Boothbay Aglow PLANNING YOUR VISIT
WELCOME
Raising
MAINERS
MAKING MAINE HOME
Remodeling IDEAS & INSPIRATION
$5.95
November 2017
CONTENTS
NOVEMBER 2017
FEATURES 42 HITTING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES Bangor violin-maker carves out his own niche 50 MERRY & BRIGHT Boothbay is all aglow for the holiday season 56 ROOMMATES OF REINVENTION Room renovation hobbyists
IN EVERY ISSUE
56
ROOMMATES OF REINVENTION
42
HITTING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES
08 WHAT’S HAPPENING Local news & sightings 18 OBSESSIONS What we can’t get enough of this month
72 LAST WORD Working up to working out
Boothbay Aglow
ON THE COVER
PLANNING YOUR VISIT
WELCOME
Raising
MAINERS
MAKING MAINE HOME
We’re feeling right Remodeling at home in Maine with ideas from local remodelers and more. IDEAS & INSPIRATION
$5.95
November 2017
2 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
PHOTOS: (TOP) COURTESY OF JAYSON MAKER; (BOTTOM) GABOR DEGRE
64 THEN & NOW A visit through the past and present of western Maine’s Rumford
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) GABOR DEGRE; SARAH WALKER CARON; AISLINN SARNACKI; AMY ALLEN; EMILIE BRAND THROCKMORTON; BOB DUCHESNE
14 BEHIND THE SCENES Dominick Varney talks about life on and off the stage
FOOD & DRINK
HEALTH & FITNESS
24 IN SEASON NOW Give Brussels sprouts another try
28 HIKE ME Trails to tackle before winter hits
26 SQUIRNIP The unusual side dish on one Thanksgiving table
HOW TO
HOME & FAMILY
OUTSIDE
34 MAKE FALL DECOR Fun autumn leaf decorations
38 RAISING MAINERS Recognizing the gift of growing up in Maine
70 GHOST TRAIN The floating history of the Allagash — and the things left behind
36 MAKE HOMEMADE STOCK Tips for making turkey stock after Thanksgiving dinner is done www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 3
EDITOR’S NOTE
It was an unusually warm September day when my furniture was moved from the small townhouse my kids and I had rented for more than three years to the more spacious home we’re now living in. The movers, two strong, skilled men, made quick work of moving even the heaviest of my belongings. And then it was done. I sank down in the couch, tired and relieved. And then I felt that inner whisper of “home.” But then again, Bangor — and Maine — has always given me that feeling, from the first time I set foot here. I’m not one of those folks who drove up to Maine with their families for summers in Bar Harbor or Cape Elizabeth or some other vacation spot. And I’m not someone who heard about the growing hipster scene in Portland and had to check it out. No, I came for my job. The first time I set foot in Maine was the same day I started a several day in-person interview process at the Bangor Daily News. By the time I drove home, I knew I would say yes to the job offer. Or, maybe I already knew that, but by then I was comfortable with the place I was choosing. So Bangor became home — and I am so glad it did. This month, Bangor Metro explores the idea of home. We have a great feature about two friends renovating a house together on page 56. I highly recommend reading it. Aislinn Sarnacki reminds us how beautiful our home state can be at this time of year with a trio of hikes for all levels on page 28. And I hope you will give a warm welcome back to Emilie Throckmorton, who writes about home through the eyes of her children on page 38.
SARAH WALKER CARON, EDITOR
Connect With Us Online bangormetro.com facebook.com/BangorMetro @BangorMetro bangormetro talkback@bangormetro.com
4 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
PHOTOS: MOODBOARD/THINKSTOCK; (INLAY) SARAH WALKER CARON
HOME. IT REALLY IS WHERE OUR HEART IS.
www.bangormetro.com P.O. Box 1329 Bangor, Maine 04402-1329 Phone: 207.990.8000
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MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Bangor Metro Magazine. November 2017, Vol. 13, No. 11. Copyright © Bangor Publishing Company. Bangor Metro is published 12 times annually by Bangor Publishing Company. All rights reserved. This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or part in any form without the written permission of the Publisher. Bangor Metro is mailed at standard rates from Portland, Maine. Opinions expressed in either the editorial or advertisements do not represent the opinions of the staff or publisher of Bangor Metro magazine. Advertisers and event sponsors or their agents are responsible for copyrights and accuracy of all material they submit. Bangor Metro magazine to the best of its ability ensures the acuracy of information printed in the publication. Inquiries and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Letters to the editor, story suggestions, and other reader input will be subject to Bangor Metro’s unrestricted right to edit and publish in the magazine both in print and online. Editorial: Queries should be sent to Sarah Walker Caron at scaron@bangordailynews.com. Advertising: For advertising questions, please call the Sales Director Todd McLeod at 207-990-8105. Subscriptions/Address Change: The one year subscription cost is $15.95. Address changes: to ensure delivery, subscribers must notify the magazine of address changes one month in advance of the cover date. Please contact Fred Stewart at 207-990-8075. Accounts Payable/Receivable: For information about your account please contact Todd McLeod at 207-990-8105.
COVER: (Chair photo) KrisCole/thinkstock
Meet EMILIE THROCKMORTON WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE STORY YOU'VE WORKED ON RECENTLY? I think all writers have a few defining events that keep coming up in their writing. For me it’s the death of my dad and being a mom. No matter what I’m writing about, these things often find their way in to the essay. A few years ago, I wrote an essay about the parallels of watching my dad die and birthing my daughter, about the similarities of how the family gathers around the person dying or birthing to help them get there. It was an important piece for me because it helped me to articulate that intersection, the coming and the going, and how much love surrounds us at each end of the cycle.
WHO INSPIRES YOU? As a writer, I am inspired by honest and brave voices who are both funny and vulnerable. Two books this year that absolutely lit a fire under me are Nina Riggs’ The Bright Hour and Laurie Frankel’s This is How it Always Is. I also read and re-read anything by Jen Hatmaker and love to listen to all the brave storytellers on The Moth — a live storytelling show — on NPR. In general, I’m most inspired by my husband Tim who is the most generous and least judgmental person I’ve ever met.
FAVORITE THANKSGIVING SIDE DISH? About 15 years ago, my mom started making this amazing mashed sweet potato dish with bourbon and maple syrup and glazed pecans on top. This has now become a staple at all of my Thanksgiving dinners.
Meet JOHN HOLYOKE WHERE DO YOU WRITE? Where don’t I? Honestly, most of the time I sit at my desk here at 1 Merchants Plaza in the middle of the buzz and bustle of a working newsroom. That atmosphere injects a certain rhythm to the writing process, to be sure. But I’m not above roughing it, and don’t need a “special space” to create. I’ve put my laptop on an overturned trash can at a football field in Louisiana and called it “an office.” I’ve used the hood of my Honda Pilot as “my desk.” All I really need is some electricity or a charged-up computer and the beginning thread of a story, and things seem to work out just fine.
WHAT'S YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR WANNABE WRITERS? Repeat after me: There is no such thing as writer’s block. There is no such thing as writer’s block. There is no such thing ... you get the point. I have chosen to believe that writer’s block is a
crutch, an excuse that some might feel allows them to quit before the juices start flowing. In the daily-grind newspaper world, writer’s block can’t be allowed to exist. Miss a deadline or two and you learn you’re not in the right biz. Instead, I recognize that plugging away is also a choice, and it’s the choice productive writers make every single day. Sometimes, writing is easy. Other times, it’s more of a struggle. But if you give yourself an excuse to just give up, I’ll bet you’ll never find out what your best really looks like. Secondbest advice: Read. Read. Read. Every day.
WHO'S AT YOUR DREAM DINNER PARTY? Stephen King. Larry Bird. My dad, before Alzheimer’s disease cost him so much, because I know he’d love hearing both of them talk. And my wife, who knows I tend to yap too much, and wouldn’t be shy about telling me to simply shut up and listen for a bit.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
NOVEMBER FRIDAY, NOV. 3 “DRIVE. PLAY. SLEEP.”
River City Cinema presents “Drive. Play. Sleep.” Friday, November 3, 7:30 p.m. at COESPACE, 48 Columbia St., Bangor. “Drive. Play. Sleep.” is an authentic first person view into the lives of full-time touring bands and the daily struggles they encounter on the road featuring the touring live music/ painting act Pocket Vinyl. $10
SATURDAY, NOV. 4 DOWNTOWN BANGOR EARLY BIRD SALE
Seriously, if you start shopping now, it will be so much easier when the holidays arrive. Head to Downtown Bangor on Saturday, Nov. 4, 6-10 a.m. for special deals, sales, and more at stores throughout Downtown Bangor.
NOV. 4-5 EARLY BIRD HOLIDAY ARTS AND CRAFT FAIR
Maine Made Crafts will host its annual Early Bird Holiday Arts and Craft Fair with artists and crafters from Maine and New England from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 4 and 5, at the Bangor Elks
Club at 180 Odlin Road. For information, call Steven at 946-7079 or email STpromo37@aol.com. newenglandcraftfairs.com
SUNDAY, NOV. 5 THE KING’S SINGERS
The British a cappella vocal ensemble, The King’s Singers want to take you on a new musical adventure to celebrate their 50 years together. Having won two Grammys and an Emmy Award, they savor the amazing diversity of music and musicians in our world today, placing composers, songwriters and singers side by side to create something truly special. Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Collins Center for the Arts. collinscenterforthearts.com
NOV. 11-12 MAINE HARVEST FESTIVAL
Farmers, food processors, brewers, fiber artisans, chefs and more come together at the Cross Insurance Center for two days of presentations, demonstrations, showcases, selling and more. There’s so much to do and see. In its 7th year, this year’s event is presented by The Maine Potato Board. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. maineharvestfestival.com
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NOV. 17-DEC. 31 Gardens Aglow at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
NOV. 11-12 40TH ANNUAL MARKETPLACE, ANTIQUE AND CRAFT FAIR
The Zonta Club of Bangor’s 40th Annual Marketplace, Antique and Craft Fair, is coming Nov. 11-12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Brewer Auditorium, 318 Wilson St. A wide variety with more than 60 vendors to meet Christmas and year-round shopping needs, as well as the Zonta Cafe, silent auction, 50/50 raffle and homemade food to go. Admission is $2. Learn more about Zonta Club of Bangor and Zonta Club of Southern Maine at zontadistrict1.org. zontadistrict1.org
THURSDAY, NOV. 16 GOBSMACKED!
Direct from sell out seasons in London, Hong Kong and Edinburgh comes the mind-blowing vocal show GOBSMACKED! the latest sensation from the UK. This next-generation a cappella show redefines the limits of the human voice. Featuring the reigning world champion beatboxer Ball-Zee and an international cast of world-class vocalists, GOBSMACKED! weaves stories through all
PHOTOS: BDN FILE
EVENTS
forms of a cappella from traditional street corner harmonies to cutting edge, multitrack live looping. Heart stopping singing and jaw dropping beatboxing guarantees the audience will leave with a song in their heart and a smile on their face. GOBSMACKED! is the latest break-out show that everyone is talking about — it’s funny, joyful and uplifts the spirits of all ages! If you loved Glee and Pitch Perfect, you will love this show! At 7 p.m. at the Collins Center for the Arts in Orono. collinscenterforthearts.com
FRIDAY, NOV. 17 PECHAKUCHA NIGHT BANGOR VOL. 24
If you haven’t experienced this unique presentation format, November is the time to go. Presenters talk during a slideshow composed of 20 slides, each shown for 20 seconds each. The fast-paced talks are on a variety of subjects and share all sorts of interesting ideas. PechaKucha Night Bangor Vol. 24 will take place on Friday, November 17, 7 p.m. at the Bangor Public Library.
NOV. 11-12 Maine Harvest Festival
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 9
EVENTS
WHAT’S HAPPENING
NOV. 17 Maine Discovery Museum’s Art Auction
If you like the Maine Discover Museum with its array of science and discovery for kids, then head to the Hilton Garden Inn in Bangor on Friday, Nov. 17 for the 15th annual art auction. The fundraiser includes dinner, a cash bar, raffles and the auction of original art by Maine artists and jewelers in support of the Maine Discovery Museum. Tickets are $60 per person, available via the Maine Discovery Museum. mainediscoverymuseum.org
FRIDAY, NOV. 17 CHILDSPLAY; FIDDLES & FIDDLERS!
The over two dozen musicians who comprise CHILDSPLAY come from all over the United States and Sweden and include some of the leading virtuosos in traditional and contemporary fiddle music. Childsplay creates vibrant, powerful, and eclectic sounds, with a repertoire that ranges from the lilting beauty of Celtic jigs and airs, to the driving rhythms of hoe-downs from the mountains of the southern United States to the smoky 10 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
improvisations of jazz. Celebrating 30 years of touring, Childsplay will be bringing their band of 14 fiddlers and 9 all-star instrumentalists, dancers and singers on this tour. 7:30 p.m. at the Gracie Theatre in Bangor. For tickets, call the box office at (207) 941-7888 or go online. gracietheatre.com
NOV. 17-DEC. 31 GARDENS AGLOW AT COASTAL MAINE BOTANICAL GARDENS
Join us again for the largest light show in Maine! See hundreds of thousands of lights, strung through the upper gardens in a beautiful display. Gardens Aglow is a ticketed event that delights people of all ages. In addition to dramatic lighting, visitors will enjoy special food and beverage options in the Kitchen Garden Café and holiday shopping in the Gardens Gift Shop. Grab a friend, enjoy appetizers or a cocktail, and then experience an enchanting evening of festive lights and displays. Thursdays through Sundays, 4-9 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve) at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay.
SATURDAY, NOV. 18 ELTON JOHN & HIS BAND
Looking for a Wonderful Crazy Night? Then you’ll want to head to the Cross Insurance Center for Elton John & His Band’s tour stop scheduled for 8 p.m. Featuring the classics and iconic hits from “Candle in the Wind” to “Rocket Man,” the concert will also showcase tracks from his latest release Wonderful Crazy Night. waterfrontconcerts.com
NOV. 18 AND NOV. 26 NUTCRACKER
When Uncle Drosselmeyer gifts Clara a toy Nutcracker, magic happens. At the strike of midnight, dolls, toy soldiers and more come to life. And who can forget the Super Plum Fairy, Snow Queen and Rat King? The Robinson Ballet Company is presenting their annual performance of this holiday classic beginning in November. The show will be performed on Nov. 18 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the University of Maine Machias and on Nov. 26 at 2 p.m. at the Houlton Performing Arts Center. Additional performances will be held in December.
PHOTO: BDN FILE
FRIDAY, NOV. 17 MAINE DISCOVERY MUSEUM'S 15TH ANNUAL ART AUCTION
STILL STUMPED?
Here are the answers to last month’s Pop Quiz.
Play THIS MONTH’S Pop Quiz on page 13! www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 11
EVENTS
SIGHTINGS
HERE’S A LOOK AT JUST A FEW SPECIAL EVENTS FROM THE PAST MONTH...
1 1: The 20th annual Rubber Duck Race to support services at Good Samaritan Agency raised over $10,000. Duck Race Chairman Andy Meucci, Cougar Brown and Tyler St. Lawrence release the ducks in the Kenduskeag Stream during this year’s event. 2: Brewer Little League’s home field renovations were recently completed with a new scoreboard thanks to a donation by Katahdin Trust. From left to right: Ed Vanidestine, Vice President,
Brewer Little League; players Grady Vanidestine and Michael McAfee; and Katahdin Trust employees Eunice McAfee and Danelle Weston. 3: 2017 Bangor Y Gala and Auction was held Sept. 23 at the Cross Insurance Center. From left to right: Robin Brochu, Jason Brochu, Ronnie Towne, Lori Towne, Britney Gallagher, Timothy Gallagher, Nanette Redmond, Wendy Voter, Abby Moore, and Kellie Wardman.
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PHOTOS: (1) AMANDA WILLEY; (2) COURTESY OF KATAHDIN TRUST; (3) JEFF KIRLIN, THE THING OF THE MOMENT — FACEBOOK.COM/THETHINGOFTHEMOMENT
2
Gobble gobble!
Happy Thanksgiving! Time to test your turkey know-how. Play online at bangormetro.com for your chance to win a FREE one-year subscription to Bangor Metro!
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4: Asia Kronholm, Margaret Longsworth and Nina Boulard pose at the The Bangor Area Homeless Shelter’s Annual Meeting and Dinner. 5: Behind the scenes at the The Bangor Area Homeless Shelter’s Annual Meeting and
Dinner. The event was held to recognize and thank volunteers, donors and staff. 6: Participants in the Bangor Takes Steps Walk gather for a photo op. Proceeds from the walk benefit the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
PHOTOS: JEFF KIRLIN, THE THING OF THE MOMENT
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FIND ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S POP QUIZ ON PAGE 10! www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 13
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
14 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
Q&A
Behind the
IF YOU’VE BEEN to a show at Penobscot Theatre in the past decade, there’s a high likelihood you’ve seen Dominick Varney in action. He’s a ubiquitous face on the Bangor Opera House stage — and backstage, as well, as a director for PTC and for Winterport Open Stage, a community theatre company Varney’s long been associated with. Varney, 38, is a rare beast in eastern Maine: a working actor. He keeps a day job, too, as Coordinator of Foundations and Academic Recovery for the University of Maine, and as he says, teaching is just as important to him as performing. Varney just finished directing Nora Ephron’s “Love, Loss and What I Wore” for Winterport Open Stage, and will be seen over the holidays as Lumiere in Penobscot Theatre Company’s “Beauty and the Beast.”
SCENES Dominick Varney talks about life on and off the stage.
PHOTO: GABOR DEGRE
BY EMILY BURNHAM
TELL US ABOUT YOUR YOUNGER YEARS. WHEN DID YOU START PERFORMING? Well, I was born in England and lived there until I was ten years old, in a little town called Feltwell, in Norfolk. My mother is British and my dad was American. I was ten when we moved to Winterport. I definitely had an accent, but it was a very conscious decision to get rid of it. I didn’t need another thing for kids to make fun of me for. When I go home, though, it comes back. My mother was a professional actor in London. She played Sally Bowles in “Cabaret,” and Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady.” I grew up with all those old musical theatre records playing, like “Cabaret,” “Kismet,” all that, and I’d sing along. It wasn’t until high school that I started performing, because I joined chorus and the show choir. Heidi Corliess, who still teaches at Hampden Academy, introduced it all to me. And it was actually Brianne Beck [another Penobscot Theatre regular] who got me into more contemporary musicals. We were best friends immediately, when we met. I really was focused on singing, not acting. There wasn’t really theater at Hampden Academy, anyway. There was no “Glee” back then. That came later. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 15
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT WHAT ENDED UP GETTING YOU ONSTAGE? When I went to UMaine, Heidi told me I needed to be part of the University Singers. And from there, I auditioned for the Maine Steiners. One of the guys in that group, Todd Daley, worked at Penobscot Theatre, and they were having auditions for “Sunday in the Park With George.” This was in 1999. Anyway, they ended up casting both Todd and I, and that was really my first time in theater. And then I just started getting involved in theater at UMaine, and I met [longtime UMaine theater professor] Sandra Hardy, and she cast me in things, and it just went from there.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST CHALLENGING ROLE? AND WHAT WAS THE MOST PURELY FUN ONE? I think the most challenging one was Dr. Frank-n-furter in “The Rocky Horror Show,” back in 2014. The history of that show, the fan base, all very intimidating. And the character is very physical and vocal and emotional. It’s a character that has a lot of pressure attached to it. Also, “Mauritius,” which was a play Penobscot Theatre Company did in 2009. That was an extremely challenging character. I played the villain, with six to eight pages of dialogue at a time. It was really hard. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. For most the most fun, though, I think doing “The Santaland Diaries” was really great, because it was a huge amount of growth for me as an actor, doing a one-man show. And “Boeing-Boeing.” I would do that show 100 times. I absolutely love that play. 16 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
PHOTOS: (TOP TO BOTTOM) MAGNUS STARK; ASHLEY L. CONTI; MAGNUS STARK
Dominick Varney in Penobscot Theatre’s (from top to bottom) “Around the World in 80 Days,” “Oliver!,” and “The Rocky Horror Show.”
HOW DO YOU JUGGLE A FULL-TIME JOB AT UMAINE, DOING THREE OR FOUR SHOWS A YEAR, AND HAVING A PERSONAL LIFE? IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT. I think I was born with my father’s work ethic. He did what had to be done, until it was done. I’m like that. I’m a person that always gives 100 percent, even if I only have 20 percent left to give. I also make sure to schedule in time where I don’t do anything. I have to re-energize. For me, 30 percent of life is art, 30 percent is teaching, and 30 percent is family and relationships. If I don’t have one of them, I’m unhappy. All of those things are really important to me. That’s probably why I never moved to a big city. And I’m extraordinarily lucky to be a working actor in Bangor, Maine. It’s something I’m incredibly, incredibly grateful for.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 17
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
OBSESSIONS
OBSESSIONS WHAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH.
THEATRE
MOVIE
CARRIE THE MUSICAL
JUSTICE LEAGUE I don’t read Stephen King’s beloved horror stories. They give me nightmares, but I do love his first novel, “Carrie.” How could a once awkward, weirdo high school girl approaching senior citizenhood like me not love a teenage revenge saga? That’s one reason I’m looking forward to Some Theatre Company’s early November production of “Carrie the Musical” at the Keith Anderson Community Center in Orono. Considered a disaster in 1988 when it opened, and quickly closed, on Broadway, a 2012 revamping is said to have improved the script and solved the technical troubles that plagued the original show. Since its founding two years ago, this theater company has earned a reputation for compelling productions of edgy, offbeat musicals. If “Carrie the Musical” has me tossing and turning all night with flashbacks of high school horrors dancing in my head, Some Theatre Company will have earned a standing ovation. “Carrie the Musical” will be performed Nov. 3 - 5 and 10 - 12 at the Keith Anderson Community Center in Orono. —JUDY HARRISON
As a little girl growing up, Wonder Woman was my home girl. She wasn’t a damsel in distress waiting for the handsome boy to save her — no, she was the one doing the saving. When the Wonder Women movie came out earlier this year, I couldn’t get there fast enough to see it. Twice. I discovered Justice League, which brings together DC superheroes including Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and more, when I was in my 20s. Again, I was smitten. So you can only imagine how psyched I am for the release of the Justice League movie, set for Nov. 17. This builds off of the dynamic we saw in Batman vs. Superman and the backstory in Wonder Woman, as Bruce Wayne, played by Ben Affleck, teams up with Diana Prince, played by Gal Gadot (that’s Batman and Wonder Woman, folks!) to protect the world from a great threat. They recruit a team of heroes to work together (enter Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash) to save the planet. I can only imagine (and hope) how epic it will be. —SARAH WALKER CARON
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PHOTOS: (TOP) © COLBY LYSNE / ADOBE STOCK; (CROWN) © SASHKIN / ADOBE STOCK; (BUCKET) © GMSTOCKSTUDIO / ADOBE STOCK; (SHIELD) © WOVERWOLF / ADOBE STOCK
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
OBSESSIONS
OBSESSIONS WHAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH.
MUSIC
BOOKS
GHOST OF PAUL REVERE Since the Portland-based holler-folk band the Ghost of Paul Revere released their first full length album, “Believe,” in 2014, I’ve been hooked on their sound. Their combination of bellowing harmonies and relatable, heartfelt lyrics create songs where you’re pulled into the feeling they’ve developed — not just the music. One of the latest singles off their upcoming album, “Monarch,” perfectly exemplifies their ability to captivate listeners this way. The song, “Montreal,” takes you to the intersection of nostalgia and reality that occurs in a relationship — romantic or otherwise — when things just aren’t how they used to be, though you might want them to be. The leading line of the chorus goes, “Are we growing apart, or are we growing up?” It’s a question that is relatable, yet complex, and the song’s soothing melody reminds you that it’s okay for the answer to be latter. The single has me excited to see what other of life’s big questions the Ghost has woven into their second full length album, which is set to be released Oct. 27. —LAUREN ABBATE
“A BEAUTIFUL, TERRIBLE THING: A MEMOIR OF MARRIAGE AND BETRAYAL” by Jen Waite — She was swept off her feet when she met Marco, a Latin bartender at the restaurant she worked at in New York. But after she has a baby, she accidentally stumbles on an email that changes everything. From Mainer Jen Waite, this memoir is an unflinching account of betrayal and strength. “THE DOOR TO JANUARY” by Gillian French — In her second young adult novel, Gillian French delivers a paranormal thriller complete with time travel, unsolved murders and bullies. It’s a fast-paced story that unfolds quickly and leaves you wondering and guessing the whole way through. “TASTY. NAUGHTY. HEALTHY. NICE.” by Susan Jane White — Superman Salad? Sold! Kate Moss Quinoa? Yes, please! With fun recipe titles like these peppered throughout the book between the Pumpkin Falafel and the Snazzy Broccoli and Soba Noodles, this book is as entertaining as it is filled with healthy recipes for wheat-free, sugar-free and dairy-free eating. It’s whole foods done in a really fun and exciting way. —SARAH WALKER CARON
New Ghost of Paul Revere album released Oct. 27!
Thank you for
PHOTOS: HUGNOI & WALTERBILOTTA/THINKSTOCK; (BAND) COURTESY OF THE GHOST OF PAUL REVERE
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FOOD & DRINK
OBSESSIONS
OBSESSIONS WHAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH.
RESTAURANT DISH
Pickles, cheese, and roast pork -- oh my!
MEDIANOCHE SANDWICH AT CUBITA LIBRE CAFETERIA
WHY DO WE LOVE IT? A rainy, gloomy Friday evening. After hastily running errands in the Bangor Mall area after work, I am left with little ambition to cook dinner. Takeout it is. Where? After running through the usual options — sushi, Chinese, barbecue — I realize I’m just a few minutes away from Cubita Libre Cafeteria, the little Cuban eatery in the Maine Square Mall, off Hogan Road. While the scene outside is dreary, inside the restaurant, it’s warm and inviting, fragrant with the smell of garlic and citrus. Cuban music softly plays in the background. Though there are only a few tables, each one is taken, with people happily digging into enormous plates of ropa vieja (stewed beef), papa rellena (potato croquettes stuffed with meat), fried plantains and empanadas. I’m here for one thing: a medianoche sandwich. It’s the cousin to a more famous sandwich, the Cubano, similar but slightly different: thinly sliced roast pork and ham, dill pickles, Swiss cheese and mustard, layered between two slices of fluffy, slightly sweet egg bread and grilled. I put in my order, wait five minutes, and am presented with a sandwich nearly the size of a shoebox. I pay and say thank you in my very poor Spanish, and bring my enormous sandwich home. It’s big enough for two, which is great, because my husband and I will split it, and at $11, it’s a bargain. I would be very impressed by someone that could finish it on their own in one sitting. It’s crispy and a little sweet on the outside, savory on the inside, with a tangy bite from the mustard and pickles. In short, it’s a magnificent sandwich. Gracias, Cubita Libre. —EMILY BURNHAM
BEER GEAGHAN BROTHERS BREWING’S ROUNDHOUSE PORTER WHY DO WE LOVE IT? While I’m a huge fan of craft breweries, and love sampling their offerings, I’m not as enthusiastic about the trend toward ultra-hoppy brews that leave me feeling like I’ve been munching on flowers or grazing in an herb garden. For me — especially during the autumn months — a nice, savory dark beer (or three) provides the perfect capper to a day afield. Something, perhaps, like Geaghan Brothers Brewing’s Roundhouse Porter. Geaghan’s describes this brew as “robust,” and says it’s brewed with “black patent and chocolate malts.” It’s dark, and sweet, and has a bit of that coffee taste that works great in a porter (or a stout, for that matter). The only problem: It’s not one of Geaghan’s “permanent” beers, so you might not find it every time you stop by either the Main Street restaurant or the Brewer tasting room. Don’t fret — the Geaghan’s crew has other options on tap, and they’ll be glad to help you out. — JOHN HOLYOKE
22 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
FOODSTUFF HOULTON FARMS DAIRY BUTTER WHY DO WE LOVE IT? Look inside my refrigerator at any given point and time and there’s a good chance you’ll find a pound or two of Houlton Farms Dairy Butter. For my money, there’s nothing like the Aroostook butter for baking, sauteing or just slathering on a fresh ear of corn or baked potato. Made from 100 percent cream, the butter — in its distinctive red and yellow wrapper — is a sought-after commodity by County residents and visitors. So popular, some travelers bring extra coolers north just to stock up while the stocking is good. That’s because the butter can be difficult to find, especially during the summer months when Houlton Farms Dairy uses its cream for ice cream instead of butter. Luckily, the weather cools, ice cream production drops and butter churning recommences in Houlton just in time for the upcoming holiday baking. I can’t imagine making my mom’s famous toffee crunch or a batch of sugar cookies with anything other than Houlton Farms Butter, with its perfect melting point and just the exact ratio of buttery sweet to saltiness. Sure, a pad of butter has never been called “food of the Gods,” but I’m pretty sure if the Gods use condiments, they’re spreading Houlton Farms Butter on their Ambrosia.
PHOTOS: SEB_RA, AJAFOTO/ THINKSTOCK; (GEAGHANS AND SANDWICH) GABOR DEGRE; (BUTTER) RHONDA FOSTER
—JULIA BAYLY
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 23
FOOD & DRINK
IN SEASON NOW
In Season Now:
BRUSSELS SPROUTS STORY & PHOTOS BY SARAH WALKER CARON
CHEF TODD ENGLISH, restaurateur, TV personality and cookbook author, is quoted as saying during a TV appearance, “Brussels sprouts are misunderstood — probably because most people don’t know how to cook them properly.” I couldn’t agree more. Overcooked Brussels sprouts are unpleasant and bitter, and are the reason some people cringe at the thought of eating this vegetable. When that’s the only way you’ve had them, you don’t know how good they can be. But well-cooked Brussels sprouts are a delight worthy of cravings and enjoyment.
OVERCOOKED BRUSSELS SPROUTS ARE UNPLEASANT AND BITTER, AND ARE THE REASON SOME PEOPLE CRINGE AT THE THOUGHT OF
Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Andouille Sausage and Apricots Serves 4 4 cups halved Brussels sprouts 2 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup finely diced andouille sausage ½ cup finely diced dried apricots 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp Dijon mustard Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread the Brussels sprouts on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until browned and slightly tender. Add the andouille sausage and apricots to the pan and stir to mix. Whisk together the maple syrup and mustard. Drizzle over the Brussels sprouts mixture and toss to combine. Roast for an additional 8-10 minutes, until the sausage is lightly browned on one side. Serve hot.
24 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
EATING THIS VEGETABLE... BUT WELL-COOKED BRUSSELS SPROUTS ARE A DELIGHT WORTHY OF CRAVINGS AND ENJOYMENT. I urge you: give them another chance. This cruciferous vegetable, which grows on thick stalks throughout summer before being ready for harvest in the fall, can be steamed or boiled, but if you want to enhance the flavor then sauteing or roasting Brussels sprouts is the way to go. Roasting, as English went on to explain, allows Brussels sprouts to caramelize and develop a lovely, subtle but clear sweetness. They are also delightful served raw and shredded in salads. High in fiber, the little round balls of leaves are sometimes referred to as mini cabbages by those who aren’t in the know. They aren’t though — in fact, they are more closely related to broccoli. If you’re using ones from a stalk, just twist and pull to separate them from the stalk. Then proceed with the recipe. It’s super easy. SARAH WALKER CARON is a Bangor-based food writer and a senior editor for the Bangor Daily News. She is also author of Sarah’s Cucina Bella food blog (www.sarahscucinabella.com) and a cookbook: “Grains as Mains: Modern Recipes Using Ancient Grains.”
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 25
FOOD & DRINK
Squirnip
The unusual side dish our table isn’t complete without. BY ABIGAIL CURTIS
TURKEY, STUFFING, CRANBERRY sauce, homemade rolls, pumpkin pie. Sure, those are all important elements of most people’s Thanksgiving feasts, but when I go home to Orono for the holiday, my family augments these delicacies with something a little different. We call it ‘squirnip.’ This amalgamation of boiled squash and turnip was first mashed and eaten some 30 years ago, the result of a happy accident in the kitchen. Or maybe you could say it happened because of the good old American melting pot. My maternal grandmother, Julia Diaz, used to come to Maine from Queens, New York, to spend holidays with us. One Thanksgiving, the diminutive Dominican was bustling in the kitchen, as usual, when she decided to save time by combining the two pots of similarly-colored vegetable chunks that were simmering on the stove. Grandma Julie mashed the chunks with salt, butter and cream, happily unaware that she was committing a cooking faux pas in the old kitchen at the home of her Yankee son-in-law’s parents. When others realized what she had done, initial mild consternation was trumped by good humor. The native New Englanders tasted it and pronounced it not bad at all and then figured out a good moniker for this new creation. Squirnip won, probably because tuash just didn’t have the same ring. I, who as a child avoided mashed turnip like the plague, dared to try a bite because everyone was smiling so much. Better than turnip — but a little less sweet than mashed squash, I decided. Although my grandparents are no longer with us for this holiday that celebrates family, tradition, gratitude and food, we often still put a dish of golden squirnip on the sideboard. You can put a dollop on your plate before listening to the youngest child present recite the Thanksgiving prayer my other grandmother, Augusta Tolman Curtis, wrote many decades ago. 26 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
“God of the Pilgrims, Father to all, Who dare to answer Freedom’s call, Help us to remember this Thanksgiving, Their priceless gifts to us, the living. The Heritage of free, unfettered mind, Of patience, strength, and courage to be kind. Each in his own way a Pilgrim be Not in pride, but in humility. May we carry in our hearts today, The faith that led them on their way. The faith to dare uncharted seas, Of life’s responsibilities.”
SQUIRNIP Serves 6-8
1 butternut squash 1 turnip Butter, to taste Salt, to taste Cream, to taste ash and a turnip, Peel the skin off a butternut squ With squash in nks. chu ch and cut them into 1-in nip may take (tur ther ano in one pot and turnip water and with nks chu the er longer to cook), cov h, adding butter, boil until tender. Drain and mas salt and cream to taste.
Abby’s family sits down to
Thanksgiving dinner,
complete with
PHOTOS: (OPPOSITE) IRYNA KALIUKINA/THINKSTOCK; (THIS PAGE) COURTESY OF ABIGAIL CURTIS
squirnip.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 27
HEALTH & FITNESS
HIKE ME
TRAILS TO TA C K L E
before winter hits
STORY & PHOTOS BY AISLINN SARNACKI THE PATH IS WORN into forest floor, stamped down by hundreds of hikers. It’s a popular place in the summer. But on a cool day in November, the month of frosty mornings and bare branches, she is the only visitor to sign the trail register of the preserve. The leaf peepers have departed, and a cold wind that smells of winter has driven many Mainers indoors. Their loss, she thinks. The mossy spruce-fir forest on Deer Isle is beautiful year round. As she walks the trails alone, she can’t help but feel the preserve is her own personal kingdom — for a few hours, at least. The trail network leads to a beach, and as she steps out onto the sand, a flock of seagulls take flight, startled by her presence. They wheel overhead, then settle to the water, bobbing on the waves. The visitor swings her backpack off her shoulders, setting it down in the sand, then digs through it for a windbreaker, gloves and a hat. Thus prepared, she plans to remain in the company of the gulls. Periwinkles roll under her boots as she walks the beach, drinking it all in — the shimmering waves, the salty wind, the bald eagle perched in a distant pine. She smiles, feeling lucky to be surrounded by so much natural beauty. November, she thinks, is the perfect time to visit some of Maine’s more popular trails. The tourists are gone, and so are the bugs. And while some of the beauty of the landscape has faded, it’s never entirely gone. The ocean retreats, revealing a sandbar that forms a bridge to a nearby island. She takes the silent invitation, shoulders her pack, and continues her adventure. 28 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
BARRED ISLAND PRESERVE ON DEER ISLE EASY
THE MOST POPULAR preserve maintained by the Island Heritage Trust, Barred Island Preserve features 1.5 miles of nature trails that wind through a whimsical mossy forest to a sandy beach. A hot spot during summer months, the preserve is much quieter during shoulder season. In fact, you may have the beach and nearby Barred Island all to yourself. While visiting, it might be fun for you reflect on the history of the property. Thousands of years ago, Wabanaki people summered at the scenic location, fishing and collecting shellfish. And about 100 years ago, the property was a part of a family farm. If you time your visit with low tide, you can cross over a sandbar to explore the undeveloped Barred Island. There are no trails on the island, and its forest is thick, but you can easily walk around the entire island on the large granite slabs that make up its shoreline, enjoying stunning views of Penobscot Bay. The preserve is open to the public for free for day use only. Dogs are not permitted. To learn more, visit the Island Heritage Trust website at www.islandheritagetrust.org or call 348-2455. DIRECTIONS: Cross onto Deer Isle from Little Deer Isle on Route 15. After crossing the causeway, continue on Route 15, heading south, for 4.1 miles, then turn right onto Main Street. Drive 0.5 mile on Main Street, which turns into Bridge Street. At a fork, turn left onto Sunset Road and drive 2.7 mile. Turn right onto Goose Cove Road. Drive 0.3 mile and veer left at the intersection, staying on Goose Cove Road. Drive 0.5 mile and veer left at a fork, staying on Goose Cove Road and the parking area will be on your left in a few hundred feet. If the parking area is full when you arrive, a sign at the parking area asks that you leave and check out another preserve, saving Barred Island Preserve for another time. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 29
HEALTH & FITNESS
HIKE ME
BEEHIVE IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK MODERATE
TOWERING OVER THE famous Sand Beach, Beehive is a popular hiking destination for people who aren’t too afraid of heights. The 520-foot mountain features a steep 0.8mile hiking trail that scales the cliffs on its south side. This trail includes metal rungs and ladders, as well as sections of cliff walking. It might remind you a bit of playing on a jungle gym, and it offers some spectacular views of the coast of Mount Desert Island. If that trail sounds a little too intense, there’s another option for hiking Beehive. About 0.2 mile into the hike, the trail comes to an intersection where you turn right to climb the steep cliff trail. If you continue straight at the trail juncture instead, following signs to “The Bowl,” 30 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
you will climb to the top to Beehive on a much more gradual hiking trail. The parking lot for both Sand Beach and Beehive is usually overflowing during the summer, but that’s certainly not the case in late fall, after the vast majority of tourists have left the island. November is the perfect time to enjoy this spot, just be careful of ice on the trail. If ice is beginning to form, wear ice cleats or consider saving the hike for another day. All Acadia visitors are required to pay an entrance fee upon entry May through October. For all other months, access is free. Dogs are not permitted on the steep trail up Beehive’s cliffs, but they are permitted — if on a leash no longer than 6
feet long — on the more gradual trail up Beehive. For more information, call 2883338 or visit www.nps.gov/acad. DIRECTIONS: On Route 3, drive onto Mount Desert Island and veer left. Drive to Bar Harbor, continuing on Route 3 (Bar Harbor Road). Drive through the town and enter Acadia National Park. At the entrance of the park, turn left onto Park Loop Road. Continue on Park Loop Road to the Sand Beach parking lot, past the park entrance free station on the left. You will need to pay a small fee to pass the gate from May 1-Oct 31. From the Sand Beach parking lot, walk back to Park Loop Road. Turn right and walk a short distance. The trailhead is on the left.
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HEALTH & FITNESS
HIKE ME
INDIAN MOUNTAIN NEAR GREENVILLE CHALLENGING
RISING 2,341 FEET above sea level, Indian Mountain features a hiking trail called Laurie’s Ledge Trail that leads to two amazing outlooks near the mountain’s top. These outlooks offer two entirely different views of the region. The entire hike, out and back, is about 3.4 miles. And if you’re looking for a longer hike, you can also explore the 6.4-mile Indian Mountain Circuit, a trail that travels around the mountain to visit Horseshoe Pond. Located in the Appalachian Mountain Club Recreation and Conservation Area, Indian Mountain is only accessible by a gravel woods road that is not plowed in the winter. Therefore, if you want to drive right to the trailhead, you’ll want to hike this trail before it snows. The trail up the mountain is steep in several areas, and the climb is fairly constant. Watch your step for rocks and exposed tree roots on the trail. You may also want to watch for piles of moose poop. The first outlook, Laurie’s Ledge, is located just over 2,000 feet above sea level on the eastern slope of the mountain. There you’ll find a small wooden bench, where you can sit and take in the open view of the land 32 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
to the east of Indian Mountain. To the right, you’ll see Gulf Hagas Mountain, and behind it, the bald White Cap Mountain. To the left of the mountain range, you’ll see First Little Lyford Pond and Second Little Lyford Pond. The second outlook, West Vista, is located a bit northwest of the mountain’s summit at about 2,300 feet above sea level, and offers a view to the west, which includes the distinct bump of Elephant Mountain, where a B-52 bomber crashed in 1963, killing seven men aboard. In front of Elephant Mountain are a number of ponds: Lost Pond, Mountain Brook Pond, Grassy Pond and Pearl Ponds. To the left of the mountain is the larger Horseshoe Pond and Blue Ridge. Dogs are permitted but must be kept under control at all times. To reach this hike, you’ll need to pay a fee of $7 per person to pass through Hedgehog Gate from May through October. During any other month, you can pass through the gate for free. For more information, call 737-9870 or visit www.outdoors.org. DIRECTIONS: From the light at the center of Greenville, drive north on Lily Bay Road and turn onto the first road on your right,
Pleasant Street. Continue on this main road for about 12 miles to Hedgehog Gate, where you’ll need to pay a fee to pass. (Exactly 2 miles from Lily Bay Road, Pleasant Road turns from pavement to gravel and becomes K-I Road.) Beyond the gate, continue 1.9 miles, then turn left onto Little Lyford Ponds Road. Drive about 2.1 miles and the first trailhead for Indian Mountain is on the left; continue another 0.2 mile and the second trailhead, which has more space for parking, is on the left.
For more of Aislinn Sarnacki’s adventures, visit her blog at actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter: @1minhikegirl. Her new guidebook, “Family-Friendly Hikes in Maine,” released in May 2017, is available at local bookstores, Down East Books and online booksellers.
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HOW TO
MAKE FALL DECORATIONS
A U T U M N
Leaf Decorations
Turn dollar store finds into festive fall decorations. BY AMY ALLEN THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT breaking out the glue gun that really seems to hold the attention of our kids for craft time. We considered several different ideas to create these leafy autumn candle holders and vases — Modge Podge, paper leaf cutouts, real leaves — but hot glueing fabric leaves from the dollar store yielded the best results. It’s a fun and simple project that makes a nice addition to a Thanksgiving table or mantlepiece. We started with $1 candle holders and jars from the dollar store and a few old flower vases. If you find leaves without plastic veins those seem to work best or simply pulled the veins off to allow the leaves to lay flat on the vases. Use hot glue to tack the leaves to the glass. Consider your final look before you begin — if you’re layering leaves, start from the top and work your way down. The kids got clever and created ombré effects, solid patterns, or glued the leaves just around the middle of the vase so the candle still showed at the bottom. Raffia ribbon adds a nice finishing touch. The finished projects look pretty as an autumn flower vase or add an electric tea light for ambience. Just be sure not to use real candles as the fabric leaves could be flamable and the hot glue may melt if the glass heats up. 34 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
What you’ll need: • Fabric leaves
• Old vases or mason jars • Hot glue gun • Electric tea lights • Raffia ribbon
Try this project at home and share the results on our Facebook page!
Tack down any
stray leaves with
hot glue and finish
with a raffia bow.
Use hot glue to tack the leaves to
your vase and flatten them in place. Get creative and try making an ombre effect or pattern.
HOW TO
MAKE HOMEMADE STOCK
HOW-TO MAKE HOMEMADE
Turkey Stock Once Thanksgiving is done, make this. BY LAUREN ABBATE
36 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
IT IS RARE that throughout the year a large poultry carcass will appear in your kitchen for use as the base for a big batch of homemade stock. So this Thanksgiving, once the feast has subsided and the bird is picked nearly clean, consider saving the cooked turkey bones and bits to make a homemade turkey stock. Stock is one of those kitchen staples that you should always have on hand — but if you’re like me, often never do. It can be used as the base for homemade soups, added in sauces or used to make a creamy risotto dish. While the grocery store offers a wide variety of stocks, ranging from beef-based to vegetarian options, if you’ve got the supplies and a good stock pot — making it at home is just as easy, and you can have more control over the flavor of the stock. Aside from Thanksgiving presenting you with the turkey carcass itself, you will likely have most of the other ingredients you will need — whether it’s onions or carrots — from the stuffing or other side dishes you served on your holiday table. If after cooking Thanksgiving dinner, you don’t feel like whipping up a steaming pot of stock, the carcass can be put in a ziplock bag and stored in the freezer until you’re ready to use the bones.
Turkey stock makes a great base for all kinds of soups and stews, as well as risotto, sauces and gravy.
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension points to a recipe from their colleagues at the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension for a reliable turkey bone broth. THE RECIPE CALLS FOR: 1 turkey carcass 2 chopped carrots 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 minced garlic clove ¼ cup parsley, chopped with stems 1 teaspoon peppercorns 1 bay leaf Water
PHOTOS: KAZOKA30, BOZHDB, OZGUR COSKUN/THINKSTOCK
After breaking up the carcass and bones, place them in a large pot and add the remaining ingredients. Cover the contents of the pots with two quarts of water. After bringing everything to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer — skimming off any foam or ingredients that come to the top of the liquid. Once the stock has simmered for two hours, strain the liquid stock from the solid ingredients. Store the stock in jars in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use your homemade goods!
HOME & FAMILY
Raising MAINERS
38 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
PHOTO: EMILIE BRAND THROCKMORTON
“What a life these kids live. What an incredible gift it is to grow up in Maine.”
Emilie’s 10-year-old son takes a swim out to a small island on Tumbledown Mountain.
Recognizing the gift of growing up in Maine. BY EMILIE BRAND THROCKMORTON ON A RECENT camping trip to western Maine, my family and I climbed Tumbledown Mountain, where the reward for a tricky and steep 2-mile hike was the serene mountain lake that awaited us just shy of the summit. While we sat on the shore taking in the view, my 12-year-old daughter settled in with her sketch book and her sandwich, and my 10-year-old son decided to swim out to the small island in the middle of the lake. Out on the island, he found wild blueberry bushes and ate a few handfuls, dried himself on a sun-warmed rock for about 20 minutes, and then swam back to us. As he shook off the water and pulled his hiking shoes on, he shouted up to us, “those were the best blueberries I’ve ever tasted!” And I thought: what a life these kids live. What an incredible gift it is to grow up in Maine. A sense of adventure and the need for a change of scenery brought me to Maine from California 18 years ago when I was childless and just starting my teaching career. I didn’t know much about Maine when I first moved here, having only visited a few times prior. I thought I would be here for a few years and then head back to the west. In hindsight I can clearly see that having kids in Maine is what anchored me to this place, what solidified my sense of home. Not only did I meet some of my best friends when our kids were all babies, but I came into my own as a mom — and in many ways, as a person — at the same time I was coming into my own as a Mainer. I regularly walked my babies on the bog walk in Bangor City Forest, and love thinking that some of their earliest views of the world were looking up out of their strollers at the puffy clouds and pine trees floating by, and feeling the stroller wheels rhymically bump over the slats of the wooden boardwalk. When I hiked with them in a backpack, they watched the rugged trails and mountain views over my shoulder while pressed up against the warmth of my body. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 39
As they got a little older, I learned quickly that my kids were always happier outside, and because I am a mom who never wanted to be stuck at home with toddlers and no plan, I was the queen of the Maine day trip. Just about every weekend day and all summer long, I would pack a backpack with some extra clothes, snacks and sandwiches, and we would head to a beach, climb up a mountain, or explore some woodsy hiking trails. We drove in every possible direction, to the beaches in the south, to Moosehead, to Baxter, to Acadia, to Stonington and Schoodic and Sorrento. I got to know all the corners of the state while simultaneously introducing my kids to the very best of Maine. After a full day outside, and usually with scraped up knees and pockets full of shells or acorns or pinecones, they would climb into their carseats and I’d watch in the rearview mirror as their heavy and happy eyelids fell shut. My love for Maine became inextricably linked to my love for mothering my own little Mainers. Now that they are getting older and busier with homework and sports teams, we don’t take quite as many day trips together, but the foundation of their outdoorsiness is as sturdy as a New England rockwall. I am proud that my kids can navigate hiking trails, start a campfire, and steer a canoe, and that when it rains, they grab a raincoat and carry on, all things I think that good Mainers do. They are brave enough to swim out to an island on the top of a mountain to pick blueberries. What a life. My kids are growing up with a backdrop of lakes and loon calls and blueberry barrens and lobster shacks and rocky coasts and pine trees, not to mention all the kind, loyal and loving folks they have come to call their people. I now feel as at home in Maine as they do, the difference being of course that they were born here and have never known another home, and I chose Maine out of all the places I could’ve landed. When I came here from California all those years ago, I could not have anticipated how rooted to this place I would become. Yes, I love Maine because it is one of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen, and I love Maine because of the good people that I know and love here. But what connects me to Maine more than any of these things is growing the family tree that I planted here myself. 40 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
The view from atop Tumbledown Mountain.
PHOTO: AISLINN SARNACKI
HOME & FAMILY
REALTORS
“I am proud that my kids can
navigate hiking trails, start a
campfire, and steer a canoe, and that when it rains, they grab a
REALTORS
raincoat and carry on, all things I think that good Mainers do.”
Your listing could be on this page. Sell it faster. Advertise in Bangor Metro’s Home section. Call 941-1300.
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FEATURE
IN CONVERSATION
HITTING ALL THE
right notes
Bangor violin-maker carves out his own niche.
STORY BY JOHN HOLYOKE | PHOTOS BY GABOR DEGRE ON THE THIRD FLOOR of a downtown Bangor building that you’ve probably never thought twice about, Nathan Slobodkin toils away at an age-old craft you likely never thought was being practiced — let alone perfected — in these parts. In fact, Slobodkin, a friendly, bearded 63-year-old, might just be the best-kept secret in all of Bangor. The short story: He’s a man who has held Stradivarius violins worth millions of dollars in his hands … and he’s a man who knows how to restore them. He also hand-crafts fine violins, violas and cellos of his own — instruments that can cost as much as a new car, and which are transported in their own airplane seats when they’re being delivered to customers around the world. “These guys can ship,” Slobodkin says with a chuckle, holding up a gleaming violin that has been intentionally made to look like it was made in the 17th century, though it’s actually of much more recent vintage. “Cellos? That’s a very risky proposition. So usually you try to find someone to fly it. You buy a seat [for the instrument] and find someone to fly it.” You may recognize Slobodkin as the guy you always seen in the local bagel shop. If you’re a serious musician, you may know the rest of the tale. But for most passers-by, Slobodkin’s six-suite of workshops, showrooms and wood storage rooms is a mystery. 42 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
Bangor-based violin maker Nathan Slobodkin works on fitting the neck of a cello at his shop. This is one of the last major steps in making an instrument like this. Slobodkin worked with extreme caution to make a perfect fit and also to ensure the neck will line up perfectly with the body of the instrument. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 43
FEATURE
IN CONVERSATION
44 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
Tell them the story, and long-time Bangorians will say, “I never knew.” And that’s just the way Slobodkin wants it. Not that he doesn’t enjoy good conversation, you understand. It’s just that every visitor, every phone call, every interview he conducts means that he’s spending less time crafting the instruments themselves. “In some ways, [the anonymity] works for me, I can’t have people walking in off the street wanting to by a $5 E string. I’d need a counter person,” Slobodkin says. “Most of my friends who are makers in big cities have someone keeping the public away from them. I didn’t want to do that. So being upstairs is actually good. And this building is fantastic.” Since 1993, Slobodkin Violins has been a full-service violin shop, overlooking busy Central Street not far from where gangster Al Brady fell to the feds back in 1937. “I sell in Boston a lot. I sell in New York. I’ve got a dealer in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and occasionally [sell instruments in] California, Chicago, Seattle,” Slobodkin says. And while the instruments he sells are brand new, they look like they could have been played by artists in the 1800s, or earlier. “Most instruments that people see are old, so [musicians] want them to look old,” he explains. “As one musician said, they don’t want to be playing in an orchestra and have the conductor say, ‘Hey, you with the red violin. Was that you who played the sour note?’ They want things to look old.” So that’s what Slobodkin provides: Instruments that look old … but beautifully old. At his peak of productivity, he built 37 of those cellos in just 18 months, a feat he thinks “must be some kind of record.” Since then, he has slowed a bit. But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to quit quite yet.
Bangor-based violin maker Nathan Slobodkin works on a cello replicating the work of Giuseppe Guarneri ‘del Gesu who made one known cello in Cremona, Italy in 1731. Slobodkin mostly makes instruments under his own label, but these replicas are quite popular among musicians, so he makes these for Carriage House Violins in Boston.
A BOY FROM ANN ARBOR Slobodkin grew up in Michigan, the son of piano-playing mother, and with a cello-playing twin brother. Young Nathan took up the violin at age 8, and played for several years. “I was the concertmaster of my junior high orchestra, which was kind of the height of my classical music career,” he says. “Then I quit for awhile. It was the 1960s, a pretty turbulent time, my parents moved to the East Coast when I was a teenager, and I didn’t like it. I sort of went out on my own for awhile.” That, he explains, involved dropping out of high school and taking an unpaid internship at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History musical instrument collection in Washington, D.C. That nine months changed his life, and helped set the course he eventually followed. “I was working on instruments and learning about woodworking. I was way below the pay grade of the people who were teaching me,” Slobodkin says. “I was learning high school level stuff from guys who were multi-graduate-level guys. But it was a very interesting experience, and I was seeing some fantastic things. Beautiful, beautiful instruments everywhere.” When that experience ended, he began practicing some of the lessons that he’d learned, and pursued jobs in cabinetmaking, carpentry and furniture making. “It was just stuff to gain experience as a woodworker,” he says. A few years later, he ended up in Bangor, purely by accident, he says. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 45
FEATURE
IN CONVERSATION
“The plan was to hit the East Coast, take a left, hit Canada, and take a left,” he says, describing an eventual move to a country that wasn’t embroiled in the Vietnam War. “I got as far as Camden and someone offered me a job. I had carpentry tools in my truck … I ended up staying there and working on boats. Then I moved from there up to Bangor to go to college [at the University of Maine through a program for non-traditional students].” During his time at UMaine, he began playing the violin again, and began to combine his musical talents with his woodworking skills by working on instruments. Then, three years later, after opening a shop in Bangor, his life changed again: He was in New York City selling some bows that he had built, and he ran into a violinmaker who offered him an apprenticeship. “I’d say that at that point, I was dubbing around, basically. I’d achieved enough skill that I was offered this apprenticeship. They saw I had skills that could be useful.” And he recognized that an actual apprenticeship — he hooked on with William Harris Lee and Company in Chicago — was exactly what he needed. “When I started, I was the first worker bee among the masters,” he says. “Then they built an assembly line, basically, around me … and eventually, when I left, there were 20 guys at benches [on that line].” Slobodkin spent five years at William Harris Lee and Company, but knew he needed to work as an instrument restorer as part of qualifying for certification from the American Federation of Violin and Bowmakers, Inc. He took a “wander year,” traveling to a number of shops and learning from various experts, then spent two years as a journeyman in the restoration group of Jacques Francais Rare Violin in New York. Francais was noted as the nation’s foremost seller of Stradivarius violins, and Slobodkin said it wasn’t uncommon to walk past a table with a half dozen of the million-dollar instruments displayed for a customer. By paging through a journal he keeps in his workshop, Slobodkin can relive those days, and remember the wonderful instruments he saw and handled. “This is a charcoal rubbing of the soundhole of a Stradivarius cello,” he says, pointing to a loose leaf of paper between two pages. “This is a record of what I saw. This is my Strad sight list.” And after two years in New York, he “escaped” back to Maine. “I was offered jobs everywhere. I got offered jobs in Australia,” he says. “But I really wanted to come back here. And I told people I did … I told them all I’d do my apprenticeship and come back, and I did.” Another thing that helped lure him back: Maine’s great outdoors. Slobodkin grew up tromping around in the woods with his brother, and looked forward to spending more time outdoors upon his return to Maine. “The first thing I did when I came back was hit the Old Town Canoe used canoe sale and buy myself a used Tripper,” he says. “That was a big reason I came back, and a reason I stayed.” Besides: Slobodkin already knew his heart wasn’t into restoration. He wanted to make his own instruments. “If you’re making an instrument, you want to make something that someone across a concert hall can look at and say, ‘That’s a Nathan Slobodkin cello,’” he says. “If you’re a restorer, you don’t even want anyone to hear your name. Ever. It’s like it never happened. And that’s just a really different thought process.” 46 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
Slobodkin clamps the front of a cello on as he glues the instrument together in his Bangor shop.
“IF YOU’RE MAKING AN INSTRUMENT, YOU WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE ACROSS A CONCERT HALL CAN LOOK AT AND SAY, ‘THAT’S A NATHAN SLOBODKIN CELLO,’” HE SAYS. “IF YOU’RE A RESTORER, YOU DON’T EVEN WANT ANYONE TO HEAR YOUR NAME. EVER. IT’S LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED.”
Slobodkin works on a cello replicating the work of Giuseppe Guarneri ‘del Gesu who made one known cello in Cremona, Italy in 1731. While this cello is not an exact replica of the 1731 instrument, Slobodkin follows the style and measurements of the original.
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FEATURE
IN CONVERSATION
“A TRADEMARK OF MY WORK IS THAT EVERYTHING IS DONE BY HAND. THE MARKS OF THE TOOLS ARE LEFT SO THAT YOU CAN SEE,” HE SAYS, POINTING OUT ONE SUCH MARK. RATHER THAN AN IMPERFECTION, THE MARK ADDS INSTANT CHARACTER.
BACK IN BANGOR The six rooms that make up Nathan Slobodkin Violins each play a different role. One of the most fascinating is the varnish room, in which the craftsman performs the finish work on the violins, violas and cellos that he makes. Finding just the proper location in downtown Bangor took a little work, and a lot of walking, he says. “It’s a great room for varnish. I actually found this by walking around town with a compass, looking for north-facing windows, and this is just a wonderful spot,” Slobodkin says. “[In a north-facing room, there are] no shadows, and you don’t get the sun changing colors on you. Most artists want north-facing light. It’s sort of standard for art of various kinds. So this is a great room.” Across the room is a built-in vault that could be a conversation-starter, if Slobodkin entertained more guests in the varnish room. The vaults are practically standard equipment in the building, which was built in 1911. 48 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
“[These rooms belonged to] lumber brokers who were paying cash to guys with axes on their shoulders,” he says. “Pretty much every suite here has a vault.” Appropriately enough, Slobodkin’s work depends him finding good lumber to work with. Much of the maple and willow that he uses comes from Europe, but he always has his eyes open for good local wood. “This was an amazing log. It looked a telephone pole that someone had wrapped a quarter inch rope around,” he says, showing off some pieces of wood that look as though they’ve been carved and scored, but are actually smooth. “Just beautiful, beautiful log.” That one came from nearby Aurora, thanks to a friendship Slobodkin had formed with a forester. But he almost lost out on the once-in-a-lifetime (so far) find. “[The forester] called and said, ‘Nate, I’ve got a log for you, but you’ve got until 12 o’clock to get up here or it goes on a truck,’” Slobodkin says. “I went running, and I waited in line with the tractor trailers and when it came my turn, the guy in the loader came out, takes a chainsaw and cuts
a 14-foot log into 7-foot sections, picks it up and puts it into my Japanese pickup truck without crushing it, and I waddled down off the hill and processed it here in the shop.” Tractor trailer loads were selling for $540 apiece, Slobodkin recalls. His one log cost half that … and that was a bargain, he realizes now. He hasn’t seen another like it since. Speaking of prices, there’s no avoiding the fact that a Nathan Slobodkin instrument isn’t in everyone’s price range. He says serious musicians sometimes arrive during the summer and hand him $15,000 for a violin, and says his cellos sell for $30,000 (in willow) or $45,000 (in maple). “A trademark of my work is that everything is done by hand. The marks of the tools are left so that you can see,” he says, pointing out one such mark. Rather than an imperfection, the mark adds instant character. “This is the mark of a great big roughing plane that was left in, and that just looks cool.” And though the instruments look old to begin with, they’re even more beautiful as time passes.
Violin maker Nathan Slobodkin cuts the groove for the inlay on a cello in his Bangor shop.
“This is just finished with a gouge. This whole edge, all the way round, this is just gouge work. No sanding, nothing,” he says, showing off another instrument. “As the instrument ages, it looks even cooler, because the varnish stays in those low spots and wears off and gives a contrast.” Slobodkin says he’ll likely continue fulltime work for another five or six years, but is looking to begin training an apprentice of his own. He’s got a person in mind, and thinks they might have the right work ethic and sensibilities to excel in the field. And while he makes beautiful instruments the old-fashioned way, he doesn’t think what he does qualifies as art. Not really. “I’m an artisan. A craftsman for sure. An artist? I would say not,” he says. “I have colleagues who I would put in that category because they are innovative. They are designing things and doing new things. I am very much an imitator. As I said, I’m working in the styles of people who died 200 years ago and more. And I sort of consider that to be the height of what I want to do.” www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 49
FEATURE The nearly 200,000 LED lights were strung around the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in 2015. (Left) The 2016 event again drew large crowds to see the colorful displays. PHOTOS: (RIGHT) ABIGAIL CURTIS; (LEFT) STEVE BOWLER
50 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
Merry &
BRIGHT Boothbay is all aglow for the holiday season. BY ROSEMARY LAUSIER THE MOST WONDERFUL time of the year is fast approaching, and Boothbay Harbor is ready to brighten up the holiday season. The coastal town is hosting its 2nd annual Boothbay Festival of Lights Nov. 17-31. The whole town is decked out in thousands of Christmas lights while visitors and residents partake in holiday-themed events such a lighted boat parade and gingerbread house competition. Local shops, restaurants and hotels stay open so everyone coming into town can experience what Boothbay has to offer. Patricia Royall, Executive Director at Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, calls the Boothbay Festival of Lights a “fantastic light show.” The Festival was created by Boothbay Harbor’s Joint Economic Development Committee in efforts to bring visitors to the peninsula during the off season. With the help from a grant provided by the Maine Office of Tourism, which was matched by the town, Saco’s Green Tree Events was hired to help launch the Festival and create a foundation for it to continue in future years.
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FEATURE But it was the success of another Boothbay Christmas event, Gardens Aglow at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, that helped kickstart the effort to create the Festival. According to Kris Folsom, Director of Marketing at the gardens, the turnout for Gardens Aglow was more than expected when it started three years ago. Predicting 5,000 guests its first year, the gardens experienced a 36,000 person turnout with 75,000 guests the following year. From the color combinations, music and light spacing, the Gardens start preparing for Gardens Aglow nearly a year in advance with every staff person participating. When done, nearly 500,000 lights will be on display in its primary gardens on weekends starting Nov. 17. “We design the lighting the same way we design a garden,” said Folsom. “It’s all encompassing.”
“WE DESIGN THE LIGHTING THE SAME WAY WE DESIGN A GARDEN,” SAID FOLSOM. “IT’S ALL ENCOMPASSING.” The Festival of Lights is truly a community affair with local residents and town businesses getting involved. Prior to the Festival, the town hosts community meetings where merchants and businesses discuss ways to attract visitors and plan their stay. They create packages, itineraries, and provide the names of local stores and restaurants to help create the ultimate holiday trip around the festivities. The Botanical Gardens also sponsors a lighting contest with an award given to the best resident and best business lights. According to Royall, one cannot drive down Route 27 without seeing the entire town lit up with Christmas lights. “[The Festival] is giving residents a chance to act like children again,” said Royall. “It creates a wonderful infectious feeling in people to create the best light show… It’s funny how events like this can recharge people and they can find something within themselves.” Besides Gardens Aglow, other signature Festival events include the Festival of Trees, an auction of trees and tree-related items; The Dough Ball and Gingerbread Spectacular, a display of gingerbread houses made by 52 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
Harry Hinckley (left), 7, of Southport helps his stepfather, Adam Harkins, string lights for the first-ever Gardens Aglow event in 2015. PHOTO: ABIGAIL CURTIS
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FEATURE
A path is illuminated by thousands of LED lights at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay in 2015. (Below) The 2016 display drew even larger crowds to the gardens.
54 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
A display from the firstever Gardens Aglow event in 2015.
PHOTOS: (TOP) ABIGAIL CURTIS; (BOTTOM OPPOSITE) STEVE BOWLER
professional bakers and grade school builders in the community. Prizes are awarded for Most Ingredients Used, Best Holiday Spirit, Most Obsessive Compulsive, Best Landscaping and Most Spectacular among others; and the North Pole Express, a train ride that includes a visit from Santa and more. The Festival also includes Harbor Lights, one of the town’s most attended events, in its 35th year. Occurring Saturday, Dec. 2, the event includes a visit from Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, horse drawn carriage rides, story time and caroling and ends with a lighted boat parade with local captains decorating the hulls of their boats with lights for a ride around the Harbor. In efforts to make sure an event was happening every weekend during the Festival, the Holiday Sparkle Fireworks was added this year for Friday, Dec. 8. To “shop, dine, and sparkle” in preparation of the holiday ahead, visit www.boothbaylights.com. The site includes the tickets for the events (Harbor Lights and Holiday Sparkle Fireworks are free) a full schedule of events, hotel accommodations, dining suggestions and visitor services.
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FEATURE
Roommates Jayson Maker and Amy Belanger enjoy renovating old homes, including their most recent project in Hampden.
56 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
Roommates of
REINVENTION Roommates and former co-workers make home renovations a hobby. STORY BY JODI HERSEY | PHOTOS COURTESY OF JAYSON MAKER
ROOMMATES Jayson Maker and Amy Belanger love to work with their hands. The two have spent many nights and weekends reinventing, repurposing and renovating. Their first project was an old 1910 home on Hudson Street that they shared with a third roommate. When that roommate moved out, they simply settled in, enjoying the fruits of their labor for a while until they opted to sell their Bangor www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 57
FEATURE
BEFORE
Outside the 1800’s farmhouse in Hampden is just as inviting as inside.
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DURING
AFTER
abode last year. Now the pair has moved on to another fixer upper; this time it’s an 1800s farmhouse in Hampden where they are mixing a bit of the old with a touch of the new for a picturesque place right out of the pages of a magazine. “We’re not into the rustic country [look], but we like reclaimed wood and open shelving. It’s a farmhouse from the 1860s after all, so we want to stick with that but we also like shiny things,” explained Belanger. Maker, 38, originally of Bucks Harbor and Belanger, 36, originally of Caribou, first met at WVII ABC7 & WFVX Fox22 in Bangor back in 2002 where they worked behind the scenes. By 2005 they were roommates who discovered they were just as creative at home as they were on the job. They’ve managed to successfully combine their Maine roots along with their varying tastes and styles into one cohesive masterpiece. Their home’s layout, design and color choices flow seamlessly from one room to another, often leaving many of their house guests speechless. “Right now I’m in a gray phase. Every room has a shade of gray,” said Belanger. “I don’t know if most people would think we live the way we do,” said Maker. “We try and do everything on a budget.” This means their home’s expensive and luxurious look is truly a work of art, created by treasures they’ve snatched up www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 59
FEATURE BEFORE
Before, during and after renovating the upstairs sitting room.
AFTER
DURING
The renovated guest room.
60 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
from auctions, estate sales and yard sales along with bargains found at area retailers. “I like weird paintings of old people so when we go to estate auctions I buy them,” explained Maker. “I also collect ducks and books and if we see something neat in our travels we buy it.” “Our old house was a small house and Jayson with his gold frames had a picture on every wall,” said Belanger. “So I said, ‘Jayson, less is more. We’re not doing that here,’ but he said, these two, who my mother lovingly refer to as George and Martha, need to go up. So I said, ‘George and Martha can go here in the living room, but otherwise everything is staying minimal.’ Next thing I know he shows up with the blue lady [picture] and then he kept eyeing this blank wall until we found this mirror one day at HomeGoods and put it up.” The duo try to do as many of the renovations needed at home as possible. “We did a nice built-in shelf by ourselves and we’re not really carpenters,” said Maker. “The shelving is made out of reclaimed wood from the county where Amy’s from. We ended up ordering it from a place in Woodland. It’s made to look like potato barrels.” “But we know our limitations,” Belanger confessed. “We don’t do any electrical work.” The former co-worker’s surroundings aren’t the only thing that’s changed over the years. Both now have different day time jobs since first becoming roommates twelve years ago. Maker has been promoted to Operations and Promotions Manager at ABC7 and Fox22 while Belanger left the TV business all together to work as an office assistant at Nurse Anesthesia of Maine. Both say it’s made life at home even better. “We still have the same interests. We both enjoy antiquing which he introduced me to. But as anyone who lives together long enough learns, your taste changes and yet we’ve melded. It’s all about compromise,” explained Belanger. The pair has been pleasantly surprised at how well some of their former home’s furnishings fit right in with their new dwelling. “We keep pulling things from our old home and making it work,” said Maker. “When we moved in here we thought we’d have a huge yard sale and get rid of tons of furniture but we’ve been able to reuse a lot of it,” said Belanger. “He has his
BEFORE
BEFORE
AFTER
Before and after shots of Amy’s bedroom and the bathroom.
AFTER
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FEATURE
The friends turned a fireplace mantel into a headboard for Jayson’s bed.
BEFORE
62 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
AFTER
wing [of the house] and I have mine. My bedroom here is pretty much the exact way I had my room in the last house.” The two admit not all of their wellthought plans have been picture perfect. “After we moved the pellet stove from the kitchen to the living room, we wanted to build a mock mantel [around it] to hide that corner, so at one of the estate auctions we went to we bought a fireplace mantel that would match the table. We measured before we left and knew we needed 55 inches,” explained Maker. “We got there and it was a whole lot longer than 55 inches. It ended up being 88 inches,” said Belanger.
“WE THOUGHT WE COULD CUT IT DOWN, BUT WE GOT IT HOME AND IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL WE COULDN’T CUT IT,” SAID MAKER. “SO WE ENDED UP TURNING IT INTO A HEADBOARD FOR MY BED.” “We thought we could cut it down, but we got it home and it was so beautiful we couldn’t cut it,” said Maker. “So we ended up turning it into a headboard for my bed.” The roommates don’t believe their home is all that different from anyone else’s despite the glowing compliments they receive every time they entertain guests. “Some of our friends have similar tastes. We look at it and we’re like it’s just our house. We did what we liked. We didn’t design something to impress people,” said Belanger. September marked one year since Maker and Belanger first moved to Hampden, but the duo’s to-do list is far from complete. They hope to refinish their upstairs floors, create a TV room, re-do the butler’s pantry off their kitchen and possibly design a cozy loft space. “I wouldn’t call us home renovators because I don’t want people to think we flip houses. We just make things to match what we like and we know what we like,” explained Belanger. “We like making things better,” said Maker. www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 63
THEN & NOW
RUMFORD
(Above) Rumford Center, U.S. Route 2, from across the Androscogigin River in a 1950’s postcard. (Left) The view down Congress Street in Rumford, (top) now and (bottom) circa 1925.
64 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
Out WEST
A visit through the past and present of western Maine’s Rumford. STORY AND PHOTOS BY RICHARD SHAW HISTORIC PHOTOS COURTESY OF MUSEUMS OF THE BETHEL HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THE RICHARD SHAW COLLECTION, AND UNIVERSITY OF MAINE FOGLER LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
LIKE LATE COMEDIAN Rodney Dangerfield once said about himself, Rumford doesn’t always get the respect it deserves. Glittering with architectural gems, cultural attractions, and an ethnic mix, the Oxford County community, nestled in Maine’s western foothills, is much more than the gritty mill town that paper making first put on the map in the 1890s. Today’s Catalyst Paper mill remains Rumford’s principal landmark and employer, but residents such as Linda Macgregor, who once wrote the Valley Voices column for the Lewiston Sun Journal, prefers not to dwell on its uncertain prospects. “The fear of the mill’s closing has been hanging over the town for decades,” she said, “and to the detriment of its confidence
in the future. Best we set the question aside and devote attention and energy to the new and the possible.” “New and possible” inevitably entails looking backward to savor Rumford’s rich heritage while appreciating its place in Maine history. And while other towns have been left high and dry by throughways and bypasses, U.S. Route 2 and State Routes 120 and 232 still slice straight through the community. “What strikes me most about Rumford is its unusual configuration,” said Charlie Horne of Bangor, an avid traveler. “The main street is perched on an island, and [there is] the crazy zig-zag on Route 2 passing to, or from, Mexico [the town directly across the Androscoggin River]. You can avoid that www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 65
THEN & NOW
RUMFORD
Today’s Catalyst pulp and paper mill.
Pulpwood piles at paper mill in the 1980s.
Pulpwood piles at the Oxford Paper Company mills in the 1920s.
Canal Street in Rumford Falls circa 1925.
Building the canals to furnish Androscoggin water to the several mills at Rumford Falls circa 1920.
66 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
by crossing the arched bridge as you come into Rumford from Bethel.” Other visitors, such as State Historian Earle G. Shettleworth Jr., appreciate the town’s surviving early 20th century treasures, a testament to the wealth and power wielded by the Oxford Paper Company. “Maine industrialist Hugh Chisholm’s role in developing Rumford as a major paper making center resulted in the construction of several architecturally distinguished buildings,” Shettleworth said. “His Strathglass Park project of 1902 produced a 30-acre workers neighborhood of 51 brick duplex houses designed by the New York architect C.P.H. Gilbert. Chisholm’s paper company operated this development until 1948, when the homes became privately owned.” Between the world wars, when Rumford’s population exceeded 10,000 (it is roughly half that today), people traveled from Boston by train just to gawk at the massive landmarks surrounding Congress Street. The Rumford Falls Power Company block, the Mechanic Institute Building, and the Strathglass Building (now known as Hotel Harris), are all well-maintained. The local historical society’s archives are located on the third floor of the municipal building, another downtown treasure. Visitors might encounter Bethel historian Randy Bennett, who grew up in Rumford, and society president Dennis Breton, who often research Rumford’s history there. Settled in 1782, incorporated in 1800, and once called New Pennacook, the town’s position on the falls of the Swift and Androscoggin rivers attracted industrialists, and the paper mill later brought in Italian, French and Polish workers whose families still live in town. “Rumford consists of several parts,” Breton explained, “including Rumford Point, Rumford Center [home of the historical society’s museum, open seasonally], Rumford Falls, and others. Rumford Center was the base of activity until the 1890s, when industrial development began at Rumford Falls. Since then, Rumford Falls [downtown] has been the center of things.” Visiting Rumford in November has its own rewards. Autumn weather often lingers into Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. There are locally owned restaurants and shops to sample. The town’s two motels closed years ago, but other motels, hotels, and bed and breakfasts are located in Farmington,
(Above) The cutting room at the Oxford Paper Company. (This photo) International Paper Co. mill at Rumford Falls. (Below) Oxford Paper Company finishing room workers in 1942.
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THEN & NOW
RUMFORD
Rumfort native Edmund Muskie was a U.S. senator, secretary of state, and 64th governor of Maine. (Below) Pictured at the governor’s desk in the 1950s, a sticker from his senate campaign, and the Edmund S. Muskie Memorial in J. Eugene Boivin Park.
Wilton, Newry and Bethel, all easy drives away. The Black Mountain of Maine ski resort opens in snow season, but a walk around the property is fun in any season. Chisholm Ski Club is also well respected. Concerts and other activities are produced at Scot and Cindy Grassette’s venue, 49 Franklin, based in a former church and home to The Mystic Theater performing arts center, and by Rumford Area Association for the Performing Arts. Be sure to visit the Rumford Public Library, based in a 1903 brick Carnegie building, and ask librarians Tamara Butler, Susan Brooke, and others on duty to show you local books. They include “Rumford Stories,” compiled by Macgregor, and John Leane’s “A History of Rumford, Maine 1774-2000.”
NO ONE HAS A CRYSTAL BALL TO PREDICT RUMFORD’S FUTURE, BUT LOCALS HOPE IT WILL BRING CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND A HIGH STANDARD OF LIVING. David Nevin’s 1972 biography, “Muskie of Maine,” chronicles the life and career of Polish American Edmund Muskie, Rumford’s most celebrated native son. The Democratic Maine governor, senator and secretary of state is memorialized at J. Eugene Boivin Park. “The marked improvement in the quality of the Androscoggin came about in no small part due to the work of Sen. Muskie,” said Bennett. “He was a driving force behind the Clean Water Act. “ No one has a crystal ball to predict Rumford’s future, but locals hope it will bring continued improvement in the environment and a high standard of living. “Our comprehensive plan calls for the further development of agriculture and town policies to promote it,” Macgregor said. “Together with the development of the town’s potential as a recreational center and a safe, affordable place for retirement living, the town could prosper, grow and preserve its natural resources. To realize that hopeful vision will require communitywide, focused work.” 68 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
People traveled from Boston by train to gawk at the massive landmarks surrounding Congress Street in Rumford. The Rumford Falls Power Company block, the Mechanic Institute Building, and the Strathglass Building (now known as Hotel Harris), are all well-maintained. The Hotel Harris is depicted in a 1940s postcard (above), as it’s seen today (top right) and in a 1942 photo (at right).
TOWN STATS Incorporated: Feb. 21, 1800 Named for: Rumford, England, home of early town settlers who arrived via Rumford, N.H. (now Concord)
• Lucia Cormier, Minority Leader, Maine House of Representatives
population in the 20th century was listed as
• Richard Austin, world record-holding
and James Gautreau, lost in the line of
weight-lifter
10,340 in 1930; firefighters George Demers duty in 1961 and 1977, respectively, are
Quotable quote: From The New York
memorialized near Central Fire Station on
Times, March 27, 1996, “Long-jawed and
Congress Street
craggy-faced, [Edmund] Muskie looked
Landmarks: Rumford Public Library,
like the typical New Englander and had
Memorial and Morse bridges, Municipal
a classic Down East accent, though his
Building, Central Fire Station, Strath-
father had emigrated from Poland. He …
glass Building (Hotel Harris), Pennacook
revitalized the state’s frostbitten Demo-
Falls, Mechanic Institute, Strathglass Park
cratic Party, first as a member of the State
District, Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue
House, where he served as minority leader,
Ox, St. John’s Catholic Church, St. Barn-
• Rebecca Martin, singer-songwriter
later as a Democratic national commit-
abas Episcopal Church, Edmund Muskie
• Severin Beliveau, Maine Democratic Party chairman
teeman, and then, in 1954, as the state’s
Memorial, Indian silhouettes at J. Eugene
first Democratic governor in 20 years. …”
Boivin Park, Mount Zircon, Rumford Center
• Wendall “Chummy” Broomhall, Olympic cross-country skier
Useful trivia: The best small bass fishing in
Meeting House and cemetery, Rumford
the country is in and around Rumford; in the
Point Congregational Church
• J. Eugene Boivin, artist
1930s, the old Stephens High School was
Helpful websites: rumfordme.org,
• Frank Churchill, Disney film music composer
the nation’s only high school that offered
growrumford.com, rumford.lib.me.us
Population: 5,697 (2014 estimate) County: Oxford Area: Total, 69.85 square miles Notable people: • Edmund Muskie, U.S. senator, secretary of state, 64th governor • Hugh Chisholm, pulp and paper mill founder
a course in paper making; Rumford’s peak www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 69
OUTSIDE
WOODS & WATERS
ghost
TRAIN The floating history of the Allagash. STORY & PHOTO BY BOB DUCHESNE
70 / BANGOR METRO November 2017
THERE’S A LOT of history just lying around in the Maine woods. The forest is a museum, if you know where to look. Nowhere is that more apparent than at the headwaters of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Here at the north end of Chamberlain Lake, step back in time. Early loggers used Maine’s rivers to float their logs to sawmills downstream. They went so far as to divert some north-flowing rivers, forcing them to flow southward and eventually into the Penobscot River. There were, of course, challenges. Wherever the route required passage through a lake, they had to haul in steamboats — no easy task — so that the logs could be floated across in booms to the next river. Another challenge was that the major watersheds ran in opposite directions. Unfortunately for loggers, the Allagash River flows north, the Penobscot River flows south. In an area just northwest of Baxter State Park, there is a chain of lakes serving both watersheds, and it was a test of early 19th century ingenuity to figure out how to move logs between them. The first attempt resulted in Lock Dam on Chamberlain Lake in the 1850s. By using a series of locks, loggers could raise water levels to lift logs from Eagle Lake in
the Allagash watershed, into Chamberlain Lake in the Penobscot watershed. It was a slow process, and by the turn of the century, the dam was abandoned. An earthen dike now marks the spot. In 1902, an innovative tramway was built between Eagle and Chamberlain Lakes, which are separated by only a halfmile of rough forest. Logs were loaded onto iron trucks pulled by a 6,000 foot continuous loop of cable, and powered by two steam boilers on the Chamberlain Lake end. Timber then floated down through a series of lakes and streams until reaching the East Branch of the Penobscot River. The tramway was ingenious for its day, but it ran for only five years before it was rendered obsolete by the invention of the Lombard log hauler. It’s an amazing sight. The two steam boilers remain in place, and the tramway through the woods is still lined with the iron trucks and wheels, though the wooden support structures have long since rotted away. Trees now grow between the rails. Some of the trees are up to 18 inches in diameter, a testament to how long they’ve been growing there. The tramway was built upon a level berm, which was clearly dug by hand and compacted to form the
track base. Imagine the labor it must have taken to construct a 3,000 foot berm in a forest as rocky as Maine’s. Twenty years after the tramway shut down, loggers faced the same old problem. By then, they wanted to move pulpwood rather than saw logs, and a different route was chosen. A 13-mile rail system was built to transport carloads of wood from Eagle Lake to Umbazooksus Lake. From there, the wood was floated down to Chesuncook Lake, and eventually into the West Branch of the Penobscot River. It took a superhuman effort to haul two 90-ton locomotives from Lac Frontiere, Quebec, to the shore of Eagle Lake. It was accomplished by disassembling the engines and dragging them across the frozen lakes with Lombards. They were then reassembled in the woods without benefit of cranes or heavy equipment. This rail line ran for only three years before the Great Depression drastically reduced demand for paper, and the trains sat idle. By 1933, any hopes for restarting were gone and the railway was abandoned. By that time, the locomotives were obsolete, and hauling them
out made no sense, so they were left to rust. They’re still there. It’s a surreal experience to walk a remote trail through the Maine woods, and suddenly come upon two locomotives. Despite age, fire, and vandalism, the trains are in surprisingly good shape, helped only by a coat of paint applied by the state in 1969. The shed that housed them is long gone, but there are plenty of spare parts from this mammoth operation strewn around the site. As you’re paddling up Chamberlain Lake, bound for the north cove, you can easily see the remains of the railway’s 1500-foot trestle built over the northwest inlet from Allagash Lake. Half of it has fallen, but the remaining half indicates an impressive feat of engineering. This historical adventure is just sitting there in the woods, frozen in time. A visit should be on everyone’s bucket list. BOB DUCHESNE is a local radio personality, Maine guide, and columnist. He lives on Pushaw Lake with his wife, Sandi.
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 71
LAST WORD
Working up to
WORKING
OUT
Pondering the age-old debate: Eat ice cream or go to the gym? BY CHRIS QUIMBY
MY ADULT SON was home from college this summer and convinced good old Dad to join a gym. Beyond that, he also expected that I would frequent the establishment, stopping by to occasionally lift heavy things repeatedly and then walk away after returning them to exactly where they were in the first place. This is how you craft a body that makes you look capable — by involving yourself in unnecessary tasks over and over again so you can eventually appear more than able to complete most any physical feat, that is if you are able to schedule it for a time when you are not busy at the gym. I’ve actually exercised on and off throughout my adult life, usually until I can bear the sight of myself with my shirt off, and then once again after I realize a few months later that ice cream and sitting ruin everything I worked so hard to achieve. Years ago I was a member of the Y, which is short for YMCA, which is short for Young Men’s Christian Association. The Y shortened its name to an acronym, then to a single letter probably because it realizes that its clients tend to be lazy, hence their need for supplemental activity. A name longer than one letter is simply too much of a burden for Joe Six-Pack Somewhere Under His Gut. Or, as his friends call him, J. I’ve also cycled many thousands of miles, hoping to leave fatty tissue behind me on the back roads of Maine, but mostly ending up walking weirdly because of the torturous design of bike seats and weighing in heavier after misjudging how many extra pieces of pizza I’d get to eat because of cycling. But my motivation for joining the gym with my son was not primarily to look less like I am built for comfort instead of speed. No, it was important that I find something we can do together — a shared experience — something in common.
WHILE HE CONTINUALLY TALKS ABOUT PERSONAL RECORDS, I’M JUST HAPPY IF I CAN GET TO THE POINT WHEN, IF I FLEX HARD ENOUGH IN THE MIRROR, MY MUSCLES WILL BE SOMEWHAT EVIDENT BELOW MY LAYERS OF CHUB. Unfortunately, though, one of the biggest initial challenges for me came not from a point of commonality, but from difference. I am, like my son, a human being (it runs in the family), but 25 years older. Given my over-two-decade head start in life, I’ve had time to eat a lot more cookies than he. Consequently, many parts of my body are squishy and appear more attractive when unseen, like under a shirt. My son, however, probably has body fat, but I’m assuming he keeps it in a jar in his bedroom, because he is not squishy. I’m quite sure that if he ate a cookie with his shirt off, you’d be able to see its outline right above his belly button. So the most difficult aspects of accompanying him to the gym are not the physical exercises, but the mental gymnastics of trying to process how a person who, seemingly not long ago, was three feet tall with soft chubby cheeks that were hard not to kiss grew into a man of almost 200 pounds who could severely hurt me if he wished and swiftly run away before I had the chance to hurt him back. But such is life. While he continually talks about personal records, I’m just happy if I can get to the point when, if I flex hard enough in the mirror, my muscles will be somewhat evident below my layers of chub, much like you’d see a late-term baby doing to his mother’s torso. A baby who, when finally born, will one day eclipse his parents in every physical way, that is before he falls into the life stage of ice cream and sitting and has to finally join the Y. CHRIS QUIMBY is a Christian comedian, speaker and writer, morning news anchor and host of Soup du Jour on VStv, and owner of Chris Quimby iPhone Repair. He resides in Brooks with his wife and two children. 72 / BANGOR METRO November 2017