GOOD
Gardening GROW A BOUNTIFUL
Beautify
VEGETABLE GARDEN
&
TIPS FOR BRILLIANT BLOOMS FROM A MASTER
GARDENER (& LOCAL VOLUNTEER)
SACRED SPACE
MAKE YOUR OWN MEDITATION SPACE
Rock Out
YOUR
HOME
EXPLORE MAINE’S GEOLOGICAL LANDMARKS
TIME FOR A
BATHROOM REMODEL
TRENDS IN $5.95
April 2022
OUTDOOR DECOR
CONTENTS
APRIL 2022
FEATURES 32
BACKYARD REFRESH
Keep up on the latest in outdoor decorating trends
36
GOOD GARDENING
Advice for a bountiful vegetable garden this season
42
THE GIFT OF GROWING
Meet a community volunteer sowing seeds of inspiration
46
SACRED SPACE
How to create the ideal home meditation space
50
32
BACKYARD REFRESH
36
GOOD GARDENING
HERE TO HELP
How to recognize the signs of child abuse (and what to do about it)
IN EVERY ISSUE 08
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Local events & Metro’s Pop Quiz
OBSESSIONS
What we can’t get enough of this month
30
PERSONAL FINANCE
What to know about refinancing a mortgage
54
WOODS & WATERS
Do you know what a purple blaze means?
56
THE VIEW FROM HERE
Going on a rant
2 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
PHOTOS: (TOP) KATARZYNA BIALASIEWICZ PHOTOGRAPHEE.EU/ ADOBE STOCK; (BOTTOM) ADOBE STOCK
14
ARTS & CULTURE 10
TO THE STAGE
Five female playwrights who have been inspired by Maine
FOOD & DRINK 16
IN SEASON NOW
Tender pea shoots are tasty in these fresh spring recipes
20
EATING GREEN
What does it mean to eat a plantbased diet?
HEALTH & FITNESS 22
HIKE ME
Visit stunning geological landmarks along Maine’s coast
HOME & FAMILY 26
BATHING BEAUTIES
Must-have features to include in your bathroom remodel
ON THE FLIPSIDE Ready to get outside? Flip this issue over for the BDN’s spring Outdoors section!
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 3
EDITOR’S NOTE
Beautify your
HOME
OVER THE WINTER, I started amassing a small collection in my house. It started just before Thanksgiving with a leafy plant that I thought was pretty. Then I was gifted a paperwhite. Another small, leafy plant joined the grouping soon after. It seems that after years of house plant problems, I have finally caught the bug — and successfully began keeping indoor plants. Moreover, despite a bit of outsized curiosity, my three year old cat, Bippity, has allowed me to keep them. It’s brought a sense of summer into my drafty old house on cold days. It’s also made me more excited for the growing season, which will be arriving before we know it. And with it, I hope, will come the early flowers of spring and bountiful blossoms of summer. Last autumn, my son and I planted a small array of bulbs in our front garden. I can’t wait to see them bloom. We also have hydrangeas, lavender and more in the small gardens around the house. At the Bangor Community Garden, where we’ve tended vegetable gardens for years, we’ll be planting more varieties of onions and onion relatives than ever before, along with a bed of tomatoes, plenty of green beans and peas and so much more. I can’t wait. And I can’t wait for you to dig into the good gardening tips and advice in this issue. On page 42 we have a profile of a master gardener whose work has been bringing color to the Bangor Y area for years. And on page 36, food historian Sandy Oliver shares her tips for a successful vegetable garden. There is so much more to this home issue though! Katie Smith fills us in on trends in outdoor decor on page 32 and Erinne Magee helps us create a meditation space on page 46. Plus, all your favorite columns are here from Hike ME on page 22 to Woods and Waters on page 54 and so much more! HOPE YOU LOVE THIS ISSUE AS MUCH AS I DO.
www.bangormetro.com P.O. Box 1329 Bangor, Maine 04402-1329 Phone: 207.990.8000
PUBLISHER
Richard J. Warren
EDITOR
Sarah Walker Caron scaron@bangordailynews.com
SALES MANAGER
Laurie Cates
lcates@bangordailynews.com
ART DIRECTOR
Amy Allen
aallen@bangordailynews.com
SUBSCRIPTION & PROMOTIONS MANAGER
Fred Stewart
fstewart@bangordailynews.com
STAFF WRITER
Julia Bayly jbayly@bangordailynews.com
SARAH WALKER CARON, EDITOR STAFF WRITER
Rosemary Lausier rlausier@bangordailynews.com
STAFF WRITER
Connect With Us Online
Sam Schipani sschipani@bangordailynews.com
bangormetro.com facebook.com/BangorMetro talkback@bangormetro.com
4 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Abby Curtis, Bob Duchesne, Jodi Hersey, Erinne Magee, Emily Morrison, Joanna O’Leary, Sandy Oliver, Aislinn Sarnacki, Katie Smith
6 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN
WORKING
Bangor Metro Magazine. April 2022, Vol. 18, No. 3. Copyright © Bangor Publishing Company. Bangor Metro is published 10 times annually by Bangor Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ON LATELY?
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 Sarah Walker Caron at scaron@bangordailynews.com. Advertising: For advertising questions, please call the Sales Director Todd Johnston at 207-990-8129. Subscriptions/Address Change: The one year subscription cost is $15.95. 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 207-990-8129.
COVER IMAGE: ADOBE STOCK
“
With grocery prices skyrocketing, I have been focusing on how to cut costs in my recipe development and writing. Look for some fresh recipes with that in mind in our May issue!” — SARAH WALKER CARON, EDITOR
“A history of a Jewish ice cream maker whose grandparents fled Nazioccupied Holland!” — JOANNA O’LEARY, CONTRIBUTOR
“Surprisingly, I’ve signed up for another half-marathon with my sis. Also, I’ve started writing a collection of essays on motherhood. Different kinds of work, but I’m happy to do both right now!” — EMILY MORRISON, COLUMNIST
“Everything but a tan.” — BOB DUCHESNE, COLUMNIST
“Some freelance writing here and there but mostly expanding on my Reiki teaching and spiritual mentorships.” — ERINNE MAGEE, CONTRIBUTOR www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 7
WHAT’S HAPPENING
APRIL THROUGH APRIL 16 HOCKEY MOM
Spend an evening at the Bangor Opera House enjoying live theatre by the Penobscot Theatre Company. Hockey Mom, a play by local playwright Travis Baker, is set in the fictional Maine town of Clara where residents love blue tarps, hair salons and hockey (you might recognize these things from Baker’s previous plays!). If it’s winter, you’ll find kids out on the ice and their moms on the sidelines cheering them on. And Cindy is the ultimate Hockey Mom — she loves her son Cole and they both love hockey. She’ll do anything to help him become a pro-hockey player whether he wants her help or not. Don’t miss this world premiere. PENOBSCOTTHEATRE.ORG.
APRIL 3 THE MET: LIVE IN HD: “ARIADNE AUF NAXOS”
Indulge in the luxurious sounds of opera at The Collins Center for the Arts, when the center hosts a broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera’s “Ariadne auf Naxos” on Sunday, April 3 at 1 p.m. The exhilarating soprano Lise Davidsen makes her Live in HD debut in one of her signature roles, the mythological Greek heroine of Strauss’s enchanting masterpiece. The outstanding cast also features mezzosoprano Isabel Leonard as the Composer of the opera-within-an-opera around which the plot revolves, with soprano Brenda Rae as the spirited Zerbinetta and tenor Brandon Jovanovich as Ariadne’s lover, the god Bacchus. Marek Janowski conducts. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors (ages 65 and up) and $10 for students. COLLINSCENTERFORTHEARTS.COM
APRIL 16 ANNE OF GREEN GABLES BALLET
A beloved children’s story takes the stage as a picturesque ballet. Anne of Green Gables — The Ballet is a playful, colorful and evocative production that will transport audiences to early 20th century Atlantic Canada. Based on the beloved Canadian novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery, the ballet follows the adventures of Anne Shirley, an orphan girl
sent to live on a farm in the fictional town of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. Performed by Canada’s Ballet Jörgen, this is a must-see. Adult tickets are $25-$45 and K-12 tickets are $15. COLLINSCENTERFORTHEARTS.COM
APRIL 28 TAKE3
SPRING HAS SPRUNG!
We’re mixing it up this month! It’s a visual Pop Quiz! See those blooms popping up out of the ground? Can you identify these spring flowers?
With a flair for the wild and unexpected, the genre-defying trio TAKE3 brings the refinement of a rigorous classical music background and infuses it with rock-star charisma. Lindsay Deutsch (violin), Jason Stoll (piano) and Mikala Schmitz (cello) leave their indelible mark performing their arrangements of top pop hits, Americana and classical favorites. Tickets for the group’s 7 p.m. April 28 performance at Husson University’s Gracie Theatre are $15-$25. For more information, call (207) 941-7888 or visit GRACIETHEATRE.COM.
APRIL 30 “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC
Almost four years after his first foray into unfamiliar concert territory with his highly-acclaimed Ridiculously SelfIndulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, “Weird Al” Yankovic is pressing his luck again, this time with The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, IllAdvised Vanity Tour. The tour, coming to the Collins Center for the Arts on April 30, marks Weird Al’s long-anticipated return to the concert stage after his hugely successful Strings Attached Tour in 2019 where he performed each night alongside a full symphony orchestra. Once again drawing from his back catalog of 14 studio albums, Weird Al promises to deliver a different set list every night, with no two shows the same. As before, rather than focusing on the hits from his career, the show will feature Yankovic’s non-parody material – the somewhat more obscure pastiches and original songs that have largely escaped the pop culture radar but are adored by his longtime fans. And like the last Vanity Tour, he is leaving behind the theatrics that he’s known for and going bare-bones – no costumes, no props, no video screens … just Al and his band playing music. Tickets range from $45-$70. COLLINSCENTERFORTHEARTS.COM
Find answers below.
Answers to this month’s Pop Quiz: Question 1: A; Q2: A; Q3: B; Q4: C; Q5: A. 8 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
PHOTO: STOCKCREATIONS/ADOBE STOCK
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 9
ARTS & CULTURE
To the
STAGE MAINE INSPIRED THESE OUTSTANDING FEMALE PLAYWRIGHTS BY JOANNA O’LEARY
W
ith its storied landscape and colorful cast of denizens, Maine unsurprisingly has served as a font of inspiration for many writers, including some of America’s most auspicious female playwrights. Many of these women have called the state home for a significant portion of their lives and its people, environment and culture are reimagined and depicted in the dramatic canon.
This photo of Edna St. Vincent Millay is on display at the Rockland Historical Society.
10 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY Perhaps the most well-known of these figures is Edna St. Vincent Millay. Born in Rockland in 1892, Millay relocated at age 8 to Camden following the dissolution of her parents’ marriage. As an adolescent she displayed a precocious propensity for elegant prose and wordplay, and in her late teens garnered her first taste of public notoriety when she placed fourth in a poetry competition. Her award-winning poem “Renascence” is in part Millay’s reflection on the stunning mountain and ocean views of Camden’s Whitehall Inn, the former residence of a nineteenth-century captain. Today visitors are still welcomed at the inn, where they can look out onto the same tempestuous sky and waters that inspired Millay as well as pore over the poet’s books and photographs and take in a retrospective film on her life in a cozy parlor still decorated in period fashion. Millay went on to pen several other well-received verse dramas while residing in Rockland; however, it was her groundbreaking composition of “The King’s Henchman,” a libretto for New York’s metropolitan opera house that secured her place in the annals of history.
Pauline Hopkins circa 1901.
PAULINE HOPKINS Another member of Maine’s playwriting literati is artistic powerhouse Pauline Hopkins. Novelist, poet, actress and singer, Hopkins was born in Portland and her nascent talents were fostered by her parents, who despite recognizing the significant challenges their daughter would face as a young woman of color, encouraged her to pursue her professional writing. At age 17, Hopkins placed first in an essay contest sponsored by the Congregational Publishing Society of Boston, and this achievement set the stage for a whirlwind of subsequent successes, first literally via a noteworthy acting career, then later as a writer. Hopkins, who sometimes wrote under the pseudonym Sarah A. Allen, focused on the complexities of racial issues, misogynistic microaggressions, violence and social discrimination, and her plays and fiction serve as profound commentaries on the more subtle injustices she witness and experienced in Maine and other supposedly “progressive” antebellum New England states.
PHOTOS: (MILLAY) COURTESY OF ROCKLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
EDITH LOWELL Portland can also claim as their own prolific playwright Edith Lowell (1884-1969) who, in addition to being a violinist, classical music instructor and composer, wrote plays and operettas for that then newfangled medium: the radio.
Camden’s ocean views inspired Edna St. Vincent Millay’s “Renascence” poem.
ARTS & CULTURE
INA BROWN Other outstanding Maine women of the theater include Ina Brown. Though born in 1900 in the sleepy hamlet of Sebec, Brown rose to become secretary to multiple justices of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court before founding the Bangor Civic Theater. During her tenure as president, Brown directed and acted in several productions as well as wrote four of her own plays.
12 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
PHOTO: BDN FILE
Following the opening night performance of “Bitter Bread” a reception was held at which time members of the audience and the cast congratulated the play’s author, Ina Ladd Brown, on the success of her work. Left to right, are: Marjorie Howard, Ina Ladd Brown, Ray Spencer, production manager Marguerite Spencer and Paul Wyman, director of the play.
MONICA WOOD Finally, more recent generations of Mainers also include Monica Wood. Besides composing numerous critically acclaimed novels and memoirs (2019), Wood also is the author of the plays “Papermaker” (2015) and “The Half-light,” the former of which broke attendance records when it debuted on the Portland Stage. In 2021, Wood, who still resides in Portland, announced she would soon be releasing a new dramatic work titled “Saint Dad.” While in some cases these aforementioned playwrights failed to receive the contemporaneous appreciation they deserved, their legacy should be continued to be strengthened by renewed attention from current and future audiences.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF AARON FLACKE
Maine author Monica Wood at work.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 13
OBSESSIONS
OBSESSIONS WHAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH.
EAT
WHY DO WE LOVE IT? There are lots of choices when it comes to barbecue sauce. Every region has its own distinct flavor (Memphis, Kansas City, Carolina), and then there are some that don’t even look like they belong (I’m nuts for Moe’s Original BBQ’s Alabama-style white BBQ sauce). I love trying all the different styles. My husband and I have often talked about spending our retirement traveling around to different food festivals and taste-testing barbecue from around the country. In that spirit, I recently picked up a bottle of Taste of Inspirations’ Boss BBQ Sauce. I’ll be honest, my choice was mostly based on the cool name — and it did not disappoint. I used it to pep up a batch of somewhat-bland homemade pulled pork, and it worked wonders. It’s a St. Louis-style sauce (fun fact: St. Louis barbecue sauce is almost the same as Kansas City, but includes vinegar which makes it less sweet and more thin and tangy) that’s just the right amount of spicy. I think the wow-factor comes from the addition of pineapple juice, which kicks up the flavor (along with a little pepper for heat) and gives it just the right balance of sweet and tart. I’m looking forward to trying this tasty sauce on ribs, chicken and whatever else we throw on the grill this spring! —AMY ALLEN
14 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
PHOTOS: AFRICA-STUDIO.COM & OTHERS/ADOBE STOCK
BOSS BBQ SAUCE HANNAFORD TASTE OF INSPIRATIONS
SHOP
READ
MISFITS MARKET WHY DO WE LOVE IT? I first joined Misfits Market, an online mail order service for food, just before the pandemic hit. The service worked for us, providing bi-weekly shipments of a surprise assortment of fruits and veggies. But, eventually I canceled in favor of summer farmers’ markets and our own kitchen garden. Lately though, with the price of groceries rising, I’ve rejoined and found that Misfits Market has made some excellent changes in the ensuing time. These days, it operates more like a grocery order service. Order as little or as much as you want (provided that you hit the $30 minimum). Choose from veggies, fruits, proteins, pantry items and bakery goods. There’s even a wine addon now. So far, so good. The prices are competitive (and sometimes much better than the grocery store), the shipment arrives reliably each week. And if I don’t want to order, I just don’t add anything to my cart. No pressure. My grocery spending already seems a little less, so this is one service I will continue using.
Every month, many new books cross my desk. I purchase even more. Here’s one that I particularly enjoyed and recommend. “CLEAN AIR” BY SARAH BLAKE — Decades after a climate apocalypse killed many people and thrust the world into a new age where breathing is something that has to be carefully managed, a serial killer has emerged, murdering by exposing unsuspecting families to the air outside. Just when the world has begin shifting from survival back to thriving, this creates fear and upset — and a young mother is consumed with understanding. What’s driving the killer to do what they do? Why now? This thrilling post-apocalyptic book has rich character development, strong imagery and a storyline that will keep you turning page after page. (ADULT FICTION) — SARAH WALKER CARON
— SARAH WALKER CARON
PLAY SPIRITFARER WHY DO WE LOVE IT? Spiritfarer is an indie video game where you play as Stella, a cheery Charon ferrying departed souls around on an ever-growing ark to care for them and help them achieve closure before they are brought to rest. It may sound dark, but it’s weirdly soothing, and the animation is beyond beautiful. I highly recommend it for all ages. — SAM SCHIPANI
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 15
FOOD & DRINK
IN SEASON NOW
PEA SHOOTS BY SARAH WALKER CARON
CRISP AND BRIGHT GREEN, the tendrils of pea shoots can look unfamiliar at first. But for anyone who’s ever grown peas in the summertime, aiming for the Independence Day harvest, this shape is familiar. And, whether nibbling on them or cooking into a dish, they’re delicious. Pea shoots are the early leafy growths of pea plants. Ready to harvest in just weeks, they can be chopped and added to grilled cheese or quesadillas. They are delightful in salads as well. Or get creative with sauteing them, which adds even more nuance to these veggies. Here are a few ways I love to enjoy pea shots in the springtime.
16 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
SWISS CHARD, PEA SHOOT AND MUSHROOM RICE BOWLS WITH RUNNY EGGS Serves 4
INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 10-oz package mushrooms, wiped and sliced kosher salt 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves only, rinsed and torn into small pieces 1 cup dry white rice, prepared 1 cup pea shoots 4 large eggs Sriracha, optional
INSTRUCTIONS Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced mushrooms and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and brown — about 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet to a bowl. Put the skillet back on the burner and add the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, until tender and fragrant. Add the Swiss chard to the pan. Using tongs, turn it over to combine with the garlic. Let cook, turning only occasionally, until wilted (about 5 minutes). Add the Swiss chard to the mushrooms and stir to combine. Divide the rice evenly between four bowls. Top each with 1/4 of the Swiss chard and mushroom mixture and pea shoots. Set aside.
PHOTOS:ADOBE STOCK
Heat a small nonstick skillet on the stove over medium heat. Working with one egg at a time, crack it open, pour into the pan and cook, flipping once, until the egg white is hard all around. The yolk should still be runny. About 4 minutes per egg cooking time. Top each of the rice bowls with a cooked egg. Salt generously and serve with Sriracha, if desired. Mix all together before eating.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 17
FOOD & DRINK
SEASONED RICE NOODLE SALAD Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
8 ounces rice noodles
Cook the rice noodles according to package directions. Once cooked, rinse immediately with cold water and let fully drain.
½ cup chopped pea shoots (a heaping half-cup!) 2 scallions, thinly sliced 2 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger ½ teaspoon garlic powder
In a large bowl, combine the rice noodles, bell peppers, pea shoots and scallions. Toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the seasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, dark sesame oil, ginger and garlic powder. Pour the dressing over the rice noodle mixture. Toss to coat evenly. Enjoy immediately or chill until ready to serve.
SARAH WALKER CARON is the editor of Bangor Metro Magazine and the author of six cookbooks including the “The Super Easy 5-Ingredient Cookbook.” Her newest book, “The Disney Princess Tea Parties Cookbook” is due out in April 2022. Signed copies of her books are available at The Briar Patch in Bangor.
18 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
PHOTO: SARAH WALKER CARON
1 cup julienne-cut sweet red bell peppers
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 19
FOOD & DRINK
Eating
GREEN 20 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
WHAT DOES PLANT-BASED MEAN ANYWAY?
PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
W
BY SARAH WALKER CARON
e’re standing in the Walgreens drink aisle when my daughter asks me what plant-based means and I’m stumped. The fruity Bai drinks that I’ve been buying recently have all proclaimed themselves to be plant-based, but shouldn’t they be anyway? And with that, I am set off on a journey of curiosity to discover what it is that makes Watamu Strawberry Watermelon Bai Boost a plant-based drink when it only has 1% fruit juice. And, moreover, what does this term mean as a whole. The term has been noted in the online “Words We’re Watching” column by the venerable Merriam-Webster organization. It’s not yet included in the dictionary of the same name. Merriam-Webster notes in the column that although the first known use of the word was in the mid-1970s, it’s still evolving toward a definition. “In subsequent decades plant-based has come to be employed in a looser fashion by many people. In many instances it can be difficult to say why speakers choose to distinguish between vegan and plant-based; possible reasons include a perceived animus toward vegans, or the desire to be semantically precise,” Merriam-Webster wrote. Since it’s being used as a marketing term for foods, I decided to dig a little deeper on this by reaching out to the University of Maine. “The origins came out of vegetarianism which for the most part encourages the consumption of plants,” said Mary Ellen Camire, professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine. Plant-based foods are those that come from plants, like fruits, vegetables, beans and grains, and also those that are derived from plants, like meat alternatives and the drinks I’ve been buying, Camire said.
A plant-based diet is one that relies on these foods. Similar to veganism, folks eat legumes, vegetables, grains, fruits and more, as well as non-meat alternatives. However, plant-based diets may be a little more broad than vegan diets, including things like honey and bee pollen, which are not vegan because they are bee-products. And there are indeed more foods labeled as plant-based, she said. “Silicon Valley investors want to do good with their money,” Camire said. That’s why plant-based meats and cheeses have been getting more space on the shelves. “It’s been great for the food science industry … in terms of product development and being able to mimic animal food.” If you are interested in trying plant-based foods, the most important thing though is knowing what you are eating. For instance, meat alternatives are among plant-based foods that are highly processed. Also, plant-based doesn’t necessarily mean good for you. Camire suggests reading the label to see what’s in whatever you’re eating. Watch out for things like higher amounts of sodium. If you are interested in eating more plantbased proteins, you can also consider the more natural ones that vegetarians have been enjoying for years like anything in the bean family (soy beans, lentils, garbanzo beans, etc), nuts and even some grains. It’s a particularly good idea to eat rice and beans together — the pair provides well-rounded nutrition, Camire said. Look for locally grown beans at co-ops and farmers markets. Beans grow well in Maine, Camire said. This is also good for the environment since the beans won’t have to travel as far to become your food. “Eating is not a risk-free activity. So the more informed consumers can be, the better off they and their families will be,” Camire said.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 21
HIKE ME
Written
Rocks IN THE
VISIT GEOLOGICAL LANDMARKS ALONG THE COAST STORY & PHOTOS BY AISLINN SARNACKI
WAVES CRASH against the ocean ledges, sweeping into deep crevasess in the rock. Nearby, visitors stand on flat shelves of pink granite and black basalt. They’re drawn to the rocky coastline, a study of sharp shapes and straight lines, weathering the tides. Right under their feet is a story, one that spans for millions of years. Geologists estimate that the pink granite on Schoodic Peninsula formed over 300 million years ago, and later volcanic activity pushed dark, molten rock through cracks in the bedrock, forming the dramatic patterns visitors see today. Throughout Maine, fascinating rock formations lead everyday people to wonder about the slow-ticking clock of geologic time. The rocks tell stories of volcanoes erupting and mile-high glaciers crawling across the landscape, of oceans expanding and retreating, and of continents moving. These stories are especially evident along Maine’s dramatic coastline, where waves wash ancient bedrock clean. To the untrained eye, it can be challenging to spot geological features, let alone understand them. To help, scientists with the Maine Geological Survey have created easy-to-read documents about different geological features throughout Maine, complete with photos. Here are three coastal locations that are highlighted in the documents. Each spot features nearby hiking trails and other opportunities for recreation, so you can get some exercise while learning about local geology. To find more interesting geological features to visit throughout Maine, visit maine.gov/dacf/mgs/explore and click the link for “field localities.”
SCHOODIC PENINSULA IN WINTER HARBOR EASY TO MODERATE Schoodic Peninsula is the only part of Acadia National Park that can be found on the mainland. This section of the park is home to a campground, more than 8 miles of hiking trails and more than 8 miles of wide, smooth bike paths. In addition, the scenic Schoodic Loop Road leads to several overlooks and picnic areas that highlight the peninsula’s dramatic, rocky coastline. Geologist Henry Berry of the Maine Geological Survey created a document that describes some of the striking geological features that people can visit on the peninsula. To download the document, visit digitalmaine. com/mgs_publications/382. “The most striking bedrock feature at Schoodic Point is the array of black, basalt dikes which cut through the pale pink granite,” Berry wrote. “Basalt is a smooth, dark colored rock that forms from rapid cooling of molten rock.” If you look closely at these dark bands of rock, you can actually see streaks called flow lines, which show how the molten basalt flowed through the granite.
Schoodic Peninsula is one of the 46 stops on the Maine Ice Age Trail, which is a list of geological landmarks along the coast from Ellsworth to Calais. Dogs are permitted in Acadia National Park but must be on leash (no longer than 6 feet). All visitors to Acadia National Park must purchase a park pass, which is $30 for a private vehicle for seven days or $55 for an annual pass. Passes can be purchased online at nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/fees.htm. For more information about the park, call 207-288-3338 or visit nps.gov/acad/ planyourvisit/schoodic.htm. To learn more about the Maine Ice Age Trail, visit iceagetrail. umaine.edu. DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of Route 1 and South Gouldsboro Road (Route 186) in Gouldsboro, turn onto South Gouldsboro Road and drive south toward Winter Harbor. Drive 6.5 miles, then take a sharp left to stay on Route 186. Drive another 0.5 mile, then turn right onto Schoodic Loop Road at the sign for Acadia National Park.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 23
HEALTH & FITNESS
HIKE ME
CARTER NATURE PRESERVE IN SURRY EASY This coastal preserve features three connecting trails that total about 1.5 miles. The trails travel through an open field and a lovely forest with some notably large trees to reach the rocky shoreline. There you’ll find cobble beaches, tidal pools and ledges with fascinating geological features. Former Maine State Geologist Robert Marvinney created a scavenger hunt at the preserve that will take you back 450 million years, to when the Ellsworth Schist was formed. To download the document, visit digitalmaine. com/mgs_publications/597. Schist is a metamorphic rock formed by heat and pressure being added to pre-existing rocks. And the Ellsworth Schist consists of a quartz- and mica-rich schist, interlayered in some areas with two types of volcanic rocks — basalt and rhyolite. Along the coast of Cater Nature Preserve, it’s easy 24 / BANGOR METRO March 2022
to identify the different types of rock in some areas and imagine how they formed through volcanic activity. The basalt is dark while the rhyolite is much lighter — almost white in some spots. Access to the preserve is free. The trails are for foot traffic only. Dogs are prohibited on the Woods Trail, but you can walk leashed dogs on the rocky beach, the Shore Trail and the Loop Trail. For more information about the preserve, visit bluehillheritagetrust.org or call 207-374-5118. DIRECTIONS: There are two parking areas for the preserve. Limited parking is available at the pull-off at the bridge on Cross Road, at the head of Morgan Bay. A larger parking area is located about 0.3 mile east on Cross Road, across from the Furth-Talalay trailhead.
MOOSE POINT STATE PARK
IN SEARSPORT EASY
Gifted to the state in 1952, Moose Point State Park is a coastal property that features about 1.5 miles of easy hiking trails, a playground, picnic areas and a beach. It’s also a great place to find geological evidence of Maine’s last ice age. Geologist Woodrow Thompson created a document for the Maine Geological Survey that pinpoints interesting geological features along the shoreline of the park, adjacent to the Big Spruce Trail. To download the document, visit digitalmaine.com/mgs_publications/483. Visit at low tide to inspect glacial till and glacial erratics, which are pulverized rock debris and whole boulders left behind by glaciers, respectively. You may also be able to spot or feel glacial striations, which are scratch marks produced by glaciers dragging broken rock debris across rock surfaces. The bedrock seen along the park shoreline is metamorphic rock of the Penobscot Formation, which is approximately 490 million years old. The gates to the park open for the season on Memorial Day, but visitors can enjoy the trails and beach during the off-season by parking outside the gate. Dogs are permitted but must be kept on leash and picked up after. Leashes cannot exceed 4 feet in length. The park is open 9 a.m. to sunset daily. From Memorial Day to Oct. 1, visitors must pay a fee to enter. The fee ranges from free to $4, depending on age and residency. For more information visit maine.gov/moosepoint or call 207-548-2882. DIRECTIONS: The park is located on Route 1 in Searsport. Heading toward Belfast, it’s about 0.7 mile past Searsport Shores Ocean Campground, and it will be on your left. AISLINN SARNACKI is a columnist for the Bangor Metro and a registered Maine Guide. An expert on the Maine outdoors, she’s the author of the guidebooks “Dog-Friendly Hikes in Maine,” “Maine Hikes Off the Beaten Path” and “Family Friendly Hikes in Maine.” Follow her adventures at bangordailynews.com/outdoors. You can also find her @mainenaturehikes on Instagram and @1minhikegirl on Facebook and Twitter.
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HOME & FAMILY
Bathing
BEAUTIES MUST-HAVE FEATURES IN YOUR BATHROOM REMODEL
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COURTESY OF METRO CREATIVE
• FLOATING VANITY: Add an airy feeling to the room by creating space between the vanity and the floor. A floating vanity can be a counter with a vessel sink or even have cabinets, as long as the vanity doesn’t extend to the floor. • NATURAL TEXTURES: Create a calm and serene sanctuary in the bathroom with light, natural hues and materials. Nature-inspired colors on tiles, walls and vanities can add to the spa vibe.
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PHOTOS: © BY DARIUS’ 4TH LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY/ADOBE STOCK
eteran homeowners recognize the value of remodeling their kitchens and bathrooms. Kitchens and baths tend to appear dated more quickly than other spaces, such as living rooms and bedrooms, which can be revamped more easily with some fresh paint and new furnishings. The home improvement pricing resource Home Guide indicates an average bathroom remodel costs anywhere from $5,500 to $15,000 depending on the size and scope of the renovation. However, a bath redo can increase a home’s resale value and can return as much as 68 percent of homeowners’ investments. As homeowners plan their bathroom renovations, it’s a good time to consider improvements that will improve function and add design appeal for years to come.
FRAMELESS SHOWERS: Switch to a walk-in shower option, which improves aesthetics and makes it easier to “age in place” in a home. Pair that frameless shower with clear glass shower doors so sightline in the space remains unencumbered.
FREESTANDING TRADITIONAL SINK OR TUB: There’s something elegant about a freestanding tub or pedestal sink. Such features can lend a classic vibe to a space. However, freestanding fixtures also come in modern or eclectic forms, so there are options for any design style.
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HOME & FAMILY
• DUAL SINKS AND VANITIES: With a double vanity, two people can share the space and easily use the bathroom without getting in each other’s way. One vanity with two sinks works, but homeowners can create even more personal space by dividing vanities and mirrors. • SMALL TEXTURED TILE ON SHOWER FLOORS: Small textures are appealing and add safety. The added texture and grouting will keep feet from slipping on wet floors. Also, opt for mold-resistant grout to make cleanup even easier.
• INSTALL A WINDOW: Natural light and air flow can reduce the risk for mold and mildew growth, and windows add some aesthetic appeal to a space. Just be sure to choose frosted privacy glass. Additional considerations for a bath remodel include heated floors, well-placed and attractive storage options and a toilet enclosure (water closet) for added privacy. These and other bathroom renovation ideas can add value and improve the appeal of the room.
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PHOTOS: ADOBE STOCK
SPECIAL SHOWER HEADS: Invest in shower heads that can run the gamut from creating steam showers to rainfall effects. Some showers will have multiple shower jets to offer an invigorating experience.
• IMPROVE DRAINAGE: Increase the diameter of the drain pipe in the bathroom from the standard to a two-inch drain pipe. This will reduce the risk of clogs and overflow leaks.
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PERSONAL FINANCE
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WHEN TO
Refinance WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT REFINANCING A MORTGAGE
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COURTESY OF METRO CREATIVE
PHOTOS: ADOBE STOCK
istorically low interest rates have made now a good time to be a homeowner. According to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, also known as Freddie Mac, the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in mid-September 2021 was 2.86. Just ten years earlier, the average rate was 4.09. That’s a significant dip, and one that’s saving today’s homeowners tens of thousands of dollars over the life of their mortgages. Interest rates dipped during the pandemic and have remained low ever since. That’s unlikely to last forever, which has given many homeowners a sense of urgency regarding refinancing. Refinancing can be financially advantageous, but there are some things homeowners should know prior to contacting their lenders. REFINANCING DOES NOT ALWAYS SAVE MONEY OVER THE LONG HAUL It’s hard to blame homeowners who jump at the chance to refinance their mortgages. Refinancing is often associated with significantly lower monthly payments, and such savings can be used to finance home improvements, pay for tuition or build retirement nest eggs. However, homeowners won’t necessarily save money over the long haul if they’re refinancing an existing 30-year mortgage with another 30-year mortgage. The mortage experts at Mortgage Calculator note that a Change Terms mortgage refinance is characterized by a shift to a loan charging a lower interest rate. The initial savings with such a refinance are undeniable, but changing from one 30-year to another 30-year restarts the mortgage clock, which can add years to the time
homeowners will be repaying their debt. As a result, homeowners may end up paying more interest over time than they might have had they just kept their initial mortgage. Homeowners interested in a Change Terms refinance may want to look into switching from a 30-year to a 15-year mortgage. A shorter term mortgage will increase the monthly payment, but the loan will reach maturity much faster, greatly reducing the amount of interest homeowners will pay over the life of the mortgage. REFINANCING CAN BE COSTLY Lower monthly payments might be the number that catches homeowners’ eyes as they look to refinance, but it’s important that homeowners recognize that refinancing is not free. In fact, the personal finance experts at Kiplinger note that refinancing incurs many of the same costs that homeowners had to pay when they signed their initial mortgage papers. That includes fees, taxes and appraisal costs. These costs are sometimes paid up front, but they also might be rolled into the loan balance. In the latter instance, homeowners could be paying interest on their refinancing costs. Homeowners who are refinancing solely because of lower interest rates should know that some lenders raise interest rates to compensate for refinancing costs. That can negate the savings and end up costing homeowners more money than the original mortgage. Refinancing is an option for homeowners who want to save money. Homeowners can speak with a financial advisor to determine if this is the best way to save money over the long haul or if refinancing will ultimately cost them more over the life of the mortgage.
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FEATURE
Backyard
REFRESH
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THE LATEST IN OUTDOOR DECORATING TRENDS
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BY KATIE SMITH
hether you are an avid nester who likes to redecorate your home regularly, or you need a refresh on your back deck and you don’t know where to start, the latest in outdoor decorating trends may inspire you. Your decorating style is personal. It’s your space, after all, and you are the one who has to look at it and live in it. Regardless of trends, it’s important that you are comfortable and love your decorating choices. The good news is the latest outdoor trends for 2022 are more about sustainability, personal style and comfort. SUSTAINABILITY Products that will last for years to come and come from sustainable materials are something we all want. It makes spending the money on a new outdoor dining set or lounge chair feel a lot better when you know they are made from recycled materials that will last. Now more than ever, we are thinking about the future of our planet. To tap into this trend, check out the many outdoor items on the market that are made from recycled plastics, bamboo, or recycled or reclaimed wood. MIX AND MATCH Items like natural wood chairs, cement outdoor coffee tables and metal lounge chairs are becoming more available and go with any outdoor theme.
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You can even mix in some colorful recycled plastic chairs with a reclaimed wood outdoor dining table. Or consider bamboo finishes, which mix beautifully with cement planters. Don’t be afraid to experiment with all the different styles out there. You don’t have to stick with one theme. If you love the modern look but, see a bold floral pillow set you can’t stop thinking about, go with it. BRING ON THE GREENS Gardening is bigger than ever — and easy to incorporate into outdoor spaces by installing vertical planters or hanging planting boxes off your railings. Plants can warm up a space and make it feel homey. Whether you add a few potted plants to your outdoor dining table, or create an entire green wall with a row of tall plants, your outdoor space will come to life. If you don’t have a green thumb but love the look of outdoor greenery, there are also many faux plants that look like the real thing. OUTDOOR ROOMS With lots of us working from home, we want every space to be beautiful and functional. Many people are decorating their outdoor patios or decks like they would their living room. That’s why outdoor sofas and oversized egg chairs are huge right now. But that’s not all. Outdoor throws and pillows can be purchased to go with any color scheme. It’s easy to throw down an outdoor rug to make your outdoor dining set come to life. And an outdoor coffee table snuggled between two chairs with a small fireplace gives you that living room vibe that will make you want to spend hours in the fresh air. Outdoor kitchens are also increasing in popularity. You can purchase a whole set which includes an outdoor kitchen, bar and refrigerator, or you can have one custom built to your liking. LIGHTING There is something about sitting on a deck or front porch that’s adorned with lights all year round. You can choose from big bulbs or little strands of twinkle lights. Solar lights look great when placed around your outdoor patio or deck. Or for a really functuational option, you can also purchase solar-powered light caps which can sit on top of your deck posts or light the way up to your steps.
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Good GARDENING GOOD ADVICE FOR A BOUNTIFUL VEGETABLE GARDEN THIS SEASON BY SANDY OLIVER
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bout this time of year, many of us are raring to go outdoors to feel the gradually warming sun on our backs, breathe fresh air and stretch winter-weary muscles. It’s a powerful inspiration to open ground, plant seeds and seedlings and anticipate all those fresh vegetables on our tables. During the pandemic many people tried gardening for the first time and many will no doubt continue. Experienced or not, gardeners recognize a few basic principles worth following for rewarding success among the vegetables. GOOD LOCATION Try not to fight the site. Work with the spot you have. Your veggies benefit most from eight hours of sunlight — that amount allows heat-loving tomatoes, peppers and eggplants to thrive. If you have less sun, grow broccoli, cabbage, carrots or beets, which do well with four to six hours of sun. Lettuce, spinach and kale tolerate shadier gardens with four hours light. But don’t push it. Most plants prefer a little more sun than less. If your front yard has the best sunshine, then that’s the place for your garden. If you have a sunny porch or patio on otherwise shady property then grow a container garden with tomatoes, even cucumbers on trellises. Some vegetables are bred to do well in containers, so as you peruse seed catalogs look for those varieties. Also, keep it close to your kitchen. Proximity promotes use. GOOD SOIL HEALTH In the spring, I watch anxiously for the first evidence of worm castings: the little squiggly piles left by earthworms that prove that the ground has thawed and worms, active again, move through the soil, doing their own version of aerating and leaving their rich fertilizer behind. Worms are our good friends. Vegetable success starts with soil health. Take care of the soil, and the soil will take care of you. Get a soil test from the University of Maine Extension Service, and take its advice. Use compost, homemade or purchased. Avoid petroleum-based fertilizers. Use www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 37
FEATURE mulch to suppress weeds. Cover crops protect bare ground after we harvest and at the end of the season. Once your garden is established by tilling or hand digging, try to avoid more tilling later. The soil has a layered structure which promotes the uncountable microorganisms that maintain soil health. Constant tilling, especially to destroy weeds, tends to disrupt the layers. Cultivating the top few inches by scratching is a gentler approach. GOOD SEEDS Whether on paper or online, seed catalogs beguile us. They might tempt us to overreach and at the same time they inform us deeply about what we grow. Responsible companies will describe the basic growth requirements of each variety, inform you about the plant’s resistance to various diseases and the plant’s genetic history. Lots of catalogs provide very useful planting charts, with timing, soil temperature needs and transplanting advice. Some chart out harvest times whether early, midseason or late season, plus the vegetables keeping qualities. Keep the catalog for reference long after the seeds arrive in your home. The catalog and seed packet provide information about spacing for planting and thinning. Take the advice. When they first come up plants look so tiny that it is tempting to keep them closer together because it is hard to imagine what they will look like in a month. Thinned plants develop to their optimal size and productivity. Try to discipline yourself to toss old unused seed because the poor germination of older seed will only mean you have to replant, losing valuable growing time, not to mention your extra effort. GOOD TOOLS Good tools make your job easier. Acquire the best tools you can afford, especially ones with blades, like loppers and clippers. I love my Felco tools. Don’t forget that shovels and hoes have blades, too. Get hefty ones and keep them clean and sharpened as well. Acquire a good spading fork, long handled shovel and sturdy soil rake. I use a broad fork for tilling beds in the spring, and use a couple favorite hand held cultivators like my Japanese style cultivator and hand hoe. Some gardeners like a weeding knife, called a Hori Hori. Some prefer long handled tools so they can work standing up. Don’t forget a soil thermometer. 38 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
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Look online for many of these specialized tools. Turn to your trusted hardware store for other standard tools. GOOD GARDENING PRACTICES Mulching is one of the very best practices in gardening. It covers soil, prevents weeds sprouting and holds in moisture. As it rots down, it supplies organic matter to the soil. A thick enough layer of even rough hay works well; even though straw may be best, it is costly. Go ahead and indulge in it if your garden is small. Nature doesn’t do monocropping and she hates bare ground. Glance over any uncultivated ground to see how wildly nature plants things, hundreds of species cheek by jowl, each with its own responsibility of pulling nutrients deep out of the soil and depositing it on the surface to become available to other plants. Others feed beneficial insects: lots of insects besides bees pollinate. Hand-picking insects in a family garden may prove to be the most efficient method 40 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
of pest control. It sounds icky but hand-tohand combat is precise, swift and effective. Learn what the eggs of many look like in order to wipe them out before they hatch. Knock chewing bugs or caterpillars into a jar of water with detergent in it. Avoid petroleum-based pesticides. We’ve learned what terrible consequences to humans, animals and beneficial insects arise from the use of those poisons. Our gardens might not benefit from a tangle of every sort of plant, but interplanting vegetables, herbs and flowers with each other gives you a chance to create a thing of beauty that promotes garden health. Companion planting means some plants repel insect pests while others lure in beneficial ones. Search the web for companion planting advice to discover how yellow and orange calendula, gem marigolds, nasturtiums, borage with its beautiful blue flowers and others not only help us manage garden health but provide glorious color and edible blossoms, too.
PAY GOOD ATTENTION The best fertilizer is a farmer’s footsteps, says one adage. In other words, attention. In fact, it seems that the word “work” has become a synonym for “paying attention.” In a world where an awful lot of our life’s needs seem to be on some automatic system, gardening requires us to slow down and be observant, curious and thoughtful. Check your garden often, daily, in fact. An easy but attentive stroll will help you notice insect or critter invasion in time for you to deal with it. You’ll spot disease before it spreads wildly. You’ll note when your plants need water. You’ll find ripe vegetables quickly. We do a helpful casual weeding as we walk. The whole exercise slows us down a little and gives us a chance to just plain enjoy our garden, watch small helpful insects buzz in and out, hear birds, take pleasure in the colors and textures. Beyond the nourishment the vegetables provide, comes nourishment for our spirits.
FEATURE
The Gift of
GROWING THIS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER IS SOWING SEEDS OF INSPIRATION BY JODI HERSEY
LYDIA MUSSULMAN OF BANGOR JUST LOVES TO GET HER HANDS DIRTY. “Anything goes as far as I’m concerned,” said Mussulman, a master gardener for the past 30 years. She could fill volumes of books with all she’s learned from planting and working the dirt in her own yard. But Mussulman does more than that. She also voluntarily prunes and spruces up gardens within the surrounding areas, including a plot at the Rogers Farm community garden in Old Town, as well as the small flower garden at the Bangor Region YMCA. From a young age, Mussulman was drawn to the outdoors. “I’ve always been more interested in flowers than vegetables. Both my mother and grandmother were wonderful gardeners back in Illinois. My mother would grow flowers for the church,” Mussulman said. “I loved to go to my grandmother’s home and be in her garden. At that time, Grandpa had vegetables growing on one side and Grandma had the flowers on the other. She didn’t like me traipsing through her garden, but Grandpa let me have free rein of the vegetable garden so I was the asparagus and pea picker.”
Master Gardener Lydia Mussulman with Bangor YMCA CEO Diane Dickerson. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAWN HILL 42 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
Lydia Mussulman’s garden at Rogers Farm in Old Town. PHOTO COURTESY OF KATE GARLAND www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 43
FEATURE
Photos from Lydia Mussulman’s garden at Rogers Farm in Old Town. PHOTO COURTESY OF KATE GARLAND
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After Mussulman and her husband raised their own family, she decided to go back to school to become a master gardener through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. That’s where she met Penobscot County horticulturist Kate Garland. “Gardeners are very nurturing people in general,” Garland said. “It does take time to get those fruits and flowers, but there are all these moments you get to experience while doing that that are just as much of a gift if not a greater gift than the actual product of gardening. Watching a bee visit a plant nearby or listening to the birds. I think one of the coolest things is being able to swap stories and tips with your friends, neighbors and new people you meet through gardening.” Mussulman has met so many knowledgeable people like Garland not only through gardening but also through her yoga classes. “I remember doing yoga a lot at the Y, and there was a woman working around the front walk and weeding. I said, ‘I could help if you want, and she said sure.’ But we never exchanged names or anything,” Mussulman said. “I like weeding. I’m very fond of it because I’m somewhere else in my head when I’m weeding.” Mussulman soon found herself visiting the Y more frequently, exercising both her body and her green thumb. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer 12 years ago, she returned to that same familiar location on Second Street in Bangor and enrolled in the YMCA’s Caring Connections cancer support group. “I went to the Y’s breast cancer meetings once a week and there were anywhere from eight to 20 women there,” she shared. “I was very lucky they caught it early. I had surgery and radiation and didn’t have to have chemo. It was something we got through very easily physically but emotionally was very different, and I was so grateful I had a place to go at the Y.” Since then, Mussulman has devoted her time and talents to tending the small garden that adorns the walkway and front entrance into the Bangor Y, taking over for the woman who lovingly maintained it before her. “I slowly started redoing everything. I buy daffodils and tulips because the Y members seem to really love those, and daffodils are great because they go from season to season,” she said. “Unfortunately, we had a beautiful little Asian cherry tree
More evidence of Lydia Mussulman’s green thumb. PHOTO COURTESY OF LYDIA MUSSULMAN
that died under my watch. I really think it was the drought we experienced the past few years, or it could’ve been my digging because small trees in small areas like that can’t stretch their roots as far as they need to.” Mussulman and Garland agree that every gardener, no matter their scope of expertise, has seen plants fail to flourish at one time or another. “The most experienced gardeners have killed more plants than they can count, me being one of them, and I’ve learned from every single one that I’ve killed,” Garland said. “So don’t be afraid to learn from mistakes.” Both Garland and Mussulman advise those looking to grow their own garden of beauty to start small. “I tell people go to your kitchen window and look out, then pick a little spot. Go small at first until you get a handle on what you’re doing. You can also do pots on your porch. That’s no weeding.
With that you can go and put a few rocks in the bottom for special drainage and fill it up with a bag of soil from a store. Then go and buy geraniums or what you like,” Mussulman said. Garland said that many affordable seeds can be sowed directly into a garden. “Prioritize the groups you want to grow. If you have a limited amount of space or if you have a container garden that you’re doing, what is the thing you are craving the most, that you can walk out your door and get a snippet of? It might be basil. Basil is a really easy thing to get going in a container and it doesn’t require a lot of maintenance and has very few pests,” Garland said. Mussulman has even used her gardening skills to inspire the next generation of growers from John Bapst High School. “A few years ago, I helped the students plant the yellow tulip garden at the Bangor Y. They have a program to help kids with
depression, mental health and that sort of thing, and they wanted to plant yellow tulips but the kids didn’t know how,” she said. “So, I showed them how to plant and that you want them so many inches apart. They all worked together and were great at it. It was a good time.” Mussulman plans to continue digging in the dirt, weeding where it’s necessary and planting beauty both at her home and within her community, one seed at a time.
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Sacred SPACE HOW TO CREATE THE IDEAL MEDITATION SPACE BY ERINNE MAGEE
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hen trying to make meditation a regular routine, a dedicated space for quiet can be helpful. Creating one will not only help you feel better equipped to meditate but will also keep you consistent with your practice. But it doesn’t have to be a sizable space. A nook or cranny that feels sacred to you is all that is needed. In addition to the space itself, there are several accessories that help set the tone for an inviting practice. Setting up an altar of sorts is common when establishing your sitting area. Adding a touch of each of the four elements — earth, water, fire and air — offers a deeper connection to nature and self. When it comes to the actual sitting, a comfortable cushion, mat or pillow will feel inviting. But the important thing to remember is to make meditation accessible for your comfort level. If you know you cannot sit on the floor no matter how fluffy the spot, a chair or other sitting mechanism works just fine. Many find clarity during this quiet time, so having a notebook handy could be helpful. Closing out your practice by jotting down whatever comes your way can make your time feel complete. After gathering the objects that make you feel excited for the mediation journey, it’s time to seek out the under-utilized places in your home to house your practice. Here are some favorites: BEDROOM Your bedroom is the place in your house where you relax, making your sleeping quarters an easy space for the zen zone. Your body already relates the bedroom with winding down. The biggest thing to consider here is if you’re sharing a bedroom, make sure your ideal meditation time and their sleep schedule don’t overlap, which will make it harder to commit to a regular practice.
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CLOSET Since you really only need enough space to sit down, an unused closet makes for a private place that is easy to keep clean due to the lack of foot traffic. Bringing in a small end table could make for the altar. Alternately, if you’re lucky enough to have a Harry Potter cupboard under the stairs, you probably already know the type of magic that can live here. LIVING ROOM Get creative with your living room. Is there a space between your couch and wall or a transition area between rooms? Even if you cannot leave your cushion and altar permanently in this spot, modifying the decor in the immediate area can help signal to you its use. DINING ROOM Dining rooms typically don’t contain much furniture and often have extra space. Like the living room, if your spiritual belongings cannot exist here all the time, perhaps a chest can house your mat, altar items and journal. Even adding a thick cushion of your choosing to a dining room chair and setting up your items on the table offers the opportunity to make meditation into a ceremony of sorts (packing and unpacking your items). TAKING YOUR PRACTICE OUTDOORS If you like to directly connect with nature during your meditation, you can also assemble a peaceful meditation spot outdoors. Outdoor meditation is also a popular choice for those who cannot always find quiet indoors. GARDEN OR BACKYARD With warmer months ahead, garden planning is in full swing. Saving a plot of dirt or grass to use as a regular sitting area will provide the most grounding meditation experience since you will literally be skin to skin with the Earth. Of course you can bring your crystals, oracle cards, feathers and such outside with you or, you can establish a ritual of finding new items in nature to meditate with each time. PORCH OR BALCONY For those who want to be outside but aren’t quite ready to be one with the dirt, setting up a place where the sunlight hits your face and the birds are chirping nearby is a natural boost to your practice and mood. Having the sounds of the neighborhood can help beginners focus on something other than the pesky thoughts that keep trying to distract from your breathing. Above all, there is no wrong place or wrong way to meditate. The only way you can meditate “wrong” is by not trying at all. 48 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
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Here to
HELP HOW TO RECOGNIZE SIGNS OF CHILD ABUSE (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT)
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BY ABIGAIL CURTIS
eartbreak, helplessness and anger. Those are some of the feelings that come up when people talk about child abuse, including child sexual abuse. And Mainers have had more than our share of such conversations in the last few years. We’ve cried and raged as we’ve heard the sad, short life stories of children like Maddox Williams, a Stockton Springs toddler who was beaten to death in June 2021; Sylus Melvin, a Milo infant who was killed that August; and Marissa Kennedy, a 10-year-old also from Stockton Springs who was murdered by her mother and stepfather in 2018. There are many other children whose stories are not widely known who are victims of abuse, too. According to the Kids Count Data Center from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 1.8% of Maine children experienced substantiated child maltreatment in 2020. The rural counties of Aroostook, Waldo and Somerset had the highest rates of substantiated child abuse. WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT? Tamar Mathieu, Colleen Walker and Amanda Chambers of Bangorbased Rape Response Services have some ideas. Their agency, which serves Penobscot and Piscataquis counties, offers hope, support and advocacy to victims and people affected by sexual assault and stalking. They also teach children about child sexual abuse prevention, which is a legal requirement in Maine for kids from kindergarten through fifth grade. Because of their work, they have a lot of experience talking about hard things. That’s important to do, even if it can feel uncomfortable, they said. “If they’re dealing with it, we should be talking about it,” Walker, a project coordinator at the agency, said. When advocates go into elementary schools, they use ageappropriate language to talk about concepts such as empathy, consent, how to express their feelings and how to identify trusted adults. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 51
FEATURE
“[A trusted adult is] someone who listens and cares about you,” Walker said. “Someone who makes you feel safe. Comfortable and safe.” They also go over the difference between secrets and surprises. Surprises are one thing. It’s OK to keep a birthday present a surprise, for example. But secrets are different. “If a secret makes you feel uncomfortable and no one’s ever supposed to know about it, you shouldn’t be asked to keep it,” Walker said. “Nobody should be asking you to keep secrets from your parents.” They also strongly focus on telling children that their bodies belong to them. “You’re the boss of your body,” Walker said. “If you don’t want to hug a person, you don’t have to.” 52 / BANGOR METRO April 2022
When the advocates speak in the community, they have another helpful message for parents and child guardians: It’s a good idea to use correct names for body parts. In fact, children who are unable to correctly identify body parts can be more vulnerable to abuse. “We should be using ‘penis’ and ‘vagina’ from the minute they can talk,” Walker said. “Using the words comfortably, without giggling, implies that there’s conversations happening in the household.” And that can be a powerful deterrent to an abuser. A child who is able to say with confidence that they do not want someone touching them in a particular place or in a particular way is likely to be a safer child. “The perpetrator will run in the other direction,” Mathieu said.
Signs that a child may have been the victim of sexual abuse are similar to the signs of any trauma. They might include changes in behavior, such as a supertalkative child becoming quiet and selfisolating. Or changes in appetite or mood. “For younger children, it could be a regression in behavior. Kids who stopped sucking their thumbs who return to that behavior,” Mathieu said. For older children, signs might include hypersexualized behavior that goes beyond what is age-appropriate, they said. Or, especially for teenagers, clues that something is wrong might look like isolation, secrecy or a teen staying away from a place they used to hang out. And if a child discloses abuse — physical, sexual or other — to a trusted adult,
the way the adult responds is important. “You might want to say, ‘I’m going to kill them.’ That’s not helpful,” Chambers, a program manager, said. “It took a lot for this person to come forward. You want to stay calm. It’s not typically helpful to react.” What is helpful is to believe them and not dismiss the disclosure out of hand by saying, “Oh, that person would never do that.” “We want parents and community members to always believe the person who discloses,” Mathieu said. Adults — no matter how well-intentioned — should not question the child about the abuse themselves. Rather, they should listen to the child, writing down what they hear and observe. They should be honest and not make promises they may not be able to keep, such as telling the child that the offender will
“WE’RE HELPING PARENTS KNOW HOW TO SUPPORT THEIR KIDS. IT’S VERY OVERWHELMING FOR PARENTS.”
go to jail, or that they will never have to see that person again. “Just staying calm, thanking them for telling you, saying, ‘I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to tell me. This isn’t your fault. Let’s make a plan to keep safe,’” Chambers said. Adults also shouldn’t confront the suspected offender. Instead, they should report the suspected child abuse by calling the Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800452-1999, and by contacting local law enforcement in the community where the reported incident occurred. It can be a lot to take in, but there’s help available at agencies such as Rape Response
Services, the women said. “We’re helping parents know how to support their kids. It’s very overwhelming for parents,” Mathieu said. “We support victim survivors of sexual assault and we also support people who care about them.” For more help, contact Maine’s free, 24hour sexual assault crisis and support line at 1-800-871-7741. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 53
WOODS & WATERS
Do you know what
A PURPLE BLAZE MEANS?
IN THE MAINE WOODS, PURPLE MEANS PRIVATE BY BOB DUCHESNE
IT MAY BE the best law you have never heard of. Eleven years ago, the Maine legislature passed An Act To Protect Owners of Private Property against Trespass. The law placed new requirements on hunters to get written landowner permission when hunting with dogs and when night-hunting coyotes on private land. It required hunting dogs to be outfitted with radio collars, so that they could be retrieved more quickly when straying onto private land. And it made purple paint official. Using purple paint, landowners can declare No Trespassing around their property boundaries. Arkansas was the first state to adopt a purple paint law 33 years ago. It is now the law in 16 states, though Maine is the only New England state to have enacted it so far. Each state has its own spin on the statute. Purple in Texas bans all trespass. In North Carolina, purple means no hunting or fishing. Pennsylvania allows an exception for retrieving hunting dogs. In Maine, the paint requirements are specific. The law reads: “Conspicuous purple paint marks may be placed on trees, posts or stones on the restricted property as long as the marks are vertical lines at least one inch in width and at least 8 inches in length placed so that the bottoms of the marks are not less than 3 feet from the ground or more than 5 feet from the ground at locations that are readily visible to any person approaching the property and no more than 100 feet apart.” Purple paint has advantages. A single can of spray paint is far cheaper than the pile of signs it takes to mark a large boundary. Signs are typically made of metal, which can rust, or cardboard,
THERE’S NOT A LOT OF PURPLE AROUND THE STATE YET. RESPONSIBLE RECREATION ON PRIVATE LAND CAN KEEP IT THAT WAY.
which can wear away. Signs are sometimes vandalized or stolen. Purple paint has drawbacks too. Foremost, many people — possibly the majority of Mainers — don’t know what it means. Before purple became law, two stripes of silver color meant the same thing, and arguably many Mainers didn’t know about that either. Silver markings are still in use and still mean no trespassing. Another potential problem is that paint conveys no other information, such as landowner name and contact information. If two separate but adjacent properties are both marked in purple, a hunter with permission to hunt on one property might not realize he’s strayed onto the neighbor’s land. However, since purple paint is not yet in widespread use, neither of these potential problems has become a major issue. Why purple? The color is so unnatural in the woods that it stands out clearly. It’s visible even to most color-blind people. It’s also not typically used for trailblazing. With more states adopting the law, manufacturers are now producing paint
specifically for that purpose, sold under names like No Trespassing Purple. Ultimately, it’s an important law. Over 90% of the land in Maine is privately owned. Much of Maine’s outdoor recreation happens on somebody else’s property. The best way to continue Maine’s traditional access to private property is to absolutely respect landowner rights, including respect for posted land. Maintaining landowner relations is so important to the state, two Maine game wardens are assigned to the task. In many ways, posted land is the sign of somebody’s accidental failure or complete disregard for the public use of private property. Some of the most egregious examples of disregard occur when garbage and debris are dumped in the woods along private roads. Property damage caused by off-road four-wheeling is a chronic problem in some areas. Even the accidental rut damage caused to private roads during mud season can lead to posted land.
The warden service advises that all land be treated as if it were your own, even going so far as to pick up litter. The wardens would like to know about any illegal activities witnessed. Even deep in the northern Maine forest, where one landowner may hold a million acres, respect for property rights is paramount. The same issues of dumping and road damage affect everybody. Furthermore, simple things like staying out of the way of logging operations is essential. Obey speed limits (usually 45 m.p.h.) and pull over to allow trucks in both directions to pass. Don’t stop on bridges or park around blind corners. Don’t park in the middle of side roads, even if they look unused. Avoid damaging soft roads. Keep campsites clean. Little things matter. There’s not a lot of purple around the state yet. Responsible recreation on private land can keep it that way.
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 / 55
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THE VIEW FROM HERE
BY EMILY MORRISON
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Her kindness is too much, so I launch into another laundry list. “My son won’t stop leaving his dirty socks in between the couch cushions, under the couch, on the counter. They’re everywhere but where they go. Plus, I signed up for a half-marathon.” “Why’d you sign up for a marathon?” the college sweatshirt kid asks. He’s good at follow-up questions. He’ll make a great teacher someday. “Well, because I’m not getting any younger, children, and it’s been a few years since my sister and I have done one. Only problem is my knee hurts.” The boy in the baseball hat says, “If your knee hurts you shouldn’t do it. Do a 5K or something.” He should know. He’s coming back from a knee injury right now, and it’s no fun. “Yeah, but where’s the glory in finishing a 5K? You need a marathon for that kind of fountain-of-youth, woman in her prime kinda stuff,” I laugh. As they sit there in mostly rapt attention, more engrossed than they’ve been while discussing Sylvia Plath’s mental breakdown, I want to tell them I know I’m talking nonsense. My husband cleaned the house last night and my son’s actually getting better at picking up his smelly socks. I’ve had a break from basketball this week and, honestly, I stream most track meets. I don’t have much to complain about, but I like this ranting thing. I like how it feels when they’re really, really listening. “So, we don’t have any homework tonight, right? Cause we helped you come up with your story?” the future teacher asks. He knows the game. “What? No, that’s not how this works. If I gotta work, you gotta work. When I get paid, you get donuts. Take it or leave it.” “We’ll take it,” they say. I’ll take it too. I’ll take the smart questions and pink clothes and cell phones and baseball hats, five days a week, every week, for as long as I can. They always give me something to write about.
PHOTO: TKTK
WHILE DISCUSSING Sylvia Plath’s novel “The Bell Jar” I tell the seniors in my English class, “I know just how ol’ Esther Greenwood feels.” Hoping I’ll go off on a tangent, they ask, “What’d you mean Mrs. Mo?” All this reading and writing gets pretty dry sometimes, so I take the bait. “Well, Esther knows she’s gotta get writing, but what’s she got to write about? She hasn’t done anything interesting yet, and I get it. I have a column due today and another story tomorrow, and I got nothing to say kiddos.” “Just go on a rant Mrs. Mo!” they say. I know it’s a cheap ploy to distract me from discussing the book, but some days teachers don’t much mind not teaching. “Alright. I’ll rant,” I say. The girls in the back lean forward as they put their phones down, and I know they’re with me. They’re not on Snapchat, TikTok or Instagram. They’re here. The boy in the second row smiles from under his baseball hat as if he’s been waiting to hear what I’ve got to complain about. He could tell me a story about all the late nights he’s fallen asleep with his book in his hands, but he doesn’t. “All I do is teach and go to basketball games and track meets and grocery stores. I eat the same meals. I test myself for Covid every other day. How am I supposed to make any of this sound interesting?” “So write about that,” a boy in a college sweatshirt says and even the girls in the back agree. They’re stuck doing the same old same old too. Come to school. Teachers assign all this work. No time to sleep in or do their makeup in the morning. We’re in it together now so I ask them, “Write about what? Being busy? Everybody’s busy.” “Yeah, but that’s the point,” a shy girl beside me chimes in. Every item of her clothing has pink in it, and I love her for this sweetness. “Everybody has problems,” she says. “What else is buggin’ you?’’
EMILY MORRISON is a high school English teacher, freelance writer and editor from coastal Maine. She is living happily-ever-after with her handsome husband, three beautiful children and two beloved dogs. And a cat.
