bonus inside
Metro Health Putting the “fun” back in fundraising
A Piece of Maine:
Orono
Vanity Plates Four Mainers share the stories behind their license plates
Kitchen Confidential In the kitchen at Café Sorpreso
Inside: Ellsworth’s Micki Sumpter Cooking with Dr. Colette Sabbagh Northern Star: Parise Rossignol
$5.95
Kids &
Cancer
November 2013
Your people, your region, your magazine.
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November 2013
contents
features there’s no place like home / 14 Ellsworth’s Micki Sumpter loves tackling challenges to better her community. Putting the “Fun” back in Fundraising / 18 Raising money can be as easy as shaving your head or growing a moustache. kids with cancer / 24 The Raish Peavey Haskell Children’s Cancer and Treatment Center in Brewer is where kids can battle cancer in comfort.
A Piece of Maine: Orono / 42 This community boasts a cultural vibe, thanks to passionate locals and the University of Maine. 2013 energy guide: Part 2 / 50 We share some tips on how to make your home more energy efficient.
18
Skillet sensation / 62 Colette Sabbagh shares a quick, healthy recipe for moms and dads on the go. CafÉ Sorpreso / 66 Chef Tyler Levesque creates mouth-watering cuisine.
34 2 / Bangor Metro November 2013
66
Photos: (top) karsten moran; (bottom left) danielle blocker; (bottom right) melanie brooks
behind the plate / 34 The people behind several clever vanity plates.
Photos: (top) Nate Levesque; (right) Mark McCall
70
in every issue
columns
TaLk of the Towns / 8 Hiking in Bangor, dairy delivery in Hermon, and fresh air in Camden.
eye on industry / 16 Health care has great growth potential in the Pine Tree state.
Biz Buzz & sightings / 10 People and places on the move.
Metro Wellness / 22 Don’t let cold weather derail your fitness plan.
What’s Happening / insert Holiday happenings for November and December. Metro sports / 61 Parise Rossignol is breaking records in Van Buren.
woods & waters / 72 The changing perspectives on hunting. last word / 80 Learning to multitask.
Perspectives / 70 Nate Levesque’s starry, starry night.
62
savvy seniors / 73 How to eat right for the holiday season.
www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 3
editor’s note
L
The Bangor Metro Region
Melanie Brooks, editor
4 / Bangor Metro November 2013
Photo: Kate Crabtree
ast night my mother invited my sister and I, and our husbands and children, over for dinner. We do this every couple of weeks. It serves as a reminder as to why I choose to live in Orono and not in a much larger city, like Portland, Boston, or New York—all places I have lived in and enjoy. These dinners are always hectic. Last night my 1-year-old son, Ian, decided he didn’t want to eat anything unless he was sitting in someone’s lap. My 2-year-old niece, Violet, kept yelling for her parents to serve her more cranberry sauce, and Ayda, her 6-year-old sister, was competing with the other kids for our attention. After dessert we got out the face-paint kit and the crayons. My mother was holding Ian, which made Violet feel left out. Pretty soon there was a pig pile with all three kids crawling over each other, on top of their beloved Nana. “Is this what Christmas is going to be like this year?” my mother asked, laughing. Yes, I thought. This IS what Christmas is going to be like. And it’s going to be awesome. For many people, the holidays are a juggling act. My husband and I struggle to spend ample time with both of our families, knowing full well that it’s our son people really want to see. We’ve decided to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with Shane’s large family in Biddeford, as that’s his favorite holiday. Last Thanksgiving, Ian was passed from auntie to auntie, a good-natured 4-month-old who was happy to be in a warm lap, no matter whose lap it was. It was the first time many of Shane’s family members met Ian. Shane’s mother beamed with pride over her new grandson. This year’s holiday might be a little more hectic, since Ian is a full-fledged toddler who babbles incessantly and has a habit of bumping his head. I feel tremendously lucky during the holidays because I have such a tight-knit family who sincerely wants to spend time with us. Thanksgiving can b a difficult time for many people. Not everyone has the opportunity to celebrate with their loved ones, and there are many families in our area that have a hard time putting a Thanksgiving meal on the table. While you are out shopping for your family meal, buy some extra canned goods and drop them off at your local food pantry. It’s even easier to write a check to mail a donation. The saying “every little bit helps” is so true for those who are struggling. The ultimate donation, though, is your time. Consider volunteering. There are a number of nonprofit organizations in our area that could use extra help. Find one that you are passionate about and pitch in, whether it’s sitting on a board or helping with an event. Get your children involved and teach them about giving back to those who are less fortunate. Give thanks for your family while helping others to give thanks, too.
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Relationships. Caring. Joy. Giving. T H AT ’ S W H AT T H E H O L I D AY S A R E A L L A B O U T .
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You shouldn’t have to make choices between receiving cancer treatment and participating in day-to-day life. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
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Henry Garfield
Joy Hollowell
Craig Idlebrook
Rich Livingston
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Bangor Metro Magazine. November 2013, Vol. 9, No. 9. Copyright © Metro Publishing LLC.
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Bangor Metro is published ten times annually by Metro Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or part in any form without the written permission of the Publisher. Bangor Metro is mailed at standard rates from Portland, Maine. Opinions expressed in either the editorial or advertisements do not represent the opinions of the staff or publisher of Bangor Metro magazine. Advertisers and event sponsors or their agents are responsible for copyrights and accuracy of all material they submit. Bangor Metro magazine to the best of its ability ensures the acuracy of information printed in the publication. Inquiries and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Letters to the editor, story suggestions, and other reader input will be subject to Bangor Metro’s unrestricted right to edit and publish in the magazine both in print and online. Editorial: Submissions should be sent to the editor, Melanie Brooks at 207-404-5153 Advertising: For advertising questions, please call the Director of Sales, Christine Parker at 207-404-5158. Subscriptions/Address Change: A one year subscription cost is $24.94 and a two year subscription is $34.95. Address changes, to ensure delivery, subscribers must notify the magazine of address changes one month in advance of the cover date. Please contact Susan Blake at 207-404-5150. Accounts Payable/Receivable: For information about your account please contact Susan Blake at 207-404-5150.
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talk of the towns
BANGOR: In August, a new nature trail opened in Bangor, on the Central Penjajawoc Preserve. The 1.5-mile trail, located off Essex Street, is the perfect way to experience nature at your own pace. The trails are only approved for foot traffic all year long. No pets or bicycles are allowed, largely because of porcupines and wetlands, but people are welcome to snowshoe in the winter. You might even see a moose on your excursion. The trail is managed by Bangor Land Trust, a nonprofit organization that manages over 800 public-access acres in the greater Bangor region. The project took a couple of years to complete. After purchasing parcels, members of the Bangor Land Trust surveyed the marsh. A trail was then marked and cut. Since the trail is on a marsh, they hired a team from Land for Maine Future to build bog bridging. “It’s an area that we are very interested in conserving,” says Lucy Quimby, president of Bangor Land Trust. “The land that the trail is on dips down into Penjajawok marsh, which is the state’s most productive marsh. It has a lot of rare and threatened bird species. It’s a wonderful wetland resource.”
8 / Bangor Metro November 2013
photo: Donne Sinderson
New Nature Trail
Back to the Basics HERMON: Residents in the greater Bangor area are able to revive a tradition of years gone by, with the delivery of milk and other farm-products right to customers’ doorsteps. Siberia Farms LLC, located on 85 acres in Hermon, is owned by Ed and Suzanne Moreshead. The Moresheads were frustrated about not finding food they wanted to purchase and eat, so they started a farm with a few chickens 10 years ago. As the business grew, they found that the number of people who were coming to the farm to buy products was growing. “We found that more and more customers were coming to the farm, and we wanted an easier way to get our products to our customers,” Suzanne says. They found their solution in a homedelivery system. The micro-dairy and creamery produces raw milk and vat-pasteurized whole, skim, and flavored milks and cream products. The vat-pasteurized milk is heated to 200 degrees for a longer duration than high-temperature pasteurization. According to Suzanne, who is also a registered nurse, the choice to vat-pas-
teurize their dairy products was simple, since it preserves the quality taste, kills enzymes that may be harmful, and improves shelf-life. “We’ve opted for the best of both worlds,” Suzanne says of the choice to use vat-pasteurization. The Moresheads also raise grass-fed
photos: (top) Ed Moreshead; (Right) Kent Rosengaard/thinkstock.com
Breathe Easy
beef cattle, pigs, and chickens for eggs and meat. All flavored products—from milk to Greek yogurts, hard and soft cheeses, and butters—are enhanced with local fruits and herbs. In addition to home delivery, their products are available at farmers markets and specialty food stores in the region.
Camden: Residents of and visitors to Camden can breathe easier, thanks to a new lawpolicy that prohibits smoking at municipal playgrounds, beaches, parks, facilities, trails, and open spaces. It’s a way to promote a smoke-free environment. The policy process was speedy, from start to finish, and is a testament to the community’s commitment. “Camden’s all about being healthy and wanting people to enjoy recreational spaces,” says Camden town manager Patricia Finnegan. Not only is Camden working to clear the air, they’re working to keep the streets clear, too. “Most people understand that smoking is bad for your health, but it’s also the aspect that smoking creates litter,” Finnigan says. Filters that aren’t readily biodegradable can quickly accumulate on sidewalks and streets, and residual chemicals from cigarettes can linger as well. The policy, which has been in place for a little over three months, is currently under voluntary compliance, but community members have been policing it in their own way. Finnigan says that some of the residents have pointed out nosmoking signs if someone is in violation. “So far people have been cooperating,” Finnegan says. “We hope that people will be good neighbors.” www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 9
biz buzz On the Move Officer KEVIN MACLAREN of the Bangor Police Department has been promoted to the rank of sergeant. A graduate of Hampden Academy, MacLaren is a veteran of the Gulf War, Operation Desert Shield, and Operation Desert Storm. www.bangormaine.gov SUSAN WHALEN has
joined Camden National Bank as senior vice president and director of credit administration. Whalen has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry, specializing in commercial credit administration. She will be based in Rockport. www.camdennational.com ERIC BUCH, director of operations at Four Directions Development Corporation (FDDC), has joined Penobscot Community Health Care’s board of directors. Prior to joining FDDC in 2011, Buch served as the planning and development director with Waldo Community Action Partners in Belfast. www.pchc.com AMY BOWEN has joined the Belfast branch of Allen Insurance and Financial. Bowen has more than 10 years of experience in the banking industry, most recently serving as an assistant branch manager at Bangor Savings Bank in Belfast. www.camdennational.com
Bangor Police Department Sgt. BOB BISHOP was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. A long-time resident of Orrington, Bishop joined the Bangor Police Department in 1984. He previously worked as a patrol officer for the City of Ellsworth and as a ranger at Acadia National Park. www.bangormaine.gov OKA HUTCHINS has been promoted to
the role of public affairs officer at Mount 10 / Bangor Metro November 2013
Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor. She first joined the hospital as an advancement assistant in January. Previously, Hutchins worked for the Mount Desert Islander, The Ellsworth American, and The News and Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina. www.mdihopsital.org HEATHER MOTT has been hired as the
branch manager for BONNEY Staffing Center’s Bangor office. Mott previously worked as a human resources specialist with Blue Hill Hospital and as the senior staffing consultant at Kelly Services. www.bonneystaffing.com MARIE E. HANSEN, JD, PhD has been
named dean of the College of Business at Husson University. She has been serving as interim dean since January 2013 and brings more than 14 years of educational and legal experience to the position. www.husson.edu FRED WATTERS, FNP has joined the Blue Hill Memorial Hospital. He will be seeing patients in Stonington at Island Family Medicine as well as Blue Hill Cardiovascular Medicine. Watters has more than 10 years of experience caring for cardiac patients. www.bhmh.org
The Center for Maine Contemporary Art Board of Trustees has selected TOSHIKI MORI, an award-winning international architect with long-standing ties to Maine, to design the new Center For Maine Contemporary Art facility in downtown Rockland. www.cmcanow.org JAMES BRADNEY is the new health planning director for the Bucksport Bay Healthy Communities Coalition. Previously Bradney has worked at Pen Bay Medical Center, Wellspring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, and Acadia Hospital. www.bucksportbayhealth.org
certification recognizes businesses that voluntarily undertake a rigorous safety achievement program. www.mainewoodscompany.com www.frasertimberllc.com The Bangor chapter of SCORE has been recognized by the national SCORE as the Chapter of the Year for the Maine district. Bangor SCORE assists prospective and small business owners with a wide variety of services, including developing business plans, marketing, and financial education. www.bangor.score.org Six attorneys from Rudman Winchell Counselors at Law were selected for inclusion in the 2014 edition of The Best Lawyers in America: PAUL W. CHAIKEN, DAVID C. KINK , FRANK T. MCGUIRE , EDMOND J. BEAROR , GEORGE F. EATON III, and TIMOTHY A. PEASE . www.rudmanwinchell.com COLLEEN MAYNARD, AVP/branch relationship manager for Bar Harbor Bank and Trust’s branch in Southwest Harbor, is a recipient of the 2013 Agnes Salisbury Customer Service Award, the bank’s highest employee honor. Maynard is recognized for using her extensive banking experience to help customers by taking the time to get to know them on a personal level and understand their specific financial needs. www.bhbt.com CHARLES E. HEWETT, Ph.D, executive
vice president and COO of The Jackson Laboratory, has been named by the Maine Health Management Coalition as among the top 20 Mainers who have worked to improve the value of health care in Maine. Hewett’s work in establishing an effective wellness program and other health initiatives for Jackson employees earned him the MHMC “20 in 20” award. www.jax.org EASTERN MAINE MEDICAL CENTER has
Awards MAINE WOODS Company LLC and FRASER TIMBER have earned the Safety
and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) Award from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This
been named one of Maine’s best employers for workers over the age of 50 by the State Workforce Investment Board’s Older Workers Committee. The hospital has been awarded the Silver Collar Employer Award, which honors employers whose policies and practices match the needs of mature employees,
capturing their skills and experience, strong worth ethic, flexibility, and enthusiasm. www.emmc.org JULIA MUNSEY, marketing and public
relations specialist with Oxford Networks, has been honored with the 2013 Juliette Award by the Girl Scouts of Maine. The organization established this award to honor a woman who embodies the essence of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girls Scouts of the USA. Munsey was chosen for her dedication to fostering self-confidence and leadership skills. www.girlscoutsofmaine.org Six attorneys from Eaton Peabody’s Bangor office have been named to the 2014 edition of The Best Lawyers in America: DAVID M. AUSTIN, P. ANDREW HAMILTON, BERNARD J. KUBETZ , DANIEL G. MCKAY, CLARE HUDSONI, and NATHANIEL S. PUTNAM . www.eatonpeabody.com The COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC in Bar Harbor is among the top 100 colleges in the nation, according to the annual America’s Best Colleges report from U.S. News & World Report. The report also places the college as #12 on their Best Value College list. www.coa.edu The Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce has announced their 2013 annual award winners. DOWNEAST SCENIC RAILROAD is this year’s Business Sustaining Member, WILD IRIS FARM won the Rising Star award, COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC was named the Environmental Leader, and REEL PIZZA CINERAMA has been named the Business of the Year. www.barharborinfo.com
Grants PENOBSCOT COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE has received a $24,912 grant from
the John T. Gorman Foundation for its At-Risk Geriatric In-Home Expansion Project. The money will support the addition of a medical assistant, which will nearly triple the number of at-risk older individuals the program can care for. www.pchc.com
www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 11
sight ings 2
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1: Emily Cain and Nancy Dysart, previous winners of the Juliette Award, flank this year’s honoree, Julia Munsey, at the Pearls of Wisdom Celebration in Bangor for the Girl Scouts of Maine. 2: Alden and Olga Zimmerman at the Midcoast Mini Maker Faire in Camden.
12 / Bangor Metro November 2013
3: Annie Collins and Julie Williams cheer from the sidelines as their teams compete in the Bangor Dodgeball League, sponsored by Fusion:Bangor.
6: Mike Staggs and his son Grayson attend the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity.
4: Mort Syversen and Katy England attend the Cross Insurance Center Gala in Bangor.
7: Morgan Marie Higgins and her mom Denise D’Amboise at the Komen Race for the Cure in Bangor.
5: Charlotte Blake gets her hands dirty at the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity.
8: Jennifer Freese and her son Max watch the parade during Old Town’s Riverfest.
Photos: #2 maggi blue; #4 Jeff Kirlin; #7 bill knight photography
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There’s No Place Like Home Micki Sumpter might have grown up in Kansas, but this transplant has rooted herself in the Ellsworth community. By kaylie reese
14 / Bangor Metro November 2013
icki Sumpter moved to Maine in the middle of a snowstorm. This was likely the first indication that she wasn’t in Kansas anymore. On January 13, 1997, she moved to Ellsworth to start a new job in a new community to serve as the executive director for the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce. Sumpter used to vacation in Maine, and she always had a desire to live here. While working as the executive director for a YMCA in Hartford, Connecticut, she heard about the job opening in Ellsworth and applied on a whim. After three months of hearing nothing, she was called up for an interview. “When I came up here for the interview, things really seemed to click,” Sumpter says. “When I drove into Ellsworth, I felt like it was a community.” She noticed a lot of similarities to her hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas, with churches and streets of the same name. That said, she didn’t want to be too comfortable with her position too soon. At her first Business After Hours event, she was put on the spot to speak to the crowd of attendees. It was then that she was able to convey to the community her plan to work patiently and persistently to build their trust. “This community welcomed me with open arms, but I think it’s because I opened my arms to them and listened,” Sumpter says. “That’s the key for people who aren’t from this area: listen, respect, and be open to suggestions. You aren’t better or smarter than anybody else. We’re all in this together, and we’re all equals. We just have different areas of expertise—and different zip codes.” Since 1997, Sumpter worked as the executive director at the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce to enhance business, which would, ultimately, help the whole community. She spent her time building relationships and working on several communityand commerce-building initiatives. “Ellsworth is a unique community,” Sumpter says. “They come together no matter what you need. Being part of this community is very special, and I think anyone coming in would notice that. Once you’re part of this community, you’re there, and they’ll help you.” In August of 2012, Sumpter accepted a full-time position as the economic development director for the City of Ellsworth.
Sumpter assisted the city on a part-time basis, while she was serving as the executive director at the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce. Several years back, Sumpter was asked by Ellsworth city manager Michelle Beal to transition from the chamber to work full time for the city, but Sumpter declined. Several years later, everything fell into place; Sumpter knew she needed to move on from the chamber, and Beal asked again. It has been a year since Sumpter started her new job, and she is thrilled to continue working for the Ellsworth community. Sumpter believes that changes are natural and challenges are opportunities, and she works to develop strategies to implement that thinking into development planning. She learned from her father to accept challenges and, most of all, to give back to the community. “Every challenge brought the better of me out or the worst, and I had to deal with that. My father taught me that we are humble human beings, but we have a lot to offer. For that reason, I needed to give back,” Sumpter says. “I believe in challenges. I mean, it’s boring if you don’t have a challenge. This job, because of Michelle Beal, allows me to accept those challenges, face those challenges, and get assistance when I need it.” According to Sumpter, the City of Ellsworth has many economic resources that they have been working to take advantage of. For example, you need to drive through Ellsworth to get to Acadia National Park, one of Maine’s premier vacation destinations. What Sumpter and the city have worked to do is to make Ellsworth its own destination. “We aren’t just a drive-through,” Sumpter says. “We’re a destination, a really great destination, with shops, great restaurants, great industry, great schools, and one of the best community hospitals [in the state].” Another advantage that Ellsworth has is that its economy consists of a diversity of businesses, not one mill or one industrial plant that employs the majority of the town. Sumpter says this diversity is key to what has helped Ellsworth stay afloat during tough economic times. “I see Ellsworth as a melting pot,” Sumpter says of the community and the opportunities. “We mix it up, and it comes out really great if everybody’s working on it.”
Photo: courtesy of the City of Ellsworth
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Maine’s Health Care Industry Health care is a growing industry in Maine, even adding jobs during the peak recession years. New technology and an aging population will keep health care in the spotlight for the foreseeable future. By Jack Cashman
16 / Bangor Metro November 2013
f you are a young person looking to start your career, or if you are looking to change a career, it would be wise to consider the field of health care. Recent figures published by the Maine Department of Labor Center for Workforce Research and Information indicate that the health care and social assistance industry group of the Maine economy was adding jobs, even during the peak recession years of 2008-10. Not only did employment levels increase, but the average weekly wage for the industry increased, too. While nearly every other sector of Maine’s and the nation’s economy lost jobs, the health care field grew. In June, Paul Leparulo of the Maine Department of Labor issued a report on the Maine Health Sector Workforce. The report showed that health and social assistance is Maine’s largest economic sector, comprising 18% of the total workforce. What’s more, this percentage is higher than the national average of 14%. Focus exclusively on the private sector, and the percentage is even higher, at 21%. The growth has slowed over the past two years, but the industry remains strong. In 2012, just under 106,000 total jobs were in this sector—both public and private—with a payroll of nearly $4.4 billion. The jobs break down into the following categories: • Hospitals: 34% • Ambulatory health care services, including health care providers: 25% • Nursing and residential care facilities: 24% • Social assistance: 18% Maine has one of the oldest populations in the country, but that is one of the drivers of health care services expansion. “With an aging population these trends in the health care field should continue,” Leparulo says. He also points out that the health care workforce is aging. “This aging workforce will gradually open up more positions in the field as people retire.” The nature of care and the structure of the delivery system have changed tremendously over the years because of consolidation and technology. A few years ago it would have been common to see only one practitioner in physician offices. Today, most doctors either work directly for hospitals, or they work for independent physician groups or federally
qualified health centers (FQHC). These centers typically have several doctors on staff as well as physician assistants and nurses. A single practitioner in a physician’s office has become a rarity. Hospitals have also consolidated, in order to take advantage of economies of scale and to better coordinate health care for individual patients through shared medical records. In Maine today there are three major health systems: Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS), Central Maine Healthcare, and Maine Health. Each system has a large hospital in a metropolitan area and a number of affiliated hospitals in rural areas. EMHS is centered in Bangor and encompasses Eastern Maine Medical Center and Acadia Hospital in Bangor. It also has hospitals in Pittsfield, Presque Isle, Blue Hill, Greenville, and Waterville, and it is in the process of adding Mercy Hospital in Portland. The system also includes a number of skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities, home-care services, and a broad network of physician practices. These practices include many primary care sites, as well as specialty care services, such as recently acquired Northeast Cardiology Associates. Technology today allows all of the Maine hospitals and health care providers to have access to the latest medical advancements, through connections with the finest medical facilities across the state, throughout the region, and anywhere in the world. Michelle Hood is the President and CEO of EMHS. During her tenure, EMHS has been developing its capabilities in telemedicine and the use of electronic medical records (EMR). “EMRs have given us the ability to integrate care on a whole different level,” she says. “Maine health care has been recognized as a national leader in care quality and the connectivity of providers. Services throughout the health information exchange enables participation in cutting edge population health management processes.” A patient entering a rural Maine hospital today can have the statewide health care system involved in the diagnosis, through the advances in telemedicine. As the health care industry has grown, technological advancements have also drastically improved the access to information, which translates to better care for patients.
photo: Purestock/thinkstock.com
eye on industry
Putting the Fun Back in
Fundraising Raising money can be difficult no matter the circumstances. Here are three worthy causes that raise funds in creative ways. By Craig Idlebrook
18 / Bangor Metro November 2013
E
veryone loves being part of a good 5K memorial run or formal gala, but sometimes a little variety is welcome in fundraising. Mainers have been known to wholeheartedly embrace some offbeat and adventurous fundraisers to support their favorite charities. We’ve focused on three crowd-pleasing fundraisers in the Bangor Metro area that have raised cash and laughter for worthy medical causes.
Trek Across Maine
Location: Bethel to Belfast The American Lung Association organizes bike treks throughout the U.S. every year to raise money for lung health research and advocacy. Guess which state has the most popular trek. If you guessed Maine, then you’ve probably either ridden in or supported this three-day-long monster ride. Even Gale Auclair, senior development manager of the American Lung Associa-
tion of New England, is a bit mystified as to why the Trek Across Maine has outpaced similar events in other states. But now that it has, Auclair says, the trek has built up its own head of steam, raising some $1.5 million annually, as people come back again and again, creating tight-knit bonds. Auclair expects a robust turnout this coming year, for the ride’s 30th anniversary. “Part of it is the people you meet from all over the country,” she says. “It really showcases the best of humanity.” The view from the bike isn’t bad, either. The 180-mile trek stretches across the scenic heartland of Maine, from Bethel to Belfast. It takes place in June, during high black fly and mosquito season, which isn’t the worst time to be outside and moving on a bike. But the event is far from a stoic march. Some bikers pedal while adorned with face-paint, strange helmets, and even ballerina tutus. Often co-workers will form teams to cycle the race en masse. Cory Verrill has
photo: Karsten Moran
metro health
taken part in the Trek with some 15 to 18 co-workers from Cianbro for the past six years. His wife Jessica is a volunteer coordinator for the race. The Trek has become a summertime tradition for the couple. “It’s almost like a vacation for us,” Cory says. “We spend three days together and camp out in tents and make it a yearly event.” This isn’t a race, Auclair emphasizes. It’s a fully supported bike ride for charity, complete with overnight stops. Trek Across Maine is good outdoor fun and a great chance to see the state, she says. “We really want people to enjoy this,” she says.
photos: courtesy of the University of maine at presque isle
Planet Head Day
Location: Presque Isle Sometimes the best fundraisers require a cosmic convergence to begin. The Northern Maine Museum of Science at the University of Maine at Presque Isle was chosen as just one of eight institutions to host educational events in honor of NASA’s 2006 launch of the New Horizons spacecraft to Pluto. About six years ago, as the spacecraft was passing Jupiter, the participating institutions were required by NASA to host some kind of fête to commemorate the occasion. The seven larger institutions in the group planned symposiums and guest lectures, but the museum’s co-organizers, Kevin McCartney and Jeanie McGowan, didn’t have any budget. A month before the event was to take place, McGowan came up with an idea during her chemotherapy treatment. “She said, ‘I could paint my head as Jupiter,’” McCartney recalls. “I said, ‘Let’s go with that.’” The two quickly organized a small event, which was attended by 35 people. Folks either had their heads shaved or wore skullcaps, and their crowns were painted as different planets. A small amount of money was raised that year for cancer research and support. It could have been a fun one-off, but the event grew year after year. Since then, Planet Head Day has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the local cancer-support group Caring Area Neighbors for Cancer Education and Recovery. McCartney and McGowan marvel at how the event has taken off. “Every year, we’ve had to move to a
larger venue,” McCartney says. “It’s a bit of gaiety, in a funny sense, while we’re raising money for cancer.” The event, which is always held near the February anniversary of Pluto’s discovery, has become an institution in Presque Isle. Pastors, community leaders, and bank presidents all know that sometime it will be their turn to become a planet. McCartney especially loves seeing the growing number of kids who get involved, because he knows the event leaves a civic and celestial impression. “They’re going to know a little about the solar system, they’re going to know something about cancer, and they’re going to know something about commu-
nity service,” he says. Last year, Planet Head Day raised more than $22,000, with more than 100 participants. Planet Head Day 2014 is scheduled for February 15, so mark your calendar.
Movember
Location: The Upper Lip of Many Maine Men You can be forgiven if you get the urge this month to ask a few men to wipe the milk off their upper lips. What you may not have realized is that they were growing moustaches for charity, not vanity. While few, save for Brad Pitt, can pull off a moustache with grace and style, many Mainers have tried over the years
Participants in Planet Head Day have their heads painted and decorated to raise money for a local cancer support group.
Dr. Carey Fister and one of her pediatric patients. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 19
by taking part in Movember, an international movement to raise awareness and research funds to combat testicular and prostate cancer. Founded in Australia, where the moustache is called a “mo” for
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short, Movember has crept across the globe like a fuzzy caterpillar. It has since become popular throughout Europe and North America. Facial hair has sprouted up in the most unusual places. In 2012, the normally clean-cut cadets at the Maine Maritime Academy raised over $800 to grow moustaches and have them judged for categories that included the “Errol Flynn,” the “Ron Burgundy,” the “Borat,” and the coveted “Please Don’t Ever Grow One Again,” according to the school. Movember was even evident during Portland and Bangor newscasts, as then-WCSH meteorologist Keith Carson daringly grew one before viewers’ eyes to raise $5,000 for men’s cancer organizations. “If [viewers] turned [their televisions] on in the middle of the weather forecast, that’s when I’d get the funny comments online,” says Carson, who is now with the Weather Channel. Carson liked how his facial hair helped spark conversations and raise awareness of the need for men to get checked regularly for testicular cancer and prostate cancer. And it was fun to see the reactions of others, including that of his wife, who gave moral support to his efforts, if with a wince. “As a visual statement, she was ready for a shave,” Carson says. Last year, the 209,000 U.S. Movember participants raised $21 million, according to the organization. That’s not bad, considering the little physical effort it takes to grow a moustache.
photo: courtesy of maine maritime academy
MMA cadets James Russell, Chase McGloin, and John Parrinello show off their moustaches.
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metro wellness
Reach Your Goal As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, it can be harder to follow your fitness plan. But don’t throw in the towel. By Emilie Brand Manhart
1) Your workout is not negotiable. Make an appointment with yourself to exercise, and honor your appointment. If you wait until the house is clean, the laundry is folded, and everyone else’s needs are met first, then you never have time to workout. Instead, do it first. Remember, put your oxygen mask on first before assisting others. 2) Trick yourself into working out. I know this makes me sound like a crazy person, but if I don’t feel like running or going to the gym, I still go ahead and dress for it. Then, after a while, I look down and think, “Well, you’re already wearing your workout clothes. You might as well get going.” 3) Be an early bird. If you get up and get your workout done first thing, not only will you feel that satisfied, tingly feeling in your body for the rest of the day, but you will also feel like a superior and uberproductive human. Sometimes I forget this advice and leave my workout for the evening, and it nags at me all day. Don’t do that. 4) Leave no decisions for the morning. One way to help you get your workout done early in the morning is to do all the prep work the night before: set up the coffee machine, lay out your clothes, charge your iPod. If you make things 22 / Bangor Metro November 2013
easy on yourself, you are less likely to hit the snooze button. 5) Workout with a friend. I can’t tell you how many mornings I have awoken at some ungodly hour for a long run, and it’s dark and cold outside, and I want to go back to bed. But I have to get up, because I have three friends meeting me at the park in 30 minutes. It’s easier to let ourselves down than to let our friends down. Tell someone you’ll be there, and you’ll follow through. 6) Set a goal. I have found great success by setting very specific goals for myself. I almost always have a road race on the calendar; the date is set, and I know I have to be ready. I had less success when my goals were to “get in shape” or even “work out three times a week.” While they are worthy goals, it’s better to know exactly what you’re working toward. Choose a race or an event, set a date to hike a certain mountain, aim to lift a certain amount of weight, or swim or bike a certain distance. 7) Tell someone. Making your goal public–at least announcing it to your friends and family—will hold you accountable to stick with your plan. Friends will ask you how the training is going. You don’t want to be all talk and no action, so get the talking out of the way by telling everyone your plan, and then get to work. You will be so proud, and your friends will be so impressed at your follow-through. Before I ran my first marathon, I told all 100 of my high school students I was doing it.
When things got hard during the race and I wanted to quit, I reminded myself that I was not about to go back to school and tell those kids that I didn’t finish. 8) Do something fun. A regular exercise routine is great, but combat boredom by adding some playfulness to your routine. Once a week, add in a group exercise class, a scenic hike, or a spontaneous dance party in your kitchen. 9) Be sneaky and resourceful. Okay, some days you truly don’t have time for the gym. But you are smart, and you can squeeze your exercise into the cracks of your day. Do squats while your kids are in the bath, take a break at work and run the stairs, do push ups while waiting for the water to boil, run laps around the soccer field while your kids are at practice. Be shameless about the lengths you’ll go to raise your heart rate. 10) Be patient, and the rewards will become intrinsic. When I first started to regularly run and work out, I had to do all sorts of bargaining with myself. I promised myself coffee or chocolate after a workout. On really hard days I took myself shopping for new workout clothes to motivate me. But now my body craves exercise, and the post-workout glow is enough of a gift. Emilie Brand Manhart is a mom, runner, and triathlete who co-chairs the English Department at Bangor High School and writes the blog One Mom in Maine.
photo: udra/thinkstock.com
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where kids with cancer can be
Kids
The new children’s wing at EMMC Cancer Care caters to pint-sized patients and their families. By Joy Hollowell Photos by Mark Mccall
24 / Bangor Metro November 2013
N
“
o cheating Jacob,” warns Jessica Landers as she steps up to the foosball table. Jacob Rose flashes his mom a pearly grin as he grabs the knobs. “What? I never cheat,” says the 14-year-old, feigning surprise. Landers smiles back at him. “Go ahead, you can start.” “Foosball is my favorite thing to do here,” Rose says, spinning the miniature white soccer ball into the goal. Rose and Landers are at the Raish Peavey Haskell Children’s Cancer and Treatment Center. It takes up about half of the third floor of Eastern Maine Medical Center CancerCare at the Lafayette Family Cancer Center in Brewer. For Rose and many other kids battling cancer and blood disorders, this place has become a home away from home. Before the center opened last December, the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland was the only pediatric oncology center in the state. The Raish Peavey Haskell Children’s Cancer and Treatment Center is named after Raish Haskell a 4-year-old who died of cancer on Mother’s Day, 1977. His parents, Leon Haskell of Greenbush and Anita Peavey Haskell of Milford, donated $1 million to the outpatient clinic. In total, more than $4 million from the community helped create the new space, as well as establish an endowment fund to help patients who aren’t covered by insurance. “The whole idea was to make it flow. We had an idea of how to do that, but the most valuable input came from the patients
“You used to have to walk through the hospital to get to the clinic. Going over to Brewer, Caleb doesn’t worry as much about his treatments. He doesn’t dread going to the doctor anymore.”—Shannon Smith
26 / Bangor Metro November 2013
and families,” says Dr. Sam Lew, director of the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Division at EMMC CancerCare. Pediatric patients with cancer and blood disorders can now get everything taken care of on one floor, from a consultation to chemotherapy treatment. “The doctors and nurses knew what they needed medically, but then the families would come in and say, ‘Well, have you thought about this?’” Large windows throughout the center offer scenic views of a spacious and well-kept garden in the back. Two floorto-ceiling waterfalls greet visitors as they enter the clinic. A large waiting area has plenty of play space for babies and young
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The Children’s Clinic is a haven for children who are waiting for treatment. Opposite page: The Smith family spends time coloring, bathed in natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows.
kids, as well as comfortable couches for teenagers and young adults who are waiting to undergo treatment. A large latch-hook rug that depicts Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is prominently displayed in the waiting room. Anita Peavey Haskell started it after Raish was born, but didn’t finish until after he died. Coming to the Children’s Clinic is “just normal now” for Rose. The teenager from Jackson was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in February of 2012. It’s a disease typically found in young children that causes the body to produce defective white blood cells. “I was having lots of headaches,” Rose says.
“He was just really tired and kind of pale,” adds Landers. Doctors thought it might be a virus, but blood tests confirmed otherwise. Hearing the diagnosis of leukemia is something Landers says she’ll never forget. Shannon Smith from Levant describes the moment she and her husband found out their 4-year-old son had ALL as “frozen in time.” “We had taken Caleb to walk-in care because his legs were really in pain, and he couldn’t walk,” Smith says. “They told us it was growing pains.” It was the appearance of some lumps behind Caleb’s left ear that prompted serious concern for the Smith family. They made an appointment with their pediatrician the next day. He ordered blood work and chest X-rays. That night, they got a call. The tests came back abnormal, and additional tests were ordered. The Smiths were told to go to EMMC’s Pediatric Hematology and Oncology department the following morning. “I knew they were testing for cancer,” says Smith, who was studying to be a nurse at the time. “I didn’t tell my husband, but I knew. No one slept that night.” That next day, they met with Lew. “He kind of eased his way into telling us,” Smith says. “He was nice and calm talking to us and Caleb. Before we knew it, the word leukemia just sort of rolled off his tongue.” Smith remembers looking over at her
husband, Pat. “We just lost it,” she says softly. Both of them began to pepper Lew with questions. How did Caleb contract it? Should their younger son also be tested? Will Caleb die from this? “There were so many things going on at once,” Smith says. “We’ll never forget that room we were in. It was like our entire world started spinning.” Caleb was playing with a toy on the windowsill. “When he saw Pat and I crying, he got very worried,” Smith says. “Dr. Lew started calmly talking to him, saying, ‘Well, Caleb, your mom and dad just found out why your legs have been hurting and [why] you’ve been sick lately. Your blood is sick, so now we’re going to help take care of you and make you better.’” Caleb was immediately admitted to the hospital. “We went straight up to the 8th floor and spent the next 17 nights there,” Smith says. Caleb underwent a treatment known as induction that works to get rid of all of a patient’s malfunctioning white blood cells. Once the count was at zero, Caleb could go home. But three or four times a week, he had to come back to the hospital for intravenous chemotherapy treatments. At that time, the cancer clinic was located in EMMC’s main campus on State Street in Bangor. “It was very small,” Smith says. “There were many times when we’d just have to hang out in the waiting room www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 27
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Dr. Sam Lew and Robert Williams.
for the day because there wasn’t enough room. Not really a lot of privacy either.” “It was really cramped, and it was a mixed clinic,” says Landers. “It wasn’t just dedicated to pediatric oncology. Logistically, it didn’t have a good flow.” Landers says that her son had to sometimes receive his treatments in the waiting room because there weren’t enough rooms. “I didn’t like that,” she says. Robert Williams remembers the crying. “The walls were so close. You could hear the young kids screaming and crying while getting their blood drawn,” says the 28-year-old. “It was unnerving.” Williams also has acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a rarity for someone his age. Statistics show it only occurs in about one out of every 200,000 young adults between the ages of 25 to 29 in the United States. The numbers are so low that not a lot of research on effective treatments has been done. Because of that, Lew opted to place the Ellsworth man in a pe28 / Bangor Metro November 2013
diatric oncology treatment plan. “We’re identifying that young adults do much better with pediatric regiments for ALL,” explains Lew. “He got through a very difficult part of his treatment, and now his prognosis is actually much, much better than using the adult treatments.” Cases like Williams’s are another reason EMMC decided to expand its pediatric oncology department. “We identified a need in terms of where we can provide more service to the community, and that is taking care of young adults,” Lew says. “We now have a facility where we can comfortably do that.” Initially, Williams came to the second floor of the Brewer facility, where adults are treated. However, Lew and his staff quickly found it inefficient to work on two floors, so they suggested Williams come upstairs. “I didn’t mind at all,” says Williams. “It’s actually sort of an escape for me.” Moving from the Webber building
in Bangor to the new facility in Brewer was a choice the hospital administration carefully pondered. “From our point of view, it was convenient to be close to the hospital,” Lew says. “If we had a patient who needed hospitalization immediately, we could just run across the way and be there. Fortunately, at the Lafayette Family Cancer Center, they honed in as to what are the most needed services for their patients.” Smith likes that the clinic isn’t near the hospital anymore. “You used to have to walk through the hospital to get to the clinic,” she explains. “Going over to Brewer, Caleb doesn’t worry as much about his treatments. He doesn’t dread going to the doctor anymore.” The Smith family first saw the new facility when they attended the open house last December. “We were amazed,” Smith gushes. “Caleb was in heaven. If you saw my Facebook posts, you probably thought I was crazy for taking pictures of
www.carymedicalcenter.org/WIC Cary is an equal opportunity employer and provider
www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 29
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the bathroom—but you have no idea of what we used to be in.” Caleb was immediately drawn to the McDonald’s playroom, where brightly colored murals on the wall mimic a scene from an enchanted forest. The carpeted floor has a layer of sponge underneath it, to cushion little ones’ falls. Round peaka-boo windows connect to a kitchen next door, where parents can enjoy a cup of coffee while keeping an eye on their children. There’s also a steady supply of snacks and other drinks, and a refrigerator in the kitchen, for those spending extra long days in treatment. “Space was a big issue,” says Lew, referring to the old clinic. “We were unable to have the nursing personnel that we needed because we had no place to put them. The patient visits were a little challenging because we were limited on bays and areas to do procedures.” Another important aspect in designing the new center were the exam rooms. They’re purposely set apart from the chemotherapy treatment rooms. “We see patients who come in for various problems that may or may not be serious,” Lew says. “Most of those kids we see for one or two visits, and they never have to see the area where patients have to get 30 / Bangor Metro November 2013
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treatment. You can understand how that could translate to a lot of anxiety.” Feeling as comfortable as possible is the goal of the children’s center. “It really helps you get through the day,” Lew says. For patients such as Jacob, Robert, and Caleb, that comfort level includes the doctors who are caring for them. “Hey, Jacob,” Lew says, raising his arms for a hug. Rose and his mom are at the center to get a consent form signed for a flu shot. “How’s life treating you?” Lew asks, playfully punching Rose in the arm. “He’s much better than last week,” answers his mom, referring to unexpected symptoms that cropped up after Rose’s chemotherapy treatment. “You look a heck of a lot better,” agrees Lew. “Beat grampie yet in that golf game?” “Not yet,” says Rose, breaking into an ear-to-ear grin. “But I got pretty close this last time.” “Dr. Lew knows our entire family,” says Landers. “He’s even come to the house when I had some forms to sign and couldn’t get them back to the hospital right away.” “He’s pretty funny,” adds Rose. “He always wears a bow tie and cowboy boots.” “The staff is just amazing,” says Williams. “They treat me and my fiancée like family. They make me feel like I’m at home.” What causes childhood cancer is still a mystery for the most part. Lew says genetics and environment do play a small role. Leukemia is the most common pediatric cancer at EMMC CancerCare, and it is also the most difficult to treat. Williams still has another two years of treatment before he’s officially in the clear. “It still floors me thinking about it, that I have this disease,” he says. “Especially at this age. It definitely makes me stronger and makes me realize that life is short. I need to live it to the fullest.” Rose has two years left of chemotherapy treatment. Because boys relapse more than girls, Rose and Williams are on a three-year maintenance program as opposed to two. “I’m going to play basketball this year,” says Rose proudly, something he hasn’t been able to do since he was diagnosed. “Pretty much most of his middle school years have been spent at EMMC,” Landers says. “We really want him to be able to stay in school this year. He really needs to be in school.”
Caleb Smith is also on the three-year plan and is considered in remission. “The way Dr. Lew explained it to us is that he still has leukemia, but the cells lie dormant,” Smith says. “So basically, as the little cancer heads pop up, we’re just cutting them up with chemo.” Coming to the new Brewer facility has certainly helped make things easier, Smith says. “I know it made Dr. Lew’s life easier because he has an office now. It seems as if they’re all less on edge now because they have more space to work with. I know that they probably didn’t think that we noticed those things, but over at the other building, you could sense they were always stressed and you’d see them running one way or the other and bumping into each other,” she says. “The new office is a 100% better environment for everybody. There’s a parent room, there’s a teen room, there’s the playroom. There are televisions in all the rooms, that never used to be the case. When we go there for treatment now, it’s almost an argument to get Caleb to leave.”
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Personalized license plates create a great guessing game when traveling. K9KNL and DRLUV seem easy to decipher, but the meaning usually goes much deeper than the quick answer, and the rest of the story disappears down the highway. by Karen O. Zimmermann
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here are more than 92,000 vanity plates registered in the state of Maine. WNT2SEA, CST2CST, TANG, and BIODESL are four of them. Here are the Mainers behind the plates.
WNT2SEA
David Smith
Photo: (Left) Danielle Blocker; (Above) sfgamchick
David Smith, Ellsworth David Smith is a pilot. “I’ll tell people what I do for a living, and they almost always ask what kind of planes I fly,” Smith says. But it is ships, big ships—tankers, cruise ships, and freighters— that Dave pilots safely into port. He is a harbor pilot, and his license plate is WNT2SEA. Smith knew when he was 10 years old that the sea held his future. His older brother and his brother-in-law would visit him in their Porsche and Jaguar, respectively, before shipping out. ‘That’s the job for me,’ he remembers thinking. Smith got his Porsche, but he also found a career he loves. Smith and three other pilots are partners in Penobscot Bay and River Pilot Association. They are four of only 10 full-time licensed harbor pilots in the state of Maine, and guide ships into Searsport, Belfast, Bangor and Bar Harbor. Their uniform consists of fresh-pressed shirts with a tie. “Some pilots dress casually, but in my company we still like to look professional,” he says. “I love the water. Piloting is the best. I get to drive ships and be home with my family almost every night.” www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 35
It is a job that has to be earned. Smith attended Maine Maritime Academy, has a bachelor’s degree in nautical science, and holds an unlimited master’s license. At 20 years old he trained on a Norwegian Flag commercial ship and went around the world, stopping in Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan. At that time, MMA only offered degrees in nautical science and engineering. Then, students were told to 36 / Bangor Metro November 2013
“go deck, go engine, or go home.” Smith already knew he wanted to be a “deckie,” which entailed a career on the water. He has since worked on tugboats, container vessels, tankers, and as master of a combat supply vessel to the Persian Gulf. Shipping out means being away from home for months on end, but the onboard tight quarters and discomfort are myths. Smith lists off the queen-size
bed, private head, office, well-cooked meals. “The higher you go, the bigger the room,” he says. On one tour, the two chefs were French and Portuguese. “Completely different flavors,” Smith says. “I love to cook, and it was inspiring.” His wife Jeni prefers her husband’s home-cooked dinners, claiming his food is better than restaurant meals. His youngest son’s favorite meal is Smith’s
Photo: karen zimmerman
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will be piloting. While both vessels are moving, a rope ladder, which can be up to 30 feet long, is dropped over the side. Smith must grab it and climb up the swaying ladder as the pilot boat moves away. “That is the most dangerous time,” he says. “If the weather is wild, you are going to get wet.” His company jacket keeps him dry. The jacket itself is a technical wonder: It’s well-insulated, and it has an auto-inflating life vest, water-activated strobe, and reflective tape. There is a longer version for the winter, and his wife has given him gloves with battery-operated hand warmers. If the ladder is hung out too early, the snow and rain will stick to it and freeze, making it treacherous. After 17 years shipping out and 10 years of piloting, life on the water is still the right life for Smith. “I am going to do it as long as I am able,” he says.
CST2CST Kris Osgood, Vinalhaven In January 1995, Kris Osgood moved from sunshine and palm trees in California to short days and winter white for a life on Vinalhaven with her now husband, Jeff Osgood. “It was a monumental journey,” Osgood says. She finished college in December, packed her bags, and headed across the country. In Maine she needed to re-register her car. Wanting to commemorate the trip with something sincere, she chose CST2CST. It stands for coast to coast, and those plates are still on her car. “I had summered on Vinalhaven since I was a little girl,” Osgood says. Her parents bought a house on the island as an anchor, a place to go to every year that
Kris Osgood and her daughters, Becca and Dreyenn.
filet mignon with brandy cream sauce. But it isn’t all calm water and chef-prepared meals. Being a pilot is a year-round profession. Tankers and freighters come in at any time. Searsport at 2 am in February, with the wind blowing snow and ships heaving, is a dramatic contrast to a golden autumn day in Bar Harbor. It’s difficult to even embark his ship. A smaller boat brings Smith alongside the ship he
was a constant in their lives. It was during these trips that she met Jeff Osgood, a lobster fisherman. Life on a Maine island required a bit of adjusting. “It was my first experience of four seasons,” Osgood says. “Living here year-round is a different story. It was a big deal to buy a down coat and boots. I had never owned them before.” During her first few winters in Maine she returned to her family in California for Christmas, flying out of Portland. But the ferries get canceled if there is rough weather. One year she didn’t think she would be able to get off-island in time to catch her flight. “I was really stressing,” she says. “I had never missed Christmas with my mom and dad and sisters, and I was feeling frantic. Jeff just stated, ‘It’s all part of it.’ And it is. A canceled ferry is just part of life out here, and it’s okay. You have to roll with the punches.” With long, sun-streaked hair and quick smile, Osgood still projects a California-girl feel, but there is no question Vinalhaven is where she calls home. She is a freelance writer, substitute teacher, wife to Jeff, and mother of Dreyenn and Becca. “It’s a good place to raise kids,” she says. “There are plenty of issues—there are anywhere—but not much crime, and everyone knows each other.” Her daughters are playful and happy, content to wander the beach in the sun. When asked what their mother’s plate means Dreyenn and Becca respond in unison, “Coast to coast!” Many of the cars and trucks on Vinalhaven have vanity plates. There is BINGO, FY ONE, SANDS CV, and TWEEDY. “Around here, that’s how people know you,” Osgood explains. “There are a lot
The plates have never made the journey to California, but she is still driving coast to coast on the sculpted granite ledges of the Island of Vinalhaven. kept them connected to their New England heritage. Every summer the Osgood family would return to this rocky sanctuary, reached by an hour-and-fifteenminute ferry ride from Rockland. She and her sisters knew that no matter where they lived the rest of the year, Vinalhaven
of similar trucks, and sometimes you have to look at the plate to see who you are waving at. But everyone waves out here.” The year-round population of Vinalhaven is around 1,200, and drivers of passing cars just wave, figuring they know each other. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 37
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Osgood has had the license plate CST2CST for close to 20 years, and people on the island know her and her car. The plates have never made the journey to California, but she is still driving coast to coast on the sculpted granite ledges of the Island of Vinalhaven.
TANG Colleen Dana-Cummings, Eastport The sporty little Ford Mustang, with a license plate that reads TANG, zips around Eastport from the Bay City Garage to town council meetings, along Main Street and downtown, and home to Drummond Road. The energy sizzles when it goes by, not just because it is a blinding orange color, but because Colleen DanaCummings is behind the wheel, and she is always on the move. Colleen is the owner of the Bay City
Garage in Eastport. When she bought the garage, she had no training as a mechanic and had never owned a business. She was working as an educational technician at the local high school when repeated budget cuts made her realize her position could be ending. “The writing was on the wall,” Dana-Cummings says. “The buzz around town was that the owner of the garage wanted to sell. So I bought it, thinking it would be a job for me and maybe my son.” This was in 2008. Since then, she has added a convenience store, introduced self-serve gasoline, and is in the middle of a major construction project to build a new, up-to-date store and garage. Under her guidance, Bay City Garage is moving ahead with the times. But she’s making sure that small-town courtesies are not being lost. Her mechanics, who were
Photo: karen zimmerman
Nursing
Colleen Dana-Cummings
at the garage before she took over, will drive customers home so they don’t have to wait all day for their cars to be worked on. “Sometimes if we’re really busy, one of the guys will just say, ‘take my car,’ and then bring the owner’s car home to them. It’s that kind of town,” DanaCummings says. While Eastport has retained its friendliness, the population has been declining, and it has had some economic struggles. “I felt there were things that could make Eastport more attractive to businesses, and that there was too much of the good-old-boy stuff going on,” DanaCummings says. She ran for a seat on the city council and is now learning about the import-export market, grants, pellet production, and a conveyor system to attract shippers. Increasing the population is also a goal for the town. Families move
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here every year, and every year some move away. “We try not to let them get away once we’ve got them,” Dana-Cummings says and laughs. She admits that living hours from any major urban center is not for everyone, but this is home for Dana-Cummings. She was raised by her grandparents at Peter Dana Point, which is not far from where she lives today. She spoke Passamaquoddy at home but says “the nuns put a stop to that,” when she went to school. The accent lingers, but she is no longer fluent. “Use it or loose it,” she says matterof-factly. She left Peter Dana Point after she finished school, then traveled. She lived in Texas for a while, but the manmade lake by her house out West could not compete with the Maine coast. She returned, met her husband in Eastport, and together they raised a family. Her license plate stands for Mustang, 40 / Bangor Metro November 2013
not the beverage, though she says she did drink Tang as a child. The official is a color is called “Grabber Orange.” The car is pristine and gleaming, except for one small dent on the right front of the hood. “My husband did that,’” she says and points to his truck, covered with dings and dents. “He’s just always in a hurry.”
BIODESL Mike and Lynne Staggs, Bar Harbor “My car doesn’t smell like french fries anymore,” Lynne Staggs says, referring to the odor of diesel fuel made from recycled restaurant oils. Lynne drives a blue Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI, with a license plate that reads BIO DESL. Her husband Mike drives a black Jetta TDI with ECO on the plate. For years, Mike and Lynne collected used oil from area restaurants, and Mike converted it to fuel to heat their home and
power their cars. They live in Bar Harbor, where there is no shortage of grease. “I always said I’d stop making biodiesel once it was available to buy, but I still make a few batches every year, mostly as demonstrations,” Mike says. When the fuel was unavailable, he was making 1,100 gallons a year. The goal was not just to save money but to avoid using fossil fuels. Now they usually just buy their biodiesel, and the fumes no longer smell with their newer car models. “I started because I didn’t like seeing the waste, both economic and ecologic,” Mike explains. Most restaurants had to pay someone to take away their used oil, which would be shipped overseas for animal feed, passing other tankers that are bringing petroleum to the United States. “It just made sense to have it stay put,” he says. In Maine, the most readily available source of oil is from restaurants.
Photo: danielle blocker
Mike, Lynne, and Grayson Staggs.
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Since many of them make french fries, there is a residual scent that can be detected when driving. “It doesn’t need to be cooking oil, or even vegetable-based, though,“ Lynne says. “In the South they use poultry byproducts.” French fry scent suddenly does not seem so bad. Nowadays, most of the biodiesel Mike makes is for educational purposes. “It’s really pretty simple. You collect it, strain it, let it settle, mix it with a catalyst, let it settle again, and then it is ready to store. It just takes patience,” Mike says. He is always willing to take the time to show anyone who is interested. He has also trained people who now make biodiesel commercially, and he has shown high school students the process, explaining the environmental benefits. Mike is the office manager for Friends of Acadia, a nonprofit organization that protects Acadia National Park. He considers teaching a way of “passing it on.” It might sound counterintuitive, but Mike hopes his son will not be converting waste products to fuel. He and Lynne, a lab technician at Mount Desert Island Laboratory, had their first child, Grayson, in August. “By the time he is an adult, we should be using battery or electric power for our cars, and power plants will be run on biodiesel or other sustainable fuel,” Mike says. Mike and Lynne don’t plan on teaching biodiesel production to Grayson, but he will grow up with other family traditions. Every February the couple hosts an annual Banff Mountain Film Festival party, which has grown from viewing the films with friends and food, to a threeday non-stop party. People come from across the country. Every year, sleeping bags cover all available floor space, and they hike, cruise the islands of Frenchman Bay on a tour boat, and indulge in a pancake breakfast. The guests are kept warm with biodiesel fuel, and the yard is jammed with vehicles, including Mike’s truck, license plate BLUE TRK. In the garage Mike and Lynne’s motorcycles wait for warmer weather. The plate on Mike’s Harley is LOUD and his Yamaha is DARK. Lynne’s has a regular state-issue plate. When asked why she didn’t choose to purchase a vanity plate, she laughs. “Mike picks out the plates. It’s his thing,” she says. “My Harley is the only one I’ve managed not to have a personal plate on.”
www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 41
a piece of maine: orono
A Cultural Collective
P
eople from all over the state and all over the world flood to Orono each fall to study at the University of Maine’s flagship campus. Although many will not stay in the community after graduation, the memories they make in Orono will last a lifetime. Orono isn’t just a college town, but the influx of students certainly energizes
42 / Bangor Metro November 2013
the downtown culture, and it is nearly impossible to separate the history of the town from the history of the university— only one generation separates the founders of the town and the founders of the school. However, it was the resources provided by the location that allowed both the town and the university to develop and thrive.
Photo: melanie brooks
Culture is alive and well in the close-knit community of Orono. By Kaylie Reese
Photos: courtesy orono Historical Society
A view of the Stillwater River and downtown Orono.
That main resource which helped Orono during its early days is water. Orono is geographically divided into two sections by the Stillwater and Penobscot Rivers. Downtown Orono is landlocked, but you need to cross over a bridge to get to the rest of it, including the University of Maine. The Penobscot River splits, with the 11.5-mile Stillwater River branching off. The rivers rejoin at the center of Orono, creating Marsh Island.
HISTORY In 1774, when Maine was still a part of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, Jeremiah Coburn and Joshua Eayres saw potential in the area where the Stillwater and Penobscot Rivers met. They petitioned the Massachusetts’ colonial government for its settlement, then called the Deadwater and Stillwater Plantation.
Top: View of Basin Mills, 1895. Middle: Built in the early 1830s, the Katahdin Building was originally the Stillwater Hotel and Wyman’s Tavern and hosted numerous other businesses over the years before it burned in 2009. Bottom: View of Mill Street showing Park’s Hardware, a family owned and run business which began in 1892 and closed its doors on Aug. 31. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 43
a piece of maine: orono
“The town changes throughout the year. The fall is different from the summer, and there is always something going on... I don’t ever have to leave.”—Bob Cutler
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The town was incorporated several years later, in 1806. Orono received its current namesake nearly 50 years after it was settled, in honor of Penobscot Chief Joseph Orono. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the life of Joseph Orono, who was known as the blue-eyed Indian chief, but historic records show that he was sympathetic to Americans during the Revolutionary War. Orono served as chief nearly 10 years before Coburn and Eayres settled the area until his death in 1801. The key resource that continually brings settlers to the area is the unique juncture of the Penobscot and Stillwater Rivers, which is at the heart of the town
of Orono. The rivers have long been a critical component to the development of the town. In the early 1800s, the lumber industry was booming. Tree trunks, stripped of their limbs, were floated down the Penobscot River. In the mid-1800s, Orono managed the largest sawmill in the world. The lumber industry drew many to the area, as Orono was a leader in producing lumber for Bangor, to then be shipped to destinations across the newly independent, developing country. Orono began its reputation as a university town in 1865, when the first group of students were welcomed to Maine’s land-grant university. The University of Maine at Orono is the flagship campus
Photos: kaylie reese
Fogler Library at the University of Maine.
College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts opened its doors to 12 students and two faculty members. The first programs taught at the college continue to lead at the school, namely civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and agriculture. In 2004, the University of Maine received its status as a National Sea Grant College. After seeing the industrial and educational benefits that stem from a designated land-grant university, interest in developing a similar program for the sea grew. In 1966, the Pell-Rogers Sea Grant Colleges and Program Act was signed by then president Lyndon B. Johnson, securing funds for oceanographic exploration. Today, UMaine is a leader in research, with state-of-the-art facilities and internationally renowned faculty. More than 11,000 students were enrolled last year, and the university now offers 88 bachelor’s degree programs, 70 master’s degree programs, and 30 doctoral programs.
Collins Center for the Arts The University of Maine also houses the Collins Center for the Arts. The performing arts center has been in operation
since 1986, and it is one of the first buildings you see when you drive onto campus from the Park Street entrance. The building, formerly known as the Maine Center for the Arts, was closed for renovation in 2007. The entire front of the building was redesigned to have a glass pavilion, a cafĂŠ, and a renovated lobby. As for the interior, the concert hall is now ADA certified, and the Hudson Museum has been enclosed to the second floor. In 2009, the venue reopened and is named in honor of donors Richard R. and Anne A. Collins. The architecture was designed with acoustics in mind, from the ridges in the walls to the sound clouds on the ceiling, so that each of the 1,432 seats has a great listening experience. The venue was originally designed as an acoustic concert hall, with a beautiful design and great acoustics.
BRIDGING THE GAP It is exactly the diversity in culture, education, and entertainment that draw businesses such as Dirigo Pines Retirement Community to the area. Dirigo Pines, which is a member of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, offers living
Collins Center for the Arts
that serves as the leader for the seven University of Maine System campuses, and they continue to specialize in industrially competitive programs.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE It is virtually impossible to discuss the history of Orono without discussing the University of Maine. In 1863, the Morrill Land Grant College Act passed into law, which allocated land and funds for industrial colleges in each state. Maine was already working toward developing a state college, but the passing of this act helped bring the plan into fruition. In 1865, a college was established as the flagship university. In 1868, the Maine www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 45
options for senior citizens. The 10-yearold, 68-acre facility offers multiple living options catered to the variety of needs residents may have, from private cottages to assisted living facilities. There is even a memory care facility, for individuals who suffer with memory loss and require need specialized attention. According to marketing director Steve Bowler, Dirigo Pines aims to create an environment that engages aging residents. They have trail systems and trout ponds for residents to enjoy the outdoors, which is perfect for residents who wish to stretch their legs and get some fresh air. And there is never a shortage of activities to participate in—both at Dirigo 46 / Bangor Metro November 2013
Pines and in the greater community. “I think it just addresses the overall wellbeing of people,” Bowler says of the many activities and opportunities for residents. “It keeps your mind stimulated and keeps you active. It’s a combination of everything, spiritually, physically, and mentally.” The University of Maine offers all sorts of events and activities, from hockey games to chamber concerts. You can take a class or participate in a workshop on campus, or enroll in an Adult Education class offered at the high school. The Orono Public Library offers youth and adult programs, and there are several festivals held throughout the year.
Outdoor enthusiasts will love the miles of hiking trails, parks, and public boat launches in Orono. Pushaw Lake on the western side of Orono is a great place to swim and kayak in the summer, as well as ice fish in the winter. Grab your crosscountry skiis this winter and hit the trails owned and maintained by the Orono Land Trust. If you’re just here for the weekend, Orono has a lot to offer. This is often the case each fall, as eager freshman are preparing to move into their dorm to begin college. For families assisting their academic with his or her move, there are a lot of places they can stay. One of hotels that has close ties with the university is
Photo: kaylie reese
a piece of maine: orono
orono stats Incorporated: March 12, 1806 Population: 9,474 Population Density: 483.4 people/ square mile Median Household Income: $37,500 Median Age: 21.6 Mil Rate: 21.23/1,000 Median Home Value: $197,100 Education: • Asa C Adams Elementary • Orono Middle School • Orono High School • University of Maine Major Employers: • The University of Maine • RSU #26 • Microdyne Outscourcing, Nexxlinx of Maine Leading Employment Sectors: • Education • Social Services • Restaurant • Hospitality
The Orono Bog Walk.
Major Natural Resources: • Penobscot River • Stillwater River • Orono Bog • Webster Park • Orono Land Trust
the University Inn Academic Suites. at the University Inn work to do this is by Owner Tracey Whitten sees the Uni- providing words of encouragement on versity Inn as a gateway between the their marquee. “The sappier the better,” University of Maine and downtown Whitten says, laughing. And it has cerOrono, and uses that as her main selling tainly made many people’s days better, as point to people in the area. “People can it’s the first thing you see when you cross walk to the left to get to the university or over the bridge from downtown Orono. they can walk right to get downtown,” “The people here are passionate about she says. “We’re really trying to work to- their town, and especially the natural asgether to bridge the university and the pects to it. It’s an eclectic town,” Whitten downtown.” Whitten says that the physi- says. “It feels to me like a community.” cal separation of crossing over the bridge seems to have a significant impact on BUSINESS the community, essentially splitting it The Orono Village Association (OVA), in two, so she works hard to “bridge the which consists of businesses and residents in outside Orono, started Hospital. for the bridge,” as she puts it. Geno Murray of CAwas Dean Memorial One of the ways Whitten and the staff purpose of unifying the downtown. In www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 47
Photos: melanie brooks
Mill Street in the heart of downtown Orono; (Bottom left) Pat’s Pizza; (Bottom Right) Sherri Cunningham
48 / Bangor Metro November 2013
a piece of maine: orono recent years, they have been working to collectively refurbish and revitalize the area. The organization meets once a month to discuss improvements and projects they would like to see through, such as improving the safety of crosswalks or hosting a tour of the downtown during UMaine’s orientation weekend. The aim to unify the marketing in the downtown is already showing significant improvement in community development. “It’s a way to try to get Orono folks aware of the downtown,” says Whitten, who also serves as the treasurer of OVA. “It has really developed good relationships and good friendships, and it has also opened up the channels for communication.” When the Family Dog opened its doors one year ago, co-owners Keith Manaker and Bob Cutler were living the dream. Cutler always wanted to start up a hot dog joint, and Manaker, who is coowner of Orono’s Harvest Moon Deli, always aspired to open a burger joint. A couple of months later, the two were flipping burgers and serving dogs, drawing crowds from far and near. Cutler studied education at the University of Maine in the ’90s, but he left the area after he graduated to coach baseball. He fondly remembers sitting at a corner table with several of his friends, during his college years, in the very space where his business is now located. “Some days I still come in, and it’s surreal to walk around,” Cutler says. “The town of Orono is awesome to work with, businesswise,” Cutler says. “As a business owner, it’s great to not be met with nos and red tape. The other thing I like about Orono is the town changes throughout the year. The fall is different from the summer, and there is always something going on. Whether there’s something happening downtown or on campus, I don’t ever have to leave.” One of the most beloved pizza joints in the state began on Mill Street in Orono. In 1931, C.D. Farnsworth, who was better known as “Pat,” opened the Farnsworth Café, selling ice cream and other desserts. It wasn’t until 1953 when pizza was added to the menu, and now we can’t imagine it any other way. The Orono location has a special charm of years gone by, from its tin ceilings to the jukebox players on the tables, to the 50-cent coffee.
Pat worked alongside family and friends until 2000, when he retired from the business at the age of 90. During that time, the company’s ownership was shifting to Pat’s youngest son Bruce Farnsworth. On a given year, about eight to 10 members of the Farnsworth family are working behind the counter, including Sherri Cunningham, Pat’s granddaughter, who has worked at the pizza shop off and on for about 30 years. Cunningham says that working alongside family is very special, but she isn’t just referring to her relatives. “I love the town, and I love the people. It’s like working with family,” Cunningham says. “My grandfather was such an important figure for so many people.” It is this sense of community, along with the secret sauce recipe developed by Pat and Fran Farnsworth, fresh dough made on-site, and ingredients that go all the way to the edges, that keep customers coming back time after time. And it is that same sense that all 14 locations across the state strive for.
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energy guide
2013
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gy guide 6
Whether you’re building a house from the ground up or are renovating your existing home, being energy conscious is key. It can get very expensive to heat your home and run electricity here in Maine. Your decisions can save you tons of money in the long run.
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f you are renovating an existing home, the first thing you should do is to schedule a home energy assessment, also called an energy audit. This is the best way for you to find out how you can make improvements that may cut energy costs.
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STRUCTURE & EXTERIOR
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image: istockphoto/thinkstock.com
1. Framing: If you are building a new single-story house or an addition to an existing house, consider the advanced house-framing technique. This technique reduces the amount of lumber used by spacing the wall studs 24 inches apart, rather than the typical 16 inches. Not only does this require less lumber, but it increases energy efficiency by replacing lumber with insulation material. It’s estimated that you can save up to 5% of annual heating and cooling costs by using this method.
2. Aluminum Roof: Aluminum roof systems are becoming more popular in Maine thanks to their durability, lightweight design, and energy efficiency. It’s also completely recyclable. Aluminum reflects sunlight and heat, but it dissipates heat quickly, too. This means that your roof will absorb less heat in the summer months, and your roof will cool down quickly on summer nights. Many Maine homes do not have central air conditioning, especially older homes. A reflective metal roof can keep the temperatures down in the attic, which will keep your home cooler overall.
3. Landscape: Installing a windbreak around your home can reduce the wind chill, and it can reduce your heating cost. Homes on the coast are very susceptible to harsh winter winds from the ocean. Homeowners should build a windbreak, if there isn’t one already in place. The best www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 51
energy guide 6
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windbreaks are fences, earth berms, or low trees and hearty shrubs planted together on the north or northwest side of the home. These windbreaks will also trap snow before it blows up next to your home. If you have a snowdrift problem, consider erecting a snow fence. Shrubs planted close to your home create dead air-space that insulates in the winter and summer. Make sure plants are one foot away from your wall.
INTERIOR 4. Window Treatments:
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There are many, many ways to decorate your windows and reduce your energy costs. Window blinds are great for reducing summer heat gain. They are adjustable and easy to install. Drapes are another way to reduce heat loss and gain. Their effectiveness varies based on the color and fabric type. In the winter, you should close all of your drapes at night and those that do not get direct sunlight during the day. Conventional drapes can
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reduce heat loss by 10%. Hang the drapes as close to the windows as possible for the best effect. Installing insulated panels in the winter can also help with heat loss. They are installed into the interior or exterior of a window and are fairly inexpensive. These panels are usually made of glass or plastic sheeting and are put up in the fall and taken down in the spring. Window shades are probably your best bet when looking for energy savings. Shades act as both an insulation and air barrier. They should be mounted as close to the glass as possible. Dual shades are reflective on one side and dark, for heat absorption, on the other. These shades should be reversed with the seasons. When it’s summer, the reflective side should face the sun to keep unwanted heat from penetrating. In the winter, flip the shades so that the sunlight-absorbing side is facing out, so that you bring the warm sunlight into the house. Pleated and cellular shades are better at insulating, but they don’t provide as much
control as a quilted roller shade when it comes to air filtration.
clothes. Many new dryers have a moisture sensor—use it!
5. Energy-Efficient Appliances:
6. Low Flow:
When shopping for new appliances, find ones that have an Energy Star label. Energy Star is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) volunteer program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency. If you see an Energy Star label, you know it’s an efficient appliance.
For maximum efficiency, install low-flow shower heads, faucets, and toilets. Purchase a shower head that has a flow rate of less than 2.5 gallons per minute. An easy test to see if you could benefit from a low-flow shower head is to place a bucket (marked in gallon increments) under your shower head. Turn on the shower and time how many seconds it takes to reach the one-gallon mark. If it takes less than 20 seconds, a low-flow shower head would be a good choice. One of the most cost-effective water conservation measures you can easily do is to change out the aerators in your kitchen and bathroom faucets. Aerators restrict the water flow through your faucet. For maximum efficiency, purchase aerators that have flow rates of one gallon or less per minute.
• Clothes Washers Energy Star clothes washers use about 20% less energy and 35% less water than regular washers. The tubs are also bigger, which means fewer loads. Washing your clothes in cold water will also help you save money and energy. Clothes will be just as clean, as if they were washed in hot water, and your energy use will be lower. You also want to make sure to wash and dry full loads whenever possible and not to over-dry your
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To heat your home more safely, conveniently and efficiently, ditch the truck and visit www.bangorgas.com for more.
54 / Bangor Metro November 2013
HEATING SYSTEMS 7. Geothermal Heat Pumps: No matter where you live, be in Caribou or the Caribbean, the temperature about 10 feet below our feet remains relatively stable between 45 degrees and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. In the winter, this ground temp is warmer than the air outside and in the summer, it’s cooler. Geothermal heat pumps take advantage of this to keep our homes comfortable. A geothermal heat pump can heat and cool the air, and it can supply the home with hot water. There are four basic types of systems, and they all work the same way. A loop of pipes, called a heat exchanger, is buried below the surface of your yard. These pipes are filled with just water, or they’re filled with a water and anti-freeze concoction. This solution circulates in the loop underground. In the winter the solution absorbs the earth’s heat. When the warmed solution is brought to the surface, it is transferred to a heat pump which warms the air in your home through a system of ducts. The system works in reverse in the summertime. Warm air from your home is sent underground to cool, then it is recirculated through your home. Installing a geothermal heat pump is an investment, but the costs are generally returned within five to 10 years. There is a 30% tax credit of the cost (including installation and labor costs) of geother-
energy guide mal heat pumps through 2016, which makes it more affordable.
8. Programmable Thermostat: Another way to keep energy costs down is by installing a programmable thermostat. The heat can be lowered automatically when you are at work and programmed to warm up as you head for home.
9. Natural Gas: If you are building a new home with access to a natural gas pipeline, consider this as a viable heating option. If a pipeline is already in your neighborhood, think about converting. Natural gas is safe and affordable, with reserves that have created a stable market with little price fluctuation. And with natural gas reserves right here in the U.S., you can decrease your dependency on foreign oil. You can do more than heat your home with natural gas—you can wash and dry your clothes and cook your food. And since the system is underground, outages are rare. The big drawback to natural gas is availability. It can take years to expand a pipeline.
10. Radiant Heating:
Bundle and Save! Enroll today at rates below the Standard Offer and electricity customers save an additional 5¢ per gallon on heating fuels. Some restrictions may apply.
If you are building a new home, consider installing a radiant heating system. It’s more efficient than baseboard and forced-air heating systems because it eliminates heat loss through the ducts. Radiant heating systems radiate heat to the floor or panels of the wall or ceiling of your home. Radiant floor heat is the most popular, and it can be installed in several different ways, depending on your house. This type of heating system works well with ceramic tile, wood, or laminate floors. Any floor covering that insulates will decrease the efficiency of the system. For that reason, carpeted floors do not do well with radiant floor heat. This type of heating is great for people with allergies, as it doesn’t disturb allergens like a forced-hot air system does.
11. Space Heating:
TO SIGN UP: Call 1-800-296-2721 or online at cnbrownelectricity.com 56 / Bangor Metro November 2013
If you are looking to save money on your heating bill, consider a space heater. These small heaters are great at heating up small spaces efficiently.
11
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9 10
Add contacts. Real contacts, that is. Email, texts and tweets are great, but there’s no better way to solidify a business relationship than face-to-face. So pick up that smart phone and do a smart thing: go to FlyBangor.com, book online, and this time - send yourself. Scan for BGR Online Booking
Nonstops, connecting flights, competitive fares and friendly customer service.
Bgr_Metro_SendYourself.indd 1
www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 57 8/9/11 10:54 AM
energy guide
t s li o d y e n o H It’s that time of year once again, to get ready for winter. Here is your list of things to do this month to help you get started.
Use clear plastic sheets to insulate windows through the cold season. On the interior, replace your regular curtains with insulated or thermal ones. Keep the shades up during the day to let the sun in and close them at night to keep the cold out.
Clean your boiler
A good cleaning extends the life of your heating system while ensuring that it’s operating safely. It’s recommended that a professional clean and service your boiler or furnace to maximize its efficiency.
Leaf your house
Insulate more, not less
By making sure your house is properly insulated, you will reduce your energy use and your utility costs. Walls, floors, heating ducts, and attic and basement access are some insulation hot spot suggestions.
Clothing swap
As October rears its head and the nights start getting longer, it’s time to swap your summer clothes for your winter wear. It’s also a good idea to do the same with your bedding. Get yourself some cozy flannel sheets and put
Instead of sending your raked fall leaves to the landfill,
an extra blanket on the bed before plugging in your space
bag them, dry them, and line the perimeter of your house
heater and electric blanket.
with the bags for added insulation.
Redecorate
Hang a clothesline
Your clothes dryer is one of the most expensive appli-
Make sure couches and curtains aren’t covering your
ances to run. Hang a clothesline in your basement or set
heating vents. You could be losing some of the heat
up a drying rack to help cut your electric bill this fall.
flowing through your home.
Install motion sensor lights
Install motion sensors that turn lights on when you walk in an area or room and off when motion is no longer
detected, especially in high-traffic areas like a garage or a stairway.
Up the chimney
Low-Flow
Take short showers instead of baths, and install low-flow shower heads for additional savings.
Seal Air Leaks
Use sheet metal or sheetrock, as well as furnace cement caulk, to seal air leaks around your fireplace chimney, furnace, and water heater vents. Use foam sealant
Have your chimney cleaned and checked each year for
around windows, baseboards, and other places were air
safety and efficiency.
may leak.
58 / Bangor Metro November 2013
Photo: Glenn Bo/thinkstock.com
Windows: inside and out
Think you own the ugliest holiday sweater?
PROVE IT! Enter Bangor Metro’s Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest for a chance to win a $100 gift card from Bangor Mall!
! HURRY t be us Entries m by received er 1! Decemb
gh ing throu g ig d t r a t S et now! s lo c r u o y
Submit a high resolution jpeg photo of your ugly sweater to uglysweater@bangormetro.com Winner will be chosen by public vote. Voting is from Dec. 1–Dec. 24, 2013 and the winning entry will be announced on WKIT, Facebook, and Twitter. See our website for more details.
needs your help! Do you know an outstanding student athlete or an inspiring high school coach we should write about? Let us know!
To make a nomination, scan this QR code or go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/W7GZXTY 60 / Bangor Metro June/July 2013
metro sports: high school
Shooting for the Stars Parise Rossignol is breaking records left and right at Van Buren District Secondary School. By Kaylie Reese
Photos: spudnic studios
V
an Buren District Secondary School senior Parise Rossignol is a high school sports legend, but she’s not content to rest on her laurels. This fall, Rossignol broke a school girl’s soccer record set more than 20 years ago, by Sarah Roy. In 1991, Roy set the record of 104 career goals. When we last talked to Rossignol at the end of September, she had 109 career goals, and the season wasn’t over yet. “I’m honored to be mentioned in the same category as her,” Rossignol says of Roy. Rossignol, who is a striker, was aware she was approaching the record, but it was her father who was keeping track. She says she tried not to focus on it too much, but breaking a record like that is hard to ignore. She credits her control of the ball, incredible as it is, with lots of practice time and hard work. Maybe her talents are genetic. Matt Rossignol, a 1985 graduate of Van Buren Discrict Secondary School and Parise’s
father, was a basketball standout during his time at the high school and later at the University of Maine. Now he’s back, coaching Parise and her basketball teammates. She says that there is some pressure, being the daughter of a legendary basketball player, but her efforts aren’t overshadowed by any means. Rossignol, who plays point guard, is taking 1,847 career points into her senior year of basketball. To crunch a few numbers, that’s an average of 615.67 points per year. Her father had 2,257 career points during his four years at the high school. That’s 564 points per year. To complement the impressive numbers, she is already a three-time BDN All-Maine selection. Her position as a point guard and poise on and off the court make her a leader. While she admits she is sometimes nervous before a game, she says that goes away after the first buzzer sounds. If a play is going poorly, her advice to her teammates is not to dwell on the bad. “It’s a fast-moving sport, so you really can’t focus on one thing too much. I just
try to stress that everyone makes mistakes, and that it’s not a big deal,” Rossignol says. “Try to set goals for yourself. Just like anything, you set a goal and put a lot of work and time into it.” All that hard work and clear focus has certainly paid off for Rossignol. She verbally committed to play basketball at the University of Maine at the end of her sophomore year. “It’s going to be tough. I’ll need to work hard,” Rossignol says of her anticipated athletic and academic chapter. UMaine basketball is a Division 1 sport, and the team will be playing all year long. Although she will be busy between basketball and academics, she admits it will be strange not to be playing soccer in the fall or tennis in the spring. But the sole commitment to playing basketball, the sport she has played for as long as she remembers, was a decision she was anxious to secure. “Basketball is my favorite sport. It will be great to be able to play it yearround.” www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 61
food file
C
olette Sabbagh makes the most of her busy schedule, preparing meals in the kitchen she designed for the house she shares with her husband and two daughters. A pediatrician who works at Husson Pediatrics, Sabbagh likes to practice what she preaches. “I’m always telling my patients to eat good, healthy meals,” she says. “Studies have shown that kids who actually sit down to dinner four or five nights a week are less likely to be obese than kids whose meals are more random.” Her interest in cooking stems from her medical school days at the University of Illinois in Chicago. “It was for something different to do, other than studying,” she says. “When you’re in med
62 / Bangor Metro November 2013
A busy schedule is no excuse for an unhealthy meal. By Henry Garfield
school, you don’t really have any money, and you work a lot, but you still have to eat something. That’s when I started experimenting with cooking.” She did her residency at Loyola University in Chicago. She met her husband, Iyad Sabbagh, a physician from Syria, at Mercy Hospital in Chicago. Neither had any connection to Maine, but they chose to call Maine their home after careful deliberation. “To stay in this country, Iyad had to work in an under-served area,” Sabbagh says. “Getting married didn’t change his visa status. In Chicago, all the underserved areas were places where you could get shot. We started looking around, and he ended up working in the emergency room in Machias for five years.”
Eventually, her husband was hired by Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, and the couple moved to Brewer in 1999. Their house, built the following year, is located just north of town and almost directly across the river from EMMC. “We didn’t know anyone when we moved here, but it’s an easy place to put down roots and get involved,” she says. “There’s plenty to do. We’re happy here. There are things we turn down because we’re too busy.” They now have two daughters: 12year-old Lana and 10-year-old Hanna. Colette Sabbagh designed the spacious kitchen to accommodate the needs of a busy family and also with an eye for entertaining guests, who, in typical New England fashion, find it the most com-
Photos: mark mccall
Quick Skillet Sensation
fortable place in the house to gather. The kitchen features a large central island, black granite countertops, large cherry cabinets, and plenty of room to move around. Her kitchen is one of the regular stops on the annual EMMC auxiliary kitchen tour, a fundraising effort for the hospital. A high shelf features her collection of decorative ceramic water pitchers. “A friend recently had a wedding with an Italian theme, and she wanted to borrow them,” she says. “They had been sitting there a long time, collecting dust. I paid Lana $10 to wash them, and it turned out to be the best $10 I ever spent, because now they’re all clean for the kitchen tour.” She also loves cooking quick nutritious meals for her active family. Her kielbasa skillet meal was inspired, she says, by a cookbook titled “Desperation Dinners.” Every recipe in the book can be prepared in under 20 minutes. “I’ve become the master of the quick meal,” she says. “I like to do things in the skillet, with vegetables, protein, and a little bit of carbohydrates. I use turkey kielbasa because it has a lot less fat, and I don’t use any added salt.” The meal involves a fair amount of chopped onions and peppers, which can be prepared in advance or bought frozen—another time-saver. “I already use chopped garlic, because one of my least favorite things to do is peel the skin off
Colette Sabbagh designed her Brewer kitchen to be a gathering place for friends and family.
recipe Kielbasa Skillet (serves 4) 1 turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/2 inch slices 1 small onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 can diced tomatoes 2 cups pasta, dry 1 tsp. garlic, minced 1 tsp. oregano 2 tsp. basil Parmesan cheese, to taste Boil pasta, following instructions. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic with a little olive oil and sauté until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add sliced kielbasa, tomatoes, oregano, and basil. Heat through and serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Note: You can use 1 cup frozen chopped onion and 1 cup frozen chopped green pepper for faster prep time. www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 63
food file the cloves,” she says. “I cut up the vegetables and boil water for the pasta at the same time. The kielbasa is basically already cooked.” Sure enough, in less than 20 minutes, the meal is ready. Lana, who has a dance rehearsal later that evening, eagerly sits down to eat. The two girls are involved in a number of different activities. Lana played the title character in the Penobscot Theatre’s production of “Annie” last December. Her mother has been bit by acting bug herself. In November, she will play one of the lead roles in the female version of “The Odd Couple” at the Winterport Open Stage, which will leave her with even less time to prepare nutritious, delicious meals. “It’s all about planning,” she says. “Don’t just go to the grocery store; have a plan. Where a lot of parents have a hard time is when six o’clock rolls around and they don’t have a plan, and the kids are hungry. So they go to a drive-thru or put in a pizza, out of necessity. But I have to practice what I preach.”
Brewer —
we’re anything but business as usual “One of our core values is fostering long-term relationships and building trust in those relationships. We have that here in Brewer. We like to be part of a community where we can grow, be innovative and have a positive impact on the community. With corporate headquarters located in Minnesota and 12 manufacturing locations all in smaller communities, we feel very much at home here in Brewer surrounded by Maine’s natural beauty, but still in an urban setting with all the amenities our business needs to succeed.” —Mary Erholtz and Paul Schmidgall of Superior Industries, and new owners of Trans-Tech Industries.
Pictured L-to-R: Paul Schmidgall, Ken Peters & Mary Erholtz
64 / Bangor Metro November 2013
Contact SuppliedD’arcy OriginalMain-Boyington, Economic Development Director 989-7500 • www.brewermaine.gov dmain-boyington@brewermaine.gov
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kitchen confidential Where are you from and how did you end up in Maine? I was born in Rochester, New Hampshire. My family moved to Oakfield, Maine when I was very young. After graduating high school in 2004, I spent a couple of semesters at the New England School of Communications in Bangor. I moved back to New Hampshire to study at the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school. In early 2011, I visited my parents in Oakfield, and while I was there my father ended up being hospitalized. Instead of returning to New Hampshire, I decided to stay in Maine until my father recovered. I spent a year working at a restaurant in Presque Isle before starting at Café Sorpreso in early May, 2012. What is your first food memory? My first memory of food is of pizza. My grandparents used to own a convenience store and deli in Houlton where I used to spend a lot of time. I was a very “busy” child, and one day just happened to spot a large mushroom pizza on the counter waiting for pick-up. I happened to be quite hungry, so I helped myself to some—or most of—the delightful mushrooms on the customer’s pizza.
After years of working in the seaside towns of southern New Hampshire, Tyler Levesque never thought he’d end up back in Aroostook County, where he grew up. But a family emergency brought him home, where he flexes his culinary muscles with panache. By Melanie Brooks 66 / Bangor Metro November 2013
Any family influences on your style and taste? Both of my parents are excellent cooks. My father makes a killer French toast that I’m still trying to figure out, and my mom can really throw down in the kitchen. There is a lot of military background in my family. My mom was born in Germany, lived in London for a time, then eventually Texas. I got to experience a little bit of each place my grandparents and mother lived through the food she made for me as a child.
Photos: melanie brooks
Café Sorpreso
What are some of your early cooking experiences? I had the usual experiences with cooking growing up, helping my mother and father in the kitchen. But what stands out most was this terrifying little kit I had called Doctor Dreadful’s Freaky Food Lab. It was basically an easy-bake oven for boys, but you could make edible bugs, brain cakes, and all kinds of disgusting little snacks. I can remember being so pleased with peoples’ reactions to what I had concocted.
Penobscot General Surgery Where did you study/apprentice? I attended Le Cordon Bleu in New Hampshire. After I graduated, I worked seasonally in the seacoast area between New Hampshire and Massachusetts for a few years. I had the chance to work with a number of great people who really helped me develop as a chef. I found that I loved working with fresh, local seafood. I also spent some time in the Breckenridge-Keystone area of Colorado, where I found my second love: BBQ. When did you realize you were a chef? I think it was during my first job as head chef at a restaurant called Mad River Tavern in Amesbury, Massachusetts. I was 22 years old, fresh into the culinary world, and terrified. The chef who I had been working under decided to move on and recommended me to step into his place as head chef. The day I came into work and was led to my little office down in the basement, I knew I made it. What do you consider to be your pivotal career move? I truly believe the most pivotal career move for me was working at seasonal restaurants for the first few years of my career. I was able to work with so many different people from all over the world and picked up lots of little tricks and techniques along the way. Those experi-
ences were the first steps to developing my style as a chef. When did Café Sorpreso open? Café Sorpreso opened its doors in mid-November of 2007. The partners were affiliated with the Rum Rapids Inn in Washburn, where multi-course dinners were offered by reservation in the private dining room. Over time, the demand for dining exceeded the inn’s capacity, so the partners chose to open an establishment in Presque Isle, where customers could come for lunch or dinner. Pivotal to their decision was having a location downtown, where they could be an integral part of the Main Street revitalization efforts. From its inception, Café Sorpreso (the name means “to be surprised”) has offered an ever-changing menu, featuring fresh, well-prepared food—an alternative to other dining options in central Aroostook County. Over time, the café has expanded hours of operation and added catering and private functions to the list of services it provides. What do you love about your location? We’re located at the heart of the artsy little city of Presque Isle. What is not to love? I love that we as an establishment are constantly changing, trying to surprise our guests. We source everything
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Opposite page: Tyler Levesque. This photo: Pan-seared scallops and butternut squash ravioli.
Healthcare questions? Call us for the answers. By purchasing your insurance coverage through Sargent Tyler & West, you will get the coverage you need with the personalized service you deserve. Our new website makes it faster and even more convenient to do business with us!
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kitchen confidential we use as locally as possible to support our community and show our guests what is available in their backyards and local farmers markets. We take pride in making everything we can in-house and bringing something new and exciting to this area. What is your favorite ingredient to work with? Scallops. I love the sweetness a fresh scallop holds, and their versatility is next to none. I also cannot forget to mention one of Maine’s little miracles, the fiddlehead.
250 Haskell Road • Bangor, ME 04401 • 207-262-0099 • www.bangor.hgi.com
What is the dish we will be featuring? How did it come about and what ingredients are used? The featured dish is one of our guests’ favorites. It was developed last fall and has been making frequent appearances on our menu ever since. It’s pan-seared scallops, handmade butternut squash ravioli, sage beurre noisette, and a dressing made with garlic confit and baked apples. It’s a combination of my favorite fall flavors. It is sweet but balanced by the warmth of the sage, nuttiness of the brown butter, and the acidity of the dressing. Your favorite restaurant? My favorite restaurant is Black Trumpet Bistro, located in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I haven’t eaten here in some time, but only because of the distance. I can remember everything I had my last visit there, right down to the single greatest gin and tonic I have had to date. Least favorite job-related task? I hate doing dishes. I know it’s ridiculous, but they really are the bane of my existence. The last time you really surprised yourself in the kitchen? I started making specialty cakes recently and have been quite surprised by how they are turning out, since I’ve never had any real experience in cake baking or decorating. What does a perfect day off look like? My perfect day off starts at 5 am with a cup of oats and 10 egg whites, then it’s off to the gym! My other love in life is
68 / Bangor Metro November 2013
Lodging • Fine Dining • Irish Pub bodybuilding. I could spend the entire day in the gym lifting. It gives me a place to put all the stresses of a busy week, and then the rest of the day is devoted to my beautiful fiancée. We always make an awesome meal and just spend the day relaxing. What would you want your last meal to be? A lovely little casserole called beef and bean roundup. I would ask for it as a last meal without hesitation. I’m not exactly sure what its exact makeup is, but I know it involves ground beef, baked beans, BBQ sauce, pop biscuits, and cheddar cheese, with some other crazy stuff going on. It’s straight up addictive.
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207 359 2777
recreation in hermon
A GREAT TOWN TO PLAY
What do you love most about your job? I love being able to be creative every day, and I honestly just love to please people. It’s a nice feeling when your efforts contribute to making a special night or event that much better for someone.
more info Café Sorpreso 415 Main Street, Presque Isle 207-764-1854
Hermon Meadow Golf Club and Driving Range, is Maine’s most family friendly golf course. Five sets of tees can challenge every level of golfer and provide fun for all ages. We are a Par 72, 18-hole course with tees for juniors to experts.
Hours: Tues.–Sat. 11 am–2 pm; 5 pm–8 pm Specialties: Ethnic cuisine, vegan and vegetarian fare, artisan breads, and dessert Accolades: Bangor Metro’s Most Romantic and Best Vegetarian 2012 and 2013, Best Cocktails 2013, as well as mentions in Down East and Maine magazines. First-timer tip: Go all out! Order appetizers, entrees, and dessert. Don’t be afraid of trying something different. Directions: Located at 415 Main Street, Presque Isle
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www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 69
per spectives
Nate Levesque
70 / Bangor Metro November 2013
Nate Levesque is a nature photographer based out of Hampden, Maine. He spends most of his weekends in Acadia National Park or exploring the coast of Maine. In the last year, he has taken to astrophotography and has spent many sleepless nights capturing the stars. He enjoys the outdoors and hopes that his photographs will inspire others to get outside and experience the beauty of Maine for themselves.
www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 71
R
Elmer Fudd or Conservationist Public perception on hunting and hunters is changing, and for the better. By Brad Eden
ecently I had Cash the spaniel out on his morning walk when he became interested in something off the side of the dirt road we live on. I walked over and found him looking down intently at four tiny bird chicks on the ground. Three were still alive and had only pinfeathers protecting them from the elements. I looked up and saw a nest about eight feet above the ground, in a copse of bushes. It was partially dislodged, likely from the heavy rain from the previous night, and the chicks had apparently been washed out onto the ground. The live chicks easily fit in the palm of my hand and held had their mouths wideopen, as if I was their momma who had come to save them and feed them. Now what to do? I really didn’t have time to be a surrogate mother, but my conscience wouldn’t allow me to just toss them into the woods and walk away. So I trooped back to the house, grabbed my stepladder, and headed back to the nest while keeping the chicks warm in one hand. I reconstructed the nest to the best of my ability and placed the chicks back in it. When I went back to check later that day, momma bird—of a species I never determined—was back on her nest, caring for her babies, and had done additional repairs to their humble abode. That very afternoon I was sitting in a treestand when a big black bear came strolling by. Instead of going to the fivegallon bait bucket, the bear walked right to the base of my ladder stand, looked up at me, and contemplated whether to climb up and join me. The fact that I clenched a bow rather than a rifle with a 200-pound bear 12 feet from my boots only increased the pounding of my heart and the shaking of my body. Mr. Bear was lucky that afternoon, never offer-
I won’t go as far as to suggest hunting is becoming trendy, but will cautiously suggest it’s becoming more acceptable. ing me the shot I wanted and needed to make a clean kill with an arrow. He ambled off without taking a bite out of the bait or out of me. I know it’s difficult for some to wrap their head around someone saving 72 / Bangor Metro November 2013
songbird chicks from certain death in the morning and then attempting to shoot a black bear with a bow over bait in the afternoon. The truth is that hunters are complicated, like everyone else. They aren’t the blood-thirsty, unethical, and insensitive killers often portrayed by the media and animal rights organizations. Nor are they the bumbling Elmer Fudds’ so often lampooned. The good news is that the demonization of hunters and hunting in general seems to be waning. Studies show that a large percentage of Americans approve of hunting and that percentage has risen since first tracked in 1995. The sport has started to see a slow yet steady decline in participation in the last few decades, but that is changing too. A survey done by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows the number of hunters has grown 9% nationally between 2006 and 2011. I won’t go as far as to suggest that hunting is becoming trendy, but I will cautiously suggest it’s becoming more acceptable. A lot of this is due to hunters themselves. Hunters are more aware these days that non-hunters will always outnumber them and they conduct themselves accordingly. There will always be a few throwbacks sporting “Happiness is a Warm Gut Pile” T-shirts. But more hunters, who still readily acknowledge that killing is an integral part of the hunting equation, are going about it with respect and responsibility, which is better for the sport and for public perception. Hunters have always footed the bill for wildlife conservation everyone enjoys, and they are finally being acknowledged for that. The popularity for self-sufficiency and eating organic—what’s more organic than procuring your own protein?—adds to this new-found acquiescence of the hunting lifestyle. This month marks the firearms season on deer, when the blaze-orange army heads to the Maine woods in hopes of crossing paths with a whitetail buck. The vast majority of these men, women, and young adults will stop to move a turtle off the road, pull a deer from a hole in the ice, and save songbird chicks. Be kind to them. They might just offer you some free-range and chemical-free venison tenderloin, if you are lucky. Brad Eden is an artist, writer, and registered Maine Master Guide.
photo: fuse/thinkstock.com
maine woods & waters
savvy seniors
Let’s Talk
A Turkey
Photo: Fuse/thinkstock.com
Many people look forward to a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Help your older family members by preparing food safely and creating a menu that caters to their nutritional needs. By Carol Higgins Taylor
s we look forward to a delicious Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings, we should be aware of a couple of important components: food safety and nutritional needs for older adults. Some people eat cookie dough and love traditional homemade eggnog, but it’s a risky practice. Raw eggs can be dangerous to consume. This is particularly true for seniors who may have weakened immune systems. It’s best to be safe by enjoying fully cooked cookies and drinking pasteurized eggnog only. Even if something is perfectly safe to eat, time is not always on your side. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service, there are guidelines in place that will help keep your food safe for consumption. • Refrigerate or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, and other perishables within two hours of cooking or purchasing. • Never thaw food at room temperature by leaving it on the counter top. It is safe to thaw food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or by heating it in the mi-
crowave. If you do thaw food in cold water or in the microwave, you should cook it immediately. • Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers so the food cools more quickly in the refrigerator. The preparation for the big Thanksgiving meal can be enjoyable, if you like to cook. Kitchens can be chaotic before a big meal and clean-up safety can be overlooked. • Use paper towels to clean kitchen surfaces. Dish cloths can pick up germs and bacteria and spread them around. • Properly wash your produce. Rinse and rub fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including produce that have skins and rinds that are not consumed. Keep in mind that pesticides may be waterproof so they last in the rain. A quick rinse may not get them clean. To get produce is as clean as possible, use a fruit-based veggie wash, which is available in grocery stores. You want to be sure to wash fruits or vegetables that you plan to peel, because the outside peeling or rind can come in contact with the flesh inside. The germs and pesticides www.bangormetro.com Bangor Metro / 73
savvy seniors from the skin can get on your hands or the knife blade and can drag the toxins into the produce.
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For more information, visit www.fsis. usda.gov and search “food safety for older adults” in the FSIS search bar. Now, let’s talk turkey. When cooking the bird, insert a meat thermometer into the inner thigh area near the breast, being careful not to touch the bone. The turkey is done when the temperature reaches 180 degrees. If you stuff your turkey, the stuffing should measure 165 degrees. And speaking of stuffing, if your personal recipe calls for oysters, make sure they have been properly refrigerated or iced. This is especially the case if you’re serving people with weakened immune systems or liver disorders, as they have an increased risk of becoming ill from improperly stored seafood. To be especially safe, cook the stuffing separate from the bird. Food poisoning can be dangerous for anyone, but the effects could be devastating for an elderly person.
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When planning your feast, consider that elders have specific nutritional needs in order to keep their bodies functioning properly. Planning a menu accordingly can give them a nutritional boost. For example, elderly people are often likely to be deficient in vitamin B12, which helps the nervous system and helps red blood cells carry oxygen to the brain. Vitamin B12 can be found in lean and organ meats, milk, eggs, and cheese. Try to work these into your holiday meal. Seniors often do not get enough vitamin E in their diet. Vitamin E can be found in oils and is an important antioxidant. A little olive oil on bread is just as tasty as butter. According to the USDA, the process of aging can influence how nutrients are used and can exacerbate the effect of poor diet quality on health. For example, aging may reduce nutrient absorption, increase urinary nutrient loss, and alter normal pathways of nutrient metabolism. Malnutrition can be a problem for older people because of reduced appetites, ill-fitting dentures, or an inability or
unwillingness to cook nutritious meals. There are signs that indicated if an older person is becoming malnourished: • Getting numerous colds that linger • Cuts that don’t heal well, if at all • Dropping off to sleep frequently • Becoming too thin Anyone concerned about their diet or eager to learn more about healthy eating should talk to a healthcare provider about nutrition counseling. Because Thanksgiving is a day focused on giving thanks and sharing a big meal, it’s a great time to be thankful for our families and start a conversation about an elder relative’s nutritional needs. Carol Higgins Taylor is director of communications at Eastern Area Agency on Aging. She may be reached at chtaylor@eaaa.org.
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savvy seniors
What is Chained CPI?
E
arlier this year, Americans everywhere celebrated 78 years of Social Security. When the Social Security Act was signed into law in 1935, almost half of all older Americans lived in poverty. At first, it was just a retirement program. Today, it offers survivors’ benefits, benefits to a retiree’s spouse, and disability benefits. Social Security is a foundation of economic security for millions of Americans and their families. Without it, more than 80,000 older Mainers would fall into poverty. As the debates around the federal budget debt and deficits continue, it is important to remember the promises made by politicians to protect Social Security benefits for current and future seniors. It is also important to note that Social Security has not contributed one dime to the nation’s deficit. Yet some in Washington are pushing a budget proposal that would cut Social Security and other benefits for today’s seniors, including disabled veterans and military retirees. The proposal, called the Chained CPI, would change the way the cost-of-living adjustment is calculated, reducing benefit amounts every year. To see how the proposal would impact you, you can use AARP’s online calculator at www.earnedasay.org/ whatyoulose. You will likely be shocked by what you discover.
76 / Bangor Metro November 2013
The Chained CPI proposal would cut the yearly cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security benefits, leaving people to struggle to keep up with the rising cost of utilities, health care, and prescription drugs. It would reduce benefits by larger amounts every year, hurting seniors and veterans more as they age and retirement savings start to run out. The Chained CPI would result in a significant loss to many in our state, since more than one third of Maine’s Social Security beneficiaries have no other source of income. The average monthly Social Security benefit in Maine is just over $1,000. Here are the top five reasons why the Chained CPI is the wrong solution: 1. It’s a benefit cut. The Chained CPI is a significant benefit cut, not some “technical change,” as some in Washington would like you to believe. 2. The cuts get deeper every year. The Chained CPI would cut benefits more with every passing year, costing seniors, veterans, and our nation’s most vulnerable thousands of dollars over their lifetimes. 3. It cuts benefits for today’s seniors. Most politicians promised during the 2012 campaign not to cut Social Security for current seniors. The Chained CPI would break that promise, cutting benefits that today’s seniors and veterans have earned through a lifetime of hard work.
4. It is less accurate for seniors. The Chained CPI assumes that when the cost of something you normally buy goes up, you will substitute a lower-cost item. This theory fails the many seniors and veterans who spend much of their money on basic goods, such as prescription drugs, utilities, and heath care—which don’t have lower-cost substitutes. Even the current CPI fails to take into account just how much more seniors spend on health care, which rises in cost even faster than inflation. 5. It’s the wrong solution. Americans deserve a separate, national conversation about how to protect Social Security for today’s seniors and responsibly strengthen it for their kids and grandkids. For more than 50 years, AARP has been committed to protecting Social Security benefits for the millions of Americans who have paid into the program through a lifetime of hard work. We fight on the issues you and your family care about. We believe that when it comes to Social Security, you’ve earned responsible solutions, not harmful cuts. Please call 866-584-3909 and tell Washington to keep Social Security strong, now and for the future. Rich livingston is the volunteer state president for AARP Maine.
Photo: Jacob Wackerhausen/Thinkstock.com
Don’t let Washington decide the future of Social Security without hearing from you first. By Rich Livingston
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last word
Learning to Multitask Focusing on more than one task at a time can be exhausting—and dangerous. By Chris Quimby
Chris Quimby is a husband, father, Christian comedian, writer, and graphic designer from Brooks. Visit him on the web at chris quimby.com or nachotree.com. 80 / Bangor Metro November 2013
image: istockphoto/thinkstock.com
I
’ve never enjoyed looking for employment. It’s quite easy to find jobs, but most of them are already taken by other people—people who aren’t willing to give them up without a fight. I completely understand. When you find work, you aim to keep it. Even if you hate your vocation, it likely beats the uncertain and inferior cash flow associated with waking up at 10 am with the classified ads and crying into your bowl of Fruit Loops. Two months ago, I came home from my nationwide Spokes and Jokes Comedy Tour. I had no idea what I would do for work upon my return. After many personal prayers, public solicitations for the same, and lots of aggressive and creative entrepreneurial effort, I think I have ended up with seven jobs. Be careful what you pray for. The biggest problem is that I’m not a great multitasker. Sometimes it’s dangerous. For example, a few years ago, while driving through unfamiliar streets to my sister’s home in Maryland, my wife and I were discussing french fries. I don’t remember the reason, but I do recollect that I began to envision a plate of fries, which made it hard for me to concentrate and keep the car on the road. It became immediately apparent that I would need to concentrate on one or the other, so I pulled off to the side of the road to fantasize about the delicious side dish. Of course that’s not true, but this mental handicap must be overcome if I am to successfully juggle all of my responsibilities. I’ve seen a lot of women do this quite well. Men, on the other hand, when given a verbal list of three things to purchase in a store, might be lucky to correctly purchase two of them. This is, of course, an exaggeration. It’s probably more accurate to state that men would only correctly purchase one of the items on the list. But I must figure out a way to please all of my employers. To do this, I will need to prioritize and plan. Unfortunately, I am not able to use excuses. The nature of many of my responsibilities is such that if I do not deliver, I do not get paid. I do believe it is possible for me to be able to multitask. For example, I enjoy cooking, but when using the stovetop, I can only use a maximum of two burners at one time. On a few occasions I have used three. But the thought of simultaneously using four, with everything finishing at the same time, without a visit from the Brooks Fire Chief causes cramps in my brain. I believe we have had all four in use at the same time before, but it was for large family gettogethers, where people throw something on the stove and manage their concoction themselves. So maybe that’s the key. If I am to successfully negotiate my current responsibilities, I will need a few of you to step up your game and do your share. Honestly, it is a bit selfish for you to look at all of my duties and sit back, assuming I will avoid mental french fries while I persevere through these challenges.
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