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FORGOTTEN MAINE REDISCOVERING MAINE’S ABANDONED PLACES
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R O R G O N G A N B BA w
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CONTENTS
JANUARY 2017
FEATURES 11 NAME OF STORY Short description 13 NAME OF STORY Short description 13 NAME OF STORY Short description
IN EVERY ISSUE 11 WHAT’S HAPPENING Local news & sightings
11
NAME OF STORY
11
NAME OF STORY
11 Q&A Short description 13 HOME Short description 13 TRANSITIONS Short description 13 LAST WORD Short description
ON THE COVER Short description
2 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
BUSINESS
HEALTH
FOOD & DRINK
11 NAME OF STORY Short description
11 NAME OF STORY Short description
11 NAME OF STORY Short description
13 NAME OF STORY Short description
13 NAME OF STORY Short description
13 NAME OF STORY Short description
ARTS & MUSIC
OUTDOORS
FAMILY
11 NAME OF STORY Short description
11 NAME OF STORY Short description
11 NAME OF STORY Short description
13 NAME OF STORY Short description
13 NAME OF STORY Short description
13 NAME OF STORY Short description
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 3
EDITOR’S NOTE
I’D BEEN SEARCHING FOR THE DARN THING FOR MONTHS. IT WAS BECOMING MY ALBATROSS, THIS WRECK. I knew it was out there, somewhere in the woods of Dedham—mocking me, I imagined, as I embarked on my fifth bushwhack through the woods surrounding Bald Mountain. I had heard rumors of the wreckage over drinks with my uncle, also an avid hiker. The crashed Air Force jet was well-preserved, he said, and somewhere on or near Bald Mountain. We’d been discussing the area’s other abandonment, the long-defunct Bald Mountain Ski Area, and how I had found remnants of its infrastructure. It was exciting and interesting, like discovering a secret. The jet wreckage promised the same. I spent several sweaty summer days circumnavigating the mountain, exploring old logging roads and hiking off-trail in search of ghosts. Near the end of my rope, I came across mewreckchasers.com, a site that catalogs and documents Maine’s old aircraft wrecks. It didn’t have a map of my wreck, but it had photos. Now, finally, I had a good lead. I packed up my kids, drove to the end of a lonely road in Dedham, and got permission from the elderly lady who lived there to pass through her property. Fifteen minutes later, we found it—the considerable remains of an F101B “Voodoo” interceptor’s ill-fated 1961 return to Dow AFB in Bangor. It was exciting and interesting. Like discovering a secret. I’m no urban explorer—at least, not in the sense that others are. But I understand the allure of exploring things that have been lost to time, of discovering places that most people think exist only in memory. I’m happy this issue to feature a group of people who chase that passion to greater places (see “Abandonment Issues” on page 26). If you enjoy that piece, be sure to check out historian Dick Shaw’s profile on old Bangor (page 42), featuring reminisces of a time not one of us will ever explore again. What? No, I will not tell you where the jet is. Happy hunting.
MATT CHABE, SENIOR EDITOR
Matt and his daughters FINALLY FIND THE REMAINS
OF A CRASHED AIR FORCE JET NEAR BALD MOUNTAIN.
4 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
Life with a view. www.bangormetro.com P.O. Box 1329 Bangor, Maine 04402-1329 Phone: 207.990.8000
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6 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS
Joshua Archer
Emily Burnham
Anne Gabianelli
Bob Duchesne
Jodi Hersey
Jeff Kirlin
Richard Shaw
Sarah Walker Caron
Chris Quimby
Robin Clifford Wood
Bangor Metro Magazine. April 2017, Vol. 13, No. 4. 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 Matt Chabe at mchabe@bangordailynews.com. Advertising: For advertising questions, please call the Print Sales Manager Todd Johnston at 207-990-8134. 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 207-990-8075. Accounts Payable/Receivable: For information about your account please contact Todd Johnston at 207-990-8134.
COVER DESIGN: Amy Allen
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 7
EVENTS
WHAT’S HAPPENING
APRIL
APRIL 6 Portland Sea Dogs Opening Day
The 37th annual State of Maine Sportsman Show will be held March 31-April 2 at the Augusta Civic Center. Expect new vendors, new seminars, new contests and lots of crowd participation, as well as some new kid’s activities, alongside all the things you’ve come to enjoy as a lover of the great Maine outdoors. Tickets are $8 each, or $6 for kids, seniors and active military.
APRIL 6 PORTLAND SEA DOGS OPENING DAY
The Portland Sea Dogs have their home opener set for 6 p.m. Thursday, April 6 at beautiful Hadlock Field, against the Hartford Yard Goats. There’s not much more that feels spring-like than the start of baseball. Tickets range from $6 to $14, so it’s also a fantastic, familyfriendly deal. milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t546
8 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
APRIL 6-9 29TH ANNUAL BUD LIGHT REGGAE FESTIVAL
Back in 2016 for its 28th consecutive year, Sugarloaf will again host the annual Bud Light Reggae Festival, a springtime party in ski country. Headlining this year's event is reggae-rock band John Brown’s Body, along with guests Zeme Libre and New Kingston. Music starts Thursday night. sugarloaf.com
APRIL 8 DALE & RAY
Dale Watson (The Lone Stars) and Ray Benson (Asleep At The Wheel) are both from Texas, both are accomplished country singer-songwriters, and have both individually worked their way through the local honky tonks and beer joints, entertaining the crowds with their own Classic Country and Western styles. They’ve joined forces to released an album and embark on a tour. The concert, set for the Strand Theatre in Rockland, is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 8.
APRIL 11 DAVID SEDARIS LIVE
With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today. He’ll give a talk that’s equal parts lecture and stand up comedy performance, set for Tuesday, April 11 at the Collins Center for the Arts; tickets are available online at collinscenterforthearts.com. collinscenterforthearts.com
APRIL 12 BRIT FLOYD
One of the most acclaimed Pink Floyd tribute acts is set for the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on Wednesday, April 12, courtesy Waterfront Concerts. Tickets for this multi-sensory experience are available via Ticketmaster. ticketmaster.com
PHOTOS: BDN FILE
MARCH 31-APRIL 2 STATE OF MAINE SPORTSMEN’S SHOW
APRIL 15 KENDUSKEAG STREAM CANOE RACE
One of the most iconic events in Maine — and the springtime sporting event of the year in Bangor — kicks off bright and early Saturday morning, and finishes up in the late morning in downtown Bangor. If you’re not participating yourself, get there early and line up along the banks of the stream to watch the canoeists come in! For lots more information, visit kenduskeagstreamcanoerace.com.
APRIL 15 Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race
kenduskeagstreamcanoerace.com
APRIL 15-16 AND APRIL 22-23 FREE ADMISSION AT ACADIA NATIONAL PARK FOR NATIONAL PARK WEEK
Though there are ten fee-free days throughout the year, April is the jackpot for free admission to the park, with two full weekends open for your hiking, biking and walking fun. The Park Loop Road reopens at this time, and it’s also a great chance to beat the summer crowds.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 9
EVENTS
WHAT’S HAPPENING
APRIL 15-16 & APRIL 22-23 Free Admission to Acadia National Park
nps.gov/acad/index.htm
APRIL 17 THE PRICE IS RIGHT LIVE!
This live, touring version of the iconic game show comes to the Cross Insurance Center on Monday, April 17, and you the contestant can win big! Enjoy the games, the laughter and even the showcase showdown. There are no tickets for the show; hopeful contestants must line up at the Cross Center, and registration will begin at 4:30 p.m., three hours before the 7:30 p.m. start time.
APRIL 22 “DISENCHANTED! THE NEW FAIRY TALE MUSICAL”
Poisoned apples. Glass slippers. Who needs them? Not Snow White and her posse of disenchanted princesses in this touring musical. Forget the princesses you think
10 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
you know. These royal renegades toss off their tiaras in this subversive, not for kids musical. The show is set for 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday, April 22 at the Gracie Theatre at Husson University in Bangor, and tickets are available at the Gracie box office.
APRIL 26 BROADWAY NATIONAL TOUR OF “ANNIE”
Directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin and choreographed by Liza Gennaro, this production of “Annie” is a brand new incarnation of the iconic original, with such unforgettable songs as “It’s the Hard Knock Life” and “Tomorrow.” The show is set for Wednesday, April 26 at the Collins Center for the Arts. collinscenterforthearts.com
APRIL 29 BELLA’S BARTOK
To understand Bella’s Bartok, imagine
what you would get if Salvador Dali and Toulouse Lautrec were fronting the Moulin Rouge's house band, and you have the exuberant spectacle that is Bella’s Bartok. This 6-piece powerhouse melds Bohemian Klezmer Punk with pop sensibilities into an eminently danceable party. They’ll perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor. Local rockabilly band the Crown Vics will open.
APRIL 29 24TH ANNUAL CHEF'S GALA
Maine Coast Memorial Hospital’s 24th Annual Chef’s Gala at the Ramada Inn in Ellsworth. A variety of area chefs prepare food for a delicious dinner; dancing and two live bands follow. 5:30-11 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person ($80 of which is tax-deductible). Proceeds benefit a new three-dimensional mammographic imaging technology for the hospital. mainehospital.org
PHOTO: BDN FILE
For more information, visit www.nps.gov/ acad/index.htm.
Great
S C I E N C E Maine Science Festival proves “Science is Everywhere!” SCIENCE: IT’S TRULY ALL AROUND US. From the clouds in the sky to the cars we drive, everything can be explained with the fundamental principles of science. Find yourself wondering about the inner workings of things? Fancy yourself the curious type? The inquisitive sort? The Maine Science Festival (MSF) is the thing for you. The MSF, launched in 2015, is an annual, weekend-long celebration of science featuring more than 50 events and activities across downtown Bangor, the Cross Insurance Center, and the Hampden Academy Performing Arts Center. The MSF features events and activities for all ages with forums, hands-on activities, workshops, exhibits, films and more. Throughout the weekend, you’ll dissect, explore and celebrate the remarkable science, engineering, mathematics and technology happening in Maine every day. With the exception of the headliner event, nearly every MSF event is made available free-of-charge thanks to sponsors and partners. The MSF organizers have made the event openly available to ensure that all Mainers have the opportunity to attend and learn about science in unique and innovative ways. The third MSF weekend kicks off March 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Sea Dog Brewing Company with Science on Tap — Mythbusting, MSF-style (sponsored by Bangor Metro!—Ed.). This 21-plus event offers a chance to hear about some of the myths and truths surrounding genetically-modified organisms and to discover what research tells us about people who choose to be childfree. On March 17, almost 1,100 middle school students from all over Maine will participate in the MSF’s Friday Field Trip, followed by a full weekend of fun events. The 2017 MSF headliner event is a live show and taping of the public radio show and podcast “You’re the Expert.” This program uses comedy to make academic research more accessible and exciting, and features a panel of comedians, game show segments and hilariously misguided guesses. The MSF is thrilled to celebrate, showcase and help you get inspired by the many different types of science and technology that are happening in Maine. Remember, #scienceiseverywhere! For the full schedule of events, visit mainesciencefestival.org/schedule. All MSF events (excluding the headliner) are free to attend. Many events have space limitations and require prior registration—please check the schedule for details. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 11
EVENTS
SIGHTINGS
LET’S CELEBRATE! HERE’S A LOOK AT JUST A FEW SPECIAL EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH...
1
The Bangor Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Awards Dinner at the Cross Insurance Center on Jan. 27. 1: (From left) Sarah Dubay, Ken Schmidt, Suzanne Hallett and Larry Clifford.
2: Jon Dawson and Chuck LeBlanc. 3: Jody Vail, Marion Syversen, Francesca Desanctis, Lisa Larson, Jane Anderson and Tanya Emery.
2
PHOTOS: ERICA LEIGHTON, CLOSER NORTH PHOTOGRAPHY
3
12 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
Taking the Lead!
It’s our Leadership in Maine issue— time to test your knowledge of Maine pioneers past and present.
1 2
1: Proud parent (and former Bangor Metro editor!) Aimee Thibodeau and kids at the Old Town/Orono YMCA Open House and Member Appreciation Day. 2: Ali O’Keefe and kids at the Old Town/
Orono YMCA Open House and Member Appreciation Day recently. 3: Brian Bouchard, Libbie Bouchard, Cynthia Rollins and Adam Sutton get chummy at the Bangor Valentine’s Heart Gala.
PHOTOS: JEFF KIRLIN/THE THING OF THE MOMENT
3
Visit our Bangor Metro Facebook page to play online! www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 13
BUSINESS
BIZ BUZZ
ON THE MOVE Aroostook Aspirations Initiative (AAI) recently hired NICOLE DUPLESSIS as a development and communications assistant. Duplessis received her bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the New England School of Communications (NESCOM). Most recently, Nicole worked as a reporter at WAGM-TV.
U.S. Navy Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class AUSTIN PERRY from Lincoln, Maine, supervises sailors as the line coach for the M16 live-fire qualification aboard USS Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, in Atsugi, Japan recently. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Erwin Jacob Villavicencio Miciano. DAWN NASON and CAROLYN LYNCH recently joined the staff of Bar Harbor Savings and Loan. Nason joins the bank as an accounting associate. She has a degree in Accounting from Andover College in Portland, Maine. Lynch joins the bank as an internal auditor. She has her MBA from Southern New Hampshire University and a CFSA from the Institute of Internal Auditors. NICK TURNER has been named executive director of The Grand in Ellsworth after a nationwide search. He will join The Grand in spring 2017. His most recent position was as co-founder and executive director at la-de-da, an all-ages performing arts school in Fort Collins, Colo. U.S. Navy LT. DENISE MILLER from Clifton, Maine, recently began participating in NASA’s ground and airborne snow mission exercise 14 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
(SnowEx) at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo. The multiyear SnowEx campaign tests a variety of sensors and techniques to investigate snow and water availability over an array of terrain. More than one-sixth of the world’s population rely on seasonal snow and glaciers for water. The Telergee Alliance, a national network of CPA firms serving the telecommunications industry, has elected JULIE KEIM, CPA, a principal at BerryDunn, as chair/president of the board for a two-year term. Eight-year-old EVAN RILEY from Thomaston, Maine, has been selected as state ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. As the new State Ambassador, Riley will make public appearances throughout the state, representing kids and adults with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related lifethreatening diseases.
GRANTS Husson University students BROOKS GAY of Underhill, Vermont; KAILE KIMBALL of Lamoine, Maine; and SERIAN WILLIAMS of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, have been awarded a $1,500 Maine Campus Compact grant to study stormwater runoff. The students will be using the award to design a rain garden on Husson’s Bangor campus.
The FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK OF BOSTON announced recently that it would distribute $17.5 million in subsidies to finance 13 affordable housing initiatives throughout Maine. CAMDEN NATIONAL BANK was recently awarded direct subsidy funding for three projects, including a $750,000 subsidy for the PARISH HOUSE in Bar Harbor, $750,000 in subsidy funds for MERICI WOODS SENIOR HOUSING in Waterville, and an additional $750,000 for PINEWOOD MANOR in Old Orchard Beach. BAR HARBOR BANK & TRUST, in partnership with its employees and directors, announced recently that it donated $11,296 through the bank’s Community Commitment program in 2016 to non-profit organizations throughout the state. THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF BAR HARBOR presented MOUNT DESERT ISLAND HOSPITAL with a check for $100,000 recently in support of the hospital’s Emergency Generator Campaign. The funds help bring MDI Hospital closer to its goal of replacing the organization’s 35-year-old emergency generator with matching funds from a $1 million challenge grant issued by the Manton Foundation of New York. From Left: Steve Sprague, Senior Mortgage Lender, The First; Lani Naihe, Director of Advancement, MDI Hospital; Jon Nicholson, Senior Regional Business Relationship Officer, The First; Arthur J. Blank, President/CEO, MDI Hospital; Tony McKim, President/ CEO, The First; Vince Messer, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board of Trustees, MDI Hospital; Brenda Fernald, Business Development Officer, The First.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 15
BUSINESS
NICE RIDE Ridesharing service Uber makes the trek from the big city to Bangor region. BY ABIGAIL CURTIS IT WAS 1 A.M. at Bangor International Airport and Bangor business owner Betsy Lundy was beginning to realize she was in some trouble. Her flight had just landed and she was having a hard time getting a ride home. Her husband couldn’t pick her up because he was watching their three small children, and Lundy, who figured she could just call a cab from the airport, was striking out. Then Lundy, the co-owner of the Maine Cloth Diaper Co. and the Central Street Farmhouse, thought of Uber, the online transportation company that had officially expanded into the Bangor area last March. She opened the Uber app on her smartphone, wondering if any of the company’s drivers were still available at this late hour. She was in luck. A University of Maine student who had been the designated sober person at a fraternity party that night hadn’t figured he would wind up picking up a stranded mom at the airport. It worked for both of them. “In general, Uber gets there faster,” Lundy said. “I like that I can [use the app] and see exactly where my car is. People always talk about Millennials not wanting to get on the phone and talk to anybody. I’m not even a Millennial, but I want to press a button and have the car materialize.” Uber, an international company founded in 2009 that has its headquarters in San Francisco, was slow to make inroads into rural Maine but is starting to catch on in the greater Bangor area. The peer-to-peer ridesharing service may seem like a natural 16 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
Michael Sturgeon, 58, of Old Town, was one of the first Uber drivers in the greater Bangor area.
fit in more urban locales, but there is certainly an audience for it here, according to Carlie Waibel, a spokesperson for Uber New England. “Our expansion and growth has really been exciting in New England. On-demand transportation is really convenient. It can be very affordable and also reliable,” she said. “And specifically in an area like Maine, where there are fewer transportation options, Uber plays a very significant role.” Both the riders and the drivers are Uber customers, which is one essential way that the company differs from traditional taxi services. Prospective Uber drivers sign up online and go through vetting that includes a criminal background check and a check to make sure they have a license, proof of vehicle ownership and insurance. Riders use a smartphone application or their computer to access the service, and are able to rate drivers based on their trip experience on a one to five-star scale. Drivers also rate riders, and receive a percentage of the fare that is paid through the Uber app. Michael Sturgeon, 58, of Old Town, was one of the first Uber drivers in the greater Bangor area -- now there may be as many as 70. As of mid-February, he had logged just over 2,000 rides in his orange 2007 Ford Edge SUV. When Sturgeon started, though, the company was new here and trying to catch on in the tourist destination of Bar Harbor without great success. There weren’t a lot of customers, and some of the drivers weren’t from Maine and got lost on
Mount Desert Island’s back roads. Sturgeon spent a lot of time hanging around Bar Harbor waiting for someone to need a ride. Nevertheless, he had an idea that the service could be a big hit around the University of Maine and in Bangor. “Uber said, ‘We’ve done the market research and we don’t think it’s really viable,’” he remembered. “Well, I said, ‘Do you mind if I try?’” So, in the fall of 2015, Sturgeon did some guerrilla marketing for Uber. He put a bunch of flyers out at Orono’s big off-campus student housing complexes, letting students know that Uber had arrived, and gave them promotional codes for ride discounts. “It caught on like wildfire,” he said. “I was really, really busy. We didn’t have enough drivers and I was driving like a onearmed paperhanger.” Sturgeon recruited more drivers, and eventually Uber decided to make the greater Bangor market official. The company recruited lots of drivers and started out by paying them $1.80 per mile and 16 cents per minute. Recently, Uber dropped the base mile rate to $1.20 per mile, a move that has irked many drivers. “There’s some disgruntlement,” Sturgeon said. He’s not happy about the mile rate drop either, of course. But he is clear that his primary motivation to be an Uber driver is not financial. Sturgeon used to be the assistant chief for the Old Town Fire Department and said that he has seen more
than his share of bad car accidents. “Part of what I like about Uber is the interaction with the college kids, and the fact that I’m contributing to them getting home safely,” he said. “I’ve got kids in college, too. And I’m thankful that they have access to a safe ride home with a reliable driver and a safe vehicle. That’s part of the reason I prefer the Orono student crowd. They’re trying to be responsible.” Nowadays, Sturgeon works from home in the software industry, and has a lot of job flexibility. That means he can often leave his Uber app on to wait for rides. The money he earns goes into a special savings account that is earmarked for fun things. Last summer, he and his family went on a trip to Greece with the help of his Uber earnings (and where they used Uber to get around, too). Sturgeon is much more enthusiastic about Uber than the extra money alone can explain. He likes the people he meets, even the intoxicated college students, and the conversations he has when they are in his car. He likes it so much that it can even be hard to turn his app off at night. “They all have a story to tell. I’ll have students talking about their challenges. They’ll ask you what you would do. They’re often looking for some wisdom,” he said. “It’s sort of like a drug. You know there’s one more ride out there. It’s 2:30 in the morning, and I’m driving back to my house. You would think I’d shut my app off. But I don’t. I’ve got to go get that last ride.” www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 17
BUSINESS
SOLE
PURPOSE Bangor startup prints 3D soles to revolutionize shoe industry. STORY & PHOTOS BY ROBIN CLIFFORD WOOD
Andrew Katon (left) holds an early prototype of a full-sized shoe whose base was made with his trademarked 3D printing technology. The sole is made with a continuous spray made of shifting proportions of materials.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING is a concept that’s hard for many of us to wrap our heads around, but for Andrew Katon it’s just another day at the office. Katon is co-founder of Cobbler Technologies, a small, high-tech startup company based in Bangor. Cobbler Technologies is introducing a cutting-edge 3D manufacturing process that will bring 3D printing to a whole new level, and the focus for their innovative process is the shoe industry. For those of you unfamiliar with 3D printing, here’s a way to visualize it: when the ink-based printer in your home or office receives your document information, it lays down a layer of ink in your desired pattern. In 3D printing, other substances are laid down according to your specifications, one layer at a time. You gradually increase the height from your base with each layer, and voila! You have a three dimensional product. 3D technology is already changing the face of many fields—automotive, aeronautical, medical, defense, education, robotics, architecture, and retail manufacturing. Katon began working on 3D technology while studying engineering at the University of Maine. His particular interest in the shoe industry grew from multiple factors. Individually customized shoes have high consumer appeal, especially to athletes. New England already has a strong market in footwear, and the shoe industry is ripe for 3D printing. “I’d say every major footwear brand in America is putting intense focus on 3D printing right now,” said Katon. “It takes two years and about three million dollars for a big, top shoe manufacturer to introduce a new shoe line. With our new method, you can have a new design and have a shoe ready the next day.”
“IT TAKES TWO YEARS AND ABOUT THREE MILLION DOLLARS FOR A BIG, TOP SHOE MANUFACTURER TO INTRODUCE A NEW SHOE LINE. WITH OUR NEW METHOD, YOU CAN HAVE A NEW DESIGN AND HAVE A SHOE READY THE NEXT DAY.”
— Andrew Katon
Katon’s new printer has an essential advantage. The process involves a trademarked method that uses Atomized Particle Deposition (3DAPDTM). Solid materials are pressurized into a sprayable form, then deposited in layers of fine droplets. In other 3D printers, you have to change nozzles in between layers of materials like rubber, plastic, or foam, and the different layers have to be glued together. Katon’s company has produced a machine that can blend materials through one continuous spray. This “functional grading” creates a chemical bond between layers, eliminating the need for glue and the need to change nozzles. 18 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
Here are some of the plastic pellets that go into Cobbler Technologies new printer. They are atomized through a pressurized system, then sprayed onto the printing surface.
Cobbler Technologies includes a dedicated team of engineering and business specialists. Their expertise has brought increasing attention from investors and manufacturers. The company now has a partnership with Dassault Systemes, a software design company. They were invited to take part in this year’s “Venture Summit West” event for emerging growth companies. By the time this story goes to print, they will likely have finalized negotiations with a manufacturing partner. They expect to work exclusively with their launch partner until early 2019, when they hope to open the market to other manufacturers. Katon, a quiet young man, exudes an undercurrent of elevated anticipation over his printer’s capabilities and the future of the company. Because the industry is changing so fast and the stakes are so high, he was reluctant to share too many details of their negotiations, their technology, or his pending patents. “The paranoid survive,” he said with an apologetic smile. The moral? New developments arise every week in his industry, and you have to be careful what you reveal. Most of Katon’s college classmates sought opportunities out of state after college. Katon loves Maine and chose to build his company here. If technology and manufacturing trends continue on their current trajectory, it looks like his decision is going to pay off. Because of 3D printing’s capacity to deliver customized products more efficiently, small-scale local manufacturing may be the wave of the future.
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FAST BREAK For Brewer physical therapist, leadership on and off-court is a slam dunk. BY ANNE GABBIANELLI
20 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
WHEN BREWER NATIVE Brad Libby was a senior in high school, he knew he wanted to be a physical therapist. What he didn’t know then is that just 10 years later, he would own his own physical therapy business with two clinics. “Ever since I was little, I’ve always played sports. I’m competitive by nature, and this comes out in my work every day,” said Libby, founder of Performance Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab, Inc., which opened in 2015 in Bangor and, more recently, in Brewer. The 2007 Brewer High School graduate had a guiding light, so to speak: “My brother is a pretty big role model in my life. Brandon was in med school when he was just 20. He’s been on fire ever since,” he said. “I just watched him succeed and knew I could do the same.” Libby’s always had a passion for basketball and played it throughout his childhood, he said. In high school, he added soccer and tennis to the list of sports he played. Seeing his brother progress on his own career path during that period, he said, provided a new inspiration. He began considering careers in fields like physical education, athletic training and physical therapy. A subsequent sports injury and the rehab that followed narrowed his list. So began his mission. He was drawn to Husson University in part because of the three-plus-three program— three years of undergraduate work, plus three years of doctoral studies—which placed him in clinics in Cape Cod and Boston. By 2011, he had earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a minor in psychology. In 2013, he began his career as a doctor. He played basketball as a student at Husson. Today, he’s the assistant men’s basketball coach. He admits that playing basketball for Husson, and their head coach Warren Caruso in particular, were big draws in his decision to matriculate there. “I can’t say enough about Husson’s program,” said Libby. “I’ve been around Coach Caruso for nine years now, learning from his discipline and leadership. He puts 110 percent into his work, and I translate that into my [medical] practice.” Even though Libby is assisting with coaching the team, he considers himself a lifelong student of Caruso’s. “He talks to me about life balance and gives me tips all the time. He’s had a big impact on me and how I run my clinics,” said Libby. He admits he brings his athletic competitive mindset to work every day. “I want to get that patient better as fast as I can. It’s almost a competition against science and myself to see what new techniques I can come up with.”
PHOTOS: (TOP) KATARZYNABIALASIEWICZ/THINKSTOCK; (MIDDLE) TKTKT; (BOTTOM) BDN FILE
HEALTH
Brad Libby defends a shot as a Brewer High School player in 2007.
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HEALTH
Dr. Brad Libby works with patient and basketball player Hannah Pray in 2015 to help her regain mobility after knee surgery. (Below) Libby with Husson University head coach Warren Caruso (center) watching as their team faced Thomas College recently.
He credits his business success with a well-balanced lifestyle, along with the fact that he enjoys talking with people and getting to know them. “The biggest thing in my job is getting the patient’s trust,” he said, “and once they trust you, we will have success.” Success for some patients means increased mobility, and for a majority it’s being pain free. Libby speaks of one patient in particular who suffered with pain for a year. “She told me, ‘I came in and saw how young you were and almost walked out,’” he said. “‘But then you started talking, and I heard the confidence and knowledge, so I
“SHE TOLD ME, ‘I CAME IN AND SAW HOW YOUNG YOU WERE AND ALMOST WALKED OUT,’” HE SAID. “‘BUT THEN YOU STARTED TALKING, AND I HEARD THE CONFIDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE, SO I STAYED.’ IT DID NOT TAKE US LONG TO GET HER ON TRACK TO FEELING PAIN FREE.”
stayed.’ It did not take us long to get her on track to feeling pain free.” Libby admits his approach can be a little more aggressive, because he wants to bring patients to a healthier level than they think is possible. “We do gauge what the patient can handle,” he said. “Some patients have that psychological block because they have so much pain. That whole thing back in the day of ‘no pain, no gain’ does not apply. We don’t want to increase the pain so the patients can’t function for three days.” “I want to be able to help as many people in the community as I possibly can,” he said. “I just introduce myself as ‘Brad,’ and honestly love what I do when I come to work every day.” 22 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
PHOTOS: BDN FILE; (BASKETBALL) MOMENTOUSPHOTOVIDEO/THINKSTOCK
— Brad Libby
Dear Winter, ave been so Lately you h I long for more cold to me. e. light in my lif warmth and ld do us both A break wou leaving you. good. So I’m Goodbye. Me
Has winter lost its charm? If you’re ready to leave winter in your wake, enjoy the convenience of an airport closer to home. Fly nonstop to warm and sunny destinations, or to hub cities with easy connections to the world. Our new and improved airport check-in center makes saying goodbye to winter easier than ever. Plan your winter escape at FlyBangor.com Starting April 1, new Delta nonstops to JFK. Plus, new American nonstops to Charlotte start June 3.
BGR_BangorMetro_Winter17.indd 1
ALLEGIANT • AMERICAN • DELTA • UNITED
3/1/17 12:16 PM
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 23
Q+A Q+A
Q + A
With Danny Williams, Collins Center for the Arts Executive Director. BY MATT CHABE
ONE COULD SAY that the Collins Center and Danny Williams got their start around the same time: back in 1986, the then-Maine Center for the Arts was opening its doors on the UMaine campus in Orono just as Williams was matriculating there. Turns out, it was serendipitous—Williams would become an advisory board member as a graduate student, a position he held for 20 years until becoming the executive director in 2014. We caught up with Williams recently to chat with the Bangor-area native (and husband of politician Emily Cain) about his responsibilities, music, and dreams of Saturday Night Live. TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AT THE COLLINS CENTER. I essentially manage the Center’s day-to-day operations while also keeping an eye on the long-term vision for the future. I do a little bit of everything— programming, fundraising (both individual and sponsorships), marketing. In many instances I’m the public face of the Center. HOW DO YOU THINK THE COLLINS CENTER REMAINS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY? We bring the performing arts to an area they might not otherwise come to. The mission of this place, from the outset, was to expose part of our state that has been traditionally under-served, artistically. I think there’s a case to be made that 31 years ago, this experiment started when really there was nothing else here. The Bangor Auditorium brought performances in, but they weren’t thinking ballet. I think it demonstrated that there was an appetite in this region for the performing arts. HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE PERFORMANCES? It’s part art, part science, part economics, and part luck, and none of those in equal parts. But really, number one is “know your audience.” We really strive for balance in terms of what we bring here. All that being said, we do try to bring things that sometimes challenge our audience to take a chance, take a risk on something that they may not be familiar with. WHAT MOMENTS HAVE MADE YOU SAY, “WOW, WE DID THIS?” Every year we bring in people who are among the best in the world at what they do. For example, last year we had Wynton Marsalis here. We had Bela Fleck here. I’m not sure that I can say, you know, one [performance] over the other. Everything we bring here, we’re proud of. YOU WERE ONCE A MUSIC STUDENT. WHAT’S YOUR “DESERT ISLAND” ALBUM? “Graceland,” by Paul Simon. First of all, I love choral music. There’s a lot of good choral singing on that with Ladysmith Black Mambazo (a South African male choral group—Ed.). [Simon] writes great music, tells great stories, and it’s great singing. There’s something about the African choral music that really resonates with me, and I’m just not sure I’d ever get tired of listening to it.
...AND THE MUSICAL GUEST? Right now, SNL has very contemporary musicians on, a lot of whom I haven’t heard. I’d probably want to [feature] somebody that I’m a little bit more familiar with. Not that some people like Drake and all those aren’t great, just not quite my era. It would either be Tony Bennett, because he’s just unbelievable, or it would be Alison Krauss. She was at the Bangor waterfront a couple of years ago, and she’s just a wonderful, incredible musician. 24 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
PHOTO: BDN FILE
IF YOU WEREN’T DOING THIS, WHAT JOB WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY? I’d want to host Saturday Night Live, because I’m a comedian at heart—or at least I think I’m funny. That’s certainly subject to opinion. I can do voices and impressions. I’ve been a fan of the show for a long time.
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FEATURE
PHOTOS: JERRY COPAN, JR
(Top) Fort Gorges in Hog Island Ledge in Casco Bay. (Above & left) Outside and inside an abandoned house in Waterboro, just outside of Biddeford.
26 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
ABANDONMENT
ISSUES The people obsessed with Maine’s abandoned places. BY JOSH ARCHER
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FEATURE All over Maine lay decaying pockets of time: places of industry and family sacrificed to wilderness and progress. For some, the lure of the hunt, the exploration of these places, is far too great to ignore. “At the time, I was traveling quite a bit for work,” said David Dauphinee, the administrator and primary contributor at coldwarrelics.com, a website that documents Maine’s abandoned Cold Warera structures. “I would pass by a place, I’d budget a little bit of time and swing by and check it out. Sometimes you go see a place, and it generates more questions than it does answers.” While there’s no official title for those who see abandoned sections of Maine as a means to travel through time, many consider themselves “urban explorers,” casual members of a growing national trend of urban exploration (or “urbex,” in hobbyists’ parlance). As the name suggests, it involves the exploration of man-made structures, often seeking to appreciate them in more intimate and unique ways than the casual passerby. Photography, an interest in history, and the desire to document are often involved, and although some urban explorers see trespassing as a means to an end, it’s not always the case—many remain outside of a structure, or obtain landowner permission first. Most follow a “leave no trace” philosophy, and those who practice vandalism are frowned upon.
(Above and left) Inside an abandoned church near downtown Biddeford. (This photo) The closed Catholic convent on Stephens Avenue in Portland.
28 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
PHOTOS: JERRY COPAN, JR
Urban explorer Jerry Copan Jr. says one of his favorite places to visit is this junkyard located in Oxford. It is filled with at least 1,000 classic cars.
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FEATURE
“You can be traipsing off into the woods and you think you’re in the middle of nowhere... and all of a sudden you come across a stone wall or a foundation... and you realize that this place wasn’t always forest like this. Somebody lived here and somebody worked here. I find that part fascinating.”
—David Fiske
The Captain Park House in Searsport.
30 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
PHOTOS: (OPPOSITE BOTTOM) JERRY COPAN, JR; (THIS PAGE) DAVID DAUPHINEE
“For me, it’s a curiosity about those things. I’ve always appreciated military stuff in one capacity or another,” said Dauphinee. “There’s just a natural curiosity about it, and also the fact that it is in our backyard, the fact that we had this huge infrastructure in Maine and nobody really talks about it. It’s just sort of out there, left alone and nobody ever discussed it.” “I’ve always found Loring Air Force Base to be the most fascinating,” he continued, “just because of the sheer scope of it. You’re talking almost three miles of runway, they had nuclear weapons there… that’s pretty amazing when you think about the capacity and the power of a nuclear weapon, and a bunch of them were there. We had nuclear weapons in Maine! That’s just kind of neat to say.” Most Maine residents can name at least one abandoned area that’s captured their imagination: the airfield at Pickerel Pond, for instance. The old waterworks building in Bangor (since repurposed as low-income apartments). The shuttered bomb shelter along the bike path in Old Town. The “Captain Park house” in Searsport. Dauphinee says when you’re at a loss for answers about a site, turning to the internet helps and allows you to meet fellow explorers. “You start Googling around on the internet, and then you run into this guy or that guy who knows a little bit more about it, you kind of make some friends, it sort of cascades from there,” he said. “I took a picture of a mural at Loring. There’s a mural of a B-52 on the wall in one of the hangars that the maintenance crew painted at some point, and a guy emailed me out of the blue not long ago who lives in New Hampshire and said, ‘I’m the guy who painted that!’” Websites and social media groups for urban exploration abound. Author and historian David Fiske, a Bangor native now living in upstate New York, runs the Abandoned Maine Facebook group and has written the book “Forgotten on the Kennebec: Abandoned Places and Quirky People.” An avid hiker, his curiosity for the abandoned was lit after discovering the book “Abandoned New England.” “You can be traipsing off into the woods,” said Fiske, “and you think you’re in the middle of nowhere and [communing] with nature or whatever, and all of a sudden you come across a stone wall or a foundation or the remains of an old
(Top) A former missile enclosure and one-time location for the pine state amateur radio club at the BOMARC missile base in Bangor. (Above) The gate house at abandoned NIKE missile site in Connor, Maine. (Below) Some art work that depicts a Nike Missile chasing down a Soviet aircraft at the abandoned Louis Blotner Radar Bomb Scoring site near Connor.
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FEATURE
(Left & bottom) Fort Baldwin is a former coastal defense fortification near the mouth of the Kennebec River. (Below) Fort Preble was a military fort in South Portland built in 1808.
Many tend to think of ghost towns as som ething “out w est,” but there are in some cases entire villages in Maine that just didn’t wo rk out...
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PHOTOS: DAVID FISKE
mill and you realize that this place wasn’t always forest like this. Somebody lived here and somebody worked here. I find that part fascinating.” Many tend to think of ghost towns as something “out west,” but there are in some cases entire villages in Maine that just didn’t work out, Fiske said. “The one that’s the most like a ghost town is Swan Island, which is in the Kennebec River across from Richmond,” he said. “It’s a wildlife preserve now (managed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife—Ed.), but there’s some of the houses there, some of them date back to colonial times. It was called the ‘Village of Perkins,’ but it basically died out as time went on. People stopped living there, [due to] changes in industry and...the way the ferries and bridges worked, but you can still go there...and you can hike around and look at the houses that are left.” “At one point it was somebody’s pride and joy,” he said, “whether it was a mill or a house or whatever. [It’s] just been left to decay. Now it’s something that’s a curiosity, but at one point people actually lived there or worked there. Now it’s just something people see and wonder about, and in some cases wait until it finally crumbles away.” Fiske said he doesn’t encourage people to enter places that aren’t open to the public—without permission it’s trespassing, he said, and potentially dangerous. Still, some urban explorers chance it, driven by curiosity and a willingness to take the risk. One explorer, who goes by the urban exploration handle “MaineUrbex,” spends his free time exploring and documenting locations from Maine to Massachusetts. “It was an exhilarating feeling, exploring something that had so much history,” he said of an early trip to Battery Steele, a publicly-accessible WWII fort on Peaks Island in Maine. “From there, I wanted to explore more abandoned places. I’ve visited some [abandoned] hospitals in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, and it’s just an eerie feeling going into some of these buildings. For instance, there was an insane asylum [I explored], and as you walked through the halls you could feel the presence of the people that once roamed, the patients that have been there...it’s like history is stuck in that building until it’s fully gone.”
One of the few structures still standing on the ghost town of Swan Island in the Kennebec River.
BANGOR EXPLORER’S GUILD: The Grandaddy of Bangor Urbex
Not so long ago, a shadowy group existed in the Bangor area, going where few dared in order to document local spaces that, for most people, existed only in imagination. No one seemed to know where they came from or where they’d go next. Then just as suddenly as they appeared, they were gone, leaving behind documentation of abandoned Bangor-region buildings and drain pipes in their wake. Dangerous stuff, for sure, but compelling nonetheless. While the Bangor Explorer’s Guild’s website hasn’t been updated since 2007, it still exists online and makes for a good afternoon of curiosity seeking. Check it out at ue-bangor.tripod.com, but please, use common sense: as even the site’s disclaimer states, “Information provided on this website is for educational and entertainment use only. We recommend safe conduct that is respectful of other people and environments.” The potential legal and safety costs of doing any of this yourself are high and real.
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FEATURE This bunker entrance, now graffitied, was once part of Battery Steele, a United States military fortification on Peaks Island in Casco Bay.
During World War II, Battery Steele was the most important fortification in Casco Bay, and the largest battery ever built in the United States.
34 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
He didn’t just jump into the urban exploration game. Thanks to YouTube, he developed a fascination with abandoned places. “I had stumbled upon a video of someone going through an abandoned insane asylum, and from there it sparked my interest,” he said. “It took me about a year of watching those types of videos until I mustered up enough courage to do it myself, which I still don’t get how I did that. Ever since then I haven’t been able to stop.” Today, he’s a regular contributor of publicly-available photos and videos of his explorations on YouTube and on sites like Abandonment of Maine, another Facebook group that caters to urban explorers. He admits that sometimes urban exploration puts you at risk, and recognizes the legal and safety ramifications involved when you trespass. “You’re always a little 50/50 on it,” he said. “You’ve gotta do your research. For instance, when I drive to a place I’m always looking everywhere, I’m on edge. I feel like there’s going to be someone out to get me, a cop there or something. Most of the places [that I visit] have been open to the elements for a decade or more, and then you have people who are scrapping copper...It’s scary, obviously, thinking about the consequences. Once you step in you kind of go, ‘I’m already here. [If] you get caught, you get caught, but if not, I’m going to photograph this, I’m going to film it so there’s history of it before it gets demolished or collapses.’” During the summer, he’s out at least twice a week with a buddy and a camera. While many of the sites he documents are visited with permission, some are not— and he said he’ll walk that fine line of risk for as long as he can. For him, the benefits outweigh the costs. “The legal part of it scares me, but to me it’s worth it,” he said. “I can’t get enough of that feeling, and once you start doing it a couple of times...you want to keep going, you want to keep exploring.” Editor’s note: All of the images accompanying this story were taken at public locations and/or with landowners’ permission.
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FEATURE
36 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
Fo r wa r d
MOMENTUM Five people leading our communities ahead. BY MATT CHABE
THEY SAY LEADERSHIP takes many forms. There are the authoritarian leaders, the egalitarian leaders, the leaders who take no credit. There are some who get recognition and praise, and others who toil tirelessly in the background. They’re in your workplace, your social circle, and your community—literally everywhere you look, there’s some form of leader. We all have a subjective notion of what a “leader” is, and we all have a handful of people we look up to as great examples of it. For as many descriptions as one might develop, however, good leaders often display common traits. “I think what they have in common is a willingness to put themselves out there in order to move something that they care about forward,” said Jeff Wahlstrom, the president of Starboard Leadership Consulting, a Bangorbased firm that consults businesses on leadership and board governance. “Their ability and willingness to really roll up their sleeves to make it happen helps to bring others along who see that there’s somebody there who’s willing to take the chance, willing to take the risk, willing to perhaps fail.”
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FEATURE
While some leaders are well aware of their role, he said, others are simply passionate about their cause. Often times, leaders at the grassroots level work not for praise but for the outcome—selflessness is a key hallmark of leadership, he said. The first step to leading change in your community is to get involved, said Kirsten Ismail, the vice president of wealth management at UBS in Bangor and the chair of the Bangor Region Leadership Institute (BRLI) steering committee. “You’ve got to go live in the community,”
THE FIRST STEP TO LEADING CHANGE IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS TO GET INVOLVED. — Kirsten Ismail
she said. “Go to the restaurant or try out a couple of the community events, because it’s not until you’re in and amongst the people [in the community] that you really know what to do as an individual to move it forward or to make it better.” Every region has residents that go above and beyond to make their communities better places. Some you know, and some you don’t. The Bangor region is no different. We asked local business owners, residents and civic organizations to recommend people who are making our region a better place to live, work and play. It should be noted that this is no popularity contest—rather, this is but an example of the great work being done all around our region. Here, then, are five people leading our communities forward.
38 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
KATE DICKERSON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MAINE SCIENCE FESTIVAL When Kate Dickerson first started planning for the Maine Science Festival in 2012, she was simply looking to pique the region’s interest in what she calls “the science all around us.” In her eyes, Maine science (and the scientists involved) were being recognized all over the globe, but here in their backyard, they were being overlooked. Now, since kicking off properly in 2015, the MSF has rapidly become one of the region’s must-do events. Featuring mostly free events over a three-day span, it’s become known for cool exhibitions, quirky seminars, and compelling headliners (statistician Nate Silver, known popularly for predicting presidential elections and sporting outcomes, was the featured speaker in 2016). Dickerson said the goal is to provide everybody with a fun way to experience science on their own terms. “The thing that makes it unique is that it follows the festival model...that presents the science in a way that it is not typically presented, or how people typically learned about things,” she said. “This is a chance for the community to come together and
work out the different things happening all around us.” Between 10,000 to 12,000 people attended the MSF in each of its first two years. Dickerson said the 2017 festival promises to deliver more of what the community has come to expect: “We’re going to keep doing a top-notch festival,” she said. “We’re going to do everything we can to highlight the science that people don’t know is happening in Maine. We have what we call ‘hidden treasures.’ So we’re going to make them a little less hidden.”
DISCOVER: MAINESCIENCEFESTIVAL.ORG
MEG SHORETTE LAUNCHPAD On any given night, you can walk by a little storefront on Central Street in downtown Bangor and see poetry readings, art showings, live bands and more happening within. What you might not know is that the storefront (officially known as The Central Gallery) is just one facet of the nonprofit Launchpad, an arts organization focused on developing artists and musicians statewide. The brainchild of 32-year-old Meg Shorette, Launchpad also runs the All Roads Music Festival in Belfast, Bangor’s annual New Year’s Eve Downtown Countdown, and a host of crowdfunding initiatives, classes and workshops designed to promote the arts. Since its beginning in 2014, Launchpad has provided a voice and an outlet to artists and musicians in the region that did not previously exist. “We started doing all these shows [at Central Gallery] and we started working with all these artists,” said Shorette, who also books talent at Port City Music Hall in
Portland, “and people [kept coming]. No matter what we were doing, they were just trusting that whatever we were doing was kind of cool, and they wanted to be there.” She said that the support is encouraging, but not surprising—in Bangor, she said, a love for the arts is woven into the culture. “I think that there’s a really curious nature about people in this region when it comes to art and music,” she said. “So I think there’s always going to be this hunger for what’s new and what’s up-and-coming. People love to go to shows, they love to follow bands, they love to follow artists...so I think it will just keep growing and expanding, and I don’t really see a point in this region where music and art don’t play a huge part of our identity.”
DISCOVER: WEARELAUNCHPAD.ORG www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 39
FEATURE
SEAN DEWITT OUR KATAHDIN When the Millinocket-based nonprofit Our Katahdin purchased the former Great Northern Paper mill there for the princely sum of $1 earlier this year, many people raised an eyebrow. It’s a fact not lost on Sean DeWitt, Our Katahdin’s board president: “I think some people think, ‘Oh, a nonprofit with very shallow pockets bought this thing, great,’” he said. “It’s a leap of faith. There’s no question. And the reason [we did it] is because it’s our home. If we can’t bet on our home, who can we bet on?” Since 2014, Our Katahdin has been doing just that. Started by a group of Millinocket-area natives, Our Katahdin has focused on what they call “small wins” for the area. Successful projects in the area spearheaded by the organization include the revitalization of the Millinocket bandstand, bringing the Maine Outdoor Film Festival to the Katahdin region for the first time, and the creation of a community garden to supply local farmer’s market and food pantries. “From the beginning, we said, ‘Let’s not create your typical nonprofit economic development engine,’” said DeWitt. “‘Let’s create a platform where we can create leadership opportunities for people in the region.’ That’s where it began. Our goal was to see if we can get one project a month done. It doesn’t matter how small it is. It could be $10. It could be $5,000.” Now, with the the purchase of the mill, DeWitt and Our Katahdin have set their sights much higher. DeWitt said he envisions the site embracing the region’s natural assets, something like a vibrant, multitenant bioindustrial park. “We’ve had conversations with a number of folks that are interested in [developing] the site,” said DeWitt, “and, you know, we want to set expectations with folks appropriately. Everyone has good ideas, but still there’s still a long road ahead. We’re counting in years, not months, until that site is working again.” “We’re just going to put one foot in front of the other,” he said. “Anyone expecting a miracle, we’re going to disappoint. But anyone expecting a good honest effort, we can make them proud. That’s our goal.”
“ANYONE EXPECTING A MIRACLE, WE’RE GOING TO DISAPPOINT. BUT ANYONE
DISCOVER: OURKATAHDIN.COM
EXPECTING A GOOD HONEST EFFORT, WE CAN MAKE THEM PROUD. THAT’S OUR GOAL.” — Sean DeWitt
SEAN GAMBREL FRIENDS OF LOWER KENDUSKEAG STREAM As many Bangor residents know, walking along the Kenduskeag Stream Trail can be a study in contrasts: the rugged beauty and multi-season scenery are sometimes offset by graffiti, homeless encampments and the odd shopping cart midstream. About two years ago, Sean Gambrel decided that something should be done. As it happened, he was the one to do it. The idea to develop a concerted effort to maintain the area was born after Gambrel adopted a portion of the trail as part of the city’s “Adopt-aGarden” program: “I adopted the site and mostly just kept it mowed and planted a few flowers here and there,” he said. “It was while working down there that I had so many conversations with people about the general state of the trail.” With the support of like-minded residents, Gambrel developed the Friends of Lower Kenduskeag Stream (FOLKS). Today, FOLKS is a full-fledged volunteer effort committed to regularly beautifying and maintaining the area. Gambrel said
that anywhere from six to 30 people volunteer for any given effort, depending on the weather and the tasks, which range from landscaping to graffiti removal and vandalism repair. They do their work without sponsorship or major funding, though they do get support for some projects. The City of Bangor recently provided materials to repair the footbridge over the stream after vandals damaged it. In addition, FOLKS was able to install trash cans after a donation from the nonprofit Greendrinks. Gambrel, who’s also on the boards of WERU and River City Cinema and runs the concert series at 58 Main in Bangor, said the FOLKS effort has an almost karmic quality. “The thing that I hear most is, ‘I’m afraid to go down there alone,’” he said. “I’ve been trying to combat that as much as possible. The more good faces that are out there, the more that’ll just increase. So [we’re] trying to keep things clean, make it welcoming, and get people out of trouble, because we think that’s just a good feedback cycle.”
DISCOVER: FIND THE “FRIENDS OF LOWER KENDUSKEAG STREAM” ON FACEBOOK
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FEATURE
SGT. TIM COTTON BANGOR POLICE DEPARTMENT It’s entirely possible that Sgt. Tim Cotton of the Bangor Police Department (BPD) is known more for his words than his deeds as a law enforcement officer. That’s because more than 201,000 people from around the world regularly follow his wry, comedic posts on the BPD’s Facebook page. For comparison, that’s more than six times the population of Bangor. It’s an amazing example of a municipal agency building positive relationships with its community, especially in a time when similar agencies struggle to do so. Cotton said there was no intention to gain fame, however; instead, he only wanted to deliver the BPD’s message in a relatable way.
“The one thing I don’t ever say, and I hear police say it all the time, is, ‘We’re trying to show you that we’re human,’” he said. “Well, yeah. I mean, if you don’t know that already, we recruit from the human race. We’re all human and we’re all on the planet together. They know you’re human, but you’re not responding to them like a human.” So when Cotton, a comedy fan and former BPD detective, was promoted to public information officer, he approached his chief with an idea: to talk to the public like he’d like to be talked to. He got the green light, and the rest, as they say, is history.
DISCOVER: FIND THE “BANGOR MAINE POLICE DEPARTMENT” ON FACEBOOK
“IT’S ABOUT HOW WE’RE INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE, AND THE DUCK IS KIND OF LIKE A KEY. PEOPLE STOP BY HERE EVERY DAY IN THE SUMMER TO HAVE THEIR PHOTO TAKEN WITH THE DUCK OF JUSTICE...AND THAT GIVES YOU A CHANCE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.”
— Sgt. Tim Cotton
42 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
“It took off. I mean, it took off more so than I expected,” he said. “I’m not a big Facebook fan. It’s a great tool, but I’m not a ‘Facebooker’ in my own time, really, and I pay attention very little to Facebook. But it’s an outlet that allows us to reach people that we would never otherwise reach.” Now, Cotton’s social media presence and his other creation, the taxidermied Duck of Justice, are creating an indelible connection with the community and presenting those from away with a unique, valuable first impression of the region. “People think that it’s about the duck, but it’s not,” he said. “It’s about
Need a how we’re interacting with people, and the duck is kind of like a key. I mean it’s like a shoehorn to a really tight shoe. People stop by here every day in the summer to have their photo taken with the Duck of Justice...and that gives you a chance to have a conversation.” “You know, people come to this community and they see what we have,” he said. “They see a real active community with concerts and great restaurants. And so I think we’re having a positive outreach as much as any other...because people say, ‘Oh, the cops are friendly. The whole town must be friendly.’”
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THEN & NOW
BANGOR
A look at how downtown Bangor’s Main Street has changed and stayed the same through the years, (clockwise from bottom left) from 1889, before the great fire; in 1930; in 1964; and today.
44 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
Queen CITY
Take a trip down memory lane in Bangor and a look at the future of The Queen City. ARTICLE BY RICHARD SHAW, PHOTOS BY RICHARD SHAW AND PAGE EASTMAN
HISTORIC PHOTOS COURTESY OF BANGOR HISTORICAL SOCIETY, BANGOR PUBLIC LIBRARY, BANGOR DAILY NEWS, AND THE RICHARD SHAW COLLECTION
BANGOR HAS BEEN nicknamed “The Queen City of the East” since the 1830s, and for good reason. British royalty couldn’t have charted a steadier course for the community of just under 33,000, built at the scenic confluence of the Penobscot River and Kenduskeag Stream. Visiting author Henry David Thoreau’s 1846 “star on the edge of night” is burning bright, despite being challenged by floods, fires and a military base closure. “[This city] is unique,” said Sean Faircloth, former mayor and state senator and the founder of the Maine Discovery Museum. “We serve
the largest geography in the northeast, yet civic leadership is manageable.” “If you have a new idea, and are willing to organize and work hard,” he continued, “you can have a big positive impact, more so than in cities that are a less manageable size. Ideas sparked here can gain media attention and spread around the country. Bangor’s level of civic engagement can have an outsize impact and be a model for others.” The onetime Penobscot County lumber capital once made news seemingly only for dark events, such as environmental headaches and a 1911 inferno that claimed two lives and 55 acres. Even comedian Jack Benny, broadcasting from the city’s Opera www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 45
THEN & NOW
BANGOR
House in 1943, cracked that the city’s foulsmelling river water couldn’t compare to Chanel No. 5. Stephen King’s home town is no longer a TV punch line. Tourists from around the world have taken Stu Tinker’s SK Tours of King’s novel and movie locales. Acts such as Rod Stewart and Bob Seger have added Darling’s Waterfront Concerts and Cross Insurance Center stages to their lineups, Hollywood Casino attracts gaming enthusiasts, the American Folk Festival is a summer staple, and a rejuvenated downtown is studded with restaurants, bars, shops, the Penobscot Theatre Company, and the 1915 all-granite City Hall, where City Manager Catherine Conlow oversees all things Bangor. (Top) The old Bangor Auditorium circa 1960. (Left) J. Normand Martin paints his creation, Paul Bunyan. (Below) Paul still stands today in front of the new Cross Insurance Center on Main Street.
“[BANGOR’S] LONGTIME FOCUS ON WATERFRONT AND DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION HAS ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN AN INCREDIBLY LIVABLE CITY.” — Tanya Emery The city also boasts the Maine Troop Greeters, a first-rate public library, hospitals, public and private schools, university and community college campuses, an international airport, a community band and symphony orchestra, religious institutions, ballet companies, a community theater and chorus, the Cole Land Transportation Museum, TV and radio stations, and the Bangor Daily News, founded in 1889. Bangor Mall shopping is among the state’s best. “[Bangor’s] longtime focus on waterfront and downtown revitalization has ultimately resulted in an incredibly livable city,” said Tanya Emery, the director of Community and Economic Development, “with amazing arts and culture, recreational opportunities, and the quality of place that people are looking for. Bangor is well-positioned, as one of the best small cities in New England, to continue to attract both residents and businesses.”
46 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
(Top) A historic look down State Street from Hammond Street in Bangor. (Below, left) Stephen King outside his Bangor home with a young Drew Barrymore before the 1984 “Firestarter� movie premiere. (Below) The recently renovated Bangor Public Library Atrium and Peirce Park.
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THEN & NOW
BANGOR
(Right) Looking down the Penobscot River, circa 1880. (Below) Towing a raft of logs along the Penobscot River. (Below, middle) The Park Theater Park, once located on the corner of Park Street and State Street, in the 1950s. (Middle, right) A view of the destruction following the fire of 1911.
48 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
The October 1937 Brady Gang headline following the Oct. 12 Central Street FBI shooting of notorious gangster Al Brady (foreground) and Clarence Lee Shaffer Jr.
Punctuated by visits from explorers Estevan Gomez (1525) and Samuel de Champlain (1604), as well as first settler Jacob Buswell’s arrival in 1769, the river port’s past is on display at the Historical Society museum, housed in a former mayor’s mansion at 159 Union Street. Executive Director Melissa Gerety, Curator Matt Bishop and a host of docents sponsor activities that include tours of their Civil War collection and hikes around downtown, Mount Hope Cemetery and Devil’s Half Acre, a red-light district favored by thirsty loggers and lumbermen. “The Bangor Historical Society’s mission is to preserve, protect and share Bangor’s history,” Gerety said, “and to a degree that means recognizing that what our members are doing now is creating what will be Bangor’s history in the future.” “Once from Bangor, always from Bangor,” might be many natives’ motto, including the following who sing its praises. Former mayor Gerry Palmer helped build a sister-city relationship with Harbin, China, memorialized in a waterfront monument. Sue Willey McKay, a Bangor Band trumpeter, recalls Christmas visits to Freese’s Department Store and 1960s Broadway development. Steve Bateman collects vintage local postcard images of sites such as his alma mater, St. John’s Catholic School. “A great thing about Maine is the changing of the seasons,” said Economic Development Officer Tyler Collins. “And, no matter the season, there is always something going on in Bangor for young and old alike.”
TOWN STATS First Incorporated: Feb. 25, 1791 (town); Feb. 12, 1834 (city) Named for (disputed): Either a Welsh hymn; Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales; or Bangor, County Down, Ireland Nicknames: Queen City of the East, River City, Lumber Capital of the World Motto: Surprisingly metro. Refreshingly real. Population: 32,391 (2015 estimate) Median resident age (2010): 36.7 Gender makeup (2010): 48.2 percent male, 51.8 percent female Elevation: 118 feet
APRIL 12: Brit Floyd — The World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Show — Immersion, at the Cross Insurance Center APRIL 15: Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race, ending in downtown Bangor APRIL 26: Taping of “The Nite Show with Danny Cashman,” at Husson University’s Gracie Theatre APRIL 29: “I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti,” presented by Penobscot Theatre
• As he was shot by FBI agents on Oct. 12, 1937, Al Brady carried three guns and about $1,500 in bloodstained cash in a leather money belt • The Great Fire of April 30, 1911, originating in a Broad Street hay shed, burned 55 acres, claimed $3 million in property and two lives • The Thomas Hill Standpipe was painted olive drab during World War II to protect the city’s water supply and discourage enemy bombers from using it as a beacon to nearby Dow Air Force Base Landmarks: • Thomas Hill Standpipe
Area: Total, 34.59 square miles
• Battleship Maine Memorial
Notable people:
• Bangor Public Library
• Hannibal Hamlin, Lincoln’s first vice president
• Tarratine Club
• Stephen and Tabitha King, authors, philanthropists
• Continuity of Community sculpture
• Woodrow Cross, insurance executive • Charles G. Bryant, architect • Peter Edes, published first newspaper • William S. Cohen, senator, defense secretary • Clara Swan, Husson College dean, professor • Joseph Baldacci, mayor • Zip Kellogg, canoeist
Among the Convention and Visitors Bureau’s web site’s April activities are these winners to attract a springtime audience:
Useful trivia:
• Bangor City Hall (old Post Office) • Sister City Memorial • Paul Bunyan statue • Cross Insurance Center • 47 West Broadway (Stephen King house) • Mount Hope and Mount Pleasant cemeteries • Bangor Opera House • Waterworks building (Shaw House)
• Howie Carr, singer-songwriter
• Peirce Memorial (river drivers sculpture)
• Marcus Davis, ultimate fighting champion
• Telephone Building
• Bari Newport, Penobscot Theatre producing artistic director • Barbara McDade, library director • Jesse Speirs, professional golfer • Alex Gray, Darling’s Waterfront Concerts promoter Quotable quote: From “The Maine Woods,” 1846, by Henry David Thoreau: “There stands the city of Bangor, 50 miles up the Penobscot at the head of navigation, the principal lumber depot on this continent, like a star on the edge of night, still hewing at the forests of which it is built.”
• Isaac Farrar Mansion • Thomas A. Hill House (Bangor Historical Society) • Shawn T. Mansfield Stadium
Helpful websites: • bangormaine.gov (municipal) • choosebangor.com • bangorhistoricalsociety.org • maineanencyclopedia.com • bangorinfo.com
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THEN & NOW
BANGOR A young Richard Shaw at ages 8 and 9 in 1960 and 1961.
Memories:
GROWING UP BANGOR IN THE ‘50S AND ‘60S
(Above) John F. Kennedy campaigning at Bass Park in September 1960. (This photo) The blizzard of Dec. 30, 1962. (Below) A historic postcard featuring Union Station.
IMAGINE A WORLD without Twitter, Facebook and Netflix, where families owned a single car and read the morning paper sitting on their front porches. Welcome to the Bangor, Maine, of my youth. Baby boomers like me love to reminisce about the good old days of the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson years. Truthfully, it’s a cleaner, more vibrant city today, but there was something special about meeting Santa Claus at Freese’s department store and buying a snow cone and a 45 rpm Beatles record at F. W. Woolworth Co. for a dollar. The youngest of three kids and the offspring of musician parents, I grew up near the East Side’s “Little City” neighborhood. The Mary Snow School consumed five years of my life. I may be the only student who was home sick that day in 1963 when John F. Kennedy was shot. I had seen him twice during area visits. Not all was sunshine and roses during the darker days of the often-violent Cold War years. Other memories include ice skating inside the old auditorium; surviving the monster snow storm of Dec. 30, 1962; watching Disney movies at the Bijou Theatre; and visiting the Bangor Public Library children’s room. Dad, who worked for the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad, got us train tickets to New York City on a 1959 excursion out of Union Station—a place, like many others, that exists only in my memory. When Dow Air Force Base was here until 1968, our population exceeded 39,000. The world-traveled base families made this a cosmopolitan town. Today’s Bangor is also cosmopolitan, but in different ways. Dave Matthews and Miranda Lambert perform on a waterfront stage, and the Cross Insurance Center and casino also draw crowds. Long may live the Bangor of my youth, but let’s also enjoy the Bangor of today and tomorrow, whatever it may bring.
—Richard Shaw 50 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
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FOOD & DRINK
IN SEASON NOW
In Season Now:
SPINACH STORY & PHOTOS BY SARAH WALKER CARON
IT’S COMING! Storage vegetables are still abundant at farmers markets across the state. In the wooden crates of our favorite farm stands, potatoes and onions, perhaps some squashes and shallots too are piled and waiting. But April also ushers in a happy time: greens, the first vestiges of the growing season. It’s a joyous time for farmers market shoppers. Lovely bunches of Swiss chard, brilliant bags of lettuce greens, perhaps some pea shoots, and vibrant leaves of spinach mark the onset of spring—or, at least, the end of full-on winter. Before long, there will be a colorful variety of Maine-grown fruits and veggies to choose from. But for now, there’s greens. Wonderful, lovely greens.
Spinach, Ham and Swiss Quiche Serves 6 1 frozen deep dish pie crust 1 cup fresh spinach, stems removed 1 cup diced ham 1 shallot, finely chopped 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese 5 large eggs 1 cup milk 1 tsp kosher salt Fresh ground pepper Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the pie crust on a baking sheet. Arrange the spinach, ham, shallot and Swiss cheese in the pie crust. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour into the crust. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until set and slightly golden on top. Cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
52 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
BEFORE LONG, THERE WILL BE A COLORFUL VARIETY OF MAINE-GROWN FRUITS AND VEGGIES TO CHOOSE FROM. BUT FOR NOW, THERE’S GREENS. WONDERFUL, LOVELY GREENS. Spinach, in particular, has anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in vitamin K, vitamin A and other nutrients. Beyond being Popeye’s favorite, spinach is a veggie that’s delicious raw, such as in salads or pestos, and cooked too. Sauteed spinach with garlic is one of my very favorite side dishes. But one of my favorite ways to enjoy spring spinach is in quiche with ham and Swiss cheese. Easy to make (you simply layer the ingredients in a pie shell and then bake), it’s a light but hearty spring dish perfect for brunches and lunches. Enjoy this with a salad.
SARAH WALKER CARON is a Bangor-based food writer and a senior editor for the Bangor Daily News. Her weekly food column, Maine Course, appears in the BDN every Wednesday and she is also author of Sarah’s Cucina Bella food blog (www.sarahscucinabella.com) and a cookbook: “Grains as Mains: Modern Recipes Using Ancient Grains.”
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FOOD & DRINK
Superstar bartender dishes about the biz, friendship and sobriety. BY EMILY BURNHAM
MIKE LABRIE WAS pleasantly surprised to discover that, just after Christmas 2016, he was voted Bangor’s Best Bartender in a large online vote conducted by Townsquare Media. Though he garnered more than 30 percent of the votes after two rounds of voting and amongst a pack of ten finalists, LaBrie, 43, was certainly not expecting to be nominated — let alone win. But his customers at Micah’s Pub, the bar attached to Bangor-Brewing Bowling Lanes on Wilson Street in Brewer, beg to differ. They love LaBrie’s business, his food and drinks, and most importantly, the man himself — he’s unassuming, laid-back, funny and a good listener. LaBrie, who’s owned Micah’s since 2014 after buying it from the bowling alley owners and renaming it (it used to be called Charlie’s), talked to Bangor Metro about bartending, friendship, and how to stay sober while you’re slinging drinks.
ONE GOOD
BREW 54 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. DON’T BE SHY. I’ve lived in Bangor my whole life. Went to Bangor High, graduated in 1991. We moved out to Orrington in 2009, built a house out there. My daughter was 11 days old. I’ve been bartending for about 15 years. I grew up working at the bowling alley as a kid. They built the bar in the early 1990s and called it Charlie’s. As people left the bowling alley, shifts became available, and eventually it was a full time job for me. Before you knew it, I ran the show. A couple years ago they sold it to me and told me to make it my own. WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES MICAH’S SO SPECIAL THAT PEOPLE ENDED UP VOTING FOR YOU? It meant a lot to me, to win that. It meant the world to me. There are so many bars around here, and I always say I’m not one of the big boys. A lot of people don’t know
BUCKSPORT where we are. It’s a really relaxed place. You don’t have to worry about how you dress. It’s comfortable. You can bring your kids earlier, or have a more adult time later. I guess the one staple of the place over all these years is me. When I took it over I wanted to take the food to another level. Tweak the place a bit, clean it up. I didn’t want it to be a “bar in a bowling alley”—it’s a small bar, that’s next to a bowling alley. WHAT MAKES A GOOD BARTENDER? You have to wear many hats. You have to read people. You have to be able to tell if they’re having a rough day. I know my clientele, and if they have a certain look
my way. It gave me a motivation to not drink. I let people drink for me. I like the atmosphere of a bar. If I had a 9 to 5 job, I’d really miss it. I work my program—the people at AA think I’m crazy, but I know that I can’t drink. If everyone else does a shot, I’ll do a shot of Red Bull with them. It’s probably a bizarre way to stay sober, but it works for me. And if I see someone that’s having a hard time, I’ll say something. Three years ago, customers were giving me rides home and checking on me, but now I’m the one doing that. People come to me now, saying “I have a problem” or “My family member has a problem.” I won’t push people, but I’ll say that I see
AND AS A BARTENDER, YOU WANT TO MAKE SOMEONE SMILE, TELL THEM A JOKE, GIVE THEM GOOD SERVICE. YOU’RE A THERAPIST, AND A COMEDIAN, BUT YOU’RE REALLY A FRIEND. I LIKE TO THINK I’M A GOOD BARTENDER BUT A BETTER FRIEND. on their face, I know they’re having a bad day. I’ll give them a beer and ask them how they’re doing. If they say, “I’m OK,” I still say, “Tell me what’s really going on.” I think a bar takes people away from life. You want to shut your mind off. And as a bartender, you want to make someone smile, tell them a joke, give them good service. You’re a therapist, and a comedian, but you’re really a friend. I like to think I’m a good bartender but a better friend. You can’t be everyone’s best friend, obviously, but you’ve got to be nice to people. YOU’RE NOW SEVERAL YEARS SOBER. HOW DOES STAYING IN THE BAR INDUSTRY AFFECT YOUR COMMITMENT TO SOBRIETY? Back when my drinking was bad, and I wasn’t doing well on the job, I knew I had to clean up my life. The owners of Charlie’s saw how hard I was working on getting sober, and they told me when they offered me the bar that they wanted me to do it
what they are doing. I’ve brought some people into the program. I’m here to help. I think the thing about a bar is that, you know, you can get a 12-pack and go home and drink it. But if you want to see people and have an experience and be social, it’s a lot harder to do that at home. You can get a Bud Light anywhere. But you can’t get that experience anywhere else.
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ARTS & MUSIC
INSPIRED BY THE PAST Group mines rich Americana for new album. BY EMILY BURNHAM
56 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
WHENEVER BROTHERS Will and Luke Mallett head back to their hometown of Sebec from their current home of Portland, they inevitably begin pawing through their parents’ huge collection of books and records. Their mother Jayne is the librarian for the Piscataquis Community Secondary School; their father is acclaimed folk songwriter David Mallett. “Mom’s got a book problem,” said Will Mallett, who with Luke shares singing and guitar duties in the Mallett Brothers Band, whose new album, “The Falling of the Pine,” came out last week. “They have a huge, huge library. Books and music. That’s part of our family.” Two years ago, Will Mallett was idly browsing through their books on Maine. One book in particular caught his eye; “Minstrelsy of Maine: Folk Songs and Ballads of the Woods and the Coast,” by Fannie Hardy Eckstorm and Mary Winslow Smyth, a long out-of-print collection of song lyrics and folkloric scholarship. The songs tell the stories of lumbermen, sailors, families and explorers of the woods and waters of Maine, living and dying in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Will Mallett blew the dust off the cover of the antique book, published in 1927, and opened it to a random page. “The first line I saw on the first page I opened was the line, ‘soon they got turned over by a prodigious swell, and Towne alone escaped, the heavy news to tell,’” he said. “That’s a family name. That was my dad’s mother’s maiden name. The Towne family history goes back to 1803. They were some of the first people of European descent to settle in Piscataquis County. I thought, ‘That could be a relative. I better check this out.’” From that first initial encounter with the book came the fertile musical ground that led to “The Falling of the Pine,” the band’s warm, heartfelt, often very beautiful new album,
PHOTOS: ADAM HESS
Will Mallett (from left), Nick Leen, Chuck Gagne and Luke Mallett of the Mallett Brothers Band.
comprised of 10 of the lyrics from the book, set to newly arranged music. Most of the songs in the book were simply lyrics, no music, though a few of the songs, like the title track, are relatively wellknown folk songs—title track “The Falling of the Pine” is one of the oldest known songs from the lumber camp tradition, dating back to the 1870s and coming to Maine from Ontario, Canada. Will Mallett, in addition to being a musician, is a bit of a history buff, and found the confluence of music and Maine history to be a compelling basis for a new album. Though initially Will Mallett thought he might record the songs for a solo album, the rest of the band jumped on board once he showed them the book. “Maine is such an important part of our identity as a band,” said Luke Mallett. “I think that really was what sealed it for us. We made it a point to express what it feels like to live up here, not just for people that live here in Maine, but for folks that don’t.” Both Mallett brothers and fellow bandmates Wally Wenzel (guitar, dobro and the band’s producer), Adam Cogswell (drums), Nick Leen (bass) and newcomer Andrew Martelle (fiddle and mandolin) dove into the kind of musical anthropology such a project entails. Will Mallett read books by Maine folklorist Sandy Ives (who their mother worked with for a time at the University
of Maine), and all bandmates listened to recordings of traditional American folk music from the first half of the 20th century. “We listened to a lot of Alan Lomax recordings, which are pretty amazing,” said Luke Mallett, referring to the American scholar and field collector of recorded music in the mid-20th century. “We kept thinking how cool it would have been if [Fannie and Mary] had been able to go out and record these songs like Alan did, but I think they were working just a little before tapes became a thing. These songs might not be so obscure if they’d been able to.” The bandmates learned about the history and social context behind the songs, and then set those words to music appropriate to the era they came from— while still maintaining the Mallett Brothers Band sound. On the band’s four previous albums, including their most recent, 2015’s “Lights Along the River,” their music blends hard-driving roots rock with soulful outlaw country, with a few acoustic indie folk numbers peppered in between the big, loud rave-ups. Though “The Falling of the Pine” lands more on the acoustic side, there are still a handful of barnburners, like the fast-paced “The Horton’s In” or the bluesy dirge “The River Driver.” Most of the album is composed of simple, stripped down folk music, like
Luke Mallett of the Mallett Brothers Band.
“Lake Chemo,” a duet between the brothers and their sister, Molly, and “The Logger’s Boast,” on which David Mallett takes lead vocals. That aforementioned first line Will Mallett came across in the book is in the fourth track on the album, “Ye Roaring Falls of Kingsey,” a song about three river drivers on the Penobscot—two lost in the water, one who lived to tell the tale. “The Loss of the Sarah,” a maritime ballad about a shipwreck on the coast of Maine, is among the prettiest things the Malletts have yet put to record; though lyrically and melodically the song hails from somewhere in the 19th century, Wenzel and Luke Mallett’s atmospheric electric guitar playing brings that story into 2017. “A lot of the songs have a kind of Celtic feel, or an Appalachian feel. You can tell a lot of these lyrics could be set to an Irish folk tune, which is probably the sort of music these guys would have played,” said Luke Mallett. “But we wanted to make sure it sounded like us. We had to balance electric guitars and louder things with the more acoustic side of things. It took us a long time to figure it all out.” LISTEN: “The Falling of the Pine” is available to buy on iTunes and Amazon, at Bull Moose Music stores, and to stream on Spotify.
Will Mallett of the Mallett Brothers Band.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 57
ARTS & MUSIC
58 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
PERSPECTIVES
CHRIS OLMSTEAD
“I STARTED SHOOTING in high school. I didn’t get seriously into the weeds, however, until a decade ago. Photography is a puzzle. Every scene presents a problem to solve: angles, lighting, subject matter... it’s a challenge I love to embrace. My style is a bit manic. I rarely plan where I’m going. I get in my car and drive in a direction. I know I’m doing well if I’m completely lost. That’s where you find gems. I also go out when most everyone else is asleep, or the weather is poor, because people don’t get to see our state in those conditions much. I think as photographers, we’re always striving to bring something new to our audience. If I can shoot a scene that people have seen a thousand times, and make them say “Wow,” then I have done my job. Photography has opened up my eyes in a way that is hard to describe. I’m very aware of my surroundings, and I’m always looking for new angles. We run about and the world tends to turn to wallpaper, our towns and cities become peripheral. If I can bring these places back to the forefront, then I have opened up someone else’s eyes, too. That is very rewarding. There is beauty all around if you’re looking for it.” —CHRIS OLMSTEAD www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 59
OUTDOORS
SERVING COUNTRY & COMMUNITY
TV program sheds light on Maine vets-turned-farmers. BY JODI HERSEY
60 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
Clint Bruce, began airing Sunday mornings on NBC in January. The entire 13-episode series is scheduled to re-air again in April. Retired U.S. Marine Corps service members Tim Devin and his fiancé Anne Weinberg of Chase Stream Farm are one pair of farmers featured on the show. The couple, which has close to 50 years of active
Together the duo provides vegetables to various schools within regional school unit (RSU) 3. “Most of our accounts are wholesale accounts. We were selling everything from Chinese cabbage, red bell peppers, tomatoes, Swiss chard, green beans, and kale. Just pick a vegetable, and a lot of it was going
What they unearthed during research and pre-production, however, was that a large number of Maine’s farmers and growers were retired military members, veterans no longer in uniform but still actively serving their country and communities, one harvest at a time. military experience between them, opted last year to use their skills to open and operate a 65-acre organic farm in Monroe. “We both decided this was an opportunity when we retired to do something we wanted to do and not necessarily what we had to do,” explained Weinberg. “We wanted to still stay connected to veterans and bring our family someplace we can slow down and get out of the rat race, and farming seemed to be a natural match.”
to the schools,” explained Devin. “We have a couple of friends who have children in the elementary school and we’d run into them and they’d say, ‘Tim, we had vegetables from your farm,’ and I say, ‘How was it?’ They’d say, ‘They were great.’ And that brings a smile to your face.” Giving back to the community was just one of the couple’s goals: the other was to create a type of outdoor classroom for other veterans interested in farming.
PHOTOS:
TELEVISION PRODUCER Kit McCall of Hermon spent most of last year behind a camera lens filming some of Maine’s most beautiful and rural farm lands. He and his team at Up Country Productions were on a mission to create a new show about farming and agriculture in Maine called the Growing Home TV Show. Their vision was to showcase the state’s vast potato harvest, leafy greens, livestock, even Maine-made wines. What they unearthed during research and pre-production, however, was that a large number of Maine’s farmers and growers were retired military members, veterans no longer in uniform but still actively serving their country and communities, one harvest at a time. “They went and fought for their country, their brothers and sisters, and now they’re back home and fighting for their communities, growing food and raising livestock,” explained McCall. “We could go out and feature different farmers which would be a great show, but we ended up going down a very narrow road just featuring veterans that are farming, most of them with no prior farming experience. I’m so glad we did because it’s been amazing.” The Growing Home TV Show, hosted by former NFL player and Navy SEAL officer
“Our whole premise to do all this growing was to offer veteran-to-farmers training programs on the farm here. So the ultimate goal is to host military veterans transitioning out of military life, and if they have a desire to be growers or farmers themselves, we want to be the place where they can go to get that training,” explained Weinberg. Helping veterans find their purpose after military life was a theme McCall ran into again and again while filming. “Every single one of them want to be so helpful to other veterans who want to get into this type of thing, because a lot of veterans when they come back, have a hard time transitioning back to civilian life,” explained McCall. “We really hope this show can kind of reach out to that guy or girl on the couch going through some things and enlighten them a bit and let them know if you have two acres of land, you can get out there and do some farming and have a purpose every day.” McCall is already working on season two of The Growing Home TV Show. If all goes as planned, he hopes the show will spread outside of Maine to feature veteran farmers nationwide.
Tkttk
SEE: Watch season one on NBC Sundays at 11 a.m. ONLINE: growinghometv.com www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 61
OUTDOORS
WOODS & WATERS
EASTERN
COUGARS
BY BOB DUSCHESNE
EASTERN COUGARS are gone from Maine forever. Or maybe not. Every time we think they are extinct in the eastern United States, one pops up somewhere. Scientifically classified as Puma Concolor, these large cats go by many names, such as cougar, mountain lion, panther, puma and catamount. The eastern subspecies is thought to have been extirpated; any sightings now are probably escapees or wanderers from the west. There is a lingering population of panthers in the southern part of Florida, primarily in the Big Cypress area and the Everglades. When inbreeding threatened the health of the Florida race, a few western mountain lions were brought in to improve the gene pool. As a species, the range of these cats is one of the largest for mammals in the New World. Cougars breed from the Canadian Yukon to the South American Andes Mountains. At one time, the range for the eastern subspecies stretched from Nova Scotia to the Mississippi River, and southward through the Carolinas.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service generally considers the eastern subspecies to be extinct, but keeps an open mind about reported sightings. There are possibly a thousand cats in captivity in the east, and they’ve been known to escape or to be released. The last native cougar in Maine was shot on Katahdin in 1938. The last cougar in New Brunswick was documented five years earlier. The eastern population was probably never very big. In the 1800s, farmers feared for themselves and their livestock, and shot any cougar they spied. Hunters drastically depleted the deer herd, which was the cougar’s chief prey. Long after the eastern cougars disappeared, they were added to the federal endangered species list in 1973. 62 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
PHOTO: THOUSANDSANIMALS/THINKSTOCK
Seen one? Most Maine sightings erroneous, but not impossible.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service generally considers the eastern subspecies to be extinct, but keeps an open mind about reported sightings. There are possibly a thousand cats in captivity in the east, and they’ve been known to escape or to be released. When physical evidence is available, biologists are able to determine the origin of most cats by analyzing the DNA in hair and scat. Samples taken over the last century have shown that virtually all cougar sightings were escapees or western wanderers. One of those wanderers became famous: In 2011, a cougar was killed by a car in Connecticut. DNA testing revealed that it was part of a population located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Biologists were able to piece together a trail of sightings that documented the cat’s 1,500mile journey eastward. Given the cougar’s wide range, it is clearly adaptable and resilient. Mountains, plains and rivers are no barriers. Highways are dangerous, but if they stay out of trouble, cats have enough cover and prey to allow them to wander great distances throughout
the United States. If there is a natural barrier, it’s snow. Cougars have the same trouble moving around in deep snow as deer do, which limits their ability to extend their range northward. In their western mountain homes, they are apt to follow their prey to lower elevations in winter. Federal and state biologists continue to monitor sightings and investigate promising ones. Roughly 20 sightings are reported in Maine each year. Almost all turn out to be non-cougars—they are often misidentified bobcats, fishers or coyotes. While cougars are quiet and stealthy, they leave behind considerable evidence. Scat and hair samples can be analyzed. Footprints in snow would be easy to document. Even the way big cats cache prey for later consumption can provide a clue. In almost all cases, these signs are missing when biologists investigate a potential sighting. If there were still a resident population, or even an influx of wanderers, sooner or later one would likely be hit by a car or found dead by a hunter. Now that so many people have cameras on their phones, a quick photo
to document a sighting would be handy and advisable. But most sightings are too quick—an animal bounding across a road or slinking through the woodline means a split second in view, and then gone. There are no plans to reintroduce cougars into their former eastern realms. But if they got here on their own and started breeding again, it would stir quite a conversation. Wherever these big cats exist, there is a large ungulate species that is its chief prey, such as deer, elk, moose, goats and sheep. There are now plenty of deer in the east, especially south of Maine – lots of cougar food. Perhaps the east is now too densely populated, but that’s up to the cougars to decide. Meanwhile, if you think you see one, tell the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You never know.
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
HOME
D E C O R AT I N G
T R E N D S
Home trends to expect in the year ahead. BY METRO NEWS SERVICE
DON’T BE SURPRISED to notice a resurgence of metallic shades and metals incorporated into home designs in the year ahead. Trends in home remodeling and decor tend to come and go. Something that is popular for a little while can fall out of favor when the next new idea comes along. New trends are always on the horizon, and 2017 may encourage homeowners to try something new.
METALLICS AND METALS ARE BACK. Although stainless steel accents in the kitchen have long been popular, the glistening look of metal and metallic shades are back in a big way. Inspired by the 1950s and 1970s, brass, gold and metallic finishes are popular right now.
PINKS AND BLUES: Expect to see pale pink and blue in various design applications. The Pantone Color Institute® released a blending of two colors, Rose Quartz and Serenity, as their 2016 Color of the Year. This has impacted color trends through all areas of design—including home touches. These colors pair well with mid-tones, like browns and greens, as well as the increasingly popular metallics.
64 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
• TEXTURE: Texture is a big component of interior design. Furniture and accessories featuring faux fur and natural fibers are becoming popular. Pieces adorned with cozy materials can seem more inviting. Organic shapes, such as tables looking like the tree trunk they were cut from, also are expected to become more popular.
• ARTISANAL TOUCHES IN ACCESSORIES: It’s all about getting back to basics, with homeowners desiring pieces that are one-of-a-kind and handmade rather than mass-produced. Expect to see more accessories that are made by hand or in small batches, like pottery or handwoven textiles, as homeowners are increasingly turning to independent artists and artisans when decorating their homes. Homeowners can even support independent artists when choosing art for their homes. For example, YourArtGallery.com provides an online marketplace for artists to showcase and sell their work, and buyers looking to support independent artists can rest easy knowing that 90 percent of all image royalties go directly to the artist.
• FABRIC ON THE WALLS: Walls also will be covered in texture and pattern. Textiles will increasingly turn up on walls and in places they haven’t traditionally been seen. Patterns may lean toward floral, tropical and indigenous artisan weaving designs.
• SMART HOMES: Technology is changing the way people look at their homes. Water-resistant music systems for the bathroom, wirelessly operated Bluetooth devices that turn on lights or appliances from a smartphone and even fixtures that use technology to self-clean are turning up more and more.
REAL ESTATE
INSURANCE
HANCOCK COUNTY
Your listing could be on this page Sell it faster. Advertise in Bangor Metro’s Home section. Call 941-1300.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 65
FAMILY
FULL(ER) Maine family juggles 5(!!) kids and entrepreneurship. BY JOSH ARCHER
IT’S BEDTIME AT the Mosher house, which means the younger boys—Finn, 7, and Eli, 9— are the first to hit the sack. The older two (Jude, 13, and Olivia, 16) get a little more time to finish homework, but the youngest—Myra, 3—holds a strategic advantage over the others. As the youngest, she’s really in charge, and gets to stay up until mom and dad go to bed. Having five kids: piece of cake, right? “We have five very independent children. When you tell them to go to bed, they’ll do everything but,” said Brian Mosher. There isn’t a moment when Brian and his wife Theresa aren’t surviving their kids, but they manage to strike a balance between being two loving parents and being a creative duo. Since the summer after high school, it’s been “the Moshers against the universe” to forge their own path. It’s led not only to a large family, but to a family business. Today they own and operate Mosher Multimedia, a creative design and voice talent business based in northern Maine. “It was a natural thing, an organic thing I guess,” Brian said about meeting Theresa. “She is incredibly creative. She has a great mind.”
The Moshers have grown some pretty thick roots over the past two decades in their hometown, and now they have an army of children who just might continue on in their parents’ creative footsteps. Most days Theresa holds down the fort at home, taking care of little Myra while the other children are at school. She handles all of the design work, which could be anything from a newspaper ad to a custom t-shirt. “I’ve found that if I start out the day and take care of the kids and the house first, then I cannot feel as guilty about working later,” she said. “I try to work while (Myra’s) sleeping or late at night. There are times when I can’t do that. That’s the stressful thing about my job—deadlines, trying to get those done and take care of the kids.” Brian has a day job on top of his voiceover duties for Mosher Multimedia, as well as being in a couple of bands that keep him busy most weekends. One of the great things about living and working in northern Maine, they said? Opportunity becomes a regular thing to talented folks like the Moshers. When the County hears that someone does good work, news spreads pretty fast. “When someone thinks of live music or something like that, they know...I’m one of the few that they can call,” said Brian, “so there’s opportunity there. They know that I was on the radio for 25 years, so if they need someone to emcee an event, or if they need someone to lend a voice to a commercial, or if they need someone to edit something…it’s because it’s such a small area.” Later this year, the Moshers will celebrate 20 years of crafting a relationship where they play off each other’s strengths. “He’s good with words and I’m better with visuals,” said Theresa. “If I need something written, I’ll give him the basic idea of what I want it to say and he can write it for me.”
66 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
H O U S E “She does everything behind the scenes, but in front of the scenes I do everything,” said Brian. With five kids and a business to run, Brian and Theresa might not get out much, but evidence of their pursuit of happiness can easily be found in both their creativity and their kids. Theresa’s designs turn up all over the County, and odds are good when you turn on the radio you’ll hear Brian’s voice. If there’s an extracurricular activity, their kids are probably involved in it. The Moshers have grown some pretty thick roots over the past two decades in their hometown, and now they have an army of children who just might continue on in their parents’ creative footsteps. “Our relationship, you think it would be a lot more stressful, but you know when you have the right person, you know when it’s a team,” said Brian. “We’re soul mates as far as I’m concerned, and I think we have each other’s back. I’m always looking for ways to come home, because I know she’s probably inundated with the kids. It’s very much a team thing. If there was a captain of the team it would be her…I would be the bat boy.”
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 67
TRANSITIONS
A LIFETIME OF Pelletier stands next to the wall he's adorned with memorabilia of his brother, Norman.
Local man reflects on career, brotherly dedication. BY MATT CHABE
LANGUAGE IT’S A STORY as old as time: young man leaves childhood home, finds love, and spends a lifetime chasing it to the ends of the earth. This is one of those stories, with a twist: the young man is Ray Pelletier, now 74, of Hampden. And the love? It’s a different kind of love—a love of languages and international unity. Pelletier, the former associate director of the Canadian-American Center and assistant professor of French and Canadian studies at UMaine, retired formally three years ago,
educational trips],” he said. “You know, just to get them beyond the state line. We had a requirement [at UMaine]...which was that you don’t graduate with a bachelor’s in French without having gone to a Francophone country. I feel that in learning, you have to be there to learn.” In the 1980s, said Pelletier, a large percentage of students at UMaine were in-state residents. The percentage of those students that went abroad to study was very low. Many, he said, never left the country at all. To counter this, he encouraged
but he made a career of providing immersive, effective language instruction. In his eyes, you can’t learn a language unless you understand the culture. The best way to do it, of course, is to experience it at the source. “I can tell you, over the years I must have dragged a thousand, maybe two thousand people with me to France and Canada [on 68 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
students to go abroad any way he could, including the school-sanctioned trips. He also developed a new curriculum based on immersion. “I try to put [students] in a position where they’re capable of teaching something new to somebody, so that it’s not always coming from the front of class,” he said. “It’s
PHOTO: MATT CHABE
IN HIS EYES, YOU CAN’T LEARN A LANGUAGE UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE. THE BEST WAY TO DO IT, OF COURSE, IS TO EXPERIENCE IT AT THE SOURCE.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF RAY PELLETIER
what I call ‘interactive teaching.’ It has to be real. It has to be hands on. And that’s why, for example, I [stressed travel]. It was hands on, culture was right in front of you. Part of that curriculum was all that traveling.” He also established international institutes for faculty: “That was probably the most successful part of my career,” he said. “I did institutes for teachers in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec. I have been doing that since 2000, taking teachers on immersions [for one or two weeks].” Nowadays, post-retirement, Pelletier stays involved in the community as an emeritus professor of French at UMaine, as a board member at the Chinese Language and Culture Center of Maine, and with the Penobscot Language School in Rockland, to name a few. But he said if it weren’t for a twist of fate and some fortuitous historic events, he might never have gotten into language at all. As a boy, he grew up in Berlin, New Hampshire, one of seven children. His father was from Eagle Lake in Maine; his mother, from Quebec. At a young age, he was recruited by the former St. Joseph’s Seminary in Bucksport as a promising student. Classes were delivered in French in the morning, and English in the afternoon. It was there, he said, that his interest in languages started to develop. Following the seminary, Pelletier went off to Providence College in Rhode Island. Because of his cultural and multilingual background, he was placed in advanced French courses: “I was in there with French majors as a freshman.” He said it was difficult, because he was used to his family’s North American French, not the traditional French taught in the classroom. In short order, he switched his major from political science to modern languages. He said it was the launch of Sputnik in 1957, however, that really gave his career a boost. “That was the age of the National Defense Education Act (NDEA), which was trying to revive the study of language nationally,” he said. “You know, Sputnik went up and everybody went, ‘Are you kidding me? They beat us. How could they possibly have done that?’ It shook up Washington to no end, because it was very clear that if we had scientists who spoke or read Russian that they could have known a year in advance that this was coming from the scientific journals.”
Pelletier (center) poses with his CAN 101 class near Fort de l'Île Sainte-Hélène in Montreal during a field trip.
After that, opportunities for language teachers increased dramatically. Soon, supply began to outpace demand and competition for jobs became fierce. He came to Maine in 1979 to raise a family, he said, and to take an administrative position at UMaine with Canadian and FrancoAmerican studies. “We were trying to raise the cultural awareness of French in New England, and also French in Canada. So it was really a bilingual type of program—a program that taught about French and English Canada, and Franco-Americans of New England.” Four years later, he moved to the language department of UMaine’s Little Hall to become the assistant professor of French and Canadian studies. One of Pelletier’s greatest recent achievements, however, has nothing to do with languages. Since his father’s death in 2000, he’s been visiting his parents’ graves in Berlin each year to place flowers. He continued to find himself preoccupied by the small, neglected plaque behind the stones, marking the spot where his brother Norman, a POW who died in North Korea in 1950 but was never recovered, should have been resting. He felt frustrated by what he saw as neglect and disrespect. “I got angrier and angrier, year after year, thinking about my brother who died at 20 years old in a prison camp and had little to no recognition,” he said. “When I retired I said to myself, ‘This is not going to keep going, something’s got to be done here.’” He undertook a mission to get recognition for his brother and secure his remains. About 15 years ago, Pelletier had given the government his DNA to track kinship in the case, and didn’t think much more of it. Recently, he went to a meeting in Portland, held by the Federal government, for survivors of people who had died
A photo of Peleltier's brother Norman, a POW who died in North Korea in 1950, hangs in the hall of his home.
overseas and had never been found. There, he realized there was more information about Norman than he knew. “I called Arlington National Cemetery and I said, ‘I want a tombstone for my brother [there],’” he said. “And all that has happened, that happened last September. There was a consecration and the Army... did it beautifully.” He was doubtful, however, of ever finding his brother’s remains. One of the the connections that Pelletier had made in the Portland meeting was with an adviser from Fort Knox in Kentucky. He helped guide Pelletier through the process of finding Norman. Part of that was having both of his remaining brothers also submit their DNA. “That may have been the key,” he said. A call from the retrieval center in Fort Knox this past Christmas alerted him that his brother’s remains had been located in North Korea. Now, he says, he must make a decision on his brother’s final resting place. He has a couple places in mind. Mostly, he’s just happy Norman’s finally getting the attention he deserves. “He waited 60 years to get his due,” he said. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 69
TRANSITIONS
WORKING TOGETHER
...to fight fraud and identity theft
AARP Maine, Sheriff’s Office offer free document shredding. COURTESY OF JANE MARGESSON, AARP MAINE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Sponsored by
Serving Hancock & Penobscot counties
Bangor office: 990.1995 Ellsworth office: 667.1900 lovingtouchinhomecare.com
70 / BANGOR METRO April 2017
AARP MAINE IS collaborating with community partners, agencies and organizations, including the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, to raise awareness about consumer fraud and identity theft. With scams and fraud on the rise across the country and right here in Maine, partnerships
implausible, remember that many of us do not use locked mailboxes and we announce our outgoing mail with a raised mailbox flag. This is also a flag for a scammer. Never place mail that includes your Social Security number, address and birth date into your unprotected mailbox. Those
Particularly with tax season winding down, you probably have paperwork on hand which would be of interest to an identity thief. One way to protect yourself is to make sure you safely dispose of all sensitive and personal documents. like these have never been more important. The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, under the leadership of Sheriff Troy Morton, is involved with a wide array of programs to enhance community outreach. One issue of paramount concern is identity theft. Identity theft occurs when someone steals personal information that could be used to falsely apply for credit or for government benefits. One way that scammers steal sensitive documents is by rifling through trash or unlocked mailboxes. While this may seem
three items are the key ingredients that identity thieves need to perpetrate their crimes. Take your mail to the post office or drop it into an actual mailbox instead. Particularly with tax season winding down, you probably have paperwork on hand which would be of interest to an identity thief. One way to protect yourself is to make sure you safely dispose of all sensitive and personal documents. In collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office’s annual Drug Take-Back Day, for the second year in a row AARP Maine is
hosting a free shredding event Friday, April 28 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Airport Mall on Union Street in Bangor. There is no quantity limit—bring all your sensitive paperwork and it will be shredded on site. This event also presents an opportunity to safely dispose of your unused or expired medicines. If you take prescription drugs, you may be one of the millions of consumers whose medicine cabinet could use a spring cleaning. The Sheriff’s Office will be glad to dispose of your medications for you. Finally, another way to thwart identity thieves is to contact each of the three credit bureaus and request that they place a “freeze” on your credit report. This is the most effective way to protect yourself from this crime. Freezing and unfreezing your credit report is free for Mainers of all ages thanks to a law passed in 2015. To learn more, go to www.aarp.org/me or contact the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection at (800) 332-8529. While many consumers are becoming savvier about certain scams, there are steps each of us should take to protect ourselves.
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LAST WORD
RAIN
ON ME Like the old saying goes: “Frequent showers kill stink’s powers.” BY CHRIS QUIMBY
WE’RE OFTEN REMINDED that April showers bring May flowers. This causeand-effect adage helps us abide frequent rains that eventually usher in the sunny and buggy skies of spring. It has also emerged greater in popularity than “March’s mud is April’s crud,” “June weddings out in force, end in next month’s bad divorce,” or “the elections of November have served to further divide a nation through the contemptuous inauguration of January and beyond.” But the cold rains that feed our lawns and help our umbrellas realize their purpose are not the only showers we know. The more hygienically-responsible among us are well aware of the warm force of comforting waters spraying from our bathroom showerheads. Providing a softly-audible ambient backdrop to our nude karaoke, these waters wash away the memories of the past day and also helps us stink less. Now an enjoyable experience, my relationship with showers began in conflict. As a child and a natural Friend of Filth I was uncomfortably jarred by the interrupting waters upon my head, forcing me to close my eyes in defense. And the first time shampoo was slathered across my scalp before descending into my eyes was a regrettably torturous event. Plus the idea that I had to stand there with my hairstyle as my only clothing was humiliating. But in the end, I survived and smelled like a flower. Eventually conforming to the culture, I slowly evolved into a creature of habit, now showering almost daily. Whether this is a good idea is beyond me. I believe I heard once that if Americans shower once per day than the polar ice caps will melt twice as fast, forcing Santa Claus to develop type 1 diabetes while the Galactic Empire continues construction of the Death Star, a new tabloid publication capable of generating up to 400,000 paragraphs of Fake News per hour. Of course, there is a good chance that all of our frequent bathing is wreaking havoc on “the environment,” but I believe it’s also important to understand what the environment is. The term is so overused that we might forget the environment consists of everything around you, including me if I happen to be near. And if I smell like seafood roadkill I have effectively done harm to your environment. That being said, I believe the most controversial aspect of bathing is not whether we do it nor how often, but whether it is done vertically or horizontally. More clearly stated, I prefer baths over showers if I have the time. A bath is like a warm nap without the sleeping which would lead to death after brief nautical dreams. I have taken a lot of flack for this from people who either think it’s too womanly or too gross. They declare it’s womanly because bathers end up smelling like flowers, spices or unicorns. I simply don’t see the problem with that. Many women smell great and I think that’s an example to aspire to rather than distance yourself from. And the suggestion that tub bathing is gross is born out of the characterization of the act as someone marinating in their own Dirt Broth. I see the logic, but it’s an activity that’s more enjoyable if you don’t think about what’s actually happening, like when you consume a chicken egg. I feel strongly about the value of a bath, but my wish is not to further divide this nation by politicizing the methodologies of hygiene. Find something that works for you and, for the love of God and your fellow man, make it a regular practice. For it’s like they all say: “Frequent showers kill stink’s powers.” 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.
72 / BANGOR METRO April 2017