Same-Sex Marriage

By Melanie Brooks

From television and radio commercials to stories in local and national media outlets, the topic of same-sex marriage in Maine has been everywhere. In case you've been hiding out under a rock lately, here's what's going on...

On November 3rd Maine voters will get the chance to sound off on whether they support or oppose same-sex marriages. It will be the first time in any state that the voters will have the chance to repeal or uphold a same-sex marriage law passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor.

In Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and Iowa, same-sex marriages are legal and are currently being performed. Ceremonies for same-sex marriages will begin in New Hampshire in January, 2010.

Two Maine groups have been behind the ads and public service announcements that we see and hear about daily. The Vote NO on 1/Protect Maine Equality campaign who support same-sex marriages and Stand for Marriage Maine who oppose same-sex marriage believing that marriage should consist of one man and one woman.

With the race being too close to call, the debate rages on with both sides competing for votes. In our June/July summer guide issue our Soapbox Boys, Sean Faircloth and Scott K Fish shared their viewpoints on the topic. Click here to see what they said.


And how about you? Where do you stand on the issue? Vote anonymously below:

Yes = I support same-sex marriage.
No = I do not support same-sex marriage.

poll by twiigs.com

What's Happening This Weekend...

Leaf peeping season is all but over north of Bangor so if you're looking for something else to do here are some suggestions...

Belfast Poetry Festival
October 16 & 17
Belfast
In its 5th year, the festival features 14 artists, 10 visual poets, 4 performing artists, and more.
www.belfastpoetry.com

Work of the Hand Art Show
Through October 18
Rockport
Over 40 artists gather at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art for this 20th annual invitational craft show. 10am to 5pm.
www.cmcanow.org

Radio Gang
October 17
The Grand in Ellsworth
Get ready for some homegrown bluegrass! 7:30pm. $15.
www.grandonline.org

Maine Florist & Growers Association Show
October 18
Bangor Civic Center
Take a moment to smell the flowers at the Maine State Florist and Growers Show on Sunday. Maybe you'll pick up some tips on how to prepare your gardens for the winter months.
www.basspark.com

Budding photographer?

By Melanie Brooks

Did you know that Bangor Photo has a photo contest each month? Well they do! The topic for October is, believe it or not, cemeteries. Pay respects to the spookiest month of the year by heading out to a local graveyard to snap some photos. You don't have to be a professional photographer to take part -- stretch your creative muscles by trying to capture a different point of view!

Here are the rules:

One entry per person.
Photos must be 8x10 and mounted in an 11x14 mat.
No glass. No frames.

The deadline is the last day of the month and photos are voted on the first week of the following month.

Entries will be displayed in Bangor Photo for voting. Winners receive a $25 cash prize and bragging rights.


I don't go anywhere without my trusty little Canon digital camera. It's a PowerShot SD600 Digital Elph no bigger than a deck of cards. And while it's not fancy like the professional cameras we use for Bangor Metro photo shoots, it takes some pretty nice photos. Plus it's small enough for me to carry around in my purse. You never know when you're going to stumble upon something worthy of a photo.

The topic for November is paths -- so start thinking and shooting away!

All Hail Mark Ricketts

By Melanie Brooks

Have you met Earl Hornswaggle? If you are a regular reader of Bangor Metro you may have already been introduced. Earl is the oldest man in Bangor and was created for Bangor Metro by illustrator Mark Ricketts.

Each month, Earl is portrayed in the mag doing all sorts of things. In October he took us for a walk down memory lane as he revealed his secrets for staying alive so long -- he is, after all, 123 years old. In our August issue he shared some of his favorite recipes from his restaurant, Earl's Feedbag, was still open. And in our summer guide/history issue he shared a list of little known facts about Bangor that were most fascinating.

Recently (today in fact) Earl's face peered out at me from an unfamiliar location -- the postcard rack at Book Marc's in downtown Bangor! Earl and Ricketts fans alike can now send a funny postcard to those loved ones who aren't fortunate enough to live in Maine! Here are some examples of Ricketts' designs. At $1 a piece you can't go wrong:

More buzz about Maine Ahead

Carolyn Callahan and Channel 7 news stopped by yesterday to interview Mark and Tori about Maine Ahead. It's very exciting that the local news stations have taken an interest in our new magazine -- it helps us get the word out!

Have you ever wanted to get inside the minds of some of the state's most dynamic thinkers? How about go behind the scenes at a prominent Maine company?

If you answered yes to these questions, Maine Ahead might be just what you're looking for.

Check out the entire story here!

On the road in Hanover, NH

By Melanie Brooks

Hello from your friendly neighbor...New Hampshire! Sandy (who does our graphic designing for all of our magazines) and I are in Hanover, NH visiting with Dartmouth Printing, the 300-year-old company that prints all of our magazines.

We left Bangor at 8 am this morning. After breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts and a suspicious lunch at a dive called Chantilly's, we made it to Hanover. The foliage is in its peak here right now and it's absolutely gorgeous.

We took a tour of the printing facility this afternoon with our sales rep. Matthew. He showed us everything from their paper warehouse to their presses to their assembly to their post office. WOW! I had no idea. We brought our own proofing printer along so that the good people at Dartmouth Printing could install some new software on it for us. Luckily our kind and considerate customer service rep., Dale, unloaded it from our rented SUV -- that sucker weighs 85 pounds!

After an informative tour and a quickie nap at our hotel, Sandy and I met Matthew and Dale in town for dinner at a place called Molly's. Hanover is a quaint New England town with a darling main strip and preppy Dartmouth College students around every corner. Exhausted from our drive and anticipating a long day ahead tomorrow, in which Leslie will join us for more meetings at Dartmouth, Sandy and I have retired to our rooms for the night.

Launching a new Magazine!

By Melanie Brooks

It's true! The crew behind Bangor Metro is launching a new state-wide business magazine called Maine Ahead. Tori Britton will be editor in chief for the new magazine while I move into the managing editor spot at Bangor Metro. The new title has been in the works for almost a year now and it's so exciting to see all the hard work Tori, Mark Wellman, and our sales team have been putting in finally come to fruition.


This magazine will be mailed to 14,000 of Maine's executives, managers, and government leaders. It will also be on newsstands and in waiting rooms across the state. Our goal is to create a publication that will play a role in helping to improve Maine's economic vitality and prosperity by providing a lively source of information and insight. We're sure people are going to love it!

Maine Ahead was featured on WABI TV 5 news last night. Click here to watch the clip.