MAINE
WOMEN WHO MADE
EARTHFRIENDLY MAINE MAINE’S TAKING
charge ELECTRIC CARS & THE
FUTURE OF DRIVING
hike & ex p AREA LAND T lore RUSTS LOCAL FARMERS TALK
CLIMATE CHANGE
Maine Aut hor
MORGAN TA LTY
$5.95
March 2022
W E AV I N G TO GETHER HE R I TA G E & M O DERN LIFE
CONTENTS
MARCH 2022
FEATURES 36
SOCKET TO ME
How Maine’s charging station infrastructure is changing
42 6 MAINE WOMEN WHO MADE HISTORY Meet six women who have forged their own paths and made a significant impact on our state
48 CLIMATE CHANGE & FARMING Climate change is making farming in Maine a wild ride
IN EVERY ISSUE 08
42
6 MAINE WOMEN WHO MADE HISTORY
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Local events & our Pop Quiz
14
OBSESSIONS
What we can’t get enough of this month
32
PERSONAL FINANCE
Tips on how to save and spend for your wedding
54
WOODS & WATERS
Taking care of our feathered friends
56
THE VIEW FROM HERE
Why can’t you be a good girl?
Earth-Friendly Maine. Design by Amy Allen
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36
TKTKTK
PHOTOS: TKTK
ON THE COVER
ARTS & CULTURE 10
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT
Meet Morgan Talty, a Maine author weaving together heritage and modern life
FOOD & DRINK 16
IN SEASON NOW
Sweet and savory recipes to enjoy carrots all year long
20
GET TWISTED
Hot tips on where to find hot pretzels around Maine — or make your own at home
HEALTH & FITNESS 24
HIKE ME
Visit and explore a local land trust
HOME & FAMILY 30
CRAFTING WITH KIDS
Keep your kids and cats busy with this fun and easy toy
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 3
EDITOR’S NOTE
Earth-Friendly
MAINE
MY FIRST CAR was a zippy two-door Saab with plush tan interior and a moonroof that I kept open as much as possible. It had a spoiler and fancy rims and felt like an adventure machine. My friends and I would pile inside and head off — to concerts, snacks after a theatre production or wherever the wind was blowing us that day. It was so freeing. As I packed to head away to college in a city, I didn’t need my little car anymore so my mother helped me sell it. I wish I kept it. Since then, I have bought and traded in several cars. But as I look ahead, I wonder what will be different about my next car. Should it be smaller, since my children are swiftly approaching adulthood? Will I choose fun options like a sunroof? And most importantly: Will it be electric? That last one seems increasingly probable. Electric cars today are sleek. With charging stations becoming more accessible in Maine (see Sam Schipani’s story on page 36) and more models becoming available, it seems like electric cars might be worth serious consideration. Also worth consideration: how climate change is changing how the growing seasons work in Maine (see Crystal Sands’ story on page 48). Although the longer growing season sounds optimal, the change means a big shift for farmers here. While you’re leafing through this issue, don’t miss our expanded food section (thank you to all the readers who responded to our recent survey! We heard how much you enjoy food and restaurant coverage!) beginning on page 16. And of course, there are all the columns you’ve come to enjoy from Aislinn Sarnacki’s Hike ME on page 24 to Emily Morrison’s The View from Here on page 56. HOPE YOU LOVE THIS ISSUE AS MUCH AS I DO!
SARAH WALKER CARON, EDITOR
Connect With Us Online bangormetro.com facebook.com/BangorMetro talkback@bangormetro.com
4 / BANGOR METRO March 2022
www.bangormetro.com P.O. Box 1329 Bangor, Maine 04402-1329 Phone: 207.990.8000
PUBLISHER
Richard J. Warren
EDITOR
Sarah Walker Caron scaron@bangordailynews.com
SALES MANAGER
Laurie Cates
lcates@bangordailynews.com
ART DIRECTOR
Amy Allen
aallen@bangordailynews.com
SUBSCRIPTION & PROMOTIONS MANAGER
Fred Stewart
fstewart@bangordailynews.com
STAFF WRITER
Julia Bayly jbayly@bangordailynews.com
STAFF WRITER
Rosemary Lausier rlausier@bangordailynews.com
STAFF WRITER
Sam Schipani sschipani@bangordailynews.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Bob Duchesne, Erinne Magee, Emily Morrison, Joanna O’Leary, Aislinn Sarnacki, Crystal Sands, Richard Shaw www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 5
6 / BANGOR METRO March 2022
MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS
WHERE DO YOU
Bangor Metro Magazine. March 2022, Vol. 18, No. 2. Copyright © Bangor Publishing Company. Bangor Metro is published 10 times annually by Bangor Publishing Company. All rights reserved. This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or part in any form without the written permission of the Publisher. Bangor Metro is mailed at standard rates from Portland, Maine. Opinions expressed in either the editorial or advertisements do not represent the opinions of the staff or publisher of Bangor Metro magazine. Advertisers and event sponsors or their agents are responsible for copyrights and accuracy of all material they submit. Bangor Metro magazine to the best of its ability ensures the acuracy of information printed in the publication. Inquiries and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. Letters to the editor, story suggestions, and other reader input will be subject to Bangor Metro’s unrestricted right to edit and publish in the magazine both in print and online. Editorial: Queries should be sent to Sarah Walker Caron at scaron@bangordailynews.com. Advertising: For advertising questions, please call the Sales Director Todd Johnston at 207-990-8129. Subscriptions/Address Change: The one year subscription cost is $15.95. Address changes: to ensure delivery, subscribers must notify the magazine of address changes one month in advance of the cover date. Please contact Fred Stewart at 207-990-8075. Accounts Payable/Receivable: For information about your account please contact Todd Johnston at 207-990-8129.
COVER DESIGN: Amy Allen
MOST WANT TO VISIT IN MAINE THIS YEAR?
“
Last year, we didn’t get out hiking much. So I am most looking forward to visiting a few favorite trails in the off season and a few off the beaten path trails in the summertime. I am already working on getting my legs ready for the challenge!” — SARAH WALKER CARON, EDITOR
ORIGINAL PHOTOS: Adobe Stock
“I’d actually love to drive up Route 1, eat some good lobster rolls, enjoy the smell of salty sea air and possibly spend the night at one of those cozy little B&B’s in Camden perhaps.” — EMILY MORRISON, COLUMNIST
“Ugh. Lots of places. But I’ll choose the North Maine Woods. It seems so remote and wild to many people, but once you get to know your way around, the most amazing places are there.” — BOB DUCHESNE, COLUMNIST
“Gulf Hagas. I have heard so much about the “Grand Canyon of Maine” and I want to hike the entire rim trail. I know it’s going to be a challenge, but fingers crossed this is the year.” — JULIA BAYLY, STAFF WRITER
www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 7
WHAT’S HAPPENING
FEELING LUCKY?
May the luck of the Irish be with you for this St. Patrick’s Day pop quiz!
MARCH MARCH 19 THE WARMING SEA Bangor Symphony Orchestra will have the long awaited live performance of “The Warming Sea” at the Collins Center for the Arts as part of the Maine Science Festival on March 19 at 7 p.m. The evening will combine art and science, beginning with an overview of climate change in Maine from some of Maine’s leading climate researchers followed by a short film of interviews that Lucas Richman had with scientists, researchers and practitioners in the Gulf of Maine. Then the BSO will perform the symphony. For more information, visit www.bangorsymphony.org/show/the-warming-sea.
BEGINNING MARCH 24 HOCKEY MOM Spend an evening at the Bangor Opera House enjoying live theatre by the Penobscot Theatre Company. Hockey Mom, a play by local playwright Travis Baker, is set in the fictional Maine town of Clara where residents love blue tarps, hair salons and hockey (you might recognize these things from Baker’s previous plays!). If it’s winter, you’ll find kids out on the ice and their moms on the sidelines cheering them on. And Cindy is the ultimate Hockey Mom — she loves her son Cole and they both love hockey. She’ll do anything to help him become a pro-hockey player whether he wants her help or not. Don’t miss this world premiere. For ticket information, visit www.penobscottheatre.org.
Maine Maple Weekend is back for the 39th annual celebration of Maine sugarhouses throughout the state. Many will be opening their doors to offer maple syrup samples and demonstrations on how pure Maine maple syrup gets made. Plus some will have games, activities, sugarbush tours, music and more. For a list of maple producers and more info, visit mainemapleproducers.com/events/maine-maple-weekend.
Find answers below.
Answers to this month’s Pop Quiz: Question 1: C; Q2: A; Q3: B; Q4: C; Q5: A. 8 / BANGOR METRO March 2022
PHOTO: BDN FILE
MARCH 26-27 MAINE MAPLE WEEKEND 2022
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PHOTO: TKTK
ARTS & CULTURE
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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:
MORGAN
TALTY
WEAVING TOGETHER HERITAGE AND MODERN LIFE
W
BY ERINNE MAGEE
ithin a nine month time frame during the pandemic, local author and writing teacher Morgan Talty signed a book contract with publisher Tin House and was named a creative writing fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts, awarding him a $25,000 grant. In his upcoming debut book, “Night of the Living Rez,” Talty weaves together a collection of stories about what it means to be Penobscot in the 21st century and what it means to live, to survive, and to persevere after tragedy. Talty’s passions for Native studies and writing also emerge in the classroom, where he teaches for the Stonecoast MFA program through the University of Southern Maine as well as at University of Maine and Writing Workshop Dallas. We recently caught up with Talty who is already working on his next book, a novel tentatively titled “A Year of the Frog Clan.” PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY NAMED YOU A WRITER TO WATCH AND INCLUDED A QUOTE FROM YOUR EDITOR WHO INITIALLY COMPARED YOU TO SOME WELLKNOWN AUTHORS, BUT MADE SURE TO SAY THERE REALLY ARE NO COMP TITLES. DID YOU SEE YOUR OWN WRITING AS STANDING OUT IN A UNIQUE WAY AND DID THAT HELP MOVE THE NEEDLE OR CAUSE HESITATION? I definitely felt like I saw the collection as being unlike what’s out there, but I didn’t quite give it much thought until others said the same thing (like mentors or friends who read). I www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 11
ARTS & CULTURE
didn’t want to copy anybody — I wanted to write something unique to how I tell stories. And I will say I do think that its uniqueness and incomparableness made it hard to find the right people. I queried for about a year and a half, and while many agents loved the stories, they just said, “I don’t know how to sell this.” I guess I got lucky ultimately with my agent Rebecca Friedman and Tin House Publishing! I want publishers to publish more diverse and perhaps transgressive literature, stuff that’s different. WRITERS ARE OFTEN TOLD TO WRITE WHAT THEY KNOW. SO DRAWING ON YOUR INDIGENOUS BACKGROUND PROBABLY COMES NATURALLY, BUT I’D LOVE TO KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT GIVING A VOICE TO PENOBSCOT NATION INSPIRES YOUR WORK? I consider myself one of many artists who are trying to give voice to the Penobscot Nation [and] that our collective efforts across genres and mediums will help bring about needed change. And so when it comes to the Nation specifically, the extent is probably one of the largest sources of inspiration. Place is as important as character is. AS A TEACHER, ARE YOU SEEING A TREND IN STUDENTS USING THEIR WORK TO PROCESS CURRENT EVENTS (VERSUS, MAYBE, WRITING TO PROCESS LIFE IN GENERAL)? Yes and no. I definitely think what students are writing about these days tends to be to process life and process current events (in many instances, the two might be inseparable). However, what’s unique about writing today is that to most students (or younger writers), writing has become a collaborative and participatory activity. People today are writing more than ever before in humanity’s history, and with the internet and social media, that writing is highly produced (by individuals or collectives) and consumed. IN YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT UPON RECEIVING THE NEA GRANT, YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW THAT AWARD KEEPS YOU GOING, KEEPS WRITING POSSIBLE AND BOOSTS CONFIDENCE. WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR THOSE WHO COULD REALLY BENEFIT FROM A SIMILAR AWARD? Most grants out there are usually very competitive — and I do think there is a shortage of grants for artists in the U.S. — both at the federal and state level. It’s like every writer out there is aiming for the same four or five big grants to help sustain their career and art. But, my advice to those who could benefit from a similar award is, when applying, reach out to former recipients and ask them for guidance. WHEN “NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZ” RELEASES IN JULY, WHAT DO YOU HOPE READERS TAKE AWAY WHEN THEY CLOSE THE SPINE? Just how important we are to each other — how valuable love is to family and friends, even if those relationships are messy and unbearable at times. We need each other.
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OBSESSIONS
OBSESSIONS WHAT WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH.
SEASON BERBERE SEASONING BLEND HANNAFORD’S TASTE OF INSPIRATIONS WHY DO WE LOVE IT? Most of Hannaford’s Taste of Inspirations seasoning blends and sauces are pretty good, but the Berbere seasoning blend that I stumbled across in the spice aisle really knocks it out of the park. The Ethiopian-inspired blend is warm and bold with a little bit of a kick, and unlike any flavor you’re likely to find in a local restaurant. I rub mine onto the skin of my chicken thighs — or even a whole bird — before crisping it up for a wonderful, worldly punchiness to an easy weeknight meal. —SAM SCHIPANI
EAT MY/MOCHI ICE CREAM WHY DO WE LOVE IT? My/Mochi ice cream is the perfect afterdinner treat — a little scoop of ice cream wrapped in pillowy mochi, or Japanese rice cake. The textural experience is a pleasure cruise for your mouth, and the flavors range from classic green tea and simple vanilla bean to seasonal treats like pumpkin spice and apple pie a la mode (which, weirdly, is my favorite). They even have non-dairy and vegan options. I usually pick mine up from Target, but I have spotted them at Hannaford and Walmart as well.
PHOTO: TKTK
—SAM SCHIPANI
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LISTEN UP AND VANISHED PODCAST WHY DO WE LOVE IT? Up and Vanished is a podcast that takes a deep dive into a single unsolved missing person’s case every season — and tries to crack it in real-time. All of the seasons are worth listening to, but season three is particularly pulse-pounding. Host Payne Lindsey investigates the 2017 disappearance of Ashley Loring-Heavyweight, an indigenous woman from the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. Lindsey leaves no stone unturned, and there are times when my heart was legitimately pounding, wondering what he was going to find and if he would make it out of there alive. —SAM SCHIPANI
READ “THE LOST CITY OF THE MONKEY GOD” BY DOUGLAS PRESTON WHY DO WE LOVE IT? I am reading “The Lost City of the Monkey God” by Douglas Preston, and enjoying it a lot. It’s a riveting true-life adventure story about archeology in Honduras. Preston, a journalist, went along for the ride in 2012 as a team of scientists used the thenrelatively new technology of LIDAR, or remote sensing, to find several prehistoric sites located deep in the jungle. I’m at the part where they’re about to check out the sites on foot and I suspect that things will get hairy for our intrepid adventurers. My partner, who happens to be an archeologist himself, read it first and had some reservations. He thought that Preston was a little much in his dramatic writing style (the author obviously doesn’t subscribe to the notion that it’s better for a journalist to be an observer rather than a participant in the story). Still, this book is a true page turner, and hard to put down. —ABIGAIL CURTIS
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FOOD & DRINK
IN SEASON NOW
CARROTS BY SARAH WALKER CARON
BY THE TIME March rolls around every year, I’ve grown tired of potatoes, winter squash and many other storage crops that are the most plentiful in the winter months. These storage crops keep well, so farmers dutifully haul them from farm to market and back again, selling them to customers hungry for local produce. But carrots are different. The sweet flavor intensifies after the first frost and they remain persistently bright — in color and flavor — through the dreariest winter days. So when I see storage carrots at the farmers market, I always pick some up. Besides, there are so many tasty ways to enjoy them. Start with the simple: carrots are delightful cut into spears and eaten as a snack. They can also be dipped into an array of things. Or grate the carrots for muffins or cupcakes. Or cut them and cook them. There are so many ways to enjoy them with creative flavorings. Carrots are good for every occasion, every meal. And with these recipes, you can’t go wrong.
CARROT RAISIN MUFFINS Yields 12 muffins
INSTRUCTIONS
INGREDIENTS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin slots in a pan with liners.
1 large egg 1 cup milk ½ cup olive oil 2 cups all purpose flour 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar 1 Tbsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 cup finely grated fresh carrot ½ cup raisins 2 Tbsp cinnamon sugar (divided)
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In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and oil. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Stir to combine until smooth. Fold in the grated carrot and the raisins. Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin slots. Sprinkle each with ½ tsp of cinnamon sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out cleanly. Enjoy immediately, or (once cooled) store in an airtight container and consume within 4-5 days.
GARLIC PARSLEY CARROTS
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS 1 lb carrots, peeled 1 Tbsp olive oil salt and pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 1-2 Tbsp fresh minced parsley
INSTRUCTIONS Cut the carrots into sticks — ½-inch thick and about 2-inches long. Set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened. Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant — about 1 minute. Remove from heat and toss the carrots with the parsley.
EASY GLAZED SKILLET CARROTS
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS 1 tsp olive oil 1 lb carrots, peeled if desired Salt and pepper, to taste 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp unsalted butter PHOTOS: (RECIPES) SARAH WALKER CARON; (OTHERS) ADOBE STOCK
1 tsp seedless raspberry preserves, or jelly of your choice
INSTRUCTIONS In a large skillet set over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Meanwhile cut the carrots into ¼-inch thick sticks (about 2-3 inches long). Add the carrots to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until the carrots soften and begin to brown Add the garlic to the pan. Stir well and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the butter and raspberry preserves to the pan. Stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the carrots are coated. There shouldn’t be any liquid in the pan. Season with additional salt and pepper, as desired.
FOOD & DRINK
CARROT CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING Yields 10 cupcakes
CUPCAKES: 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ cup sugar ¾ tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp kosher salt 1 large egg
INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 10 muffin cups with liners and set aside.
¼ cup canola oil 1 cup shredded carrots
FROSTING: ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened 4 oz package cream cheese, softened (from an 8 oz package) ¼ cup marshmallow fluff ½ cup confectioners sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the egg, milk and oil to the bowl. Whisk vigorously for two minutes, until smooth. Stir in the carrots. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled, prepare the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all frosting ingredients and whip until combined and smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag and frost cupcakes.
SARAH WALKER CARON is the editor of Bangor Metro Magazine and the author of five cookbooks including the “Easy Frugal Cookbook,” released in July. Her book “Classic Diners of Maine” is available where books are sold. Signed copies are available at The Briar Patch in Bangor.
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PHOTO: TKTK
½ cup milk
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FOOD & DRINK
Get
TWISTED TWISTED PRETZELS HAVE THEIR MOMENT
S
BY JOANNA O’LEARY
ometimes, the best way to unwind is to tuck into a twisted carbohydrate (irony noted). I’m talking about soft pretzels, at one time relegated (at least in America) to movie theater concessions and ballpark fare. Adding insult to injury, those that were served in both those venues were often the blandest, most insipid versions of the venerable soft pretzel: lazily tangled tubes of dough with a stingy dusting of salt. Fortunately, the past decade has seen not the further decline of the soft pretzel but rather its resurgence, thanks to creative chefs, home cooks and (I like to think) a hearty cross-section of German-Americans who were fed up with the mockery being made of their mother country’s arguably most iconic baked (and boiled) good. Mainers craving quality soft pretzels can rejoice in a plethora of options when it comes to these delectable plaited breads. Numerous bakeries, restaurants and bars have risen to the occasion (har) with regards to vending par excellence pretzels with the added bonus of pairing them with complementary spreads and dips. Ready to entangle yourself in the world of soft pretzels? Here are some standouts to try.
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2 FEET BREWING CO. For a supple, hearty, tortuous carbohydrate, try 2 Feet Brewing Co.’s (80 Columbia St., Bangor) pretzel made from the very spelt grains used in the production of their beer. It’s flanked by a cute crock of historic Raye’s mustard, blended by over four generations of the eponymous family. MASON’S A terrific sweet-meets-savory take on the twisted, tanned treat can be found at Mason’s (15 Hardy St., Brewer), where a toothsome trifecta of sugary and salty schmears—mustard, honey butter, French onion dip— accompany the large-and-in-charge soft pretzel. Partner this wonderful pretzel with one of Mason’s whimsical draft brews, like the Destiny’s Mild or Lil’ Pushbroom IPA. LIQUID RIOT BOTTLING CO. Prime pretzels farther afield from Bangor are available at Liquid Riot Bottling Co. (250 Commercial St., Portland),
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FOOD & DRINK
whose house-made pretzel comes with a piquant hops-infused mustard as well as beer cheese. FOULMOUTHED BREWING Another Portland pub offering an unapologetically delicious pretzel is the appropriately named Foulmouthed Brewing (15 Ocean St., South Portland). Try not to blush when you request their “Giant F#%&in’ Pretzel,” which is as promised “bigger than your head,” unless you happen to be a giant. Pair with some yellow mustard and a hefty pour of the Impure Thoughts New England IPA to enjoy a sinfully good marriage of brew and bread. TIMBER STEAKHOUSE And need a pretzel with a flavor that matches the fire in your belly? Seek out Timber Steakhouse’s (106 Exchange St., Portland) soft pretzel accompanied by hot mustard and a spicy chipotle cheese. In combination, those two sauces pack enough punch to distract you even from that sumptuous sanguine ribeye. KING EIDER’S PUB Finally, at King Eider’s Pub (2 Elm St., Damariscotta), you can alternate noshing between bivalves on the half shell and beautifully browned pub “pool” pretzels, which arrive at your table warm to the touch with a side of nose-tingling whole grain mustard. To up the richness, however, swap the mustard in favor of the brie and blue cheese dipping sauce, delightfully earthy and stinky.
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Give it a Try AT HOME BY AMY ALLEN
HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZELS
Yields 8 large pretzels
INGREDIENTS 12 oz. beer (up to you, but I use a light beer) 2¼ tsp active dry yeast 2 Tbsp butter (melted) 1 tsp salt 4+ cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup baking soda 1 egg
TOPPINGS Coarse salt (or mix it up and try poppy seeds, sunflowers, cinnamon sugar or locally made Jimbo's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning Blend)
INSTRUCTIONS In microwave or small pan, heat beer to very warm (apx. 110ºF) and stir in yeast. In large bowl, combine yeast mixture with melted butter, sugar, salt and 3 cups of flour. Beat until smooth, then continue adding flour until a soft dough forms. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth, about 7 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for about an hour in a warm spot until doubled.
Preheat oven to 450ºF. Divide dough into 8 balls. Roll each into a 2-foot-long rope, then shape into pretzel using diagram below. If they look a little skinny, that's good — they'll rise more and fill in. This recipe also makes great pretzel buns simply by coiling the rope into a round roll. In a large pot, combine 8 cups of water with the baking soda and bring to boil. Drop in pretzels, 2 at a time, and boil for 30-45 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon and let drain on a wire rack. Place pretzels a few inches apart on a parchmentlined baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 Tbsp water and brush over the top of the pretzels. Sprinkle with coarse salt or other topping (for toppings like cinnamon sugar that might burn, add after baking). Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Let cool on wire rack.
BONUS! BEER CHEESE DIP RECIPE For a tasty dip to go with your soft pretzel, in a saucepan over low to medium heat, combine 2 Tbsp butter with 3 Tbsp flour, then add 1 cup milk, 2/3 cup beer, 1 Tbsp Worchester sauce, 1/2 tsp dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, a sprinkle of salt and melt in 2 cups of cheddar cheese. Serve hot!
To form your pretzel shape
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HIKE ME
CELEBRATE Local Land
Trusts
VISIT CONSERVED LANDS CLOSE TO HOME STORY & PHOTOS BY AISLINN SARNACKI
LAYERS OF ICE and snow crunch underfoot as you follow the trail into the woods. A cold breeze snakes through the trees to tug at your scarf. The sun beats down, its rays warm on your face. March is a time for sunglasses and snowshoes, waterproof boots and raincoats. As winter slowly releases its hold on the wilderness, snow melts into bubbling brooks and raging rivers. Mud season begins, then freezes, then begins again. It can be a confusing time to be active outdoors. In some areas of the state, deep snow persists. In other places the ground is bare and soft. But as the weather becomes more mild, it can be wonderfully refreshing to take a walk, no matter what sort of snow, ice or mud you encounter. When dealing with yo-yoing weather, sometimes it’s nice to stick close to home. March is a great time to explore local trails, many of which are owned and maintained by land trusts. Maine is home to more than 80 land trusts. These nonprofit organizations conserve chunks of wilderness, and often make that land accessible to the public through the creation of trails, boat launches, picnic sites and other features. Scattered throughout the state, land trusts often focus on conserving land in specific towns, counties or watersheds. If interested in getting involved, you could volunteer. Land trusts often need help doing things like repairing bridges and signs, fixing drainage problems and clearing trees downed by storms. In addition, as snow and ice melts from the landscape, any litter left on properties during the winter becomes exposed. And you don’t have to be an official volunteer to pick up trash. You can search for nearby land trusts through the Maine Land Trust Network at mltn.org. To get you started, here are a few land trust trails in Penobscot and Hancock counties.
PATTEN STREAM PRESERVE IN SURRY EASY TO MODERATE This 41-acre preserve offers a 1.5-mile hike on woodland paths beside the rushing waters of Patten Stream, which winds around giant boulders and fallen trees on its way to Patten Bay. The trails of the preserve form two loops and travel through a beautiful forest of tall red oaks, stands of white birches, maples and clumps of evergreens. Patten Stream is fairly swift-moving and includes a few small waterfalls. It’s an excellent place to look for interesting ice formations and to enjoy the roar of spring snowmelt. However, it’s important to be cautious along the banks of the stream and on the preserve’s narrow footbridges. The preserve is owned and maintained by the Blue Hill Heritage Trust, which offers trails on more than 20 properties on the Blue Hill Peninsula. The land
trust asks that visitors to Patten Stream Preserve stay on marked trails, clean up after themselves and keep dogs on leash. Fires are prohibited, and the trails are for foot traffic only. For more information, visit bluehillheritagetrust. org or call 207-374-5118. DIRECTIONS: Surry Village is located on Route 172 between Blue Hill and Ellsworth. The preserve parking lot is on Warren Lane, which is on the outskirts of the village, to the east, right beside the post office. Drive about 0.3 mile down Warren Lane and the preserve parking area will be on your left, marked with a Blue Hill Heritage Trust sign. It fits about three vehicles. The kiosk visible from the parking lot marks the trailhead.
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HEALTH & FITNESS
HIKE ME
CENTRAL PENJAJAWOC PRESERVE IN BANGOR EASY TO MODERATE A quiet pocket of forestland, wetlands and fields in the city of Bangor, this 87-acre preserve features 1.8 miles of trails that form two loops. The first loop in the network travels through a mixed forest and along the edge of Penjajawoc Marsh, where you’ll find an old rock wall. The second loop travels through three fields, crosses a brook two times and visits an overlook of the marsh. Expect sections of narrow wooden bog bridges and plenty of exposed tree roots that make footing tricky in some places. Bangor Land Trust purchased the property in two parcels in 2010 with funding from Land for Maine’s Future and North American Wetlands Conservation Act programs. The trails are for pedestrians only. Skis and snowshoes 26 / BANGOR METRO March 2022
are permitted. To minimize impact on wildlife, the land trust has decided that dogs are not allowed on the preserve. However, if on leash, dogs are permitted on other trails that are owned by the land trust. For more information and to check out the other trails owned and managed by Bangor Land Trust, visit bangorlandtrust.org or call 207-942-1010. DIRECTIONS: The parking area is located off Essex Street in Bangor, approximately 400 feet south of the intersection of Burleigh Road and Essex Street. The parking area is across from the address 1242 Essex St. and next door (to the north of) 1231 Essex St. A sign for the preserve marks the short drive that leads to the parking area.
PINEY KNOLL CONSERVATION AREA
IN ORONO
EASY TO MODERATE A knoll covered with tall white pines is one of the most distinctive features of this 57acre preserve, which is home to about 4.5 miles of intersecting trails. Located beside the Penobscot River, it’s a popular place for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing (when there’s adequate snow), as well as walking, mountain biking and geocaching. The land is owned and managed by the Orono Land Trust, which purchased the property in 1991 from Diamond Occidental Forest, Inc., with money donated by Bangor Hydro as part of a mitigation plan for a dam proposal, which was later abandoned. Historically, the Piney Knoll Conservation Area is the former site of a Native American settlement. It is also where a ferry line used to cross the Penobscot River to Bradley. Along the preserve’s Penobscot River Trail, there’s a marker where the ferry used to land. Dogs are permitted but need to be under control of their owners. The land trust asks that visitors stay on marked trails and leave the area the way they found it. For more information, including a trail map, visit oronolandtrust.org. DIRECTIONS: There are several access points to this property. Parking is available at the end of Marsh Lane, Colburn Drive and Penobscot Street – all in Orono. To reach the Penobscot Street trailhead, start at the center of town in Orono and drive on Route 2 (Main Street) north. Cross the bridge spanning the Stillwater River and take the first right onto North Main Street. Drive about 0.2 mile, then bear right at the stop sign to stay on North Main Street. Drive about 0.3 mile and, at the end of North Main Street, turn left onto Penobscot Street. Drive about 0.9 mile to the end of Penobscot Street, which turns to gravel. Park at the end, well out of the way of nearby driveways. AISLINN SARNACKI is a columnist for the Bangor Metro and a registered Maine Guide. An expert on the Maine outdoors, she’s the author of the guidebooks “Dog-Friendly Hikes in Maine,” “Maine Hikes Off the Beaten Path” and “Family Friendly Hikes in Maine.” Follow her adventures at bangordailynews.com/outdoors. You can also find her @mainenaturehikes on Instagram and @1minhikegirl on Facebook and Twitter.
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HOME & FAMILY
CRAFTING WITH KIDS
MAKE YOUR OWN
CAT TOYS KEEP YOUR FELINE FRIENDS HAPPY & POUNCING STORY & PHOTOS BY AMY ALLEN
THERE ARE CAT PEOPLE and there are dog people — and my son is decidedly a cat person. He loves our cats and they tolerate his need to pick them up, cradle them like babies, snuggle them, read to them and share them with his friends via video call. He’s made them costumes, created a three-story “meow motel” and used his own money to buy them tunnels and toys. And he’s discovered that their very favorite toys are anything that dangles from a stick — that and hair elastics. We decided to try our hand at making some fun and feathery cat toys this month — and they are a hit! If you have more than one cat, you might have to make multiple toys — ours were not too keen on sharing. Our cats went into full predator mode, stalking the felt feathers and pouncing away. You know your pet best, so feel free to add any embellishment that might up the ante on fun, like real feathers or little bells. Just remember to keep a close eye on them in case any of the pieces get pulled off while playing. 30 / BANGOR METRO March 2022
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • Felt scraps in a variety of colors • Dowel • String or twine • Feathers, bells or anything else to entice your cat to play
REALTORS
Looking to sell your home? Having experience on your side matters.
CALL TRICIA LARGAY 207-949-3060
458 Main St., Bangor
Your listing could be on this page. Sell it faster. Advertise in Bangor Metro’s Home section. Call 990-8000.
DIRECTIONS & TIPS 1. Cut rectangles of felt in varying lengths and fold in half the long way. (Use an iron to help create a sharp crease.) 2. Trim the folded felt into a featherlike shape, then snip notches out to create the actual feather. 3. Layer two or three felt feathers (adding a real feather or other decoration as well) and tie tightly
together with string or twine. Tie in a bell or any other additions. 4. Drill a small hole in the end of a wooden dowel and thread your string through to secure the toy to the stick. 5. Always keep a close eye on your cat when playing to be sure none of the pieces come loose or get pulled off. Have fun! www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 31
PERSONAL FINANCE
Say “Yes”
TO THE BUDGET HOW TO SAVE AND SPEND FOR YOUR WEDDING
I
BY SAM SCHIPANI
was never one of those little girls with a vision board full of cut outs from Bride’s magazine with my perfect dress, hairstyle, floral arrangements and venue for my future wedding. I was too preoccupied creating prehistoric zoos with my dinosaur figurines or contemplating the best hot glued arrangement of fake flowers on my sun hat to make me look like a proper late 19th-century socialite à la “Hello, Dolly!” You’d think given the latter musical obsession that I would have had some matrimonial foresight, but alas. When I got engaged a few months ago (thank you), I immediately wished I had a decades-old wedding binder — and maybe a bridal piggy bank, too. The logistical nightmare of planning a wedding is overwhelming on its own, but the cost is what has me weak in the knees. According to the wedding planning website The Knot, the average cost of a wedding in Maine is $33,500, which is embarrassingly close to my annual salary. But Catherine Gross, a wedding photographer based in Vassalboro, said that a budget shouldn’t stop me from having the Big Day of my dreams. “Getting married is an investment,” Gross said. “Planning a wedding on a budget is subjective because everyone has a
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different budget, but no matter what I believe you can still have the wedding of your dreams just by shifting your thinking and getting creative.” Gross said to create your dream wedding with everything you want and price it out. Let your imagination run wild — a ceremony at Acadia National Park with a Valentino dress and tux, catered by Erin French, that ends with a tasteful fireworks display as Brandi Carlisle croons in the background. Just as an example. Then, it is time to get real with what you can afford as a couple — but that doesn’t mean you can’t splurge on the elements that really matter to you. Kristina Slocum, owner and planner at Purple Orchid Weddings and Events, said that she asks her clients what the most important parts of their wedding are to them. “Is it the food, the experience, the photos, the design?” Slocum said. “From there we can allocate how much should be spent in each category. Budgets for food, flowers, photos change with every client.” Slocum said that having an idea of the number of guests you plan to invite early on will help formulate that target number. “The venue, food and booze [are] typically your largest expenses,” Slocum said. “Make sure your venue can hold the size
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PERSONAL FINANCE
ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES THAT COUPLES MAKE IS NOT BEING ON THE SAME PAGE WITH HOW MUCH THEY WANT TO of wedding you anticipate and make sure your budget can feed everyone.” Insider knowledge can help with the budgeting process, too. Slocum said that hiring a planner is a great way to help manage your budget and understand the usual costs of things in the wedding industry from the get-go, so you have realistic expectations about what things will cost. “Sticker shock is not a fun feeling,” Slocum said. “We have seen in every sector prices and services go up in price in the last two years. I don’t expect that to change.” Discussing a wedding budget can be emotional for couples, but it is important to be open and honest about your finances and goals for the future. “If after the wedding, the next goal is to buy a house, discuss how not just the wedding budget should be handled, but also future life goals that can also be worth saving for,” Slocum said. Given that Alex and I have been shopping for a house for the past year (that’s a whole other column), we’ll probably skip pyrotechnics at our nuptials. Once you have an idea of how much you might want to spend, Mackenzie Arsenault, managing director and financial planner at Cornerstone Financial Planning in Portland, recommends assessing what is currently available to spend on the wedding. One of the biggest mistakes that she sees couples make is not being on the same page with how much they want to spend and where 34 / BANGOR METRO March 2022
SPEND AND WHERE THE
the money is coming from — and making MONEY IS COMING FROM — sure there is a buffer to that number. AND MAKING SURE THERE “Have you already IS A BUFFER... set aside funds specially for the wedding, are you expecting any financial gifts from family for the wedding, and if so, have you confirmed those amounts,” Arsenault said. “Another mistake is not leaving a big enough buffer for incidental expenses like postage or “When setting a budget, it is really wedding party gifts. There can be a lot of important not to stray from what you have smaller items that get overlooked in the allocated in every aspect of the wedding,” planning and can end up adding up.” Slocum said. “If in every area, you are Look at what you have saved already. constantly going over what you have Then consider how much time you have to allowed, your wedding will be over budget.” get your target budget together, Gross said. There are little ways you can save “If what you want is higher than money here and there, too. Booking in the what you can afford, maybe think about off-season between November and April, scheduling your date out later to make sure or during the week or on a Friday instead of you get your once in a lifetime fairytale a Saturday can be a cost saver, Gross said. moment,” Gross said. “The best tip for Using silk flowers instead of cut flowers saving money for a wedding is to give (they photograph beautifully, Gross said) yourself enough time to save the money.” is another option as is getting creative with Slocum uses a spreadsheet with her DIY centerpieces and invitations. clients to track spending and make sure My future mother-in-law has already they don’t breach their budget in each of offered to help make and send invitations, and their categories. Having a separate account I wanted to thrift my wedding dress anyway. specifically for your wedding that you put For Alex and I, the most important money into weekly or monthly can also help parts of our wedding are making sure that you reach your goals, or use an app on your all of our friends and family can attend and phone to track your spending like Wedding have a good time. Delicious food would be Happy, Track My Spend or Pocketbook. a plus, too — call me, Erin French.
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FEATURE
SOCKET TO ME
HOW MAINE’S CHARGING STATION INFRASTRUCTURE IS CHANGING
E
BY SAM SCHIPANI
lectric vehicles seem to be zooming around everywhere these days, but not everyone is along for the ride. In rural states like Maine, there is considerable anxiety around electric vehicles having to do with being able to get from point A to point B without running out of juice and getting stuck in the middle of nowhere. The electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Maine, however, is surprisingly widespread and constantly growing. Between the network of public charging stations and the ability to install home charging infrastructure, “refueling” an electric vehicle is often even easier, more reliable and cheaper than filling up a tank of gas — but it can depend on where you’re driving. Barry Woods, employee-owner and director of electric vehicle innovation at ReVision Energy, said that the first step for new electric vehicle drivers is to rethink what it means to “fuel up” your car. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 80 percent of electric vehicle charging happens at home rather than at public charging stations. Add that to the fact that newer electric vehicles nowadays have a range of more than 250 miles, and Woods said that the anxiety around access to public charging stations is often overblown. “I think people overestimate the need for public charging infrastructure in terms of the use of the car,” Woods said. “It’s like a cellphone.”
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CHARGING AT HOME Electric vehicle chargers come in a few different varieties. Level 1 chargers, which are often included with the vehicles, provide a slow and steady charge, adding about 5 miles of range per hour of charging. Woods said that Level 1 chargers can be sufficient for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, which have gas on board to use in a pinch, or as a back-up charger for fully battery electric vehicles. But most homeowners will opt to install Level 2 chargers in their home, which are faster and more efficient than their Level 1 counterparts. “Think of it like a dryer or a hot tub or a plasma TV which uses faster, higher amperage pushing more electricity into the car,” Woods said. “A Level 2 can fill an all battery electric overnight within 8 to 10 hours.” The cost to install Level 2 charging will depend on a number of factors, including the capacity of your home’s electrical panel and the distance between it and your desired charging location, but according to the Efficiency Maine Trust, the equipment ranges in cost from $500 and $900, and necessary electrical upgrades often cost on average between $500 and $1,500. Woods said that charging a vehicle can add $30 to $50 to a monthly electric bill as well, but
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FEATURE drivers usually save between $50 and $100 on gas every month, so the systems eventually pay themselves off. Woods also added there are tax credits that homeowners can take advantage of in order to pay for the home charging systems, though receiving them isn’t always straightforward. Such federal tax credits, Woods explained, will often lapse, but apply retroactively once they are put back in place. “My shpiel on the federal tax credit — it’s like bad parenting, rewarding your kid for making your bed last week,” Woods said. “They’ll pay you six months from now for having done it even though you didn’t know you were going to get the credit today. Welcome to the United States.” As more people start building these at-home chargers, however, it presents challenges for the electric grid. Rebecca Schultz, Climate and Clean Energy Senior Advocate at the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said that most people will charge their cars after work, which is already the peak period of use on the electric grid. “If EV owners all come home from work in the evenings and all plug in their cars at the same time, this will add strain to the grid during a time when electricity is already in high demand,” Schultz said. “In many states, EV owners are moved onto these time-of-use rates by default to smooth the transition toward an electrified transportation sector, and Maine needs to be considering this as well.” Until then, though, electric vehicle owners can plug in their vehicles right before bed instead of when they get home from work — a new addition to the modern bedtime routine.
“FUELING WITH ELECTRICITY IS MORE ABOUT SIPPING THAN GULPING,” WOODS SAID. “MOST DRIVERS ONLY CHARGE FOR 15 TO 20 MINUTES. MOSTLY THEY’RE TOPPING OFF THE VEHICLE.”
CHARGING ON THE ROAD Even if most electric vehicle charging happens at home, there is some comfort in knowing the safety net of public charging infrastructure is there — though refueling a vehicle when it runs primarily or fully on electricity is a new process. Woods said that if he is on a long trip and running low on fuel, he will charge just long enough to have the range to get home with a bit of a buffer, because he knows he will be able to then charge his car at home. “Fueling with electricity is more about sipping than gulping,” Woods said. “Most drivers only charge for 15 to 20 minutes. Mostly they’re topping off the vehicle.” Amalia Siegel, EV Program Manager for Efficiency Maine, said that there are currently more than 280 public charging stations across the state, and the number is constantly growing. There are still some areas where charging stations are sparse, particularly north and east of Bangor in the North Maine Woods areas and on the stretch of Route 9 between Bangor and Calais. Some chargers can also only be used by certain vehicles, like Teslas. Some public charging stations are Level 2 chargers, but Level 3 chargers — more commonly known as DC Fast chargers — are the creme de la creme of electric vehicle charging. While Level 2 chargers are basically just an amped-up version of their Level 1 counterparts, DC Fast chargers are a different technology 38 / BANGOR METRO March 2022
A ONE-TWO PUNCH WITH SOLAR One way to further reduce the cost of your electric bill and your carbon footprint is to pair an at-home charging station with solar power. Using the power of the sun to charge your electric vehicle really ups the ante on the environmental impact, and over time the installation cost can pay for itself. “We talk with a lot of people who either have an electric vehicle or are planning to get an electric vehicle soon, and we can factor in that energy consumption when we plan their needs for their solar array,” said Adam Hatch, a consultant at Pine Tree Solar in Bangor. Pine Tree Solar recently added several electric cars to its own fleet of company vehicles. “When it’s all built in, they’re not going to have that fuel cost or that power bill, so it’s a great match.”
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FEATURE altogether. Level 1 and Level 2 chargers take the alternating current from the house grid and convert it into the direct current for the car battery; DC Fast charging stations bring a direct current — hence the “DC” — right into the battery at a much faster rate. DC Fast chargers are expensive, though. Installing a DC Fast charging station, which can fully charge a vehicle’s battery in under an hour, costs upwards of $100,000, which Siegel said can make it cost prohibitive for businesses to install them without a large subsidy — nevermind homeowners installing home charging stations and shouldering the costs themselves. Siegel said Efficiency Maine’s primary objective for the next year is to begin development of DC Fast charging projects in Washington and Aroostook counties, so that there is no more than 50 miles between DC Fast chargers on main travel routes — an easy distance for even the shortest-range electric vehicles. “Currently we have met that goal on I-95 and 295 from Kittery to Augusta, and from Augusta north to Farmington and Skowhegan,” Siegel said. “All other corridors are still pending.” The cost of electric vehicle charging infrastructure combined with Maine’s low population density makes this expansion challenging, though. Schultz said that hosts of electric vehicle charging stations recoup the cost of the infrastructure through use. There are some programs in place to help hosts — for example, Central Maine Power has a pilot project to cover the cost of installing equipment and reduce certain charging costs — but Schultz said that “it’s not clear it is enough” to make the economics work for hosts. Still, public charging infrastructure is moving forward. Efficiency Maine has provided grants to install 34 DC Fast charging plugs and 178 Level 2 plugs across the state. Additional funds will be awarded for projects in Aroostook and Washington counties within the next year, and a recently passed federal infrastructure bill will also bring at least $19 million to the state for building out EV charging infrastructure. “Mainers can expect to see a significant expansion of the EV charging network in the coming years,” Siegel said. Efficiency Maine has an interactive map of all the state’s charging stations on their website, efficiencymaine.com/vehicles/ charging-station-locator. 40 / BANGOR METRO March 2022
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FEATURE
MAINE
N W O MMAE DE WHO
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FROM REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH TO SPORTS, POLITICS TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS, MAINE WOMEN HAVE FORGED PATHS AHEAD CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR SO MANY OTHERS. THESE SIX WOMEN ARE PARTICULARLY NOTABLE BECAUSE THEY DID WHAT HADN’T BEEN DONE BEFORE. BY JULIA BAYLY (STORIES 1-3) & RICHARD SHAW (STORIES 4-6)
MABEL WADSWORTH Mabel Sine Wadsworth came to Maine in the 1940s, a time when women had little, if any, control over their reproductive freedom. This was especially the case in rural parts of the state. So, while her physician husband was busy with his Bangor practice, Wadsworth joined the Maternal Health League — a group of other physician wives. They found a physician willing to not only talk to area women about birth control, but also fit them with diaphragms. Then Wadsworth took her birth control advocacy on the road. She organized teams of fellow members of the Maternal Health League, drove out into rural Maine and anytime they saw a house with toys in the yard or diapers on the line — evidence of children — they stopped, knocked on the door and asked the mothers if they would be interested in learning how to control their pregnancies. If needed, they drove the women to and from the doctor’s office.
(At right) Mabel Wadsworth, PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MABEL WADSWOTH WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTER
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FEATURE Wadsworth then went on to develop and head the state’s first governmentfunded family planning program. Believing that women were the true experts of their own bodies and of their sexuality, she advocated for women’s reproductive freedom and created a rural outreach program that provided birth control information to women. Later, she helped found the Family Planning Association of Maine and worked tirelessly to change Maine laws allowing teens access to confidential services like birth control and STD testing and treatment.
CORNELIA “FLY ROD” CROSBY
A permanent display on Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby, Maine’s first registered guide, at the Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum in Oquossoc. PHOTO: BDN FILE
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Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby was a sickly child growing up in the Rangeley Lakes area. But she spent as much time as possible outdoors, convinced all she needed was fresh air to cure her. Poor respiratory health continued to plague her into adulthood and she was forced to take months off at a time from her job as a bank teller. By the time she was 24, her health had deteriorated to the point that Crosby was not expected to live. Still, she managed to travel to Mount Blue, still convinced in the healing power of nature. It worked. While at Mount Blue she not only recovered, she went fishing and caught her first trout. Her life would never be the same again. From that point on she spent every spare moment she had fishing the Rangeley Lakes, often catching hundreds of trout in a day. Most of the fish were returned to the lakes because Crosby was an early advocate of catch-and-release fishing. She chronicled her outdoor adventures in syndicated columns published from New York to Chicago and was soon recognized as a major promoter of outdoor recreation in Maine. Somewhere along the way she became best friends with noted gunslinger Annie Oakly. When the Maine Fish and Game Association decided it was time to officially license hunting and fishing guides in Maine, Crosby was a key player in lobbying the Maine Legislature for a state-run licensing system. In 1897, when the licensing became law, Crosby became the first licensed Maine Guide, holder of license number one.
PATRICIA RYAN Patricia Ryan moved to Maine in 1973 and for the next four decades was on the front lines of the fight for human rights in the state. She spent 32 of those years as the executive director of the Maine Human Rights Commission. By the time she retired from the commission in 2011, Maine had amended laws to protect pregnent women from sex discrimination, families with children from housing discrimination, girls from education discrimination and made it a crime to discriminate based on sexual orientation. In 1978, Ryan was among a group of eight women who founded the Maine Women’s Lobby which
advocates for equal opportunities for women and girls. A tireless advocate for women’s equality, Ryan served as chair of the Governor’s Advisory Council on the Status of Women, chair of the Maine Commission for Women and chair of the Maine State Personnel Board. She helped advance the issue of women’s rights when she worked on crafting proposals for the 1977 National Women’s Conference. Ryan also received numerous honors and awards for her work, including The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine’s Roger Baldwin Award for “helping build a Maine where women and girls have equal opportunity under the law.”
(Above) Patricia Ryan, executive director of the Maine Human Rights Commission, speaks during a 2004 interview at her office in Hallowell. AP PHOTO/ JOEL PAGE
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FEATURE
TOY LEN GOON Maine’s most celebrated Chinese-American, Toy Len Goon, emigrated from Guangdong, China, in 1921 to join her proxy husband, Dogan Goon, in Portland. Carrying a child and speaking no English, she set herself apart as a hard-working resident. Following her husband’s 1941 death, she refused to place any of her eight children in foster care, raising them by herself while operating the family laundry. “She and her family worked out a method,” said Gary Libby, an attorney who is writing a book about Maine’s Chinese Americans, “which allowed each child to finish school while providing enough help to run the laundry. The oldest boy, Carroll, dropped out of Deering High School for two years and helped his mother. Then, the next boy, Richard, graduated from high school and worked at the laundry, allowing Carroll to return to school and graduate. And on it went.” In 1952, Toy Len Goon was named national mother of the year by the American Mothers Committee of the Golden Rule Foundation. She relished being feted at a parade in New York’s Chinatown and at a White House ceremony. “All of Mrs. Goon’s children obtained post-secondary education,” Libby said, “and she was one of the Asian Americans to be featured in the five-part PBS series of the same name in 2020.” A monument at Portland’s Woodfords Corner, near the site of her former home and laundry, allows visitors a chance to reflect on a trailblazer who changed the way her state viewed women, single mothers and immigrants.
(Right) Toy Len Goon in 1952, being celebrated as the National Mother of the Year, riding in New York’s China Town. MAINE MEMORY. NET PHOTO (Below) Sen. Margaret Chase Smith, circa 1952 and 1962. GETTY IMAGES
MARGARET CHASE SMITH The pride of Skowhegan, Margaret Chase Smith, made history as the first woman to serve in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, and, in 1964, was the first person of her gender to be nominated for president at a major party convention. Her historic 1950 “Declaration of Conscience” speech remains a classic of oratory, and broke ranks with her fellow Republicans while chastising Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s Red-baiting tactics. Like most aspects of her life, which included employment as a telephone operator and newspaper reporter, her election to the House of Representatives in 1940 was unusual. Her seriously ill husband, Rep. Clyde Smith, asked his wife to run for his seat that year. Margaret Chase Smith’s election in November began a career that lasted 32 years and inspired women to run for public office. The moderate politician’s public service lasted long after leaving the Senate in 1973, when she continued to oversee her home town’s Margaret Chase Smith Library. School groups touring the facility were often surprised to see the former senator emerge from her living quarters to reflect on her life and career. Among the lesser known facts of Smith’s career, library director David Richards said, was her avid support of the American space program. Former NASA Administrator James Webb reportedly said, “If it hadn’t been for a woman, Margaret Chase Smith, we never would have put a man on the moon.”
JOAN BENOIT SAMUELSON A native of Cape Elizabeth, Joan Benoit Samuelson, shattered numerous marathon records, along with the image of world-class runners as primarily male. She grabbed the world’s attention at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, winning a gold medal and becoming the first women’s marathon champion. She also broke records at the Chicago and Boston Marathons. She also inspired many younger runners and has fostered charitable and philanthropic causes. “I really wanted to play Little League baseball,” Samuelson said in a 2017 Bangor Daily News interview, “but there was no room for girls back then [as a teenager]. … I basically found that running was accessible and affordable, and I think that’s why the sport of road racing has been enjoying such growth.” She also dabbled in tennis and baseball, but in the days before the implementation of Title IX in 1972, athletic opportunities for young women were scarce. So, through elimination and determination, a lifelong running career was born. Of her award-winning run at the 1984 Summer Olympics, Samuelson was typically modest. “I just went out and ran my own race,” she said. “You can’t get too anxious and excited about it. You just have to take is as another run. A run that counts.” Her modesty extends to her role in founding the 10-kilometer TD Beach to Beacon road race in her home town, which lately has gone virtual because of Covid-19 concerns. Samuelson was named to the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame in 2000. Beyond running, she’s a master gardener and community activist. She also returned in 2019, at age 62, to run the Boston Marathon with her daughter, Abby. 46 / BANGOR METRO March 2022
Joan Benoit Samuelson in a 2017 photo. BDN FILE PHOTO
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FEATURE
Climate Change
& FARMING
48 / BANGOR METRO March 2022
CLIMATE CHANGE IS MAKING FARMING IN MAINE A WILD RIDE
C
BY CRYSTAL SANDS
PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
limate change in Maine can be seen in the temperatures and the longer duration of recent autumns. But while longer growing seasons and the ability to grow new plants that require a warmer climate may sound like good things for Maine farmers, climate change is having a profound impact on Maine’s agricultural system, creating instability and struggles that require farmers to adjust quickly and invest in resilient farming methods. In order for Maine farmers to adjust and invest, they need strong public support. Changes are happening more rapidly in northern climates like Maine’s. According to the 2020 Maine’s Climate Future report, “The Northeast is warming faster than any other region in the U.S.” In fact, temperatures in the northeast are expected to rise 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit when the rest of the world reaches a 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit rise. According to this same report, the growing season has increased in Maine by more than two weeks since 1950. It may seem like it would be helpful to Maine farmers to have a longer growing season, but the reality is much more complicated. Maine has seen an increase in temperature of about 3.2 degrees Fahrenheit in the last century, as well as an increase of about six inches in average annual precipitation over the same 100 years, according to Ellen Mallory, a Professor of Sustainable Agriculture and an Extension Specialist at the University of Maine in Orono. “So people think ‘more warmth and more water, that’s a great thing for growers,’ but the challenges are in the details,” Mallory said. For example, in the autumn of 2021, temperatures were unusually warm and the fall frost came very late. Mallory said that this can present problems. She spoke to one farmer who was struggling because his fall broccoli crop was getting too warm and readying for harvest all at the same time. Normally, he has been able to stagger his broccoli to sell to customers over an extended period of time. “Suddenly, he found himself having to try to sell a lot of broccoli all at once,” Mallory said. Mallory emphasized that a lot of the temperature increases in Maine are coming both in winter months and summer months, especially in terms of the low temperatures at night. “The nighttime low is increasing more than the daytime high,” she said. This affects the heat stress on plants. Potatoes, a staple crop here in Maine, “really like cool nighttime temperatures,” Mallory explained, so “the heat stress can really impact the crop.”
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FEATURE
PHOTO: BDN FILE PHOTO
Potatoes spill out of a warehouse in Limestone. Many farmers who used to rely on natural cold storage of potatoes during the fall are now investing in refrigeration to combat cllimate change.
These warmer nighttime temperatures can also stress animals — and humans, Mallory added. Noami Brautigam of Dickey Hill Farm in Monroe has experienced the stresses associated with climate change firsthand. “We grow snap peas in our high tunnels. This past spring, when it was so hot in early June, some of the tops of the plants cooked,” Brautigam said. High tunnels, which are used to extend the growing season to year round, are part of Dickey Hill Farm’s growing strategy. The MOFGA certified organic farm established in 2015 has more than an acre of vegetables in production — including those in the four high tunnels. But when the tunnels get hot too soon, it can cause a variety of problems. “We lose production and yield, which has financial impact, but there is also an employee health impact. There can be health questions about getting staff into the tunnels to harvest in that kind of heat,” she explained.
Brautigam and her partner, James Gagne, utilize low-till production methods with a focus on promoting soil health through cover cropping and regular composting. Dickey Hill Farm also produces grass fed beef, rotationally grazing a small herd on 15 acres of pasture. In terms of rainfall, the increased total is also problematic for farmers. “While we’re getting more rainfall, we’re also getting more frequent and intense rainfall,” Mallory said. “The northeast has had an increase of 74 percent from mid-century to present day in extreme rainfall events (events in which there are more than two inches of rain that falls at once).” From an agricultural perspective, this is not good news. It’s hard for the soil to absorb all of that rain at once, so while there may be more rain falling in total, it’s not benefitting the soil. Worse, it can cause harm to the growing environment when the rain runs off, taking the soil and its nutrients with it.
At Dickey Hill Farm, unusual midwinter rains caused flooring in the high tunnels because the ground was still frozen, Brautigam said. “The bigger picture is that the lack of ability to plan for any scenario feels quite challenging. You just never really know,” said Brautigam. Farmers can’t just shift their planting days to a different growing season, as this kind of climate instability makes it difficult to make adjustments. Despite the increase in total rainfall each year, periods of drought are still a possibility on a local or regional level. For example, in 2016, southern Maine experienced a substantial drought that was classified as moderate on the state-wide index. In 2020, a drought occurred in parts of Maine that resulted in farmers’ wells going dry throughout the middle of the state. At Dickey Hill Farm, water is always on Brautigam’s and Gagne’s minds. “Access to water is one of our biggest issues, dealing with drought years. We www.bangormetro.com BANGOR METRO / 51
FEATURE
just drilled a second well, which is a big investment for our farm in terms of building our resiliency,” Brautigam said. Becoming more resilient is key for Maine farmers who are working to adjust to farming during a climate crisis. To deal with the water issues, for instance, farmers are trying things like tile drainage and ditching that weren’t previously needed, Mallory said. “People are also looking at ways of planting where there’s more crop residue left on the surface to protect the soil,” Mallory said. With typical plowing, the soil is vulnerable to erosion during the first few weeks after planting, so farmers are going to low till or no till or leave as much crop residue from the previous year as possible. Diversifying crops is also a way farmers are working to become more resilient during challenging times. Beyond this, farmers are investing. Mallory pointed to potato farmers who used 52 / BANGOR METRO March 2022
to rely on natural cold storage of potatoes during the fall who are now investing in refrigeration. And, at Dickey Hill Farm, adding another well will help them handle future droughts better. Ultimately, farmers need to figure out the best ways to continue to grow the food that feeds local families. “Farmers are the masters of risk management,” said Mallory. “So many things are outside of farmers’ control, and weather has always been one of those things.” The public can help farmers not just by shopping from farms, but also by recognizing the instability and challenge farmers are facing. Being aware of the climate crisis can make a difference in farmer morale. “When we, as farmers, are out working out in the weather every day and experiencing the changes, we notice it more. When I hear the public understanding and talking about climate change, it feels good; you feel not so alone in this,” Brautigam said.
PHOTOS: (TOP) LINDA COAN O'KRESIK/BDN FILE
Several young heifers at a Maine dairy farm.
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WOODS & WATERS
Taking Care of our
FEATHERED FRIENDS
Avian Haven volunteer Susan Stone and Marc Payne, co-founder of Avian Haven, release a female bald eagle at the boat launch on Phillips Lake in Dedham in 2015. The eagle was hit by a car while feeding on a raccoon on Route 1A.
IT’S NOT EASY BEING A BIRD. Oh, sure, it’s nice to dress up in pretty colors and fly around a lot, but those same qualities can get a bird in trouble. Predators agree that wild birds taste a little like chicken, and they’re attracted to all that colorful flashiness. Birds are masters at avoiding visible obstacles in flight, but they crash into invisible windows with alarming frequency. Whenever a bird is found injured in Maine, chances are it will end up at Avian Haven Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center in Freedom. BY BOB DUCHESNE Avian Haven takes in well over 3,000 sick and injured birds every year. Somehow, the team has managed to expand its facilities and capabilities over the last 23 years with very little fanfare. A network of 250 volunteers from Portland to Presque Isle stand by to transport birds to the facility, and back out again to release points. The challenges can be daunting. AVIAN HAVEN Consider the challenge to birds. Domestic cats kill billions, leading the list of human-related causes of bird mortality. Window-strikes are number TAKES IN WELL OVER two. Collision with automobiles ranks third. Lead poisoning takes a significant toll, as eagles scavenge the remains of game animals and 3,000 SICK AND INJURED BIRDS loons ingest lead sinkers on lake bottoms. Some human-related causes can be mitigated, starting with EVERY YEAR. A NETWORK OF keeping kitties indoors. There are window treatments that discourage bird strikes. However, other problems are harder to address, and the 250 VOLUNTEERS ... STAND BY birds don’t make it easy. In winter, roadways make perfect hunting corridors for hawks and owls. A lot of Avian Haven’s winter guests TO TRANSPORT BIRDS TO THE are unfortunate raptors that bounced off a windshield. The elimination of toxic lead from the environment has been FACILITY, AND BACK OUT AGAIN sluggish. Society has managed to get the lead out of pipes, gasoline,
TO RELEASE POINTS.
PHOTO: BDN FILE
WHEN A BIRD GETS HURT, THIS MAINE REHABILITATOR IS READY
paint, wheel weights, children’s toys, cosmetics, and some fishing gear and bird shot, but the drift away from lead ammo has been slow. When a poisoned loon or eagle ends up at Avian Haven, it’s often too late to be saved. Consider the challenge to rehabilitators. Birds and injuries come in all shapes and sizes, requiring different care for each. Every bird is adapted to specific diets, so what do you feed orphaned babies when there are so many different species? Recovering birds need to get their strength back, before being released. Loons gotta swim. Owls gotta fly. Each needs a different type of building. Summer is crazy. Incoming migrants swell the bird population, increasing the number of potential rescues. If a cat takes a parent, an entire nest of babies may end up at Avian Haven. The youngsters need to be fed each and every hour. Housing the birds can be a challenge. Obviously, recuperating birds can’t be penned with other birds that would eat them. Sometimes they can’t even be penned
with their own kind. When two barred owls share a space, the bigger, healthier bird may simply steal all the food. Avian Haven’s pens are double-screened, with soft screens on the inside so that a recovering bird doesn’t re-injure itself, and hard screens on the outside so that no predator can break in for an easy meal. Consider the financial challenge. Wildlife rehabilitation centers receive no government funding. Private donations and foundation grants provide the sole support for Avian Haven’s staff of rehabilitators, not to mention the 14 buildings that include flight cages, indoor pools, raptor enclosures, and treatment facilities. The entire mission relies on the generosity of donors and an incredible number of volunteer hours, including the unpaid support of renowned veterinarians. Contributions are welcome, indeed encouraged. Avian Haven’s website makes it
easy. Donations are especially timely as the facility breaks ground on a new waterfowl rehabilitation building that was delayed two years by the pandemic. And all this is happening on a small back road in a small Central Maine town. Some of the most fascinating stories in Maine happen out-of-sight, and Avian Haven will remain mostly invisible. It is not a zoo. There are no exhibits. The public can bring in birds, but can’t tour cages. In a way, that’s too bad. There’s something eerie about staring into an owl cage and realizing an owl is staring back. In the long run, Avian Haven’s heroic efforts will make no difference to bird populations. It’s not about that. It’s about our own humanity. Vehicles, windows, lead and predatory pets will continue to kill off wild birds at alarming rates. We can’t save them all. But if we don’t even care enough to save one, what does that say about us?
BOB DUCHESNE is a local radio personality, Maine guide, and columnist. He lives on Pushaw Lake with his wife, Sandi.
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Z WHY CAN’T YOU BE A
THE VIEW FROM HERE
GOOD GIRL? z BY EMILY MORRISON
B
She saw Meg alright. She saw how Meg was sleeping in her own bed. But Addie wasn’t Meg. So she wept over all the injustices of parental abandonment and third children unexpectedly coming into the world. After much sleep deprivation, around midnight one night we changed the arrangement of our bedroom furniture and moved Addie’s big girl bed so she could see directly down the hall into our room. This way she could stare at us staring at her until she fell asleep. As long as she could talk to us and see us and know we were right there, then she wouldn’t cry. Or not so much. So we did this. Night, after night, after night. And for all but one year before she left for college, this is where Addie slept, in a room covered in Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift posters on one side and painted rocks and nature scenes on the other. Of course, through sickness, breakups and stress, my children have found their way back to my bed over the years, but only now when those days have dwindled am I beginning to understand how much they meant. To feel their little hands pull on my arm, to absorb the blows of those baby-bird feet, to hear their sweet voices say, “Can I come sleep with you, Mumma?” Knowing that to my children I am comfort, peace and safety, that’s everything. So how did such a not-good girl come to be somebody else’s mum? How did my mum do it? How did she show me what love was when she stood there and shook her head? Was it when she pulled me up on the couch as we watched Magnum ride off in his shiny red corvette? Or was it when she let me wail away? I don’t know. Love is funny, isn’t it? It has a way of turning us bad girls good.
PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
WHEN I WAS FIVE, my big sister and I shared a bedroom with twin beds covered in those thin chenille comforters that offered little weight or comfort. Pandas and kittens adorned my walls while Kurt Cameron and Def Leppard stared back from hers. In this spastic array of animals and celebrities, I fought bedtime most nights. On one spectacular evening, I frantically jumped up and down on my bed because “they” had moved the Magnum PI time slot from 7 to 8 p.m. My sister shook her head from her bed, her front row seat to my tantrum, as my parents looked on from the doorway. “Why can’t you be more like Mary?” my mother asked. “Don’t you see how Mary is a good girl and going right to bed?” I saw Mary alright. I saw how she was a good girl. But I wasn’t Mary. So I wailed on over all the injustices of enforced bedtimes and random programming changes on network television. Eventually, the crisis passed. Either my parents caved, or I cried it out. This scenario, caving or crying, played out repeatedly over a series of weeks. Somedays I cuddled on the couch for an extra hour with Mom, and some nights I sobbed while my sister covered her ears under her thin little blanket. When my turn came to witness my own children’s fits of rage, they were calm. Surprisingly, there was no crying it out — only co-slumbering in our king-sized bed. As Addie, my oldest, turned four, my son Jack came squalling into the world. They slept on either side of me. Blessedly, my middle child, Meg, preferred her own miniature bed. Whenever Jack woke up to nurse Addie would say, “Why won’t that baby stop cryin’? Make him stop cryin’ Mumma!” Rather than quiet two upset children, one of them had to go, and it wasn’t Jack. Addie just had to sleep in her own big girl bed. “Why can’t you be more like Meg and sleep by yourself? Don’t you see how Meg is a good girl and going right to bed?” I asked.
EMILY MORRISON is a high school English teacher, freelance writer and editor from coastal Maine. She is living happily-ever-after with her handsome husband, three beautiful children and two beloved dogs. And a cat.
