Renter’s, Condo & Auto Insurance Ask us about package discounts, as well!
774-6257
Online at www.clarkinsurance.com Denise Douglass
Kip Thomas
Serving Portland’s Peninsula Since 1931
September 2015
Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com Page 1
EASTERN PROM TRAIL (Leash required) Recreational Boat Ramp Osprey nests
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Up Portland Is Proud To Work With Friends Of The Eastern Prom
Up Portland is proud to announce that we are going to be working with the Friends of the Eastern Prom, not only by supporting their projects, but urging readers to consider membership in this great organisation.
Friends of the Eastern Promenade is a non profit community organisation committed to preserving the Park’s significant historic public landscape, protecting its environmental integrity and enhancing recreational use.
*unite *link *connect *participate
Become a member and support their work to “preserve, protect & enhance” Portland’s signature green space. Projects and programmes include creating/maintaining a trail network, the Fort Allen Rehabilitation Project, April Stools Day & Community Cleanup, Hidden Gardens of Munjoy Hill Tour & of course, the Summer Community Concert Series.
Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
verb :to connect :to come together :go somewhere to be with (person/group) noun a place where two paths meet; or where people are connected together
Our relationship includes use of their Trail Map & Guide (above) which highlights historic landmarks, paths & trail connections, areas dogs may be under voice control and even Osprey nests.
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/join/
Synonyms
-as stewards of the Prom -with nature on our trails -with “Friends” at our concerts -in our programs and projects
“Join” Friends of the Eastern Promenade and help us “Preserve, Protect & Enhance” Portland’s beloved seaside historic landscape! “ Friends of the Eastern Promenade is a non-profit community organization committed to preserving the Parks significant historic public landscape, protecting its environmental integrity and enhancing recreational use.”
Membership form provided on reverse or visit our website:
easternpromenade.org
Recruit_Board lists6.6.15-1.indd 1
6/8/15 4:20 PM
Portland Veterinary Specialists Take A Stab At Acupuncture Treatments
Ameriprise Private Wealth Advisor
By Peter Michalakes For Up Portland Each day at Portland Veterinary Specialists, numerous cats and dogs are cared for by a team of elite veterinarians who specialise in anything from oncology to general care. However, unlike other veterinary hospitals, there is an additional treatment option for pet owners to consider: acupuncture. Dr. Gary Stuer, a consistent driving force behind Maine’s cultural shift towards veterinary applications of Chinese medicine, has helped to establish a branch of integrative medicine here which supplements traditional western practices with unorthodox eastern treatments. With a focus on acupuncture, nutrition and herbal remedies, Stuer has exposed Portland to a unique array of treatments for their pets which date back millennia to ancient China. “We’re trying to help patients from a different perspective,” Stuer said in a phone interview from Virginia. “We’re trying to find out exactly what happens in the body.” Dr. Stuer’s treatments, as with Chinese medicine in general, consider the entire animal rather than solely focusing on the symptoms. The limited lens that is sometimes present in western medicine is replaced by a broader, big-picture analysis of the animal’s condition, as Stuer’s analysis takes into account anything from the animal’s medical history to its behavioural tendencies. “We step back and look at patterns,” Stuer said. “Patterns of disease, patterns that we see over and over again from a Chinese medical perspective. We’re treating the overriding patterns, not the little individual problem.”
You’ve prepared for a rewarding retirement. I can help you make the most of it. As an Ameriprise Private Wealth Advisor, I can help you grow and preserve your wealth to put your vision of a confident retirement more within reach. LUKE R. REINHARD CFP®, ChFC®, REBC®, RHU® Private Wealth Advisor Reinhard & Associates 22 Hancock St Portland, ME 04101 207.771.5300 luke.r.reinhard@ampf.com
Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results. Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2014 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. (7/14)
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Hackin’ The Net By Ted Fleischaker / Publisher Remember that adage your mom probably told you about the grass not always being greener on the other side? When it comes to internet speeds, that’s not totally the truth because what you see and are told is not always what you get and often you have to experience that grass before you decide. And this month’s column is about not only that, but a reminder that you, as the consumer, need to get what you are paying for so use a speed test and see if that’s the case. As readers here last month saw, my partner and I moved to Portland from Indianapolis in late April and when we did we got a lot of flack from our Midwest friends teasing that this is a much smaller city and joking that we would probably be left with internet speeds close to the old AOL and CompuServe or Prodigy days of the late 1980s and 90s. Remember them? 28k and 56k dial-up modems and all those modem sounds which these days are relegated mostly to museums (and a few die-hards who do use dial-up still). I’m also reminded of my late father who refused to even go up to a 56k modem and stuck it out at 28k with AOL for ages and ages. It prompted my sister to give him a shove by saying we and he were like vehicles on the Maine Turnpike with yours truly going 100 in a sportscar; she following along well in a Chevy and he parked by the road on a bicycle with a broken chain and flat tyre! It’s usually not that extreme anymore, but there are some speed differences and just as in sister’s analogy, as more and more data hog options are being made available to each and every one of us, my question is: Are you and your equipment able to keep up? And is the infrastructure where you live able to keep you playing your “A game”? I always tell folks it’s like having a sportscar and only a gravel or dirt road to drive it on. No matter what the engine’s capabilities, you can’t really open her up because the flat, smooth road’s just not there. To make matters worse, there are more and more and more options out there asking for greater bandwidth. These days we watch TV on Slingboxes, stream Netflix and HBO GO. We listen to internet radio and download maps to our phones, pads and computers. The demand is growing by the byte almost daily. And we are seeing that in our household of two grown adults. Show of hands if you have kids (especially high school or college age ones) or maybe work from home. There’s yet more of that valuable bandwidth space demanded. So what happened to us when we moved from the bigger to the smaller city? Exactly what all our smart you-know-what Midwest friends did not predict: The best speed we could easily get at our condo in downtown Indianapolis (metro: 1.75 million) was 16 Megs of download. It was not bad and certainly beat that 56k stuff, but try as we might, in our location, that was the best offered by any provider. We moved to Downtown Portland (metro 621,800) called around and without hesitation Time Warner offered us an “ultimate” service which was promising speeds up to not 16 but 50 Megs. In truth, once we hooked up we find that most days we get closer to 60 and the rumour is out that 100 Meg downloads are somewhere in the not-too-distant future here. But should we spend the cash and care? And more importantly, should you? The answer is sadly in the first instance yes unless we wanna be on that bike with the chain off and tyre punctured. And in the second instance the choice is yours, but
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keep in mind that unless you wish to join us with our bike roadside, you might eventually have to upgrade. And it’s a lot of these upgrades which have telecommunications firms quaking in their boots. Hardly a fortnight has passed since we moved to Maine and installed our phone and cable that we have not had some communication asking why we did not pick a TV package to go along with the rest. They have offered things from $10 a month up and we have politely declined. Why? The answer is simple and according to a story in the national press a few weeks ago becoming more and more common: we are one of the 8.2 million households they cited which have no television viewership as such at all. We watch plenty of what are known as “on demand” services like Netflix, Hulu and their ilk, but as far as sitting down at 8.30 on a certain night of the week and watching a show like I did when I was a kid in the 1960s, that’s being done less and less. In fact, it’s happening so much less than even a few years ago that the big cable firms and the TV networks and their affiliates are scared to pieces because along with our refusal to sit down at 8.30, most of us pay to skip the ads and change how content is viewed --- and we need a lot of internet bandwidth for viewing it, but NO TV package because, well, we do not watch TV as such anymore. Many friends watch a whole series one show after another whereas before we’d wait a week or longer between episodes. Even the cable channels still out there do “marathons” showing whole series or season after season of this show or that during 24 hours or a weekend. But what does this all have to do with you and I and this column? It means that as we quit watching traditional TV or even cable shows as we used to, we are replacing that with on demand and streaming media. Things are slowly getting turned on their proverbial heads with the internet service providers. While before the cable firms raced to see how many channels they could sell us (it’s called “narrowcasting” in the TV world meaning each serves a narrow or small, but specific audience) till nowadays with fewer and fewer viewers willing to watch (ie: pay for) TV channels the firms financing them are trying to figure out what to do. Remember they are businesses and need to make a profit. If we do not watch ESPN with their overpriced player contracts or Food Network with this or that “famous” chef, that leaves the cable firms to pay the bills for them for less and less customers all while the rest of us demand fewer channels (or no TV per se) but a better bandwidth road for our on demand shows. There’s that bandwidth issue. Whereas in 1990 we were OK with 56k and a few
Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
dation is to always buy a bit (or a lot) of extra bandwidth just so you won’t be scalding that guy in apartment eight by all flushing at once! OK ... so how to know? The best way is to estimate with an educated guess. Most apps and other items like Netflix are pretty honest about what they require to work correctly. And nobody knows the right numbers better than the folks who own and operate the companies selling the services. Look at what you do usually and visit their websites, check the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) or e-mail and ask what the bandwidth requirements are for optimum viewing or listening or gaming. Then add the numbers up. And remember just like most folks do not turn on every light in their house at once, you likely will not be streaming three things, checking e-mail and playing a game at the same time unless you run a boarding house or have a lot of kids! Next, look at your budget and see what you have offered where you live. And look at all the options. In our old home, at&t gave us the best combination of price as well as the fastest connection speed. In Portland, there is no at&t for wired service and asking neighbours brought quizzical looks so we did our own research. Time Warner came out on top, but that’s where we live. And just like getting the right outfit in clothes, not all sizes are available in all locations. Some areas might have faster cable and others faster alternatives like the phone company or another provider. Some charge more per meg than others and some have “caps” meaning if you use too much data (regardless of the speed) you pay more for the next so-many megs. As my late dad used to say before we bought anything major: shop it! Finally (and this is something everybody should do regularly anyway) check your speed and see what you are getting now (if you are contemplating a change) and most important know if you are getting what you are paying for. And do this often. Things vary from day to day and hour to hour so just like you should not go screaming to your doctor if you take your blood pressure once on that machine at the drugstore and find it high, but check a few times then deal with it, you should not scream at your provider for more or different service unless you know what speed you are buying and what you are getting “most days and times.”
dial-up spits and stutters, now we need at least 3 or 4 Megs to reliably watch all those on demand services we love — and that’s with just one computer or iPad at a time trying to stream the media. When we add extra people — whether watching a different channel or playing a live Xbox or PlayStation game or streaming radio from Australia or texting or Facetiming someone — we start to put a strain on even the best and fastest service. Think of it like everyone in a building with 20 apartments all flushing their toilets at the same time. What was fine water pressure before slows to a trickle and nobody gets enough water to finish the job — never mind the poor dude in number eight who was showering and is left with a trickle of frigid or boiling hot water! So for all this to work at your house, what needs to happen? First determine what you need for your situation and then buy accordingly. Is it just you and a partner? Do you just check e-mail a few times daily, maybe watch a TV show or the local news streaming and call it a day? Or do you have three children (or guests in season) who have homework, texting, Facetime, games on that Xbox and then watch three hours of Netflix? An outsider (any outsider — including the cable company or phone company) determining what you need would be like having a clerk in a store take a look at you and fitting you with jeans and shoes. We can guess, but only you would know what comfort level you need. And like someone before a huge Thanksgiving meal wearing loose clothes “just in case” they eat that extra piece of pie, our recommen-
For example, the cable company at our house offers from 2 Megs to 50 Megs in download speeds, depending what one wants to use and pay. Be informed. The best way is with a speed test (as seen in the photo on this page) and the best we know of for that is at www.speedtest.net though Time Warner and others do offer their own tests online. And like that blood pressure, run several tests on different days and at varying times and then compare. Also, keep in mind that things out there can, will and do “go wrong.” If it’s been storming or we are having another February like last, things may be slower or there may be an outage when data or phone lines or cables get overworked, snowbound, blown down or loaded down with traffic so use some common sense: buy what seems to be a ‘fit” and understand that just as too many big dinners will mean new and larger pants, adding too many new apps and activities (or roommates or kids) will mean you may need to bump up your service down the road for faster, better, more reliable internet. If you fail to do so, you may yet find yourself with that bicycle standing by the roadside wondering just what went wrong as all the other traffic whizzes by you and waves. Happy surfing! Now go check that speed! If you have questions, visit us on the web at www.upportland.com and use our “contact” link in the upper right corner. Or e-mail us: ted@upportland.com We promise to reply (so long as your question gets to us, meaning your and our internet are both working!)
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Food For Thought... I have learned a lot since coming to Maine, including some really sobering things. The most shocking is that not everybody who lives here in our new hometown likes lobsters or even seafood. Horror of horrors — some folks would way rather have a steak, a burger, a vegetarian meal or most anything BUT Maine’s most famous foods. And many of these same folks can “take or leave” those very same lobsters, oysters, scallops and shrimp one would think I moved here for, given the numbers of all of the above I have consumed since arriving in May. To the non-seafood folks I vow and promise something non saltwater reviewed here next month. But that said, this time I wish to inform readers that I have discovered the wonders (for we seafood worshippers) of a single block off Commercial Street and on Custom House Wharf, downtown . First, we found our way (with, we shall admit, a bit of coaxing and not much convincing needed by neighbours) over to 9 Custom House Wharf. That’s home to the Harbour Fish Market (www.harborfish.com) This is one of those places where the atmosphere alone is worth a visit, not to mention the bins of ice filled with fresh caught fish, the tanks with lobsters just waiting to be taken home (We got four 1 1/4 pound “chicks” as the new soft shells were called and paid $31.) and shelves bursting with things every home needs to serve said seafood — from lobster pots (The best are enamel ones made where else but in Terre Haute, Indiana!) to Maine Sea Salt pre-measured so one gets just the right salinity in the water they use to boil Maine’s most famous crustaceans. Along the way are t-shirts, tote bags, butter, seasonings and more so you can walk in a “virgin” and leave equipped to make the best seafood dinner anywhere in Portland right at home. But wait! There’s more here. They will cook your lobsters for you, offer all manner of recipes (they even have their own cookbook available here, at Longfellow’s and elsewhere books are sold around town) and they will expose you (as they did me) to all sorts of things from the ocean that most of us never cooked or thought of before. I love my lobster bisque but never thought that the base came from lobster “bodies”. Need a plastic bag of same to make your own? They got ‘em on ice most days. Want to try a new (to you) fish or recipe? Harbour Fish Market not only have both, but their excellent staff will take the time to give you some cooking pointers so that what leaves their door fresh, ends up delicious on your table.
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Still not convinced you can “do it” yourself? Well walk just a few doors down to 20 Custom House Wharf and let the folks at The Porthole Restaurant & Pub (www.portholemaine.com) do the cooking and serving for you. We had a wonderful dinner here recently and when telling friends they told us this excellent seafood eatery “has some history” and not all of it is pleasant. The tale we got involved an ownership change and all sorts of issues in 2012, but that was well before we set foot in Maine to stay which is all good because passing on this spot due to what was apparently a chequered past would be a shame. To my local friends, all we can say is let the past be past and if you have not had a meal here, you should! Our partner had what he described as a “pretty good” lobster roll at The Porthole, which we are told was featured under the previous owners on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” show in 2010. But the real dinner winner was the scallops (at right) I enjoyed. While they looked a bit pricy on the menu, what was delivered by our smiling waitress was the best plate of scallops we have enjoyed since moving to Maine. They were not only large
Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
enough to be saddled, but were prepared perfectly — meaning just enough spices to be succulent and not overly strong so that we tasted scallop and not just what was used in the preparation. They were also cooked perfectly as far as time. They were tender and not dry so we wish a few other spots where we’ve dined would send their chefs down to see how The Porthole does it. They came with some greens (we asked for and added some balsamic to them) as well as a side of fingerling potatoes. Fingerlings are interesting because in the nottoo-distant past we never saw or even heard of them. We suppose potato growers who ended up with tiny spuds fed them to livestock or tossed em out “back in the day”. Now, thankfully, they are all the rage because when cooked right they represent a true treat. We buy ours at the Monument Square Portland Farmers Market on Wednesdays and cook them as a side by gently washing them, then placing in a baking dish with a sprinkling of British Maldon Sea Salt Flakes (Micucci’s sells it as do other spots in Portland) and some olive oil. 375 for 45 minutes and they are the popcorn of the potato world and I will guarantee you just cannot stop eating them. Over at The Porthole, they came alongside the seared scallops for just the perfect combination. So what did dinner run? A bit on either side of $50 for two, including a generous tip well-earned for good service. And we should say we opted for our food inside whereas most dine al fresco (photo below). We also were told by some long-time Portlanders that The Porthole is better known by many locals as a place to drink and enjoy music on the deck than for food, but for us, it’s fast becoming one of our go-to’s for eats. Oh, and we checked the board: the two lobsters dinner for $24 the evening we were in puts Porthole in the same price range as Dock’s Please continue on the Next Page
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More Food For Thought... in South Portland we wrote about last month, and well below some of the other more “self-important” eateries who were getting up to $31 for the same meal when we checked. The Porthole’s menus and signs say “Since 1929” and while many wrote The Porthole’s obituary in 2012, we are glad they resurfaced and are alive and well. It’s totally a place you should go — for the food as well as the booze! And finally in the same area (actually next door but with a 92 Commercial Street address, not a Custom House Wharf one) is Gilbert’s Chowder House, to which we also give five stars. The atmosphere here and at Porthole are similar in many ways — especially if, like us, you opt to dine inside — but like Porthole, the seafood is as fresh as it comes, the atmosphere fun and the staff attentive.
Gilbert’s has the whole line of drinks, not to mention sandwiches and a large outdoor dining area which is right beside the Porthole one so do not be fooled by the address — we are staying with our theme of where we like to eat along Commercial Street and Custom House Wharf. So our conclusion: whether you are dining in, taking home or going for food or just a libation, you will not be disappointed if you head for Custom House Wharf along Commercial Street’s eastern end, downtown. Just be warned that parking can often be at a premium (though there is some along the wharf itself and the fish market has designated spaces for customers) and you will come away smiling. Unless, of course, you have a seafood allergy, in which case you can tell us if that burger at Gilbert’s is any good or keep on walkin’ to Elevation Burger. It’s just up the street!
FLATBREAD BENEFIT NIGHT
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 5pm – 9pm Join friends of the Eastern promenade for a fun evening with neighbours, members, “Friends” & visitors savouring delicious flatbread. Or, call ahead for take out and make it a pizza picnic on the Prom! FoEP receives a percentage of ALL pizza sales including take out orders!
Gilbert’s is one of those places where I have come to expect the unexpected, even after just a short time in Maine. For example, we had a great laugh with the crew one evening over the line on their menu saying to tell your staffer if you have a seafood allergy. Nothing personal, but if you go to a place with some of the best oysters, clams and chowders in New England, and you cannot touch or eat any of it, wouldn’t you be better off at a burger or beef place? They do have chicken, a burger and a hot dog on their menu, but somehow that seems self-defeating — to us, at least! So what do we like here? Pretty much everything we have had (which does NOT include the burger or the dog, which we have not ordered) has been wonderful. I will admit being partial to the Fried Whole Belly Clams, though the Fresh Fried Oysters were likewise memorable. And speaking of memories, the chowder here (as could be expected given the place’s name) is close to heaven. We will confess at over $10 for a large bowl of any of the choices (they have clam, fish, corn with chicken, seafood and seafood chilli) none are cheap, but what’s my late dad’s old line about “you get what you pay for”? Here, it’s worth the cash. They also have Haddock & Lobster stews though we will confess we have yet to try either and that’s not just because the $15.25 lobster pricetag is a bit stiff, but because we are saving that experience for Winter when a Lobster Stew will be an extra special treat on a snowy evening.
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Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
Flatbread Co. 72 Commercial St (adjacent to the ferry terminal)
Enjoy the Present. Experience the Past. Circa 1674 The Black Boar Inn Ogunquit blackboarinn.com
207.646.2112
Open Year Round
Italian Fest Celebrates On Federal Street
From prize booths to others selling cannelloni, rum cookies and Italian sausages to a greased pole climb and tours of the historic St. Peter’s Church and Mass said by the Bishop of Portland, it was an Italian Fest to be proud of at Federal & India streets in the East End in mid-August. Photos: Ivan Howard
Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com Page 9
The Standard Reviewer
By Bill Elliott / Up Portland’s Film & Theatre Reviewer
In Understanding Media, published in 1964, Marshall McLuhan proposed a somewhat blurry distinction between “hot” and “cool” media along a continuum of cultural consumption. He argued that a “hot” medium primarily engages a single sense, such as vision or hearing, and thus requires less participation from the audience. “Cool” media, on the other hand, which provide only fragments of meaning, require more involvement from the audience to fill in the blanks. TV is a “cool” medium, claimed McLuhan, while film is a “hot” medium. The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which first appeared on American television the same year as Understanding Media was published, was the essence of Sixties “cool” TV. Appearing at the height of the “spy” craze in the immediate aftermath of the Bond films, it was replete with complex codes and symbols that needed to be deciphered by the viewer. The producers even recruited Ian Fleming to work on the series. It was Fleming who came up with the character of Napoleon Solo. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was “cool” in another sense too. It epitomized the early Sixties obsession with the latest fashions in cars, clothing, hair, and music. And it made spying seem, well, just plain “cool.” It was also international in scope, not just American. So it embraced all nationalities. As a kid growing up in England, I felt as much a part of U.N.C.L.E. as any American kid must have. Fifty years on, the cult TV series has been adapted for the big screen, moving from a “cool” to a “hot” medium. Does it translate? Well, yes and no.
Director Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; the recent Sherlock Holmes movies) is a master of cinematic “cool.” Whether Ritchie is a student of McLuhan (like David Cronenberg, for example) is no matter. Ritchie’s films define “cool,” or at least, a post-Tarantino version of cinematic cool. Ritchie’s earlier films employ all the technical tropes of filmic “cool”—jittery jump cuts, exaggerated slo-mo, freeze framing, alienating, near-psychedelic detail, eclectically esoteric soundtracks. No surprise, then, that Ritchie should land the U.N.C.L.E. project. If you like Ritchie films, you’ll be in your element. If, like me, you find them mildly annoying, you’ll be left with some questions. Let me say up front, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is much better than I imagined. After the two Sherlock Holmes films, I was expecting more of the shaky, jumpy, CGI distractions. But, thankfully, Ritchie lets his story (co-written with Lionel Wigram) and the actors do the talking and mostly sits back. This being a Guy Ritchie film, he can’t take a backseat the entire journey. He puts his foot on the gas and slams on the breaks from time to time just to let you know who’s in charge. This is film that advertises its own style, technique, and hipness-to-allthings-fashionable. In short, it is cool. Ritchie opts to pitch the film somewhere between ’60s parody and early 21st century nostalgia for mid-last century. The details are stunningly vibrant from the moment we see Napoleon Solo (British actor Henry Cavill) approach Checkpoint Charlie as he enters Easter Berlin in 1963. Dimple-chinned, Mad Men-suited, and looking like a hyper-real version of a 1960s cinematic spy, Solo is on his way to East Berlin to enlist Gaby Teller (Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, who was spellbinding in Ex Machina) in locating her father, Udo Teller, a rocket scientist who worked for Hitler. After the war, Teller moved to the USA and worked for the U.S. government but disappeared and is believed to be assisting persons a wealthy Italian couple (and former Nazi sympathizers) develop a nuclear bomb. No sooner has Solo met Gaby, he tells her that she needs to come with him immediately or she will be captured and tortured by KGB agents who are following her. They flee, and an obligatory high-speed car chase through the streets of East Berlin ensues. They finally escape by scaling a rope over the Berlin Wall. Solo is impressed by the KGB agent assigned to capture him and Gaby. “He wasn’t human. He ripped the back off my car,” he says admiringly. Anyone familiar with the TV series knows who the Russian is. At this point we are given some back story: Solo is a former U.S. army officer who was stationed in Germany at the end of World War II and profited from the black market, especially the sales of art and antiquities. He was arrested and imprisoned, but because of his language skills and contacts in Europe, was recruited into the U.S. intelligence services as a spy. Back in West Berlin, Solo and his Russian nemesis, Ilya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer, grandson of oil tycoon Armand Hammer) meet again and fight in a public urinal. Solo is told by his CIA handler, who is nonchalantly having a pee while the fight is going on: “Don’t kill your partner on the first day.” The pair are told that they will be working together to find Udo Teller. Solo and Kuryakin both have skeletons in their closets. Because of his criminal past, Solo became a spy to atone for his sins after WWII. Kuryakin’s father worked for the KGB and suffered the humiliation of being sent to Siberia. Fear of shame and humiliation fill the pair with drive and ambition. Gaby is also recruited to help them find her father. She will pose as Kuryakin’s fiancée. As agents, Solo and Kuryakin are chalk and cheese: Solo is smooth and debonair (he is a skilled thief and pickpocket), while Kuryakin is portrayed as a chess-playing beefcake, with near Hulk-like anger management issues. At this point, The Man from UNCLE digs deep into Bond territory. The trio enters
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Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
the world of the international jet set who feast on caviar and champagne while watching motor racing. Quite why the super wealthy want to build nuclear weapons is never really addressed. Former Nazis enter the picture, including Gaby’s real-life uncle, a sadistic Hitler henchman and torturer. It’s fairly straightforward spy fare. Of course, the British get involved (Gaby was working for them all along) and the effort to stop nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands becomes a truly international affair. The British commander-in-chief, Alexander Waverly (a grey-haired Hugh Grant) manages to mould the feuding agents into something resembling a team: U.N.C.L.E. (and perhaps a film franchise) is born. What is impressive about The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is the attention to detail: the clothes, hair, cars, hotels, shops, music; even the cities in which the action takes place (Berlin and Rome) seem to ooze a Sixties ethos. The windows on the East German cars squeak loudly when wound up and down. The inter-scene titles and subtitles, in brilliant yellow, appear to be straight out of ’60s art films by Fellini or Antonioni. Ritchie even uses split screen sequences: perhaps a cliché too far! There are intentional or unintentional references to other films too: Bullitt, The French Connection, Le Mans, and The Great Escape (that’s quite a few Steve McQueen movies; and Armie Hammer even looks a little like McQueen). The film’s action is well-choreographed and almost balletic at times. A car chase sequence has two cars travelling at high speed in an auto pas de deux, while a boat chase ends with Solo using a truck to sink the bad guys’ boat. There is plenty of sly Bondian sexual innuendo: when Solo leaves the room for Kuryakin to hide a tracking device under Gaby’s mini skirt, he returns to the room and asks Gaby, “All turned on?” Some of the jokes fall flat, such as during a torture scene in which the tables are turned between torturer and tortured. It seems simply silly. The best jokes are self-referential. Solo’s CIA handler tells him: “We are spies. We are not in the haberdashery business,” a clever reference to the tailor/dry cleaner business which doubles as the HQ of U.N.C.L.E. in the original TV series. Henry Cavill is pitch perfect as Solo. Like anglophilic American actor Robert Vaughn, who played the original Solo, he sounds like an upper class Hollywood actor from the 1930s). Hugh Grant plays Alexander Waverly, the British head of the U.N.C.L.E. organization. It is perhaps a little sad to see Grant playing the grey-haired elderly patriarch. Armie Hammer brings a new dimension to Ilya Kuryakin. Originally played by Scottish actor David McCallum, the character relied on guile and intelligence. Hammer is more of a super hero like Thor from The Avengers movies. Whether The Man from U.N.C.L.E. will catch fire with audiences remains to be seen. It seems tame fare compared to many of the other summer offerings. After the recent spate of Sixties’ nostalgia television shows, it may find its own niche. On the other hand, it may be too “cool” for its own good.
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3
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Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
4 9 2 6 7
5
Top Stops By The Numbers
10 8 1
The Observatory
1
CVS Pharmacy
2
Rite Aid Pharmacy
3
Hannaford (Grocery)
4
Whole Foods
5
Grace Restaurant
6
Two Fat Cats Bakery
7
Ocean Gate Terminal
8 1
Maine State Pier
9 1
Maine Jewish Museum
10
Longfellow House Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com Page 13
Eric’s Optimal Corner Eric Hilton / Optimal Self Community Health and Wellness Centre Hello! My name is Eric Hilton, owner of Optimal Self Community Health and Wellness Centre here in Portland at 640 Congress Street. I grew up in Hollis, Maine, and have spent many years healing and overcoming the battles of life. I sought out different healing modalities, which I will share with you, our community. I am a personal trainer, massage therapist and energy practitioner. I also served in the Army for 12 years as a medic. The health and wellness of our community affects everyone. In this column I will feature different practitioners of health and wellness in our community, and they will share their helpful wisdom with you. If you have a helpful skill that you would like to share, please contact me at optimalselfme@gmail.com Thank you! The Importance of Community Health and Wellness We all are a part of a growing and transforming community. All of our actions are connected as long as we share the same air. Our health is the vitality that allows us to live and grow. Our wellness is our ability to live a good life with happiness. If we don’t take care of ourselves, then we cannot take care of those we love or our community. We grow together. We live life together. If we can be healthier and happier together, then we don’t have to suffer so much. So each neighbour helps the other; it’s a balance.
Our future depends on our willingness to put in the effort. We truly have to care and want to better ourselves. If we challenge each other to grow and to make better decisions, our communities’ moral standard increases. Respect for each other gives room for growth through kindness and not separating ourselves from each other. As much as we want to avoid the homeless man and walk on the opposite side of the street, he is our neighbour and needs help. Communities that work together; grow together. No man left behind. They will still be there. So try to say hello and smile next time if that’s all you can do. There’s a chance that your generosity helps them to do good. If we all can accept each other for who we are and offer a handshake or a hand up; we create cohesion. Our community’s consciousness and collective attitude sets the pace of our everyday lives. We cannot deny our community responsibility or our own individual responsibility. Don’t be afraid to help someone. Small efforts on your part can mean the world to someone else. That is being efficient and creating more productivity in our community. If you give me a hand up I will be inspired to do better and to believe more in myself. Our belief in one another fuels the fire of faith for a better future and more happiness for ourselves. The more inspired each of us becomes, the more opportunity we have to grow. The reward of everyone in your bubble being happy comes from the prosperity of love in the community. Love for our neighbour, our bodies and our happiness is the key to everyone’s health and wellness. Let’s do it together and share the adventure of life with one another. You inspire me and I promise I will do my best to inspire you!
We know more so you can worry less
Along with the emotional health of our community we have our physical health, like space suits that let us navigate through our journeys every day. Our physical bodies are profound machines that allow us to have a great life experience.
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We have to take care of our bodies. Moving our bodies gives us the opportunity to grow and heal. Through walking, weight training, stretching, running, yoga, dancing, etc…, we can activate our bodies to do amazing things! Life is movement and sitting too long can produce stagnancy in many parts of our lives. The more we move the easier it gets. If we do it together with others it motivates us. Certain neurotransmitters and hormones are released during these physical states, which make life feel so much better, guaranteed! When the community moves together, they inspire each other to do better and to live better lives.
Denise Douglass
774-6257
Farmers’ markets, local healthy restaurants and everyone’s willingness to improve their diet every day, is making us healthier. Sharing healthy food with friends is a great expression of honouring our bodies and sharing the abundance of our local neighbourhood farms.
Online at www.clarkinsurance.com
Everyone’s example of living a healthy lifestyle is important for all of the children. The more they can see good healthy options and understand the importance of a healthy body, the better direction our futures goes.
Serving the Portland Peninsula Since 1931 Kip Thomas
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Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
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Vet Adopts Ancient Treatment Continued From Page Three When seeing a patient, Stuer combines traditional medical diagnostics — things like blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature — with observations drawn from the Chinese perspective, like temperament and blood flow. “We use western physical findings to help develop specific acupuncture points,” Stuer said, emphasising that the two medical philosophies work together. This comprehensive overview lends itself to a concrete diagnosis, which allows Dr. Stuer to perform a full acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture, one of the most common and oldest systems of healing in the world, helps to restore and reorient the “life force energy”, called Qi, through a series of needle insertions at specific points in the body. Acupuncturists believe that an unbalance of Qi causes disease, and by resolving this unbalance through the manipulation of specific energy pathways with the use of needles, both chronic and acute diseases will be cured. “It’s a lot of people’s impression that acupuncture is reserved for chronic problems,” Stuer said. “But we work hand-in-hand with the other departments.” Portland Veterinary Specialists boasts a broadly trained staff, with programmes in oncology, cardiology, dermatology, laser therapy and a number of other departments which use Stuer’s practice as an additional tool in their diagnoses and treatments. Dr. Stuer also noted that it’s important “to not be afraid of the diagnosis” in Chinese medicine, because the practice often attributes breakdowns in Qi to serious-sounding conditions such as kidney or liver dysfunction. However, acupuncturists see many of these conditions as routine, where the solution is strategic needle insertions at the energy pathways in order to re-orient Qi. In addition to acupuncture, Dr. Stuer also provides nutritional counselling and all-natural, herbal remedies to alleviate an ill animal’s symptoms. A variety of herbs, such as ginseng, licorice and astragalus are meticulously mixed together specific to the animal’s condition. Each herb has its own qualities, and one advantage over traditional western drugs is that they often produce comparatively fewer side effects. “Chinese herbal medicine helps to treat patterns of disease,” Stuer said. “It complements our other treatments.” Although practiced for millennia previously, Chinese medical practices in animals only became popular a few decades ago. What was once a niche treatment option, previously considered as more of a hobby than a legitimate medical science, has now blossomed into a vast field with a number of representative organisations. “I think now, there’s more acceptance from the veterinary community in general,” Stuer said. “People are really starting to recognise the benefits, and how different treatments can complement each other.” Here in Portland, Stuer describes the community as open and excited about alternative treatment options like the Chinese medicine he practices at Portland Veterinary Specialists. “A lot of the times people will come because they’ve exhausted all other options,” Stuer said. “So they say, ‘what the heck, let’s try it!’” So, what the heck: maybe needles aren’t so scary after all. To learn more about Portland Veterinary Specialists, visit their website at www. portlandvetspecialists.com or call their office to schedule an appointment at 207/780.0271. Peter Michalakes can be reached at pmichalakes16@waynflete.org
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It was a Saturday to remember as downtown’s Kotzschmar Organ celebrated its 103rd birthday with tours and concerts, including a version of Tico Tico, played by 16-year-old theatre organ student Seamus Gethicker, right, which brought the young organist a standing ovation. If you want to hear him play, visit www.upportland.com and follow the link.
Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
TBD*
(* You Get to Help Us Pick! See Below!) By Luke Reinhard / Advisor — Ameriprise Financial (EDITOR’S NOTE — Luke Rudolph Reinhard, CFP®, ChFC®, REB®, RHU®, is a private wealth advisor, business financial advisor and owner of Reinhard & Associates, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services based on Middle Street in Portland. He provides a boutique, goal-based plan that helps clients achieve an ever-increasing degree of financial independence focusing on proven cash flow strategies. He will be writing for Up Portland monthly.) Small Business Owners: I have some tips for balancing your business and family needs... and trust me, I know that meeting the multiple demands of a job, a career (if you are lucky) and a family can be challenging for anyone, but for small business owners, the feeling can be especially taxing. With limited time, energy and assets (and plenty of liabilities) finding the right mix can seem elusive — particularly if you are new to it. Even after 22 years, I still struggle with maintaining my own balance as I sit here on a beautiful Saturday afternoon writing my first monthly column, TBD (More about TBD in a second.). In the early years, I recall making gut wrenching decisions between the business’ interest and my kids. Most business owners view themselves as a dad, a mother, a son or daughter. Or as a community leader or an all-round good guy or gal. Note I did say most! For the above-mentioned owners, their business is the key or the vehicle to accomplish greater, personal goals like educating little Johnny or Suzy or achieving financial independence — that point in your life when you can do the things your want for as long as you want meaning that work is optional.
3. Be realistic. Needs and financial demands change over time. Regularly assess the profitability and growth potential of your business, as well as your household financial situation. If you must make small sacrifices in your personal life, do so but remember that this works both ways. You may also need to make difficult trade-offs, such as delaying a business expansion in order to make a down payment on a new home or pay your child’s college tuition. If you currently have the resources to invest in all of the above, take advantage of the opportunity, but also ensure your actions support those long-term personal goals I discussed at the start of this article. 4. Finally, don’t try to “wing it”. Whether you’re making decisions for your business, family or both, don’t feel like you need to go it alone. Talk with other professionals in your network to see what works for them. Consult with a financial advisor, accountant or attorney (or all three) before you make major financial commitments or sign complicated agreements. Consider building a team of professionals. Most importantly, treat your personal financial and business plan with the importance they deserve by putting them in writing. Not only will this help hold you accountable down the road, but it will also give you something to refer to when those difficult and inevitable choices do arise. Taking these steps – and feeling confident about your complete financial situation – may help you avoid absolute “one or the other” decisions and help you be successful in both your business and personal life. Now, about the name for this column — TBD means “To Be Determined” and that’s something I’m asking you to help with. I had (and kicked around with staff and family) a number of possible names — and so did my publisher — but none of them really felt like they were a “fit” so I’m asking for help finding one. E-mail me some suggestions and if one of them gets picked, you’ll not only see it here every month, but the owner of Up Portland will send a certificate to the winner for a dessert from Two Fat Cats Bakery as a sweet thank you! My e-mail is luke.r.reinhard@ampf.com
After 22 years, I have picked up a few nuggets, mostly through trial and error. And I’d like to share just four in this first column. 1. Make time to plan and organise. Owners assume multiple roles – CEO, office manager and HR generalist. And my personal favourite — janitor. It is easy to understand why your personal finances may not be at the top of your priority list. Instead of multi-tasking, consider scheduling a regular time each month to sit down with your household balance sheet. While this may not be a relaxing activity, knowing your current financial position and having a plan for the future, can help alleviate stress in the long run. 2. Communicate with your family. It’s important to keep in mind that your family is a stakeholder in your business. This is especially true if the business provides a significant portion of your household income. Speaking openly and frequently about issues you’ve encountered and decisions you have faced can help strengthen your relationship with your spouse and children, while also providing you with different perspectives. But, while your family’s needs and wants should always be considered, make sure your final decisions reflect your goals.
Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com Page 17
Sauntering With Mat
By Mat Robedee / Up Portland Commentator
For some this is “an adventure.” For others “an experience.” And for still others, it’s called “once in a blue moon,” but for me, over three years of waiting and waiting came together on 31 July. That was when all the pieces fit together. I was ready to go. My plan was to do a non-stop, overnight hike across the Presidential Range traverse in New Hampshire. That’s 23 miles of the highest-around, above-tree line hiking in terrain where one can see for miles on end. In the middle of this trail rests Mount Washington, sitting at 6,288 feet and perhaps the most prominent mountain east of the Mississippi. Known for being the highest peak in the Northeastern United States, Washington is also famous for its unpredictable weather, extreme winds (up to 231 miles per hour — the highest on earth!) and incredible views. Needless to say, I was excited. I’ve done this hike a handful of times before but never at night; especially on a full moon. To make my experience that much better – it was also the Blue Moon of the year. For those uninitiated, a blue moon is the 2nd full moon in any calendar month: thus the expression for something rarely happening being, “once in a blue moon.” In my years of waiting, a full moon seems to have never coincided with an available weekend, nor has the weather ever held up enough for me to attempt trying. The Presidential Range is a connected series of summits, the majority being at least 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in elevation. To complete the traverse, one must begin at one side of the range and finish at the opposing end. I decided to hike North to South, as I feel walking that direction gets most of the elevation gain out of the way relatively early. Leaving at 4.40 p.m. I wanted to make sure I could get above tree line in time to watch the sun set…and the moon rise. When I finally made it atop the first peak, Mount Madison, the sun was getting ready to set. A smile came across my face while looking out for miles, with full circle views. I sat alone on the peak and the air was still. A deep yet simple silence filled the air – nothing – no cars or cellphones ringing, not even the sound of a bird in the air…just silence. The lands below changed colours and the sky roared in red, as the day was coming to an end. Turning around, a glimmer of white broke on the horizon, quickly entering the view on my skyline. I now sat between a setting sun and full moon rising, the feeling was…humbling. Yes, humbling – that will suffice. After the sun set, but still with a glow of light in the sky, I slowly descended Madison towards the next mountaintop. The trail brought me past an Appalachian Mountain Club cabin, where I loaded up on some water and ate a sandwich...or three. It was there I met an Appalachian Trail (AT) through hiker who had been hiking since Georgia. We had brief discussion about his last stretch up the trail to Mt. Katahdin in northern Maine — a personal favourite spot of mine and one he was clearly passionate to see. He asked my plans for the night and upon telling him, he replied, “Damn man, that’s a little crazy, huh?” The thought of an AT through hiker saying this made me equally as nervous as it did excited. “Ever done the hike before?” he asked. “Well, ya’ know – every once in a blue moon!” I replied. The man smiled, I could tell my pun fell flat but it made me burst out laughing. With a quick smile and wave, I put feet to the granite and disappeared along the trail into the night.
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After the man at the cabin, I experienced no other person for the remainder of the night. The temperature was in the mid 60’s, the wind was near to none and the rocky 11-mile alpine (above the trees) zone reflected the moonlight perfectly, guiding my entire way. So bright in fact, I only had to use my headlamp four times until the sun rose — each time only to check my map. On mile 16 (or somewhere around that, I honestly forget) the sun began to rise and I knew that in another 6-8 miles the trip would come to an end. I finally sat down to watch the sunrise before I descended back to the familiar once again. As if a gorgeous sunset and full moon were not enough, the sunrise was easily the best that I have ever seen on the East Coast. The perfect reward for such a long journey. When I finally reached the end of the trail, around 9.30 a.m., I hitch hiked my way back to my car. It was then I realised that I had been awake for 27 hours, hiked seven mountains and I also had the smell to prove it. Perhaps that’s why the guy had me ride in the bed of his truck as he brought me back to my car.
Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
“The mountains are calling and I must go.” — John Muir
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The Gossip Column By Britain & Sydney / The Up Downtown Office Gossip Cats It appears that we cats have been out too much with our cameras as this is a photo column this month, but hey, sometimes that proverbial picture really IS worth 1,000 words. That said, let’s see what we cats have in the gossip department this month... And first off, sometimes conversations are better left unheard, but when folks get loud, as a couple who were obviously parents of a teenager did as they walked by a downtown restaurant sidewalk cafe where we were dining with our owners, we couldn’t help but listen and wonder. And we heard just two lines of their conversation — both of which spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e for their kid back home or at college. What did mom say? Simply (in a very loud voice) “Sooo, I asked him...what you are saying is...?” This was followed by a long pause and the husband (just as they went out of earshot) replying “I hope his excuse was a good one...or did he even try and offer one?” What these pussies would not give to know what that was all about, but we do pity the poor kid... Speaking of pity, we do have some sympathy for the restaurant staffer along Fore Street recently who was apparently told to put a message board out front for passers-by to see and handed chalk, but no dictionary. He (or she) was supposed to be promoting the eatery’s fries (which we can assume from the message are awesome) however his spelling got the best of him and instead he was selling a dish no dictionary can define — freis. They may also be awesome, but his spelling, well, not so much so!... And along the same line (that of restaurant staff) we cats have to wonder what we’d get were we bad tippers at a table served by the server or bartender whose car we spotted along a downtown street recently. The sticker makes it clear: if you wanna play, you got to pay, but there’s an issue here. Most spots where we dine do not ask for the bill to be settled (and tip to be left) until AFTER we have had the last bite and sip, so how will the server know if you are gonna be a good or bad tipper before he or she hands you that final glass? Maybe instead of Confucius, the sticker should seek wisdom from a clair-
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voyant...or maybe just a claret or two. Best bet for the vehicle owner: give everybody great service and hope they do the right thing and tip proportionately! ...Speaking of proportions, we have a mystery of large ones at the corner of Middle & India streets on the East End of downtown. And that mystery we cats want to solve is who put a pile of pies (shown below) on the corner and where did they go? They appeared on a recent weekend morning, all wrapped neatly in plastic. The next day one whole one was gone and half of another. The following day, the rest had vanished. We stopped by at Two Fat Cats (no relation) Bakery across the street, but Stacy Begin, who owns the excellent pie shop was unable to claim ownership or knowledge of the pies after looking at some clues. Seems their delicious pies come in boxes, not cling wrap, and she even checked to make sure her freezer out back was still securely locked. So where DID the pies come from? And where did they go? As of this writing there’s been no sign of Simple Simon or the Pie Man in Downtown Portland! As we said before: Clairvoyant, anyone? ...And finally, kudos to the folks at Shipyard Brewing over on Hancock Street for the great spiff-up of their oftvisited facilities. But they did it all on the sly. Had we pussies not been out for our morning walk real, real early we’d not seen a new fence appear in under two hours starting at 6.30 on a recent morning nor the painters who carefully covered their blue shop awning then sanded and repainted the front of the old mill they call home. Great job, folks, and pass the brew! See you next month! Meow! Up Portland Is A Proud Member of the
October Edition Deadline
Thursday 17th September Papers On Street: Friday 25th September
Up Portland is published the last week of every month at 22 Hancock Street, Suite 403, Portland, Maine 04101. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and fairness, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors. Liability is limited to the cost of said ad. Ads not cancelled by published deadlines will be billed at agreed-upon price. Ads may be edited or rejected for content at the discretion of the publisher. All items appearing in Up Portland, as well as the name, logos and design are copyright 2015 by BBS, A division of High Speed Delivery Fork Ltd. & Ted Fleischaker and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written approval.
Phone: 207/536.0922 e-mail: ted@upportland.com
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Please Read Then Recycle!
September’s
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By Ashley Robedee
Urban UniQue
Call this one “Cat-can-do,” or “A feel good show with a lot of Cattitude,” but whatever you call it, it’s unique and it was and will be back here in Portland. But let’s start from the beginning... As I sit in the crowded audience at the St. Lawrence Arts, a non-profit arts centre on the east end of Congress Street, I feel a little nudge on my left hand. A cat has jumped into the only empty seat in the building and is affectionately headbutting my hand. After a little chin rub action, he jumps down to complete his official task as “audience greeter” by making his way to the people behind me. Meanwhile, onstage, numerous other cats are putting on a trained performance. Yes, I really did just use the words "trained" and "cats" in the same sentence. Welcome to the Amazing Acro-Cats, a troop of fabulous felines and their humans out of Chicago who decided to come hang out in our eclectic city for most of the month of August and treat us to their many talents. Unlike my own cats, whose greatest party tricks consist of eating, napping and producing the ever ill-placed hairball, these are circus cats. Their days are spent balancing and walking on balls, riding a skateboard, jumping through hoops and leaping from platform to platform on command (or as the cats prefer to view it, “on suggestion”). One of them, a beautiful calico named Alley, has shown such an affinity for jumping that she found herself in the Guiness Book of World Records for the longest jump by a house cat — an impressive six feet. Unaware of what an astounding feat this is, Alley does this six foot platform jump for us not once, but an enthusiastic three times. There are chunks of chicken and salmon waiting for her on the other side, after all.
spends time educating the members of their sold out audiences on the concept of "clicker training" their own felines at home and how it can thoroughly enrich their lives, provide deeper bonding with their humans, and how it can be beneficial to have a mindful cat in emergency situations. In addition to education, Samantha's troop consists of all street or shelter rescues, and she has helped place over 150 cats into foster homes. As a feline behavioural expert, she also helps to promote local animal rescue groups in the cities she visits. Here in Portland, she teamed up with H.A.R.T. (Homeless Animal Rescue Tea), a no-kill cat shelter in Cumberland. Their booth in the lobby of the St Lawrence Arts showcased their cause and provided useful information on their organisation. If you weren't one of the many who were able to see Samantha and her Amazing Acro-Cats in action this time around, fear not. Portland is on her radar for next year as well so keep an eye out for them. With a purple logo car adorned with a large white cat statue on the roof and a large painted tour van they certainly won't be easy to miss. Also, keep an eye out for a Kickstarter for a needed tour bus upgrade coming in November. Even cats can’t pussy-foot down Maine’s busy roads, you know!
But hers is not the only coveted title held by the Amazing Acro-Cats. Ripley's Believe It Or Not has featured Tuna and the Rock Cats as the only cat band in the world. That's right, these cats are not only smart, but they are more musically inclined than you. OK, maybe most of you, but certainly more than yours truly. Tuna, the lead cat and star of the show provides "more cowbell", while others play the chimes, drums, guitar and keyboard. But what would a famous cat band be without a little help on the percussion as provided by Cluck Norris, a trained chicken, or even some beats on the gong by a groundhog named Garfield. (Move over Punxsutawney Phil, there's a new main marmot in town.) As the band finishes up their first unique ensemble, Samantha Martin, their head human and pack leader humourously announces, "And for their second song, which sounds surprisingly like their first song..." Another round of clanging, banging and jingling commences in unison. As fun and silly and entertaining as this all sounds, there's actually another purpose being put into play on the stage of the Amazing Acro-Cats. Samantha
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SEA KAYAKING & PADDLEBOARDING AT EAST END BEACH
Explore the Islands of CASCO BAY
RENTALS • GUIDED TRIPS • LESSONS PortlandPaddle.net • 207-370-9730 Up Portland 09.15 On The Web At: www.upportland.com Page 23
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