WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Audio Archives

Host/Producer: Amy Browne Upcoming events. 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 8/9/24: Local News, Culture and Events first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/s: Catherine Besteman Production Coordinator: Daria Cullen Other credits: TECHNICAL SUPPORT – Lucas Brown 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: Don’t miss Catherine’s interview with podcasters Brandon Brown and Jeremy Hiltz, as they talk about their show Behind the Door which shines a light on the humanity of people on the inside and the brokenness of our carceral and recovery systems. Guests: Podcasters Brandon Brown and Jeremy Hiltz About the hosts: The Justice Radio team includes: Leo Hylton is currently incarcerated at Maine State Prison, yet is a recent Master’s graduate, a columnist with The Bollard, a restorative and transformative justice advocate and activist, a prison abolitionist, and a Visiting Instructor at Colby College’s Anthropology Department, co-teaching AY346 – Carcerality and Abolition. 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. Zoe Brokos (she/her) is the executive director of the Church of Safe Injection, a comprehensive harm reduction program that operates in Southern and Central Maine. Zoe is a person who uses drugs, a mom, a wife, and has led harm reduction programs in Maine for 15 years. She is part of the Maine Drug Policy Coalition, sits on the board of Decriminalize Maine and joined Justice Radio to promote compassionate conversations and drug user-led advocacy efforts that focus on evidence-based, public health responses to the housing and overdose crises in Maine. Marion Anderson: Before joining The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls in January of 2022, Marion worked as a harm reductionist, housing navigator, certified intentional peer support specialist, CCAR recovery coach, and a re-entry coach for a diverse range of non-profit organizations. Charlotte Warren is a former State Representative. She served on the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee for eight years – six as the house chair. Warren previously served on the Judiciary Committee and as the house chair of Maine’s Mental Health Working Group and the house chair of the Commission to Examine Reestablishing Parole. Previous to her time in the legislature, Charlotte served as Mayor of the city of Hallowell. 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 post Justice Radio 8/8/24: Behind the Door first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Holli Cederholm Editor: Clare Boland Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: In this episode of Common Ground Radio, we discuss PFAS “forever chemical” contamination on farms and actions that are being taken on the state and federal level to protect farmers and eaters, including the recent lawsuit filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calling for regulation of a primary source of PFAS contamination — sewage sludge applied to farmland as fertilizer — under the Clean Water Act. Due to the practice of land-applying sludge containing PFAS, farmers here in Maine and across the country have been unknowingly contaminating their land, and consequently the food we eat. Sarah Alexander, MOFGA’s executive director, and Laura Dumais, staff counsel with Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, talk about ways to mitigate contamination and reduce public health risks. List of subjects: -PFAS “forever chemicals” -PFAS contamination on farmland -PFAS in sewage sludge -Impact of PFAS contamination on farmers -PFAS legislation in Maine and at the federal level -Lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guest/s: Sarah Alexander, executive director of MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) Laura Dumais, staff counsel with PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) FMI: About PFAS — mofga.org/pfas Take action on PFAS — mofga.org/advocacy/take-action-on-pfas “Lawsuit to Prevent PFAS in Biosolid Fertilizer Expands” — mofga.org/news/epa-lawsuit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility — peer.org PEER petition to tell EPA to get PFAS out of pesticides — peer.org/petition-tell-epa-to-get-pfas-out-of-pesticides PEER petition to save America’s farms from toxic contamination — peer.org/petition-save-americas-farms-from-toxic-contamination About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a lo0ng-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

The post Common Ground Radio 8/8/24: The Fight to Stop PFAS Contamination on Farmland first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Brianna Cunliffe Description: Climate & Community speaks with Director David Gibson and student workers Adler Garner and Uriel Orozco on their ongoing work through the College of the Atlantic’s Community Energy Center, supporting households on the Cranberry Isles with energy audits and upgrades this summer. In the second part of our conversation, we focus on the holistic approaches to energy audits, student experiences building skills in building science, and the importance of efficiency for our energy transition. Learn more about the project at www.MaineUP.org. Johannah, Brianna, Tanvi, Gus, Corey, and Beth 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 8/8/24: Bridging Energy Challenges on Unbridged Islands with College of the Atlantic’s Community Energy Center (Part 2) first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Amy Browne More from Searsport – upcoming events on Sears Island, and a public meeting next week with the Searsport Selectboard and the Maine DOT. FMI: www.friendsofsearsisland.org www.protectsearsisland.org www.searsislandstories.org 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 8/8/24: Local News, Culture and Events first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical assistance: Joel Mann & Amy Browne Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: – What does it mean to have purpose in our lives and why is that important for healthy aging? – What steps can all of us take- at any age- to stay healthy? – How does the language we may use to describe getting older, reinforce (or dispel) stereotypes of aging in our society? – How can we dispel the rampant use of negative stereotypes of growing older?  What can we do in our own lives to create a positive image of getting older? – What can we do in our communities to support each other’s needs as we age? What kind of work is needed to empower those supportive resources in our communities? – How does our health care system discriminate against older people? – What are the financial & economic realities of growing older? Do negative stereotypes of aging affect older people in these concerns? – How do systemic attitudes about sex, gender identity, race, & disability affect us as we grow older? Guest(s):  Jess Maurer, Executive Director of the Maine Council on Aging. FMI: Maine Council on Aging mainecouncilonaging.org agefriendly.community www.agefriendly.community Age Positive Maine: mainecouncilonaging.org/agepositiveme/ Previous Healthy Options Programs on related topics: Healthy Options 6/5/24: The Gift of Aging: Growing Older with Purpose, Planning, and Positivity archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2024/06/healthy–options-6-5-24-the-gift-of-aging-growing-older-with-purpose-planning-and-positivity/ Healthy Options 3/6/24: Advocating for the care needs & rights of elders in nursing homes & assisted living facilities archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2024/03/healthy–options-3-6-24-advocating-for-the-care-needs-and-rights-of-elders-in-nursing-homes-assisted-living-facilities/ Healthy Options 12/6/23: Brain Health and Aging Well archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2023/12/healthy–options-12-6-23-brain-health–and-aging-well/ Healthy Options 8/2/17: The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents from the Perils of Modern Healthcare archives.weru.org/healthy-options/2017/08/healthy–options-8217/ About the host: Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

The post Healthy Options 8/7/24: Conversation with Jess Mauer, Executive Director of The Maine Council on Aging first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Amy Browne Allie Williamson from Next Step Domestic Violence Project is here today with an invitation to a free family fun event this weekend.   FMI: www.instagram.com/nextstepdvprojectofficial/ www.facebook.com/NextStepDVProject 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 8/7/24: Local News, Culture and Events 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 8/6/24: “Our Chaotic World” first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Amy Browne Ashley Megquier from Friends of Sears Island with an update on the events and activities happening on the island this month.   FMI: www.friendsofsearsisland.org 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 8/6/24: Local News, Culture and Events first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Amy Browne An update on the Penobscot River mercury remediation project. FMI: www.penobscotriverremediation.com/ 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 8/5/24: Local News, Culture and Events first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.