Bethel #176

Matt Ruby:

Educators are optimists. I think we believe what we're doing impacts the future. It goes beyond memory as we help students become their best selves. We're helping the world become a better place. I think about my work and I think about what we're doing at the school. And if I've ever contributed something that's worth attaching my name to, that's great. But I think what's really important is what's happening in the lives of our students and that's what carries forward.

Woody Hughes:

We're rather informal and I gotta make sure people understand that when they come, and I think they do. And a lot of people just appreciate just being able to be this relaxed, and I hopefully I bring that kind of comfort to that situation.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is Dr. Lisa Belisle and you are listening to Love Maine Radio show number 176, Bethel, airing for the first time on Sunday, January 25, 2015. Bethel is known for being home to one of Maine's largest ski resorts, Sunday River. It is also a place of great natural beauty every season of the year. This informs the creative spirit which can be found in places like Gould Academy and the Mill Hill Inn. Today we speak with Matt Ruby, Gould Academy Head of school, and Woody Hughes, nationally renowned potter and owner of the Mill Hill Inn in Bethel. Thank you for joining us. Having spent many a lovely winter weekend and winter evening actually as well up in Bethel. It's a great pleasure to speak with an individual today who is doing the same and in fact is there full time. This is Matt Ruby, who is Gould Academy's head of school and he has been there since 2012. He hails from a similar latitude out in the Minneapolis. We're so glad to have you here today.

Matt Ruby:

Glad to be here, Lisa. Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Matt, tell me why it is that you thought it was a good idea to go into education.

Matt Ruby:

I didn't go right into education. I graduated from college. I was in the Navy for seven years, worked on ships and other things, and then worked in the corporate world for a little while. But there comes a point when you start asking yourself, not only is this interesting work, but is it what I care about? And I was lucky enough to have the chance to go back to school and become a teacher and work I love to this day.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And it's a slightly different type of thing that you're doing as a head of school, which I'll have you define for us in a minute, as opposed to being a teacher. Both important jobs, but very different.

Matt Ruby:

Well, you know, when I became a teacher, I thought, I'm putting management behind me at that point in my life. Been a naval officer. And then I was again working in the corporate world. I thought, I'm going to go be a craftsman teacher. But I could not shake the habits of thinking about organizations and how to move them forward. And so, as much as I love teaching, I had opportunities to move into administration and to think about the larger questions of how schools can be great and great at helping students grow and be prepared for the world. And that's what I'm doing in Bethel now.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

At Gould, you also served as the head of a history department. Is that your educational love?

Matt Ruby:

That is. And I would suppose if I have a hobby, it's reading history. And that's when I first was hired to be a history teacher. I couldn't quite believe I was getting paid to do it. And seeing students learn about themselves through the history of their local area and then sort of working into larger and larger circles of care and scope was pretty exciting work. And so for me, that was the kind of thing where I'd go into work each day and you go into class. And it doesn't take much for kids to get excited. And so I went home pretty happy with my work every day.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

In going to Gould, you were going to a place that actually has its own very rich sense of history. It was founded in 1836.

Matt Ruby:

Correct.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So it's been around for quite a while, longer than many of the schools in Maine. Tell me about Gould's history.

Matt Ruby:

Well, Gould started as so many schools did in this region. It was the town school, but people paid tuition to go there before the public education matured. And ultimately it became a private town academy. And there's several of Those still in the state of Maine, very successful town academies. But in 1968, Gould stopped being a private, private and public entity and became a strictly private college prep school. So since 68 we've been a college prep, private boarding school and now we're about 245 students from 18 states, 17 countries. And it's a very exciting place.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What does it mean to be head of school?

Matt Ruby:

Being head of school is in a boarding school is a very particular thing. This is a place where we all live together, work together. And honestly, when I first started working in boarding schools, I thought, this feels very familiar. And it reminded me of being on a ship when I was in the Navy where there were several hundred adolescents and I was a 22 year old officer, all trying to get through their day and be productive. Our work is not so different, except in our case, we're creating a community where, you know, it's certainly a voluntary association. People decide to join this community because they see it as a place where they can grow, where they can be challenged, and they're going to find the sort of relationships that really move them forward in their lives. And when I first visited Gould, I saw that just in so many ways. When my wife Kathy and I first visited, part of the process for becoming head of school was to sit with students. And there were three times where we sat with students and it was just voluntary. Kids would just come if they wanted to. Packed rooms each time, very engaged kids. So 40 to 60 kids in a room looking at you and you're sitting there and it's unscripted. And what struck me about the students was they just wanted to know who we were, did they like us, did we like them, would we care about their community and take care of it and them? And was I fun? You know, they asked me what was my favorite Harry Potter character or who was my favorite Harry Potter character?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And who is it?

Matt Ruby:

Oh, Ron Weasley, without a doubt. And it was just, you sit with those kids and you go, these were great. And in becoming a head of school, to go back to your question, you're really looking for a fit. You know, is this a place where you can come and go? Yeah, we're really a match. Because you are a spokesman not only for the intellectual life of the school and the reasons to come for very practical purposes, but also the culture of the school. And you're responsible for the mission in all of its facets. And if you don't feel that at a gut level, the work's pretty tough.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

When I Think about Gould Academy. I think about skiing. When I was in high school with the Yarmouth High School ski team, we had our Christmas ski camp at Gould Academy. I remember sleeping on the gym floor. I'm sure it's still just as lovely as it was when I was there, but I know that and I know that Gould is very successful and has a strong affiliation with, with Sunday River. You also have downhill, you have cross country. But Gould is also known for other things.

Matt Ruby:

Gould is a flat out great school. But I will say the partnership with Sunday river was one of the things that interested me about the school. And not because I'm a skier, because I'd never skied down a mountain before I came to Bethel. And this may be the year I moved from green to blue. We'll see. But I was interested in a school that had the creativity and agility to have a partnership with an entity like Sunday river and successfully blend a top notch academic program with other great opportunities. And the great opportunities at the mountain are so far ranging from the highly competitive skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding that you, that most people know about, to the only ski patrol program where students can earn a jacket. Working with Maine Adaptive and our students, helping people have fun and learn and grow on the snow, teaching local elementary and middle school students how to ski. I mean, Sunday river is a laboratory of learning for us. And then that got me thinking, well, if we can do that with Sunday river and we've got a great academic program, you know, let's do with the resources at Gould, the incredible capacity of the faculty. Let's do that throughout the school, which is really a main thing. I mean, Mainers are doers, they're makers. I mean, that's kind of a Yankee. That's in the Yankee DNA and you can see that there. And so now we're working on programs that really create those opportunities for our students.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

From what I understand, Gould has worked very hard to move with the times that you've continued to invest in not only your educators, but also in infrastructure. And you really are seeking to be this world class educational institution. Tell me a little bit about that process.

Matt Ruby:

I think we'll use a word that is overused quite a bit, but it's being a place that is entrepreneurial. One of the things that's true in just about any endeavor is you can never really know if you're right, but you'll always know if you're wrong. And we can't be afraid of that. In education. We've got a responsibility to model for our students Being risk takers, being innovative and looking at the world, recognizing problems and taking action in response. So that means what we are doing is we are having a conversation across our entire community about what that means and how does that turn into action for our students. And what has happened in the past two years in terms of opportunities for our students? One, we established a partnership with the Manhattan School of Music. So if you are in Bethel at Gould Academy, you are able to take lessons with the faculty of one of the finest conservatories in the country with a proprietary system developed by the Manhattan School of Music. And this is not a second class way to take music lessons. This is how talent connects these days because it's efficient. Why travel across the country? Why take time, parking and finding your way when you can connect? And it's multiple microphones, multiple cameras, very intimate. And we're finding great success with that. And it just opens up opportunities for students. A next area of specific investment is the creation of our Ideas Center. We have renovated an entire floor of our core academic building to create a facility that really revolves around the idea of design thinking, which is a process coming out of the Stanford Design School, a process that gives students an approach to creativity. And it just seemed obvious to us that if there is a writing process that we teach students, if there's a scientific method, if the world needs creative minds, why aren't we teaching them a creative method? And why aren't we creating the opportunities and giving them access to the tools to exercise that creative mind method? So in the Idea center, what you would see is an open space, thousands of square feet of community space, sliding whiteboards for impromptu collaborative work, high tables, and lots of other moving pieces. But you'd also see a new woodworking shop, a digital peripheral space with 3D printers, CNC routers, laser cutters, and a video and music production room. So we really wanted to provide our students with the geography and the resources to take their ideas and move them forward.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What you're describing is so interesting to me because having lived up in Bethel for a period of time, what I know about Bethel is that there is so much beauty and there's so much quiet, and there's sort of a sense that you're away from the noise of everyday life and you're describing creativity. And I think that both of those, I think, necessarily coexist. You actually need to have both space and also interaction in order to generate ideas.

Matt Ruby:

At least you've hit on something really important about the assets of the school, which are being where we are in the mountains, the beauty of the place. Our students have the opportunity and in fact have to unplug and to go interact in the natural world where you cannot modify the environment as you can in the digital world. You have to deal with what comes your way and be creative and resilient in the face of those challenges. In our program, for example, in our four point program, all of our juniors will go on a 10 day expedition in the Mahoosik Mountains in March. So this is everyone. These are students who've grown up in Shanghai and hardly been off a sidewalk until they came to Gould. And they're off winter camping, working as teams. And it's an amazing thing to see how people grow. And they come back from events like that, smiling and as exhausted as they are, just with that look on their face that says, I can conquer the world, I can do anything. And that's really what we want to have happen at Gould. We want students to develop that sort of creative confidence that they can do that and to have the skills to support it. But in our community, where they're working with great adults, great students, they start to develop their moral imagination too, so they can discern what's worth doing. So it's not just about being able to do something slick with a 3D printer. It's about doing something that's meaningful. And that's one of the reasons we really like the design thinking process, because it starts with empathy. It starts with thinking outside of your head. And I think we can all agree when we're talking about adolescence, that's a big move. And I think we can all use practice in that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

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Woody Hughes:

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Dr. Lisa Belisle:

matt, you and your wife Kathy have two children who are in their early 20s, and they've been around during the time that you've explored the idea of education and creativity and the mind. And how has your work as an educator informed your work as a parent? And what would your children say about that?

Matt Ruby:

Well, we all know we're better with other people's children than our own. So I think I'm really lucky that I have an amazing partner in Kathy, my wife, and we have two great children. I think they would say that, you know, in our house, we talk about everything all of the time. And even from a young age we were talking about big ideas. And, you know, my wife said when she first met me and she started becoming getting to know the rubies, she was like, there's just no such thing as small talk in this household, is there? And she's probably right about that. When I speak with my own children, you know, I see they have a nuance of thinking about the world that I really appreciate and a willingness to challenge me in my thinking that I appreciate even more. And that's just come from years of conversation. And I think it goes back to what is most important in any learning and certainly is at the core of the Gould experience, which is humans learn through relationship. And as much as technology has created wonderful opportunities for flexibility in terms of time and space and how we deliver content, still, people learn through relationship. That's how students see their teachers, and that helps them develop a vision of themselves in the future. You see someone you admire and you start looking at various people you admire and think, who do I want to be? Like, that doesn't happen in a vacuum. And when young people have a rich array of marvelous people around them, that's inspiring. And it lets them know also that adulthood matters, that that they're moving towards Something of great import. And when I talk to our alums and our students, our current students at Gould, that's really what they talk about in the experience. We have incredibly challenging academics. They're doing incredibly challenging things in the outdoors, doing things independently and with faculty. But in the end, it's that sense of being part of something and working with people that help them see their better selves, that help them challenge themselves. And it's good stuff to me, as

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

you're talking, I'm thinking about the worlds that you came from, the Navy, the military, corporate. And I'm thinking about the world that I come from, healthcare, and how so much has. So much focus has been on metrics. And I know in education there's so much focus on testing and reaching and benchmarks and things like this, but I do think that the relationship piece will always be fundamental to any of these places. So it's an interesting question as to how to continue to foster excellence, to continue to foster. To continue to acknowledge the importance of relationships, and also do what needs to be done in order to meet standards.

Matt Ruby:

So as an independent school, we don't have to do all of the testing that other schools do, which gives us a great amount of freedom, but also a great responsibility to push the envelope, to see what's possible. And I think that's the role of independent schools in American education. We get to be the laboratories and. And there are a lot of ways we look at our outcomes that are. I mean, we certainly. We're held to a very high standard by our families. You know, the college outcomes, what, you know, success in college, and we're small enough where we, you know, we get plenty of feedback on that, so we're highly accountable in that sense. But we also can look at our own productivity in terms of. We can see the quality of relationship because we can see when things aren't going right, we can keep track of that. We can. As you think about the ideas center and the sort of, you know, what's going to happen in that space, which I can't predict entirely, which is part of the excitement. You know, we've been having conversations about measuring our creative productivity as a community. You know, are things really happening? Are things of value coming out? Are our students discerning things worth doing, or are they just doing, you know, or is this trinket making, you know, which is not our goal, Although it may be a step for some students in terms of skill building. Are we teaching them the right competencies so when they go to take their idea beyond the school. How is their writing, how is their numerical literacy? When they need to put together a business plan, whether it's for, you know, a business like opening a restaurant, you know, and you. Or social entrepreneurship or even an artist is really an entrepreneur. Scientists. So we have a lot of feedback on both the competence level and then our productivity as a creative community.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Matt, after listening to our conversation, I know that people are going to want to learn more about Gould Academy. What your wonderful history has been, as well as what your future looks like and how they could perhaps get involved.

Matt Ruby:

So you can go to gouldacademy.org if you want to see what's going on at the school. If you search on Facebook under Gould Academy, you'll find an array of Gould Academy. We have a large presence on Facebook because there's just so much going on that we want to get out there and certainly come to. Give me a call and come on down and have a cup of coffee. It's always great to come to Bethel and Gould is a friend. Fascinating place. This small school has a richness of program and a creativity and agility that. That's what drew me there. And it just continues to fire me up every day. So come on down.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

As an individual who's interested in history, and I think it's notable that you joined the Navy, which of course has its own rich history as opposed to the Air Force. And I have family members in both arms of the. Of those of the service. What is it that you hope people will look back on your life, on the life of Matt Ruby and say, what is your historical imprint going to be?

Matt Ruby:

I guess I'm not so concerned about Matt Ruby being remembered. Educators are optimists. I think we believe what we're doing impacts the future. It goes beyond memory as we help students become their best selves. We're helping the world become a better place. So I think about my work and I think about what we're doing at the school, and if I've ever contributed something that's worth attaching my name to, that's great. But I think what's really important is what's happening in the lives of our students, and that's what carries forward.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, then let's take Gould Academy as an entity. What do you hope the legacy of Gould Academy will be?

Matt Ruby:

Well, I'll tell you how I hope will be understood. I hope will be understood as that place you have to go if your mind is on fire and you're interested in being with creative, supportive people because you've got Things you want to do, that you're ready to go beyond tests, you're ready to make things and do things that stem from your thesis, your argument, how you want to impact the world. And even if you don't know what that is, you want to be in the place where you'll figure that out. I think I want us to be that destination. And it's one of the reasons I went to Gould, because I think it can be. Because in many ways it is.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Where are your children now?

Matt Ruby:

My daughter is at Ithaca College. She's in the vocal performance program, hoping to be an opera singer. And my son is an ensign in the Coast Guard stationed in Boston on the Spencer.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And do you think that the choices that you've made in your life have in any way influenced their decisions?

Matt Ruby:

They tell me so, and they're very nice kids to tell me that. You know, I was in the Navy. My son went to the Coast Guard Academy and is now on a cutter. And he says that hearing about life at sea certainly affected him. Music runs deep in our family. And Johanna, my daughter, happens to be in a different league than any of us. And so we're just excited to watch her become and learn.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

In a place like Gould, I would think it's important to have a spouse who is as invested in the work that you're doing as it is to have you be invested in the work that you're doing. How have you and Kathy managed to continue this mutual coexistence for all of these years?

Matt Ruby:

Well, you fall in love. I'll start with that. We met in college and graduated, and something was missing, and we got back in touch, and that's where it started for us. And I think that hasn't changed. But just as important, we're a really good team. We complement each other well. I think she's the smartest person I've ever met, and certainly there's no one I rely on more. And when you're in Bethel doing this work, she's my best friend and best decision I ever lucked into making.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And do you think this relationship that you have with Kathy, the team member, the best friend, the wife, the mother of your children, do you think that having this relationship is some way a modeling for the students that know the two of you?

Matt Ruby:

I think you know boarding schools, certainly you're very public figures. And I think a healthy marital relationship is important to the community. It would be unsettling if we weren't a good team. And kids talk about they like to see us happy together. The Faculty tell us the same thing. And it's not something we, you know, it's not an agenda, it's just who we are. And I will tell you, I think any boarding school worth its salt in the hiring process looks at that because it is such an all in job. And Kathy has a job outside of Gould, but she still contributes a great deal.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I guess the reason I'm asking this is that it seems as though we spend a lot of time educating our children. And of course, as I mentioned to you before, I have three children of my own. We spend a lot of time educating our children on facts and figures and ideas and creativity and extracurriculars. I'm not sure how much we educate them in the sphere of relationships beyond modeling them ourselves. And I don't know exactly how one would go about doing that. But I think if you have somebody else's children and you have them in Bethel, they're away from their families. And I would think that the teachers and you yourself and Kathy would be important to that process.

Matt Ruby:

Well, I think across in any school, the first rule is to hire happy, healthy, smart people. There is no amount of policy, there is no curriculum, there's nothing that replaces that because every student is fragile. They're young human beings and they're looking for identity. They're looking for the relationships that will draw them forward. And that's a tremendous responsibility for the adults involved. And you can't fake it with kids. They're gonna know. And so when we bring an adult into the community, we think very carefully, what do they bring? And just on their worst day with their guard down, which we all have, is this still someone we want around our kids at Gould?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Matt, tell us again the website for Gould Academy. Gouldacademy.org I appreciate the work that you're doing with the children who are going to school, the young adults who are going to school at Gould Academy. And I know that Bethel is a richer place for having had Gould located there for all of these years. We've been speaking with Matt Ruby, who is the head of school at Gould Academy. Thanks so much for being a part of Love Maine Radio.

Matt Ruby:

Thank you, Lisa.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

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Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Having spent a fair amount of time in Bethel, me as a skier and runner, walker, enjoyer of nature, I also spend time with with this next individual, Woody Hughes, at the Mill Hill Inn in Bethel. Well, I should say I didn't spend specific time with you, but at your place of work. Woody is an acclaimed potter. He taught at Dowling College Parsons School of Design and has given over 60 workshops across the country and internationally. Woody returned to western Maine in 2001, where he taught pottery and design at Gould Academy for nine years, leaving in 2010 to open the Mill Hill Inn. So thanks for coming in.

Woody Hughes:

My pleasure. Absolutely.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And we're really happy that you're willing to share your story because it's kind of an interesting one.

Woody Hughes:

Well, I'm coming back. I mean, it's, you know, I am a New Yorker, so I'm from the evil empire. But I've been coming to Maine since the mid-60s. And, you know, my real introduction to Bethel was back in 73 when I attended school and graduated in 75.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I think it's very interesting because, well, first of all, I need to just put this out there. Your food is fantastic. When we are out in Bethel and your place is open and it's serving to people who are not just staying at your inn. We are first in line. We reserved for New Year's Eve. We brought our kids there. Our kids love your food. It's just so tasty and yet interesting and yet unassuming.

Woody Hughes:

You know, it's an awkward subject for me because, you know, I'm technically, I'M not trained where I'm highly trained as a ceramic artist. So to be running in this realm, you know, it creates a little discomfort for me. I mean, my approach is very simple and I use good ingredients and I don't try to get in over my skill set. And so I once described the menu. I finally found a way to describe the menu, and it's sort of like going to hopefully a good potluck supper where there's going to be lots of different tastes. It's not always well coordinated in terms of a theme for the restaurant, but you're going to have lots of different tastes. And I think that's what really sums up what we do there, because it's Mediterranean at times it's Asian at times it's salads. It's all geared towards eating a little lighter and not rushing anyone through a meal. And it's sort of how I eat now at my age. Just a little more sensibilities, a few more sensitivities towards what the food's going to taste like and how it makes you feel afterwards and the next and everything like that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And that's really important. I know I'm not a meat eater and I don't eat a lot of non rice carbohydrates. So to be able to go to a place in Bethel, Maine and have the option to eat food that's not just steak and French fries, which, I mean, I guess I just don't eat that. But I think that it's interesting that you would have some reservation about putting yourself out there as a chef, but because really all you're trying to do is put out a nice something for the people that are kind of hanging out in Bethel.

Woody Hughes:

I mean, an Inda serves food. I'm very comfortable with that description of what we do. And then as people enjoy the food, more and more people come because of word of mouth or whatever. I honestly feel like I have to really be on my game and I sort of up my game a little bit. And that's what I'm working on doing in terms of all aspects of it, whether how we serve. But I still want to keep it rather informal because when I do go to restaurants, I don't critique the food because I honestly feel their skill set's much better than mine. But I look at what they're. I try to look to see what are they attempting to do and how does the overall presentation work and. And that's where I go, how did that meal feel to me? And I'm comfortable critiquing other places in those terms. And it basically, it's how I feel throughout the meal and how I feel after the meal. And that's where I feel like I've framed something pretty nice when I think about it. My original business plan was have 18 guests and have 18 guests invite 18 friends. And that was sort of the format that I thought I could manage. And as each year it's gotten a little bigger, I have to sort of rethink it and be willing. How far am I willing to take it? Like, I'm only open three days a week. I can't see myself going to five days a week because I do all the prep with my son Aaron. We do all the prep, and he helps me cook on the big nights. So I think that's my limit. So I don't know. Does that make any sense?

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

No, it makes lots of sense. And it's interesting because it's not just your son, Aaron. It's also your wife, Lee. She's sort of your front of the house.

Woody Hughes:

And she's front of the house.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

She is so enthusiastic. She runs around. She has her phone in her apron pocket or whatever, and she's right there. She's having a conversation with you. And you're eating off of pottery that you've created. So it's not just about when I say the food is fantastic, it's also about. It's the vibe. It's the fireplaces you come in, and it's the little bar that you have the great drinks. It feels very warm.

Woody Hughes:

It's supposed to feel like we're all family. And I can start with my bartender, Ashley, who I've known for 13 years, and I taught at school, and so I'm that familiar with her. So our relationship is like, you know, father, daughter, whatever, and whenever people come in. And then she recommends waitresses. So I've never had to place an ad and have someone come in from the outside. I don't want to sound too exclusive, but they all recommend somebody, and so it stays with. Birds of a Feather are all in our building. So we're very informal in that way. And we're very comfortable around each other. And I think that lends itself to a really pleasant experience. And then Lee, this is her first year front of the house. And when I was. Before she came, I was always cooking, but I was never aware of what was going on in the building. I always had to ask one of the waitresses, how's it feel out there? What's going on out there? And Now. So I'm pleased, so pleased that I have someone out there who can set that stage, make that work. And because once again, we don't have very many rules in terms of how we serve and what I want, what my expectations are from the girls. I think it's really clean and good. Repair in terms of appearance and be yourself is my really, my only instructions. And we're going to give a few more this year, so make sure our service is up to speed. But I like that nature because these kids are all individuals, they're all special and they all have a story. And I want that to be part of the place as much as anything.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It seems as though for you, although you're not teaching at Gould anymore, there's still an educator aspect to your personality, to your Persona.

Woody Hughes:

Absolutely. I mean, it's exactly the way I taught. I was really hands off when I taught pottery. I gave very short demos, and then I would just constantly visit students as they were grappling with whatever I introduced. And it's the same thing when we work in the kitchen or wherever else. I don't have that many instructions. I don't. You're just sort of thrown in and I'm there. And then your skill set sort of grows around you in sort of a natural way. I don't try to force it. I will always back them up. If someone gets in the weeds because it's too many tables or it's do this, you know, we all have the capabilities of walking out into the dining room, help someone bus, bring plates out, visit a guest. Those are everyone's instructions. So everyone's skill set is growing in a pretty natural, organic way. And it goes in many different directions. Everyone has a different strength, and I don't try to curb that or I don't try to really change anyone from who they are. And then we all start out pretty similar. So I think it's been working because I have a crew now of about six, and they've been with me for a full year now. So I think I'm doing something right. I'm keeping them, I'm paying them well. We're making all the little adjustments throughout the season to keep people happy that we need to make. And I just, you know, I talk to each person individually. What do you need from me? This is what I need from you. These are the changes I see that we need to take the place. Can you do that? And that was the conversation we had with every employee, one on one, for the startup of the year last week. So I think it works.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

It almost seems as though there's a parallel between what you are doing and creating the Mill Hill Inn and the Mill Hill Inn restaurant. Kind of from good clay. You start with a good, good something in front of you on the wheel, and then you give instructions as to how the wheel is used and how to put your fingers in there. But then you really rely on each individual to make their own piece, make their own bowl, make their own whatever it is.

Woody Hughes:

And that's. And the importance of Lee is. Because now she's my eyes or the eyes, not mine. The eyes of the place. And then she can make the adjustments. And Lee and I are. Are complete opposites. I see the big picture, she sees the details. And between the two of us, we really, I think, cover most bases that need to be covered. That's that. I mean, you know, and the kitchen's just as, you know, a pottery is a process. It's a process that's repeated. There's many elements to the cycle to make a pot, and it's just like a kitchen. So, I mean, I'm getting a lot of satisfaction, satisfaction out of doing the kitchen as if it were a studio. And I think that's what keeps it fresh. Because I'm always asked, I ask everyone's opinion, and it doesn't look like I'm listening. Sometimes people get frustrated because I usually divert my eyes and I don't really respond, but I'm taking it all in. And then I usually address it a day or two or a week later, what I liked about what they said. But I usually don't react at the time. And I think that's probably a fault of mine where I probably need to say, I heard what you just said. I'm going to think about that. But I don't. I just sort of. But everyone has input. My bartender, Ashley, once again, it's her bar. Wherever you want to take it. I'll tell you when the bottom line starts to get pinched. But what direction do you want to take it? I'm hands off, but we can't get crazy. We're in Western Maine. We are only open three days a week. We don't have endless people pouring through the door. So you have to really craft a solution that is also nimble.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How did you come to be at Gould Academy in the first place? If you grew up in New York and then you came to Maine to go to school, why choose Gould?

Woody Hughes:

It's interesting. There's a moment in life when you're not doing well as A kid sometimes. And I found myself in that situation where nothing was really working for me. And a neighbor from down the street. And it's funny, she's an artist and she lives in Portland and she works in a very good restaurant in town, Just Porter Art. She went to Gould. And when my time to get in a little trouble came up, it was a solution for my family because Nancy did something very similar and moved up and probably was introduced to art like I was at the Academy. And it became both our lives. But that's what's sort of unique about Gould. Almost all my adult skills, whether it's recreation, whether it's what I read or how I read or where my politics are, or the fact that I learned to make pottery at Gould, that became my career. So the academy, you know, saved my life. I give it two checks because back when I returned, when I was 45 in 2001, once again, it centered me. There's a pottery term. It centered me and started out another, a new chapter in my life. And so it did it twice. And whether it's Bethel or Western Maine or the Academy, when I speak of Gould Academy, I still use the word we as if I'm involved in it. So that's what it means to me. I'm still connected to it emotionally, even though I'm five years out.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

when you tell me that Gould does a lot with the arts, it makes me. It makes me really happy because I think that you don't hear a lot about pottery, for example, in public schools and sometimes kids who are in a public school setting or even a private school setting if it's not quite the right one for them. Their learning doesn't match up with the way that the teaching is occurring. It sounds like because Gould is. Well, for whatever reason, that sounds like Gould finds a way to individually reach the kids who go there.

Woody Hughes:

Well, yes, I mean, Gould especially back in my day, there was a lot of lateral movement in the day that permitted you to follow activities that interest you. And when I first started teaching at Gould, I always thought what we did the best was. I'm going to give Lorenzo Baker the nod for this phrase, work with the negative spaces. The classes being a positive space, the sports being this, another positive space. And it's all the negative space in between these bigger programs. And I honestly believe that was the most accurate statement I've ever heard describing Gould. Because that's where you have the one on one contact with the kids. That's when you're on weekend duty. That's when you take them up Mount Washington. Those are when all the things really come in. When you cruise through a dorm when you're not on duty. And you end up in a couple different conversations coming to the studio. I used to walk through the studio around, study, start a study hall. Nothing more to just blow through there. But I, you know, I might spend 10, 15, 20 minutes depending. But those were the time. That's what we're really good at. And there's, I don't know, 50, 70 faculty, I think that would probably agree with that statement. That's what we're good at. And then at the same time, Gould's really upped the academics and covering those bases too. Not being in a core curriculum class, being in an adjunct class, I never felt the pressure from that. I just knew I had what I think could have been the best job there. Because every kid wanted to be there. I had them for a full year. I could really have a special. I could change the pace based on their needs and where they were in their year, where they were with their academics and still get. I had plenty of time to work with them in that year to get them to a place where I was satisfied with what I could, what I could get across to them.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Out in Bethel, there actually is a sense of space and I don't know if I mean negative space, maybe even that there's this openness. There's the mountain, of course that's there. And then there's not just the mountain that people ski up. There's lots of mountains and lots of all around there's rivers and there's streams and there's large fields and there's just the sense of vastness at times that I think maybe living on the coast I didn't really experience or haven't really experienced. Does that also impact the way that you are living your life or the way that you taught students when you were at Gould?

Woody Hughes:

Certainly the way I live my life, I don't need to go very many places. And it seems like I go weeks and weeks without leaving Bethel. I almost say I'm on the island of Bethel. Yes, Newry Sunday river run up there to ski. But it's the counter to what I used to have to do when I lived in New York with commuting, the lie, suburbia and that. And so to remove myself from all those distractions, I find a huge part of my life. I have a dog I take a walk with in the woods every day or I ski with every day. And so I get out into these spaces not like I used to because the end takes up time. So I'm staying closer home. But the Nordic skiing will be at a ski center in town versus going back country because the work has gotten very big. So I don't get out. But I wrote down my favorite hike is Rumford Whitecap Ozana questionnaire. And I think that is a very doable hike. I sent a lot of my guests up there and they all come back raving about that space. And once again, that's an easy hike with a 360 degree view. And you get the great view of the outback of Maine going up into the Lake District. And. And it's. So that's the. I rely on the space for the quality of my life in Bethel for sure.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You came back to Maine in 2001?

Woody Hughes:

Yes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And you were 45. What happened?

Woody Hughes:

I was teaching in New York, but I went through a divorce. And I went on for a year after that living in the house because the studio was there. And my ex wife moved up to Portland. Actually I sent my son to Gould the year before. And then the job opened up, the pottery job opened up. There was a young woman from the south who was freezing to death up here. And she lasted three years. And the job opened up and without thinking about it, I just said I disagreed. I probably should have negotiated a little harder. But I know I needed a change because I was not drifting, I was sinking back home. And I needed someone threw once again. It was like a life jacket being thrown to me. I knew it and I didn't Think for a second I just agreed to it. Get me out of here. I always wanted to come back to Bethel. I said it in high school. Wouldn't this be a hoot of a job? Or wouldn't this be the coolest thing? And I remember being laughed at a little bit at 18. And I think, ask Grum. Anyway, it turned out to be right. It really did. It was nice to give back. It's a little bit of a cliche, but it was nice to return where you start. And you brought in your sensibilities because you've been through it. And I think I was strong at that, creating special relationships with the kids I was working with. I did that well for a while and, you know, I burned out. I'm not going to. And it was good to leave. But when I was on, I really felt. I felt like I covered it pretty well.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, we hope that you don't burn out with this, this latest job at the Mill Hill Inn. And I'm hoping that people will come to visit you. But now I want not too many people to come to visit you. We wanted to feel comfortable.

Woody Hughes:

It will be because I will turn people away with the best of them, ask them to return next weekend, and I will. And we'll explain to them. For all the reasons from my sanity to the capabilities of what we can do to the number of guests we already have. So it's not a bottom line project. And that's nice to have that pressure off me. It doesn't have to work every single night financially. It can be sort of a soft trend. Upwards is what I look for. I don't crunch numbers.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Woody, how can people find out about the Mill Hill Inn?

Woody Hughes:

Well, we have a darn good webpage, I believe, millhill inn.com. i don't print very many brochures anymore, but the webpage I believe is printable. I believe it can go on an iPhone. There's a video or two associated with it. So you get to get visual, you get tours of the building, the rooms you get to hear and see. I'm interviewed in a couple of these and you get to see what the flavor of the place is going to be. I think it's important because once again, we're rather informal and I got to make sure people understand that when they come. And I think they do. And a lot of people just appreciate just being able to be this relaxed. And I hopefully I bring that kind of comfort to that situation.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, we appreciate your taking the time to come talk to us today. I know that you're just starting your season, so things are busy. So this is really a great privilege to have you on Love Mean Radio. So thank you.

Woody Hughes:

Very good. I appreciate appreciate this too.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And we've been speaking with Woody Hughes, who is the owner of the Mill Hill Inn in Bethel and also an acclaimed Potter. Keep enjoying what you're doing and keep doing a great job with it.

Woody Hughes:

I'll stay the course.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You've been listening to Love Maine Radio show number 176, Bethel. Our guests have included Matt Ruby and Woody Hughes. For a preview of each week's show, sign up for our e Newsletter and like our LoveMain Radio Facebook page. Follow me on Twitter and see my running travel, food and wellness photos as bountiful1 on Instagram. We love to hear from you, so please let us know what you think of lovemain Radio. We welcome your suggestions for future shows. Also let our sponsors know that you've heard about them here. We are privileged that they enable us to bring Love Maine Radio to you each week. This is Dr. Lisa Belisle. I hope that you have enjoyed our Bethel show. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day. May you have a bountiful life.