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| Taking a moment to teach local youth about the life cycle of an alewife |
Following are the raffle items from the Harvest Dinner September 18, and who won each one. All raffle items were produced in Bremen.
*Six 1-1/4 pound live lobsters donated by Melanee Osier-Gilbert, Maine Fresh Lobster, plus ten pounds of clams donated by Blair Pyne, Broad Cove Marine Services. Won by Sue Renelt.
*Overflowing basket of Harvest Vegetables donated by gardeners throughout the Town of Bremen. Won by Joan Ray.
*Miss Kitty" Cashmere Yarn Scarf Kit donated by Wendy Pieh, Springtide Farm. Won by Mary Berger.
*Two cases of tomato sauce donated by Suzanne Goldenson, Heirloom Tomato Sauce Company. One case each won by Robert Goth and Ann Marie Serwa.
*Four bottles of Hard Apple Cider made from heritage apples grown on Bremen Long Island, pressed and donated by Alice and Ed DeLuca . Won by Heather Smith.
At the Board of Selectmen's meeting October 7, Dennis Prior, Chairman of the Bremen Conservation Commission, gave the Selectmen $748 to be added to the town's conservation reserve account. The funds were the net proceeds from the Harvest Dinner the BCC held on September 18.
In turning over the proceeds to the town account, Dennis said the dinner was a great success. He thanked the dinner committee for their hard work, the people and businesses in Bremen and nearby towns who provided the food and raffle items, and all the those bought the tickets and came to eat the dinner. He said having the New Rangers entertain was a special treat.
The Commission has been asked if they will hold another Harvest Dinner next year. We'd love to hear from those who think we should hold a dinner next year, and especially from anyone who would like to help plan and serve it.
– "The best dinner, outside my own kitchen, I've had in the 13 years I've been coming to Maine."
– "Everything was excellent. The sausage meatballs were a real treat, the vinaigrette dressing was sooo good and the bread was to die for!"
– "We were so pleased to be able to come to the dinner. We remember all the wonderful dinners that used to be held in the Town House."
– "The best music I've heard since 1960!"
– "I hope that BCC was very pleased & proud, after all the work on the Harvest Dinner. It couldn't have been better! And the New Rangers were a great culmination.
These are just a few of the comments the BCC has received about the Harvest Dinner. Many people have asked who did what, e.g., Who made the squash casserole? Who made bread? For those who are curious, here the list of who did what:
Appetizers: Goat meat sausage donated and prepared by Wendy Pieh, Springtide Farm.
Bread: Made by David and Jessica Koubek from King Arthur bread flour and Maine organic wheat flour donated by Riding Tide Community Market.
Salad: The greens came from several Bremen gardeners, including Virginia Betts, Kathleen McClintock, Kerry Weber, and Sean McGregor. Carrots and beets donated by Kathleen McClintock and Bennett Collins, prepared by Marge Jicha. Lobsters donated by Bremen Lobster Co-Op, cooked and meat picked out by Dotty and Kent Booher. Vinaigrette dressing made by Kathleen McClintock. Ranch dressing made by Anna's Water's Edge Restaurant.
Ham provided by Abby and Mark Strobbe, Healthy Heritage Farm; sliced and trimmed by Kathleen McClintock. Raisin Sauce prepared by Mary Sue Weeks.
Squash and Dried Bean Casserole: Squash provided by Virginia Betts, Kathleen McClintock & Bennett Collins, Martin Klepeis. Beans supplied by Virginia Betts; tomato sauce by Suzanne Goldenson. Prepared by Virginia Betts and Joan Ray.
Roasted Potatoes: Potatoes donated by Steve and Jurate Barnes, supplemented with potatoes from Clark's Farm. Prepared by Sue Renelt, Mary Sue Weeks and Diane O'Connor.
Gingerbread Lobsters: Made and donated by Kim McClain, the original Gingerbread Lobster Co.
Ice Cream: Round Top Ice Cream, Vanilla flavor.
Cider: Supplied by Mike Reny, Biscay Orchards, who also donated the apples on the tables.
Coffee: Matt's organic coffee, donated by Rising Tide Community Market.
Tickets are sold out and food from Bremen's fishing and farming community will soon be caught/harvested and served at the Harvest Dinner and Dance sponsored by the Bremen Conservation Commission. Featuring locally grown and caught foods the BCC is set to kick off the fall harvest in a celebration with food, friends and the music of The New Rangers. Proceeds will benefit the Town of Bremen Land Conservation Reserve Fund dedicated to conserving water access and open space in Bremen.
Because seating for the event is limited, tickets are being sold in advance. They may be purchased at the Bremen Town Office during regular business hours. Also, members of the Conservation Commission have a few tickets to sell. Dinner seating is on both floors of the Town House.
The dinner will feature foods grown or produced in Bremen and adjoining towns. The menu includes a salad of fresh garden greens, vegetables and (optional) lobster; home-baked bread; ham; roasted potatoes; a vegetable medley of squash, onions and dried beans; and gingerbread lobsters, ice cream and apples for dessert. There will be door prizes and a raffle as well.
The Bremen Conservation Commission is sponsoring the dinner as a way of showcasing products from the town's working farms and waterfront, and to provide an evening of good food, fellowship and entertainment for Bremen residents, neighbors and friends. Proceeds will benefit the town's Conservation Account.
The New Rangers feature Jim Nelson on guitar, bass and vocals; John Reny on guitar and vocals; John Riley on guitar, vocals and tambourine; and Peter Jackson on the Pedal Steel Guitar. All are very talented musicians, who know how to engage and please a crowd with a combination of acoustics and vocals. They play songs from yesteryear as well as current tunes. Some of the artists they cover are Bob Dylan, New Riders of the Purple Sage, The Byrds, The Band, John Prine, Grateful Dead, Steve Earl, and Slaid Cleaves (Cleaves is a former New Harbor resident). The New Rangers performance will follow the dinner at approximately 6:30 p.m. and will be on the first floor of the Town House.
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| Broad Cove Marina 2010 |
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| The Old Clam Factory 1940? |
Machines often can't get to problem areas, manual removal is very labor intensive, and herbicides can inflict collateral damage water, plant, and animal resources.
Targeted grazing with goats and sheep can be a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly method of controlling invasive species on your property. Goats and sheep graze in places that mowers can't reach and humans don't want to go, including thickets of both brambles and poison ivy.
Goats eat a wide range of unwanted vegetation, which on the East Cost includes kudzu, Oriental bittersweet, Tree of Heaven, multiflora rose, Japanese honeysuckle, mile-a-minute, and more.
This webinar is your chance to learn from extension specialists and professionals in the field how to implement this practice on your land. The webinar is free and will be held on July 22 at noon. Contact Carol Taylor to register (carolt@umd.edu<mailto:carolt@umd.edu> or 410-827-8056, ext. 135). A recording will be available at http://www.naturalresources.umd.edu soon after the live presentation.
If you have an interest in learning more about the care of your woodlot regardless of its size the Bremen Conservation Commission and Morten Moesswilde, district forester from the Maine Forest Service, invite you to a two hour program called "Hallmarks of a Well-Managed Woodland".
The first half of the program will be a presentation focusing on typical goals and options woodlot owners have for their property. Common woodlot goals are to grow timber, maintain or improve wildlife habitat, enhance recreation opportunities, or improve scenic or aesthetic values.
The two hour program will be held at the Bremen Town House and woods on Thursday July 29 beginning at
This program is open to any interested person wanting to learn more about the management of a woodlot.
One hundred years ago, Bremen residents grew or caught just about all the food they needed to produce tasty and nutritious meals. Guess what, they still can!
A harvest dinner to be held in the Bremen Town House on Saturday, September 18, will feature foods grown or produced in Bremen and adjoining towns.
The dinner Bremen Conservation Commission is sponsoring the dinner as a way of showcasing products from the town's working farms and waterfront. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit the town's Conservation Account.
After dinner entertainment will be provided by the New Rangers, a musical group whose members reside in Bremen and nearby towns.
Due to limited seating, tickets for the event will go on sale in early August.
Any Bremen residents or neighbors who would like to help with the dinner or donate products should call 529-4499 or send an email to bcc@tidewater.net.
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| 1940 |
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| 2010 |
The German biologist Ernst Haeckel, in 1866, gave a name to the study of how organisms fit into their environment. He called it ecology. Ecology is the study of the interactions of organisms with one another and with their physical environment. Ecology examines biotic factors, or living parts of an ecosystem.
An ecosystem is a self-sustaining organization of a community of organisms and their physical environment or habitat. Ecosystems are very complex.
Water is the most important nonliving component of an ecosystem. The availability of water determines the diversity of animals in an ecosystem. Plants play an important role in the water cycle. 90 percent of the moisture that enters the ecosystem passes through plants and evaporates from their leaves in a process called transpiration. Water also evaporates from water bodies like oceans, rivers and lakes, returning to the environment. Water returns to the earth during precipitation (rain, sleet and snow), and all the water is connected in one huge water cycle. All the water in the world including all the water in our bodies (which is 95% water) is connected. We are already aware of the effects of acid rain which illustrates the connectedness within the world wide hydrological water system.
Preserving the world for the future generations in a large part, will be about how well we can protect the world wide water system from continued degradation. Monitoring the quality of the water can be easily done by looking at the health of animal species that live in freshwater ecosystems. This is like using a canary in a coal mine to determine if the air is safe to breathe. One animal that is closely connected to the water is the humble and adorable frog. Frogs live in water their whole lives and the health of frogs can be used to partially determine the health of the water system.
Changes of aquatic habitats caused by chemicals are taking a toll, and unfortunately frogs seem to be bearing the brunt of the problem. In my own experiences, I have seen seeing several frogs and toads out in the woods with limb deformities. Studies and scientists are beginning to understand why frogs are dying out world wide. The main theory is that parasites are causing the problems and in particular a parasite known as the trematode. It is believed that the use of herbicides to kill weeds is also eliminating aquatic plants. Plant-derived oxygen is reduced, and herbicides also may have direct toxic effects on tadpoles and other animals, in one study, herbicide impacts on aquatic plants were associated with an increased frequency of severe trematode infection in the kidneys of tadpoles. Stormwater runoff from rain falling on asphalt and washing into the water system is a severe nationwide problem. The carcinogens from gasoline are some of the most dangerous cancer causing pollutants known to man. Surely these toxic chemicals are impacting the frog as well.
Frogs are very important to the ecosystems in which they live. They control bugs and help keep the ecosystem in balance. Frogs are a very diverse type of animal. They are mostly found in wet areas but they are also found in deserts and on 15,000 high mountains.
Learning about frogs can be really fun when you discover just how amazing these creatures are. It's a sad day every time one of these frog species disappears from the earth forever. Frogs have been around for 190 million years and are an ancient life form. Help protect frogs by becoming involved with water quality issues in your town and area, and by learning about frogs so you can share their magic and importance. If we begin to care about one animal and try and protect them perhaps we can begin to care about the water too and protect it as well. Protecting frogs protects the water.
Frog Photography: On location at David Autio's Fish/Frog/Skating/Watering Pond, Medomak
A recent statewide survey conducted by a Maine market research firm found that over 61% of Mainers do not fertilize their lawns which is good news for Maine’s lakes, rivers, streams, and estuaries where fertilizer washed off lawns can contribute to algal blooms and poor water quality.
This news is also consistent with recent research showing most lawns over 10 years old don’t need a lot of chemicals. As Laura Wilson from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service explains, “If your lawn looks healthy without fertilizers, do not fertilize; it is a waste of money. Most lawns over 10 years old do not need fertilizers, if you leave the clippings. The clippings provide a source of slow release nitrogen and adequate phosphorus for your lawn.”
Most lawns don’t need phosphorus. “Over 80% of lawns tested in the past 5 years did not need any additional phosphorus,” notes Wilson. “Reducing or eliminating phosphorus also prevents harm to neighborhood lakes, streams and rivers
Barbara Welch, who runs Maine’s Phosphorus-Free Fertilizer program at the Department of Environmental Protection explains, “Phosphorus controls a lake’s water quality. Keep phosphorus out and you have clear water. Add phosphorus and you get plant growth in the form of tiny algae that can turn lakes, streams and even some rivers green and scummy.”
For these reasons, the Maine legislature passed a law that took effect 2 years ago requiring stores that sell fertilizers containing phosphorus (this includes most starter fertilizers) to post a sign. The sign discourages the use of phosphorus lawn products unless reseeding, starting a new lawn, or results of soil test show phosphorus is needed. The statewide survey found that among those who use phosphorus-free fertilizer, practically all (89%) are satisfied with the look and condition of their lawn.
Wilson gives advice on when to apply fertilizers - not before spring green-up or later than September 15th. Early spring fertilizing feeds the weeds more than the grass. The best time to fertilize is around Labor Day weekend to get the grass strong going into winter. Avoid fertilizing in the midsummer when the grass may be stressed with hot, dry conditions.
Gary Fish of the Maine YardScaping Partnership says, "One of the best things you can do when applying fertilizer is get any stray particles off the sidewalk, driveway and street and back onto the lawn. Fertilizer granules or grass clippings on these surfaces can easily get washed into the storm drain or ditch and can end up polluting our precious lakes, rivers and bays.”
To see how Bremen stacks up against the state please take the poll on the right hand side of the blog.
It was morning when I noticed a pair of wood ducks flapping their wings near our shore and yet for some reason not flying. They just flapped and paddled their wings on the water. The ice had let out of the pond almost a week before and many waterfowl had been moving through. No sign of loons yet and there was a dusting of fresh snow. I’d never seen ducks act quite like that before.
Our power was out because of the storm, as were most of Bremen and much of the coast. There were trees down, wires down, roads closed, and roads flooded. This had been an historic storm the like of which we are told to expect with more frequency. The ducks appeared to be in trouble. I went for a closer examination.
With having only taken a few steps toward the pond I was struck with a strong aroma. This was a smell that was so familiar, yet far out of place by the shore of Webber Pond. The closer I approached the pond, the more concentrated the toxic sent. It reminded me of paint thinner. I had a terrible feeling and the wood ducks did not look right.
I now saw the problem; or at least part of it. There, creating a horrible, iridescent slick on the surface of the pond, as far as I could see, lay a film of oil. Oil, as far as I could see on the pond! Oil was actually and unbelievably in dear, pristine Webber Pond. I felt a sickness I find hard to express in words. I’ll never forget the moment of dread when I realized there was no practical way this environmental tragedy could be undone. I needed to make a phone call.
The Maine DEP response team arrived by early afternoon. They were quick to determine the slick was caused by kerosene or #2 fuel oil. We immediately began to seek the source. A pink colored tinge to the snow along part of the waters edge eventually led the team to the cause.
A single gallon of kerosene will kill fish in one million gallons of water. In more dilute forms it will cause cancers in reptiles, amphibians, birds and fish. You don’t want to know what it will do to people exposed to it long term. The water in Webber would likely not recover for decades if as much as 20 gallons of fuel oil made it into it. It was a horrible discovery when the MEDEP team member found the empty 125 gallon fuel tank with a severed fuel line. This was at a summer camp and the line was simply cut by a limb falling from a tree during the storm. This was a completely preventable misfortune. The wood ducks would likely die. I knew more wildlife would as well.
The above scenario did not actually happen…..yet. It is still waiting to happen or it might still be prevented. It’s our choice. Of all the burdens we place on Webber by living on its shore, I fear fuel spills the most. A cheap fix could prevent an accident like this. Your fuel company can install guards over the fuel line. Covering the tank entirely with a solid structure is better still. Are there trees over your fuel tank? Still better would be to move the tank inside. Ideally, eliminating fuel oils from your pond side property is best. Propane or fire wood are quite LakeSmart fuels.
What is LakeSmart? It is a Maine Department of Environmental Protection program designed to improve water quality in Maine’s ponds. We are fortunate to have a few trained property inspectors in Bremen. Several properties on Webber Pond were inspected last summer and 2 properties won the coveted LakeSmart award. These proud LakeSmart property owners are Steve and Jo Laurich and Bob Wheeler. We’d love to see more properties inspected this summer.
A little shy about an inspection? It is painless, anonymous, voluntary, and free. It is more of an informational meeting than judgment. The inspections look for a good vegetative buffer between your property and the water. They will look at outside fuel storage and a cursory look at your septic system (this will come with a reminder to pump your tank every 2-3 years). Driveways and paths will be scrutinized as they contribute to siltation. Short grass lawns are frowned upon. Perhaps the least we could do is to take a small quiet step to reduce our impact on the pond this summer.
I am not an inspector and would however be happy to share with you what I have learned. http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/doclake/lakesmart/
Contributing Writer - David Wilkins
