M u n joy Hil l
M u n joy Hil l
OBSERVER
OBSERVER MHNO, 92 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
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Portland, ME Permit No. 824
FREE Published by the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization Vol. 32, No. 5 • June 2012
A feast for the senses
By Joanna Smiley, Friends of the Eastern Promenade
A secret treasure of urban gardens will be opened for all to see during this year’s Hidden Gardens of Munjoy Hill tour. The 7th annual tour, which is featured on the cover of Down East magazine’s June issue, offers the rare chance to explore 11 gardens throughout Portland’s East End neighborhood. The garden tour will run from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday, June 24, rain or shine. the Society of East End Arts Open Studios Tour and Art Sale will be held in conjunction with the event. The proceeds from ticket sales for the self-guided gardens tour benefits Friends of the Eastern Promenade, a nonprofit organization committed to preserving, protecting and enhancing Portland’s premier waterfront park. “The garden tour has become our signature event and largest annual fundraiser,” says Diane Davison, President of Friends of the Eastern Promenade. “It’s a wonderful way for the community to come together and experience exquisitely creative urban gardens that many of us would likely otherwise never see. They are true gems in our city landscape, and we’re honored to have them right here in our own backyard.” The gardens on the tour feature a variety of flowers and plants, ranging from mountain laurel, hydrangeas, Chinese dogwood, astilbes, huecheras, lady’s mantle, roses, peonies, and clematis. Many gardens produce delicious fruits and vegetables, including a new garden that harvested salad greens through December of last year. One herb garden is engraved with Portland’s latitude and longitude, and features a “sitting room” bordered by a day lily perennial bed. The urban-savvy gardeners make compost indoors and outdoors year-round, which they use to continually enrich the soil.
One gardener chooses plants with special meaning to her – hydrangeas border her house to honor her friend and neighbor who passed away from breast cancer; proceeds from their purchase went to cancer research. A Saint Patrick Rose honors her Irish heritage. The tour begins at the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization’s Hill House at 92 Congress St. On the day of the event, tickets will be sold for $20. Tickets may be purchased in advance for $15 online at hiddengardensofmunjoyhill.org and also at the following locations: Allen, Sterling & Lothrop; Broadway Gardens; O’Donal’s Nurseries; Skillins Greenhouse; Estabrook’s (Yarmouth and Scarborough); Rosemont Market (Congress Street
and Brighton Avenue); and all Coffee By Design locations. Norway Savings Bank is the Orchid Sponsor for the Hidden Gardens of Munjoy Hill. Raffle tickets for a hand-crafted salad table will be sold on the day of the tour, with proceeds benefitting Friends of the Eastern Promenade. For more information on the tour, visit hiddengardensofmunjoyhill.org. See ad on page 12. If you are interested in volunteering as a garden-sitter, please contact Tica Douglas at mdouglas@dougden. com. Two shifts are available: 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 12:45 to 4 p.m. Volunteers receive a free ticket to the tour and an invitation to the after-tour party. For more information, visit easternpromenade.org.
Rocco DiDonato
Many interesting stories stem from these gardens.
The Hidden Gardens of Munjoy Hill tour winds around and through the back-streets of Munjoy Hill, and will pass many artist studios which will be participating in the SEA Open Studios Tour and Art Sale, including this studio near the corner of Willis Street and Montreal. The garden sculpture pictured here is by artist Jill Atkins.
MHNO Annual Meeting and Elections Thursday, June 28, 2012 6-8 pm, @ East End Community School —North Street—
Hill House First Friday On Friday, JUne 1, the MHNO will welcome visitors to Hill House, 92 Congress Street, for our “First Friday” open house from 5-8 PM. The artist this month is photographer Rocco DiDonato. He does wonderful black and white photos, and some great pics of places on Munjoy Hill (among others). See roccodidonatophotography.com. Artists interested in participating should send us an email at info@munjoyhill.org, with subject line, “First Friday.”
Above, photo of Deering Oaks Park by Rocco DiDonato, the photographer featured at the MHNO Hill House First Friday on June 1. Photos will be available at the Hill House throughout the month of June.
21st Century Maine: Warmer, Wetter, Wilder
—a discussion of global climate change: Tuesday, June 5, 4 – 6 pm Abromson Center, USM, Room 214/215, 2nd Floor.—See page 12 for details—
Sunday June 3, 2012 Support our budding entrepreneurs!
maine.lemonadeday.org
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June 2012
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
At the Helm The Munjoy Hill Observer is published
by the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization (MHNO) at 92 Congress Street Portland, Maine 04101 info@munjoyhill.org 207-775-3050 Editor: Lisa Peñalver
observer@munjoyhill.org (207) 766-5077 munjoyhill.org Observer Committee Andrea Myhaver, Tamera Edison, Sam Cohen, Kristin Rapinac, Lisa Peñalver advertising Tamera Edison tamera.edison@munjoyhill.org 939-7998, Lisa Peñalver, Layout, 239-1604 3,000 Circulation 8,000+ Readership About our paper The Munjoy Hill Observer is published by the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization (MHNO) as a service to its members and to the community as a whole, to inform Portland’s East End residents of local issues and events, and of the services that can be found here. The Observer serves as a vehicle to connect and inform our neighbors, while enlisting community partners to help us help those who need it most. The Munjoy Hill Observer was first published in May of 1979. Circulation is 3000, distributed free in Portland at over 100 locations. Nearly 300 copies are mailed to current and former members of the MHNO.
MHNO Board 2012 Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization
Andrea Myhaver, President.......................... . ......... andrea.myhaver@munjoyhill.org Kristin Rapinac, Vice President...................... . ............ kristin.rapinac@munjoyhill.org Elaine Mullin, Treasurer............................... elaine.mullin@munjoyhill.org..671-6132 Sam Cohen, Secretary.................................. . .................. sam.cohen@munjoyhill.org Eben Albert-Knopp....................................... . ................... ealbertknopp@yahoo.com Ralph Carmona............................................ rccarmona@hotmail.com.........518-9177 Nova Ewers........ nova.ewers@munjoyhill.org Christina Feller............................. 773-4336 christina.feller@munjoyhill.org Ross Fields...........ross.fields@munjoyhill.org Jamie Lane-Fitzgerald.................................. . .. jamie.lane-fitzgerald@munjoyhill.org Thomas Kelley............................................. . .............thomas.kelley@munjoyhill.org
In our Neighborhood—
MHNO President, Andrea Myhaver
A year in review
It’s been just over a year since I decided to run for President of the MHNO. When I made the choice, I’ll admit, it was not without some trepidation. I was already super-busy, and I knew that accepting the responsibility of leading this organization was going to be no small task. However, my love for Munjoy Hill helped calm the butterflies, and I put my fear aside and jumped in with both feet. I’m so glad I did! When I took office last July, we had a small, but dedicated, group of people on the Board. We had a vision for the future, lots of great ideas, and a willingness to work hard to bring our ideas to fruition. However, we needed some structure to help focus our efforts, and more than anything else; ,e needed more like-minded people to help get the job(s) done. So, I made it my mission to provide the first, and to encourage the second, and I’m happy to report that I’ve succeeded on both counts. The MHNO has accomplished a great deal in the last 11 months. Here are some highlights: MHNO... •
Partnered with Friends of Eastern Promenade on the Shoreside Festival in August 2011.
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Established a finite and attainable set of goals for 2011-2012 in September 2011.
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Hosted the “We Love Munjoy Hill Festival” at East End Community School in October 2011.
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Hosted a spirited Mayoral Candidate Debate at our Quarterly Meeting in October 2011.
Here Come the Swallows Like the “Swallows of Capistrano,” who make a miraculous cross-continental migration each year, the summer residents and visitors who know and love this part of Maine (but who live elsewhere most of the year) are returning to our shores. Suddenly the streets, shops and cafes are full to overflowing. There is some grumbling in the ranks, since we have no choice in sharing the spaces we have had all to ourselves for the past 8 months, but there is excitement with all the familiar faces arriving; we have the opportunity to visit and catch up with each other.
Katie Brown...... katie.brown@munjoyhill.org
in January 1979, our purpose is to be
a
broad-based,
representative
organization committed to improving the quality of life for the residents of Munjoy Hill and the East End, by strengthening the sense of community, maintaining the current diversity of social and economic groups, encouraging self-sufficiency, and enriching the lives of all residents.
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Brightened up the neighborhood with white lights on Hill House beginning in the holiday season and continuing throughout the long dark days of winter.
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Revived the Safe and Walkable Neighborhood Committee in December 2011
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Provided a forum for presenting an update and inviting public discussion about the Avesta Housing Adams School project, at our Quarterly Meeting in February 2012.
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Revived the Membership Committee in February 2012
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Approved a final list of actionable objectives for 2011-2012 in March 2012
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Provided 5 Hill families with heating fuel assistance via the Clynk Program throughout the winter and spring of 2011/2012.
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Grew the Board to almost full capacity with 14 of 15 board seats filled throughout the fall, winter, and spring of 2011/2012.
•
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Produced and distributed the Munjoy Hill Observer on time and within budget beginning in February of 2011 and continuing through the present day.
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Introduced “Hill House First Fridays” in May 2012.
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Organized “Rid Litter Day”, a Munjoy Hill cleanup day, in May 2012.
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Will be providing transportation scholarships for summer camp for 10 Munjoy Hill children beginning in June 2012.
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Have managed our finances to remain ahead of budget throughout Fiscal 2012, which has resulted in our ability to give more back to the community.
I’m very proud of what the MHNO Board has done this year, and I am so grateful that we have such a great group of people working together to make things happen. Our board members’ ages span the decades from ages 24 – 76, and despite the differences in perspective that can come from being born and raised at different times, we all respect one another, and complement each other well. I believe we have just touched the surface of where we can take this organization, and that’s why I’m ready to jump in with both feet again, to serve as President for another term, if you all will have me. ~Cheers!
Hosted a well attended “Get to know your Neighbors” Quarterly Meeting at Hill House in April 2012.
From the Editor, Lisa Peñalver This is an expansive time of year. Children are set free from the confines of their school schedules; our bodies are finally released from the bonds of winter layers of clothing; minds are set free to contemplate outdoor activities and travel options, and many of us opt to take time off from work during this season of fair weather; plants and lawns are exploding with growth. Our “Vacation State” community is one of the heavily traveled areas of the city, and as such it reaps certain rewards. Our artists, restaurants, and tour venues rely on this in-
flux of revenue. And there is no question that it brings a unique and invigorating energy to our community. So why fight it? Just plan to give yourself some extra time to navigate Congress Street or Commercial Street when you head out. The good news is that we have everything we really need close by, including the beach. So sit back, put on your shades, and relax; summer has just begun.
WHO YOU GONNA CALL? You can help prevent crime on the Hill! If you see a crime happening or see/hear anything suspicious in your neighborhood, please call the police! 1)
Ann Quinlan..... ann.quinlan@munjoyhill.org
Incorporated as a nonprofit organization
Provided support to the Munjoy Mothers Club Christmas party via publicity and a monetary donation in December 2011.
Send Your Letters and Hill news to observer@ MunjoyHill.org
Joan Sheedy.....joan.sheedy@munjoyhill.org . ............................................. 774-7616
MHNO Mission
•
Show your neighborhood pride! Munjoy HilL t-shirts are available: S-XL@$16, XXXL@$20, Tees come in black or white. Or get this bumper sticker! (measures 6”x 4”) $3 per sticker. Buy one and support your Neighborhood group. Send your check to MHNO, 92 Congress St, Portland ME 04101. For info, email info@ munjoyhill.org.
756-8135 Daytimes: Janine Kaserman with Community Policing
2) 650-8770 cell: 11 am thru the night, new Senior Lead Officer Tony Ampezzan (at right) 3)
874-8575/-8574:
Dispatch/non-emergency events
4) Emergencies: 9-1-1 Anonymous Crimes tips Program: Phone Tip—Dial 874-8584 | Online: tipsubmit.com Text-A-Tip: Text “GOTCHA” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES) Clip and save these numbers!
BULLETIN Board the munjoy Hill neighborhood Organization MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
June 2012
Open MEETINGS: The MHNO Board meets every 2nd Monday of the month, at 7 pm at the Hill House at 92 Congress St. — Please join us!
MHNO Board of Directors
Elections Would you like to get involved in your neighborhood? Learn what your neighborhood association is all about and be an integral part of the wonderful programs we have in place now and help develop the programs of the future? Would you like to bring your thoughts and collaborative focus to work together with other community-minded people? The MHNO Board is elected at the annual meeting in June by the membership present. Votes are counted and new board members are announced at the meeting. The President and Vice President are also elected at this meeting. The Secretary and Treasurer are then elected by the board at the first meeting of the new fiscal year in July.
The First Annual Rid Litter Day to clean up Munjoy Hill was held on May 19, and, as the pile of full trash bags shows, it was a huge success! Pictured above, from left to right, volunteers David Asmussen, Ann Quinlan, Gary Marcisso, Elaine Mullin,Thomas Kelley, Ross Fields, Joan Sheedy and Eben Albert-Knopp; not shown is our president Andrea Myhaver, and several other anonymous volunteers. Good job, team!
Clean as a Whistle
Rid Litter Day a rousing success!!! On Saturday, May 19th, the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization (MHNO) held its first Rid Litter Day. Participants, numbering around 15, gathered at Hill House at 8:30 a.m. (MHNO’s headquarters), received their team assignment and then spent the next three hours filling trash bags as they walked the streets of Munjoy Hill. Amazingly, every street within the borders of the MHNO was covered in the three hour period which resulted in the filling of 25 trash bags. Participants returned to Hill House for pizza, refreshments and prizes. One thing very noticeable on the Hill is that residents take pride in their property and do a great job of maintaining it. The City of Portland and Munjoy Hill have recently received national acclaim as being one of the best communities in which to live. When you walk the streets of Munjoy Hill it is easy to see why. Encourage yourself and your neighbors to keep the spirit of Rid Litter Day going every day—make it a habit to pick up litter around your home, apartment and business.
On Recycling day keep your recycling containers from overflowing so it all goes into the truck. Taking pride in where we live demonstrates the respect we have for ourselves, our neighbors and our community. A big THANK YOU to our area businesses who continue to be extremely generous in there willingness to support these types of events with their donations. Contributors were… The Grill Room • Rosemont Market • Sillys Restaurant • Blue Spoon Restaurant • Hilltop Coffee • Coffee by Design • Portland Pottery Cafe • Chiang Mai • Wings & Things • Colucci’s Market (donated pizza for the volunteers) • The City of Portland (donated plastic gloves, trash bags and trash pick up, and the use of rakes) • Ross Fields, Board Member MHNO
Candidates are encouraged to contact Elaine Mullin at elaine. mullin@munjoyhill.org, or call 207-671-6132. The process is simple. There is a brief questionnaire, along with demographic information to complete. You must be a member of the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization to run. If you are not yet a member, you can go to the MHNO website for information, www.munjoyhill.org. Your completed membership form with payment can be dropped off in the locked mailbox outside MHNO Hill House (to the LEFT of the door), at 92 Congress St, next door to Hilltop Coffee. You can also join us at the annual meeting. Everyone will be given a few minutes to introduce themselves to the membership during the meeting. The annual meeting is June 28 at 6 pm at East End Community School. Please come to meet, talk, and listen, and consider joining us on the board! Please Come! Thurs, June 28, 2012, 6-8 pm, EECS, North St.
Join the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization New Membership
Renewal
Name(s)_ ____________________________________________________________ Street Address________________________________________________________ City________________________________________State_______ Zip___________
At Home on Munjoy Hill Our elder support program is making progress. We know that more and more of us are reaching that time in life when a little help is needed. We also love our homes on the Hill and want to stay here. At Home on Munjoy Hill is all about achieving this goal. As we continue our commitment to make Munjoy Hill the place we love and live safely in for as long as we chose, adding this elder support plan, working neighbor
to neighbor will enrich all of our lives. We need to hear from you! Do you know someone who could use some help in your building, on your street? Do you see a neighbor now and then who you wonder about?It may be as simple as an arm to hold on a walk around our beautiful but sometimes uneven streets. Or, help around the yard or house. Or, a trip to the grocery store. We are actively out survey-
Email (for MHNO updates)_____________________________________________
ing our area residents, but know that with many elders it is the adult children who provide their assistance, or who look for help with that assistance. Do you know someone who may be looking for local help with their parents, living on Munjoy Hill? People have been overwhelmingly positive in their response to this program. It will take us all to make it work. Thank you for your feedback and interest. Please keep it coming!
“LIKE” us & STAY INFORMED! Sign up for our email list at
Day Phone (____)________________ Eve Phone (____)______________________
Membership Levels Individual: $10 Family: $20 Business: $35 Additional Donation $25 $50 $75 $100 $250 $500 Other Amount: ($______) wish my gift to be anonymous
Volunteer for a Committee! We need your help to make Munjoy Hill an even better place to live! Get involved by joining one or more of our committees:
Membership Events Services Safe and Walkable Neighborhood Observer
We want all members of our community to join the MHNO regardless of financial circumstances. If you are unable to pay the suggested minimum amount, please
munjoyhill.org to receive alerts on events and issues pertaining to
pay what you can. If you are able to contribute more, we encourage you to do so.
the East End (fyi: we do not share our list.). Get the first glimpse of
We thank you for your support, and we’re excited to have you on board!
the each month's Observer. "Like" the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood
Please send this form along with your check to:
Organization on Facebook! Just visit us online at munjoyhill. org and click on our Facebook link. Follow our updates, join the conversation, post photos and share links, all on our FB page.
MHNO, 92 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101 Questions? Call (207) 775-3050, email info@munjoyhill.org or visit munjoyhill.org Welcome to the MHNO! 04/2012
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June 2012
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Art Soul
El Camino de Santiago By Kate Campbell Strauss
Kate Campbell Strauss moved to Munjoy Hill in February of 2012, one month after returning from her pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago also known as the Way of Saint James—which is actually several hiking routes that all lead to the town of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. One of the most popular camino, starts in Saint Jean de Pied de Port in France, and ends up about 30 days later in the town of Santiago de Compostela. Kate set out on the trek shortly after graduating college. She would love to be a resource to anyone who is thinking of embarking on the Camino de Santiago. Please send emails to Observer@munjoyhill.org For the first hour after leaving the village of Fay, I worried obsessively that I would miss the unmarked left turn that my hostess had warned me about. I did indeed turn far too early, but, I learned, it didn’t matter. I still walked through beautiful countryside and arrived only four or five hours later in St. Privat d’Allier. I waited outside of the hostel with five other pilgrims arriving from Le Puyen-Velay. At first, interacting with other pilgrims was jarring—I had spent the past two days in almost total solitude. I loved being alone, and wasn’t ready for anything to come in the way of that.
and stories with each other. I’d originally planned to sleep in my tent every night in order to save money. I prepared by acquiring the best camping equipment I could afford. But the camaraderie I experienced that night with Nicole, Manu, Felix, and Al, as we cried laughing together, threw my plans into question. Within the week, I sent my tent home. (To be continued...)
ReadersWrite ReadersWrite ReadersWrite ReadersWrite ReadersWrite ReadersWrite
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Pomp, Circumstances & Determination An essay by Elizabeth Miller, Waterville Street
First the Pomp and an invitation: come to Merrill Auditorium on Thursday June 14 for the absolutely, hands-down best, graduation ceremony you’ll ever attend. That evening approximately 175 adults, including several from Munjoy Hill, will receive their High School Diplomas or General Education certificates. I guarantee that you will laugh, you will cry (sometimes simultaneously), and you will be inspired.
Most of these adult graduates juggle jobs and family responsibilities as they progress through the program. Although classes are offered at Portland Adult Ed over three semesters each year, morning, afternoon and night, students’ progress, by necessity, is at a snail’s pace. Sometimes it’s just a class at a time. It’s easy to get discouraged when your goal seems so far off and there are pressing needs at home.
Each student offers a study in determination. They are succeeding in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Some left high school before finishing their degree, frustrated, unmotivated and sidetracked by personal or family problems. You may hear about efforts to overcome substance abuse, or resolutions to return to finish because their children deserved better. Or maybe they finally realized it was up to them to get their lives back on track.
But finish they do, with many moving on to college, supported by the College Transition Program.
Many of the graduates had to learn English before embarking on their academic studies. Could you move to another country and just walk into a school and begin taking English, Math, Science or Social Studies classes? Imagine being an adult and joining the equivalent of a first grade class. The immigrant students, many of them refugees and asylum seekers, do just that, with an awe-inspiring resilience. It’s not just the academics, it’s an entire culture that has to be learned and navigated.
Beyond the students’ obstacles described above, there is a big obstacle that our school system throws in their way: the facility itself. All this futurebuilding happens at the West School, a building whose deferred maintenance pre-dates most of its students. The lack of equity with the other Portland schools, in terms of physical plants and access to technology, is appalling. Windows don’t open and shades (if they exist) are stuck. Heating is a sometimes thing. Conditions match schools I’ve visited in third world countries. Equally sad is the lack of appropriate education technology. Access to computers is extremely limited. Teachers vie for use of overhead projectors and LCD monitors. So much for teaching for the 21st century; we’re stuck in the 1970s.
Over dinner, provided family-style by our hosts, I struggled to Friends who volunteer ask me: how can find common words such conditions be allowed to exist? Who It’s humbling particularly for immigrants between my limited advocates for our adult learners? who arrive with professional credentials French and the limand expertise - but not in English. There So join in the pomp on June 14. Come ited English of my is a wealth of talent that awaits our com- celebrate the students’ circumstances. French companions. munity as former teachers, engineers, And let’s determine to embrace this proThe difficulty I had Kate stayed at the Abbey of Saint Foy in Conques, France, one of the many journalists and managers transition to gram as one of the hidden gems of our communicating made historic locations passed through by the Camino de Santiago. community. English competencies. me feel lonely, but I connected with Nicole. We slept in adjacent beds and talked for a long time. She spoke of her last time on The Way, “We receive answers to questions we didn’t Essay By Delores Lanai, M.Ed who founded it either knew of elder, I’m enjoying weekly cy- stone circles, like Stonehenge, ask.” She also strongly encouraged me to Organization Development, benefits of sitting in a circle, or cles, enjoying life’s repetition. are found in many countries empty my pack and inspired me to have terra@maine.rr.com intuited it, for they used it in of the world; Native tepees are a more light-hearted attitude towards I believe we’d have more discussing business and makround. The Universe is a circle. my adventure – despite the communiI’m recalling circles in my peace with more circles ing decisions. Earth and other planets go in a cation challenges, my language books childhood, sitting in a circle with circle-process. circle. Night and day come and would no longer be necessary. The next around the campfire to sing Here in PortOther circles— go cyclically as do the seasons. day, Nicole even offered to take some of and tell stories and running land I’ve the stone circle Cycles and circles—yes! my things in her pack while I recovered in circles. My favorite memory been inacross from from carrying a fifth my own weight. is of eating at my best friend’s v o l v e d the EECS; the home—which I did as often as with the That morning, I walked alone. Unlike possible—because their family F e m i n i s t the last two days, though, I saw many sat around a round table and S p i r i t u a l more pilgrims. When I stopped for some discussed the lives of each of C o m m u lunch sandwiches in Monistrol d’Allier, us. I felt that we were all equal, nity for over I met an English pilgrim who had been and they behaved as such. I 20 years, where forced to stop walking as a result of a liked this arrangement more we sit in a circle to serious allergic reaction to bedbugs. I than having the parent sit at discuss business items; hadn’t been bitten yet, so, after seeing the “head” of the table. This is each voice being equally imphotos of his innumerable boils, and anwhen I fell in love with circles! portant, making decisions by ticipating that I would be bitten at some point along the way, I just hoped that I Then at some point, when I consensus. We also resonate wouldn’t react in the same way. learned about first Americans to the Cycles of Life. sitting in circles, but didn’t In our Christian and patriarOn the notoriously challenging ascent know why. Later I learned chal culture, linear thinking after Monistrol, I began walking with they were often circles of the (beginning, middle, end) is two other pilgrims – a French man with Elders (older and wiser lead- more dominant, especial in children my age and a retired Canadian ers) discussing matters of the career development where man. We talked a lot about religion and community that needed dis- one needs a 5-year plan. Durspirituality, why each of us had chosen cussion and resolution. They ing my first year of college I this path, and our families. Even though also danced in a circle and re- was offered a trip around the I enjoyed talking with them, I worried spected the Cycles of Life. world and to attend college that I would lose my valuable time of solitude. But I stuck with them the rest In the early ‘70s , I became a abroad. My life was changed of the day. That night, with two more collective circle member of by being open. I combine linFrench pilgrims, we ate bread, lukethe Washington, D.C. Rape ear process (having projects warm tuna pasta with tomato sauce, Crisis Center when it first to achieve), but I embrace drank wine, and shared jokes, poems, opened. The feminist women the cycles of life. Now, as an
Circles, Circles, Circles— for Fun & for Decisions
See puzzle on page 10
Art Soul
Of Magpies* and Sprucing up the Nest By Solange Kellermann, a.k.a. The Clutter Doc (*Magpies are birds with a reputation for lining their nests with collections of shiny odds and ends)
a choice between fewer things.It’s easier to maintain fewer things.
Have you noticed that it seems like we all have a tendency to keep more of certain things than we’ll ever need? For some people it’s pencils or pens; others stock up on greeting cards to send out. Maybe it’s hand bags or recyclable shopping bags or plastic containers. This list goes on and on.
Sprucing up the Nest: look at your space with new eyes
How do you handle this overabundance? One system I’ve found helpful is to hunt up and gather all of these pieces. Go through your living space and bring all the pencils, pens, shoes, etc. together in one place. When you can see exactly how much you have, you can decide how much you need to keep. Note that I said need, not want. Need and want are two different animals. Once you’ve determined how many you need, you can determine if there is physical and psychic space for more than you need, i.e. for what you want. And once you’ve done that, you know you can get rid of what’s left—because you neither need it nor want it. After you’ve met your basic life needs, it is frequently easier to live with fewer things rather than more. It’s easier keep track of fewer things. It’s easier to make
Now that you’ve finally cleared out some “stuff,” with summer is on its way, this is a good time to look at your space with new eyes. Look at a specific space and ask yourself it that space is still serving its original purpose. Was it once the kids’ homework space, but they’re been gone for years? Was it a workspace, where you spread out and did crafts, but now you’re more interested in reading? In other words, what’s the most important activity that happens—or should happen—in that space NOW? The answer will tell you what needs to change in the space. This may means that furniture should moved or go away. (One perk: money or other treasures may be found under a couch. My clients frequently find long-lost items or cash during this process.) When it’s over, not only does your space LOOK better, you feel better about it as well. It can be a creative process of self-discovery. May you find something surprising, too.
“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” Dorian Robinson
—Mahatma Gandhi
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
5
A Day in the Life of a Raw Foodie By Elizabeth Fraser, Girl Gone Raw
Branching Out
in the Produce Department How adventurous are you with your produce? Do you tend to stick to buying the same fruits and veggies week-in and weekout? We all get into food ruts sometimes, and I am here to help you out of that cycle. My request is that you try five new local vegetables this month—and eat them! That’s right, don’t let your new veggies rot in your fridge, instead make a dish inspired by them. Have you ever tried beet greens, chard, collards, arugula, tatsoi, bok choy, black radishes, fennel, turnips, kim chi, rainbow carrots, pea shoots, micro greens or sunflower sprouts? These are just a few ideas to wet your palette. Well, what are you waiting for? Trying new foods inspires us in ways we can’t predict, and it’s so fun to feel creative in the kitchen. Not sure where to start? It’s as simple as chopping up or shredding a new veggie or two and tossing them into a salad or sauté mix that you are already comfortable with. They say that variety is the spice of life and I couldn’t agree more, especially when it comes to food. It’s important for all of us to vary our produce and make sure our plates are colorful. When we eat a rainbow of food, we are sure to get the perfect mix of nutrients that Mother Nature has to offer, as each color in a food offers a different set of vitamins and minerals.
Volunteers helping out with the MHNO Rid Litter Day on May 19, pause to chat while cleaning up a roadside along the Eastern Prom.
June 2012
The bounty of fresh produce that we have available to us here in Maine is amazing, so hit your markets and try five new things! Here’s a recipe to inspire you:
Asian Rainbow Slaw —6 servings—
dressing: 1/4 cup raw almond butter 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or orange juice 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons of water 1/2 cup raw almonds, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons grated ginger dash of cayenne salad: 6 radishes 4 carrots 1 broccoli spear & stem 3 scallions 1 red pepper, quartered 1/3-1/2 purple or green cabbage 1/2 bunch of bok choy (include leaves if tender) 1 cup of snow peas, trimmed & cut in half 1. Whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth & creamy (ok to do in food processor). Set aside. 2. Using the shredding disc of your food processor, shred radishes, carrots & broccoli--remove & place in a large mixing bowl. 3. Now with the slicing disc, slice green onions, bok choy, and red pepper down small tube, then cabbage in large feed--remove & add to mixing bowl. 4. Mix in snow peas and dressing. Mix well & serve as is or on a bed of greens. I feel so blessed to live in a community with such talented, dedicated and inspiring farmers. Thank you, farmers, for nourishing us!
SEW WHERE Are they? If you’ve been wondering where Z Fabrics ended up, no worries – they have relocated the shop in the historic Time and Temperature Building; their store-front entrance is on Preble street- you can’t miss the purple sign! (website- zfabric.com)
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June 2012
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
CapitAl City
Statehouse Update | Senator JusTin Alfond
justinalfond.com
Final State Budget Cuts Punch Holes in the Social Safety Net By the time you read this, the final budget of the session will be on the books. And one thing is for certain, the consequences of the Republicans’ irresponsible 2013 budget will be severe—impacting tens of thousands of Maine seniors, children, people with disabilities and working families. Here is a quick recap on how we got here: Since January, Republicans have inaccurately claimed that our financial coffers are in crisis. They have worked hard to pin this “crisis” on the so-called over-generosity of services to working families, like the Home Visitation and HeadStart programs or programs like the Drugs for the Elderly Program that allows seniors to afford their medicine. Apparently, Republicans think that “runaway welfare” is providing prescription relief to seniors with incomes of less than $19,000 per year and giving working families a safe learning environment for their young children while they go to work to try and make a better life for their family. In this Legislative session, even before this most recent budget was passed, more than 14,000 Mainers had already lost all of their basic health care coverage under GOP-leadership. And this budget will remove or greatly reduce benefits for another 24,000 people. While much has been said about “welfare reform” and “structural change,” the Republican budget is not welfare reform, nor is it structural change. To be clear, the wholesale removal of people from health care and then labeling it as some sort of structural change is
simply false. Legislative Republicans have abandoned our promise and duty to take care of our state’s most vulnerable. This budget was a product of unilateral decision making by the Governor and his legislative allies. Together they excluded Democrats and instead worked behind closed doors with private marching orders from Governor LePage. The proposal irresponsibly shifts (shafts) health care costs onto Maine people, and is especially harmful for Portland. The budget includes: • A dependence on potentially illegal federal waivers, which will most likely be denied, gambling $10.7 million of cuts to existing 19 and 20-year-olds covered under MaineCare, the Medicare Savings Program, including Drugs for the Elderly, and the so-called “parents of children” who are currently covered under MaineCare as well. • Deep cuts of $8.1 million from the Fund for a Healthy Maine by: – cutting 50% from an Oral Health program. – eliminating funding for Home Health Visitation, an early prevention program that educates about/prevents child abuse and shaken baby syndrome. – eliminating funding ($401,430) from Family Planning. – cutting 50-80% of funding for Child Care programs like HeadStart. Programs like these are critical to allowing working parents to continue working while providing a safe learning environment for their children. • Substantial funding cuts for Community School Grants by one-third.
• Eliminating several optional Medicaid services including, STD screening clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Center Services, and smoking cessation products. • Deep cuts to facilities that support children with mental and physical disabilities. • Cuts to foster care – Contracts for Residential Services by $1.25 million. The one bright side is that the budget does honor the bipartisan promise for General Assistance that was made under our last budget negotiation of the state’s supplemental budget. You may remember the Governor line-item vetoed those items, but funding for General Assistance has been restored in this budget. Meanwhile the Democrats put together a responsible and reasonable budget that includes adjustments that will not hurt our economy or shift costs onto more Maine people. Our minority budget makes no cuts to current services, doesn’t throw anyone off MaineCare, fully restores funding of General Assistance, requires a comprehensive Provider-Fraud investigation and establishes a non-legislative Task Force (composed of stakeholders and consumers) to make real structural changes to MaineCare that would include cost-containment measures. Finally, Democrats puts $5 million into the Budget Stabilization Fund, also known as the “rainy day fund.” I cannot stress enough how disappointed I am that the Republican-led budget will hurt Maine people and our economy and ignores a necessary, balanced approach. As always, I’d like to hear your thoughts on this and other topics. You can reach me at justin@justinalfond. com.
On Hill
scavengers. The relatively small opening discourages dumping of household waste, as well.
JS: Where are they so far?
By staff of the Friends of the Eastern Promenade If you’ve walked along the top of Cutter Street recently, you may have noticed a new addition to the Prom. A Big Belly solar compactor, complete with GPS technology and email indicators, is becoming one of the city’s savvy new waste management systems. Units can send emails or texts to drivers cutting down tremendously on the time they need to spend checking on overflow of trashcans. Check out the Q&A below with Portland City Waste Manager, Troy Moon, and Friends of the Eastern Promenade’s new Marketing and Development Coordinator, Joanna Smiley for the details on how this all works. JS: Why did the city decide to go with these new kinds of cans? TM: The Big Belly solar compactors have several advantages over traditional trash cans -- they hold more trash than regular trash cans because they compact the waste, they alert us electronically when they get full and they contain the waste so it cannot be strewn around by birds or other
TM: The new Big Belly at the top of Cutter Street is the fifth such unit in the City. There are two on Peaks Island and two in Deering Oaks.
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
to empty the units in Deering Oaks twice per week. I’m guessing that will be the case for the unit on Cutter Street, as well. If we had a full deployment of Big Belly units we would be able to send the truck to empty the ones that needed it instead of having
JS: Can you explain how the process works as far as the email notification you receive and also the solar aspect of the containers? TM: The Big Belly containers send status updates to a special website that our collection staff can look at in the morning. The units are located on a map using GPS technology, so we see a red, yellow or green indicator at each Big Belly location. If the unit is red, it needs immediate attention. If it is green, it is not very full. If it is yellow we need to make plans to empty it shortly. The units can also be set up to send a text message or e-mail when they are starting to get full.
JS: How much time will it save the city by having these? TM: As we get more Big Belly units we will see our collection efforts in Parks improve because we will only need to dispatch the garbage truck to units that need service. Right now we only need
Get Your Thrift On!
JS: What are your long-term goals with this initiative? TM: Our long-term goal is to replace all of the traditional trash cans with Big Belly units. We also want to introduce recycling containers into our parks and open spaces. We provide residents the opportunity to recycle at home, we should be providing the same opportunity when they are enjoying our parks.
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By Lisa Peñalver “Thrifting refers to the act of shopping at a thrift store, flea market, garage sale, or a shop of a charitable organization, usually with the intent of finding interesting items at a cheap price. A larger philosophy permeates the act of thrifting which celebrates the recycling of formerly-owned items, finding new use and new love for vintage material goods which had been thrown out, and the thrill of imagining what the former life of the item was like.” —From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia In these times of economic scarcity, the concept of thrift has attained the status of grand virtue. No longer viewed as shabby, someone wearing a thrift-store find is applauded for having found such a fine deal.
to travel to all of the trash cans in the City to make sure they aren’t overflowing. That would leave the driver time to do other duties like picking up litter.
June 2012
Portland is a gold mine of thrift store values including several stores right on Munjoy Hill. If you Google “portland maine used clothing” you’ll get five pages of listings. Make that “furniture,” and you get four more pages. That’s a lot of territory to cover. But you don’t have to travel far from home to find your treasures. Talk to your friends and ask which thrift stores they prefer, and why. You’ll find it all depends on what you are looking for. We will include addresses and phone numbers for a number of the shops below, but this cannot possibly be a comprehensive list. Please alert us if we’ve missed a favorite of yours! Share the joy.
I have visited many of these shops myself, but to get a better feel for the topic, I picked the brain of my friend, Antonia Winter of Peaks Island, a selfdescribed thrift-store junkie. I asked, what are your favorite thrift stores in the area? And what is special about them? This is what I learned. Suggestion: before venturing into the land of the gentlyused, it’s good to have specific items/goals in mind—take a list! Because it’s too easy to get distracted in these places, and you’ll end up with a lot of things you don’t really need. Starting closest to home, we have two useful used furniture shops right on Congress Street by Otto Pizza: Tiny Tim’s Moving, and Cobwebs. Tiny Tim’s carries more contemporary pieces, and in Cobwebs, you will find more vintage and cottage pieces. Small shops with big savings. See page 8, Thrifting
With Development Coming, India Street Asks for Planning By Markos Miller In early May, Mayor Michael Brennan attended the general meeting of the India Street Neighborhood Association (INSA). The neighborhood has long been overlooked by the city, but recent development proposals are highlighting the need for a comprehensive vision for a neighborhood influx. While it was not clear that the mayor or city staff will be able to deliver this in the short term, the ongoing efforts of the neighborhood organization have drawn the city’s attention. The India Street neighborhood is currently facing three large scale development projects: a four to five story commercial development over the parking lot across from Miccucci’s at the site of the former Jordan’s plant, an eighty plus unit residential rental devel-
opment at the site of the old Village Cafe restaurant at Newbury and Hancock Streets, and Donald Sussman’s redevelopment of a block of dilapidated housing between Hampshire St. and Franklin St. below Federal Street. Together these projects will have a sudden and lasting impact on a neighborhood blessed by an attractive central corridor but lacking in clear identity or direction. Neighbors came together in 2010 to address the poor condition of the numerous undeveloped or unattended properties that plagued the neighborhood. Grand schemes of high end condos fantasized during the last development frenzy collapsed, leaving chain-linked fence and rubble. The neighborhood had long been viewed as on the edge of other, ‘more important’ parts
of the city, and as a result has been left out of any formal planning process.
hood in a way that is constructive, not reactive. Developer Kevin Bunker, who is working on the Sussman project, suggested that the association should create their own planning process if the city was not able to do so. The city has seen other grassroots planning processes provide needed direction in the past, such as the MHNO forum on Adam’s school in 2007 and the Franklin Reclamation Authority workshop that laid the groundwork for the Franklin Street redesign study.
Mayor Brennan, accompanied by city staff, heard neighbors call for a neighborhood planning process to create a guiding vision that would provide the context in which future changes to the neighborhood could be considered. While residents appear to be welcoming of development, there is considerable concern about scale of buildings and excessive building heights, as well as finding a balance between bringing more people into the It’s unlikely that the ISNA will From neighborhood and avoiding full www.veryfreesudoku.com be able to do so before some of scale gentrification.
Challenging Sudoku Puzzles - Book 7
Like any good neighborhood or-
Sudoku 3 ganization, the Puzzle group is looking
ahead and trying to capture their hopes and concerns about what might happen to their neighbor-
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these projects are realized. However, it’s clear that a comprehensive framework is needed; development will continue to come to this neighborhood. The India Street corridor is a strategic location for the city, a gateway top the Old Port for cruise ship passengers, a key link for Munjoy Hill residents, and a crucial thread in the effort to re-knit the east end of the peninsula together. Hopefully, the city is able to give this small, but valuable neighborhood the attention it deserves. The neighborhood, and the city as a whole, will benefit from doing so.
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June 2012
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
East End Business Focus Maine Mead Works
By Kate Campbell Strauss
On Friday afternoon, I visited Maine Mead Works for a tour and tasting. We started out with the tasting. Meadmaker Nick Higgins set out eight sleek chilled bottles of Maine Mead Works HoneyMaker and began pouring. As I tasted each variety—Dry, Blueberry, Dry Hopped, Semi Sweet, Lavender, Spiced, Coffee Maple, and Elderberry— Higgins described the differences in ingredients and processes for producing the mead.
mead waiting to be labeled and boxed, completely by hand. I watched as two staff members skillfully and swiftly labeled each bottle. Higgins concluded the tour inside of a giant refrigerator, where I tasted draft tea mead, crafted using Higgins’s grandmother’s tea recipe.
Maine Mead Works produces a wine style of mead that is lighter and drier than what most people associate with the fermented honey beverage. Of the mead I tasted, I would describe only two of them as “sweet.” Higgins creates most of their mead using a ratio of honey to water that, once fermented, has been exhausted of sugar. After the tasting, Higgins led me through the mead production areas. He explained the role of each tank and device that we passed. Pointing to stacks upon stacks of buckets containing wildflower honey from Swan’s Farm in Albion, Higgins told me it was enough for only two weeks of meadmaking. In the backroom, he pointed to the tanks where the mead, post-fermentation, sits in oak chips, local fruit, or hops, (depending on the variety), before the staff bottles it. Across the room were two long rows of tables covered in thousands of bottles of
I asked Maine Mead Works owner Ben Alexander what inspired him to produce mead. In 2007, he was introduced to a hobby meadmaker and began to learn about the craft. Ben was inspired by its rich cultural history and intrigued by its obscurity. Recognizing the potential for
success of a wine style of mead in Portland using local ingredients, he decided to pursue opening Maine Mead Works. After doing some research, Alexander contacted South African biotechnologist and meadmaker Dr. Garth Cambray, who developed a modern adaptation of the ancient practice of back-porch clay pot meadmaking. Cambray and Alexander partnered to create the continuous fermentation system used to produce mead at Maine Mead Works. Both Alexander and Higgins voiced their affection for the East End. They were very excited when the building where Maine Mead Works is currently located became available because it meant that they could stay close to their first customers, who bought HoneyMaker at Rosemont Market on Munjoy Hill. Alexander enjoyed watching the East End’s transformation into an up and coming
ThriftiNG from Page 7 We have a brand new women’s consignment shop at the corner of Congress and Franklin Street —“Plum,” which opened on May 22. This store carries upscale and quality brand name clothing. Hours are M-F 10:30-5 pm Sat, 10-5 & Sun 12-5. Call 775-7586 (PLUM) for info or if you have clothing to sell. I’m looking forward to taking a look! Moving on downtown, you really must stop at Material Objects (500 Congress Street, #1)—for both men & women. It carries super-funky clothes & classic vintage wear, great boots & shoes; unusual and colorful patterns, and fun eveningwear (seasonal). It is worth visiting on a regular basis. Continue along Congress to Anna’s Used Furniture (612 Congress). The small storefront is misleading. My sister once saw a sign out front that said, “Get in Here!” And so she did, only to discover a lamp that she absolutely HAD to buy. And a dresser. Surprise yourself. There is a Catholic Charities Thrift Store out on St. John Street, in the space formerly occupied by Goodwill. A stop at this store can be combined with food shopping at the Save-A-Lot store in the same plaza. The foods stocked there will vary, but the cost savings is significant. The new Goodwill store out by the Maine Mall is one of the biggest thrift stores in the area. It has a large selection of clothes and housewares. This is a great place to get whatever you need. Further afield, one of my personal favorites is the Goodwill in South Port-
area a few years ago and is committed to staying here. “I’m really fortunate to have had the opportunity to stay in the East End.” Tasting room hours are Monday—Saturday, 11 am to 6 pm and Sunday 12 pm-4 pm. Tours are available Monday—Saturday at 11:30am and 3pm. Find Maine Mead Works on Facebook or email them at jointhehive@mainemeadworks.com. Maine Mead Works is located at 51 Washington Avenue, 207-773-6323.
land (over the red bridge in the Mill Creek Plaza). It has a great selection of housewares—blankets, rugs, sheets, and unexpected finds in upscale clothing and shoes. And the Shoppers True Value Hardware store, just a few doors down carries some unusual and very useful housewares at amazingly low prices. Go figure. The Falmouth Goodwill is good for upscale business clothing as well—like Brooks Brothers and Talbots, for both men and women—My friend refers to this store as “a gold mine.” Also in Falmouth, Forget-Me-Nots (190 US Route 1) is a women’s consignment shop. It has a great sale rack in the back, and my friend Antonia has found good deals on winter wear —Patagonia and North Face jackets, and very nice highend shoes. Second Time Around (women’s clothing): great pre-teen deals; quality jackets, funky capris, and winter clothes, all at great prices. Zeus’s Closet, located at 352 Warren Ave (207-878-3005). and 201 Route 1, Scarborough (207-883-6532.), and in the Staples Plaza, 240 US Rt. 1 in Falmouth (207-781-8600), was voted Portland’s Best Thrift Shop in 2010. My friend tells me that they have unusual clothing and great jewelry. Nice staff, too. The Cherished Possessions consignment shop in South Portland is great for amazing prices on couches and other home furnishings, some used, many antique, some new. They carry as nauticalthemed artwork by local artists as well. See page 9, Thrifting
On Hill
The Eastern Cemetery Gets A Shiny New Master Plan By Jeanne Bull, Hill resident and long-time volunteer for the Maine Historical Society Docent program After 300 years, our Eastern Cemetery is finally getting some respect. This year, a Master Plan for this historic site will become one of Portland’s official documents. “The time has come for this early Portland cemetery to finally get a plan that will preserve it for generations.” This comprehensive plan, prepared by the highly renowned Chicora Foundation, should be read by anyone interested in Portland history. Last I checked, it can only be found on the City’s website, under the Planning Division heading, master plans. Tricky to find but well worth the effort. It’s a great read, and a chance to view this jewel through other’s knowledgeable eyes: “Cemeteries are important social, historic, architectural and archaeological artifacts. When there is little else remaining of a community’s earliest history, a cemetery provides a unique tie to the community’s collective past that would otherwise be lost.” This is certainly the case in Portland, where our earliest history centered around the base of Munjoy Hill. For too long the area has been a victim of benign neglect. Over the years, the City
and individuals have performed various levels of maintenance, but there has never been an established plan to guide such work.
plained that the Master Plan is really only the beginning of the concentrated effort to retrieve our oldest burying ground from annihilation.
I found it interesting that, in contrast to this recent development, the master plans for Evergreen and Western cemeteries have been on the books for years.
“We just couldn’t let this site become like the cemetery at Willard beach.”
Preservation is also good for business, and the plan makes the point that the Eastern Cemetery and the nearby Abyssinian Church, (as well as the Jewish history museum) can make significant contributions to the economic wellbeing of the area, as important destination sites for heritage tourism. We have the Spirits Alive Organization (spiritsalive.org) to thank for spearheading the preservation and Master Plan effort. Without their work, this simply would not have happened. I met with Barbara Hager of Spirits Alive recently, who ex-
“What cemetery at Beach?” I had to ask.
Willard
“That’s the point—all that’s left there are a bunch of stone nubs.” If you haven’t been in the Eastern Cemetery, you can take a walk through, it will be open daily (with a ranger!) from Memorial Day thru Columbus Day. Tours will be available weekends in the summer (check spritsali ve.org website). Volunteer opportunities abound —they are especially looking for people interested in doing research. If you live in the area and see people drinking in there — call the police (874-8575). Get involved. See what a treasure we have in our own backyard!
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
June 2012
ThriftiNG from Page 8 Much further out, the Kittery Crate & Barrel has unbelievable deals in their outlet store. My shopper found a couch for $45 (missing a leg, but easy to fix) and brightly colored Marimekko fabric for $2.99/yd, when it usually goes for $35/yd. Regardless of where you go, it pays to stop in periodically, because new items are constantly arriving. Summer is a great time to get out and shop the bargains, so go get your thrift on! Partial listing of local thrift stores: Anna’s Used Furniture, 612 Congress Street, Portland ME 04101, 207-775-7223 Bizaaro, 72 India St., Portland, ME 04101 207-774-4628 Cherished Possessions, 185 Cottage Road,, South Portland, Maine, 207-799-3990 Cobwebs (Used furniture), 235 Congress St, Portland,, ME 04101, 207-541-4949 Good Cause Thrift Shop Inc, 16 Forest Ave, Portland, ME 04101, 207-772-4903 Catholic Charities Thrift Store, 244 Saint John St, Portland, ME 04106, 207- 781-8555, portlandthrift@ccmaine.org Goodwill Thrift Shop/Forest, 1104 Forest Ave, Portland, ME 04106, 207- 878-1763 Goodwill Thrift Shop/SOPO Mill Creek Plaza, South Portland, ME 04106, 207-741-2056
Goodwill Thrift Shop/Mall, 555 Maine Mall Road, South Portland, ME 04106, 207-553-2223 Goodwill Thrift Shop/ Falmouth, U.S. Route One, Falmouth Shopping Center, Falmouth, ME 04105, 207- 347-825 Lots For Tots, 240 US Route 1 # D6, Falmouth, ME 207- 347-8601 Material Objects, 500 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101, 207- 7741241 Portland Flea-for-All, 125 Kennebec Street, Portland, ME, 207- 370-7570 ReStore / Habitat For, Humanity of Greater Portland, 83A Bell St., Portland, ME 04103, 207-221-0047 Salvation Army Family Store, 30 Warren Ave., PORTLAND, ME, Salvation Army Family Store, 49 Alder St., PORTLAND, ME Second Time Around, 28 Exchange St, Portland, ME, 207761-7037 Tiny Tim’s Moving & Trucking (Used furniture & moving services), 239 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101, 207- 828-6575 Zeus’s Closet, 352 Warren Ave (207-878-3005, also in Scarborough, and in the Staples Plaza, 240 US Rt. 1 in Falmouth
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June 2012
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Living With Peace Fourteen Principles to Live by in Post-Conflict Africa
Living With Peace is a dynamic local grassroots community support organization investing in the future of our immigrants by providing information, resources, and training to newcomers to the community and culture.
By Christina Feller, President of Living With Peace Cushman Anthony was the featured speaker at the 18th Annual Commemoration of the Rwandese Genocide held at the Gerald E. Talbot Lecture Hall at the Portland Campus of USM on Saturday, April 7th. Cush, as he is familiarly known, spent four weeks in Burundi and Rwanda teaching models of reconciliation and mediation techniques three years ago. He lives in Falmouth and is a retired attorney and mediator. He presented these Fourteen Principles of Life in Post-Conflict Societies: 1. Repression and the silencing of dissent breeds resentment. Resentment in turn breeds Rebellion; 2. Pay attention to the official propaganda and messaging. That way you can stop problems as they arise, rather than later; 3. Honor the principle of Responsibility to Protect as set forth by the U.N. Intervene when necessary, but try to do so without using military force
whenever possible; 4. Question authority, and breed a Culture of Questioning rather than a Culture of Obedience; 5. Honor and follow your internal moral compass—take a stand when needed; 6. Celebrate the heroes who say no, celebrate them publicly and often, in order to build a moral society; 7. Don’t be smug. Do not think you know what you would do. And remember, we Americans engaged in genocide also, towards the Native Americans; 8. Believe eye witness accounts, whether one person or great numbers who record and report events; 9. Keep your promises. If you say you will protect a class of people, then do it; 10. It’s never too late to do the right thing. Bill Clinton learned the hard way; he and Anthony Lake, National Security Advisor, should have in-
tervened and they didn’t. Clinton is trying to make up for it now; 11. It is people that matter, and not “American Interests” as the political leaders in our country thought at the time; 12. Teach conflict resolution and mediation throughout the educational experience; create peacemaking schools; 13. Fight the ongoing terrorism in central Africa as well as the fear that has been generated in people there by terrorists; and, 14. Live life fully, for we do not know when it will end. For more information about these principles of life in post-conflict societies, please email Cush Anthony at cush@ maine.rr.com. SeE page 16 for information about additional immigrant support groups
Second Gathering of WIN, the Welcoming Immigrants Network If you attended the meeting on April 24 of people who have been helping the asylum-seeking refugees from central and east Africa, or from other areas who have been arriving in our city, or if you missed the prior meeting but want to join the effort to coordinate our work helping these new residents, then come to this second meeting of like-minded people to consider how we might all do better in undertaking this work. We have adopted the name, Welcoming Immigrants Network, or WIN. When: Tuesday, June 12, 5:00 until 6:30
p.m. Where: Allen Avenue Unitarian-Univer-
salist Church, 524 Allen Avenue, Portland Just off Washington Avenue, near Northgate. Who will be there: Members of churches, mosques and synagogues in greater Portland, as well as people not affiliated with any religious group, including those working with agencies and other organizations What will happen: Sharing information about efforts since our last meeting: • Has the Facebook page been helpful? Have people used the interest group • sign-ups? Have you reached out to others • about this work? • Are there new developments to share with others? Should we become more formalized • as an organization? How would that function? • For further information, contact Cush Anthony at cush@maine.rr.com, or Diane Coit at dmcoit@maine.rr.com. Solution on page 4
Crossword ACross 1- Baby powder 5- Travel on snow 8- Bard’s river 12- On the main 13- Poke fun at 15- Sound quality 16- Swedish auto 17- Senator Specter 18- Lodge members 19- Capital of Illinois 22- FedEx rival 23- “As if!” 24- Composer Khachaturian 26- Tenant 29- Set in layers 31- Jinx 32- “The ____ has landed.” 34- Entrances 36- Soft shoes 38- Averages 40- Mouse catcher
41- Pungent bulb 43- Pub perch 45- Give ___ rest 46- Finally! 48- Vulgarity 50- Architect Saarinen 51- Heston’s org. 52- Male sheep who may play football for St Louis! 54- Thoughtful 61- French summers 63- Rips 64- Some DVD players 65- Sea birds 66- Lout 67- Put a lid ___! 68- Sets of equipment 69- Pampering, briefly 70- Bring into complete union;
Down
1- Soviet news agency 2- PDQ 3- Goneril’s father 4- Ship apartments 5- Slave 6- Wife of Shiva 7- Got it 8- Bolted down 9- Involving measurement by volume 10- Peeling potatoes, perhaps 11- Capone’s nemesis 13- Two wrestlers on the same side 14- China’s Zhou ___ 20- It runs in the cold 21- Remnant 25- I smell ___! 26- Hotelier Helmsley 27- Commotion 28- Excrete from the body
29- Male voice 30- “Til ___ do us part” 31- Med. care option 33- Back muscle, briefly 35- Hot tub 37- Boot bottom 39- Dirty rat 42- Bust maker 44- Entice 47- Like a smokestack 49- Of little width 52- Stink 53- Longfellow’s bell town 55- Tidy, without fault 56- Satirist Mort 57- Camaro model 58- Skin disorder 59- Follow 60- Cornerstone abbr. 62- Draft org.; BestCrosswords.com
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
June 2012
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Spotlight on Non-Profits is a regular feature. To feature your favorite non-profit, please contact Lisa Peñalver at observer@munjoyhill.org.
Up until this time, people with serious mental illness were often sent away to an institution like AMHI, the Augusta Mental Health Institute, or BMHI, Bangor Mental Health Institute (built in 1840). They were separated from their families and communities and not expected to return. By Lisa Peñalver No doubt about it, mental illness is one thorny subject. It continues to challenge sufferers and care-givers alike in how it can be faced and treated. Confronted with a cancer or a broken leg, people respond without blinking. But the huge stigma attached to having a psychological problem makes even thinking about getting help a major hurdle. Carol Carothers, executive director of the Maine branch of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, observes, “People feel very alone. When a husband is hospitalized for bipolar disorder, the neighbors do not come by with casseroles.” “Every community has someone who visibly suffers from mental illness,” says Carol Carothers. Mental illness impacts the lives of at least one in four adults and one in 10 children-or 60 million Americans (source: nimh.nih.gov/statistics/ SMI_AASR.shtml). Now that she mentions it, I realize it’s been true of every community in which I have lived. We learn to ignore them. They are on the streets talking to themselves or whistling loudly but tunelessly, and we avert our eyes and walk on by. But help for mental illness DOES exist. A great place to start is with the NAMI Maine helpline: 1-800-464-5767. They offer free and confidential information and support services for mental/emotional health issues and substance abuse. The Maine branch of NAMI has been around since 1984. It was founded by the families of people suffering from mental illness, a grassroots, “kitchen-table organization.” NAMI Maine was started because, according to Carol Carothers, “people wanted more for their loved ones than exclusion and seclusion.”
At first, the NAMI used a fellowship model, like that of Alcoholics Anonymous, in which people get together to talk and share ideas in a safe and supportive environment. NAMI family members would travel up to Augusta to speak with legislators and ask for funding for programs to help those suffering from mental illness and for improvements in the mental health system and its response to people and families living with mental illness. Carol went on to explain that NAMI MAINE exists “so people do not have to struggle with these illnesses all alone.” Today, 25 years after it began, NAMI Maine is very active in providing a range of help for people with mental illness and their families and friends. Carol Carothers summarizes NAMI’s work as including “support, education, and advocacy.” NAMI can provide a safe and important first step toward finding treatment and healing, by identifying sources of help. The organization has great contacts with hospitals, the service community and with law enforcement, but they are “not tied into the system,” and they are very respectful of the need for confidentiality. NAMI Maine does a lot of education, helping families understand how to live with a person who is ill; how to find resources and understand how different medications work; how to navigate through the system to get the help they need. NAMI Maine offers free 12-week classes, the Family-to-Family class (current schedule is posted online at namimaine.org) statewide and sometimes twice a year just in Portland. The NAMI MAINE has been working closely with law
enforcement to train police officers in C.I.T.—Crisis Intervention Team, raising awareness and training officers to recognize and understand various forms of mental illness, so that they can respond appropriately to a psychiatric crisis. The goal is to “de-escalate” or calm the situation. CIT is a nationally recognized method of reducing arrest and incarceration of people with mental illness. The Portland Police Department was the co-founder, along with NAMI, of CIT in Maine and is now a National Justice Department Training site for police departments across the nation that want to improve their response to psychiatric crises in their communities. If you ever need a police officer to provide help to you and it involves mental illness - please ask them to send a CIT officer. Learn more about NAMI Maine online at namimaine. org. Or call the wonderful NAMI Help Line: 1-800-4645767 to get pointed in the right direction, or just to talk.
June 2012
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
21st Century Maine: Warmer, Wetter, Wilder a discussion of global climate change and its impact Tues June 5, 4 – 6 pm USM Abromson Center, Room 214/215, 2nd Floor Clean Air-Cool Planet has partnered with the Norwegian Embassy to bring a roundtable discussion on the effects of climate change to Portland. This event is a wonderful opportunity to hear perspectives from internationally-recognized experts on how climate change will affect Maine and how our communities may begin planning to mitigate damage Moderator: His Excellency Wegger Chr. Strommen, Ambassador of Norway to the United States • Audun Rosland, Director of the Climate Department, Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency. “• G eorge L. Jacobson, Professor Emeritus of Biology, Ecology, and Climate Change, Univ. of Maine and Maine State Climatologist. • Brooks Yeager, Executive Vice President for Policy, Clean Air-Cool Planet There is no fee for this event, but space is limited so registration is required. Please go to www.e2tech. org/events or email director@ e2tech.org
St. Lawrence Arts Center Your neighborhood arts center is at 76 Congress Street, stlawrencearts. org, 347-7177
Mayo Street Arts, Performances & Classes 10 Mayo Street, mayostreetarts. org —Times vary. Classes: Tango, Belly Dancing, Kids Yoga, Juggling, Zumba and Pilates. Artist Studios, theater, poetry,
music and more. Contact 615-3609, or info@mayostreetarts.org
Port Veritas Spoken Word Night Poetry Readings, Every Tuesday 7-10 pm, @ Local Sprouts, 649 Congress St., Portland, All Ages,Gil Helmick, 400.7543,
2012 Relay For Life of Greater Portland SAT, June 16, 4 pm, South Portland High School, www.cancer.org. No matter who you are, there’s a place for you at Relay. Each dollar you raise will help save lives. How far will you go to make a difference in the fight against cancer?. Susan Towle and Michelle Horton, 2012 Event Chairs, at greaterportlandrelay@gmail.comFMI: t cancer.org/ volunteer.
Corner of Congress And Locust Streets—Established 1763
H eadz u p tH r i fte rs — let tH e fu n b eg i n !
Hidden Gardens Tour Sunday June 24; see ad on page 13
SEA Open Studios Tour and Art Sale Sunday June 24; see ad on page 15
The Portland Performing Arts Festival
SAT, June 16, • The Parade begins at Monument Square in Portland at 12:30pm, • The Parade route ends at Deering Oaks Park, • The Festival in the park is from 1pm-5pm,, southernmainepride.Org
June 28 – July 1, is a new summer festival presenting nationally-renowned performances in music, dance and theater. Come out for a range of performances presented at venues all over Portland’s Arts District. The website features a link to “Festival Fringe:” Individually presented events ranging from spoken word and film to vaudeville and theater. www.portlandfestival.org
with The Portland YMCA and Southern Maine Agency on Aging. on Fridays, from June 22 to August 3, 1:30-4pm. “This workshop put me back in charge of my health and I feel great. I only wish I had done this sooner.” A six-week Living Well for Better Health workshop for people with ongoing health conditions. Learn practical ways to feel better, at the Portland YMCA To register (required) or to receive more information, call 207-874-1111.
ANGLICAN
Wars and rumors of wars, occupations… dwelling on the just peace there ought to be and that ways be found to address critical issues without the violence of military force, Every third tuesday of the month, Starting Tues, June 19. A quiet time for meditation or prayer, a nonsectarian vigil which takes place without spoken word, noon to 1 pm, in the garden at State Street Church, 159 State Street, Portland. Of peace. 774-6396
Southern Maine Pride Parade and Festival
Take Charge, Feel Better !
SAINT PAUL’S CHURCH
A Time For Peace
Maine Senior FarmShare Do you know a low-income senior (relative, friend or neighbor) who couple benefit from $50 of FRESH, UNPROCESSED, LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE? To participate it is your responsibility to directly contact a local farmer to sign up. You can contact your local area agency on aging by calling the ELDERS-1 toll free number at 1-877-3533771 for a list of participating FarmShare Farmers,or call: 1-877-353-3771
http:/www.stlawrencearts.com
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Congress & Locust Streets • 828 2012 • Munjoy Hill
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• Fresh Prepared MEALS TO GO • Daily LUNCH Specials
• Fresh Crisp SALADS and WRAPS • Fresh LOCAL Foods, EAT & RUN
Open 7 Days a Week SUN & MON — BUY 1/GET 1 FREE PIZZA DEAL FRI SPECIAL —FISH & CHIPS
135 Congress St • 774-2279 Try our homemade
Italian Sausage
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Hilltop Community Fellowship Serving You may have seen him walking downtown or around the Preble Street area and thought he was, perhaps, homeless or a street person, as he walked with his backpack and a baseball cap on, but it was actually Dan White, the pastor of Hilltop Community Fellowship.
However, they are in need themselves. They are looking for someone with musical abilities to lead their evening service, so if you or someone you know would like to help out you can contact Pastor Dan White at 207-251-6967. If you have any questions, or know of a need, you may likewise call. Stay tuned for more to come from the Hilltop Community Fellowship, and say hello to Dan as he passes through the streets.FMI, contact, Hilltop Community Fellowship, 251-6967, Pastor Dan White.
portlandlibrary.com Our Summer Reading Programs are starting! Adult Summer Reading begins June 1st and Children & Teens begin June 11th! Read books this summer and win prizes! Check out the website for all the details. Above, Pastor Dan White, courtesy photo
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Kathleen Carr Bailey
Certified Maine Master Gardener
Finishing Touches GARDEN
DESIGN • INSTALLATION • COACHING
c 329-3364 finishingtouchesgardendesign.com
Sunday, June 24
10:00 am – 4:00 pm rain or shine Self-guided tour begins at 92 Congress St., Portland
l
y!
The Hilltop Community Fellowship is a group which seeks to aid and serve the needs of those who live on or around Munjoy Hill. They presently meet at 6:30 on Sunday evenings, and they are holding community dinners one Sunday evening per month. All are invited.
13
Portland Public Library
By Sebastien Bukuru of The International Christian Fellowship.
Dan White came to the Portland area just over three years ago. He began serving and aiding the people of the street with food, clothing, and first aid, as well as listening to those who just wanted to talk. He offers rides to those who need a ride, and offers ministering to the spiritual needs of the homeless. For those who have obtained housing, he has helped locate household items and furniture and helped them move in. Now, he has joined the Hilltop Community Fellowship, located at 35 Lafayette Street in the International Christian Fellowship church building.
June 2012
h 773-2700
kcbailey@maine.rr.com
Tickets: $20 ($15 advance) Available online at: hiddengardensofmunjoyhill.org Purchase advance tickets at: Allen, Sterling & Lothrop; all Skillins Greenhouses; Broadway Gardens; all Estabrook’s; O’Donal’s Nurseries; all Coffee by Design locations; Rosemont Market Congress St. & Brighton Ave. Orchid Sponsor
Benefit for
SEA
Society for East End Arts Open Studios Tour also taking place
Restaurant Open at 9 am on Saturdays and Sundays Serving breakfast all day!!
40 Washington Avenue ~ 772-0360
www.sillys.com eatatsillys@yahoo.com
Serving Lunch & Dinner Tuesday through Sunday
NEW—Check it out: Right next door!
MHNO is a proud member of Portland BuyLocal
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June 2012
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Complimentary tours and tastings offered daily! 51 Washington avenue | 773 - 6 323
W W W. m a i n e m e a dWo r ks .co m
Now located right on Munjoy Hill!
Falmouth Flowers and Gifts 58 Washington Ave. | Portland Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough. ~ A. E. Houseman, Shropshire Lad
Falmouth Flowers and Gifts is a fullservice florist offering first quality, fresh cut flowers and arrangements. We will exceed your expectations for all occasions. We can create one-of-a-kind arrangements for newborns, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, funerals, and special events of all kinds. We also create unique holiday decorations and wreaths as well as theme-specific gift baskets. For this cheerful spring season, we have: • beautiful spring & Easter arrangements; • fresh wreaths and candle rings; • fruit and gourmet baskets; • live seasonal plants; • gift certificates in all denominations and a lovely selection of gifts from which to choose. • In-home decorating available.
*Easter is on April 8th ~ Be sure to order early!
We are located at the corner of Washington Ave. and Oxford Ave. (on the Silly’s side of the street.) Making floral deliveries throughout the greater Portland and Falmouth area. Like us on Facebook
Local Delivery Available | Wire-Out Service | Satisfaction Guaranteed
207-781-5533
Haley’s Dog Walking, LLC Dog First-Aid Certified Insured • Portland, Maine
207-408-2889
haleysdogwalking@hotmail.com
CHESTER & V ESTAL, P.A. ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Over 30 years of service to Munjoy Hill
“Serving Greater Portland Since 1980”
REAL ESTATE • SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY Congratulations to all of tonights JUVENILE DEFENSE • PROBATE, WILLS AND ESTATES Award Winners! 104 Washington Avenue • Portland, ME 04101 • 207.773.8198 • 107 CONGRESS STREET
PORTLAND, MAINE 04101
www.dalerandprinting.com (207) 772-7426 | www.chesterandvestal.com 104 Washington Avenue • Portland, Maine 04101 • (207) 773-8198 mikerand@maine.rr.com
observer ad.indd 1
9/18/2009 8:37:35 AM
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Real Estate Radio —Now on the Air! Local realtor Tom Landry began hosting his own radio show this spring on WLOB Radio, 1310AM - “HOME with Tom Landry.” The real estate-focused shows began airing in early April, and can be heard from 1 to 2 pm each Saturday.
The Friends of Portland Public Library are back with an even larger selection of books, records, CDs and DVDs. The book sale will offer tens of thousands of books and related items and will take place in the Catherine McAuley High School Gymnasium located at 631 Stevens Avenue.
Promised By The Friends Of Portland Public Library June 14 – June 17, 2012
Portland’s Largest Book Sale Ever
Every week, Tom and other experts in the business, will discuss all things related to your home. From building to restoration, buying and selling, interior design, landscaping and everything in between—Tom will cover it all! You can submit topics for future discussion, or suggest home experts you think Tom should have on the show by emailing Tom at landryteam@benchmarkmaine.com. FMI: www.homewithtomlandry. com, www.wlobradio.com.
June 2012
15
Portland Pottery & Metalsmithing Studio 118 Washington Ave • Portland, ME
Summer Camp
BFFs • Creative Independence • Focus on Clay Girly Metals • Manly Metals • Glass Fusing Animal Sculpture • Fashion Forward • Potter’s Life Raku Clay for Kids• Metalsmithing & More! Weekly Camp Sessions: June 25th through August 24th Tuition $250 per week • Ages 6-14
Six-week Teen Sessions
Tues: Metalsmithing • Wed: Clay • Thur: Glass Creations
Classes meet once per week, 6-9pm; includes open studio time See our website for details and registration forms.
Adult Clay and Jewelry Classes
8-Week Sessions begin June 20th Classes include instruction, materials, open studio time and discounted workshops. $190 Call today to sign up, space is limited
207-772-4334 • www.portlandpottery.com find us on facebook.com/portland.pottery
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June 2012
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Groups Form to Help Immigrants By Christina Feller, President of Living With Peace Hidden Gardens Tour of Munjoy Hill: June 24 New See more from Living with Peace on page 10 Portland is experiencing a small boom in organizations being created to improve immigrant peace of mind, raise their standard of living, promote a higher quality of life, help prepare them for a stronger future and to support the needs of special populations.
1. Living With Peace Youth Engaged for Success! (YES) has been formed to assist a model group of approximately 12 teens from South Portland, Westbrook, and Portland in career planning and self-development activities. We are linking these teens with professionals in the particular fields sought, so the youths can get hands-on experience. We are also helping them choose colleges and prepare their applications.
Above, the garden of the Etz Chaim Synagog and Jewish History Museum is part of the upcoming tour of Hidden Gardens of Munjoy Hill
2. Work It UP—Living With Peace Partnership for African Immigrant Professional Development. This partnership brings together the best attributes of two tax-exempt nonprofits—one that trains underemployed or unemployed professionals
in the principles and techniques of Project Management and one that supports the integration of immigrants into the professional job market. For more information, please contact Bill Taylor, President of Work It UP! at btaylor@workitup.org or Christina Feller, President of Living With Peace, at cfeller@ maine.rr.com.
3. HAARAN’s Maine Disability Connection has been formed in Lewiston-Auburn with a Portland office to support the special needs of disabled or impaired immigrants. Already, they have held two “Dialogues among the Displaced;” “Stories of Hope and Change” events have taken place, and ten more gatherings are scheduled in LA and in Portland. For more information, please contact Abdi Noor Matan, HAARAN President, at matannoor@yahoo.com.
4. WIN: Helping Refugees and Asylum Seekers has been formed over the past two months to both welcome arriving immigrants, especially asylum-seekers, and to help them get settled and on their way to success in their new homeland. For more information, please contact Cush Anthony at cush@maine.rr.com or Diane Coit at dmcoit@maine.rr.com. The next WIN meeting is scheduled for June 12th from 5 – 6:30 pm. See sidebar, page 10 5. The Africa Peace Committee was begun by a group of asylum-seekers from DR Congo, Burundi and Rwanda and representatives of other countries have joined them. They meet every other Thursday from 5 - 7 pm at the Meg Perry Center, 644 Congress Street here in the City. For information about their mission and goals, please contact Jacqui at jacquio50@yahoo.com.
Reid’s Extreme Lemonade — Lemonade Day Maine—
Sunday, June 3, from Noon-3 PM In Front of Fuller Glass Studio • 129 Congress St
Colorful Solutions for Financing a Home Mortgage
The home you’ve dreamed of may be within reach. At Norway Savings, we offer several down payment assistance programs for eligible borrowers.
Karen Perry
Vice President & Branch Manager, Congress Street 207.482.7905
Claire Owens
Business Development Officer, Exchange Street 207.482.7924
Call for a no obligation appointment today – while rates are at historic lows. We’ll help you explore the many financing options available.
Member FDIC
1.888.725.2207 • www.norwaysavingsbank.com