SQUE ISLE • BANGOR • PORTLAND • STOCKHOLM • CHERRYFIELD • WOOLWICH • NORWAY • PITTSFIELD • THOMASTON • ISLAND FALLS • ALNA •
What’s NEXT? Retirement? New hobby? New career? Our 2016 senior living guide is inside.
Spring
FLOWERS
Inside:
Make a paper bouquet that will last all year! (It’s easy! We promise.)
A lesson in Pickleball Visit Sweetgrass Winery Artist Dahlov Ipcar
$5.95
May 2016
Your people, your region, your magazine.
contents
MAY 2016
features MAKING A SPLASH / 16 Danforth couple creates fin to get amputees back in the water SUPPORTING THE CAUSE / 18 Giving back through Relay for Life in Millinocket WOMEN & OSTEOPOROSIS / 20 Be aware of these risk factors HOW TO AVOID CAREGIVER BURNOUT / 22 Tips to help lighten the load WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU CURVES / 26 Coping with the loss of a spouse THEN & NOW: BLUE HILL / 34 Plan a trip to scenic Blue Hill DINNER ON A HALF SHELL / 42 A traditional French recipe perfect with Maine seafood
CREATIVE COMMUNITY / 50 Waterfall Arts in Belfast serves as a nexus for creativity ISSUES OF AGING / 74 Meet the director of UMaine’s Center on Aging EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY / 80 Learning to love new gadgets IN A PICKLE / 90 Loving the game of pickleball
ON THE COVER Making paper flowers is easier than it looks. See story on page 56.
2 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
42
PHOTOS: (TOP) JULIE HARRIS; (BOTTOM) SALLY SCOTT/THINKSTOCK
26
A SPIRITED FARMSTEAD / 46 A visit to Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery
Learn how to make paper flowers, page 56 50
Embracing new technology, page 80
PHOTOS: (CHILD) BDN FILE; (WATERFALL ARTS) GABOR DEGRE; (PHONE) KEITH BELL/THINKSTOCK; (FLOWERS) AMY ALLEN
67
in every issue
columns
TALK BACK & SIGHTINGS / 8 Our readers thoughts and photos
METRO WELLNESS / 24 Overcoming anxious thoughts
BIZ BUZZ / 10 People and places on the move
METRO FAMILY / 60 The Motherhood Club is real
WHAT’S HAPPENING / 11 Local news and events
MAINE WOODS & WATERS / 62 Tips for bringing birds to your yard
PERSPECTIVES / 54 Famed Maine artist Dahlov Ipcar
LAST WORD / 96 Celebrating May Day
AIMEE & AMY TRY... / 56 Making paper flowers METRO HOME / 64 Preparing for older visitors CROWN OF MAINE / 67 News from Aroostook County SAVVY SENIORS / 78 Meeting and greeting in Bangor
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES • Scan the code to visit us at bangormetro.com Visit us out on Facebook to enter fun giveaways! Check out our interactive map of Blue Hill (featured on page 34)
BONUS INSIDE! NEXT Your 2016 guide to retirement and senior living.
Check it out on page 71!
NEXT
More photos from events around our region.
Retirement and Senio
r Living Guide
Email your own event photos: sightings@bangormetro.com
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seniors benefi
ting from social
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IN A PICKLE
get active with
a lesson in pickle
ball
COFFEE & COLL ABORATION networking and makin g new friends
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 3
editor’s note
Getting wet at Niagra Falls wit h the family.
As children, we can’t wait to do the things that our older siblings and cousins are allowed to do.
Then, when we become teenagers and have a little more freedom from the rules of our parents, we can’t wait to drive or to reach the legal drinking age. But once those milestones grow near or have been met, we dread becoming “old and washed up at 40,” as my 17-year-old nephew recently put it. And now that I’m 34, I cringe at the crow’s feet and laugh lines (yes, I know they are supposed to be beautiful and signs of wisdom) I see in the mirror each morning. But this issue of Bangor Metro has given me hope that there truly is no stage in life when we should consider ourselves “old and washed up.” There are joys in being a child, a young college student, a parent, a professional, a grandparent, a retiree ... and we earn each of these joys and all the badges (wrinkles and scars) that come with them along the way. I was reminded to take time for me, to enjoy the little things and all of life’s moments — good and bad. To spend time with my husband and our children. To cherish my parents and friends. And most of all, to never consider myself “old and washed up.” A recent family trip to New York to watch my nephew (the same one who is worried his life will be over after he graduates from high school) play in the U18 Hockey National Tournament in Buffalo was a perfect example of taking time to enjoy life and those we love. We stopped at the New York State Museum and were emotional at being so close to items from Ground Zero and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. We smiled as our daughter stood on “Sesame Street” and posed for a picture. We climbed aboard the Maid of the Mist and saw Niagra Falls. We teased each other. But the best part — we spent time as a family and made memories.
AIMEE THIBODEAU, MANAGING EDITOR
Chloe takes a trip down Sesame Street at the New York State Museum.
4 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
www.bangormetro.com P.O. Box 1329 Bangor, Maine 04402-1329 Phone: 207.990.8000
PUBLISHER
Richard J. Warren
MANAGING EDITOR
Aimee Thibodeau athibodeau@bangordailynews.com
STAFF WRITER
Emily Burnham eburnham@bangordailynews.com
SALES MANAGER
Laurie Cates lcates@bangordailynews.com
ART DIRECTOR
Amy Allen aallen@bangordailynews.com
SUBSCRIPTION & PROMOTIONS MANAGER
Fred Stewart fstewart@bangordailynews.com
Connect With Us Online! bangormetro.com facebook.com/BangorMetro @BangorMetro bangormetro editor@bangormetro.com
6 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS
Bob Duchesne
Jane Margesson
Deb Neuman
Chris Quimby
Richard Shaw
Emilie Brand Throckmorton
Ashley Thornton
Bangor Metro Magazine. May 2016, Vol. 12, No. 5. Copyright Š Bangor Publishing Company. Bangor Metro is published 12 times annually by Bangor Publishing Company. All rights reserved. This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or part in any form without the written permission of the Publisher. Bangor Metro is mailed at standard rates from Portland, Maine. Opinions expressed in either the editorial or advertisements do not represent the opinions of the staff or publisher of Bangor Metro magazine. Advertisers and event sponsors or their agents are responsible for copyrights and accuracy of all material they submit. Bangor Metro magazine to the best of its ability ensures the acuracy of information printed in the publication. Inquiries and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Letters to the editor, story suggestions, and other reader input will be subject to Bangor Metro’s unrestricted right to edit and publish in the magazine both in print and online. Editorial: Queries should be sent to Aimee Thibodeau at athibodeau@bangordailynews.com. Advertising: For advertising questions, please call the Sales Manager, Laurie Cates at 207-990-8149. Subscriptions/Address Change: A one year subscription cost is $24.95. Address changes: to ensure delivery, subscribers must notify the magazine of address changes one month in advance of the cover date. Please contact Fred Stewart at 207-990-8219. Accounts Payable/Receivable: For information about your account please contact Laurie Cates at 207-990-8149.
COVER ART: Amy Allen
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 7
talk back & sightings
We Love Hearing From You
A P lace at t he
Good Shepherd Food Bank shared a quote on Facebook from Aimee Thibodeau’s story on food insecurity. Our thanks to everyone who contributed to this important story featured in our March issue...
N
Table
o one image
Mainers gath
STORY BY AIMEE
ering to fix food
THIBODEAU
| PHOTOS BY
insecurity.
JASO
N PAIGE SMITH or single perso facing our coun n’s story can capture the try and impa severity of a cting the lives ones, colleagues. startling probl of many Main You’d likely em ers — your neigh be surprised social condition to learn how bors, loved of limited or close to home And while the uncertain acces the economic problem is not s to adequate food and new, there is ongoing and truly is. a heightened increased effort sense of aware s to bring qualit ality is that there ness that has y food to those is enough food resulted in in Maine who for all Mainers there are econo need it most to be well fed mic, geographi . The reand food secur c and other obsta Rates of hung e. Unfor tunat cles that deny er and food ely, access to those insecurity are whole, and no resources. higher in Main Maine comm e than in the unity — urban But organizatio nation as a or rural — is ns, individuals untouched by , and businesses the issue. together to try are stepping and alleviate up and hunger in Main working e.
"And while the problem [of hunger] is not new, there is a heightened sense of awareness that has resulted in ongoing and increased efforts to bring quality food to those in Maine who need it most. The reality is that there is enough food for all Mainers to be well fed and food secure. Unfortunately, there are economic, geographic and other obstacles that deny access to those resources. Rates of hunger and food insecurity are higher in Maine than in the nation as a whole, and no Maine community — urban or rural — is untouched by the issue."
KRISTEN MIALE is president of based Good Shepar Auburnd Food Bank, which aims to eliminate hunge r in Maine by sourcin distributing nutritio g and us food to people building strong in need, community partne mobilizing the rships, and public in the fight to end hunge r.
food file
From Facebook:
Connected
to the Earth
The Enchanted Kitchen at Fire Fly Farm is bringing simple street food to a new level. BY EMILY BURNHAM
Billi Barker, St. Albans
I
f you’re a
regular visitor to the farmer’s markets in Orono, Bangor and Belfast, there’s one booth it’s hard to avoid. There’s always a line of people, waiting to snap up savory pies, cookies the size of your hand, garlicky hummus and hot, made-toorder crepes, stuffed with a tasty array of fillings. Billi Barker, the owner, farmer and chef behind the many treats available from Enchanted Kitchen at Fire Fly Farm, is almost always running that booth, offering a winning smile along with the many goodies that come out of her kitchen. The St. Albans-based entrepreneur raises chickens and pigs and plants an array of vegetables on her 20-acre farm — and then uses those ingredients in her recipes, along with other local, organic ingredients sourced from other Maine farms. Juggling all those elements isn’t an easy task, but Barker has help from a trust crew of part-time farm and kitchen employees, and she loves her chosen profession. It allows her to do the two things she loves most: be connected to the earth, and cook up delicious, nourishing food. “I’ve always wanted to be a farmer, but when I started I found I had so much food leftover that I couldn’t possibly cook it all,” said Barker, who has lived in Maine for 25 years after moving here from Michigan in the early 1990s. “This way, I can dig into the work of farming, and grow enough that I can then make stuff with it. And I’ve always loved food, too. It’s such a great combination.”
44 / BANGOR METRO March 2016
WE’RE EXCITED Here’s a look at what our staff is psyched to share with readers this month
Millinocket native honors loved ones through Relay for Life, page 18 Helping amputees inDanforth, page 16
So honored to write this piece having known them since they were just starting out. How far you have come... Thank you for the chance to share your journey Søren Lund Hansen! PHOTOS: (LEFT) COURTESY OF BILLI BARKER; (TOP) LUCATO/THINKSTOCK
It has been a dream for years to be in the Bangor Metro – check out the March issue!! Thank you Emily Stoddard Burnham for writing such a wonderful article about Enchanted Kitchen at Fire Fly Farm!! I am honored.
Deb Neuman, Bangor
Soren Hansen, president of Sea & Reef Aquaculture Vote for the Goat! We had no idea our readers were such big fans of goats! Our April cover goat photographed by Catherine Frost had a lot of love on social media – here are a few of our favorite LOL comments...
“Hurraaaaah! for Maaah!” Linda S.
All Over The Place We’re visiting Sweetgrass Winery, connecting with seniors, and making paper flowers. Get reading!
Visit Blue Hill, then and now, page 34
“This cover goat makes me happy.” Catherine Frost, Photographer
“That goat will never be the same.” Emily H.
“Goats are my wife’s favorite people.” Jim C.
Coming NEXT MONTH...
Meet Maine musicians and artists as we explore our state’s heritage in our June Arts & Culture issue! Have a comment or story idea? Share! Email us at editor@bangormetro.com
8 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
We’re celebrating students and educators and their great achievements in the past month!
2
Happy May! How much do you know about this sun-shiny month? Mother’s Day, May Day, Cinco De Mayo – what’s not to love? Stay tuned to our Facebook page for the answers!
1
1: Congratulations to University Forest Operations Manager Robin Avery, University of Maine Professional Employee of the Year. 2: Students from Brewer Community School lobbied for the lobster to be Maine’s state crustacean recently. Third graders wrote letters to lawmakers to sponsor the bill,
then gathered in Augusta for a firsthand experience in the process of passing a bill. 3: Congratulations to the All Saints K-6 Chess Team that placed second at the Maine Chess Association’s Scholastic Team Championships in Orono. Deer-Isle Stonington placed first.
PHOTO 2: MARK MCCALL
3
Visit our Bangor Metro Facebook page for answers! www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 9
biz buzz On the Move U.S. Cellular named JONATHAN ISACCO store
manager for its location at 33 Bangor Mall Boulevard. Isacco leads store associates to help customers get the exact plan and device to meet their needs and show them how wireless technology can simplify and enhance their life or business. Isacco has more than nine years of wirelesssales experience. He joined U.S. Cellular as a retail wireless consultant in 2007 before becoming a sales manager in the Bangor area in 2011. Most recently, Isacco served as store manager in the company’s Presque Isle store. The Bangor Area Homeless Shelter has hired PAUL HAMMOND as its newest program manager. He replaces Rowena Griffin, who was promoted to executive director after the retirement of longtime director Dennis Marble. Hammond comes to the shelter from St. Joseph Healthcare, where he was regional director of employee health and wellness. Prior to St. Joseph, Hammond worked for the Bangor Y and the American Heart Association. He is a graduate of the Bangor Region Leadership Institute and actively volunteers with many organizations, such as the Bangor Y’s Leaders School, the American Heart Association Board, and the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce. PAT LEMIEUX has been hired as
director of marketing for all divisions of C&L Aviation Group. Lemieux, formerly of the American Heart Association and Bangor Daily News, has more than a decade of experience building brand awareness and audience development. C&L is a global $30-million aircraft maintenance and support company that offers complete support for regional and corporate aircraft operators. DAN MAROIS, of Poland Spring, has
been named the administrative director for the Maine Public Relations Council, a trade association serving 250-plus public relations professionals in Maine. In his role, Marois will oversee the administrative duties of the organization, including event 10 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
management and maintenance of the membership database, and will serve as support to all MPRC Committees. Marois is the owner of three Mainebased businesses: Mainely Communications, Mystery for Hire and Mainely Improv. He also oversees all communication needs for the New England Healthcare Engineers’ Society. Marois replaces Art Marcoux, who is retiring from the MPRC administrative director position after 25 years with the organization. RUTH DUNBAR, CTFA , VP/Trust Officer and JOHN TESTA , VP/Trust Investment
Officer have joined Bar Harbor Trust Services, a subsidiary of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. Testa’s office is located at 135 High Street in Ellsworth. Dunbar works from the Bar Harbor Trust Services office in Hampden. Dunbar assists individual and institutional clients with personal trust services; charitable and special needs trust administration, estate settlement services, and investment management. Testa has more than 10 years of investment experience managing endowments and foundation funds. The Travis Mills Foundation recently announced several individuals have joined the organization as board members (photo). They include: AMY LINE, STEVEN PRESCOTT and ANDREW SILSBY. The three new members join the existing board of Travis Mills, Craig Buck, Kelsey Mills, and First Lady Ann LePage (honorary). Terms on the Board are for five years. The Foundation’s current focus is a $2.7 million capital fundraising campaign for the rehabilitation and repurposing of the Maine Chance Lodge in Rome and Mount Vernon, Maine to become the nation’s first fully accessible retreat for combatinjured veteran families.
Tony C. McKim, president and CEO of First National Bank and its parent company, The First Bancorp, recently announced the promotion of SARAH COWAN to vice president, regional manager. Cowan began her career at Camden National Bank holding various roles in retail banking. In 2010, Cowan joined Key Bank where she held the position of client service manager and branch manager. Joining First National Bank in late 2014, her previous position was branch operations manager, overseeing both branch operations and the phone banking department. In her new role, she will oversee the Bank’s four Lincoln County branches – Damariscotta, Waldoboro, Boothbay Harbor and Wiscasset.
Awards The 36th annual Maine McDonald’s High School Senior All-Star Basketball Games raised a record-setting $38,740 for RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF MAINE
in Bangor. It was the Maine McDonald’s Owner/Operator Association’s 28th consecutive year as lead sponsor of the event. The Maine Association of Basketball Coaches founded and co-organizes the event which recognizes Maine’s best senior high school basketball players, coaches and scholar-athletes, and bestows the prestigious Mr. and Miss Maine Basketball awards. The Maine McDonald’s Spirit of the Game Awards went to MEG DAVIS of Brewer High School and NATE JEWELL of Winthrop High School. EMMA HARRINGTON of Morse High School and JAMISON RHOADS-DOYLE of Brewer High School were the recipients of the 2016 Maine All-State Academic Scholarships.
Travis Mills Foundation Boa rd of Trustees (from left to right): Craig Buck, vice pres ident; Kelsey Mills, secretary; Travis Mills, presiden t; Andrew Silsby; Amy Line; Steven Prescott; and Ann LePage.
what’s happening
Holly Hayden, Logan Bradford, Tim Hayden and Makayla Mulchahy. Volunteers at the bone marrow drive at Hampden Academy.
Community Support Hampden holds life-saving bone marrow drive for one of its own.
PHOTO: (FAMILY) COURTESY OF TIM HAYDEN
HAMPDEN: On New Year’s Day, Tim Hayden received a diagnosis that no one wants to hear. The 46-year-old quickwitted, hardworking mason from Hampden has acute myeloid leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant to save his life.
Like many towns in Maine, the Hampden community rallied behind this husband and father of two and organized a bone marrow donor drive. Like many towns in Maine, the Hampden community rallied behind this husband and father of two and organized a bone marrow donor drive. “The donor drive was a wonderful success,” said Heidi Eastman, Hampden resident and friend of the Hayden family. “We estimate over 400 people attended and we registered (swabbed) close to 200 people. [It’s] just amazing what a small community can do when it rallies together.” The Bangor Metro promoted this event, and we are
pleased to note that Hayden has found a match and at press time was preparing to head to Boston to begin chemotherapy — the first step in his treatment. “His match was not from our Hampden drive, but you never know what match may come from that day,” Eastman said. Adult acute myeloid leukemia is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes abnormal myeloblasts (a type of white blood cell), red blood cells, or platelets. The drive was held by GET INVOLVED Delete Blood Cancer For more information DKMS, part of the world’s largest network or to register as a bone of donor centers, but Eastman notes that the marrow donor, visit Hampden Academy DeleteBloodCancer.org National Honor Society played a large role in helping to make the event a success. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 11
what’s happening
What’s Happening in MAY April 28 – May 15 “Duck Hunter Shoots Angel” at Penobscot Theatre, Bangor From Mitch Albom, the author of “Tuesdays With Morrie,” comes a story ripped from the headlines — of a tawdry tabloid. When a jaded New York journalist is sent to cover a mysterious angel shooting in Alabama, he expects to find and dutifully perpetuate a hoax. But skepticism turns to surprise as the evidence points to divine intervention. The show runs Wednesdays through Sundays from April 28 through May 15; tickets are available online at penobscottheatre.org and at the Bangor Opera House box office. penobscottheatre.org
12 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
May 1 Penobscot Narrows Observatory Opens for the Season, Prospect The Penobscot Narrows Observatory – the viewing platform at the top of one of the two spires of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge – opens for the season on Sunday, May 1. With your admission to Fort Knox State Park in Prospect – or separately for just the observatory – you can take the 420-foot elevator to the top for an incredible view of Penobscot Bay. fortknox.maineguide.com May 4 Spring Standpipe Tour at the Thomas Hill Standpipe, Bangor Every season brings new and beautiful views from the Thomas Hill Standpipe. The spring tour of the water tower this year is set for 5:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 4. It’s free, and it’s one
of only four chances the general public gets to enjoy the 360 degree view of Bangor from the iconic structure. bangorwater.org May 14 Color Bangor 2016 to Benefit the American Folk Festival, Bangor Join the American Folk Festival as runners and walkers take over Bangor’s Waterfront for a day of color, fun, walking/running and more. Participants will pass through color zones at different spots on the course; each zone will have a different colored powder (don’t worry, it’s just corn starch) that volunteers will throw to help get your white shirt covered in different colors. Then, continue the fun with the post-run color throws at the finish line where there will be more color and music. This year’s event is set for Saturday, May 14. colorbangor.americanfolkfestival.com
May 21 All Roads Music Festival, Belfast More than 20 bands from all over Maine and New England descend on beautiful Belfast for one lovely spring day in May. This year’s festival, set for Saturday, May 21, features artists including rapper Spose, rockers Armies, indie band Old Etc and many more. Best of all? It’s open to all ages, and offers music just about anybody would like. Passes are $20-$35. allroadsmusicfest.org May 21 TEDXDirigo, Bar Harbor Maine’s special TED event — Technology, Entertainment, Design — will feature the same array of fascinating talks the international TED event hosts. Here, however, it’ll be all Maine speakers, featuring folks who are driving the future of the state. This year’s event is set for Saturday, May 21, at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor. Go online to register. tedxdirigo.com
PHOTOS: BDN FILE
May 21 Bug Light Kite Festival, South Portland The Bug Light Kite Festival is hosted by the South Portland Historical Society, and lets kite lovers, both long time and new, fly something pretty above the sparkling Atlantic Ocean. The festival is held annually on the third weekend of May — this year on May 21 — and it’s made possible by members of the Nor'Easters Kite Club and Kites Over New England (KONE). Free admission. A barbecue fundraiser helps keep the Cushing's Point Museum at Bug Light Park open to the public with no admission charges. Kites are offered for sale in the museum gift shop. May 21 Fort Knox State Park Civil War Re-enactments and Ghost Tours, Prospect The Friends of Fort Knox host the 20th Maine Company B for Civil War marching, drilling and firing during the day, and then East Coast Ghost Trackers will host a ghost tour of the fort at 8 p.m., all on Saturday, May 21. Visit fortknox.maineguide.com for a full schedule and for admission fee, if applicable. fortknox.maineguide.com
May 4 Spring Standpipe Tour, Bangor
May 14 Color Bangor 2016, Bangor
May 21 Fort Knox State Park Civil War Re-enactments, Prospect
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 13
May 27–30 Downeast Spring Birding Festival, Washington County
May 27-30 Downeast Spring Birding Festival, Washington County The 12th annual Downeast Spring Birding Festival is set for May 27-30 and brings bird lovers from all over the state to Washington County – based out of the Cobsbook Bay Community Center in Trescott but extending to Lubec, Calais, Eastport and other Washington County towns. For four days over Memorial Day weekend there are countless guided birdwatching trips, workshops, lectures, photo and painting programs, dinners and other bird-centric events. A full weekend registration is $85; Washington County residents are $65. Single days are $30. cclc.me May 29 Lake Street Dive at Thompson’s Point, Portland A favorite of Maine music lovers and an up and coming player on the national scene in their own right, Boston’s jazz-folkrockers Lake Street Dive return to Portland again this summer for an outdoor concerts set for May 29 at Thompson’s Point, the new partially-covered outdoor venue on the Fore River. Tickets available online. statetheatreportland.com
14 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
eye on industry Randy and Lori Lord, creators of the Amp Fin.
Making a
Splash
or too long,
water has been a barrier for amputees and we want to tear that barrier down. Our goal is to make a whole lot of people happy by getting them back in the water,” said Randy Lord, co-creator of the Amp Fin. The custom fitted, high performance prosthetic fin is created for above and below amputees to provide freedom and confidence in the water. “The fin actually performs better than a leg. The freedom is exhilarating when you are swimming with it. You feel like a kid again, even if you are 57 years old like me,” Randy said. Randy and his wife, Lori, of Danforth came up with the idea to create a swim fin for amputees as a result of Randy losing a portion of his leg in 1989 as the result of a work-related accident four years earlier. “Both my wife and I grew up on the water. I grew up on Mount Desert Island in Maine and Lori grew up on Massachusetts beaches. After my accident, I hated going to the beach because it was so hard for me. We wanted to find a way to get me back in the water and swimming again,” he said. The couple started researching what was available on the market. “This was before the internet, so it was difficult to know what was out there. We didn’t find anything, so we decided to see what we could come up with on our own,” Randy recalled. “In 2000, we put the idea on hold to fo16 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
BY DEB NEUMAN
cus on our home construction business. Then, in 2005, veterans began returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who were amputees. Every night on the news I would see veterans coming back who were really messed up. I became really emotional thinking about what they were going through,” he said. “That motivated us to make the fin a reality, but it took us another seven years ... [we] were like scientists in our lab who kept trying to get it to work.” In 2013, they filed a patent for the Amp Fin. This was after the Lords had numerous people test swim the fin, including Cory LaPlante, who now works with the company. LaPlante is an above knee amputee who is a prosthetist practicing in Presque Isle and said he had low expectations of the product before trying it out. “Like many of us, Cory had tried other swim fins that didn’t stay on or work,” Randy said. “He finally agreed to try ours and he said that within 30 seconds that leg became his dominant leg and he was feeling muscles he had never felt before.” ”Most fins out there for amputees are held on with velcro straps and fail. Our fin is the only one that is custom fitted to the user so it stays on. Every amputee who has tried it tells us they forget they are disabled when they are using it,” Randy said. “It actually gives amputees a huge advantage over non-amputees because it allows them to move and change direction faster. One of our patients in the test trials was
doing 100 laps an hour in a 40 foot pool.” The Lords recently returned from the American Academy of Orthotics and Prosthetics symposium in Florida. “This was our first public unveiling of the Amp Fin and it was a huge success,” Randy said. “We saw between 150 to 200 people at our booth and had a lot of interest from distributors.” As the Lords scale up their business, they plan to keep as much of the production of the Amp Fin in Maine as possible. G&G products in Kennebunk manufactures the molds for the fins. Customers work with a prosthetist to measure and make a cast to get a custom fit. The cost per fin is about $1,000, and more information is available at ampfins.com. In the U.S. alone, there are two million amputees. A small percentage are veterans, while most are amputations as a result of diabetes. Overseas, there are many more millions of amputees. The Lords hope to sell 100,000 Amp Fins over the next three to four years. “One of our customers is a survivor of the Boston marathon bombings who is training to be a triathlete. We are also working with veterans groups and we expect to see the Amp Fin in the Paralympics at some point,” Randy said. “Imagine what you would do if you were an amputee and just wanted the chance to feel normal again? That’s what drives us to get these out to the people who need them.”
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF AMP FIN
“F
Danforth couple create fin for getting amputees back in the water.
unsung hero
One of Tiffany Stanley’s fund raisers included a 2015 sale of 200 purple flower pots, each named in honor of a person’s loved one, that eve ntually went into cancer ribbon flow er displays in Millinocket and East Mill inocket.
Tiffany Stanley with her cousin Angela, whose battle with cancer inspired her.
E Cause
Supporting the Millinocket Native Tiffany Stanley honors loved ones and gives back through Relay for Life.
ach spring,
Relay for Life events held all over the country help to raise money for research, celebrate the lives of and offer healing for cancer survivors, their families and friends, and loved ones of those lost to the disease. In Maine, the Katahdin region Relay for Life event — this year set for Saturday, June 18 at Stearns High School in Millinocket — benefits from the volunteering efforts of a number of people. One of the standouts is Millinocket native Tiffany Stanley. Stanley, 34, got involved with Relay for Life after her cousin, Angela Morrow, was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 20s, first joining a family team, but eventually taking on more responsibility. She and her cousin started a softball tournament in 2010 to raise money for the team. The first year, the tournament raised $1,300. Now, the Battle for a Cure tournament is a weekend long event on two different fields, set this year for May 14, that is expected to raise between $7,000 and $10,000 along with sponsorship from a number of area businesses. After this year, the tournament will have raised well over $40,000 in seven years. “Being part of this tournament, it really started to put things into perspective of how many people are affected by cancer,” said Stanley. “It’s been an amazing experience to see these large competitive teams join the tournament and play alongside small family teams that don’t normally play, and all be there for the same reason and just have a great time while we’re raising some money and awareness. We’re giving people a place or opportunity to show their support in fighting cancer and honor or remember their loved ones.”
“It’s been an amazing experience to see these large competitive teams join the tournament and play alongside small family teams that don’t normally play, and all be there for the same reason.”
KATAHDIN REGION RELAY FOR LIFE EVENT SATURDAY, JUNE 18 STEARNS HIGH SCHOOL, MILLINOCKET
18 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
–Tiffany Stanley
Now a Relay for Life veteran, Stanley also hopes to clear up a few misconceptions about the race and the various fundraising efforts that go along with it. “There are actually quite a few misconceptions about Relay — you have to be on a team, you have to stay the entire time, you need to raise money,” said Stanley. “The biggest misconception, though, is probably with survivors. In our eyes, a survivor is any person that’s ever heard the words, ‘you have cancer.’ It could have been many years ago or they could currently be going through treatment. We want to celebrate them regardless of where they’re at. They’re the whole reason we do what we do.” Stanley’s connection to the cause grew even deeper when her cousin Angela lost her battle with cancer, and she later lost another friend, Andrea, to the disease. Even beyond being the event coordinator for the race and organizing the softball tournament, Stanley’s held other fundraisers, including in 2015 when she organized the sale of 200 purple flower pots, each named in honor of a person’s loved one, that eventually went into cancer ribbon flower displays in Millinocket and East Millinocket. “It’s about being a part, a small piece, of so much hope and inspiration,” said Stanley. “Cancer affects so many people, arguably every person you meet has a story of their own. It became about giving others a place to grieve, a place to celebrate, a place to tell their story. It’s all been a humbling experience that I’m forever grateful for in so many ways.”
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF TIFFANY STANLEY
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metro health
Women and Regular exercise can help women protect their bones and reduce their risk for osteoporosis. BY METRO NEWS SERVICE
20 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
O
steoporosis is
disease of the bones that occurs when a person loses too much bone, produces too little bone, or both, and can affect both men and women. But while millions of men suffer from osteoporosis, the vast majority of people with this potentially painful condition are women. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, roughly 80 percent of the 10 million Americans with osteoporosis are women. Osteoporosis Canada, which notes that between 70 and 80 percent of osteoporotic fractures in Canada occur in women, reports that the loss of estrogen production during menopause production puts women at greater risk for osteoporosis than men, as estrogen plays a vital role in female bone health. But age is not the only factor that influences a woman’s risk for developing osteoporosis. Caucasian women are most at risk for osteoporosis, and the NOF estimates that 20 percent of Caucasian women age 50 and older have the condition, and more than half of Caucasian women age 50 and over have low bone mass. That means that the bones of more than 50 percent of Caucasian women over age 50 are
weakening, potentially paving the way for osteoporosis in the future. Asian American women are also at considerable risk of developing osteoporosis, which affects about the 20 percent of such women age 50 and older. Low bone density is a concern for Asian American women, more than half of whom have the condition. The outlook for African American women is not as bleak, as just 5 percent of such women age 50 and older have osteoporosis. And while 35 percent of African American women have low bone mass, recent research indicates that few African American women, even those who have risk factors for the disease, are screened for osteoporosis. Insisting on osteoporosis screening can help African American women determine their true risk for the disease. While gender and aging are beyond women’s control, these are not the only risk factors that increase the chances women may develop low bone density or experience fractures and falls down the road. Osteoporosis Canada notes additional risk factors include: • If either parent has had a hip fracture
PHOTOS: SZEPY & PSPHOTOGRAPH/THINKSTOCK
Osteoporosis
• Having had a prior fracture with minimal trauma • Long-term (more than three months) use of glucocorticoid therapy, such as prednisone • Rheumatoid arthritis • Current smoker • History of falls in the previous 12 months • Vertebral fracture apparent on x-ray • High alcohol intake (three or more drinks per day) • Weight loss greater than 10 percent since age 25 Despite the abundance of risk factors, the two most prominent of which are beyond women’s control, women are not helpless against osteoporosis. Among the many things women can do to protect their bones is exercise regularly and eat a well-balanced diet that includes enough calcium and vitamin D as well as plenty of fruits and vegetables. In addition, avoiding or quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption to no more than two to three drinks per day can protect bones and make them less vulnerable to breaks and the onset of osteoporosis. Learn more about osteoporosis at nof. org and osteoporosis.ca. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 21
metro health
How to Avoid
Caregiver Burnout Stress can wear out caregivers if they don’t lighten their loads.
aring for
an aging or sick relative is not always so easy. In addition to the physical demands of caring for such loved ones, tending to sick people can take a mental toll, potentially contributing to a condition referred to as caregiver stress. Women are more likely than men to serve as caregivers to elderly or disabled adults. That increases their risk for caregiver stress, says the Office on Women’s Health, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Mayo Clinic notes that caring for a loved one can strain even the
22 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
most resilient person. It can be quite difficult to be a person’s sole caregiver and witness a loved one’s health deteriorate due to a debilitating illness. As the population ages, nearly 80 percent of the long-term care that takes place in the United States is overseen by people who are not healthcare professionals, including daughters, granddaughters sisters, and aunts. Caregiver stress can manifest itself in many different ways, including physical and emotional problems. The following are some ways to handle the stress of caring for a sick and/or elderly relative.
PHOTO: JUPITERIMAGES/THINKSTOCK
C
BY METRO NEWS SERVICE
Investigate available resources. Explore all of the opportunities in your area that may relieve some of the burden of caring for your loved one. These may include in-home visiting care services, meal delivery, adult activity programs, and more. Ask for help. Find out if responsibilities can be split among other family members, giving each person a chance to rest and recuperate. Get physical. Physical activity in any form can help reduce stress and improve feelings of well-being, offers the Alzheimer’s Association. Go for a walk, take an exercise class or ride a bicycle. Expect to feel more relaxed and less stressed after physical activity.
Caregiver stress is a very real thing that negatively affects the health and wellbeing of caregivers. Some simple coping methods can relieve some of that stress. Speak with a therapist. Discuss your feelings with someone not directly related to your family or circle of friends. Caregivers may have feelings of anger, depression and anxiety, and may even be in denial about how much care this person really needs. Talking about your feelings with a professional can put them into perspective. Focus on things you can control. You may not be able to cure the illness or disability, but there are things in your control. Rather than dwelling on things beyond your control, try to improve the things you can control. Try to have fun. It’s easy to make caregiving the only part of your life. However, you have to leave room for letting off steam. Don’t feel guilty about going out with friends or a spouse. Make time for yourself. Caregiver stress is a very real thing that negatively affects the health and wellbeing of caregivers. Some simple coping methods can relieve some of that stress. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 23
metro
wellness
Overcoming Anxious Thoughts or someone
who has experienced anxiety, the following scenario will be very familiar: You are a little uneasy about something, but you don’t know what. Your stomach feels off. You feel an odd sense of gloom, as if the sun suddenly dipped behind a cloud, and everything got a little bit darker. You start running through a list of things that might go wrong, or worrying about irrational things that you have no control over. Your hands sweat a little, which makes you think about how you could be sick, but you can’t get sick because you are in a meeting, or taking care of your kids, and there is nowhere you can go. You are stuck. Stuck inside your head. Stuck on a loop of “what if” scenarios. Your heart starts to race, and then you start sweating and feeling faint. This is the vicious cycle of anxiety. Symptoms lead to thoughts which lead to worsening symptoms which lead to darkening thoughts. If you have found yourself on this moving train and wanted off, you are not alone. The book “From Panic To Power” by Lucinda Bassett, which I keep close at hand, helped me to crack the code about my anxious tendencies. I have dog-eared several pages and made notes to myself throughout. In the first 24 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
BY EMILIE BRAND THROCKMORTON
chapter of the book, there is one bolded sentence that I both blame and credit for reframing my whole understanding of anxiety’s role in my life. “Your anxiety is under your control; you created the negative thoughts, therefore, you can stop them.” I highlighted this line, read it and reread it. I thought, “I created my anxious thoughts? I’m responsible?” It definitely didn’t make sense to me at first.
ety is self induced, a gradually deepening hole you've dug yourself into. Of course, some people are predisposed to anxious thoughts, and in some cases medication is necessary to balance the chemicals in your brain that make you anxious. But that’s not the end of the story. Taking responsibility for your anxiety is both a blessing and a curse. It means you get to have some power back, that there are things you can do to ease your
If you have found yourself on this moving train and wanted off, you are not alone. Before reading this book, I had always felt that I was a victim of anxiety, that I was cursed with this affliction that wouldn’t leave me alone, a typical belief among anxious people. You may believe you have anxiety because of someone in your life, a traumatic event, a bad relationship, or a messed up brain. You may blame certain situations, like social events or public speaking or work meetings or air travel. While there may be certain people or situations that trigger your anxiety, the truth is, anxiety comes from within you, and like it or not, the first step to managing anxiety is to accept that you are responsible for it. Anxi-
anxious feelings. But that also means that you have a lot of work to do. Your negative thoughts are not your fault, but they are a bad habit that you need to break. Lucinda Bassett claims she is cured of anxiety and that she did so by training herself, by “re-wiring” her brain, so that anxious thoughts don’t get the best of her anymore. Most people find that managing anxiety is a long journey, but Bassett’s book provides a metaphorical toolbox of strategies to carry with you: visualization tricks, breathing techniques, positive self-talk, and reminding yourself over and over that you hold the solution to this problem. The single best solution is to get
PHOTO: ALLIANCE/THINKSTOCK
F
Strategies for coping with negative thoughts and anxious feelings.
up and move, and to get outside if possible. If these are not options, then your mental work gets trickier. Anxiety can be managed by retraining your mind through meditation, writing, therapy, hypnosis, and self-reflection. You can actually teach yourself to step off the train of runaway thoughts that make you anxious. A few specific techniques: When you find yourself feeling anxious, switch your “What if” questions from “What if I get sick? What if I get embarrassed? What if I feel trapped?” to “What if I’m pleasantly surprised? What if I make a new friend? What if I see something beautiful?” Another helpful strategy is to do a “sensory inventory,” when you feel your thoughts get ahead of you: start listing in your head five things you can smell, hear, see, feel, and taste. This will distract your mind and bring you back into the moment. Anxious people are stuck in the future, making imaginative predictions of all of the things that will go wrong, even though these fears are almost always unfounded. You can, however, harness that creative thinking to create new, positive scenarios that help you back out of that dark corner and let you live your life. When you start to look honestly at your own anxiety, you will learn a lot about yourself. One big surprise may be that you aren’t actually afraid of anything specific; rather, you are just anxious about having anxiety. You are afraid of fear. Anxious people tend to set a very high bar for themselves and put unnecessary pressure to succeed at everything; managing anxiety requires you to be patient and kind with yourself and let yourself off the hook: Your life isn’t perfect and it never will be. You are not perfect and you never will be. But great news. If you have anxiety, that means that you are a creative thinker and highly intelligent. Talking about, reading about, and reflecting about the power of your own thoughts will lead to positive progress and relief; it will show you that when the train of anxiety starts moving, you have the power to watch it go by. EMILIE BRAND THROCKMORTON is a mom and runner who co-chairs the English Department at Bangor High School and writes the blog One Mom in Maine. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 25
feature story
When Li f e Gives
Sassy & Bullet Julie Harris’ Brittanies lay with the hunting boots of her husband Jim, who died in 2010.
26 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
You Curves Reconciling my past, coping with my present and defining my future. BY JULIE HARRIS
W
Finding a Plan B
e all make
plans and hope that all will go according to the script. But life is not that way, and our happiness depends on our ability to negotiate the curves that come up suddenly in what we thought was a straight path. If I have learned anything, it is that there is no straight path in life. As a person in my mid-50s who has been widowed for nearly five years, I know what I’m talking about. My husband and I had a plan for our lives. It was a first marriage for me; second marriage for him. But we had figured out a retirement schedule and a post-retirement plan and all of a sudden, he was gone. What I thought was a stable plan for the future poofed in front of me and the chasm left in the middle of my life’s road seemed uncrossable. That was when my mind went into survival mode, and for a while, I simply went through the motions of life.
JULIE HARRIS is a longtime employee of Bangor Daily News. Having served many roles over the years, she now has a dream job as the company’s Community News Editor. Julie lives in Hermon with her four Brittany dogs: Sassy, Bullet, Thistle and Quincy, which keep her busy in various dog sports. Julie was widowed at age 51 when her husband, Jim, died of pancreatic cancer. It’s taken time, but now, several years after his death, Julie has found comfort in writing and sharing her story — some pleasant, some painful — with others. Read more of her work on her blog, When Life Gives You Curves, at curves.bangordailynews.com.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 27
feature story
Julie’s Brittany Bullet seems to understand when she needed to lean on him sometimes. She said he was Jim’s dog.
But survival mode is hard on the body and the mind, so at some point, I began to evaluate my situation. I had a career, not just a job, that I loved; I had shelter and the necessities of the body; I had my church and thus the necessities of my soul; I had family and friends, who bolstered me until I could stand on my own or were there if I needed help; I had reliable transportation; I had dogs that made it necessary for me to function at a certain level to meet their daily needs; but my most important asset was my brain, even though I didn’t realize it at the time. As I thought about each of these things, I could see I was building a bridge across the chasm, unstable as it seemed at the time, but definitely providing the bones for something more permanent. The most amazing thing to me during this process was realizing how rusty I had allowed my brain to become. Be28 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
As I thought about each of these things, I could see I was building a bridge across the chasm, unstable as it seemed at the time, but definitely providing the bones for something more permanent. fore I was married, I knew how to deal with simple mechanical issues, home repairs and home maintenance. Somewhere along the way, those things became the purview of my husband and I took for granted they would get done without my intervention.
Suddenly they were all my responsibility again and I found the simplest tasks to be a major deal because I hadn’t performed them in so long and lacked confidence to handle them. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am the Queen of Lists. I stopped making lists of the tasks needing doing around the house because it simply overwhelmed me, and I became immobilized. Now, other than routine tasks like mowing the lawn and cleaning the house, I do the odd jobs as they pop into my mind or my sight. I get more done that way, and feel more accomplished. Adapt. Use your brain. It’s all good. I always have a Plan B. It’s good to have a Plan A, but Plan B simply gives me a second pathway to the same or similar end without the stressed panic response when Plan A gets blocked. With my husband’s death, I really needed to find my
(Top) Jim Harris with Bullet (left) and Sassy in their camper in 2009. (Above left) Julie had to deal with this porcupine on her porch, one of the many tasks she’s had to figure out by herself. (Above right) Sassy with Jim’s hunting boots.
feature story Plan B — a new path to a fulfilling life. What I’ve learned is that it is not a direct line to an end goal; it is a journey.
What’s on the Menu? The menu lay closed on the counter before me. I didn’t need to look at it to know what I wanted — I already knew the whole menu by heart. Still, just in case, I glanced at the specials board in the dining area of my favorite hidden gem restaurant — a family restaurant not far from my home.
I felt his empty chair so acutely that I would sit at his place at the table and look at my empty chair. It was easier somehow. It was a busy evening. Thursday’s Italian night, and the chef/owner is known for the delicious homemade dishes he offers on that theme so the restaurant was full. A couple stools down from me, a man sat staring at his tablet. I knew him — the husband of one of the waitresses who happened to also be the owner’s daughter — and when he noticed me, we exchanged pleasantries before returning to our own spheres. Sometimes when I come in, we chat about the news. Other times we
(Top) Julie often eats at Chase’s Family Restaurant in the evening, and occassionally on Sunday after church. Behind the camera, the rest of the restaurant is busy with customers. (Right) Jim Harris in the kitchen, where he liked to try new recipes and experiment, in 2008.
30 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
talk dogs or kids. It’s small talk, but comes from the reality of our lives, and is always welcome. I often sit alone at the counter for dinner, though alone is more about who I arrive with than about my meals. While I eat, I talk to the wait staff and owners when they have a minute. We talk about what’s been going on in our lives and what’s coming up. When I tell them when I have dog events, they always remember to ask me how things went the next time I’m in. They understand the dogs are my immediate everyday family, and ask about them routinely. They also ask me about my work, and I talk to them about the restaurant. And by now, they know what kinds of foods I tend to like, and know I’m always willing to try something new and give feedback. It makes me feel like my daily life, as mundane as it can be, is still important. If everyone is busy, I play games on my phone or read the newspaper or a magazine. Occasionally I’ll watch whatever is on the television in the corner. Sometimes another lone diner — often travelers passing through or working in the area temporarily — will sit at the counter, and I’ll strike up a conversation. When I am sitting there alone, I hear the people around me chatting about their days, mulling over family problems or celebrating happy events in their lives. Occasionally I‘ll sit among them when someone I know comes in, like my neighbors or a co-worker. Then I feel a little more like I did when Jim was alive and we would sit together at a table. Mealtime for us was a social occasion, and an important cog in our life together. Jim, who was retired the last couple years of his life, was an avid fan of cooking shows on television. He seemed to like grocery shopping and trying his hand at cooking, getting inspiration for his dishes from his favorite shows. He made the best french onion soup in the world. It was fun. I enjoyed coming home to new smells in the kitchen, and an anxious husband who hoped I would like his new recipe or adaptation of an old one. He often would have the table places set and be ready to pour whatever we were drinking. He would take time to fold paper napkins and arrange the silverware on them just so. Sometimes there were candles, but most often not.
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feature story We would chat while he finished putting the meal on the table, and suddenly all was right in my world, no matter what had happened during the day. As Jim became more ill, I did most of the cooking, but we still would sit together at the table and talk about our days. That time together was very special. After Jim’s death, eating at the table was one of the more difficult things for me to do. I felt his empty chair so acutely that I would sit at his place at the table and look at my empty chair. It was easier somehow. With my chair empty, I was just absent. But his empty chair meant he was gone. And while I could handle my absence, I could not bear his. Even now, nearly five years later, I still have trouble with this aspect of daily life. I am back to sitting at my own place at the table when I eat at home, but I avoid looking across where I know there is a void larger than life. Many times, I eat in the living room. Or I hurry through my meal. Sometimes I eat a big lunch and avoid supper entirely, having a snack sometime in the evening. After Jim died, I discovered how very lonely eating alone can be. I’ve struggled with it much more than I thought I would, but having a favorite place to eat out where they know me more than just by name has helped. The cost, which really isn’t any more expensive than groceries for one, is worth it for the social aspect that feeds an emptiness inside me that is beyond food. The people who own and work in the restaurant have become an extension of my family in some ways. I feel comfortable with them and they with me. I know my place when I am there. It never feels awkward or unreal to me. I care about their well-being and they care about mine, just like family. Recently, there was a stretch of time when I was very busy and didn’t stop at the restaurant. I missed being there, and apparently they missed my presence. When I finally did get a chance to stop by, I was greeted like a long-lost friend in one breath, and in the next was scolded for making them worry about my well-being. It gave me a warm little glow in my heart. There are so many reasons for me to visit my favorite restaurant, but most of all, when I am there, I never have to eat alone.
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blue hill then & now
summit of Blue Hill. (Top) The view from the and village in an ain unt mo Hill (This photo) Blue ora pan ma of Blue Hill. old postcard. (Below) A
34 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
Blueberries
& Mountains
Named after a small misty mountain and the blueberries that grow throughout the region, Blue Hill is a beautiful place to visit for a day or the summer. HISTORIC PHOTOS COURTESY OF BLUE HILL PUBLIC LIBRARY, MAINE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION, BRIAN F. SWARTZ, AND BANGOR PUBLIC LIBRARY’S JAMES B. VICKERY POSTCARD COLLECTION ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY RICHARD SHAW
Y
ou have to
love any town inspired by a color of the rainbow, and Blue Hill is no exception. The Hancock County community’s 934foot namesake — a tall hill to some, a low mountain to others — is shrouded in a bluish haze. Abenaki Indians called it Awanadjo, or “small, misty mountain.” Colorful blueberry barrens blanket the region. Six mountain trails, maintained by the Town of Blue Hill and Blue Hill Heritage Trust, slice through forests and open fields, luring hikers of all ages and abilities. The summit’s feast for the eye includes Blue Hill Bay, Parker Point, and a village of white steeples and historic homes. On Labor Day weekend, hikers can glimpse the glittery Blue Hill Fair, a fixture since 1891.
Mary Ellen Chase, author of “A Goodly Heritage,” who grew up in the mountain’s shadow wrote in her 1932 autobiography, “… northward … at its extreme head [of the bay] rises the great hill, a landmark to mariners past and present and a suggestion to more traveled eyes of Vesuvius beyond the Bay of Naples.” Fitz Hugh Lane’s 1850s painting depicts a mountain free of forests and a scattering of buildings below. Four sailing vessels lie at anchor in the bay, and a horse grazes in the foreground. Today’s Blue Hill is a different place, with a historic downtown and a modern Tradewinds shopping plaza down the road, but just as alluring to visitors attracted by its natural beauty, cultural activities, and independently owned www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 35
blue hill then & now businesses. With a population just under 2,700, it probably will never rival the nearby county seat of Ellsworth. But there’s enough to do in Blue Hill — Blue Hill Co-op, Blue Hill Inn, Blue Hill Books, Blue Hill Country Club, Rackliffe Pottery — to keep people staying a day, or a summer.
ntown Blue Hill, which (Top) Exchange Block in dow m of the 1870s and boo ing min prospered during the n Main Street today 1880s. (This photo) A look dow a 1920’s postcard. in ow) (bel are and Blue Hill Town Squ
Vintage photos and other bits of history fill the Holt House, an 1815 museum that serves as the Blue Hill Historical Society’s headquarters. Vintage photos and other bits of history fill the Holt House, an 1815 museum that serves as the Blue Hill Historical Society’s headquarters. Newport Plantation, the town’s original name, was first settled in 1762 by Andover,
36 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
(Top left) Holt House, now home of the Blue Hill Historical Society (below left). (Above) Author, educator and historian Esther E. Wood. (Below) Eva Marks makes pottery at Rowantrees in 1947.
Town Stats Incorporated: Jan. 30, 1789
• Francis Hamabe, artist
Landmarks: Blue Hill mountain; Town Hall
Named for: Local mountain, which has bluish haze when viewed from the bay
• Adelaide Pearson, Rowantrees Pottery founder
(Jonathan Fisher Memorial); Holt House
• Esther Wood, author and educator
Jonathan Fisher House; Kneisel Hall; old
• Franz Kneisel, musician
Blue Hill Academy (now American Legion
• Samuel A. Taylor, playwright and screenwriter
Duffy-Wescott Post 85); George Stevens
• Susan Shaw, environmental health scientist
Baptist Church; First Congregational
Motto (unofficial): Head of the Bay Population: 2,676 (2012 estimate) Median resident age: 49.5 Elevation: 46 feet Area: Total, 86.57 square miles Notable People: • Mary Ellen Chase, author • Jonathan Fisher, minister, author, artist • Noel Paul Stookey, singer-songwriter
• Nina Munk, journalist and author • George Albert Clough, architect • Roman Totenberg, violinist and educator
(historical society museum); Blue Hill Inn;
Academy; Blue Hill Public Library; First Church; and Blue Hill Falls Bridge and reversing falls. Website: townofbluehillmaine.org
• Ethelbert Nevin, pianist and composer • Walter Teagle, Standard Oil president and chairman www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 37
blue hill then & now Massachusetts natives Joseph Wood and John Roundy, who built houses at the tidal falls, now the site of Blue Hill Falls Bridge. By Jan. 30, 1789, the town’s incorporation date, the place was growing in population and industry, including shipbuilding and grist mills. By the mid 1800s, the population had shifted to the present day Main Street. Copper mines prospered into the 20th century, and today, tourism and outfitting industries are major employers. Blue Hill Memorial Hospital is an economic force, along with Parker Ridge retirement community. Families and seniors appreciate the low crime rate, education opportunities (George Stevens Academy and the private Bay School), Kneisel Hall chamber concerts, and Saturday events at the public library.
Independent women such as library benefactor Adelaide Pearson, founder of Rowantrees Pottery, and author-educator Esther Wood, helped put their town on the map.
Blue Hill Public Library circulation desk in the 1950s, with librarian Dorris Parker.
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“Our library has played an important role in Blue Hill’s history,” said Shelley Latham, development and communications coordinator. “We celebrated the 75th anniversary of our historic building last year. Our spring newsletter was largely about our more than 200 years of library history.” Independent women such as library benefactor Adelaide Pearson, founder of Rowantrees Pottery, and author-educator Esther Wood, helped put their town on the map. Also strong was renaissance man Jonathan Fisher, whose 1814 home is open seasonally for tours. Fisher was a minister, author, farmer, scholar, builder, artist, inventor, humanist, surveyor, and naturalist. Somehow he found time to father eight children. May is a busy prelude to summer in Blue Hill. Events include New Surry Theatre’s production of “Who’s Afraid
(Top) The Blue Hill Public Library, then and now, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year. (Middle) Blue Hill’s Town Hall, located in downtown. Today, the New Surry Theatre is located upstairs. (Bottom) George Stevens Academy now and circa 1928 on the right.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 39
blue hill then & now
(Top) Bathing at the big rock in Blue Hill Bay circa 1920. (This photo and below) The Blue Hill Fair now, and below, in the 1950s.
of Virginia Woolf?,” weekends from May 1-14 at the Town Hall; a Bagaduce Music Lending Library fundraiser at 3 p.m. May 22, featuring a Bach performance by pianist Janet Pearson; a May 28 plant sale at the Blue Hill Public Li-
One thing is certain, whether it’s your first or fiftieth visit to Blue Hill, you’ll be inspired to keep coming back. brary (8-11 a.m.), plus a silent auction, book and bake sale; and a Flash in the Pans Steel Drum dance from 7-9 p.m. May 30 in the Town Park to benefit Blue Hill Heritage Trust. One thing is certain, whether it’s your first or fiftieth visit to Blue Hill, you’ll be inspired to keep coming back.
Check out our interactive map of Blue Hill at bangormetro.com 40 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 41
food file
Dinner on a
Half Shell
Arlene Sohns shares a traditional French dish that’s perfect with Maine seafood. BY EMILY BURNHAM
T
he three mothers
in Bucksport resident Arlene Sohns’ life — her own mother, Edith; her grandmother-in-law, Alice Blu; and her mother-in-law, Lilliane — were all amazing cooks, each in their own unique way. Uniqueness runs in the family, as Sohns, along with her husband, three children and son-in-law, own and operate the three locations of The Rock
Sohns, a Maine native, has cooked for her family for decades, but learned from each of the aforementioned women certain skills and preferences. From Edith, Sohns’ mother, she learned the art of baking. Growing up in Woodland (also known as Baileyville) in Washington County, she looked forward to a revolving array of sweet treats coming out of the oven.
& Art Shop, in Bangor, Ellsworth and Bar Harbor, known for its colorful and intriguing selection of rocks and minerals, jewelry, visual art, fossils and taxidermy, toys, home goods, body products and apparel. 42 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
“She was a great baker. Pies, cookies, donuts. She was amazing,” said Sohns. “Her molasses donuts — I’ve never been able to find anything comparable. I don’t think anyone ever got them as good as hers… but I have been able to make her
PHOTO: EMILY BURNHAM
Comprised of simple ingredients including scallops, fish, cream, butter, cheese and breadcrumbs, it’s traditionally served in half scallop shells, and it’s an all-season treat for anyone who loves seafood.
PHOTOS: HAWK111, HEMERA TECHNOLOGIES, KARANDAEV, SHLOMO POLONSKY, ALENKADR, ALLEKO/THINKSTOCK
cherry nut bread. And I still have her rolling pin for making pie dough.” After marrying her husband, Jim, in the mid-1970s, she met his mother and grandmother, both of whom had recently emigrated from France to join American-born Jim, who left France in the late 1960s to attend school at the University of Maine. Grandmother Alice Blu was born and raised in France, however, in the city of Angers in the province of Anjou, where she owned a small pub and served traditional French food. “She was probably the best cook I’ve ever encountered,” said Sohns. “She could make anything out of anything, and it would always be delicious. She could make soup out of a rabbit’s head. She could do anything… when she came to Maine in the early 70s she tried to go to Lewiston, because that’s where French was being spoken, but they ended up in Belfast.” Finally, Jim’s mother Lilliane, who also came to the U.S. in the early 1970s, inherited the same culinary talents her mother had. Lilliane was trying to survive as a young woman in World War II-era France when she met “American Wally,” Jim’s father, who then was a soldier stationed in Germany. Wally rescued Lilliane from a group of German soldiers that were harassing her and threatening to assault her. He didn’t speak any French. She didn’t speak any English. “When she went to be with him when he was stationed in Germany after the war, she was taught English by a group of German nuns,” said Sohns. “She always spoke English with a German accent.” Though Wally and Lilliane came back to the U.S., where they had Jim, the family eventually returned to France. They once again came back to the U.S. in the early 1970s, along with Alice Blu, and eventually settled in Midcoast Maine. Jim and Arlene met in 1976, and the Sohns family has resided in Bucksport ever since. Food, of course, transcends borders, nationalities and time. Lilliane brought many traditional French dishes over to Maine as well. “She had so many special dishes,” said Sohns. “She could do a venison stew with prunes, potatoes and carrots that would just melt in your mouth… and her rice pudding with brioche. Just fantastic.”
Step 1
Boil & Prep
Boil 6 medium potatoes, 1 pound haddock and 1 pound sea scallops in a large saucepan until cooked. Drain the scallops, drain and mash the potatoes, and break up the fish into large flakes.
Step 2
Make the Roux
In a separate saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons butter and whisk in 4 tablespoons flour and ½ cup heavy cream or whole milk until smooth. Cook until the mixture thickens.
Step 3
Combine Your Ingredients
Combine the potatoes, scallops and fish with the roux and 1 large can sliced mushrooms (including the liquid), 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, a splash of white wine and salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4
Spoon & Bake
Spoon the mixture onto half scallop shells or small oven-safe ramekins. Sprinkle thinly with breadcrumbs and add a pat of butter in the center of each. If desired, sprinkle with more chopped parsley and a lemon slice as garnish. Bake the shells or ramekins for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. For the last three minutes, place them under the broiler until golden brown and the butter and sauce is bubbly.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 43
food file One very special dish that Lilliane made and that Arlene makes — and that her children still make for special occasions — is Coquilles St. Jacques, a classic French recipe that’s as easy to make as it is visually impressive. Comprised of simple ingredients including scallops, fish, cream, butter, cheese and breadcrumbs, it’s traditionally served in half scallop shells, and it’s an all-season treat for anyone who loves seafood. And as Maine is one of the best places in the world for fresh seafood, Coquilles St. Jacques is a natural fit for a locally-sourced dinner. Sohns said that when the family made it, it was with leftover Friday night fish and potatoes, and it was just as elegant with leftovers as it was with fresh fish. “They would spend summers along the coast in France with their grandmother, and that’s where they’d make it,” said Sohns. “My set of scallop shells that we serve them in are from France. We sell them in the shop, too. We sell lots of French things in the shop. It’s a family tradition.”
Food File Liliane’s Coquilles St. Jacques Serves 6 6 boiled medium potatoes 1 pound haddock 1 pound sea scallops 1 large can sliced mushrooms, reserving the liquid 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley ½ cup breadcrumbs Splash of white wine 4 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper For the roux: 6 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour ½ cup heavy cream or whole milk
2. Boil together in water the potatoes, haddock and scallops, in a large saucepan until cooked. If you have leftover mashed or boiled potatoes on hand, use those. After those ingredients are cooked, drain the scallops, drain and mash the potatoes, and break up the fish into large flakes. 3. To make the roux, melt the butter in a separate saucepan and whisk in the flour and heavy cream smoothly until the mixture thickens. 4. Combine the potatoes, scallops and flaked fish, and then combine that with the roux, the mushrooms, parsley, white wine and salt and pepper to taste.
44 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
5. Spoon the mixture onto half scallop shells. Cover each thinly with the breadcrumbs and add a pat of butter in the center of each. If you do not have the scallop shells, small oven-safe ramekins will work. If desired, sprinkle with more chopped parsley and a lemon slice as garnish. 6. Bake the scallop shells in the oven for 30 minutes. For the last three minutes, place them under the broiler until golden brown and the butter and sauce is bubbly. Serving suggestion: Crusty bread, a green salad and a dry white wine. Also — though this is not officially sanctioned by Lilliane Sohns — a sprinkle of grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese atop each shell or ramekin before broiling is a pleasant addition.
PHOTO: SALLY SCOTT/THINKSTOCK
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 45
kitchen confidential
K
eith and Constance
Bodine were ahead of the curve when they opened Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery atop a hill in Union in Knox County in 2007. The nascent craft-everything movement in Maine — craft beer, craft spirits, artisanal foods — was just starting to heat up at that time. Sweetgrass, which also has a tasting room in Portland’s Old Port in addition to the open-to-the-public farm, is now an established part of the Maine drinking and dining scene, with awardwinning Back River Gin on bar shelves and in stores statewide, a delicious array of fruit-based wines and liqueurs made on-site, and specialty treats like all-natural bitters, vermouth and vanilla extract also in production. Not to mention the lamb, poultry, produce and even maple syrup that are grown and harvested on the farm. The Bodines are currently waiting for their next big product to be ready for tasting: an entirely Maine-sourced single malt whisky, which they expect will be ready to drink after eight years of aging in 2018. When it hits shelves, it’ll be Maine’s only fully aged whisky. Bangor Metro talked to the Bodines about loving Maine, loving wine, and supporting their community. The Carroll Farm site is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mother’s Day through New Year’s Eve, and the Portland tasting room is open year-round.
Keith and Constance Bodine
AFarmstead Spirited Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery in Union is winning awards and hearts with its Maine-made gin, wine and soon-to-be Maine whisky. BY EMILY BURNHAM
46 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
First off, a little back story. How did you and Constance come to own the farm and then build the winery and distillery? Constance and I met in engineering school when we were 19 years old. After we graduated, I developed an interest in wine and spirits then returned to school to study winemaking at University of California at Davis. I received my MS in Food Science in 1995 and have been working in the business since 1992. We dreamed of owning our own business and moving back to Maine to raise our family. We purchased this farm and started building the winery/distillery in 2005. We have been open to the public since 2007. Our hilltop winery and
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SWEETGRASS WINERY & DISTILLERY
Owners of Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery in Union.
distillery is located on the old Carroll Farm that was settled in 1807. The Carroll family lived here until 2002 when they relocated across the street. We have 66 acres of mixed pasture, sugar bush, and woodlands that border the Medomak River. In the past this farm grew apples, vegetables, chickens, pigs, and was most recently a dairy. What were those early days like? What did other farmers and growers in the region think about a winery in Midcoast Maine? Renovating a barn into a useable space was challenging! There were already two wineries in the area but we were the first in Maine to be both a winery and distillery. Since we buy large amounts of local fruit from local growers, farmers have been supportive. There is a growing group of people searching out locally produced foods in Maine. What's your philosophy/approach to your business and your products? Our mission is to be a family run business preserving Union’s rich farming tradition, firmly rooted in the community, supporting local sustainable agriculture, local business, and donating 10 percent of profits to organizations which support families, children, and rural life. What's unique about your wine, what do people frequently say to you about it, and what's your biggest selling variety? We make the vast majority of our wines from locally grown fruits; blueberries, apples, and cranberries. People are often surprised that fruit wine can be similar to grape wine and not sweet. Our biggest selling wine is Cranberry Smash, which is a port style wine made entirely from Maine grown cranberries. Our biggest selling product is Back River Gin which was named number one in the Fifty Best Gins of the World competition in 2015. What's something people might not know about Sweetgrass? We are a real working farm. You can see the lambs, ewes, turkeys, pigs, chickens, ducks, bees, apple trees, sugar bush, and gardens from the winery entrance. There is a picnic area in the maple grove, a garden railway, and a hiking trail around the farm.
(Above) Keith and Constance Bodine, owners of Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery in Union. (Left) Back River Gin is one of Sweetgrass Winery’s most popular products. Their website offers a full list of products and cocktail recipe ideas.
In the Mix
Here are a few of Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery’s products available for purchase. BACK RIVER GIN Gin made in the London tradition with a Maine twist, blueberries. The combination of organic botanicals, Maine blueberries, and sea air give our gin its refreshing taste. CRANBERRY GIN Maine cranberries combine with this fruity gin to make a wonderful mixer. Try it with tonic for a Pink G&T or as a Crantini. BLUEBERRY BITTERS Made with wild Maine blueberry wine and our blend of bitter botanicals. CRANBERRY SMASH Our customers’ favorite. Maine cranberries made into a delicious wine fortified with our own cranberry brandy.
kitchen confidential
As a working married couple, what's the best part about working together? The best part is working together for a common goal; there’s just one agenda and we both are focused. I’m the winemaker and distiller and Constance does everything else. She keeps everything running; our tasting rooms, employees, accounting, marketing, gardens, animals, and a bunch of things I’m sure I am forgetting to list. She is also a keen taster and is very much the force in our new product development. I always say she adds the sparkle!
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Finally, next year is about when we can expect your first release of your whisky. What has the process of making whisky been like, and what are your big hopes for it as a new product for Sweetgrass? Finding Maine grown barley was challenging. After searching for several years, we were able to connect with growers in Aroostook County and a malting company in Montreal. This year we started working with a Maine grain farmer that also has their own malt house. It is great to see new businesses opening up to support Maine made local spirits. We have been making whisky from Maine grown barley for several years now. We believe in aging our whisky for years, like a good Scotch. So if it needs seven or eight years to mature, then that is what it gets. We distill our whisky twice and age it in new and used American and French oak barrels. Our first release of whisky is expected in either 2017 or 2018.
BANGOR
more info FARM WINERY & DISTILLERY 347 CARROLL ROAD, UNION 785-3024 OLD PORT TASTING ROOM & SHOP 324 FORE STREET, PORTLAND 761-8GIN Website: sweetgrasswinery.com Hours: Union location open every day, including Sundays and holidays, May 1 thru New Year’s Eve, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Old Port location open year round.
BREWER
PHOTO: SERGHEI PLATONOV/ THINKSTOCK
What’s something you make that isn't wine or spirits? We make several products that aren’t wines and spirits. We make old fashioned vanilla extract, no caramel color and no corn syrup. We make two types of cocktail bitters, blueberry and cranberry. You can buy our lamb meat to cook at home, lambskins, and wool blankets made from our sheep’s wool.
BROOKLIN
BUCKSPORT
A TASTE OF
SUNSHINE IN MAINE
Latin-Caribbean Cuisine 14 North Main Street, Brewer atasteofsunshineinmaine.com
48 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
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arts & culture
Lorna and Alan Crichton, founders of Waterfall Arts in Belfast.
Creative Community Waterfall Arts in Belfast serves as a nexus for creativity and community for the region. STORY BY EMILY BURNHAM PHOTOS BY GABOR DEGRE
50 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
F
or nearly 20 years,
Waterfall Arts in Belfast and its predecessor, Kingdom Falls in Montville, has been an integral part of the arts community in Midcoast Maine. Original co-founders Alan and Lorna Crichton have shared an office, a philosophy, a passion for the creative community of Waldo County, and a life, after 40 years of marriage, most of it spent in Maine. Originally located in rural Montville, on the former site of the first iteration of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Waterfall Arts’ now primary location at the former Anderson School on High Street in Belfast will celebrate its tenth year this year as a nexus for creativity and community for the region. Whether you’re just learning printmaking, ceramics or painting, or you’re a professional artist looking for studio space, or you just want to hear some good music and see some cool art, Waterfall Arts is the beating heart of creative Waldo County. Bangor
Metro talked with Alan and Lorna Crichton about how the organization got started, and what its future looks like. How did you meet? What are your backgrounds in the arts? Alan: I’m from western Pennsylvania originally, and I went to school for architecture and art in Philadelphia. In 1971, I moved to Maine as part of the back to the land movement, and I lived in Liberty until 1975. I eventually went to Boston, where I met Lorna, and we got married in 1977 and moved back to Maine. I went to the Skowhegan School of Painting, after having been less into art and more into the back to the land stuff and music. I studied there, and I studied with Leonard Craig at Unity College. Then we decided we’d move to New York City, where we lived for about five years and had a kid. But not long after that, we moved back to Maine, back to Liberty. For a long time I wrote a column about the arts for the Waldo Independent, and exhibited at the Art Fellows Gallery in Belfast. [Lorna and I] lived on the side of Haystack Mountain, near where the original Haystack Mountain School of Crafts was located. What brought you to open Kingdom Falls, and then the Anderson School locations? Alan: It was always quite clear around town that people were very proud that
Haystack started there. Locals would tell stories about when there was this crazy group of artists living on the mountain. When Marnie Sewell, who owned the Kingdom Falls property in Montville, died in 1998, the property came up for sale. It seemed like all the attention was on the coast, but there was this longstanding history here in the woods. And here I was, with all this experience in the arts and in Belfast. So we said, ‘Why don’t we do something that revives these things?’ Lorna: We bought [Kingdom Falls] in 2000, and got some art classes going, mostly in the summer under tents, outdoors. We had a stage for music. But after about five years in Montville, we knew that we just couldn’t do it only in the summer. We wanted to be year-round. But a lot of folks don’t want go all the way out to Montville in the middle of winter. I don’t blame them! Alan: There was a big survey done in Waldo County among residents, and one thing was clear: Belfast wanted an arts center. When the Anderson School came on the market, Mike Hurley, who was mayor at the time, helped us connect with that space. There was a Maine Arts Commission grant that we got — the Arts Discovery Grant — to help us. We bought the building from the city for a very reasonable fee. At that time, we were still Kingdom Falls, but soon enough, we became Waterfall Arts. Has Waterfall Arts stayed true to the vision you had for it 20 years ago, or has it changed? Alan: The big change is that it’s less rural — we were originally out in the middle of the woods, but now we’re right in town. But the general vision hasn’t changed. Our mission is still creating community in harmony with nature through the transformative power of the arts. Lorna: We wanted to have arts education and instruction studios to rent. We wanted a place where people could experience art, and have gallery space, and do events. And we do quite a bit of business in that regard — we have painting groups, and a film group, and the Belfast Co-op meets here. We have dedicated technical studios for ceramics and printmaking, and as of this year we have a darkroom for photography.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 51
arts & culture As a creative couple, how would you say you compliment one another? What does one do the other doesn’t? Alan: We’re a very close couple. Both of us are very interested in seeing our community thrive creatively. We work in the same office, and we have for many years. Lorna: I think we compliment each other. Waterfall Arts was really Alan’s idea, and I joined him on it. I’m a really good worker bee. Alan can think up a lot of stuff, and I can get it done. We do, however, have great people around us. In the early days, it was just the two of us and Meredith Alex. But now we have seven part time staff members and an incredible board, and we’re very, very lucky to be surrounded by people like that. Alan: An artist in the studio can be a lonely world. You can sit there for hours, all alone. And I really am a social person and I do like being with people, and I finally had to acknowledge that was true. So while I still have studio practice, I just love working with our board. It’s such a smart, lively group of people from all walks of life. That’s been one of the most fun parts of this, is putting together a group like that. We’re all together on the same page. Creating community in harmony with nature is not something we made up. It’s something we believe in. What’s the biggest challenge facing arts communities in rural towns like Belfast? Lorna: When we started out, it was very easy to know just about every single player in the state. It wasn’t hard, and the big challenge really was just distance. But now, it’s a lot easier to stay connected with everyone — though by the same token, there are just so many more people out there. I can’t keep track of it all. Alan: There are a few people still around — they’re in their 90s now — who remember when Haytack was around. Back then, artists were up against a lot more challenges. Belfast was a chicken town. Contemporary art was hardly heard of at all. But that’s radically changed, and not just in Belfast but statewide, if you look at places like the Center for Maine Contemporary Art [in Rockport], the Portland Museum of Art, the Colby College museum, the museum in Bangor. There’s a lot of competition. You’ve got to work harder to make ends meet. It’s a double-edged sword, but it keeps us on our toes. 52 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
Where would you like to go this summer? From Bangor International Airport, our nonstop flights on Delta, Allegiant, American and United make summer travel to major US cities simple. And with easy connecting flights, you could find yourself anywhere in the world. So maybe the question should be: where would you love to go? Start planning at FlyBangor.com.
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per spectives
“Giraffe Crisscross” 2014, oil on linen
“Tooky Up a Tree” 2015, oil on linen
“Tigers of Rewa” 2014, oil on linen
54 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
Dahlov Ipcar “Blue Moon Dance” 2014, oil on linen
B
orn in
Windsor, Vermont, on November 12, 1917, Dahlov Ipcar grew up in New York City's Greenwich Village. While she showed artistic talent at an early age, her parents, William and Marguerite Zorach –both famous artists – did not believe in “art instruction” per se. Consequently Dahlov was never enrolled in art schools or art courses as a child. The Zorach family spent many summers on the Maine coast in order to escape the heat and bustle of New York City. Maine provided a contact with nature which would leave a lasting impression on Dahlov. When she married in 1936, she and her husband Adolph Ipcar eventually moved to a small dairy farm in Georgetown, where she has lived ever since. In 1939 she had her first solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the first of many solo shows over the next 40 years. Dahlov's works are now in the permanent collections of many important art institutions such as the Metropolitan, Whitney, and Brooklyn Museums in New York. She is also represented in all the leading art museums of Maine, as well as in many corporate and private collections throughout the country. She has created large-scale murals for facilities all over
the country, including in Maine at the children’s room at the Patten Free Library in Bath, and a 106 foot panorama of Maine animals in the Narragansett Elementary School in Gorham. In 1945 she illustrated “The Little Fisherman,” her first children’s book, for author Margaret Wise Brown. Since then Dahlov has gone on to write and illustrate 30 children’s books of her own. Dahlov’s love of nature, especially jungle animals, led her to experiment with a more fanciful approach. One of her children’s books, “Calico Jungle,” represents a turning point in her artistic style. The intricate patterns and geometric designs which she developed within those pages were to become her artistic signature. She has also written four fantasy novels for a slightly older audience, as well as a volume of short stories for adults. In 1972, Dahlov and her husband together received the Maine Governor’s Award for “significant contributions to Maine in the broad field of the arts and humanities.” She has also received three honorary degrees from The University of Maine, Colby, and Bates colleges. At the age of 98, Dahlov Ipcar continues to produce her fanciful paintings and murals at her home and studio in Georgetown. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 55
aimee & amy try...
Who We Are.. With a grand total of 4 children ages 1-9, Bangor Metro staffers Aimee Thibodeau and Amy Allen are well versed in keeping kids busy. Each month we’ll try a new project and share the results – be they great or disasterous.
S
ome projects
May Flowers
April showers bring whimsical May (paper) flowers that will last all year.
are so cool that the grown-ups get a little obsessed. What started with some shameless self promotion to make a project out of our own magazine pages, turned out to be really fun and super addictive. The vases were a little tedious to make, but the flowers are really easy to create. Step-by-step instructions for a few of our favorites are on page 58. We also invited our friend Coralie to help out this month and she made us an awesome video you can check out over on our Facebook page if you want a visual demonstration. Have fun with these and share your own project photos with us on Facebook or email editor@bangormetro.com!
Supplies • Colorful paper. Magazine pages (we found the inside page weight worked better than the heavy cover weight), oragami paper, tissue paper – they all work great! • Glue sticks and hot glue • Green pipe cleaners for stems • Floral tape
56 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
To Make the Vase:
Step 1: Cut out magazine pages, fold lengthwise, using about a third of the page. Glue the last fold in place. Repeat.
Step 2: Roll your strips into a spiral, building it up to the desired diameter of your vase. Tape or glue the pieces in place.
Flower Making Tips:
Step 3: Wrap your spiral in a piece of taller cover weight paper to create the vase. We cut up floral foam (carefully) and stuck it inside to keep the flowers in place.
For the petal flowers, curl your paper in different directions to create different flowers.
Hot glue green pipe cleaners to your flowers or wrap wire in green floral tape for flexible stems. Turn the page for step-by-step flower making instructions.
Project Review • Degree of Difficulty: Moderately easy. We lost the younger kids in the vase-making process, but the older kids (and adults) had fun making the flowers.
Sponsored by
• Average Time: About an hour total, depending on how many flowers you make. • Degree of Fun According to the Kids & Moms:
1:
We better get paid for this.
5:
Fun, but once was enough.
10:
Super fun, let’s make one for everyone!
Definitely a project better suited for older kids (and grown-ups). We’d probably skip making our own vases the next time around (too tedious and time consuming for a mediocre final product) and stick with the fun flower making part of this project. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 57
aimee & amy try...
Step-by-Step Paper Flowers:
Paper Petal Flowers
Step 1: Fold a square in half, then fold in half again.
Step 2: Fold into a triangle.
Step 3: Trim the top portion of the triangle into a round petal shape.
Step 4: Open your paper. Repeat 2-3 more times to create layers of petals.
Step 5: Roll the individual petals to make them curly.
Step 6: Stack your layers and hot glue together.
Step 7: For the middle, fold tissue paper in half and cut strips half way through.
Step 8: Barrel roll the tissue paper, glue, fluff and stick in the middle of your flower.
For the leaves: Cut a wide leaf shape and accordion fold.
Paper Roses
Step 1: Cut a sheet of paper into a rough circle shape. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
58 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
Step 2: Cut your circle into a spiral. Less perfection is better to create a more realistic rose shape.
Step 3: Starting on the outside, roll your spiral into the middle of the shape.
Step 4: Use a liberal amount of hot glue on the middle circle and push the spiral into it.
Since 1947
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 59
family
Club
The Motherhood
No matter how you get in, the Mom Club unites us in compassion and patience.
I
never quite
Noun 1. The state of being a mother; maternity. 2. The qualities or spirit of a mother. Women of strength and courage
Adjective 3. Having or relating to an inherent worthiness, justness, or goodness that is obvious or unarguable.
BY ASHLEY THORNTON
understood the motherhood “club” until I was actually in it. I noticed on Facebook that mothers always seemed to comment on each other’s pictures or status updates. “That’s so silly, just because we have kids doesn’t mean that we are friends or that my friends will change,” I would ignorantly say to my husband. He would laugh at me and shake his head. For the most part, that is true. I still have the same friends and love them just as dearly, though we see each other much less. The surprising part in all of this, though, is that I have gained access to the exclusive “motherhood club” and have a whole network of new friends. Never did I imagine that I would stand in the aisles of the grocery store and have a 45 minute conversation with another mom, who I previously knew only as a distant acquaintance. There really is nothing like connecting with someone who is in the trenches with you, and going through (or has been through) all those tough little obstacles that make parenting so ridiculous and fun. Other moms get that you can stand there and complain about that tiny little human until you are blue in the face, but that you wouldn’t trade a second of it for anything. It’s comforting to know that someone else’s son is experimenting with the word “hate” and is proclaiming his hatred for anything and everything as loudly as he can, even 60 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
Motherhood
though he doesn’t really understand what it means. We share a smile at a restaurant while my daughter is screaming and running around grabbing silverware off other people’s tables, because you’ve been there and you get it. No matter how different our lives or experiences may be, we share that underlying thread that connects us all. It’s what gives us a deeper respect and understanding of our own mothers. It is knowing the demands and rewards of being someone’s mother, having a sense of being wholly responsible for another life. There are different “sub-clubs” of motherhood, mothers of multiples, adopted children, only children, single mothers, fur babies’ even (pets), and so on. For some of us, it is being familiar with that deep aching hole in your soul that living without one (or more) of your children inevitably causes. It creates an inexplicable bond that will forever tie you together. That being said, I would like to propose another addition to the dictionary under the word “motherhood.” I believe motherhood to be an exclusive club, one in which some young women are yearning to gain entry, and some gain entry in complete surprise. It is a place of understanding and endless advice. It is a comforting group of people, where you can go to unload your troubles and worries, and they will always be there with compas-
sion and patience. They know that when you are at your wits end, and your child is lying at the bottom of the stairs crying because their “legs won’t work” and you make your seventh trip up and down, that you earned that row of Girl Scout cookies. Of course, there are some mothers that tend to pass judgement on others, but they are a minority. For the most part, they understand that most times you feel like you are barely keeping your head above the water, and you second guess every decision you have made. That the guilt and overwhelming responsibility of raising a human being can be almost unbearable, until the moment that your child thanks you or smiles and gives you a hug and it all washes away. It is what makes me hit that little blue thumb under every cute picture of every child on my newsfeed, and comment with advice or in solidarity to the ever perplexing intricacies of parenting. We all should be proud to belong to this group of women that show such strength and courage day after day. Now, if only we could get that club house (with the spa and quiet resting areas) and secret handshake nailed down, we’d be in business! ASHLEY THORNTON of Milford is a mom of two rambunctious toddlers.
PHOTOS: (IPAD) NADEZHDA1906/THINKSTOCK; (CHILDREN) ASHLEY THORNTON
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Get the most out of your heat pump. Clean FILTERS regularly. When your heat pump is running at its best, you’ll realize maximum comfort and savings. Set the MODE to heat or cool for greatest efficiency. Use the auto setting for the FAN, so your system can adapt as indoor and outdoor conditions change. For optimal COMFORT at a standing or seated level, you may need to adjust the temperature up or down depending on the season. Heating with a ductless heat pump is comparable to heating with oil at $1.50 a gallon. So let the heat pump do the work to increase your SAVINGS.
2015-12-03 Bangor Metro Jan Issue - Get the Most.indd 1
12/6/2015 8:39:17 PM
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 61
maine
woods & waters
Let Nature Come to You BY BOB DUCHESNE
A
s an older
Mainer, I love nature as much as I did in my childhood. However, I think my days of chasing frogs through mud puddles are long behind me. I am now more willing to let nature come to me. Even as I type these words, I am staring out the window at my bird feeders, mobbed by goldfinches.
serves up sunflower seeds. I prefer black oil sunflower seeds. It’s a universal favorite that has a nutritious meat-toshell ratio and is easier for small birds to eat. Striped sunflower seeds are larger and may appeal to larger birds, such as jays and cardinals, but these birds like black oil, too. Meanwhile, smaller birds are picky and will likely drop the larger
We survived that period of our lives when climbing peaks and shooting rapids was a good way to spend a weekend. Now, gardening and wildlife keep us engaged with the outdoors without obliterating knee cartilage. Birding and bird-feeding have grown dramatically in popularity over the last 20 years. This is directly related to baby boomers getting older. We survived that period of our lives when climbing peaks and shooting rapids was a good way to spend a weekend. Now, gardening and wildlife keep us engaged with the outdoors without obliterating knee cartilage. Start small. Begin with a feeder that 62 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
seeds to the ground while searching for something bite sized. Nuthatches are particularly annoying, discarding four seeds for every one they eat. Personally, I avoid seed mixes. They contain many seeds that birds like, and many they don’t. Some are just filler seeds that go to waste. Some seeds in a commercial mix might be popular with birds that we don’t have in this part of
PHOTOS: WINDUJEDI & AHPHOTOSWPG/THINKSTOCK
Feeding birds a relaxing and rewarding pastime.
the country. Some seeds may even be popular with our local birds, but don’t work in the types of feeders we use. For instance, millet may appeal to birds on the ground or on platform feeders, but not to birds that prefer their food served up in hanging feeders with small perches. It is less wasteful to use multiple feeders, each with a single seed type, rather than mixing seed in one feeder. Some folks have good luck using hulled sunflower seeds. It’s more expensive, but there is less mess. That’s preferable on a porch. Some folks try safflower seeds. These are attractive to cardinals and larger finches, but might discourage pigeons and house sparrows. After sunflower seeds, my second choice is Nyjer. Nyjer resembles North American thistle, but it is not related. It comes from Asia and Africa. These feeders attract small finches, like American goldfinches, pine siskins, and common redpolls. Nyjer feeders can sit dormant for long periods, and then suddenly explode with activity. That’s because finch flocks wander. When they arrive, they
often arrive in big numbers. Goldfinches can be around any time of year. Pine siskins are Maine nesters, but stay in the woods most of the summer and only come to feeders in northern Maine. Redpolls only visit in winter. I keep one suet feeder handy. Woodpeckers love it, and even blue jays, nuthatches and chickadees will take a bite. I bought the wooden log feeder with holes drilled for commercial suet plugs. These plugs are overpriced, but what the heck. The feeder tends to stay cleaner and my abundant population of squirrels ignore it. I bought a traditional basket feeder for suet this winter, stuffed it with beef fat, and the squirrels ripped it to shreds within minutes. Dang them. Hummingbird feeders are an obvious choice. Put them out around Mother’s Day and leave them up through autumn, even after the birds have departed. Maine only has ruby-throated hummingbirds, but some different species from the west can accidentally drift into Maine during fall migration. If one shows up, such rarities are the envy of the bird feeding world.
For something more exotic, try mealworms. Orioles, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and especially bluebirds are sometimes attracted to mealworms on a platform feeder. These can be purchased live, frozen, dried, canned, or roasted, but live is best. Clean feeders regularly. Because feeders concentrate a lot of birds and bird poop, they can spread disease. Salmonella victimizes finches. Hummingbird feeders suffer from mold, and the sugar solution can ferment. Nyjer goes moldy. I deliberately use small hummingbird feeders that empty quickly. This forces me to clean them often with each refill. For seed feeders, once a month is a good idea, but the frequency of cleaning should be increased when feeders are in heavy use or during hot weather. Now, sit back, and let nature come to you.
BOB DUCHESNE is a local radio personality, Maine guide, and columnist. He lives on Pushaw Lake with his wife, Sandi.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 63
metro home
Safe & Sound U
BY METRO NEWS SERVICE
Shower seats and removable shower nozzles allow seniors to sit instead of standing soapy surfaces.
pon reaching
retirement age, new retirees may face decisions regarding their living arrangements. Some seniors may opt to stay put, while others may want to downsize their homes to save money and relieve themselves of the burdens of maintaining larger homes. But those are not the only situations seniors find themselves in. Some seniors realize they can no longer care for themselves without assistance. In such instances, seniors may opt for assisted living facilities or choose to move in with a relative, such as a grown son or daughter. While assisted living facilities are designed to meet the needs of the elderly, young men and women welcoming seniors into their homes may need to take on some home improvement projects to ensure their homes are as safe as possible for elderly residents. Convert a room on the first floor into a bedroom. While this may not apply to all seniors, some men and women struggle with stairs as they age, and that can make it difficult for them to fully participate in a household. Homeowners with an extra room to spare can convert a room on the first floor of their homes into a bedroom so seniors won’t have to climb up and down stairs throughout the day. That ease of accessibility to the primary floor of the house encourages seniors to be active participants in a household. If possible, choose an area that is close to a first-floor bathroom.
Young men and women welcoming seniors into their homes may need to take on some home improvement projects to ensure their homes are as safe as possible for elderly residents. Take steps to make bathrooms safer. The National Institute on Aging says that more than one in three seniors over age 65 fall each year, and 80 percent of those falls take place in the bathroom. Slippery tile floors can make it difficult for seniors to navigate bathrooms safely, and bathtubs and shower stalls present additional challenges. Install grab bars on bathroom walls and next to toilets to provide support. In addition, consider installing a shower chair or bench and removable 64 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
PHOTOS: DENBOMA & KATARZYNABIALASIEWICZ/THINKSTOCK
How to prepare a home for elderly residents.
WALDO COUNTY
Bathroom grab bars can help prevent falls on slippery surfaces.
First floor bedrooms in close proximit y to bathrooms are convenient for seniors wit h mobilit y issues. shower nozzle in the shower or tub so seniors can sit down while they bathe and rinse without having to stand up on slippery surfaces. Make sure any mats around bathtubs and sinks are nonskid to reduce the risk of falls even further. Install an extra phone line or two. While kids and adults between the ages of 18 and 50 may never use the landlines in their homes, many seniors still rely on traditional telephones as their primary means of communicating with the outside world. Install extra landlines in your home, including in seniors’ bedrooms, so they can more readily access the phone should they fall and need to call for emergency help. Phones in seniors’ bedrooms may also provide some additional privacy to seniors who don’t want to carry on phone conversations in busy areas of the home, such as the kitchen or living room. Such lines may also reduce feelings of isolation. Prioritize accessibility when storing items. When storing groceries, books, magazines, or other items seniors are likely to use, choose locations that are accessible to seniors. Avoid storing items on the top shelf of pantries, bookcases or entertainment centers, as seniors with limited mobility may not be able to reach them. Many seniors move in with their adult children to make their golden years safer and more enjoyable and manageable. Such a change in living arrangements may necessitate some changes on the part of homeowners so they can ensure their homes are safe for seniors.
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WALDO COUNTY
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Your listing could be on this page Sell it faster. Advertise in Bangor Metro’s Real Estate Guide. Call 941-1300.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 65
66 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
Special Section Featuring Northern Maine
by Bangor Metro
P lanting the Future A new generation of Micmacs enlist youngsters to grow healthy crop of ash trees. BY ANTHONY BRINO
T PHOTO: COURTESY OF ASHLEY REKEM / PRESQUE ISLE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
he Aroostook
Band of Micmacs are trying to grow a new, healthy generation of ash trees and show youngsters career paths in science. On one of the coldest days of the year in early March, second-grader Gitpu Paul joined other students and tribal members in a high-tunnel greenhouse near the Micmacs’ headquarters, planting hundreds of brown ash tree seedlings that they helped collect last fall. Once they’ve grown, Paul and his peers will give away ash saplings and plant them on tribal lands. It’s partly a science project for the kids and partly an investment, said Micmac planner and Maine historian Dena Winslow. “Ash trees are probably the most significant of any species to this tribe,” said Winslow. According to the Micmac and Wabanaki Confederacy origin story, the hero Gluskap shot four arrows at four different white ash trees that each gave birth to the Passamaquoddy, Penobscots, Maliseets and Micmacs. The Micmacs and others have long
used brown ash trees for making baskets, which potato farmers relied on through the 1960s. But in recent decades, as tribal elders worked to preserve the basket-making craft, good brown ash has been harder to find in northern Maine, said Winslow, who grew up on a dairy farm in Mapleton. Now an invasive insect, the emerald ash borer, is destroying millions of ash trees all over North America. “The insect came from China in the 1990s, likely on wooden pallets,” Winslow said. Emerald ash borers arrived to find plenty of ash trees for its larvae to feed on and no natural predators. The infestation has already killed millions of ash trees, including in states like Pennsylvania and New York where ash is grown for baseball bats, and the long-term cost of treating, removing and replacing infested ash trees could reach more than $10 billion, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Although the borer hasn’t yet been found in Maine, it is in New Hampshire and Quebec. “We’d be really surprised if it’s not here. It’s just that nobody’s found it yet,” Winslow said.
But, if the Micmacs’ efforts work, in the next few decades there will be healthy ash trees to harvest across northern Maine and forest stewards to keep them going. “This project has a whole lot of components, one of them being to preserve these trees for the future,” Winslow said. “And I’m attempting to interest kids in a career they might not have thought about, such as forestry or natural resources.” To sprout the ash seeds they collected, Winslow and Micmac environmental specialist David Macek showed the students how they can work with Mother Nature. Since ash seeds can take as long as 15 years to sprout, Macek, Winslow and the youths took the seeds through multiple years of freeze-thaw cycles, with biweekly intervals in and out of a freezer. The youths also recently observed a timber harvest on tribal land at the former Loring Air Force Base. This spring they are slated to visit the Maibec lumber mill in Masardis, a birchbark canoe maker in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, Mount Carleton and the New Brunswick Botanical Garden, Winslow said. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 67
crown of maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins spent some time with the Aroostook Hospice Foundation in Presque Isle recently to talk about plans for a proposed freestanding hospice facility in northern Maine. Meeting with Collins and looking at an artist's rendition of what the facility may look like, were Rick Duncan (left), president of the foundation; Michael MacPhearson (second from the right), foundation board member; and Larry LaPlante, foundation treasurer.
A Window of
Portland Church donates stained glass window to Aroostook Hospice Foundation.
he Diocese of
Portland is pleased to announce that one of the striking stained glass windows which once offered an ethereal and vibrant glow to the interior of St. Patrick Church in Portland will provide warmth and tranquility to the future patients and families at the Aroostook House of Comfort.
the Apostles “to go forth and teach all nations.” The symbolism of the arrow pointing in four directions in the window refers to the worldwide evangelism of the Apostles. The stained glass window will be installed in the chapel of the Aroostook House of Comfort, Aroostook County’s first free-standing hospice facility,
Hope Parish and Bishop Robert P. Deeley, who granted the parish permission to offer the windows as a gift. “This use of the sacred art will hopefully bring some comfort to the parishioners for whom St. Patrick Church was a spiritual home,” said Bishop Deeley. “This beautiful window, through which light helped to create a
The stained glass window will be installed in the chapel of the Aroostook House of Comfort, Aroostook County’s first free-standing hospice facility, which is expected to be open by early 2017. Representatives from the Aroostook Hospice Foundation traveled to St. Joseph Church, located at 673 Stevens Ave. in Portland, to receive the window from the Rev. Paul Sullivan, SJ, pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish. St. Patrick Church was a part of the parish until its closure in May 2013. Christ is depicted in the middle lancet of the window and commissioning 68 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
which is expected to be open by early 2017. The soon-to-be renovated facility, located in the former MBNA building on Green Hill Drive in Presque Isle, will offer end-of-life and palliative care for patients and their families when death is expected within six months. The donation to the hospice facility was made possible thanks to the generosity of the parishioners at Our Lady of
warm and sacred place in the past, will serve as a beacon of hope and reassurance for patients and their families in the future. What a grace and laudable action for the parishioners to have supported.” The stained glass window will be secured at a facility in Aroostook County until installation in the hospice home later this year.
PHOTO: (CAT) VIKTOR LUGOVSKOY/THINKSTOCK
T
Hope
Good
Deed
Brooke Levesque of Madawaska recently celebrated her eighth birthday, but instead of presents, she asked her friends to bring cat food donations to her birthday party. Brooke delivered the donations to the cat shelter PAWS in Fort Kent. Her parents are Bill and Brenda Levesque, and her mom says Brooke loves all animals – even rats and snakes – and she wants to be a veterinarian, pet groomer and an animal rescuer when she grows up.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 69
NEXT Retirement and Senior Living Guide
adfsadfsdaf
dafasdfsdfONLINE GETTING
seniors benefiting from social media
IN A PICKLE get active with a lesson in pickleball
COFFEE & COLLABORATION networking and making new friends
72 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
NEXT INSIDE Retirement and Senior Living Guide Retiring? Looking for a fun new hobby? As we age, new opportunities are everywhere.
What’s next for you?
ISSUES OF AGING...................... 74 Meet the director of UMaine’s Center on Aging
STOP ELDER ABUSE................76 Tips for recognizing abuse and exploitation
COFFEE & COLLABORATION....78 AARP creating opportunities for networking
EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY....80 Getting onboard with modern technology
MAKING THE CONNECTION....86 PHOTO: PAUL/THINKSTOCK
Social media is no longer just child’s play
IN A PICKLE...............................90 Seniors getting active with pickleball
SUPPORTING CAREGIVERS....94 The CARE Act: Support for Maine’s Caregivers
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 73
next Len Kaye, director of the University of Maine at Augusta Center on Aging in Bangor.
Issues Director of UMaine’s Center on Aging created career to focus on lives of older adults and families.
“T
o judge
of Aging
someone by their physical appearance or the amount of gray hair on their head is shameful. I’m working to change the stereotype of what aging looks like in every way I can,” said Len
mote and facilitate aging-focused activities in the areas of education, research and evaluation, and community service. Kaye, who received his Master’s Degree in social work from New York University and his doctorate from Co-
– Len Kaye Kaye, who has served as director of the University of Maine’s Center on Aging since it was established in 2002. The mission of the center is to pro74 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
lumbia University, came to the UMaine in 2000, during a sabbatical from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania where he was a social work professor.
PHOTO: GABOR DEGRE
“As the oldest state in the nation, Maine is in a great position to focus on the needs of this demographic and set an example for the rest of the nation...”
“My family loved being in Maine and my kids told me that they didn’t want to return to Pennsylvania halfway through my sabbatical — that I could go back, but they were staying here,” Kaye recalled. “I’ve never regretted for a second making that decision to remain in Maine. There is such a sense of community, collaboration and a quality of life that can’t be found anywhere else. But, in order to stay in Maine, I had to create a job for myself.” Kaye proposed to the university that a center on aging be created to focus on research, education and the issues of aging. Today, faculty and students in more than 25 disciplines across the Orono and other system campuses are engaged in research that positively impacts the lives of older adults and their families. “Experts in mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, economics, the health and social sciences, the humanities, and more, are realizing that what they do has major implications for improving the wellbeing of older adults,” Kaye said. “Fortunately, the state of Maine and the University of Maine recognize the value and opportunity in devoting time and resources to addressing the challenges and opportunities that come with an ever-growing aging population. As the oldest state in the nation, Maine is in a great position to focus on the needs of this demographic and set an example for the rest of the nation as we invest in what is called the longevity economy — the third largest business growth sector on earth.” Kaye explains that there are both opportunities and challenges when it comes to a population that is getting older. “Health care and caring for an aging population can present a challenge to communities who also benefit enormously from the contributions of older adults to the workforce and as volunteers. Tens of millions of dollars in time and effort are contributed to organizations by older volunteers who also offer unparalleled measures of wisdom and experience,” he said. “I am one of 78 million baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964. We aim to smash the stereotypes of how we should grow old. We are not ready to take to the rocking chairs and want to just get rid of the idea of ‘acting our age’ once and for all.” www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 75
next
Stop Elder Abuse COURTESY OF LEGAL SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY
Here are some red flags of elder abuse: • Sudden changes in the elder’s appearance: poor hygiene, improper clothing for the weather, sunken eyes, bedsores, loss of weight. • Sudden changes in the elder’s personality; increased levels of anxiety, fearfulness and/ or depression. • Social isolation or the elder not allowed visitors. • Visible injury that has not been cared for or cannot be explained with a realistic explanation. • Sudden loss of ability to meet financial obligations. • Unexplained withdrawal from normal activities, a sudden change in alertness may be indicators of emotional abuse.
A
n elderly man
with mild dementia was the victim of financial exploitation by a trusted family member to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars. The theft was discovered, reported and stopped but the poor man will never be the same. The perpetrator took more than money. He took trust. Sadly, elder abuse is in Maine and every year, 33,000 seniors are abused or taken advantage of, and like the above story, usually by a trusted family member. Seniors often will consider that they “have been taken advantage of” more than been abused but in reality it is the same thing. And for seniors who have experienced or are currently experiencing abuse, the fears of reporting it and actually talking about it are vast and varied. The senior often doesn’t want their family member, who may also be a caregiver, to go to jail or be penalized. Some seniors have no one else to care for them and are fearful that if the family member leaves, they will have to go to a nursing home. Many are embarrassed that their loved ones could do such a thing. Elder abuse includes physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse and neglect. Sometimes elder abuse is domestic violence grown old. Latest reports show that 86 percent of the cases are at the hands of a family member who is exploiting and abusing older people for personal gain. Some of the risk factors for elder abuse include: dementia, social isolation and poor physical health, which increases vulnerability, as well as mental health or substance abuse issues. There are some things you can do to protect yourself and your assets and independence: • Always talk to a lawyer before making major, possibly life changing decisions. • Don’t let anyone persuade you or pressure you into signing away your home, even if this person promises you that you can live there for the rest of your life. • Be very careful of giving anyone access to your credit card or your checkbook. There are many cases where this is perfectly fine and works out to the senior’s advantage because the family member can do the shopping or pay the bills. But when it goes wrong, it can be devastating. • Don’t let anyone pressure you or persuade you to sign legal papers without talking to a lawyer. This is to protect both parties. Legal papers include co-signing on a loan or signing a Power of Attorney. Be wary if someone balks at getting an attorney involved. Good intentions stand up to scrutiny. If someone has taken advantage of you or if you need help, call Legal Services for the Elderly at 1-800-750-5353 for free and confidential legal help. Or log on mainelse.org. If you suspect that a senior you know is being abused, call Adult Protective Services at 1-800-624-8404. All calls are confidential. Don’t wait to make that call. You could be a senior’s only chance of safety. To learn more about elder abuse, visit the Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention website at www.elderabuseprevention.info. Mainers like to mind their own business. But, don’t let that stand in your way of protecting a senior. Paid Advertisement for Legal Services for the Elderly.
PHOTOS: STUDIOARZ & GPOINTSTUDIO/THINKSTOCK
Legal Services for the Elderly shares tips for recognizing abuse and exploitation.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 77
next
AARP planning get-togethers in Bangor area for seniors to network, meet friends and learn something new. BY JANE MARGESSON
Sponsored by
Serving Hancock & Penobscot counties
Bangor office: 990.1995 Ellsworth office: 667.1900 lovingtouchinhomecare.com
78 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
A
lthough AARP
Maine’s state office is located in Portland, our work spans the entire state. Volunteers and staff tackle issues that are targeted to the needs and desires of specific communities throughout Maine, including Bangor where we are focusing much of our attention in 2016. AARP Maine recently conducted a survey of Bangor residents ages 50 and older to find out more about community livability issues which help residents age-in-place, and foster residents’ engagement in civic, economic, and social life. We look forward to working with municipal officials, as well as local residents, to support their efforts to become more age-friendly. You can read more about the survey and its results in the March issue of Bangor Metro. AARP Maine is eager to connect with the Bangor community and bring area residents together for fun and interesting social events. Already underway is our monthly “coffee klatch,” held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. the second Friday
of each month at Bagel Central’s Community Meeting Room at 29 Central St., just one door down from Bagel Central. These enjoyable get-togethers offer the perfect opportunity for local residents to meet other AARP members and share what’s on their minds. Sometimes we have special guests join us such as state and federal legislators, community leaders and city officials. As an extra bonus, bagels and coffee are provided for all attendees throughout the meeting. We currently are seeking a volunteer to host these monthly coffee klatches at Bagel Central to help facilitate the discussion. Those interested in volunteering or for more information, contact Jay Els at 207-776-6303 or me@aarp.org. AARP Maine also has the opportunity to present special offers to our members and their families for cultural, sporting and other events. In February, we were pleased to be a sponsor of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra’s “An Evening of Romance,” which featured distinguished artist Noel Paul Stookey, formerly of Peter, Paul and
PHOTO: COFFMANCMU/THINKSTOCK
Coffee and Collaboration
Mary. It was a magical performance and AARP Maine staff and volunteers were joined by many local residents who all received a ticket discount through our sponsorship. Are there other sponsorships or offers you would like us to consider in the Bangor area? We would appreciate your guidance as we want these opportunities to be of interest to you and your family. You can reach us at me@aarp.org. Stay tuned! AARP Maine will hold an Open House in Bangor in June. This will be a terrific occasion for networking, meeting new friends and learning more about the ways we can all work together in Bangor and the surrounding communities. Check our website for more information at aarp.org/me and find aarpmaine on Facebook, too! We look forward to meeting you at these and other local events and hope you will continue to share your thoughts and ideas with us in the months ahead. JANE MARGESSON is the AARP Maine communications director. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 79
next
80 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
Embracing
Technology How I learned to stop worrying and love my iPhone.
BY MEG HASKELL
M
y iP hone sounded
off the other morning while I was lingering over the Bangor Daily News, which I still enjoy in print, and a second cup of coffee. It was a new ringtone — a hollow “doodley-doo” I hadn’t heard before. I picked up the phone and saw a photograph of my younger son, Luke, who was contacting me from Singapore, where he has been on assignment for the past week or so. He wasn’t exactly calling, though; he was using the smartphone application “WhatsApp,” which connected his phone to mine via the internet and allowed us to
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 81
next carry on as easy a conversation as if he were sitting across the kitchen table from me. I had downloaded this new app the week before, knowing he would be out of telephone contact during his travels in Asia and that an internet-based service was the only way I would be able talk with him. The fact that I understand this distinction, however vaguely, astounds me. There is nothing like writing about technology to make me feel like a codger, which I really am not. I use basic tools like the internet, social media and my cell phone all day long for work and in my personal life, which I recognize is not the case for all baby boomers and certainly not for our parents’ generation. But I will admit to a certain, lingering “gee whiz” response to learning about new ways to use these tools, and a degree of enchantment at how they help me keep up with my adult sons and other important people in my life. I didn’t warm up much to digital technology in the early days, although I recognized its importance enough to take a basic course in programming when I was in nursing school in 1983. Ten years later, I opened an email account through the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, a small commuter campus where I was working toward a B.A. in English. I remember summoning the internet for the first time on a clattery computer keyboard in the university library. By that time, I had begun to use public computers to compose papers for my classes. It was a great advantage to be able to cut and paste and save my work to a floppy disc — although I missed the snappy little Royal portable electric typewriter that had been
my trusty companion since high school. But I had never dialed up the World Wide Web, that mysterious new manmade force poised, for better or worse, to take over the world. There, in the library’s computer cluster, I watched as the blinking cursor paused and the screen went dark. Then, suddenly, I was connected to my email account. By design, there was a message waiting from my friend Becky, who worked at a college here in Maine and was the first person I
knew to use email. I opened her message with trepidation and was filled with awe as I understood the implications of this brand new way to communicate. It was at once personal and impersonal. It offered a blend of deliberation, spontaneity, nuance and control that made it completely different from a telephone call or a letter. I was hooked. Within a few months, I brought a Packard-Bell computer home from the store, and my then-husband helped me set it up in the closet I used as my home office. Our small sons were entranced with the games they could play, which were included in the machine’s bundled software. I was able to do more of my schoolwork from home, and I developed a robust email correspondence with Becky and a slow-growing list of friends who were tooling over to this new way of staying in touch. Because accessing the internet required a pricey, long-distance connection to a neighboring phone system, I would compose my sometimes voluminous emails off line and then dial up the connection to send them, eliciting a heady melody of electronic boops and buzzes that let me know it was working. Fast-forward 23 years or so, and these memories take on a quaint nostalgia. Email and Facebook are as much a part of my daily routines as the BDN and that allimportant second cup of coffee. I am never far from my computer, my iPad or my iPhone and am quick to Google Episcopal churches in Singapore, a recipe for Chicken Provencal or the etymology of the word “proletariat” as the spirit moves me.
There is nothing like writing about technology to make me feel like a codger, which I really am not. I use basic tools like the internet, social media and my cell phone all day long for work and in my personal life, which I recognize is not the case for all baby boomers and certainly not for our parents’ generation. But I will admit to a certain, lingering “gee whiz” response to learning about new ways to use these tools, and a degree of enchantment at how they help me keep up with my adult sons and other important people in my life.
82 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 83
next My husband, Douglas, and I look forward to weekly visits with our granddaughter in Southern Maine using the video-calling service Skype, which has been around so long it’s just about passe. My older son, Jackson, keeps us apprised of his work-related travels through the real-time mapping app Glympse. And, most recently, WhatsApp brought Luke’s cheerful voice into our kitchen from halfway around the world on a wintry morning when I needed a boost. The codger in me still balks when someone suggests I bring a new digital element into my life. But each time I do, I find it’s all getting simpler and more intuitive. And, while I am becoming more comfortable with the myriad ways technology connects me to my world, I hope I never entirely lose my “gee whiz” response to the power and potential of the digital world. MEG HASKELL is a curious second-career journalist with two grown sons, a background in health care and a penchant for new experiences. She lives in Stockton Springs. Read more of her work at livingitforward.bangordailynews.com.
My husband, Douglas, and I look forward to weekly visits with our granddaughter in Southern Maine using the video-calling service Skype, which has been around so long it’s just about passe.
PHOTO: KEITH BELL/THINKSTOCK
While I am becoming more comfortable with the myriad ways technology connects me to my world, I hope I never entirely lose my “gee whiz” response to the power and potential of the digital world.
84 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
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June 1, 2016 | Check-in: 9:15 a.m. | Event: 10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Spectacular Events | 395 Griffin Road | Bangor, ME 04401 Enjoy a light breakfast and buffet lunch on us. Registration is required for this FREE event. RSVP at 1-877-926-8300 or www.aarp.cvent.com/BangorScamJam
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Making the
Connection
Social media is no longer just child's play. Seniors are sharing photos, connecting and shopping in ever-increasing numbers.
PHOTOS: SUPRIJONO SUHARJOTO & JUPITERIMAGES/THINKSTOCK
BY METRO NEWS SERVICE
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T
he internet
and related technologies have been a game-changer for people of all ages. The instant connectivity made possible by these advancements has been valued by young adults and children for years. But now social media is attracting an entirely different demographic — seniors. More than just a method of channeling information to the comfort of home, the internet and the various social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, are ways for older adults to stay connected with friends and family. For seniors faced with mobility issues, social media helps to bring the world to them. Despite the stereotype that seniors do not want to learn to use new technology, many seniors are getting on board. Findings from the Pew Research Institute show that social networking use among internet users ages 50 to 64 grew by 88 percent between April 2009 and May 2010. The research also found that the percentage of those 65 and older using social media grew from 13 percent to 26 percent during that same stretch. Although young adults continue to be the primary users of social media, older users are gaining momentum and surpassing youth in the number of new users. Individuals who are not yet utilizing social media to manage their communication efforts may be inspired by these benefits to doing so.
Photo and video sharing
The majority of photos being taken today are digital, as fewer people are making prints of their photos. Rather, they are being shared via email or through social media sites. Grandparents can see their grandchildren in photos in real time. Also, if they've managed apps that enable video sharing, they can view and chat with relatives who live miles away, just as if they were sitting across the table.
Conversations with family
In a world where families are no longer centrally located, communication may be lacking. Despite the prevalence of mobile phones, fewer and fewer people seem to pick up the phone and make calls as they once did. Instead, they're texting and updating social media posts. They're also e-mailing one another. Older adults who have no access to this technology could be left out of the mix. This is a way for seniors to stay close to family.
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Convenient check-ins
At times when a full-blown conversation may not be practical, having a quick method to check in with a loved one can make social media advantageous. Men and women can send a quick text to their parents to find out how they're feeling or if they need anything. Such ready access can provide some peace of mind to adults concerned about their elderly parents.
Online shopping
Seniors who don't get out much or who cannot safely drive a vehicle might not be able to shop as often as they would like. Having internet access and experience with browsing Web sites enables older men and women to shop from reputable Web sites who ship items directly to the house. With the vast array of items now sold online, anyone can have their choice of items and not be forced to settle because of their age.
Improved feelings of well-being
Avoiding feelings of isolation and loneliness can benefit older men and women. A study by Dr. Shelia Cotten, a sociologist and associate professor from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, revealed that internet use was associated with a 30 percent decrease in depressive symptoms among older adults who used it regularly, while other studies have shown similarly impressive results.
Working the mind
Going online, chatting on social media or simply writing an e-mail works areas of the brain. Typing also helps improve manual dexterity. These factors can be beneficial for seniors looking to stay sharp.
88 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
Using the internet as a form of communication is a growing trend among the 50-plus demographic. It enables them to stay connected with family and the world in a variety of ways.
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In a Pickle Pickleball is gaining popularity and leaving players hungry for more. STORY BY JODI HERSEY | PHOTOS BY GABOR DEGRE
Hungry for Pickleball Mark Goff (right) and Mike Eckardt warm up before playing a game of pickleball at the Armstrong Tennis Center in Hampden.
90 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
T
ennis courts
are busier than ever these days. When there isn’t a singles or doubles game in progress, you’ll find the court being used for Pickleball, a sport that combines ping pong, badminton and tennis. Jayne Davis of Hartland started playing the game last June. “A friend of mine who plays in Florida got my husband and I into it,” she said. “It’s great exercise and so much fun.” Dennis Armstrong of Armstrong Tennis Center in Hampden heard about the game from a fellow tennis player while the two were watching the Miami Open in Florida last year. Armstrong looked into it and by last November he was teaching lessons.
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Jayne Davis, Susan Starbird and Colan Davis bump paddles at the end of a pickleball game at the Armstrong Tennis Center in Hampden.
“This was invented back in 1965 out in Washington state by two fellas looking for something to do with their families on a weekend,” explained Armstrong. “They had a badminton net, some ping pong paddles and some Wiffle balls and they started to get this game going. While they were playing, they had a dog there who kept grabbing the ball and running off with it. Guess what the dog’s name was? Pickle. So that’s where Pickleball comes from.” Pickleball is played in doubles on a 20-foot wide by 44-foot long court using a tennis court-type net, which means two games can be played at the same time using just one tennis court.
“It’s a very attractive game to people who are no longer able to play tennis... It’s social, gets people active and it’s a lot of fun.” –Dennis Armstrong
Mike Eckardt (right) and Mark Goff enjoy a game of pickleball. The game is played using Wiffle balls and a paddle slightly bigger than a ping pong paddle.
Jim Greehey and Dana Dubois reach to make a return during a game of pickleball.
92 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
Players hit a Wiffle ball back and forth using a paddle slightly bigger than a ping pong paddle. They must serve the ball underhand and it must be served below the waist and below the wrist. The ball must bounce on both sides before play actually begins. And unlike tennis, only the serving team can earn points. The game is usually played to 11 points, however, a team has to win by two points. “It’s a very attractive game to people who are no longer able to play tennis or [once] had a problem with mobility,” said Armstrong. “It’s social, gets people active and it’s a lot of fun.” Pickleball is played in all 50 states and Canada, according to the USA Pickleball Association. In Maine alone, you can find 67 locations to play this fast growing sport from Bangor to York on usapa.org. Cost ranges anywhere from $2-$6 for up to two hours of play. “It's not an expensive game,” said Armstrong. “I tell people it costs [you] about half a box of popcorn at the theater to play.” George Dilts of Winterport has only been playing Pickleball for a few months and he’s already addicted to it. “I like everything about it,” he said.
“The camaraderie, skill level, it’s a great workout and it’s year round. You can play it indoors or outdoors.” The Armstrong Tennis Center hosted a Pickleball scramble in March where Davis, Dilts and dozens of others got to compete against players they’d never met. “The game is more about precision than power,” said player Cathy McKenzie of Dexter. “If you hit the ball with too much power, it goes out and you lose points. Everyone wants to finish first but if you played better than the last time you played, than you know it’s a good day.” Armstrong said about 70 percent of the people who play Pickleball are over the age of 50. But it is a game everyone can enjoy. “It’s growing all the time. I have about 200 people who play and some of them play three or four times a week,” he said. “I have classes for anyone who wants them. I’ll start teaching people how to play Pickleball and within a half hour they’re in there playing by themselves. You pick it up quickly. It’s that kind of a game.” For more information, visit armstrongtennis.com.
Pickleball Basics Pickleball is played in doubles on a 20-foot wide by 44-foot long court using a tennis court-type net. The game is usually played to 11 points, however, a team has to win by two points.
t fee 44
Players hit a Wiffle ball back and forth using a paddle slightly bigger than a ping pong paddle. 20 fee t
The ball is served underhand and it must be served below the waist and below the wrist. The ball must bounce on both sides before play actually begins. Only the serving team can earn points.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 93
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Supporting
Caregivers
The CARE Act: Support for Maine’s Caregivers.
C
BY JOY A. TRUEWORTHY, RUDMAN WINCHELL
aregiving from
family and friends is an invaluable help, particularly for older individuals who wish to continue living in their homes. Fortunately, many Mainers support each other by assisting with the multitude of daily living tasks. According to Valuing the Invaluable: 2015 Update by the AARP Public Policy Institute, 178,000 Mainers each provide an average of 165 hours of care annually, which AARP calculates to have an economic
discharged or transferred to another facility. The hospital must also provide the caregiver with aftercare instructions for the individual in a “culturally competent manner” with a “meaningful opportunity” to ask questions. If the individual has an Advance Health Care Directive and chooses to identify a person other than the person who is serving as the agent under the Directive, this action does not bar the agent under the Directive from also receiving information.
Power of Attorney, which is another vital estate planning document for any adult.) Hospitals have an incentive to comply with the CARE Act both because it supports improved patient care and because new Medicare rules are more closely measuring readmission rates, which should be decreased by this improved aftercare planning. If an identified caregiver is not reasonably available when the patient is available for discharge, the hospital is not required to
value of $2,220,000. As Maine’s population continues to age, the amount of informal caregiving will likely increase. Maine’s Act to Allow a Patient to Designate a Caregiver in the Patient’s Medical Record, which went into effect on October 15, 2015, will provide additional support to these lay caregivers when someone is admitted to a hospital. This law is being referred to as the CARE Act, based on its original name: the Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable Act. When an individual is admitted to or held overnight for observation in a hospital, the CARE Act requires the hospital to provide at least one opportunity for the individual to designate a lay caregiver and provide the caregiver’s contact information, which must then be documented in the individual’s records. Then, if the individual or the individual’s agent, guardian, or surrogate consents, the hospital must notify the caregiver when the individual will be 94 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
The ability to identify a lay caregiver does not replace the need for an individual to have an Advance Health Care Directive, which has a much broader scope. The CARE Act only applies to the limited situation of a person who is admitted to or held for observation status in a hospital, whereas an Advance Health Care Directive allows the agent under the Directive to help the principal (the person who signed the document) in any medical context. Advance Health Care Directives do not only provide for a release of medical information to the agent; they can also guide the agent on issues such as end-of-life care, organ donation, and funeral and burial arrangements as well as nominate the agent as a guardian if a guardian is ever needed. (The ability of an agent to access financial information and to make financial decisions on behalf of a principal is accomplished through a Financial Paid Advertisement for Rudman Winchell.
delay discharge. Additionally, the statute does not impose any independent legal obligation upon the identified caregiver to provide aftercare to the patient. The CARE Act passed unanimously in the Maine House and Senate after a veto override. It has been enacted in at least 18 states. On the federal level, the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, with stakeholders, to develop and implement a national policy to support family caregivers. The RAISE Act was introduced in the Senate by Senator Collins; it passed in the Senate this December and has been referred to a House committee. JOY A. TRUEWORTHY, ESQ., is an associate attorney with Rudman Winchell in Bangor. Her practice is concentrated in estate planning, long-term care planning, elder law, and probate administration.
PHOTO: STOCKBYTE/THINKSTOCK
When an individual is admitted to the hospital, the CARE Act requires an opportunity for the individual to designate a lay caregiver.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 95
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word
I
’ve always been
April Showers Bring..
May Baskets?
Celebrating the season with parades and spontaneous kissing. BY CHRIS QUIMBY
a fan of the month of May. The old poem states that April showers bring May flowers, and although I am not particularly excited about horticulture, it is nice that winter is finally far enough behind to not have to suffer its foul stench. And the black flies and mosquitoes usually are a bit late to the party, offering Maine residents and visitors a few weeks of respite before the involuntary blood donations begin. May has enjoyed the designation as my favorite time of year largely because it is the month of my birth. Granted, this was a more anticipated occasion earlier in life when I had accumulated less of them, but still special. Birthdays are like national holidays honoring the common man. Whereas some people had to lobby for civil rights, discover an already-inhabited nation or rise from the dead to receive honor, a birthday only requires you to have continued living for another year, however unsuccessfully you have lived that life. As far as birthdays are concerned, there is no grade. It is strictly pass/fail. The celebration of the anniversary of my birth was always a bit overshadowed though, due mostly to my immature understanding of the world. With mine falling on May 30, I could expect each year to enjoy the Memorial Day parade, which I assumed was, at least in some small way, in honor of my existence. My younger sister, Julie, though, was born on July 5, and the Independence Day parade was much larger than mine, with greater amounts of candy, fire trucks and horse poop. My mother also used to speak vaguely of another May holiday called May Day, celebrated on the first day of that month. Mom explained that, on that day, participants could fill up a May basket, which is a basket filled with treats or flowers, and leave it on someone’s doorstep. Once the doorbell was rung, the giver would run away. The person receiving the basket would then pursue the giver and, if the giver was caught, both the gifter and giftee would exchange a kiss. I’m sure whoever developed this idea either had good intentions or was a bit of a pervert. But perhaps society has changed so much that I’m looking at it through the wrong lens. I mean, as much as America has recently developed a more liberal attitude regarding human relationships, I still remember, for example, kissing booths at fairs in my youth. Kissing booths were actual carnival attractions where you give somebody money in exchange for a kiss, like junior varsity prostitution. Hard to believe that was ever a thing. But regarding May Day, I”ve never spoken with anyone who’s participated. And I can’t see doing it. There’s so much to consider: • How out of shape must you be to not get enough of a running head start ahead of your pursuer to outrun their pursuit? • Assuming you left a basket at the doorstep of someone you’d want to kiss, why would you be motivated to run at all? • If you do choose to run, you likely would do so in joking exaggerated slowness with a low voice, as if on slow-motion video proclaiming, “Ooooooohhh, nnooo! Theeeyy’rrree gaaaaaaiiinnnniiinnnggg ooooonnn mmeeeee!” • Let’s say you drop the basket on the doorstep of someone who is not fond of you and chooses to keep the bounty and not pursue — one who, although the basket is filled with treats, is most blessed by the reality that you are running away? How will you feel about your life then? If you have any May Day stories, I’d love to hear them, but please don’t email me. Instead, write them down on a single sheet of paper,drop them on my doorstep, knock on the door and run like crazy. And I apologize in advance for the scratchiness of my facial hair. CHRIS QUIMBY is a Christian comedian, speaker and writer, morning news anchor and host of Soup du Jour on VStv, and owner of Chris Quimby iPhone Repair. He resides in Brooks with his wife and two children.
96 / BANGOR METRO May 2016
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 97
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