‘Wildfire’ spreading in Bangor

When you’re starting a local TV show that aims to offer in-depth discussion on outdoors issues – and the people who influence those issues – a number of things can go wrong.

Andrew Collar and Harry Vanderweide found that out back in 1996, when they produced the first “Wildfire” episode.

“Our first guest walked off [the set],” said Collar, the show’s executive producer. “It was Jonathan Carter.”

Collar said Carter returned to the set … and the first show was a huge success. And since then, Collar, Vanderweide and Wildfire co-host George Smith haven’t looked back.

“Ever since then it’s just been an electrifying, exciting program,” Collar said. “We’ve had everybody in the state that are movers and shakers in the out of doors, from governors to commissioners to extremist groups to conservation groups to liberal groups.”

Over its 185-show run, Wildfire has been broadcast on nearly all of the state’s TV stations, Vanderweide estimates. But in recent years, there has been a bit of a void.

The Bangor market.

While it has been seen on Bangor’s WBGR, Vanderweide and Collar, co-owners of Ursus Enterprises in Waterville, have wanted to move to a more powerful station.

Since April 3, they’ve done just that: The show is now being broadcast on WABI, TV-5, in Bangor. It airs at 8:30 a.m. each Saturday, following another Ursus show, “Northeast Journal.”

Vanderweide said Wildfire’s goals are twofold: First, he realizes the show must be entertaining. And second, it has to be informative.

“The fact of the matter is that we think there’s a very serious purpose behind what we’re doing,” Vanderweide said. “We bring the public people that they don’t normally get to see on television at all, and we get to bring them in a depth that they never can get from a regular news program or any other media in Maine.”

Smith, the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, as well as Vanderweide’s equally outspoken co-host on Wildfire, said returning to the Bangor market on a high-powered TV station is a big step.

“We’ve been speaking to people in southern Maine, which is really important, to air these issues, especially in places where people don’t have the hunting and fishing tradition,” Smith said. “But I know everyplace I go people in the north country are aware of the show and have been asking for years, trying to find ways to help us get it up there.”

Please forgive me a brief commercial message: The April 17 edition of Wildfire will feature Vanderweide, Smith … and me.

We spent an enjoyable half-hour talking about this paper’s commitment to outdoors coverage (along with a healthy dose of the lively give-and-take on issues that have marked Wildfire’s eight-year run).

Rest assured, the words “bear-baiting” are used more than a few times in our half hour.

Other guests who showed up for that day’s taping sessions (and who will appear on future Wildfire episodes): Madison fly shop owner and fisheries reform advocate Bob Mallard; state Sen. Ethan Strimling of Portland, who has sponsored a firearms bill that Smith and Vanderweide wanted to debate; and bass fishing expert Dave Barnes.

Once a year, members of Maine’s Warden Service emerge from the woods, head to Augusta for an awards ceremony, and receive a couple things they don’t receive nearly often enough: A sincere “Thank you” … and a collective pat on the back.

At Friday’s ceremony, a number of wardens were singled out for exemplary service to the state and its people.

Wdn. Blaine Holding of Stratton earned top honors and took home the 2003 Warden of the Year Award.

Holding was recognized for high-quality fish and wildlife law enforcement, his promotion of the Warden Service, and top-notch interpersonal communication skills.

Wdn. Sgt. David Craven was named the Supervisor of the Year, while Pete McPheters was named Maine’s Legendary Warden of the Year at the ceremony.

Winners of Exemplary Service Awards: Gary Allen, Dennis Burnell, Reggie Hammond and Charles Later, for their role in rescuing a lost hunter on Nov. 23, 2003; Shon Theriault, for his role in the responding to and investigating a snowmobile accident on Dec. 29, 2002; Kevin Anderson, for continuous years of devoted service; and Scott Martin, for his role in helping a man who had an allergic reaction to multiple hornet stings on Aug. 22, 2003.

Also receiving Exemplary Service Awards: Bruce Loring, for an investigation that led to charges in 29 camp burglaries and several wildlife violations; David Georgia Jr., for outstanding contributions and dedication to the youth of the state through his work for Maine’s Youth Fish and Game Association; Roger Guay and Daniel Menard, for the aid they rendered after a plane crash on Sept. 14, 2003; and Later and fellow pilot Otis Gray, for their response to the same incident.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.