The Maine Monitor Radio Hour 12/4/25

Host: Erin Rhoda, Interim Deputy Editor at The Maine Monitor.

The Maine Monitor Radio Hour is a collaboration between WERU-FM and the Maine Monitor, the nonpartisan, independent publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting.

This month: Maine Monitor reporter Rose Lundy speaks about her recent reporting on how more older Mainers appear to be using harder drugs, how groups across Maine are trying to combat men’s loneliness, and other health care challenges older adults are facing.

Guests:
Rose Lundy, [email protected]

FMI:
themainemonitor.org/more-of-maines-oldest-struggle-drugs/
themainemonitor.org/fighting-mens-loneliness/

Around Town 12/4/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Dunlap for Congress town hall will be held in the Minsky Lecture hall at the Bangor Public library tonight from 6:30 – 7:30

The Witherle Library in Castine children’s activities (stationery making and story walk) scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) afternoon
For more information please contact [email protected]

The Island Arts Association (IAA) is celebrating their 50th Anniversary Season with their Annual Holiday Craft Fair, Friday from 10:00 am-5:00 pm; and Saturday & Sunday 9:00 am-4:00 pm, at the Atlantic Oceanside on Eden Street in Bar Harbor

Rockland’s Emergency Warming Center will be open this Thursday 12/4 & Friday 12/5 at the Flanagan Community Center, from 7pm – 7am both nights. We offer warm supper, showers, comfortable bedding, and breakfast to guests. All are welcome. Entrance is through the double doors at the rear of the building. If you have questions or transportation needs, contact Jessica by text or phone at (207) 230-4258

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Healthy Options 12/3/25: Using Somatic Movement to Heal from Trauma, Grief, & Loss

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman
Co-Producer:
Petra Hall
Technical Assistance: Joel Mann

Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well

This month:
1. What is somatic movement?
2. Using movement to help us through grief, shock, stress & trauma
3. What is fright, flight and freeze?
4. How stress and trauma can affect our nervous system
5. How grief and shock can affect our nervous system
6. What is the difference between depression and emotional dysregulation?

Guest(s):
Donna Brooks, somatic movement therapist, counselor, coach, and educator, & yoga therapist.

FMI:
Donna Brooks’ links for info-
Original Body Wisdom: originalbodywisdom.com
Somatic Movement Therapy for trauma, grief, and loss: originalbodywisdom.com/somatic-movement-therapy-for-trauma-grief-and-loss/
3 Ways Embodiment Helps navigate loss – blog post and video: originalbodywisdom.com/3-ways-embodiment-helps-navigate-loss/
Creating a GoodLife When a child Dies – blog post and video: originalbodywisdom.com/creating-a-good-life-after-a-child-dies/
Beauty in Grief and Loss – blog post and video: originalbodywisdom.com/like-the-cold-and-sparse-beauty-of-winter-there-is-also-a-beauty-in-grief-and-loss/
8 Somatic Breathing Exercises to do today – blog post and video: originalbodywisdom.com/8-somatic-breathing-exercises-to-do-today/
Youtube Playlist for Grief: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvXmR7ZSV14&list=PL55fMwRPubVxTexQnuE9fCI9pkrdU2E3y
YouTube Playlist for Breathing: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL55fMwRPubVyjc8xAK3MVpyBLExkhrFKF

About the host:
Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

World Ocean Radio 12/3/25: A COP30 Report

Host: Peter Neill
Producer:
Trisha Badger

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
This week we are reporting on COP30 (the 30th Conference of the Parties) hosted in Belem, Brazil. The annual gathering is a response to the challenges of climate change; there were wins and losses, enthusiasm and disappointment, and various outcomes and strategies for the future that will be explored in future editions of World Ocean Radio.

WORLD OCEAN RADIO
5-minute weekly insights dive into ocean science, advocacy and education hosted by Peter Neill, lifelong ocean advocate and maritime expert. A catalog of more than 730 episodes offering perspectives on global ocean issues and solutions, and celebrating exemplary projects. Available for RSS feed and broadcast by college and community radio stations worldwide via Exchange.prx.org and Audioport.org. Visit WorldOceanObservatory.org for the full catalog, searchable by theme.

Around Town 12/3/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Holiday events on Saturday, 12/6/25 Click on links for more details.

Bangor’s annual Festival of Lights Parade, 4:30 PM in downtown Bangor

45th Annual Downtown Ellsworth Christmas Parade of Lights & Light Display

Annual Northeast Harbor Christmas Festival , 8:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m, Main Street, Northeast Harbor and the Northeast Harbor Marina

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Outside the Box 12/2/25: “What’s a Crime?

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.

Around Town 12/2/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Dave Hollenberg, President of the Rural Hall in Surry, is here with an invitation to their 5th annual Festival of the Trees on Sunday, 12/7 from 2-5pm at the hall on Rt. 172 in East Surry. FMI: Surry Rural Hall on facebook

Resources for Organizing and Social Change (ROSC)’s Rad Reading Group will be meeting via zoom on Wednesdays from noon to 1pm, starting this week. December’s book is Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052–2072 by M. E. O’Brien and Eman Abdelhadi. Email [email protected] for more information and the zoom link

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License

Around Town 12/1/25: Local News, Culture and Events

Host/Producer: Amy Browne

Healthy Acadia’s seasonal overnight warming center is now open for the season. The Warming Center is located at 24 Church St., Ellsworth, inside the INSPIRE Center. On weekdays it will be open from 6:30 p.m to 7 a.m. On weekends the warming center will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. AND again from 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity is reached. For more information, call 207-412-2288 or follow INSPIRE on Facebook or Instagram.

Friends of Sears Island and Carver Memorial Library will host a free winter solstice-themed after school program for children on Thursday, December 4, from 3:30pm – 5:00pm at the Carver Memorial Library in Searsport. This program is intended for kids ages 5-12 and an accompanying adult. Pre-registration is required as space is limited. Sign-up by emailing [email protected]. Registration is complete upon receiving a confirmation email.

Resources for Organizing and Social Change (ROSC)’s Rad Reading Group will be meeting via zoom on Wednesdays from noon to 1pm, starting this week. December’s book is Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052–2072 by M. E. O’Brien and Eman Abdelhadi. Email [email protected] for more information and the zoom link

Giving Tuesday

About the host:
Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021.

Theme music: BreakBeat Chemists I, 2015
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License