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SALT
AIR
WICKED
SHARP!
WERU Community Radio News & Program Guide - Spring 2011 - FREE!
89.9 FM Midcoast, Downeast & Central Maine - 99.9 FM Greater Bangor - Webcasting: http://weru.org
TIM SAMPLE
PERFORMANCE BENEFITS
COMMUNITY RADIO
By Zoe Alexis Scott, Director of The Grand
ELLSWORTH – Prepare to laugh out
loud on Saturday, June 25th as Maine’s
own funny man appears at The Grand
in downtown Ellsworth. Tim Sample
will return by popular demand to help
raise money for The Grand and WERU
Community Radio.
Tim Sample is widely acknowledged
to be New England’s premier native
humorist. Novelist Stephen King has
likened Sample’s work to that of Mark
Twain, and Charles Kuralt called him
“Maine’s humorist laureate.” Tim’s
books, albums, and videos (including
four albums and a video for the Bert
and I Company) have sold well over a
million copies. For eleven years he was
a correspondent for CBS News and a
regular essayist on the Emmy award
winning television show CBS News
Sunday Morning, hosted by veteran
newsman Charles Osgood.
Tim was born and raised in Maine
and has never lived (or for that matter
wanted to live) anywhere other than
the Pine Tree State. Tim’s first album
of downeast humor was recorded
Comedian Tim Sample will perform June 25th at The Grand in Ellsworth.
CONTINUED page seven
From the Bottom Up
WERU hosts Maine Grassroots Media Conference in Unity
By Meaghan LaSala, WERU Associate Development Director via AmeriCorpsVISTA
UNITY- On September 10,
WERU will host the first
ever Maine Grassroots Media Conference at Unity
College Center for Performing Arts. My hope for
the conference is to bring
people together from across
the state to
share
skills, network, and
grow a
move-
ment for media justice. Everyone is invited!
I was inspired to instigate an event like this after
attending the Allied Media
Conference in Detroit last
June. For 13 years, the AMC
has brought people to Detroit from around the globe
to “come together to share
tools and tactics
for transforming our communities through mediabased organizing.” I was
drawn to the AMC because
I do media work, but what
I did not anticipate was
the full range of ideas and
social justice movements I
would be exposed to.
The Detroit AMC is organized by “tracks.” So
during every workshop block, there
is at least one workshop
per track. You could spend
the weekend following the
“disability justice track,”
the “media policy for social justice track,” “trans
and queer youth media,” or
“elders: amplifying generations of brilliance.” Or you
could follow your interests
and mix and match, to get a
taste of how all these move-
CONTINUED page seven
The Maine Grassroots Media Conference will take place September 10th at the Unity Center for Perfoming Arts
National Conference for Media Reform 2011
By Adam Lacher, WERU Publications Manager
BOSTON – April 8-10 hundreds of people attended
The 2011 National Conference for Media Reform.
WERU was there in force.
The station’s team consisted
of WERU General Manger
Matt Murphy, WERU Associate Development Director via
AmeriCorpsVISTA Meaghan
LaSala, volunteer co-host of
Women’s Windows (Sun 8-10
PM) Marge May, and board
member and volunteer host
of call in talk show Midcoast
Currents (3rd Friday of the
month from 10-11 AM) John
Zavodny .
The Conference website,
http://conference.freepress.
net/ states that, “Too often,
CONTINUED page five
RadioActive for 10 Years
Amy Browne (L) with Meredith De Francesco (R)
1186 Acadia Highway
East Orland, ME 04431
(207) 469-6600
http://weru.org/
info@weru.org
NON-PROFIT ORG.
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Permit #82
Ellsworth, ME
By Chris Stark, WERU Volunteer Coordinator
EAST ORLAND- Thanks
to Meredith De Francesco
and Amy Browne, WERU has
had Maine based weekly news
reports since January 2001
covering many topics that
the mainstream just won’t
touch. The news program,
RadioActive, a grassroots environmental and social justice
news journal, produced here
at WERU can be heard on
89.9/99.9 FM on Thursdays
from 4 to 4:30 pm or on the
Audio Archives on WERU.
org. Both Amy and Meredith
started as volunteers. Amy
later became the WERU News
and Public Affairs Manager,
CONTINUED page six
SALT
Page 2
WERU’s Mission
Spring 2011
WERU provides a community-based non-commercial radio service; WERU broadcasts programs designed to serve the needs of those not fully
served by other broadcast media in the areas covered by the WERU signal; WERU is a “voice of many voices” offering a wide variety of people
an opportunity to share their experiences, concerns, perspectives and information with their neighbors over the airwaves and Internet.
Board of Directors
WERU-FM is licensed to Salt Pond Community Broadcasting, a nonprofit corporation actively run by an all-volunteer Board of Directors
from the community that WERU-FM serves. Board meetings are open
to the public. The current board members are:
Matt Baya (Volunteer Rep.)
John Greenman (Secretary)
Mary Kellett
Bill Lippincott
Matt Murphy (Ex Officio & Gen. Mgr.)
Richard Paget (Vice President)
Greg Rossel (President)
Kathleen Rybarz
Lynn Soucy (Ex Officio Treasurer)
John Zavodny
Ellsworth
Old Town
Brooklin
Hampden
Penobscot
Stonington
Troy
Lamoine
Dedham
Belfast
Community Advisory Board
The CAB advises the Board of Directors on how well the the
station serves the mission of WERU-FM. CAB meetings are open
to the public The current CAB members are:
Don Bamman, Lamoine
David Foley, Northport
Kathleen Burnett, Blue Hill
Roberta M. Goodell, S. Thomaston
Gina Bushong, Orland
Chris Huh, Ellsworth
Sherry Churchill, Ellsworth
Suzanne Kelly, Bangor
Leland R. Dennett, Castine
Robert J. Salesi, Penobscot
Martha Dickinson, Ellsworth
Wendy Schweikert, Blue Hill
Frank Donnelly, Lamoine
John Sullivan, Unity
Martha Ellen Duncan, Blue Hill
Rev. Mark Worth, Castine
Station Operations Staff
Amy Browne
Bruce Clark
Denis Howard
Adam Lacher
Meaghan LaSala
Joel Mann
Willie Marquart
Matt Murphy
“Big Al” Scott
Sylvia Smith
Chris Stark
AIR
News & Public Affairs Manager
Contract Engineer
Music Director
Underwriting & Publications Manager
Assoc. Dev. Director (AmeriCorpsVISTA)
Program & Operations Manager
Finance Manager
General Manager
Contract IT Technician
Database Manager
Office & Volunteer Coordinator
PLEASE CONTACT SALT AIR
comments, corrections questions,
subscription info: adam@weru.org
Salt Air is published by the staff and volunteers of WERU, and is printed with soy-based ink
at the Ellsworth American. Copies of Salt Air are mailed directly to all current members and
distributed throughout WERU’s listening area by volunteers and staff. This issue and other
back issues are available to download at http://weru.org/
WERU-FM broadcasts 24 hours a day from the top of Blue Hill Mountain in the town of Blue Hill at 89.9 FM and is streaming & podcasting
at http://weru.org/. WERU is a member of Maine Association of Broadcasters, Maine Association of Nonprofits, National Federation of
Community Broadcasters, and the Grassroots Radio Coalition.
WERU-FM
PO Box 170
East Orland, ME 04431
Office: (207) 469-6600
Studio: (207) 469-0500
Fax: (207) 469-8961
E-mail: info@weru.org
Streaming & Podcasting at
http://weru.org/
Mark Abb, Marianne Adamenas, Kevin Ames, Anthony Anderson, Mary Anderson, Mellie Anderson, Barbara Arter, Dan Avener, Jim Bahoosh, Duncan Bailey, Steve Bailey,
Don Bamman, Jim Baranski, Matt Baya, Tom Beal, Ron Beard, Dan Beckman, Paul
Behnken, Andree Bella, Charles Bickford, Kristie Billings, John Blaisdell, Mark Boshko, Midge Boshko, Jeff Bosse, Al Bourgoin,
Mary Brennan, Andy Buckley, Kathie Burnett, Gina Bushong, Richard Buxton, Jim Campbell, Laura Campbell, Kate Chapin,
Sherry Churchill, Joan Clemons, Maynard Clemons, Carolyn Coe, Ian Collins, Tracy Collins, Diana Cookson, Lynn Cottrell, Chris
Covert, Brendan Curran, Oliver Curry, Larry Dansinger, Drew Darling, Darwin Davidson, Mavis Davis, Leah Deasy, Meredith
DeFrancesco, Daryl Dejoy, Lee Dennett, James DesJardins, Martha Dickinson, Susan Dickson-Smith, Karen Doherty, Cheri
Domina, Michael Donahue, Chris Donley, Frank Donnelly, Charlie Dufour, Marty Duncan, Mark Dyer, Jeff Ellis, Melisenda
Ellis, Mark Elwin, RW Estela, Sally Faulkner, Joan Federman, Rhonda Feiman, Asha Fenn, Jim Fisher, Joe Fisher, Brian Flaherty, Michelle Flaherty, Beverly Ann Flores, David Foley, George Fowler, Pat Fowler, Karen Frangoulis, Linda Freimuth, Becka
Gagne, Sean Gambrel, Stacy Gambrel, Martha Garfield, Matt Gerald, Jane Gerlach, Starr Gilmartin, Richard Giordano, Karen
Gleeson, Martha Goodale, Bobbie Goodell, Paula Greatorex, John Greenman, Katie Greenman, Ralph Grimes, Carla Guenther,
Tim Hagney, Martina Haines, Petra Hall, Jared Hansen, Neal Harkness, Kate Harris, Nancy Hathaway, Mary Hildebrand, John
Hillman-Waters, Sharon Hillman-Waters, Rich Hilsinger, Fritz Homans, Brittany Hopkins, Mark Howe, Chris Huh, John Hunt,
Rebecca Hunter, Tris Hurley, Carol Hyams, Cathy Jacobs, Lynn Jacobson, Willie Jenner, Carlton Johnson, Magnus Johnstone,
Mike Joyce, Lonya Julin, Alice Kaiserian, Patrick Kane, Wendy Kearney, Majo Keleshian, Sandy Keller, Mary Kellett, Suzanne
Kelly, Gunilla Kettis, Valentine King, Luz Kogson, Margaret Laing, Laurel Lamoreau, John Langhans, Lucy Leaf, Russell Libby,
Alice Lichtenstein, Leslie Linder, Bill Lippincott, Larry Litchfield, Rosa Livonius, Louise Lopez, Donna Loring, Mary Mahoney,
David Manski, Kathleen March, Chuck Markowitz, Andrew Marshall, Lisa B Martin, Cherie Mason, Jeremy Mason, Carol Mathiesen, Marge May, Rebekah Mayhew, Rob McCall, Jeff McCarter, Maggi McCaw, Sue McClatchy, Matt McDonald, John McVeigh,
Cathy Melio, Deb Melnikas, Robin Mendenhall, Brook Minner, Jonathan Mohr, Andrea Molina, Cheryl Morin, Arthur Morison,
Debby Morrill, Doc Morrill, Claire Mortimer, Tony Naples, Peter Neill, Jenny Nelson, Karen Nelson, Anthony Nicholson, Peggy
Niesen, Roger Niesen, Stephen Olson, Tim O’Shea, Nicole Ouellette, Cade Overton, Maggie Overton, Richard Paget, Ellen Paige,
Mike Paige, Marie Palluotto, Corey Paradise, Ryan Parker, Gray Parrot, Andrew Peterson, Ingrid Peterson, Jay Peterson, Susan
Pierce, Laura Pines, Jane Ploughman, Alex Plummer, Ric Pomilia, Joe Porada, Chris Ramsay, Joel Raymond, Cathy Rees, Lawrence Reichard, Phil Rogers, Anne Romans, Mitch Rosenthal, Greg Rossel, Jordan Ruff, Todd Russell, Bill Ryan, Marilyn Ryan,
Steve Ryan, Kathleen Rybarz, Bob Salesi, Zoe Schneider, Craig Schoppe, Wendy Schweikert, June Sendrowski, Paul Sheridan,
John Shirrefs, Elaine Shute, Richard Shute, Bob Sikkel, Valerie Smith, Sharon Smythe, Lynn Soucy, Steve Soucy, Alan Sprague,
Jeri Spurling, Noele Spurling, Larry Stahlberg, Ron Staples, Francine Stark, Hazel Stark, Vijaya Stevenson, Sherry Streeter, Rob
Struba, Christian Sulick, John Sullivan, Cynthia Swan, Ryan Swanson, Laria Taliaferro, Peter Taliaferro, Suei Tietje, Peri Tobin, Kita
Treichler, Joy Trueworthy, Connie Tuller, Jon VanAmringe, John Vincent, Connie Wagner, Parker Waite, Cordelia Walsh, Susan
Walsh, Linda Washburn, Richard Washburn, Allison Watters, Gina Wertz, Sam West, Dan Wheatley, Zafra Whitcomb, Melissa
White-Pillsbury, Holbrook Williams, Mariah Williams, Lee Witting, Cheryl Wixson, Mike Wolf, Mark Worth, John Zavodny
Active Volunteers:
Appleton: Perennial Favorites Nursery & Greenhouse. Bangor: Bangor Brick Company, Herbal Tea & Tobacco, House Revivers, Integrative Medicine, Healthy Alternatives, Lippincott Books, Maine Notary Net, Pro Libris Book Shop. Bar Harbor:
A&B Naturals, Acadia Fireplaces, Down East Nature Tours, Friends of Acadia, Jeff Miller Of Lynam Real Estate, John Dargis Associates, Lynam Real Estate Agency, Morning
Glory Bakery, OpalOrganics.com, Peacock Company Builders, Reel Pizza Cinerama, Inc., Rupununi/Havana. Belfast: Acupuncture Clinic of Rhonda Feiman, Belfast Bay
Radiology, Belfast Bicycles, Belfast Co-op, Belfast Dance Studio, Coast To Island Sailing Charters, Darby’s Restaurant, Fiddler’s Green Farm, Galerie Dufour Harmony in Hand
Massage Therapy, Insight Productions, K Construction, Mainely Pottery, Metaphor Bronze Tileworks, Mid Coast Dental Arts, North Twin Education Program, Penobscot Bay
Dentistry, Wesley Rothermel, CPA, William Armstrong Sports and Orthopedic Massage. Bernard:Land Conservation Legal Services. Blue Hill: The Activity Shop, Blue
Hill Co-op, Blue Hill Farm Country Inn, Blue Hill Hearth, Bruce D. Warring, Master Stone Mason, Fairwinds Florist, Jean Olivett Design, Maine Weather, Lowry Environmental Engineering, Inc., MacRevival, Old Ackley Farm, Paradise Tattoo, Peninsula Metamorphic Arts & Learning, Sara Sara’s Women’s Clothing, String Theory Knitting &
Spinning, Wessel Electric / American Sun Electric. Bremen:Lind Building & Renovating. Brewer: Allen / Freeman / McDonnell Agency, The Carter Building, Down East
Sheet Metal. Brooklin: Ann Brayton Boat Cushions & Canvas, Bear Ridge Corporation, Betsy’s Sunflower, Inc., Center Harbor Sails, Cold Spring Design & Woodworking,
Holbrook Williams Garden Services, Princell Woodworks. Brooks: Baldwin Apple Ladders. Brunswick: Great Water Inc. Bucksport: Crosby’s Drive-In, Modular Media.
Camden: Apache Boatworks, Birchwood Motel, Bob Spencer Builders and Properties, Camden Falls Gallery, Cedar Crest Inn, Clean Bee Laundry, Country Inn at Camden/
Rockport, Heriz-Smith, Inc., Meetingbrook Hermitage, Quantum Insulators LLC, Red Lion Carpentry & More, Spirit Soaring Glider Rides, Timberhead Music, TREEKEEPERS
LLC - Johnson’s Arboriculture. Castine: The Breeze, Stella’s Jazz Nocturnal. Cherryfield: Willey Tree Farm. Dedham: Northern Maine Construction. Deer Isle: Beech
Hill Woodworks, Dan Foss Construction LLC, Darwin K. Davidson Photography, Nervous Nellies Jams & Jellies, Turtle Gallery. Dixmont: Peacemeal Farm, Winterport
Remodeling & Siding. Dover-Foxcroft: Ripley Farm. East Boothbay: Nathaniel S. Wilson Sailmaker Inc. Edgecomb: Andy Abello at Wind Ridge Farm Woodworking.
Ellsworth: Design Group Collaborative Architecture, Ellsworth Farmers’ Market, Emmaus Homeless Shelter, EverGreen Home Solutions, Farrin Photography, Hansen
Counseling, Roy, Beardsley, Williams & Granger, The Sand Castle, Sandra Hylander Collier Law Offices, Svaha LLC, Sylvia’s Café, Tom’s Terrific Tattoos. Franklin: Maine
Coast Sea Vegetables. Freedom: Village Farm. Friendship: Bolen’s Mooring Service. Gouldsboro: Darthia Farm. Hampden: Hampden Natural Foods. Hancock:
Dennis J. King Masonry, Gull Rock Pottery, Raven Tree Gallery. Harborside: A Revolutionary Press. Hope: Joshua Leavitt Fine Craft. Hulls Cove: Davistown Museum
& Maine Artists Guild. Islesboro: Blue Water Songs, Robert Clayton Builder. Jackson, NH: Monolithic Building Services. Lamoine: Affordable Acadia.com. Liberty:
Liberty Graphics, ReVision Energy LLC. Lincolnville: Open Communication, Sleepy Hollow Rag Rugs. Lubec: Cobscook Bay Music. Mercer: Lizzyoos. Milbridge:
Ray Carbone Sculpture & Woodworking, Striper Bait. Minneapolis, MN: Chateau Mer. Monhegan Island: Storm Lobster Corp. Monroe: Artisan Builders, Whitman
Graphics & Sign Design. Montville: The Thirteenth Moon Center. Mount Desert: Mountain Sea Properties, Sweet Timber Frames. New Harbor: Hardy Boat Cruises.
Northport: Holland & Foley Architecture, Jim’s VW, White Crane Construction. Orland: Rufus Wanning - Master Arborist. Penobscot: Morse Cove Marine, Tree Feller.
Pittsfield: Snakeroot Farm. Rockland: Benchmark Solar, Gemini Marine Canvas, Jonathan Frost Frame Shop & Studio, Rogers Renovations and Repairs, The Strand Theatre. Rockport: All Creatures Veterinary Hospital, Inc., Florimbi Studios Inc., Kastle Funkton Entertainment, Rockport Charters, Rockport Marine. Round Pond: Bull’s
Point Lobster Company Inc.. Rhinebeck, NY: Optimus Architecture. Sargentville: El El Frijoles. Searsport: Safe Harbor Massage, Sundog Solar Store. Sedgwick: Jay
Peterson Signs, Leetes Island Books, Parker’s Applied Designs, Prints and Frames, Vela Sailing Adventures. South China: Two Loons Farms. Southwest Harbor: A-Cappella.com, Mary McMorrow Adams MSW LCSW, Oak Hill Marine Design, Richard Bradford Builder Inc.. Stockton Springs: Red’s Automotive. Stonington: Geoffrey
Warner Studio & Gallery. Steuben: Kitchen Garden Restaurant. Sullivan: Schoodic Animal Hospital. Sunset: Maine Camp Outfitters. Surry: Blue Moon Images Gallery.
Tenants Harbor: Kevin Solsten Cabinetry, Turkey Cove Auto Repair. Thorndike: Thorndike Woodworks. Troy: Greg Rossel Boat Carpentry. Union: Come Spring Farm
& Saw Mill, Marine Models, Shep’s Imports, Treeline Artisans, Union Stone. Unity: Unity College’s Centre for the Performing Arts. Verona: Island Flowers. Vinalhaven:
Island Spirit, Tidewater Motel & Gathering Place. Waldo: Rose Whitehead Culinary Landscaping, Rose Whitehead Fiber Fabrications. Waldoboro: G. K. VanDerwerker
Studio - Hand Bookbinding. Warren: Sticks & Stones Landscape & Construction. Winterport: Fisher Farm. Winthrop: One Heart
ACTIVE Business MEMBERS:
A.E. Sampson & Son, Abbe Museum, Acadia Fireplaces, Acupuncture Clinic of Rhonda Feiman, Alamoosook Lakeside
Inn APCC Ltd, Artisan Builders, Atlantic Challenge, Bangor Daily News, Bangor Savings Bank, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust,
Bay Chamber Concerts, Belfast Coop, Belfast Framer, Birch Moon Midwifery, Blue Hill Coop, Bob Spencer Builders & Properties, BookStacks, Center Theatre, Cleonice
Mediterranean Bistro, College of the Atlantic, Don Foshay Dscount Tire, Downeast AIDS Network(DEAN), Easterly Wine, El El Frijoles, Evergreen Home Solutions, Fahringer’s Framing, Finelli’s, First Light Community Midwives, Fresh Off The Farm, Gambell & Hunter Sailmakers, Gulf of Maine Books, Harbor Square Galler, House Wine
Shop, Inner Tapestry Journal, J-Built, Jonathan Frost Frame Shop & Studio, Leftbank Books, Liberty Graphics, Luna Midwifery, Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health
Ctr, Mac Revival, Maine Boats & Harbors, Maine Community Foundation, Maine Farmland Trust, Maine InitiativesMaine Org Farmers & Gardeners Association, Maine
Share, ME Nonviolent Communications Network, Merrill’s Bookshop, MMA Div of Continuing Ed, Morning Glory Bakery, Morning Star Midwifery, New Surry Theatre,
Orland House B& B, Peace & Justice Center, Penobscot Bay Press, Pyramid Studios, Quantum Insulators, Reel Pizza, Red Fern Boat Company, River City Cinema, Rock
City Coffee, Sara Sara’sWomen’s ClothingSchoodic Arts for All, Simple Septic Solutions, Smarty Pants, Smith & May Masonry, Sojourn Float Center, Stonington Opera
House, Sundog Solar Store, SVAHA LLC, The Free Press, The Good Table, The Grand, The Green Store, The Old Professors Bookstore, The Sunrise Guide, Thirteenth
Moon Center, Two Loons Farm, UM Cooperative Ext, US Bells, Village Soup, Walking Eagle Gallery, Window Panes, Windward Passage and Yo Mama’s House
FULL YEAR UNDERWRITERs:
Editor’s Note: If you are aware of any Supporters left off the list please contact WERU ASAP. This list is also available at weru.org
SALT
Spring 2011
budget will soon be taken up in
Congress and there will surely be
fierce negotiations. Six stand-alone
bills that would eliminate funding
for public and community broadcasting have also been introduced
in Congress, so the struggle is not
nearly over. For more information
on how you can get involved go to
www.170millionamericans.org.
WERU
NEWS
By Matt Murphy,
WERU General Manager
What’s happening at WERU you
ask? Well, it just so happens that I
have a few things to report on and
there are several other articles in
this edition of Salt Air that will keep
you informed.
Greater Bangor – 99.9 FM!
After many months of preparations, including waiting for an FCC
license and for various components,
WERU has signed on at 99.9 FM in
Greater Bangor. This new 50-watt
broadcast signal is intended to “fill
in” an area from Bangor to Old
Town that has had poor reception
of 89.9. We had previously turned
off our 102.9 Bangor signal because
it was interfering with WDME of
Stephen King’s Zone Corporation
(WDME, WZON and WKIT). We
thank Zone Corporation and its
Chief Engineer Howie Soule for
their magnanimous offer to provide
major assistance with securing
WERU with a new Greater Bangor
broadcast frequency. Without
their support 99.9 would not be
on the air right now. E-mail your
thanks to the Zone Corporation to:
wkit@zoneradio.com
CPB Funding
First, a great big “thank you”
to everyone who contacted our
U.S. Congressional delegation
about federal funding for community radio. The Congress recently
passed and the president signed
the Continuing Resolution (CR)
to fund the federal government
for the rest of the year. Included
in the CR was funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
(CPB) with no major reductions for
the rest of Fiscal Year 2011 federal
budget (which ends in September).
Through a Community Service
Grant WERU receives $100,000120,000 each year from the CPB,
which represents about 25% of our
regular annual operating budget.
Funding was already eliminated
for the Public Telecommunications
Facilities Program (PTFP), which
is dedicated to the equipment
infrastructure of public broadcasting. In 2009 WERU was awarded
an $8,000 grant from the PTFP
to help fund our new back-up
power generators project. This
year we had applied to the PTFP
for $60,000 towards the $120,000
cost of a new replacement transmitter, for which we will have to find
other sources of funding. The fiscal year 2012 federal
Station Events:
We’ve been pretty busy with
station fundraising and outreach
events the past few months. In
February we had our Short Distance Love Affair Valentine’s Day
Dance Party at The Big Easy in the
Charles Inn in Downtown Bangor,
featuring DJs Magnus and Paradise
and organized by Meaghan LaSala.
Thanks to all the dancers and to the
Charles Inn for the generous hospitality. In early March it was the
WERU Comedy Night at the Alamo
in Bucksport, featuring Maine
comedians and organized by John
Greenman in partnership with the
Maine Cancer Support Center.
Everyone had lots of laughs, of
course, and it was a nearly sold
out theater. Later in March Peggy
Smith of Open Communications in
Lincolnville provided Nonviolent
Communications Training (at the
Peace & Justice Center in Bangor),
and annual fundraiser for WERU.
Finally, in mid-April we held our
Spring Fling Music & Gear Sale
at the Brewer Auditorium and
organized by Meaghan LaSala.
We had a dozen record, CD and
instrument vendors, music by
WERU DJs Denis Howard and
Sister Mango, and a steady flow
of bargain hunters throughout
the day. We thank everyone who
participated in these fun times and
to the following Greater Bangor
businesses for sponsoring the sale:
Allan, Freeman and McDonald
Agency, Herbal Tea and Tobacco,
Bangor Savings Bank, The Charles
Inn, House Revivers, Main Street
Music Studios, Penelope Shar,
MD LLC, Bangor Natural Living
Center, Central Street Farmhouse,
Down East Sheet Metal, Mabel
Wadsworth Women’s Health Center, Maine People’s Alliance, and
Summit Sound.
In the upcoming events department we are partnering with The
Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth
to present Tim Sample in concert
on Saturday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are $16 advance/$18 at
the door and are available at www.
grandonline.org and 667-9500.
This promises to be a night of many
laughs with Maine’s premier native
humorist and is a fundraiser for
both WERU and The Grand. We
hope to see you there to support
our two important cultural institutions. We are also working on a
new event, the Maine Grassroots
Media Conference on September
10 at Unity College, plus one or
two concerts to be announced in
the future. We invite anyone who
is interested in helping out with
WERU Short Distance Love Affair Valentine’s Day Dance Party at the Big Easy in downtown Bangor.
WERU Spring Fling Muisc & Gear Sale at the Brewer Auditorium.
events to contact our Volunteer
Coordinator, Chris Stark at chris@
weru.org and 469-6600.
Pledge Week (May 14 – 22):
On-air fundraising takes place
once each quarter of the year and
is our most important way to generate income to offset operational
expenses. Your support has helped
make the station possible for the
last twenty-three years, so thank
you very, very much. Whatever
amount you can give is a big help
and we hope that all listeners will
contribute something. You can also
help by volunteering to answer the
pledge phones by emailing or calling chris@weru.org or 469-6600.
Conferences:
WERU have attended and will
attend three conferences this year:
the National Conference for Media
Reform (Boston in April, article
page one), the National Community Radio Conference (San Francisco in June) and the first Maine
Grassroots Media Conference
(Unity College on September 10,
article page one). At the community radio conference, which will
cover everything from practical
management and technical topics to the federal funding issue.
WERU representatives will also be
workshop co-presenters (in Board
of Directors development and program underwriting management).
And perhaps most exciting is the
new Maine Grassroots Media Conference, which will bring together
community and independent media producers (and consumers)
from across the state to share information and strengthen networking.
The conference will take place at
and in partnership with Unity College, Pinetree Watchdog (Maine
Center for Public Interest Reporting), Maine Civil Liberties Union
and the Bangor Media Collective.
Stay tuned to WERU for more information on this inaugural event.
So there are a few highlights
about what’s been going on with
WERU in the last couple of months.
Elsewhere in this edition of Salt Air
you can read about programming
updates, volunteer opportunities
and more. And as always, thank
you all for the listener support
and volunteer power that makes
WERU-FM Community Radio
possible!
Rhonda P. Feiman
Doctor of Oriental Medicine
BELFAST
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AIR
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SALT
Page 4
AIR
Spring 2011
WERU’s New Spring Featured Artists:
By Denis Howard, WERU Music Director
In our last issue of Salt Air I
explained what the job duties of
WERU’s Music Director were and
what the process for receiving,
processing, and distributing new
music was at your Community
Radio station. We are currently
in a very busy part of the music
industry’s year -- the major labels
and independent promoters are
releasing a deluge of new releases
by established names and brandnew “buzz” acts in hopes of
gaining interest for summer tours
and festival appearances. It has
been my pleasure over the last
few weeks to place new discs
by R. E. M., the Strokes, Paul
Simon, and Hot Tuna in the OnAir Studio and have our volunteer
disc jockeys embrace them so
quickly with airplay on their
respective radio shows. During
such a busy time there are
many acts which go unnoticed
due to such competition for
attention. Conversely there are
also certain albums which garner
the attention of our volunteers
and our listeners. What follows
is a rundown of the mostplayed music in multiple genres
currently on our broadcasts!
Alison Krauss & Union Station’s
new album Paper Airplane (as of
this writing) is # 1 on every airplay
chart we currently report. Alison
has been a critics’ darling for
years and has always achieved
some mainstream success. She
currently holds the record for the
most Grammy Awards attained
by one female performer and
recently shared the spotlight with
former Led Zeppelin lead singer
Robert Plant on their album
Raising Sand. The new album
will not disappoint longtime fans
as Alison and her band continue
the sweet bluegrass sounds they
have always performed. The
band’s male vocalist Dan
Tyminski (famous for being the
voice George Clooney lip-syncs
to in the movie O Brother, Where
Are You?) gets to shine on the
album, too.
Right behind Alison and her
group as far as on-air rotation
goes is a pedal steel player,
composer, and guitarist from
Denmark! Maggie Bjorklund
is the woman who recorded an
album a couple of years ago
with some help from members
of Calexico and the Screaming
Trees. Last month Maggie
released her second album,
Coming Home, and many WERU
programs are featuring the music
from that release. A couple of
other Southern female voices
round out the Top Four mostplayed artists on WERU this
week -- boogie singer / pianist
Marcia Ball (with her new album
Roadside Attractions) and rock
/ folk / blues / country singer /
songwriter Lucinda Williams
with Blessed. Though Maggie
is newer to WERU programs,
Marcia and Lucinda have always
had rabid followings in Midcoast
and DownEast Maine and the
new albums deliver.
Three other new releases
gaining much airplay on WERU
currently are by well known names
from the 1960s - 1980s. The man
who once left The Band and has
never commented on it finally
does on his new album, How To
Become Clairvoyant. Canadian
singer / songwriter Robbie
Robertson’s work on the album
is getting him some accolades
and the same can be said of his
American contemporary Paul
Simon’s album So Beautiful Or
So What as well as rock band
R. E. M.’s Collapse Into Now
(not shown). All three works are
strong additions to the artists’
catalogs.
WERU’s
electronica
disc
jockeys are playing British
music producer Bibio’s album
Mind Bokeh (available from
Warp Records), our world
programmers have been playing
the music of Argentine singer
/ songwriter Federico Aubele
(from the record Berlin 13 on
ESL), and our jazz jocks are
spinning
Grammy-winning
Chicago male jazz vocalist Kurt
Elling’s The Gate (on Concord)
as well as trumpeter Ambrose
Akinmusire’s When The Heart
Emerges Glistening. WERU calls itself “The Voice Of
Many Voices” and that is as true
with its musical programming
as it is with its public affairs
shows. WERU is a place that you
can hear performers like Allison
Krauss (who just this week
performed on both the Tonight
Show and Ellen DeGeneres)
or the most revolutionary new
sounds in genres of music not
available anywhere else on your
radio receiver. I invite you to get
involved -- listen in to hear new
material from established acts and
songs by people you have never
heard of. This is Community
Radio -- radio brought to you by
talented volunteers who want to
share it with eager listeners. You
can participate by calling your
favorite show to request a song
you may have read about or you
can get involved yourself as an
on-air programmer. There may
be other places to experience
new music but there is only one
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SALT
Spring 2011
AIR
NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR MEDIA REFORM from page 0ne
we treat the media as something that just happens to us,
something we can’t change. That’s wrong. The media we
have, good and bad, are the direct result of policies and
politics... And those policies will decide not just the quality of our media but the future of our planet.” In their own
words, here’s what the WERU
team thought:
Matt Murphy: “I had a tre-
mendous experience at the
National Media Reform Conference, which I attended for
information, networking and
inspiration. I got all three and
more as one of four WERU
representatives at the conference. The wide range of
critical issues that were addressed, from low-power FM
community radio to net neutrality to citizen journalism to
humor and satire in media reform activism (just to name
a few), was truly impressive. I got to hear many leaders
of the media reform movement, including progressive FCC
Commissioner Michael J. Copps. From panel discussions
to “hands on” workshops to networking with old friends
and new, the conference definitely delivered. I particularly
learned a lot at sessions on communicating with Congress
regarding media reform and Federal funding issues. It was
also really nice to meet up with two former WERU youth
radio graduates who are now doing great things in community media. The conference was very much a worthwhile
experience. (The only negative was having a roommate
from WERU who talked incessantly and keeping me awake
all night long. I didn’t even get a chance to bother him with
my snoring because I couldn’t get any sleep. Oh well, that’s
life in the media fast lane.)”
Meaghan LaSala: “Head-
ing to Boston as part of the
WERU team was an amazing
opportunity, the first National
Conference for Media Reform
I’d ever attended. If time or
distance keeps me from attending in the future, I will
be sure to “attend” online, to
watch and listen to the live
streams of workshops. The conference was helpful in staying informed about the state of the media, and staying connected to the conversations that are shaping the movement
for media justice. It’s good to understand the work we do
here at WERU in a broader context.”
“At the conference I learned that the need for media reform is more present than ever. I learned about the hopeful
ways a new global connectedness is empowering people,
from social media fueling the revolutions in the Mideast, to
movement building here in the US. But the age of Internet
faces as many problems as it seems to address. Net neutrality is needed to prevent the Internet from becoming the
one-way highway that so many media platforms now are.
As the institutions that have historically provided training
in communication and investigation continue to diminish,
we must struggle to create new models.”
“While I attended workshops I was keeping in mind
the September 10th Maine Grassroots Media Conference
(see article on page one) that I am working with WERU to
organize. I’m particularly interested in the movement for
media justice. Like all justice frameworks, media justice is
about moving the voices most affected by inequity to the
forefront of dialogues for change. The Center for Media
Justice explains, “communities who have been historically
marginalized from the democratic process must continuously defend our rights to fair media access and accurate
representation, while advancing strategic stories to transform the public narrative around race, age, and power.”
I’m excited to build a coalition of folks doing this work in
the state of Maine, to strengthen our voices and affect the
policies that shape our lives whether we understand them
or not. “
John Zavodny: “The Na-
tional Conference for Media
Reform 2011 was a great way
to get deeply oriented to some
of the most pressing issues
that are facing our democracy.
Network Neutrality, the effort to keep the internet open,
campaign finance reform and
the implications of the Citizen’s United decision were clearly on the minds of presenters and participants.”
“I’m currently on sabbatical from teaching at Unity College where I am Professor of Philosophy and Humanities.
My sabbatical work in new media and environmental communication is designed to better prepare me to train the
next generation of environmental scientists, advocates,
and educators. The people and information to which I was
exposed in Boston was easily the most relevant, inspiring,
and sometimes scary, that I’ve encountered so far.”
“As an academic, I’ve been to a lot of conferences but
I’ve never been exposed to a richer set of resources than
at the NCMR. The evening sessions were more like political rallies than the snoozy conference plenaries I’ve often
attended. Grit TV’s Laura Flanders, Nancy Pelos, Malkia
Cyril, FCC Commisioner Michael Copps, Amy Goodman,
Ed Markey, Donna Edwards, Mike Doyle..--the lineup was
pretty great. Even the normally low-key morning sessions
were packed with heavy hitters. In my role as WERU board
member I went to a session to hear what Maxie Jackson,
President of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters had to say about the future of community radio and
also on the panel were the President of PBS, the Executive
Producer of FRONTLINE and Katrina vanden Heuvel, the
Editor of The Nation. Pretty impressive.”
“And as a new board member the opportunity to
spend time with WERU super-staffers Matt Murphy and
Meaghan LaSala was worth the price of admission. How
many folks at WERU can say that they’ve shared nachos
or a hotel room with Matt? Probably quite a few now that
I think about it, but still, what
an honor.”
Marge May: “The first in-
dependent media conference that I attended was at U
Maine, Orono in 2000. Robert
McChesney, Michael Copps,
Amy Goodman and others
presented there. In 2008, I
trecked to Minneapolis for the
3rd NCMR conference. So,
this year, I wasn’t about to miss the opportunity to attend
NCMR in Boston.”
“There were some hot topics: “Net neutrality,” whereby
internet service providers may not impose constraints on
access to internet resources; another was the increasing
importance of social media (twitter, facebook, youtube,
and the like) in news reporting. For example, the uprising
in Egypt started with one young woman’s “tweet” announcing her intention to protest at a certain place and time in
Cairo--this was a tweet heard around the world. Lowpower FM was also discussed especially with respect to
legislation recently passed that protects it. LPFM provides
amazing options for remote communities to improve local
communications and news reporting. Although the overall
emphasis of the conference was on news journalism and
media, other areas were covered, too. For example, there
were a couple of workshops that focused on the influence
of advertising media on child development. I expect a variety of interesting, chewy spoken word segments derived
from this conference will be aired on WERU.”
“NCMR is an intense experience. I go because I am
convinced that grassroots, independent media are where
in-depth, thoughtful and fact-based journalism live. Such
media are essential to a well-informed, democratic society.
Please support these media any way you can.”
Page 5
NEW SHOWS!
and other schedule changes
By Maggie Overton, WERU Volunteer
As the savvy listener has
already discerned, there
have been some changes
in WERU’s programming
schedule since the dark of
winter. Listener feedback
played a role in some of
these changes, so please
keep hitting us with it at
info@weru.org.
First out of the box,
WERU welcomes new volunteer host Brian Graney
who brings a new music
program, Moon Walk, to
Brian Graney
Thursday nights from 10pm
to midnight. Brian describes
the show as “a freeform
take on a genre-crossing
sonic territory of heady,
spaced-out, experimental
and psychedelic music.” He
plans to feature new music,
both local and international,
from this active scene, as
well as earlier influences.
Brian took advantage of
the new volunteer training
schedule (orientations every
third Thursday, then oneon-one training scheduled
separately – call Chris at
469-6600 for more information).
Thursdays from midnight
to 2 am, following Modern
Moonlight, is Cat Beast
Party from WFRN Radio
Free Nashville with host
Angie Dorin. She describes
the show as “Surf, punk,
garage and some whisker
lickin’ power pop. Ain’t no
party like a Cat Beast Party.”
All you cat people know this
to be true…
Also new to WERU is the
infamous Humble Farmer on Saturdays 5-6pm.
Underwritten by two local
businesses (Revision Energy of Liberty and Craignair Inn, Spruce Head) this
syndicated show featuring
jazz music interspersed
with Humble’s well-known
mix of arid wit and social
commentary now joins our
Saturday lineup. According to thehumblefarmer.
com, he has been called the
“Garrison Keillor of Maine”,
but we know him as Robert
Skoglund.
Other changes: The evening version of The WERU
Soapbox will be no more.
Jazz returns to the 1st Monday of the month. The Soapbox can still be heard, as
always, once a month on
the 3rd Thursday from 1011am.
Wings and This Way
Out are no longer rotating
on Mondays at 4pm. This
Way Out now airs every
Monday from 4 to 4:30pm,
with Wings airing on the 4th
and 5th Tuesday each month
from 10:30-11am, and late
nights every Friday morning
from 2:30-3am.
The rerun of Radio Active at 2am every Friday
morning is replaced by TUC
Radio, a syndicated show
focusing on the untold story
of the impact of big corporations on society. According
to producer Maria Gilardin,
the name TUC comes from
an aeronautical term “Time
of Useful Consciousness” –
the time between the onset
of oxygen deprivation and
the loss of consciousness,
the brief moments when the
pilot may save the plane.
The Humble Farmer (Sat 5-6 PM)
WERU is listener supported and volunteer powered.
Please help support your community radio station
by volunteering or by making a donation today.
NAME:
ADDRESS:
AMOUNT:
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CREDIT CARD INFO:
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Exp. Date:
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PHONE:
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO VOLUNTEER?
Please cut out and mail to WERU FM, PO Box 170, East Orland, ME 04431
Thank you for supporting WERU Community Radio
SALT
Page 6
AIR
Spring 2011
RADIOACTIVE FOR 10 YEARS from page 0ne
and Meredith continues as volunteer extraordinaire. Here are some
excerpts of how RadioActive came
about in their own words:
by doing a monthly morning show
and went to a weekly afternoon
show.”
How Meredith got hooked:
“I didn’t come to the volunteer
training intending to do programming. I came to support my sister
Meg, who was in high school at
the time. She was active in video
and was interested in checking
out radio. She went on to produce
a piece on local steel drum bands,
with Helen York, that later won the
National Federation of Community
Broadcasters Special Merit Award
in 2002.”
“I was not aware of the public
affairs opportunities WERU had
to offer. I thought it was basically
for music programmers. But then,
as we went through the orientation
with WERU News Director Helen
York, I realized this was an opportunity to explore and amplify issues
that were important to represent in our
area. Amy and
I worked with
Helen York to
produce local
news segments.
We thought of
referring to it
as the People’s
News, but
nixed that, as it
sounded a lot
like the People’s
Snooze.”
“Amy and I
met each other
once before,
through some
common environmental activism. As we
spoke here and
there during the WERU trainings,
we realized we did indeed share
common interests, values, and a
collaborative working style. We
began to discuss issues we might
cover. One of the first reports was
on WalMart’s development plans
on the Penjajawoc Marsh in Bangor. That led to covering hearings
on the establishment of Maine’s
Clean Clothes purchasing law,
which instructs companies supplying garments to state government
to make commitments regarding
ethical working standards. Amy and
I produced national programs such
as Making Contact, the El Salvador
News Report, and continue to prepare reports for Free Speech Radio
News (FSRN). My sister Andrea and
I produced reports for National Native News as well.”
“When I was in high school,
WERU came to the airwaves. I
immediately appreciated the alternative music source and open
structure that allowed people from
the area to do programming. WERU
is a station you can turn on and
immediately feel like you are a
part of it. It provides a connection
between community members and
creates a strong sense of community. I remember listening to Cathy
Melio’s music program in which she
consciously selected music for the
politically and socially aware, as well
as doing interviews. A particular
standout was an interview with an
industry promoter of the blueberry herbicide Velpar. The PR representative insisted that Velpar was so
safe that you could eat it. So Cathy
asked her, “Would you, yourself, eat
Velpar?’ The woman stumbled, then
said, No, she wouldn’t. This moment revealed the power of having a
conversation on the radio. It doesn’t
have to be polished. In fact, if it is
not, it can be even more accessible,
letting the community feel like they
are part of the conversation. I think
community radio strives to include
everyone in the conversation, so
to speak, whether through public
affairs or music. John Babcock also
inspired me. He came in every week
and produced a great music show
with a warm, positive and inclusive
style. He did this despite illness and
disability. Oh, yeah, and Economics
101 with Jane Livingston was also
another local program-inspiring
precursor. I have been inspired
by all the programmers here, really—their dedication, excellent
work and community orientation
are all great to see.”
How Amy got started:
“Meredith and her sister Megan attended the same volunteer
training that Andy [Amy’s partner]
and I attended in 1999. I had been
participating in GMO [genetically
modified organisms] and anti-globalization rallies. I met Meredith at
one of those events. We shared the
concern that a lot of environmental
and social justice issues were not
being covered by the mainstream
media. WERU presented an opportunity to cover social justice issues
that weren’t being covered by the
mainstream media since WERU
was not pressured by advertisers
who might be offended by the coverage. Meredith and I decided to do a
report on Lincoln Pulp and Paper
discharges in the Penobscot River
and how it related to the Penobscot
Nation’s water sovereignty. We went
on to cover anti-corporation globalization issues and rallies that were
happening around the country, local
responses to 9/11, the peace movement, and other topics. We started
Meredith in Training:
Meredith’s raison d’être :
“I think we wanted to carve out a
space for environmental and social
justice issues to be presented and
discussed, and we wanted to highlight the voices of the people who are
dedicated to changing these issues.
These are the people, essentially,
on the front lines who have been
moved to dedicate their time and
energy to fighting and transformation. These are the voices we feel
are not heard enough. We wanted
to hear from the people who are
active—hence, the name RadioActive. It seems that it is easy to feel
powerless in this world when facing
a multitude of problems. Doing a
program on community radio brings
it to the basics—people in the community talking with other people in
the community—and provides an
opportunity for people to educate,
inspire others to feel empowered to
make change, and to bring home to
others that they are not alone.”
“This is how real change can happen. There are many people devoting their lives to making the world a
better place. We wanted to talk with
them. We started with a one-time
special on water sovereignty which
lead to producing a monthly show,
and later a weekly news feature.
ereignty. Amy and I had Penobscot
Chief Barry Dana; Natural Resources director for the Penobscot tribe,
John Banks; and tribal attorney,
Mark Chavaree. Passamaquoddy
Chief from Pleasant Point/Sipayik,
Rick Doyle, came [into the station]
late on his long Downeast drive, so
we recorded him for a segment on
the next Voices. After that, we were
asked if we wanted to produce a
regular program. We said, ‘Yes.’
Amy and I have been able to travel
together, as well. The early 2000s
were a dynamic time, globally,
but, more unusually, in the U.S.
The impacts of free trade agreements and other neo-liberal economic policies produced large
mobilizations that Amy, my sister
Andrea, and I were able to cover.”
to get protesters off the streets. And
the corporate media have done their
part by refusing to report on it—even
when there were tens or even hundreds of thousands of people in the
streets. This has been on my mind
a lot lately after seeing people in
the U.S. glued to the coverage of the
protests in Egypt, which got 24/7
coverage on cable news. There have
been many heroic people here in the
U.S. that have literally put their lives
on the line by taking to the streets in
protest of our government’s policies,
but ONLY the independent media
have reported on it.”
Meredith—In conclusion:
“At WERU, and on RadioActive,
we can unapologetically focus on the
issues we think are important. Bill
Moyers has noted that mainstream
Amy—Harrowing moments:
journalism often becomes fixated on
“It was frightening to see the a paradigm that proposes the truth
militarization of police forces and must be directly in the middle of any
even coopera- two opposing viewpoints. (Climate
t i o n a m o n g change reporting has been a perfect
Meredith reporting in EL Salvador
different forces example of this.) He disagreed,
as they’ve used saying the responsibility of the
protests here journalist is to decipher and present
in the U.S. as a truths, as they understand them.
practice/train- On RadioActive, we are concerned
ing ground for with the experiences of the affected.
squelching civil Corporate and industry perspectives
unrest. In Mi- abound in politics and media. They
ami in 2003 at have PR and lobbying apparatuses
the FTAA (Free set up to facilitate this. Money and
Trade Area of clout are in their favor, and so it
the Americas) is easy to push their agenda and
protests, the make it seem like common sense.
p o l i c e w o r e On community radio, WERU, FSRN
uniforms with and RadioActive, we look to cut past
no identifica- this bog and, again, focus on the
tion. Some had voices of those affected, the voices
the FTAA logos of those who aren’t presenting only
on their caps. the information that will be finanT h e r e w e r e cially beneficial to themselves. Some
police from all may call it advocacy journalism,
over the U.S., but I think it is advocating to hear
and rumors that some had been voices that are often discounted as
Meredith—Continues Reporting: brought in from other countries peripheral, when they are absolutely
“Encouraged by Helen, Amy and as well. They were all hopped up central.”
I proposed a one-hour special: three and ready for action. We watched
“It was a real gift finding Amy.
tribal leaders from the Penobscot them tag out the agent provoca- We had very similar things we
and Passamaquoddy tribes were teurs they had planted in the crowd wanted to do programs on and had
taking a stand against Maine pa- when things got a bit heated (they a similar take on different issues.
per companies, and were facing quickly got them back behind the We were interested in and excited
jail time. In a nutshell, the tribes police lines) and then they opened by the same issues. We also had
had vocally opposed a move to turn- fire on the crowd with chemical complimentary working styles. Each
ing over water quality permitting agents and rubber bullets, chasing of our strengths complimented the
authority of water bodies on tribal the crowds through the streets. The other’s, for a dynamic collaboraland from federal to state jurisdic- corporate media wore flak jackets tive execution. When breaking up
tion. They said state governments and were chummy with the police research and writing tasks, we
historically were less stringent spokesperson. The independent gravitated to different things so
with company pollution violations. media were chased, abused and ar- the whole picture filled in quickly.
They also underlined the fact that rested along with the union reps and Sometimes, when we hadn’t even
all other tribal waters in the nation other non-violent protesters.”
assigned tasks, we automatically
are legally required to continue
“At the Republican National Con- accomplished the things the other
under federal jurisdiction. The state vention in New York City in 2004, had not done. It was great to be able
government maintained the tribe someone in the crowd clipped a box to work so collectively and with such
had lost that right in the Maine cutter to my backpack as we were ease on a creative project. We were
1980 Indian Claims settlement Act. interviewing protesters in front of a collective of two. I have really apThe paper companies pushed back the public library. I’ve never for- preciated working with Amy, and
against the tribes’ public stand, gotten that, and will always believe learning from her strengths. I think
challenging their sovereignty, again, that I was being set up for the mass we were really lucky to find each
by requesting the tribes turn over arrest that happened just a short other. We laugh all of the time. That
any internal documents pertaining time later. In New York, just as in is also one of the best things about
to water quality. The tribal leaders Philly four years earlier and in cities our working relationship. We are
refused, and said they would serve all around the world, police have really good friends.”
jail time rather then comply. The been using violence, mass arrests
issues were pollution and tribal sov- and ridiculously elevated charges
James Derby:
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SALT
Spring 2011
AIR
Page 7
TIM SAMPLE from page 0ne
in 1979 and produced by
Noel Paul Stookey, “Paul”
of Peter, Paul, and Mary
with liner notes by the late
humorist Marshall Dodge,
who along with his partner
Rev. Robert Bryan, created
the world-famous Bert and
I recordings back in the
1950s. After Dodge’s death
in 1982, Tim recorded four
albums and a video for the
Bert and I Company. Sample
and Bryan have collaborated
on a number of projects, including several TV specials,
the popular recording How
to Talk Yankee, and the TV
specials Out of Season and
Maine Humor Behind the
Barn.
Tim has also written and/
or illustrated over a dozen
books, including regional
bestsellers Saturday Night
at Moody’s Diner and his
most recent Maine Curiosities second edition , co-authored by Stephen Bither,
McCloskey’s children’s classic Bert Dow Deep Water
Man and Stephen King’s The
Sun Dog.
Over the years, Tim has
performed thousands of
shows in venues as diverse as
“He’s funny if you come from Augusta
Maine...he’s just as funny if you come from
Augusta Georgia” - Stephen King
published in 2006 by The
Globe Pequot Press. Tim’s
national TV appearances
include The Today Show
and Good Morning America,
and he has narrated awardwinning films and books
on tape, including Robert
the Los Angeles Convention
Center, the Mall of America,
the New York Yacht Club and
the Caribou Performing Arts
Center. These days, he averages 50 -70 concert and after
dinner appearances per year.
More information on Tim
may be found at his website:
www.timsample.com.
Charming, witty and
downright funny, Sample
will do one live show June
25th at The Grand at 7:00
pm, with tickets available
at $16 in advance or $18 at
the door.
The Grand is the region’s
premier non-profit cultural
center, providing live music,
theatre, educational and
film programs all year long.
The Grand and WERU are
pleased to partner with Sample on this event which is
sure to sell out quickly.
Contact The Grand’s box
office at 667-9500 or go to
www.grandonline.org for
tickets and information.
REEL pizza
CINERAMA
MDI’s Year-Round
Community Twin Cinema
on Bar Harbor’s Village Green
Two Comfy Theatres - Gourmet Pizza
Quality Entertainment
in Stereo Surround Sound
2 8 8 - 3 811
LIPPINCOTT BOOKS
PINETREE
WAT C H D O G
We’ve closed our shop in downtown Bangor
but we still have over 1800 old and rare books
on Maine, the Northwoods, lumbering, Northeast
Indians, and a large variety of subjects at:
lippincottbooks.net
FROM THE BOTTOM UP from page 0ne
ments are using media as creative solutions to problems.
This model helped me understand
that media (taken broadly to mean
ways that we communicate) can be a
powerful point of connection and a
way to bring people together across issues. Media strategy is essential for any
movement, so coming together creates
a space to share ideas, and also allows
for new alliances and coalitions.
That is what I hope can happen
here in Maine. The conference will
be smaller this first year, so we won’t
use tracks, but I hope we will create
that spirit of sharing our diverse experiences. To borrow more from the
AMC values, knowledge will be shared
horizontally, rather than from the top
down. Everyone will have an opportunity to teach and to learn. We will look
at media that exposes, investigates,
resists, heals, builds confidence and
radical hope, incites dialogue and debate. We will demystify technology.
And we will have conversations that
are specific to life in Maine, exploring
the creative solutions that are born in
our communities.
There will be workshops, panels,
evening performances, film screenings
and most importantly, chances to connect. I hope you will consider proposing a workshop or a panel. If you have
ideas about presenting, or if you would
like to know more, give me a call at the
station (469-6600) or email me
at meaghan@weru.org.
Here are some thoughts from folks
who have committed to presenting at
the Maine Grassroots Media Conference:
Naomi Schalit and John Christi are
from Pine Tree Watchdog, a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, which does investigative reporting in Maine and seeks to
“[fill] the gap between the diminished
in-depth reporting from the existing
Maine media and the need of...citizens
to be fully informed about the actions
of government and public servants.”
According to Schalit, “What WERU
stands for—public control of media—
is what many grassroots organizations
are fighting for, not to just be fed information but to be actively participating in public dialogue. We need more
news, not less. This conference will be
an amazing opportunity for those of
us filling the holes left in the changing
media landscape to come together and
to learn from each other.”
Zeraph Moore is a core organizer of
the Bangor Media Collective, working
to create “a grassroots media art movement,” in rural central and northern
Maine. The Bangor Media Collective is
working with WERU to help organize
the Conference.
Moore says, “This event is important to Bangor Media
Collec-
tive because our focus is on independent media, media for everyone and
by everyone. We would like to make
other organizations aware of our mission and our goals, and find out more
about the strategies of other independent media organizations in Maine.
An event like this is especially important for Maine, where projects may be
separated geographically. We need to
make a special effort to connect.”
Shenna Bellows is the executive
director of the Maine Civil Liberties
Union (MCLU), which lobbies and
educates to advance civil rights in
Maine. “A strong and vibrant independent press is critical to our democracy,” says Bellows, adding, “The First
Amendment freedoms of speech and
press are only meaningful if we support and sustain media independence
and community participation.”
And, of course, WERU will be there,
sharing what we do best—from
grassroots journalism to supporting local culture and beyond (RadioActive, WERU’s social justice and environmental
news journal, will be celebrating 10 years on the air at the
conference!). I hope to see you
there!
www.weru.org
Featured Podcast
MAINE’S LAKESIDE HAVEN
Lodging, Lobsterbakes, Catering All Types of Events
Six cozy quest rooms. Open year-round. Enjoy:
swimming, fishing, canoeing or winter cross country skiing.
Near Bangor, Belfast and Acadia National Park.
www.alamoosooklakesideinn.com - 207.469.6393
89.9
FM
RadioActive for 10 Years!
Thanks to Meredith De Francesco and Amy Browne, WERU has had
Maine based weekly news reports since January 2001 covering many
topics that the mainstream just won’t touch. The news program, RadioActive, a grassroots environmental and social justice news journal,
produced here at WERU can be heard on 89.9/99.9 FM on Thursdays
from 4 to 4:30 pm. WERU doesn’t have every report on our online audio
archives but we do have all of them since 4/7/2005 (seven years ain’t
bad!). So check out hours and hours of in depth citizen journalism at it’s
best. You’ll find information on Holtra Chem, labor rights, sweatshop
action, human rights, LNG, El Salvador’s social movements, history
and free trade resistance, pesticides, poverty issues, Plum Creek, an
interview with Midnight Oil, anti war , Patriot Act, etc., etc...
Download, Listen and Share FREE OF CHARGE on our website at: http://archives.weru.org/category/radioactive
Since 1970, we have been
selling fine foods and organic products.
Health Foods - Vitamins - Skin Care Products
Fresh Baked Bread - Organic Coffee
Fine Wine - Fresh Organic Produce
Come visit our new Wine Cellar Gallery!
158 Main Street, Ellsworth, Maine 04605
www.johnedwardsmarket.com - 207.667.9377
SPRING 2011
Program Schedule for WERU 89.9FM/99.9FM and online at: http://weru.org/
SUNDAY
5
AM
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
COUNTRY
6
Sunrise Service
FOLK
ECLECTIC MIX OF AMERICANA
Jane Gerlach,
Mary Kellett,
John McVeigh
Allison Watters
John “Vern” McVeigh
MUSIC/SATIRE
PHILOSOPHY
New Dimensions
Phreddie
BLUES
Barefoot Blues
Hour
Rotating
Programs
Alternative
Radio
Denis Howard
Brother Al
COUNTRY
Downhome Country
Robin Mendenhall
Doc Dufour
10
Rotating
Programs
Live Local
Call-Ins
MUSIC/STORIES
Jim Fisher, William
Ryan, Cheo and
Susan McClatchy
On The Wing
Elaine Shute
Karen Doherty
Jim Bahoosh
Melisenda Ellis
Mark Dyer
Joel Raymond
Karen Nelson
ROOTS
Rhythm Ranch
and Short
Features
BLUES
Blues Station
Fritz Homans
Jay Peterson
Earthtones
R&B
CELTIC
X-Large Soul Show
Alan Sprague
Fresh & Eclectic
Sister Mango
The WERU News Report
This Way Out
RadioActive
Counterspin
After Hours Pub
Matt Murphy
Democracy Now!
SATIRE/JAZZ
The Humble Farmer
NEW!
6
JAZZ
WORLD
A World of Music
Greg Rossel
The Jazz Scene
Jeri Spurling
8
Magdalen
Linda Washburn
Peaches & Indigo
SATIRE
Le Show
w/ Harry Shearer
11
ECLECTRONICA &
SPOKEN WORD
The Matrix
Magnus Johnstone
3
AM
ECLECTIC ROCK
Jazz Straight
Ahead
Groove Shop
Holbrook Williams
Larry Stahlberg
ECLECTIC &
BLUES
SPOKEN WORD Blues the Healer LATIN/ZYDECO/
DELTA BLUES
Women’sWindows
10
2
AM
Adagio
Drew Darling
Fritz Homans
Paula Greatorex
John Blaisdell
CELTIC/IRISH
Free Speech Radio News
George Fowler
Kathleen Rybarz
A Southern Wind
Ric Pomilia
3
Departure
Joe Fisher
Cheryl Morin
WEEKDAY NEWS & FEATURES
Morning AM
6:00 - 6:05
6:30 - 6:35
Mon:
Tues:
Wed:
Thurs:
Fri:
7:00 - 7:05
7:30 - 7:35
Mon:
Tues:
Wed:
Thurs:
Fri:
7:45 - 8:00
8:00 - 8:15
8:30 - 8:35
National Native News (M-F)
Short Spoken Word Features
Media Minutes NEW
Esoterica*
Ask W.A.M.*
Natural Remedies*
Planet Warning
Workers Inpependent News (M-F)
Short Spoken Word Features
A Word in Edgewise*
Outside the Box*
World Ocean Radio*
Electronic Cottage*
Awanadjo Almanack*
Featured Artist of the Week (M-F)
Democracy Now! Headlines (M-F)
Hightower Radio (M-F)
2:30 - 2:35
4:00 - 4:28
Mon:
Tues:
Wed:
Thurs:
Fri:
4:28 - 4:30
4:30 - 5:00
5:00 - 6:00
Mon: Peace Time*
Grassroots News/Features
WINGS /This Way Out (Rotation)
WERU News Report*
WERU News Report*
RadioActive*
CounterSpin
Hightower Radio (Mon-Fri)
Free Speech Radio News (Mon-Fri)
Democracy Now! (Mon-Fri)
Afternoon PM
MONTHLY 10-11 AM PUBLIC AFFAIRS
In the Bag
Kevin Ames
New Potatoes
5
REGGAE
Christian Sulick,
Ryan Swanson
SOUL
Soul Food
Lee Witting
4
1
PM
Reggae Reprieve
GOSPEL/CLASSICAL NEW AGE/INDIGENOUS
Maine Sunday’s
Best
11
and Short
Features
Gracias a la Vida
ECLECTIC CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
(Singer-songwriter, Folk, Rock, World, Jazz, & More!)
The General Store
2
CHILDREN
Imagination Station
LATIN
Parker Waite,
9
Highway 61
JAZZ
Charlie Bickford,
William Ryan
6
Saturday
Morning
Coffeehouse
Matt Baya
Sean Gambel
Chuck Markowitz
DYLAN
Doc Morrill
Health
Related
5
AM
FOLK
INFORMATION & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Come Sunday
1
PM
FOLK
Front Porch Folk
John Hillman-Waters
DETAILED PUBLIC AFFAIRS
and Short
Features
Morning Maine
Joneford (Comedy Hour airs
on last Mon. of the Month)
10
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Earth Beat
Plus News, Weather, Upcoing Events & Short Features
Scouting the Perimeters
11
Book Waves
5-5:30
Downhome Country
Doc Morrill
Sunday
Morning
Coffeehouse
SATURDAY
FRIDAY
NEW AGE
and Short
Features
9
THURSDAY
4
Monday All: Alternative Radio or local specials
Tuesday 1st: Conversations thru the Ism Prism*
2nd: BoatTalk*
3rd: Wabanaki Windows*
4th & 5th: Making Contact (10-10:30)
WINGS (10:30-11:00)
5
6
Wednesday 1st: Healthy Options*
ECLECTIC
2nd & 5th: Natural Living/Your Own
Health & Fitness (alternating)
3rd: Common Health*
4th Baby Talk*
Daydream Nation
Kristy Billings
Andy Buckley
8
REGGAE
BLUEGRASS
WERU
Drive Thru
Bronzewound
Carlton Johnson
Darwin Davidson,
David Manski
HIP HOP, etc.
ROCK/ECLECTIC
Left of the Dial
Magnus Johnstone
Sam West
Duncan Bailey
Da Vibez
Thursday 1st: The Bangor Area Commons*
2nd: Writers’ Forum*
3rd: WERU Soap Box*
4th & 5th: Local & National Specials
Friday 1st: Common Ground*
10
ECLECTIC
Rythm Section
Want Ads
Corey Paradise
ECLECTIC/WORLD MODERN ROCK
Modern
Northern Journeys
Moonlight
Jeff Ellis
Neal Harkness
(Recorded Live)
ROTATING GENRE
Other Music
Dancin’ Bear of
KEUL Alaska.
1950’s ROCK
Juke in the Back
JAM BAND
Jeff Ellis
The Ride
Matt the Cat (KZGM)
PUNK/SURF
Cat Beast Party
Angie Dorin
WFRN
NEW!
PUBLIC AFFAIRS PUBLIC AFFAIRS PUBLIC AFFAIRS PUBLIC AFFAIRS
First Voices
Guns & Butter
Law & Disorder
Grit Radio
Indigenous Radio
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
PUBLIC AFFAIRS Conversations
PUBLIC AFFAIRS Cultural Baggage
on Healthcare NEW!
Ecoshock Radio PUBLIC AFFAIRS Michael Slate Show PUBLIC AFFAIRS
4
Century of Lies
Sea Change
AM
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Sprouts
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Flashpoints
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Between the Lines
5
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
PSYCHEDELIC
Moon Walk
Brian Graney
NEW!
EURO POP
Radio Sentrum
Steve Bailey
Brother Luv
Lonesome Willie
12
AM
WORLD FUSION
So Beautiful
Cheo
ELECTRONICA
Trance on the Porch
DJ Mark of
KZGM Missouri
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
TUC Radio
Rotating Local
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Public Affairs*
WINGS
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Building Bridges PUBLIC AFFAIRS
PUBLIC AFFAIRS Writers Voice
Talk Nation Radio
AM
2nd: Talk of the Towns*
3rd: Midcoast Currents*
4th: Talk of the Towns*
5th: WERU Review*
HEAVY METAL
Head Rush
ECLECTIC
All Mixed Up
Peter Bochan of
WBAI
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Hard Knock Radio
and Logic Amen
2
AM
3
AM
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Business Matters
NEW!
4
AM
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Uprising
5
AM
WEEKEND AM PUBLIC AFFAIRS
6:30 - 6:35
7:30 - 7:35
Sat:
Sun:
8:30 - 8:35
Sat:
Sun:
10:00 - 11:00
Sat:
Sun:
11:30 - 11:35
12:00 - 12:05 PM
Isla Earth (Sat. & Sun.)
Short Spoken Word Features
Mindful Parenting*
Pet Sounds*
Short Spoken Word Features
Ask W.A.M.*
Awanadjo Almanack*
Grassroots News/Features
Imagination Station
New Dimensions
U.S.- El Salvador Report* (Sat)
Radio Bilingue News (Sat)
*LOCALLY PRODUCED PROGRAMMING:
All of which are archived online for you to listen
to, download and forward completely free of
charge at: http://archives.weru.org/
curre N T | Vo l unteer | O P P o R T U N I T I E S
WERU is anything but bland. It is
the place where volunteer programmers do their best to present music
that is expressive, vibrant, rhythmic,
and alternative. And you could be one
of them! At WERU there are no Pied
Mainstream Pipers leading listeners
into the musical cave of the same ol’
same ol’ mediocrity. We are unique
because WERU’s diverse community
has kept the station on course for 22
years to “serve the needs of those
not fully served by other broadcast
media” meaning that we respect
individuality and diversity. We celebrate you!
Currently, we are short in our DJ
rotation for folk, jazz and reggae
shows. We also need DJs for the midnight to 2 am spots and as substitutes
for a variety of daytime and evening
shows. Do you want to be part of a
community radio station that is all
about diversity and discovery?
As a volunteer powered community radio station our needs are varied.
We depend on a large number of
listeners also actively participating
as volunteers to keep going forward
(¡Adelante!). Volunteers act as public
affairs producers, committee members, pledge drive phone volunteers,
CD library cataloguers, audio archive
digitizers, and the list goes on.
And now, (drumroll please), you
can find out about a wide spectrum
of volunteer opportunities by signing
up for a Volunteer Orientation on the
3rd Thursday of each month from 6
to 8 pm right here at the station in
East Orland!
If Interested, please CONTACT:
Chris at 469-6600 or send an
e-mail to info@weru.org.