two years in the race’s infancy, 2004 and 2005, Dick Beardsley served as the guest speaker. For a brief moment in the early 80’s Dick Beardsley

“This was by far one of the most incredible, beautiful and well organized running events my daughter and I have had the pleasure of participating in.”

– Geri Lynn Sanchez credible, beautiful and well organized running events my daughter and I have had the pleasure of participating in,” said Geri Lynn Sanchez of Belen, New Mexico.

The course is fully sanctioned and certified by United States of America Track and Field and is measured at the international marathon standard of 26 miles 385 yards.

66 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

became the most famous runner in the world – by losing a race. In the 1982 Boston Marathon, Beardsley, foiled by a motorcycle that cut him off near the end, finished two seconds behind Alberto Salazar in a contest often called one of the most memorable in marathon history. It was the closest finish ever at the world’s premier marathon,

and both runners broke the course and the American records.

Also in 2005, Steve Zirnkilton served as the starting line announcer and Martha Stewart was the honorary race starter. Zirnkilton is the signature voice of NBC's “Law & Order” brand, while DIY diva Stewart has a home in Maine.

Fast forward two years and famed female runner Joan Benoit Samuelson was the race speaker. She began running track in high school in Cape Elizabeth and then went to Bowdoin College, where her career soared. She received All-American honors in cross-country and track, and won the Boston Marathon in 1979, setting an American and course record, all before she graduated. Samuelson won the Boston Marathon again in 1983, this time breaking the world record. One year later, at the age of 27, she won the gold medal in the first women's marathon at the Los Angeles Olympics. In 1985, Samuelson won the Chicago Marathon with an American record time of 2:21:21.

The list of guest athletes and featured speakers goes on until you get to perhaps the most touching and recent story of 2015 when Mike Westphal filled both of these roles. Westphal is a native of neighboring Great Cranberry Island, where he first began running as a young boy. He grew into one of the top runners in the state, working his mile time down to 4:19 while studying at the University of Maine in Orono, and eventually lowering his

marathon time down to 2:29:32 in 1980.

After marrying and having a family in the early 80s, Westphal continued running to stay in shape, but took a step back from the competitive sport.

Recently, he toed the line of his first marathon in over 23 years at age 58. He finished in 3:32:56, qualifying for the 2016 Boston Marathon — a tremendous feat for any runner — but what makes his race story so remarkable is that he has Parkinson’s Disease, and he is using his running and racing to raise funds for a cure through Team Fox and the The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

Westphal’s story has garnered worldwide attention and has inspired millions around the globe.

In addition to the notable faces the race brings to the island, its impact goes beyond the miles logged. Its charitable fundraising program provides the opportunity for all runners to fundraise in support of any charity of their choosing.

Two scholarships are awarded annually to a graduating male and female from MDI High School who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in running and academia. And the banner auction raises funds in support of Mount Desert Nursery School. The mile-marker banners are created by local artists and auctioned to support the school.

“The community impact is very real,” said race promotions director Rick Williams. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 67

maine

woods & waters

A small fire inside a 14-foot traditional wigwam and adjacent longhouse on Sugar Island efficiently heats the building.

(Below) Penobscot Indian Nation Guide John Neptune (right) and former Chief Barry Dana use strips of basswood to attach birch bark to ash saplings to a 14-foot traditional wigwam they were constructing on Sugar Island last year.

Appreciate T

o really

ME

Go back in time to truly value our great state.

BY BOB DUCHESNE

appreciate Maine, go back in time. Go back before Maine was a state. Go back before America was a nation. Go back before Europeans were here. Go back before Indians were here. Go back to the Ice Age. That’s far enough.

Glaciers molded the state we know today. It’s why rivers and lakes are where they are. It’s why blueberry barrens proliferate on the sandy soil of glacial outwash Downeast. It’s why the Gulf of Maine is colder than waters farther north. Glaciers shaped our coasts, our forests, and our farms. Seriously, who else has to farm among so many rocks?

people who preceded me. I’m inquisitive about Wabanaki culture. More than most states, many of our place names remain as they were before Europeans ever got here. Much of our outdoor heritage is little different than when Henry David Thoreau was led around the Maine wilds

by Penobscot guide Joe Polis.

So, I’m enthralled by what the Penobscot Nation is doing on Sugar Island.

This island is among many clustered in the Penobscot River between Greenbush and Argyle. Some islands bear names like Birch and Hemlock. James Francis tells me that these are spirit names – English versions of the same names that

Glaciers shaped the people who advanced when the glaciers retreated.

That’s why my deep love of this state makes me immensely curious about the 68 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

the Penobscots had given these islands centuries ago. And James should know.

He’s the tribe’s historian and cultural preservation director.

PHOTOS: BDN FILE

I’m enthralled by what the Penobscot Nation is doing on Sugar Island. This island is among many clustered in the Penobscot River between Greenbush and Argyle.

Sugar refers not to maple sugar, as I had surmised, but rather to the abundance of a particular berry that flourishes there. Our governments agreed a couple hundred years ago that the Penobscots own the islands in the river all the way up to Nicatou, the confluence of the West and East Branches of the Penobscot River. While each island is significant in its own way, Sugar Island stands out for its size, its terrain, and the gravel bars that liven up the river around it. Sugar Island is where James Francis and the tribe are now creating a cultural tourism destination. I’m indebted to James for showing me around.

It was a short paddle across the riffles.

We landed below the group encampment — a series of lean-tos that add an extra measure of comfort for those who camp here. An oversized fire ring supports a hanging kettle, ideal for meals of moose stew and other traditional dishes.

Trails branch off in all directions. We chose the one that leads to a village recreation. Only two structures stand there now. One is a traditional birch bark wig-

wam. It’s large enough to sleep six, and tall enough for a person to stand erect in the middle of the dome. A smoke hole reveals the sky above. In eras gone by, skins of moose and bear would have made the floor cozy in winter. The smoke hole would be covered by a hide when the fire was not in use.

Behind the wigwam stands a longhouse. It resembles a Quonset hut, and it is likely smaller than those that the Penobscots would have erected 200 years ago. Larger versions could accommodate multiple families. These would have been popular at summer destinations, when tribal members moved to the coast to harvest shellfish and other ocean offerings during the summer heat.

The cultural knowledge of how to build these birch bark structures is still strong, but the actual practice is a little rusty. James Francis admits there was a little bit of trial and error in building these first two structures correctly. Over time, more wigwams and longhouses will be built here, adding to the number of people who can visit and spend the night.

The Penobscots intend to make this a cultural tourism destination. Tribal craftsmen will build canoes and weave baskets here. Drummers will enliven campfires during breaks in the storytelling. In fact, they already have. Sugar Island is now open for visitation. The tribe has partnered with Mahoosuc Guide Service to package paddle tours to the island, giving visitors a chance to learn the heritage of a culture that developed soon after the last Ice Age, and flourished long before Europeans arrived.

It’s exciting to watch this project develop. The tribe will continue to add more traditional structures to Sugar Island. Accommodations and amenities consistent with the authentic experience will be built. More cultural activities will be offered. It’s time to think about paddling over. Now pass the moose stew.

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 / 69

savvy seniors

Age-friendly initiatives are powering up in Bangor.

BY JANE MARGESSON

Sponsored by

Serving Hancock & Penobscot counties

Bangor office: 990.1995 Ellsworth office: 667.1900 lovingtouchinhomecare.com

70 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

I

n an

age-friendly community, residents benefit from an environment that encourages them to remain active and socially engaged in an enjoyable setting. By adopting such features as safe, walkable streets, better housing and transportation options and more opportunities for residents to participate in community activities, cities and towns can become great places to live for people of all ages.

The AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, a national initiative, is designed to support the efforts of neighborhoods, towns and cities to adopt these and other age-friendly practices.

Well-designed, livable communities promote health and sustain economic growth, making for happier and healthier residents, whether young or old.

Earlier this year, it was announced that the city of Bangor had become the 100th community in the United States to join the AARP Network of AgeFriendly Communities, and the 17th in Maine at that time. Bangor always rates high in studies of livability and best places to retire, and this is another positive step toward making the city an even greater place to live. By joining the NAFC, Bangor became part of

a global network of communities engaged in this initiative and Bangor is already serving as a potential model for other Maine cities and towns to follow.

One of the clear strengths of Bangor’s age-friendly work is that, as they have from the beginning, organizations, community leaders and local entities are effectively partnering to make the most of the opportunity. The enthusiasm among participants is palpable. Bangor Public Health Director Patty Hamilton has been an integral part of the driving force behind Bangor joining the NAFC. “Bangor is ready to focus on new and novel approaches to making our city better,” she said. “We need to take advantage of the expertise and experience right here in our city. Through this initiative, we can showcase the positive and galvanize the community.”

One of the next steps is for city officials to hone in on ideas resulting from nine facilitated focus groups that met this fall. Representing different areas of the city, the collective voice from the focus groups will serve as a springboard for community leaders to learn what Bangor residents envision when it comes to advancing local age-friendly initiatives.

PHOTO: BDN FILE

It Takes a City

LEARN MORE ABOUT AARP AGEFRIENDLY COMMUNITIES: Facebook: @Age-Friendly Maine Online: aarp.org/agefriendly Email: me@aarp.org To order your free AARP Maine guide “Building AgeFriendly, Livable Communities,” contact us by email.

Dyan Walsh, executive director of Eastern Area Agency on Aging, has been a significant leader in shaping Bangor’s age-friendly goals and helped to organize the focus groups.

“Working as we are in partnership with residents, community leaders and so many dedicated groups and individuals, we can address our changing demographics to enhance independent living, and better support active and healthy aging right here at home,” she said.

Bangor is also considering the Village to Village model, which supports residents through community service and volunteer opportunities.

“When I first assumed my role as mayor, the Livable Communities, Village to Village and other age-friendly initiatives were brought to my attention by AARP Maine,” said Bangor Mayor Sean Faircloth. “It is very exciting to see an effort to achieve our goals in ways that include all ages. Through the AARP Age-Friendly Network, we want to make Bangor the most innovative, creative and compassionate small city in the United States.”

JANE MARGESSON is the AARP Maine communications director. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 71

metro home

H Living

Island

Working out the pros and cons of including an island in your kitchen redesign.

BY METRO NEWS SERVICE

omeowners planning

a kitchen remodel are no doubt considering whether to include a kitchen island in the new design. When the space allows, an island can be a fine way to enhance the look of a kitchen and impart an upscale appeal.

Interest in kitchen islands has grown steadily for the past several decades. Introduced in the 1970s, islands became a popular place for guests to congregate and provided extra counter space for meal preparation and entertaining. The suburban migration led to bigger homes with larger kitchens. Through the 1980s and 1990s, homes grew even larger, and islands became a popular feature of kitchens across the country.

The increase in food-based programming on television has also contributed to the popularity of kitchen islands. As more people dabble with preparing their own gourmet meals, kitchen islands have become more convenient.

Although there are many benefits to an island in the kitchen, there are also some disadvantages to kitchen islands. Weighing all the options can help homeowners design a kitchen layout that is functional, affordable and practical for the space they have.

Pros

• Meal Prep. Kitchen islands are also advantageous when preparing meals. Kitchen counter space can be easily gobbled up by toaster ovens, rotisserie cookers, microwaves, coffee makers, and various other countertop appliances. These appliances can take up valuable real estate that’s sorely missed when preparing meals. An island can be used solely for cooking and preparation, and some homeowners have incorporated cutting boards and a prep sink into the design of the island.

qualeygranite.com.com 72 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

• Customization. Islands also can be customized according to a homeowner's needs. Instead of simply having cabinetry beneath the counter, some opt to have

PHOTO: HIKESTERSON/THINKSTOCK

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• Added space. Arguably the most significant advantage to having a kitchen island is the added space it provides. Many times islands are built with cabinetry that matches the rest of the kitchen design, and those cabinets provide storage space for pots, pans and other kitchen tools. Islands may double the storage space available in the kitchen.

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a wine cooler or even a bookshelf for keeping cookbooks within reach. An additional small dishwasher or beverage refrigerator may be tucked into the design of the island. For others, the island may be a makeshift kitchen office space.

Cons

• Expense. Expense is a leading negative factor with regard to a kitchen island. The additional material necessary and the labor involved in installation may bust some homeowners’ budgets. Stationary islands can cost several thousand dollars to install, and this is money a homeowner may be better off investing elsewhere.

• Space limitations. In smaller kitchens, an island may be impractical because of the space limitation. Islands are typically at the heart of the kitchen and may interfere with walking space or cause clearance issues when the refrigerator door or cabinet doors are open. For homeowners who find space is at a premium in the kitchen, an island may not be the best idea. However, a rolling island that can be moved into position when needed, then stored in a convenient, out-of-the-way location might be a viable option.

Kitchen islands are popular components of home designs. Before homeowners engage in any kitchen renovation that may include the incorporation of an island, they should know the advantages and disadvantages. Talking to a kitchen design specialist can help make that decision easier.

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Kitchen Remodel

Dos & Don’ts

D

id you know

a kitchen remodeling project can add as much as 82 percent of the project’s cost back into the value of your home? But not every kitchen project is a guaranteed winner. Homeowners may inadvertently make changes that end up sticking out like a sore thumb rather than improving the space. The best way to ensure your project is a winner is to use a design professional, like Marcy Whipple of Maine Stone Design Center by Qualey, known formerly as Qualey Granite. Maine Stone Design Center offers the following dos and don’ts for your next renovation project.

DO consider the way your kitchen will look with the rest of the home. Keep the architectural style of your home in mind.

A farmhouse sink and country cabinets can look out of place in an ultra-modern home. Maine Stone Design Center has expanded their offerings to include not only countertops but also cabinetry, tile, and other flooring surfaces.

DON’T overlook the importance of a seasoned designer. Marcy Whipple joined the Maine Stone Design Center staff in November of 2015 and brings her 14 years of interior design, sales experience,

Ready to renovate? Take a look at these tips from the professionals at Maine Stone Design Center.

and customer service to the company.

Marcy selected Ultracraft, Fieldstone, and Mid Continent cabinet lines that allow her to design within any budget and design scheme. Marcy has also brought several new tile and flooring lines to the company. The ability to offer all the design features in a room allow her to create the perfect backsplash, floor, custom shower, or anything else her clients need.

DO look beyond surface details. The kitchen should be beautiful as well as functional and long-lasting. Consider what the showroom material will look like in your own home. Maine Stone Design Center offers customers the opportunity to view their huge selection of stone countertop material, including granite, marble, quartz, and soapstone, under lighting conditions similar to the inside of a home. This provides the truest way to envision what the slab will look like installed. Having the material indoors means the slabs are free from the sun’s UV contamination and fading issues, dust, rain, wind and snow. Maine Stone Design Center’s warehouse is the only facility north of Boston that allows the general public to see this much raw material without an appointment or contractor referral.

DON’T

forget about your budget.

Make sure you can afford your project and plan for some unexpected purchases. Maine Stone Design Center has hundreds of remnants that can be used for bathrooms, island, and other small sections. These remnant pieces are all photographed and stored on the company’s website with details listing the size and color of each piece. Every piece in the remnant library is the same price and if combined with a kitchen there is no charge for the material (you pay only for temp/fab/install). However, as one of the largest granite countertop suppliers in the State, Maine Stone Design Center is able to offer their biggest savings option to cabinet and tile/flooring customers.

Paid Advertisement for Maine Stone Design Center.

(207) 947-7858 1506 State Street, Veazie qualeygranite.com.com

www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 75

76 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

Special Section Featuring Northern Maine

by Bangor Metro

PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED BY TOMI HENDERSON

Winners of the stein-holding contest at the 2015 Aroostook County Brew Fest were Adam Owen of Houlton and Kim Cheney of Blaine.

Cheers to The County!

T

he Aroostook

County Brew & Wine Festival is set for Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Nordic Heritage Sport Club in Presque Isle.

The event is a collaboration between The Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce, the Nordic Heritage

Brew & Wine Fest on tap in Presque Isle this October.

Center, Aroostook Hops, and the Maine Malt House LLC. These four entities got together in 2015 to establish a one of a kind Beer and Wine Tasting Festival in Aroostook County to promote locally grown products that are used in the beer making process.

The VIP session begins at noon and tickets are $55. General session is $35 and kicks off at 1:30 p.m. with music by Travis Cyr, followed by a 3 p.m. performance by Jacob Graham.

For information and to purchase tickets, visit aroostookcountybrewfestival.com. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 77

crown of maine Mishun Morey, 9, of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs in the band's pea patch at the Micmac Farmers Market.

Boost for

Local Organizations USDA Rural Development Announces Grants totaling more than $212,000.

78 / BANGOR METRO October 2016

T

hree organizations

in Aroostook County have been selected to receive grants that will benefit the people living in these rural communities in a variety of ways.

“From providing economic development opportunities that will assist the Aroostook Band of Micmac Indians in utilizing valuable tribal resources, to supporting performing art, agricultural history, and vital health and wellness equipment for children, these grants make an important impact on the quality of life for Northern Maine citizens,” said USDA Rural Development State Director Virginia Manuel.

The communities selected to receive funding are: • Aroostook Band of Micmac Indians, in Presque Isle, has been selected to receive a Rural Business Development Grant in the amount of $122,953. The funds will be used to develop a strategic economic and community development plan to consider the best use of the tribe’s 3,000 acres of land, other tribal assets, and the community ecosystem. Feasibility analyses and business plans for two potential tribal enterprises, specialty foods, and alternative energy will be funded. This projects is estimated to create up to 20 jobs and save up to 10.

• Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum, in Littleton, has been selected to receive a Community Facility Grant in the amount of $14,700. Funds will be used to replace the heating system in the museum, which is dedicated to preserving artifacts of the agricultural way of life in Aroostook County and what early farm life was

(Top) United Way of Aroostook also donated $5,000 to the Fort Kent Elementary School PTO playground fund in July. Executive Director Sherry Locke, and board member Alain Bois presented the check to Principal Gary Stevens and playground committee members Jennifer Levesque and Cheryl Fournier, with the help of some happy young students.

(Right) Inside the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum in Littleton.

like. The existing steam heating system is approximately 65 years old and unreliable and inefficient to operate compared to current technologies. They will replace it with a more modern oil fired hot water boiler system. • Maine School Administrative District 27, in Fort Kent, has been selected to receive a Community Facility Grant in the amount of $42,000. Funds will be used to purchase and install wellness equipment for the Fort Kent Elementary School playground. In designing the playground structure, the District incorporated components that are particularly appropriate for occupational therapy and physical therapy students as well as the general population. The structure will also be ADA compliant. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 79

last

word

T

his is the

Potty Time Privacy It’s important when trying to teach life lessons.

BY CHRIS QUIMBY

first year I will be the father of a college student. It happened so fast. Seems like just yesterday my now 18-year-old son and his sister beat me at Scrabble. How old were they? Oh, 6 and 7. I was 32, which, if you’re counting, was 19 years older than their collective age.

Yes, I felt pretty special. They both beat me. Out of three people, I was in last place, behind a girl who still played with dolls and a boy whose favorite professional musician was Weird Al Yankovic.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out that I did offer my assistance to them throughout the game, so I would expect my name to receive some mention in any formal awards ceremony: “I would like to thank my father, without whose sacrificial word suggestions would have had me caught in an fruitless cycle of ‘cats and ‘its.’ I dedicate this Scrabbie to Dad.” Yeah, maybe in my dreams. The way it actually went down had my children quickly forgetting that I had any involvement in their success. They continually talked “Scrabble Trash” while I sat there and took it. That’s not fair.

I pretty much told my 6-year-old daughter what words she could place, but made her figure out where to place and how to spell them. My 7-year-old son only needed me to occasionally correct his spelling of some words and to continually advise him in this fashion: MY SON: Dad, is fif a word?

ME: Use it in a sentence.

MY SON: I can’t.

ME: Then don’t use it.

MY SON: But is it a word?

ME: Fifth is a word, like third, fourth, fifth. Do you have a ‘t’ and an ‘h’?

MY SON: No. ME: Then you can’t use it.

MY SON: What about fif?

My son is very competitive. He doesn’t get too upset when he loses, but he doesn’t hesitate to rub it in faces when he wins, and he wins a lot. Not in Scrabble, but in just about any mental game that exists. I made a game I call Family Memory a few years ago that is just the common game of Memory consisting of wallet sized family photos that I printed off of our home computer. There’s me playing the guitar, my wife dressed as Anakin Skywalker, my daughter eating a piece of corn on the cob, my son on the toilet, etc. (these were individual photos, and not one with us doing all of these things at the same time in the same room).

The toilet photo is in good taste, revealing nothing. It’s one of the typical photos that every home has of various family members trying to poop in privacy. I know my mother has a few of me from when I was young. Call her if you’re interested. I believe she offers reprints as large as 8-inches by 10-inches and FedEx Next Day Shipping.

It was a rare occasion when anybody in my home could beat my son at Family Memory. That included my 31-year-old wife and me. Together, she and I possessed a total of 63 years of thinking experience, which put us pretty close to retirement and senility. Mathematically, that made each of us about one-half senile, which is how we felt when we played any cognitive game with him.

Adding to our insanity was the frustration of having a child so gifted that he could remember the exact placement of two cards depicting my daughter kissing a snowman, but he still can’t remember to brush his teeth in the morning. That’s one thing I still have on him. I may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but my teeth are very clean.

I just have to remember that it is my job to raise my children in such a way that they will be able to compete in the world. My light is fading and theirs have continued to glow brighter. It will one day be their duty to care for me as I did when they were my responsibilities. When that day comes, my only request is to let me go to the bathroom without any photos.

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.

80 / BANGOR METRO October 2016