THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2011
My van is an illegal alien See Bob Higgins’ column on page 4
This winter of content leads to political summer See Curtis Robinson’s column on page 5
AMC opens new ski lodge See Sports, page 8
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VOL. 2 NO. 254
PORTLAND, ME
Water line leaks are cold facts
PORTLAND’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
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Akers Building historic restoration
Water district reports spurt in leaks over January 2010 BY DAVID CARKHUFF THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN
Pull out the space heaters and stock up on heat tape. Subzero temperatures are back in the forecast, meaning another bout with frozen pipes. Sunday night, the National Weather Service is calling for a low around 2 below, followed by 3 below on Monday. It’s been a rugged January so far, with 16 leaks in pipes so far in the Portland Water District, according to spokesperson Michelle Clements. Last January, there were 12 leaks for the whole month, she said. “Since Friday, during this cold weekend, we had 10 calls about frozen meters or no water. We had to respond to those. In one of the cases, they left their garage open and it froze their meter,” Clements said. Some of the leaks have even challenged some of the city’s established merchants. Trader Joe’s at 87 Marginal Way had a waterline break on Monday that forced a temporary closure, according to store personnel. The store has since reopened. On Tuesday, the Fetch pet store at 195 Commercial St. reported extensive damage after a pipe burst in a vacant space overhead. “Seems a pipe burst in the vacant space above Fetch,” the store reported in an email message. “We’re open, but our machines (credit card, computers, ID tag engraver) are toast. We’re open, and here to supply you with what you need, but unfortunately until probably mid-afternoon tomorrow, cash and check only! Thank you for your patience! No need for life preservers or canned food, we’ve got plenty!” see LEAKS page 3
Jim Gleason stands at the base of scaffolding at the Akers Building at 384 Fore St. Wednesday during a masonry restoration job by Knowles ISC of Gorham. “That building survived the Great Fire, and it stands all alone in a magnificent photograph of the destruction of Portland. ... It looks like Dresden after the bombing, just heaps of brick,” said historian Herb Adams, referring to the July 4, 1866 fire that destroyed most of Portland. The restoration of this survivor involves repointing mortar joints, paint removal and brownstone repairs, the contractors reported. The job will take about three months, they estimated. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTO)
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Dead of Winter 5 — The Death of Dead of Winter BY MATT DODGE THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN
Winter in Portland can be a frozen, blustery landscape of desolation. That’s right, perfect conditions for the city’s creative community to get things done. The idea is that the city’s musicians often
use the season’s short days and icy streets to hole up, creating new material. But while it’s productive, it can also get sort of lonesome. That’s how the annual “Dead of Winter” idea was born, and this year’s event ends a five-year series with performances ranging
from unusual duets to a mayoral readings from archived accounts of winters past – no kidding. It began a half-decade ago in, fittingly, the dead of winter. “Josh Loring and I were roommates see SHOW page 16