Talk of the Towns | WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives

Producer/Host: Ron Beard Studio Engineer: Amy Browne What is the primary work of Maine Sea Coast Mission? What were the highlights of your work there? What led you to your work as a pastor in the Congregational church? How did your work as a pastor inform own approach to “community building”? Guest: Scott Planting, former President, Maine Sea Coast Mission The post Talk of the Towns 6/14/19: Conve...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Studio Engineer: Amy Browne Key discussion points: How has the Abbe board, staff and stakeholders used your strategic planning process to better define the direction and aspirations for the Abbe What is “decolonization” and how have you worked on that at the Abbe? What differences might we see and feel in a museum that is down the...

The Union River and Relicensing for Electrical Generation Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Joel Mann What do we know about the ecology and history of the Union River and its watershed? What do we know about the current use of the Union River to generate electricity? What concerns have your organizations focused on as part of the relicensing process? Fis...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Community concerns and opportunities: Combatting Racism in our schools and our communities Key Discussion Points: Can someone offer a definition of racism, one that helps frame your work Can you distinguish between individual behavior and “institutional” racism? How does racism “show up” in your experience as...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Community concerns and opportunities: Is it time to open up the Maine’s primary process to unenrolled voters Key Discussion Points: What are primary elections and how are they conducted in Maine? What role do parties play, what is the role of the state of Maine? What has been the rationale to prohibit unenroll...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Community concerns and opportunities: Looking back and looking forward—the view from Deer Isle, Stockton Springs and Mount Desert Key Discussion Points: Thumbnail sketches of geography, population and demographics economic base, history of Deer Isle, Stockton Springs, Mount Desert Brief overviews of town Gover...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Joel Mann Community concerns and opportunities: Developing Small Business Climate in Washington County Key Discussion Points: What is overall picture of Washington County? Historical perspective, Natural Resource base, Economics, Demographics… what are the most significant regional assets? What challenges does the region...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Denis Howard Community concerns and opportunities: 2018 Post Election Reflection Key Discussion Points: How would you characterize the 2018 elections… any general observations about the election process this year and any results you would like to highlight? Review results known in Maine (Governor, Congress, Senate seat,...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne The History Trust: Making the Past Accessible Key Discussion Points: Overview of the mission and collections of each historical society/museum, touching on how they manage those collections/archival materials, how they share them with the public. How mission for each organization translates into a meaningful c...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Community concerns and opportunities: The evolving role of community libraries Was there a “typical” view of the role of a community library when you started out? What roles of a community library are staying the same, and what roles are evolving? What are some of the “drivers” of the evolving role (demographi...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Community concerns and opportunities: Storied Lands and Waters of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway Key Discussion Points: What is the history of the Allagash River and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway (AWW)—including wilderness waterway designation and state management? What is the “present status” of the AWW...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Looking Back at Maine’s 2018 Legislative Session Key Discussion Points: How do you approach the role of legislator—what balance between advancing policy or solving problems framed by your parties vs. constituent services and solving problems that they bring to your attention? What are your primary committee as...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Community concerns and opportunities: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations are on their way What is the background on all-electric vehicles? How do they work? Why is this move to electric vehicles so important to the climate? How do we know that electricity for electric vehicles is “clean”? What trends in electr...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Conversation with Douglas Rooks on Rise, Decline and Renewal: The Democratic Party in Maine, published by Hamilton Books, 2018 Key Discussion Points: You begin your book with chapters on the Rise of the Democratic Party… what was so remarkable about Edmund Muskie’s election as governor in 1954? Who was key to...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Making Ellsworth a Model Green Community Key Discussion Points: What led to interest in making Ellsworth a model green community? (Climate change, pride in community, etc.) What were the various strands that made up the whole case to take action? What were your initial steps as you got organized (listening to...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Farms and Food System—the work of Maine Farmland Trust Key Discussion Points: How did MFT come to be and what are some of the elements in the timeline since it was started? Thumbnail sketch of farming and farmers in Maine in 2018 and what trends are playing out? Have the issues affecting farmers and farmland c...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: John Greenman Community concerns and opportunities: Screen time and kids: What is healthy? How do we talk about it? Key Discussion Points: What are some of the “developmental tasks” as adolescents grow… what are they learning and mastering at this stage of life? How do some of these developmental tasks intersect with acc...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Community concerns and opportunities: Revitalizing Maine’s Main Streets Key Discussion Points: What trends led each of your communities to undertake downtown revitalization? (malls, on-line retail, cost of buildings and renovations?) What strategies and programs have you used to advance your downtowns/ main st...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Community concerns and opportunities Man to Man: a conversation about confronting sexist attitudes and behavior Key Discussion Points: How has the recent publicity about sexual assault and harassment and the corresponding expressions of #Me Too affected you? What is the mission and program of Male Athletes Aga...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Community concerns and opportunities: Investing in children builds the future workforce, economy and community Key Discussion Points: What is the Maine Community Foundation, how do you promote philanthropy and promote community building? What led to MCF’s choice for the November 14 summit on early childhood de...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Environmental Education in Maine -What exactly is “environmental education”? What are some forms environmental education can take? -There’s a wealth of scientific research surrounding the benefits of environmental education to students. Can you describe some of those positive impacts? -Do you see an increasing...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Blueberries for Maine Key Discussion Points: Some history blueberry industry in Maine Why does Maine grow great low-bush blueberries? How did the industry start? Changes in how berries are grown… how fields are managed over time? Harvesting methods over time… including introduction of migrant workers Getting b...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Discussion of The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America What were some of the key “theological” turning points that led to the emergence of the evangelical movement in the US? How have evangelicals contributed to the current polarization in the US? Are there examples of evangelical thought and action tha...

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Studio Engineer: John Greenman Indivisible—engaging citizens and elected officials in representative government What were the origins of Indivisible and Indivisible MDI? What are some of the highlights of your work so far? What challenges do you face? What have you learned about citizenship, and about representative democracy? So...

Host: Ron Beard, Emeritus Professor, University of Maine Studio Engineer: Amy Browne Issue: Community concerns and opportunities Program Topic: A Climate to Thrive seeks energy independence for Mount Desert Island Key Discussion Points: 1. A climate to thrive is working on “energy independence” by 2030… what does that mean? What is most compelling about solar energy in the pursuit of energy indepe...