Podcasts about maine association

Producer/Host: Amy Browne Chris Buchanan, David Italiander, Donna Gold and Jill Howell, residents of Searsport and neighboring towns, have been working on efforts to protect Sears Island permanently. They’re here today with an update FMI: Campaign to Protect Sears Island / Wahsumkik Sears Island Stories Friends of Sears Island About the Host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices and Maine Currents, she also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters. The post Maine Currents 5/28/25: Sears Island Update first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne Other credits: Matt Murphy – Augusta rally Coverage of the April 5th, 2025 “Hands Off” rallies in Augusta and Belfast, Maine FMI: www.handsoff2025.com About the Host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices and Maine Currents, she also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters. The post Maine Currents 4/9/25: Coverage of “Hands Off” rallies in Augusta and Belfast, Maine on 4/5/25 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

How Is Living in Maine Different Than Visiting?Maine is one of the most beautiful states in the country—and if you've ever visited, you probably already know that. The rocky coastline, charming lobster shacks, peaceful lighthouses, and fresh ocean air make it an unforgettable vacation spot.But what's it really like to live in Maine?As a local Realtor who helps people Make Maine Your Home, I've had this conversation with countless clients—many of whom fell in love with Maine during a visit and are now wondering if they should make the leap.Spoiler alert: living in Maine is amazing, but it's a different experience from visiting. Here's what you need to know if you're considering the move.  1. The Pace of Life: Vacationland vs. RealityWhen you're here for a week, it's all about coastal drives, seafood feasts, and soaking in the scenery. But living here means experiencing the rhythm of Maine life—slower, more intentional, and deeply connected to nature.✅ Remote work is on the rise here—Maine had one of the highest rates in the country in 2023.✅ Life is peaceful, but expect longer drives for essentials, especially in rural areas.✅ Winters are no joke—think snow tires, plowing, and prepping for the power to go out!  2. Cost of Living: More Affordable Than You Think?Compared to neighboring states like Massachusetts or New Hampshire, Maine's real estate is surprisingly affordable.

Are you like me, struggling with the overwhelming urge to punch something about 25 times a day right now, for sure every time you read a news headline?!!? Time to put your foot down. Literally!Today I'm catching up with Serena Ryan of Summits in Solidarity, to learn about the latest iteration of the grassroots hiking initiative she co-founded that continues to break down barriers to outdoor access by raising critical funds for BIPOC-led organizations.The 2024 Summits in Solidarity Hike-a-Thon launched March 20th with an ambitious goal: collectively hiking 5,000 miles between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice to raise $50,000 for two remarkable organizations: MANA (Maine Association for New Americans), that supports immigrants in connecting with nature and community resources; and Unlikely Riders, that creates welcoming mountain sport spaces for BIPOC Vermonters in skiing, snowboarding, and beyond.My 2025 hike-a-thon is underway, and I hope you'll pop in @GuidesGoneWild on Instagram or Facebook to follow my progress this spring!There will be no talk of FKTs or thru hikes or 24 hour traverses, and I might not even go to the White Mountains, because I honestly don't have time for that right now! Instead, I'm going to be getting ALL of my 75 pledged miles on my local trail systems - a few of the hikes I intend to do are less than a mile long! Whether you support my hiking efforts, do your own thing solo or with a team, or donate to win some swank raffle items, it's all good! Join me in supporting Summits in Solidarity, Maine Association for New Americans, and Unlikely Riders this spring over at summitsinsolidarity.org.A few more useful links:Solidarity Night - June 7th - Join me!The Notch Hostel (N. Woodstock, NH)Hear the origin story of the Notch Hostel and Summits in Solidarity from Serena on Guides Gone WildRead more about white supremacy, the impacts of colonialism and privilege here“Me and White Supremacy” Challenge - save the date for February, 2026Kokanee Trail Half Marathon (CA)Hayduke Trail (UT, AZ)Hyperlite 35L backpacksArc'teryx BostonULA Circuit Backpack (Serena's current favorite!)Stio”Finding Philip” Carcia - @findingphilipPresidential (“Presi”) Traverse (NH)The Roost Hike in Evans Notch (ME)Send us a text

How Has Living In Maine Changed? Maine has changed A LOT over the past decade!

Headlines reflect how U.S. states, school districts, and manufacturers are navigating new funding and emissions rules from the Trump presidential administration. Mitzii Smith is the assistant director of transportation for Maine School Administrative District 6, a Maine School Safety Specialist, president-elect of the Maine Association for Pupil Transportation, and a 2024 STN Rising Star. She discusses running propane buses, promoting emotional intelligence to support staff, and what she's looking forward to at STN EXPO Charlotte in March. Read more about operations.

If you're looking for ways to make a massive, lasting impact with your nonprofit, then this episode is for you. I sat down with special guest, Jennifer Hutchins Executive Director of the Maine Association of Nonprofits and collaboration expert. She spoke on the importance of collaborating across different sectors and how it has transformed nonprofit organizations. She dove into examples of strong collaborations and how organizations are thriving in a post-COVID world. This is a great opportunity to learn strategies for maximizing your organization's impact.    About Jennifer Since July 2016, Jennifer Hutchins has been the Executive Director of the Maine Association of Nonprofits, the state's leading organization for Maine's charitable nonprofit sector with more than 1,000 members from all 16 counties. She serves on the boards of the National Council of Nonprofits and the Maine Philanthropy Center and the advisory boards of the USM Muskie School of Public Service and the Foundation for Portland (ME) Public Schools. Prior to joining MANP, she was Executive Director of Creative Portland, where she led the City of Portland's efforts to strengthen the creative economy. Jennifer also served as Director of Communications and External Affairs at the USM Muskie School of Public Service for nine years and as Marketing Director at Portland Stage Company from 1995-2000. After graduating from college, she worked for nonprofit and public institutions in Washington D.C., and France. In May 2020, Jennifer was selected to serve on Governor Mills' Economic Recovery Committee, tasked with putting forth recommendations to alleviate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the state's economy. Jennifer holds a master's in public policy and management and lives in Portland with her husband and two daughters.   Read the podcast transcript here.   Episode Summary In this episode, you'll learn the importance of cross-sector collaboration and strategies to get started including: The impact of cross-sector collaboration (7:45) Examples of strong collaborations (13:25) Trends in the nonprofit sector (24:20) How organizations are thriving in a post-COVID world (30:35) Benefits of joining a state nonprofit association (36:50)   Teasers “What we know about impactful collaboration is it takes people who have skills and the time, and space to be able to develop a really sophisticated partnership.” “Collaboration takes on many, many different forms. We need to really think through how we're looking at our business model. How can we be more entrepreneurial? How can we save resources?” “The thriving nonprofits are the ones that are taking a hard look at compensation and paying attention to how they're being competitive in the marketplace with the types of people that they want to attract to their nonprofits. They are looking at their compensation philosophies. They're looking at their benefits.”   Resources The Best Tools for an Efficient & Prosperous Nonprofit: https://100degreesconsulting.com/tools/  The Maine Association of Nonprofits Website: https://www.nonprofitmaine.org/support-us Follow the Maine Association of Nonprofits on Instagram: @mainenonprofits  Connect with the Maine Association of Nonprofits on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mainenonprofits/  Keep up to date with the podcast: @100degreesconsulting Follow Stephanie on Instagram: @stephanie.skry/  Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieskryzowski/  Visit the podcast page: https://100degreesconsulting.com/cross-sector-collaboration    Want more of the podcast? New episodes are released weekly! Find them all plus show notes and exclusive bonus content at 100degreesconsulting.com/podcast. Leave us a review! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Let me know what you loved most about this episode! Subscribe to the show so you don't miss a thing!  

This week, as school approaches, we take a look back at an early episode about the complicated decision whether to allow your children to use social media. If so, how much should they use it and which apps are appropriate? If you've struggled with when, or if, you should allow your kids to get social media, you are in good company. Many, if not most, parents do. Raising Me host Adrienne Stein asks Dr. Jeffery Barkin about how to know when our kids are ready, how we should monitor it, along with both the positive and negative sides of social media. About the guest: Dr Jeffery Barkin is a psychiatrist in Maine. He is a Past President of the Maine Medical Association and the Maine Association of Psychiatric Physicians. In addition to practicing adult and forensic psychiatry, Dr. Barkin co-hosts A Healthy Conversation, a weekly award-winning radio show, on WGAN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer/Host: Amy Browne Other credits: Audio segment contributed by John and Katie Greenman. This part of Maine has strong connections with El Salvador dating back several decades.  Bangor has a sister city there, Carasque; MOFGA has a sister farming community organization, CCR; and WERU has a sister station, Radio Sumpul in El Salvador. Many people from this area have traveled to El Salvador on delegations coordinated by Sister Cities, PICA and MOFGA over the years, including today’s guests (and the host). Members of the most recent delegation talk about what they witnessed earlier this year, and the shift in the country under an authoritarian president. Guests: Karen and Paul Volkhausen, Katie Greenman and Willie Marquart FMI: Sister Cities: www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org/ PICA:  www.pica.ws/  or www.facebook.com/PICAinMaine Maine Organic Farmers and Gardener’s Sister Organizations:  Association of Communities for the Development of Chalatenango (CCR), and the Foundation for Cooperation and Development (CORDES). These organizations foster a unique relationship, exchanging information and methods of farming, in addition to facilitating conversations about agricultural globalization and fair trade: www.mofga.org/mofgas-el-salvador-sistering-committee/ WERU’s Sister Station Radio Sumpul: www.facebook.com/asociacion.Acopsumpul radiosumpul.org/ weru.org/about/radio-sumpul-werus-sister-station-in-el-salvador/ Organizations working in/with El Salvador: www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org/cripdes/ www.equipomaiz.org.sv/ Legal support organization, human rights violations including arbitrary arrests, inhumane treatment in detention centers: www.tutelalegalmariajh.org.sv/ Museo de La Palabra y Imagen (Museum of the Word and Image)  for the preservation of historic memory: www.museo.com.sv Online Resources News Media   (Latin America): www.wola.org/ elfaro.net/en/202405/el_salvador/27420/us-tries-not-to-offend-bukele-in-annual-human-rights-report reportfortheworld.org/ gatoencerrado.news/ Books recommended by today’s guests: robertolovato.com/unforgetting/ uwpress.wisc.edu/books/5754.htm#pk   About the Host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices and Maine Currents, she also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters. The post Maine Currents 5/29/24: Checking in with our sisters in El Salvador first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Portland Press Herald staff writer Ray Routhier sat down with Pat Callaghan and Cindy Williams to chat about their careers during a live event on Tuesday, August 22 at One Longfellow Square. About our guests Pat Callaghan began his broadcast journalism career in 1978 at New Hampshire Public Television. Beginning in 1979, he spent 43 years as a news anchor and reporter for NEWS CENTER Maine (WCSH6 in Portland and WLBZ2 in Bangor). Notable stories along the way included being on the air live when the Challenger space shuttle exploded in 1986, and reporting from Belfast, Northern Ireland when former Maine Sen. George Mitchell chaired the talks that culminated in the Good Friday Agreement. Pat spent much of his time covering politics and government, with extensive reporting from Washington, DC and Augusta, as well as covering Maine's delegations at numerous national political conventions. He produced documentaries on notable Maine figures including Ed Muskie, Bill Cohen, Olympia Snowe and George Mitchell. Pat holds a BA in History from the University of New Hampshire. He is a member of the Maine Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the New England Emmy Awards “Silver Circle.” He and his wife Karen are the parents of two grown children. Cindy Williams is a former news anchor for WCSH 6 News Center Maine where she worked for 32 years from 1989 until 2021. Williams has won several awards from the Associated Press and the Maine Association of Broadcasters for her anchoring and reporting. She graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1985 with a degree in Radio, Television and Film. Cindy was also the anchor of News Seven and the 10 o'clock news on the NBC affiliate in Laurel and Hattiesburg, Mississippi of WDAM-TV.  

How can you get your pitch noticed? In this episode, Rob Caldwell describes what he looks for in a pitch. If you tell a story in your pitch and make sure it is targeted to the media outlet, your pitch will be more likely to get noticed. Sending a handwritten note can also break through the clutter and help you stand out. Also, someone with a lot of personality will increase the chances of your story being covered or being featured in a cooking segment. Listen to the episode to find out more tips and learn about Rob's career.   3:05 – Rob shares how he had no plans to get into broadcasting, but quickly realized he didn't want to be a cab driver after graduating from college.    14:11 – Rob gives his advice on how to become better at interviewing, starting with having a genuine interest, curiosity and being prepared.   18:16 – Rob explains that he is always looking for a good story and broad appeal in a pitch, specifically stories about people with lots of personality.    25:28 – Rob talks about handwritten notes and how they can help you break through the clutter.   28:32 – Rob recalls how TV, media and news have changed since he started his broadcasting career.   30:42 – Rob explains how NEWS CENTER Maine uses social media to promote its programming.   35:29 – When it comes to the NEWS CENTER Kitchen, Rob shares that they are looking for people with personality in addition to having talent in the kitchen.  40:48 – Rob shares a resource that helped him figure out a career path he did not want to take.    Quote   "Tell me a story. That's what I want to hear in a pitch, or from anyone, whether it's a pitch from a PR professional or from the person I meet on the street. What's the story here? Why is this a story that people will want to hear? " – Rob Caldwell, anchor and reporter for NEWS CENTER Maine    Links:   Listen to Bill Green's episode of The PR Maven® Podcast.   Listen to other episodes about handwritten notes:  Tate Sandrock  Christine Richards    60 Minutes: https://www.cbsnews.com/60-minutes/   Pure Barre: https://www.purebarre.com/location/portland-me   Portland Press Herald: https://www.pressherald.com/   O'Maine Studios: https://omainestudios.com/   “One L” by Scott Turow: https://www.amazon.com/One-Turbulent-Story-Harvard-School/dp/0143119028     About the guest:      Rob Caldwell is an anchor and reporter for the NBC television stations in Maine, WCSH in Portland and WLBZ in Bangor. He has done thousands of interviews and stories in his 41-year career and his stories have received honors that include regional Emmys and a national Edward R. Murrow award.   Since 2003, he has been the co-anchor of “207,” a news magazine that airs weeknights at 7 p.m. In 2015, he was inducted into the Maine Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.    Looking to connect:             Email: rob.caldwell@newscentermaine.com   Website: www.newscentermaine.com  

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: WERU’s General Manager Matt Murphy joins us today with the highlights from our recent listener survey About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 2/2/23: WERU Listener Survey Results first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Natalie Springuel Coastal Conversations: Conversations with people who live, work, and play on the Maine coast, hosted by the University of Maine Sea Grant Program. This month: This episode features two distinct stories about Gouldsboro, Maine: STORY 1: Gouldsboro, a working waterfront community at a crossroads Today's show features the second episode of this year's From the Sea Up podcast series focused on Maine's working waterfront towns. We'll be headed to Gouldsboro, A historic fishing town with over 50 miles of coastline. In 2020, the Norwegian-backed company American Aquafarms proposed putting two closed-pen salmon farms, totaling 120-acres, in Frenchman Bay between Gouldsboro and Bar Harbor. Although American Aquafarm's initial application for an aquaculture lease was terminated by the Maine Department of Marine Resources in the spring of 2022, a question about the future of Maine's waters took hold in many rural coastal communities. In this episode, From the Sea Up producers visit South Gouldsboro, a small and active working waterfront with stunning views of Cadillac Mountain and the proposed lease site. With perspectives from a seaweed farmer and cultivator, Sarah Redmond, as well as Jerry Potter, a longtime lobsterman, and Sebastian Belle from the Maine Aquaculture Association, this episode explores the identity and needs of one working waterfront community, and asks the question: What kind of working waterfront do people want to see here in the future? And what role does aquaculture play in that future? This story is brought to you by our radio storytelling friend Galen Koch, whose podcast series, From the Sea Up, has been featured on Coastal Conversations before. Galen brings the past and present together to help us make sense of Maine's complicated future. This is the second in a working waterfront series we will keep sharing over the next few months. STORY 2: Gouldsboro: a legacy of sardines You heard the narrator in our first story talk about American Aquafarms' purchase of the Maine Fair Trade lobster processing facility in the Gouldsboro village of Prospect Harbor. While American Aquafarms' intention is to someday convert the lobster processing operation into a salmon processing facility and hatchery, this plant was in the business of packing sardines for nearly 100 years. As the era of Maine's sardine industry was coming to an end in the later part of the 20th century, and sardine packing plants were closing one by one up and down the Maine coast, the Stinson's Sardine Cannery was the very last hold out. It's final owner, Bumble Bee Foods, shuttered the sardine operation for good in 2010, making it not only the last sardine cannery in Maine, but the very last sardine cannery in the whole of the United States. In 2011, the year after the sardine plant closed, oral historians from “Oral History and Folklife Research, Inc” sought to honor and document the Stinson Sardine Factory legacy by interviewing a number of former employees. In our second story today, we share some clips from two of these interviews with women who worked as sardine packers. Guest/s: STORY 1 Sarah Redmond, Springtide Seaweed Jerry Potter, lobsterman Sebastian Belle, Maine Aquaculture Association STORY 2 We'll hear a short clip from the interview with Arlene Hartford, followed by a slightly longer clip from the interview with Lela Anderson. Both women were interviewed by Keith Ludden in 2011 and the full collection is available here Other credits: STORY 1 From the Sea Up is made possible by the Fund for Maine Islands through a partnership between Island Institute, College of the Atlantic, Maine Sea Grant, and the First Coast. Click here to hear past episodes and for more information STORY 2 Thanks to the folks at “Oral History and Folklife Research, Inc” for permission to air these clips. You can access their full collections here. And thanks also to production assistant Camden Hunt, for helping edit the audio clips for this segment of today's show. If you want to hear more about sardines, check out the Coastal Conversations for our August 28, 2020 episode called “Stories of the Sardine Industry” which features these clips and many more About the host: Natalie Springuel has hosted Coastal Conversation's since 2015, with support from the University of Maine Sea Grant where she has served as a marine extension associate for 20 years. In 2019, Springuel received an award for Public Affairs programming from the Maine Association of Broadcasters for the Coastal Conversations show called “Portland's Working Waterfront.” Springuel is passionate about translating science, sharing stories, and offering a platform for multiple voices to weigh in on complex coastal and ocean issues. She has recently enrolled in audio production training at Maine Media Workshop to dive deeper into making great community radio. The post Coastal Conversations 1/27/23: Gouldsboro, Maine first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: The Challenger Learning Center of Maine and Maine Maritime Academy are partnering together to celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science, February 11, 2023 with Maine Girls of STEM Kirsten Hibbard, Executive Director, Challenger Learning Center of Maine joins us with all the details FMI: www.astronaut.org/maine-girls-of-stem/ contact@astronaut.org, 207-990-2900 ext.1 About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 1/26/23: Maine Girls of STEM first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: Last week we heard about the Blue Hill Coop’s plans to raise funds for a Hancock county food bank. This week we’re following up to hear how those funds will help the community, with Charlie Dayhoff, Executive Director of Loaves and Fishes in Ellsworth. FMI: Blue Hill Coop Change for Good program Loaves and Fishes Ellsworth, 137 Downeast Highway (Route 1-N, next to Darling’s Chevrolet), Ellsworth, 207-667-4363 About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 1/19/23: Loaves and Fishes Ellsworth first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: This week we’re in Hancock County where the Blue Hill Coop and their customers are working together to address food insecurity. Jennifer Coolidge, Ownership & Outreach Coordinator at the co-op, is here with all the details about their Change For Good and Soup-er Bowl programs. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 1/12/23: Blue Hill Co-op & Patrons Help Address Food Insecurity in Hancock County first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: With so much happening in the world right now, a coalition of local groups want to make sure Mainers don’t forget about prisoners still being held at Guantanamo. Mary Kate Small, one of the organizers, fills us in on what they have planned, which includes a protest at Augusta Armory on January 14th. FMI re the event: Mainers Join Call To Close Guantánamo FMI re the organizers: Frank Panopoulos, Witness Against Torture, Detainee AttorneyPeace Action Maine PAX Christi Maine Witness Against Torture About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 1/5/23: Mainers Join Call to Close Guantánamo, Rally in Augusta January 14th first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This month: We’re kicking off 2023 with a topic that I suspect we may be spending a lot of time on this year, the pending decision on where to build a staging facility for off-shore wind power turbines in this area. Theoretically, 3 different sites are being considered: Eastport, Sears Island or Mack Point in Searsport, but some of those close to the project suspect that developing Sears Island is the real goal of the ME DOT. Guests: Steve Miller, Islesboro Islands Trust Rolf Olsen, Friends of Sears Island Becky Bartovics, Sierra Club Maine FMI Islesboro Islands Trust Maine Chapter of the Sierra ClubFriends of Sears Island Offshore Wind Project Resources page Study of Searsport to Support and Develop Offshore Wind, State of Maine, Governor’s Energy Office Maine DOT Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group (OSWPAG) Governor Mills Announces Assessment of Mack Point Terminal in Searsport to Support Growth of Renewable Energy Industry in Maine, Office of Governor Janet Mills, March 2020 SEARS ISLAND WETLAND ENFORCEMENT CASE SETTLED, EPA, 11/13/1996 About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices and Maine Currents, she also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters. The post Maine Currents Returns! 1/3/23: Will Maine Industrialize Sears Island for “Clean” Energy? first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: The Winter Harbor Music Festival has a unique offering this New Year’s eve. Executive Director Deiran Manning is here to let you know how you can be part of an interactive opera experience. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 12/29/22: New Year's Eve Opera Downeast! first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Natalie Springuel Coastal Conversations: Conversations with people who live, work, and play on the Maine coast, hosted by the University of Maine Sea Grant Program. This month: In honor of the holiday season, our show features “Maine holiday seafood celebrations, past and present.” We are excited to talk with three women from coastal Maine who write about food and history, about Maine and nature, about travel and much more. Our guests will share ideas for seafood recipes to treat your family and friends over the holidays. They will help us explore how the perceptions of seafood in Maine have changed over the decades and centuries, from the Wabanaki to the New England Colonists, from the mid- 1900's to the present. From their perspectives as cook and authors, our guests will explore modern day issues such as wild fisheries and aquaculture. And most of all, they will get you excited to experiment with seafood in the kitchen this holiday season. -Seafood recipes and cooking tips -New Englander's changing thoughts about and appreciation for seafood -Three cooks perspectives on fisheries and aquaculture in Maine Guest/s: Sandy Oliver, food historian, food writer and columnist, from Islesboro in Penobscot Bay Marnie Reed Crowell: conservationist, natural history writer, poet and scallop cookbook author from Sunset on Deer Isle Nancy Harmon Jenkins: writer, historian, cook, traveler, and storyteller from Camden About the host: Natalie Springuel has hosted Coastal Conversation's since 2015, with support from the University of Maine Sea Grant where she has served as a marine extension associate for 20 years. In 2019, Springuel received an award for Public Affairs programming from the Maine Association of Broadcasters for the Coastal Conversations show called “Portland's Working Waterfront.” Springuel is passionate about translating science, sharing stories, and offering a platform for multiple voices to weigh in on complex coastal and ocean issues. She has recently enrolled in audio production training at Maine Media Workshop to dive deeper into making great community radio. The post Coastal Conversations 12/23/22: Maine Holiday Seafood Celebrations, Past and Present first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: One of the things people are talking about around town this holiday season is the controversy around a nativity scene in Bucksport. A Penobscot resident made a report to the Freedom from Religion Foundation‘s Maine Chapter about the town sponsored religious display, and the chapter responded by asking to add a small sign nearby, celebrating the solstice and the Bill of Rights. Tom Waddell, columnist for the Kennebec Journal, and the President of Maine Chapter of the Freedom from Religion Foundation explains why they got involved. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 12/22/22: Atheist Group Reacts to Bucksport's Nativity Scene first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: Earlier this month Governor Mills announced that her administration is dedicating $5.4 million dollars to address climate change and create clean energy jobs here in Maine— and a chunk of that funding is coming to Hancock and Washington Counties. If you or someone you know is looking for a paid internship for a career in an energy efficiency job, here are some of the details from Sharon Catus at Downeast Community Partners For more information, call Derek at (207) 610-5917 About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 12/15/22: Energy Efficiency Career Opportunities Downeast first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: Sears Island is an uninhabited 940 acre island off the coast of Searsport that has been eyed by developers for various projects over the years. The latest threat, to at least part of the island, is the potential that a facility for building and launching offshore wind turbines may be built there. Friends of Sears Island, Islesboro Islands Trust, and the Maine Chapter of the Sierra club have all spoken out against the site location, instead urging that the facility be built on nearby Mack Point, which is already extensively developed. Theoretically, Mack Point and also Eastport are being considered as possible locations along with Sears Island, but many worry that Sears Island is what the state is really focusing on. Next Monday morning there will be a meeting of the state’s task force that will be making recommendations about the site location, and advocates for protecting the island are urging the public to listen in. You can read the agenda and register for the zoom meeting here Earlier this week we checked in with Rolf Olsen, Vice President of the Board for Friends of Sears Island for all the details About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 12/8/22: Develop Sears Island or Mack Point? Public Meeting Next Week first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producers/Hosts: Jim Campbell and Amy Browne This series is made possible in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission Maine: The Way Life Could Be, a series in which we look at challenges and opportunities facing Maine in the lifetimes of people alive today. This episode: What are the most important issues Mainers will be facing in the lifetimes of those of us alive today? That is the question Amy Browne and Jim Campbell, cohosts of Maine: The Way Life Could Be, posed to listeners nearly a year ago. The year-long series that followed has focused on the issues you raised in your responses. In this episode we wrap up the series with a look back — and a look ahead. Guests: Donna Loring, Penobscot Indian Nation Tribal elder and former council member. She represented the Penobscot Nation in the State Legislature for over a decade, and is a former Senior Advisor on Tribal Affairs to Governor Mills. Donna is the author of “In The Shadow of The Eagle A Tribal Representative In Maine”. You can catch up on her Wabanaki Windows series on tribal sovereignty on the WERU archives here, and hear her new shows on the 4th Tuesday of every month at 4. Amy Fried, Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine. Fried's most recent book is At War With Government: How Conservatives Weaponized Distrust from Goldwater to Trump, published in 2021. She is in the process of finishing a new book on New England politic, slated for publication next year. Professor Fried also writes a biweekly column in the Bangor Daily News Dr. Phil Caper of Maine AllCare. From his bio on Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), “Dr. Phil Caper received his BA, MS and MD degrees at UCLA, and trained in internal medicine on the Harvard Medical Unit at Boston City Hospital. He has held professorships at Dartmouth Medical School and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he was also Vice-Chancellor for Health Affairs, chief of the medical staff, and hospital director. He has been an adjunct lecturer on health policy and management at the Harvard School of Public Health, a research associate at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and an associate in health policy and management at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. From 1971 to 1976, he was a professional staff member on the United States Senate Labor and Human Resources subcommittee on health, chaired by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).” Dr. Caper was a charter member of the nation's top health care advisory panel, the National Council on Health Planning and Development from 1977 to 1984, chairing the panel from 1980 to 1984. He was also the founder and chairman of the Codman Group from 1986 to 2001, a health care software and consulting company with an international reputation and clientele. He is a founding member of the National Academy of Social Insurance and is a founding board member of Maine AllCare, the Maine chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program. He is also a former national board member of PNHP. He has published numerous articles in professional journals and written many letters to the editor and op-ed articles advocating for a publicly run universal health care program. About the hosts: Jim Campbell has a longstanding interest in the intersection of digital technology, law, and public policy and how they affect our daily lives in our increasingly digital world. He has banged around non-commercial radio for decades and, in the little known facts department (that should probably stay that way), he was one of the readers voicing Richard Nixon's words when NPR broadcast the entire transcript of the Watergate tapes. Like several other current WERU volunteers, he was at the station's sign-on party on May 1, 1988 and has been a volunteer ever since doing an early stint as a Morning Maine host, and later producing WERU program series including Northern Lights, Conversations on Science and Society, Sound Portrait of the Artist, Selections from the Camden Conference, others that will probably come to him after this is is posted, and, of course, Notes from the Electronic Cottage. Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Maine: The Way Life Could Be 12/6/22: Series Finale – A Look Back, and a Look Ahead first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: Amanda Cunningham, Executive Director of Our Town Belfast brings us highlights of festivities this year in downtown Belfast About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 12/1/22: “Our Town Belfast” Invites You For the Holidays! first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: Democracy Forum host Ann Luther of the League of Women Voters of Maine, joins us to invite listeners to tune in to Friday’s show (4pm). Friday’s show “will be less about how the parties and the candidates performed; more about how democracy performed. How did the election machinery hold up? How have our citizens embraced or rejected the legitimacy of the outcomes? Did women voters play a pivotal role in Maine or in other states? What about young voters? What does it all mean in the context of a bigger conversation about the future of western democracy?” About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 11/17/22: Democracy Forum Election Reflections: What Just Happened Here? first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: The year-long WERU series “Maine: The Way Life Could Be” is winding down. For the final show, cohosts Jim Campbell and Amy Browne are inviting the community to join them for a discussion of the topics the series has explored. The conversation will take place via Zoom on Monday, 11/14 at 6:30pm, and will be recorded for possible broadcast on the final show in the series, which will air in December. We discuss the details on today’s Around Town. FMI or to sign up, email mainethewaylifecouldbe@weru.org, Zoom links will be send out Monday afternoon. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 11/10/22: “Maine: The Way Life Could Be” Wants to Hear from YOU! first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Alison focuses on topics connected to harm reduction and addiction rehabilitation as a writer and advocate. Because she meets the most incredible and motivating people while interviewing them, she loves writing about recovery. Because keeping people safe in their daily lives, supporting wellness, and preventing additional harm are at the core of harm reduction, she enjoys writing about it. Since joining the Virginia Recovery Advocacy Project, where she is based, she has moved her recovery advocacy from Maine to Virginia. She is the president of the Maine Association of Recovery Residences and has extensive ties to the state of Maine's recovery community.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: If you’re making plans for the weekend, the folks at PICA (Power in Community Alliances) would like to invite you to their annual auction, which will be held at the UU Church in Bangor this coming Saturday from 3-6pm. PICA’s Ed Rudnicki has all the details About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 11/3/22: PICA's Annual Auction – This Weekend in Bangor first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producers/Hosts: Jim Campbell and Amy Browne This series is made possible in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission Maine: The Way Life Could Be, a series in which we look at challenges and opportunities facing Maine in the lifetimes of people alive today. This episode: As this series winds down, we circle back to some of the younger members of our community. In this program, we'll hear from four people under 40 who live in our broadcast area. They are working or looking for work, maybe thinking about starting families, and facing challenges today and in the near future as they fully take their places in Maine life. They talk about how they see some of the challenges identified at the beginning of this series, and identify others that are important in their lives. Guests: Derek Cole, Sophie Davis, Pepin Mittelhauser, Eileen Moscoso About the hosts: Jim Campbell has a longstanding interest in the intersection of digital technology, law, and public policy and how they affect our daily lives in our increasingly digital world. He has banged around non-commercial radio for decades and, in the little known facts department (that should probably stay that way), he was one of the readers voicing Richard Nixon's words when NPR broadcast the entire transcript of the Watergate tapes. Like several other current WERU volunteers, he was at the station's sign-on party on May 1, 1988 and has been a volunteer ever since doing an early stint as a Morning Maine host, and later producing WERU program series including Northern Lights, Conversations on Science and Society, Sound Portrait of the Artist, Selections from the Camden Conference, others that will probably come to him after this is is posted, and, of course, Notes from the Electronic Cottage. Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Maine: The Way Life Could Be 11/1/22: Mainers Under 40 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Natalie Springuel Coastal Conversations: Conversations with people who live, work, and play on the Maine coast, hosted by the University of Maine Sea Grant Program. This month: The town of Eastport, Maine, has weathered many changes in the last decades, transitioning from empty sardine factories to a vibrant multi-use working waterfront positioned to respond and adapt to an uncertain future. This month we feature two stories from Maine's easternmost town: “Eastport: Reinventing a Waterfront,” a recent episode on the From the Sea Up podcast, and “The Drama of Eastport Tides,” an older (2017) but timeless episode from the Salts and Water podcast. Our first is called “Eastport: Reinventing a Waterfront.” In the far eastern corner of Downeast Maine there's a 3.7 square mile island. Connected to the mainland by a causeway and road that passes through the Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation, Sipayik, this island is home to the town of Eastport, population 1,300. Once the most prominent sardine canning village along the coast, Eastport's last sardine factory closed in 1983. With that, a century-long industry was gone. In this episode we learn how Eastport has transitioned from a waterfront of empty factories to a vibrant multi-use working waterfront positioned to respond and adapt to a very uncertain future. This story is brought to you by our radio storytelling friend Galen Koch, whose podcast series, From the Sea Up, has been featured on Coastal Conversations before. Galen brings the past and present together to help us make sense of Maine's complicated future. This is the first in a working waterfront series we will keep sharing over the next few months. People and organizations Featured in this story include: Tides Institute, Hugh French, Moose Island Marine, Dean Pike, Eastport Port Authority, and Chris Gardner. This story is part of the podcast series From the Sea Up A note from producer Galen Koch: Thank you for listening to From the Sea up. This episode was written and produced by me, Galen Koch and assistant producer Olivia Jolley for the Island Institute. Nicole Wolf takes the beautiful photographs that accompany this episode. From the Sea Up's Senior Editors are Isaac Kestenbaum and Josie Holtzman. Additional audio editing on this episode by Liz Joyce and Claudia Newall. Special thanks to Camden Hunt, Hugh French, Dean Pike, Chris Bartlett, and Chris Gardner for their help and participation. And thanks to the Salt Institute and Pamela Wood, Hugh French, and Lynn Kippax Jr, who together researched and wrote the 1983 journal publication, “Eastport: For Pride.” Most of the music in this episode is by Cue Shop. From the Sea Up is made possible by the Fund for Maine Islands through a partnership between Island Institute, College of the Atlantic, Maine Sea Grant, and the First Coast. Past episodes and more information are available here Our second story Is called “The Drama of Eastport Tides” The defining feature of the easternmost point of America is the dramatic tides of the Atlantic Ocean at the coast of Eastport, Maine. Learn why incredible natural feature exists and visit one of the largest confluences of whirlpools in the world. Hear from the Salts—people with deep connections to the sea, whose lives are shaped by this natural wonder. This story was pulled out of the Coastal Conversations archives, from 2017, when well-known New England audio storyteller Rob Rosenthal partnered up with an initiative called Experience Maritime Maine to produce the Salts and Water podcast. Eastport is one of six towns covered in this series. People and organizations featured in this story include: Butch Harris of Eastport Windjammers, harbor pilot Bob Peacock, photographer Lisa Tyson Ennis, some Eastport visitors, and of course, the tide. This story is part of the podcast series SALTS & WATER: Stories from the Maine Coast Experience Maritime Maine presents Salts & Water, a 6-part podcast series by award-winning producer Rob Rosenthal. These audio stories paint remarkable character portraits along the coast of Maine, through Eastport, Stonington, Searsport, Rockland, Bath, and Portland. Meet the “women lobstermen” of Stonington, island-hop aboard a Windjammer in Penobscot Bay, and discover the salty fishmonger whose work on Portland's piers is integral to Maine's culture of seafood. Get to know meticulous boat builders, and learn how the dramatic tides shape life in Downeast Maine. Enjoy this podcast series. Salts and Water is a project of Experience Maritime Maine, funded in part by the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, Hamilton Marine, Maine's MidCoast & Islands, and sponsored by Maine Boats, Homes, and Harbors. To hear the other stories in the series, visit Salts and Water Podcast Series About the host: Natalie Springuel has hosted Coastal Conversation's since 2015, with support from the University of Maine Sea Grant where she has served as a marine extension associate for 20 years. In 2019, Springuel received an award for Public Affairs programming from the Maine Association of Broadcasters for the Coastal Conversations show called “Portland's Working Waterfront.” Springuel is passionate about translating science, sharing stories, and offering a platform for multiple voices to weigh in on complex coastal and ocean issues. She has recently enrolled in audio production training at Maine Media Workshop to dive deeper into making great community radio. The post Coastal Conversations 10/28/22: Eastport- Maine's Easternmost Town first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: The groups Resources for Organizing and Social Change and Community Change, Inc. have partnered for an online series of workshops, with the goal of building an anti-racist organizing community in New England. We got the details from one of the organizers, Sass Linneken, Executive Director of ROSC – Resources for Organizing and Social Change FMI: rosc.maine@gmail.com About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 10/27/22: Building Local Anti-Racist Community first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: We’re in Belfast, checking in with Larraine Brown, one of the organizers of a 3-day Arts in Action Conference, coming up on November 4th, 5th and 6th. The event is intended to be “A hope filled, solution focused, three day conference addressing substance use and mental health disorders, along with the effects of the COVID pandemic”. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 10/20/22: 3 Day Artivism Conference Coming to Belfast first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: After decades of work on the issue, the Maine People’s Alliance (MPA)and the Natural Resources Defense Council have a big announcement this week. Jesse Graham, Co-Director of MPA fills us in.. Read more here and here About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 10/13/22: Big Step Forward for Penobscot River Mercury Clean Up first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Matt Murphy, filling in for Amy Browne This week: We are back in Searsport, talking with Rolf Olsen, VP of the Board for Friends of Sears Island, and member of Maine’s Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group, which will advise the Governor and others as they consider location options for a new offshore wind construction and deployment facility. Friends of Sears Island, Islesboro Islands Trust and Sierra Club, Maine support offshore wind, but prefer that the facility be built on nearby Mack Point, which is already industrialized. The Offshore Wind Port Advisory Committee is meeting today, September 29th, 2022, 9am – 4:30pm at MaineDOT Headquarters. The public is welcome and may attend by zoom. More information, the agenda, and registration for the zoom link can be found here About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 10/6/22: Update on Missing Person Graham Lacher first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producers/Hosts: Jim Campbell and Amy Browne This series is made possible in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission Maine: The Way Life Could Be, a series in which we look at challenges and opportunities facing Maine in the lifetimes of people alive today. This episode: At the outset of this series, we invited anyone interested to participate in a Zoom call to help us gather information on what folks saw as major challenges facing Maine people during the lifetime of those alive today. One of those challenges involves how we'll be able to make our livings in the Maine of the near future as traditional industries wane, and as our population grows older. On today's program, we'll be talking with three experts who have studied these questions from a variety of perspectives. Guests: Charles Colgan, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy and Management in the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine, and senior fellow at the Center for the Blue Economy in Monterey, California. Colgan served as Chair of the State of Maine Consensus Economic Forecasting Commission from 1992-2010. Prior to his work at USM, he served in the Maine State Planning Office under three governors. James Myall, an Economic Policy Analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy. and author of the Center's State of Working Maine 2021 report. We began by asking him to describe the purpose of the report and how it was put together. Andy O'Brien, a longtime Maine journalist who currently serves as Communications Director of the Maine AFL-CIO. About the hosts: Jim Campbell has a longstanding interest in the intersection of digital technology, law, and public policy and how they affect our daily lives in our increasingly digital world. He has banged around non-commercial radio for decades and, in the little known facts department (that should probably stay that way), he was one of the readers voicing Richard Nixon's words when NPR broadcast the entire transcript of the Watergate tapes. Like several other current WERU volunteers, he was at the station's sign-on party on May 1, 1988 and has been a volunteer ever since doing an early stint as a Morning Maine host, and later producing WERU program series including Northern Lights, Conversations on Science and Society, Sound Portrait of the Artist, Selections from the Camden Conference, others that will probably come to him after this is is posted, and, of course, Notes from the Electronic Cottage. Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Maine: The Way Life Could Be 10/4/22: Jobs first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: We are back in Searsport, talking with Rolf Olsen, VP of the Board for Friends of Sears Island, and member of Maine’s Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group, which will advise the Governor and others as they consider location options for a new offshore wind construction and deployment facility. Friends of Sears Island, Islesboro Islands Trust and Sierra Club, Maine support offshore wind, but prefer that the facility be built on nearby Mack Point, which is already industrialized. The Offshore Wind Port Advisory Committee is meeting today, September 29th, 2022, 9am – 4:30pm at MaineDOT Headquarters. The public is welcome and may attend by zoom. More information, the agenda, and registration for the zoom link can be found here About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 9/29/22: Developing Sears Island for a “Green” Project? Meeting Taking Place Today. first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Natalie Springuel Coastal Conversations: Conversations with people who live, work, and play on the Maine coast, hosted by the University of Maine Sea Grant Program. This month: Maine's coastline has inspired writers and artists for generations. On today's Coastal Conversations we are thrilled to feature three contemporary Maine writers who each have a special connection with the coast of Maine and coastlines around the world. We'll hear their stories about the role of writing and art in their lives and what inspires their work today. Each author will share some of their recent work, including some poetry, haiku and prose. Our featured writers today include Linda Buckmaster, writer, teacher, and self-described wanderer from Belfast, Maine; Valerie Lawson, poet, publisher and teacher from Robbinston, Maine; and Kristen Lindquist, writer, poet, and naturalist from Camden, Maine. Guest/s: Linda Buckmaster. Writer, teacher, wanderer. Belfast, Maine. Linda's most recent book, Elemental: A Miscellany of Salt Cod and Islands, is available at bookstores from Blue Hill to Portland or from the author. Her work will be featured at the 17th annual Belfast Poetry Festival, October 15th 2022. Valerie Lawson. Poet, publisher and teacher. Robbinston, Maine. Valerie's poems about conserved lands at Reversing Falls in Pembroke were recently featured in the Writing the Land: Maine project. Her work will be featured at Poetry Express at University of Maine at Fort Kent on September 21, 22, 2022. Contact UMFK for more information. UMFK's Acadian Archives to host Poetry Express Sept. 21-22 in Fiddlehead Focus/St. John Valley Times Kristen Lindquist. Writer, poet, naturalist. Camden, Maine. Kristen's recent award-winning haiku e-chapbook It Always Comes Back Kristen's Daily Haiku Blog About the host: Natalie Springuel has hosted Coastal Conversation's since 2015, with support from the University of Maine Sea Grant where she has served as a marine extension associate for 20 years. In 2019, Springuel received an award for Public Affairs programming from the Maine Association of Broadcasters for the Coastal Conversations show called “Portland's Working Waterfront.” Springuel is passionate about translating science, sharing stories, and offering a platform for multiple voices to weigh in on complex coastal and ocean issues. She has recently enrolled in audio production training at Maine Media Workshop to dive deeper into making great community radio. The post Coastal Conversations 9/23/22: Three Contemporary Maine Writers Inspired by the Coast first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: 100 Maine “Clean Water Champions” will be honored at an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act on September 29th on the banks of the Androscoggin River in Lewiston— including one person whose voice you’ll recognize from WERU! Anya Fetcher, Federal Policy Advocate for the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), one of the event organizers, joins us with all the details. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 9/22/22: Maine “Clean Water Champions” Honored at Clean Water Act 50th Anniversary event first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: We talk with Nancy Hathaway, President of Dark Sky Maine, and “Defending the Dark: The Story of Preserving the Dark Skies in Maine” film maker Tara Roberts Zabriskie about their upcoming film tour. Also, this weekend Dark Sky Maine will host their annual “Stars Over Katahdin” in Staceyville, near the entrance to Katahdin Woods & Waters, featuring astromony educators, a campfire, and telescopes – on what is predicted to be a clear weekend. More information about that, and the Defending the Dark film tour, are available at darkskymaine.com, or by emailing darkskymaine@gmail.com About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 9/15/22: Defending Maine's Dark Skies first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: We’re on Mount Desert Island talking with Jasmine Smith, Founding Director of The Community School of Mount Desert Island about a partnership with Maine Coast Heritage Trust that successfully preserved a “learning forest” for students and the wider community. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 9/8/22: Learning Forest on MDI Preserved by Community School & Maine Coast Heritage Trust first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producers/Hosts: Jim Campbell and Amy Browne This series is made possible in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission Maine: The Way Life Could Be, a series in which we look at challenges and opportunities facing Maine in the lifetimes of people alive today. This episode: At the outset of this series, we invited anyone interested to participate in a Zoom call to help us gather information on what folks saw as major challenges facing Maine people during the lifetime of those alive today. One of those challenges mentioned by several of the participants on that call was affordable and accessible health care. It's important to note right at the beginning of today's program that health care and health insurance are two different things that are sometimes conflated. Health care refers to the care that providers such as doctors, nurses, therapists, and others provide to people with health issues. How to pay for that care is a separate challenge, often provided in part by either for-profit insurance companies or government programs such as Medicaid, for those with very low incomes; or Medicare, for those age 65 and over. On today's program, we will speak with two retired physicians who, over long careers, took somewhat different paths but wound up at the same conclusion about how to provide Maine people, and all Americans, with affordable, accessible health care. Guests: Dr. Geoff Gratwick practiced medicine with a specialty in rheumatology in the Bangor area, and in clinics across Maine for over 40 years. He eventually became so concerned about what he saw as problems with Mainers getting access to quality health care that he ran for the Maine Senate after serving 9 years on the Bangor City Council. He served four terms in the Maine Senate before leaving because of term limits, and while there served on the Opioid Task Force, as well as on several legislative committees. He was a key player in establishing the state's Health Care Task Force which has been charged with determining how to make health care in Maine universal, affordable, accessible and of high quality. Dr. Phil Caper, in addition to practicing as a physician, spent a good part of his career in policy areas related to health care. From 1971 to 1976, he was a professional staff member on the United States Senate Labor and Public Welfare's subcommittee on Health. He served on the National Council on Health Planning and Development from 1977 to 1984, chairing the panel from 1980 to 1984. He has also taught at Dartmouth Medical School, the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, and worked in private industry trying to improve the technology of hospital medical records. Both guests are active with Maine AllCare FMI: Maine AllCare From the National Bankruptcy Forum, 10/22/21: 10 Statistics about US Medical Debt that Will Shock You Health care executive pay soars during pandemic, Bob Herman, AXIOS, Jun 14, 2021 Universal health care could have saved more than 338,000 lives from COVID-19 alone, Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, June 13, 2022 Sudden resolution of Anthem and Maine Med dispute leaves more questions than answers, Caitlin Andrews, Bangor Daily News, 8/20/22 2022 Maine Shared Community Health Needs Assessment Report Hidden charges, denied claims: Medical bills leave patients confused, frustrated, helpless, Joe Lawlor, Portland Press Herald, 8/21/22 About the hosts: Jim Campbell has a longstanding interest in the intersection of digital technology, law, and public policy and how they affect our daily lives in our increasingly digital world. He has banged around non-commercial radio for decades and, in the little known facts department (that should probably stay that way), he was one of the readers voicing Richard Nixon's words when NPR broadcast the entire transcript of the Watergate tapes. Like several other current WERU volunteers, he was at the station's sign-on party on May 1, 1988 and has been a volunteer ever since doing an early stint as a Morning Maine host, and later producing WERU program series including Northern Lights, Conversations on Science and Society, Sound Portrait of the Artist, Selections from the Camden Conference, others that will probably come to him after this is is posted, and, of course, Notes from the Electronic Cottage. Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Maine: The Way Life Could Be 9/6/22: Health- Care & Insurance first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: We’re back in Belfast for an update on the search for missing person Graham Lacher from his mother, Tammy Lacher Scully. Correction: The facebook page is Missing Graham Lacher, not “Finding Graham Lacher”. Photos and more information about the search can be found there. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 9/2/22: Update on Missing Person Graham Lacher first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Natalie Springuel Coastal Conversations: Conversations with people who live, work, and play on the Maine coast, hosted by the University of Maine Sea Grant Program. In mid-July 2022, nearly 200 people gathered in Boston for the sixth National Working Waterfront Network conference. Working waterfronts are where people who make their living on the sea can access the water. They include ports, harbors, piers, wharves, launch ramps, mudflats, boat yards and more. The National Working Waterfront Network meets every 2-3 years to swap stories and strategies for strengthening and protecting waterfront infrastructure and working access to the coast. At the 2022 conference, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree of Maine's 1st Congressional District, long a working waterfront champion in partnership with Maine's full delegation, gave a closing address during which she highlighted the importance of keeping the spotlight on these complex and critical spaces for our national economy and local, coastal culture. Voices throughout the event echoed the Congresswoman's message, and on today's Coastal Conversations show, we bring you some of those voices. Today, we feature portions of Representative Pingree's address, along with stories and perspectives from people connected to working waterfronts in Maine, Louisiana, Oregon and California. All voices shared in today's show were recorded at the National Working Waterfront Network Conference 2022. Guest/s: Afton Vigue, Maine Aquaculture Association Dominique Seibert, Louisiana Sea Grant Jamie Doyle, Oregon Sea Grant Michael Nelson, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, California About the host: Natalie Springuel has hosted Coastal Conversation's since 2015, with support from the University of Maine Sea Grant where she has served as a marine extension associate for 20 years. In 2019, Springuel received an award for Public Affairs programming from the Maine Association of Broadcasters for the Coastal Conversations show called “Portland's Working Waterfront.” Springuel is passionate about translating science, sharing stories, and offering a platform for multiple voices to weigh in on complex coastal and ocean issues. She has recently enrolled in audio production training at Maine Media Workshop to dive deeper into making great community radio. The post Coastal Conversations 8/26/22: National Working Waterfront Network conference first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: we’re in Rockland, where a project involving a Camden art gallery, local artists and prisoners in Warren will benefit an innovative local food pantry. Joe Ryan is the Executive Director of Area Interfaith Outreach Food & Energy Assistance (AIO) About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 8/25/22: AIO & Artists-in-Action Against Food Insecurity, first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: We’re headed to Penobscot, where Chrissy Allen, Development Director of the Blue Hill Heritage Trust has some good news to share About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 8/18/22: Local Land Trusts Preserve Wallamatogus Mountain first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: New info on the search for Graham Lacher; tree cutting on Sears Island begins this week, ahead of soil testing – as part of determining whether the island is suitable for an offshore wind production facility. Groups including Friends of Sears Island want the facility built on adjacent Mack Point, which is already developed. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 8/11/22 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producers/Hosts: Jim Campbell and Amy Browne This series is made possible in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission Welcome to this edition of Maine: The Way Life Could Be, a series in which we look at challenges and opportunities facing Maine in the lifetimes of people alive today. Affordable housing is a big issue here in Maine, with current residents being priced out of certain areas by people moving here from out of state, purchase prices beyond the reach of average wage earners in all but one county, rents skyrocketing, and short term vacation rentals displacing long term rentals. Today we again hear from area town managers and planners that we interviewed earlier this year, a young person dealing with the issue, and a local real estate agent who fills us in on the trends. With inflation and interest rates complicating things, it’s hard to predict what things will look like in a few years, much less beyond that. Guests: Lane Sturtevant, Participant in January MTWLCB forum Kathleen Billings, Town Manager, Stonington, Maine Mike Cunning, Realtor, Worth Real Estate, Belfast, Maine Jim Fisher, Town Manager, Deer Isle, Maine, and former senior planner with the Hancock County Planning Commission Anne Krieg, Bangor Planning Officer FMI: Trends and Outlooks for the Maine Economy, Maine Association of Mortgage Professionals (presentation), by Amanda Rector, Maine State Economist, June 8, 2022 2021 Homeownership Housing Facts and Affordability Index for Maine, Maine State Housing Authority LD 290, An Act to Stabilize Property Taxes for Individuals 65 Years of Age or Older Who Own a Homestead for at Least 10 Years Airbnb bookings in rural Maine surge to $95M in 2021, Lori Valigra, Bangor Daily News, June 29, 2022 Portland isn't the only place out-of-staters are buying pricey homes, David Marino Jr., Bangor Daily News, June 23, 2022 About the hosts: Jim Campbell has a longstanding interest in the intersection of digital technology, law, and public policy and how they affect our daily lives in our increasingly digital world. He has banged around non-commercial radio for decades and, in the little known facts department (that should probably stay that way), he was one of the readers voicing Richard Nixon's words when NPR broadcast the entire transcript of the Watergate tapes. Like several other current WERU volunteers, he was at the station's sign-on party on May 1, 1988 and has been a volunteer ever since doing an early stint as a Morning Maine host, and later producing WERU program series including Northern Lights, Conversations on Science and Society, Sound Portrait of the Artist, Selections from the Camden Conference, others that will probably come to him after this is is posted, and, of course, Notes from the Electronic Cottage. Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Maine: The Way Life Could Be 8/2/22: Housing in Maine -Affordable to Mainers? first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Natalie Springuel Coastal Conversations: Conversations with people who live, work, and play on the Maine coast, hosted by the University of Maine Sea Grant Program. Today our show is about the Mount Desert Island-based project called a Landscape of Change. Landscape of Change is a collaborative project with the goal of compiling and publishing historical records of natural history observations on Mount Desert Island, dating back to the late 1800s, and comparing these with contemporary data to document change over time. While the project focuses on the science of environmental change, it also explores how every-day people can collect meaningful scientific data, and how people might choose to respond to ecological change, as individuals, as artists, as natural resource managers, as activists or even as a society as a whole. 1. What are the historical records that provide the baseline from which your are able to document ecological change on Mount Desert Island? 2. What are the modern methods of data collection that citizens are involved in collecting? 3. What are the changes you have found in MDI's natural environment in the past 100+ years 4. How can citizens and visitors become involved and learn more? Guests: Raney Bench, Executive Director of the Mount Desert Island Historical Society Johanna Blackman, Executive Director of A Climate to Thrive Jennifer Steen Booher, Artist-in-residence with MDI Historical Society. Seth Benz, Director of Bird Ecology at Schoodic Institute at Acadia Nation Park Catherine Schmitt, science writer with Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park Kyle Lima, Data Analyst, also with the Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park About the host: Natalie Springuel has hosted Coastal Conversation's since 2015, with support from the University of Maine Sea Grant where she has served as a marine extension associate for 20 years. In 2019, Springuel received an award for Public Affairs programming from the Maine Association of Broadcasters for the Coastal Conversations show called “Portland's Working Waterfront.” Springuel is passionate about translating science, sharing stories, and offering a platform for multiple voices to weigh in on complex coastal and ocean issues. She has recently enrolled in audio production training at Maine Media Workshop to dive deeper into making great community radio. The post Coastal Conversations 7/22/22: Landscape of Change first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Amy Browne Sears Island, located near Searsport, is a 940 acre island connected to the mainland since the late 80s by a causeway. Though it is near industrialized areas, it is mostly undeveloped and currently uninhabited by humans. Many people use the island recreationally, year ’round. Over the decades, people who care about the island have protected it from one proposed development after another- and the island may be under threat again. Today we’ll hear about the latest development proposed for the island- from some of the folks who have been involved over the years. Guests: Steve Miller of Islesboro Islands Trust Susan White & Rolf Olsen of Friends of Sears Island Becky Bartovics & Matthew Cannon of Sierra Club Maine FMI (including reports referenced on the show) Friends of Sears Island Offshore Wind Project Resources page About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices and Maine Currents, she also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters. The post Maine Currents Special 7/20/22- Sears Island: The Latest Threat first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.