Maine Currents

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This month:
As we continue to profile some of WERU’s public affairs and spoken work hosts, we talk with Donna Loring of Wabanaki Windows & Tom Yaroschuk the Cosmic Curator about their lives, what brought them to WERU and what goes into putting their shows together.

FMI
Wabanaki Windows archives
Cosmic Curator archives

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 and Maine Currents, she 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 the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This month:
An interview with the late Jim Campbell, one of the station’s founders and long- time on-air presence, recorded days before his recent death.   Jim talks about the early days at the station, what went into producing Notes from the Electronic Cottage, and his recent series on AI.

FMI
Notes from the Electronic Cottage
Maine: The Way Life Could Be

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 and Maine Currents, she 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 the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This month:
One of the things we’re going to be doing on Maine Currents this year is taking a peak behind the scenes at some of WERU’s public affairs shows- what they cover, how they are produced, the experience and background of the hosts, how you can send in questions, or, in some cases, even get involved.

We’re starting with the Democracy Forum, which began as an election season special before becoming a monthly program year ’round. Ann Luther hosts, but there is a whole team from the League of Women Voters behind her, and some of them joined us when we spoke in late March

Guests:
My guests are from the League of Women Voters of Maine – Ann Luther and Judi Lyles are from the Downeast Chapter. Ann is host of the Democracy Forum on the 3rd Friday of every month, 4-5pm, and Judi is one a member of the team that helps plan the shows, along with other events. Will Hayward is the Advocacy Program Coordinator for the state chapter.

FMI
League of Women Voters of Maine
Maine 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 and Maine Currents, she 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 the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This month:

Segment 1: An interview with Ridgely Fuller, Tom Mikulka, and Chuck Spranger of Third Act’s new Maine working group They are holding a day of action in Portland and Belfast on 3/21/23 FMI: email [email protected] or [email protected]

Segment 2: Bucksport residents have teamed up with neighbors upriver who have been dealing with Juniper Ridge, and will hold an informational forum as the town considers a proposal to reopen a problematic landfill. Organizer Don White joins us with details of event, which will be held at 6:30 pm, 3/7, at Brown Hall (corner of Elm & Franklin Streets, Bucksport)

Segment 3: Naomi Albert of A Climate to Thrive on their Climate Ambassador program

Guests:
see above

FMI
see above

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 and Maine Currents, she 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 the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This month:

Last fall, a representative of American Iron & Metal (AIM), the multinational scrap metal company that owns part of the former mill site in Bucksport, raised the possibility of partnering with the town to reopen the mill’s old landfill to accept construction and demolition debris. Though they own the property, as a private company they are required under Maine law to partner with a municipality or the state. Since they floated the idea verbally in October, no official written proposal has been received, but the as town officials and concerned residents have explored the issue, new issues have come to light — not only about reopening the old landfill, but about the condition of that existing site, which it as it turns out, has been out of DEP compliance for years.

In January we spoke with several concerned residents and Town Manager Susan Lessard.

NOTE: The January public meeting at Brown Hall has been postponed

Guests:
Tracey Hair, Ralph Chapman, Don White, Bill Tymoczko, Hans Krichels, Susan Lessard

FMI
Bucksport Town Council
Bucksport Town Council Agendas

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 and Maine Currents, she 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 the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

This month: We’re kicking off 2023 with a topic that I suspect we may be spending a lot of time on this year, the pending decision on where to build a staging facility for off-shore wind power turbines in this area. Theoretically, 3 different sites are being considered: Eastport, Sears Island or Mack Point in Searsport, but some of those close to the project suspect that developing Sears Island is the real goal of the ME DOT.

Guests:
Steve Miller, Islesboro Islands Trust
Rolf Olsen, Friends of Sears Island
Becky Bartovics, Sierra Club Maine

FMI
Islesboro Islands Trust
Maine Chapter of the Sierra ClubFriends of Sears Island Offshore Wind Project Resources page
Study of Searsport to Support and Develop Offshore Wind, State of Maine, Governor’s Energy Office
Maine DOT Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group (OSWPAG)
Governor Mills Announces Assessment of Mack Point Terminal in Searsport to Support Growth of Renewable Energy Industry in Maine, Office of Governor Janet Mills, March 2020
SEARS ISLAND WETLAND ENFORCEMENT CASE SETTLED, EPA, 11/13/1996

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 and Maine Currents, she 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 the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Sears Island, located near Searsport, is a 940 acre island connected to the mainland since the late 80s by a causeway. Though it is near industrialized areas, it is mostly undeveloped and currently uninhabited by humans. Many people use the island recreationally, year ’round.
Over the decades, people who care about the island have protected it from one proposed development after another- and the island may be under threat again.
Today we’ll hear about the latest development proposed for the island- from some of the folks who have been involved over the years.

Guests:
Steve Miller of Islesboro Islands Trust
Susan White & Rolf Olsen of Friends of Sears Island
Becky Bartovics & Matthew Cannon of Sierra Club Maine

FMI (including reports referenced on the show)
Friends of Sears Island Offshore Wind Project Resources page

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 and Maine Currents, she 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 the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters.

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Producer/Host: Amy Browne

On this month’s edition of Maine Currents, we bring you to the Word Festival in Blue Hill in October 2021. Reading from their website: “Every October, Word brings together readers, writers, and tellers of tales to celebrate the written and spoken word—fiction and non-fiction, children’s literature, poetry, drama, nonfiction, storytelling and more. The festival takes place in Blue Hill, Maine where a literary tradition of great thinkers and artists extends over two hundred years and includes Jonathan Fisher, Mary Ellen Chase, and E.B. White to name a few. Many writers continue to call the Blue Hill peninsula home as does a large community of passionate readers. To celebrate this rich heritage, Word presents three days of author readings, a poetry crawl, writing workshops, panel discussions, school events, and spoken word performances to sold out crowds.”

One of the events this year was an interview with Bob Keyes, author of the new book, Isolation Artist: Scandal, Deception, and the Last Days of Robert Indiana, conducted by Paul Sacaridiz, Executive Director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. The talk was recorded via zoom by festival organizers, and we thank them for making it available to our listeners.

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 and Maine Currents, she 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 the First Place 2017 Radio News Award from the Maine Association of Broadcasters.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download