LA
METRO MAGAZINE WINTER 2021
MAINE’S RENAISSANCE MAN
Ian Barclay Page 25
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ST. DOMINIC ACADEMY
Providing Catholic education for 80 years
CITY OF LEWISTON, PART 1 Wrought from wilderness
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Self-love and care through Ayurveda
Where the locals eat! We’re Maine’s #1 Steakhouse for a reason
Try any one of our salads, entrees, sandwiches or burgers.
Shown here: All-American Burger 8 oz. freshly ground Angus Top Sirloin with bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, & red onion with our hand-cut fries.
Mac’s Grill | 1052 Minot Avenue, Auburn | 207-783-6885 | www.MacsGrill.com 2
LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
Witness the St. Dom’s
DIF F E RE N CE .
editor’s note PHOTOGRAPHY BY MEGHAN SOBOLIC
“We don’t grow when things are easy. We grow when we face challenges.” — Nurma Clarkson
Happy 2021 LA! I, for one, am glad to see 2020 in my rearview mirror and look forward to what 2021 has in store. 2020 was such a challenging year in so many ways. The pandemic has made daily living so different and has dampered the simple things in life we hold so dear. The challenges of 2020 have made me more proud to be a part of this community than ever before. There is so much creativity in handling the ever-changing restrictions so that we can continue thriving. I see people rethinking where they shop, supporting local businesses versus big box stores; I see small restaurants being frequented instead of the chains, gift cards are being purchased to help continue keeping our neighbor’s businesses afloat. We are strong, and through these challenges, will continue to grow. In order to continue growing, we must all wear many hats. We can’t do the same things over and over again and expect different results. We have to constantly change, adapt, learn, and challenge ourselves. There is no better example of someone who has worn many hats as our cover story of Ian Barclay. He is a small business owner, he is a Highlander, he’s a musician (playing several instruments), and he never stops challenging himself to grow more. As the story title says, he is a true Renaissance man. LA Metro Magazine is continuing to change and adapt as well. Starting with this first issue of 2021, we will be introducing our new Health & Wellness section. Each season, we will showcase a practice or a business related to wellness. Our inaugural story on Ayurveda is so educational and interesting and I hope you will join me in my excitement for this up-and-coming practice. I would love to hear your ideas on what would make a great story for this new section. We are also kicking off a four-part series on the City of Lewiston. Lewiston just celebrated its 225th birthday in 2020! We start our series with the first settlers and development of the city. In each issue of 2021, we’ll highlight the people, industry, and future plans of Lewiston and learn how much growing and adapting has had to happen over the years for the city to continue thriving. I wish you peace and happiness in this upcoming year and I’m thrilled that LA Metro Magazine continues to be your source to entertain, inspire, and inform. Be well, everyone. Peace out, 2020. Onward and upward.
TYLA DAVIS Editor-in-Chief editor@LAMetroMagazine.com
LA Metro Magazine is proudly printed in Lewiston, Maine at
8 Lexington Street, Lewiston 4
LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
www.penmor.com
5 In “A” Row
We Did It Again...Together At Central Maine Medical Center, patient safety is a top priority, and we are proud to be nationally recognized in the most recent Hospital Safety Grades released by The Leapfrog Group. This distinction validates our team members’ ongoing commitment to providing highquality care and driving the best outcomes for our patients.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is an elite designation from The Leapfrog Group, a national, independent watchdog that sets the highest standards for patient safety in the United States.
300 Main Street | Lewiston, Maine 04240 | 207-795-0111 | www.cmhc.org
5
MEET THE
Contributors
PEGGY
DeBlois A native of Lewiston, Peggy began writing creatively as a child growing up in a French-Catholic neighborhood. A graduate of Bowdoin College, she began her career in journalism at PC Week in Boston, where she was the ghostwriter for the industry gossip columnist, Spencer the Cat. She has also worked locally as an English teacher and public relations consultant. A resident of Auburn, she recently finished her first novel.
DAVID Fuller
On his eighth birthday, David’s favorite aunt gave him a camera. She couldn’t have known that, from that day, photography would grow into a passion, a career, and a ticket to experiences he would otherwise only have dreamed of. Fifty years later, David is a successful filmmaker, photographer, and creative director working for national and local advertising agencies, businesses, and educational and government clients. It was, as things have turned out, the perfect gift.
WRITER 6
LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
PHOTOGRAPHER
toby
Haber-Giasson Toby hails from the bustling New York City media world, where she promoted live events like payper-view boxing, and published album reviews in Creem and Audio magazines. In LA, she coordinates events for First Universalist Church of Auburn, hosting the monthly Pleasant Note Open Mic, and staging their annual “Vagina Monologues” benefit against domestic violence.
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR & WRITER
DONNA
Keene Rousseau
A Maine native, Donna has dedicated much of her career to assisting families as they navigate the world of eldercare. Her philosophy is, “Create good by approaching all things with an open mind and a generous, honest heart;” it has served her well, personally and professionally. Writing is her happy place and her family is her heart.
WRITER
BREWSTER Burns
Brewster was raised in Waterford, Maine, attended Oxford Hills High School, then graduated from Colby College. He became an English teacher at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, where he has remained since 1988. Christmas of 2012, he received his first camera, and quickly developed a love of the lens. Brewster freelances for some Maine newspapers and local magazines. He resides in Hebron, with his wife and two children.
PHOTOGRAPHER
MICHAEL
Krapovicky Michael is a freelance writer and musician from Auburn. He graduated from the University of Maine at Presque Isle in 1999 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He has submitted stories and articles for various publications, and performs throughout New England as a solo guitarist and bassist. Michael enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending leisure time with family and friends.
WRITER
JOSE Leiva
DAN
Marois
Jose started his photography career while in the Air Force during Vietnam. He moved to Maine in the late 1980s and retired from the Sun Journal a few years ago. He now works as a freelance photographer and exhibits his art locally. Jose lives in Lewiston, Maine, with his wife, Linda. Together they have six adult children, and four grandchildren who are a source of photographic inspiration.
SARA
Poulin
Mayer
Dan is an actor, producer, writer, and editor. As owner of Mystery for Hire, he has performed in nearly 900 mystery dinner theater shows. With Mainely Improv, Dan does improv comedy performances, as well as corporate training in using the skills of improvisation. While he serves as editor and writer for many publications, Dan particularly enjoys crafting stories that reflect the LA Metro area.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Lisa is a Clio-Award winning advertising writer from New York City who moved to LA five years ago. Her work has been published in national magazines, and she is currently writing two novels set in Maine. Lisa is the wife of Rabbi Sruli Dresdner of Temple Shalom in Auburn, and their twins are students at the fabulous Park Avenue School.
WRITER
NICOLE Rand
WRITER
JAKE
Van Paepeghem
Sara is a “County” transplant enjoying life on the Androscoggin River. Most days she can’t be found, hiding away in the woods or mountains, enjoying the quiet peacefulness of the outdoors. A musician and actress, she enjoys the many diverse cultural opportunities offered in the LA area.
Nicole can’t remember a time when she did not have a camera in her hands. Her passion for photography started when she was little, working with her uncle who ran his own studio.
She writes, she runs, pats all the dogs, loves beer, and plays the ukulele...badly.
Her passion is to show the beauty that is within everyone. She is constantly learning new and inventive ways to capture moments that will last a lifetime.
WRITER
LISA
She graduated in 2015 with a degree in photography and digital workflow. Shortly afterwards, she opened her own portrait studio, Creativeones Photography.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Jake is a recent transplant to Maine, all the way from Boise, Idaho. A lifelong musician, Jake studied guitar performance at Boise State University before traveling as a professional touring guitarist. Along his travels, Jake fell in love with Maine. He lives in Portland with his wife (a native Mainer) and collie-lab mix Sara, and spends his days producing marketing videos, podcasts, and written content for the Portland-based marketing firm Energy Circle.
WRITER
LA METRO MAGAZINE digital edition @ LAMetroMagazine.com
7
CORE
Our
Crew
PUBLISHER & CEO
Jim Marston jim@LAMetroMagazine.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Tyla Davis editor@LAMetroMagazine.com
Jim Marston Publisher & CEO
Jim@LAMetroMagazine.com
ADVERTISING SALES Katie Crepeau Jim Marston Steve Simard
PRODUCTION MANAGERS Tyla Davis Jim Marston
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Toby Haber-Giasson
Tyla Davis
Editor-in-Chief/Graphic Design editor@LAMetroMagazine.com
WRITERS
Peggy L. DeBlois Toby Haber-Giasson Michael Krapovicky Dan Marois Lisa Mayer Sara Poulin Donna Keene Rousseau Jake Van Paepeghem
PROOFREADERS
Steve Simard Sales
Steve@LAMetroMagazine.com
Keith Davis Kayla Marston
PHOTOGRAPHY Brewster Burns David Fuller Jose Leiva Nicole Rand
COVER
Katie Crepeau Sales
katie@LAMetroMagazine.com
Ian Scott Barclay Photographer: Brewster Burns LA Metro Magazine is published four times each year by LA Metro Magazine, LLC Editorial and subscription info: Call 207-783-7039 email: info@LAMetroMagazine.com 9 Grove Street, Auburn, ME 04210
Stephanie Arsenault Bookkeeper
billing@LAMetroMagazine.com
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LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements, unless otherwise noted, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher or staff. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information presented in this issue is accurate, and neither LA Metro Magazine nor any of its staff are responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. No establishment is ever covered in this magazine because it has advertised, and no payment ever influences our stories and reviews. Copyright Š2021 LA Metro Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission, in writing, from the publisher. Printed in Lewiston, ME, USA.
volume six • issue one
WINTER 2021
in this issue features
quick reads 10
39
Health and Wellness: Ayurveda
21 Providing Catholic education for 80 years
Social Hour: Ricker Hill tasting room
34
56
Corporate Intelligence
50 The City of Lewiston, Part 1
ON THE COVER
Maine’s Renaissance man
25
Snowmobiling in Maine
16 C. Richard’s Leather
30 Firehouse Grill
46 Sound Check: Bonnie Edwards & the Practical Cats
HEALTH and
WELLNESS
Discovering Self-Love & Care through
AYURVEDA Written by Donna Keene Rousseau | Photography by Jose Leiva
F
or those unfamiliar with this practice, a common misconception is that Ayurveda (pronounced ai•yr•vei•duh) is the preparation and cooking of Indian food! If you are having trouble in some aspect of your life, chances are one of your Doshas is out of balance. Ayurveda may be the key to solving the mystery.
Principles Ayurveda is a vast science of life which dates back thousands of years to India, when it constituted the country’s premiere medical system. In Ayurveda, the mind and body are connected; through the mind, a person’s whole being can be healed and transformed. “The human body consists of five elements mirroring nature: air, ether, fire, water, and earth,” explains Heidi Audet, certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor. “These elements in combination form the Doshas. Within each person and all living things are three Doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.” According to Audet, the ratio of the Doshas determines the mind/body/spirit type. “Vata is defined by movement, like the wind. Its job is to ensure space for sufficient movement. Pitta is fire and water in cooperation and regulates the digestive system and metabolism. Kapha is solid mass, earth, and relates to potential energy.” Karen Vasil-Busch, owner of Body Wise Therapy Ayurveda provides her clients the opportunity to improve their health through simple adjustments to diet and lifestyle. She often leads wellness classes for businesses and organizations. Both her wellness and cooking classes are featured on YouTube, through the Cancer Resource Center of Western Maine.
Increased deficits Imbalance within the Doshas creates fertile ground for physical, mental, and emotional illness. Treatment differs based upon an individual’s Doshas and how his or her body manifests symptoms. A person’s ratio composition of these energies can change based on the seasons, social environments, diet, thoughts, actions, and personal traumas. Audet says understanding where a person is in life provides the key to detecting the imbalance within the Doshas and determining how to best regain balance.
Heidi Audet, director/educator of The Healing Tide
Practitioners Audet is director/educator of The Healing Tide, and also coowner and co-director of Chill Yoga in Lewiston. She works oneon-one with Ayurveda clients to address concerns ranging from the physical to the spiritual. “Where yoga is enlightenment and freedom from suffering, Ayurveda helps individuals through wellness practices to achieve a measure of relief from suffering. With mainstream programming like the Dr. Oz show, Ayurveda has caught the layperson’s attention, contributing to its popularity today,” offers Audet. Karen Vasil-Busch is a board-certified Ayurveda practitioner and a licensed massage therapist. Treatment through touch is a large part of her Ayurveda practice, Body Wise Therapy, in Buckfield. Her practice offers Ayurveda, yoga, and therapeutic massage.
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LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
“The goal is always to move from vikrit, imbalance, to prakriti, a stable place,” she says. “And we tend to gravitate toward that which increases our deficit, that which is out of balance. When I meet with people, we review what is happening in their lives socially, emotionally, nutritionally, physically, and spiritually. Much like Kapha, I hold space for people to tell their stories.” Audet likens uncovering a person’s Doshas to being a human mechanic. “In terms of a car, a person’s Kapha is the metal, immovable solidity taking up space. Pitta is the fuel that runs the vehicle. Vata is the electrical spark that sets everything in motion.”
Treatment through senses Once a practitioner hears the story and identifies the Doshas, she can begin to make recommendations for treatments utilizing the five senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. For instance, if a coffee lover begins to experience indigestion, a practitioner might suggest beginning the day with a cup of warm lemon water to prepare the stomach lining for the acidic coffee to come later. If a person identified as primarily Vata is feeling overwhelmed, treatment may include eliminating excess stimulus.
By Donna Keene Rousseau | Photography by Jose Leiva | Ayurveda ent organs and are useful in balancing Doshas. It is believed that omitting one of the tastes from our diets creates the cravings that increase our deficits.
Hand in hand Audet and Vasil-Busch, who work in collaboration with their clients’ medical teams for optimum health outcomes, concur that Ayurveda is about discovering the root of what manifests the imbalance, not simply treating symptoms. Says Audet, “More medical professionals are seeing its benefit as a complimentary practice in conjunction with the allopathic medical model.” Just last year, Audet presented a seminar on “Ayurveda and the Hospitalized Patient” for residents and interns at the Central Maine Family Residency Program.
A path to love According to Vasil-Busch, the root of an imbalance may be simple or complex. The long-term goal is to create a fertile field for wellness; it is not a quick fix but a journey. In her worldly travels, she recalls visiting places plagued by pollution and overcrowding. “But despite it all, the people remained warm-hearted and kind. The practice of Ayurveda provides the education for developing minds and bodies for the good. It’s about safety, or peace, satisfaction, or contentment, and connection, or love,” says VasilBusch. “And we all need love.” Vasil-Busch leads a meditation class “Our brains are in a constant state of interpreting data from our eyes and ears,” says Audet. For the overwhelmed Vata, she might recommend carving a personal time-out for closing the eyes, intentional breathing exercises, or meditation. Vasil-Busch says part of her hands-on practice includes Garshana, dry silk glove brushing followed by an application of warm, herbal oils. “Oil massage, or Abhyanga, to love, is one of my favorite techniques and part of the bodywork and self-care that benefits the blood and the lymphatic system and is part of the rejuvenation of Ayurveda.”
Loving one’s self should be the easiest loves of all to attain. Yet, for so many, self-love eludes them. And that’s where Ayurveda can help. The Healing Tide 182 Lisbon Street, Lewiston www.facebook.com/HeidiAudet.ayurvedalifestyle15 Body Wise Therapy 5 Depot Street, Buckfield www.karenvasilbusch.com
Since COVID, Vasil-Busch has begun teaching wellness classes virtually, including skin brushing, to guide her clients in self-care. “I had a Shiatsu teacher, a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing, Wataura Ohashi, who predicted back in 1982 that the more high-tech we became as a society, the more high-touch we would need,” she relates. “The pandemic has highlighted the need of people starving for therapeutic, conscious touch.”
Start through the stomach Because the science of Ayurveda is so vast, it can be intimidating to explore the practice. Where does one begin? With more people eating at home and the popularity of cooking shows, both Audet and Vasil-Busch have increasingly used Ayurvedic cooking as a fun way to connect with their clients. Key ingredients in Ayurvedic cooking are herbs, spices, and local, in-season produce. There are six tastes in Ayurveda: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. These tastes relate to differAudet sautées kale in her kitchen
Heidi Audet’s Six Tastes Fruit Compote Ingredients: 4 apples, quartered, chopped, or sliced – skin on 6 whole Deglet Noor dates, chopped ½ c. local cranberries 4 tbsp. pomegranate seeds ½ c. water 1 tbsp. cinnamon 1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger 4 whole cloves (remove before eating) Healthy dash of cardamom Dash of nutmeg Pinch of Himalayan salt (optional) juice from ½ lemon
Directions: Place first four ingredients in a saucepan and add ½ cup water; place pan over medium heat; add cinnamon, whole cloves, fresh ginger, and a pinch of salt to the pot and simmer ingredients until the applies are less firm – about 5 minutes. Add nutmeg and lemon juice, stirring the pot. When you hear the cranberries pop, reduce the heat to simmer and add the cardamom. Apples should be softer but tender. The dates will have melted and become a light syrup or paste. Cook for 1-3 minutes more on simmer. Remove the whole cloves and serve in a cup size bowl. This dish contains all six tastes and, in Ayurveda cooking, is both balancing and satisfying.
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LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
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15
A
sk any 15-year old boy what he’s into, and he’ll probably say video games like “Among Us” or “Fortnite.” That’s if he even looks up from his screen. At 15, Chris Lobley was into wood. His parents, which he acknowledges are his greatest supporters, let him take over their garage of the family house in Poland, where he created wooden table decorations and gifts for weddings. At 18, he was into leather.
“I had a sewing machine in my room, AND a cutting press,” he says.
A stitch in time Chris Lobley learned how to thread his first sewing machine from Ron Blake, of Cote Brothers Sewing Machines, in Turner. Lobley says Blake was a huge help. “He sold me the right machine, which was good, because I already had those wallet orders.” Maybe his stitching still needed developing, but his business sense was already there. He saw his wood business cooling and his leather business heating up. The hottest new thing? Leather patches on beanie hats. The young entrepreneur pivoted. By 2019, his leather business had outgrown his parents’ house. So Lobley rented a bigger, and very special space.
Bringing leather back to Lewiston Meet one of the newest tenants at Bates Mill #2 in Lewiston, C. Richard’s Leather. Richard is Lobley’s middle name. Chris Lobley with a leather padfolio “I saw my first leather wallet on Etsy, and I was hooked. I started to make them and looked for a way to sell them.” At that time, Etsy, a website where artists and craftspeople can showcase their unique creations, was new. So was Lobley. When he advertised on the website, orders started coming in. But with the family garage already taken, he needed another space for his leather business. So his parents let him use his bedroom. Some boys his age have a guinea pig, or a snake in there.
Lobley sews a patch on a hat
At 24, Lobley runs his own company. He already has two employees and is looking for more. He specializes in personalized wallets, portfolios, and leather patches which he stitches on those popular beanie hats. It is particularly poignant that he chose to locate his business in the Bates Mill Complex. “I fell in love with this space, even though I had to spend a month vacuuming sawdust,” he says, with a big, toothy smile. “You can’t beat the history and nostalgia of this mill.”
“I had no idea how many types of leather there were!” Lobley says, his eyes wide. He starts pointing: “That’s vegetable-tanned, that one is chrome-tanned, this is latigo, and over here is bridle leather.” He walks over to another shelf, and gently lifts up the corner of a particularly beautiful brown and rich-looking roll, folding it back to show the underside. “Now THIS is harness leather,” he says with admiration. It’s a customer favorite for those beanie hats.
No limit So what’s next for C. Richard’s Leather? Lobley lopes over to the low wall, where his factory space technically ends, and the rest of the space looms. If you’ve never been inside one of the mills, it feels like an endless indoor forest, pine tree poles in every direction. The poles, Maine timber, rise through the building, providing structural support – all the way from the first floor to the ceiling. A quick flame takes care of the thread ends, finishing the hat. He beams as he discusses his work. “I love everything about business, but what I love most is having to be innovative, constantly trying new products to keep a competitive edge.”
Lobley looks out at the mill’s 60,000 square foot expanse. “It’s limitless!” he says, with wonder. He’s got the ideas, he’s got the space, he’s got the leather. And Chris Lobley is only 24. “Who knows what I will end up doing?” he says. “The possibilities are...” he pauses.
He hooks his finger at the business portfolios COVID killed. “What’s selling one year might not be selling the next.”
“Limitless!”
Rolling with it
C. Richard’s Leather Bates Mill #2, Lewiston • www.crichardsleather.com
Back out in the storage space, large neat rolls of leather on wide shelves await their turn.
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LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
1110 Minot Ave. Auburn, Maine 207.689.3030
SOCIAL H UR
Highlighting great places to go and things to do in our communities.
New Traditions at a Heritage Farm
RICKER HILL TASTING ROOM Written by Peggy DeBlois  |  Photography by Brewster Burns
A
nytime you drive the back roads of Maine, you are sure to see many charming working farms. If you are looking for your chance to spend time on one, gather with family and friends in a cozy space at the Ricker Hill Tasting Room, at Ricker Hill Farm in Turner.
David Ward & Andy Ricker
Heritage apple farm Since 1803, the Ricker family has been growing apples at Ricker Hill Farm in Turner. It wasn’t until 2008 that ninth-generation family member Andy Ricker began experimenting with making hard cider. Having grown up in the apple industry, Ricker believed there was an opportunity in the market to make a better hard cider. He started with a 50-gallon barrel at his off-campus apartment at college. “I graduated from college and returned to the farm,” says Ricker. “Like any family farm, I work lots of jobs here with my grandfather, father, two uncles, brother, and cousins, but I wanted to expand our business with hard cider.” The farm received its liquor license in 2014, and Ricker serves as cider manager. Mainiac Hard Cider sales and production have grown every year at the same pace as the national trend, upward of 10% (before COVID-19 slowed the industry). Cider is a good diversification for the family business, but Ricker explains, Ricker Hill Farm is still primarily an apple farm.
“This is a nice quiet setting,” says Ward. “People who come for a tasting like to spend time, so we make the experience worthwhile.” The tasting room can seat 20-30 people in an enclosed porch and bar, with barrel and picnic-style tables. This intimate setting provides a cozy family farm atmosphere.
Tasting room events The Ricker Hill Tasting Room, open daily from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., has 12 taps offering their classic brews along with special releases and seasonal flavors. Ricker Hill welcomes guests of all ages and has a variety of games on hand. Ward says he plans to add more social opportunities for the winter and spring months, such as paint-a-flagon nights, cribbage tournaments, and game nights. The time between Labor Day and Columbus Day is always the busiest season at the tasting room, as it coincides with apple picking at the orchard.
Tasting room experience Tasting Room Manager David Ward says the whole experience is meant to showcase the ideals of a family farm: hard work, pride, and devotion to the land. Ricker Hill Farm welcomes guests as visitors, offering them a history of the farm as well as a full explanation of the process of making hard cider. The Ricker Hill Tasting Room has become a popular spot for cider drinkers, offering pints, flights, and flagons. As part of the Maine Wine Trail, which promotes about two dozen Maine winery and cidery locations, Ricker Hill has been visited by people from as far away as Australia.
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LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
Former college roommates Chloe Pelletier & Camryn McKeown catch up over a cider flight at Ricker Hill
By Peggy DeBlois | Photography by Brewster Burns | New traditions at a heritage farm “On weekends, we get a lot of traffic,” says Ward, “with people heading up Route 4 and making a stop to fill their flagons.” Hard cider is available by the can in the farm’s attached store, along with bottles of specialty Mainiac Hard Ciders and Ricker Hill wines. You can also buy Ricker Hill Farm merchandise and bakery items there.
Farm-to-table cider The quality of the cider is the real draw. Mainiac Hard Cider gets its unique taste thanks to the 200-plus years of apple expertise at Ricker Hill Farm. “The entire process of making our hard cider takes place right here on the farm,” says Ricker. “We grow our own apples, blueberries, and cranberries that we use to make our cider. From our fields, to our cider mill, to our canning room, even the labeling, we do it all ourselves. Ultimately, it’s about the apples, and we’ve been dedicated to our apples for over 200 years.” According to Ricker, the farm grows 15 acres of European cider apples and traditional American cider apples. These are blended with Macintosh, Gala, and Cortlands, and any other fruits for the flavor profile. Apples are pressed, then loaded into the fermentation tanks with living yeast. After much experimentation back in 2008, Ricker landed on a key ingredient: Champagne yeast. After 8-12 weeks of fermentation, blending, and filtering, Mainiac Hard Cider is ready to serve.
Flavors for every palette A handful of Mainiac Hard Cider flavors are available year-round (Mac, Gold, Blueberry, Cranberry) and can be found in many restaurants and stores. Seasonal flavors include Spring Maple, Summer Tropical Vacation (hints of pineapple and coconut), and Fall Apple Pie. “We stick to what we do well,” Ward laughs, “and that’s why customers love our product.” Additionally, the tasting room offers flavors that a customer can only get on-site, such as Vanilla, Karma (caramel), Dry, Pumpkin, Gold Cranberry, and Horseradish. Ward recommends the Bloody Cider, made from the horseradish and Bloody Mary mix. Customers looking for a celebratory cider should try Black Select, the “Champagne of hard cider,” made from a selection of heritage apples. For those looking for a European-style dry hard cider, New England Bittersweet is his recommendation. Other flavors that may be on tap when you visit are Strawberry, Aronia (chokeberry), and jalapeño-infused Wicked Ricker. The seasonal and special flavors are the reason the tasting room at Ricker Hill Farm gets repeat customers, says Ward. “We like to experiment with flavors,” says Ward. “Cidermaker Rita Adams will work in small batches and we do our own tastings, give opinions of the flavor, smell, and back-flavor.”
Where to find it You can sample Mainiac Hard Cider at Ricker Hill Farm in Turner, or at two other tasting rooms: Wallingford’s Orchard in Auburn, and Vista of Maine Cidery in Greene. The basic flavors are available for retail sale in most locations in Maine where wine and liquor are sold, as well as many restaurants. Ricker Hill Farm 11 Ricker Hill Road, Turner • www.rickershardcider.com
Shae Kavin pours a sample cider LA METRO MAGAZINE digital edition @ LAMetroMagazine.com
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The Chapman House now has private rooms available. They provide a warm and comfortable home for residents.
Call for more information! 41 Pleasant Street Auburn
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Barclay and Dirty McCurdy
(Photo courtesy of Ian Barclay)
in bands before he was old enough to drink. Barclay became a scholar of several instruments over the years, including piano, harmonica, and saxophone. “I don’t have a favorite because they are all so different, with different experiences attached to them,” says Barclay. “It would be like choosing a favorite grandchild; each one has unique, individual qualities.” Through his mostly self-guided musical education, Barclay found a role in professional bands such as Person To Person, Picture This, Ground Zero, and Graffiti, with booking agencies sending him all over New England to perform.
Dirty McCurdy After years of playing with different pickup groups and other established outfits, Barclay joined Dirty McCurdy in 2004, and found a musical home. Scott McCurdy, bassist, and Ken Goodman, the original guitarist, created the band in 1994, to take the audience on “a musical ride through the decades.” But, according to McCurdy, they were taken to a new level with the inclusion of Barclay. “Ian is the frontman of the band, playing pretty much every instrument known to man, which makes the band very diverse,” says McCurdy. “Without him, we’d be just another band. I’m extremely grateful to be a part of it.” The band plays around 40 dates a year, primarily weddings, private parties, and special events. Their website describes the band as having “the rock edge needed to raise the roof, and they are also well versed at the finer points of musical subtlety – bringing a versatile range of light favorites to your wedding, Christmas party, or formal function.” The current iteration of Dirty McCurdy – including Seth Ross on drums, Rich Chaisson on various stringed instruments, and Dan Hanson running the sound and occasionally singing a song or two – is the most cohesive line-up, remaining the same since 2010. 28
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“Dirty McCurdy has been it for me for 20-odd years,” Barclay remarked. “I think the overall vision of our band has morphed over time into what everyone wants it to be.”
Ledges at Leeds and Dusty Amphitheater After Barclay’s brother Christopher, a Colorado emigre, visited Red Rocks Amphitheatre, an arts and events park and concert stage set amid rock cliffs, he envisioned a similar natural venue in Maine. He purchased property in North Leeds adjacent to where the Barclays were raised, to convert into a low-density “glamp-ground.” The site features yurts, tiny houses, an RV park, and campsites on 99 acres. Development of the land became a family project, culminating in the creation of the Dusty Amphitheater, named as a memorial to Barclay’s cousin, musician Derek “Dusty” Pelletier. “Christopher’s motivation was to create a mini Red Rocks, functioning as a concert venue, wedding chapel, campfire area, hosting movie nights...” explains Barclay. “The Dusty Amphitheater is one hundred percent Christopher’s inspiration, and one hundred percent Timothy’s design.” The stage’s composition includes terraforming around it, while the stage itself is made mostly from beams harvested from the property. “Tim created the stage area and did most of the excavation work that started the process, while I did a lot of the hand work after the excavation,” relates Barclay. “It was very homespun, not a lot of outside contracting.” Due to the acoustic properties of the hillside cliffs of the location, the sound of a performance there is vibrant, yet controlled. “The space is acoustically very interesting,” Barclay emphasizes. “Sound travels. You can hear a conversation across the lake, yet a band is barely able to be heard 200 feet outside of the amphitheater, due to the careful construction.”
Engine Company burger
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Written by Michael Krapovicky | Photography by Nicole Rand
A
quick bite and a drink, if one fancies, can be had at numerous spots here in LA. But the unique warmth and inviting atmosphere found at the Firehouse Grill is much harder to come by. New owners Mike Peters and Gerry Gagne, also two of the current owners of Mac’s Grill, are perpetuating the brand established by John Roy and Victor Mathieu. The décor of the Firehouse Grill, a tribute to the active, retired, and the fallen members of the Auburn Fire Department and other first responders, serves to remind the community of its heroic public servants.
One such seating area is dedicated to Captain Willis F. Millet, who covered a child with his body inside a burning building, saving her life but ultimately losing his four days later. Police officer Rodney “Rocky” Bonney, who drowned while attempting to save a boy who fell in an icy river, is also immortalized above a booth at the Firehouse Grill.
Changing hands Roy and Mathieu sold the pub to entrepreneur Kevin Pacheco in 2016. Then two of the owners of Mac’s Grill in Auburn, Gerry Gagne and Mike Peters, purchased Firehouse Grill in 2019.
Original Firehouse Grill owners Victor Mathieu & John Roy
Baked into the brick For many years, the brick edifice at 84 Broad Street housed Andy’s Baked Bean Tavern, a staple LA pub. In 2011, Bev and Leroy Walker, owners since 1986, sold their business to Lieutenant John Roy and Chief Victor Mathieu of the Auburn Fire Department. The new owners formed their new enterprise to honor firemen, policemen, and other first responders here in Maine, while keeping Andy’s Baked Bean Tavern’s spirit of bonhomie. Roy and Mathieu embarked on an extensive revamp which included a new bar, expanded and improved seating with an outdoor patio area, and new paint job for the building’s facade done by a local fireman. “The booths are designated memorials to firemen and other first responders,” explains Trisha Dunn, bar manager of the Firehouse Grill.
“We saw the opportunity and ran with it,” says Gagne. “We were fortunate to be able to come into the business, to get behind the staff and support them.” “The history alone attracted us to the Firehouse Grill,” Peters reports. “It’s been a great local pub since I can remember, all my adult life.” Neither Pacheco, nor Gagne and Peters, felt any need to deviate from the Firehouse Grill’s perennial brand. “We had no intention of doing any drastic changes,” says Peters. “We are letting the tradition and history in this place, and the folks that run it, be in charge.”
Efficient management Both Dunn and Kitchen Manager Zeb Knight have been an integral part of the crew since the first incarnation of the Firehouse Grill. A self-sufficient kitchen and bar staff was a major plus for the new owners. “It’s not necessary for us to be on-site as much as we are at Mac’s,” Gagne admits. “The staff handles daily operations ably.” “Our staff is ‘on point,’” agrees Peters. “And I challenge you to find better food at a small pub in this town.”
Bar Manager Trisha Dunn
The managers appreciate the autonomy they are afforded by the new owners. “Our experience since Mike and Gerry came in is very positive. They didn’t want a Mac’s Grill franchise here, so they haven’t changed much,” Dunn claims. “Zeb [Knight] has been our rock; I’m not sure how this place would run without him.”
Owners Mike Peters & Gerry Gagne 32
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“I started in 2011, working for John Roy, and nine years, three owners later, I’m still here,” muses Knight. “I think the people here are the reason I haven’t left. It’s a tight knit group – a lot like ‘Cheers.’ Everybody knows your name, and there is constant fun and laughter.”
A Tale of Two Strong Women
Jessica Reid & Joline Dumond
Written by Donna Keene Rousseau | Photography by Nicole Rand
I
t was 1999 when Joline Dumond passed over the threshold of Corporate Intelligence as an office assistant conducting background checks. Little did she know that, one day, she would be the company’s owner and pass on a legacy business to her daughter.
When the economy tipped in 2008, insurance companies cut back and hired their own in-house investigators. Corporate Intelligence shifted from insurance field work to serving personal injury attorneys, primarily performing asset searches and “attempt to locates,” for matters ranging from clients receiving settlement payments to witnesses.
Background services In 2001, Corporate Intelligence saw a marked increase in requests for background services. The 9/11 attacks may have created a domino-effect, with businesses recognizing a need for knowing who was in their employ. With Dumond’s boss away for an extended leave, she hired two employees to support her – an investigator and a search assistant, while she managed operations. “Background checking seems simple, but it’s not,” explains Dumond. Clients require different criteria unique to the position they want to fill. “Reports must include only what is requested, and you must follow client and court guidelines.” She refers to the process as “managing minutiae;” a clerical error can affect the outcome, for someone applying for a job.
Joline Dumond
When Dumond first began conducting searches, the court system offered public access, making research more efficient. When the State of Maine upgraded their computer systems, all searches were conducted by court clerks in each county, to prevent access to juvenile records. To expedite searches, Dumond hired parttime employees to drive to the courts.
Investigative services
“Turnaround is key. I believe that is why we grew so fast. Some people didn’t visit the courts daily.”
When Joline Dumond started working for Corporate Intelligence, investigative services were a lucrative part of the business. Its primary clients were insurance companies with workers’ compensation cases. The company’s owner and investigator was also a federal agent who traveled frequently. During those times, Dumond made the day-to-day decisions.
Stepping up In 2011, Dumond’s boss decided to retire. Since her experience had uniquely prepared her, Dumond decided to purchase the business. She developed a five-year growth plan and set a goal, which she met by her fourth year. Her advertising was by word-of-
The Corporate Intelligence team: Natalie Michaud, Jessica Reid, Teresa Graybill, Joline Dumond, & Claire Anctil 36
LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
Understanding that importance may have contributed to Reid’s being named honoree of Uplift LA’s 40 Under 40 award for Building LA. The program recognizes rising professionals in the LA metropolitan area who are striving toward the betterment of the community. Reid’s nomination category is specific to job creation, support of local social justice movement, and improving the image of the LA community to the outside world. More than receiving the award, says Reid, she enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the exciting work others are doing. Reid remembers her mother’s days before Corporate Intelligence – the inflexibility of an 8-to-5 job that contributed to her missing out on her children’s activities. She has traded that “punch a clock” mentality with a good, quality work product. As a young business owner, her advice to the up-and-coming is simple. “Find a way to make ‘what you do for work’ work for you as a person. There’s more to life than work and more to your work than work.” Corporate Intelligence Lewiston • www.corporateintelligenceinc.com
Three generations: Jessica Reid, Charlie Reid, and Joline Dumond
WE’RE ALL BUSINESS. Karen Hayden
Chief Funding Officer
Deborah Avasthi Treasury Services
Neil Kiely CEO
Eric Hansen
Commercial Lending
Here at Androscoggin, we get small business because many of us have owned one. In fact, some of us still do. The point is, we’ve been in your shoes. So connect with us on LinkedIn and let’s start talking, because growing business is our business and business with us is good.
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LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
Kelly Dorsey
Treasury Services
Keeping the faith This year, St. Dom’s will celebrate its 80th anniversary of providing Catholic education to Lewiston Auburn and surrounding areas. No one is more excited for the event than Debra Thibodeau Anthoine, the director of advancement for the school and an alumnus from the Class of 1987. Her job is a combination of fundraising, marketing, and public relations for the school. “It is a dream job come true. St. Dom’s has been my home for a very long time, like a second family,” says Anthoine. It was her work as a volunteer catechism instructor that committed her to working in Catholic education, where she “found her roots.” Anthoine says that students are attracted to St. Dom’s if they are seeking a small school feel with special attention and teachers who can provide it. “And students don’t have to be Catholic to attend.” Principal Tim Gallic
Not your average high school When Principal Tim Gallic first interviewed for his position at St. Dominic Academy in Auburn in 2018, he knew instantly that this was a great place to be. “I always look at the level of maintenance at any school that I visit. When a school is in distress, the maintenance is the first to suffer,” says Gallic. “St. Dom’s is a beautiful school and well maintained. It is a sign of a school where people care about the building. There were flower boxes filled with fresh flowers and lots of nice grounds. I could also see that it was filled with happy people laughing and enjoying themselves.”
“We find ourselves to be unique in an increasing secular society. About a third of the students are non-Catholic, with some faiths described as Methodist, Protestant, and Christian. We stress to prospective students that we mention God every day and keep our Catholic roots, but they can worship and pray in the way they choose,” says Anthoine, noting that all students attend a weekly Mass together. “Though many things have changed in our 80-year history, we still hold on to some things, like taking time to reflect and pray,” adds Anthoine. Principal Gallic believes faith keeps Catholic education strong. “Like a lot of things in life, the answer is simple, but doing it is tough. We have a faith in Christ and His will for us to be open. With faith, difficulties are not stop signs, but a challenge of where to move forward.”
Today, with two years in the leadership role at the Catholic-based academy, he stills sees signs of vitality. “On the upper campus, kids enjoy being here and when the school day ends, a good chunk of them hang out for a while,” says Gallic. Those impromptu gatherings have pretty much ceased, with the arrival of COVID-19. In fact, the entire school year has been like no other. “Back in March when the pandemic really hit, St. Dom’s became a fully-online school within 48 hours,” he says. “This amazing group of men and women who work here saw it as an obstacle to overcome, and not a roadblock to stop us.” During a late November interview, Gallic proudly stated that St. Dom’s was the only school offering full in-person instruction in the state of Maine this fall. He attributes the success to a carefully measured approach with standards and precautions on campus. “Kids have had the virus, but with no transmission at school. Not a single case,” admits Gallic, while realizing that the success could change at any time. He also notes that faculty members have been wonderful at adapting during these difficult times. “We’ve enlisted students and their families to be our partners in fighting this disease. Together we’ve tackled the challenge.” 40
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Debra Thibodeau Anthoine ’87
St. Dominic High School’s first graduating class in 1945 (Courtesy of St. Dominic Academy)
by the Schiavi family. The Libra Foundation was one of the many benefactors who made this project a reality. In January 2002, the new building opened at the Auburn site.
But Catholic education comes with a cost. Tuition at the upper school is $13,500 per year, which can be a shock for parents of prospective students.
“With the move to Auburn, some alumni felt left behind. I was one of them and the transition was difficult. It felt like our history got lost,” reflects Adams. “We work hard at drawing alumni into the new campus.”
“The sticker shock is there, but it is a cost-benefit analysis,” says Gallic. He believes that people pay for what they truly value and that for the investment at the school, students are getting a lot for it.
Adams believes that the St. Dom’s spirit is very much alive and well with its thousands of alumni. “We continue to show the kids the school spirit even after they move on. St. Dom’s is still here for you and your classmates remain ready to help others,” says Adams. She is proud that the school prepares students for the real world. “They might not realize it now, but students here are given all the tools they need to move forward, to be accountable.”
Catholic education in demand Gallic believes that Catholic education remains more vibrant than ever. “Catholic schools do well in areas with high performing public schools,” says Gallic, who believes that when a community has a strong commitment to education, both public and Catholic schools benefit. 42
LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
Instructor Sofie Ouellette observes student Leo Naous working on a chemistry assignment
Father Seamus Griesbach leads Mass at St. Dom’s “We are teaching our students the art of living. Sure, we teach them how to read, write, and understand math, but we also teach them how to handle jobs and setbacks in life, how to welcome experiences and challenges,” poses Gallic. “It is worth every penny.” Anthoine points out that the school is the least expensive private school in Maine, and that about 65% of high school students receive financial aid.
80 years and beyond The St. Dom’s team remains optimistic for what the next few years can bring to the 80-year old institution. “We will continue to reach the community through our service to them. It is integral for us to help people,” says Anthoine. “One example is that the students planted the St. Francis Garden so that they could donate food to the St. Mary’s Nutrition Center. That is what we are all about.” Anthoine looks forward to broadening the message that while maintaining its Catholic identity, the school will continue to open its doors to any student, regardless of their religious beliefs. “We need to convince more people that this is a good place to come.” Gallic says that St. Dom’s mission of providing high quality Catholic education is well ingrained in the LA community and that he feels a duty to keep that mission going strong. “Earlier, I talked about faith. I don’t have to carry the work by myself. If we succeed, we all succeed. We put it in God’s hands in the belief that is what He wants, and He is going to help us do it.” Gallic says that while he is looking forward to the anniversary year, his staff haven’t really started planning events for the occasion. He admits that in these pandemic times, even seeing beyond a single day can be a challenge.
In the words of the Alumni Julie Robert Booker, ’94
Hematology and oncology nurse practitioner at Central Maine Medical Center. “I hope my son and daughter will be here in a few years and I hope they get out of St. Dom’s what I got. Great friends that have become family. A great education, a traditional education. It is a lot of work, but it is very worth it and it gives students the religious background.”
Scott Cote, ’99
Professional actor and member of Actors’ Equity Association “I look at my time at St. Dom’s as being extremely influential into the person I am today. It’s also where I can honestly say my career as an actor was planted. I fell in love with performing in front of an audience and working alongside my fellow cast mates. It’s where I learned how important listening and collaboration is to the art. I will be forever grateful for my time there.”
Don Dion, ’72
Trustee of the Dion Family Foundation, which helps individuals by offering tuition assistance at Catholic Institutions. “I was fortunate enough to attend St. Dom’s,” says Dion. “Along with the rigorous academics, I learned to work hard, reach for my goals, and value service to others. I always work to ensure that more students are afforded the opportunity of a faith-based college preparatory education.”
“It’s like asking someone who is in the middle of running a marathon what their next marathon will be,” says Gallic. “What I do know is that we will beat this virus and there will be a large celebration, perhaps with a bonfire. People will be ready for a bit of a party.” St. Dominic Academy 121 Gracelawn Road, Auburn • 17 Baird Avenue, Lewiston www.stdomsmaine.org LA METRO MAGAZINE digital edition @ LAMetroMagazine.com
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HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS With the growing Franco-American population in the area, Catholic schools were started until nearly every parish supported its own elementary school.
18 81 François M. Drouin, O.P.
19 41 St. Dom’s became a coed facility welcoming both young men and women.
19 68
20 02
To maximize educational resources, a decision was made to consolidate all the parish elementary schools in the area to form Trinity Catholic School.
20 21 44
20 06
20 10
St. Dominic High School Those parishes under the guidance of François M. Drouin, O.P. at Saints Peter and Paul Parish, united to found St. Dominic High School. The first construction undertaken was the St. Dominic Arena, with the goal that profits from the arena would help finance the new St. Dominic High School. The community responded with contributions of land, heavy machinery, and manpower. Through their efforts, the doors of St. Dom’s opened on Sept. 8, 1941, on a parish-owned property on Blake Street in Lewiston as a school for boys.
The new campus in Auburn opened its doors.
St. Dominic Regional High School and Trinity Catholic School consolidated to form a more cohesive and integrated school known as St. Dominic Academy. Students from preschool through Grade 6 attend the Lewiston Holy Cross campus; students from Grades 7-12 attend the Auburn campus. (Note: in 2018, Grade 6 moved to the Auburn campus).
St. Dominic Academy celebrates its 80th anniversary of providing Catholic education to students in the area.
LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
20 21
FACES of
LA
THE FACES OF Prime360
TRANSFORMING GAME. HEALTH. LIFE.
Written by Peggy DeBlois | Photography by Jose Leiva
875 Court St., Auburn | 1173 Riverside St., Portland 207-577-5979 | prime360training.com
Toby & BJ Grondin
Join the Movement BJ Grondin is on a mission to create a healthy revolution. His company, Prime360, takes a unique and effective approach to personal training by focusing on movement, nutrition, restoration, mindset, and community. “We enhance performance for athletes, and the ability-to-move for any adult,” says Grondin. Grondin lived with chronic knee pain before discovering Applied Functional Science (AFS), the convergence of sciences that allows for purposeful movement. Grondin wanted to bring the methodology to the local community, opening Prime360 in 2013. Performance coaching is a main focus of Prime360, with programs customized for any sport. Director of Basketball Operations Toby Grondin has experience as a professional player and college coach. “My hope is to instill confidence in my players,” she says. “That’s the piece that will set them apart in sports and in life.” A visit to Prime360 finds a range of clients, from youth working on athletic skills to an 80-year-old working on mobility. Every new client of Prime360 begins the transformative journey with an initial consultation and a gentle movement assessment. New client athletes will also have a performance assessment. Any new client in pain will have an additional evaluation to root out the cause. Each plan is customized to the client’s goals. Prime360 offers training packages which can include individual training or group classes. They have also created a Prime360 app. “Our goal is to educate people and empower them to follow this program on their own,” says Grondin. Join the movement for lifelong health at Prime360. PROMOTION
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hen the founding members of the Practical Cats sat together in their University of Maine dorm room to come up with a name for their new band, they probably weren’t thinking the name would last for over 40 years. They also weren’t thinking of Bonnie Edwards, nor the multiple music legends they would all eventually share the stage with, or even that they would reunite three different times over the course of those four decades.
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LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
Mark Chinnock helps groom a trail
Borders being closed between Maine and Canada, as well as restrictions on who can visit the state, leaves many riders having to seek out alternate trails and riding routes. Both Hammond and Whitmore are feeling optimistic, “More people will stay in the state,” Hammond suggests. Whitmore agrees, adding, ”A lot more riders will come to Maine because they can’t cross the Canadian border,” he continues. “Maine is still considered a ‘safe place to go’ when it comes to COVID numbers.” Many Mainers are hopeful that the winter months will see the easing of restrictions, but the nature of the sport is such that even in a large group ride, there is no need to be in close contact with other riders; primarily all activity is done outside in open spaces.
Consider joining Snowmobile clubs are safe, fun, and family friendly. Joining is an easy way to meet other members of the community with shared interest. There is no commitment to attend any meetings or to volunteer to work on the trails. Most club members choose to lend a hand when it comes to trail grooming, but it isn’t required. Becoming a member helps to ensure a safe and fun pastime is available to all seeking an outdoor experience during Maine’s frigid winter months. www.mesnow.com/Map.html www.andyvalleysnogypsies.com www.facebook.com/boghooters.snowmobileclub 54
LA METRO MAGAZINE | WINTER 2021
Bog Hooters Trail Master Tom Webster
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LA METRO MAGAZINE digital edition @ LAMetroMagazine.com
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City of
LEWIS
Written by Toby Haber-Giasson  |  Photography by David Fuller
Site of the first white settlement in Lewiston, where the Continental Mill now stands
STON
Part one in our four-part series on the city of lewiston’s
225 YEARS
Wrought from wilderness
T
hough the city of Lewiston was incorporated in 1795, it has been more than 250 years since the first white settlers arrived. LA Metro Magazine is marking this historic milestone with a four-part series. This first installment will explore the early history and development of the town, decades before the industrial era, when newcomers to this rugged terrain lived off the land. We’ll meet the people who lived the early history, like the property agents who lured the first Mainers here “from away.” And we’ll meet the hardy souls who risked everything to put down roots here, in hopes of a new life.
By Toby Haber-Giasson | Photography by David Fuller | Wrought from wilderness
This Lewiston lot map was copied from a drawing made by Amos Davis when the town was incorporated in 1795. (Courtesy of Androscoggin Historical Society)
Family name No one would have predicted Paul Hildreth was destined for a “first” of any kind. In an age when a good family name mattered, Hildreth had a bad one. His father, a carpenter in Dracut, Massachusetts, was plagued by business debt. Seeking a fresh start, Robert Hildreth moved his children and second wife to nearby Chelmsford in 1758. With a partner, he opened a mill along the Merrimack River.
Within four months, Hildreth’s entire family was branded a burden to the community by the town’s Court of Sessions. When Paul Hildreth’s father died in 1760, he owed money to nearly 50 creditors between Boston and New Hampshire. Orphaned at 13, Paul had neither inheritance nor good reputation to rely upon. He survived to adulthood by the charity of relatives. The sales agents had put the word out in Massachusetts about the Maine land lots. Settlers would be needed as a workforce to providing logs for lumber mills. LA METRO MAGAZINE digital edition @ LAMetroMagazine.com
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Twenty Mile Falls, later known as Lewiston Falls, and now known as Great Falls Penniless Hildreth had nothing to lose. At 24 years of age, he made a bold move to seal his own destiny. In the summer of 1770, he came to Maine the hard way – by boat. From Dracut, he sailed down the Merrimack River to Newburyport, where he paid a ship’s captain to tow him some 100 miles up the Atlantic coast to Freeport, Maine. He hauled his boat nearly 10 miles inland on a “blazed” trail through the woods to Durham. There, he relaunched his craft on the Androscoggin, and headed upriver to Twenty Mile Falls (20 miles from Brunswick), later known as Lewiston Falls. Hildreth did not make this arduous journey alone. Accompanying him was his new wife, Hannah Merrill, who made the trip while pregnant with their first child.
Mr. Hildreth’s neighborhood Hildreth, lacking the means to purchase a lot, agreed to clear the land for Pejepscot Proprietors in exchange for a claim. Extensive lumbering would be needed, for later settlers to build homes, so Hildreth’s payment was less a priority to the agents than his labor. “Bagley and Little would accept any settlers, in order to retain title to their land grant,” Hodgkin explains, “as long as they invested in constructing a dwelling. Payment could come later.” Hildreth chose a prime site: opposite where the Little Androscoggin runs into the main river, where the Continental Mill stands today. He built a cabin there, where he and his wife lived off the land, sustained by his skills as a hunter, trapper, and lumberman. In autumn of that year, the cabin burned down. Hildreth and his wife spent the winter at the nearest settlement, 15 miles away in New Gloucester. Their first son, David, was born there in November. He would be the first of nine children. Returning to Lewiston in the spring of 1771, they built a new cabin and started over. 60
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In the “Story of the Early Pioneers and Settlement of Lewiston,” written in 1865, William Garcelon wrote: “Mr. Hildreth …would make a cut down on a lot, build a camp and sell out for a trifle to a new settler. In this way he commenced on several lots.” In fact, Hildreth didn’t actually buy any land lots until 1780, and not until 1788 for his original stake at lot #52. Hildreth gave his eldest son, David, half of lot #52 when he turned 21 in 1791. Later, in 1795, he sold out and moved to West Gardiner.
A wave of settlers To meet the terms of the grant, agents made offers to a stream of settlers eager to own land. A family farm in Massachusetts could be split only so many ways by the heirs, over generations. There were hard luck stories, like Hildreth’s. Four among them were Doug Hodgkin’s ancestors. Who were these brave souls? The second settler was David Pettingill, who came to Lewiston in the spring when Hildreth returned, to help build log houses. Third was Lawrence Harris, of Dracut. Since the nearest mill was in New Gloucester, Bagley and Little hired Harris to construct a sawmill by the falls. Completed by 1771, the mill would process the trees cut by Hildreth and others, and sell the boards for home construction by settlers. Harris received one lot for the mill, and one lot for a residence. The fourth settler was Asa Varnum, in 1772. The next settlers didn’t arrive till 1774. Brothers Thomas and Jonas Coburn had no family and remained single. Unfortunately, Varnum drowned in 1775 and his family returned to Dracut. Amos Davis was a surveyor who measured and marked off the land lots in 1773. He was rewarded with Lot #18 and moved to Lewiston from New Gloucester in 1774. Davis, a Quaker, hosted Lewiston’s first religious services at his home.
By Toby Haber-Giasson | Photography by David Fuller | Wrought from wilderness Israel Herrick brought his family from Boxford, Massachusetts, in 1774. His son John ran a public house, or tavern. John became a popular figure in politics as a representative to the Massachusetts legislature, and as Lewiston’s delegate to the Maine Constitutional Convention in 1820. Jonathan Hodgkins and his wife came from Cape Ann in 1777, following a house fire. Their lot was above the falls. They were poor, Garcelon wrote, but made a comfortable living. Although their original surname spelling had an “s,” his son later dropped it. Ezra Purinton was a Quaker, like the Davises. Hodgkin surmises they may have come to Maine to escape religious discrimination in Congregationalist Massachusetts. Here, Purinton married a widow and they raised a family of four children. His son Tobias became a doctor but, after serving as a Maine senator in 1836, he gave up medicine for politics. Joseph Field, of North Yarmouth, had served in the Revolutionary War, including at Bunker Hill. Field settled on lot #47, and was among the most prosperous taxpayers in Lewiston. A deacon, he hosted several religious meetings and early town meetings in his house.
Captain James Garcelon arrived in 1776. He ran a public house, ferry, and farm with the help of his five sons. It was the captain’s grandson, William Garcelon, who wrote Lewiston’s first history in 1865, at the advanced age of 79.
Subsistence society “Initially its [Lewiston’s] settlement was rapid, as land developers recruited families in order to meet the conditions of their land grant,” writes Hodgkin in his book, Frontier to Industrial City: Lewiston Town Politics 1768-1863. “However, Lewiston grew relatively slowly, from 532 counted in the 1790 census, to 1,801 residents in 1840.” One simple reason for the slow increase: life in Maine was a struggle. Lewiston was literally wrought from wilderness. In this agricultural era, settlers farmed for subsistence. Typical crops included potatoes, corn, turnips, apples (for cider), pumpkins, beans, flax, wheat, and hay. Gradually, as more land was cleared, there were surplus crops and livestock to sell or trade with. They established a barter economy involving crops, meat, and the use of animals, tools, and labor. Most owned oxen, cows, pigs, and sheep. Those welloff had a horse. Little wonder that when Lewiston became an official town in 1795, its first laws concerned livestock. Settlers harvested just enough wood for home heating and building. Lumbering failed to become a major source of revenue; the Androscoggin River had too many rapids, which impeded floating logs downriver. It would be 50 years from Hildreth’s arrival before anyone in Lewiston milled products other than lumber or grain. Amid such challenges, the settlers drew strength from their faith and from each other. “In addition to the Quaker Friends,” says Hodgkin, “other people attended religious meetings of traveling preachers and some local persons in homes, barns, and school houses, primarily of Baptist orientation. These, along with town meetings, barn raisings, and corn huskings, were the primary social occasions. Men of a neighborhood also turned out for militia training or road maintenance.”
This land is my land Another reason for slow growth were ongoing property disputes with Pejepscot Proprietors, which dragged on for many years. Pre-GPS, surveying was an inexact science, and boundaries were difficult to prove. When Josiah Little took over for his father, Moses, he insisted the northern boundary of Pejepscot’s grant extended beyond Lewiston’s Twenty Mile Falls up to New Pennacook (incorporated as Rumford in 1800), overlapping other claims. Settlers who had paid another proprietor for deeds there would have to buy the land again from Pejepscot. Little wanted “squatters,” who occupied land without legal title, to either pay or be evicted. “Many of the settlers resisted payment,” says Hodgkin. “They considered clearing the land and investing in dwellings and other structures as entitling them to the land. This occurred especially after the Revolution, when the settlers decided that the land grants to the Proprietors, made by a king, were now invalid.” Hodgkins at Clough Cemetery at the gravestone of Ezra Purinton
Disputes over the boundaries of Pejepscot’s grant were tied up in courts for nearly 30 years. The Massachusetts courts denied the LA METRO MAGAZINE digital edition @ LAMetroMagazine.com
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Rumford claim three separate times, ordering Little to grant lots to settlers, but he either delayed or refused. In 1800, only 40 out of 140 settlers held full deeds to their land. This led to enmity and unrest among the other 100, mostly directed at Josiah Little. And no wonder; he gave settlers a hard time by making them travel to Portland just to file paperwork, or by refusing outright to execute deeds as ordered by court. Resentment reached a crescendo in an incident in 1800. Rumor had it that agent Little was in town, staying at Ezra Purinton’s house. Taking a page from the Boston Tea Party, settlers disguised themselves as “Indians.” Assembled at Purinton’s home, they called for Little, who refused to come out. Mischief turned into a fracas when Purinton’s windows were shattered by rocks and bullets and the house was nearly set afire. Several participants were prosecuted and convicted. One of them was David Hildreth, eldest son of Lewiston’s first settler. Despite his claims of innocence, he was sentenced to a year in jail. This deplorable incident reflects the settlers’ desperation, and belies how the long-running property disputes stalled Lewiston’s early growth and economic development. Newcomers were wary of purchasing land here, since ownership could not be established for long-standing residents.
Next in our series In future installments, we’ll look at the roots of industrialization in Lewiston, its heyday as a manufacturing center, the immigrant groups who brought their labor and cultures, and future directions for a city that never stops changing. Androscoggin Historical Society 2 Turner Street, Auburn • www.androhistory.org City of Lewiston 27 Pine Street, Lewiston • www.lewistonmaine.gov
Josiah Little, circa 1830
(Courtesy of the Maine Historical Society)
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