ROCKLAND—Though Dunkin Donuts may be dropping the “donuts” from their brand soon, that hasn’t stopped a 10-year-old caped crusader named Tyler Carach from eclipsing those headlines in his mission to deliver boxes of donuts to every police officer in America.

On Thursday, September 27, Tyler and his mother, Sheena, arrived in Maine after driving up from Florida for the sole purpose of delivering boxes of Dunkin Donuts and coffee to law officers in Brunswick as well as in Rockland. With a homemade cape that his grandmother made him with that states: “I donut need a reason to thank a cop,” Tyler was all smiles and enthusiasm, as he played “Hangman” with Lt. Reggie Walker and the officers at the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and answered reporters’ questions.

Maine is now the 41st state that Tyler and Sheena have visited to thank law officers for their service, protection and dedication. Sheena, a former police officer, said the idea started one day in a store when Tyler was eight-years-old and they spotted four deputies.

“He wanted to buy them some mini donuts from his allowance and they were super excited to receive it,” she said. “When we left, he asked me why the officers had gotten so excited over a snack and I told him, ‘Well, it wasn’t just the snack; it was that you took the time to say thank you and appreciate them. In his mind, he thought that was a thing everyone did and I explained to him that unfortunately a lot of people choose to judge the police and are not always nice to them, and sometimes target them, so then he looked at me very seriously and said, ‘OK, well, I’m going to thank every cop in America and buy them a donut.’ I told him there were 900,000 cops in America, and no matter what I came back with, he told me ‘That’s okay, I’m going to thank them all.’”

The Carachs started their mission locally in 2016 delivering donuts around Florida.

“Most of the travel, we fund a lot of it ourselves, and most of the donuts we get sponsored, but today, we purchased these today as Dunkin Donuts had met their quota for donations in this area,” she said.

Occasionally the family will also receive donations through a Go Fund Me account.

“We’ve always taught him, no matter how big of a goal you have, you can accomplish it,” said Sheena. “And he’s shown me that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. He’s also got a big support system behind him with our entire family.”

Usually when the Carachs plan a trip, it takes from one to two weeks and typically takes place in the summertime. Tyler goes to a charter school, but when he’s on the road with his mother, they provide Sheena with lesson plans to teach him along the way.

Sheena said the response across the county to Tyler and his donut giveaway has been phenomenal.

”We’ve been to a lot of departments, not intentionally, but just right after they’d had a fatality or an officer injured, and some people are just in tears because it means so much to them,” she said.

With more than 70,000 donuts given away, they’ve covered most of the eastern seaboard on their trips. On their way back home, they have stops to make in the greater Pittsburgh area.

“It’s just such a positive, thoughtful thing they’re doing,” said Chief Deputy Timothy Carroll. “Just going all over the nation thanking cops, there’s no better way to do it.”

Tyler is already working on turning his mission and brand into a 501(c)(3).

”He’s not going to stop until he’s reached every single police station in the United States,” Sheena said.

To learn more about Tyler and his cause, visit: www.idonutneedareasontothankacop.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND— “Do you remember the time we went went fishing up above the dam and you fell down in the mud.” —Fred.

CAMDEN—Though not on the official roster, Jack Churchill’s steampunk buggy was one of the more memorable additions to September’s Mini Maker Faire. A functional art piece on wheels, the buggy is Churchill’s latest project that took two and a half months to build with the help of local electrical engineer, Alex Taliadouros.

“I wanted people to stop on the street, look at it and say ‘WTF?’” he said.

The ‘73 VW dune buggy was in a dilapidated state when he’d purchased it earlier this spring.

“The engine worked great; it was basically just a frame,” he said. “We towed it home and stripped it down. Alex did all the welding. I did all the steampunk stuff.”

The street rod, though it looks like it might fall apart, is actually street legal. Churchill had to classify it as an antique, so he didn’t have to go through the hassle of registering it, but if needed be, the buggy would pass inspection. He retrofitted it with all new disc brakes, ball joints, working turn signals, seat belts and even a back-up camera.

Steampunk accents are evident in the details; in the rivets, leather, copper, brass.

“All of the things in Victorian era which comprised steam machines,” he said.

To get the authentic rusted-out look on the aesthetic parts of the buggy, Churchill applied three coats of vinegar, followed by a coat of hydrogen peroxide and salt.

“It started to rust in 10 seconds,” he said.

Then, he left it out a couple of weeks to let Mother Nature finish the job.

At the Faire, when Churchill took it for a spin in town, the buggy attracted people like bees to a flower. It’s a vehicle rife with inside jokes, such as the “Violation” ticket in the upper left hand corner of the windshield.

“It’s the kind of thing where if you get closer, you start walk around the whole car, noticing more and more things that will make you laugh,” he said. “It’s basically a honey trap. When people come over to look at it really closely, that’s when the fun begins.”

A retired film director, Churchill paid homage to the industry and people who love films with a number of hidden meanings in the buggy, such as the Red Rider BB lever-action gun from A Christmas Story.

“I was going to originally put the phrase ‘You’re going to put your eye out, kid’ on the buggy, but let the prop tell the story instead,” he said.

Prominently displayed on the right rear side is a “dead” upside down stuffed parrot in a cage, a tribute to the Dead Parrot Monty Python sketch.

“That’s probably the funniest thing Monty Python ever did in a sketch,” he said.

Then there are the subtle details, such as the vent on the hood of the buggy which is a set of “barn doors” or a light modifier with a paper clip attached to it.

“In the days of forced lighting with barn doors, you always had to have a piece of blue film clipped to the barn doors to balance the daylight,” he said. “That one is for the filmmakers.”

“Everybody loves two things on the car,” said Churchill. “One, that the headrests are made from old catchers’ mitts and two, that the bumper is fitted out with two Crocs so you don’t hit your shins on it. I added those details to give people some glee.” 

Churchill has been asked several times if he planned to sell it and he says no, and that’s not the point.

“The point is just to have fun building it,” he said. “I’m sure it will end up in a museum somewhere, but now my attention in onto the next thing.”

Check out our video of getting a ride in the steampunk buggy.

Related:

A visual tour of a steampunk motorcycle

He's like a little kid with a big toy

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Wait a minute; why are we talking about Oktoberfest in September?

You can thank the German Crown Prince Ludwig and his bride to be, Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, for getting the stein rolling on this fall festival when they got married on October 12, 1810.

All of the citizens of Munich were invited to attend the Royal Party in the fields in front of the city gates.  But it was the horse races that marked the end of the event that got the citizens thinking, “Wir sollten das jedes Jahr machen!”(tr: “We should do this every year!”)

However, the following year, 1811, desperately needed a German version of Julie McCoy from The Love Boat, because while the horses were back prancing about as the Bavarian entertainment, that was about it. There were no food tents or beer offerings, much less field games, leaving most Munich citizens to shrug and say “Meh” in German and go home.

By 1818, after all of the yearly Bavarian horse prancing, someone put up a small beer stand. That took off hotter than Sonnenstich, or “sunstroke,” because then the meager beer stands became beer tents in subsequent years, then great beer halls, while the festival expanded into athe ultimate Bavarian carnival with carousels and games.

As the momentum of the annual event took off, organizers stretched it out to a week, but then realized that mid-October was a bit too cold to enjoy outdoor festivities under the tents, so subsequent Oktoberfests were planned in mid-September, when the nights were warmer with the last of the festival ending the first weekend of October.

Here, then in order of chronological order are the Oktoberfests open to the public to enjoy this fall:

September 22, 2018

ANAH Shrine YOSHI Oktoberfest — Bangor

Hosted by Rollies’ Bar and Grill, this event is a fundraiser for the Shriners Hospital going from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a VIP Hour from 11 a.m. to noon and beer, brats, and pretzels available. Prizes for best dressed will be awarded, get your lederhosen out! Tickets are $25-30  (which include two drink tickets). FMI: ANAH Oktoberfest

September 27-30

Rangeley Oktoberfest — Rangeley

These guys are serious. For four days, this festival will offer food, entertainment and a cornucopia of beers along with a Brat and Streudel Contest, Stein Hoisting Finals, the Maine Forestry Museum’s Apple Festival on Saturday, a Scarecrow Ball on Sunday. And the fall foliage will just start to be showing its true colors right about then. FMI: Rangeley Oktoberfest

September 28-30

Maine Lakes Brewfest Weekend — Point Sebago

Though, technically a Brew Fest, this will encompass more than a few of the Bavarian styles and tastes with Oktoberfest entertainment. This all-inclusive three-day weekend is only for adults, designed to celebrate Maine made beers and wines while highlighting a Maine artisan craft show on September 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. . Note: you can book the entire three-day package with lodging through Point Sebago or just go for the Saturday event for $35 FMI: Brewfest Weekend package  or Maine Lakes Brewfest single ticket.

October 5-6

Acadia Oktoberfest — Southwest Harbor

With a wine tasting on the Friday night and 20+ brewers represented on Brewfest on the Saturday afternoon, the Acadia Oktoberfest’s Beer, Food, Music and crafts festival is lighting up the quiet side of the island for a weekend. This year also launches its first Homebrewing Competition Saturday, October 6. Tickets are $20 for the wine tasting event and $35 for the Brew Fest event. FMI: Acadia Oktoberfest

October 6

Swine and Stein Oktoberfest — Gardiner

It’s a pork party! It’s a street party! Visit the Biergarten tent  to taste great Maine craft beers, ciders, and wine. There will also be food trucks, music, corn hole and a giant Jenga, a Frozen T-Shirt Race, Main State Rock Paper Scissors Championship, and Swine Calling Contest. Tickets range from $15 to $50. FMI: Swine and Stein

October 13

Odd Alewives Oktoberfest — Waldoboro

Odd Alewives Brewing Co. is pairing up with Morse’s Saurkraut to do it up locally. If you can think of no finer way to spend a fall day than at a farm brewery in Maine, drinking crisp ale & eating hearty German fare to the sounds of a Bavarian oompah music, we hope you’ll join us and make this historic year one to remember. Goes from 12 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $35-70 with all of the details here. 

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Many outdoor people think working in the remote Maine woods is a dream job. But Tim Caverly, who was the supervisor of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway for 18 years, can tell you some stories. For example, from the first day he stepped into the role, he had a target on his back.

“When I first started the position in 1981, I’d heard rumors that people didn’t think I’d last six months,” he said.

When he started with a staff of 20, there were one or two individuals who had a grudge.

“I was told when I’d first started, one person was causing a lot of issues in the area, driving campers off their campsites, threatening them, then carving out his own campsites and cutting illegal trails,” said Caverly. “My job was to get him to stop.”

While everything he did was to ensure public safety and protect the natural resources of the Allagash Wilderness, some individuals who thought they were immune to the state’s laws began to extract revenge. One such scofflaw with a history of theft and vandalism had already targeted Caverly’s predecessor a number of times with malicious pranks, such as cutting electrical wires, adding water added to his generator, vehicle destruction and break-ins to his office, among other serious violations.

“The first six months I was appointed supervisor, things were relatively quiet,” said Caverly. “Then, I had to start clamping down on this particular individual and his antics. We started experiencing vandalism after that: rocks thrown through our picture windows, wires cut, and so on. One day in 1982, my wife and I went down to Reid State Park for a baby shower and when we came back by 11 p.m., our entire house had been burnt down to the ground. It wasn’t an accident.”

Caverly said only a few of these people made the job difficult as they had no regard for the law and wanted to use the Allagash for their own selfish purposes.

“They didn’t like to be told ‘no,’” he said.

But even those negative experiences couldn’t overshadow the positives and the joys that his 32-year career brought.

Caverly comes from a family who has spent their lives in the Maine outdoors.  He began working as a ranger at Sebago Lake State Park for the State Parks and Recreation Commission. After Sebago, he continued his employment with the Department of Conservation with assignments as a manager of Aroostook and Cobscook Bay State Parks as well as a regional supervisor of the Allagash Region; which included the Allagash Wilderness Waterway and the Penobscot River Corridor.

The career move required be ready for anything all four seasons.

“On any given day, I didn’t know what to expect or where I’d be when I got up,” he said. “I might be in an airplane looking for illegal construction in the one-mile zone around the Allagash; I’d more likely be patrolling in a canoe or boat looking for violations such as folks cutting down trees on state property.  For example, I’d typically have to stop someone who thought they could fell a particularly good pine tree and sneak it across the line to sell it. Or, I might be Augusta either supporting or rejecting a bill that a legislator wanted to pass concerning the Allagash.”

Other times, he was called to assist on a search and rescue for people lost on trails or drowning victims.

“I learned to be self-reliant quite a bit,” he said. “The key is to never lose your cool; quickly appraise the situation and decide the best route.”

More 40 different laws concerning the Allagash Wilderness Waterway were proposed during his position with the state.

“Some were good bills and some weren’t,” he said.

But, he showed up for every hearing with the intent to weigh in on every single bill that would protect the legacy of the Allagash.

Now the author of nine books with the support of his wife Susan, the Caverlys have presented 234 programs to more than 8,000 students in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. In addition they have donated more 1,750 books to 145 schools in Maine, N.H. and MA.

Though the day-to-day responsibilities of the job supervising the Allagash are over, the woods and waterways are so intertwined in Caverly’s life, he will always be the famed Maine woods’ protector.

All photos courtesy Tim Caverly

For more information: https://allagashtails.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — I started my afternoon in a Fallujah “Boneyard” of destroyed Iraqi vehicles, artillery pieces and armor. Ten minutes later, I was smack in the middle of New York City crosswalk, looking up at the sky, the buildings, the construction going on to the right as some guy set down his iced coffee and went back to work. Amid all the cacophony, my world went dark. Then, I was standing in the middle of the lush Hoh Rain Forest of Olympic National Park looking up at tremendous mossy covered Western Hemlocks, the only sound of a stream gurgling at my feet.

The Camden International Film Festival’s “Storyforms” exhibit has taken over Winter Street’s barn in what I can only describe as an adult fun house. Much like The Collective’s past interactive parties, there are stations throughout the converted barn that will transport you into another time and in the head of someone else’s story.

The main “stage” of the exhibit looks straight out of Blade Runner. A surreal sculptural installation by an artist whom I recently covered in a story Rachel Lee Zheng, layers monofilament lit by eerie green LED lights while participants sit in chairs with virtual reality headsets and earphones. From an observer’s standpoint, it’s unclear why they are moving in 360 degrees in their swivel chairs, their heads looking up, down, everywhere as if searching for something.

Then, I get in one of the chairs while a CIFF volunteer sets up a “story” for me to experience. “Do you want action or do you want meditative?” she asks.

“Action.”

The headset goes on; the earphones are next. And in seconds, I’m watching a documentary “Mind at War” about a soft spoken young man, Scott England, who signed up to join the military after 9/11, desperate to have some economic security. Through a series of interactive virtual reality paintings, I can now see why everybody is moving in their chairs. As England tells his story of being in Iraq, and losing his wife to another man, then coming home as a depressed veteran and his battle with PTSD and homelessness, it’s a story I can’t take my eyes away from. The scenery is all around me; I have to move my head to see the 360-degree picture. In my ears, England is talking to me and I’m hearing all of the nuances of his story in a way you just can’t get from watching a flat screen. It feels personal and I’m invested in what he has to say. That’s why this exhibit is called Cinema 360.

All of nine Storyforms in Cinema 360 immerse you in either virtual reality or augmented reality like this. The next one I watch, “Sanctuaries of Silence,” is also part of its own physical installation in the exhibit which puts you in a simulated room of a rain forest. In this one, I’m watching Emmuanuel Vaughan-Lee, while he stands holding a high fidelity microphone the height of a pool cue, first, in a busy crosswalk in NYC, before takes me to an immersive listening journey into Olympic National Park and on driftwood-littered beaches. I am listening with him to the sounds of water, the tides, the screeching bird, the trickle of a stream, the sway of wind.

I didn’t have to move more than a few feet and I traveled across the country and to a different continent in 20 minutes. This exhibit will put you in places and in the perspective of people you will likely never meet, but will feel as if you know them afterwards.

There is a scary looking white room called “Terminal 3” in this exhibit and there for 12 minutes with a “Hololens” headset on, you will experience what it is like to sit in an airport interrogation room, and through interactive, augmented reality, you’ll directly interrogate, and determine the fate of, the hologram passenger before you. These interrogations will become strikingly personal encounters that only end when the you decide if the hologram should be let into the country or not—but there is a twist.

There are a number of other installations in this exhibit, including “Fireflies: A Brownville Story,” where you will not only wear a Hololens, but you’ll be able to touch objects with hand controllers. Then, you’ll be inside a Brooklyn neighborhood which is divided by an ongoing rivalry between public housing developments. You’ll also see in “Manic VR” what it’s like to be bipolar and experience “the heightening of senses and the untamed imagination that accompanies this complex and mysterious condition.”

As I mention in my Local’s Guide To CIFF column, you don’t have to be a CIFF passholder to be able to go on these fantastic journeys. $30 will get you in on an experience you’ll never get in a small town. FMI: CIFF Storyforms

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Having covered this event since its inception for various newspapers and magazines, the Camden International Film Festival is one of those events that started small in 2005 and blew up to be this big international thing that it is today. So, while the cost of the weekend pass and maybe your weariness of more tourist traffic might deter some of you from going, let me just say: This is a cultural opportunity to see the world through filmmakers’ eyes. And given the divisive and acrimonious political climate we’re all immersed in (doesn’t matter which side you’re on) CIFF is the virtual passport to understanding how other people think and live. There is tremendous power in these documentaries that will move you. Trust me.

Here is my Local’s Guide To CIFF and what to spend your hard-earned money and time on this weekend.

Tickets and Waiting In Line

As always, CIFF makes it affordable for the average joe to see a lot of good stuff in this Festival if you pick and choose wisely. The Hub for tickets is located at 16 Bay View Hotel in Camden (side entrance via Bayview Landing) Tickets for individual screenings are still only 10 bucks. But here’s a Pro-Tip: Tickets go on sale 15 minutes prior to each screening, so camp out, and get there early if you really want to see something as screenings tend to sell out. Tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis and are dependent upon availability. 

Opening Night

Thursday night, CIFF kicks off with screenings of They'll Love Me When I'm Dead in Camden and Rockport. The film is the latest film from Academy Award-winner Morgan Neville and is the provocative story of legendary director Orson Welles during the final fifteen years of his life. Q&A with director Morgan Neville to follow. Local phenoms The Toughcats play the Camden Opera House at 7 p.m. to start off the night. Make sure to line up early; screenings are sure to sell out. As always, All Access passholders enter first.

Storyforms

What is a storyform? This is something fairly new to the CIFF format from last year and not something you typically see in a small town. So what you do is, you go to the Storyforms Barn at 8 Winter Street in Rockland across from CMCA. On the walls will be interactive screens, sort of a cross between an art installation and a cool, museum experience involving augmented reality and VR (Virtual Reality headsets). There are 20 different installations to interact with. With each topic the screens will unfold multiple stories in real time, so you’re getting multiple perspectives to the storytelling experience. You just have to see it.  Due to the growing popularity of VR installations in the Storyforms program at last year’s festival, there will be a Storyforms Day Pass available in 2018. These day passes will be available for Friday or Sunday only of CIFF.

Shorts

Shorts are my absolute favorite form of documentary filmmaking; they are like the Twitter of the film world in that you have yo get your point and capture your audience in a very short time period. These microbursts of culture and people’s stories from all over the world are a must-see and they are free and open to the public. The Shorts Categories are around two hours and consist of about 5-6 films broken up into five themes. (Water, Fire Air, Metal and Earth) There’s also a category of Dirigo Shorts, ($10 pass) which are Maine-made documentaries. For my money, this is the one to definitely check out and support Maine filmmakers. Just look at the synopses of: Alan Magee: art is not a solace, Not A Citizen, Hit ME, I like it! Underwater Rockland and Yojani: A Cuba Skate Story among others. All Maine viewpoints that will take you right out of the Midcoast and into wondrous worlds. These Short program are like an individual screening and cost $10 per screening.

The Parties

CIFF usually throws one heck of a bash and this is worth it. Friday night at the Bicknell Building in Rockland starts at 10 p.m. for Western Mass fever-pop duo HOME BODY, DJ Dayglow (Pink Noise, Boston) and local hero DJ Milkweed. You don’t have to be a passholder, but it costs $30 general admission. Drinks included. You definitely want to buy online. No tickets will be sold at the door. We’re told that if you do hold a pass, you’ll also be able to get a ride from their new shuttle this year, which can take you back to Camden at various points of the night.

That’s it; check out the schedule all weekend and you can look up the backstory of the individual films on the site. Or read more on Pen Bay Pilot. Get out of your head for a couple of hours and into someone else’s.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — Approximately 20 makers, artists, engineers, coders and designers engaged a mostly young crowd on Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Mini Maker Faire, held under a tent in the Amphitheatre of the Camden Public Library.

A table of volunteers with patterns, fabric and sewing machines were at the front of the tent to get people involved and sewing— not just for art’s sake— but for a good cause. Sewing For Malawi, which partnered with Sweet Tree Arts of Hope, sews sundresses and pants for children at a primary school in Malawi.

“We’ve had a number of people come by and just sit down and start sewing on the machines,” said volunteer Argy Nestor. “Children have even participated sewing buttons on pockets and dresses.”

Nestor said that volunteers sewed close to 200 pieces of clothing last year.

There were a multitude of hands-on interactive art projects at the Faire, which appealed to many adults as well as kids, including small paper sculptures from CMCA’s Art Lab, Aquaculture Art from seaweeds gathered from Hurricane Island, a giant sticker mosiac put together by Camden Public Library’s Miss Amy and fairy mushrooms made from modeling clay and plaster of paris called Negative Space by Charley Lind, an engineer.

Certain artists were on hand to explain their process such as Wayne Twitchell, a scrap metal welder who makes whimsical animals, and Chris Pinchbeck who handcrafts Scottish smallpipes, while Andy White, a woodworker and designer, helped kids fashion the best aerodynamic airplanes they could create with a competition and prize on who could sail theirs the farthest.

The Faire, which also heavily promotes STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), had its fair share of electronics and devices. Inside the library there was an open source 3-D printer, where participants could get themselves scanned while BOSEBuild gave people a demo on wireless headphones.

Loraine Murray, a CPL employee, showcased the Girls Who Code club with a website designed by 13-year-old Abby Harrison using the Jimdo platform. “Abby and some of the club members did a bunch of research on honeybee behavior, and the girls built the website from scratch, as well as also coded a couple of games within the website to play with,” said Murray.

One of the biggest “puzzles” of the day turned out to be a Kotzsch-in-a-Box, a 133-piece pipe organ that had to be taken apart and reconstructed before it could play. “Elsa Geskus, Education Coordinator of Friends of Kotzschmar Organ, said the pipe organ was hand built and is used in schools as a STEM project. “Today, we probably had this thing taken apart and put back together six times,” she said. “Kids just came up to work it out and when they got stuck, we nudged them in the right direction a little, but some just dug in and started putting it all together without any help.”

Check out our video on Clarissa Brown, a participant, who happens to be an organ player. She began playing a tune on the Kotzsch-in-a-Box once it was all assembled as Geskus pumped the hand bellows.

Lastly, the Trashion Fashion Show, a first, for the Mini Maker Faire, allowed participants to come up with avant-garde designs in couture working with old egg cartons, plastic bags, recyclables and a number of reusable trash for the “runway” down the street, which was marked off by a hopscotch court in chalk.

For more information on how to get involved with next year’s Midcoast Mini Maker Faire visit: https://midcoastmakerfaire.com/

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN—“A book is a magical thing that lets you travel to far-away places without ever leaving your chair.” This quote by author Katrina Mayer has taken on a whole new meaning with a book arts exhibition currently running the month of September at the Camden Public Library.

The event, which started September 1, features the unique and one-of-a-kind works of 14 Maine artists in the Picker Room of the Camden Public Library until Sept. 30. There will be an opening reception for the artists on Sunday, Sept. 9, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., which is free and open to the public.

Sandy Weisman of South Thomaston, one of the book artists involved, started this group with two other artists, forming a local collective known as Midcoast Maine Book Arts on Facebook. “There are many artists in Maine and quite a few in the Midcoast who love this medium and out of that common interest, we thought the best place to have our first exhibit was a library, naturally,” said Weisman.

The exhibit, which features at least two works from each artist takes the structure of a traditional book and through sculptural formats, transforms each piece into stunning art that incorporate images, calligraphy, experimental bindings, and/or mixed media. “The show ranges from a one-of-a-kind handmade book to letterpress, collaborations on original editions with other writers and one altered book,” said Weisman.

Apart from the artist reception, Weisman said the collective will meet every other month at Maine Media to share work and ideas and talk about their process.

For more information visit: Camden Public Library

Related: Bound and determined: The gorgeous art of ancient bookbinding

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST—Every September, Maine Outdoor Film Fest (MOFF) takes its uniquely curated program of short outdoor adventure and conservation films on the road and screens them in all 16 counties of Maine. This Saturday, Sept. 8 marks the second of their three Midcoast screenings, this time held at Waterfall Arts in Belfast. “For the last two years we’ve been at Waterfall Arts it has rained, so we had to move the screenings indoors,” said Nick Callanan, MOFF director and video producer. Regardless, every screening at Waterfall Arts has been well-attended.  “I think this time, we’re going to get lucky this weekend and be outside.”

More than 100 films were submitted this year and 68 films made the cut.  Each of their screening locations features a roster of films that are distinct from other locations. “This year, is one of the best line ups we’ve ever seen,” said Callanan. 

The Waterfall Arts screening will encompass eight short films. Breakout films include Yojani, the story of a Cuban skateboarder, a pioneering figure in the Cuban skating community by a team of documentary filmmakers and photographers that includes Corey McLean, Seth Brown, Shasta Mattey and Tyler Dunham. McLean, Brown and Dunham are all Lincolnville childhood friends who spent five months in Cuba over the past two years filming a feature about surfing on the island. “This short film is based on a full-length feature on surfing in Cuba they are working on, which I’m looking forward to seeing,” said Callanan.

Another one that is sure to enchant the crowd is Bears Ears, the 2018 Official selection of MOFF, directed by Hank Leukart. The synopsis: “When Hank Leukart and his friend Jake go on a hiking and packrafting trip to explore Utah’s newly-minted Bears Ears National Monument, created by President Barack Obama, they discover a political battle that epitomizes the strange culture war sweeping the nation.”

“This is just a wonderful profile of the Utah National Monument and just a beautiful film,” said Callanan. “There were some some threatening words around removing national monument status by the current administration so the oil companies could get in there and get access, so Bears Ears is sort of a love letter to this national monument. This is one of my favorite films of the Festival.”

Both Dunham and Leukart, who hails from Los Angeles, will be present after the Waterfall Arts show to do some Q & A with the audience.

Bailey and The Alewives, directed by a couple of Maine-based filmmakers, Molly Haley & David Meiklejohn, is another film that Callanan thinks will resonate with the Belfast crowd. The film, which runs about five minutes is about Bailey Bowden of Penobscot, Maine, who unexpectedly becomes a fisheries activist to save the dwindling alewife population of the Bagaduce River Watershed.

“This is a really cool story about the alewives fishery,” he said.

Each year, the Festival highlights a jury winner for “Broke and Stoked” contest, which benefits a Maine-based filmmaker with an outdoor theme. This year’s winner was HEADLAMPS: OFF by Matt Nasi (Wingspan A/V) followed Maine photographer, Tyler Inman, on his journey to capture a specific image blending his two passions: the stars, and surfing.

The screening starts right around dusk (roughly 8 p.m). Bring your outdoor chairs.

In the Midcoast, the first screening was in Union at the Sweetgrass Farm Winery & Distillery on Sept. 3 and there will be one more screening at the Camden Snow Bowl on Friday, Sept. 28.

For more information about the films visit: http://maineoutdoorfilmfestival.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

LINCOLNVILLE—Set in the annex of the Lincolnville Beach’s Lobster Pound is a cool treat for the last days of summer: ice cream with unspoiled ocean views.

Even when the restaurant is closed, the ice cream shop is open seven days a week from 12 to 9 p.m., the only establishment to stay open that late in Lincolnville Beach.

Mariah Lapham, 23, of Belfast, is the sole ice cream scooper, and on any given day she gives her right shoulder and hand a workout scooping nearly 50-100 cones and cups. The ice cream shop also offers its own waffle cones, which Lapham also makes by hand — up to 40 a day.

“At the end of the day, I’m kinda tired,” she admitted.

The bright, primary colors of the shop also lend a summery, beach theme to the other side of the store, which hosts shelves of old-fashioned candy. Blue and green sand buckets hold Bit O’ Honeys, Pixie Sticks, jelly beans, Chuckles jelly candy and more.

“People say the buckets of 10-cent candy remind them of their childhood,” said Lapham. “One of our biggest sellers are the salt water taffy by the piece.”

Some of the candy is even locally made, such as the one-pound red-flavored chocolate bar formed in the shape of a lobster.

“I have so many favorite flavors of candy and ice cream in here, sometimes it is torture to have to stay away from it,” Lapham said.

Of the dozen flavors of ice cream, Lapham said the most requested is Eagle Tracks, which consists of vanilla ice cream with Oreos pieces and peanut butter cups. The next favorite choice is the Tiger Paw, which is like an orange Creamsicle with dark chocolate chips.

The most unusual ice cream, however has to be their Moxie flavor, which is supposed to taste like the famous Maine soda, but really tastes more like a a Chai tea mixed with licorice or anise.

The Lincolnville Lobster Pound went up for sale in 2017 and was bought by Danny and Carla Lafayette, owners of the Bangor-based Lafayette Hotels Group.

Carla’s vision for that annex was to open an ice cream and candy shop. They wanted to support a local high quality creamery and to be able to give big scoops so they chose Round Top ice cream out of Damariscotta.

The public has been slow to catch on that this ice cream and candy shop is right on Lincolnville Beach, having previously associated the space with the former brewery of Andrews Brewing Co.

The added appeal to this shop is that it is never crowded. You can sit outside in the colorful red Adirondack chairs, or take a walk around the building to the back where you can enjoy a cone watching the sailboats, lobster boats and the Islesboro ferry cross by.

For more information visit: http://lobsterpoundmaine.com/ice-cream-shop/

 Photos by Kay Stephens

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

WALDOBORO—The “melting” blue violin on the facade of Phillippe Guillerm’s gallery in Waldoboro is your first indication that what you’ll find inside will be just as quirky, surreal and fascinating.

A dozen or so sculptures grace the gallery on pedestals. Though each is one of a kind, all of the sculptural works have been handcrafted from chunks of driftwood Phillipe and his wife, Jacqueline, have found on their yearly sailing trips through the Caribbean.  Each sculpture has been modified, transformed, often with musical parts, such as violins and other stringed instruments as well as clarinets and oboes.

The gallery has been open five years since the Guillerms decided to spend their summers in Maine.

“I think Maine is one of the top 10 most beautiful coasts in the world,” said Phillipe, who was born and raised in Paris. “This coast reminds me very much of Brittany.” he said referencing the hilly peninsula in France’s northwestern most region.

In the fall, they’ll close up shop and take their 48-foot sailboat down to the Caribbean. There, as they cruise around the islands, Phillippe will inevitably find a deserted beach and a washed up chunk of driftwood, where he will examine its shape and texture and take a chainsaw to it right there on the open beach to start the carving process.

Every year, he has refined this process into a new collection of work. His artwork is in 16 galleries all over the country and in four worldwide. But in Maine, he has turned the old refurbished bank space complete with a vault into a gallery with a studio behind the “teller” window in the back.

“We like to live with it a little longer when it is in our gallery, instead of shipping it off the moment it’s done,” said Jacqueline.

Phillippe grew up surrounded by art in Paris and credits the style of surrealists, which has influenced his own work.

“When art is too realistic, a photograph could do the same job,” he said.

The fluidity of the ocean is ever-present in his sculptures, whose violin necks droop and sag while some wooden sculptures meld into lovely cello shapes of women’s curves.

“I love music and am impressed with musicians. It is for me a tribute to a beautiful piece of music,” he said.

“The whole point of the collection was to recycle and reuse the driftwood,” Jacqueline added. “Because of the organic shape, it really lent itself to the musical themes.”

A traditional installation artist, painter and woodworker, he is proficient in taking a broken or discarded instrument and using the driftwood and his carving skills to bring it back to life—sort of an artistic Frankenstein.

Take the spectacular vintage Malcolm player piano that graces the far wall of the gallery. In revitalizing it, Phillipe took the piano (which was headed for the dump) and fashioned maple “wings” to it while exposing its innards. This functional art piece titled “Rising Like a Phoenix” seems to lift off the floor as Phillippe sits down to it and steps on the foot pumps to make the rolls of music to propel the self-playing piano. See our accompanying video.

Often, musicians will donate their old instruments to the Guillerms, as a way to see it “living again” in his art, or sometimes as a commissioned piece. One sculpture in the gallery has a video above it showing Phillipe’s process from start to finish. It is a beautifully polished piece of cedar that becomes “unzipped” to reveal a curved violin inside. Called “Ta Da” the piece not only showcases Phillipe’s surrealist skills, but also his sly sense of humor. Another carved violin opens like a Swiss Army Knife. Still, other avant-garde functional pieces, such as the exposed speaker stands in the shape of cellos and guitars he created for the company Amorto, reveal his fine wood-working talents.

As we go about the business of our lives, and the minutia of our days, make it a point to pop into Phillipe Guillerm’s gallery before they close this fall. It’s always good to bend your mind a little.

For more information: www.guillermsculptures.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN—Kurafuto, the long-awaited Japanese-style pub now open in Camden, completes restaurateur Matt Haskell’s vision of combining his Blaze Brewery with a menu of small plates, noodle bowls, and sushi.

“We’ve been open a week now and while sushi has been a big draw, people are really drawn to the noodle bowls,” said head chef Luigi Patelli. “The House Ramen, with Kurobuto pork shoulder pork belly, soft egg, nori and scallion, has been the favorite so far.”

Patelli, who moved to Maine to work as a chef in Bar Harbor in the early 2000s, and who formerly owned a restaurant in Key West, has made a menu of simple food commonly found at a Japanese street fair.

Chris Wolf, who shares the kitchen, makes the sushi and sashimi.

Wolf is known locally, having prepared sushi at Mikado's Japanese Restaurant in Camden for a number of years. A sushi chef for 30 years, he studied under sushi masters Aki Yaguchi in West Hollywood, California, and Kiyomi Mikasa in Key West, Florida.

Using locally sourced ingredients where possible, the small plates range from $9 to $12.

“We have a traditional charcoal grill to do the short ribs, and Yakitore, which is the traditional chicken on a stick as well as the Karaage, which is like a Japanese-style fried chicken,” said Patelli. “These are probably our most popular appetizers so far.”

The Noodle Bowls are prepared using predominantly Japanese flavors, but the menu also include a Vietnamese Pho with Vermont Wagyu beef, basil, chilis, cilantro, sprouts and lime with rice noodles.

The “garage door” window of the establishment can be pulled up on nice days so that a row of seating at the counter faces outward into the harbor lot with glimpses of the ocean. There is more counter seating on the second floor, adjacent to Blaze’s glass-encased brewing equipment. The high-end fast casual restaurant is modeled after an izakaya, a type of informal Japanese pub where people go to after work for a casual drink and bite.

Blaze Brewery is finalizing its last steps to be operational and expects to be able to deliver its first output of signature beers in three weeks. For now, guest taps are sourced from all over the United States as well as Maine and New England with a variety of styles to complement the Asian fare. In addition, Kurafuto also offers Sake, wine, cocktails and Japanese whiskies.

Related: Camden gets a new microbrewery, restaurant and Japanese pub all in one

Photos by Kay Stephens

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—Depending on the light of day, if you pass through the upper gallery of Steel House Projects, your eyes may take in a completely empty room.

Look again. There is an art installation all around you.

Rachel Lee Zheng, 24, has created a sculptural installation of filament that stretches in precise static lines across both sides of the room. Called #ffffff (which is the  hex color code for ‘white’) the exhibit’s white and transparent filament has an ephemeral quality that makes it virtually invisible. In fact, it’s worth taking a lunch break to pop into Steel House before it’s taken down on September 15.

The exhibition opened on Sept. 4, when several people almost ran right into it, prompting Steel House staff to have to provide human barriers to the exhibit so that people didn’t accidentally get wrapped up into it.

“The phrase I like to use is a geometric arrangement of static lines that interrupts physical space,” said Zheng, a recipient of the 2018 Emerging Artist Award sponsored by the St. Botolph Club Foundation in Boston. “First, I made sketches of lines on transparency paper and layered them to see what different arrangement of lines would look like in the gallery,” she said. “Then, I had to measure out the various lengths and heights of the architecture to see where I wanted the lines to be arranged across the space. I wanted it to look clean and simple and somewhat asymmetrical when it was finished. In the end, I wanted to create something that wasn’t touchable or tangible, but something beautiful that you interact with nonetheless.”

Once the eyes adjust, to the right side of the room, there is a certain “movement” to the static lines. It’s not so much what the eye is seeing, but what the mind is taking in trying to fill in the negative space of those lines.

On the left side of the room, the window by the entryway becomes the basis of a simple trapezoid made of filament lines, so that the eye has to “construct” the box out of nothing. A dichroic, which is a square of color changing film, has been positioned on the right side of the room and was matched by an identical square of negative space painted on the opposite wall. Again, it is barely noticeable until you stand and really take in the entire thing for a few minutes.

Zheng, who most recently lived in Rockland and worked at CMCA has just taken a position with the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson Vermont this September, where she will join VSC in a year-long position as a staff-artist.

To learn more about Zheng’s work visit: Rachel Lee Zheng

To learn more about The Steel House’s upcoming exhibitions visit: rocklandsteelhouse.com/projects

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

UNION —Blueberry spitting: yes it’s a thing.

The Union Fair hosted a friendly competition on Friday, August 24 to see who could turn a blueberry into a projectile that traveled the furthest.

Coinciding with the fair’s annual Maine Wild Blueberry Festival Day, more than a dozen participants ranging from age three to 75 participated in the event. Hosting the event were three lovely ladies: The 2018 Maine Wild Blueberry Queen Whitney Dow of Waldoboro, Crown Princess Sierra Beal of Tenants Harbor and Miss Congeniality Jordan Bracket of Owls Head. (All three took their turn at the end as well.)

A plastic mat marked up to 25 feet had been laid out on the grass in Sherman Park as onlookers watched each participant get up on the last stair of the gazebo and give it all they had. Techniques ranged from bending backwards and giving the blueberry a forceful hurl to standing and letting the blueberry plop out of one’s mouth as if having  just experienced a bad clam.

Volunteers then took a tape measure to the mat to estimate how far it traveled.

The first place winner this year with a 25+-range was Bob Kostelok of Bernardsville, New Jersey. “So proud,” he said. Asked how, if from New Jersey, he knew how to spit a Maine blueberry so well, he replied, “I don’t know. I think it’s genetic. I’ve always been able to spit really far.”

Check out our other gallery: Old fashioned rides and snacks at the Union Fair

Photos by Kay Stephens

 Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Summer is a dangerous time for birds, mainly due to human behavior and interference, but there is a lot we can do to be proactive and save their lives.

Avian Haven, a nationally known wild bird rehabilitation center based in Freedom is one of the largest rehabilitation practices in New England. 

Founded by Marc Payne and Diane Winn in 1999, nearly 15,000 birds from more than 100 species have been treated at their facilities.

On their property, 15 buildings, some of them comprising multiple flight cages, provide pre-release conditioning for a variety of species ranging in size from Hummingbirds to Bald Eagles and including aquatic birds such as Common Loons and pelagic species.

More than 2,500 birds were admitted to Avian Haven last year. The main cause of injuries are cat predation, car collisions, and window strikes.

Laura Suomi-Lecker, their Education Outreach Coordinator, gave a moving presentation at the Hope Library August 7 to a packed audience. The presentation was primarily about how birds are typically injured and what people can do to prevent it and save them. Given the nonprofit’s name, it was a surprise to many that the center also admits 30-40 reptiles a year, mostly turtles that have been hit by cars.

“Marc Payne has been able to save a number of car-hit turtles by using a custom adhesive to repair their cracked shells, but even they can’t be saved, if their egg sac is still intact, he will harvest the eggs and incubate them,” said Suomi-Lecker.

What people can do to prevent these injuries:

• Keep cats inside or within an outdoor cat enclosure, especially during nesting season, which for most species occurs from late May through early August.
• If your cats must be outdoors consider buying a cat bib, which prevents them from pouncing.
  
• Save birds from hitting house windows by applying decals, screens or film.
• Leave areas of standing grass and fields in your yard rather than mow it all down or consider different mowing practices by mowing pathways and leaving natural areas.
• Avoid cutting live trees during spring and summer and leave dead trees alone: many raptors, woodpeckers, chickadees and warblers nest in dead trees and cavities.
• Avoid using lead ammunition when hunting: birds get poisoned when eating prey that has been shot with lead. Here is where to purchase non-lead ammunition instead
  
• Likewise, don’t use lead fishing tackle: it’s the number one cause of adult loon deaths. Here’s where you can purchase non-lead fishing tackle instead.
  
• Retrieve all fishing gear from your site when done; loons and other birds are commonly taken to Avian Haven with their bills and throats ensnared with monofilament.
• Many pesticides (rodent poison,ant poison, herbicide, garden chemicals) are toxic to birds. 
• Fly paper sticky rodent traps, artificial spider webs (for Halloween decorations) and frayed pieces from plastic tarps can all trap and entangle flying birds.

Some of the photos that  Suomi-Lecker shared to the audience were heartbreaking: a lead-poisoned eagle, a loon entangled with monofilament, a snapping turtle receiving sutures and even a tiny cast on a frog’s leg.

Suomi-Lecker also shared some practical tips for people who encounter injured or sick birds.

• First get the bird out of harm’s way. Be safe and use gloves or a towel to retrieve a large bird.
• Put an old sweatshirt or towel in the bottom of a closeable cardboard box. For birds that are unable to stand, you can roll a second towel into a U-shape to keep the bird sitting upright.
• Make sure the box is covered and put air holes around the top of the box.
• Call Avian Haven, which is open seven days a week and can be reached at 382-6761.
• Young birds without feathers will need an added heat source such as a heating pad or hot water bottle.
• Don’t attempt to feed the bird anything, unless instructed to do so by a licensed rehabilitator.

Avian Haven’s main goal is to rehabilitate the birds and reptiles.   For birds, flight-conditioning in the outdoor flight cages is the final step, so they can go back to into the wild, a feat that can take months.  During that time the volunteers and staff do get attached to the birds and reptiles and every successful release is the reward for all of the hard and sometimes heart-breaking work.   

For more information, see the many ways to support Avian Haven. They welcome volunteers from the community to work on site and/or transport birds to us from surrounding communities.

To see more stories of the individual birds and reptiles they’ve saved, go to Avian Haven’s Facebook Gallery

Related: Injured barred owl in Camden rescued, taken to Avian Haven

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—The yellow barn at 20 Winter Street in Rockland turned into a glamorous boutique on Monday, Aug. 20, when New Hope For Women hosted a VIP Opening for its pop-up shop to support women and victims of domestic violence.

Hosted by a committee of local women and the New Hope For Women’s staff, Brittany Ciccketti and Brandy Dupper-Macy, the VIP event kicked off with welcome remarks from Cathy Landau-Painter and Pinny Beebe-Center, interim executive director of New Hope For Women, before turning the mic over to Shannon Kinney, Founder of Dream Local Digital, who gave a short speech to inspire women.

The mission of New Hope for Women is to provide support to people in Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, and Waldo counties affected by domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, and provide educational resources to assist communities in creating a safer and healthier future.

With gourmet appetizers and wine, the VIP guests then had the opportunity to “shop” the boutique exclusively before the pop-up shop opens to the public on Tuesday Aug. 21, and Wednesday, Aug. 22.

More than $30,00 worth of merchandise was donated by area clothing stores and individuals. Guests had their first pick of designer items, business casual, vintage clothing and and hundreds of quality accessories such as shoes, belts, scarves, lingerie and jewelry.

“This pop-up shop has been an idea that we’ve had in the past as an Eileen Fisher event,” said Ciccketti. “So, now we’re turning the concept into a bigger event with a mix of new and gently upcycled clothing. All of the proceeds go to New Hope For Women.”

The pop-up shop is open to the public on Aug. 21 and 22 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information on New Hope For Women and a list of the sponsors and supporters of this event visit: New Hope For Women.

CAMDEN—This summer, Eva Morris better known by her “Road Babe” book series, is keen on getting a number of dynamic writers together to put on an author performance in mid-September.  In addition, all of the entries will be published in a compilation, which will be released at the event for a book signing.

Morris, author of eight books, is calling the Maine event BestLit Review.

“I’ve done this event before and my most recent event was in Memphis for all female writers, which we called Red Hot Chick Lit Review and the mix was fabulous,” she said. “Ten diverse finalists read their pieces to the crowd: Young, old, all races, professors, students, professional and green talent, but all accomplished voices. They presented their stories so well it brought tears to people’s eyes. At the same time, they were all published in ‘Red Hot ChickLit Review,’ which was released at the event, for signing. That compilation, released locally, sold out of a good first print in three months. One really talented short story writer earned a book deal from this experience and nearly all went on to write further stories, which were better, because of what we'd done together.”

Morris was inspired to come to Camden this summer and host a similar event, opening it up to both male and female writers with the same diversity.

“There are so many great Maine writers up here and I wanted to open it up to everybody,” she said.

The way the process works is writers may submit a cover letter and the piece of writing, that, when read aloud, comes in under 10 minutes. All entries will be evaluated. Morris will meet in person with each finalist to work with him or her on the performance of the piece. Morris is offering free, informal workshops on presentation at Camden Public Library and all participants may attend. A venue will be determined in mid-September once the best 10 writers have been chosen.

Morris said she’s looking for entries of primarily short stories and essays.

“Poetry doesn’t work so well in this type of setting,” she said. “I’m looking for writing that is funny, sassy, cool and confident. I don’t care what it is; I just want to see passion come off the person reading his or her work. There are a lot of authors currently working on a book and I am also interested in a short chapter from that whether they are published or are still seeking representation.”

Eva Morris was first discovered by Barney Rossett, a legendary publisher, who published Morris’ first anthology (Blue Moon Books, 2000) called “Road Babe!” Morris was then featured in Simon & Schuster’s Best American Erotica.  Morris was the last person commissioned to interview author Hunter S. Thompson, who personally requested her to visit him in Aspen one year prior to his death. This past June, she gave a presentation “Ode to Hunter S. Thompson” to the Camden Public Library featuring excerpts from his final interview.

To participate in BestLit Review, send your story or essay with a cover letter to: Eva Morris BestLit Review, P.O. 6 Camden, Maine 04843. For any questions call (772)-217-7070.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

MIDCOAST— High-speed electric vehicle charging stations are popping up all over Maine. Following a national trend, Maine businesses and municipalities are installing EV stations as a convenience to electric car drivers. The faster chargers can power a vehicle in 20 minutes to an hour, whereas others are designed to charge a vehicle overnight.

Located at various local grocery stores and chain supermarkets, such as Hannaford, along with inns, solar power companies and even breweries and distilleries, these charging stations allow patrons to use them for free or a nominal cost if patronizing the establishment. While charging, they can walk into town to go shopping or get something to eat, go hiking, or sip the latest craft brews and cocktails Maine has to offer.

We contacted some of the owners of Midcoast EV stations to find out what their reasons were for the installations.

“We decided to include the charging stations when we laid the electricity and water lines before pouring concrete for the new parking lot,” said Briar Lyons, owner of Lincolnville General Store. “It is obvious and exciting that electric cars will play a much more significant role in the future, and we wanted to be prepared for when that happens. Our electric charging stations are free to the public. The Tesla charger was free, and the universal chargers we purchased with an eye towards the future and the understanding that customers using the stations would likely also spend time and money in our store, introducing us to unique and fun individuals.”

“We wanted to create an experience for our consumers,” said Topher Mallory, cofounder of Split Rock Distilling, in Newcastle. “So the impetus was putting in place EV infrastructure for future company vehicles, and promoting and supporting EV use amongst in our community.”

Mallory said that there are a number of things people can do while waiting for the car to charge: “including time at the tasting room, patrons can grab some food from the food trucks that frequent the spot, go for a hike on a trail nearby, and play yard games like Jenga and Corn Hole.” 

Belfast is the latest town to get an electric volt (EV) charger for electric cars on the Beaver Street Parking lot.

Joseph Slocum, city manager, said: “We know it’s being regularly used by people all of the time. We’re trying to promote renewable energy and reduce our carbon footprint, which is part of the larger scheme the entire city is working on.”

By joining forces with Tesla Motors, Berry Manor Inn has become the first Tesla/Universal electric car charging station in Rockland and is offering a charge to guests of Granite Inn and LimeRock Inn too for a nominal fee.

“We have both a Tesla and a Universal on the side of our carriage house and they’re the longer-charging type,” said Berry Manor Inn co-owner Cheryl Michaelsen.

Here is a list of available EV chargers around the Midcoast and where to find them.

Searsport

Sundog Solar

222 East Main Street, Searsport

(207) 548-100

One Level 2 charger

Belfast

City of Belfast

Beaver Street Parking Lot, Belfast

(207)-338-3370

One Level 2 charger

Located in the triangular parking lot across from the Belfast Co-op

Lincolnville

Lincolnville General Store

269 Main Street, Lincolnville

(207) 763-4411

Two Level 2 chargers.

Located in the back of the parking lot on the opposite side of the street.

Camden

Hannaford Supermarket

145 Elm Street, Camden

Located on the left hand side of the store by Bangor Savings Bank

(207) 236-8577

Level 2 charger available 7a.m.-10 p.m. daily.

 **

The Country Inn

8 Country Inn Way, Rockport

(207) 236-2725

Located in the parking lot near the front door.

Level 2 charger

 **

The Lodge at Camden Hills

186 Belfast Road, Camden

(207) 236-8478

Located in the lower parking lot that town uses for hiking trail access.

50a Tesla charger

Rockland

Berry Manor Inn

81 Talbot Ave, Rockland

(207) 596-7696

Two Level 1 chargers

Located on the side of the carriage house.

St. George

The humble Farmer Bed and Breakfast

785 River Road, St. George

(207) 226-7442

One Level 2 charger

Located within the barn; the cord can be pulled out the window.

Newcastle

Newcastle Inn

60 River Road, Newcastle

(877) 798-3752

Three Level 2 chargers

**

Split Rock Distilling

16 Osprey Point Road, Newcastle

(207) 563-2669

One Level 2 charger

Located: On the side of the barn opposite the tasting room in the parking lot.

The Sunrise Guide also happens to have an extensive list of EV chargers all over Maine as well as an explanation on what the different levels of chargers mean. FMI:

https://thesunriseguide.com/electric-vehicle-charging-stations-in-maine/

If we have missed any EV stations located in the Midcoast, please email us with “EV Chargers” in the subject line.

 Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

A number of local breweries have joined ranks with statewide breweries to send their finest, cold brews through the Maine Beer Box across Atlantic last week. Those representing the Midcoast include Marshall Wharf Brewing Co., Andrews Brewing Co., Lake St. George Brewing, Boothbay Brewing Co., Monhegan Brewing Co. Threshers Brewing Co., Odd Alewives Farm Brewery, Sea Dog Brewery, and Simplicity Brewing Co.

The Maine Beer Box is an international collaborative project started last year to exchange Maine’s brews with other countries. The custom-built, 40-foot, refrigerated shipping container holds 78 beer taps and a self-contained draft system. Its inaugural trip last year collected beer from brewers all over the state and headed to Iceland. This year, its destination is the UK. This past week, the Maine Beer Box traveled all around the state to collect barrels from 65 brewers willing to donate their brews. The last day to fill the container up was July 31, before it was loaded aboard a freighter ship last week on its way to Leeds, England. There, it will land in three weeks and be a key feature at the 7th annual Leeds International Beer Festival (LIBF) in September.

The Maine Beer Box was the invention of Sean Sullivan, The Maine Brewers’ Guild’s Executive Director and David Carlson, owner of Marshall Wharf Brewing Co. in Belfast and has been called the world’s largest mobile kegerator.

“By taking the lead on an international export effort which includes nearly every brewery in Maine, we're also demonstrating the collaborative spirit of the American craft beer industry - and that is a message which brewers and beer drinkers around the country have rallied behind,” said Sullivan. It is fully capable of delivering beer anywhere by land or sea, ensuring that Maine craft beer can be transported in ideal conditions, and served fresh off the tap. The Maine Brewers’ Guild sent a film crew to travel with the Maine Beer Box to document the entire journey.

Carlson and his staff have been an integral part of this collaboration from its inception. Last June, when the Maine Beer Box collaborated with Icelandic brewers, their team traveled over to BjorFestival in Reykjavik. The Marshall Wharf crew traveled down to Portland the weekend of August 4 & 5 to do the final pack out this week before the Maine Beer Box headed to England. 

Then, the Marshall Wharf crew will once again, fly over to the Leeds festival and operate, troubleshoot and manage the Maine Beer Box for a week. In addition to the Marshall Wharf crew, and Guild staff, Sullivan predicts that over 100 Mainers will be travelling to Leeds to take part in the festival.

Each local brewery in the Midcoast put some thought in what they wanted craft brewers in the U.K. to experience when they sip a Maine brew. Keg Logistics provided all of the kegs so brewers didn’t have to sacrifice any of their own.

“This year, we're sending a barrel each of five of our brews,” said Carlson. “Phil Brown Ale is a classic style brown that tips its hat to the Scottish style of a brown ale. Our 49 Cream Ale is a classic Marshall Wharf style. The Pemaquid Oyster Stout is a good representation of an offbeat steel with a classic Maine product. The Bitter Truth ESB is an English extra special bitter, and Marzen is an Oktoberfest beer that we brewed in barrel-aged in Icelandic Brennivín barrels that we got through our connection with last year's Maine Beer Box. We wanted to give them a taste of the English styles that we do while also paying tribute to the Iceland experience.”

Several other local brewers had their own reasons for sending a particular beer.

“We chose to send a barrel of our Northern Brown Ale,” said Ben Hazen, co-owner of Andrews Brewing Co. “I figured everybody was going to send an IPA, so we wanted to send this one, which is sort of an English brown ale, and give those in England something to something try from the United States that’s just a little bit different.”

Simplicity Brewing Co.’s owner Stephen DePesa chose a barrel of their signature Venerable Jimmy Stout. “This is a Scottish stout and it was made in honor of my father in law who who was born and raised in Scotland,” he said. “He passed away a few years ago so we wanted to send ‘Jimmy’ back to England.”

The folks over at St. George Brewing Co. chose to include one barrel of Kerplunk, a blueberry sour. “We chose to send that because that beer is one of the best sellers in Maine and we wanted to represent what our customers are drinking the most,” said Elizabeth Johnston, co-owner and and assistant brewer.  “Plus it’s blueberries; you can’t get any more Maine than that.”

And Ethan Evangelos, co-owner of Threshers, chose to send a Threshers Brown Ale as their barrel. “In the summertime, that’s the beer we had the most of to send and it’s got a nice, nutty flavor without being too bitter,” he said. “It’s one of our better beers.”

In November, the Mine Beer Box will come back with beer from the U.K., Ireland and Scotland, along with many of its brews for the Winter Session, November 10 at Thompsons Point.

Photos courtesy Maine Brewers’ Guild

UNION — Fiction novelists know the pain, more than most people, of the fear of failure and not getting years and years’ worth of painstaking work published and to the right audience. That doesn’t change when you’re dead.

Union author Paul Guernsey explores that concept with American Ghost, which won the Speculative Fiction Award in June from the Maine Literary Awards.

Thumb Rivera, his main character, is a college dropout, a small-time marijuana grower, a petty criminal and a gang member wannabe. Oh, and he also happens to be no longer part of the living.

As a spirit in the afterlife who still dreams of getting a fictional account of his life published, Riviera’s only recourse is to channel his n’er-do-well friends to solve his own murder and literally “ghost-write” his autobiography. Poor Rivera. The best he can get is Ben, an unemployed ghost hunter and Fred Muttkowski, a failed novelist.

This is truly a novel for authors. Not only is American Ghost a murder mystery and a revenge thriller, it’s a darkly comical exploration of the kind of angst every writer knows only too well: when your book and its concepts are no longer in your control.

This is Guernsey’s third novel after a long hiatus. His first novel, Unhallowed Ground, published in 1986, was a finalist for the PEN Nelson Algren Fiction Award. A newspaper writer and magazine editor in his prior career, Guernsey mined those experiences for American Ghost.

“It’s a ghost story, but it partly contains some of my frustrations and numerous observations how tough it is to be a fiction writer in America these days,” he said. “You either have the drive to succeed commercially or you’re not going to make it, so I put quite a bit of that in there, but with a humorous twist. If you adapt with the times, you may not get rich from your writing, but if you find other ways to pay your bills and you work hard at writing, spend a lot of time on it, you’ll find ways to reach your audience with your work.”

Guernsey, who said he was most influenced by the literary horror and subconscious narrative of Henry James’ Turn of the Screw, has always had an interest in the supernatural. As such, he has found a worldwide audience through a website he founded dedicated to supernatural fiction.

“I started a supernatural fiction competition four years ago and it’s gone international called The Ghost Story Supernatural Fiction Awards,” he said. “And we just published a book of those short stories that won the contest called “21st Century Ghost Stories.”

Life, they say, is stranger than fiction. Guernsey discovered this real-life plot twist this summer when his Maine Literary Awards award in speculative fiction was initially meant for another author.

According to a press release put out by Joshua Bodwell, Executive Director of Maine Writers & Publisher’s Alliance, While Ka, by John Crowley, was initially awarded the prize in this category, it was later discovered that erroneous residential information had been provided by the nominator — the author’s publisher, Simon & Schuster.

While the Maine Literary Awards are open to all Maine residents, including seasonal/part-time residents, it was learned Crowley did not meet these eligibility requirements.”

“I had been fishing in Quebec, and made it down to Portland for the awards ceremony and then I was surprised to get a call a few weeks later telling me of the situation,” Guernsey said. “As a result, I think that got the book more publicity than if I’d just straight up won it.”

He shrugged. “Strange things happen.”

To read a synopsis go to: American Ghost and support Maine independent bookstores: buy locally.

 Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

HOPE—Long abandoned shovels, rusted chains, nuts, bolts and other broken tools that no longer have use are Wayne Twitchell’s favorite things to find when he’s out moseying around at yard sales and second hand stores. Almost 50 years ago Twitchell started a career in welding with a South Portland cement plant. He moved on after that, he honing his welding skills with Fischer Engineering and Bath Iron Works and was the recipient of the Navy’s Aegis Excellence Award for welding.

About 30 years ago, a chance discovery would spur a creative side he didn’t even know he had.

“I’d come across an old tooth off an excavator and I thought it looked like Gumby,” he said. I put legs on it; a face and I liked it. I’ve been making stuff ever since.”

Now retired, Twitchell mostly goes searching for scrap materials and works on them in the warmer months.

“Nowadays, you can’t pick the dump, and scrap dealers are real tight; they don’t want you wandering around the scrap yard,” he said. “The thing is, back in the 1970s and 1980s they welcomed you. Who knows? But anyway, I hit yard sales a lot and I buy some stuff from Goodwill I can use.”

Even though metal is harder to come by, he still relishes a good find now and then.

“I work with steel,” he said. “Or anything a magnet can stick to I can probably make something out of it.”

Twitchell’s shop adjacent to his home in Hope is a thing of wonder to behold. Thousands of pieces of scrap metal have been collected over the years, hanging from the rafters, crowding the shelves and covering every square inch of his shop.

Asked what types of creatures he makes now, he answered, “Well, it depends on what I find.”

Take the shovels, spades and chain links he collected: He made a giant frog out of them and painted it green. Next to that is purple spider constructed of tire irons with a trailer ball hitch for a head. Twitchell unearths a couple of “Springer Spaniels” he made from the dark recesses of the shop, made from cast iron springs with bolts for eyes.

Twitchell teaches a five-week “Ornamental Welding” class through Five Town Adult and Community Education.

“I used to teach down in Rockland’s Midcoast School of Technology for about 10 years, and people who came to my classes were looking to use those skills in their trade,” he said. “Today, I just teach people how to weld for art’s sake.”

Twitchell had a full class this winter—all of them women.

“I’m quite amazed at what some of them build,” he said.

Twitchell doesn’t have a website and mainly sells his work to people driving by his house.

“I don’t even put up a for sale sign; they just stop,” he said. “One time, a van with North Carolina plates missed their turn and turned around in our driveway. As he was trying to back out, she was trying to get out of the van because she saw all of the stuff in the yard and by the time they left, the back of their van was full of my sculptures. And I had $400 in my wallet.”

You can also find his sculptures in the Maine Artisans store in Lincolnville Beach.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — It was hotter than a billy goat with a blow torch at the 71st Maine Lobster Festival, but that didn’t bother Will and Alex McGuinness, who traveled all the way up to Maine from Houston, Texas.

“To me, this is a nice and cool day,” said Will. “At least it’s not quite as bad as it is in Texas.”

With McGuiness’ parents in the Northeast, they timed their visit to coincide with the Maine Lobster Festival.

“We absolutely love lobster and it’s been on our list for a few years,” said Will.

Alex McGuiness tried her first lobster, a pound and a quarter and was told, by someone likely pulling her leg, that it takes 15 years for a lobster to grow that size. (The truth is, it really only takes approximately 5-7 years.) There is much debate among locals on the “right” way to eat a lobster. In fact, Pen Bay Pilot has a tutorial for those who are still unsure. But, being an “outer-stater,” McGuiness, to her credit,  went for the tail first, the claws last and even tackled the walking legs. And when it came to the tomalley, she didn’t get squeamish and removed it herself.

The couple attended the Festival’s popular Steins & Vines event on Thursday, August 2, sampling some of the Midcoast’s best craft brews and wines.

The real debate that night was whether the complimentary bag of Lays lobster-flavored chips actually tasted like a lobster roll. According to several people interviewed, it tasted like sour cream and Lawry’s seasoning.

Jessica Clary, of Atlanta, Georgia, is a journalism professor. Up for the entire five days of the Festival with her family, Clary said, The Maine Lobster Festival played a part in her MFA thesis, which extrapolated on David Foster Wallace’s essay “Consider The Lobster.”

“I wrote a personal narrative about my relationship with food pop culture and music and Wallace’s article about the Maine Lobster Festival stuck with me,” she said.

Asked if she had gone on any of the carnival rides, she looked over at one that whose cars undulated up and around like a mechanical caterpillar.

“Absolutely not,” she said. “That looks like something my Mom would talk me into doing, then she would scream the entire time.”

Asked if she’d tried lobster yet, she said, “I haven’t yet, but that is what I’m here for. I’m working on it. I’ve been to those fancy restaurants, where they crack all of the shells for you.”

In response to that, a small crowd of people listening to this conversation all simultaneously said, ”Nawwwwwww.”

It was gently explained to Clary that if you’re in Maine, you get that lobster and you do all of the work yourself. Because that’s how Mainers are.

“Interesting,” she replied. “Good culture.”

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

THOMASTON—Now that we’re in high summer, the newest kid on the block, The Block Saloon, that is, has a cocktail on its menu to beat the heat. Bad & Boozy is one of the signature craft cocktails invented by bar manager Dave Smith. This cocktail presses the pause button on summer for a few delicious moments with its Cold River gin, fresh sage and cucumber flavors. The color is a cloudy absinthe green with herbaceous complex notes, balancing the cool, hydrating cucumber, with the sour of lemon and the surprising sweetness of sage simple syrup.

“Green is my favorite color,” said Smith, “and between the cucumber and a hard shake, that’s what brings out that cloudy green color.”

It tastes like a healthy smoothie with a gin kick as you’re sitting in an herb garden, breathing it all in.

Smith, who came up with the entire cocktail list for The Block Saloon said: “I love gin and am happy that it is making a comeback. Cucumber, sage and gin are amazing bedfellows—all three of them should get married.”

To make this cocktail at home takes a little bit of preparation, but it is worth it. First, one needs to make a simple syrup. Bring syrup to a boil and lower to a simmer for 10 minutes. This is where you add a handful sage and let steep. Next, peel half of a cucumber, leave the other half unpeeled, pureé and strain. Third, squeeze several lemons into a jar. “Don’t use the pre-made lemon juice,” said Smith. “It’s really best when lemon is fresh squeezed.”

Watch the video to see how the cocktail is made. You’ll need:

• 1 ½ ounces of Cold River gin
• 1 ounce freshly pureéd and strained cucumber
• ½ ounce of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• ½ ounce sage simple syrup
• Sprig of fresh sage

This is a great cocktail to try while your garden is still in full bloom, or go down to The Block Saloon and ask Dave to make one for you. Tell him we sent you.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

NEWCASTLE— If you’ve ever sampled raw oysters at Ondine in Belfast, Hoxbill in Camden, and Suzuki Sushi, North Beacon Oysters and Café Miranda in Rockland, chances are they came from eight oysters farms on the Damariscotta River. One young entrepreneur, Brendan Parsons, is the distributor behind it.

Parsons, who was born and raised in Damariscotta, has made a small empire around them. He started his career working at an oyster farm in 2008. From there, he ran a raw bar for a catering company. Next, he opened BP’s Shuck Shack, a food cart in 2015. Parsons then started his own oyster farm, Blackstone Point, in 2016, but he wasn’t done yet. He opened his first restaurant in a converted gas station on Main Street in 2017 called River Bottom Raw Bar, and then, after extensive renovations, changed the name to Shuck Station this past June.

The interior to the Shuck Station is airy and light with the industrial decor similar to a craft brew tasting room. A concrete bar serves as the focal point while the photographs on back wall is a tribute to each oyster farm that appears on the menu.  A daily special called “Taste The River” features a dozen of three types of oysters laid out on a bed of ice. The variety changes daily, but it serves as a unique tasting experience; each oyster has a back story which Parsons and his staff are happy to provide.

The Shuck Station is a must stop in Newcastle. Along with oysters by the half dozen and by the dozen, one person can simply order a single off the menu and pair it with a variety of local craft brews such as Oxbow and Allagash, or local wines. They even have prosecco on tap.

Like fine wines from a particular region, each oyster has its own distinct shape, size, brininess, flavor and texture.

Parsons, who works seven days a week, is a brand ambassador of all things Damariscotta oyster.

“We have a map on the back of our menu that shows where all of the varieties are sourced from and anyone on my staff can tell you what gives each one its flavor or its shape and color,” he said. “People come in and really like getting educated about what they’re tasting and how they compare to one another. It’s knowledge that they can take home with them and share with friends.”

In addition to managing his restaurant and two food carts in Portland, he grows his own variety of oysters called Blackstone Points, which have a mild balanced brine, and a sweet finish.

He simultaneously runs a separate wholesale business called Damariscotta River Distribution, which represents all eight oyster farms on the Damariscotta River and sells their oysters to restaurants and bars all over Maine.

As far as he knows, he’s the only one doing business this way in the Midcoast.

“Many of the farms and markets sell one or two varieties of Damariscotta River oysters, but we’re the only small wholesale business representing all eight,” he said.

Shuck Station will be open up until the end of November before closing for the season, at which point, Parsons will be happy to stop working seven days a week. “I’ll be looking forward to a long break after Thanksgiving,” he admitted.

For more information visit: Shuck Station

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

NEWCASTLE— If you’ve ever sampled raw oysters at Ondine in Belfast, Hoxbill in Camden, and Suzuki Sushi, North Beacon Oysters and Café Miranda in Rockland, chances are they came from eight oysters farms on the Damariscotta River. One young entrepreneur, Brendan Parsons, is the distributor behind it.

Parsons, who was born and raised in Damariscotta, has made a small empire around them. He started his career working at an oyster farm in 2008. From there, he ran a raw bar for a catering company. Next, he opened BP’s Shuck Shack, a food cart in 2015. Parsons then started his own oyster farm, Blackstone Point, in 2016, but he wasn’t done yet. He opened his first restaurant in a converted gas station on Main Street in 2017 called River Bottom Raw Bar, and then, after extensive renovations, changed the name to Shuck Station this past June.

The interior to the Shuck Station is airy and light with the industrial decor similar to a craft brew tasting room. A concrete bar serves as the focal point while the photographs on back wall is a tribute to each oyster farm that appears on the menu.  A daily special called “Taste The River” features a dozen of three types of oysters laid out on a bed of ice. The variety changes daily, but it serves as a unique tasting experience; each oyster has a back story which Parsons and his staff are happy to provide.

The Shuck Station is a must stop in Newcastle. Along with oysters by the half dozen and by the dozen, one person can simply order a single off the menu and pair it with a variety of local craft brews such as Oxbow and Allagash, or local wines. They even have prosecco on tap.

Like fine wines from a particular region, each oyster has its own distinct shape, size, brininess, flavor and texture.

Parsons, who works seven days a week, is a brand ambassador of all things Damariscotta oyster.

“We have a map on the back of our menu that shows where all of the varieties are sourced from and anyone on my staff can tell you what gives each one its flavor or its shape and color,” he said. “People come in and really like getting educated about what they’re tasting and how they compare to one another. It’s knowledge that they can take home with them and share with friends.”

In addition to managing his restaurant and two food carts in Portland, he grows his own variety of oysters called Blackstone Points, which have a mild balanced brine, and a sweet finish.

He simultaneously runs a separate wholesale business called Damariscotta River Distribution, which represents all eight oyster farms on the Damariscotta River and sells their oysters to restaurants and bars all over Maine.

As far as he knows, he’s the only one doing business this way in the Midcoast.

“Many of the farms and markets sell one or two varieties of Damariscotta River oysters, but we’re the only small wholesale business representing all eight,” he said.

Shuck Station will be open up until the end of November before closing for the season, at which point, Parsons will be happy to stop working seven days a week. “I’ll be looking forward to a long break after Thanksgiving,” he admitted.

For more information visit: Shuck Station

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST— One woman may have gotten the idea for it, but now the entire town of Belfast has caught on to The Daffodil Project, a plan to plant one million daffodils all around Belfast for the next 10 years.

Elizabeth Wolfe and her husband, Michael Cunning, have been residents of Belfast for more than 35 years. She got the idea for this project one day while driving.

“I’m at this stage in my life where I have some time to volunteer and I got to thinking about what I wanted to do with it,” she said. “I was thinking of the community in Belfast, who welcomed us with open arms and it’s been a fabulous place to live and raise our children. So, I started thinking of a way to give back to Belfast and this idea of planting daffodils everywhere just muckled on to me.”

The idea has now spurred a grassroots movement to plant 100,000 daffodils each year for 10 years all around Belfast: from private properties to public city parks to edges of woods, fields and gardens that don´t have to be mowed. The purpose is not only to creates a more beautiful, colorful and inviting town, but also to encourage intergenerational community of Belfast to work together on it and plant together.

“The ones we’ve picked, which will come from Holland, will come back year after year,”  said Wolfe. “You don’t have to water or feed them; they hold the water in the ground on their own. They’ll prevent soil erosion and nutrients to surrounding trees and bushes. It will be this huge of color every spring when we’re just coming out of winter.”

Wolfe said the idea of so many daffodils seems daunting to some, but she breaks it down into small goals. “This summer we’re only aiming for 50,000 bulbs as the starter year,” she said. “They’ve all been bought from FedCo seeds, a great Maine organization through private and city donations. The community has really jumped on board with this, including a number of businesses and community organizations such as the Y.M.C.A., the Waldo County Hospital, and Keeping Belfast Beautiful to name a few. The city of Belfast just voted to co-sponsor the Project and we’ve additionally gotten about 60 or 70 private donations.”

The plan is to get the delivery of bulbs by September, organize and distribute the bulbs for pick up and delivery by the second week of October, and have community volunteers plant the bulbs two to four weeks before the ground freezes.

“I also want to organize a spot where we plant a ‘Mother’s Garden of daffodils,” explained Wolfe. “People can plant a daffodil to honor their mother, or if their mother has passed, plant one as a way to memorialize their mother. This is especially symbolic for people who learned gardening from their mothers to be able to plant a daffodil in this particular garden.”

After that, Wolfe said the Project will continue to work on next year’s goal of obtaining 100,000 bulbs for the following year.

“A donation of $25 gets you 100 bulbs,” she said. People can participate in three ways. The first is to buy the bulbs and givethem to the Project to plant. The second is to buy the bulbs through the Project and plant them yourself. The third way for those who don’t want to buy them is to just help volunteer to plant them.”

Penobscot Bay Pilot will follow this story as it progresses

For more information and to purchase bulbs for the Project call Wolfe at (207) 338-4783

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — In the early hours just after dawn, a man in his 70s parks by Megunticook Lake off of Route 105 and takes a look at the still water as the sun creeps up past the trees. It’s the perfect time to go kayaking before he heads to his weekly Rotary meeting. To the left of the launch is a tier of cedar-constructed racks filled with kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. He unlocks the combination to his orange and yellow kayak and drags it only several feet, placing the bow in the water. Ten minutes and he’s off, enjoying the solitude.

Megunticook Lake is cherished by many who love outdoor sports on the water. But not everybody has the strength, the time or even the car racks to lug a kayak or paddleboard up onto the roof of the car to be able to physically transport it to the lake.

Two local entrepreuners Paddle Sport Rack Co. saw the need to solve this issue and created Paddle Sport Rack Co.

“For about 10 years, the Parks and Rec department has been trying to find a way to provide more people with lakeside storage and access,” said Brian Robinson, one of the local entrepreneurs who serves as a volunteer on Camden’s Parks and Recreation Committee. “We would talk to people and ask them what is preventing them from using the lake. And many told us it was a pain in the neck to unload and load their boat four times just to go paddling. Others mentioned that it limited them to only using the lake on the weekends because they didn’t want to drive to work with the boat on the roof of the car.  There is also an aging population in this area and though they love the quality of life in being able to canoe, kayak or paddleboard across the lake, they have a harder time loading and unloading a boat from the vehicle by themselves. We wanted to provide a welcoming solution to give them an easier way to use their paddlecraft.”

Tucked into Barrett’s Cove beach and beside the boat launch over at Bog Bridge on both access points of Megunticook Lake are six well-built three-tier cedar racks holding nine various kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. There’s no sign; may assume they belong to the local outdoor outfitters around here, but they are actually the rentable racks that Robinson and his business partner, Glenn Ruesswick, designed and built for public use.

After building the racks, the town of Camden granted them access to those two spots for a private business as it benefited the community.

Dave Johnson and his family, who have been Camden residents for the past 11 years, live about four miles from Megunticook Lake and rent three stations for their two-person skiff, and two kayaks.

“It’s wonderful because it saves so much time,” he said. “We can’t fit three boats on our car. And it just allows my wife and our two kids to spend more time on the water, rather than taking 20 minutes loading and unloading the boats. The investment of time just means we’ll be able to go paddling more often.”

Almost all of the stations on the racks have been fully rented year-round, although two to three spots are still available. 

To keep the boats from being removed, they also secure, easy-to-use locking systems with a combination lock programmed by Paddle Sport Rack Co. A season’s rental costs a Maine resident $125 and a non-resident $150.

For more information on the racks visit:  https://paddlesportrack.com/ or to rent space email camdenpsr@gmail.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST— On any given day, passengers aboard Belfast’s newest ecotour boat Caretta cruising up the Passagassawakeag River will hear no sounds other than the natural strains of wind or the lapping of waves, but they might see seals pop up and dive for fish, or a Bald Eagle family, and numerous seabirds such as cormorants, loons, shore birds and a Great Blue Heron.

Captain Channing Boswell, an outdoor enthusiast, is behind the wheel of this restored Navy whaleboat. Personable, easygoing, he is a wealth of knowledge about the Passy River, as its known to locals, identifying everything in the working waterfront of Belfast Bay from vessels to historical sites along the river.

As the boat passes under the Armistice foot bridge, and the Veteran’s Memorial traffic bridge into calmer, flat water, all noise from the working waterfront disappears, opening up to a myriad of wildlife. And high tie or low tide, the experience changes every day with every trip.

“At high tide, you’re likely to see seals,” said Boswell. “The other day, we witnessed a seal corraling a school of fish and then leaping up to through he center with a fish in its mouth. That was pretty fantastic. At low tide, birders will get to see numerous species assemble on the mud flats.”

The experience is ideal for people who don’t own or can’t kayak the upper part of the river.

With a box of binoculars on board, passengers can use them to see just about anything on both sides of the shoreline.

In June, Boswell discovered a Bald Eagle’s nest in a tree located at the City Point.

“I can’t guarantee a sighting each trip, but we have seen both the mother and father Bald eagle and the offspring, which I call ‘Junior,’” he said.

Boswell hadn’t initially set out to create an ecotour; the idea came to him while searching for model Navy whaleboats on eBay.

“ I was looking at all of these models and then a real one popped up [in the listings] and that’s how I ended up with it,” he said.

It took him six months to refurbish the 1987 whaleboat, raise the floor, install an Elco inboard electric motor, install a canopy and railings and build easy to navigate wide steps down into the vessel. His first tour of the season kicked off the July Fourth weekend.

“Everything is up to code and I can take six passengers with my current license,” he said. “I’m still working with the Coast Guard to get certified to take on 12 passengers.”

Boswell and his wife split their time between Florida and Morrill, Maine where they’ve owned a house for 12 years. In the winters, Boswell works as a captain on a dive support vessel in Lousiana, but his love of kayaking on the Passy led him to a new career change.

Not only is the ride up the Passy a peaceful, quiet break from the respite from the typical loud drone of gas engines, the boat has a zero emissions output, the first of its kind in Belfast. With Belfast a destination known for its “green” shops and practices, Boswell’s new business fits right in with the city’s ethos.

“The city has been very supportive of this ecotour and so have all of the other captains of the tour boats.”

Beyond wildlife tours, Boswell also does private charters and happy hour tours. “You can come out, bring a cooler, bring some snack and everyone can just sit back and talk to each other in a normal voice because it’s so quiet,” he said.

FMI: https://carrettaecotours.com/

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

SOUTH THOMASTON— A little more than a year ago, Erin and Casey Dominguez launched their new restaurant, The Salty Owl at the Knox County Regional Airport. This summer, in addition to their successful business, they decided to try something new.

In partnership with the The South Thomaston/Rockland Lions Club, they have turned the old Lions lobster shack at the South Thomaston boat landing into a pop-up taco stand called Tacos León every Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m.

“We’ve had a lot of requests in the restaurant to make tacos and it’s our favorite cuisine to make,” said Erin. “The Lions Club has been a big part of The Salty Owl since we opened; they were our first contact when we moved here. Given the great support they’ve given us over the last year, we decided to do something that benefited the community and raise some funds and awareness for the Lions, to boot.”

They were not prepared for how popular this idea would be.

“The first day we opened, we were totally taken back by the response to it,” said Erin.

The Salty Owl is only open for breakfast and lunch and closes at 3 p.m. The couple scrambled to get ready and set up at the lobster shack before crowds arrived, 15 minutes before opening.

“On our opening night, we tried to estimate what we’d need and figured maybe 50 people might show up,” she said. “By the end of the night, we’d run out of everything and once we went through all of our tickets, it was probably closer to 100-120 people who showed up.”

By the second week, they were more prepared but the lines were never ending.

“We sold out 15 minutes before closing, but nobody went home hungry,” she said.

This past week they served approximately 150 people.

“I’m kind of nervous that you’re doing this article,” she joked.

The Tacos León concept is simple. They offer four types of tacos in flour and corn tortillas with a variety of marinades and toppings: Carnitas, Duck, Chicken and Vegetable. The sides include beans, chips and salsa and the most popular item on their menu, the Elote, which is traditional Mexican street corn grilled in the husk, then shaved off and served with mayonnaise, butter, cotija cheese.  Everything is reasonably priced under $4.

Tacos León will operate every Tuesday rain or shine. Note: they will be closed August 7 to attend a Lion’s Club meeting in order to discuss the local impact of the venture.

FMI: https://www.saltyowlcafe.com/

Related story: The Salty Owl launches at Knox County Regional Airport

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

The perfect summer day in Maine involves a hike, a swim, and a beer, preferably in that order. Luckily, we live in a place where there are plentiful trails, lakes, ponds and rivers, as well as brews.

Hike  One stunning Midcoast hike off the touristy path is the Hodson and Rheault Trail, part of the Coastal Mountain Land Trust’s conserved lands in Camden. After parking in the small lot off Molyneaux Road, take the Rheault Easement Trail up the mountain with hemlock groves to guide the way. A quick detour on the Hodson Loop at the beginning of the trail lets you explore an old sugar maple grove and apple trees. The hike gives your legs a workout, but the reward is at the top, for once you come out of the treeline, you’ll reach the summit of Howe Hill, a managed organic blueberry barren.  The breeze will refresh you, along with the views of Bald and Hatchet mountains. And in August, blueberries! Pick a few to refresh yourself, but always be respectful and stay only on the trail. And, be cool: Do not take containers with you for blueberry picking. 

Swim   After your hike, a swim is literally right around the corner at Megunticook Lake. But we’re going to take you through the back entrance: Take a left where Molyneaux Road meets Route 105 and drive to the Bog Bridge Boat Launch. There will be parking on the left side of the road. The boat launch will be busy, but keep walking west over the Bog Bridge approximately 500 feet until you get past the metal rail. On the right is another Coastal Mountain Land Trust gem, the McPheters preserve with lake access. No trail exists, but it’s an easy walk to the lake. Likely you’ll have the spot to yourself.

Brew   Get on Route 105 back to Camden and perch your tired, yet refreshed, posterior on a bar stool at Camden’s only brewpub, the Sea Dog. While you might be tempted to go from blueberry barrens to their Blueberry Wheat Ale, there is one utterly crisp and refreshing post-hike beer that hits the spot: The Deep Stowage IPA, a golden IPA, is not too hoppy and showcases subtle attributes of late-boil additions of Citra, Bravo, and Manderina Bavaria melded with a fruity, citrusy and spicy quality. A refreshing end to the perfect summer day.

ROCKLAND — This coming weekend, the Maine Seaweed Exchange is hosting Rockland’s first Maine Seaweed Fair on Saturday, July 28.

In case you’re wondering, “What does one do at a seaweed fair?” — here’s the rundown:

Much like a festival that revolves around oysters, Moxie or Maine lobster, this is collaborative festival dedicated to the celebration of Maine’s seaweeds.

“There are so many uses for seaweed from aquaculture to fertilizers and from medicine and foods to cosmetics,” said Sarah Redmond, one of the festival’s organizers. “This festival is to inspire people about all of the many things you can do with seaweed as a base.”

Starting at 10 a.m., vendors who harvest or cultivate seaweed all over the state will be set up to talk about what they offer and what they do.

The day will then unfold featuring artists who use seaweed in their creations.

Nationally recognized artist Celeste Roberge will give a visual presentation of seaweed artworks and talk about how and why she makes collages, drawings, and sculptures with marine macroalgae.

Following her, Mary Jameson of Saltwater Studio, will teach people how to press and preserve seaweed to make your own herbarium or beautiful works of art. Concurrently all day long, a collective called Women Mind the Water, will offer up stories that trace the connections of women to water.

ROCKLAND—If it can be pushed, pulled, or pedaled for one mile, your artistic sculpture just might have a chance at the second annual Rockland Sculpture Race August 11 this year.

Last summer’s inaugural Rockland Sculpture Race brought a cartload of ingenuity, engineering and kinetic art to the streets of Rockland. Sculptor Kim Bernard, the founder of the race, wants to see the community do it again.

“Last year we had a deadline of June 1 because I wasn’t sure how many entries we were going to get,” said Bernard. “This year, I’m confident that there is enough interest and enthusiasm around the Race, so we’re extending our rolling submission deadline right up until the day before.This allows people who don’t hear about it far enough in advance to still have time be able to pull something together.”

At the moment, they have 12 entries consisting of individuals, families, and teams. Each potential participant has to include a brief description along with a drawing or photograph of the final result in the proposal.

Another difference this year is the incentive to get people to build something.

“I have approached several businesses this year for sponsorship support and that has allowed us to be able to offer the reimbursement of $100 for materials to the first 10 entries,” she said. “I’m still working on more and ideally will be able to provide all of the participants with that reimbursement, but I just can’t promise that yet.”

The winning categories this year are not just limited to speed, said Bernard. If the sculpture is a spectacle, that is, a visually striking display of “creativity, craftsmanship, uniqueness, artistic merit, daring, wildness or significance,” it has a rightful place within the Race. Other categories include: Most Outlandish Award, Craziest Costumes Award, Yute Award, Most Successful Failure Award and The Crowd Loves You Award. “Every year, it’s getting bigger and better,” she said. “We’re seeing crazy costumes, amazing, outlandish engineering. Sometimes the most entertaining racers come in dead last.”

Jurors will be Polly Saltonstall, editor of Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors; Bob Keyes, of the Portland Press Herald; and Bruce Brown, an art curator and collector.

This year, CMCA will display all of the sculptures in their courtyard following the race, weather permitting.

Just like last year, Bernard served as a Visiting Artist to Camden Rockport Middle School’s eighth grade in-house Sculpture Races, which Penobscot Bay Pilot covered in a story on June 14.

“The students broke into 20 teams, coming up with their own ideas and contraptions,” she said. “Then, I helped them facilitate their ideas and work out the mechanical issues.”

Five teams from that student sculpture race will now be entering the Rockland Sculpture Race in August.

For more information on the Sculpture Race, including Entry Information, Guidelines and Race Course visit: Rockland Sculpture Race

Related: Art on wheels: Looking ahead to the first annual Rockland People’s Sculpture Races

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

WALDOBORO—There will be no tea and scones for the ladies who knit one purl two. For the last month, an informal group of knitters and crocheters have been meeting in the comfortable taproom of Odd Alewives Brewery in Waldoboro every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.

Calling themselves “Unraveled,” a half dozen women of various ages and backgrounds place their yarn and knitting projects on the long farm table at the Waldoboro brewery, while a couple of their husbands pull up a chair and chat. Soon, a few more knitters arrive with cheese and crackers or fresh strawberries. There are new people to the group each week, but Unraveled welcomes anyone with a craft or a project.

The first order of business is to grab a beer—one of several farmhouse ales, Saisons or light small batch brews currently offered for the summer.

Husband-and-wife team Sarah and John McNeil can be found in the taproom, hanging out and willing to talk about their newest small batch brews largely made from ingredients from their own farm.

It’s no secret that Maine’s craft breweries have taken the state by storm, with Portland now considered the top city in the world for craft beer by the website Matador Network.  And what “Big Beer” corporations such as Budweiser and Anheuser-Busch are seeing is a shift on how people are drinking and socializing. Many taprooms, such as Odd Alewives, offer a rustic, non-fussy space for people with similar hobbies to gather with no fancy set up or clean up.  They are the new coffee house in that regard, the “third place” outside the home and office, revitalizing neighborhoods and fostering tighter communities. There are runners’ clubs who run from taproom to taproom; knitters and crafters who meet up; work mates who want an informal boardroom; and a place for strangers to bond over nightly trivia and board and card games.

Amanda McNelly owner of Long Winter Farm in Waldoboro, initially started the small group roughly a month ago with two online friends, but found their first meeting spot choice, a Midcoast bakery, too distracting. So, she asked Sarah McNeil if it would be okay to meet weekly at the brewery instead. McNeil not only said yes, but joins the group with her own knitting project.

Susan Kellan, a writer, likes to come to the taproom each week for the camaraderie as she works on an asymmetrical scarf. “I tend to really focus on what I’m working on,” she said. “Normally, I knit in the early in the morning listening to NPR, but I just really like getting a beer and knitting socially here.”

Fiber artist Rachel Jones, owner of On The Round, which sells uniquely dyed fiber and yarn in Maine, said, “For me, I’ve got three kids, and this is a way to just get away for a bit in a fun environment and have some time with people who like what I like.”  Working with speckled yarn she dyed herself, she chatted with everyone, taking a sip when her hands weren’t occupied with her knitting needles.

Another woman who goes by the moniker, Crystal from Bristol, is an artist and crocheter and uses Tunisian crochet hook technique, which is considered to be a mixture of crocheting and knitting. Having learned to crochet from her grandmother from the age of five, she has been crocheting all of her life. She didn’t know anyone in the group when she first started coming to the taproom, but now feels right at home.

“We just do what what we do and put it out there to the world, we’re a welcoming group if you ever want to drop by,” said Jones.

Related: Odd Alewives, new Waldoboro farmhouse brewery opens May 3

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

WATERVILLE—With more than 100 films shown over a 10-day span, the Maine International Film Fest is gearing up once again to highlight some of Maine and New England’s exceptional filmmakers from July 13 to 22.

The Festival’s opening night film on Friday, July 13, is Bookshop, a story set in England in 1959 where a free-spirited widow opens a bookshop in a conservative town, which sets up a battle between herself and some of the town’s prominent citizens. “When we choose an opening night film, we try to choose one that has very wide appeal and this one certainly does,” said MIFF Programming Director Ken Eisen. “This is a British film with a British cast, including Emily Mortimer and Bill Nighy and shot interestingly by a Spanish director, Isabel Coixet. It won all kinds of awards in Spain.”

The Festival’s closing film on Sunday, July 22 at 7 p.m. appears to be the opening’s polar opposite, yet, it is just as serious as it is light and entertaining. The film, Support The Girls, depicts the story of Lisa, the general manager of sports bar called Double Whammies, a fictional version of Hooters. An incurable den mother, she nurtures and protects her girls fiercely. “This film is interestingly directed by a man, but one of the most feminist movies I’ve ever seen,” said Eisen. “It’s serious, but it’s also very entertaining and makes for a perfect closing film.”

Every year, the festival honors members of the independent film industry whose contributions to cinema deserve recognition. Past honorees invited to MIFF have included Lauren Hutton, Gabriel Byrne, Glenn Close, Keith Carradine, and many other notable actors and filmmakers. This year, the festival honors Dominique Sanda. “She is amazing; sort of the leading European film actress of the 1970s,” said Eisen. “She’s been in films made in France, Italy and America with performances in The Conformist, and The Garden of the Finzi-Continis  and Une Femme Douce directed by Robert Bresson. In fact, the first three films she made were with these legendary directors. She’s just incredibly beautiful, incredibly elegant and a great actress with a global resume. She’s going to be here for the entire festival, which very few of our major name guests have the chance to stay for.”

Of the notable films Sanda starred in is a blast-from-the-past stand out for the film festival: a renovation of Bernardo Bertolucci’s most ambitious films:1900 (Novecento) screening Wednesday, July 18 at 12 p.m. This five-hour long story (yes, five) is told from the perspective of two Italian childhood friends, Robert DeNiro and Gerard Depardieu, both from different classes, which is nothing less than a history of the 20th century told in political and personal terms over the course of decades.” This is the world premier of this DCP restoration of Bertolucci’s preferred cut made especially for MIFF.

Beyond full-length films, several shot in Maine, the Festival’s Animated Shorts are always a hit. This year, featuring a number of one to 17-minute shorts that seem to get range from metaphysical  to dark comedy to Heaven and Hell this year such as Smoke-n-Suds, a guy in the 1980s East Village encounters a cool couple and spends an engaging and unforgettable evening with them; The Vastness of Everything & Everywhere, A bit of nifty whimsy; Cerulia, Grandma and Grandpa heads are emerging from their graves – a hallucinatory stop motion film springing from the presence of an imaginary playmate; Satan’s in Heaven, Donald Trump’s been elected President, and the cherubs are leaving; and #42 Dream – Always Carry a Guest Toothbrush, A guy winds up in Hell and meets wretches fighting over soup. Get your Shorts on Saturday, July 14 at 12:30 p.m. and Thursday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m. FMI: Animated Shorts

There are many more categories of film, along with a host of special events, parties and receptions and chances for the audience to meet and talk with some of the people behind the movies – directors, producers, writers, musicians. People may buy a partial or full MIFF pass or tickets to the individual shows. FMI: Program

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BROOKS— Peace Ridge Animal Sanctuary is the superhero of farm animal rescue in the Midcoast, rescuing more than 1,110 abused, exploited and severely neglected farm animals with the only purpose to give them safety and sanctuary for the rest of their lives.

However, even they weren’t fully equipped to handle a call they got in late June from the state Animal Welfare Program, which is responsible for investigating animal cruelty cases.

“They told us they had an ongoing situation with a herd of 15 cows, calves and one bull they’d been trying to remedy with a farmer, who failed to comply,” said Peace Ridge’s founder and director Daniella Tessier. “The way I understand it the compliance orders were completely basic: just provide the herd with food and water and they didn’t get that.”

The case is still under an open investigation according to Liam Hughes, the Maine Director of Animal Welfare for the Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

“This case is not something we normally deal with because the person was not an organized dairy farmer,” he said. “This was more along the lines of someone wanting to become a hobby farmer, but no milk had been sold at that point.”

The mixed herd, consisting of Holstein, Guernsey and Jersey breeds were emaciated and needed immediate care, but there was no place to bring them when the Animal Welfare Program asked Peace Ridge if they could help.

Tessier had to seriously weigh the enormous responsibility of taking in an entire dairy, sitting on the request for several days and conferring with her board and staff.

“The general public perception is that if you have a fenced in pasture, just stick them in there, give them some food and water and they will be okay,” she said.

The truth is that to take that many cows in, each would have to be tested for contagious bovine diseases, given a thorough medical intake examination by a veterinarian, treat the numerous issues that the cows had such as mastitis, which is an infection, of the udders and of course—food and water.

“We were looking at $6,000 in veterinary care for the tests, vaccinations and treatment,” she said. “And it would require ordering 14,000 hay bales. It would be a huge financial risk, in that if we spent the money we didn’t have and the cows were all diagnosed with contagious bovine disease, we couldn’t keep them. But, on the other hand, if they were cleared, cows can live to be 25 years old and this would be a monumental undertaking to prepare to keep them alive that long.”

But, ultimately Tessier, the board and staff all agreed they’d do whatever it took to pull together some fundraisers and work harder to keep the dairy.

Once they took the cows in, and the tests started coming back, they knew what they were in for.

“They all had upper respiratory infections we had to treat,” said Tessier. “We had two pregnant cows with calves that weren’t getting nourishment because most of the cows had chronic, painful mastitis. It was so bad, we had to take one of the mother cows to the vet to have part of her udder surgically removed. Every time I tried to touch her, to get that milk flowing, her udder was hot to the touch, it was bleeding and nasty, and she’d try to give me a little side kick. The calf is also being treated at the animal hospital for a septic joint in her hoof. It looks like it got stepped on at one point and became severely infected. They’re really gentle animals, but they were hurting.”

Most of the time in the dairy industry, according to Tessier, when cows develop chronic mastitis, they are not treated; they are simply culled and sent to the slaughterhouse.

After several weeks, the cows and calves have gained weight and are beginning to trust Peace Ridge’s staff, who care for them every day. The bull is kept separate, and his story is another situation which grieves Tessier.

“He is the son of the oldest matriarch here in the herd and was made to be the breeding bull — I’m pretty sure, not only with his own mother, but with all of his siblings, which is completely ridiculous because the calves would end up with so many abnormalities.”

Since Peace Ridge first broke the news on their Facebook page, loyal following of the sanctuary as well as the community has stepped up to donate nearly $9,000. “That’s great and pays for a number of bales we’ve ordered so far. But, we still need donations to help these animals with their particular situation.”

For more information, or to donate visit Peace Ridge Animal Sanctuary’s website.

Related: Rescued farm animals get a better life at Peace Ridge Sanctuary

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Hear that? That’s the sound of summer zipping by. Sometimes you need a reminder to sneak in a “Wellness Day” so that you don’t look up from your laptop and realize it’s August already.

Here are four events and festivals happening in July that deserve a Skip Day, a car trip and a way to enjoy a staycation in your own wonderful state.

L.L. Bean’s Summer Friday Night Outdoor Movies

Freeport

When is the last time you went to a drive in movie? How about an outdoor-on-the-lawn movie? L. L. Bean in Freeport has really been amping up their “Be an outsider” campaign with outdoor free events  and Freeport is the place to be on a warm Friday evening with the family. All you need is a giant picnic blanket spread out on the grass, a basket of food and some beverages or you can grab some local delights from the food trucks that start to show up around 6 p.m.

Movies begin at dusk. On Friday, July 13, The Sandlot is playing, the 1993 comedy/drama set in 1962, where a new kid in town is taken under the wing of a young baseball prodigy and his rowdy team. Most of the movies are kid-friendly, but on Aug. 17, the Maine International Film Festival will be screening their winners. FMI: Summer Friday Nights

Brew With a View

Wiscasset

Sarah’s Cafe teams up with Oxbow Brewing Co. for a cool fundraising event to help upgrade Wiscasset’s famed Castle Tucker, a historic house museum once owned by a shipping family. Enjoy American farmhouse beers from Oxbow along with wine and soft drinks. Sarah’s Cafe will provide hors d’oeuvres featuring local ingredients, including lobster. Those interested can take an after-hours look inside the Victorian home. The event is scheduled for Thursday, July 12, Castle Tucker,  5 to 7 p.m.at Castle Tucker, 2 Lee St. in Wiscasset. Tickets are $30 (with $5 proceeds going back to Castle Tucker) FMI:  Castle Tucker

Maine Potato Blossom Festival

Fort Fairfield

As one of the oldest and most established festivals in Maine, the Maine Potato Blossom Festival is Fort Fairfield’s grand summer festival starting July 14 and continuing to July 22. Along with a myriad of family-friendly activities, highlights include a mashed potato wrestling contest on Friday, July 20 at 6 p.m. (click here for a registration form), followed by Star City Syndicate, which has a first-rate horn section and promises a high energy show from 7 to 10 p.m.. Then on Saturday, July 21, check out a huge parade on at 1 p.m., a Tater Tot Eating Contest at 3 p.m., followed by Boston comic Tom Hays with his hilarious self-deprecating comedic style at 6:30 p.m. The finale is a big fireworks show the evening of Sunday, July 22. The best part—all of the events are free to the public. FMI: Maine Potato Blossom Festival

Greater Portland Festival of Nations

Portland

The late and great Anthony Bourdain taught the world that the best way to unite people of different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds was to share a plate of good food together. This festival has been recognized as one of the most outstanding family-oriented cultural events held in the state of Maine. It highlights Maine’s ethnic diversity and traditions, encourages  greater understanding, and promotes a healthy Maine with cuisine from all over the world, crafts and music. This year’s festival theme takes place on Saturday, July 28, at Deering Oakes Park from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with free admission. FMI: Festival of Nations

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST — Many adults remember what it was like to have to attend summer school when they were children. On a sweltering hot day inside a classroom while one’s friends were outside playing or at camp; it’s hard enough to muster the concentration to make up for lost academic time, much less on an empty stomach.

Perley Martin, Director of School Nutrition for RSU 71, is the man responsible for making sure none of the children in the summer school program go hungry.

“We have a free and reduced lunch program all during the school year, but for kids in our summer school program, there’s no application to fill out,” he said. “Every kid in our summer school program gets a healthy nutritious breakfast and lunch. And, because it can get so hot certain days in the school, we don’t use the ovens; instead, we offer them three choices in a brown bag lunch that is packed in ice and transported in coolers and stored in a refrigerator. The kids are excited; because they know when it comes to lunch time, they get to sit down and eat with their friends and no one is left out.”

For the last 10 years, the district has been providing free meals for approximately 100 students during the summer program starting after the 4th of July at three locations: Troy Howard, East Belfast and Weymouth school for three days a week. With close to 56 percent of the students qualifying for the free or reduced lunch program during the year, this makes a huge difference to a student’s comfort, physical well-being and attention span.

In addition, Martin has partnered with the YMCA next door for the last three years to provide 100 more of their day campers with a free lunch, as well. And if that weren’t enough, Martin is working on a pilot program with the Swan Lake State Park to provide 50 Waldo county families with a summer-long free pass and lunch into the park on Mondays and Wednesdays. The state of Maine reimburses the program for every meal served.

“I thought it was a great idea; another opportunity in our community to make parents’ lives easier and get free meals out to kids,” he said. In the first week of the program, Martin was right there, at the Swan Lake State Park site, ready to hand out brown bags to any family who approached.  “My first family customers were a local mom with three kids and they were excited to grab a lunch, at which point the mom and I had a really nice conversation. It was really rewarding to me knowing that it was rewarding to them.”

Martin works with a small kitchen staff at East Belfast, who take more than an hour each morning to prepare the brown bag breakfasts and lunches to satellite to the various locations. The Weymouth School provides its own on-site lunches. The industrial refrigerators are packed with bushels of apples, baby carrots, cold cuts, peanut butter and jelly and milk cartons. Like an assembly line, the variety of sandwiches (tuna, PBJ and turkey) are all wrapped in wax bags and packed in marked paper bags, then loaded into a cooler. “We’re required to meet specific food guidelines and each bag meets those standards,” he said.

Martin isn’t done seeking out ways to make sure kids in Waldo county have the food that they need.

“We have room for growth and we know there’s definitely a need out there.”

Martin will be submitting a press release soon to Penobscot Bay Pilot instructing Waldo county parents how the first 50 participants (on a first come, first served basis) may obtain a free pass and lunch to Swan Lake State Park for the next month.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BOOTHBAY—Sally Lobkowicz, Director of Red Cloak Haunted History Tours and better known as “The Lady in the Red Cloak” has had great success in turning Maine’s ghost stories into a full-time profession. With the help of her husband, author and paranormal investigator Greg Latimer, they run evening walking tours in eight Maine villages including Camden and Rockland.

In early June, Lobkowicz and Latimer took their show on the water for a once-a-year Maine island and lighthouse tour around Boothbay harbor with a twist: each of the islands on this boat tour had some deep, dark secrets.

As the charter boat The Novelty ventured into the bay, Lobkowicz began pointing out the haunted history of certain islands. On Ram Island, witnesses have reported seeing a “Woman in White” standing on the rocks who appears with an inexplicable light to warn ships from danger — sort of a ghostly incarnation of a lighthouse herself.

“Even before the lighthouse was built on Ram Island, it is said she appeared on the ledges to save boaters and fishermen waving her arms,” Lobkowicz said. “Fires were reported seen from the rocks and even one person said he’d hear some kind of fog whistle before a fog whistle was ever installed here.”

With the Pemaquid Point lighthouse in the distance, Lobkowicz told of a “shivering woman in a red shawl” who has been seen near the fireplace of the keeper’s house seemingly wet and distressed.

Perhaps the most disturbing and fascinating of Maine’s collection of ghost stories is the tale of what happened on Seguin Island near the Cuckold islands. Centuries before the film “So I Married An Axe Murderer” became a cult classic, a lighthouse had been built on Seguin Island in 1795. A lighthouse keeper’s life was a lonely one, and one keeper’s wife was very depressed, so he arranged for a piano to be shipped out to the island to occupy his wife’s time. Turns out, he regretted that decision.

As she could only play by reading sheet music and there was only one song that arrived with the piano, the keeper’s wife played that same song over and over day and night until the keeper went mad and chopped the piano to bits. Then, he murdered his wife with the axe. Afterward, he finished himself off. To this day, visitors on the island and boaters nearby have reported hearing eerie piano music emanating from the island.

Burnt Island, where the charter boat stopped for 90 minutes to let passengers explore, also has its ghosts including phantom steps heard in the walkway connecting the lighthouse to the keeper’s house, a ghost that screamed the lightkeeper’s name and woke him and his wife in the middle of the night when the light had gone out, and the strange occurreance of people’s watches stopping at 2 a.m. along with auditory and visual phenomena occurring at 2 a.m.

Lobkowicz, a researcher, who specializes in geneology, obtained information on these hauntings a variety of ways. “There’s not too much firsthand information because the stories are so old and there aren’t many lighthouse keepers around these days,” she said. “Most of them are documented online, but a few of the keepers wrote books as well. As they were required to keep detailed logbooks, there is a lot of firsthand information in those. And, the Pemaquid Light, which I mentioned, some of those stories are firsthand, taken from people who have stayed in the apartments and reported mysterious happenings. As for the Seguin island story, I was also able to get some information from the Coast Guard, from caretakers of islands and even yachters, who have said they can hear the piano music.”

The tour, which went beyond its “Legends and Lore” theme into supernatural territory, was the only one Red Cloak Haunted Tours, had the time and logistics to run this summer. The next time they will offer a lighthouse and island tour through Maine Maritime Museum starts in the fall.

On July 5, Lobkowicz will be speaking on legends, lore, history, and more of various Maine lighthouses at the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Park. FMI: www.redcloaktours.com/lighthouses

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—The art show ‘Prisoner’s Dilemma’ set to open July 6 at Rock City Coffee is not your typical lobsters and lighthouses. Oh, wait, yes, there are a few lobsters in this show, only they are giant alien pinchers and crusher claws inset with ferocious teeth.

Welcome to the weird and wonderful mind of Central Maine artist Scott Minzy, whose alternate worlds depicted are claustrophobic, deliberately uncomfortable, and impossible to look away from.

A fan of 1980s horror movies and street art, he never thought he’d be the one to make ‘lobster art’ as part of his body of work.

“I was reading a children’s book to my kids one day and in one of the illustrations, there was a depiction of the old-fashioned method of pegging the lobster’s crusher claw,” he said. “I grew up around lobstermen, but never knew that’s how they kept the lobsters from being damaged with rubber bands and I just started thinking about all of these lobsters piled on top of each other in a lobster car, banded, isolated, and mutating with anger.  In the same way the Reagan/Clinton media deregulation and consolidation created isolated and mutated forms of each party, which started about the same time lobster pegs went out."

His work has the look of M.C. Escher’s “impossible constructions” with the horror fantasy of H.P. Lovecraft’s sea creatures. Throw a little Night of the Living Dead and They Live in there, and that’s the feeling for one of his linoprints where a woman with a zombie face—or perhaps she’s just mindlessly going about her day, same thing—is the disturbing image in the foreground. In the background, a rolling cemetery seems to come on like a tsunami and a man behind her is momentarily distracted by her face. Trying to interpret an artist’s “meaning” is always tricky, but it looks a little like: “There, but for the grace of George Romero, go I.”

His CV explains his process: “My work deals with the universal themes of fear, regret and longing,” he said.  “In my prints, these feelings are made manifest with an intricate maze of wiry, anatomical lines, subtle and twisted.  I find relief printing a way to depict both our inner turmoil and the outer physicality of the human form at once.”

An art teacher at Erskine Academy, Minzy teaches art classes, animation, filmmaking and street art. “Being a teacher in a room full of high school kids I have only the illusion of control,” he said. At night, after hanging out with his wife and family and after his three kids go to bed, Minzy walks down the hill to his studio to work on oversized linoleum block prints, taking his time to make hundreds and hundreds of tiny cross-hatches to form his alternate worlds. “When I’m down there by myself carving every line, I’m in control then—it’s therapy.”

His oversized prints are made from rolling out giant sheets of paper over the linoleum block through a motor-driven etching press. He has also done commercial work and animation, whose proceeds all go back into supplies and equipment to create  his art.

Minzy grew up in Waldoboro and went to school at Medomak Valley High School and his work has been shown locally before at a Pecha Kucha event and at the Black Hole gallery in Rockland. His art career goes back more than a decade, having placed his work in solo exhibits all over Maine and part of group exhibitions nationally and internationally. But,  it’s sometimes hard for certain galleries to see a “fit” for his particular style, he admitted. 

With one of his prints depicting one of his zoned-out characters holding a sloshing coffee cup, Rock City Coffee seems to be a perfect fit. His upcoming show takes place on the First Friday Art Walk, July 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. Coffee and snacks will be provided.

To learn more about Minzy’s work visit: scottminzy.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Fireworks, parades and and 4th of July BBQs—every town has a schedule of Independence Day events each year. But, if you’re looking for something a little different, here are some mid-week recommendations for cheap and fun happenings on the July 4 and 5.

Wednesday, July 4

Searsport

Penobscot Marine Museum is hosting a cool little thing. Free for members or with the price of admission, they are having a model boat race in their pond and participants can bring their remote control and sailing pond models for a miniature Great Schooner Race. Goes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. FMI: Facebook

Camden

The Right Track, a high-energy 11-piece R&B/funk/soul band with horns, strings, drums and vocals takes over the harbor from 5 to 6:15 p.m.. This is free to a funky, dancing public. 

Warren

Oyster River Winegrowers is throwing a Pizza Night with pies from the Uproot Pie Co.’s wood-fired pizzas, Oyster River’s fermented wine and Tall Trees Snack Shop’s rustic desserts from 4 to 8 p.m. FMI: Facebook

Damariscotta

Odd Alewives Farm Brewery is throwing a “Bivalves and Brews” event at the Skidompha Library from 4 to 6 p.m. Your $25 entrance ticket buys you your first beer, three oysters, and a front-row seat to the band 32 North. Try Osteria Bucci's delicious spinach pies available for purchase or The Village Grill Co pulled pork and chicken thighs. FMI: Facebook

Thursday, July 5

Belfast

Belfast Summer Nights continues its outdoor street free music series with Fret Halligan and The Willy Kelly Band from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. FMI: Call 322-7123

Lincolnville

Here’s something you don’t see every day: a lobster dinner paired with a psychic reading at Bay Leaf Cottages. Ideal for couples/partners, families, girlfriends night out, and individuals seeking to heal from loss or those curious about their life path. Join them  for a traditional Maine lobster dinner; a 1.25 lb Maine lobster, drawn butter, potato salad, coleslaw, and iced tea. The price is $45.00 and includes dinner and reading. BYOB allowed. Desserts extra at $3.00-$6.00. Starts at 6 p.m. FMI: Facebook

Camden

Ales for Tails, P.A.W.S. Animal Adoption Center’s fundraiser pairs Simplicity Brewing with animal lovers with snacks and beers available for purchase from Simplicity Brewing Co. This dog-friendly event also has outdoor seating for a “sip back and relax” with proceeds benefiting P.A.W.S. from 4 to 7 p.m. FMI: Facebook

Morrill

Come on out for a family-friendly, reasonably priced meal of pancakes, bacon, sausage, and maple hot dogs at the Simmons and Daughters Sugar House. Finish it off with a maple ice cream sundae or a maple whoopie pie and don't forget the maple cotton candy for the ride home. Starts at 5 p.m. FMI: Facebook

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST—Bellabooks owners Kim Zahares and Gary Guida are finally in a new space this summer. Following an unexpected eviction from their anchored space in the Masonic building in Belfast this past winter, Zahares and Guida took a walk around town, a bit stunned, wondering what they were going to do. For the last seven years, they’d operated their independent book shop on High Street. With a notoriously tight rental market, there weren’t many commercial spaces open.

“When Kim initially visualized where we wanted our bookstore, she saw it in some kind of old barn,” said Guida, “but I said, there’s no place around Belfast like that. The day, we got the email from the new owner telling us to vacate the space, we were just walking around trying to figure out our next move. We walked down Pendleton Alley and this couple came out of this old building.”

“We’d never seen anyone walk out of that building before and were curious,” said Zahares, taking over the story. “We asked what they were doing and they said they were caterers moving out of the building and that it would be available. When we walked in, we both looked at each other, there was no doubt in our minds.”

Originally in 1895, the building was a wheelwright shop, where craftsmen made or repair wheels, wheeled carriages,and part of the Livery Stable complex.

It took six months for the couple to move everything over themselves, do some light carpentry and stage the place floor to ceiling with books and antiques. “People in town thought we’d never re-open,” said Zahares. “They watched us carry over boxes of books in the dead of winter and all of what we thought were ‘little’ carpentry projects weren’t so little one we got into it.”

“What was our plan?” joked Guida. “Throw some books on the damn wall and open the store.”

On June 15, Bellabooks re-opened and the place is everything they originally envisioned. With the original floors, exposed beams and a big barn door facing the street, the historic character of this shop is the farthest thing away from the modern interiors of a Books-A-Million or Barnes and Noble store—sort of the anti-gentrification of Belfast. And, their loyal patrons absolutely love it.

The building is twice the size of the last place they rented, with room for new titles, used books, a children’s section on the second floor, multiple nooks with tables and even a new and bakery and café set to open soon called freeverse bakery.

“I do all the baking,” said Zahares. “We’ll have cookies, scones and muffins to go with Rock City Coffee. In a way, we are so happy the way everything went down as it did. At first, we thought no one would find us all the way down in this alley way, but people have been pouring in—friends, customers, tourists. 

“It was nothing shy of a miracle,” said Guida. The line we keep hearing is ‘This is magical in here.”

To learn more about Bellabooks and its latest developments visit their Facebook page.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST— Two years ago, Lee Parent had just opened her first brick and mortar business, Kids Unplugged, in the Reny’s Plaza with the aim of unplugging kids from screen time and actively engaging their imaginations through play.

With no other marketing or advertising than Facebook, the play space caught on with parents as Parent’s vision for her business hit the next phase. Last October, Kids Unplugged moved to 17 Airport Road (the business park by the airport) into a building that was double the square footage.  With a new licensed day care on the premises, five new staff members, two huge Gym and “Ninja” rooms, complete with CrossFiit type equipment, a climbing wall, a trampoline, loads of floor toys, and even an outside fenced in play area, Parent still wasn’t done dreaming about her future.

On June 13, Parent announced to her Facebook followers that Kids Unplugged had been chosen among 26 contestants to compete in a Maine business pitch and mentoring competition for $100,000.

“I just thought, why not try?” she said. “So, I submitted a video. I was totally petrified and excited at the same time. But, the concept resonates with people. We need to get off our phones and get active.”

She said the first taping will be July 16 and will position Kids Unplugged against another yet-to-be announced Maine business.

“Whoever has the best pitch wins that round. If we survive that round, I think we have two more rounds,” she said.

Parent said an unexpected outcome to offering the play space to the public has attracted a number of families raising autistic children and children with ADHD.

“The effect on some of these kids has been this unexpected bonus. I have parents and grandparents tell me their child feels very safe here and after an extended time of playing, will come home more verbal and more content. Another trend we are seeing are grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. More and more, I talk to grand parents who are emotionally and physically exhausted and need a place for their grandchildren to get their energy out. We provide a safe place for them to rest, participate with their grandchildren while getting some ‘play support’ that they don’t always get at home. I’ve started a private Facebook group for these grandparents to have a outlet of mutual support.”

Parent, originally a graphic designer who worked out of her own home, has had to teach herself every aspect of business.

“Before this, I worked for myself for 18 years with no overhead,” she said. “It was like jumping off a cliff head first.

“I’m now in phase two of my business plan, which is to offer the space, not just to little and school-aged kids, but also to parents and older teens. As a mom, it wold drive me crazy to have to go to the gym, drop my kids off, then pack everything up, drive back to pick them up, all of those hours running around. A key component to my business is to provide a place where the entire family can come to one place and there’s something for everyone.”

Her next plan is to integrate a model for teens and adults called Gravity Sports into the space.

“I’m picturing a cool place where teens want to go, a gym, study space, and a cantina,” she said. “That would require expanding here or another building, but it’s in the plan. But, basically I’m thinking a one-stop healthy place for families.”

Currently, Kids Unplugged offers weekly gym and play classes, a summer camps, “Nerf Wars” nights, kids’ Ninja Warrior classes and other pop-up classes for adults, such as the “Self-Defense for Women” Wednesday series, taught by ju jitsu instructor Angela Crawford.

“I was talking to some of the women after,” said Parent. “They learned psychological awareness, self-confidence choke holds, grappling techniques. It was a workout. Every one of the women in the class were sweating once it was over.”

The pop-up classes are an experiment to see how well other fitness and self-defense classes for adults will fit in with the Kids Unplugged expanding model and gym space.

“We want to be an incubator for other micro-businesses that share our philsophy of creativity, imagination and the freedom to play. The great thing about each class is that the instructor goes back over the previous week’s lessons, so even if you drop in, you’ll get up to speed quickly and if you learned some techniques the week before, you’ll be that much more ahead.”

BELFAST— What started off as a personal project for artist Alice Parsons has unexpectedly turned into a multimedia exhibit, only up for another week at the Belfast Free Library’s Kramer Gallery.

For the month of June, the exhibit ‘Family’ features a series of black and white portraits of her grandparents and other relatives in their daily lives in rural Kentucky interwoven with their written stories. Each piece is its own story with combined elements of broken furniture, tools, metal, and fiber. The family history is unflinchingly told throughout the exhibit with themes of alcoholism, abuse, and steadfastness.

“This project revealed that the formative years for my sister and me were quite tumultuous, and it broke my heart when looking at photos of us again, realizing what we went through and better understanding why we both had issues as adults,” said Parsons. “This was at a time when my mother was divorcing and remarrying and being abused and we suffered as a result.”

Parsons’ mother saved everything, including all of the photos in this show.  Parsons enlarged the photos of her grandparents to emphasize how important they were in her life. They were the first generation in the family to finish eighth grade. Her grandfather worked for the railroad and her grandmother was postmistress in the small river port town of Rock Haven. They were no-nonsense and displayed little emotion, but they were her bedrock growing up, her stabilizing force.

“I don’t remember ever being hugged by my mother or my grandmother, really, but my grandmother spent time with me and that was so precious,” she said.

“They had an unbelievable work ethic,” she continued. “As I state in one of the stories, if you weren’t working, you were worthless. My grandmother wouldn’t let anyone rest. But apart from that, they represented to me and my sister goodness, generosity and just this sense that you do what needs to be done.”

The exhibition has resonated with a lot of people who have wrestled with their own family dynamics.  The very personal nature of the show combined with personal family heirlooms that are incorporated into the artwork, such as a hay rake that superimposes a photos of Lula, Parson’s grandmother in a hay field, are glimpses into not just another era, but also a time when many people kept their problems hidden.

Interspersed among the photographs, written histories and artwork are quilts that Parsons had designed and made herself.

“They weren’t originally intended to go specifically with this exhibition, but from my great great grandmother down, we women in this family have all made quilts, so those influences tied into the show,” she said.

Parsons, a part-time artist most of her adult life while working full-time, layered her non-traditional art education, including an associate’s degree from Prince George's Community College in Maryland, as well as additional courses at Ohio State University and the University of Maryland, with extensive travel in the United States and Europe.

She and her husband, Jerry, also an artist, retired and moved to Maine in 1995 where they live year-round.

To walk around and absorb the stories that go with the photos, one gets to know Alice and her sister as children and the strength of their grandparents, Lula and Casper.

“My grandparents saved my family,” she said. “More than once. You’ll see that clearly in the exhibit.”

The exhibit will come down next week. It is free to the public and can be found in the Kramer Gallery of the Belfast Free Library, 106 High Street. The gallery is located on the ground floor of the library and is open during library hours.

Photos by Kay Stephens

For more information visit: https://belfastlibrary.org

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

With all of the heartbreaking stories in the national news recently, it’s refreshing to hear of a local story in which children were honored and celebrated. St. George second grade teacher Alison Babb took an art project for 12 of her students and turned it into a hands-on lesson in empathy, cooperation, perseverance, responsibility and reflection. Here is her story.

Q: How did you get the idea?

A: I had the news on in the background when I’m getting ready to go to school and I’d heard about this fourth grade teacher who wore a dress that all of her kids drew on, so I thought that was a wonderful idea.

About a week later, my mother found me a white dress on Amazon and I went to Michael’s for some fabric markers and just came to school and told them that they had free artistic reign. I told them to make me something beautiful to wear on the last day of school.

I didn’t want to direct them in any way; it was their project. It took them six months to create this beautiful piece of artwork.

Q: How did they get so many images on it?

A: I told them all to do one small drawing just to get a feel for what they wanted to incorporate into it. Then, I put the dress on the art table in the library and every time the kids finished an assignment early or they needed a break, they’d come over to me and ask ‘Miss Babb can I draw on the dress?’ and they’d go to the library and sit there quietly, adding something new to it.

There are a lot of snacks on this dress: pizza, ice cream, cupcakes, etc. which is funny because the kids nicknamed me ‘Miss Snacks’ about half way through the year. They played out nicely with the number of snack portrayals on the dress.

Q: But we’re also seeing images of the world, symbols of love, rainbows, rockets and wildlife. Do you know what that is all about?

A: It’s so interesting because the symbols on the dress are all a mix of things the kids picked up in our class. I think teachers do so much more than just teach academics. It is our job to raise little humans that are going to go out into the world and be kind, be empathetic and do good things. We have a saying in our classroom: ‘We are crew, not passengers.’

And there are five qualities I explicitly teach all year: cooperation, perseverance, responsibility, reflection and empathy.

We do week-long units on what that means in our classroom, so all over the dress I’m seeing little symbols of ‘We are crew’ and perseverance and being empathetic mixed in with dinosaurs, rocket ships and a DeLorean. Yes, there is a DeLorean on there.

Q: What was the reaction of everyone when you wore the dress on the last day of school?

A: I think for the students, it was the closest thing to having a celebrity encounter. They all filed in after recess and it was like jaws dropping on the floor. They kept poking me and trying to find their drawing. We also had a number of parents and school community members express amazement over the dress.

These kids worked really hard on it all year and then we got to celebrate something beautiful.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com