MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
M u n joy Hil l
OBSERVER
Profit Org1 AugustNon 2013 US Postage
PAID
Portland, ME Permit No. 824
FREE • Published by the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization • Vol. 33, No. 7 • August 2013
Take a Munjoy Hill Magical History Tour By Ross Fields
An area rich with history, Munjoy Hill has a wealth of stories to tell to those who know where to look. Even a brief stroll through the neighborhood will take you past historic landmarks. and so, in the interest of sharing our insights and appreciation for this area, I have cobbled together a simple walking tour, which can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. (see map on page 9.) Since its settlement by Europeans in 1634, the city of Portland has burned to the ground four times. It was razed three times before 1800 by hostile forces. The most dramatic fire being the result of the bombardment by a detachment of the British Fleet commanded by Lieutenant Henry Mowatt on 16 October 1775. On the 4th of July, 1866, a firecracker tossed into a barrel of wood shavings set off what was to be the fire that destroyed over seventy-five percent of the city and the beginnings of the strict fire codes and excellent fire department we have today. Self-Guided Walking Tour: Welcome to Munjoy Hill: Distance: One mile Type: Easy Time: One hour Starting Point: the MHNO Hill House at 92 Congress Street, office of Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization at the corner of Congress and Atlantic Street. Starting at Hill House, cross Congress Street and head west towards downtown Portland passing Willa
Wirth’s Silver Designs studio. You will see the Observatory, the tall tapered structure that looks something like a lighthouse. Things have changed a bit in the past 100 years. Chester & Vestal Law Office at Congress and Lafayette was once Rankin’s Drug Store. A small periodicals shopstood where Donatelli’s Tailor Shop and the Liliana Dry Cleaners and Laundromat is today.
Pause in front of the Laundromat and look for the old trolley car tracks in the middle of Congress Street. These tracks serve as a reminder that during the first half of the twentieth century Portland had a trolley system. The Munjoy Loop ran up Congress Street, made a loop around the neighborhood and then headed back down Congress. Most families living on Munjoy Hill did not own vehicles. If they did, they “put them up” during the winter months and relied on the trolley. Today we have the Metro bus system which follows a very similar route. Head towards the Observatory and North Street. During the 1930s and 1940s, you would have passed a Chinese Laundry, Allie Leavitt’s barbershop—two bits (25 cents) for a haircut and 20 cents for a shave—Doc McConnell’s Tailor Shop, Delavina Ice Cream Parlor, Dr. Harold Bickmore’s office and Hilton’s Drug Store, now the Laura Fuller Glass Studio, along this block. Both drug stores had registered pharmacists and the standard soda fountain. The Delavina Ice Cream Parlor made its own ice cream and candy, Portland favorites.
Look for Freedom Trail marker at Congress and North streets (a granite post). The residents of Portland played a significant role in the success of the Underground Railroad. The building that housed the Colucci’s Hilltop Market until a fire closed the business last March was once a store owned and operated by Ben Donnell. It is interesting to note that somewhere close to where you are standing right now, an event took place that would set into motion the desire of one man to have his revenge on the town of Portland (then Falmouth).
In the spring of 1775, while taking a walk after church near the top of Munjoy Hill, Lieutenant Henry Mowatt, of the King’s Navy, suffered the humiliation of being captured by Colonel Samuel Thompson and his militiamen.
Instead of returning, Mowatt upped anchor and headed back to Boston. In Boston, he received orders to return up the coast to punish any town protesting the Crown’s taxes. Skipping the other towns along the way, Lieutenant Mowatt headed straight for Portland, intent on having his revenge.
At the time, Portland was protesting the British Crown’s taxes by not allowing any goods from England to be unloaded. Lieutenant Mowatt had been sent to enforce He arrived on 15 October 1775, respect for the Crown and its mer- gave warning to the town and on chandise. In gentlemanly fashion, 16 October, began bombardment. Lieutenant Mowatt was released with the under- See page 9, Munjoy Hill History tour
MHNO
Community Connections Continuity Sparks fly on Munjoy Hill every year on Independence Day. The celebration on the Eastern Promenade draws visitors from far and wide, and for residents, the fireworks/ concert/picnic in the park have become a favorite neighborhood tradition. Photo above shows the scene at Congress St and Atlantic this past July 4th, 2013.
standing that he would return the following day.
Volunteers for the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization have been staffing weekly Open house hours at the MHNO Hill House, at 92 Congress Street. When you see the doors open, stop in and say hello. For hours or to volunteer, visit munjoyhill.org.
Above, this “Colorful Observatory” was captured by local photographer, Corey Templeton, who has been producing the “Portland Daily Photo” blog (portlanddailyphoto.com) since 2008. The blog features a new creative photo of a local Maine scene each day, including many from our beloved Munjoy Hill. Visitors may take guided tours to climb the stairs to the very top of the tower. Find times and information online at the Grearter Portland Landmarks website: portlandlandmarks.org/observatory, or contact the Manager of Education Programs for more information (207) 774-5561, x 104, or education@portlandlandmarks.org.
Munjoy Hill History Tour. . . . . . . . 1 & 9
Friends of the Eastern Promenade. . 8
From MHNO President & Editor. . . . . 2
Munjoy Hill History Tour map . . . . . . 9
From Vice President Ross Fields. . . . 3
Gardener’s Dirt Nini McNamany. . . 10
Social Security hits 78, AARP. . . . . . . 3
Spotlight on NonProfits: Spirits Alive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Good Neighbor Norman Huynh. . . . 3 MHNO Board profiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 MHNO Bulletin Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Membership Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Capital & City State Senator Justin Alfond. . . . . . . 6 India Street Developments. . . . . . . 6 Growing Together/Parenting. . . . . . . 7
Living with Peace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Crossword Puzzle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Local Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 Munjoy Hill Night Out!. . . . . . . . . . . 15 Comparison Puzzle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Crossword Solution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Franklin Street Online. . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Tues, Aug 6th 1st Annual National
Night Out on Munjoy Hill See page 15 for details
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August 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
At the Helm
The Munjoy Hill Observer is published
MHNO President, Andrea Myhaver
The tasks at hand
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) 272-5962 munjoyhill.org Observer Committee Andrea Myhaver, Tamera Edison, Lisa Peñalver advertising Tamera Edison tamera.edison@munjoyhill.org 939-7998, Lisa Peñalver, Layout & Design 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 2013-14
Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization Andrea Myhaver, President.......................... . ......... andrea.myhaver@munjoyhill.org Ross Fields, Vice President............................ . ...................ross.fields@munjoyhill.org Elaine Mullin, Treasurer............................... elaine.mullin@munjoyhill.org..671-6132 Sam Cohen, Secretary.................................. . .................. sam.cohen@munjoyhill.org Ralph Carmona............................................ 518-9177.........rccarmona@hotmail.com Sarah Graulty.............................................. . ..............sarah.graulty@munjoyhill.org Matthew Kennedy........................................ . ....... matthew.kennedy@munjoyhill.org Eben Albert-Knopp....................................... . ........ ealbertknopp@bernsteinshur.com Caron Murray.............................................. . ............. caron.murray@munjoyhill.org Thomas Kelley............................................. . .............thomas.kelley@munjoyhill.org Joan Sheedy.....joan.sheedy@munjoyhill.org . ............................................. 774-7616
MHNO Mission Incorporated as a nonprofit organization in January 1979, our purpose is to be
a
broad-based,
What should the MHNO’s focus Be for the coming year? Back in 1979, I was 10 years old, living on the Eastern Promenade. I was largely unaware of the challenges and issues—rampant drug trafficking, housing in disrepair, once flourishing businesses no longer viable, a polluted Casco Bay that made swimming at East End Beach an unhealthy proposition—that prompted our founders to establish the MHNO. You see, back then, even amidst those challenges, Munjoy Hill was still an idyllic place to live and grow up. Nevertheless, after the MHNO was formed, many positive changes took place throughout the neighborhood that enhanced the quality of life for everyone who lived here. Over the years, the MHNO has continued to provide leadership and voice for its members and all Munjoy Hill residents, on matters that build community and affect quality of life on Munjoy Hill. I feel privileged to be leading the organization for my third term as President, and helping to carry out that mission. Life is different these days though, and while we still have many challenges in our neighborhood, sometimes the “issues” are not as obvious. So, my question to you is what would YOU like the MHNO to focus on for
the upcoming year? What is important to YOU? The MHNO Board of Directors will spend much of our August meeting brainstorming to develop our priorities, goals, and objectives for the coming year, and I really want to know what matters to our membership. There are certain programs that we will continue without hesitation, as long as we have funding: Clynk; the Elder Care Program (still in its developing stages); Holiday Giving; Camp Sponsorships, and this wonderful newspaper. However, we are eager to take on a new short-term mission, one that galvanizes residents, and brings us together to work on a common cause. This is where YOU come in. In order to pull off events, in order to MAKE change happen, we need people to help with the work. We have no shortage of ideas; it’s the translation of these ideas into reality that we need help with. We are a small Board of very busy working people, so we know that whatever we do: a) it can’t be so time-consuming that it becomes impossible to manage. and...
organize small groups to “adopt a street” to see that trash and debris are cleaned up regularly, that grass is mowed, trees and shrubs are trimmed, and that sidewalks are safe and accessible to pass year-round. Resident’s comments on the MHNO Survey that we circulated this spring told us that street mess and safe walkways are recurring concerns for many on the Hill. I am eager to learn your thoughts about this “adopt a street” idea. Does it sound like a program the MHNO should develop? Would you be willing to participate? Please send me your thoughts and ideas to: andrea.myhaver@munjoyhill.org I look forward to hearing from you!
b) it must involve as many neighborhood residents as we can convince to participate. One idea that we’ve been tossing around is a “street adoption” program, where we would
S e n d Y o u r L e t t e r s a n d H i ll n e w s t o observ er@Munjoy Hill .org
From the Editor, Lisa Peñalver
Under construction … If you’ve been out and about Munjoy Hill this summer, you’ve probably noticed a few changes in the neighborhood. For one, the playground is now open over at the Avesta site/former Adams School up on Munjoy Street, and it’s busier than ever! Down along Franklin Street, just above Middle Street behind Sangillo’s Tavern, an old decrepit building was torn down this spring; if you are just noticing the open space there, it isn’t your imagination. Lots of construction is happening around India Street, with more development expected (see article by Markos Miller on page 6). The shape of things to come up at the St. Lawrence Arts Center is still a matter of speculation (see discussion on page 14). All these changes make me think about the evolution of neighborhoods, and about all the forces that influence the outcome: the City and city councilors, contractors and property owners, businesses and residents, all with different motivations and goals. One of the goals of the MHNO is community cohesiveness. If you Google this phrase, you will learn that this principle has been
recognized in Britain as playing a vital role in creating a safe, welcoming and stable environment. Where there is a lack of community cohesiveness, you see violence, crime and urban decay. In the past 30 years, thanks in large part to the efforts of the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization in communicating with, and unifying, neighbors, the East End has been transformed from an area to be avoided to the most desirable place to live in the city. And the type of structures that go up here will influence this. As this community continues to morph, residents’ participation is as important as ever—in our neighborhood organization, and in observing and contributing thoughts and minds to the developments at hand. (If you have not yet joined the MHNO, why not now? See membership form on page 4.) As important in following future developments, however, is the tone we use with each other when we communicate. Words matter. People are passionate about Munjoy Hill; we know this! Because a careless slur can too easily damage fragile trust among members
of the community, it’s important that we approach “loaded” discussions with respect and an open mind. No doubt about it, debating different visions of the area can get intense. But we can make progress if we are willing to give people second and third chances to be heard. These are our neighbors, after all. Kindness can be a powerful tool. We can think of our community as an extended family, and it will thrive if we can see past our short-term slights to our shared love of this place. When a development results from a community effort, it becomes something we are all happy to live with. Let’s treat this place—and each other—as if we intend to stay.
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.
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!
756-8135 Daytimes: Janine Kaserman with Community Policing 2) 650-9005 cell: 11 am thru the night, Senior Lead Officer Tony Ampezzan (at right) 3) 874-8575/-8574: Dispatch/non-emergency events 1)
4) Emergencies: 9-1-1 Clip and save these numbers!
Anonymous Crimes tips Program: Phone Tip—Dial 874-8584 | Online: tipsubmit.com Text-A-Tip: Text “GOTCHA” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES)
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
August 2013
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Bells, Butts and Cable Ties The Art of Being Courteous By Ross Fields, VP & MHNO Membership Committee Chair I would think that most of us see ourselves as courteous individuals. We stop to let someone cross the street, hold the door for the person with their arms full, put our trash in a trash bin, push our chair back under the table when done (thanks, Grandma Louise) and clean up after our dog (big thanks on that one). The dictionary defines courteous as being, ”Polite, considerate and respectful in manner and action. An act of civility or respect.” It just feels good to be courteous. Having said that, there are three things that I wish to spotlight that merit a bit more courtesy: Bike Bells, Cigarette Butts and Plastic Cable Ties. Bike Bells . . . I walk everywhere in Portland since I own no vehicles. Portland is a beautiful place to walk or ride a bike. However, I feel that many bike riders could be more courteous by purchasing -- and using -- bike bells to signal their approach from behind. Some riders do signal verbally, but near automobile traffic, it’s harder to hear than a bell. Butts – Cigarette Butts . . . they’re everywhere, they’re everywhere! And they are a major issue. Our city even has a new tobacco waste education initiative, The Butt Stops Here, focusing on the effort to curb (slight pun) tobacco waste. Dispose of your butt in a proper waste container, not on the ground. (Confession, I am an ex-smoker of some 29 years now and I did my fair share of “butt flicking”). If you smoke, consider one of those little portable ashtrays that fit into your pocket or purse. When I was in the Navy attending electronics school, we could still smoke in class (it was a long time ago), but we had to have our own ashtray, one like I mentioned above. They worked great. If you own a business and you allow your
employees to go outside for a smoke break, please have proper butt containers available. Encourage your employees to use them, and empty them on a regular basis (remember they’re not incinerators). And have someone regularly sweep up the area for those smokers who just cannot break the habit of “flicking” that butt. Cable Ties . . . Why on earth am I talking about plastic cable ties? I love our park on the Eastern Promenade. I love to see people out having picnics, flying kites, reading, walking their dogs or just taking in the view. Where I have difficulty is in the lack of courteous behavior by those hired to install and remove fencing for the awesome events put on by our city. A few days after the recent July 4 celebration, I was taking my walk and I noticed hundreds of black plastic cable ties in the grass. As the fencing was taken down, the cable ties were just snipped and allowed to fall to the ground. They are not biodegradable. To those in our city government responsible for these wonderful events, please get your act together. If we don’t want cigarette butts on the ground, we definitely don’t want sharp-ended cable ties left on the ground where we walk and our children play. Live up to our new motto: Portland, Maine. Yes, Life’s good here. Let’s fully clean up after every event. (It’s the courteous thing to do). And as always, I encourage you to become a member of Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization.
Tues, Aug 6th • 1st Annual National
Night Out
on Munjoy Hill see p. 15 for details
Social Security marks its 78th year! By Lori Parham, State Director, AARP Maine On August 14th, Americans everywhere can celebrate 78 years of Social Security. When the Social Security Act was signed into law in 1935, almost half of all older Americans lived in poverty. At first, Social Security was just a retirement program. Today, it offers survivors’ benefits, benefits to a retiree’s spouse, and disability benefits. Social Security is a foundation of economic security for millions of Americans and their families. Here in Maine, one third of Mainers 65+ who are on Social Security rely on their benefit for 100% of their income. Without Social Security, over 80,000 older Mainers would fall into poverty. Acknowledging the key role Social Security plays in the lives of many Mainers, AARP is working with the Frances Perkins Center to reach out across the state to hear what Maine residents have to say about this crucial program. Frances Perkins served as Secretary of Labor in the FDR administration. As Secretary of Labor she played a key role writing New Deal legislation, including minimum wage
Good Neighbor of the Month Norman Huynh
By Lisa Peñalver “We found unusual venues. Once, we held a Halloween concert in an old stone church that had been gutted and was being used for a variety of different events. It was so much fun! Parents, kids and young adults showed up in costume; and the spooky interior really added to the experience.” Norman’s face lights up at the thought of it. Meet Norman Huynh (pronounced “When”), Portland’s newest Assistant Conductor and Community & Education Liaison (a newly created position) for the Portland Symphony Orchestra. He’s telling me about his involvement with community concerts, dubbed the “Occasional Symphony.” And no, he isn’t talking about the St. Lawrence. He is referring to a place in Baltimore, Maryland, from which he recently moved to come work in Portland, and to live on Munjoy Hill. Ever meet a symphony conductor? No? Until last week, I hadn’t either. Asked to go speak with the new conductor, I must admit to having felt some See page 6, Norman Huynh
Above, Assistant Conductor of the PSO, Norman Huynh (courtesy photo)
To Celebrate Social Security’s Birthday, Why Not Share Your Story?
laws. However, her most important contribution came in 1934 as chairwoman of the President’s Committee on Economic Security. In this position she was involved in all aspects of the reports and hearings that ultimately resulted in the Social Security Act of 1935.
Stories may also be about a family member or friend. If a story has not come to mind, start asking friends and loved ones. You will find that a story is easy to come across. Chances are, someone you care about has a story to tell. Help their voice be heard.
The Frances Perkins Center in Damariscotta is collecting stories from Mainers whose lives have been affected by Social Security benefits. The “Social Security Stories Project” is an opportunity to join thousands of Americans in showing that you are part of how Social Security has transformed our country, our economy and our people – young and old. You can tell your own story, or you can submit a story on behalf of a loved one or a friend. Here are some helpful guidelines from the Center’s website. Stories may be about how:
Telling your story is simple. The Center is looking for stories of 400 words or less or about three minutes of video. All of the stories told as part of the “Social Security Stories Project” will be posted on the Center’s website and other social networking sites. If you would like to share your own story, you can call (207) 2088955 or go to the Frances Perkins Center’s website at www.socialsecuritystories.org.
• Social Security is helping with retirement even in these tough financial times; • Social Security helped a family after a tragedy; or • Children were left without parents, but not without economic security.
For over 50 years, AARP has been committed to providing Americans age 50+ with quality, straightforward information on issues that affect them and their families. If you would like to know more about the proposals being discussed and how they could affect you or your loved ones’ benefits, please let us know. You can call AARP Maine for more information at 1-866-554-5380 or, as part of AARP’s initiative You’ve Earned a Say,
you can go to www.earnedasay.org for all the latest news and resources. This is a great opportunity for you to make your own voice heard on the future of this important program. Before Roosevelt signed Social Security into law all those years ago, many older Americans literally could not afford to stop working. After 78 years, it is hard to imagine life without Social Security. This benefit, earned over a lifetime of hard work, is making a difference in the lives of millions of families every day. Don’t let Washington decide about the future of this critical program without hearing from you first. Social Security is the one reliable, guaranteed source of income that is there for you in good times and in bad. When one considers the challenging economic climate of the last few years, strengthening Social Security now and for the future has never been more important. In the meantime, happy birthday, Social Security, and here’s to 78 more years!
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BULLETIN Board the munjoy Hill neighborhood Organization
August 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Meet the 2013-2014 Board of the MHNO!
Andrea Myhaver President
Ross Fields Vice President
Elaine Mullin Treasurer
Sam Cohen Secretary
Eben Albert-Knopp
Caron MuRRAY Caron Murray was born and raised in Southern California but she enjoyed visiting Maine (summer vacations on Great Cranberry island) so much that, in 2012, she and her family decided to move to Portland, Maine. They bought a house on Munjoy Hill in December of 2012. “One day, I was on my way to Hilltop Coffee, and I met Ross Fields. He invited me to be an MHNO member and I signed up! I am interested in getting to know my neighbors and in knowing what is going on in our community, and finding out what I can do to participate. I have already learned a lot about community projects, businesses and events. And, I’ve met some great people!” Caron joined the MHNO Board at the June 2013 Annual Meeting, and she is on the committee for The Observer; she will be writing articles for the paper. She brings to the group her experience of working in Southeast Asia, in the city of Jakarta, on the island of Java, where she and her husband were working together on a study for The RAND Corporation. Few know that Caron has managed and performed with her two rock bands, The Little Girls, and CM3P since 1979. She was featured in several videos, and toured extensively within Southern California and the United States. In 2007, Caron established her own ValleyPOP Records label to market and promote her music. A favorite quote: “For most of history, Anonymous was a woman”, Virginia Woolf
Ralph Carmona
Thomas Kelley
Matthew Kennedy
Joan Sheedy
Get to know us! Andrea Myhaver
Sam Cohen
(President, MHNO) Andrea was born and raised on the Eastern Prom of Munjoy Hill. After she graduated from high school, Andrea’s travels and jobs took her across the country. In 2002 she decided to return to Maine and her roots on Munjoy Hill to raise her young son, Reid. She and her son have been residents of North Street ever since. Andrea joined the MHNO board of Directors in 2010, where she quickly jumped in to serve as Secretary.
(Secretary, MHNO) Sam became a Board member half a year ago; he has lived on Munjoy Hill for two years. Sam likes the community-feel of Munjoy Hill, ”making the city feel like it’s tiny,”and he enjoys knowing the people that live around him. Few people likely know that Sam is an owner of three bikes. A favorite quotation, from the Talmud: “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
In 2011 Andrea was elected to her first term as President, and was re-elected to serve another term at the June 2013 annual meeting. Andrea says that most people know that she comes from a large family (7 brothers and 3 sisters) but may not know about her family’s musical talents, or that she herself is a singer. The “Von Myhaver Family Singers and Dancers” perform mostly at family events, but you never know when they might come to a venue near you!
Ross Fields (Vice President, MHNO) Ross and his wife, Kathleen, have lived on Munjoy Hill since July 2011; Ross became a MHNO Board member in December 2011. Ross likes the vibrancy of the Rosemont Market and the local restaurants on the Hill. He also enjoys living only a couple blocks away from the ocean. Few people may know that when Ross lived in Vermont—before he moved to Portland—he sang tenor in a barbershop quartet. A favorite quotation of Ross’—”When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” (Author Unknown)
Elaine Mullin
(Treasurer, MHNO) Elaine has lived on Munjoy Hill for four and a half years and has been a Board member for three years. She loves the constant activity on the Hill and the fact that you don’t “LIKE” us & stay INFORMED! have to go far to find things going Sign up for our email list at munjoyhill. on. Few people would know that org to receive alerts on events and Elaine has participated in the Trek Across Maine bicycle tour—three issues pertaining to the East End (fyi: times! A favorite quotation: “Be kinder we do not share our list.). Get the first than necessary, because everyone you glimpse of the each month's Observer. meet is fighting some kind of battle.” "Like" the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood (Author Unknown) 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.
Sarah Graulty
Eben Albert-Knopp
an avid traveler; he has already visited a third of the world’s countries! A favorite quotation, “It was the tension between these two poles — a restless idealism on one hand and a sense of impending doom on the other — that kept me going.” (Hunter S. Thompson)
Sarah Graulty
Sarah joined the MHNO Board in June 2013. At the time this Observer issue was going to press, Sarah was unavailable for comment, on a summer break. We look forward to seeing her biography in the next issue.
Matthew Kennedy
Eben has lived on Munjoy Hill for three years; he became a Board member early in 2012. He enjoys the great Munjoy community, Rosemart Market, and living within walking and biking distance from the Eastern Promenade and downtown Portland. Eben is an alumnus of the College of the Atlantic, which is located in Bar Harbor, ME.
Ralph Carmona (Chair, MHNO Annual Appeal Campaign) Over three years ago, Ralph and Vana (an 11th generation Mainer) Carmona decided to make Munjoy Hill the next stage in their lives because of its quality of life and the potential to make a difference. Ralph joined the MHNO Board in February 2011. What he likes best about Munjoy Hill are his morning walks with Vana throughout Eastern Promenade. Most people do not know that Ralph has a doctorate, is Regent Emeritus at the University of California and Executive Director of the Maine Global Institute. A favorite quotation: “Think where one’s greatest glory most begins and ends, then say: My greatest glory is that I had such friends.” (William Butler Yeats)
Matthew and his wife, Lori Parham, moved to Munjoy Hill in January 2012; he became a board member in 2013. Matthew and Lori enjoy Munjoy Hill’s vibrant and distinct local culture, which brings the feeling of a small town to the edge of the larger city. Matthew has a background in architectural history and urbanism and welcomes the opportunity to help sustain and fortify this culture as the neighborhood continues to evolve and grow.
Joan Sheedy
Joan has been a Board member for 7+ years; she has lived on Munjoy Hill for eight years. Joan sees the Munjoy Hill community as one big family whose members are all willing to help each other and to work together in pursuit of common goals. In addition to participating in the MHNO, Joan is also involved in many other activities across Portland, such as City Hall affairs. A favorite quotation, ““I just try as hard as I can to make ‘community’ on the Hill and to draw people together.” (Joan)
Thomas Kelley
Tom became a Board member in March 2012; he has lived on Munjoy Hill for one year. He likes living among the eclectic group of Munjoy Hill residents who all share the common traits of being friendly, amazing people. Few would know that Tom is
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!
Tamera Edison Ad Sales Rep
Lisa Peñalver Observer Editor
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
August 2013
the munjoy Hill neighborhood Organization We love dogs, but ...
NO DOGS ALLOWED ON EAST END BEACH (Summer 2013) http://www.portlandmaine.gov/voter/doggie.asp
There are no dogs allowed on East End Beach from Memorial Day through Labor Day. There are also no dogs allowed (with the exception of those assisting the visually impaired) on any play fields, school yards or playgrounds.
MHNO Annual Meeting and Elections held in June On June 26, 2013, the MHNO held its annual meeting and election of Board of Directors and Officers at the Cummings Center on Congress St. Also on the agenda that evening were; changes to By-Laws, and a presentation by Redfern Properties about their proposed “Munjoy Heights” project on Sheridan Street. Complete information about the proposed Munjoy Heights project will be detailed in the September issue of the Observer. The MHNO membership voted unanimously to approve changes to its ByLaws, which were first adopted in 1981. The entire text of the By-Laws, as they were prior to the changes, and as they are now with the adopted approved changes, can be found on the MHNO web site at www.munjoyhill.org. Highlights of the changes that were approved include the following:
For additional information, including directions to any of the above facilities, please call the Portland Public Services office at 874-8801.
• Language simplified in several sections • Quarterly Meetings changed to Full Membership Meetings – 3x per year • Presidential two term (in 4 years) limitation was removed
All dog waste must be disposed of properly: Dog feces placed in City garbage cans should be contained within some type of plastic bag. Violation fines: $250.00 fine for not picking up after your pet. For fine information, see Chapt. 5 of the Portland City Code or call the Corporation Council’s office at 874-8480
image from Thematapicture.com
Open Meetings!!
INCOMING: Elaine Mullin, Sam Cohen, Ralph Carmona, and Eben AlbertKnopp were all re-elected to serve an additional two year term on the Board of Directors, and newcomers, Caron Murray, Sarah Graulty, and Matthew Kennedy were also each elected to serve a two year term on the Board of Directors.
Andrea Myhaver was elected to serve another term as President of the organization, and Ross Fields was elected to serve another term as Vice President. At the July Board of Directors meeting, Elaine Mullin and Sam Cohen were re-elected as Treasurer and Secretary, respectively.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the efforts and contributions of outgoing Board members Anne Quinlan and Nova Ewers. We wish them the best in their future endeavors!
The MHNO Board meets every second Monday of each month at 7 pm at the Hill House at 92 Congress St.
Join the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization
Everyone’s Welcome!
New Membership
Renewal
Name(s)_ ____________________________________________________________ Street Address________________________________________________________ City________________________________________State_______ Zip___________ Email (for MHNO updates)_____________________________________________ Day Phone (____)________________ Eve Phone (____)______________________
Membership Levels
Email info@munjoyhill.org. 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.
Individual: $10 Family: $20 Business: $35 Additional Donation $25 $50 $75 $100 $250 $500 Other Amount: ($______) wish my gift to be anonymous Recycle AND help fund the MHNO Heat Assistance Program: Donate your
recyclables thru CLYNK! at Hannafords... Funds raised support MHNO’s Fuel Assistance “Warm Hearts, Warm Neighbors” program. Stop outside the Hill House at 92 Congress to pick up a free green bag. FMI: email Louise Little at louise.little55@gmail.com. Keep those cans & bottles coming!
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 pay what you can. If you are able to contribute more, we encourage you to do so. We thank you for your support, and we’re excited to have you on board! Please send this form along with your check to:
MHNO, 92 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101 Questions? Call (207) 775-3050, email info@munjoyhill.org or visit munjoyhill.org Welcome to the MHNO! 11/2012
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August 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER justinalfond.com
CapitAl City
The Great Balancing Act: the Budget moving our state forward.
Last month, the First Session of the 126th Legislature came to a close. When the Democrats won the 2012 election, many expected the divided government in Augusta to look like Washington, D.C. Yet, despite the challenges, legislators came together and made progress for the people of Maine. I’d like to take this opportunity to share some of the truly great accomplishments we had this year. The biggest responsibility the Legislature has is to pass a balanced, two-year budget. The biennial budget as proposed by the Governor would have been a major taxshift to property taxpayers across the state. More than 70 towns across our state rejected his proposal and in fact, after hundreds of hours of public hearings, only one person testified in support of the Governor’s tax shift. In crafting a responsible, balanced budget, Democrats were joined by Republicans in passing a compromise budget that reverses most of the tax hikes proposed by the Governor while protecting vital services, including funding our public schools. While not perfect, this compromise budget was critical to preventing a state shutdown and
Next, we focused on putting people back to work and strengthening our state’s economy. To date, there are still nearly 50,000 Mainers out of work, with another 48,000 who are “underemployed”. To help Mainers get back to work, a top-priority for us was getting unemployed and underemployed Mainers the skills they need to find high-demand, good-paying jobs. We passed a first-ofits kind workforce development bill to address Maine’s skills gap and put people back to work. This bill passed overwhelmingly in both houses of the Legislature, a testament to the great work done by the Joint Select Committee on Maine’s Workforce and Economic Future. As many of you know, I have been a strong proponent of high-quality public education since I entered the Legislature. In this year’s budget, we reversed cuts to Head Start and increased funding for K-12 by more than $30 million. This decision puts Maine on the path for the state to fulfill its promise to fund 55 percent of K-12 education. We know that students perform best when they’re able to focus, and few things are as critical to that as being wellfed. That’s why I introduced and ushered through a bill to ensure that every student in Maine who goes hungry when school is out for the summer has access to food.
India Street: Building Upon Its Strengths By Markos Miller
where a plan for over 60 units here has just been submitted to the City, which would The India Street visioning exercise, conwrap around the behemoth Ocean Gateducted by Sustain Southern Maine, conway Garage. Some bolder concepts for cluded its work early this summer. The high density re-development include the effort, which seeks to identify opportuRite Aide strip mall on Congress Street, nities for housing and job development and other areas along Franklin Street while respecting the historic nature of the (pushing that roadway westerly). This poneighborhood, will serve as a foundation sition will be carefully considered in the for future City-led neighborhood planlarger Franklin Street planning effort, ning activities that hopefully become part which seeks to find the ideal alignment of Portland’s Comprehensive Plan. The for a future Franklin outcomes also provide Street, and identify more immediate guidpreferred land uses on “What should young ance as more developboth sides of the corment is contemplated people do with their lives ridor. for the neighborhood, and as the redesign India Street’s histoday? Many things, study of Franklin toric architecture and obviously. But the most street grid are cited Street moves forward. as key neighborhood The effort seeks to daring thing is to create assets that should instrengthen the identity form future changes. stable communities of this “downtown adNew development in jacent” neighborhood in which the terrible a historic context can by emphasizing India be challenging, as the Street as the central disease of loneliness can controversy with the spine of the neighborSt. Lawrence church be cured.” hood. It will provide development on Munstreetscape enhanceKurt Vonnegut joy Hill makes evident. ments to improve walkPortland has examples ability in Portland’s of modern architecoriginal corridor, and ture providing an human-scaled mixed aesthetic contrast to historic structures, use redevelopment of vacant or underutisuch as the CIEE building and the Custom lized properties to bring greater vitality to House; on the other hand, the pseudo-histhe street. The neighborhood’s proximity toric facade of the Portland Harbor Hotel to the waterfront and a rail corridor presat Fore and Center does no justice to the ent other opportunities for transit focused Old Port’s historic authenticity. Portland development. also has no shortage of generic brick and Over 1,000,000 sq ft of new develop- granite structures sometimes referred to ment is included in the concept plan, with as “bank-i-tecture”. roughly an 80/20 split between residential and commercial development. Over 550 The India Street concepts do not do much residential units are targeted, through a to enhance the historic street network of mix of 2-4 story structures within the ex- the neighborhood, which is closed off by isting residential areas, and through larger Franklin Street on the west and Munjoy 4-6 story structures on larger parcels near South on the east. A timid pedestrian connection from Federal Street to Franklin the perimeter of the neighborhood. actually reduces possibilities for connecMuch of this is expected to be built at tivity by converting the street into a park, obvious locations, including vacant par- even though See page 16, India Street cels along Fore Street, and Federal Street,
We passed a bipartisan, comprehensive energy plan that encourages efficiency and will help reduce heating and electric costs for homeowners, businesses, and municipalities. We created incentives for homeowners to transition to cleaner and more efficient heating systems for their homes. The bill also aims to help combat climate change by maintaining our commitment to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. We are proud that Republicans joined us in making the final payment to Maine hospitals. Doing so will allow our hospitals to make critical investments while securing jobs in the growing health care industry. While we had some great successes this year, we still have plenty of work to do. We will continue to think strategically and work with the private sector to grow businesses and create jobs. We will develop a smart bond package that invests in critical infrastructure and puts Mainers to work immediately. We will continue our work to expand health insurance to the 70,000 Mainers who are currently uninsured, by accepting federal dollars that are available under the Affordable Care Act. I’d love to hear how you think we did this session. You can always reach me at Justin@JustinAlfond.com
Norman Huynh, “Good Neighbor” from page 3 trepidation. I found my mind flashing to the stereotype of a stiff and well-dressed person, unapproachable, and most likely in a tuxedo, of a certain age (“older” … whatever that is). It is also precisely this barrier of class and perception that our Munjoy Hill Good Neighbor, Norman Huynh has come to tackle.
tionally associated with the Symphony. When the PSO performed “A Carnival of Animals” by Camille Saint-Saens in May of this year, the event featured a range of experiences beyond music, including live animals and an “instrument
When I showed up to meet with Norman at the Hilltop Coffee, my preconceived notions were immediately challenged. Here, in front of me, was a very young man, fresh out of college, and… no tuxedo! Neatly dressed, yes, but not at all out of place for Portland. Norman is new to the hill, he has only lived in Maine a few weeks (since early July). So new in fact, that his wife of two months, is still working in Maryland, (she’s in Marketing) until she finds a job here and can join him. He brings with him an enthusiasm and a desire to bring the joys of fine music to the streets. Norman Huynh was introduced to the community at the Fourth of July concert on the Eastern Promenade, when he conducted a few Sousa marches and a piece by John Williams where the Music Director, Robert Moody, sang the solo. Norman studied music education at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL and orchestral conducting at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, Inspired by seeing the community come together for a concert that he and his colleague assembled for the 10th anniversary for September 11th, he began organizing Occasional Symphony concerts in the city, performed by students and local musicians in “distinctive venues. He will be planning and conducting the Discovery and Youth Concerts here in Portland in the coming season. The thematic Discovery Concerts are geared to families and people of all ages. The goal is to include a fusion of the different arts, such as narration and dance, and collaborations with local performers not tradi-
Above, Assistant Conductor of the PSO, Norman Huynh, whose job is to put the fun back in the Symphony (courtesy photo).
petting zoo.” “People come in jeans and bring the kids. We want it to be a low-key, laidback experience. We are always looking for ways to get this beautiful and moving music out into the community.” Discovery Concerts give the whole family a chance to enjoy the music of the PSO together. Concerts are an hour long and engage the audience for a fun and educational journey with the full orchestra! Come early for games, a handson instrument petting zoo and lots more musical fun. (ages 5-12) Ticket prices are affordable—this year’s concerts are just $10 per ticket and can be bought at www.portlandsymphony. org. These programs are only possible with additional support from the community. If you have thoughts and suggestions for Discovery Concerts, Norman can be reached at the PSO at nhuynh@ portlandsymphony.org
On Hill
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
August 2013
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GrowingTogether T ips
on
P arentin g
&
R elationships
By Ross Fields, CPE & Kathleen Fields, CPE
Follow the Leader: What if your child is not “a natural leader”?
Leadership, as with any skill, improves with practice. Are you providing your child opportunities to practice being the leader, or are you hoping that she is one who is recognized as having “natural” leadership skills? Any skill, be it “natural” or desired, still needs to be practiced in order to gain a higher level of proficiency. So I ask again, are you providing the opportunity for your child to practice being a leader? Are you there for him as his leadership coach or mentor? If you are not sure what to do, here are some examples. The Seatbelt Monitor Mom was constantly battling with her five-year-old son about putting on his seat belt when they got into the car. It got to the point where she actually dreaded going anywhere. It was suggested that she make him “Seatbelt Monitor.” She set the whole thing up by explaining that when he didn’t put his seatbelt on, she felt like she was not being a responsible Mom.
“To lead is to participate. Create participation opportunities for your child.” —Ross Fields
Above: “Follow the leader”, a vintage public domain image found on CLKER.COM
Leading the Family Meeting In your weekly Family Meeting, elect a new leader and secretary so that every family member gets a turn. This is an excellent way to practice leadership. The leader makes sure each agenda item is covered and calls on people to speak. Family meetings are a great way of solving problems or planning a family adventure. If you are not currently having regular Family Meetings you can get more information by going to www.resultsparenting.com for some basic guidelines. Put your cursor over “Resources”. Then over “Parenting Tips and Materials”. Then click “How to Conduct a Family Meeting”.
She also told him that she felt bad about the arguments they got into over the whole thing. Finally, she asked him if he would be willing to help her with her problem by being the “Seatbelt Monitor.” She explain that he would be responsible for making sure everyone in the car had their seatbelt on before the car could move.
Fishing Guide Dad had been taking his boys fishing since they each were five years old. They were now 7 and 9 and pretty good at it. They would pack up early in the morning and head out on the lake just like he and his father had done. Recently Dad started to notice that the boys didn’t seem to be as excited about this father-son activity as they used to be. So he asked, “Guys, what’s the problem? It doesn’t seem like you want to go fishing any more.”
“Would you be willing to do that?”, Mom asked. “YES”, he said with a big smile on his face. From then on, when they got into the car Mom would say, “Let me know when all seat belts are on and it is safe to go, Mr. Seat Belt Monitor.” It was never an issue again, and she’d created an opportunity for her son to practice being a leader.
What the boys told him was that they were getting tired of Dad always being the one to pick the fishing spots. They wanted to have some say. So, what they did was this: they decided to take turns being “Fishing Guide” for the day. The Fishing Guide would be in charge of the day’s trip from getting the gear ready, to picking the fishing
spots, to finding a place to tie up for lunch and following all rules and regulations. It was the perfect way to allow his sons to practice being leaders. The fun and excitement of going fishing together was totally rejuvenated. The whole idea is for you, as the parent, to look for creative ways to encourage leadership. It could be as simple as picking the spot for a picnic, where to go out to eat, or cleaning the car. The goal is for your child to know how it feels, and what it takes, to be in a position of responsibility. And being a capable leader—and follower—will have a positive impact on each and every one of her relationships as she moves through life.
“Leadership is not domination, but the art of persuading people to work toward a common goal.” —Daniel Goleman With patience, education, and practice, you will become a more confident and effective parent. Take care of yourself and have some fun playing Follow the Leader. Ross Fields & Kathleen Fields are. Certified Parenting Educators (CPE) and, co-founders of Results Parenting, LLC, www.resultsparenting.com.
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August 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Friends of the Eastern Promenade
East End Concerts The 2013 Summer Concert Series hosted by Friends of the Eastern Promenade began Thursday, July 11 from 7-8:15 at Fort Sumner Park at 68 North Street. The family friendly concerts are free and open to the public and occur every Thursday night from June 11 through August 29. For concert details, please visit EasternPromenade.org. Tacos, burritos, and other fantastic food-cart fare will be available from Hella Good Tacos. (They kindly donate 10% of concert proceeds to FoEP). Water is available for free (thank you, Poland Spring!). We are able to serve our water CHILLED thanks to 7-11’s gracious donation of ice. The concerts, traditionally held at Fort Allen Park, have been relocated to FORT SUMNER on North St. for this season in anticipation of the Fort Allen Rehabilitation Project breaking ground.
Paving & Cutter Street Realignment Due to rescheduling determinations elsewhere in the city, the Eastern Promenade roadway is undergoing paving earlier than anticipated. Glidden Excavating & Paving is the contractor for MDOT on this paving job, which is linked with the work being done to realign the Cutter Street entrance to the Park. Crews are working to realign the curbing at the entrance to Cutter St and along the Eastern Prom roadway. This work is among top public safety priorities within the Master Plan for the Eastern Promenade. The former crosswalk (aka, “ex crosswalk”) at Cutter St is 100 ft in length, the longest in the city. Narrowing the pavement in this area
will improve sight lines, slow traffic and make crossing the road safer for pedestrians. Realignment work is expected to take approximately 2 weeks. Paving crews will then return in August to do the actual paving of the E. Prom roadway. While work is underway, the project manager and crews will do their best to ensure traffic flow has as little interruption as possible, while maintaining safety. Folks with driveways along the esplanade may experience a 5-10 minute delay in entering or exiting their driveways. Once the paver goes by, crews need to wait until the rollers go over the pavement before allowing vehicles to drive over the surface. Temperatures also affect time-frames. This schedule is subject to change, depending on weather and other factors. Glidden is committed to being conscientious in ensuring minimal impact to residents and park users.
Who Dung It? Have you noticed any white flags marking the doggie doo piles that say “Who Dung It?”. Dog owners please be vigilant; carry bags with you, pick up after your pet and dispose of the waste in the proper receptacle. Please do not fling bags of waste into the brush or storm drains. While some doggie bags may be made of recycled materials, dog waste is NOT recyclable! Carry extra bags; if you see that someone has forgotten a bag to clean up after their pet you can offer them one of yours. If there is a repeat offender, let us know, and we can put you in touch with the park ranger to enforce city regulations in dog waste removal. Let’s make sure that we ALL do our part to keep our neighborhood parks clean and beautiful for ALL users! Hosting our concerts at Fort Sumner this season gives us the opportunity to help mitigate this ongoing health hazard. We are setting aside $1,000.00 from our concert sponsorship funds into a restricted account for future care of Fort Sumner Park.
Hidden Gardens of Munjoy Hill Tour – A Great Success! In our ongoing efforts to improve the garden tour experience from all perspectives (We are always taking strides to improve the tour), we encourage you to visit our website, easternpromenade.org to take our 5-question survey. Your feedback is valuable to us! We would like to thank the incredible generosity of our sponsors and volunteers for helping us host another successful tour! Thanks to Down East Magazine, Norway Savings Bank, DiMillo’s: On the Water, and Portland Maine Rentals. The Extreme Makeover Garden was made possible by Portland Maine Rentals! Many thanks to Chaz Briggs Landscaping for donating two full days of their time, Young’s Greenhouse for providing plants, and Crandall Toothaker and Frank Cloutier for orchestrating the show and planting the garden. The tour would not exist without the dedicated energy, effort and planning of our fabulous volunteer team. We’re grateful to the gardeners who willingly shared their sacred spaces with the community, and the garden sitters who welcomed our visitors. A big round of applause and appreciation to the dedicated leadership of garden committee chair, Aynne Doil, and the hard work of our garden committee members: Valerie Birnhak, Trevor Coyne, Kathleen Marshall-Dane, Pauli Daniels, Steve DiMuccio, Tica Douglas, Ed Gardner, Nini McNanamy, Joe Piergrossi, Joan Sheedy, Sharon Sudbay, and Crandall Toothaker! Join us in thanking our generous supporters. See the list on the next page.
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MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
FoEP Bicentennial & Beyond Initiative Thank you for generously supporting the stewardship efforts of Friends of the Eastern Promenade with your participation in our Bicentennial & Beyond Initiative: Legacy Portland Maine Rentals
Visionary Valerie Birnhak Greg Boulos & Naela Smith George Campbell Jr. Francis Cloutier Diane Dombrowski Edmund S. Gardner Cyrus & Patricia Hagge Matthew Kennedy & Lori Parham Peter & Pam Macomber Harry McMann Mary Noyes
Joe Piergrossi & Trevor Coyne Crandall Toothaker Carolyn & Randy Young
Ambassador Peter Bass & Lin Lisberger Eugene & Huguette Davis Aynne Doil Phyllis Jalbert Guy, Stella, & Antonio Hernandez Marcie & Eric Lister Norm & Sally Nelson Anne & Dale Rand United Insurance – Haley Agency
Ally Amy Alward Insurance Agency Aquarius Property Management Richard & Geraldine Anderson Joshua Broder & Eliza Ginn Frances Buerkens & William M. Ginn
Nan Cumming & Drew Masterman Diane & Jeff Davison Jaime Isaacson & Kris Lape Peter & Lin Lisberger Lynne Panico R. John & Betty Wuesthoff Rob & Robin Whitten
Other Contributors Zachary Brandwein Paul & Dale Cronin Peter Dane & Kathleen Marshall-Dane Eric & Betsey Handley Mateo Hodo Bill & Deb Jabine Tom & Amy Landry Peter & Deb Murray Terry Odlin Cami Smalley & Pete Risano Jeff Wright
To learn more, visit EasternPromenade.org
Munjoy Hill HisTory Tour,
August 2013
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from front page
When it was over, every building in Portland was either leveled or on fire. Back to the Observatory… The Portland Observatory was built in 1807 as a signal tower by Captain Lemuel Moody. Moody devised a system of signal flags to let merchants in town know of arriving ships. He was paid for this service. The frame of the tower is made from eight white pine posts extending unbroken from the foundation up to the lantern deck. Moody also constructed a two-story building that served as the family’s residence, dance hall and banquet hall. In addition, a bowling alley stood behind the tower. If you have the time, it is worth the climb up the 102 steps to see magnificent views of Casco Bay and the Back Bay. Now head up North Street. During the first part of the twentieth century, Munjoy Hill had many neighborhood markets where the residents would buy their groceries. One such store was Barrett’s Market, located in the building at 16 North Street. Barrett’s Market was known for the ads they would send out. One ad from 1925 read: Rump beef 23¢, Lean smoked shoulders 12¢ Turner Center milk 11¢ qt, 5 lbs Sugar 27¢ Bagged coal 16¢, 2 lbs Fresh ground hamburg 27¢ Boneless sirloin steak 33¢, Pot roast beef –boneless 15¢, Cube steak 25¢ (fyi: tradesmen earned about 50 cents an hour in 1925.) Continue up North Street to the Shailer School and Fort Sumner Park. Shailer school, now Avesta apartments, once was home to the third, fourth and fifth grades. Fort Sumner Park, next to Shailer, built in 1792 as a harbor defense and fire watch, is 172 feet above sea level, the highest point on Munjoy Hill. On clear days you can see Mount Washington, the tallest peak in the New Hampshire Presidential Range. Keep walking to the corner of North and Melbourne streets. Here stands the home, built in 1854, of Moses Gould, an early real estate developer. His dream of making Munjoy Hill an upper class neighborhood was partially realized with the homes seen at the southern end of the Eastern Promenade. His son, Captain Moses Gould, lived at 218 Eastern Promenade. Continue along North Street turning right onto Montreal Street heading down hill to the Eastern Promenade. Notice the little tucked-away gardens around, between and behind the homes. When you reach Eastern Promenade, cross via the crosswalk, turn right and proceed until you are at the far end of the basketball court. This court, which overlooks Casco Bay, has been listed as one of the top ten most scenic courts in the nation. It is easy to see why. Look down the hill to the War of 1812 stone cemetery, where the remains of 21 unknown soldiers are buried. To this day, it is uncertain if they were British or American. Either
way, it serves as a reminder that, in war, many make the ultimate sacrifice, no matter what flag one swears allegiance to. This hillside was witness to another event that took place in July 1727. It was here that the governors of Massachusetts and New Hampshire met with Indian leaders of the Penobscot, Norridgewock, Arreguntonock, and Wawenock tribes to sign articles of peace. A feast was held afterwards. With Casco Bay on your left, continue along Eastern Promenade. When you reach the playground turn right and head up Turner Street. Turn left at Emerson (2nd street on your left) and look for the old Emerson School, grades six through eight. Until the 1930s, those who attended to this school, dedicated to the first Mayor of Portland, Andrew Emerson (1832-1897) were strongly influenced by Miss Marada Adams. Miss Adams taught for seventy-two years and had the distinction of being the oldest active teacher in the United States. She was Emerson’s first principal in 1898 until she retired in 1935. She died three years later at the age of 92. She was fondly remembered by every student who had the pleasure of knowing her. Continue walking. At Congress, turn right to get back to your starting point. If you turn right, walk up the hill. The stone building on your left is what remains of the St. Lawrence Congregational Church, minus the sanctuary (where there is now a fenced-in vacant lot). The sanctuary and towers fell into disrepair and had to be torn down. Today, it is home to the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center. Continuing up Congress, you will pass the Front Room restaurant, another one of Munjoy Hill’s fine eateries, and the Fraser Art Studio, in one of the oldest homes on Munjoy Hill. I hope you have enjoyed this little tour, though we have barely scratched the historical surface of Munjoy Hill. There is so much more to learn and enjoy. You may find the following books enlightening: Munjoy Hill, Portland’s Scenic Peninsula by Donald Linton Ferguson; Closeness, Memories of Mrs. Munjoy’s Hill by Howard C. Reiche, Jr.; and A Concise History of Portland, Maine, An Incendiary Record by John B. Robinson. Thank you for taking a walk through time with me.—Ross Fields Ross is the Vice President of the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization. Ross and his wife Kathleen moved to Munjoy Hill in July, 2011 and are loving it here.
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August 2013
Art Soul
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Gardener’s Dirt
Making your garden look great
By Nini McManamy In late summer, Munjoy Hill gardeners often find the tidy gardens of June have become the lush jungles of August. Exuberant new shrub growth, weeds of astounding vigor, and overcrowding hide the lovely outlines of our plants. On top of sporting too much foliage, our gardens can be tarnished by insect or fungal damage, critters (those slugs!), breakage (oops, I cut the wrong branch!), and planting choices we regret. After watching the talented former State Senator Anne Rand bring her Melbourne Street garden to August beauty, I decided to ask her for advice.
planting over the years to find the locations where plants thrive, and also to create lovely combinations. “I like different shapes of leaves, variations in greens.” Because Munjoy Hill gardens are often shade gardens, Rand’s gardens feature combinations of lacy hydrangeas, spiky daylilies, rounded hostas, and feathery astilbes. By planting multiples of perennials, she creates a flow of colors and textures that is easy to read from a distance and avoids the many points of color that make some gardens visually busy.
“We had the house for 32 years before I planted a garden, except for some tomatoes. The catalyst was the death of a huge, beautiful tree.” Rand spends several days a week in her yard. The owner of two dogs, she goes on poop patrol often, and finds herself pulling weeds.
“Look through books, walk through nurseries, get ideas on walks,” advises Rand. “Plant what you like. Make sure what you buy is the proper zone and suited for the sun or shade where it will grow.” Nevertheless, taking on the challenge of a marginal plant is half the fun of gardening, and Rand is currently growing a fig tree outdoors in her yard.
Anne has done a lot of trans-
Here are some maintenance tips
for midsummer based on Rand’s recommendations: 1. Begin by weeding thoroughly, including back areas you can’t see. Weeds make more weeds. Pull the whole plant--there are hand tools that help. 2. Consider using mulch, no more than 1 inch deep, for instant beauty. Caution: it doesn’t look very good the following year and needs renewing. And do not put mulch within 6 inches of tree or shrub stems--mulch is favorite nest habitat for rodents. 3. Ruthlessly pull out excess perennials that have replicated and crowd their neighbors. Everything gets larger, and whole groups of perennials may need removal to make way for a neighboring plant 4. Take out garden snips or scissors, and begin deadheading all spent flowers. Start with annuals--frequent deadheading is often necessary to keep them blooming. 5. Prune all dead wood from trees and shrubs. Next prune to
thin shrubs for health. Pruning is a complicated subject, and each shrub should be individually researched since pruning at the wrong time can eliminate next year’s flower buds. 6. Make a plan for transplanting, if necessary. Wait ’til late fall ,when plants go dormant, and use a transplant solution or mycorrhizae to help the process.
Above, Munjoy Hill Resident, Anne Rand, shares some tips with author, Nini McManamy, for fine-tuning the summer garden. (photo by Nini McManamy)
7. Vigorously treat damage or disease. Removed diseased foliage and dispose but do not compost. Ask a garden center for help identifying the culprit and best treatments. 7. Edge beds using an edger.
Writer Nini McManamy has worked for several years at O’Donal’s Nursery. She is a master gardener with a garden design and consultation business, Gardener’s Dirt (ninimaine@aol.com, 871-7297). She takes garden questions on Facebook as Gardener’s Dirt.
8. Feed everything according to the needs of the plant. Compost is always good; use Espoma or other organic bagged food if you don’t have compost.
“More grows in the garden than the gardener sows.”
9. For a quick pick-me-up, make up a great new planter with eyepopping annuals and perennials.
—Old Spanish Proverb
Spotlight on Non-Profits is a regular feature. To have your favorite non-profit featured, please contact observer@munjoyhill.org.
Spirits Alive
By Paul Foster
In my youth, I spent a considerable amount of time in graveyards. Overstuffed on a diet of Transcendentalists and the Romantic poets in English class, and having discovered British indie music, I found cemeteries intriguing. They could be lonely places, sure, but they were also peaceful. They offered an escape from the clamor of adolescent friendships and the turmoil of confusing emotions. Each stone was the signpost of a human life, lived with victories and defeats and passions just like mine. To me, a cemetery was a library full of true stories. Most of the pages in the books were blank and only research or imagination could fill them in. But for all the hours I spent dreaming in the boneyards of my youth, I knew very little about what actually surrounded me in them. Why were some of the stones worn away by the elements, while others seemed fresh from the hammer and chisel? Why were some decorated with spooky skulls and crossbones, while others were adorned with more hopeful imagery of winged faces or urns and the boughs of willows? Who had carved them? Were single graves beneath my feet, or tombs? Why were some smaller stones engraved only with initials? A recent tour through Eastern Cemetery, at the base of Munjoy Hill, put these questions to rest. Officially accepting burials from 1668 to 1858, it is Portland’s oldest cemetery and provides a unique insight into the history of the city. On a foggy Wednesday afternoon, guide Ron Romano, of the non-profit organization Spirits Alive, led visitors through the graves of the city’s earliest settlers, some of its most famous citizens, heroes from America’s earliest wars, and hundreds of ordinary citizens who fought hard to establish the structure and security of what we now call everyday life. Spirits Alive was formed in 2006 and is dedicated to the protection and preservation of these six significant acres.
This volunteer-led mission includes the planting of trees and flowering shrubs, advocating for more public access to the site, and a vast, ongoing project to record and photograph every marker in the cemetery.
And it includes the conservation of the stones, what Mr. Romano calls “a never-ending battle.” In addition to acid rain and devilish fog, falling branches, and soil erosion, Spirits Alive has to contend with damage from spray paint, baseball bats, and the physical relocation of the stones themselves. The organization was saddened recently when a stone they had worked to repair disappeared in the night. Luckily, they found it in another section of the cemetery, but they worry the culprit may have intended to come back for it later. “We were able to reunite the stone with its proper resident,” Romano said. “It’s back where it should be, so he’s happy. Isaac Walker was his name.” “Resident” is a word Romano uses often to describe the subterranean population of Eastern Cemetery. They are the permanent residents of these fields, but they were once residents of our city, and Spirits Alive has discov-
ered many of their stories: victims of shipwrecks, daring explorers, Congressmen, the relatives of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Portland’s first bank robber, and Bartlett Adams, the artist who carved several of the stones in Eastern Cemetery, including those of three of his children. There’s even a space reserved for the cemetery’s final resident — a man who still walks Portland’s streets today… In the oldest section of the cemetery, a row of uncarved fieldstones mark some of the residents whose stories will never be known. In fact, while there are 4,000 gravestones on the site, Spirits Alive believes an additional 3,000 individuals may reside beneath the soil. The crows shrieking overhead seem to remind visitors of these anonymous lives. And the mockingbirds, stretching their calls, bending the notes, are perhaps trying to give them voice. Spirits Alive tours of Eastern Cemetery run Wednesdays and Sundays at 1:30pm, Saturdays at 10:30am. Tickets are $7 for adults, $4 for students and seniors, free under 12 — every penny going to the preservation of the site. No reservations required. See www.spiritsalive.org for more details about tours and volunteer opportunities.
Art Soul
Our Readers Write
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
August 2013
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The Discussion Continues: A Bigger, Better St. Lawrence Arts? St Lawrence Expansion Plans: A Timeline of Current Developments Week of Dec 5, 2012: preliminary SLA building concept was presented at a Historic Preservation Board Meeting on Dec 4. The rendering by architect David Lloyd showed a 54’ high, modernistic boxlike structure with metal siding, and was seen by the public for the first time. The HP board recommended certain changes to St. Lawrence proposed new theater, giving guidance on height, mass, and materials. Editor’s Note: When the description and sketch of the new design first appeared in the newspapers in mid-Dec 2012, there were strong reactions from some members of the Munjoy Hill community expressing concern about the design, scale, and parking issues, while others applauded the growth and expressed faith that the process would eventually result in a mutually agreeable outcome. Dec 10, 2012: SLA held a community meeting to gain input from the community. The neighborhood meeting was hosted by Friends of the St. Lawrence at the East end Community School was very heavily attended, standing-room only, with people overflowing into the hall. It was left that future meetings would be held to clarify and address concerns. Headline: Plan for addition of modern theater on historic former church draws mixed reviews in Portland; BDN, Wed, Dec. 12, 2012 By William Hall, The Forecaster Headline: Paper feeds flames of fear over Portland Art Center, by Chris Busby, BDN blog posted Dec 13, 2012 by Erin Rhoda
Editor’s Note: The group, Concerned Citizens of Munjoy Hill, (CCMH; see their current letter on this page, below) sent a letter on Feb 11, 2013 outlining its concerns to Executive Director Deidre Nice, of the St. Lawrence Arts. Feb 20, 2013: Public presentation at the MHNO Quarterly meeting, with Barbara Barhydt, Acting Planning Division Director for Portland. Ms. Barhydt outlined the process which the historic St. Lawrence Arts Center must follow in order to get approval to build a 400 seat theater in the Sanctuary space. May 29, 2013: Revised plans for the Munjoy Hill arts center are presented. The new design put forth includes a promenade or “porch” at ground level to make the building more open. There are abundant window panels along the upper-most level and a roof garden (see images at: http://phweb.mtm. dc.publicus.com/news/redesignedmunjoy-hill-performance-hall-tobe-unveiled_2013-05-28.html , posted by the Maine Sunday Telegram, May 28. 2013)
Editor of the Observer: It is distressing to watch groups of Hill residents oppose one another over the St. Lawrence Arts project. I’d like to provide a little history. Munjoy Hill was historically a workingman’s neighborhood. The well-to-do did not want to live near the smelly city dump. With the growth of the suburbs and loss of traditional employment on the peninsula, the Hill began to suffer. By the ’60s, Munjoy Hill was a place where kids from the suburbs came to buy drugs; over a decade ago, several deaths by overdose occurred on Congress St and in the neighborhood. Schools closed, and the St Lawrence congregation voted to close the church. Many long-time Hill residents remained and provided the same neighborly support they always had. The Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization [formed in the late ’70s] led the development of coop and subsidized housing in the neighborhood, the restoration of
Headline: A Summer Snapshot of St Lawrence Arts by Julia Kirby, Development Director, SLA, July 2013 issue, Munjoy HIll Observer
Ft Sumter Park, and the Fourth of July party on the Promenade. The MHNO also established a village center committee to study the zoning in the area of Congress St and come up with a plan for revival. Many of the committee’s goals were achieved--traffic slowing devices, new streetlights, support for a coffee shop and our corner stores and restaurants. We rejected invitations to become a Historic district—we didn’t want to live in a museum. And we knew it would hasten gentrification. The courage of Friends of the St. Lawrence Church (FSLC) and several other small business people helped turn the tide. When we looked at zoning, we knew the St Lawrence Art Center was going to have an impact on the neighborhood and we looked forward to it. Right now, we have some urgent problems in the neighborhood: suspicious activity in Ft. Sumter Park, rotting housing stock, upward pressure on real estate costs, hunger (just ask the Root Cellar), a corner store which was destroyed by fire, a school that really needs resources, and a lot of new immigrants who can’t get the English language classes they need. Can we all please get along, find a way to support FSLC and its wonderful gift of an arts center to the community, and make a two-year commitment to work on one of our more urgent problems?
Editor’s Note: The St Lawrence Arts Center has created a clear and easy-to read Timeline of significant events in the life of the St Lawrence, starting in 1854. it can be found on their website, http://www.stlawrencearts.org/history .
—Nini McManamy, Munjoy Hill resident
MHNO Neutrality Position Statement on the St. Lawrence Arts Expansion Project August 2013 The Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization (MHNO) is in support of ongoing community dialogue concerning the evolving plans for the proposed St. Lawrence Arts Center 400 seat auditorium. We firmly believe that with community involvement a viable, majority supported, solution will be reached. The MHNO Board will be involved every step of the way as a representative for you, our members. The MHNO is your liaison in this process. We encourage you, the members, to share your input with the MHNO Board of Directors. In addition, the Board encourages you to personally engage in the discourse that will take place as plans move forward. In other words: WE ARE SWITZERLAND (i.e., neutral). on this issue. While MHNO Board members’ personal inclinations may fall on either side the expansion issue, we have agreed to disagree, and will remain neutral when speaking for the MHNO.
The St. Lawrence Arts Center: A New New Vision By Tim Baehr and Joan Sheedy, members of the Concerned Citizens of Munjoy Hill The Friends of the St. Lawrence Church (FSLC), a nonprofit organization, is working to obtain approvals and zoning amendments so that it can build an Arts Center and concert venue. This building will occupy the lot where the sanctuary of the historic St. Lawrence Church stood until it was taken down in 2008. We are members of a committee, Concerned Citizens of Munjoy Hill (CCMH), who, like many of our neighbors, are in favor of a new Arts Center and the role it can play in bringing a lively arts scene to the Hill. We have attended the workshops and hearings hosted by FSLC and by Portland’s Historic Preservation Board. The initial design (a “massing study” that looked like a monolithic cube) has evolved into a structure with a bit more variation and visual interest. But we, along with many Hill residents and other Portlanders, have serious reservations about how the
Arts Center will fit into a residential neighborhood. Specifically, we are concerned about issues of size, design, capacity, and parking. Size and design In 2010, the
Friends of the St. Lawrence Church obtained zoning exemptions from the City Council to build an expanded replica of the original Sanctuary as an Arts Center. Constructing a replica turned out to be hugely expensive. FSLC has changed its design proposal and is now seeking to amend the 2010 zoning agreement. The result, if the latest proposal passes, would be a large box-shaped 400-seat theater topped by a more than 2,700 square-foot glassed-in “promenade” that accommodates up to 200 people (as of the May 20th drawings). This structure will not “maintain the character of the original structure and property and complement the adjacent residential neighborhood”—one of the conditions in the original 2010 zoning agreement. Capacity and parking Anyone
who lives on Munjoy Hill, visits
restaurants here, or attends the Good Theater knows that parking can be challenging. A 400seat venue (a nearly fourfold increase over the present theater in the Parish Hall) will increase that challenge. A sold-out event would create a need for 150 to 200 spaces convenient to the venue. The 2010 proposal called for shuttle transportation from remote parking lots, and expanded public transit. This is unworkable, especially in foul weather. As they do everywhere else around the city, most patrons will still arrive by car. They’ll choke the neighborhood streets as they drive around, looking for nonexistent spaces, and dropping off passengers. Local restaurants and other businesses will lose revenue if increased traffic causes customers to go elsewhere. Parking restrictions to reserve residential spaces (as proposed in 2010) would only add to these difficulties. A new parking plan is no doubt forthcoming. It will be read eagerly.
The Arts Center, as designed, will be, in effect, a regional facility, with the potential of drawing patrons (and their cars) from a wide area. Regional facilities are appropriate for arts or commercial districts with adequate parking—but not for a residential neighborhood. If this were a private commercial project, FSLC would be required to establish approximately 160 onsite parking spaces. Deirdre Nice, Executive and Artistic Director of the St. Lawrence, has worked heroically to preserve the Parish Hall and foster a lively theater and concert scene on Munjoy Hill. For many years, the folks from FSLC have had a “neighborhood arts” vision for the Arts Center. Their financial projections have been based on generating enough excess revenue to maintain the historic Parish Hall, whose upkeep can be very expensive. This in turn seems to be driving the need for a 400-seat venue. This number has dictated the size of the building and appears to have made other considerations—parking and neighborhood compatibility—secondary.
We think a new vision is needed, a vision that involves a much smaller, much more neighborhood-friendly Arts Center along with a creative way to preserve the Parish Hall. The size, design, and capacity of the proposed Arts Center are laden with major consequences. We have found, in our talks with people over the past several months, that many of our neighbors on Munjoy Hill were unaware of the scope of the planned Arts Center and by the potential impact on their neighborhood. For this reason, the CCMH committee will be reaching out to Munjoy Hill neighbors to make them aware of these concerns and share their thoughts with our City Councilor, Kevin Donoghue, and the Portland Planning Board. For further information on the CCMH committee and the FSLC design proposal, please call Ralph Carmona at 518-9177 or e-mail him at ralphcarmona@gmail. com.
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August 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Living With Peace
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.
Rebuilding Shattered Lives and Broken Bodies By Christina Feller, VP of Living With Peace
ing Persons with Disabilities, and second, there are no I have just returned from a trip to Nairobi, Kenya, recovery and rehabilitation service centers anywhere in on behalf of the non-governmental organization from Somalia to respond to those identified in need. The end Maine called the Horn of Africa Aid and Rehabilitation result is that up to 50% of the population of South and Central Somalia could be suffering from some form of disAction Network. HAARAN represents ability as a result of contractthe interests of Persons with Disabilities ing a “natural” disease (i.e., (PWDs) as defined by the UN Convenpolio), having a debilitating tion on the Rights of Persons with Disdisease (i.e., diabetes, cancer), abilities (CRPD) and the Americans with an infectious or communiDisabilities Act (ADA). The disabled cable disease (i.e. TB, leprosy, represent a significant proportion of any HIV/AIDS), a chronic disease population rebuilding itself following (i.e., hypertension, cardiovascivil war, famine, disease, and natural cular, malnutrition, malaria), disaster. In a stable society like the US, a conflict injury (i.e., loss of it is estimated that 1 in every 5 individuAbove: UN Special Rapporteur on Disabilities, limb, loss of use of limb), a als is disabled (CDC). In countries like Shuaib Chalklen, of South Africa, introducing the communicative condition South Sudan and Somalia, however, it HAARAN team on the floor of the UN. (i.e., loss of vision, hearing, is estimated that more than 25% of the (Courtesy photo) speech), a cognitive impairpeople have physical or developmental ment or developmental condisabilities, and as much as 60% of the dition (i.e., Down’s Syndrome, Autism Spectrum), and population suffer from some form of mental illness, inthe list goes on. tellectual impairment or emotional disorders often as a result of PTSD and trauma. This is the result of decades of war and instability and a lack of public health facilities.
Abdi Noor Matan, president of HAARAN, explains the current problems in East Africa, especially Somalia. As he states, there are two glaring barriers. First, no one knows the true magnitude of the health problem at hand regard-
Crossword Across
1- Turkish title 6- Heroic 10- Air freshener target 14- New York city 15- Woody’s boy 16- Emperor of Rome 54-68 17- Printmaking technique 19- Aforementioned 20- Hook’s helper 21- Pond organism 22- Curt 23- Bard’s nightfall 24- An organization 26- Pilfer 28- Take offense at 29- Drang’s partner 30- Informal greeting 33- Produced in the bone marrow 38- Horn warning 39- That group
HAARAN’s objective is to help develop an agency-wide assessment tool to identify disabled individuals and record baseline data. Simultaneously, international teams work with local NGOs, local Government representatives, local and regional health service and facility providers, and local clan elders, community members, and families, teaching about disabilities and how to respond to the disabilities they find at home and in the community. HAARAN, melds health care diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention technologies with
(Solution on page 14)
42- Be present 47- Bridal paths 48- Pertaining to philosophy 52- Large container 53- Mountain nymph of Greek mythology 54- Cross 55- Emit coherent light 56- Grime 57- Responsible 59- 160 square rods 60- Departs 61- Filament 62- Meadows 63- Other, in Oaxaca 64- Lees;
Down
1- Own 2- Something nutritious 3- Nonmetallic element 4- Codlike fish
5- Ques. response 6- Viscounts’ superiors 7- Ragu competitor 8- Pertaining to the small intestine 9- Chile ___ carne 10- Beginnings 11- Honeybunch 12- Prayer 13- Gnawing animal 18- Money 22- ___ kwon do 24- Wile E. Coyote’s supplier 25- OPEC member 27- Attempt, a score in rugby 30- Boo follower 31- Can ___ now? 32- Are we there ___? 34- Former Fords 35- Ear-related 36- Sounds of hesitation
37- Like a well-edited puzzle 40- Nudibranch 41- Values highly 42- Having no distinct feet 43- Three times 44- ___ del Fuego 45- Thrills 46- Silent assent 47- Adjutant 49- Ready ___... 50- Difficult question 51- In what way? 55- Hideaway 57- “…and seven years _____” 58- Mayberry ___; BestCrosswords.com
local cultures, high quality health practices, and current socio-economic and environmental conditions to improve the lives of persons with disabilities.
Above: Christina Feller, with Kenyan Senator LeShore and Abdi Noor Matan at the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (Courtesy photo)
One team went into Somalia to begin their work while the other team headed for the United Nations in New York where HAARAN delegates were introduced on the floor of the UN Sixth Session on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in mid-July. Find HAARAN at www.haaranusa.org, and please ‘Like’ us on Facebook.
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
East End Business Focus
By Caron Murray Proprietor, Justine Simon, is from Montreal, Canada, and has worked in food policy. Her interest in local food systems led her to run a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) selling fresh local vegetables. When she moved to Portland with her husband so he could help run the family fishing business, Justine was impressed with how good fish right out of Maine waters tasted. “About 95% of the fish Americans eat is imported. Fresh fish just tastes better! People don’t realize just how delicious fish can taste until they’ve had the freshest fish. Even those who think they don’t like fish at all will often change their minds after tasting fish right off the boat.” With Justine’s interest in local agriculture and her passion for healthy eating, once she relocated to the Portland area it just followed that she would come up with the idea for Salt and Sea, LLC, founded in November 2012. Each week Salt and Sea members receive a delivery of 1 -2 pounds of fresh fish, a recipe suggestion, and occasional tastes of local seaweed. Sometimes they also receive a bo-
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Now at our sunny new location in the Old Port
Open seven days a week • 9 Commercial St. • 207.210-6473
nus; home made, “hake cakes”, which are growing so popular it’s difficult to keep up with the demand! All the fish delivered by Salt and Sea LLC were caught in local waters, fished by local fisherman only. Salt and Sea only delivers the freshest catch right off the boat. The website states, “Salt & Sea works to honor the fishermen’s stewardship of the ocean and their efforts to preserve the resource for generations to come. We offer the most plentiful and healthy fish stocks, and strive to protect the watershed from pollutant runoff.”
August 2013
Small-batCh COffee rOaSter aNd SCratCh bakery
Above, Salt + Sea owner Justine Simon, on the wharf, holding the catch-of-the-day: pollock. (Photo taken by Michael Ferry, of media group Isle Kind (islekind.com); his personal website is ferry-foto.com.)
It was a great idea and it’s catching on. As membership rises, Justine thinks of ways to reward and celebrate, such as hosting cooking class cocktail parties, where members learn to prepare a dish and then enjoy the results together. At the last gathering they served up steamed mussels and glasses of wine.
Salt and Sea also gives back to the Portland community. “We are donating food to Wayside Food Programs (http://waysidemaine.org/). We’ve applied to the USDA so that we can accept EBT Cards (food stamp program) as payment for membership, because more people should be able to access wholesome, delicious fresh fish.”
CHESTER & V ESTAL, P.A. ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Over 30 years of service to Munjoy Hill REAL ESTATE • SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY JUVENILE DEFENSE • PROBATE, WILLS AND ESTATES 107 CONGRESS STREET • PORTLAND, MAINE 04101
(207) 772-7426 | www.chesterandvestal.com
Justine enjoys sharing her love for “Serving Greater Portland Since 1980” fish with the community but she says she wasn’t prepared for how excited Congratulations to all of tonights people would be when Award Winners! 104 Washington Avenue • Portland, ME 04101 • 207.773.8198 they got their weekly deliveries of fish. “We 104 Washington Avenue • Portland, Maine 04101 • (207) 773-8198 get such a great recepmikerand@maine.rr.com tion when we make deliveries! I am surprised observer ad.indd 1 9/18/2009 8:37:35 AM at how adventurous some of our members have been with the recipes we provide each week. We’re getting great feedback!”
www.dalerandprinting.com
To become a member, please visit the Salt and Sea website here: http://saltandsea.me/ contact.htm
“Do not overcook this dish. Most seafoods...should be simply threatened with heat and then celebrated with joy.” —Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet)
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August 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Summer greening every
Wednesday in August in the East End Community School gardens from 3 pm-5 pm. Come help out when you can and enjoy the fruits (or in this case vegetables!) of your labor by taking home some fresh veggies. Contact Leah at leahcrossdesigns@gmail.com for more information or just meet up in the East End Community School garden on North Street on Wednesday afternoons!
MS Harborfest Shoreside Festival ...And 5K Run—SUnday
Port Veritas Spoken Word Night Poetry Readings, Tuesday
Venue: Bull Feeney’s; Monday Venue: Formerly Awful Annie’s which was formally George’s Tavern which was formally some fishermen getting wicked hammered in a tent. Mama’s CrowBar is located at 189 Congress and features American Craft Beers as well as nightly musical and poetry events. Beer Only, Cash Only, 21+. FMI: portveritas.com/wordpress/
Mayo Street Arts Performances &
Aug. 18, 2013: Save the date for the MS Classes, 10 Mayo Street, mayostreetarts. Harvborfest, which takes place at Fort org —Times vary. Classes: Tango, Belly Allen Park. The Shoreside Festival is part Dancing, Kids Yoga, Juggling, Zumba and of MS Harborfest, a three-day festival Pilates. Artist Studios, theater, poetry, of sailboats, powerboats, tugboats, and music and more. Call 615-3609, or info@ lobster boats benefitting the National mayostreetarts.org Multiple Sclerosis Society. Kicking off Sunday’s festivities is the first annual MS Shoreside 5K Run. Participants will run along part of the Eastern Prom Trail, crossing the finish line back at Fort Allen Park. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket, then sit back and watch the Lobster Boat Race and Tugboat Muster. There will be food vendors, GO Happy GO Healthy GO BERRY children’s activities and 399 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101 LIKE us at Facebook: GoBerry Portland more. For more informaWWW.GOBERRYME.COM tion, visit msharborfest. org.
St. Lawrence Arts Center Your neigh-
on the front steps of the church between 12 and 1 on Tues., Aug. 20th, Wars and rumors of wars are much too present; our faith urges us to pray for peace. State Street Church United Church of Christ,159 State St. Take some time to pray or meditate or contemplate the urgency of building a just and peaceful world.
Twilight Dinner Series: Casual,
three-course Thurs night dinners in the orchard of Turkey Hill Farm on Cape Elizabeth, made with fresh produce grown at the farm by youth growers and new American farmers in Cultivating Community’s programs. Each dinner is prepared by a southern Maine chef. The cost of the dinner supports the organization’s work. $40 FMI: www.cultivatingcommunity.org
Thurs — Sat: We’re open ’til 1:00 am* Try a Late-Night Breakfast! (+ full-menu)
Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
— BreakfaSt aLL Day— ask about our Weekly Specials Open seven days a week 7 am to 11 pm, Sun-Weds*
Call (207) 619-7565
for take-Out & more info. 111 Cumberland ave.
borhood arts center is at 76 Congress Street, Find shows at stlawrencearts.org, 347-7177
Enjoy your meal out on our dEck!
Spirits Alive Cemetery Tours
From July 3 to October 13, Spirits Alive will be giving tours of the Eastern Cemetery: July 3 - October 13, 2013. Wednesdays 1:30pm; Saturdays 10:30am; Sundays 1:30pm. No reservations required— just show up!
Take in the Views...from the top
of the Portland Observatory. Take a tour, hear about the history, and take in the views when you climb the wooden stairs to the top. see Portlandlalandmarks.org
Throw a Pot
(or buy one.) Portland Pottery Studio, Classes & supplies. 118 Washington Ave, www. portlandpottery.com 207-772-4334.
2013 Farmers Market http://
www.portlandmainefarmersmarket.org/ From now through late November, come shop outdoors with over 35 Maine Farmers all in one stop: Saturdays at Deering Oaks Park in Portland from 7 am- 1 pm, or Wednesdays in Monument Square in Portland from 7 am to 2 pm.
ATime For Peace - Vigil Gather
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
We use locally-sourced foods!
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Comparison Puzzle-by OutherebyGeorge.com. See if you can find the six differences
August 2013
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Join us for our 1st Annual
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT! on Munjoy Hill The East End’s celebration of America’s Night Out Against Crime is sponsored in part by the Munjoy Hill Community Policing Center and Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization, The event will take place on Tuesday, August 6th 2013 at The Munjoy South playground located at the end of Adams Street starting at 6 pm. Residents in the Munjoy Hill neighborhood are asked to lock their doors, turn on their outside lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors and police. For more information please call the Munjoy Hill Community Policing Center at 756-8135.
EECS Back-to-School
crossword SOLUTION
Find crossword puzzle on page 12
Wed, Sept 4, 2013: First Day of School for Grades 1-12 Fri, Sept 6—No School for Students (Teacher Professional Learning Day) Mon, Sept 9: First Day of School for Kindergartners. East End Community School kindergarten families will receive information from EECS about opportunities to meet with kindergarten teachers and visit classrooms prior to the start of school. Contact the school office at 874-8228
Coming Soon:
Get Your Beauty On! Free Drawing for
Munjoy Hill Makeover of the Month
Sponsored by JKelley Salon Free makeover offered by JKelley Salon. One entry drawn each month receives a FREE makeover. Male or female –accept it yourself, or give as a gift. Cut, color, style and make up. Recipient will be highlighted in the Observer after makeover; before-&-after picture will be shown.
Drawings on the 15th of each month beginning in September 2013 HOW TO Enter to win:
Fill out the form below and drop it off at the Congress St JKelley Salon, or MAIL to: JKelley Salon, 243 Congress St, Portland, ME 04101 To make an appointment call (207) 879-9696
Munjoy Hill Makeover of the Month
Name:
Address:
Phone: Email: Release Signature:
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August 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
India Street, from page 6 historic Lincoln Park is right across the street. No other connectivity to downtown or surrounding neighborhoods is called for, which may cause problems, given the amount of parking that the concept envisions the neighborhood accommodating. With limited entry and exit points to the neighborhood, cars will be funneled to specific streets, thus potentially clogging existing intersections at Congress Street and Middle Street. A right turn in/right turn out option for Federal Street contemplated provides local access for residents and visitors; a full restoration of through traffic along Federal Street would reconnect the historic street grid, integrating the neighborhood into the larger transportation network in a human-scaled fashion. Connectivity within the neighborhood is addressed extensively by breaking up larger development lots to accommodate pedestrian activity and to enliven the street. The neighborhood planning process for the India Street neighborhood, while not complete, is long overdue. Residents play a vital role in identifying the challenges and opportunities of their community. As this neighborhood is in transition, it raises questions about the relationship between neighborhood planning and the broader planning goals of the City. There seems to be consensus that India Street is poised to play a greater role in meeting the housing and economic development goals of the City. In other cases, such as connectivity and transportation, it’s not evident that the City even has clear goals. As the planning processes for India Street and its surroundings advance, we will have the opportunity to find a balance on an array of issues important to our community: economic diversity, preservation and new development, height and density, transportation choices, connectivity, etc. To grow sustainably, our city must have organizing principles for such; to support these collective goals, our neighborhoods must have organizing principles to promote long-term liveability. In working together to envision the best India Street neighborhood possible, we can also envision the best Portland possible.
Franklin Street Redevelopment Study Phase 2—
Now ONLINE! submitted by Carol Morris, Study Public Outreach, Morris Communications The City of Portland now has a website devoted to the Franklin Street study: http://www.portlandmaine.gov/franklinstreetphase2.htm. We’ll be adding materials on a regular basis. We also now have a Facebook page, which is where you’ll have the opportunity to comment on materials as they come out as well as ask questions. You can access the Facebook page from either the website, or do a search for Franklin St. Redevelopment Study Phase 2 on Facebook. Please ‘Like’ the page to get updates, see comments, and to make comments. The study officially kicked off in May, with the first Public Advisory Meeting having taken place on June 26. Find the slides and minutes from the meeting on the website. The slides, in particular, provide a good overview of the schedule, and of the work that will be done in the next year and a half. Please take a look, ‘Like’ us on Facebook, and let me know if you have any questions. And also, please share this information with others interested in the future of Franklin Street. For more info, contact Carol Morris, cmorris@morriscomm.net, or 207-329-6502.