Maine Calling

Dementia affects four to five million Americans, most of them older, and its primary symptoms include memory loss and change in behavior. Alzheimer’s is one of the main forms of dementia. We’ll learn about how to identify, prevent and treat dementia—and what it involves for caregivers, as well as for society as a whole. Guests: Dr. Heidi Wierman , Division Director for Geriatrics at Maine Medical Center and Maine Medical Partners Dr. Dan Price , Director of Residency Training in the Department

Please note that Maine Calling airs one hour later than usual today, from 2-3 pm , due to national news coverage of the Las Vegas shootings. Ten years ago, school consolidation combined many school districts across Maine. Since then, some districts have pulled out, while a few cite benefits: saving on costs and resources. Now the state is setting forth a new consolidation approach. What's in store for Maine's K-12 public schools? Guests: Steven Bailey , Executive Director, Maine School

With the conclusion of the Ken Burns-Lynn Novick PBS documentary, The Vietnam War, we host a conversation about audience reaction to the series. Guests: Adria Horn , director of Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services Terry Grasse , U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War Jim Laurie , award-winning journalist and broadcaster whose extensive work in Asia included covering the end of the Vietnam War Xuan Xanh Vo , wife of Jim Laurie who grew up in Vietnam during the war and later fled to America

Our gardening experts return for some late-season tips and advice on seed-saving and native plants. Guests: Barbara Murphy – Coordinator for Gardeners for Growing Healthy Communities. William Cullina – Executive Director of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

Our panel discusses the events that dominated Maine news during the month of September. Guests: Greg Kesich , editorial page editor for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram Ben Bragdon , the editorial page editor for the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel Susan Young , Editorial Page Editor for the Bangor Daily News

The demand for mushrooms is growing, with its increased use in the food industry and as medicine. We’ll learn about mushroom identification, foraging, cultivation, cooking--and the latest research on different species of mushrooms. Guests: Greg Marley , with the Maine Mycological Association and founder of Mushrooms for Health; he is the author of two books about mycology Matt McInnis , one of the founders of North Spore Mark Robinson , co-owner, Cap n Stem Mushroom Co. of Maine

Danielle Conway is the first African-American dean of the University of Maine School of Law. Since her appointment in 2015, she has aimed to make the school more student- and community-focused. She’s also worked to strengthen and expand the curriculum and boosted enrollment and diversity. She’ll share her thoughts on today’s law school education and some of the pressing legal issues of the day. Guest: Danielle Conway is Dean of the University of Maine School of Law. Previously, she was the

Suicide was the second leading cause of death in Maine and the United States among adolescents aged 10-24 and adults aged 25-34 from 2012-2014. Suicide was the fourth leading cause of death among adults in Maine and the United States aged 35-54 from 2012-2014. Our panel discusses ways to increase awareness about suicide prevention, improve access to preventive and intervention services, and how to reduce suicide in Maine. Guests: Jenna Mehnert , MSW, Executive Director of National Alliance on

September 22nd is the first day of fall--and it's Fall Prevention Awareness Day. According to the National Council on Aging, falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans. Falls result in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths. But, experts say, falling is not an inevitable result of aging. We’ll discuss practical and evidence-based fall prevention, and look at

Despite expanded treatment options and greater availability of Narcan, Maine's opioid death rate remains shockingly high - with an average of one overdose death per day in the state. We examine why and what can--and needs--to be done. Guests: Dr. Jonathan Fellers , Assistant Clinical Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine; Medical Director, Integrated Medication-Assisted Treatment, Maine Medical Center / Maine Medical Partners / Maine Behavioral Health Michael Sauschuck , Portland Police