The Portland Daily Sun, Thursday, March 8, 2012 by Daily Sun

ly D a i D e a l Ocean House Market 512 Ocean St., South Portland, Maine 04106

Internet Offer Only!

SAVE 50%

$5 off a $10 voucher at Ocean House Market

VISIT PORTLANDDAILYSUN.ME FOR THIS AND OTHER GRE AT OFFERS

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012

This therapy helps us stop and smell the ﬂowers See Karen Vachon, page 4

Pingree to seek re-election to the House

VOL. 4 NO. 25

PORTLAND, ME

PORTLAND’S DAILY NEWSPAPER

699-5801

FREE

Rush Limbaugh flap hits home: Petition urges local radio station to pull show Portland Radio Group president says show will stay on WGAN: ‘The show is on because listeners demand it’; petitioner says ‘the tide has changed’ — See page 6

A new record high temperature today?

See page 7

Fort Allen Park overhaul the focus of meeting See page 8

Shawn Koontz plays Frisbee with friends in Monument Square Wednesday. Temperatures yesterday reached 50 degrees in Portland, according to the National Weather Service. These springlike temperatures fell short of a daily high of 68 degrees set in 1974, the weather service reported. Today, however, forecasters expected a daily record of 56 degrees, set in 2010, to be shattered, when a high close to 60 degrees is expected. Temperature records go back to 1940. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTO)

Page 2 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012

Apple upgrades iPad SAN FRANCISCO (NY Times) — Apple updated the iPad on Wednesday with a high-definition screen, faster wireless connection and several other refinements. As recent history has shown, though, even relatively modest changes could be enough for the company to attract waves of new buyers for its tablet computer. The company said the new iPad would go on sale on March 16 for a starting price of $499, unchanged from the last generation of iPads. The product will have a screen that provides a comparable level of clarity to the iPhone’s “retina display,” with higher-resolution than conventional high-definition televisions, according to Apple executives. And in a sign that Apple intends to more seriously protect its market share in the tablet market, the company said it would continue to sell its second-generation iPad, dropping the price to $399 from $499. At a company event here, Apple also introduced a new version of Apple TV, the company’s $99 set-top box for accessing Internet video, that streams movies in the sharpest of the high-definition video formats, called 1080p. Apple’s stock price was about flat in regular trading, ending up about 60 cents a share at $530.86, a 0.1 percent gain. The new tablet, called simply the new iPad with no numbers or letters following the name, is an effort to keep growth chugging along in a two-year-old business that has turned into a major technology franchise for the company. Apple’s $9.15 billion in iPad sales over the holiday quarter were almost double the amount of revenue Microsoft brought in from its Windows software and not far from Google’s total revenue as a company during the same period. Speaking from the same stage where Steven P. Jobs, the company’s late chief executive introduced the second-generation iPad almost exactly a year ago, the company’s new chief executive, Timothy D. Cook, said the iPad last quarter outsold the number of personal computers sold by any individual manufacturer. “In many ways, the iPad is reinventing portable computing and outstripping the wildest predictions,” Mr. Cook said. The new iPad, the third generation of the device, looks virtually indistinguishable from its predecessor, without any of the bold outward design changes often associated with new Apple products.

SAYWHAT...

“

Any sufﬁciently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” —Arthur C. Clarke

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– DIGEST––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

THEMARKET

3DAYFORECAST Today High: 60 Record: 60 (1878) Sunrise: 6:05 a.m.

Tomorrow High: 45 Low: 25 Sunrise: 6:03 a.m. Sunset: 5:41 p.m.

Tonight Low: 34 Record: 0 (2007) Sunset: 5:39 p.m.

Saturday High: 35 Low: 27

DOW JONES 78.18 to 1,352.63 NASDAQ 23.37 to 2,935.69

TODAY’SJOKE

THETIDES

“I learned nothing in college. It was really kind of my own fault. I had a double major: psychology and reverse psychology.” — B.J. Novak

MORNING High: 10:39 a.m. Low: 4:25 a.m.

S&P 7.27 to 1,352.63

EVENING High: 11:03 p.m. Low: 4:50 p.m. -courtesy of www.maineboats.com

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WORLD/NATION–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

With no knockout punch, a bruising battle plods on (NY Times) — Mitt Romney won the delegates, but not necessarily the argument. His quest to win the Republican presidential nomination has always resembled a detailed, methodical business plan. Romney, who spent much of his life fixing troubled corporations, must now decide whether steps are necessary to repair his lethargic candidacy. Romney had hoped that a string of Super Tuesday victories in contests from Vermont to Alaska would effectively bring the Republican race to a close. But he found himself winning over Rick

Santorum by only the slimmest of margins with almost all the votes counted in Ohio, the most coveted primary of the night, while losing other contests across the South. The Republican race was always destined to plod on, considering that none of the candidates have reached even half of the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination. But the campaign is suddenly bracing for new questions about Romney’s ability to piece together a coalition needed to move closer to a general election fight with President Obama. Romney had hoped a commanding victory

over Santorum in Ohio would add another Midwestern battleground state to his tally and provide new latitude to begin directly engaging Obama. The heart of his case to his fellow Republicans has always been that he is not only the most electable candidate in the field, but also the best prepared and most suited for what is sure to be a brutal general election. But the outcome of the contests on Tuesday, while allowing him to amass more delegates than any of his rivals, did little to resolve the questions about his ability to connect with voters, especially conservatives.

N.H. House passes birth control exemption CONCORD (WMUR) — Clashing over an issue also playing out on the national stage, New Hampshire’s Republican-controlled House has voted to allow employers with religious objections to exclude contraceptive coverage

from their health plans. The House voted 196-150 Wednesday to send the bill to the Senate. Republican House Speaker William O’Brien called it a matter of religious freedom to honor the beliefs of the Cath-

olic Church and others who don’t believe in birth control. O’Brien argued that people who don’t agree can either pay for birth control out of their own pockets or choose to work for a different employer. Opponents argued that

employers don’t have to buy insurance. Employers can avoid a requirement to include contraceptives in policies by not offering any drug coverage. Employers also can avoid state mandates altogether by selfinsuring.

U.N. relief official visits Homs amid Arab Spring, Iran tensions new violence and lost conﬁdence leave Palestinians sidelined (NY Times) — The United Nations’s top relief official visited the ravaged Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday as part of her assessment of emergency needs in swathes of the country devastated by a year-long uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. The visit by the official, Valerie Amos, the under secretary general and emergency relief coordinator, was the first inspection of Homs by an independent outside observer since Syrian armed forces first besieged it more than a month ago in a ferocious campaign to crush an epicenter of armed resistance to Assad’s rule. Officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross said

Amos toured the Baba Amr neighborhood of Homs, which had suffered enormous destruction. She was accompanied by officials of the Syrian Red Crescent, the country’s Red Cross affiliate, who had been waiting for nearly a week to enter that sector of Homs because the Syrian military had blocked outsiders. It was unclear precisely what she saw, and her aides said she would make no statement while in Syria. But the Red Cross said in a Twitter message that Red Crescent teams stayed about 45 minutes in Baba Amr and that “the vast majority of inhabitants have fled the neighborhood.”

RAMALLAH, West Bank (NY Times) — In the 14 months since revolution has spread across the Middle East and tension has soared over Iran’s nuclear program, the Palestinian leadership has found itself orphaned. Politically divided, its peace talks with Israel collapsed and its foreign support waning, the Palestinian Authority is sidelined, confused and worried that its people may return to violence. “The biggest challenge we face — apart from occupation — is marginalization,” Salam Fayyad, prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, said in an interview. “This is a direct consequence of the Arab Spring where people are preoccupied with their own domestic affairs. The United States is in an election year and has economic problems, Europe has its worries. We’re in a corner.” For decades, as autocrats ruled their neighbors, the Palestinians were at the center of Middle Eastern politics, their struggle with Israeli occupation embodying the Arab longing for postcolonial freedom and dignity. The Obama administration came into office asserting that a state in the West Bank and Gaza was the key to regional progress.

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012— Page 3

y ail

Internet Offers Only!

Ocean House Market

To Sign Up For Upcoming Deals

512 Ocean St., South Portland, Maine 04106

50% OFF

LAC

$5 off a $10 voucher at Ocean House Market

VISIT PORTL A NDDA ILYSUN.ME FOR THIS A ND OTHER GRE AT OFFERS

Three arrested in Portland pharmacy robbery BY MATTHEW ARCO THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

Authorities arrested three men, including two brothers, accused of robbing a Portland pharmacy and store clerk at knifepoint Tuesday night. The men were arrested at a home in South Portland after officers located the getaway vehicle and following a brief police standoff, said Lt. Ivan Papkee Gary Rogers, a Portland police spokesman. The men are accused of robbing the CVS Pharmacy located at 1096 Brighton Ave. shortly before 8 p.m. “Two of them entered the store armed with knives and threatened the clerks,” Rogers said. “Then one of the suspects went to the back of store and Gustave Papkee robbed the pharmacy, while one of them robbed the clerk.” Rogers said the men fled with an undisclosed amount of cash and prescription drugs. Officers in South Portland later discovered a vehicle that matched the description of the getaway car outside of a home located at 26 Mardale Ave., Ryan Best Rogers said. The car discovered at about 10 p.m. Authorities from four agencies surrounded

the home and two of the suspects surrendered to police without incident after about an hour, Rogers said. A third suspected was later arrested and charged. Ivan Papkee, 29, Gustave Papkee, 32, and Ryan Best, 24, all of Portland, were each charged with robbery, Rogers said. Police recovered the prescription pills in the home that were taken during the robbery, Rogers added. “It worked out well,” he said. Rogers credited an alert citizen with helping police catch the men. The vehicle description was given by someone who saw the men exit the store. “We don’t solve these cases alone,” Rogers said. “Certainly it does require help from the public.” Investigators will determine whether any of the men are suspects in half dozen unsolved pharmacy robberies in the city spanning between August and the beginning of this year. The same CVS Pharmacy the men robbed Tuesday was also robbed on Aug. 29 and again on Sept. 12. Both of those robberies remained unsolved. Police are also investigating the Sept. 23 robbery of CVS at 499 Forest Ave., the Oct. 25 Rite Aid robbery at 701 Forest Ave., the Dec. 18 CVS robbery at 1406 Congress St. and the Jan. 13 robbery of another Portland CVS Pharmacy located at 449 Forest Ave., according to police. Anyone with information about a crime is asked to contact the Portland Police Department at 874-8533 or text an anonymous tip from a mobile phone using keyword “GOTCHA” plus the message to 274637 (CRIMES).

BER

Visit

CONWAYDAILYSUN.COM

Visit I A LACONIADAILYSUN.COM

LIN

To Sign Up For Upcoming Deals Visit

BERLINDAILYSUN.COM To Sign Up For Upcoming Deals

Maine company earns Backpacker magazine’s prestigious award YARMOUTH — A Maine-based consumer mapping and GPS technology company was the recipient of Backpacker magazine’s Editors’ Choice Award for their two-way satellite messaging device. DeLorme’s inReach two-way satellite communicator was recognized by Backpacker magazine’s most prestigious award, the company announced Tuesday. The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards recognizes products that Backpacker editors have chosen as the best of the year based on months of trail testing by experienced climbers and hikers. “No other magazine or website conducts in-depth field-testing as vigorously or impartially as the crew led by Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter,” said Editor-inChief Jonathan Dorn. DeLorme touts inReach as the first consumeraffordable satellite communicator with two-way SOS and personal text-messaging, delivery confirmation, “follow me” online GPS tracking, and worldwide coverage via Iridium, the world’s furthest-reaching satellite network. It can serve as a standalone device or be paired with an Android smartphone or DeLorme’s Earthmate PN-60w GPS for send-and-receive text messaging, according to DeLorme.

State prison inmate dies AUGUSTA — A 74-year-old state prisoner serving a 15-year-sentence died Tuesday following on-going health issues, state officials said. Robert Storer began serving his sentence in April 2007. He was charged with unlawful sexual contact and gross sexual assault, according to officials. Storer was admitted to the Pen Bay Medical Center on Feb. 28.

9.99 $ 15.99

Our Famous 10 oz. Steak Tips your choice of Teriyaki or Jamaican jerk

1227 Congress St. 774-8104

606 Washington Ave. 774-4639

323 Broadway 347-7450

www.AnaniasVariety.com

Any Size Coffee

ONLY Three Deering Ave. Portland Tues-Fri 8-3 • Sat 8-6 • Sun 8-3 • Closed Mondays

Specializing in Breakfast and Lunch

REOPENING MARCH 17 Homemade Ice Cream and New Breakfast Items Plus Unique Art, Handmade Jewelry, and more!

99¢

with the purchase of any Hot Breakfast Item.

1/2 rack Baby Back Ribs & 7oz. Tips Combo **March dinner specials Sunday thru Thursday from 4:30 to close

5.99

Daily from 3-6pm • Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins • Coconut Shrimp(9) • Sweet Italian Sausage w/ Fresh lemon & sweet cherry pepper • Vegetable quesadilla • 1.00 off draft beer **March Appetizer specials everyday from 3-6PM

February Beer Specials Old Thumper by Shipyard 6 pk...7.49++ Miller Lite 15 pk... 9.99++ While Supplies Last

Prime Rib Available every Friday and Saturday night

www.parkers-maine.com

1349 Washington Ave, Portland 878-3339 • www.parkers-maine.com NOT TO BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER. AVAILABLE SUNDAY-THURSDAY.

Page 4 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012

––––––––––––– COLUMN –––––––––––––

Liz Cheney: Desist! WASHINGTON — Oh, Barack. You want to analyze the cost and consequences of war before you go to war? Such a snob. Such a green eyeshade rejection of the red-hot Bush doctrine. What’s wrong with bomb first and think later? That worked fine in Iraq. Or not. Mitt Romney believes bombing Iran would be a cakewalk, even though his foreign affairs experience amounts to making sure skiers had a nice downhill run at the Salt Lake City Olympics. “If Barack Obama is reelected,” Romney robotically swaggered in Georgia, “Iran will have a nuclear weapon and the world will change if that’s the case.” That apocalyptic answer came in response to a question from an 11-year-old boy at a pancake breakfast. Romney is ––––– channeling Dick Cheney, who The New York wooed voters in 2004 with the Times cheery mantra that voting for John Kerry would lead to a terrorist attack. Message: You die. Speaking by satellite to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference here, Romney outpandered himself. “I will station multiple aircraft carriers and warships at Iran’s door,” he said as if he were playing

Maureen Dowd

see DOWD page 5

We want your opinions All letters columns and editorial cartoons are the opinion of the writer or artists and do not reﬂect the opinions of the staff, editors or publisher of The Portland Daily Sun. We welcome your ideas and opinions on all topics and consider every signed letter for publication. Limit letters to 300 words and include your address and phone number. Longer letters will only be published as space allows and may be edited. Anonymous letters, letters without full names and generic letters will not be published. Please send your letters to: THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, news@portlanddailysun.me.

Portland’s FREE DAILY Newspaper Mark Guerringue, Publisher David Carkhuff, Editor Casey Conley, City Editor Matthew Arco, Staff Writer Natalie Ladd, Business Development Joanne Alfiero, Sales Representative Contributing Writers: Marge Niblock, Christian Milneil, Bob Higgins, Karen Vachon, Cliff Gallant, James Howard Kunstler Founding Editor Curtis Robinson THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN is published Tuesday through Saturday by Portland News Club, LLC. Mark Guerringue, Adam Hirshan, Curtis Robinson Founders Offices: 477 Congress Street, Suite 1105, Portland ME 04101 (207) 699-5801 Website: www.portlanddailysun.me E-mail: news@portlanddailysun.me For advertising contact: (207) 699-5806 or ads@portlanddailysun.me Classifieds: (207) 699-5807 or classifieds@portlanddailysun.me

CIRCULATION: 13,600 daily distributed Tuesday through Saturday FREE throughout Portland by Jeff Spofford, jspofford@maine.rr.com

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– COLUMN ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Horticultural therapy asks us to stop and smell the flowers My daffodils have been at it for years, but still, each year they cause me to stop, pause, and ponder. Weathering the elements of sleet, snow, wind, and freezing rain, they prevail with a grace of resilience and perseverance naturally never letting me down. They deliver beauty, hope, and a hearty dose of humility. Each year, they’re there, as if to ask me a question: Have you stopped to smell the flowers? The better question may be: Do you see value in smelling the flowers? Jennifer Morin does. She’s chosen to make this her life’s work. By combining nursing, development psychology, business and horticulture together she’s working on a customized degree of horticultural therapy at Southern Maine Community College. Her goal is to have her own business helping senior citizens connect to their past, through smells and familiar experience which jog happy life memories and put them at peace with where they are, and where they are going, in the cycle of life. This career path came naturally. It’s a culmination of seeds gathered and sown through life

Karen Vachon ––––– Better with Age experience. She’s energized. The cycle of life is life giving, therapeutic, and something people need to be more in touch with. Whether you’re smelling the flowers, or getting down and dirty in the garden, there’s a therapy there to make you feel better. The first seed was planted growing up on Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester, a short walk away from the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village. It was here that her love for herbs and gardening started. “The setting is absolutely beautiful, tranquil, and peaceful,” she explained. “This village is the last remaining Shaker Village in the world, and it’s people are very dear to my heart.” Morin’s degree in environmental studies at the University of Vermont, led to volunteer work and an internship at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens in

Cheyenne, Wyoming. It was here that she was first introduced to Horticultural Therapy. Ninety percent of the physical labor at these gardens is performed by volunteers: seniors, at-risk youth, youth groups (such as the Boy Scouts) seeking community service projects, and college interns worked side-by-side, sowing seeds or transplanting seedlings, and sharing life stories. “The young people learn from their elders, and the elders are able to give back to their community in a very unique way,” explained Morin. One senior especially touched Morin’s heart. “Kind and grandfatherly, he loved to share his wisdom,” she recalled. He had a passion was pruning shrubs. All he had to hear was that a shrub needed pruning, and all health concerns and stress were forgotten. The spring in his step returned, he smiled, joked, and shared a laugh — this was horticultural therapy in action, and Morin became sold on the value of the therapy. Horticultural therapy utilizes plants and plant-related activities see VACHON page 5

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012— Page 5

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– OPINION ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

McConnell promised ‘overwhelming force’ on Iran DOWD from page 4

Risk. Not afraid to employ “military might” (or alarming alliteration), Romney wrote a blank check to Bibi Netanyahu, who governs a nation roiling with reactionary strains, ultra-Orthodox attacks on women and girls and attempts at gender segregation, and increasing global intolerance of the 45-year Palestinian occupation. As the New Yorker editor David Remnick wrote, Netanyahu and his supporters too often “consider the tenets of liberal democracy to be negotiable in a game of coalition politics.” Nonetheless, Romney promised that “Israel will know that America stands at its side in all conditions and in all consequence.” We will support Israel when its survival is threatened. But we can’t possibly support every single military action of every single Israeli government. Romney crudely painted Obama as an Arab sympathizer. “As president, my first foreign trip will not be to Cairo or Riyadh or Ankara,” he said. “It will be to Jerusalem.” The Israeli fear of an Iranian nuclear weapon must be respected, not least because the regime intent on developing this weapon is the world’s greatest center of Holocaust denial. And the timing is tricky. As Bill Kristol put it, Obama’s urge to wait “would precisely undermine Israel’s ability to determine her fate.” But I’d feel better if our partner was not the trigger-happy Netanyahu, who makes hysterical arguments even in the absence of a dire threat. At Aipac, he compared those who want to be less hasty than he does to America’s refusal to bomb Auschwitz in 1944.

I’d also feel better if war was not being mongered by the same warmongers who drew us into a decade of futile, bloody, expensive and draining battles. At Aipac, Liz Cheney urged that we put ourselves in Israeli hands because “America’s track record on predicting when nations reach nuclear capability is abysmal.” She’s right about that, given her father’s wildly erroneous assertions about W.M.D.s in Iraq. “There is no president,” she outrageously averred, “who has done more to delegitimize and undermine the state of Israel in recent history than President Obama.” The Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, promised “overwhelming force” on Iran if neces-

sary. And John McCain, who is also calling for an international air assault on Syria, agreed with Liz Cheney, arguing that since the U.S. was “surprised” when Pakistan and North Korea got nuclear technology, it was not fair to ask Bibi to rely on Barry’s judgment about when to use force. Let’s get back to pre-emptive wars! The campaign sugar daddy of Newt Gingrich (and soon, Romney) is Sheldon Adelson, a multibillionaire casino owner and hawkish Zionist who endorses Gingrich’s view that the Palestinians are “an invented people” who have no historic claim to a homeland. Gingrich told Aipac that “if an Israeli prime minister decides that he has to avoid the threat of a second Holocaust through pre-emptive measures, that I would require no advanced notice to understand why I would support the right of Israel to survive in a dangerous world.” At a press conference Tuesday, the president excoriated the “bluster” and “big talk” in this political season about bombing Iran. “When I see the casualness with which some of these folks talk about war, I’m reminded of the costs involved in war,” he said, adding: “This is not a game. And there’s nothing casual about it.” There would be consequences for both Israel and America, he cautioned, “if action is taken prematurely.” “When I visit Walter Reed, when I’ve signed letters to families,” he said, “whose loved ones have not come home, I am reminded that there is a cost.” And, he noted dryly, “Typically, it’s not the folks who are popping off who pay the price.” Given our decade of misadventures, it’s astonishing that the hubris still trumps the humility.

Advocates: Body, mind, spirit renewed with this new therapy VACHON from page 4

to improve social, emotional, physical and psychological well-being for all ages and situations. Body, mind and spirit are renewed; socialization, memory, endurance, mobility and balance are improved. The therapy has a wide range of application that address a specific patients ability and need. Feeling angry or anxious? You may find benefit from digging, hoeing or pruning. Is stress bringing you down? The fragrance of lavender or geranium will bring you calm. Are you feeling depressed? A visit to a local greenhouse, especially this time of year, as seedlings show new signs of life, will restore a feeling of optimism, confidence and self worth. Mitchel Hewson, a horticultural therapist in Canada, believes that this therapy is poised for great growth in the future providing alternative health care solutions. Operating the largest Horticultural Therapy program at Homewood Health Center in Guelph, Ontario, his therapy’s span the spectrum from addiction, depression and anxiety, mood swings, dementia and long term illnesses, such as schizophrenia, as he says: “The powers of nature are seen in the growth

of a plant” and become a great teacher. “The life cycle of plants provides us with hope of life renewed and a chance to begin again.” For Morin, knowledge is a journey, not a destination. She carries on with her customized study, looking to graduate in 2013. Her vision: To bring Horticultural Therapy into more places in the state of Maine as an alternative form of therapy for nursing homes, senior centers, rehab facilities, hospitals, and residential homes for youth. “The social, cognitive, behavioral, and physical rewards of utilizing horticultural therapy make it a wonderful alternative for patients of all ages.” She envisions a horticultural society that involves youth and elders working together planting flowers and food crops from seed, where harvests are reaped to supply therapy programs, food pantries and soup kitchens. Horticultural Therapy pulls people together. It encourages people enjoy the cycle of life that is bigger than our self. So, take some time to smell the flowers! (Karen Vachon is a resident of Scarborough. She is a licensed insurance agent, and an active volunteer in her community.)

Jennifer Morin believes in horticultural therapy, a green thumb approach to ﬁnding peace in life. (COURTESY PHOTO)

Page 6 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012

Anti-Limbaugh petition calls on WGAN to pull show BY DAVID CARKHUFF THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

This morning, a group of Maine women will deliver a petition to the Portland Radio Group offices in South Portland to demand that "The Rush Limbaugh Show" be removed from the air. Limbaugh caused a national stir when he called Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown University law student, a "slut" and a "prostitute" after she spoke to members of Congress urging insurance coverage for contraceptives. On Saturday, Limbaugh apologized for his on-air comments, but critics continue to pressure radio stations and their advertisers to drop the conservative talk show host. "I just don't think they understand that the tide has changed. Twenty years ago people put up with this, but people are not standing for it anymore," said Annie Finch of Falmouth, who is spearheading this morning's petition drive to the offices of 560 WGAN Newsradio, the station that carries "The Rush Limbaugh Show." By 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Finch said her group had gathered 5,307 signatures. This morning, on International Women's Day, Finch said her group planned to deliver the signatures to Cary Pahigian, president and general manager of the Portland Radio Group based in South Portland, which includes WGAN. Yesterday, as the controversy continued to mount, Pahigian said he had no intention of pulling Limbaugh's show off the air. "No, we will not be removing the show," he said. "The show is on because listeners demand it," Pahigian said. "He has been a mainstay of the format." Pahigian also described "over-the-top language" from callers demanding the show's removal, saying many were evidently calling or emailing from out of state, and many appeared to be mobilized by social networking sites. "We are taking feedback, the feedback is running about 50-50, I would say," Pahigian told The Portland Daily Sun Wednesday afternoon. "We have openly embraced every caller, we have openly embraced every emailer," Pahigian said, describing an attempt to respond "person-by-person" to the people contacting the radio station. Because of Limbaugh's comments about Fluke, several local businesses have stopped advertising on Limbaugh's show, Finch noted. Wednesday afternoon, her list of defecting advertisers included Port-

“No, we will not be removing the show,. ... The show is on because listeners demand it. He has been a mainstay of the format.” — Cary Pahigian, president and general manager of the Portland Radio Group land Ovations; Norway Savings Bank; Cunningham Security in Yarmouth; RSVP Discount Beverage in Portland; and Downeast Energy in Brunswick. Pahigian said the radio station, as of Wednesday, had not lost any advertisers outright, but rather that WGAN was accommodating advertisers who wanted their ads run during shows other than Limbaugh's. "Locally, there have been a handful of advertisers who have said, 'With the controversy swirling, we'd like to step aside,'" and not air during the show, he said. Pahigian agreed with other critics that Limbaugh should not have personally attacked Fluke — "What he said was wrong and stupid and ridiculous," Pahigian said. But he noted other commentators have been guilty of similarly inflammatory comments, including Ed Schultz and Bill Maher. (Maher, on Twitter yesterday, defended Limbaugh: "Hate to defend #RushLimbaugh but he apologized, liberals looking bad not accepting. Also hate intimidation by sponsor pullout," he wrote.) Finch said "hate speech and misogyny" have no place in the public discourse. "I'm a writer, and I value language, and I find hate speech to be a force that weakens human dignity. I just have had enough. What he said about Sandra Fluke was completely unacceptable," she said. The petition to WGAN reads in part: "If Rush were using such blatant and unabashed slurs about a racial or ethnic group, his repulsive vitriol would never be broadcast. We request that WGAN, which currently has one female host and 15 male hosts, show its support for the women of Maine by pulling Limbaugh's show from the airwaves effective immediately — and replacing his noon to 3 p.m. radio show with one that has a woman host.” Pahigian said the question of censorship had been raised. He asked, "Who is the ultimate censor of what we say or write?" He added that he had received calls

P a u lP in kh a m A u to R ep a ir NO LONGER AT

B a ck B a y A u to

Now located at 193 Presumpscot St., Portland

B U YIN G L A T E M O D E L C A R S. B O D Y D A M A G E A N D T E C H N IC A L P R O B L E M S O K A Y! (207)756 -4817 30 Years Experience Domestic & Foreign Dependable Auto Repair

Portland Fiber Gallery & Weaving Studio Spinning & Weaving Felting & Dyeing

Ask About Classes & Supplies

50 Cove Street Portland • 780-1345 Open Tuesday - Saturday 11 - 5 Visit the website for directions and class schedule

www.portlandfibergallery.com

“I’m a writer, and I value language, and I ﬁnd hate speech to be a force that weakens human dignity. I just have had enough.” — Annie Finch of Falmouth, petition organizer from supporters of the show, noting, "There's been a rallying point. Listenership is certainly up." Finch said her group would "keep up the pressure," regardless of how today's meeting with WGAN management fares. "I wanted to put my foot down and say, 'This is it,'" she said. Over the years, Pahigian said he's witnessed "a few flare-ups" involving outrage at on-air radio hosts and their comments, including Limbaugh, but he said what's different today is technology. "The game has changed now with social networking and the Internet," he said. As one example of social networking spreading the Limbaugh controversy, Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, on its Facebook page, wrote about it this week, stating that a branch of the charity would discontinue public-service announcements during the show. "Goodwill is a non-partisan nonprofit organization," a post on the local charity's Facebook page stated. "Public service announcements are not paid advertisements and should not be considered endorsements of a particular political or ideological point of view. The Goodwill public service announcement, that aired on stations affiliated with the Rush Limbaugh show, aired without Goodwill’s knowledge or consent. No further Goodwill public service announcements will be aired without our permission." The post on the local Goodwill's Facebook page (which prompted two comments in support and one in opposition) did not apply to the Greater Portland region, where PSA's aren't aired during Limbaugh's show, explained Michelle Smith, communications manager for Goodwill Industries of Northern New England. Goodwill of Greater Washington, D.C. had a PSA on "The Rush Limbaugh Show" in that market, she explained. "We're just spreading the word for them," she said. "It just kind of blew up for them, so they asked that we share that message."

Girl Scouts of the USA 100TH BIRTHDAY

PANCAKE BREAKFAST March 11, 2012 ~ 8-10am Applebee’s Restaurant 1031 Brighton Avenue, Portland Sponsored by: 316 Infantry Association to benefit Girl Scouts of Maine Troops 2051 & 1712 Contact: CSM Joel Chapman at 775-0284 for tickets as RSVP’s are required

Market Survey Inc is seeking candidates for a rewarding career as a

CSR/ACCOUNT REP Responsibilities: • Providing Information for Potential Members • Update Current Members Account Information • Assist in Setup & Troubleshooting of New Member Equipment • General Sales & Marketing Support Efforts Qualifications: • College degree is a strong plus. (High School Diploma / GED required) • Excellent verbal and written communication skills required. • Flexible Schedule (nights, weekends and holidays are a must). • Ability to multitask • 1+ year experience in a customer service environment is a strong plus. • Knowledge of computers and Microsoft software required (Word/Excel) We offer a starting salary of $14 - $17 per hour. (PT/FT) Interested candidates should forward resumes to : entrylevel00@gmail.com

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012— Page 7

Pingree to seek re-election to House, won’t run for Senate BY CASEY CONLEY THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

Democrat Chellie Pingree has decided to seek re-election to the U.S. House rather than run for the Senate seat being vacated by Olympia Snowe. Pingree’s announcement follows the release of a statewide poll showing that about 40 percent of Mainers view her unfavorably and former Gov. Angus King's decision to enter the Senate race as an independent. “Although the prospect of running for and possibly serving in the United States Senate was very exciting, in the end I concluded that I will best serve the people of Maine by running for re-election to the House,” she said in a statement. Snowe’s decision last week not to seek a fourth term set off a scramble, as dozens of possible candidates publicly or privately began testing the political waters for House and Senate runs. In the days that followed Snowe's announcement, Pingree was viewed by many as the strongest Democratic candidate for the Senate — especially after Second District Democratic Congressman Mike Michaud decided against a Senate run. Her thinking likely changed Monday, after King, a former twoterm governor, officially entered the race. Pingree told the Press Herald yesterday that she worried that if she and King both ran, it would split the Democratic vote and allow a Republican to win.

Indeed, a similar scenario played out in the 2010 governor’s race, when independent Eliot Cutler drew strong Democratic support but narrowly lost to Republican Paul LePage, who received Pingree just 38 percent of the total vote. In a statement, King said he was surprised but relieved to learn Pingree wasn’t running. "This is a personal relief to me because I wasn't looking forward to running Snowe against a friend,” he said. “I am pleased that Chellie will continue her work in Washington on behalf of the people of Maine as she is a dedicated and effective public servant." University of Maine political sciMichaud ence professor Mark Brewer said yesterday that he wasn’t all that surprised Pingree passed on the senate race, especially after the release Tuesday of a poll by Public Policy Polling showing that 41 percent of Mainers have an

Man dies in Aroostook County apartment ﬁre; smoking materials reported as cause FORT FAIRFIELD — A 38-yearold Aroostook County man died early Wednesday morning after officials say a fire swept through his apartment. Norman LaPointe, who lived at 13 Presque Isle St., died inside his thirdfloor studio apartment, said Stephen McCausland, a Department of Public Safety spokesman. Improper disposal of smoking materials in a waste

basket inside the apartment complex is suspected of causing the blaze, officials said. Three occupants of two surrounding apartments were able to escape, McCausland said. The fire was reported shortly after midnight. LaPointe’s death is the fifth fire death of the year, McCausland said. — Staff Report

BUY AMERICAN MAYTAG ANNIVERSARY EDITION CENTENNIAL LAUNDRY PAIR SAVE High Efficiency, Top Load Washer With Intelliclean Impeller Stainless Drum. Intellidry Electric Dryer E IN TH MADE

USA E, OH

CYLD

E IN TH MADE

USA N, OH

MARIO

146 Rand Rd, Portland Exit 47 off I-95

MVWC450XW: 3.6 Cubic Foot, Glass Lid REG. $699 MEDC300XW: REG. $599

FREE LOCAL DELIVERY & DISPOSAL OF OLD!

30000

On the Pair while they last

SALE PAY $ ONLY After Rebates

99898

Sales & Service 772-0053

unfavorable opinion of her (compared to 47 percent favorable). The same poll also found Pingree would likely lose a three-way race with King and a Republican candidate. “She had a lot to lose giving up a safe House seat” to run for senate, Brewer said. The PPP poll showed that another high-profile Democrat considering a Senate run, former two-term Gov. John Baldacci, had even higher negatives, with 51 percent viewing him unfavorably. The poll was conducted between March 2 and 4, had a sample size of 1,256 and a margin of error of 2.8 percent. Brewer said Baldacci may ultimately come to the same conclusion as Pingree and not run for Senate. “What it might come down to, is Angus King and a couple of lower-tier candidates” from both parties, Brewer said. According to the Press Herald, at least 13 Republicans are considering running for Snowe’s seat, including Secretary of State Charlie Summers; Attorney General Bill Schneider; State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin; and State Sen. Deb Plowman, of Hampden. State Sen. Cynthia Dill, D-Cape Elizabeth; former Secretary of State Matt Dunlap; and Portland builder Ben Pollard are declared candidates on the Democratic side. Baldacci's plans are not known. There are at least five independents running, including King and former

Republican Andrew Ian Dodge, who left the party last month. Businessman and Yarmouth town councilor Steve Woods announced yesterday that he was entering the race. With both Pingree and Michaud opting to seek re-election to the House, more than a dozen Democrats and Republicans who were considering runs for those seats have dropped out, including ACLU of Maine director Shenna Bellows; state Rep. Jon Hinck; and state Rep. Diane Russell, among many others. Although King has been out of office since 2003 (Baldacci succeeded him), the poll shows 62 percent of Mainers view him favorably. Running for Senate as an independent can be difficult without party backing, but Brewer predicted King would have no trouble raising money to mount a competitive run. Brewer says King's age could become a potential issue. At 68, King is three years older than Snowe, and would be well into his 70s after a sixyear term. “There could be some people saying, 'At 68, is this going to be a one and done situation for him?' But even that, I don’t think is a huge negative at all,” Brewer said, referring to the possibility that King serves just one term. Senate candidates from the two major parties have until March 15 to submit 2,000 signatures to get on the June 12 primary. Independents have until June 1 to gather their signatures to appear on the November ballot.

Page 8 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012

Group envisions Fort Allen’s grandeur Public invited to view draft plans for park’s restoration BY MATTHEW ARCO THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

A Portland advocacy group spearheading the restoration of an historic city park is hosting one of the last remaining public forums tonight dedicated to discussing the rehabilitation efforts. The group, Friends of the Eastern Promenade, has invited the public to view draft plans that would lay the groundwork for restoring Fort Allen Park to its glory years, said Diane Davison, the group's president. The current concept is also slated to be discussed tonight at the city's Parks Commission, which will take up the proposal before the Historic Preservation Board decides whether to give its approval next month. Davison said group members hope to launch a fundraising campaign immediately following final approval of the draft plan, adding that the goal is to complete the restoration in time for Fort Allen's bicentennial celebration in 2014. "The input and response has been really positive," she said, referring to feedback garnered during previous public forums. Fort Allen Park, located at the southeastern edge of the Eastern Promenade, is home to the original site of Fort Allen, constructed in 1814 to protect Portland’s harbor. The park’s commanding overlook of the harbor and the islands of Casco Bay soon became one of the city’s top tourist attractions. Over time, Fort Allen Park became home to a number of historic monuments, including the Civil War Monument, the USS Maine Memorial Cannon, the USS Portland Memorial, the Arctic Campaign Memorial and the 9/11 Memorial, in addition to two Civil War cannons. The current restoration proposal calls for returning the horseshoeshaped roadway back to its original state, by altering the shape, reinstalling cobblestone gutters and constructing sidewalks suited to the correct time period. The plans also propose alterations and rehabilitation to everything from the Civil War-era cannons, the bandstand and walking paths, to removing and replanting recommended tree species, Davison said. The draft work plan was crafted from meticulous research of Fort Allen Park, she said, adding, "The goal was to establish a period of historical significance." The neighborhood association and landscape designers have been using the time period between 1890 and 1930 as a benchmark for the rehabilitation. "That period of time was really before the park started to see a lot of degradation," Davison said. "It's just a time when the park showed it's true history." As a design team, the Friends group hired Martha Lyon and Regina Leonard to research and design the project.

AMVETS Provost Marshal William Greene brings the color guard to attention at a 2009 Pearl Harbor memorial service at Fort Allen Park. (DAVID CARKHUFF FILE PHOTO)

Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture specializes in the treatment of historic landscapes. Regina Leonard, in addition to her extensive experience in this field, worked with the group to design both the Fort Allen and Loring memorial trails on the Eastern Promenade. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as a Historic Landscape by the city, according to the Friends group. Improvements to the property must follow guidelines set by the Secretary of the Interior. "We're getting near the end of the design phase," said Troy Moon, manager of Portland's Environmental Programs and Open Space division of Public Services. "They did a lot of historical research and found old photographs, maps and drawings of the park," he said. "It's absolutely one of the most popular public spaces in the city and it's absolutely beautiful in its own right, but I think the design really adds to it." Moon explained that the have largely financed the renovation project, and will continue to do so in the coming months and years. However, the city is applying for an about $77,000 Community Development Block Grant that would help install American Disability Act accessible overlook near the park's view of the water. The entire costs of the rehabilitation is estimated to be between $700,000 and $800,000, though Moon says those figures are still very preliminary. The Historic Preservation Board is

ABOVE and TOP: Friends of the Eastern Promenade are hosting a public meeting tonight to discuss a rehabilitation proposal for Fort Allen Park. The proposal calls for major renovations to the park intended to “reclaim the park’s historic grandeur from a century ago,” according to Friends of the Eastern Promenade. (COURTESY IMAGES)

slated to take up the current renovation proposal during its April 18 meeting. Davison says members of the public are invited to attend tonight's meeting at East End Community School,

195 North St., slated for 7 p.m. Additional information about the current proposal and the history of the renovation project can be accessed at the website, easternpromenade.org.

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012— Page 9

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EVENTS CALENDAR–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Thursday, March 8 2012 Flower Show 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Portland Flower Show continues Thursday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, March 11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Plant Auction immediately following closing. Portland Company complex. “Join us for the annual rite of spring, the 2012 Portland Flower Show. We are a collaboration of green industry landscapers, growers, gardeners and industry retailers dedicated to the continued success of everything about ‘Gardening in Maine.’ Whether you are a property owner, renter, or consumer of fine flowers and vegetables, this is the garden show that will bring it all together for you.” 58 Fore St.” http://portlandcompany.com/flower

Student Forum: YourUSM (Portland) 3 p.m. “YourUSM is an open discussion with student leadership and administration on how we can improve USM. Come stop in at anytime during the discussion and let us know what you’d like to see at USM! Have something about USM you’d like to change? Something you’d like to see happen? Let us know!” Amphitheatre, Woodbury Campus Center, Portland Campus. ccamire@usm.maine.edu or visit http://usm.maine.edu

Sportswriting clinic by nonproﬁt Telling Room 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Thursdays, 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. March 8 to April 12 (extra session March 11, no session April 5), grades 4-8. Teaching Artist: Gibson Fay-LeBlanc. “Sports capture the human drama within a set of rules and traditions. There are winners and losers and sometimes those winners and losers are not who they seem to be. In this workshop, we’ll read great sportswriting and we’ll consider local and national sports to ﬁnd our own stories inside the lines. The extra session on March 11 will take place at 5 p.m. at a Maine Red Claws game.” http://tellingroom.org

The Myths Exhibition at USM 4:15 p.m. The Myths Exhibition: Roundtable Discussion and Opening Reception at University of Southern Maine Art Gallery, Gorham. Eight New England photographers consider how the roles of women have evolved since Eve’s “fall from grace.” Participating artists include Sharon Arnold, Bev Conway, Jesseca Ferguson, Cig Harvey, Rose Marasco, Abigail Wellman, and Amy Wilton. Curated by Heather Frederick of VoxPhotographs. http://usm.maine.edu

Labyrinth celebration at UNE in Portland 4:30 p.m. “Behind the University of New England Art Gallery on the Portland Campus, there’s a maze of sorts. Well actually, it’s a labryrinth.” A celebration reception will be held at the UNE Art Gallery on the Portland Campus in appreciation to those who helped support its construction. For more information, visit www.une.edu.

10-Minute Architect 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Portland Society of Architects’s ninth annual 10-Minute Architect at Bard Coffee 185 Middle St., Portland. A free design clinic that’s offered to homeowners and business owners who are considering when and how to use an architect for a project, or just want some design or building guidance. “Although titled, ‘10-Minute Architect’, we gladly offer up to 45 minutes with participants, discussing issues such as basic layouts, project budget feasibility, permitting issues and more.” For more information please see the PSA Website or contact Eric Laszlo-eric@whittenarchitects.com or Russ Tyson-russ@whittenarchitects.com.

‘Are They Really Friends?’ 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. “Are They Really Friends?: A Discussion between Museum Director Mark Bessire and Artist Tanja Alexia Hollander” at the Portland Museum of Art. Great Hall. “Join the discussion about social media and how it can change the nature of friendship, portraiture, and an artist’s subject matter. The phrase, “Are you really my friend?” takes on new meaning when Hollander photographs portraits of her Facebook friends whom she has never met. Traditional lines can blur and unexpected connections can be made.” www.portlandmuseum.org

Trek Across Maine discussions 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Join the American Lung Association at Gorham Bike & Ski, 247 Main St., Saco, and at the same time at CycleMania, 59 Federal St., Portland. “Meet new people while American Lung Association staff members discuss the Trek Across Maine cycling event, the organization’s largest fundraiser nationwide, scheduled for the weekend of June 15 across the beautiful state of Maine. The Trek Across Maine is a three-day, 180-mile adventure, from the mountains to the sea, providing breathtaking views, adventure and an unmatched sense of camaraderie. Proceeds from the bike trek beneﬁt lung disease research, advocacy, and programs as well as the Fight for Air. The evening provides a perfect opportunity for those who have not yet registered for the Trek.” Admission to the Trek Information Night is free, but registration is encouraged.

Fort Allen Park’s new trail wends by ﬂowers in this fall image. A Fort Allen Park Public Presentation sponsored by Friends of the Eastern Promenade will take place tonight at 7 p.m. at East End Community School. The city is considering restoration and rehabilitation of Fort Allen Park. (DAVID CARKHUFF FILE PHOTO) Contact Gale Auclair at gauclair@lungne.org or (888) 2416566, ext. 0302. More information on the Trek Across Maine is available at biketreknewengland.org.

Kindergarten Readiness Night 6:30 p.m. The Portland Public Schools’ pre-kindergarten staff will hold a Kindergarten Readiness Night at Longfellow Elementary School, 432 Stevens Ave. Portland parents whose children are turning ﬁve years old on or before October 15, 2012 are invited to attend the free program. A panel of staff members from across the district will answer kindergarten-related questions. For more information, please call 874-8165, ext. 6517.

‘The Complete Works of Wm Shakespeare’ 6:30 p.m. “The Complete Works of Wm Shakespeare (Abridged)” at Falmouth Memorial Library, 5 Lunt Road. The Poland Stage Troupe takes on their ﬁnal batch of literature crazed librarians at Falmouth Memorial Library. “The show is completely free and a perfect venue for children. Join us for the Troupe’s second to last attempt at this unprecedented production!”

Fort Allen Park Public Presentation 7 p.m. Fort Allen Park Public Presentation sponsored by Friends of the Eastern Promenade, East End Community School, Portland. Final Fort Allen Park Restoration Public Hearing is scheduled before the Historic Preservation Board for 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 18,in Room 209, Portland City Hall. For more information, email info@friendsofeasternpromenade.org.

‘Little Me’ at St. Lawrence 7 p.m. “Little Me,” the musical comedy by Neil Simon (book), Cy Coleman (music), and Carolyn Leigh (lyrics) will be presented by Good Theater March 7 to April 1 at the St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress St. on Munjoy Hill in Portland. “Little Me” is directed by Brian P. Allen with musical direction by Victoria Stubbs, leading the threepiece band, and choreography by Tyler Sperry. Performances for Little Me are as follows: Wednesdays 7 p.m. ($20), Thursdays 7 p.m. ($20), Fridays 7:30 p.m. ($25), Saturday 7:30 p.m. ($30), Sundays 2 p.m. ($30) with a special added matinee on Saturday March 24, 3 p.m. ($25). Call 885-5883 for reservations and information. www.goodtheater.com

‘Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture’ 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. “Aquaculture is undergoing a revolution. One of the oldest agricultural practices, aquaculture dates back 4,000 years. However, modern aquaculture has gained a reputation for monoculture, where a single species is grown. An old idea has recently taken root, where nutrients from the main species are recycled through different species that can remove organic wastes and inorganic nutrients. This model is called ‘Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture,’ where complex interactions occur among

various species in the managed ecosystem. Dr. Bricknell will discuss the economic and environmental advantages for using this model and the disease management issues that must be considered.” Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 350 Commercial St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Patty Collins, lectures@gmri.org, 228-1625.

‘Hidden Tennessee’ at Portland Stage 7:30 p.m. “Hidden Tennessee” at Portland Stage, 25A Forest Ave. February 28 through March 18. “An evening of one-act plays from a 20th century master of lyrical snapshots of human nature. From the dreams of lonely, threadbare teenagers to the quiet fears of an aging spinster, these revealing short plays, stories, and letters showcase Williams’ unmatched talent for uncovering truths both beautiful and sad, hidden behind closed doors.” March 8-9 and 15-16 at 7:30 p.m.; March 10 and 17 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.; March 11 and 18 at 2 p.m. For full schedule, visit www.portlandstage.org

‘A Nervous Smile’ 7:30 p.m. Dramatic Repertory Company’s season continues with “A Nervous Smile” by John Belluso. The show will run for nine performances only, March 8-18, at the Studio Theatre at Portland Stage, 25A Forest Ave., Portland. “Four parents are connected by a shocking choice in this surprisingly funny, lyrical, poignant and gripping drama. You think you know what you would do, but how can you be sure? John Belluso bravely treads were few playwrights dare to go, and tackles difﬁcult subjects with honesty, humor, compassion and skill. He holds up the mirror, and gives us the ability to see and understand our world in new ways. Belluso (1969-2006) began using a wheelchair at the age of 13, and was a pioneering champion for artists with disabilities. ‘A Nervous Smile’ was his last complete play before his untimely death.” March 8-10 at 7:30 p.m., March 11 at 2 p.m. and March 14-18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Studio Theatre at Portland Stage, 25A Forest Ave., Portland.

‘A Doll’s House’ at Bates 7:30 p.m. With an ending that has shocked audiences for more than a century and still sparks debate about a woman’s role in family and society, Henrik Ibsen’s 19th-century play “A Doll’s House” is the winter mainstage theater production at Bates College. Bates College senior Elizabeth Castellano of New Suffolk, N.Y., directs “A Doll’s House” as part of her honors thesis in theater. Performances take place 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, March 8-10, and Monday, March 12; and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 10 and 11, in Schaeffer Theater, 305 College St., Lewiston. Admission is $6 for the general public and $3 for seniors and non-Bates students. Tickets are available at www.batestickets.com. For more information, please call 786-8294. see EVENTS page 14

DAILY CROSSWORD TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

by Lynn Johnston

By Holiday Mathis don’t save what you’ve written. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’re onto something; you just don’t know what it is quite yet. Look at what you’ve covered and where you’re going next. Record and explore new ideas. Be patient, and allow yourself to drift. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You want to inspire others like you have been inspired by the greats. Living well is the key. Your life will be more of an inspiration than your words ever could be. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’ll be taking yet another chance. This one might not be much of a risk in any way except perhaps emotionally. Better to try to do something and fail than to try to do nothing and succeed. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You have a feisty spirit, and you like to say the kind of funny things that make people wonder whether or not you’re really kidding. Probably even you won’t know the answer to that question. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your creativity will be strengthened by a lackadaisical attitude toward rules and structure. Later, you’ll have to get with the so-called “program,” but for now you’re better off doing your own thing. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (March 8). You haven’t a clue what’s coming, and the surprise of that makes life interesting for you this year. A fantastic new circle of friends will celebrate your ideas and support your plans. You provide what family needs in June. September is your time to invest deeply in your own dream. Aquarius and Sagittarius people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 21, 24, 40 and 19.

by Paul Gilligan

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’re careful to celebrate the big events in the lives of others, but you don’t wait for big events to show people how much you care about them. You’ll be on many “favorite” lists. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). A compulsive sense of urgency compels you to achieve more in less time. But is this sense of hurry really necessary? It’s not so good for your heart. Try to take things slow. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You won’t be content to know that you did your best unless your best was enough to get the job done. You won’t be happy until you know that you did what it took to get the job done. CANCER (June 22-July 22). It’s been said that your life can’t go according to plan if you have no plan. It’s also been said that when you make a plan, the gods laugh. So which is it? You’ll see a little of both schools of thought at work in your life. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Sometimes what you would like to do is not actually the most important thing, and that’s why it never ﬁts properly into your schedule. Trust that you always have time for what you think is truly important. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You like to be thought of as a considerate person. By the same token, you have no interest in being taken advantage of by those who can’t appreciate the thought you put into relationships. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll be making “notes to self” all day long. It will help you to write them down, or you’re likely to forget. Writing helps you mentally organize yourself even if you

by Jan Eliot

HOROSCOPE

by Chad Carpenter

Solution and tips at www.sudoku.com

TUNDRA Stone Soup Pooch Café For Better or Worse LIO

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 thru 9.

by Mark Tatulli

Page 10 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012

1 5 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 26 29 30 34 35 36 37 38

ACROSS Give __; return Military attack helicopter Garage __; weekend event Meanie Sidestep Landing place Reddish horse Varnish ingredient Aroma Holiday drinks Misery Lamb’s mother Acting parts Tolerate Preﬁx for toxic or proﬁt Plank Way too thin Cow’s cry Stove top feature Hither and __; in many places Within __; near enough to hear

40 __ & payable; words on a bill 41 Unchanging 43 Afternoon social affair 44 __ up; admit 45 __ off; disregard 46 Film critic Reed 47 Gets up 48 Sword used by cavalry 50 Soft wet soil 51 Cabarets 54 Threadlike plant growth 58 Not working 59 __ and pains 61 Bridal veil trim 62 Grizzly __ 63 Destroys 64 Personalities 65 “Ditto!” 66 Run-down 67 Rec rooms

DOWN Dull speaker

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 21 23 25 26 27 28 29 31 32

Very eager Steep rock Eisenhower’s successor Brink Folksinger Burl Faux __; social blunder Inventor called “The Wizard of Menlo Park” Of the kidneys Godparent, e.g. Helpmate Thirteen popes Goes astray Have debts 1st appearance “Alarm clock” on a farm Deep pit Voter’s enclosure Near the center Conjunction Peru’s range Find a second purpose for

33 35 36 38 39 42 44 46 47 49

Attire Spring month Crushing snake __ Allan Poe Witch’s spell Spartan; grim Played a violin Save from peril Baseball score Wild hogs

50 51 52 53 54 55 56

Unkempt Overalls parts Concept Close noisily Take care of Hit the ceiling Computer screen image 57 Not as much 60 Go quickly

Yesterday’s Answer

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012— Page 11

––––––– ALMANAC ––––––– Today is Thursday, March 8, the 68th day of 2012. There are 298 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On March 8, 1862, during the Civil War, the ironclad CSS Virginia rammed and sank the USS Cumberland and heavily damaged the USS Congress, both frigates, off Newport News, Va. On this date: In 1702, England’s Queen Anne acceded to the throne upon the death of King William III. In 1782, the Gnadenhutten (jih-NAY’-duhnhuh-tuhn) massacre took place as more than 90 Indians were slain by militiamen in Ohio in retaliation for raids carried out by other Indians. In 1854, U.S. Commodore Matthew C. Perry made his second landing in Japan; within a month, he concluded a treaty with the Japanese. In 1874, the 13th president of the United States, Millard Fillmore, died in Buffalo, N.Y., at age 74. In 1917, Russia’s “February Revolution” (so called because of the Old Style calendar used by Russians at the time) began with rioting and strikes in Petrograd. The U.S. Senate voted to limit filibusters by adopting the cloture rule. In 1930, the 27th president of the United States, William Howard Taft, died in Washington at age 72. In 1942, Imperial Japanese forces occupied Yangon in Burma (Myanmar) during World War II. In 1944, two days after an initial strike, U.S. heavy bombers resumed raiding Berlin during World War II. In 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon won the New Hampshire presidential primary. In 1965, the United States landed its first combat troops in South Vietnam as 3,500 Marines were brought in to defend the U.S. air base at Da Nang. In 1971, Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali by decision in what was billed as “The Fight of the Century” at Madison Square Garden in New York. Silent film comedian Harold Lloyd died in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 77. In 1988, 17 soldiers were killed when two Army helicopters from Fort Campbell, Ky., collided in mid-flight. One year ago: Voters in Bell, Calif., went to the polls in huge numbers and threw out the entire City Council after most of its members had been charged with fraud. (Residents were infuriated to find out that former City Manager Robert Rizzo had been receiving an annual salary of $1.5 million, and that four of the five City Council members had paid themselves $100,000 to meet about once a month.) Today’s Birthdays: Actress Sue Ane (correct) Langdon is 76. Baseball player-turned-author Jim Bouton is 73. Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is 68. Actor-director Micky Dolenz is 67. Singermusician Randy Meisner is 66. Pop singer Peggy March is 64. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Jim Rice is 59. Singer Gary Numan is 54. Actor Aidan Quinn is 53. Country musician Jimmy Dormire is 52. Actress Camryn Manheim is 51. Rock singer Shawn Mullins is 44. Actress Andrea Parker is 42. Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. is 36. Actor James Van Der Beek is 35. Rock singer Tom Chaplin (Keane) is 33. Rock musician Andy Ross is 33.

THURSDAY PRIME TIME 8:00

Dial 5

CTN 5 Poet

30 Rock WCSH (N) Å

8:30 Liberty

MARCH 8, 2012

9:00

9:30

10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30

Cumberland County

Thom Hartmann Show Healthy

The Office Up All “Last Day in Night (N) Å Florida” The Finder A teen who went missing during a storm. (N) Å Grey’s Anatomy Richard performs a liver transplant. Å

Awake “The Little Guy” Michael deals with his two worlds. (N) News 13 on FOX (N)

Parks and Recreation “Lucky” American Idol “1 Voted WPFO Off” The contestants face elimination. (N) Wipeout Facing obWMTW stacles that include Buzz Saw. (In Stereo) Å Maine Specials MPBN Watch

WENH Dreams Lyricist Oscar Hammerstein. group. (In Stereo) Å

Oscar Hammerstein II -- Out of My

13 17

(In Stereo) Å The Vampire Diaries WPXT Caroline is unable to stop a tragedy. Å The Big The Big Bang WGME Bang Theory (N) Theory WPME Without a Trace Å Auction

Update

News

Tonight Show With Jay Leno The Office The Of“Fun Run” Å fice Å

Private Practice Inter- WMTW Nightline viewing replacements for News 8 at (N) Å Naomi. Å 11 (N) Specials

Il Volo Takes Flight Italian teen vocal Ed Slott’s Retirement Rescue! Financial planning for retirement. Excused American It’s Always That ’70s (N) Å Dad Å Sunny in Show “Hot Phila. Dog” Å The Mentalist “Cheap WGME Late Show Burgundy” Jane helps News 13 at With David Agent Susan Darcy. (N) 11:00 Letterman Law Order: CI Dollar Law CI

Supernatural “Repo Man” A demon from the past returns. Å Person of Interest A 6-month-old baby is the latest POI. (N) Å Without a Trace Å

DISC Auction

FAM “The Parent Trap”

Movie: ›› “Bedtime Stories” (2008, Comedy)

The 700 Club Å

USA NCIS (In Stereo) Å

NCIS “Reunion” Å

Burn Notice Å

NESN NHL Hockey: Sabres at Bruins

CSNE Mountain

ESPN College Basketball

ESPN2 College Basketball

MSI

Cold Case Å

Auction

Bruins

World Poker Tour

Auction

NCIS “The Inside Man”

Auction

Daily

Instigators Daily

Dennis

Sports

SportsNet Sports

SportsNet

College Basketball Cold Case Å

Auction

SportCtr SportsCenter (N) Å

SportCtr

Criminal Minds Å

Basketball

ION

DISN Shake It

Movie: “Radio Rebel” (2012) Å

TOON MAD

Regular

King of Hill King of Hill Amer. Dad Amer. Dad Fam. Guy

Fam. Guy

NICK My Wife

My Wife

George

Friends

MSNBC The Ed Show (N)

George

ANT Farm ANT Farm Austin ’70s Show ’70s Show Friends

Rachel Maddow Show The Last Word

The Ed Show

Piers Morgan Tonight

Erin Burnett OutFront

CNN Anderson Cooper 360

CNBC The Truth About Shop. Marijuana: Pot Industry Pill Poppers (N)

Anderson Cooper 360

FNC

The O’Reilly Factor (N) Hannity (N)

TNT

NBA Basketball Orlando Magic at Chicago Bulls. (N) Å

LIFE Project Runway

Hudson Plane Crash

ANT Farm

Mad Money

Greta Van Susteren

Project Runway

Runway

The O’Reilly Factor

NBA Basketball: Mavericks at Suns 24 Hour Catwalk Å

Japan Tsunami: Terror Flight 175: Watched

Runway

Japan Tsunami: Terror

TLC

AMC Movie: ››› “Grease” (1978, Musical) John Travolta.

HGTV Property

TRAV Bizarre Foods

Bizarre Foods

No Reservation

The Layover Å

A&E The First 48 Å

The First 48 “Missing”

The First 48 (N) Å

First 48: Missing

BRAVO Atlanta

Property

Movie: ››› “Grease” (1978)

Selling LA Selling NY House

Housewives/OC

Hunters

House

Hunters

Happens

Love

Frasier

HALL Little House on Prairie Little House on Prairie Frasier

SYFY “The Amityville Horror”

Movie: ››‡ “The Skeleton Key” (2005)

ANIM The Haunted Å

Infested! “Dirty Wars”

Infested! Å

HIST Swamp People Å

Swamp People (N)

Mudcats (N) Å

BET

COM Futurama

Futurama

Two Men

Archer (N) Unsuper.

Archer

Unsuper.

TVLND Home Imp. Home Imp. Raymond

Raymond

King

Big Bang

Conan (N)

62 67 68 76

TBS

Movie: “35 & Ticking” (2011) Nicole Ari Parker. Å

Fam. Guy

SPIKE Jail Å

Fam. Guy Jail Å

Big Bang

Futurama

The Haunted Å Cajun Pwn Cajun Pwn

Rickey Smiley: Live From Atlanta Ron White: Behavioral Daily Show Colbert

iMPACT Wrestling (N) (In Stereo) Å

MMA

Law Order: CI

OXY “Pride & Prejudice”

146

TCM Movie: ››› “Arsenic and Old Lace” (1944)

DAILY CROSSWORD BY WAYNE ROBERT WILLIAMS

“Haunting in CT”

1 5 9 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 23 24 26 28 30 33 36 38 39 41 43

Law Order: CI

Jail Å

Movie: ›››‡ “Pretty Poison” (1968) Å

ACROSS Swiss chain Judge Made further remarks Fireside yarn Genesis twin Like marble “Nothin’ on You” singer Flabbergast Play opening Sloppy digs Slaughter in Cooperstown “Walden” writer Spanish missionary Junipero __ Domingo Battle cry Travel on snow Aquatic plant Rainbow underwater? Pretentious attitude Make roof repairs In the matter of

44 46 48 49

Perspire Whoop it up Stitch together Broke a commandment 12-step program Adlai’s running mate Episodic stories Dollar Feminine pronoun Small breakfast bowl “Lovey Childs” author Olympic speed skater Glaringly vivid Present! Frog’s cousin __ the ticket! Pumpkin’s beginning Painful

1 2

DOWN Facing the pitcher Pine tree

51 53 55 59 61 63 64 66 68 69 70 71 72

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 22 25 27 29 31 32 33 34 35 37 40

Former planet Madrid misters Bearing Continental NASA equivalent Corn servings Indispensable items Actress Gardner River of Guyana “Upside Down” singer Automaker Ferrari Coloring agents Shaq’s surname Even now Out-and-out Bosh! External Trumpet mufﬂer Pack, as cargo Impudent back talk Fruit with green pulp “Fame” star Rescues Literary language of India

42 Did some shoe repairs 45 Hanoi holiday 47 Key south of Miami 50 Some French? 52 Racists 54 Former rulers of Iran 56 Cause for a blessing?

57 Of the moon 58 Wedgwood’s porcelain 59 Leave in a hurry 60 Casual negative 62 Fencer’s foil 65 Commercials, in brief 67 Bauxite or pyrite

Yesterday’s Answer

THE

Page 12 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012

CLASSIFIEDS PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

CLASSIFIEDS • CALL 699-5807 DOLLAR-A-DAY CLASSIFIEDS: Ads must be 15 words or less and run a minimum of 5 consecutive days. Ads that run less than 5 days or nonconsecutive days are $2 per day. Ads over 15 words add 10¢ per word per day. PREMIUMS: First word caps no charge. Additional caps 10¢ per word per day. Centered bold heading: 9 pt. caps 40¢ per line, per day (2 lines maximum) TYPOS: Check your ad the first day of publication. Sorry, we will not issue credit after an ad has run once. DEADLINES: noon, one business day prior to the day of publication. PAYMENT: All private party ads must be pre-paid. We accept checks, Visa and Mastercard credit cards and, of course, cash. There is a $10 minimum order for credit cards. CORRESPONDENCE: To place your ad call our offices 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 699-5807; or send a check or money order with ad copy to The Conway Daily Sun, P.O. Box 1940, North Conway, NH 03860. OTHER RATES: For information about classified display ads please call 699-5807.

Animals

For Rent

For Sale

DACHSHUNDS puppies. Heath & temperament guaranteed. Parents on premise $450 (603)539-1603.

PORTLAND- Maine MedicalStudio, 1/ 2 bedroom. Heated, off street parking, newly renovated. $550-$875. (207)773-1814.

2 new Serta beds (1 queen$180). (1 full- $175). Call (207)591-4927.

Autos BUYING Junk vehicles, paying cash. Contact Joe (207)712-6910. Rossrecyclenremoval@gmail.com

Cash for autos and trucks, some metals. Call Steve (207)523-9475.

For Rent PORTLAND- Danforth, 2 bedrooms, heated, renovated Victorian townhouse, 2 floors, 1.5 baths, parking. $1400/mo (207)773-1814.

PORTLAND- Woodford’s. 1 and 3 bedroom heated. Bright rooms, oak floor, just painted. $775-$1300/mo. (207)773-1814.

WINDHAM- 1 bedroom, utilities plus cable included. Yard parking, partial rent for some work. (207)892-7150.

CLASSIC Wooden Motorola stereo phonic console LP and 45 player 44”X30”X18” with AM/FM radio from the 1950's still works, $100, 723-4032. CUSTOM glazed kitchen cabinets. Solid maple, never installed. Cost $6,000 sacrifice $1,595. (603)833-8278.

Roommate Wanted For Rent-Commercial PORTLAND Art District- Art studios, utilities. First floor. Adjacent to 3 occupied studios. $325 (207)773-1814.

MATURE roommate wanted to share sunny West End apartment. No tobacco, no pets. $350/mo plus half utilities. Solid references a must. (207)838-9640.

Services DUMP GUY We haul anything to the dump. Basement, attic, garage cleanouts. Insured www.thedumpguy.com (207)450-5858.

YOU TRUST US TO CLEAN YOUR HOME, NOW TRUST US TO HEAT YOUR HOME

INTRODUCING THE GUARDIAN HEATER ® BY AERUS with Active PCO Technology • Exclusive Active PCO Technology send out “scrubbers” to remove contaminants from surfaces • Combines everything you want in a heater: energy-efficiency, effectiveness & safety • Safety features prevent fires and make it safer for children & pets • Doesn’t emit harmful fumes or carbon monoxide • An energy efficient way to heat your environment

Buy one 2012 model at regular price, get 2nd at

1/2 price

Call Today To Learn More About Creating Safe, Healthy Environments 352 Warren Ave. Portland • 207-871-8610 or toll free 1-888-358-3589

Wanted To Buy I pay cash today for broken and unwanted Notebooks, Netbooks, and Macbooks. Highest prices (207)233-5381.

DEADLINE for classiﬁeds is noon the day prior to publication

699-5807

ANNIE’S MAILBOX Dear Annie: My best friend, “Maggie,” and I are like sisters. We have great fun, can talk about nearly anything and have supported each other through our toughest times. Our husbands also get along well, and we often do things together. Over the past year, Maggie has become increasingly critical of her husband, “Scott.” He is a likeable guy, but Maggie scolds and picks on him, rolls her eyes and basically treats him with contempt. Granted, Scott can be a little blunt, and his attempts at humor don’t always succeed, but her responses are worse. She will say, “You’re such an idiot. Why don’t you just keep your mouth shut?” Yet, the next minute, they will have their arms around each other. We often see Maggie and Scott at parties, and it is clear that others feel embarrassed by this behavior. Maggie has never mentioned marital problems to me. In fact, she says sweet and complimentary things about Scott when it’s just the two of us. I don’t want to jeopardize our terrific friendship, so how do I approach this subject? She doesn’t take criticism well, no matter how gentle. -- Baffled Friend Dear Baffled: Some married couples fall into the habit of letting criticisms become common and public. We think Maggie might simply need a little push in the right direction. The next time she says or does something critical of Scott, you might take her aside and say, “Are you angry with Scott? You seem to dislike him so much lately.” You also could give positive reinforcement when you witness affection, adding, “It’s so nice to see you two getting along.” Dear Annie: I’ve been asked to be the maid-of-honor for a friend. I was planning to throw a bridal shower with 10 to 15 guests at my apartment. I had a nice luncheon-type party in mind. The other day, my friend informed me that she wants to invite 65 guests and, since my apartment is too small for that

crowd, said I should host it at a local restaurant. I checked with the venue, and it is way too pricey for my budget. Even if I involve the other two bridesmaids, this will be a much bigger expense than I can afford. Are there rules when it comes to bridal shower guest lists? I don’t want to hurt her feelings or lose her friendship, but combined with the expense of the dress, shoes, hair and bachelorette party, I may need to take out a loan. How can I handle this? After all, it’s her wedding. -- Soon To Be Poor Maid of Honor Dear Maid: The bride is allowed to give you the guest list, but she must keep to the hostess’s limit. When you told her you would give a shower for 15 people, she should have kept the guest list at 15. It is inconsiderate of a bride to force anyone to shell out more than they can afford for a shower. We recommend you tell her “so sorry,” this isn’t in your budget, and you will have to decline as hostess, but that you would be happy to give a smaller event in your apartment for 15 guests. We don’t care if it’s her wedding. It doesn’t entitle her to become Bridezilla. Dear Annie: Your response to “Stuck in the Middle” was spot on. It’s never too late to learn good ﬁscal behavior, but it’s never too early, either. America’s Credit Unions sponsors a public television series called “Biz Kid$” that teaches young people the importance of good money management and business skills they can use for life. With a website of resources and a free curriculum that teachers and parents can access, “Biz Kid$” teaches kids that being ﬁscally responsible can be fun. Will you tell them, Annie? -- Jamie Hammond, Executive Producer Dear Jamie Hammond: With pleasure. We hope our readers, young and old, will check out Biz Kid$ at bizkids.com.

Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to: anniesmailbox@comcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

Prickly City

by Scott Stantis

“A local family owned & operated company specializing in top-rated American brands” 146 Rand Rd, Portland Exit 47 off I-95

Sales & Service 772-0053

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012— Page 13

CLASSIFIEDS Under the cover of darkness, many Syrians cross borders toward safety PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

75 Oak Street, Portland, ME

New Beginner Classes Every Week For information call Raymond Reid (207) 518-9375 www.taichichihstudio.com *Featured in AARP Magazine

joevokey@gmail.com

TIRED OF PLUCKING? Electrolysis: The Permanent Solution for Unwanted Hair •Private and Confidential •Pleasant and Courteous Staff • Effective on Any Hair Color or Thickness • Proven Results

KOSMEIN SKIN CARE CENTER • 854-0110 Days & Eves by Appt. Only www.kosmeindayspa.com

PORTLAND AUTO RADIATOR Established 1948

FULL AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES The Best Place in Town to Take a Leak

WINTERIZATION SPECIALS • Tune-ups • Test & Check Antifreeze • Coolant Power Flushes (no machines) 1129 Forest Ave., Portland • 207-797-3606

TWIN ELECTRIC “Lighting Your Way Into The Future” • Fu lly L icensed • Fu lly Insured • Free E stim ates

• Fast/Q uality Service • N o Job T oo Sm all • 24/7 Service

(207) 318-8808

Randy MacWhinnie

twinelectricme@aol.com

Master Electrician/Owner

BY KAREEM FAHIM THE NEW YORK TIMES

ALTINOZU TOWNSHIP, Turkey — The Syrian men walked out of the fog on the Orontes River, straining as they carried two stretchers toward a Turkish ambulance just beyond the swollen banks. They carried brothers swaddled against the freezing night in brown blankets, both wounded two days earlier by a tank shell fired near the central Syrian city of Hama. One had lost both legs below his knee; shrapnel was lodged in his brother’s head. Their family was afraid that if they took them to the hospital in Syria, they would have been arrested, one of their escorts said. So relatives and strangers ferried them more than 100 miles, across the battered landscape of war, until their energy was sapped and their eyes, wet with tears, had dimmed. Each night, across this river and all along the border, new secrets of the bloodshed in Syria arrive. Rickety wooden boats ferry a stream of people, some walking and some wounded, to the safety of Turkey, on a flight from cities and villages racked by fighting. As the pace of the government assault has quickened in recent days, so has the traffic on the river. The number of exiles keeps growing, filling refugee camps and towns on the border, with their fearful tales of home. A Turkish official said about 1,500 Syrians crossed the border last month, pushing the numbers of refugees in the region’s camps past 11,000, just short of a high reached in June after heavy clashes between defectors and the Syrian Army. Thousands of others are also thought to have entered the region, though they do not register with the authorities. The ambulance took the wounded brothers for care. “This is every day,” said one of the escorts, a 23-year-old activist named Arref from a town nearby in Syria. “Yesterday, I brought a man. He had no hands and no eyes.” Arref said he had formed a group with five friends whose nightly duty was to guide refugees across the border. After bringing the brothers to the ambulance, they stood around in thin jackets and smoked cigarettes, a moment of reflection after a perilous trip. “I used to take my fiancée out in those boats,” Arref said as he looked back toward the water. “Now, I’m taking the wounded.” Of life in Syria, he said: “Day after day, it’s getting worse. They cut off the electricity. They cut off

A family crosses the Orontes River into Turkey. (NEW YORK TIMES/MOISES SAMAN PHOTO)

the water. They can’t cut off the oxygen.” But there is little time for pity, or fear. The very next night, the escorts were back to work, helping a family of seven cross to freedom, their journey lighted by a beam from a tractor headlight that fell on the muddy river. The family had escaped from the northern city of Idlib, another rebellious town that activists and residents fear will be the government’s next target. “The army is everywhere, encircling the town,” said the family’s eldest son. “They will definitely hit Idlib. We just didn’t want to stay there to die.” The next night, 11 people crossed in the same spot. Weeks ago, in hospitals in Syria, the government’s soldiers gave their own accounts of violence, about roadside attacks and ambushes by armed men. Doctors said they admitted dozens of soldiers every day, wounded by armed government opponents. Then President Bashar alAssad sent his troops on a renewed offensive, once again barring journalists from Syria as tanks and troops moved on the government’s opponents around the country. The luckiest residents had relatives elsewhere in Syria, or money to flee. Many others picked up and headed for the borders. Those who head to Turkey have been forced to cross farther and farther north, as Syrian soldiers occupy hamlets near the south of the shared border. Smugglers and activists say they have seen the military laying mines. Syrian soldiers could be seen Sunday from a hill in Turkey, across the pine groves, in a large, salmon-colored house in the town of Ayn al-Bayda that used to belong to Abdul Nasser Saleh. Mr. Saleh, who was watching from the hill in Turkey, said he was preparing to sneak back into his town to film what he said was widespread destruction by the army. His parents have refused to leave. “My father went to the army. He said, ‘Even if you kill

me now, we prefer to die rather than go to Turkey.’ ” One of the men who made it across said he fled after he was arrested for attending a protest, and was beaten for eight days by soldiers who left his wrists crooked and his feet mangled. “It was intolerable,” he said from his bed in a Turkish hospital, breaking down as he recalled the punishments delivered to other prisoners. “I would have signed any paper.” A floor below, a 20-year-old army defector was recovering from bullet wounds he said were inflicted by his commander and a sniper after he refused to fire on a protester. “Good people brought me here,” he said. Some of the wounded will move to refugee camps in the region, which have become incubators of despair. “We never expected this to happen to us,” said a man named Louay, from Jisr alShoughour, who sat in a tent in one of the camps that looks out on Syria. “Two of my sister’s children have been killed,” he said. “The phone lines are cut off.” In a barely furnished safe house not far from the camp, a Syrian businessman ticked off all the things that he had bought at his own expense and shipped home: satellite phones, to restore broken lines of communication, and medicine, to treat the victims of a spreading war. Everything, it seemed, but the guns he believed were necessary to help beat back the government forces. Many people here talk about weapons as a way out of Syria’s problems. Few raise the possibility that they might make things worse. “It’s not a matter of money,” he said, twirling the only weapon he could find, a pistol he used for protection. “We get money from people willing to help.” He searched for video cameras on the Internet, hoping they would help spread the truth about a hidden tragedy. “No one can believe what’s happening in Syria,” he said.

Page 14 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EVENTS CALENDAR––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EVENTS from page 9

Friday, March 9 The Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sea Dog Brewing Company will host The Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off, Maine Restaurant Week’s breakfast competition beneﬁting the Preble Street Resource Center, on Friday, March 9 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. at their South Portland location, 125 Western Ave. This is the third year for this sell-out event. Maine champions of breakfast present guests with small plates of their best breakfast dishes with the hopes of earning this year’s bragging rights. Guests are rewarded with a full heart and a happy stomach; the event raised an impressive $3,750 for Preble Street in 2011. Participating restaurants include Congdon’s in Wells, the Farmer’s Table, The Good Egg Café, The Port Hole, Petite Jacqueline and Silly’s in Portland, South Portland’s Sea Dog Brewing, Bintliff’s Restaurant in Ogunquit and three-time winner The Good Table from Cape Elizabeth.

‘The Birthday Party’ by Acorn 7:30 p.m. Acorn Productions, a nonprofit company based in the Dana Warp Mill in downtown Westbrook, continues off its second season of Studio Series presentations with Harold Pinter’s first full-length play “The Birthday Party.” Long-time Acorn collaborator and veteran theater artist Michael Howard directs an ensemble of six actors in a production that will be staged in a modified arena set-up in the Acorn Studio Theater. The Birthday Party features Pinter as his most mysterious and electrifying. In the play, Stanley, a boarder away on holiday, is terrorized by two men from his past association with a shadowy organization of questionable repute. The show runs from Feb. 24 through March 11, with performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, and may be purchased on-line at www.acorn-productions. org or by calling 854-0065.

Saturday, March 10

“In the Shadows,” by ADM Co. Inc. of Otisfield, Aronson Stonework of Litchfield and Blue Rock Stone Center Greater Kennebunks Home of Westbrook, went for a relaxed theme at the 2011 flower show. This year, the Portland Flower Show runs 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dr. Reza Namin, super- through Sunday, March 11, at the Portland Company complex. Visit http://portlandcompany.com/flower for and Business Expo intendent of Spencer East Brookfield in details. (DAVID CARKHUFF FILE PHOTO) 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kennebunkport Chamber Massachusetts, former superintendent of of Commerce will host the 2012 Greater Westbrook School Department, Westbrook, Kennebunks Home and Business Expo at about the history and science of telescopes. Who invented Old Orchard Beach resident, and member of the OOB Kennebunk High School. The expo will feature more than 70 the telescope?How have astronomers employed these Finance Committee will be the keynote speaker at a convendors spread over three rooms, informational sessions astounding instruments to unravel the Universe’s deepest ference hosted by the Maine Heritage Center, “Developing on everything from couponing to gardening, entertainsecrets?” http://usm.maine.edu Student Success, Through Online Learning: Inform, Inspire, ment, refreshments, kids’ crafts and more. The seminars Constellation Gallery free music, art and Connect,” Portland Marriot at Sable Oakes. for the day are as follows. 10 a.m.-— Coupon Queen w/ 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. A free evening of music and art. “Come Kathy Slowik; 11 a.m. — Facebook for Business; 1 p.m. 2012 Flower Show join us at the Constellation Gallery for an entertaining eve— Finance (Panel Discussions) Topic: Home Financing & 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Portland Flower Show continues Friday, ning of music by Ronda Dale, a native Virginian who’ll present Insurance; 2 p.m. — Gardening, Helene from Black Rock March 9 and Saturday, March 10, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, a mix of old country a la Hank and Patsy along with alternaFarm; 3 p.m. — Discussion on Home & Energy. AdmisMarch 11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Plant Auction immediately followtive folk, and some jazz, blues and originals. You’ll also enjoy sion to the fun-filled day will be $2 per person or donation ing closing. Portland Company complex, 58 Fore St. “Join us ‘Show Boat,’ a nautically themed exhibit presented in our main of a food item for the Church Community Outreach Food for the annual rite of spring, the 2012 Portland Flower Show. gallery by our resident artists, exploring the mysteries, danPantry. Proceeds from admission fees and the 50/50 will We are a collaboration of green industry landscapers, growers, gers, beauty and excitement of life on and near the sea. Light go towards local fuel funds supporting Kennebunk, Kengardeners and industry retailers dedicated to the continued refreshments provided. All are welcome! Check out Ronda’s nebunkport and Arundel. For more information and regsuccess of everything about ‘Gardening in Maine.’ Whether website for more info and to hear some original music. rondaistration, call the Chamber at 967-0857 or online at www. you are a property owner, renter, or consumer of fine flowers dale.com.” Constellation Gallery, 511 Congress St., Portland. visitthekennebunks.com. and vegetables, this is the garden show that will bring it all Golden Dragon Acrobats together for you.” http://portlandcompany.com/flower Riverton library eReader workshop 7 p.m. “The talented and dedicated artists of the Golden 9 a.m. and noon. The Riverton Branch Library will host an David McCann at the Portland Public Library Dragon Acrobats are recognized throughout the world as eReader workshop between 9 a.m. and noon. “Learn how noon to 1 p.m. David McCann, author of “Urban Temple.” the premiere Chinese acrobats touring today. Over three to search for and check out books from the Library catalog The Friday Local Author Series is held from noon to 1 p.m. in decades of performing, they’ve earned a reputation for to use on your eReader (Kindle, Nook, iPad, and smartthe Main Library’s Meeting Room 5. Portland Public Library. excellence and artistry unparalleled by any other troupe. phones). The library is offering this workshop to members Egyptian activist coming to USM Award-winning acrobatics, traditional dance, spectacuof the public who are looking for answers on how to operate 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. “A year following the Egyptian revolution lar costumes, ancient and contemporary theater and live their eReaders, or simply want to ask questions about librarand the Arab Spring, the University of Southern Maine is music combine to create an unforgettable experience of ies and how this new media fits in. Portland Public Library pleased to host an evening with Wael Nawara, Egyptian breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty for the entire staff will demonstrate and answer questions. Participants activist, writer, and co-founder of the Ghad party (Tomorfamily.” Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland. portlanare encouraged to bring their eReader or laptop. Kindle row). This free, public event will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., dovations.org/shows users should bring their Amazon account information with Friday, March 9, in the University Events Room on the sevthem. The workshop is free and open to the public.” For ‘Cinderella’ by Windham Center Stage enth floor of the Glickman Family Library, Portland. A recepdetails, visit www.portlandlibrary.com. 7 p.m. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musical fairy tale “Cintion will be held from 5-6 p.m., followed by Nawara’s address. derella,” is presented by Windham Center Stage Theater. 2012 Flower Show Nawara co-founded El Ghad Party (Tomorrow) in 2003, and “First seen as a television spectacular in 1957, and remade 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Portland Flower Show continues Friday, is the co-founder and president of the Network of Arab Liberfor television in 1965 and 1997, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s March 9 and Saturday, March 10, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; als, a coalition of Arab liberal parties. He was among the pro‘Cinderella’ spins its own version of the traditional story, Sunday, March 11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Plant Auction immetesters featured in Time Magazine’s Dec. 14, 2011 ‘Person of woven through with such beloved songs as ‘In My Own Little diately following closing. Portland Company complex. the Year: The Protester’ issue (www.time.com/time/specials/ Corner,’ ‘Ten Minutes Ago’ and ‘Impossible.’ With the script “Join us for the annual rite of spring, the 2012 Portland packages/article/0,28804,2101745_2102138_2102241,00. and score lovingly adapted for elementary and middle school Flower Show. We are a collaboration of green industry html). ... Nawara writes and lectures on various topics, includperformers, this classic seems as fresh as today. After all, even landscapers, growers, gardeners and industry retailers ing political and economic reform, transition strategies, the if we know the story by heart, we still hold our breath until we dedicated to the continued success of everything about parallel state, national competitiveness, cultural development are sure that the slipper fits. Windham Center Stage is a com‘Gardening in Maine.’ Whether you are a property owner, and educational reform. Nawara graduated with honors as munity theater serving the Sebago Lakes Region of Southrenter, or consumer of fine flowers and vegetables, this a mechanical engineer from Egypt’s Ain Shams University ern Maine. The theater produces the only children’s show is the garden show that will bring it all together for you.” in 1984 and earned Master’s in international marketing from in the area in which every child receives a part. ‘Cinderella’ 58 Fore St.” http://portlandcompany.com/flower Scotland’s University of Strathclyde in 1991. Currently, Nawara is directed by Mary Wassick, music directed by Diane Hanis at Harvard University as an Institute of Politics Fellow leadNE Undergrad Research Development Symposium cock, and features more than 75 local children in two fantastic ing a study group on the future of Egyptian democracy.” For 11 a.m. The University of New England hosts the fourth casts.” Through March 25. Shows will be performed Friday planning purposes, RSVP to http://bit.ly/Nawara For more annual Northeast Undergraduate Research Development evenings at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Suninformation, call USM Multicultural Student Affairs at 780Symposium March 10-11, at UNE’s Biddeford campus. The days at 2 p.m. All seats must be reserved. Tickets are $10 for 4006 or Reza Jalali at 780-5798. symposium, funded in part by the National Science Founadults, $8 for students and seniors, and $5 for children under dation, is the largest undergraduate research conference ‘The Women on the Sixth Floor’ 5. Call 893-2098. north of Boston and attracts students from New Haven 6:30 p.m. Movies at the Museum, Portland Museum of USM presents ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ to Nova Scotia. More than 180 students from 38 different Art. “The Women on the Sixth Floor,” Friday, March 9, 6:30 7:30 p.m. March 9 and 10, 7:30 p.m.; March 11 and 14, 5 colleges and universities are registered for the 2012 symp.m.; Saturday, March 10, 2 p.m.; Sunday, March 11, 2 p.m.; March 15-17, 7:30 p.m.; March 18, 5 p.m. The smash posium, including 19 students from University of New Engp.m. NR “Paris, 1960. Jean-Louis lives a bourgeois exishit musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” comes to University land. Through talks and poster presentations, students will tence absorbed in his work, cohabitating peacefully with of Southern Maine. “Who says they’re not making great share their research in the natural and social sciences, in his socialite wife Suzanne while their children are away at musicals any more? This smash hit received more 2006 disciplines such as ecology, evolution, genetics/molecular school. The couple’s world is turned upside-down when Tony award than any other Musical! When a die-hard fan biology, psychology, oceanography, marine biology, physthey hire a Spanish maid Maria.” plays his favorite cast album, the show miraculously comes ics, medical biology, and chemistry. www.une.edu/nurds/ Two Small Pieces Of Glass to life! Toe-tapping tunes and silly situations abound in this preliminary-program.cfm 7 p.m. Two Small Pieces Of Glass: The Amazing Telescope hilarious valentine to the golden age of musicals.” Russell see next page at Southworth Planetarium. “A fantastic full-dome show Hall, Gorham Campus

Developing Student Success

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012— Page 15

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EVENTS CALENDAR––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– from preceding page

Youth Art Month at the PMA 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Youth Art Month: Celebration Reception, Great Hall. “In 2012 the Portland Museum of Art will celebrate 18 years of hosting the Maine Art Education Association’s annual Youth Art Month exhibition, with more than 100 works of art — by students from around the state—recognizing the value and importance of art education in Maine schools. Mark your calendars and visit the Museum while the exhibition is on view to get an exciting glimpse into the future of the art world. 4:30 p.m.: Grades K-2 certificate presentation. 5:30 p.m.: Grades 3-5 certificate presentation. 6:30 p.m.: Grades 6-12 certificate presentation. www. portlandmuseum.org

Country Western Night at Anthony’s 7 p.m. Anthony’s Dinner Theater and Cabaret. March 10 and 31. Starring Gloria Jean from Maine Country Music Hall of Fame along with her group Timeless and Paul Andrulli and Jim Cavallaro. Call 221-2267 for reservations. Free Parking, Handicap Accessible, Beer & Wine, www.anthonysdinnertheater.com

how the city should pay for maintaining and improving its stormwater and sewer system in a way that improves the quality of the city’s natural water systems and is fair and equitable for all property owners. Currently, more than half of the city’s sewer system combines sewage and stormwater into a single drainage system. During wet weather, a portion of this combined sewage, which includes stormwater, residential sewage and industrial waste, overflows into Portland’s streams, rivers and coastal waters untreated. This water pollution carries pathogens that can make swimmers sick, can contaminate seafood and overall, has serious impacts on the health of the Casco Bay. Under federal order between 1993 and 2010, the City Council funded projects totaling $70 million through the city’s sewer fund, reducing sewer overflow volumes by 42 percent from 720 million gallons in 1993 to 420 million gallons annually. Last year, the City Council approved a plan supporting $170 million of additional projects that would reduce sewer overflow volumes to 87 million gallons annually (an 88 percent reduction from 1993 levels). This plan is set to begin in 2014.” Room 24, City Hall. For more information about the Task Force and its work to date, visit the city’s website at www. portlandmaine.gov/sustainablestormwaterfunding.htm.

‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’

Sunday, March 11 Daylight Savings Time begins 2 a.m. Daylight Savings Time begins. Spring forward one hour.

Mary’s Walk and Kerrymen Pub 5K 11 a.m. The 14th annual Mary’s Walk and Kerrymen Pub 5K in Saco will take place on Route 1 in Saco. It’s a community fundraising event held each year in memory of Mary Kerry Libby. Mary’s Walk features thousands of walkers and 5K runners on Rt. 1 in Saco. This year the race will open with Claddagh Mhor (bag pipers) and end with a big community party featuring food donated by local restaurants and businesses. Proceeds from the walk beneﬁt the Maine Cancer Foundation. 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Check-in and Registration for both runners and walkers at Thornton Academy Gym, 438 Main St., Saco. 11:15 a.m. Opening Ceremony inside the gym featuring WGME’s Kim Block and other guests. noon. Kerrymen Pub 5K, 512 Main St., Saco, runners start at the Kerrymen Pub. The race ﬁnishes at Thornton Academy. 12:15 p.m. Mary’s Walk starts at Thornton Academy at 12:15 and ends at Kerrymen Pub. The walk is non-competitive and is not timed. www.maryswalk.org

‘Kids of the World’ noon. “Kids of the World”screening of Craign Saddlemire’s 30-min. documentary by and about Lewiston kids, noon. Free: donations accepted. First Universalist Church of Auburn, 169 Pleasant St. FMI 783-0461 or auburnuu.org.

Wolfe’s Neck Woods nature programs

Monday, March 12 Employment Resources Workshop 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Portland Public Library is hosting an Employment Resources Workshop in Meeting Room No. 5. “The workshop will cover topics such as: The value of networking and how to use it to open doors of opportunity; the latest social media in building connections; LearningExpress Library to help you with job searching; latest interviewing skills and tactics and what transferable skills are and how to display on your resumé.” To register contact the Portland Public Library at 871-1700, ext. 725 or email reference@portland.lib.me.us

Sustainable Stormwater Funding Task Force 6:30 p.m. The Portland City Council’s Sustainable Stormwater Funding Task Force will host the ﬁrst in a series of meetings to discuss and seek input from the public for

8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Maine Audubon invites the public to explore the Eastern Promenade “to see what discoveries await us.” From parking lot off Cutter Street, Portland. $5/$8. www.maineaudubon.org

Friends of Walker Memorial Library book sale 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friends of Walker Memorial Library are raising funds to buy more reading materials for the Library. The book sale will be held at the library during library hours on Tuesday, March 13, Wednesday, March 14, Thursday, March 15, Friday, March 16, and Saturday, March 17. On Friday, all materials will be half price. On Saturday, it will be a bag for $3. All proceeds go to Walker Memorial Library to assist with the purchase of new materials for the library. More details at www.walker.lib.me.us.

‘L.L. Bean: the Man and His Company’ author noon. Jim Wetherell, author of “L.L. Bean: the Man and His Company,” will be the guest speaker hosted by the LunchBox Friends at the Falmouth Memorial Library. FMI 781-2351.

‘Facebook for Seniors’ 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Portland Public Library will continue to offer three-session workshops titled “Facebook for Seniors” for folks wanting to learn how to use the popular social media tool. The course will be held on Tuesdays in March: March 13, 20 and 27 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The course will cover building a Facebook account, privacy settings and advanced settings like uploading videos and sharing web links. Participants must have an email account. Patrick Therrien from the Maine State Library will be teaching the course. Registration is required and those who do not get in will be put on a waiting list for the next session. 871-1700, ext. 708.

Site walk, public meeting about the Brighton Avenue-Deering Avenue-Falmouth Street study 4:30 p.m. Portland City Councilor David Marshall and District 3 City Councilor Ed Suslovic, the city of Portland and PACTS, the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, will host a site walk and public meeting to kick

Restaurant & Sports Bar

G R DiMillo’s BA Y SID E

Join us for

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT every

MONDAY through THURSDAY from 6:30 - 9:00!!! beginning March 12 118 Preble St., Portland, ME at the entrance to Downtown Portland

207-699-5959 • www.grdimillos.com

Pizza - Pasta - Parmagiana - Espresso - Cannoli - Steak

2 p.m. Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park will offer nature programs at 2 p.m. Sundays through March 25, weather permitting. Starting at the benches at the end of the second parking lot, one-hour guided programs may include a walk, short talks, and other activities. No reservations are needed except for group use, free with park admission. Admission is $1 for ages 5-11, $3 for Maine residents ages 12-64; $4.50 for non residents ages 12 – 64; $1.50 for non residents 65 and older; persons under 5 and Maine residents 65 and older are free. For more information or to arrange for group visits, please call 8654465.

Tuesday, March 13 Promenade Around the Promenade

Pizza - Pasta - Parmagiana - Espresso - Cannoli - Steak

8 p.m. A new musical based on the 1988 ﬁlm. Watch as con man Lawrence takes the less sophisticated grifter Freddy under his wing, though not necessarily out of the goodness of his heart ... hilarity ensues.” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” runs Feb. 24 to March 10 at Lyric Music Theater, 176 Sawyer St., South Portland. Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Fridays at 8 p.m. Visit www.lyricmusictheater.org

off the Brighton Avenue-Deering Avenue-Falmouth Street Intersection Study. 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Site Walk, meet in front of USM Law Building (Deering Avenue); 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Open House; 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., public meeting. USM Wishcamper Center, Room 102, Bedford St., Portland. www.ci.portland.me.us

Friends of the Factory Stage mixer 5:30 p.m. “Friends of the Factory Stage hosts mixers for people who are interested in doing everything from publicity and postering to working backstage. Our March Mixer will be held at Linda Bean’s restaurant and Topside Tavern, corner of Main and Bow Streets at 5:30 p.m. Visit our website for information. www.freeportfactory.com.”

Wednesday, March 14 ‘Iron Jawed Angels,’ multicultural film forum 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. University of Southern Maine, Multicultural Center, Woodbury Campus Center, Portland. “Hilary Swank stars in this film set in 1918 about suffrage activists putting their lives on the line to help give American women the right to vote. A forum where students can discuss issues of race, ethnicity, and power. After each film a discussion follows facilitated by Doug Cowan, USM clinical counselor.” http://usm.maine.edu/mcsa/ iron-jawed-angels-multicultural-film-forum

PSO Wine Dinner and Auction 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Portland Symphony Orchestra Wine Dinner and Auction at the Harraseeket Inn, Freeport. The PSO Wine Dinner and Auction is a beneﬁt for the orchestra. Each year, the dinner centers around the wines from a different part of the globe. This year’s geographic focus is Oregon. Here’s the list of chefs for the 2012 dinner: Stephanie Brown, Sea Grass Bistro; Jonathan Cartwright, White Barn Inn; Eric Flynn, Harraseeket Inn; Sam Hayward, Fore Street; and Lee Skawinski, Cinque Terre & Vignola. To buy tickets and for more information, call 773-6128, ext 311.

Pedestrian and Bicycle forum rescheduled 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Due to Tuesday night’s snow storm, a Pedestrian and Bicycle forum was postponed. The event will now take place on Wednesday, March 14, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Merrill Rehearsal Hall, City Hall, Portland. The City of Portland will host this public forum to present highlights from a developing draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Chapter for the city’s Comprehensive Plan. “The chapter will propose a vision for biking and walking in Portland along with goals, objectives, strategies, and performance measures to promote, improve and increase bicycle and pedestrian transportation. This forum offers the public an opportunity discuss the Plan and to provide comments prior to review for adoption by City Council committees, the Planning Board, and the full City Council.” To review the draft materials, visit the city’s website at www.portlandmaine.gov/transcomm.htm.

John Bauman book signing at USM 7 p.m. University of Southern Maine Muskie School Visiting Research Professor John Bauman “has written the ﬁrst comprehensive history of Portland since the 1800s. Bauman takes readers from 1632 to the late 20th-century revitalization of the Old Port and 21st-century plans for Portland’s waterfront, in his book, ‘Gateway to Vacationland: The Making of Portland, Maine.’” USM will celebrate the book’s publication with a reading and book signing in the bookstore.

B igge r Is B e tte r! If you find a fresher, bigger, meatier, more filling, more satisfying, more delicious, more authentic deli sandwich anywhere in town... YOUR NEXT ONE IS ON US! We proudly serve Dr. Brown’s Soda

David Rosen’s

Full Belly Deli Pine Tree Shopping Center (near Lowe’s) Phone: 772-1227 • Fax: 773-3067 Open Mon.-Fri. 8:00AM til 7:00PM Sat. 8:00AM til 4:00PM, Closed Sun.

Page 16 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, March 8, 2012

Morse presents $94.9 million proposed school budget DAILY SUN STAFF REPORT After cutting 100 positions over the last five years, a proposed Portland schools budget for fiscal year 2013 would keep staffing the same, lease-purchase technology equipment and offer fifth-grade Spanish, while increasing property taxes by nearly 4 percent, Superintendent James C. Morse Sr. announced. Morse presented a proposed FY 2013 budget totaling $94,948,537 to the Portland School Board at its March 6 business meeting. The proposed budget is 3.75 percent higher than the current year’s budget of $91.5 million, according to a school district press release. The Portland Public Schools, which employs 1,243 people, had nearly 7,000 students enrolled in prekindergarten through grade 12 as of February 2012. About 69 percent of local and major grant revenues in the district budget is property tax revenue, the district reports on its website (http://www2.portlandschools.org/). About 78 percent of expenditures go out in the form of salaries and benefits, the district reports. The proposed budget includes less money from the Federal Jobs Bill. Morse said schools will lose $2.1 million in jobs bill funding in FY 2013. At the same time, the district’s state subsidy is projected to increase by $919,000 and the district will receive a projected increase of $600,000 in state agency and Medicaid revenues, he said. In addition, the district seeks to carry over $1 million of its fund balance to next year’s budget. The proposed budget would require a 3.65 percent rise in local property taxes, which equates to an $85 increase for a home assessed at $250,000, Morse said. “This budget keeps our district moving forward in line with our vision and comprehensive plan framework,” Morse said in the press release. “The budget would allow us to expand access to early childhood

James Morse, superintendent of Portland schools, listens along with other attendees at a Future Search Conference in 2009. (DAVID CARKHUFF FILE PHOTO)

education, improve literacy instruction in the elementary schools, complete implementation of the elementary world languages program and address urgent needs for building repairs and technology improvements.” The district will use a multi-year, $5 million grant from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation to make major changes in the high schools that support student-centered learning, he said. In 2010-2011, the most recent year with data available, the Maine Department of Education reported graduation rates of 83.84 percent at Deering High School; 74.81 percent at Portland High School; and 76.56 percent at Casco Bay High School.

Major initiatives in the superintendent’s proposed budget include: • Doubling enrollment in the district’s pre-kindergarten program. That would be done with no additional staffing costs by creating morning and afternoon sessions rather than a single session. • Adding Spanish instruction to the fifth grade curriculum. Over the past two years, the district has begun teaching Spanish in grades three and four. The addition of fifth grade instruction will not require additional staff, Morse said. • Negotiating a $2 million lease-purchase of technology equipment in FY 2013 that requires an initial payment of $526,000. The system would buy laptops for high school students and elementary school teachers, increase the number of laptop carts available through the district and make system upgrades during the first year of a four-year plan to upgrade technology. The district and city also are investigating merging of their technology departments. During the past five years, the Portland Public Schools has cut staffing by more than 100 positions, Morse noted. The proposed budget would eliminate eight positions in the current budget and add eight additional positions, resulting in no net change in staffing, he said. “We cannot make any more cuts in our staff without impacting programs and services,” said Morse. The School Board’s Finance Committee began reviewing the proposed budget last night and will review sections of the budget tonight, and Tuesday and Wednesday, March 13 and 14 at 5 p.m. in Room 321 of Portland Arts and Technology High School, 196 Allen Ave. Public hearings on the budget will be held on Tuesday, March 13 and Tuesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. at locations to be announced. For updated budget information, visit www2.portlandschools.org/school-budget. Additional budget information can be accessed at www2.portlandschools. org/finance-committee-0.

Minnesota school district reaches agreement on preventing gay bullying BY ERIK ECKHOLM THE NEW YORK TIMES

After years of accusations that it had failed to stop antigay bullying and a spate of student suicides, Minnesota’s largest school district has agreed to sweeping changes designed to prevent harassment based on sexual orientation in a plan that federal officials call a national model. The sprawling Anoka-Hennepin district, just north of Minneapolis, approved a legal agreement on Monday night with the federal government, which has been investigating the district for civil rights violations, and with six students who had sued the district on charges that they had suffered unchecked harassment. Under the agreement, which must be signed by a federal judge, the Departments of Justice and Education will monitor the district for five years. The Minnesota district and its antibullying procedures became entwined in a nationwide debate over how homosexuality and gender diversity should be discussed in schools. Conservative Christian groups, while condemning bullying, argue that singling out sexual orientation for protections or teaching tolerance of same-sex marriage amounts to endorsing sinful practices. In response to conflicting pressures, Anoka-Hennepin officials had devised an unusual policy, directing teachers to remain neutral on any

questions involving sexual orientation. But some teachers said that this hampered their ability to support gay students and that the overall climate was still hostile. Last month, the district rescinded the neutrality policy in favor of a requirement to “affirm the dignity and self-worth of students” regardless of race, sexual orientation, disabilities or other factors. In addition, according to the new agreement, the district will strengthen measures to prevent, detect and punish bullying based on gender or sexual orientation, hire a full-time “harassment-prevention” official, bolster mental health counseling and identify harassment “hot spots” on the campuses of middle and high schools. The six students who sued will receive a total payment of $270,000. After the school board approved the agreement in a 5-to-1 vote, Dennis Carlson, the district superintendent, emphasized that the district had always fought bullying but called the decree “a positive statement of the continuing effort to ensure a welcoming environment for all students and families.” The Justice and Education Departments began investigating the district, which serves 39,000 students, in November 2010 after receiving complaints of an unsafe environment for gay, bisexual and transgender students.