FREE summer 2014 • vol.
Call It Classic plus
Ice Cream,” You Scream “
a new vision there when you need them salad days
17,
no.
2
2
lakelivingmaine.com
lakelivingmaine.com
3
4
lakelivingmaine.com
At K&W Aggregates at Frost Mountain in Brownfield, we have all of the gravel, stone, loam, and quarry products you need for your next lawn, driveway, or landscaping project.
Screened Loam Crushed Stone Crushed Gravels Sand Reclaimed Asphalt We deliver throughout the White Mountain foothills and lakes region of western Maine. Call for delivery and pricing.
207-452-8888
Kandwaggregates.com
Locally Owned & Operated lakelivingmaine.com
5
editor’s note Nostalgia is defined as pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again. Maybe it’s due to where I am in life, or maybe I’ve just watched too many episodes of Mad Men, but it strikes me there’s a wave of wistfulness washing over our new millennial culture. Fashion and film reflect a desire to return to a postwar past that, through the haze of time and distance, persists in a golden glow. In real time, which, ask anyone, seems to have accelerated, it turns out the modern conveniences we’ve clambered after because they promised to make our lives easier and afford us more leisure time, have instead somehow robbed us of it. Summer wants to be savored, and how better to do that than by cruising in a classic convertible to an ice cream stand and ordering the biggest cone on the menu? It’s with that in mind that we decided to lead with Call It Classic and “Ice Cream,” You Scream. Randy Randall’s piece on the camp tradition in Maine is yet another sweet nod to yesteryear. We all know there’s no going back, but it’s nice to know there are some things that haven’t changed. So pack up the Chevy and head to the nearest ice cream stand. Just make sure to leave the cell phones at home so you can engage in some real conversation instead. This summer, like all summers, won’t last. Why not make it memorable? —Laurie LaMountain Editor & Publisher Laurie LaMountain Contributing Writers Leigh Macmillen Hayes, Perri Black, Randy Randall, Marita Wiser, Carol Meader Contributing Photographers Leigh Macmillen Hayes, Ethan McNerney, Edward Kinney, Michele Barker, Mark Mennie, Marita Wiser Graphic Designer Dianne Lewis Proofreader/Copy Editor Leigh Macmillen Hayes Lake Living is published quarterly by Almanac Graphics, Inc., 625 Rocky Knoll Rd, Denmark, ME 04022 207-452-8005. www.lakelivingmaine. com e-mail: lakeliving@fairpoint.net ©2014. All rights reserved. Contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent from the publisher. Annual subscriptions are available by sending check or money order for $20 to the above address.
6
lakelivingmaine.com
summer 2014 • vol. 17, no. 2
8
18
12
24
8 call it classic
18 uncork your creativity
10 “ ice cream,” you scream
20 summer calendar 22 salad days
by leigh macmillen hayes by perri black
12 a new vision
by leigh macmillen hayes
14 there when you
need them by perri black
cover photo ethan mcnerney
lily and samson share a sweet moment at the mosquito in raymond. 1972 stingray corvette and ‘65 oldsmobile cutlass courtesy of gordon and sue drisko
by leigh macmillen hayes
by laurie lamountain
24 hike and bike 26 summer bookshelf
reviews from bridgton books
30 the maine camp tradition
by randy randall
The Place to Shop for the Summer Ahead!
Fabulous and fun women’s clothing and accessories—for a walk on the beach, a day at work, or a special evening out. You’ll also find tasteful housewares and decor—books, wine—and gifts for all occasions, a wedding, or that small “thank you.”
CRAFTWORKS main street , bridgton • open seven days • 9:00 am
-
8:30 pm • 207.647.5436
lakelivingmaine.com
7
leigh macmillen hayes
by leigh macmillen hayes
“I
’ve been in love with cars since I was five years old and my father had a 1934 Packard with a rumble seat,” says Al Robblee of Fryeburg, a retired machinist. As a teenager in the ‘60s, Robblee wanted a cool car to get the girls and acquired a first-generation Ford Mustang. He laughs when he says, “Turned out I had better luck with cars than girls.” For a couple of years, he drove the ’65 Mustang, but eventually had to park the car because it needed too much work. Though he’s restored and sold other vehicles, he never had time for this particular one until about eight years ago. Finally, Robblee stripped it down to its bare body, shedding years of rust. The TV show “Overhaulin’” inspired him, though he says, “They do it in one week,” referring to restoring a car. “Of course, they have fifty people and an unlimited budget.” Once he started the job, he pushed himself to get it done and finished in six weeks. Robblee has also spent time recently working on a 1940 Ford pickup truck, but
8
lakelivingmaine.com
this is a custom-built job. Starting with an old frame, he searched antique junkyards and the internet. “I had enough parts for a truck and a half,” he says. “The hardest part was the fenders. I had ten different fenders. None were any good. I had to cut pieces and weld them together to create four good fenders. It was a lot of work.” The irony—he recently met a person who was selling four fenders for less than what he spent. Recreating the pickup meant he had to learn to operate a sewing machine to upholster the seats. That, in itself, presented plenty of challenges, including discovering that when you stitch pleated material to flat material, the pleats grow. “The pleated material was sticking out six inches and I had to start over, trim it and make it fit,” he says. To make it look professional, he added red welting. Robblee made his own stencils and used an airbrush to paint the Lady Luck pin-up girl on the spare tire cover. “The truck is all custom built the way I wanted it,” he comments. “The Mustang is the way Ford wanted it.”
Camaros have always been a passion for Dale McDaniel, an auto mechanic and muscle car enthusiast of Bridgton. “They have style and class,” he says. “They feel good when you are driving in one compared to cars today that have no personality. You can look at a ’57 Chevy and know it’s a ’57 Chevy. I can’t tell what today’s cars are half the time.” It took McDaniel two years to work on the Camaro. And last fall he took it apart for a complete engine update so it won’t see the road this summer. That’s OK, because he has two other cars he likes to drive—a ’66 Chevrolet Chevelle and an ’86 Buick Grand National, a car that used to give high-end sports cars a run for their money. Designed like the automobiles of yesteryear are vintage boats with their throaty, hidden engines and brightly varnished wood. Paul Follansbee of Fryeburg restores antique boats professionally and says, “It’s a great thrill to ride in one. The sound of the engine with its low tone, it’s a unique experience.” To completely restore, it takes
Edward Kinney
cars. “It’s best not to know,” he says. McDaniel cautions, “If you are worried about money, don’t get started on one. It can be quite expensive to do, especially if you can’t do it yourself and have to hire someone.” But, he notes that if you enjoy working with your hands, it’s a great hobby. As for boats, Follansbee says that many people restore them because they’ve been in the family for generations. Some do it as an investment. Both cars and boats are often worth much more once restored. In the lakes region, we have the opportunity to view these beauties frequently as they pass us on the road or in the water. The Maine Obsolete Auto League (MOAL) Pleasant Mountain Chapter hosts weekly cruise nights at the Beef & Ski in Bridgton from May through September. They also participate in local parades and head off on mystery cruises occasionally. Robblee, the club president, says that on August 10th, they’ll host the first annual Automobile Yard Sale at the Fryeburg Fair Grounds, where every car in the show will be for sale. Money raised supports scholarships to high school students pursuing an automotive career, and fuel assistance for area towns. Likewise, the Mountainview Woodies Classic Boat Club of Maine, a chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society, will host its 21st Annual Boat and Car Show on August 2nd at the Naples Causeway. Begin-
leigh macm illen hayes
leigh macm illen hayes
him at least a year—disassembling, reproducing parts and putting it back together one section at a time. While some people like to customize a boat, he prefers to bring his back to what they were originally. He owns a couple that need restoration, including a twenty-foot launch hull built about 1890, a 1947 23-foot Chris-Craft Express Cruiser and a 17-foot 1963 Cruisers Inc. outboard runabout that you may see at the boat show this year. And if that isn’t enough, in addition to all of the work he does on other people’s boats, Paul has started to build an early 1930s Ventnor, sixteen-foot 135 class racing hydroplane from a copied set of original plans. These timeless beauties bring a bygone era alive. A woman who owns a 25-foot Chris-Craft runabout that her grandparents had purchased in 1938, takes great pride in this original classic with Philippine mahogany and a triple cockpit. Though it was on Highland Lake in Bridgton for years, the attractive boat is now used on Brandy Pond and Long Lake. “Having the boat on Brandy Pond has been a different experience,” she says. “There are people there who haven’t seen it so they’re always taking photos.” She adds that it’s fun to take out and the family enjoys using it to water ski and tube behind. The passion for antique cars and vintage boats, whether in original form, restored or custom built, harks back to a time when manufactured products were pieces of functional sculpture created with unequaled craftsmanship that we don’t necessarily see today. There is, however, that unlimited budget that Robblee mentions. He hasn’t kept track of the amount he’s put into his
“They feel good when you are driving in one compared to cars today that have no personality. You can look at a ’57 Chevy and know it’s a ’57 Chevy. I can’t tell what today’s cars are half the time.”
ning the Thursday before, you may catch a glimpse of these beauties as they cruise up to Harrison for lunch or travel to Point Sebago to provide rides for the children at Camp Sunshine. They also sponsor a fall foliage tour on Long Lake. Stylish yet functional. Sexy and glamorous. Glints of chrome. Shiny varnished mahogany. Classic automobiles and vintage wooden boats. As alluring today as they were in their heyday. R lakelivingmaine.com
9
1. Froagies Ice Cream
Ice Cream You Scream
Route 302, Fryeburg (next to Dippity Dog Grooming), (207) 9352669, open 7 days a week, 11:30am – 9pm
In addition to over thirty flavors of Blake’s Ice Cream (made in New Hampshire), Froagies also offers an amazing range of more than thirty Hood soft serve flavors, as well as frappes, floats, doggie sundaes and Richie’s Italian Ice. I was particularly impressed by their extensive list of frozen drinks, most of them dairy free. Prices range from $1.50 to $6.50 and they also sell T-shirts, which have become popular souvenirs. Ask about their discount card if you intend to be a repeat customer.
2. The Homestead Scoop & Gallery
Route 5, at the turn off to the transfer station, Lovell, (207) 925-9005, open 7 days, 9am-8pm
” ,
“
I
3. The Scoop
Route 302, West Bridgton (look for the colorful sign and OPEN flag), (207) 647-9091, open 7 days, 12 – 9 or 10pm
My family’s “go to” place—conveniently close to home, open late, and featuring delicious Maine-made Gifford’s Ice Cream, as well as lobster rolls and hot dogs. A wide range of cones, sundaes and frappes with a variety of toppings are on offer, ranging from
10 lakelivingmaine.com
$2.45 to $6.00. Fifteen flavors were available the day we visited, but many more will be added to the list as the season progresses. You can also treat your pup to a doggie sundae or yourself to a souvenir T-shirt.
4. The Ice Cream Parlor at Main Street Variety
144 Main Street, Bridgton, (207) 647-2137 open 7 days
The Ice Cream Parlor is actually part of the Main Street Variety convenience store, which also makes pizza and sandwiches. They sell 35 flavors of Blake’s ice cream in cones, sundaes, banana splits and frappes, as well as sherbet and other frosty treats. There’s plenty of inside seating or you can take it with you on a tour of Main Street and Pondicherry Park.
30 Portland Road, Bridgton, (207) 647-2231 open 11am to 10pm
This cheerful venue is really a fast food stand that also sells a range of Blake’s Ice Cream (from New Hampshire) and Oakhurst soft serve. All types of cones, including homemade waffle cones, sundaes, frappes and doggie dishes are on offer, as well as an extensive fast food menu featuring lobster rolls, fried seafood, hot dogs and burgers. Prices range from $2.75 for a baby cone or hot dog, to $16.95 for a lobster salad, all of which you can enjoy at one of their outside tables with umbrellas.
6. Brookside Ice Cream Shop
by perri black & lillian s. black
t’s a sure sign that summer is on the way. One by one, like a string of crocuses defying the lingering windy, cold of spring, ice cream stands start opening up along Route 302 from Fryeburg to Windham, offering a chilly, sweet taste of winter when it is most welcome. I am not really an ice cream fan and will order the smallest chocolate cone wherever I go, so to present a broader and fairer view of what is available, my niece, Lily, agreed to help me with the research. She is an ice cream aficionado with an adventurous sweet tooth and also a perceptive reviewer. We diligently sampled the wares at most of these stands to produce this listing for our readers. Of course, you may discover more places during your travels in the lakes region and we both wish you happy, sweet summertime indulgences wherever you go. Useful tip: Bring along a cooler and plastic containers so you can take some goodies home.
A little off the beaten path but worth it, The Homestead serves up Hershey’s Ice Cream in about twenty hard serve flavors and three soft serve flavors from a quaint building on the site of the owner’s grandparents’ homestead. Prices are extremely reasonable, with a kiddie cone at just $1.70, including tax. Enjoy a cone, a frappe or a dog on the front porch and then step inside to browse a delightful selection of handcrafted home decor including quilts, wrought iron, furniture and artwork. You can even ship your UPS packages here!
5. The Gazebo
28 Main Street (across from the Village Tie-Up), Harrison, open 7 days, 12.30-9pm
Although not exactly on Route 302, Harrison is close enough to be included on our list. Brookside showcases at least sixteen flavors of Shain’s of Maine Ice Cream, plus vanilla and chocolate soft serve, in all types of cones ranging from $1.50-$6.00. Some dairy-free choices are available. Colorful tables and chairs are arranged out front and overlook the brook for customers to relax and enjoy their ice cream.
7. Lakeside Dairy Bar
933 Roosevelt Trail (Route 302 – next to Long Lake Marina), Naples, (207) 650-5678, open 7 days, probably 12-9 but call to make sure.
Located on the Long Lake side of Route 302, this dairy bar features over twenty unique flavors of Annabelle’s Natural Ice Cream from New Hampshire, as well as chocolate and vanilla soft serve, ranging from $2-$6. Upon request, the friendly staff will also cater to people with food allergies. You can sit under the colorful umbrellas at their picnic tables or walk with your treats down to the Causeway for a great view of the lakes.
8. Causeway Dairy Bar
894 Roosevelt Trail (Route 302 – across from Sandy’s Flight Deck), Naples, (207) 595-9269, open 7 days, 11am-11pm
Just down the road and across the street from Lakeside, the Causeway Dairy Bar has the most varied and extensive menu we came across, with prices ranging from $2.50-$7.50. They serve about forty flavors of Richardson’s Ice Cream, which comes from a dairy farm in Massachusetts that has been operating continuously for more than 300 years. A wide variety of soft serve choices, plus Ritchie’s Italian Ice and outstanding sherbet (I loved the raspberry) are also on offer, as well as frappes, smoothies, sorbet and a great view of the lake.
9. Raymond’s Frozen Custard Gourmet Ice Cream Route 302, Casco, (207) 655-1116 open 7 days, 11am-8pm
The main attraction here is Ray’s eight flavors of luscious, homemade, custard-style ice cream, the perfect excuse to break your diet if you ever need one. Floats, frappes, cones and sundaes made with chocolate, vanilla and black raspberry (Lily’s favorite) are always on the menu, and Ray whips up
at least five additional custard flavors each week. Most items range from $2.99-$6.75. There is also a food counter where you can order all-beef steakburgers and hot dogs, french fries and onion rings, as well as a farm stand featuring fresh, local produce.
Cherries features about thirty flavors of Only 8 Frozen Yogurt, as well as nearly twenty flavors of Annabelle’s Natural Ice Cream. Both are served in a variety of ways including cones, milkshakes, sundaes, parfaits, smoothies and “Cherries Blasts.” Their prices are also some of the lowest we found, ranging from $1.75-$5.50, and they are only a couple doors down from the new donut shop in town, which might negate any diet bonus points you gained by ordering low-cal frozen yogurt!
10. The Mosquito
1333 Roosevelt Trail (Route 302), Raymond, (207) 655-BUZZ (2899), open daily 11am-11pm until Labor Day; hours change in September
Now in their 18th season, this place is definitely one of the most popular in the area. It features a total of fifty-four flavors, including about forty of Blake’s Ice Cream as well as frozen yogurt, sorbet and sherbet, all served in cones, sundaes, shakes and floats created by their “Frozen Confection Specialists.” They also offer a long list of frozen drinks in a wide array of flavor combinations. If you don’t see exactly what you want, just ask—their motto is “If we have it, we can do it.” There’s also a nice screened-in porch with tables and chairs overlooking a pond out back.
12. The Ice Cream Dugout
3 Storm Drive (off 302 just north of Seacoast Fun Park), Windham, (207) 894-RSOX, www. icecreamdugout.com, open Sunday-Thursday 12-10pm and Friday-Saturday 12-11pm
Red Sox fans will love this one. Shain’s of Maine Ice Cream is the big hitter here, stepping up to bat in creative baseball themed sundaes, cones, shakes, frappes, floats and sodas. Much of their nearly fifty flavor lineup is on offer daily, and sorbet, frozen yogurt, soft serve, parfaits and specialty drinks are also in the bullpen. You can even get a “Big Puppy Sundae” for your favorite pooch. Don’t forget to ask about their “Dugout Club Card” to earn a discount if you’re with a crowd or plan to visit more than once during the summer.
11. Cherries on Top
1252 Roosevelt Trail (Route 302), Raymond (207) 576-2329, open Monday to Friday 5-9pm Saturday and Sunday 11am-9pm
13. Skippy Scoops
LOVELL THE HOMESTEAD T O F TA S
5
117
HARRISON
BROOKSIDE ICE CREAM SHOP O S
BRIDGTON
302
THE SCOOP D O F TA S
THE GAZEBO PP D O F TA S
FRYEBURG
MAIN STREET VARIETY T O F TA S
FROAGIES D O S
CASCO
DOGGIE BOWLS/DOG FRIENDLY
O
GLUTEN/LACTOSE/SUGAR FREE OPTIONS
F
FOOD
TA TAKEAWAY (HAND-PACKED CONTAINERS S
CAUSEWAY DAIRY BAR O S
302 RAYMOND
TOILETS
PP PORT-A-POTTIES D
Just a little ways off Route 302 beyond Walgreen’s, Skippy Scoops offers twentyseven flavors of Maine-made Gifford’s Ice Cream in various sizes of cones, frappes and sundaes. They also have chocolate, vanilla and chocolate-vanilla twist soft serve. Prices are in the standard $2.50-$6.50 range and there are picnic tables out front where you can sit and enjoy your treats. R
NAPLES
LAKESIDE DAIRY BAR O S
KEY T
302
78 Tandberg Trail (Route 115) Windham, (207) 893-8026 open 7 days, noon-9pm
SEATING
RAYMOND’S FROZEN CUSTARDGOURMET ICE CREAM PP F TA S
THE MOSQUITO D O TA S THE ICE CREAM DUGOUT D O TA S
CHERRIES ON TOP O TA
NORTH WINDHAM
115
SKIPPY SCOOPS D S
lakelivingmaine.com
11
A New Vision the
m a i n e la ke sc ienc e c enter by leigh macmillen hayes
I
University of Maine,” he says, “and found n 1970, a small group of citizens concerned out that there were some new technoloabout lake cleanliness gathered on a front The MLSC has the potential to become gies and new testing parameters being used lawn in Naples and formed the Lakes Envione of Bridgton’s great assets and mostly in the marine environment, but apronmental Association (LEA) with the mission to enhance all of our communities. plicable to the fresh water environment.” “to preserve and restore the high water quality When completed, the center will With that in mind, the Lake Science Adviand traditional character of Maine’s lakes, help draw not only researchers, sory Board (LSAB), consisting of a broad specwatersheds and related natural resources. but also new visitors who want to trum of researchers from academic institutions The long-term survival of Maine’s lakes is in Maine and across the US, was formed. From critical to present and future generations.” engage in the natural environment. them, what Lowell began to hear about was Since then, the organization has focused on technology such as temperature sensors, Gloeotrichia and bottom water quality testing and wetlands education. About five years ago, sediment analysis—“tests that were quite critical for understanding Executive Director Peter Lowell and his staff realized that more your watershed and your lakes and what your vulnerability was.” needs to be done with state-of-the-art technology in these two arOrrin Shane, Ph.D., serves as a member of both the LEA Board eas. “We had a gut feeling,” Lowell says, “that our lakes were not of Directors and the LSAB. He says, “There’s been a broad recogniimproving and anecdotally, they had probably been experiencing tion in the northern tier states that have a lot of lakes, that lakes a long, slow decline; some quicker than others.” He acknowledges are changing. Lakes are at the tipping point and they’re becoming that many variables affect water quality: every lake is different; more eutrophic all the time.” the weather changes constantly; and the soil and land use in each The intention is to better understand the problem and then watershed is unique. tailor solutions such as land-use policies and citizen involvement From his observations, after the slow decline, some lakes sudto avert the decline. To get there, the LSAB has been tasked with denly may take a drastic turn for the worse. The question therefore developing research questions. is, what are the warning signs? What sends water quality over the This summer, LEA will embark on two exciting new projects. edge and causes a lake to go from clear to green? And how can The first is the use of a Global Lake Ecological Observatory LEA help prevent lakes from experiencing a rapid decline? Network or GLEON buoy, made possible by a donation from an “We started talking to some folks at Colby College and the
12 lakelivingmaine.com
is a new opportunity to work with undergraduate and graduate students.” Research will lead to a change of how lake watersheds are managed. “It isn’t always more punitive,” notes Lowell. “Sometimes actually, the standards can be relaxed if you’re using best management practices. It makes it easier for people to live in the watershed. The real goal is not to establish a whole bunch of new rules, but to develop rules that people can adopt easily and affordably.” Both men recognize the economic impact of Maine’s lakes. If a lake declines, then land values drop and the tax burden shifts to those who don’t own lakefront property. “If your
resource goes to hell,” says Lowell, “then your tourism business is going to start disappearing and the whole place is going to collapse.” The MLSC has the potential to become one of Bridgton’s great assets and to enhance all of our communities. When completed, the center will help draw not only researchers, but also new visitors who want to engage in the natural environment. To complete Phase I of the Maine Lake Science Center, LEA is seeking $800,000 in support from the public and foundations. In the past, the community has pulled its weight and individual members have supported projects both financially and with volunteer efforts—time, expertise and ideas are important. Lowell hopes the same holds true for this project. Over the last 44 years, LEA has benefited from its individual membership and foundations rather than federal and government grants. Through such generosity, the organization has been allowed to think big. Following in the footsteps of those who started the Lakes Environmental Association, it’s time to think big again. R
lakes environmental association
artist rendering, erica lowell chute
anonymous foundation, which will be deployed on Highland Lake in Bridgton. Every fifteen minutes, the remote sensing buoy will transmit data including temperature, oxygen levels and light levels, providing detailed information about what is happening at every meter below the surface. “From my standpoint,” says Lowell, “one of the real questions is that there are several lakes in the area that are very fragile and have almost total oxygen depletion by the end of summer. When does the oxygen deplete and how fully does it deplete? How does that relate to weather conditions? We need to learn what different storm events do to bottom water oxygenation.” The hope is that the GLEON buoy will help answer these questions and maybe others. This and other research will add more dimension to understanding what’s going on in the water around us. Lowell relates it to being sick while traveling. “You go see a general practitioner and say, ‘I don’t feel well,’ and all he can do is test for what he can see then and there. What we’re trying to do is get you to visit a specialist who has your full medical history and knows things like whether or not you live next to a paper mill.” Culling the scientific data LEA has collected over the years, adding more scientific investigation and technology, plus working with the academic community has led to a new vision for LEA and a second major project. The future is the Maine Lake Science Center. The Maine Lake Science Center will have a physical home on seventeen acres of land adjacent to Pondicherry Park that the LEA board has agreed to purchase. The plan includes creating a model energy efficient building and a demonstration site for new best management practice techniques, such as infiltrating rain water. The building will provide housing for visiting researchers and new and expanded space for LEA’s education programs. It will also serve as a welcome center to the park and there will be a conference room available for LEA programs and those of other civic organizations. “We want to make it attractive and feasible for researchers to come here and do their work,” says Lowell. “We want to benefit our lakes as well as the lakes in that whole northern tier.” “The Maine Lake Science Center is the pinnacle of our education program,” he adds. “We start out with young children and teach them the basics of lakes, wetlands and watersheds. We’ve worked our way up through the high school level and now this
Gloeo tow
lakelivingmaine.com
13
I
n the summer of 2012, a group of participants in the annual Loon Echo Bike Trek came upon a cyclist who had crashed along a remote section of road in Bethel. The downed rider was unconscious and his helmet was smashed; he was obviously in serious trouble. One of the Loon Echo riders was an EMT and administered first aid while members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, who were monitoring the Trek, called 911. The request for help went out, an ambulance arrived and, due to the nature of the injuries, a LifeFlight emergency medical transport helicopter was summoned to fly the victim to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.
14 lakelivingmaine.com
michele barker
by perri black Medical patients have been transported by air since WWI and the first medical evacuation (medevac) using helicopters took place in Burma during WWII. The practice was refined during the conflicts in Vietnam and Korea (remember M*A*S*H?), and the first civilian hospital-based air medical service in the U.S. began at St. Anthony Hospital in Denver, Colorado, in 1972. Emergency medical helicopters are often seen romantically as the action-packed stuff of TV and film dramas, but LifeFlight of Maine is so much more. While the LifeFlight people I spoke with admit their helicopters are “pretty cool,” they emphasize that the aircraft are only one part of their overall mission. Founded in 1998, LifeFlight of Maine is a nonprofit organization with the vision to make Maine “a place in which every person, in every community, has access to critical care and medical transport when they need it.” They are the only emergency critical care and transport provider that reaches everywhere in the state 24/7, 365 days a year. No one who needs their help is turned away. They are a unique resource for the Maine healthcare system and work with all hospitals to provide patients with the best possible care. Surprisingly, LifeFlight currently has only two helicopters to cover the entire state. I was particularly struck by how small the helicopters actually are, with about the same interior space as a minivan. This tiny space is one of the most difficult challenges faced by the medical staff. Like hummingbirds of the aircraft world, they are fast and agile, able to land easily in small areas and fly up to 165 mph. The average flight for a call is about 25 minutes; it takes only ten minutes to transport a patient between Lewiston and Bridgton. They can also fly from Lewiston to Boston in just under an hour.
michele barker michele barker
emergency room staff, first responders and paramedics in procedures and protocols to help strengthen the critical care “chain of survival.” A 911 medical emergency call occurs about every 45 seconds in Maine but LifeFlight only handles those involving injuries that require the most time-sensitive, critical care. A staff of about twelve pilots and mechanics, as well as 35 specialist nurses and paramedics, serve rotating twelve hour shifts to ensure emergency air transport is available at all times. LifeFlight works only through 911 dispatchers and doctors at hospitals, not individual callers. When a dispatcher receives a call, he first notifies the relevant local first responders – police, ambulance, fire departments, etc. Those at the scene follow a strict series of protocols to determine if a patient’s situation requires assistance from LifeFlight. Sometimes, dozens of people are involved in the chain of decisions made in response to a single 911 call. If the helicopter cannot fly due to weather conditions or other factors, the flight crew can also respond via ground ambulance, bringing the same equipment and providing the same care as they would in the aircraft. When a call comes in from the dispatcher, the pilot makes the decision to fly based solely on safety factors and flying conditions
“LifeFlight saved my wife’s life.” When Deborah Heffernan was suffering a severe heart attack, LifeFlight was called to transport her from Bridgton Hospital to Massachusetts General in Boston. The helicopter flew through a snowstorm and landed in Boston 45 minutes later. She was immediately admitted to the cardiac operating room and, thanks to LifeFlight’s speedy transport and care on board, the doctors were able to save her life.
“If she had been taken to Boston in a regular ambulance she would not have survived.” Jack Heffernan mark mennie
michele barker
Both helicopters can carry a single patient as well as the pilot, nurse, paramedic, and sometimes a medical trainee. One is capable of carrying two patients, if they are small, and the other is equipped with an additional fuel tank that allows it to make longer flights from as far north as Fort Kent to Boston. The helicopters are based at two of the state’s biggest trauma centers, Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) in Bangor and Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) in Lewiston. These sites were specifically chosen to provide optimal coverage. On average, they respond to one call every six hours, totaling around 1,500 transports per year. About 80% of their calls come from doctors at hospitals requesting patient transport to bigger or more specialized hospitals, while the remaining are scene calls, often in response to a road accident. LifeFlight responders see a wide range of patients of all ages with serious and complicated conditions. Training and education are two of the most important aspects of their mission. To work as critical care transport providers, LifeFlight nurses and paramedics are required to undergo five years of advanced training. Plus, they must have several years of experience working in a busy critical care environment at a major hospital or with an ambulance service. LifeFlight also educates and trains hospital
lakelivingmaine.com
15
michele barker
such as visibility, weather, cloud ceiling and fog. He is not given any information about the case except for the pick-up and drop-off locations. More information about the case is provided only after the pilot and medical crew accept the call. This ensures flight decisions are made only according to safety and not based on emotional issues. The pilots fly according to instrument flight rules (IFR), which requires special training and are safer and more reliable than just visual flight rules (VFR). LifeFlight has established a statewide low level IFR route system of protected air space at 3,000 feet, which also improves the safety and reliability of aviation operations. Maine was the first state to develop such a system and it has set the model for the entire country. As weather can often interfere with flying in Maine, LifeFlight also maintains weather stations and communication systems across the state. Helicopters need predictable, flat, firm places to land as safely as possible. In addition to two rooftop helipads at EMMC and Maine Medical Center in Portland, there are also approximately 500 designated landing sites across the state, including large fields, forest clearings and sports fields, as well as helipads at nearly every hospital in Maine. The helicopters can also land on roads to attend to an accident but, for safety reasons,
16 lakelivingmaine.com
they do not land on water, even if it is frozen. These flying emergency rooms are often more specialized and better equipped than some hospital ERs in rural areas. Both helicopters have more than $175,000 of advanced medical equipment necessary to provide appropriate care for every patient they treat, including premature infants, cardiac patients and trauma victims. They are the only EMS providers in Maine with the tools and skills to perform “rapid sequence intubation� for patients in respiratory distress, and one of the very few in the country with the capacity to carry units of fresh O negative blood (the universal blood type) on every flight. State-of-the-art multiple infusion IV pumps, specially modified vital sign monitors and handheld blood analysis tools are also among their specialized equipment. LifeFlight provides a unique and vital service for the people of Maine but maintaining and operating their aircraft, equipment and infrastructure, in addition to training their crew and other EMS staff, is not cheap. As a nonprofit, LifeFlight is constantly trying to raise funds to continue its mission. They are currently raising money to buy a third helicopter and a fixed wing plane that can fly longer distances and in adverse weather conditions. Both will be fully modified and equipped for critical care transport and able
to help hundreds more patients each year. Patients and insurance companies are billed for LifeFlight services, but more than 30% of their patients are uninsured or underinsured, which presents financial challenges. Patient fees cover some of the operating costs but the rest of the operations and all capital costs must be raised from other sources such as foundations, businesses and individual donors, as well as fundraising events and direct mail appeals. LifeFlight of Maine is an incredibly valuable resource for the state. They are always there, year round, to help anyone in need—providing the best possible critical care for residents and the many thousands of visitors to Vacationland. Fortunately, the previously mentioned cyclist, who was not actually part of the Loon Echo Trek, survived, and, after a six month hospital stay with extensive rehabilitation, is now doing well. The story might not have ended so well if LifeFlight had not been on the job. I always send good vibes to the helicopters when I see them flying above and pray I will never need their services. But it is really good to know they will be there when you need them. R For more information about LifeFlight, see their excellent Web site at www.lifeflightmaine.org.
lakelivingmaine.com
17
Uncork Your Creativity
“I
text & photographs by leigh macmillen hayes
’ve always loved art,” says Debbie as she sketches flowers during a botanical drawing class at The Arts Center. “I was an elementary school teacher and I minored in art, but never had time for it. Taking these courses is an incentive to get going again.” Under the auspices of the Bridgton Art Guild, The Arts Center at 187 Main Street opened for business last July. While Gallery 302 provides a place to enjoy art, The Arts Center provides a chance to learn how to create it. The goal is to offer art education programs that are fun and affordable. Classes are mostly designed for artists of any level. All you need is an interest in expressing your creativity and design skills. Enter through the front door of the twotone, two-story house located across from TD Bank and you’ll find yourself in a welllit double parlor with bay windows. “The lighting attracted us,” says Donna Joss, artist and grant writer. “The windows are great. I love the light and the design of the room. It’s perfect for a small class.”
18 lakelivingmaine.com
To the right of the central chimney that divides the room, a large wooden work table fills much of the space, while a couple of small bookcases hold supplies. To the left of the chimney is room for smaller tables or group instruction. A chaise lounge sits in one corner, used for life drawing. It’s a friendly, intimate space that invites camaraderie, important when you are taking the risk of sharing your artwork. As two of the frequent flyer teachers at The Arts Center, Donna Kantor and Cindy Spencer both encourage their students to keep an open mind and enjoy the experience for its own sake. Students are reminded that it took the instructors many years of drawing and painting regularly to attain the skill level they share in their examples. “It takes immense courage,” says Cindy. “I spent the first few years painting trees and mountains. I felt it was impressive when I moved up to rocks.” When Polly, a student in Cindy’s watercolor class, shows three paintings she’s worked on, she says, “I’m not happy with any of these.” Cindy’s response, “That’s al-
right. That’s how you learn.” Just as no one expects you to perform in a concert after your first musical instrument lesson, or second or third for that matter, the students aren’t expected to show their work in an art show. Learning idiosyncrasies behind the technique is everything. On the second day of the two-day botanical drawing class, Donna Kantor hands Eastern white pine cones to her three students and shows them how to use a hand lens. “Hold it up close to your eye,” she explains as she demonstrates. “Close one eye and use your dominant eye. Then the brain doesn’t have to translate three-dimensional to two-dimensional.” She continues with other examples of flowers and stems, explaining that the human eye sees value first—lights and darks—and then the rest. While Donna’s drawing class is a workshop spread over two consecutive days, Cindy’s watercolor class meets five times on an every other week basis. Students are expected to do some painting homework in between. She listens to what they want to accomplish individually and provides books they might want to peruse to learn more about certain techniques. During classes, both instructors circle the table constantly, pausing to offer words of praise as well as advice. Donna reminds students of the 1,2,3,4 recipe: 1, lightly rough in the basic shape; 2, complete the outline of the petals, indicate veins and parts, add stamens; 3, add buds, stems and a few leaves; and 4, use dark and light values to complete the structure. With the bracts of the pine cone, she demonstrates the recipe, showing the fibonacci pattern. “Take something complex and make it simple,” she says. Debbie follows Donna’s instruction. Holding a pencil loosely in her right hand, a flower in her left, she sketches the basic outline. Constantly, her eyes shift back and forth, focusing on the flower and then the sketch she produces on the paper before her. As she begins to add details and contours, she erases the original circle, works with shading and the flower comes alive on the paper. Vicki finds the drawing class to be refreshing. She’s an engraver by trade and works with really fine detail on a daily basis. “I have to wear ten-power lenses in my daily work,” she says. “To get onto a piece of paper—it’s expanding.” Danielle takes every class she can at The Arts Center. “I want to do it and I want to learn more.” True to her word, she is in both
Donna and Cindy’s classes. Watercolor is a different medium for her and she devours books and CDs in the process of learning. In addition to Danielle, there are four other student artists in the watercolor class. Cindy expects them to spread out, taking advantage of the second room, but they enjoy being in close proximity to each other. It makes sense, because they can easily hear her comments as she circles the table. A few sit; others stand to paint. Sometimes she teases them. “I’m going to stand here and watch over you,” she tells one student who proceeds to give her a dirty look. “Oh, if looks could kill,” Cindy says with a wink. “I’ll move on.” Standing beside the next student, she looks back at the first, grins and says, “I’m watching.” While all agree that they like painting, Claudia admits that it can be really stressful. Both Pat and Kathy say that taking a class gives them the motivation and discipline they need to continue painting.
“I’m not happy with any of these.” Cindy’s response, “That’s alright. That’s how you learn.” The Arts Center is a place for you to grow as an artist. It’s a place to be still and concentrate or go out on a limb and discover that the word “artist” does indeed apply to you. This summer, The Arts Center is proud to host a variety of classes ranging from Gelatin Plate Printmaking and other types of printmaking to Raku Pottery, Needle Felting, Watercolor Painting, Drawing, Oil Painting, Digital Photography, including a class designed for students in grades 7-12, and Private Knitting Lessons. R For more information about any of the classes taught at The Arts Center, check out the Web site at www.gallery302.com and click on classes/ workshops.
lakelivingmaine.com
19
summer calendar june 21st
5 pm—Annual Solstice Walk on Bald Pate Mountain, celebrate the first day of summer with Loon Echo Land Trust. FMI: 207-6474352 or www.lelt.org
21st
10 am-2 pm—Oral History Workshop with Molly Graham Bridgton Historical Society FMI: 207-6473699 or www.bridgtonhistory.org
21st
7 pm—Caroline Grimm discusses her latest work, Beneath Freedom’s Wing, based on the true story of Bridgton’s role in the Underground Railroad and Abolition Movement. FMI: 207-647-3699 or www.bridgtonhistory.org
21st
7:30 pm—Denmark2 at Denmark Arts Center Trombonist Andreas Clemmensen and trumpeter Marianne Anker-Pederse—from the other Denmark—present an evening of music by Danish composers. Sponsored by the Danish Consulate of NY. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
27th
9 am—Family Tree ID in Pondicherry Park with Naturalist Mary Jewett, Lakes Environmental Assn. Meet at Bob Dunning Bridge, Bridgton. Pre-registration required: 207647-8580 or mary@leamaine.org
27th
5-7 pm—Converging Forms at Denmark Arts Center Join Maine artist Richard Keen at the opening of his new show, on exhibit at the DAC through July. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
28th
10 am-2 pm—Intro to Encaustics at Denmark Arts Center Visiting artist Richard Keen leads a workshop in encaustic painting, using tinted wax to render textural forms. FMI: 207452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
28th
7:30 pm—DaPonte String Quartet at Denmark Arts Center Maine’s favorite string quartet plays selections from the American canon, including Barber’s Adagio, Earl Stewart’s Blues Fugues and Gershwin’s Lullaby. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
29th 7:30 pm—Frankenstein (Made in Maine) at Denmark Arts Center Figures of Speech Theater puppetand-animation interpretation of Mary Shelley’s classic. FMI: 207452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
28th
4 pm—The Wicked Big Tim Sample Event at Lake Region High School. The Rufus Porter Museum and Bridgton Historical Society bring
20 lakelivingmaine.com
New England’s premier humorist to Bridgton. Sponsored by Chalmers Insurance Group and Norway Savings Bank, tickets are $20 pp and can be purchased at either organization or at Bridgton Books. FMI: www.rufusportermuseum.org
july 2nd
9 am—Orchid Walk at Holt Pond with Naturalist Ursula Duvé, Lakes Environmental Assn. Meet at Holt Pond parking lot, South Bridgton. Pre-registration required: 207-6478580 or mary@leamaine.org
3rd
10 am—Family Treasure Hunt in Pondicherry Park with naturalist Mary Jewett, Lakes Environmental Assn. Meet at gazebo near Bob Dunning Bridge, Bridgton. Preregistration required: 207-647-8580 or mary@leamaine.org
3rd
10th 7:30 pm—Full Moon Walk at Chip Stockford Reserve Greater Lovell Land Trust. FMI: 207-925-1056 or www.gllt.org
10-12th
Harrison Old Home Days Pancake breakfast, fireworks, parade, BBQ and lobster feed, live entertainment
11th
7:30 pm—Deertrees New Repertory Company presents The Selfish Shellfish at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. A play for the whole family by David Wood. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
11-13th 7:30pm Friday&Saturday, 2pm Sunday—Lake Region Community Theater presents Annie, Lake Region High School, Route 302, Naples. FMI: www.lrctme.org
12th
5-7 pm Pre-Race Spaghetti Feast at Stevens Brook Elementary School, Bridgton.
7:30pm— Beatles for Sale, back by popular demand!, at Deertrees Theatre, Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
4th
12th
38th Annual Bridgton 4 on the Fourth Road Race begins 8 am at Main St. & Rt. 117. FMI or to register: www.fouronthefourth.com
4th
Independence Day Parades & Fireworks in several lakes region communities.
5th
9am-noon—Friends of the Library Used Book Sale Bridgton Public Library Courtyard, Main Street, Bridgton. (Rain date 7/12) FMI: 207-647-2472
5th
7:30pm— Mixology, a talented local band that plays everything from old standards to pop, with something for everyone. Deertrees Theatre, Harrison. FMI: 207-5836747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
7-11th 9 am-12:30 pm—Dance Workshop for Kids with Hio Ridge Dance Collective at Denmark Arts Center A week-long workshop exploring creative movement, safe body mechanics and rhythm. FMI: 207452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
7:30 pm—Summertime Soiree with Stripwrecked Burlesque at Denmark Arts Center An evening of burlesque, including bellydance, cabaret and some sassy hip-hop. FMI: 207-4522412 or denmarkarts.org
12&13th
10 am-4 pm—35th Annual Chickadee Quilt Show Stevens Brook Elementary School, Bridgton. Chinese Auction, cafe, workshops and raffles. FMI: chickadeequilters@gmail.com
13th
7:30 pm—How to Make Movies at Home (Made-in-Maine) at Denmark Arts Center A raucous, chaotic Maine-loving ode to low-fi filmmaking. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
13th
10am-3 pm—15th Annual Lovell Historical Society Antique Sale & Auction at the Kimball-Stanford House, Lovell. Live auction at 11am. Antique appraisal 12-2pm. Silent auction, food, free admission. FMI: 207-925-3234 or lovellhistoricalsociety@gmail.com
14-25th
15th
7:30pm—Sebago Long Lake Music Festival Beethovan Fest at Deertrees Theatre, Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
16th
7:30 pm—The Uncommon Common Loon with Bonny Boatman, (KLWA co-sponsor) at Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell. Greater Lovell Land Trust. FMI: 207-925-1056 or www.gllt.org
17th
10am to Noon—Back Pond Reserve Nature Walk Activity level: Moderate. Greater Lovell Land Trust. FMI: 207-925-1056 or www.gllt. org
17th 6:30 pm—Invasive Plants presentation by Naturalist Mary Jewett, Lakes Environmental Association, Bridgton. Pre-registration required: 207-647-8580 or mary@leamaine. org
17th
7:30 pm—Good Humor with Mainestage Readers Theatre at Denmark Arts Center Making audiences laugh since 1992! FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
17th 7:30 pm—Deertrees New Repertory Company presents the comedy Heroes at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
18th 10 am—Monitoring Maine’s Great Blue Herons presentation by Naturalist Mary Jewett, Lakes Environmental Association, Bridgton. Preregistration required: 207-647-8580 or mary@leamaine.org
18th
7:30pm—Emilia Dahlin Quartet In Concert at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. Acoustic Roots with a Vintage Jazz Twist. FMI: 207-5836747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
18-20th 7:30pm Friday & Saturday, 2pm Sunday—Lake Region Community Theater presents Annie, Lake Region High School, Route 302, Naples. FMI: www.lrctme.org
9 -10:30 am—Beginning Pottery for Kids with Kathy Banks at Denmark Arts Center A hands-on clay workshop for students aged 6-10 (no class Thurs-Tues). FMI: 207-4522412 or denmarkarts.org
19th
9th
14-18th
19th
10th
14-25th
8th
7:30pm—The Gothard Sisters at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. Celtic mucis at its best! FMI: 207-5836747 or www.deertreestheatre.org 7:30 pm—Sedges of Maine with Matt Arsenault at Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell. Greater Lovell Land Trust. FMI: 207-9251056 or www.gllt.org 7:30pm—Anni Clark Live at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
9 am- 3 pm—Highland Lake Youth Theater Intermediate Acting & Theater Camp at Highland Lake Resort. FMI: highlandlakeyouththeater@gmail.com 12:30-3 pm—Advanced Pottery for Kids with Kathy Banks at Denmark Arts Center A hands-on workshop for students aged 11+ (no class Thurs-Tues). FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
7:30 pm—Good Humor with Maine-stage Readers Theatre at Denmark Arts Center Making audiences laugh since 1992! FMI: 207452-2412 or denmarkarts.org 7:30 pm—Deertrees New Repertory Company presents The Selfish Shellfish at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. A play for the whole family by David Wood. FMI: 207-5836747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
18&19th Sebago Days, Sebago
18th-20th
Waterford World’s Fair
19th
Lovell Old Home Days & 5K Run
19th
9 am-4 pm—The Bridgton Art Guild presents the 10th Annual Art in the Park at Shorey Park in Bridgton (Rain date 7/20). FMI: 207647-2787 or gallery302.info
21st
26th
11:30 am—Deertrees New Repertory Company presents The Selfish Shellfish at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. A play for the whole family by David Wood. FMI: 207-5836747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
26th
7:30pm—Camp Encore-Coda Concert, benefits Lakes Environmental Association, Deertrees Theatre, Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
7:30 pm—Deertrees New Repertory Company presents the bittersweet comedy The Grand O’Neal at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
22nd
26th
7:30pm—Sebago Long Lake Music Festival Fun and Fancies at Deertrees Theatre, Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
23rd
9 am-1 pm—Rug Hooking Workshop with Janet Connor at Narramissic in S. Bridgton. FMI: 207-6473699 or www.bridgtonhistory.org
23rd
7:30 pm—Environmental Communication for Conservation with Bridie McGreavy at Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell. Greater Lovell Land Trust. FMI: 207-925-1056 or www.gllt.org
24th
9-11am—Hike Through Sucker Brook Outlet Reserve Greater Lovell Land Trust. FMI: 207-9251056 or www.gllt.org
24th
7 pm—Acoustic Sunset with Bold Riley Folk Band Enjoy live acoustic music on Hacker’s Hill in Casco while the sun sets beyond the White Mountains. Bring a picnic and a lawn chair. (Rain date 7/25) FMI: 207-647-4352 or www.lelt.org
24th
7:30 pm—The Tartan Terrors at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. Total Celtic entertainment—music, dance and comedy. FMI: 207-5836747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
24-25th
Rufus Porter Museum Cultural Heritage Series in Bridgton Classes focusing on traditional folk art techniques. For schedule of courses visit www.rufusportermuseum.org
24-26th Casco Days, Casco
25th
1 pm—Dragonflies, with Naturalist Mary Jewett, Lakes Environmental Association. Meet at Holt Pond parking lot, South Bridgton. Preregistration required. FMI: 207647-8580 or mary@leamaine.org
25th
7:30 pm—Deertrees New Repertory Company presents the comedy Heroes at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
25th 5-7 pm—Capture the Flag at Denmark Arts Center Join artist Anne Buckwalter for the opening reception of her playful, colorful works, on display through August. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
7:30 pm—So You Like to Sing at the Denmark Arts Center The MollyOckett Chorus brings their signature acapella harmonies to the DAC. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
27th
7:30pm—Burt’s Buzz (Made-inMaine) at the Denmark Arts Center A documentary about the reluctant face of a global brand, Burt of Burt’s Bees. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
27th
7:00 pm—Sebago Long Lake Music Festival Concert at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Bridgton. Tickets on line: www.sebagomusicfestival.org
28th-8/1
9 am-12:30 pm—Zine Workshop for Kids at Denmark Arts Center Learn about the great tradition of Zine-making with Maine College of Art visiting instructor, Pilar Nadal. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
29th An Evening of Astronomy hosted by Raymond and Casco Public Libraries, sponsored by Loon Echo Land Trust. FMI: 207-647-4352 or www.lelt.org
august 1st
This talk will be followed by a walk the next day. FMI: 207-9251056 or www.gllt.org
7:30 pm—Deertrees New Repertory Company presents the bittersweet comedy The Grand O’Neal at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
6-8th
1-3rd
7th
10 am-6 pm—Gallery 302 in Bridgton presents Art in Bloom—Floral arrangements by Lakeside Garden Club FMI:www.gallery302.com
2nd
9am-noon—Friends of the Library Used Book Sale Bridgton Public Library Courtyard, Main Street, Bridgton. (Rain date 8/16) FMI: 207-647-2472
2nd
21st Annual Antique Wooden Boat Show on the Causeway, Naples. www.mountainviewwoodies.org
2nd Maine State Championship Rowing Regatta, Highland Lake, Bridgton. 5,000 meter stake and 1,000 meter sprint. FMI: www.rowmaine.org
2nd
3 pm-Midnite—DAM JAM DAM JAM DAM JAM at Denmark Arts Center Six bands! Artists’ midway! Live screenprinting! Food! Drink! Good times!! FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
2nd
4 pm—Fourth Annual Bluegrass Festival at Narramissic, South Bridgton. FMI: 207-647-3699 or www. bridgtonhistory.org
2nd
7:30 pm—Deertrees New Repertory Company presents the comedy Heroes at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
Rufus Porter Museum Cultural Heritage Series in Bridgton Classes focusing on traditional folk art techniques. For schedule of courses visit www.rufusportermuseum.org 9 to 11am—This Greater Lovell Land Trust walk through a grove of surviving chestnuts follows the evening talk (meet at Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell). FMI: 207-925-1056 or www.gllt.org
7th
2 pm—Former LRHS Social Studies teacher Jon Ray discusses memoirwriting and his recent book Gorham, Bridgton, and Beyond. FMI: 207-647-3699 or www.bridgtonhistory.org
7th
7:30 pm— Mick Conneely & Dave Munnelly at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. Master musicians playing World Class Celtic Music. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
7-10th
Sweden Days History walks, talent show, pot luck supper, church service and contra dance. FMI: 647-3970 or www.eskerridge.com/Sweden
8th
7 pm—Full Moon Walk at Holt Pond led by Naturalist Mary Jewett, Lakes Environmental Association. Pre-registration required: 207647-8580 or mary@leamaine.org
8th 7:30 pm—Deertrees New Repertory Company presents the comedy Heroes at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
29th
2&3rd
8th
31st
4-8th
9th
7:30pm—Sebago Long Lake Music Festival The Demon at Deertrees Theatre, Harrison. FMI: 207-5836747 or www.deertreestheatre.org 9 am—Songo River Paddle with LEA Education Director & Songo River Project Coordinator Adam Perron, Lakes Environmental Assn. Pre-registration required: 207-6478580 or mary@leamaine.org
31st
10am-Noon—Family Walk with focus on insects and amphibians (meet at Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell). Activity level: Moderate. Greater Lovell Land Trust. FMI: 207-925-1056 or www.gllt.org
31st
7:30 pm—Deertrees New Repertory Company presents The Selfish Shellfish at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. A play for the whole family by David Wood. FMI: 207-5836747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
10 am-4 pm—Back to the Past, Scribner’s Mills, Harrison. Immerse yourself in the past at this historic 19th-century sawmill and homestead celebration. www.scribnersmill.org 9 am-12:30 pm—Musical Theater for Kids at Denmark Arts Center Mary Bastoni once again brings her signature brand of learning-by-doing theater for kids to the DAC. Premiere on Friday at 1pm! Ages 6-16. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
5th
7:30pm—Sebago Long Lake Music Festival Classics, Deertrees Theatre, Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
6th
9 am-1 pm—Early American Penny Rug Workshop with Janet Connor, at Narramissic in S. Bridgton. FMI: 207647-3699 or www.bridgtonhistory.org
6th
7:30 pm—The American Chestnut with Kendra Gurney at Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell.
8 pm—Talk by Rev. Dr. George F. Dole about the 1954 Bannister Race at the Fryeburg New Church Assembly, Fryeburg. FMI: www. dole3miler.com or 508-649-5982 8 am—3-Mile Road Race to celebrate Rev. Dole Proceeds benefit Fryeburg New Church Assembly, Church of the New Jerusalem and Mountain Division Rail Trail. FMI: www.dole3miler.com or 508-649-5982
9th
8 am—9th Annual 20-Mile Tour de Lovell Bike Race benefits Lovell Recreation Department and Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library. FMI: www.bikereg.com
9th
10 am-2 pm—Patterns with Lara Gibson at Denmark Arts Center Visiting artist Lara Gibson will teach you how to create and print your own fabric patterns. Perfect for Quilters! FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org continued on page 32
lakelivingmaine.com
21
chicken, shrimp & fruit salad
Recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s Far Eastern Cookery. Serves 6 as a first course or 4 as a main course 1/4 tsp salt 1 c peeled and diced Granny Smith apple 1 c seedless red grapes, cut in half 1 c seedless green grapes, cut in half 1 orange, segmented, with each segment cut in half 1 tbsp garlic, fried 1/2 c shallots, fried 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast 16 medium shrimp 4 tbsp roasted, unsalted peanuts, chopped 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 2 tbsp lime juice or lemon juice 2 to 3 serrano chilies 2 tbsp cilantro leaves
Salad Days by laurie lamountain
O
ne of my most vivid food memories is of a warm goat cheese salad served with a crisp glass of Sancerre. The fact that I was seated at an outdoor cafe on my first-ever trip to Paris may have had something to do with the lasting impression, but it also had to do with the fact that it flew in the face of everything I’d ever thought of as salad, i.e., iceberg lettuce, tomato, cucumber, celery and peppers with Kraft dressing. That, and it was unforgettably delicious. The goat cheese was lightly breaded and served in golden medallions atop a bed of tender greens that had been kissed with perfectly blended vinaigrette and strewn with lightly toasted walnuts. A crusty baguette, of course, accompanied it. My notion of salad was forever altered. I’ve since learned that it’s not just the French who know how to think outside the American notion of salad. The Tuscans have panzanella, which is day-old bread combined with ripe tomatoes and fresh basil in a summer salad that is delicious all by itself for lunch, or served with grilled meats or roasted chicken for dinner. The Moroccans are known for combining couscous (basically tiny bits of pasta) with exotic spices, colorful vegetables and raisins. The Japanese combine buckwheat soba noodles with cucumber and mizuna for a highly nutritious pasta salad. The list goes on, and the good news is that even here we’ve begun to think outside the box, or the plate as it were, when it comes to salad. Just as it’s become hip to pair stripes with polka dots or bacon with just about anything, the American approach to salad has become a lot less rigid, which is good news for everyone who feels salad should not be treated as a boring prelude to the meal or, worse, an afterthought. Of course, like so many things American, the results are often anything but traditional. One of the hottest, or coolest really, salad combinations on the Food Network is feta cheese and watermelon. I’ll admit, sweet and salty is a tough combination to beat, and how could it get any simpler? Pineapple and bleu cheese is another such combination. One of my all time favorite salads, however, works on the hot/sour/salty/sweet balance celebrated in Thai dishes. It’s considerably more involved to make but well worth the effort. The recipe for it and a few others salads follow. And if your notion of salad will forever be lettuce, tomato, cucumber, celery and peppers, you can still change it up by ditching the Kraft dressing and using one of the easy, homemade dressings we’ve provided. R
22 lakelivingmaine.com
1. Cut the chicken into long thin strips and put these into a clean medium-sized frying pan. Add water to cover and ¼ teaspoon salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is just done. Remove the chicken from the water and tear it into shreds 1-inch long or cut it into a ¼-inch dice. Save the water in which it was cooked. 2. Peel and devein the shrimp. Bring the chicken poaching water to a simmer and add the shrimp. Turn the heat to mediumlow. Stir and poach the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are just cooked through. Drain. Cut the shrimp into a ¼-inch dice. Combine the chicken, shrimp, and peanuts, cover and set aside. 3. Combine 1 teaspoon salt, the sugar, and the lime juice in a small bowl and mix. Set aside. Cut the chilies into very fine rounds. Wash and dry the coriander. Cover and set aside. 4. Combine the apples, grapes, oranges, chicken, and shrimp in a large bowl. Add the lime juice and sugar mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add in half of the fried shallots and garlic. Toss. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved shallots, garlic, cilantro leaves, and chilies.
warm goat cheese salad Serves 2
Vinaigrette: 3 tbsp walnut oil 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 shallot, finely minced salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Salad: 4 oz. log fresh goat cheese cut into 4 to 6 medallions
1 tbsp walnut oil 2 tbsp olive oil plain bread crumbs fresh salad greens 1/4 c walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped handful of grapes, cut in half freshly ground pepper
1. Whisk together 3 tablespoons of walnut oil with lemon juice, minced shallot, salt and pepper for vinaigrette. Combine the greens and toasted walnuts in a large bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss well. Divide among two plates. 2. Coat each goat cheese round with walnut oil and then with bread crumbs, patting to adhere. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and place the goat cheese medallions in the pan once the oil forms a sheen. Cook until nicely browned, about 30 seconds per side, taking care to not burn or melt them. Transfer 2 or 3 medallions atop each salad. Sprinkle the cheese with freshly ground pepper and garnish salads with grape halves.
alice waters’s lentil salad Serves 4
1 c lentils (French green lentils or black Beluga lentils are the best varieties to use for lentil salads because they have lots of flavor and they hold their shape when cooked.) 1 tbsp red wine vinegar Salt Fresh-ground black pepper 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 tbsp thinly sliced scallions or 3 tbsp finely diced shallot 3 tbsp chopped parsley
1. Sort and rinse the lentils. Cover with water by 3 inches and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook until tender all the way through (adding more water if necessary), about 30 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. 2. Toss the lentils with the red wine vinegar, salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt and vinegar if needed.
3. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, scallions or shallot, and parsley. Stir to combine. If the lentils seem dry and are hard to stir, loosen them with a bit of the reserved cooking liquid.
soba noodle salad
Gourmet magazine Serves 6 as a first course or 4 as a main course 6 oz soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) 1 tbsp Asian sesame oil 1 medium red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin strips 1/2 English cucumber (8 oz), seeded and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks 1/2 lb jicama (1/2 medium), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks 2 oz mizuna or chopped, trimmed baby mustard greens (2 cups) 4 scallions, cut into 3-inch-long julienne strips 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 1/4 tsp salt
1. Bring 4 quarts salted water to a rolling boil in a 5- to 6-quart pot over moderately high heat. Stir in noodles and 1/2 cup cold water. When water returns to a boil, add another 1/2 cup cold water and bring to a boil again, then repeat procedure once more. Test noodles for doneness (soba should be just tender but still firm and chewy throughout). Drain noodles in a colander and rinse well under cold water, then drain again, thoroughly. Toss noodles with sesame oil in a large bowl. 2. Toss together remaining ingredients in another bowl, then add to noodles and toss again to combine.
dianne’s ranch dressing
1/2 c mayo 1/2 c sour cream (could use Greek yogurt) 1/2 c buttermilk (could use whole milk) 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 2 tbsp freshly chopped chives salt and pepper to taste
Combine and mix: Try it with potato chips and you will never buy sour cream and onion chips again!
buttermilk goat cheese dressing Combine and pulse in a blender: 1/2 c buttermilk 3 oz. softened goat cheese 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp horseradish, or to taste
Blend until smooth and stir in one teaspoon each chopped dill and chives.
lakelivingmaine.com
23
Hike and Bike
To reach the trailhead parking, find the junction of Routes 160/5 in East Brownfield and continue on Route 160 south into Brownfield village. At the Community Church, turn sharply left to continue south on Route 160. About 1.5 miles from the church, watch for the public boat launch. About a half mile from here, look for the “Trail Parking Ahead” sign on the right. For descriptions on more hikes in the area, see Hikes in and around Maine’s Lake Region by Marita Wiser. Now in its fifth edition, it is available at Bridgton Books and other local stores.
O
ne of the many draws to Burnt Meadow Mountains in Brownfield is the beech forest, says Douglas Ofiara, a founder of the Friends of Burnt Meadow Mountains. “Especially in the early spring, when the trees are that delicate yellow-green color and the sun filters through it. It is just beautiful.” Burnt Meadow has a wild and peaceful feel about it, but it has not always been that way. Along with more than 35 homes and three fourths of Brownfield, the mountain burned during the disastrous fires of October 1947. Those days in a dry, windy October are now known in history as “the week that Maine burned” for the epic fires that swept through the state. The name Burnt Meadow, however, was chosen long before that, as shown on an 1858 map of the town. In the early 1970s, a ski area operated at the other side of North Peak. Three slopes were cleared and the mountain opened in 1971, only to close in 1982 after several winters of little snowfall. A faint outline of the ski area can still be seen. Burnt Meadow Mountains is a series of three peaks: North Peak, 1,575 feet high; Stone Mountain, 1,624 feet high; and South Peak, 1,592 feet high. To hike the loop trail and a side spur to Stone Mountain, plan at least four hours. The 4.8-mile walk will give you plenty of aerobic exercise, due to the distance and some steep sections. Begin on the right side of the parking area off Route 160. Blue blazes, painted on rocks and trees, lead hikers along the path. After about half a mile, the trail forks. The right route, or North Peak Trail, is the most traveled. The left path, Twin Brook Trail, is newer and blazed in yellow. If the day is hot, hikers may want to ascend via the latter, where more of the route is in the shade.
24 lakelivingmaine.com
The trail up to North Peak is steep in places, especially at the top where some scrambling up rocks is required. There are plenty of good hand and foot holds and there is no big exposure, so it should be fine even for someone afraid of heights. This hike is best suited for agile walkers rather than toddlers and old dogs, and sturdy hiking boots are advised. Blueberries in July should be plentiful, so be sure to bring along a container or two for berries. Another natural phenomenon to be prepared for is insects. Pack bug dope. And on all hikes through the woods, be sure to check for ticks afterwards. The large, flat summit of North Peak offers a wonderful panoramic view, including a look at Mount Washington, other peaks in the White Mountains and the Saco River Valley to the south. To descend via the Twin Brook Trail, look for a large cairn on the opposite end from where you ascended the summit and follow the yellow blazes as the footpath turns left. The Twin Brook trail is newer and less worn, but a very pleasant walk through the woods. Both the old and new trails on Burnt Meadow cross private land and are open due to the generosity of landowners. Hikers are asked to respect the land so it remains open for future use. From the Twin Brook Trail, hikers can take a 0.7-mile side spur on the Stone Mountain Trail, which switchbacks through hemlock and hardwood forests before reaching the edge of the south flank of Stone Mountain. This may be the least worn part of the Burnt Meadow trails. In a few places, hikers will see two blazes together, indicating a sharp turn in the trail. Retrace the same route back to the Twin Brook Trail for a meandering and gentle descent down the mountain.
I
n 2001, the first annual Loon Echo “Get Cyc’d Bike Trek” was launched and forty people gathered to pedal 22 or 30-mile loops, departing from Sebago Lake State Park on a gorgeous September morning. The inaugural event was a huge success and plans were immediately put in motion for the following year. The event grew to include 25, 50 and 100-mile courses and moved to Shawnee Peak Ski Area, where it has been held ever since. Participation also increased and by 2004, more than 300 riders spent the day pedaling on quiet, scenic roads in western Maine to support land conservation. A six-mile hike over the ridge of Pleasant Mountain was added in 2007. Having reached maximum capacity on the Southwest Ridge Trail a few years later, a second 4.5 mile hike was offered. This year, a 75-mile ride will be added to the bicycle portion and for those who want to do a little of both, there will be a Hike and Bike option. Each is completely supported with rest stops and emergency personnel available along the way. While the Loon Echo Trek has grown over the years, some things remain the same. Trekkers have been treated to perfect weather in all but two years, and everyone still gathers for a post-trek party where they enjoy a free BBQ, massage and beer. Hundreds of volunteers, dozens of sponsors, and businesses throughout the lakes region continue to generously offer their support to make this fundraiser possible. As the number of participants has increased, so has the number of acres protected by Loon Echo. The land trust now conserves nearly 6,000 acres and maintains 25 miles of recreational trails free for public use. R
The 2014 Loon Echo Trek takes place on Saturday, September 20th. On-line registration at: www.loonechotrek.org.
lakelivingmaine.com
25
summer bookshelf Book Reviews from the Owners & Staff of Bridgton Books
justin’s list After being spoiled with milder, warmer winters over the last decade or two, we had a winter’s winter this year. Frequent sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfalls kept people inside reading, and Pulitzer Prize winning author Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch was probably our store bestseller and customer favorite. A 700-plus-page behemoth of a novel, I never once tired of it, always eager to turn the page and find out what was going to happen next. Tartt is a gifted storyteller, and her hero, Theo, and his friend Boris are wonderful, unique characters that will long be remembered. Ten years in the making, many readers have compared this novel to a modern Oliver Twist, and I dare say I agree. While on the subject of the Pulitzer Prize, Phillipp Meyer’s The Son, a runner-up to The Goldfinch, hasn’t received the media attention of Tartt’s book, but certainly deserves high acclaim. A cross between Cormac McCarthy and Ivan Doig, Meyer’s novel follows three generations of a Texas clan. Around the mid-1800s, Eli McCullough is captured and adopted by the Comanches. His narration is interwoven with that of his son Peter, and great-granddaughter Jeannie, who tries to convert the family business from cattle to oil in a world dominated by powerful men. Most of us have read about explorers Lewis and Clark at one time or another, and if you haven’t, I highly recommend Undaunted Courage by Steven Ambrose. Few people, however, are familiar with the subsequent undertaking two years later to establish Astoria, the first U.S. settlement on the North Pacific Coast. Financed by John Jacob Astor, a leading New York businessman and fur trader of the time, he sent out two expeditions, one by land and one by sea. Both had their share of adventures and mishaps, making the Lewis and Clark journey look like a cakewalk in comparison. Author Peter Stark does a magnificent job in his work of history entitled Astoria, depicting the struggles and achievements of these early settlers and their race to establish a west coast settlement before the English. I like to spread the wealth, and rarely repeat authors in this column, but Peter
26 lakelivingmaine.com
Heller’s new novel The Painter is just that good! And since he changed his genre from dystopian (Dog Stars) to contemporary, we will have to allow it just this once. Jim Stegner is an avid outdoorsman and successful painter, but not without a few flaws and personal demons. It wouldn’t make for an interesting story if he was perfect, right? His sense of justice and righteousness get him into trouble and that is the only part of the plot I will reveal. I also recommend not reading the dust jacket on this one. It gives too much away. This would be a great book for anybody, but especially for the outdoorsman type. Another author who gets a second mention is Tom Rob Smith, best known for his excellent Soviet era stories (Child 44, Agent 6) featuring Agent Leo Demidov. His new novel, The Farm, is decidedly different; a psychological work that screams of Hitchcock. Mark’s loving parents retire and move from England to their dream farm in Sweden. Everything is rosy until Mark gets a call from his father informing him that his mother has had a nervous breakdown and is now in a mental hospital. Immediately afterward, his mother calls, telling Mark not to believe his father. She is on the run from him and others who are conspiring against her. Who should Mark believe? This clever work rises above the sea of banality so often seen in today’s predictable psychological suspense genre. Years ago, in a high school anthropology class, I saw a documentary about warring New Guinea tribes that fascinated me. Two rival groups faced off on opposite
sides of a clearing for hours, taunting each other, probing for weaknesses and throwing spears. Eventually, someone was killed on one side and everybody returned home until the next time, when the losing tribe would try to get revenge for its lost warrior. This had been going on for centuries. Savage Harvest, by Carl Hoffman, is a non-fiction work about the 1961 disappearance of Michael Rockefeller while he was living among these same people. Officially listed as a drowning death, the author espouses another, very believable theory through his research and interviews with the native people and their descendants. This is not the action packed, page-turner the publisher would have you believe, but a very interesting work of anthropology and travelogue with an historical mystery as a bonus. Having grown up in a small town, Shotgun Lovesongs deeply affected me, although I think it would move anyone regardless of where you are from. This wonderful novel by Nickolas Butler follows five friends from a small farming town in Wisconsin. The bonds they share through their trials and tribulations, loves and loyalties, are all told from each character’s point of view. It is hard to explain, but this impressive first novel just felt so real and genuine to me. I think this book will be a surprise hit this year. Finally, Susan, who works with us at the bookstore, wanted to list three of her recent favorites: Behind The Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo, about the Indian city Mumbai, Pigs Can’t Swim, a Maine memoir by Helen Peppe, and Elizabeth Gilbert’s historical novel The Signature of All Things.
perri’s preferences I love being read to. I loved listening to my parents read to me when I was small and to my teachers read books to the class. I also love listening to read-aloud programs when I stream BBC Radio 4, so it is no wonder that I have become quite addicted to audio books. If the reader is good, it adds a whole new dimension to the story and listening to a book while cooking, doing dishes or other mundane activities is the only way I can successfully multi-task. Fannie Flagg is always the consummate storyteller and her latest novel, The All Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion, is perhaps best listened to because the author actually reads it. Her glorious southern accent audibly animates the eccentric characters in this tale that spans decades and generations, focusing on the courageous Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) who tested and delivered aircraft to military bases across the U.S. during WWII. In turns hilarious, tragic, poignant and victorious, Ms. Flagg sheds light on a bygone era and the (until very recently) unsung heroines who played a vital part in U.S. military history. The strange and slightly macabre childhood memory related in The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman, is another audio book I recommend, as is Kim Fay’s
tomb raiding adventure set in 1920s Cambodia, The Map of Lost Memories (although the trite love story sideline could have been edited out). If you haven’t already read it, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt is also a great audio performance, especially the portrayal of a major character, Boris, and listening to it may be bit less daunting than tackling reading this hefty tome. Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout teamed up with Maine writer Sara Corbett to write A House in the Sky about her terrifying and grueling ordeal being kidnapped by Somali militiamen and held hostage for 462 days. Ms. Lindhout and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan were snatched on their way to report on a clinic in the Somali desert and, while their families at home and their respective national governments tried to negotiate their release, they suffered horrendous, unspeakable, but separate, tortures. Ms. Lindhout’s continuing recovery, lessons learned, and how she incorporates this horrific experience into her current work exemplify a truly remarkable spirit and sense of humanity. Africa is today’s new literary wunderkind, offering an impressive array of vibrant young writers producing outstanding work, both on the continent and as expats abroad. Ishmael Beah follows his gut-wrenching
memoir, A Long Way Gone, with his first novel, Radiance of Tomorrow, the story of people returning home to their villages after the ravages of war. He imitates the lyrical prose of storytelling in Mende, his native language from Sierra Leone, to present how the villagers cope with the past, present and future challenges they must face to rebuild their lives from the ashes of destruction. Booker Prize shortlisted We All Need New Names, by NoViolet Bulawayo, follows a young girl named Darling from her village in Zimbabwe to a “better life” with her aunt, who has emigrated to America. The once strong ties to her childhood gang in Zimbabwe begin to dissipate as she struggles with displacement in a foreign country while her far away homeland suffers violent disruptions. The ending hits you like a speeding truck. In White Dog Fell from the Sky, by Maine resident Eleanor Morse, young, black South African medical student Isaac Muthethe is beaten unconscious and dumped on the side of the road, waking to find himself in Botswana accompanied by a stray white dog. Circumstances prevent him from returning home, so he starts walking down the road towards an uncertain future in a new country. White Dog joins him on his journey as he begins working as a gardener for Alice, a white American woman who lives in a wealthy suburb. Their lives become increasingly interconnected with the political situation and the land as the story progresses through tragedy towards a final reconciliation. Perhaps my favorite recent read is Dwelling in Possibility: Searching for the Soul of Shelter, by New Hampshire author Howard Mansfield, which explores the ideas of “dwelling” and true homes as places of “peace, silence, and dreams.” Based on his experiences with house hunting, ice storms, census taking and recovery from natural and man-made disasters, Mansfield explores the importance of private houses beyond the basic necessity of shelter to allow for, as Emily Dickinson says in her poem I dwell in Possibility, “spreading wide my narrow Hands To gather Paradise.” His views on New England summer cabins and old farmhouses are particularly relevant to residents in our lakes region. But if none of the preceding appeals, you could try the next book I eagerly anticipate reading, Every Day is for the Thief, by Nigerian author Teju Cole. lakelivingmaine.com
27
summer bookshelf Book Reviews from the Owners & Staff of Bridgton Books
Pam’s Picks for Kids & Young Adults Peanut Butter and Jellyfish By Jarrett J. Krosoczka Ages 1+ Readers who love Frog and Toad will adore these two best friends, Peanut Butter, a seahorse, and Jellyfish, yes, a jellyfish. Both enjoy swimming and exploring the deep ocean floor. Crabby, their neighbor, is always bullying them when they swim near, so they do their best to ignore and avoid his rapid fire insults as he sits idle on his rock home. When faint sobs are heard, Peanut Butter and Jellyfish search for the distressed voice. They soon discover Crabby in a fatal bind. Find out what action Peanut Butter and Jellyfish take when their tormentor is in trouble. What would you do? Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit By Chris Van Dusen Ages 3+ With baseball season well under way and the author’s creative twist about a boy who uses science to assist with the biggest hit of his life, this inspirational book is sure to be a home run. Randy Riley’s swing is a bit off and he faces another embarrassing strikeout for his team, but at home, with his robotic toys, he plays the game with smashing results. Before turning into bed for the night, Randy peers through his space telescope and discovers a massive fire ball plummeting rapidly toward Earth and quickly devises a plan to avert the catastrophic collision. Find out if Randy’s calculations and projections are accurate enough to save the world. This is a Moose By Richard T. Morris Ages 3+ Take one! Filming is underway about a Mighty Moose and moose facts, but readers quickly learn the main star has bigger aspirations in life than just being an ordinary moose. Follow Moose on his quest to become Astronaut Moose with support and help from his unconventional moose family and animal friends. Tom Lichtenheld’s playful illustrations perfectly capture the animals’ emotions, which are reinforced with oversized captions that catapult Moose and company to the moon.
28 lakelivingmaine.com
The Girl Behind the Glass By Jane Kelley Ages 10+ Summer is a great time for huddling around a campfire and sharing ghost stories, especially this one that takes place in a haunted house on Hemlock Street. Construction couldn’t go fast enough for Hannah and her eleven-year-old twin sister, Anna. Forced to temporarily reside in an old abandoned house with a chilling history until their new house is built, Hannah and Anna’s relationship takes an unexpected turn for the worse. Hannah’s obsession with the voices she thinks she hears makes her family question her sanity, and the more time she spends in the house, the more she is convinced that someone is trying to communicate with her. The mystery slowly unravels and a hair-raising ending is sure to delight young readers. Endangered By Eliot Schrefer Ages 12+ Sophie, half Congolese and half American, grew up in the Congo. With her parents divorced and her dad returning to the US, Sophie spends her academic year in America and then summers with her mom in the Congo. Sophie’s mother works and manages a bonobo chimpanzee sanctuary and has convinced the government to give her land to house bonobos confiscated by the Ministry of Environment. Here, the bonobos are fed, receive medical treatment, and are then released into their natural habitat. Sophie understands it is illegal to buy bonobos, but when her truck is stopped at a conspicuous road block on her way to the sanctuary, she can’t abandon an infant bonobo clearly abused and in shackles. Political upheaval breaks out in the volatile country and the president is killed. With Sophie’s mother away on a mission, she is left with other caretakers at the sanctuary to fend for themselves. The United Nations
offers Sophie freedom but she is forced to choose between a one-way ticket out of the country or staying and saving her surrogate bonobo and others from slaughter. Jane By April Lindner Ages 15+ For those of you familiar with Jane Eyre, this contemporary version faithfully follows the story line with the exception that Jane’s employer is a famous rock star. Jane finds herself in poverty and is forced to drop out of college when both parents unexpectedly die. A unique governess position becomes available and Jane is hired to care for a spoiled, lonely, young girl raised by helping hands and a frequently absent rock star dad. Jane has no interest in the glamorous life of Mr. Nico Rathburn, and is content looking after his daughter at their Thornfield Park estate. For some strange reason, however, when Nico is home, she is forced to be present at many of his functions. Jane’s simple life in Thornfield Park is about to change. Hush Hush By Patrick Fitzpatrick Ages 16+ With vampire and werewolf love stories slowly fading and realistic fiction quickly leading the pack as the hottest new genre, I must admit I am reluctant to abort my craving for supernatural romance. Nora instantly protests her newly assigned biology lab partner, Patch, to no avail. His constant teasing and taunting repulses her, but his physical attraction is undeniable and he possesses a mysterious, bad boy quality that draws Nora. As their friendship evolves, Nora’s perfect life starts to crumble when she finds herself entangled with unexplainable events and Patch’s inhuman ability to instill thoughts in her head. Twilight fans are sure to devour this heavenly tale. R
Picket Fence Gallery
is celebrating their 12th anniversary and continues to hand select treasures from around the world as well as North America. Carrying the largest selection of Kazuri Ceramic jewelry and beads from Nairobi, Kenya, in East Africa, they welcome you to stop on in for an “out of town� experience. Located at 4 South High Street (At the Monument) in Bridgton. 207.647.5465
lakelivingmaine.com
29
I
an important part of our lives. remember hearing once that The fire of ’47 ravaged the Maine people own more giant pines that surrounded the second family homes per pond and left acres of black and capita than folks in any other charred ground. Undaunted, state. Whether that’s still true Mom and Dad bushwhacked a or not I don’t know, but it made path down to the water’s edge. sense at the time because so many Dad put Mom on the other end Maine families owned a camp, of a cross cut saw and the two of what people from away would them felled the dead trees. call a cabin, or cottage or even A man in Old Orchard Beach lake house. was tearing down an old garage. Mainers have been building Dad offered to finish the job if he and enjoying their remote and could have the walls, lumber and not-so-remote cabins for a hunwindows. Like so many Mainers dred years. Most were seldom getting by after the war, Dad and more than a one room cabin with his friends had boundless energy a loft, woodshed and backhouse. and great ingenuity. He and our Old friends would get together uncle loaded the dismantled and crib up a pile of logs to build garage onto a borrowed flatbed a hunting camp they sometimes truck and hauled it to the pond. used only once each year. Over the years, Dad and Many of these camps were Mom picked away at finishing built on leased land and date the cabin. Sometimes they’d have back to the last century. The traby randy randall a carpenter friend come for the dition of the paper company lease weekend to help build steps or goes back a long way. At last frame a door. Another weekend a mason buddy came to help lay count, there were approximately 17,000 such leasing arrangements up the chimney. in Maine according to the Maine Leaseholders Association. These We kids were always involved. We picked up stones to clear the inexpensive leases allowed even poor and middle class families to beach. Dad taught us how to pull old nails out of recycled boards. find their spot on the shore of some small, unremarkable pond, We swept up sawdust and lugged water from the spring. Later on, wilderness lake or stream. I helped Dad put on the roof and learned how to lay shingles. I also learned from an attorney who specializes in such things, Our stove was an ancient Atlantic that had come out of a barn. that a very common trust agreement in Maine is the “Family Camp Mom cooked our meals on that stove and we had the Coleman Trust” designed to keep the camp in the family for second and lantern for light and the whippoorwill sang us to sleep. third generations and beyond. I know folks who have inherited We weren’t alone. Other camp owners on the western shore were such properties from their parents and are now passing them on, building their cabins in much the same way, using cast-off lumber ten shares at a time, to their kids and grandkids. and old bricks. Sixty-four years later, my sister still owns and uses Usually, the camps were home built. A friend from the mill the old family camp. The changes that took place over the years town of Millinocket told me how back in the 1950s, her father would fill a book. pre-fabricated their family camp. He was an engineer with Great And so I come back to my original thought about so many MainNorthern Paper Company and on weekends and evenings at home, ers owning second family homes and I wonder how could that be, he built the walls and parts for their cabin. She recalled riding with considering Maine is such a poor state? Certainly, the land was him in the boat he had also built, with a wall of the camp balanced cheaper or at least more affordable sixty and seventy years ago. The precariously across the gunwales as they motored to the building paper company leases were dirt-cheap and for the most part, people site. That camp still stands today and belongs to her brother. were creative and ingenious and did most of their own work. You Thirty years ago when my wife and I bought our remote camp, can find thousands of camps in Maine that came about this way. we learned that the logs used to build it had been hauled across But I wonder if it’s possible these days for an average Maine the ice in the winter. Those timbers came from an abandoned barn family to begin at the shore and build their own camp? My sense is or horse hovel. Large rough-hewn beams were notched and fitted that might still be doable if folks are willing to drive further north together and raised up to make walls, rafters and joists. and east, closer to Canada, and put up with no electricity and gravel Our parents’ camp, the family camp where we grew up, also roads. Then again, I’m not sure the members of today’s modern had an interesting beginning. The short story is that our dad won family would have the spare time needed to build their own camp. a large pot in a poker game when he was in the Navy during WW Times change and priorities change and people leading comII. His winning hand was a “full house” and he sent the money plicated lives desire convenience and quick results. Folks who are home to his mother, who had the foresight to invest in a camp lot well off can buy any number of camps that are for sale in Maine, on Swan Pond in Lyman. or contract to have one built. No matter though, I’m sure their enAfter the war, Mom and Dad bought a run down farm in North joyment of the lake and camp would not be any greater than ours Saco and before long my sister and I were on the scene. Even back was those many years ago when we built our own. R then, when we were church-mouse poor, the camp on the pond was
Maine’s Camp Tradition
30 lakelivingmaine.com
Vacation Property Watch, Association Management, and Property Services Timber Harvesting
.COM
207.693.6000
caretakeamerica2@yahoo.com
• Selective Harvesting • Timberstand Improvement
Forest Management • Maine Tree Growth Plans/NH Current Use Plans • Harvest Plans • Free Timber Assessments • Timber Marking
Residential Land Clearing and Road Work • View Cuts • Road Building • Excavation and Sitework
Western Maine Timberlands is a full service sustainable timber harvesting and forest management company servicing Maine and New Hampshire landowners. We pride ourselves in working closely with landowners to ensure your goals are met. Working with us eliminates multiple contracts and high commissions—generating a higher return to you the landowner. Our staff includes a licensed professional Forester as well as a Maine Master Logger. Why choose anyone else? Call us today for your Free Timberland Assessment and find out what your land holds for you. Reach us by phone at 207-925-1138 or e-mail us from the link at our Web site:
lakelivingmaine.com
31
summer calendar continued from page 25
9th
6:30 pm—Hacker’s Hill 4-mile Climb, benefit Hacker’s Hill protection and stewardship. Loon Echo Land Trust. FMI: 207-6474352, www.loonecholandtrust.org
9th
7:30pm—Poetics with Richard Blanco & Friends Denmark Arts Center is honored to welcome 2012 White House Inaugural poet Richard Blanco for an evening of poetry. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
9th
7:30 pm—Deertrees New Repertory Company presents the bittersweet comedy The Grand O’Neal at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www. deertreestheatre.org-
10th
2:30 pm—Sebago Long Lake Family Concert at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
10th
6-9 pm—Full Moon Guided Paddle with Jen Deraspe, Founder of Nurture Through Nature Retreat Center (Rain date 8/11) FMI: www.ntnretreats.com
10th
7:30pm—Night Labor (Madein-Maine Movie) at the Denmark Arts Center A fascinating portrait of a night worker in a Maine fishpacking plant. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
12th An Evening of Astronomy hosted by Raymond and Casco Public Libraries, sponsored by Loon Echo Land Trust. FMI: 207-647-4352 or www.lelt.org
12th
14-16th
7:30pm—Placeholders at Denmark Arts Center Join Denmark’s own Hio Ridge Dance Collective for the premiere of a piece commissioned especially for the DAC. FMI: 207452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
15th
7:30 pm—Deertrees New Repertory Company presents the bittersweet comedy The Grand O’Neal at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
7:30 pm—The ever popular and multi-talented Don Campbell Band at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www. deertreestheatre.org
32 lakelivingmaine.com
24th
28th
9 am-3 pm—39th Annual Arts and Artisans Fair benefits Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library. Free and open to the public. New Suncook School, Lovell. FMI: visit www. hobbslibrary.org and click on the Arts and Artisans link. Or email: aafair@hobbslibrary.org
16th 9 am-3 pm—Rufus Porter Museum Antique & Vintage Fair at Stevens Brook Elementary School. Local dealers showcase their best antiques for sale. Antique appraisal 1-3 pm. FMI: www.rufusportermuseum.org
16th
9 am—The Great Adventure Challenge Triathlon at Shawnee Peak Ski Area in Bridgton. Benefits Good Neighbors, Inc. FMI: www. maineadventureracing.com
16th
7:30 pm—The New Black Eagle Jazz Band at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. Back by popular demand for our closing concert. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
20th
20th
14th
september
5-7 pm—Awareness and the Art of Seeing: A Guided Nature Walk on Pleasant Mountain at Nuture Through Nature in Denmark. FMI: www.ntnretreats.com
16th
13th
9 to 11am—Heald & Bradley Ponds Reserve (meet at Flat Hill Trailhead) This walk follows David Brown’s evening lecture on animal sign and behavior. FMI: 207-9251056 or www.gllt.org
22nd
Nature’s Quest—Nurture Through Nature Vision Quest on Pleasant Mountain Join Nurture Through Nature on a journey to renew your spirit. FMI: ntnretreats.com
10am to Noon—This Greater Lovell Land Trust walk will focus on the unique geology of the Kezar River Reserve and how it provides habitat to animals. FMI: 207-9251056 or www.gllt.org
14th
30th
10am—History Walk on Stevens Brook Trail led by Historian Sue Black, Lakes Environmental Association. Pre-registration required: 207647-8580 or mary@leamaine.org
7:30pm—Bluebird (Made-in-Maine Movie) at the Denmark Arts Center Created in Millinocket, BlueBird is a haunting tale of the ties that bind in a small rural town. Featuring John Slattery of Mad Men! FMI: 207-4522412 or denmarkarts.org
15-21st
7:30pm—Sebago Long Lake Music Festival Concert Circus at Deertrees Theatre, Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org 7:30 pm—Track and Sign Identification: Back to Basics with David Brown at Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell. FMI: Greater Lovell Land Trust 207-925-1056 or www.gllt.org
22nd
7:30 pm—Factors Affecting Lake Water Clarity with Peter Tobiessen (KLWA co-sponsored) at Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, Lovell. Greater Lovell Land Trust. FMI: 207-925-1056 or www.gllt.org
21st
10 am to Noon—Wilson Wing Moose Pond Bog Preserve This gentle Greater Lovell Land Trust walk will focus on mushrooms and forest ecology. FMI: 207-925-1056 or www.gllt.org
21st
7pm—History Slideshow on the Mills along Stevens Brook, presentation by Historian Sue Black, Lakes Environmental Association, Bridgton. Pre-registration required: 207647-8580 or mary@leamaine.org
7 pm—Mycology Basics led by Plant Pathologist and Mycologist Jesse Dubin, Lakes Environmental Assn, Bridgton. Pre-registration required: 207-647-8580 or mary@leamaine.org
29th
9 am—Mushroom Walk at Holt Pond led by Mycologist Jesse Dubin, Lakes Environmental Association. Pre-registration required: 207-6478580 or mary@leamaine.org
29th 5 pm—Something Rotten in the Town of Denmark: A Denmark Arts Center production Join Maine sculptor and artist Toni-Jo Coppa for the unveiling of a site-specific work created via an artist residency at the town dump. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
7:30 pm—Dinner (and a movie!) at the Denmark Arts Center Let the DAC serve you dinner, along with a documentary premiere of Denmark, created entirely by town youth. FMI: 207-452-2412 or denmarkarts.org
4th
9am-1pm—Shell Pond Walk (meet at Stone House Road off Rt. 113) This moderate level walk features scenic views of the north and south Baldfaces. Greater Lovell Land Trust. FMI: 207-925-1056 or www.gllt.org
9/6th 9 am—Hawk Migration Count at Hacker’s Hill in Casco with former Maine Audubon Director Richard Anderson. Bring a chair, binoculars, snacks and water. Loon Echo Land Trust. Rain date—9/7. FMI: 207647-4352 or www.lelt.org
20th
7:30 am-5 pm—14th Annual Loon Echo Trek A 4.5 or 6-mile hike over Pleasant Mt. and/or 25, 50, 75 and 100-mile bike trek. FMI: 207647-4352, trek@lelt.org, or register on-line at: www.loonechotrek.org
20th
4-6 pm—Harvest Supper, Narramissic, South Bridgton FMI: 207647-3699 www.bridgtonhistory.org
27th
11am-4pm—11th Annual Lakes Brew Fest, Point Sebago Resort, Casco. FMI: 207-647-3472 or www.mainelakeschamber.com
Pick-Your-Own Strawberries, Blueberries, Apples & Vegetables Call Ahead for What’s In Season Farmstand Open 7 Days 8am-6pm Farm Fresh Produce & Brick Oven Baked Goods 803 Waterford Road (between Routes 37 & 93) Sweden, ME 04040 (207) 647-9419
lakelivingmaine.com
33
Douglas M. Griffin, VMD, CVA Andrine D. Belliveau, DVM Diane Shively, DVM
We are a full-service hospital— open 6 days a week. Specializing in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, oncology and geriatric medicine.
34 lakelivingmaine.com
554 Roosevelt Trail Windham, Maine 207-892-7575
Main Street
Mercantile “On the Porch” at 158 Main Street, Bridgton 207.647.8500 A twelve-vendor shop, directly across from Reny’s. Antiques, collectibles, furniture & vintage finds.
Open Daily 10-5
www.facebook.com/MainStreetMercantileBridgton
lakelivingmaine.com
35
36 lakelivingmaine.com
ANDY BUCK
Building Custom House and Barn Frames Since 1987 Providing High Quality Timberframes for General Contractors and for the Owner/Builder Life Member of the Timber Framers Guild
97 Kimball Corner Road Naples, Maine 04055 (207) 935-1123 CustomTimberFramer.com
Clement Bros. has been designing, installing and maintaining quality landscapes in the Lake Region area for over 30 years. We are committed to using natural products and best management practices to ensure a safe environment. We specialize in creating outdoor living areas utilizing stone and native plants with an emphasis on low maintenance. Email us at mark@clementbros.com or find us on the web at www.clementbros.com
207-693-6646
Locally-owned and family-operated in Naples, Maine, since 1977. Members of: Professional Landcare Network and Maine Landscape and Nursery Association Certified DEP Contractor
Creating a better environment . . . one yard at a time.
lakelivingmaine.com
37
Premium Grade Hardwood Green & Seasoned
Don’t get caught short this winter! We are taking reservations for Seasoned to be delivered in the fall.
Maine’s most abundant natural resource. Call to place an order or order on-line:
207.452.2157
www.khiellogging.com 38 lakelivingmaine.com
lakelivingmaine.com
39
Bridgton Urgent Care Because bumps and bruises and ‘just not feeling so great’ can happen…even on vacation.
Open Monday through Friday 5PM to 9PM Saturday 8AM to 1PM 207-647-6166
d expandeURS! HO SUMMER August 17 June 27 ay rough Frid Monday th pm 5 pm to 9 Sunday d n a ay rd Satu pm 4 to 8 am
Located in the Specialty Clinic Wing of Bridgton Hospital, 10 Hospital Drive (off South HIgh Street)
Learn more about our new
Urgent Care at www.bridgtonhospital.org
40
Bridgton Urgent Care for minor emergencies. Bridgton Urgent Care for walk-in medical care.
Including: Colds, flu-like symptoms, hay fever, minor allergies, bruises, bumps, skin lumps, bronchitis, coughs, cuts and lacerations, earache or ear pain, muscle aches, blisters, sinusitis, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, insect bites and stings, muscle aches, sore throat, sports injuries, sunburn, eye irritation, joint pain. It’s always best to call your doctor when you need medical care, but when your doctor isn’t available Bridgton Urgent Care is for walk in care today. Our team of healthcare professionals will care for you as quickly as possibly and follow up with a record to your regular provider.
For Major Emergencies please use the Bridgton Hospital Emergency Department. Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. lakelivingmaine.com