BELFAST— A generational shift has elevated the working class bartender to celebrity chef status in recent years. No longer is the profession viewed as a “fallback job” or a waste of a good college degree. Hey Bartender, a documentary by Douglas Tirola, played in two local theatres last week, the Strand and Colonial, providing insight into the rise of the craft cocktail culture in recent years.

For those who never noticed the difference, a craft cocktail is not a pour n’ stir gin and tonic, or a slap of ginger beer into a glass of rum, squeeze a lime and voila, there you have it. About 10 years ago, the craft cocktail scene began to burble up in every part of the U.S. with an emphasis on pre-Prohibition spirits, fresh juices, herbs and added flavors like homemade bitters.

According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, “Every ingredient in the drink and element of its presentation — down to the glassware — can be fresh, homemade and prepared specifically for the individual drink recipe.” 

The art of the cocktail can now be found at number of Midcoast’s bars and restaurants such The Gothic, Three Tides, 40 Paper, Francine Bistro, Natalie’s Restaurant, Shepherd’s Pie, FOG Bar and Cafe and 3Crow Restaurant, to name a few.

If there is a negative, this culture does suffer a little too much from the hipster mustachioed suspender-wearing crowd and the self-professed mixologists, a term that seems to divide bartenders of every stripe. But at its core, it’s similar to the food scene; i.e., farm-to-bar, and intends to bring just as much care and attention to the design and presentation of spirits as one would expect a chef to bring to each plate going out of the kitchen.

Mike Hurley, co-owner of the Colonial Theatre, a former bartender himself, introduced the film to the small, mostly Baby Boomer crowd at the Colonial Theatre Aug. 21, followed by a quick introduction by director Douglas Tirola, who has been traveling the country promoting the film. Tirola, also a former bartender, made the film because he wanted to show the story of the rebirth of the bartender and the comeback of the cocktail. For him, it’s not just about the drink, it’s about the resurgence of the small communities that form at these places.

“I always think of having gone to these places with my parents growing up where you see the same people at the bar. And every time you went there, you had this special community and I said to myself I wanted to be part of that someday,” he said.

Tirola focused much of his film on the New York scene, where he himself, began frequenting certain places like Employees Only, a world-famous bar in New York.

“That led me into this world where people were becoming bartenders because they really just loved that life,” he said. “They said ‘Enough with 9-5 life. I want to interact with people; I want to do things with my hands and really turn cocktails into a craft.’”

Hey Bartender is an engaging film whether or not you’ve been in the restaurant/bar business. One of the primary arcs of the film follows a young guy in his 20s, Steve Schneider, an ex‐Marine turned mixologist. His story of how he got his head injury that led to his apprenceticeship as Employees Only bartender is the most compelling part of the film; you’re rooting for him. And because he is so hardworking and sincere about ascending the ladder to become a Principal Bartender, he begins to exemplify the honor of this profession.

A bartender doesn’t just sling drinks. The good ones are dedicated to giving their all 12-13 hours a day.  The film shows the perks of this swift-moving culture nationwide from saucy Prohibition-style parties to the prestigious Spirited Awards Ceremony in New Orleans, an international event for cocktail professionals and enthusiasts, where Schneider and his fellow Employees Only staff compete in splashy competitions.

In attendance with Tirola on stage after the film were two local bartenders, Mike Casby, who used to tend bar for The Lost Kitchen before he and his wife became the new owners of the catering company, Trillium Caterers, and Chris Kenney, who tends bar for Front Street Pub, Delvinos, La Vida and FOG Bar and Cafe.

“The one thing I appreciated about the film is the way it portrayed bartenders making a place comfortable for people and giving good service,” said Casby. “Raising your game in terms of what you offer and provide for people for cocktails is a natural extension of that.”

A film like this will naturally garner a lot of opinions from bartenders, because there are a variety of approaches to take to bartending. Some, like Front Street Pub, Rollie’s, Cuzzy’s, Navigator Inn, Time Out Pub, and other neighborhood bars have their share of loyal, long-time customers, whether they’re slinging Budweiser on tap or Jack and Cokes. Kinney added, “I think it’s almost cool to be a geek and that’s where the mixologist comes in. But when they’re talking about a bartender, that to me, is just old school, where we just are the hard hat version of it. This is what we do behind the bar to get it done, not to be fancy, more the hard-nosed iron worker thing of bartending.”

In that regard, one of the minor characters Hey Bartender follows is Steve Carpentieri, this kind of salt-of-the-earth owner and bartender of a place called Dunville’s in Connecticut. Dunville’s went  from  being  the  “it”  bar  in  town  to  a  place  barely  staying  afloat. In the film, Carpentieri first rejects, then entertains, the idea of craft cocktails at his bar by attending a few events at the Spirited Awards Ceremony, but the audience get the sense it isn’t his niche and maybe for a reason. It’s not a look for everybody and not all bars need to go that route.

In any case, the craft cocktail scene is alive and well in the Midcoast with more restaurants and bars opening each year using the best ingredients Maine has to offer. As for what defines our local bartenders, it depends on who you ask. Doing one’s job well, caring about one’s customers and giving excellent service — no matter what bar you go to — has been pretty much the norm in just about any place you’ll set foot into around here. We’re lucky that way.

To see what kind of craft cocktails Midcoast establishments have been serving up, follow Stephens Penobscot Bay Pilot series “What’s In That Cocktail” on Pintarest.

To see more articles on local filmmakers, check out: ‘Anatomy of the Tide’: Raising money in Maine and getting a major motion picture made in Maine

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Welcome to our summer series that provides a 24-hour guide to the Midcoast for a variety of personalities, crafted by locals who know this place inside and out. You're not going to see the most expensive and the most obvious choices here. What you will find is the best of real Maine — where to go, where to stay, where to eat and drink.

CAMDEN - You of course, own a Leatherman, enjoy the piney-pungent smell of your own pits and know that there are at least three definitions for the word “gators.” To you, an entire day of sleeping, eating and bathing outdoors in Maine is not a punishment; it’s a pilgrimage. So reach for the Dr. Bronner’s, dunk in the river and lather up, we’re taking you on a 24-hour trip to experience the best outdoorsy, pine-needled adventure that Camden has to offer.

Morning: Rise And Shine Darlin'

For the truly outdoorsy

At the heart of it all lies the gem of Camden Hills State Park, with 5,700 acres and 30 miles of hiking trails, which offers a terrific amount of diverse topography, taking you to mountaintops and back all the way down to the rocky ocean’s edge. The campground has more than 100 individual sites to choose from, complete with bathrooms and showers with hot water. It is arranged to allow each camping site a certain amount of privacy. For you, mountain man or woman, breakfast is likely to be simple: a handful of GORP and Gatorade before you head out on your journey.

For the semi-outdoorsy (you like to wake up in a real bed and eat a real breakfast)

We offer Abigail’s Inn, right near the center of town for those who want to “kind of” rough it. Innkeepers Kipp and Beth Wright are the perfect hosts for this particular series. Both hike and kayak regularly (and can show you to some great kayaking lake portage points) and the back door of their inn leads right to the Mount Battie trail which is a relatively short (1/2 mile), but very rewarding hike up the south-facing side of the mountain. Once up there, you can connect with the 30 other hiking trails of Camden Hills State Park. As for breakfast, Kipp said: “They are pretty big. We like to load up our guests with lots of calories. We do a full service breakfast, typically a main course, fresh fruit side dish or baked dish, bacon and baked goods. An example of some of our breakfasts include pumpkin mousse with eggs, biscuits and seared smoked ham, or poached eggs with roasted tomato, or French Toast soufflé with fresh fruit topping. We even have gluten-free pancakes if they want that.”

Midmorning Activity

First, a quick detour into town to get provisions for the next few hours. The Camden Deli is the best place for freshly made-to-order sandwiches, which you can take with you. Across the street, Boynton-McKay also offers cold wraps, grab-and-go meals and gluten free options. But if you want our advice, go to the market in the center of town, French and Brawn Marketplace and get what we call The Snack: Little Lad’s popcorn, a couple of hard boiled eggs, St. Andre triple cream cheese, apples, pistachios, and a fresh baguette. F&B (as locals call it) also offers smaller, individual chilled wines, champagnes and beer for easy packing. Or just go for the big bottle of chilled wine and snag a couple of coffee cups. All the necessary food groups!

The Maine Trail Finder maps show you where you can pick up a trail within Camden and begin enjoy a leisurely hike at an average of about 2 to 2.5 hours. We recommend the Mount Battie Trail, which offers some incredible views of Penobscot Bay—or if you’re at Camden Hills State Park, take the Megunticook Trail, the most direct route to the park's finest views. It will take around an hour to cover the one mile distance, as it ascends nearly 1,000 vertical feet, with moderately steep segments in the upper section.

Lunch Time, And You're Starvin' Like Marvin

If The Snack at the top of the mountain didn’t fill you up, in the parlance of Hobbits, you are due for some secondsies. We recommend Mount Battie Take Out, a tiny roadside joint on Route One across from the Camden Hills State Park and next to Beloin’s Motel. This under-the-radar gem is open seasonally, but owners Gary Oliver and Kevin DeFoe (two of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet) offer top-notch take out using the freshest seafood and produce Maine has to offer. Try the combo baskets (fried clams, shrimp, and scallop) or the homemade clam chowder or lobster rolls. The haddock sandwich, reasonably priced, is undeniably excellent, crispy, flaky and fresh. If you’ve never had Maine ice cream, they also offer Gifford’s super-rich old-fashioned ice cream, too.

Mid-Afternoon Activity

Breakwater Kayak LLC is owned and run by Mark DiGiralamo, a true outdoor enthusiast, who knows these waters like the back of his hand. Mark has worked for 10 years as a registered Maine sea kayak guide in Rockport before deciding to start his own company in 2000. His love of guiding includes a passion for teaching others about the marine life, birds, and plants of this area using the freedom and mobility of a sea kayak. He runs a two-hour Camden Harbour tour, which lets you paddle amongst the tall-masted schooners and recreational boats in the harbor before setting off for the nearby Curtis Island and its historic working lighthouse. Mark’s specialty is pointing out seabirds and harbor seals, and other wildlife. “It’s very peaceful,” said DiGiralamo via a Historic Inns of Rockland Maine blog. “The physical motion of moving yourself across the water in the harbor and being with wildlife swimming and flying all around you is very calming. And sometimes exciting. You might see an osprey diving directly in front of you or a seal popping up nearby.”

For Kicks, Try This

When you get your land legs again and just want to chill a bit after your heavy outdoor activity day, find a shady spot in the Camden Harbor Park and Amphitheatre and plop down. Fieldstone, brick, grass and native trees and shrubs weave their way throughout the Amphitheatre adding to its French-inspired Art Deco landscape design. Take a snooze if you want, nobody will bother you.

Happy Hour Activity

Little known local fact: when you ask for the coveted outdoor seating at Graffam Brothers Harborside Restaurant with the brilliant harbor views, you don’t have to order a full meal in order to sit there. “Anyone is welcome any time to come out on our deck and just have a cocktail,” said Carly, one of the servers. They offer a full bar as well as local brews on tap. And it’s the best spot in Camden to watch the schooners come in from one of their afternoon sails.

Dinner Time And What To Do After

After a full day, we’re going to send you back outside—this time to Atlantica Restaurant, right on their back deck overlooking the harbor. They favor the fesh and local vibe, with small menus that are an ideal way to eat light, such as their Hot & Sour Maine Shrimp and Crab Soup ($9) and Cheese Boards with Hahn’s cheese, unfiltered Maine honey, nuts, vegetable pickles and flax seed crackers ($14).

I don’t know about you, but after the massive day you’ve had, I’d be toast. If it happens to be a Monday night, the Camden Harbor Park and Amphitheatre shows outdoor movies in the grass or jazz in the park—an awesome way to wind down your night.

The Morning After

Time to shove on, but there's one more place you need to check out to complete your 24 hours and The Smoothie Shack, the little red food truck on Elm Street, right in the parking lot of the Midcoast Adventures Rentals — you can’t miss it. For around $6-7, they offer 100 percent all-natural fruit smoothies with no added sugars or dairy, such as the Berry Good smoothie, filled with beets, arugula and spinach, red chard, blueberries, strawberries and apple. That’ll get you feeling right proper again.

Follow our Vacation - Staycation: The locals' Guide to the Midcoast on Pinterest.

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

Paul Doiron’s Massacre Pond is his fourth book in a series of crime novels featuring game warden Mike Bowditch and is set in Washington and Hancock counties. He’s won multiple awards for his books including the Barry Award, Strand Critics Award, and the Maine Literary Award for crime fiction.  Doiron, who is the editor-in-chief of Down East and is a Registered Maine Guide, lives in the Midcoast and and has been on a book tour all summer.

A summary of Massacre Pond follows:

On an unseasonably hot October morning, game warden Mike Bowditch is called to the scene of a bizarre crime in Eastern Maine: the corpses of 10 moose have been found senselessly butchered on the estate of Elizabeth Morse, a wealthy animal rights activist who is buying up huge parcels of timberland to create a new national park. What at first seems like mindless slaughter — retribution by locals for the job losses Morse's plan is already causing in the region— becomes far more sinister becomes far more sinister when a shocking murder is discovered and Mike's investigation becomes a hunt to find a ruthless killer. In order to solve the controversial case, Bowditch risks losing everything he holds dear: his best friends, his career as a law enforcement officer, and the love of his life. The beauty and magnificence of the Maine woods is the setting for a story of suspense and violence when one powerful woman’s missionary zeal comes face to face with ruthless cruelty.

We caught up with him to get a sense of where he culled his real-life material from.

Q: As a narrator, you good-naturedly rip into Maine caricatures with an equal-opportunity finesse; e.g., the New Age hippie; the rich, arrogant doyenne; the good ole boy gun-toting poacher; and the white Passamaquoddy wannabe. How have Maine folks both native and from away reacted to your characters so far?

A: Mainers seem to respond favorably to my characters since they recognize them as people we all know or have observed at country fairs or in grocery stores. One of the important things for me as a writer is communicating what it feels like to be in Maine, not just in term of describing the scenery but also capturing the distinctive subcultures you find around the state. I've had readers "from away" tell me that some of the characters strike them as grotesque. I always wish I could bring these people along with me while I'm doing my research. They'd realize how much I scaled back the eccentricities of real people I've encountered here.

Q: Your main character, Game Warden Mike Bowditch, seems to come down right smack in the center of a ripped-from-the-headlines controversy of the millionaire environmentalist character (*cough* Roxanne Quimby *cough*) and her desire for a "forever wild" national park vs. the loggers, sawmill workers, hunters, camp owners and others who've used the land for their own purposes going back generations. So, the million dollar question is, do you share Bowditch's neutral perspective, or do you personally come down one side or the other on the controversy?

A: The truth is that in order to decide how I felt about a North Woods National Park, I had to write an entire novel about it, which means that I don't have a succinct answer for you. That may sound like I'm avoiding the question, but it's a complicated subject. I did my best to grapple with all the pros and cons in the book, and I bet some readers will conclude I'm a proponent while others will be convinced I loathe the idea. I would have liked to see the Legislature fund a feasibility study of the park with as much urgency as they did with the East-West Highway. I mistrust people who are afraid of information. In general, I'd like to see more public land in Maine — although I'm more concerned by the dearth of coastal access here.

Q: Your setting is primarily the back logging roads, woods and lakes of Washington and Hancock counties. Did you spend a lot of time in this region researching the book? 

A: For the past decade or so I've visited the Grand Lake Stream a couple of times per year. I have friends who own property up there who are pretty outdoorsy, and I've spent a lot of time in the bow of Grand Lakers, searching for mushrooms after rainstorms. People tend to think of the Maine Woods as one thing, but there are, in fact, many different kinds of woods — from Central Hardwood Oak Forest ecosystems to Coastal Plain Basin Swamp ecosystems. Each is distinctive and characterized by different species of trees and other flora, as well as other natural features. For instance, in Washington County, you have these amazingly huge glacial erratic boulders everywhere. Game wardens are closely attuned to the natural world, and I do my best in the books to suggest the differences they perceive as they range from one ecosystem to another.

Q: I read from one of your reviews that Massacre Pond was partly inspired by the unsolved 1999 "Soldiertown moose massacre," the worst wildlife crime in Maine history. Where did these original moose massacres happen and what was your theory on this unsolved case?

A: In 1999, guides and game wardens discovered the corpses of nine moose, two deer, and an eagle along logging roads northwest of Moosehead Lake. The animals had been shot with .22 rifles and left to rot where they'd fallen. It was a senseless slaughter, and people up that way are still angry about it. The wardens who investigated the massacre started from the presumption that the animals had been killed as an act of revenge against the Warden Service, but that doesn't seem to have been the case at all. The statute of limitations has run out and no one will ever be punished for the crime, but one warden, Mike Favreau, wouldn't let the matter rest. He kept asking questions, and eventually he identified two petty criminals from York County who had been staying at the Birches in Rockwood at the time who admitted to killing other moose while driving around at night and drinking. They deny that they committed the crimes in Soldiertown, but it defies belief to the think that there were other eco-vandals in the Moosehead region that same week.

Q: Can you tell us what real places inspired your character, Elizabeth Morse's log "mansion" called Moosehorn Lodge, the fictional local hangout "Pine Street Store," and the center of the book’s controversy, Moosehorn National Park?

A: The Pine Tree Store is a real place in Grand Lake Stream, and it's very much the hub of activity in the village. As a reader, I enjoy visiting locations I read about in novels (I did my own Hemingway tour of Paris, where I tried to find as many of the landmarks as I could from The Sun Also Rises and A Moveable Feast.) But as an author, I hate to feel constrained by insignificant details like whether there is a gravel pit in a certain place when I want to set a scene in one. I try to mix up real locations with my own creations. So there is no Sixth Machias Lake, for instance, or a Little Wabassus Lake. Moosehorn Lodge is based on a couple of very expensive lakeside homes I wrote about for Down East years ago when I was an associate editor assigned to the architectural beat. It also bears a slight resemblance to the El Tovar lodge at the Grand Canyon, where my wife and I honeymooned.

Q: How long have you lived in Maine and where are some of your favorite places to simply "be" in this state?

A: I'm a Mainer, and except for a few brief intervals when I lived out of state, I have spent my entire life here. Being the editor in chief of Down East has given me the license to explore just about every corner of Maine. (It's easier for me to name the towns I haven't visited as opposed to the ones I have.) I have many favorite places, including Washington County's Bold Coast. I've spent a lot of time in the forested mountains of western Maine, primarily between the Bigelows and The Forks, and feel at home in that part of the world. I love sleeping in a cabin in the woods on a rainy night. Monhegan during migration is another favorite destination, and the Scarborough Marsh, where I spent so much time as a boy fishing for striped bass.

As part of Rockland independent bookstore hello hello’s 2nd anniversary party on Saturday, Aug. 24, Doiron will be signing copies of Massacre Pond from 2-4 p.m. For more information, visit his Facebook page. To find out more about the book, visit his website.

• For archives of Real places in Maine that inspire literary fiction, visit Penobscot Bay Pilot's Pinterest page.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com
 

ROCKLAND — Next week, a documentary titled “Hey Bartender” will be whirling through the Midcoast, landing in Rockland Aug. 20 at the Strand Theatre and the next night, Aug. 21, at the Colonial Theatre in Belfast.

Why is this special? Because for the many bartenders, wait staff and caterers who serve our communities through the crazed summer and fall months, right straight through the quiet (and poor) winter and spring months, this documentary gives a voice to the many who choose this lifestyle.

Director Douglas Tirola puts it much better:

“I wanted to show how people view bartenders and how bartenders view themselves. What are bartenders’ dreams, aspirations; what goes through their minds as they make drinks and what they think about at the end of the night when they are on the way home by themselves?

“I also wanted to articulate an understanding that having a working‐class job is something that cannot and should not be stereotyped. Working with your hands doesn’t mean you are limited by your intelligence, your education, your worldview or what you make over the course of your life. I think in movies we often view people who have jobs traditionally considered working class, like a bartender, as someone who had no other options, or as a result of some mistake or failure had this as a last, viable career choice. I wanted to show that people who work on their feet and with their hands everyday, or as I like to say, the sort of people who shower after work, can lead fulfilling lives and have successful careers. I think this portrayal of the working class is severely missing in contemporary films.”

Of the two principal bartenders the documentary follows, one, named Steve Schneider, will change your view of what it means to be a bartender in today’s culture. After finishing at the top of his class in the Marine  Corps., becoming an intelligence specialist and volunteering for an elite unit headed for Afghanistan, Steve had a tragic accident and suffered a severe head injury.  His military  career ruined, Steve took a job behind the bar near where he was stationed in Washington, D.C. Steve’s appetite for learning and passion for the mixology movement led him to New York City, and a position as an apprentice bartender at the world‐famous cocktail bar, Employees Only. This past year, Steve has set records in a global speed bartending competition, as well as won an international cocktail competition in New Zealand.  He has been featured in numerous magazines and television shows for his cocktails, including Zagat’s inaugural 30 under 30.

“Hey Bartender” had its world premiere at SXSW Film Festival in March and just had its theatrical release in New York City June 7 — to great success. The documentary is playing in theaters all over the U.S. throughout the summer.

Following the Aug. 20 and Aug. 21 screenings, there will be Q-and-As led by director Douglas Tirola and a few local bartenders. The show at the Strand Theatre starts at 7 p.m. and at the Colonial Theatre the show starts at 7:15 p.m.

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

PROSPECT – Yarrr, the pirates be back! On Saturday, Aug. 17, at Fort Knox, the Pirates of The Dark Rose will be plundering the village with swashbuckling sword fights, duels, cannon fire and a pirate ship attack. The pirate ship Must Roos will let loose cannon fire on the fort as she sails the waters of the Penobscot River, in search of booty.

For a little sampling of what to expect, watch our short videos of their daring adventures on sea (lots of cannon fire and screaming!) and on land (lots of sword fighting and screaming!) If you’re curious to know how these pirates got their mad swashbuckling skills, read our Pilot article on Theatrical Violence, Ho! Ha Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Fwannng!

Saturday’s lineup includes: 11 a.m. Captain Crudbeard’s Cannon Shooting Lesson

12 p.m Pirate Parade and Costume Contest

1 p.m. Pirate Ship Attack with Cannons, Flintlocks, and Cutlasses in front of the Fort

1:45 p.m. Talk Like a Pirate Contest

2:15 p.m. Treasure Hunt

3 p.m. Pirate Weapons Demonstration with grappling hooks, pikes, boarding axes, whips, swords, pistols, and blunderbuss.

Regular Fort admission and a $3 per person event donation requested, because pirates love their gold! People are encouraged to carpool to the Pirate Day events at the Fort due to limited parking.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

CAMDEN — Unless you're looking closely, it’s easy to miss the original Maurice Sendak prints behind the counter at Bubbles and BEAN Children’s Consignment, located in the Reny’s Plaza in Camden and owned and operated by Andrea Palise. 

Christine’s Gallery, a frame shop in Linconville, provided the Sendak prints, among other framed prints on the wall. “Sometimes people will leave original artwork at Christine’s store to be framed and they just never come back, presumably because framing is expensive,” said Palise. “So she gave us three rare vintage prints from an original 1963 print book, including a Where The Wild Things Are print, which has already sold. This print book contained 17 original Maurice Sendak prints—there were maybe a few thousand copies of this print book sold at the time.”

According to Palise, on eBay, the Sendak prints might normally go for $500 and on art dealership websites, for thousands of dollars. There are two Sendak original framed prints left, each under $200. “Basically, this is an unbelievable steal,” she said.

The interesting thing is that Palise, whose primary business is selling children's clothes and other items, isn’t an art dealer nor wants to be. She said she just sees consigning these pieces as a way to help fellow artists and crafters in her community. When they're gone—they're gone.

Individuals and artists like Christine Buckley-Clement of Christine’s Gallery find Bubbles and BEAN’s store a perfect fit for artistic consignment items with a children’s theme, which wouldn’t necessarily appeal to her own older clientele in Lincolnvlle. In addition to the one-of-a-kind prints, Buckley-Clement mats and frames custom pieces spelling children’s names using the 1926 Mother Goose Alphabet and prints from Mary Englebright, a famous children’s book illustrator in the 1970s.

Palise accepts unusual and individual art and crafts that would fit well in a child’s room, such as watercolors from another local artist and a series of origami mobiles that another new mom did while staying at home with her young child. “These came from a lovely young girl. She doesn’t really get to go out at night so she makes origami. It’s her hobby,” she said. Palise points to another display she accepted from another mom, of handmade pacifier holders, each artistically rendered.

“It just comes out of the woodwork, sometimes,” she said. “It’s important to me to be able to be a storefront for these women because there is so much diversity to this work and so many talented people in this community, from toymakers to knitters to these unusual origami mobiles. We like to offer something different than your Wal-Mart clothing,” she said.

In a way, Bubbles and BEAN sort of functions like a bricks and mortar Etsy for children's crafters in the area. “I give more than a fair percentage to these crafters because I love having their products in here,” said Palise. “Especially in our area with the tourists—they love it. I could just do clothes, but it’s all about the kids. In our homogenized world where everything ends up looking the same, this is made in Maine, local and it’s fun for the kids and fun for the moms. They know when they see what crafts we’re offering that this is not made in China and doesn’t get distributed by thousands of stores.”

For more information visit Bubbles and BEAN's PenBayPilot Affiliate page.

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

BELFAST — The room or garage set aside for band practice should never be spotless, according to musicians. If it is, that’s a sure sign that the music is going to be too sanitized. A little too polished—a little too adult.

So when I find Hunter Finden, 18, Wes Sterrs, 19, and Molly Samuels, 18, the Belfast trio who propel the punk rock band Jim Dandy, I’m glad to find myself in a familiar place I’ve been many times in my life: a run down, off-the-kitchen alcove with bright yellow walls sporting a faux sponge finish and a single wall decoration, an American flag. There’s a piano against the wall, musical instruments, amplifiers and pedals scattered around the bare floor. The dingy brown couch is completely covered with stuff—no place to sit but on the arm of it. And I’m fine with that.

Before getting down to talking, the band members first launch into a cover of Pixies Where Is My Mind.  The song is tight, brash and loud. Kind of like an ape beating on its chest. They don't know what to make of me; they’re fairly new to this interviewing thing, with two of them just out of high school. It takes a little time to break through the awkward barrier of having someone sitting there evaluating them, which they know and I know, but we’ll get over it. A couple of songs later, including one of their originals, called Milk Street, helps them ease into it.

Out on the back deck, I pull up a cooler and sit down. Time to get to the talking part. Sterrs and Finden had been playing together for a couple of years when they decided to form a band called Jim Dandy. Those in the Midcoast familiar with Opera House Video will know there is a real person in Belfast named Jim Dandy as well; he happens to own the video store.

“The band name had everything to do with the real Jim Dandy,” Finden explained. “We named it after him.” They’ve said the real Jim Dandy was pleased with this. “Jim’s just awesome, he’s the coolest dude ever,” said Finden. “We’ve known him since we were kids,” added Sterrs. “We’d go into the Opera House and he’d always give us CDs and movies to watch.”

“He’s like Santa Claus,” Samuels broke in.

“Like Santa Claus, but way cooler,” added Finden.

As with most fledging bands, they experimented with their sound (blues rock, psyche rock), their band name and revolving band members before gelling into their authentic sound, punk rock. Asked what they wouldn’t catagorize themselves as, Sterrs and Finden rapid fired off adjectives: “Rock and roll. Dub step. Folk. Easy listening. I wouldn’t call it hi fi. Not New Wave. Not shoegaze.”

What is shoegaze? “It’s like late ‘80s/’90s rock and roll, like The Smiths,” said Finden. “You put an echo and reverb on everything. It’s like you're in a dream, really spacey, alternative rock.”  What’s interesting is they’ve had a lot of time to define exactly what they are by what they aren’t. Finally they agree on what it is: “Lo fi sound, garage punk style,” said Sterrs.

The band finally got grounded when they asked their friend, Samuels to join. She was a constant presence at their practices anyway, hanging around listening as they wrote their songs.  ‘We originally wanted Molly as our bassist, but she wouldn't be in our band,” said Finden.” At this point, Samuels, curly-haired and bespectacled, breaks out into a wide, spontaneous grin.

“Because I didn't know how to play the bass! I played it in sixth grade and never played it again and I was too scared because they’re intimidating musically,” she said. 

The guys don't like the term ‘groupie.’ To them, she was their Dandylion. “We eventually convinced her to be part of the band and taught her to play bass,” said Finden.

Now, the three of them have their game down and are about to drop their first self-produced and self-titled album at the end of the summer. It was done, not in a studio, but the old indie way of making punk music, with the barest of instruments and equipment, using an Mac and Garage Band to layer in individual tracks. At first, the band bristles at the word ‘indie’ because in this generation, the word has been mangled and maligned by hipsters, but its true essence derives from creatives who used their energy and talent to create something from nothing. Indie artists don't sit around waiting for opportunities to happen; they make them happen with whatever they can beg, borrow or steal. Besides their sound, this is their ethic: to organize shows or places to play on their own. Or, like in the case of the Belfast Musical Festival, not bother going through the registration process to be able to play in a pre-ordained area, but to simply throw their instruments out on a sidewalk and just play. That's why it’s punk, not folk rock.

All self-employed, the band members have worked continuously to put the final touches on the album. “In reality we threw this thing together very, very quickly,” said Sterrs. “We are trying to release two albums in one year. This sort of fits into the whole 'indie' thing because we aren't following that linear model that most bands follow of taking two years to polish a perfect album. It took us less than a month to produce the whole debut album and we're going to start the second one as soon as we finish the first.”

They describe it is a concept album, telling a story, about a character named Jim Dandy—but not the real Jim Dandy—who gets kicked out of his house and “is convinced by his dog to kill his girlfriend.”

“It’s a parody. It has nothing to do with the real Jim,” said Finden, with a smile.

“It’s like Frank Zappa’s Joe’s Garage,” added Sterrs. “We have audio skits and conversations with characters in between the songs which tell the story.”

On Aug. 15, they’ll be  playing at the Waterfall Arts Fallout Shelter with Pleasant Street (from Blue Hill) and Earth Person (from Bangor).

“There’s not a whole lot of places to play around here and we just we wanted to throw a show,” said Sterrs. “This will be the second show that we've thrown at Waterfall Arts in hopes of getting the ball rolling on consistent live music in Belfast. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. with a $5 cover.”

For more news of the band’s progress, keep up with Jim Dandy on Facebook or Band Camp

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Wes Sterrs is an occasional contributor to Penobscot Bay Pilot.

Welcome to our summer series that provides a 24-hour guide to the Midcoast for a variety of personalities, crafted by locals who know this place inside and out. You're not going to see the most expensive and the most obvious choices here. What you will find is the best of real Maine — where to go, where to stay, where to eat and drink.

MIDCOAST — You love the smell of fresh hops, you snort when someone offers you a Pabst Blue Ribbon and your ultimate vacation centers around a Beer Trail. Maine’s burgeoning craft brew movement began in 1986 (some say on par with Seattle’s beer scene) and is now home to more than 30 breweries and 200+ brands. Josh Christie, author of Maine Beer: Brewing In Vacationland told us: “The Midcoast is a wonderful microcosm of Maine's three decades of craft brewing. It has breweries like Andrew's doing traditional English ales, the style that launched the revolution. And it has an ‘extreme’ brewer in Marshall Wharf, which is at the forefront of Maine's continuing beer revolution. With strong support of these (and other) Maine breweries at beer stores and restaurants around the region, it's a fantastic place to explore the panoply of Maine-made beer.”

Morning: Rise And Shine Darlin'

Our beer lovin’ sources tell us that the best place to forge your own Maine Beer Trail on a 24-hour timetable is to stay at the The Captain Lindsey House Inn in Rockland, owned by innkeepers and captains Ken and Ellen Barnes. Before they were inn owners, they were full-time captains of the windjammer Stephen Taber. A quick bit on their history here. This adventurous pair have high spirit, share a lot of laughter and make you feel right at home — and their breakfast buffet is outstanding. Guests are invited to pick and choose from yogurt, homemade granola, assorted cereals, muffins and breads, cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs, assorted fresh fruit, juice, eggs to order and/or waffles. If you happen to be there on a day they make Eggs Benedict with asparagus and thick cut bacon, consider yourself lucky — for you will be well fed and ready for your journey.

Midmorning Activity

Road Trip! This one’s going to require a designated driver or, if you feel like having someone else do the driving, contact All Aboard Trolley, which offers custom van trips at $85/hour (plus gratuity) and/or for large groups (8 to 10 people), a coach at $125/hour (plus gratuity). We’re carving out a section of Maine Brewers Guild’s Maine Beer Trail to start you off right. This ride up is a scenic coastal one-hour trip from Rockland and the first place we’re gonna hit is Penobscot Bay Brewery, in Winterport, which offers tastings Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. They offer seven hand-made brews ranging from a honey ginger lager to a stout ($3 for 6 samplings). They can also do tours by appointment or by chance, but call ahead first. Pro tip: under Maine law, they can't sell you beer into an unlabeled growler—but they do have growlers for sale.

Once you’ve gotten your fill, it’s time to toddle back down the coast for the rest of the Beer Trail. Next stop, Belfast and home of Marshall Wharf Brewery. Marshall Wharf is the quirky kid in the bunch, combining powerful brews with a flip sense of humor like their Ace Hole pale ale and their Cornholio Welsh inspired blonde ale.  They also offer tastings Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can have up to eight choices of their handcrafted brews (3 ounces for $1 or 7 ounces for $2.50). They also do a “No cash for a splash”—that is, if you just want a mouthful, it’s complimentary. Like Penobscot Brewery, they also offer growlers. For future notice, at 4 p.m., next door when their Three Tides restaurant opens, you can get a sample paddle of any five beers at the tasting (3 ounces each for $6). But, we only have 24 hours and we gotta keep trucking.

Lunch Time, And You're Starvin' Like Marvin

Forget the shmancy places, the Craft Beer Lover will love a no-nonsense booth-and-tables joint like Rollie’s Bar and Grill (37 Main St., Belfast). With a simple, affordable menu, they sport a surprising amount of serious craft brew on tap. Pair with the Ale Battered Haddock sandwich ($9.49)  or the Bacon and Blue Cheese Burger ($7.99). Rollie’s staff always hustles and they keep the mood light. Rollie’s Pro Tip: When you hear the clanging of the bell, that's not Clarence getting his angel’s wings — it’s probably because somebody tipped 20 percent.

Mid-Afternoon Activity

Down the coast we go. It’s now time for a scavenger hunt. Along with the first two breweries you visited, a few other notable Midcoast breweries belong on this Beer Trail. These are: Belfast Bay Brewing Company in Belfast (which doesn’t offer tastings) and Liberty Craft Brewing Co. (off the beaten path). To accomplish this scavenger hunt, you’re going to have to gunk around to several off-the–radar and little known places in the Midcoast, such as Vinolio (an olive oil, beer and wine tasting room on Belfast’s Main Street) and the Belfast Co-op, (a community-owned health food store in Belfast with a killer craft brew section in back.) Here’s your scavenger hunt List. Try to find:

• Belfast Brewing Company's Lobster Ale
• Andrew’s Brewing Company’s English Pale Ale
• Marshall Wharf’s Ace Hole
• Penobscot Bay Brewery’s Half Moon Stout

On your way back to Camden, stop by Northport Beverage in Northport: Home of the Exotic Beers. (You’ll have to Google Map it as it’ll sneak right up on you on Route 1, heading south.) This is probably the most unassuming gem of a place Craft Beer Lovers will ever find. It looks like a redemption center (and part of it is) but the next building boasts more than 350 different kinds of craft beer from all over the world to choose from. And, you can buy just one and don't have to purchase the whole four- or six-pack. When you hit Lincolnville Beach, stop by stop by Andrew’s Brewing Company’s latest venture, a brewpub next to the Lobster Pound. When you get to Camden, duck into Lily, Lupine and Fern’s beer cooler in the back room, or Cappy’s Chowder House store or even Stop ‘N Go, the one-stop gas n’ shop for locals, which carries an interesting selection of Maine brews in the back cooler.

For Kicks, Try This

By the time you get back to Rockland, it will be afternoon. If you feel the need to chill out, go back to the Captain Lindsey House Inn. They have a guest refrigerator in which you can store all of your scavenger hunt items. You can drink anything you’ve brought with you on premises, so mosey on out on to their back patio surrounded by lush gardens. They’ll even put out an afternoon snack for you such as fruit and cheese plates, nuts, and homemade baked items like scones and cookies.

Happy Hour Activity

Once you’re feeling refreshed, all you need to do is take a stroll out the front door and you’re right back on Main Street, the heart of where the craft beer happy hour scene has taken off in recent years. You can do a mini-crawl, by hitting 3Crow Restaurant and Bar and FOG Bar and Cafe, two relatively new Main Street gastro pubs that take their microbrews seriously. “We sourced some of the best beers in the world, including those in Maine, and we made a special effort to get those on tap," said FOG co-owner Ashley Seelig. Don’t forget to check out the latest brew pub to hit the Rockland scene— (see our story here).

Dinner Time And What To Do After

We’re going to send you a little out of the way for dinner, but it will be oh so worth it. At this point we recommend a taxi—Joe’s Taxi has the lowest prices in town. About 15 miles inland in Union, The Badger Cafe & Pub, run by Mike and Christy Greer, is a little slice of microbrew heaven.

By the time you get back to Rockland, Rock Harbor Brewing Co. sits just down the street from Captain Lindsey House Inn, a stumble away. They often have live music and dancing — just the perfect end to a perfect day.

The Morning After

Time to head on out, but before you leave, make sure you fill up on another excellent Captain Lindsey House Inn breakfast. After your 24 hours are up here, take what you've experienced and tasted and bring it on home with you. What's that old proverb? “Give a man a beer and you can make him happy for a day. Teach him how to home brew and make him happy for a lifetime.”

Stay tuned for our next series and enjoy your summer!

Updated for 2014

Follow other suggestions in our Vacation - Staycation: The locals' Guide to the Midcoast on Pinterest.

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

ROCKPORT - Every summer, Merryspring Nature Center throws a Kitchen Tour, pairing up a certain number of Midcoast homes with top Midcoast chefs and caterers. Today, we got a look inside one of the eight featured houses to sample some gourmet tastings in the kitchen.

Maureen and Rick Morse, of 40 Pascal Avenue in Rockport, allowed us to come into their kitchen (No. 5 on the tour) and check out its unique features. The roomy kitchen centers on a brick chimney with a six-burner Wolf stove at its base. Other touches include pumpkin pine wide-plank flooring, honed granite counters with subway tile backsplash, cabinetry by Crestwood Kitchens with wooden bung joinery, and milk can pendant lights.

As the tour started, we talked briefly with Chef/Caterer and Food Writer Laura Cabot, owner of Laura Cabot Catering.

What do you have offered today?

We have here a variety of tea sandwiches with a retro bent: the traditional watercress sandwich, a traditional cucumber sandwich and a smoked salmon sandwich, which is always popular. We also  have a ribbon sandwich, which is done in layers. It’s got smoked tomato mousse and watercress. They're loaded with butter, also retro. I’ve got some Acqua Panna mineral water. I like to offer something refershing to go with all that buttery goodness.

Have you always been involved with the Kitchen Tour?

Yes, I’ve been doing it for over 10 years, never the same kitchen, but always in a beautiful kitchen like this one. It’s hard to believe this used to be a barn. I love the milk can lighting—the light is fabulous in this place and I love the Wolf stove, gorgeous. I have one at home.

Talk a little bit about the flower display

These come from my garden—lots of day lilies, black-eyed Susans, Hydrangea, some Penstemon and a lot of culinary herbs I like to throw into the mix, such as dill, lettuce, kale, which is really decorative, mint and chervil.

The 2013 Merryspring Kitchen Tour takes place on Wednesday, Aug. ,7 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  To see other featured houses and the 16 chefs/caterers on the Kitchen Tour click here. All proceeds from the Kitchen Tour support Merryspring Nature Center, a nonprofit park and education center in Camden and Rockport with 66 acres of nature trails and gardens. For further information about the Kitchen Tour, call Merryspring at 236-2239 or visit merryspring.org.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKPORT -  It’s unfortunate so many people perceive Edna St. Vincent Millay as this old lady, well known for reciting gracious poetry.  That might have been her persona late into her life, but it took Nancy Milford’s biography Savage Beauty to carve out the essence of who she really was, this freckled redhead with her passionate temper and burning ambition to get out of Camden as a teenager. She was just like hundreds of kids who have grown up in small town Maine, feeling that intractable pull to be elsewhere. Only Millay was a phenomenon; she didn’t just fly the nest. She took off like a 747 and left vapor trails behind.

Anyone who finds Millay’s life fascinating should check out this ongoing exhibit at The Cramer Museum (part of Camden-Rockport Historical Society) on Route 1 (on the left before Hannaford Supermarket if you’re driving into Camden.)

A laptop in the back of the room runs a continuous documentary on Millay, including a scratchy recording of her reading her most famous poem, Renanscance. Fans will be interested in hearing her reedy, thin voice as she recites this poem; it’s not something one can simply access through Hulu or Netflix.

From 1903 to 1913, Millay and her family lived in two houses in Camden, one on Chestnut Street and one on Washington Street. Several of her poems directly harken back to these places.

Mary Pilote, a poet, and lecturer of Millay’s work, said: “Camden is woven into quite a bit of her poetry. Even in Renanscance; she started to work on that when she 18 or so when she was living on 31 Chestnut Street, which is now the Allen Financial Agency. She had a hard time finishing it, kept working on it. They moved back to Washington Street in that little house and they fixed up a little studio for her to work in in the attic. She’s sitting up there in the attic, hearing the rain upon the shingled roof and finally, she was inspired to craft the end of her poem.”

Near to the end of Renanscance, when she’s been reborn from the grave, Millay writes:

The rain, I said, is kind to come

And speak to me in my new home.

Pilote believes that these lines were written in this new home of Millay this little attic studio. “That’s what every writer does,” she said. “You take your experience and it all goes into this big pot and comes out reconfigured.”

There’s the childhood chair in the corner, for example—what looks like an ordinary little chair—until you know what this simple piece of furniture might have contributed to the poet’s most famous poem: ”I sort of suspect this chair was in the Washington Street home. They didn't have a lot of stuff in the Chestnut Street home, which only had three rooms. She was already a teenager when she moved there. As you probably know, if you’re familiar with her poetry, her house on Washington Street, which was torn down and is now where the car wash place is, that really, is the inspiration behind her poem, The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver.”

An excerpt of this poem illustrates how poor Millay’s own family was:

Men say the winter
Was bad that year;
Fuel was scarce,
And food was dear.

A wind with a wolf's head
Howled about our door,
And we burned up the chairs
And sat upon the floor.

All that was left us
Was a chair we couldn't break,
And the harp with a woman's head
Nobody would take
For song or pity's sake.

Pilote explains: “Washington Street was this dilapidated old structure that they rented from a friend of the family and in her diary of those days, she writes how one winter day when her mother came home from work, she found the girls ice skating in the kitchen because the pipes had frozen and spilled all this water on the floor. So, it was a pretty terrible place. Let’s say this childhood chair was one of the ones they didn’t break to keep warm by the fire.”

Frank Carr, the Board President of the Camden-Rockport Historical Society, pointed out a doll-like mannequin made by her mother, Cora: “This is something her mother used to display some of the outfits she used to make in her tailor shop downtown.” .The lace is tattered, but the hair, with a hint of auburn on this mannequin, is real.

“Cora used to make little dolls with pieces of Edna’s hair,” said Pilote. Though she doesn’t think this particular mannequin’s hair is actually Millay’s, she notes, “Vincent used to wear her hair with a braid running around just like this.”

Without giving too much away, there is much more to see at this humble little exhibit in the back room, including handwritten correspondence from Millay (little poems in themselves) and more photographs of her childhood homes in Camden.

Carr said that this isn’t the only exhibit. For those who want to see more, visit the Camden Library and Whitehall Inn, which also retains pieces of Edna St. Vincent Millay’s life.

The Cramer Museum will host this exhibit Wednesday through Saturday 1-4 p.m, which runs until September. Group and school tours are available by appointment. Call 236-2257 or email crhs@midcoast.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND -It’s been 13 years since writer-director Joel Strunk finished his first draft of what is now a major motion picture, Anatomy of the Tide. That script placed in the top 30 of the Nicholl Fellowship in both 2001 and 2010, one of the few scripts to place twice in that scriptwriting competition.

As with all movies, it all starts with the story:

This is an intimate tale of an island boy's journey to courage.  Kyle Waterman seeks redemption from a fisherman father unable to forgive himself for the drowning death of his other son.The family falls apart.  A roving pedophile ceases the moment.  Years pass.  Kyle hides the secret well, like most children do, until a prosecutor from the mainland knocks on his door; he needs Kyle to testify on behalf of new victims too young to face a trial. A dangerous cliff on the east face of the island offers Kyle all of the courage to do this—to tell the truth—to confront his grieving father—to leave the island for for the Ivy Leagues. But to do this, he must truly understand the Anatomy of the Tide.

On Sunday, July 28,  after three years of fundraising, shooting and post-production, Strunk stood in the lobby of the Strand Theatre in Rockland, flanked by his co-producer Ryan Post and two of his principal actors, Nathan Keyes (The Kings of Summer), and Danny Flaherty (Hope Springs).

“This is just a galvanizing, indelible moment for me, personally,” Strunk said as hundreds of people—primarily investors of the film—filed inside for their first private screening. “We beat the odds. There were so many near misses, bullets we dodged—there was a spirituality in the casting process. We were hoping for one star and we got a whole cast of them. “

A fisherman, a husband and a father, Strunk has worked tirelessly to get this film made on the coast of Maine, a feat few major league producers take on, due to Maine’s lower-than-average tax incentives for filmmakers.

These last three years have been the most challenging for Strunk and his co-producer and fellow lobsterman, Ryan Post. First, there was the matter of crowdfunding the old-fashioned way. Unlike so many filmakers who use Kickstarter, however, Strunk and Post spent much of their time raising funds by meeting folks in person, working the phones, pulling in every contact they had, drumming up a few thousand dollars at a time from each investor.

This is a daring model in order to get a film made, and it has paid off. They reached 100 percent of their goal. The film reached in excess of $1.3 million dollars and counting. To date, more than 85 percent of the film’s backers come from Maine, many of them, largely in the fishing industry.

“Most of our investors came from the smaller components of the lobster and fishing industries around here,” Strunk said, noting that many were people he and Post routinely worked with and around. “It is an amazing thing that we’ve been able to accomplish—it does not elude me what this means. The gratitude and appreciation for our investors who had the imagination to support this—I’m so proud of them.”

For other filmmakers who wish to shoot in Maine, this is a success story to pay attention to.

“In Los Angles, you can’t independently finance anything. You can’t approach anyone. It all goes through the major studios,” said Strunk. “In Maine, the upside is we are not encumbered by the constraints of the film industry and independent filmmakers are much freer to make their movies here.”

With local cinematographer Daniel Stephens at the helm, Strunk and his crew shot the film over a period of five weeks in the fall of 2011 with additional principal photography shot during in 2012. Though the film takes place on the fictional island of Cliff Haven off the coast of Maine, most of the locations were actually filmed on the mainland in Midcoast Maine, including Owls Head, Rockland and South Thomaston. Locals will recognize many of the places in the film including scenes shot at Archer’s on the Pier, Slipway and Owls Head General Store. To get the island "look" for the film, many exteriors were shot on the island of Vinalhaven and one crucial scene was filmed on Monhegan Island.

“Probably one of the biggest highlights of shooting was marching through a vernal, spruce forest on Monhegan Island at 4:30 a.m. with backpacks and our star talent carrying the camera equipment like Sherpas—Gabe Basso, Nathan Keyes—all in a single cause to help me make this film,” said Strunk.

He has a written a number of other movie scripts over the years and is looking forward to focusing back on writing that the film has been released. He’s currently working on another script that has some interest in it, titled Veteran’s Day. “But right now my focus is making this film a success and that takes more than just showing up at the altar. You’ve got to go the distance.”

Long before this film was made,  Strunk cited his father, entertainer, Jud Strunk, as his endless source of inspiration. The elder Strunk who played music and had big connections in the entertainment industry in the 1970s (including a stint on Johnny Carson’s Today Show) passed away in a plane crash when Joel was young.

Now, having persevered and seen this film completely through, what would his father think if he were here on the red carpet with him?

“He had a huge affection for film, but his entertainment schedule never allowed him to fulfull his own aspirations, so I think he’d be really proud. I think he’d be crazy about it.”

To keep up with the next phase of Anatomy of the Tide as it goes into distribution, visit their Facebook page.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST — Vinolio owner Susan Woods said you could easily spend up to an hour just roaming around her store, nibbling on this and tasting a little of that. It's Belfast's latest addition on Main Street and it's got all the elements of a perfect Cheap Date. It's fun. It's adventurous. It's a creative way to share a unique sensory experience and it's free to taste as many flavors of olive oils, vinegars, sea salts and whatever other local yummies Woods has decided to offer as samples for the day.

Vinolio opened for business June 21 and recently hosted its grand opening this past week with a wine tasting and appetizers made with Vinolio's products, such as a gazpacho made with garlic infused olive oil, goat cheese balls rolled in walnuts and drizzled with a fig balsamic vinegar and garbanzo beans cooked with Chinese Five Spice drizzled with cayenne extra virgin olive oil.

Here's where you make that "Oh my God, yum!" face, like you're almost mad you weren't there to taste this.

Woods and her husband, Joe, own the gorgeous light-filled space surrounded on all four walls with exposed brick and have held onto it for 10 years, always with the plan to open their own store downtown. They were poised to go through with their plans five years ago but the economy and the timing wasn't right. This summer, everything seemed to come together to make their dream a reality.

Each section of the store has been carefully planned to feature something fabulous. In the center of the room a table holds loaves of fresh, crusty baguettes from Offshore Bakery, which is used for the tastings. Small specialty food items, largely from local purveyors, are available for purchase throughout the store and include things like natural sea salts (also out for tastings), pastas, brownies and cakes, popcorn, local confitures and even an entire cooler of Eat More Cheese items, courtesy of their neighbor across the street.

On the left side of the store, the row of gleaming stainless steel containers, called fusti, dispense the traditional, flavored and white balsamic vinegars and ultra premium extra virgin olive oils ranging from mild to robust. 

"People who know olive oils usually tend to gravitate to the robust side, whereas people just learning usually start with the mild flavors," said Woods. As part of her store tour, Woods picks up a laminated sheet patrons can refer to in order to see what constitutes an extra virgin olive oil based on standards adopted by the USDA and International Olive Oil Council. Basically this sheet is shorthand for: This is the good stuff. Trust. Down the line is a small collection of fusti containing fused extra virgin olive oils, where fruit is crushed with the olives to yield flavors such as blood orange, lemon and cayenne chili. Infused oils are infusions after the crushed cycle.

"I'd say the Tuscan Herb and the Garlic have been the favorite infused oils," she said.  Another row on the left wall features traditional dark balsamic vinegars, all from Modena, Italy, the majority of which have been aged at least 12 years.The Fig and Dark Chocolate vinegars are her best sellers.

Part of the culinary adventure is opening yourself to new ways to heighten a food's natural flavor. "The other day I made a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberries and drizzled it with the raspberry balsamic vinegar," she said. "We have recipes out to give people ideas but if they go to our website, they'll find even more."

To explore the white balsamic vinegars, all you have to do is cross the room. "The cranberry pear has been our big seller. People are crazy about these white balsamic vinegars," she said. "Especially with salads." A small table by the counter offers even more variety: a sesame, a white truffle and an almond oil.

Woods' store hasn't been open that long, but she has been working almost seven days a week every week and word of mouth has largely brought people through the door. Future plans include monthly wine tastings and eventually beer tastings, after they add more to their craft beer section. "We have about 75 labels now, when we get to 100, then we'll be able to do beer tastings," she said.

Wine and craft beer tastings too? Okay they're going to have to make room somewhere in their store for my tent, because once I go back in, I'm not coming out.

The craft beer section features a healthy selection of Maine-made brews as well as other local favorites like Dogfish Ale. "When my husband and I moved in Seattle in the 90s, our exposure to beer was Heineken, Rolling Rock, that kind of thing," said Woods, who, like her husband, grew up in Belfast. "There the craft brew scene was everywhere and we never knew how really good beer could taste. So when we moved back to Maine, we brought that passion for craft beers with us."

The right-hand corner of the store is dedicated to red and white wines, champagnes and sparkling wines, offering about 175 labels.

There is so much to see and explore in this store and when you're done tasting, there are three sizes of Vinolio olive oil and vinegar bottles that staff can fill, starting at $10 for the small bottle (and yep, that pretty much fits the Cheap Date budget profile).

For more information on Vinolio, visit their website or their Facebook page.

For more on Belfast's foodie scene, check out our story: 24 Hours In Belfast For The Locavore

____________________________________________________

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

ROCKLAND — Cheryl Denz, owner of Terra Optima farm in Appleton, which she's run for more than 15 years, had bigger dreams for the farm's community outreach. She initially opened a small, independent store after her eponymous farm in Thomaston, but recently relocated to the Main Street space left vacant by Sweets and Meats in South Rockland. Last week was her soft grand opening. With The Good Tern at the most northern end of Rockland and now Terra Optima at the South End, people don't have to walk far to find the kind of fresh, local produce, meats, cheese, milk, bread, and other locally made items they'd usually have to travel far and wide to get. It's all in one place and Denz said she is thrilled at the welcoming reception she's already received.

Why did you move from Thomaston to Rockland?

We weren't getting the kind of foot traffic we wanted and it's really important to me to be part of the community. It's also equally important for people to have access to really good food. When I saw the space I thought, wow, this really might work.

What are you bringing from your own farm to this market?

Mostly meat. We raise a lot of hogs, so we offer fresh pork. I also make my own sausage. I also raise broiler chickens. That's the primary focus of my farm. I do some beef, but that's usually reserved for CSAs.

What have you brought in from other farms that people can access?

Palmer Hill Farms from Thorndike provides a lot of our vegetables, such as peas, yellow squash, and zucchini. They also provide our milk and cream. Our corn, carrots and blueberries come from Beth's Farmstand. We also carry bread from Offshore Baking in Montville and Bud and Linda Bailey's honey from Whitefield. Sewall's Orchard provides our cider vinegar. We also get produce when it's available from the Teen Agriculture program from Erickson Fields Preserve in Rockport. It's an educational program for teenagers to learn how to be farmers. My particular interest is in education around this field.

Really? What do you do?

My background is in horticulture and I have a keen interest in educating on this subject. I do a lot of workshops; anything that's related to horticulture. To get young people into the business of farming, I will do anything I can to encourage that. What I see happening is that our farming population here in Maine is aging and we don't have enough young people. I think it's important for people my age to become mentors to younger people.

You've really made an effort to involve your community in your store. How has your community reacted to your opening?

It's been overwhelming positive and we've only been open a week! I had no idea. It was like this huge gamble for me and the community has been very, very supportive and it's just been delightful to me.

To find out more about Terra Optima Farm Market's store, visit their Facebook page. For now until July 23, Terra Optima is waiting on getting a phone line. The best way to reach them Denz said is to stop on in. There's a possibility they may throw a more formal Grand Opening.

"I like a good party," she said, so stay tuned.

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Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

BELFAST - The Celtic people were never known to be a dour bunch and this weekend's Annual Maine Celtic Celebration is making the most of its free-flung, crazy wild heritage with a host of music, games, celebrations, food and contests. We checked in with Claudia Luchetti, the celebration's publicity director, on three of its well-known (not-to-miss) wacky events.

Highland Heavy Games

Sunday July 21, 8:30 a.m. Steamboat Landing

The traditional Highland Heavy Games go all the way back to the 11th-Century and possibly even before that in the Scottish Highlands. Each game or competition tests the strength and coordination of each competitor to their maximum capability. It is like watching the Olympic Games firsthand, but in Celtic cultural form and tradition. First, here's a rundown on what they actually are:

Scottish Hammer Throw — A heavy metal ball (12/16 pounds for women, 16/22 pounds for men) is attached to a four-foot wooden shaft. With both feet in fixed position, the athlete whirls the hammer overhead and then tosses it forward in an attempt to reach a longer distance than any hammers thrown by competitors.

The Caber Toss — The athlete holds up and balances a long tapered pine pole (basically a tree that has been cut and trimmed down!), then runs forward and launches the caber and tries to flip it end over end the longest distance of any caber toss by competitors, relative to a straight "12 o'clock" path.

An Open Stone Put — Similar to a shot put, yet with a heavy stone as the object (8-12 pounds for women, 16-22 pounds for men), the stone can be thrown by any method as long as the toss begins with the stone in one hand cradled in the athlete's neck before being tossed the longest possible distance.

Heavy Weight Throw — Weights are metal with handles attached, thrown with one hand by the athlete, some putting a spin on their toss (28 lbs. for women, 42 pounds for "masters men") and a similar throw with weights not quite so heavy (14 pounds for women, 28 pounds for men). The athelete who can execute longest throw is the winner.

The Weight Over the Bar—The athlete heaves a very heavy weight (56 pounds, or 4 stones) over a horizontal bar. Each competitor gets three attempts, and those who are successful move to the next level in raising the bar until only one is left.

"I didn't see all of them last year, but the one that stands out for me is The Caber Toss," said Luchetti. "To do The Caber Toss, the contestants have to first pick up this long wooden pole, which looks like it weighs somewhere between 100 - 200 pounds, and balance it vertically, then has to throw it so that it tumbles end over end and whoever throws it the longest distance in that way wins."

Luchetti said that these Highland Heavy Games attract professionals who train for these games year-round and travel all over the country to compete, so that it will definitely be a thrilling show. Amateurs may also try their hands in certain categories.

The New World Cheese Rolling Championships

Sunday, July 21, 1:30 p.m. Belfast Common

Little known fact: cheese rolling dates back to the 1800s in the U.K. The Cheese Roll Championships will consist of 10 races this year, based on age and gender of contestants.

"This competition is limited to 10 people and nobody can pre-register for it. They have to start at the bottom of the hill and run up (not with the cheese). The first 10 people to get up the hill first can gain a place to paticipate," said Luchetti.

Each race begins with a three-pound wheel of cheese being rolled down the slope on Belfast Common toward the bay. The whole point is that the wheel stays upright and in each category (five categories of men and boys and five categories of women and girls) the contestents line up at the top of the hill and race one another to catch up with and grab the cheese wheel. The first to grab it wins The Grand Prize - the cheese wheel itself. The cheese wheelmaker, Cathe Morrill, sponsoring owner of the  State of Maine Cheese Company in Rockport, notes that "each wheel is composed of three full pounds of our customers' favorite kind of cheese, Katahdin Cheddar Cheese. All you can eat, just for chasing it down the slippery slope.”  Also according to Morrill, "We did something a little different with the cheese this year. Instead of naturally aging the cheese to create a rind, we used the 'clothbound' method. There are two advantages to this method. First, there will be more edible cheese for the winner. They won’t have to carve off the hard, natural rind to get to the great cheese inside. All they need to do is remove the cloth and enjoy the delicious unwrapped cheese. Secondly, as the cheese ages, we develop a beautiful green color on the outside of the cloth. It just seemed so fitting to have a Celtic colored cheese to roll down the hill."  

Celtic Dog Show

Saturday, July 20, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Parade and following show, Steamboat Stage

Anyone who owns a Celtic breed of dog can participate in this fun event, in which short little wee dogs have been known to strut around kitted up and in Scottish uniforms behind a Scottish bagpiper. The opening parade around the Celebration site starts at 9:00 AM.  Following the parade, dog owners will gather at the Steamboat Stage and do a little show and tell about their dogs including the breed's history and characteristics, along with any other interesting facts or human interest stories. A list on this website shows what breeds are eligible. "It's really a chance for people who love Celtic stuff and dogs to talk about the dogs and meet other people," said Luchetti.

Visit Penobscot Bay Pilot for more information and a schedule of events

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Welcome to our new summer series that provides a 24-hour guide to the Midcoast for a variety of personalities, crafted by locals who know this place inside and out. You're not going to see the most expensive and the most obvious choices here. What you will find is the best of real Maine — where to stay, where to go, where to eat and drink.

BELFAST — You have your own garden, you own a CSA share and you're not afraid to ask the waiter 20 questions on where it was grown, if it's local and in season. When the locavore goes on vacation, it's all about the food and drink. Belfast has always had the earthy, artsy vibe, but like its Midcoast siblings Camden and Rockland, this bohemian town has been steadily gaining a hip reputation over the last 10 years, largely due to the artists and new eateries moving in. So come to Belfast where cool meets collectivism and get ready to spend 24 hours in locavore heaven.

Morning: Rise And Shine Darlin'

Our in-the-know sources tell us that The Alden House Inn (63 Church St.), an 1840 house owned by innkeepers Rose Cyr and Larry Marshall, offer affordable rooms, an expansive garden and fresh, homemade breakfasts featuring local ingredients. They use top quality products from local farms and artisan suppliers such as New Beat Farms in Knox for their greens and seedlings, Orwin's Eggs in Belfast for their eggs and and Aurora Mills flour and cornmeal from Songbird Farm in Starks for their Maine grown grains. Some of their specialties include shirred eggs with herbs, chevre and Virginia ham, scones, blueberry pancakes served with Maine maple syrup and smoked bacon, vegetable strata and Rose's fresh-baked popovers with maple butter that people go absolutely bonzo over. They also offer on-site therapeutic massages and to-go lunches (including vegetarian) for your day's excursion.

Mid-morning Activity

July is peak growing season in Maine and if you happen to be up for a weekend, and every Friday Belfast Garden Club chooses a local garden with the "wow" factor and arranges with the owner to have an Open Garden Days tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The various types of gardens (from Japanese to edible to four-season with meandering stone paths) can be found at their website. (Note: gardens with past dates are now closed to the public). But you can simply walk right up to the owner's property and you will be warmly welcomed. All they ask is a $4 donation, which benefits the Club's civic beautification projects.

If you're up any other day of the week, Good Karma Farm and Spinning Co. (67 Perkins Road) is a full-time working farm in Belfast that welcomes tours by appointment. They're like the flippin' Martha Stewart of agriculture. They raise alpacas for fiber and breeding stock; they spin their own yarn on location at the farm and they make their own soap. Good Karma Farm is also the home of Carrabassett Soap Company, now in its 14th year of soapmaking.

Lunch Time, And You're Starvin' Like Marvin

By the time you come back from your pokin' around adventures, it's lunch time and there is no better place for the locavore to have lunch than Belfast's own jewel, the Belfast Co-op, a community-owned health store, deli and café since 1976. Take your time sussing out the entire store first, which offers a locally grown produce department, free-range and organic meats, fresh-caught seafood, Maine-made cheeses, gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian selections, as well as all-natural Asian, Indian, Thai, and Mexican foods and ingredients. (They're one of the only places in town offering craft beer and organic wine selections too—so if you're a fan of Maine made libations, stock up.) And bonus: one of their own staff has his own award-winning beer for sale. Every first Friday of the month, they even hold a free art opening/wine and cheese tasting, featuring seasonal wines and gourmet cheeses from 7 to 9 p.m. But oh, we almost forgot lunch! Sit down at their self-serve cafe after ordering something delicious from their deli, which changes up its specials and offerings daily. For example, Buffalo Chicken Wrap with a side of Asian Slaw for $7.50 or the Mini Huevos Rancheros, an egg with black beans and cheese served in a mini toast bowl served with salsa, sour cream and homefries for $4.95. On a cool day, their homemade hearty soups and chowders also hit the spot.

Mid-Afternoon Activity

When we write another column on Belfast, we'll cover the art scene, but for the locavore up in Belfast for a summer day, it's all about the outdoors. Belfast has a lot of hidden gems of preserves, easements and walking trails, thanks in part to Coastal Mountain Land Trust. We recommend you strap on those hiking boots and hit the Stover Preserve Trail in Belfast (1.5 mile loop), which takes you right to the edge of the Passagassawakeag River, through dense white pine forest. Click here for a map and directions. It's long enough that you get to get back to nature, yet short enough to allow you to enjoy the rest of what Belfast has to offer.

For Kicks, Try This

This one's a two-fer because we're trying to cram every awesome Belfast experience we possibly can into this article. First stop, get your local cheese on (err, is that even an expression?) with one of Belfast's latest tasting shops, Eat More Cheese, "where cheese freaks may worship on the altar of locally produced cheese." (Check out our Penobscot Bay Pilot article on them.) They offer about 40 cheeses from all over the world—but definitely try the samples of locally made varieties. After you've taken two samples of every kind (when you've tried to make it look like you've only taken one), thank owners Tony and Natalia Rose and walk on up the street to Chase's Daily, a vegetarian restaurant that doubles as an art gallery and local farm stand. Enjoy the art while you wander to the back of the building for some of the most affordable and fresh produce, like heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, squash, turnips, and beets. Grab a homemade cookie or scone from their in-house bakery to take back with you. But next, it's just a hop up the street to...

Happy Hour Activity

It would be impossible not to mention Belfast's newest restaurant, The Gothic (108 Main St.), headed up by raw/vegan chef Matthew Kenney. There's plenty of talk about in the raw food vegan and non-vegan lunch and dinner category, but this is happy hour so we'll focus on their artisianal cocktails, such as the popular Cape Aviation (lavender-infused Beefeater 24 gin with Contratto vermouth bianco, lemon, orange bitters and thyme) and locally harvested Pemaquid oysters on the half shell over champagne ice — six for $12 or a dozen for $24.  Doors open at 5 p.m. for the dinner crowd, but they can happily accommodate drinks and small plates.

Dinner Time

This suggestion is going to throw you a bit; and that's the purpose of the "24 Hours in Midcoast" series; not to be predictable or to assume everyone is working off a large budget when they visit. For this reason, we're going to tell you that if you've had on some fancy outfit for happy hour, you'd better bring a change of clothes. You can't get any more locavore than an eat-in-the-rough lobster dinner at Young's Lobster Shore Pound (4 Mitchell St.) sitting at a long picnic table overlooking the sunset on Belfast harbor. Seriously, this is why people live in Maine and live for Maine. Inside the no-frills building at Young's you pre-order your lobster, which comes right off the boat and is held in large salt-water tanks. They also serve up fresh clams, shrimp, fish and crabs, corn on the cob and you can bring your own booze for the table. (Now, you understand why you need to get some of those Maine craft beers or wines from The Belfast Co-op!) This is as authentic as it gets. The price is $24.99 for dinner and includes a 1-1/2-pound softshell lobster with steamed clams. A 1-1/18-pound softshell lobster is only $15.95.

What To Do After

After dinner if you're looking for a chil scene, try Three Tides (2 Pinchy Lane), Belfast's modernist bar and lounge with the funky layout and sweet outdoor deck. They have a brewery on site and the locavore will want to sample their Marshall Wharf craft brews (we recommend the Cant Dog or the Toughcats, after their favorite Maine band). Or for the cocktail lover, every Friday and Saturday night they make a special juice cocktail from fruit they get from local farmer's markets. They just created a strawberry margarita for the Lincolnville Strawberry Festival; they've done a blueberry infused Cosmopolitan and when peaches are fully in season, they have plans to make some kind of peach concoction that will no doubt blow your doors out. Weekends are usually accompanied with music from local DJs, who bring a sophisticated sound to the waterfront.

Hey, you still up for a little adventure?  Belfast Paddle Sports, (15 Front St. at Heritage Park)  just opened this summer and if you happen to be around for their next full moon paddle (July 22), or fireworks paddle during Celtic Festival (July 20) or meteor showers (Aug. 12) this is the supreme way to cap off your 24 hours. Owner April Lawrence will lead a group of six-eight people out in the harbor around 8 p.m. "That gives people who haven't paddleboarded before a chance to get comfortable on the water," she said. "Then we head out to a good spot and watch the sky." Price is $49 per person and you'll be able to enjoy being out on the water for a couple of hours, depending on the group.

The Morning After

Time to clear out, but there are two more "to-go" places you need to check out to complete your 24 hours and that is Belfast's latest juice and smoothie bar, The Juice Cellar (9 Beaver St.) for a raw juice to get your engines running. We recommend the Running on Sunshine (cucumber, romaine, apple, kale, cilantro, parsley and lemon). These energy boosters are reasonably priced at $5 for 12 ounces and $6 for 16 ounces. Owner Chris Roberts also makes his own raw granola, raw tortilla chips, raw donuts and raw chocolates. And finally (phew, don't blame us for the weight gain this weekend), stop by another place for locally sourced food, Scallions (In Reny's Plaza; see Penobscot Bay Pilot's story on them) for restaurant-quality, pre-made, grab-and-go lunch items for your trip back home. Scallions caters to local ingredients, smaller portions and affordable ($10 or less) good, quality food in containers that can be popped into the microwave or oven.

Stay tuned for our next series and enjoy your summer!

Follow other suggestions in our Vacation - Staycation: The locals' Guide to the Midcoast on Pinterest.

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

They've been deliberately under-the-radar for more than a decade, but it's a little known fact: the Cedar Crest Inn and Country Inn in Camden, and Navigator Motor Inn and Tradewinds Motor Inn in Rockland, have all been the temporary homes for the cast and crew of major motion pictures. These four inns comprise Liberty Hospitality of Maine, which has been the go-to lodging option for film crews since the early 1990s. The four accommodations have put up cast and crew of Anatomy of The Tide (2011), In The Bedroom (2001), Stephen King's Thinner, (1995), Mel Gibson's Man Without a Face (1992), FoodTV Productions' Lobster Festival segments, and numerous smaller commercial shoots.

Stephen Liberty, owner of Liberty Hospitality of Maine, understands the high-intensity world of film crews. His first exposure to filmmaking came about at age 5, when his parents took him to observe a crew shooting scenes in Penobscot Bay for the 1977 TV movie, Captains Courageous.  Little did he know, years later in his hospitality career that his path would once again cross with the film industry.

"We sort of fell into it," he said. "We had a fair amount of activity in the 1990s. There was a pretty good run there where every year or two, film companies would come to the coast and film something here."

He's met quite a few stars, as have his staff.. . not that they're telling.

"Discretion is the name of the game," he said. "To our credit, we don't advertise when stars are staying here or what their schedules might be. But we've had Sissy Spacek, Mel Gibson, and Marisa Tomei stay with us. Quite honestly, a lot of the bigger name stars use pseudonyms anyway when they check in."

Liberty has watched nearly all of the films of the production companies he has hosted. "It's always fun to see shots of our area. And actually in the film In The Bedroom, there is a shot of the Tradewinds sign coming down Route 1 on sort of a dark, rainy night, which is kind of neat."

Liberty will also attend the latest film set to premiere in the Midcoast later this month, Anatomy of the Tide, another locally shot, independent film, which has been their most recent client.

"It's kind of interesting to have been involved in this one in that we're also one of their minor investors," he said. "They raised local funds to get production off the ground and it's been great to participate in that film in a minor way as well as put up some of their crew."

Liberty said the Maine Film Office, a central resource for television, film and media production across the state, has been intregral to his connection to the film industry. They recently upgraded their Production Guide, essentially a free database listing Maine cast, crew and support services. This is a boon to the creative economy. Now, anyone with a skill or who can provide goods and services to the film industry can get a listing, which helps producers find talented and available crews and support services available in Maine.  

By creating a listing in the Production Guide, local crew and businesses can create and update their own profiles, describe their experience, list their credits, identify their associations, promote their own websites, and upload a resume or company brochure.  All individuals and businesses that are available to support filmmaking in the state — prop makers, electricians, hotels, restaurants, office supplies, car rentals, and furniture stores, and a variety of other businesses — are encouraged to create a listing in the Production Guide database.  

"The Maine Film Office does a good job of being the initial point of contact for these production companies that are scouting for locations," said Liberty, who advised those interested in being part of this database to know what they're getting into. When a film production is underway, it's not a "9-5" commitment.

"It is a 24-7 operation when a production is going on," he said. "There are calls at midnight, 4 a.m. wakeups, but it's kind of fun. It's exciting to be part of the 40 or 50 days a film crew is here shooting. It's flat out at times, but then it's over and you won't see it again for awhile."

In addition to the Production Guide, the Maine Film Office has rolled out a new location database, which allows anyone in Maine with property to upload photos of their residence or property for possible use in an upcoming production, simultaneously allowing filmmakers to scout for locations virtually.

The online registration form for the Maine Film Office Production Guide can be found by visiting www.filminmaine.com and clicking "Production Guide" or "Location."

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

BELFAST — Belfast Creative Coalition member Mike Hurley wants people in Belfast to have a lot of fun this summer. He is one of the organizers behind The Colonial Theatre's Summer Fun Fest, eight evenings of comedy and movies over the course of the summer.

Coming up Saturday, July 13, at 9 p.m., a trio of stand up comedians, headlined by Boston native Rob Steen, will take the stage. Steen is a high-energy performer who has been featured on several TV shows, including The Late Show with Dave Letterman, where he is a frequent guest. Spending the past 21 years as an entertainer, Steen is great at working the crowd and making every show different with his fast-paced delivery, quick wit and unique style of crowd participation. The Boston Globe has said: " Rob's act is fresh and always different. He has a gift for working the crowd into his act and taking them on a ride into his off beat world."

"Rob has worked in Maine over a number of years," said Hurley. "And the stand up comedians he brings are really funny. I remember one time Rob got up on stage and said, 'I just drove over here on Route 3 from Augusta. You know, I understand people in Maine like to have stuff, I just don't get why you have to have it all in your front yard.'"

Hurley said they are bringing more than funny movies in to Belfast to expand the use of Colonial Theatre's performance space. "We just like to mix it up and give people something fresh. We recently got a beer and wine license, and that goes well with all the things we're doing in the Summer Fun Fest."

Next weekend the Colonial Theatre is screening cult favorite The Big Lebowski and is encouraging movie goers to dress the movie's theme.

To find out more about Rob Steen & Co. and see clips of him on Letterman, visit his website www.robsteen.com

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

This summer we're starting a literary series with Maine authors titled "Real places in Maine that inspire literary fiction"...

Bill Roorbach is a Maine author, whose latest novel, Life Among Giants (Algonquin), which just won the 2013 Maine Literary Award for fiction. This funny, exuberant novel captures the reader with the grand sweep of 7-foot-tall David "Lizard" Hochmeyer's larger-than-life quest to unravel the mystery surrounding his parents' deaths.

Since Life Among Giants takes place primarily in Westport, Conn., where Roorbach grew up nearby, and in Miami, Fla., we focus on Roorbach's 2005 memoir, Temple Stream, (a real stream in western Maine that runs 12 miles from the highlands of Avon, through the village of Temple and into Farmington, where it meets the Sandy River). Roorbach lives just over the Temple line in Farmington with his wife, Juliet, and daughter, Elysia, and a lot of animals. Temple — as a place — is apparently sublime. It has been described on Wikipedia as a "a sanctuary for writers, poets, artists and crafters, and the setting for several novels, biographies, and memoirs."

Q: Your book makes Temple Stream its own character, among other quirky, rural folks in the book. What is the magnetic appeal of this stream to you and so many writers/artists?

Yes, the stream, which flows through fields below my house, is the focal point of the book, which is structured three ways. One, it's an uphill exploration from mouth to headwaters. Two, it traces the arc of the year of my daughter's birth. Three, it uses the old nature-writing staple of proceeding by seasons. In the course of my very real exploration of the stream, I met all kinds of people, but often brought people with me, too — scientists of various kinds, philosophers, historians, poets, loggers, etc. — all to look at the hundreds or even thousands of facets any stream presents. I wanted to get to know it even better than I already did, and set about learning as much as I could about the natural history, the human history and the science of the place. I don't know how many others have written about the stream itself, though it's true many writers have lived in Temple. One was Denise Levertov, who does have a very sexy poem about making love in the stream. This I include in my book. The well-known nature writer Bob Kimber lives on the stream, and he and I wrote a book together with Wesley McNair (current poet laureate of Maine) about a pond we all love in Temple: A Place on Water, which was published by Maine publisher Tilbury House. George Dennison was a truly great writer and lived up above the stream in high Temple. I know all of his kids and admire them, call them my friends. As for why Temple, the town, has attracted so many writers and artists, well, it's beautiful. Also, it's situated, as the poet Ted Enslin famously wrote, at the end of the road, has a feeling of privacy and separation from the world. But of course a lot of other kinds of people live there, too, and you meet a cross-section in my book.

Q: We're curious when writers use real names of real places and how the residents of Temple have reacted to your writing about the town and surrounding areas?

So many are friends, and so many talked to me as I made the book, that I think the reaction is mostly very positive, even grateful. Where it's not, so be it. I tried to write as honestly and accurately as I could, and the history in the book is well accepted, as is the science — many neighbors were excited to learn so much and get so much depth about our familiar backyard. The main story is my family's story, and I think our neighbors have been delighted to get to know us better. The more important reaction to me, and one that people forget, is the national reaction. Temple Stream was reviewed in dozens of newspapers and magazines across the country. The original concept, in fact, came from an essay I published in Harper's.

Q: In the book you describe putting messages in 10 bottles and flinging them into the stream to see where (and in whose hands) they'd end up. What were you hoping to learn about the people who answered your message in a bottle and did you?

I just thought it was romantic to send notes out like that. I really didn't expect to get any back. But in the end, five out of 10 did! Amazing. One was from just downstream, found by a neighbor kid who was out fiddleheading (and who, now grown up, works at Longfellow Books, as it happens). Others were found at various spots all the way down the Kennebec River, with the last coming from Popham Beach. Wow. I had no agenda, just curiosity. I'm still hoping one will turn up in West Africa someplace having ridden the Gulf Stream.

Q: Where is your favorite place to be in Maine in the summer on a gorgeous day, where there are no obligations and no worries?

I love so many places in Maine. Popham Beach is one. Fore Street, the restaurant in Portland, is another. The Mahoosucs, that's pretty wonderful, too. And any of about 75 lakes and rivers. Don't get me started!

• Roorbach is traveling all over the United States on his current book tour for Life Among Giants. To find out more information on his new book visit Life Among Giants. Also read reviews on Temple Stream here.

• For archives of Real places in Maine that inspire literary fiction, visit Penobscot Bay Pilot's Pinterest page.

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

BELFAST - Pretty soon, white pop-up display tents will begin dotting Belfast's waterfront park downtown in anticipation of the yearly juried art fest, Arts In The Park, July 13-14. Amid two full days of non-stop music and varied food offerings, 85 fine artists and artisans will be on hand to talk about and sell their original work.

What kind of art can you expect to see? The quality and variety will be vast, featuring traditional and contemporary art, photography, sculpture, metalwork, woodwork, fiber art, paper products, large scale pieces and much more.

Following is a sampling of a cross-section of the many dozens of distinct artists who will have booths at the event:

With a background in photography, Anna Low of Purple Bean Bindery is a book artist who creates each unique product by hand, whether it's an accordian-fold blank book, or her signature "Bitty books" for people intimidated by big, blank pages. See the Penobscot Bay Pilot story on Anna, What to do with a blank book.

Chong Lim and his wife, Judi, work together to preserve centuries-old traditions of metal plate engraving and paper embossing, with Chong designing each piece and Judi doing the presswork (the actual embossing and coloring). She also makes some of the paper they use and marbles other papers as well.  See our Penobscot Bay Pilot story on Chong and Judi, Island Designs.

Mark Guido combs the woods and beaches of Maine for his materials. This inspired him to create his line of stone products and rustic furniture. Mark's work is made from those found materials, including stones, twigs and burls, which he has gathered from the forests and approved beach sites along the coast. See our Penobscot Bay Pilot story on Mark, Natural Stone Products and Rustic Twig Furniture.

The weekend is shaping up to be a gorgeous one, weather-wise. Five bands will be playing, providing coverage all weekend long, including Belfast Bay Fiddlers, Bad Daddys Band, Maximum Blue, Captain Obvious and perennial favorite, the Blue Hill Brass, which has played Arts In The Park for more than 10 years. A wide array of food will be available from various vendors such as The Good Kettle (coffee and baked goods), IFF-Inerfaith Fuel Fund (strawberry shortcake), The Uproot Pie Co. (wood-fired pizza,)  The Game Loft (burgers and more),  Ye Olde English Fish & Chips (fish & chips, lobster rolls, etc.),  Stone Fox Farm Creamery (ice cream), and  Ma’s Shaved Ice.

For more details about the weekend event, visit their website, artsintheparkbelfast.org. For a preview of more artists scheduled to appear at Arts In The Park, check out their Facebook page.

ROCKPORT — The Camden International Film Festival is throwing its annual summer party at the Rockport Opera House and film lovers, CIFF supporters and the general public are invited.

Wednesday, July 10, film buffs will be treated to a stylish fête that combines light fare from Swan's Way Catering, Double Cross Vodka cocktails, Breakwater Vineyards wine, Three Tides and Marshall Wharf Brewing Company craft beer and some stellar music courtesy of a DJ accompanying a sneak preview of upcoming films on the CIFF 2013 slate this fall.

CIFF Founder and Director Ben Fowlie said, "The main thing is to get people excited for the main event in the fall. They're going to get an early look at the program. We'll screen about 35 minutes of clips and trailers of movies and shorts."

The party is a fundraiser and tickets start at $125. The party goes from 7 to 9: p.m. For more information and to get tickets visit CIFF Summer Party.

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

ROCKLAND — After the fireworks are over, the excitement and celebration continues Friday, July 5. With presumably good weather on the way, Rockland's First Friday Art Walk has three fresh and funky events to watch for in the contemporary gallery scene.

Streetside roller derby demonstation kicks off show opening: 4:45 - 8 p.m.

Jonathan Frost's first solo show "Roses, Romance and Roller Derby," is set to open with an unusual twist. The Rock Coast Rollers, Midcoast's sassiest roller derby queens, will offer a live demonstration of their mad skating skills outside the gallery on 21 Winter St. Vehicle traffic will be closed down at precisely 4:45 p.m. and between 5 and 8 p.m., the show will open featuring live jazz with Steve Lindsay and Friends. The Rock Coast Rollers were partly the subject of Frost's latest show.

"Roller derby is a new sport whose rules and patterns are changing...it's also spectacle, with elements of theater and dance. It's an arena that welcomes self-expression in dress, hair, skin, speech and movement. Most importantly, it's a way women can be strong and fast and agile," said Frost, elaborating on his fascination with the sport.

In addition to his roller derby paintings, Frost presents 16 of his signature oils of floral subjects, the roses in the title of the show, and a visual meditation on two poems by Emily Dickinson, the romance.

"Roses, Romance and Roller Derby" will run through July 31. For more information visit JonathanFrostgallery.com.

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Eric Leppanen's Afterlife 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.; After party: 9 p.m.

Belfast artist Eric Leppanen, most known for turning donations, discards and reclaimed materials into grand works of art, will unveil his first solo show, "Afterlife," at Asymmetrick Arts in Rockland. This past spring, Leppanen and nine other artists locked themselves in the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport for 24 hours and created edgy art installations out of a huge pile of donated refuse, which was collectively titled "Resisting Entropy." Leppanen's contribution to the installation was a complete drum kit made out of buckets, pots and pans.

The Afterlife show is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Following that, Café Miranda, which has shown Leppanen's works on their walls in the past, will host an after party from 9 p.m. 'til close, featuring the live "blue electro" music of Eenor. Eenor descibes itself as "a unique genetic brew: one part intergalactic space bird and one part albino lizard from the inner tubes of earth."

"Afterlife" runs through July 26. For more information, visit asymmetrickarts.com,

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PicassoWhat Artistic Differences: 5 - 8 p.m.

PicassoWhat, Rockland's newest art gallery (studio 210 above The Black Parrot and FOG Bar on Main Street) opens its latest show, "Artistic Differences," with a public reception from 5 to 8 p.m. There will be live music by The Ale House String Band, as well as refreshments. PicassoWhat, launched by partners Jeff Wolff and Lori Schafer, has already established (with its name) that it has a sense of fun about it. The show's contemporary vibe includes works by Maine artists Andrew Speed, Tom Higbee and Marc Cutonilli; Nevada artist Samuel Foote; Maryland artist Rachel Bingamen; and Ohio artist Ava Avadon, among others.

For more information visit PicassoWhat on Facebook.

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

BELFAST - The Laugh Out Loud Short Film Festival is coming to Belfast this Wednesday, July 3, and it is not promising to be a traditional film festival. In fact, it is anything but.

According to its website: Unlike the snooty content prominent at most conventional film festivals, our films won’t challenge you to be a deep thinker or ponder the man’s inhumanity to man. Hardly.  Our filmmakers seem to focus on aspects of everyday life that average people can relate to; social media, dating, bodily functions, human sexuality, marriage, raising kids, and drinking.  We realize that raising kids and drinking may seem a bit redundant.

Film Festival director Joe Edick, out of Michigan said, this is the second year they've put this adult comedy festival on.

"Every film has gotten an audience-favorite vote in order to make it into the festival,"he said by phone. "Obviously, comedy is subjective, but we've pared down tons of submissions to bring you what we consider the funniest."

The first three short films, which have all won awards, seemingly start out the strongest. Slated to run first, Status Update: A Facebook Fairytale, an Australian film at 11 minutes is about a guy named Allan "whose Facebook status updates are all coming freaking true!"

It won a special Jury Prize from the New York Friars ClubComedy Film Festival. The next film, The Dark Companion which runs 14 minutes, is about Howard, a puppet facing an existential crisis when he is the only one who can see the puppateer controlling him. This won "Best Film" at at the Laugh Track Comedy Festival. The third award winner is Dream Job, a 19-minute film about Dave, an out-of-work filmmaker who has been selling his comic book collection to pay his rent. Just as he's about to give up hope, he's offered what he thinks is his dream job...a chance to work for George Lucas. This won the Audience Award at The NYC Picturestart Film Festival.

"Last year we got a lot of G-rated material," Edick said. "This year, the predominant content we got was pretty blue. It is definitely adult humor. For whatever reason, that's how it worked out this year.  I wouldn't recommend anyone under 18 attending, but if you've seen Pineapple Express, The Hangover, and Knocked Up, this is the type of humor to expect."

"You know if you're going to go to a traditional film festival, you're committing to days of watching films on end. This gives someone a taste of the festival experience and compresses it in 90 minutes. You get all the fun and less time commitment. It's interesting because with these films, you'll see a lot of great up-and-coming works by many people who are in the film industry, but haven't gotten the shot at writing and directing major films, so in their spare time, they pull a little money together and they do it on their own.

The Laugh Out Loud Film Festival is among many funny, edgy offerings The Colonial Theatre is bringing to the area this summer, including stand up comedy and more movie favorites.  The film fest will run again on July 28 and August 16. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $8.25 and the Tiki bar will be selling beer and wine. For more information about the Film Festival visit lolsff.com. For more information about The Colonial Theatre visit colonialtheatre.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

SPRUCE HEAD - Remember that scene in Splash when Daryl Hannah chomped into the entire shell of the lobster at dinner? I saw a woman do that about 10 years ago at what used to be the old Bayview Restaurant in Camden before it was renovated. In a distinct New York accent, she announced to everyone inside the tiny restaurant, "I've come all the way here to have a lobster and I'm finally gonna have MY lobster!" Then, crunch, she took a chunk right out of its red exoskeleton, chewing happily. There were...no words after this.

Good news Cheapsters! Miller's Lobster Co. down in Spruce Head, a truly authentic lobster shack, is offering a special $9.99 lobster dinner from July 1-7. For 10 bucks (a Cheap Dates prerogative) this gets you a one-pound soft shell lobster with butter and potato chips and a choice of corn, potato salad or cole slaw with an ocean view. Seriously. People come to Maine for this experience alone, and if you're a tourist on a mission for lobster, you're going to be paying top dollar at a restaurant, which basically serves the exact same thing for twice the price. And locals, this eliminates the work of cooking it yourself and dealing with all the shells and mess afterward.

Plus, I just like the fact that that generations of Millers have lobstered around here and this is their humble, but smart solution to marketing to customers directly. Note: this is not fancy dining, but it's the proper way to eat a lobster, outside, at a picnic table, overlooking the ocean. Getting messy. You may even get to see boats tie up at the wharf and unload the catch directly.

A little chat with Gail Miller, co-owner of Miller's Lobster Co:

Q: Why are you guys putting this special on this week?

A: We've only been open for two weeks since Father's Day Weekend, and it just kind of falls in with the 4th of July, getting foot traffic over here and letting folks know we're around for a reasonable dinner.

Q: Do you mostly get local or tourist traffic?

A: We do both. We have a lot of local regulars and a lot of people we call summer locals, who have summer homes who are here for the whole summer. And they'll bring friends and family from out of town here all summer to give them that little piece of Maine they're looking for.

Q: Have you ever seen someone bite into the entire shell of a lobster before?

A: We haven't seen that, exactly, but we have had people who ask if soft shell lobsters are edible like soft shell crabs in the South.  The funnier thing to watch is clams. Because we have the steamers, and don't do fried clams, there is a layer of skin on the neck that needs to be peeled off (see how to do that here). Occasionally, people who don't know to pull that off, will eat the entire thing whole.

This is the ultimate summer Cheap Date — and you will love the drive that goes with it. Check out their website for more information and driving directions or call 207-594-7406.

For more Cheap Dates, check out our Pinterest category of other fun things to do in Midcoast Maine.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

Welcome to our new summer series that provides a 24-hour guide to the Midcoast for a variety of personalities, crafted by locals who know this place inside and out. You're not going to see the most expensive and the most obvious choices here. What you will find is the best of real Maine — where to stay, where to go, where to eat and drink.

CAMDEN -You're zany; you love a good laugh and you're known for seeking out a good time. We've got a side of Camden for you that is rarely featured in statewide and national magazines, so if you're looking for amusement, entertainment, good, lighthearted people to make the most of your time here, let's roll out the barrel, Crazy Funsters, this one is for you!

Morning: Rise and shine darlin'

Where you stay sets the entire tone of your next 24 hours and innkeepers JoAnna and Bill Ball who run A Little Dream B & B come highly recommended by locals. With more than 25 years running this B & B and almost 100 5-star reviews on Trip Advisor, they are the kind of hosts who bring out the best in everybody. They both have been described by past guests as gracious, warm, hospitable and welcoming.  The fun part, which you didn't know, is that many moons ago, they both used to be eclectic toy designers, with three stores in Manhattan and one in Boston, crafting classic and unusual toys like one-of-a-kind marionettes. Before you head out for the morning, they will tempt you with the most important meal of the day.

As one guest on Trip Advisor states: "The breakfasts are truly sensational and served on a gorgeously sunlit porch. Poached pear, omelets with Brie, crepes and Scottish oatmeal, along with fresh fruit, muffins and juice are just some of Bill's delicious preparations."

Midmorning activity

Time to bug out and see what Camden's got to offer. Just a short walk into downtown, and you'll bypass two of the more light-hearted stores, The Smiling Cow (check out its ribald collection of books, knicknacks and cards) as well as The Planet (a toy store that will appeal to big kids). But shopping all day isn't fun — phoo! No! Bigger and better adventures await you once you get to Midcoast Adventure Bicycle and Scooter Rentals on 46 Elm Street. Aw yeah, baby, it's scooter time. They offer this cool 2-3 hour GPS tour on each of their scooters that will literally guide you around a loop in-town and around the countryside or out by Megunticook Lake. You can choose your own scooter ($40 for a half day) or couple up (someone call shotgun?) on their Scoot Coupe, for $30 an hour. They even provide you with helmets and safety glasses, free.  Editor's recommendation: Rent the Scoot Coupe. It's ideal if one person doesn't feel like driving, or wants to take photos or has a small dog. (Please, for the love of all that is holy, don't wear your dog in a Baby Bjorn while riding.)

Lunch time, and you're Starvin' Like Marvin

By the time you come back from your scootin' adventures, it's a short walk back over to Boynton McKay, a local breakfast and lunch spot, which boasts the craziest ceiling decorations you'll see in any Maine restaurant. They have some of the most affordable and delicious wraps and house specialties, along with grab & go sandwiches and soups, made from scratch. The high-backed booths may be packed when you walk in, but the local's trick is just stand and wait a few minutes. Phil and his staff will keep an eye out for you. Often a booth or a seat by the window will open by the time your food comes.  Editor's recommendation: Try their spicy shrimp wrap with Asian slaw ($6.25) or the Thai chicken salad with mixed greens, peppers, baby corn & two dressings ($7.25).

Happy Hour activity

There is no better way to spend happy hour than on a schooner, with your jacket flapping in the wind and your paws gripped around one of the best Bloody Marys or killer Dark and Stormies you've ever tasted in your life. Trust. There are a number of schooners that sail out of Camden Harbor and we think they're all great, but The Appledore has always had a wacky and talented crew, such as Pirate John, who will cheerfully juggle knives while reciting ballads of the sea while Laird plays guitar.

"I don't know what the other crews' stupid human tricks are," said Pirate John, "but they're probably about spinning yarns and telling lies about the delivery."

The Appledore's sunset sail is $35 per person and runs around 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (As the summer goes on, those times ratchet down earlier.) Remember to take enough cash to tip your crew at the end, for you'll be seeing them later in the night. 

For Kicks, try this

If you choose to do the sunset sail, it's a smart idea to take your own snacks. Bring extra to share with others and you'll be making some fast friends on the sail. Best place to find individual bottles of a local Maine brews is Cappy's Company Store (follow Cappy's Chowder House down the main road to the wharf and you'll find it right after the bakery.) You can also buy bottles of chilled wine there, or if you want individual bottles of wine or champagne, scoot back up to French & Brawn Market Place, the corner general store in the heart of downtown, and you'll find them in the back. While you're there, snag a mini loaf of bread, some individually wrapped cheese, boiled eggs and homemade cookies for the journey.

Dinner time and what to do after

Every restaurant in Camden has its own personality, but if we had to pick one place that gave off a light-hearted, casual, fun vibe, it would have to be The Waterfront, particularly out on the deck, overlooking the winking lights on the ocean.  Their own motto pretty much sums it up: "Our food represents our town: comfortable, honest, unpretentious, but not without a sense of adventure." They have a good seafood menu and you can't leave Maine without trying their Oysters on the Half Shell (all locally harvested) for $14. Editor's recommendation: Try the Cioppiono- lobster, shrimp, fish, scallops, & mussels in a tomato broth with fresh herbs and bread ($23) or the Ribeye, with Jack Daniels roasted shallots and mushroom demi ($24).

Whoa funsters, just 'cause they roll the sidewalks up at 9 p.m. in Camden, doesn't mean you need to go back to the inn just yet. Pop on over to Cuzzy's, a local bar and restaurant (opposite side of the street once you leave The Waterfront) and grab a nightcap. You're not driving, who cares? There's a likely chance you'll see your Appledore crew there (along with other schooner and boat crews) and everybody's always in good spirits, especially when there is karaoke involved.

The morning after

Time to shove on, but there's one more place you need to check out to complete your 24 hours and while it seems like an odd choice, (stick with us, we know what we're doing) go to Camden Deli on 37 Main Street for breakfast. Yes, we said breakfast. This under-the-radar spot boasts a yummers, all-under-$10 breakfast menu, including Wild Maine Blueberry Pancakes and Crab-Melt Omelets with Portabella and Swiss. The best part? Have your breakfast out on the rooftop deck that overlooks the harbor. Seriously, for five bucks and the view, it is the best way to end the funnest day of your life. Yes, we know that's not a real word and no, we're not editing it out.

Stay tuned for our next series and enjoy your summer!

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

Grownups 2 is comedian Adam Sandler's lastest film, due out July 12, a sequel, to Sandler's midlife crisis movie, Grownups. While watching this trailer with a friend last night, some familiar settings began popping up. Wait... was that a shot of Penobscot Bay from Point Lookout? Looky there, a shot of downtown Camden! Does anybody recognize the lakefront house or the grand mansion? Are there any other shots of the Midcoast that I missed?

HURRICANE ISLAND — Inside a tiny, shingled one-room outbuilding, a ratty skeleton of a raccoon lies splayed on top of a laboratory table, its bones carefully reassembled Next to that lies a tray of marine invertebrates found in the intertidal zone on Hurricane Island. Alice Anderson, 23, found the raccoon bones on a hike around the island and just because she felt like it, she excavated them and put them all together again like a puzzle. When the students visit the lab this summer, this will be the first thing they see.

This is Anderson's second year as science educator for the Hurricane Island Foundation (Center for Science and Leadership), which runs a variety of leadership, science and research courses for adults and students. Hurricane Island is located off Vinalhaven in Penobscot Bay.

Anderson works with Maine and New England high school students, who come to the island throughout the summer and fall in school groups or in an open enrollment course, and gives them hands-on experiences of Hurricane Island's ecology, natural history and biodiversity. The program aims to get kids to connect with their immediate surroundings and to fire the spark of exploration and investigation within. For example, armed with the lab's extensive library of books on subjects ranging from foraging to plant, animal, insect and seaweed identification, they might go on a hike and try to catalogue the algae they find in the intertidal zone, as well as sea life — such as periwinkles and dog whelks — that exist at the shoreline. They also study climate change, lobstering practices and issues that affect Penobscot Bay.

In other words, look up, look around, look down, get your fingers in the dirt and hoist your antennae up. Science is in every aspect of the natural world that permeates Hurricane Island. Until several years ago, Outward Bound used it as its home base until they moved their offices to the Midcoast.  And what a spectacular island it is — from its enormous slabs of pink granite leading down to the sea to its steep-walled fresh-water quarry to its quiet spruce forests. Without waxing too poetic, it is a wonderland for the junior naturalist to explore and discover, for the entire island is one big laboratory. [To see more of Hurricane Island's beauty see the recent photo gallery.]

Anderson is from Oregon, but has spent much of her time these last few years in Maine. She graduated from College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor with a degree in human ecology, and spent a couple of summers working on Deer Isle.

The Maine Island Science and Leadership Exploration courses are funded primarily by private donations and therefore, are limited to several weeks in the summer.

"The premise of this summer's program is about island ecology and how we can characterize islands," said Alice. "Starting on Hurricane Island, we'll do a survey on biodiversity, everything from geology, botany, ornithology, and marine biology. Then we'll take that information and we'll sail to a nearby island, catalog what they have in comparison and we'll communicate what we find with other islands."

This isn't just about running a group of kids through a course. The scientific data each school group collects will be submitted to Hurricane Island's Biological Field Reseach station.

"We're using this program to work with graduate students and our students' findings will be a part of their original research,"  she said.

Six months on an island, as lovely as it is, can be a really long time. Asked what really gets her excited about doing this every day, Anderson said, "I think it's really fun to have students feel empowered about learning science and to come up with student-driven experiments. It's been a learning experience for me, but it's really cool to have students be in charge of the science they're learning about and start to ask really good questions."

The island's various programs run from May 15 until Oct. 31 each year, but they're working on developing year-round programs with Hurricane Island staff coming to the mainland and continuing to work with teachers and students who've participated in their program.

The Maine Island Science and Leadership Exploration program runs from July 21 – 27 and Aug. 10 – 23. More information can be found about it here.

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

ROCKPORT — It's not that easy to see from the road on Route 90 (in the building that formerly housed L.O. Gross & Sons), but Mama's Boys has been open a month and is fast becoming an eatery people are seeking out for sandwiches and pizza.

Mama, aka Vivienne Larmor, is the matriarch of the business. "The word of mouth has been awesome; it's been a nice and steady build," she said. Her five boys range in age from 9 to 17, and they have been an integral part of the business — even in the planning stages.

"A couple of weeks before we opened, I told the boys, we needed a logo," said Larmor. Her son, Keagan, quickly sketched out a Mama sandwich holding hands with her five boy sandwiches and she loved it. "He's like 'Mom, that's just a rough draft.' So, he went and did a nicer one, more refined with color and I said, 'no, I want the rough draft.'" So that's what now appears on her Mama's Boys awning and on her takeout menu.

Each of her sons takes an active role in the business after school and now, during the summer. And every boy gets a sandwich or pizza named after him, which of course, has resulted in a little competition among the brothers. There's Marty, 17 (Marty's Italian Sub), Josiah, 15 (Josiah's Turkey Bacon Panini), Keagan, 13 (The Keaganator), Eoin, 11 (Eoin's Pesto Roast Beef), and Brody, 9 (Brody's Barbeque Pizza).

"Every week they like to brag to each other, 'Oh yeah, I'm selling more of my sandwich,'" she said laughing. Larmor won't say whose sandwich is actually selling the best because she knows that will only ratchet up the rivalry even more.

Larmor has been a part-time math and science teacher for the past 18 years while her boys were growing up, but attributes her love of food to planning for massive family gatherings. "I have a really huge family and by the time we all get together, I'm the one who would do the family entertaining. That's my only background, beside catering. I just love food," she said.

"Part of what I'm trying to do is make really good, healthy food for the community without the exorbitant prices," she added.  For her sandwiches, she uses Boar's Head meats and her French peasant and Italian breads are Borealis breads. She makes a point of trying to get locally grown vegetables and garlic for the sandwich fillers. She has a panini press and each hot sandwich comes out crunchy. As for pizzas, she sells by the slice or by the pie and makes a thin, crispy crust.

"I'm from Long Island," she said. "So we make it New York style."

Besides affordable prices, which she said she has conscientiously kept low for the locals, she also offers gluten-free pizza dough and bread for the sandwiches. "That has been something that people are really excited about.  If people need it, it's pretty hard to find up here," she said.

Welcome to our new summer series that provides a 24-hour guide to the Midcoast for a variety of personalities... crafted by locals who know this place inside and out. You're not going to see the most expensive and the most obvious choices here. What you will find is the best of real Maine - where to stay, where to go, what to drink.

ROCKLAND — Coffee drinkers apparently have more personalities than Sybil, but one thing that binds them is their fierce dedication to exceptional, specialty coffee. Once you pass the "Welcome To Maine" sign on I-95, never fear, you're not resigned to trucker coffee options in flimsy Styrofoam cups. We're focusing on Rockland, a town that has earned the tagline "salty sophistication" and for the coffee fiend, 24 hours here will feel kind of like a double shot of espresso.

Morning: Rise and Shine Darlin'

And grab a cup of coffee, stat. The Granite Inn, one of four Historic Inns of Rockland, is a chill place to begin your vacation or staycation. With its clean, minimalist vibe, it's the perfect way to start the day, sitting on their flowered front porch overlooking the busy working Rockland harbor with a cup of locally roasted Rock City Breakwater Blend coffee. But don't go anywhere until you've had breakfast, which comes with the room. Owners Ed and Joan Hanz take a lot of pride in their from-scratch inn breakfasts where guests can pick and choose from a buffet that might include fresh fruit, blueberry pancakes, bacon or sausage, homemade applesauce, lemon or ginger scones with homemade cranberry chutney and/or a choice of quiches, occasionally including lobster quiche.

Midmorning Activity

From Granite Inn, hang a right and walk all the way down to the end of Main Street for a second cup of local coffee at Rock City Coffee and check out the "small but powerful" independent book store in the back area, hello hello, which is less than 2 years old, but has already been noticed by The New York Times and Boston Globe for its fiercely funny and indy vibe. (If owner Lacy Simons is behind the counter, which she usually is, you'll know her by her black glasses and the chunky Manic Panic stripe in her chestnut hair.) Tell her we sent you: she'll have the best book recommendations.

Lunch Time, and You're Starvin' Like Marvin

Hey, while you're there at Rock City Coffee, stick around for lunch. The goofy and endearing lunch specials they post daily on Facebook should turn into a book. Here's a typical post:

So there I was. walking downtown, and I needed to use the phone. So I walk up to the phone booth, and there's this guy standing in front of it. So I tap him on the shoulder and say, "Excuse me! I'd like to use the phone!" And he turns around and tips his hat, like so *tips imaginary hat* And you'll never guess who it is. EMILIO ESTAVEZ! The Mighty Ducks guy! And so I was like, "EMILIOOOOOO!" Isn't that amazing?! Anyway, here are the specials for today:...

They have a great array of sandwiches (they call "scramwiches") and wraps as well as nom nom fresh soups and salads. They have daily specials as well as grab-and-go, so if you want to combine your lunch with your next activity (below) this is a perfect way to do it.

Mid-Afternoon Activity

To walk off your coffee jitters or hefty lunch, the best way to spend a lazy afternoon in Rockland is to take a walk with someone you really dig and venture out to The Rockland Breakwater. With its mile-long man-made granite block walkway terminating at a lighthouse, it still remains one of the coolest walks in the Midcoast (even for locals), and happens to be the only state landmark ever nominated for Virtual Tourist's "8th Wonder Of The World". Thing is, the granite blocks are uneven and widely spaced, so leave your heels at home ladies, wear some good shoes and don't get so distracted you forget to look down, trip and hurt yourself.

For Kicks, Try This

For the coffee lover, there's only one thing better than the smell of fresh-roasting coffee infliltrating the nostrils, and that's the wafting aroma of freshly baked pastries and breads. Rock City Coffee Roasters down the street on 252 Main St. is responsible for the coffees you had at the Granite Inn and Rock City Cafe, and they have their own store, where all of their coffee production takes place. (Perfect place to pick up a pound).

Atlantic Baking Co. across the street offers award-winning artisan breads and European style pastries, made by hand and made in Maine. I know, you're eating and drinking all day long, but isn't that what vacation-staycation is all about?

Dinner Time, And What To Do After

Sunfire Mexican Grill doesn't get as much press as other Rockland restaurants, but one friend who is from Los Angeles, Calif., says, "The quality of their food ranks up there with two of the best Mexican restaurants I've eaten at in L.A." The husband-wife team of Allan and Pam Cota started their business off as a takeout trailer, but their food became so popular, they opened a little place on 488 Main St. Affordable, fresh and delicious, that's all you need to know. Oh, and notice we've picked all these places within walking distance of your inn?

Rockland tends to be a bar crowd type of town at night and coffee fiends tend to be morning people, so make the most of your after-dinner walk over to Lulu's Ice Cream & Gelato shack (tucked behind FOG Bar and Grill) for some kickin' gelato or of course, coffee ice cream.

The Morning After

Time to shove on, but there's one more place you need to check out to complete your 24 hours and that is Home Kitchen Cafe for breakfast — a local and tourist alike fave. This is run by another husband-wife duo and they recently expanded the size of the restaurant, so if you can snag a seat on the upper deck, you'll catch shimmering glimpses of the ocean. They offer brunch all day (how decadent), but if they are offering lobster bennies (that's eggs benedict), they're totally worth trying or Fred's famous buns. Fred won't mind.

Stay tuned for our next series and enjoy your summer!

Follow our Vacation - Staycation: The locals' Guide to the Midcoast on Pinterest.

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

CAMDEN — Every year on June 24, nations "put aside the cynicism of the modern world and embrace the possibilities of the unknown, and believe in fairies…" so says the International Fairy Day credo.

In celebration of this day, Merryspring Nature Center is hosting its first Summer Fairy Festival Saturday, June 22, from 10 a.m. to noon. This free event will feature a variety of family and fairy-friendly activities and crafts.  Natural materials will be on hand to build fairy gardens, design wildflower seed packets, create magic wands out of natural materials, and more. Local author and fairy expert Liza Gardner Walsh will read from and sign copies of her new book, The Fairy Garden Handbook, at 11:15 a.m.

For kids, this is guaranteed to be fun, but what will be interesting is to see how many grown-up kids attend. How many adults will be crouching in the dirt, deep in concentration, building infratstructure out of twigs, shed roofs out of birch bark?

In Walsh's blog, she writes:

Some of you may remember when you built your very first fairy house and knew by instinct exactly how to do it. I bet you will have the same feeling with your fairy garden once you get a couple of gardening techniques down. Plus, you will probably have amazing ideas like my friend, Ian, who wanted to make a beetle stable in his fairy garden because the fairies like to get rides from beetles. The possibilities are limitless.

In order to "put aside the cycnicism of the modern world" Working Waterfront writer, Tina Cohen, who reviewed Walsh's first book, came up with an insightful look at the darker side of the fairy world. In her essay, "Empathy for Fairies," she alludes that the old-fashioned fairytale troll may be no different than the modern-day Internet bully troll and encourages kids to explore empathy for these damaged souls when constructing natural little houses.

An excerpt from Cohen's piece:

While tending the fairies is laudable, it’s also okay to dabble on the darker side, building houses for goblins and trolls. This is good exercise in practicing empathy for those we might find difficult to appreciate or avoid in life. “What do you gather for these types of houses? Anything nasty, cracked or broken. Bring a bucket and fill it with mud… and whatever rotting things you can find.” Walsh concludes, “The very best thing about making a house for these somewhat unpopular creatures is that they will know you are trying to help them.”

This free event is open to the public.  No sign-up is required. Check for cancellation in case of rainy weather. For more information, visit fairyhousehandbook.com.

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

ROCKLAND - When the street shuts down, that's when we know it's officially summertime. This Saturday, June 22, the 15th annual Summer Solstice Street Festival in Rockland will transform downtown as people of all ages come out to play, dance, mingle and celebrate.

New this year are the changed hours from 4 to 8 p.m. to accommodate more families. Downtown restaurants, retail shops and food specialty shops will be participating on Main Street along with street fair food tables, Solstice Sidewalk Sales, entertainment and activities.

“As the crowd grows, our Main Street restaurants are full with diners looking to enjoy a new or favorite spot, so we are bringing in some street fair food to help feed our large crowd of 5,000 people that attend," said Lorain Francis, Executive Director of Rockland Main Street, Inc. “This is also a chance for local artists and crafters to showcase their talents to the community."

In years past, Main Street has brought out wacky costumes, improvized street dances, DJs, live bands, street entertainers and hordes of that rarely seen species, "Bored teenagers actually having fun."

Your favorite Summer Solstice bands will be lining the street along with a Whoopie Pie eating contest. The weather should be great so get out and enjoy!

This event is produced by Rockland Main Street, Inc., “Working to Keep Downtown the Heart of the Community." For more information, visit: rocklandmainstreet.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

DAMARISCOTTA - It seems every year we get attacked by pirates. And strangely, we like it. Right on cue, on June 22, the sixth annual Damariscotta River Pirate Rendezvous will transform the sleepy coastal town of Damariscotta into a massive sound stage of mayhem. For those who've never experienced this kind of festival before, it isn't just some side tables selling pirate-y items and some face painting for the kids. The whole town goes mental for a few hours. The village will be swarmed with pirates and peg legs, lubbers and lasses, scallywags and scurvy lads.

Festivities begin to warm up around 10 a.m. Later, pirate reenactors and defenders will be gearing up for a full scale ocean assault when the pirate ship Must Roos, a 57-foot topsail yawl, owned by Maine's Pirates of The Dark Rose, sails into the Damariscotta harbor at high noon. Costumed reenactors on shore will attempt to repel the attack with artillery, muskets, and swords as the pirate ship lays down a barrage of cannon fire. 

Ahoy me hearties! Get into the spirit of the thing by learning to talk like a pirate! English To Pirate Translator

As it takes a while for the ship to come in, listen for the local band Straight Up, who has composed a “menacing theme song” to herald the arrival of pirate ships. Pirate reenactor groups from all over will join forces, such as Black Rose II Privateers from New Hampshire, the Ancient Ones, the Kennebec Rovers and aforementioned Dark Rose Pirates. Once the pirates have invaded and convinced the townfolk and children to seek the riches of their lost treasure, the children will be involved in a day-long drama to find the hidden plunder that will include a crew muster and pirate costume contest, and a treasure hunt that will take the children through businesses of the intown area as they search for the Lost Treasure of the Mystic Pirates. Mystic Pirates swashbuckle their way throughout Damariscotta and Newcastle until approximately 4 p.m.

Look for the band Straight Up to play during the Volunteers Celebration at the end of the Pirate Rendezvous, beginning at approximately 4 p.m., open to the public, and located at Schooner Landing Restaurant and Marina. But the fun won't end there. Bands will continue later in the evening. Several intown restaurants will still be offering specials into the evening. There will also be a Pirate Pub Crawl for those who want to get their grog on.

The Pirate Rendezvous benefits Lincoln County Family Holiday Wishes, a Christmas season food and gift drive. Last year the Pirate Rendezvous raised more than $4,000 benefiting more than 500 children with Christmas gifts and clothes.

There is no charge for admission to the Pirate Rendezvous. There will be free parking and shuttle service will be provided at the Lincoln Academy parking lot. For more information visit piraterendezvous.com.

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

It's okay to be a little odd, a little quirky and to like to tinker with ideas and materials in your spare time. The term for you is "Maker" and your time has come. Thomaston Artist Andrew White just got back from San Francisco where he attended something called a "Maker Faire," which hosted 90,000 visitors in San Mateo in May. Similar to the way Pecha Kucha has caught on internationally and in multiple U.S. towns and cites, the Midcoast is about to get a re-creation of California's event in the form of a Mini Maker Faire on Sept. 7, at the Camden Public Library and Amphitheatre.

White, who often works with found materials in his own work (if you get a chance check out the bicycle-parts sliding doors he created for the Rockland bookstore hello hello) said what he saw in the California Maker's Faire "just tapped into Silicon Valley and the creative world that exist there. Think of Burning Man community, the creative part of it, not the Bacchanalian part.  It's nothing you've ever seen around here before. California's Maker Faire is a known entity, it's a new thing, an idea that's happening across the country, empowering people to be innovators."

So what exactly is it? According to the website a Maker Faire is:

"Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. All of these “makers” come to Maker Faire to show what they have made and to share what they have learned."

White said Camden Library staff member Olga Zimmerman was the driving force behind getting the concept of the Mini Maker Faire to the Midcoast and she has been helped by White and a group of committee members to make this happen in the fall. This is not going to be a one-off event. The Midcoast Mini Maker Faire will be an annual community-focused annual event, only, smaller, but will follow the Maker Faire motto of celebrating do-it-yourself creativity and tinkering: “Make, create, craft, recycle, build, think, play, and be inspired by celebrating arts, crafts, engineering, food, music, science, and technology!”

Featuring both established and emerging local “makers,” the Midcoast Mini Maker Faire will be a family-friendly celebration featuring rockets and robots, DIY science and technology, urban farming and sustainability, alternative energy, bicycles, unique hand-made crafts, music and local food, and educational workshops and installations. 

Sponsored by the Camden Public Library as its sponsor and the Midcoast Magnet as a co-sponsor. Visit www.midcoastmakerfaire.com for more information and to submit an application to exhibit your creation. Participating makers and creators will be listed and featured on the website in early August.  

The deadline for applications is July 12, 2013. Follow the development of the Midcoast Mini Maker Faire on its site at as well as on its Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/MidcoastMakerFaire

This summer we're starting a literary series with local authors titled "Real places in Maine that inspire literary fiction."

Mystery writer Darcy Scott is bobbing and weaving down the literary whitewater channel that comprises today's tumultuous publishing industry... and unlike a lot of writers who get chopped up in the process, she's not only surviving — she's thriving.

Matinicus, the first book in her well-known "Island Mystery Series," was published last year, receiving excellent reviews and multiple awards, including this past month, the "Bronze Award for Northeast Regional Fiction" from the 2013 IPPY Awards (Independent Publisher Book Awards), one of the most prestigious awards an independent or self-published author can receive.

"Whenever you enter a literary contest, you never know if the cost is worth it, but back last fall, I entered about seven or eight contests and as a result, Matinicus won four awards, including the IPPY and 'Best Mystery' from the 2013 Indie Book Awards," she said. "When you do win one, it really does attract attention to the book on a national level, increases sales and gives you a foothold as far as being taken seriously in an absolute sea of publications."

In recent years it has become a trend for a once traditionally published author like Scott to make the leap back over to the self-published model. In 2010, her first novel, Hunter, Huntress, was traditionally published overseas. After a series of frustrations with her traditional American publisher over her next novel (Matinicus), Scott signed with Rockland-based Maine Authors Publishing, a hybrid publishing model that allows writers to self-publish under a cooperative that works to professionally market the book.

"I'm a control freak when it comes to my books and I want artistic control," she said.

Combining that with the financial incentive of owning the entire royalty to her own book (rather than the typical 6 - 15 percent), it's a move that made sense to her and has paid off.

In her Island Mystery Series, she adopts a male protagonist point of view (another rarity for female authors) with her lead character Gil Hodges, a botanist who seems to find trouble the second he steps onto every Maine island he encounters. Her characters are sarcastic and scrappy and her lush descriptions of Maine islands are spot on. Matinicus has gotten a good deal of local attention, both for its tight, haunting plotline and for its association with one of Maine's most private (and notorious) islands. Scott, an avid sailor who has spent the last 20 years sailing around the Maine coast, particularly in and around Penobscot Bay, acknowledges that it was "very hard" for someone from away to gain access to members of the Matinicus community to gather research.

"I wrote a letter to the island's historian and it took probably six months for her to answer me," she said. "I told her what I wanted to do and she finally agreed to introduce me to some people. I stayed there for three days, interviewing people and then I was invited to tour this old house built in 1799.  When I walked in, I was absorbing all the details inside, like door latches and trammel hooks. But when I went upstairs to one room in particular, as soon as I walked in, the temperature dropped 20 degrees, and this was in the middle of summer. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. When I turned around, the home owners were grinning at me. They didn't want to tell me beforehand that they had a ghost in the house. That's when they admitted they see this floaty little spectre from time to time. So, that became the house my character Gil stays in on the island, and that ghost became a major character in the book."

Even with ample praise for Matinicus, that doesn't mean everyone liked that she was writing about a Maine island that has made national headlines in recent years.

"The thing is, what happens on an island, stays on an island, and people don't like you writing about it," she said. "But I was so interested in Matinicus's history going back hundreds of years and I had to tell people over and over, as well as in the book's acknowledgements, that this is fiction. This is not real and not about someone's present history. I took the flavor of the lifestyle of the island and developed my characters from there."

People who live on Matinicus have had mixed reactions she said. Some have really enjoyed it. Some are still wary of it.

"I was at the Lobster Festival last year when a woman came up to my table and identified herself as being from Matinicus," said Scott. "She was angry and demanded, 'What is this book about? Why did you write this?' The book had come out three months after the lobster shootings and she somehow thought that a book could be published that fast and that was what it was about. I told her the book was written six years ago, that it had nothing to do with current events, and I gave her a copy to take with her. She then gave me a big hug. A couple months later, when I visited the island again, she drove by and saw me and waved at me, so I guess she liked it."

Scott further explains: "I know people are fascinated with Matinicus and in my book, there is a bit of a voyeuristic peek into that lifestyle. But lots of writers write about places they didn't grow up in. You just have to know your subject and be real careful not to use real names or real incidents."

Scott's most recently released book, and second in the "Island Mystery Series," is called Reese's Leap, a continuation of the protagonist Gil Hodges's earnest misadventures on a remote island. She got the idea after participating in an all-female island retreat and portrays five women having an annual retreat on a private island. With Scott's characters, it's refreshing to see strong female personalities who can fend for themselves (a blessed departure from the typical soft focus Chick Lit 'let's all sit on a beach drink wine and talk about our unhappy lives' trope.) This mystery zigs and zags, deliberately throwing the reader off the scent with tight crackling dialogue and eerie, claustrophobic tension.

Scott is working on a third title coming out soon, titled Ragged Isle, which brings Gil Hodges back to the island of Matinicus to resolve some past issues brought up in the first novel.

I'm sure her fans and critics alike will be intrigued to find out what's in this one as well.

For more information on Darcy Scott's novels and where she'll be for book signings this summer visit: darcyscott.net

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — Ah, to live like an artist full time on the coast of Maine... what would that be like? On Saturday, June 15, at 1 p.m. artists, wannabe-artists and art appreciators alike will have the chance to see what goes on inside three studios by hopping aboard a chartered minicoach, sponsored by All Aboard Trolley. Departing from the Farnsworth Art Museum in downtown Rockland, The Collective's first studio crawl goes trundling as a group all over the lush countryside, from Hope to Camden and back to Rockland.

The Collective, whose purpose exists to attract a younger, contemporary audience to the Farnsworth, has put this studio tour together after some brainstorming.

"There has been a public interest in looking behind the scenes of what goes on in an artist's studio, so this is our first pass at it," said Kelly Finlay, the Farnsworth's education coordinator. "The artists we're visiting will give a little introduction to their process and show us around and we'll go from there."

They will first visit Tim Higbee, a master printer in Hope who specializes in fine art lithography. Next, it's a visit to the Camden studio of plein air painter Colin Page, before ending up back in Rockland at the studio of painter Jessica Stammen. The artists will be on hand at each venue to introduce their space, their work and their process.

This is the only studio crawl The Collective will be offering this summer, so go while you can.

Register: Studio Crawl.
Meet: Wyeth Center parking lot on Grace Street between Union and High streets.
When: Saturday, June 15, 1 to 5 p.m.

For more information on how to be part of The Collective or when it will appear next, visit facebook.com/farnsworthcollective

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

Summer is the busiest time of year for professional house painters, something Peter Berke, owner of North Atlantic Painting Company, knows too well. He just partnered with Jeff Neuman, owner of another painting company called Atomic Painting, this summer and there is no shortage of work to be done.

Berk currently has five big jobs going, including the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Jackson Memorial Library in Tenants Harbor, Jameson Point condominiums in Rockland and Cappy's Chowder House in Camden, but took a half hour to sit down with Penobscot Bay Pilot and answer some questions.

When did North Atlantic Painting Company start?

In 2000, kind of on a whim. I was a one-man operation then. Now we're up to about 17 employees. It's been wonderful because I haven't really had to leave the Midcoast area for work in 13 years.

Since you moved here in 2000, you've been really involved in your community. For example, just last week you were helping to organize West Bay Rotary's Duck Derby (see our accompanying story). What's in it for you?

In being part of the community, like the Chamber of Commerce and West Bay Rotary, supporting high school and middle school events, I've helped get my name out there. And that might have been the main reason why I started to get involved, but it has grown on me in ways I never expected. It's a wonderful thing to be part of — it's the service part of it that I like. If you're going to donate money to something, why not give it back to your own community?

With all the painting companies around, what is one reason for your success?

About seven or eight years ago, I looked for a way to differentiate our company from the others, so I bought a distributorship of a unique product that no one else has in New England called CHIC Liquid Vinyl System. It's not actually paint, but a high viscosity liquid resin applied coating system that looks and feels just like paint. What it means is, once you paint your house with it, you never have to paint your house again. It's a lifetime guarantee. It requires a specific installation, which we've trained our entire crew how to do.

The locals have grown to trust you, but how do the summer people know what they can expect from North Atlantic?

I'm honest and fair with my customers. I don't claim to be the cheapest, but I give them good value. We'll come to do the best possible job and how ever many times we have to come back, to make you happy, we'll do it. I'm not going to fight with you. Obviously I can't paint a rotten piece of wood, but if it's in our power to fix something, we will. The other thing is my employees. We've worked hard to get the best people by pre-screening them; we don't just take anybody off the street. We make sure we're neat, clean, polite and respectful in client's houses. That's because rightfully so, people will judge your company based on your employees and I'm only as good as my employees.

To learn more about North Atlantic Painting Company visit: northatlanticpainting.com
Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com.

NORTHPORT - Even though Tropical Andrea is messing up our good times this week (shaking fist — I'm giving you the shank eye, Andrea!), that doesn't mean we have to stop enjoying summer. Point Lookout is hosting their fun 'Cockails On The Deck' Summer Series on June 7 from 4 to 7 p.m. If you've never been to Point Lookout, you're in for a major treat. Driving up the winding mountain is beautiful enough, but let's put it this way, brides pay big money to be able to sip cocktails at the top of their mountain. So if Point Lookout is offering a public reception, you go!

For about $7 to $10 you can sit at the summit deck overlooking the islands, and just for a moment pretend you own a mega yacht, canoodle with the Brange in Cannes and retire every night in your own custom mink-lined hyperbaric sleep chamber.

For cocktails, order whatever you like. Pictured is the classic Dark and Stormy. They will be offering a selection of 'Small Plates' gourmet grilled little pizzas, which are $9 each. For example, the  "Say Cheese" pizza features hearty tomato sauce buried under mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, cheddar and Bel Paese (a semi-soft Italian cheese).

If it's raining, the indoor bar area of the Lincolnville Lounge and the Belfast Room will be open.

Reservations are encouraged by calling 207-789-2000. And do check out the rest of their upcoming Summer Series, dahhlinhk.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

ROCKLAND — In Greek mythology, naiads are a type of water nymph - lasses that preside over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater.

Michael Seif, an artist from Watertown, Mass., will present his photographic prints, The Merry Naiads, at an opening reception hosted by Archipelago Fine Arts Gallery in Rockland Friday, June 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. During the opening, Seif will discuss his illuminescent nudes and the many surprises in photographing the human form underwater.

Photographing his subjects – local women who feel at home swimming in the dark waters of a Maine-island quarry – sprang from Seif's academic background in zoology, according to Tina Cohen in her introduction to the 2013 Island Journal folio. After beginning his photographic journey studying fish, he switched to the human form on the advice of one of his teachers.

According to Cohen, "he discovered that human models moving in water created interesting effects: ripples, bubbles, distortions, fractured light, transformed features and mysterious textures." She also said, "But these quarry photographs are about more than just flesh; there's also an implicit sense of these women's expressive personalities, their embodiment of both innocence and sensuality."

Seif himself said, "The figure in nature is a subject with never-ending possibilities. In water, glittering swirls are telltale signs of life, showing the human figure in motion, as a living creature of nature."

Seif has had photography exhibits all over the country in both solo and group shows, and published his first book, The Fluid Figure, in 2011. His images of underwater nude figures are also featured in the 2013 Island Journal, the Island Institute's annual publication celebrating island life. Another reception is scheduled for Friday, June 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. The second reception will be preceded by an artist's talk at 5 p.m. for Island Institute members.

This exhibit will be in the gallery through July 26. To view Seif's online gallery click here. Current gallery hours for Archipelago Fine Arts are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, contact Lisa Mossel Vietze at 596-0701 or email lvietze@islandinstitute.org.

BROOKYN, N.Y. — While down in New York City on some biz-ness last weekend, I was coming back from Manhattan when I caught this break dancing troupe busting it out big time. They were a bunch of guys ranging from their teens into their 20s, who call themselves 3WayStreet Entertainment — and they were just as funny as they were talented.

"We're available for parties, weddings and divorces," they announced over a loudspeaker before each one began to show off their individual moves in a loose cypher. And man, this weekend in NYC broke some heat records, it was digustingly hot. And these guys were performing, with few breaks, in the 90-degree heat of a subway station.

Check out the video of their amazing performance. I bring it to the folks of the Midcoast because, while it may not be something you get to see everyday (given the lack of subways in the area), it is most definitely skill, art and beauty-in-motion. The closest we've got to this locally is Kinectic Energy Alive's dance studio in Camden — authentic breakdancing taught by Kea Tessyman. If you missed my initial article on her, refresh yourself on what "Popping, krumping, waacking and breaking" is all about.

To find out more about 3WayStreet Entertainment, visit them on Facebook or contact them at 3waystreetentertainment@gmail.com.

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

CAMDEN — When's the last time you saw the words "free" and "boat tour" and it didn't involve some smarmy time-share guy trying to shoehorn you into some backend deal in the Caribbean? Geesh, with an intro like that, I'd better turn this around quick.

The Betselma, a passenger-carrying vessel known to Camden residents for the last 66 years as operated by Capt. Les Bex, has switched hands this year. New owners, Alec and Erin Brainerd and Garth Wells and Jenny Tobin, earned the "Cool Award" of the week for offering to give Midcoast locals a free one-hour boat tour between May 24 and June 9. Too bad last week was a washout, but the coming week looks to be absolutely fabulous (Ab Fab!) for taking the new owners up on their incredibly generous offer.

The Brainerds, Wells and Tobin are paying it forward from all the support they got this winter when Betselma changed hands. Alec Brainerd has worked as a captain on a number of local boats, including Appledore, and he and his wife own Artisan Boatworks in Rockport. Wells and Tobin own the schooner Lewis R. French, which offers three- to six-day overnight passenger sails seasonally.

To kick off their new season, they are sharing the love with the locals. All you have to do to make a reservation is visit www.camdenharborcruises.com or call 236-6672 and choose a day and enter all your info, plus the coupon code LOCAL_FOLKS at the end. The reservation will change to $0.00 so you won't need to put in your credit card. But please, really be a local and honor your departure time.

To see more wicked ridiculously cool Cheap Dates stories and other local, insider things to do in the Midcoast, check out Penobscot Bay Pilot's Pinterest category, Cheap Dates.

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

Thanks to Holly Edwards for finding this one and barely holding back the coffee she wanted to snort from her nose.

Joanna Rohrback invented "Prancercising" nearly 20 years ago, a cross between dancing and excercise that looks like a pretentious pony trying to clop away from its unworthy owners.

Between Rohrback and Korean superstar rapper Psy, prancing like a horse is THE thing these days. Forget The Harlem Shake. The shake has nothing on Rohrback's prance.

Five Town Communities That Care's annual Dance Walk is coming up July 17 at 5 p.m., so this gives you plenty of time to learn Rohrback's sweet moves.

"So let's stop talking and do some walking."

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