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Edition Nine
Welcome to the March 2006 Edition of Network News
Network
News is published by the Maine Mountain Heritage Network and it's
filled with updates and articles about what's happening in the Maine
Mountain Heritage Area.
We welcome your story ideas! Submit your suggestion or press release for consideration. |
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 Call for
"signature" product makers!
The Network may be able to offer your business some free publicity! Check out our website to learn more. |
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send this electronic mailing to people who have an existing
relationship with us and also to those people whom we think will find
the information interesting. We DON'T share your information with
anyone. View our Privacy Policy. |
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To Learn More
Contact the Network's Coordinating Agency
Mountain Counties Heritage
P.O. Box 508
Farmington ME 04938
(207) 778-3885
Web: www.mainemountains.org
Contact Us: online |
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Celebrating Maine's Mountain Heritage
In This Issue...
 SAVE THE DATE: Maine Mountain Heritage Network Rally, Friday, May 19, 2006.
Hear progress reports on a variety of exciting projects (Knowledge
Power, Woods and Waters, Village Works, Mountain Made) and be part of
planning next steps... READ MORE
NETWORK UPDATE:
The Marketing Team will meet with representatives from Ethos Marketing
in Portland to develop a positioning statement for the proposed Maine
Mountain Heritage Area. Based on this statement, Ethos will recommend a
name and a tagline... READ MORE
 MOUNTAIN MADE GETS A LESSON IN PUBLIC RELATIONS:
The Mountain Made action group and the authors selected for the
signature product program attended a workshop on January 19th, 2006 to
discuss public relations. Nancy Marshall and Charlene Williams of Nancy
Marshall Communications presented... READ MORE
 A STORY FROM THE TRAVELING EXHIBIT:
This story was contributed by Patrick Myers of the Cultural Heritage
and Eco-tourism Committee and Executive Director of the Center Theatre.
The text will be narrated and presented through the computer ... READ MORE
 NETWORK MEETING CALENDAR: Important dates to mark on your calendar... READ MORE
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 Save the Date! Friday, May 19th
Maine Mountain Heritage Network Rally
Maine Mountain Heritage Network Rally, Friday, May 19, 2006, University of Maine at Farmington:
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Hear progress reports on a variety of exciting projects (Knowledge
Power, Woods and Waters, Village Works, Mountain Made) and be part of
planning next steps.
• Learn about the opportunity for our Maine
Mountain Heritage Area to gain national designation (significant
federal funding!).
• Find out how to tap into the resources of the
Maine Mountain Heritage Network to move your own heritage-based
initiatives forward.
For more information on the 2006 Rally, contact Shaunacy Cobb (scobb@mainemountains.org or call 778-3885) at Mountain Counties Heritage.
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Friendly Reminder
Regarding Spam Filters
From
Shaunacy Cobb, Mountain Counties Heritage Communications Coordinator:
To be assured that you continue to recieve your copy of Network News,
please remember to add my email address (scobb@mainemountains.org) to your "Approved Senders" list in your spam filter. |
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NETWORK UPDATE:
Action Teams Move Forward
Knowledge Power
- Liz Elliott, the new Education Coordinator at Mountain Counties
Heritage, reports that progress is being made to bring the Traveling
Exhibit to fruition. Insyt New Media has provided the group with a
preliminary design. The exhibit will include a stretch fabric backdrop
and an interactive computer that displays narrated slideshows.
Narrative text has been contributed by nine communities ( Norway ,
Bethel , Rangeley, Farmington , Skowhegan, Jackman, Greenville ,
Dover-Foxcroft, and Millinocket) and the images to support the text are
coming in. The exhibit got a big boost from the Old Canada Road
National Scenic Byway when that group offered to provide funding for
the project. The exhibit will be presented first at the Mountain
Counties Heritage Center in Farmington in May and will then tour to
other locations both inside and outside the mountain region. See sample
story below. For more information you can contact Liz at lelliott@mainemountains.org or click here to access meeting notes.
Woods and Waters
- Carolann Ouellette, Moose Point Tavern in Jackman, reports that at
the most recent meeting of the Woods and Waters group, two resource
study groups were formed, one for the "High Peaks" area (Longfellow
Range) and one for the Upper Kennebec area. Studies will be based on
the approach now being piloted by the Northern Forest Alliance in the
Mahoosucs. Five specific work functions were laid out for each study
group: organize a core team, begin outreach and public relations work
to create broad support, gather and synthesize existing resource
information, compile community and stakeholder input through forums and
small groups discussions, and create a final report. "Phase one" is to
establish a core team for each study, define the boundaries of the
study area, and create base maps for each area. Rangeley Lakes Heritage
Trust has submitted a grant proposal to the Maine Community Foundation
to cover phase one of the project. For more information, contact
Carolann Ouellette at couell@midmaine.com or click here to access meeting notes.
Village Works
- Despite losing its steward (Tom Marcotte has taken a new position at
the Maine State Planning Office), the group has made excellent progress
to date. Norway , Farmington , Skowhegan, and Dover-Foxcroft are all
planning downtown walking tours. All are interested in adopting a
standardized approach to insure continuity of experience across the
region. Tom Desjardin of the Maine Department of Conservation has
provided the group with a template for interpretive signage. Although
an early funding opportunity is now on hold, several of the towns are
moving ahead with fund raising on their own. A workshop is planned for
March 1 st to include training on team building, marketing, and tour
design. For information about this workshop, contact Liz Elliott at lelliott@mainemountains.org or click here to access meeting notes.
Mountain Made - Dina Jackson of the Androscoggin Council of Governments reports that the Mountain Made project is well underway.  A
variety of products have been nominated, from balsam wreaths to spring
water to wood furniture. Writers have been selected in each of the four
counties: Wende Gray, Oxford ; Jo Josephson, Franklin ; Jennifer
Kierstead, Somerset ; and Helen Kelly, Piscataquis. Economic
development representatives from each county will do follow up work.
All involved attended a "PR 101" seminar given by Charlene Williams and
Nancy Marshall of Nancy Marshall Communications. The Mountain Made
group will be meeting in March to review the list of nominated products
and make a decision about the final twelve products to be featured in
our proactive public relations effort. See article below. For more
information, contact Dina at Djackson@avcog.org or click here to access meeting notes. Photo: Sunburst chair made by W.A. Mitchell Fine Furniture in Temple.
Marketing
- The Marketing Team will meet with representatives from Ethos
Marketing in Portland to develop a positioning statement for the
proposed Maine Mountain Heritage Area. Based on this statement, Ethos
will recommend a name and a tagline. Insyt New Media, Farmington , will
develop a logo for the heritage area and will propose graphic
approaches for signage, brochures, and related materials. |
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 Mountain Made Gets a Lesson on Public Relations
Members of the Mountain Made action group and
writers selected for the group's signature product marketing program
participated in a workshop on January 19 th, 2006 to learn both the
basics and the finer points of successful public relations. Nancy
Marshall and Charlene Williams of Nancy Marshall Communications
presented a variety of strategies and tips. Dina Jackson, the steward
of Mountain Made, facilitated the meeting. The Maine Office of Tourism
funded the workshop.
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Mountain Made group is implementing a program to promote sales of
products that are made or grown in the Maine Mountain Heritage Area.
Products are being nominated for the program based on the way in which
they relate to the history and character of the mountain region.
Writers will prepare "pitches" intended to stimulate interest in
products and their makers across various local and regional media. This
is the Heritage Network's first public relations effort.
In the
workshop, Nancy Marshall pointed out that public relations program has
many benefits over advertising as a way to reach the public. The
largest benefit would be that it is extremely cost effective.
Advertising is expensive and does not necessarily foster public belief.
Everyone knows that just because the ad says it, does not make it true.
Information that is filtered through different media outlets has more
credibility due to the involvement of a third party. People trust the
media to research the facts and present honest information.
According
to Marshall and Charlene Williams, the key to developing a good public
relations program is putting forth the effort to create a strong
framework of contacts and creating the necessary materials to reinforce
a group's message. This involves a lot of research and up front effort
but if it is done well, the benefits far surpass the effort. It is
important to branch out into all forms of media instead of simply
traditional methods. Using a variety of forms, whether it is the radio,
Internet, newspapers, and television, strengthens an organizations
chances of leaving a lasting impression on the public.
Williams
and Marshall distributed a detailed guide discussing different media
requirements, how to develop a press release, how not to annoy editors,
creating a boilerplate, and much more. This information will be very
useful for the Mountain Made program and will increase the success rate
of stimulating media coverage for the signature products of the
mountain region. For more information about the Mountain Made program
and to nominate a product, please contact Dina Jackson, AVCOG djackson@avcog.org.
Photo:
Bruce Hazard shows Nancy Marshall and Charlene Williams a product he is
nominating. The canoe paddle is made by Porter's Woodworking in Patten. |
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 A Story from the Traveling Exhibit
Below is one of the stories we have collected for the Maine Mountain Heritage Network's Traveling Exhibit.
This story was contributed by Patrick Myers of the Cultural Heritage
and Eco-tourism Committee and Executive Director of the Center Theatre.
The text will be narrated and presented through the computer with a
variety of visual images. 
Slated for History
Do
you know where slate comes from? During the Paleozoic era, geological
forces began to lay a broad swath of slate across southern Piscataquis
County . This vein starts near Blanchard, travels through Monson, and
then underneath hills and forests to Brownville and beyond.
Surveyor
Moses Greenleaf is credited with discovering slate in Piscataquis
County in 1814. This discovery prompted the immigration of skilled
quarrymen from Northern Wales in 1840. After the Civil War, a colony of
former slaves came from Williamsburg to work in the slate quarries. The
slate from Piscataquis County was made into shingles for roofs,
billiard tables, blackboards, and sinks. Brownville slate served as a
key to the rapidly growing telecommunications industry where large
sheets were used to construct switchboards for new telephone exchanges.
Slate from Monson was chosen for the John F. Kennedy Memorial in
Arlington Cemetery , Virginia .
Today, slate is also used for
new artistic traditions by local craftspeople. Slate from Southern
Piscataquis County can be found across the country in gift shops and
galleries. While large-scale slate quarrying has diminished, active
quarries are still in business and slate remains an important resource
for the County.
Photo (right) provided by the Monson Historical Society. Photo (left) provided by Jeannette Hughes. |
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 Meeting Calendar Update
Here in one place is calendar of currently scheduled Network meetings.
March 1 - Village Works walking tour workshop,
Skowhegan. Tom DesJardin and Liz Elliot are planning a workshop to give
local teams information on walking tour and sign design. Norway,
Farmington, Skowhegan, Dover Foxcroft participating - others welcome
(want to do a walking tour in your town?) Contact Liz Elliott for more
information lelliott@mainemountains.org.
March 7 - Woods and Waters resource study workshop,
Farmington. Groups from Longfellow Range and Upper Kennebec hear how
the Mahoosuc study is being done, make plans for their own studies.
Create funding strategies. Contact Ian Burnes for more information iburnes@nfainfo.org.
March 13 - Mountain Made group meeting - Waterville. Refine list of products and build message maps. Set timeline. Contact Dina Jackson for more information djackson@avcog.org.
March 22, Share Your Heritage workshop,
Farmington - refine itineraries to key on themes and stories put
forward in traveling exhibit. Plan promotion approach. Contact Carolann
Ouellette couell@midmaine.com or Liz Elliott lelliott@mainemountains.org for more information.
May 19th, Full Network Meeting, Farmington. National designation discussion among other things. Contact Carolann or Bruce for more information. |
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