Serving Midcoast,
Downeast & Central Maine
A Voice of Many Voices!
News & Public Affairs Archive
About the Host:
Tom Yaroschuk is a Vedic Astrologer. His intention is to help people understand their karma and the issues they may confront to cultivate more fulfilling lives. Tom is writing a memoir of the spiritual lessons derived from his work in a Homeless Day Center in between a career as an award winning television and documentary producer.
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Host: Julia Rush
Editorial Help: Natalie Springuel
Theme Music: Paul Anderson – A Following Sea
Coastal Conversations: Conversations with people who live, work, and play on the Maine coast, hosted by the University of Maine Sea Grant Program.
Ecology, natural history, scientific research, forest surveys.
Guest/s:
Gillian Audier.
Camilla Seirup.
Dr. Ron Davis.
FMI:
Sea to Trees – Season 4, episode 3 schoodicinstitute.org/sea-to-trees-season-4-episode-3/
About the hosts:
Natalie Springuel has hosted Coastal Conversation’s since 2015, with support from the University of Maine Sea Grant where she has served as a marine extension associate for 20 years. In 2019, Springuel received an award for Public Affairs programming from the Maine Association of Broadcasters for the Coastal Conversations show called “Portland’s Working Waterfront.” Springuel is passionate about translating science, sharing stories, and offering a platform for multiple voices to weigh in on complex coastal and ocean issues. She has recently enrolled in audio production training at Maine Media Workshop to dive deeper into making great community radio.
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Host/Producer: Amy Browne
The Wilson Museum in Castine opens May 27th with an exhibit in honor of the United States’ Semiquincentennial, that looks at historic events connected to Penobscot river and bay around the time of the revolution. Executive Director Julia Gray joins us with the details.
NOTE: Around Town will be away next week. Be sure to list your events on our groovy new community calendar!
Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-
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Host/s: Linda and Nicole
Editor: Sarah Johnson
Music: Samuel James
Justice Radio is a WMPG production.
Justice Radio: Tackling the hard questions about our criminal legal system in Maine.
This week: Part 1 – Discussion of art and humanities project Still Becoming, for justice-impacted women and their families in Maine.
Guest: Ashley, Damariz, and, Jon
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A monthly show exploring Maine‘s culture, art and crafts that enrich our lives and bring us joy.
Guest/s:
Larry and Leslie Latour, singer/songwriters; www.larryandleslielatour.com
Molly Gawler, singer/dancer/fiddler/teacher; Gawler Family Band on Facebook; www.bagaducemusic.org
Eloise Schultz, singer/songwriter/musician/author; www.eloiseschultz.com
Pepin Mittelhauser, singer/musician/actor/digital operations manager, WERU; radio.pepin on Instagram
waxwing.band on Instagram
About the Host:
Adina Salmansohn started learning to play the trombone at the age of 8. Her undergraduate years were at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Robert F. Boyd of the Cleveland Orchestra. After returning to her native New York, she played freelance in the NY Metro area, including multiple orchestras, big bands, and a 17 year stint with The Soundview Brass Quintet, which she founded in 1980. In addition, she had a busy career as an arts administrator, directing and teaching in Community Arts schools, light opera companies, and season programming for other non-profit organizations. Adina founded the Hudson School of Creative Arts in inner-city Yonkers, NY.
After her second child was born, she returned to school, and earned a degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America. Her family then moved to the Chicagoland area, where she became Principal Trombone of the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra, and also served as a board member and Personnel Manager for many years. In that time, she also taught Culinary Arts in high school. She earned a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from Northern Illinois University in 2018. Upon retirement, she and her husband moved to Orland, Maine; she came out of retirement to teach in the JMG program. She performs with the Bangor Band, where she has been a Board Member at Large for four years, and is a member of a trombone quartet based at The University of Maine, The Bear Bones.
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May 15th forum on election security. The event, sponsored by the Blue Hill Constitution Committee and WERU Community Radio, was held at the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill.
Moderator: Ann Luther of the League of Women Voters
Panelists:
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Cindy Reilly, Sedgwick town clerk from 1995 to 2024
Holly Idelson, Policy Strategist with Protect Democracy, and former Senior Counsel for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
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Host/Producer: Amy Browne
Tonight in Searsport, Friends of Sears Island and Carver Memorial Library will be hosting a presentation by Julia Hiltonsmith titled “Historical Memory of Land Use Proposals at Sears Island”. This program will be held at Carver Memorial Library at 12 Union Street in Searsport, Maine, at 6:30 tonight. It’s free and open to the public. Advance registration is not required.
A few more events coming up on Saturday in honor of World Fish Migration Day. See the archives for Tuesday’s AT for others.
Maine Coast Heritage Trust let us know about 3 more events on Saturday, on the Orange, Narraquaugus and Bagaduce rivers – that will focus on sharing fish passage plans and restoration updates “Two of these rivers are preparing for major 2026 fishway construction projects, and partners will be publicly walking through the plans, renderings, and ecological significance. These are community?driven efforts to reopen habitat for alewives, shad, salmon, eels, and other migratory species.”
Orange River — Whiting
May 23, 9–11 a.m. | MCHT Office, Route 1
A community gathering to share 2026 construction plans for the Orange River Millpond Dam fishway — a key barrier on one of the largest freshwater sources flowing into Cobscook Bay.
Narraguagus River — Cherryfield
May 23, 1–3 p.m. | Below the dam, downtown Cherryfield
Partners will present plans and renderings for a 2026 nature?like fishway to replace a dam that has blocked fish passage for more than 65 years.
Bagaduce River — Penobscot/Brooksville/Sedgwick
May 23, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. | Pierce Pond boat ramp
Part of Alewife Day, celebrating Maine’s first fully restored watershed for fish passage after installation of five nature?like fishways.
Orland will celebrate Migratory Fish Day on Saturday with a festival celebrating the return of alewives and Blueback herring on the Orland/Narramissic river.
The day will feature viewing of the fish weir, led by Orland Fish Commissioner Peter Robshaw, cheering herring as they migrated up the fish ladder at the Orland dam, speakers in the main tent, a special activity area for kids, booths and snacks. The Festival is free and open to all, Saturday from 10am – 2pm in Orland Village Click here for more information
Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-
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Host/Producer: Amy Browne
Hancock County Soil & Water Conservation District is partnering with the Maine Natural Areas Program, UMaine Cooperative Extension and Native Gardens of Blue Hill to cohost the 2026 Invasive Plant Educational Workshop on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at Emerson Hall in Castine.
Mary Thibodeau, District Manager, Hancock County Soil & Water Conservation District joins us today to let listeners know about this annual series that trains home gardeners and industry professionals to identify invasive plants and manage them across forest, farm, and garden systems. The morning session is indoors, and the afternoon moves into the field for hands-on identification (rain or shine, so dress for the weather).
For more information and to register
Study cited in intro today: Non-native Plants and Animals Expanding Ranges 100 Times Faster than Native Species, Finds New Research Led by UMass Amherst, Annual Reviews of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 2024
Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-
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