CAMDEN — The way the Camden Opera House plans to celebrate its 120th anniversary is to bring back some of their most popular acts over the years, and they intend to kick off the lineup Saturday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m with "An Evening featuring Ellis Paul with special guest Chris Ross." Paul, who was raised in Maine, is one of the most respected artists in the folk/singer-songwriter genre, with a style heavily influenced by the folk stylings of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

Even before Ellis' song The World Ain't Slowin' Down came out as the title track to Jim Carrey's blockbuster film, Me, Myself and Irene, Paul had been impressing audiences and earning loyal fans around the world. His urban, literate, folk rock style has been credited with helping renew interest in the folk genre during the 1990s. It has also been said that he successfully bridged the gap between traditional and modern folk music.

This show will be a preview of Paul's new record, City of Silver Dreams, with songs from his entire 20+ year career, which was launched out of the Boston folk scene.

Opening for Paul will be Maine singer-songwriter Chris Ross, a native of Hancock and recent winner of the "Songwriter of the Year" award at the New England Music Awards. Known for his poetic songs and sharp humor, Ross’ wit matches his talent. His Facebook status reads:I try my damnedest to make you feel feelings. Occasionally even pleasant ones.”

He will head to Nashville in May to begin recording his third album, due to be released this summer.

“This concert is going to be an event pairing one of the most prestigious singer-songwriters in the last 25 years with one of the best up-and-coming artists in the same genre,” said Marc Ratner, managing partner of Mishara Music, a Camden-based record label and management company. “The interesting thing about the music business is that . . . shows like American Idol are basically like karaoke. The key to Ellis and Chris is that that they are both accomplished songwriters. You can have the best guitar player and the best singer on stage, but if they don’t have a good song lyrically, it doesn’t make any difference. That’s one of the magic things that will happen at the show — the audience will have an emotional connection to their music.”

Ross’ song, Your America, is about an American veteran coming back to the U.S. and the difficulties he faces.

“It’s one of the most gripping songs you’ll hear,” said Ratner.  

An excerpt of “Your America” lyrics

You remember you were young, you were Clark Kent sittin’
On a cloud up high, and there weren’t no politician
Tell you who you could love or could lead you to bleed
Tell you when you should speak or what you should be
You remember you were young and your momma said listen
The world ain’t nothing if it ain’t worth wishin’
And we’re all real lucky to share this land
Cause it ain’t just home
It’s your America, man

“This show is just the first of what we’re calling the ‘Best of the Best’  of past shows,” said Kerry Hadley, director of the Camden Opera House. Upcoming shows include Iris Dement in August and a tentative plan for Richard Thompson in November.

After the April 5 show, guests are invited to mingle with the artists, and sample a free ice cream tasting and coffee.

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit Camden Opera House website. Tickets are also available at the Camden Town Office Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., or by calling 470-7066. Tickets will also be available at the door the night of the show.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Midcoast self-professed “bar fly” Jessabelle Lemonade is 24 and knows if you want something done, you’ve got to do it yourself. She started an indie blog called The Lemonade Lowdown, which encapsulates all the Midcoast’s under-the-radar events, happy hours, musical acts and quirky happenings that don’t necessarily get press and began publishing a weekly list of them. Pretty soon, people were taking notice. Restaurants and bars were emailing her their upcoming events; musicians were contacting her personally and she was beginning to make a name for herself.

“I kind of go around town and look at flyers, see what’s happening and talk to people,” she said. “People are getting to know me. I had someone yell across the street to me the other day ‘Hey Lemonade!’”

She grew up in the area and has been aware of the changes that the three coastal Midcoast towns — Belfast, Camden-Rockport and Rockland — where most of her listed events occur — have undergone in the last decade or so.

“Rockland, for example, was never so much of a ‘thing’ as it is now,” she said. “Growing up, it was to be avoided when I was a kid.”

She said she also loves what kind of changes have come to Belfast and, although Camden-Rockport don’t have as much of the same young, indie vibe that their sister towns have fully developed in recent years, it has some cool pockets.

“I was following the satellite parties that 40 Paper did last year, so there are definitely some good changes happening,” she said. “The Smokestack does music and now Cappy’s is an actual blip on the radar in a way it never used to be. Now they have live music. I went last week and it was really fun.”

Jessabelle Lemonade is actually her writing pseudonym. In her day job, she works for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine. At night, she likes to write about the kind of scene that she, herself, enjoys frequenting, for example, Trivia Night at Rock Harbor Brewing Company in Rockland or the Free Range Music Festival in Belfast. She’s also on a women’s hockey team and is up for anything adventurous in the Midcoast.

Through Penobscot Bay Pilot, she has just launched a new weekly column called The underCURRENT, which models her blog’s format of listing the kinds of music, art, events, entertainment and things-to-do that don’t necessarily get mainstream media exposure. She compiles a weekly list of the best happy hour specials, game nights, trivia nights, open mics and other in-the-know events, which reveals a surprising amount of options. For anyone who complains in the winter “there’s nothing to do around here,” The underCURRENT will be the go-to guide.

And she’s just getting started. Asked what her column is going to look like once summer hits, she said, “It’s going to be off the charts.”

Stay tuned to The underCURRENT every Thursday by signing up to Penobscot Bay Pilot’s Morning Catch on the homepage, and you’ll receive daily emails at 9 a.m. (when you visit the home page, the Morning Catch field will be on the top right column.)

Reach Kay Stephens at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — If you are morning person and want some lively company with your coffee, WRFR’s latest radio show hosted by Penobscot Bay Pilot’s own Chris Wolf is the station to tune into every Monday and Friday morning from 7 to 8 a.m.

Wolffie, as many of us know him, has been a radio jockey since 1988, when he hosted morning shows in Key West, Ft. Myers and and Daytona Beach, Florida. Later, he worked as a news director for Coast 102.5. Like many freelance writers he rounded out his experiences with a variety of careers over the years and beyond being an arts and entertainment reporter for the Pilot, he recently returned to radio to host a weekly hour-long news show featuring state, local and community news from PenBayPilot.com.

“We were talking about a way to promote the local news stories of the Pilot and came up with this format,” said Wolf. “If you go to WRFR, there’s an icon you can just click to stream it live through your computer. So, it doesn’t matter where you are — you can hear the show online or you can listen to it on the radio. That way you can work away or be on your morning commute and just listen to what’s going on.”

The show has been around for about a month. His eclectic line up includes live commentary, taped interviews, informative guests, stories, market news, features, city and town public access news and music. It also includes a rundown of entertainment news pertinent to the day with features that impact the local community’s tastes.

“The show really took off when I had guests,” he said. “We have a great time.”

He tends to work some music in on the morning’s theme and recently interspersed an in-studio guest interview with dance music including the Watusi, the Twist, and the Curly Shuffle.

He’s currently open to any kind of guest on the show. “Anybody,” he said. “Doesn’t matter. Eight to 80; blind, crippled and crazy. As long as they are fun, and have some good stories to tell. We want to talk with people who have something to promote, business people who have some interesting aspect of their work to share, and of course, anyone who is affiliated with Penobscot Bay Pilot. We’re just looking for unusual, out-of-the-way stories and personality. We just want to have a lot of fun.”

Listeners can tune into Wolf’s show online and on the stations 99.3 FM in Camden and 93.3 FM in Rockland. For more information visit: WRFR.org

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

HOPE — Spring cleaning is more than just vacuuming up an entire sweater’s worth of cat hair under the bed (don’t ask me how I know this disgusting unit of measurement). For some it’s about the Digital Detox, the annual abandonment of Facebook for about a month, or the cell phone-free weekend.

Well, this upcoming Cheap Date has all the elements of a mental spring cleaning, popping with the cool factor of a story slam. Sweet Tree Arts in Hope will present its second annual “Story SLAM” on Friday, March 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. featuring Clare Muireann Murphy, internationally celebrated storyteller and five other local storytellers including Kali Bird Isis, Dave Miramant, Stephen Gleasner, Caitlin Schick, Andrew Stewart and Seth Silverton.

What’s a story slam? It’s like a poetry or spoken word slam similar to the American Idol format where people compete on stage with personal stories. Each of the featured five-minute stories is judged on how well it is told, how well it is constructed and how well the story explores,connects and/or reveals some truth about the theme; in this case: the theme of community.

Lindsay Pinchbeck, director of Sweet Tree Arts L3C, is originally from Scotland and years ago, made a documentary film about Irish and Scottish storytellers. Part of the project led her to Dublin-born performer Clare Murphy, who has lived in four different countries and has performed in more than 20.

“Storytelling has become such a hot art form now,” said Pinchbeck. “And Clare is an amazing spirit. She takes all the old tales of Celtic lore and brings fresh, new energy into them.”

Her repertoire of tales and shows includes myth, legend, folklore, fables, contemporary personal tales, and original stories. A physically dynamic performer, she uses her body and voice together to imbue life into her performances.

The other local storytellers will have a workshop with Murphy ahead of time and coached on their stories, so that they will be will have some extra tricks up their sleeves. Murphy will cap the evening off in a unique storytelling adult cabaret performance, which Pinchbeck describes as: “A mixture of eclectic stories with adult content."

You know that’s going to some wicked, saucy fun. Drinks will be provided by 40 Paper. (Sweet.)

Tickets are $10 per person.  For ticket information, visit sweettreearts.org or call 763-2770. For more information about Clare Murphy visit: claremurphy.org

If you miss her Friday night, you’ll still have a chance to see her Saturday night as she shares traditional tales of Ireland’s past in her show “On the Heels of the Hound” at 3 p.m. at the Rockport Opera House.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Not everybody has the guts and drive to make it in the sport of roller derby. Welcome to the fierce and fab ladies who live, work and play within our Midcoast community.

Skater Profile: Hedda Flame

Real name: Brionna Barton

Tell us about your derby name: It is hard to be original when so many names are taken. I was writing down words and liked the name Hedda, from Hedda Gabler, and so at one point it just came...Hedda Flame. It is fitting for many reasons.

Age: 29

Current town and hometown: Rockland and Mars Hill

Occupation: Aspiring entrepreneur and gardener/landscaper and occasional bartender/server.

How long have you been skating?: About one year 10 months—not much previous experience except for the roller rink in middle school.

Why derby?: I tried it because it sounded fun and now I'm completely hooked. It's more than fun—it has become a passion.

What's been the most challenging aspect of derby so far? What's your Achille's heel, so to speak?: Every aspect of derby has been challenging, but the hardest challenge for me is watching teammates come and go. Competitive roller derby has a level of commitment that just isn't possible for many people. People move, have babies, get injured, decide it isn't right, need a break, etc. and that change in dynamics is hard on the team. I find it extremely difficult to adjust to. It is inevitable, however, so I'm learning.

Most fun and rewarding part of derby: The actual playing in a bout is of course the MOST fun and rewarding, but the fans are pretty rad. There's nothing like a 10-year-old boy looking at you with excitement and saying, 'You're awesome!'

Other sports/hobbies/interests: Gardening, dancing, eating, cooking, karaoke, outdoor adventures, playing games (any game, I love all games).

Related stories:

• Roller derby skater profile: Roto Tilda

• Roller derby skater profile: Roll Doll

• Roller derby skater profile: Crane Wrecks

• Roller derby skater profile: Chain Lynx

• Roller derby skater profile: Smacks on Deck

Rock Coast Rollers is a diverse group of women dedicated to advancing and advocating for the sport of roller derby, women, their league and their community. RCR aims to be a skater-owned, nonprofit business under the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, based in Rockland. For more information visit rockcoastrollers.org.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — All the cool kids are wearing grass skirts and coconut bras this weekend. So, if you’ve been following the new underCURRENT column on what there is to do, you know there’s a lot going on. But if you want a way to work out all of your “Crap, it’s tax time again! I’m sick of my thighs! There’s no spring in sight!” blahs, the Pope Memorial Humane Society’s fifth annual Tropical Getaway Dance is the best place to dance away your issues.

Cheaper than therapy; better than self-medication — that should be this Cheap Dates motto.

What you can expect: Steelin' Thunder Steel Drum Band, a 50/50 raffle, baked refreshments and a cash bar. (Note: Good news for the cash-strapped. You won’t be paying some hipster $10 a cocktail here: mixed drinks are priced like it’s still the 1980s.)

“It’s such a fun night and after such a long winter, it really is nice to let loose a little bit,” said Tracy Sala, Pope Memorial Humane Society’s executive director. She said the crowd always ranges in age and some go all out and put on their spray tan and Hawaiian shirts and some don’t, but that it’s pretty casual.

Expect some corny fun, like limbos and the bunny hops breaking out all around the room.

“You might think steel drums are limited in what they can sound like, but it’s not like that at all,” said Sala.“The Steelin’ Thunder Steel Drum band is absolutely wonderful. They donate their services for this evening every year. It’s amazing what they can do with those instruments. They play all these old songs that you know and contemporary ones too.”

The dance will be held at Rockland American Legion Post One, 335 Limerock St., Saturday, March 22, from 5 to 9 p.m. General admission tickets are $8, and will be available for sale at the door the evening of the event.

A cool thing is that all proceeds from each ticket will benefit the Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County.

The kittehs and the puppehs thank you.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Pilot columnist and funnywoman Anneli Skaar recently put out a satiric Facebook event titled: This is BULL**** Equinox Festivities for all of us Mainers looking out the window today and marveling at this wonderfully warm, sunny spring-like day.

Her event intro reads: Enjoy a private celebration, by yourself, in your own home, celebrating the end of winter. Get crazy and buy some asparagus and tulips at Hannafords, open a window to air out the smell of gangrene and despair, and clear out the odor of cat *** from the usually unused litterbox. Get crafty with the kids by creating an effigy of Punxsatawny Phil out of chlorine damaged towels from the winter's 63 trips to the YMCA pool and throw them on the bonfire built out of your enthusiastic neighbor's skis. NOTE: Event may be cancelled due to weather.

Following that, she asked for a spring haiku and many in the community came up with great ones.

Brian Willson
Mama never said
There'd be days like this. And where's
The Easter Bunny?

Sarah Byrnes

Crocus I cannot
focus on your potential
eventual bloom

Holly Noonan

Ice blocks the rain drain
Garden's an icy swamp
Plant seedlings my a**.

Shannon Lynn Thompson

Ashen face, limp hair—
My hips as full as the moon.
At least it's pouring.

Anneli Skaar

Driving me to drink
Dark and Stormies until May
I have enough ice

Reader submissions to this story so far:

Susanne Ward

This deary dark day
masquerades as Spring's herald.
It cannot fool me.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Where did this majestic building stand and what is in its place now? Anybody have any stories to go with this place?

Answer: Bay Point Hotel, 1890s. Became the Samoset in 1902.-Rockland Historical Society

"I have a picture of grandmother sitting on that expansive porch.”-Sara Boyce

As always, check back on the answers to other Throwback Thursday photos, by typing in Throwback Thursday in the search bar.

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

CAMDEN—Last year, the staff of the Camden Public Library thought it would be a nice way to stave off the dreary end-of-winter blues by transforming the interior of the Children’s Room into an under-the-sea theme for Marine Month. This year, due to popular demand, Children’s Librarian Amy Hand and her Youth Services Assistant, Stefanie McAllister, decided to temporarily remodel the room again—this time, as a tropical rainforest.

“This year, we decided to do it in March,” said Hand. “We were tired of all the cold and decided our new theme had to be the jungle. We’ve gotten a great response. People love it.”

A lot of donated crafts and volunteer time went into the six-hour transformation.

“Stefanie and I raided our homes,” said Hand. “We’ve been collecting stuff for a while. Then, we reached out to Thomas Heath and the Camden Hills Regional High School drama department and were able to borrow several bags of vines, which was wonderful. We had local volunteers who cut out a bunch of leaves and all of the ‘palm tree’ trunks came from Cayouette Flooring. We built all of this on a Saturday night before March 1.”

The kids who participated in the library’s Rainforest Camp the previous month also contributed paper amphibians and butterflies to the decorations.

To walk through the room, one has to duck amongst all the low-hanging vines while gentle sounds of the rainforest can be heard through the speakers. The train table has been temporarily removed and every detail that remains in the room has to conform to the jungle theme, from the palm frond seating cushions (courtesy of McAllister’s patio furniture) to the converted giant lighthouse, which now stands as a tree house. The staff ordered as many rainforest books as they could find, so every corner of the room has some kind of stuffed jungle creature displayed next to the appropriate book or media.

Hand says that children aren’t the only ones fascinated by the transformed room.

“We have adults who walk through here every day just to soak up the atmosphere. Especially when it’s a cold, overcast day,” she said.

Watch the 1 ½ minute time lapse video that shows the Children’s Room transformation. “It’s getting crazy Jungle Booky up in here,” said McAllister on the video.

As for next year? “We have grandiose plans,” said McAllister.

For more information about the Camden Public Library, visit: http://www.librarycamden.org/

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

WARREN — After Penobscot Bay Pilot launched in 2012, one of our first stories focused on Warren scrap metal sculptor Jay Sawyer and his quirky metal spheres in a piece titled Why does everyone want to get their hands on Jay Sawyer’s balls?  One giant sphere, in particular, A Spirit Of Its Own, was inspired by Sawyer’s close friend and mentor, David McLaughlin, also a welder/sculptor. When McLaughlin passed away in 2010, he’d bequeathed to Sawyer his coveted collection of steel shear rings, used in the construction of the trusses that went over a hangar at the Brunswick Naval Air Station. His final wish was that Sawyer would use the shear rings in other pieces. With that in mind, Sawyer created A Spirit Of Its Own using some of McLaughlin’s remaining shear rings. 

Creating the sculpture and securing a prominent location for its display has taken well over two years. A grant from The 1916 Foundation made it possible for the sculpture to be included in the permanent collection of the Davistown Museum of Liberty, and on loan indefinitely to the Portland International Jetport.

Paul Bradbury, director of The Portland Jetport, thought A Spirit Of Its Own would make a perfect addition to the airport’s grounds, not only for its unique look and the shear rings’ aviation connection, but also because its spherical shape represented the globe, a common imagery of the airline industry.

Sawyer helped choose an outdoor location on the airport grounds, alongside the Jetport Boulevard, the primary access road to the terminal.

“I have always had a special feeling about that strip of road by the runway,” he said. “It takes me back to my first flight out of Maine when I was in the Merchant Marines. I couldn’t help but remember all of those strange feelings about this particular spot when we were driving the stake in the ground where the sculpture would go.”

Given the sculpture’s grand scale, Sawyer thought it needed to be elevated. 

“I think spheres are beautiful to start with. Some of them look good just sitting on the ground, but some of them deserve a better presentation and this is certainly one of them,” he said.

Thus, he set to work building a stately stand for the sphere out of flat bar steel, which stands nearly 10 feet tall and cradles the sculpture. Additionally, Sawyer and Davistown Museum are collaborating on writing a book about this sculpture, which will provide, in part, an account of how A Spirit Of Its Own was created.

On Friday, March 21, Sawyer is inviting the public to see the sculpture. After, it will be transported from Sawyer’s property in Warren to the Jetport for installation. A dedication will take place later on June 6 at the Portland International Jetport and plans are for the publication to coincide with the event.

Art enthusiasts and friends of McLaughlins are encouraged to attend the March 21 event at Sawyer’s sculpture gallery, 131 Camden Road (Rt 90), one-quarter mile from Route 1 in Warren.  Look for the patriotic pick up truck at the entrance. Visitors can arrive as early as 3 p.m. and there will be a group photo taken at 5:30 p.m., which will be provided to the Warren Historical Society and other interested organizations. It’ll be muddy so take appropriate footwear.

CAMDEN — It takes exactly two spins around in an office chair for Kylee, 10, to get over being shy. “I love doing this,” she says, whipping around in her little leggings and neon sneakers.

“She makes me dizzy.” Behind her sitting at her office desk is her friend and mentor, Jessica Fossett, who is the school-based manager of Big Brothers Big Sister of Mid Maine.

It took Jessica about a year in her role at BBBS to consider becoming a “Big,” the term for a Big Sister to an elementary and middle-school aged “Little.”

When BBBS first matched them up, Kylee admitted, "I was a little nervous."

Jessica said, "I was a little nervous, too. Like ‘Will she like me? Will she pick me?’"

"I knew," Kylee answered.

Jessica added, "When I called her mom up to make the first plan to hang out together, Kylee's mom said, 'Welcome to the family.’"

The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine has always been pretty straightforward: “to provide children in Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Penobscot, Somerset and Waldo vounties facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.”

Jessica runs the after-school program at BBBS Mid-Maine. Her role is to pair high school and college students with elementary and middle school students from Knox, Lincoln and part of Waldo counties. They all get together an hour a day a week at various schools and get to know each other better over board games and snacks.This is only one of BBBS Mid-Maine programs. All told, there are approximately 100 matches in the Midcoast.

For Kylee, who has an older brother but no sisters, BBBS filled a real need:  “I wanted a big sister really bad and I have for a long time, so I asked my mom and she signed me up. Then [BBBS] chose Jess and we pretty much like to do the same things."

We take a walk around Camden as Kylee comfortably chatters away. We walk by the bare bushes lining the corner of Main Street and Atlantic Avenue by the library, where dozens of birds are nestled inside, tweeting away like a real-life Twitter. When I comment on that, Kylee shoots me a joke.

“Why did the birds get in trouble? Because they were tweeting too much on their phones,” she says.

"It took me about a year working at BBBS, before I realized I really wanted to become a ‘Big’ myself,” said Jessica. “I have brothers and was the youngest and nobody showed me how to wear makeup. Nobody did those things I think every girl should have. It's really rewarding to feel like someone is looking up to you...."

Hearing that, Kylee stands on her tiptoes and tries to look directly up to Jessica. "Literally and figuratively..." Jessica continues laughing. "I think it's really great to have a little friend. Kylee and I are so similar, we're both so sassy. She's worse than me if you can believe that. And we both like really goofy humor and I love that we can laugh about things together. She even makes up her own jokes."

"Why was the playing card laughing?" Kylee breaks in. "Because it was the Joker!"

They’ve only been matched a few months, but meet up about once or twice a week and like to go shopping, swimming, and anything to do with fitness.

"We go to the library and usually we try to find books on how to do stuff," said Kylee. "We were thinking about if we had our own restaurant, what would it be?"

They came up with the idea of an animal-themed restaurant one day after having lunch at Bricks and drawing with crayons on the place mats.

"Everything would be about animals, even like the food. My aunt makes this kitty litterbox cake, and it was really good," said Kylee, implying of course, that it would be on the menu.

“I looked at the menu we drew and we had Meow-tain Dew listed under drinks,” added Jessica.

When asked what she likes most about being Jessica’s Little, Kylee answers, “I look forward to seeing her and playing games. I can't wait ‘til the spring so we can do more outdoor things.” They’re both looking forward to camping this summer.

“It's cool to show her new things,” said Jessica.  “I play ice hockey in the women's league, so at her birthday party, I got Kylee and her friends to play with one of my hockey sticks and a ball. I just like giving her a chance to try new things.”

As we make our way down to the harbor, Kylee spies the ducks and gets excited about one in particular, a white duck with the pouffy mullet.

"I'm going to name this one, Bob," Kylee says.

Jessica elaborates on the topic we were just discussing. “I like to show her I'm proud of her. Recently, she got to go skiing go on the chairlift for the first time. I remember I was always scared of that when I was a kid so I told her I was so proud of her.”

Even though they’ve only been friends for a few months, Jessica and Kylee have forged a bond they both hope will last a lifetime. “BBBS asks for a year commitment from the Bigs, but the positive impact will last forever. Like I tell Kylee, I hope I can go to her wedding someday."

Kylee looks up at her and smiles.

To learn how to become a Big or to volunteer for their Bowl For Kids’ Sake Fundraiser, visit: Big Brothers Big Sisters Mid-Maine.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

We’ve been throwing the photos wayyyy back lately. Can you tell where exactly this is and guess the approximate year? Anybody have any stories to go with this place?

Answer: if you guessed Lincolnville Beach, you were correct.

As always, check back on the answers to other Throwback Thursday photos, by typing in Throwback Thursday in the search bar. Your guesses have all been spot on!

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

CAMDEN — Chicago's legendary comedy theater, the Second City, presents "Happily Ever Laughter," Friday, March 14, 7:30 p.m., at the Camden Opera House. The show promises some of the best sketches, songs and improvisation from the Second City's 53-year history, tackling a wide range of current events, from the absurdity of political gridlock in Washington to talentless reality TV stars.

Second City has been the training ground for a host of famous alumni, including John Belushi, Mike Myers, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, John Candy, Catherine O'Hara, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, and most recently, current Saturday Night Live stars Cecily Strong, Tim Robinson, and Jason Sudeikis.

With scripted and improvisational elements, audiences are part of the show and play along with performers, some of whom could be the next generation of comic legends. Drawing on classic material from the Second City archives, as well as scenes ripped from the morning headlines, the show promises to feature smart, cutting-edge comedy.

General admission tickets are $25, or $15 for students and seniors (age 65 or over). Tickets are available on the Camden Opera House website or by calling 470-7066, and can also be purchased at the Camden Town Office between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. If still available, tickets may also be purchased at the door one hour before show time.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

There’s so much that pumps up my burnt out husk of a Cheetos heart about this Cheap Date, I don’t know where to start. 

Once we get through yet another snowstorm this week, if you’re anything like me, you’re going to want to find anything but spring to cheer on, because that season showing up anytime soon to Maine is like Mariah Carey showing up on time for a concert. NOT HAPPENING.

Luckily, the Rock Coast Roller Derby gals are raring to go to perform at the Slam Rock Showdown, a roller derby bout against Keene, New Hampshire’s Elm City Derby Damez. The bout will take place at RCR’s winter home, Point Lookout in Northport, Saturday, March 15.

Tickets are $10 for adults, children 12 and under are free. And as you know, anything with a $10 price tag for any event around here gets a Cheap Date nod of approval.

I love that the derby galz are still kicking it, and staying true to their giving roots. As you will see in our ongoing profiles Penobscot Bay Pilot does regularly on the derby galz, they’re all about being real, being confident and being a force for good. This is why this particular upcoming bout is so cool. The Rock Coast Rollers regularly donate a portion of their ticket proceeds to a deserving organization and this coming Saturday, a portion of proceeds will be donated to The Brightstar Project.

If you haven’t already heard of this project, our story, Jordyn Bakley’s legacy shines on with her father’s new program, the Brightstar Project has the scoop. It’s all about how choices shape lives.

As a Rock Coast Roller who goes by her derby name, Oxidizer said, “We have always had a mission as a league to be role models to teenagers and find ways to reach out to them to have positive things to do and make positive choices in their lives. This Brightstar Project is doing exactly that and in a really powerful way. This is a great project that needs community support and that is what we are all about. I found out after I announced to the league that we would be supporting them, that some members of our league have personal ties to the family as well.”

So, there you have it. To learn more about this amazing project, visit http://www.gofundme.com/683ihk.

Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, children 12 and under are free. Tickets are limited and available online only at http://slamrockshowdown.brownpapertickets.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

 

General information about the Slam Rock Showdown can be found on the Rock Coast Rollers website (www.rockcoastrollers.org). If you are interested in covering the Slam Rock Showdown, or other upcoming events, and would like press tickets, please contact the Rock Coast Rollers Public Relations Committee at rockcoastrollers.pr@gmail.com.

Related stories:

CAMDEN — It's fitting that the transfer of the Owl & Turtle Bookshop to new owners Ricky and Selena Sheaves came about thanks to the sharp ears of a local writer.

Poet and author Dave Morrison has had a great affinity for Camden's Owl & Turtle Bookshop, which has supported his book launchings and signing events over the years. One night last fall, through a mutual friend, the Morrisons got together with the Sheaves, who'd just moved with their two teenage daughters to Camden from Cambridge, Mass.

Faster than you can say "the beauty of small town networking," the Sheaves mentioned they were looking to buy or build a business to anchor them in their new community and Morrison happened to know that Nancy Borland, then-owner of Owl & Turtle, was looking to sell her bookshop.

"It was a fluky thing, one of those things that fell together. I couldn't have done it better if I tried," said Morrison.

For her part, Borland wanted the Owl & Turtle to go to good hands, as recent family circumstances had derailed her plans to stay fully committed to the store.

"When I purchased Owl & Turtle nearly two years ago, I felt I needed three years to make immediate and long-term changes before I could determine if it would, indeed, be viable in the long run," she said. "I was only able to go two-thirds of the way, which is a great disappointment. I love this little store and have tremendous respect for its almost 44 years of serving Camden and the Midcoast. If it were not for my changed circumstances, I'd be continuing with love and enthusiasm toward my three year goal."

"Nancy was always super helpful and excited about throwing parties in her shop," said Morrison. "Ricky and Selena are going to keep all the things that worked, but they also seem to have a ton of ideas. They seem like they're really looking at it with a fresh eye, which is great."

Ricky, who is originally from Ohio, and Selena, who is from California, had vacationed in the area for a number of years. They sold their house and moved to Camden last November.

"It was time to slow down and put our tendrils into a small community," said Ricky. "We come from small towns and we'd gotten to the point where our first careers had played out and we just decided to make the move. When we first came to Camden, we didn't really have an idea yet of what we were going to do. We were looking to open a business in the arts, something that might be conducive to the Maker Movement."

A software engineer by trade, Ricky is very much into the aforementioned trend in which people employ do-it-yourself and do-it-with-others techniques and processes to develop unique products. Selena, a book lover and writer, had some experience in the publishing world previous to moving to Maine. After working for a number of nonprofits, she was most recently the administrative manager for a start-up publishing platform, Libboo, which helps discover new authors online.

"It worked out perfectly," said Selena. "It turns out Dave was the first person that Nancy told about wanting to sell her bookshop, and after we met him, we were the first people he told about the opportunity. For us, the passion was there instantly. It's been a lifelong dream of mine to own an independent bookshop. After analyzing the numbers and doing the research, we decided to add a number of things."

For one, the Owl & Turtle Bookshop will soon include a comfortable café with free WiFi and seating for 12 customers. Ricky is doing most of the interior work himself and they anticipate opening the café mid-April. They'll offer espresso, coffee and cold drinks and will be looking to carry local coffee and local baked goods.

Beyond moving sections of the store around, the Sheaves are bringing a bold and ambitious vibe to the store, embracing the latest technology.

They hope to soon offer a section for e-books and e-readers.

"We'll provide a system where you can get a coffee and read a preview of the e-book in the store on our wireless network. You can then buy it and take it home on your e-reader," said Ricky. "Regardless of the delivery format, a bookshop is about curators of the collection — people who know the genre you're interested in and can turn you on to the right title."

Upstairs, they're clearing out a space for "Laptop Ledge," which will essentially be a bar with 8-10 stools overlooking the harbor, providing each seating area with connectivity to the individual's laptop.

"If you're on vacation, or you just want to hang out by the fireplace and work on your laptop, that's what it's for," he said. "We wanted to see what trends in the indie bookstores are clicking. We'll bring that fierce indie attitude to the book store and embrace that Maker Movement and arts community within the shop as well."

The Sheaves are keen to make the Owl & Turtle Bookshop a place where artistic and literary types want to gather. They're going to continue more author readings, and offer an event series called "In The Round," which is a term for having an audience on three sides of a stage.

"We'll open it up to poets, authors, artists and storytelllers," said Selena. They're especially interested in getting people in there to tell Maine stories.

They intend to change up the floor plan and significantly expand the inventory to include more adult nonfiction and fiction, more young adult with manga (Japanese comics) and anime sections, a larger used books section and even a few art supplies, like pencils and sketchpads. Also look for a new children's section upstairs, to be designed like a tree house.

Beyond what the Sheaves are bringing new to the Owl & Turtle Bookshop, they're also keeping some traditional elements intact.

"We're really interested in the history of the Owl & Turtle. We learned it used to be very well known for its maritime and nautical history and its charts, so we'll be consulting with a handful of people who can help us with this and we're planning on bringing that back," said Selena.

The Owl & Turtle is currently open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. while they're undergoing renovations. "In keeping with Nancy's winter schedule, the bookshop is closed Monday through Wednesday," said Ricky. In mid-April, once the coffee service is available, the hours will expand.

For more information visit their temporary website, owlandturtlebookshop.com. The new website, when live, will offer the ability to search the shop’s inventory and place special orders. For those who want to stay up to date on their progress, follow them on Facebook.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — We caught some video of the various Cardboard Derby racers March 8 as they did their very best to get down the Camden Snow Bowl’s tubing hill.

Some sailed down smoothly, while others flipped, spun about and came to a dead halt before reaching the finish line. But that didn’t stop these intrepid Cardboard Warriors, no. Watch our video of the action!

Below are results of the Carboard Box Derby. A total of 88 boxes were entered in last Saturday’s Derby event.

Most Creative
First - #68, The Lobstaboggin (27:36)
Second - #70, Bat Mobile (52:68)

Most Team Spirit
First - #4, Jamaican Bobsled (9:35)

Most in Box
First - #43, The Magic School Bus (12:08)

Fastest
First - #60, Crazy Cruzin Cousins (7:41)
Second - #44, Box of DOOM! (8:11)
Third - #4, Jamaican Bobsled (9:35)
Fourth - #84, Simplicity (9:38)
Fifth - #50, Made in America (10:05)
Sixth - #78, Mother Russia (10:46)
Seventh - #23, Brainy Bunch (10:81)

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — There was plenty of sunshine - and duct tape - at the 2nd annual Cardboard Box Derby held at The Camden Snow Bowl Saturday afternoon, March 8. Much like The U.S. National Toboggan Championships, the Cardboard Box Derby brought out the extravagant, the wacky and the whimsically creative in the form of costumes and cardboard racing boxes.

Word of mouth fueled this year’s derby entries, which far surpassed last year’s. Eighty-eight contestants, most of them kids accompanied by their parents, took to the slopes in racers ranging from small, fast cardboard rockets to a gigantic barge complete with a coconut tree to a replica the the Titanic.

The rules stipulated that the racing boxes had to be built of uncoated cardboard, no wood, plastic or metal allowed. Racers could use as much duct tape as they liked (an allowance most of the racers indulged in heavily) and the sliding surface of the racing box had to be plain cardboard, with no type of spray or coating on the bottom.

Many of the racers stood in line to get to the top of the Snow Bowl’s tubing hill with their cardboard racers tipped to the side, so that the snow wouldn’t saturate and mar their sliding surface.

The fastest team to complete the hill run was The Crazy Cruising Cousins with a time of 7.41, followed by The Box of Doom with a time of 8.01. The Most Creative Box award went to Lobster Boggin and the box with the Most Spirit went to Jamaican Bobsled.

Though the number of kids far outweighed the number of adult racers, that didn’t deter the Batmobile team. Cub Lewis of Phippsburg and Bedina Austin of Bowdoinham dressed up like Batman and Catwoman. Their cardboard Batmobile was built from materials straight from a dumpster in the back of a shopping center.

“I grew up with the old Batman series,” said Lewis. “But the old Batmobile was kind of boxy, so we modeled this one after the latest Batman movies.” As for the costume? “I bought this costume at the Maine Mall,” he said. “It’s actually pajamas — the first and last time you’ll ever see me in these.”

The Lobster Boggin, built by the family of Dante Jacob, 10, of Searsmont, could easily be training wheels for a future Toboggan Championships theme in a few years. Jacob, who won the Derby’s Most Creative box award with his bright red cardboard lobster said, “We’re in Maine, and Maine is popular for lobsters.” He added that they, too, got leftover materials, and theirs came from the Searsmont Fraternity General Store. Talk about a perfect example of re-using, recycling and reducing waste in this contest.

The day was unseasonably warm for racing with more than a few boxes coming to somewhat of a soggy halt on the slopes before needing to get a push back down the hill. The Albatross, a cardboard racer designed like a float plane, performed...well, like an albatross on the hill. But that didn’t faze the builder, David Lee, who built it for his kids, Oliver Lee, 5, and Henrietta Lee, 3.

“We always had the dream of going around the world, not in a boat, but in a seaplane, so we came up with this model based on the plane Grumman Albatross, and we made it out of boxes.” A friend was done moving, so they used her cardboard boxes to build it. Perfect.

It might have been a long, hard winter, but this is how Mainers have fun in March.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — They’re short and they pack a punch, and Friday, March 7, the Farnsworth Art Museum and The Strand Theatre present the first 2014 installment of their ongoing creative short film series called Rockland Shorts: An International Short Film Series.

The theme, according to program director Sally Levi, is "Sink or Swim," which is sometimes literal and sometimes metaphorical, tying the nine films together in a very thought-provoking way.

“While programming, we really looked at the underlying message of each story and created an arc that comes together with the last film of the night, being Yearbook, which was this year's best animation winner at Sundance Film Festival,” said Levi.

The 2014 selections will be shown during two events at the Strand, Friday, March 7, and Friday, Sept. 5, both nights at 8 p.m. Rockland Shorts will screen for about an hour. As always, select filmmakers will join in a discussion at the Strand in person or via Skype for a conversation with the audience.

Levi said there were three notable shorts in the series that are not to be missed. They include:

Yearbook (animation): A man is hired to compile the definitive history of human existence before the planet blows up.

Jonah (live action): Mbwana and his best friend, Juma, are two young men with big dreams. These dreams become reality when they photograph a gigantic fish leaping out of the sea and their small town blossoms into a tourist hot-spot as a result. But for Mbwana, the reality isn't what he dreamed – and when he meets the fish again, both of them forgotten, ruined and old, he decides only one of them can survive.

Kiki of Montparnasse (animation): Kiki de Montparnasse was the unwary muse of major avant-garde painters of the early 20th century. Memorable witness of a flamboyant Montparnasse, she emancipated from her status as a simple model and became a “queen of the night,” a painter, a press cartoonist, a writer and a cabaret singer.

The rest of lineup for Sink or Swim will be:

• Sink or Swim, stop-motion, U.S.
• Ouverture, animation , Bulgaria
• Wind, animation, Germany
• Virtuell, experimental, Germany
• Misterio, live action, Spain
• Chopper, live action, Netherlands

Tickets will be for sale at the theater’s box office directly prior to the screening. The fee for the series is $7.50 for members and $8.50 for nonmembers.

This series has been organized by the Farnsworth’s education department, and film selections made by visiting program director, Sally Levi, Farnsworth Director of Education Roger Dell, the Strand Theatre Executive Director Sarah Ruddy, broadcast journalist and Maine Media Workshops film faculty Mimi Edmunds, and director, cinematographer, editor and educator Daniel Quintanilla.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Can your keen eyes discern where exactly this is? Take a gander as to the year of this photo too. Anybody have any stories to go with this place?

Answer: This photo shows the crest of Turnpike Hill on Rt 52 in Camden. This was before the big road was constructed; based on age of car, we would say the photo is from late teens or early 1920s.

As always, check back on the answers to other Throwback Thursday photos, by typing in Throwback Thursday in the search bar.

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

We asked Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors if we could reprint something Associate Publisher Dave Getchell found on Maine’s Craigslist:

Worst Boat Ad ever? So it's been a long winter and some of our colleagues in the office have been browsing online at what we call "boat porn," looking for new boats, good deals, you know something great that everyone else has missed. Dave Getchell found this beauty on Craigslist. He says he thinks it may be the worst boat ad ever.
Anyone have other candidates? www.maineboats.com/blog

Here’s my question: What could you put in the hole in the middle?

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

This week, I got to see something pretty spectacular followed by something predictably unoriginal.

I’m visiting family in Cincinnati, Ohio, and yesterday I went to the Cincinnati Museum Center, which is currently running an award-winning exhibition on the late Princess Diana titled Diana, A Celebration that chronicles the life and work of Diana, Princess of Wales. I lucked out. More than a million people around the world have seen the touring exhibit since 2003 and Cincinnati happens to be the last museum on this tour, before everything goes back this summer to Althorp Estate, the Spencer family’s 500-year-old ancestral home in England, where Diana is buried.

I grew up with Diana everywhere in the news. I was a kid when she got married in that stunning Royal Gown with the 25-foot train and I got to see it yesterday behind glass. Up close I could see that the ivory silk gown with the puffed sleeves was both simple in its concept and elaborate in its design. I could see the painstaking hand embroidery, the minute sequins in the veil, and many of the 10,000 pearls that were sewn into it.

But the dress was nothing compared to the woman. She was an insecure, but down-to-earth girl from divorced parents who spent some time as a nanny, a teacher and a house cleaner (doesn’t that blow your mind?) before she met Charles. In February 1981, when her engagement to HRH Prince Charles was announced, it was the first time the world took notice and “Shy Di” became the object of intense media scrutiny.

Later that night, I was flipping through the TV channels, which is a novelty because I rarely watch cable TV. The remote landed on various incarnations of The Real Housewives of ...whatever. Doesn’t matter which show it was. The point is, I was watching these pampered divas go on a trip to some tropical paradise together. They were surrounded by beautiful beaches and spectacular scenery with people waiting on them hand and foot. And all they could manage to do was sit there and talk behind each other’s backs, confront one another on petty issues and behave like 12-year-old girls at a sleepover for the length of their vacation.

My thoughts kept going back to Princess Diana, who wasn’t perfect either. She had a real problem with bulimia and as the story goes, had dropped from a size 14 to a size 10 in the run-up to the wedding, prompting panic from the gown designers that it wouldn’t fit. The Diana, A Celebration exhibition contained 28 designer suits and evening gowns of hers and though gorgeous, each one held a sad little clue as to what might have perpetuated her eating disorder.  All of those clothes she had to wear to charity functions and royal events looked as though they fit a very slim woman, impossibly small for someone who stood 5’ 10”.

In the early part of the 1980s, there were no 24-7 tabloid TV shows, websites, blogs or much reality TV. Diana wasn’t even a fully formed adult before she found herself thrust into a spotlight that she would eventually come to bitterly loathe. But, at the same time, she felt the same pressure as these Real Housewives to maintain an “image” for the public.

There are no museums dedicated to showcasing the personal items of the Real Housewives, so I don’t pretend to know what makes them tick. Many of the personal items in Diana’s exhibit revealed clues into who she really was, but even then, I can only speculate. To peer down and see her childhood things, I began to get a picture of her as a kid. She loved ballet and the grace that came with it. I could see from her small pink ballet slippers and the home movies her father took that played on the walls, as well as photos from her own teenage photo albums, that ballet was her passion...until she grew too tall to participate. That must have been such a disappointment, to face being rejected from her favorite past time because of a body that wouldn’t conform to a certain (tiny) standard.

Another display showed a painting of her beloved kitten Marmalade that her grandmother had sketched for her, along with a green floppy frog and a stuffed toy cat. Still, another area offered a glimpse into tiny ceramic animals she collected as a girl (and apparently never stopped collecting) including a little turtle and two donkeys, one whose ear was broken off and forever lost.

The need for comfort and the need to give comfort to those around her was evident throughout her life. From the way she played with her boys on the lawn to the photo of her reaching out to hold the hand of a man with HIV—at a time when people widely believed AIDS was transmittable through casual contact, Diana transcended the “Pretty Princess” image. Her willingness to lean down and touch the common people, especially children who were suffering made her real. Diana was already a naturally kind person, but she developed a keen sense of compassion that wasn’t required of her new station in life.

On the wall in the last gallery, I re-read the entire tribute her brother Earl Charles Spencer read at her funeral in Westminister Abbey, while in the background, Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s composition played, adapted from “Candle in the Wind. As this exhibition was on loan from the Spencer family, thankfully, there was no chronicling of her dissolving marriage to Charles, nor was there any particular focus on the circumstances of how she died. I’ve seen all of that anyway.

I didn’t write it down (and no pictures were allowed) so I can’t quite remember the exact phrasing in one quote on the wall, but Charles Spencer felt Diana’s compassion came from her own suffering and she used that pain every day to find a way to alleviate other people’s suffering.

When you get past all of the Botox, makeup and cattiness of the real Housewives, you can plainly see there is suffering there too. All that money. All of that effort toward maintaining their physical attraction. All of the glamorous locales they get to spend time in...and they were still miserably unhappy. Because the reality TV industry monetizes drama and suffering, that’s all the network wants you to see. On this particular episode I happened to watch, these Hollywood women clearly didn’t feel that anyone in their group had true loyalty or selflessness. And it pained some of them to have to spend their vacation with their so-called “friends” who would easily throw them under the bus for monetary gain. But yet, it’s obvious they worked so hard to get in front of those cameras and would claw tooth and nail to stay there.

I just couldn’t help thinking about it last night. A princess who loathed the spotlight, but used it nevertheless to draw public awareness to important issues like AIDS and banning landmines versus modern reality show queens who crave the spotlight in order to draw public awareness to. . . themselves. That’s it. 

So, it’s no wonder when I looked up at that gallery wall and saw the video footage of Diana’s radiant smile in her landmine protection uniform I found myself glued to watching her every movement. The caliber of her character, of what she gave to the world, made her worthy of watching, as opposed to flipping the TV channels later that night and skimming over the Real Housewives of whatever.

Kay Stephens is a reporter for Penobscot Bay Pilot. Occasionally when there’s no other way to tell a story, she’ll kick out a column. She can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

In this continuing series, we introduce you to the fierce and fab ladies who live, work and play within our Midcoast community. Not everybody has the guts and drive to make it in the sport of roller derby. Welcome to the women who love, live and breathe derby.

Skater Profile: Roto Tilda

Real name: Reba Richardson

Tell us about your derby name: I’m a farmer (and a fan of Tilda Swinton).  I’d love to think that I can till up my opponents as handily as I till the soil.

Age: 37

Current town and hometown: Warren and Portland

Occupation: Farmer — my husband (Rock Coast Rollers announcer “Dollar Bill”) and I own and run Hatchet Cove Farm, an organic vegetable farm in Warren.

How long have you been skating: Since November 2011

Why derby?: When I stumbled upon derby, it had been a long time since I had done something totally out of my comfort zone.  Derby is so satisfying, challenging and good for my brain, my body and my social life. I love pretty much everything about it.

What’s been the most challenging aspect of derby so far? What’s your Achilles’ heel, so to speak: One of the joys of derby is the rapid learning curve; it feels like you can improve with every practice you go to, if you put your heart in it. But fighting to carve out space in my life, while running a farm and with two small children at home, is hard to do. Work-life-derby balance is a hard one. I often wish I had discovered derby in my 20s, but I’m just so grateful that I discovered it at all. Another Achilles’ heel is that I have zero sense of style. Thank goodness I have derby friends who have taught me how to put on makeup and dress in sequins.

Most fun and rewarding part of derby: I get to feel like I’m flying.  What could be more rewarding that that?

Other sports/hobbies/interests: Between the farm, my family and derby, everything else has sort of gone by the wayside. I used to knit and read obsessively, but now when I get home from practice at 10 p.m., all I want to do is eat cereal. Like an entire box. And sometimes I do. So much for the reading and knitting.

Related stories:

• Roller derby skater profile: Smacks On Deck

• Roller derby skater profile: Crane Wrecks

• Roller derby skater profile: Roll Doll

• Roller derby skater profile: Chain Lynx

Rock Coast Rollers is a diverse group of women dedicated to advancing and advocating for the sport of roller derby, women, their league and their community. RCR aims to be a skater-owned, nonprofit business under the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, based in Rockland. For more information visit rockcoastrollers.org.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

After you identify where and what year this is, can you tell us what it ended up being afterwards? Anybody have any stories to go with this place?

Answer: It is Nation Wide market at the corner of Gould and Washington Streets. Nation Wide was a wholesale grocery distributor. Brad and Sue Drawbridge had it in the '70s.  The building set directly beside the road and the current Megunticook Market was built behind it after the pictured building was demolished.

As always, check back on the answers to other Throwback Thursday photos, by typing in Throwback Thursday in the search bar.

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

Forget viral videos of bleating goats and squirrels on water skis. Something just for Mainers has slowly emerged from all of the Internet distractions, and it has taken on a cult following.

The animated short series everyone is sharing lately is called Temp Tales, based on all the temporary jobs one Maine guy has experienced — and it’s touted as one of the funniest things this state has seen since Maine comedian Bob Marley.

The series, which began in December 2012, is a collaboration between a Maine writer and his wife, who is from Taiwan. They go by the pseudonyms Atom and Hanji O’Chang on YouTube. Atom is a Maine guy, born and raised, who met Hanji while traveling. He had always been a big fan of comics. He produced them throughout high school and college, and wanted to turn his ideas for Temp Tales into a comic, but there was only one problem.

“I’m not the best at drawing,” he laughed. Hanji, however, is an artist who can draw really well, but she wasn't really into the static nature of comics. When they came back to Maine, she took an animation class at Maine College of Art in Portland. After that, they both decided to make Temp Tales into an animation.

“It's a work cartoon,” said Atom. “When I came back to Maine, I worked at a factory, at a homeless shelter, as a day laborer and I shoveled snow. That’s what the comic was always supposed to be about.”

The first episode, titled “Meat Recall” features mild mannered Atom at a Maine telephone call center talking on the phone to a bearded crusty Mainer up in Millinocket called Travis "Skidmark" Kelly.

“I used to work at Hannaford as a temp a number of times, once during the credit card breach and once during the meat recall, ” said Atom. “We had people calling from all over the U.S., but anytime anyone called from Maine, you definitely knew it.”

In this animated short, Atom plays the foil to Travis and his cousin Green “Bud” Kelly and this is where most of the humor comes in. While Atom is trying to do his job and answer questions about the Hannaford Supermarket meat recall, Travis is treating the call like they’re long lost buddies, going off on how he and his boys are going snowmobiling that weekend. Travis gets wound right up, excited about his snowmobiling adventures and launches into imitating the sound of the snowmobile itself, before punctuating his gleeful rant with a pure Maine expression —“Drive her MacGuyver” — which in Travis’ thick Maine accent translates to, “Drive ‘ah Macgyvah!”

Atom is the voice of Travis, Bud and many of the other characters in the series. Midcoast resident Will Neils has provided the voice of a state representative character in Temp Tales as well. So much of what comes out of Bud’s mouth in later Temp Tales episodes can’t even be printed, but anyone who has ever been around working guys in Maine will bust out laughing when they hear the familiar terms. The series is peppered with inside jokes from the foul-mouthed catchphrases to the T-shirts the characters wear to the Maine brands that are featured in the background.

"I don't really know if people outside of this area really get it,” said Atom. “The people who are into our stuff are like from Maine, New Hampshire and northern New England. We've always tried to keep it authentic based on real stories. There's no one who could say I'm stereotyping people because the people [in the cartoon] who know they're like that are pretty self-deprecating and funny. And we want to keep that spirit alive in the cartoon."

The series, which has racked up hundreds of thousands of YouTube hits, is about to unveil its fifth episode this week titled ‘Stahmageddon!’ Atom and Hanji thought the best way to launch the episode was to throw a party at Rockland’s The Speakeasy.

"This is the l way I love doing it,” he said. “I love having parties, but I love meeting new people who like our stuff because we get inspiration from them. So much of our cartoons are inspired by real people and things I've experienced.

Be ready for the fifth episode to feature a "crazy deer hunting story" said Atom. "We always wanted to do something around deer hunting as a topic and I asked my dad if there were any funny stories he knew of. But all of his stories were kind of horrific. So then this guy from Vinalhaven told me this crazy story, and we put that in,” he said. “We always list the people who give us stories as creative consultants in the end credits.”

Look for Lincolnvillian Ben Hazen, who voices a couple of characters in the new episode.

"Ben does some of the best voices I've ever heard. He's just hilarious," Atom said.

The launch party starts at 8 p.m. at The Speakeasy, with live music from $2 Pistol and Leroy. The event is free to the public. For more information: Midcoast Launch Party. Follow O’Chang Comics on Facebook.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Forget viral videos of bleating goats and squirrels on water skis. Something just for Mainers has slowly emerged from all of the Internet distractions, and it has taken on a cult following.

The animated short series everyone is sharing lately is called Temp Tales, based on all the temporary jobs one Maine guy has experienced — and it’s touted as one of the funniest things this state has seen since Maine comedian Bob Marley.

The series, which began in December 2012, is a collaboration between a Maine writer and his wife, who is from Taiwan. They go by the pseudonyms Atom and Hanji O’Chang on YouTube. Atom is a Maine guy, born and raised, who met Hanji while traveling. He had always been a big fan of comics. He produced them throughout high school and college, and wanted to turn his ideas for Temp Tales into a comic, but there was only one problem.

“I’m not the best at drawing,” he laughed. Hanji, however, is an artist who can draw really well, but she wasn't really into the static nature of comics. When they came back to Maine, she took an animation class at Maine College of Art in Portland. After that, they both decided to make Temp Tales into an animation.

“It's a work cartoon,” said Atom. “When I came back to Maine, I worked at a factory, at a homeless shelter, as a day laborer and I shoveled snow. That’s what the comic was always supposed to be about.”

The first episode, titled “Meat Recall” features mild mannered Atom at a Maine telephone call center talking on the phone to a bearded crusty Mainer up in Millinocket called Travis "Skidmark" Kelly.

“I used to work at Hannaford as a temp a number of times, once during the credit card breach and once during the meat recall, ” said Atom. “We had people calling from all over the U.S., but anytime anyone called from Maine, you definitely knew it.”

In this animated short, Atom plays the foil to Travis and his cousin Green “Bud” Kelly and this is where most of the humor comes in. While Atom is trying to do his job and answer questions about the Hannaford Supermarket meat recall, Travis is treating the call like they’re long lost buddies, going off on how he and his boys are going snowmobiling that weekend. Travis gets wound right up, excited about his snowmobiling adventures and launches into imitating the sound of the snowmobile itself, before punctuating his gleeful rant with a pure Maine expression —“Drive her MacGuyver” — which in Travis’ thick Maine accent translates to, “Drive ‘ah Macgyvah!”

Atom is the voice of Travis, Bud and many of the other characters in the series. Midcoast resident Will Neils has provided the voice of a state representative character in Temp Tales as well. So much of what comes out of Bud’s mouth in later Temp Tales episodes can’t even be printed, but anyone who has ever been around working guys in Maine will bust out laughing when they hear the familiar terms. The series is peppered with inside jokes from the foul-mouthed catchphrases to the T-shirts the characters wear to the Maine brands that are featured in the background.

"I don't really know if people outside of this area really get it,” said Atom. “The people who are into our stuff are like from Maine, New Hampshire and northern New England. We've always tried to keep it authentic based on real stories. There's no one who could say I'm stereotyping people because the people [in the cartoon] who know they're like that are pretty self-deprecating and funny. And we want to keep that spirit alive in the cartoon."

The series, which has racked up hundreds of thousands of YouTube hits, is about to unveil its fifth episode this week titled ‘Stahmageddon!’ Atom and Hanji thought the best way to launch the episode was to throw a party at Rockland’s The Speakeasy.

"This is the l way I love doing it,” he said. “I love having parties, but I love meeting new people who like our stuff because we get inspiration from them. So much of our cartoons are inspired by real people and things I've experienced.

Be ready for the fifth episode to feature a "crazy deer hunting story" said Atom. "We always wanted to do something around deer hunting as a topic and I asked my dad if there were any funny stories he knew of. But all of his stories were kind of horrific. So then this guy from Vinalhaven told me this crazy story, and we put that in,” he said. “We always list the people who give us stories as creative consultants in the end credits.”

Look for Lincolnvillian Ben Hazen, who voices a couple of characters in the new episode.

"Ben does some of the best voices I've ever heard. He's just hilarious," Atom said.

The launch party starts at 8 p.m. at The Speakeasy, with live music from $2 Pistol and Leroy. The event is free to the public. For more information: Midcoast Launch Party. Follow O’Chang Comics on Facebook.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Organizers behind a new model of volunteerism are throwing a “meet and mingle” launch party at the Waterfront Feb. 27. Turns out, you’ve known about them all along.

Since 2008, Cellardoor Winery and Megunticook Market have thrown an annual summer buzzworthy bash originally named Pop the Cork to benefit local charities. This year, however, they’ve retooled the concept, streamlining some parts and expanding others to become Pop the Cause, reflecting a more efficient way to give back to the community.

Instead of catering to 800 guests, the event this year will be scaled down to 400 guests, the size of the original event.

All of the ticket proceeds, as well as private contributions, will be pooled into a guaranteed contribution of $160,000 to four local nonprofits — UMCC (United Mid-Coast Charities), MCH Meals on Wheels, Hospitality House, and Coastal Opportunities. Everyone in the community (not just ticket holders) will be given the chance to vote and in the end, three of the nonprofits will receive $20,000 each, while the fourth will receive $100,000.

Whatever you want to call it, this event is definitely poppin’. Earlier this year, starting at midnight when ticket sales went live, Pop the Cause sold out all 400 tickets in an hour and a 45 minutes. Boom. That’s 400 people whose contributions will help the community while getting to experience great food and wine as well as terrific entertainment by the Sultans and the Pointer Sisters on Thursday, June 26, in Rockport Harbor.

“We really did not want to make this event any bigger, because we really wanted to put the focus more on the nonprofits, rather than hiring an even bigger and badder band than the year before,” said Bettina Doulton, owner/operator of Cellardoor Winery.

Now, here’s where the complexity is layered in. Doulton, together with Lani Stiles, Chef and owner of Megunticook Market, knew that there were more than 400 people in the Midcoast who a) wanted to go to this bash and b) wanted to contribute to the community and c) may not have been able to necessarily swing $125 a ticket. Around this same time, Doulton met with all of the organizational heads of the four nonprofits and asked them: Besides money, what can you really use from our community?

“Each of those four organizations was looking to grow and prosper as well as grow their own communities of volunteers and donors,” said Doulton. So, she and her Cellardoor Winery team brainstormed another idea: Why not give everybody in the Midcoast a chance to put their hearts and hands to work as volunteers for the four nonprofits this winter and throw all of the volunteers a second bash on the following Saturday, June 28? Sounds crazy?  The tent will still be there; all they have to do is flip things inside around and redecorate.

That became the concept of Pop the Change. It will be a separate event benefiting the same four nonprofits. The only way to get a ticket for this event is to volunteer four hours anytime between February and May 2014 for one of the four nonprofits, coordinated by Cellardoor Winery staff member Devon Salisbury. “We valued those hours on a per hour basis and found it to be the equivalent of buying a ticket,” said Doulton. ”We’ll all celebrate on that following Saturday. That party will be completely different from Pop The Cause with different entertainment and a different theme.”

Currently Doulton and Salisbury count 198 individuals who’ve offered to volunteer, along with companies such as Frost & Bryant Construction, Horch Roofing, Allen Agency, Loyal Biscuit, Bangor Savings Bank, among others.

“This is really meant to be a celebration of the people who are behind the volunteerism that we’re trying to encourage in the first half of this year,” said Doulton. “You wouldn’t believe how many volunteers we’ve already gotten, or the stories we’ve read. Devon and I have become walking Hallmark cards in the last two months,” she joked.

“If you have any particular skills or interests or talents, please let us know and Devon will match you up with the nonprofit that needs you most,” she said.

Doultin gives several examples, such as Mount Battie Car Wash whose employees are volunteering to detail the Coastal Opportunities vans.

“I got another email from a gentleman who said he cleans windows professionally and he’s really good at sharpening knives. Guess what? All of these properties have windows and kitchens and Devon is matching him up with the organizations who can truly use his skills. At the end of the day, there’s too many good stories to tell.”

The launch party will begin at the Waterfront on Bay View Street from 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. The public is invited to learn more about how Pop the Change works, how to vote for your favorite nonprofit and how your own particular skills or talents will work in their new volunteer model. RSVP info@popforchange.com or call 207-763-4478.

To learn more, visit www.popforchange.com where you can sign up to volunteer for a particular organization as well as vote.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Last year around this time, we wrote a story about small businesses joining forces with artists and artisans, titled The unlikely (and smart) pairing of local businesses and artists.

This year, we looked around to see who else had informally adopted what is called fusion marketing, the concept of fusing two businesses into a cooperative effort of tying together both marketing efforts. In Maine, more than 97 percent of the state’s businesses are small—and in the winter months when the economy slows down, it just makes sense for people to collaborate rather than compete.  In this case, the fusion concept works best when local businesses offer a small amount of their retail space with artists and craftspeople. We asked several local business owners who’ve done just that and asked what they’re getting out of the deal.

The Good Tern Cooperative Food Market in Rockland is a prime example of this kind of fusion marketing (after all, the word “cooperative” is in their title). Teisha Hufnagel Jones, education outreach and membership coordinator, showed us three dedicated areas in the small store that feature the work of local artists, craftspeople and entrepreneurs. The shelf space by the checkout counters displayed the handicrafts of hand-dipped candles by Danica Designs and woven mats made of repurposed float rope called Twists and Turns by Joe Auciello, who happens to also be a member-owner of The Good Tern.

“Joe is part of our waste management team,” she said. “He makes trips to the dump every week for us and it was a natural collaboration for us to feature his work.”

While it seems anyone could ask to have his or her product featured in the Good Tern, Hufnagel Jones said they tend to accept locally crafted items and give preference to those created by the member-owners of the Good Tern Co-op.

“Keeping the money in our local economy, supporting our local neighbors, supporting those who support us, that’s what building community is all about and the fundamental basis of what we do,” she said.

Sometimes a particular craft and a particular store are a match made in heaven. When Jennifer Moore Temple, who co-owns Clean Bee Laundry in Camden, learned that a Camden entrepreneur, Cyndi Prince, had just invented a natural wool dryer ball (Loo Hoo Wool Dryer Balls) to take the place of chemical-infused dryer sheets, she reached out to Cyndi to feature some of her products on Clean Bee’s counter space. Now, they’ve been happily collaborating for years.

“We’re really community minded and it works out well for both of us,” said Moore Temple. “One, because it helps us provide some retail options for our customers. Two, it works really well for Cyndi because we have so many tourists that come through our space and they often buy her product as a gift. It really helps spread the word.”

Other times, a business might feature a service that has nothing to do with their brand, but simply helps out a fellow community member. Carleton Leavitt is an self-taught cobbler who works in Hope. His business, Kiss My Boots, offers all kinds of leather repair for shoes, but he’s a one-man band without a shop, so it’s hard to get his service out there. He has a deal with both Clean Bee Laundry as well as the Home Supply Center hardware store in Belfast, where people can pick up and drop off their shoes at these locations. Eunice Palmer owner of Home Supply Center, said that being open seven days a week was a draw for Leavitt.

“That offered more opportunity for people to drop off and pick up their shoes and boots and it makes convenient for them,” said Palmer. “As for us, it brings more people into the store who may never have been here before. It’s a good business arrangement.”

For artists who seek nontraditional ways of exposure outside of a gallery, finding a local business that is willing to display their art on the walls is the perfect solution. Often, this natural pairing happens in restaurants, cafes, and bookstores. Sometimes, the collaboration happens in an unlikely spot, all because of good relationship building. When Cheryl Denz of Terra Optima Farm and Market opened their new store in Rockland, photographer Bonnie Farmer had a studio in the same neighborhood. Farmer came in to see how the progress of the new store was going and to say hello. At that point, she proposed to Denz the idea of displaying some of her new assemblage artwork on the walls.

“When she brought over some of the artwork for me to see, I was like ‘Wow, I really like this,’” said Denz. “The pieces all come from upcycled found objects she finds from old farms or junk stores and shops. The artwork enhances the interior of the store. I’m really pleased with it. She has gotten a lot of positive feedback from it and has sold a number of pieces.”

For Farmer and Denz, the collaboration took on even greater meaning when Terra Optima recently did a benefit for homeless teens.

”Bonnie stepped right up and created this one piece where 50 percent of its proceeds would benefit the Youth From Maine Hungry & Homeless Teens project” said Denz. “She’s right on board with this and has the same mind set, so that was really quite generous of her to offer that piece.”

This is one of the best parts of living in a small town community with a strong creative economy presence. In a big city, retail space is limited, the rents are high and competition for art and handmade crafts is much higher. The generosity of spirit that comes from small business owners willing to enhance their space with the offerings of artists and artisans benefits everybody. It may not be a concept that people were aware was an actual guerrilla marketing tool, but fusion is alive and thriving in the Midcoast. Take a note of it next time you walk into a local shop.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

This week’s Throwback Thursday is courtesy of Kimberlee Graffam. After you identify where and what this is, can you tell us what it ended up being afterwards?

Answer: When the photo was taken it was Maine Coast Seafood, which my grandfather started. Our family sold the building to the Allens in 1962. This eventually became The Sail Loft Restaurant.-Kimberlee Graffam

As always, check back on the answers to other Throwback Thursday photos, by typing in Throwback Thursday in the search bar.

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

You know this familiar feeling of the draggy mid-winter blues? It’s the perfect time for a fresh outlook and a new makeover. Antje Roitzsch, a healer and artist with The Maine Beehive in Rockport took the leap to transform her outer appearance, and in the process, found out some new things about herself.

For the second year, four local businesses — Sogno Salon, Rheal Day Spa, CHANGE and Amy Wilton Photography — collaborated to offer “A Day of Beauty” makeovers to eight lucky local women.

Roitzche and the others had to submit a photo of themselves and told why they wanted a makeover. The women came from all walks of life, including one who had a near-death experience. The common thread?  To feel different, more confident, more modern and younger.

The rest of the story is in Antje’s own words.

“On the application I reflected on my journey of the last seven years to practice living with an open heart, listening to my intuition, recognizing and taking advantage of opportunities, trusting in the organic unfolding of my life, and loving myself with both my gifts and challenges.  I was not interested in a makeover per se, but more in a revealing of a new, more feminine side of myself that I have not been brave enough to express outwardly.

When I got the call that I was one of the eight women chosen, I was excited and at the same time, scared. I was stepping into unknown territory. I was stretching my comfort zone. It felt like a ritual of initiation.

In my work as a Phenomenal Touch Master Practitioner, I open the doors for people to tune in and learn to love their bodies in order to step into their life with a strong sense of self that enables them to make decisions and choices from a sense of love and empowerment. While I am in the process myself, I realized I had stopped short at the surface of my skin. I had to walk my talk and bring my own process to the next level and manifest it on the outside.

I felt I needed the most help from the fashion consultant, James Barger from CHANGE. I loved his slogan “CHANGE, Isn’t It Time?” and, yes, it was time to act on the unsettled feelings I've had about my wardrobe, but didn’t even know where to start. We had to bring two outfits, besides the one I wore. Having someone objectively assess what colors were ideal and what shapes and styles might be flattering was very helpful. But, I knew something was fundamentally amiss and when James asked if I ever got fitted for a bra. My answer?  "No, never."  I knew that this was the missing link. I did follow up with a bra fitting a week later.  (l learned a lot and have so much to say about women’s images and bra sizes and what is available in stores... but that will come at another time).

In the meantime, Amy of Rheal Day Spa did my nails, also a first for me. I am still looking at my sparkly orange color. A friend reflected it gave me a more refined look.

Karen, at Sogno Salon, did a great job cutting and styling my hair. It was affirming to know that I am actually doing pretty well cutting my own hair. But, once in a while it might be good to have a professional restore the shape.

I then returned to Rheal Day Spa for the makeup: something to which I have never been drawn. My request for minimal application was met with respect. Here, I also learned a lot about how makeup can round out a refined professional look, something I might use occasionally, but will not be an essential part of my new self.

Finally the photographer, Amy Wilton, was able to capture the transformation of all the women who had gone through this wonderful process. I loved the collaborative event and will certainly go back and seek their professional recommendations and services.

In the beginning of this process, I missed meeting the seven other women participating in this makeover/discovery and hearing the reasons why they applied. I would have liked to have witnessed their transformations, and at the end, hear them reflect on how this changed them and how they would integrate this new self-expression into their old lives.  Nevertheless, it was a powerful day of shedding what seemed like layers of old skin and literally seeing myself with new eyes.  I am certain that over time, my self-image will emerge further and grow.”

Related stories

• It ain’t easy being Vugly

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

In this series, we introduce you to the fierce and fab ladies who live, work and play within our Midcoast community. Not everybody has the guts and drive to make it in the sport of roller derby. Welcome to the women who love, live and breathe derby.

Skater Profile: Crane Wrecks

Real name:  Dana Crane

Tell us about your derby name:  It’s a spin-off of my real name, with a destructive flare inspired by big machines and dinosaurs.

Age:  27

Current town and hometown:   Rockport via Brunswick

Occupation: Farmer/bartender/teacher/sailor

How long have you been skating: One year

Why derby?:  It seemed like all cool girls were doing it... and I like the community involvement.

What’s been the most challenging aspect of derby so far? What’s your Achilles’ heel, so to speak?  Maintaining confidence when charging at walls of women bigger and stronger than me, when they’ve already knocked me down a dozen times.

Most fun and rewarding part of derby:  The fantastic players that continue to teach me and inspire me on and off the track. Hanging out with them is reason enough for going to practice. Plus roller skating is a blast, and improving my skills on skates makes the game more and more fun every time I play!

Other sports/hobbies/interests:  The woods, the ocean, cooking and crafting.

Related stories:

• Roller derby skater profile: Roll Doll

• Roller derby skater profile: Smacks On Deck

• Roller derby skater profile: Chain Lynx

Rock Coast Rollers is a diverse group of women dedicated to advancing and advocating for the sport of roller derby, women, their league and their community. RCR aims to be a skater-owned, nonprofit business under the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, based in Rockland. For more information visit rockcoastrollers.org.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKPORT — While hundreds of people celebrated in the snowy outdoors this weekend, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art had another idea in mind: tropical breezes, beach balls, and plenty of rum drinks in coconuts.

CMCA threw a dance party blow out at their gallery Saturday, Feb. 8, in Rockport to transport those who are starting to feel cabin fever to a virtual place of warm sand and sun. Director Suzette McAvoy credits artist and photographer Jonathan Laurence for coming up with the concept. CMCA is currently closed to the public for the season and the staff got together to brainstorm what they could do for an event.

“We were thinking, what does everyone need right now?” said McAvoy. “And everyone started talking about going to the tropics. So we said well, if we can’t all go on vacation right now, we can go on virtual vacation — something with a contemporary art edge.”

They transformed a huge section of gallery space into beachfront resort with projections of swaying palm trees against an ocean sunset on the walls. Other details included a Caribbean bar, a Members Only lounge, a tanning booth and a photo booth where people could take home souvenir post cards with their images on them.  They even offered custom beach balls that everyone could take home.

She estimates that approximately 130 people showed up to the event, which was impressive given the competing weekend events of the U.S. National Toboggan Championships.

“It was a lot of fun,” McAvoy said. “We also got lucky to have the Jason Spooner band in town that weekend. They’re recording a new album at Hearstudios. So, courtesy of the studio, they donated the band. And they played some reggae and Caribbean stuff, as well as a lot of their own music. D.J. Own Cartwright also played before and after, so we really had people dancing all night.”

McAvoy said the event was a little fundraiser as well as a way to get the gallery out there in people’s minds during the slower winter months.

“I thought it was a really good turnout. We were really pleased,” she said.

For more information on what CMCA is up to once they reopen, visit: cmcanow.org

All photos courtesy Kelsey Floyds Photography at www.kelseyfloyd.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—Love means... never having to pay admission. (That agonized groan you hear is Erich Segal rolling in his grave for butchering his famous quote. Sorry.) But I’m trying to keep the mood light, for this is either the week of the black, shriveled death-eating stare if you hate Valentine’s Day or else it’s the week of blissful eternal sighs if can’t wait for this time of year. Either way, the Farnsworth has got a freebie for you and our Cheap Dates are all about the freebies.

The Farnsworth Art Museum invites everyone to join them on Saturday, February 15 from 4-7 p.m. to honor Celebrating Love!, the museum's special Robert Indiana exhibition on display only from February 14 through March 16. Together we will celebrate fifty years of this iconic image... as well as Midcoast Maine's creative community.

This event is free to all. Reservations are appreciated. Please call membership at 207-596-6256 or email membership@farnsworthmuseum.org

So grab a pal or a paramour and get in on this free Love! deal on Saturday. Now, you know what it’s all about, you and Erich Segal can get together and blast me for the story title, too.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Welcome to our ongoing feature Behind the Slides, where we meet up with an artist who just presented at Pecha Kucha Night and find out the deeper story beneath the images they chose to portray.

David Troup was one of the presenters on the 5th anniversary of PechaKucha Night, held at the Rockport Opera House Jan. 31. Like the other presenters, he took the audience through her creative process in a visual storytelling format with a 20-second-per-image, 20-image slideshow. David Troup has been practicing Karatedo since 1987. He is the communications officer at the Farnsworth Art Museum and is a company member of the Everyman Repertory Theatre. He lives in Rockland with his wife, Hanna.

Note: Troup's Pecha Kucha slides appear in the right column. Click on the photos to match them with the actual slide notes (in italics). Beneath the slide notes will be the deeper story.

Karatedo

Karatedo means The Way of Karate. It’s a path. It’s not a “self-defense technique” that can be learned through books or videos; it must be experienced. It’s a journey, and on that journey, you will be changed.

There are schools that practice Karate, as opposed to Karatedo. The “Do” is the path, or sometimes referred to as “The Way.” My training has led me to continue practicing and teaching not only the actual techniques, but also the philosophies as well. Grandmaster Nagamine felt strongly that Karate and Zen are One. We sit in Zen meditation at the end of class at least two out of three classes.

The Style

The style I practice is called Matsubayashi-Ryu. It was founded by Grandmaster Shoshin Nagamine, one of the true legends of Karatedo, who said “Karate may be described as the conflict within yourself. It is a life-long marathon that can only be won through self-discipline, hard work, and your own creative thinking.”

Grandmaster Nagamine founded the style in 1945 and named it Matsubayashi-ryu to honor the two legendary teachers of his own teachers: Sokon Matsumura and Kosaku Matsumora. It’s a style that is mainly recognizable by the use of what we call Natural Stance. From the great 17th Century Japanese warrior Miyamoto Musashi’s writings: “Your everyday stance must be your fighting stance, and your fighting stance must be your everyday stance.”

The Journey

My own journey with Karatedo began in 1987, when I stopped by Sensei Owen Masters’ dojo on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and began training with him three nights a week. Many years later, I was greatly honored to have Grandmaster Nagamine’s son, Soke Takayoshi Nagamine, come from Okinawa to test me for my first degree black belt.

When I first stopped by the dojo, I was a pretty wild young man. Perhaps Sensei Masters sensed this, but he asked me if I was “serious” about karate, and I said yes, so he told me to come back in a year, and if I was still “serious” I could begin training. When I came back in 1987, he had me sit for three months and just watch, three nights a week.  I had the privilege to train with Takayoshi Nagamine, pictured here givingme my first black belt, many times over the years. He died five years ago, as the only 10th degree in the style. I learned from him far more than I could ever write in a paragraph.

The Training

We train our bodies through push-ups, crunches, punches, kicks, applications; but, the most important thing we do is come to class. Sensei Masters always says: “Just get to class, the rest takes care of itself. Like water dripping on a stone, Karatedo will leave its mark.”

Pictured here, some of my students and I are practicing Kata at Studio Red. This picture was taken during a special midnight training, to participate in a world-wide join training session. We were honoring Grandmaster Nagamine’s grandson, who was forced to close his grandfather’s original Dojo in Okinawa and was feeling low. Dojos throughout the U.S., Europe, South American and, of course Japan, participated. 3 p.m. in Okinawa, which was midnight our time. To make things a little more fun, this was the first major snow storm of our season on December 15, 2013!

Mastering A Kata

The essence of what we practice is Kata. There are 18 Kata in our style. A Kata is a choreographed series of applications. This is how Karate was passed from generation to generation. We learn each individual Kata thoroughly, practicing it over and over, forward and reverse, and then we take each individual application out of the Kata and practice it through drills.

It takes a lifetime to master all 18 Kata. Back in the days when Grandmaster Nagamine was a student, a student of Karate knew three, perhaps four, Kata. Now, it’s all about how many you can do. There are schools that teach 50 or so Kata. That’s somewhat of a Westernized way of doing things. When Grandmaster Nagamine visited my Dojo in NYC, he was already in his nineties. He was still practicing the very first Kata—which he actually created back in 1941— as he felt he hadn’t truly mastered it yet.

The Belts

We do have the belt system in my style: White, Green, Brown, Black. Many people think of Black Belt as the equivalent of Expert. Actually, first degree Black Belt is the official rank of the student. We feel that you aren’t truly ready for proper learning and understanding until you reach the rank of Black Belt, which, in our style takes at least five or so years.

Certain schools get somewhat hung-up in the belt system. It’s certainly a motivating feature, especially for kids. My first teacher, Sensei Masters, would never promote anyone until there was a new student in class who needed to be promoted. During the early ‘90s, while I was teaching class for him in our NYC Dojo, he kept me at a Brown Belt level for eight years, as he didn’t see any need to have a promotion ceremony. We do things a little differently now, as I view promotion testing as a great way to test what you’ve learned under somewhat nerve-wracking conditions.

If you missed this Pecha Kucha Night, not to worry. Belfast Community Television has a video of the event. For more information about Pecha Kucha visit them on Facebook.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN—Every year since the Toboggan Championships started, racers have been brainstorming ways to outshine, outrage and out-pun the other teams with their costumes.  And while we leave the official judging up to the Toboggan Committee, we’ll just ask our readers, whose costumes were the best this year?

Breaking Badly

Racers: Becky Peasely, Chantal Gamage, Karen Blackwell, Richard Evans

 “We’re all from Pen Bay Medical Center, so we came up the idea of Breaking Badly, as in breaking down on the way down the toboggan chute. This [blue meth] is something we cooked up in our kitchen in Owl’s Head, which has now been closed down. Just kidding, it’s actually rock candy with a little blue dye.”

Snow Rebels

Racers: Drew McMullen, Nathaniel Jones, Andy O’Shaughnessy, Karl Jakobs

“Two years ago, when we first came to the Races, we were called Shoot The Moon. So, this year, we’re sponsored by Sam Adams and their Rebel IPA, so you see, that’s how that ties in. It’s a great costume; people can’t keep their hands off us.”

Ninja Turtle Swag

Racers: Katelyn Kribel (Leonardo), Carlos Andrade (Donatello), Emily Bennett (Rafael)

“Our costumes came from a song, but now I can’t remember what that was. Edie, what’s that song called? [No answer.] Just say we’re from The Wayfinder School.”

Toboggan Doggins

Racers: Tony Campbell, Tammi Breen, Mimi Mamocal, David Slaggeo

“We all have dogs, except Tony. Tony’s the cat lover. We just got a new puppy and our son came up with the name and the idea to dress like this. We got everything online from Amazon and did our faces up with face paint.”

Shear Madness

Sarah Maxcy, Yvonne McLean

“Crazy hair had to be the main piece to our costume, because we’re hair stylists at Just Friends, in Rockland. We’re definitely going for the ‘80s vibe.”

While we weren’t able to interview every costumed team this year, check out additional photos in our story: Faces, sights and sounds: A day at the US National Toboggan Championships

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN SNOW BOWL — Despite last year’s white out, nothing was going to stop this year’s Second Eva Down The Chute Beer and Wine challenge featuring more than a dozen Maine wineries, breweries, and makers of mead and cider.

Under a heated tent, dozens of participants gathered with tasting glass in hand to sample brews, wines and ciders from well-known local brands, such as Andrews Brewing Company, Cellar Door Winery, Breakwater Vineyards, Rock Harbor Brewery, as well as newcomer Monhegan Brewery, whose crew lugged all their gear over on a lobster boat from Monhegan. Other well-loved statewide brands included Sebago Brewing Company, Shipyard Brewing Company Baxter Brewing Company, newcomers Strong Brewery, a two-person nanobrewery from downeast Maine. Other interesting offerings included ciders from Fatty Bumpkins and Downeast Cider House, as well as a red pepper flake mead from Fat Friar’s Meadery.

The mood was decidedly exuberant. Through the evening, multiple raffle drawings let people walk away with some good drinking swag such as T-shirts and stemless glasses. Local (and wicked good) food offered by Harvest Moon Pizza, Big Bob’s and State of Maine Cheese rounded out the tastings.

And lastly, everyone who participated in the tasting had a chance to vote for the most popular beverage of the night. Andrews Brewing Company walked away with the Most Popular brew for the second year in a row.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

On the weekend of the 24th Annual US National Toboggan Championships, this is the last advertisement in our Memory Lane series. We came across a vintage 1939 Snow Bowl Annual Report featuring some familiar names and places in the advertisements and reached out to several locals whose family businesses have been around a long time.

Here’s a great response.

“Some things never change—we still love the Midcoast in winter.  Hannaford Supermarkets started in Maine in 1883 and has been here ever since. So, we say again what we said in 1939: We hope the festival will be a great success!”
-Eric Blom, Hannaford spokesman

f you have a memory associated with the name of the business or the ad itself, please email us and we’ll build it into the story.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Continuing with our Memory Lane series this week in anticipation of the 24th Annual US National Toboggan Championships, we came across a vintage 1939 Snow Bowl Annual Report featuring some familiar names and places in the advertisements. We reached out to several folks whose family businesses been around a long time.

 “This ad is a great reminder of the rich history of the Camden area. Who would have imagined back then that the Snow Bowl would be embarking on a multi-million expansion and people from around the country would come here to experience Camden in the winter? And with our sponsorship of the Toboggan Championships and a major donation to the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area Foundation, we’re still happy to do our ‘bit’ to support our community.”
-Gregory A. Dufour, President and Chief Executive Officer

If you have a memory associated with the name of the business or the ad itself, please email us and we’ll build it into the story.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

This might be a familiar sight to the locals, but does anybody have the real behind-the-scenes story on what was the reason behind erecting this cross? Of course, you need to tell us where this is in your answer.

To find more details (and family histories) about past photos we’ve posted, type in Throwback Thursday in the search bar of Penobscot Bay Pilot.

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

As mentioned yesterday, this whole Memory Lane series started when we were going through some old boxes in the office in anticipation of the 24th Annual US National Toboggan Championships. We came across an old 1939 Snow Bowl Annual Report featuring some familiar names and places in the advertisements and reached out to several locals whose family businesses have been around a long time.

Over the next few days, we’ll reveal some more of the ads, along with those who responded back to us.

“J. Hugh Montgomery owned the Allen Agency from 1935 until his death in 1953.  His son David took over the next year. In 1989, David Montgomery offered his employees part ownership of the agency and this year, we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of our employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). We've grown up to be Allen Insurance and Financial, but the fact that many people still call us the Allen Agency is, like this ad, testament to how much we are a part of the history of Camden.”

-Jill Lang, communication manager for Allen Insurance and Financial

If you have a memory associated with the name of the business or the ad itself, please email us and we’ll build it into the story.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

We were going through some old borrowed boxes in the office in anticipation of the 24th annual US National Toboggan Championships when we came across a vintage 1939 Snow Bowl Annual Report featuring some familiar names and places in the advertisements. We reached out to several folks whose family businesses have been around a long time.

Over the next few days, we’ll reveal some more of the ads, along with those who responded back to us.

“My name is (Ms). Merrill Williams, the owner of the Thorndike in Rockland. My property manager’s office, Kinney Rentals, has forwarded your request for a comment on the 1939 ad on the occasion of the Snow Bowl. It’s a charming memento and I was delighted to see it. The Thorndike building has been a proud anchor of downtown Rockland since it was built in 1854 as a luxury hotel. It has evolved over the years and today contains residential apartments and retail shops that contribute to the economic vitality of the community. Recent improvements have brought it up to 21st century standards while maintaining the historic integrity of this landmark building."

-Merrill Williams, Thorndike Building

If you have a memory associated with the name of the business or the ad itself, please email us and we’ll build it into the story.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — For outdoor lovers and fans of extreme sports and mountaineering escapades, this is the 14th year Maine Sport Outfitters has brought the Banff Mountain Film Festival to Camden. With the Canadian festival in its 36th year, the Banff Center holds the festival every November in Banff, Alberta, selecting the best films to go on the World Tour that visits approximately 305 cities annually in 20 countries.

We asked Jeff Boggs, manager and buyer for Maine Sport Outfitters, what he loves about this annual film festival. “Honestly, I’m crazy about the whole event,” he said. “I first saw the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour about 18 years ago and loved it. I was able to get us in on the Tour circuit 14 years ago and have been coordinating the event ever since. The films are inspiring, educational, sometimes emotional/controversial, entertaining and fun! They take you to places and activities you may not have been exposed to. It's a great way to spend a wintry February evening.”

The lineup this year is exciting, as always. “All of the films are so different and so fun,” he said. “About five years ago, we were able to add a second night, which enabled us to show twice the number of films. This year, we’ll see 18 different films, which vary in length. Some are three minutes long. One, Ready to Fly, is 56 minutes. Several of the films feature women this year, such as Keeper of the Mountains, Spice Girl and Ready to Fly.

Asked what he’s really looking forward to personally seeing, he said, “The best shows are the ones with a mix of film subjects, such as mountain sports, mountain environment and mountain culture. So, you go from The Burn (out of bounds skiing) to Keeper of the Mountains (a 93-year-old lady who logs all the summit attempts in Nepal). We try to appeal to all interests and ages and show you places you’ve never been.”

Click here for a full list of current films being shown and view the video for more trailers.

Tickets are on sale for the local visitation of the Banff Mountain Film Fest World Tour, set for Friday and Saturday nights, Feb. 7 and 8, at the Strom Auditorium of Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport. Each night’s show begins at 7 p.m. and features a different slate of films. Tickets for adults are $10 in advance and available at Maine Sport on Route 1 in Rockport and Main Street in Camden; price at the door will be $12. Student tickets are $5. For more information, call 236-7120 or 230-1284. Clips of some of the films may be seen in the Rockport store.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Throwing one back to the Boomers today...with a little hint. This goes along with last week’s Throwback Thursday post. What is this building and where did it used to sit?

Answer: This was the Snow Bowl Lodge. It sat at the NW end of Hosmer Pond. In 1967, the base lodge burned down, side tracking a multi-year expansion plan. A snowmaking installation was delayed so that a new A frame lodge could be constructed in 1968.

To find more details (and family histories) about past photos we’ve posted, type in Throwback Thursday in the search bar of Penobscot Bay Pilot.

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

In this new series, we’re going to introduce you to the fierce and fab ladies who live, work and play within our Midcoast community. Not everybody has the guts and drive to make it in the sport of roller derby. Welcome to the women who love, live and breathe derby.

Skater Profile: Roll Doll

Real name: Zoë Foster

Tell us about your derby name: It’s a tribute to my favorite children’s book author, Roald Dahl. I have fond memories of my dad reading him aloud to me at bed time, and laughing so hard that tears poured down my face and my belly hurt.

Age: 29

Current town and hometown: I live in Thomaston. I grew up in Wassaic, N.Y.

Occupation: Montessori teacher

How long have you been skating: Since the beginning of Rock Coast Rollers! Has it seriously been almost three years?

Why derby?:  Derby snuck up on me. I was never an athlete or even very physically coordinated. It’s been one of the best things I ever could have done for myself. So far, I’ve gained some pretty great stuff, like inner confidence, a healthy body, amazing friends and a ferocity I didn’t know I had.

What’s been the most challenging aspect of derby so far? What’s your Achilles’ heel, so to speak?: At every level, there’s been something that has challenged and eluded me. Very early on, I was afraid of getting hit. One day, I came to practice and realized I wasn’t afraid anymore. Then, it was transitions. Now, I love to skate backward and make rapid transitions. Currently, I’m struggling with offense, but I know I’ll get there. The great thing about derby is that the tough things don’t stay tough. But, there will always be new, hard things to practice and get good at. It’s part of what I love about the sport.

Most fun and rewarding part of derby: You mean besides getting to wear wheels on my feet and crash into people? One of my favorite things has been getting to see the growth in my teammates and to watch them become super strong skaters, year by year. Also, the community is the best. We’re a big family, and there’s just a huge amount of love and support that circulates within the league.

Other sports/hobbies/interests: Teaching, laughing, reading, playing outside, eating, making bad puns, hanging out with my husband and dogs.

Related stories:

• Roller derby skater profile: Smacks On Deck

• Roller derby skater profile: Chain Lynx

Rock Coast Rollers is a diverse group of women dedicated to advancing and advocating for the sport of roller derby, women, their league and their community. RCR aims to be a skater-owned, nonprofit business under the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, based in Rockland. For more information visit rockcoastrollers.org.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST—This Sunday, Jan. 26, Delvino's Grill and Pasta House in Belfast will be getting into the fun Valentine’s spirit with a “photo booth” and their “2-for” lunch special where two can dine for $19.99 (includes bread, salad, entree, and dessert). The offer runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Have your lunch and then savor the moment with a special backdrop and photographer for the photo. Delvino’s will go the step further and email you a copy of the picture so that if you want, you can enter it into Penobscot Bay Pilot’s Most Romantic Couple Contest (where you can tell the story of how you got together and possibly win $200 in prizes that can be used on Valentine’s Day).

Because our Cheap Dates series isn’t just for the lovebirds, you don’t have to be a couple to enjoy the lunch special and complimentary photo. “It’s the middle of January and we need some fun,” said Tina DelSanto, co-owner of Delvino’s. “You can have lunch and a photo with your friends and family too.”  So, if you and a pal want a professional selfie for this Valentine’s Day, you know exactly where to go!

For more info: check out Delvino’s Facebook page.

Meet Chuck. Just a few days ago, he was brought into Pope Memorial Humane Society by an Appleton family who found him wandering around their property, clearly a stray with severe frostbite on his ears and nose.

Mitchell Pendleton, the man who found this cat told us: “It was before Christmas, I first saw this cat scurrying around our woodpile. Every time I approached him, he’d run away. After a week or so, I left the woodshed door open, for him to go inside, so I could kind of check him out to see what was going on with him. About an hour later, I went back and he was inside, so I closed the door. I could tell he was deathly skinny so, I went up to the house and brought him down some tunafish and gave him that and water. His ears looked fine to me then. I thought he might be a neighbor’s cat, so I waited a bit before calling the shelter because I’d figured he’d gotten loose and would go back home. My wife is very allergic to cats, so I kept putting food out for him in the woodshed and he showed up again for two or three days, then disappeared for two or three days. The kids would come down every night to see if he was there, hold him and pet him, give him some love. Then, after those two or three days he’d been gone, I noticed his ears looked real funny. That’s when I got ahold of the Humane Society. Whatever was going on, I didn’t want him to suffer. So we took him down there a week ago.”

Theresa Gargan, shelter manager, said: “The kids named him Chuck. Nice people. I’m so happy they brought him in.”

She told us that during the two or three days that Chuck disappeared out of the shelter of the woodshed, it was during the cold snap with subdegree temperatures at night. Likely during that time wandering, Chuck suffered severe frostbite, which claimed the tops of his ears and gave him a very sore nose. His pads of his paws stayed intact, however: “When the Pendleton family brought him in, I touched the tops of his ears, which started to split, then I knew,” she said.

“He's warm and comfortable now and getting the care he needs,” she said. The gooey stuff  you see in this photo is antibiotic cream. “The thing is, through all of this, he looks pathetic. But he’s the nicest little kitty — at the most a year old, at that. Those ears are going to heal over very quickly and he’s going to be just fine.”

No one has come forth to claim him as their cat. From the moment Pope Memorial Humane Society broke this story on Facebook, it has been shared more than 300 times with many comments asking about his status and praising the Pendletons for helping to bring this kitty in.

“We’ve had some inquiries about adopting him. People are wondering when he’ll be available to visit, and it shouldn’t be too long before he’s healed and ready for visitors,” she said. “We have to get him neutered, too.”

Gargan wanted to remind people of the dangers of leaving their pets outdoors for too long. “They’re not wild animals and they have to have somewhere where they can get out of the weather into warmth and shelter or this is what can happen,” she said. “They’re not cut out for it. Even the feral cats that are managed colonies are given shelter at night so they’re able to come in from the elements.”

To keep tabs on Chuck, follow their Facebook page or contact them at (207) 594-2200. We will follow up with this story when Chuck gets adopted.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Let this be a cautionary tale for every man who fails to bring home his woman beer.

According to U.S. News, a  South Carolina woman was held on a domestic abuse charge after allegedly stabbing her common-law husband with the shards of a ceramic squirrel Christmas Eve because he failed to bring home the beer she requested. According to the police report, her husband came home empty handed because all of the stores were closed. This apparently did not bother him as much as it did her, for he went about making himself a sandwich. She then picked up a ceramic squirrel and broke it over his head. Then stabbed him in the chest with it.

The best nugget from this story is that he went inside, did the man-shrug: “Nope, they didn’t have no Pibbah or nothing” and went into the kitchen to slap together a sandwich. While he was busy putting some mayonnaise on that white bread, a whole lotta crazy was brewing up right behind him. Men, you know that look. That is the look of:

• You bought the wrong Ben & Jerry’s flavor at Hannaford.
• You drank directly from the milk container—and left it out on the counter all night.
• You put the empty ice tray back into the freezer.

He probably never knew what hit him. Or stabbed him. But you can damn well be sure the next time he goes out with a request from his lady, he’s going to be bringing back a rack of Stella Artois.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com