Boo! That’s the only hint you’re getting with this TBT photo. Can you guess where this is and the era?

Last week’s Throwback Thursday got some traction.  It was a photo of a parade on Main Street in Rockland, looking south from Elm Street, circa 1940. First National is now the location of Key Bank. Commenter Sarah Sylvester Tavares had a good story: “My grandparents Herman and Carrie Winchenbaugh managed this store when it first opened for about 20 years. We shopped there every Friday. My Mom walked up from the South End.  I either went with her or met her there after school and my Dad would come and pick us up with the groceries after he got home from work. It was the primary grocery in town for many years.”

Commenter Peggy Palmer also had another great story about that store. “My father bought me the biggest white teddy bear there that I had been eyeing for weeks. Stopping for a few groceries, and it being my birthday, he bought it. People gave him strange looks as he drove through town that night. He had put the bear in the passenger seat. It was approximately four feet tall and cost $10.00. Today, it would probably cost close to $100.00.”

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

ROCKLAND — On the last stop of their month-long tour, the annual film showcase titled Damnationland: The Way Life Should Bleed will be back in Rockland on Saturday, Nov. 1 at The Strand Theatre. Fans of the horror genre as well as Maine indie films will appreciate Damnationland’s current lineup, which features seven short Maine-made films from Maine filmmakers who redefine the classic thriller and horror categories, leaning toward visions that are surreal, comedic, and artful, while still providing scares, shocks and surprises.

When organizer and co-producer Eddy Bolz used to be a projectionist for Portland’s Nickelodean Theater, he had the idea to start a film showcase around the Maine horror genre and found that it was wildly popular. He invited his two co-producers, filmmakers Allen Baldwin and David Meiklejohn, to start the first Damnationland film project with him and recruit other filmmakers to contribute to the showcase.

”The rest is kind of history,” he said.

Along with another co-producer, Charlotte Warren, this is the fifth year that the group has undertaken this grassroots, out-of-pocket tour all around Maine to be able to show these films to Mainers around Halloween. They don’t operate like a traditional film festival. The producers curate each film by choosing Maine filmmakers based on the strength of their previous work and their connection to Maine, and then commission them to create a new film that will premiere in the program. In exchange, Damnationland  promotes the short films on a statewide tour.

All of the filmmakers in the 2014 series come from Portland. “The whole point of it is to expose people all around Maine, not just in Portland, to some of these great Maine filmmakers,” Bolz said.

Each film is around 10-15 minutes with seven one-minute film bumpers between each feature made by Through the Door Productions, tying the entire showcase together in 90 minutes.  “I think horror fans will appreciate the diversity of the films this year,” said Bolz. “There are some interesting horror subgenres. There isn’t your typical horror movie series; although there will be some monster movies, and some fun, quirky films too.”

As for vampires and zombies? Nope, not this year. Every year is different. But Midcoast film-goers will catch a glimpse of Belfast in one of the short films titled Driver’s Seat (directed by Jason M. Bosch for Red Stallion Media). Here’s the premise:

In the back country roads of Maine, a woman spots a car accident. She stops to help the victim, but quickly discovers that he was involved in more than a mere fender bender.

Other films include several psychological thrillers and demented characters, with the backdrop of Maine providing much of the scare factor itself.  In a profile of this fall’s not-to-be-missed events, the Portland Phoenix describes the films as “ranging from spooky to gory, darkly comedic to downright terrifying.” 

Starting with the world premiere at the State Theatre in Portland, the Damnationland 2014 films have traveled to Brunswick, Bridgton, Ogunquit, Saco, Lewiston and Dover-Foxcroft. Many of the screenings will be followed by a brief talk with the filmmakers and actors, where audiences can ask questions about the film-making process - behind the films.

Full details of each screening are available on the Damnationland website: http://damnationland.com/screenings

While these films are not rated, they do contain strong language and depictions of violence, and therefore may not be appropriate for younger children or sensitive viewers.

The showcase starts at 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 1. Tickets are $8.50/Adults, $7.50/Under 12, Seniors.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — Now that we’re heading into late fall, where Muck boots and long sweaters that double as Snuggis are considered fashionable, Rockland Main Street is bringing the glam back with its second annual “Rockland Has Style” fashion show tonight, Oct. 29, in the Knox County Ballroom at the Samoset Resort.

Gordon Page, the executive director of Rockland Main Street Inc., which is hosting the event, said that this is a unique way to bring more attention to the downtown businesses and community.

“There’s not a lot of fashion shows that go on around here,” said Page. “But we certainly have a lot of businesses who are happy to participate.” More than 20 businesses in fact, will be on hand to drape their models with clothing, cosmetics, hair, jewelry and accessories.

The way it works is that each business gets to do sort of a PechaKucha style presentation with their own models displaying their wares. Each business has up to six minutes to showcase three separate models walking for two minutes while the business owner narrates what they’re wearing.

“It’s basically an opportunity for businesses to do a live commercial in front of a live audience for hopefully up to 250 people.” said Page. And it’s also about entertaining the crowd while providing some gift-giving ideas for the fall and holiday seasons.

Asked how one can get people to actually pay to attend an event where they are essentially watching commercials, he said, “I’ve been in radio broadcast and music industry for a long time and a live show is always so much more fun than a canned program or commercial. You feel the energy, you have an opportunity to relax, have a couple of cocktails, a bite to eat.  In many ways, it’s kind of a Ladies Night Out when you go with some friends.”

The models had a blast last year and many are well known members of the community. Among others, models for the evening's events will include Chris Raye, Celia Knight, Kelly Woods, Janet Page, Maggi Blue and Chris Oliver. Makeup will be provided by RHEAL Day Spa, and hair styling will be provided by Coppola Salon and Day Spa.

“A lot of the models will just be getting off work and we’ve got people on hand to freshen up their makeup or do their hair,” said Page. And human models aren’t the only ones giving “face” to the crowd. There will even be clothing for pets on the runway.

North Atlantic Blues Festival promoter Paul Benjamin will emcee the event. And there may be some additional music once the presentations are over. There is even a rumor that the newly formed Knox County Camera Club might be on hand — gotta have some paparazzi!

Tonight’s event begins at 6 p.m. with a cash bar and complimentary light bites. FIORE will be on hand with an Artisan Olive Oils and Vinegars tasting table. The fashion show begins at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $15 per person, and are available at participating businesses, and at the door prior to the show. For more info visit Rockland Main Street Inc.’s Facebook page.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—For fans of the literary horror genre, Dracula by Irish author Bram Stoker, is considered one of the best novels of the 19th-Century and unlike its title character, continues to live on into eternity.  In that vein, (yup, went there) vampire fans and history buffs flocked to the the Strand Theatre Sunday, Oct. 19, to hear Bram Stoker’s great grand-nephew, Dacre Stoker, give a fascinating presentation on the historical source materials that shaped Bram’s writing of Dracula. Following, the Strand screened an award-winning 50-minute documentary, Vampires of New England, by Historical Haunts, which examined turn-of-the-century cases of purported ‘vampirism’ in New England.

But first, a bit on Dacre’s presentation.

An author himself, Dacre is clearly a person who finds his distant relative as intriguing as millions of fans around the world and it was a real treat to hear from him on what made Bram tick as an author. For instance, we learned that up until the age of seven, Bram fell ill with an undiagnosed disease, which Dacre hypothosized might have been a respiratory illness. Given the era where blood-letting was common medical practice as a cure-all, Dacre posited that this childhood trauma would come into play later on in Bram’s career.

Combine that with growing up in a bleak era in Ireland where the Irish were just coming out of the potato famine. Cholera deaths were so common that some sick people were getting taken away in the night mistakenly to contain the contamination; in some cases, not knowing if the person was actually dead, a few were buried alive.

Dacre surmised that by the time Bram became an adult, he’d had a ‘perfect storm’ of Gothic horror ideas, stories and experiences to inspire his dark imagination. For example, in the novel, Dracula, where Jonathan Harker is preyed on by the ‘sisters’ (Brides of Dracula) and falls under their  spell, Dacre said this is likely a literary device that was manifested from Bram’s own childhood fears of being subjected to blood-letting against his will.

Even though Bram grew up in a middle-class family and had the talent to become a writer, that was not considered a suitable career and he had a filial duty to follow his father’s footsteps to become a clerk, taking over when his father could no longer do the job.

An active athlete and highly imaginative young man, Bram was understandably bored and unfulfilled in this job, so he found refuge in writing as a hobby. But, by nature, he was still a disciplined and a methodical writer and wanted his novel to have a real aspect to it in order to create suspension of disbelief.

Dacre’s presentation allowed glimpses into these methods showing scribbled character notes and marked-up train schedules that depicted how long it would take for Jonathan Harker to travel from England to Transylvania.  

As to the name Count Dracula, slides of historical evidence show that Bram originally chose Count Wampyre as his first choice, then scratched that out and later changed the character name to Dracula. He’d found this term in a Wallachian pamphlet while researching Vlad the Impaler, Prince of Wallachia, which in translation means ‘Devil’ and he thought that had a better ring to it.

Dacre has not only traveled the world to present this compelling Stoker family history, but he has also cowritten a best-selling novel, Dracula the Un-Dead, the Stoker family endorsed sequel to Dracula.

To round out this evening, filmmaker Alec Asten, who is at the helm of Historical Haunts, a film production company that celebrates New England Horror folklore, followed Dacre Stoker’s presentation with a documentary, Vampires of New England, which explores the gradual evolution of vampire mythology.

The documentary demonstrated how closely consumption was tied to people’s misperceptions of vampirism. For example, the effects on the victim were shockingly the same — wasting away of vital energy, a deathly pallor, a sunken chest and often, a propensity to cough up blood. Before anyone knew what the disease was or how to control it, families and healers tried all kinds of bizarre and gruesome “remedies” from grinding up the blood and bones of swallows as a tincture to cutting out the heart of an exhumed body suspected of vampirism, burning it with ashes and serving the leftover disgusting paste as a tonic to young children.

For those who find this genre of literature and film-making mesmerizing, this was a special evening of lore, facts and chilling real-life legends of New England.

For more information about Dacre Stoker visit bramstokerestate.com For more information and to see a streaming video of Vampires of New England, visit histhaunts.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Are you all set to rage into the Halloween season? The Midcoast is getting an early start on the Witching Hour and we have combed every cool event going on we could find to bring you a comprehensive rundown of Halloween-themed events. We’ve color-coded these events for Adults and Kids to make finding them easier. Don’t forget that there is also a Candy Drive for the neighborhoods in Camden and Belfast most hit up for Halloween.

Friday, Oct. 24

· Adults and Kids: Fright At The Fort is seriously bugging out this year and the crowds are loving it. Visitors are led through the dark passageways of Fort Knox where indescribable things lurk in the shadows, creating screams of fright. Admission is $10 per person ($5 for those 12 and under) Additional information on Fright at the Fort 2013, may be found on the fortknox.maineguide.com. The three dates remaining, Friday/Saturday, Oct. 24, 25 and on Halloween. 5:30 to 9 PM (arrive by 8:45), tickets only $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 12.

· Adults and Kids: Megunticook Campground is having a haunted hayride and village with a screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show from 5-9 p.m. Tickets: Adults $10’ 12 and under $5.

Saturday, Oct. 25

· Kids: Skulls! From 1-2 p.m. at the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center on 9 Water Street in Rockland.Wildlife Biologist Beth Goettel will lead a program for school-aged children examining a variety of skulls to reveal facts about animals, including what they eat. FMI: click here.

· Adults and Kids: A pumpkin carving and display is happening at The Muck, also known as Kirby Lake, on Lincolnville Ave - just up from Hannaford’s. Materials are supplied for the first 40 folks.  If you have a pumpkin from home, bring it along for the photo and voting.Starts at 4 p.m. Votes will be cast for the crowd's favorites and at 6 p.m., some prizes will be awarded. Apples and treats for everyone. FMI: Call the Chamber at 338-5900.

· Adults and Kids: A free sketch-fest is happening at Waterfall Arts from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. One of the activities they will be doing is the Exquisite-Corpse-a-Thon. Imagine taking a very large sheet of paper and folding it in thirds, so all you can see is the top third. A few people draw the head and shoulders of a monster, then fold it over so just the middle third of the paper is showing. Another group draws the torso and then another group draws the feet. Hold the hold thing up you’ll see a crazy fantastical creature.

· Adults and Kids: Fright At The Fort 5:30 to 9 p.m. (arrive by 8:45), tickets only $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 12.

· Adults and Kids: Megunticook Campground is having a haunted hayride and village with a screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show from 5-9 p.m. Tickets: Adults $10’ 12 and under $5.

Sunday, Oct. 26

· Kids: Planet Toys in Rocklandin Rockland is having a big anniversary and Halloween Party from 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. They will have cake, cider, a raffle, and you'll get to meet ELSA from Frozen! Come in costume!

Tuesday, Oct 28

· Adults and Kids: If you’ve ever wanted to bust out those sweet patented Michael Jackson moves when the Thriller song comes on, you’re in for a treat. Kea Tessyman, owner of Kinetic Energy Alive Productions, has this dance down pat and it is so much fun to learn. She will be hosting a Dance Workshop-Fundraiser held on Tuesday, Oct. 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at High Mountain Hall, in Camden. Open to families and all ages. No experience needed. Costumes optional. Suggested donation of $20. For information or to hold your spot at the Workshop-Fundraiser, email director Kea Tesseyman at kineticenergyalive@gmail.com or call 2079754450.

·  Adults: The Flagship Cinema in Thomaston is hosting a free movie, The Shining at 10 a.m. This classic Stanley Kubrick movie is spectacular on the large screen–don’t miss it!

·  Adults: A very cool literary event for Halloween, the Highlands Coffee House in Thomaston is hosting Maine authors read tales or horror, mystery and suspense from 6-8 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 29

· Adults: Lincoln Street Center is turning their weekly Open Mic into a Halloween Party this evening with a dance costume party with prizes for the best costume. The event goes from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Come shake and rattle your bones!

 Thursday, Oct. 30

· Adults and Kids: The Lincolnville General Store is hosting a pumpkin carving event.from 3:00-4:30 at Walsh Common in the Lincolnville Central School. For $2 they can get a pumpkin, and assistance carving the pumpkin. They are hoping some folks will donated their carved Jack-O-Lanterns to set up a display on Halloween when kids go trick-or-treating.

· Adults: Kind of interesting, this combines highbrow with the supernatural. The Rockland Public Library, will present "'Enter Ghost', Shakespeare's Preternatural Universe" at 6 p.m. in the Library's Community Room. The performance, created and performed by seven members of the Society, will be a collage of vignettes containing various supernatural elements, from nine different plays, contrasting some of the scariest and most dramatic scenes in all of Shakespeare. FMI: click here.

· Adults: The Camden Opera House is screening the iconic 1080s film Halloween starring Jamie Lee Curtis. What better venue to watch a scary film at this time of year than in their famously haunted, gorgeous Victorian venue?! Tickets are $8.50 and available at camdenoperahouse.com, (207)470-7066 or at the Camden Town Office M-F 9am-3pm.

· Adults: Another eerie literary event, Damariscotta’s Maine Coast Book Shop is hosting GHOST NIGHT, at 8:00 p.m. Anyone who has had a personal experience with the paranormal is encouraged to share their story with the audience. Please contact staff member Lauri Campbell at campbell@midcoast.com or call 563-3207. Staff will be joined by Greg Latimer, author of "Haunted Damariscotta." Horror illustrator Glenn Chadbourne and author/speaker Van Reid will also be on hand to help set the mood.

· Adults: Cuzzy’s Restaurant in Camden is throwing a “Scareoke” costume party with drink specials from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Friday, Oct. 31 (Halloween)

· Kids: The Rockport Public Library is starting a new tradition, the Library Halloween Party! There will be Halloween Happenings beginning at 4 p.m., and the library is staying open until 6:30 p.m. There will be refreshments, a haunted book-talk station and face-painting. Children will be making Spooktacular treat bags, Boooo-marks, and painting pumpkins.

Updated! This event has been cancelled!· Kids: The Peril on Pearl Street awaits you this Halloween. Goes from 6-9 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, 91 Pearl Street in Camden. This haunted house is brought to you by volunteers for the Five Town Communities That Care Coalition. Suggested donation: $2.00

· Kids: Waldoboro Fire Department will once again be filling guests with fear as they travel the halls of the former A.D.Gray Middle School from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.  This year's theme is "Fairy Tales Gone Bad." Those who dare will be able to visit horrific scenes from their favorite childhood stories. Goldilocks and the Three Bears will keep company with Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Blind Mice, and many more. Note: The Halloween Night showing is not intended for younger children. Admission is $1 per person.

· Adults and Kids: Rock City Cafe is hosting their Halloween Jamboree featuring Georgiana Butler. Goes from 7-9 p.m. for some Halloween fun! Bring the whole family! Games! Prizes! LIVE music

· Adults and Kids: Fright At The Fort 5:30 to 9 p.m (arrive by 8:45), tickets only $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 12.

· Adults and Kids: Celebrate the October Belfast Arts Final Fridays Art Walk on All Hallow's Eve from 5:30-8 p.m.! Over 15 Galleries will be open for the evening.

· Adults and Kids: Megunticook Campground will be extending their second annual Haunted Campground on Halloween night. 7- 10 p.m. There will be a haunted hayride and a haunted village. The cost is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids under 17.

· Adults: This is probably the most hip happening in the Midcoast for Halloween. Necessary Music and The Speakeasy in Rockland are throwing a Halloween party with Temp Tales latest episode "Andrew the Seal's Revenge" viewing at 8 p.m. The Halloween party kicks off with live music by The Dolphin Strikers. People are encouraged to dress up as Temp Tales characters. No cover!

· Adults: Front Street Pub in Belfast is throwing a Walking Dead-themed Halloween Party and costume contest. $250 prize for best zombie and $250 prize for best hunter. There will be DJ's, dancing, games, prizes, passed food, and an outdoor special area for the whole weekend. $5 cover with passed apps. Goes from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

· Adults: Bowen’s Tavern in Belfast is having their second annual Halloween Party with the band, Oversoul starting at 9 p.m. There’s a $150 cash prize for best costume, winner take all. No cover.

· Adults: FOG Bar in Rockland will be jamming with Just Teachers, from 9 p.m. to midnight. No cover.

· Adults: Three Tides in Belfast is throwing an awesome Friday Fright Night, with a black light, 80s dance party for Halloween! Starts at 8 p.m. Music starts at 9 p.m. music. 21+ No cover!

· Adults: The Badger Cafe in Union is throwing a Halloween party! Starts at 9 p.m., with rockin' live music from All Stove Up!

· Adults: Cuzzy’s Restaurant in Camden is throwing a “Red Light & Pirate Night” costume party from 9 p.m. to midnight. Sexy costumes or pirate costumes encouraged. Prizes, giveaways and drink specials.

Saturday, Nov. 1

· Kids: For those young ‘uns who were too little for the Waldoboro Fire Department’s haunted house, in the halls of the former A.D.Gray Middle School, this year's theme is "Fairy Tales Gone Bad," and a tamer version of the haunted house with minimal fright, will be held Saturday afternoon, 4-6 p.m. Admission is $1 per person.

· Adults: Front Street Pub in Belfast is throwing a Day of the Dead Costume party to celebrate the Mexican holiday. $100 Cash Prize for The best face/hair/get up. $100 Cash Prize for The Best Full Day of the Dead costume There will be DJs, dancing, games, prizes, passed food, and an outdoor special area for the whole weekend. $5 cover with passed apps. If you have a meal at La Vida, show your receipt and the cover fee is waived.

· Adults: Rouse yourselves up from the dead, The CMCA’s 2nd annual “Afterlife” party is going to be another hella Hallow fest at 86 Pascal Hall in Rockport.. If you went to the first one, you know how intricately decorated this will be. Tickets are $20 for members/$25 for future members. Music by Owen Cartwright. Bar set up by 40 Paper. Costumes required. Tickets are limited. Purchase online or call: 20-236-2875.

· Adults: The Strand Theatre is doing a special one-night presentation from Maine filmmakers that redefine the classic thriller and horror categories. Now in its fifth year, the DAMNATIONLAND 2014 program will feature world premieres of seven short films produced in Maine by Mainers especially for the Halloween season. These are dark, surreal, and fantastic pieces, and they offer film fans an excellent sampling of the talent producing independent film in Maine today. Starts at 10:30 p.m. $8.50 for adults.

· Adults: Cuzzy’s Restaurant in Camden is throwing a “Natural” costume and karaoke party from 9 p.m. to midnight. Maybe they’re all worn out from the last two nights, because this is a “wear what you want” theme. Prizes, giveaways and drink specials.

If you have any public events to go with this list, email Kay Stephens at news@penbaypilot.com

Kind of a slow weekend, folks. And I promise, not one mention of Halloween. (We’ve compiled all of the Halloween cool stuff for both adults and kids in a separate list titled Your Halloween Rundown.)

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

Thursday, Oct. 23

· 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 is at 6 p.m. and goes from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

· Hey artists and fans of Waterfall Arts Anon Show! They’re hosting an Anon Salon focusing on the current anonymous show at Waterfall Arts, where they will share thoughts and insights on the works and perhaps take up other art matters. See our story on the show’s guessing game aspect here. The salon is a free event and open to everyone. Starts at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 24

· The Belfast Co-op Café will be offering a free tasting of Peak Organic beers, and the opening for Audrey Broetzman's art exhibit, Sombras Gemelas/Twin Shadows, which will be on display in the Café through late November. Event goes from 7 to 9 p.m. FMI: click here.

· Rejoice because at 8 p.m. Friday, Lovewhip brings their energetic dance music to the stage at The Speakeasy in Rockland. The Boston Globe says "Lovewhip has a celebratory and upbeat feel that has kept crowds dancing everywhere they play." Lovewhip creates a live show that is rooted in fun with the passionate vocals and dance moves of the "soulful electro-rock diva." Show starts at 8 p.m. with a $5 cover, which is waived if you dine upstairs at the Chowder House.

Saturday, Oct. 25

· Belfast is joining the fun of The Big Draw with a free sketch-fest at Waterfall Arts on Saturday, Oct. 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Big Draw is an annual celebration of drawing happening around the world in more than 20 countries, with 280,000 people expected to participate in more than 1,000 events.  This isn't going to be an art class with people sitting at tables drawing. It's an art party: it's going to be big. It's going to be silly. It's going to be over the top.

· If you’re into folk music, Rockport Opera House is hosting a concert featuring several of Maine's best-known folk musicians, including Gordon Bok, Nick Apollonio, David Dodson, the Gawler Sisters and Dean Stevens. The concert benefits We the People Maine, a state-wide organization with a mission to “return power to the people, not corporations.” Tickets are $18 in advance, and $21 at the door.  Purchases can be made online at wethepeoplemaine.me; in Rockland at Good Tern Co-op and the Grasshopper Shop; in Camden at K2 Music; in Belfast at  Belfast Co-op; in Thomaston at Highlands Coffee House; and in Union at The Common Market and MicMac Market.

· The Ale House String Band is playing Rock City Café at 7 p.m. The band is comprised of Brian Dunn on mandolin, April Reed-Cox on cello and Oren Robinson on guitar. No cover, but donations appreciated.

· If you like the blues, Blind Albert will be playing at The Speakeasy at 8 p.m., with a $5 cover (cover waived if you dine upstairs at the Chowder House.)

Sunday, Oct. 26

Combined with a stellar Sunday drive, South Thomaston is hosting an Open Studio Tour from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The studios will feature works of encaustic wax art and printmaking, hand-made artist books, paper and ceramic masks, ceramics, sculpture, collages and prints, all created by artists with studio space on the premises. More details are available at: www.26splitrockcove.com.

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

Easy one. But who knows what First National Stores carried and what’s in its place now? Tell us your stories.

Last week’s Throwback Thursday photo got some good comments. those who guessed The Lincolnville Ferry were correct. Ding! Ding! It was the Lincolnville Beach terminal of the Isleboro ferry, built in 1959.

Photo courtesy 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

LIBERTY — Like many a home brewer before him, Guy Hews’ hobby has morphed into something bigger and now, the Midcoast can claim another small-batch microbrewery. With Liberty Brewing Co.’s grand opening on Saturday, Oct. 18, hundreds of people made the scenic drive to check out the rustic tasting room located on 7 Coon Lane off Route 220 in Liberty.

The two-car garage, which stands apart from his house overlooking a spectacular mountain range used to be Hews’ “glorified man cave” before he converted the downstairs into the brewing facility and the upstairs into the tasting room. Standing behind the bar as his wife, Karen, welcomed people in and his daughter, Maddy, tallied up people’s purchases, Hews poured from his taps and chatted with the crowd. The free tastings came in either small or large Dixie cups delivered in hand-hewn paddles Hews made and featured a range of beers in the pale ale and lager region.

A couple of his beers centered around local flavors, such as his Queenbee Honey Lager, which contains more than 11 pounds of Clover honey in each batch. His Blueberry Ale also has a good story. His great-grandfather came down from Canada to do blueberry farming and left the property to Hews’ uncle, who leases it out commercially. There’s a still a plot left for Hews’ family to use personally and the whole family goes up every year to rake the blueberries. After he boils the batch down into a concentrate, Hews adds it to his beer, resulting into a fresh, floral taste that doesn’t overwhelm.

Coming up on Halloween, his Chupacabra IPA (8 percent abv) is sure to have a cult following with those who enjoy spooky legends to go with their beers.

“My wife’s from Turner and a few years back, they found something on the side of the road,” he said. “And they didn’t know if it was a dog or a wolf or what it was, and the state police and a Maine biologist determined it was a chupacabra.” For those who aren’t familiar with the Latin American term, it is said to be mysterious beast that drains the blood of pets and livestock. See the original story here. “I always liked the story and I thought the name fit what is a very bold, outrageous beer.”

Hews has been doing small-batch micro-brewing for about five years.

“I had several friends and locals who loved the brews and asked me all the time when I’d sell it,” he said.

After applying for the proper licenses this past April and receiving them last month, he has been hard at work getting his brews and production ready for the grand opening. He currently offers four bottled brews that will be available on site and at Liberty General Store.  His Blueberry Ale is only available in growlers.

Hews, who works full time as a civil engineer said he plans to stay small and local, with the help of his family “as it is all I can handle for now,” he said. “In the future, I’ll probably hire one more person, but right now it’s a lot for my wife and kids to help me.”

Out of 54 breweries that grace the Maine Brewers’ Guild Maine Beer Trail, Liberty Craft Brewing Co. is listed as #22.

To learn more about the brewery’s offerings and tasting room hours visit their Facebook page.

Related story: 24 hours in the Midcoast for the “Craft Beer Lover.”

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — The original Wild Rufus was a good boy (and a great CD and record shop), but now a new dog is in town.

Manny's CD's, Vinyl and Other Cool Stuff recently opened Oct. 11 and sits at 25 Mechanic St. in Camden, next to the Bagel Cafe. Keeping with the tradition of naming a record shop after their dog, Matt and Karyl Brown have named the new shop after their 125-pound Bernese mountain dog, Manny. The shop is split into two sides, one housing Matt’s business and the other side for Karyl’s original jewelry designs.

When Brown first opened Wild Rufus in 1979, records and cassette tapes were the only way people could hear their favorite bands and artists. Even though vinyl has had a Renaissance, it is fairly unusual to find a traditional record store in a small Maine town anymore. Camden now has two record shops, with Byron Greatorex’s Spirit of Sound Records in the Merchant's Cooperative (the antique store next to Camden House of Pizza). See our article on that here.  Greatorex also happened to own Wild Rufus after Brown and the two music lovers have a friendly collaboration. Brown’s tiny shop has both new and used CDs and vinyl records, Blu-Ray discs, box sets and used DVDs and he’s constantly adding to his collection. We stopped by to meet Matt.

Q: What made you come back?

A. We love Camden. We owned a home in Camden for 12 years and then we spent a lot of time in L.A. I worked for a bunch of studios and Karyl sold jewelry there. We were tired of the the smog and traffic. My son is transitioning middle schools so it seemed a good time to come back.  And I’ve always had the dream of co-owning a shop with Karyl.

Q: Have some of your old customers come back for your opening?

A; The first few days have been wonderful. People have told me that they really love having another record store in town. Having run a business here before, we have no illusions that some days will be slow—but it’s a lot of fun.

Q: How do you make a traditional record store work in this digital age of Mp3s?

A: I am kind of a junkie with new technology, iPods and streaming and stuff but, through it all, I have always bought vinyl and CDs. There was very little new vinyl 12 years ago; there’s now 44,000 titles in vinyl. So, it’s back. I don’t have any aspirations it will come back to the heyday of vinyl and CDs, of which I was able to participate in some form, but I do think people will come in here and find something that appeals to them, whether they are 17 or 70.

Q: What kind of music are you carrying?

A: There’s certainly a lot of classic rock. I love jazz, so there’s a bit of that and blues. I’m selling most of my collection to get off the ground, but we will soon be selling all new CDs, vinyl, Blu-rays and audio stuff. I’m already placing orders for people who want something specific, so that’s something we still do. My goal is to add a lot more new stuff and I want people to tell me what they want. But, just to note, we won’t be buying any used CDs from the public.

Q: How are you cross-promoting with the other music stores in the area?

A: I’ve played music all of my life and I know Byron and the guys at K2 Music. I’ll send people looking for specific genres of vinyl over to Byron because he has a much bigger selection and he does the same when people are looking for something he doesn’t have. I think the idea between me and K2 Music is that if people need something like guitar strings or something else I send them over there. It’s just really special to be able to do that in a town where you all know each other. It’s not competitive, it’s more about how we help each other.

Keeping with the old-school vibe, Manny’s and Karyl’s doesn’t have an online presence, so stop by and check them out or call 706-4039.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

I’m sure this one will be no problem to identify, but can you guess the year this photo was taken? Anybody have any memories of this time?

No guesses for last week’s Throwback Thursday photo, but perhaps it’s because Ii forgot to put it up on Facebook. (Whoops.) Anywho, according to the Belfast Historical Society and Museum, it was “Opera House Indoor Block Party...19teens! Food Fairs, Healthy Baby Contest and merchants displaying their most modern wares were popular mid-winter events at the Opera House. Booths at this fair included: Waldo County Herald newspaper, Hamilton's greenhouse and florist, toasted corn flakes cereal, Tudor coffees and teas and...Jell-o!”

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

With gas being the lowest we’ve seen in years and it being peak foliage season, you’d be seriously missing out if you don’t take a road trip these next two weekends. But try to make it back for Saturday’s events and come back for Sunday’s vampire weekend. (No, not the band)

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

Thursday, Oct. 16

· 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 is at 6 p.m. and goes from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

· One of the nicest authors I’ve ever met, Tess Gerritsen, will be at the Vose Library in Union for the Soup and Suspense mystery author program. She will read from and talk about the latest book in her Rizzoli and Isles mystery series, Die Again, coming in December, and answer questions from the audience. There’s an $8 suggested donation that supports the library and you also get homemade soup! Starts at 7 p.m. For more information, call Vose Library at 785-4733.

· Ever hear of the Wailin’ Jennys? New York-based singer-songwriter Heather Masse, a member of the Canadian trio The Wailin' Jennys, will perform solo on the Strand Theatre stage at 7:30 p.m. She has appeared regularly on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" and has also performed with the bluegrass band the Wayfaring Strangers on NPR's "World Cafe," and at Boston's Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Tickets are $20 for general admission. To purchase tickets, visit rocklandstrand.com, stop by the box office, or call 594-0070, ext. 3.

Friday Oct. 17

· If you are one of those adults who gets as psyched for Halloween as other people get for Christmas, Fright at The Fort’s “What’s Bugging You” kicks off tonight! Visitors are led through the dark passageways of Fort Knox where indescribable things lurk in the shadows, creating screams of fright. Admission is $10 per person ($5 for those 12 and under) Additional information on Fright at the Fort 2013, may be found on the fortknox.maineguide.com The haunted fort tour goes all weekend, next weekend and the bonus Friday night (Halloween) on the 31st. Pro-tip: Don’t arrive any later than 8:30 p.m. and buy your tickets online to avoid the long lines.

· New! The 10th annual Belfast Poetry Festival is taking place Friday and Saturday all around Belfast  and everything’s free, except the workshops. To find out the lowdown on individual events go to: www.belfastpoetry.com

· New! The fifth and final Twin Villages (Damariscotta/Newcastle) Artwalk is taking place tonight at 4-7 p.m. And hey if the rain is still lingering, a free trolley loops through the Artwalk area, allowing riders to hop on and off. Cheap Date!

Saturday Oct. 18

· Another brewery in Midcoast? Yaaaasssss! Liberty Craft Brewing is having a Grand Opening from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., 7 Coon Mountain, Liberty. Taste the Queen Bee Honey Lager or Haystack Extra Pale Ale while you look over the Camden Hills, then buy a growler or six-pack for home. FMI: 322-7663.

· New!  Rockland is hosting an Open Studio tour in the South End. Thirteen (oooo) artists will open their studios and welcome visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more info on where to find the studios visit: Studio Tour.

· New! Beer lovers, this is your weekend! Marshall Wharf’s 7th year of Mussels and Beer is happening tonight from 5-11 p.m. And the Toughcats are playing–whoo! Free in-town shuttles. $30 admission/$10 non-beer drinkers. Food trucks will also be on hand if you don’t get enough of the Pemaquid mussels and yummy frites!

· If you like the blues, Raised By Wolves will be playing at The Speakeasy from 8 p.m.-midnight, with only a $5 cover which is waived when you dine at the Chowder House.

Sunday, Oct. 19

· New! Cappy’s Chowder House is hosting its restaurant for The Jim Laurita Fund. All proceeds from diners’ sales will be donated to the Laurita Fund.

· The Strand Theatre is hosting Vampires of New England at 7 p.m. OK, I just finished watching the original Nosferatu (1922) an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, and apparently there was quite a bit of copyright drama around what is considered the first original horror movie and the estate of Bram Stoker. Copresented by Historical Haunts, the evening includes a screening of The Tillinghast Nightmare vampire documentary by Rhode Island Director Alec Asten, and presentation from guest speaker, Dacre Stoker, the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker. The Tillinghast Nightmare explores the facts and folklore of vampire exorcism in New England in an effort to shed light on this gruesome practice. Tickets $15/General Admission.

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

DAMARISCOTTA—Greg Latimer, an investigative reporter specializing in the paranormal, is working on a special case this fall and winter. One might call it a “cold case.” A very cold, 6-feet-under case.

Latimer, author of Haunted Damariscotta: Ghosts of the Twin Villages and Beyond, runs Red Cloak Haunted History Tours with his wife, Sally Lobkowicz,, along with Mysterious Destinations magazine.

The story of a woman, Mary Howe, being buried alive has long been a local legend in Damariscotta.  Here’s the long and the short of it:

Investigating multiple sources, Latimer uncovered bits and pieces of the life of Howe, an unmarried medium in her 50s, whose family built the Howe House on Elm Street. In the late 1800s, Howe House was a popular tavern. Today, it is an apartment complex known as Clark’s Apartments, and according to Latimer, has been the site of reported hauntings. At the time of her so-called “passing,” Mary was a practitioner of spiritualism, a movement based on the belief that spirits of the dead could communicate with the living, which was very popular at the time. Mary used to lead séances for guests with her brother, Edwin, and her specialty was going into deep trances. One night in 1882, Mary slipped into a trance that lasted about a week before it started to become the talk of the town. As written in Haunted Damariscotta, “She was described as having little or no respiration or heartbeat, while her skin stayed a natural color and her limbs remained flexible.”

During this time, her brother kept Mary’s body warm with stones, fully believing she would come out of this trance like the other times, but other townspeople began to have doubts.

By the time two weeks had passed, her body was still warm to the touch and not ashen in color, nor was there any odor of death, yet she still had not emerged from her trance. This observation was passed down to local historian Harold Castner from his aunt, Laura, who had personally witnessed Mary’s state, along with her future husband, Kendall Dunbar, publisher of the Twin Village Herald. However, one person who doubted that Mary was still living was Dr. Robert Dixon, a government-appointed physician who observed her and pronounced her dead. It was a determination her brother vehemently protested. Many other residents joined in support of Edwin, but to no avail. On a December night, Dr. Dixon, assisted by the county sheriff and an undertaker, came to the Howe House with a wooden coffin, placed Mary into it, nailed it shut and carried her away on a horse-drawn hearse.

From there, the resolution of this story grows murky. There is no record of Mary Howe’s burial in Damariscotta.

According to Latimer’s sources, the closest cemetery in Damariscotta, known as the Hillside Cemetery, a.k.a The Metcalf Cemetery, wouldn’t accept the coffin, because the administrators still thought her alive. So, as the story goes in Haunted Damariscotta “...a grave had been dug by out-of-town gravediggers who didn’t know the circumstances of the burial. When these gravediggers learned of the situation, they refused to participate any longer. Working alone into the night, the two county officials lowered the box into the dark pit, covered it with sod and then worked to conceal the grave so that those who believed Mary was still living wouldn’t try to dig her up.”

Anecdotal information from the time period indicates she was buried in the "Glidden Cemetery," but it isn’t clear if this was the Glidden Street Cemetery or the Glidden Cemetery on River Road in Newcastle. Latimer, a former police evidence photographer in Los Angeles, Calif., and former investigative reporter for the daily Los Angeles Herald Examiner has a theory.

“My personal feeling is that if you look at the Glidden Street Cemetery, it’s right in the middle of a neighborhood that was populated at the time. It’s not the place to plant someone if you’re trying to hide her. So, that makes the Glidden Cemetery in Newcastle on River Road that much more attractive to hide someone,” he said.

For the sake of this story, we ventured over to the Glidden Cemetery in Newcastle on River Road to see if there were any clues. In this tiny, hillside graveyard, surrounded by a Gothic iron fence, we took care not to step across graves, a practice Latimer does, not just out of respect, but necessity.

“In some of these very old cemeteries when there is a sagging in the ground due to crumbling wooden coffins, people have been known to step into and down through a grave,” he said.

Some of the plots in this cemetery are missing markers. Latimer explained this was likely due to the fact that the gravesites were marked with wooden markers, not granite; typically a cost-saving element for poorer families. Those wooden markers have disintegrated over the years, which makes it tougher to match the plots to names.

This fall and winter, Latimer plans on making multiple site visits to both cemeteries to look for anything that might indicate an unmarked grave.

"Even if such indications are located, there is a good probability that a number of grave markers at these sites may have been lost to time and the elements. But one never knows where new information could lead," Latimer said.

His purpose as a reporter is to solve this mystery and give peace to Mary’s descendents. “In the 1880s, Mary Howe was considered a particularly extraordinary woman and attracted a lot of attention for her séances and spirtualism,” he said. “Just by the fact that she was carried away in the night and buried, perhaps, alive is tragic enough. But, there is no marker for her. So, we’re trying to resolve it.”

Red Cloak Haunted History Tours and The Lincoln County News are sponsoring Latimer's efforts to find the grave. Red Cloak Haunted History Tours will lead an effort to raise funds for a marker and The Lincoln County News will publish articles on the progress of Latimer's investigation. If Latimer does find where she was buried, he assures the public there is no plan to exhume her.

“It wouldn’t do much good anyway,” he said. “Any evidentiary value would be gone at this point, I think.”

Latimer added, “I think it’s probable we’ll find the cemetery she’s buried in but I’m not sure it’s likely we’ll find the actual location. All of the information we’re looking at boils down to one thing: If you’re a going to bury someone in a cemetery, you’re going to make a notation of it so that you don’t accidentally dig that person up when you’re going to bury someone else.”

This notation is the key element to solving this cold case. “That’s not something, pardon the pun, someone is going to take to his grave,” said Latimer.

Latimer will be participating with other authors on “Ghost Night” on Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. at the Maine Coast Book Shop & Cafe in Damariscotta. Anyone who has a personal experience with the paranormal is invited to tell their story.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST—Like a modern day Johnny Appleseed, apple expert John Bunker, of Palermo, is a man on a mission to collect every apple variety in the state as he can. For the last 40 years he has worked to catalog varieties beginning from researching the backyard orchards that populated New England to asking the public to bring in varieties from their own land they can’t identify. 

As the state’s most prominent pomologist and the author of Not Far From the Tree: A Brief History of the Apples and the Orchards of Palermo Maine, 1804-2004, Bunker gave a presentation on Oct. 7 to a packed room at the Belfast Free Public Library to talk about his lifelong interest in tracking down, identifying and preserving rare historic varieties in Waldo County and elsewhere.

Speaking before an audience before a table lined with apples of every color and size, he spoke about the multi-tasking value of the apple.  If a certain variety of apple was tasty, or made delicious pie, stock, cider, or medicinal tonic and it kept all winter in root cellars, so people could still have fruit in the spring, it had a particular lasting quality that made it valuable. Over time, people began to select those particular apples for specific purposes.

Bunker said in the early days neighbors would pass around grafts of apple trees the way folk songs were passed around.

“These people wanted fruit on their farms and the name wasn’t important,” he said. “The apple would be renamed by different people, and you’d have five to 20 names for one apple. So if an apple was introduced in Belfast it might become the Belfast Sweet. Then it would get to Searsmont and be called the Searsmont Red. Then it would get to Montville and become the Jones Apple. The objective was not to make a commercial crop; the objective was to grow fruit you could use in multiple ways.”

To that degree, Bunker said historically, if a special variety that did well, people would amass a collection of apples that was unique to each area of Waldo County.

“This was local agriculture at its absolute pinnacle,” he said.

Just right after the Civil War, Bunker said there were 25,00 to 30,000 named American varieties that had done well in one community or another and had been named and passed around by grafting.

Several members in the audience had apples they wanted to have Bunker identify after the presentation.

Bunker, along with his partner Cammy Watts, operates Super Chilly Farm in Palermo. The orchard features home more than 200 varieties of rare and historic apples, many originating in Maine.

He established the Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association's (MOFGA) 10-acre Maine Heritage Orchard in Unity, which houses the only collection of apple varieties originating in Maine.

In 1984 he started Fedco Trees and has also served as President of the Board at MOFGA, where he continues to serve as a Board member.

He has been featured in Martha Stewart’s Living magazine as well as in The Atlantic for his expertise in preserving heirloom varieties.

For more information about Bunker and his orchards, visit: Super Chilly Farm.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Does this look at all remotely familiar? Can you guess where this is and the approximate date the photo was taken?

Those who Rockland Historical Society submitted last week’s Throwback Thursday photo and quite a few of you got the correct answers on our Facebook page. According to RHS, “This is a 1926 photo looking north at North Main Street and the E.O. Philbrook & Son Garage on Main Street where Dunkin' Donuts is located today.”

Photo courtesy Belfast Historical Society and Museum

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

October has not failed to deliver so far on some seriously warm days and cool nights and this weekend is looking to be more of the same. Go outside and enjoy the Taste of Thomaston or some apple picking in Hope or go picnic at one of the best spots we mentioned on pp.4-5 in The Wave.

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

Thursday, Oct. 9

· 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 is at 6 p.m. and goes from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

· Free at the Rockland Public Library, at 6 p.m. is the 1946 film The Spiral Staircase, starring Dorothy McGuire, George Brent and Ethel Barrymore. A murderer is targeting disabled young women in a sleepy New England town, and Helen (Dorothy McGuire), a mute servant in a Gothic mansion, is terrified she's next.
Leonard Maltin called it a "superb Hitchcock-like thriller."

Friday Oct. 10

 · If you like Irish music, On Saturday, October 11, Irish musicians will gather at Rock City Café for an informal evening of traditional Irish tunes and a few songs from 7-9 p.m. No cover but donations appreciated.

Saturday Oct. 11

· New! Grand opening of a true-blue old-school Grand Opening of Manny's Cool Stuff. New and used CDs, Vinyl, DVDs, Blu-rays and all kinds of cool stuff.25 Mechanic St.
9:30 a.m. Free food from the Bagel Cafe. Sign up for giveaway items.

· This is a Don’t Miss event and one of our Cheap Dates picks: Knox Museum is throwing its second annual Taste of Thomaston, a food and wine festival celebrating notable local chefs, vintners, cheese artisans, brewers, fishermen, farmers, and all things delicious, local and "foodie." Admission is $12 for adults, $10 museum members in advance, and $15/$12 at the door. The tents open at 11 a.m. and the tasting continues until 2 p.m. Only guests 21 or older will be admitted to the tents.

· Gingers never get respect! Well, this guy will. The Camden Opera House presents the documentary “Being Ginger” a whimsical look into the life of a guy trying to overcome his hatred of his bright orange hair so that he can at least find love. "Being Ginger" is a wonderful, illuminating look into the life of the filmmaker, Scott P. Harris. Tickets: $8.50 available at (207)470-7066, www.camdenoperahouse.com, or at Camden Town Office M-F 9AM - 3PM

Sunday, Oct. 12

· Open House at New Sports Complex, Sun., Oct. 12, 2-5 p.m., The Pitch, 2606 Camden Rd., Warren. The indoor complex will offer pick-up soccer, lacrosse, whiffle ball, field hockey and more. FMI: MainePitch.com.

· Hope Orchards is having its 5th annual Fruits & Fibers Day 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Good time to go apple picking and then watch some fiber artists in action demonstrate hand-dyeing, knitting and spinning. Uproot Pie Co. will be on hand making apple, bacon and brie pizzas. Yum!

· While you’re in Hope, pop on over to The Hatchet Mountain Publik House. There are still quite a few spots left for the beer tasting Patriots game fundraiser this Sunday. Entry: $10 cash and a $30 (minimum) tax-deductible donation to St. Francis Inn of Philadelphia will cover all food and beer! Please call us at 763-4565 to reserve your spot.

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

THOMASTON — Let’s see, is it right in the Cheap Dates price range? Advance tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for Know Museum members.

Check.

Is it food and alcohol centered? Check.

Is it a great place to bring a pal or a “special friend?” Okay, you get it.

This Saturday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the General Henry Knox Museum is throwing its second annual Taste of Thomaston, a food and wine tasting festival, with 40+ vendors, live music, buggy rides and artisans.

Last year’s inaugural event was a blow-out, so the organizers are getting ready for it.

“Last year, we expected 200-300 people and we got close to 500,” said Tobin Malone, executive director of the Knox Museum. ”So this year we’ve added an extra tent and we’re planning on 500-600 people.”

This year’s event brings back some of the chefs and vendors from last year and some new ones as well.

When you buy a ticket, you’ll be given a special wine glass and follow the flow of people traffic all along the booths that will be set up under the tents. “You’ll just proceed from table to table,” said Malone. “You’ll get a sip here and bite here and a bowl here and plate there until you’ve tasted everything and come out the other side.” 

Some of the premier local chefs contributing some of their signature dishes include Melissa Kelly of Primo Restaurant, Kerry Altiero of Café Miranda, Scott Yakavenko of The Slipway and Manuel Mercier of The Youngtown Inn.

Molly Sholes of Spruce Mountain Blueberries, Elaine Waldron of Hootin Gluten Free Bakery, Nancy and Pat O'Brien of Fiore Artisan Olive Oils & Vinegars, Sean and Tracey Beaudry from The Highlands Coffee House, Ryan Jones from Thomaston Café and Bakery, among many others, will also be on hand to share their unique creations.

Additional specialty local products will be available for tasting from the likes of Terra Optima Farm Market, State of Maine Cheese Company, 3 Dogs Café & Sweet Sensations, and Maine Street Meats. Thomaston Farmers Market will relocate to Montpelier's grounds for the festival.

And the price of admission gets you more than wine, apparently. The festival will be serving wine from Cellardoor Winery, Sweetgrass Farm Winery, Savage Oakes Vineyard & Winery, and Breakwater Vineyards as well as brews from Andrew's Brewing Company and Cold River Vodka.

As for music and other “things to do” while there, there will be live jazz by Bel Isle Trio, and horse and buggy rides around the grounds with Crystal Daggett and her prize horse, Romeo. So, even if kids aren’t allowed in the tent, there will still be a few things to entertain them on the grounds. New this year will be jewelry and art on display in booths outside the tent. “We’re trying to open up more non-food booths,” said Malone.

“It’s looking like it’s going to be a beautiful day on Saturday, in the 60s and sunny, so we’re excited,” said Malone. there you go! Perfect date.

Tickets can be bought in advance at knoxmuseum.org; or $15/$12 at the door. Rain or shine. Must be 21 to enter the tents. FMI 354-8062.

BELFAST — When a piece of modern artwork becomes more recognizable because of the artist’s name, rather than his or her signature style, there’s going to be a debate.  This concept prompted Mike Fletcher, a part-time art instructor at Waterfall Arts, to come up with the concept of hanging a show of anonymous works at Waterfall Arts this month as a counter (might some even say protest) to the way modern artwork has been so branded.

“Anon” is a new exhibit at Waterfall Arts in Belfast that features work done by artists in something other than their customary style. In the Corridor Gallery of the Belfast art center, a wide variety of artwork is identified only with a title, medium and date of execution.

“I personally have always been interested in the idea of anonymity as an artist as a reaction to artist branding,” said Fletcher. “I think it’s a fairly recent phenomenon, maybe mid-20th century with the abstract expressionist movement, such as art critics Clement Greenberg and Harold Rosenberg, and the galleries in New York that would find artists that they thought they could make into celebrities. ”

Fletcher especially admits he has a hard time with superstar artists who produce nothing but a concept and have a team of assistants to execute that concept. “Then the work gets out there and is sold for outrageous amounts of money only because it’s been branded,” he said.

For working artists everywhere, he makes an excellent point. Fletcher thinks that the branding of art does a disservice not only to other artists, but also to the viewing public as well. “If I go to a museum or even a show in this hallway here and I’m looking at work and passing some work by, then realize the one I passed by was made by a recognizable name,  I come back and find myself liking it,” he said. “I didn’t mean to, but I’ve been corralled, I’ve been cajoled and this happens all the time. How much of it is a constraint on the viewer and how much is a constraint on the artist because he or she is expected to work on the confines of a certain genre or of certain expectations?”

Fletcher contacted more than a dozen local area artists to ask if they would like to be part of a totally anonymous show. He said about 85 percent of those contacted wanted to participate without their names attached. ”I was hoping that artists would put something new into the show that didn’t fit into their normal style, so that they could have fun and be liberated. And some did. But interestingly, a lot of the artists put in older, earlier work that didn’t fit in with their current style.”

Quite accidentally, the exhibit produced a fun little guessing game for viewers. So, the Waterfall Arts staff decided to put together a ballot for people to match the artist with the artwork, which will be revealed later this month when Waterfall Arts hosts an artist’s salon.

The Anon artist's salon is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. to provide an opportunity to discuss the show and share thoughts and insights. The salon is open to everyone.

The Anon show opened Sept. 26 and will continue until mid-December. For more information visit: waterfallarts.org

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

This October, in a number of Midcoast libraries from Belfast to Bath, you’re likely to walk in and find an elaborately set dinner table with empty chairs. Upon closer look, you will see personal effects at each place setting, such as sunglasses or a favorite coffee mug, framed photos and other mementos. The people for whom these place settings were set are dead—all killed in an act of domestic violence.

They were parents, children, neighbors, friends and valued members of the community, and their untimely deaths have left many empty places at the table. New Hope for Women is once again bringing back its powerful exhibit to Maine libraries: An Empty Place At The Table, a memorial it has exhibited since 2002.

The memorial consists of a dining table surrounded by empty chairs as a reminder of the tragic deaths leaving an empty place not only in the lives of their families, but in the community as well. The table is set with tableware donated by the families of those who have been killed with items that either belonged to the victims or were selected to reflect and celebrate their personalities, passions and dreams.

According to the state Department of Public Safety, of the last 10 homicides in Maine, seven of them were caused by domestic violence. The most horrific was this past summer in Saco, where Heather Smith, 36, and her three children, Jason Montez, 12, Noah Smith, 7, and Lily Smith, 4, were shot to death inside their apartment by husband and father, Joel Smith, 33, who then shot and killed himself.

In national news it took a graphic video of NFL athlete Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee (now wife), Janay Palmer, in an elevator on Feb. 15, 2014, to surface online this past month before the public and the NFL reacted. Since then, that video has lit an incendiary fire under the domestic violence issue. 

“It certainly has engendered a great deal of interest in this issue and a lot of questions,” said Kathleen Morgan, executive director of New Hope For Women in Rockland. “Ray Rice is not the only athlete, and football is not the only sport in which this has occurred. I’m glad to see the spotlight on the issue on the national level and glad to see the NFL taking a stance.”

An enormous amount of Internet backlash from both men and women came against Palmer (now Rice), when she posted an Instagram message the day after the video surfaced seemingly making an excuse for her husband’s physical abuse. To give some perspective to this situation Morgan said, “She wants what most victims want. They want the violence to end, not the relationship.  I’m sure Ray Rice has made all the correct apologies and promises to Janay. She should not be blamed for making the decision to stay. He is the only one responsible for his actions.”

One question always asked is: Why doesn’t she leave?

“Victims stay for many reasons that are complicated and complex,” said Morgan. The most common reason is that the victim still loves his/her abuser. Other reasons include trying to keep the family together if they have children, religious, cultural or family pressures, lack of income and available housing, emotional blackmail or threats from the abuser.

“The bottom line is that the victim wants the violence to stop and gives the abuser opportunities to change,” said Morgan.

The memorial is sponsored by New Hope For Women, a nonprofit agency serving victims of domestic violence in Waldo, Knox and Lincoln counties. It is available for viewing in the following Midcoast libraries on these dates:

• Patten Free Library, Bath on Oct. 7
• Topsham Public Library on Oct. 9
• Wiscasset Public Library on Oct. 14
• Skidompha Public Library, Damariscotta on Oct. 16
• Rockland Public Library on Oct. 21
• Camden Public Library on Oct. 23
• Belfast Free Library on Oct. 27
  

For more information on New Hope For Women, including a new support group forming in Rockland in October, visit newhopeforwomen.org or call 1-800-522-3304.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — At first, when Kathleen LaBree talks about her signature cocktail, it sounds like she’s saying “Chowdah-tini.” LaBree is co-owner of The Speakeasy and The Chowder House, both in Rockland at Park and Main.

Given the name of her restaurant, that’s an easy mistake to make right? But no, she’s actually saying “Chata-tini,” named after the cocktail’s most prominent ingredient, Rum Chata, a Caribbean rum liqueur with natural dairy flavors. LaBree describes it as a “Caribbean flavored Bailey’s.”

“It’s a wonderful after dinner drink, if you like your dessert in a glass,” she said. “Sort of like liquid cake.”

LaBree designed this drink herself, which is a very warming drink even though it’s shaken with ice and served up in a martini glass.

One of The Speakeasy’s most popular drinks, after one sip it tastes like a cold hot chocolate, with rum and amaretto flavors, plus a nip of cinnamon.

(Side note: Remember how Cheers in Boston used to have a ground-level bar and a fancy restaurant upstairs? Not that many places have that combination anymore, but the Chowder House and the Speakeasy do!)

To make this drink yourself at home, watch our accompanying video. The recipe also follows below.

The Chata-tini

• Start with a shaker of ice and add:
• 2 ounces of Rum Chata
• ½ ounce vanilla vodka
• ½ ounce Amaretto di Saronno

Wet the rim of the martini glass and dip into cinnamon sugar.

Shake and strain into the martini glass. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

To see all of our past “What’s In That Cocktail” series (with video!), check out our “Iconic Cocktails” resource page: The best craft cocktails in the Midcoast

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

This past weekend’s ah-mazing Indian summer had you all fooled, but the changing leaves and cool nights have already signaled it’s time to get adjusted to October. Yep, gotta face it— it’s October now. Winding down with some great wine and cheese events and Whitehall Inn happenings, along with same free art and film offerings, this is your weekend to downshift into fall.

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

Thursday, Oct. 2

· 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 is at 6 p.m. and goes from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Worth a drive! The Spruce Point Inn Resort in Boothbay is having a cheese and wine tasting with Eventide, an olive oil and vinegar shop from 4-5 p.m.

Friday Oct. 3

· If you like acoustic material ranging from traditional blues to the Grateful Dead, the Leaky Boot Jug Band plays at Rockland's Sail, Power and Steam Museum at 7:30 p.m.

· The Friends of the Thomaston Public Library has got some seriously subversive free films on tap! They’re showing the original War of the Worlds (1953), the frightening adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel about a Martian invasion, transplanted from 19th-Century England to contemporary USA. Starts at 6:30 p.m. Donations are accepted. Call 354-2453 for more info.

· This is the last day you can get into the Farnsworth Art Museum for free! During First Fridays, the museum will open its galleries free of charge to the public from 5 -8 p.m. You know what’s worth checking out? Edwin Austin Abbey’s Shakespeare exhibit. FMI: visit farnsworthmuseum.org.

· Wine and cheese go together with artists like Gin and Juice. So check it out—the Jackson Memorial Library is having a wine and cheese reception for Sylvia Murdock and Ed Botkin in their JML Gallery starting at 5p.m. with live music provided by By The Bay. A portion of all gallery sales benefits the Jackson Memorial Library.

· Singer-songwriter Brian Patricks will play folk, blues and rock at Rock City Cafe from 7-9 p.m. No cover, but donations are appreciated.

· The Speakeasy hosts the band Tomorrow Morning from 8-11 p.m. No cover. Give them a listen on Reverbnation!

Saturday Oct. 4

· Want to be a volunteer actor at Fright at the Fort's What's Bugging You? Come to Fright orientation at 10 a.m. at the Fort Visitor Center and learn how to be a Haunter, among other roles. For more info on Fright or to find a volunteer form visit fortknox.maineguide.com

· The Whitehall Inn is really shaking it up these days with some interesting theme events.  For their premier Culinary Theatre, they are offering Spanish Flare with paella being made before your eyes. Sip sangria  and enjoying tapas style appetizers. The paella will be traditional seafood and vegetarian, served with unlimited sangria and the option to purchase Spanish cocktails. A traditional belly dance will complete the Spanish inspired feast over dessert. The event runs from 6-9 p.m. at $49.99 per person.  Limited seating available and reservations required. Call 207-236-3391.

Sunday, Oct. 5

· The Whitehall Inn is having a poetry reading and book signing for writer Michael Paul Lund as he recites poems from his book, Quiet Thoughts For a Noisy World, reflecting on the seacoast of Maine and the creative arts. The reading starts at 2 p.m. Cocktails will be available for purchase. Vincent's Pub to open after reading featuring 1/2 price appetizers & drink specials. Psst. Little known local secret. The Whitehall Inn has some of the best Happy Hour specials around.  For more information or to reserve a seat please call 207-236-3391.

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

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

Submitted to us by The Rockland Historical Society, can you guess where this is and what year?

We had more than 30 guesses on last week’s Throwback Thursday photo and Mish Morgenstern was the first to guess correctly. It was indeed Freedom Village cica 1900 at the Post Office Square. Note the skyline of this image which does not include telephone and telegraph wires. Perhaps it was taken before rural electrification reached Freedom, Maine.

Photo courtesy of Rockland Historical Society.

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

MONHEGAN ISLAND — This under-the-radar weekday event is an ideal way for folks without a boat to explore the abundance of the sea, the land and the community of Monhegan Island for one or two days, while getting an up-close look at its self-sustaining artists, farmers, lobster fishermen — and even a brewer.

Tara Hire, owner of a new business called Monhegan Wellness, is heading up the Fall Abundance Festival, which started Sept. 30.

For those who need to take the ferry out of Port Clyde, the next two days, look to be the most interesting of the festival.

Oct. 1

The first day of October kicks off Monhegan Island’s annual Trap Day, in which the lobster fishing season officially begins and goes until June 7.

Starting out of Port Clyde, The Monhegan Boat Line runs at 7 and 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., and takes approximately an hour to get to Monhegan Island. By the time folks get off the ferry, the lobstering has already gotten started, but there’s still plenty to see.

At dawn, all of the lobster boats get loaded with traps, as captains and sternmen pace around anxious to start. Due to custom that goes back hundreds of years, no one can start until all of the captains are ready to go. The captains chatter on their radios to one another and once everyone is ready, they take off to their favorite fishing spots. Once off the ferry, folks will be able to observe the activity from Fish Beach, Swim Beach or near the Island Inn. The boats come back and forth into the dock several times each to get loaded up with traps before taking off again to set.

“This is a pretty special day,” said Hire. “There’s a lot of activity and action.” She recommends that participants simply observe but don’t try to interact, as the lobstermen have an incredibly full day.

There was a scheduled workshop for this afternoon, but according to Hire, it has been cancelled due to illness. She recommends staying at the Trailing Yew, which is working with the festival. Included with each person’s stay is a dinner supplied by the inn (highlighting lobster caught that day and other seafood) and a locally sourced breakfast the morning after. The Island Inn is also available for accommodations, but is not participating in the festival’s food themes.

Oct. 2

The festival’s focus this day is on the the Island Farm Project, Monhegan Brewing Co. and local artists and crafters.

At 10 a.m. participants will be led on a tour of the Island Farm Project to learn about small plot farming and permaculture.

“We’ll also harvest some vegetables, including the opportunity to harvest your own pumpkin,” said Hire. “As Monhegan doesn’t have an expanse of land, people have learned to farm on smaller plots all around the island.”

Plot farming typically uses about 20- by 20-foot gardens using permaculture techniques.

From 2 to 4 p.m., all of the artist studios and galleries as well as Winter Works will be open, allowing participants the time to visit all of the studios in one day. At 5 p.m., participants will be given a tour and tasting of the Monhegan Brewing Co. learning about the challenges of having a brewery 12 miles out to sea, as well as a tasting all of the beers on tap. Each participant will leave with a commemorative glass.

Hire, who works on Monhegan year-round, has lived on the island for 10 years. Her husband was born and raised there. Her background is in nutrition and she wanted to start a festival that would allow people from the mainland and the island a few days to “acknowledge and show gratitude for the abundance.”

Hire provided the following pricing information:

$145 per guest for a one-night stay at the Training Yew (which includes the breakfast and special dinner)
$20 per workshop (The first is the Island Farm Project Tour and the second is the Monhegan Brewing Co. Tour). The artist tour is free.
$35 round trip for the ferry.

For those who simply want to be part of Monhegan’s events for the next two days without staying overnight, the price would just include the ferry and the optional workshops. The ferry leaves Monhegan at 4:30 p.m. and arrives back at Port Clyde at 5:30 p.m.

For more information, Hire can be reached at 594-0707 or visit monheganwellness.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN—Giving a pitch to industry professionals about your documentary-in-the-making is unnerving enough, but add an entire hushed audience hanging on your words, and the experience is enough to put even the most seasoned filmmaker on edge.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, six teams of filmmakers stood before a panel of more than a dozen funders, broadcasters and producers on the stage of the Camden Opera House and gave their best presentation in the hopes of winning the Points North Pitch Prize and Modulus Finishing Fund.

Of all of the six intense and well-structured presentations, there was only one film clip and presentation that drew laughs from the judges and crowds alike. Director Pacho Velez and producer Sierra Pettengill, both from New York City, won the pitch contest with their current project, The Reagan Years, which explores Ronald Reagan’s presidency told entirely through a largely-unseen trove of archival footage.

During the pitch Velez said, “The 1980s were like this very surreal episode of American political life with a presidency, if a presidency were staged by David Lynch.”

As part of their prize package, Velez and Pettengill won a $1,000 cash prize from Documentary Educational Resources, a $10,000 post-production package from Modulus Studios and three consultations from Tribeca Film Institute.

We caught up with Velez several days after the Pitch Prize was announced.

Pilot: Watching the first two presenters back stage, how were you feeling the moment you got the spotlight?

Velez: It was very nerve-wracking. We were all at a pitch session all together the last 48 hours before we got on stage. It was stressful to be competing, to have to do this in front of such a large audience. Our film had a different tone that many of the other works we were competing against. I thought it would either go over very well or totally bomb.

Pilot: You really hooked in the judges with one scene from the archival footage where Reagan is at some kind of ceremonial event and is upstaged by a live turkey kind of flipping out and interrupting the event. It felt like parody, but yet, it wasn’t.

Velez: It feels like parody, but it was documented and that’s what actually happened. That’s the crazy thing. One thing I want to stress is that the archive was created by the Reagan administration. So, this isn’t us going out and finding these moments. This is from a historical record that his administration left to the American people at the request of the president. Sure, we’re picking out stuff and crafting our own message from it, but this is footage from how Reagan wanted to be remembered. There’s just something about this time in American politics where political discourse goes from being about speech and rhetoric and starts being about images. And that’s Reagan.

Pilot: In the pitch you made it clear that this is not a political film. 

Velez: Right. It’s not a Democrat or Republican film. Not a left or right wing film. It’s really about trying to view political history with fresh eyes. Reagan wasn’t the first ‘Media President’—that was Kennedy. But Reagan was the first archetype of being an actor in that presidential role.

Pilot: What about the footage that you’ve picked and chosen from reminds you of David Lynch?

Velez: At night I’ve been watching Twin Peaks on Netflix. It’s that same sort of feeling where I’m laughing, but it’s not quite funny. Things don’t add up. The cause and effect don’t quite add up. Usually in the real world A leads to B, but in Twin Peaks and the Reagan footage, A leads to C , it’s just the strangest thing.

Pilot: Did you walk away with any particular advice from getting feedback from the judges?

Velez: Honestly, being up there, it was such a blur. We have notes, which I’m going to go back over. When you’re in the middle of a pitch, these things can be a real crap shoot. Are they judging the pitch? Or are they judging the movie? I think we’re very fortunate that we hit the sweet spot.

Pilot: How is the prize money and opportunities going to further the film.

Velez: The full budget for the film is $25,000, so we’re still on a long-term trek, but winning this is a very sizeable investment in the project. The money is important, but the best part is the legitimacy of winning. The ball is rolling now and we’ve just got to keep pushing it.

Stay on top of what Velez is doing with ‘The Reagan Years’ through his website: pachoworks.com

To find out more about the other pitched documentaries visit: camdenfilmfest.org

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com 

DAMARISCOTTA — Another last blast of summer came through Sept. 28 for the 13th annual Pemaquid Oyster Festival on the shores of the Damariscotta River at the historic Schooner Landing Restaurant and Marina on Main Street.

Noon to dusk, oyster lovers were in bi-valve heaven Sunday. It was 80 degree weather and the town of Damariscotta was packed. The popularity of the Pemaquid Oyster Festival has gotten so big that long lines formed just to get into the event, which was free to enter. The Pemaquid Oyster Co. had 20,000 oysters on hand with a corps of volunteer oyster shuckers opening them as fast as they could get their hands on them for the hundreds who attended. According to the official count, the hungry crowd gobbled up 16,000 of them.

The oysters were served fresh on the half shell, broiled, stewed and baked, à la Oysters Rockefeller. All oyster choices were sold individually, with many in the crowd opting for the full dozen for $20, served with a variety of popular mignonette sauces provided by WaldoStone Farm, in collaboration with Schooner Landing. Nothing goes better with a dozen fresh local oysters than a Pemaquid Ale or a Bloody Mary, both of which were also available in great abundance, but not the only popular accompanying beverage choices.

The festival always aims to be both educational and artistic. On the educational side, there were exhibits and a children's activity area featuring a marine life touch tank from Darling Marine Center. The festival also included boat trips to the aquaculture leases on the Damariscotta River aboard the RiverTripper, a large vessel provided by Damariscotta River Cruises

Entertaining crowds under the tent were The Newell Family Fiddlers, Driving Charlie Home, Old Grey Goose and a closing jam session featuring a mix of many of the musicians who previously had played on-stage, with the jam group going by the name Scotti River Band.

The winner of the Main Champion Oyster Shucking contest was Jeff "Smokey" McKeen, which is hardly a surprise as he’s been a long-time volunteer of the event and works for the Pemaquid Oyster Company. The winner of the Pemaquid Oyster Poetry Contest this year was Carolyn Maunz, whose poem, Pearl and Sam appears below. The simple rules of the contest were that the poem was open to any style of poetry, as long as it included the word “oyster” at least one time.

All of the profits from the event benefited the Edward A. Myers Marine Conservation Fund, a group that has awarded more than $100,000 in grants to efforts, both large and small, to support the working waterfront and Damariscotta River.

Pearl and Sam

An oyster named Pearl, was quite a girl;
And known in Schooner Land.
She'd come out of her shell, at the sound of a bell
And was proud that she had no sand.

One eve in September, Pearl met Sam the clam
And felt a sudden new spark.
She put on her best face, and wore satin and lace
In hopes Sam wasn't a shark.

They toasted Ed Myers in the light of the fires
And pledged to have some fun;
Then Pearl jumped in a stream of champagne and cream
And suddenly Pearl was done.

Then Sam got steamed, 'cause Pearl was creamed
And that was the end of their date.
But they did have some laughs while drinking drafts
Before they met their fate.

No finer end could come to friends
Than the yearly Oyster Fest.
Where folks from all round come into our town
To taste oysters at their best.

So come get some fall sun and join in the fun,
At Pemaquid Oyster Nation.
Think of Ed, Pearl and Sam and not just Pearl Jam
We owe them a huge celebration!

 All photos by Kay Stephens

 Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — Over the weekend, the Camden International Film Festival screened a number of full length and short documentary films in which the main subject was children and teens. As someone who has worked with teens as a reporter and an author for a number of years, I was particularly interested in one of the Points North Documentary Film Forums titled “Documenting Youth,” in which four directors from the 2014 CIFF program discussed how they dealt with the ethical challenges of placing children and adolescents in front of the camera.

Moderated by Charlotte Cook, director of programming from the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, the four directors included Jean-François (Guidelines), Andrew Droz Palermo (Rich Hill), Teodora Mihai (Waiting for August) and Amanda Wilder (Approaching the Elephant)

Throughout the busy weekend, I was only able to watch two of the documentaries from directors in this panel, namely, Rich HIll and Waiting for August.  In Rich Hill, the film, described by IMdb.com: “intimately chronicles the turbulent lives of three boys living in an impoverished Midwestern town and the fragile family bonds that sustain them.” In Waiting for August, “Fifteen-year-old Georgiana is left to raise her six siblings in Bacau (Romania), since her mother has to work abroad to get by. Torn between adolescence and heavy responsibilities, the teenage girl struggles to keep everyone afloat.”

The spectacular power of a documentary film is that it forces you to abandon the drive-by judgment and compassion fatigue that occurs when you first read the log line of these films. In Rich Hill, the initial image that stuck out for me most was a ramshackle house where one of the boys lived. The house was made of poor materials, badly in need of paint, anchored by concrete cracked porch. Junk and debris flank the front of the house. The raggedy back yard is swamped by a large puddle of water, in which a push lawn mower is submerged. The defining image for me in Waiting for August, was the tiny apartment and lower bunk bed where nearly all six kids, ranging from 5 to 16 years old, huddled in sleep, like a pack of puppies. The main character, Georgiana, is sleeping, curled up in a thin blanket on the kitchen banquette because there is no other place for her.

In both films, it’s obvious that the directors built a close bond and trust with the children and teens they filmed, allowing the viewer to see something beyond the crushing reality of poverty on adolescence. That trust allowed the teens, in particular, to speak to the camera as if it was a confidant, in some cases, divulging their deepest feelings about the trauma and the chaos in which they live.  Thanks to the directors’ earned trust, in a very short time, the viewer is allowed to understand what makes these kids tick, what hurts them the most and whether they’re able to find the resilience to stay optimistic about their lives, or succumb to the same hopelessness that plague some of their parents.

Any time someone chooses to make a documentary about a minor child or teenager, the director requires a signed consent form. In both of these films, several parents were present during filming (even if by telephone). Still, all the while watching these documentaries, I couldn’t help but wonder if these adolescents, whose first names and home towns are mentioned, really truly understood the impact their admissions on film had on their digital footprint. One teenager, in particular, revealed a disturbing secret, which has the possibility of coming back to haunt him in his older years. That was the crux of this forum, to discuss the unique ethical challenges of placing children and adolescents in front of the camera, and how to artistically represent their experiences without unwittingly exploiting them.

In the panel, we learned that the directors were constantly asking themselves these same questions. (In this piece, I’m choosing to focus on the two filmmakers whose work I’d seen.) Moderator Cook asked what the long-term impact was on the kids.

Droz Palermo, director of Rich Hill, said “During production, I was more concerned how we were impacting them right then. But, I do think it had a positive impact on them in the long run. They felt like they were heard. People received the film well; it was very positive. But at the time, some of the harder parts of the film, I did wonder about that.” He added that small funds have been set up for the kids and when the film screened at Sundance Film Festival, a generous benefactor came forward to help some of the kids with groceries and funds toward their education. 

Mihai, director of Waiting for August, said that she developed close bonds with all the children while filming, and even took Georgiana on a trip with her to meet her family. She still remains in touch with them today.

“The main character wants to be a filmmaker, so it did have a good impact,” she said. “As far as the long-term, it’s too early to tell.”

Cook asked: “What was your consideration about what happens when they’re older and they see this representation of themselves is on the screen. You’re trying to represent reality, but in the back of your mind are you always asking what are the implications of putting them in your film?”

Both directors said that they weighed certain scenes very carefully and chose not to include certain scenes because their inclusion could have harmed the kids.

“There were two subjects in the movie that I chose not to include, which included the absence of the father figure and when a nun came from child services,” said Mihai. “I just stopped filming because I knew that my being there might provoke the nun. I wanted to show it, but could I afford it? I was constantly measuring the kids’ attention spans and mood to know when was the right time to be there and when it wasn’t.”

“It was difficult,” said Droz Palermo. “There were certainly way worse things I filmed than what was shown. But, it was always our goal to show scenes where the audience would be sympathetic to the parents.”

I appreciated the honesty and bravery of all of the directors to attend such a forum, as this topic can be thorny and I thought they did a very good job explaining their own ethical approach to the subject matter.  Clearly, these directors cared deeply about the kids they filmed and it showed in the beauty and stark reality of their finished efforts.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com.

DAMARISCOTTA — Another last blast of summer came through Sept. 28 for the 13th annual Pemaquid Oyster Festival on the shores of the Damariscotta River at the historic Schooner Landing Restaurant and Marina on Main Street.

Noon to dusk, oyster lovers were in bi-valve heaven Sunday. It was 80 degree weather and the town of Damariscotta was packed. The popularity of the Pemaquid Oyster Festival has gotten so big that long lines formed just to get into the event, which was free to enter. The Pemaquid Oyster Co. had 20,000 oysters on hand with a corps of volunteer oyster shuckers opening them as fast as they could get their hands on them for the hundreds who attended. According to the official count, the hungry crowd gobbled up 16,000 of them.

The oysters were served fresh on the half shell, broiled, stewed and baked, à la Oysters Rockefeller. All oyster choices were sold individually, with many in the crowd opting for the full dozen for $20, served with a variety of popular mignonette sauces provided by WaldoStone Farm, in collaboration with Schooner Landing. Nothing goes better with a dozen fresh local oysters than a Pemaquid Ale or a Bloody Mary, both of which were also available in great abundance, but not the only popular accompanying beverage choices.

The festival always aims to be both educational and artistic. On the educational side, there were exhibits and a children's activity area featuring a marine life touch tank from Darling Marine Center. The festival also included boat trips to the aquaculture leases on the Damariscotta River aboard the RiverTripper, a large vessel provided by Damariscotta River Cruises

Entertaining crowds under the tent were The Newell Family Fiddlers, Driving Charlie Home, Old Grey Goose and a closing jam session featuring a mix of many of the musicians who previously had played on-stage, with the jam group going by the name Scotti River Band.

The winner of the Main Champion Oyster Shucking contest was Jeff "Smokey" McKeen, which is hardly a surprise as he’s been a long-time volunteer of the event and works for the Pemaquid Oyster Company. The winner of the Pemaquid Oyster Poetry Contest this year was Carolyn Maunz, whose poem, Pearl and Sam appears below. The simple rules of the contest were that the poem was open to any style of poetry, as long as it included the word “oyster” at least one time.

All of the profits from the event benefited the Edward A. Myers Marine Conservation Fund, a group that has awarded more than $100,000 in grants to efforts, both large and small, to support the working waterfront and Damariscotta River.

Pearl and Sam

An oyster named Pearl, was quite a girl;
And known in Schooner Land.
She'd come out of her shell, at the sound of a bell
And was proud that she had no sand.

One eve in September, Pearl met Sam the clam
And felt a sudden new spark.
She put on her best face, and wore satin and lace
In hopes Sam wasn't a shark.

They toasted Ed Myers in the light of the fires
And pledged to have some fun;
Then Pearl jumped in a stream of champagne and cream
And suddenly Pearl was done.

Then Sam got steamed, 'cause Pearl was creamed
And that was the end of their date.
But they did have some laughs while drinking drafts
Before they met their fate.

No finer end could come to friends
Than the yearly Oyster Fest.
Where folks from all round come into our town
To taste oysters at their best.

So come get some fall sun and join in the fun,
At Pemaquid Oyster Nation.
Think of Ed, Pearl and Sam and not just Pearl Jam
We owe them a huge celebration!

 All photos by Kay Stephens

 Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Good thing we had a couple of sleepy weekends awhile back because this weekend is off the rails with high-energy things to do, including the 10th anniversary of the Camden International Film Festival, which spans the whole weekend with parties, workshops, films and more. Get some Red Bull in you, this is going to demand some stamina.

Thursday, Sept. 25
· 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 is at 6 p.m. and goes from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

· Rollie's Bar & Grill, 37 Main Street in Belfast will host "Mugs for Maskers," a benefit for the Belfast Maskers community theater 7-10 p.m. The evening will include four hours of live music, with local musician Chelsea Benedict (pictured), and a 50/50 raffle. A portion of proceeds will help fund the Maskers' 2014 seaso. For more information, go to BelfastMaskers.com

· Camden International Film Festival kicks off the weekend with its first screening, Virunga at the Camden Opera House at 7:30 p.m. The Opening Night Party (for pass holders) takes place after that at 9:30 p.m. at the Brewster Point Barn. Individuals without passes can pay $10 to get into screenings of films only.

Friday, Sept. 26

· If you like traditional Irish music, The Press Gang, an Irish triad from Portland, is playing Rock City Coffee at 7 p.m. No cover, but donations are appreciated.

· Don’t forget that in Belfast, the Final Friday Art Walk is happening from 5-8 p.m.

· A full day of short films, workshops and clinics continues with CIFF from 10 a.m.-12 a.m. For the average film buff, PenBay Pilot picks include: the Shorts First 1 at Bayview Street Cinema at 10 a.m. ; the screening of The Notorious Mr. Bout at the Bayview Street Cinema Point at 6:30 p.m. and Point and Shoot at the Strand Theatre at 9 p.m. Individuals without passes can pay $10 to get into screenings of films.

· Who says you can’t re-live your Prom? Ladies, get out your floofy prom gowns; gentlemen, no tuxedo t-shirts please, glam it up with the real thing and go to The Speakeasy for Adult Prom Night.  Just Teachers will be playing. I’m sure punch will be spiked. Tickets are on sale for $10 and include your first glass of punch. To purchase tickets, stop by The Chowder House or call 207 596-6661 ext 606.

Saturday, Sept. 27

· In downtown, Waldoboro, the arts venue, Old Number Nine will host a folk, blues and jazz jam at 6:30 pm. Everyone is welcome to bring acoustic instruments, snacks, beverages and talent.

· Rock City Coffee presents The Kennebunk River Band with fiddler Mike Conant in the "Velvet Lounge" from 7-9 p.m. They play Acoustic, Folk, Rock, and Eclectica, don’t ya know. There is no cover, but donations are appreciated.

· Another full day of short films, workshops and clinics continues with CIFF from 10 a.m.-12 a.m. with an after-party for pass holders. For the average film buff, PenBay Pilot picks include: The Points North Pitch at the Camden Opera House at 10:30 a.m., the screening of Actress at the Bayview Street Cinema at 4:30 p.m. and Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown at 8:45 p.m. at the Strand Theatre.

Sunday, Sept. 21

· Shuck it up and get ready for the always-popular Pemaquid Oyster Festival in downtown Damariscotta ton Schooner Landing's riverside deck from 12 p.m. to dusk.(See our coverage last year. ) Besides freshly shucked oysters and cold local beer, don’t miss the Oyster Poetry recitings at 1 p.m. and the Maine Champion Oyster Shucking Contest starting at 3 p.m.

· In downtown Waldoboro, the arts venue, Old Number Nine will host an open reading of poetry and/or prose at 2:30 p.m, followed by a potluck supper of finger foods and salads. Stephen Randall Parmley will read from his collected poems, "Gaia Sutra."

· CIFF winds up its 10th anniversary from 10 a.m to 9 p.m. For the average film buff, PenBay Pilot picks include: shorts First 3 at Bayview Street Cinema at 10 a.m. The Dirigo Shorts: You Can’t Get There From Here at the Farnsworth Art Museum at 1 p.m. and the Dirigo Shorts: Growing Local at at the Strand Theatre at 5 p.m.

· FOG Bar & Cafe hosts Drink & Draw. They supply the art materials and you provide the raw artistic talent! Drink and food specials all night. A Closing Night Party is held for passholders at the Camden Opera House.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

What are we looking at here? This one is guaranteed to be a stumper but I’ll give you a hint. This little inland town in the Midcoast has never been featured in our TBT weekly feature, but the town’s name represents an ideal. Was that too obvious?

We got a boatload of guesses on last week’s TBT photo courtesy of Maine Historical Society’s archives. Your guesses ranged from: the Boat Barn on Atlantic Avenue in Camden to Bicknell's on Tillson Ave in Rockland to Newpert and Wallace shipyard in Thomaston.

The funny this, we may never know. The notes on that photo said: Written on back of photograph ”could be a shoe factory in Belfast.” ca. 1875-1920. This factory has many young men posing on the roof, and standing on platforms, looking out of 2nd floor windows.”

This week’s TBT courtesy of Maine Historical Society.

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

Last we heard from that poetry-writing swashbuckling pirate John Bullock, a part-time mate on the Appledore, he was trying to impress a lass in a literary showdown.

But as September 22 marks the autumnal equinox, it’s time to embrace the darkness. Of the following poem, which Bullock wrote around the fall equinox in 1998, he said: “In folklore and in many belief systems, coming into this dark time of the year is considered ‘in between times’ in which the things you can’t define and can’t explain come out to play. This is the same reason that midnight is considered a magical time, as well as dawn or dusk, because it’s neither fish nor fowl, neither one thing or another, it’s something in between.”

Bullock, an avid reader of legends, attributes the inspiration of this poem to The Kalevala, a 19th-Century body of poetry encompassing Finnish oral folklore and mythology. 

“In The Kalevala, the world is created by this primordial wizard singer named Väinämöinen. He sings the world into being by naming things and thereby circumscribing what they are and what they are not,” he said. Defining something gives a person power over it, said Bullock. “When the Christian missionaries got to Iceland, they decided that all of the gods were demons and devils. Because once you call something a ‘demon’ it is no longer defined as a ‘god’ and it reduces its power considerably.”

Once again bring you some of Pirate John’s best prose and the inspiration behind it.

Dark Season

This is the advent of the dark season
When rigid patterned Day
Illuminated by Reason
Fades in the Coming Twilight

The primal Darkness now holds sway
From which everything once came
Before Logic lied-explaining away
All the secrets of the Night

We invoked the power in a Name
To cover the cracks where Chaos hides
And so we sought to bind the reign
of Nameless mysteries of the Night

But borders blur and boundaries slide
As the pendulum ever swings
And possibilities, banished, slip their ties
That once kept them from the light

Listen to the songs the Darkness sings
Escape the trap of Reason
Taste of all the nameless things
Freed in the gloaming season

Rage Not against the dying of the Light
Revel in the coming of the Night!

(my apologies to Dylan Thomas)

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — What goes into a winning lobster mac ‘n’ cheese recipe?

“Lots and lots of love,” said Graffam Bros. Seafood Market chef Becky Butler, winner of the first place professional chef category. Translation: lots and lots of butter.

The Second annual Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese Contest, held at the Rockland Elks Club Sept. 20, drew dozens of people who came to try the small tastings from 20 professional chefs and 10 amateurs (people not involved in food preparation for sale.)

The chefs entered were from all over the state and included Graffam Bros. Seafood Market, DiMillo's On the Water, Linda Bean's Maine Lobster, Kenduskeag Golf & Country Club, Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch, The Lobster Shack, Mermaid at the Homeport and East Wind Inn.

Even though lobster was in every offering, the contest for the judges and the people’s choice truly came down to the taste and consistency of the mac ‘n’ cheese. Each bite of the creamy little dish varied considerably from cook to chef, with some recipes opting to use either spiral pasta, elbows or shells. Some threw in curry or cayenne, while others augmented with bread crumbs and corn.

Professional judges did a blind test of the mac ‘n’ cheese tastings before the public arrived at 2 p.m., and the results of that contest were held off until everyone had had a chance to dig into a little paper serving cup from every cook or chef.

Deb Neuman, radio talk show host from Blueberry Broadcasting, emceed the event, broadcasting live as she announced the winners.

Graffam Bros. Seafood Market won first place in the professional category as well as the People’s Choice professional category, attributing their winning recipe to Butler, who admitted she’d just come up with the recipe on the spot. They used small elbow macaroni and balanced it out with a perfect blend of cheese, which gave it a delicious comfort food taste. And when it comes to lobster, they didn’t have to go far to procure that.  Given that they came in third place last year, owner Kimberlee Graffam said this year’s win felt “fantastic.” When Graffam Bros. Seafood Market was announced, Butler’s small son announced to the crowd “We did it!”

In the amateur chef category: Maynard Stanley of Owls Head took the top honor. Stanley, who is known locally as “Critter Catcher” as he specializes in humane wildlife removal, told us his recipe was also just something he’d made up.

“This is the first time I’ve won here at Lobsterpalooza, but I won second place for this recipe at the Lobster Festival this year,” he said. “I just like competing.”

Stanley used corkscrew pasta and added several cheeses into his modified Alfredo sauce, including his secret ingredient, Butterkraft cheese from Maine Street Meats.

”That’s the only place I found it,” he said.  As for the lobster, he bought it locally and cooked it himself. ”Haven’t had a bad one yet,” he said. “Maine lobster is always good.”

The contestants were helped by sponsors Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine Lobster, which agreed to sell five pounds of lobster to participating chefs at a reduced wholesale price, and The State of Maine Cheese Co., which provided their locally made cheeses, also at a discount.

Other winners included:

Professional awards:

Second place: Josh Dudley from Mermaid Tavern

third place: Joseph Robbins from the Kenduskeag Golf & Country Club's Wrong Turn Pub

Amateur awards:

Second place: Susan Matzell of Wiscasset

third place: William Deptula of Camden

People’s Choice award:

Second place: The Lobster Shack

All photos courtesy PJ Walter, co-owner of LimeRock Inn and one of Lobsterpalooza’s committee members. Nearly a dozen committee members and volunteers worked to make the event go smoothly. The event was also sponsored by Blueberry Broadcasting and Rockland Savings & Loan.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — During the last Rockland Art Walk, Dowling Walsh Gallery was packed, as it usually is. But, something odd was happening. People weren’t just sipping wine and stopping to pause at a particular painting for several moments, before ambling on. On the right side of the gallery, people were lined up, sometimes two, three deep and staring at particular drawings. Just flat out staring—their eyes moving a fraction to the left, then to the right. To the left again. No one was moving.

Turns out local artist Eric Green, of Belfast, was the master behind this intense concentration. At first glance, his latest series, Time Diptychs, appears to play an elaborate game of “Spot The Difference.” Each pair of drawings portrays two seemingly identical views of a room in his Victorian home. As your eyes move from the left panel to the right, then back again, you start to notice that there’s a difference in lighting between the two views. That’s obvious. But then, upon looking closer, some objects remain in one panel, while disappearing in the other panel. Some objects like a fan, turn into a scale in the next drawing. Then, there’s the hidden movement. One view of a room might look pristine, undisturbed, yet in the next panel, subtle clues — like a kettle singing on the stove — suggest that a person has just been in the room. But wait, which drawing holds the truth?

“The concept of a diptych of two images joined to make one is a very old concept,” said Green. “The way I balance the two images is to show changes from one panel to the other, because when you really begin to understand life, everything changes completely all the time. Nothing is ever the same again.”

That is a crafty way of getting people to really look and spend an inordinate time getting lost in art.

“With the bombardment of media today, we forget the simple pleasures of just seeing,” said Green. “There’s been a tendency in the last 50 years of art to ‘get it’ in the first few seconds and then just walk away. I hope that having the two panels to compare, it slows people down and they want to spend some time to see. Even if it’s just to figure out what’s different between the two panels, but it’s the beginning of learning how to really look and see something.”

The Victorian house, which is the subject of his drawings, has its own story. Green was born in New Hampshire and grew up in what he described as “a modest ranch in a mill town neighborhood, decorated with a few pieces of Danish modern furniture, alongside the furniture my father banged together in an economic Spartan style.  For instance, my bed was a sheet of three-inch foam rubber resting on plywood surrounded by knotty pine with a flannel sleeping bag on top.”

He was enamored of an old Queen Anne Victorian his godmother owned that he often came back to visit. “I love patina. I love cracks. I love wear and the sense of time in things,” he said. This childhood experience led him to the Victorian house that he and his wife now own, but it would take a decade before that could happen. Green fell in love with this house the first time he saw it in the mid-1980s, but it was too expensive. He thought about this house for the next 10 years, hoping one day he would own it. The price finally came down, and after his first show was a success in New York, he was able to buy it in the mid-1990s. Then it took 18 years to fully restore. He did all the work himself from rebuilding the windows, redoing the floors, and adding larger architectural elements, such as tin ceilings and a black and white checked floor in the foyer, to the tiniest details like a rewired lamp, as if he had imagined every detail he loved in a painting and placed it physically within the house.

When Green stepped back to view each room in his house, he could see through the passing minutes, something else was going on. 

“The house is important, but what is more important in the drawings is the emotional feeling of the time of day, the light, the texture and the incredible poignancy of time passing,” he said. “I call this the sad beauty of time passing.”

A professional artist for the last 40 years, he set forth to capture the variations of light, texture and mood into an entirely unique series of drawings — 10 in all — which took 19 months to create without a day off.

“I made this world I live in, because I love it,” he said. “Then I decided to draw it. Compositionally, it already satisfied my eye as an artist. So, I sort of created this work twice.”

In his diptych, Matches, which features his front stairwell, the actual time between the rendering of both panels was only 20 minutes apart. “You can see the reflection of the light in the newel post. One side is bluer. And the incandescent lights are turned on in the hallway. But, without comparing that to the other side, you wouldn’t know it. You really get a sense of this newel post because you’ve seen it twice, in two different lights.”

As for which panel of each diptych holds the “truth” of the room, Green said, “The principle of the diptych is that you must amalgamate the two panels in your mind, so when you look at it, your mind is combining the two images. The art doesn’t exist in either panel. It’s created by your mind combining both.”

Green first worked in grisaille or a graphite under drawing to sketch the composition and perspective lines. It would then take weeks to finish each drawing with colored pencils, which cannot be erased, once drawn.

“I couldn’t make mistakes, so it was rather nerve-wracking,” he said. 

Green, who also is an author of five novels, including his most recent, LiveCell, said working as an artist takes way more out of him than working as an author.

“Sometimes, I hate painting,” he said with a laugh.

The intensity, the shifting perspective and the fact that his work is a statement more about mortality than anything else, makes these diptychs a must-see for anyone who has the time to stop by the gallery. But you must take the time to really, really look.

Eric Green’s Time Diptychs will be shown at Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland until Oct. 7.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com.

The size of this barn might give a clue as to where this might have been (or still is) in the Midcoast. Can you guess what town this barn was, and what its function was? Bonus points for guessing the year the photo was taken.

Last week’s Throwback Thursday photo courtesy of Rockland, Maine History’s Facebook page (submitted by David Feyler) was the W.T. Grants Rockland on Maverick St, taken in 1966. Readers identified it as being the J.C. Penney store that exists there today. Reader Pamela Doherty said, “My mom worked in the office there when I was a child. I remember the lunch counter and the big root beer barrel.”

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

Whenever a movie made in Maine cycles through Netflix such as Pet Sematary, I’m on high cringe alert, waiting the character to butcher the word “ayuh.” A debate apparently rages on whether Fred Gwynne’s character, Jud Crandall, pronounces the word correctly, or if his accent comes off like a bad stereotype. Watch the two videos we’ve embedded in this story. In the first video at the 10 second mark, listen to Gwynne’s “ayuh.”

Then in the next video, “Talk Like A Mainer,” listen to Mainer Mark Messner pronounce the two variations of the word.

So, we’ll leave it to the Pilot audience, which is the correct way to say “ayuh” and did Fred Gwynne do it justice?

Some of Maine’s colloquialisms and regionalisms have crossed over to the mainstream, thanks to writers like Stephen King, comedians like Bob Marley and TV shows like DownEast Dickering (which, if you didn’t know “dickering” is a Maine expression for “haggling”) Because of this, most people already know the expressions  “all stoved up” (badly damaged), “cunnin’” (cute) “gawmy” (awkward/bad design) and “upta camp” (a camp or cottage that Mainers go to for the weekend or on vacation).

So we’re putting this out to our Pilot readers: what seldom-used-today expressions do you still use and what do they mean?

Email us at news@penbaypilot.com or respond on our Facebook page.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Cold nights; warm days. That’s what we’ve got now, love it or leave it. Wait, we can’t leave it; you’ve got NO CHOICE but to love it. That shift is being felt in the music, scenes and events in the Midcoast this weekend. So grab your lobster mac ‘n’ cheese tasting ticket, watch the rock ‘em sock ‘em roller derby gals, or pull up a chair and listen to some good funk, blues and old timey stuff at various locales. Welcome to another easy breezy beautiful September weekend in Maine.

Every year people have this total love-love relationship with the Common Ground Fair. You’ll have all weekend to appreciate it. Starting on Friday and going through Sunday, the Common Ground Country Fair is the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association’s annual celebration of rural living, with 1,400-plus exhibitors and speakers emphasizing vibrant communities, sustainable living and local economies, while highlighting organic agriculture. Gates open at 9 a.m. each day. Click for advance and regular ticket information.

Thursday, Sept. 18
Time to sing/play/recite your heart out or just sit back and watch! Go check out the Open Mic at The Highlands Coffee House, 6:30-9:30 p.m., with the great talent in the Midcoast and beyond! Drink and food specials. Sign up is at 6 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 19

If you like blues, Blind Albert plays the The Speakeasy in Rockland from 8-11 p.m.

Rock City Coffee presents Old Town Road, the father-daughter duo of Bob and Megan Stuart. Bob Stuart is a singer songwriter who has been performing originals, traditional and folk mash-ups for over 40 years. His daughter, Megan Rogers, joined him onstage when she was young and continues to sing with him. Their music style blends old folk, with revival folk, as well as folk rock, and pop. the show goes from 7-9 p.m. and there is no cover, but donations are appreciated.

Saturday, Sept. 20
Do you have your tickets for the Lobsterpalooza tastings this Saturday? For the first time, lucky ticket holders will have the chance to taste some of the fabulous Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese after the judging. The event starts at 2 p.m. at the Rockland Elks Club, 210 Rankin St. in Rockland. Tickets are just $10 and are limited so get them soon. To find out where to get tickets, click here.

Trackside Station is having their End of The Summer Party with DJ VJ, starting around 9 p.m.

Rosie and Opal may be happily ensconced in Oklahoma, but they are not far from our minds. Vermont-based singer/songwriter Chad Hollister and his nine-piece band will perform a concert to benefit Hope Elephants and the Jim Laurita Fund Saturday, Sept. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Strand Theatre in Rockland.

If you like R&B, dance and funk, Sea Train plays The Speakeasy in Rockland from 8-11 p.m.

The girls are gonna be busting out the skates with their Breakwater Blackhearts Bout, at Point Lookout in Northport. The Rock Coast Rollers' B Team takes on the Pioneer Valley Roller Derby's Quabbin Missile Crisis team. The show starts at 5:30 p.m. and benefits Midcoast Hospitality House. Tickets, $10/under 13 free, online only: BreakwaterBlackheartsFall.bpt.me.

Have you ever wanted to spend a day on the ultra-fab Hurricane Island (former base for Outward Bound?) Well, they’re offering Volunteer Day through the Hurricane Island Foundation, Center for Science and Leadership. In exchange for putting in some hours of meaningful work to help spruce up the place, they’ll provide transportation from Rockland and the Fox Islands: Email emily@HurricaneIsland.net or call 867-6050.

Sunday, Sept. 21

Rosey & The Wayfaring Strangers will be playing at Lincolnville's Whale's Tooth Pub this coming Sunday, Sept. 20, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Their style of music ranges from Hank Williams, Patsy Cline,  Alan Jackson to Merle Haggard and a little bluegrass gospel thrown in.

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

This photo should look pretty familiar to those who grew up in the area. Can you guess what this building is now? What approximate date the photo was taken? Any memories of Grant’s? Please share!

We couldn’t have known when we posted last week’s Throwback Thursday photo that such a somber focus would be on the town of Hope this week (and all of you are in our thoughts), but those who guessed this building became Hope General Store were indeed, correct.

This week’s photo is courtesy of the Rockland, Maine History Facebook page submitted by David Feyler.

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

It’s time for a bit of a breather, don’t you think? All summer it has been go, go, go and we need at least one calm weekend to catch our breath. Here’s the weekend you’ve been waiting for to just CHILL OUT, for God’s sake.

Thursday, Sept 11

This is the last day to see Woody Allen’s movie at the Strand Theatre, Magic in the Moonlight, starring Colin Firth and Emma Stone. Here’s what it’s about: Set in the 1920s on the opulent Riviera in the south of France, Woody Allen’s Magic in the Moonlight is a romantic comedy about a master magician (Colin Firth) trying to expose a psychic medium (Emma Stone) as a fake. show stars at 7 p.m. $8.50/adults, $7.50/12 and under.

Friday, Sept. 12

The  Highlands Coffee House presents Mes Amis Gypsy Guitar Duo. Steve Lynnworth and Harry Richter together will play an infectious mix of traditional gypsy, Latin and American jazz standards.

Rock City Coffee presents singer-songwriter Heather Styka. When listeners describe Heather as an “old soul,” the term applies to more than her wisdom beyond her years. Styka’s tunes have a vintage familiarity that draws inspiration from folk and Tin Pan Alley sounds, but the vivid images of her lyrics render her songs as as fresh, smart, and unexpected as they are hummable. The show runs 7-9 p.m. The event is free but a donation of $5 is always encouraged.

Blind Albert plays the The Speakeasy in Rockland from 8-11 p.m.

FOG Bar and Cafe presents Maine’s perennial string band faves, Toughcats! This is the only event this weekend that isn’t mellow. You’ll be jumping, jiving and loving the high-octane energy this trio brings to the stage. Starts at 9 p.m. $10 cover.

Midcoast Arts and Artisans Tour. If you’ve ever been on a kitchen tour, this is the same thing, only you get to explore artist studios all over Lincolnville, Camden, Rockport, Warren, Union, Appleton, and Hope and see what's taking shape. You'll discover a wide variety of media here, including ceramics, glass, wood, jewelry, sculpture, textiles, metal, fine art, photography, and mixed media. Goes for three days starting on Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit: artisanstour.org or call 207-594-2580 for information.

Saturday, Sept 13

Camden Opera House is hosting the comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, a stage production from the Everyman Repertory Theatre about three middle-aged single siblings, two of whom live together (Vanya and Sonia), when the third (Masha) comes to visit with her much younger boy toy, Spike. The rest of the show’s dates are on Sept. 13, 14. Tickets are $25, or $20 if purchased in advance. Student tickets are available at $10. Evening performances are at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at www.everymanrep.org, by calling 207.236.0173. Read about “Five Things to Know About The Play With The Underpants” here.

The Old Blues Kats play The Speakeasy,in Rockland from 8-11 p.m.

Sunday, Sept 14

Camden Opera House continues running Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike with a Q & A session with the cast and crew on Sunday, Sept. 14. Evening performances are at 7 p.m, with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

CAMDEN—The poster is hard to miss. Depicting a pair or old-school piped undies, the kind boys wore in middle-school, the poster has been plastered around various parts of the Midcoast. The poster is an advertisement for the comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, a stage production from the Everyman Repertory Theatre at the Camden Opera House, that debuted Sept. 6.

The show, written by Christopher Durang, produced by Keith Mackenzie and directed by directed by Paul Hodgson, revolves around three middle-aged single siblings, two of whom live together (Vanya and Sonia), when the third (Masha) comes to visit with her much younger boy toy, Spike.The play revolves around themes of lust, rivalry, regret, and the sudden possibility of escape.

We asked Hodgson some questions about the upcoming show and here are five things to know about Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,

1. What’s with the poster?

Rafi Baeza designed it. You’d have to come to the show or else I’d be giving much too much away about the underpants are about. I told Rafi about the themes behind the play and that’s the poster he came up with. It’s bang on.

2. Is this a play about Russian immigrants?

No, these characters had professors as parents who designed to name all of the kids after the works of Anton Chekov.

3. What’s the gist of this play your own words?

The play is about two sisters and a brother and the younger sister and brother were left at home to look after their parents who have Alzheimer’s and died. The oldest sister went off and became an internationally famous movie star. She comes home occasionally to visit them. This is is one of those occasions when she turns up with her boy toy, Spike and the adventures start there.

4. What kind of audience will appreciate this play?

The play works on a lot of different levels. It was written by a guy in his late 50s who looks back on his past with some fondness and reality and looking at the future and getting a little pissed off about it as well. David Troup gives a speech about Twitter, Facebook and video games and compares them to shows and films that were popular in the 1950s like Old Yeller and I Love Lucy. Let me say this, Twitter, Facebook and video games don’t come out on top in that speech. In some ways it plays to an older audience, but there are a lot of contemporary references as well as two with-it young characters.

Has this show ever been produced in Maine before?

No, this play won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play. It was a huge hit on Broadway. We’re just the first company to do it in Maine.

The rest of the show’s dates are on Sept. 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 with a Q & A session with the cast and crew on Sunday, Sept. 14. Evening performances are at 7 p.m, with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $25, or $20 if purchased in advance. Student tickets are available at $10. Tickets are available at www.everymanrep.org, by calling 207.236.0173, as well as at the following retail venues: Owl and Turtle and HAVII in Camden, the Reading Corner, Rockland, and Bella Books, Belfast.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN—The second annual Mini Maker Faire was held in the Camden Amphitheatre on Sept. 6. Hundreds of people of all ages attended to see more than 20 exhibitors strut their stuff. From robot making to a solar Merry Go Round, from an electric car to illustrated word memoirs—here are more of the Makers, Tinkerers and Artists who made it a success.

See more of the “behind the scenes” in our new gallery.

If you missed the original article, check it out: 2014 Mini Maker Faire a swinging success.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — You know what’s a refreshing change to see? Kids getting their hands on technology that doesn’t involve a cellphone, iPad or a videogame.

This year’s Midcoast Mini Maker Faire had more than 20 tables, exhibits and hands-on activities involving robots, LEGOs® and funky art creations for kids and adults. The scene resembled a homegrown version of the Museum of Science in Boston. Despite a sweltering humid day, hundreds of adults and kids roamed the Camden Amphitheatre, checking out the unusual displays.

One of the biggest hits of the Faire was the solar Merry Go Round invented by Arthur Haines (see accompanying video). Haines said he’d always wanted to invent a carnival ride and with a few canvas lawn chairs, a metal structure and a couple of small solar panels, he had everything he needed to make it happen.

“I have been designing this for a long time, but we put it together in a week,” he said. Going full speed, this ride packed some serious punch. Kids had to be paired with kids and adults with adults so the weight imbalances wouldn’t topple the ride as Haines chose various songs from his iPad to accompany the Merry Go Round.

On the lawn, a Photo Booth by Darling’s allowed people to dress up in costume and play with the controls inside while on the other side of the lawn, kids were taught how to make enormous bubbles that swarmed around the Amphitheatre, and burst in the faces of people not looking.

Inside the tent, some of the popular activities from last year were back, such as the cardboard robot making clinic taught by Jared Paradee, (a.k.a. Robot Overlord) and CMCA ArtLab, which allowed kids to choose from a wide buffet of LEGOs®, trinkets and an electric drill to make sculptural key chains and pendants.

“My son donated his LEGO® collection for this,” said Marcie Bronstein, an educator at ArtLab.

Techgeeks were in their element as the students of the Regional School Union 13 Lego Robotics Team and The Rockland RoboGeeks showcased some of their LEGO® robotic creations. One was a robot that could be programmed to push a soda can into a recycling bin. (But can they program it to clean up their rooms?)

New exhibits and activities that capitalized on people’s sensory intuition, creativity and imagination included modular origami making by Eva Szillery, who obtained her doctorate in mathematics in Hungary at the prestigious Eotvos Lorand University. She invented fantastical ball-shaped origami models as a way to teach kids mathematic principles.

So many of the exhibits inspired simple projects that can be done at home using household products. Jason Philbrook led a Cynotype hands-on workshop using a simple, 19th century photo process that uses good old sunshine to make a photogram and print negatives. Kids got to coat their papers, make a design, expose it to sunlight for a few minutes, rinse it, then walk away with a blueprint of their design. On the other side of the the tent, Meghan Boyle led her Funky Fermentation demonstration on how to make sauerkraut, using cabbage, sea salt and a basic jar with a lid.

“The microorganisms in the air will simply ferment it,” she said. “I was never really good at canning, so this is much simpler.” Now everybody can be all Martha Stewart when making a Reuben sandwich.

Surprisingly this year, with all the focus on technology, there was an equal focus on art and literary workshops at the Faire. Nancy Tyndall, a puppeteer from Montville, created The Wee Museum of Maine, featuring little books replete with clues and riddles about Maine that kids had to guess in order to open the books in her display. The Farnworth Art Museum’s Ilustrated Six Word Memoir workshop, led by personal historian Meghan Vigeant and artist Alexis Immarino, was equally as popular with people of all ages.

The workshop was inspired by Ernest Hemingway said Vigeant. “It all came from a challenge to Hemingway to write a six-word novel and his was: ‘For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.’ So, we created this workshop giving people all the tools they need to tell a six-word story about themselves.”

Several tables over, author Dena Davis was working on a Little Free Library, a small, mailbox-like structure that houses free books. There are nearly 15,000 Little Free Libraries across the country, but only about a dozen in Maine.

There were many more exhibitors than we could even cover, but what a creative free for all!  Check back for a photo gallery, which tells more of the story and features more exhibitors — coming soon. To find out more about the Midcoast Mini Maker Faire, visit midcoastmakerfaire.com.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Some cuh-razy events are coming to the Midcoast this weekend and it won’t be easy to choose which ones to go to.

Friday, Sept. 5

Art Walk (Rockland)

One of the best things about small towns in the summer (yes it’s still summer. I don’t care!) are the Friday night art walks that Rockland and Belfast offer. Arts In Rockland will be hopping tonight for August's First Friday, from 5 to 8 p.m. in Rockland. FMI: www.artsinrockland.org

Temp Tales, Trackside Station (Rockland)

If you have been following Maine’s cult favorite animation series, Temp Tales, by O’Chang Comics (see our story here), they just released their latest episode, Crittah Gittaz, which focuses on the working guys of Maine and the hazards of the summer workplace situation.They’re on a statewide tour right now (seriously, even in Millinocket, guys are overheard repeating  the show’s signature line “Drive ah, MaGuyvah!) They’ll be at Trackside Station this evening after the art walk; the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Belfast Peace Festival (Belfast)

The inaugural Belfast Peace Festival kicks off tonight with a Street Dance from 6 to 9 p.m. on Spring Street between Court and Church streets. DJ Erik Klausmeyer spins 60s, 70s and current tunes while broadcasting live on Community Radio WERU 89.9 FM. This is offered as a family event and suggests bringing bring a blanket & picnic basket, or buy snacks from vendors. There is a full day of activities planned, and you can check out the schedule and details here and here.

Primo Cubano, Speakeasy (Rockland)

This will be a great place to get your salsa groove going! Primo Cubano plays traditional Cuban dance music dating back to the turn of the 20th Century, and they have a large following, so call ahead to reserve a ticket if you can. Tickets are $10 in advance, and limited. Music is from 9 p.m. to midnight. FMI: 596-6661 Ext. 606 or email kathleen@2ParkDrive.com.

Saturday, Sept 6

Medieval Tournament, Fort Knox (Prospect)

Knights jousting. Monks knocking back mead. Lords and ladies frolicking about. There are people who love dressing up and pretending that it is still the 16th century, and I, for one, am grateful they exist. Fort Knox transforms itself Saturday, when the 6th annual Medieval Tournament unfurls its banners on the old fort's parade ground. The event is hosted by the Barony of Endewearde, a branch of the East Kingdom in the Society for Creative Anachronism, which studies the Middle Ages by recreating the pastimes and crafts of the period. Last year's event gave hundreds of visitors a taste of the Middle Ages with demonstrations of fencing, youth fighting and fencing, thrown weapons, combat archery, live music, dance, exhibits and a fashion show, too. The event starts at 9:30 a.m. and goes until 4 p.m.  Regular Fort admission fees apply ($1 ages 5-11, $3 12-64), plus a suggested donation of $3 per person is requested. FMI: Barony of Endewearde

Midcoast Mini Maker Faire (Camden)

Last year, we covered the first-ever Mini Maker Faire, and to no one’s surprise it was an out-of-left-field hit with everyone. Most of the events in this round-up are for adults, but this was one of those ultra-cool events where kids and adults intermingled seamlessly. With its resourceful do-it-yourself science and technology, robots, crafts and art, this event celebrates the quirky side of the creative economy. This year, there will be at least 20 exhibitors, including many hands-on presentations like the ever-popular robot-making demonstration (thanks Robot Overlord!), sauerkraut making, a solar-powered merry-go-round swing, "modular" origami, a LegoLab, illustrated six-word memoirs, and more. The Faire will be held in the Camden Amphitheatre along Atlantic Avenue at the head of the harbor. Admission to the Faire is a $2 donation, $5 for families. FMI: midcoastmakerfaire.com.

Movie on the Green: Spaceballs (Thomaston)

Now here’s a chance to laugh your fanny off. The Friends of the Thomaston Public Library is sponsoring a showing of the 1987 Mel Brooks Star Wars parody and cult classic, Spaceballs, starring Brooks, Bill Pullman, John Candy and Rick Moranis. Movies on the Green are shown on the wall of the old Maine State Prison, which is a pretty neat way to use that big wall. The film starts at sundown and Playin' Possum folk trio will entertain everyone awaiting the sun to drop low enough for the movie to begin. Bring a chair, a blanket and bug spray too. Popcorn and bottled water will be available for purchase for $1.

Sunday, Aug. 7

Maine Weinerfest (Belfast)

The question is not why would you, it’s why wouldn’t you want to see a bunch of Dachshunds dressed in little costumes? Last month Rockland had a Cat Film Festival, this month, Belfast hosts the 11th annual Maine Wienerfest, a waterfront event at Steamboat Landing Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Organized events include the Grand Parade of Dachshunds, a costume contest and a series of hilarious races. One of the most unusual activities will be ongoing demonstrations of teckeling, the age-old hunting technique that uses dachshunds to burrow after badgers, rats and other prey. (Um, all of it—yes.) Gates open at 10:30 a.m. Admission is $2 for adults. Children under 12 years old and dogs are free. Food booths and dog-related vendors will be available on the site. FMI: friendsofbelfastparks.org

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — On Aug. 22, Cheryl Denz got a call that no business owner wants to receive. As the owner of the Tera Optima Farm and its eponymous Farm Market on the southern end of Rockland’s Main Street, she learned that the store had been robbed that morning. She recalls being stoic and calm.

“We gave the store a pretty thorough going over before I called police,” she said. 

In a “Farm Report” blog Denz writes for the Farm Market, she shared this news with the community that day, as well as her reaction:

My feelings were not of anger, but of confusion.
And I still was holding out hope that perhaps it wasn't true.
But it was.
Someone had come into the market and stolen all the deposit money.
There was a somber atmosphere in the market, when I arrived.
I asked a few more questions and called the police.
I can't go into too many details here, because the police are conducting an investigation.
My day was full of phone calls and anxiety.
Now what?
The market cannot afford to have a loss like that.
Last week, I removed a shoplifter I believed had been stealing from us since we opened.
It took me this long to catch the person, definitely in the act.
This week, our entire deposit was taken.
I am beside myself.
I went to see my friend, Suzanne later that day.
I had held myself together all day.
But when I saw her, I burst into tears.

Nearly two weeks later, the crime is still under investigation, but a whirlwind of emotions has broadsided Denz. 

“This is such a new business,” she said. “Everything I had was put into this store. I even sold cattle to make this store happen and I do whatever I can to keep it going. So, any amount of money that is taken by shoplifting or an outright theft is downright devastating. If you came to me and said you were in need, I’d do whatever I could. And if I couldn’t personally do it, I’d find someone who could.”

Within a day, dozens of people in the community who found out about the loss expressed their support on her Facebook page and in person.

Denz wrote on her blog the next day:

I was overwhelmed yesterday by the out pouring of support from my community for me and the market.
Calls, emails, personal visits...
Offers of help, hugs, handshakes...
The postings on this Facebook page were also heartwarming and informative.
Still, the events of the previous day loomed large inside me.
I felt a little flat, almost as if I had experienced a death in my family.
As soon as was reasonable, I left the market, to see my cows.

“My first love is my farm,” she said. “I could work there 24 hours a day. This market is tougher than anything I’ve ever done. Tougher than chasing pigs in the woods, shoveling cow manure, or felling trees.”

Days later she was still struggling to make sense of her own personal loss and try to figure out how to make up for the stolen money.

In that following week, a customer contacted her to ask what happened and a day later Denz received a check in the mail.

“It was a significant amount of money. I was speechless,” she said. “In her note she said this was her way of paying forward. I just cried. Then after that, I got the sweetest letter from a teenage girl named Pearl I’d met at the Union Fair auction the night before the robbery, asking me to not give up. There was $20 from her and $20 from her parents in the envelope. And once again, I had to leave the store, my eyes were welling up.”

Denz said that the community has surprised her again and again. People have sent her little gifts in the mail and restaurant and business owners in Rockland have gone out of their way to buy some produce from the store.

“I really didn’t think anyone cared,” she said. “This is just a store, for God’s sake.”

At this, Denz has to take a second to wipe her eyes and compose herself.

“You would think after a couple of weeks, I’d have gotten this out of my system,” she said with a little laugh.

The best was yet to come. A friend of Denz named Todd Bross, who happened to be a member of the Facebook community Midcoast Eating & Drinking Society, organized a cash mob through the group to benefit Terra Optima Farm Market Aug. 30.

In a partial statement to the group he posted: “We need businesses like this and people like Cheryl in our foodie community. She has given much, some idiot(s) took from her. Let's give it back many times over....”

“I didn’t even know what a cash mob was,” said Denz. For the uninitiated, a cash mob is a loose, grassroots group whose purpose is to gather at one store with $20 to spend and to flood it with revenue on a predetermined day.

“All week people who were part of the cash mob were coming in and on that Sunday, we already had people at the door before we opened,” she said.

All in all, she estimates 100 people who were part of the cash mob, including friends and neighbors as well as people from out of state came through the store that week.

“That night I went home,” she said. “I was worn out in a happy way. I never thought the community would rally like that. People told me they hoped these good things would outweigh these bad things and it has helped tremendously. But when I walk through the store, there is still this feeling of violation and I don’t know how long it will take to shake that.”

In the final words of her blog that addressed this issue she stated:

Through the events of the last few days, I have felt your kindness and support in a way that I have no words to describe.
You are a wonderful community to be a part of.
I feel blessed. Truly.
Thank you.
I'm off to the barn.
I'll be back later.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Hope this looks familiar. Guesses?

There were a flurry of guesses for last week’s Throwback Thursday photo, but it appears the correct answer to where these row of buildings were located came from a member of the Facebook group: “You knew you grew up in Camden-Rockport when...”   Valerie Goodman said: “This is in Northport. My parents bought it in 1954(?) On the roof of the house was written ‘NUT HOUSE’ on the side headed to Belfast. I don't think I ever saw this picture, thanks for sharing. They sold GULF gas and opened a restaurant ‘Penobscot Bay Trading Post’ which later moved to Lincolnville Beach.

Photo courtesy Penobscot Marine Museum at penobscotmarinemuseum.org

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

Pen Bay Pilot has worked tirelessly to assemble every notable Happy Hour offering in the Midcoast (and yes, it was hard work doing all of that sampling) into a guide that is easily accessible for the person who instantly wants to know, “where should we go today?” From upscale chic inns to hotspots with an urban feel to the local neighborhood taverns, every establishment in our list “Guide to Midcoast’s Happy Hours” has a list of their specials, days and times offered and even notes on the mood of each space.

Click to see guide.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com If you are the owner of any of these establishments and have a correction, please email her.

ROCKPORT—Retired attorney John Galley from Rockport had never used the popular crowdfunding website Kickstarter before and wasn’t quite sure to expect last month when he and his business partner, Kirk Kreutzig launched a Kickstarter campaign for their unique sunglasses called ORION4Sight.

Of all the other crowdfunding sites like Indiegogo and GoFundMe, Kickstarter is probably the most recognized platform specializing in helping artists and entrepreneurs raise funds for creative projects. Kreutzig, who holds four patents on his vision enhancement technology, has been making eyewear and other products using his technology for almost two decades. His biggest customers are the elite U.S. Special Operations Commands and members of the Navy Seals and other “dark ops” groups. Kreutzig and Galley decided to team up and make a a spin-off version of Kreutzig’s military eyewear for consumers, a sort of “sunglasses on steroids.”

But first, they needed funds for research and development, production, marketing and legal expenses. So, they turned to Kickstarter.

With about two weeks to prep the campaign, including creating a video with his campaign “guru” Lucas McNelly at DreamLocal, Galley recalls what happened after pushing the “launch button” on Aug. 12.

“In 30 seconds or less, my email notification showed me that two people had backed the project, instantly,” said Galley. “I thought, ‘How in the world did that happen so fast? Were they lurking around on Kickstarter waiting for me to start it?’ Then in 20 minutes, 10 people backed us. In less than three hours, 50 people had claimed our allocated 50 pairs of sunglasses on our Early Bird special. In less than 24 hours, we sped right through our $9,000 goal. By the second day, we got an email from Kickstarter choosing us as one of their prestigious and coveted staff picks. By the third day, this Amazon seller’s community I belong to contacted me to be interviewed for their newsletter. It just kept going. It hasn’t stopped.”

At the time of this interview, the campaign was still 13 days from finishing with nearly 1,500 backers. As anyone who has ever backed a project, or started one of their own in Maine, Galley’s experience is unprecedented. “As of last Sunday, we became the number one Kickstarter campaign in Maine, regardless of category,” said Galley. “We’re now number two in the sunglasses category in all time and it’s likely to be a lock that we will be number one shortly.”

Asked his secret in how he got to this point, Galley said, “I think you’ve got to have a couple of things. First, you’ve got to have a good product and a good story. Then you have to have a compelling offer. All of these things are standard Marketing 101. What I was I totally unprepared for was the size and the breadth of the Kickstarter community. There are what I call ‘Kickstarter groupies’ who hang around because they are always looking for new and interesting things. They are what marketers call early adopters. They want to be the first kid on the block to have the new widget. And this looks like one hell of a widget.”

Galley estimates no more than five percent of the people he knows personally are backers. “The majority of these people I don’t know personally and they are driving this bus,” he said. The current numbers show the majority of backers are male. Interestingly enough, around 35% of their backers are from overseas. “I would never have known Kickstarter had that much of an international audience,” Galley said.

“There’s a viral component to this campaign,” adds campaign manager McNelly. “There’s a misconception that crowdfunding is asking your friends and family for money. It’s more about spreading out to lots of different people and communities. It’s kind of the same thing that fuels the TV show Shark Tank. People really want to see the process and how cool things happen and they’re willing to put their money toward it. Here, they’re getting a good deal on a good product faster than anyone else, and at a discount. In my experience with film projects, what you’re really pitching to is the guy in the cubicle in Nebraska who always wanted to do something artistic and has never really been able to and really wants to be a part of [a Kickstarter project.]”

All of this being so new to Galley, he stresses the need to stay on top of the comments section and in-box messages from backers. In fact, he spend about 15 hours a day upon this campaign. “Right now, we have close to 300 comments,” he said.  “The private messages are 5-10 times above that. I always send everyone a message back, because I want to reinforce their participation. In some cases, if I don’t respond within a reasonable time frame, it starts to take a different turn.”

With their unexpected monster success has come a small percentage of backlash, which is what typically happens in virally successful Kickstarter campaign. While the majority of backers are happy to ride along, a very small percentage of backers have persistently tried to question the validity of Galley and Kreutzig’s eyewear product. With more than two decades of work on this technology and four patents on it, they shouldn’t have to defend their company. But Kickstarter, in recent years, has had its reputation slightly marred with fraudulent campaigns, which has left some backers wary about fast rising campaigns.

Another form of backlash has occurred when certain backers began to see that Galley and Kreutzig’s campaign was surpassing nearly 1937% times its original goal and began asking them to give more back to the backers. Galley addresses this by emphasizing that the original goal of $9,000 was deliberately smaller than the anticipated expenses and that it will cost immeasurably more to cover the R&D, production, marketing, legal fees and costs of shipping the reward sunglasses out to the backers in the U.S. and abroad. ”The goal really has nothing to do with how much this will cost us, but you have to choose a lower goal so you don’t get shut out,” said Galley.

Finally, one strange turn no one on the campaign anticipated, is that an Australian scam artist lifted the text, videos and other elements of their Kickstarter campaign and tried to run a fraudulent mirror campaign under the same name on Indiegogo.  After he raised several hundred dollars on the scam campaign before being detected, that situation, has since been resolved.

All in all, it has been a wild ride for Galley, Kreutzig and McNelly. Asked for their advice on what to tell other Maine creatives who are interested in starting a campaign on a crowdfunding site, McNelly said, “I wouldn’t advise anyone to do a Kickstarter campaign unless they really have a good project and are going to put the time into it. If you’re just going to throw something up against the wall and see if it sticks, it will probably be unsuccessful. In the film community, we did a survey to see how many hours it takes to put into a successful Kickstarter campaign and the average was 10 hours a day. For an unsuccessful campaign it was four. And some people don’t even have four hours to put in.” 

Just to show how fast backers are contributing to this campaign, at the start of writing this article, the number of contributions was at $173,808. At the time this article went live, that number jumped to $188,556 and it shows no sign of stopping in the next 10 days. There’s no doubt that this campaign will end on a high note. Asked what they’ll do when the end date of Friday, Sept. 12 comes around, McNelly jokes, “Sleep.”

Galley remarks, “Our real work has just begun. You don’t quit when Kickstarter ends. We wouldn’t be on here if there wasn’t a plan beyond Kickstarter.”

To follow their campaign visit: www.kickstarter.com/projects/johngalley/orion4sight-sunglasses-on-steroids

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—The Farnsworth Art Museum’s group The Collective has been shaking up the Museum’s buttoned down, traditional image in recent years with edgy art environments, but last Saturday night, they threw out a whole kit and caboodle with The Walker Arts Center’s Internet Cat Video Festival presented by The Farnsworth held Saturday Aug. 23.

That’s right, an event dedicated to viral cat videos.

If you’re thinking five middle-aged single ladies showed up in cat sweaters smelling faintly of Fancy Feast, get this—somewhere between 500-700 people showed up to the festival and fair, according to Kelly Finlay, the Farnsworth’s Education Coordinator.

“The reel of films were divvied up by genre,” she said. “The first part featured comedy videos and was my favorite, personally. It was so wonderful to hear the group laughing.  We also had a Hall of Fame collection, if you’ve ever seen the Grumpy Cat Internet meme. We also had an animated film category, like the Nyan cat, based on another Internet meme of an animated cartoon cat with the body of a Pop-Tart, flying through space. It also featured a selection of videos of the Henri Le Chat Noir videos, which depicts this cat with these existential ponderings in subtitles.” (Click on the videos to see Grumpy Cat and Henri Le Chat.)

For many, an introduction to these pop cultural phenomenons was secondary to the excellent people watching that took place in the first few hours of the festival, held in Rockland’s Harbor Park. Photographer Michael O’Neil roamed the crowds and reported seeing a lot of “hard core cat enthusiasts of all ages” in the early part of the evening. ”People who just really love cats and the event itself—this was their chance to come out. For the most part, 80 percent of the people there was wearing some feline-based paraphernalia, whether it was a hat, a t-shirt, a sticker, or face paint,” he said.

The event billed itself as a way to “raise questions, challenge assumptions, surprise people, and create a real, multi-sensory experience.” In the daylight hours before the films took place, the fair featured games, art activities, and food vendors, as well as “MASH" unit where stuffed animals could be surgically repaired. P.A.W.S. Animal Adoption Center also provided a "Cat Cuddle Booth" featuring adoptable cats.

The Farnsworth Art Museum is not the first to get in on the cat film festival craze.  In 2012, the world's first #CatVidFest was held at the Walker Art Center, a contemporary art museum in Minneapolis, which drew more than 10,000 people in 2012, launching comparisons to a new sort of “Burning Man” festival.

We can’t wait to see what The Collective has in store next. To see a gallery of the craziest cat photos, click here.

All photos courtesy Michael O'Neil from the Walker Art Center’s Internet Cat Video Festival, presented by the Farnsworth Art Museum.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Does anyone know where these building used to be in the Midcoast or have any stories about them?

Thanks to Rockland, Maine History’s Facebook page, last week’s Throwback Thursday photo was submitted by Maynard Dean. It was the Socony Service Station, on a 4th of July sale at the corner of Main and Rankin Streets. One of PenBay Pilot’s commenters, Mike McMahon said, “This was my grandfather's [Charles (Chick) McMahon] gas station. It was on the corner of Main and Rankin Streets where the newest addition to the Rankin Block is today. My grandfather started the business during the second World War. The station was torn down and replaced by another gas station run by Veto Leo in the 1960's. The photo was probably taken in the 1940s.”

Photo courtesy of the Facebook group: “You knew you grew up in Camden-Rockport when...”

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

OWLS HEAD—A year ago, Stephanie Williams, a personal trainer from Owls Head, had a random conversation with some of her students in an exercise class about how much fun it was to buy school supplies in anticipation of going back to school and how as adults, we don’t get to do that anymore.

“Out of that initial conversation, we thought that we could all collaborate and put together a couple of backpacks with school supplies and drop them off at the local school,” she said. “We thought we’d have just a few, but we ended up with 10 full backpacks. Word got around really quickly, and 10 backpacks turned into 110 backpacks. As the news spread, local businesses and media helped spread the word. And everybody wanted to help.”

That grassroots community effort has mushroomed into a movement that Williams is calling Backpacks For Kids, a local, fundraiser to supply kids with new backpacks stuffed with school supplies for the new school year. Last year, Williams donated the backpacks to RSU #13 comprising of Rockland, Thomaston St. George, Owls Head and Cushing. This year, that effort has spread out to more local school districts, including donations from Camden-Rockport. To date, more than 274 full backpacks have been donated with around 10 local businesses contributing.

“More are coming in as we speak with extra school supplies and I think we’ll be adding a third school district,” she said.

According to a 2011 Maine Kids Count Report, nearly 20% of children in Knox County are living in poverty and 45 percent are on the school lunch subsidy. “In doing this, I’d learned that more than 40% of children in our local area don’t really know where their next meal is coming from,” said Williams. So, if we can take a little bit of stress off these families by supplying a backpack with school supplies, it is worth it.”

“It feels good just to be able to put a smile on a little kid’s face,” said Williams. “I get a lot of feedback from teachers and ed techs who work with the kids. They also appreciate the help because they’re spending a lot of money out of their own pockets to supply the kids with the necessary tools.”

Out of last year’s effort, she said, a teacher told her the story about a little girl the teacher worked with who owned a ratty, old backpack that her mom bought her at GoodWill. She loved the backpack, though because her mom had given it to her. When the backpacks were distributed last year, the teacher made sure this little girl got a new backpack.

“She said the smile on this kid’s face was incredible. And for about a week, this little girl ran up to her, grabbed her, and gave her a hug, thanking her again for the backpack. This is such a small story, it’s such a simple thing, but if this is going to impact these kids on their first day of school and have a little bit of higher self-esteem, then it is all worth it.”

Still, the effort has grown to a point where it might be more than Williams can handle on her own. “I wasn’t even sure if I was going to do it this year, but everyone in my community said, ‘You’ve got to!’,” said Williams, who works on average of 40 weeks. She said that she started taking donations in July and now, more than half of her garage is filled with items. “The last few months I’ve been coming home from work and go in my garage for a few hours, trying to organize everything to stay on top of it. I reached out to some friends and they’ve been over to help me. I’m seriously considering putting together a ‘Backpacks for Kids’ committee for next year.

Williams said the feedback she’s gotten from her friends and community has been inspirational as well.

“To buy a new backpack and supplies is around $40 and for some people, that doesn’t put them out, feel good about doing it. This year has proven that.”

The backpacks will be distributed next week. The deadline for donations is now over, but if someone wants to contact Williams about the committee, she can be reached at stephhillerpt4@hotmail.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com