Show 20: Maine Inventor Ben Brickett, and Cumberland County Assistant Manager Bill Whitten

Show Information

Show: 20
Air date: Saturday, July 14, 2012
Guest 1: Ben Brickett
Guest 2: Bill Whitten
Host: Steve Woods (Stevoe)
Studio Contributor Debi Davis
Executive Producer: Mark Gould (Sharky)

TideSmart Talk with Stevoe broadcast its 20th show on Saturday, July 14 featuring an interview with accomplished Maine Inventor, Ben Brickett. For the second segment, Stevoe was joined by Cumberland County Assistant Manager, Bill Whitten, to discuss Maine’s government systems.

Ben Brickett

Ben Brickett

Ben Brickett talks with Stevoe about his newest invention, the variable force generator.

Ben Brickett is the founder of Blue Water Concepts, Inc. in Eliot, Maine where he combines his experience in engineering with creativity to invent environmental and marine systems products. He currently holds six patents for his inventions including a micro-chip embedded fishing line and a tension line cutter that allows ensnared whales to escape.

Most recently, he has developed a “variable force generator” wind turbine that can turn in winds as slow as 3 miles per hour, or as fast as 60 miles per hour. It is two times more efficient in generating electricity than current wind turbines and has caught the eye of manufacturing company Goss International.

In this interview, Brickett shares the concept of his proudest invention, the variable force generator, and talks with Stevoe about the work that goes into being an inventor.

Bill Whitten

Bill Whitten

Bill Whitten discusses the importance of government accessibility with Stevoe.

Bill Whitten is a man of many hats. While he may be best known for being the Assistant Manager of Cumberland County, Whitten has filled his life with a multitude of other responsibilities and experiences.

Upon graduating from the University of Maine where he played football and studied Marketing and Management, Whitten joined the United States Marine Corps.

In addition to being the Cumberland County Assistant Manager, Whitten is currently the Board Chair for the Cumberland County Civic Center and the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center. He is also a part-time Martial Arts Black Belt Instructor at the Freeport, Maine YMCA.

In his spare time Whitten councils patients with Lyme disease. As someone who’s personally dealt with the disease for six years, he wants to raise awareness of the need for better health care for Lyme patients and help others with the disease through what could be a long and debilitating journey.

In this segment, Stevoe is joined by Whitten to discuss the role of county government in Maine, and the importance of civic involvement.


Posted on Monday, July 16th, 2012 and filed under Show Recaps.