Podcasts about mount desert islander

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Production support from Joel Mann and from College of the Atlantic Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: Profiles of four community libraries in Northeast Harbor, Bucksport, Bangor and Ellsworth. Their traditional roles, and new roles to bring people together and to respond to new needs as “public help desks” for their communities. The role of the Maine Library Association to support professional development for library staff and to help coordinate library service throughout the state. Challenges, including threats to cut federal funding. What to look for in the PBS Independent Lens program Free for All: the public library. The role of free public libraries in building democracy. Guest/s: Amy Wisehart, Director, Northeast Harbor Library and President, Maine Library Association Lisa Ladd, Director, Buck Memorial Library, Bucksport Ben Treat, Director, Bangor Public Library Sarah Lasko, Director, Ellsworth Public Library FMI: bangorpubliclibrary.org www.bucklibrary.org www.ellsworthlibrary.net nehlibrary.org mainelibraries.org • Whole Person Librarianship. (website about social work / library collaborations) wholepersonlibrarianship.com/ • Bryne, Janicki, and Visser. (2024). “Libraries Stand Ready as Digital Inclusion Comes of Age.” Maine Policy Review 33.2 digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mpr/vol33/iss2/3/ • Clark & Smith. (2024). “What’s Keeping Public Libraries Up at Night?” Maine Policy Review 33.2. digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mpr/vol33/iss2/12/ • Furukawa, Scott, & Treat. (2024). “‘We’re the Town’s Help Desk:’ Social Work Creep in America’s Last Public Space. Maine Policy Review 33:2. digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mpr/vol33/iss2/15/ • Houston. (2024). “Lewiston Public Library Services for New Mainer Population.” Maine Policy Review 33:2. digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mpr/vol33/iss2/22/ • Silka. (2024). “Interview with Hazel Onsrud.” Maine Policy Review 33:2 digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mpr/vol33/iss2/5/ About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 4/12/25: The Promise of Libraries: their role in communities and democracy first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: –What experiences led to the creation of the Rural Aspirations Project –The Rural Aspirations Project has developed a “theory of change” to describe how it works collaboratively with rural schools, students, teachers community members, and what happens when the work succeeds. –The Rural Aspirations project has a track record of more than a decade and has a number of case studies that illustrate their approach. Each case study links learning with the natural resources of their rural area, improves graduation rates and gives students the opportunity to create an onward path after graduation –Staff members from Rural Aspirations Project share their personal stories about why they do this work and why it is so important to the future of rural communities and their people Guest/s: Kora Soll – Executive Director & Co-founder Val Peacock – Director of Program Strategy and Program Development & Co-founder Todd West – Operations Director & Collaborative Project Coordinator FMI: www.ruralaspirations.org About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 3/12/25: Maine's Rural Aspirations Project first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: What are some of the ways that people end up without homes? What are their stories? We know that solving the problem requires two connected strategies: providing people with housing and providing services that help them with physical and mental health, employment, transportation, and other concerns– why is it proving so difficult to put these strategies in place? What is the role of shelters, and other temporary housing solutions, and who provides them? What is the role of Community Housing of Maine and the network of other providers of housing and services? Guest/s: Melody Lewis-Kane, co-producer, “BUILDING HOPE” Tracey Hair, former director, H.O.M.E., Inc Cullen Ryan, executive director, Community Housing of Maine FMI: HOME Inc, East Orland homemmausa.org Community Housing of Maine www.chomhousing.org Kane Lewis Productions www.kanelewis.com/ Building Hope (the film) www.kanelewis.com/building-hope-homelessness About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 2/12/25: Tackling Homelessness in Maine first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: What is the mission of the Maine Downtown Center? What led leaders in Ellsworth and Belfast to work with the Maine Downtown Center and what was the process for connecting? With leadership from Heart of Ellsworth, that city recently became an accredited Main Street America community. What does that mean and what was involved in getting there? How does Our Town Belfast support new and existing downtown businesses? How does a downtown organization work with local government, Chambers of Commerce, tourism organizations or other groups? Guest/s: Cara Romano, Executive Director, Heart of Ellsworth. Amanda Cunningham, Our Town Belfast. Sylvie Piquet, Program Director, Maine Downtown Center, Maine Development Foundation. FMI: www.mdf.org/program-partnerships/maine-downtown-center/ www.heartofellsworth.org ourtownbelfast.org About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 1/8/25: Helping Maine Downtowns Thrive first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: As co-editor, Kara Douglas shares what led to this collaboration and publication of Alive to This–Essays on Living Fully by 20 Maine Writers. Kara Douglas, Carl Little and Robert Diamente, contributors to the collection of essays, provide background on their essay and read short portions, all reflecting on what brought them to feeling most alive? Each guest also highlights an essay written by Maine writers, creating connections among all 20 essays. Each writer reflects on how these essays might help readers/listeners reflect on the year ending and a new year beginning. Guest/s: Kara Douglas—Co editor of Alive to This (along with Erin O'Mara) and contributor, also yoga and meditation teacher, Harpswell. Carl Little, contributor, Somesville, writer on the arts, latest collection of poems is entitled Blanket of the Night , Deerbook Editions, Somesville. Robert Diamente, contributor, artist, photographer, Bangor. FMI: Alive to This– littoralbooks.com/product/alive-to-this-essays-on-living-fully-tax-exempt/ find.mainewriters.org/writers/carl_little/ robertdiamante.com fishmoonyoga.com/ (website for Kara Douglas) harpswellanchor.org/2024/11/harpswell-neck-writers-collaborate-for-alive-to-this-essay-collection-exploring-connection-and-possibility/ About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 12/11/24: Alive To This… exploring a new book of essays by Maine writers first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: What is the housing situation here in Maine? What are the key pillars for Zero Energy Homes: Zero energy, Affordability, Modular Construction, Cooperatively owned company. What are the components of a zero energy home? What is modular construction and how does it contribute to an affordable home? What has been the start up journey so far for Zero Energy Homes. What roles have the philanthropic and venture capital sectors played? What comes next? Hiring the a manager for the manufacturing process and locating a site for a manufacturing facility capable of constructing 30-50 homes per year. What is the timeline for locating your first demonstration home in Searsport in 2025? Guest/s: Caroline Pryor, founder of Zero Energy Homes, Mount Desert, Maine. Dick Arnold, advisory board, retired manufacturing ceo and engineer, Old Orchard Beach. Parlin Meyer, Managing Principal and co-owner BrightBuilt Home. Designer of modular, sustainble homes, Portland. FMI: zeroenergyhomes.coop www.brightbuilthome.com About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 11/13/24: Zero Energy Homes for Maine first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: – A bit of history of public housing in the US. – Recent trends that led to Maine's current picture. – Review of available public housing in Bangor and Mount Desert Island and Ellsworth, voucher programs and ancillary support. – Who is served by local housing authorities and by Maine State Housing? – Where is the “cutting edge” in housing, what are some of the challenges? Guest/s: Weston Brehm, Executive Director, MDI – Ellsworth Housing Authorities. Michael Myhatt, Executive Director, Bangor Housing. FMI: www.emdiha.org bangorhousing.org www.mainehousing.org www.affordablehousing.com/mainecwl About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 10/10/24: Housing Authorities in Maine first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: – What are the options for early childhood education in eastern Maine? – Is there an overall philosophy or approach to early childhood programs… what are they hoping to accomplish? – How are programs for early childhood education sponsored and delivered? – What are some of the strengths and challenges associated with existing early childhood program? Guest/s: Naomi McIsaac, Director of Early Childhood Programs, Downeast Community Partners Ana Hicks, Policy Director, Human Services, Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future FMI: www.downeastcommunitypartners.org/services/children-and-education/info.php/Early-Care-and-Education-Programs-2/ www.maine.gov/future/childrens-cabinet www.maine.gov/future/sites/maine.gov.future/files/2024-03/GOPIF_CC_Report_2023_FINAL.pdf About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 9/11/24: Early Childhood Programs and Policy first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: – What do B&Bs uniquely contribute to the mix of options for visitor accommodations in Maine? – How do innkeepers serve as host to their guests and ambassadors for their larger communities? – What skill sets are important in operating a bed and breakfast or inn? – What are some of the finer points of successful connections with guests? – How do innkeepers interface with other businesses and groups like Hospitality Maine and the Maine Office of Tourism? – What advice might be helpful to listeners who dream about operating a Bed and Breakfast in Maine Guest/s: Teri Anderholm, author of “Inn Mates – An Innkeeper's Memoir” and former owner with Jeffrey Anderholm of Bass Cottage Inn, Bar Harbor. Jim Hoffman, co owner with Mary Beth Hoffman of Peacock House, Lubec. Greg Soutiea, co-owner with Laurn Soutiea, of Craignair Inn, Spruce Head. FMI: terianderholm.com/book/ (link to Teri Anderholm's book: Inn Mates- An Inkeepers Memoir, 2024). craignair.com (link to Greg and Lauren Soutica's Craignair Inn, Spruce Head, Maine). www.peacockhouse.com (link to Jim and Mary Beth Hoffman's Peacock House in Lubec, Maine). About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 8/14/24: Maine's Bed and Breakfasts first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: – What do you understand the term artificial intelligence (AI) to mean? – How do you understand AI already in use? How do you encounter it? – How have you made use of AI in your work and creative life? – What do you understand about concerns about AI… either addressing current or potential applications? – What are the most useful ways you have encountered to address some of these concerns? – What do you see as the potential of AI – Helping government better serve citizens and communities? – Helping with collaboration and understanding among people? – Helping people and institutions work through conflict? – Helping with learning (at any age)? – What might be some helpful ways of thinking about developing and using AI going forward? – What can we learn from human experience with other technology and scientific advancement as we ride the wave of AI? Guest/s: Gray Cox, professor of philosophy, College of the Atlantic, author of Smarter Planet or Wiser Earth? : Dialogue and Collaboration in the Era of Artificial Intelligence, published by Quaker Institute for the Future, 2023. Nina Barufaldi St. Germain, business owner, writer, artist. Gregg TeHennepe, Senior Director, Computational Sciences, Jackson Laboratory. FMI: barharbor365.substack.com writing with Nina Barufaldi St. Germain. graycoxhomepage.wordpress.com more from Gray Cox. www.jax.org The Jackson Laboratory. About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 7/10/24: A Conversation About Artificial Intelligence in Our Lives first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: – What is the history, mission and current picture of Maine Outdoor School for All? – What are the benefits of learning out of doors? – What is it like to be a grade-school teacher today… what are some of the pressures and expectations they face? – What do teachers say are some of the barriers they face in getting students outdoors to learn? – And how do members of the network help classroom teachers (grades 4-8) overcome those barriers? – What are some of the benefits that teachers report from participation with organizations within the Maine Outdoor Schools for All network? – What is the background and current status of the Act to Support Outdoor School for All Maine Students, introduced in 2023 by State Senator Stacey Brenner Guest/s: Ryder Scott Executive Director, University of Maine 4-H Centers  Kara McCrimmon from Cobscook Institute Anica Miller-Rushing MOSFA Network Coordinator FMI: mosfa.org extension.umaine.edu/4h/camps/ cobscookinstitute.org About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 5/8/24: Getting Outdoors to Learn: Maine Outdoor School for All first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: – What are the elements of the sauna experience and culture? – What are the traditions in sauna and what are the growing edges, such as portable saunas and links to cold water swimming? – What led Garrett Conover to research and write his book, Sauna Magic? Guest/s: Jackie Stratton, Cedar Grove Sauna, Montville Jeneve Parish, Rest Day Sauna, Monson Gail Gladstone, Selkie Sauna, Bar Harbor Garrett Conover, author of Sauna Magic, Maine Authors Publishing, 2019 FMI: maineauthorspublishing.com/sauna-magic/ www.cedargrovesauna.com www.cedargrovesauna.com www.selkiesauna.com About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 4/10/24: Celebrating Maine's Sauna Culture first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: – What is the history of civic halls in Maine? – What role did the Grange play in rural America in the 19th and early 20th century? – What gave rise to the Maine Civic Halls initiative and what is the role of Maine Preservation? – What role did Greenhorns play in raising the present profile of Maine's civic halls? – How are civic halls being repurposed and taken care of today? As an example, how does Lamoine Community Arts collaborate with the Lamoine Grange? Guest/s: Severine Welcome, Founder/Director of Greenhorns/Smithereens Farm. Tara Kelly, Executive Director, Maine Preservation. Carol Korty, Lamoine Grange and Lamoine Community Arts. About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 3/13/24: Revitalizing Maine's Civic Halls first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: Interview with Roxana Robinson author of Leaving, published by W.W. Norton and Company, 2024 – What is the context and overall plot for Leaving? – Leaving, like your other novels, explores bonds that hold within families, and the forces that test those bonds…. What is your curiosity about families that keeps you returning to them in your writing? – The main characters Sarah and Warren are late middle age, each with claims made on them by life, family, jobs… as they reconnect after more than 30 years, they each contend with these claims, providing the major tension in the story – Sarah and Warren also have strong connections to place… Sarah to her home outside of New York City, Warren to his summer home on Mount Desert Island… what is the nature of the claims that these places have on Sarah and Warren – You are known both as a writer of fiction, and as the biographer of Georgia O'Keefe. That book was recently republished with a new foreward … what led you to research and write O’Keefe's story? Guest/s: Roxana Robinson www.roxanarobinson.com About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 2/14/24: Roxana Robinson, author of Leaving first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: – Many towns, business owners and home owners think about and plan for the future in some way… how has the issue of climate sharpened focus on the need to plan for and adapt to sea level rise and warming? – What does “climate resilience” look like from each of your perspectives… what examples provide you with inspiration? – What are the key challenges you face as you engage your communities and plan for climate resilience? Who do you get to answer sceptics? – Where can other communities get help with these challenges? Other examples of working within and across town boundaries, etc. Guest/s: Kathleen Billings, Town Manager, Stonington Susie Arnold, director Center for Climate and Community Resilience, Island Institute Carla Guenthher, Senior Scientist, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries Linda Louise Nelson, Director of Community Development, Stonington FMI:  www.stoningtonmaine.org coastalfisheries.org www.islandinstitute.org/priorities/climate-solutions/ www.aclimatetothrive.org About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 1/10/24: Town Planning for Climate Resilience first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: Profiles of three community music organizations: Bagaduce Music, Ellsworth Community Music Institute, and Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Maine. – Signature programs of each organization? How has each organization evolved? – Make up of “faculty” and creative leaders? Target participants and audiences? – What is your organization's mix of teaching and performance? – What is your mix of local talent and inspiring musicians from away? – How does making music benefit those involved? – How does making music build community? (examples of collaboration?) – How is each organization led and funded? – Where might listeners learn more about your organizations and how to get involved? Guest/s: Bennett Konesni, Executive Director, Bagaduce Music Nancy Colter, founder, Ellsworth Community Music Institute Pepin Mittelhauser, Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Maine FMI:  www.bagaducemusic.org www.ellsworthcommunitymusic.org www.gilbertsullivanmaine.org About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 12/13/23: Making Music, Making Community in Maine first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: – What are some of the differences and commonalities of these forms of governing: selectboards, town and city councils? – What motivated our guests to seek an elected position in their community, what do they find satisfying about that role, what are some of the challenges? – What are some of the issues and concerns in Belfast, Blue Hill and Bar Harbor, and what is the role of elected officials in dealing with them? – How does what used to be known as “common civility” play out in your community… how does your selectboard or council manage dialogue with citizens? Have you any techniques or projects that have improved public discourse? Guest/s: Jill Goldthwait, former Council Member, Town of Bar Harbor Eric Sanders, Mayor, City of Belfast Jim Dow, Selectboard member, Town of Blue Hill FMI:  www.cityofbelfast.org bluehillme.gov www.barharbormaine.gov About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 11/8/23: Elected: What Is It Like to Serve as a Member of Local Town Government first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: – Background on the work of Maine Municipal Association and the apprenticeship program of Maine Department of Labor – With Maine municipalities facing a wave of retirements, what opportunities are there for folks new to the workforce and those with experience who might want to change careers? – What is the range of jobs and careers within municipal government? – What are some of the more traditional pathways into careers in municipal service? – How does the Maine Apprenticeship Program work? Can you actually get paid while apprenticing in a job in your town government? What are the other advantages to participating in apprenticeships? Guest/s: Peter Osborne, Director of Educational Services, Maine Municipal Association Rebecca Dansereau, Career Center Consultant, Maine Apprenticeship Program, Maine Department of Labor FMI:  www.mainehometowncareers.org www.mainehometowncareers.org/videos.php www.maine.gov/labor/jobs_training/apprenticeship/ About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 10/11/23: Hometown Careers and Apprenticeships Linking Mainers with Jobs in Public Service first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: What is the history and mission of Island Readers and Writers (IRW)? Offer some examples of how authors have connected with student readers, using their books to inspire student readers to become writers as well. Where does reading and writing fit into the aspirations of pre Kindergarten to 8th grade education in Maine? IRW belief in essential role of reading to foster the healthy development of children as confident, curious, and engaged learners, and empathetic and active citizens. How does IRW connect with classroom teachers and their schools? What is the engagement before, during and after the visit by authors? What is life like for classroom teachers and their students in the present day? Expectations, aspirations and realities? How did Covid impact teachers, what are the lingering effects? What are your hopes for the October 2023 Dear Teacher conference? Guest/s: Kelsey Buckley, Director of Communications, Island Readers and Writers. Alison Johnson, Director of School Programs, Island Readers and Writers. Deb Jamison, Principal, Pembroke Elementary School. Stephen Costanza, author of The King of Ragtime: the Story of Scott Joplin, illustrator and musician, toured IRW partner schools. FMI: islandreadersandwriters.org About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 9/13/23: Island Readers and Writers and the Dear Teacher Conference in October 2023 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: What are the ways in which landscape inspires these writers.. one often starts with an experience and then looks for facts, the other starts with a fact and looks for ways to put it into context… both pay close attention to landscape and spark their readers's own powers of observation and curiosity. What was the inspiration for Linda Cracknell to write about Erraid, off the west coast of Scotland and the setting for the opening chapters of Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped? How did Catherine Schmitt come to write The President's Salmon, and the story of restoration of Maine's Penobscot River? What do these writers hope readers take from reading about landscapes that we inhabit or visit? What are the ways these writers teach others about writing? Guest/s: Linda Cracknell, author of Writing Landscape, published by Saraband Books, 2023 Catherine Schmitt, author of The President's Salmon, published by Downeast Books, 2015 About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 8/9/23: Writing and Landscape first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: Overview of College of the Atlantic's Summer Institute, in collaboration with the National Geographic Society Reflections on what “exploration” means in the 21st century Preview of sessions led by Nadia Rosenthal on the science of viruses and implications for global health Preview of session led by Kim Stanley Robinson, on Space: Our Last Great Commons Guest/s: Darron Collins, President of College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor Nadia Rosenthal, Scientific Director, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor Kim Stanley Robinson, author of The Ministry for the Future, science fiction writer Other links: Summer Institute at College of the Atlantic Can Science Fiction Wake Us Up to Our Climate Reality? – The New Yorker, January 24, 2022 About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 7/12/23: Preview of Reimaging Exploration, College of the Atlantic's Summer Institute July 31-August 4 2023 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: What happens to students when they are engaged to learn out of doors?   (Tell some stories!) Do you incorporate learning beyond “science”?    (literature, history, art?) What have been the responses to bringing education out of doors—from students, from other teachers, from parents? What are the challenges you face in offering/promoting education outdoors?  (e.g. costs, transportation, insurance, resistance, hesitation from teachers who feel they do not have adequate experience or skills? Note 2022 Census of Community-Based Outdoor and Environmental Learning?) Where do you get support for teaching out of doors?  Teach ME Outside and other educational resources and networks, philanthropy, etc. What else would you advise for teachers, school leaders and parents about making the most of educating out of doors? Guest/s: Hazel Stark, Maine Outdoor School, Milbridge (and producer of The Nature of Phenology on WERU) Tiara Woods, Middle Level Classroom Teacher, Lamoine Consolidated School Landere Naisbitt, Education Coordinator, Blue Hill Heritage Trust Other links: Maine Outdoor School Creative STAR Learning About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 5/10/23: Take it Outside: Maine educators teaching out of doors first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: Advocacy and Non-violent Direct Action: A conversation with George Lakey and Sue Inches. How do we make change in the face of policies that seem wrong, either because they harm people or the earth? Some situations call for building relationships with policy makers and using the art of persuasion. But if persuasion doesn't work, a backup plan might include non-violent direct action, confronting those in power and stirring the public as a result of media attention. Our conversation with two activists and authors help us understand these choices and how they fit into today's landscape of change. Topics include: What is the connection between advocacy and non-violent direct action, with one or two examples and lessons learned along the way? In your writing, you have both illuminated the need for vision that leads to strategy that leads to the hard slog of change… talk more about the importance of vision and strategy in any campaign for change. You have also written about the importance of community, as a grounding force, as a source of support… say more about the ways in which you see “community building” as part of your work. How do you understand our present moment and what has brought us here? Are there some key events or trends in our history that help us understand where we have come to? Each of you have been energized by engagement with young people, in your classrooms and in your campaigns. Are there attributes of the rising generation that are particularly inspiring? Guest/s: George Lakey author of Dancing with History: A life for peace and justice, Seven Stories Press, 2022. See also: www.georgelakeyfilm.com Sue Inches, author of Advocating for the Environment, North Atlantic Books, 2021. See also sueinches.com About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 4/12/23: Local Community Concerns and Opportunities first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: While many individual organizations have cultural heritage as part of their mission, the new Cultural Alliance of Maine, begun in 2020, is highlighting the many aspects of culture in our state, including the celebration of Cultural Heritage Week in Maine, March 15-22. -What is culture? And what are some of the more easily understood elements of culture in Maine? What elements are now coming into focus in our state, or those overlooked? -What led to the creation of the Cultural Alliance of Maine? -Who are the constituents of the Cultural Alliance of Maine? -What is the work of the Cultural Alliance of Maine? -Why is this work important, both to your constituents, and to the state as whole? -How does culture intersect with business, health, community-building, education, quality of life? -What is Cultural Heritage Week in Maine (March 15-22) and who/what will you showcase? Guest/s: Molly Cashwell, Co- Director, Cultural Alliance of Maine, prior work with cultural organizations internationally and in the US, board member of MDI Historical Society and Jesup Library, Lamoine Ekhlas Ahmed, Co-Director, Cultural Alliance of Maine, former educator, human rights activist, resettled to Maine in 2005, a refugee from Sudan, board member for Portland Public Library and Mayo Street Arts, Windham Stu Kestenbaum, Steering Committee and co-founder, Cultural Alliance of Maine Senior Advisor, Monson Arts, former Poet Laureate, former director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 3/8/23: Cultural Alliance of Maine & Cultural Heritage Week first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: Using current examples from Jonesport, Blue Hill and Bar Harbor, our guests discuss the importance of comprehensive planning to set out goals for the future, including where growth will be encouraged and where citizens hope to discourage sprawl in more rural areas. We learn how they have engaged community members in the process of creating or updating their town comprehensive plans, and how comprehensive plans also provide a foundation for land use zoning ordinances, economic development and capital investments. What is a comprehensive plan is and how does it relate to elements of town governance (planning and zoning, infrastructure and capital investment, economic development, etc? What is the relationship between elected officials and the planning board and the comprehensive planning process? How is comprehensive planning different from routine Planning Board work? What are the various stages in creating a comprehensive plan? How are community members engaged in the process? What have you learned (or had confirmed) so far about your town? What advice would you have for other communities as they contemplate creating or updating comprehensive plan? Guest/s: Harry Fish, Selectman, Jonesport Diane Smith, Planning Board Member, Jonesport Michele Gagnon, Town Planner, Bar Harbor Sarah King, Comprehensive Plan Committee, Blue Hill About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 2/8/23: The Importance of Comprehensive Planning first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: We look at the recent “forever wild” protection of 3200 acres of land near the Whalesback, along Route 9 in Aurora, featuring Aaron Dority, Executive Director, Frenchman Bay Conservancy, Malcolm Hunter, donor, for-ever wild conservation easement, Aurora, and Sophie Ehrhardt, coordinator of the Wildlands Partnership Program. This protection also helps with climate change by allowing the forest to store carbon as the forest continues to grow and change naturally. -What is the (brief) history of land conservation in Maine? -What do we (society) gain from protecting or conserving land? What are “environmental services” how are they promoted in “forever wild protection”? What benefits do wildlife derive from large land tract protection/corridors? What other tangible and intangible benefits do humans derive from conserved land? -What led to the protection of the Whalesback in Aurora? How did this partnership develop? What were some of the steps in the process? Who are the other significant partners and what were their roles? -What do we know about the 3223 acres of land that are protected by these new conservation easements? Where is it located? Why is it significant? How does this fit into overall resource conservation for the region? -Not envisioned as a benefit in early land conservation, mitigation of climate change is now a part of this and other land conservation strategies… what are those benefits and how Northeast Wilderness Trust's carbon offset program work? Guest/s: Aaron Dority, Executive Director, Frenchman Bay Conservancy Malcolm Hunter, donor, for-ever wild conservation easement, Aurora Sophie Ehrhardt, coordinator of the Wildlands Partnership Program of Northeast Wilderness Trust About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 1/11/23: “Forever Wild” Conservation Easement Downeast first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: We look at the recent “forever wild” protection of 3200 acres of land near the Whalesback, along Route 9 in Aurora, featuring Aaron Dority, Executive Director, Frenchman Bay Conservancy, Malcolm Hunter, donor, for-ever wild conservation easement, Aurora, and Sophie Ehrhardt, coordinator of the Wildlands Partnership Program. This protection also helps with climate change by allowing the forest to store carbon as the forest continues to grow and change naturally. -What is the (brief) history of land conservation in Maine? -What do we (society) gain from protecting or conserving land? What are “environmental services” how are they promoted in “forever wild protection”? What benefits do wildlife derive from large land tract protection/corridors? What other tangible and intangible benefits do humans derive from conserved land? -What led to the protection of the Whalesback in Aurora? How did this partnership develop? What were some of the steps in the process? Who are the other significant partners and what were their roles? -What do we know about the 3223 acres of land that are protected by these new conservation easements? Where is it located? Why is it significant? How does this fit into overall resource conservation for the region? -Not envisioned as a benefit in early land conservation, mitigation of climate change is now a part of this and other land conservation strategies… what are those benefits and how Northeast Wilderness Trust's carbon offset program work? Guest/s: Aaron Dority, Executive Director, Frenchman Bay Conservancy Malcolm Hunter, donor, for-ever wild conservation easement, Aurora Sophie Ehrhardt, coordinator of the Wildlands Partnership Program of Northeast Wilderness Trust About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 1/11/23: “Forever Wild” Conservation Easement Downeast first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: We ask two experienced teachers about their experience of teaching history and what they want students to take away from their studies of history and social studies. What is history… what makes it different than reporting the news and current events? How are history and social studies related? What is the role of textbooks in your history classes? How do you connect students to history and historians outside of textbooks? What are the roles of the state legislature (law), state Department of Education (state policy and standards), and local school boards (local policy) in shaping what will be taught and how? What does a curriculum coordinator do? How do State Standards approach the teaching of history and social studies? Students should be able to “distinguish between primary and secondary sources,” “evaluate and verify the credibility of the information found in print and non-print sources.” and “Equally important is that students use additional sources to resolve contradictory information.” How do you think about what students will use their knowledge and abilities in history and social studies? What do you want them to know and be able to do? What should citizens and policymakers to keep in mind when it comes to the teaching of history in public schools? Guest/s: Mark Puglisi, History Teacher, MDI High School Julie Keblinsky, Director of Teaching and Learning, MDI Regional School System About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 12/14/22: Teaching History first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: We ask two experienced teachers about their experience of teaching history and what they want students to take away from their studies of history and social studies. What is history… what makes it different than reporting the news and current events? How are history and social studies related? What is the role of textbooks in your history classes? How do you connect students to history and historians outside of textbooks? What are the roles of the state legislature (law), state Department of Education (state policy and standards), and local school boards (local policy) in shaping what will be taught and how? What does a curriculum coordinator do? How do State Standards approach the teaching of history and social studies? Students should be able to “distinguish between primary and secondary sources,” “evaluate and verify the credibility of the information found in print and non-print sources.” and “Equally important is that students use additional sources to resolve contradictory information.” How do you think about what students will use their knowledge and abilities in history and social studies? What do you want them to know and be able to do? What should citizens and policymakers to keep in mind when it comes to the teaching of history in public schools? Guest/s: Mark Puglisi, History Teacher, MDI High School Julie Keblinsky, Director of Teaching and Learning, MDI Regional School System About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 12/14/22: Teaching History first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: A conversation about Breaking Bread, Essays from New England about Food, Hunger and Family, published in 2022 by Beacon Press, to benefit Blue Angel, a food bank in Hancock County, Maine How do our stories about food connect us to our families and our heritage? How was Blue Angel food bank, created? How did the book, Breaking Bread, come about? What has been the response, both from those who contributed essays, and from those who have come to book talks or who have read the book? Guest/s: Deborah Joy Corey, Novelist, co-Editor of Breaking Bread, founder of Blue Angel, Castine Stuart Kestenbaum, Maine Poet Laureate, author of several books of poetry, including Things Seemed to be Breaking, Deerbrook Editions, Deer Isle Kim Ridley, science writer, children's book author, including Wild Design & The Secret Pool, Brooklin Margery Irvine, lecturer in English at UMaine, Scholar/Facilitator for the Maine Humanities Council, Brooklin Carl Little, poet, author of William Irvine: A Painter's Journey, and other books, Mount Desert, Maine About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 11/9/22: Breaking Bread first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: A conversation about Breaking Bread, Essays from New England about Food, Hunger and Family, published in 2022 by Beacon Press, to benefit Blue Angel, a food bank in Hancock County, Maine How do our stories about food connect us to our families and our heritage? How was Blue Angel food bank, created? How did the book, Breaking Bread, come about? What has been the response, both from those who contributed essays, and from those who have come to book talks or who have read the book? Guest/s: Deborah Joy Corey, Novelist, co-Editor of Breaking Bread, founder of Blue Angel, Castine Stuart Kestenbaum, Maine Poet Laureate, author of several books of poetry, including Things Seemed to be Breaking, Deerbrook Editions, Deer Isle Kim Ridley, science writer, children's book author, including Wild Design & The Secret Pool, Brooklin Margery Irvine, lecturer in English at UMaine, Scholar/Facilitator for the Maine Humanities Council, Brooklin Carl Little, poet, author of William Irvine: A Painter's Journey, and other books, Mount Desert, Maine About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 11/9/22: Breaking Bread first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: We talk with child care providers, and the leader of a program to support new child care businesses, about the essential elements of good child care. The wide-ranging conversation includes early childhood learning and socialization; fees, subsidies, and regulations; and family and employer perspectives. What child care options are there for parents to consider in Downeast Maine? What challenges do child care providers face? How do state subsidies help families pay for care? What role can employers play in helping their employees find child care? Guest/s: Courtney Wood, Beechland Road Early Learning Center, Downeast Family YMCA Sarah Hinckley, Mount Desert Nursery School Cynthia Murphy, CEI Maine Child Care Business Lab About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 10/12/22: Childcare first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme music for Talk of the Towns is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording. Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities This month: We talk with child care providers, and the leader of a program to support new child care businesses, about the essential elements of good child care. The wide-ranging conversation includes early childhood learning and socialization; fees, subsidies, and regulations; and family and employer perspectives. What child care options are there for parents to consider in Downeast Maine? What challenges do child care providers face? How do state subsidies help families pay for care? What role can employers play in helping their employees find child care? Guest/s: Courtney Wood, Beechland Road Early Learning Center, Downeast Family YMCA Sarah Hinckley, Mount Desert Nursery School Cynthia Murphy, CEI Maine Child Care Business Lab About the hosts: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor. The post Talk of the Towns 10/12/22: Childcare first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics Key Discussion Points: Local news and local democracy. What is a “news desert”? Does Maine have them? What happens in towns that have no institutional news coverage? Does it affect self-governance at the local level? Can citizen or grass-roots journalism fill the gap? Even if we have plenty of citizen journalists, do we lose cohesion without an institutional resource that provides a collective understanding? Guests: Penelope Abernathy, visiting professor at the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University Dan MacLeod, Managing Editor, Bangor Daily News Lincoln Millstein, blogs local news at The Quietside Journal To learn more about this topic: Survival of the Fittest: Can Independent News Media Endure in These Times? | Global Engagement at Georgetown University, April, 2022 New Report On The State Of Our Democracy | League of Women Voters 2021 Local news deserts are expanding: Here’s what we’ll lose | Washington Post, November, 2021 Exploiting the local news desert | Editor and Publisher, November 2021 Islander celebrates 20 years of community journalism – Mount Desert Islander, Faith D'Ambroise, November, 2021 Trends and Facts on Newspapers | State of the News Media | Pew Research Center. June, 2021 The mostly volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Martha Dickinson, Laurie Fogleman, Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Judith Lyles, Wendilee O'Brien, Maryann Ogonowski, Pam Person, Lane Sturtevant, Leah Taylor, Linda Washburn FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org About the host: Ann currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as President of LWVME from 2003 to 2007 and as co-president from 2007-2009. In her work for the League, Ann has worked for greater public understanding of public policy issues and for the League's priority issues in Clean Elections & Campaign Finance Reform, Voting Rights, Ethics in Government, Ranked Choice Voting, and Repeal of Term Limits. Representing LWVME at Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, she served that coalition as co-president from 2006 to 2011. She remains on the board of MCCE and serves as Treasurer. She is active in the LWV-Downeast and hosts their monthly radio show, The Democracy Forum, on WERU FM Community Radio -which started out in 2004 as an recurring special, and became a regular monthly program in 2012. She was the 2013 recipient of the Baldwin Award from the ACLU of Maine for her work on voting rights and elections. She joined the League in 1998 when she retired as Senior Vice President at SEI Investments. Ann was a founder of the MDI Restorative Justice Program, 1999 – 2000, and served on its Executive Board. The post Democracy Forum 5/20/22: The Demise of Local News: What Are We Losing? first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Democracy Forum: Participatory Democracy, encouraging citizens to take an active role in government and politics Key Discussion Points: Local news and local democracy. What is a “news desert”? Does Maine have them? What happens in towns that have no institutional news coverage? Does it affect self-governance at the local level? Can citizen or grass-roots journalism fill the gap? Even if we have plenty of citizen journalists, do we lose cohesion without an institutional resource that provides a collective understanding? Guests: Penelope Abernathy, visiting professor at the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University Dan MacLeod, Managing Editor, Bangor Daily News Lincoln Millstein, blogs local news at The Quietside Journal To learn more about this topic: Survival of the Fittest: Can Independent News Media Endure in These Times? | Global Engagement at Georgetown University, April, 2022 New Report On The State Of Our Democracy | League of Women Voters 2021 Local news deserts are expanding: Here’s what we’ll lose | Washington Post, November, 2021 Exploiting the local news desert | Editor and Publisher, November 2021 Islander celebrates 20 years of community journalism – Mount Desert Islander, Faith D'Ambroise, November, 2021 Trends and Facts on Newspapers | State of the News Media | Pew Research Center. June, 2021 The mostly volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Martha Dickinson, Laurie Fogleman, Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Ann Luther, Judith Lyles, Wendilee O'Brien, Maryann Ogonowski, Pam Person, Lane Sturtevant, Leah Taylor, Linda Washburn FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org About the host: Ann currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and leads the LWVME Advocacy Team. She served as President of LWVME from 2003 to 2007 and as co-president from 2007-2009. In her work for the League, Ann has worked for greater public understanding of public policy issues and for the League's priority issues in Clean Elections & Campaign Finance Reform, Voting Rights, Ethics in Government, Ranked Choice Voting, and Repeal of Term Limits. Representing LWVME at Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, she served that coalition as co-president from 2006 to 2011. She remains on the board of MCCE and serves as Treasurer. She is active in the LWV-Downeast and hosts their monthly radio show, The Democracy Forum, on WERU FM Community Radio -which started out in 2004 as an recurring special, and became a regular monthly program in 2012. She was the 2013 recipient of the Baldwin Award from the ACLU of Maine for her work on voting rights and elections. She joined the League in 1998 when she retired as Senior Vice President at SEI Investments. Ann was a founder of the MDI Restorative Justice Program, 1999 – 2000, and served on its Executive Board. The post Democracy Forum 5/20/22: The Demise of Local News: What Are We Losing? first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Ron Beard Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities We know the media landscape is changing, here in Maine, as elsewhere. Where do we get? our? news and information, and how do we test it for accuracy? And how does today's media intersect with making decisions in a democracy? Ron Beard, host of Talk of the Towns, talks with guests Kate Cough, reporter for the Maine Monitor, Faith DeAmbrose, editor of the Mount Desert Islander newspaper, Michael Socolow, Journalism Professor from University of Maine and WERU's ?own ?News and Public Affairs Manager, Amy Browne.? They share perceptions about Maine’s changing media landscape and what it means for democracy and citizen discourse.? Guests: Kate Cough, Reporter, The Maine Monitor Faith DeAmbrose, Managing Editor, The Mount Desert Islander Michael Socolow, Media historian and Associate Professor of Communication and Journalism, University of Maine Amy Browne, News and Public Affairs Manager, WERU Community Radio About the host: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. The post Talk of the Towns 5/11/22: The Changing Media Landscape in Maine and Elsewhere first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Ron Beard Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities We know the media landscape is changing, here in Maine, as elsewhere. Where do we get? our? news and information, and how do we test it for accuracy? And how does today's media intersect with making decisions in a democracy? Ron Beard, host of Talk of the Towns, talks with guests Kate Cough, reporter for the Maine Monitor, Faith DeAmbrose, editor of the Mount Desert Islander newspaper, Michael Socolow, Journalism Professor from University of Maine and WERU's ?own ?News and Public Affairs Manager, Amy Browne.? They share perceptions about Maine’s changing media landscape and what it means for democracy and citizen discourse.? Guests: Kate Cough, Reporter, The Maine Monitor Faith DeAmbrose, Managing Editor, The Mount Desert Islander Michael Socolow, Media historian and Associate Professor of Communication and Journalism, University of Maine Amy Browne, News and Public Affairs Manager, WERU Community Radio About the host: Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals. The post Talk of the Towns 5/11/22: The Changing Media Landscape in Maine and Elsewhere first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

On today’s show, we’ll speak to State Rep. Genevieve McDonald, a Democrat from Stonington-Deer Isle with tips on filing for unemployment as a self-employed Mainer or sole proprietor. She’s also the skipper of a lobster boat, so we’ll learn about COVID-19’s impact on the commercial fishing industry. And we’ll discuss the misogyny in today’s political circuses across the country. Later in the program, Becky Pritchard, author and reporter for the Mount Desert Islander newspaper, to hear how the state’s re-opening plan will be putting the damper on this summer’s tourism season Down East.

Mac talks about the recent Draft Day that took place at the Spit & Whittle Club in Southwest Harbor, and reads from the police beat section of the Mount Desert Islander.

Mac reads some stories from the Mount Desert Islander police beat, and the obituary of Richard Paul Sassaman.

Producer/Host: Ron Beard Studio Engineer: Amy Browne Guests: Tom Groening, Editor, Working Waterfront News Liz Graves, Editor, Mount Desert Islander Becky Pritchard, Reporter, Mount Desert Islander

The League of Women Voters – Downeast panel discussion on Journalism and Democracy, focusing on the importance of a free press in a functioning democracy and the challenges facing us today. The panel discussion took place in Ellsworth, Maine on 3/2/19, and was made possible through a grant from the Maine Humanities Council and the partnership of WERU Community Radio, along with the co-sponsorship of the Ellsworth American and Mount Desert Islander. Panelists: John Christie: Veteran journalist and co-founder of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting Irwin Gratz: Host of Morning Edition, Maine Public Liz Graves: Managing Editor of the Mount Desert Islander Joseph Reisert: Professor of American Constitutional Law, Colby College Moderator: Ann Luther, the host of Democracy Forum on WERU Community Radio

The Free Press and a Functioning Democracy Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Engineer: Amy Browne We talk about democracy, journalism, the state of play in American news. Can fact-based journalism survive? Can democracy survive otherwise? Guests: Earl Brechlin, Earl was the founding editor of the Mount Desert Islander. friendsofacadia.org/news/friends-acadia-welcomes-earl-brechlin-communications-director/ Burt Neuborne, Burt Neuborne is the Norman Dorsen Professor of Civil Liberties and founding Legal Director of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School. He is the author of the book, Madison’s Music, that explores a deep reading of the First Amendment. its.law.nyu.edu/facultyprofiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=profile.biography&personid=20165 Judy Woodruff, Judy Woodruff is the anchor and managing editor of the PBS Newshour. www.pbs.org/newshour/about/judy-woodruff To learn more about this topic: More Important But Less Robust? Five Things Everybody Needs to Know about the Future of Journalism Reuters Institute Report, January, 2019 Does Journalism have a Future? Jill Lepore in The New Yorker, January 28, 2019 Is journalism’s `pivot to dust’ arriving? Megan McArdle in the Washington Post, January 26, 2019 How We Know Journalism is Good for Democracy, Josh Stearns, posted at Medium, a publication of PACE: Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement, June 26, 2018 Local newspapers have already been gutted. There’s nothing left to cut. Steve Cavendish, the Washington Post, January 25, 2109. Madison’s Music: On Reading the First Amendment, Burt Neuborne, 2015. The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Sheila Kirby, Ann Luther, Maryann Ogonowski, Pam Person, Leah Taylor, Linda Washburn This episode of Democracy Forum was produced with support from the Maine Humanities Council. FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org

The Free Press and a Functioning Democracy Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine Engineer: Amy Browne We talk about democracy, journalism, the state of play in American news. Can fact-based journalism survive? Can democracy survive otherwise? Guests: Earl Brechlin, Earl was the founding editor of the Mount Desert Islander. friendsofacadia.org/news/friends-acadia-welcomes-earl-brechlin-communications-director/ Burt Neuborne, Burt Neuborne is the Norman Dorsen Professor of Civil Liberties and founding Legal Director of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School. He is the author of the book, Madison’s Music, that explores a deep reading of the First Amendment. its.law.nyu.edu/facultyprofiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=profile.biography&personid=20165 Judy Woodruff, Judy Woodruff is the anchor and managing editor of the PBS Newshour. www.pbs.org/newshour/about/judy-woodruff To learn more about this topic: More Important But Less Robust? Five Things Everybody Needs to Know about the Future of Journalism Reuters Institute Report, January, 2019 Does Journalism have a Future? Jill Lepore in The New Yorker, January 28, 2019 Is journalism’s `pivot to dust’ arriving? Megan McArdle in the Washington Post, January 26, 2019 How We Know Journalism is Good for Democracy, Josh Stearns, posted at Medium, a publication of PACE: Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement, June 26, 2018 Local newspapers have already been gutted. There’s nothing left to cut. Steve Cavendish, the Washington Post, January 25, 2109. Madison’s Music: On Reading the First Amendment, Burt Neuborne, 2015. The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: Starr Gilmartin, Maggie Harling, Sheila Kirby, Ann Luther, Maryann Ogonowski, Pam Person, Leah Taylor, Linda Washburn This episode of Democracy Forum was produced with support from the Maine Humanities Council. FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org

Host: Ann Luther, League of Women Voters of Maine     Engineer: Amy Browne Program Topic: Ballot Questions in Maine Key Discussion Points: a) We’ll discuss the ballot questions in Maine this year, how the process works, what the questions mean, and how citizen initiatives fit into a representative versus a direct democracy. b) What are the questions on the ballot? What do they mean? What are the arguments for and against the question? c) Where can voters learn more? Guests: Amy Fried, Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine umaine.edu/polisci/faculty-and-staff/amy- fried/ Jill Goldthwait, former Maine State Senator and award-winning political columnist for the Ellsworth American and the Mount Desert Islander.         The all-volunteer team at the League of Women Voters – Downeast who plan and coordinate this series includes: John Bradford Linda Hoskins Ann Luther Marge May Pam Person Leah Taylor Linda Washburn FMI re League of Women Voters of Maine: www.lwvme.org

Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Studio Engineer: John Greenman Issue: Community concerns and opportunities Program Topic: The Present and Future of Community Newspapers Key Discussion Points: What traditional roles do local newspapers fulfill? (News, Public Notice, Editorial, Access to Customers, role of “free press” in a democracy, etc) How do different sectors of the community relate to local newspapers? How is your news function structured… how does it work week to week? How do you decide what to cover? What is the reporters role, the editors role? How do you decide what editorials to write… how do you encourage readers to share their opinions? Does reader input influence what news you cover? What is the traditional business model… advertising revenue, subscription/news stand sales? How are the traditional roles changing and what is forcing those changes? (digital media, changing demographics and reader preferences, etc) How are local newspapers adapting/leading? (any differences with daily and national newspapers? Trends in on-line journalism?) In an ideal future world, how do you wish to interact with readers, citizens, local officials, business owners… what is the business model, what is the emerging role for newspapers role in a democracy? What are your hopes for the future of local newspapers? Guests: Stephen Fay, Managing Editor, The Ellsworth American Tim Archembalt, Director of Reach Marketing, Ellsworth American Ben Barrows, General Manager, Penobscot Bay Press Earl Brechlin, Editor, Mount Desert Islander (by phone) The post Talk of the Towns 9/26/14 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.