FIGHTING STIGMAS WITH T-SHIRTS

Two creative Berwick, Maine women have come together to start a business around a concept that was originally conceived as an art project.

Menter and Duquette 2013 "If every woman wore a scarlet letter, wouldn't it make it obsolete?"

Artists Erin Duquette and Elisabeth Menter have joined forces to design and launch a unique line of graphic apparel called  Kiss My Disorder.   A few years ago, Erin was working as a part-time artist for Red Fish Blue Fish Dyeworks in Somersworth, NH. She was quietly dealing with epic waves of anxiety after complications from Graves disease.  She was having trouble talking openly about what was wrong.  "I wanted a way to explain my sometimes odd quirks and behavior to the people around me, but I could never find the words," said Duquette.   Then she came up with a simple thought...

"I could open up the conversation by wearing it on a t-shirt."

Duquette set out to make a few t-shirts that splashed "ANXIETY" across the front to show them off on social media. She shared a couple with anxious friends and was able to express her condition openly. She soon found that the previously dreaded chat about her condition was suddenly much easier to initiate.  

However, Duquette's t-shirts opened up more than just conversation. Suddenly, hundreds of emails flooded her inbox and phone calls started coming in with requests for every disorder imaginable.

"Requests have come in from as far as Uganda & Scotland...the verdict is in...everyone has a disorder  that they want to overcome," said Duquette. 

After being laid off from her part time job, Duquette decided to pursue the idea as a business venture under the business name Later Fall. She spent the last of her income on print runs to test fabrics and set out to try the local market at places like Poppyseed Studio in Somersworth and Hayden Sports in Durham, NH.  She met Lis Menter in her Berwick neighborhood last spring and sold her an anxiety t-shirt. This lead to a conversation with Menter about anxiety and depression, two things that Menter had battled with on and off over the years. The two women have been working side by side ever since and learning the ins and outs of how to be modern entrepreneurs, while sensitively handling mental illness with grace and humor. "We started at the beginning, with what we wanted, and what we didn't want in a business. For instance, I knew I never want to work as a grocery clerk again...and I believe in the concept, you can wear your heart on your sleeve,  so why not wear a disorder on your chest?" said Menter.

A creative way to do business... An offer for a free t shirt in exchange for modeling and testing and reporting the quality and fit of the apparel for Later Fall. Shown above is model Stefanie Lynn in a first run Anxiety T shirt.

The two mothers jumped in with combined knowledge and about $48 in a checking account and are very proud of how far they have come in a short time.

"Without Lis, a supportive family, and others helping me when they can, I couldn't have reached the milestones I've hit on this concept," said Duquette.

The two women are launching a Kickstarter campaign soon after the holidays with the hopes that they will be able to aquire the basic tools and equipment needed to get the product into the hands of the customers that are asking for a shirt of their own.

Local singer/songwriter Lizzie Goguet gave two thumbs up on on fabric and style on the second Kiss My Disorder print run.

"The t-shirt business is one of those deals where it's crazy expensive to buy one shirt because of set up costs.  If you can buy 50 shirts, or print them yourself, it then becomes affordable to produce ...right now, I can sell 50 shirts to anyone at a great price, but if you want just one with your disorder on it, I can't help you... it's maddening," said Duquette. A successful crowd fund will provide the ladies with everything needed for the next step of their business, and allow them to produce one or two shirts at a time for their customers.  "Having this equipment is our hope of  growing at a good pace in the competitive apparel business. If in a small way we help someone to overcome their fear of handling a sometimes crippling mental illness, then I would be happy.  These t-shirts make people smile, and a smile goes a long way towards living a good life," said Menter.

The kickstarter campaign is planned to launch in January where clients will finally be able to order up their new favorite disorder t-shirt, as well as help grow a business for two hard working moms that are very deserving.

Find and watch the progress of Kiss My Disorder at www.kissmydisorder.com

Berwick Subs

BERWICK - The Downtown Vision Committee (DVC) has acted as a catalyst within the Berwick community, branching out in directions some didn’t think possible. New committees have sprouted from a movement that started nearly a year ago. What started as a small group of five or six people with a vision to improve downtown Berwick has now multiplied into several equally sized groups that share the same passion. 

Now that the DVC has nearly completed the goal of creating a vision that represents what the community desires, it will be morphing into other committees to follow through with the vision.

DVC co-chair, Jessica Sheldon, will now serve on the Sustainability Committee with DVC member Serena Galleshaw. This committee will be tasked with overseeing the projects of other committees and ensuring that their goals reflect the environmentally friendly standards that Berwick wishes to incorporate into their future downtown. 

“We want to be proactive in the environment,” said Sheldon. “We want to serve as a check and balance against the vision and make sure any ideas from the subcommittees fits the vision and reflects the results of the survey completed by Berwick residents.”

One of the first goals of this committee is to start finding ways to install policies and offer incentives to local businesses to be environmentally responsible. The group also expressed interest in working with local schools and finding ways to get the children involved. 

Berwick resident, Ginny Charron, who is participating in the  Sustainability Committee, said she wanted to start a community garden in Berwick. 

The Berwick Art Association, the first committee to sprout from the DVC, has big plans to start working on a mural on the outside wall of Prime Tanning across from town hall. According to director, Justin Bloom, the project is scheduled to start in May 2014. The BAA encourages and welcomes community participation in this project.

BAA Preliminary Mural Sketch

Also, on the BAA’s upcoming agenda is a winter Art Fair. There are at least thirty art vendors that would potentially be participating in the fair. Details of this event are still being sorted out, but the group hopes to hold the event in downtown Berwick during the second weekend of December between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Dennis Dupuis, owner of Deb & Dukes, is leading the Riverfront Committee. This group is already off to an ambitious start with hopes of utilizing the old water station as a riverfront storage and possible boat launch. 

Dupuis said he aims to organize a kayak and canoe race on the Salmon Falls River next summer. He also wants to start collecting donated kayaks and old canoes for the Recreation Department. 

“It doesn’t take much to fix up an old canoe,” said Dupuis. “I see people looking to get rid of them all the time.” 

At the October 9 DVC meeting, Dupuis presented a photo of a boat launch that was made with concrete pavers and said he hoped Berwick could use that as a model for their own boat launch.

“All it takes is a couple of pavers and we’re in the water!” said Dupuis. 

Berwick resident, Kevin Gray, is heading up the Economic Development Committee with DVC member Frank Underwood. This committee will focus on bringing new businesses to Berwick to expand its tax base.  

There was a former Economic Development group in Berwick between 1998 and 2000, which resulted in the York Hospital building, Kennebunk Savings Bank and the Route 9 industrial park.
One of the group’s immediate goals was to get public works involved with their plans. 

"We need to take into consideration that any new businesses will impact the budgets of our police and fire departments," said Gray.    

Gray also hopes to bring more focus on the Berwick high school to give the town a sense of “school pride”.  

Judy Haley, was at the October 9 DVC meeting representing the Trails Committee. This group is currently working on creating a trail that runs from Penny Pond to the Police Station. 

Haley stated that the group is currently exploring funding options through grants and also hopes to recruit the help of local Boy Scouts to complete upcoming projects.

Paul and Pat Boisvert from the DVC are now leading the Preservation & Heritage Committee. According to Paul Boisvert the group consists of eight “well preserved older people” that are long standing residents of Berwick. 

The groups first task is to define what in Berwick take preservation priority. It was the general consensus of the group that the cemeteries would be an ideal starting point.

Paul Boisvert also expressed concern over communication with Berwick resident and the lack of media venues available to channel information. 

“I’m worried that all we’ve accomplished will go down the tubes if we don’t find a way to keep communicating with residents and getting the news out there on what we’re doing,” said Paul Boisvert. 

Sheldon agreed with that statement. 

“Any opportunity we have to engage the community should be taken because the last thing we want is a small group of people sitting around tables making big decisions without trying to reach out to the community for input,” said Sheldon. 

These committees are all in the infant stages and welcome members or individuals interesting in contributing to the greater vision of Berwick. 

Upcoming Committee meetings are as follows:

Economic Development: 
October 22, at the Summit Church, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

River Committee: 
October 23, at Deb & Dukes, 5:00 p.m.

Preservation & Heritage: 
October 21, 9 a.m., Summit Church

Berwick Art Association: 
October 16, Berwick Library, 5:30 p.m.
Meets every first and third Wednesday of the month.

Trails Committee: 
October 21, Town Hall, 6:30 p.m. 

Artists Join Educators

BERWICK – Artists and educators join together to benefit students at Central School in South Berwick.

According to Kate Smith, who teaches music at Central School, the after school program known as WOW (We Offer Wonders) aims to incorporate art into the program for elementary students Pre-K through third grade. The program has previously included lessons in performing arts, cooking and sports.

“We’re trying a new Artsy WOW, something we've never done before.” said Smith.

The four week program would likely start in November at a cost of $20 per child. The cost would cover snacks and a one hour lesson once a week from a local artist. The local artist would receive a sum of $100 regardless of how many students participated.

“Any extra money that could potentially be earned would be used for scholarship funds either for this WOW program or summer camps,” said Smith.

Students would assemble at 3:15 and take fifteen minutes to eat a light snack, use the bathroom and settle in. The lesson would then run from 3:30 to 4:30 and would be age appropriate for students as young as four and as old as nine.

Smith approached the Berwick Art Association at their September 18 meeting to recruit any artists that might be interested in teaching the course. Member Ruth Bleau showed immediate interest in working with the children.

Bleau said she wasn’t sure at first what art lessons she could offer the young students. However, the more she thought about it, the more she began to recall days of her own youth where she spent time outside collecting beautiful things and turning them into interesting objects.

“I would love to instill in these children a love of the outdoors, the beauty of everyday things,” said Bleau “I am thinking of collecting cones, acorns, leaves, bark, lichen - what have you and making objects. Cones turn into Christmas decorations, maybe we can make wreaths from evergreen branches. I would love to try bracelets made from birch bark. The idea is really to enjoy being outside and appreciating nature but with added benefits.”

This hands-on approach fits in ideally with Smith’s goal of encouraging kids to “wonder about the world”. We want students to stop and think about their curiosities or problems before running directly to Google or grabbing a calculator, explained Smith.

“Absolutely the ability to research is a good skill to have but so is the ability to investigate, problem solve, deduce, eliminate, estimate,” said Smith.

Smith also pointed out that with classes getting cut back kids have to make harder choices today about what lessons they want to pursue. Programs like WOW offer those children a chance to explore areas that are being cut from many school itineraries.

Source

Happy Ending for 37 Rescued Cats

BERWICK – The level of community support received after The Red Barn Pet Services took in 37 rescued cats has left shelter owner, Peg Wheeler, with a renewed sense of faith in humanity.
 
On August 31, Berwick police responded to a call reporting a concern regarding multiple cats at a residence on River Street in Berwick. When Officer Bill Kelloway arrived he quickly learned that the woman at the residence had a warrant out for her arrest. 

However, after Kelloway determined there was no food in the house to feed the 37 cats, his first priority was to relocate the animals to a safe location. The woman, whose name has not been released, surrendered the cats voluntarily. 

The cats were transported to The Red Barn Pet Services in Berwick where the condition of their health was checked. No major health issues were found in any of the felines. However, Wheeler reports that they were all covered in fleas.  The cost to test and treat the cats was nearly $1,500.

“It was a miracle with this many cats in such a small space that the cats were as healthy as they were,” said Wheeler. 

According to Wheeler, amongst the 37 cats rescued one was a cat only six months old that is due to deliver a litter of kittens any day.  The oldest cat in custody was only ten months.

“It all started with two cats that were not spayed and just kept having kittens. Then those kittens started having kittens,” explained Wheeler. 

Shortly after the story reached the media, Wheeler was inundated with people from surrounding communities that were anxious to lend a helping hand.  People from Sanford, Biddeford, Portland and even Bangor started dropping of cash donations and supplies, said Wheeler. 

A visit to The Red Barn revealed dozens of economy sized bags of cats food, 700 pounds of cat litter and other supplies lining the walls. 

“There was a line of people going down the street, eager to adopt or donate,” said Wheeler. “I couldn’t believe it.” 

As of Sept. 10, there were four litters of kittens that were placed into foster homes, leaving 13 other cats that are quickly being adopted. 

Source

Berwick Residents Questions Selectmen Motives

BERWICK – The board of selectmen in Berwick faced some heavy criticism from displeased residents at the September 3 selectmen meeting. Two residents stepped forth during the public comment segment of the meeting to voice their concern over the lack of consistency in the manner that public meetings are announced.  

The standard procedure for most towns is to post public meetings on the town’s website, which isn’t always done in Berwick. However, the real subject of discourse seems to surround, not the website, but the sign outside town hall that has come to be an expected source of notification from residents. Many residents are upset that this sign is not used in a consistent manner to announce public meetings. 

  

When faced with complaints regarding the lack of public notice of town meetings at the last two selectmen meetings, town manager Patrick Venne, stated town officials have been in compliance with Maine state law’s requirements for notice of public meetings.  

However, Maine state law is rather vague on the method and length of notice that towns are required to give to the public stating: Public notice must be given in ample time to allow public attendance and must be disseminated in a manner reasonably calculated to notify the general public in the jurisdiction served by the body or agency.  

The question then comes into play: What is considered ample time?  

According to Berwick resident Oscar Stone, some meetings have only been posted hours before the meeting was scheduled to take place. Stone has spoken to this issue at the past two selectmen meetings, and many other times by Stone's own admission, yet the problem persists. 

At the August 19 selectmen meeting Stone referred to the board as a "bunch of sleazeballs" that had a hidden agenda to intentionally conduct business without the knowledge of the public. At the September 3 selectmen meeting, Stone merely suggested that the board suffered from general "incompetence".

Berwick resident, Mike Reed, joined the crusade against the town’s procedures in meeting notification. At the September 3 selectmen meeting Reed indicated that the recent meeting regarding the fire department’s report to the selectmen was never on the sign.  

“I’m very disappointed in the board of selectmen and the town manager’s procedures,” said Reed. “The perception around town is that this board wants to do things behind closed doors without letting residents know.”  

Reed also claimed that many long-time residents have been forced to move from Berwick because of the excessive spending the town has approved.  

Selectman Bart Haley, acknowledged the oversight of some meetings not being posted on the sign and one instance where a meeting was posted without a complete time. At the aforementioned fireman's report meeting, the sign outside town hall read: Meeting 30 PM. Haley stated he believed the reason for this was the town didn't have a seven for the board as most meetings typical start at five or six. Haley also assured Reed that they had appointed a town clerk with the responsibility of keeping up with the sign and that the problem would cease to exist.  

Board of selectman member, Eleanor Murphy, stated that the sign was a relatively new means of media and implied it wasn’t an official tool of communication.  

“There was never even a motion to put the sign up,” said Murphy. “As far as I’m concerned that board [sign] belongs to the former selectman that purchased it.” 

Venne also acknowledged Stone and Reed’s complaints at the meeting.  

“Your concerns are not falling on deaf ears, but all legal obligations were met,” said Venne.  

“What’s legal is not always what’s right for the town,” said Reed.  

Source

Getting Fresh in Berwick

BERWICK – The Berwick Coffee House and General Store, located on Route 9 in Berwick is now under new ownership. Former owner, Peter Pastor, sold the business to new owners, John Holder and Charlene Turgeon, in July.

Holder and his fiancé, Turgeon, decided to purchase the business after Holder responded to a craigslist ad for a store manager with the possibility of ownership.  Holder was immediately attracted to the idea of managing the Coffee House and General Store.

After speaking with Pastor, Holder became convinced that buying the business was something he and his fiancé needed to pursue. Initially, Turgeon was leery of the idea. However, when she learned that the store was owned by Peter Pastor, she was sold.

“I knew Peter from the days when he owned The Bread & Butter General Store in York,” said Turgeon. “Once I knew it was Peter’s store, I immediately felt comfortable with the idea because I knew everything he did was successful.”

Turgeon brings over 15 years of customer service to the business. Paired with Holder’s 20 years of restaurant service and management, the couple felt they couldn’t go wrong.

The store will soon become known as The Berwick General Store & Deli. Holder and Turgeon felt that they wanted to change the name to bring more focus onto the deli side of the business.

“We didn’t feel that coffee house was a good description of the store,” said Holder. “We also felt changing the name would make it noticeable that the store is under new ownership.”

However, the name of the business is not the only thing that is changing about the store. According to Holder, the store started focusing on bringing a fresher quality to the deli food. They started by baking their own muffins in the store daily, having doughnuts delivered each day from Brookline Bakery, and using fresh beef instead of frozen. They have also taken a healthier approach to food preparation by cooking pizza without oil.

Turgeon said the store has a history of bringing in more revenue from the general store items than from the deli. The couple aims to change that by putting more focus on the deli service.

“We feel that there is real value in being able to have a conversation with the person making your meal verses buying a pre-packaged sandwich that was dropped off by a truck,” said Turgeon. 

Although, Holder and Turgeon are taking a "fresh" approach to some aspects of the general store, they also recognize the importance of keeping the popular items like, New England coffee, Oakhurst milk and AJ's Rush that keep customers coming back. 

“We’re still trying to carry what the locals are used to,” said Holder. “We just want to bring a fresher, healthier, quality to it.”

John Holder and his fiance, Charlene Turgeon

Reigning Cats

BERWICK – It’s no big secret that Berwick, like many other local towns, is overpopulated with feral and stray cats. Many towns choose to ignore the problem.  However, one Berwick resident has decided to take action toward alleviating the pressures that the growing homeless cat population in Berwick is putting on local shelters.  

Peg Wheeler, owner of Red Barn Pet Services, has helped organize a spay and neuter clinic for low income residents. The two “Spay Days” are scheduled for Saturday, August 24 and Saturday, September 7 at the Berwick Police Department. Residents can drop their cat off at the police department Saturday morning to be taken for treatment at a local clinic. Pets will be transported back to the police station that same day for pick up. The cost is $20 per pet. However, openings are limited.

“There have been very positive results in other towns that have implemented spay days,” said Wheeler. “If we could make this work in Berwick, we could have a big impact on the problem.”

Wheeler was inspired to take action when she saw the positive effect Rebecca Chassey from Voice for Animals had on the feral cat population at the transfer station.  Chassey trapped dozens of feral cats at the transfer station, transported them to a spay and neuter clinic, and released them to “host families” that have previously agreed to manage the wild cats. 

“Rebecca is one of those unsung heros,” said Wheeler. “She pretty much single-handedly solved what would have become a huge town problem.”

Wheeler said that her shelter has received “buckets of cats” from the transfer station, many of them sick and in need of medical care. After the cats are treated, Wheeler takes the cats to a location where they can be managed by sponsors. The cats are fed in a cage for two days at a pre-arranged location and then released on the hopes that they will remain in that area. 

“Once a cat becomes feral, it can't make the transition to domestic pet,” explained Wheeler.

According to Wheeler, most of the stray cat populations are found in areas surrounding low income housing. Currently, landlords in Berwick are not required to ask potential tenants to provide proof that their pet has been spayed or neutered. Wheeler believes that if this were a requirement, it would greatly reduce the problem. 

The Spay Days in Berwick were funded largely in part by the Animal Welfare Society’s Cleo Fund. However, Berwick Police Benevolent Association and Red Barn Pet Services also each made a $200 donation toward the cause.  It’s Wheeler’s hope that the sponsored “Spay Days” in Berwick will be an annual event.  

“If we keep chipping away at the problem we might be able to eventually eliminate the issue,” said Wheeler. “Doing nothing is not the answer.”

Source

To reserve a place in the program, qualified individuals should call the Animal Welfare Society at 207-985-3244 extension 120.

Berwick Art Association Plans Downtown Facelift

BERWICK - Residents of Berwick can expect a change of scenery in their downtown area, courtesy of the Berwick Art Association (BAA). The group has obtained permission to paint a mural on the outside walls of Prime Tanning, adjacent from town hall, and plans to submit a draft for final approval early next week.

Obtaining permission from the legal representatives of Prime Tanning was no easy feat, said BAA co-chair Justin Bloom. According to Bloom, the group made calls daily to Prime Tanning representatives for over a month before they finally reached an agreement that would allow the association to paint a mural.

Part of that agreement was the BAA could claim no ownership to the artwork on the wall. This would mean that if and when Prime Tanning is demolished, the group could not take legal action to protect their artwork.

However, the group has already found a “state of the art” method in preserving their work through one or more companies that create digital time montages using GPS and cell phones. The way it works is a company, like Circa, creates an app for a cell phones that enables the phone to access photos of what a certain location looked like in different stages of history, simply by pointing the cell phone at the desired location.

The group plans on documenting the progress of constructing the mural and uploading the photos to Circa. In this way, the Berwick mural will be immortalized in history archives.

“Even if we can only put something up for two years before it is torn down, it’s better than nothing at all,” said Bloom.

The group of artists plan to create a rural scene of rivers, trees and farmlands that runs at least 500 feet along the Prime Tanning wall. Within the rural scene there will be designated shaded areas, outlined by simplistic shapes, that will be made available to the members of the public that would like to contribute to the mural. The end result will resemble a quilt-like design.

“We want to let anyone that wants to participate, including youth groups, have access to the wall,” said Bloom.

Although Bloom said town officials do not oppose the idea, they are not in any position to fund the project. Therefore, the financial obligation would fall solely on the BAA.

BAA founder Erin Duquette, said she has already made contact with several painting businesses that are willing to donate services and materials to prepare the wall for the mural. These materials and services would be given in exchange for a small company logo incorporated onto the wall.

Final approval of the project is pending design acceptance from Prime Tanning’s legal representatives. Bloom said that he also plans on presenting a draft to town officials to make sure they do not oppose to the contents of the design. 

Source

Could you see something like this in downtown Berwick?

Letter to the Editor: Berwick's Possibilities

7 Additions I want to see in

Downtown Berwick: A path to a vibrant and prosperous village center.

Author: James Peter Bellissimo

Photo credit: GLA, A Division of BETA Group, Inc.

It’s not everyday a village has an opportunity to create a downtown from scratch.

Have high aspirations folks!

Because innovative, sustainable ideas that solve problems attract major funding. There are millions  (more on this in future articles) of dollars in Grant money available. The issue is not financial; it is a challenge of vision and creativity, which we all encompass.

These additions serve to spark a whole new local economy that Berwick hasn’t seen before, which could create enough opportunity to employ and sustain local village members. Initiatives like a Wellness Center and Music Amphitheater help to bring people in town, serving as a central draw that other local businesses can thrive of off.

These additions are designed to beautify our environment and bring people together, giving community members a comfortable and most importantly a meaningful way to interact.

So without further ado, here are my top 7 things I’d like to see added to Berwick’s downtown area:

#7 New Welcome to Berwick signs

How about something we can get done right away?

Questions:

Coming across the Somersworth/Berwick Bridge, what are some things that we could add that add to the town’s aesthetics? What would you want to see removed?

What kind of welcome sign would you like to see?

Some notable responses from the survey:

“Where the river meets recreation.”

“Where you always feel at home.”

“A Place to Build Memories.”

#6 Public transportation

I want to see convenient and comfortable public transportation to spots like Portland, ME, I say Portland because I go to school there, (add wherever you’d like to go as well.)  It’s about connecting to other towns.

While it may not make sense at first to give people an easy option to leave Berwick, the idea is that our vision will create enough interest for people to actually want to come into town.

How’s this for a marketing campaign:

Escape the city; come to Berwick, a fresh breath of air.

Give people an option to take a bus into town = less cars = less traffic, more walking and this means more business for local shops.

#5 Berwick Resource Center

Much like the library, where you can go to and “rent,” but instead of books or movies, you’d be renting essential equipment, tools and machines that help get stuff done around your house or for the community. Having these resources readily available, open access, allows for things to get done in the moment. And besides, not every single person in our 7,000+ member community needs a screwdriver right? Not just limited to tools either, how about exchanging skills?

How valuable would it be to have local skill-trades? Want to learn about carpentry? Great, Mr. _____ has been doing it for 25 years, oh you have a skill to offer the town? Awesome, let’s share our gifts and learn to exchange locally.

Photo credit: Century 21 Newson Associates

Potential Location: 25 Sawmill Hill Road

Potential other uses for this building: Restaurant, Function Facility, School (Day Care, Pre-school, Dance, Ballet, Yoga, Gymnastics, Karate), Retail (Grocery, Gym etc.), Town Recreation area and facility.

This location is right across the street from the Salmon Falls River!

 

Source

#4 Intellectual Café
A place you go to cultivate ideas. The whole environment is set up for collaboration and inspiration. Also a place where you can grab something delicious and healthy!

Example: treehouse institute creates “unique physical spaces to foster collaborative creativity.

#3 Berwick Rec Center

I play basketball. It’s a great way to build instant connections, community is found through common unions.  How much could our local athletes benefit from having a place to play sports? Maybe something like the USM field house in Gorham Maine. You could also do track, indoor soccer. Hold tournaments and competitions for all ages. This building could double as a Wellness Center, something like Health Food Store and Yoga By Donation in Portsmouth.

Photo credit: University Of Southern Maine

#2 Greenway trail system

A greenway trail system, accessible to bikes and horses, would be a unique and pleasing way to get to different points of the downtown area. Connecting the library, Berwick Rec Fields, new Resource Center and Rec Center;) and Downtown, throughout the town.

During the winter, we could get around by snowshoe and XC skiing.

Trail connections could also connect to neighboring towns

#1 Berwick Outdoor Amphitheater

Human expression, music brings people together, it transcends perceived differences. It’s a tool that has been used since, well ever by our species to connect. This amphitheater would serve as a central draw for the downtown area. Local restaurants, specialty shops in Berwick would majorly benefit from 500-1,000 people in town.

Potential Cultural Event:

How cool would a New Year’s Winter Music/Arts festival be in town?!

 

Source - Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival

Could you see something like this in town?

Comparison: Cochecho Arts Festival – Dover NH

“The Friday Night Headliner Concerts are the signature Series of the Festival, with average crowds ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 per night.  Music lovers of all ages flock to Henry Law Park (Corner of Washington St and Henry Law Ave) with picnic blankets, lawn chairs, friends and family to enjoy music in a setting that truly epitomizes the charm and sense of community found only in New England cities as vibrant and historic as Dover.” Source

What about our rural culture?

What would you rather see? 

Photo Credit: St. Germain Collins Environmental Consulting Group

Photo Credit: Statesman Journal / Timothy J. Gonzalez

The additions suggested keep in mind that we want to stay away from overdeveloping and looking like a concrete mess. Comfort, sustainability and aesthetics are extremely important.

“Do we have the “market to make these additions tangible?”

We have 10,000 cars that drive through our town daily to get somewhere to do something that’s obviously vacant from our town. There are 50,000+ people within a 25-mile radius of our town.

“What about parking and traffic flow?”

Needless to say, this is essential to figure out. We attempted to address in these challenges in this initial sketch, which was completed after our first Charette  on May 2^nd . If you have any ideas, please to share!

There’s so much more to discuss!

I hope this article got you thinking about what’s truly possible! But of course these are just possibilities. To make stuff like this happen it will require our town to get on the same page! I’ve seen some amazing things already in our community and I’m inspired. I’ve called Berwick my home for my entire life of 24 years and intend to stay.

We’re a gateway to Maine, let’s be a shining example of what a vibrant community looks like!

Until next time,

James

Do you agree? Disagree? I would love to hear your comments.

Feel free to post on the Facebook page

Or e-mail me @ Bellissimo247@Gmail.com

Painting the Town Red

BERWICK - Berwick’s newly formed art association aims to “paint the town red” next month in a kick off to the group’s agenda on upcoming community events.

On August 24, at 11 a.m., members of the Berwick Art Association (BAA) will gather at the Lady of Peace church on Saw Mill Road in Berwick for a live sketching session. A mysterious woman, modeling a fabulous red gown, will pose for local artists as they form a collaborative sketching session.

Members of the community, artistic, non-artistic or just plain curious are invited to attend and participate in the day’s events. Professional photographer, David Mendelson will be on site throughout the day documenting the occasion.

“This event will serve as a testing ground for future art fairs,” said BAA member and local artist Erin Duquette.

The group has coordinated the event with realtor, Bill Green, who is currently trying to sell the old church for Reverend John Skehan. According to Duquette, Green was more than willing to help the BAA with a site location to host their assembly.

“It’s also providing an opportunity for the church to be seen and attract a potential buyer,” said Duquette. “So it was a win-win situation for both parties.”

The BAA was also quick to form an alliance with the art community in Somersworth. BAA member Justin Bloom said the group has been invited to participate in the Hidden Treasures art fair hosted by Friends of Somersworth. The event, scheduled for September 28, would raise money for charity by donating at least 50 percent of art sales.

“I will donate art,” said Duquette. “I want to see Somersworth succeed in their arts because its just as important.”

Another project the BAA hopes to aspire to includes helping Richard DeCosta of Scarborough with set design for an opera. DeCosta has a series of YouTube videos that are collectively forming his grand vision of an opera about aliens that seek freedom from domination.

More locally, the BAA is currently working to obtain permission to create a mural on the outside walls of Prime Tanning.

At the July 17 BAA meeting, members discussed what they would like to see on the wall, who would be part of the creation, and what costs it may incur. Currently, the group feels that they do not have the support of the town on this project because of the likelihood that Prime Tanning will eventually be demolished.

Member Gloria Houlne said the wall mural could serve as a vision for what the space could be in the future, like a park or a café scene.

Bloom said that he would love to work with the Berwick school district to get students actively involved in the process.

“I could think of seventy kids that would be dying to do something like that,” said BAA member Stefanie Lynn.

The group meets weekly at 5:30 at the Berwick library and welcomes artistic members of the community to participate. For more information on upcoming events visit: www.berwickarts.weebly.com

Source

This is not the mysterious woman. This is not the red dress. To see either, attend the event.

Trails Committee Steps Forth in Berwick

BERWICK - A new committee in Berwick was born this week when the Trails Committee held their first successful meeting Thursday night at town hall. Town planner, John Stoll, and Downtown Vision Committee co-chair, Jessica Sheldon, met with three volunteers that expressed interest in developing trail systems in Berwick.

The group immediately identified the need to create a networking between locals that can contribute information on where existing trails are located.

“There are a lot of people that know a lot of trails and it would be great if we could get them all together and make this information known to the general public,” said Berwick resident Ben Watts.

Sheldon suggested a semi-formal dinner where potential stakeholders could gather and start conversation with each other on what could be done if they worked together to create a trail system.

The committee mapped out the trails they knew existed and advanced to brainstorming ideas for new trail systems. Some of the areas that were under discussion included Cemetery Road, Blackberry Hill Road, Pine Hill Road, Diamond Hill Road, and the elusive area between Logan and Dobson Road where the little known Penny Pond is said to exist.

Town Planner, John Stoll maps out existing trails with Berwick residents Ben Watts and Natalie Gould at the first Trails Committee Meeting in Berwick.

“Penny Pond isn’t really a pond, it’s more of a marsh right now,” said Stoll.

Stoll also spoke of the possibility of creating a trail system on two parcels of land off Blackberry Hill Road that were donated for land conservation.

“Just because it is conservation land doesn’t mean that we can’t create a trail on it,” said Stoll. “It means we can’t develop on it.”

Stoll suggested that landowners in the area may be in favor of the idea due to rumored squatters that were sitting on “land that wasn’t technically owned by anyone.”

The most feasible idea that came from the brainstorming session was creating a trail that ran from the Berwick Police Station to the Library. 

“Seeing the town owns all that land, it would be relatively easy to create a trail there,” said Stoll.

“The library is a great community asset but it’s a scary route to walk,” said Berwick resident Christine Irvin.

The idea was a hit with Sheldon who stated one of the things she would like to see most in Berwick was a way of connecting downtown to other parts of Berwick by trail.

Berwick resident Natalie Gould said adding a sidewalk in that area might be a possibility by means of utilizing a grant program called Safe Road to School.

“Well, I can tell you it’s certainly not a safe road to school right now,” said Sheldon.

The committee concluded the meeting by drafting a list of businesses, potential stakeholders, and organizations they could call upon for help in their efforts to move forward with the trail development tasks. The list included, but was not limited to, Eastern Trail Association, Rails to Trails Program, Salmon Falls Nursery, SAD 60, Great Works and PSNH.

“We want this to be a positive experience that nobody is going to be against and everybody is going to want,” said Stoll. 

Source

 

 If you could add a trail anywhere, where would it be, and why?