December Greendrinks

By Melanie Brooks

The December Bangor Greendrinks was a smashing success! Zeth and Betsy Lundy hosted the party at their new store, Central Street Farmhouse, in downtown Bangor. On the menu was a delicious Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, root beer, wine, cider, and more -- all made right on site. All of the brewing, wine making, and cheese making goes on on the first floor of the Lundy's three-story building. The second floor is baby-central. Organic clothes, cloth diapers, toys, and nursing bras galore -- all for the eco friendly mom. The Lundy's are renovating the third floor as their living space. Way to cut down on your commute guys!

Take a look at some of the faces that showed up:

Gift Wrapping at the Bangor Mall

Heading to the Bangor Mall for some holiday shopping? Stop by the gift wrapping center to have them wrapped before you leave!

UCP of Northeastern Maine is calling on volunteers to help with the wrapping. All proceeds benefit the important work that this group does for our community. It's a worthy cause -- and it's fun!

UCP is looking for individuals as well as groups to volunteer in three-hour slots from now until Christmas Eve. They're there every day of the week so you can volunteer more than once if you want to. If you are interested in helping out, contact Tish Pendergast at 992-0606 or email her at tish.pendergast@ucpofmaine.org.

Three Local Veterans

In honor of Veterans Day, consulting editor Henry Garfield, sat down with three area veterans to find out what Veterans Day means to them. We'd like to introduce them and share some of their answers.
Photos by Shane Leonard

Charles McClead, Dedham

Do you think America is more or less patriotic today than it was during the time you served?

I think America today at least knows the truth of what's going on a little better. We're no longer blaming the military for things that go wrong. We know that the military is under command of the president and Congress. The right way to look at it is if you don't like it, your elected officials are the ones that are running it.

Was it hard to be back into the routine of everyday life when you returned home?

I came back with a bit of post traumatic stress disorder. I had a lot of anger because of the way the people who fought in Vietnam were treated when we got back. The news media made us look like we were baby-killers, bombing school buses, even though we were doing what we were assigned to do. It was ugly.


Russell Treadwell, Carmel

What does Veterans Day mean to you?

To me it is a day to show my respect and gratitude for all the sacrifices that veterans have made for our country.

What, in your opinion, are the best ways we can honor our veterans?

Don't be critical of them for doing what the civilian leadership directs them to do. Show your support in the community when you interact with members of the military.


Doug Kell, Ellsworth

Why did you join the military?

I was too young to go into the Second World War, and I felt like I hadn't done my duty. The Korean War came along, and I had a chance to be a man.

What would you like the average citizen to know about your military service?

I've reached a point in my life when I think that war is futile. We needed it 100 years ago, but it's no longer necessary. WE can be patriotic without going to war.

Holiday Open House

One Cumberland Place, the home of Bangor Metro, Maine Ahead, and Real Maine Weddings magazines, is hosting a Holiday Open House on November 18 from 4:30 to 8:30 pm.

Come do some holiday shopping from the following vendors:
Pampered Chef
Scentsy Candles
Tastefully Simple
Anthony John's Salon
Miche Bags
Tupperware
Lia Sophia Jewelry
Sharon's Stained Glass & Crafts
Dogn'i Apparel
A Body in Knead
Mary Kay
and many more...

You can also purchase Bangor Metro and Maine Ahead gift subscriptions for your friends and family. It's the gift that gives back 10 times a year!

There will also be door prizes and refreshments. Stop by after work and let us put a little jingle in your step before Thanksgiving.

STYX TIX WINNER!

A big congrats go out to Tom Quinn of Bangor today. His impersonation of Billy Idol won him two tickets to see STYX in concert at the Bangor Auditorium.
Rock on!

STYX TIX!

Do you know who these hunk-a-licious men are? They're the band members of STYX, the American rock band who brought you "Come Sail Away," "Mr. Roboto," and "The Best of Times" in the mid 1970s-1980s. And while you thought this band went the way of parachute pants and polyester—they're back!

Styx will be performing at the Bangor Auditorium on Tuesday, November 2 at 7:30 pm. And we've got a pair of tickets to give to one lucky winner. All you have to do to win is send your best photo from the 1970s or 1980s to melanie@bangormetro.com by FRIDAY, October 29th at NOON. We'll pick our favorite to win.

Hey, we lived through this time period too -- and we promise not to judge you on your awesome photo.

Venetian Masquerade Ball

Last Friday, St Joe's Hospital held their annual fundraiser, disguised as a Venetian Masquerade Ball. The Bangor Civic Center was decked out to the nines. Delicious food was provided by Thistles Restaurant, The Fiddlehead Restaurant, and Winterport Winery. There were wonderful auction items donated by area residents and businesses, too. If you didn't get the chance to go to the ball, take a gander at what you missed! Photos by Shane Leonard.

2010 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

By Melanie Brooks

I was so excited when we got our plaque for this year's Komen Race for the Cure. As soon as I can remember to bring in my hammer and nails from home it's going right up on our wall in the lobby where it belongs.

The Bangor Race broke the attendance record for the fifth year in a row. Over 5,600 participants helped raise over $300,000.00. THANK YOU to everyone who walk/ran/jogged/danced over the finish line.

Photo by Scott Wardwell

Scott Wardwell was on hand taking photos of the event and more of them can be found at Komen Maine and even more on Scott's website.Photo by Scott Wardwell

And while it was mainly a fundraiser, it was still a race. Congrats go out to Louie Luchini, the overall winner, Elizabeth Brunton, the first female finisher, and all of the survivors who ran–you are all amazing:

Laura Carey, Terri Coolong, Joy Stevens, Kathy Fogler, Valerie Moran, Karen Boudreau, Diane Hynes, Patricia Spencer, Jane Black, Dodi Saucier, Kathryn Walker, Jane Sawyer, P.J. McCluskey, Mary Talley, Julia Mathies, Mary Jeanne Madore, Teresa Steele, Merry Shepherd, Sherry Applebee, Pam Parker, Sally Swallow, Astrid Raymond, Kathy Hopkins, Joyce White, Sheri Fuller, and Lorna Ladd.

Passport to Your Future at Old Town High School

By Melanie Brooks

I was invited to a special career fair at Old Town High School today called "Passport to Your Future." The last time I was there it was 1996 and they were still known as the Indians. I was greeted and expertly taken care of by two wonderful OTHS students, Robbie and Kaylie, who gave me water, diet coke, and checked in on me throughout the day. Thanks guys!

I brought along copies of Bangor Metro, Maine Ahead, and Real Maine Weddings to give away. It seemed like the teachers were just as interested in what we do over at Bangor Metro world headquarters...especially in our recent feature on historical homes in the Bangor area...must have been history teachers.

The "Black Ghost" of Maine

By Melanie Brooks
Illustration by Brad Eden

In honor of the hunting guide who was mauled by a bear earlier this week, I'd like to tell you about a neat event the Bangor Land Trust has planned for next weekend...a Bear Walk!

Gubernatorial-palooza!

By Melanie Brooks

It's nearly mid-September already and the elections are right around the corner! How did this happen?! If you're like many other busy Mainers, you probably haven't had a lot of time to ponder who you are going to vote for this November...but that can be changed.

ELEVEN organizations are teaming up with Bangor Greendrinks to host a gubernatorial forum on Maine's quality of place at the Bangor Opera House on Tuesday, September 21st. Join Greendrinkers for a pre-forum pint at 5 pm in the lobby and stay for the debate, which will start at 6 pm.

Democratic candidate, Libby Mitchell, along with the trio of Independent candidates, Eliot Cutler, Shawn Moody, and Kevin Scott have confirmed their attendance. We're not quite sure about Paul LePage yet but regardless, it's your chance to hear how our next governor intends to protect and promote Maine's productive landscapes, vital downtowns, distinct cultural heritage, and more.

Participating hosts: GrowSmart Maine, Maine Development Foundation's Downtown Center, Maine Downtown Coalition, Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund, Maine Farmland Trust, Maine Preservation, Trust for Public Land, Maine Rural Partners, Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine, Bicycle Coalition of Maine, and Healthy Community Coalition.

Like all Bangor Greendrinks events, this is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there! For more information check out Bangor Greendrinks on Facebook and become a fan while you're at it.

Tim McGraw Lobster Bake

By Melanie Brooks

The good folks at McLaughlin's Seafood teamed up with Bangor Metro to host a killer lobster bake before the Tim McGraw concert on Friday. The day was gorgeous, the seafood delicious, and the company was wonderful.

We'd like to thank the other sponsors of this event -- we couldn't have done it without them!

McLaughlin Seafood for the delicious spread; Waterfront Concerts and Live Nation New England for the tickets; Granville Rental & Party Plus for the tent, tables, and chairs; Cellardoor Winery and Wicked Whoopies for filling our gift baskets; and the Greater Bangor Convention & Visitors Bureau for helping us pull it all together on the waterfront.

More pictures of the event after the jump...

Christine's Surprise Wedding Shower

The lovely ladies at Bangor Metro decided to throw a surprise shower for our sales manager, Christine Parker, at the Lucerne Inn (where she'll be getting married on October 8th). Thanks to our publisher, Mark Wellman, the day went off without a hitch and Christine was pleased as punch. Thanks again to the Lucerne Inn and Acadia Limo for making this the best Tuesday ever!

Christine had no idea where we were taking her. Once she realized we were having lunch at the Lucerne she got a little emotional.

What's better than a champagne lunch on a Tuesday? Not much...

From left to right: Tori Britton, Alex Parker, Christine Parker, Mindy Hart, Sandy Flewelling, Jen Violette, Loretta England, and Melanie Brooks.

Bangor Greendrinks

Bangor Greendrinks is at it again...this time at the University of Maine Museum of Art in Bangor tonight from 5:30 to 8 pm. If you haven't been to one of these fun events yet -- now's the time to check it out. Not only is it going to be in a unique setting tonight, it's going to be chock full of interesting people. Bangor Land Trust will be there giving out information and Ann Marie Orr from Ann Marie's Kitchen will be providing the snacks. And the DRINKS! Of course there will be drinks.

Bangor Metro featured Greendrinks in our August issue. Check out the story below!

Grasshopper Shop vs. Mexicali Blues

It's official...the owners of the Grasshopper Shop in downtown Bangor are selling their building and storefront to the owners of Mexicali Blues, Portland-based store. The Grasshopper Shop has been a staple on the corner where State, Harlow, Main, and Central Streets converge since the late 1980s -- and feelings are mixed on the transition.

We want to know what you think. Are you a Grasshopper Shopper or a Mexicali Blueser?

poll by twiigs.com

Bangor Greendrinks at the Sea Dog

Last night's Bangor Greendrinks was a success, thanks to the help of the Sea Dog staff. We had delicious appetizers to munch on, good music to listen to, and $2 drinks. Can't beat that! If you didn't make it this time, join us next month, August 10th, at the University of Maine Museum of Art. It's a beautiful venue that will be filled with great people. For more information, check out Bangor Greendrinks on Facebook. Read on to see photos from the event...

Cool Sounds Concert Series: Evergreen

By: Melinda Hart

Evergreen had listeners on their feet last Thursday at the Cool Sounds Concert Series and Outdoor Market with blues, bluegrass, and swing!

A four part band, Evergreen is comprised of Steve Chiasson, Chris Prickitt, Nel Kennedy and Joe Kennedy. Their performance spanned old time country music, bluegrass, blues and folk.

Star Power

By Melanie Brooks

A couple of weeks ago I had an idea. Wouldn't it be cool if we had a way to put local people on fake covers of Bangor Metro? Wouldn't it be cool if we had some sort of cover frame that we could take to events? I decided to pick my dad's brain about it. He's a carpenter by trade and can make just about anything you can imagine.

We talked over what I wanted and how he thought it would work and he whipped up a fake Bangor Metro cover frame in no time. We decided to debut it at last night's Business After Hours at The Charles Inn.


We had a ball with it! Pictured here on the left is David Whitehill and Jessica Bloch Whitehill. On the right is Jessica Sleeth and Katy England.

For more fun cover shots, check out our facebook page. We'll be bringing our life sized cover frame to the next Bangor Greendrinks, which will be held after work on Tuesday, July 13th at the Sea Dog on the Bangor waterfront. We hope to see you there!

In Your Face..

Illustration by Mark Ricketts
Text by Melanie Brooks

No, I'm not trying to be mean or sassy...In Your Face is a unique cartoon exhibit on display at Boyd Place in Bangor! You might think that it's weird for an independent senior living facility to host an art exhibit -- but they hold them all the time. Their most recent exhibit featured dozens of handmade quilts by area quilters that were out of this world exquisite!

But back to the cartoons....

Cemetery and Ghost Tours

Are you a history buff? Or maybe someone looking for fun in the Bangor area? Look no further than Downtown Bangor. The Bangor Museum and Center for History is hosting the Mount Hope Cemetery and Ghost Lamp Tours two days each month from June to October.