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Blue Hill ME News

Sep 14, 2016

Restoring native plants to the Maine landscape

Start by planting native perennials from seed on your land, says Heather McCargo, founder of the Blue Hill-based Wild Seed Project, whose mission is to return native plants to the Maine landscape. The nonprofit group publishes a journal, which is available at many local shops.A former head plant propagator at the New England Wildflower Society’s Garden in the Woods in Framingham, Mass., McCargo has lectured nationally and is widely published in horticultural journals and magazines.McCargo spoke from her home in Portland, where she and her family relocated after 18 years in Brooksville. Portland makes life easier for her traveling husband.Also, though, after an eight-month stint in Barcelona a few years ago, McCargo felt called to help enlighten urbanites about issues related to nature.Are you an apartment dweller? Grow a perennial in a pot or a window box. Every little bit helps, she said.Are you anxious about planting from seed? Then buy native perennials from a nursery. Just make sure they’ve been nursery-propagated — not cultivars.“Of our 1,400 Maine native plants, a quarter of them are listed as rare or endangered,” said McCargo. “Mostly plants are dwindling because humans are taking up more space — that really is what it boils down to.”Planting natives by seed is crucial because those plants are best for promoting genetic diversity.“It’s the best bet for the future and it’s how wild plants have survived the millennia,... (The Ellsworth American)

Sep 7, 2016

Guided tours explore refuge flowers, birds

September that highlight the wildflower and bird species found within the Refuge.The guided Bird Tour occurs 8 a.m. Sept. 3 beginning at the Blue Hill Trailhead, which is about six miles west of Highway 169 on County Road 9/293rd Avenue. Many species of birds are migrating or preparing to migrate in September, so there are a variety of species to see including possible sightings of raptors, waterfowl, warblers, flycatchers, sparrows and others.The guided Wildflower Tour happens 10 a.m. Sept. 12 starting at the Refuge Headquarters, which is about five miles west of Highway 169 on County Road 9/293rd Avenue. Tour participants will caravan in vehicles to see the various late-blooming wildflowers that open to reveal an array of warm colors.Guests are advised to pre-register for either tour by calling the Refuge office at 763-389-3323, ext. 113 or by sending an email to [email protected] Tour guides suggest that participants bring binoculars, a camera, field guides, water and a snack and that they wear clothes and shoes appropriate for the weather and terrain. (Princeton Union Eagle)

Apr 22, 2016

Worship sites hold infusion of prayer

Outside a tropical downpour splashes close enough to wet the floor. We drove 30 minutes from Grace Bay to Blue Hills on this Caribbean island on a chance invitation to the Provo Church of Christ. Wherever I travel, the expressway to welcome is worshiping with locals. This is what I love. All over the world, whether a basilica’s walls are gem-encrusted or a tiny church is sparely furnished, worship sites hold a collective infusion of prayer, peace and goodwill. I love that energy. Most congregations are wired for welcome. Strangers to each other, we’re here to whisper the same two things: “Hey, God, thank you so much!” Or more often, “God, can you help me?” Down in front, curved strands of fake flowers hold the minister in a parenthesis. When I peek around me, people smile, pleased to see us. Heads nod at the preacher’s words. “Be ready to give an answer for your faith.” All around, the clear-eyed surety of many. Rain drums against the metal roof. “We walk by faith, not by sight.” Murmurs of amen. Their Sunday best conveys an old-fashioned formality, suits and ties, dresses with eyelet trims. Seated nearby is Molly (the woman who invited us), her husband, and their daughter who has Down syndrome. When we arrived, the little girl threw her arms around David’s knees and smiled up at him. Two days earlier, at a mall, David explored a handicrafts shop where Molly was the clerk, willowy and warm, a 747 landing light smile beamed against her dark skin. She mentioned being Haitian and David said, “Oh, there are many Haitia... (Daytona Beach News-Journal)

Feb 3, 2016

Sugar High

Almost too pretty to eat. Check them out online at blackdinahchocolatiers.com. They have shops in Isle au Haut and Blue Hill and a production facility in Westbrook.Savour ChocolatiersVeazieKim Dagher — who studied at the renowned Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy in Canada — makes more than 30 varieties of high end chocolates and other candies, and has since 2011. Her truffles are to die for, be they blackberry lavender or Maine maple praline. For sharing, she makes lovely brittles, taffy and barks. And her Black Bear Claws, made from caramel and nuts, are an indulgence you can keep all to yourself. It’s one of the best-kept secrets in Maine, as, with the exception of one location in Portland and another in Massachusetts, it’s only available to purchase in stores in the Bangor area, or online at savourchocolatier.com.Bixby BarsRocklandCan a candy bar also be healthy? Some say that’s impossible, but Rockland-based Bixby Bars proves that wrong. Bixby, the baby of Kate McAleer, Maine’s 2015 Small Business Association Young Entrepreneur of the Year, makes organic, all-natural, often vegan chocolate bars that will satisfy both your sweet tooth and your conscience. With varieties like Knockout (bing cherry, chipotle and peanut), Birdie (hazelnut, currants and sea salt), Nutty For You (peanut butter and sea salt) and limited edition numbers like Toboggan (cranberry, pistachio and sea salt), there’s something for everyone. Available online at bixby bars.com or in stores statewide.Ben & Bill’s Chocolate EmporiumBar HarborSince the early 1980s, Ben & Bill’s in Bar Harbor has been synonymous with two things that are a part of any perfect coastal vacation: ice cream and candy. On the candy side of things, the best way to enjoy these sweet treats is to go into the shop, located at 66 Main St. in the heart of downtown Bar Harbor. Barks, brittles, clusters, truffles, fudge and their world-famous buttercrunch, piled high in glass cases. Can’t you smell it from here? The store is closed for the winter, but re-opens in mid-March.Dean’s SweetsPortlandFor more than a decade, Dean Bingham has beautiful candies out of his Portland kitchen — the aesthetics of which reflect his previous career as an architect. He’s best known for his truffle, each a thing of beauty, though in the humble opinion of the Bangor Metro staff, the Maine Potato Chip candy bar and the Ba... (BangorMetro)

Feb 3, 2016

FIG undergoes major renovation

Eater National’s list of 38 restaurants “that shape and define American dining,” alongside Bern’s Steakhouse, Chez Panisse and Blue Hill at Stone Barns. All of the fine dining restaurants so distinguished aren’t Jettas, but Jaguars, built to last. And now FIG, which was scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, looks the part. From sexy to sweaty When FIG first opened, whatever money the first-time restaurateurs may have saved on visuals wasn’t apparent to diners struck by the earth tones and paintings of roosters. “FIG keeps things light and sophisticated in the decor department,” The Post and Courier’s restaurant critic, Holly Herrick, raved in the restaurant’s first formal write-up. She described the dining room as “a haven for the sexy, young and hip.” Within a few years, customers were beginning to question FIG’s minimalist charms. “There is enough decor to call it such,” Post and Courier reviewers Scott and Molly Goodwin sniffed in 2006. Behind the scenes, though, employees were dealing with more significant structural issues, including a hand-me-down hood and cramped cook line. Everyone was aware of the cooling system’s limitations, since the crushing kitchen heat that led Lata to build up a wardrobe of seersucker jackets invariably engulfed the dining room. “We could crank the thing down to 60 degrees, and as soon as we got full, it was a sweatbox,” Nemirow says. “People would be waving menus in their faces,” Lata adds. Still, Nemirow and Lata never had the opportunity to properly address the problems. They postponed attacking the air conditioning because of the project’s complexity: The wires for cooling were intertwined with wires controlling the security cameras, wi-fi, stereo system and lights. Agreeing that mismatched ceiling tiles were an eyesore, they painted over them — inadvertently eliminating their sound-dampening qualities in the process. Not every design element was a bust. Overall, the room had the warm neighborhood bistro feel that the partners wanted to cultivate. And guests responded well to the white tablecloths and fresh flowers, items that many special-occasion restaurants abandoned in the onrush of the casual dining revolution. The tablecloths and flowers are staying on, as is the greater part of the table arrangement. “The basic layout is what it is,” Nemirow says. But longtime customers are bound to notice changes. More things change Nemirow is certain that FIG’s audience will adapt to the redesign almost immediately. “One month after it opens, you’re not going to remember what it used to look like,” he says. “Which is unfortunate for the amount of money spent on it.” Similarities between old and new a... (Charleston Post Courier)

Jan 8, 2016

Warm December brings flowers to Concord

White clover and red clover plants were flowering on Christmas below the bathhouse at Walden Pond. The Blue Hill Observatory reported that both Dec. 24 and 25 set records for daily high temperatures. The Dec. 24 temperature of 67 degrees was 6 degrees higher than the previous record of 61 degrees, and the temperature on Christmas day reached 64 degrees, beating the old record of 62 degrees. These record temperatures are around 30 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year. The nighttime low temperatures also broke records as the warmest nights for these dates. Once the calculations are completed, this December will likely be the warmest December since records first started in 1885. People responded to the warm temperatures as well. On Christmas evening, Carol Haines went caroling at Monument Square as part of a longtime family tradition and for the first time did not wear a coat. On Christmas day, crowds of people walked around Walden Pond, some even in shorts and light shirts. A few people took advantage of the warm weather to go swimming. The warm December weather drew out insects. Many record December observations of butterflies were reported around Massachusetts such as American Ladies in Nahant and Red Admirals at Plum Island. Shelly Henderson of neighboring Lexington noticed flying mosquitoes, which are normally killed by frosts in November. A few migrant bird species lingered into late December, including three killdeer in Concord and a Baltimore oriole in Lincoln. Northern shovelers were still swimming on the open water at Great Meadows and two marsh wrens were active in the bordering vegetation. Other surprising animal activities for Christmas included squirrels running around excitedly as if they were playing tag. At two wetland spots in Concord, Simon Perkins at the Bedford Levels and Martha Swope in Conantum heard spring peepers calling, as if to ask their neighbors, “What’s with this warm weather?” After our astonishingly warm week of Christmas and all the activity it brought with it, the New England winter finally arrived. A snowstorm on Dec. 29 deposited an inch of heavy slush on the landscape, and a cold night then froze the slush to the ground. So long, warm Christmas; so long, flowers, shoots, insects, and peepers—we’ll see you again in the spring! Richard B. Primack is a professor of biology at Boston University and the author of the book “Walden Warming: Climate Change Comes to Thoreau’s Woods.” For the past 14 years, Primack, along with his students and colleagues, has been investigating the effects ... (Wicked Local)