Around Town

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This week:
There’s a lot happening in Augusta this week — including several public hearings this afternoon that you can participate in via zoom if you’re interested. Here’s some of what’s happening today

FMI
Maine Legislative committees, schedule, text of the bills, sponsors, live feeds

Information about testifying via zoom or submitting written testimony

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.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This week:
Steve Miller, Executive Director of Islesboro Islands Trust and member of Maine’s Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group, joins us with an update after Governor Mills’ recent release of a “Maine Offshore Wind Roadmap” that may contain a clue about the state’s intentions regarding developing 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.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This week:
A Climate to Thrive is launching a statewide program to train Mainers to be climate ambassadors in their local communities. The statewide Climate Ambassadors program, which begins on March 9, will help participants tap into their unique skills and networks to take meaningful climate action and inspire others to join them. The virtual program is open to all Mainers free of charge. Naomi Albert, Project Manager, joins us with all the details.

More information about the program is available here

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.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This week:

One positive thing to come from the pandemic is a new system that makes it easier to participate in public hearings held by the state legislature. Those who are interested have been able to listen via web stream for years, but to speak out on a proposed bill you had to travel to Augusta and often wait hours for your turn.

The state is now offering the option of testifying via zoom, opening up a channel for feedback to far more members of the public. Those who are interested must register at least 30 minutes prior to the meeting, at mainelegislature.org/testimony

If you’d like to listen in without commenting, there are links to live streams of the committees and the full legislature at legislature.maine.gov

It’s easy to find out what bills are coming up for a public hearing or work session by going to legislature.maine.gov and clicking on committees. You can also search by bill number or text.

Written and verbal comments are accepted from the public at public hearings. Following the public hearing – usually at a later date – the committees hold work sessions where only committee members and any experts they’ve invited are allowed to speak.

Here are some of the bills coming up for discussion 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.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This week: Sharon Catus, Development Director at Downeast Community Partners joins us to talk about “To Warm A Winter’s Night”, a benefit concert and silent auction at The Grand in Ellsworth on Saturday, Feb 25. Performers will include Chris Ross, Caroline Cotter, Fogtown Family Band, and Smoke & Mojo. All proceeds will go to The Heating And Warmth (THAW) Fund, a donor-funded Fund through Downeast Community Partners.

FMI: To Warm a Winter’s Night

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.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This week: WERU’s General Manager Matt Murphy joins us today with the highlights from our recent listener survey

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.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This week: The Challenger Learning Center of Maine and Maine Maritime Academy are partnering together to celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science, February 11, 2023 with Maine Girls of STEM Kirsten Hibbard, Executive Director, Challenger Learning Center of Maine joins us with all the details

FMI: www.astronaut.org/maine-girls-of-stem/ [email protected], 207-990-2900 ext.1

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.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This week:
Last week we heard about the Blue Hill Coop’s plans to raise funds for a Hancock county food bank. This week we’re following up to hear how those funds will help the community, with Charlie Dayhoff, Executive Director of Loaves and Fishes in Ellsworth.

FMI:
Blue Hill Coop Change for Good program
Loaves and Fishes Ellsworth, 137 Downeast Highway (Route 1-N, next to Darling’s Chevrolet), Ellsworth, 207-667-4363

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download