Day in the Life -- Skowhegan

Skowhegan to do list : VISIT LAKE GEORGE • GO TO THE DRIVE-IN • STROLL THE RIVERWALK TRAIL • GRAB A PINT

a day in the life

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SKOWHEGAN

Saturday, February 2, 2019 • Bangor Daily News • Special Advertising Section

great things IN AND AROUND SKOWHEGAN

BY JASMINE HAINES

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ith a great food and drink scene and opportunities for outdoor recreation, there’s a lot to love about Skowhegan. Here are some of our picks for great things to do in an around Skowhegan. The list is by no means exhaustive—so get out there, explore, and find more of your own!

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2 LAKEWOOD

Tristan Noyes picks up lunch and a coffee at the Bankery. BDN FILE PHOTO

 3. THE BANKERY

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Love a sweet treat? The Bankery is a from-scratch bakery that focuses on using local products whenever they can. They source grains and flours from Maine Grains and they get their dairy products from local producers like Balfour Farms and Crooked Face Creamery. The name comes from their gorgeous historic building which was a bank built in the 1800s. While you are getting your sugar fix in the shop or simply picking up a cake for this weekend’s birthday party, don’t forget to swing in next door to the flower shop. The Skowhegan Fleuriste is also run by the Bankery owners and sources local flowers whenever they can.

1. LAKEWOOD GOLF COURSE SKI AND SNOWSHOE TRAILS It’s hard sometimes to get moving in the winter months, but the Lakewood Golf Course makes it easy to get some fresh air and enjoy nature. Located on Lakewood Road in Madison, the trailhead is right off of Route 201 with a convenient parking lot across the street. The trails are groomed regularly making them great for snowshoeing or cross country skiing. Fourlegged companions are welcome too!

 4. INDIAN MONUMENT Some sources claim this is the “world’s largest statue of a wooden Indian.” Others say it’s the “world’s tallest Indian.” Regardless of which claim is correct, this statue dedicated to Maine Indians is quite a sight. Measuring 69 feet tall (not including its base), the monument was built in 1969 in recognition of Maine’s 150th anniversary.

It was popular as a roadside attraction in the 1970s but fell into subsequent disrepair. A community effort helped restore it to its former glory a few years ago.

 2. LAKEWOOD THEATER AND RESTAURANT

5. SKOWHEGAN FARMERS MARKET This year-round farmers market is located at the Somerset Grist Mill lot during May through October and then switches to Boynton's Greenhouse November through April. You can expect to find some of the freshest seasonal vegetables, meats, cheeses, maple products, baked goods and more. There are tons of vendors and lots of samples to try. For more information, check out their Facebook page for the most updated schedule and vendors.

Dinner and a show always make a great date night. Add historic charm and a romantic lakeside view, and you’ll be upgraded to the perfect date night. The Lakewood Theater is located just six miles north of Skowhegan on Lake Wesserunsett and has a rich history. One of America’s oldest (and some would say most famous) theaters, the Lakewood Theater has been operating since 1901 and has earned its entertainment bragging rights. Mama Cass and Humphrey Bogart both have graced the stage as well as many others. Shows start in late May and run through September.

6. RIVERWALK TRAIL 4

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The Riverwalk, an all-purpose ADA-accessible walkway, runs from Skowhegan’s Mt. Pleasant Street near the walking bridge to a connection with the canoe portage site, the Philbrick Trails, and the River's Edge Bike Park. The 5.6-acre George Overlook parcel (part of the Run of River project, also featured in this publication) provides scenic views with 800 feet of river frontage. Access to the river is available for recreational activities such as biking, hiking, and picnicking. It’s a great afternoon walk after eating in one of Skowhegan’s many outstanding restaurants and pubs.

D2 Saturday, February 2, 2019, Bangor Daily News

Feel like family at

THE TOWNE MOTEL

COURTESY OF THE TOWNE MOTEL

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he Towne Motel is a local family-owned and operated business that is close to everything Skowhegan has to offer.

However, we are more than just “a place to stay”—a stay at The Towne Motel is an experience. We want you to feel like family. We know many of our customers by name, their room preferences, and are happy to see them because we consider them part of our family.

As The Towne Motel plans for the future, we envision your stay getting better and better. We believe that as times and technologies change, we must ourselves adapt and change to keep our rooms modern and your stay pleasant.

We recently made many upgrades to improve our guests’ experience. In September, we upgraded our free Wi-Fi to provide improved download speeds and better coverage. A dry well was installed in the parking lot to improve drainage. An underground main water pipe was replaced to improve water pressure and quality. New water heaters, washers, and dryers have also been purchased to enhance customer experience and reliability.

Inside, rooms are being upgraded during the winter season. Two rooms have been completely renovated.

New flooring is being installed throughout the motel. Other upgrades include lighting, bedding, mattresses, curtains, and towels (to name a few). We believe in delivering a clean, quality stay at a fair price with modern amenities.

Haven’t stayed with us before? The motel is located near the heart of town between downtown business, shopping areas, and the Skowhegan State

Fairgrounds. There are several dining options within a very short walking distance. It is also a short walk to the downtown area with many more dining and shopping options, historic buildings, a museum, and the beautiful Kennebec River Gorge.

We are located in the Upper Kennebec Valley region. It is well known for its outdoor recreation.

Biking, canoeing, fishing, hiking, whitewater rafting, and mountain climbing are all just a short drive from the Towne Motel. We are ideally located in the midst of Maine’s mountains, rivers, and lakes so that you can enjoy them all.

Local “must-see” attractions include Skowhegan’s swinging foot bridge and the giant wooden Native American statue honoring its history near the municipal parking lot. The rest of Skowhegan’s restaurants, shopping, and attractions are within a few minutes’ drive.

There are plenty of attractions for arts lovers, as well. The Maine State Museum is just a short drive away in Augusta.

The Historic Lakewood Theater is located just outside Skowhegan and operates every summer.

We believe there is an abundance of reasons to visit our region whatever the season. Summer provides a great opportunity for all to get outside and enjoy nature. In August, the Skowhegan State Fair comes to town for 10 days.

There are also many shows, festivals, and competitions held at the fairgrounds throughout the summer. Fall brings bright foliage splashed across the mountains and valleys (and miles of country

roads on which to enjoy it). Winter brings skiing and snow tubing at a local family-owned mountain.

Local trails are open for snowshoeing. For your convenience, The Towne Motel is connected to the ITS snowmobile trail system. You can snowmobile from your room, leaving your trailer and vehicle in our ample back parking lot. Spring brings with it a festival celebrating the local heritage of maple syrup production.

The Towne Motel has long been known for its exceptionally clean rooms and friendly, helpful, and accommodating staff. When you check in, you will be warmly welcomed. We will be glad to answer any questions you might have about our town or region throughout your stay. We take pride in the cleanliness and appearance of our motel and strive to continually make it better. Modern televisions, microwaves, refrigerators, coffee makers, air conditioners and heat, phones, cable, HBO, irons and ironing boards are some of the amenities found in each of our 31 rooms.

Some of our rooms also have kitchenettes and closets or are connected for larger groups or families.

You are invited to enjoy our complimentary continental breakfast each morning. We offer tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cereal, oatmeal, muffins, toast, bagels, eggs, yogurt, orange juice, and fresh fruit in our cozy lobby breakfast area. You can share travel adventures with other guests or chat with our staff.

Outside, our grounds are graced with well-kept lawns and flower beds that provide color throughout spring, summer and fall.

We have an extra-large pool with a large patio area

around it to swim or relax in a patio chair or under the shade of an umbrella.

The pool has both a deep and shallow end for everyone’s enjoyment.

The things that are “old fashioned” (but will never change) are service with a smile, comfort, and cleanliness. We welcome you to visit The Towne Motel at 172 Madison Avenue in Skowhegan, your home away from home.

Bangor Daily News, Saturday, February 2, 2019 D3

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Lake George Regional Park at sunset.

COURTESY LAKE GEORGE REGIONAL PARK

family-friendly

THINGS TO DO IN SKOWHEGAN

BY JASMINE HAINES

You might think that Skowhegan doesn’t offer a lot in the way of family-style activities. Well, then, you’d be wrong. Here are five great things to do with the kiddos in this wonderful Maine town.

EATON MOUNTAIN SKI AREA AND SNOW TUBING PARK

Looking for outdoor family fun this winter? Eaton Mountain offers the perfect place for first-time skiers and snowboarders to learn the ropes. There are also more advanced trails for the intermediate skiers in your family to explore.

Not that skilled with skis? Try snow tubing! It's perfect for family outings or larger parties and no special skill is required. A tow does most of the work by bringing you up the mountain, and then you ride down in speedy style on one of Eaton’s 500-foot tube chutes. It's like “super sledding” with less walking uphill in between runs. Eaton Mountain Ski Area and Snow Tubing Park is the perfect way to spend a winter weekend for any kid or kid at heart.

(Above) A football sculpture by Bernard Langlais in Skowhegan. COURTESY OF MAIN STREET MAINE (This photo) Tubers take to the slopes at Eaton Mountain. COURTESY OF EATON MOUNTAIN

SKOWHEGAN DRIVE-IN

There are only 330 drive-in theaters left in the United States, and Skowhegan has one of the coolest ones in Maine.

Since 1954, the Skowhegan Drive-In has been the perfect spot to grab a double feature on a weekend night rain or shine. The drive-in is cash only so it will feel like going to the movies in the “good old days,” but the concession stand has plenty of modern snacks as well as some of the classics.

LANGLAIS ART TRAIL

Throughout Skowhegan, there is a cast of characters just waiting for your family to visit. The Riverfront parking lot is home to a dreamy mermaid, the community center has a ragtag group of footballers, and the Free Public Library even has a panther (don’t worry, it won’t bite). Made from scrap wood and other salvaged materials, these larger-than-life sculptures are located all around downtown thanks to Maine artist Bernard “Blackie” Langlais (19211977). Langlais attended and later taught at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and always held the town close to his heart. In 2013, 24 of his sculptures were presented to Skowhegan from Langlais’s estate. These whimsical pieces can turn an afternoon stroll into a wonderland your kids will love exploring.

LAKE GEORGE REGIONAL PARK

There is something to do at Lake George Regional Park every season. It features tons of hiking and walking trails for all levels. It's the perfect place for family boating and swimming in the summer. Winter months provide well-maintained cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails as well as ice fishing.

LC BATES MUSEUM

Looking for an educational and fun activity for your family that won't break the bank? LC Bates Museum at Good Will-Hinckley is the affordable adventure you have been looking for. There are natural history exhibits including fossil and Maine archeology, local history displays full of fun stories you may have never heard before, wildlife displays, outdoor nature trails, and an arboretum. The best part? Kids under 18 get in for only a dollar!

‘RUN OF RIVER’ LOOKS TO TRANSFORM SKOWHEGAN INTO ACTIVITY HUB PROVIDED BY MAIN STREET SKOWHEGAN

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n New England, there’s no place where can you spend an afternoon paddling on three quality whitewater features and then pull out on shore, change out of your wetsuit, and walk to the nearby pub for food and a local craft brew.

But Skowhegan is looking to change that with the Run of River Whitewater Recreation Area in and around the Kennebec River Gorge in its downtown.

Part of a dual approach to community transformation through outdoor recreation, Run of River will offer opportunities to kayak, paddleboard, tube, and surf in the river; stroll along a two-mile riverfront

promenade; explore fourseason, non-motorized trails on 300 acres in the heart of town; and fish in restored, pristine waters.

It will also be free and open to all.

In addition to providing recreation opportunities, Run of River is poised to make Skowhegan a tourist destination and significantly impact the economy in Somerset County, one of Maine’s poorest counties.

Data from a 2016 economic impact study estimates almost $6 million in economic impact statewide in the base year and up to $19 million in economic impact in the 10th year; more than 40 new jobs in Somerset County and 54

statewide the first year; and up to 136 new jobs in Somerset County and 171 statewide by year 10.

Anecdotal evidence of the economic power of whitewater parks includes a business owner in Salida,

ing the lead on fundraising. In the past six months, Main Street has raised $93,000; they are writing grants and looking for other, creative ways to fund the remaining $3.7 million needed for permit-

Colo., whose annual sales went from $600,000 before Salida’s whitewater park to $4 million after the park was constructed.

The Town of Skowhegan has set aside $1.4 million for whitewater park construction. As a member of the town’s Run of River Committee, community nonprofit Main Street Skowhegan is tak-

ting and construction.

Pending funding, the whitewater park will be completed in 2022.

Despite the enormous potential of Run of River, it’s not enough to build facilities. To capitalize on Run of River’s health and wellness potential as well as its economic benefits, Main Street Skowhegan, in collaboration with other

’S N E R R A W lies

upp s e c fi of

800.339.7103

local stakeholders, is gearing up to get Skowhegan community members active and involved.

To cultivate an active lifestyle culture, complement Run of River, and ensure access to all regardless of socioeconomic status, Main Street is working with the Outdoor Sport Institute (OSI) on an action plan that will offer free outdoor recreation opportunities for all Skowhegan residents.

Free programming run by local volunteers will kick off this summer. To meet less active and nonactive community members where they’re at, programming will include low-barrier and low-intensity activities like walking,

birdwatching, flatwater paddling, and bicycling.

There will also be programming and education geared toward youth, plus sport-specific trainings and activities including mountain biking, whitewater paddling, and crosscountry skiing.

A “gear library” will ensure the free availability of canoes, kayaks, bikes, helmets, snowshoes, skis, and more.

Ultimately Run of River and the outdoor recreation action plan will help achieve the goal of Skowhegan’s strategic plan, which was adopted in 2016—for Skowhegan to become a thriving economic, cultural, and recreational destination where residents enjoy a high quality of life.

on tap D4 Saturday, February 2, 2019, Bangor Daily News

in Skowhegan

SKOWHEGAN’S OAK POND BREWERY IS TRUE FAMILY AFFAIR

BY ALAN CROWELL

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or Nancy and Adam Chandler, brewing beer is a labor of love.

Donald Chandler, Nancy’s late husband and Adam’s father, bought Oak Pond Brewing Company in 2003.

Donald, an engineer, had been laid off from his previous job in his mid-50s and was having a hard time finding work. One day while Nancy was visiting relatives, he toured the brewery which had been sitting idle and empty in a converted chicken barn for about two years.

He saw enough potential to make a pitch to his wife.

“What do you think if we buy the brewery,” he asked, remembered Nancy, who had no idea he was even considering such a thing.

“I said, ‘If it makes you happy, honey, let’s do it.’”

The 14-barrel brew system had originally opened in 1993, the first brewery in Skowhegan since Prohibition. It featured equipment from Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Donald’s experience in the brewery business at that point amounted to a little home brewing, but with his background in engineering, he was able to reconfigure the operation to make it more efficient.

“I think he really came to love this and I think he was really proud of being able to put the puzzle pieces back together,” said Adam.

When Donald died in 2013, Nancy and Adam took over as Oak Pond’s sole employees. Nancy is the senior brewer, one of the relatively few female brewers in what is still a male-dominated world.

“I like to tell people I am the most experienced female brewer in the state of Maine,” she said. “I have been doing this a long, long time. I have made a lot of beer.”

Often, however, visitors and tradesmen simply assume Adam is in charge.

“People come in and they go right to him thinking he is the head brewer. I mean he is damn good, but he hasn’t been doing it as long as I have been doing it,” said Nancy.

As well as serving as brewer with his mom, Adam handles all the deliveries and is adding to the brewery’s recipes. During the summer when deliveries are busiest, Adam’s work week can stretch to 90 hours.

They put in the long hours because brewing has become part of their identity. It is also a way to carry on Donald’s legacy.

His face smiles out from old newspaper articles that line the walls of the brewery and from the company web page. His recipes still make up the majority of the brewery’s offerings.

“That was one of the joys of my life was working with my best friend. We didn’t go off to work we went off to work together,” said Nancy.

Donald’s philosophy remains at the core of the brewery’s way of doing things.

“To produce a great tasting beer at a low price point for the Maine working guy,” said Adam. “The guy from the mill. The guy from New Balance, someone who wants to drink a better tasting product from a locally-producing person but isn’t going to pay a premium price point.”

“You look at a lot of beers now, particularly in fourpacks, and you are paying $21 to $24 a four-pack. That’s bar price. We are on the other end of that spectrum where we are still producing a great tasting product but at a more reasonable price level,” said Adam.

“Mom still brews every single batch of beer that comes out of this facility just like she did with my dad,” said Adam. “We still have the exact same temperature control processes. We are still doing all the grain additions. She is still doing all of that. That is why the beer is consistent.”

Oak Pond keeps three lagers and three ales on tap and also rotates in a seasonal lager.

We do our milling right here on site, that is another step that a lot of small brewers aren’t doing any more,” said Adam. “We think it just makes a better tasting beer and we can grind it to the specifications that we are looking for.”

It also saves money by allowing them to buy whole kernel grain rather than pre-milled.

Most of the retail customers are “little guys,” said Adam, smaller stores or restaurants where they deal directly with the proprietor.

During the winter months, more than half of their beer is sold to customers who walk in the brewery doors, people they know on a first-name basis. Often those customers bring in 64-ounce glass reusable “growlers” for a refill.

Keeping faith with those customers is part of every process at the brewery.

“We are constantly trying to figure out ways to keep costs down not only for ourselves but for the customers,” said Adam.

They haven’t raised their prices in two years.

While they don’t have a tap room, Adam and Nancy are happy to share samples. And they will talk about the brewing process to anyone interested.

What the industrial facility on Oak Pond road

won’t do is offer polished tasting rooms or a riverside restaurant experience.

“We are not going to wow you with flat screen TVs and cornhole boards. That is just not our game,” said Adam.

It is about the beer, said Adam, just as it was when his father was head brewer. On that parameter, at least, business is going just fine, said Nancy.

“We are selling as much beer as we can make. Our beer is always fresh. He knows where every bottle is on every shelf and he knows how long it has been there,” she said.

“And it usually moves pretty fast.”

Nancy and Adam Chandler of Oak Pond Brewing Company, founded in 2003.

BIGELOW BREWING VALUES THE POWER OF COMMUNITY

BY ALAN CROWELL

summer. Ingredients are sourced from local farms whenever possible and include out-of-the-box combinations, or Christmas of 1989, Pam Powers bought her hus- some with a base of blueberry compote or squash. A band Jeff a brewing kit. favorite pizza has a fig base, pears, risotto, Gorgonzola A month later, after brewing his first batch of beer, cheese and balsamic-tossed arugula.

Jeff announced he wanted to open a brewery. Then came To supplement his pizza offerings, LeVine expanded two children, a succession of horses and other animals, the menu to include woodfired meatballs and Brussel including dogs, cats and chickens, many of them rescues sprouts as well as brown ale macaroni and cheese. including a turkey, two goats and several horses (at one “One of the best things about working in a brewery is point the family was getting calls from veterinarians you get to cook with the beer, so there is beer in a lot of across the state). the recipes,” said LeVine.

With a family, a menagerie of pets and two full time Thanks in part to LeVine’s creations, Bigelow Brewing jobs—Jeff worked in the paper industry (he is now shift has become a destination. On summer nights, 300 to 400 production manager at the Nine Dragons Paper Mill in people find the brewery down a long rural road.

Rumford) while Pam was a middle school teacher—the But as the brewery has grown and changed, it has brewery remained on the back burner. retained its connection to the neighborhood and But it was never forgotten. Jeff contincommunity that fostered it. LeVine sources ued to brew beer and the family would his cheese, meat and grain from local try out promising recipes at dinner farmers whenever possible and all the parties that featured blind taste malt and many of the other ingreditests pitting samples of Jeff’s beer ents for the beer are sourced from with as many brands of similar Maine. Even the granite and pavstyle brews as Pam and Jeff ers used during the various A CONNECTION TO could find at local stores. expansions are from Maine. A THE COMMUNITY, When their guests consisconnection to the community, tently picked their brew over particularly local farmers and PARTICULARLY LOCAL the store-bought options, food producers, is central to FARMERS AND FOOD they knew they were onto Bigelow Brewing’s philosophy.

PRODUCERS, IS CENTRAL something.

“We need to support the When Bigelow Brewing people around us. The farmers TO BIGELOW BREWING’S Company finally opened on aren’t going to survive if people PHILOSOPHY. Pam and Jeff’s 25-acre farm on aren’t buying their products,” May, 3, 2014, it was more than a said Jeff. quarter-century after Jeff brewed LeVine said he often sees his that first batch of beer. suppliers at the restaurant on Jeff had expected that perhaps 15 weekends. to 20 people would stroll in to taste the “They are our friends and customers beer, but by the end of the day they had as well,” he said. hosted 300 people.

Connections to the community show up in other “It was a little overwhelming,” said Jeff. ways as well. Three years ago, when Pam had been incaBy that September, they knew they would have to pacitated by a foot injury and Jeff was recovering from a expand. In the five years since, the barn that Jeff origi- back surgery, the family couldn’t keep the brewery’s 13 nally built to house the family’s assorted animals has 200-foot rows of hops weeded, so they put out a request undergone a metamorphosis. for volunteers on Facebook, “We have had at least five different expansions in the The brewery’s regulars turned out in force and five years we have been open,” said Jeff. “It is enough quickly got the weeding done. work it keeps your head spinning.”

“They feel like it is their brewery,” said Jordan.

From brewing 69 barrels of beer that first year, they And while it seems clear the brewery has more have roughly doubled production every year but one growth ahead of it, Jeff and Pam are adamant that since. Last year, they brewed more than 900 barrels, and growth will take place within their vision of a brewery after adding a new canning line they are once again hav- rooted in community and a sense of place. Today, ing difficulty keeping up with demand.

Somerset is one of the poorest counties in Maine, but it This summer, another 50-foot expansion for more is also moving toward what Jeff and Pam hope will be a storage and brewing equipment is planned. brighter future. It is important that Bigelow be part of From two full-time employees, the operation has the metamorphosis, said Pam. grown to seven full-time employees (including Jordan, “As communities. we are rethinking how we are their daughter) and three part-time employees. going to support each other and how are we drawing Chef Erik LeVine joined Bigelow in 2015 and brought people into our communities,” said Pam. “The money with him unique pizza creations that have become so that we spend on these farmers or that people spend with popular that there is often a two-hour wait during the us, that money goes back into our communities.”

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Founded by Pam and Jeff Powers, Bigelow Brewing Co is a family business. Jordan Powers, pictured here and above with Jeff, is a full-time employee at the brewery.

Bangor Daily News, Saturday, February 2, 2019 D5

Skowhegan’s Maine Grains

SPURS LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY, ENTREPRENEURSHIP

COURTESY MAINE GRAINS, INC.

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hen she moved to Skowhegan as a speech and language pathologist, Amber Lambke never imagined that she would become a visionary leader behind a small town’s economic revitalization and, eventually, the CEO of a large and productive grist mill.

Today, Amber is the president and CEO of Maine Grains, Inc., a manufacturer of locally grown, stone-milled grains as well as co-founder of the Maine Grain Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting grain traditions.

Maine Grains’ gristmill is housed in a historic county jail repurposed as an entrepreneurial base for local farmers and small businesses. The idea to start a mill in Skowhegan was really an attempt to solve a problem: how could farmers, millers, bakers, oven builders, and brewers rebuild Maine’s lost grain economy? Answering this question would lead Amber to dedicate her efforts full-time to the pursuit of local bread and community revitalization.

More than a century ago, central Maine was part of New England's breadbasket. The town of Skowhegan was a hub.

Skowhegan is located in Somerset County, Maine, where 239,000 bushels of wheat were produced in 1837. At 60 pounds to the bushel, that was enough to feed 100,000 people in a county that now has half that population. Today, Skowhegan is experiencing an agricultural renaissance with a new generation of thought leaders, farmers, and food producers leading the charge.

With the loss of shoe factories, woolen mills, and

wood products industries, Skowhegan needed jobs and began looking to its assets for answers. Among the assets that Skowhegan had to work with were affordable farmland; a longstanding small farmer’s market that served a socio-economically diverse population; a world-class masonry oven business that called Skowhegan home; and a hotbed of back-to-the-landers with children that were coming home to farm and start business.

Amber moved to town as it was re-imagining its future. She had an interest in downtown revitalization and began volunteering for Main Street Skowhegan. In 2007, she and other community members interested in the growing local food movement aimed to address the demand for locally-grown grains. They hosted the first annual Kneading Conference in the heart of Somerset County, where grain production was booming in the mid-1800’s.

The conference is a unique gathering of grain enthusiasts with the goal to share the art and science of growing and milling grains and baking artisan breads.

The Kneading Conference would become a worldclass annual event in Skowhegan. Now in its twelfth year, it’s grown from 75 participants in 2007 to 250 in 2018. In conjunction with the conference is the Artisan Bread Fair, a free summer festival hosting 3,000 people that offers a myriad of ways to explore the best techniques, tools, and delicious accoutrements to whole grain bread baking. The Maine Grain Alliance (MGA), a nonprofit organization that supports the economic, environmental, and nutri-

tional importance for establishing regional grain economies, hosts the conference, the bread fair, and other educational, heritage seed restoration, and technical assistance programs yearround. The interest and excitement around local grains in Skowhegan was rising like a proofing loaf.

Facing the vacancy of a historic 14,000 square foot Victorian jailhouse in their downtown as well as the lack of gristmills which once serviced a robust grain economy in central Maine, Amber and co-founder Michael Scholz partnered to buy the building and dubbed it the Somerset Grist Mill in 2012. The building had the height necessary to gravity-feed grains, it was overbuilt in all the right ways to mute the noise from the milling process, and it was sturdy enough to hold heavy milling equipment.

Being an old jail, it came equipped with a fullyfunctional commercial

kitchen which MGA helped to renovate, thereby paving the way for year-round educational baking workshops.

Maine Grains, Inc., specializes in stone-milled organic and heritage grains and rolled oats.

They process Maine grown wheat, rye, spelt, buckwheat, cornmeal, malted barley and other heritage grains which are distributed to bakeries, restaurants, natural food stores, breweries and institutions throughout the northeast.

The building is also home to the Miller’s Table, a farm-to-table café showcasing the all-natural and certified-organic grains milled onsite. Across from the café is the dry goods shop selling Maine Grains products, baking wares, cook books, and other tasty goodies. The revitalized jailhouse-turned-mill also made way for a knit shop, a community radio station, and has spawned other entrepreneurial ventures.

“Our core mission is to

participate in the revival of a regional grain economy,” said Amber. “There are a lot of other benefits that go along with what we are trying to do, including job creation. We live in a county which has a high rate of unemployment, poverty, and hunger. We are trying to use our assets in this area to create job opportunities for employees. We are trying to create meaningful work. We are making a useful product that is healthy for people, produced in a responsible and sustainable way.”

The founding of the Maine Grains in downtown Skowhegan has not only spurred energy for infrastructure improvements and entrepreneurship in downtown Skowhegan, but it has been a focal point of community collaboration around growing the local food economy, addressing food insecurity, and growing opportunities in agriculture. The milling operation anchors this expand-

ing food hub that is fast becoming a vibrant marketplace for buyers and sellers of local food. At the mill, Amber and her team are building an ecosystem around grains: customers purchase freshly-milled grains in order to make bread and beer and start businesses to value-add the grains; there are feed customers that purchase the byproducts from milling to raise backyard chickens and pigs; and customers purchase oat hulls and compost to support their efforts to grow mushrooms commercially and make potting mixes for farmers.

The mill makes charitable donations of flour to schools, jails, and the Good Shepard Food Bank for minimal or no cost.

Maine Grains now employees 12 people from the community. They buy from 36 different farms and are spurring the expansion of organic grain production in Maine and throughout the northeast.

Worksite wellness D6 Saturday, February 2, 2019, Bangor Daily News

AT SKOWHEGAN’S REDINGTON-FAIRVIEW

BY JIM FORTUNATO, RFGH HEALTH EDUCATOR

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group of Redington-Fairview General Hospital (RFGH) employees and other individuals from the community are passionate about supporting health and wellness.

They have come together to form a committee called the “Fitness Task Force.” The committee’s mission is to support worksites, groups, and individuals through education, awareness of trails, and other opportunities to be active—initiatives that are proven to help folks maintain regular exercise habits.

What does the research say works for increasing physical activity? According to the Community Preventive Services Task Force, a group appointed and supported by the Center for Disease Control, the following initiatives show strong evidence in supporting physical activity: • Skill-building programs: Programs that teach individuals how to set goals, problem-solve, encourage positive self-talk, and prevent relapse are proven to help individuals sustain health changes.

• Social support: Buddy systems, walking groups, being part of a fitness class, or simply walking with your dog supports physical activity. Accountability and positive reinforcement from others help us to keep moving.

• Access to opportunities for physical activity: The availability of local trails and fitness facilities or opportunities (and the awareness of these options) results in more folks being active in a community.

• Monitors: Fitbits and pedometers allow us to set goals, monitor progress, and prioritize our fitness.

What are the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for adults?

According to a 2018 US Department of Health & Human Services Executive Summary, “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, the recommendations are as follows: • Aerobic Activity: Moderate intensity aerobic activity of 150–300 minutes a week; vigorous intensity aerobic activity of 75–150 minutes a week; or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic activity.

• Muscle-Strengthening Activity: Do activities that make your muscles work harder at least two days a week.

What are the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for children and adolescents?

• Aerobic Activity: Ages six through 17 should do an hour or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily.

• Muscle and Bone Strengthening Activities: As part of the one hour or more of daily physical activity, children and adolescents should include muscle and bone strengthening physical activity on at least three days a week.

How can I tell if I am doing moderate or vigorous intensity aerobic activity?

• Subtract your age from 220. This gives you maximum heart rate (example: 220-age 50=170).

• Stop in the middle of your activity and take your pulse for 15 seconds by placing two fingers on the inside of your wrist below your thumb.

• Multiple the number you get for 15 seconds by 4 to get beats per minute.

• Moderate intensity aerobic activity is a pulse that ranges from 60%–70% of your maximum heart rate.

In the example above, it would be a pulse ranging from 102–119.

The RFGH Fitness Task Force Team includes (front row, from left) Kelly Coughlin, operations manager for Somerset Sports and Fitness; Cynthia Currier, RFGH medical secretary; Sheila Kinney, retired director of spectrum generations; Vicki Lyman, RFGH coder, (back row, from left) Jim Fortunato, RFGH health educator; Claire Therriault-Perkins, retired professor of accounting for University of Maine at Augusta; Theresa Howard, RN, RFGH nurse; Tricia Sprengel, RFGH dietician; Lisa Landry, RFGH director of human resources. Not pictured: Jeanine Libby, HP Fairfield human resources manager; Tori MacDonald, RFGH aquatics and fitness program coordinator.

• Vigorous intensity aerobic activity is a pulse that is 70%–80% of your maximum heart rate. Therefore, with a 50-year-old, pulse would range from 119–136.

The good news is that even if we do not meet the guidelines, any exercise improves health and lowers the risk of disease. According to the 2018 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report, “For individuals who perform no or little moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, replacing sedentary behavior with light-intensity physical activity reduces the risk of all mortality, cardiovascular disease, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes. There is no threshold that must be exceeded before benefits occur.”

The above-mentioned scientific report highlights strong evidence for physical activity and a connection to lower risk for heart attack and stroke, cancer, and diabetes. In addition, the research shows benefits to sleep quality, a reduction in depression and anxiety and risk for dementia.

“Besides, we just feel better when we move” said Jim Fortunato, RFGH community health educator and Fitness Task Force committee member.

The Fitness Task Force has taken several steps to support local worksites. “Fitness Works,” a no-cost

quarterly newsletter written by Task Force members, is being sent electronically to a number of worksites in the area. The first edition went out on January 15, 2019. In addition, the Fitness Task Force is providing free educational materials, posters, and presentations to support employees.

“We will even measure indoor and outdoor spaces at worksites to support goal setting and physical activity at the worksite,” said Fortunato.

If you are part of a local worksite or group or are an individual that would like to learn more about what the Fitness Task Force has to offer, contact Jim Fortunato at 207-858-2318 or email him at jfortunato@rfgh.net.

RFGH is an independent, critical access community hospital located in Skowhegan, Maine. RFGH has provided quality, comprehensive health services since 1952.

A member of the Maine Hospital Association, RFGH offers inpatient and outpatient services in many specialties, has a network of community-based primary care and pediatric physicians, and provides 24-hour emergency medical services. For more information, visit www.rfgh.net or call (207) 474-5121.