ROCKPORT — After two bags of Tostitos scoop chips and queso dip, a box of Reese’s Pieces, a McDonald’s fish sandwich (“easy on the tartar”) and about the equivalent of two boxes of wine this week it’s safe to say, I’m destined to wear my Give Ups (translation: sweat pants) into the 2014 New Year unless something is done about it.

Luckily for all of us, Mid-Coast Recreation Center in Rockport offers ice skating — a great way to stay social in the winter while staying fit — for a very affordable price. They offer an Open Skate time from noon to 2 p.m. every day, and since our Cheap Dates series is all about the adults, I’m going to give you the inside scoop.  For nine bucks, you can have two hours of skate time with an ice skate rental and burn 575 calories (I looked it up) while whipping around a rink to the inspiring blare of Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack.”

The adults I talked to the other day when I went skating said the trick is to go on the week days. Sometimes there’s literally no one on the rink. But even when there are, it’s usually a handful of adults. You can practice your cross-overs, your backwards skating and the art of falling on your ass without too much people interference.

I just like to put on my headphones and pretend I’m 10 again, skating casually up beside some boy with the Star Wars jacket and corduroy flares, hoping he’ll notice my new Dorothy Hamill haircut.

After a good vigorous skate and the added bonus of watching Zamboni Man clean the ice, you can take a break with your sweetie or your pals and sit by the fire in the lounge, or grab some grub at their mini convenience store/food counter. (Seriously, $3.75 for a cheeseburger.)

Cheap Date for the Cheap Skates. This stuff just writes itself.

Happy New Year!


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

The first time I met Lindsay at Out! As I Want To Be, I noticed her cool vest (cut-off sleeved denim with pinned-on slogans like ‘F*** Homophobia’ and and ‘Eat The Rich’). Her friend, David Munson had handmade the cloth slogans. I asked if I could take a photo of it. Really, it’s kind of a personal question to ask ‘Can I take a picture of your clothes,’ but I took a chance because I genuinely dug her style.  Just the way she obliged with a giggle and a smile revealed how approachable she was. I immediately made a mental note: Rad Kid.

Lindsay’s got a lot going on in her world. In addition to school, Lindsay works two jobs (one is part-time at Rock City Café and she’s currently the only teen board member of Out! As I Want To Be, an organization in Rockland for GLBTQ young people ages 14-22.) She initially joined the organization because she supported its cause and she had a lot of friends there. It’s also an environment that encourages alternative self-expression.

“When a lot of my friends got older and left [Out!], it left an open leadership position and I kind of just jumped in,” she said. ”I help make important decisions, which can be kind of tough.”

In her downtime, she dabbles in various art forms. She recently made a mural for Hope Elephants with her own spin on it.

“I work with this woman, Alexis Iammarino. She a community artist, and does these Saturday workshops at the Rec for people who just want to go and do art,” said Lindsay. “I’ve been working with her for a year now. She was working with Hope Elephants to make these big 4 x 8 murals with middle school kids that will be put on the walls of the elephants’ barn and one of the panels was left over. So, she gave me one.”

To see more about this mural project from Hope Elephants, click here.

With the leftover panel, Lindsay could have painted anything she wanted, but she got to thinking about the elephants.

“They need something to look at,” she said. “See, they imagine things like humans imagine things and Alexis was telling me they like to make shapes with their trunks. Like, they’ll see a shape and think ‘Oh I can mimic that’ and then make that same shape with their trunk.

“So, with some help from Alexis and two of my friends, I painted an elephant on my panel. He’s got these yellow rings around him to signify space age. Kinda alien. I’ve been really into space lately, like astronauts and learning about how everything started. Super novas and all that fun stuff. So, I really wanted to incorporate the space elephant with the theme of poaching. On on side of the mural, I have an astronaut with a giant space gun I made up. The other side is the elephant. When I did this, I didn’t necessarily have meaning behind it. The idea of poaching ivory was up for grabs, because no one had touched on it [for the mural]. The idea of people killing elephants for ivory is ridiculous. I don’t know. I just wanted to put an elephant in space.”

She giggles. I love her giggle because it’s not high-pitched, it’s sort of low and chortling.

The finished mural will now go up in the Hope Elephants’ barn, along with all of the local middle school students’ panels.

Lindsay likes to draw and paint, but she really loves collages. Much like the random patchwork of provocative slogans on her vest, she really likes “cutting up pieces of paper and putting them together in pretty pictures.”

By now, getting a sense of Lindsay, when she says “pretty pictures,” that could mean something entirely subjective. Others may not find a medical museum photo of a deformed infant’s oversized skull and skeleton so pretty, but she found that image on the Internet one day and became fascinated by it enough to paint it.

“Yes, it’s morbid, but I thought it was a really neat photo, so I painted it one day,” she said.

As we talk, she pulls out one of the state-issued iPads and begins rapidly touching areas of the screen to multitask, pulling up that original image to email to me, as she’s showing me what else she’s working on. When asked if she thinks Maine made the right decision giving iPads to kids instead of laptops, she sort of laugh-snorts.

“They’re all breaking,” she said. “Kids are pushing the buttons too hard.”

Back to the painting/collage of the medically deformed baby.

“I love this collage because I haven’t looked at it enough to hate it yet,” she said. “It was originally an acrylic painting underneath and then I took white construction paper and made the ribs with that. Then, I took different pictures from Time Magazine that involved space. A good chunk of it was Mars and thermal pictures, so that’s where the grainy red part of it comes from. Then, I found pictures of the universe with little circles of other stars.

“When I look at the stars, I know I’m looking back in time and it always blows my mind.”

In her free time, she curls up on the couch and scrolls on the Internet or doodles with pen and pencil. She doesn’t use the digital tools like Photoshop on her iPad very much. She just wants to let her imagination roam free on white, open canvas. A senior this year, she plans to graduate and then afterward... she’s not sure.

“I don’t know what I want to do,” she said. “Ideally, Boston would be cool. Maybe go to Mass Art or even take a couple of classes. I don’t know if I want to go for four years of college. It’s expensive. Maybe an internship or apprenticeship somewhere, just kinda work my way through.”

“Just get out of a small town?”  I prompt. “You just want to live your life right?”

“I do!” she said. “My goal in life is just to be happy. And to make a difference and not kind of sit on my butt all the time in Rockland.”

There’s that chortle again. Yeah, like I can believe she ever has time to sit on her butt all day.

Hail To The Rad Kids is a regular feature highlighting teens in the Midcoast with artistic, musical, community-minded or entrepreneurial talent. If you know of a teen who fits this profile please contact us.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

 

 

 

 

Snow. Freezing rain. Ice. Darkness 2013. More snow on the way. I know, we’re not even into January yet, and this utter nonsense is getting exhausting, but it ain’t over yet. And if you can squeeze out even a modicum of “rah rah rah” on Jan. 31, you’ll be glad you did. Here is your New Year's Eve rundown and where to go to find every type of entertainment to put you in the best 2014 mood.

Belfast

New Year's By The Bay

Starting with the granddaddy of Midcoast celebrations, the 17th Annual New Year's by the Bay is a chem-free, family oriented, affordable, cultural celebration of the New Year that takes place from 2:30 p.m. till 12:30 a.m. With more than 40-plus performances in nine indoor venues within walking distance, Belfast’s biggest event showcases a wide variety of live performances, as well as several dance bands leading up to a bring-your-own drum noisemaking procession down to the celebratory lighting of the bonfire by the bay.

Front Street Pub

The Front Street Pub kicks off New Year’s Eve with a bonus. Anyone through the door before 8:00 p.m. will not have to pay a cover. Their staff will be providing a food spread for the evening as well as a champagne table. They are encouraging everyone to dress glamorous. Anyone wearing a suit and tie or fancy dress will get free admission. The DJ  will spin from 8:00p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Dancing, giveaways, specials, cocktail waitresses, champagne, noisemakers, 2014! Come ring in the new year!

Camden/Rockport

Ragged Mountain Ski Club's New Year's Party

The third Annual RMSC New Year's Eve Party this year features the Whiteout theme (open to interpretation and no, one doesn’t need to apply Whiteout to their epidermis to attend.)  Tickets are $80/150 (single/couple) ticket, which raises funds for RMSC programs and scholarships. Includes heavy hors d’ouevres + open bar + DJ & dancing + champagne toast at HEARSTUDIOS. Only 100 tickets will be sold, so get them soon; they sell out quickly. Contact Ragged Mountain Ski & Snowboard Club or one of the board members to purchase your ticket, and please note that only physical tickets will be honored this year. 

The Smokestack Grill

The Smokestack Grill will ring in the new year featuring DJ Isaac from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. DJ Isaac brings high energy to current covers and classics and The Smokestack Grill will have drink specials ($4 well drinks and $1 well shots if you’re wearing some kind of shiny, "bling" New Years Eve outfit).

Natalie's Count Down Party

Note: Event is full. Waiting list only. Natalie’s invites you for their Relais & Châteaux Camden Harbour Inn Count Down Party with complimentary hors d'oeuvres and champagne toast at midnight starting at 10:30 p.m. Live music and party favors. RSVP only! Email to raymond@camdenharbourinn.com for RSVP or call 207 236 7008.  Haven’t yet tried their 207 Sour? See how it’s made in our latest “What’s In That Cocktail.”


Rockland

FOG Bar and Cafe

This year, FOG will be hosting a journey into the New Year with the Dolphin Strikers, a band considered to be “the Midcoast’s best five man band delivering their own original style of brine rock with the prefect hint of ska.” There will be drink specials all night and lots of bubbly! The band starts at 9:00 p.m. with a $5 cover. FMI: 593-9371.

Trackside Station

Trackside Station will have dinner specials leading up to 9 p.m, then they are switching over to Funky Town with VJ the DJ ('80s, '90s and contemporary). They promise to be festive with six TVs to watch the ball drop in Surround Sound and will offer a champagne toast at midnight. FMI: 594-7500.

The Landings

Finish the season at The Landings. At 4:00 p.m. they will kick off New Year’s Eve with drink specials and deals on draft beers. Chef Max and Molly and Mike will perform with Jeff Grinnell and Steven Grima. FMI: 94-3011

The Samoset's Breakers Jazz

Want mellow? New Year's Eve at the Samoset Resort will feature Breakers Jazz from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. in the Samoset Ball Room. No cover charge. Cash bar. Big Band, Swing, Jazz, Light Rock and more! FMI: 800-341-1650.

Mid Coast Arts Center

Loring Proctor and the band Instigator play '50s and '60s rock & roll and country favorites. With hors d'oeuvres, champagne toast and cash bar. $20. Reservations: 712-1314 or blackhat057@gmail.com. (The event is at the building formerly known as the Rockland High School, 24 Lincoln St., Rockland.)

 

Thomaston

Billy's Tavern & The Pubcrawlers

Billy’s Tavern in Thomaston welcomes back The Pubcrawlers on New Year's Eve.  They call themselves New England's premier Celtic and Irish punk band, featuring a high-energy, "throw-your-fist-in-the-air-and-sing-along" mix of traditional Celtic drinking tunes and modern punk rock. “With songs of friendship & fighting, love & loss, damnation & redemption - and a few pratfalls along the way—The Pubs guarantee a rollicking, rowdy good time.”  Billy’s Tavern will special New Year's hours with music and dancing from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Expect a champagne toast, shenanigans, and the best house-made potato chips this side of The County. There will be a $10 cover at the door.


Waldoboro

The Bog Tavern's New Year's Eve party

 Bullwinkle's Family Steak House/The Bog Tavern will be hosting their annual New Year's Eve celebration with dinner specials, giveaways, the band Midlife Crisis starts at 9:00 p.m. Includes New Year's Eve toast. FMI: 832-6272.

Note: We will be adding more details and more New Year's events as they become available. Please check back! Contact me with more details.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com


Hint: Baby Boomers, you’re going to know this one better than the Gen Xers. It might be easier to guess the harbor, but can you list anything you see in this photo that no longer exists today?

Answer: Camden with the Eastern wharf; what is now Wayfarer in the lower left and above the steamboat pie. See a more detailed answer in the comments section below by historian Barbara Dyer.


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

ROCKLAND—On one of the shortest, darkest days of the year with snow and ice threatening the weekend, it was nice to bask in the glow of some beautiful photography by The Good Tern’s Artist Of The Month, Tim Sullivan, on Friday, Dec. 19.

Sullivan recently debuted a new collection of photographs and this was his second show.  "Twenty years ago I thought I wanted to be a photographer, playing with light and color, but the processing, the chemicals, getting everything right was beyond what I could—and wanted to— do at the time.  Now with the quality and digital processing of photos almost matching what one can do with a film camera, I am enjoying the learning of the art, though still relatively new back at it," said Sullivan. ”For every spectacular shot, you have about 100 that just didn’t pan out.”

Many of his photographs were iconic Maine: crisp scenic shots of sunsets over the harbor—a welcome sight this time of year.

“You know what’s funny, I was never into sunsets or sunrises. My old stuff was more over-saturated, kind of gritty close-ups of parts of buildings, that kind of stuff. But once I got this camera, I felt like I was shooting film. It opened up a whole new world,” he said. Sullivan works with a 3200 Nikon DSLR. “For some reason it inspired me to get up at 4 a.m. to shoot sunrises in the summer.”

Joining Sullivan in The Good Tern’s tiny side room were musicians Michael Whitehead and Angela Anderson-Pomerleau as they cheered the crowd with their folk music. Wine tastings were also available courtesy of Brian Smith, owner of Oyster River Wine Growers, who shared samples of his wine and cider produced at his horse-powered farm and vineyard in Warren.

Sullivan’s photos can be found at facebook.com/timsullivanphotography.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

For the holidays, we’re continuing our series to shine the spotlight on Maine craftspeople who make products by hand. It’s important to shop locally and support innovators and entrepreneurs who keep the creative economy alive in this state. So each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

Leather Coffee Cup Jacket Insulator

The back story

Patricia McDonald is an artist from Union, and who owns a small business called Patzbag. Much of her business focuses on handbags and totes made of leather and other upcycled fabrics. A couple of years ago, she purchased a ceramic coffee glass with a silicone jacket insulator and got an idea.

“I am always brainstorming for new products, especially those that don't take very much leather,” she said. “Some of the bags I make are of heavy leather and I always have scraps left over that can be used. I also love that they can be made of unusual leathers that I sometimes can just get a small amount of.”

Where to find them/price range

Online: they can be purchased at her Etsy shop. Cost is $10/ea. Sets of 4 (same leather) are $36. The leathers are constantly changing as my stock runs out. I list Offline: Occasionally I sell them wholesale to Archipelago in Rockland. I can always make direct sales from my shop in Union. Call me at: 207-542-7498 Email me at: patzbag@yahoo.com

In their words

“I try to make items that don't cause MORE global warming! These are made only from scrap leather, so they fit that purpose nicely.”


 

Decorative firestarters

The back story

Alana Hutchins from Swanville, owns A&E Stoneworks, which specializes in house stonewares. She says she can turn anything into a craft project. Her husband Evan (the E in A&E Stoneworks) cuts firewood so his wood yard is always full of hard wood shavings.

“One day I was helping him process a cord of wood and he cut the log at a different angle and it made the most gorgeous wood curl. I quickly collected them and starting thinking about what I could make... fire starters!” Made from paraffin wax, she added some coloring and glitter. “ I wanted them to be pretty, as well.”

Where to find them/price range

Online: etsy.com/shop/AandEStoneworks for 6-pack for $7

In their words

“These are pretty unique fire starters because they are super simple to use AND they make a great fire place decoration! No need to hide these ones in the wood box!”


 

Vacationland, a novel

The back story

Maine writers also fit this category of making a quality product by hand. Nat Goodall is the author of Vacationland: Man plans, God laughs, a novel about a fifth generation lobsterman, Donny Coombs, whose new neighbors from away are on a crusade to save Maine from the Mainers. Set in Lincolnville and Islesboro, Donny deals with the usual lobstering issues, including territory rights and a class struggle between Donny and his girlfriend’s father.

“I was born and raised to write this story,” said Goodall.  “From the age of my birth, every summer I came to 700 Acre Island as a ‘summer person.’  From the age of 16, I worked at Dark Harbor Boat Yard.  Thus, I have had one foot in the local community and the other in the lives of folk that come to summer on the island. This is a story about how different classes view each other, and how they co-exist.  I have to say that my heart is closer to the local, blue collar, people, but my treatment to all is square and fair.  This is a story of prejudice, of class conflict, and about a great dog.”

Where to find it/price range

The book is available at Amazon.com for $14.99 or the Kindle version for $ 9.98.

In their words

“This story is about the hidden life that rings loud and true in Maine.”


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — In one week, the Midcoast has gotten more than 24 inches of snow. So, if you’re looking for a knock-your-boots-off cocktail for New Year’s Eve, here’s an ambitious drink created by Seth Knowlton, bar manager for Natalie’s Restaurant in Camden. It’s called the 207 Sour, a sour martini made with Applejack (a whiskey made from apples), along with a sharbat (a homemade concoction of Red Delicious apple peels marinated with lemon).

It was time to feature Natalie’s again in this series. To say they are on a roll lately is an understatement. Recently, Camden Harbour Inn/Natalie’s melded their brand with Relais & Chateaux, a world-wide brand known for extraordinary hospitality and culinary achievements. This is the highest level in hospitality internationally, and only two Maine restaurants have become members of Relais & Chateaux.

Additionally this year, their chef, Chris Long, won the Maine Lobster Chef of the Year competition and Knowlton was voted Maine’s Bartender of the Year by maine.eater.com.

“I was a little shocked,” said Knowlton. “I’m just a small-town Camden, Maine, boy. But I’ve been around, been bartending all along the way.  I work with a lot of talented people here, so you pick up on it if you’re willing to.”

The 207 Sour is Knowlton’s original creation and the sour notes in the martini don’t come from any commercial sour mix, but instead, from a complex layer of lemon juice, a deep apple flavor and the tang from the balsamic vinegar in the sharbat.

“The Red Delicious apple peels take three weeks to make to get that deep red color. It’s really cool, because it’s a labor of love. It tastes unlike anything you’ve ever tried. It hits a part of your palate that’s rarely explored,” said Knowlton.

The cocktail is built in a pint glass with:

  • ¼ ounce Orgeat syrup (an almond-flavored syrup)
  • 1 ounce lemon juice
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 ounces Applejack whiskey
  • ½ ounce sharbat

Add everything to the pint glass except the sharbat. Add ice and shake very well to froth up the egg white. Strain with a metal strainer into a martini glass. Use the back of a bar spoon to layer in the sharbat. Garnish with a lemon twist. Makes a beautiful layered presentation; stir the cocktail to get the full flavor.

“If anyone’s worried about using an egg white in the cocktail, it’s like a ceviche, which uses raw fish and lime juice,” said Knolwton. “In the same manner, the lemon juice in this cocktail neutralizes the egg white and makes it safe to drink.”

For anyone interested in re-creating this cocktail at home, it takes some time and dedication. Knowlton’s sharbat recipe is not an exact science, he says. (Take a large container and two cups water, two cups balsamic vinegar, ¾ cups of sugar and mix with the peels from five Red Delicious apples. Let sit for about two weeks.)

Or, to get the full exotic experience, simply slip into one of the velvet red bar stools at Natalie’s, take in the beautiful twinkling lights on the pine trees inside the restaurant this season and have Knowlton craft one for you. Take a sip. Ain’t life grand?


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Gonna throw you an easy one today, given the fact that you’ve likely had to shovel out 15 feet of snow from your driveway this week.

For Throwback Thursday, tell us where this is. Can you guess by the clothing what year it is?

 Answer: Walker Park in Rockport. Photo taken in 1983.


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

The waiter thought he was being helpful.

One afternoon after teaching a class in New York City, Norbert Nathanson thought he’d treat himself to a T-bone steak and found a restaurant he thought he’d enjoy. As he walked in, he could sense the waiter’s overly solicitous manner.

“I’m always interested how long it takes the average person—the doorman, the salesperson, the waiter—to notice the absence of my right hand,” said Nathanson, reading from his first memoir, A Secretly Handicapped Man at the Camden Public Library on Thursday, Dec. 12.

“With an exaggerated flourish, he showed me to a table, pulled out my chair, unfolded a napkin, and handed me the menu. And there he stood, smiling, hovering over me. People who want to be helpful are frequently clumsy and awkward around me. He left me to peruse the menu and when he came back, he removed my water glass from the right side of the table to the left. And then he rearranged the silverware and artificial flowers on the table. When I was ready to order, I closed the menu and he was back at my side. I ordered the steak, medium rare, baked potato and salad and he hovered for a moment, studying my hand, and satisfied that everything was in order, smiled at me and disappeared into the kitchen. Repeated and unneeded attention to my disability frustrates me,” said Nathanson in his calm way.

When the waiter arrived with his steak, he picked up Nathanson’s knife and fork “assuming the offer would be readily accepted” to cut his steak for him. Politely but firmly, Nathanson let him know he was fine. “I’m known to respond in ways that tend to surprise people. I’m quite skillful at dealing with my disability.”

He described how he ate his meal, quite contentedly. Noticing the waiter watching him from the small window of the swinging door to the kitchen, Nathanson said, “I decided come hell or high water, I wasn’t going to let him see how I cut this steak.”

That last line was met with chuckles from the audience. For nondisabled people, however, there is a tendency when encountering a disabled person for the first time to be overly helpful. It’s different from being courteous (perhaps opening a door or asking first if one needs help at all); it’s more of an assumption—that the disabled person requires a stranger’s help to get through life. An assumption like this, as well meaning as it is, is likely to tread on the disabled person’s dignity.

Mr. Nathanson offered some insights like this and much more as he spoke before a dozen or so people in the audience. Nathanson, born with no feet and with only one hand, had spent the last 34 years struggling to be accepted by society while finding his way in the world.  Growing up in the working class of Depression era Pittsburgh, he had a hard time finding fulltime employment, trying desperately to enter the new field of television.

In the early 1960s, he met a man who would change his life. Dr. Allen Russek from the New York University Physical Therapy Program, examined his withered shins. The terminus of each leg was ensconced in special orthopedic shoes, which bore the brunt of Nathanson’s full weight. But in addition to the stares, epithets and social rejection he constantly endured, Nathanson was always in chronic pain. Dr. Russek let him know that advances in medical science could provide him with artificial legs, which would give him a natural appearance. In order to do this, however, Nathanson would have to make the choice to have his legs amputated below the knee.

Nathanson went ahead with the surgery, and fitted with prosthetic legs, he stood at a normal height, walked with a normal gait, and could keep his disability a secret, permitting him for the first time, to enjoy life-altering public anonymity. Being out of the spotlight of public stigma brought him peace. His career blossomed.

Until the publication of the book, he’d never shared his story, and held his secrets fiercely. He has never seen himself as being different, nor has he defined himself in dramatic terms. An experienced, serious, and driven educator and television executive, outdoorsman, sailor, carpenter, fisherman, he has formed his reality. He frequently speaks to college audiences, including occupational therapy students about how to treat the disabled.

After his compelling book reading we asked him to further elaborate on some of the issues he spoke about in his book.

Q: As someone who understandably shied from unwanted attention growing up, were you hesitant to go very public and publish a memoir?

A: Yes. I had some concerns.  I started to write a journal just for my children, so they would know about my difficult life before they knew me, particularly in view of Erving Goffman's theories, about how societies treat those they have stigmatized.  Readers of my manuscript, professionals all, urged me to publish on the grounds that the book would be of use to those whose lives had been touched with disability.  I had gone through a similar situation in 1982-1983 when I, as executive producer at WMHT, Schenectady, had produced a series of four programs about disability which won honors in California.  I was a reluctant host and interviewer and could not speak of my guests as "them."  It had to be "us."

Q: In the course of your life, you have been variously labeled as "crippled, deformed, handicapped, and disabled, more recently as a person with disabilities, and currently as physically challenged." How do you feel about these evolving terms and is there a word or a phrase that you would use in place of any of these?   

A: Epithet.  They all mean "different" and society needs to identify the disabled in what it considers polite terms so it provides an easily used  identifier, an epithet.  Over time these reveal society's changing perception.

 Q: In your talk, you discussed how your disabilities allowed you a larger perspective of societal norms, particularly around the notion of stigma, of "physically branding people who are different." What have you learned that you could you share and explain to say, a nine-year-old kid, who may not have absorbed these societal values yet? 

A: That it is critical to not "label" or "categorize" people.

Q: Another element of your disability was chronic pain—not being able to stand or walk for long periods of time without a gnawing agony. Can you explain what kind of stamina, energy and stoicism you had to possess to get through a job interview (already a stressful situation)?

A: I suppose it would have to be determination, a will to succeed sufficiently strong to overcome the difficulties.

Q: When medical advances in 1961 offered you the opportunity to wear prosthetic legs, which would ease your pain and allow you to assimilate physically into society, you were faced with the notion of amputation below the knee. Yet, you said for the first time in your life, "repressed dreams were now possible." Describe what it was like to face those crossroads.

A: I had lived, based on my experience, within what I perceived to be the limits of my physical disabilities and potential, and had made peace with what I perceived as my future and my life expectancies, but I dreamed beyond it.  When I learned that there was a good chance that my assumptions were wrong, that my physical condition would get worse, but that my dreams could actually be realized, it was a relatively easy decision.  As I wrote: "The quid pro quo is, very simply, the traumatic experience of surgical amputation vs. the will to function and appear normal.  The former is something no rational person approaches without some degree of trepidation; the latter something no disabled person does not dream about." 

Q: With all of your lifelong accomplishments, (educator and television executive, outdoorsman, sailor, carpenter, fisherman) you can now add "author" to your resume. What's the book tour been like so far?

A: I have no "book tour."  I am not personally selling books.   I had planned to do so and had sought out my publisher to help me ready my manuscript for self publishing, decided against it, and she decided to publish it.  In October, I spoke  to undergrad and grad student therapists (occupational, physical, psychology) at Ithaca College at their invitation, and had done so in previous years at Husson College. And I spoke in Camden.  I've no other plans, but have had good press and Internet visibility.  

Q: Today, what gives you the greatest feeling in the world, the most peace, the most happiness?

A: Given my disabilities, I had never expected to live as long as I have.  I'm thankful for that, and for having experienced a miracle, and for had the privilege of working and making my living, when I was able to do so, at work I loved doing.   I'm thankful too, to have survived, but most importantly, to have been able to do so with a loving wife and children, one of whom, our daughter, we lost to breast cancer 2 1/2 years ago.

To find Nathanson’s book on Amazon visit: amazon.com/Secretly-Handicapped-Man-Memoir/dp/0989568911

Photos and video courtesy Norbert Nathanson


Kay Stephens can be found at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — Despite the freezing cold temperatures Saturday night, Dec. 14, hundreds of locals, many in 1920s period garb, gathered at the Strand Theatre for the Season 4 premiere of the cult-following show Downton Abbey.

“It was a lot of fun. We had more than 300 people, almost a sold-out crowd. People really got dressed up for this,” said Jana Herbener, marketing manager.

For those who might have heard of the name, but not seen the shows, Downton Abbey is a British period drama television series created by Julian Fellowes and co-produced by Carnival Films and PBS Masterpiece.

It first aired on ITV in the United Kingdom and Ireland in September 2010, and on PBS in the United States in January 2011. Four series have been made so far.

The series, set on a Yorkshire country estate, depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era — with the great events in history having an effect on their lives and on the British social hierarchy.

The event drew the die-hard fans of the show.

“Those who came in costume looked like they could have stepped right off the set,” said theatre manager Liz McLeod.

Herbener, a follower of the show herself said:  “There’s something really compelling about this show. People just like to sink into this world. Characters are very believable to me, they have their foibles and their charms. I think it’s real escapism, that time frame, that setting; it’s really appealing to people.”

She said some folks were so invested in knowing what happened after Season 3’s cliffhanger, they skipped the preliminary photos to get right to their seats. During the Season 4 premiere, she said, “They were some gasps and laughing out loud when Maggie Smith would toss off one of her acerbic comments.”

MPBN, a sponsor of the free event, held a 1920s costume contest for attendees before the show.The winner was Rachel Oakes.

“She looked like she could have been one of the Crawley daughters, like a flapper,”said Herbener.

The Strand Theatre has been opening itself up to hip, new directions, with this type of event.

“We’re always open to new things, like this,” said Herbener. “MPBN approached us to do the screening here. They had already done one showing at Portland Museum of Art. Charles Beck came to introduce the program and they had some giveaways like the summons bells that you see in the show [whenever the Crawley family wants one of the servants to respond to a need].”

Coming up Jan. 2 from the National Theater of London, the Strand Theatre will offer two HD broadcasts of Frankenstein.  What's particularly interesting is that the actors are well-known and popular—Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC's Sherlock, and Star Trek: Into Darkness) and Jonny Lee Miller (CBS's Elementary, and Trainspotting); will switch roles in the two productions. The 2 p.m. show stars Cumberbatch as Dr. Frankenstein and Miller as the Creature, and in the 7 p.m. show, they alternate roles.

For information about all Strand Theatre films, live music and performance events, and HD broadcasts, visit rocklandstrand.com

All photos courtesy Dan Lambert/MPBN


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

 

 

I’m seriously hoping the snow storm we get this weekend isn’t going to whomp on this Cheap Date idea, because it’s got everything squeal-worthy: wine, horses and fireworks.

On Saturday, Dec. 14, the third annual Holiday on the Harbor in Rockport Village begins and here's your Cheap Dates itinerary.

Rayr Wine Shop is kicking off a wine tasting at 2:00-5:00 p.m. There are two things to love about this. 1) It's free. 2) It starts at 2:00 p.m. People living in the south cannot appreciate how early we need to get our wine on, because in their time zone, they're still hours away from sunset, whereas at 5:00 p.m. in early December in Maine, most of us are trying to get a fake bake tan out of our light therapy boxes into order to stave off the Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D).

If you've not ever been to a Rayr wine tasting, you're in for a real treat. Going to their shop feels like being invited into someone's really nice home. "Oh, please have some wine." "Oh, thanks I would love some." (Wink at the person next to you and mouth the words: "Classy.")

Afterwards, there will be free horse drawn carriage rides; something you've got to try at least once in your life. At 3:00 p.m. Bay Chamber Concerts will be presenting the Songs of Solomon Gospel Choir from Harlem at the Rockport Opera House. At sunset, 1,000 luminaries will line Pascal Avenue from Hoboken Gardens at Highway 1, through the village, around to CMCA on Russell Avenue and down to the harbor. (Pascal Avenue will be closed to traffic from West Street to Maine Street from sunset to about 7:00 p.m.) Caroling by the ocean will commence with fireworks at 5:00 p.m.

Okay, the caroling....that's either your bag or it isn't. But, allow that piece of charcoal that doubles for your heart to open itself up to the possibility of watching people sing while holding candles by the ocean. It's actually pretty awesome.

Businesses in the village will be open late that day and parking will be easy at the old RES. See you there!


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

For the holidays, we’re continuing our series to shine the spotlight on Maine craftspeople who make products by hand. It’s important to shop locally and support innovators and entrepreneurs who keep the creative economy alive in this state. So each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

Woodland ornaments

The back story

Jennifer Sansosti is an artist from from Ellsworth, who owns a small business called WinkumPaws. She and her husband,Trevor, moved to Ellsworth in 2011 to live a quiet life in Maine. They instantly fell in love with the allure and richness of the forests and wanted to encapsulate the essence of Maine and share it with loved ones near and far. That is how she came about crafting these glass ornaments. Each ornament has a unique combination of woodland beauty ranging from White Birch, Balsam Fir, White Pine needles, pine cones, berries, lichen, an assortment of mosses and even sun bleached barnacles collected from the stunning Maine coastline. The natural elements are selectively and sustainably harvested from our woods and dehydrated in order to maintain their natural beauty for many years to come. The glass balls are approximately 4-inch diameter, topped with a silver cap and hung by braided yarn or twine.

Where to find them/price range

They can be purchased at her Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/WinkumPaws. They range from $15-$20, making an affordable and truly one-of-a-kind gift. Enjoy the wonders of the Maine woods where ever you might be.

In their words

“It is a wonderful year-round keepsake and especially desirable in the winter months for it truly captures the magic of the holiday season.”


 

‘The KnockOut’ Bixby Bar

The back story

Bixby & Co. is owned and operated by Kate McAleer, a 26-year-old YouthTrade certified entrepreneur.  Bixby & Co. is one of 14 WBENC (Woman’s Business National Council) certified companies in the State of Maine — this means the company is owned and operated by women.

Bixby Bars are made by hand and wrapped by in small batches at Coastal Farms and Foods.  Our unique flavor combinations create healthy candy options that are free of corn syrups additives or preservatives.  All Bixby Bars are certified gluten-free. 

KnockOut is an adventuresome version of the Bixby Bar.  It's made with RAC (Rainforest Alliance Certified) Organic Chocolate — this means that the cacao is produced in an ethical and sustainable fashion without the use of unfair labor practices or destruction of the rainforest. It is filled with roasted peanuts, which are grown in the U.S., plump sun-dried Bing cherries grown in the U.S. and a little more than a hint of a rich, ground red Chipotle pepper with the smoky heat of ground, smoked Jalapeno peppers. 

Where to find them/price range

Online: www.bixbyco.com/items/view/knockout for $3.50/bar

Offline: Megunticook Market, Glendarragh Lavender, Good Tern Co-op, Over the Rainbow Yarn, Belfast Co-Op, Aarhus Gallery, Vinolio, Bay Wrap, Zoot Coffee Cellardoor Winery

In their words

“This little bar packs a punch! The layers of flavors complement each other, offering a delicacy of an artisan chocolate snack bar that is low in calories, sugar and fat and high in antioxidants, natural fiber, Vitamin C and Omega-3s.”


 

“Pour Over” Coffee Set

The back story

Since 1999, Rock City Coffee Roasters, in Rockland has been roasting hand-crafted, small-batch coffees, focusing on sustainable farms and quality beans.They also own Rock City Café, a gathering place for conversation, meetings, readings, discussion groups, lunch, art and music.

One of the trends sweeping the specialty coffee industry recently is the use of "pour over" filter cones, making one cup at a time to order. Pour over coffee tends to be smoother, richer and stronger than coffee brewed with a drip machine. We've been offering pour over coffee as an option in our shops for the last nearly two years, using a multiple station stainless holder for the filter cones. At the last Specialty Coffee expo, Suzanne, owner and retail manager, saw a number of lovely wooden stands for home use and approached local fine furniture maker Monica Raymond about making a few for Rock City Café. They are hand crafted with lovely individual details, and are coated with a tough marine finish to resist water damage. The stand comes with a Melitta porcelain cone, bamboo filters, a Rock City logo mug, and a bag of coffee.

Where to find them/price range

Very limited in quantity! The price is $75, and the three remaining sets can be found at both Rock City Coffee Roasters (252 Main St, Rockland) and Rock City Cafe (316 Main St, Rockland).

In their words

 “Give a local gift this season with the emphasis on handmade—a unique hand-crafted Coffee Pour Over set with your choice of locally roasted Rock City Coffee.”


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

 

 

 

Looks awfully familiar, doesn’t it? Who can tell us what this store is now?

And for the way back wizards, what did you used to buy at this store in the old days?

Share your answers with us by commenting on this story and on Penobscot Bay Pilot’s Facebook page.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Does it ever drive you nuts when you’re waiting in line at say, Subway or Hannaford Supermarket’s deli counter, and the person behind the counter says, “Can I help who is next?” and the person who’s next grunts: “Yeah... uh gimme a [insert order].”

Don’t you just want to turn to the cretin and say, “Ya think you could manage to choke out the word ‘please’ with that?”

A café in Nice called the Petite Syrah has found a novel way to get customers to be more polite when ordering a coffee. It’s about time.

Barking out: “A coffee” when ordering will cost you €7 ($9.65).

Adding a “please” to your order will cost you €4.25 ($5.85).

Being a normal human being and adding a “Good morning” along with your “please” will only cost you €1.40 ($1.95).

They say until you’ve been the person behind the counter at one point in your life, you’ll never quite understand how far a little civility goes in the retail and service industry.

Midcoast businesses, what do you think of this sign?


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKPORT — Check all the boxes that apply:

▢ 1. Are you female?

▢ 2. Do you feel like you’re the only one who knows how to buy presents, clean a house, cook for a large family and make everything festive during the month of December?

Skin Klinic & Day Spa feels for ya, honey. This Sunday, Dec. 15, they are hosting an open house at Union Hall in Rockport for every woman who wants to come and enjoy a holiday party (not just their clients).

“This is the first party we’ve ever done for the public,” said Sue Kelly, owner of Skin Klinic & Day Spa. “Last year we were so packed at our office. This year, we wanted to invite more women, just a way to say thank-you. So that’s why we’re hosting it at Union Hall. “

The celebration will include about 12 female vendors from the area, including: Accents! Jewelry, Kathleen’s Designs, Margaret Rizzio, PatzBag, Serendipity Fine Consignment and Shelby Robben Millenary. “They will all have wares that we think women would want,” said Kelly.

The party will offer champagne and Christmas cookies and music. Other complimentary party favors include having your makeup done, a chair massage and even a Botox demonstration.

“We’re going to give away a free Botox drawing and we’ll have other drawings and prizes throughout the night, like facials and massages,” said Kelly. “I’m not certain, but I think the other vendors will also be raffling off prizes.”

Asked why she chose to make this a public party, she said, “Women are responsible for the majority of the shopping, the buying of gifts, the planning, the cooking and cleaning. And it’s just a nice way for us to kick back and relax and enjoy our friends, our neighbors’ company and vendors we all like, all in one place. We’ll just have a lot of nice options there for everybody.”

The party goes from 4 to 7 p.m. and will be held on the second floor of Union Hall in Rockport (elevator available).


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — For a state that spearheaded Prohibition, Maine has come a long way. Much like the craft brew movement in the state, the craft distilling (hard liquor) movement is gaining tremendous popularity thanks to a surge in retro cocktails and interest in handcrafted spirits. On Wednesday Dec. 11, 3CROW Restaurant & Bar will be hosting its first talk and tasting with Ned Wight and Tim Fisher from New England Distilling, up from Portland.

The talk led by Wight and Fisher will highlight distilling's place in Maine's overall craft movement and introduce a tasting of all three of their spirits— Gunpowder rye whiskey, Ingenium gin and Eight Bells rum. Small snack-type offerings will be included.

”While I do feel that trying new things is always a good thing, I don't want to give the impression that someone attending the event will suddenly love gin, for example,” said bar manager Justin Mineo. “Rather, I think the purpose of this event is to cater toward an audience semi-familiar with spirits and their own palate and to tell the incredible story of New England Distilling. This is not some brainstormed idea from a couple of 20-somethings...e.g.’dude, we should make rum!’...rather, the Wights have been distilling for six generations and Ned values the classic aspects of the process, most evident by the hand-made copper pot still used for all his distillations. New England Distilling is highly respected for what they produce and 'craft distilling' is as topical as ever.”

Space is very limited for the event, to be held in their downstairs event room, and starts at 6:30 p.m. It is a seated event and is expected to last about 90 minutes. Tickets are $20 (includes tax and gratuity).

To see a related story about the craft cocktail movement in the Midcoast, see our past article: What does it mean to be a bartender? Depends whom you ask.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Christmas is the season where you can openly make fun of someone’s outfit, particularly the ugliest Christmas sweater you’ve ever seen. In Rockland, the party is a tradition, now, and the gaudiest sweaters came with blinking mini lights, appliqué, tinsel and other decorations.

Throw in a fundraiser, and presto! You’ve got contributions for a good cause — helping the Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County, in Thomaston.

ROCKLAND — Mim Bird, owner of Over the Rainbow Yarn shop in Rockland, likes to have a little fun with her staff and customers. Every Monday she posts a ”Fabulous or Godawful” knitwear idea for discussion on their Facebook page. Recently, she posted a pair of “Godawful” knit leggings and received a link to designer Steven West’s Westknits design page, who happens to be “a hipster young knitwear designer in the knitting universe,” said Bird. “He’s always doing something new and creative and he recently came out with sweater pants, called swants and it’s kind of a phenomenon on knitting social media sites.”

So, naturally, Bird and her staff decided the best course of action would be to run over to Goodwill and buy up a bunch of tacky 1980s sweaters, the fake Nordic chenille kind.

“We started hacking them up and experimenting and now we’ve come up with our own version of swants. It’s not exactly a pattern, but more of a procedure, and we like ours betters than Steven West’s,” she said.

Once they got the hang of it, the Over The Rainbow Yarn shop staff further experimented with some really nice sweaters from L.L. Bean, going from the Godawful designs to the Fabulous.

She elaborates: “West is not a tailor, so his swants don’t exactly fit the female form the best way. We made an accidental discovery that if you cut the sleeves off a sweater and turn it upside down, the arm holes are just like the crotch of a pair of pants.”

Speaking of crotch, (I don’t know if I’m at liberty to be speaking of crotches at Penobscot Bay Pilot), but the ladies at Over The Rainbow Yarn shop further discovered if you hack the entire sweater to bits and cut off the arm holes, what you get, in effect, is a really nice pair of swanties. Yes, that would be—sweater panties.

“We didn’t necessarily mean that anyone should seriously wear them,” Bird said after they posted a photo of swanties on their Facebook page. “But, I posted a photo of the swanties on Steven West’s Facebook page, so he could see them,” she said, adding, “a lot of his stuff is designed for the urban man, but clearly won’t work for a woman’s body. There’s some things a girl just has to keep hot.”

The swants and swanties are not actually for sale.

“We’re not in the business of selling finished goods,” Bird said. “We’re in the business of selling you all the materials you need to make your own finished goods and encourage you to experiment on your own.”

To find out how to make stunningly good looking garments, follow Bird’s forthcoming blog posts on the subject at overtherainbowyarn.com or follow them on Facebook. And if you don’t quite get it on the first try, don’t get your swanties in a twist—go find an ugly Christmas sweater and try again.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

At the top of the hill, this house comes into view

Sort of unsettling, majestic and unforgettable too...

Do you know where this house is in the Midcoast and bonus question: does anyone remember its original owners?

Answer: That is the Oakes mansion on Appleton Ridge. At one time it was the home of an opera singer. Recently, it was/is the home of Donald Burke.


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

For the holidays, we’re continuing our series to shine the spotlight on Maine craftspeople who make products by hand. It’s important to shop locally and support the innovators and entrepreneurs who keep the creative economy alive in this state. So each week, until Dec. 25, we will bring you this series until you can’t take it anymore. Ready. Set. Go.

Chart luminaria

The back story

Betty Kelly’s company, Papers by Popple Stone Press, was established in her home studio in Downeast, Maine because of her love of Book Arts.

“I was totally hooked on this art form and particularly enchanted with paper—its history, how it’s made, how it affects the aesthetics of a book…you get the idea! I’d been making small editions of handmade books and enrolled in a paste paper workshop, thinking the papers I’d be creating would be used in my book projects. At the workshop we learned how to make origami-folded luminaria and that launched my business—luminaria created from my hand-painted papers.” Two sizes of chart luminaria are available and range in price from $15 to $40. Each piece comes in a white gift box and includes a battery-operated candle.

Where to find them/price range

Online: zibbet.com/PapersbyPoppleStonePress
Store: Archipelago, the Island Institute Store, Rockland

In their words

My prototype, folded from an old chart I had laying around, was on the desk in my studio and everyone who came by immediately spotted it and wanted one. That’s when I realized I might be on to something unique. I use charts that span the Maine coast from Casco Bay to the Bay of Fundy. 

 

Upcycled keyrack with reclaimed hardware

The back story

In 2008, Don Chuba started his Etsy shop, Bear Paw Rustics, out of Dixmont. He is committed to using reclaimed, recycled materials in the making of original artworks and crafts and unique items from the Maine woods.

“I’ve always loved to create things from salvaged objects that would otherwise have gone into the landfill into rustic art and functional items. I soon found out there are lots of folks who appreciate recycled junk art as I do.” One of a kind keyracks are priced from $20 to $42.

Where to find them/price range

Online: Etsy shop bearpawrustics.etsy.com

In their words

Be it a keyrack, birdhouse or an art assemblage its always fun to come up with different ways to upcycle “junk” into something beautiful, unique or useful.

 

Checkerboard cutting board

The back story

Odette and Clive Brown opened Fair Cape Woodworks in Rockport, December, 2011 after 20-plus years of working on private sailing yachts as captain and chef. They make high quality outdoor furniture from Western red cedar at their workshop in Rockport. Odette’s years of cooking and love of working with wood gave her the idea to create unique, one-of-a-kind cutting boards, cheese boards and cheese slicers from hardwoods such as walnut, cherry and maple. She also makes chess boards and even wine bottle balancers. She uses food grade adhesive and finishing oil and each piece is burnished to a beautiful smooth finish. She has also made custom boards to suit particular areas or personal preferences. They have been popular Christmas gifts and are also ideal wedding or housewarming gifts. Prices start at $35.
 
Where to find it/price range

Online: faircapewoodworks.com
Showroom: 320 West Street (Route 90), Rockport and

In their words

I love how no two boards look the same. I’m always excited to discover the natural patterns of the grain when I cut a piece of wood and how it will look as a finished product.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKPORT — In America, strings of popcorn and cranberry are traditional decorations on the Christmas tree. In Germany, the ornaments are also handmade, but with a little more flair. Antje Roitzsch, a founder of The Maine Beehive in Rockport, shared her family tradition creating handmade German Christmas ornaments Dec. 2, as part of a month-long series to create four different types of paper ornaments.

Sitting around the craft table, several participants watched Roitzsch carefully as they worked the fiber ribbon with elaborate folds — akin to origami. “My mother had send me this ribbon from Germany many years ago,” she said. “Always, before Christmas, we would all sit around and she would make bunches and bunches of them for gifts for the Advent time.

“I was searching for materials here in the U.S., and found it a little challenging to recreate the fiber ribbon we use, called Ramieband. It’s not paper and it’s not cloth, it’s something in between,” she said. It turns out the U.S. manufactured ribbon, the shiny kind that wraps presents, just doesn’t have the right flexibility to create the little star ornament.

Each week they will attempt a new design of paper or fiber ornament, based on Roitzsch’s traditions, including designs incorporating colored thread wrapped intricately around an ornament in geometric and symmetrical patterns akin to string art or Japanese Temari.

Roitzsch said that her mother taught her most of the designs, excluding the threaded ornaments, which she said her geometry teacher taught them to do in sixth-grade.

On a personal level for her, it’s not just about teaching a cultural skill to Americans, it’s also a comforting way to pass the time with new friends — working with her hands, the way she always did as a child during the holidays, making the beautiful little paper jewels.

“It’s putting the stress of buying stuff away and focusing more on doing,” she said.

Participants can still join in on the three remaining Advent Mondays from 3 to 5 p.m. Cost is $10 for materials each session, bring your own scissors and colorful thread.Reservations needed, and space is limited to 10 people. Call 236-3111.

The Maine Beehive is located at 243 Commercial St. in Rockport, next to Yachting Solutions on Route 1. For more information visit themainebeehive.com


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST — This upcoming event has all the components you’ve come to expect from our Cheap Dates series. Chocolate. Art. Music. Boom, drop the mic.

This Friday, Dec. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. Åarhus Gallery in Belfast will simultaneously blow your senses (and your futile attempt at maintaining a diet through the holidays) with samples of Dean's Sweets hand-dipped chocolates and Belfast-made all natural, Bixby Bars as musician Tom Luther channels his inner Herbie Hancock and Brian Eno and floods that shop with soundscapes from his digital keyboard and laptop. (Pay no attention to the lady in the corner with her cheeks stuffed with brandy, maple, cayenne and salted caramel truffles dancing all by herself like she’s at a drum circle at Burning Man).

While you’re there, take a gander at the gallery’s ‘Extravaganza’ show, featuring smaller artworks and a wide range of creative crafts. More than 70 talented Maine artists from throughout the Midcoast and beyond are represented, including pottery, poetry and painting, collage, etching and photography, woodblock prints, turned wood, felted and knitted fiber works, assemblage, cards, calendars, ornaments, glass plate images of Maine, affordable jewelry, music and more.

The event is free and if you get even some of your holiday shopping done, you’ve had a good time and you’ve supported an artist.  Even actor Kevin Bacon (portraying Melvin Macon here in this ad) is getting into the Shop Local act.

Åarhus Gallery is located at 50 Main St. in Belfast. Visit aarhusgallery.com for a list of the artists and a slide show of the current show, or call 338-0001 for more information.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST — Does the onslaught of Christmas songs and TV commercials give you acid reflux? (If the answer is ‘No, I adore Christmas!’—move along). The cynics and the pagans now have something to look forward to when the Colonial Theatre in Belfast features Christmas in Acidland, all through December.

Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers will appreciate the ironic compilation of vintage Christmas TV specials in this festive mash-up film featuring nostalgic nuggets from Bob Hope, Ernie Kovacs, Abbot and Costello, Rosemary Clooney, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Lawrence Welk with Outer Space Santa, Ricky Nelson, the Ronald Reagan family, Christmas on Monkey Mountain, Howdy Doody, Liberace,The Beverly Hillbillies, Louis Armstrong, Danny Kaye, David Bowie and Bing Crosby in duet, Joan Rivers, George Carlin and, finally, The Chipmunks.

“A hand-made montage of the most shudderingly strange and awesomely revealing moments early television could offer… the damndest thing you ever saw!” – Boho Beat

Compiled by mad genius/musician/actor/producer Johnny Legend, who lives in a bizarre cultural vortex, spurring him to create an endless series of underworld sideshows, this yuletide extravaganza offers musical interludes, animated shorts and — that staple of vintage television — the comedic sketch performed before a live audience.

“We were just looking for something a bit different, but still festive to share with our patrons,” said Therese Bagnardi, Colonial Theatre’s co-owner. “There are people like myself who were kids at that time, and the generation of my folks, who all remember the era fondly and would get a kick out of seeing these performers again. Then there's the popularity of mid-century America (i.e. current young hipsters appreciating the martini and skinny ties, the popularity of show like Mad Men and design by those such as the Eames having renewed appeal. So this slice of the three-network entertainment worlds may intrigue many.”

 

Four evening showtimes are planned — Tuesdays, Dec. 3 and Dec. 17, at 6:45 p.m., Wednesdays, Dec. 11 and 18, at 7 p.m. Admissions are $8.25 for adults, $7.25 for seniors and $5.25 for children. More showings may be scheduled, depending on its popularity. Wear your Santa hat, holiday tie or Christmas corsage.

For more information on Johnny Legend and this film visit: spectacletheater.com.


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

CAMDEN — You know how we’re always throwing staycation ideas at you — you know, cool things you’d travel elsewhere and do, but don’t even think about when they’re in your back yard? This Cheap Date is one of those things you’ve got to try at least once in your life. After the turkey and giblets, slap on a head lamp, put on some good hiking shoes and layers and hike up the back side of Mt. Battie (1 mile) or drive to the Mt. Battie Road gate in Camden Hills State Park by car at 3:45 p.m. sharp. (The gate is usually locked at sunset each day and they’re making an exception to open it just for a short period of time.)

This is the 53rd year that the Christmas Star will be lit around 4 p.m. What a memorable way to spent the last light of day, don’t you think? (Oh God, listen to me. I think a Kum Ba Yah moment just took over my brain. Okay, I’m over it.)

I just think a hike up the mountain with a buddy or a crumbcake to see this is pretty cool. Today is looking drier (but much colder with highs in the 20s) so bring along the cider in a thermos, and maybe something to go with the cider and watch the Christmas Star blaze atop the mountaintop, illuminating Camden from Thanksgiving Day to New Year's Eve.

If you missed Holly Edwards’s story on the history of the Christmas Star and how volunteers assemble it each year, check it out: Camden’s Mt. Battie Christmas Star ready to shine again Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving peeps!


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Back in the day, this place might have been closed on Thanksgiving, but it’s not today!

Do you know where this is? What year? And who’s that guy?

Stop and think about it.

Answer: Village Variety, now Stop ‘N Go, sometime in the 1970s.


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

MIDCOAST—As the Midcoast gears up for Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, hundreds of area small businesses are participating in American Express’s Small Business Saturday Nov. 30. Widely known as ‘Think Local, Shop Local, Buy Local’ the initiative aims to encourage people to make their holiday purchases from people in their own communities.

American Express has their own database on how to find the participating local businesses: shopsmallnow.americanexpress.com/ShopSmall#

The following businesses are participating in the American Express inititiative, and are also Affiliates with Penobscot Bay Pilot, helping us bring you free news, features and information, 24/7:

If you get hungry holiday shopping or need a housewarming gift of food or beverage:

Fresh Restaurant & Bakery (Camden)
Delvinos Grill and Pasta
(Belfast)
Graffam Brothers Harborside Restaurant
(Camden)
Good Tern Natural Foods Co-op (Rockland)

For gifts:

Bubbles & BEAN Children’s Consignment (Camden)
K2 Music (Camden)
Danica Candleworks (Rockport)
Loyal Biscuit (Rockland, Camden, Belfast)

For the full list of PenBayPilot.com Affiliates, click here.

Brian S. Hodges, development director for Camden, said in a press release, “The town of Camden is well aware of the importance small businesses play.  The mantra of ‘think local, shop local, buy local’ is critical in supporting the health and vibrancy of a community.  We continuously encourage residents and visitors alike  to patronize their locally owned businesses and hope they will participate in Small Business Saturday.”

For local business owners, keeping purchases local really can make a big difference in supporting local communities and the friends and neighbors that own businesses in them.

"Small Business Saturday is a great way to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities," said Heidi Neal, co-owner of Loyal Biscuit Co. in Rockland, Camden and Belfast. "We encourage everyone to spend the day shopping and eating at the small businesses in your community. Keeping your purchases local makes a world of difference to the communities you live in and helps support your friends and neighbors that own and work in small businesses. Pledge to shop small - it can really make a huge difference!"

The holidays are a great time to give gifts that reflect the local community and offer something unique and different from the large, chain stores and big box retailers.

“Smaller retail shops and businesses in our region make our economy work and deserve our support. Keeping shopping dollars here means jobs and services stay here too," said Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Staci Coomer in the release.

The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce encourages everyone to stop by a small business on Nov. 30, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and do your part to help make this one of the biggest shopping days of the year for small and local businesses.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

A Recent BuzzFeed story illustrates what happens when you give British folks a pen and a blanked-out outline of the United States with the instructions to label each state. Of the returned submissions, quite a few of them got Maine correctly (one even with a caricature of a lobster) but this person got us confused with New Hampshire and Massachusetts. (Somewhere you can hear a collective shriek echo all across Maine: Nooooooooooooo!)

But at least we didn’t get labeled “Nobody Cares.” That honor goes to Nebraska.

Fair to say though, Americans aren’t that awesome at labeling European countries, either.

Story and photo courtesy of BuzzFeed.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

The White Hot Spotlight features local people and their creative passions or careers.

In the Midcoast, there are quite a few “livin’ the dream” jobs, but for animal lovers, working and playing with dogs all day is right up there. Harbor Hounds is a dog day care center at 311 Park St. in Rockland and last month transitioned to new ownership. After three years of running Harbor Hounds, Clara and Vern Clark gave the keys to one of their clients, Judy Van Norman in October, and moved to Florida, where they’re building a house.

We spoke to manager Amanda Ireland to see what’s new and interesting. Van Norman has kept the business’s original name and they still offer pet care 365 days a year. Ireland, who is a certified kennel operator and has more than 20 years in the pet care industry, moved down from the Bangor area specifically to manage Harbor Hounds.

At the front desk, there’s a television monitor, which watches over every area of the dog pens and work spaces so they can keep a close eye on what the dogs are up to. In addition, two full time staff are working and playing with the dogs all day long. On their busiest days, they have up to 33 dogs, which spend their time in outdoor pens when it’s nice out, and in indoor pens, like the “Hound Lounge,” on inclement days. Other indoor areas include a grooming room, a kitchen and other spaces that allow them quiet time with their “hound siblings” or by themselves if they feel like snoozing.

Judy, as a dog owner yourself, what made you decide to take on this business and what's one of the most important things you want your clients to know about you?

I feel very fortunate to have found such a caring place as Harbor Hounds for my dogs' daycare and I wanted that to continue when I heard that Clara wanted to sell and retire.  She had created a nice facility and had kind, caring and reliable staff — what a good base to begin with when buying an existing business.  I want Harbor Hounds' clients to know that I want to hear their concerns and suggestions because I want Harbor Hounds to be around a long time and client involvement is key to making that happen.

Now that the business has changed hands, what’s new?

We wanted to keep everything the same that clients are used to. A couple of different changes internally are that we’re using a new computer system that has special kennel software. Now we can check every dog’s vaccines to make sure they are up to date; we can track any health issues and retrieve how many times a client has been here before. We do all of our scheduling, grooming and boarding on this system.

Who is your typical client?

We have a variety of clients; people who work at the hospital, school teachers, fishermen. People who work long shifts and don’t want their dogs to be alone too much. Basically anyone who wants their dog to be happy and tired at the end of the day. We also do boarding for people who want to go on vacation and grooming for dogs who need a little freshening up.

People don’t realize the level of care that goes into their dog’s day; it’s like being a camp counselor for dogs, right?

Yes it is. We start accepting dogs at 6:45 a.m. and as they come in, they’ll go right outside or to their respective groups. They play all day. If we see a dog getting a little tired, they’ll get a bone and a blankie and we let them take a nap in their pen. When they’re ready, they go right back out. In the summer, we have a salt water pool and we’ll play with the dogs in the pool or let them chase balls. It’s awesome. Additionally, if the dogs we care for board overnight, they may stay in our daycare program at no charge during the day (providing they are dog friendly.)

For more information visit Harbor Hounds at harborhoundsmaine.com.


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.

Kathleen P. Brown was one of the presenters at Pecha Kucha, held at the Rockland Recreation Center earlier this month. Like the other presenters, she took the audience through her creative process in a visual storytelling format with a 20-second-per-image, 20-image slideshow. Brown has been a professional theatrical costume designer for 30 years and got her Bachelor of Fine Art in theatrical production design from Ithaca College in 1987. Her costume designs have frequently appeared all over the state: at Portland Stage, The Public Theatre, Monmouth Theatre Company, Bates College Theater, Colby College Theater, Northport Music Theater and at the Lyric Stage Company and the New Jersey Shakespeare Company. Kathleen has also designed costumes for the School of Performing Arts at the University of Maine at Orono for the past four years, where she has also acted as adjunct faculty.

Note: Rather than over-explain it, we will provide a sample of Brown's Pecha Kucha slides 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.


Grandma Shae

It all started with my Grandma Shea, who taught me how to hand sew at the age of 8. She was an amazing woman who traveled alone from Ireland to America at 16. She worked in a sweatshop in New York City until she met my Grandpa. Grandma would tell me stories of copying dress designs from B. Altman & Saks 5th Avenue.

At a young age I started sewing costumes for my dolls, for my family as well as for myself. I became an avid "people watcher," and often sketched a variety of characters from real life situations. In high school I discovered theater and began working backstage doing costumes and makeup. In the summers, I worked for the Camden Shakespeare Company, which back in the 80s had a wonderful repertory season that performed six nights a week in the Camden Amphitheater. Theater seemed to be the perfect match with my artistic and creative skills. With the wonderful support of my grandma as well as my mom, dad and brother, I went on to study theatrical costume design in college.

The process

Costume Design is a process: reading the script; analyzing the characters, research, creating sketches and renderings that work within the play and for the characters. All of this involves many meetings with the director, and discussions with the actors. These are my research and renderings from Spring Awakening at UMO.

Most people do not realize how much pre-production work goes into creating costume designs. The process takes weeks or months, and every detail is meticulously thought out and discussed. Research is one of my favorite parts; most costumers are actually costume history "nerds," who love searching for the perfect piece of research that will provide inspiration for a character's costume. Most of these renderings are duplicates of an actual Victorian dress with a few personalizations.

The steps

Creating an idea on paper is just the beginning, then there are a series of steps: measurements of the actors, creating patterns of the costumes, shopping for fabric, trims and accessories, cutting out and sewing of the costumes. Many fittings are involved before the finished costumes go on stage.

To transition from the two-dimensional to the three-dimensional is the most time consuming and intense part of the design process, taking an average of six weeks to "build" a show from paper to finished costumes. Strong verbal and visual communication with the director, actors and especially the costume shop is key to a successful design. Finding the right fabric and trims these days is a challenge. I work the most with the actors in fittings, making sure that the costume fits well, is comfortable and is appropriate for their character. Although I have a lot of respect for actors, I often encounter problems such as body issues, insecurities, big egos and feet that are extra wide or have painful bunions. This requires patience, and creating an environment of trust.

Spring Awakening

These are the principal girls’ costumes from the play, Spring Awakening. They also needed to be able to dance energetically, and yet it was important that they look like Victorian schoolgirls. I chose more modern colors in order to emulate their "budding innocence"...like spring flowers.

Spring Awakening is a story about teenagers becoming aware of their sexuality within the repressed world of a Victorian boarding school. Because the set and other characters were all in a traditional somber Victorian palette, I really loved putting vibrant "punches" of color on the girls, representing their blooming sexuality and lively innocence. The schoolgirls also needed a lot of freedom of movement in order to dance, so we built the dresses without too much structure (as they would have been during the late 1900s).

Pirates of Penzance

Once in a while, costume designers get a rare opportunity to create some completely FUN costumes! This was true for my designs for Pirates of Penzance at UMO. I created each pirate costume as a caricature of a well-known pirate.

The director and I came up with the concept to costume each pirate based on an infamous pirate character, such Capt. Hook, Blackbeard and Capt. Jack Sparrow. This involved building, purchasing and renting numerous pieces and accessories in order to make each pirate character recognizable. I also had to put wigs and facial hair on most of the actors.

Hair

Hair was an amazing challenge in that it involved a great deal of historical and political research, in order to truly understand the content of the musical. I purchased most of the costumes as vintage pieces from the late 60s and early 70s. The wigs were a bit of a challenge, as most of the actors had short hair.

The director insisted on extensive research about the Vietnam War and the anti-war movement. I decided to use actual vintage clothing from this time period in order for each actor/character to look as if he or she were in their own clothing, versus a "costume." There were many costume pieces in this production, as there are quite a few scenes where the actors are in an entirely different locale. Since the set was very basic, with only lighting used to express the change of scenery/mood, the costume changes became extremely important. This created a lot of quick changes, almost everyone had to wear wigs, and then there is the nude scene. The biggest issue in the nude scene was where to place the body mics...they wound up in the wigs, which created additional bulk and a certain amount of discomfort for the actors.

Nude scenes

Underwear can also be a challenge when faced with near-nudity onstage. In these two productions, I was required to make my actors feel very comfortable with an intimate situation.

In Hair, the lead actor has to rip off his breakaway jeans onstage, and sings and dances to a number wearing nothing but a fringed leather G-string. In order to protect the actor's private parts from being revealed, I had to purchase and fit a nude thong on the actor.

For Enchanted April, the actor abruptly emerges onstage from having been ready to take a bath, but the hot water heater has just exploded. Wearing nothing but a towel and a boater, the script calls for the actor to accidentally drop his towel, to quickly cover his private parts with his hat. The director insisted that I find the actor a nude thong so that the actors and audience would not have to be witness to unmentionable body parts. Both situations required all involved to have a good sense of humor and to be not even remotely bashful.

If you missed this Pecha Kucha Night, not to worry. Belfast Community Television (BCTV-2) will be airing the presentation Friday, Nov. 29, at 10 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 30, at 8:30 p.m. This presentation can also be seen on line at belfastcommunitytv.org. Follow Kathleen P. Brown and her work on Facebook. For more information about Pecha Kucha visit them on Facebook.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

So, we’re doing this new thing. You might have seen Throwback Thursday trending all over the place on social media? Here’s a photo taken in what you call “back in the day.” Know where it is? More importantly, do you have a good memory you’re willing to share to go with it? Let us know in one or two sentences.

Answers: The Lincolnville Center General Store


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

NORTHPORT — I’m always urging my readers to “shop locally” and support our fellow artists in the area (because no one really needs another cheap cell phone plastic cover from a big box store). This weekend, the ArtFull Gifts Holiday Show at Point Lookout combines artistic, cool, handcrafted items with live jazz by Shades of Blue and tastings from area restaurants and artisanal food purveyors. During the show Saturday and Sunday, there will be craft-making demonstrations all day.

It fits all the criteria of a Cheap Date!

The inside scoop from the organizers is that of the 50 exhibitors, some of the not-to-miss booths include: “Luksin Designs’ sexy, stylish natural-fiber clothing women’s apparel and accessories created by Maine designer Daria Norvlaan. (Remember our feature on her? Click: A stitcher with an attitude.)  Another booth not to miss will be Shelby Robben Millinery, where handmade women’s hats and fascinators will be hard to resist. And Lucy Kent Smith’s Pop a Clutch purses are sure to complete a special look.

At Herbal Revolution’s booth, show-goers will find organic herbal tinctures, elixirs, oils and other body products carefully formulated by Kathi Langelier. Shoppers looking for some holiday sparkle will find it at the Goose Pond booth, where Susan Pine will offer ornaments and jewelry she creates by acid-etching silver- and gold-plated metal.

Photographer Alec Hartman will have just the thing for holiday correspondence and gift giving: notecards and prints of his inspiring images of nature and landscapes. Maine Woods Yarn and Fiber is the booth for fiber artists who appreciate fine yarns and wool rovings, many of them hand-painted by proprietor Arlyne Wenzowitz.

Everyone will be intrigued by demonstrations at the 3D Micro Factory booth, where a state-of-the-art 3-D printer will be operating all weekend. The two-day show will also feature demonstrations of weaving, hat making, porcupine-quill art, using dulse in bath and beauty products, making intricate Japanese thread balls and spinning fleece into yarn.

A full list of the exhibitors can be found here.

The Gala Friday, Nov. 22, is from 5 to 8 p.m. and the show is Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 23- 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission proceeds benefit Coastal Mountains Land Trust.

For more information, visit www.artfullgifts.com


Kay Stephens can be found at news@penbaypilot.com

This Cheap Date has the perfect ingredients: Maine wines, mead and cider paired with a little clinic on making your own Maine-island botanicals. (All you ever have to do is pair a wine tasting with anything, even a community organized pick-up-dog-poop day, and I'd go to it.) On Sunday, Nov. 24, Breakwater Vineyards will team up with Dulse & Rogosa, a natural bath and beauty products company to offer a unique twist on the typical wine tasting.

Called "Taste, Make & Take," the event allows each person to taste four of Breakwater Vineyards delicious meads, ciders and wines and make four Dulse & Rugosa spa products that have been special formulated to compliment the wines. November’s theme is Harvest Colors. This is a perfect Cheap Date for the girls to get together and have some fun, while creating something personal or as a gift for the holidays. And for what you’re getting—you can beat the price!

The Breakwater Vineyards Tasting room located at 373 Main St. in Rockland.  Cost is $15 per person and includes the four tastings as well as the four take-home spa products.   Call 207-594-1721 or email info@breakwatervineyards.com to reserve your spot. 


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Two totally random personalities. Two completely, couldn’t-be-more-opposite messages. Slap ‘em together in a mashup and... brilliance.

Like peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches, someone thought putting Rob Ford, Ontario’s embattled mayor, and Jean-Claude Van Damme’s insane split for a Volvo ad together would be an epic match. Maybe it shouldn’t go together but it does.

Thoughts?

 

BELFAST—Tonight must be the night for bringing the community creatives out of the woodwork. While Pecha Kucha brings out the artists and entrepreneurs in Rockland this evening, those living in and near Belfast don’t have to travel very far to get their own taste of the creative spirit. Bell The Cat is opening up their performance space on Friday, Nov. 15, for an open poetry/spoken word jam — the last one in 2013.

Hosted by Ellen Sander, Belfast's Poet Laureate, the Jam includes any form of language used to entertain an audience, including spoken word, poetry, Shakespearean monologue, incantations, slams and poetic raconteuring. Musicians are welcome to accompany the artists. Artists are encouraged to bring their books, broadsides, CDs or other publications to sell

“Bring works to read, recite or to work on, an instrument if you play one, or a musician, to accompany poetry,” said Sander.

"And bring your appetite. Bell The Cat has scrumptious fresh soups, salads, deli sandwiches, cookies, pastries and coffee/tea beverages. Not to mention free WiFi and beer & wine. We always have a big table for poets who munch and there is other comfortable seating around. We've been doing this since March, we have an intriguing group and it's always a good party."

Participants can sign up to perform at 6:30 p.m., with readings starting at 7 p.m. Bell The Cat is located at 15G Starrett Drive, Belfast.

FMI: email laureate@belfastpoetry.com


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST — Around here, authors are like groundhogs. You might see them once a year — or wait, was that their shadow? For the past year, the Belfast Free Library has been bringing authors out of their hidey holes with their “Maine Writers Talk About...” a series of author talks, each with a different theme.

"We've had six writers in this series since last May,” said Brenda Harrington, director of Adult Programming at the library. “We wanted to highlight Maine authors who weren't necessarily the number one best-selling most popular authors, but who have something to say. And we wanted to invite them to come speak about their craft or their approach to writing."

This past Tuesday, Nov. 12, the series concluded with award-winning author Elizabeth Hand and her presentation "Guided by Voices: Channeling Fictional Characters."

Hand is one of those rarely seen, almost underground Midcoast authors whose writing is frankly some of the sharpest and most glittering stuff you’ll ever see come out of Maine. She’s the author of 14 novels and three collections of shorter fiction. She’s won numerous awards; her 2007 book Generation Loss won the inaugural Shirley Jackson award for best work of psychological suspense.

In her trademark Chuck Taylors, she stood in front of an audience and read selections from a variety of her essays and novels, including her most recent crime thriller, Available Dark, the follow up to Generation Loss, featuring her punk photographer, Cass Neary.

She read in various voices, male and female, old and young. Breathy and Brooklyn-y.

“I’m not ever going to do a Maine accent when I read,” she warned her audience. “I might try that out of state, but never here.”

When an audience member asked how she’s able to switch persona so easily, she answered, “It’s like a radio tuning in, when you finally nail the voice of your character.”

"When I'm supporting one book, I usually just pick out one character and rehearse, but for this event, I thought it would be fun to read from multiple books, sort of 'Lizzie's Greatest Hits,'” said Hand. “I just thought it would be more fun for the audience."

It’s no small trick to entertain an audience these days — particularly when audiences are hard-wired by technology, movies and games to be constantly amused with flashes, bangs, CGI, quick cuts — the usual short attention span problem for authors. Many authors will get up in front of a podium and simply read to their audience like children at story hour, but unless one’s speaking voice is well trained and melodic, that is a format that doesn’t always work. Fewer and fewer younger people respond to that; and authors need to adapt to this reality.

"I think people mostly want to be entertained and ideally, moved,” said Hand. “And for me, I've done readings when I've had many people in the audience and when there's literally be two or three people. Anytime you have an audience, you're there to entertain them. That's my job."

This year-long series of writers speaking about their craft has been made possible through the support of the Friends of the Belfast Free Library.

"It's been really well received,” said Harrington. “This was our first year. We're going to offer it again next year with six or maybe seven new authors and continue it."

For more information about the author, visit elizabethhand.com. “The Maine Writers Talk About...” series also included Debra Spark (The Pretty Girl), Monica Wood, (When We Were Kennedys) Rhea Cote Robbins, (Wednesday’s ChildBill Roorbach, (Life Among Giants), Jaed Coffin (A Chant To Soothe Wild Elephants),

The Belfast Free Library is at 106 High Street in Belfast. For more information about the Maine Writers Talk About... series, visit belfastlibrary.org or call 338-3884, extension 30.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — If you’ve never heard of the term “holler band” you’re not alone. It’s a self-termed genre coined by The Ghost of Paul Revere, one of the three slated bands to appear at the Strand Theatre in Rockland Nov. 22 for Hollerfest. According to band members it is “based off the old gospel songs and the old field hollers that people used to do working in the fields” —so in other words, a more amped-up version of folk.

“These are younger, newer bands, sort of the rising stars on the scene,” said the Strand’s Executive Director Sarah Ruddy.

The Ghost of Paul Revere (listen here) from Portland, are dedicated to writing powerful, stripped down music that is meant to be experienced live and intimately. Joining them are Maine faves, Toughcats (listen to a clip here). For 10 years now this power trio of banjo, resonator guitar, and drums have been playing and performing their original Garage Rock styled Pop Americana across the nation. They are known for their captivating high energy live performances, intricate catchy melodies, driving rhythm, and tight vocal harmonies. And for your triple threat, Darlingside, (see videos here) a string-rock quintet, will also be on hand for the evening. They came together with five songwriters, a mandolin, a cello and violin, guitars and drums, a chorus of voices, and a van named Chauncey.

“It’s a new kind of roots rock that’s the ‘less precious’ version of Americana,” said Ruddy. “When my music booker and I were talking about putting this show together, we were both thinking we’d really like to bring Toughcats. They’re such a big, popular band in Maine. But they usually don’t get this size of a venue. So, we thought, why not just make this a showcase for this kind of genre.

This ain’t your daddy’s ragtime folk so get ready and get stoked to see this show.

Tickets on sale now: $17 general admission. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. The Strand balcony and lobby bars will be open for those ages 21+ with a valid ID. For more info: (207) 594-0070 RocklandStrand.com


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

The most disturbing thing you can think of happens everywhere in Maine. People—the majority of them male—sit behind their keyboards or flip through their cell phones when no one else is around. What they are watching is unspeakable.
 
In 2008, data compiled by law enforcement agencies indicated that 2,155 individual computers in Maine had been identified as trafficking in the most hardcore images and movies of infants and toddlers being tortured and raped. Because the majority of sex offenders prey on family members, friends or acquaintances, the abuse can start early and continue for years. Many of the victims are infants or toddlers; the “older” victims being abused are 14- and 15-years-old.
 
Finding and arresting people who disseminate or traffic in child pornography in Maine is the majority of Lt. Glenn Lang’s job. Lang supervises the Maine’s Computer Crimes Unit, which investigates the production, selling and downloading of child pornography in the state. They annually prosecute between 70 and 80 of the highest volume traffickers in Maine. Based on their own sleuthing and a slew of tips, the CCU visits two to four houses or businesses each week in every part of Maine. With search warrants in hand, they seize all digital devices on the premises. Simultaneously, they interview the suspect. But here’s where an investigation can either go exceedingly well or get bogged down into the annals of Backlog Hell.
 
To do their job effectively, Lang and his team of 16 employees need a forensic mobile unit (a van) with them when visiting a suspect, so they can verify or disprove what the suspect says in the interview by previewing the laptop or digital devices on site. If they have to send all the equipment back to the lab in Vassalboro, that’s where the bottleneck in the system occurs, which hinders the case.
 
The single biggest problem is that the CCU only has two converted, retrofitted cargo vans to work with. Both are aging, and experiencing frequent power blow-outs. And neither have the kind of room needed to allow for multiple examiners to work a single case. 

Much like the LifeFlight of Maine helicopters that service every area of Maine, a fully equipped forensic van is needed to work all corners of the pine tree state. The inadequacy of the retrofitted vans are hindering the CCU from being as efficient as they could be in identifying and arresting those involved in the burgeoning crime of producing, selling and/or possessing child pornography in Maine.
 
Former Camden teacher and Mainely Girls Executive Director Mary Orear has worked with adolescents for more than 40 years. A staunch advocate for children and adolescents, especially girls, she recently founded a nonprofit undertaking a campaign to raise $100,000 to buy a new mobile forensic lab for the state Computer Crimes Unit.
 
“About a year and a half ago, I saw a story on Maine Watch about how the Computer Crimes Unit in Vassalboro went after the child pornographers in this state. However, because of their lack of equipment, they had such a backlog and they needed more help,” said Orear. “About five or six months later, I had a nagging feeling, wondering if they got the help they needed. So, I called Lt. Glenn Lang and he said there were two or three major needs not being funded by the department; the number one need being this forensic mobile unit.”
 
A phone call with Lang confirmed this was still the issue. 
 
“To be really effective, we need a fully equipped van with two forensic stations in the back, which can also function as an interview room,” he said. “Possession of hardcore child pornography is really a symptom of a much greater problem. These people want to have sexual contact with children and every study and statistic I’ve seen in the last five years has stated that 80 percent of these people [who possess child pornography] are in fact, hands-on offenders.
 
“What we’re trying to do each and every time we go out is bring an expert who administers polygraph tests,” he said. “So that if we get to a house, we can determine with a polygraph test on the spot if this person is one of those 80-percent who is a hands-on offender. The two times we were able to get out polygraph examiner to come out with us, we were able to get confessions from these guys.” This field previewing routinely results in confessions of 95 percent of suspects, when confronted with the offending images, said Lang.

Most people don’t realize it takes an inordinate amount of time and effort for forensics team to make correlations between someone’s actions and seized digital devices, which contributes to the backlog. If the CCU can get a confession at the moment of the device seizure, it takes a tenth of the time to complete the forensic examination. In some cases, that can lead to an immediate arrest.

“Our best chance to get any admissions out of these guys and to solve these cases is right on the scene,” said Lang. “If we’re forced to wait a week or a month after we confront someone, the chances of getting a confession out of [them] is close to zero.”

Asked if the Maine child pornography problem is worse than other states, he said he didn’t have any comparable data.

“It’s a national and worldwide trend,” he said. “But it’s always a percentage of the population who does this. If you have more people in that area, you have more problems in that area.”

The forensic mobile unit is also used to investigate the sex slavery trade, as well as under-age sexting, although these cases aren’t as prevalent as child pornography. “It goes widely under-reported in Maine,” said Lang. “When things go critical, we hear about them.”

Orear and Mainely Girls have been committed to this issue for the past year and even managed to raise nearly $10,000 for the forensic mobile unit before receiving the official go-ahead. Lang and the CCU are fully on board with her fundraising efforts. 

“I think it’s the helplessness of these children who can’t in any way defend themselves that is the ultimate definition of a victim,” said Orear. “The older ones — 13, 14, 15 years — it’s hard enough for them to protect themselves against this, but child pornographers routinely target toddlers and infants, children who don’t even stand a chance of protecting themselves. That’s really what grabbed me. It is a crime that has really developed over the last 25 years. As a society, it is our responsibility to protect children.”

To date, Mainely Girls’ efforts have generated more than $25,000 in donations and the nonprofit is currently appealing to individuals, foundations and corporations. “Interestingly, many male donors have really stepped up their support around this,” said Orear. “It’s really gratifying to see.”

To find out more about how you can help or contribute, contact Orear directly at mainelygirls2@gmail.com.

To report any type of online child exploitation, contact National Center for Missing and Exploited Children or contact Lt. Glenn Lang directly at  glang@mcctf.org.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — Children's House Montessori School at 58 Elm St. in Camden recently offered two free parent-education workshops and of the approximately 20 parents that attended, many had never seen the Montessori method in action before. “A lot of parents are really curious how Montessori works, so we like to offer these workshops as a nice opportunity to bring parents in and help them understand what we’re doing,” said Kristin Sidwell, administrative director of the school. “It really helps to create community too, so we’re all working together.”

“Many parents like the philosophy that children are learning at their own pace,” she added. “Sometimes you have to be right there in the classroom to see it because children aren’t always really able to tell you how they’re learning.”

One of the Nov. 6 workshops, titled “Montessori in the Home,” was led by teachers Meredith Gutheinz, Zoë Foster and Jackie Grannis Phoenix  and about 10 parents attended. The idea around this workshop, said Sidwell, is that children need opportunities to explore, experiment and try new things. By preparing and structuring the home environment to allow such exploration, parents can provide children with practical opportunities to experience independence, self-esteem and the joy of feeling like an important and useful member of the family.

“We introduced them to the Montessori principles like self-sufficiency and independence in your house, so your kids are feeling like equal members of the household, such as putting away their laundry, hanging up their coats and brushing their teeth,” said Sidwell.

The other workshop was titled “The Montessori Math Advantage” and led by teachers Darci Grotton and Katy Hall Dermott.

In this workshop, said Sidwell, the Montessori math curriculum is designed to set children up for a deep understanding of math concepts that will give them an advantage at all levels of their school experience.

“For example, we teach children to use concrete materials like beads or cubes in a hands-on way to get a basic concept and understanding of advanced math concepts before they move into the abstract principles,” she said.

The mission of the Children's House Montessori School is to provide an educational culture that respects the child’s innate desire to learn and fosters curiosity, creativity and critical thinking, while preparing every child to become a thoughtful, independent and compassionate global citizen.

To learn more about the Children's House Montessori School visit: camdenmontessori.org/home


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — Those who hear the NaNoWriMo (sounds like nanno rhyme-o) acronym for the first time might think it’s odd, but for aspiring and veteran writers alike, it’s the welcome sound of inspiration. November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which challenges participants to write a 50,000-word novel in one month.

For the layman, that’s about 2/3 of a novel, or about 150-170 pages. And yes, you can do it!

The Rockland Public Library is participating in NaNoWriMo and offering space in its lower level to “Come Write In.” The space and informal group, led by five-time NaNoWriMo participant and author Lee Heffner, invites aspiring novelists to gather in a place and write together throughout the month.

“Writing groups are very important to the process, but finding the writing group that is right for you is the trick,” said Heffner, who has actually completed the 50,000-word goal twice in the last five years. “It has to be one that has common goals and where participants respect each others’ writing. The hardest thing, I think, to learn as a writer is to give and receive constructive feedback. It takes a long time to get over not feeling wounded when somebody critiques your work.”

Heffner is a big proponent of the NaNoWriMo process for any level of writer because of the limited time frame. For 30 days in November people are under the gun to get to that 50,000-word goal. “We are acculturated to work by deadlines,” she said.  “I think that’s one of the most important aspects of NaNoWriMo — the second is the principle of ‘Murder your Internal Editor.’ Writing is broken into three different processes: writing, editing and marketing and they require very different areas of focus. Write first—then edit. Then when it’s all done, market it.”

Two of Heffner’s participants were there to learn and to be encouraged. Linda White, a psychotherapist for 30 years, was interested in writing a series of essays, 12 essay for 12 months. “I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve wanted to write about some of the insights that have evolved beyond traditional therapy and the spiritual aspects,” she said. A lot of my work professionally came from my own journey, so there’s been a book or two in me for a long time.

Emily Lattimore, another participant, has had more experience as a writer, but was using this month and group to get re-engaged. “I want to write the kind of books I do already write, but I’d to sell them,” she said, laughing.

“NaNoWriMo is an unbeatable way to write the first draft of a novel because it’s such a powerful antidote to that horrible foe of creativity: self doubt,” said Grant Faulkner, executive director of NaNoWriMo. “As many NaNoWriMo writers have discovered, the best way to learn to write a novel is by simply plunging in to write a novel.”

In addition to a comfortable and quiet space, the Rockland Public Library library is providing free WiFi. Additionally, there will be weekly gatherings to write and exchange ideas with fellow novelists. Beginning Nov. 6, gatherings will be held on Wednesdays in the Library's Board Room, from noon to 2 p.m. This is a time to write together and share ideas, breakthroughs, frustration and more.

Visit www.nanowrimo.org for more details and to register to write on a national level, or simply join Heffner’s local group and get crackin’—that muse isn’t going to sit there forever. See her Pinterest page for inspiration. For more information, call the Library at 594-0310.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

MONHEGAN —Ten miles out on Monhegan Island, Matt and Mary Weber are just like most Maine islanders — always working. Matt’s a full-time lobsterman and Mary’s a teacher and right now, their jobs are in full swing. But at the end of the day when most people come home to unwind and relax, Matt and Mary are back to work again with their recently launched seasonal brewery, Monhegan Brewing Company. Even though they have closed the microbrewery for the season, there are still orders to fill and marketing to be done.

With Monhegan’s lobstering season from Oct. 1 to June 7, we had to catch up with the Webers by email and ask more questions about their unique microbrewery. They specialize in small batch, hand-crafted beer brewed by Danny McGovern, a visionary with more than 20 years in the Maine brewing industry.

Q: What's the back story on you guys? And why did you pair up with another brewer?

A: Danny McGovern is Mary's father.  Mary grew up with home brew equipment all over her house and, when she was 16, he [McGovern] started Lake St. George Brewing Company in the mid 1990s (one of the first Maine microbreweries) out of their home.  Since this was the very beginning of the craft brewing movement, his only market was in the Portland area, so self-distributing proved to be time consuming and expensive.  After closing Lake St. George, he went on to work at Belfast Bay Brewing Company, where he created McGovern's Oatmeal Stout, which is still on the market, but now contract brewed and distributed by Shipyard. He then moved on to Marshall Wharf, where he still brews.  We all decided to go into business together for a few reasons:  

  1. We live here.  It's a beautiful place and it attracts a very eclectic mix of visitors and residents.
  2. Danny wanted to be an owner again and he wanted to create a family business that would allow him to pass on the knowledge of his craft to us and future generations.

Q: Maine has seen a total explosion of microbreweries since the 1990s. But you're the only outer-island brewery in Maine. How is that an advantage — and also a disadvantage?

A: Being the only outer-island brewery is an advantage in the sense that everyone who visits the island in the summer (and it's a LOT of people!) hears about us and/or visits us.  We're obviously the only microbrewery on the island, and, given the movement toward supporting local food/economy/business, people are thrilled to be able to buy a product that was produced right on the island.  There are lots of fans of Monhegan, so that name alone gives us notoriety. Our product is what people are loving, but the name gets them to notice it. Obviously the disadvantage to having a brewery on the island is that we have to get everything out here.  It is expensive and sometimes logistically tricky.  Distributing off island also presents those same challenges.

Q: Describe how your careers have influenced the type of beers you make along with the labels you've given them.

A: As you know, Matt catches lobsters. And this winter, we will be doing a rum barrel-aged beer that is influenced by rum’s maritime history.  Besides our Trap Stacker Special Ale, names are less influenced by his profession, but rather by our home.  Lobster Cove APA is named after the cove that is pretty much our front yard.  Shipwreck IPA is named for the D.T. Sheridan, a tugboat whose remains are still on the island.  Our idea has been to name all of our beers after island historical landmarks.

Q: Do you trade your beer with other islanders? If so, for what?

A: We don't trade beer, but we do have an exchange going.  The Island Farm Project is happy to take our spent grain for compost.  In exchange, they are growing hops for us.  This helps both parties, as waste removal is tough on an island.

Q: Tell us what Monhegan Brewing Company's next steps. How do you plan on getting your beer noticed?

A: The plan for our second year of business is to participate in beer events across Maine, starting with the beer/wine tasting at Camden Snow Bowl's toboggan event this February, Down The Chute Beer & Wine Tasting 2014.  We will add to our bottle line-up by next spring, including some limited releases, one of which is a Quadracentennial brew that we will release this summer to commemorate 400 years since Capt. John Smith landed on Monhegan.  This will be a huge event on the island next summer.

For a limited time, you can currently find Monhegan Brewing Company’s Trap Stacker Special Ale (22 oz $10.99) at French and Brawn Market Place.

For more stories about who else is microbrewing in the Midcoast check out:

• 24 Hours in the Midcoast for the ‘Craft Beer Lover’

• New Rockland brewery launches at Rock Harbor along with three new craft beers


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

 

 

 

BELFAST—Talk about putting your cheese out in the wind. . .

Eat More Cheese, a specialty food shop that opened in Belfast last year, just moved to 94 Main Street from its previous location, tucked behind the building that houses Rollie’s Bar and Grill. Unfortunately, on their grand opening day, high winds in Waldo country knocked out the power for most of the morning.

The power had just gotten back on around noon. Owners Tony and Natalia Rose took it in stride, but were relieved to be able to switch the cheese case lights back on.

The new space on Main Street has twice as much room as the old location and they’ve stuck with their warm mustard colored walls and earthy packaging. “We’re really pleased with this new space,” said Tony, “especially for visibility and accessibility. It will be a lot easier for folks in town and visiting to come in.” This expansion will allow Eat More Cheese to offer an even larger selection of fine cheeses from around the world, as well as salami, charcuterie, beer and wine, chocolate and other specialty products.

“Basically, we can now offer even more cheese,” he said.

The shop carries an ever changing selection of cheeses with upwards of 75 varieties in stock at any time, all of which can be sampled by customers before purchase.

“We’re going to be doing some tastings for the holidays and winter season,” said Tony.

To find out when the tastings are, stay tuned to their Facebook page.   Or contact them at 207-358-9701 or info@eatmorecheese.me

Click to see our previous article on Eat More Cheese.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—It’s what you call a “fixer upper.”

Those who attended last Saturday night’s third annual bash by The Collective were delighted and amazed to find a small-scale replica of Dorothy Gale’s tornado-transported house smack in the center of Winter Street. The art piece was created by Resisting Entropy, a group of Midcoast artists who work collaboratively within a condensed time frame and shared space to transform reclaimed and found materials into unique and unpredictable artworks.

When Jared Cowan, an artist and owner of Rockland’s Asymmetrick Arts got together with The Farnsworth’s small group of creatives known as The Collective, they were brainstorming a party theme for their upcoming bash “From Kansas to Oz.” Given that The Farnsworth Art Museum had just launched a new exhibition “The Wonderful World of Oz: Selections from the Willard Carroll/Tom Wilhite Collection,” Cowan had a kind of far-out idea.

“At first, we sort of were just laughing, coming up with the concept—let’s build Dorothy’s house after the tornado slammed it into Oz,” Cowan suggested. Mind you, he said this to his artist group with the assumption it would be done—like most of their projects—in 24 hours.

“We said that’s crazy, let’s not do that; it’s way too difficult,” said Andrew White, one of the artists. “Then we said, ‘okay, if you really want to do it. . .’ Then you get 14 or 15 talented people in the same space and everyone just understood and went for it.”

With the presiding group including some carpenters, installation artists, sculptors and painters, the design of the exterior took form as it went. To see a full list of the contributing artists of Resisting Entropy, click here. The slammed-together house was made with all reclaimed and found materials, including sections of fencing from The Farsworth. They built it in eight modular sections, lightly framing up each component, so that it could be taken apart and re-assembled on The Farnsworth’s courtyard after the initial event. “We couldn’t anticipate the end product, and up until midnight, I thought we were behind,” said Cowan. “Then we hit this quantam leap between 12 and 2 a.m. and all of a sudden we made this giant jump and we were sort of three hours ahead. The last part was building the roofing and we didn’t even assemble that until 4:30 in the morning,” he said.

“At some point in the night, we all looked at each other and said, ‘We are a little strange and broken that we find doing this kind of thing fun,” said White. “But I’m glad we all found each other so we can do these kinds of projects.”

It’s like a giant, cock-eyed doll house. There’s a kitchen, living room and bedroom. Inside the foyer, there are working old-fashioned light fixtures, and a reclaimed wood floor. Original paintings have been included like the “Home Sweet Home” welcome mat and the optical illusion staircase by artist, Greta Van Campen. Old photos with broken glass frames tilt on the walls, along with lopsided bookshelves and upended furniture. The house was even electrically wired by artist Eric Leppanen so that the fixtures inside would light up as well as the flood lights surrounding it.

While most of the group concentrated on the exterior, several artists focused on all of the quirky interior details. “We were all inside putting the interior together while everything was being built around us,” said Bethany Engstrom. “So, we were thinking what would happen to the furniture if the house had fallen down. We wanted to create an interior that was still in motion. For example, the chairs are strewn about and other items are hanging in mid-air. Susan brought a lot of materials from her own house to put into this house,” she said.

For now Dorothy’s House can be seen on The Farnsworth’s courtyard on Elm Street. It may be there for about a month. “Before the snow flies,” Cowan said. He said the group is open to hearing from anyone who might be interested in hosting Dorothy’s House on a more permanent basis.

“We should list it on a real estate website and see if anyone bites,” said White.

“It’s probably as weather-and water-tight as 80 percent of the houses in Rockland,” Cowan joked.

To see more photos of The Collective’s third annual bash, check out our gallery, We’re definitely not in Kansas anymore.


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

ROCKLAND—Every year, I think The Collective might not be able to top their own event from last year—and so far, every year I’ve been wrong.

This is the third year The Farnsworth Art Museum has drawn on its highly creative young artists’ committee, The Collective, to envision a theme blowout bash, and this year’s theme, appropriately enough was “From Kansas To Oz.”

They keep switching up locations for each annual party and this year, The Collective took over Winter Street in Rockland. The crowning center piece was The Dorothy House, a 20-foot slammed-together crooked house made entirely from reclaimed materials. (Stay tuned for more on this house later this week!)

Once you got past the wonder of this crazy house, two galleries opposite each other on Winter Street were transformed into dystopian alternative realities of Oz. From hay bales in tiny stalls with cut outs of flying monkeys to The Poppy Room (poppies, poppies poppies!) to the large warehouse room showing the original 35 mm The Wizard of Oz film on the wall, the atmosphere was kickin’—made even better by the imaginations of the partygoers. They had to come up with their own interpretation of where they were on their journey from Kansas to Oz and the following gallery will show you where their minds were.


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

 

Hey, if your daughter really wants to dress up as a princess this Halloween, that’s cool. Kids should feel free to dress up as whatever and whomever they want (though I am so over the sexy costumes for girls and women. Sexy Bacon Strip. Really?)

Mashable came up with a great column, 18 Badass Girls Who Skipped Princess Costumes, compiled by Christine Erickson. Click through to see all 18 photos of these cuties in sci-fi, male superhero and other costumes.

I’m including my absolute fave here. She didn’t want to be a princess. She wanted to be Prince!

What’s your favorite?


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — Imagine having to leave your 8-year-old son alone in a country where warlords routinely kill and rape your neighbors, then seize their houses. Somali refugee, 26-year-old Khadija Hassan, had to make an extremely difficult decision five years ago when she and her husband gathered the rest of her five children to flee to America, eventually settling in Lewiston.

In the Somalian refugee camps, chances for resettlement are based on ration cards. It’s complicated to explain, but when Khadija’s son, Hussein, was 4, he was placed in his grandparents’ custody; therefore, under their ration card, not Khadija’s. Because of this discrepancy, when Khadija’s placement was randomly chosen, she could only take the children on her card.

The plan was always to send for Hussein once they got settled in Maine. But soon after they left, Hussein’s grandparents both died and he was then placed in his uncle’s care. While on their way to another refugee camp, his uncle was shot in his tent and had to be transferred to a hospital in Nairobi, leaving Hussein alone, once more. For the last five years, Khadija has been trying to raise the money to get her son back. Hussein has lived in a horror zone, displaced from his home, shuffled around in the Kakuma refugee camp, which has grown to nearly 500,000 refugees in 20 years. New refugees continue to arrive, but the Kenyan government has suspended full-scale registration. Without being registered, new arrivals cannot access all of the assistance to which they are entitled.

This is exactly Hussein’s predicament. Now 13, he continues to live on his own in a dangerous refugee camp in Kenya without the proper, updated documentation. The conditions of the refugee camp are chaotic and violent, according to a case worker familiar with Khadija’s plight. Aid workers have been kidnapped and sometimes murdered, along with attacks on security personnel. Refugees have been targeted for assassination. It’s a brutal world for an adult. One can’t even imagine the breaking point of this boy, with no parents and no home.

At the time of this article, attempts to reach Khadija and her case worker were unsuccessful. However, a small group of students at Camden Hills Regional High School have been working on Hussein’s behalf in an effort to bring him to the United States and to reunite him with his mother. The students include Audrey Lane, Frances Pendleton, Emily Haining, Emily Quinn and Sara Wandell.

“Emily Quinn told me about this and when she was describing the situation, I felt so sad for this boy,” said Lane. “When she came up with something we could do to help him, I wanted to join.”

Quinn learned about Hussein’s predicament from her mother, Donna Gates, a psychologist doing trauma treatment with Somali refugees.

“I thought how we could raise the money and get the funds together to bring him back here,” said Quinn.

She and her friends decided to raise $3,000 for his visa and travel expenses. They created flyers, donation jars and raffle baskets, then placed them in a number of area businesses. Among the many locals and businesses that helped, Zoot Coffee in Camden evenly matched every dollar donated.

Liz Dailey, a teacher at CHRHS who heads up the Amnesty International Club, offered to help the girls on her own time. (CHRHS doesn’t allow students to fund-raise for individual campaigns).

“They approached me as an adviser and I helped them put together the raffle baskets and showed them how to build awareness in a community,” said Dailey. “People would stop and ask questions about Hussein and the girls would explain what they were doing for him. I was drawn to it, because any time students are thinking outside of their own world view, it’s always inspiring to me. When Emily gathered some students together, I really wanted to support that.”

So far, the group has successfully met their goal to raise $3,000 to bring Hussein to the United States. The frustrating part is that even though the funds are there, the obstacle is getting someone to take Hussein’s photo and process the paperwork for his visa. Hussein is still living unescorted — essentially like an orphan — in the refugee camp.

“There’s no one who can help him or bring him to the United Nation’s office,” said Quinn.

His mother has had occasional phone contact with him over the years, according to Quinn. The last they knew of his situation, he had been living with some neighbors, but these neighbors may have already been relocated. To compound his problems, landowners and public officials who control the displacement camps often divert incoming aid, and children are also more often the victims of malnourishment.

“I feel so awful for him,” said Quinn. “I cannot imagine living in these conditions with warfare every day, with no family around,”

The girls and Dailey are hoping to expand more awareness for Hussein, not necessarily more funding, but to find a way to get someone like a United Nations employee to find Hussein and process his photo and visa paperwork so he can finally be reunited with his mother and family.

“Perhaps our next step is to get a letter campaign going,” said Dailey. “Maybe we can get help from Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King.”

Quinn nodded. “We’re just going to keep working to find a way to get him here,” she said.

If anyone wants to get in touch with Dailey or the students, the best email to reach them is liz_dailey@fivetowns.net

For more information, contact: Refugees International or The UN Refugee Agency.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

I swear the clock has turned back to 1998 because I have not seen this much enthusiasm around Halloween parties in years. YEARS, I tells ya. Ever since The Collective bumped up the Halloween standard, a host of other bars, restaurants and venues have been dying to get in on the gig. (Only one stupid Halloween pun is allowed per story and that was it.) Because Halloween is officially on Thursday, Oct. 31, the parties have been spread out — before and after. So get yourself to the Goodwill, you have a lot of costumes to make. Here is your Halloween rundown up and down the Midcoast.

Saturday, Oct. 26

The Collective — Rockland

8 p.m. to midnight

Join The Collective — the Farnsworth Art Museum’s newest membership group — for its third annual bash in downtown Rockland on Winter Street. Drawing on the museum’s Wonderful World of Oz exhibition, this party is not to be missed. “There will be dancing, drinking and OZing.” Drinks and light snacks will be served amongst an atmosphere created by The Collective Steering Committee and other community volunteers. Dress for Kansas or dress for Oz • Cash Bar • Tickets are limited • The bash is free for Collective members and $10 for non-Collective members. To purchase or reserve a ticket stop by the Museum Store, email membership@farnsworthmuseum.org or call 596-6457 Ext. 145.

The Black Harpoon Halloween Party  Port Clyde

9 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Wear your costume, judging is at 9 p.m. Prizes for 1st (cash prize), 2nd (gift certificate prize) and 3rd (gift certificate prize). Appetizer buffet for $5 starting at 8 p.m. They will be having specialty beer for the night and several Halloween cocktails, such as "Witches Brew." 

 Trackside Station's 5th annual Halloween Bash  Rockland

9 p.m to 1 a.m.

DJ VJ will be playing all of your favorites, along with modern dance music.  “We encourage everyone to come in costume,” said owner Kelly Woods. “All of our female bartenders will be Disney princesses.” $100 cash prize for best costume. There will be drink specials. 21 and over with ID. No cover.

 The Smokestack Grill—Camden

9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

It's the Smokestack's annual Halloween party!! Costume contests with cash prizes, games, drink specials and this year, live music with JUST TEACHERS!!

 Halloween Dance at Waldoboro VFW Hall Waldoboro

8 p.m. to close

The Waldoboro Fireman’s Association and Soule Shuman VFW Post of Waldoboro are co-hosting a public dance with Bad Penny, a country and country-rock music band, providing the music. According to Waldoboro Asst. Fire Chief Bill Maxwell, “Bad Penny is very popular in this area and was the band that helped kick off the anniversary celebration we had back in August.”

Costumes are encouraged and prizes will be awarded for the following categories: Most Original Costume, Funniest Costume, Best Group Costume, Scariest Costume, Best Couple Costume and People’s Choice.

Cost is $8 per person and $15 per couple. For more information contact VFW Commander John Blodgett at 832-6343 or Asst. Fire Chief Bill Maxwell at 832-2161.

Front Street Pub — Belfast

9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Join them for their 9th annual Costume Party and Jager giveaway night with cash prizes.

Bowen’s Tavern Belfast

9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The Halloween party kicks off with Octavia, a rock and roll band. They’re offering a $200 cash prize for the best costume, but you must be present for the time of the judging. Drink specials include $1.50 Rolling Rock draughts. $5 cover.

 

Thursday, Oct. 31

3Crow Restaurant & Bar’s Funky Halloween Dance Party Rockland

9:30 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Get on the good foot and get down to great live funk, soul and classic R&B with The Groove Machine. Featuring members of Active Culture, Bim Skala Bim, Chronic Funk, Blind Albert, and the Elevator Pilots ... this is going to be a night you (and your dancin' shoes) won't want to miss. Costumes • Prizes  Drink specials Soul Train Line  Come help tear the roof off the mutha-sucka.

FOG Bar & Cafe’s All Hallow’s Eve with The Dolphin Strikers  Rockland

9 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Guess what folks, they've got The Dolphin Strikers at FOG Bar Halloween, when all the ghouls come out to play with one of the best bands in the Midcoast. There will be Halloween drink specials, and those in costume will be generously rewarded. (Think contest ...). Come one, come all, get dressed up and have a ball. 21+ with I.D., $5 Cover, Costume-like attire suggested.

Myrtle Street Tavern Rockland

9 p.m. - 1 a.m.

The popular DJs, The 220s will be playing reggae and they’ll be offering “Scary-eoke” with a costume contest and prizes. 21+ with I.D.

Front Street Pub Belfast

9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Join us for a Halloween party with bobbing for apples, pumpkin carving contest, pumpkin baking contest, and more. 21+ with I.D.

Three Tides: Halloween Black Light Dance Party Belfast

 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Doors open at 8 p.m. and the music with DJ Ian Hammond, (Portland’s Penthouse Party Resident) begins at 9 p.m. 21+ with I.D.

Friday, November 1

Feast of Fools Masquerade Ball, Simonton Corner Community Hall Rockport

7 p.m. to close

For a minor donation of $5 in advance or $7 at the door, you can join us for an evening of dancing and mystery as we encourage all who attend to come in costume! The 220s will be playing and they are not a band to miss! Their eclectic sound can play anything from the classic sound of Jimi Hendrix to the Beastie Boys and Daft Punk! To enter the costume competition, there is a small fee of $3 a person or $5 per couple, which will be awarded to the winners of best individual and best couple’s costume! For those bringing potions in which to imbibe, be sure to have your ID on you, for we will be checking them at the door. 21 and over only!

Saturday, Nov. 2

Blue Goose’s Hallo Week After Northport

7 – 11 p.m.

The Juke Rockets will perform at the Blue Goose on Route 1 in Northport during Hallo Week After: A post-ghost fundraiser. Guests are encouraged to come in costume and enjoy fine food samplings from local restaurants and caterers, high energy blues dance music and a cash bar. There will also be a raffle featuring fabulous prizes from local businesses. Tickets are $25 per person and are available for pre-sale at Waldo County YMCA and Left Bank Books in Belfast, and at Totman's in Belmont. All proceeds benefit community nonprofit organizations Cold Comfort Productions/Belfast Maskers and the Waldo County YMCA. For more information, contact Waldo County YMCA 338-4598.

Stay tuned as more details and more events emerge! If you have a 21-and-over party that we’ve missed, please email Kay at Penobscot Bay Pilot!


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

PORT CLYDE — Tom Judge, executive director of LifeFlight of Maine and a member of the St. George Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Association, was the second paramedic on the scene Aug. 11, when 9-year-old Dylan Gold of Cohasset, Mass., was fatally injured in a motor vehicle crash on the Monhegan Dock. In addition to Dylan, his mother, Allison, brother Wyatt and Joss Coggeshall of Port Clyde were critically injured by an out-of-control vehicle.

“I took care of the Gold family that day and Joss, who also got hit,” said Judge. “It was the most horrible day for everybody. But, when you have these events like Rock The Dock, which was originally established to honor the fishermen we’ve lost at sea, it’s painful, but it’s important to remember those people in our lives. Memory has to be an active process. Because, otherwise these people disappear into the sands of time.”

Saturday’s Rock The Dock 2013 benefit brought out hundreds of people from all over the Midcoast to honor Dylan, as well as a way to remember others lost in community. One of those perfect Indian summer days, the wharf filled up quickly Oct. 19. There was no entry fee; instead there was a donation jug, in which person after person came through stuffing twenties and higher in.

Standing outside of the tent, Judge looked on at the folks streaming inside and said, “It’s really important today to celebrate the life of this little boy. That’s what his family wants; this incredibly courageous family. This entire community needs to put their arms around each other and say ‘We care about each other.’ And that’s how you mend the holes in the fabric of the community.” See our video of Judge’s tribute to Dylan Gold.

For this event, there were about as many volunteers as there were attendees. More than 2,000 lobsters had been donated and were being served up by local lobstermen, along with fresh corn on the cob and butter. “Go on, take two, take three,” said one volunteer piling up a plate of soft-shelled lobsters.

A long row of tables held an enormous amount of donated homemade food. At one end of the table, shuckers Togue Brawn and Erich Culver cracked open oysters harvested from Virginia and North Haven as fast as people could scoop them up. From crock pots of pulled pork and beans to industrial dishes of homemade lasagnas and casseroles, no one was going to go hungry that day. Then there was an incredible array of desserts...if people still had room.

Amy and Andy Barstow, owners of Monhegan Boat Line, had been originally planning a Rock The Dock event when the accident happened. Like so many others in the community, they were devastated by what happened and wanted to find a way to honor Dylan’s memory. They contacted the Gold family, who gave their blessing to proceed with the event.

Organizers said the event raised nearly $30,000 that day. All proceeds from the event went to LifeFlight of Maine, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit air medical and critical care transport organization and to the St. George Volunteer Ambulance and Firefighter's Association.  No one even realized, while Rock The Dock was going on, Lifeflight was already in use that very morning, needed for a motorcycle accident in nearby Thomaston.

”When you think about when things go wrong, the promise of 911 is such an incredible promise to society,” said Judge. “It’s simple, but profound. If you call us we will come.”

“We touch every corner of Maine,” he added. “It’s a huge job. We’re at a point where we need to add a third helicopter, which is literally like adding a third hospital in Maine.

While a live auction proceeded in one corner of the tent, many stopped to add their signatures to an art piece designated with a heart motif for the Gold family by artist Millie Donovan. A few people got up to dance to live music by Country Choir and Maine Rocket and later in the afternoon, Judge, and Monhegan Boat Line family member, Jim Barstow, and the Revs. Randall Thissell and Bill Hickey stood up before the audience to add their perspectives on everyone’s purpose for being there.

As the sun shone through thickening clouds, a crowd on the farthest end of the wharf looked up to see a bald eagle soaring across the sky. Then, Jim Barstow, holding an old iron bell, stood by the edge of the dock. For every name spoken, Barstow rang the bell once in the traditional blessing of the fleet.  A flowered wreath was tossed into the slate-colored sea, its loosened petals slowly scattering out with the breeze and the tide.

To all huddled around to witness it, this moment hurt. It was a strange mixture of emotions, both the deep stab of pain in the chest and the relief of being surrounded by a community of people who deeply cares what happens to one another. Watching the wreath float away was both a remembrance and a goodbye to those who have been lost — but to also make sure they never truly disappear.

Anyone who wishes to donate something in remembrance of Dylan, who had a previous flight  from Monhegan by LifeFlight, can do so by making a donation to the Dylan Gold fund at LifeFlight of Maine.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND—“Unmask! Unmask!” cried Edgar Allen Poe’s narrator in Masque of the Red Death.

No, wait a minute. Change of plans. Keep them on.

Zany Rockland party planners Hot Pink Flannel are kicking off their 2013 party season with the Thomaston youth organization Trekkers to host an Autumn Masquerade on Oct. 19 at The Speakeasy, a new lounge located under the Chowder House at the Tradewinds Motor Inn. The occasion marks the 5th anniversary for Hot Pink Flannel and the 20th year in existence for the Trekkers. For that reason, they wants to celebrate it with all you Midcoasties; yeah we said Midcoasties.  There will be saucy dance music provided by DJ MJ from Portland, door prizes and lots of masks.  The party starts at 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.  It is a 21 and over party with a $5 cover.  So join HPF and Trekkers in celebrating an awesome local youth organization, put on a crazy mask and dance until your feet hurt.  See you on the dance floor!

Learn more about Hot Pink Flannel here.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — The 60 exhibitors at the Maine Made 2013 showcase, Saturday, Oct. 19, will include food producers, artisans, jewelry crafters, wine makers, photographers and fine furniture makers, among others. The show is billed as the “premiere resource” for locally-made products in one place in the Midcoast.

For the entrepreneurs who work hard to make valuable, handcrafted products, this is their time to shine. From newcomers to the area like Bixby Chocolate Co. and Dulse & Rugosa to long-timers like Orange Iron Fabrications and Rheal Day Spa, this will be the place to shop locally and support Maine artisans.

“Along with a great variety of vendors, this year’s show features some fun new activities,” said Karen Brace, member services manager of the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce. ”While the number of exhibitors has doubled to 60 and the show’s floor space has expanded, we’ve also added live chef demos, a kids’ crafts area and even a relaxation spot where parents can get a 10-minute massage while their kids make crafts.”

Wine tasting will be featured as well as samples from area chefs using Maine products as their ingredients.

“The wine, cheese and beer tasting area is always popular, and in that space we plan to feature live music,” said Brace. “But, the one thing I like best about producing the Maine Made show is that it gives locals the chance to support the small businesspeople who work hard around our state creating  these incredible items. It’s a ‘shop local’ opportunity for sure.”

Maine Made 2013 is at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. Tickets will be available at the door. Prices are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and children under 12 are free. Wine tasting is an additional fee.

The one-day show is co-produced by the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Maine Food Producers' Alliance. The state Department of Economic and Community Development is collaborating with producers and sponsors to promote Maine’s small businesses.

For more information on Maine Made 2013, and to see a complete list of vendors, chefs, wineries and breweries are attending, visit MaineMadeShow.com, call 236-4404 or email karen@penbaychamber.com.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

PROSPECT — Jeremy Sawyer was a teenager when he began volunteering as a frightful-looking clown at The Friends of Fort Knox’s annual haunted tour, Fright at the Fort. Now 26, he’s just as excited to drag out his costume as ever as he gears up to crouch in a corner Friday night and scare the bejeezus out of passersby.

“I love horror movies and comedies. I’m a real fan of B movies,” he said of the campy cross-comedy/horror genre.

He is a huge fan of Halloween and created the sinister clown character “The Freak Show,” which plays on people’s fears of clowns in general.

“He’s so way out there, beyond who I normally am,” said Sawyer. “If I can’t make them scared, I’ll make them laugh.”

“My voices are what gets them,” he said, giving a demonstration — “Kids, where y’all goin,” he said in a scratchy Downeast Maine accent.

He created the costume from scratch with help from a makeup artist who had instructed the Fright at the Fort “haunters.” Along with the striped black and neon green costume, he’ll unveil a new prop he procured this year called a scream cannon, which is a loud horn blast combined with a spotlight.

“We’ll just get up behind people and set this off,” he said, smiling.

He’s part of the 100 volunteers who orchestrate the haunted tour each year as nearly 8,000 people make their way through the Fort’s creepy corridors.

“I’m part of a group of 15 people who do what I do,” he said. “We all get along and have a lot of fun doing this each year.”

They call themselves Carnevil.

“All of us have said we’d love to do this again for other organizations, as long as it doesn’t interfere with Fright at the Fort’s schedule,” he said.

Sawyer has costume ideas sketched out on paper that he hopes to transform into more characters down the road. For now, The Freak Show is primed and ready to go. If you go to Fright at the Fort this year and an evil clown jumps out at you with a scratchy Maine accent, go ahead and scream. It’s just Jeremy.

To learn more about what Fright at the Fort is all about, check out our latest story, The ghoulish underbelly of Fright at the Fort.


Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com