CAMDEN—About six months ago, Ken Foster embarked on a creative and ambitious project. In one year, he planned to draw or paint 250 portraits of friends, colleagues and acquaintances he’s met over the years and title it The Portrait Project.

“I guess what started me on this is that I just wanted to get better at drawing people and experimenting with different colors and types of mediums,” he said. “I do a lot of watercolor, but I also work with spray paint, graffiti type, oils, acrylics, and gouache.”

Foster, who made a career path in architecture, has always been interested in art and decided to take it back up six years ago.  “I started to carry around my sketchbook with me wherever I went and painted, took classes and so on,” he said.

In just six months, his under-the-radar project has yielded more than 150 portraits, many of whom will be recognizable to Midcoast community. “One of the hardest things is to get the likeness of people,” he said. “We all have two eyes, a nose and a mouth, but I’ve been really working on turning it into something that resembles that individual.”

Here are a few portraits he’s done of people in the Midcoast. Using only their first names, he describes his rationale for, choosing each person.

Karen

This is Karen. She got in touch with me a few years ago to help her and a group of kids with the design of a sculpture for a contest that would benefit our local food pantry. The rules of the contest required the kids to collect 1,000 cans of food and then construct a sculpture. My job was to figure out how to build the sculpture using the cans and provide some drawings the kids could use to construct it.

Anyway, she does all sorts of cool volunteer stuff working with the Rotary and youth groups. Also, a couple of years ago she posted a photo a day of her morning walk - amazing sunrise shots of our picturesque little town.

Richard

This is Richard. I wouldn't be where I am today without him. Literally.

About 10 years ago, he walked into my little studio in downtown Camden and asked me if I knew of any architects that might want to move to a really nice space in a building he owned. At the time, I was looking to expand so I told him I would be interested in taking a look at it. I fell in love with the space and rented it on the spot. I have practiced architecture and art here since that day and don't have any plans to move.

Richard is also an entrepreneur and has been an innovator and pioneer in the digital news industry and is a very active member in our local community.

Katie & Jamie

This is Katie. Before I ever met Katie, I knew her twin sister, Jamie, from a painting class I was taking. So, when Katie showed up one Saturday morning for a group ride I assumed it was Jamie and said something, like, ‘Wow! I didn't know you were a bike rider.’ She kindly helped me sort it out the way she probably has done hundreds of times in her life, but my brain still doesn't easily sort this identical twin thing out and that is reflected in this portrait.

Judy

This is Judy. I painted this from a black and white photo taken when she younger (though I'm sure color film existed then). I imagine her outside of her dorm singing a Joni Mitchell or Joan Baez song about a social or environmental cause. She and her husband live simply in a beautiful, environmentally friendly house and grow their own food. She's still singing that tune in the way she lives her life.

Geoff

This is Geoff—one of my very best friends. I don't need to write much about him. For me, the portrait says it all.

Foster said the community has been very receptive to his portraits and has shared many of them around on social media, including Tumblr, Flickr, Facebook and his blog. None of them have been for sale and he’s unsure if he’ll be able to make his goal of 250 portraits in a year’s time, but, he plans on assembling a bunch of them for a show when it’s over.

To see more of his work visit The Portrait Project on Facebook. Penobscot Bay Pilot will follow up with this story once the project is finished and Foster has a show.

All photos courtesy Ken Foster

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN—Fifteen brewers and wineries were braving the cold in their fur-lined hoodies and mittens serving their best Maine winter beers and wine at last night’s Down The Chute Beer and Wine Tasting event held at Hosmer Pond.

The tasting got off to a somewhat rocky start earlier in the day when the tent initially collapsed under the immense snowfall, but by the time the event started, all was put back together and vendors were rarin’ to go.

The two “People’s Choice” winners of the evening were Rock Harbor Brewing Company and Cellardoor Winery. Dan Pease, of Rock Harbor Harbor, was serving up a new Double IPA, made a month ago, along with their Imperial Stout. Both brews were over 10% and were equally popular with the crowd.

Devon Salisbury of Cellardoor Winery said their Sweetheart Wine was the biggest hit. “It’s a Concord grape wine and we jokingly call it ‘Boozy Welch’s because it’s grape juice for grown ups,” she said.

Though the brewers outnumbered the vinters and mead makers, there were people who came just to taste the wines and meads. Sean Bailey of Fat Friar’s Meadery served up a sweet and hot The Fat Friar's Capsumel (12.5% Abv) which came on subtle and ended up hot, hot hot. The only thing left to do was sidle right up next to Ian Anderson of Downeast Cider and cool off the taste buds with their Cranberry blend of cider. “People are loving this,” he said.

New vendors to the tent this year included local brewer, Liberty Craft Brewing as well as Allagash Brewing Company, which provided a delicious taste of their newest Saison. Sweet, almost cidery, it was modeled after a Belgian. Also on hand were Boothbay Craft Brewing, which introduced their new 32-ounce can called “Nice Rack, Dexter Rippa"Red IPA, and Black Rocks Stout.

Food vendors this year were limited to State of Maine Cheese Co. and Bixby & Co. Fruit, Nut and Spice Bars, both of which paired very nicely with an array of stouts that most of the beer vendors provided, along with red wines from the vinters. Kate McAleer, owner of  Bixby & Co., is a sponsor of the toboggan championships, and proudly provided samples of her new Toboggan bar. Outside in the outdoor lounge area, which was new this year, members of the West Bay Rotary Club were busy grilling up hot dogs served with or without chili and potato chips for the hungry crowd.

All in all, it was a fun-packed night.  Good Beers. Good wines. Good crowd.

The Down The Chute Beer & Wine Tasting Event supports the Ragged Mountain Foundation & West Bay Rotary.

All photos by Kay Stephens. She can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Perhaps English setters Helen and Ingrid were doing a practice run for the annual St. George River Race or cosplaying a scene from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but last weekend, their owner, Marci Molloy was in a panic, fearing the worst, when the dogs had gotten loose.

“I lost my engagement ring on Saturday and so, on Sunday, I was tearing the house apart, completely distracted when I let my dogs out,” said Molloy. “When I realized how late it was and they hadn’t come back in, I went to look for them. I called and called, but they were gone.”

Because the snow was so deep, the dogs had managed to slip the electronic fence that kept them contained. So, Molloy went looking for them, following their tracks for awhile, until it became impossible to tell which direction they’d gone.

The dogs are a mother-daughter pair. Ingrid is four years old; Helen is two. They’ve apparently pulled this Thelma and Louise stunt before.

“We figured they’d come back that night,” said Molloy. “I was nervous, but they had taken off before, so Monday morning when the big storm was coming in, I was thinking somebody was going to find these dogs. They’re very friendly; they’ll go to anyone. Their collars have their names and phone numbers. I called everyone I could think of, the Humane Society, the shelters. I put it on Facebook.”

By Tuesday morning, Molloy hadn’t slept all night. “They’re pampered animals,” she said. “I didn’t think they could survive the frigid temperatures and the snow. I was convinced they were dead. I was crying so much, I asked my fiancé to give me a Valium.”

She managed to make it into work, and then to dentist appointment, when she got a text on her cell phone from her ex-husband.

The text said: “I found your dogs...really.”

When she called her ex-husband, Alvin Chase Jr., she asked where he found them and he said, “You’re not going to believe this, but they were standing on an ice floe in the middle of the St. George River between Warren and Thomaston.”

Chase had been driving when he came over the crest of the hill by the Calvary Baptist Church and spotted them. “He always looks at the river because he’s a hunter,” said Molloy, who was in a unique position to know that.

Molloy added, “He saw them floating underneath the railroad trestle. He told me, ‘I wasn’t close enough to see them up close, but I somehow knew they were your dogs.’ ”

Chase pulled in the parking lot and stood up on a snow bank. “He could only remember one of the dog’s names, so he began calling one of them,” she said. Noted earlier for their friendliness to go to anyone, even an ex-husband, the dogs began to jump from ice floe to ice floe at his beckoning. They managed to get over to the river bank. Even though the deep snow drifts made it very difficult for the dogs to get over to him, Chase was able to tamp down enough snow to reach the dogs finally and get them into his truck.

Chase returned the dogs to the house Molloy shared with her fiancé, Ryan Jones, who was the only one home. The reunion probably wasn’t awkward at all.

“I was beside myself when I came home and Alvin had dropped them off,” she said. “I was so happy.” The dogs are now happy to be back home. Ingrid lost a little weight and Helen suffered some rawness on her belly. “Other than that, they’re perfectly fine, all curled up with each other,” she said. “They’re inseparable.”

The only down note to this story? She still hasn’t found her engagement ring.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Ice bars, ice bowling, ice catapults, toboggan racing, a snow plow parade, Down The Chute beer and wine tasting, after-party at Cappy’s Chowder House, Banff Mountain Film Fest, Spose at the Camden Opera House, music all weekend—holy schnikes, I gotta catch my breath because this is the MONSTER weekend of the winter, the one weekend in Midcoast where everyone is out of their houses, out of their minds and having a blast!

Here’s your rundown for Winterfest, the US National Toboggan Championships and so much more!

Thursday, Feb. 5

· Camden Winterfest continues with a concert at the Camden Opera House featuring Red Molly with opening acts David and the Lowdown and Miners Creek. 7 p.m. Tickets: $20 in advance; $25 at the door. Visit camdenoperahouse.com/events.cfm

· The Postman Cometh is playing The Speakeasy at 8 p.m.

· The Midcoast cannot get enough of the ice bars! The Brunswick Hotel and Tavern's annual Ice Bar is happening this weekend from Feb. 5-7. Find all the details here:Ice Bar

· Open Mic at Highlands Coffee House from 6 to 9 p.m. Get there at 5:30 p.m. to sign up to play.

· FOG Bar and Cafe is continuing their Drink & Draw Thursday night from 7-11 p.m. Guest artists come with new themes and materials provided. Happy Hour goes on all night. No cover.

· Karaoke at Cuzzy’s, starts at 9 p.m.

· Each Thursday, Cappy’s Chowder House is doing game night with Cards Against Humanity  from 6 -9 p.m. Meet people who share your sense of humor and enjoy drink and food specials. FMI: Facebook

Friday, Feb. 6

· Down The Chute Beer and Wine Tasting kicks off at the Camden Snow Bowl 3-7 p.m. There will be a bonfire, outdoor seating on hay bales, food, and of course, a killer lineup of some of the best breweries and vinters around the state of Maine!

· A Fire and Ice event is taking place at Point Lookout featuring ice bowling, ice corn hole, ice catapults, food, specialty drinks and more. Free. Goes from 5-9 p.m. See our writeup here.

· A dance is taking place at Peter Ott’s On The Water featuring Just Teachers at 8 p.m.

· The Banff Film Festival kicks off their first night with amazing curated outdoor films. Starts at 7 p.m. at the Strom Auditorium at Camden Hills Regional High School. Tickets for adults are $10 in advance and available at Maine Sport on Route 1 in Rockport and Main Street in Camden; price at the door will be $12. Student tickets are $5. See our writeup here.

· Taste test winter-themed drinks at Camden's restaurants during the weekend-long Frost Heave Challenge. Vote for your favorite cocktail! FMI: Winterfest

· Get ready to jump and jive.The Speakeasy hosts Three Button Deluxe. Show begins at 8 p.m. Get ready to jump and jive.

Adam Babcock of the band Tomorrow Morning is playing at Rock City Cafe from 7-9 p.m. This Maine band is known for mass-appeal original music and creative renditions of popular covers that keep people dancing all night.

· Bowen’s Tavern in Belfast has a DJ playing from 7 p.m. - 12 a.m.

· Open Mic at the Time Out Pub downstairs.

· Karaoke at The Myrtle Street Tavern, starts at 9 p.m., 21+.

· Celtic Band Jam at Bell the Cat, Belfast goes from 6:30-9 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 7

· Camden's first ever Snow Plow Parade takes place on Main Street in Camden at 5:30 p.m. The parade will include plows from the town, fire engines from surrounding towns, and private plows and floats. Then there will be a fireworks display at the harbor at 6:30 p.m. FMI: Winterfest

· This is truly the best day for spectators of the 25th annual US National Toboggan Championships to get out on Hosmer Pond and view all the action. Three things not to miss: 1) the costume parade, which starts at noon 2) The Chili Challenge, which goes from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and of course, Tobogganville on the ice. Friendliest ice block party you’ll ever go to!

Pop by Cappy’s Chowder House for their annual post-toboggan Shipyard Party 4-6 p.m. in the Captain’s Lounge. There will be free appetizers, $1 off all drafts, prizes and giveaways including a toboggan!

· The Banff Film Festival continues tonight with amazing curated outdoor films. Starts at 7 p.m. at the Strom Auditorium at Camden Hills Regional High School. Tickets for adults are $10 in advance and available at Maine Sport on Route 1 in Rockport and Main Street in Camden; price at the door will be $12. Student tickets are $5. See our writeup here.

One of Maine’s hottest hip hop artists Spose is playing at the Camden Opera House with guest Sly Chi. This is going to be THE place to be for the night after the toboggan races. $25. Doors open at 7:30 and the music starts at 8:30 p.m.Tickets available at camdenoperahouse.com

· What happens when you bring together three talented songwriters, three fine vocalists, and three artists trained in improvisational singing? You get a trio named BRIO! They’re playing at Rock City Café from 7-9 p.m.

·  Trackside Station in Rockland is hosting Toboggan Races Weekend party with DJ VJ at 9 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 8

· The toboggan races continue today for the die-hard teams competing. A mellower day on Hosmer Pond.

· Rock Harbor Brewing Co. will be hosting a cribbage tournament every Sunday beginning at 8 p.m.

· Musicians, bring instruments and voices and make music together at Sail, Power and Steam Museum at Sharp's Point South, 75 Mechanic St., Rockland. Free. FMI: 701-5050 or 701-7627. Coffee and cookies provided. Every Sunday, rain or shine.

Want to know where to go for happy hour every day of the week? Check out our updated Guide To Midcoast Happy Hours.

 If you have an arts and entertainment event that fits within the adult scope of fun and cool things to do for Weekend Picks, contact Kay Stephens at news@penbaypilot.com or like The Killer Convo on Facebook and put her on your events list.

Well, this photo sure has been generating some lively discussions on the “You Knew You Grew Up in Camden-Rockport Maine when...” Facebook page this week. If you know what this is all about, write a comment. Meanwhile, we’ll be following up with the descendants of this particular house for the bigger story. Photo courtesy Ken Shure.

Only one person guessed last week’s Throwback Thursday photo correctly. Reader Pamela Burrows guessed it was Searsport. More precisely, it was the Tourist’s Inn and Filling Station in Searsport. The photo was courtesy the Penobscot Marine Museum collection via Maine Memory Network.

Throwback Thursday needs your submissions. Send us your “back in the day” photos with a caption at news@penbaypilot.com

NORTHPORT—The little building on Route 1 just past Wentworth Grocery has been a number of businesses in the last couple decades, but entrepreneur Bryant Hall is confident that his latest venture is the right fit at the right location. Pizza Permare is a wood-fired pizzeria that opened nearly two weeks ago and is already getting some swift word-of-mouth attention from the locals.

“It may not be right in the middle of things, but it’s got a lot of visibility,” said Hall, who remained open after the most recent foot-high snowstorm slowed traffic on Route 1 to a crawl. “It’s between the middle of things, if that makes sense.”

Hall says he uses Facebook to keep in touch with his customers.

“It’s the best way to get in contact with people and get instant feedback,” he said.

Hall graduated from Belfast High School in 2006 and from the University of Vermont in 2010 in entrepreneurship.

“I opened up my first business, which I still have in Belfast called The Cool Spot,” he said. “I’ve been running that for the last five years now. I was looking for an opportunity that was more year-round and I saw that this place was available. I took a look at it and thought it would be a fantastic place for a wood-fired oven pizza.”

Open just two weeks, the interior has been totally redone from the Thai restaurant that formally occupied it. The hard wood floors are a muted brick red, while the walls are dark with steel light fixtures. Hall’s father made some of the custom-treated zinc tables with the industrial chic look.

“We wanted a warm and modern feel,” he said.

To start with, Hall installed a wood fired oven. The core was made from a special firebrick called Le Panyol derived from quart-laden clay from a quarry in France and assembled from a company in Skowhegan. He had a local mason do the brickwork.

With a stack of firewood lining the counter, Hall said he usually gets the oven going by 9 a.m., so it gets up to temperature by 11 a.m. Throwing a couple of sticks on it every few hours keeps the oven going all day.

“You get more of an authentic flavor from a wood-fired oven,” he said. “You can get the dough to a higher temperature and takes more of the moisture out of it, so you get a crunchy, crispy crust.”

Hall has a simple “choose-your-own” menu for customers and is the go-to pizza consultant when it comes to pairing a particular sauce with a cheese or topping. They offer hand stretched dough, both flour and a gluten-free, which is only $1 more. The specially crafted sauces range from his father’s recipes, including a red sauce, blue cheese, garlic olive oil, basil pesto, a spicy Sriracha and a fire-roasted garlic cream sauce.

As for the meat toppings, he offers local Applewood smoked bacon and buys as much as local produce as he can.

“I look forward in the spring to getting more local produce for toppings,” he said.

Permare is the Latin word for by the sea and with a promising start. Here’s hoping Pizza Permare will be a permanent location in Northport.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

NORTHPORT — With all the pounding Midcoast has gotten from ice and snow this past week, Point Lookout Resort in Northport has been dreaming up the most fun ways to use it. On Friday, Feb. 6, it is hosting its first Fire & Ice event to tie in with the U.S. National Toboggan Championships. Director of Catering Gerry Hill said, “This is sort of a ‘Get out and embrace the winter because you can’t do anything about it’ event. What we’re planning is to have a ‘Cook your own’ bar with skewered seasoned meats with grills outside where people can make their own food. We’re also going to have a cash bar with specialty drinks.”

Hill said that unlike the Samoset Resort’s elaborately-built ice bar, their event will be more focused around ice activities and games once the sun goes down.

“For example, we’ll be doing ice bowling where the pins and the bowling ball will be made of ice,” he said. “We’ve put these little L.E.D. lights in the ball so you can see it.”[As Point Lookout’s Bowling Center features eight lanes of 10-pin bowling, this is apropos.] “We’re also going to offer a corn hole toss game with little ice bags.”

In addition to the outside games, Hill is excited to unveil, what he calls the pièce de résistance.

“We’re going to have an ice bomb launcher. We took little water balloons and froze them. Then we put these L.E.D. lights in them and we’ll catapult them across the field 50 yards into galvanized tubs. And if one of the ice bombs hits the tub, you’ll get a prize.”

Check out our short clips on ice bowling and the ice catapult. The event goes from 5-9 p.m. and is free to the public.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Local resident Caitlin M. made this Leaving Maine In Winter bingo card for a friend who was about to go on a trip.

Some of the squares are pretty funny. “Not chatting about heat costs” and “light pollution” are a few of the cheeky quips.

What about it, Mainers? What’s the best part about leaving in Maine for a winter vacation for you?

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKPORT—This weekend, Maine Sport Outfitters is hosting the Banff Mountain Film Festival for its 15th year and the lineup includes 18 new films, ranging from shorts to longer features and from outdoor superhuman feats to heart-tugging documentaries.

Jeff Boggs, manager and buyer for Maine Sport Outfitters said:  “All of the films are so different and so fun. The films are inspiring, educational, sometimes emotional/controversial. They take you to places and activities you may not have been exposed to. It's a great way to spend a wintry February evening.”

On Friday, breakout films are sure to include: Caleb, a four-minute short.

“Paralyzed in a skiing accident in 2007, Caleb has defied the odds and continued to thrive in his chosen passions. Learning to kayak after his injury, Caleb is positive, inspiring and one epic human!” See film clip here.

Another is And Then We Swam, a 37 minute film.

“Most adventurers who set out to cross the Indian Ocean have some rowing experience. For two blokes from the UK, that seemed like a minor detail, not a death wish.” See film clip here.

And on Saturday, films of note include: Tumwater Solitude: “With peak flow levels in Washington’s Tumwater Canyon, Sam Grafton sets out to kayak massive waves and Class V+ whitewater.” See film clip here.

And a film that will pull the heartstrings is Tashi and the Monk:

“There's a brave social experiment taking place on a remote mountaintop in the foothills of the Himalaya. A former Buddhist monk is seeking to transform the lives of abandoned children through love and compassion. Tashi is especially vulnerable as she struggles to make friends, and learns that love can help heal even the saddest memories.” See film clip here.

With the Canadian festival in its 37th year, the Banff Center holds the festival every November in Banff, Alberta, selecting the best films to go on the World Tour that visits approximately 305 cities annually in 20 countries.

To see an excerpt of what films will be showing visit Maine Sport Outfitters event page.

Tickets are on sale for the local visitation of the Banff Mountain Film Fest World Tour, set for Friday and Saturday nights, Feb. 6 and 7, at the Strom Auditorium of Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport. Each night’s show begins at 7 p.m. and features a different slate of films. Tickets for adults are $10 in advance and available at Maine Sport on Route 1 in Rockport and Main Street in Camden; price at the door will be $12. Student tickets are $5. For more information, call 236-7120 or 230-1284. Clips of some of the films may be seen in the Rockport store.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

WALDOBORO—In every classroom, there’s always that one young person drawing cartoons in the corner of his notebook, or maybe on his arm or on his sneaker. The same kid who maybe struggles to write an essay is quite adept at communicating through scribbled images instead. Many young people have compelling stories to tell, but haven’t quite found their “voice” yet or know the best medium.

It’s this type of kid, a visual learner, who finds his or her “voice” sketching out characters that will be ideal for an upcoming workshop in Waldoboro called “Visual Storytelling” held over six Sundays in February.

Tyson Pease, an illustrator and comic artist, joined forces with his friend Robert Laing, an animator, to teach this workshop starting February 8.

On Pease’s website he describes his aim to combine comics and education. He said: “My specific areas of focus are comics/illustration, building community, and alternative education. I want to share stories that interest me. I want to bring people together. And I want to help them show the world their best through creative practice.”

Pease, 29, got his undergraduate degree with philosophy major with writing and arts minor at Ithaca College. He just finished his master's of fine arts degree in interdisciplinary arts with Goddard College and currently lives in Wayne.

"Comics for me has been a fruitful, expressive medium," he said. "Some kids excel in academic writing or math. In our workshop, we're hoping to reach kids who may not have as great a track record in expressing themselves through those traditionally emphasized subjects, ones who can really get some traction sharing visually what they think and feel. The great thing about comics is that it's just so easy. You don't need expensive materials. You just need a paper, a pencil or pen and a willingness to give it a shot."

Laing, 29, who grew up in Waldoboro, is a 2010 graduate of the Art Institute of Boston and now works as a freelance animator. “One of the first jobs I had out of school is teaching at Cambridge Community Television in Boston and I had a really good time connecting with the students,” he said. “Working with students again and sharing some of the things I’ve learned helps keep me excited about animation and adds to my freelance repertoire.”

To see the work of Laing’s animation visit: http://vimeo.com/111660457  To see a sample of Pease’s comics visit: http://tysonpease.com

The workshop is aimed toward ages 13 and up. But they’re also open to kids younger than that if they are super driven. Classes go Feb. 8, 15, 22 and March 8, 15, 22. The course cost is $90 with materials and will be held at Old Number 9 on Friendship Street in Waldoboro. To register, call the Central Lincoln County YMCA at 563-9622 or visit: medomakarts.org

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

 I’ll give you hint; this is Main Street somewhere on the coast. Do you know where?

A few people guessed correctly that last week’s Throwback Thursday photo was actually the Belfast wharf circa 1934 as the old fashioned pick ups dumped snow off the wharf. Photo courtesy Belfast Historical Society and Museum.

This week’s photo courtesy Maine Historical Society.

Throwback Thursday needs your submissions. Send us your “back in the day” photos with a caption at news@penbaypilot.com

Winterfest kicks off this weekend and besides that, there’s a 1920s-themed party, Irish tunes, roller derby and don’t forget—Superbowl parties!

Thursday, Jan. 29

· Open Mic at Highlands Coffee House from 6 to 9 p.m. Get there at 5:30 p.m. to sign up to play.

· FOG Bar and Cafe is continuing their Drink & Draw Thursday night from 7-11 p.m. Guest artists come with new themes and materials provided. Happy Hour goes on all night. No cover.

· Karaoke at Cuzzy’s, starts at 9 p.m.

· Each Thursday, Cappy’s Chowder House is doing game night with Cards Against Humanity  from 6 -9 p.m. Meet people who share your sense of humor and enjoy drink and food specials. FMI: Facebook

Friday, Jan. 30

· Poetry Party! Why not? Dave Morrison reads from and celebrates the release of his 10th collection, Shake Hands With Your Heart. Camden Opera House, 7 p.m. Free.

· John Hasnip (as a crazy cat lady I read his last name as ‘Has cat nip’) an alternative electroacoustic, Britpop guitarist will be playing The Narrows Tavern in Waldoboro at 8 p.m. No cover. Give a listen: Reverbnation

· The Speakeasy hosts The Midnight Riders. Show begins at 8 p.m.

· Bowen’s Tavern in Belfast has a DJ playing from 7 p.m. - 12 a.m.

· Open Mic at the Time Out Pub downstairs.

· Karaoke at The Myrtle Street Tavern, starts at 9 p.m., 21+.

· Celtic Band Jam at Bell the Cat, Belfast goes from 6:30-9 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 31

· Camden’s Winterfest kicks off today with ice carving in the Camden Public Library Amphitheatre, live music indoors and out, and food from noon to 3 p.m. Maine’s only sanctioned snow sculpture competition takes place at the Village Green while the "CamJam" Freestyle Ski and Snowboard Competition takes place at the Camden Snow Bowl from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See pics from last year. Full schedule: Winterfest

· The roller derby girls are cranking their wheels at Point Lookout Fitness Center in Northport. The Rock Coast Rollers vs. The R.I.P. Tides benefits the AIO Food Pantry. Starts at 5:30 p.m. Tickets: $8 advance at BrownPaperTickets.com. Or get them at Good Tern Co-op, Rockland, Belfast Co-op; and Clean Bee Laundry. $10 door. Under 12 free.

· Go back to the 1920s with ‘Twenties Theme Night’ featuring The Spaceheaters,  a jazz, jam, and funk 'n' roll band at The Narrows Tavern in Waldoboro. 1920s or '30s attire encouraged. Special cocktails of the decade. 9 p.m. No cover.

· Join local musicians for an informal evening of traditional Irish tunes and a few songs at Rock City Café from 7-10 p.m. Some toe-tapping tunes (and maybe a hot toddy) are guaranteed to warm a chilly winter evening.

· Watts Hall, Main St., Thomaston is hosting a ‘Blue Moon Birthday Party’ from 6-9 p.m. Food catered by Café Miranda and dance music by Hoodoo Man. Free.

· The Boneheads & Holy Mackerels are playing at the Opera House in Boothbay Harbor 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $10 advance/$15 day of show. Visit: BoothbayOperaHouse.com or call 633-6855.

Trackside Station in Rockland is hosting Trendy Robots band at 9 p.m. No cover.

Sunday, Feb.1

· Winterfest’s "CamJam" Freestyle Ski and Snowboard Competition continues the Camden Snow Bowl at 2:30 p.m. and winners of the Snow Sculpture competition will be announced at noon.

· A live broadcast of Super Bowl XLIV will be shown at the Strand Theatre. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., kick-off is at 6:30 p.m. Hot dogs, chili, snacks and drinks will be available for purchase, and the Balcony Bar will open for those 21 and older. Admission is free.

· Rock Harbor Brewing Co. will be hosting a cribbage tournament every Sunday beginning at 8 p.m.

· Get some fresh salsa right here. Swing & Sway Dancing is holding a salsa, merengue and bachata workshop for the public from 6-7:30 p.m. Located at 143 Maverick St., Rockland. Donation requested. FMI: 593-7914. Beginners welcome.

· Musicians, bring instruments and voices and make music together at Sail, Power and Steam Museum at Sharp's Point South, 75 Mechanic St., Rockland. Free. FMI: 701-5050 or 701-7627. Coffee and cookies provided. Every Sunday, rain or shine.

· Want to know where to go for happy hour every day of the week? Check out our updated Guide To Midcoast Happy Hours.

 If you have an arts and entertainment event that fits within the adult scope of fun and cool things to do for Weekend Picks, contact Kay Stephens at news@penbaypilot.com or like The Killer Convo on Facebook and put her on your events list.

CAMDEN—An epic blizzard of what news outlets are calling “historic” proportions is barreling up the coast tonight—and Mainers are not fooling around.

As of 3 p.m., the parking lot of Hannaford Supermarket in Camden was jammed right full, and the shelves that contained gallons of water were completely cleared out. “It’s been slammed,” said store manager Ben Convery. “The usual things, milk, eggs, bread, water. Everyone’s thinking about if they’ll lose power, so they’re getting stocked up.”

After food and water come the practicalities. Jacob Veilleux, a cashier at EBS, said, “The people have definitely been coming in for shovels, for some kindling, and a lot of batteries,” he said. “A lot of batteries.”

While some folks spent the better part of their afternoon chopping wood and stacking it, the fuel companies were busier than normal handling last minute orders. “We have definitely been getting a lot of calls today,” said a representative for Maritime Energy.

People bracing for high winds to knock out the power have already thought ahead about what can entertain them by candlelight and by limited reserve battery power. At the Rockport Public Library, Ben Blackman, Deputy Director, said, “Oh it’s been busy. They’re trying to get videos or books they’ve already ordered that won’t be coming in tomorrow. They’re just stocking up.” For those who don’t have a Rockport Public Library card, the lobby offers free donated magazines and several racks of paperbacks at .50 each.

“We’ve been slammed all day,” said Lynn Mayberry, a clerk at Harbor Audio Video, “As far as I know we’re just planning on being closed tomorrow. “Any movies that are due back tomorrow, no need to bring back,” she said.

At Maritime Farms convenience store, it was like a scene out of The Day After Tomorrow. The lines for gas were two-three cars deep with some people getting repeatedly edged out by others cutting in line and foot traffic going through the store at a steady pace. At 4:15 p.m. Maritime Farms was out of gas. Circle K in Rockport had some gas left, and motorists were flocking there.  “After work, we’re going to be seeing a lot of people stocking up on alcohol,” said one of the clerks.

Get out that winter copy of The Wave in which we tell you how to keep sane during a power outage!

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

This weekend is the wind-down before we gear up for the madness of Winterfest and the U.S. National Toboggan National Championships, so enjoy the jazz and acoustic sets happening all around the Midcoast. Oh, and one more weekend left for the Glacier Ice Bar for those who didn’t make it last weekend!

Thursday, Jan. 22

· Open Mic at Highlands Coffee House from 6 to 9 p.m. Get there at 5:30 p.m. to sign up to play.

· FOG Bar and Cafe is continuing their Drink & Draw Thursday night from 7-11 p.m. Guest artists come with new themes and materials provided. Happy Hour goes on all night. No cover.

 · The Speakeasy hosts Wayne DeLano Jazz Quartet. Show begins at 6 p.m.

· Karaoke at Cuzzy’s, starts at 9 p.m.

· Each Thursday, Cappy’s Chowder House is doing game night with Cards Against Humanity  from 6 -9 p.m. Meet people who share your sense of humor and enjoy drink and food specials. FMI: Facebook

Friday, Jan. 23

· This is the last weekend Glacier Ice Bar will be at the Samoset Resort (down on the deck of Enoteca Lounge). Chef Tim Pierce knocked it out of the park this year — a must see! Opens at 5 p.m. Wear something warm!

· Rock City Café will be hosting By the Bay Jazz Trio from 7-9 p.m.

· Talented Maine musicians in their their debut concert at the Camden Opera House will feature Kristi Williamson, accompanied by Amy Green and Vicky Andres will be performing with Max McFarland. Tickets are $10, age 12 and under FREE! FMI: Concert info.

· Rock Harbor Brewing Co. is hosting Mark Miller, a solo performer from 8:30 -11:30 p.m.  No cover.

· The Ale House String Band is playing at The Narrows Tavern at 8 p.m.

· Bowen’s Tavern in Belfast has a DJ playing from 7 p.m. - 12 a.m.

· Open Mic at the Time Out Pub downstairs.

· Karaoke at The Myrtle Street Tavern, starts at 9 p.m., 21+.

· Celtic Band Jam at Bell the Cat, Belfast goes from 6:30-9 p.m.

· Voxx Rocks! The midcoast a cappella vocal ensemble VoXX is doing its annual "Music for the NewYear" Concerts, covers a broad spectrum of time and style, from medieval chant and early polyphony, through Renaissance chorale and contemporary harmony. First Church, 8 Court St., Belfast, 7:00 p.m. Admission is $10, tickets available at the door.

· Belfast couple Chuck and Teresa Piper are offering a free dance lesson on the large wooden floor of the East Belfast Elementary School. Bernadette Dempsey will teach Salsa from 6:30- 7:30 p.m., with the regular open dance running 7:30- 9:30 p.m. Bring a change of shoes so as to avoid damaging the wood floors. Admission is free.

Saturday, Jan. 24

· This is the second night of The Glacier Ice Bar. Tonight is your last chance before they dismantle. Starts at 5 p.m.

· Prog rock guitarist Tom Albury will be playing at Rock City Café from 7-9 p.m.

· Mes Amis brings their upbeat acoustic groove to The Speakeasy featuring the trio of Steve Lynnworth on lead guitar and vocals, Harry Richter on rhythm guitar and Wells Gordon on upright bass. Show is from 8-11 p.m.

· Trackside Station in Rockland is having a pie-themed night with pie-flavored drinks (yum!) from 5-7 p.m. for entertainment with Mike & Max Miller & guests and a silent auction as a kickoff to Pies on Parade with proceeds donated to AIO Food Pantry.

· Voxx Rocks! The midcoast a cappella vocal ensemble VoXX is doing its annual "Music for the NewYear" Concerts, covers a broad spectrum of time and style, from medieval chant and early polyphony, through Renaissance chorale and contemporary harmony. Union Hall, 24 Central St, Rockport, 2:00 p.m. Admission is $10, tickets available at the door.

Sunday, Jan. 25

· Rock Harbor Brewing Co. will be hosting a cribbage tournament every Sunday beginning at 8 p.m.

· Get some fresh salsa right here. Swing & Sway Dancing is holding a salsa, merengue and bachata workshop for the public from 6-7:30 p.m. Located at 143 Maverick St., Rockland. Donation requested. FMI: 593-7914. Beginners welcome.

· Musicians, bring instruments and voices and make music together at Sail, Power and Steam Museum at Sharp's Point South, 75 Mechanic St., Rockland. Free. FMI: 701-5050 or 701-7627. Coffee and cookies provided. Every Sunday, rain or shine.

Want to know where to go for happy hour every day of the week? Check out our updated Guide To Midcoast Happy Hours.

 If you have an arts and entertainment event that fits within the adult scope of fun and cool things to do for Weekend Picks, contact Kay Stephens at news@penbaypilot.com or like The Killer Convo on Facebook and put her on your events list.

 Where is this and take a guess what year?

Wow, we got a TRUCKLOAD of comments on last week’s Throwback Thursday photo featuring the iconic Dave’s Restaurant in Thomaston, one of the best coming from reader Rosemary Dunton Booth who said: “Dave's was a popular place for our Family! My grandpeoples use to go there on dates! That's where I was taught how to go out to eat properly as a child. I was one of those who would run around and talk to other diners and play with the silverware on tables (LOL), so I was taught how to sit and behave out in public.”

This provider of this week’s photo will be revealed next week so as not to reveal the photo’s identity!

Throwback Thursday needs your submissions. Send us your “back in the day” photos with a caption at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — The former owners of the Ducktrap Motel in Lincolnville, Rick and Elaine Knight, thought they’d be heading into retirement, but apparently that’s not what life had in store for them.

Early in December, a notice quietly went up that Ricky and Selena Sheaves, the owners of the Owl & Turtle Bookshop in Camden, were independently putting the shop on the market. After nine months of building the business back up to a robust state (including adding a new café), they decided to re-prioritize and sell the business to spend more time with their children.

Elaine Knight had been dabbling in real estate at the time and brought the listing home to her husband. ”We sort of went over it,” she said. “He just thought it was a whim, but sure enough, one thing led to another and here we sit. It’s been a whirlwind.”

The Knights took over and re-opened the bookstore last week, retaining the original Owl & Turtle staff, whom they said they depend on tremendously.

“We rely on them to tell us what books we should be buying, what the public wants and who we should be booking to host author talks,” said Elaine. “They’re the experts; we’re not the experts. We just funded it.”

Both native Mainers, the Knights owned the Ducktrap Motel for 10 years before they sold it. “We loved it, but that was a 24-7 business,” said Rick. “People would knock on our door at 2 a.m. because they lost their key. Here, it’s 12 hours, but once it’s 4 p.m., we lock the door and go home.”

Maintaining the Sheaves’ motto of “Fiercely indie, truly local,” the Knights said they plan to continue the same direction with the bookstore. Rick said, “We’re going to keep going with what was working, keep analyzing as everyone goes along.” Rick, whose literary tastes lean toward historical fiction, and Elaine, whose tastes run the gamut, said they intend to host an author at least once a month and want to continue promoting local Maine authors in their store.

Alexis Zimba-Kirby is one of the original Owl & Turtle staff. As she sat behind the café station, checking the iPad, she talked about the transition.

“We knew it was coming; the Sheaves were open with us about the whole process,” she said. “So far, it’s worked out really well and they [the Knights] have been really supportive of the whole staff.” An avid reader (she was reading The Dubliners by James Joyce at the counter), Zimba-Kirby said in her time at Owl & Turtle, she’s gotten a real feel for what the clientele coming in is looking for.

“I think we’re just going to do more events and still keep this café going. We have a great morning crowd and an afternoon push most every day.”

She added that she’s going to miss the Sheaves, but that she still sees them. “They’ll still sticking around town,” she said.

Related story: New Owl & Turtle owners bring 'fiercely indie—truly local' vibe to bookshop

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—The debut weekend of the Samoset Resort’s annual Glacier Ice Bar was more popular than ever, bringing out nearly 800 people this weekend, despite near frigid temperatures. Check out our gallery of “ice selfies” and other unique features by master ice carver and Samoset’s Executive Chef Tim Pierce, including a life size motorcycle you could sit on (would that be an icicle?), a VW bus and Glacier picture frames. The Glacier Ice Bar is only around for one more weekend—Jan. 24 and 25. So enjoy it while you can!

All photos by Kay Stephens

Click to see gallery.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

We’ve got a sunny, seasonable weekend coming up before the snow hits the fan early next week and you know what that means? It’s going to be ideal standing-out-and- doing-ice-luges-with-friends weather for the Samoset’s annual Glacier Ice Bar. Or if you prefer to stay inside, check out Three Tides & Marshall Wharf Brewing Company’s annual “Snowed In” dance party. Things will be ramping up in the Midcoast between this weekend and the National Toboggan Championships, so suit up (even if its a snow suit), away we go!

Thursday, Jan. 15

· Open Mic at Highlands Coffee House from 6 to 9 p.m. Get there at 5:30 p.m. to sign up to play.

· FOG Bar and Cafe is continuing their Drink & Draw Thursday night from 7-11 p.m. Guest artists come with new themes and materials provided. Happy Hour goes on all night. No cover. 

· Karaoke at Cuzzy’s, starts at 9 p.m.

· Each Thursday, Cappy’s Chowder House is doing game night with Cards Against Humanity  from 6 -9 p.m. Meet people who share your sense of humor and enjoy drink and food specials. FMI: Facebook

Friday, Jan. 16

· We first told you about it in The Wave, but the Glacier Ice Bar, now in its fourth year, is being built out of 20,000 pounds of ice at the Samoset Resort (down on the deck of Enoteca Lounge The brilliant ice bar and all of its sparkling chairs and statues will bring out about 800-900 people each night this weekend. Opens at 5 p.m. Wear something warm!

· Rock Harbor Brewing Co. is hosting Tomorrow Morning duo from 8 -11 p.m.  They play Pop/ Rock/ Top 40/ Dance/ Reggae/ Hip Hop. Take a listen on Reverbnation.  No cover.

· Solo acoustic performer Ron Bergeron is playing at The Narrows Tavern at 8 p.m. Their music is described as classical and traditional.

· The Speakeasy is hosting The Postman Cometh with singers and standards, featuring Bill Hahn, Keyboard King.  Show goes from 6-8 p.m., no cover.

· Bowen’s Tavern in Belfast has a DJ playing from 7 p.m. - 12 a.m.

· Open Mic at the Time Out Pub downstairs.

· Musician duo Ryer & McCue will be playing Rock City Café. Show goes from 7-9 p.m. with a traditional singing/guitar style with carefully creative and tasteful McCue accompaniments, laced with blues, rock, country and jazz overtones.

· Karaoke at The Myrtle Street Tavern, starts at 9 p.m., 21+.

· Celtic Band Jam at Bell the Cat, Belfast goes from 6:30-9 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 17

· This is the second night of The Glacier Ice Bar. If you don’t go this weekend, next weekend is your last chance before they dismantle i1 Starts at 5 p.m.

· Get ready to jump and jive since Three Button Deluxe is playing at The Speakeasy. The dance party is going to get you pumped, starting at 8 p.m.

· Dance your butt off at Three Tides & Marshall Wharf Brewing Company in Belfast for their 7th annual “Snowed In” dance party. No cover, 21+ Music starts at 9p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 18

· Rock Harbor Brewing Co., will be hosting a cribbage tournament every Sunday beginning at 8 p.m.

· Master ice carver Tim Pierce must be a glutton for punishment. Not only did he build the Glacier Ice Bar and work all weekend at the Samoset Resort for its grand debut, he he’s not taking a day off! The Camden Public Library will host a live ice-carving demonstration with Pierce at 1 p.m.

· Get some fresh salsa right here. Swing & Sway Dancing is holding a salsa, merengue and bachata workshop for the public from 6-7:30 p.m. Located at 143 Maverick St., Rockland. Donation requested. FMI: 593-7914. Beginners welcome.

· Musicians, bring instruments and voices and make music together at Sail, Power and Steam Museum at Sharp's Point South, 75 Mechanic St., Rockland. Free. FMI: 701-5050 or 701-7627. Coffee and cookies provided. Every Sunday, rain or shine.

· Unwind after brunch. The Mike Whitehead Group will be performing at Highlands Coffee House, from 1-3 p.m. Call 354-4162 for more info.

Want to know where to go for happy hour every day of the week? Check out our updated Guide To Midcoast Happy Hours.

 If you have an arts and entertainment event that fits within the adult scope of fun and cool things to do for Weekend Picks, contact Kay Stephens at news@penbaypilot.com or like The Killer Convo on Facebook and put her on your events list.

This week’s TBT photo isn’t so much about “guess where it is,” but more along the lines of “how did you know this place?” Tell us your memories!

Though we had a few guesses for last week’s Throwback Thursday photo, nobody got the right town or era. That bucolic scene was Main Street in Wiscasset circa 1930!

This week’s photo courtesy Rockland, Maine History

Throwback Thursday needs your submissions. Send us your “back in the day” photos with a caption at news@penbaypilot.com

LIBERTY — Right before the holidays, the owners of the unpolitically correct party card game Cards Against Humanity had a surprise for 250,000 of their fans, each of whom bought a $15 “Mystery Package.” Not knowing what they’d get, the fans learned that the money went toward 10 surprises, the final present being the purchase of Liberty’s six-acre Birch Island on Lake St. George for approximately $200,000. One square foot each of the island, now renamed Hawaii², belongs to 250,000 fans of Cards Against Humanity all around the United States.

When news broke of this holiday stunt, reactions locally and on social media were mixed. On the one hand, fans of the card game were elated that Cards Against Humanity was able to pull off such a random, impromptu stunt.

When the news hit, multiple owners of the property announced on CAH’s Facebook page of their plans.

• I really want to plant a letterbox on my square foot.
• I think we should all plan one big party for all of our square feet!
• It would be cool if somehow we all were able to build something for us to all share on it.
  
• We need to start a massive road trip, a convoy if you will. And then start a week long camp out, like Burning Man, but nothing at all like it. 
• I'm claiming a tree, and making a tree fort!

It’s hard to say whether these are just excited exclamations or actually statements of intent, but it raised a number of concerns with locals.

The island is officially owned by Hawaii2, LLC and the stipulations of each owner’s contract are that they can use the island for "nondestructive, recreational purposes."

The rules additionally include that the new owners strictly abide by carrying out their trash, refrain from cutting any trees and do not build any fires without a local fire permit.

In Cards Against Humanity’s license agreement for the owners, it said:

“This square foot of land is yours to do what you want, as long as you don’t destroy it or break any laws. We’ve enclosed a small flag you can use to mark your territory.”

Penobscot Bay Pilot spoke with Linda Breslin, president of the Lake Association of Lake St. George, in Liberty.

“What they’ve done is perfectly legal,” she said. “They bought it. They own it. We may not like it, but we don’t have a legal right to tell them how they can use it.”

Breslin is not only the president, but she and her husband own an island property owner on Lake St. George.

She said: “This is a different kind of tenant contract than we’re used to. This is a very pristine environment. Lake St. George is rated as one of the cleanest lakes in the state of Maine and the idea that such a large group of people have a contract to use this rather small island has some of us concerned.”

The Lake Association primarily has two concerns.

“The contract allows people to get together on the island and do what they want within certain rules,” she said. “That’s within their legal right to get together and party on the island. People who own property can have parties; but, we would be primarily be concerned about fire and septic pollution of water. People cannot just start a campfire without getting a permit and they can’t use the island as a toilet. Many people still use the waters of Lake St. George for cooking, for their water source and, of course, for swimming. We monitor the lake for bacterial issues. It’s unclear how septic is going to be managed and how fire permits are going to be managed and what happens if owners of the property violate those rules.”

Asked if she thought overpopulation on the island this summer from groups of owners making the trek to Maine would be be a concern, she said, “Well, if they all want to stand shoulder to shoulder and they own it communally, they all can do it, though it doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.”

Breslin added that excessive noise, partying crowds, and the unsightliness of flags are a lower level of concern for the lake association, although they are still a major concern for local residents.

Max Temkin, a co-creator of the game, responded to these concerns by email to Penobscot Bay Pilot. 

“If any of these things become actual issues, we'll reach out to island licensees and make sure they understand the rules,” he said. “If people continue to break the rules, we have the right to revoke their license on an individual basis. We're going to trust that people will use the island respectfully as they have for years in the past.”

A separate point, but one that has not yet been made aware to out-of-state owners of the property, is access to the island.

“You cannot launch a boat from the public boat landing and leave the boat at the landing overnight,” Breslin said, adding that kayaks would be easier to bring out, but then “they can’t just leave the kayaks at the boat landing if they wanted to go into town.” 

Lastly, for Mainers who have always historically used Birch Island as a day-use stopping point while boating, questions have arisen whether this island’s new ownership will prohibit this practice.

Tempkin responded, “We'll continue to maintain the island as an undeveloped public space as long as we have it; of course locals are welcome to continue enjoying it.”

Added Breslin, “I really don’t want to characterize that these people are unwelcome. I mean, maybe they will come and be very good neighbors. We don’t know. And if they are good neighbors, we hope they join the lake association.”

Related story: Cards Against Humanity uses holiday stunt to buy Lake St. George's 'Birch Island'

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

In researching a project I’ve been working on lately, I found myself at the Rockland Public Library earlier this week, scanning through newspaper microfilm to see what events unfolded in the Midcoast in the spring of 1927.

Back then the Rockland-Courier Gazette came out three times a  week and cost three cents a copy.

An essay titled What is the Matter With Our Young People? caught my eye. Written by Thomas Arkle Clark, Dean of Men at the University of Illinois, the essay was originally published inThe Rotarian magazine and republished by the Rockland-Courier Gazette in April.

It was a fascinating look at how a dean regarded the Flapper era, a time when young college men wore hip flasks to socials and young women were scandalously joining them, openly drinking in public during Prohibition. The Model T was only $400 back then and everyone was driving them.

What do I think of them? I am asked this question wherever I go. Are they going to the devil as fast as the general public suggests that they are? Are they wilder or less moral than we, their virtuous predecessors were? Are they breaking away from all hampering conventions and giving up all religious principles and ideas? In short what, if anything is wrong with them?

Clark’s “we walked up hill both ways when we were young ‘uns” platitude was clearly evident at the start of this essay. He explains what it was like for him as a young person under his father’s household rule:

There was no card-playing in his house; his children were not allowed to dance; and when Sunday came all secular matters were set aside... we had no telephones, no electric lights, no automobiles. There wasn’t a paved street in town. We studied by kerosene lamps in rooms heated with little soft-coal stoves, and if there was a bath tub in town excepting the one in Terbush’s barbershop where we paid twenty-five cents for the privilege of cleaning up, I never knew about it.

When Clark himself went to college, Prohibition had not yet been enacted.

There were fourteen saloons in the little town in which I went to college and they did a good business....There was far more drinking than there is now, as badly as prohibition is enforced. A friend of mine who is head of a big institution told me not long ago that he knew a half dozen bright young fellows who paid their way through college by means of their skill at poker.

Drinking, dancing, gambling, lassitude, and extravagance were only a few vices Clark observed were plaguing the moral fortitude of young people in 1927. But surprisingly, he also saw their point of view, as well. Using a young man he knew named Connor as an example, he said:

Connor has been brought up in the orthodox faith. He was taken to church until he was old enough to go of his own accord, and for a time, he questioned nothing, analyzed nothing, thought of nothing for himself. Now he is uncertain, he is asking questions, he is trying to discover why and why not. It is not that he is irreligious; he sincerely wants to be truly religious, but he is determined to think things out for himself...

The young person of today is more resourceful than any other young person whom I’ve known. He can do anything he wants to do and can do it better than any of his predecessors. Challenge him and he will meet your challenge with a success that is almost unbelievable....The chief difficulty is to get him to the point of wanting to do something.

Just when you think Clark was beginning to fall into a generational cliché with this essay, he flipped the script completely and put all of the shortcomings of young people squarely on the shoulders of their parents.

If there is anything in particular the matter with our young people, parents, more than anyone else and anything else, are responsible. Children respond to their training in an amazing manner; they take on habits very early, which dominate them throughout life. By the time they are twelve or fifteen the path they are going to follow has been pretty well marked out for them, and parents, and the home are largely responsible for this choice.

Clark goes on to cite example after example of parental indulgence. In one case, the father of one of his 19-year-old college students called Clark to ask permission to let his son use his “motor car” to get to and from college, rather than walk, because the son gets up late and it’s “rather hard for him to make his nine-o’clock class.”

In another case, he recalls a young woman, Clara, whose mother has already bought her three fur coats, yet Clara is unhappy with her latest because nobody “wants to wear a fur coat longer than one season.”

Then there was the parent who called Clark after her son, George, had been dismissed from the University of Illinois as a result of an arrest for public drunkenness.

“We have always had liquor in the house,” she explained, ”and George has been free to take it when he wished. We teach temperance in our family; I never dreamed that my boy would go to excess.”

The trouble, where there is trouble, is largely with the parents who coddle their children and make their lives too soft and easy. There are too many coonskin coats and flashy looking runabouts. There are too many extravagant allowances and too many parties where the young people who go to them should be playing children’s games or at home in bed.... In general, have found that from eighty to ninety percent of the young people with whom I have to do are conscientious and hard working and anxious to do well. It is the minority of ten percent who have stirred up comment and made themselves notorious by their irregularities and for these things, foolish, indulgent parents are largely responsible.

As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

To see the article in full from The Rotarian in 1927, click here.

Related stories:

The mysterious speakeasys of Rockland, where history whispers old secrets

Absinthe, once illegal, making roaring comeback in Maine

Kay Stephens has been researching the Prohibition era in Midcoast Maine for a new project. She can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

What's interesting about winter in the Midcoast is that local establishments and restaurants are doing everything they can to get you out of your jammies, out from under the Snuggies and into their venues for some much-needed social time, particularly on the weeknights. Thursday is just 'sploding with Open Mics, Game nights and all kinds of stuff. We've got a great lineup of activities this weekend–check it out!

Thursday, Jan. 8

· FOG Bar and Cafe is getting in on the mid-week “awesome stuff to do” bandwagon with their Drink & Draw Thursday edition from 7-11 p.m. Guest artists come with new themes and materials provided. Happy Hour goes on all night. No cover. 

· Karaoke at Cuzzys, starting at 9 p.m.! Always fun!

· Open Mic at Highlands Coffee House from 6 to 9 p.m. Get there at 5:30 p.m. to sign up to play.

· You’ve heard about the wildly inappropriate game Cards Against Humanity? Well, Cappy’s Chowder House kicked off game night with about 20 people last week and it was way too funny. Each Thursday, they’ll host Cards Against Humanity night from 6 -9 p.m. Meet people who share your sense of humor and enjoy drink and food specials. FMI: Facebook

Friday, Jan. 9

· Rock Harbor Brewing Co. is hosting 16-year-old wunderkind, Kayla Joe Anderson, from 8 -11 p.m. Kayla is a solo artist who sings and plays top hits from the ‘90s through today. No cover.

· Seth Warner duo is playing at The Narrows Tavern at 8 p.m. Their music is described as classical and traditional.

· The Speakeasy is hosting Echo Entertainment, a live DJ and Karaoke at 9 p.m.

· David Mallet, the renowned troubador is playing The Strand Theatre at 7:30 p.m. his body of work has provided material for an eclectic list of artists that includes Alison Krauss, Pete Seeger, Hal Ketchum, Emmylou Harris, John Denver and the Muppets! Tickets: $20/General Admission. FMI: The Strand Theatre

· Bowen’s Tavern in Belfast has a DJ playing from 7 p.m. - 12 a.m.

· Open Mic at the Time Out Pub downstairs.

· Rock City Cafe has The Royal Bones, A husband-and-wife indie rock duo from Bangor. Show goes from 7-9 p.m.

· Karaoke at The Myrtle Street Tavern, starts at 9 p.m., 21+.

· King Eider’s Pub has been undergoing major renovations in the kitchen and plans to re-open on Friday.

· Celtic Band Jam at Bell the Cat, Belfast goes from 6:30-9 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 10

· Road Trip! Central Street Farmhouse in Bangor (one of the hippest places in that city) is offering a FREE Beer Brewing 101 class from 1-3 p.m. Got a new brewing kit for the holidays and are wondering what to do next? Thye'll teach you how to make the best beer of your life in the comforts of your own kitchen, garage, porch, or backyard. FMI: Central Street Farmhouse

· Alice Limoges plays at Rock City Cafe. Alice's acoustic guitar and ukelele chart new territory, introducing unique chords and progressions. With catchy hooks and bridges, the melodies fuse jazz, bluegrass and folk influences into an original sound. Show goes from 7-9 p.m.

· Winter Dance Party, Double C.D. Release Party with Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish joined by "Sax Giant" Sax Gordon Beadle at the Blue Goose Dance Hall, Northport. Show goes from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.Smoke and Chem Free, All ages welcome. Doors open at 8 p.m. $20 per person/Under 12 $10.

Sunday, Jan. 11

· Rock Harbor Brewing Co., will be hosting a cribbage tournament every Sunday beginning at 8 p.m.

· If you want to unwind from this wild weekend, The Tom Luther Quintet is playing at The Highlands Coffee House in Thomaston. Open to the public. Starts at 1 p.m.

· Get some fresh salsa right here. Swing & Sway Dancing is holding a salsa, merengue and bachata workshop for the public from 6-7:30 p.m. Located at 143 Maverick St., Rockland. Donation requested. FMI: 593-7914. Beginners welcome.

· Football fans! The Front Street Pub in Belfast is doing Sunday Funday with football food and drink specials all day long.

· Musicians, bring instruments and voices and make music together at Sail, Power and Steam Museum at Sharp's Point South, 75 Mechanic St., Rockland. Free. FMI: 701-5050 or 701-7627. Coffee and cookies provided. Every Sunday, rain or shine.

Want to know where to go for happy hour every day of the week? Check out our updated Guide To Midcoast’s Happy Hours.

 If you have an arts and entertainment event that fits within the adult scope of fun and cool things to do for Weekend Picks, contact Kay Stephens at news@penbaypilot.com or like The Killer Convo on Facebook and put her on your events list.

This might look a little familiar. Can you guess the era by the cars?

Maybe it’s because last week was New Year’s Day and everybody was all “Owwwie” but only one person commented on our Throwback Thursday photo. Luckily it only took one person to be right and MidCoast Maniac guessed the 1967 photo of Clark’s Spa is where the King Eider’s Pub in Damariscotta sits now. The photo was courtesy of King Eider’s Pub’s Facebook page and one of their fans, Susan Geyer commented on Clark’s: “My old hang out! The best vanilla cokes and Humpty Dumpty barbecue chips.”

This week’s photo courtesy Maine Historical Society.

Throwback Thursday needs your submissions. Send us your “back in the day” photos with a caption at news@penbaypilot.com

Shorts. We’re not talking about real Maine men who walk around in 14-degree weather with canvas shorts and a sweatshirt (although that should be a story in itself) we’re talking about the 2015 Maine Short Film Festival, which kicks off Thursday, Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Frontier Café in Brunswick.

This has all the hallmarks of a pretty decent Cheap Date. It costs $8 per person, and even though it warrants a bit of a road trip down to Brunswick, it gets you out of the Truman Show of the Midcoast. Plus, you can pre-game at Brunswick’s awesome brewery, Lion’s Pride.

But back to the film fest. This is the first short film show of its kind in Maine sponsored by the Maine Film & Video Association and featuring nine short fiction, non-fiction and documentary films from eight Maine filmmakers. The 90-minute event will begin a theatrical tour all around Maine starting tomorrow night.

MFVA Board Chair Richard Kane said, “I think short films are very important because today, peoples’ attention spans are limited to the 144-character limit. People don’t spend more than a few minutes on Vimeo or YouTube and with remote controls clicking past commercials, it’s important in our field to be able to capture people’s attention very quickly with a story. By encouraging more filmmakers to make more shorts and to have these competitions each year to find the best shorts, it serves a good purpose and encourages our members to become more professional.”

More than 25 filmmakers around the state submitted shorts, up to a half-hour running time, into the competition. To whittle down the selections, three of Maine's top film reviewers: Daniel Kany, art critic with the Portland Press Herald, Ben Fowlie, founder and director of the Camden International Film Festival, and Louise Rosen, artistic and executive director of the Maine Jewish Film Festival, all presided over the submissions. None of the films identified the filmmakers, so board members of MFVA were able to submit theirs as well.

To that end, Kane got a pleasant surprise when his film with co-producer Melody Lewis-Kane was chosen. In These Times is a documentary about the Tree of Life Food Pantry in Blue Hill.

“It’s essentially a story to encourage people to support their local food pantry to help end hunger,” he said.

Other highlights of the film festival he mentioned included Ursula, about a young girl who wanders alone in the forest until she meets a mysterious sunbather adrift on a lake, in which nothing turns out to be quite what it seems. He also mentioned Liz, a documentary of a girl homeless at 13, who has lived a tragic life of despair, raging behavior and a brutal fight to survive on the streets.

Midcoast Mainers will also remember Deux Ex Machina, by Seth Campbell Brown, which once premiered at the Camden International Film Festival, featuring local Jack Churchill and his trials and triumphs in building a steampunk motorcycle. Find out more behind that story in our 2012 feature “Seth Brown to debut short film at CIFF.”

To find out the premise of all nine films visit www.mainefilm.org  or watch the embedded teaser video.

The Maine tour schedule follows.

Jan. 8 - 7:30 p.m., Frontier Cafe, Brunswick
Jan. 15 - 7:30 p.m., Guthries, Lewiston
Jan. 29 - 7 p.m., Stonington Opera House
Feb. 4 - 7:30 p.m., Space Gallery, Portland
March 18 - 7 p.m., Railroad Square Waterville
March 29 - 3 p.m., The Strand, Rockland
April 9 - 7 p.m., The Alamo, Bucksport
April 10 - 7 p.m., Hammond Hall, Winter Harbor
April 17 - 7:30 p.m., Denmark Arts Center, Denmark

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Check this little slice of the past out. At first glance, can you tell where this is and guess what year? Any stories about what Clark’s Spa was?

 If last week’s Throwback Thursday photo looked familiar, it’s because it was Christmas Night 1884 in Belfast and the opening of the roller skating rink in the Coliseum, the large building on lower Main Street. By 8 o'clock in the evening there were over 600 people present, 350 were seated in the gallery overlooking the floor and 250 were skating. The Coliseum was destroyed in the fire of April 1974 and the lot was never re-built upon, it is now the Washington Street parking lot. Info and photo courtesy Belfast Historical Society and Museum

Note: So we don’t give the photo away, the photo credit will be revealed in next week’s Throwback Thursday.

Happy New Year!

Throwback Thursday needs your submissions. Send us your “back in the day” photos with a caption at news@penbaypilot.com

Ooof, how you feeling? One eye squinched open reading this? Did you know that January 1 is National Bloody Mary Day? We did some highly scientific research to find out who has the best Bloodies in the Midcoast. Let the curative powers of the horseradish and pepper bring you back to life and see what else is going on this weekend.

Thursday, Jan. 1

· Want to see a bunch of people run screaming into the freezing surf for a good cause? Dip 4 Derek, the annual Polar Bear Challenge will be taking place at 12 p.m. on  Lincolnville Beach next to the  Lobster Pound Restaurant. FMI: 236-0074.

· Rock Harbor Brewing Co’s bar will open its doors at 10 a.m. on the first day of 2015 to cure the hangovers of many. $5 Bloody Mary specials.

· You’ve heard about the wildly inappropriate game Cards Against Humanity (and their new island in Maine?) Well, Cappy’s Chowder House is getting in on the action. Each Thursday, they’ll host Cards Against Humanity night from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Meet people who share your sense of humor and enjoy drink and food specials. FMI: Facebook

Friday, Jan. 2

· Blind Albert plays acoustic originals and covers of folk, rock and blues at The Narrows Tavern, 8 p.m., Waldoboro.  No cover.

· There’s a community Contra Dance at American Legion Post 43, in Belfast starting at 6:30 p.m. $2 adults/$1 kids. The Gawler Family Megaband and Chrissy Fowler are calling from 8-11 p.m. $10 adults/$7 ages 13-20/$4 kids. FMI: 338-0979 or BelfastFlyingShoes.org.

Saturday, Jan. 3

· The Speakeasy brings in their first band of the new year with an old favorite. Blind Albert will be taking the stage at 8 p.m. No cover if you’ve dined at The Chowder House.

Sunday, Jan. 4

· Moonwalking takes on a whole new meaning. The Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson is hosting a walk under the moon while featuring  artist-in-residence George Mason's work. Meet at main gate 5:30 p.m. for walk. Then enjoy light supper with wine or hot cider, and commentary by Mason. $5 suggested donation. FMI: hvnc.org.

· If you want to unwind from this wild weekend, jazz musicians of all levels are invited to play the Mike Whitehead Group at The Highlands Coffee House in Thomaston. Open to the public. FMI: 354-4162. playing at from 1-3:30 p.m.

· Get some fresh salsa right here. Swing & Sway Dancing is holding a salsa, merengue and bachata workshop for the public from 6-7:30 p.m. Located at 143 Maverick St., Rockland. Donation requested. FMI: 593-7914. Beginners welcome.

· Musicians, bring instruments and voices and make music together at Sail, Power and Steam Museum at Sharp's Point South, 75 Mechanic St., Rockland. Free. FMI: 701-5050 or 701-7627. Coffee and cookies provided. Every Sunday, rain or shine.

· FOG Bar & Cafe hosts Drink & Draw. They supply the art materials and you provide the raw artistic talent. Drink and food specials all night.

Want to know where to go for happy hour every day of the week? Check out our updated Guide To Midcoast’s Happy Hours.

 If you have an arts and entertainment event that fits within the adult scope of fun and cool things to do for Weekend Picks, contact Kay Stephens at news@penbaypilot.com or like The Killer Convo on Facebook and put her on your events list.

Perhaps you didn’t know that January 1 is National Bloody Mary Day. Makes sense right? Cappy’s Chowder House & Restaurant has this formula down for the bedraggled partygoers who want to come in for a little zip in their sip.

We checked in with bartender Ann Flagg Campbell, who uses a house recipe for Cappy’s official hangover cure called a Bloody Bloody.

Long before hipsters co-opted the mason jar, Cappy’s has been serving their cocktails in this grip-friendly glassware for decades and this is how the Bloody Bloody is served. Not only do they rim the jar with special seasonings, but they also make their Bloody Mary mix from scratch (with some secret ingredients even Ann can’t tell you!) and the result is a extremely light with a peppery, zingy taste that is topped off with a crispy (almost cucumber-like) local Morse’s pickle.

Some Bloody Mary mixes are so thick it’s like drinking a jar of salsa, but Cappy’s homemade Bloody Bloody has a thin consistency with phat flavor. It’s that good, you can down two or more. Not all Bloodies can deliver this.

We did a very informal survey on who has the best Bloodies in the Midcoast for National Bloody Mary Day and, according to locals, other restaurants and bars who can take the tomato and spin it into a delectable drink include Home Kitchen Cafe, The Landings and Cafe Miranda—all Rockland establishments.

Watch our video to see how Cappy’s makes theirs. To make this drink at home all you need is:

• Absolute Peppar vodka
• Homemade Bloody mix including tomato juice, salt, pepper, lemon, lime, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce
• Fresh squeezed lime
• Morse’s Full Sour pickles
• Green olives
• Long toothpick for garnish
• Celery salt and pepper
• Mason Jar

A note on the Morse’s pickles. Morse’s Sauerkraut and European Deli out of Waldoboro is one of those under-the radar places that provides some stellar old-world ingredients, like these pickles. Cappy’s offers both the “Half Sour” and the “Full Sour” option for your Bloody Mary; the first being more of a garlic, pickled bite and the later more of a crunchy, cucumber bite (which I preferred in their Bloody Bloody). To find out where you can get Morse’s pickles for this cocktail visit: morsessauerkraut.com

All in all this is a Bloody Good Drink. Cappy’s will be ready for you.

Related story: Iconic Craft Cocktails of The Midcoast

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Belfast for the families, Rockland for the rock ‘n’ rollers. That’s the lowdown for this New Year’s Eve. Wherever you are in the Midcoast, something is going on Jan 31. Here is the New Year's Eve rundown and where to go to find every type of entertainment to put you in the mood.

Belfast

New Year's by the Bay

The Leaky Boot Jug Band is revving up to celebrate the New Year with revelers as part of the 18th annual New Year's by the Bay, a day-long arts and entertainment extravaganza leading up to a bring-your-own drum noisemaking procession with the Drum & Rabble Corps as they lead you down to down to the celebratory lighting of the bonfire by the bay at the Boathouse.

The performances range from rock, blues, jazz, folk, bluegrass and gospel, a cappella and storytelling in between. Here’s the schedule of events.

One button admits you to all performances and activities of the New Year’s by the Bay 2014 chem-free, family friendly, cultural celebration. Food purchases are separate. Adults – $18; Students K-12, $5; children under 5 are free. For more information visit www.nybb.org

Passing of the Cape, Belfast Public Library

As part of Belfast's 18th First Night celebration, Toussaint St. Negritude will join the list of Belfast's illustrious Poets Laureate at a poetry reading in his honor. The "passing of the cape" will take place at 6 p.m. Directly following, at 7 p.m., Toussaint will perform a set of his unique and enthralling poetry and music. Note: you will need one of the NYBB buttons in order to attend this event. For more information visit www.nybb.org

Front Street Pub

Ring in the new year with champagne, passed hors d’eouvres, prizes giveaway and dancing from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. $5 cover and 21+

Camden/Rockport

Natalie's Count Down Party

Make sure you join Natalie's at Camden Harbour Inn for the seventh annual Count Down Party. The party starts at 10:30 p.m with Wayne Delano Jazz Band. Free admission and complimentary hors d'houvres including Oliebollen, a Dutch fried Doughnut style pastry with cranberries and raisins. At midnight, they’ll count down with a champagne toast and have complimentary party favors available. RSVP by calling the inn at 207-236-7008.

New Ragged Mountain Ski Club Party

For their annual NYE party, this year, they are throwing a family friendly event at the Snow Bowl. Think of it as a Pancake Breakfast meets End of Season Potluck meets New Year's Eve Party. At 6:00pm, the lodge will open for party goers. They’'ll have drinks and food, but encourage people to bring something to share.  Windjammer will be set up for sledding and games for kids. They’ll have a bonfire...with a bonfire inspired cocktail...maybe a down and dirty ice bar? Tickets are $20.00 per adult, $15.00 per child (18 and under).

Rockland

Trackside Station

Keeping it simple, Trackside will ring in 2015  with a countdown on the big screen at midnight, a champagne toast and music by DJ VJ. Ages 21+. No cover.

FOG Bar & Cafe

The Dolphin Strikers will be kicking off a high-energy masquerade ball at FOG Bar & Cafe from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $10 cover. Toast with bubbly at midnight.

Rock Harbor Brewery

CELEBRATE the New Year with some “Group Therapy” In Session.  This band plays the best cover songs you’ll know and love, and hearing them play Hendrix on the slide is awesome so prepare to dance up off your bar stool. Band will play from 8:30p.m. - 11:45 ish- just in time to get the champagne toast.

New The Landings

They’re going with a bang. The Landings is having a Kick The Keg early night party starting at 8 p.m. with dollar drafts, music and specials until 10 p.m. See them one last time before they close for the winter.

New Rockland Elks Club

The event starts at 6 p.m. for Social Hour. Appetizers are served at 7 p.m. Dinner with Prime Rib or Baked Ham The band Creatures of Habit will be playing.$35/person. Purchase tickets from Stewards or visit: Elks Lodge.

New The Speakeasy

Note: this packaged dinner/lodging and music event with Biscuit Miller and The Mix is sold out.

Thomaston

Highlands Coffee House

Expanding their ever-popular Open Mic, the Highlands Coffee House will be open to musicians, poets, writers and other creative folk starting from 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. There will be drink and food specials. No cover.

Waldoboro

The Bog Tavern

Bullwinkle's Family Steak House/The Bog Tavern will be hosting their annual New Year's Eve celebration with dinner specials, giveaways, the band Midlife Crisis starts at 9 p.m. There will be New Year's Eve toast at midnight. FMI: 832-6272

VFW Hall

There will be a dinner dance at the VFW Hall, Mill St.  with a buffet going from 7-8:30 p.m. Bad Penny plays 8:30 p.m.-midnight. $20 includes buffet and champagne. Proceeds support Voice of Democracy Program in local schools. Tix: 832-0540.

Tenants Harbor

The Quarry Tavern

You want a mellow, home-by-11 p.m. kind of night? By the Bay Jazz Trio,  The Quarry Tavern, 21 Mechanic St., Tenants Harbor. 7-10:30 p.m. FMI: EastWindInn.com or 372-6366.

Note: If your establishment isn’t listed here it’s because we were unable to find any details of your event posted online. We will be adding more details and more New Year's events as they become available. Please check back! To contact me with more details: Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

OAKLAND — Ernest Hemingway used to sit around at a bar, downing multiple cocktails made from the spirit absinthe, prompting the cocktail to be called Death In The Afternoon, after his novel by the same name.

Out of every alcoholic spirit on the shelf, absinthe is probably the least understood and most mysterious beverage—and it’s making a comeback in Maine.

Bruce Olson, founder and owner of Tree Spirits of Maine, in Oakland, is the first distillery in this state to receive federal approval to make and sell absinthe since the U.S. ban on it was lifted in 2007. His original creation, called Absinthe Verte, draws from a recipe from the 1800s, using his unaged applejack. It is re-distilled with grand wormwood, fennel and anise, then colored with an infusion of petite wormwood, lemon balm and hyssop.

Absinthe originated in Switzerland and became a favorite of the working-class French and artists, particularly the bohemian set. Originally made with a grape-based spirit, like a cognac, a change in the way absinthe was produced began to be known as “the poor man’s drink,” said Olson. “I believe the reason it became a more affordable drink in the 1800s is because they switched to a cheaper source of sugar, which was I think, beet sugar. Most absinthe is now made with neutral spirits. Everyone was looking for  the cheapest distilled spirit.”

Every day around 5 p.m., bars, bistros and cafes called their happy hour l'heure verte ("the green hour") after absinthe’s noticeably green-tinged color. With the addition of botanical ingredients, such as green anise, fennel and other herbs, it was nicknamed “The Green Fairy.”  The most important ingredient, grand wormwood, contained the chemical compound thujone, which was widely believed to cause the drinker to fall into a hallucinogenic state.

“Absinthe was huge in the late 1800s at a time known as La Belle Époque,” said Olson. “Because it was cheaper than wine at the time, it became a drink of the working class as well as the bohemians. That didn't make the wine makers happy.” The final straw was when a Swiss farmer killed his entire family after drinking gallons of liquor and wine, topping it all off with a drink of absinthe. The Swiss government banned the spirit from being made or sold in 1910. This prompted the U.S. to ban it in 1912. France, considered the biggest producer of absinthe, then banned it in 1915, with other parts of western Europe following suit.

It’s not widely understood why, after almost a century of being banned, that absinthe is once again, legal to produce and distribute in the United States. The Wormwood Society suggests that it’s because federal agencies have determined a specific method to analyze levels of thujone is now available. In this case, it’s only a trace amount. Not that anyone will necessarily notice. For many years, the makers of absinthe simply eliminated the wormwood, making a substitute product.

Olson said, “One of the original and biggest producers of absinthe in the world is the company Pernod, named after founder Henri-Louis Pernod, which still calls its absinthe brand Pernod,” he said. “When absinthe was outlawed, they basically just took the wormwood out of the formula and produced a similar product.”

When you look at Olson’s label, the ironic part of that federal requirement is that it features a shimmering fairy next to the wormwood plant.  “They approved our first label, which surprised us,” he said. “But given the fact that absinthe has been known for more than a century as ‘The Green Fairy,’ the federal agency perhaps thought a green fairy on the label was apropos. And the fluorescent green on the label doesn’t show it, but it’s sort of hazy around the wormwood leaves. We didn't think they were going to like that. It turned out after talking with them, that they were most concerned that it would be attractive to underage drinkers, but the price was high enough that wasn't going to happen.”

When Olson began looking for the herbs needed to construct absinthe, he couldn’t find any in Maine so he had to source it from an organic farm in Oregon. “But it’s interesting,” he said. “Since people have learned we’re making absinthe, we’ve gotten calls from Maine farmers who have what we need so we’re hoping this summer we’ll have locally sourced herbs for it.”

Since his product’s debut in April, it’s been very popular. “We make small batches at a time and each time, they sell out,” he said.

It’s not exactly the poor man’s drink anymore though, as each bottle sells for $57 for 375 milliliters and $77 for the 750-milliliter bottle.

He said the best way to serve the unique spirit is to put an ounce of absinthe into a glass with a slotted spoon across the rim. Then put a sugar cube on the spoon and drip ice water over the sugar cube, which drains into the glass. The goal is to dilute the drink to 4 ounces of water per 1 ounce of absinthe.

Olson said they distribute Absinthe Verte through Pine Street Spirits, and it can be specially ordered at small agency stores if not already carried.

To try a Death In The Afternoon this New Year’s Eve, here is the recipe:

• A shaker of ice, in which you pour:
• Juice from ¼ of a lemon
• ¾ ounce of absinthe
• A splash of Cointreau
• Shake and strain into a champagne flute
• Top with Cava or any sparkling wine (or champagne) and garnish with a lemon twist.

Watch Penobscot Bay Pilot’s “What’s In That Cocktail” video.

To learn more about Absinthe Verte, visit Tree Spirits of Maine

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

You’re strictly a farmer’s marker/food co-op kind of gal and you got a Subway gift card in your stocking. Or you’re tired of the Lumbersexual look and didn’t want that L.L. Bean gift certificate for Hannukah.

Ryan and Brooke Otis co-owners of Rollies Bar and Grill in Belfast, feel your holiday angst and for the third year in a row have offered a gift card/certificate exchange in return for Rollie’s gift certificate for the same amount.

Q: What gave you the idea of doing a gift certificate exchange in return for Rollie’s credit?

A: It was more in the hopes of getting some gift certificates for ourselves to use. Sort of selfish I guess.

Q: What’s the best “haul” you’ve gotten for gift certificates so far?

A: L.L. Bean, Reny’s, Subway. Buffalo Wild Wings.

Q: Do you have any stories on why people didn’t want their certain cards/certificates?

A: I do, but I can’t tell you or else they’ll get in trouble with the people who gave it to them. Most of these are food related, or out-of-town items, so it saves them a trip if they give it to us.

Q: What do you do the gift cards you don’t use?

A: Oh they’ll all be used, one way or another. Brooke will use the majority of them, I’m sure.

People have until Dec. 31 to exchange their cards/certificates for a Rollie’s gift certificate and Otis asks that people be patient when they walk in with them, as it takes some time to verify the authenticity of each card or gift certificate.

That $25 from Costco sitting in your junk drawer will sure go a long way with Rollie’s Monday sliders and Happy Hour.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

You would think, growing up in Boothbay Harbor, the Samoset Resort’s Executive Chef and resident ice carver Tim Pierce would be like this Paul Bunyan kind of guy who juggled chainsaws before he got into ice carving. Surprisingly — nope!

He didn’t even know how to use a chainsaw until he attended the Culinary Institute of America.

"They gave me some ice to carve and a couple of hours to come up with a design," he recalled. "And it was just enough to get me interested. So, the first chance I got after graduating to work for a company as a chef that needed an ice carver, I said 'I'll try it.'”

For the last two years, the Samoset Resort in Rockport has dedicated two weekends in January around the Glacier Ice Bar and Lounge, which Pierce and his team create. This winter, they bring back the event Jan. 16-19 and Jan. 23-25.

“The first year we did this, it totally blew us away how busy it was,” said Pierce.

It was such a novelty that 700 to 800 people were heading to the Samoset each night to see the bar. Cars were parked all the way back to Route 1.

Ocean Properties, the corporation that owns the Samoset Resort, happens to have a bevy of ice carvers on staff, Pierce among them. These same ice carving chefs will be among Pierce's team when approximately 50 ice blocks (that's 7.5 tons!) are delivered from New Hampshire five days before the Glacier event.

"The hardest part of it is that the ice is heavy,” he said. “We try to use as many people to share the load as possible when building the bar.”

They use hand trucks and a fork lift to load and unload the blocks on the back deck of the Samoset’s Enoteca Lounge.

To carve with a chainsaw, one must be very careful and precise.

"Ice is still dangerous to carve, but not as dangerous as wood because you don't have the kickback," he said.

Still, there is a lot to it — "tricky from the get go,” said Pierce.

The temperature has to be just so. If it's too cold (below 10F), the ice gets too brittle and cracks. If it's too warm (above 35F), it slushes.

"There's a pretty small window we have leading up to the event to carve," he said. "Once we've got it the way we want it, we tarp it off with a special insulating blanket, sort of a foil-covered bubble wrap and protect it from the sun, rain and wind."

They use include chisels, picks, industrial sanders and die grinders. One of the tricks of the trade is to get a flat sheet of aluminum and heat it up. It melts the surface of ice perfectly smooth. Adding droplets of water acts as the adhesive, allowing two blocks to form an ice bond.

Anyone who has seen his fanciful ice bar designs in the past can see how much artistry goes into all of the pieces — the bar itself, the ice chairs and seating areas, the ice “poster board” cut outs like his signature “Drunk Snowman,” even down to the ice shot glasses they use for the Luge.

Pierce sketches everything to scale on graph paper.

"It's a big puzzle,” he said. “You cut the ice up in a thousand little pieces than assemble back together. One of my thoughts for this year is to incorporate the glacier look into the ice with more rugged cracked pieces and incorporate some of the blue ice aspect."

Pierce puts in about 100 hours during the first week. At 5 p.m. when the crowds show up, he goes back into the kitchen and puts in a full night. At the end of that first weekend, he then heads to the Samoset's sister resort, the Sagamore at Lake George, and assembles an entire ice bar for them, as well.

"Definitely I'm ready for a day off when it's all over," he said.

Along with the ice bar, specialty drinks and bites, the family-friendly event will have more lighting around the public ice skating rink, more seating areas and more selfie photo ops. This is a definite “put on your calendar” event for the winter. Because like Frosty The Snowman, when this baby heats up, you’ll be bellying up to a pile of slush.

It's hard to imagine beyond what's happening in the next 24 hours, but yes, there is life after the holidays and plenty going on in the Midcoast. Be festive, be happy and be smart on the road!

Thursday, Dec. 25

· If you want a traditional hot Christmas meal, St. Peter's Episcopal Churh is hoting a FREE Christmas Day Community Dinner. Free and open to all. Featuring appetizers, a full turkey dinner with all the fixings, music, and holiday cheer. 11 White St., Rockland. FMI: 594-4523 or email: info@adasyoshuron.org

Friday, Dec. 26

· Okay Christmas is finally over. Whew! But if you can’t get enough of that holiday stuff, Friends of the Thomaston Public Library are screening It’s A Wonderful Life in the Community Room of Thomaston Academy Building, 60 Main St./Route 1. Free, but donations are accepted. Light refreshments. FMI: 354-2453.

New· It’s Boxing Day! The Sound of Music is playing at The Strand Theatre at 1 p.m. $10/adults $5/under 18. Tickets available at the box office 45 minutes prior to showtime on a first-come, first-served basis.

Saturday, Dec. 27

· This is kind of weird, but interesting. Maine Street Meats in Rockport is hosting a free butcher demo at 3 p.m. Apparently, Sean will be cutting a whole beef chuck from the front quarter. They use Caldwell Farms MOFGA certified beef in the demo this week. Free and open to the public. Please call 236-6328 for more details.

New · A Japanese film "From Up on Poppy Hill” by Goro Miyazaki is screening at CHRHS from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Admission by donation ($10/adult $5/child $20 family max suggested). There will be an intermission and refreshments will be served. Raffles will be available as well. Bring cash! See the trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-vfzhfq5JA

· Were you raised by wolves? That’s not an insult. It’s a tribute to the band playing at the The Speakeasy. Raised By Wolves plays a unique mix of rock, latin blues, motown and originals. The show starts at 8 p.m. No cover!.21+

· Houl Yer Horses! It’s not St. Paddy’s Day, but it’s good enough.  Check out Rock City Café this night as local musicians gather for an informal evening of traditional Irish tunes. Some toe-tapping tunes (and maybe a hot toddy) are guaranteed to warm a chilly winter evening and keep the holiday spirit thriving. They will be playing at  from 7-10 p.m. No cover but donations are appreciated.

· Come see Maine's own holler-folk band The Ghost of Paul Revere as they head up a dance party at the Belfast American Legion at 143 Church Street.  Show is 8-10:30 p.m.Tickets only $12.  Purchase online or in person at The Juice Cellar (9 Beaver Street in Belfast or Main Street in Bangor).  Tickets also available at the door.  Cash bar with ID.  RSVP on FB. 

Sunday, Dec. 21

· If you want to unwind from this wild weekend, Mes Amis, a gypsy jazz band is playing at The Highlands Coffee House from 1-3 p.m. Stay after brunch or go for a late lunch! 

· Musicians, bring instruments and voices and make music together at Sail, Power and Steam Museum at Sharp's Point South, 75 Mechanic St., Rockland. Free. FMI: 701-5050 or 701-7627. Coffee and cookies provided. Every Sunday, rain or shine.

· FOG Bar & Cafe hosts Drink & Draw. They supply the art materials and you provide the raw artistic talent. Drink and food specials all night.

· Salsa! But not the edible kind. The public is invited to dance the salsa, merengue and bachata at Swing & Sway Dancing, 143 Maverick St., Rockland. Donation requested. FMI: 593-7914. Beginners welcome.

Want to know where to go for happy hour every day of the week? Check out our updated Guide To Midcoast’s Happy Hours.

 If you have an arts and entertainment event that fits within the adult scope of fun and cool things to do for Weekend Picks, contact Kay Stephens at news@penbaypilot.com or like The Killer Convo on Facebook and put her on your events list.

Christmas Night, 1884. I’m sure you know where this.

For those who guessed last week’s Throwback Thursday photo, it was the Rockland eatery Simm's Lunch (its second location after the 1952 fire), owned by Carl Simmons, at the corner of Park and Union Streets, 1953. Taken by Sidney L. Cullen. The man on the far right facing the camera is John O' Sullivan Jr. Submitted by Andrew Carpenter and courtesy of Rockland, Maine History Facebook page.

The provider of this week’s photo will be revealed next week.

Merry Christmas!

Throwback Thursday needs your submissions. Send us your “back in the day” photos with a caption at news@penbaypilot.com

If anyone has ever played the un-politically correct party card game Cards Against Humanity, it’s essentially like Mad Libs for “horrible people.”

On Dec. 21, the Chicago-based owners of the best-selling card game, (originally a group of high school friends) announced through The Chicago Tribune that their annual holiday fundraising stunt raised enough money to buy the six-acre Birch Island in Lake St. George for about $200,000.

They raised the money by by offering to send 250,000 people 10 mystery packages in exchange for $15. So now, in actuality, the island, now renamed “Hawaii 2,” belongs to 250,000 people all around the U.S. Each person owns one square foot.

Max Temkin, a co-creator of the game told The Chicago Tribune that they always wanted to buy a private island as a joke. When they got the opportunity, they decided it would be a great idea to preserve the pristine island, while giving a little piece of it back to the game’s fans. Through the license agreement, the card game owners, not the parcel owners, will pay taxes and maintain the island and the use of the island will be for "nondestructive, recreational purposes."

In their license agreement they have sent to each person they wrote:

This square foot of land is yours to do what you want, as long as you don’t destroy it or break any laws. We’ve enclosed a small flag you can use to mark your territory. Here is a list of suggested Hawaii 2 activities:

 Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST — The whole world has been watching the surreal drama unfold these past weeks around the cyberhacking of SONY Entertainment Network over the Seth Rogan-James Franco satire The Interview and the fallout has been felt locally.

Mike Hurley, co-owner of Colonial Theatre in Belfast, decided last week to pull the movie in advance of SONY’s announcement that the company was scuttling the release of the movie nationwide.

He sent a letter to SONY last week expressing a multitude of reasons for canceling a showing of the movie, including his apprehension over the hackers' technological capabilities and their threats to distributors and exhibitors.

In his letter to SONY he wrote: “I have no idea what they might do to individual exhibitors, but based on their capabilities to date, I do not believe that writing some simple code for an attack/denial of service, or other attacks on our office computers, websites, and even our digital servers and projectors, does not seem to be a very challenging or unlikely scenario. In fact, it could be a very simple piece of code to attack theatres' Internet services that are showing The Interview.”

I spoke to him by phone to gauge his reasons, the public reaction and "the whole new ball game" of cyber-vandalism.

Q: People in the community have apparently complained about your decision to pull the movie. What do you want to say to that?

A: It is true, that without a doubt, I pulled it and a bunch of other theatres and distributors pulled it before SONY announced they were going to halt its distribution. All of the hot air that is surrounding this thing is like crack cocaine for people. Everybody has an opinion. I’ve had people really give me a hard time saying, ‘Oh you caved.' Yet, they’ve got nothing at stake. Nothing. When these hackers went after SONY, they didn't just take everything; they fried their servers afterward, leaving them with nothing. So, these people complaining to me, it's not their computer servers on the line.

Q: What's the worst that hackers could do to the little theatres?

A: I appreciate that people want to watch me burst into flames for their amusement, but I'm not doing it. For example, you work for Penobscot Bay Pilot. Imagine if someone had completely hacked your site and erased it and told you ‘We'll give you back your site if you drop this story.’ You guys would be seriously considering what you'd do next. And honestly, I really don't believe a physical attack could happen, but one of my mottos in life is never underestimate a sicko. So, you'd think, oh North Korea, they would never hold someone's son in America and tell them if you don’t attack a theatre, we'll kill your son. They would never do that, would they? We have no idea who is behind this or what else they are capable of. These people are like super high tech Ninja cyberwarriors. No army has stopped them so far. No amount of NSA surveillance has been able to identify them. It would be like child's play for these guys to write some code ‘Search for theatres playing The Interview.’ So, there you go.

Q: What is your opinion about the precedent set over the SONY example for artists of future satirical works?

A: Well as Jon Stewart said, ‘I made this movie, Rosewater, attacking Iran and no one cared.’ You have to take North Korea's insanity in mind here. If someone is nuts enough and has enough money, they can do a lot of damage.

Q: This is similar situation to the Muslim controversy over author Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses. Not only was his life threatened for years, but in 1989, after the book was published, the FBI was notified about almost 80 threats to bookstores, with two bookstores actually bombed in California. What is the difference this a similar situation for you?

A: I guarantee you if the same thing just happened to that publisher today and they had their entire website, email and communications wiped out, along with bomb threats, they would have rethought publishing it. They might choose to continue, but they’d think about it.

The thing is I didn't care enough about this movie. This is about cyber warfare. No police have yet to can figure this out. The feds can't figure out who did it. No one can protect you at this point. You know what? I'm going to take a pass. And for the people who are unhappy about my decision, well, it's like what someone just said to me recently. Picture a school taken hostage and the people whose kids aren’t in the school are the same ones saying ‘Don't negotiate with terrorists.’ Or here's another metaphor. Picture there's a bank robbery in progress. You know there are people inside with guns. Would you go in and try to do some banking? No, you wouldn't. That's what I'm looking at here.

Q: And you're saying the stakes might be high for some movies, but not this movie?

A: It's a piece of crud movie. I was looking at my schedule and we had an opening for this film. I enjoyed the trailer for the film; it seemed funny. But, I had mixed feelings anyway about booking it. After it opened in Russia and Europe, and 9 out of 10 reviews said it just stunk.

Q: Sounds like you're probably not the only small town theatre facing these same issues?

A: I do know of theaters all over the U.S. that were adamantly committed to playing it, and others that planned not to play it until it became an issue and then wanted to play it. What can I say? Some people are drawn to a fight. I get that. I've had people question my patriotism, my bravery and have said, ‘How can you sleep at night?’ My answer is: Like a baby. Then I wake up in five minutes and cry.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

For the holidays, we’re continuing our series to shine the spotlight on Maine craftspeople who make products by hand. This week it’s all about locally made wearable gift ideas. Each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

Karyl’s Jewelry Silver Filigree Earrings

The back story
Karyl and Manny Brown run a dual shop that recently opened this fall in Camden and Karyl’s side of the shop, a jewelry studio, is where she hand-makes all of her jewelry and knitted items. These silver filigree glass pearls earrings caught our eye not only because of their affordable price point, but also because of their delicate, ethereal effect, well suited for a snazzy New Year’s Eve get up.

In their words: “The combination of pearl with the platinum colored filigree reminds me of the gossamer effect of dragonfly wings, almost too delicate to be able to carry the body weight, but surprisingly strong.”

Where to find them/price range
Online: Karyl’s Jewelry  ($15.99 each), Offline: 25 Mechanic Street, Camden

Fox i Printworks Wavy Zippered Pouch

The back story
We featured these North Haven printmakers before headed up by young entrepreneurs Claire Donnelly and Sam Hollowell. For the next two weeks, they have a pop-up shop in Rockland that houses many of their original creations, along with handcrafted items from nearby islands. This item is described as “An amazing everyday, hold anything pouch, hand-sewn and silk-screened here in our studio on island. These pouches feature a light and dark blue wave pattern on a grey organic cotton fabric with a brass zipper and leather zipper pull.”

In their words: "We’ve used these as pencils/pens, wallets, a clutch, for toiletries and so on. Living on an island the ocean is a constant source of inspiration. we are always experimenting with different ways to represent it."

Where to find them/price range
Online: Etsy Shop ($18.00 each). Or visit their pop-up store at 464 Main Street.

Man on Main “Man Butter”

The back story
Man on Main in Belfast is one of the rare stores (if not the only one) in the Midcoast that has stylish clothes and stuff for guys. You’re not going to find Carharrts here! They carry Miss B Soapworks MAN BUTTER, a product handmade in Morrill, Maine of cocoa butter and coconut oil to soothe and moisturize the skin.

In their words: "Miss B’s is a small natural soap and skin care company located in the pretty little village of Morrill. Carefully selected ingredients coming from the most environmentally friendly, natural and organic producers throughout the country. We are very proud to reflect the sensibility of Maine by keeping our products simple, natural and beneficial."

Where to find them/price range
Visit their shop at 103 Main Street. ($10)

CAMDEN — This story is not just about 15-year-old Molly Mann, but it starts with her. In 2012, a few hours before a ski race at Sunday River, Molly, who was 13 at the time, wasn’t on her game.

“I was really tired that day,” she remembers. “I wasn’t feeling like myself.”

She recalls taking a test-run down a winding trail called Ecstasy and that’s where things got hazy.

“I’m not entirely sure what happened,” she said. “I just remember not physically being able to stand up anymore. So I sat down on the back of my skis.”

She began to drift forward and without realizing it, had inadvertently skied over the lip of a 25-foot ravine.

“I remember tumbling a few times, then it went all black,” she said.

No one knew where Molly was for an hour and half and during that time, she lay unconscious at the foot of the ravine. When the search party and ski patrol finally found her, they whisked her by ambulance to a spot where LifeFlight could pick her up and take her to Maine Medical Center in Portland.

She had multiple bone fractures, two skull fractures, a ruptured ear drum, and a punctured tympanic membrane and hearing nerve, which has resulted in total deafness in one ear.

She spent three days in the ICU at Maine Medical before they transferred her to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital for the rest of her recovery. She spent two weeks there, re-learning how to walk, a result of balance problems from her ear injury.

But she was grateful to be alive.

“Ever since then, I’ve always wanted to give back to them in in some way,” she said.

This year, along with fellow students at Camden Hills Regional High School, she was able to find a way to do that with her involvement in the school’s Interact Club.

Interact Club is a international club of high school students who gather to do community service-based projects through the school year. Internationally and nationally there are approximately 16,000 clubs. At CHRHS, there are approximately 60 students involved in the club, which is sponsored by West Bay and Camden rotaries.

Molly, the secretary of the Interact Club, proposed to the group that this year’s holiday project be dedicated to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and the kids in the club readily agreed.

“These are such a great group of kids who are motivated and really want to help people,” Molly said. “I thought what a good idea it would be to help the kids down in Portland with the money we made selling wreaths at Christmas By the Sea.” 

All of the students in the Interact Club supported this effort and the sales from their effort netted $500.

Sitting next to Molly during the interview was Annie Young, 17, the club treasurer, who also had a vested interest in focusing on the hospital’s children.

“My brother also has spent time at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, once as an infant and most recently, getting some tests done,” she said.

Her younger brother, now 12, in her words, “was the sickest one there.”

When Molly suggested the hospital as the beneficiary, Annie agreed it would be perfect. She said, “Since my parents have also stayed at the Ronald McDonald House down there, we all agreed, we’d donate the rest of what we had left over there.”

Molly and Annie, know first-hand what it is like for kids to be stuck in a hospital. 

“Even though that hospital is like a hotel with this beautiful architecture and comfortable rooms and great food,” said Molly, “you can still feel a little scared and sad.”  She added, “I loved the nurses, they were all great. I remember this one huge fish tank in the atrium that I would go to ever day.”

“Going into Christmas, many families are going to be spending their days at the hospital with their children,” said Annie fighting back a trembling in her voice when she recalls what her family went through. “I just know from seeing my brother in the hospital for a long period of time, it gets very emotional. I saw kids who were in a lot worse shape than my brother and I can’t imagine how the parents get through it. The biggest thing for me is having the kids realize we’re there to lift their spirits.”

That Friday afternoon after the interview, Molly and Annie went shopping with their advisor, Karen Hansen, and bought everything they needed locally at Sherman’s Bookstore and The Planet.

On Sunday, Dec. 14, five students from Interact Club along with Hansen, drove down to Portland to deliver toys, books, candy canes, crafts and other items to distribute to the kids at the hospital as well as the Ronald McDonald House.

The students included Molly, Harper Gordon, Rosie Lawson, Eliza Boetsch and Bill Bracher.  Annie Young had planned on coming, but unfortunately sprained her ankle in a basketball game on Friday night and was unable to join them.

Molly recalled her fellow students’ excitement after finally arriving with boxes of gifts in their hands.

“At first, one or two kids came out of their hospital rooms, then a whole bunch, along with some of their siblings. After making some snowflake crafts with the kids, they then sang carols. “One of the best parts was the gift giving because all of the kids carefully chose which gifts they wanted.”

After everything Molly has been through, this holiday project of the Interact Club has been enormously fulfilling.

“It felt overwhelmingly great for all of us,” she said. “Seeing how happy the kids were was awesome because we got to see our impact on them. When we drove home, we just felt so great bout it. It was amazing to give back.”

Related story: Empty Bowl dinner and silent auction

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Whole boiled lobster tail for 65 cents! Where is this and do you have any memories of this place?

Only a few of you guessed correctly on last week’s Throwback Thursday photo that the beach in the photo was Sherman’s Point circa 1925. (I didn’t realize that the top of the photo actually had the beach listed, duh). Reader Ben Cashen was the first one to get it right.

This week’s photo courtesy of Rockland, Maine History Facebook page.

Throwback Thursday needs your submissions. Send us your “back in the day” photos with a caption at news@penbaypilot.com

Last weekend was intense and I know many people who are still paying for their fun, but rein it in peeps, we still have to get through the next two weeks. If you've got Christmas/holiday party overload alread, here are some excellent alternatives.

Thursday, Dec. 18

· As always, the Open Mic at The Highlands Coffee House promises some great talent in the Midcoast and beyond. Drink and food specials. Sign up early.

· The Landings is hosting a special tasting menu/craft beer dinner by Rock Harbor Pub & Brewery. Cost is $35 per person/$50 per couple. Only 20 seats available.  Reservations required. Call 594-3011.

Friday, Dec. 19

· If you like acoustic originals and covers of folk, Married with Chitlins plays at The Narrows Tavern, Waldoboro. 8 p.m. No cover.

· The festivities continue with "Santa's Naughty or Nice Holiday Party" at Rock Harbor Pub & Brewery, in Rockland. 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m., Expect funky dance music by The Midnight Riders and a visit from Santa. Men pay $3 at door/women free.

· The Speakeasy is hosting the Tomorrow Morning band, which plays Pop/Rock/ Top 40/Dance/Reggae/ Hip Hop. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 20

· If you want to thrash away holiday overload, The Murder Weapon is bringing Psychobilly/Punk/Rockabilly to The Speakeasy. The show starts at 9 p.m. No cover if you’ve dined at The Chowder House beforehand.21+

· Or perhaps you’re more in the mood for some traditional jazz standards, with a 21st century feel. Barbour Clarke Jazz Duo will be playing at Rock City Café from 7-9 p.m. No cover but donations are appreciated.

· It’s "Game Night!" at Owl and Turtle Bookshop. 5-7 p.m.,  They’ll have Scrabble, Monopoly and others available, or bring your fave.

Sunday, Dec. 21

 · FOG Bar & Cafe hosts Drink & Draw. They supply the art materials and you provide the raw artistic talent. Drink and food specials all night.

 Hey, want to know where to go for happy hour every day of the week? Check out our Guide To Midcoast’s Happy Hours.

 If you have an arts and entertainment event that fits within the adult scope of fun and cool things to do for Weekend Picks, contact Kay Stephens at news@penbaypilot.com or like The Killer Convo on Facebook and put her on your events list.

ROCKPORT — Every year for the past 20 years, teens from Camden Hills Regional High School have participated in a holiday tradition that began with one, simple ceramic bowl. In an art class project, once headed up by Simon van der Ven, and now organized by art instructor Russell Kahn, students each create a special, one-of-a-kind vessel that is both artistic and functional, and they donate it to the annual Empty Bowl Dinner and Silent Auction. The point of of all of this effort is to not only feed the community, but also to donate everything they make that night to four area food banks and charities.

When folks from the community walked into the CHRHS cafeteria in Rockport on Dec. 15, they paid $8 at the door and then had their pick of dozens of beautifully crafted bowls to choose from. With vivid glazes, some bowls had Chinese symbols, dots, circles and other designs. Others had a message: ”Fill me.”

One wouldn’t necessarily know that these bowls were done by high school art students — they were that sophisticated.

“There are some that are hand built, but a lot of them are thrown,” said Kahn. “The other thing that makes them distinct is that I introduced the students to a new item that is like a squeeze bottle with a metal nib where the kids can actually draw precise linework with the glaze,” he said. “It’s been a hit ever since I found that tool down at Portland Pottery.”

Standing in line behind a row of tables with giant, steaming pots, students served the community a variety of homemade soups donated by local stores and restaurants, including the Belfast Co-op, Point Lookout, Bell The Cat, Darby’s Restaurant and Pub, The Whales Tooth Pub, Cappy’s Chowder House, The Waterfront, Peter Ott’s and Primo. Several teachers as well as the school’s food class also made some soups, which were an immediate hit, such as the Italian sausage with tortellini, which ran out within 15 minutes of the doors opening.

Other delicious soups ran the gamut from beef vegetable stew to vegan carrot coconut ginger soup. “It’s always a variety. I always said, ‘Let’s not make too many of one thing,’ and from day one, since I started organizing this project, I haven’t had to worry about it,” said Kahn, who has been doing this for the past eight years.

A bread line was filled with various donated breads from Borealis, Atlantic Baking Company, French & Brawn Market Place and The Market Basket

A silent auction was also on display, with a variety of crafts and stocking stuffers. After deducting some of the expenses for creating the bowls, the rest of the proceeds from that night were to be donated to Belfast Soup Kitchen, Northport Food Pantry, Christian Food Bank and The Salvation Army. Last year, Kahn said they were able to give each food bank and charity around $250 apiece.

He said, “It was nice because they weren’t expecting it and it helps them at a time when they need it most.“

For a lot of the high school kids, it’s one of those volunteer-led projects that allows them to give back in a creative way. Said high school senior Justin Lopez, who was standing in line serving the soup that ran out the fastest, “This soup was made by a bunch of guys on the football team.”

Standing next to him, his friend, Elizabeth Cummons, a junior, piped in, “They were very, very into making this soup, it’s quite adorable.”

Both kids said they liked doing this because it gave back to the community.

“I just like seeing a bunch of people come together and support a good cause,” said Cummons.

To see a gallery of the bowls the art students made, click here.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — It takes a lot of forethought to make a hideous Christmas sweater, and the folks who come out every year to benefit the Pope Memorial Humane Society do a great job with theirs. Here’s a gallery of photos taken Dec. 6 at the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party.

A number of organizations and people donated items to the event and the auction, resulting in more than $3,000 raised for Pope Memorial Humane Society.

• View gallery

(All photos courtesy Tracy Sala/Pope Memorial Humane Society)

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

For the holidays, we’re continuing our series to shine the spotlight on Maine craftspeople who make products by hand. This week it’s all about locally crafted food or drink items. Each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

Maine Beer Company ‘Lunch’

The back story

This small family business began between two brothers Dave and Daniel Kleban, and I love their “Do What’s Right” campaign, in which they give 1 percent of their sales to environmental nonprofits. They recently moved their operations from Portland to Freeport with a new tasting room. The Good Tern in Rockland carries a line of their tasty craft brews. Get a bottle of “Lunch” for a stocking stuffer.They call this their "East Coast" version of a West Coast-style IPA. Intense hop flavors and aromas of tropical and citrus fruits and pine dominate. A subtle malt sweetness brings the beer into balance.

In their words

“On May 2, 2006, I was traveling to Everglades National Park with my dad, my wife Heidi, and my daughter Zoe. I wanted to make something real. I thought, ‘What is better than beer?’  I mentioned to my dad that I should start a brewery. My dad joked, ‘You’ll drink all of your profits!’ By making enough beer, I figured I could solve that problem.”

Where to find them/price range

Online: mainebeercompany.com ($6.49 each), Offline: The Good Tern

World Salts Mini Kit

The back story

If there is a foodie or amateur chef on your Christmas or Hannukah list, this is a great little gift we found on Etsy made by a microbusiness in Bethel called Gneiss Spice. The three magnetic hexagon jars can stick to your refrigerator in a honeycomb pattern. These three mineral-rich sea salts come from Nepal, France and India.  

In their words

“Nepal: Mined form ancient sea salt deposits at the foot of the mountains. With 84 trace minerals, Himalayan Pink Salt is mined from ancient salt beds that have remained untouched by pollution and impurities since the crystals first formed more than 200 million years ago. France: Velvet De Guerandeby Le Trésor is light gray in color and almost the consistency of flour. This is a very delicate crystal that has a "buttery" feel. India: From El Salvador, Mayan Sun™ is a tropical sea salt formed from ocean water trapped in man-made ponds.”

Where to find them/price range

Online: Etsy.com ($20.25 each).

Coastal Maine Popcorn Co.

The back story

With stores in Boothbay and Portland, co-founders Paul and Julie Roberts just opened their latest popcorn shop in Rockland this past summer. Their sampler packs are a culinary version of a flight of craft brews. They’ve got three sampler packs, but the one we picked is The Classic, which has two cups each of five distinct flavors: Maine Maple, Salt & Vinegar, Buffalo Wing, Blue Cheese, and Key Lime Pie.

In their words

"After lots of requests from loyal customers who wanted an easy way to buy a variety of our flavors in one bag, we decided to offer a choice of three different Sampler Packs. The Fun Pack is aimed at our young customer base, the Chocolate Pack is for all of those chocolate lovers, and our most popular Sampler Pack is the Classic Sampler, which offers our five best selling flavors over the past five years."

Where to find them/price range

Online: coastalmainepopcorn.com ($14.99 each). Or visit the Rockland shop on 371 Main Street.

Stay tuned next Friday for our next guide. Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

This so happens to be a schizophrenic weekend of music all over the Midcoast, and we're happy about that. Holiday stress will slough off when you start dancing. Editor's Picks this weekend include Shemekia Copeland at the Strand, FOG’s Ugly Christmas Sweater Party and Hot Pink Flannel’s 13th Day of ChristmaHannuKwanza!

Thursday, Dec. 11

· As always, the Open Mic at The Highlands Coffee House promises some great talent in the Midcoast and beyond. Drink and food specials. Sign up early.

· If you like Soul Funk Blues/Rock & Americana, Necessary Music Productions and The Speakeasy will present a special show by a new dance band, The Midnight Riders, from 8 to 11 p.m.

· If you’ve never seen Shemekia Copeland at the Blues Festival, she is a powerhouse and opened for the Rolling Stones, headlined at the Chicago Blues Festival, shared the stage with such luminaries as Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, and has even performed at the White House. She will heat up the stage at the Strand Theatre in Rockland with her Holiday Blues Party at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $20/ General Admission. The Strand balcony and lobby bars will be open for ages 21+. FMI: Holiday Party.

Friday, Dec. 12

· These days, you just have to have an ugly Christmas sweater on hand, because SO many parties require it! Yep, FOG Bar and Cafe is throwing an official Ugly Sweater Christmas Dance Party with the band, Just Teachers, playing. A king and queen will be crowned. Starts at 9 p.m.

· Trackside Station in Rockland is having a Customer Appreciation Party from 4:30 to 7 p.m. with the band No Guts No Glory. Starts at 9 p.m.

· Myrtle Street Tavern in Rockland has its weekly Karaoke Night. Sing your heart out, strut your stuff! Goes from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

· Rock City Cafe in Rockland will host the band Raised By Wolves, which plays Latin jazz and blues from 7-9 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 13

· Nukele, a high-octane Maine band, is playing at Front Street Pub from 5 to 9 p.m. They play music from reggae to metal, funk to punk...and everything in between!

· Eat, drink, and shop local at the Sweetgrass Farm Winery and Distillery Holiday Bazaar, Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Union. On deck will be goodies to sample from Appleton Creamery with a huge selection of delicious cheese and Bixby & Co. with their scrumptious chocolates.

· If you're in need of a little holiday inspiration, or you just want to feel your heart swell with emotion and joy (it's a good thing this time of year) grab a ticket for the Songs of Solomon Gospel Choir, performing at the Rockport Opera House at 3 p.m. Last year was a sell-out concert—for good reason. It will help balance the hectic, stressful pace this time of year and renew your spirits. Click this link to see all the happenings during the Rockport Holiday on the Harbor event, and for tickets, visit Bay Chamber Concerts.

· The Speakeasy  is hosting a special holiday party organized by Hot Pink Flannel and the all-inclusive bash is called The 13th Day of ChristmaHannuKwanza! Get ready for a great group of people kicking it off at 9 p.m., with The Dolphin Strikers starting at 9:30 p.m. to kill the floor with their own brand of “sea ska.” $5 cover, 21 and over.

· Rock City Cafe in Rockland will host singer-songwriter Stesha Cano from 7-9 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 14

· After a nice brunch in Rockland, you might want to check out Lisa Redfern at Harbor Square Gallery from 1 to 3 p.m. She plays folk, bluegrass and jazz. $10 at the door. FMI: 594-8700.

· Eat, drink and shop local at the Sweetgrass Farm Winery and Distillery Holiday Bazaar, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. in Union. On deck will be goodies to sample from Appleton Creamery, with a huge selection of delicious cheeses, and Bixby & Co. chocolates.

· FOG Bar & Cafe hosts Drink & Draw. They supply the art materials and you provide the raw artistic talent. Drink and food specials all night.

Hey, want to know where to go for happy hour every day of the week? Check out our Guide To Midcoast’s Happy Hours.

If you have an arts and entertainment event that fits within the adult scope of fun and cool things to do for Weekend Picks, contact Kay Stephens at news@penbaypilot.com

 Now, I know it’s not easy to see a photo of a beach and try to guess where in the heck would this be in Midcoast, but I’m betting this will be very familiar to some of you. Can you guess what year?

Last week’s Throwback Thursday photo came from the Belfast Historical Society and Museum and featured a boy riding a flatbed truck full of furniture, which is the way families moved their belongings. Well, reader Gail Berry was the first to guess this photo’s origins correctly when she said, “This is Belfast, 1940s-1950s, on Main Street, lower left side where the Green Store is now. My father had a wood truck like this but older. I may be wrong, but my maiden name is Hatch and I remember my father saying he had a relative in Belfast who had a store on Main Street at that time.”

Photo courtesy Maine Historical Society and Museum

Throwback Thursday needs your submissions. Send us your “back in the day” photos with a caption at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST — Working mom Mandie Goody Sawyer had three reasons why a traditional Christmas tree wasn’t going to work for her family this year. First, they had gotten a puppy this fall and didn’t want him toppling the tree. “I could just see that being a disaster,” she said.

Second, as the part-time executive director for Habitat for Humanity of Waldo County, she needed to be thrifty on Christmas decorations this year; and third, she wanted to do something DIY, festive and creative that the whole family could participate in.

“Our house is really small,” she said. “And also, Christmas trees are around $40. Working part time right now, that’s a lot.”

She was browsing Pinterest, an online platform for various projects and interests, when Mannequins as Xmas Decorations caught her eye. She said. “I thought it was a great idea and it just so happens I had some mannequins in the basement.”

Sawyer had bought a child mannequin and an adult mannequin from a Belfast bridal shop for The Cinderella Project of Maine, a yearly giveaway of prom dresses to area teenagers that she’s organized for the last nine years.

“I’ve used them for all kinds of things over the years, but this past year, the adult mannequin’s base got broken, so it was just sitting unused in my basement,” she said. “I decided to see if the pole would fit in our Christmas tree base, and it actually fit perfectly.”

Sawyer went shopping for the materials to make the mannequin tree. “I got chicken wire for $5 at EBS,” she said. “I got the garland at Ocean State Job Lot for $8. Then, I went to The Dollar Store and got a bunch of poinsettias and ornaments, which I made into a necklace. That was only another $4. So, altogether this project cost me $17.”

There was only one problem. Her 7-year-old daughter, Aubrey, was not pleased at all with this idea. “At first, she was so mad. She said, ‘Mom, this is just so weird. I don’t like this.’ When she asked if she could put traditional ornaments on the lady tree, I told her we weren’t doing it that way this year. She was like, ‘This is terrible. This whole thing is ruined.” ”

While Aubrey was still trying to wrap her head around why her mother was trying to “ruin” Christmas, Sawyer began to get to work, making a “dress” for both mannequins. She already had wire cutters at home, although her husband, Ben, had to do the cutting, because she’s left handed and she couldn’t get them to work for her. She wrapped the chicken wire around the hip of each mannequin and attached it loosely with zip ties. Then, she layered in white Christmas lights, garland and poinsettias.

She allowed Aubrey and her older sister, Brynne, to decorate the child mannequin any way they wanted, but soon, they began to take a cue from their mother’s DIY sense. They re-purposed things they already had in the house, such scarves for the bodice and ribbons. But yes, some ornaments had to go on the child’s tree.

Sawyer said she was surprised at how many comments and compliments she’s gotten about it after posting the finished project on Facebook.

“I think it ended up being pretty inspiring for the kids,” she said. “I don't think Christmas has to be expensive and I don't think DIY has to be cheap looking. Doing this project has shown both myself and the girls that we can have nice decorations without breaking the bank.”

As for their puppy? He has sniffed around the mannequins a little bit, but there’s a good chance they will remain upright and festive for Christmas Day.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

THORNDIKE — Tucked away in a rural, inland part of Maine, an unassuming sprawling building doesn’t look like much from the outside. But Bryant Stove & Music in Thorndike is totally worth the drive. Inside, there are so many wild and wacky vintage treasures, it will take more than one story to cover them all.

Let’s start with the miniature stoves that sit atop a long shelf that spans the length of their antique stove showroom. Owned by Joe and Bea Bryant, who have collected these tiny toy stoves and working salesmen samples from all over the country for the last 50 years, these cast iron miniature replicas of full-size vintage stoves all differ in size and shape. The Bryants’ daughter, Julie, who takes care of the store while her parents are away for the winter, is not sure which ones are actually toys and which are salesmen’s samples.

According to the website Antiqbuyer,com, run by two experts who are full-time active antique dealers in antique and vintage small child size, miniature or salesman sample size stoves, “Small antique stoves are one of the most widely misunderstood of all collectibles in the antique toy stove antique marketplace today. Even the ‘experts’ often times cannot agree on what constitutes a salesman sample, display model, a simple toy, or even an outright fake.”

Apparently, salesmen trying to sell gas or electric stoves, would pack up one of these small-but-heavy display stoves in a carrying case and go around to shopkeepers and households and demonstrate how the stove worked in order to lure the customer away from their trusty old wood-fired stove.

Then, there are renditions of toy stoves made of cast iron with finishes of nickle, enamel or graniteware. But how to know if it is a display piece or an actual toy? Antiqbuyer.com provides a clue. “Some of the largest and most prolific makers of toy cast iron stoves were Stevens, Kenton, Hubley and a few others.  Stoves with names like the Baby, Royal and Queen were made by these toy makers, while in general stoves with names like Buck's, Charter Oak, Detroit Stove Works or others with actual company or stove works in their names were made by or for that company.”

We’ve created a gallery for to look at based on some of the miniature stoves in this place, with a request from our readers to provide us with more clues.

To learn more about what other fascinating relics reside at Bryant Stove & Music, visit: bryantstove.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com