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Environmental Mess, Economic Opportunity: Berwick, Maine

April 2015

A term paper for GEO 231, Environmental Issues, a course at the University of Maine at Farmington

Part One: Berwick, Maine as a Case Study

Eleven acres. That is 479,160 square feet, well over 8 football fields. To put it simply, that’s a lot of space. The town of Berwick, Maine has exactly that much space vacant in its downtown. Prior to 2008, this space was occupied by the Prime Tanning Co., Inc., the largest employer in town. At its peak, they employed over 300 workers. They produced tanned leather for use primarily in footwear for almost seventy-five years at their sprawling facility. After closing and laying off 150 workers, the space is vacant, the buildings dilapidated.

The Prime Tanning site is referred to as a Brownfield, a previous site of industrial use. The company owes the town of Berwick well over $200,000 in back taxes. Most concerning, are the environmental hazards contained within the former facility. It is clear that the tanning process requires many chemicals that can be dangerous to our health. Scorecard.org reported that Prime Tanning was the largest Air Polluter in York County in 2002, generating 42,020 pounds of pollution into the air. That is more than 27,000 more pounds than the second largest polluter in the county. These pollutants are known carcinogens.  Previous environmental impact assessments of the site note that the facility has soil and groundwater contamination from products used in the tanning process. With over thirty additions to the main facility since 1935, unknowns still exist about further contamination underneath these structures.

The town of Berwick now sits in an interesting position. With practically a non-existent downtown, consisting of a few locally owned shops, a chain restaurant, gas stations and a bank, the Prime site is basically a blank slate in terms of the opportunity for economic growth and downtown revitalization. Currently, residents of Berwick leave the town for work, play and shopping. A redeveloped Prime site could attract business to town, and allow residents to save travel time and expense by working in the downtown district. Berwick is advantageously located in southern York County, along the New Hampshire border. Just 90 minutes from Boston, Berwick could easily be transformed into a place that attracts people for work, play, and investment. Additionally, remediation of this Brownfield site would make our community a safer, healthier place to live.

As a child growing up in downtown Berwick, Maine in the early and mid 2000’s, I lived under the shadow of a giant roaring leather tannery, Prime Tanning Co., Inc. “Through these gates, pass the best leathermakers in the world”, pronounced the large metal sign affixed to the main gate of the tannery. “Welcome to Berwick, Home of Prime Tanning”, announced a noticeable green sign which welcomed visitors to town, as they crossed over the bridge between Somersworth, New Hampshire, and Berwick, spanning the Salmon Falls River. Most noticeable of all was the giant thirty five foot smokestack on top of the building, with the name “Prime” painted on every side. 

The tannery has a storied past in our town. For almost three-quarters of a century, Prime played an integral role in Berwick history. Prime can trace its roots way back to 1910, when it was started by Morris Kaplan, a russian immigrant. By 1921, he had purchased a facility in Woburn, Massachusetts, producing shoe leather. The need for expansion caused Kaplan to purchase a facility in Berwick in 1935. Originally one building and 125,000 square feet, the operation flourished over time and through multiple additions, the size of the building expanded to well over 200,000 square feet and took up just over 11 acres of land in downtown Berwick (Maine Biz). At its prime (no pun intended), the tannery provided hundreds of jobs in Berwick.

Walking past the chain link fence around the sprawling facility, one could see many sights and sounds: workers smoking outside the gate on break, forklifts driving back and forth, miscellaneous sounds, and most noticeable of all, the smell! I only had the vaguest idea about what they did within the confines of the tannery when I was younger, but I thought there was something smelly (no pun intended) going on. I wondered if the facilities were absolutely safe. There haven’t been many issues with the facility, but one that sticks out is a fire in 1974 that claimed the life of a newly married firefighter (Lewiston Daily Sun). Things were good for Prime, and for Berwick, for a very long time.  

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Competition was tight in the tanning industry in the 1990’s, especially with a ballooning global market. Worsened by increased prices for materials, and government regulations, it was hard for a tannery to be economically viable. In November 2001, the Prime Tanning company closed its doors at the Berwick facility, laying off 250 employees, down from its peak force of over 300 in the 70’s. This was a devastating loss to the town. Prime was the only major employer in town. Berwick was for the most part a bedroom community for other larger towns in the area, sending most of our population out of town for work in the neighboring cities of Dover, Somersworth, and Rochester, New Hampshire. This closure occurred shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

With the Afghanistan War that began in October of that year, this provided an interesting opportunity for Prime. The increase in troops going to the Middle East, caused a demand for leather for combat boots, which were required to be made with American Leather. With the leather market shifting overseas, there were fewer tanneries in the United States producing the leather needed for the boots. So Prime Tanning reopened in early 2002, with a scaled back operation to provide the materials needed for the production of the boots (Belluck). Hiring back many of the employees they had just laid off, Prime was able to operate without issue for a few more years. During this time, Prime acquired other tanning companies in the United States and abroad. Prime faced many issues during this time, especially international competition. To remain viable,  Prime announced it would be consolidating its facilities by closing the Berwick, Maine tannery, and moving operations to its Hartland, Maine facility. This resulted in a loss of 150 jobs total (Haberman). This time, Prime would not reopen in Berwick. Prime Tanning’s reign as one of the largest leather producing companies in the world would end later in 2010, when it filed for bankruptcy, and was purchased by another company (Cousins).

Since its closure, the Prime Tanning site has deteriorated quickly. Rust appearing on the once shiny chain link fence that lines the perimeter, cracking of pavement, chipping paint, and vandalism all have made the property an eyesore. The sign I mentioned before that welcomed visitors to Berwick, “Home of Prime Tanning”, now has “Home Of Prime Tanning” painted over. The site quickly has become a town embarrassment. Instead of sitting around waiting for a change to happen on its own, a group of motivated Berwick residents began to form a “Downtown Vision Committee”, which wanted to explore the options for dealing with the eleven acres of vacant property left by Prime Tanning. Their first meeting, held in September 2012 began a two year process that helped Berwick begin to understand what it wanted to see in their optimal downtown.

 The group was poised to generate lots of public input for the plan, which they accomplished by creating a survey that was mailed to all homes in Berwick, and distributed across the community (Vision Report). Also accessible via the internet, the survey asked residents about their opinions on the current downtown, and what they would like to see in the downtown heading into the future. This survey was responded to by eight percent of registered voters in town, about 500 residents in total. A series of charettes (public design planning workshops) were held to further refine the plan for an optimal downtown. Residents participated  in a tour of the downtown followed by workshops where they “sketched” their wishes for the downtown. Maps of the eleven acre lot were created, blanking out the space Prime Tanning occupied, and residents drew in what they would like to see. 

This process coincided with the celebration of Berwick’s 300th anniversary, which allowed the Downtown Vision Committee to engage with a great portion of the community. Around this time, the Downtown Vision Committee became a recognized town committee, officially appointed by the town selectmen. Their goal was to produce a report to serve as the appendix of the original 1991 Town Comprehensive Plan, which outlined the recommendations for the Prime Tanning and other downtown revitalization improvements. To further educate the public about the ongoing process, a series of “101” sessions brought in guest speakers to discuss the related aspects of the vision plan, including sessions on Brownfields, the River, and Transportation.

 After months of input from the residents, the Downtown Vision Committee now needed to analyze all the data, and prepare the vision report and implementation plans. The Vision Report began with a statement which encompassed the goals of the the vision report and the desires of the residents. First was the promote and protect small business within the downtown district (Vision Report). Second, to nurture our natural environment, to protect our relationship with the land and the river by providing sustainable development within the downtown, and to access to greenspace and recreation. Lastly is to make Berwick’s downtown a safer, and healthier and friendlier place for all residents, especially families and the youth.  

The vision plan outlines goals to create a “Main Street” downtown in Berwick, with the hopes of having a walkable, aesthetically pleasing downtown (Vision Report). For this to be possible, infrastructure improvements must occur, including pedestrian improvements, addition of bike lanes, and a plan to reduce traffic congestion in the downtown. Further plans for trails to connect recreational opportunities were deemed a top priority in the report. Signage throughout the downtown would give the town a succinct brand, attracting people to town, making it a destination community, something that is currently impossible with the current state of Berwick’s downtown. 

The implementation plan identifies all the parties involved that will make actualization of this vision possible. The implementation plan also lists a series of recommendations to achieve a revitalized downtown that matches the town-wide vision. This involves many steps including applying for a grant to cleanup the Prime Site. The completed Vision Report, which was over thirty pages long, was adopted by voters as an appendix to the Comprehensive Plan during the town meeting in June 2014, the first update since 1991.

It is incredible what a small group of people can achieve in the process of two years. Some say that community spirit is dead in the digital age, but Berwick is the counterexample. A community can rally around the chance to redefine themselves as a whole. The economic advantages to this proposal are appealing to the taxpayers in this town. More business in the downtown would result in an increase in tax revenue, and likely a reduction in property taxes in the long run. The town’s EPA Brownfields cleanup application estimates roughly a $15 to $25 million dollar investment to the downtown from private development of the site. This would hopefully bring in between $65,000 and $90,000 worth of property taxes, the amount Prime Tanning was contributing to the tax base (EPA Brownfields Report).

To sum things up, as Berwick has just celebrated 300 years of history, it is now a perfect time to discuss the future of Berwick, to prepare for the next 300 years. The town has a chance to redefine themselves as a place to go in Southern York County, while providing community and economic benefits to the residents of Berwick. The benefits of remediating the Prime Tanning Brownfields site are numerous. From the prospect of more jobs and business in town, to making Berwick a cleaner, greener place to live, this project will transform the way Berwick looks, and operates. Using history as an indicator to inform the decisions of the future, Berwick is looking proudly into the future. After the Vision Report was approved, Berwick began to work on the goals established in the report.

In November 2014, the town applied for an EPA Federal Brownfield Cleanup Grant for the Prime Site. At present time, the town of Berwick has acquired Prime from the Prime Tanning bankruptcy estate so they can apply for the EPA Brownfield Cleanup grant (Venne FAQ’s). In order to apply for Brownfield Grants, the town needs to own the property. The $200,000 grant requires a twenty percent funding match from the town, which can be in payment or in-kind services. So for this project, the town would pay $40,000 per lot for the cleanup cost. They also subdivided the lot in order to apply for multiple grants. In November of 2014, voters approved acquiring the Prime Property, and they approved subdividing the property into seven lots. 

Currently, Berwick is applying for funding to clean up lots four, five, and six. The town is also in agreement with Fund of Jupiter, Inc (FOJ), a company created to lend money to the bankrupt Prime Tanning. Fund of Jupiter would like to purchase the Prime property from the town for the cost of the back taxes owed on the property. The town entered into an agreement to acquire the property, instead of demanding the back taxes owed and foreclosing on the property, a process which would have been both expensive and lengthy. They are paying down the back taxes owed in advance by paying for the town’s share of the cleanup grant ($40,000 per lot). The Fund of Jupiter would then begin on development of the property after they acquire the property from the town after all back taxes have been paid. This is a very good example of a successful public/private partnership that benefits all parties involved. The grant was due in December of 2014, and the town will be informed of the decision on the grant application in May of this year.

Part 2: The Benefits of Brownfields Remediation

The town of Berwick, Maine serves as a good case to examine the benefits of Brownfields remediation. Although the project is far from being finished, one can see the projected benefits to the town. The federal EPA Brownfields Grant program provides a much needed source of funding for this project to be possible. In fact, many projects wouldn’t be successful unless the government provided assistance in the cleanup. Since its inception in 1993, the program has provided over $800 million in grants and loans to be used for the assessment and cleanup of Brownfield sites across the county (Dull 121). There are over 450,000 Brownfields sites in the United States, which could all potentially benefit from the EPA grant program (Mashayekh 206). Dull points out that the EPA grant process is quite competitive (with thousands of applications received requesting funding each year); a municipality has to think outside the box and provide the EPA with a creative proposal. This requires a community driven effort to involve public and private entities sharing interest in the site. As was the case in Berwick, a comprehensive effort to engage parties in order to get all the ideas on the table was required to help formulate the most attractive proposal possible.

So in a sense, the EPA project grant proposal can transform the community in ways more than just remediating the site, which can be seen as a huge benefit to towns where community spirit is low. The project has certainly brought together all the community members of Berwick in a way that didn’t exist before. In all my life living in Berwick, I haven’t seen a more excited and hopeful mindset in the residents. Hundreds of communities across this nation could stand to benefit from the change in spirit amongst its residents.

Next comes the environmental benefits of the project. The Brownfields Grant makes it possible for communities to clean up hazardous and unhealthy sites, thus improving the health of the land, and the people who live around the site. As was previously mentioned, the Prime Tanning Company was a significant polluter to the Berwick community and surrounding areas. Though a minimal assessment has been made to outline the contamination of the land that Prime sat on, the full extent of the contamination will only be realized after the remediation process has begun. Regardless, the cleanup process will remove significant contaminants from the air, land, and the water. With the close proximity to the Salmon Falls River (and its watershed), the Prime project will greatly reduce the amount of leaching of chemicals into the watershed. The cleanup of similar sites will help to eliminate the health disparities between those who live in close proximity to a Brownfield site, and those who don’t.

Communities can also see significant environmental impacts by redeveloping Brownfield sites, when comparing the impacts of development on greenfield spaces. It is often the case that Brownfield sites are located in populated urban areas. When businesses look for land to develop on, they seek out spaces that are most economically advantageous for them to build on. In crowded areas, this often means looking to the outer edges of cities and towns where greenfield space is cheap and plentiful. This contributes to the ever-increasing sprawl that most communities see. Habitats are disrupted, farmland is lost, and biodiversity decreases as greenfields turn into concrete and asphalt jungles. Swickard reports that between 1982 and 1992, almost 14 million acres of greenspace were converted to urban use. Instead of using the space on the outer-edges of town, remediation of Brownfield sites would make it easier for businesses to move closer to the urban compact.

 It has been found that there are numerous advantages to using Brownfield sites as development than greenfield sites. First, it is estimated that for every one acre of Brownfield site, about 4.5 acres of greenfield site are conserved (Northeast-Midwest Institute). An EPA study found that the utilization of space is more efficient on Brownfield sites than greenfield sites (EPA Report). They found that both Brownfield and greenfield developments had nearly the same amount of commercial and residential square footage.

Both reports found that the use of Brownfield sites for development, as opposed to greenfield sites, were better for the air and water quality of the community. Having a development closer to the downtown core means less driving someone has to do to get where they are going, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. Studies of two cases in Baltimore and Dallas projected that the use of Brownfield sites for development reduced the number of vehicle miles travelled between twenty five and fifty percent, compared to the use of greenfield sites (NE-MW Institute). More land use also means a greater possibility of runoff into watersheds. A more compact, efficient use of land reduces this. It’s important to note that these are large cities, with very dense urban cores; smaller communities might see these benefits reduced by a factor.

A more centralized downtown core is much easier to access than a sprawling community. The “walkability” of a community is a metric that town and urban planners work to improve on a daily basis. Sites like walkscore.com meausre the walkability of communities across the nation. They take into account a particular neighborhood’s access to goods and services, and how easy it is to get to places via public transportation, and by walking. The walkability score for Berwick

varies quite a lot, considering the proximity of Somersworth, New Hampshire, a city with a population of over 10,000. Berwick’s current downtown has only the most basic shops and services available. With the development of the Brownfields site in town, Berwick can improve its walkability by having more shops, offices, and other points of interest in its downtown, reducing the need to travel across the state border. A more walkable downtown also provides a place for community members to exercise, yet another benefit to Brownfields remediation. This “clean slate” opportunity to reshape a portion of a Brownfield site is a rare opportunity for a community. Careful planning that considers the wants, needs, and desires of a community are incredibly important factors to consider when drafting a Brownfields Grant proposal.

Finally, come the economic benefits of remediating Brownfield sites. Towns and cities across the country are losing out on potential tax revenue generated at Brownfield sites. A survey of 33 cities which have Brownfield sites found that each city loses between $100 million and $400 million in tax revenue each year, due to the lack of redevelopment of these sites (Swickward 125). The jobs lost as the businesses that once were located on the Brownfield site also contribute to the economic depression of an area. Furthermore, as Brownfield sites sit deteriorating, the blight they cause decreases the property value of surrounding properties, as well as a reduction in sales at businesses that are located nearby. All three of these problems are issues in Berwick, and the remediation of the former Prime site is expected to give the town a significant economic boost. 

New businesses would replace the tax revenue that the former tannery brought in. Along with new business comes new jobs. Redevelopment and new construction on the site will make the downtown more aesthetically pleasing, attracting business and increasing property values. Eighty cities with Brownfield sites in 2007 reported the creation of over 116,000 permanent jobs as a result of the remediation of the sites (Northeast-Midwest Institute). Imagine the number of possible jobs created if more and more Brownfield sites are redeveloped across the country. As we begin to exit an economic recession, there is still a high need for good paying jobs. New business creation on former Brownfield sites would make significant impacts to communities both big and small.

As we begin to see the great opportunities that exist in Brownfield sites, we must also consider what’s the best possible use and look of the redeveloped property. As Berwick looks forward to the next stages of the Prime process, it is beginning to make changes to its land use ordinances to bring in elements of form-based code, which directs the planning of buildings in town (particularly in the downtown village district) to meet a desired outcome (such as what sorts of business or aesthetics will be present in a space) (Currie). This is opposed to traditional land use code, which regulates the usage of particular regions in towns. All towns should consider implementing form based code in order to achieve the best possible use of their former Brownfield sites. Cleaning up these sites provide many benefits to cities and towns that are in desperate need of revitalization, as Berwick is. The EPA Brownfield Grant program provides towns with a way to knock down the financial burden of doing a cleanup of contaminated properties. This will pave the way to a healthier, happier tomorrow.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Serena Galleshaw for revising this essay, and for helping to clarify the points of the Vision Report, and the history of the Berwick Downtown Vision Committee (since renamed Envision Berwick), which she is Co-Chair of.

Works Cited

Air and Water Quality Impacts of Brownfields Redevelopment. Rep. Washington, DC: US Environmental Protection Agency, 2011. Print.

Belluck, Pam. "Troops Need Boots, So Closed Mill Will Reopen." The New York Times. N.p.,    08 Dec. 2001. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.

Berwick Downtown Vision Committee. Berwick Downtown Vision Report and Implementation Plan. Rep. Berwick, ME: n.p., 2014. Print.

"Berwick-based Prime Tanning Merges with a Major Chinese Leather Company." Mainebiz. N.p., 21 Apr. 2008. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.

Cousins, Christoper. "Prime Tanning Files for Bankruptcy." Bangor Daily News. N.p., 16 Nov. 2010. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.

Currie, Jodi. "Berwick Land Use Changes Would Aid Tannery Replacement." Fosters Daily Democrat [Dover, NH] 1 Feb. 2015: n. pag. Print.

"Drying System May Be Fatal Fire Cause." Lewiston Daily Sun 19 Dec. 1974. Print.

EPA Brownfields Prime Tanning Cleanup Grant. Rep. Berwick, ME: Town of Berwick, 2014. Print.

Dull, Matthew, and Kris Wernstedt. "Land Recycling, Community Revitalization, and Distributive Politics: An Analysis of EPA Brownfields Program Support." Policy Studies Journal 38.1 (2010): 119-41. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT. Rep. Chicago: Northeast-Midwest Institute, 2008. Print.

Haberman, Shir. "150 Jobs Lost as Prime Tanning Closes Its Berwick, Maine Facility." Seacoast Online. N.p., 30 Aug. 2008. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.

Mashayekh, Yeganeh, Chris Hendrickson, and H. Scott Matthews. "The Role of Brownfield Developments in Reducing Household Vehicle Travel." Journal of Urban Planning and Development (2012): n. pag. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

Swickward, Timothy. "Regulatory Incentives to Promote Private Sector Brownfield Remediation and Reuse." Soil and Sediment Contamination 17.2 (2008): 121-36. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

Venne, Patrick. FAQ's About Berwick Prime Tanning Project. Rep. Berwick, ME: Town of Berwick, 2014. Print.

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Eleanor Murphy: “Just a High School Education and A Big Mouth”

Spring 2013

By: Nickolas Bray, Paige Boynton and Laura Willey

As time progresses into the future, the virtue of small towns seems to disappear in numbers and in spirit. It has been the task a many hands in the nation to keep towns like these intact, as well as maintaining an ever-dimming passion to keep the livelihood of such places present as the generations go on. Fortunately for Berwick, a small town in southern Maine with just 7,200 residents, a woman named Eleanor Murphy defends the morale and takes lead of this town. She has spent many decades working with small-town politics spending nine terms as a state legislator. She also spent many years of service on Berwick’s Board of Selectmen and currently sustains a literary drive locally by playing a large role in the success of the Berwick Public Library.

Murphy is a lively, kind-spirited woman who was born and raised right in Berwick. She lived a very simple life as a young girl, living on a farmhouse with no electricity, going to a one-room schoolhouse in the morning and playing “kick the can” in the evenings with her eight brothers and sisters. Murphy was in Berwick’s Class of 1948, graduating with just eleven other people, back when the population of Berwick was less than 2,000. Life was not as structured or organized as it is today. They didn’t have little league, extracurriculars, or a set schedule to follow. Life was unstructured, and in some ways, much less complicated than it is today. As her life progressed, she married and had four children. Today, she still enjoys living a quiet life in Berwick while continuing to make a big difference to her community.

Attending Berwick High School in the 1940s was much different than how we experience Noble High School today. There were only 86 students attending her school during the 1940’s. Compare that to just over 900 attending Noble High School today. There were eleven seniors in her graduating class of 1948, compared to over 200 in the class of 2013. Classes were small, and students couldn’t hide behind anyone else. Pupils had to come prepared to answer all questions the teacher might have. Her French class had five students, and she had a combined junior and senior geometry class. Her principal was a teaching principal. His office was located right next to his history class. Murphy would work in the office, and if he needed to take a call, she would call him out. Back then the teacher was always right. Parents would stand behind the teacher’s decision, and that was it. So much has changed since Eleanor has graduated high school.

Murphy began her involvement in the community at a young age. Decades ago, her husband’s younger sister was taking a high school trip to Washington, and the Mother’s Group in the community helped raise money to send them. Her mother was unable to help, so Eleanor decided to join the group to help. By doing this, she began to meet other women who were involved in community action and developed a passion for assisting Berwick. As she began having children, she decided to further her involvement in the community by joining programs that impacted her children as well, such as the Girl Scouts’ den mothers and the Band Boosters.

Her political career started in 1977 when two Berwick men asked her to run for the Board of Selectmen after someone resigned. Much to her bewilderment, she won the election. She left this position in five years later and decided to run for state legislator after the present one had passed away. Once again, she was very humbled and surprised with a victory. To this day, Murphy looks back at her time in office and still can’t believe it, reminiscing on her lunch at the White House and meeting Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush while they were both in office.

One of Murphy’s proudest moments in office directly affects students at Noble High School today. She and a Sanford legislator proposed a bill asking for five million dollars to build York County Community College. Her proposal was denied the first time, but with harder work and persuasion, YCCC opened in 1994. YCCC is a very important school in our community and serves many NHS graduates in their advancements in education.  Murphy also proposed a bill to require pop-out stop signs on school busses to decrease the number of accidents that had recently occurred. The bill quickly passed.

While in Augusta, she served on the Legal Affairs Committee, also called The Morals of the State, for many years. She also worked on the State and Local Committee, as well as the Taxation Committee. She was very careful to pass laws ensuring they would have the most positive impact on her constituents. She would often have people in her district review a proposed bill before it was debated and voted on.  Murphy describes how different the state of politics is in the statehouse today compared to when she was in office. After working on a bill in committee and bringing the bill to the floor, and their session was done for the day, she was able to walk through the doors and be friends with the other legislators, which is seldom seen in modern office. She says the camaraderie is gone. The debates never got personal when she was on the House floor.  Murphy was very happy to spend much of her political career up at the State House: “Nobody has ever stood on the floor of the Maine house and was any prouder to represent the town of Berwick than I was. I was so proud of this little town, and still am. Berwick’s my town, that’s why I never left there” says Murphy. Eleanor served in the 111th session of the Maine House of Representatives, until the 120th session in 2002.

Murphy is serving her fifth term and her fourteenth year, nonconsecutive on the Berwick Board of Selectmen. She says that it is much different being a select-person than a state legislator. “You’re closer to the people, naturally,” says Murphy. Eleanor has worked through many problems while serving on the BOS including many recent issues with a development project in Berwick.

Murphy also served on the board for the Berwick Public Library where she helped raise money when they wanted to build a new library. She still goes to the library often, especially when she needs someone to talk to because there’s always someone there to lend a friendly ear. The library has made a significant emotional impact on Murphy, helping her through some hard times.

Eleanor Murphy is a get up and go type a person who just keeps on going, trying to make life better for the people in her district. She was the 1999 Berwick citizen of the year and Grand Marshall for The Christmas Parade. Berwick has changed the name of a street in honor of Murphy that  reads:  Eleanor’s Way: One Way.  Murphy is a remarkable person who is a strong representative of Berwick, advising anyone who is interested in politics to “have a thick skin, don't take things too personally. At the town level, you will have to know that state laws about municipalities, and if you want to go to the legislature, I know that a background in municipal was a big help.”

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Solar work is educational at Eric L. Knowlton School

November 2012

Published in the Foster’s Daily Democrat, January 18, 2013

On November 19th, the Knowlton School fourth grade class watched along while one of the school’s solar panels was replaced. Kelly and Denise Smith of Energy Tech East volunteered their time to replace the broken panel. This also was an opportunity for students to learn about the solar panels that overlook their playground. Before the panel was replaced, Kelly and Denise taught students that solar panels work by converting light energy from the sun, into electricity that is used to power their school. A brief activity showed that solar panels are made out of silicon atoms, and the sun causes electrons to be transferred from one atom of silicon, to another. This creates an electrical current that is used to power everything in the school, from lights in the hall, to the computers in the library.

Students then went outside to see Kelly replace the panel. He explained that one of the cells in the panel burnt out, and caused the panel to be less efficient. The burnt out cell also caused the glass above the cells to shatter. The replacement was quite quick. The school did not have to pay to replace the panel, as it is under warranty. Kelly climbed up on the ladder, disconnected the damaged panel, and installed the new one. The new panel is more efficient than the old one, outputting 190 watts, compared to 175 watts for the old one. While Kelly was up on the ladder, the bearings on the solar panel tracking system needed to be regreased. The solar panels are not fixed in place, they move throughout the day in order to always be facing the sun, maximizing the energy output from the array.

After replacing the panel and regreasing the bearings, Kelly took time to answer students’ questions about the solar panels. One student asked how much electricity the  panels produced. Kelly answered that this array produces about 4 percent of the Knowlton School’s electrical needs. A teacher asked how much carbon does the solar array offset. The solar array offsets the same amount of carbon as about 650 trees. Another student asked what would happen to the panels if they were struck by lightning. “Will you get more Electricity?” the student questioned. After some laughter, Kelly explained that no they won’t and the solar panels are designed so they won’t get damaged if struck by lighting.

I asked the Smiths why they got into the solar panel business. Kelly was intrigued by the possibilities of solar. “Solar is about to boom,” he stated. As the price of solar is going down, it is becoming more accessible for homeowners to install solar panels on their roofs. We thank the Smiths for volunteering their time to replace the damaged panel, and for speaking to the Fourth Grade Class!

The Schools for Energy Efficiency (SEE) program is a five year, district-wide effort to reduce energy consumption and maximize savings. For more information about the SEE Program, please visit http://www.class5energy.com/k-12-schools

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Woody Hanstein: Man of Many Hats

April 2017

Published in the UMF Farmington Flyer, Issue 4, Spring 2017

There probably isn’t anyone in the state of Maine with a resume quite like Walter “Woody” Hanstein’s. In the fall semester, it isn’t unusual for Hanstein to work a full day at his law practice, then head down to the rugby pitch at Prescott Field to coach the Women’s rugby team, then to a classroom at UMF to teach his weekly law seminar.

Hanstein’s law career began in 1979 when he graduated the University of Idaho with a juris doctor degree. Hanstein is a former navy JAG and former assistant district attorney for the state of Maine. He began his own law practice in 1987 in Farmington.

Throughout his time in school and while in the Navy, Hanstein played and coached rugby. In the late 1980’s, Hanstein coached rugby at Colby College. Hanstein approached UMF’s athletic director in the early 1990’s about starting a rugby team. His law partner at the time, Pat Joyce, had a son, Kevin, who was currently attending UMF. “Kevin had played football at Mt. Blue” Hanstein said. “So he and a few of his friends and myself started the team in 1991.”

The UMF rugby program is known for being successful but they are even more known for their unique green and gold uniforms. “We have almost exclusively played in the colors of green and gold because it was the only set of rugby uniforms available just a few days before our first game” Hanstein said.

Starting as the coach of the men’s team, Hanstein switched to coaching the women’s team after their coach left and the assistant coach became the men’s head coach. President and Captain of the Women’s rugby team Emily Gray has been involved in the team her entire time at UMF. “Woody teaches you a lot about the game” Gray said. Not just the skills but he wants you to know how the game works and helping to increase players rugby knowledge. “

Hanstein has been teaching law courses at UMF since 2000, drawing on his experiences as a lawyer to educate students about the legal system. Hanstein believes that using real life cases to make points about the legal system makes it easier for students to relate and understand. In addition to playing rugby, Emily Gray has also taken Hanstein’s law class. “Woody always has little anecdotes and they always come up when he’s teaching or coaching” Gray said. “He coaches a lot like he teaches, by teaching by example”.

Cadi LaCourse is another student who took Hanstein’s course. LaCourse agrees that Hanstein’s teaching style helped her learn more about the legal system. ”It was much more interesting than reading a text book” LaCourse said. LaCourse believes she learned more because he is a practicing attorney. “A lot of the course was Woody teaching us to think for ourselves, to use the facts and evidence to support our theories and opinions.”

His law and the legal system course provides an overview of the justice system, but also puts an emphasis on civil rights.“It's a fine line between informing people about their rights, and explaining to them how to get away with breaking the law” Hanstein said. “I think a course like law and the legal system should be mandatory before students finish high school. They should be able to understand their basic legal rights.”

Hanstein says several students who have taken his course have gone on to law school and are now practicing lawyers in Maine. “I recently saw an assistant district attorney in Kennebec county who I had to beg for a plea bargain, and he took my class” Hanstein said. “I was trying to remember if i had been nice to him”

In his spare time Hanstein spends his time with many activities including being the author of six legal thrillers featuring small town lawyer Pete Morris. In addition, Hanstein serves as a member of the Titcomb Mountain Ski Patrol. Hanstein also directs the Smiling Goat Precision Juggling Corps. “I like to say i am the international founder of parade marching juggling” Hanstein said. “Nobody else would have bothered to try.”

They march in local parades including the Wilton Blueberry Festival and the Chester Greenwood day parade. To entertain lawyers at the bar association, hanstein created a youtube video titled Juggling for Lawyers. Hanstein brief, four minute tutorial was filmed in the historic Franklin County Superior Courthouse.

Hanstein knows he made the right decision in moving to Farmington. “ After getting out of the Navy I could have been an ADA in portland, machias, or Farmington” Hanstein said. “My wife and I came to Farmington and we knew right then this was the place for us. We were right.”

Between his involvement in Rugby and his teaching, Hanstein spends more time with people who are significantly younger than he is than people his own age. Hanstein believes this keeps him young. He even takes life lessons from his students. “You take less for granted. When you see someone see something for the first time that you’ve seen forever you just appreciate it that much more.”

Though his capacity as coach and teacher, Hanstein has had the opportunity to serve as a mentor to many students. “Woody is an adult in my life I look up to” Gray said. “He is always ready to help anyone on the team, with anything. If I have an issue I’m not afraid to call woody and talk about it.”

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Rick Dale: Lifelong Love of Learning

May 2017

Published in the UMF Farmington Flyer, Issue 5, Spring 2017

In front of an overflowing room, Associate Professor of Special Education, Dr. Rick Dale concluded the 19th annual Michael D. Wilson Symposium by giving his last lecture. In its fifth year, the last lecture is a yearly event at symposium, sponsored by Alpha Lambda Delta, which gives one retiring professor an opportunity to reflect and share life lessons with the community.

Titled “My Teachers”, Dale’s evening talk reflected on the authors, people and experiences which he has learned from throughout his life. Unlike most of the presentations given during the day of student talks, there were no audiovisual aids. “ No powerpoint tonight” Dale said. “Going old school, I do powerpoint way too much”

Dale, a quiet and soft-spoken person, first shared that he has a tattoo. There was a feeling of surprise that lingered in the audience after Dale made that statement. He has the word foghlaim tattooed, which is a Gaelic word which means both teach and learn. Dale’s talk emphasized that one can be a lifelong learner, and that it is important to reflect on the teachers which have shaped one’s life.

Among the authors Dale shared about were Fred Rogers, where Dale shared excerpts from a short piece Rogers wrote called What Comes First in Learning. “If you care about your students and you care about what you are teaching, everything else is a technical matter” Dale said.

Another author Dale mentioned during his talk was Jack Kerouac, who taught him about the importance of spontaneity, and passion. Dale could be considered an expert on the writings of Kerouac and the beat generation. He has written a book “The Beat Handbook” and maintains a blog “The Daily Beat” on the philosophies of the beat generation. For several years Dale has also taught a first year seminar course on Jack Kerouac.

One of his former students and secretary of Alpha Lambda Delta, Sarah Jenkins, introduced Dale before his lecture. She took his First Year Seminar and became inspired to travel out west. Jenkins made the trip earlier this year when she drove across country and visited Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. “I lived out of my car and wrote poems about the sights I saw” Jenkins said. “I felt like a modern day Jack Kerouac”. Although she doesn’t give full credit for her trip to Dale, but Jenkins says she never had an interest in going west before taking his class.

Among the eight people Dale identified as teachers in his speech included one of his supervisors from when Dale worked as director of special education for a regional service agency in Pennsylvania. His supervisor, only referred to as Ed, taught Dale to not allow people to put their problems on him. “Don’t let them do it, make sure they leave with their monkey” Dale said, quoting his supervisor. At this time dale was responsible for 400 staff and thousands of students. Dale made sure that staff presented three solutions to the problem they came to him with. This cut down on the number of issues Dale had to solve. “They often solved their own problem” Dale said.

Of the four experiences Dale learned from, living in a hotel was the most interesting.  His father was the manager of a four-story hotel and his family lived in a first-floor suite. While living there, Dale learned the importance of spending time alone He was constantly around people, employees and guests of the hotel. In one of the many light hearted moments of his talk, Dale shared a story about jumping down the laundry chute into the basement of the hotel. Don’t ask me about the hygiene issues associated with cavorting in guests’ dirty laundry” Dale said. “You don’t think about such things when you’re 10”.

Along with the scores of students Dale has impacted over his eleven years at UMF, he also developed strong relationships with his colleagues. Dr. Lance Neeper, professor of special education has an office next door to Dr. Dale’s. In an email Neeper shared that he and Dale share many interests, including travel and music. Neeper keeps a box of things Dale has shared with him over the years. “Rick is always there if you need him, willing to listen and offer suggestions and guidance” Neeper said. “He has an incredible specialization in law and policy an area of focus within special education that is rare and cannot be replaced”.

Upon his retirement, Dale ends a 39 year career in Special Education as a teacher, consultant and administrator. Dale does not have many immediate plants, but his retirement gives him time to do things he doesn't have much time for now. He and his partner are planning a trip to Europe in the fall, where they’ll be visiting family in France, and making an escusions to Venice, and potentially concluding the trip in Ireland.

After a gap, Dale will likely be involved in education at some capacity. Dale has been a political advocate in the past, and will have more time to attend legislative hearings and speak out on bills concerning the regulation of special education and education in general. Dale may even get back into teaching. “This is going to sound unexpected but I’ve thought about substituting in public schools. Dale said.

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Budget Hearing Highlights; ACE Comes Away With 41K, Computer Club To File Appeal

April 2017

Published in the UMF Farmington Flyer, Issue 4, Spring 2017

At a recent meeting of the UMF Student Senate general assembly, senators approved the budgets for 38 clubs and organizations for the 2017-2018 school year. The budget, which was set at $215,012.74, is appropriated from funds raised by the student activity fee. This fee is based on the number of credits a student takes, and ranges from $80 to $160 per year.

The approved budgets ranged from $200 for the Student Activists for Gender Equality (SAGE), to $41,693 for the Association for Campus Entertainment (ACE). The average budget approved was for $5658; 25 clubs had a budget approved below the average. The top five highest budget requests totaled $92,728, which amounted to 43 percent of the entire budget approved.

This meeting was the final step in the annual budget process, which begins with clubs submitting a proposed budget to the senate for review. These clubs then meet with the Annual Budget Committee (ABC) to defend their budget and discuss where potential cuts could be made. According to Dominic Martorano, outgoing Officer for Financial Affairs (OFA), the ABC works with clubs during this meeting to make small cuts to their budgets. “Unfortunately, cuts do have to be made here and there” Martorano said. “On average about 10 percent is cut from the original request”.

Clubs which were present at the general assembly budget meeting had an opportunity to defend their budget to senators before it was voted on. The budget meeting moved swiftly as senators had little discussion over the majority of proposals, and most club budgets passed unanimously.  

However, there were discussions about cutting line items from proposals from three clubs. The senate discussed and eventually failed to pass a motion to cut a $200 trip to Portland from the French Club’s budget.

Another failed motion was to increase the number of athlete registration fees for the Ultimate Disc club from 25 to 30. A few senators argued this would benefit the club if they underestimated participation for the upcoming school year. This would save them from using one of their two additional budget requests if the number of players on the team next year exceeds 25.

The biggest discussion of the night was over the Computer Club’s budget, the only one which was cut during the budget meeting. The computer club requested two new desktop computers, at a cost of $1300 each. Senators discussed whether they wanted to cut their request from two computers down to one.

The club currently has nine computers in use. Due to the high use of these machines and poor room conditions in their office located in the student center, they have two machines which are slowly becoming unusable for computer gaming. The new machines would also be used to support the growing interest in competitive gaming, more commonly known as eSports.

The computer club needed to upgrade its machines in order to meet the high system requirements of the games played in competition. “We would like the computers to support that, but these machines wouldn’t be used exclusively for that purpose” said Desiree Anderson, treasurer of the Computer Club.

The senate passed a motion to reduce the budget request for two computer down to one. Senator Sam O’neill, also the event coordinator for the Computer Club immediately indicated that the club would be appealing the decision and asked about the specifics of the appeal process.

Several student senate-funded clubs did not present budgets during the annual budget process. These clubs include Beta Beta Beta and Writers Guild. They will have the opportunity to present a budget in the fall. “This depends on availability of funding and the discretion of the new executive board” Martorano said.

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Lost at Sea: From Maine to Ireland and Back Again

March 2017

Published in the UMF Farmington Flyer, Issue 2, Spring 2017

Facebook has helped create a global lost and found, where objects which drift across the Atlantic ocean can be returned to their rightful owner with ease. The typical beachcomber might discover many artifacts from the fishing industry, and disregard them as they are so ubiquitous. A lobster trap tag originating in Southport, Maine was recently found on a beach in Kerry, Ireland. The tag belonged to Coneth Murray, a lifelong lobsterman. Murray is the grandfather of Jess Murray, a senior at UMF.

Caroline Farrell was walking on Glenbeigh beach in Kerry with her boyfriend on a recent day in February. “My boyfriend does beachcombing from time to time” Farrell said. “He has a keen eye and knows where to look for things on the beach.” Something orange caught Caroline’s eye, she picked it up and her boyfriend explained to her that it was a lobster trap tag. She immediately noticed the name Coneth Murray, printed on the tag. She was intrigued as Caroline’s grandmother was a Murray and she wondered if there was any relation to this Murray.

Her boyfriend had found these tags in the past and recommended that Farrell post an image of the trap tag on the Lost at Sea facebook group to find out if anyone had a connection to Coneth Murray. Lost at Sea is a page where people from across the world post images of things they find washed up on the beach. The group has over 6000 members posting anything from messages in a bottle, to coins, fishing equipment, and unknown objects that users post in hopes of having the community identify the object.  

It was within hours of Farrell posting the trap tag that Jess Murray found it, and contacted Caroline. Murray’s cousin was a member of the Lost at Sea page and noticed the post that Farrell had made, just hours earlier in the day.  “I just clicked on her name and messaged her” Murray said. Facebook makes it simple for people who don’t know one another to get connected for various purposes. Murray explained to Farrell that her grandfather stopped lobstering in 2001, and passed away in 2009. That means that the lobster tag was likely lost at sea for at least 16 years, if not longer.

Murray comes from a long line of lobstermen. Both her father and grandfather have been lifelong fisherman. “My grandfather lived and breathed lobstering” Murray said. Coneth Murray was the captain and owner of the Donna Marie, the lobster boat he named after his wife. Murray’s family were very surprised to hear about this find. “My grandmother cried” Murray said. Farrell said that she will be mailing the tag out as soon as she could and Murray will be receiving it soon.

Murray’s family is of Irish ancestry, and her parents plan on visiting Ireland this summer. They intend on visiting Glenbeigh beach where the tag was found, 2700 miles away from Southport. The warm waters of the Gulf Stream current pass along the coast of the eastern United States, and crosses the Atlantic ocean becoming the North Atlantic current, passing along the west coast of Ireland, where Glenbeigh beach is located. The tag likely become detached from Coneth Murray’s trap almost two decades ago, became lost at sea for some time, travelled with the current, resurfaced in Ireland, and is now returning to Maine after a very long journey.

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Senate Approves 15k To Send Athletes To Nationals

February 2017

Published in the UMF Farmington Flyer, Issue 1, Spring 2017

By Nickolas Bray and Andrew Devine

The UMF Student Senate recently approved a $14,700 proposal from the Snowsports Team to send up to seven athletes to the USCSA national championship being held at Mount Bachelor in Oregon this March. This amount is down from the original proposal, which was $25,000 and would have funded up to 10 athletes and their three coaches. The cost per athlete is $2,100 and the cost per coach is $1,500.

This proposal passed unanimously through the senate Financial Affairs Committee, where the proposal was then sent to the General Assembly for consideration. During a 90 minute discussion of the proposal, senators expressed their concern with the high price tag for the Nationals request. Members of the snowsports team were in the audience to explain why they believe the proposal should be accepted.

If approved, this proposal would be one of the largest in the history of the student senate. According to Kirsten Swan, who has been the advisor of student senate for 10 years, does not believe she has seen any single request exceed $15,000. The snowsports proposal includes the cost of airfare, lodging and registration for each athlete who attends nationals. The club has fundraised to pay for athlete’s meals.

Club Sports Commissioner Joseph Brichetto recognizes the given budget situation, but also doesn’t want to discredit the team’s accomplishments. “They have an opportunity they should take advantage of as they work hard,” Brichetto said. “At some point, you can’t please everybody. I think the resolution we came to will leave everybody slightly displeased but it was definitely the best call.”

The snowsports program consists of Alpine and Nordic ski teams, as well as a combined Freeski and Snowboard team. The team is considered a club sport, with varsity status. All three teams expect to send athletes to the national competition, which is why all three coaches need to travel to Oregon with the athletes. If athletes qualify, this would be the third time UMF has participated in USCSA nationals.

In addition to the overall cost of the proposal, the senate was concerned about having enough funds to cover other expenses for the remainder of the semester. Due to overestimating enrollment, which determines funds raised by the student activity fee, the senate is left with a shortfall. This shortfall was addressed by transferring funds from the senate reserves into the operating account. These funds will be used to pay for the Leadership Banquet, Spring Fling, and proposals from other clubs.

After the tabling discussion of the proposal, senators met with administrators in the athletics to come up with a compromise in order to reduce the total proposal amount. Director of Athletics Julie Davis discovered $4,500 remaining from a grant which the university secured to jump start the Ski team, which was reestablished about 10 years ago. “Part of accepting that grant was to finds ways for the university to sustain support for the program” Davis said. “Between the athletics department and the student senate, we have found ways to accomplish this.”

The $4,500 would be used to fund the coaches, with a balance of $21,000 to be funded by the senate. In a compromise, Senator Allison Bernier made a motion to amend the proposal from 10 athletes to seven athletes. This would be at a total cost $14,700. This amended proposal was unanimously approved by senators.

  In light of the amended proposal, Ski Team player Quinn Fogarty responded, “I think if we do qualify for nationals, we have the commitment to the school, the school should commit to us athletes as well.” Senator Matt Lulofs, also an athlete on the Ski Team remarked, “I’m happy that the Student Senate decided to support us on this because obviously they could have given us no funds for it, we at least got something.”

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Political Activism Spikes After Trump Inauguration

February 2017

Published in the UMF Farmington Flyer, Issue 1, Spring 2017

The 2016 United States presidential election was among one of the most controversial in history, and political activism is rising across the country in response to the inauguration of President Donald J Trump. Although Mr. Trump won the electoral vote, Democrat Hillary R. Clinton edged him out in the popular vote by about 2.8 million votes. On the day after the president’s inauguration, an estimated 4 million Americans took part in hundreds of Women’s marches across the country.

The main march, the Women’s March on Washington, drew an estimated 470,000 demonstrators. This was about three times more than the 160,000 who viewed the presidential inauguration on the national mall the day before. According to the march’s website, the purpose of these rally’s were to show solidarity for people from all backgrounds, affirm the protection of civil rights, and to recognize the strength of a united, diverse population.

In Maine, there were marches from Fort Kent to Kittery which were attended by many students from UMF. At the march in Augusta, 10,000 people gathered to hear from a program of speakers who spoke about various issues, from women’s reproductive rights, concern for the environment, and protection of civil liberties. Danielle Blair, a senior at UMF, was one of the marchers who gathered at the state capitol. “It wasn't just a protest against Donald Trump” Blair said. “It was a rally to support women's rights.”

Blair was encouraged by the positive atmosphere at the rally. “Everyone was loving and happy” Blair said. Jeff Willey, a junior and Vice President of the College Democrats attended the march to become more involved. “The problems that we are facing aren't new, they are crossing multiple generations” Willey said. “It was unifying.”

The rally brought together people who have already been politically involved, and people who wanted to become more involved in light of the recent elections. “ It was empowering for the people that needed to be empowered” Willey said. “The people who didn’t came to support those who needed it.”

If Facebook is any barometer of political activism, it can be seen how users who weren't active before the election have become very active after the election. I have noticed a significant uptick in the frequency of friends sharing political news and their political opinions, as well as engaging in political discussion. I think this is especially the case for people I follow who were not sharing and discussing these issues before the election.

This increase in political activism via social shows that people believe there is a need for these discussions. However, social media political activism has its drawbacks. Social media can become an echo chamber; people who follow and interact with only those who share similar beliefs are only reaffirming their established ideas. In addition, the prevalence of so called fake news is on the rise, and it is spread like wildfire on social media. Blair believes that engaging with people who have different political views is important to get the whole picture. “It is important for people to view accurate, reliable media sources that will challenge their beliefs” Blair said.  

On the UMF campus, it is not hard to seek out political discussion. With two political clubs, and roundtable discussions on current events, there is frequently a platform for students, staff and faculty to have their voices heard and listen to the views held by others. As the transition into the Trump administration continues, it can be expected that college campuses across the nation will be rich with discussion and opportunities to get involved in political actions.

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Step UP! Program Empowers Students to Promote Bystander Intervention

October 2016

Published in the UMF Farmington Flyer, Issue 4, Fall 2016

A new program at UMF called Step UP!, is seeking to train students in bystander intervention and they have been training several student organizations on campus so far, with the aim to present an open training in early November.

Senior Hannah Tompkins is helping lead the initiative, along with Nurse Manager Lisa Lisius, and Assistant Director of Athletics Cyndi Pratt. The three of them attended a training in California last spring, where they trained to become facilitators of the Step Up! Program. They also learned how to implement the program at UMF.

“[Step Up]’s purpose is to teach students skills to effectively intervene in problem situations they see on campus” said Tompkins. These situations could range from simple to serious.

The typical training lasts about 90 minutes to two hours and uses various scenarios to demonstrate the program and its five steps to being an effective bystander. These steps are: 1. Notice the Event. 2. Interpret the event as a problem and investigate. 3. Assume personal responsibility. 4. Know how to help. 5. Implement the help: Step Up!

The Step Up! Program was developed by the University of Arizona in collaboration with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Their statistics that most other bystander intervention trainings are focused on one specific scenario, like the It’s on Us initiative. The Step Up! program is effective in a wide variety of scenarios.

The program has already trained the Active Minds group, the Rainbow League and most recently they trained Student Senate. Senator Allison Bernier believed that this was an effective training. “Before [the training], I didn’t have the skills to [intervene], I would have done it, but now I think I will be more successful after this training” said Bernier.

Athletic teams are also being trained. Recently, the Men's and Women's Basketball teams were trained, as well as the Ski team. The Step Up! Program has a representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

An open Step Up! training will be offered to all students on November 9, 6:30pm in Thomas Auditorium. The presentation facilitators aim to make the presentation informative, but fun.

The Step Up! Program is customizable, allowing the facilitators the adjust the presentation to fit the needs of UMF. “The Training gave us the tools we needed to get started.” said Lisa Lisius. “Then we can personalize it to our campus and what our issues are, then how we would best respond.”

One of the ways they intend to customize the program is to create a promotional video featuring UMF students discussing the points of the Step Up! Program. It would be an informational and motivational video to get students interested in learning about bystander training and the effects it can have on the campus community.

They also plan on doing presentations on specific topics, such as hazing and alcohol poisoning. “Once everyone is exposed to the general concept of bystander intervention, we can apply those points to specific topics and dig deeper into them” said Lisius.

Tompkins said they are looking to create a Step Up! club on campus to continue the efforts of the program. Club members would be trained to lead presentations, in order to maximize the total number of students trained on campus in bystander intervention. Anyone who is interested in joining can email the group at stepupumf@gmail.com

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Trip to Cyprus will teach about Ecotourism

November 2016

Published in the UMF Farmington Flyer, Issue 4, Fall 2016

Professors Linda Beck and Waleck Dalpour are leading a trip to the island of Cyprus in May 2017. Titled Ecotourism and Environmental Activism in Cyprus, the course will immerse students in the culture of the small nation for twelve days.

Cyprus is an island nation located in the eastern Mediterranean sea. It is a member of the European Union. The primary language is Greek, but most citizens also speak English. Its population is about 1.1 Million, roughly the population of the state of Maine. It’s capital and largest city is Nicosia.

The northern portion of island is under Turkish control, and the southern portion is the free, independent Republic of Cyprus. With approximately three million visitors a year, Cyprus's major industry is tourism, representing about eleven percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Students will be touring the entire island, observing and learning about the Cypriot culture. A relationship has been established between UMF and the University of Nicosia, which will help facilitate some parts of the trip. A big component of the trip will be the study of the ecotourism industry, and how tourism impacts the nation.

“Ecotourism a type of tourism that is sustainable” said Professor of Political Science Linda Beck. “Sustainable in terms of environmental, economic and social components”

While traveling across the island, course participants will meet with ecotourism operators, and with organizations that support ecotourism. Meetings have also been arranged with government officials including the Department of Environment, and the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism. Participant observation is an important component of the trip.

Students taking this course will gain an understanding of the theory and purpose behind eco tourism. “Students will learn that they will never travel as a tourist in the same fashion again” Beck said “The trip will make them more cognizant of the impact they have as a tourist.”

At current time, most tourists are visiting Cyprus from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Russia. Far less frequent are visitors from North America, and Beck explained this is due to the stereotypes made about the region. “There is a major difference in the knowledge that Europeans have about Cyprus, compared to Americans” Beck said “Americans see geographically where it’s located and start making generalizations about the country, where Europeans are much more familiar with the politics in that region.”

“Cyprus is one of the safest places in the world” said Professor of Business Waleck Dalpour. According to the US Department of State, Cyprus is generally a safe country, with medium risks for crime. As with many tourist destinations, there is always a concern for petty crime such as scams and theft (pickpocketing). But the instability in other parts of the middle-east should not be a major concern to students. As with any trip, it is important to be aware of the surroundings and to report any suspicious activities.

Courtney Fowler, a senior studying business is one of the students taking the travel course. This will be Fowler’s first international experience, and she believes this trip will be full of opportunities for hands-on learning.

“Originally I was interested in going to Turkey, but after the destination of the trip changed, I was even more excited to travel to Cyprus to learn about ecotourism and enjoy the beautiful scenery” Fowler said. “I think it is really important for everyone to the opportunity to travel during college to learn how the culture of other nations differs from the culture of the United States.”

The trip fee is $2900, plus tuition. The course may be taken as either two or four credits, making the trip more affordable for students. This course can be taken to meet the social science gen-ed requirement. Students from all majors are encouraged to sign up for the course. “The door is open for everyone” said Dalpour.

Students who are interested in learning more about the trip may contact Linda Beck (linda.beck@maine.edu), or Waleck Dalpour (dalpour@maine.edu).

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Melcher Keeping Tabs on the Pulse of Politics

October 2016

Published in the UMF Farmington Flyer, Issue 2, Fall 2016

    With the election season in full swing, Professor of Political Science Dr. Jim Melcher is quite busy observing and analyzing the current ebb and flow of the political climate.

   It is the most important time of year in the election cycle, where candidates and ballot issue campaigns are in the home stretch. Its nearing the time where voters must make up their minds and determine how they will cast their ballot in the voting booth on 8 November. Dr. Melcher is keeping score, and responding to interviews with reporters who are curious for a check on the pulse of the elections.  

   “The Lion’s share [of interviews] have been public radio, and Maine daily newspapers” said Melcher. “But, I’ve done interviews from coast to coast.”

   This election appears to be more significant than previous years. According to the Pew Research center, this is the first presidential election where the millennial generation now matches the size of the baby boomer generation. Voter turnout for millennials is historically lower than other generations, but the divisive political climate may turn out young voters in record amounts.

   Until the dust settles the day after the election, the only way to gauge how things are going is to ask the experts. Melcher has been keeping an eye on Maine Politics since he started teaching at UMF in 1999.

   Just this election season alone, Jim has fielded over three dozen interview requests from reporters all across the region.  Melcher was also quoted for a story in the Washington Post. More recently he was a guest on Maine Calling, a live call-in program on Maine Public (formerly MPBN). The topic was voter participation. Other guests included Matt Dunlap, Maine Secretary of State, and Jill Ward, President of the Maine League of Women Voters

   In the past, Melcher has been interviewed by almost all types of media sources, including some surprising blogs.

   “I did an interview with a gardening blog this year about the presidential election” said Melcher. The gardening blog asked Jim about their theory that Bernie Sanders was popular in states where internet searches for home gardening were performed at a high rate. “It was a little random, but I came up with an explanation that they seemed interested in.”

   In another strange interview, one with Wisconsin Public Radio, Melcher was part of a call-in live show, discussing humor and politics. Melcher is known for his use of humor while teaching about politics, especially his voice impersonations. “It turned out that every single caller had almost no sense of humor” said Melcher.

   Recently Dr. Melcher presented his 10th annual Supreme Court Preview and Review, which about 50 members of the UMF community were in attendance. This event is put on in observance of constitution day each year, since 2007 Professor Chris O’Brien, chair of the division of Social Sciences and Business introduced Dr. Melcher before his talk. “If you pay attention to politics in Maine, you know Jim Melcher” said O’Brien “He is everywhere.”

   Bonnie Washuk, education writer for the Lewiston Sun Journal was the former State house writer, and has called on Jim’s expertise for fifteen years. She considers him one of the best sources in Maine. “He speaks in words that people can relate to” said Washuk, in an email. “He always had a good handle on Maine politics and how they could impact people.”

   Mal Leary, longtime political reporter for Maine Public, has been speaking with Melcher for several years about politics, and finds Melcher to be a good source on bond issues. “He has spent some time researching them that others have not” said Leary, in an email.

   Professor Melcher will be on sabbatical during the Spring 2017 semester. He will be working on a book about Maine and presidential elections. It will be looking at how people have voted in Maine, and some of Maine’s presidential candidates.

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Summer in Farmington Offers Plenty of Outdoor Activities

May 2016

The spring semester is quickly wrapping up at UMF and for some students that means staying over the summer on a mostly deserted campus. The Farmington community transforms into something very different after classes and and students move out of their dorms. In as little as 24 hours, the town’s population drops by hundreds.

For the students that remain on campus for summer some stay for work and others are taking classes. While students aren’t learning or working, there is much time to be spent exploring the area and enjoying the weather. UMF alumna Nicole Byrne spent three summers in Farmington, one in Dakin Hall and the other two were spent in an off-campus apartment.

“My first summer in Farmington I was an intern for the Western Maine Storytelling festival,” said Byrne in a Facebook interview. “I got to help promote the festival around the area and got to visit a bunch of summer camps to distribute materials.”

While not working, Byrne passed the summer by enjoying the slower pace of the community when most students aren’t around. “Of course, I would do the typical things like swim down at the river, walk through Bonney Woods, and watch movies at Narrow Gauge, said Byrne.

Without even having to leave Farmington, there are several recreational opportunities that are within walking distance, so even students without cars have many ways to evade boredom. One of the lesser known trails in town is the Whistle Stop Trail. The 14 mile trail, along the old narrow gauge railroad, runs from West Farmington to Jay, and is excellent for mountain biking.

Adventurous students can utilize the UMF’s Mainely Outdoors program to rent outdoor equipment for a small fee. Bicycles, kayaks, tents and more are available for students and members of the Fitness and Recreation Center (FRC).

Swimming at nearby watering holes is a great way to cool off during the dog days of summer. Coos Canyon in Byron is a popular destination for cliff jumping. Some jumps are almost 40 feet tall, into the cold refreshing water of the Swift River. Junior Zachary Sylvester has spent two summers in Farmington, and has visited Coos Canyon with his friends several times.

“The first jump was terrifying it's a pretty tall order,” said Sylvester.  “After a long day of jumping the cliff, it was great to satisfy my hunger by ordering food at the gift shop across the street.” Coos Canyon Rock and Gift, located adjacent to the canyon offers concessions as well as gold panning equipment to try out on the river known for containing the mineral.

Foraging for is something anyone can do with little expertise or time. Just a short walk from campus, one can find many places to pick fiddleheads, raspberries, and even japanese knotweed. Mushrooming can yield pounds of food, only if the mushroom can be properly identified as edible. Student Jimmy Corcoran has grown his own food in the past, and has also forayed into foraging. “Anything that helps me feed myself, I get involved in,” Corcoran said.

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A Response to Governor LePage

May 2016

Published in the UMF Farmington Flyer, Issue 5, Spring 2016

It’s not every day that the governor personally calls you an idiot. Governor Paul LePage recently visited UMF to speak at the dedication of the Theodora J. Kalikow Education Center. President Kalikow was UMF’s leader from 1994 until 2012. During her time here she helped lead the charge to make our school carbon neutral by the year 2035 and she helped develop the Education Center as a green building, which earned LEED Silver certification.

I believe if it wasn’t for her forward thinking on the environment, we wouldn’t have have seen many of the green features of our campus be built, including the biomass plant which opened earlier this semester. Naming the Education Center after President Kalikow was a perfect choice. After making such a significant impact on our university during her time as president this is a permanent way to show our gratitude to her.

The idea to protest Governor LePage’s presence at the ceremony came shortly after I learned he was going to be in attendance at the building dedication. I thought that it was ironic that he was coming to celebrate one of UMF’s greatest environmental accomplishments, yet his policies as governor have done little to help protect and preserve our environment. Governor LePage has used his bully pulpit to obstruct environmental projects in our state.

In recent time, the governor refused to sign the bonds that would fund conservation projects through the Land for Maine’s Future program. These bonds were approved by voters in 2010 and 2012, and required the governor’s signature in order for funds to be sold. He decided he could use the environment as a pawn in his own political agenda; He refused to sign the bonds until the legislature backed his plan to pay off the state’s debt to hospitals, and a plan to increase timber harvesting on public lands. Thankfully the bonds were eventually signed but only after a political firestorm erupted.

I don’t think that Governor LePage realizes how important our natural resources are to the state. Our biggest industry in Maine is tourism, and the tourists come here to see pristine land, from Katahdin to Acadia. Our state policies should be developed, recognizing climate change as a economic and cultural problem, to address the changes that come as a result of the warming planet, and to preserve our natural assets.

Governor LePage has been unwilling to listen to the needs and wants of his constituents. Almost every time our governor speaks out in public, he has something critical to say about a specific policy, a legislator, or the media. Every time our governor makes an outburst, it attracts national attention and tarnishes our state’s reputation.

I could provide laundry list of reasons how LePage has hurt our state, but I was specifically angered when he was going to speak in support of a building and a University that has shown such a strong commitment to sustainability and the environment. I believe it was inappropriate for our governor to speak in support of this Building and the university president who made it all possible.

I decided to let Governor LePage know that I was dissatisfied with his environmental policies by giving him an “F” on a report card. To contrast his poor record, I also gave President Kalikow a grade; She earned an “A+”. Within moments of beginning his speech I held my sign up, joined by Allyson Hammond, who was also dissatisfied with the governor. Her poster was a bit harsher, calling LePage our state’s shame. His speech didn’t even last one minute. He noticed our posters and abruptly stopped speaking and left the stage. Before entering into the Technology Commons, he called Ally and I idiots, and the ceremony continued on without him.

I have no regrets about making this protest. It is our right as Americans to question and criticize our elected officials, no matter the occasion. Our protests did not diminish from honoring President Kalikow in any way. I was not attending UMF while Theo was president, but I am thankful for her contributions to the school.

I am proud to go to UMF because of its commitment to the environment. It is something that attracts learners to our school. Our university realizes how precious our natural resources are, and the importance of establishing policies that will reduce our impact. I look forward to the future plans that UMF will make to get closer to our carbon neutral goal.

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Low Turnout, Commuters Left out of Senate Elections

April 2016

Published in the UMF Farmington Flyer, Issue 4, Spring 2016

 The UMF Student Senate recently conducted elections for the executive board and junior Jamie Austin was elected the new president.

To conduct such an important election, it is imperative that the student body be notified about when to vote. It appears as though notification about the election was not comprehensive and may have led to some students not being aware that the elections were taking place, especially the off campus commuters.

The only official advertising for the election came in the form of a PowerPoint slide that was projected on the televisions in the Student Center, as well as a printed table of the times in which voting would take place which was posted to the door of the Student Senate office.

Unofficially, UMF senators were instructed to notify people about the election, via word of mouth and postings on their personal social media accounts. I only knew the election was occurring because I saw a candidate post about it on their Facebook page, after the elections had already begun.

The elections are placed in the care of the Election Committee, a group of senate executive board members, as well as senators in the general assembly. Nick Bucci, outgoing president, was chair of the election committee.

“My job is to delegate other tasks to my committee members, but they were all quite busy this semester and it’s winding down,” said Bucci. “So, I took on most of the responsibilities for advertising, acquiring a notary for when we do the election counting tonight and setting up tabling hours.”

Less than 10 percent of the UMF student body voted in the executive board election. As of 11 April, there are 1687 undergraduate students registered at UMF. Excluding the write-in votes, only 113 people voted in the race for president, resulting in an only 6.7 percent of students voting in this race.

The election committee should have done a better job at conducting this election. Although only one race was contested (for Vice President), the election process is important as a whole. This election represents an opportunity for UMF students to have a voice in who represents them on the senate. The senate is responsible for a lot of important operations on this campus, including managing the Student Activity Fee funds and the club budgets, which are in excess of $250,000.

Students cannot possibly voice their opinion if they were not aware of the election in the first place. Even Cody Smith, president of the Off Campus Commuter Council was unaware of the elections.

“I only learned about it from Nick Bucci’s post on Facebook,” said Smith. It seems as though a lot of commuters do not have much of a reason to visit the student center often enough to notice the PowerPoint advertisement.

So if a commuter did not know a UMF Student Senator, there was no way that a commuter would have been aware of the election at all. “I think they should be able to get a lot more advertising,” said Smith. As an off campus student myself, I am disappointed to see that senate did not do more to inform us of the election.

If the election committee could have been more proactive, they could have placed a notice in the weekly UMF Student Notices, an email that gets sent out to all students. They could have also placed flyers in the residence halls and academic buildings across campus.

The election committee members that realized they had no time to assist with the election should have resigned, so they could have been replaced by members that President Bucci could actually delegate tasks to, instead of having to do most of the work himself.

Kirsten Swan, faculty advisor to Student Senate, believes more could have been done to improve advertising for the election. But Swan acknowledged that the election policy in the Senate bylaws need updating.

“They were last updated in 2005,” Swan said.“They don’t address social media as a means of campaigning. Because in 2005, we weren't doing that.” Swan supports the creation of a commissioner of social media to address the new ways that information can disseminated to students.

One of the most important responsibilities of the student senate are to remain transparent and consistent. “As senate moves forward, they need to work on being more consistent and more transparent,” Swan said.

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Student Participation is High Farmington Caucus

March 2016  

  There was a 90 minute delay to the start of the recent Farmington Democratic Caucus. Due to record turnout, the line to register new voters stretched out the door of the Olsen Student Center and onto the South Street sidewalk. The caucus would not begin until all voters were registered and checked into the caucus.

    For many UMF students, this is their first time voting in a presidential election. The extreme number of candidates made it impossible to see the front runners early on. Now, after six weeks of caucuses and primaries, the democratic field has narrowed to two, and the republicans have four candidates remaining.

   Social media is also playing a significant role in the election process. Although social media was used in the 2008 and 2012 elections, its use wasn’t as important as it is this year. Facebook has hosted not one but two debates so far. The use of social media has given the campaigns a chance to interact with all types of voters, both young and old. Voters can connect with candidates on almost every platform, even places like Snapchat and Tumblr.

   Student activism is crucial in every election and the students at UMF care about politics. “If you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain,” said UMF Senior  Jay Keshavan. In the weeks leading up to the democratic caucus, students across campus volunteered their time and effort to help support the candidate they believe will lead this country in the best direction.

   Several students participated in activities to encourage and remind people to vote in the caucus. Students organized phone banks, and performed a door to door canvas of downtown Farmington. One student, Donald Hutchins, coordinated a caucus rally for the Bernie Sanders campaign. Hutchins also assisted with a Sanders ice cream social, hosted by Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.

   Statewide there was record breaking turnout at the democratic caucuses. Over 48,000 democrats participated in the caucus, breaking the record from 2008. It was no different in Farmington. Ed David, the convener for the Farmington caucus said this was the highest turnout he has ever seen. “I’d say it’s a third more than 2008 and it’s three times as much as 2012,” said David. “It’s the same kind of energy and enthusiasm that’s turning out for Bernie Sanders that turned out for Barack Obama.” Students made up about half of the total caucus attendees in Farmington.

   The high voter turnout proved to be problematic in the City of Portland. The only caucus location, Deering High School, was overwhelmed by voters. Lines stretched a half mile out the door to the school, with some waiting almost four hours to caucus. This has led to a discussion about changing Maine back to a Primary State. State Senator Justin Alfond (D-Cumberland) is leading the effort by introducing a bill to make the switch. “We need to have a conversation, once again, about the best way to nominate our presidential candidates, and ensure the process is easy and accessible to all,” said Alfond, in a Facebook post.

 Once the caucus was called to order, the process was swift, as caucus attendees overwhelmingly supported Senator Bernie Sanders over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. After diving into their preference groups, the Sander side has 310 voters, and the Hillary side had 34. Both sides then had the opportunity to sway voters to support another candidate, nobody moved. A final count was made, and Farmington will send 16 Sanders delegates to the Maine Democratic State Convention in May, and 3 Clinton Delegates. The convention will be held at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on May 6 and 7.

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WUMF Radio Continues to Provide the Soundtrack for Farmington

March 2016

Published in the UMF Farmington Flyer, Issue 2, Spring 2016

   Since 1972 WUMF has been providing the soundtrack for the university and the greater Farmington community, and this semester is no different. After 44 years on air, the radio station continues to attract DJs to play music. This spring, WUMF will continue many of its long standing traditions, including the much anticipated Battle of The Bands.

   With its slogan “Where Undiscovered Music is Found”, it’s evident that the casual radio listener has a plethora of options when tuning into 91.5 FM or online via the Shoutcast streaming service. The genres of classic rock, rock, and alternative are the most popular genres of music played by the DJs, while hip hop and electronic are played less.

   Each semester as interested DJs request time on the air, the staff at WUMF prepare the show schedule. To make the schedule the most efficient, the shows are grouped by genre, and placed on the same night. “We try to get all the classic rock shows together,” said Production Manager Luke Deems. “So when someone tunes into the radio station who likes classic rock, [they] will more likely listen to more shows.” Monday features classic rock, Thursday is modern rock, and Friday is alternative. The rest of the shows are sprinkled into the schedule. The staff takes the necessary steps to ensure that all interested DJs have a time slot that works for them.

   WUMF has an eclectic group of DJs, each with their own flairs. Julia Lent’s show, “Off the Wall”, is one of the stations more unique programs. “She has a whole DJ character that she has developed. She is a different person on the air,” said Deems. Her on air DJ name is Zosime, and her show is on Monday Night, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

   Each show has a unique title, like Annie Moloney and Zoe Mann-Weiner’s “Peanut Butter and Slamjam Sandwich”. “The name came from nowhere,” said Moloney. “I think I was looking at my jar of chunky Skippy peanut butter when I came up with that name. Their show can be heard on Thursday’s, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

   In addition to broadcasting music over the air, WUMF hosts and participates in various events in the community. One of it’s most popular events is the Battle of the Bands competition. This is a chance for local and regional bands to come to UMF to play and compete for the title of best band. The date for this isn’t set yet, but it will likely be the end of April and will be included as part of the Spring Fling festivities. WUMF is also planning a block party after the success of the one they had in the fall semester. The radio station will also provide live sound for various events including Relay for Life and the Hospice House 5k Run/Walk.

   In a way to give back to the community, the radio station will be holding a clothing and food drive to benefit various local charities. Station Manager Mike Diffin says they will be taking any new and used clothing and non-perishable food items starting February 29, through mid April. “If you donate, you will get your name entered into a raffle and we will be giving a few items away,” said Diffin.