Weekend Voices “Hear Again” special 6/14/08

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Contributors: Kathleen Lignell Ellis, Mark Baldwin

Topic: A WERU 20th Anniversary “Hear Again” special from our archives.  Today-Excerpts from conversations with Maine poets who are no longer with us.

What poets influenced May Sarton, Philip Booth, Sylvester Pollet, Constance Hunting?  In Philip Booth’s opinion, who was the last great 19th century Amercian poet and who was the first great 20th century American poet?  Do May Sarton, Philip Booth, Sylvester Pollet, Constance Hunting consider themselves Maine poets? Why or why not?

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RadioActive 6/12/08

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Topic: The last time we reported on Plum Creek’s proposal for a massive development in the Moosehead Lake region, the Land Use Regulatory Commission (LURC)—which oversees the unorganized territories of Maine— had just concluded a series of public hearings.    The next step was for LURC to take the comments and new information into account as they considered whether they would give their approval to Plum Creek’s plans.  Since that time they have come back with some recommendations for changes, and opened another comment period.    And today the Natural Resources Council of Maine, and Maine Audubon released suggestions for changes to help protect the Lily Bay area.

Logan Perkins and Ryan Clarke of the Native Forest Network join me in the studio, and Alan Bray, a resident of Sangerville, joins us by phone, with an update on Plum Creek’s development scheme for the Moosehead Lake Region.

Where is the Big Wilson old growth and how does it figure into Plum Creek’s plans?
Describe the area and what would be lost if it was logged or developed.  How can people join a hiking tour of the area?
What is the Native Forest Network’s  position— do LURC’s proposed changes address any of the concerns your group has about Plum Creek’s proposal?
What is the response to NRCM and Audubon’s Lily Bay proposal, released earlier today?

FMI: Logan Perkins, 207-615-5158; [email protected]; [email protected]; www.nrcm.org

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Notes from the Electronic Cottage 6/12/08

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Topic: These days, we hear that the Internet is killing libraries. That would be a surprise to the hundreds of thousands of Mainers who find that today’s libraries are both “brick” and “click,” both physical spaces and gateways to the cyber world of information, including information we would have to pay for if we tried to access it ourselves.

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WERU Special: The Future of Sears Island 6/5/08

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Topic:  Sears Island, a 941-acre undeveloped island in Penobscot Bay, has been the focus of various development schemes for decades—and for decades there have been people who have fought to preserve the island.   But each battle ended with the long-term fate of the island still undecided.  That may all be about to change.

The Maine Department of Transportation owns the island and they have never lost sight of their goal to develop at least part of it, for a deep water shipping port.  Knowing that there would be strong opposition to such a plan, the Baldacci administration pulled together a group of stakeholders back in 2006 and asked them to come up with recommendations about possible uses for the island– by consensus.    Last year the group, called the Sears Island Planning Initiative, released a Consensus Agreement  that calls for an easement of 600 acres that will be set aside for light recreational, educational, and conservation facilities and uses, and reserves 341 acres on the west side of the island for potential port development.   A smaller committee, the Joint Use Planning Committee, has been meeting since last year to figure out the boundaries of the 2 areas and other details.

The people we have joining us in the studio today have differing opinions about the Consensus Agreement.   Should it be seen as a victory that permanently protected  2/3rds of the island or a sell-out of the other 3rd?

Guests:  Ken Cline, Maine Chapter of the Sierra Club; Peter Tabor and Harlan McLaughlin of Fair Play for Sears Island

Call in show

NOTE:  We’ll take up this topic again, and try to take some of the calls that didn’t get through this morning, on RadioActive this afternoon from 4-4:30p.m.

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