Talk of the Towns

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves
College of the Atlantic provides help with production. Engineering by Joel Mann of WERU Community Radio.
Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording.

Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities

This month:
What are some of the important tree species that make up the woodland of the eastern-most national park?
What records were important to telling the story of Acadia’s trees?
What have been some of the dynamic forces shaping Acadias past and present forests?
What are researchers discovering that will help natural resource managers in Acadia National Park cope with insect pests and changes in climate which affect present and future forests?
How will reading this book make any walk in the woods more enjoyable!

Guest/s:
Catherine Schmidt, author of Trees of Acadia, science communicator, Schoodic Institute.
Nick Fisichelli, President, Schoodic Institute.
Caroline Kanaski, forest ecologist, assistant professor of forestry, University of Maine Fort Kent.

FMI:
Catherine Schmidt’s website: catherineschmitt.com/
Schoodic Institute: schoodicinstitute.org
Downeast Books : www.globepequot.com/imprint/down-east-books/

About the hosts:

Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals.

Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves
College of the Atlantic provides help with production. Engineering by Joel Mann of WERU Community Radio.
Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording.

Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities

This month:
What is “positivity bias”?
What was the hope in creating this new anthology short fiction by Maine writers?
Sharing some examples of the writing, how did authors answer the call for “defiantly happy endings”?

Guest/s:
Gillian Burnes, editor and contributor to Positivity Bias, from Gardiner.
Madison Ellingsworth, contributor, from Portland.
Robert Diamente, contributor, from Bangor.

FMI:
littoralbooks.com/product/positivity-bias-maine-writers-defiantly-happy-endings-isbn-979-8-9917891-5-8/
robertdiamante.com
madisonellingsworth.com
littoralbooks.com/product/soft-features-by-gillian-burnes/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNzJ48MYexM

About the hosts:

Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals.

Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves
College of the Atlantic provides help with production. Engineering by Joel Mann of WERU Community Radio.
Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording.

Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities

This month:
What is a town meeting in Maine?
What decisions are made at town meetings?
Who moderates town meetings and how are they elected?
What is the town meeting warrant and how is the warrant created?

Guest/s:
Merton Brown, Kennebunk Town Clerk
Harvey Kelley, former Town Meeting Moderator
Ethan Andrews, Bangor Daily News

FMI:
www.memun.org/Media-Publications/Town-Meeting-

About the hosts:

Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals.

Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves
College of the Atlantic provides help with production. Engineering by Joel Mann of WERU Community Radio.
Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording.

Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities

This month:
What is College of the Atlantic’s focus on human ecology and its approach to education?
What are the results of a recent study of College of the Atlantic’s contribution to the regional economy and cultural landscape?
How has College of the Atlantic benefited from an ongoing relationship with United World Colleges and it’s scholarships for international students?
What has led to the success of College of the Atlantic’s decade long Summer Institute?
How is College of the Atlantic responding to challenges facing higher education, including the shrinking number of traditionally-aged college students?

Guest/s:
Dr. Sylvia Torti, President, College of the Atlantic

FMI:
www.coa.edu

About the hosts:

Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals.

Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves
College of the Atlantic provides help with production. Engineering by Joel Mann of WERU Community Radio.
Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording.

Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities

This month:
What is the work of Downeast Restorative Justice?
How does restorative justice connect to the criminal justice system to bring together those who have caused harm with those who have been harmed?
What is the broader set of restorative practices that underpin the work of Downeast Restorative Justice to build community connections and resilience?
What might a community circle look like… how is it convened, what are its intentions, what values does it demonstrate?
How might listeners learn more about training opportunities to build skills that support restorative justice and, more broadly, restorative practice?

Guest/s:
Kayla Gagnon, Downeast Restorative Justice Youth and Community Coordinator
Leslie Ross, Downeast Restorative Justice Program and Case Coordinator

FMI:
downeastrestorativejustice.org

About the hosts:

Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals.

Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves
College of the Atlantic provides help with production. Engineering by Joel Mann of WERU Community Radio.
Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording.

Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities

This month:
What is the problem with traditional round road culverts? Why are they a problem for fish passage?
How do traditional round road culverts respond to higher intensity rain storms and flooding?
How do “stream smart” road crossings work? Are they worth the investment by Maine towns and private landowners?
As Maine Audubon takes the lead for “stream smart” education, who are its partners?
What role do Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Councils of Government play in seeking “stream smart” education and implementing better road crossings over streams?
Where can listeners get more information about “stream smart” solutions?

Guest/s:
Sarah Haggerty, Conservation Biologist, Maine Audubon.
Julie Sells, Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District.
Meg Rasmussen, MidCoast Council of Governments.

FMI:
Stream Smart Program/Maine Audubon maineaudubon.org/projects/stream-smart/
Knox Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District. www.knox-lincoln.org
Midcoast Council of Governments. www.midcoastcog.com
Demonstration video Stream Table www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCh1l5unRVI

About the hosts:

Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals.

Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves
Production support from College of the Atlantic.
Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording.

Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities

This month:
How do the programs of Island Readers and Writers help students become confident, curious and engaged learners?
What is the decade long history of Island Readers and Writers? How did it move from serving classrooms on the unbridged islands to also include schools in Washington County, Maine?
What are some outcomes of bringing authors and illustrators of children’s books into Maine classrooms?
What have you learned that teachers want, in order to help them become better teachers of reading and writing?
What is the focus of the state-wide Dear Teacher conference on November 6 2025?

Guest/s:
Courtney Waring, Executive Director, Island Readers and Writers.
Alison Johnson, Director of School Programs, Island Readers and Writers.
Penny Johnson Principal of Perry Elementary.
Everett Caroll 4-6th grade ELA teacher Milbridge Elementary.

FMI:
Island Readers and Writers islandreadersandwriters.org/
Dear Teacher Conference. islandreadersandwriters.org/events/
Dear Teacher Keynote speaker John Schu www.johnschu.com/

About the hosts:

Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals.

Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Producer/Hosts: Ron Beard and Liz Graves
Production support from Joel Mann and from College of the Atlantic
Theme music for Talk of the Towns Theme is a medley from Coronach, on a Balnain House Highland Music recording.

Talk of the Towns: Local Community concerns and opportunities

This month:
What is the history of public libraries in the US?
What is the mission of community libraries?
What is included in “new librarianship”?
What does “new librarianship” imply for library staff and boards of directors?
How might local libraries shift from serving their communities to “saving” them?
How might local libraries make use of and help their members make use of Artificial Intelligence?

Guest/s:
R. David Lankes, author of New Librarianship Field Guide and Triptych: Death, AI and Librarianship.

FMI:
davidlankes.org

About the hosts:

Ron Beard is producer and host of Talk of the Towns, which first aired on WERU in 1993 as part of his community building work as an Extension professor with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant. He took all the journalism courses he could fit in while an undergraduate student in wildlife management and served as an intern with Maine Public Television nightly newscast in the early 1970s. Ron is an adjunct faculty member at College of the Atlantic, teaching courses on community development. Ron served on the Bar Harbor Town Council for six years and is currently board chair for the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor, where he has lived since 1975. Look for him on the Allagash River in June, and whenever he can get away, in the highlands of Scotland where he was fortunate to spend two sabbaticals.

Liz Graves joined Talk of the Towns as co-producer and co-host in July 2022, having long admired public affairs programming on WERU and dreamed of getting involved in community radio. She works as the Town Clerk for the Town of Bar Harbor, and is a former editor of the Mount Desert Islander weekly newspaper. Liz grew up in California and came to Maine as a schooner sailor.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download