RadioActive 5/14/09

Producers/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco and Amy Browne
Topics: An update on agriculture and pesticide spraying bills, affordable housing for farmers and fishers in Washington County, the Panama Free Trade agreement
**Second audio file is the interview on housing in Washington County in it’s entirety**
Guests: Heather Spaulding, MOFGA; Logan Perkins; Anais Tomezsko, Mano en Mano; Sarah Bigney, Maine Fair Trade Campaign
FMI: www.mofga.org, www.manoenmanocenter.org, www.mainefairtrade.org

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RadioActive 5/07/09

Producers/Hosts: Meredith DeFrancesco and Amy Browne

Today we look to Augusta at a currently proposed amendment to a groundwater bill, which would consolidate power with the state concerning commercial water extraction. Yesterday the Department of Environmental Protection presented the 8 page amendment to the Natural Resources Committee, which would give the DEP the authority to govern commercial water extraction.
Today we speak with Emily Posner from the organization Defending Water In Maine, who is in Augusta right now.
Contact: www.defendingwaterinmaine.org, 930 5232.

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RadioActive 4/30/09

Producers/Hosts: Amy Browne & Meredith DeFrancesco
Topic: LD1020, the same sex marriage bill sponsored by Senator Dennis Damon (Hancock), passed in the State Senate today. We talk with Senator Damon and Shenna Bellows of the Maine Civil Liberties Union, and play audio of other local area Senators (Knox, Waldo & Penobscot) debating the bill, as well as an excerpt from last week’s Public Hearing on the bill.
FMI: www.mclu.org, www.eqme.org, www.mainefreedomtomarry.org

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RadioActive 4/23/09

Producers/Hosts: Amy Browne & Meredith DeFrancesco
Cheri Honkala, the National Coordinator of the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, was in Maine in early April for a speaking tour. Today we bring you some of her remarks at an event at the University of Maine on April 2nd, 2009. Audio recorded by John Greenman

**Correction: This event took place at the Worker’s Center in Brewer, Maine in early April

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RadioActive 4/09/09

Producers/Hosts: Meredith DeFrancesco and Amy Browne

A report on: “A New Day in Trade: Public Forum on NAFTA Reform and Fair Trade, with Congressman Mike Michaud”, which took place last night in Bucksport, Maine

From the announcement for the event: “The current NAFTA model of free trade has devastated workers, farmers, and the environment and eroded our democracy. There is unprecedented opposition in the U.S. and Congressman Mike Michaud is leading the House of Representatives in fighting for an end to NAFTA-style free trade and globalization. Michaud will discuss his blueprint for fair trade and take questions & comments from the audience.

“The Maine Fair Trade Campaign will let people know how they can plug-in locally in the fight for a more just and sustainable global economy.

“This event is co-sponsord by the Maine Fair Trade Campaign; USW Locals 1188 and 261; the Hancock County, Waldo County, and Penobscot County Democratic Committees, Food AND Medicine, and the Eastern Maine Labor Council.

“For More information Contact Daphne Loring at the Maine Fair Trade Campaign
Office: 777-6387
Cell: 266-5895

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RadioActive 4/02/09

Producers/Hosts: Amy Browne & Meredith DeFrancesco

Segment 1: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have scathing criticism of the Maine Department of Transportation’s plan to start a federal Umbrella Wetlands Mitigation Bank on Sears Island— and they have made their concerns known to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who is currently considering MeDOT’s proposal. We talk with Kyla Bennett, Director of the New England branch of PEER, to get the details. FMI: www.peer.org

Segment 2: Rob Brown, Executive Director of Opportunity Maine, talks about LD 1181, the “Green Jobs, Green Savings bill”, a proposal to create jobs and energy efficiency in Maine. Opportunity Maine authored the bill, it was sponsored by Rep. Seth Berry (Bowdoinham), and it has drawn an out-pouring of support from labor activists, environmentalists, students and others in recent public hearings. FMI: www.opportunitymaine.org

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RadioActive 3/26/09

Producers/Hosts: Amy Browne & Meredith DeFrancesco
Segment 1: Local workers and union members speak out in support of the Employee Free Trade Act (EFCA)
Segment 2: Army Corps of Engineers Public Meeting tonight in Searsport. At stake: whether “Umbrella Wetlands Mitigation” will allow the Maine Dept of Transportation to build a port on Sears Island. Ron Huber joins us to talk about that issue, and also the lawsuit he recently filed against the state in hopes of protecting the island.
FMI: Ron Huber, 207-691-7485, [email protected], www.penobscotbay.blogspot.com
Comments may be sent to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division, Attn: Ruth Ladd, 696 Virginia Rd., Concord, MA 01742-2751 or 800-343-4789 or [email protected] (Reference Proposal File NAE-2008-1703)

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