Winter's Farmer's Market

BERWICK - Last month Berwick hosted it's first ever Winter's Market inside Town Hall. The event went far better than anyone could have expected with many of the vendors actually selling out of the produce and items they had prepared for the event.

"Nearly all the vendors said sales either met or, in many cases, exceeded their expectations," said Jessica Sheldon who helped coordinate the event. "They spoke so highly of their experience other vendors contacted me soon after with an interest in participating. There were so many that I could not accept them all."

Vendors were not the only ones that were surprised at the strong turn out. Berwick resident, Ryan Johnson and his wife Jessica both attended the event and were amazed at that most of the vendors looked pretty much cleaned out.

"We must have gotten there toward the tail end of the event," said Ryan Johnson. "Everything looked pretty well depleted. Leaven sold out of all their breads by the time we got there. There were definitely a lot more people there than we expected to see. It was a very cool thing."

Johnson, also commented that he was pleased to see live music incorporated into the event.

"It definitely helped to create a very positive energy within the room," said Johnson.

Although it's only been a couple of weeks since the last Farmer's Market, vendors are already gearing up for the next market event taking place on February 16th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Along with additional vendors, new to the February market will be two community tables. The Berwick Library will be offering information on gardening classes that they will be offering and Great Works will be offering information on conservation projects in Berwick. Also, market goers can expect to see a new guest speaker, Matt Kochka who will be making a presentation on how to plan spring gardens.

"The general feeling at the market was a true delight," said Sheldon. "With nearly 375 people that passed through, the activity never stopped from opening to close. It wasn't just a market filled with delicious foods, it was a fun and festive day of seeing people you knew, conversing with vendors, enjoying the music, learning new things, shopping locally and sharing the warmth of good company on a cold, snowy winter day."

Winter Farmer's Market Comes to Berwick

BERWICK - The latest development to emerge from the Downtown Vision Committee efforts is a Winter Farmer's Market that will begin January 19, inside Berwick Town Hall. 

The market is scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every third Sunday of the month until the end of March. 

The market will include up to 25 vendors from local farms and will feature a large variety of items including, meat, jams, baked goods, soups, honey, maple syrup, eggs, cheese - and yes, even vegetables! 

The market was organized by the Sustainability Committee, led by DVC member Jessica Sheldon, who has experience in managing other local Farmer's markets. 

"We are pretty pleased because we have a huge variety of items," said Sheldon. 

Sheldon said the most prominent item at the market is likely to be meat. Locals can expect to purchase a wide selection of meat including, bison, pork, chicken, lamb, fish, beef, and even goat meat. 

"There is hardly a meat in existence that we don't have," stated Sheldon. 

Riverside Farm in North Berwick will be providing fresh vegetables such as sweet potatoes, squash, cabbage, beets and onions. Maine Herb Farm will be contributing potatoes and garlic. Other participating farms include, Spirit Wind Farm in Lebanon, Gauthier Farms in Rochester and Our 4ever Farm in Barrington.   

In addition to local produce, the market will also offer soap, salves, lip balm, pottery, yarn, scarfs and other craft items. 

There will also be a special presentation at each market to provide an educational component to the event. 

On January 19, Bridgewater Farm of South Berwick will be presenting The Evolution of Farming and Where We Are Today. 

On February 16, local crop expert Matthew Kochka, will be speaking on seed starting and strategic garden planning. 

On March 16, there will be a visual display museum on the lexicon of sustainability.

Vendors are charged a reasonable price of $12 per table to set up shop and conduct business. Sheldon said she wanted to offer vendors a price that was hard to pass up because they would be taking a risk at a new event and location. 

Sheldon pays special thanks to the Town of Berwick and Berwick Recreational Department for offering the space for the market. 

"Part of the vision for Berwick is getting people downtown to use the space for something other than voting," said Sheldon. "We hope to do it again next year if all is successful, and I am betting it will be!" 

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.

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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. 

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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.  

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