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summer 2012 • vol. 15, no. 2
Heaven is a Place on Earth
smallboat summer speed century of growth portals to past dog days
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The Rufus
Porter Museum
Sign Up Now: Annual 2012 Cultural Heritage Series Workshops & Lectures in the Traditional Arts, July 23-28 and September 14-15 Class Descriptions and Registration Information on our website www.rufusportermuseum.org
2012 Special Exhibit: “The Art of Gameboards” Open June 13 thru October 13 Wednesday thru Saturday Noon-4pm Adults $8 ~ Seniors & Students $7 ~ Under 15 Free Air Conditioned & Handicapped Accessible 67 North High Street ~ PO Box 544 Bridgton, Maine 04009 207.647.2828
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Your Own Private Maine
Very private, custom log home on 16 acres and Pickerel Pond in Denmark, Maine. This home has it all. 4 bed, 3.5 baths, Fieldstone fireplace, great room, heated three car garage, media room, and waterfront. Listed at $1,290,000 Buy them separately or as a package. Call Nate: 207-838-7451 Nate Wadsworth, Realtor 341 Main Street Gorham, ME 04038 “Nate Sells Real Estate” natewadsworth@masiello.com 207-838-7451 • Office: 207-839-6930
Abutting the 16 acre cabin lot is the largest, listed contiguous parcel in Southern Maine with land in Sebago, Denmark, and Bridgton. 1,674 acres with an entire 20 acre great pond easily accessible with extensive paved and gravel road frontage. Buy it for an investment or as a recreational property. Listed at $1,790,000
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editor’s note
There are days when it seems I’ve just sat down to work and the day is over. They stand in stark contrast to the dwindling down of days prior to summer vacations of my childhood. Those days dragged on with excruciating slowness, and yet, perhaps because of that, they stand out in my memory—details like unwrapping a package of Hostess Snoballs, a normally forbidden treat discovered in my field day lunch bag, and savoring the sticky, sweet smell of them under an almost summer sun. Moments like that have an enduring kind of freeze frame quality, not unlike the one captured by Kathy Tappan on our cover this time. In truth, Kathy recalls sitting in her kayak in front of the dock at Tarry-A-While, with a Baggie covering her camera, to get this shot. “Took a few tries,” she admits. There may be a metaphor in there. Life is full of takes and retakes, but each take is unique. Ordinary moments are made extraordinary by the complete attention we give them, and as painter Ran Ortner puts it, “The memory of those peak experiences can inform your entire life.” In this case, an ordinary moment is exploded and an extraordinary memory captured in the air above a quiet Maine lake. So it occurs to me that maybe the best way to slow life down is to strive to give each moment the attention it deserves; expand IT and you expand your life! Summer in Maine provides the perfect practice ground. —Laurie LaMountain Editor & Publisher Laurie LaMountain Contributing Writers Leigh Macmillen Hayes, Laura & Tammy Drew, Deborah Heffernan, Andrew Clements, Kevin Hawkes, Lois Lowry, Justin Ward, Susan Connolly, Joyce White
summer 2012 • vol. 15, no. 2
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8 smallboat
20 camp susan curtis
12 heaven is a place on earth
by leigh macmillen hayes
by laurie lamountain
14 summer at any speed
by leigh macmillen hayes
16 a century of growth
by laurie lamountain
18 consider the source cover photo by kathy tappen
Changing Maine, One Child at a Time by joyce white
22 portals to the past
by leigh macmillen hayes
24 summer calendar 26 summer bookshelf
Reviews from Maine authors and Bridgton Books
30 dog days of summer
by laurie lamountain
Specializing in Waterfront Home Construction & Renovation
Contributing Photographers Kathy Tappan, Leigh Macmillen Hayes, Linda Whiting, Daniel Eaton 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 ©2012. 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.
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smallboat by leigh macmillen hayes
Following World War II and the introduction of aluminum, Daniel Eaton and Linda Whiting of fiberglass and other materials, the quality of canoes changed. smallboat shop on Hio Ridge in DenMost wood-and-canvas canoe shops went out of business, while mark are craftspeople who lovingly restore companies that began to mass produce fiberglass canoes, such as Old Town Canoe, survived. family heirlooms. Years ago Linda learned Many of these old canoes have fallen into the craft from a friend who had a disrepair over the decades, but nonetheless were boat shop in South Portland. She once dear to someone—be it your mother, father or grandparents. Possibly you have one hanging taught Dan what she knew and from the rafters of your barn or tucked away together they’ve learned from othunder your camp porch—waiting for you to give ers. Though Dan now does most it another look. This is where Dan steps in not only as craftsof the boat restoration while Linda “There is a heritage in man, but also an archaeologist. The restoration works with fibers, she still enjoys wood-and-canvas canoes process begins when he dismantles outer parts that evokes the warm talking about canoes. And part of including gunwales, stem bands, outside stems sun on the water and the and keel. He labels each item and every screw. the pleasure they find in working smells of campfires and Dan operates a shipshape shop on the first with small boats is the story behind pine needles; the feeling floor of his barn, where every tool and tack them. Like archaeologists, Dan of moving muscles as the has a home, despite the messy look of the green paddle cuts the surface apron he wears. Of course, aprons are meant to and Linda unearth the past as they and the simple pleasure be clothing protectors, and his obviously works of fishing in a peaceful breath new life into wood-andas it’s covered with paint and filler. stream or in doing the canvas canoes. After setting the outer parts of the boat to the Allagash with canoes Wood-and-canvas canoe construction flourside, he takes off the old canvas skin and strips full of friends.” ished from about 1880 to the Great Depression. off any varnish. Sometimes, removing the finish daniel eaton The heyday for recreational canoeing occurred reveals defects that weren’t obvious under all during the 1920s when 5,000 canoes were berthed that old patina—fractured planks and cracked at Norumbega Park—home to a carousel, penny arcade and the faribs are suddenly visible. All of this is recorded with photographs mous Totem Pole Ballroom—along the stretch of the Charles River so clients know what work he’s done. “When people bring boats between Newton Lower Falls and Waltham, Massachusetts. Besides in,” he says, “they don’t notice everything that is wrong. By having canoe races, young couples hoping for a chance to kiss in private, a disk when they get their bill—they can go back and compare the were allowed to paddle a rented boat without a chaperone present. before and after photos.”
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The restoration process is a long-term event, especially since it takes time to complete and reinstall repaired parts, including ribs that need to be steamed till they bend. Molds and patterns are made as necessary. A large sheet of canvas is prepared and stretched taut from end to end and side to side, then fastened to the canoe, a task that takes at least five hours. Filler is hand rubbed into the canvas. While it cures, which takes days on end, work continues on the gunwales, seats are stripped and recaned if necessary, and other parts repaired or remade. The canvas is painted with several coats and sanded, outer pieces are reattached and the hull is sealed with a final coat of enamel. In keeping with the integrity and beauty of the boats, he tries to use as much of the original wood as possible and chooses to respect the historical accuracy. Wood-and-canvas canoes are an evolution of the birchbark canoes built by Maine’s Native Americans as their chief means of transportation; they fished the coast during the summer months, then traveled upstream to hunt
and trap. These boats constantly needed to be repaired, but in their defense, they were light enough for one person to carry and traveled swiftly through the water. Frequently sail cloth was used to patch birchbark canoes, and eventually someone covered the entire canoe frame with it. By the late 1800s, Maine guides and sportsmen were among the first to make use of wood-and-canvas canoes, which were being built over an upside down form with ribs first, then planks and canvas, opposite of the birchbark canoes, traditionally built from the outside in, bark then planking and ribs. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, wood-and-canvas canoes represented some of the finest examples of American craftsmanship. Men such as Evan Gerrish, Bert Morris, Guy Carleton, E.M. White, Alfred Wickett, J.H. Rushton, C.P. Nutting, John Ralph Robertson and George Stephenson built them, many of which we now recognize as functional works of art. Over the years, Dan and Linda have come to recognize subtleties about these antique boats that help them identify the creator.
Over the years, Dan and Linda have come to recognize subtleties about these antique boats that help them identify the creator. Evidence exists in the remains of the ribs, thwarts, and stems—fossils indicating who may have built the boat.
Evidence exists in the remains of the ribs, thwarts, and stems—fossils indicating who may have built the boat. Records for most companies no longer exist; but in Old Town canoes the length and serial number are stamped into the bow and stern stem and a build record, which states the year the boat was built, by whom, for whom and the original color, may be obtained. I think this aspect of the restoration excites them as much as making the repairs. They also enjoy the personal stories that are associated with each boat they’ve worked on. As Dan thumbs through a photo album and shares stories, it becomes evident that they sometimes form a hypothesis about the builder, only to make further discoveries that cause them to abandon their original thinking. Other times, they are right on
HB Arnold post restoration (inset left) stripping interior of HB Arnold below
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Before and after shots of a CP Nutting
Before and after shots of a 1910 18’ Old Town Guide
the mark. “ T h e r e are certain aspects of the construction,” says Linda, “that are clues to the maker and some are very distinctive.” On one occasion, a woman asked if a canoe that her parents had stored in a barn for 59 years was worth being repaired. Apparently her father had purchased the canoe second hand in 1947 and took his betrothed out on Highland Lake, where the canvas pulled away and the boat immediately sunk. He put the boat in the barn and there it remained, collecting dust. By the long decks, closed gunwales and small brass plaque Dan discovered it was a Nutting (they use the builder’s last name to identify boats) made in Waltham, Massachusetts. Another customer looked up in a friend’s barn and said, “Wow, that’s a nice boat.” His friend responded, “You want it, take it.” They thought the 12.5 foot boat was an Old Town. The guy brought it to smallboat shop to see how much it would cost to re-canvas.
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Dan wasn’t sure what type it was at first, but it looked familiar. Linda looked at it and thought it looked like a Stephenson. George Stephenson, a Canadian native and Maine guide, made canoes in Norway and Lovell from the 1890s through the 1940s. In this case, the rib thickness and spacing, mahogany inlays and seat cleats provided clues. Stephenson canoes are identified by their small teardrop-shaped decks, and nicely carved and shaped thwarts. A New York woman asked if they’d work on her mother’s Old Town canoe. Dan noted that when they took the boat off the roof of her car, it was as light as a feather. Setting it on the ground, he remembers asking, “Would you be upset if I told you this isn’t an Old Town?” “Oh, it’s always been my mother’s Old Town,” she replied. They discovered it was a Rushton Indian Girl built circa 1912 in Canton, New York and a much rarer find than an Old Town.
Linda explains, “The way we figured out the year was you could see a decal on the bow stem. I took fine sand paper and just kept rubbing it down. The decal stayed. It’s more valuable if you can keep a decal or even a portion of one, than if you take the whole thing off.” Each discovery helps to enlarge their knowledge and understanding of canoes, their builders and subsequent owners. “They’re really beautiful boats,” says Dan. “They were made beautifully with great care and quality materials and in almost all cases you can bring them back to almost what they were.” Once restored, these antique heirlooms that showcase the American tradition of quality and workmanship can be handed down for generations. For Dan and Linda, restoring these old canoes is a labor of love that involves both the romance of woodworking and the fascination of history. R Visit the smallboat shop at 394 Hio Ridge Road, Denmark or at www.smallboat-shop.com. For more information contact Linda and Dan at 207.452.2678 or info@smallboat-shop.com.
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Heaven Is a Place on Earth
“Don’t change a thing” is the most oft-repeated comment left in the guest book at Tarry-A-While Resort in Bridgton, Maine. Nan and Marc Stretch bought the resort in 1994, when they were in their early forties and raising three children. Nan, who grew up in Bridgton, laughs as she recalls an evening spent with friends before they became owners. They had reached the phase of revelry that prompts the sharing of “if you could do anything . . .” dreams, and Nan and Marc shared that they would buy Tarry-A-While Resort on Highland Lake.
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by laurie lamountain
“
e careful what you wish for,” jokes Nan, on a cold, May morning just weeks away from opening the inn for their 18th season. It seems the fates must have been listening that night, and when Nan saw an ad for the resort in The Portland Press Herald not long after, she immediately called the realtor, arranged a meeting and arrived on her bicycle for the showing. Nan points out that everything about Tarry-A-While, including the ad in the newspaper, seems as though fate had a hand in it. Their executive chef, Daryl Mackin, who ran the kitchen for several years before the Stretches decided they’d had their fill of being restaurateurs, came to them by chance, and the many kids they hired to work in the kitchen became like their own. In fact, they maintain close ties with many of them to this day. Nan credits the energy in the property itself with the copacetic quality that has accompanied their years at Tarry-A-While. It is indeed a property like no other. Since Forrest Abbott built and opened it in 1897, there have been just two other owners. Considering the average innkeeper’s stint is 7 to 9 years, it’s testament to just how unique Tarry-A-While is. Beyond the physical beauty of 25 acres of land that gently slope down to 500 feet of pine-forested lakefront facing both Shawnee Peak and the White Mountains, there’s a timeless quality to the resort that renders deadlines, duties and schedules completely irrelevant. “The Twilight
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of our heart at We leave a piece every stay. Tarry-A-While with vacation, it’s It is more than a ry! truly a living memo
Zone . . . Great!” reads one of the entries in the guestbook, but I’m more inclined to think of poppy fields in the Land of Oz. As in Oz, there are no televisions or phones at Tarry-A-While. They now have Wi-Fi, but, Marc notes, “just in one spot. And cell phones don’t work well here either.” Tarry-A-While is a place to unplug and unwind. It offers families a space to truly be family within the context of a beautiful natural setting and without the distraction of electronic devices. Nan remembers one family of four from New Jersey who arrived at the inn looking so stressed out she suggested the first thing they do was put on their bathing suits and jump in the lake. When they came to check out one week later, they had so physically changed she didn’t recognize them at first. The Stretches realize that Tarry-A-While is not for everyone. It’s neither posh nor predictable. Those who want the standard of a brand hotel might find the wall-mounted porcelain sinks, pull chain lights, wallpaper and creaky stairs lacking, but for so many others it reconnects them to a world that is rapidly disappearing. What’s important to remember about Tarry-A-While is that throughout World Wars I and II, the Great Depression, the Korean War and Vietnam, Watergate and 9/11, it has remained pretty much the same, and, judging from their comments, that’s precisely what guests love about it. It is a
relic of a past that can never be replicated because the era and the ethos of those who built it are gone. Marc is quick to point out that they’ve never really seen themselves as owners, but rather more like stewards of the property. It’s been both their pleasure and their duty to preserve this timeless piece of the past, but over the years they’ve slowly scaled down their offerings—first, by closing the restaurant that was serving 120 meals per night, and then by eliminating the many summer weddings they hosted. And though they still offer nightly lodging with breakfast at the inn, the cottages have gone from nightly to weekly lodging, and the season has gone from four months to three. None of these measures has been taken due to lack of interest (they continue to receive calls for weddings). After 18 years as innkeepers, with their children grown and married, Nan and Mark feel that they are ready to move on to the next phase of their lives. For the past several years, Marc has been painstakingly restoring an antique farmhouse just down the road from Tarry-A-While. The house is now finished and the Stretches are ready to make it their home. All that’s needed now is for someone who shares the vision they have for Tarry-A-While to take it over. Since they made the decision to put Tarry-A-While on the market, the Stretches have had several offers from developers. One person had plans to raze the five cottag-
es and build nine houses in their stead. It’s not the first time the surrounding lakefront has been threatened. Years ago a developer had plans to build a condominium complex on some property a couple of doors down from Tarry-A-While, but the previous owners of the resort, who happen to live right next door, thwarted them by buying the property themselves. Marc says that so far it’s been fairly easy to discourage developers just by asking for a letter of intent to inform the neighboring properties of their plans. “Asking for that letter has been the point of departure with many of the developers,” says Marc. But he also notes that there doesn’t seem to be many preservationists left who can appreciate Tarry-A-While for what it is and not for what it could be. Having said that, Nan and Marc both acknowledge that there’s nothing wrong with someone coming in and updating aspects of the inn and cottages. “You can change things subtly so that it isn’t gone,” says Marc. The point is to save what they see as an endangered piece of local history. Nan has faith that the right buyer will come along. Marc wrestles with the question of whether it’s they who are an endangered species in their refusal to accept the potential end of an era. I’m with Nan, and I’m guessing so are Anthony and Susan who wrote in the guest book “This is a place of holiness, peace and quiet. This is heaven. Be back soon.” R lakelivingmaine.com
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y n a t a r e Summ I
Speed
magine catching the waves—not on a wakeboard or tube, but a small surf board. The force of the speed boat draws you into the sweet spot. Dropping the rope, you surf as the wake literally pulls you around the lake. Or perhaps you see yourself riding a mountain bike on an undulating route with some grueling uphills followed by gratifying downhill swoops. The terrain varies from short stretches of road to rutted tracks through the woods and grassy paths along fields. Or maybe you prefer the slower, quieter speed of Tai Chi where you align your body and flow softly through 108 choreographed movements. From wakesurfing to cycling to Tai Chi, you’ll find recreation at every speed in the lakes region. Check out these opportunities to discover your preferred RPMs. Wakesurfing is one of the sports Harry Hewes teaches at Sun Sports + on the Causeway in Naples. He and his wife, Kirsten, recently moved Sun Sports + 500 feet up the street from the location where their business began in 1994. With the new store, which has 3,500 square feet of retail space, they’re on their way to becoming the lakes region’s watersports headquarters. Besides offering men’s and women’s clothing, accessories and novelty items, they have everything you need for a summer on the water: wakeboards, waterskis, wakeskates, wakesurfers, knee boards and stand-up paddleboards. All of the top brand equipment
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by leigh macmillen hayes
is for sale or rent, from beginner packages thru elite pro-models. With Long Lake directly across the street, Harry is excited to introduce people to the different sports, give them tips and pointers and start long-term customer relationships. “Everything we sell, we can teach you,” says Harry. Check at the store or on Facebook to learn when he will offer specific lessons and ski school. If you are interested in learning on calm water, you might consider joining him at 6 or 7 a.m. “My goal is to offer wakeup-and-ride experiences, whether it’s skiing, wakeboarding or stand-up paddleboarding. The best water is early in the morning,” says Harry. And during the course of the summer professional and sponsored riders will provide clinics. At Singletrack Cycle Shop on Route 302 in Naples, you can rev your speed up or down. Owner Scott Kilton has biked most of his life and raced for ten years, winning frequently. He knows what speed is all about. Scott has built his experience and knowledge by racing and working in bike shops both in Maine and Colorado before opening his own. He knows the wear and tear that bikes take, from flat tires to rust. At the shop he opened in 2010, he offers standard bicycle tune-ups for $50. From Strider bikes for the preschool set to track, single speed, mountain, road, comfort, touring, fitness and kid bikes, Singletrack Cycle Shop has it all. And if he doesn’t have it, Scott will order it.
He’s also branching out to help others enjoy this lifelong sport. Scott and some friends are creating mountain bike trails. “We move stuff out of the way, but don’t cut anything down, and we’re always looking for help,” says Scott. On Monday afternoons at 4:00 during the summer months, Scott is offering group mountain bike rides throughout the lakes region. Recreational and elite cyclists may enjoy the Tour de Lovell, a twenty mile bike race on Saturday, August 11th in Lovell or the Loon Echo Hike ‘n Bike Trek, the toughest 100-mile bike trek in Maine, with 25 and 50 mile options on Saturday, September 15th at Shawnee Peak in Bridgton. Both offer spectacular views of the White Mountains. Embracing slowness and moving toward a more relaxing life style is Tai Chi. This Chinese martial and healing art is practiced in a continuous series of slow moving, relaxed postures. Based on Taoist philosophy, it supports and enhances every aspect of your life. For the fifth summer, Tai Chi Maine instructor Brian Grennan will offer a free “Tai Chi in the Park” beginners class on Monday mornings, 9 - 10:30, June 4 - August 27, at the Denmark Bicentennial Park. Over the course of the summer, students will learn the first seventeen moves of the graceful 108-move Moy Tai Chi “set.” If you have never done this form of exercise, you are encouraged to attend and learn these graceful movements in a synchronous way with others while listening to the soothing sound of water flowing over the Moose Pond Dam. In keeping with the philosophy of Master Moy, whose mission he follows, Tai Chi in the Park is free. Brian encourages participants to make a contribution at the end of the summer, which will benefit local organizations. Over the last four years, the group has given in excess of $2,500 to Denmark non-profits. The emphasis of the Moy style in working with the western body is on health benefits, stretching, balance and massaging the internal organs. Another major component is socialization. “It’s been well documented,” says Brian, “that if you do a therapy in a group setting, it’s more effective than if you try to do it alone. There’s reinforcement in the group and there’s a group energy that actually occurs.” Anyone from teenagers and older is encouraged to join the summer program and learn body awareness. This has become the social highlight and leisure activity for a great number of individuals who will tell you that Tai Chi would not be the same if you had to hurry through it. In each of these outdoor activities, connection with others and balance will help you discover the speed at which you are most comfortable. R
sun sports+
Roosevelt Trail (Route 302), Naples 207.693.3867 www.sunsportsme.com, sunsportsme@hotmail.com
singletrack cycle shop
15 Kilton Drive (off Route 302), Naples 207.318.2387 onewheeldrive@five.com
tai chi in the park
Denmark Bicentennial Park Route 160, Denmark 207.452.2239 For information on these and other free Tai Chi Maine classes, visit www.taichiinmaine.com
tour de lovell bicycle race Lovell Recreation 207.925.1084 www.bikereg.com/Net/16117
loonecho hike ‘n bike trek Shawnee Peak, Bridgton 207.647.4352, www.loonechotrek.org
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A Century of Growth by laurie lamountain
“Do or dina ry things e x tr aor dina r ily w ell .”
O
Catherine McAuley
ne hundred years ago in Portland, Maine, the Sisters of Mercy started a college that now hugs the shore of Sebago Lake on the acreage of a former summer estate. In 1912, some of the graduates of a Mercy-run high school in the city wanted further education to become teachers, and the nuns responded by opening the St. Joseph’s Normal School for Girls, as the college was known then. It’s not surprising that the needs of the young women were met, given that the Sisters of Mercy were founded by Catherine McAuley, whose intention over 180 years ago was to care for the poor, the sick and the uneducated in her native Ireland. When the order expanded to America, the nuns founded schools, colleges and hospitals to carry on McAuley’s legacy. ate and undergraduate degree programs. The Sisters of Mercy are still associated One thing that has not changed at St. with St. Joseph’s College, but the college Joseph’s College is the fundamental goal has grown dramatically. The most notable of providing a small-scale atmosphere of change is the location. Driven by the expanmentoring and support that encourages sion of the degree program offerings, the learning. There are 1,000 resident students, college relocated in 1955 to a lakeside camwith a student/faculty ratio of 14 to 1 and pus along Whites Bridge Road in Standish. an average class size of 17. In 1970 the college became co-educational “Because I went to a big school, I was and established an intercollegiate athletics amazed by the feeling of community when department that today boasts 19 varsity I came here. That plays out in a lot of sports. The college currently offers more different ways. For one thing, everybody than 40 majors, minors and pre-professional knows your name. The professors know programs. While considered a liberal arts your name, the cashier in the dining room college, it offers degrees in nursing, business, knows your name, and the remaining Sisters education, and several other fields. The inof Mercy probably know your name,” says troduction of distance education in 1976 acCharmaine Daniels, of the marketing and counts for 2,500 non-resident students from public relations staff at St. Joseph’s. 42 states currently enrolled in on-line gradu-
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Daniels points out that even though St. Joseph’s is relatively small, it has a great deal of impact on community outreach. By advocating and implementing the Sisters of Mercy’s ministry principles of caring for the earth, caring for other people, and setting limits to consumption, its professors and staff encourage and impart a sense of social responsibility in students. Before sustainability became the buzzword that it is today, St. Joseph’s implemented a requisite environmental science course for all juniors. Proposed by Dr. Daniel Sheridan, the academic dean at the time, the Ecology and the Environmental Challenge course was inspired by the teachings of Father Thomas Berry, a Catholic eco-theologian and cultural historian. Although conceived as a science course, the curriculum draws on ethics, sociology, economics and even theology as a means of encouraging students to protect the environment. Not all students are thrilled by the requisite nature of the course, but many more find it nothing short of life-changing. Since incorporating Ecology and the Environmental Challenge into the curriculum, several changes at St. Joseph’s have followed in its footsteps. Five years ago, the college bought land across the road from the campus and began involvement with what is now Pearson’s Town Farm at St. Joseph’s College. Formerly an alpaca farm, the 26-acre parcel is used to produce organic vegetables, eggs and poultry for the dining hall as well as Catherine’s Cupboard Food Pantry in Standish, which was established by the college four years ago. St. Joseph’s food vendor, Bon Appétit, funded the farm project in its first year, but the college now
Of course, all of the produce coming from the three acres of cultivated land at Pearson’s Town Farm travels less than a mile from farm to fork.
Stuart Leckie, general manager of Bon Appétit at St. Joseph’s on right. runs it and the two work in league to offer healthy and delicious meals in the campus dining room. Stuart Leckie, general manager of Bon Appétit at St. Joseph’s, is completely behind sustainable agriculture and promoting locally grown food. On designated days, all the food coming from the dining room is sourced within a 150-mile radius. Of course, all of the produce coming from the three acres of cultivated land at Pearson’s Town Farm travels less than a mile from farm to fork. Michial Russell, the farm manager, comes from farming stock on both sides of his family. The energy and enthusiasm he shows toward his work is almost dizzying. On a wet May morning at the farm, he stands with coffee cup in hand, outlining the list of accomplishments so far—two hoop houses, a barn filled with sheep, goats, rabbits and laying hens, and compost worked from the 30,000 pounds of food and paper waste that comes from the dining hall each year. A large bed of four varieties of garlic and bigger fields for growing vegetables are nearby. Future plans include grass-fed beef, pigs and the addition of a third hoop house in the fall. Russell jokes that they’re going “whole hog.” Russell’s passion for organic farming is in evidence all around the farm as well as in his voice as he talks about creating a permaculture design in which all things work together and everything is intentional. The
goats are “environmentally-friendly brush hogs” and along with the sheep, provide an abundance of manure. The laying hens conduct weed and pest patrol, and whatever eggs they lay that are not used in the college kitchen, are sold to buy hay or feed. Then there is the bigger picture intention that includes the ecology students in farm work. After studying the strengths and weaknesses of the global industrial food production system in their class, students come to the farm when they can work it into their schedules and experience small-scale, sustainable food production with Russell. He points out that participating in the farm activities gets them reacquainted with where their food comes from, which is a particularly eyeopening experience for those from an urban environment. Biology and pre-veterinary students have also played their part in animal management on the farm. During the height of the growing season, a group of intern students work part time at the farm. For the first time this year, the farm offered a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. The limited number of shares available got snapped up by faculty and staff, but Russell hopes to expand the program to outside shareholders next year. Also this summer, the college will offer Camp Plant-a-Seed for children, a weeklong experience intended to help the next generation learn to be good stewards of the earth. At the same time the farm began five
years ago, the Attainable Sustainable program at St. Joseph’s was created with the intent of promoting environmental responsibility and instilling a sense of stewardship in students. Dr. Jeanne Gulnick, a natural sciences professor, is the program’s coordinator, and she has helped to develop many of the school’s current sustainability practices. She also coordinates a team of eco-reps. Recycling bins throughout the campus and in each dorm room make everyone more mindful of the amount of waste they’re generating. Trayless dining encourages students to take only what they can eat, and the “Go Green, Then Go Home” program provides students a means to recycle or give away items they no longer need or want when they move out of the dorms each May. Furniture and clothes left behind are donated to the Good Cause Thrift Shop in Portland and Standish. Books, magazines and movies are sent to soldiers serving in the military. There has also been an energy competition between residence halls to see who could decrease their usage the most. Students are not the only ones who are being asked to step up. The campus ETeam is made up of faculty and staff who coordinate the Sustainability Festival each September to showcase everything from hybrid cars to wallets made out of duct tape, and Bon Appétit prepares a wonderful Eat Local lunch for this annual celebration of sustainable living.
Gulnick probably said it best when she stated “Colleges and universities lead society and social change when it comes to environmental responsibility. We can act as a model for society.” I think Catherine McAuley would approve. You can learn more about St. Joseph’s College by visiting their Web site at www. sjcme.edu, but you would be better off visiting this beautiful 365-acre campus and perhaps grabbing a meal at the Bon Appétit Café. It’s open to the public. R lakelivingmaine.com
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I
Consider the Source
nspired by Bon Appétit and Pearson Town Farm at St. Jo-
Agriculture (CSA) farms. They provide a mutually beneficial ex-
seph’s College in Standish, we thought we’d follow their lead
change between grower and investor, in which farm shares can be
by featuring recipes that use seasonally available, farm fresh
purchased that will yield a weekly allowance of fresh vegetables
ingredients. Fortunately, it’s summer, so it’s easy to come up with
during the growing season. CSA farms are sprouting up all over the
meals that make creative use of fresh vegetables and fruits. Even
place (pun intended). Alma Farm, Weston’s Farm, Maple Springs
if you don’t have a backyard garden to harvest your own, there
Farm and Rippling Waters Farm are but a few here in western
are plenty of farmers’ markets and farm stands throughout the
Maine. To find out where they are in your area, go to www.mofga.
lakes region where you can forage for a fee. Another way to enjoy
net/Directories/CommunitySupportedAgricultureinMaine for a
locally grown, fresh produce is through Community Supported
directory of CSAs by county.
tommy hancock’s tomato pie Geof Hancock of Alma Farm in Porter shares this quirky-but-delicious family recipe. 2-1/4 3 Tbsp 2/3 1 2 2 1/2 1/4 1/2 1 2 1/3
c Bisquick butter, melted c milk large onion, diced cloves garlic, minced Tbsp butter 6 medium “just picked” tomatoes c chopped fresh basil tsp salt tsp pepper c grated cheddar cheese Tbsp lemon juice c mayonnaise
Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Mix Bisquick, melted butter and milk together. Knead a couple of times. Divide in half and roll out for two crusts. Place the bottom raw crust in pie plate. (If Bisquick is not your thing, any hardy pie crust recipe will work.) Sauté onion and garlic in remaining 2 Tbsp butter. Slice tomatoes 1/2” thick and place evenly over raw crust, usually in two layers, but three is okay. Cover with the sautéed onions and garlic. Add the chopped basil evenly over the top and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the entire pie. Mix together the lemon juice and mayonnaise; drizzle over
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the cheese. Place the top crust on the pie and make a few small slashes to vent the pie. Bake 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve.
arugula and goat cheese mashed potatoes Stowell at Rippling Waters Organic Farm in Standish declares this recipe, “Beyond tasty, highly nutritious and seasonal. Give it a shot!” 3 1/4 1 1/4 5 1
lbs potatoes quartered c butter c whole milk oz. soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled c chopped arugula leaves
Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling, salted water until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to pot. Stir over low heat until excess moisture evaporates. Add butter; mash potatoes until smooth. Bring milk to simmer in saucepan. Remove from heat. Add goat cheese; whisk until melted. Add milk mixture to potatoes; whisk until smooth. Stir in arugula. Season with salt and pepper.
lamb burgers
“We buy as much of our meat as we can from our colleagues in Maine. Locallyraised lamb is unlike supermarket varieties–try it once, and you’ll be hooked on its
juiciness and delicious, mild flavor,” says Mark at Maple Springs Farm in Harrison. 1 2-3 1/2 2-3
lb ground lamb Tbsp Mars onion, minced tsp Russian red garlic, minced Tbsp bread crumbs made from bread of your choice splash of milk salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauté minced onion and garlic lightly in butter. Set aside. Make bread crumbs and set aside. Your bread crumbs will actually be better for this recipe if they are left to air dry for a bit. Stir them occasionally, if you think of it. Close to serving time, place bread crumbs in a medium-sized bowl and pour enough milk over them to moisten well. Add lamb, sautéed onion and garlic, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix lightly but well. Form into burgers and grill to desired doneness.
maple & smoked bacon biscuits Jonathan Spak of Oxford House Inn shares his recipe for these decidedly Maine biscuits. The Oxford House Restaurant in Fryeburg specializes in menu offerings prepared with locally grown and sourced ingredients.
1 3 1/2 2 1 3/4 1/2 3/4 c + 2 Tbsp 3/4 c + 2 Tbsp 1 1 1
lb. bacon - cut into 1/2” pieces c all purpose flour Tbsp granulated sugar Tbsp baking powder tsp salt lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter cut into 1/2” cubes maple syrup, divided buttermilk egg yolk egg Tbsp heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Fry bacon in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat until cooked, but not crispy. With a slotted spoon, transfer it from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate. Mix next four (dry) ingredients in a large bowl or food processor. Using pulse setting or a pastry cutter, cut in butter until the mixture resembles small peas. Stir in cooked bacon and 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp of the maple syrup and the same amount of buttermilk, just until the dough comes together. Be careful not to overwork the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1” thickness and cut biscuits using a 2” round pastry cutter. Your cutter must be thin walled and generally sharp, otherwise it will seal the edges of the biscuits and they will not rise. Arrange cut biscuits on a baking tray, 3x4, about 2” apart. Set trays in freezer until dough is chilled. This will help them rise properly. While dough is chilling, mix the egg yolk, egg and cream in a small bowl. Once chilled, brush biscuits with egg wash and bake until golden brown—about 25 minutes.
grown-up strawberry sundae Laurie at Weston’s Farm in Fryeburg suggests this not-too-sweet combination as the perfect end to a meal. All of the ingredients are available at the farm during strawberry season. 1 I 1
pint native strawberries, sliced bottle Serendipity, Cellar Door Winery’s Maine Gold maple syrup-infused Reisling wine pint Sandwich Creamery vanilla ice cream
Sweeten the sliced strawberries with a healthy shot of Serendipity. Let the fruit and wine infuse for at least 15 minutes before serving over two scoops of vanilla ice cream with the remaining Serendipity served on the side. R lakelivingmaine.com
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Camp Susan Curtis
F
e Changing Main e One Child at a Tim
or eight weeks each summer, the laughter of resident loons on secluded Trout Lake in Stoneham, Maine, mingles with the laughter of campers at Camp Susan Curtis, a privately-funded camp for Maine children and teens that borders this pristine lake. Camp Susan Curtis was first known as Trout Lake Camp for Boys. In the 1940s, when astronaut Buzz Aldrin was a child, he, along with other boys from affluent families in other states, spent their entire summers at the camp. By 1971, however, the camp was on the market. At that time, Kenneth Curtis was Maine’s governor when his daughter Susan died from cystic fibrosis. Maine people shared the sorrow of the governor’s family and gave contributions totaling $5000. Ken and Polly Curtis convened a group of friends to help them decide the best way to use the money. “Do something for Maine children” was the theme that emerged and the Camp Susan L. Curtis Foundation was formed to honor their daughter. Further contributions helped them meet the goal of making a summer camp experience possible for Maine children who would never have had the experience otherwise.
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by joyc e white
In 1974, the camp was purchased by the foundation and began providing a two-week camp experience for qualifying Maine children. An especially surprising—and heartwarming—part of that story is that it was tuition free then and remains tuition free to this day. Children who qualify for subsidized school lunch programs can be referred by teachers and counselors. Melissa Cilley, Esq. began as the foundation’s new executive director in April 2011
and had previously used her law degree to represent children and work in children’s advocacy programs. With three children of her own, she is enthusiastic about the opportunity to direct this organization which benefits Maine children. In her second year as director, Melissa has been impressed by the quality of the camp, its dedication to its mission and the children it serves. “These are amazing young people,” she says “who blossom with the program-
ming offered at Camp Susan Curtis. It is so exciting to see them grow.” Still, Melissa recognizes that there are a number of boys and girls across the state who qualify for Camp Susan Curtis who will never get to experience this life-changing opportunity. “Each year the need increases,” Melissa says. “The summer of 2011 had a record number of registrations as well as a waiting list.” Camp Susan Curtis offers a full range of activities, with new ones being added nearly every year. In addition to traditional nature hikes, waterfront activities and campfires, campers have the opportunity to experience primitive camping trips in the White Mountains, complete a ropes course, learn archery and play kickball. For the inevitable rainy days, there is an indoor gym, crafts building, and library where campers may participate in plays, create many forms of art or simply read. In her third year as camp director, Terri Mulks explains that children learn important life skills—communication skills, respect for themselves, each other, adults and the natural world. A guiding principle within the organization is that when children are helped to become healthy, responsible citizens, everyone benefits. Even as new activities have been added over the years, the focus has remained the same: To provide an enjoyable two weeks of learning and growing through a variety of activities planned to foster each child’s development of healthy interpersonal and leadership skills, plus a sense of personal worth and responsibility toward people and the environment. No video games or cell phones are permitted. “It’s so nice to see kids who are used to being glued to video games become totally excited about rocks,” Terri says. For almost 40 years Camp Susan Curtis has been meeting a compelling community need to provide disadvantaged Maine children with equal opportunities for success says Lori Southworth, development director for the foundation. “The success of individual boys and girls is multiplied many times over when a Susan Curtis camper returns to his or her community, invested with the desire and the skills to help others succeed.” Case in point, in an internal study it was found that of program participants who returned at least 4 summers and completed the CSC leadership curriculum, 96% finished high school and nearly 80% went on to college or some form of advanced training. Pretty impressive. Jessica Grass, 24, is one such camper. She first went to camp at age eight. Jessica has fond memories of the annual drive to Camp
Susan Curtis. “Camp was something in my life that was a constant,” she says, “a place where I was not shy and got to be the person I truly am.” The friendships she made during those years have endured. “When I went back as a counselor, I wanted to give to those children the same things that had been given to me. Each summer, children I had worked with before would come to my cabin on their first day at camp and give me a huge hug that
has been the most rewarding I have experienced. I feel so grateful that I have been able to provide that same feeling of caring and stability for those children.” For more information about Camp Susan Curtis, or to make an on-line donation, visit www.susancurtisfoundation.org. You can also reach them by e-mail at info@susancurtisfoundation.org or by phone at 207.774.1552. R
Of the program participants who returned at least 4 summers and completed the CSC leadership curriculum, 96% finished high school and nearly 80% went on to college or some form of advanced training.
lakelivingmaine.com
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They may not be grand or famous, but the small museums of the lakes region certainly capture the past.
by leigh macmillen hayes
Portals to the Past The Rufus Porter Museum and Cultural Heritage Center
was founded in 2005 to showcase the folk art history of the area, with an emphasis on Porter’s work. Rufus Porter was a real entrepreneur who painted miniature portraits, as well as highly-prized wall murals that are still in houses throughout New England. Besides being a traveling folk artist, he was an inventor, musician, teacher, and founder of Scientific American magazine. Folk art collectors Julie and Carl Lindberg had the foresight to save much of the material culture of the Bridgton area, including the work of Porter and his apprentices, and chose to give back by sharing their collection with the community and supporting the Rufus Porter Museum in its infancy. The late Nancy Smoak, who served as the first director of the museum, had the dream to create a center where
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traditional arts, including decorative arts like wall paintings, could be kept alive and passed on to the next generation. Seven years later, the museum is on the cusp of growing. While it has been housed in a red Cape on North High Street, which the Lindbergs made possible in order to share murals and other pieces of decorative arts, it is now on the verge of a transition to a larger space. Over the last two years, Nelle Ely, president, has overseen the purchase of the WebbGallinari property at 121 Main Street and the growth of the Board of Directors. Executive Director Andrea Hawkes says that the Board “has a dream to make a campus-like anchor for cultural heritage in Bridgton.” The campus will include the restored Webb-Gallinari home, with gallery, office, research and gift shop space. The current museum on North High Street will be moved to the Main Street campus. After 2015, a barn will be constructed to house the recently acquired Jonathan Poor murals, which came from the East Baldwin home of Norma and Glen Haines. Poor was Porter’s nephew and apprentice. The mission of the museum is “to increase the enjoyment, knowledge and pride of our communities by bringing to life the world and inspiring works of Rufus Porter— a remarkable American artist and inventor.” In the new, larger space, the possibilities are endless for fulfilling the mission. The Board envisions a community gathering space open year round with courses and programs to appease all age groups. “Rufus Porter was a great artist,” says Andrea. “He painted murals and miniature portraits that we have in the museum. I think sometimes people only think of him in the sort of humanities part of things, but he was also a great scientist with a hundred or more patents . . . We want to start emphasizing the scientific aspect of him. Humanities and science come together in one person.” A smile brightens her face as she leans forward, closes her eyes and recalls Porter’s inventions, including a horsepowered boat and a flying machine that would go from New York to California. “This is in the 1840s,” says Andrea. “He looked at a problem and he found a solution or a number of solutions to make things more efficient.” Her hope is to spark that same imagination and enthusiasm in others.
Expect the downtown building to be completed by next summer. The museum will be open in the red house at 67 North High Street from June 13 till October 13. Admission to the museum: $8/adults; $7/ senior citizens; free/15 and under. September 29 is Museum Day and the community is invited to a free tour—visit the Smithsonian at www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday to download a ticket.
The past also comes into play at the Maine Antique Bottle and Glass Museum on the Village Green in Naples.
Founder Walt Bannon of Bridgton was about twelve years old when he saw his first antique bottle collection and was inspired to get outside and search for bottles on his own. Walt did this for a while and then dropped the hobby. Five years ago, while walking through the woods he found an old bottle with “Bridgton Maine” imprinted on it and he was once again hooked. After overfilling his home with bottles he’d found, purchased or traded, his wife, Marilea, strongly encouraged him to find another place to display them. It was about that time that the curator from the former Jones Museum of Glass and Ceramics offered him some display cabinets. Walt then leased a small South Bridgton barn and opened the Maine Antique Bottle and Glass Museum in October 2011. In the spring of 2012 he moved it to the former Naples Historical Society building on the village green. In local rivers, ponds and lakes, as well as around old foundations and stone walls, Walt has found numerous artifacts by searching and digging. Many of his finds are on display, including Depression Era pitchers, Porter and Ale bottles, fruit jars, a Sure Stop Fire Stopper, paper weights, china, Wedgewood, Carnival glass, bottles from local pharmacies, perfume and medicine bottles, a Bunker Hill Pickles jar, and blown whiskey bottles. He also has 35 millimeter slides and a library so you can research
the history of your own antique bottles. This is an interactive museum. Educating and inspiring others is always in the back of Walt’s mind. To this end, he’s created models and simulations to demonstrate how glass blowers used blowing rods, how bottles are capped and how he searches for bottles. Children will enjoy the bottle capping machine, hands-on dive tower and a diorama. The museum is open seasonally, but expect forums featuring glass blowers and other speakers to be hosted on a monthly basis throughout the year. Admission: $5/ full tour including use of all of the equipment; $3/general visit.
From the glow of the first street lights in
Bridgton to the freight elevator at Morris Keene’s former machine shop, which originated in the woolen mill where Food City stands today, you’ll find all things electrical at the J.P. Gallinari Electrical Museum, 534 Portland Road, Bridgton. Joe Gallinari began collecting electrical and Bridgton memorabilia years ago. “Not only is it local electrical stuff,” says Joe, his voice animated, “it’s a connection to Bridgton.” He has a strong connection to all the pieces on display and the people who entrusted them to him. A fourth generation resident, Joe is an electrician by vocation and
Bridgton history is one of his passions. His grandfather, Sam Gallinari, owned Westinghouse Appliances, located to the left of Main Street Variety, in the ice cream shop. His great-grandfather, Tony, owned the Gallinari Fruit Company, where Main Street Variety stands. On display in Joe’s museum are remnants from their businesses plus photos and other antique items from the area including a 1902 dimmer switch, meters and panel boxes, insulators, a telephone, fan, battery tester, and the dimmer control for the lights of the former State Theater. This museum began in the early 1990s as a way for Joe to share the electrical products and technology changes that have affected the greater Bridgton area. “This all started because I dragged this stuff home,” says Joe, his hands sweeping across the air to embrace the space. His showcase depicts trends from the past and is filled with history and gadgets and complicated objects. The building itself is a piece of Bridgton history—the former Kip Kenniston Upholstery Shop, which Sue and Wayne Rivet gave Joe. The J.P. Gallinari Electrical Museum is open by appointment only. Leave a message at J. P. Gallinari Electric—207.647.9435 and Joe will return your call. Small though they may be, these museums should be big on your list of places to visit this summer. When you enter these portals to the past you’ll feel as if you’ve traveled back to a time that would still be recognized by Rufus Porter, the glass blowers and the early electricians. R lakelivingmaine.com
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summer calendar june 21st
5 pm—Annual Solstice Walk on Bald Pate Mountain Join Loon Echo Land Trust for its traditional hike up the Bob Chase Trail on Bald Pate Mountain to celebrate the first day of summer. Meet at Bald Pate main parking area. FMI: 207-647-4352
22,23,29&30 7:30 pm—Lake Region Community Theater presents Oliver!, the musical, at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or lrctme.org
22nd
9 am—Native & Medicinal Plant Walk led by herbalist Kevin Pennell for Lakes Environmental Association. FMI or to register, contact Mary Jewett at 207-647-8580 or mary@ leamaine.org
23rd
Open House & Reception at the Gibbs Avenue Museum in Bridgton FMI: 207-647-3699 www.bridgtonhistory.org
23rd
1 pm—Bridgton Public Library kicks off its Summer Reading Program with a presentation by Jane Elwell, a Heifer International volunteer, who will give an interactive talk about her trip to Peru and the history of Heifer International. FMI: 207-647-3699 www.bridgtonhistory.org
23rd
7:30 pm—Maine, When Tourists Aren’t Around Enjoy an evening of stretched truths, tall tales and general observations on life in the Pine Tree State with storyteller John McDonald at Denmark Arts Center $10 Suggested FMI: 207-452-2412
24th 2 pm—Lake Region Community Theater presents Oliver!, the musical, at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.lrctme.org
29th
5 pm—Aquarium/Aviary Opening Reception at Denmark Arts Center DownEast meets the Far East in the Oriental inspired ink paintings and Gyotaku prints by Maine artist Jean Kigel. Show runs through July. FMI: 207-452-2412
30th
10 am-2 pm—Asian Brush Painting Workshop with Jean Kigel at Denmark Arts Center Join visiting artist Jean Kigel for a workshop on the art of Sumi-E painting. $10 Suggested includes all materials. FMI: 207-4522412
30th
7:30 pm—A Walk Through the Vienna Woods at Denmark Arts Center Maine’s award winning DaPonte String Quartet performs works by Beethoven, Mozart and Webern. FMI: 207-452-2412
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30th-8/1
9 am-3 pm—Women in Business Retreat at Nurture Through Nature in Denmark, Maine All proceeds after expenses go to Women, Work and Community. All inclusive package: $195 pp. To register: 207-452-2929 or www.ntnretreats.com
10th
7:30 pm—Sprag Session at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. $15 benefits Deertrees Theatre. FMI: 207-5836747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
10th-8/2nd
1st
Highland Lake Youth Theater Intermediate Acting & Theater Camp, presented by Jeffrey Brundage and Allison Sands, co-directors of Stevens Brook Elementary School Drama Club, with special guest instructor Woody Woodward. Open to all children grades 3-8. Tues - Thurs, 12:30-3:00 p.m. $300 for 4-week session. To sign up, contact highlandlakeyouththeater@gmail.com
3rd
10am-12pm—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Moderate walk through the Kezar River Reserve. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
july 1st
2 pm—Lake Region Community Theater presents Oliver!, the musical, at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.lrctme.org Sound of Music Sing-Along at Denmark Arts Center Join us for an interactive film screening/singalong spectacular with your favorite singing nun. Subtitled. FMI: 207-452-2412 5-7 pm Pre-Race Spaghetti Feast at Stevens Brook Elementary School in Bridgton. Fireworks following.
4th
36th Annual Bridgton 4 on the Fourth Road Race begins 8 am at Main St. & Rt. 117. FMI or to register on-line: www.fouronthefourth.com
4th
Independence Day Parades & Fireworks in several lakes region communities.
6th
9 am—Orchid Walk at Holt Pond led by naturalist and wildflower enthusiast Ursula Duvé for Lakes Environmental Association. FMI or to register, contact Mary Jewett at 207-647-8580 or mary@leamaine.org
6th
7:30 pm—In the Blood at Denmark Arts Center This haunting documentary traces the history of turn-of-thecentury Maine lumbermen through photographs and archival film, with a live score performed by the filmmaker. *Co-presented with the Maine Humanities Council. $5 Suggested. FMI: 207-452-2412
7th
9 am-12 pm— Friends of the Library Used Book Sale Bridgton Public Library Courtyard. FMI: 207-647-2472
7th
5 pm—Barn Dance at Narramissic in South Bridgton FMI: 207-647-3699 www.bridgtonhistory.org
7th
7:30 pm—Barbershop Chorus at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. $15 benefits Deertrees. FMI: 207-5836747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
8th
6 pm—Jiro Dreams of Sushi at Denmark Arts Center This documentary captures Tokyo’s King of Sushi as he trains his son to take over the family business. $10 includes dinner. FMI: 207-452-2412
11th
12th 7 pm—Invasive Aquatic Plants presentation led by Mary Jewett for Lakes Environmental Association. FMI or to register, contact Mary Jewett at 207-647-8580 or mary@ leamaine.org
12th
7:30 pm—Acoustic Sunset on Hacker’s Hill Enjoy the music of Swampdonkey as the sun sets beyond the Whites. “The Donks” incorporate old time Canadian Maritime, Irish and original songs with a rich texture of instruments, three-part harmonies and playful song writing. $10 pp ($5 for children) donation to benefit the Hacker’s Hill Campaign. Refreshments served. Rain date 7/13. FMI: 207-647-4352 or lelt.org
12-14th
Harrison Old Home Days Pancake breakfast, fireworks, parade, BBQ and lobster feed, live entertainment.
15th
9 am-2 pm—13th Annual Lovell Historical Society Antique Sale & Auction at the Kimball Stanford House, opposite Lake Kezar Country Club. Raffle, food, free verbal antique appraisals (limit 2 pp). FMI: 207-9252251 or lovellhist@fairpoint.net
15th
4 pm—Tonari No Totoro (Children’s Matinee) at Denmark Arts Center One of the best films about summer and childhood ever made. Directed by Japan’s master filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki. Dubbed in English. $5 Suggested FMI: 207-452-2412
16th
7:30 pm—Camp Encore-Coda Concert at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
16th
7:30 pm—Portland String Quartet performs works of Haydn, Schubert and Laszlo Weiner in the Viola George Auditorium at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. Special guest violinist Mary Ellen Woodside. Tickets are $15 and available only at the door. Dinner is available for $9 before the concert at Cafe Bon Appétit. FMI: www.sjcme.edu or 207-893-7723
17th
7 pm—Third Tuesday Lecture at the Museum Bridgton Historical Society members Free/$5.00 non-members. FMI: 207-647-3699 www.bridgtonhistory.org
17th
7:30 pm—Sebago Long Lake Music Festival at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www. sebagomusicfestival.org
18&19th Sebago Days, Sebago
12th
19th
14th
2oth
9 am-11 am—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Moderate walk through the Sucker Brook Outlet Reserve. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
10 am-12 pm—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Moderate walk through Heald-Bradley Ponds Reserve, Whiting Hill. FMI: www. gllt.org
4 pm—Geology Talk at Hacker’s Hill Spend an early evening with Geologists Robert Marvinney and Walter Anderson as they look back in time at the northern Sebago Lake region from a geological standpoint and explore ancient ocean shorelines, glaciers and multiple ice ages. FMI: 207-647-4352 or lelt.org
9 am—Tree ID in Pondicherry Park led by Jon Evans and Mary Jewett for Lakes Environmental Association. FMI or to register, contact Mary Jewett at 207-647-8580 or mary@ leamaine.org
14th
20-22nd
6 pm—Bastille Day at Denmark Arts Center Celebrate the spirit of the French Revolution with a contra-dance and potluck dinner. $10 suggested + a dish to share. FMI: 207-452-2412
14&15th
10 am-4 pm—33rd Annual Chickadee Quilt Show at Stevens Brook Elementary School, off Route 302, Bridgton. Demonstrations, over 100 quilts on display, vendor area, yard sale table of quilt/craft supplies, Chinese Auction. FMI: chickadeequilters@gmail.com
20-22nd
Bridgton SummerFest 2012, Stevens Brook Elementary School Waterford World’s Fair
20-22nd
Green Living Weekend Retreat at Nurture Through Nature in Denmark, ME Come see how you can live a simpler, more earth-friendly life through journey, dance, yoga, meditation, tours, presentations and community sauna. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Loon Echo Land Trust. Cost: $227-$327 depending on cabin choice. To register: www. ntnretreats.com or 207-452-2929
20th
Journey Dance with Raji Simpson at Nurture Through Nature in Denmark, ME Free yourself through music, movement and supported expression. $15 To register: www. ntnretreats.com or 207-452-2929
21st
10: 30 am-6 pm—Green Living Expo Day at Nurture Through Nature in Denmark, ME A full day of expos and workshops on how to live a simpler, more earth-friendly life. Portion of proceeds donated to Loon Echo Land Trust. Sliding scale cost: $45-$75 Pre-registration required. Bring your own lunch and end the day with a community sauna. To register: www. ntnretreats.com or 207-452-2929
21st
9 am-4 pm—The Bridgton Art Guild presents the 9th Annual Art in the Park at Shorey Park in Bridgton. FMI: 207-647-2787
21st
Lovell Old Home Days & 5K Run
21st
3 pm-10 pm—Dam Jam Something is Rockin’ in the Town of Denmark! An all-day music festival , featuring the Milkman’s Union, the Toughcats, Samuel James, Coke Weed, Micah Blue Smaldone, and more! Biergarten by Brays’s Brewpub. $10 Suggested FMI: 207-452-2412
23-28th
Rufus Porter Museum Cultural Heritage Series in Bridgton A variety of classes on traditional folk art techniques. Register on line for classes at www.rufusportermuseum.org or call 207-647-2828 or e-mail rufusportermuseum@myfairpoint.net.
24th
7:30 pm—Sebago Long Lake Music Festival at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www. sebagomusicfestival.org
25th
5 pm—Loon Echo Land Trust Volunteer Appreciation Cook-Out at Bicentennial Park in Denmark FMI: 207-647-4352 or lelt.org
25th
9 am-12 pm—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Active walk to observe beaver ecology at a local wetland on private property. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
26th
10 am-12 pm—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Gentle walk through Heald-Bradley Ponds Reserve. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
26-28th
Casco Days, Casco
27th
2 pm—The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird: A Tiny Gem of a Bird! Bonny Boatman leads this family program at Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library in Lovell. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
27&28th
7: 30 pm—Mainestage Readers Theater Presents FUN TIMES at the Denmark Arts Center The talented cast of this local “Mainestay” returns with a fun-filled evening of comedic skits. $10 Suggested FMI: 207-4522412
28th
7:45 am—Trail Work at Pleasant Mountain Join Loon Echo trail adopters and the Maine Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club for a day of trail work on the heavily used Ledges Trail. Come prepared for the moderate to difficult climb and full work day. Basic training and some tools provided. Meet at the Ledges trail head on Mountain Road. FMI: 207-647-4352 or lelt.org
28th
7:30 pm—The Beatles for Sale at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. New England’s best Beatles tribute band performs a benefit concert for Deertrees Theatre. Join the British invasion, enjoy an evening of great entertainment and support a local cultural icon. Tickets $25 FMI: 207-583-6747 or www.deertreestheatre.org
29th
4 pm—A Cat in Paris Children’s Matinee at Denmark Arts Center This Academy Award-nominated film follows the adventures of Dino, a Parisian cat with a double life. Dubbed in English. $5 Suggested FMI: 207452-2412
31st
7:30 pm—Sebago Long Lake Music Festival at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www. sebagomusicfestival.org
august 2nd
10 am-12 pm—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Family walk through Wilson Wing Moose Pond Bog Reserve. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
3rd
2 pm—The Great Blue Heron Bonny Boatman leads this family program at Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library in Lovell. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
3rd
5 pm—Artist Reception with Photographer Peter Pentz at Denmark Arts Center Peter has spent the last three years documenting the town and people of Denmark, ME. You’re sure to recognize someone in this show! FREE! FMI: 207-452-2412
3&4th 10 am-6 pm—Gallery 302 in Bridgton presents Art in Bloom—Floral arrangements by Lakeside Garden Club
4th
10 am—Portraiture & Documentary Photography at Denmark Arts Center Join visiting artist Peter Pentz for a one-day workshop on portrait photography. $10 Suggested. FMI: 207-452-2412
4th
11th
Maine State Championship Rowing Regatta, Highland Lake, Bridgton. 5,000 meter stake and 1,000 meter sprint. FMI: Brook Sulloway at 207647-8596 or sulchiro@yahoo.com
11th
4th
19th Annual Antique Wooden Boat Show on the Causeway in Naples.
4th
7:30 pm—Bellamy Jazz Band at Denmark Arts Center Join us as we turn the DAC into Preservation Hall for a night of music with Maine’s favorite 8-piece big band. $10 Suggested FMI: 207-452-2412
4&5th
Western Maine BBQ Competition at Fryeburg Fairgrounds in Fryeburg, Maine. Two days of delicious family fun! 10am-8pm on Saturday and 10am-4pm on Sunday. FMI: www. westernmainebbqfestival.com
5th
6 pm—Babette’s Feast (Potluck Dinner & a Movie) at Denmark Arts Center A French kitchen maid in 19th century Denmark wins a lottery and spends it on one unforgettable meal in this Oscar-winning 1987 film. $5 + A dish to share. FMI: 207-452-2412
5th
7:30 pm—Musical Explosion—Bavarian/Steel/Jazz Band at Deertrees Theatre in Harrision $15 Benefit concert for Deertrees Theatre. FMI: 207-583-6747 or deertreestheatre.org
6&7th
10 am-4pm—“Back to the Past” at Scribner’s Mills in Harrison. A celebration of old-tyme sawmill and homestead operations. FMI: 207-5836455 or www.scribnersmill.org
7th
9 am—Mushroom Walk Led by Parker Veitch for Lakes Environmental Association. FMI or to register, contact Mary Jewett at 207-647-8580 or mary@leamaine.org
Hacker’s Hill 4-mile Walk and Run FMI: 207-647-4352 or lelt.org 9 am-12 pm— Friends of the Library Used Book Sale Bridgton Public Library Courtyard. FMI: 207-647-2472
11th
Kite Festival at Narramissic in South Bridgton $5 FMI: 207-647-3699 www.bridgtonhistory.org
11th
Seventh Annual 20-Mile Tour de Lovell Bike Race For details and on line registration, visit BikeReg.com
11th
1 pm- 3 pm—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Gentle walk through Chip Stockford Reserve. For registration: www.gllt.org
11th
Bluegrass Festival at Narramissic in South Bridgton $12 Adults/Children Under 12 $2 FMI: 207-647-3699 www.bridgtonhistory.org
11th
7:30 pm—Braving the Middle Ground at Denmark Arts Center An evening of (his)tories of pre-revolutionary settlers in Fryeburg told by storyteller Jo Radner. *Co-presented with the Maine Humanities Council. $10 Suggested. FMI: 207-452-2412
12th
4 pm—Modern Times Children’s Matinee at Denmark Arts Center Charlie Chaplin’s beloved tramp takes on the modern world in his most popular film. $5 Suggested. FMI: 207452-2412
14th
7:30 pm—Sebago Long Lake Music Festival at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www. sebagomusicfestival.org
12th
7:30 pm—Sebago Long Lake Music Festival at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. FMI: 207-583-6747 or www. sebagomusicfestival.org
9:30 pm-12 am—Perseids Meteor Shower Party Join Loon Echo for meteor shower gazing on Hacker’s Hill in Casco. The Perseids offer viewers approx. 60 meteors per hour and conditions this year are near optimal. FMI: 207-647-4352 or lelt.org
8th
16th
7th
10 am-12 pm—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Moderate walk through Kezar River Reserve. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
9th
10am-12pm—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Moderate to active walk at Bishop’s Cardinal Reserve. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
9th
7 pm—Invasive Aquatic Plant presentation by Mary Jewett for Lakes Environmental Association. FMI or to register, contact Mary Jewett at 207647-8580 or mary@leamaine.org
9 am—Ferns & Flora at Holt Pond Drs. Catherine Paris and David Barrington are professors at UVM, where they specialize in fern diversity and evolution. FMI or to register, contact Mary Jewett at 207-647-8580 or mary@leamaine.org
16th
9 am-12 pm—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Active walk on Amos Mountain. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
17th
4 pm—Rotary & Deertrees $20 Auction at Deertrees Theatre in Harrison. Tickets: lakeregionrotary.com
continued on page 32
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summer bookshelf
maine authors on their favorite childhood books
I will always be loyal to this first book that made me want to learn more words, sparked my interest in seeing the world, and did not condescend emotionally and literarily to a young mind bored to tears with Dick and Jane.
author picks for kids & Young adults Reading was a huge part of our childhood. I don’t think our dad ever missed a night reading aloud to us as we snuggled on one of our beds. We were probably five and eight when he began reading chapter books like Pippi Longstocking. And he would always capture the characters’ personalities by giving each one a unique voice or accent. We were enthralled, and loved the humor and craziness that only Pippi could provide. When we began to read on our own, my parents introduced us to Beverly Cleary’s Ramona and Beezus. We could both relate to the big bossy sister vs. little annoying sister dynamic and, again, loved that Beverly Cleary could provide great story telling with lots of funny circumstances woven in. Beverly Cleary definitely was the kind of author that we one day wished to emulate. She took the humor and even challenging circumstances in her own life and created hilarious and fun-loving books around them. Who could forget when Ramona made a crown of burs and placed it upon her head? This is exactly what we tried to do with My Mother Is a Rock Star. Most, if not all, of the embarrassing circumstances that plagued Clementine, either happened to one of us or one of our students. Like Cleary, we wanted to create a book that was just good clean fun, and maybe teach a few life lessons along the way. The Drew sisters, Laura and Tammy, grew up in Bridgton, Maine, graduated from University of Maine at Orono, and co-authored My Mother is a Rock Star.
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Hands down, it’s Eloise by Kay Thompson, which I received as a fifth birthday present. “I am Eloise. I am six,” she plainly declares on the first page. And there she stands with Gainsborough hauteur, leaning against an ornate table: nice white blouse coming untucked from her pleated skirt, little belly relaxed over her waistband, and white knee socks sliding down skinny legs to black, patent-leather shoes. Eloise looked like me, like all my little friends in proper 1957, except for that smirking dishevelment. Her distain was thrilling. Eloise lives in New York at the Plaza Hotel with her English nanny and two pets: Skipperdee, the sneaker-wearing turtle and Weenie, the dog who looks like a cat. Her playground is the hallways, Grand Ballroom, and famous Palm Court of one of the grandest hotels in the world. I am still enthralled with the two-page spread of her huge room, looking as if a twister has just torn through Manhattan and left her safely banked on her unmade bed—cooly wearing an eye shade. Eloise never mentions a father, and her mother is glamorously traveling the world, leaving Nanny in charge. I was transfixed by the idea of a nanny dedicated to me—in contrast to our household bursting at the seams with six children. But even at five I could sense this charming scamp’s loneliness in the odd, out-of-context mention of her mother in Paris or Miami. Eloise’s spunk—like her Swedish literary sister, Pippi Longstocking’s—originates from longing, an emotion I recognized at the time but could not name. This saucy, stylish tale of abandonment still tugs at my heart today. I will always be loyal to this first book that made me want to learn more words, sparked my interest in seeing the world,
and did not condescend emotionally and literarily to a young mind bored to tears with Dick and Jane. Thankfully, the creative collaboration between Kay Thompson and her brilliant illustrator, Hilary Knight, endures, and all the Eloise books are available today. Eloise in Moscow was published in 1959, but I first read it in 2004, the year my husband and I visited St. Petersburg. Mr. Knight’s drawings of bulky spies skulking around every corner are a hilarious Cold War spoof. But when we arrived at the Grand Hotel Europe, those spies had come to life: post-Sovietera thugs lined either side of the entrance like boulders. The next morning, I donned sunglasses and my big straw hat against the relentless June sun of Russia’s White Nights—channeling tiny Eloise wearing her huge sombrero and resembling a lamp. Fortified, I walked right through those spies to a waiting black town-car as if I were someone important. Unnerved by the sinister guards, my husband asked me why I was laughing. It was too hard to explain. Deborah Daw Heffernan is the author of An Arrow Through the Heart: One Woman’s Story of Life, Love, and Surviving a Near-Fatal Heart Attack. She lives outloud in Bridgton, Maine.
The Call of the Wild is the first novel I truly loved. From the moment Buck was snatched from his comfortable life as a family pet in California, I was kidnapped too. Seeing the rough and tumble world of the Klondike Gold Rush through a dog’s eyes seemed like a miracle. At age ten or eleven, I was carried away by the rich plot, by the gripping action, by the stirring descriptions. If any book ever deserves to be called “a ripping yarn,” this is it. I had always been drawn to adventure stories, and I know that spending each summer in Maine had a lot to do with that. Compared to Oaklyn, New Jersey, the woods and hills and lakes of Hiram were an untamed wilderness. But Jack London revealed the dangerous beauty of nature in ways I had never dreamed of, and certainly had never experienced. Yes, on one level it was an animal story a child could enjoy. But I know I had the feeling I was getting an almost forbidden peek into a universe of very grown up ideas.
I was desperately jealous of my cousins. Having a place of one’s own! That yearning that I felt at age ten, the yearning that made Dandelion Cottage a favorite of my childhood, probably accounts for my subscription to Architectural Digest and the fact that I linger over the Benjamin Moore paint samples every time I’m in a hardware store.
The story forever changed the way I look at nature, and the way I think about animals.
I was astonished at the harshness and cruelty of some of the characters, men whose acts were far worse than even the most vicious of Buck’s canine attackers. And then I was amazed all over again at the great kindness and love of John Thornton, and moved by the bond he and Buck found amid the harshness of their world. The story forever changed the way I look at nature, and the way I think about animals. The real test of a childhood novel comes later on. At twenty or so, by then a literature major, the book did not disappoint. All the things that were wonderful at age eleven were wonderful still, plus there were new insights galore, amplified by what I’d learned about the author’s views on life and man and the world. And in the time since then, the book remains a touchstone when I need to remember what range a novel can have. The Call of the Wild deserves its place as a significant work in American literature, and I’m grateful to have had it as a companion all these years. Andrew Clements is author of Frindle, The Janitor’s Boy, The Landry News and far too many other books to mention.
Andy and the Lion was one of my favorite picture books as a child. The artwork had so much energy, it seemed to come alive! I loved the boy in the story who had the courage (and the pliers!) to pull that thorn out
of the lion’s paw. I dreamed of having my own pet lion someday. (And my own pliers!) When I began reading chapter books, I stumbled across Freddy Goes to Florida by Walter R. Brooks. It became one of my all time favorites. Freddy was clever and brave, well not TOO brave. He was also a little chubby and a little conceited . . . actually he was a lot like ME! He lived in this place where summer never seemed to end, animals talked and solved crimes and friends were lifelong and loyal. I read every Freddy book I could get my hands on. My school librarian kept a secret stash for me. Freddy, Jynx, Mrs. Wiggins, Charles, Mr. and Mrs Bean, they became my friends for life. Now that I’m grown up, I’ve introduced them to my own children. Hopefully, they’ll be lifelong friends too! Kevin Hawkes is an author and illustrator who lives in Gorham, Maine, with his family. His books include the very popular The Wicked Big Toddlah and The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes to New York.
I grew up, to my good fortune, in a house filled with books and was such a bookworm as a child that it is hard to single out one as my favorite. But I did love a book called Dandelion Cottage by Carroll Watson Rankin. Checking on it now, it surprises me to find that it had been published in 1904. To me, as a child in the
1940s, it seemed quite contemporary and I never noticed that it had predated my own mother’s birth. It’s a very simple small-town story of four young girls, probably fifth and sixth graders, who, in return for pulling all the dandelions out of the lawn around a local church, are given the use of a small abandoned cottage as a playhouse for the summer. Out come the buckets and brooms and paintbrushes. It’s a hard-work-earnsrewards story that was typical of its era. And it had the same sort of spunky heroines that one found in Little Women or Anne of Green Gables. I didn’t really care about any of that. What appealed to me was the cottage itself. In those years an uncle of mine had constructed, in his back yard, a full-sized playhouse for his daughters. It had windowboxes, as I recall, and a little porch. I was desperately jealous of my cousins. Having a place of one’s own! That yearning that I felt at age ten, the yearning that made Dandelion Cottage a favorite of my childhood, probably accounts for my subscription to Architectural Digest and the fact that I linger over the Benjamin Moore paint samples every time I’m in a hardware store. Lois Lowry is the author of the Giver Quartet, the Anastasia Series, the Sam Series, and the Gooney Bird Series. She spends summers at her home in Bridgton.
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summer bookshelf Book Reviews from the Owners & Staff of Bridgton Books
justin’s list One of my favorite recent reads has to be Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder. Not since Bel Canto has Patchett released such a riveting novel. Dr. Marina Singh journeys to the Amazon Jungle after learning about the death of her friend and colleague, Dr. Annick Swenson, who was there working on a medical research project. She is sent by Swenson’s wife to unravel the mystery of his death, and also by the pharmaceutical company they work for, to get a status report on the drug they are testing. That is all of the plot that I’m going to reveal. The vivid prose make it a pleasure to read, and Patchett’s descriptions will make you feel as though you can even smell the jungle. This multi-themed novel moved me in so many different ways. Take an armchair adventure around the Arctic Circle with Sara Wheeler in her travelogue Magnetic North. Never have I read such a comprehensive, yet readable survey of the unique breed of people inhabiting one of Earth’s harshest climates. The author spends time with climate scientists in Greenland, miners in Svalbard Island, Russians in the Far East Post-Soviet Empire, and many other indigenous peoples, providing a virtual cornucopia of the history, ecology, economics and sociology of the areas and their citizens. Wheeler’s book is full of interesting little snippets and anecdotes that will keep you turning the pages. With the discovery and success of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo trilogy by Stieg Larsson, customers have been asking me whether there are any other good Scandinavian crime writers out there. Henning Mankell and his Kurt Wallander mystery series immediately come to mind, but he has been around for a while, and most people are already familiar with him. Two new authors who are just beginning to get translated into English are definitely worthy of mention. I really liked The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen. Danish Detective Carl MØrck won’t win a popularity contest any time soon, and when he is almost killed and loses his partners, he
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becomes even more impossible. No one else wants to work with him. The solution is to promote him to the basement and put him in charge of Section Q, the newly created cold cases bureau, of which MØrck is the only member. Soon, with the help of his new, colorful assistant Assad, a recent Syrian émigré, he revisits the case of a politician who vanished years ago. A must read if you love detective stories. Camilla Läckberg is a best-selling Swedish author, with three of her mysteries now translated into English. The Ice Princess is well done, especially for a first novel, with good character development and various sub-plots. Erica Falck returns to live in her hometown and discovers her childhood friend dead of a suicide. Later, it is found to be murder, and together with another old friend (Patrik Hedström) who happens to be a policeman, she attempts to find the killer. This intricately plotted mystery is comparable to Elizabeth George or P D James, and not for the impatient reader. John Ford’s new memoir entitled Suddenly the Cider Didn’t Taste so Good; Adventures of a Game Warden in Maine is full of true stories from his twenty years of service in Waldo County. The cat and mouse games between law violators and himself are brought to life by the author, who proves he can write just as well as he can arrest. Some of his depictions are exciting, and many are hilarious. This book will appeal to everyone, not just the fish-and-game types. Ford is quite a storyteller, and we hope he’ll visit
the bookstore for a reading this summer. Bent Road by Lori Roy is an entertaining suspense/mystery novel set in America’s heartland. When Arthur Scott brings his family back to his hometown in Kansas to start a new life, old memories and dark secrets resurface in this Gothic story. The clever way the narrative switches point of view, and the author’s straightforward, fluid writing style make this book hard to put down. This is a gritty, haunting read!
sue’s pic k If you want to immerse yourself in a feel-good, inspirational novel, then you must read Blind Your Ponies, by Stanley Gordon West. This is the moving story of Sam Pickett, an English teacher at a small Montana high school (18 students) who, after seeing potential in two recent arrivals, decides to coach the basketball team—despite their previous 93 losses in a row. The author fills the pages with lively, endearing characters: Will Peter Strong, the young basketball player who is spending the year with his grandmother after his parents’ divorce, make a difference for the team? What about Olaf, the gangly 6’11’’ Norwegian exchange student, who has never touched a basketball? Then there is Grandma Chapman, who doesn’t give a darn what people think of her. In this small town of believers and unbelievers, no one can avoid the impact the team will have on their lives. You don’t have to be a basketball fan to appreciate this story full of hope, determination and passion. R
At Mountain View Dentistry our goal is to help you achieve optimal dental health for a lifetime. We offer complete dental care for you and your family—from hygiene services to total smile makeovers. Our team prides itself on making dentistry a pleasant experience. We are committed to providing you with quality, comprehensive dental care in a friendly, professional and relaxed lakeside setting. Dr. Elston utilizes the most modern technologies and techniques to help you achieve a healthy, beautiful smile . . . for life.
To learn more about us visit us at MountainViewDentistryMaine.com
42 Highland Road Bridgton, ME 04009
207-647-3628
Over the past three decades we have grown our basic lawn care services to include landscape design, installation and maintenance, with a commitment to organic practices. As antique granite specialists and suppliers with a very creative crew, we can construct anything you can imagine using natural stone, brick or concrete. Year round services include snow removal and routine property inspection of your camp or home while you are away. Peace of Mind e-mail notifications included in all our inspections. E-mail us at mark@clementbros.com or find us on the Web at www.clementbros.com. Creating a better environment . . . one yard at a time. Locally-owned and family-operated in Naples, Maine, since 1977. Members of the Professional Landcare Network, Maine Landscape & Nursery Assoc. and Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute
lakelivingmaine.com
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Point Sebago Resort, Casco, As long as he’s under 40 pounds, Point Sebago has 50 campsites and three park houses that will accommodate dogs. There is no extra charge at the campsites, but the fee at the park homes is $35/week. 207-655-3821 or www.pointsebago.com Waterford Inne, Waterford, Pets are allowed in all eight rooms for a nightly fee of $15. Please bring a crate or pet bed. 207-583-4037 or www.waterfordinne.com
Dog Days of Summer by laurie lamountain
L
et’s face it, dogs rule! We refer to ourselves as their masters, but who are we kidding? Surely not them. So, when it comes to the family vacation, why wouldn’t they be included? After all, it’s their vacation too! It may mean strapping the luggage to the roof in order to make room for them in the station wagon (and, yes Mitt, that’s the better route to take), but it’s a small price to pay for the joy of having the happiest member of the family along for the ride. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a directory of dogrelated services for you and your vacationing canines.
food, treats & toys
Heart & Hand 109 Main Street, Brownfield 207-935-1125
Paris Farmers Union 13 Sandy Creek Road, Bridgton 207-647-2383 Paw Prints 2 N. High Street, Bridgton 07-647-9907
Hayes True Value Hardware 204 Portland Road, Bridgton 207-647-3342
Pawz & Clawz Petz 889 Roosevelt Trail, Windham 207-892-3266 Pet Quarters 765 Roosevelt Trail, Windham 207-894-7250 Telling Tails Training Center Store 285 Main Street (Route 302), Fryeburg 207-642-3693 tellingtailstraining.com Wizard of Paws 248 Main Street, Bridgton 207-647-5220
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accommodations
Augustus Bove House, Naples Two dog-friendly rooms are available at $10/dog/night. 207-693-6365 or www.naplesmaine.com
Bear Mountain Inn, Waterford Two of eleven rooms are pet-friendly. $20/night fee. Reservations recommended. 207-583-4404 or www.bearmtninn.com Fern Hill Bed & Breakfast, Naples With prior notice, pets are allowed at the inn for no additional charge. 207-693-4320 or www.fernhillfarm.com
Grady’s West Shore Motel on Highland Lake in Bridgton allows dogs in their four motel rooms and two cottages at no additional charge. 207-803-2046 or www. gradysmotel.synthasite.com
groomers
Dirty Paw Dog Wash SelfService Washing & Grooming 9 Storm Drive, Windham 207-894-7252
Precious Pets 449 Roosevelt Trail, Windham 207-892-3735 Wiley Road Kennels Groom & Board 32 Hunt Road, Naples 207.693.3394 wileyroadkennels.com
Wizard of Paws 248 Main Street, Bridgton 207-647-5220
veterinarians
Bridgton Veterinary Hospital 213 Harrison Road, Bridgton 207-647-8804 bridgtonvets.com
Fryeburg Veterinary Hospital 203 Bridgton Road (Rte. 302) Fryeburg 207-935-2244 fryeburgvet.com
Jordan Bay Animal Hospital 1242 Roosevelt Trail, Raymond 207-655-3900 jordanbayvet.com
Maine Veterinary Referral, Pet Emergencies 24/7 Off Rte. 1, Scarborough 207-885-1290 www.
maineveterinaryreferralcenter.com
Naples Veterinary Clinic 3 Lambs Mill Road 207-693-3135 North Windham Veterinary Hospital 1 Badger Run, Windham 207-892-8553 nwindhamvet.com
recreation
Hiking trails abound in the lakes region, and as long as common sense and courtesy are exercised, dogs are a welcome sight on the trails. Parks and beaches often restrict dogs, even on leash, so be sure to check the rules ahead of time. If they do allow dogs, please adhere to rules regarding their presence so that the privilege continues.
Pondicherry Park in Bridgton, has recently added dog-friendly trails on which dogs are allowed on leash, and fundraising efforts are underway for a 10-acre dog park located off State Park Road in Naples, Maine. Look for Naples Dog Park on Facebook to learn more.
education
Telling Tails Training Center 285 Main Street (Route 302), Fryeburg 207-642-3693 Drop in classes available: tellingtailstraining.com
“Just as the romantic comedy vixen must wind up with the guy she’d vowed not to marry if he were the last man on earth, so too must the beloved dog stomp and scratch and poop on your very last nerve—and chomp down on your shrinking wallet— before weaseling his way into your newly receptive heart.” Michael Schaffer, Author of One Nation Under Dog
custom id tags
Silver Paw Pet Tags Made in Brownfield, these sturdy, stainless steel pet tags qualify as canine bling and come with a lifetime guarantee. Uniquely designed, cast, finished and engraved, Silver Paw pet tags are a smart investment in your pet’s safety. 207-935-1816 or www.silverpawtags.com.
Our main model, Coda, lives in Denmark, with his brother Che. This is his second appearance in Lake Living. Sleeping Ruby also lives in Denmark.
The Pontoon & Deck Boat Capitol of Maine Sales, Service & Rentals Open 7 Days • 8-5 Cruise the day away in one of our brand new rental boats!
Pontoon Rentals!
Jetski Rentals—Hourly/Daily/Weekly
Route 302 • Naples
207-693-6264
www.mooselandingmarina.com lakelivingmaine.com
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summer calendar continued from page 25
18th
10am-12pm—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Active walk through Black Pond Reserve. Registration and directions: www.gllt.org
18th
The Great Adventure Challenge at Pleasant Mountain Triathlon FMI: www.maineadventureracing.com
18th 9 am-3 pm—Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library’s 37th Annual Arts and Artisans Fair High-quality all-juried arts & crafts fair with 65 artisan exhibitors. Demonstrations, food, used book sale, raffle. Rain or shine! Free and open to the public. New Suncook School in Lovell. FMI: 207-925-1135 or www.hobbslibrary.org
18th
7:30 pm—Sunrise, a silent film performed with an original score, at Denmark Arts Center DAC is pleased to have commissioned artist-in-residence Brent Arnold to apply his cello skills to a new score for this classic 1927 silent screen masterpiece. $10 Suggested. FMI: 207-452-2412
21st
7 pm—Third Tuesday Lecture at the Museum Bridgton Historical Society members Free/$5.00 non-members. FMI: 207-647-3699 or www.bridgtonhistory.org
22nd
10 am-12 pm—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Gentle walk through Heald-Bradley Ponds Reserve. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
23rd
9 am-11 am—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Moderate walk through Back Pond Reserve. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
24&25th
8th
9 am-12 pm— Friends of the Library Used Book Sale Bridgton Public Library Courtyard. FMI: 207-647-2472
8th
9 am—Hawk Migration at Hacker’s Hill Join Loon Echo and a former director of Maine Audubon, Dick Anderson, for bird watching at Hacker’s Hill in Casco. Bring your binoculars and a chair. Rain date 9/9. FMI: 207-647-4352 or lelt.org
12-16th
Got Fear? This Nurture Through Nature Retreat offers opportunities to discover the source of subtle and obvious fears that affect your freedom. For those familiar with The Work of Byron Katie. To register: www.ntnretreats.com or 207-452-2929
14&15th
Rufus Porter Museum Fall Cultural Heritage Series in Bridgton. FMI or to register: www.rufusportermuseum. org 207-647-2828.
15th
4-6 pm—Harvest Supper at Narramissic in South Bridgton FMI: 207647-3699 www.bridgtonhistory.org
15th
2012 Loon Echo Trek A 6-mile hike over Pleasant Mt., or the traditional 25 mile, 50 mile, and century bike treks. FMI: 207-647-4352 or register on-line at: www.loonechotrek.com
15th
9 am-2 pm—Greater Lovell Land Trust Walks & Hikes Active hike on Pleasant Mountain. For registration and directions: www.gllt.org
29th
9th Annual Lakes Brew Fest at Point Sebago Resort in Casco. FMI: 207-647-3472 or www.mainelakeschamber.com
29th
Museum Day at Rufus Porter Museum To download at ticket visit www. smithsonianmag.com/museumday.
The following summer events are on-going: The Bridgton Public Library Summer 7: 30 pm—Frankie & Johnny in the Reading Program begins June 26th and Claire de Lune at Denmark Arts Cen- ends on August 17th. The 8-week session ter Terrence McNally’s beloved play includes Tunes for Tots every Tuesday is a comic, tender, and finally tranat 10:30; Mother Goose Storytime every scendent meditation on the desires Friday at 10:30; and Reading to Holly Frithat bind us together and the fears days from 2:30-3:30. FMI: 207-647-2472 that keep us apart. $10 Suggested. The Greater Lovell Land Trust Natural FMI: 207-452-2412 History program presents scheduled speakers at the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library on Wednesday Evenings at 7:30 7pm—History Slideshow on the Mills beginning July 11th through August 22nd. on Stevens Brook with Sue Black FMI: www.gllt.org or 207-925-1056 FMI or to register, contact Mary The International Musical Arts Institute Jewett at 207-647-8580 or mary@ 16th Chamber Music Festival runs from leamaine.org July 5-14th and presents Thursday, Friday & Saturday concerts at 7:30 pm at Fryeburg Academy’s Bion Cram Library; “Mu9 am—History Walk on Stevens sic for Sunday Afternoon” at the Library Brook Trail led by Maine historian at 2 pm; and “Music in the Making” at Sue Black FMI or to register, contact the Library on Monday at 7:30 pm. FMI: home.earthlink.net/~imaifryeburg/ Mary Jewett at 207-647-8580 or mary@leamaine.or Farmers’ Market are held every Saturday from 8 am-1 pm on Depot Street and Wednesdays at Paris Farmer’s Union in Bridgton (season: mid-May to early October); in Naples every Thursday from 8 am-1 pm (season: mid-May to early 22nd Annual Bridgton Hospital October); and in Harrison and Lovell.
28th
29th
september 5th
Benefit Golf Tournament at Bridgton Highlands Country Club
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globally inspired finds
From New England and Beyond
Three unique stores—one great shopping experience.
Firefly is a hip and colorful
little boutique located in Bridgton’s upper village next to Beth’s Cafe and across from Craftworks. Grab a tasty bite at Beth’s and then browse Firefly’s newly expanded shop. Offering Americanmade clothing brands and one of the most diverse collections of jewelry and accessories in western Maine, including Butterfly Artworks, made from real butterfly wings set in sterling silver. Open Daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 82 Main Street, Bridgton. 207.647.3672
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Picket Fence Gallery
is celebrating their 10th 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. Choose from an array of colorful necklaces or create your own with Kazuri beads. Stop in for an “out of town” experience. Located at 4 South High Street (At the Monument) in Bridgton. 207.647.5465
Hakuna Matata
, Bridgtons’ newest shopping experience, brings the flavor and style of Caribbean and island life to the heart of town. From whimsical scarves to beach wraps and accessories, escape from the everyday into Hakuna Matata and skip out to the rythms of steel drums and waving palm trees. Ya Mon!!! Jamaikinmecrazy!!! Located on Main Street Bridgton, next to Cornshop Trading Company.
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207.415.4476
Quality Craftsmanship Since 1968
Building & Remodeling
Rick & Kevin Lewis
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• Superior Quality • Reliable Service • Certified in Erosion Control Practices
Commercial & Residential Services Sitework & Road Design/Construction 207.452-2157 www.khiellogging.com 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 lakelivingmaine.com
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No matter where you are in life, we make sure you get the right home—at the right price.
Bridgton - Impressively restored Bridgton landmark home. Walk to town. Large Barn heated and used for successful business. Charming 1 bdrm apartment. Outbuilding/stable with water & electric. Workshop. Endless potential for income or inhome business. MUST SEE. GREAT VALUE. $239,900
Bridgton - Beautiful year-round waterfront home with 310’ private waterfront on Beaver Pond, with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, large deck overlooking pond & with views of Shawnee Peak. $379,000
Bridgton - This home has it all! Panoramic views of Mt. Washington & Pleasant Mtn combined with convenience of Bridgton Highlands CC 1st tee just across the street! Many updates & renovations. Upscale & beautiful! Granite counters, 3 fireplaces, wood floors, 6.7 acres in extremely desirable neighborhood. Must see! $495,000
RESIDENTIAL • VACATION • LAND COMMERCIAL LAKE FRONT • VACATION RENTALS
Harrison - Great Long Lake waterfront cottage with sandy beach for swimming & dock for boating. Spacious 2 story chalet offers open living/dining/ kitchen area with slider to lakefront deck, new bath & master on 1st floor plus 3 bedrooms up. Good rental history! $419,000
Bridgton - Lakeside living at its finest! Immaculate and sunny Long Lake waterfront townhouse with fireplace, 4 Baths, MBR with private bath, deck, brand new finished basement with wood stove and sliders to beach. Private boat slip and tennis courts. $375,000
100 Main Street BRIDGTON, MAINE 04009 WWW.CHALMERS-REALTY.COM
207.647.3311
Harrison - NAVIGATE YOUR FUTURE! Enjoy lakefront living at its best in this exceptional Long Lake East Shore chalet. Finely crafted Post&Beam w/204’ water frontage, open living concept, brick fireplace, cathedral ceiling & wrap-around deck. 3BR/3BA, family rm in walk out basement, 1.6 Acre lot. Sensational Sunsets too! $599,000
Bridgton - Private hilltop retreat with panoramic mountain views. Only 5 minutes to Shawee Peak. Three levels of living space will hold a crowd, yet provide privacy. Giant master suite w/ his/hers office space, oversized bath, double closets. Hardwood flrs, multi-level deck, lovely porch & more. Lower level boasts 1200sf w/private patio— perfect for in-laws or visiting families! $375,000
Waterford - Inviting furnished Keoka Lake cottage nestled in the pines. Nice sandy beach and dock. Large enclosed screened porch overlooking the lake and westerly mountain views. 4 Bedrooms with plenty of room for family gatherings. Beautiful sunsets! $325,000
It’s about the details. Family. Lifestyle. lakelivingmaine.com
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Bridgton Urgent Care Because bumps and bruises and ‘just not feeling so great’ can happen…even on vacation.
NEW SUMMESR! HOUuR gust 18
Open Bridgton Urgent Care for minor emergencies. June 18-A 5 pm-9 pm Monday, y a d ri -F y Monda Bridgton Urgent Care for walk-in medical care. 8 am-1 pm Wednesday, Saturday Including: Colds, flu-like symptoms, hay fever, minor allergies, Friday bruises, bumps, skin lumps, bronchitis, coughs, cuts and 5PM-9PM lacerations, earache or ear pain, muscle aches, blisters, sinusitis, Saturday 8AM to 1PM nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, insect bites and stings, muscle aches, 207-647-6166 sore throat, sports injuries, sunburn, eye irritation, joint pain. 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
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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