Weru 89.9 Fm Blue Hill, Maine Local News And Public Affairs Archives

Producer/Host: R.W. Estela Hi, I’m RW Estela: Since 1991, I’ve been presenting A Word in Edgewise, WERU’s longest-running short feature, a veritable almanac of worldly and heavenly happenings, a confluence of 21st-century life in its myriad manifestations, international and domestic, cosmopolitan and rural, often revealing, as the French say, the more things change, the more they stay the same — though not always! Sometimes in addressing issues affecting our day-to-day lives, in this age of vagary and ambiguity, when chronological time is punctuated elliptically, things can quickly turn edgy and controversial, as we search for understanding amid our dialectic. Tune in Monday mornings at 7:30 a.m. for an exciting journey through space and time with a few notable birthdays thrown in for good measure during A Word in Edgewise . . . About the host: RW Estela was raised as a first-generation American in Colorado by a German mother and a Corsican-Basque father who would become a three-war veteran for the US Army, s

Host/Producer: Glen Mittelhauser Glen walks a trail on Mount Desert Island with naturalist Rich MacDonald (www.thenaturalhistorycenter.com/) and we discuss wood ducks. More information about Maine Natural History can be found at mainenaturalhistory.org. About the hosts: Glen Mittelhauser founded  Maine Natural History Observatory (MNHO) in 2003 to fill the need for an organization that specializes in collecting, interpreting, and maintaining datasets for understanding changes in Maine’s plant and wildlife populations.  Glen received his Bachelor’s in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic in 1989 with a focus in the biological sciences and received his Master of Science degree in Zoology (with a focus on ornithology and statistics) from the University of Maine in 2000. Glen was the Managing Editor for Northeastern Naturalist and Southeastern Naturalist for 18 years and has served as external graduate faculty for 3 graduate student committees at the University of Maine.  Glen currently serve

CJ Kenna | Producer + Writer/Reader The post Esoterica 5/11/25: Conclave first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

What’s the Word on Maine Street?, hosted by Sarah Pebworth, is a weekly short feature Saturdays at 9:30am looking at local literary and visual arts events and offerings! FMI: courthousegallery.com bhpl.net penobscotmarinemuseum.org csbcbangor.org downeast.com About the host: Sarah Pebworth leads the steering committee for Word—a Blue Hill Literary Arts Festival, founded in 2017 and held each October. She serves on the boards of the Cultural Alliance of Maine and Lawrence Family Fitness Center YMCA. Since February 2023 Sarah has written “Shared Seas and Common Grounds,” a column published in the Penobscot Bay Press’s Weekly Packet. She and her wife Julie Jo Fehrle live in Blue Hill. Theme music: Ross Gallagher is a bassist who grew up in East Blue Hill, ME, and currently lives between Bath, ME and Brooklyn, NY, where he works with a wide variety of musical artists. Infinite Blues is a cut from his recently released neon night, an excursion into an ambient/electronic musical world built

Producer/Host: Anu Dudley About the host: Rev. Dr. Anu Dudley is an ordained Pagan minister and a retired history professor. She continues to teach classes, including the three-year ordination curriculum at the Temple of the Feminine Divine, and others such as History of the Goddess, Paganism 101, Ethical Magic, and Introduction to the Runes. Currently she is writing a book about how to cast the runes using their original Goddess meanings. She lives in the woods off-grid in a small homesteading community in Central Maine. The post Earthwise 5/10/25: Mother Turtle first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

About the Host: Tom Yaroschuk is a Vedic Astrologer. His intention is to help people understand their karma and the issues they may confront to cultivate more fulfilling lives. Tom is writing a memoir of the spiritual lessons derived from his work in a Homeless Day Center in between a career as an award winning television and documentary producer. The post The Cosmic Curator 5/10/25 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Producer/Host: Patrisha McLean Production Assistance: Tammy Oropesa Music: Jackie Lee McLean Let’s Talk About It: Conversations with Survivors of Domestic Abuse When your ex tries to burn your house down with you and your daughter in it and is out of jail in less than a year. Topics: 1. Broken Judicial System 2. Domestic Violence Arson 3. Impact of Domestic Violence on Children Guests: Agnes Brackett About the host: Patrisha McLean is the founder/president of Finding Our Voices, the grass roots survivor-powered non profit organization breaking the silence of domestic abuse one conversation and community at a time all across Maine. The post Let’s Talk About It 5/9/25 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/s: Catherine Besteman Production Coordinator: Daria Cullen Other credits: TECHNICAL SUPPORT – Aaron Pyle and Sarah Johnson | MUSIC – Samuel James Justice Radio is a WMPG production. Justice Radio: Tackling the hard questions about our criminal legal system in Maine. This week: Catherine interviews Brandon Brown, Executive Director of Youth-Led Justice, and Former Legislator and advocate Jeff Evangelos, as they talk about the topic of clemency in Maine. About the hosts: The Justice Radio team includes: Catherine Besteman is an abolitionist educator at Colby College. Her research and practice engage the public humanities to explore abolitionist possibilities in Maine. In addition to coordinating Freedom & Captivity, she has researched and published on security, militarism, displacement, and community-based activism with a focus on Somalia, post-apartheid South Africa, and the U.S. She has published nine books, contributed to the International Panel on Exiting Violence, and received recent fellowsh

Host/Producer: Pepin Mittelhauser Music by Juniper Ginger In this, the last episode of WERQ, regular host Olivia Paruk swaps seats with the guest of the first episode, Pepin Mittelhauser, sharing her own experiences, and perspectives she gained while creating We Are Queer. We Are Queer, highlights the touching experiences from Maine’s diverse LGBTQ+ community that builds empathy and understanding in our greater community. If you have feedback for the show or want to get in touch email info@weru.org with WERQ in the subject line. About the host: Pepin Mittelhauser (he/they) is the Digital Content Manager at WERU Community Radio, an avid musician and singer, and lover of nature and the outdoors. He graduated from College of the Atlantic in ’19 with focuses in sustainable agriculture, food systems, and live and recorded audio engineering and production. He has lived in Downeast Maine his entire life. The post We Are Queer 5/8/25: Olivia: Perspective on Queerness first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Lo

Host: Wilson Haims Description: Climate and Community speaks with science teacher, Ruth Poland, and senior Ecoteam member, Lucian Avila-Gatz from Mount Desert Island High School about what inspired their involvement in climate and sustainability work. We learn about the formation of the Ecoteam eight years ago and how the group is continuing to evolve alongside climate action initiatives in the state of Maine. About the Host: Wilson Haims is from Portland, Maine and earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Wellesley College in 2023. Upon graduating, Wilson contributed to climate and conservation-related field work, policy and community engagement work in New England and the Pacific Northwest. Now, Wilson is the Manager of Community Engagement and Resilience at A Climate to Thrive and spends her time hiking, running, making art and cooking on Mount Desert Island.   Johannah, Beth, Wilson, Gus, Alison and Angie are the team at A Climate to Thrive, a nonprofit working to build a model of c

Host/Producer: Amy Browne The 2025 Maine Jewish Film Festival draws to a close with a special screening of The Other at the Bangor Public Library tonight. Doors open with light refreshments at 5:30. Film begins at 6:00. The film is free to the public and donations to cover the costs are most welcome. Reservations are not required, so organizers ask that you please arrive on time to ensure best seating. “One of our most well-attended festival films, The Other takes us into the complex relationship of shared humanity, culture and connection between Israelis & Palestinians—and the transformative journey that follows when they are faced with meeting “the other.” As such it provides an extraordinary example of what we are all capable of as humans when empathy and understanding are the orders of the day Filmed from 2017-2024, including post October 7th and during the subsequent war, The Other focuses on Israeli and Palestinian peace-builders, anti-occupation activists, artists, academics, ex-fighters, be

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman Co-Producer: Petra Hall Technical Assistance: Joel Mann Healthy Options: For Well-being & Being Well This month: -The different ticks appearing in Maine, and the tick diseases being found now. -The vital importance of keeping tick OFF of us! -Poppy-seed size of ticks right now, as nymphs in May, and sesame seed size as adults, and raisin-sized when engorged -Tick-borne pathogens & their afflictions: Anaplasmosis, Babeosis, Lyme (Borellia), Alpha Gal, Erhlichia, Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever, Relapsing Fever (& Powassan Virus, which can cause severe to fatal illness in just 15 minutes after a bite) -The importance of clinical diagnosis, vs. relying solely on the imperfections in analyzing test results, and the significance of a LYME disease rash- which does not present in every tick bite -How to check for ticks in a timely fashion, so an embedded tick has less time to transfer disease from its bite; we do not know how the length of time required for a tick to transmit infecti

Host/Producer: Amy Browne Registration is now open for Out in the Open’s 2025 Summit, a regional gathering for small town and rural LGBTQ+ folks, May 31-June 1 in interior Waldo County This is their 10th year organizing such gatherings. Grace joins us with all the details. About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence i

Producer/Host: Larry Dansinger About the host: Larry Dansinger (no pronouns) of Bangor came to Maine in 1974 and has been here ever since. Some of Larry’s activities since then: Done community organizing on numerous issues through INVERT and then Resources for Organizing and Social Change (ROSC), committed civil disobedience several times, grown a garden yearly since 1977, joined various food cooperatives and two men’s groups, refused to pay federal income taxes for war, lived on a community land trust for 23 years, and met a wonderful partner whom Larry has loved for over 40 years. Larry has produced Outside the Box features on WERU since 2007 and continues to look for unique ways of seeing almost any problem or situation. The post Outside the Box 5/6/25: “Can We Afford the Rich?” first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Amy Browne Lauren Stark joins us to talk about the Resistance Faire coming up on Saturday, May 10th in Belfast from 1-5 PM at the UU Church. FMI: Wellkeepers on BlueSky About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU’s News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadca

Producer/Host: Rosy Landrum Interviewer: Millie Cowart Project Leader: Phelan Gallagher Technical Assistance: Pepin Mittelhauser Music: Foreside Date by David Renda (copyright/royalty free) The Blue Hill Mountain Stories feature interviews from local residents, conducted by the George Steven’s Academy audio production class. Each interviewee reflects upon their time on the Blue Hill peninsula, particularly surrounding the mountain itself. This series was produced for WERU by Rosy Landrum. About the Host: Rosy Landrum is a George Stevens Academy student, WERU DJ, and Blue Hill peninsula resident. You can find her on Midnight Train from 10-12 pm Wednesdays.   The post Blue Hill Mountain Stories 5/6/25: Birgit Friend first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Amy Browne The state legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources will hold public hearings on several bills today, in sessions starting at 10am and at noon. L.D. 1808 “An Act to Enact the Maine Climate Superfund Act” L.D. 1870 “An Act to Establish a Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program to Impose Penalties on Climate Polluters” L.D. 1698 “An Act Regarding Changes of Ownership of Dams” L.D. 1786 “An Act to Require the Department of Environmental Protection to Provide Certain Information Regarding Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to the Public and Private Drinking Water Well Owners” L.D. 1882 Bill “Resolve, Directing the Department of Environmental Protection to Conduct Rulemaking Regarding Significant Vernal Pools” About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She

Producer/Host: R.W. Estela Hi, I’m RW Estela: Since 1991, I’ve been presenting A Word in Edgewise, WERU’s longest-running short feature, a veritable almanac of worldly and heavenly happenings, a confluence of 21st-century life in its myriad manifestations, international and domestic, cosmopolitan and rural, often revealing, as the French say, the more things change, the more they stay the same — though not always! Sometimes in addressing issues affecting our day-to-day lives, in this age of vagary and ambiguity, when chronological time is punctuated elliptically, things can quickly turn edgy and controversial, as we search for understanding amid our dialectic. Tune in Monday mornings at 7:30 a.m. for an exciting journey through space and time with a few notable birthdays thrown in for good measure during A Word in Edgewise . . . About the host: RW Estela was raised as a first-generation American in Colorado by a German mother and a Corsican-Basque father who would become a three-war veteran for the US Army, s

On Sunday, May 4, at the Bay School in Blue Hill, ME, artist Robert Shetterly unveiled his most recent portrait: Rivera Sun. This is the 276th addition to the Americans Who Tell The Truth project, whose subjects include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Jones, Cesar Chavez, and others. At this celebratory unveiling, artist Rob Shetterly, previous portrait subject Sherri Mitchell – Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset and Rivera Sun all offered remarks. Recorded by Matt Murphy. You can also watch a video of the event here. The post Americans Who Tell the Truth: Rivera Sun 5.4.25 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host/Producer: Glen Mittelhauser Glen walks a trail on Mount Desert Island with naturalist Rich MacDonald (www.thenaturalhistorycenter.com/) and we discuss woodpeckers. More information about Maine Natural History can be found at mainenaturalhistory.org. About the hosts: Glen Mittelhauser founded  Maine Natural History Observatory (MNHO) in 2003 to fill the need for an organization that specializes in collecting, interpreting, and maintaining datasets for understanding changes in Maine’s plant and wildlife populations.  Glen received his Bachelor’s in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic in 1989 with a focus in the biological sciences and received his Master of Science degree in Zoology (with a focus on ornithology and statistics) from the University of Maine in 2000. Glen was the Managing Editor for Northeastern Naturalist and Southeastern Naturalist for 18 years and has served as external graduate faculty for 3 graduate student committees at the University of Maine.  Glen currently serv