M u n joy Hil l
M u n joy Hil l
OBSERVER
OBSERVER
Non Profit Org US Postage
MHNO, 92 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
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Portland, ME Permit No. 824
FREE Published by the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization Vol. 33, No. 1 • February 2013
Growing pains –Beloved Landmark Eyes Expansion St. Lawrence Arts on Congress Street has been the focus of community attention in recent weeks after a preliminary sketch showing a large, architecturally-modern addition was published in the Portland Daily Sun (in the Dec. 5, 2012 issue). In addition to the design, community members were concerned about the impact a project of this magnitude could have on Hill residents, both positive and negative. Subsequent reports revealed that the sketch, which had prompted rather heated responses from some in the neighborhood, was not representative of the ultimate goals of the Friends of the St Lawrence in their renovation/expansion plans.
MHNO Position Statement on the St. Lawrence Arts Expansion Project February 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 fervor surrounding the news about the expansion reveals a number of truths about the situation. One is that members of the community feel very strongly about this historic structure. Another is that public involvement and buy-in will be important in the fundraising and advancement of future construction at the St. Lawrence. Furthermore, it will be important to look at the many considerations that go into the decision-making process, and to understand that there will be ample opportunity for public input and participation in this process. This will invariably take time, and all involved care deeply about a positive outcome for this building; nothing is being done in haste. See commentary on this topic in this issue,
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.
on pages 14 & 15.
At left and above, the historic St. Lawrence building, now a busy venue for the arts, was built in the 1870s. It still features a real slate roof and many of its original stained glass windows.
Please join the MHNO for our
Quarterly Meeting on Wed, February 20 at 6:30 pm
From MHNO President & Editor. . . . . . 2 From MHNO VP, Ross Fields. . . . . . . . . 3 Good Neighbor Pastor Dan White. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 MHNO Bulletin Board Board Member Profiles. . . . . . . . . . . 4 MHNO Bulletin Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Snow Removal Regs MHNO Membership Form Senior Issues/AARP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Friends of the Eastern Promenade. . . . . 7
Capital & City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Justin Alfond, State Senator Kevin Donoghue, City Councilor Markos Miller, India Street Developments Business Focus: Foodworks • Beautiful Foods to Go . . . . . . . . . 13 Art & Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Op/Ed by Elizabeth Miller El Camino de Santiago by Kate Campbell Strauss Seafood at 3 Buoys by Lisa Peñalver
Crossword (solution on p8) . . . . . . . . 7
Art & Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 St Lawrence Arts, Op/Ed by Diedre Nice
Parenting/Growing Together. . . . . . . . . . 8
ClutterDoc, Solange Kellerman. . . . . . . 15
Poetry/Port Veritas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Heart Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Sudoku Puzzle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
India Street Free Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Crossword Solution (puzzle on p7) . . . 8
Living with Peace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Spotlight on Non-Profits: Maine Natural Resources Council. . . 9
School News/EECS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Local Events Listings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
East End Restaurants. . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
City Representatives will be on hand to talk about Community Gardening and Farming. We’ll also have an update on the status of the Saint Lawrence Arts Center new building design project. We hope to see you there!
Call For Submissions! (send to observer@munjoyhill.org) PetPics: Calling All PETS! Please send us photos of your
adorable four-footed or feathered favorites and we will PRINT the pictures in the March Observer. The first three submissions will win a small package of cookies (of your choice) from Two Fat Cats Bakery on India Street!. Please include the word “PetPics” in the subject line - DEADLINE: send by February 6, 2013
Marvelous Moms: Start early to show your mother how
much you appreciate her! WRITE an essay about her. Munjoy kids, 3rd through 5th graders, may enter our annual essay contest. Prizes for mom are donated by local businesses. Details in coming issues. DEADLINE: send by March 31, 2013
Above, tile artwork created by student at the East End Community School this winter. this piece, with others, will be on display throughout the month of February in the office of the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood association at 92 Congress St, right beside the Hilltop Coffee Shop.
Hill House First Friday 2013
February After a few months off, the MHNO is once again greeting visitors for First Fridays. The February exhibit will feature artwork on the themes of love, family, and compassion, from students at the East End Community School. The tile piece, above, “Peace,” is the collective work of a group of fourth grader (9-10 yr. olds), students in Laurie Daniels’ class.
Soldiers among us: To all those from Munjoy Hill who
have served, or are serving our country, and their families: we deeply appreciate your sacrifices and want to tell your stories in the Observer. Please include “Soldier” in the subject line of your email submission. Send any time. Always welcome.
selling • b u y i n g • h o m e • i n v e s t m e n t •
Finally, weekly curbside compost pickup!
visit garbagetogarden.org for details
M arc chadbourne . coM
There Is No Substitute for Experience OCEAN GATE REALTY, LLC • 151 Newbury St., Portland, Me 04101 • Cell 207.465.5569
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February 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
At the Helm The Munjoy Hill Observer is published
by the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization (MHNO) at 92 Congress Street Portland, Maine 04101 info@munjoyhill.org 207-775-3050 Editor: Lisa Peñalver
observer@munjoyhill.org (207) 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 2012-2013 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 Eben Albert-Knopp....................................... . ................... ealbertknopp@yahoo.com Ralph Carmona............................................ rccarmona@hotmail.com.........518-9177 Nova Ewers........ nova.ewers@munjoyhill.org Thomas Kelley............................................. . .............thomas.kelley@munjoyhill.org Joan Sheedy.....joan.sheedy@munjoyhill.org . ............................................. 774-7616 Ann Quinlan..... ann.quinlan@munjoyhill.org
MHNO President, Andrea Myhaver
Calling all Events Enthusiasts! A few months ago, I wrote my column about figuring out a way to strike a balance in my life, and find some breathing space. Shortly thereafter, I made a concerted effort to take a mini-break from my MHNO activities. For about a month, I kept my meetings to a minimum, which allowed me the time to get my bearings back. Ironically, just when I found myself feeling refreshed and ready to jump back into all things MHNO with renewed energy, I was promoted to a temporary leadership position at my job. In December, my responsibilities at work increased dramatically, and since then I’ve found it very difficult to fit everything in again while still keeping my sanity and some semblance of a home life. I’m working on it, and starting to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel (or perhaps on the other side of my computer screen). So, dear readers, and members of the MHNO, I ask you to bear with me, as I try to catch up on emails and phone calls that I haven’t been able to address in a timely manner. In the meantime, I’m also trying to find ways that I can reduce the number of responsibilities that I have, while still making sure that key strategic goals of the MHNO are being carried forward. With that in mind, I’m asking for your help. Currently I chair the Observer Committee and the Events Committee, and I’m looking for someone to take over as Chair of the Events Committee. The Events
The Chairperson of the committee spearheads those efforts, runs a monthly meeting, and generally is responsible for paying attention to the details that are required to make everything fall into place smoothly. Does that sound like something you’d be interested in doing, or do you know someone who would be great at it? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to me at: andrea.myhaver@ munjoyhill.org. Sometimes when I write this column, I feel like the comedian who has just told a joke that has gone flat, and utters, “is this thing on?” into the microphone, because I never know who is reading, IF anyone is reading, and if anyone really cares about what I have to say. I’m counting on all of you (who I know are really out there) to let me know I’m being heard loud and clear. Happy February!
From the Editor, Lisa Peñalver
Look with Better Eyes
It’s February, full-on winter, dark and cold, icy. I’ve been finding myself dismayed by all the media attention being given to the moral failings of former cycling hero, Lance Armstrong. Is this what we’ve come to? Really? But, you know what? I refuse to believe that this bad behavior of one man is the norm. I refuse. I will not go down that somber path to cynicism, because I believe we DO have a choice, and that we are each, in fact, capable of turning things around. I see evidence of this every day. There are good people out there doing what needs to be done, often for no other reason than that it’s the right thing to do. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, moves us forward. The seed for this column was planted as I listened to MPBN (one of the bright lights in our metaphysical sky); I heard the announcer mention the return of the sun and “moving into the light.” I tuned in as she described the music of Vox Nova Chamber Choir, (playing at Bowdoin on January 26, 2013), in the concert featuring works “describing the transcendence of the human condition.” Like a plant leaning toward the sun, I turned toward the radio. I want to hear this concert.
MHNO Mission
Committee is responsible for coordinating all of our “public” activities, such as Quarterly and Annual Meetings, First Fridays, and our major annual fundraiser, which has historically been a big neighborhood festival.
A few days later, I tuned in again during Maine Things Considered. A
discussion on a new state policy on cyber-bullying in the schools mentioned the power of a compliment. In contrast to bullying, saying something positive and true about a person can significantly lift their spirits, and can help wipe away the impact of unkind words. The kids came up with this twist themselves—more light! Then I stumbled across an inspirational sports story on Facebook. In an underreported incident that occurred during a foot-race in Spain on Dec 2, 2012, Basque athlete Iván Fernández Anaya, running in second place, in the home stretch, saw that the Kenyan racer in the lead had mistakenly pulled up short, thinking he’d crossed the finish line. Ignoring his own chance to go by and take the win, Fernández Anaya instead tapped the Kenyan, and using hand gestures directed him onward to claim his rightful win. Brings tears of joy to my eyes. Being editor of this neighborhood newspaper and getting to know the diverse people who make up this community repeatedly shows me the good that is out there. Sometimes you just need to turn off the News. Sure, bad things happen, but you don’t need to conclude that things are bad. As the character played by Elizabeth Mastroantonio in the 1989 film The Abyss said, “We all see what we want to see. [He} ... sees hate and fear. You have to look with better eyes than that.” So you might want to put on some shades, because, here comes the sun!
Incorporated as a nonprofit organization in January 1979, our purpose is to be
a
broad-based,
representative
WHO YOU GONNA CALL? You can help prevent crime on the Hill!
organization committed to improving the
If you see a crime happening or see/hear anything suspicious in your neighborhood, please call the police!
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
756-8135 Daytimes: Janine Kaserman with Community Policing 2) 650-9005 cell: 11 am thru the night, 1)
Senior Lead Officer Tony Ampezzan (at right)
groups, encouraging self-sufficiency, and enriching the lives of all residents.
3)
874-8575/-8574:
Dispatch/non-emergency events
4) Emergencies: 9-1-1 Anonymous Crimes tips Program: Phone Tip—Dial 874-8584 | Online: tipsubmit.com Text-A-Tip: Text “GOTCHA” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES) Clip and save these numbers!
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
The Value of Win/Win Negotiation By Ross Fields, VP & MHNO Membership Committee Chair How often do you personally use the process of win/win negotiating…at home, at work, in your community? I believe that the process, or even the concept, of win/win negotiating is foreign to most because we weren’t taught it as kids, and we are used to having a winner and a loser. We, as a society, focus on sports, where there is definitely a winner and a loser. Our politics produce winners and losers with every election. In these events, the concept and results of winner and loser are clear. A win/win type of outcome would just not be right. However, when
dealing with differences of opinions, or where decisions that affect the whole are concerned, win/ win negotiating has a place. Still, it is a process that feels awkward and unfamiliar to most. It is much easier to put something to a vote which can produce a result that polarizes those involved. Win/win negotiating is a method that is respectful of all opinions and desires involved. It is a process that promotes civility. In most cases it produces a solution that is far better than what was originally sought. Plus there are no losers. No one has to hang their head in defeat, but rather be proud of the collective solution that has been attained. How do you even begin win/win negotiat-
(from the Momastery Facebook blog, Jan 2013)
Dan White
a church elder at the hospital. When he arrived, he was told that the man had been discharged. With time on his hands, Dan took a walk into Deering Oaks Park, where he struck up a conversation with a homeless man on a park bench.
In past issues of the Observer, we have occasionally included events notices for the Hilltop Community Fellowship, a group, which meets Sunday evenings at 6:30 pm in the International Christian Fellowship building at 35 Lafayette Street. This Fellowship Over the coming offers support and help weeks and months, for people in need—not he kept in touch, and just moral support, but a relationship of trust help finding ways to developed. Dan was get the basics like food, Above, pastor Dan White in front of the brick eventually able to shelter and clothing. In staircase of the Christian Fellowship building help the man find this time of economic at 35 Lafayette Street. Courtesy photo. housing, while conhardship, Dan White necting him with makes time to go out services to help deal and talk with the homeless and down- with some of the other issues that had and-out to learn what he can do to help brought him to homelessness. His goal is them improve their lives. to help the man get to “a place of grace.” This work is not for the shy or faint of heart. It can be cold out on the streets, talking with the homeless. It can be difficult, confusing, frustrating, and at times, frightening. So why does he do it? Dan White is, in his own words, “just like anybody else.” He has a wife and three kids, two in college. Like so many others in the middle class, he had a suburban upbringing. Originally from Massachusetts, Dan grew up going to church with his family on Sundays, attending Sunday school as a child. He was a 3-sport athlete in high school. He attended U-Mass, “known as ZooMass,” he acknowledged. “I’ve seen some of the crazy things that go on.” Along the way, he began to feel a “calling for ministry.” He went on to attend Tennessee Temple University, and Bethel Seminary in Auburn Mass. And his sense of purpose—of service—took form. For a number of years, he worked pastoring a smaller church up in Lovell, Maine. There he felt called to have more of an “outward focus,” to go out into the community and meet with people who needed “a hand up, not a handout.” In 2005, he moved to the Portland area. His “Aha! moment” arrived unexpectedly. He had come in to Portland to visit
Years, later, “He still calls me; we still talk;” says Dan. Of this event, he says, “It’s what brought me to the streets.” (The strange thing was, when he called to check on the church elder later that day, Dan learned that the elder had been there all along; the orderly had misread the charts.) Yes, there is a religious/Christian component to Dan White’s mission. He is a man of conviction, who seeks “to pursue the living words of Jesus Christ.” The form this takes, however, is universal and non-judgemental: “... to lend an ear, or help with what they need, regardless of what they may have gone through or done.” He takes the philosophy of “sacrificing the self for others” to heart. “If they need someone to call, they can call me.” Everyone is invited to meet with Hilltop Community Fellowship Sunday evenings, and you are invited to call Pastor Dan White at (207) 251-6967 to talk or to let them know how they may serve the community. Dan White is also active in another ministry to help the needy: The Casco Bay Rescue Mission, which has its office on St. John Street. If you have clothing or household items to donate this winter, you can email Dan at whidanj@yahoo.com.
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ing? It can start with one person just say- relentless in putting forth solution after ing, “I can see your side of this and what it solution until one is arrived upon that would take for you to feel good about it . . . gets both parties what they want. How to win. I truly want this for you. How can great would that be? Win/win negotiating I win too?” Can you feel how the energy does take time at first, but like with anyin solving the issue at hand thing, it becomes would shift? It is very simi“The Law of Win/Win easier with practice. lar to saying, “You’re right,” I truly believe that to the person you are argusays, ”Let’s not do it when an individual ing with. your way or my way; or group sees that The “You’re right” actuyou are just as interally stops the argument and let’s do it the best way” ested in their winopens the door to discusning, they become —Greg Anderson sion. The most effective neeager to help figgotiations are those where ure out ways where both parties strive for a soyou both can have lution that all involved can support. This what you want. So the next time you find does not mean giving up what you want. yourself trying to bring agreement to disIt does mean that each party must listen agreement just ask, “How can we all win intently to what the other wants. This is in this?” not about trying to talk the other party out of what they want. It is about being
Good Neighbor of the Month By Lisa Peñalver
February 2013
We are proud to support the community we live and work in. Since opening in 2007, we have donated $156,800.99 through our 5% Days to Maine non-profits and schools. Most recently, $7,250.34 was
r nks to ou Many tha onating over for d customers ounds of food p r 43,000 r drives fo during ou d Programs! oo Wayside F
donated to benefit Riding to the Top Therapeutic Riding Center. As a sponsor since the inception of the Maine Cancer Foundation’s Tri For a Cure, we’ve fed 5,000 women triathletes as they help raise funds to fight against cancer in Maine. In 2012, over 500 pounds of non-perishable food was provided to Cultivating Community’s Youth Grower Kitchen, while our customers donated $2,587.00 at the registers to further support their mission with youth, food and leadership. We donate safe,
edible food to local food banks 7 days a week.
Learn more and apply at: www.wholefoodsmarket.com/donate Whole Foods Market 2 Somerset Street, Portland
Open Daily, 8:00am –10:00pm 207-774-7711
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BULLETIN Board the munjoy Hill neighborhood Organization
February 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Meet the 2012-2013 Board of the MHNO!
Nova Ewers I was raised in New York City. I’ve also lived in Connecticut, Philadelphia, India, and on sailboats around the world. Between ages 18 and 24, I travelled to 25 countries. One day my travels brought me to Portland Maine, where I fell in love with the community. That was nearly 4 years ago. I’m a Certified Senior Advisor and the Manager of Business Development and Marketing at Beach Glass Transitions, a company of Senior Care Advisors helping families as they transition aging relatives into senior care services. I love my work. And I love being active in my community, which is why I joined the MHNO. I also serve on the Advisory Board of the Southern Maine Wellness Council. Though my college advisor told me I could do nothing with an English major, I use my BA from UPenn to teach creative writing classes in Portland Public School’s Adult Ed Continuing Studies program. You can also find me taking art classes there or at MECA, kicking around the squash courts at the Y, knitting at home, walking my dog at the Prom, sailing in Casco Bay, or out and about with friends in our wonderful urban town.
Andrea Myhaver Ross Fields Elaine Mullin Sam Cohen Eben Albert-Knopp President Vice President Treasurer Secretary
Ralph Carmona Thomas Kelley
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 2012 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 has lived on Munjoy Hill for one year; he became a Board member last 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.
Elaine Mullin
Sign up for our email list at munjoyhill. org to receive alerts on events and issues pertaining to the East End (fyi: we do not share our list.). Get the first glimpse of the each month's Observer. "Like" the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood 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.
Ann Quinlan
Get to know us!
A favorite quotation of Ross’—”When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” (Author Unknown)
“LIKE” us & stay INFORMED!
Joan Sheedy
(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 have to go far to find things going on. Few people would know that Elaine has participated in the Trek Across Maine bicycle tour—three times! A favorite quotation: “Be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.” (Author Unknown)
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 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)
Eben Albert-Knopp 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 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)
Joan Sheedy Joan has been a Board member for 6+ 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)
Ann Quinlan Ann became a Board member in 2011; she has lived on Munjoy Hill for three years but has spent summers on the Hill ever since the ‘60s. She enjoys “living in a well-knit community with neighbors who all know one another. Instead of confining ourselves to particular age brackets.” Ann believes it is important to live inter-generationally and to connect with people of all ages. A favorite quotation of Ann’s: ”We are not here to be perfect; we are here to be real.” (Einstein).
Ralph Carmona (Chair, MHNO Annual Appeal Campaign) Over two 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.
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
February 2013
the munjoy Hill neighborhood Organization Keeping our Sidewalks Free of Ice and Snow
Open MEETINGS: The MHNO Board meets every second Monday of each month at 7 pm at the Hill House at 92 Congress St. — all are welcome!
Residents’ Rights and Obligations
By Eben Albert-Knopp and Joan Sheedy, of the Safe & Walkable Neighborhood Committee of the MHNO With winter finally upon us on Munjoy Hill, it is time once again to dust off the shovels, tune up the snowblower, and dig out the rock salt. When the snow starts flying, property owners have a few basic duties to ensure that this winter is a safe and enjoyable one for our cherished community. By city ordinance, residential property owners and anyone else responsible for maintaining residential property must remove snow from the sidewalk in front of the building within 24 hours of when it ceases to fall, or within 24 hours of when the city finishes clearing snow from the storm, whichever is later. For commercial properties, snow must be removed within 12 hours of when it ceases to fall. For purposes of the snow-removal ordinance, commercial properties include those located in a commercial zone or consisting of more than 4 dwelling units. Property owners must also clear a path through curb cuts at least four feet wide, and must clear any ice that accumulates on the sidewalk (or make it safe by spreading sand) within 24 hours. FREE SAnd/Salt: The city leaves a number of blue public sand barrels and sand boxes around Munjoy hill each winter for residents’ use. Every property owner is entitled to two bucket-fulls of sand from these barrels each storm. Barrels may be found at the following locations, among others:
You are invited!
MHNO Expanding Observer Ad Sales Force!
MHNO Quarterly Meeting East End Community School
Are you outgoing? Detail oriented? Are you able to navigate comfortably in Word, Excel, and most email programs? Do you have a talent for “closing the deal”? Do you live on Munjoy Hill or have a connection to Munjoy Hill?
Wed., February 20, 2013 6-7:30 pm
Are you looking for a part-time job that allows you to make your own hours and earn income based on the effort you put in? The MHNO is expanding our ad sales staff for the Munjoy Hill Observer. If you answered yes to all of the questions above, we would love to hear from you! Please email your resume and a letter of interest to our President at: andrea.myhaver@munjoyhill.org.
• Atlantic Street at Congress •
the Munjoy Hill fire station
•
Marion at Romasco Lane
•
the East End Boat Ramp
Residents may report an uncleared sidewalk by calling the Public Services Sidewalk Hotline at 874-8793, or emailing citysidewalks@portlandmaine.gov. The city will then take appropriate steps to inform the propertyowners of their responsibilities, clear the sidewalk if necessary, and penalize habitually noncompliant landlords. Penalites can include fines of up to $250 in addition to the costs of any necessary snow removal (which the city estimates at $100 for an average sidewalk) plus a 10% administrative fee. Some assistance is available for Seniors who need help clearing snow from their sidewalks. For more information, please call Joan Sheedy with the Senior’s Triad Shoveling Project at 774-7616. For more information regarding the City’s sidewalk snow removal ordinance, Chapter 25, Article VIII, section 25-171 et seq., please see the City website, portlandmaine.gov, click on City Code under the City Council tab. .
Happy shoveling!
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. Email info@ munjoyhill.org.
You can enlist the help of your kids to clear the walkways, but please, do what it takes! (image from blog.budgetpulse.com, Jan 11, 2010)
Recycle and support the MHNO Heating Assistance Program Donate your recyclables thru our CLYNK! bags at Hannafords ! Funds raised support MHNO’s Fuel Assistance “Warm Hearts, Warm Neighbors” program. Stop by the Hill House at 92 Congress and pick up a free green bag (in box on fence0, or call us if we need to put out more bags: call Louise Little at 780-0860. (Note: please don’t take our bags unless you’ll use them for returnables- we DO pay for them! Please bring us any unused green bags so that others may use them. Or drop off a contribution to the effort.)
Keep those cans & bottles coming!
Join the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization New Membership
Renewal
Name(s)_ ____________________________________________________________ Street Address________________________________________________________ City________________________________________State_______ Zip___________ Email (for MHNO updates)_____________________________________________ Day Phone (____)________________ Eve Phone (____)______________________
Membership Levels Individual: $10 Family: $20 Business: $35 Additional Donation $25 $50 $75 $100 $250 $500 Other Amount: ($______) wish my gift to be anonymous
Volunteer for a Committee! We need your help to make Munjoy Hill an even better place to live! Get involved by joining one or more of our committees:
Membership Events Services Safe and Walkable Neighborhood Observer
We want all members of our community to join the MHNO regardless of financial circumstances. If you are unable to pay the suggested minimum amount, please 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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February 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
At Home on Munjoy Hill Senior Issues Will be Front & Center in the 2013 Legislative Session By Lori K. Parham, AARP Maine State Director, Munjoy Hill
AARP Maine recently released our 2013 legislative agenda, and this year we will publish a legislative voting record on issues impacting Mainers 50+. You’ll find
periodic updates on our website and a full legislative voting summary at the end of the session. We need strong legislative leadership from both sides of the aisle to address many critical issues impacting all Maine people.
Elder Care Resources: Clip-n-Save Portland Area Coalition for Elder Services (PACES)
The Southern Maine Agency on Aging (SMAA)
PACES members serve the senior community in greater Portland by providing high quality goods and services. Our monthly meetings focus on sharing best practices, improving business relationships and educating our members about community services available to older adults.
The Southern Maine Agency on Aging offers a wide range of programs and services for older adults living in York and Cumberland counties. These programs and services are designed to foster independence, reduce the burden on family and caregivers, and promote an active and healthy lifestyle throughout the aging process.
http://pacesseniors.com
CONTACT: Lynne Maxfield-Cole PACES Membership Chairperson 53 Waterford Rd. Harrison, ME 04040 lmaxroad@yahoo.com 207-754-0730 Phoebe Chandler PACES President phoebe@allenselig.com 207 712-6500
http://smaaa.org
Southern Maine Agency on Aging 136 U.S. Route One Scarborough, ME 04074 Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 207-396-6500 --and--1-800-427-7411 Fax 207-883-8249 Call 711 if you are deaf or hard of hearing and need relay service. info@smaaa.org Monday - Friday
Much of our public policy work will be on health and financial security for older Mainers. AARP supports implementation of the Affordable Care Act and is urging state lawmakers to adopt the option to extend Medicaid coverage to individuals and families within certain income levels. Proposals that shift rising costs onto Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries would greatly impact many Maine seniors who live on a fixed income of less than $20,000 a year. Increasingly, Maine residents age 50-64 are left with no option for coverage or one they cannot afford. Without needed change, we all continue to pay the cost of a broken system.
have on Maine residents who even now are barely making ends meet, and will work to have funding restored. To make matters worse, the Governor’s budget proposes to extend and deepen the MSP cuts and completely eliminates Maine’s own Drugs for the Elderly program. More than 35,000 seniors will be impacted by these proposals.
Another priority will be advocating for increased access to home and community-based care. Our surveys indicate that 90% of older Mainers want to stay in their own homes and communities as long as possible. We see this right here in our own neighborhood.
Did you know that financial industry research indicates that most investment fraud victims are 55 - 65 years of age? Just this month, AARP became aware of a new telephone scam involving callers who pretend to be AARP representatives “verifying” membership information including bank account numbers. If you get such a call, hang up and call the Portland Police Department at 8748479 to report it immediately.
You may have heard that recently, the Federal government announced their approval of cuts to Maine’s Medicare Savings Program (MSP) that helps cover the cost of prescription drugs and Medicare cost-sharing requirements for many Maine people. Thousands of older and disabled residents will be affected. We are deeply concerned about the impact the cuts to the Program will
Pocketbook issues are also important to older Mainers. For retirees on fixed incomes, rising utility costs can become unmanageable. AARP believes that electric utility and telecommunications rates must be fair and that current consumer protections should be kept in place. We will track these issues closely in Augusta.
These are just some of the issues that will be debated during the 2013 legislative session. We would love to hear what issues matter to you. For more information or to get involved, please contact us at me@aarp.org or call 1-866-554-5380.
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Friends of the Eastern Promenade Cutter Street Intersection Realignment Expect Construction
February 2013
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announced.
On January 9th, the City presented the engineered proposal for safety improvements at the Eastern Prom/ Cutter St intersection including realigning the curb and reducing the amount of pavement along the Eastern Prom from Morning Street to the Cutter St entrance to the Historic Preservation Board. The proposed improvements include:: *Reducing the road width in this area to increase site lines and improve pedestrian safety. *Decreasing the amount of pavement to provide critical traffic calming in this area. The existing pedestrian crosswalk at the entrance of Cutter St is the longest in the City at 100 ft. Resolution of public safety issues is the number one priority within the Eastern Promenade Master Plan. The proposed reconfiguration of the Cutter St. entrance will require vehicles to make more of a right-angled turn to enter the park. The Historic Preservation Board has requested the following four considerations for this project: *Historically-appropriate lighting over the crosswalks. *Reducing the curve and curb line at Cutter Street entrance. *Reviewing the width from Vesper to Morning *Review of the proposed changes by the Fort Allen Park Rehabilitation design team, Martha Lyon and Regina Leonard, to ensure cohesiveness with the Fort Allen project.
2013 Summer Concert Series Relocating To North Street The rehabilitation of Fort Allen Park should begin sometime in March 2013, Mother Nature willing. Renovations include electrical upgrades at the bandstand. Though the goal is to have most of the hardscape, pathways and plantings completed in time for the 4th of July, tenderly-seeded new grass and plantings will be off-limits to foot traffic. Likewise, concerts, weddings, celebrations, and other large-scale events cannot take place at the park until this new grass has taken hold. However, when all is said and done, it will all be well worth the wait! In our desire to have “the shows go on,” our search led us to Fort Sumner Park on North St. as a temporary concert site for the 2013 season. The “runner up” was the midslope lot on Cutter St. However the logistics the bands would need to negotiate, combined with trailer parking and the fact that the top of Cutter St. will also be under construction sometime during the warm weather months, led us to seek a location off the Prom yet still on the Hill. Fort Sumner on North St. won out as the most appropriate site for the summer of 2013. The sunsets will be lovely, there are trees for shade and potential power sources are nearby. The downside - though most of our concertgoers walk to the shows, for anyone driving, parking is not as readily available. Folks will be encouraged to do their part to support the effort and walk or ride (on two wheels) to our concerts.
The final public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday February 6th. The exact time and location is to be
Summer Concert Details • Concerts are sponsored by Friends of the Eastern Promenade and local businesses, in collaboration with the City of Portland • Concerts are free of charge and open to the public thanks to support provided from our membership and our gracious sponsors! • Concerts take place for 8 consecutive Thursdays from July 11th thru August 29th. • Show time is 7 pm to 8:15 pm • Average attendance is 400 people - mostly “Friends” and neighbors Friends of the Eastern Promenade will also set aside $1,000 in restricted funds designated to the care and maintenance of Ft. Sumner Park. Send questions and comments to Diane Davison at info@ easternpromenade.org or the City at 874-8801. We look forward to another fabulous season of local, live music and hope you’ll support our efforts to keep the music alive. Fort Allen is by far our most grand project to date. Please visit our website, easternpromenade.org, to see how you may support our efforts to preserve, protect and enhance the Eastern Promenade. See page 8, Flower show Volunteering
Crossword ACross
(Solution on page 8)
43- Alfalfa 45- Determined 1- Without 48- Animal trap 5- DDE’s command 53- Suffix with glob 8- Aries 54- Having an alert mind 14- Lots and lots 58- Showing courage 15- Flyers’ org. 60- Note well 16- Roman goddess of the 61- King of the Huns dawn 62- Writer Hentoff 17- Chosen 63- Actor Ken 19- General tendencies 64- Closer 20- Salon stylist 65- Dadaist Jean 22- Scooby-___ 66- Outlaws; 23- Mountain ridge Down 24- Three-cornered 26- State in W Mexico 1- Figure skater Cohen 29- ___ tree falls... 2- Shed ___ 32- Dense element 3- I swear! 33- Kate & ___ 4- Hagar the Horrible’s 37- In spite of dog 40- Fresh 5- ___’acte (intermission) 41- Sierra ___ 6- Biblical pronoun 42- Brandy letters 7- Cutlass, e.g.
8- Spuds 9- Cyclonic storm 10- Before, of yore 11- Sonata movement 12- Passion 13- Person who dresses stones 18- Alphabet trio 21- Rich white cheese 25- Chilled 26- Deep black 27- Jock 28- Coherent light beam 29- Gerund maker 30- Pro 31- Munched on 32- Very small 34- Actress Tyler 35- Officeholders 36- Feeling of self-importance 38- Bring into complete union
39- “Wheel of Fortune” buy 44- Underground room 45- Pertaining to people 46- Having wings 47- ___-car 48- Ocean 49- Influential person 50- Journalist ___ Rogers St. Johns 51- Kidney enzyme 52- Paradises 55- Editor Wintour 56- Laugh loudly 57- URL starter 59- Evergreen tree; BestCrosswords.com
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February 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
On Hill
GrowingTogether
The Child Who Always Forgets Has A Parent Who Tip s o n P a r e n t i n g & R e la t i o n s h ip s Always Remembers—Making By Ross Fields, CPE & Kathleen Fields, CPE
Use of Natural Consequences
Does this scenario, sound familiar? You are just about to leave the house for an appointment, when you see it: there, on the kitchen counter, sits your daughter’s lunch. The lunch that you get up early each morning to lovingly prepare. The lunch that you reminded her was ready for her to take with her to school. It’s not that you don’t mind getting up a bit earlier to make sure she has good food to eat, its just that you wish she weren’t so forgetful. You briefly wonder who in the family she gets it from. Oh, well. You grab her lunch and head for school to make yet another lunch delivery. You are at least comforted by the fact that you know you are an involved parent. What you don’t realize is that every time the school staff sees you bring in your daughter’s lunch, they just look at you with that friendly, “Thank you” smile—while to themselves they are saying, “The child who always forgets has a parent who always remembers.” It’s not wrong to want to be there for your children. It’s not wrong for you to want to protect them from life’s little mishaps. What is wrong is continuing to rescue them in situations where, if you allowed the natural consequences to happen, you would not have to rescue them again. Ever. Natural consequences will teach your child how to take responsibility for his actions and solve his own problems. And now, you will have extra time to do things for your-
self. Unless you see yourself living with your child for the rest of your life (or hiring staff to be at their beck and call), I encourage you to make use of appropriate natural consequences. In the above scenario, it may not be her lunch that she keeps forgetting, it could be that she forgets to take her completed homework, forgets her mittens, forgets his eyeglasses, forgets her ball glove, forgets his lunch money, forgets to put her dirty clothes in the hamper. Anything that creates an inconvenience for him and gives you the opportunity to rescue her is the perfect place to allow natural consequences to be the teacher. Not all natural consequences are appropriate. Of course you would not allow your children to experience the natural consequence of running into the street and being struck by a car, or putting their hands on a hot stove. To determine if the natural consequence is appropriate, ask yourself, “What would happen in this situation if I didn’t interfere?” In the opening scenario, she would just be a little hungry. When she gets tired of being hungry, she will most likely start remembering to grab her lunch in the morning. In the case of the other examples mentioned: she would have to explain to her teacher; his hands would be cold; she may have to sit closer to the whiteboard; she would have to explain it to her coach or borrow a glove from a teammate; wear something else. When allowing for the natural consequence to happen, it is extremely important for you to not blame, shame, or say, “I told you so.”
Mama’s Crowbar to Host Canadian Poet
...if she forgets her lunch, you will not rescue her by bringing it to her. She will have to figure something out on her own. ...if he forgets his mittens, his hands will be cold. ...if she does not put her dirty clothes in the hamper, then they will not get washed on laundry day. ...if she forgets her ball glove, she will either have to sit the game out or see if she can borrow one from a teammate. Natural consequences are effective teachers. This is not about YOU teaching your child a lesson. In the case of the forgotten lunch, when she calls with a request that you bring it to her, you calmly and simply say, “I am sorry you forgot your lunch. I am not willing to bring it to you”. Then change the subject. Work on one issue at a time. You may discover that in working on just one issue, several others may clear up. Note: this also works on adults as well, it may just take longer . . . old habits die hard. Have fun...take care of yourself...and always remember you are the creator of your own experience. Ross & Kathleen Fields are Certified Parenting Educators (CPE) and co-founders of Results Parenting, LLC, www. resultsparenting.com.
Volunteer Opportunities!
Opening Night Gala on Wednesday Moderate Sudoku Thur, March 7, 10 am - 6 pm Fri, March 8th, 10 Sudoku Puzzle 1 am- 7 pm
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Sat March 9, 10 am - 7 pm
Sun, March 10, 10 am - 5 pm
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On Monday February, 4th Port Veritas present Montreal Canada-based poet Lucia Misch.
See puzzle on page 7
Lucia Misch grew up at an astronomical observatory near San Jose, California, began writing and performing at fifteen, and moved to Canada three years later. She placed second at the 2011 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam, was a member of the 2010/11 Vancouver Slam Team, a two-time South Bay Youth Slam champion, cofounder of the University of British Columbia poetry slam, and the winner of the 2010 Vancouver Labour Slam.
Puzzles - Boo
Wed.,MarchFrom 6, 6 -www.veryfreesudoku.com 9 pm
Port Veritas has expanded its venues and weekly performances. Our Tuesday Series at Bull Feeneys continues to produce performances from the best touring and Maine based poets. In addition, Port Veritas provides an intimate setting for a wide array of poetry performances every Monday night at Mama’s Crow Bar, located at 189 Congress St, 773-9230
For more information on Port Veritas and local poetry events, call Gil Helmick at 400.7543
When making use of a natural consequence, it is helpful to pave the way beforehand. In the examples presented here, you could explain in a kind, but firm, manner that:
Portland Flower Show:
Monday February, 4th @ Mama’s Crow Bar
Lucia can fix your bicycle, make a mean leek and potato soup, or let you borrow her staple gun, all for the small price of a story about dinosaurs. She believes in the Oxford comma and currently lives in Montreal.
The error will be recognized and understood without any additional input from you, and it will be more effective.
The Garden Committee is excited to present a booth dedicated to Fort Allen at this year’s Flower Show. We need volunteers to manage the booth and represent Friends of the Eastern Promenade. Don’t worry - you don’t need to know about plants or flowers to participate! Those who sign up to volunteer will be eligible to attend the flower show for free! Email volunteers@ easternpromenade.org for details or to sign up for a 2-3 hour shift. Stay tuned for more information about upcoming volunteer opportunities tailored to your interests and availability or visit easternpromenade.org/events.
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Canadian poet Lucia Misch will appear at Mama’s Crow Bar On Feb. 4. Courtesy photo
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4
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7 8 5 6 4
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Sudok
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MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
February 2013
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Spotlight on Non-Profits is a regular feature. To feature your favorite non-profit, please contact Lisa Peñalver at observer@munjoyhill.org.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine By Lisa Peñalver
Tar Sands Pipeline (as this paper hits the streets)
At the East End Beach, on New Years Eve, 100-plus people of all ages and backgrounds, many in costume, flung themselves into the icy waters of Casco Bay—it was a sight to behold. Laughter, shrieks and shouts filled the air as the cheering crowd looked on .
From the website www.nrcm.org:
Such a display of exuberance begs the question, “Why?” What better way to bring attention to global climate change than to jump into the wintry Atlantic at the East End Beach with dozens of like-minded activists? There IS no better way! At least, so believe a growing number of Portland residents who participated in the annual Polar Dip and Dash on Dec 31, 2012, hosted by the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Global climate change is just one of the environmental issues being addressed by the NRCM, which has been active in Maine since its founding more than 50 years ago. Next up will be a January 26 march from Monument Square to the Maine State Pier for a rally to protest the
“For more than 50 years, NRCM has been protecting the nature of Maine. NRCM has a long legacy of environmental leadership in Maine. The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) was founded in 1959 as a small, volunteer-based environmental advocacy group. It was made up of organizations from across the state that shared environmental concerns. NRCM fast became a strong voice in Maine’s major environmental debates of the 1960s, and ‘70s - the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, the Dickey-Lincoln hydro project, the clean-up of Maine’s rivers, the establishment of the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC), and others. NRCM was instrumental in passing much of the important state environmental legislation of the 1970s. During that time, the nature of environmental advocacy required more of a focus on lobbying, “ w a t c h i n g- d o g g i n g ,” and legal action. NRCM hired its first staff attorney in the mid-1970s.”
Mission: The Natural Resources Council of Maine is a nonprofit membership organization protecting, restoring, and conserving Maine’s environment, now and for future generations.
NRCM works to improve the quality of Maine’s rivers; to reduce toxic chemicals threatening the health of Maine families and wildlife; to decrease air and global warming pollution, and to conserve Maine lands. NRCM harnesses the power of the law, science, and the voices of more than 12,000 supporters statewide and beyond. Together, we are making a difference. Vision Statement: The Natural Resources Council of Maine envisions a Maine where citizens from all parts of the state and all walks of life are confident that their grandchildren will inherit a place where the water is pure, the air is clean, the forests are vibrant, and native plants and animals are protected.
We envision a Maine that has successfully addressed threats to the quality of its air, water, forests, and natural habitats in a fashion that is inspiring to others who are working to protect the environment, both here and across the nation. We envision a Maine that recognizes the impact environmental degradation has on its citizens and therefore seizes opportunities for sustainable economic development. We envision a Maine whose citizens feel empowered to participate in the protection and conservation of their state’s natural heritage, and who hold their elected officials accountable to this vision. Our vision for Maine is one where residents, visitors, and others look to Maine’s bountiful coasts, pristine lakes, winding rivers and streams, scenic mountains, vast forests, abundant fisheries, and diverse native habitats, and know that this state will always remain a very special place on the globe - a place that safeguards its people by safeguarding its environment. To get involved, or for more information, visit: www.nrcm. org , or contact Judy Berk, Natural Resources Council of Maine, 3 Wade Street Augusta, ME 04330; judy@nrcm. org, (207) 430-0103, 1(800) 287-2345 ext 203
Friends of the Eastern Promenade Tagline Contest
Do you have a knack with words? We need a tagline! Create a memorable 3- to 5-word phrase that describes what comes to mind when you think about the Eastern Promenade. For example, Nike’s tagline is “Just Do It”. The first place winner will receive a complementary Munjoy Hill/Eastern Promenade print by C Michael Lewis valued at $50! Runners up will receive a gift membership. (Already a member? Gift it to a friend!) Please label your submission “Tagline Contest” in the Subject bar. Email your suggestion to frances@easternpromenade.org by Valentine’s Day. Friends of the Eastern Promenade’s Marketing Committee will whittle down the fabulous responses to the top 3 winners and the Board of Directors will vote for the tagline chosen to represent Friends of the Eastern Promenade. Friends of the Eastern Promenade reserves all rights to use, alter, and/or reproduce the tag lines created and submitted by all contestants, as needed, without prior permission or notice.
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February 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Portland’s Restaurant Week Runs March 1-10, 2013, but Why Wait? Eat out today!
east end + food = LOVE
CONGRESS ST.
Hilltop Coffee 90 Congress St, 780-0025
Coffee By Design 43 Washington, 879-2233
Bakery on the Hill 253 Congress St, 773-5259
Rosemont market 88 Congress Street, 773-7888
Discount Hala Market 46 Washington Ave
Otto Pizza 576 Congress St, 773-7099
Girl Gone Raw Elizabeth Fraser girlgoneraw.com/
Chaing Mai Thai Restaurant 50 Washington Ave, 253-8021
Blue Spoon 89 Congress Street, 773-1116
Maine Mead Works 51 Washington Ave, 773-6323
Pepperclub 78 Middle St. 772-0531 Pepperclub.com
Front Room 73 Congress, St # A 773-3366
Mitpheap International Market 61 Washington Ave, 773-5523
Good Egg Café (breakfasts) 772-0531 78 Middle St
WASHINGTON AVE.
Tu Casa Salvadoreña Restaurant 70 Washington Ave, 828-4971
The Snug Pub 223 Congress St, 772-6839 Figa Restaurant & Catering 249 Congress St, 518-9400 Katie Made Bakery 181 Congress, 771-0994 Homegrown Herb & Tea 195 Congress Street 774-3484 Mama’s Crow Bar) 189 Congress St Colucci’s Market 135 Congress St, 774-2279 Bar Lola 100 Congress St 775-5652
Safari Restaurant & grocery 30 Washington Avenue Silly’s Restaurant/ Silly’s with a Twist 40 Washington Ave, 772-0360
CUMBERLAND AVE.
Eventide Oyster Co 86 Middle St,, eventideoysterco.com 774-8534
Dean’s Sweets 82 Middle St., 899-3664 deanssweets.com
3Buoys Seafood Shanty & Grille 11 Cumberland Ave, 619-7565 Bayside Variety 166 Cumberland Avenue, 358-7505 DiPietro’s Italian Sandwiches, 171 Cumberland, 772-4084
INDIA STREET Amato’s Pizza & Subs 71 India St, 773-1682
East Ender 47 Middle St. 879-7669
Benkay Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar, 2 India St, 773-5555
Coffee By Design 67 India St, 780-6767
COMMERCIAL ST.
Portland Pottery Café 122 Washington Ave, 7724334, portlandpottery.com
DuckFat 43 Middle St. 774-8080
Two Fat Cats Bakery 47 India St, 347-5144
Ribollita 41 Middle St., 774-2972 ribollitamaine.com
MIDDLE ST.
FORE STREET
Micuccis Italian Grocery 45 India St,.775-1854 Wine Bar??
Rosemont Produce Company 5 Commercial St, 699-4560
Hugo’s 88 Middle St. (207) 774-8538
Sebago Brewing Co. 211 Fore St, . sebagobrewing. com
Foodworks Beautiful Foods to Go 47 India St, 773-9741
Crema Coffee Company 9 Commercial St, 210-6473
Bayside Bayside BowL 68 Alder Street, 791-2695
serving a changing menu of carefully crafted dishes open for dinner wednesday through saturday 5 until 10pm
Portland Pottery
& Metalsmithing Studio
118-122 Washington Ave • Portland
Seasonal Cafe Specials
Coffee • Baked Goods • Soup • Daily Specials Mon-Thurs 7am-7pm • Fri 7am-5pm • Sat 8am-5pm Full menu available on our website
Beginner Clay Classes
New Classes Starting February 7th
$245- Includes 8 weeks of instruction & materials
Vacation Camp for Kids February 18th - 22nd
Choose from 5 Classes Daily Wheel throwing, sculpture, glass & metalsmithing. Classes starting at $13/class or $60/day 207-772-4334 • www.portlandpottery.com find us on facebook.com/portland.pottery
100 congress street, portland | 207.775.5652 | www.barlola.net
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
~ Offering a prepared dinner for two, along with treats ~
Think of Katie Made for Valentine’s Day Open Tuesday thru Sunday We’ve Moved to 181 Congress Street!
www.katiemadebakery.com Call uS TODay! 771.0994
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
February 2013
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February 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
CapitAl City
Statehouse Update | JusTin Alfond
justinalfond.com
No Easy Solutions to State Challenges In January, the new members of the 126th Legislature met for the first time. Many have asked, “What will be different?” We must create a stark contrast from the last two years, not just in the work we do, but in how we do our work. Voters spoke clearly in November -- Mainers want a new, civil tone for this state. Together we face serious challenges. We can improve, and we will. But the way to do so is not through shaming — it’s by doing. Democrats have four areas where we will focus on getting things done for Mainers: workforce development, education, lowering the costs of energy and healthcare, and investing in infrastructure and research and development. Too many Mainers are unemployed, underemployed, or lacking the skill-sets needed for better-paying jobs. There are more than 50,000 Mainers currently unemployed. This is grossly unacceptable, especially when it’s estimated there are thousands of jobs between now and 2018 that will remain unfilled because of our skills gap. To ad-
dress this, Democrats have formed a special committee, the Joint Select Committee on Maine’s Workforce and Economic Future. The committee will work with workforce experts, economists, small-business and industry leaders to formulate solutions to address Maine’s workforce challenges. Nothing is more important for a vibrant economy and robust middle class than a well-prepared workforce. We want the classroom to be the best learning environment it can be. We must support our teachers, provide our schools with the tools they need and continue our efforts to advance innovative learning models that put students first. We must also invest in early-childhood education to get our children started on the right foot. The Legislature must work to put more money in the pockets of Maine families and small businesses, and we can do this by lowering energy and health care costs.
We must also address our healthcare challenges, by working to provide long-term solutions that lower the cost of health care by placing greater emphasis on the prevention and treatment of chronic illness. We need an economic investment package that will fix our crumbling roads and bridges. A strong transportation network is vital for interstate commerce and people who need to get to their jobs. We must also invest in research and development, which will set us on a course for long-term job growth. This is an ambitious agenda, but times such as these demand bold action. They also require cooperation. The challenges we face are too big for one party to solve. We must meet the moment to move Maine forward. Next month, I’ll explore the supplemental and biennial budget proposals. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can reach me at justin@justinalfond.com
Solving Maine’s energy challenges will require short- and long-term solutions such as supporting energy efficiency now and diversifying our energy resources for the future.
City Councilor | kevin Donoghue
kjdonoghue @ por tlandmaine.gov
TIFs—Useful in Encouraging City Development The Housing and Community Development Committee, one of two consolidated policy committees on which I serve, has been debating whether to set limits on developer tax breaks. These tax breaks are most commonly known as TIFs, yet are much better understood as CEAs. The Credit Enhancement Agreement (CEA) is just one variety of Tax-Increment Financing (TIF). TIFs are an advantageous financing tool allowing the city to shelter added property valuations from formulas that determine how much the city receives back from the state government. TIFs can finance public infrastructure, programs, and services connected to new development, yet this city his historically used this financing tool to provide tax breaks to developers as CEAs. Credit Enhancement Agreements, by returning a percentage of taxes paid over a fixed period, are designed to increase cash flow so that a developer can better secure a construction loan. The history of CEAs in Portland range from modest to ro-
bust for projects built and busted. Among the more modestly supported built projects is Bayside Village dorms on Marginal Way, where 34% of taxes were returned over 10 years. Despite the support, the original developer was forced to sell it at a loss before it was viable, and it has continued to keep the police busy. The conversion of the tax-exempt Portland Public Market to the new headquarters for PowerPay is among the more robustly-supported built projects, returning 57% of taxes paid over 30 years, terms rivaled only by the long-stalled MacAuley Place, which included extensive renovations and new housing on the Sisters of Mercy campus on Stevens Avenue: 60% returned over 30 years. The most recent bust and most modestly aided project was the development at Jordan’s Meats, which was intended to finance undergrounding utilities. It would have returned 45% over 4 years. State law limits TIFs to a term of 30 years, but sets no limits on the percentage of taxes returned. The debate in the Housing and Community Development Committee and the City Council concerns both the percentage and the terms of developer tax breaks and whether
to enact limits. I have taken a relatively conservative position so far, supporting a top limit for tax breaks of 50%, and tentatively holding to a term limited to 20 years. Others argue for the maximum of flexibility. To be sure, such numbers are somewhat arbitrary. However having a reservation point beyond which we will not concede may well save us much while also risking little in these negotiations. Some projects invariably fail, but never because the city was too stingy with tax breaks. It follows, to my mind, that the city may be too generous. Our lack of any express limits on CEAs weakens not only our hand, but also the hinges on the door to the economic development office. TIFs are excellent tools for cities and there are countless ways we could use them for the good, far beyond that promised by aid to new development. However, if we are finally to advance our discussion on how to use Tax Increment Financing to invest in our community at a discount, it will be because we were successful in setting firm limits on Credit Enhancement Agreements.
“Big Changes” May Mean Status Quo for India Street Area By Markos Miller Not long ago it seemed that the India Street neighborhood at the foot of Munjoy Hill was poised for big changes. A mixed use building was proposed for the parking lot next to the Hampton Inn on Fore St., the first phase of the redevelopment of Donald Sussman’s eleven properties around Hampshire St. were moving through the permitting process, and other prominent sites such as the Rite Aide plaza on Congress St. were being eyed for redevelopment potential. This was not the first time in recent history that big things were planned for the India Street neighborhood. Less than a decade ago, there was much fanfare about a luxury hotel on the former Jordan’s Meat plant site (now the Hampton Inn), and high-end condos were envisioned for the space across from the Fore St. parking garage. The garage was built; the other projects were just castles in the sky. History seems to have a way of repeating itself. Recent changes in the real estate landscape in the area may be responsible for the fact that none of the proposed projects are moving forward, at least in the near future. The owners of the Hampton Inn have sold the adjoining parking lot instead of moving forward with their approved multiuse redevelopment plan. Details of the sale and the plans of the new owner have not been disclosed.
To great surprise of the neighborhood, Sussman’s Hampshire St. redevelopment, which was granted a zoning change and Planning Board approval in 2012, is not moving forward at this time either. The Hampshire St. development team had been working closely with the India Street (?) neighborhood association, who were desperately seeking an investment in residential units in the sparsely populated neighborhood. Concern had been expressed about the vacant properties being allowed to further deteriorate. Theories as to why the hedge-fund benefactor has backed away from the project vary widely, but there is general agreement that these properties need attention—and soon. In another development, Rite Aide Plaza was recently sold to the Portland Diocese. The church says the property is an investment and it has no plans to redevelop the property at this time. This plaza, with its strip-mall design, never fit its urban context, and is widely considered a missed opportunity to enhance the neighborhood. As reported last year (in local news media), this neighborhood had been slated for a comprehensive planning process that was to be funded through a TIF connected to the Hampton Inn Phase Two redevelopment. With the sale of this site (Rite Aid?), it is now unclear how this planning process will be funded. Jeff Levine, Portland’s Director of Planning and Urban
Development says that he hopes another funding source can be identified if the site is not redeveloped, and he pointed out that city has also secured a Sustain Southern Maine planning grant for India Street. This will be used to identify opportunities for residential growth and commercial density that are compatible with the neighborhood’s existing assets. The neighborhood will also be the subject of a survey to identify historically significant structures, a first step in potentially creating a historic district here. Early 2013 will also see the start of the long-awaited Phase Two of the Franklin Street Redesign Study, charged with reaching a final preferred design for the corridor that creates pedestrian-friendly streetscape, reconnecting neighborhoods and creating economic development opportunities. Local blogger Christian MilNeil, on his Rights of Way blog, conjectures that Sussman may have decided to wait to see what recommendations come from this study. One possible outcome could be narrowing the roadway and shifting it east or west, creating development opportunities alongside the roadway that could be incorporated into the Hampshire St. holdings. The Franklin Study will also make recommendations for future land use and zoning along the corridor, helping to inform future development along the downtown side of the India Street neighborhood. Only time will tell how this unfolds. Stay tuned.
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
February 2013
13
East End Business Focus Foodworks: Beautiful Foods To Go By Sally L. Wright The minute you step into Foodworks at the corner of Middle and India Streets, several senses are alerted. The quaint cloth-covered tables, the scent of roasting vegetables, the sounds of friendly banter and folk music blending together from the back room, conspire to set the busy world aside as you take a break for lunch, or make a to-go meal purchase. On a busy Monday morning, the easy-going vibe emanating from co-owners of 18 years, Pam and Robert Hastings, as well as two other employees, belies their need to get the cafe up and running.
is made from scratch; there is nothing processed. And we have our own garden in Windham. We bring over the veggies all the time in summer.” The Hastings are proud of their support for other local businesses. “We get our turkeys from Bob Neal’s farm in New Sharon, and we host the apple CSA, Out On A Limb, from the restaurant, in season.” With a grin Robert adds, “You wouldn’t believe how many different varieties of apples there are.”
Pam and Robert have made it a family business by adding their two children to the mix. Doilies proclaimAbove, Pam and Robert Hastings, co-owners of Foodworks, ing a lemonade Beautiful Foods to Go on India Street. “Lunch is our main meal stand and photos here...60-70% of our busiof children adorn ness,” says Pam. “We take care of downtown working the back of the counter. Says Robert of his people who need a quick lunch. We also have a good kids Delilah and Quinn, “They often prefer crowd of seniors who come in for soups/chowders or our to help out at the restaurant on vacations chili...a perfect quick, nutritious meal.” With a glance to rather than go to the beach.” the glass case, she adds, “Sometimes we can’t keep up Lunch may be their busiest time, but their with the demand for the salads. More than a dozen a day catering service for all sizes, and take-out on these,” as she points to the Thai noodle and a pasta meals ready to heat are also popular. “The dish, freshly made. She adds, “We put a scoop of tarragon take-out dinners are great for busy families chicken on top, and they sell out.” and folks having company,” says Pam. “Just “Quality ingredients are key.” says co-owner Robert, give us 2 days lead time, but we can do it in busy making a roasted veggie casserol. “Everything here less if we have to.”
The big sellers on the take-out dinner menu for February and March are the roasted vegetable casseroles with a cheese crust, wild mushroom lasagna, quiches, chicken pot pie, soups, and the chili. “By the time you buy all the ingredients, get them home and prepared etc., It can cost a lot of time and money. Why not have us do it?” Why not indeed? You’ll find Foodworks: Beautiful Foods To Go at 47 India Street and online at foodworksmaine.com, or call (207) 773-9741. Foodworks Hours: open Mon. thru Fri, .9:30 am - 3:30 pm, and available for scheduled catering or pick-ups on the weekends. Sally L. Wright is an East End resident and freelance writer. Currently working on a novel, she lives with her husband, Steve Lee, and her dog, Molly. Check out what she is up to by visiting her blog: www.sallylucywrites.com
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February 2013
On Hill
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
St Lawrence Project—Convince Me First, a disclaimer: My views about the proposed St. Lawrence Project are my own views, not those of the MHNO. I urge the MHNO not to take a formal position on this project. Neighbors aired diametrically opposed perspectives at the community meeting in December. The MHNO can best serve our neighborhood by offering a neutral forum for an open and respectful exchange of ideas. To Friends of St. Lawrence: Convince me that this is the best use for this property. Immediately after the demolition of the sanctuary, the corner lot was an eyesore. Then you did a bit of landscaping and I began to envision an open space of com-
munity gardens, outdoor sculpture, perhaps a small performance space. It’s a small lot and the adjacent residences so close. Do you need another building to fulfill your mission? Convince me that there is a market for a 300-400 seat performance space. I’m not in the demographic that you’re targeting; the only functions that we’ve attended are Good Theater and the occasional craft market. Doesn’t the Arts District already have a wide range of such space? If I accept the premise that there is a demand for this type of space on this specific property, convince me that an outstanding design with quality
By Elizabeth Miller, Waterville Street
materials can be accomplished within your budget constraints. I applaud the commitment to contemporary design. We don’t need more of the mediocre faux brick and stone fronts that anchor our neighborhood’s edges (Residence Marriott, Hampton Inn, India Street condos now under construction). This site—and your commitment to the performing arts— demand a signature building, not an infill building. My experience with your architect, a Waterville Street neighbor, is that he is responsive to concerns raised by neighbors. Let the creative juices flow on this one; it offers intriguing design chal-
line and dinnertime suddenly arrived. I hadn’t expected to spend the night in Lectoure but found the parish-run pilgrim hostel listed in my guidebook. From my pack and walking clothes, the woman who answered the door understood immediately why I was there. A look of concern came over her face as she told me that the hostel was closed for winter. Though in the middle of preparing dinner for the priest, she and her coworker quickly set about trying to help me.
El Camino de Santiago Essay by installment by Kate Campbell Strauss
For the next week, my companions were Danielle and Bernez. Danielle, from Zurich, would, like me, make her pilgrimage to Santiago in one trip. She traveled alone and valued solitude.
We enjoyed talking and joking around but only walked together for parts of some days. Bernez, from Brittany, France, walked twice as fast as us but would occasionally slow down to enjoy some camaraderie. I caught my first glimpse of the Pyrenees while in Lectoure, still about a month’s walk away from where I would cross over the mountains into Spain. I stopped to see if my broken camera could be fixed. The damage was irreparable and a replacement seemed too expensive, but the camera shop did have an internet kiosk. Time slipped while I was on-
After brainstorming for a few minutes, one of the women called the nearby abbey and secured a bed. They offered me dinner, and we soon sat down with the priest at a small table
My next “convince me” should perhaps be directed more properly to the City Planning Board which approved a “parking plan” with your 2010 proposal. The idea that people would park in satellite garages and be shuttled up and down the hill strikes me, to use Vice-President Biden’s eloquence, as malarkey. Finally, convince me that you’re prepared to raise sufficient funds to construct and sustain an operation that expands your services fourfold in an untested market. This is quite a leap.
in the kitchen. It was a simple meal but they kept piling food on my plate, encouraging me to “Take strength!” Never reluctant to “take strength,” I kept eating. At the end of our meal, after filling my already-stuffed pack with leftovers, one of the women walked me to the abbey. A sister met me at the gate and led me through a garden to the giant dormitory where I would spend the night alone. I left at sunrise, blessed with a growing list of people to light votive candles for in Santiago. More to come ... About the author: Kate Campbell Strauss moved to Munjoy Hill in February of 2012, one month after returning from her pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of Saint James. Kate began
In my twenty-plus years in nonprofit management, I have watched too many groups struggle to grow into new space, burn through staff and board members like so much kindling, only to realize that maintaining a facility can become a straightjacket. Your business plan, as briefly alluded to in the December meeting, sounded a bit like a hamster’s life in a cage. So convince your neighbors that this is the best course. We may be skeptical, but by being open to outside ideas, you’ll develop a stronger project, one that we will all be proud of. Good luck.
her pilgrimage in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, and walked four months to the northwest coast of Spain, beyond Santiago de Compostela, where the route ends. She would love to be a resource to anyone who is thinking of making the pilgrimage. Please send emails to Observer@munjoyhill.org.
Seeing Seafood! By Lisa Peñalver
East Enders are welcoming a new restaurant to the area. Suddenly, the corner of Washington Ave. and Cumberland has begun to look...nautical. Extensive renovartions have been made inside and out, and it shows.
At left, Owners Bill Holler and his wife Nikole Stack in front of the newly opened seafood restaurnat, 3 Buoys, at the corner of Cumberland and Washington Ave.
The number of pilgrims dwindled significantly beyond Moissac, the approximate halfway point between Le Puy-en-Velay and Spain. For most pilgrims walking in stages, Moissac marks the end of the first or second stage from Le Puy-en-Velay to Santiago. By this point, it was early October and temperatures were dropping, so pilgrim season was drawing to a close for the winter.
lenges. At the same time, don’t forget the joke: What do you call an animal designed by a committee? A moose.
The 3 Buoys Seafood Shanty & Grille has taken up residence at 111 Cumberland Ave. Owners Bill and Nikole Holler are enthusiastic about the area. Bill has a background in the fishing industry. His passion is fresh seafood and homecooked meals. The menu features a wide array of tasty offerings, and includes breakfast made all day. I have stopped in several times now myself, and I can report that the portions were very generous and the food was delicious, hot and fresh. 3 Buoys will be offering a Valentines Day Special for couples, so stop in soon and welcome our new neighbors to the community! They also offer a take-out menu; call 619-7565.
“Give what you have to somebody, it may be better than you think.” —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
On Hill
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
February 2013
15
A Work in Progress: Next Steps for St Lawrence Arts By Deirdre Nice, Executive & Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Arts By the time Friends of the St. Lawrence Church (FSLC) formed in 1996, the St. Lawrence Church, located at 76 Congress Street, stood derelict, empty since its congregation left in 1986. It was in an advanced state of disrepair. The goal of this group was nothing less than to save the building and create an arts center. Many predicted the organization would fail. But, after a herculean effort, FSLC was successful in restoring the Parish Hall, and it has created a thriving 110-seat arts center, which has been operating and growing since opening in May of 2001. Additionally, St. Lawrence Arts (SLA) has been an anchor to all the blossoming businesses on Munjoy Hill. For 15 years, every attempt was made to save the former Sanctuary,which made up half of the historic structure. However, in 2006, when a roof beam collapsed and pushed a wall into a neighbor’s yard, it was determined by structural engineers and the city of Portland that the building was unsafe and beyond repair. The heartbreaking and painful decision was made to dismantle the 500-seat Sanctuary. It was torn down in 2008. The plan initially created from those sad ashes was a near-replication of the former Sanctuary. Modifications incorporated the organization’s arts programming, which included a room on the roof with a spectacular 360-degree view of Portland. The plans were enthusiastically approved by the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood, the Planning Board, and ultimately the Port-
land City Council in November 2010. The FSLC Board of Directors then began the arduous task of trying to raise the $17 million needed to execute the plans. Although the concept of a midsized performance hall was well received by the funding community, FSLC was told that the $17 million price tag was impractical and impossible. FSLC was advised that it should focus on creating a dynamic performing arts space in a contemporary building that complemented the existing Parish Hall, with a more achievable budget of $5 million to $7 million. To fulfill this vision, FSLC hired Archetype Architects PA, a firm with an exemplary reputation and a history with designing additions to historic properties. Archetype was asked to design a building that would not only complement the existing 19thcentury Parish Hall, but also support it. FSLC is acutely aware of the fragility of historic buildings and the Parish Hall in particular. It needs perpetual support to prevent it from meeting the sad fate of the Sanctuary side. Our mission is to preserve it for future generations. The “massing concept” drawing which was presented at the workshop with the Historic Preservation Board (HP) on December 5, 2012, was designed to elicit input and direction from the HP Board. That particular meeting was the first step in the process of designing the new, contemporary performance hall. It was intended to show size and height which accommodated St. Lawrence Arts programming.
St. Lawrence Church on Munjoy Hill in Portland, between Munjoy Street and Beckett Street. Photo was probably taken shortly after the church was dedicated in 1897. It is located at 76 Congress St., Portland, Maine. Collections of Maine Historical Society. Item #13704 at www.VintageMaineImages.com.
After receiving input from the HP Board, SLA held a voluntary community meeting Dec. 10 to gain input from our Munjoy Hill neighbors. Archetype Architects are now in the process of modifying the conceptual design to incorporate the HP Board and neighborhood comments and critiques. A new sketch of the proposal, which will be presented at a second HP workshop on Feb 6th, does take into account the comments to date, including reducing the height of the building, increasing the setback distance of the building along Congress Street, and modifying the porch
Conquer Clutter? YES, you can!
element with cornices that match the existing Parish Hall lines. The sketch does not, however, portray siding details or type, or a final design. These will be developed over the next couple of months. At points in-between, FSLC will go back to the HP Board, the Planning Board, and the neighborhood, to continue the discussion. More than 10 years ago, when the zoning ordinance was amended to allow new uses in community buildings that had outlived their original purpose, the City spe-
cifically built in the requirement that it approve a parking and traffic management plan, to help protect neighborhoods from the potential adverse impacts that new uses might have. SLA has a preliminary parking management plan that will be revisited and revised as we develop the plans for this dynamic and exciting community arts performing space that will be an asset to Portland and Maine’s Creative Economy.
Groundhog D ay 2013: Saturday, February 2:
By Solange Kellermann, the Clutter Doc The first Clutter Doc column appeared in these pages just one year ago. In that article, I introduced the basic tenets of organizing: sorting, weeding, placing items where they belong, maintaining order. This was prefaced by my advice that you need to prepare by having several bags on hand, that you actually have to dive in and do the work, and that you need to do what you can to stay on task. But it’s not always that easy, is it? Maybe you can’t get to the ‘dive in and do the work’ part because the mere thought of starting an organizing project feels like climbing Mt. Everest. This is where the Chinese proverb about starting a long journey with one step is helpful. Think about your challenging project by breaking it down to small pieces. Do this on paper or electronically. Don’t worry about having the pieces in the correct
order – you can put them in the right order after you’ve broken down the challenge. Next, think about how much time each piece will take and make a note about that. Now put the tasks in order. Gather whatever materials or information you’ll need. You’re ready to start with the first piece. Congratulations, you’ve begun! Now to stay motivated and on task, I have a couple of tips.. I’m very partial to bribing yourself as a way to stay motivated. You know what that means for you. Not your thing? How about posting an affirmation on a mirror or fridge? Or clipping a picture of what you’d like the space you’re organizing to look like? Or asking a friend to call you and cheer you on? Some of these tricks can also help you stay on task. What if you get interrupted or sidetracked? A fellow organizer has suggestions that can be used in
many situations. One is to mentally tell interruptions to ‘sit, stay’. I say mentally because this is something you’d say to yourself if your mind is wandering, going down memory lane, or getting caught up in an endless loop. Or you might direct it to a phone call you don’t need to take at the moment. Putting the interruption on hold will allow you to continue the task at hand while acknowledging that there’s something asking for your attention. If you truly do have to stop, place a marker to indicate where you were when interrupted. This will let you return to the task without spending a lot of time trying to figure out where you stopped. Don’t forget to stop. If you’ve given this project two hours, stop about 15 minutes before the time is up. Put things where they need to go and transition to the next activity.
Cartoon by Emily Eslinger, used with permission. See http://emilyeslinger.tumblr.com
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February 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
February is American Heart M onth
celebrate your heart and learn how to keep it healthy! By E. Crook, submitted by MaineHealth Learning Resource Center
There are two groups of risk factors
Why is it important to keep your heart healthy?
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Older age
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Family History
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Post-menopausal
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Male sex
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Race
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History of a heart attack or stroke
Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the U.S., 2,200 people die per day from heart disease and stroke. Heart disease is expensive: In 2010, both heart disease and stroke cost the nation more than $444 billion in health care. What does this mean for you and your family? Learning how to keep your heart healthy can help prevent heart disease. You Knowing your risk factors and how to manage them can help you stay healthy.
Uncontrollable risk factors
Controllable risk factors •
Tobacco use
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Alcohol use
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Obesity (more than 20% over one’s ideal body weight). Poor diet.
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Lack of exercise.
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Uncontrolled stress or anger.
What are some treatable diseases that may increase my risk for heart disease? •
High blood pressure
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High cholesterol
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Uncontrolled diabetes
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Atherosclerosis
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Atrial fibrillation
What are some other things I can do to reduce my risk for heart disease? •
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Quit smoking and/or chewing tobacco! This is the #1, most important way to reduce risk for heart disease, as well as many other diseases of the body. Control high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and/or diabetes
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Eat more fruits and vegetables
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Learn how to read nutrition labels
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Drink water instead of juice or soda
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Exercise
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Manage stress
For more information on a healthier you, visit the MaineHealth Learning Resource Center, 272 Congress St., 1-866609-5183, www.mainehealth. org/LRC , www.facebook.com/ MaineHealthLRC.
Also see information at the American Heart Association, www.heart.org, and the Centers for Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/about.htm If you have any questions about heart disease, or would like to discuss your personal risk, please make an appointment with your doctor today!
Community Steps Forward to Keep Doors Open at Portland Community Free Clinic on India Street Mayor thanks community for support of clinic In a press release on January 7, 2013, City of Portland Mayor Michael Brennan announced that foundation and community support for the Portland Community Free Clinic had reached more than $90,000 securing the clinic’s continued operation through the rest of the year. Last month, the Emanuel & Pauline A. Lerner Foundation committed $25,000 in a challenge grant to support the continued operation of the Portland Community Free Clinic. In response, several local foundations including the John T. Gorman Foundation, the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, the Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust as well as more than a dozen local businesses and community members stepped forward to support this critical asset. Upon learning of the challenge grant, an anonymous donor stepped forward with a $25,000 donation provided through the Maine Community Foundation satisfying the challenge grant and bringing the initial total of funds raised to $50,000. In explanation, the donor stated that upon learning about the key services the clinic provides and the financial challenges it faces, “I felt inspired to make the match.” Shortly thereafter, the John T. Gorman Foundation contributed $25,000 and this coupled with $5,000 from the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program, $10,000 from the Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust and donations from other groups brings the total of funds raised to a little more than $93,000. These donations will help the Portland Community Free Clinic remain open during these
challenging financial times. “I want to thank the community for their quick action in support of the Portland Community Free Clinic,” stated Mayor Brennan. “The clinic is successful thanks to the dozens of volunteers who give their time every week in service to those without insurance and now thanks to contributions from the
community, the clinic will remain open for 2013. As we look towards the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, I am hopeful that continued support of the clinic will keep this population from slipping through the cracks. It is crucial for the well-being of our community that all including the working poor have access to preventative and specialized care.” “We saw our grant to the Portland Free clinic as an opportunity to partner with other foundations to help an important community resource develop a more viable plan for the future while at the same time not disrupting critical services to folks that depend on them for help,” stated Tony Cipollone,
President and CEO of the John T. Gorman Foundation. “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the individuals and organizations who have responded generously to the needs of the free clinic at this crucial time,” remarked Caroline Teschke, MC Program Manager of India Street Clinical Services.
First opened in 1993, the Portland Community Free Clinic has provided free primary and specialty care to thousands of uninsured, low-income adults living in the Greater Portland area. The clinic offers health care to the working poor, individuals who earn too much money to qualify for MaineCare, but not enough to buy private insurance or pay sliding scale fees at other medical providers. It is the only clinic in the area that serves patients who earn up to 250% of the Federal Poverty Level at no cost (for a single person this represents a full-time wage of $13.50 per hour). The clinic is a program of the city’s Public Health Division and has
functioned primarily with the volunteer support of providers with nearly one hundred physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and clerical staff donating their time to provide primary health care to the clinic’s patients. Clinic staff has also cultivated a community of specialists to provide free services for patients that require care beyond their scope. For eighteen years, the clinic functioned in partnership with a local health care provider, who funded operational expenses through a generous annual donation. A little more than a year ago, the funder made the decision to discontinue the donation, and in response, the city committed to providing gap funding to allow the team of volunteers and supporters of the clinic time to identify an alternate source of funding for the $110,000 annual budget. Today’s announcement will allow the program to maintain its operations through the year. Volunteers and city staff will continue to fundraise for the clinic to ensure its operation through the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The federal legislation is expected to provide expanded access to health insurance for low-income adults and their families, which should allow for the transfer of these patients to local health care providers. The anonymous donation grant was made through a donor-advised fund, a flexible vehicle for individual and family philanthropy at the Maine Community Foundation. With offices in Ellsworth and Portland, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.mainecf.org.
The John T. Gorman Foundation advances ideas and opportunities that can improve the lives of disadvantaged people in Maine. To achieve the greatest impact, the Foundation has a special interest in strengthening families and helping communities provide them with the supports and opportunities they need to thrive. This focus on strengthening families reflects our founder, Tom Gorman’s recognition that his personal success and achievement were largely derived from the support provided to him by his family and community, as well as his desire to provide those less fortunate with opportunities to succeed.
For Flu Shots only, the India Street Clinic will accept walk-ins. When: Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM. For all other health needs, please schedule an appointment. 874-8982. Appointments are available: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 6:00-8:00 pm Thursday from 1:00-3:00 pm and 6:00-8:00 pm PCFC office hours are: Monday-Thursday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm The clinic is closed on Fridays Please call (207) 874-8982 during these hours with questions, to register as a new patient, or to make an appointment. Information about eligibility is available online at: http://www.portlandmaine.gov/hhs/phcommunityfreeclinic.asp
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Living With Peace
February 2013
17
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.
Immigrants Face the Real World Every Day in Portland’s Labor Market By Christina L. Feller, President, Living With Peace In past years the Maine mantra for economic development focused on job creation through local business expansion, then job growth through new business creation coming from away, then new enterprise development here at home, then just keeping what jobs we have in place. Today, we have moved away from simply seeking to create new jobs toward properly preparing the current and upcoming workforce for the realities of the new economy. We need to fulfill the requirements of the job descriptions of tomorrow before the jobs themselves are even created. As technology moves, so moves the workplace of today and by definition the workforce of tomorrow. Every day is a new day. If you are not now plugged into the technologies of your industry and moving forward every day, you are falling behind. At some point, making up the loss of skills and new knowledge becomes irretrievable without massive investment in education and training-what we commonly refer to as workforce development. Immigrants are uniquely primed and positioned to take advantage of this new reality. They are here and available and newly-educated to take suitable positions. In this way, they are no different from host country applicants. But there is a difference...immigrants are primed to achieve success. They are supremely aspirational. They have come to America to escape persecution and to use their freedoms not just to survive but to prosper. “All people seek the pinnacle of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs,” commented Antoine Bikamba, mediation specialist. “Self-actualization is a human need. But the environment determines whether and how you will achieve your goals. Our goal back home was simply to survive and properly bury our dead. And grieve. There was no dreaming of a better future. We learned to live in the real world just as it presents itself. And now, safe and secure in our ability to get back up and achieve our career and life goals, we continue to live in the real world, a world in America driven by continuous learning.” For more about workplace conflict resolution from the immigrant perspective, please contact Antoine at bikamba@yahoo.fr. Living With Peace activated an Immigrant Workforce Development Task Force about six months ago. It is headed up by Lado Ladoka who is leading the
Survey Team to understand the real barriers to achievement in the workplace and how to undertake appropriate skills development training in technology, information systems, Cloud computing data sharing platforms, social media, and other forms of “interpersonal and professional” relationship building in the information technology world. Lado can be reached at lokenya2001@yahoo.com. We are seeking both host and new residents to take part in this survey. It appears that the next round of Portland CDBG funding is going to focus on workforce development. Those of us who have been working with the Refugee and Asylee populations for some years now see how the wealth of skills and educational attainment levels have risen steadily. At this point in time, the Living With Peace Survey shows there are at least 500 young men and women from South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo who arrived in Portland already university-educated and sympathetic to entering a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree Program in order to continue or start again, either in a new field or in their own field. When Living With Peace began seven years ago, there were fewer numbers of well-educated and experienced professionals entering our workforce here in Cumberland County. Living With Peace is developing an Immigrant Workforce Development Database. If you would like to be part of this new program, please email program co-managers James Deng at jamesdeng.kuang@maine.edu or Mia Ntahobari at miantahobari12@yahoo.fr. Mayor Brennan Speaks Up Readers know about the WIN group that meets monthly at the Unitarian Church on Allen Avenue in North Deering. Mayor Brennan attended the last meeting and the minutes from that evening read: “Mayor Brennan prefers the term “new residents” as he refers to Portland’s new immigrants, asylees (asylum-seekers), refugees and homeless. He hopes to increase the number of ESL classes available. He hopes to accelerate the recertification, re-credentialing process for “new residents” so they can get jobs faster. He hopes to implement a High School program whereby students experience a language immersion program in Portland, to foster second language learning. He hopes to have programs in place to support and attract our “new residents.” He hopes to effect change at the federal level
to aid asylum seekers, so they can seek jobs sooner. He hopes to implement a City ID program for ‘new residents.’” Living With Peace Board Members and Volunteers offer our expertise and advice to the Mayor, the City Manager, the City Councilors and all of the various departments in their efforts to lessen barriers, open access, and sponsor appropriate opportunities for “new residents”. We are reaching out to major employers to offer training and counseling on “Successful Workplace Integration Strategies for Multi-Cultural Teams of Workers” and we are working with new residents earlier in their adjustment period. “We no longer wait until they have their work papers to
start working on their career strategy. They have to hit the ground running every morning they wake up. That is our job at Living With Peace,” stated Vice President Roger Ruganzu. “No one can waste time in America. If you get on the wrong path, you can re-adjust. We can help.” (Roger can be reached atrruganzu@yahoo.fr. ) Christina Feller is an international development specialist. Living With Peace is a seven-year-old Portland and Auburnbased NGO serving the integration needs of immigrants. The board of directors is comprised of immigrants from Algeria, DRCongo, Rwanda, So Sudan, and Somalia.
Find the Observer at these Fine Businesses: East End
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Coffee By Design
Casco Variety
Monument Square
Colucci’s Market
City Beverage
City Hall
Cummings Center
Dunkin Donuts
Portland Public Library
Donatelli’s Custom Tailor Shop
Fit to Eat Resturant
The Works Bakery Cafe
Norway Savings Bank
Liliana’s Dry Cleaner & Laundromat
Sebago Brewing
The Public Market House
East End Community School Library
Waterfront
Ferrechia Hair Salon Foodworks/Beautiful Foods to Go The Front Room The Good Egg Cafe Hilltop Coffee
Videoport $3 Deweys Becky’s Diner Casco Bay Ferry Terminal DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant
The Public Market Coffee shop LONGFELLOW SQUARE The Green Hand–Books Outer Congress Tony’s Donuts Outer Forest
Five County Credit Union
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Hamilton Marine
Park Danforth
Portland Lobster Co.
Punky’s Market
Pepperclub Restaurant
Residence Inn by Marriott
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Portland Pottery & Café
Standard Bakery
Promenade East Apartments
Parkside / Bayside
.....and More!
Root Cellar
Bayside Bowl
Rosemont Market Silly’s Restaurant
GR DiMillo’s Restaurant & Sports Bar
St. Lawrence Arts Center
Running with Scissors Art Studios
Otto Pizza
Off-Peninsula
For rates and information, contact Tamera Edison at 207-939-7998 Tamera.Edison@munjoyhill.org and info@MunjoyHill.org
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February 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
School News
EECS PTO Has an Online Newsletter
For information about the EECS PTO (the East End Community School Parent Teacher Organization) and upcoming events, go to www.eecs.portlandpto.org or contact board@eecs.portlandpto.org.
School Dates to Remember Thurs. February 7, 2013, PTO Meeting, 6-7pm, in the library at EECS
Life Insurance Health & Dental Disability Retirement Long-Term Care
February Vacation: February 18-22, 2013
***ACTION!*** Young Filmmakers Contest
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Students ages 4-18 throughout the greater Portland area are invited to submit short films as part of the Second Annual Portland Children’s Film Festival (PCFF) Young Filmmakers Contest. Select films will be shown at the Red Carpet Premiere Event on April 4, 2013, the Opening Night of the 2013 PCFF, as well as at the Sunday Morning Pajama Party at the Nickelodeon Cinemas on Sunday April 7, 2013. The theme for this year’s student film competition is: Connections. The theme is intentionally broad, and films from all genres are welcome, including documentaries, live action, animation, stop-motion, and computer-generated graphics. Entry rules and guidelines are available on the Festival website: www.portlandchildrensfilmfestival.com/young-filmmakers-contest.
EECS School Library Open on Saturdays
CHESTER & V ESTAL, P.A. ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Now EECS families have the opportunity to visit the East End Community School Library on Saturdays from 12pm-4pm. Students and their families are invited to join Mrs. Hubley and Mrs. A for some quiet time to read, study, or use the computers in the library. There will also be sewing machines available for families that are interested in learning how to sew or working on an existing sewing project.
Over 30 years of service to Munjoy Hill REAL ESTATE • SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY JUVENILE DEFENSE • PROBATE, WILLS AND ESTATES
Portland Bayside Little League Registration Starting in February
107 CONGRESS STREET • PORTLAND, MAINE 04101
(207) 772-7426 | www.chesterandvestal.com
Boys and girls ages four to sixteen from can enjoy participating on local t-ball, baseball, and softball teams this spring through the Portland Bayside Little League. Parents can register their children online at www.portlandbaysidell.org or at one of four registration sessions. “Serving Greater Portland Since 1980”
Monday, February 11, 2013 —Presumpscot Elementary School
Congratulations to all of tonights Tuesday, February 12, 2013 Award Winners! —Ocean Ave Elementary School 104 Washington Avenue • Portland, ME 04101 • 207.773.8198
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Thursday, February 28, 2013 Seadogs-Hadlock Field
104 Washington Avenue • Portland, Maine 04101 • (207) 773-8198 —The mikerand@maine.rr.com
observer ad.indd 1
Tuesday, March 5, 2013 —East End Community School
9/18/2009 8:37:35 AM
All registration sessions are from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Visit www.portlandbaysidell.org or call 6190552 for more information.
Help Support the Observer with your advertising! email Observer@munjoyhill.org
***Read-Share ***
EECS Shares Little Free Libraries with Friends and Neighbors The mission of the Little Free Library Project is to promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges and to promote a sense of community as we share skills, creativity, and wisdom across generations. Four beautiful little libraries have already found new homes in our neighborhood, and more have been painted and will be installed soon. Special thanks go to East End Community School social worker, Jane Hubley, for making this project possible through the school’s Project THRIVE grant. Many thanks also go to the EECS students and parents, Mayo Street Arts, Maine College of Art, and community members who were part of the painting party and installation of the little libraries. Please visit these little libraries next to Munjoy Hill Community Policing Center (Hill House), East Bayside Community Policing Center, Mayo Street Arts, and EECS. Feel free to drop off a book to share with your neighbors and find a new book for yourself! Read more about the project at www.littlefreelibrary.org/. Janine Kasserman, Community Policing of Munjoy Hill
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Children’s Puppet Workshop at Mayo Street Arts Wednesdays 3:30 - 4:30 , 10 Mayo Street Portland , Feb 6-March 27, no class Feb 20, Ages 6-11, limit 8 students Join us with master puppeteer and instructor Nance Parker of Shoestring Theater (along with special guest puppeteers) for a hands-on class making puppets. Students will create their own puppets and a cast of characters for Alice In Wonderland. Participants will have the opportunity to perform this summer in the premiere of the Alice in Wonderland puppet show at the Portland Performing Arts Festival. Cost for the 7-week workshop is $100, includes materials., Scholarships are available for students of financial need. Please email Blainor McGough, director@mayostreetarts.org or call 207-615-3609 to sign up.
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
St. Lawrence Arts Your neighborhood arts venue is at 76 Congress Street, stlawrencearts.org, 347-7177
Mayo Street Arts, Performances & Classes 10 Mayo Street, mayostreetarts. org —Times vary. Classes: Tango, Belly Dancing, Kids Yoga, Juggling, Zumba and Pilates. Artist Studios, theater, poetry, music and more. Contact 615-3609, or info@mayostreetarts.org
MOOSE Droppings Maine Organization of Storytelling Enthusiasts meet Every second Wednesday of the month. Drop by the Portland Public Library for our Monthly MOOSE Open Mic / Spoken Word Story Telling Event! Adult original and traditional stories, 10 minutes or less at the open mic hosted each by a different MOOSE Member. Suggested $5 donation. moosetellers.ning. com/
Port Veritas Spoken Word Poetry Readings, every Tuesday 7-10 pm, @ Local Sprouts, 649 Congress St., Portland, All Ages, Gil Helmick, 400-7543.
A Time For Peace Tues, Feb. 12, Noon-1pm. Wars and rumors of wars, occupations…dwelling on the just peace ... There ought to be ways found to address critical issues without the violence of military force. A non-sectarian vigil, noon to 1 pm, in the garden at State Street Church, 159 State Street, Portland. Of peace, fmi: 774-6396
Calling All Gardens! Do you know of any interesting garden spaces? Noticed any precious window nooks, porch plants or sidewalk landscapes? Friends of the Eastern Promenade will consider all garden shapes & sizes for theHidden Gardens of Munjoy Hill 2013 tour! Email info@easternpromenade.org.
Portland Winter Farmers market Saturdays at the Maine Irish Heritage Center (34 Gray St.)for the Winter Farmers’ Market! We’ll be there from 9 am-1pm! What are you buying at the market this week?
Sensory Circus First Friday, February 1st 2013 5pm at the Meg Perry Center, 644 Congress St. Portland, ME You are invited to an interactive show designed to fully engage all five senses. Step into an alternate reality where you can open secret doors and climb giant ladder people. You will hear music, experience performances, and pick up telephones to hear sounds you never knew existed. This is a carnival of art where smells hang from the ceiling and tastes are reinvented. Come see, touch, hear, smell, and taste the creations of eighteen incredible artists. Curated by Abbeth Russell. fmi: abbeth.art@gmail.com
Tarsands Rally in Washington, DC On February 17th – Presidents Day Weekend – 350. org, The Sierra Club and the Hip Hop Caucus are leading a massive action in Washington DC calling on President Obama to take leadership to stop climate change and reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. http://www.tarsandsaction.org
Portland Public Library and the Maine Policy Institute presents
The Editorial Board A public discussion forum 1st and 3rd Thursdays starting February 7th from 5:30-7:00pm The Maine Policy Institute and Portland Public Library are pleased to offer The Editorial Board, an exercise in civil discourse and public discussion forum where individual voices can be heard in a safe, civil, moderated environment. Editorial boards are made up of members of the media and the community who meet to discuss news items of the day. Each participant is given an equal amount of time to discuss what is important to them. The Editorial Board discussion groups will use a similar format to give voice to participants who wish to share ideas, opinions and concerns about issues of the day in a thoughtful and civil manner. Each participant will be given time to share opinions or concerns at the beginning of each meeting followed by a facilitated discussion around a weekly topic.
February 2013
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Chinese New Year Celebration February 9: Join the excitement at the 23rd annual Chinese New Year Celebration, Saturday, February 9th, 2013, at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center and Middle School, 471 Stroudwater Street, Westbrook.
This popular event features heart-warming songs and dances by the children of the CAFAM Chinese School. Nationally touring Magician Norman Ng will amaze. Sparks’Ark will present live Chinese zodiac animals. Bowdoin College Professor Tsui will explain the work of China’s Nobel Prize laureate Mo Yan and the famous film based on his novel. Martial arts masters from the Riverview Foundation will demonstrate and teach. All day, children can come and assemble free “snake” crafts. Books, special teas, and Chinese crafts and products will be available for sale. In the cafeteria fresh hot dumplings will be available, as well as delicious dishes and bubble tea by Bubble Mania. The celebration runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PLENTY OF FREE PARKING. Admission is $4.00 for children and $6.00 for adults. Families of 5 are just $20.00. Sponsored by the Chinese and American Friendship Association of Maine. Slither on down! This year’s celebration should not be missed! http://cafammaine.org/ category/news/
Far too many issues fail to reach resolution due to partisan nature of the political process. The Editorial Board wants to change Snowman Adventure 2013 Race : February 9th that at the grass roots level. By hosting these bi-weekly discussions, The Editorial Bike, Run, & Sled in teams of two, in any condition, on the Eastern Promenade with proceeds donated to Portland Trails. Costumes Highly Encouraged., LocaBoard aims to: • build community • promote a well-informed citizenry skilled in the art of compromise and learning to agree to disagree • get to the heart of issues without distraction from irrelevant tangents • encourage community members to become informed through research • develop the ability to bring good factual resources to bear on complex local and global issues • encourage civil methods of evaluation • encourage citizen involvement The Editorial Board launches on Feb. 7th at 5:30 pm in the Rines Auditorium. The topic at the first meeting will center around 2nd Amendment gun rights. To be a part of an intellectually stimulating discussion, join us for these bi-weekly discussion forums. We ask only that you bring an open mind and tolerance for other peoples’ opinions. For more information please contact Sonya Durney; durney@portland.lib.me.us or (207)871-1700 x729.
tion: The Big Sled Hill, Eastern Promenade, Portland, Maine, Contact Info, Phone (207) 221-0203, Email info@cascobaysports.com, Website http://www.snowmanadventure.com
EVERY DAY LUNCH SPECIAL DINNERS 3-Ham Italian 135 Congress Street • Portland, ME 04101 for $10.99 BUY-ONE/ GET ONE FREE 10” Pizza Open 7 Days a Week
774-2279
Sun to Thur: 6 am – 11 pm Fri & Sat: 7 am – Midnight
Try our fresh homemade
Italian Sausage
Sign up your 5th, 6th, or 7th grader for a Winter Kids Passport today!
Passport holders get free & discounted tickets, lessons, and rentals at over 50 areas all over Maine. From downhill and cross country skiing to ice skating and snow tubing, For more information go online to winterkids.org. WinterKids, P.O. Box 7566, Portland, ME 04112 , Local : 207.871.5700, Toll-free : 855.832.3399, Now available:, The ultimate ticket to winter fun! MHNO is a proud member of Portland BuyLocal
Help Support the Observer with your advertising! eMail us: Observer@ munjoyhill.org
Weatherization Resources
www.mainehousing.org/ Call 626-4639, or email Brad Snell, Program Officer, at bsnell@mainehousing.org www.hourexchangeportland.org, 470 Forest Ave. 3rd Floor, Portland, ME 04101, 874-9868, email: Rob@hourexchangeportland.org The Opportunity Alliance, www.opportunityalliance.org/programs/ 50 Monument Square, toll free 1-877-429-6884
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February 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Portland Pottery
& Metalsmithing Studio
118-122 Washington Ave • Portland
Seasonal Cafe Specials
Coffee • Baked Goods • Soup • Daily Specials Mon-Thurs 7am-7pm • Fri 7am-5pm • Sat 8am-5pm Full menu available on our website
Beginner Clay Classes
New Classes Starting February 7th
$245- Includes 8 weeks of instruction & materials
Vacation Camp for Kids February 18th - 22nd
“I saw you chase the moon one night when snowflakes danced around a streetlamp on a cobblestone street. I heard the dream beckon when the wind fell around my footsteps as I made my way home... —excerpted from poem, One Square Missing by Judith Vriesema
Choose from 5 Classes Daily Wheel throwing, sculpture, glass & metalsmithing. Classes starting at $13/class or $60/day 207-772-4334 • www.portlandpottery.com find us on facebook.com/portland.pottery
Colorful Solutions for Financing a Home Mortgage
The home you’ve dreamed of may be within reach. At Norway Savings, we offer several down payment assistance programs for eligible borrowers.
Karen Perry
Vice President & Branch Manager, Congress Street 207.482.7905
Claire Owens
Business Development Officer, Exchange Street 207.482.7924
Call for a no obligation appointment today – while rates are at historic lows. We’ll help you explore the many financing options available.
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