NextWave Radio Hour DEBUT! 7/28/22: The Journey to Maine

Producer/Host: Pepin Mittelhauser (he/him)
Promo music by Zeke Sacaridiz
All other music is royalty free

NextWave Radio Hour is a new program featuring folks in their 20s and 30s, often referred to as Millennials, from all across Maine. In this program, host Pepin Mittelhauser will be discussing issues, news, and current events both locally and nationally, and featuring young creators who trailblaze their own paths in our modern political, economic, and social climate. We hope to provide unique perspectives of life from the next generation working to create the future they hope to lead. This project was made possible by the generous support of the Maine Community Foundation. The debut episode features several folks telling their stories of finding their places in Maine.

This month:
-What it’s like finding your way to Maine, or staying in Maine
-Normalizing college degree expectations for young people
-Creating a life and making a living in Maine

Guests:
Johannah Blackman, Executive Director of A Climate to Thrive on Mount Desert Island
Rachel Albury, community board member of Rockland-based radio station WRFR
Amanda Langley, Director of the MaineShare Program at Maine Initiatives
Zeke Sacaridiz, local musician, on Instagram @zeke_sacaridiz
Brett Phinney, Assistant Cafe Manager at The Blue Hill Co-op

About the host:
Pepin Mittelhauser (he/him) is the Digital Media Associate to WERU Community Radio, and an avid gardener and farmer, musician and singer, and lover of nature and the outdoors. He graduated from College of the Atlantic in ’19 with focuses in sustainable agriculture, food systems, and live and recorded audio engineering and production.

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Notes from the Electronic Cottage 7/28/22: Summer Encore 8- Data Brokers 1

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Many of us have heard the term “data brokers” as we traverse our digital world. But what exactly are data brokers and what do they do, and does it matter to us? It should, and research by Justin Sherman of the Duke Sherman Cyber Policy Program tells in very concerning detail exactly why.

Read the whole report here

About the host:
Jim Campbell has a longstanding interest in the intersection of digital technology, law, and public policy and how they affect our daily lives in our increasingly digital world. He has banged around non-commercial radio for decades and, in the little known facts department (that should probably stay that way), he was one of the readers voicing Richard Nixon’s words when NPR broadcast the entire transcript of the Watergate tapes. Like several other current WERU volunteers, he was at the station’s sign-on party on May 1, 1988 and has been a volunteer ever since doing an early stint as a Morning Maine host, and later producing WERU program series including Northern Lights, Conversations on Science and Society, Sound Portrait of the Artist, Selections from the Camden Conference, others that will probably come to him after this is is posted, and, of course, Notes from the Electronic Cottage.

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Power for the People: 7/27/22: Efficiency Maine programs for energy efficiency

Producer/Host: Steve Kahl

This month:
Efficiency Maine programs for energy efficiency.
a) Efficiency Maine, RGGI, and other funding sources
b) Heat pumps and Variable Refrigerant Flow systems
c) Special funding opportunities for schools, public buildings, hospitality businesses

Guest/s:
Michael Stoddard, Executive Director EMT
Rick Mienking, Senior Program Manager

About the host:

Steve Kahl is Professor of Science at Thomas College where he teaches environmental and energy courses and advises the student sustainability club. He writes the monthly ‘Sustainability Minute’ email which is distributed to over 1,200 readers. He is a member of the Quarry Road Recreational Area board of directors where he is advocating for a net-zero energy new welcome center. He has advised the board of WERU on the current plan for the station to become 100% solar powered in 2020. Steve is a member of the Green Campus Coalition of Maine, the working group of sustainability directors at Maine college campuses.

Steve’s past positions include Sustainability Director at Unity College where he developed a plan for the college to become 100% solar powered and earned the college the prestigious STARS Gold ranking with the American Association of Sustainability in Higher Education. Before that, he was Director of Environmental and Energy Strategies for the James Sewall Company of Old Town where he led a Maine Technology Institute research project that found that Maine could be 79% solar powered if all suitably-oriented rooftops had solar PV panels.

Prior to moving home to Maine, he was a member of the Energy Commission in Plymouth NH where he was obtained funding for the renovation of a town office building to net-zero energy and the installation of 160 KW of solar PV panels on town properties included a major PV array at the sewage treatment plant that offsets 40% of its electrical costs.

In his own home, he has installed two air-source heat pumps to completely eliminate heating oil, a hybrid hot water heater to reduce his water heating costs by 70%, and insulated the basement and attic to further reduce energy consumption and increase comfort. He would like to install rooftop solar panels but so far his shade trees that also produce maple syrup each year have convinced him otherwise. However, he has solar panels on his summer place at the lake and hasn’t paid for any electricity there since 2011.

Steve has a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of Maine.

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Wabanaki Windows 7/26/22: Sovereignty and its meaning: A 2 part series.

Producer/Host: Donna Loring
Other credits: Technical assistance for the show was provided by Joel Mann WERU Orland Maine and Jessica Lockhart of WMPG Portland Portland Maine.
Music for the show was from the CD Dream Walk by Rolfe Richter

Wabanaki Windows is a monthly show featuring topics of interest from a Wabanaki perspective. The issue this month is: Sovereignty and its meaning. This show is the 4th show in the part 2 series.

Tribal Sovereignty was never recognized by the State. This non-recognition was used to Control and marginalize the Tribes and as Dr. Ranco suggested this attitude is embedded into the DNA of the State.

The refusal of the State to recognize our sovereignty has kept the State in control and allowed it to enrich itself at the Tribes expense. We will follow this thread of State enrichment at Tribal expense.

-The historic blue print the state followed to keep control
-Land Claims issues that kept the Tribes in poverty
-Present effect of the Land Claims good and bad

Guests:
Professor Harald Prins is a distinguished professor of Anthropology and an Emeritis at Kansas State University. He is an expert in Wabanaki History.
Professor Darren Ranco is a Penobscot Tribal Member and an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Chair of Native American Studies at the University of Maine Orono.
Maria Girouard is a Penobscot Nation Tribal Member, she is the Executive Director of Wabanaki Reach, A statewide organization working towards truth, healing and change. She has a master’s degree in history. Her thesis was written on the Land Claims Act. She continues to research the Act.

About the host:

Donna M Loring is a Penobscot Indian Nation Tribal Elder, and former Council Member. She represented the Penobscot Nation in the State Legislature for over a decade. She is a former Senior Advisor on Tribal Affairs to Governor Mills. She is the author of “In The Shadow of The Eagle A Tribal Representative In Maine”. Donna has an Annual lecture series in her name at the University of New England that addresses Social Justice and Human Rights issues. In 2017 She received an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Humane Letters from the University of Maine Orono and was given the Alumni Service Award. It is the most prestigious recognition given by the University of Maine Alumni Association. It is presented Annually to a University of Maine graduate whose life’s work is marked by outstanding achievements in professional, business, civic and/or Public service areas. Donna received a second Honorary Doctorate from Thomas College in May of 2022

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Outside the Box 7/26/22: “PFAS”

Producer/Host: Larry Dansinger

About the host:
Larry Dansinger (no pronouns) of Bangor came to Maine in 1974 and has been here ever since. Some of Larry’s activities since then: Done community organizing on numerous issues through INVERT and then Resources for Organizing and Social Change (ROSC), committed civil disobedience several times, grown a garden yearly since 1977, joined various food cooperatives and two men’s groups, refused to pay federal income taxes for war, lived on a community land trust for 23 years, and met a wonderful partner whom Larry has loved for over 40 years. Larry has produced Outside the Box features on WERU since 2007 and continues to look for unique ways of seeing almost any problem or situation.

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The Essential Rhythm 7/24/22: A Mystery at the Beach

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley

This episode details finding a mass of long fin squid eggs washed up on the shore at a local Maine beach. Squid life history and mating behavior are also discussed.

About the host:
Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

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