Around Town 12/18/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Ed Spencer with an update on the Juniper Ridge Landfill – area residents are petitioning the DEP for a public hearing on the planned expansion
FMI:
Don’t Waste ME
Maine Department of Environmental Protection – Juniper Ridge
State of Maine Bureau of General Services – Maine’s State-Owned Landfills

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

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Around Town 12/17/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

US vs Shenna Bellows – updates on the DOJ’s lawsuit against Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. The League of Women Voters of Maine were recently granted intervenor status in the case

And Opera House Arts’ series of festive events continues this week at the Stonington Opera House.

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

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Around Town 12/16/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Ashley Megquier with all the details (and changes!) for Friends of Sears Island‘s Solstice by the Sea celebration, coming up on Sunday the 21st
-and news from Maine, 100 years ago today

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 12/15/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

An update on the special Bangor City Council Workshop last Friday where the discussion of the homeless encampment behind Penobscot Plaza continued.

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

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Around Town 12/12/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

A special City Council Workshop will be held this Friday, Dec. 12, beginning at 9 a.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall for the purpose of continuing discussions about the homeless encampment along the rail lines near Penobscot Plaza. (Source: City of Bangor) Today we hear from a resident of the encampment who spoke at a Bangor City Council meeting earlier this week.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 12/11/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center’s annual Beth’s Trees for HOPE Festival, Friday, December 13th, 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Saturday, December 14th 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM at the Maine Coast Mall, Ellsworth, ME
Admission: Free

The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts winter series kicks off with an Open House on Saturday, December 13, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Join them to learn more about the Fab Lab and Winter Programs over refreshments and festive crafts at this free, family-friendly event, at Haystack’s Center for Community Programs at 22 Church Street, Deer Isle village

In Belfast, the Colonial Theatre’s free family matinee series continues Saturday at 1pm with the movie Elf — Buddy’s Sing and Cheer Along Edition. Tickets are free, but it is recommended that you reserve your seats in advance and arrive on time so you don’t lose your seat.

Opera House Arts presents A Christmas Carol Community Reading – Sunday, Dec. 14 from 2pm-6pm at the Stonington Opera House

Tuba Christmas at 1pm and Bangor Band’s annual “Sounds of the Season” concert, with pieces celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the winter season, ending with a Christmas sing-along, at 2pm at Peakes Auditorium at Bangor High School on Sunday.
Participation in Tuba Christmas is open to any musician who plays tuba, euphonium, baritone horn, or other tuba-like instrument. Those who wish to participate, should arrive at Peakes Auditorium at Bangor High School at 9:30 A.M. to check in and prepare for a 10:00 rehearsal. There is a $10 fee to participate, and all participants will receive a Tuba Christmas button.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 12/10/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

“Covering Russia’s Borderlands During War: A Talk by Journalist Levi Bridges” Thursday, December 11th at 6 PM at the Ellsworth Public Library

Levi Bridges work on NPR’s The World
Levi Bridge’s website

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Around Town 12/9/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Indivisible Bangor‘s weekly No Kings vigil is today (and every Tuesday) from 11 am – 1pm at the Federal Building on Harlow Street, where Susan Collins’ has her Bangor office. Organizers say “Drop in any time between 11 am and 1pm. Bring signs, bring flags, bring your voices for chants and songs”

Dr Nirav Shah, former Maine CDC director- now running for Governor, will have a Town Hall at the Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow Street in Bangor later today. The event will double as a food drive for local food pantries. The town Hall begins at 6:00 PM (doors open at 5:30 PM) Click here for more information and to register or email [email protected]

Ugly Sweater Day tomorrow in Belfast

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download