Milbridge – Maine Terrain

The Milbridge Theatre: Gateway Milbridge’s Richard Bondurant on Bringing Back the Theatre

Stephen — Tue, 10 May 2022 13:13:20 +0000

Gateway Milbridge Chair Richard Bondurant on bringing back the theatre

April 28, 2019

Written by Stephen Ondich

Redevelopment organization Gateway Milbridge is nearing the final phases of its Bring Back the Milbridge Theatre project.

Built in 1937, the Milbridge Theatre is a long standing Down East landmark. However, in 2014, owner operator Dave Parsons passed away leaving the theatre’s future uncertain. At that point, Gateway Milbridge, a community redevelopment organization stepped in. Next, the group launched an ambitious 7 stage campaign to rebuild and reopen the venue.

Richard Bondurant, Chair of Gateway Milbridge, spoke with us on the theatre’s history and rebuilding progress.

The Milbridge Theatre

Location

The Milbridge Theatre is 43.3 miles from Acadia National Park.

The Milbridge Theatre is Acadia Adjacent.↵

Richard Bondurant was drawn to Milbridge’s coastal charm almost 20 years ago. His experience in project management and love of the town made him a logical choice to lead Gateway Milbridge.

Usually, I pride myself in my interview preparation. However, Richard schooled me (in a good way) on many issues related to Milbridge Theatre history, its rebuilding and Gateway Milbridge.

Also, I found out we are neighbors!

The Origins of Bring Back the Milbridge Theatre

MaineTerrain: How long you have you been involved with the theatre?

Since September of 2015.

MaineTerrain: Right when the project started!

Well, when it got into full force, yes, It had started, I would use the word gently before that. It picked up steam in a period of August through November of 2016.

MaineTerrain: So the Bring Back the Theatre campaign is several years in. The outdoor stage is functional. What does the inside look like at this point?

Are you familiar with what exactly transpired with the original building and everything? (Editor’s note: Uh-oh)

MaineTerrain: I have been by the theatre several times. However, I’ve never been in myself. As I understand it, the last individual who owned it passed away. It was in disrepair and needed to basically be gutted.

Right. Let me let me give you a little bit more detail. The original Milbridge Theatre was built in 1937. That building is no longer there.

Dave Parson’s Death

So that building was quite large and occupied the entire lot. It was a 200 + seat theater and continually operated with stage shows and film from 1937 until I guess Dave (Parsons) died in the end of 2014. December 2014, I guess it was.

Dave had family, but no one in the immediate area. They were from other states. So, after he died it was shuttered and fell into disrepair. It was already having leaking issues, moisture issues and roof issues for some time, as anybody in Milbridge can attest.

Snow Storm of 2014 Damages Theatre

Back in 2014 or 2015, we had an extraordinary series of snow storms. At one point, I would guess we had upwards of 60-70 inches on the ground. Thus, it was just crazy. That caused significant damage to the roof and things like that.

Over the period from Dave’s death until the theatre was purchased by our group in July of 2016 the building just fell into greater and greater disrepair.

Gateway Milbridge, Early Days

I joined the group in September of 2015. The group purchased the theatre and the lot in July of 2016. Then we started fundraising. At that point it was already obvious the main structure could not be salvaged. It was just too far gone. Too much damage had occurred.

The Taco Stand

The structure that is on the lot currently was not an original part of the building. It was added on in the mid 1970’s. And it was originally called the Taco Stand

The Weingarts, who owned the theatre before Dave, built the Taco Stand in the early to mid 1970’s. It was connected to the theater as part of the building, but it’s not an original part. However, because it was newer, it was salvageable. Accordingly, that is the piece that stands on a lot today.

The Milbridge Theatre building exhibits simple Cape Cod style architecture.

The Marquee Shoppe

So we have kept that piece and turned it into what we call the Marquee Shoppe. Inside the Marquee Shoppe, we have a mini museum featuring display items that we salvaged from the theater building, photographs, all kinds of things. The back portion of the Marquee Shoppe is storage for us.

We took as many items out of the theater building the original theatre buildings as we could salvage and stored them. Several of those are on display there in the mini museum of the Marquee Shoppe.

We had the original building demolished in July of 2017 after determining that most of the original building was not salvageable, we made the decision to demolish the unusable portion of the facility.

MaineTerrain: I first came to Milbridge after the demolition. So every time I drove by the theatre, I thought “The theatre is nice, but it’s pretty small for everybody to be talking about it all the time.” It makes a lot more sense in that context. Thank you.

The theatre itself occupied that entire property and Dave Parsons actually had an apartment in the back of it. It was quite a large building at the time.

The Taco Stand Remains

MaineTerrain: Interestingly, Vasquez Take Out was not the first Mexican restaurant in Milbridge, apparently. Before Vazquez there was the Taco Stand!

Yes, the Taco Stand was there. This predates me.

My understanding is they had two or three of them at one point up and down Highway 1. Maybe one in Machias and maybe one in Ellsworth, I don’t recall. But I think there were two or three at one point.

And then after the Taco Stand, Dave and others began selling candy and ice cream out of there. So other people refer to it as the ice cream shop.

Just go to our theater website www.milbridgetheater.org. Go where it says theatre history in the blue bar. Next, scroll down and you’ll actually see some original pictures of the old building.

Demolition and Rebuilding at the Milbridge Theatre

MaineTerrain: I was on www.MilbridgeTheater.org and saw those pictures. However, it didn’t register that the building is different than what’s there now.

When we demolished the original building we cleared the lot. Then, we salvaged the Marquee Shoppe. We added a little bit onto the back of the Marquee Shoppe to give us a storage space. We cleaned inside of the marquee shop and created the mini museum.

By then we had the plan. We knew it would take a very long time to raise the money to build a new theatre, especially in an environment like we are in which is quite rural. So we wanted to make the lot as usable as possible.

Deciding to Demolish

The first thing was to evaluate the building. It had deteriorated and dilapidated so much. Also it is right there in the center of the village. We cleaned it (the site) up and made it look better.

We had to plan what to do with the lot while we raised money. And the idea was to build an outdoor stage, which we did with a great deal of volunteer effort, both materials and labor.

A Fresh Start with the Outdoor Stage

Then we thought in the summer we can have performances and actually utilize the lot and bring entertainment to town, weather permitting, of course. This allowed us to use the lot right away rather than waiting three or four years for a new building.

Our philosophy was let’s build an outdoor stage, which was fairly easy for us to do. Then, see if we can get performances and things like that and bring people to town on Friday evenings.

Give people free entertainment and let them enjoy it.

We built the stage almost immediately after clearing a lot. The stage debuted in August of 2017. Then, we had I think four concerts and maybe one or two movie performances that year.

We had music and we had an outdoor theatre. Our movie equipment allows us to do outdoor movies as well.

Grant Money Starts to Flow in 2016

Then in 2017, we received small grant from the Maine Community Foundation that allowed us to expand the season greatly. And so we had, 13 or 14 performances from June through September, including three films, and 10 or 11 concerts. They were very successful.

It really helped us understand that what we were doing was a very viable project and one the community wanted. There were lots of interviews and surveys done when our group first organized to see if people wanted the theatre to be brought back. It was an overwhelming yes.

We had a business plan developed and received another grant in 2015 and 2016. That also confirmed the viability of the project. However, until you actually start doing it you don’t really know.

Keeping the Theatre Alive

MaineTerrain: With multiple ownership changes in the theatre over the years, no one ever attempted to re-purpose the venue. Accordingly, was there a tacit agreement that each new owner would continue to operate the theatre for the benefit of the community?

Well, it was built as a theatre. It’s kind of hard to alter a structure that is intentionally built as a slope floor seating structure with actual stage and things like that. Thus, physically, the building was obviously built as a theatre.

Of course, entertainment has changed tremendously since it was built in 1930s. At that time, not only did it show film but there were quite a few live stage shows at the theatre.

Each Theatre Owner Added Value

All of the owners helped the theatre grow.

Ray and Ann Little were big in the country music scene in Canada. They came and bought the theatre in the late 1950s or early 1960’s.

They were very instrumental in the period from 1957 or so to 1971. They produced a lot of stage shows, movies and things like that, as well.

Have you ever heard of Grandpa Jones (Louis Marshall Jones) from the TV show Hee Haw?

MaineTerrain: I do remember HeeHaw, yes.

The Littles were friends with several people on the show who came to Milbridge to perform on stage downtown.

They came to Milbridge and brought quite a bit of entertainment our way. That was a huge boost.

Changes in the 1970’s

The Weingarts bought the theatre from the Littles in 1971. They kept it till 1978. It was a passion for them. They just enjoyed doing it. Like you said, part of it is the fact that every one of the owners just had a real passion for it – for stage production, movies, film, things like that.

Dave was a movie and film fanatic. I mean, the man was an extraordinary fan. He was almost obsessed with anything to do with film and movies from the 1920’s forward. He had an extraordinary collection of different things that he gathered. It was a true passion for him even when he got older and it was very difficult for him to run things.

There were several people who helped him but he kept it going, just because of his passion for it..

MaineTerrain: That’s great. I have seen Dave’s name come up before in other articles, not having anything to do with the theatre at all. I guess that’s Milbridge for you.

On Friday and Saturday nights it was the hub of activity from Gouldsboro to Machias. It was like that for years. It was a very integral part of life for people in the area.

Gateway Milbridge Projects

MaineTerrain: What other projects is Gateway Milbridge involved in?

The theatre is the largest project that Gateway Milbridge has taken on. However, have you seen the flower planters through town for the summer that line Main Street?

From June through October, there are a series of 25 flower planters set up in town. This was our first project. They’re huge, They’re about 4 feet by 4 feet.

We had them lined along Main Street. They’re painted dark gray. We fill them with flowers in the first week of June. And those flowers, through volunteer efforts go all the way till October. They’re pretty impressive and sort of a milestone that people from around the area come to see.

They get quite large and add a nice touch to downtown. Consequently, it helps dress up downtown. That is the first project we did. We also put an Information Center at the Schooner Art Gallery,

Of course, we took on the theatre project, as well. We do play a very heavy part in the organization and the execution of Milbridge Days, as well as Christmas on Main Street which occurs in December of every year.

MaineTerrain: This is completely out of left field, but have you ever participated in the Codfish Relay Race?

No (laughs).

I have certainly watched it. I have not participated.

MaineTerrain: Fair enough. I do look forward to that event.

Milbridge Days & Nights

We always have a kickoff celebration the Friday before Milbridge Days. The last two years, we’ve had a live game show night which has been just extraordinarily fun and a huge event for the town.

We are taking a break from that this year. It is an extraordinary amount of work to execute but it’s fun as all get out. It goes over very well.

This year, we’re going to do something that we did back in the 1990’s. We’re having an outdoor street dance concert.

We have the Allison Ames Band, which is a very, very good band. Friday night we’ll do a live stage show from seven to nine o’clock. Of course, it’s free of charge for everybody.

MaineTerrain: Did Gateway Milbridge have a hand in the recently opened Wellness Walking Park?

No, that’s the Women’s Health Resource Library, (WHRL).

They’re a separate organization from ours. They’re very good. And they do a great job for Milbridge, too.

Cultural Expansion in Milbridge

MaineTerrain: It’s great that so many positive things are going on in Milbridge. A lot of people in mature downtown areas around the US want something positive to happen. However, putting forth the resources to actually do it another thing entirely.

Yes. We have three really strong organization in town. WHRL, which you just mentioned. Have you heard of Mano en Mano?

MaineTerrain: I have heard the name.

Milbridge has a large concentration of Hispanics. 21 to 25% of our population is Hispanic.

When the seasonal laborers first came to work the blueberry fields, many of them stayed and settled in Milbridge.

They have done quite a bit for the community as well. They’ve added quite a bit in terms of culture and diversity.

Mano en Mano, is not only for the seasonal workers, but it’s to help serve the overall Hispanic community and be a conduit for the state of Maine and for the town of Milbridge.

It helps people to acclimate to the area culturally. It’s a good organization.

MaineTerrain: That’s great.

Yes. Milbridge gets quite a bit of publicity for all three groups. Milbridge is the only town in Washington County that’s growing economically and in population the last several years.

Milbridge is Staying Alive

MaineTerrain: Interesting. I knew that the average age of a Maine resident is trending upward. However, I didn’t realize that Milbridge bucks that trend. That’s good. Sometimes people want things to stay the same but if you really love the area you want manageable growth.

It is common, but it’s a Catch-22. It’s a difficult environment in Washington County. The towns have a difficult struggle. And like you said, the population is aging. Towns are having to find a way to stay alive.

Gateway Milbridge, Mano a Mano, and WHRL have all done quite a bit to enhance Milbridge, both economically and aesthetically. It’s not just a matter of bringing visitors in . It’s making it a place that people are proud to be in. You want the community spirit to be there and people to have pride in something like that.

Milbridge Days is a Collaborative Effort

That is another thing that all three organizations have helped with. Milbridge Days has become a pretty big deal. That’s done a lot to draw people to town and give us a good reputation. Things like the game show, the night of the concert, the new park that we’re always working on and things like that.

There’s just a lot going on, which is good for the town. Milbridge is getting a quite a bit of recognition, by the way, across the state.

MaineTerrain: That is good to see. When you do a Google search for many of Maine’s smaller towns, articles are sparse. However, a search of Milbridge brings up a fair amount of media.

I do encourage you to explore our website more, especially the page called Benefits to Businesses, You’ll find a lot of information.

MaineTerrain: I will.

Breaking Ground on the Indoor Venue in 2019

MaineTerrain: What do you think Dave Parsons would think about what’s going on right now with the theatre?

I think that he would be pleased to see that somebody wants to keep it going. He would be happy to see the reception from the town and the live concerts and things like that, I think he would be eager to see the new building go up.

We’re making good strides toward that. We would like to initiate groundbreaking for the new structure in the autumn of 2019. That is our goal. We’re getting very close to being able to execute that goal, so we are excited about that.

The Importance of An Indoor Facility

Right now, the outdoor stage is popular, and it’s a lot of fun. However, we are weather dependent. We can only operate basically 12 weeks out of the year. Then, of course, if the weather is not good, we have to cancel an event.

So, having an indoor facility again will give us many more options to do year round performances. More importantly, we will have something for the community in the off season.

You know, summer in Milbridge is a beautiful time of year. It’s brief, but it’s beautiful. And you have people from away come and summer people come. It’s an active great town. Somebody said to me once, we try to cram a year’s worth of living into three months. It’s true.

MaineTerrain: Sometimes I feel guilty coming in for Summer and then leaving. It’s awesome that the community will have a resource to be enjoyed year round.

What happens in the off months? What happens in the winter? It becomes a time of isolation, hibernation and things like that. People just don’t have as much activity and things to do. If we had year round performances, we could bring a lot more for the community. It will create gathering opportunities, help reduce social isolation and things like that.

Having a year round facility will be a boon in many ways, not only for the community, and for its residents, but also for downtown. It makes Milbridge a place where things are happening.

Combining Theatre Work and Play Makes Fundraising Easier

MaineTerrain: Opening the outdoor stage, even on a limited basis was a great idea. People in the community see what is happening and the progress being made. It’s much harder to raise money for something that exists in concept only.

That’s exactly right. We needed to demonstrate viability to the community by doing something. The other part of it was to make sure that our business model was executable and it was.

Our outdoor events average attendance of 200 or more. We’ve had as many as 400 at one performance, which is substantial for a town of 1500 people!

People do want that type of environment. It is the heart of downtown. It brings activity and it’s fun on Friday nights. It’s a fun place to be. The concert series has shown us that it is viable. It’s been a good testing ground to have the outdoor stage. It has helped us quite a bit.

The Milbridge Theatre’s Outdoor Stage Draws Big Crowds

MaineTerrain: What is the furthest you’ve heard of anybody coming to attend a theatre hosted event, specifically for the occasion?

We’ve had people come from New Brunswick in Canada. People have come from north of Bangor.

For example, the Allison Ames Band is coming to do a Milbridge stage performance this summer. They came last summer and have a very large draw. They have a large following from north of Bangor so we have people coming from that area.

Last September, we had Gus LaCasse . And the St. Andrews Pipe and Drums came down from Ellsworth. They’re very good. They have won awards throughout New England.

Gus LaCasse is a young prodigy. I guess he’s 16-17 years old now and one of the absolute best Acadian style music fiddle players in the world. He has a very strong following.

Acadia is More than a National Park

Acadia is actually a region that refers not only to the National Park, but it refers to parts of New Brunswick, as well as Nova Scotia, and Maine. That area was settled by French speaking residents from France. When people talk about Acadian music and things like that, we’re talking about linguistic and musical performances that are very old in tradition that came from the 1600’s- early 1700s, from France. Parts of Quebec, parts of New Brunswick and parts of Nova Scotia as well as Maine.

So Gus plays that type of very classic old style French Canadian, which we call Acadian music style,. It’s a rare style. Very good, very fast fiddle playing. He’s excellent at it. So he has a very strong following from New Brunswick down to Maine. He is a huge draw. He’s coming July 3, to perform again this year.

MaineTerrain: Great. I look forward to that.

The New Milbridge Theatre, 2019 and Beyond

MaineTerrain: Since you’re entering into the final phase of your current project is there another vision above and beyond getting the new building opened up?

Right now our goal is to get a building up and have it finished inside, Our goal right now is to have a fairly simple building that we can begin using immediately inside. So ultimately, beyond that, we would like to strengthen the building in terms of the types of seating that we have lighting, acoustics and things like that.

Once we have the building up our goals will be to improve seating, lighting, sound equipment, things like that, and projection equipment as well. Modern, digital, full service projection equipment will help. Those are the things we want to accomplish after we get the building up.

Indoor Theatre Operations

But another transition that will have to take place, of course, is once the buildings up, we have to operate it! It’s one thing to do 10 to 12 weeks of programming in the summer. It’s a completely different thing to do an entire year of programming on an ongoing basis.

Our business plan that we did two years ago takes that into account. Once the building is up we will move into those phases. – operating year round, a programming system for the theatre, and of course, the projects to enhance the sound, the lighting, the seating and the projection equipment.

MaineTerrain: Kudos. It’s a incredible project. Gateway Milbridge is doing great work. It’s exciting for the community.

And we look forward to your donation.

MaineTerrain: Fair enough.

MaineTerrain: I really do appreciate you taking the time to talk about the Milbridge Theatre. I learned quite a bit.

I’m always glad to help Steve and like I said we’re glad to have you in the community. We look forward to meeting you, I only live three doors down so when you come to town, come see us.

MaineTerrain: Absolutely!

Building a Home in Maine: Coastal Waterfront! 2022

Stephen — Tue, 10 May 2022 02:00:54 +0000

Building a home In Maine

July 24, 2021

Written by Stephen Ondich

Building a home in Maine is a fantasy for many. Should you buy verses build? Beautiful waterfront homes for sale exist but there are also plenty of waterfront camps for sale in Maine. Our friends, Tim and Terri G searched for a homebuilder in Maine and built their coastal dream home on 4 picturesque acres in the coastal community of Milbridge, Maine. Construction took place from 2017-2019. They answer questions about homebuilding in Maine and finding the perfect home site.

Milbridge, Maine

Location

The G-Spot Maine is 43 miles from Acadia National Park.

It is Acadia Adjacent.↵

Building A Coastal Maine House: How Terri & Tim G Did It

Homesite Search

MaineTerrain: You and Tim are from Virginia. How did you pick Milbridge as the location to build your dream home?

Terri G: The shortest long version is that we traveled to Ogunquit Maine in 2016 because of an invitation to my Aunt’s surprise birthday party. We had never been to coastal Maine before.

In searching for a nearby hotel, prior to the trip, I began looking at the Maine coastline and was utterly enthralled. That led to searching-out real estate listings, for s__’s & giggles, in order to gauge the real estate prices up there. Then, that led to a genuine interest in finding a place for us, our “Summer Camp,” in essence.

MaineTerrain: Significantly, Ogunquit means “Beautiful place by the sea,” in Abenaki. When inspecting potential build sites, what things were you looking for?

Terri G: Our only true prerequisite was that it had to be on the ocean. If we travel regularly 12-14 hours to our Maine summer home, then it makes logical sense to travel to a place completely unavailable to us here in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Meaning, the Shenandoah Valley offers numerous gorgeous lakes and picturesque rivers. However, we simply do not have access to the Atlantic Ocean. Boom, decision made. 🙂

MaineTerrain: That sounds familiar. We are about 45 minutes away from Newport Beach. Yet, we travel 2000 miles to come to Milbridge! When you first saw your Milbridge parcel did you immediately know it was the one?

Terri G: Ha ha! Tim & I talk about this often because it really, truly was just like that. Immediate and mutual. We began our property search up in Eastport, Maine and worked our way down the coast, ending in Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine.

When we first viewed our property, it was so densely wooded that we got turned around. We had to get our bearings and start over again. As soon as we finally stood on the shoreline, we looked at one another and both said, “This is it,” and it was. We’ve never regretted the decision.

Homebuilders in Maine: Downeast

Maine Terrain: Whose idea was it to build your own coastal home?

Terri G: As in building the home? Or the style that we chose?
As for building it, as soon as we saw the coastline of Maine via Google Earth, we knew that we would have a house there. Therefore, I would say that it was definitely a mutual decision. Interestingly, we officially purchased our four-acre property just one month after my Aunt’s surprise birthday party.

As for style, I’m the design person, so I knew that we’d most likely have a chalet-style home, if only for the prominence of so many over-sized windows on the main wall. With oceanfront property, that’s a given!

Maine Terrain: Although we bought an existing home in Milbridge, we also relied heavily on Google Maps and Google Earth when scouting locations. Do you or Tim have a background in construction or was your custom home design a completely new endeavor?

Terri G: No, we have no formal training. However, we both have worked hard on our previous older homes for years. We are quite adept at many aspects of general handyman work and construction.

We each have our own specialties. For example, Tim is the only one who handles anything electrical. I am absolutely NOT a fan of being zapped. He hangs the sheet rock while I’m the mud-n-taper. I have pretty darn impressive mudding/taping skills, if I do say so myself.

I’m the wallpaper hanger. We both do tile work. And we both share a love of power tools!

Maine Terrain: One comment I hear often about construction in Maine is that there is a limited pool of qualified contractors. Thus, delays are almost inevitable. How close did you come to hitting your projected timetable?

Terri G: Our home is a modular, not to be confused with a mobile home. I have always been an avid believer in modular construction. Therefore, I knew that that was the direction that we’d take.

We chatted with a couple of local modular home retailers and settled on one in Bangor. All of our contractors were employed by and affiliated with that particular modular home retailer. So that simplified the process compared to hiring our own contractors and subcontractors.

The delays, however, as with all construction projects, were frequent.
Our home was to be set in early June but it wasn’t set until July. Accordingly, that threw off the remaining timetable.

Footnote, if I may, we don’t ever want to build again. However, if we did, it would absolutely be another modular home. We are so pleased with the structure itself. It’s incredibly solid!

Maine Terrain: How much consideration did you give to buying an existing coastal home?

Terri G: When we began looking at properties in earnest, we looked at both raw land and ready-built homes.

Initially, we had no preference whatsoever. However, we found that Maine, Down East Maine in particular, seemed to have an over-abundance of breathtakingly beautiful oceanfront raw land properties. All at remarkably low prices compared to Virginia and the D.C. area. So those two factors really made that decision to purchase raw land and build on it.

Maine Terrain: Did you run into any unexpected surprises during construction? Anything just come way out of left field?

Terri G: Ha ha, staahhp! Seriously? Yes. Emphatically, yes. I think that the one thing that completely threw us off-base was the need to blast ledge, i.e., granite. Mainly because of the cost. Holy smokes!

We had heard that blasting might be necessary because Maine is the bold rocky coast after all, but we were unprepared for the actual cost and the need to find someone who could do it immediately to avoid any additional delays.

Maine Terrain: Do you have any advice for someone looking at a lot now? Perhaps someone thinking about building their own dream house?

Terri G: Do it. Be prepared for months of migraine headaches and numerous sleepless nights. Take vitamins & drink caffeine for extra stamina, but do it. It’s soooo worth it. 😉

The G Spot House

MaineTerrain: What room do you find yourself spending the most time in? Why?

Terri G: Our Great Room. It’s huge and features a two-story wall full of windows that overlook the ocean/bay. It also faces east, so we can grab a cup of coffee and watch the sun greet us. Not to mention that the Great Room features our red Vermont Castings propane stove, which we often light on chilly mornings or evenings. Nothing like it for the relaxing atmosphere.

MaineTerrain: When you were in the planning stages, what were some of the must-have features you wanted to include?

Terri G: Tim & I have eight adult children between us, so we HAD to have a place that could accommodate everyone, including spouses, grandchildren, etc. As previously mentioned, oceanfront was an absolute must. A full basement with more room to spread out. Plus Tim’s man cave. Acreage, for privacy’s sake. Oh, and a guest cottage!

MaineTerrain: If someone is interested in staying at your home, how should they contact you?

Terri G: Thank you for that, Steve. How nice of you. Any number of ways.

Preferably via our Airbnb listing.
Or via our website .
Or even our Facebook page.

Also, we can be reached directly by email.

Terri & Tim ‘G’ .

Thanks Steve!

Terri and Tim’s Coastal Maine Home is on AirBnB Below

View On Airbnb NEW! The 'G' Spot Maine on 4 ocean/bayfront acres!

Work Remotely In Maine: 13 Tips for Digital Nomads 2022

Stephen — Tue, 10 May 2022 01:51:52 +0000

How I work remotely and 14 tips for you

May 14, 2019

Written by Stephen Ondich

We live in Southern California and run our own hardwood lumber business. However, we love Maine. As a result, we often take the entire family to New England and do the digital nomad thing. Despite being in rural Down East Maine, business goes on. In this article, I explain how we do business remotely from Maine. Also, based on my own personal experience, I give you 13 tips for your own successful Maine work-cation.

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How I Work Remotely in Maine

Our hardwood lumber company is located in Fontana, California. Accordingly, our business involves the production and distribution of wood products.

The reason I bring this up is to let you know our work involves products, not services. I am not a consultant, life coach, or lifestyle blogger. Therefore, much of the daily remote work I do is time sensitive.

Additionally, digital nomad jobs are increasingly common in 2019.

Digital Nomad or Remote Worker?

However, I am not a digital nomad in the strict sense of the term. According to Wikipedia, digital nomads do not really have a home base. Thus, I am not really part of the digital nomad community on reddit or otherwise.

My work environment changes occasionally but it’s more predictable than a true digital nomad.

Since I’ve done working Maine vacations (work-cations) a few times, I have a set routine. Here is how I do it.

Planning My Working Trips to Maine

First, I decide where, when and how long I want to work remotely. I take into consideration the scope of work that needs to get done in my physical absence.

Next, I decide where to go in Maine.

Most of the time, my destination is our cottage in Milbridge. However, we may opt to stay at another location if we visit another part of the state. Maine is huge, after all.

Before I consider traveling to a new area in Maine, I check Internet availability and cell phone coverage. I use sites like Dead Cell Zones and Broadband Now to get information online. However, it’s often best to call ahead to the place you’re staying at to get feedback from people. Internet access is vague. If you need high speed for streaming and the Internet speed only supports email you want to know that ahead of time.

Then, I make a list of all the potential travel dates and look for competitive airfares. Once I find a good rate, I book quickly.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

I am loyal Southwest Rapid Rewards member. In addition to competitive rates from Los Angeles, CA to Portland, ME Southwest offers two incredible work travel benefits.

No cancellation charges. Thus, if you book a Southwest flight and need to cancel or reschedule at the last minute, you receive 100% of your money back.
Rapid Rewards Companion Pass. Regular travel and/or credit card purchases can qualify you for a Southwest Companion Pass. This perk allows you to bring someone along on your flight free of charge for a full year. Additionally, you can switch companions a few times within the year. This is a great way to bring family or friends along on work vacations.

Next, I print a hard copy of a travel packing list. I keep the list on my iPhone. However, I like to review and modify the list on paper. I’m old school that way!

My travel list includes all the items I bring. For example, laptop, laptop cord, iPhone, Phone cord, camera bag, toiletry kit, cell, portable charger, etc. The list is comprehensive and many items are obvious. However, there is a lot to remember and keeping a list that can be checked off helps ensure everything gets on the plane.

Then, I check the weather forecast and pack appropriate clothes.

Maine receives snow as late as May. Checking weather conditions is a worthwhile 30 second smartphone endeavor.

Prior to departure, I update all of my iPhone apps and make sure all of my cords are in good working order.

Next, I alert all of my work contacts that I will be away. Typically, I say that I’m out of the office but working and reachable. Also, I record a voicemail greeting message that conveys the same thing.

Finally, the last step is to back up my company files to a USB flash drive. I prefer a flash drive backup rather than a cloud-based backup.

In the event that I cannot access the Internet I still need access to my business data. This is a concern when travelling to rural Maine.

14 Tips For Planning Your Maine Working Vacation

Although, my work-cations mostly take place in Maine, these tips also apply to other work travel destinations.

Forward Your Mail. Find a place to forward your mail before you leave if you are working for an extended period of time. Don’t rely on family and friend to collect your mail. Have it forwarded.
Sign up for the US Postal Service’s Informed Delivery program. This is handy to have if you’re working remotely for a limited time and don’t need your mail but still want to monitor the mail you receive.
Set up as many online bill pay options as you can. This saves time and hassle. Admit it, you’ve been meaning to do this anyway.
Pick a fun location. For me, working from a cool/unusual/alternative location is empowering. What is the point of going to a unique location if you do the chain hotel thing? If you have the option of picking your venue, pick somewhere memorable.
Be prepared with more than your smartphone. Maine has many remote areas. Relying on your smartphone’s Internet access could put you in a bad situation. You may end of off-grid and not realize it. Take a few old school maps and some printed directions. It’s a good idea to take phone screen shots of important info on your phone if there’s a concern that you may lose connectivity at some point on your trip.
Amazon Prime. This is a life-saver for me. Where we’re at in Maine, there are local stores nearby but it’s about an hour drive to the nearest Walmart. An hour doesn’t sound that long. However, it’s 1 hour to drive to Walmart plus 1 hour to drive back back. Also, factor in shopping time and the cost of gasoline. Instead, let Amazon deliver packaged goods directly to your cabin or cottage. The delivery times may be longer than the 1-2 days in metropolitan areas. However, it’s still a great shopping option if you plan ahead.
Research your area ahead of time. Don’t assume that you’ll have access to the same kinds of stores, restaurants and amenities commonly found in suburban areas. For example, our town has a supermarket. No big deal, right? I’ve since found out that all of our surrounding towns have no such grocery store. Most of them drive to our store to shop. You want to know what is available in your vicinity before you make the trip.
Bring or pre-ship your favorite foods. Again, don’t rely on the local supply, especially if you are particular about brands.
Check Maine weather conditions. Have a plan if you experience severe weather. Everyone knows about Maine winters. However, even in Fall wind storms can knock out power for extended periods of time. No power means no Internet, no charging your electronics, no electric heat, etc. Emera of Maine has a web page devoted to power outages here.
If traveling with others, select a location where your guests can explore while you work. If you provide the only means of transportation and there’s nothing to do close by, it will not be a relaxing trip for anyone.
Internet Cafes. If you need really strong fast Internet for work, look for Internet cafes close by. Many hotels, rental houses and AirBnb’s offer wireless Internet but there’s often no distinction between intermittently functional and stellar connectivity. However, an Internet cafe’s main purpose is to provide reliable bandwidth. Make sure you know where one is.
Check cell coverage. You may have the best coverage where you live but things change region to region. Check out a site like Dead Cell Zones to find out how your cell phone is likely to function at your destination. FYI, US Cellular is commonly used throughout the state of Maine.
Designate a work space separate from your living area. This is especially important when traveling with companions. It helps keep the stress level down for you and your guests.

Milbridge, Maine: A Helpful Guide 2022

Stephen — Fri, 06 May 2022 19:40:12 +0000

Milbridge, Maine:
A Helpful guide for 2019

April 3, 2019

Written by Stephen Ondich

The town of Milbridge, Maine is the first town to be featured in our series, Down East Destinations. Below is a comprehensive helpful guide to the Milbridge. We cover community history, things to do, economy, trends and more.

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Milbridge, Maine

Location

Milbridge, Maine is 43.1 miles from Acadia National Park.

Thus, Milbridge, Maine is Acadia Adjacent.↵

It is located on the coast of Maine, where the Narraguagus Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean.

Milbridge is located south of Cherryfield, east of Steuben and West of Harrington. Narraguagus Bay comprises its southern border.

Areas of Milbridge

Downtown Milbridge is pedestrian friendly. Thus, many of Milbridge’s shops and restaurants are here. Roughly speaking, the epicenter of downtown is where US-1 (Main Street) intersects with US-1A (Kennedy Highway).

The Harbor Area starts at the mouth of the Narraguagus River and continues to the bay, leading out to the Atlantic Ocean. Also, in the harbor area there are restaurants, fresh local seafood offerings, and boat tours. Additionally the Milbridge historical Society Museum is located in the harbor area.

Rural Areas comprise a majority of Milbridge’s land area. Accordingly, these designated rural areas have limitations on development.

Conservation Areas are designated as places of vital importance to Milbridge’s natural resources. Very limited development is allowed. Also, there is a minimum lots size of 10+ acres. Additionally, these designations are primarily in coastal or island areas of Milbridge.

Beals Pier by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

Milbridge History

Town of Milbridge was founded in 1765. It was created from the town of Harrington in Plantation Number Five.

According to Maineanencylopedia.com, the original spelling was “Millbridge.” Interestingly, I recently confirmed this when I searched Maine: A History, Volume 4 online for “Milbridge.” When my search yielded no hits, I realized that the text used the earlier “Millbridge” spelling.

Harrington Connection

Unfortunately many of Milbridge’s early historical records were stored in Harrington when a fire swept through town. I can find no mention online of when that fire took place. However, those early Milbridge town records were lost.

I stopped into the Harrington’s Gallison Library to find early Milbridge records. Photo by maineterrain.com

In July of 2019, I stopped into the Gallison Memorial Library in Harrington to see what remained of early Milbridge town records. Unfortunately, most of the early records inside were genealogical and provided by individual families. However, sifting through the folders I found an interesting document. It showed that in 1960, Mrs. Mildred Coffin donated a large map of early Washington County, Maine to the library.

This document revealed a large Washington County map was in the library somewhere.

I looked up from my table and saw the map!

Here is a closeup of the Narraguagus area of the wall map donated by Mildred Coffin in 1960. Photo by maineterrain.com

Significantly, the Coffin family was one of the early settlers of Harrington, Maine. V.L. Coffin and Sons,, was the primary store in town selling dry goods for many decades.

1848 Separation from Harrington

Almost 90 years later on July 14, 1848, it split off from the easterly neighboring town of Harrington. Subsequently, Milbridge expanded in 1876 and 1907, taking over land from its neighbor on the west, Steuben.

In the 19th century Milbridge served as a receiving point for lumber sawn in Cherryfield. An entire industrial complex was set up on the Narraguagus River involving multiple shipyards and businesses that served the boat building trade. Then, as now, Milbridge hosted fishing and seafood processing businesses including a lobster canning factory.

Milbridge’s population stands at roughly 1300 residents. This has been a relatively stable count for the past three decades.

Early Native American Presence in Milbridge

Pre-colonist records of Native Americans in the area now known as Milbridge are sparse. In part, this is due to the fluidity of tribes over time. Once Europeans arrived in the area the 1500’s Native Americans bore the brunt of newly introduced illnesses. As a result, surviving Native American assimilated into new groups regularly.

Here is a list of tribes with ties to Milbridge:

Red Paint People

The Red Paint People are the oldest known inhabitants of the Milbridge area. Very little is known about the Red Paint People.

They lived in coastal areas of Maine and New England approximately 2000-6000 years ago. Excavation of their burial sites revealed stone tools and artifacts covered in iron oxide, ie red paint.

Abenaki – Wawinkak

The Abenaki settled in villages close to rivers and/or flood plains.

Passamaquoddy

Passamaquoddy Native Americans were seasonal settlers. In summer, they stayed in coastal areas. For the winter months, they migrated inland.

Prior to European contact, the Passamaquoddy history was passed down verbally without written records.

1675-1760 Series of Six Indian Wars

Until 1675, relations between English settlers and Native Americans were mostly amicable. However, the following 85 years brought a series of conflicts known as the Indian Wars.

These battles pitted Native Americans and their French allies against English colonists.

Post Native American settlement by Colonists

The earliest known European settlers in the Narraguagus area were Jebez Dorman, John Densmores and Ichabod Willey. They established themselves in the Narraguagus region just Prior to the revolutionary war in the mid 1750s.

At this time, the cultural center of what is was then part of Harrington (now Milbridge) was on the Narraguagus Bay. Everything was developed with the goal of harvesting lumber and getting it to market or into maritime production. Since no roads were in existence, everything centered around the waterways.

An early population boom occurred as a direct result of the colonists victory over the British in the revolutionary war. Soldiers were partially paid in Maine land grants.

As the population grew, Milbridge was used as a stop for a steamboat service that passed between Milbridge, Machias and Portland several times a week. The ship-based access to Milbridge continued throughout most of the 19th century.

Roads improved and cars came into favor in the early part of the 20th century. Accordingly, downtown Milbridge displaced the Wyman industrial district as the town’s focal point at that time..

Historic Sites in Milbridge

Petit Manan Light Station

The Petit Manan Light Station is operational. The island it occupies also hosts a puffin colony! It is not open to the public. However, public boat tours are available. As a matter of fact, Milbridge’s own Robertson Sea Tours offers Fall boat tours of three area lighthouses:

Petit Manan Lighthouse
Narraguagus Lighthouse
Nash Island Light Station

Narraguagus Light Station courtesy of Maine An Encyclopedia

Narraguagus Light Station

The Narraguagus Light Station was taken out of operation in 1934. Now privately owned, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1987.

The Everett Wallace House courtesy of Maine An Encyclopedia

Everett Wallace House

The 1937 Everett Wallace House is located at the intersection of US-1 and Wyman Road.

It is notable for being a modern example of Queen Anne architecture. Additionally, the home was made as a reproduction of Wallace’s previous 1800’s era Queen Anne home which was lost in a fire.

Blueberry Barrens by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

Economy of Milbridge

The natural resources surrounding Milbridge have shaped the towns activity since it’s inception. Not surprisingly, shipbuilding, lumber production, agriculture and fishing comprise much of this activity. More recently, tourism has played a role, as well.

Currently, blueberry production, commercial fishing, timber harvesting and wreath production drive the Milbridge economy.

Smaller farms, including organic, are emerging as a growth industry.

Agriculture

The largest agricultural crop in Milbridge is the blueberry. The biggest blueberry operation in town is the Wyman Company.

Jasper Wyman & Son courtesy of Maine An Encyclopedia

The Wyman Company

In the late 19th century, despite the booming lumber trade, one of the most important companies then as now, was the Wyman company.

Wymans of Maine was founded by Jasper Wyman in 1874 and is still family owned today. In addition to his Milbridge business interests, Jasper Wyman (1852-1923) served two terms as a state senator for Maine in 1906 and 1908.

Wyman’s is to Milbridge what Burt’s Bees is to Dover-Foxcroft, with one important exception. Wyman’s is still operating out of its home town

Originally primarily a seafood canning company, Jasper Wyman started the company where he grew up in Milbridge, Maine. By the turn of the century, the focus of the company had shifted from seafood to wild blueberries.

Subsequent generations of the Wyman family continue to acquire land and blueberry barons over the years.

The company owns more than 10,000 acres of blueberry barons in addition to contracting out with other growers in Maine and Canada.

Additionally, Wyman’s conducts an ongoing campaign in support of food and worker safety.

In 2012, Wymans was certified for compliance in the Global Food Safety Initiative. In addition to health care benefits for employees, the company provides housing and competitive wages for its seasonal workers.

I contacted Wyman’s to ask if they provide factory or barren tours to the public. Unfortunately, they do not.

According to company spokesperson Pat, Wyman’s receives frequent requests for company tours. They are considering options that comply with their insurance regulations. I will post an update if public tours become available.

“Wild Blueberry Land – Maine” by Dougtone is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Blueberry Overproduction: Milbridge and Down East

2018 was a difficult year for the Down East blueberry industry, in general.

In July of 2018, I briefly spoke to Marie Emerson on a family trip to Wild Blueberry Land in neighboring Columbia Falls, Maine. Interestingly, she said the biggest issue facing North American blueberry farmers is competition from hybrid lab-grown blueberries. Also, they are fast growing, large in size and often imported into the US in large quantities.

According to Emerson, their taste is bland are they are not Wild Blueberries. However, they are plentiful and inexpensive.

Blueberries are currently overproduced. Significantly, domestic and overseas government subsidies are a factor, in addition to natural market forces.

Currently, the price of blueberries is at a 3 decade low. Good for consumers but not sustainable for suppliers.

Unfortunately, in 2018 the choice for smaller politically unconnected blueberry operations was an unenviable one.

Produce at a loss.
Discontinue the operation.

Anyone who has spent time in the Pine Tree State knows that throwing in the towel goes against the Maine spirit (sometimes called moxey). Thus, many producers forged ahead and lost money last year.

Photo by Maineterrain.com

Kelco Industries of Milbridge

Kelco Industries primarily manufactures and sells wreath making supplies. They are one of the larger employers in Milbridge despite the work being somewhat seasonal.

I’ve see the Kelco name online and around town but was not familiar with the company. The name struck me as one of those vague sounding 1980’s era conglomerates. The type of enterprise that gobbled up smaller companies and put them all under one name. However, that is not the case, at all.

Kelco, like Wyman’s is a home grown Milbridge company.

Doug Kell

Doug Kell founded Kelco in 1955. A former New Jersey resident and ship captain, he did not relax in the off season winter months. Instead, Doug saw an opportunity to distribute Maine Christmas trees in New Jersey. Hauling trees was his side-hustle before there was such a term.

Soon, Doug expanded into making and distributing machinery for processing tree and creating wreaths. Kelco’s mechanical innovations allowed many small scale mom and pop shops to sell and market their own wreaths.

With the success of his business, his family moved with him to Maine. Evidently, Doug’s charter boat days were behind him. The next six decades Doug focused on the Christmas tree industry.

I intend to get an update soon but as of 2013, Doug had a familiar stable of loyal employees. Referred to as the Golden Girls, these workers have been with Doug since the 1950’s. That is both heartwarming and rare in today’s business world. Kudos, Kelco!

An entire article could be written on Doug’s accomplishments. In addition to what is above, here are a few highlights of his storied career:

Licensed ship Captain
Pilot’s license
Air Force veteran
Art Gallery proprietor
Tree farmer

In 2015, Doug graciously donated his beloved twin engine GA-7 airplane to the Down East Emergency Medicine Institute to assist with search and rescue missions.

Boat in the Bay by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

Fishing

Lobster is the most important product in Milbridge’s fishing industry. Other sea products include marine worms and clams.

Much of the commercial fishing activity takes place around the Town Marina and Jordan Pier. Thus, if you spend some time watching the incoming fishing boats you’ll see lobster, shellfish, eels, urchins and more.

Tourism

Milbridge is riding the wave of increased tourism throughout Washington County. It anchors one end of the Bold Coast Scenic Byway. Visitors often choose Milbridge as their quiet home base for Acadia National Park trips.

From my own experience, people who specifically travel to Milbridge fall into one of three categories.

Down East Explorers. These tourists cover a lot of area in Washington County and Mid-Coast. They need a somewhat centralized home base. Milbridge is a good choice.
Acadia National Park visitors on a budget. People visiting Acadia in Summer or Fall face steep lodging rates if they’re looking to stay in Bar Harbor. Sticker shock makes them look elsewhere. Going South or West won’t save you much. However, looking in Milbridge offers substantial savings when compared with Bar Harbor or Mount Desert Island. Besides, it’s a scenic 40 minute drive to the park. A small price to pay to save a hundred dollars a night for a waterfront stay!
People Who Love Milbridge. Many tourists come to Milbridge regularly despite not having any family roots or previous ties to the area. Often, what keeps them coming back is the memory of that first Milbridge trip. I call it Maine-fever. It’s a phenomenon that is certainly not unique to Milbridge. However, Milbridge has a lot of the characteristics that tend to make people fall in love with the area: coast, convenience, rivers, charm, friendly locals, etc.

Geology of Milbridge

Much of Milbridge’s beauty is associated with its rugged coastline and river valleys. The character of its terrain did not just simply appear overnight.

The Ice Age

The landscape of Milbridge was carved out by glaciers over a million years ago. Thick ice pushed its way through the Narraguagus Valley. In the process, land was contorted, rocks were moved, rivers and valleys were created.

Soil

The soil in Milbridge is more suited to forestry than traditional farming. USDA Prime Farmland Soil represents a paltry 2% of Milbridge’s land area.

Only two areas in Milbridge have ideal soil for traditional (non-blueberry) farming, Pond island and select portions of Fickett Point.

Climate in Milbridge

Weatherspark.com summarizes Milbridge’s climate this way:

“In Milbridge, the summers are comfortable, the winters are freezing and windy, and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 15°F to 73°F and is rarely below -0°F or above 80°F.”

Narraguagus Waterfront Winter by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

Winter in Milbridge

By Maine standards, Milbridge has a relatively mild winter season. However, everything is relative. If you are used to shoveling snow in Buffalo, New York, Milbridge winters will be easy. If you’re coming from Florida, it will take some getting used to.

Milbridge is located on the coast of Maine. Average coastal winter temperatures are higher than inland communities experience. The reason for this is that water has a higher heat capacity than ground coverings and rocks. Thus, the ocean holds onto its warmth while land inland cools rapidly.

Snow season in Milbridge lasts just under 6 months. Typically, snow falls early November through mid-April.

Weatherspark.com calculates a tourism score based on the estimated percentage of rainless days with temperatures between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Based on that index, the best time to visit Milbridge is early July though early September. Peak tourist weather occurs the second week of August.

Read About Milbridge

Books

You may be able to pick up some of these on Amazon but I recommend ordering through the Milbridge Historical Society. They really appreciate the support!

The History of Milbridge by Terry Hussey

Drops of Spray from Southern Seas by Lucy Brown Reynolds

Cemeteries of Milbridge by Diana Bartlett, Alice Beal & Beverly Pinkham

Pond Island Heritage by Anne C. Nash

Periodicals Serving Milbridge

Ellsworth American

Bangor Daily News

Milbridge Historical Society Newsletter

Watch Milbridge

Extreme Home Makeover – Milbridge

In 2007, ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover came to Milbridge. The show featured the Ray-Smith family. Spoiler alert. Their house was made over in a most extreme way. The episode aired in 2008. Season 5, epsiode 10.

Black Rock

Milbridge’s own Katie Aselton directed the 2012 motion picture Black Rock. Filming took place in Milbridge as well as other Down East locations. Kudos for bring the work back home Katie!

The Puffy Chair

This 2005 movie The Puffy Chair was filmed on location in Milbridge. Directed by Mark and Jay Duplass, the film also stars Milbridge native Katie Aselton. It won the Audience Award at the 2005 South by Southwest Film Festival.

Additionally, the film crew stayed at Aselton’s parent’s home during production.

Building Styles

Milbridge offers a mix of building styles, from simple 1970’s-era mobile homes to tastefully constructed resort style vacation homes.

Much of the architecture reflects Milbridge’s boom years of the mid to late 19th century. Fortunately, many of the stately homes from that time period have survived.

Milbridge Victorian House courtesy of Maine An Encyclopedia

Victorian Architecture

A walk thorough of Milbridge’s older areas gives you a sense for the Victorian style architecture that predominated from the late 1800s through the early 1900s.

Purple Queen Anne home
at 70 Main Street is on the market as of July 2019. Photo by maineterrain.com

The Victorian homes are interesting to observe and offer a glimpse into Milbridge’s past. Accordingly, it’s understandable that residents advocate for their refurbishment at every opportunity.

Milbridge Congressional Church courtesy of Maine An Encyclopedia

Victorian architecture is characterized by:

Irregular layouts
Multiple gabled roofs
Asymmetrical window & door patterns
Complex shapes
Walls of varied textures

Cape Cod Architecture

Cape Cod style homes are also found in Milbridge’s historic areas. Significantly, the simple boxy style and straight lines are in start contrast to the area’s Victorian homes.

Cape Cod architecture is characterized by:

Simplicity
Symmetrical lines
No overhang from the roof
A front-to-back design

The Milbridge Theatre building exhibits simple Cape Cod style architecture. Photo by maineterrain.com

Quality of Life in Milbridge

According to the latest comprehensive plan created by the town of no bridge, The top priority of the town is to protect his vital natural resources. The plan clearly spells out the quality of life factors that Milbridge residents value .

Clean air
Clean water
Low crime
Low traffic congestion
Lack of noise and light pollution levels
Access to goods and services
Good employment opportunities

While economic growth and income opportunities are addressed in the plan, the priority is clearly focused on maintaining environmental quality-of-life. To this end no bridge passed a 2009 ordinance that required a minimum of 6 acre lots on any rural property where housing is built.

Currently, here is what Milbridge’s land composition looks like:

5% developed
83 % forest land – Cut and uncut
5% Wetland

Milbridge has done an admirable job of addressing the goals laid out in its general plan.

Perhaps their most ambitious goal is that of bringing new jobs into town. For better or worse, job creation is tied to the health of its core natural resources rather than government subsidies or aggressive commercial growth strategies.

In Milbridge, slow and steady wins the race!

Moving to Milbridge

Despite the stable population of Milbridge, people are moving into the area. Many recent Milbridge transplants are middle age or above. The Milbridge cost of living /quality of life ratio is a big draw.

One of my neighbors, Dave, is one such transplant. He lives most of the year in Massachusetts but has a second home in Milbridge. I asked him how he ended up in Milbridge. “I wanted an affordable place on the coast. I put my finger on a map of Maine, starting in Portland and followed it North till I found a town on the water we could afford,” he answered.

That is the same logic that brings many people to Milbridge.

Milbridge Visitor Information

Pronunciation

I don’t think I’ve ever heard an egregious mispronunciation of Milbridge, although I’m sure it happens. However, some neighboring town names are regularly butchered by visitors from away.

From Away

On a side note, if you are not a local resident, you are from away. Do not read too much into it. It means exactly what it says, nothing more. In my experience, it doesn’t (necessarily) have a negative connotation.

Pronunciation Rule

This rule is not perfect. However, if you want to guess on the correct pronunciation of a Down East town, here’s my suggestion.

Either pronounce with no accent at all or place the accent on the last syllable rather than the first.

For example:

Steuben

stu-BEN = correct
stu-ben = passable
STU-ben = definitely from away

Again, this tip will not work in every situation but I like your odds!

Airports

The closest airport is Hancock county bar harbor airport. However, The closest major airports are Bangor international airport, Portland international, and Manchester, in that order.

Get Around in Milbridge

Public Transportation

Milbridge offers limited public bus service. The once-daily service is along a route that runs on Us-1 from Calais to Bangor. West Bus Service‘s Milbridge pick up location is at:16 West ManorMilbridge, ME 04658

Milbridge Rural Road by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

Walk

Milbridge is pedestrian-friendly. Although rural areas lack sidewalks, traffic is sporadic. Conversely, the downtown area is easy to navigate with clearly marked streets.

Additionally, the recently opened Milbridge Commons Walking Trail provides another great walking option. Located in the downtown area, this nature walk takes you along the Narraguagus River. Also, it is a paved path, ideal for strollers, wheelchairs or anyone requiring sure footing on their nature treks.

Drive

Fortunately, Milbridge is easy to navigate by car. The lack of traffic lights is indicative of typically low traffic levels.

Although many people visit Milbridge to reconnect with nature, we do recommend having an automobile.

Ride Bike

The Bold Coast Scenic Bikeway is the first of its kind in Maine! It covers over 200 miles on the rural roads from Gouldsboro to Calais, with a stretch running through Milbridge.

The bikeway is routed through scenic rural areas with low-speed limits and low automobile traffic.

Read Peggy Grodinsky’s account of her 2017 Bold Coast bicycle trip in New England Magazine here.

More information on biking the Bold Coast here.

Also, here is a map of Bold Coast bike routes assessed by safety of use.

Uber, Lyft or Taxi in Milbridge

None of these options are available in Milbridge, to the best of my knowledge. However, services like Uber and Lyft are growing by the day and do not require the infrastructure or customer base that a taxi company does. Thus, I recommend checking their Apps to verify current availability in Milbridge and other Down East areas.

Milbridge Sunrise by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

Scenic Areas of Milbridge

The Bold Coast Scenic Byway Project was created in 2011, in partnership with the state.

Milbridge is the first stop at the easternmost point of the bold coast scenic byway. The gold coast scenic byway is a worthwhile 125 mile drive that spans over 20 communities on the coast of Down East Maine.

Milbridge’s areas of note according to the Downeast Coastal Scenic Inventory database.

McClellan Park Fog Rainbow by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

McClellan Park
Beaver Brook Meadow
Back bay
Mill river

Public Access to Waterways of Milbridge

Recreational boating access is available within the town limits.

The Town Marina

The Town Marina is located in downtown Milbridge on Narraguagus Bay. This marina is open to the public. For your boat launching needs there are boat ramps and a pier. Accordingly, this is the most popular public access water point in Milbridge for both commercial and recreational boaters.

Stover Cove by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

Stover Cove Boat Launch

Also open to the public, this launch is suitable for smaller watercraft.

Jordan Pier

This boat launch is for the exclusive use of commercial fisherman.

Ray’s Point

Rays Point public access is open to recreational users.

Eagle in Milbridge by Nikki Graham. Used with permission

Wildlife of Milbridge

The bays, flats and river areas of Milbridge provide both natural resources and an ideal habitat for wildlife. Federal, state, and local laws are in place to protect these habitats.

Milbridge Squirrel by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

Popular Hikes In and Around Milbridge

Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge

Inside Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge you’ll find both Petit Manan and Nash Island Light Houses.

Petit Manan Light Station is the second tallest light station in Maine. Additionally, it is also home to a colony of Puffins.

Both lighthouses are on islands only accessible by boat.

Petit Manan is known as a premier bird watching location.

Birch Point Trail (Steuben)

Birch Point Trail is just over 4 miles, round trip. It leads through a range of habitats and is well maintained, according to noted Maine outdoors- woman, Aislinn Sarnacki.

This trail runs through blueberry fields so snacks are readily available for the taking.

There are also a series of wooden informational signs that provide interesting facts about the area you are exploring.

Pigeon Hill

The Pigeon Hill Trail in Steuben is a moderately difficult hike at 1.4 miles. Additionally, there are elevation changes. There are spectacular view at the 300 foot+ summit of Pigeon Hill.

On the way back down, you’ll see the remnants of an old silver mine.

Hollingsworth Trail by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

Hollingsworth Trail (Steuben)

Steuben’s Hollingsworth Trail is a 3.4 mile round trip. Additionally, hikers report that Hollingsworth is a good trail for kids.

Wildlife is plentiful and easy to spot. Also, the trail runs through a cedar bog. Feel free to bring your dog (on leash only).

One of the most interesting features of this trail is the rapidly changing ecosystem. One moment you are warm and surrounded by blueberries. Ten minutes later the blueberries are gone, replaced by cedar trees and bog water. Next, the flat ground turns uneven with rocks and brush. The temperature fluctuates wildly. It’s hard to believe these changes transpire over the course of only a few miles!

Alltrails.com rates this hike 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Hazel Stark of Maine Outdoor School leading our family hike on the Hollingsworth Trail.

Milbridge Commons Wellness Park

The newly opened Milbridge Commons Wellness Park is located downtown and American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. This pleasant in-town walk takes you on a scenic on a 72″ wide paved trail along the Narraguagus Bay. It is stroller and wheelchair friendly.

If you want to check it out virtually before going, follow this link.

Trail Maps

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has an easy to read map of the Petit Manan and Gouldsboro trails. Also, provided are directions on how to drive there. Download their free trail map here (printable PDF).

Birding Trail Map

With its miles of coastline and pristine nature, Maine is a birder’s paradise. According to the Audubon Society, Maine has over 17 million acres of important bird areas.

Accordingly, it’s no surprise that Milbridge and its surrounding communities have well established birding trails.

Here is a link to a detailed Downeast birding trail map, courtesy of Mainebirdingtrail.com.

Museums

Milbridge Historical Society

The Milbridge Historical Society Museum offer free admission. However, check ahead for hours which are seasonal, like many businesses Down East.

This museum features rotating exhibits by local artists. Also, events featuring speakers of note take place periodically.

Events

Milbridge Days Festival

One event that is unique to Milbridge is the Milbridge Days Festival.

This event has be an annual town showcase for over three decades. Typically, Milbridge Days takes place over a weekend in July.

Codfish Relay Race 2019 contestant waiting to run.

Festivities include:

Downtown Parade
Blueberry Pie Sale
Silent Auction
Car Show
Arts and Crafts
Games
Library Book Sale

The Annual Codfish Relay Race.

Sure, you may have been to dozens of other codfish relay races but you haven’t lived until you’ve seen Milbridge’s.

The 2019 Milbridge Days festival takes place July 25-28. The theme is Superheros. I am in the process of trying to talk my wife into the Codfish Relay (kids have committed). I hope to see you there!

Parks in Milbridge

Low Tide in Milbridge by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

McClellan Park

McClellan park is used for picnicking and camping as well. Significantly, McClellan park covers 10 acres on Tom Leighton Point. It features 14 campsites, refurbished fire pits, picnic tables and perhaps most importantly of all restroom facilities.

McClellan Park’s History

Does the name McClellan sounds vaguely familiar? The park is named after Civil War General George McClellan’s son, George McClellan Jr.

Unfortunately, despite an admirable career in public service, George McClellan, Jr stood in George McClellan Sr.’s shadow. Junior served as the 93rd Mayor of New York. Additionally, he unsuccessfully vied for Democratic nomination for for President in 1904.

Jr.’s Wikipedia page mentions nothing about his connection to McClellan Park. However, I may update that. It does refer to his Grinch-like executive order against celluloid movies in 1908. Also mentioned is his mutinous commandeering of New York City’s first public subway ride in 1904.

Personally, I will remember McClellan, Jr. for McClellan Park.

Riverside Park

This paved walking path his Americans with disabilities act accessible. It follows the Narraguagus river near the downtown area.

Milbridge Moon by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

Stargazing in Milbridge

Milbridge provides an ideal location to view stars at night. Two factors play a major role:

Low density population
Shoreline development restrictions

In Milbridge, there are very few artificial obstacles to impede your view of the stars.

To see how Milbridge and Maine, in general, stacks up against the rest of the country for light pollution, click here.

Tours

Robertson Sea Tours

Captain Robertson runs a variety of boat tours out of Milbridge. Additionally, he is a commercial fisherman who dives for sea urchins and scallops in the off-season.

In Fall of 2019, Robertson’s Sea Tour’s Captain Jim Parker was interviewed for an NPR news story. The story addressed warming sea waters and changing whale migration patterns. Accordingly, Parker’s boat tours diversified beyond whale watching. Parker explains:

“What I don’t want to do is put a half dozen people on the boat, have them all excited about going out and seeing whales when I know there’s not one there.”

source: Garcia-Navarro, L. (6 October, 2019), The Gulf of Maine is Warming and Its Whales are Disappearing. NPR.

Our family hike with Maine Outdoor School.

Maine Outdoor School

Maine Outdoor School (MOS) organizes custom and group field trips in throughout the Down East region. Read our interview with MOS founders Hazel Stark and Joe Horn here.

Milbridge Historical Society

Performing Arts

Milbridge Theatre

The Milbridge Theatre is currently operating as an outdoor only entertainment venue. Accordingly, their concert event schedule runs from June through August.

Read our interview with Gateway Milbridge Chair Richard Bondurant here.

Schools

Public school enrollment in Milbridge has been on a declining trend for the last few decades. This is primarily a result of a maturing population.

Milbridge Elementary School

The Bangor Daily News recently featured Milbridge Elementary School in an article on Downeast education. Click here to read the article.

Maine Outdoor School

Maine Outdoor School is the brainchild of co-founders Hazel Stark and Joe Horn.

Both are Naturalist Educators who teach children about their surrounding outdoor environment though field trips, camps and exploration

Shopping in Milbridge

Milbridge has an optimal combination of convenience and serenity, in my opinion.

For example, there are many places you can in visit in Maine to “get away.” However, I want to connect with nature without giving up Wifi, plumbing, and some local shopping options.

Milbridge has enough shops that you can find what you need in town. However, if you need a big box store, Ellsworth (and the shopping crowds) is a 40 minute drive away. A perfect set-up for me.

Riverlily Winter (former Cherryfield location) by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

Stores in Milbridge

Everytime I’m in Milbridge I find myself in this store.

Family Dollar

The Family Dollar is the closest thing Milbridge has to a big box store.

Some residents feel it stands out too much from the local theme of downtown Milbridge. The controversy has more to do with the large signage rather than the actual store. However, I think it’s a great convenience to have a store like this in town.

Riverlily Milbridge by Nikki Graham. Used with permission.

Riverlily

Very cool gift store featuring many local items. Additionally, the store is air-conditioned which many find pleasant in the hot summer months. Regardless, it certainly adds to shoppers’ browsing time!

I included pictures of both Riverlily’s former Cherryfield location and their current Milbridge location.

Viking Lumber

Viking Lumber is a local chain of building materials stores. It is more than just a retail hardware store. They have their own sawmill, too. They can help you with any repair needs that are specific to Milbridge or Down East life.

Napa Auto Parts

The place to go in Milbridge for your do-it-yourself auto repair needs.

Photo by Stephen Ondich

Food in Milbridge

Milbridge is home to a few good restaurants. However, be sure to call ahead to check hours before driving to them. Many restaurants Down East are seasonal or may have seasonal hours. Thus, you should not assume that restaurants will be open based on their Yelp operating hours.

Bayside Market

Bayside is my go-to place for groceries in Milbridge. They are open 7 days a week. I’ve always found the employees to be helpful. Size-wise, it’s somewhere between a Kroger and Trader Joe’s, for reference.

Vazquez Mexican Take-out

Great Mexican food at low prices at nice family business. What more can you ask? OK, maybe a few more tables, but that’s it.

I’ve been to hundreds of Mexican restaurants in California & New Mexico. Thus, I’m a bit of a Mexican food snob. Vazquez is worth going to. They have a few picnic tables but most people take it to go.

One of my favorite things to do is pickup Vazquez food and head down the street to McClellan Park and find a picnic table by the ocean.

One time, we arrived into Milbridge late. Vazquez closed about 20 minutes earlier. They saw us and opened the kitchen back up. The kids were so happy. I’ll sing their praises to anyone!

44 Degrees North

44 Degrees North is a popular restaurant with both tourists and locals, alike.

I’ve been there a few times for dinner. The service is friendly and welcoming. The food is good and there is a pub area, as well.

The Milbridge House

The Milbridge House is a popular breakfast and lunch destination for locals. Sadly, I have not tried it yet myself. However, I have heard good things from others who have.

Incredible Edible Milbridge

A few years back, Milbridge followed the lead of the English town of Todmorden and created Incredible Edible Milbridge. It is an ongoing campaign to plant locally grown fruits and vegetables throughout the downtown area.

Visitors are welcome to snack while they walk. The purpose is to promote locally grown produce and a healthy lifestyle.

Featured Photographer – Nikki Graham

Nikki Graham’s photography can be seen on DownEast.com. Her tasteful images of Milbridge and Cherryfield garner praise on social media. Nikki’s art gives fans around the globe a taste of Down East life. Additionally, she takes a great selfie!

Nikki was kind enough to sit down and answer a few of our questions.

Q&A with Nikki Graham

How long have you lived in Milbridge and what brought you here?

I moved to Cherryfield at the end of 2013 after living in Sarasota, Florida for 32 yrs. I bought a large Victorian in the historic district and lived there 4 and half yrs. Decided to downsize and since I loved the area and wanted to be on the ocean, I chose Milbridge. But living in Cherryfield, is basically like living in Milbridge since they are so close. I had been taking pictures in Milbridge the whole time.

Are you a full time resident or seasonal?

Full time.

What type of camera/equipment are you using around town?

I have several cameras but I tend to favor Nikon. Recently, I got a new Samsung S10+ and the camera on it is fantastic so now I am also using that to take pictures. I use both DSLR and advanced point and shoot Nikons.

Where are your favorite places to shoot in Milbridge?

McClellan Park, the town pier and the Milbridge Marina and my own backyard, which is a tidal cove. There are actually many spots to shoot along the coast that one can only find by driving around and exploring.

What is the most surprising thing that you’ve captured on camera while shooting in Milbridge?

The tides.

There are lots of great pictures floating around online of Washington County scenes. Has Down East Magazine or any other media sites reposted your pictures? If so, which ones?

They have reposted several but I haven’t had any published in their magazine yet.

I have hundred of pictures of Milbridge and Cherryfield on my hard drive but only a handful of pictures that I’d consider decent. How do you capture the imagery of Milbridge that is in front of the camera onto the film, chip or paper in just the way you want?

Basically, I just try to capture what I see and don’t do a lot of editing. Whereas, I only try to make sure they look like they did when I took the picture. I have thousands of Cherryfield, Milbridge, Harrington, Franklin and basically the entire coast from Ellsworth on up to Lubec.

Many of your pictures feature wild life. How do you capture a good shot without scaring them off?

I think it’s a matter of luck most of the time. Sometimes, I spot a deer and stop the car and am able to get several shots and sometimes they run off immediately. I haven’t quite mastered the art of just sitting and waiting for wildlife to show up yet. LOL. But if I see it, I try to get it on camera! I especially love to photograph the beavers. I have actually gone to where they are and sat and waited to get shots of them doing anything! It is nice to have the Narraguagus River and the ocean and then all of the lakes we have access to.

Moose are symbolic of Maine, however, they don’t often wander down toward the coasts. Have you ever spotted one in the wild? If so, what were the circumstances?

I have spotted them twice in this area. Once in a field along Black Woods Road and once on Tunk Mountain. I used to live in Alaska so I have seen a lot of moose in the wild and I was excited to move to Maine and see them again.

Milbridge (and Maine in general) is very scenic. It’s hard to take a really bad picture but it’s harder to snap a great one. Do you have any words of advice for amateurs who want to capture memorable of Milbridge on their iphone?

Good lighting is essential.

Contact Nikki

You can see more of Nikki’s work online at:

Thank You Nikki!

Resources

I referenced a ton of online resources to compile the information found on this page.

Here they are, in no particular order.

Maine Outdoor School: Connecting Down East Students With Nature 2022

Stephen — Mon, 02 May 2022 14:00:18 +0000

maine outdoor school: An interview with founders hazel stark and Joe Horn

May 2, 2019

Written by Stephen Ondich

The Maine Outdoor School, based in Milbridge, Maine was established by Hazel Stark and Joe Horn in 2016. Both Naturalist Educators, Hazel and Joe worked at a variety of outdoor education organizations in California, Maine, New Hampshire and Wyoming. Then, they went to went to graduate school to gain the business skills needed to start and outdoor school of their own in Maine.

Now they share their love of immersive outdoor education with students throughout Washington and Hancock Counties. Their programs are extremely popular with Down East schools. Additionally, the school’s geographic reach is growing steadily.

Hazel and Joe sat down to answer a few questions about their school, life experiences and resilience education Down East.

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Maine Outdoor School

Location

The Maine Outdoor School is 44.8 miles from Acadia National Park.

The Maine Outdoor School is Acadia Adjacent.↵

Hazel Stark and Joe Horn see the forest through the trees. Also, they understand the importance of connecting students with their own local environment. However, they are also proof that naturalist education programs can (and should) have a viable business model.

“MOS’s entire business model is an educational tool that demonstrates that business can be a source of profound good in the world.” – Joe Horn

MOS Operations

Maineterrain: How do you and Joe split up responsibilities at Maine Outdoor School?

Hazel is typically in charge of leading most of the school programs and does MOS bookkeeping and social media. Joe focuses on developing new programs, projects, and partnerships in collaboration with organizations along with budgeting. Additionally, we share most of these responsibilities as well!

Teaching Down East Children

Maineterrain: Kids growing up Down East have a connection to the land that most urban or suburban kids around the US do not. What kinds of things do you show local students at MOS that make them say “Oh wow!”

Honestly, most things we do results in lots of wow moments–be it finding tracks, scat, identifying maple trees, wildflowers, insects, or in games that explore population dynamics! Each kid is interested in something a little different and you never know what might spark an interest.

The truth of the matter is that people, urban or rural, almost regardless of how much outdoor experience they have, generally don’t see the natural world as a collection of individual species. It’s all mostly a brown and green blur.

A great example of this is the number of kids we teach who come from a long line of hunters. Often, when they see any track they assume it’s from a deer. However, it could in fact be a dog, squirrel, snowshoe hare, or honestly just a clump of snow that fell out of a tree. It’s only once we introduce them to the animals, tracks, plants, and birds as individuals that they start realizing how amazing and dynamic it all is outside.

That creates a lot of wow moments!

Connecting with Public Schools

Maineterrain: Which elementary schools do you work with on a regular basis and how did you get started with them?

We work with a number of schools on a regular basis, each with a slightly different scope. Currently, the most regular schools we work with are Beals, Harrington, Milbridge, and Jonesport Elementary.

In Harrington, we have a regular annual outdoor school day with the whole school on their campus nature trail that directly ties into the curriculum in each class. In Beals, we generally provide a hiking-based field trip for them each fall and spring. Also, in Milbridge and Jonesport, we have teamed up with the Cobscook Community Learning Center’s Transforming Rural Experiences in Education (TREE) program to provide weekly outdoor experiences. Again, this is tied to classroom curricula of select grades at those schools.

We started working with these schools after conducting a pre-program evaluation to assess what the community wanted to see for educational opportunities in the area. Accordingly, we learned that having more outdoor learning opportunities in elementary schools was a big goal in the area. Thus, we started meeting with principals, teachers, and partner organizations to figure out ways MOS could help make that happen.

We aim to work in direct response to what people want. As a result, all our programs are customized to specifically meet the goals and needs of each group. Accordingly, we’ve rarely taught the same exact lesson twice!

Washington County and Beyond

Maineterrain: Have you worked with schools outside of Washington County? If not, is that a goal of MOS?

Yes, we have worked with schools outside of Washington County. In fact, a neighboring school district in Hancock County contracted us last year to provide a series of 8-week after school programs in each of their four elementary schools.

Additionally, through a collaborative project with the Downeast Salmon Federation, we have been providing a series of 30 fly-tying workshops to schools, businesses, and other organizations across Washington and Hancock Counties.

We based MOS in Washington County because, personally, we love it here. However, professionally, because we did not see as many outdoor education opportunities for people in this especially rural part of the state. Thus, we wanted to help fill that gap. It is a goal of ours to continue to help providing those outdoor learning opportunities in the region.

We’re happy to travel beyond Washington and Hancock counties if there’s a demand for us!

Connecting Kids with Nature

Maineterrain: Richard Louv wrote “Last Child in the Woods.” He describes a nature deficit disorder in today’s youth that he associates with things like ADD, anxiety, and depression. The connection seems so obvious yet it’s largely being ignored. How do you convince administrators that their students should be spending more time outside?

We have never actually had to convince administrators. In our experience, they completely understand that their students need more outdoor time.

We would be rich if we had a nickle for each time a parent or administrator told us about how when they were kids they played outside all the time and that today’s children just don’t get outside and they need to for an almost endless list of reasons. Usually, the only sticking point for administrators is around finding funding to support these outdoor programs and about finding time in their schedules to incorporate outdoor education when they often feel swamped with standards/mandates and testing.

It would be wonderful if schools were given more funding to support outdoor education. Thus, it’s something we all are trying to figure out, in terms of scheduling. However, we’re always working to role model for schools. Outdoor education can meet a blend of interdisciplinary learning standards at once in a way that indoor classroom time rarely can.

We argue that outdoor education is more efficient in terms of covering content meaningfully than indoor time. Consequently, this helps demonstrate the value of making time for outdoor learning and the value of providing funding to support it.

Working on the East and West Coasts

Maineterrain: One of the biggest differences between California and Maine, in my opinion is that politics are inexorably tied to environmental policy in California. Maine is fiercely protective of its natural resources & environment but policies seem to cross political lines a lot easier. Both you and Joe have spent time in both states. What were your California experiences like?

California and Maine are two very different social, geographic, ecological, and political landscapes. In California, most residents have to opt-in to wilderness experiences via a long drive. In Maine, most people live in much more rural areas with much easier access to nature.

One thing we really liked in California was that outdoor education was quite well incorporated into the public school systems–most 6th graders there spend a week at a residential outdoor school. We’d love to see some version of that supported in Maine–ideally something that supports regular experiences outdoors, not just one immersive experience during the K-12 years.

In California, so much of the economy is tied to agriculture while in Maine we probably have a stronger tie to the natural resource economy (e.g. logging, blueberries, lobstering). We know that the protection of the environment is the protection of our jobs and lifestyles. This gets confused in political conversations, but it means the gap between environmental stewardship and extraction feels a lot smaller here in Maine.

MOS’s focus on the wonders of the outdoors and taking care of it crosses political lines easily here.

Less Tests, More Nature

Maineterrain: If you could wave a magic wand and change anything about public school policy, what would it be?

Less emphasis on high stakes testing, more time outdoors, and more funding to go towards teacher’s wages and opportunities for students. This would retain and foster better teacher talent and give students a more dynamic, place-based, learning environment.

Sewing Seeds for the Maine Outdoor School

Maineterrain: Did you model MOS after another program? If so, which program provided the inspiration?

We drew the majority of our inspiration from Foothill Horizons Outdoor School in Sonora, California. Programatically, the way they integrated standards-based education into outdoor learning was hugely inspirational. Operationally, they way they treat all their employees so well felt revolutionary–living wages, year-round employment, benefits, and 40-hr weeks.

These things are largely absent in outdoor education in the eastern US for all but the administrative level (if that). Foothill’s model was certainly nice from a social equity perspective, but also meant they were retaining and grooming an incredibly skilled workforce of outdoor education professionals to take their programming to the next level. It’s just a good business practice to encourage a fair work-life balance and fair compensation.

A Surprise on the Trail

Maineterrain: What is the most unexpected thing you’ve run into on an MOS outdoor expedition?

Last spring at Harrington Elementary a group of students that were looking for animal scat and tracks on their nature trail stumbled upon a newborn fawn. It was bedded down waiting for its mama to come back. The students were super respectful and gave the little fawn its space.

Joe called the game warden to report it and they suggested Joe check back on it the next day because often the mother deer will collect up their young after sunset. Sure enough it was gone by the next morning.

The fact that there are learning opportunities like this that go unnoticed not 100 feet from the front door of schools speaks to the learning opportunities that outdoor education can provide if only we took advantage of those teachable moments more.

MOS Complements Public School Programs

Maineterrain: Generally, speaking are public schools receptive to your mission? What kind of resistance do you encounter?

Public schools have been hugely supportive of our mission. We very intentionally did not include politically charged language from our mission statement and our marketing materials. This immediately sidesteps any political assumptions folks might have, and offers common ground for us to work together to get their students learning outside.

We ultimately have the same goals for our students, even if our approach towards meeting those goals is sometimes different.

A Long Term Plan for MOS

Maineterrain: Do you have vision for where MOS will be in 10 years? If so, what does it look like?

We see MOS being a valuable partner with all schools and many nonprofits throughout DownEast Maine. Also, we intend to have our own site to provide regular outdoor programs for our youngest community members.

Keeping It Local

Maineterrain: If travel budget (within Maine) was no object, where would you like to take a group to and what would you do?

At the heart of our mission is connecting folks to their place–their own backyards. There has been a lot of research that far flung wilderness adventures can often leave participants with a sense that their home place is not special, important, or beautiful. This is a tragic outcome. On the other hand, if folks already have a strong sense of place in their home area, traveling experiences can be greatly enriching because they already come into those experiences with a foundation of understanding and love for their place.

So if money were no object, we would make MOS even more mobile than it already is. We want to break down barriers to getting students deeply engaged in the beautiful world that exists outside of their homes and schools.

We would get ourselves a comfortable van so that we could take a MOS team to the schools across Maine to get them outside in their communities. Additionally, we would love to have a minibus so that if transporting students is a barrier for the schools, we could transport them ourselves to a nearby nature preserve or park to explore.

Our goal is to develop a sense of place, appreciation, and stewardship for the world around us. That starts at home.

Evaluating the Results

Maineterrain: Describe the end of a successful program. How do you know when things went well?

At the end of each program we do a wrap-up activity to help students reflect on their experiences. This time also gives us a good pulse on program outcomes. We know it was a successful program when each student has an authentic and personal thing they take away from the lesson, had a good time, and stayed safe. Also, we do pre and post-assessments for our longer program series so we can analyze any specific changes in knowledge as a result of our program.

2019 MOS Activities

Maineterrain: What do you have new coming up for Summer/Fall 2019?

This summer we will be doing a series of two, three-day day camps with a local land trust, the Frenchman Bay Conservancy, for middle school students. Participants will rotate through a number of their preserves and get to know the assets and ecosystems of the region. We can also provide guided nature walks and hikes to the general public, which we hope to lean into more this summer.

For this next school year we have a number of new irons in the fire. We have several grant applications out with several local organizations that we already have a solid working relationship with. These new programs all have the goal of deepening the impact and reach of programs with those schools.

Connecting With Maine Outdoor School

Maineterrain: If out-of-area schools want to reach you, what is the best way to contact MOS?

Our Facebook page (@maineoutdoorschool), our website (www.maineoutdoorschool.org), a phone call (207.358.0412 ), or email (joseph@maineoutdoorschool.org) all work.

We love to come up with creative ways that we can work with people.

July 2019: Our Family Hikes with MOS

Our family finally scheduled our own Maine Outdoor School adventure! In July of 2019, we arranged a 2 hour guided hike of the Hollingsworth Trail in Petit Manan Wildife Refuge in Stueben. Hazel taught us about the varied ecosystems as we hiked the loop toward the ocean and back. It was a great experience. We look forward to another outdoor excursion with them soon.

Hazel Stark of Maine Outdoor School leading our hike.

And we’re off!

Thank you for a great hike, Hazel!

Read Steve O.'s review of Maine Outdoor School on Yelp

Sports Illustrated Covers Kids in Swimsuits? Only in Maine!

Stephen — Sat, 20 Apr 2019 05:46:15 +0000

sports illustrated Covers maine's strangest event

April 18, 2019

Written by Stephen Ondich

“There are two types of people,” says Dave Parsons, the James
Naismith of codfish racing, “those who enter greased codfish
relay races, and those who smell good.” I count myself among the
former. And so, having baited two friends and a stranger into
joining me, I find myself in Milbridge, Maine.

source: The Sweet Smell of Victory: It’s Not Easy to Win the Annual Greased Codfish Relay Race in Milbridge, Maine. Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated Covers Milbridge

In July of 1996, Sports Illustrated sent staff writer John Walters to Milbridge, Maine. John came to cover the coastal town’s 12th annual Codfish Relay Race. The relay race is an annual event coinciding with the Milbridge Days Festival.

Perhaps one of Maine’s strangest competitions is Milbridge’s annual Codfish Relay Race. The race features teams of both kids and adults competing to clock the fastest time.

The goal is carrying a deceased codfish across the finish line ahead of the other teams. Contestants wear either bathing suits or rain slickers. It can be a messy event in the hot July sun.

Kids and adults compete pretty intensely. Codfish racing is serious business.

One can argue that sports journalists shouldn’t get too close to the people they cover. Otherwise, can they really be objective?

John took his coverage a step or two further.

Not satisfied to cover & observe from the sidelines, John assembled a crack team of college friends and media associates to enter the race.

Despite being Codfish Relay rookies (and “from away”), they took first place. For the record, the Sports Illustrated team competed in the adult division, not against the kids.

23 years later, John shares his memories of covering both the 1996 Codfish Relay Race and Milbridge with Maineterrain.com.

Codfish Relay Race in Milbridge, Maine

Location

Milbridge, Maine is 43.2 miles from Acadia National Park.

The Codfish Relay Race is Acadia Adjacent.↵

John Walters

Location

John Walters of New York City is 498 miles from Acadia National Park.

Thus, John Walters is (not) Acadia Adjacent.↵

The Sports Illustrated Assignment

Maineterrain.com: How did the Codfish assignment come about? I’m envisioning you being called into the office for summer assignments and thinking…College World Series, US Open, possibly even Wimbledon…

John: I saw a write-up about it in the New York Times. I really enjoyed the piece but I thought there might be a lot more there. Also, I loved the idea of traveling to the coast of Maine in July. I’d never been “Down East” before that. Only about an hour north of Portland, to a town I think is named Harpswell.

I pitched the assignment. My experience has always been, the less famous the athletes/event, the better the story.

Codfish Are Essential to the Race

Maineterrain.com: As a seasoned sports journalist, how important is cod to this spectacle? Would switching to a sleeker fish like Barracuda be akin to MLB’s evolution from the dead ball era?

John Walters: Cod is paramount. As I came to appreciate more from a story I wrote 20 years later, the fortunes of most people from Maine north to Newfoundland was largely dependent on the abundance of cod. It is the workingman’s fish.

Sports Illustrated Introduced John to Maine

Maineterrain.com: Prior to 1996, how familiar were you with either Milbridge or the Codfish Relay?

John Walters: My very first story at SI took me to the Carrabassett Ski Academy, which is in the interior of the state. Also, I believe it was earlier that summer, I had been to Hapswell, or Harpswell, to do one of my favorite all-time stories. I took a 96 year-old fan back to Fenway Park for his first game there since 1918. His name was Mal Clarke. I’ll never forget him. This, I think, was my third time in Maine. I remember it being a dreary day in mid-July (cool, foggy) as we drove up and seeing a sign outside a church or market where someone had arranged the letters to read “Where Is Summer?” I laughed. We only stayed until Monday morning because we had to get back, but we fully enjoyed ourselves.

Staying in Milbridge

Maineterrain.com: Where did you stay when you were in Milbridge?

John Walters: I remember we stayed at a small house. I think our photographer took care of arrangements.

The Making of a Codfish Relay Team

Maineterrain.com: How did you talk Jeff, Anda and Sheryl into participating? Are you still close to them?

John Walters: Jeff was my college roommate and a 4-year letterman in swimming. His wife lettered in tennis at a different school, in Ohio. Anda was Chris’ girlfriend. Chris was the photographer. Jeff and Sheryl lived in Boston, in Cambridge. Still do. She’s a rocket science prof at BU. Anyway, the idea was for Jeff and Sheryl just to join me for a fun weekend. I guess Chris had the same idea with Anda. We’d never met.

It was only that morning that the man who was sort of our guide (I wish I could remember his name; he’s mentioned in the piece) (Editor’s note: Dave Parsons) suggested that since we had four people, we should sign up. We laughed because we knew how much people had been practicing. But all four of us were in our 20s and all of us are pretty good athletes. I think Anda was on the Slovenian national ski team. We figured we’d at least not embarrass ourselves.

Jeff and his wife and I will be friends until we stop breathing. I have not talked to Chris forever but I know he went on to do some fantastic work during the Iraq War as a war photographer.

Promoting Milbridge Commerce

Maineterrain.com: Were any Milbridge locals particularly helpful in your coverage? Names?

John Walters: I wish I could remember the names of the locals. What stays with me is that when we were handed our $100 prize, the man who gave it to us suggested in a low but sinister voice, “Spend it all here.” We did.

Codfish Wear and Tear

Maineterrain.com: Assuming you are a fan of seafood, are you still haunted by the vision of race-end cod? Have you been able to enjoy cod since?

John Walters: Love cod more than ever. Am a big fan of seafood. The end of the race carnage did not haunt me.

Reassembling the Team for 2019 Codfish Relay

Maineterrain.com: Word on the street is that you’ll be in town for the 2019 Codfish Relay (The Codfather). Any truth to that rumor? Are you taking your slickers out of storage and participating in the 2019 race?

John Walters: I’ll do my best to return to Milbridge and bring at least part of the team. Like I said, I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful with names. That Saturday was a good day all around. Jeff and I ran the morning 10-K and I think I finished 3rd in my age group. Jeff went to the carnival, threw the balls at the milk bottles and won his wife the largest stuffed animal they had. Jeff, it should be noted, is 6’5″ and a superb all-around athlete. I have no doubt that if he had concentrated on it, he would’ve been a Division I football or soccer or volleyball player. As it was, he stuck to swimming.

About John Walters

John is the founder of New York-based media company MediumHappy.com.

In addition to his work with Sports Illustrated, John”s work can be seen in the Wall Street Journal, CNN, NBC Sports, Newsweek, The Independent, Yahoo Sport UK, The Athletic and more.

John describes the 1996 Milbridge Days Festival as “..one of the most fun weekends I’ve ever had…”

Although he possesses two Emmys for his work at the Athens and Beijing Olympics, he describes his 1996 Codfish Relay win as his “greatest sports triumph.”

2019 Codfish Relay Race, “The Codfather.”

Below is information on the 2019 Milbridge Days Codfish Relay Race :

July 27, 2019
2:30-4:00 PM
Milbridge Town Ballfield, Milbridge, Maine.
For more info or to register, contact Paula Checker at 207-546-2047.

Please Note

John’s impromptu relay team won the 1996 event. In the 23 years since, his network of top tier athletes has certainly grown. With time to organize and train who knows what John’s 2019 team will do to the field.

Participants, bring your A-game!

An action shot from the July 2019 Codfish Relay Race in Milbridge.

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Gateway Milbridge Chair Richard Bondurant on bringing back the theatre

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Milbridge, Maine:A Helpful guide for 2019

Milbridge, Maine

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Areas of Milbridge

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1848 Separation from Harrington

Early Native American Presence in Milbridge

Red Paint People

Abenaki – Wawinkak

Passamaquoddy

1675-1760 Series of Six Indian Wars

Post Native American settlement by Colonists

Historic Sites in Milbridge

Economy of Milbridge

Agriculture

The Wyman Company

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Doug Kell

Fishing

Tourism

Geology of Milbridge

The Ice Age

Soil

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Winter in Milbridge

Read About Milbridge

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Watch Milbridge

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Milbridge, Maine:
A Helpful guide for 2019

McClellan Park
Beaver Brook Meadow
Back bay
Mill river