Category: Talk of the Towns

Live & local call-in on civic issues. Happens on the third Friday of every month from 10 – 11 AM.

Talk of the Towns 4/11/14

Producer/Host: Natalie Springuel, University of Maine Sea Grant
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Program Topic: Hands on Learning through Eastern Maine Skippers Program

Key Discussion Points:
Overview of the Skippers Program and how it came to be
How it is connected/separate from Deer Isle/Stonington’s Marine Pathways program
Other schools involved in the Skippers program
Goals, hopes, vision
What makes this program so unique, different, exciting?
The Flounder project
What have the students been up to
In class learning
Hands on learning (the Traps, going to the meetings with DMR, licensing etc)
Tell us about the fishery itself, how it is managed…
What is next or this project
Bigger picture conversation about:
Education and how this program can help non-traditional high school students.
Fisheries management and how this program can help inform the process
What words of advice would you have for today’s:
HS students who want hands on experience?
For educators?
How can people get involved, websites etc

Guests:
Val Peacock , Sumner High School
Carla Guenther, Penobscot East Resource Center
Todd West, Principle, Deer Isle Stonington High School
Kristen McGovern (science teacher) North Haven
Avery Waterman (student) North Haven

Call In Program: Yes
Political Broadcast: No
Host: Natalie Springuel, University of Maine Sea Grant

Talk of the Towns 3/28/14

Producer/Host: Ron Beard
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Community concerns and opportunities

Program Topic: Community Response to Domestic Violence

Key Discussion Points :
What is domestic abuse?
• Define
• Tactics of abuse
What is Extent of the problem in Hancock and Washington Counties
• Next Step statistics
• Other statistics and information
• Other trends from the perspective of law enforcement
What are the signs of abuse and what can someone to do help?
What are services offered by Next Step
• Hotline: Who can use the hotline, who works on the hotline
• Emergency shelter: information about trends in shelter
• Transitional housing: what is the benefit, the need, the availability
• Other services: face to face advocacy, support and education groups
• Advocacy in court
• Community education, training, and consultation
Trends in the community’s perception of and response to DV
• What has changed since the first shelters opened in the 70’s?
• What is on the horizon for assessing risks?
• How should we be organizing ourselves as a community to
further enhance our response to DV?
How can community members become effective allies for those who are targets or suspected targets of domestic violence?

Guests:
Rebecca Hobbs, Exec. Director, Next Step
Lt. Rod Charette (Commanding Officer, Maine State Police Troop J),
Rick Doyle (Staff Attorney, Next Step)

Talk of the Towns 3/14/14

Producer/Host: Ron Beard
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Community concerns and opportunities

Program Topic: Getting food to people in need in Hancock County

Key Discussion Points:

1. Katie provides context for Healthy Acadia’s overall work on food systems, the notion of food security, and how that led to their support for gleaning, food pantry networking and the food drive
2. Hannah describes the gleaning initiative, her recent work on food waste and how that connects with food waste initiatives in Europe, Barcelona conference, etc
3. Rick describes the work of Tree of Life food pantry, who it serves, how it is organized and supported, what success they have had, what challenges they face, advice to those wanting to help or work in their own communities… Katie mentions other food pantries and their ongoing networking meetings
4. Kara describes Welcome Table as one of several area responses to the issue of hunger… what was the inspiration to start, how it is operated, who it serves, examples of success and challenges, advice to those wanting to help or work in their own communities
5. Susan describes the history of the county food drive, who it will help, how this one is being organized, how people, local organizations, local businesses can help out…
6. We wrap up by summarizing the several ways listeners can get involved, and those guests in the studio share what inspires them about this work and what their longer term hopes are…

Guests:
Katie Freedman, Healthy Acadia
Hannah Semler, Gleaning Coordinator, Healthy Acadia
Susan Farley, Washington-Hancock Community Agency
Rick Traub, Tree of Life Food Pantry, Blue Hill
Kara Ibarguen, Welcome Table, Ellsworth

Talk of the Towns 2/28/14

Producer/Host: Ron Beard
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Community concerns and opportunities

Program Topic: Serving in local town government

Key Discussion Points:
1. Each guest is asked for a thumbnail description of their town: geography, rough description of make of town population, main economic activities
2. What first inspired you to serve, and has that inspiration changed any over the years?
3. How has your town progressed over the years… any particular accomplishments you had a hand in? Has your town evolved, shaped by events and reactions, or are there elements of preparing for and directing change? What were key “pivot” points in recent history?
4. What are some of the challenges or hot button issues in your town, and how are you (your town) approaching them?
5. What are some of the challenges in the process of local government?
6. Any advice to listeners who might wish to get involved in local government, on volunteer boards or running for local office?
7.Wrap up- What gives you hope and inspiration as you look forward in your towns?

Guests:
a. Jill Goldthwait, former State Senator, former Town Council Chair in Bar Harbor
b. Bill Thayer, Selectman, Gouldsboro
c. Gary Fortier, City Council Ellsworth
d. John Bannister, Selectman, Blue Hill (by phone)

Talk of the Towns 2/7/14*

Producer/Host: Ron Beard
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

*special date

Issue: Community concerns and opportunities

Topic: Practical approaches to local economic development

Guests: Jacquelyn Hewitt, consultant to Town of Mount Desert
Roger Bergen, Stonington Economic Development Committee
Rick Armstrong, Castine Economic Development Committee

Give us a thumbnail sketch of your town, what you know about the current economic mix, the demographics
What are the key assets that you are working from?
What are the economic challenges you are facing?
What has been your overall approach, and some of the specific tasks and accomplishments?
(For instance, Jackie will likely discuss early efforts by the town to develop the harbor and marina, current work around signage and wayfinding, funding for an “events” committee, helping to connect commercial developers/buyers with available properties and helping them research concepts for business development)

Discussion For all:
Each community has a mix of interests, including year round and seasonal residents… what is the balancing act like among those interests?
Where do you get your inspiration and ideas to pursue?
How do you blend local voluntary energy with expertise you might have to pay for?
What is the role of town government in your overall approach?
What does it take, in your town, to take something from “idea” stage to implementation?
How are your efforts connected to local chambers of commerce? Connections to any regional or state efforts?
Your work seems different than economic development strategies elsewhere to get companies to relocate (chasing smokestacks)… help us understand why you use the approach you do?
What policy changes would help your work… local and state level?
What are the long term outcomes you are hoping for in your community?

Closing: Any practical advice to listeners from other towns working on these issues… and what gives you hope?

Talk of the Towns 1/24/14

Producer/Host: Ron Beard
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Community concerns and opportunities

Program Topic: Where is Poverty Now?

Key Discussion Points:
a. CAP agencies were established as one of the key strategies in the war on poverty, declared by President Lyndon Johnson in January, 1964… what was their basic role?
b. What do we know about poverty today… are there differences that have emerged over the last 50 years?
c. How have CAP agencies changed… what approaches are you trying now that might not have been part of the original design? Provide an overview of WHCA programs and the role of people with low incomes on your board, involvement in the design and delivery of programs…
d. How is WHCA working with homeless vets? What do we know about the “dimensions” of the problem? How did you get started? What are the ways in which you tackle to problem? What are some of the results?
e. Is there more awareness of poverty as a community issue… talk about the emergence of poverty as a risk factor when Healthy Peninsula began work to help school children succeed? What led to the series of community workshops on Blue Hill peninsula, including a recent one… who is Donna Beegle, and how has she helped frame the issue here in Maine and nationally?
f. What other trends do you see that indicate that poverty and its affects are increasing?
(food pantry use, free community meals, general assistance, private and public efforts around fuel assistance, etc..) Is this a shift from assuming that poverty should be addressed by local efforts vs federal programs… what levels of magnitude are evident, between federal efforts like Community Action Program, HeadStart and others, and grassroots efforts like the Tree of Life Food Pantry and its sister efforts?
g.Part of the discussion about poverty relates to another trend in the US… growing income disparity between the very wealthy and the rest, including the middle class and the poor… do you see this disparity having a bearing on how you work on issues of poverty locally, or is this an issue best solved at the national level?
h. What inspires you to continue working on issues of poverty and its affects on people and the wider community?

Guests:
a. Mark Green, Washington-Hancock Community Agency
b. Bobbi Harris, Washington-Hancock Community Agency
c. Barbara Peppey, Healthy Peninsula

Talk of the Towns 1/10/14

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Community concerns and opportunities

Program Topic: Maine Legislative Action: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Key Discussion Points :

• Each guest provides background on themselves, what motivated them to serve in the Legislature, what committees they serve on…
• What were the highlights of the first session of the 126th Legislature for you, coming primarily from your committee work?
• Beyond work on bills you sponsored or those your committee took up, what were the main accomplishments of the 2013 session?
• What were the main challenges for you and your legislative colleagues?
• Talk about your approach to being a legislator… what is the balance, for you, in pursuing what your constituents are interested in, what makes sense to you as a citizen-policymaker, and how you are guided by your party?
• What are the most effective ways for citizens to make their views known, both to you as individual legislators, and to the legislative leadership?
• Looking ahead… what are the major issues/bills that your committee will be looking at in the upcoming session?
• What are some of the other issues/challenges/opportunities that you expect to see in 2014?
• What have you found to be the most satisfying part of your role as legislator and your hopes for the year ahead

Guests:
State Representative Brian Hubbell, Bar Harbor
State Representative Walter Kumiega Deer
State Representative Richard Malaby, Hancock

Talk of the Towns 12/13/13

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Program Topic: Connecting youth to out of school experiences to support Science, Math, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education

Key Discussion Points:
• What do we know about the ways in which young people make lasting connections to the knowledge base and applications of science, technology, engineering and mathematics?
• What happens in school and what happens out of school that helps develop curiosity about STEM subjects? What gets in the way of taking natural curiosity in these subjects toward STEM literacy or mastery?
• Not that pursuit of post secondary education and higher income is everything, but what do we know about the r relationship between interest and success in STEM subjects in K-12 schooling and the likelihood of a college degree and income levels?
• Are there any other organizations helping you with this project?
• How is MMSA developing the STEM Guide initiative in the two current Hubs, in the Blue Hill/Deer Isle area and in the Dexter-Dover area?
• What do you or will you and other guides do week-to-week to stimulate and nurture student curiosity and learning outside of the classroom? What is the role of STEM guides – how does one find them?
• Even though you’re only in the early stages of your STEM Guide project, what are some examples of ways in which your work as STEM Guides has helped youth in your hubs?
• How do you connect your own background to the interests of students?
• What words of advice or encouragement can you offer to others who might want to serve as resources for local youth in the same way that you have?
• What are the personal rewards, from your point of view, of helping young people in this way?

Guests:
Tom Keller, Maine Math and Science Alliance
Alyson Saunders, STEM Guide, Dexter-Dover Hub
Judy Mathewson, STEM Guide, Blue Hill-Deer Isle Hub
Bill Shaw, former STEM Guide, retired biochemist, Stonington
Micheal Senter-Zapata- student at Harvard, graduate of George Stevens