This Week's Haul, March 5: Jeezum crow, look at him go!
And: Rebuke the careless cougher, sneezer and spitter!
Good morning from eastern Maine, where this week, in addition to existing with the knowledge that our government is hell-bent on destabilizing the entire Middle East and killing entire schools full of children in the process, I also had a tooth pulled. Good times!
Watch this guy bomb down the Hogback Mountain sled track in Montville and set a new track record at 33.49 seconds. Jeezum crow, buddy! It looks simultaneously terrifying and awesome; like bobsled meets luge meets literally just sledding down a hill. Would you try it? Thanks to subscriber Erik Perkins for sharing the video with me!
Intrigued by this new Maine-set thriller novel, “How To Survive In The Woods,” by Kat Rosenfield, set to hit stores this Tuesday. I wonder if any advice she might have for surviving in the Maine wilderness is the same as the advice outdoorspeople in Maine have about it?
Remember that New York couple that allegedly poisoned their 90-something-year-old neighbor’s trees in Rockport just so they could get a nicer view from their property? Update: they got slapped with a $3,000 fine by the state, but that’s it. Some neighbors!
Bangor-area restaurant news corner: Bangor Sandwich Company is moving into the space formerly occupied by Grind House, which abruptly closed after its owner got in trouble with the IRS AND got sued. I really like Bangor Sandwich’s food! They make a surprisingly excellent Cubano! I hope they know, however, that if you spend more than a minute or two inside 1 Central St., you will walk out smelling like whatever’s most recently been cooked in there. The ventilation in that building is permanently f-ed. Giacomo’s couldn’t fix it. Grind House couldn’t fix it. Maybe Bangor Sandwich will find the solution. Until then: onion-scented hair for everyone.
A personal note: I just want to thank everyone that’s supported The Other Maine with a paid subscription since we launched paid four months ago. Because of you, this publication is now well on its way to sustainability. That means more guest writers (if you’ve got a cool idea, hit me up at emilyburnham207 (at) gmail dot com!), more fun (and time-intensive!) interactive and compelling stories, and more resources to put towards everything else. I’m so grateful that I get to do this. Thank you!
Hard to believe that covid lockdowns began six years ago this week! It seems like it happened both yesterday and a thousand years ago. Have we, as a society, learned our lessons and moved on from it both psychologically and policy-wise? Survey says: Not really! Ironically, 100 years ago this week the BDN ran this public service announcement from the still-new Maine Public Health Association encouraging folks to scold - nay, yell at! - people who cough in public. In fact, it literally says you should “rebuke the careless cougher, sneezer and spitter in your vicinity” lest you spread influenza and other diseases around. In 2026, RFK Jr. would likely suggest people actually cough directly into other people’s mouths so they can achieve immunity to all diseases. And eat liver. And work out in jeans.
Music & Dance
March 6: Last Embrace, Fake Smile, BLUNTFORCETRAUMA, and Bite the Bullet, 7 p.m., The Old Town Theatre, Old Town
March 6: 40 Thieves, folk-rock duo, 7 p.m., Hey Sailor, Searsport
March 7: Mnozil Brass, classical fusion ensemble, 7 p.m., Collins Center for the Arts, University of Maine, Orono
March 7: Slaine, U2 tribute band, 7 p.m., Hey Sailor, Searsport
March 9: Rock Orchestra By Candlelight, 7 p.m., Collins Center for the Arts, University of Maine, Orono
March 10: University of Maine Concert Band plays with area high school bands, 7 p.m., Collins Center for the Arts, University of Maine, Orono
March 11: Bagaduce Music House Party featuring Lissa Schneckenburger and Garrett Cameron, 7:30 p.m., 49 South Street, Blue Hill
Theatre & Comedy
March 4-8: Penobscot Theatre Company presents “The Darker The Night, The Brighter The Stars,” new play by John Cariani, nightly, Bangor Opera House, Bangor
March 6-8: Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Maine presents “Princess Ida,” Grand Theatre, Ellsworth
March 6-8: UMaine School of Performing Arts presents “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,” shows daily, Hauck Auditorium, University of Maine, Orono
March 7: Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers present “The Legend of the Banana Kid,” 10:30 a.m., Blue Hill Town Hall, Blue Hill
March 6-7: Haunting Hour, live readings of scary stories by Penobscot Theatre actors, 9 p.m., The Stage Door, Bangor
March 7: Get Your Green On drag show, 6:30 p.m., Old Town Elks Lodge, Old Town
Arts, Books, Film & Culture
March 5: Talk by author and artist David Florig on his new book, “Negative Peace,” 7 p.m., Blue Hill Public Library, Blue Hill
March 10: Talk and presentation by multimedia artist Jen de los Reyes, 5:30 p.m., Innovative Media Resource Center, University of Maine, Orono
March 10: “How to Repair and Mend Your Clothing By Hand,” 6 p.m., Bangor Public Library, Bangor
March 10: “Gear Up For Big Night,” workshop on preparing for annual amphibian migration, 6 p.m., Fields Pond Audubon Center, Holden
March 11: “Through Her Lens: Women Photographers of Midcoast Maine, 1885-1925,” talk by Penobscot Marine Museum curator Matt Wheeler, 7 p.m., Blue Hill Public Library, Blue Hill
Fairs, Festivals, Markets, Outdoors & Misc.
March 10: “Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat: Live on Stage,” children’s show, 6 p.m., Cross Insurance Center, Bangor
Last week we asked you what your greatest Marden’s finds were - the best deals, the most random things, the items you’re most proud of snagging and still use to this day. You had a lot to say! Here are some highlights.
Probably the 10 pairs of Cole Haan shoes I bought for $10 each, or the $20 Doc Martens. - Chris, Bangor
The best deal was finding a Bodum French Press coffee maker for cheap. They usually run $40! - Dan, Belfast
I bought a dress to wear to my daughter’s wedding! I bought it at Marden’s for $9 in a last-ditch attempt to find a dress locally before heading to a mall. - Susan
My dad was an old friend of Mr. Marden, who started the store. I once got a leather couch, two matching chairs, a love seat, a fridge and a dresser from the Waterville store. The manager at the time, Paul LePage, freaked out about it because Mr. Marden said to sell it all to us at cost - and threw in a free pair of work boots and gloves. And then he made LePage load our truck for us. - Tony, Bangor
I worked at Marden’s when I was a teenager in the 90s. I chose Marden’s as one of my first part-time jobs because I loved the thrilling possibility of finding unusual items or incredible deals. I was also drawn to the disorganization and occasionally chaotic vibe that set it apart from other stores. It’s been so long that I don’t remember much of anything that I bought there. But I still have a wooden duck signed by all the staff as a goodbye present when I left for college. I keep it to always remind me of Marden’s and that time in my life. - Bernadette, New York City
We were in there looking for some furniture for the lake house rental and happened upon a $3500 dining table and chairs for $500. It now lives in our house and the one that it replaced moved to our camp. Winner, winner chicken dinner! - Julie, Dedham
Most surprising was a slew of Bauhaus albums and Bauhaus-member-spin-off albums; I think I even once found a My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult album there. - Will, Bangor
A pair of Japanese raw denim jeans for $20. A NOS pair of binoculars from 1987, all case candy included, for $10. And, when I was a kid, my grandmother bought me a literal black garbage “grab bag” from Marden’s that was honestly incredible. Included were a bunch of packets of “instant ooze” that made a grainy porridge-like slop when you added water, and other packets of “powdered light” (glow in the dark powder) that my cousin and I combined to make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mutagen in the bathroom sink. - Ian, Portland
After the 9/11 attack in NYC, the Brewer Mardens received a huge shipment of smoke- and water-damaged clothing — high end designer stuff, outlandish, kinky, incredibly anachronistic in that dingy store. People paraded around in that stuff for months. - Meg, Stockton Springs
I am an old time Marden’s shopper, and one story goes back to when they were in Brewer next to the IGA. Larry Bird announced he was retiring, and we had a picture of Larry Bird my wife had picked up at Mardens for a quarter. We were having a yard sale and she put $2 on the picture and people were arguing over it. My wife sent me to Marden’s to get more, so I made the very short trip and bought all they had. She marked them $2 and we sold out that day - I think 40 or 50 in total. A good Marden’s story and yard sale story since all the yard sale customers had to drive by Marden’s to get to our yard! - Don, Brewer
I saw a pair of John Fluevog shoes in the Ellsworth Marden’s. They were selling for something like $25 and they retailed for $150+ at the time. - Janea, Seattle
Copious yardage of perfect pink wool crepe for $3/yard. I bought some other wool for my mom, but I don’t remember the color. Gorgeous find. - Marie, Freeport
My cowboy boots. I always wanted a pair but convinced myself I couldn’t afford them even if they came in my size. Lo and behold, there they were at Marden’s: $70. Which was $65 more than I had to spend. I walked away and regretted my decision immediately. 2 weeks later I walked in for something else and there they still were. Still $70. But I took it as a sign and bought the boots. Who needs to eat? 15 years later they still bring me to my happy place. And add more than an inch to my 6’10” height. Which is SUPER important. - Sam, Bangor