Amazing Mainers

CARLENE HILL BYRON is the Director of Development and Communication of the Independence Association of Maine an organization that helps, guides and teaches Maine people with any level of disabilities to live normal, happy and productive lives.

RADU LOAN STOCHITA is from Romania and is now a student at Bowdoin College. He will will graduate in May of 2022and after that the world will certainly begin to know of him. "Stoc" is a champion for all underpaid, neglected and needy people of the world and is determined to fix these problems as much as he is able in his lifetime. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

KAY MANN OF HALLOWELL proves once again that age is just a number. In her sixties she is pursuing a career inf voice-over work and one of the ways she's improving on that pursuit is her participation in TOASTMASTERS. She is finding that belonging to this organization helps her enormously when it comes to public speaking or performing. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

KATHY WILSON is a well known dog groomer and trainer and horsewoman. She was born in Brunswick and on this show she talks about all the things she's seen changing over her years there. And while she loves to remember the "old days" she's very much in favor in Brunswick's (and Maine's) progress over the years. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

WENDY POOLE of Portland always wanted to be an actress so volunteered to do shows at The Theater Project in Brunswick started by Al Miller. That was many years ago and today she is the Executive Director of the beloved "The Little Theater that Could." --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

PHYLLIS BLACKSTONE OF BRUNSWICK MAINE is a well known story teller although she never writes her stories down; she keeps them in her head. At least until now---she has put about 70 of her favorite stories in a book called MY STORIED LIFE and it is a charming, engrossing read. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

DR. ROK ANDRE MORIN a chiropractor in Bath Maine once dreamed about being a veterinarian but due to an injury and his seeing a chiropractor, he fell in love with the discipline. Like many in his trade he had to hear the “quackery” word but ignored it when he realized that people have come a long way from using that label. Because of the talents of professionals like Rok Morin, most people today love to engage chiropractors because they make them feel good. Dr. Rok does that! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Caron Grich and Alan Schulz met each other at a grief support gathering and there realized there was nowhere widowed/divorced/single/alone adults could gather not to date but to talk, discuss, inspire etc., so they began CONNECTED---and it's working. People from 55 and up are gathering to hear great Maine speakers and they are enjoying it. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

IAN MACKENZIE is a man who can't wait for Mondays to come because he loves his job so much and can't wait to gt back to it. He is a social worker who deals with people who feel helpless and hopeless, society's outcasts, schizophrenics, addicts, people fighting depression, people who feel no one cares. Mackenzie does. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Ian Mackenzie is a man who could have chosen many paths to follow but instead chose social work---a job he loves and at which is very very gifted. He sees value and good in all people regardless of their circumstances and his “patients” love him dearly for he has showed them that no matter what, THEY MATTER AND THEY ARE IMPORTANT. And so is he. RECORDED 1/26/21, AIR DATE 12/5/21 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

DAVIS ROBINSON, PROFESSOR AT BOWDOIN COLLEGE who also teaches and runs the Celebration Barn in S. Paris, a man who wears many theatrical hats and has a huge theatrical CV and can do it all! We will be doing a second show on this famous teaching place, the Celebration Barn. Recorded 9/30/21, air date 10/17/21 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

DEBBY PORTER OF PORTLAND MAINE got cancer some years ago and realized the need people have for good quality wigs to get them through this tough time, and so she began a non-profit called HAIR MATTERS. While no one can make this period of their lives fun, Debby Porter can make it at least somewhat less stressful by helping with the pain of hair loss. RECORDED 9/21/21—AIR DATE 10/10/21 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

HAD JUST RETIRED FROM BEING A MANAGER WITH NAPA AUTO PARTS when he saw his first Bonsai tree. The feeling he got from seeing that unusual little twisted tree realized eventually into a profitable and money-making hobby/ business. RECORDED 9/14/21, AIR DATE 1O/3/21 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

MARY MARKLEY BORN AND EDUCATED IN ROCKLAND has a ginormous collection of buttons from all over the world, all telling a story, all having a history. It is a huge world-wide hobby with surprises all along the way, with many buttons being surprisingly quite valuable. RECORDED ON 9/8/21, AIR DATE 9/19/21 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

RACHEL CHASTNEY, HAIR DRESSER, OWNER OF MINI MULES AND MULTIPLE OTHER CREATURES, BREEDS AND SELLS HER FABULOUS “CANADIAN” HORSES IN BERWICK MAINE. Canadian horses are a “breed apart” ---feisty, smart, strong, and they require not as much care as “regular” horses. Beautiful, somewhat larger than a pony, they are gaining in popularity when not too long ago they were nearly extinct. They are beginning to be noticed. RECORDED ON AUGUST 12, 2021 – AIR DATE AUGUST 22, 2021 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

CHET MATTHEWS OF BRUNSWICK MAINE PLAYS THE PIPES for the KORA HIGHLANDERS and they stir the soul of everyone who listens. He plays for all sorts of occasions, mostly parades but he and his fellow pipers can be heard all over Maine. And who does not love the sound of THE PIPES! RECORDED AUG. 5, 2021, AIR DATE AUGUST 15, 2021

PEOPLE STAY IN TINY TEPEES AND YURTS AND LONG HOUSES ALL BUILT FROM NATURAL THINGS IN THE FOREST, ALL SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THEIR “HOWLING WOODS”—COYOTES AND OTHER ANIMALS HOWL DURING THE NIGHT AND THE O'KEEFE'S HAVE MANY DOMESTIC ANIMALS TOO, WHO ANSWER. THIS COUPLE PROVIDES A MAGICAL AND ENCHANTING YEAR-ROUND STAY IN THE WOODS AND MOST DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE RECORDED AUGUST 2, 2021, AIR DATE AUGUST 8, 2021 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

lives on a huge farm in Cape Neddick and raises sells and cares for way too many goats to count. She is known all over the USA and parts of Europe for her perfect, beautiful and healthy goats which she sells everywhere and which are in great demand. Part 1. RECORDED ON JULY 12, 2021, AIR DATE AUG. 1, 2021 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

JOE DONAHUE MAINE LAWYER is also a passionate American Civil War re-enactor with a huge knowledge of that war and that era. So much so, that the show will have to have a part two. RECORDED ON JUNE 30, 2021, AIR DATE JULY 25, 2021 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

She also owns and runs the unique fascinating umbrella cover museum on Peak's Island and if you think that would be boring and weird, think again. It's an amazingly fascinating museum! RECORDED JUNE 29, 2021, AIR DATE JULY 18, 2021 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

A man of all seasons as long as the seasons are radio related, Bob Perry is an expert on the air and in the radio—if it's broken, he is the go-to guy to get it fixed. There is nothing he can't repair or build or do in the world of radios. RECORDED JUNE 25, 2021, --- AIR DATE JULY 11, 2021 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

No, Steve Huber owns and loves lots of Clydesdale horses, enormously big beautiful gentle giants who do lots more for humans than to pull around the Budweiser wagon in parades. He cares deeply for and about these magnificent animals, and for his kindness to them, they repay him endlessly. RECORDED JUNE 21, 2021, AIR DATE JULY 4, 2021 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

He says he can't play the piano awfully well and probably doesn't have perfect pitch but he also says these things do not mean he can't be a great piano tuner anyway—and he apparently is. Business is good. Pianos are here to stay! Recorded 6/3/2021 Air Date 6/27/21 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

After Mike Hurley saw a “parade” of huge fiberglass animals in Chicago, he had an idea and today he and his company “Fiberglass Farm of Belfast Maine” makes anything from fiberglass of any size and color and sends them everywhere. They are fabulous sculptures to say the least! Recorded 5/17/2021 Air Date 6/20/2021 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

She'd always loved gardens but accidentally fell into the “job” of caring for the Butterfly Park and is now one of the world's most enthused authorities on the most beautiful creatures on earth—the butterfly! Recorded 5/6/2021 Air Date 6/14/2021 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This incredibly energetic woman came to People Plus in Brunswick with far more credentials than she needed but her being hired for this job was a perfect fit. People Plus are thrilled with her and Stacy is thrilled to be doing what she is doing, and she's doing it well. Recorded 4/19/2021 Air Date 6/7/2021 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Robin has accomplished much and continues to do so. She speaks 4 languages, has been a sheep farmer, cans her own food, she's authored several books, has been everywhere and is a first-class knitter. This show will be about the ancient and surprisingly interesting history of mittens and how she contributes to that. Recorded 4/16/2021 Air Date 5/30/2021 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Proud of his French heritage, Denis LeDoux wrote a book concerned with the vanishing of the French in America. It started a successful career of his teaching people how to turn their memories into memoirs. RECORDED 4/12/21 – AIR DATE 5/23/21 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

She has worked at many jobs, all connected with the pursuit of good health for all humans. Understanding the necessity of having good inner nutrition, Michelle began to think about the necessity of good outer nutrition and started making beautiful, healthy soaps, now sold all over the world. RECORDED 4/5/21 — AIR DATE 5/9/21 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

She lives in Arundel and her portraits of members of the animal world are beautiful and compelling. There is not a creature on the planet she won't immortalize and people from everywhere want her to do paintings of their beloved animal family members. RECORDED 4/6/21 – AIR DATE 5/16/21 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

She'd heard all her adult life that she had a good, clear and listenable voice and so Kay Mann decided in her early 60s to just “go for it!” She's taken how-to courses and is working hard toward getting hired. RECORDED 3/31/21 — AIR DATE 5/2/21 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Maine's music man appears everywhere as THE SALT WATER HILLBILLY. Everyone knows Dennis. He has a huge fan base all over Maine. He sings in all genres from cowboy to Opera to Country to ballads to show tunes. He also acts. Tourists love him. Mainers love him too. Recorded 3/19/21 —Air Date 4/25/21 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

A graduate of Parson's, Karen Twombly had a successful jewelry making business until the costs of gold and silver became too high. She then began making elegant, always shiny, thick, beautifully designed tags for dogs or any pets. Sales are booming! Recorded 3/17/21 — Air date 4/18/21 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Georgeann's “paintings” are glorious, fascinating and extremely labor intensive since she makes her works of art from wood, fabric, plants, an endless supply of growing things, and lots and lots of pulp. They are hard to describe but compelling to see and can be viewed at her Widgeon Cove Gallery in Harpswell. (Recording date: March 12th, 2021) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This hard-working couple, while holding down full-time jobs, followed an entrepreneurial dream and purchased a company that makes the famous Maine candy, Needhams. They love the work and hope their only job will eventually be to just make the candy and sell it out of small coffee/tea shops around Maine. (Recording date: March 1st, 2021) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This very busy couple signed onto the Bowdoin College Host program years ago and have had the best experience of their lives meeting, knowing and helping kids from far away places, seeing them grow and mature and flourish. They have made friends for life and so have those Bowdoin students. (Recording date: February 26th, 2021) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Kathy Wilson is known by everyone in Brunswick because of her extensive work with and grooming of people's dogs (they do listen to her) and because of her unfailingly hard work on the Town Council and because she is out on her bike in all kinds of weather. (Radio air date: February 28th, 2021) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Rusty makes the business of auctioneering sound fascinating, fun, engrossing and as if one's life is lacking something if one hasn't attended at least one of his fabulous auctions. His knowledge of the value of our stuff is incomparable! (Radio air date: March 14th, 2021) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This animal loving, horseback riding, running, intensely busy baker in Manchester can bake and make anything but is famous for her spectacular cupcakes that are in fact cupcake pies and cakes with elaborate artistic toppings. They are fabulous, all from scratch with indescribable flavors. (Radio Air date: February 14th, 2021) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The fetching young woman known as KINKY SLIPPERS puts on bawdy, funny, risqué shows that hearken back to the raucous days of Vaudeville and Burlesque. She is great fun, very funny and people all ages, male and female, flock to her shows. (Radio air date: March 7th, 2021) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Anyone can aim a camera or a phone and click off a bunch of pictures. Eric Storm is all over Maine from 4 AM on, year ‘round, and photos you've seen forever, as photo'd by him, take on a whole new meaning because of how he presents them. Storm's pictures tell us all haunting, curious stories. (Recording date: February 21st, 2021) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Caroline Byrne is a biologist who loves and studies all animals but in particular, bats! She tries hard to dispel the creepy stories about them and works at showing us all how important they are to all of us, especially because our local Maine bats are keen on ridding us of mosquitoes, their favorite food. (Recording date: December 6th, 2020) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

She had developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, her back ached, other parts of her body were seriously hurting and finally after the fates kept “showing” her info on Tai Chi she took the hint, took some lessons, and immediately felt great. In time she began to learn how to teach, she now has lots of students, and Diane Doiron has never looked back. (Recording date: December 13th, 2020) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Jen Marchiani's Wildlife Rehab is located in Auburn and is run almost completely alone by Jen Marchiani who lost her heart to all living things as a child and so today runs her Wildlife Rehab business. Her stories are sad and happy and always challenging. If a damaged creature is curable, Marchiani cures it. (Recording date: December 20th, 2020) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Wendy Flynn of Brunswick loves dogs and people too, but she and her husband take in special dogs as part of their first training for Guiding Eyes, an organization that perfectly matches people who have sight disabilities, with fabulously trained, brilliant dogs, usually Labs. These marvelous animals give blind people safe and happy lives. (Recording date: December 27th, 2020) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Sarah teaches us that these funny, smart and clean animals make charming, sweet and loving pets. She has placed countless domestic rats into worthy homes and has definitely removed the “eeeuuuw” factor from them. (Recording date: January 3rd, 2021) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

He started out as a chef and while becoming very good at that became fascinated at the ice sculptures often displayed at the hotels where he was preparing fabulous meals — often sculpting vegetables into beautiful shapes for the diners. Bluck yearned to learn ice sculpting and today is in great demand from New England to DC for his magnificent creations. (Recording date: September 27th, 2020) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In spite of great success at ballet, Elizabeth Druker's journey through years of ballet training, and dancing with the most famous dancers and in world-famous dance productions in New York City and elsewhere, showed her that she was not 100% satisfied in doing just that; when she began to teach ballet is when she knew she'd discovered what she really was meant to do in the world of dance. She has taught well over 100 students, loves her job and is sure she will never stop. (Recording date: September 20th, 2020) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Jim's story on how he discovered musical instruments and music in wood and stone and glass and other things makes us all wonder why we too can't hear the things we see. His exquisite, weird instruments, sold around the world, are so precise and so beautiful they are often bought as works of art even if the new owner is not musically inclined at all. (Recording date: September 13th. 2020) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Phyllis Blackstone of Brunswick, Maine tells us how all our whole life is a story, and the telling of it can tell the world who we are and why and how. She also tells us how she taught school for 43 years using story telling as her strongest tool, and she looks forward to coming back on Amazing Mainers to tell some of her favorite made-up tales. (Recording date: September 6th, 2020) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

You want to know everything about New England light houses and light houses in general—and I mean everything? Then you want to contact this man—he's written 21 books on the subject, has taken people on tours of all of them and he will work to keep history alive for as long as Jeremy is alive. (Recording date: August 30th, 2020) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app