WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives

Host/Producer: Amy Browne Ann Luther of the League of Women Voters, host of the Democracy Forum here on WERU, joins us to talk about today’s show (4pm live, then on the archives) Heart of Ellsworth announces that a grant they were awarded in 2024 for historical preservation by an organization that receives federal funding, has been defunded. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License The post Around Town 5/16/25: Local News, Culture and Events first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/s: Liv Eckert and Swathi Sivasubramanian of the Young People’s Caucus Production Coordinator: Daria Cullen Other credits: TECHNICAL SUPPORT – Aaron Pyle and Sarah Johnson | MUSIC – Samuel James Justice Radio is a WMPG production. Justice Radio: Tackling the hard questions about our criminal legal system in Maine. This week: Part II of Liv & Swathi’s interview with Brandon Brown, Executive Director of Youth-LED Justice, as they talk about revisioning conflict narratives. About the hosts: The Justice Radio team includes: Catherine Besteman is an abolitionist educator at Colby College. Her research and practice engage the public humanities to explore abolitionist possibilities in Maine. In addition to coordinating Freedom & Captivity, she has researched and published on security, militarism, displacement, and community-based activism with a focus on Somalia, post-apartheid South Africa, and the U.S. She has published nine books, contributed to the International Panel on Exiting Violence, and received recent fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies and the Guggenheim and Rockefeller Foundations. MacKenzie Kelley is a formerly incarcerated woman in long term recovery. She is a teachers assistant for inside-out courses through MIT. MacKenzie works at the Maine Prisoner Reentry Center as a reentry specialist, peer support and recovery coach. She is the program director for Reentry Sisters, a program designed to assist women reentering the community from prison. Linda Small is the founder and executive director of Reentry Sisters, a reentry support organization specializing in a gender-responsive and trauma-informed approach for women, serving Maine and beyond. She is a Project Coordinator for the Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition. Linda serves on the Maine Prison Education Partnership board at UMA and the New England Commission for the Future of Higher Education in Prison through The Educational Justice Institute at MIT. The Young People’s Caucus (YPC) builds pathways for young people who have been directly impacted by systems involvement and systemic oppression to have a genuine voice and power in decision making in Maine. We create opportunities and connect young people, agency partners, and policy makers to work together to create public systems that support and empower all young people, with a focus on youth who have experienced the juvenile justice and foster care systems. MIDC: Maine Indigent Defense Center is a criminal defense firm accepting only court-appointed cases in primarily Cumberland and York counties. We bring a holistic approach to every criminal case, collaboratively addressing our clients’ problems outside the courtroom, which are the problems that often bring them into court in the first place. By addressing these issues we believe our clients are able to achieve better outcomes in and out of court. MIDC was formed in December of 2007 amid cuts to funding for court appointed attorneys. Today, MIDC splits time between representing individual clients, working with students, collaborating with other professionals in our community to work towards a fully holistic defense model, and advocating for reform by providing a critical voice at the legislature and other forums. Robert J. Ruffner: Robert Joseph Ruffner, Director of MIDC. grew up in New England and is a graduate of Clark University (’92). Rob attended Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (’96) where, to no one’s surprise, he was Managing Editor of the Devil’s Advocate. After a short stint as a defense attorney Rob worked as a prosecutor in St. Louis, Missouri and Portland, Maine. In 2001 Rob returned to his true calling, criticizing the State Criminal Defense, forming his own practice to focus exclusively on criminal (almost entirely indigent) defense. A Life Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Rob is also member of the Maine State Bar Association and Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and was the recipient of the 2009 MACDL, Unsung Hero Award for “highest level of commitment, passion and tireless pursuit of justice in the representation of indigent defendants”. Rob is never far from his three senior Labrador Retriever partners, Luke (8), Gideon (3) (featured on Our Team page) and Flynne (6 months). When he isn’t Monday morning quarterbacking the Commission during public comment or poking the State in the eye with a stick, Rob spends as much time as possible with Luke, Gideon and Flynne in a tent in the remote woods of Vermont, from where he “Zooms” back to court in Maine … and pokes the State a little more. Emily Goulette: Emily is a Maine native and 2019 graduate of Colby College. Emily then earned her J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law (2023) where she worked in Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic’s Youth Justice Clinic representing youth in criminal and education matters. Emily assisted in re-instituting Maine Law’s chapter of the Student Animal League Defense Fund while working for the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland. Emily also interned for Webb Law Firm during law school, assisting on misdemeanor and felony cases. Before joining the Maine Indigent Defense Center, Emily advocated for Maine’s homeless population supporting youth and their families through Homeless Youth Services at the Opportunity Alliance in South Portland, ME. Emily (alongside her service dog Finley) now serves as the Director of Policy and Development for MIDC, creating new MIDC initiatives, running the robust student programming, and kick-starting Maine’s newest non-profit – The Center for Indigent Defense Studies. Emily lives in Hollis, ME with her horse (Chevy) and problem-causing dog and cat (Stanley and Lennie, respectively). The post Justice Radio 5/15/25: Revisioning Conflict Narratives with Brandon Brown, Part II first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/host: Adina Salmansohn Other credits: Theme music written and performed by Ariel Chapman. A monthly show exploring Maine‘s culture, art and crafts that enrich our lives and bring us joy. In this episode we explore “Maine Made” book publishing and marketing. Guest/s: Michelle Shores, www.mshoreswriter.com Suzanne DeFillips, bucksporttradingpost.com, 407-462-5618 Kate Corwin, Bookstacks Book Store, 207-469-8992 bucksportbookseller@gmail.com About the Host: Adina Salmansohn started learning to play the trombone at the age of 8.  Her undergraduate years were at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Robert F. Boyd of the Cleveland Orchestra.  After returning to her native New York, she played freelance in the NY Metro area, including multiple orchestras, big bands, and a 17 year stint with The Soundview Brass Quintet, which she founded in 1980. In addition, she had a busy career as an arts administrator, directing and teaching in Community Arts schools, light opera companies, and season programming for other non-profit organizations. Adina founded the Hudson School of Creative Arts in inner-city Yonkers, NY. After her second child was born, she returned to school, and earned a degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America. Her family then moved to the Chicagoland area, where she became Principal Trombone of the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra, and also served as a board member and Personnel Manager for many years.  In that time, she also taught Culinary Arts in high school.  She earned a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from Northern Illinois University in 2018. Upon retirement, she and her husband moved to Orland, Maine;  she came out of retirement to teach the JMG program at Bucksport High School.  She  joined the Bangor Band in 2018, where she plays euphonium.  She is in her second year as a Board Member at Large for the Bangor Band. The post Creative Maine 5/15/25: Maine Made Books first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Wilson Haims Description: Climate and Community continues the conversation with science teacher, Ruth Poland, and senior Ecoteam member, Lucian Avila-Gatz, from Mount Desert Island High School. In this episode we hear about their perspective on youth driven climate action in the state, and their recent experience at the Maine Youth Climate Summit. About the Host: Wilson Haims is from Portland, Maine and earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Wellesley College in 2023. Upon graduating, Wilson contributed to climate and conservation-related field work, policy and community engagement work in New England and the Pacific Northwest. Now, Wilson is the Manager of Community Engagement and Resilience at A Climate to Thrive and spends her time hiking, running, making art and cooking on Mount Desert Island.   Johannah, Beth, Wilson, Gus, Alison and Angie are the team at A Climate to Thrive, a nonprofit working to build a model of community-driven, solutions-focused climate action. Since its origins around a potluck table as concerned neighbors gathered to take action on climate change, A Climate to Thrive, or ACTT, has been supporting solutions on Mount Desert Island and beyond since 2016. Learn more at www.aclimatetothrive.org. The post Climate & Community 5/15/25: Mount Desert Island High School Ecoteam (Part 2) first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Amy Browne We listen in as the Maine House of Representatives debates and votes on LD 582 “An Act to Require Health Insurance Carriers to Provide Coverage for Blood Testing for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances” About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License The post Around Town 5/15/25: Local News, Culture and Events first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

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: How did the group working on AI in the MDI School System get formed—what are its goals? What have been the takeaways so far? Surprises? Talk a bit about public perception of AI in school. ChatGPT generated essays, plagiarism concerns, etc. How does that match up with the reality in Maine classrooms? What is the Maine Learning Technology Initiative? The state government implemented a pause on use of generative AI two years ago, to clarify policies and best practices. Some countries, states and cities have bans on the use of AI in schools. Could you talk a bit about where Maine falls on that spectrum and what has been learned since 2023? What did you learn when you taught a class on AI-assisted writing. What has struck or surprised you in that process? What do you think we can learn from human experience with other technology and scientific advancement as we ride the wave of AI? Where can listeners learn more… do you have any favorite writers or sources? Guest/s: Kate Meyer, English and Design Thinking teacher, MDI High School and 2020 Hancock County Teacher of the Year Nicole Davis, AI & Emerging Technology Specialist, Maine Dept of Education 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 FMI: www.oneusefulthing.org/ (“One Useful Thing | Ethan Mollick | Substack,” March 30, 2025. A series of useful blog posts that keep track of many key new features of AI. Also see Mollick, Ethan: Intelligence: Living and Working with AI. New York: Portfolio, 2024. An accessible, short book length introduction to the basics of AI and its uses by a Wharton Business School professor www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/will-the-humanities-survive-artificial-intelligence (Burnett, D. Graham. “Will the Humanities Survive Artificial Intelligence?” The New Yorker, April 26, 2025. . A very stimulating, cutting edge interpretation of how Generative AI is transforming the current practice and future of liberal arts education) www.smarterplanetorwiserearth.com (Smarter Planet or Wiser Earth? Dialogue and Collaboration in the Era of Artificial Intelligence, by Gray Cox. A very in-depth approach to the issues Generative AI raises from a systematic human ecological point of view.) 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 5/14/25: Artificial Intelligence in Maine Schools first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Peter Neill Producer: Trisha Badger ABOUT THIS EPISODE This week marks the 750th episode of World Ocean Radio: 15 years of weekly short audio that reaches millions around the globe, sharing concepts, demands, and solutions related to ocean technology and science, policy, examples of best practice, personal reflections, and solutions for how the ocean connects, sustains, inspires, and engages us in common history, traditions, sustenance, communication, community, and well being. Thank you for listening! WORLD OCEAN RADIO 5-minute weekly insights dive into ocean science, advocacy and education hosted by Peter Neill, lifelong ocean advocate and maritime expert. A catalog of more than 730 episodes offering perspectives on global ocean issues and solutions, and celebrating exemplary projects. Available for RSS feed and broadcast by college and community radio stations worldwide via Exchange.prx.org and Audioport.org. Visit WorldOceanObservatory.org for the full catalog, searchable by theme. The post World Ocean Radio 5/14/25: 15 Years! first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Amy Browne Busy day at the statehouse. FMI: Wabanaki Alliance Maine AllCare State Legislature About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License The post Around Town 5/14/25: Local News, Culture and Events first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

On Sunday, May 4, at the Bay School in Blue Hill, ME, artist Robert Shetterly unveiled his most recent portrait: Rivera Sun. This is the 276th addition to the Americans Who Tell The Truth project, whose subjects include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Jones, Cesar Chavez, and others. At this celebratory unveiling, artist Rob Shetterly, previous portrait subject Sherri Mitchell – Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset and Rivera Sun all offered remarks. Recorded and produced by Matt Murphy. You can also watch a video of the event here. The post WERU Special 5/13/25 Americans Who Tell The Truth – Rivera Sun first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Larry Dansinger About the host: Larry Dansinger (no pronouns) of Bangor came to Maine in 1974 and has been here ever since. Some of Larry’s activities since then: Done community organizing on numerous issues through INVERT and then Resources for Organizing and Social Change (ROSC), committed civil disobedience several times, grown a garden yearly since 1977, joined various food cooperatives and two men’s groups, refused to pay federal income taxes for war, lived on a community land trust for 23 years, and met a wonderful partner whom Larry has loved for over 40 years. Larry has produced Outside the Box features on WERU since 2007 and continues to look for unique ways of seeing almost any problem or situation. The post Outside the Box 5/13/25: “Wealth Fund” first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Amy Browne Meg Shorette joins us to talk about the 10th All Roads Festival coming up on Friday and Saturday Indivisible and other pro-democracy groups issue a call to action on June 14th – to counter Trump’s military parade with “No Kings!” protests in every state. Protests are planned in several locations in Maine About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License The post Around Town 5/13/25: Local News, Culture and Events first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Rosy Landrum Interviewer: Logan Spratt Project Leader: Phelan Gallagher Technical Assistance: Pepin Mittelhauser Music: Foreside Date by David Renda (copyright/royalty free) The Blue Hill Mountain Stories feature interviews from local residents, conducted by the George Steven’s Academy audio production class. Each interviewee reflects upon their time on the Blue Hill peninsula, particularly surrounding the mountain itself. This series was produced for WERU by Rosy Landrum. About the Host: Rosy Landrum is a George Stevens Academy student, WERU DJ, and Blue Hill peninsula resident. You can find her on Midnight Train from 10-12 pm Wednesdays.   The post Blue Hill Mountain Stories 5/13/25: Denny Robertson first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Amy Browne Lots happening at the Ellsworth Public Library in May. FMI: Ellsworth Public Library ACLU of Maine Legal Team Update Webinar- Updates on legal actions taken by the ACLU (v Trump admin) coming up this Thursday FMI & zoom link: ACLU of Maine events – and news from Maine newspapers, 100 years ago today Ticket sales open today for Eccentric Films of Nancy Andrews, a four-night film series showcasing the unique artistic vision and experimental storytelling techniques of College of the Atlantic T.A. Cox Chair in Studio Arts Nancy Andrews. “Eccentric Films of Nancy Andrews spans a diverse selection of works dating from 1995-2025, including early works and genre-defying films that have earned Andrews recognition at film festivals and film series worldwide. Each night features a live Q&A session with Andrews, where she will discuss her creative process and the themes explored in her films. Andrews is a visionary filmmaker whose works have garnered critical acclaim for their experimental narratives, imaginative visual storytelling, and fearless exploration of unconventional themes. Andrews’ work explores the boundaries between reality and imagination, the personal and the universal, and the inner psychological landscapes and external forces that shape human experience. Through her unique blend of film, animation, puppetry, music, and visual art, she crafts hybrid worlds that are both whimsical and profound.” Schedule, film descriptions and (as of today) tickets at Reel Pizza the public is invited to mark the start of grazing season at College of the Atlantic Peggy Rockefeller Farm as the sheep flock is let out of the barn for their first taste of spring grass Saturday, May 10, beginning at 10 a.m. The lambs and ewes will be set free of the barn at 10:30 a.m. After watching them frolic, guests can explore the farm, roll out a picnic blanket, and stay for some lawn games and a fiber spinning demo. Farm products will be available for sale, and COA student farm staff will be on hand to share about their food and farming projects, talk about the animals, and answer questions. All are welcome to this free, family-friendly event, which takes place at the farm’s Cameron Barn, located at 532 Crooked Road. Parking is limited and carpooling is encouraged. A bit further down the coast Saturday, the Friends of Sears Island invite you to Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day! “Birds love Sears Island, a national eBird hotspot. Meet Maine Master Naturalist Cloe Chunn and Todd Miller at the Sears Island gate and see the birds that flock to the island. Be ready for warblers in the trees and waders along the shore – and maybe an osprey or two. This walk is ADA-accessible, parking is easy and there are rustic facilities.” Saturday, May 10 – 7:00 am – 9:00 am FMI: Friends of Sears Island About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License The post Around Town 5/12/25: Local News, Culture and Events first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: R.W. Estela Hi, I’m RW Estela: Since 1991, I’ve been presenting A Word in Edgewise, WERU’s longest-running short feature, a veritable almanac of worldly and heavenly happenings, a confluence of 21st-century life in its myriad manifestations, international and domestic, cosmopolitan and rural, often revealing, as the French say, the more things change, the more they stay the same — though not always! Sometimes in addressing issues affecting our day-to-day lives, in this age of vagary and ambiguity, when chronological time is punctuated elliptically, things can quickly turn edgy and controversial, as we search for understanding amid our dialectic. Tune in Monday mornings at 7:30 a.m. for an exciting journey through space and time with a few notable birthdays thrown in for good measure during A Word in Edgewise . . . About the host: RW Estela was raised as a first-generation American in Colorado by a German mother and a Corsican-Basque father who would become a three-war veteran for the US Army, so RW was naturally a military brat and later engaged in various Vietnam-era civil-service adventures before paying his way through college by skiing for the University of Colorado, playing Boulder coffeehouses, and teaching. He has climbed all of Colorado’s Fourteeners; found work as an FAA-certificated commercial pilot, a California-licensed building contractor, a publishing editor, a practitioner of Aikido, and a college professor of English; among his many interdisciplinary pursuits are the design and building of Terrell Residence Library (recently renamed the Terrell House Permaculture Living & Learning Center at the University of Maine), writing Building It In Two Languages (a bilingual dictionary of construction terminology), aerial photo documentation of two dam removals (Great Works and Veazie) on the Penobscot River, and once a week since 1991 drafting an installment of A Word In Edgewise, his essay series addressing issues affecting our day-to-day lives — and WERU’s oldest continuous short feature. When pandemics do not interfere, he does the Triple Crown of Maine open-water ocean swims (Peaks to Portland, Islesboro Crossing, and Nubble Light Challenge) and the Whitewater Downriver Point Series of the Maine Canoe and Kayak Racing Organization. RW is the father of two and the grandfather of three and lives with his partner Kathleen of 37 years and their two Maine Coons in Orono. The post A Word in Edgewise 5/12/25: Mother’s Day Monday, the Full Flower Moon, & Florence Nightingale . . . first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Glen Mittelhauser Glen walks a trail on Mount Desert Island with naturalist Rich MacDonald (www.thenaturalhistorycenter.com/) and we discuss wood ducks. More information about Maine Natural History can be found at mainenaturalhistory.org. About the hosts: Glen Mittelhauser founded  Maine Natural History Observatory (MNHO) in 2003 to fill the need for an organization that specializes in collecting, interpreting, and maintaining datasets for understanding changes in Maine’s plant and wildlife populations.  Glen received his Bachelor’s in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic in 1989 with a focus in the biological sciences and received his Master of Science degree in Zoology (with a focus on ornithology and statistics) from the University of Maine in 2000. Glen was the Managing Editor for Northeastern Naturalist and Southeastern Naturalist for 18 years and has served as external graduate faculty for 3 graduate student committees at the University of Maine.  Glen currently serves on the Baxter State Park Research Committee. Logan Parker is an Ecologist residing in Waldo County, Maine. Logan started the Maine Nightjar Monitoring Project in 2017 and brought the project (and his passion for bird conservation) to MNHO when he joined the team in 2018. Logan is heavily involved in the ongoing Maine Bird Atlas where he both coordinates and participates in the project’s special species surveys. When “off the clock”, Logan enjoys birding, writing, gardening, and working alongside his wife, Hallee, on their off-grid home in the Maine woods. Logan is also a wildlife photographer and shares photos and field notes through his project, Here In The Wild. The post Nature Notes: A Maine Naturalist Afield 5/11/25: A Walk with Rich MacDonald, part 4 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

CJ Kenna | Producer + Writer/Reader The post Esoterica 5/11/25: Conclave first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

What’s the Word on Maine Street?, hosted by Sarah Pebworth, is a weekly short feature Saturdays at 9:30am looking at local literary and visual arts events and offerings! FMI: courthousegallery.com bhpl.net penobscotmarinemuseum.org csbcbangor.org downeast.com About the host: Sarah Pebworth leads the steering committee for Word—a Blue Hill Literary Arts Festival, founded in 2017 and held each October. She serves on the boards of the Cultural Alliance of Maine and Lawrence Family Fitness Center YMCA. Since February 2023 Sarah has written “Shared Seas and Common Grounds,” a column published in the Penobscot Bay Press’s Weekly Packet. She and her wife Julie Jo Fehrle live in Blue Hill. Theme music: Ross Gallagher is a bassist who grew up in East Blue Hill, ME, and currently lives between Bath, ME and Brooklyn, NY, where he works with a wide variety of musical artists. Infinite Blues is a cut from his recently released neon night, an excursion into an ambient/electronic musical world built around rhythmic bass ostinatos, clouds of processed looping electronic atmospheres, and melody. By turns both subtle and unapologetically noisy, the songs are a collection of luminous constellations, roved between by a band of texturally minded instrumental improvisers. The post What’s the Word on Maine Street? 5/10/25 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Anu Dudley About the host: Rev. Dr. Anu Dudley is an ordained Pagan minister and a retired history professor. She continues to teach classes, including the three-year ordination curriculum at the Temple of the Feminine Divine, and others such as History of the Goddess, Paganism 101, Ethical Magic, and Introduction to the Runes. Currently she is writing a book about how to cast the runes using their original Goddess meanings. She lives in the woods off-grid in a small homesteading community in Central Maine. The post Earthwise 5/10/25: Mother Turtle first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

About the Host: Tom Yaroschuk is a Vedic Astrologer. His intention is to help people understand their karma and the issues they may confront to cultivate more fulfilling lives. Tom is writing a memoir of the spiritual lessons derived from his work in a Homeless Day Center in between a career as an award winning television and documentary producer. The post The Cosmic Curator 5/10/25 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse When your ex tries to burn your house down with you and your daughter in it and is out of jail in less than a year. Topics: 1. Broken Judicial System 2. Domestic Violence Arson 3. Impact of Domestic Violence on Children Guests: Agnes Brackett About the host: Patrisha McLean is the founder/president of Finding Our Voices, the grass roots survivor-powered non profit organization breaking the silence of domestic abuse one conversation and community at a time all across Maine. The post Let’s Talk About It 5/9/25 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.