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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2010
Christmas reflections See Bob Higgins’ column on page 4
Again it comes: The dreaded ‘s-flu’ See Curtis Robinson’s column on page 5
Boles named new manager of Sea Dogs See Sports, page 15
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VOL. 2 NO. 231
PORTLAND, ME
PORTLAND’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
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Deering Oaks pond prepped for $1.2M upgrade BY DAVID CARKHUFF THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN
Enough composted refuse came out of Deering Oaks Park pond to fill two twostory houses, and the job still isn’t done, city officials reported of a major clean-up effort this month. Ultimately, the city is in line for a $1.2 million federal grant to line the bottom of
the popular pond, a permanent answer to the siltation issue. Earlier this month, Portland Department of Public Services crews brought in the heavy equipment for a major clean-up effort at the landmark pond to improve water quality and prevent structural damage. “Our focus was really to get rid of the soil and leaf matter and the debris,” said
Public Services Department Director Michael Bobinsky. “We were pleased we were able to schedule that work in a late fall, early winter before we get into major storm events. It’s an example of the talent of our employees that can actually do those kinds of things. It’s also a partnership with Friends of Deering Oaks.” see POND page 9
Christmas in the Mansion Victoria Mansion transformed for ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ “This is the biggest annual event we put on, and it’s grown exponentially over the years. It started out as a two-day event, and now it goes for six weeks.” — Thomas Johnson, Victoria Mansion’s director
BY MATT DODGE THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN
P
ortland’s Victoria Mansion, the Italian villa style residence on Danforth Street, is an opulent example of mid-nineteenth century American architecture any time of year, but during Christmas, the 150-year-old building is transformed by teams of local designers into a holiday spectacle that would make a pre-Civil War-era Clark Griswold proud. Through Saturday, Jan. 8, Victoria Mansion will present its annual Christmas at Victoria Mansion, with this year’s decorations reflecting the stanzas of the classic holiday carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” “This is the biggest annual event we put on, and it’s grown exponentially over the years. It started out as a two-day event, and now it goes for six weeks,” said Thomas Johnson, Victoria Mansion director. The rooms of the Victoria Mansion, normally decorated in exacting historical style and featuring 90 percent original furnishings, are nearly unrecognizable for the holiday season, with feathers, snow and pine boughs creeping across the traditional Victorian decor. “The rooms are transformed this time of year,” said Johnson. “Without decorations, the drawing room on the first floor’s major colors are gold gilt and red. To walk into it right now, it presents a very very cool silver and blue feeling,” he said. The drawing room was decorated by local florist Harmon’s and Barton’s, who have helped to decorate a room since the seasonal tradition’s inception in 1984.
LEFT: The main staircase of Victoria Mansion is decked out for the historical residence’s annual Christmas at Victoria Mansion, a six-week event which concludes Saturday, Jan. 8. (MATT DODGE PHOTO)
see MANSION page 8
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Due to the Christmas holiday, The Portland Daily Sun will not publish Saturday. Season’s best! See our next edition on Tuesday