Our Maine Street : Issue 12 Spring 2012 by Our Maine Street LLC

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stretch your dollars across maine MADAWASKA 207-728-7234 81 Fox Street

I95 North to Houlton Rt 1 North to Madawaska Left onto 25th Ave. Left onto Fox St. Marden’s is on the right.

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PRESQUE ISLE 207-762-3417 803 Main Street

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I95 North to Houlton Rt 1 North to Presque Isle. Marden’s is on the left.

HOULTON 207-532-9125 120 North Street

I95 exit 302. Marden’s is on your right.

LINCOLN 207-794-2013 28-32 Main Street I95 exit 227. Right turn off exit At intersection, turn left onto Rt 2 1-1/2 mile stop light Left turn onto Main Street.

CALAIS 207-454-1421 189 Main Street

I95 exit 182A 395E Rt 9E Rt 1S Follow to Canada. Marden’s is on the left just before the border. Furniture/Flooring store is on right across from McDonalds. Ph. 207454-1459

ELLSWORTH 207-669-6036 461 High Street

I95 exit 182A 395E Parkway exit Right turn Traffic light. Right turn onto Wilson Street.

Maine:

the way life should be

I-95 exit 182A 395E Merge onto Rt1A to Ellsworth Rt 1A becomes Rt 1 and Rt 3 North Follow High St./Rt. 3E Marden’s is 1.3 miles on the right.

BREWER 207-989-1750 564 Wilson Street

We carry • shoes • clothing • hardware • furniture • flooring • fabric • houswares • general merchandise • seasonal items!

Marden’s:

the way bargains should be

we also have stores in biddeford, sanford, scarborough, Gray, Lewiston, Rumford and waterville. Visit our website at www.mardens.com for driving directions

Photo Copyright ÂŠ 2012 Ken Lamb, www.kenlamb.com

Co n t e n t s April, May and June 2012

In This Issue

14 Aroostook Weddings 34 Aroostook Ever After by Amanda Knox 40 Midsommar by Carolyn Hildebrand 46 The Fanciful Fiddlehead by Jan Grieco

52 The Silver Lining Fort Kent Lions Club by Clarence “Cur” Soucy 58 Water Access by Joe Powers 62 Gram Russo’s 64 Get Your Garden Growing by Kim Jones 66 Choosing Between Food, Fuel and Medications by Dottie Hutchins 68 Your Blood Pressure by Professional Home Nursing 70 Community Voices

by Michelle Plourde Chasse 72 Community College Month

by Karen Gonya

74 Outstanding Citizens & Businesses of Central Aroostook 75 Focus On Community Service & Learning 76 A Guide to Our Back Issues

Our Maine Street LLC 48 Presque Isle Street, Fort Fairﬁeld, ME 04742 www.ourmainestreet.com 207.472.3464

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Our Maine Street m agaz ine

Publisher Our Maine Street LLC Editor In Chief Craig Cormier Circulation / Advertising Charles Cormier Staff Illustrator Holly Hardwick

Many Thanks to: (in no particular order)

Ken Lamb, Courtney Wetzel, Jennilyn LaChance, Sha-Lam Photography, Gene Cyr, Jan Grieco, Kim Jones, Rachel Rice, Karen Gonya, Joe Powers, Clarence Soucy, Carolyn Hildebrand, Dottie Hutchins, Professional Home Nursing, Amanda Knox, Michelle Plourde Chasse Content and subscription information: content@ourmainestreet.com 207.472.3464 48 Presque Isle Street Fort Fairfield, ME 04742 www.ourmainestreet.com Copyright © 2012 Our Maine Street LCC. Our Maine Street LLC is jointly owned by Charles, Cheryl and Craig Cormier. Proudly printed in the State of Maine, United States of Amerca.

OUR PRINTING IS 100% WIND POWERED

This publication is made possible by the generous support of our advertising partners. Please let them know you saw them in Our Maine Street Magazine and that you appreciate their support of County projects.

Aroostook County Chambers of Commerce Aroostook Real Estate Aroostook Technologies Ben’s Trading Post Boondock’s Grille Bouchard Family Farms Caribou Trading Post Caribou Inn & Convention Center Cary Medical Center Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce Clifford L Rhome CPA, P.A. Clukey’s Auto Supply Fort Kent Ski-Doo Graves’ Shop ‘n Save Hillside IGA I Care Pharmacy Jerry’s Shurfine John’s Shurfine Food Store Marden’s McCluskey’s RV Center McGillan Inc. Mike’s & Sons Sales & Service Monica’s Scandinavian Imports Nadeau’s House of Flooring Nadeau’s House of Furniture Northern Maine Community College Northern Prosthetics & Orthotics Noyes Florist & Greenhouse Paterson Payroll Percy’s Auto Sales Pines Health Services Pelletier Ford Power of Prevention Presque Isle Inn & Convention Center Professional Home Nursing Quigley’s Building Supply Red River Camps Randy Brooker General Contractor Robbie Morin Paving St. John Valley Pharmacy Save a Lot Sitel Corporation The County Federal Credit Union The County Stove Shop University of Maine at Fort Kent Thank You! Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements, unless otherwise noted, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher, staff or advisory board. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information present in this issue is accurate, and neither Our Maine Street Magazine nor any of its staff are responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the publishers. SPRING 2012

Photo Copyright ÂŠ 2012 Ken Lamb, www.kenlamb.com

SPRING 2012

FALL SPRING 20112012

SPRING 2012

Photo ÂŠ 2012 Gene Cyr, Washburn, northernmainepictures.com

40 HOULTON RD PRESQUE ISLE, ME 04769 www.percysautosales.com TEL: 207-764-4493 TOLL FREE: 888-666-6343

Your Town, Our Team, Your Choice www.aroostookrealestate.com Fort Kent, Maine Tel: 207.834.4545 Presque Isle, Maine Tel: 207.762.4001

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SPRING 2012

BOONDOCK’s BOONDOCK’S ~ ~ GRILLE est. 2009

Hours: 8-5 Mon-Fri, 8-1 Sat. www.countystoveshop.com

Steak, Seafood, Pizza Phone: 207-472-6074 294 MAIN STREET, FORT FAIRFIELD W-TH 11am-7pm FR-SAT 11am-8pm SUN 11am-6pm

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213 East Main Street Fort Kent, Maine 04743

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Steven P. Pelletier

President stevenp@pelletierford.com Tel: 207 834-3173 Cell: 207 631-8856 Toll Free: 877 215-1760

www.pelletierford.com

Aroostook happily ever after

Weddings with contributions from Sha-Lam Photography, Courtney Wetzel, Jenni-Lynn Lachance

We got together with our friends at Sha~Lam Photography, whose wedding photos give us a look at some Aroostook County weddings in all four seasons; Jenni from Events by Jenni, a local wedding planner for some insite into what makes a County wedding great in any season; and Courtney Wetzel from Pancsofar’s Bridal Boutique for a look at this year’s styles. Jenni what does a wedding planner do? A wedding planner is a great addition to your event. We help you create the dream day for you and your fiance. We assist in the design, planning and management of the whole day! Also, we remove a lot of the stress. Aren’t they just for big city weddings? Event planners are more prevalent in the bigger cities, but weddings happen everywhere. Whether an event is big or small, it is good to have someone there to keep things running smoothly! Any advice for those wanting to have an outside wedding? When planning an outdoor wedding, there are lots of things to remember such as making sure you inform your neighbors so that you have ample parking. If you are looking at having a farm wedding, make sure that your location does not use chemicals close to your event. Let guests know about the location being outside so that they can wear the proper footwear, and always having a plan B- weather can be unpredictable! Courtney can you fill us in on the styles for this year? This season, we are seeing a dramatic increase in wedding gowns in two different styles. With the “modern vintage” style gaining popularity in both clothing and decor, brides are favoring wedding gowns in lace. Whether this is displayed simply with lace appliques on a chiffon dress or with a gown with

16 Aroostook Weddings SPRING 2012

an entirely lace overlay, we’re sure to be surrounded by lace this wedding season. We are also seeing many brides opting for fun gowns with layers of ruffles. Ruffled ball gowns or the dramatic mermaid style are gaining momentum as brides seek something “diffferent” in their dress. Other than new styles, we’re also seeing trends in color and length. Gone are the days when every wedding gown was white. Colors like ivory and oyster remain popular, but the real surprise this season is dresses in soft pink hues like petal and blush. Today’s bride is also getting less traditional by choosing short or teelength options. Perfect for the destination or informal bride, tee-length dresses are just as breathtaking as their cathedral length cousins. We often hear that brides must travel downstate in order to find that perfect dress. What are your thoughts on this? It is sometimes mistakenly assumed that a bride must travel to the southern half of the state for her wedding attire. However, brides in Aroostook County have plenty of selection right in their backyard. Pancsofar’s Bridal Boutique has an inventory that would rival any bridal salon in the state. With over 200 bridesmaid dresses, 300-400 different wedding gowns, and a full stock of flower girls and mothers dresses, there is no need to go anywhere else. Gowns can be found for any budget, ranging from approximately $300 to $2000. In addition to the dresses, Pancsofar’s carries hundreds of shoe, accessory, and jewelry options. Selection aside, Pancsofar’s brides will also receive the kind of friendly, helpful service that small towns are known for. Service is our number one priority, and we really try to build a relationship with every bride so that we are able to care for her every need during the planning process. Here, it’s a people business more than a dress business. Shopping at Pancsofar’s ensures that the 40-year-old legacy of the store carries on and that a vital part of the Northern Maine economy stays alive. By choosing to not only have your wedding in Northern Maine, but to shop here as well, you are getting the best of both worlds- getting a high quality product with amazing service and contributing to the community we live in. The seasonal spreads feature photos by Sha~Lam Photography and comments from Jenni of Events by Jenni whilst the ‘The Look’ spreads feature seasonal styles that are available at Pancsofar’s with comments by Courtney. We hope you’ll enjoy this section!

Photos ÂŠ 2012 Sha~Lam Photography www.shalamphotography.com

WINTER 2012 Aroostook Weddings 17

Photos ÂŠ 2012 Sha~Lam Photography www.shalamphotography.com

Star City IGA 247 Main St Presque Isle, Me 207 762-5151

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SPRING 2012

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SPRING 2012

SPRING

“People associate spring with the feeling of love and joy - combining those two things for a wedding is a great idea.” - Jenni

SPRING 2012

the

Look

“Soft hues & dreamy fabrics create a fairy tale wedding in the spring. The flower details on these dresses mimic the bursting blooms of the season.” - Courtney L to R: Mori Lee, Pretty Maids & Jim’s Formal Wear 22 SPRING 2012 Photo Copyright © 2011 Ken Lamb, www.kenlamb.com

SPRING 2012

Summer

“Summer weddings are pretty common and can you blame these couples? Beautiful weather and great inseason flowers!” - Jenni

SPRING 2012

the

Look

“Lightweight fabrics in the colors of sparkling sunshine create a warm palate for summer. This look embraces neutrals that are excellent for any skin tone.” - Courtney L to R: David Tutera for Mon Cheri, Pretty Maids & Jim’s Formal Wear

SPRING 2012

FALL

SPRING 2012

the

Look

“Rich taffeta & satin create a regal look that is perfect for autumn.” - Courtney L to R: Christina Wu, Alfred Angelo & Jim’s Formal Wear

SPRING 2012

WINTER

“Winter gives you an opportunity to draw from the sparkle of the outdoors. Also winter weddings have a more open calendar for venues!” - Jenni

SPRING 2012

After the proper time for the sedative to work, I had the opportunity to photograph the sow with her two cubs in the den. WINTER 2012 Aroostook SPRING Weddings 2012 33 33

the

Look

“The shine of satin & sequins on these dresses mirrors the shimmering snowy landscape of winter. Bridal parties don’t have to sacrifice warmth for style either. Beautiful fur jackets and wraps are the perfect solution!” - Courtney L to R: Maggie Sottero, Bill Levkoff & Jim’s Formal Wear

SPRING 2012

Aroostook

Ever After by Amanda Jenkins Knox

The word “wedding” conjures up many images in a person’s mind: elegant flowers, lace, tulle, satin gowns, elaborately decorated cakes, and tuxedos with bow ties. “Aroostook County” may not make the list of elegant wedding-related items for many people, but two years ago when my husband got down on one knee and asked me to share my life with him, I knew The County was exactly where I wanted to say “I do.” For those of us who grew up as “County kids”, this place is more than just a rural stretch of land hidden away in the far reaches of northern Maine. The County gets under your skin and into your veins; it becomes a part of you that you can never erase, no matter where you may live for the rest of your life. I’ve spent plenty of time outside of The County – and outside of the state of Maine. But after four years of college in western New York, two years of graduate school in Boston, and a year of working in Albany, the pull of The County brought me back to my roots. So a year later when beginning to plan our wedding, I couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else. My husband and I considered numerous wedding venues: coastal Maine chapels with views of the ocean, outdoor tented wedding venues in upstate New York, wedding halls perched in the midst of the Catskill mountains with breathtaking views – and although they were all stunning and elegant and perfect wedding locales, nothing seemed to feel right until we decided to marry in the heart of The County on a warm fall day. I knew our choice would have its share of drawbacks – northern Maine was a long drive for our New York guests; the weather can be unpredictable in the fall; our style of living (and wedding planning) may not be quite as elegant as some more up-scale locations – but the benefits far outweighed those drawbacks. Few places are prettier than Aroostook County in the fall; the strong sense of community made finding WINTER 2012 Northern Maine SPRING General 2012 37

wedding services and venues a breeze; and most importantly, The County is “home.” I knew I wanted to begin my journey with my husband in the place where so many other memories had taken place, and with the people who made this place my home. And so, in September 2011, my father walked me down the aisle of my church in Presque Isle. Our wedding reception was held at The Crow’s Nest right down the road. We had a beautifully decorated and delicious wedding cake made by our own restaurant in Fort Fairfield. My mother made our wedding favors by hand to look like tiny potato sacks and filled them with candy, as a nod to our beloved potato industry. The flowers were exactly as I had dreamed them to be and were arranged by the husband of a co-worker who has a small floral company. Many of the decorations were homemade and were put together, packaged and delivered to the reception hall with the help of my childhood friends. And it was perfect. Our guests may have been exhausted from the long drive, but I don’t think anyone could deny that they had a fabulous time at our reception. They raved about the food, and were enchanted with the lovely scenery and rural way of life they witnessed as they traveled through Maine to our wedding. We heard nothing but praise from our guests for our friendly, quaint, industrious community. A wedding marks the first day of the rest of your brand new life; the start of a lifelong journey with your best friend; and a celebration of all the love that got you there. For me, The County is the epitome of community, friendship, hard work, and simple beauty – all the things I hoped and dreamed and prayed for our wedding day and, most importantly, for our marriage; after all, isn’t that the way life should be? 38

SPRING 2012

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SPRING 2012

42 Mizpah SPRING 2012 WINTER 2012

New Sweden’s

Midsommar by Carolyn M. Hildebrand Photos by William L. Duncan

Sunshine, cascading shades of purple, pink, blue and white lupines, birch boughs and tamarack bring to mind the Swedish celebration of “Midsommar,” brought with the Swedes in 1870 who settled in New Sweden, Maine, as well as many other areas throughout the USA. June 21st, the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, provides a symbol of hope in the midst of the cold, dark winter. The first Midsommar celebration in New Sweden was held on June 23, 1871, with a Majstang or Midsummer pole of two crossbars decorated with flowers, leaves and garlands, as well as with the American and Swedish flags. This celebration has taken place in past years at the First Baptist Church and at Gustaf Adolph Lutheran Church. For about the last 25 years, Midsummer has been celebrated at the New Sweden Museum and Thomas Park. In centuries long gone, Midsommar was celebrated as a fertility festival where it was customary in Sweden to light fires around the property on Midsummer Eve to ward off evil spirits and assure the property owner of good crops. The summer solstice celebration began in pre-Christian times and was a day when the spirits of nature joined the human community to celebrate the long days of summer. Midsommar is now a celebration of new beginnings, long days, family reunions, good food, Swedish costumes and preserving the music, dance and customs of our hardy Swedish founders. In 1902, Clarence Pullen wrote for the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad Company

an article entitled, “In Fair Aroostook, Where Acadia and Scandinavia’s Subtle Touch Turned a Wilderness Into a Land of Plenty.” Here he stated that “Midsummer, which is June 22, is next to Christmas, the most merry festival. There are green boughs and festoons of evergreens and wild flowers about the farmhouse verandas and gateways in joy of the day, and a public celebration with music and song and oratory and a collation is a customary feature of the occasion. In all the joyousness of these festivals the elderly people are sharers, for the fondness of the old for the young is a marked and pleasing trait of the Swedish character.” This year, New Sweden’s Midsommar Festival will be held June 22, 23 and 24. Activities will begin on Friday at 9:00 a.m. with volunteers meeting at the New Sweden Museum to gather lupines and other wildflowers on Carlstrom Hill, Rt. 161 overlooking Madawaska Lake. Waterproof shoes and garden clippers are recommended! The New Sweden Museum will be open for visitors from 12-4. A highlight of this year’s event will be 26 members of a Swedish folk dance group from Orust, Sweden. The costumed dancers and musicians will spend the Midsommar weekend performing and teaching the traditional Swedish dances to willing participants. The Orust dancers will first be seen on Friday at 6 p,m. at the Stockholm American Legion Swedish meatball supper and dance. Saturday’s events usually begin with SPRING 2012 43

a Midsommar Frukost (breakfast 7-9 a.m.) in Thomas Park, followed (10 a.m.) by Dala Horse painting, making of hair wreaths, Kubb Viking lawn bowling, fiddle music, decorating the Midsommarstang (11 a.m.), art exhibits, singing, dancing and eating homemade ice cream at the New Sweden Museum. Afternoon dance lessons and visiting the Ostlund House, Noak Blacksmith Shop, Lindsten Stuga, Laden (barn) and New Sweden Museum are often followed by visitors attending a Swedish smorgasbord and a community dance (at the New Sweden School) featuring musicians and Swedish dancers. This year, the Orust folk dancers will lead the evening’s entertainment, encouraging those who are interested in joining them to dance and celebrate the colony’s Swedish heritage. Sunday morning, as the sun peeks through the trees at Thomas Park, a colony worship service begins the day at 10 a.m.. Members and friends of the Maine Swedish colony gather to sing praise and give thanks to God, just as the colony’s first settlers did 142 years ago. Following the service, there is lunch available in the park dining hall. 44 SPRING 2012

At 1:00 p.m., as fiddlers play traditional Swedish walking music, the Midsommarstang is carried up Station Road from the museum accompanied by the New Sweden Little Folk Dancers. The pole is set in the ground in front of the music bowl and the festivities of the afternoon begin. Both the U. S. and Swedish national anthems are sung by those attending, led by the master of ceremonies who then gives a formal greeting to all. Guest musicians and Swedish singers and dancers share their talents, as those of us who watch remember the years gone by. We think about the hardy Swedes who left their homes, friends and families in search of a new beginning and a bright future for their descendants. Perhaps, we think about the hardships they faced and the work that was never ending. We think of the courage, hope, industry and the perseverance each settler had, as noted by W.W. Thomas Jr. at the 10th anniversary celebration in 1880 of the founding of his colony of New Sweden. Mr. Thomas referred to the settlers as his, “Children In The Woods” as he described how “the primeval forest

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covered all the land, stretching away over hill and dale as far as the eye could reach. No habitation of civilized man had ever been erected in these vast northern woods; through their branches the smoke from settler’s cabin had never curled; in their depths the blows of settler’s axe had never resounded. Here roamed the moose, and prowled the bear, and here the silence of midnight was broken by the hooting of the arctic owl.” Thus the Swedes have truly added to their new home. Not only their ethic of hard work and endurance, but they also have lived up to the final phrases of the American national anthem, “land of the free and home of the brave.” SPRING 2012 45

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SPRING 2012

48 Mizpah WINTER 2012 48 Mizpah WINTER 2012

Photo ÂŠ 2012 Gene Cyr, Washburn, northernmainepictures.com

Spring’s Green Dreams

The Fanciful Fiddlehead by Jan Grieco

on behalf of the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce Winter, especially in northern Maine, is long and cold. By the end of February, tempers and patience are short and palates are jaded. But as the days lengthen and the ragged snow along the roadsides melts away into rivers and streams, thoughts turn to one of Maine’s most unusual and elusive spring delicacies, the fiddlehead fern. Few things say spring as much as the young coiled heads of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) that Mainers have gathered every spring from the banks of rivers, streams, and brooks for generations. Little else is so much a part of the quicksilver melting of snow and the greening of the Maine landscape as is foraging for the tightly curled, bright green fronds. For Brock Kingsbury of Bridgewater, gathering, selling, and eating fiddleheads is a part of life. “I must have been about eight or nine the first time that I really remember going fiddleheading with gramps,” the twenty-four-year-old Bridgewater resident said. “I probably went before, but that was the first time I really remember.” The art of fiddleheading seems to be one of those things passed down from generation to generation. Although Kingsbury earns his living at the family business, Burtchell Truck, in Mars Hill, he never abandoned gathering the green tendrils as he did as a boy, and he is not alone in his passion for this spring delicacy. In recent years, fiddleheads have seen a surge in popularity. Although there are no hard facts on how many pounds are picked and eaten each year, some say that more than fifty tons make their way to markets and tables each year. By late April, early May, hand-lettered signs appear on roadsides advertising the toothsome delicacies, and even supermarket chains and natural and specialty food shops in urban areas sell the succulent fronds. Kingsbury said he doesn’t know what is behind the sudden fascination with the ferns, but thinks it may be a result of the economy. “When the economy is down, people tend to look for local vegetables and foods,” he said. “Fiddleheads are literally right in most people’s backyard. If you toss a stone, you can probably find fiddleheads.” It may also be that fiddleheads are really the first fresh vegetable available in spring, and they are nutrient

rich, low in calories, and just plain delicious. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service notes that a half cup of fiddleheads has only thirty-five calories, two grams of protein, about seven grams of dietary fiber, Vitamin A, C, calcium and iron, and virtually no fat. Some people say the taste is very similar to asparagus, while others claim they are like green beans. Even more important, the toothsome stalks can be prepared in a variety of ways, ranging from simple steaming to more exotic dishes that include combing the fiddleheads with shrimp and other seafood. Fiddleheads and scrambled eggs are a favorite breakfast for many families, and still others gather all they can in the spring, then freeze the wild vegetable so it will last longer. Some families pickle the ferns and enjoy them year round as a side dish or just a snack, serve them as a side dish with a bit of butter and lemon juice, or add the ferns to other foods like scrambled eggs for a palate-pleasing treat. The toothsome spring tidbits are also available in some grocery stores commercially canned and pickled, and no matter whether fresh or processed, go well with tomato sauce, cheeses, and even in stir-fry. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service has a variety of recipes available for those who have never prepared fiddleheads. “My favorite way of eating fiddleheads,” Kingsbury said, “is battered and deep fried, the way my Grammy makes them.” Gathering and preparing fiddleheads is not for the faint of heart or muscle, but it is very much a spring ritual, and one anxiously anticipated. Long-time fiddleheaders claim that the finest ferns come from carefully guarded secret spots and those spots will produce ferns for years. “Gramps had three particular spots that he kept secret,” Kingsbury said. “Those three spots don’t garner a lot of fiddleheads now, but there’s still a few.” Although he’s been picking the ferns for years, Kingsbury began selling them only about six years ago. Annually he picks several hundred pounds that he sells through two retail stores and in private sales to individuals and some businesses, including Northern Maine Community College which serves the ferns, when available, at an annual spring dinner for the college’s foundation. SPRING 2012 49

While fiddleheads can range in price from $2 to $5 a pound, depending on who is selling them, Kingsbury tries to keep his prices under $2, a figure the NMCC business graduate says he determined by taking into account his time and costs for picking, and then considering the local market and economy. He keeps his favorite picking spots just as big a secret as his grandfather ever did, but he said there are some easy indications of places where there will be good patches of fiddleheads. Wetlands, or areas that have spring high-water levels, with near the water line, with just a few softwood trees – poplars, firs and the like – and with a thin canopy of branches are the best place to begin looking. The soil in the area should also be rich, and dark, almost black. “You can look for man-made dams, someplace where there are likely to be ducks and water fowl,” he advised. “They leave good fertilizer that washes downstream below the dam, and that’s great for fiddleheads.” It’s also one of the reasons why cleaning fiddleheads and cooking them thoroughly, either by steaming or boiling, is important to kill any contaminants. Such places are often best reached by boat or canoe via the spring-swollen rivers and streams, but other pickers hike in from the road, wearing knee- or thigh-high rubber boots and carrying large five gallon buckets to tote out their treasure. The search itself is also part of the pleasure. “Picking fiddleheads is also the first time you can really get out in the spring,” Kingsbury said. “It’s fun to get out there in a boat, and that’s the best way to get them because you can access both sides of the river.” While all wild ferns to some extent have the same coiled heads, only the ostrich ferns are edible. None of the others are as palatable as fiddleheads, but none, except perhaps brakes or bracken fern, which are proven to be toxic to horses, pose any health problem for humans, but it is still important for anyone considering picking and eating fiddleheads to know what they are doing. Seek the advice of an experienced picker, and take real care to distinguish between fiddleheads and other ferns. The coiled heads, or croziers, of fiddleheads are a bright, rich green with a dark brown husk and a well-defined groove that runs up the entire stem to the tip. The croziers of the ostrich fern can be picked

SPRING 2012

as soon as they are an inch or two above the ground, and cleaning is easy. Carefully brush off and remove the papery brown scales that Kingsbury said look like a thin fuzzy moisture on the coiled ferns and are easily wiped off. Thoroughly wash the ferns in clean water several times until the water is clear. Then bring a small amount of lightly salted water to a boil, add washed fiddleheads, and cook them at a steady boil for 10 minutes. Fiddleheads can also be washed clean and steamed for 20 minutes. The ferns are then ready for eating, pickling, or freezing. Foraging for fiddleheads has long been a cherished and somewhat mysterious ritual of spring that offers not only the pleasure of being outdoors after a long winter, but truly memorable dining that everyone should experience at least once. Whether purchased from the back of a roadside pickup truck or the produce section of the local market, fiddleheads are a spring treat no one should miss.

Caribou Inn  Convention Center

19 Main Street, Intersection of US 1 & Rte 164 Caribou, Maine 04736 800.235.0466 or 207.498.3733 www.caribouinn.com  73 Spacious Rooms  Banquet Facilities  Greenhouse Restuarant  Gift Shop  Albie’s Lounge  Hair Dryers  Fitness Center  Coffee Makers & Irons  Indoor Heated Pool & Jacuzzi

Presque Inn  Convention Center

116 Main Street, US Rte 1 Presque Isle, Maine 04769 800.533.3971 or 207.764.3321 www.presqueisleinn.com

151 Quest Rooms & Suites Gram Russo’s Italian Restuarant  Frankie’s Lounge  The Connection Lounge with Live Entertainment  Fitness Center

Indoor Heated Pool & Jacuzzi Banquet Facilities  Gift Shop  Hair Dryers  Coffee Makers & Irons



Photo ÂŠ 2012 Gene Cyr, Washburn, northernmainepictures.com

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Photo ÂŠ 2012 Gene Cyr, Washburn, northernmainepictures.com

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CARIBOU AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 657 MAIN ST, STE 1 CARIBOU, MAINE 04736 800 722.7648 207 498.6156 WWW.CARIBOUMAINE.NET

CENTRAL AROOSTOOK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 3 HOULTON RD PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE 04769 207 764.6561 WWW.CENTRALAROOSTOOKCHAMBER.COM

FORT FAIRFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 18 COMMUNITY CENTER DRIVE FORT FAIRFIELD, MAINE 04742 207 472.3802 WWW.FORTCC.ORG

GREATER FORT KENT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE P.O. BOX 430, 291 WEST MAIN ST FORT KENT, MAINE 04743 207 834.5354 WWW.FORTKENTCHAMBER.COM

GREATER HOULTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 109 MAIN ST HOULTON, MAINE 04730 207 532.4216 WWW.GREATERHOULTON.COM

GREATER MADAWASKA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE P.O. BOX 144, 356 MAIN ST MADAWASKA, MAINE 04756 207 728-7000 WWW.GREATERMADAWASKACHAMBER.COM

GREATER VAN BUREN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 51 MAIN ST, STE 101 VAN BUREN, MAINE 04785 207 868.5059 WWW.VANBURENMAINE..COM

LIMESTONE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 93 MAIN ST LIMESTONE, MAINE 04750 207 325.4704 WWW.LIMESTONEMAINE.ORG

SPRING 2012

The Silver Lining of Fort Kent’s Main Street by Clarence “Cur” Soucy

At the threshold of “America’s First Mile,” Fort Kent invites all to experience, the serenity of its small town, with a beautifully intricate landscape, shouldered by two large ridges. Here a scenic river serves as one of our country’s natural boundaries separating the United States from Canada. This attractive setting marks the entrance to U.S. Route One, anchoring Fort Kent as the head of the U.S. Highway running parallel along the Atlantic Seaboard south to Key West, Florida. Canvassed against this backdrop of the Canadian border and the water’s edge of the upper St. John River is this thriving community that makes the home of the Fort Kent Lions. Vested in an Acadian heritage, Fort Kent dubbed as “The Little Town that could” following its hosting of the 2004 IBU World Cup Biathlon is reputed as a community with a “can do attitude.” Emerging from the folds of this vibrant community is a rich history of individuals, responsible for the growth and promotion of their town, beyond its demographic setting. In the lineup of distinguished community entrepreneurs, is a secular service organization of responsive, energetic men who have taken their pledge “None above you, none beneath you, but with you!” outside of their meeting hall. The Fort Kent Lions Club with a current membership of 75 active members share a core belief – “community is what we make it.” It is within this milieu of high civic energy that the Fort Kent Lions, founded in 1938, has been a forerunner in promoting the civic, cultural and social welfare of this thriving community. An affiliate and chapter of Lions Club International with a membership of over 1.35 million members worldwide, the Fort Kent Lions Club from its inception has remained a steadfast organization. Consistent with the motto “We Serve” the club goals continue to align themselves with the international mission of sight conservation, hearing and speech conservation, diabetes awareness, youth outreach, international relations, environmental issues, and other programs. The depth of vision and a resolute of community promotion, by the original founders of the Fort Kent Lions Club, established the foundation for what today, continues to be an unwavering accomplished civic organization in its 73rd year of service to the Greater Fort Kent area. This jovial spirit and responsiveness

to community outreach has been a major impetus that continues to attract new members to an ever-growing organization. The inspiration and generosity of those that have come before, defines the Fort Kent Lions Club and tells of its ongoing success. Combined with the thousands of hours of in-kind services, the club has raised and returned to the community, in the last 15 years alone, over half a million dollars. Crafted from a lineage of French Canadian descent with a rich history of strong work ethics, traditional family values and a spirited sense of joie de vivre carves a community that knows too well, the cliché of “thinking outside of the box.” From this vantage point has surfaced time and time again, a group of individuals who spur the creative economy of the area, and gradually have been fashioning an ongoing blueprint for our community’s progress and growth. Collectively as an organization and through collaborative efforts, the mind-set of the Fort Kent Lions is simple: “No challenge is too great,” and with that outlook, our club has been instrumental in the expanse of a community that can boast of having its own “Main Street.” The secret of our success can be compared to a weaver at his loom, the outcome of the cloth is determined by the texture of the fabric and the complexity of the weave. Diverse and multi-talented individuals from throughout the Greater Fort Kent area form our fabric and create our strand. From this cast surfaces an amazing untapped power that yields the formula of relentless innovation, entrepreneurial creativity, the commitment of risk-taking, and the ability to thrive. Filled with energy and enthusiasm paired with our reputation as a feisty bunch of men our mission is unwavering; to contribute to the well-being of humankind, to make a difference in our own patch of forest, all the while honoring the moment with silence. However, today for the sake of this article, we respectfully share some of our causes without disclosing individual recipients, revenues expended and without any sequential order: •We are the sponsoring organization for the Fort Kent Boys Scouts and assist them in their annual Boys Scout Chicken BBQ; •We fund eye care in the area; i.e., examination SPRING 2012

and the purchasing of eyewear for those deemed in financial need; •We have been supporting the Aroostook Teen Leadership Summer Program for the last ten years; •“Seed” money is granted for a popular valley-wide cancer fund that focuses on the needs of cancer survivors and their families; •We have been a sponsor for the Can Am Crown for the last 12 years; •Donations have been granted to Lonesome Pine Trails for their purchase of a snowmaking gun; •An annual scholarship is awarded to a FKCHS senior, as selected by our Scholarship Committee; •We are a gold sponsor for WFKT Channel 4; •We have been offering contributing funds to the St. John Valley Hope and Justice Project for over seven years; •We are a major sponsor of the “Hook a Kid on Golf Program” provided by the Fort Kent Golf Club. We purchase annually 25 sets of golf clubs for children (ages 6 to 13) who are given the set upon their conclusion of the program; •We purchased in 2005 new air packs and in 2009 new Jaws of Life for the Fort Kent Fire Dept.; •Donations were made to the Fort Kent Senior Center for their Air Conditioning Project; •Committed a major donation to the 2010 Haiti Earthquake Relief Effort; •Purchase and install annually the Christmas street lights, decorating our town street lamp posts, and sponsor the annual “Christmas Tree Lighting Project” at our local library; •On behalf of Northern Maine Medical Center we have purchased cardiovascular rehabilitation services and equipment; •We support valley-wide “Special Need Adults” and community-wide elderly projects; •We have been a strong advocate and support for our local high school sports teams, purchasing team items such as sets of golf clubs for each member of the team, and the purchasing of team uniforms for the schools ski team and girls soccer teams, and have; •Donated countless hours of in kind services. Membership spearheading many committees for annual ATV Poker Runs, the Scarecrow Festival, the International Muskie Derby, and the Can AM International Sled Dog Races, including the many gratuitous charitable benefits that our own “Lion’s Club Band”: (AKA Boomer-Ang) play for, to simply list a few. Perhaps our greatest response has been to the outdoor recreational opportunities that can be enjoyed throughout 56

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all four seasons. From the “call of the wild,” the Fort Kent Lions have responded to large community needs and ticket items. We have been a major factor in funding the Riverside Playground Park in 1986. In 1989, we oversaw the RV Park. In 1999, our club was responsible for the construction of a large gazebo that provides not only beautification, but also a setting for quiet time in the park. In 2002, the club then added restrooms for park visitors. Finally, this past year we constructed an imposing 6000-square-foot pavilion, known as the “Lions Den” that can be utilized for large group gatherings. Without fanfare or credit for the thousands of man-hours and commitment by our members in seeing all these projects to fruition, and without credit or honor to those involved, all has been graciously endowed to the town of Fort Kent. What best defines who we are and what our history has become as a club, is not so much what we have done, but how we have gone about it, in making it all happen. We sustain, because of a shared vision and a resolute to act upon decisions rendered by the majority. With an invigorating spirit, we collectively move forward in our response. In 2006 we produced our first “Fort Kent Lions Club Limited Edition Calendar,” yielding impressive financial returns. Each alternate year we print out the “Fort Kent Lions Club Telephone Directory” that also supports our financial coffer. However, our greatest funds-raiser continues to be “The Pride of the Lions Show.” Here in jolly and jest, we drop our pretenses, as we have done fashionably for over twentysome odd years, “in-standing room only,” entertaining folks countywide, with a slate of incredibly gifted actors, in our “Pride of The Lions” show. Our story be told, can best be express and summarized by an 82-year-old man (since deceased) who agreed to be in the Lion’s 2006 Calendar. Etched in the veins of each of our members is the premise of unselfish commitment, emulated by our former lion and friend. In sub-zero temperatures on a frosty February morning, this Lion ventured his way up the mountain ridge overlooking Fort Kent’s backdoor, with the photographer and team inhand, ready for his photo-shoot. He stands ever so proudly in front of the mountain’s snow-groomer, and gives a “Big Smile” for the camera, when somebody reminds him that he needs to take off his clothes. He quips, “You’ve got to be kidding! You want me to get butt naked?” “Well yahh. . . this is for the 2006 Lions Calendar,” is the rebuttal. He chuckles loudly and says, “Anything for this community!” Without pretext, and before anyone could say another word, off came the clothing! His only request, “Hey guys, can you pass me that snowboard over there, so I can shield off a little of that northern wind, and by the way, hurry up…I’m a little cold!” And now the rest of the story: “For

the Lions go roaring along…For the Lions go roaring along.” Oh yah, did we forget to mention that this year’s recipient of the 2012 Greater Fort Kent Area Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award is none other, than one of our own distinguished members? “ROAR LIONS! ROAR LIONS! ROAR LIONS!” Now there is a better way to receive your medications. I Care Pharmacy is your mail order discount pharmacy located in the Crown of Maine. Anthem clients, we can fill your 90-day maintenance prescriptions! MaineCare clients, you may be eligible for no co-pays. Always friendly and personal hometown service. It’s easy, affordable and proven! St 227 Main Street, Fort Fairfield, ME 888-422-7319 207-472-1302 www.i-carepharmacy.com

Jerry’s Shurfine 63 Houlton St. Island Falls, ME 04747 207 463-2828 www.jerrysfoodstore.com John's Shurfine 182 Market St Fort Kent, ME 04743 207 834-5181 www.johnsshurfine.com

Photo Copyright ÂŠ 2012 Ken Lamb, www.kenlamb.com

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NOW HIRING!

207 Development Dr Limestone, ME 04750 207-328-4515

SPRING 2012

WATER ACCESS IN AROOSTOOK COUNTY ANOTHER JEWEL IN THE CROWN OF MAINE by Joe Powers

Water access in Aroostook County is a true jewel in the Crown of Maine. Much of the access to the lakes, rivers and streams in Aroostook County that has always been made available by traditional access across private property has changed due to changes in land ownership. The Maine Department of Conservation Bureau of Parks & Lands Boating Facility Program and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife has purchased many of these “Traditional Access Sites,” thus protecting access to these waterways for the future. You may be familiar with these sites as they have a big blue sign denoting “Public Access Site.” Some of these sites include the boat launch site at Eagle Lake in the town of Eagle Lake, the site on Portage Lake and the new site on the Saint John River in Madawaska. The funding for the Department of Conservation’s Boating Facilities Program is derived from 1½ percent of the gasoline tax. The Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Program is funded through federal taxes on fishing equipment and distributed through the Sport Fish Restoration Fund. There are different types of access sites and many are able to be accessed with a boat trailer backed into a body of water. Others are considered ‘hand carry’ only, where you launch your car-top boat or canoe or kayak. Many of these sites are operated by the Department of Conservation or Department of IF&W, while others are owned and operated by the town or there is an agreement with a sporting club to operate the facility. For example, the Cross Lake Boat Landing is maintained by Sportsman’s Incorporated on land owned by Irving Woodlands. There are many other “Traditional Access Sites” located to the west of Route 11 that are in the North Maine Woods, and many are considered “Primitive Access” and are intended to protect the fishery resources. Some water bodies may have horsepower restrictions on them, so it is best to check with North Maine Woods office in Ashland to see what type of access is available before heading out to these areas. To provide a little historical background of the Boating Facilities Program and funding sources here in Maine, the following is quoted from the ‘Public Access to Maine Waters Strategic Plan 1995 to 2000’: “The Maine Legislature established the Boating Facilities Program in 1963 within the Bureau of Parks and Recreation to provide public launch sites for recreational boaters. This program provides public launching ramps, parking areas, and access roads for inland and coastal sites. Where sites are intensively used, the bureau provides hard surface launching ramps, floats, and toilets.” Over the years, the Bureau of Parks & Recreation, now the Bureau of Parks & Lands, has worked closely with 60

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other state agencies, municipalities, corporate landowners, and the public in providing funding and technical assistance for boating facilities. In recognition of the large number of boaters who fish, the bureau has worked especially closely with the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife in providing access to waters with high-quality natural fisheries or stocking programs. In 1986, the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife initiated its own “Aquatic Access Program” to take advantage of expanded funds earmarked for boating access projects from the Wallop-Breaux Amendment to the federal Sport Fish Restoration Act and began acquiring water access sites more aggressively. The Bureau of Parks & Lands supports the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife’s efforts by providing the state matching funds and up-front money from the Boating Facilities Fund so Maine can participate in the federal program. There are other funds that have become available over the years such as Federal Land & Water Conservation Funds or (LAWCON) monies, Land for Maine’s Future Bond monies, Maine’s Coastal Program, Outdoor Heritage Funds, and the Submerged Lands Fund, administered by the Bureau of Parks & Lands. The owner of a dock or wharf pays into the Submerged Lands Fund. A subset of that fund, the Shore and Harbor Management Fund, is a potential source of funds, matching or other, for municipal coastal access projects. Many municipalities, industries and non-profit organizations have also expanded opportunities for public access in collaboration with the state. Hydropower providers, under the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) requirements, have developed many access sites. In Aroostook County there are some sites developed on the Aroostook River in Caribou above the dam by the old Maine Public Service steam plant and another on Scopan Lake on the Masardis end of the lake. The ability for Mainers to access waters in Aroostook County and elsewhere in the State of Maine has been greatly enhanced by the Boating Facilities Program, which continues to provide access to recreationalists and fishermen across our wonderful state. A full listing of launch sites is available on the internet for those who have access at maine.gov/doc/parks/ boating/index.html. North Maine Woods, Inc. also maintains several unimproved water access points. These access points range from hand carry only to trailer launch for small watercraft. A Google Earth map of their campsites and adjacent water access points may be viewed by visiting http://www.northmainewoods.org/google-earth.html

EB EC ,

NA DA

NEW BRUNSWICK CANADA

AROOSTOOK COUNTY “THE COUNTY”

SOMERSET COUNTY

Aroostook County sites are listed below: Ashland - Aroostook River Caribou - Aroostook River Eagle Lake - Eagle Lake Fort Fairfield - Aroostook River Fort Fairfield - Nadeau Pond Fort Kent- Black Lake Frenchville – St John River Glenwood Plantation Wytopitlock Lake Hodgdon - South Branch Meduxnekeag River Houlton - Meduxnekeag River Island Falls - Mattawamkeag Lake Island Falls - Pleasant Lake Island Falls - West Branch Mattawamkeag Limestone - Trafton Lake Linneus - Nickerson Lake Madawaska - St John River Masardis - Aroostook River Masardis - Scopan Lake Morro Plt - Rockabema Lake New Limerick - Drews Lake Oakfield - Spaulding Lake Oakfield - Timoney Lake Oxbow- Aroostook River

PISCATAQUIS COUNTY

Portage - Portage Lake Presque Isle - Arnold Brook Lake Presque Isle Aroostook River Presque Isle - Echo Lake Presque Isle - Hanson Brook Lake Presque Isle - Presque Isle Stream St Agatha - Long Lake St John Plt - Hunnewell lake Stockholm - Little Madawaska River T9R3 - No. Nine Lake T11-R13 - Umsaski Lake T15R9 - Deboullie Pond T15R9 - Perch Pond T15R9 - Pushineer Pond T15R9 - Touge Pond T16 R5 - Cross Lake Van Buren - St John River Wallagrass - Soldier Pond Washburn - Aroostook River Weston - East Grand Lake Winterville Plt - St Froid Lake

PENOBSCOT COUNTY

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Photo ÂŠ 2012 Gene Cyr, Washburn, northernmainepictures.com

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Maine’s Platinum Trollbeads Dealer Clogs, Jewelry, Table Linens, Swedish Specialty Foods Scandinavian Sweaters, Crystal, Dinnerware, Bridal Registry www.monicasimports.com 176 Sweden Street, Caribou, Me 04736 Tel / Fax: (207) 493-4600

Your “LOCAL” choice for payroll processing Curt Paterson President curtp@maine.rr.com

P.O. Box 189 Presque Isle, Me 04769-0189 Tel: (207) 764-6945 Fax: (207) 433-1099

www.patersonpayroll.com

SPRING 2012

Gram Ruso’s Italian Restaurant Kevin B. Simmons began negotiations for the purchase of the Presque Isle Inn & Convention Center, formerly know as Keddy’s Motor Inn, in the early part of 1999. After finalizing the purchase in July 2000, Simmons’s first project was the renovation of the main dining room. Simmons knew that he wanted something previously unavailable in Aroostook County, a truly authentic Italian restaurant. He wanted a look of the true Italy with ornate wall coverings, decorations, and a real Italian water fountain straight from Italy. Marjorie Russo, Kevin’s late grandmother who past away at the age of 87 in 1999, was the inspiration for Gram Russo’s Italian Restaurant. 64

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Though Marjorie Russo was not of Italian descent, she adopted the culture and cuisine of her loving husband Benjamin Carmen Russo, making it distinctly her own. Gram Russo’s features authentic Italian dishes based on those made by Marjorie, that Kevin grew to love as a child. Those menu items include recipes for marinara sauce and meatballs, lasagna and many other popular Italian dishes. Today, the culinary department is under the direction of Joanna Dumond. Joanna has been employed at Gram Russo’s since 2009 and has truly created a new culinary flare in The County; she is a Van Buren native. Growing up in the St. John Valley where the Acadian culture and food, as well as the

agricultural landscape and lifestyle, had a huge influence on her upbringing. She learned to cook at an early age and by sixteen had her first job cooking in a pizza and sub shop. She later expanded to a larger facility boasting four dining rooms and more extensive menus, and the opportunity to work with many diverse chefs. Joanna attended the University of Maine, graduating with high honors with her Bachelors in Fine Arts from the University of Maine in Presque Isle. Fine Arts was her dream, but the excitement and rush of cooking was to be her true calling. Working under the previous chefs at Gram Russo’s and under the open direction of the owner, she has made her true dream come true at Gram Russo’s Italian Restaurant. She has the ability to use her fine arts education and see it with every dish she creates. She over sees and trains a full staff of very talented individuals. Eric Brigham, the banquet cook, has been employed at Gram Russo’s for close to ten years. Eric has vast knowledge in all aspects of food preparation and catering. Joanna’s right hand cook Josh Doughty is a Presque Isle native. Josh grew up working on his family’s farm and always had a love for cooking. Since the first day that Josh was hired at Gram Russo’s, you would have thought that he had years of experience. Joanna has built a team that is second to none and is giving The County a true taste of diversity in all the items they create. She is truly thankful that the owner allows them the freedom to experiment and express their love for cooking. In doing so, there is always something fresh cooking at Gram Russo’s Italian Restaurant. Today’s menu includes traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine as well as a savory selection of steaks and fresh seafood. To compliment your dinner, choose from an extensive wine list and a wide variety of tempting homemade desserts. Large groups are welcome. Reservations are recommended for parties of ten or more. All major credit cards accepted. Hours of Operation M - W Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun.

Breakfast Closed Closed Closed 7a - 11a 7a - 11a

Lunch Closed 11a - 2p 11a - 2p 11a - 2p 11a - 2p

Dinner 5p - 8p 5p - 8p 5p - 9p 5p - 9p 4p - 8p

SPRING 2012

Healthy You:

Get Your Garden Growing by Kim Jones, Cary Medical Center

When I was in elementary school, I remember one of my teachers had an orange tree in the classroom. My classmates and I checked it faithfully to see if any of the little green buds had magically turned into fruit. On occasion, we were pleasantly surprised to see that, in fact, there were real oranges growing on the stubby little tree. Now those who dared to pluck and eat one (I don’t think the teacher encouraged this, but that never seemed to deter us) soon found that Room 211 oranges were not like the sweet, juicy kind we got in the cafeteria. One bite of ours usually resulted in a puckered face and a dash to the trash can. But the lesson was not lost. Our eight-year-old minds were awakened to the realization that we had the power, as if it were some superhuman feat, to actually grow food. Prior to that, most of us hadn’t considered that the contents in our lunchboxes could have come from anywhere other than the grocery store. In northern Maine, spring has sprung, which means gardeners around the County are lugging hoes, shovels, and spades to their backyard in search of the perfect spot to grow something. It’s an activity that has increased in popularity with more than 70 percent of all U.S. households participating in one or more types of gardening, according to the National Gardening Association. Millions of people are discovering that they too have “the power” to grow food - fresh, inexpensive, nutritious food. Here are some helpful tips to get your garden growing: 1. Get in the zone. USDA hardiness zones help determine what plants grow best in certain types of climate. In Aroostook County, we’re generally considered zone 3 – 4, so you’ll have the best luck with plants that will survive in those zones. 2. Pick the best spot. Before you dig, assess the area’s exposure to sun, soil type, moisture levels, and proximity to possible pollutants, such as pesticides from agriculture runoff. Determine what conditions are needed for the types of plants you will grow. For example, lettuce needs lots of moisture, while most varieties of cucumbers can tolerate drier ground. (For more information about when and where to plant vegetables, log on to http://www.thegardenhelper. com/vegtips.html. 3. Prep the soil. Plants need healthy soil to flourish. This includes proper drainage, the correct balance of nutrients, and even the presence of certain bugs and worms. For most plants grown in northern Maine, you want soil that is loose and crumbly to the touch, not thick and hard like clay. This type of soil warms up faster and provides better drainage. Also, Maine’s cooler temperatures makes phosphorous less available in our soil. The University of Maine recommends using a starter fertilizer specially formulated with a higher proportion of phosphorous. For a small fee, you can have a soil test performed to measure the pH levels. (Contact the University of Maine Cooperative Extension for more 66

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details.) You can give your soil a boost by using homemade compost, which is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer. Many organic growers say coffee grounds work the best. 4. Consider higher ground. Raised bed gardens are ideal for Maine’s climate because the soil stays warmer and the plants can be placed more closely together to create a microclimate, which helps control moisture. To create a raised bed, section off three to four-foot-wide beds of any length and build the soil up at least six inches above the ground. The bed may be framed with wood, rock, or concrete blocks to prevent washouts. Since raised beds can be waist-high if you want, these are a great option for people who have a difficult time bending or kneeling. 5. Experiment and have fun! Many seeds and starter plants can be purchased for just a few dollars so you can experiment in your garden with a minimal investment. For a fun twist, try themed gardens. Do a green-salad garden, an Italian-veggie and herb garden, a stir-fry garden, or a colors-of-the-rainbow garden . . . the possibilities are endless! Get the whole family involved by letting each member pick and plant a section. Like the little orange tree from my elementary school days, the garden in your backyard can provide not only a source of healthy food, but also enjoyment. There is something almost miraculous about watching a seed transform into a vibrant plant. As an added benefit, gardening can also be great exercise - a 150 pound person can burn over 300 calories per hour doing general gardening activities like weeding and harvesting. So connect with nature and reap the many rewards of getting a little dirt under your fingernails – get your garden growing! Sources: www.garden.org www.thegardenhelper.com University of Maine Cooperative Extension Healthy You is a free community program from Cary Medical Center that addresses your overall well-being including physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health. For program information or calendar of events, log on to www. carymedicalcenter.org or call Cary Medical Center’s Public Relations Department at 498-1361.

Nicole Farley

Choosing between Food, Fuel and Medications by Dottie Hutchins

SPRING 2012

Today, many senior citizens and others worry about their ability to pay for prescription medications. We often hear heart-wrenching stories about people having to choose between buying food, heating their homes, or filling their prescriptions. Making these difficult choices is stressful and lifethreatening for those who may already be challenged by their golden years, or learning to live with a

Mary Gallant

disability. For younger generations, these same difficult choices may result from recently losing a job, a catastrophic illness, or other family emergencies. The economic challenges of our time know no age boundaries. These challenges are a reality for many, but there is hope and help is available. Pines Health Services offers many options for patients to receive free or low-cost prescription medications. These options include brand name and generic Prescription Assistance Programs (PAPs); co-pay foundations; pharmacy discounts; as well as state and federal programs. Programs vary with the needs of each patient. Some programs are available to patients with Medicare, while others assist patients who have private insurance, no drug coverage insurance, or have larger incomes coupled with high medical expenses. Many of the prescription medications are provided at no cost or at discounted prices to the patient. “We assist patients of all ages who lack prescription coverage based on income,” said Nicole Farley, one of Pines Prescription Assistance Coordinators. Pines Prescription Assistance Program Coordinators help each qualifying patient get the medicines they need through the program that is right for them. This service is free of charge not only for Pines patients, but also nonPines patients who are referred by other physician practices and organizations. “In the fourth quarter of 2011, we helped more than 200 patients receive prescription assistance totaling over $205,000,” added Farley. “For many of our patients, chronic health issues such as diabetes and heart disease are

life threatening, so the Prescription Assistance Program is truly a life saver.” Program Coordinators are available to provide patients with prescription assistance at Pines Health Centers in Caribou, Presque Isle, and Van Buren. Patients may be referred by a Pines provider or by a provider from another physician practice in the area. Mary Gallant is a Pines Family Nurse Practitioner. “I’m from this area, and I know what the economic conditions are like right now,” said Gallant. “I know people are struggling and how valuable this program is for them.” Gallant has a number of cardiac patients who rely on anti-hypertensive medication to reduce their risk of a heart attack. She knows many would not be able to afford their prescriptions without prescription assistance. “These patients are in an age group between 50 and 65, so they are not eligible for Medicare and find themselves in a bind,” said Gallant. “Most may be currently looking for work or recently unemployed. Without this program, many would go without their medicine.” When talking about Pines Prescription Assistance Program Coordinators, Gallant said, “They often read between the lines when they work with our patients. It is a sensitive situation, many patients are embarrassed. It takes a special person, along theAnn lines of a social worker, to Gahagan help patients get the help they need in a respectful manner. They are wonderful.” As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Pines provides enhanced access to health care services for all members of the community including those who are unserved, underserved, or unable to pay. Along with prescription assistance, Pines offers a sliding fee scale and financial counseling, as well as free case management services.

GREAT FOOD

Ann Gahagan is a Pines Family Nurse Practitioner and Diabetes Specialist. “The Prescription Assistance Program has been a wonderful addition to the range of services offered at Pines,” said Gahagan. “We see patients every day who have to make real hard financial decisions and having this program available to them really does make their life choices easier.” As a Diabetes Specialist, Gahagan sees patients who spend decades managing chronic health issues related to their disease. “Folks that utilize this program for their medications are very appreciative and thankful of the benefit,” said Gahagan. “We are able to assist diabetes patients with their blood glucose strips, insulin and diabetes pills. This makes a huge impact on their quality of life and their self-management of the disease.” About Pines Prescription Assistance Program: First launched in 2005 by Cary Medical Center through a grant from the Maine Health Access Foundation, this program is a free community service provided by Pines Health Services. Pines Prescription Assistance Program Coordinators guide patients through their options for receiving medications they would otherwise be unable to afford. This service is free of charge to all qualified patients; both Pines and non-Pines patients who are referred from other physician practices and organizations. Since its inception, the program has assisted many patients in receiving over three million dollars in free or low-cost prescription medications. Patients may call (800) 371-6240 to learn more about this program.

Ann Gahagan

GREAT PRICES KEVIN D KINNEY - OWNER

42 SKYWAY DR CARIBOU, ME 207 498-2600

654 WILTON RD FARMINGTON, ME 207 797-0790

95 S. MAIN ST BREWER, ME 207 989-4350

SPRING 2012

Your Blood Pressure What Is Your Doctor Measuring? by Professional Home Nursing

Blood pressure is measuring the force of the blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as the heart beats and pumps the blood out of your heart to the rest of your body. STATISTICS: 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but rarely people will complain of a headache. Most people learn they have hypertension at a routine exam or when seen for other health problems. Systolic (top number) measures the pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. Diastolic (bottom number) measures the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats. Pre-high blood pressure means you are likely to end up with high blood pressure unless you take steps to prevent it. See your doctor and follow the recommendations. You will always have a diagnosis of high blood pressure, once your doctor has determined you have high blood pressure, even after your blood pressure is under control. Do not stop your medications unless your doctor directs you to stop them. You may have high blood pressure if only the systolic (top number) or the diastolic (bottom number) is high. You do not have to be considered high on both numbers to have high blood pressure. Diabetics with a blood pressure of 130/80 or higher are considered to have high blood pressure.

SPRING 2012

Potential risk factors for developing high blood pressure include: chronic kidney disease, thyroid disease, sleep apnea, use of asthma corticosteroid, cold relief products, and birth control or hormone replacement medications, pregnancy, family history: males over 45, females over 55, or all Americans over 60, stress, lifestyle such as overuse of alcohol, lack of exercise, smoking, lack of potassium in diet, and Obesity. Complications of high blood pressure include: an enlarged heart that weakens and can lead to heart failure also called CHF, aneurysms which is an abnormal â&#x20AC;&#x153;ballooningâ&#x20AC;? of the wall of the artery, narrowing of the blood vessels in the kidney that can lead to various degrees of kidney failure, narrowing of other blood vessels throughout the body which can limit the flow of blood to the heart, brain and legs, increased risk for heart attack, stroke, kidney disease or amputations, visual changes Possible treatments include: lifestyle changes and medications, healthy eating that includes reduction in red meats, low-sodium diets (no more than 1 tsp. of salt daily) as well as at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days. This may be achieved by dancing, brisk walking, bike riding, working in a garden, cleaning house, or bowling. Jogging, swimming, or playing sports could be considered more intense exercise and my not be appropriate for everyone. - Any level of exercise should be approved by your physician, manage your stress or learn to cope with stress - limit alcohol drinks: men no more than two a day and women no more than one a day

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CENTRAL AROOSTOOK COUNTY, MAINE

The Way Life Should Be! Enjoy the many festivals and celebrations taking place throughout the summer in our local communities. For more information contact:

Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce central asroostookchamber.com 207-764-6561

SPRING 2012

An interview with Michelle Plourde Chasse

How did you get involved with Community Voices? Actually, I started some work related to the goals of What exactly is Community Voices and how did Community Voices, before I was working with Community Voices. As a youth leader for the Healthy Maine Partnership Community Voices get started? Community Voices formed about 12 years ago at promoting physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco MSAD #27 in Fort Kent, and as part of a grant that the cessation, students I would work with had concerns and school district received from the Maine Office of Substance interest in alcohol education. Therefore, I worked with Abuse. The purpose was to engage community and youth them on skits that were conducted as peer education. The to work on strategies to reduce underage drinking. I was youth and I also participated in Sticker Shock, and I was not with the group at its inception and only came on board partnering with another county group on some retailer alcohol marketing strategies. in 2006. What are we exactly? Well, Community Voices is a group of individuals from a variety of sectors –law What do you do, and what drives you to do what you do? I think I could be called the glue -- bringing people enforcement, parents, school, healthcare, prevention, etc. , who are concerned about underage drinking and related together to collaborate and find solutions to the issue, issues. We’re a group of volunteers who meet, discuss ensuring schools can access resources for parents, assuring and plan educational and action strategies to reduce funding for law enforcement details, coordinating training youth alcohol consumption and access to alcohol, and for partners, and advocating for systemic change. I’m an advocate at heart. I enjoy working to mitigate alter societal norms that contribute to underage drinking. We’re not prohibitionists, which I think at times we’ve an issue that can wreak havoc in so many communities and been misunderstood to be. Our ultimate concern is the lives. Over half of Americans’ lives have been impacted by health and safety of our young people, and in a broader either their, or someone else’s alcohol abuse. Mine is no sense, the community as a whole. What we do do is work at different. And in a broader context, alcohol is a shared feature preventing underage drinking in a variety of different ways, to three of the four leading non-communicable diseases and as necessary, promote the responsible use of alcohol by worldwide, including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Excessive alcohol use is the third leading lifestyle those who are over the age of 21. related cause of death for people in the United States each Who is Michelle Plourde Chasse, what is your background? year. We can’t take on the world so to speak, but working Well, there’s no such thing as an alcohol degree (ha) at the issue at a community level is doable and because of and most people assume that I have either an education, the life long ramifications, focusing on our youth, is a great counseling, or healthcare background. Actually, my first place to start. love, and college degree, was business management and administration. My interest in health, health topics, and What organizations are you associated with? We’re associated with MSAD #27 of course, as well related issues had been piqued for a long time, and I’ve been working in health prevention for almost nine years. the two Aroostook County Healthy Maine Partnerships, About five years ago, I decided to pursue a Masters Degree Healthy Aroostook and Power of Prevention. in Public Health.

SPRING 2012

Can you describe some of the work you do? The work involves education, advocacy, and action. Education strategies might include alcohol training for law enforcement, in which the need increased when State Liquor Enforcement was abolished in 2003, or responsible seller/server training for retailers. An example of advocacy was when the coalition, prior to my coming on board, worked with Senator Jackson to pass a bill requiring store owners to post the law and penalty for furnishing alcohol to minors. And action strategies, well this comes into play when we’re asked to reactively respond to something that has occurred and created issue, or proactively like when we engage in Sticker Shock. What is Community Voices doing right now? We’ve been busy conducting the groundwork for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration project that Aroostook County has been selected to participate in. We’ve been collecting data from high school students, college, and parents and preparing for increased law enforcement efforts and media coverage of the issue. It’s been quite interesting and a privilege to be one of only four sites nationally to participate in the federal project. What are the biggest challenges in the work that Community Voices does? We’re always walking uphill, or so it seems. Working to reduce the usage and harms associated with a legal, and socially accepted substance is difficult. The alcohol culture runs deep; it’s embedded into our communities, families, and society, especially the media. Turn on the radio, television, internet, read a magazine, it’s in your face. Specifically as pertains to youth, we too often hear of it referred to as a “right of passage” or “well at least it’s only alcohol.” When a fatality or incident occurs, communities mobilize in response. But why do we wait for such tragedy? Helping the community understand that just because we’re not hearing of a fatality a day, so to speak, doesn’t mean that harms are not occurring. Of the deaths involving alcohol, only a third are from car accidents. The other 2/3 are from alcohol poisonings, assaults, fires, and suicide. Not to forget all of the injuries that occur from physical and sexual assaults, or other unintended consequences such as the legal ramifications, risk of ruining a career path with an infraction on one’s record; risky sexual behavior and unintended pregnancy and STDs; increased chance for abuse and dependence - the chances of alcohol abuse and dependence

are significantly increased the younger a person starts using alcohol. Another misperception is “it doesn’t affect me, I don’t have a teenager . . .” Well, really underage drinking is everyone’s problem with significant health, safety, and financial impacts. I was just reading a report from the CDC that stated underage drinking costs the U.S. $755 million a year in hospitalizations alone. To sum all that up, altering mindsets and beliefs is most difficult and most important. It requires a paradigm shift. Are there any other groups like yours? Youth Voices, which is a youth subgroup of the full coalition, operates both a middle school and high school team in MSAD #27. Youth have always been a part of Community Voices, and about four years ago, Youth Voices formed as an offshoot. These students work diligently to provide education and advocate for measures to mitigate teen alcohol use. And, they do a phenomenal job providing peer education! Who do you serve, and where can people find you? My office is located at Community High School in Fort Kent and at its inception, Community Voices served the greater MSAD #27 area. While this continues to be the focus of the broad coalition, many strategies can and are effectively employed throughout Aroostook County. We sure do welcome feedback, and anyone who may wish to work with us on the cause! Anything you’d like to add? Despite the barriers mentioned, it is pleasing to note that teen alcohol use and binge drinking have decreased in The County from 2009-2011, and perceptions of harm, getting caught, and engagement in parental discussions have increased. The progress is encouraging!!

your opportunity Discover an exciting career or an affordable start to a four year degree...

33 EdgEmont drivE

PrEsquE islE, mE 04769

(207) 768-2785 www.nmcc.edu l

SPRING 2012

Celebrating Community College Month

pson t Nicole Thom work. completes lab

Electrical studen

Eric Li listens to his instructor in accounting clas s.

nya ing student Ta Medical assist nt.” ie at “p her Clark assesses

Dave Raymon d teaches his history class.

April is Community College Month, and what better time to help spread the word about what is happening nationally as well as right here in Aroostook County’s own community college. Community colleges are a vital part of the postsecondary education delivery system. They serve almost half of the undergraduate students in the United States, providing open access to postsecondary education, preparing students for transfer to 4-year institutions, providing workforce development and skills training, and offering a wide range of noncredit programs. Globalization is driving changes in our economy, and the need for an educated workforce has never been greater. The majority of new jobs that will be created by 2014 will require some postsecondary education. Without community colleges, millions of students and adult learners would not be able to access the education they need to be prepared for further education or the workplace. Community colleges often are the access point for education in a town and a real catalyst for economic development. In Maine, that role is filled by the seven higher education institutions that comprise the Maine Community College System: Central Maine Community College in Auburn; Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor; Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield; Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle, Southern Maine Community College in South Portland and Brunswick; Washington County Community College in Calais, and York County Community College in Wells. Collectively, these colleges offer nearly 300 associate degree, certificate and diploma options. More than 18,500 students were enrolled in Maine’s community colleges in the fall of 2011. The MCCS is one of the fastest growing community college systems in the nation. Enrollment has increased 83 percent in just nine years. More students than ever are starting their education at one of Maine’s community colleges and then transferring to a 4-year institution. During the 2010/2011 academic year, 916 MCCS students trans-

ferred on the University of Maine System. They joined hundreds of other recent MCCS alumni who are working toward degrees at over 163 colleges in 40 states. In addition, the colleges in the MCCS offer customized training and non-credit course offerings. When adding those individuals to the mix, the MCCS serves over 28,000 people annually, the vast majority of whom are Maine residents. In Aroostook County, NMCC had 1,156 students enrolled in the fall 2011 semester, 623 full-time and 533 part-time. Approximately 85 percent of the students are from Aroostook County. Over the 50 years since the college was created NMCC has grown from a “trade” school with four programs to a comprehensive community college offering 27 programs covering a wide range of careers. The trades continue to be a cornerstone of the institution, with nearly one quarter of the current students enrolled in a hands-on trade program that will lead to a career in their field in just two years. Liberal studies is the largest program at the college, with more than 200 students enrolled as they either begin their coursework for an NMCC program, such as nursing, that they are waiting to get in, or get an affordable start for their ultimate goal of a 4-year degree. NMCC has always centered its efforts around providing educational opportunity and skill development to provide a strong workforce for employers in the region. Always paramount has been ensuring that students who turn to NMCC for their opportunity receive the highest quality and personalized education possible, whether to prepare them immediately for the workforce or to continue their education. “In that regard, our future is in our past,” said NMCC President Timothy Crowley. “Historically, program development was the result of responding to needs of businesses in the community. Moving forward we will need to be even more proactive. Key to that is working hand in glove with economic development folks and taking a leap to ensure we train the workforce in the direction that growth is anticipated in order to attract business.”

To celebrate National Community College Month in April, as well as to encourage community members to explore the wide variety of opportunities available to them at such a setting, Aroostook County’s community college has a host of activities taking place. Along with numerous campus oriented activities, there are a number of events that are open to the public. Community members are encouraged to come to campus to take part in the following events. Red Cross Real Heroes Breakfast Friday, April 6 ~ 7:30 a.m.

Sustainable Maine Meal for Earth Week Monday, April 23 ~ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Reed Commons

This is an opportunity to recognize community members who are being honored as “heroes” as well as to raise funds to support the local chapter of the Red Cross. To register for the event, contact Joyce Knorr at knorrj@pinetree.redcross.org or 493-4620 ext. 108.

Creative Reading Series April 11, 18 & 25 ~ 12:00 pm - Library

Real Heroes B

reakfast - 20

Each of the days of this reading series will feature a specific genre of writing: poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Students will read from their own work, followed by a guest writer who will read from his or her own published work and answer questions about the work, experiences as a writer or other areas of interest from audience members. This is free and open to the public.

Totally Awesome 80s Day Tuesday, April 24 ~ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Edmunds Conference Center

April 11 - Morgan Callan Rogers: Fiction

Rogers is a Maine native who has just had her first novel published - Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea.

ary 2011

ration - Janu

1960s Celeb

April 18 - Melissa Crowe: Poetry

Crowe is a published poet and fiber artist. She was the winner of the Betsy Scholl Award in 2011 for her poem This River.

April 25 - Jen Blood: Non-Fiction

Blood writes across genres. Her novel All the Blue-Eyed Angels was just released. It is a fictional Biblical/Occult murder mystery that takes place on the Maine coast.

1970s Celebration April 2011

NMCC will once again host this hands-on, day-long event designed to encourage girls to consider careers traditionally dominated by men. About 100 girls from high schools across Aroostook County will be taking part. The conference is coordinated annually by Women, Work and Community.

Totally Trades

- 2011

Health Care Professionals Wall of Distinction Induction Ceremony Monday, April 30 ~ 2:30 pm Edmunds Conference Center Daryl Boucher will be inducted as this year’s honoree for the Health Care Professionals Wall of Distinction. The wall of honor, the concept for which was developed by faculty in the nursing and allied health department at NMCC, was unveiled to the public in 2008. Boucher will be the seventh person to achieve this recognition.

Maine Veterans’ Volleyball Tournament Saturday, April 21 ~ 9:00 am - Gym The Student Senate sponsors this tournament annually to raise funds for the Maine Veterans Home in Caribou. Local businesses, organizations and community members are encouraged to join in. All players will receive a tournament t-shirt. Each team of six to eight players is asked to raise at least $100 in order to enter the tournament. To register a team, contact Senate advisor Dennis Albert at 768-2757.

We’ve celebrated the 1960s and the 1970s, now our anniversary celebration continues with Totally Awesome 80s Day. Stop by to play some 80s games...test your skills with a live Pac Man game, a Rubik’s Cube competition and more! Music and food from the 80s will be featured throughout the day in the Christie Lobby.

Totally Trades Wednesday, April 25 ~ Campus wide

Retro Movie-thon April 17, 18, 19, & 20 ~ 12:00 pm Peter Hunt Multi-Media Classroom As part of the NMCC’s 50th Anniversary activities, the celebration of the decades since the College began continues with the 1980s. We begin mid-month with a week long blast of iconic movies from the decade. Come enjoy the flick and snack on some tasty treats from the 80s. These movie nights are free and open to the public.

Aramark, the College’s dining services provider, will be offering a special Maine meal in honor of Earth Week. Menu items will include local organic beef from Aroostook Highlands Farm in Woodland, produce from Northern Girl Farm in Limestone, fresh Maine seafood, a penne pasta with a Vodka sauce using Twenty 2 Vodka from Houlton, Maine blueberries, Foxx Family Chips, and Spring Break Maple Syrup. The public is invited to come enjoy this tasty offering. The cost is only $5.75 a person.

Volleyball To

urney - 2011

Chamber Honors Outstanding Business and Citizens in Central Aroostook The annual dinner for the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce (formerly the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce) is always an exciting time. It’s a chance to get dressed up and have a fun night out, mingling with friends and colleagues and networking with prospective new ones. Most importantly, it is the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of some special people in our community. Never was that more true than this year during the annual dinner held in January. The recipients are all outstanding examples of individuals who through their generous spirits have impacted and improved the lives of many in Central Aroostook County and beyond. These awards are made possible through the sponsorship of Presque Isle’s Rotary, Kiwanis and Elks Clubs. Business of the Year Clukey’s Auto Supply The Clukey family has been providing service in the automotive field since 1984 to the citizens of Aroostook County. In 2011, Tom and Gail Clukey purchased additional property on Main Tom and Gail Clukey accept their Street and renovated their award from Jim McKenney (center). entire property, improving photo courtesy of Star Herald the physical appearance of the corner of Main & Park Streets, adding display area to their store and increasing employment. This expansion and refurbishing has added to the vitality of downtown Presque Isle. The Clukeys have also been actively involved in a number of local organizations and causes over the years. “In addition to their visible investment in Presque Isle, Clukey’s Auto Supply, and Tom and Gail Clukey personally, have contributed to most organizations in Aroostook County. It is safe to say that their community spirit has been extended to all causes in the area through the years,” said Jim McKenney, president of the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. “We have been working on a strategic plan for the chamber and will be revising our mission and vision and setting measurable goals along with tactics to achieve them. A key part of our mission will be to continue to serve the commercial, agricultural, and civic interests of Aroostook County with a special focus on the member communities and businesses. We need to help create a climate which will help our businesses succeed.” Jim McKenney Incoming Board President in his remarks regarding his vision

the Chamber at the annual dinner 76 forUMPI WINTER 2012

2011 Citizen of the Year Carol Bell Carol Bell gives selflessly to her community serving on various boards, including Northern Maine Fair Association, Presque Isle Historical Society, Aroostook Substance Abuse, Healthy Families of Aroostook, and SAD # 1 School Board. She also volunteers for Mentor for Kim Smith (left) presents Young Girls in Math & Science, the award to Carol Bell. Make-A-Wish Foundation and photo courtesy of Star Herald A.E. Howell Wildlife Conservation Center. “To me, Carol is the epitome of who should represent us as Citizen of the Year. She gives of herself so freely and in so many arenas to serve our community,” said Kim Smith, Chamber board member and the individual to nominate Bell. “She is someone who gives so generously of her time and experience with no other motive than to do what is right and should be done.” Lifetime Achievement Award Milton & Gloria Adelman The recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award are well known philanthropists Milton and Gloria Adelman. The list of contributions the Adelmans have made to improve the lives of Central Aroostook residents is very lengthy and mostly unknown. Gloria was the director Milton Adelman receives of nursing at the Mars Hill TAMC his award from Nancy facility. Upon her death, their Fletcher. house was donated to TAMC in photo courtesy of Star Herald order to bring in doctors and nurses to the area. Milton was an active business owner, selling potato harvesters and farm equipment. He was a founding member of the Mars Hill Rotary Club, a member of the Masonic Lodge, and served on the TAMC board of directors. He was instrumental in the longevity of the Aroostook County Jewish Community Center. The Adelmans philanthropy extends far beyond Mars Hill and supports children, education, recreation, self-improvement, the elderly, and the communities in which they are active. “Milton does not speak much of his good deeds, he just takes action to do them,” said Nancy Fletcher, Chamber board member and nominator of the Adelmans for this honor. “Milton and Gloria have had an impact on all of us in one way or another. Their giving and contributions have certainly improved the quality of family and living in our communities.” At 87, Adelman continues to seek out people who can benefit from his good work.

★

University students focus on

community service & learning

he University of Maine at Presque Isle has been abuzz with community service/learning activities during the - academic year, with students doing everything from helping to develop GIS maps so local municipalities can create planning and development efficiencies, to conducting a study for local police on theft from motor vehicles. UMPI’s GIS Laboratory has just completed work on a major GIS mapping project for  central Aroostook County cities and towns. The project, funded by a $, grant from the Maine Office of Geographic Information Systems, provides the municipalities with free, high-tech tools for managing their land parcels. Using GIS [geographic information systems] technology, the project coordinator, UMPI professor Dr. Chunzeng Wang, and UMPI students converted each municipality’s paper tax maps and tax assessor’s data into a GIS database. Each database includes an accurate digital parcel map for a given township with detailed data on each parcel, including location and boundaries, owner information, assessed land values, and tax information. The municipalities involved included: Presque Isle, Easton, Washburn, Limestone, Westfield, Perham, Wade, New Sweden, Mars Hill, Mapleton, Castle Hill, Chapman, Woodland, Caribou, and Fort Fairfield. A total of , parcels were digitized and converted to GIS data. Two students, Thomas Pinette and Zicong Zhou, worked full-time on the project in Summer . Two full-time interns, Chelsey Ellis and Gary Parent, also worked on the project because of its connections to UMPI’s EPSCoR program [Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research], funded by the National Science Foundation through the Maine EPSCoR Program.

“The GIS parcel project was an invaluable experience for me,” Pinette said. “I was able to get real-world practice with GIS work rather than only have classroom labs to draw my experience from. Not only that, but I have the satisfaction of knowing the project is helping local towns as well.” UMPI Criminal Justice Students also had the opportunity to positively impact their local community, conducting a study for the Presque Isle Police Department on theft from motor vehicles – typical targets include cell phones, prescription medication, and cash – and providing some potential solutions to the problem. UMPI professor Dr. Charles Johnson and nine Criminal Justice students worked on the -page document. “This project gave our students the opportunity to recognize a current crime problem, to research possible causes, and to make substantive recommendations for its suppression,” Dr. Johnson said. “It was a great way to involve UMPI Criminal Justice students in a real-world situation tied to their area of study, and to complete work that positively impacts the local community.” Student researchers included Christopher M. Bessey, Jeremy Brock, Dustin Cray, Ethan Doody, Brandon Doughty, Elizabeth Flagg, Andrew Levesque, Craig Maffei and Adam Pinette. Based on their research, the group’s recommendations to the PIPD were to consider adopting a ticket warning policy that educates the public about locking car doors and hiding valuables, to police “hotspots” (problems areas), and to educate the public – through public service announcements – about the connections between their routine activities and the likelihood that they could be targeted with theft from motor vehicles. The Presque Isle Police Department is reviewing the research and recommendations and has thanked the group for its hard work on the study. To learn more about these and other exciting things happening at UMPI, visit www.umpi.edu. ★ TOP PHOTO: UMPI student Gary Parent completes data collecting work in Fort Fairfield for the University’s GIS Laboratory. Parent and other students helped to gather information and create GIS databases as part of a major GIS mapping project for more than a dozen Aroostook County municipalities. AT LEFT: UMPI Criminal Justice students recently presented a study they completed on theft from motor vehicles to the Presque Isle Police Department. Taking part in the presentation are, from left, UMPI Criminal Justice Professor UMPI WINTER 2012 77 Charles Johnson, Criminal Justice students Adam Pinette, Andrew Levesque and Christopher Bessey, and Presque Isle Police Chief Matt Irwin.

Aroostook Our Maine Street’s

a guide to our back issues

Issue

Issue #1 Summer ‘09

Issue #2 Fall ‘09

Issue #3 Winter ‘10

Articles

Photos

The North Maine Woods by Janet Kelle Maine’s Own Buckwheat Treats by Robin Jenkins Presque Isle Turns 150 by Kimberly Smith It’s Time... by Rayle Ainsworth & Sarah Ulman Sesquicelebrate Caribou by John Swanberg Wind Power & High Education by Rachel Rice & Karen Gonya Healthy You: Have Sun Sense by Kim Jones Overcoming Varicose Vein-ity by Kim Jones Sodium: What Is The Right Amount by Professional Home Nursing Company MD by Tami Kilcollins County Critters by Dr. Hotham Increase In Fees: Still A Wicked Good Deal by Regis Trembly Boondock’s Grille Furniture & Floors North

John Herold Gene Cyr Michelle Olsen Christine Chabre

Aroostook Veterans by Chris Jenkins A Growing Commitment To Maine by Mary Keith Christmas Song by Robin Jenkins Swne Flu-H1N1 Influenza by Professional Home Nursing November: American Diabetes Month by Roberta Guerrette Healthy You: The Pandemic of 2009 by Kim Jones County Critters: Fleas by Dr. Hotham A Caregiver For All Seasons by Bill Flagg A Promise Kept by Diannne McCormack Edgecomb Promoting Outdoor Recreation by Regis Trembly Horn Of Plenty Frank Martin & Sons, Inc.

Mike McNally Kathie Beaulieu Janet Kelle

2010 USSA XC Junior Olympics by Andrew Soucier Green Initiative by Hilary McNamee Community At The Heart Of UMPI’s Nordic Ski Team A History Of Caring: Celebrating 85 Years Of Cary by Bill Flagg Bill Sheehan, Northern Maine Birder by Robin Jenkins Chills by PHN - Vickie St.Peter Spills by PHN - Lisa Reed So You Are Going For Surgery by Jill Daigle Healthy You: Resolutions by Kim Jones County Critters: Winter Challenges For Livestock by Dr. Hotham Wood Carving by Thom Cote Dean’s Motor Lodge Mojos

Mike McNally Kate Barnes Christine Chabre Gene Cyr Janet Kelle Megan McHatten

Issue

Issue #4 Spring ‘10

Issue #5 Summer ‘10

Issue #6 Fall ‘10

Issue #7 Winter ‘11

Articles

Photos

The Log Cabin by Edward Blanchard Maple Sugaring by Chester Gage Fairy Houses by Dena Hensler Moving To The County by Noah Yoder Stroke. Are You At Risk? by PHN - Hope Walton Access For Local Patients by Tamra Kilcollins Healthy You: A Life-Saving Decision by Kim Jones County Critters: Trip To The Veterinarian’s Office by Dr Hotham Promoting The wildlife “Brand” by Regis Trembly Napoli’s Pizza Spring Break Maple & Honey

Kate Barnes John Mazo Christy Cormier Gene Cyr John Nyberg

The Cheesemaker by Robin Jenkins The Caribou Zoo by Dick Chabre Aroostook Relay For Life by Amanda Jenkins P.I. Inn & C.C. Celebrates 10th Anniversary by Kathy McCarty Deboullie Unit T15 R5 by Vernon Labbe Staying In Control Of Diabetes by Andy Soucier When Good Bugs Go Bad by Professional Home Nursing Healthy You: The Eyes Have It by Kim Jones County Critters: Keep Pets Healthy by Dr. Hotham Rosette’s Restaurant One Of A Kind

Jo-Ellen Kelley Gene Cyr Devon Cote James Lagasse Lonnie & Janet Jandreau

Antique Tractors by Tamra Kilcollins The Goose Hunt by Rebecca Bowmaster Fair Is Fair by Dan Ladner Maine Veterans’ Home by Trish Thibodeau Aroostook State Park by Scott Thompson Hunting Safety by Warden Charles Brown An Aroostook Wreath by Oxbow Wreaths Healthy You: The Secrets Lurking In Your Pantry by Kim Jones The 40 Assets by Allison Heidorn County Critters: Chocolate and your Pets by Dr. Terri McQuade Courtyard Café Monica’s Sandinavian Imports

Ragina Kakos Gene Cyr Tamra Kilcollins Ken Lamb Kaitlyn McLaughlin

P.I. Community Players by Sandy Gauvin The Annual Turkey Trot Race by Tamra Kilcollins Hiding In Plain Sight by Ruth Mraz Northern Prosthetics by Cory LaPlante The Can-Am Crown Races by Stan Flagg No Ordinary Place by Kathleen Fortin Healthy You: Embrace Winter by Kim Jones Ask Alli by Allison Heidorn Make Life Easier by Professional Home Nursing County Critters: Winter Pet Care by Dr. Terri McQuade Irish Setter Pub

Michaud Photography Gene Cyr Peter Freeman Ken Lamb Jen Brophy-Price

Issue

Issue #8 Spring ‘11

Issue #9 Summer ‘11

Issue #10 Fall ‘11

Articles

Photos

Fort Kent International Muskie Derby by Dave Kelso Smelt Enforcement by Eric Rudolph Philanthropy in Aroostook County by Sandy Gauvin Atlantic Salmon by Claudia Garland Fish Friends by Linda Jones Healthy You: The Colors of Awareness by Kim Jones There’s No Place Like Home by Professional Home Nursing County Critters: Potential Dangers by Dr. Terri McQuade The Heart of Case Management by Karim Slifka Red River Camps by Janet Kelle The Greenhouse Restaurant

Gene Cyr Ken Lamb Pete Bowmaster

Presque Isle Library by Sandy Gauvin The 34th Acadian Festival by Luc Devost Fifty Years of Learning by Karen Gonya Patten Lumberman’s Museum by Rhonda Brophy & Charles Cormier What Matters by Allison Heidorn Picnics by Dena Hensler To Serve a Community by Karim Slifka Giardiasis by Richard Hoppe Healthy You: What’s Bugging You? by Kim Jones Advanced Alzheimer’s and other Dementia by PHN-Darlene Foster Ask Alli by Allison Heidorn Presque Isle Balloon Fest by Billie Brodsky Long Lake Sporting Club 75 Years of Graves’ Shop ‘N Save

Matthew Michaud James K. Ogden Pete Bowmaster Ken Lamb Ragina Kakos

Where Our Railroad Lives by Herbert Pence Richards Christmas Tree Farm by Sandy Gauvin Route 161 by Larry Cyr Aroostook County Potato Harvest by Catherine Shaw Bowker Prime Athletes Need Primary Care by Karim Slifka Salmon Brook Lake Trail by Vernon M. Labbe Moose Hunting in Maine by Warden Kevin Pelkey Advances in Veterinary Medicine by Christiana Yule Healthy You; Nature to the Rescue by Kim Jones Make My Hamburger Rare Please by PHN - Vickie St. Peter Nadeau’s House of Furniture and Nadeau’s House of Flooring

Matthew Michaud Ken Lamb Gene Cyr Peter Freeman Pete Bowmaster Janice Bouchard

Gene Cyr Kicking Bear by Ken Lamb James Lagasse Mizpah: How it All Started by Roger Corbin Jane Gridley Northern Maine General by Reynold Reymond Ken Lamb Haystack Mountain by Scott Thompson Ask Alli by Allison Heidorn Healthy You: Let’s Move by Kim Jones The History of the Chamber of Commerce in Presque Isle by Kimberly R. Smith The Allagash Goes Around the World by Tim Caverly Issue #11 Winter ‘12

SPRING 2012

Photo ÂŠ 2012 Gene Cyr, Washburn northernmainepictures.com