The Penobscot Valley Is Building the Future

Two very different projects in Old Town and Hampden are putting a spotlight on something we don’t always associate with our part of Maine: next-generation manufacturing and technology.

In Old Town, TurbineOne has opened T1 MachineWorks at the airport business park. The new operation brings together advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and autonomous-system technology in a facility built around producing real-world equipment and creating skilled jobs here in the region.

A few miles away in Hampden, University of Maine researchers are taking another kind of Maine-built project to the water.

3Dirigo X is a 30-foot boat produced using large-scale 3D printing technology. It’s another example of the work coming out of UMaine’s research and advanced-fabrication efforts — taking ideas developed here in Maine and showing what can be done with new materials, new manufacturing methods and some very Maine ingenuity. The project is being put on the water in Hampden this week.

What connects these two stories isn’t that they’re making the same thing. They aren’t.

It’s that things are still being made here — and the definition of “made in Maine” keeps getting broader.

For generations, manufacturing in the Penobscot Valley meant paper, lumber, mills, machinery and boats. Today, that list can also include artificial intelligence, autonomous technology, precision manufacturing, advanced composites and structures produced with enormous 3D printers.

That matters for more than bragging rights. New technology can mean new businesses, new investment, new jobs and new reasons for talented people to build their careers right here.

Old Town and Hampden may not be the first places people outside Maine think about when they hear the words advanced manufacturing.

Projects like T1 MachineWorks and 3Dirigo X are giving them a reason to think again.

Bangor’s Mount Hope Cemetery is the nation’s second-oldest garden cemetery. In what year was it established?

A. 1812
B. 1834
C. 1851
D. 1876

We’ll hold the answer for the bottom of the newsletter as usual.

September arrives this week, and with it comes that familiar shift in the Penobscot Valley.

Summer is still hanging on, but the rhythm is changing. Schools are back in session, evenings are getting a little shorter & cooler, fall schedules are filling up, and businesses are already looking ahead to the final stretch of the year.

What struck me while putting this week’s edition together is how much is happening here that points forward.

In Old Town, a new advanced manufacturing operation is opening doors. In Hampden, UMaine researchers are putting a 3D-printed boat on the water. Across our towns, markets are still going strong, community events are filling the calendar, and local organizations are already preparing for the weeks ahead.

It is easy to think of innovation as something that happens somewhere else — in Boston, New York, Silicon Valley or some giant research campus far from Maine.

But sometimes the future is being built a few miles down the road.

That is one of the reasons I enjoy producing Penobscot Valley Voice every week. We get to look beyond the obvious headlines and see how much is actually happening in the communities we call home.

So as September begins, take a look around. There is a lot worth paying attention to — and a lot worth being proud of.

A special thank-you to this week’s Newsletter Sponsor, Marshall Communications, for supporting Penobscot Valley Voice and helping us keep this community resource growing.

Have a great week, Scout & I will see you again on Friday.

Sandy

Tuesday: Mostly sunny — 76° / 52°

Wednesday: Partly sunny, clouds increasing; rain developing overnight — 73° / 54°

Thursday: Rain likely — 65° / 54°

Friday: Chance of showers, otherwise partly sunny — 71° / 52°

Saturday: Slight chance of a shower, partly sunny — 72° / 50°

Sunday: Mostly sunny — 74° / 52°

Labor Day Monday: Plenty of sunshine — 75° / 54°

The main weather story is Thursday’s rain, followed by improving conditions heading into the long weekend. The National Weather Service currently puts Thursday’s rain chance around 80%, with only a slight shower chance Saturday and mostly sunny conditions Sunday

Hampden Comes Together for Tessa’s House

This week’s Local Video Spotlight takes us to Hampden, where community members gathered Sunday for the first Tessa’s House Run for Women in Recovery. The event honored Hampden native Tessa Lee McCue while raising money for Tessa’s House, a treatment center supporting adult women in recovery from substance use disorder. Organizers say the run is also about reducing stigma and reminding people that recovery takes continued community support.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16sfXVawVKU

Old Town — T1 MachineWorks Opens
TurbineOne’s new T1 MachineWorks facility has officially opened at the Old Town airport business park, bringing AI, autonomous systems and advanced manufacturing into one local operation. We cover the bigger story in this week’s Hero, but from a business standpoint the important piece is jobs, investment and another technology employer choosing the Penobscot Valley.

Orono — Leadership Change at the University of Maine Foundation
The University of Maine Foundation begins a leadership transition this week as longtime President and CEO Jeffery Mills retires September 1 after 14 years. Bangor native and UMaine alumnus Sean Campbell has been named the next president and CEO and will begin October 19; Sarah McPartland-Good will serve as interim leader in between. The Foundation now manages an endowment of more than $500 million, so this is a significant leadership change for one of the region’s major institutions.

Bangor — PCHC Says It Needs $3 Million Within Weeks

A much more serious local economic story is unfolding at Penobscot Community Health Care.

PCHC says it needs roughly $3 million within the next 30 to 60 days to stabilize its finances and avoid additional service reductions or a possible Chapter 11 restructuring. The Bangor-based nonprofit serves about 50,000 patients and employs nearly 720 people, with locations that include Bangor, Brewer and Old Town.

PCHC President and CEO Lori Dwyer says the organization intends to remain open, but without additional financial support, cuts to services and locations could follow. For the Penobscot Valley, this is both a healthcare-access issue and a significant local-employer story that bears watching.

Bangor — Two New Orthopedic Surgeons Join Northern Light

Northern Light Orthopedics has added Dr. Michael Rahl, who specializes in foot and ankle surgery, and Dr. Brendan Smith, who specializes in adult hip and knee reconstruction.

Both physicians have joined the Bangor practice at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and are accepting new patients, expanding specialty orthopedic capacity here in the region.

Mount Hope Cemetery Walking Tour — Bangor
Tuesday, Sept. 1 & Thursday, Sept. 3 | 6:00–7:30 PM
Where: Mount Hope Cemetery, 1048 State Street
Cost: $12
Bangor Historical Society guides visitors through the stories, symbolism and history of the nation’s second-oldest garden cemetery. Tours are capped at 25 guests, so advance tickets are a good idea. This is a strong choice for anyone who enjoys Bangor history and doesn’t mind spending 90 minutes on foot.

Maine Women’s Soccer vs. Army — Orono
Thursday, Sept. 3 | 7:00 PM
Where: New Balance Soccer Complex, University of Maine
Cost: Free admission
Maine welcomes Army to Orono Thursday night. It’s an easy family outing, regular-season home soccer admission is free, and you can simply walk in and find a seat.

Parker McCollum — Bangor
Thursday, Sept. 3 | 7:00 PM
Where: Maine Savings Amphitheater
Parker McCollum comes to the Bangor Waterfront with Vincent Mason and Owen Riegling. Current listed ticket prices begin at $43.25, with reserved seating options ranging higher. This is a ticketed event rather than a walk-in event.

Youth Garden Club — Orono
Tuesday, Sept. 1 | 3:30–4:30 PM
Orono Public Library community garden. Weekly, all ages and families welcome, no registration required.

Story Time — Brewer
Tuesday & Wednesday | 10:30–11:30 AM
Brewer Public Library. Miss Shelley is back for stories, a snack and craft for newborns through preschoolers.

Tuesday, September 1 — Public Ash Seed Collection Training, Old Town
9:00 AM–12:00 PM at the University of Maine Forest. Participants will learn how to identify, collect and prepare ash seeds for preservation as Maine’s ash trees face the threat of emerald ash borer. Registration is required.

Tuesday, September 1 — Community Farm Stand & Open House, Old Town
4:30–6:30 PM at Rogers Farm Demonstration Garden, 914 Bennoch Road. The donation-based farm stand is free and open to the public, with produce from the demonstration garden available to the community.

Tuesday–Saturday — Final Week of Summer Exhibitions, Bangor
10:00 AM–5:00 PM at the Zillman Art Museum, 40 Harlow Street. September 5 is the final day for the museum’s current group of summer exhibitions, including work by Gerri Rachins, Sam Cady and Thuan Vu.

Thursday, September 3 — Next Chapter Book Club, Bangor
2:00–3:00 PM at Bangor Public Library. This welcoming weekly book club is designed for adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. First-time participants should register in advance.

Friday, September 4 — Scripts in the Spotlight: Silent Sky, Bangor
7:00–8:00 PM. Penobscot Theatre Company presents a free one-night reading of Lauren Gunderson’s Silent Sky, the story of astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and her groundbreaking work at the Harvard Observatory.

Friday, September 4 — Living Worlds, Orono
7:00–8:00 PM at the Versant Power Astronomy Center. The planetarium program explores how life has shaped Earth and how scientists search for signs of living worlds beyond our solar system. Tickets are $7–$9.

Saturday, September 5 — Fire of 1911 Walking Tour, Bangor
6:00–7:30 PM, beginning at the Thomas A. Hill House, 159 Union Street. Follow the path of the devastating 1911 fire through downtown Bangor and learn how the city rebuilt. Tickets are $12.

Bangor — Tuesday, September 1
Planning Board — 7:00 PM
City Council Chambers, 73 Harlow Street.

Bangor — Wednesday, September 2
Ban Air Board of Directors — 3:00 PM
Bangor Innovation Center.

City Council Workshop — 5:15 PM
City Council Chambers, 73 Harlow Street.

Commission on Cultural Development — 5:30 PM
Paul Bunyan Meeting Room.

Orono — Tuesday, September 1
Tree Board — 5:00–6:00 PM

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Committee — 6:30–8:00 PM
Council Chamber.

Tuesday, September 1 — Rotary Club of Bangor
12:00 PM at the Richard Dyke Center for Family Business at Husson University, 64 Kagan Drive, Bangor. The club meets in person and online and welcomes professionals interested in community service and local connections.

Tuesday, September 1 — Paul Bunyan BNI
7:00 AM · Online via Zoom. The Bangor-area referral group meets Tuesday mornings; visitors can request meeting information through BNI Maine. The chapter remains active in BNI Maine’s current directory.

Thursday, September 3 — Bangor Area Breakfast Rotary
7:00 AM at Eastern Maine Community College, Rangeley Hall, 268 Sylvan Road, Bangor. The club combines weekly speakers, networking and community-service opportunities.

Thursday, September 3 — Queen City BNI
8:30 AM at The Sports Arena, 1640 Hammond Street, Hermon. Weekly in-person business referral meeting.

Thursday, September 3 — Black Bear BNI
8:30 AM at Eastern Area Agency on Aging, 240 State Street, Brewer. Black Bear meets in person during the first week of the month and online during the remaining weeks.

Thursday, September 3 — FUSION First: Rooted in Community
5:30–7:30 PM at Thriving Proof, 33 Penn Plaza C, Bangor. Connect with fellow rising professionals over food and drinks while learning about Thriving Proof and this month’s featured nonprofit, The Zachary Project.

Thursday, September 3 — Old Town Rotary
6:15–7:30 PM at the Old Town Elks Lodge, 37 Fourth Street. The Rotary Club of Old Town has this week’s meeting specifically posted on its current calendar and welcomes people interested in getting involved locally.

Friday, September 4 — Bangor Breakfast BNI
6:45–8:30 AM at Bangor Elks Lodge #244, 108 Odlin Road. Bangor Breakfast is an active BNI Maine chapter focused on structured referral networking

Tuesday, September 1

Brewer Farmers’ Market — 8:30 AM–1:00 PM
318 Wilson Street, Brewer. Brewer adds Tuesday and Thursday markets during August and September.

Orono Farmers’ Market — 2:00–5:30 PM
Steam Plant Lot, College Avenue, Orono.

Thursday, September 3

Brewer Farmers’ Market — 8:30 AM–1:00 PM
318 Wilson Street, Brewer.

Bucksport Bay Farmers’ Market — 11:00 AM–3:00 PM
31 Elm Street, Bucksport.

Friday, September 4

Town of Lincoln Farmers’ Market — 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
29 Main Street, Lincoln.

Holden Farmers’ Market — 12:00–4:00 PM
723 Main Road, Holden.

Hampden Farmers’ Market — 2:00–5:30 PM
70 Western Avenue, Hampden.

Newport Community Market — 4:00–7:30 PM
409 Moosehead Trail, Newport. The market continues Friday evenings through September.

Saturday, September 5

Bangor European Market — 8:30 AM–12:30 PM
117 Buck Street, Bangor. The market operates year-round.

Brewer Farmers’ Market — 8:30 AM–1:00 PM
318 Wilson Street, Brewer.

Orono Farmers’ Market — 8:00 AM–12:00 PM
Steam Plant Lot, College Avenue, Orono.

Orrington Farmers’ Market — 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
191 River Road, Orrington. The outdoor season runs through September.

Sunday, September 6

Bangor Farmers’ Market — 11:00 AM–1:30 PM
140 Harlow Street, across from Bangor Public Library. The outdoor market continues through the end of November.

Early September Is Lawn Repair Time

If your lawn took a beating this summer, early September is one of the best times in Maine to do something about it.

Jonathan Foster, UMaine Extension horticulture outreach professional in Orono, works with Mainers on lawn, gardening and landscape questions. UMaine Extension recommends roughly August 15 through September 15 as a prime window for repairing damaged lawn, and late August into early September is also a good time for core aeration.

Before throwing seed at a bare patch, figure out why it went bare in the first place—compaction, drainage, shade or soil conditions may be the real problem. Then repair the cause and reseed while soil temperatures are still warm and weed pressure is lower.

Wellness: Don’t Let Routine Care Slip

September schedules fill up quickly. If an annual wellness visit, routine screening or immunization has slipped off your calendar, this is a good time to get it scheduled; local Northern Light primary-care practices provide preventive care, wellness visits, immunizations and same-day sick care.

A Few Hours Can Make a Real Difference

The Bangor Area Homeless Shelter currently has several hands-on volunteer openings for people who would like to help prepare and serve meals for shelter guests.

This week, volunteers are needed to help cook and serve dinner Friday from 3:00–5:45 PM, lunch Saturday from 10:00 AM–12:45 PM, and dinner Saturday from 3:00–5:45 PM. The shelter says meals are typically prepared for about 40 people, and volunteers can help weekly, monthly or occasionally.

If volunteering time isn’t possible, the shelter also maintains a current needs list. Useful donations include new men’s boxer briefs, sneakers or hiking boots, men’s jeans in waist sizes 30–36, backpacks, butter or margarine, and salad dressing. Donations can be dropped off at 263 Main Street in Bangor; the shelter asks donors to call ahead at 207-947-0092.

Sometimes Helping Hands really can mean just that — a couple of hands and a few hours of your time.

Animal Orphanage — Old Town
Serving the greater Old Town area, the Animal Orphanage provides shelter, care and adoption opportunities for homeless cats and dogs while helping connect local animals with permanent families.

Bangor Humane Society — Bangor
Bangor Humane Society has served animals and families across eastern Maine for generations, providing shelter, adoption services and community support while working to give homeless pets a safe path to their next home.

Julian is a handsome, energetic, 1-year-old mixed-breed boy who is ready to find a family that can keep up with his playful spirit! This lovely young dog has plenty of enthusiasm for life and would thrive with an active adopter who can provide plenty of physical exercise, mental stimulation, and positive training.

Like many young dogs, Julian is still learning the basics and will benefit from patient guidance and consistent training. With time, structure, and plenty of encouragement, he has all the potential to become a wonderful, well-rounded companion.

Julian has no known history with other dogs or cats, so introductions and interactions with other pets should be approached thoughtfully and based on best judgment.

If you're looking for an energetic partner to join you on walks, adventures, and all of life's fun activities, Julian may be your guy! He is a sweet, lovely boy with so much potential and will make a wonderful active companion for the right home.

Meet Barb

Barb is the ultimate snuggle bug!  This sweet girl loves nothing more than curling up in plush, cozy bedding and kneading her favorite blankets to her heart’s content. While Barb has a playful side, she’s just as happy following her favorite person from room to room or finding the perfect spot to nap the day away. She’s a people-loving girl who would happily soak up all the attention you’re willing to give! Barb has not done well with other cats, so we feel she would be happiest as the only pet in the home—and honestly, she’d prefer having 1000% of your love and attention all to herself.  If you’re looking for a sweet companion, professional snuggler, and future best friend, Barb may be your girl!

Dog Ears — Brewer
Wednesdays | 3:30–5:00 PM
Brewer Public Library. Children can reserve a 15-minute reading session with the library’s Tail Waggin’ Tutors.

Knitting Social — Brewer
Fridays | 9:00–11:00 AM
Brewer Public Library. Experienced knitters, beginners and anyone interested in learning are welcome.

Geezers in Sneakers Getting Coffee — Orono
Friday, Sept. 4 & Monday, Sept. 7 | 9:30–11:00 AM
Dana and Mary Ann Devoe Community Room. A regular informal gathering for coffee and conversation.

Mahjongg Group — Orono
Saturday, Sept. 5 | Noon–3:00 PM
Orono Public Library. The library’s recurring Mahjongg group meets Saturday afternoon.

Have Something We Should Know About?

Have a community event, local announcement, nonprofit update, business news or something neighbors should know about? Send it our way for consideration in a future Penobscot Valley Voice.

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Mason’s Brewing Company — Brewer

I had lunch at Mason’s Brewing Company in Brewer today with a group of about 20 people, and they earned this week’s Best of Penobscot Valley the old-fashioned way.

The place was packed, the food was excellent, and the service was just as impressive. Handling a table our size while a restaurant is busy is a pretty good test of a staff, and they didn’t miss a beat.

Mason’s has become a real Brewer waterfront destination, but sometimes the simplest measure is still the best one:

 Would I tell a friend to go there? After today, absolutely.

 Their Brewer location is a full-service restaurant and brewery at 15 Hardy Street on the Penobscot waterfront.

We Still Make Things Here

One thought kept coming back to me while putting this week’s Voice together: we still make things here.

For a long time, manufacturing around this part of Maine meant mills, paper, lumber, boats and the kinds of products people could see coming down a production line.

Some of the tools look different now.

This week we’re talking about artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing in Old Town and a 30-foot boat created with large-scale 3D printing in Hampden. Those may sound like technologies that belong somewhere much farther away, but they’re happening right here.

I think that matters.

Maine has always had people who know how to figure things out, work with their hands, solve problems and build useful things. Technology doesn’t replace that tradition. In a lot of ways, it’s simply the next version of it.

The Penobscot Valley has changed plenty over the years, and it’ll keep changing.

But I like knowing we’re still a place where people build things.

Scout & I will see you all on Friday...same time, same channel.

— Sandy

B — 1834. Mount Hope Cemetery was established in 1834 and is recognized as the nation’s second-oldest garden cemetery.