ISS ISSUE
• WHAT TEACHERS WANT YOU TO KNOW • HOW TO TEACH LITERACY
• STUDY SKILLS FOR OLDER STUDENTS
TESS GERRITSEN $5.95
ON WRITING, RESEARCH & ALMOST GETTING ARRESTED
September 2018
GET OUT :
F O U R DAY S I N
AROOSTOOK COUNTY
CONTENTS
SEPTEMBER 2018
FEATURES 42
IN CONVERSATION
Meet our Bangor Metro Person of the Year — a role model teacher from Caribou
48
A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY
Simple strategies for promoting literacy in children
54
TEACHER SAYS
What educators want you to know this school year
62
GET OUT
Take a foliage tour of Aroostook County
62
GET OUT
48
A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY
IN EVERY ISSUE 08
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Local news & sightings
OBSESSIONS
What we can’t get enough of this month
72
THE VIEW FROM HERE
A teacher’s ode to summer
ON THE COVER We’re heading back to school with tips and advice from local teachers.
2 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
PHOTOS: (TOP) JULIA BAYLY; (BOTTOM) ©JANNOON028/ADOBE STOCK
16
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
FOOD & DRINK
HEALTH & FITNESS
22
24
14
A fresh take on pizza with ripe and in season tomatoes
CRIME AND JUSTICE
PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) COURTESY TESS GERRITSEN; SARAH WALKER CARON; AISLINN SARNACKI; BOB DUCHESNE; COREPICS VOF/ADOBE STOCK; AMY ALLEN
Writer Tess Gerritsen recalls her brushes with police, lawyers and judges
IN SEASON NOW
HIKE ME
Trails near pick-your-own orchards
30
HEALTHY FOR LIFE
70-year-old weight lifter inspires others to stay active
HOW TO
HOME & FAMILY
OUTSIDE
34
38
70
CRAFTING WITH KIDS
Create your own tie-dyed back- to-school wardrobe
36
HIT THE BOOKS
Study strategies for older students — and anyone heading back to school
WOODS & WATERS
The midadventures of transforming a van into a camper
CREATE IT AT HOME
How-to batik fun designs at home www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 3
EDITOR’S NOTE
Happy
READING IN THEIR EARLIEST DAYS, I would cuddle my children on our tan microfiber couch, a baby nestled in one arm and a book in hand. I’d read “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish” and “Down by the Bay” on repeat until I could recite the stories without even glancing at the words. When they got a little older, we dug into bigger books. Ramona books. A Series of Unfortunate Events. The first few books in the Harry Potter series. Even today, with a tween and teen, we still read together. Sometimes it’s all of us reading our own books hanging out in the living room or the backyard. Other times, it’s reading aloud. Reading is something that’s been an important element of my life. It’s taken me to far-off lands, magical worlds, dark scenarios and so much more. It’s fueled my imagination and given me a colorful vocabulary. And I am so glad I’ve managed to pass my love onto my children. Literacy isn’t just important for reading but for all elements of life — from being able to understand contracts and leases to managing life and finances. Don’t miss Crystal Sands’ story on how parents can encourage literacy at all ages on page 48. It’s filled with great ideas for encouraging your kids to be readers too. You also won’t want to miss our Bangor Metro Person of the Year, an educator whose work has inspired her students to think big. That’s on page 42. Also, our Get Out column this month takes us on a journey through The County on page 62. Plus, there’s a 70-year-old fitness buff who outlifts most folks on page 30, hikes near apple orchards on page 24 and so much more. Hope you love this issue as much as we do! Want to tell me what you really think? I welcome constructive feedback at talkback@ bangormetro.com. HAPPY READING,
SARAH WALKER CARON, EDITOR
Connect With Us Online bangormetro.com facebook.com/BangorMetro @BangorMetro bangormetro talkback@bangormetro.com 4 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
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
ART DIRECTOR
Amy Allen
aallen@bangordailynews.com
COPY EDITOR
Kaylie Reese kreese@bangordailynews.com
SUBSCRIPTION & PROMOTIONS MANAGER
Fred Stewart
fstewart@bangordailynews.com
STAFF WRITER
Julia Bayly
jbayly@bangordailynews.com
STAFF WRITER
Abigail Curtis acurtis@bangordailynews.com
STAFF WRITER
Aislinn Sarnacki asarnacki@bangordailynews.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Sarah Cottrell, Gabor Degre, Bob Duchesne, Rosemary Lausier,
Kimberley Moran, Emily Morrison, Crystal Sands www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 5
MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Behind the Story Bangor Metro Magazine. September 2018, Vol. 14, No. 7. Copyright © Bangor Publishing Company. Bangor Metro is published 10 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 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.
WE ASKED OUR STAFF WRITERS TO SHARE SOMETHING THAT STOOD OUT TO THEM IN THE COURSE OF REPORTING FOR THE SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE OF BANGOR METRO. HERE’S WHAT THEY SAID.
“
WHAT SURPRISED YOU WHEN WRITING THIS STORY?
AFTER SPEAKING WITH DOZENS of local Maine teachers, I was surprised by the common theme of them wanting parents to know how much they truly do think of the teacher parent relationship as vital to a child’s success in school. Raising kids is hard enough so knowing that our community school teachers have our kids’ best interest at heart really makes me feel supported as a parent. Having the opportunity to interview these talented individuals gave me a better appreciation for the teachers and administrative staff who shape our kids during the academic year.”
—SARAH COTTRELL, WHO WROTE “WHAT YOUR CHILDREN’S EDUCATORS WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS SCHOOL YEAR” ON PAGE 54
Accounts Payable/Receivable: For information about your account please contact Todd Johnston at 207-990-8129. COVER: (ORIGINAL CHILD PHOTO) ©Halfpoint/Adobe Stock
“
WHY WAS THIS STORY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO WRITE?
IT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO ME to write on literacy because I’ve been teaching college writing for more than 20 years, and I see what a struggle it is for students who do not have strong literacy skills. There’s so much research that points to parents being able to make the biggest difference when it comes to child’s literacy skills, yet parents have so much on their plates. Thankfully, there are little things we can do to have a lasting impact.”
—CRYSTAL SANDS,
WHO WROTE “SIMPLE STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING LITERACY IN YOUR CHILDREN” ON PAGE 38
PHOTOS: ©DMITRY VERESHCHAGIN & ©TROTZOLGA/ADOBE STOCK
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 7
WHAT’S HAPPENING
FRIDAY, SEPT. 7 DOWNTOWN BANGOR FIRST FRIDAY ARTWALK
Join local and regional artists and artisans for an evening celebrating creativity throughout downtown Bangor at the Downtown Bangor First Friday Artwalk. The artwalk, presented by the Downtown Bangor Arts Collaborative, aims to bring the community together through art. 5-8pm. Free.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 9 MAINE WIENERFEST
Calling all Wiener dog lovers! The 5th annual Maine Wienerfest will be held at Steamboat Landing Park in Belfast on Sunday, Sept. 9 from 11am to 3pm. The event is a celebration of dachshunds and the people who love them and includes a picnic social, Grand Parade of Dachshunds, Canine Costume Contest, Doxie Derby, Wiener cook-off contest and raffle. Food and pet-related vendors will be available on-site. Rain or shine. Admission is $3 for adults; free for 8 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
children under 12 years old and dogs. For more information visit www.mainewienerfest.com.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 11 INDULGE YOUR SINGING DREAMS
Want to sing for fun? The Bangor Community Chorus is a nonaudition, diverse chorus that welcomes singers. They will meet on Sept. 11 from 6-8pm at the First United Methodist Church at 703 Essex Street in Bangor. Rehearsals are held at 6:30pm on Tuesdays at the church. For more information, contact Stacy George at 207333-0980 or at sgeo8@roadrunner.com.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 13 ISSUES OF FORCED MIGRATION TALK
In January, a U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities Delegation from the Bangor-area met with residents of Carasque, Bangor’s sister city, and with multiple human rights agencies in El Salvador to investigate issues of forced migration. What was learned
Common Ground Fair in Unity
rearranged their thinking about the nature of the current migration crisis, and might help you see things differently, too. Delegation members Dennis Chinoy, Joan Ellis and Katherine Kates will share what they learned and facilitate conversation to follow on Thursday, Sept. 13 at the Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow St. from 6-7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 14 BROADWAY ROCKS!
Enjoy an evening of Broadway show tunes with an edge. Hear songs written for the stage by the music artists you love: Green Day (American Idiot), Queen (We Will Rock You), Elton John (Aida), Billy Joel (Movin’ Out) and more. Performers will include Brianne Beck (vocals), Phil Burns (keyboards), Rich Kenefic (bass), Heather Libby (vocals), Tom Libby (drums), and Dominick Varney (vocals). Broadway Rocks! will be held at the Bangor Arts Exchange Ballroom. Doors open at 6:30pm and the all ages show begins at 7pm. Admission is $12 in advance or $15 on the day of show.
PHOTO: BDN FILE
SEPTEMBER
SEPT. 21-23
THURSDAY, SEPT. 20 BOOK RELEASE PARTY
PHOTO: ©ANNA GOROSHNIKOVA/ADOBE STOCK
Need some easy recipes for those busy nights? Join Bangor Metro editor Sarah Walker Caron at The Briar Patch, 27 Central Street in Downtown Bangor for a book release party celebrating her newest cookbook “The Super Easy 5-Ingredient Cookbook,” published by Rockridge Press. Enjoy samples of the recipes in the book, ask about easy cooking methods and more. She will also be signing copies of the book. 6-7pm. Free to attend.
SEPT. 21-23 COMMON GROUND FAIR
Visit Maine’s most extensive agricultural fairgrounds – complete with a working organic farm, sustainably managed woodlot, organic orchards and demonstration gardens – and hundreds of exhibitors, activities, dances, music and Maine organic foods that make this fair unique. Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), 294 Crosby Brook Rd, Unity.
SEPT. 9 Maine Wienerfest in Belfast
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 9
WHAT’S HAPPENING
WEDNESDAYS IN SEPTEMBER MUSIC DOCUMENTARY FILM SERIES
Love music? Documentaries? You’ll want to check this out. Bucksport’s Wednesday on Main series will host the second annual Music Documentary Film Series at the Alamo Theatre, 85 Main St, in September. The series begins on Sept. 5 with “Miss Sharon Jones” at 6:30 pm. Always told she was never good enough, Sharon finally broke through as a renowned soul singer, hailed as a modern-day female James Brown. On Sept. 12, “Standing in the Shadows of Motown” will be screened at 6:30pm. It’s the story of Berry Gordy Jr.’s starting and development of the Motown label, narrated by Andre Braugher. “Louis Prima: The Wildest” will be shown at 6:30 pm on Sept. 19. The series will conclude with “Elvis Presley: That’s the Way It Is” shown at 6:30 pm on Sept. 26. Admission to the films is $8. For information, visit www.bucksportwom.com or call Paula Kee at 207-266-7999.
STILL STUMPED?
Here are the answers to last month’s Pop Quiz.
Visit our Bangor Metro Facebook page to play online! www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 11
WHAT’S HAPPENING
HERE’S A LOOK AT JUST A FEW SPECIAL EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH... 2 1 1: Bangor Symphony Orchestra Music Director Lucas Richman drew a crowd at a recent Bangor Daily News Dirigo Speaks event at the Bangor Arts Exchange. 2: People discuss ideas on how to deal with the opioid epidemic during the One Life Project event at the Bangor Arts Exchange.
3
SHARE YOUR EVENT PHOTOS! 12 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
Email your photos and captions to
talkback@bangormetro.com
PHOTOS: (1) JEFF KIRLIN / THE THING OF THE MOMENT; (2) GABOR DEGRE; (3) ABBY ROSEBERRY RICE
3: A fire breather performs for the crowd at the 3rd annual Harry Potter event in downtown Bangor. Activities, games, food and performances entertained magical guests and muggles alike when Central Street in Bangor was transformed into Diagon Alley for the evening to celebrate Harry Potter’s birthday on July 31.
BACK TO SCHOOL!
4
A Pop Quiz is the perfect way to kick off the school year! Play online at bangormetro. com for your chance to win a FREE one-year subscription to Bangor Metro!
4: Don Cookson and Misty Allen attend the Castle Rock Premier presented by WKIT, The Briar Patch, Bangor Mall Cinemas 10, and Hulu. Castle Rock is a Hulu-exclusive series based on stories by Stephen King, who made a surprise appearance at the event. 5: Winners in the 51st Coca-Cola Spudland Open Golf Tournament at Presque Isle Country Club were, from left, Clinton Deschene, low net; Porter Gervais, low gross; and Ralph Michaud, Joseph J. Freeman Award. 6: Bangor Area Recovery Network, BARN, held its biggest fundraiser of the year recently. Lobstermania drew a large crowd to in support of the organization’s work to help those recovering from addictions.
5
PHOTOS: (4, 6) JEFF KIRLIN / THE THING OF THE MOMENT; (5) COURTESY OF PRESQUE ISLE COUNTRY CLUB
6
FIND ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S POP QUIZ ON PAGE 11!
Visit our Bangor Metro Facebook page to play online! www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 13
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT
CRIM E
AND JUSTICE WRITER TESS GERRITSEN RECALLS HER BRUSHES WITH POLICE TO LAWYERS AND JUDGES BY JUDY HARRISON
WRITER TESS GERRITSEN and her husband, Dr. Jacob Gerritsen, have been in trouble with the law twice because of her bestselling mysteries and medical thrillers. Once they were questioned in San Diego when her novel, “The Apprentice,” included too many undisclosed details about murders committed by the Golden State Killer in the 1970s and 1980s. Later, while doing research in Houston for “Gravity,” the couple was suspected of kidnapping a baby. Gerritsen recounted her adventures in writing and where she gets her ideas in June to a roomful of lawyers and judges. The group, called the John W. Ballou American Inn of Court, allows attorneys and judges to meet outside courtrooms, where rules and time constraints prevent them from talking about the law — or the latest Gerritsen novel. “As a doctor,” she told them, “I have a natural fear of lawyers.” Maine Supreme Judicial Court Justice Andrew Mead said the group was “thrilled that she took time to speak with us.” “Her work lies at the intersection of law, medicine and psychology,” he said recently. “We were hoping she would share her insights into how she concocts her stories — how she delves so deeply into the minds of those who commit crimes
PHOTO: (“RIZZOLI & ISLES: LAST TO DIE” BOOK COVER) AP PHOTO/BALLANTINE
ARTS & CULTURE
and those who bring them to justice. “Finally, she said, ‘We’ve been tracking to visit a local hospital, where a character Her presentation was informative and a killer here in California, and we’re all would be taken in an emergency. spellbinding in equal measure.” certain that you know him because one “So we went into this hospital and we Writers, Gerritsen said, never have a of our team read your book,’” the writer looked around the lobby, and I was taking problem finding ideas. continued. “‘The details are so close to notes about where the doors are, where “The real trick is finding good ideas,” the details that were never released to the entrances are. I wanted to go up to she said. “Let me give you an example of the public. Somehow, you know these see where the ICU was, because there’s a bad idea. I used to to teach writing to very, very intimate details about what this scene in the ICU in the book. We were doctors. These are medical doctors who killer did, so we think you knew him.’ It about to walk out when a security guard want to become Robin Cook. I would hold turned out, they had been investigating stopped us,” Gerritsen said. “He said, a weekend workshop, and part of it was for my husband [as the Golden State Killer] ‘The police have been called. You need them to give me their ideas. A doctor came because we lived in California at the time to come with us, right now.’ I thought, up to me and said, ‘I have a great idea for a of some of these murders. I had to explain what did we do? All we did was wander book about managed care.’” to her that I come up with these details around and look at what I considered to Gerritsen, who lives in Camden, said because I’m a crime writer.” be public places. They took us out to the she did not need to explain why that was back to wait for the police.” a bad idea. It turned out the Gerritsens had The best ideas, she said, are the stories wandered into a tense situation. The “that bother you, that stick with you, hospital staff was on high alert because that give you the punch in the gut. It several infants had been kidnapped can’t be an intellectual idea. It has from the newborn nursery. THE BEST IDEAS, to be a very deeply, emotional “They thought we were idea — something that a couple on the lookout to SHE SAID, ARE THE STORIES bothers you so much that kidnap some babies,” she “THAT BOTHER YOU, THAT you are still thinking about explained. “No matter what it weeks later.” we said, they didn’t believe STICK WITH YOU, THAT GIVE YOU That is the kind of us. I kept saying, ‘I’m a THE PUNCH IN THE GUT. IT CAN’T story that led to her first writer. I’m a writer.’ So, encounter with police. finally, I said, ‘I have some BE AN INTELLECTUAL IDEA. IT HAS “Years ago, my copies of my books in the TO BE A VERY DEEPLY, EMOTIONAL husband and I were car. My husband will go living in California, and I out to the car and get them IDEA — SOMETHING THAT was reading news articles so we can prove to you that BOTHERS YOU SO MUCH THAT about a killer who was I am a writer.’” breaking into the homes of The police escorted her YOU ARE STILL THINKING couples,” she told the group. husband out to the car and he “He was tying up the husband brought back paperback editions ABOUT IT WEEKS LATER.” and putting dinner plates on that had the now famous writer’s the husband’s lap. Then, he would photograph on the back cover. assault the wife, and the reason the “They looked at the photos and said, dinner plates were put on the husbands ‘Oh, she must be telling the truth. Can we was, if they were able to get loose or have your autograph?’” get up, that would like an early warning Mead said after the event that attendees system for him.” Retired police Officer Joseph James “were blown away” by her presentation. The idea appealed to her because DeAngelo, 72, of Citrus Heights, California, “Most lawyers and judges have it was “really creepy.” She changed the was arrested in April and charged as the difficulty watching crime and courtroom chinaware from a plate to a cup and saucer “Golden State Killer.” He allegedly raped dramas on television or in the movies,” because she thought that “was even more dozens of women and killed at least a dozen he said. “They provide great drama but creepy.” She used the idea for the killer’s people in the 1970s and 1980s. While bear little or no resemblance to real life. modus operandi in “The Apprentice,” the he often used plates as an early warning By contrast, Tess’s books have the ring of second book in the Rizzoli and Isles series, system, unbeknownst to Gerritsen, he also authority and reality.” published in August 2002. used cups and saucers. Gerritsen said her next book would “About 15 years later, I got a call from Gerritsen’s other brush with the law, be a ghost story, a departure from her a cold case detective in central California,” came a year or two before “Gravity,” a previous novels. Gerritsen said. “She started asking me novel about an astronaut marooned in a “It’s a combination of the old TV show, questions. I have no idea how she got my space station, was published in 1999. She ‘The Ghost and Mrs. Muir,’ and ‘Fifty number. I had no idea why she was asking was visiting the Johnson Space Center in Shades of Gray.’” she said. “The ghost is these questions. Houston with her husband and decided the world’s best lover.” www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 15
ARTS & CULTURE
OBSESSIONS
OBSESSIONS WHAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH.
DO
USE
GEODES
BEES WRAP EAT WHY DO WE LOVE IT? Geodes are rocks that contain cavities lined with crystals. Sold at rock shops and online, these rocks can be cracked open with a chisel and hammer to reveal the treasure within. As “the cool aunt” of the family, I recently purchased a bunch of these to entertain my 7-year-old niece — and quite honestly, myself. Wearing safety glasses and wrapping each geode in a rag to prevent rock shards from flying into the air, we used a hammer to crack open several geodes, then used a magnifying glass to inspect the crystals. We found some to be more beautiful than others. My niece especially liked the pink and red crystals. And that’s part of the fun. You never know what you’re going to get. I’ve found the price of geodes to vary greatly. In local rock shops — such as the Rock and Art Shop in Bangor, Ellsworth and Bar Harbor — geodes usually cost between $5 and $10. However online, I’ve found large geodes for $20 a pop, and kits of 10 small geodes for $25.
—SARAH WALKER CARON
PHOTO: (TOP) ©BEATAALDRIDGE/ADOBE STOCK; (BOTTOM GEODE) AISLINN SARNACKI
— AISLINN SARNACKI
WHY DO WE LOVE IT? We recycle as much as we can — from our cereal boxes to our newspapers. Reusable bottles carry our water from hikes to the gym to school and work. And over the last year, I’ve stopped purchasing plastic storage containers in favor of glass ones. But I was hesitant to trade plastic wrap for a more Earth-friendly alternative. I knew alternatives existed but worried they wouldn’t do the same job my trusty plastic wrap had done. Then I tried Bees Wrap Eat covers and fell in love. Made by a maker in Aroostook County, the wax-coated fabric adheres to the dishes with ease and stays put and then I can just wipe them clean when I’m done with it. The best part is that we waste so much less (when cared for properly, these wraps last about a year). Bees Wrap Eat are available in the NorthwoodsNectar Etsy store online and also at the Northwoods Nectar shop in Eagle Lake.
16 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 17
ARTS & CULTURE
OBSESSIONS
OBSESSIONS WHAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH.
READ Every month, Bangor Metro identifies a few books worth reading. These are the picks for September 2018.
“THE MISCALCULATIONS OF LIGHTNING GIRL,” BY STACY MCANULTY — My daughter, Paige, is 10 and loves The Land of Stories series, The Baby-Sitter’s Club series (I’ve collected a good deal of the original books for her) and the Pegasus series. She’s someone who reads a lot, all the time. When she read “The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl,” she liked it so much, she immediately started recommending it to others. In the book, a lightning strike has given Lucy Callahan a super power: she has genius-level math skills. At 12 and homeschooled, she’s technically ready for college. But her grandma insists that she go to middle school for one year, make one friend, join one activity and read one book that isn’t a math textbook. What can Lucy possibly learn in the 7th grade? This novel is a celebration of friendship, getting out of comfort zones and embracing differences. (Middle grade) “MAINE HIKES OFF THE BEATEN PATH,” BY AISLINN SARNACKI — Where are you hiking this weekend? Aislinn Sarnacki, a writer for Bangor Metro and a reporter for the Bangor Daily News, has released her second hiking book and it’s filled with 35 lesser known hikes around the state. From mountaintops to trails and wildlife reserves, I love how this book encourages you to see more of what Maine’s great outdoors has to offer. —SARAH WALKER CARON 18 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
PHOTOS: (TOP) ©ZLIKOVEC/ADOBE STOCK; (BOTTOM) ©PAKHNYUSHCHYY/ADOBE STOCK
“THE STORY OF FOOD,” PUBLISHED BY DK — I’m a bit of a food nerd. I collect knowledge about food and food systems the way movie buffs memorize quotes and francophiles immerse themselves in French culture. When I flipped through “The Story of Food” for the first time, it hit all the right notes of food knowledge for me. This is filled with the histories of so many things we love to eat from avocados to oils to meats. Did you know that Rye comes from Western Asia and — in addition to making a lovely bread — is used in paper-making? This is a fantastic reference book, and pretty fun to read too. (Adult)
FOOD & DRINK
OBSESSIONS
OBSESSIONS WHAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH.
TAKE OUT
SNACK LITTLE LAD’S HERBAL POPCORN WHY DO WE LOVE IT? Let’s admit it: Snack preferences are personal. Let others snarf down trendy treats, such as chicken-and-waffle flavored potato chips, wasabi almonds and pumpkin spice-flavored anything. When I go on a snack run, chances are that I will come back with a bag of Little Lad’s Herbal Popcorn. And if that happens, it’s unlikely the bag will last the afternoon. There’s just something so deliciously addictive about the Corinth-based company’s signature popcorn, which has only five listed ingredients, none of which are a controlled substance (though I am beginning to have questions about nutritional yeast). Health is a real emphasis of the company, and everything they make is vegan. But even if people found the herbal popcorn while looking for a healthy alternative to other snack foods, I suspect they keep on buying it mostly because it is amazing. When I’m feeling experimental, I sometimes make popcorn at home that tries to replicate the herbal corn. With the judicious use of dill, sea salt and the aforementioned nutritional yeast, I can come pretty close. But I can also run out to the store and put the perfect snack food in my basket. Made in Maine, good for you and tasty, not trendy. All those things mean Little Lad’s is in no danger of losing my popcorn business anytime soon!
WHY DO WE LOVE IT? I do love noodles, and the fact Umami Noodle Bar (1 Main St. in Bangor, 207-947-9991) is a traditional Japanese noodle bar that lets you create your own bowl of noodle-y goodness has me hooked on the place. All of Umami’s ingredients are listed on a board behind the order counter. I gave up trying to mathematically figure out how many different combinations of broth, noodles, proteins and vegetables there are, but trust me when I say it would be a long time before you exhausted all the variations. Don’t be afraid to get creative. My go-to is to start with a base of the yellow curry and combine it with the rice noodles. Then I toss in tofu, broccoli, snow peas and shitake mushrooms. I opted to take my noodle creation togo and was delighted that the wonderful woman who prepared my order put the veggies and noodles in one container and the broth in a separate one. This preserved the crunchiness of those fresh vegetables as opposed to creating a soggy, yellow curry combination. Umami does have seating for eating at the restaurant and in summer there is an outdoor patio. They are open for lunch and dinner, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Even better? They are dog-friendly, and before I even placed my order, the staff had brought a bowl of chilled water for Chiclet — and offered to pack the water to-go, if she wanted. —JULIA BAYLY
—ABIGAIL CURTIS 20 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
PHOTO: (CRAB POPPERS) AISLINN SARNACKI; (CRAB LEGS) © JASON LUGO / LUGOSTOCK/ADOBE STOCK; (POPCORN) © 2014 LOGAN BANNATYNE/ADOBE STOCK; (NOODLES) ©ORAN TANTAPAKUL/ADOBE STOCK
UMAMI NOODLE BAR, BANGOR
EAT CRAB POPPERS FROM FINN’S IRISH PUB WHY DO WE LOVE IT? When my husband and I discovered Finn’s Irish Pub in Ellsworth a couple of years ago, we snagged two seats at the pub’s busy bar and ordered one of the restaurant’s most popular appetizers: crab poppers. Made with fresh, local crab meat, mixed with mint, lemon juice and bread crumbs, this delicious starter dish is similar to crab cakes, but is instead shaped into balls and fried in beer batter. And the jalapeno tartar dip they serve with it makes for the perfect combination, adding a little heat to this sweet treat. We now eat at Finn’s on a fairly regular basis, and we’ve always found the food to be tasty, the prices fair, the atmosphere lively and welcoming, and the service friendly and prompt. And as a bonus, this pub often has live music, as well as seasonal cocktails and a variety of beer on tap, including iconic Irish brews such as Guinness and Smithwick’s. We usually start off our meals with crab poppers, though sometimes we’ll switch it up with their fish poppers, which are also great. The crab poppers come four to a plate, though they stay together just fine if cut into halves. And each crab popper plate costs $11.50, while the fish poppers are $8 a plate. —AISLINN SARNACKI
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 21
in season now
FOOD & DRINK
TOMATOES
STORY & PHOTOS BY SARAH WALKER CARON
OH, TOMATOES. How do we love thee? Perfect in caprese, delightful on sandwiches, dazzling in salsa and lovely in gazpacho, tomatoes can be used in so many ways. This nightshade originally hails from South America but has been cultivated in North America since before European explorers arrived, according to “The New Food Lover’s Companion” by Sharon Tyler Herbst. And although the U.S. government classifies it as a vegetable for trade purposes, it’s actually a fruit available in dozens of varieties. Tomatoes have been called by a variety of names over the years. “The Story of Food,” published by DK earlier this year, tells me that in the 16th century, Italians called them “pomo d’oro,” or golden apple. In southern France, they were called “pomme d’amour,” or love apple. Tomato comes from the Spanish word tomate and is believed to be adapted from an Aztec or Nahuatl word. Although you may be most familiar with the red tomatoes sold in grocery stores, they come in a variety of hues, shapes and sizes. Some of my favorites are the green zebra, a striped green tomato with a slight tartness to it, and the yellow pear tomato, a small pear-shaped variety that is a wonderful, sweet and juicy snack. Whatever you call them (I am partial to pomme d’amour), tomatoes are typically in season in Maine between late August and October, though sometimes you can find them sooner or later than that. When you do find fresh tomatoes, try them on this pizza. Best made with the season’s freshest tomatoes, it’s topped with two cheeses and a bit of oregano in addition to the tomatoes. Simple, elegant and a wonderful use of this beloved fruit — or vegetable, if you prefer.
FRESH TOMATO PIZZA Serves 4
INGREDIENTS 1 ball pizza dough (store bought or homemade) 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Fresh ground pepper, salt and garlic powder 1½ cup fresh diced tomato 4-5 ounces thinly sliced fresh mozzarella, chopped 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Dried oregano
INSTRUCTIONS
surface (a cutting board or pizza paddle) to work. I usually dust the surface with cornmeal but flour works, too. Work the dough into a round disk — about 15 inches in diameter. Place on the prepared surface. Stab the dough all over with the fork, and then brush with olive oil. Sprinkle the dough with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spread the tomatoes all over the prepared dough. Top with mozzarella and then parmesan. Sprinkle with oregano, as desired. Transfer the pizza to the hot pizza stone.
Preheat a pizza stone in an oven set to 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, dust the dough with flour and prepare a
Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, or until golden. Remove the pizza from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting with a pizza cutter.
SARAH WALKER CARON is the editor of Bangor Metro Magazine. A longtime food writer, she is co-author of “Grains as Mains: Modern Recipes Using Ancient Grains,” and author of the popular food blog Sarah’s Cucina Bella (www.sarahscucinabella.com).
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 23
HIKE ME
AMBLES
w th APPLES TRAILS NEAR PICK-YOUROWN ORCHARDS STORY & PHOTOS BY AISLINN SARNACKI WANDERING ALONG ROWS of apple trees, the family slowly filled their bags with fruit. Cortland, Honeycrisp, Gala. Signs marked the varieties, helping them find what types best suited their needs. Would they be using the apples to craft the perfect pie? Or would they simply be eating them whole and uncooked? Perhaps a bit of both. For them, visiting a local apple orchard in the fall is a tradition — one that is filled with warm sunshine, cool breezes and the sweet scent of ripe fruit. It’s a time to enjoy the beauty of autumn and embrace the harvest. So, they thought, why not make a day of it? After filling their bags with apples — and paying the orchard, of course — the family piled into their car and drove to a nearby trail network, somewhere they could prolong their time together outdoors. There on the trails, they’d admire the changing fall foliage — the bright, fiery colors taking over the canopy. They’d stretch their legs, walking without the worry of tripping over fallen fruit. And when they got hungry, they’d have the perfect trailside snack.
SCHOODIC MOUNTAIN & SHALOM ORCHARD,
IN FRANKLIN CHALLENGING
RISING 1,069 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL in eastern Maine, Schoodic Mountain is a popular hiking destination. A 2.8-mile loop trail on the mountain travels through a mossy forest filled with boulders and up rocky slopes to the mountain’s bald summit, which offers a 360-degree view of the region. The hike also visits the beautiful, sandy shore of Donnell Pond, a location known as Schoodic Beach. The mountain is located in the state-owned Donnell Pond Public Reserved Land. For more information, visit maine.gov/donnellpond. Nearby, Shalom Orchard is an organic orchard, winery and farm located on a high ridge with amazing views in all directions. In addition to more than 1,000 apple trees, the farm grows organic blueberries, cherries and raspberries, and other vegetables. They also raise chickens and sheep. Be sure to check out their farm store. The farm is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and their apple picking season is usually mid-September through mid-October. For information, visit shalomorchard.com or call 207-565-2312. DIRECTIONS: To reach the mountain from Route 1 in Sullivan, turn onto Route 183 (Tunk Lake Road) and drive about 4.5 miles. Take a left onto the gravel Schoodic Beach Road, which is marked by a Donnell Pond Public Lands sign. Follow Schoodic Beach Road for 2.3 miles to the end, where there is a large gravel parking area. The trailhead for Schoodic Mountain Trail is near the outhouse, and the trailhead for Schoodic Beach Trail is at the far end of the parking lot by the kiosk. Shalom Orchard is located at 158 Eastbrook Road in Franklin. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 25
HEALTH & FITNESS
HIKE ME
GOOSE RIDGE TRAIL IN MONTVILLE & MUELLER’S FRUIT FARM IN THORNDIKE MODERATE TRACING THE RIDGE of a long 920-foot tall hill in Montville, the 3.7-mile Goose River Trail travels through a quiet, mushroom-filled forest and along the edge of fields. Managed by the Midcoast Conservancy, the trail is a part of the Sheepscot Headwaters Trail Network, which consists of 19.2 miles of trails on nearly 1,000 acres of conserved land in the towns of Knox, Freedom and Montville. It’s also a small piece of the Hills to Sea Trail, a 47mile footpath that spans from Unity to Belfast. Access to Goose Ridge is free, and dogs are permitted if kept under control at all times. For more information, visit midcoastconservancy.org or call 207-389-5150. Nearby, at Mueller’s Fruit Farm in Thorndike, Christoph and Sabine Mueller grow strawberries, raspberries, plums and a wide variety of apples. At their farm, they offer a pick-your-own experience and keep a store stocked with fresh fruits, berries, jams, jellies and fresh cider. During apple season, the farm is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, visit muellersfruitfarm.com or call 207-568-2009. DIRECTIONS: The trail has two trailheads. To reach the north trailhead, start at the intersection of Route 220 and Route 137 in Freedom and drive south on Route 220 for 1.75 miles, then take a sharp right onto Freedom Pond Road. Drive 1.1 mile and the trailhead is on the left. Park on the side of the road. Mueller’s Fruit Farm is located at 431 Mount View Road in Thorndike. 26 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 27
HEALTH & FITNESS
HIKE ME
PLEASANT LAKE PRESERVE IN STETSON & TREWORGY FAMILY ORCHARDS IN LEVANT EASY IN 2010, Kent Hewitt donated a 100-acre wooded peninsula on Pleasant Lake to the Sebasticook Regional Land Trust, as well as a 50-acre wetland adjacent to the property. The land had long been enjoyed by boaters, fishermen, hunters and hikers, and he wanted to ensure public access well into the future. Now called Pleasant Lake Preserve, the property features 1.8 miles of hiking trails that lead through a mixed forest and wetlands to the edge of Pleasant Lake. Access is free, and dogs are permitted if kept under control at all times. To learn more, visit sebasticookrlt.org or call 207-948-3766. Nearby, Treworgy Family Orchards attracts a big crowd during apple- and pumpkin-picking seasons. They set people up with totes, bags, boxes and wagons so they can pick their own apples, berries, pumpkins and squash on 42 acres. And the property also includes a farm store, horse-drawn wagon tours, a petting zoo, corn maze, ice cream shop and cafe. For more information, visit treworgyorchards.com or call 207-884-8354.
AISLINN SARNACKI is a staff writer for Bangor Metro and the Outdoors and Homestead sections of the Bangor Daily News. An expert on the Maine outdoors, she is author of the just-released guidebook, “Maine Hikes Off the Beaten Path,” and also “Family Friendly Hikes in Maine.” Follow her adventures on her blog, actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com.
28 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
DIRECTIONS: To reach the preserve from Interstate 95 Exit 167 (for Etna), drive north on Route 143 for approximately 7 miles (passing straight through an intersection along the way) and turn right onto a short drive that leads to the preserve parking lot. If you reach Cobb Road, also on the right, you’ve gone too far. At the end of the drive is a sign for the preserve and a parking area. Treworgy Family Orchards is located at 3876 Union St. in Levant.
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HEALTH & FITNESS
HEALTHY FOR
L IF E 72-YEAR-OLD WEIGHTLIFTER WANTS TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO GET ACTIVE STORY BY ABIGAIL CURTIS | PHOTOS BY GABOR DEGRE
ANNE ROTHROCK GREW UP on an Ohio dairy farm, where she spent a lot of her formative years shoveling manure and tossing bales of hay, and she has the muscles to prove it. “I really have been lifting all my life,” she said. And she’s not planning to stop anytime soon. The 72-year-old retired microbiologist from Thorndike spends a lot of time at the Waldo County YMCA in Belfast, where she lifts weights, teaches fitness classes and works as a personal trainer helping people achieve better fitness. She does all that because she is a woman on a mission: to help more people understand that life and physical fitness don’t need to end at 50, a mindset she believes too many folks fall into. “People sit down and wait to die,” she said. “No! Don’t do that. You can always improve. You can always get stronger. And you feel a whole lot better if you do.”
“YOU CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE. YOU CAN ALWAYS GET STRONGER. AND YOU FEEL A WHOLE LOT BETTER IF YOU DO.” —ANNE ROTHROCK
30 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
Anne Rothrock, 72, teaches a class called Balanced Fitness at the Waldo County Y in Belfast.
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HEALTH & FITNESS
Anne Rothrock during a body composition contest in Plymouth, Mass. at the age of 51. Rothrock, now 72 still lifts weights and exercises regularly. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNE ROTHROCK
32 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
She knows about that from personal experience. Although she had been strong and active as a girl, after she moved to Massachusetts to work at the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, she got out of the exercise habit. When she was in her late 40s, she started going to the gym and took up weight lifting. “I loved it. It made me feel good,” she said. It turned out that, perhaps because of all those years of tossing hay bales and pitching manure, she had a particular talent for it. A trainer at her gym saw potential in her and encouraged her to start bodybuilding. For two years she competed in the over-50 women’s division. She radically changed her diet, eating lots of protein and very few carbohydrates, spray-tanned and donned a bikini to show off her fit physique. Rothrock enjoyed it, but for her it was an unsustainable hobby. “I’ve always had a weight problem, and you can’t eat like that all the time. It’s not healthy,” she said.
But even though she stopped competing, started eating more normally and laid off the spray tan, she learned she loved weight lifting. She kept it up after moving with her husband, Brit Rothrock, to Maine in 2002. She worked as a microbiologist here for 12 years before retiring and switching her focus to personal training and health coaching, with certification in both fields from the American Council on Exercise. Anne Rothrock describes microbiology as her real job and personal training as her fun job, and her enthusiasm shows. “Move. Do something. Find something you like, because you’ll do it if you like it,” she said. “Garden, walk, bicycle. Do it as often as you can.” She enjoys all kinds of activity but perhaps nothing more than lifting weights. On a recent morning at the YMCA in Belfast, where she is something of a gym rat, she headed over to the free
weights to start her lifting routine. She grabbed two 15-pound free weights, one in each hand, and started doing two sets of bicep curls, then switched them out for 20-pound weights for a third set. Rothrock focused her breath and concentrated on keeping her motions smooth and controlled as she lifted the heavier weights up and down. “You change it up all the time,” she said. “If you don’t, your body gets used to it.” At one of the weight machines, she settles in to work her back muscles, lifting 85 pound weights with fluid grace. “Challenging myself — that’s what it’s all about,” she said. But her competitive streak is still alive and well. Rothrock loves that she can keep up with a lot of the guys at the gym, even though she is a woman, and a 72-year-old woman, at that. She knows she’s not as strong as she was when competing, but nevertheless she can leg press 200 pounds and recently did the chest press on a weight bench holding a 40-pound dumbbell in each hand. “Some men can’t lift what I lift,” she said with pride. Still, Rothrock’s attitude is inclusive rather than exclusive. Everyone can improve, she thinks, and everyone will probably feel better for making the effort. In the Balanced Fitness classes she teaches at the Y, her students are mostly senior citizens. They laugh and sing along to the catchy pop songs she plays as they do exercises to help with their balance and their cardiovascular fitness. “Soft knees, tight abs,” Rothrock, who cuts a jazzy figure at the front of the class in her bright orange top and black and pink sneakers, reminds the students, who smile as they try to comply. After the class, Marie Kaplowitz, 74, of Montville said it makes a difference having Rothrock as a teacher. She been having balance issues and trouble walking when she decided to try out the class. “This has really helped,” she said, adding that she has appreciated having a teacher who is a peer. “Anne is the best. She can relate to all over aches and pains and our lack of ability.” Rothrock, who is proud of her age, can relate. But she also hopes her students will be inspired by the benefits of exercise, benefits to both mind and body that she is continuing to reap. “I don’t feel my age and I don’t look my age because I do this,” she said. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 33
HOW-TO
CRAFTING WITH KIDS
TIE-DYE
T¯SHIRTS
CRAFT YOUR OWN BACK-TO-SCHOOL WARDROBE STORY & PHOTOS BY AMY ALLEN
THERE'S SOMETHING CLOSE TO MAGIC about taking a plain white T-shirt, dipping it in a bucket of dye and coming out with an intricate and funky design. It’s also a fun and easy way to create some unique back-toschool clothes without spending much money. We found a great deal on T-shirts at a local craft store, but we got a little over excited when it came to choosing colors. We picked five, however, three colors would be plenty. Keep your primary colors in mind when you make your choices — red, yellow and blue will create new colors as the dyes overlap. Just avoid overlapping too many colors or you’ll wind up with a brown-ish hue. There are lots of different tie-dye techniques and special kits available out there — from using squirt bottles to folding fancy patterns. But we like to keep it simple: pinch, twist and squish a cotton T-shirt into a rubber band and dip it in a bucket of dye. Voila! Wearable art. 34 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • Rit All-Purpose Dye in a few different colors (we used 5, but 3 would be plenty) • Rubber gloves • Salt • Buckets or large pots • Rubber bands • White cotton T-shirts, bandanas, socks, pillow cases, cloth napkins — anything you want tie-dyed!
DIRECTIONS & TIPS PREP YOUR DYE Fill your buckets or pots half-full of hot water. Add a cup of salt to each one to help enhance the color. Mix in your dye. There are more precise measurements on the dye boxes, but a half pot of water plus one full box of dye does the trick. We used both the liquid and powder dye and didn't notice that one was more vibrant or easy to use than the other.
PREP YOUR T-SHIRTS 1. The pinch and swirl technique is a simple one and works well for all ages and skill levels. Lay the shirt out flat, pinch it in the middle and twist. Squish the twisted shirt into a compact little package that you can secure with rubber bands. The tighter you wrap and the more rubber bands you use will determine how much white space there will be when you're done. A super tight package will let less dye into the middle and you'll have more white showing in your final product. We did ours pretty loose with just 3-4 rubber bands each — just enough to keep our shirt together as we dipped and dyed. 2. Dip a corner of your rubber-banded shirt into one bucket of dye and wait a few seconds or a few minutes depending on how intense you want the color. Continue dipping sections of the shirt until it's all colored. 3. We waited and unwrapped all of our shirts at once for a big reveal after everything had been dyed. Then let the shirts dry before giving them a first wash. Be sure to wash the shirts separately from other laundry because the dye can run during those first few washes.
TIE-DYE TIPS This can become a very messy project quickly, so be sure to wear old and/or dark colored clothes and rubber gloves in case of drips and splatters. It's a great outdoor project to prevent any major accidents.
with KIDS
HOW-TO
CREATE IT AT HOME
UNIQUE BATIK HOW TO CREATE FUN FABRIC DESIGNS STORY & PHOTOS BY JULIA BAYLY
THE MOST IMPORTANT thing to know about batik is that even mistakes look artistic. As an art form, batik has been around for centuries, with some historians tracing the process that uses beeswax and dyes to create designs on cotton to the sixth century. Its origins are widely believed to be Indonesian, Sri Lankan and Indian. Luckily, the age-old tradition of batik is something anyone can enjoy at home, and it’s fun for everyone, from drawing experts to those of us who have a hard time making a straight line using a ruler.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • A pound or so of clean beeswax, which you can get from most local beekeepers or online from places like Beeswax From Beekeepers: beeswaxfrombeekeepers.com • Something to melt the beeswax in — an old electric skillet works great • Procion or any other cold water dyes • Soda ash, available at any swimming pool supply store • Some water-based markers to pre-trace your designs
• A shirt, scarf or any piece of natural — like cotton or hemp — fabric • Natural fiber paint brushes • Buckets for rinsing the dyed materials • A tjanting, a specialized tool that is sort of a batik pen with a wooden handle and a small, copper reservoir on the end through, which the melted wax flows allowing you to “draw” and create lines or dots.
DIRECTIONS & TIPS 1. To get started, cover your work space with a sheet or tarp because the beeswax will likely drip at some point in the batik process. Melt the beeswax down to a hot but not bubbling or “crackling” point, and place the copper end of the tjanting in the wax so it can also get hot. 2. Take your shirt or scarf or whatever fabric you are using and draw out your design with the water based pen. Don’t worry about the pen lines — they will wash out. 3. Next, take a paint brush or the tjanting and, using either or both, trace over the design with the hot wax, allowing it to sink. Note: If the wax gets too cool, it will not sink into the fabric and will just flake off. Wherever the wax has sunk in to the fabric it prevents the dye from coloring it. This is kind of fun as any dribbles or drops of wax helps create some really funky designs. 4. When you are done drawing with the beeswax, take your fabric and plunge it into a bucket or pot in which
you have mixed the dye, soda ash and water. You are going to want to leave it in there for about an hour to allow the dye to really do its thing. Then rinse the fabric til it runs clear of dye. 5. From there place the dyed fabric into a pot of hot, not-yet boiling water. This removes the beeswax which will float to the surface and can be skimmed off. Then it’s into the washing machine with the fabric. From there it can go into the dryer or it can air dry. There you have it! The fabric will have turned the color of the dye all over, except for where the wax was painted or drawn on, leaving the designs in the original color of the fabric.
at
HOME
HOME & FAMILY
HIT THE
BOOKS
38 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
STUDY STRATEGIES FOR THE OLDER STUDENT, ACCORDING TO SCIENCE BY KIMBERLEY MORAN
GOING TO COLLEGE later in life has some pretty major benefits, not the least of which is the motivation to make sure your education improves your current or potential job situation. But motivation alone doesn’t mean you won’t face challenges or struggles with the studying aspect of school. Being an adult learner means you have more distractions and responsibilities, so taking care to understand the cognitive research behind certain study strategies is good practice for protecting your education investment. Here are several study strategies and the brain research that backs their value. You may have heard of one or two, but there are probably a few you may not have known that will keep your brain nimble and your learning more concrete and easily remembered. Turns out the process of studying can be learned as well.
PHOTO: ©ALLVISION/ ADOBE STOCK
RETRIEVAL PRACTICE Retrieval practice involves re-creating something you’ve learned in the past from your memory and thinking about it right now. The longer ago the learning was, the more difficult the retrieval is, the better your chances are of the retrieval solidifying the learning. This might feel counterintuitive because we are always jealous of people for whom retrieval is fluid and easily brought to mind, but cognitive learning research published in Deans for Impact in 2016 shows that learning increases when the brain works harder. This process of retrieving makes the information more retrievable later. Compared to simply studying by looking over your notes, if you practice retrieval you’re more likely to remember the information later and also more likely to be able to use and apply the information in new situations. One great way to practice retrieval is to take a practice test before your actual test. If your teacher doesn’t have one, try making your own. Even simpler than practice questions, you can just grab a piece of paper and write down everything you know on a topic.
R MEANS E N R A E L ADULT NS B E IN G A N IS T R AC T IO D E R O M G E S O TA K IN YO U H AV , S IE IT IL P O N S IB THE AND RES R S TA N D E D N U O H IN D CARE T ARCH BE E S E R E IE S IS CO G N IT IV S T R AT E G Y D U T S IN G C E R TA IN PROTECT R O F E . AC T IC ESTMENT GOOD PR V IN N IO U C AT YO U R E D www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 39
INTERLEAVING With interleaving study strategy, you mix up different skills and practice while learning. Most old-school learning strategies involved practicing one skill at a time before the next. However, interleaving, a largely unheard-of technique that is capturing the attention of cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists as Scientific American shared in 2015, involves mixing, or interleaving, practice on several related skills together. An important caveat about interleaving is that research implies that learners should have some familiarity with subject materials before interleaving begins so that confusion is reduced. If you want to practice interleaving, try it when learning a new sport. Take tennis. If you understand how the game is played, start by learning to bounce the ball with your racket. Then, at the same time, practice serves and volleys. The muscle memory may be reinforced more quickly. To practice interleaving in math learning, try doing word problems that involve several math operations.
40 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
PHOTO: COREPICS VOF/ADOBE STOCK
HOME & FAMILY
REALTORS SPACED PRACTICE Spaced practice is when you take a longer period of time to practice your learning. It’s the opposite of cramming for an exam. According to a Dartmouth College research study in 2016, when the brain has time in between learning practice sessions, it connects with the material more completely. These connections improve memory and ability to recall information more readily. The most effective use of spaced practice occurs when combined with interleaving and retrieval. It’s important to remember that spaced practice requires time management. When you attend college later in life, you tend to have more responsibilities that make time management even more crucial. Take a look at the bigger picture of each course and use a calendar to mark scheduled tests on your syllabus. Then make a plan to study a little at a time each day until the big test. A cramming session may have been effective when you were younger but is less likely to be a good strategy now. ELABORATION Elaboration involves making connections among ideas you are trying to learn and connecting the material to your own experiences, memories, and dayto-day life. In 1983, researcher Charlie Riegeluth developed Elaboration Theory in Instructional Design Theories and Models. This is where the simplest version of the task is presented first, followed by additional more difficult but connected tasks. “A key idea of elaboration theory is that the learner needs to develop a meaningful context into which subsequent ideas and skills can be assimilated,” Reigeluth said. A way to understand how to make elaboration study work for you is that it involves explaining and describing ideas with many details. To put that into practice, start by making a list of all of the ideas you need to learn from your class materials. Then, go down the list and ask yourself questions about how these ideas work and why. As you ask yourself questions, go through your class materials and look for the answers to your questions. As you continue to elaborate on the ideas you are learning, make connections between multiple ideas to-be-learned and explain how they work together. A good way to do this is to take two ideas and think about ways they are similar and ways they are different.
CONCRETE EXAMPLES Abstract ideas can be vague and hard to grasp. Moreover, human memory is designed to remember concrete information better than abstract information according to the Journal of Experimental Psychology in 1994. So, when you’re studying, try to think about how you can turn ideas you’re learning into concrete examples. Making a link between the idea you’re studying and a vivid, concrete example can help the lesson stick better. Remember that it’s your job to come up with a good concrete example that applies to what you are learning. How to distinguish a good example from a bad one? Ask a teacher or talk it through with another student to be sure you both agree and can explain it clearly. Don’t forget that a concrete example doesn’t have to be an image. Storytelling makes a powerful tool for understanding. Find examples of stories that show you how the abstract idea works in real life. DUAL CODING Dual coding is when words and visuals are combined to help learn the material better. The best example of this is sketchnoting. The whole idea behind adding sketches to your notes is that it taps into parts of your brain that would lie dormant if you only use words to explore ideas. It’s the combination of the two that’s most powerful — using words and visuals while taking notes. There are so many ways to sketchnote which is why many adult learners are finding it so welcome as they study. The idea is to write down a few words about what you are learning and then draw an example to help you remember it better. Your work with concrete examples will help you develop this excellent dual coding strategy more specifically to benefit your personal study needs.
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Ultimately, customizing your study habits will benefit your college experience the most. The older you are when you enter college, the more experience you’ll bring with you. Take advantage of what you already know about yourself to make your studying more effective and efficient for you. The cool thing about going to school after you’ve already experienced the world more completely is that you tend to make better use of your education. You know where you want to go with it and now you can learn how to make your study habits and strategies help you get there. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 41
FEATURE
IN CONVERSATION
MORE THAN A
TEACHER THIS CARIBOU TEACHER IS A ROLE MODEL FOR HER STUDENTS BY ROSEMARY LAUSIER WHEN DR. VALERIE ANN WALDEMARSON moved more than 1,800 miles from Ft. Myers, Fla. to Caribou, Maine in late 2015, she was looking for a homey, small town to raise her children and be closer to her family. What she didn’t anticipate was that she would become what her students and their parents describe as a “mother figure,” “role model” and “advocate” for dozens of high schoolers, changing both their lives and the Caribou community as a whole. Waldemarson is a specialist with the workforce organization Jobs for Maine Graduates. She is both a mentor and educator to students and leads the program at Caribou High School, teaching five classes a day. The program offers support to students starting in grade six through their post-secondary education and into the workforce, and provides a curriculum that focuses on a variety of career development skills, including leadership, critical thinking, problem solving, job skills and more. Through her classes, Waldemarson tries to break the mold when it comes to traditional, compartmentalized education. As a JMG specialist, Waldemarson’s class covers topics including leadership development, financial and employability skills, and social and civic awareness allowing the students to become well-rounded individuals, learn skills that are useful outside the classroom, and find what path, whether it be further education or the workforce, that works best for them. “You, as a teacher, are imparting knowledge. The component that’s missing in a traditional setting is what’s going on outside,” said Waldemarson. “You are not exempt from the caring, love and compassion. If you want to succeed, put in the work.” Waldemarson describes the program as a “champion for students” and helps children find their “personal genius.” Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, JMG has helped more than 45,000 Maine students throughout the state since 1993 and will be reaching more than 9,000 students this year. The JMG program at Caribou High School is a for-credit course elective that began in 2016. After living in Caribou for less than a year, Waldemarson was approached by Caribou High School principal, Travis 42 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
PERSON OF THE
YEAR EDITOR’S NOTE: When we put out the call for nominations for Person of the Year, one name rose to the top. Dr. Valerie Ann Waldemarson is an educator in Caribou whose work with a program that prepares kids for higher education and the workforce has garnered her praise from students, parents and other educators. She embodies what we were looking for: a person with an outstanding commitment to bettering the Pine Tree State who has provided significant leadership and contributions to their community.
PHOTOS: (GROUP) LINDA VAUGHN; (RIGHT) CHRISTOPHER BOUCHARD
Caribou JMG specialist Dr. Valerie Waldemarson, left, presents Caribou High School senior Connor Spencer with the 2017 JMG student of the year award during the May 16, 2017 JMG closing ceremony at the Caribou Performing Arts Center.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 43
FEATURE
IN CONVERSATION
Barns, who believed that working for service in the 2017-2018 school year, an The project also served as an extension JMG was right up her alley. She met with increase from 1,200 the previous year, in of the students’ education as they had to Barns and the JMG regional manager for her class including training and teaching create a business model, strategize, write a Caribou, Ed Leeman, who eventually sold younger students emergency preparedness, business plan and manage cash donations the program to her. participating in a number of youth events prior to the food bank. “I really felt that she was the right fit,” in the community and writing letters The students were awarded the “Kicking said Leeman. “She had passion, energy, and making blankets for sick children Hunger in the Can” award for its efforts in enthusiasm, and was very articulate. We in the hospital. The blankets were given battling food insecurity at the annual Career really felt that we found the right person to members of the Anah Shriners and Development Conference held at Thomas for the job. She came and hit the ground delivered to the hospitals in Springfield College where more than 700 juniors and running and she’s never stopped … She’s and Boston, Mass. seniors from around Maine come together definitely a student advocate.” to compete in job employability skills. They Lisa Gardner, Director of Stewardship were also awarded the “American Red at JMG, believes that Waldemarson does Cross Real Heroes Community Impact whatever it takes to help her students Award” in May for their community explore their interests and will efforts as well. work with them to reach their Waldemarson herself is also an “VAL WALDEMARSON goals. active volunteer in the Caribou EPITOMIZES WHAT AN EDUCATOR “Val Waldemarson epitcommunity. She volunteers omizes what an educator at track meets, concessions SHOULD BE. SHE EPITOMIZES should be. She epitostands at sporting events, WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN OUR mizes what we look for the Veteran’s Day Dinner in our teaching specialat the VFW, the Caribou TEACHING SPECIALISTS. SHE MEETS ists,” said Gardner. Marathon, and the ALL STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE, “She meets all students Winter Carnival at the where they are, regardRecreation Center among REGARDLESS OF THEIR ACADEMIC less of their academic others. She is also on the PROWESS OR THE CHALLENGES prowess or the chalBoard of Directors at lenges they may face. Central Maine Chamber THEY MAY FACE. SHE MAKES IT She makes it clear to of Commerce, is a member CLEAR TO EVERY STUDENT THAT SHE every student that she is of the Caribou Kiwanis and there for them and that she serves as the Key Club leader IS THERE FOR THEM AND THAT believes in them.” at the high school. SHE BELIEVES IN THEM.” Students and their parents Monique Cormier, a paragree. ent of one of Waldemarson’s stu—LISA GARDNER Apollo Grondin, a recent dents and among those who nomigraduate, recognizes Waldemarson as nated her for Person of the Year, credits someone who has “helped and supported” Waldemarson for teaching her students to him in his journey to play on a college become productive members of society. football team, despite Caribou not having “She is successful at this and dedicates a high school team. Waldemarson’s class Robert Hancock, a science teacher at her life to our youth … and ensuring their gave Grondin the tools to make calls, write Caribou and a member of the Anah Shriners, success,” Cormier wrote in her nomination. letters to college recruiters, and convince notes how Valerie’s passion for community “We don’t recognize the people that sit the recruiters why he had the skills to join service and helping others has been passed in silence enough … the ones that are a college football program. Grondin will on to her students. our backbones and the ones who keep us attend Greenville University in Illinois for “They recognize the importance of what moving in the right direction no matter how Sports Management this fall. they’re doing,” said Hancock. “She gets hard. That is Valerie Ann Waldemarson.” An integral part of the JMG program, them to buy into the work. The result of her Besides helping them become and something Waldemarson vehemently work is right in front of them.” community activists, Cormier noted how supports, is project based learning, For another project, Waldemarson’s Waldemarson is helping the students specifically community service. Project students decided to tackle food insecurity gain real life experience, self-esteem and based learning is part of the civic and in Aroostook County in efforts to combat confidence that they can carry with them social awareness aspect of her class. social issues in the area. They partnered beyond the classroom. Through community service, Waldemarson with the Aroostook County Action Program Cormier saw her daughter, wants her students to experience the good (ACAP) to hold a food drive for food banks Cheyenne, “flourish” after working with and bad in the community and what their around the county. Last year, the students Waldemarson. The teen has volunteered impact has on others. collected more than 2,200 food items in 21 at the American Legion in Madawaska Waldemarson’s students completed days, and this year over 3,000 food items to and also appeared on the news to speak more than 1,500 hours of community be distributed county wide. on behalf of JMG. Waldemarson assisted 44 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
PHOTO: VALERIE ANN WALDEMARSON
Waldemarson’s JMG students traveling from the Career Development Conference. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 45
FEATURE
IN CONVERSATION
(Top & right) Waldemarson’s JMG students at a Career Development Conference. (Above) Waldemarson with Robert Hancock.
46 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
PHOTOS: (TOP) COURTESY OF VALERIE ANN WALDEMARSON; (BOTTOM RIGHT) CARY OLSEN; (BOTTOM LEFT) CODY WALDEMARSON
Cheyenne Cormier with job applications and preparation leading her to start her own dog-walking business and getting a job at Caribou’s Cindy’s Sub Shop. “She’s fun, positive, smart, very helpful and confident,” said Cheyenne. “She’s kind of like a role model.” Waldemarson holds a closing ceremony at the end of the school year where she recognizes the students for their accomplishments and achievements in what Hancock describes as an “emotional evening.” She invites JMG’s private and public partners, guest speakers from the community, and gives individual awards. Cheyenne was awarded the “Coming Out of Your Shell” award. During the ceremony, Grondin, the master of ceremonies, came to the podium to recognize Waldemarson for the hard work she put in to help her students. “This night is all about recognizing the seniors and we just felt like there was this one person who was left out; who has been the backbone of all of us. Without her, none of this would be possible,” said Grondin. Grondin with the graduating seniors, many through tears, then spoke about the one thing that Waldemarson has helped them with. One said Waldemarson helped him gain confidence, another said Waldemarson helped her believe in herself. Waldemarson was then given the “The Unsung Hero Award” in recognition of her hard work. It is these relationships, developed in and outside of the classroom, that has taught Waldemarson herself that she will never stop learning, that her students teach her something new everyday. She notes how the trust that has developed between her and her students allows them to move forward with the same goals and to continue to learn from each other. With the new school year starting, there are no signs of Waldemarson slowing down. As Waldemarson has helped her students find their path and achieve their goals, she has found a passion where she will continue to be a role model and champion for her students. “After my first year, I couldn’t think about doing anything else,” she said. “I can’t see myself leaving JMG.”
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FEATURE
A LITTLE GOES A LONG A WAY SIMPLE STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING LITERACY IN YOUR CHILDREN BY CRYSTAL SANDS
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LITERACY IS IMPORTANT in our culture, and research shows that parent involvement is the most important predictor of literacy development and academic achievement in children. Parents want what’s best and dream of a successful, happy life for their children. Many think about college, maybe even a college scholarship, but most parents don’t realize that the steps toward being prepared for college can begin at a very young age. And it starts with simply reading some books. According to a 2016 report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 37 percent of students are prepared for college-level reading. Moreover, a 2016 study from Renaissance Learning, an educational assessment organization, found that American students are entering college reading at a seventh-grade reading level on average. College, which requires a lot of reading, writing and independent learning, is often difficult for students who lag behind in literacy skills. According to Dr. Matt Pifer, associate professor of English and director of the Husson University Writing Center in Bangor, said he would like to see students coming to college with more of the habits of mind established by the Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing, a document establishing goals for entry-level college students developed by the National Council of Teachers of English and other national literacy organizations. These habits of mind are important goals and include traits such as curiosity, openness, creativity, flexibility and metacognition, which is the ability to reflect on one’s own ways of thinking. Dr. Pifer said he hopes more students come to college with a “positive attitude toward literacy and an understanding of what it can provide as a toolset that allows that function professionally and personally in ways that they often overlook.”
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FEATURE When parents help promote strong literacy skills, the effort has a dual impact of helping children develop lifelong skills and helping to build lasting bonds between parents and children. When children are younger, the first blocks of literacy are built by developing a love of books and reading. If you can inspire a love of reading early on, chances are the reading habits your children develop will stick. According to a variety of research studies compiled by the U.S. Department of Education in 2012, a love of reading in children leads to a wide variety of positive benefits, including better text comprehension and grammatical skills, positive reading attitudes and increased general knowledge later in life. When students read well, they tend to write well. They also tend to do well in many other subjects in school that require strong reading skills.
FIRST AND SECOND GRADE By the time children are in first and second grade, they’re often reading on their own. While it’s still good to keep reading to your children, having them read at home on their own just 20 minutes per day is going to have a powerful impact. According to neuroscientist Sally Shaywitz, professor from the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, reading 20 minutes per day leads to students scoring in the 90th percentile on national reading exams.
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PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN Reading a picture book every night at bedtime can help your children develop important literacy skills and a love of books. Picture books like “The Big Red Barn” by Margaret Wise Brown, “Bear Snores On” by Karma Wilson, and any number of Dr. Seuss classics have strong rhythms and rhymes that will appeal to younger children. Vibrant colors also are excellent, but don’t be afraid of black-andwhite choices. For example, the picture book “Kitten’s First Full Moon” by Kevin Henkes consists of black-and-white art with simple lines that appeal to children. Marie Sekera, retired preschool teacher and literacy volunteer in the School Administrative District 63, said that reading to your children is so important. “I can’t emphasize enough the importance to reading to children as early as possible. I have witnessed firsthand the advanced verbal and cognitive abilities of children who have been exposed extensively to books in the earliest stages of life,” Sekera said.
This is also a good time to help your children understand the importance of books by celebrating books, giving them as gifts and making reading time special. Research shows that celebrating books and making a big deal out of them teaches children the value of books. When compared to digital books, a 2013 study published in the journal Mind, Brain, and Education found that print books served as better educational tools for children and helped open up a dialogue about the reading. Getting involved and asking a few quick questions about the books your children are reading is important at this stage. And celebrating a book release party or author talk at the local library or bookstore is a fun way to emphasize that literacy is important. At this age, if you haven’t already, it’s good to expose children to a wide variety of genres — fiction, nonfiction, poetry, biography and more. Fiction narratives, such as “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” by Kate DiCamillo, teach important lessons without being didactic. National Geographic publishes a series of early readers on animals and science that provide students important exposure to nonfiction. And collections of poetry such as the book of haikus, “One Leaf Rides the Wind” by Celeste Davidson Mannis, make poetry fun. THIRD TO FIFTH GRADE At this age, children will often begin to demonstrate preferences when it comes to books, so just being in tune with what your child likes to read is important. Researchers have found that students are more likely to remain readers if they are given book choices when it comes to their reading. This is also a good time to emphasize different genres to your child, if you haven’t already, so offering a variety of choices can be helpful. Introducing children to a variety of genres early on can expose them more to important but often overlooked textual structures, and it is important to start early. By the time a student reaches college, most students haven’t had enough exposure to expository texts. But expository texts can be a lot of fun for children as well. Research shows that students entering college struggle most with expository texts (texts that present information in a pointby-point manner as opposed to a narrative or story form), and most of the reading load students experience in college comes in the form of expository texts. According to the
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FEATURE U.S. Department of Education, 53 percent Helping your children with their ideas reading and writing assignments at school. of students entering college must enter into without worrying too much about where Just taking a few minutes per day to talk remediation classes in reading and writing the commas go is a great place to start in about what your teens are reading or to help them succeed at the college level. encouraging good writing habits. National writing about will demonstrate the value The National Science Teachers research in writing instruction, first of literacy. And, even if your children Association releases a list, “Outstanding published in 1986 by George Hillocks and struggles with these assignments in high Science Trade Books for Students,” each then repeated for decades, indicates that school, parents should resist the temptation year that can be found online. This list traditional grammar instruction involving to help too much at this age. provides a wide variety of nonfiction grammar exercises doesn’t translate into Dr. Stephanie Gross, associate options for children. And, of course, student writing, so try not to worry too professor of English at Husson University fictional narratives shouldn’t be forgotten much about pronoun or punctuation errors and honors preceptor at the University in a quest for genre diversity. Books like too at this age. Just encouraging a love of of Maine, said the struggle is important. J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series stands writing of any kind is going to make a big “Parents can help by letting their children the test of time, and humorous narratives difference in the long run. struggle with their writing. Give them like “The Templeton Twins Have an Idea” general feedback, but resist the urge to by Ellis Weiner often are favorites. rewrite for them. College professors want Of course, variety is the key. “Students our students to understand that writing won’t always love what you assign them, is about the quality of ideas and the so it’s important they find their genre communication of those ideas. It’s less when possible. I open the door about the ‘rules’ than they think,” to genres like anime, horror, Gross said. “STUDENTS WON’T ALWAYS adventure, short stories, howSupporting writing as a part LOVE WHAT YOU ASSIGN THEM, to books and others. Once of your child’s literacy at this they find their passion, they’ll level is so important because SO IT’S IMPORTANT THEY FIND read, and then they’ll write,” of the way writing plays such THEIR GENRE WHEN POSSIBLE. Jacob Grady, a fourtha role in college and work. grade teacher at Glenburn Ask questions about what I OPEN THE DOOR TO GENRES LIKE Elementary School, said. your children are working ANIME, HORROR, ADVENTURE, on in terms of their writing JUNIOR HIGH projects, and work to make SHORT STORIES, HOW-TO BOOKS Keeping preferences and sure your children are not AND OTHERS. ONCE THEY FIND a variety of genres in mind procrastinating when it is key as children enter comes to writing deadlines. THEIR PASSION, THEY’LL READ, junior high. In addition to When students procrastinate AND THEN THEY’LL WRITE.” supporting children’s love of and write at deadlines, they their favorite genres, keep are more likely to struggle, —JACOB GRADY working to expose your child panic and even cheat. This to different genres. Poetry is is also when caring parents, popular at this age, for example, and who are worried about their children’s graphic novels are important to literacy grades, can step in and do too much of a development as well because they can project. By helping your children establish encourage reluctant readers to keep reading. a plan and timeline for writing projects, Educators point to the fact that graphic At this age, children may demonstrate you can help build strong writing skills novels require some of the same kinds an interest in writing poetry. Encouraging that will translate in good writing habits of literacy skills more traditional books this can help build vocabulary and a that last a lifetime. demand, such as identifying an author’s deeper understanding of language. Junior In 2004, the National Commission on purpose and making inferences about a text. high students may be interested in classic Writing released study findings showing The American Library Association even poets, such as Emily Dickinson and Edgar that writing was considered a “threshold” publishes an annual list of great graphic Allan Poe, and they may be interested in skill for many jobs in America. The study novels for teens. Oftentimes, parents think fiction with more serious themes, such as found that people who write well are children need to read traditional works in those found in Lois Lowry’s “The Giver.” more likely to get hired, more likely to order to reap the benefits of books, but this But don’t forget the humorous. Books like get promoted and make more money in is not the case. It all counts. “Holes” by Louis Sachar can make children their jobs. At this age, children may also have laugh while teaching important lessons “If you can read well and write well writing assignments they work on at home about friendship. and express your thinking, it actually from school. Encouraging children in their opens your mind and gives you access to writing is important, and understanding HIGH SCHOOL more information. These kinds of skills that there’s more to writing than grammar At the high school level, students should actually change your brain — in a good will help your children in the long run. be encountering more difficult texts for way,” Pifer said. 52 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
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FEATURE
TEACHER AS THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS, many parents have questions about what to expect. We reached out to 16 local teachers from pre-K to high school to ask them what they most want parents to know when it comes to caring for and educating your kids. From sage advice on how to view the parent-teacher relationship to remembering that high school kids need as much attention as pre-schoolers, we’ve rounded up great tips and wisdom for parents everywhere.
SAYS WHAT EDUCATORS WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS SCHOOL YEAR BY SARAH COTTRELL
Every year is a new chance to grow “Every school year is a new opportunity to help students succeed. Educators and parents alike must send this message to all students to help them in developing a growth mindset. Parents should reach out often to educators in sharing ways they feel their child will benefit most in growing their mindset. We are in this journey together.”
DR. BETSY M. WEBB SUPERINTENDENT, BANGOR SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Teachers want to hear from parents as often as possible “The No. 1 thing I want the parents of my students to know is the importance of open communication between teacher and family. Through communication, we can work as a team to ensure your child has the best school year possible. It’s vital for me to hear from parents about anything and everything concerning their child and how these things could affect their day. Even though I’m not their parent, I am helping them grow and learn for nearly eight hours daily. When parents communicate with me, I can teach more effectively.”
LYDI A JAME S PRESC HOOL TEACH ER AT BELFA ST HEAD START
PHOTO: ROMOLOTAVANI/ADOBE STOCK
Parents and teachers are a team “Kindergarten is often a parent’s and a child’s first experience with school, and we want that experience to be exciting and successful. I tell my parents to never think that their questions aren’t important or that they are bothering me with them. We are a team, and their child’s success in school depends greatly on the communication between teacher and parents. I have their prized possessions for six hours, five days a week, and I do not take my job lightly. I love my kids and provide a safe environment where they can succeed academically and socially. I need my parents on board to help with this adventure called Kindergarten, when parents are excited about school, their kids will be also at school. As their teacher, I only know what they tell me and that’s a two way street. Students need to know that they have trusted adults in all avenues of life. So don’t panic, keep an open mind, remember that I care about your child. Call me. Let’s talk.”
STEPHANIE SECCARECCIA KINDERGARTEN, DOWNEAST SCHOOL, BANGOR
FEATURE
Set expectations for your child and follow through “The No. 1 suggestion I would offer to parents is to establish expectations for your children and to follow through on those expectations by taking a personal and ongoing interest in their school life. Research shows that parental expectations and proactively supporting the educational process is very important. Just some of the ways to do this include talking to students at home about school and what they are learning, asking them questions, reading with them, making time and space for homework and checking to make sure assignments are completed, encouraging participation in extracurricular activities and attending their activities such as sports games, plays, concerts, etc., and communicating with teachers as needed. If parents have questions or concerns, teachers can be contacted by phoning the school or through school department email. If needed, face-to-face meetings can be set up. We are also very pleased to make time to meet with students to assist them with academics or other concerns. And because we always work as a team, teachers stand ready to bring in any other resources necessary to address specific concerns and issues. We want every student to learn, grow, and have a positive and successful experience, and we work very hard to make sure that happens.”
RON BILANCIA SEVENTH GRADE, WILLIAM S. COHEN SCHOOL, BANGOR
The family that learns together, grows together
If your child tells you a wild story from school always ask the teacher about it “If your kid comes home with a wild and crazy story, ask the teacher via the communication method established by the teacher’s handbook or communication expectation. Ask your child specific questions about their day at school. Be involved in their learning with high interest questions. Ask the teacher how to support your child best. Be alert to how he or she knows or does not know your child. Attend school functions, cheer your child on, allow for passions and interests to grow.”
KENT BURNHAM SEVENTH GRADE, BUCKSPORT MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUCKSPORT 56 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
“It’s hard to tease out just one thing to say to parents that I think is most important for them to consider. Of course, we know parenting is the hardest job that we do. When I think of my happiest and most successful students, those who come to school each day excited and eager to meet the challenges and learning times ahead, I do see some common parenting threads. A healthy learning mindset has to be one of the most influential gifts that a parent can impart. “I get to be a child’s personal coach and cheerleader for an entire year — and then my influence goes to the sideline. Of course, during that year I am imparting knowledge and creating lessons that are fun and engaging, but it won’t always be interpreted that way by every child in my class. When parents have a healthy mindset for learning, their mindset is shared with their children and that mindset is what children need to feel safe and supported to do the hard work that is learning new things.”
SHILOH BURNHA M KINDERGAR TEN, KERMIT NICKERSON SCHOOL, SWANVILLE
Think of parent teacher conferences as a time to reconnect with your child’s teacher “Home-school communication is extremely valuable and appreciated from the viewpoint of teacher and parent. Schools have a folder that goes home everyday or an agenda book where parents can write notes to the teacher and communicate back and forth. This is the best way to start and meetings can be set up anytime before or after school to discuss student issues. In November parent conferences are held, and this is a great time to review strengths and needs of students. I would say never panic, because there are always caring, supportive people working as a team for students to help them reach their full potential. Parents are considered an important part of this team.”
DANA MORRIS SCHOOL COUNSELOR FOR PRE-K, FOURTEENTH STREET SCHOOL, VINE STREET SCHOOL, AND FAIRMOUNT SCHOOL, BANGOR
Teachers understand that you know your child best “Teachers love to hear from you . You have insight into your child that we need . Working together, we can make sure that your son or daughter has the most successful year possible. If you have any questions or concerns , don’t ever hesitate to call or email your child ’s teacher.”
JO DIE BU RG ES S FOU RTH GRA DE, FAI RM OU NT SCH OO L, BAN GO R
FEATURE
Don’t let homework make you panic “Many districts, schools, and teachers have their own homework policies. Many teachers prefer to only send home unfinished work. Personally, I send homework to do if it’s necessary. Homework should not be busy work. Families have such a short amount of time to spend together after school; I know many parents would rather spend that time talking and playing instead of arguing over homework.”
JENNY STAHL FOURTH GRADE, GLENBURN SCHOOL
But if homework does make you panic, here’s what you can expect “Homework routines vary depending on the teacher. For young children it should not be very much time at all. They should have time with their families. Reading a book as a family is a wonderful way to connect with literature and show children how much fun books are. The children don’t always have to do the reading. Modeling what good readers do is very important. Writing letters or emails to family members is a great way to practice writing. Spelling words in shaving cream or salt boxes is fun practice. Sorting and counting coins from a jar. There are many ways parents can reinforce skills at home and make it fun.”
CINDY KELLEY SECOND GRADE, MCGRAW SCHOOL, HAMPDEN
really Always remember that teachers ild and truly do care about your ch
, care about their children. to know how much we, as teachers “First and foremost, I want parents esses. This relationship their lives – their struggles and succ We become personally invested in the best versions of me is crucial to helping them beco that we cultivate with our students extremely valuable. is child r thei to e do to help us relate mor themselves. Anything parents can have that don't take and maybe some of the hobbies they Tell us about their likes and dislikes we can be sensitive that g with something, let us know so place at school. If they are strugglin ething important som g win kno If we can start off the year ible. poss if them help and that to re of themselves, it will ng that they might not even be awa about each of our students, somethi and successful school year.” set everyone up for a meaningful
BA ILE Y ED WA RD S
DO UG HTY SCH OO L SEV ENT H GRA DE, JAM ES F.
Teachers want to hear from you about things other than problems “Don’t just reach out if there is a problem. If your child came home talking about a book he/she read in class, or reflected on a good classroom discussion at the dinner table, teachers love to hear this. Oftentimes, we don’t know how our lessons impact kids. We just keep talking and teaching, and sometimes are met with a quiet room or a tentative response. If a kid continues to think about that lesson at home, or if you are often hearing about how much your child loves a class, tell the teacher. “To help encourage these discussions, talk to your kids about school. Not just, ‘How was your day?’ and ‘What do you have for homework?’ Try, ‘What did you talk about in class today? What surprised you today? What is hard for you this year? What is your favorite part of the day? What made you laugh today?’”
EMILIE THROCKMORTON ENGLISH TEACHER, BANGOR HIGH SCHOOL, BANGOR
k up
PHOTOS: (STUDENTS) ©WAVEBREAKMEDIAMICRO & ©JOSHUA RESNICK/ADOBE STOCK
a child spe r u o y t e L
let ents is to hool stud sc es h lv ig se h f em nts o nd th e for pare ents will fi ur ic d o v u y d a st h f y it o n W a piece viorally. ocate. M a v d eh a s b “My one n r o o w ti o ically e situa n be their ool, academ work through thes ’t. Many h their child sc in s n won tuatio ts can etimes it in sticky si pport, most studen elf, well, som o o it yours su g d l d st il n a ju w e it to er es si advic im ea a et inistr tor, so much wn. Som acher, adm benefit te r on their o e learned. Often it is ei th to ally lb to go talk u to do it, will actu d lessons wil our child yo y y surprise n tl g o n in sa ly is a v re le d p n a e b th y but a a er friend rath long run and you m counselor, e more in th ch them mu ” s! sult ARRIS with the re HEIDI H ADEMY D E N AC P M A H , R T E AC H E H IS TO RY
FEATURE
Never miss a day of school, if you can help it
Your teen needs as much attention as your preschooler “I teach high school students — kids who think they are worldly, wise, and unapproachably cool. The funny thing is, these students need as much or more attention and reinforcement as any of their younger siblings or their younger selves. My advice to parents is to engage, engage, engage. Ask to see your child’s work, show an interest in their reading, check out the shared work of their peers. Not only will you feel more connected to the nuts and bolts of their school work, but you’ll get an insight into what your too-cool-for-school kid values, what he struggles with, and with his successes. Don’t take no for answer, and put their work up on the fridge.”
“My biggest piece of advice is that attendance matters. Material covered in class cannot be made up at home, even by the most conscientious student. Missing one day a week is an invitation for disaster. If I offered any additional advice it would be that teachers want to partner with parents in the education of our students. There are times where we might disagree on things, but teachers have the best interests of all of our students in mind when we design classes and make decisions.”
JOE PELL ETIER HISTO RY TEACH ER, BANGO R HIGH SCHOO L, BANGO R
GEOFF WINGARD HISTORY TEACHER, BANGOR HIGH SCHOOL, BANGOR
zed makes Being consistently organi a world of difference
h school parents and guardians of hig “Some advice I might offer terials ma h wit zed dent to be organi students is to help your stu ncils s/pe pen and s clas h ok for eac each day (a binder and notebo rly. ula n out/organize backpacks reg as a minimum) and to clea h wit sit and rk for daily homewo Establish a time and place g rkin wo is t den stu the to see what your student at least weekly nitor mo to er ord in t den stu h the on and to look at grades wit student h class. Ensure that your eac in ss gre pro uss disc and And rly. ula reg ool sch and attends gets enough sleep each night w kno and ns stio que any h ctly wit finally, contact teachers dire e sibl pos t you to ensure the highes that we want to work with success for your student.”
AN GE LA DO M IN A EN GL ISH TEACH ER , BA NG OR BA NG OR HIG H SC HO OL
60 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
The best way to ensure that your child has a great academic year is to make sure that you get involved. Introduce yourself to teachers, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions or bring up any concerns that you have over your child’s education and social growth at school. Read with your kids and ask questions about their experiences at school. And remember, when parents and school teachers and staff work together, everyone benefits.
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STORY & PHOTOS BY JULIA BAYLY
62 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
YEARS AGO, A SPOKESMAN for an out-of-state nonprofit that shall remain nameless told me that most of the roads in Aroostook County were unpaved. Right. Of course we all know northern Maine has hundreds of miles of well-paved roads, making Aroostook County an ideal destination for a road trip that includes some of the state’s best scenery, local foods, diverse cultures and outdoor adventure opportunities. In fact, it’s really the perfect road trip adventure for a three-day weekend departing from Bangor, where in just two hours you can turn off Interstate 95 north at the Houlton exit to begin your very own tour-du-county. So, pack up the car, fill the tank with gas and let’s go! Exactly where are we going? To begin, we’re going north. Aroostook County is the largest county east of the Mississippi and larger than the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut combined. It covers the top third of the state and is bordered on three sides by Canada, with Quebec to the west and New Brunswick to the north and east. People all over the state often simply refer to it as “The County” or “The Crown of Maine.” About 68,000 people call The County home, roughly the same number that live in Portland and about double Bangor’s population. But in Aroostook, they are spread over more than 3.5 million acres of forested, rural and agricultural landscape. Without a doubt, some of the best scenic views and photo ops in Maine are up in the north. So don’t forget to pack your camera.
Day 1
BANGOR TO HOULTON 118 MILES 1.75 HOURS
DAY 1 – BANGOR TO HOULTON, 118 MILES, ONE HOUR AND 45 MINUTES. HOUL TON
BAN GOR
The southernmost stop on the drive is Houlton, Aroostook County seat and the home of what was once thriving lumber and potato industries. In fact, according to historians, in the early 1900s, the town was among the 10 richest communities in the country. That historical tidbit explains the presence of numerous large Victorian mansions lining the streets as well as the collection of downtown buildings listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Houlton is a very walkable community. In fact, a great way to stretch your legs after hours of driving is to stroll on the town’s Riverside Trail (www.mainetrailfinder.com) that runs along the Meduxnekeag River.
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AROOSTOOK COUNTY The trailhead is north of the downtown area off Mill Street, where there is a parking lot. It’s also accessible from the north side of the Highland Avenue Bridge. Either way, be sure to check out the 17,000-pound bronze moose that greets visitors as the trail enters Riverside Park, and don’t miss out on walking over the Meduxnekeag River on the Gateway Crossing Footbridge into the town’s historic Market Square. It’s in the square you’ll find gift shops, a wine store, antiques, baked goods and perhaps end your day by taking in a movie at the Temple Theater (18 Market Square, www. templemovies.com) one of Maine’s oldest continuously operating movie theaters.
(Top) The County Co-op and Farm Store in Houlton offers an array of locally produced food and delicacies created by some of the area’s best cooks and farmers. (Above) At the Courtyard Cafe in Houlton, owner-chef Joyce Transue has created gourmet menu items for 20 years, like her pan-fried wontons. (Below) Chefs in Aroostook County are fond of using locally sourced ingredients in their creations, including fresh fiddlehead ferns in a calzone.
WHERE TO EAT: Smack in the middle of Market Square is Courtyard Cafe (www. thecourtyardcafe.biz, 61 Main St.) where owner/chef Joyce Transue is a culinary jewel in the Crown of Maine. For 25 years Transue has used locally sourced products and Maine-sourced seafood to create her unique lunch and dinner menus that include homemade sauces and dressings. Tucked in a historical building, the cafe is split between the restaurant area and the bar — both equally inviting as my tiny dog Chiclet and I walked in for lunch (yes, Courtyard Cafe is dogfriendly). There is also a garden seating area we did not get to experience that day because of rain. Since I still had some driving to do, I passed on the impressive selections of Maine craft beers on hand and studied the lunch menu. It took a while to narrow my choices, but in the end I ordered the creamy tomato soup that was bursting with flavor from the thick, chunky, fresh tomatoes and a tuna sandwich that had been kicked up several notches with the addition of horseradish, dill and tarragon. “And love,” Transue said. “I have a special love and fondness for food and for people who love food.” Other popular menu items are Transue’s sauteed scallops, bourbon-glazed gulf of Maine salmon and the pan-fried wontons. Still hungry? Pick up something sweet and homemade at Sadie’s Bakery (5 Water St.) where for 70 years they have turned out doughnuts, pies, bread and pastries sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. WHERE TO STAY: The Shiretown Inn and Suites (www.shiretowninnandsuites. com, 282 North St.) has a restaurant, indoor pool and is pet-friendly. Ivey’s Motor Lodge, (www.iveysmotorlodge.com, 241 North St.) serves a full complimentary breakfast and has a lounge on site.
64 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
Day 2
HOULTON TO CENTRAL AROOSTOOK 55 MILES 1.25 HOURS
CARIBOU
HOUL TON
DAY 2 – HOULTON TO CENTRAL AROOSTOOK, 55 MILES, AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES.
MUST SEE
ROADSIDE ATTRACTION: “The Boy and Boot” statue. Installed in Military Park in 1916, the statue is one of 29 boy and leaking boot statues in the world, created by an unknown artist. The Houltan lad and boot is the only statue that is part of a fountain. Boy and leaking boot souvenirs can be found all over Houlton. PHOTO BY MICHAEL A. CLARK
Now it’s time to point the car north and head up U.S. Route 1. Houlton is last stop on the interstate, and now you will be driving through small towns and along winding roads and the speed limit reflects that. Going through places like Littleton, Monticello, Bridgewater, Blaine and Mars Hill, the posted speeds will drop from 55 to 35 mph pretty quickly. This is also farm country, and there is a very good chance you will find yourself behind a farm truck or tractor pulling some sort of agricultural equipment. There’s a significant Amish population in central Aroostook County, so you are likely to find yourself behind a horse-drawn buggy with a family inside or a horse pulling a hay-loaded trailer down the road. Either way, it’s a farming photo op. But take note: While Amish won’t object to photos taken of their animals, fields, farms or even themselves, they do draw the line at having their faces photographed. September is one of the nicest times for the drive into the heart of The County. It’s when all those country potatoes are harvested — an important enough task a that even in 2018 many school districts still have a multi-week “harvest break” so students can work in the fields. Large, mechanical harvesters clank and roll slowly along row after row of potatoes, scooping them up from the ground, dumping them on a conveyor that runs past a crew of workers standing on the harvester who pull out any rocks, sticks or rotten potatoes rushing past. Just about any turn in the road heading north is going to provide some sort of scenic view — rolling fields, tree-covered hills or picture-perfect towns tucked into valleys. Take time to slow down, pull over and soak it all in. As for all those potatoes, if you want to take some home just about every farm has a stand out front next to the road with bags ready to purchase. Don’t worry if no one is around, they operate on the honor system in The County. Just leave your money in the box provided, take your spuds and continue on your way. By the time you arrive in Presque Isle, you may be ready for a bit of exercise. Head into Aroostook State Park, (87 State Park Road) about 5 miles south of the city. It’s Maine’s first state park, created in 1938 with 100 donated acres. Today it has 600 acres of hiking trails, lakes, streams, bird watching, wildlife and picnic areas. There is also overnight camping within the park. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 65
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AROOSTOOK COUNTY
MUST SEE
With miles of paved blacktop and minimal traffic, Aroostook County is a bicyclist's paradise. It's a fun, low-impact way to view fall colors and County monuments like the TransAtlantic Balloon monument.
One of the best trails, are the ones that create a loop up and down the two peaks of Quaggy Jo Mountain. Trust me, the view from the top with the fall colors is nothing short of breathtaking. Heading out the other side of Presque Isle are more trails to explore like those that are part of the Nordic Heritage Center (www. nordicheritagecenter.org) with 20 miles of marked mountain bike trails, a paved roller ski loop, 18 miles of Nordic ski trails and a lodge open to the public complete with restrooms, showers and — best of all — a sauna. The facility was built on 2002 and has hosted numerous national and international biathlon and nordic events. Assuming you have any energy left, take a walk along Presque Isle’s Main Street downtown and check out the shops along the way for locally made crafts, artworks and food. 66 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
ROADSIDE ATTRACTION: Double Eagle II Balloon site (24 Chapman Road) commemorating the flight of the first manned hot-air balloon to make a Trans-Atlantic crossing. In 1978, it took off from Presque Isle and landed in Miseray, France.
You can also hit the road again and drive another 14 miles to Caribou for your evening stopping point. WHERE TO EAT: Cafe Sopresso (www. cafesorpreso.com, 415 Main St.) has a menu that changes weekly, but that really doesn’t matter because it’s hard to go wrong with anything prepared and served there. Light and airy, patrons can opt to sit on one of the several couches or at a table to dine on signature dishes like vegetarian curry, pork tenderloin with a Dijon mustard crust, parmesan breaded chicken breast or creamy mushroom-stuffed pasta. The sandwiches and salads are meals on their own and be sure to ask about the soup or quiche of the day. They also offer wine-pairing menus, if requested in advance.
A great breakfast or lunch option in Caribou is Farmers Bakery (118 Bennett Drive), home to one of the best roast beef sandwiches in Maine (I recommend having it on the homemade sourdough bread with tomato, lettuce and horseradish). As for a sweet treat? While there are dozens from which to choose, take my word for it and go for the maple pecan bars. WHERE TO STAY: In Presque Isle, the Hampton Inn (hamptoninn3.hilton.com, 768 Main St.) is clean and comfortable, with a super handy location. In Caribou, the Caribou Inn and Convention Center (www.caribouinn.com, 19 Main St.) has a pool, restaurant and is right across the road from the Northern Maine Brewing Company, Aroostook County’s first craft brew pub.
FORT KENT
DAY 3 – CENTRAL AROOSTOOK COUNTY TO THE ST. JOHN VALLEY, 70 MILES, AN HOUR AND A HALF. We’re going to hop on Route 89 out of Caribou and head east toward Limestone, the home of the former Loring Air Force Base and, at one time, the 10,000 military and civilian employees living and working there until it was decommissioned and closed in 1994. These days the base is a memory with abandoned buildings standing in silent memorial to the days of the Cold War. But for those people who did call Loring home, those memories run deep and many are stored and displayed at the Loring Military Heritage Center (www.loringmilitaryheritagecenter.com, 161 Cupp Road, Loring Commerce Center). The center is an excellent place to get a feel and sense of what life was like for the men and women who staffed one of the country’s largest Strategic Air Command bases. The old base is also home to the 7,750-acre Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge (www.fws.gov/refuge/Aroostook, 97 Refuge Road, Limestone) created in 1998 when the land was transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. That area of the old base has been restored to ecologically diverse area for native wildlife, birds, plants, fish and habitat. There are 13 miles of designated hiking trails for wildlife viewing plus a 3-mile autoroute. Whether by foot or by car, you are very likely to spot any number of native Maine animals or birds, including grouse, woodpeckers, bald eagles, moose, deer, otters, mink and coyotes. The trails take you through a changing landscape of streams, ponds, marshes, forest and grasslands. If you want to get a more indepth perspective, refuge staff and volunteers offer guided walks and there is a downloadable app for your mobile device that covers the refuge and can be accessed at Aroostook.oncell.com. Back on the road, take Route 1A north to Van Buren where you pick up U.S. Route 1 again and keep driving north through the St. John Valley. As you drive along, look to your right. That’s the St. John River with Canada just on the other side. You’re in Acadia country now, with many of the families descendents of the people cast out of Nova Scotia by the British as part of the great Acadian deportation of the mid-1700s. Many have kept their their language and culture alive, and it’s more than likely you will hear “Valley French” spoken in the area’s shops and restaurants. If cultural history is your thing, take some time to stop in at the Acadian Village (www.nps.gov/maac/index.htm) just on the other side of Van Buren with 18 period buildings including a school house, blacksmith forge, chapel, country store, barn and family houses. About 10 miles farther north up Route 1 is the Musee Culturel du Mont-Carmel (www.museeculturel.org/) a museum dedicated to the area’s Acadian and Quebecois culture and history. A former church, the building has been painstakingly restored — those efforts continue through today — and the museum hosts musical events throughout the year. With its twin towers, each with its own angel atop it, it’s a hard place to miss and well worth a stop. Another hour or so of driving will take you through Madawaska, Frenchville and finally into our stop for today in Fort Kent. Along the way are more historical sites including the Tante Blanche Museum in Madawaska (774 Main St.), the Frenchville
Day 3
CARIBOU
CENTRAL AROOSTOOK TO THE ST. JOHN VALLEY 70 MILES 1.5 HOURS
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AROOSTOOK COUNTY
MUST SEE
The Fort Kent Blockhouse is a holdover from the “Bloodless Aroostook War” in 1738.
Historical Society’s train caboose, the Fort Kent Historical Society train station and plenty of scenic vistas along the river. Once in Fort Kent, check out the Blockhouse, a holdover from the “Bloodless Aroostook War” in 1738 when conflict broke out between the United States and the British over a disputed boundary line. Popular legend has it there was only one shot fired and the casualty was an unfortunate dairy cow. Like Presque Isle, Fort Kent is home to a world class nordic venue. The Fort Kent Outdoor Center (www.10thmtskiclub. org, 33 Paradis Circle) has several miles of posted walking, running and mountain biking trails, a lighted paved loop and a lodge that offers showers, restrooms and that all-important sauna. 68 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
WHERE TO EAT: Misty Meadow Farm (1164 Main St., Grand Isle). Is it a general store? Is it a bakery? Is it a restaurant? Is it a farm? It’s all of the above! With revolving weekly specials that include chicken stew, lobster rolls, cabbage rolls, cheeseburgers, fried chicken and a Saturday open-pit barbecue Misty Meadows has something for everyone. It’s only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but folks flock from all over to get those specials while they can. On several weekends during the summer Misty Meadows offers its “all day breakfast buffet” with serving tables sagging under homemade egg dishes, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, potatoes, bacon, sausage, pastries and fruit. Labor Day Weekend is their all day Acadian buffet with local dishes including meat pies, ployes, beans and sugar pie.
ROADSIDE ATTRACTION: You’ve logged some serious miles on Route 1, so check out American’s First Mile monument (341 West Main St.) marking the start of U.S. Route 1. If you’re up for a longer road trip, the route runs 2,369 miles south to its terminus in Key West, Florida.
Over in the bakery there is a constant supply of pies, cookies and cakes while the farmstand offers in-season vegetables and berries. There is also an extensive selection of locally made souvenirs and art. WHERE TO STAY: Northern Door Inn (www.northerndoorinn.com, 356 West Main St.) in Fort Kent is a great place for your final night of your road trip. It’s close to everything in town, easy to get to, clean and — perhaps most importantly — connected by driveway to Rocks Diner, home to red hot dogs so famous people come to town from all over the country for one.
FORT KENT
DAY 4 – FORT KENT TO BANGOR, 190 MILES, 4 HOURS.
Day 4
FORT KENT TO BANGOR 190 MILES 4 HOURS
BAN GOR
All good things must come to an end. So, too, does our road trip to The County. It’s time to point your car south and head out of The Valley on Route 11. Now you’ve left the farm and agricultural landscape behind and entered the Maine woods, where you are as likely to be sharing the road with a logging truck as another passenger vehicle. You’re going to be on Route 11 for about 100 miles until you reach I-95 in Patten. Along the way get ready for more scenic vistas, rolling landscape and perhaps even a moose or two. If you have any energy left, stop at the rest area about 7 miles south of Eagle Lake and take the 0.75-mile long hike up Hedgehog Mountain. On a clear day you will see several mountains and ponds from the summit and, in the fall an seemingly endless carpet of colors. Back on Route 11, there is one more stop to make. Just north of Patten is an unmarked turnout on the right side of the road. Honest, you can’t miss it. That’s because it offers what is probably the best view of Mount Katahdin in the state. One more photo, one more good stretch and it’s back in the car, on I-95 and before you know it, your trip is done. But you’ll want to come back. There so much to see and do, so many other roads to explore. Because believe me when I say there are no wrong turns once you reach The County, where the roads are, indeed, paved.
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WOODS & WATERS
A VAN
Transformed
THE MISADVENTURES OF CONVERTING A VAN INTO A CAMPER PHOTO & STORY BY BOB DUCHESNE
EVERYTHING I THOUGHT I knew about van conversion was wrong. Last year, I retired a 15-passenger van that I had been using for years of tour-guiding. Although it had barely over 100,000 miles on it, the van was getting too shabby for groups. Yet there was still life in it, so I began to turn it into a camper. What could possibly go wrong? EVERY VAN IS Everything. I’ve always been a tent camper. But as my post-retirement wanderlust grew with each addition to my bucket list, I began to yearn CUSTOMIZED ACCORDING for portable housing, just as many Mainers do — something more comfortable during the inevitable weeks of rain. And I already had a TO THE STYLE OF THE van. So on Sept. 10, 2017, I ripped out the passenger seats — or tried to. VEHICLE AND THE The seat bolts are designed to withstand a crash. The steel is harder than diamonds. It took me days to get them out. Once that was EXPECTED USE. THERE accomplished, I was left with a vinyl floor soiled by 17 years of grime. I cleaned as best I could, then covered the floor with half-inch plywood. IS NO RIGHT WAY TO That seemed like a good idea — until I discovered that whatever I attached to the floor would have to be done with short, flimsy screws. CONVERT A VAN. EVERY I turned to the internet for advice. I found a lot, much of it wrong, DECISION IS JUST A BAD and all of it conflicting. Every van is customized according to the style of the vehicle and the expected use. There is no right way to convert a van. COMPROMISE. Every decision is just a bad compromise. Moisture is the enemy. It can collect out-of-sight, causing mold, mildew and rust. Indoor cooking, wash-ups, rain-soaked clothing and even window condensation can cause problems. Proper ventilation helps, but that means 70 / BANGOR METRO September 2018
cutting a hole in the roof. A cook stove needs a vent, too. Otherwise, all clothes soon smell like bacon, which is a terrible idea when camping in bear country. So that means cutting a hole in the side. Ventilation fans need power. That’s another hole for the external connection. Every choice puts a new hole in the van. Onboard propane? Auxiliary battery? Heater? All need venting. I decided against holes. This would be a stripped down camper, barely more than a gas-guzzling, hard-sided tent on wheels. Next challenge: temperature. A van sitting in the sun becomes an EZ Bake oven. The first chore is to insulate. In a stripped-down cargo van, it’s not that hard to cover bare floor and walls, but a 15-passenger van has windows and fabric wall coverings, which is difficult to work around. So I didn’t. I just covered the passenger windows with static-cling fabric, and fashioned mosquito-netting screens for the front windows, held on by magnets. I bought a small fan powered by D-cell batteries
— just big enough to move a little air at night. I ignored the rest. I built a bed frame out of threequarter inch plywood, and splurged on a memory foam mattress. Unfortunately, the mattress was longer than the frame, so I built another. The new frame was high enough to fit foot-tall Tupperware boxes underneath for maximum storage. An Igloo cooler doubles as a dining seat. By mid-winter, the van was ready for a shakedown cruise. By “shakedown,” I mean I took it up into the North Maine Woods and clattered along logging roads to the Allagash. Anything that rattled got duct-taped, Velcro-ed or bungeed. The night was cold but comfortable, under a pile of blankets stacked to the ceiling. Next, storage. I bought closet organizers from Target and hung them from a rod bolted onto the former seatbelt attachments. Fully loaded, the
rod broke. I reinforced the bolts with zip-ties, and they held. Moisture, temperature, ventilation, storage — the difference between a cheap camper and a full-sized motorhome is simply the difference of how much money is thrown at the vehicle to solve these problems. I opted to solve none of them and waited to see which choices I would regret the most. The test would come: a 5-week trip to the Canadian Rockies. This poor old van, newly converted to a makeshift camper, had spent its entire life in Maine. On June 29, it would leave for the South Dakota Badlands. I figured everything would be OK, as long as the weather didn’t get too warm. Naturally, on June 30, one of the longest, most intense heat waves on record scorched the country from Maine to the South Dakota Badlands. Pioneers crossing the Great Plains on Conestoga wagons had it easy.
BOB DUCHESNE is a local radio personality, Maine guide, and columnist. He lives on Pushaw Lake with his wife, Sandi.
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THE VIEW FROM HERE
A TEACHER’S ODE TO
Summer BY EMILY MORRISON
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in after tiring of frying mosquitoes with our electric bug zapper? If I know me, I curled up with a book and a blanket on the screen porch while my husband said, “Isn’t the sky so beautiful, kids?” in between electrocutions. Did we hike Gulf Hagas and swim in the waterfall? Camp-out in Acadia and pitch our tent on that dock in Somes Sound? As long as there was a gas station with a fine assortment of baked goods and hot coffee nearby, I know I was happy. The kids will have that rumpled, we-slept-in-the-wilderness look, and I achieved celebrity bedhead in the gas station bathroom. There may have been a secret shopping spree while my husband biked the carriage trails, but he’ll have forgiven me by the time he reads this. Maybe I finished that book I’ve been writing. Or maybe monkeys flew directly from my butt? I wonder which is more likely — to finish the book or fart monkeys? At any rate, my sister and I must have had a good girls weekend involving Dirty Shirley Temples and hotel pools. I bet my BFFL invited us up to her lake house, and we laughed in her quadzebo (what her husband calls the square gazebo) for days on end. I’m sure I saw my pal Al and her boys, and our dogs played together (or one of them almost killed the other — it’s a real toss up.) Most of all, when I get back to where I am at this moment, looking out at these beautiful, sticky children, I hope I know how lucky I am to be here. Writing beside them as they write beside me. Sharing our life stories with each other. Emptying our hearts and minds on these pages that we pass between us. Who has it any better than us (besides everybody on the first floor with a bigger tropical sea breeze)? I share words, sweat and tears in the view from here, and nobody has a better one.
PHOTO: ©SOUPSTOCK/ADOBE STOCK
AS I SIT AMONG MY STUDENTS on this humid, sticky day in early May, they remind me of wilted flowers someone forgot to water. Tilted heads are propped up on droopy arms that months from now (by the time this piece finds you, dear reader) will be even droopier. The circle fan, or “tropical sea breeze” as I affectionately call it, is plugged into the corner of my second floor classroom, and my 17-year-old daisies are all shriveled up. Of course, in late August, when we stare out these same windows again, we’ll be sweating through our back-to-school clothes and applying extra deodorant in the bathroom between classes. Sometimes, we’ll skip the bathroom break, stand in front of the “tropical sea breeze” and say, “Why? Why does it have to be so hot?” before dragging ourselves through another 40-minute class, then another, then another... By then summer will be over and our family will have gone on vacation to Colorado with my in-laws. (You’re amazing, Mimi and Papa — thanks for the adventure.) I hope I didn’t have to muck out too many stalls in my new cowgirl boots, but hey, they don’t call it “vacation on the ranch,” for nothing, right? I pray I didn’t fall off a horse or try to mount a bronc in some weird moment when the spirit of the west told me to “Ride like the wind.” I’m pretty sure they give tourists horses like “Gentle Giant,” or “Ol’ Sally” anyway. Who could fall off Ol’ Sally? I bet our time on Lake Wassookeag was well spent. As long as the cat didn’t pee on the furniture and the dog didn’t chew whatever the cat peed on, I’ll consider it a success. Mom will have cleaned incessantly and kept restocking the fridge while Dad serenaded us with old Elvis songs and manned the grill. The kids will be craisins by then — a sweet and salty mix of sun on wrinkled skin. Oh, the boat rides we’ll have taken, the tubing stories and fishing glories we’ll share around the campfire. Will we have watched the sun sink into the horizon every night or gone
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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.