MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
M u n joy Hil l
OBSERVER
Profit Org1 JuneNon 2013 US Postage
PAID
Portland, ME Permit No. 824
FREE Published by the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization Vol. 33, No. 5 • June 2013
We love Munjoy Hill!
Above, you can see most of Munjoy Hill, from the Observatory across to the Portland House apartment building, and a corner of the Eastern Promenade, from the top of the Casco Bay Parking Garage.
Sun, June 23rd 8th Annual Hidden Garden Tour of Munjoy Hill
Call For Submissions! [Send to observer@munjoyhill.org] “What I Did on my Summer Vacation” Send us your stories
and photos so we can publish them in the September Observer! Stories should be 300-500 words, please, and appropriate For all ages. Deadline August 10, 2013
MHNO Annual Meeting and Elections Wednesday, June 26, 2013 6:30-8 pm, @ Cummings Center —134 Congress—
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.
PetPics: Please send us photos of
your adorable four-footed or feathered favorites and we will PRINT the pictures in an upcoming Observer. The next 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.
MHNO
Community Connections Continuity Volunteers for the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization have begun staffing weekly Open house hours at the Hill House, at 92 Congress Street. If you see the doors open, stop in and say hello; for open hours or to volunteer, visit munjoyhill.org,
Please join the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization for our annual meeting and elections, which will be held on Wednesday, June 26 at 6:30 pm at the Cummings Center, 134 Congress Street. The AGENDA* for June 26 MHNO Meeting: 6:15 - 6:30 – Social/Gathering Time 6:30 - 6:40 – Welcome, Agenda Review, and Highlights of the Year (MHNO President, Andrea Myhaver) 6:40 - 6:50 - MHNO Committee Updates (Committee Chairs) 6:50 - 7:05 - Review of Proposed By-Laws Changes (MHNO President and Vice-President: Andrea Myhaver and Ross Fields) 7:05 -7:20 – Board of Directors Candidate Introductions and Ballot Casting (MHNO VicePresident, Ross Fields) 7:20 – 7:35 – Entertainment (TBD) 7:35 – 7:40 – Announcement of Election Results (MHNO President, Andrea Myhaver) 7:40 – 7:50 – President and Vice President Election and Results (MHNO Treasurer, Elaine Mullin) 8:00 - Adjourn *Note: Meeting topics/order may be subject to change
Old Port Festival S u n d a y , J u n e 9 M u s i c • F ood • F u n See page 19 for schedule
Open House at MHNO Wednesday, June 19
Save the Date! See page 3 for details & location.
Weekly curbside compost pickup has arrived! visit garbagetogarden.org for details
Above, blacksmith Sam Smith works iron the old-fashioned way at the Portland Forge, located in one of the Portland Yacht Services out-buildings. His business is featured in this issue of the Observer; see our Business Focus on page 10.
From MHNO President & Editor. . . . . 2 From Vice President Ross Fields. . . . 3 Open House at Hill House. . . . . . . . . 3 Ask The Money Prof by Joel Gold. . . 3 MHNO Board profiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 MHNO Bulletin Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Membership Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Annual Meeting announcement. . . . 5 Capital & City State Senator Justin Alfond. . . . . . . 6 Op/Ed: Housing on Munjoy Hill by Markos Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 City Councilor, Kevin Donoghue. . 7 Good Neighbor Delores Lanai. . . . 7 EECS•Kids —1st Grade Poetry. . . . 7 Growing Together/Parenting. . . . . . . 8 250th Anniversary: St Paul’s Church. 8 Art & Soul. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Spotlight on NonProfits: SailMaine Essay by Delores Lanai (Travel) East End Business Focus The Portland Forge. . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Dishcrawl Portland by Sally Wright. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Art & Soul. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 El Camino by Kate Campbell Strauss Audubon Bird Walks. . . . . . . . . . . 12 Sustainability Mini-Conference. . 12 Crossword Solution. . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Friends of the Eastern Promenade. 13 Identifying Stroke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 City Sanitation Update. . . . . . . . . . . 14 Sudoku Puzzle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Living with Peace: Somali Bantu Leaders. . . . . . . . . . 15 National Trails Day/Portland Trails. . 15 Crossword Puzzle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 School News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 EECS•Kids —1st Grade Poetry. . . 16 Local Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-19 Comparison Puzzle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Gardener’s Dirt by Nini McNamany. . . . . . . . . . . . 20
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June 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.
I want to thank our wonderful VP, Ross Fields, for jumping in and pinch-hitting for me while I took some time off in April to attend to a family matter. I can’t believe that it’s now the end of May and I am writing for the June issue. Wow! I am pretty sure that ten minutes ago I was complaining about snow (well, maybe not out loud; I’ve learned not to mess too much with Mother Nature). Now I’m looking forward to hot summer nights. Before I talk about June though, I’d like to take you back a couple of months to April (I promise to leave the weather out of it). Back in early April, the MHNO Board met on a Saturday afternoon for a “mini-retreat” at the home of Ann Quinlan, one of our fellow directors. Unlike most of our meetings, which are very structured, we took the opportunity to socialize and talk in a somewhat informal way
It was interesting to see that what emerged were some common themes, which we’ve now incorporated into a new tag line that we feel embodies the purpose and spirit of the MHNO: “Community, Connections, Continuity – since 1979”. It is our intention to use these three tenets as guiding principles as we set our direction for the next fiscal year. In other words, before we begin any new projects, and as we continue to work on current projects, we will ask ourselves, “Will this work help to build community?”; “Will this work foster connections within and
So, let’s talk about June, shall we? June is a very busy month for the MHNO Board of Directors, as we prepare for our Annual Meeting and Elections which will be held on Wednesday, June 26, from 6:30-8:00 pm at the Cummings Center. This year at the meeting, in addition to elections of Board Members and Officers, we are also going to ask the membership present to approve changes to our By-Laws. The current By-Laws were written in 1979 when the MHNO was established, and they have not been changed since. We are taking this opportunity to modernize and
simplify some of the language, as well as to make a few minor changes that will give the organization more flexibility. A full copy of the original bylaws, as well as a draft copy of the proposed changed bylaws, will be available on our website in early June. We will also provide hard copies at our Annual Meeting. I hope to see you all there!
“Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.” ~ Al Bernstein Our world is ever-so-slowly greening, a comforting sight to the eyes & soul; now, if only the warm weather would finally settle in, as well.
Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization
Summer on Munjoy Hill has a personality all its own. Not only does it bring the sun, the breeze blowing up off the bay, and school vacation, summer brings visitors— those who come to stay with us, and those who are just passing through. Summer is a time of people-watching and event-planning (and attending).
Andrea Myhaver, President.......................... . ......... andrea.myhaver@munjoyhill.org Ross Fields, Vice President............................ . ...................ross.fields@munjoyhill.org Elaine Mullin, Treasurer............................... elaine.mullin@munjoyhill.org..671-6132
Families, friends and tourists will soon be filling our streets, and crowding into our favorite haunts. Be sure to mark your calendar for the Hidden Gardens of Munjoy Hill Tour – Sunday, June 23. It gets more impressive every year! And don’t forget Observatory tours - fun and educational for the whole family (What!? You say you’ve never been? then you’re in for a treat! Put it on the list)
Sam Cohen, Secretary.................................. . .................. sam.cohen@munjoyhill.org Eben Albert-Knopp....................................... . ........ ealbertknopp@bernsteinshur.com Ralph Carmona............................................ rccarmona@hotmail.com.........518-9177
It’s almost time to tidy up the spare room, locate the flip-flops, brush off the grill, and brush up on the hot spots for day-trips. With the lovely East End Beach and water access close at hand, a new stand-up paddle-board operation, and an extensive urban trail system, not to mention our many funky and fine shops, restaurants and cafés, all in our own neighborhood, the only thing you may be short of, is the time to do it all!
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
But if you DO find yourself with some spare time—or with the desire to meet some new people and build community, please consider volunteering for your neighborhood organization. Your MHNO is devoted to addressing the concerns of the community and providing a voice, so that the East End will continue to be one of the most livable communities—just about anywhere!
MHNO Mission Incorporated as a nonprofit organization in January 1979, our purpose is to broad-based,
outside of our neighborhood?”; and finally, “As we complete this work, what can we do to ensure continuity with our past and our mission?” We’re pretty excited to begin using this approach in our planning, and we think it will help us to focus on what is important.
From the Editor, Lisa Peñalver
MHNO Board 2012-2013
a
about what it means to each of us to live on Munjoy Hill and be a member of the Board of Directors of the MHNO. It was a great conversation. As we each spoke, I recorded some of the key words from our thoughts on a flip chart and towards the end of our meeting, we reviewed the list.
S e n d Y o u r L e t t e r s a n d H i ll n e w s t o observ er@Munjoy Hill .org
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.
be
MHNO President, Andrea Myhaver
representative
organization committed to improving the quality of life for the residents of Munjoy
How to Build Community: text by the Syracuse Cultural Workers (SCW); Karen Kerney, watercolor, SCW © 1998. Poster available through www.syracuseculturalworkers.com.
Hill and the East End, by strengthening the sense of community, maintaining the current diversity of social and economic groups, encouraging self-sufficiency, and enriching the lives of all residents.
WHO YOU GONNA CALL? You can help prevent crime on the Hill! If you see a crime happening or see/hear anything suspicious in your neighborhood, please call the police!
756-8135 Daytimes: Janine Kaserman with Community Policing 2) 650-9005 cell: 11 am thru the night, Senior Lead Officer Tony Ampezzan (at right) 3) 874-8575/-8574: Dispatch/non-emergency events 1)
4) Emergencies: 9-1-1 Clip and save these numbers!
Anonymous Crimes tips Program: Phone Tip—Dial 874-8584 | Online: tipsubmit.com Text-A-Tip: Text “GOTCHA” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES)
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
June 2013
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Engage! Your community will be what you make of it. By Ross Fields, VP & MHNO Membership Committee Chair There has been a lot going on in our great city during the past month. The Bayside project has received the go-ahead; the Congress Square debate continues; the St. Lawrence Arts Center proposal continues to unfold; hotels are appearing like mushrooms along a Portland Trails footpath; and First Parish’s beautifully restored steeple has returned. There is no scarcity of projects, events or causes to be engaged in. I have come to find out that what is truly special about the City of Portland is the level of engagement of its citizens. Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to meet with many of our City’s elected officials and staff on issues facing our Munjoy Hill neighborhood and the City in general. A common thread that ran through all of my encounters was how Portlanders are so civically engaged. I know there are varying opinions as to how this abundance of engagement either promotes or hinders forward progress of the issues at hand. I was involved in a recent online debate where there was a wellspring of information and a very broad spectrum of opinions. Toward the end, a relative newcomer to our City, who also just happened to be “engaged” in the process, complained a bit about all the “yakking” and no action. It got a bit ugly real fast, but the main point
was this: if you don’t engage, if you don’t speak up, if you don’t listen to what your neighbor has to say, if you don’t involve yourself in the debate, then you are not being deliberate in how your community develops. There are some who are perfectly satisfied with letting things just happen around them. However, if you should find yourself complaining about how things happen in your neighborhood, in this City, I strongly encourage you to become “engaged.” And there is no better way to begin to “engage”, than by becoming a member of Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization. Why should you join? Because you live here. If you are already a member, thank you. If you are already a member, invite your neighbor to join. If you are a renter, ask your landlord to join. My landlord lives in Harpswell and did not hesitate to join when I asked him. Thanks, John. So, in the words of Star Trek’s Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise —Engage.
“A community is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and that the people who share the place define and limit the possibilities of each other’s lives. It is the knowledge that people have of each other, their concern for each other, their trust in each other, the freedom with which they come and go among themselves.” ~~Wendell Berry
MHNO Community Open House Learn about our AtHome Project —Wednesday, June 19th—
You are Invited to a Munjoy Hill Community Open House to learn about our At Home Senior Support Services By Lori Parnham On Wednesday, June 19th, the At Home on Munjoy Hill (AHOM) Committee of the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization is hosting an open house from 4-7pm at Hill House. We look forward to the opportunity to meet new neighbors and see old friends. As MHNO continues to try to better serve our neighbors, the AHOM Committee would like to get feedback from you and your family on how we might work together to enrich and enliven our unique community. Specifically, as we begin a program to support older people aging in place on the Hill, we want to hear what your needs are- or the needs of a family member or friend. Your neighbors, Elaine Mullin, Katlyn Blackstone, Ann Quinlan, and I, have been meeting over the last year to begin to build this volunteer support program for Hill residents but we need your feedback. Could you or someone you know use help getting to a doctor appointment or with simple household chores? Would you be willing to help a neighbor out once in a while? Having moved to Portland and Munjoy Hill neighborhood less than two years ago from Florida, I understand now more than ever how important community is to me- that sense of connectedness and belonging that we all look for. At AARP, our members here in Maine tell us how important their local communities are to themfrom Portland to Madawaska. They want to remain in their homes and communities connected to friends, loved ones, their faith-based organization, and other social organizations as long as possible. The AHOM Committee is working to support this sense of community on the Hill and we need your input to be successful. We are hoping you will take the opportunity to join us, meet some of your neighbors you might not know, visit with old friends, and share what is important to you when it comes to living on the Hill. If you can’t drop by on the 19th, we would still love to hear from you. Feel free to send an email to me at lparham@aarp.org or give me a call at (207) 776-6304. I hope to see you there! Who: Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization, At Home on Munjoy Hill Committee What: Community Open House, Refreshments will be served! When: Wednesday, June 19, any time between 4-7pm Where: Hill House, Congress Street
Ask the Money Prof Looking to buy a condo?
By Joel I. Gold
Wondering if condominium (condo) ownership is right for you? It’s not about whether condos are good or bad. The answer all depends on what your needs are. (We’re assuming that purchasing your primary residence is still more advantageous than renting). How do you know? If you need a new place to live, then, it could be the right choice. Read on.
dwelling, maintained swimming pools, clubhouses, work-out facilities, theaters, billiard rooms and other social activities. Condos can offer more socialization, if you want to meet people. Some condos are so social that one must employ the “meet, greet, and delete” philosophy or be subject to excessive socialization. Some view certain condo developments as a camp for adults.
renting. Usually the better-maintained condos have a high percent of owners, rather than renters. One should always check the financial condition of the Association. How much do they have in reserves? If roofs, windows, heating /air conditioning systems need to be replaced, and reserves do not cover these costs, assessments can be levied. These assessments can be very high.
The next checkpoint is location. Are there suitable condos being offered in the area you are considering? Condos offer many of the same things that a stand-alone dwelling offers: price appreciation potential, tax writeoffs, square footage, and pride of ownership.
So what are the downsides? Shared space to begin with. This is certainly evident in the apartment type condo style. There are unattached single family homes, but the grounds and activities are shared. There are HOAs (Homeowners Association quarterly fees) which may be high in terms of what the condo owner is using. Some owners do not use the clubhouse, pools, etc, and yet they share in the cost. If the condo development is not successful, and vacancies are increasing, HOAs may rise. Another negative may be the association’s rules on
And finally, there are many rules in condo associations. They include landscaping, renting, parking, dress code,etc. Make sure you do your due diligence prior to purchase.
Condos offer other amenities that a stand-alone dwelling does not offer: less maintenance—depending on the association, services may include landscaping and lawn maintenance, snow removal, insect control, roof maintenance and replacement, periodic painting of the
College professor and financial adviser Joel I. Gold is the owner of the Gold Company, located off of India Street, 145 Newbury Street, 3rd flr, (207) 650-7884, where he works as a Fee-Only Financial Planner. He’s been in Portland since 1995.
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BULLETIN Board the munjoy Hill neighborhood Organization
June 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Meet the 2012-2013 Board of the MHNO!
Andrea Myhaver President
Ross Fields Vice President
Elaine Mullin Treasurer
Sam Cohen Secretary
Eben Albert-Knopp
Ann Quinlan
Nova Ewers
Ralph Carmona
We need YOU! There are open seats on the MHNO Board! If you would like to help guide the direction of the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood organization, please send us a letter of interest: Info@ munjoyhill. org
Joan Sheedy
Thomas Kelley
Get to know us! Andrea Myhaver (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. 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 and his wife, Kathleen, have lived on Munjoy Hill since July 2011; Ross became a MHNO Board member in December 2011. Ross likes the vibrancy of the Rosemont Market and the local restaurants on the Hill. He also enjoys living only a couple blocks away from the ocean. Few people may know that when Ross lived in Vermont—before he moved to Portland—he sang tenor in a barbershop quartet. A favorite quotation of Ross’—”When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” (Author Unknown)
Elaine Mullin
(Treasurer, MHNO) Elaine has lived on Munjoy Hill for four and a half years and has been a Board member for three years. She loves the constant activity on the Hill and the fact that you don’t have to go far to find things going on. Few people would know that Elaine has “LIKE” us & stay INFORMED! participated in the Trek Across Sign up for our email list at munjoyhill. Maine bicycle tour—three times! org to receive alerts on events and A favorite quotation: “Be kinder than issues pertaining to the East End (fyi: necessary, because everyone you we do not share our list.). Get the first meet is fighting some kind of battle.” glimpse of the each month's Observer. (Author Unknown) "Like" the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization on Facebook! Sam Cohen 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.
(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.”
Joan Sheedy
Joan has been a Board member for 7+ years; she has lived on Munjoy Hill for eight years. Joan sees the Munjoy Hill community as one big family whose members are all willing to help each other and to work together in pursuit of common goals. In addition to participating in the MHNO, Joan is also involved in many other activities across Portland, such as City Hall affairs. A favorite quotation, ““I just try as hard as I can to make ‘community’ on the Hill and to draw people together.” (Joan)
Thomas Kelley
Tom became a Board member in March 2012; he has lived on Munjoy Hill for one year. He likes living among the eclectic group of Munjoy Hill residents who all share the common traits of being friendly, amazing people. Few would know that Tom is 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)
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).
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!
Nova Ewers
Nova has lived on Munjoy Hill for two years; she became a Board Member in March 2012. Nova loves how Munjoy Hill residents take pride in and love their neighborhood. “From sunrise over the Prom to sunset over Standpipe Park, it’s always a beautiful day on the Hill thanks to the beautiful people who live here.” Few people may know that Nova has sailed across each of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans twice. A favorite quotation, “It is not so much what is on the table that matters, as what is on the chairs” (W.S. Gilbert)
Ralph Carmona (Chair, MHNO Annual Appeal Campaign) Over three years ago, Ralph and Vana (an 11th generation Mainer) Carmona decided to make Munjoy Hill the next stage in their lives because of its quality of life and the potential to make a difference. Ralph joined the MHNO Board in February 2011. What he likes best about Munjoy Hill are his morning walks with Vana throughout Eastern Promenade. Most people do not know that Ralph has a doctorate, is Regent Emeritus at the University of California and Executive Director of the Maine Global Institute. A favorite quotation: “Think where one’s greatest glory most begins and ends, then say: My greatest glory is that I had such friends.” (William Butler Yeats)
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.
Tamera Edison Ad Sales Rep
Lisa Peñalver Observer Editor
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
June 2013
the munjoy Hill neighborhood Organization 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!
MHNO Board of Directors Elections
Community Garden Funding SAFE (for now)
— 6 Board Seats Available! —
Would you like to get involved in your neighborhood? Learn what your neighborhood organization is all about and be an integral part of the wonderful programs we have in place now and help develop the programs of the future?
At a meeting on May 9, 2013, the City of Portland’s Finance Committee considered a list of proposed budget reductions for the fiscal year 2014 operating budget to meet possible tax rate scenarios.
Would you like to bring your thoughts and collaborative focus to work together with other community-minded people?
Among the proposed cuts was a reduction of $20,000 in funding for the Community Garden Program, which represents most or all of the City’s funding for community gardens. Several Portland residents, including MHNO board member Eben Albert-Knopp, spoke in opposition to the proposed cut for community gardens. The Finance Committee decided to take community gardens off the list of proposed cuts, and also retained funding for several other programs previously on the chopping block. The Finance Committee asked the city staff to engage in a new round of budget-cut proposals which will be considered at a future Finance Committee meeting.
The MHNO Board is elected at the annual meeting in June by the membership present. Votes are counted and new board members are announced at the meeting. The President and Vice President are also elected at this meeting. The Secretary and Treasurer are then elected by the board at the first meeting of the new fiscal year in July. Candidates are encouraged to contact Elaine Mullin at elaine.mullin@munjoyhill.org, or call 207-671-6132. The process is simple. There is a brief questionnaire, along with demographic information to complete. You must be a member of the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization to run. If you are not yet a member, you can go to the MHNO website for information, www.munjoyhill.org. Your completed membership form, with payment, can be dropped off in the locked mailbox outside MHNO Hill House (to the LEFT of the door), at 92 Congress St, nextdoor to Hilltop Coffee. You can also join us at the annual meeting. Everyone will be given a few minutes to introduce themselves to the membership during the meeting. The annual meeting is June 26 at 6:30 pm the Cummings Center. Please come to meet, talk, and listen, and consider joining us on the board!
Please Come! Wed., June 26, 2013, 6:30-8 pm, Cummings Center, 134 North St.
Recycle AND help fund the MHNO Heat Assistance Program: Donate your
recyclables thru CLYNK! at Hannafords Funds raised support MHNO’s Fuel Assistance “Warm Hearts, Warm Neighbors” program. Stop outside the Hill House at 92 Congress and pick up a free green bag, or fmi, call Louise Little at 7800860. Keep those cans & bottles coming!
Email info@munjoyhill.org. Show your neighborhood pride! Munjoy HilL t-shirts are available: S-XL@$16, XXXL@$20, Tees come in black or white. Or get this bumper sticker! (measures 6”x 4”) $3 per sticker. Buy one and support your Neighborhood group. Send your check to MHNO,92 Congress St, Portland ME 04101.
Join the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization The Free Cell Phone and Minutes Program Available Now through SafeLink Wireless You may qualify to receive a free cell phone if you participate in any of the following: • Federal Public Housing Assistance • Food Stamps • Medicaid • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program • Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) • National School Lunch (free lunch only) • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) This program offers up to 250 free minutes every month for local and long distance calls and texting. The MHNO is in discussions with SafeLink Wireless representatives about the possibility of holding informational meetings on the Hill. Keep checking the MHNO Bulletin Board at 92 Congress St., or the MHNO Calendar online. Google SafeLink Wireless Maine for more info.
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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June 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER justinalfond.com
CapitAl City
Keeping sight of what really matters The importance of high-quality public education cannot be overstated. Providing students with every opportunity to succeed has to be done for our children and our economy. Over the past few months, I have worked on several education bills to help students in Portland and across Maine. Each bill addresses separate challenges we face as we seek to educate and empower the next generation of Mainers.
to operate a federal summer food service program if that public school operates a summer school or summer recreational program. If a school district determines that operating a summer food program would be financially or logistically impracticable, the district can opt-out by a vote of the local school board. As of this writing, the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee gave a unanimous vote of support, and both the House and Senate have given initial approval to the bill. In the next few days, the Legislature will need to give its final approval, and then the bill will move to the Governor’s desk for his approval or veto.
We all know how important proper nutrition is to success. Maine’s food insecurity is at a perilously high rate, with nearly 1 in 7 Mainers not knowing where their next meal is going to come from. Over 84,000 of Maine’s children qualify for free or reduced-cost school meals through the National School Lunch Program. According to the Food Research and Action Center, Maine’s summer food participation is 16.5%, meaning 70,140 qualified children in Maine did not have access to a summer meal through a summer food program. This is unacceptable.
My second education bill is attempting to slow down the push for full-time virtual schools. Many of you know my record of supporting innovation in the classroom. With amazing advancements in technology, we have new opportunities to expand learning opportunities. Despite this, some private companies have sought to establish public charter schools that replace the traditional classroom with a virtual classroom. The data from other states illustrates that virtual schools have not met their educational benchmarks.
We have an incredible opportunity to feed hungry students now. It’s called the Summer Food Service Program, and it’s administered by the US Department of Agriculture. The program is simple: in communities where 50% or more of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, the USDA will pay for a summer food program to feed students when school is out.
My bill, LD 995, places a moratorium on establishing a virtual charter school in Maine. However, my bill still encourages hybrid online classes that enhance student learning for high school students. The bill received a majority “ought to pass” report, with 9-to-5 voting in support.
My bill, LD 1353, requires a school district with at least 50% of students qualified for a free or reduced-price lunch
In addition to proper nutrition and strong public schools, students need a safe and healthy place to learn. To help school districts replace older and inadequate school buildings, the state developed the “school construction
priority list.” The Maine Department of Education puts out a request for proposals for new school construction approximately every five to seven years. Every school can apply and each district is scored on a point system. This list is then released with several schools being chosen as schools that will be funded by the state. After a school district is identified, it then works with the state to plan for several years before the new construction begins. There are currently 71 schools on the construction priority list, and only the first six have been selected by the Department of Education for construction funds. The Hall Elementary School in Portland is currently 12th on the list for state support. Under current law, however, if a school district not identified by the state for school funding moves forward with planning for new construction, it becomes ineligible for state funding and is removed from the priority list. After working with Mayor Michael Brennan, we developed a proposal to incentivize local communities to start their process of building healthy and safe schools. My bill, LD 1235, would allow schools to begin planning and hiring professionals, to a certain point, without losing their place on the priority school list. The bill received a unanimous “ought to pass as amended” report. With Hall Elementary School at number 12, this would allow the City of Portland to move forward with preliminary planning. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on these and other measures before the legislature. Send me an email at Justin@JustinAlfond.com
On an Upscale Hill: Where Will the Workers Live? The recent real-estate frenzy on Munjoy Hill is the fiercest I can recall. Yes, over 10 years ago, we saw the widespread beginning of multi-unit conversions to condominiums. In the years since, we’ve seen our housing values steadily rise, despite a national housing crash of sorts. Gradually older homes were being purchased and renovated.
ing out for themselves and their families when they sell to the highest bidder. It is not the responsibility of individual property owners to try and maintain housing for a diverse population. It does, however, fall under the expressed goals of our community from the neighborhood level (i.e. MHNO values) to the municipal level (Portland Housing Plan).
The Hill has been lucky to have this kind of reinvestment in the housing stock. Such periodic renewal must play a vital role in the long term forecast of neighborhoods. However, from what I’m seeing, buildings on the Hill are now so widely sought after that nature of our local market has significantly changed.
So, whose responsibility is it and what can we do differently? We have a range of organizations that can play a role in maintaining and expanding affordable and workforce housing, including the City of Portland, Portland Housing Authority, AVESTA and other non-profit organizations, and even churches.
A full-fledged “dump” can be listed for nearly $300,000. A 3-unit gets 27 offers. Properties are open for viewing for an extremely limited time (4 hours over 2 days) and then bidding closes in 24 hours. Investors push their way into houses before they are even listed on the market. These are just some examples of how hot the local housing market is on Munjoy Hill. Competition is fierce and it appears you have to have deep pockets to play, because that $300,000 dump is going to need at least another $200,000 worth of rehabilitation.
Some communities have adopted the Community Land Trust (CLT) model to preserve and enhance the availability of housing for both low and mid-income residents. Community Land Trusts such as the Champlain Housing Trust located in Burlington, VT help to generate and sponsor affordable housing ownership models for a range of income levels.
What this means is that middle class folks are not going to have much hope of owning a home on the Hill. Heck, the financing needed to buy and renovate housing coming onto the market will probably result in rents that are out of reach for most of us. Teachers, police officers, and so many others essential to the functioning of the city are being priced out of the city. Few families have the hope of finding a home on the Hill. I know, this is nothing new, and I’m not the first to raise this flag. My concern is that we collectively have not done much about this. A few developers like AVESTA have managed to build some subsidized housing. However, these units are usually for the poorest in our community; there is little in the mid-range for these same folks to move out and up to, or for members of the middle-class workforce to call home. Portland architect, Jesse Thompson, fears Munjoy Hill is becoming a de-facto gated community where only the richest can afford to live, or the poorest through subsidized housing. So, isn’t this just the nature of housing markets? Individual property owners are only doing the right thing in look-
These models are often characterized by shared equity programs guaranteeing affordability in perpetuity and membership-based governance structures which advance and develop democratic decision-making and shared responsibility. In such programs, the land is typically owned by the land trust and homes are privately owned, which helps to keep the cost of housing down. Ownership covenants balance the long-term affordability of the homes with private owners’ ability to build equity in their homes. Our existing public housing, maintained by the Portland Housing Authority (PHA), also presents another opportunity to expand the range of affordable housing while also enhancing the long-term sustainability of affordable housing. Many of PHA’s holdings are characterized by large amounts of open space and a housing stock that is reaching the end of its life cycle. Some communities have begun to redevelop existing public housing by introducing mixed-income residents into the traditional low-income housing model. The physical, as well as programmatic, redesign has the effect of de-stigmatizing public housing, strengthening the diversity of neighborhoods, and offering ways for housing agencies to generate sources of income
By Markos Miller
other than state or federal housing subsidies, which are rapidly diminishing. In Portland we do have some groups that are beginning to explore a range of solutions to the problems of the cost of housing. The real estate frenzy on the Hill is one indicator that existing policy is not enough. If Portland is going to be affordable for the people that teach our children, cook our food, and provide the multitude of other services a great city depends upon, we will need innovative solutions and greater leadership around housing issues. There are a range of institutions that could play a role in developing and implementing such policies. The City of Portland could create an Urban Housing Land Trust. The Roman Catholic Diocese could redevelop its newly acquired Rite Aide plaza on Congress Street into a mixed-use/mixed-income asset in service of its mission. PHA could begin eyeing opportunities to redevelop its aging housing stock to provide a wider range of housing types and to improve the financial sustainability of affordable housing for its residents. Even our neighborhood organizations have a role to play in preserving and strengthening the diversity of our neighborhoods. Please let me know what you think.
—Markos Miller
Please send your thoughts to observer@munjoyhill.org with “Adams Site” in the Subject line. Markos Miller is a community activist and MHNO volunteer who lives on Atlantic Street, Munjoy Hill.
kjdonoghue @ por tlandmaine.org
Local Infrastructure gets a Nod Portland voters have approved the school budget while the municipal budget remains under development pending resolution of an untold number of variables in the state budget. The city has, however, committed FY14 funds for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and has nearly finalized the FY14 bonds for the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The CIP and the development category of CDBG represent our two main tools for investing in the physical infrastructure and improving conditions in lowincome district neighborhoods. While financial resources are increasingly strained, I believe we are targeting resources well. Much of what is funded in CDBG and the CIP are significant site-specific project, while others attempt to spread benefits more widely. Some examples are: the installation of accessible curb ramps, including extension of more accessible crossings from residences to the Eastern Promenade, new trees for largely bare streets like Merrill Street, several more Big Belly Solar Compactors throughout the district in addition to those already installed on Munjoy Hill and Peaks Island, and the expansion of the facade improvement program to neighborhood business districts. Neighborhoods throughout the district are also anticipating further brick and mortar work. East End: Munjoy Hill will see an even deeper investment in the restoration of Fort Allen Park, with an additional $30K to upgrade the bandstand, which hosts its popular summer concerts. The intersection at the top of Cutter Street will be realigned for improved safety for $125K, and the City is contributing about $200K toward repaving Eastern Promenade and Fore Street. Atlantic Street will see a failing segment of its brick sidewalk reconstructed for about $65K. Morning Street and Vesper Street will see sidewalk extensions toward Fort Allen for $20K. Additionally, I am working to nail down about $8K to fill in sidewalk gaps on Romasco Lane. India Street neighbors will soon enjoy construction of the forgotten segment of brick sidewalk on Federal Street for $40K which will also bolster the site of the Abyssinian Meeting House. Additionally, $25K will
go toward repairing the grand tombs in the historic Eastern Cemetery. East Bayside neighbors will celebrate the major upgrade to our newest neighborhood byway, for safer biking and walking on Anderson Street from Fox Street to Tukey’s Bridge for $245K. Fox Street is also planned for repaving from Anderson Street and up to Washington Avenue. Downtown:
Bayside will see another installment of about $200K toward a full complement of pedestrian street lamps lining Cumberland Avenue. $150K will help push the realignment of Somerset Street and extend a new segment of the Bayside Trail through to Forest Avenue. Bayside will also bid a fond farewell to the Silver Bullets, being reinstalled at a cost of $100K. Most exciting for Bayside is, however, the $50K put toward engineering streetscape work for Portland Street, in anticipation of additional investment to come. Elsewhere Downtown, $450K will go toward a pedestrianfriendly intersection redesign around Lobsterman’s Park as an outgrowth of an effort to retrieve Spring Street from urban renewal. Most exciting for Downtown is, I believe, the $330K toward implementation of the innovative Congress Street Transit Priority Corridor as called for in the recent Peninsula Transit Plan. Other downtown projects include about $100K for sidewalk rehabilitation at the Civic Center. Islands: Critical investments for the city islands include $160K to replace the ambulance on Peaks Island and $80K for repairs to the wharf on Cliff Island. This spring and summer, department heads and I will begin the island editions of the District One Annual Meeting, intended to, among other things, solicit input for other key investments in the city islands. Please be in touch with your input for future priorities: kjdonoghue@portlandmaine.gov
On Hill
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
June 2013
7
Good Neighbor of the Month Delores Lanai
By Lisa Peñalver
“Of course!” was my reply.
Sometimes, the neighbors with whom you are most familiar can surprise you with bits of their history you would never expect. One neighbor and friend who did this recently for me is Delores Lanai.
“I was on the Today Show with Barbara Walters. It was the very first time rape was discussed on national TV as a form of violence.” (Instead of rape being viewed as merely a sexual issue.)
Delores was subsequently inDelores is a longtime vited to return 3 more times MHNO member (15 years), as a guest on Barbara Walter’s former MHNO Board mem“Not for Women Only” show, ber and MHNO Treasurer to help get the word out about until 2011. After leaving the the availability of the Rape CriAbove, Delores Lanai. Courtesy photo MHNO Board, she worked sis Hotline, and to continue to for a couple years as volunteer and patient-mem- educate about rape being violence, not sex. ber of the Board of the Portland Community When Delores moved to the Portland area, she Health Center. She is still active on the Board of worked with the Rape Crisis Center here as well, the Feminist Spiritual Community, a women’s on the staff and as a Board member. Her move to group based on Munjoy Hill. Maine was prompted by her desire to study and This resident of St. Lawrence St settled in Maine work with a local mythologist. after spending the early years of her life travelling Delores continues to follow and be active in isthe globe. Born in Oregon, she spent a year in Lasues of social justice. She is proud to call herself nai, Hawaii, then Delores Lanai attended college a Feminist. The issues of gay and lesbian rights, in Beirut, Lebanon. She earned a Bachelor’s deas well as women’s spirituality, hold special resogree in Cultural Anthropology and a Masters in nance with her. Organizational Development. Her love of travel led her to work in the travel industry and eventu- These days, she hosts a website called WeddingsandHandFastings.com. A hand fasting, she exally to create her own tour company. plains, is a Celtic tradition, of “a year and a day” Between her first-hand experiences with other commitment. Delores is an officiate and ritual cultures and her training in cultural anthropolplanner for these ceremonies and celebrations. ogy, Delores was able to look at our American society from a different perspective when she re- Asked what advice she might offer to those seekturned in the late ’60s to live in Washington, DC. ing an understanding of the world, Delores says, “I always tell people to get out and travel. Do it Her insights into the needs of women led her to while you are young!” co-found the very first Rape Crisis Center in the country, complete with a hotline. To contact Delores, you may email her at terra@ She asked me, when we last spoke, did I want to maine.rr.com. hear about her “claim-to-fame?”
Mom
She is nice. I love her like a heart. I love you. I love you. She is my mom. I love my mom. — Rosie
My Family
My family gives me presents, controllers, dog and cat. My brother gives me candy. — Marvin
Mom
Pretty! Kisses me like a butterfly. Hugs me like a bear. Happy like a flower. Smiles like the sun. I love mom. — David
Mom
Nice. Beautiful like a rose. Hard worker. Kind. Happy like a bear. Kisses like a butterfly. I love my mom. — Michael
At right, POETRY: First Graders at the East End Community School participated in writing workshops this spring. Shown is a selection of the children’s work, collected by teacher, Tina Singer. More student work can be found on page 16.
My Brain Little. Small. Gross. My brain. — Cedric
Family
I love my family. They love me. I love — Matthew,
Mom
The whole family. — Michael
Baby Sister
Cute. Laughs. Cries. Sleeps. Awake. Likes red. Likes it when we pick her up. Eyes are brown, Just like mine. — Kayla
Chloe
Chloe is so funny. She likes it being sunny. Chloe is so lovely. I like her being cuddly. Chloe is so nice. Hugging is the price. — Charlotte
Photo by CEFutcher, Copyright ©2013 iStockphoto LP
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June 2013
On Hill
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
GrowingTogether T ips
on
P arentin g
&
R elationships
By Ross Fields, CPE & Kathleen Fields, CPE
Knock, Knock! Who’s There?
Open the door to modeling mutual respect By Ross and Kathleen Fields Question: Is it OK with you for anyone to enter your home without asking permission first? What if the door is open, is it OK for them to just walk in, right off the street? What if they knock or ring the doorbell first, and just come in, without any response from you? How would you feel about that? Next question: Do you enter your child’s room without receiving permission to do so? If so, how do you think he or she might feel about this? Disrespected by you? In her book, Redirecting Children’s Behavior, Kathryn Kvols states, “Mutual respect is a major part of democratic parenting. If your child does not feel respected by you, it’s unlikely that he or she will respond to your attempts to win their cooperation. The best way to get children to respect your rights is to respect theirs.” When I first read this, our daughters were three and four years old. I decided, right then, that the most effective way I could model respect was by always asking permission to enter their rooms. It went like this: first, I would knock at the door and ask permission to enter. Only when I got a verbal invite
like, “Come on in Dad,” would I go in. The flip-side is that I expected, and got, the same consideration from them. Even if the door were wide open, I would knock first, and ask permission to enter. I remember one incident when the girls were 7 and 8. They had a girlfriend over and were playing in the bedroom with the door shut. I heard this loud crash, and I ran to the door, knocking first, and asked, “Can I come in?” Their reply, “No, dad.” Not the response I thought I was going to get! “I really want to come in,” I anxiously stated. The reply, “No dad, you can’t come in.” This was not really working for me, but I was determined to follow through on my decision to respect their space. “Is everyone OK?” I asked. Through the door came, “Yes dad. Everyone is okay.” Still not completely satisfied, I asked, “Are you sure?” —”Yes dad, everything is fine.” To this day, I still don’t know what happened, but I do know that everyone was Okay. Now that my daughters are grown and out on their own, the simple act of “knocking” and asking permission to “come in” has evolved into respecting their decisions and asking permission to give my advice first instead of just blurting it out. So, start knocking and getting permission to enter . . . their rooms, their thoughts, their lives. Take care of yourself, be risky, and most of all have fun! Ross Fields & Kathleen Fields are. Certified Parenting Educators (CPE) and, co-founders of Results Parenting, LLC, www.resultsparenting.com.
St. Paul’s Anglican Church Celebrates its 250th Anniversary By John Serrage We are all familiar with the sight of the old stone church, St. Pauls, at 279 Congress Street at the foot of Munjoy Hill. It just looks old, in a rich, historic way. In fact it IS old; it was built here 145 years ago, but began as a church 250 years ago. The First Parish Church (425 Congress Street at the top of Temple Street) was the first church established in the colony that became Portland; it’s thought to have been established some time between 1660 to 1727. It was originally a Puritan Church. There is evidence that the Puritans established other churches in the area very early on; the 2nd and 3rd Parishes are mentioned in historical documents. However, the earliest non-Puritan church established in Portland was St. Paul’s, in 1763. The first colonists in Portland, then known as Casco, were English, but not Puritan. Nonetheless, by 1660, attending one of the Puritan Churches was their only choice. By 1763, there were more non-Puritan English people living in the colony, by then known as Falmouth. One of the new families in town was the Tate family. George Tate was the new mast agent in Stroudwater. They had come from England, and were members of the Church of England. Tate and other non-Puritan English wanted to establish a Church of England parish here. Some members of the Preble family were also interested. A local man, John Wiswell, was sent to London to attend Seminary and returned as an Anglican priest, and St. Paul’s was established in 1763. They built a wooden church on a street off of Middle Street, still known to day as Church Street, on a lot that is today a small parking lot. This first church was burned in the British Bombardment of 1775. A second church was built on that space in 1787. The reason for the break in time is that when the Revolution started, members of Church of England Parishes were considered Tories and spies for Britain, and the church went under ground. In fact, that original priest, John Wiswell, had obviously become enamored of See page 9, St Paul’s 250th
Art Soul
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
June 2013
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Spotlight on Non-Profits is a regular feature. To have your favorite non-profit featured, please contact observer@munjoyhill.org. Below, SailMaine students at the helm in an Adult Class.
SailMaine—Community Sailing for Maine SailMaine is a non-profit organization formed to support sailing in Maine at the grass-roots, community level. SailMaine connects people of all ages and abilities to the coast of Maine through fun and affordable sailing education, recreation, and competition, stimulating individual growth and creating community.
SailMaine Offers Free Sailboat Rides on June 9th By Alicia Mooradian Hey neighbors! Come on down the hill to the waterfront and sail with us. SailMaine’s 6th annual Open House is on June 9th from 11 am to 4pm –sponsored by Amy Alward Insurance and Maine Magazine.. We are offering free sailboat rides in Portland Harbor and shore-side entertainment with Shanna Underwood. It’s a great opportunity to come learn what this non-profit community sailing center offers to the local community. SailMaine connects people of all ages and abilities to the coast of Maine through fun and affordable sailing education, recreation, and competition, stimulating individual growth and creating community. We offer sailing lessons to juniors and adults, rentals, and racing opportunities
through regatta and high school sailing. SailMaine also partners with community organizations like LearningWorks and Special Olympics. The Junior and Adult Sailing Programs offer low cost sailing opportunities to Portland residents. Our professional instructors teach students to master the skills needed to safely rig and sail a boat. Our junior program runs from June 24 through August 16 for kids ages 8-18. Our younger kids are taught in frosties and Optis while our older sailors learn in 420s and J22s. We still have a few spaces available. We also offer sailing lessons in co-ed and women’s-only classes aboard our fleet of J22s and Sea Sprites through the end of September. Private lessons are available as well as refresher courses for people who have sailed before and need to renew their rusty sailing skills quickly. And new to SailMaine this year is our Rental Program. Our J22s can be rented for a sunset sail or for spending a lazy weekend afternoon sailing back and forth across the
harbor to those who go through our certification process or get certified through our adult lessons. Our rental days are Wednesdays through Sunday. It’s a great way to spend the summer….sailing in your front yard. SailMaine’s waterfront site is located on the Eastern Prom at 58 Fore Street in Portland, Maine. FMI phone: (207)772-SAIL (7245) or visit the website at sailmaine. org.
The Transformative Power of Travel (...and my chance meeting with Malcolm X) An Essay by Delores Lanai I was living and studying Beirut in the early 1960s. One day, I got a call from my friend, Martin, “Get over to the Sudanese Embassy. I’ll tell you why later,” he said. So I went. I arrived just before the speaker started, so was seated in the front row… and I realized that Malcolm X was just a few feet in front of me! He had come to Beirut, Lebanon, after his attendance at the Hajj in Mecca in 1964, before returning to the US.
St. Paul’s 250th ,
from page 8
the Empire when he studied in London, and was a Tory; he sailed away with the British fleet after the Bombardment. After the peace treaty with Britain was signed, a new priest was found, and the church re-emerged again, now legal. A larger church building was built in 1802 on Pearl Street, on a lot behind the F. O. Bailey building. That building burned in the Great Fire of 1866, and that space is today a parking lot. It was then, in 1868, that the existing church was built: a 12th Century Gothic Revival building at the corner of Locust and Congress streets. It stands there still, along with a Gothic Revival rectory. A serious smallpox epidemic developed in the chaos after the Great Fire, and an infectious disease hospital was created where patients were taken. The priest of St. Paul’s at the time, N.R. Taylor Root, started making frequent visits to that hospital to comfort the patients. He acquired smallpox and died there in 1872. The members of St. Paul’s still worship using the Book of Common Prayer, which was first published by the Church of England in 1549, and most recently revised in 1928. From the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, the Church of England was under great pressure from her Puritan wing, under the influence of continental Protestants, to de-Catholicize her liturgy, but, in the nineteenth century, what is called the ‘Oxford Movement’ led to a revival of Catholic principles in her worship. The movement was strongly embraced in the United States, and Saint Paul’s is the leading representative of Anglo-Catholic worship in Maine. The theology of Anglicanism is often referred to as the “middle way,” being somewhere between the theology of Protestantism and that of Roman Catholicism.
How I got to Beirut: When I was a freshman in college, I got a call from my mother saying she was thinking of going to Pakistan to work for the World Bank; they were building the Mangla Dam. She said, “I’m hesitant about the two-year contract —it seems long, compared to a oneyear contract.” I told her, “Go! And see if I can come too!” I had lived in diverse Lanai, Hawaii and had chosen Cultural Anthropology as my major. I was excited about any possibility of travel. Within three weeks, I got another call from my mother, saying, “You have a free ticket around the world!” (Wow.) “And our friend has found that you and his daughters can attend the Beirut College for Women while we are in Pakistan.” Another Wow! While mother ended up in Pakistan for four years, I returned to the States after two, to complete my Cultural Anthropology degree in Washington DC. Back to my Malcolm X experience: What was amazing was that in the audience there were whites and blacks from the US, mostly Christian except for Malcolm X. From the Middle East, there were both Christians andMuslims; from Africa, there were also both Christians and Muslims. Malcolm seemed to look at me as he spoke passionately about social injustices, and I shuddered as he talked about all whites being responsible for the low status of blacks in the US. Why was I responsible? I wasn’t a slave owner. I was only 18, innocent; I knew next to nothing about the U.S.’s history with slavery and blacks, nor did I understand the systems of “isms.” Oregon was home, where I’d seen maybe three blacks in all my life, and I’d never met one. The phrase, “You have
to be taught to hate and fear” from the musical, South Pacific had been my favorite diversity mantra since I was a young girl, so I thought I was in the “Good” camp. As Malcolm paused while speaking, I surmised that he was thinking about the “equality of all” he had just experienced in Mecca. Maybe he was beginning to think about individuals vs. groups and the stereotypes. Maybe he was thinking that some whites might be benefactors, as well as perpetrators. I remember noticing that the most confrontational questions for Malcolm came from the black Christian Americans in the audience. (I’m sure their questions would be quite different today.) Back in the US, present time: This event took place some 50 years ago, so memory does not serve me to recall exact questions from the audience. For me, the impact of this experience changed my life. As a young, white 18 year old American woman, I was deeply moved by it. It motivated me to learn more about the systems of “isms.” I was jolted into realizing that, as “woman” and “fat,” etc., I was the underdog as well. Upon my return to the US, I chose to live in Washington DC. I realized I now knew more about the outside world than about the US, having spent more time exploring foreign countries than our own states. After college graduation, I was very delighted to work for VISTA, the domestic Peace Corps, where I travelled to recruit volunteers and learned so much about poverty in the US. For years, I kept notes with details of the specific questions and answers, but unfortunately, I finally threw them out, not knowing where I’d ever send my article. It was the recent airing of the film “Betty and Coretta,” the similar true stories of Coretta Scott King, wife of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Dr. Betty Shabazz, wife of Malcolm X (played by actors Angela Basset and Mary J. Blige ), that inspired me to take another look at this period in my life. I have wanted to write of the deep impact it had on me. Diversity education has been integral to the person I have become. Message: Travel as early in life as possible! The impact is powerful and will help direct the rest of your life! —Delores Lanai, M.Ed., OWL Diversity Consulting, Munjoy Hill, Portland, …terra@maine.rr.com
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June 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
East End Business Focus Stepping back in time: The Portland Forge By Paul Foster By all outward appearances, Sam Smith is a time traveler. To get to him, I enter The Portland Company on Fore Street and make my way down an alley that seems little changed since the complex started churning out locomotives and ships in 1846. When I reach the end and step inside Building 16, I find Smith hammering away on an anvil. The walls of the space are stone. There is a chalk sketch on the concrete floor. I am surrounded by elemental things: flame and water, light and shadow, iron and coal. And then, from beneath Smith’s protective leather apron, his smartphone rings. I’m standing in The Portland Forge, the only traditional blacksmith shop still operating fulltime in the state of Maine. For
Smith, “traditional” means that every method and tool in the shop dates to the early 1800’s, what he calls “the pinnacle of handmade technology,” prior to the dominance of machines. Modern techniques utilizing electric blowers and propane torches might be more economically feasible, but the quality of the finished product is not the only thing that suffers. “It’s not just a piece of iron you’re holding in your hand,” Smith says. “It’s a piece of history. You’re holding the knowledge of the tradition. And you can’t put a price on that. Without the human element, the soul of the piece is lost.” Smith, who lives on Munjoy Hill, opened The Portland Forge earlier this year in an effort to keep tra-
ditional blacksmithing techniques alive. A portfolio of pieces can be found on his website — everything from candle holders to jewelry to fireplace dampers — and he is also available for custom and commercial work. Need an anchor or a set of security bars? He can do that. Want a suit of armor for your Camelot re-enactments? He can do that, too. But he is equally dedicated to education. He participates in First Friday Art Walks (find him in Monument Square) and Farmer’s Markets, and he welcomes individual visitors and school groups to the forge. Smith, himself, started young. At the age of 15, he visited Allaire Village, a living history museum in New Jersey. When he saw the blacksmiths working the tradi-
tional forge, something sparked in him. He signed on as an apprentice and, by 20, had obtained the rank of Master and was overseeing the shop. Does he think it’s coincidence that he was so drawn to the trade for which his ancestors were named? Not a chance. “I believe in Fate,” he tells me. “There’s something in it.” Casting his eyes around Building 16, once the mighty forge of The Portland Company over 150 years ago, he says, “I was meant to be here.” Smith understands his place in the history of this tradition. “When I’m working on a piece, I know it will survive me,” he says. “The piece, the tools used to make it, and the knowledge will be here when I’m gone.” He has plans to fully restore the space with addi-
photos above by Paul Foster
tional forges and a loft office. Then, with his own apprentices up to speed, he’d like to leave the shop in trust — the old ways preserved for a future in which smartphones themselves are obsolete. When the forge has cooled, Smith takes off his apron and gently covers the anvil. “Everything in this shop will outlive me,” he says. “That makes me content. And happy.” Visit Sam Smith at The Portland Forge, 58 Fore St, Bldg 16. The forge is open by appointment only and he encourages interested parties to call 207-699-8464 or email theportlandforge@yahoo.com to make arrangements. His online portfolio can be found at www.theportlandforge.wordpress.com.
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
June 2013
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Dishcrawl Portland
Adventures in Dining
By Sally L. Wright
Trepidation. When I took on this assignment, I didn’t expect my first response to be dread. 48 hours before Portland’s foray into the Dishcrawl, the ambassador for our night on the town, Mary Soule, sent out an email to participants. The message was for us to meet at The Porthole. My internal dialogue begins: Wasn’t it condemned last year? Why am I doing this? If The Porthole is setting the tone for the evening, let the drinks begin early! Even a fellow crawler expressed her initial concern; she admitted her first thought was, “Of all the restaurants in Portland to choose from!” Crawl Basics: The adventure is for the 30 participants to visit four restaurants in three hours, not knowing where we will go until the moment of arrival. We are only privy to the first location before the event begins. We pre-pay $45.00, drinks are extra. Bring cash for drinks, comfortable shoes, and a sense of adventure. My sense of fun intact, I was ready for an interesting evening. #1 Stop: The Porthole on Custom House Wharf, resurgam! Soule said the Porthole is rising again, and she is right. It has a clean, fun atmosphere. I chose a corner table with two other gals, one from Buxton, one from Portland. Chef Jesse Poirier, who has See page 13, Dishcrawl
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June 2013
Art Soul
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
El Camino de Santiago Essay by installment by Kate Campbell Strauss
like people in groups didn’t have either.
Having now walked about 500 miles and crossed the Pyrenees into Spain, I began the second half of my pilgrimage on a route called the “French Way.” The French Way is by far the most popular route to Santiago de Compostela, leading from St. Jean Pied de Port through Pamplona, Burgos, and León.
With enough language skills to converse with the French, I had been able to make small talk and joke around with just about anyone. But in Spain, I started with about ten words, of which “Si” and “No” were the only useful or appropriate ones. My inability to converse in Spanish didn’t usually inhibit me from getting my basic needs met, but it meant a lonelier life. I also got the sense, those first few days in Spanish restaurants, stores, hostels, and cafes, in the little towns of Roncesvalles and Zubiri, and again in Pamplona, that pilgrims were simply part of the landscape and of no particular interest to the Spanish, except as tourists.
Friends on their second or third pilgrimages had told me that the French Way would feel different than the Le Puy route, which I had completed in St. Jean. Alan had said that the French Way would feel “more like a pilgrimage” rather than just a walk from town to town. I wish I had taken his words with a grain of salt, but for some reason, they stuck. So it was quite disappointing when Spanish soil failed to immediately exude the magical qualities of authenticity I had come to expect. The last two weeks in France, I had met maybe five other pilgrims, but now in Spain, I shared a dorm each night with fifteen to twenty others. My first friends in this new chapter were the four I had crossed the Pyrenees with. But when I realized my determination to be present to my experience clashed with their collective habit of drinking and smoking all day, we parted ways. Plus, I didn’t want to have any obligation or allegiance to a particular pilgrim clique. I loved my freedom and autonomy, and it seemed
Feeling disappointed and disconnected, I often thought back to the little city of Éauze, France, where I had rested and played for ten days. Now, two weeks after I left, I still fantasized that I might return, and I contacted a few Éauzian friends. When one of them answered, it became clear that I was the only one fantasizing about my return. I knew I had to move on. Between Zubiri and Pamplona, I took an alternative route up a hill that lead to a little chapel, which was locked. But then, two elderly Spanish nuns came around the corner and, once we figured out that our common language was East End French, they offered me a Bayview Heights tour of the chapel. Before I left, one of the sisters gave Blue Spoon me cookies and this unforBuffalo Wings-n-Things gettable advice: “Be faithful to yourself.” Her words Coffee By Design resonated and guided me Colucci’s Market through my initial struggles in Spain. Cummings Center
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About the author: Kate Campbell Strauss moved to Munjoy Hill in early 2012, after returning from her pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. Kate began walking in
Greater Portland Sustainability Mini-Conference
—Tues, June 4, 2013 —
Thursday Morning Bird Walks Maine Audubon, Thursday, Jun 6, 2013 – Thursday, Aug 29, 2013, 7:00am, Thursday, Location: Gilsland Farm, Greater Portland, Members: $5.00 Non-members: $8.00
3 pm - 7 pm, USM Glickman Library: The Greater Portland Sustainability Council is holding a mini-conference on June 4, 2013 on the Portland campus of USM. At this free event, a variety of topics will be addressed, including Urban Edible Landscapes: Fruits, Nuts and Berries; A Farm Grows in the City; Urban Agriculture in Portland; Cyclovia: Thinking of Downtlown Space as People Space; Public Transit – Doing it Differently; Cumberland County Energy Plan; Youth Geen Teams: Supporting the Next Generation; Portland Green Festival; Highlights from Portland HS and USM student trips to Europe; Institute for Civil Leadership; Greening the Maine Mall, and lastly, Green-up Portland, and more., http://gpqlc.sharepoint. com/Pages/june2013sustainabilityminiconference.aspx
Join us each Thursday for an easy stroll through Maine Find crossword puzzle on page 16 Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Sanctuary. We’ll walk the property looking for birds, and anything else that peaks our interest. Bring your binoculars and a field guide if you have one. Please dress to be comfortable outside for 2 hours. Guide: Mike Windsor is the staff naturalist at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Center. An avid birder and outdoor enthusiast, Mike has worked as a field biologist, environmental educator and trip leader.a 20 Gilsland Farm Road, Falmouth, ME 04105 – (207) 7812330 http://maineaudubon.org
Le Puy-en-Velay, France, and walked four months to the northwest coast of Spain, beyond Santiago de Compostela. She would love to be a resource to anyone who is considering making the pilgrimage. Please send emails to observer@munjoyhill.org. Please send her emails via Observer@munjoyhill.org.
Two Fat Cats Bakery
Congress Street
Tu Casa Restaurant
Hot Suppa! Restaurant
Old Port
State Theater
Bard Café
Wild Burritos
Casco Variety
Monument Square
City Beverage
City Hall
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
Big Sky Bread
Katie Made Bakery Mama’s Crow Bar
Flatbread Pizza
Barron Center
Mittapheap World Market
Hamilton Marine
Park Danforth
Portland Lobster Co.
Punky’s Market
Pepperclub Restaurant
Residence Inn by Marriott
Steve & Renee’s Diner
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
Support your communit y & re ach the public
Advertise in the Munjoy Hill Observer!
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
June 2013
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Friends of the Eastern Promenade
Fort Allen Rehabilitation Receives Approval for Final Site Plan Thanks to the enduring efforts of our design team, Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture, LLC; Regina Leonard Landscape Architect; City Staff and the City Planning department, the Fort Allen Rehabilitation Project received final approval in April, and will go out to bid this month. Construction is expected to begin in July. First steps will include removal of the remaining evergreen trees within the horseshoe drive. Existing crabapples along the southerly side of the drive will also be removed to make way for new tree-lined walkways as part of the approved design scheme. The popular Mugo pine ‘jungle gym’ for kids will remain. The two 4.5 in siege rifles with their carriages and a 6 in. gun from the USS Maine will be taken off site in June to be stored until restorative treatment is funded. The old concrete base of the Maine will be documented and a CAD drawing developed. A new mounting base for the cannon from the Maine will need to be created. Friends of the Eastern Promenade is seeking funding for cannon restoration thru grants and private donations to return the cannons to the park after construction and landscaping are completed.
Design elements for Fort Allen include: • ADA accessibility of the overlook to Casco Bay • Restore the horseshoe drive/replace cobblestone gutters • Restore pedestrian circulation within Fort Allen • Restore central walkway from Eastern Prom to the Bandstand • Replace historic row of benches at the top of the Park • Restore/repair the wrought iron fencing • Restore the earthen berms • Restore allay of trees along the Eastern Promenade • Remove overhead street lights along the horseshoe drive • Relocate and update utilities • Install bollard lighting to illuminate new walkways Our goal is to have construction completed and the cannons restored in time to celebrate Fort Allen Park’s Bicentennial in October, 2014! For more information or to make a contribution, please visit our website; EasternPromenade.org
Summer Concert Series Kicks off on July 11th! Concerts have been relocated to Fort Sumner Park on North Street for the 2013 season. We’re pleased to announce that our Summer Concert Series begins Thursday July 11th at 7pm. The Acadian Aces will start the season with a Cajun-Acadian blend that will have you hoppin’! The 2013 Summer Concert Series is made possible thru generous support from Martin’s Point Healthcare, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, the State Theatre, and Mancini Electric! Concerts are held every Thursday evening from 7-8 p.m. at Fort Sumner on North Street. A total of 8 concerts are scheduled from July 11th – August 29th. Our line-up includes The Blues Prophets, Chandlers Band, Sly Chi, North of Nashville, Maine Marimba Ensemble and Pete Kilpatrick. To learn more about the concerts or sponsorship opportunities, please visit EasternPromenade.org. Concerts are traditionally hosted at Fort Allen Park, but rehabilitation plans are underway and construction should begin sometime in July. Renovations include electrical upgrades at the bandstand, as well as improvements to the hardscape and pathways. Concerts, weddings, celebrations, and large-scale events cannot take place at Fort Allen during the summer of 2013 until the renovation is complete and new plantings take hold. When all is said and done, it will be well worth it! 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.
Hidden Gardens Tour of Munjoy Hill Sunday, June 23, 2013, from 10 am to 4 pm Friends of the Eastern Promenade is hosting a self-guided tour of the gorgeous gardens in Portland’s charming East End neighborhood. This year’s event will feature an “Extreme Makeover Garden.” The Society for East End Arts (SEA) artists will also open their studios to the public. Enjoy lunch on Congress Street, or rest on a bench overlooking Casco Bay. What better way is there to spend a summer day in Maine? The Tour starts at the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Association’s Hill House, 92 Congress St.. Advance tickets: $15 (available online) / Day of event: $20 (available at Hill House, 92 Congress) Proceeds benefit Friends of the Eastern Promenade: EasternPromenade.org
Above, Author Sally Wright, at center, with two of her fellow diners, enjoying the Dishcrawl in Portland. Courtesy photo.
Dishcrawl
from page 11
had a lot of cooking experience around Portland, served us a sampler plate of haddock-fish tacos, lobster roll, and veggie burger with avocado and sprouts. I ordered a cocktail that was mixed perfectly, was icy cold, and served in a mason jar. The evening was looking good! #2 Stop: Gusto’s Italian food truck parked on Commercial Street across from Rosemont Produce. I could smell the frying dough from twenty paces. Gusto’s served us all a spicy roast beef pizza cone. These carnival variety meat cones sell for $6.49. They also have shrimp and crab cones, mushroom/spinach cones, as well as fried mozzarella and imported spumoni. The trick is that they are at the mercy of Portland parking laws. You never know where you may see them. Gusto’s has a Facebook presence, so if you have a smartphone device you can find out where to get your next pizza cone fix. #3 Stop: The Merry Table on Wharf Street. How did I not know about this gem? I was warned it was small, but I live in Portland; This did not feel small to me. I sat at the bar with Malcolm and Chris, East Enders, who were on the crawl like the rest of us, for the fun of it. I ordered red wine, and the bartender didn’t list me a story, he just poured. Perfect. They served a sampler plate that included a tartine (open faced French sandwich), a lamb crepe, and a savory layered crepe cake. Ingredients included truffle oil, goat cheese, salmon, crab, wild mushroom, and curry. Delicious. Conversation was lively, a mixture of English and French, adding to the elegant but homey ambiance. I will return. Enjoying a meal with new people and interacting with chefs and owners of local restaurants is a great way to pass an evening in Portland. Each chef welcomed us and spoke about their food and their businesses with great knowledge, and with affection for Portland and her citizenry. Soule says, “Dishcrawl is about building communities. Connecting people of Maine to their local businesses and neighbors.” Oh, and #4 Stop?: Gelato Fiasco— Maine’s favorite frozen dessert shop. A bit disappointed at first, this crawler wanted a nightcap, not a sugary treat. Playing nice, I ordered a bourbon gelato with candied nuts. Well, I couldn’t sip it, but I will admit, it was a heck of a way to end the crawl. Next Portland Crawl: June 11th! Care to join me? About the writer: You can find Sally crawling all over the peninsula, but mostly in the East End. Sometimes with her husband, with her dog, and sometimes all three together! To reach Sally, check out her blog: www.Sallylucywrites.com For more information about upcoming Dishcrawl events in Portland and to purchase tickets, visit dishcrawl.com/portlandoldport, facebook page, or follow them on twitter@dishcrawlPWM. Check out the YouTube page to see past Dishcrawls in action.
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June 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Is it a STROKE? How to tell: Fire Department Encourages Public to Act FAST
As a part of EMS Week, public asked to learn the early signs of a stroke PORTLAND, Maine –In honor of National EMS Week (May 19-25), the Portland Fire Department is reminding the public of the importance of early recognition and treatment for stroke, a key theme as May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Early detection and treatment is crucial for a successful outcome, which is why first responders are encouraging the public to understand the risk factors and symptoms associated with a stroke. Stroke is a leading cause of death and serious long-term disability in the United States with approximately 795,000 strokes occurring every year. In the first quarter of 2013, the Portland Fire Department responded to eighteen calls for service related to stroke symptoms. Lieutenant and paramedic John Kooistra with the Portland Fire Department will be available tomorrow 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM at Central Fire Station to discuss early warnings signs and treatment for stroke. “Statistics show that time is of the essence in the treatment of stroke. Every forty seconds someone in the United States has a stroke and roughly every four minutes someone dies,” stated Fire Chief Jerome LaMoria. “Current research shows the earlier a stroke is recognized and the patient receives medical attention, the greater chance for recovery. A successful outcome depends upon quick action not just from first responders but from the public too. By using a simple screening tool, FAST, you can help save a life.”
Strokes occur when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and vital nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or ruptures. When this occurs, part of the brain is deprived of blood and oxygen, destroying millions of valuable nerve cells within minutes. The resulting damage can lead to significant disability including paralysis, speech problems and emotional difficulties. Treatment may be available if you get to the emergency room immediately upon recognition of stroke symptoms.
“If you suspect a stroke, remember the word FAST – F-AS-T,” said EMS training Captain John Brady. “F is for face - is your face drooping? A is for arms – can you lift both arms? S is for speech – are you slurring your words, and T is for time, call 911 -immediately because with stroke, time is brain.”
Primary stroke symptoms include: • Sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the face or facial drooping • Sudden numbness or weakness in an arm or leg, especially on one side of the body • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination • Sudden severe headache with no known cause Portland firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) use the Cincinnati Pre-hospital Stroke scale, which rates the likelihood that someone is having a stroke, as an immediate evaluation tool for treatment. “The public needs to know that when they use FAST it
30 Million Pounds of Trash— By Suzanne Hunt, City of Portland Sanitation Compliance Officer Last year, Portland’s Sanitation Crew picked up 11,366,000 pounds of recycle and 18,892,000 pounds of blue bags. That is over 30 million pounds. Picking up and disposing of more than thirty million pounds of debris must be seen as a cooperative effort between the crew and the people of Portland. Currently, Portland residents recycle 38% their trash. This is good for the
pocket book and good for the environment. Having the recycle properly contained makes recycle collection much easier for the crew. Paper bags and loose recycle make the job harder. These options create more work and more litter.
can be just as reliable as the pre-hospital stroke scale, and could save someone’s life.” concluded Brady. Strokes are often associated with high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. Leading a healthy lifestyle, including lowering risk factors like high blood pressure and weight, can also help reduce your stroke risk. For more information about stroke, visit www.strokeawareness.com.
Moderate Sudoku Puzzles - Bo City Sanitation Crews Up FromClean www.veryfreesudoku.com
After pickup, Crews drive Portland’s recycle to Ecomaine where the recyclables are sorted and sold to various companies for reuse in the manufacturing of products. Everything that goes into Portland recycle bins must have a resale value somewhere in the market. If your recycle bin contains items not recycled at Ecomaine then the Sanitation Crew in good conscience cannot dump your bin contents into the “Recycle Truck”. A Very Sticky Point about Proper Plastic Recycling : Recyclable plastics in Portland are limited to shopping bags and rigid or hard containers with arrowed
numbers. Plastics items such as toys, tarps, and shower curtains are not recyclable regardless of any arrowed number on them. Styrofoam is not recyclable because the cost of “recycling it outweighs any market value it might have.
5
Sudoku Puzzle 5
By Maine State Statute, our recycle goal is 50%. Go Portlanders —We can do it! We are doing it. FMI: 756-8166 smh@portlandmaine.gov
3 9 7 8 4with3 1 PLASTIC: All plastics the #2 and #7 recycling 8 symbols (below) can be placed in your bin. Styrofoam containers 2 cannot be recycled, period. 1 8
4
5 7 2 9 4 8 6 7 5 8 3 5 9 8 1 2 5 9 3 7 1 6 5
4 9
Sudo
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
June 2013
15
Living With Peace Somali Bantu Develop Positive Programs for Families and Youth By Christina Feller, VP of Living With Peace
Living With Peace is a dynamic local grassroots community support organization investing in the future of our immigrants by providing information, resources, and training to newcomers to the community and culture.
As with many peoples of the world who endure forced migration, starvation, violence, and treachery, the Somali Bantu people know all too well how fragile life can be. Communities of people who define themselves as Bantu can be found across Sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed, the term “Bantu” is a general label for more than 300 ethnic groups that make up a major part of the population in nearly all of Africa. Readers may recognize the names Swahili and Zulu which are Bantu. There are several ways people identify as Bantu whether it is because of a common root language or because of similar social customs. Somali Bantu are a segment of the population of Somalia. They came in waves to Somalia over the past four centuries. The CIA Fact Book recognizes the first wave as one of Africa’s major human migrations. Sometimes we think about migratory routes for birds and animals but we do not immediately think of wide scale movements of people taking migratory routes. This first migration took place hundreds of years ago as they trekked eastward from the west and central parts of Africa. The second wave of migration occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries when slave traders shipped thousands of Bantu men, women, and children to Somalia through the slave trade markets of Zanzibar. While slavery was officially and formally abolished under the Italian Colonial Authority in the early 20th century, the Bantu have continued to be discriminated against and treated as foreigners in their own lands. Those that migrated early were able to integrate into Somali society, but those that were abducted and brought to Southern Somalia via the slave trade continue to this day to have problems. They have been essentially excluded from society, and when peoples are excluded from society, they turn to their own traditions and social customs to keep their culture alive. During this time, the Bantu became the backbone of agricultural production in southern Somalia. Bantu in Somalia: Like many examples of people being overtly discriminated against, the Somali Bantu are recognizable because they do not look like the Somali people. The Bantu have
Portland Trails celebrates National Trails Day with the Grand Opening of the 10-mile Forest City Trail Portland Trails celebrates its 20th Anniversary on National Trails Day, Saturday, June 4th 2013, with the Grand Opening of the Forest City Trail. Activities are scheduled throughout the day including a ribbon cutting ceremony at Noon at the Casco Bay High School and PATHS campus. Portland Trails recently made major improvements to the walking trails behind the school buildings that are part of the Forest City Trail. Portland Trails co-founder Tom Jewell will lead a guided walk of the Forest City Trail with Bob Crowley, winner of Survivor: Gabon, the hit reality television series. RSVPs will be required for this 10-mile hike across Portland. A $10 registration fee includes lunch. Individual guided
Crossword Across 1- ___ II (razor brand) 5- Mar. honoree 10- Hats 14- Legal rights org. 15- ___ Selassie 16- Olive genus 17- London jail 18- Lend ___ 19- ___ a soul 20- Writing above a letter 23- Color anew 24- Slow, to Salieri 25- Military organizations 28- Vivacity 30- ___ accompli 31- Meridian 36- Vane dir. 37- Put in the ground for growth 39- Slender bar 40- Eurasian kestrel
dark skin and heavy features while Somalis are lighter skinned and have sharp, angular features. Typically, Somalis are tall and Bantu are shorter in stature. Both peoples are Muslim. Civil war broke out in Somalia in 1991, and life became even more difficult for the Bantu as agriculture production and markets began to close down. The Bantu farming communities were destroyed and the people were attacked, robbed, raped, and murdered. In 1994, at the same time the Genocide was taking place in Rwanda, killing almost one million people, the Bantu were fleeing across the border into Kenya to get to Dadaab refugee camp or the camps in Tanzania and Mozambique. None of these countries, however, were willing to resettle these people into their societies, and the Bantu were left with nowhere to go. They could not return home to southern Somalia and the countries of their ancestors rejected them. Resettling in the United States: Approximately 10,000 Somali Bantu have been resettled in the United States. It is estimated that there are about 500-600 Somali Bantu living in Lewiston and Auburn, Maine, since 2004. It should be noted that the Bantu had great problems resettling in the United States since most had never seen a building that had two stories or multi-housing units; they could not read or write their own language because they had not been able to get an education. Somali Bantu Self Help Organizations: The Somali Bantu Community Mutual Assistance Association of Lewiston/Auburn Maine was founded in 2005 by the first Somali Bantu group who settled here. It is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization. The mission of the organization is to empower the people to achieve lifelong successes by initiating personal and social change, by understanding how to connect with their new American communities, how to prevent abuse and neglect through positive parenting, healthy family relationship-building, and by developing children who are valued and loved. They also wish to preserve their culture and build pride in their traditions. Their three goals are to cover the basic needs of the Community, to create a united Community, and to deliver meaning-
DOWN 1- Graffiti 2- Some DVD players 3- Baseball family name 4- Guilty person 5- Broken fragments
The Somali Bantu Youth Association of Maine was founded in 2008 and is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization. It was formed to “educate, support and empower” Somali Bantu youth. From dialogue, they moved to sports programs, literacy programs, after-school homework help, counseling services, and working closely with Community Resource police officers to understand the juvenile justice system. SBYAM opened a Youth and Family Center at 215 Bartlett Street, in Lewiston, to bring parents and youth together to discuss and solve issues that hold families back from being successful in America. Now, more than 250-300 youth are participating in these programs. President Osman Rilwan says, “We are bringing the youth up to understand how American society works, we are encouraging them to be part of the community and showing them how to be model citizens. We think that parenting is hard to learn in America. Well, it is hard to be a Somali Bantu youth as well. They need to learn a whole new way of life and to learn it quickly while respecting their elders and their traditions at the same time.” Please reach Rilwain at 753-2700 or Rilwan@sbyam.org. Below: Leaders of Somali Bantu organizations. From left to right: Muhidin Libah, Abdillahi Hassan, Rilwan Osman and Fatuma Mohamed. (Photo by Chris Feller.)
walks of the major open spaces along the Forest City Trail will also be offered as part of the day’s festivities.
across private land had been granted. It seemed an auspicious time to push this forward.”
• 8:30am: Portland Trails Trail Manager Jaime Parker will lead a tour through the Fore River Sanctuary. Meet at the Frost and Congress Street trailhead.
Through signage and blazing, the Forest City Trail represents Portland Trails’ new standard for connecting trails across the City. It also brings the organization closer to their goal of a fully integrated City-wide trail network. The Forest City Trail is designed to be self-guided for those who wish to hike it in its entirety or can be used as a connector of neighborhoods to schools, open spaces, and commercial corridors--crossing every major arterial in Portland.
• 10:00am: City Arborist Jeff Tarling of Portland Public Services will offer a tour of Evergreen Cemetery. Meet at the Duck Pond in the Cemetery. • 1:00pm: Portland Trails Board Member Roger Berle will lead a walk through the Presumpscot River Preserve starting from the Overset Road trailhead. Portland Trails has been working on the Forest City Trail for the past decade, but the 20th anniversary this year inspired its completion. Tom Jewell explains, “We’d been picking away at the route for years. Many of the trail improvements had been finished and the last of the easements
(Solution on page 12) 42- Resembling a maze 43- Hindu discipline 44- Fashions 46- As ___ resort 49- Slink 51- Hypothetical 56- Read quickly 57- Choose 58- Sgts., e.g. 60- Leeds’s river 61- Actress Taylor 62- Oil of ___ 63- Intro to physics? 64- Cherish 65- Reddish-brown gem;
ful services for the people. Please contact spokesman Muhidin Libah at 784-5556 or email him at shiekhdiney@hotmail.com.
6- Aromatic herb 7- Portion 8- Banned apple spray 9- Actress Garr 10- Satisfied 11- Actor Delon 12- Reform Party founder 13- Decline 21- Shoebox letters 22- Tartan 25- Not many 26- Title bestowed upon the wife of a raja 27- Appearance 28- ___’acte (intermission) 29- Bigger than med. 31- Magma 32- United 33- Russian range 34- Nod off 35- Breyers rival 37- Pic
38- Limb of a felled tree 41- Labored breathing 42- Mountainous island in SE Greece 44- Small sofa 45- Mai ___ 46- Indian state 47- Desi’s daughter 48- Away 49- Shorthand taker 50- More pleasant 52- Antitoxins 53- ___ Three Lives 54- Arthur Ashe’s alma mater 55- Skyrocket 59- Barrett of Pink Floyd; BestCrosswords.com
A complete map of the Forest City Trail is included in the 4th edition of the Portland Trails Map & Guide-- available online at www.trails.org and in local stores. More information about the National Trails Day event can be found at www.trails.org/events.html. The event is sponsored by The Offices of Joe Bornstein and by The Portland Press Herald.
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June 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
School News East End Community School Parent-Teacher Organization
For more information about the EECS PTO and upcoming events, go to www.eecs. portlandpto.org or contact board@eecs.portlandpto.org.
June 2013 Calendar Saturday, June 1, 9am-12pm —EECS Greening Day. Volunteers Welcome! Thursday, June 20, 2013: Last day of school: noon dismissal
Thank you to East End Community Thank You for Supporting EECS! Thank you to the individuals, community partners, and local businesses that support EECS throughout the school year. Parents volunteer their creativity and talents daily to engage students in activities that range from chess club to puppetry arts. Community partners and volunteers keep our gardens growing and blooming. Friends of the library make sure students always have access to a wide variety of books. Small businesses donate local delicacies such as soup, pizzas, and baked goods to family events, gift certificates to be used for staff appreciation, and event space and sponsorship of our children’s film festival. The EECS community feels the on-going support and encouragement from our neighborhood community. Thank you for an amazing year and best wishes for a great summer.
Volunteers Sought for Walking School Bus Program Volunteer leaders are needed to supervise children walking to EECS and Reiche as part of a new Walking School Bus program in the Portland Public Schools. Volunteer Walk Leaders are the wonderful backbone of this initiative! All Walking School Bus Program routes are designed to be no more than a 30 minute walk at a casual pace. Being a Volunteer Walk Leader is a great way to get in a healthy dose of exercise and fresh air and connect with your community. The Program is currently recruiting volunteers for the Spring 2013 Walking School Bus Program that will run through the end of the school year. To volunteer please fill out a Volunteer Application Form in the school office or go to the Volunteer Application Form online. And please pass the word to anyone you think might be interested! Volunteers are asked to : —Attend a 1-hour training session —Agree to a criminal background check —Be available 2 times per week, between 7:30-8:30 AM and/or 3-4 PM. The Walking School Bus program is a national model that enables children to walk safely to school on a regular basis. The program gives students physical exercise and time outdoors, and it helps to
reduce traffic congestion and pollution near schools. Portland aims to be the first city in Maine to have a coordinated and regularly operating Walking School Bus program. The plan is to expand to additional Portland elementary schools beginning next fall. The program is collaboration between the Portland Public Schools and the Maine Safe Routes to School Program. You can also visit www.PortlandWalkingSchoolBus.org or contact the Portland Walking School Bus Program Coordinator, Betsy Critchfield, at betsy@ bikemaine.org or (207) 200-5287 for additional information.
Bookmobile Visits the East End The Portland Public Library’s new bookmobile is a 24-foot vehicle that houses 1,500 items! Over the summer, the Bookmobile will coming to the East End‚ either at the EECS or at The Root Cellar Visit the Portland Public Library website, under “Portable Library,” for the June Bookmobile schedule. The bookmobile serves local families, particularly those with young children, in neighborhoods that do not house a branch of PPL system. Additionally, the bookmobile reaches out to individuals who may lack transportation or the time to travel, be experiencing health problems, or who may not yet be readers.
Kids’Poetry First Graders at the East End Community School participated in writing workshops this spring. The following is a collection of the children’s work, compiled by teacher, Tina Singer. (Find more on page 7)
Family
I love my family way more than ice cream. Family and love. —Zoie
Mom
Cooks good. Plays with me. Nice. Loves me. Buys me what I want. Buys me a Wii, Netflix, And YouTube. — Rahim
Thea
My dog died. Sad. Brown and black and white. I loved her. — Aiden
Inas
Inas is my sister. Happy and excited. I play with Inas
Every day. I do homework with Inas. — Iman
Dad
I like him. I talk to him. I hug him. Funny. Nice. Mom loves him. Special Dad.
The Beach.
The sand twinkles between my toes. The ocean. I hear splashing. I lay in the sun peacefully. I play. I love The beach. — Laila
— Khadari
Portland Pottery
& Metalsmithing Studio
118-122 Washington Ave • Portland
Summer Clay Classes
Beginning June 19th - Classes for all Levels
Classes include materials, firings and open studio time $245
Pottery Sidewalk Sale
May 24th through June 15th
Support Local Artists and find Great Deals on Unique Pottery
Summer Camp for Kids
June 24th - August 23rd Wheel Throwing, Sculpture, Glass & Metalsmithing. New theme each week
Ages 6-14 • $250/week • Family Discounts
207-772-4334 • www.portlandpottery.com find us on facebook.com/portland.pottery
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Bring a chair or blanket, sit back and enjoy the music throughout the summer months. Portland Public Services Event Office, Families of the Western Prom Neighborhood, Maine Red Claws, Quirk Chevrolet, Friends of the Eastern Promenade, Poland Spring, The Jacks Family and the Willey Trust sponsor these free outdoor concerts.
FRIENDS OF EASTERN PROMENADE CONCERT SERIES
Please note, due to Fort Allen Park undergoing renovations, concerts this summer are held at Fort Sumner Park, North Street —In case of rain, concert canceled—
SUNSET FOLK SERIES AT WESTERN PROM 2013 Sponsored by Families of the Western Prom Neighborhood
Thur. Aug. 29, TBA 7 - 8:15 pm
REAL ESTATE • SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY JUVENILE DEFENSE • PROBATE, WILLS AND ESTATES 107 CONGRESS STREET • PORTLAND, MAINE 04101
Wed. Aug. 7, Carolyn Currie, 7:30 pm (CarolynCurrie.com)
(207) 772-7426 | www.chesterandvestal.com
Sponsored by Quirk Chevrolet and The Maine Red Claws In case of rain, concert moved indoors to Reiche School, 166 Brackett Street.
Thur. July 11 Sparks Ark, Wild Animals, 12:30 pm Thur. July 18 Jon Call, Camp Songs, 12:30 pm Thur. July 25 Sammie Haynes, Kids Songs, 12:30 pm
“Serving Greater Portland Since 1980”
Congratulations to all of tonights Award Winners! 104 Washington Avenue • Portland, ME 04101 • 207.773.8198
www.dalerandprinting.com
104 Washington Avenue • Portland, Maine 04101 • (207) 773-8198 mikerand@maine.rr.com
observer ad.indd 1
Thur. Aug. 1 Matt Loosigian Kids Songs, 12:30 pm Thur. Aug. 8 USM Chemistry Club Experimental Fun, 12:30 pm
FMI: 207-874-8826 (to reach the event office and cancellation hotline) A version of this schedule is available on line at the city’s web page: http://www.portlandmaine. gov/rec/summer.htm. Videos of past concerts (as well as other fun videos) are on file at: www.portlandmaine.gov/rec/multimedia.htm
In response to popular demand, Public Services offers products at reduced prices Orders will be taken in person or via mail at the Department of Public Services, 55 Portland Street, Portland ME 04101. Order forms are available online at http://publicworks.portlandmaine.gov/composting.asp.
Thur. Aug. 22, North of Nashville Outlaw Country / American Roots , 7 pm - 8:15 pm
Over 30 years of service to Munjoy Hill
Wed. July 31 Phantom Buffalo, 7:30 pm (myspace.com/phantombuffalo)
Portland Extends Composting Program
Thur. Aug. 15, TBA, 7 pm - 8:15 pm
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Wed. July 24 Robby Simpson, 7:45 pm (Myspace.com/robysimpson)
“CRUSHER’S KIDS CONCERTS IN THE PARK” - DEERING OAKS PARK
Thur. Aug 8, Sly Chi, Funk Soul R&B, 7 pm 8:15 pm, Sponsored by The Jacks Family
CHESTER & V ESTAL, P.A.
Wed. July 17, Darien Brahms, 7:45 pm (Myspace.com/darienbrahms)
Thur. July 18 Blues Prophets, Chicago Blues, 7 pm- 8:15 pm —Sponsored by Poland Springs
Thur. Aug 1 Pete Kilpatrick , Acoustic Folk Pop, 7 pm - 8:15 pm
Small-batCh COffee rOaSter aNd SCratCh bakery
Wed. July 10, Ghost of Paul Revere, 8 pm (https://www.facebook.com/ghostofpaulrevere_
Thur. July 11 Acadian Aces, French Canadian Cajun, 7 pm- 8:15 pm
Thur. July 25, Chandler’s Band, Marches & Big Band Era, 7 pm - 8:15 pm, Sponsored by the Willey Trust
Open seven days a week • 9 Commercial St. • 207.210-6473
—In case of rain, concert canceled—
Wed. Aug. 14, Kurt Baker, 7:30 pm (KurtBakerMusic.com)
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Now at our sunny new location in the Old Port
Summer in the Parks Concerts July and August 2013 —All Concerts Are Free—
June 2013
9/18/2009 8:37:35 AM
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June 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Vegetarian Food Festival
2013 Farmers Markets http://www.portlandmainefarmersmarket.org/ SUMMER MARKETS: From April 28th through late November, come to our outdoor locations to shop with over 35 Maine Farmers in one stop: on Saturdays at Deering Oaks Park in Portland from 7 am-Noon, or on Wednesdays in Monument Square in Portland from 7 am to 2 pm.
visit www.animalfarmfoundation.org”.This service is of particular value to the Munjoy Hill neighborhood--we have so many young, elderly, and/or otherwise less affluent neighbors with animals. Please help get the word out about these low-cost services.
Saturday June 22, 2013 11 am to 3 pm, East End School, 195 North Street, Vegan Food, Live Music, Exhibitors, Vendors and Speakers. Lunch for sale by Local Sprouts Cooperative Cafe, Roost House of Juice and Asmara, Live Music: Downeast Brass and Island BeatsChris. http://www.maineanimalcoalition.org
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. Call 615-3609, or info@ mayostreetarts.org
St. Lawrence Arts Center
GO Happy GO Healthy GO BERRY
Your neighborhood arts center is at 76 Congress Street, stlawrencearts.org, 347-7177
399 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
LIKE us at Facebook: GoBerry Portland
WWW.GOBERRYME.COM
Port Veritas Spoken Word Night Poetry Readings, Tuesday Venue: Bull Feeney’s; Monday Venue: Formerly Awful Annie’s which was formally George’s Tavern which was formally some fishermen getting wicked hammered in a tent. Mama’s is located at 189 Congress and features American Craft Beers as well as nightly musical and poetry events. Beer Only, Cash Only, 21+. FMI Gil Helmick, 400.7543,
Pepperclub Restaurant The Good Egg Café
Poetry & Healing: A Circle of Stones “Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting over and over announcing your place in the family of things.“ —Excerpted from Dream Work by Mary Oliver Are you a sixty-something woman interested in writing, poetry, & story as heart centered creativity & healing? Group is limited to 7 participants. Please email ann@spiraljourneys.com, or send your letter of interest to Spiral Journeys, PO Box 7555 Portland, ME 04112.
Maine Senior FarmShare Do you know a low-income senior (relative, friend or neighbor) who couple benefit from $50 of FRESH, UNPROCESSED, LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE? To participate, directly contact a local farmer to sign up. Contact your local area agency on aging by calling the ELDERS-1 toll-free number: 1-877-353-3771, for a list of participating FarmShare Farmers, http://www.getrealmaine.com
Portland Vigils for Peace Monument Square: Weds, noon to 1, Vigil for a world without war, begun by area clergy in 2007, presently challenges our endless war against the people of Afghanistan and the push for war against Iran. Women in Black Vigil, every Friday from 5:00-5:30 at corner of Congress and High Street, part of the international movement that began in Israel in opposition to violence against Palestinians, we have been standing for ten years against violence of all kinds. Third Tuesday monthly Vigil from 12 to 1, front steps at State Street Church, UCC, 159 State Street, We invite members and the public to take some time to pray or meditate or contemplate.
Community Spay-Neuter Clinics Pit bulls welcome! The Center for Wildlife Health Research is pleased to announce a recent grant from Animal Farm Foundation to subsidize the spay-neuter at Freeport’s Community Spay-Neuter Clinic of pit bulls and pit bull mixes belonging to low-income families on public assistance. Sterilization available for $50 for males and females for qualifying families. This fee includes exam and rabies vaccination. For info, call Community Spay-Neuter Clinic at 865-0772, and visit our website at www.communityspayneuterclinic.com. For Animal Farm Foundation,
June 14 Flag Day: Tower Opens! Friday, June 14: The Portland Observatory Museum is located at 138 Congress Street, on Munjoy Hill in the East End of Portland. Guided Tours available daily from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend. Our tours are educational and entertaining for the whole family. Please allow 45 minutes for your tour. • Flag Day at the Observatory, every June 14th – Admission is free • July 4th Raffle – See the fireworks from the dome of the Observatory • Meet the Authors, Maine Books for Kids, Saturdays in July • Sunset Tours, Thursday Evenings, July 18 – September 5, 2013, 5:00 – 8:00 pm. Enjoy cool breezes and an extraordinary Maine sunset over Casco Bay. Amazing views from the observation deck will delight you as the sun sets behind the White Mountains. Regular admission, allow 45 minutes for self-guided tour..
Southern Maine Pride Parade and Festival Saturday June 15, 2013, Deering Oaks Park. PARADE: begins at Monument Square in downtown Portland at 12pm/Noon. FESTIVAL: (also where Parade ends ) is in Deering Oaks Park from 1pm - 5pm.
Relay For Life Am. Cancer Society Welcome to Cumberland County’s Largest Slumber Party, the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Greater Portland, Maine! June 15 & 16, 2013 at the South Portland High School Track (4PM to 6AM). The Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in our community a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. Because cancer never sleeps. relays are overnight events, with ours going from 4PM to 6AM. http:// www.relayforlife.org/greaterportlandme
Hidden Gardens Tour of Munjoy Hill Sunday June 23, from 10 am to 4 pm See page 13, and page 20 of this issue for details, or online at EasternPromenade. org.
78 Middle Street • 207.772.0531 on Facebook and at pepperclubrestaurant.com
Tues, June 4, 2013, from 3 pm - 7 pm, USM Glickman Library. See p 12 for more detail.
Greater Portland Sustainability Mini-Conference
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
June 2013
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
Come on down to the 40 Annual Old Port Festival Sunday, June 9, 2013 th
Portland’s Downtown District (PDD) presents a free summer festival in Downtown Portland This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Old Port Festival, known as Maine’s largest one-day festival. Kick off summer in Portland’s beautiful Old Port on Sunday, June 9 from 11 AM to 5 PM. Enjoy 6 stages of live music, family-friendly activities, an array of food and Maine-made arts and crafts.The festival is FREE for all ages and happens rain or shine!
Highlights of the festival include:
Kick-Off Parade: The festivities begin at 11 a.m. with a foot-powered parade down Exchange St., featuring the Shoestring Theater, music, mascots, dancers, giant puppets, stilt walkers and more! From noon - 5 p.m., live music featuring local artists on 6 stages, presented by the Maine Academy of Modern Music, Dispatch Magazine, COAST 93.1, WCLZ 98.9, WPOR 101.9, and Bull Feeney’s Irish Music Stage presented by Smithwick’s Irish Ale. The Maine-made Artist and Crafters area features 100 local artists showcasing and selling their unique works like handcrafted clothing, fine art, prints, pottery, photography jewelry and more.
The Maine Rock Gym sets up a 25-foot rock wall for climbers of all ages and abilities on upper Market Street. Traditional amusement rides are located on Federal Street with a train ride, “spin the apple” and pirate ship rides, plus the fun house, balloon dart and more! Old Port shops and restaurants offer their unique wares and delicious food along with classic festival food vendors and ethnic options for every taste. “We couldn’t be more excited to celebrate this special anniversary in the heart of the Old Port. It’s a great time to visit locally-owned shops, restaurants, and galleries throughout downtown Portland,” said Jan Beitzer, Executive Director of Portland’s Downtown District. The 40th Annual Old Port Festival is sponsored by Oxford Casino, The Portland Daily Sun, Fox 23, Red Bull and the City of Portland. Please note: parking meters are free on Sundays. A schedule of events, activities, and performers can be found online at portlandmaine.com.
The Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine sponsors arts and crafts for kids in Post Office Park. Local musicians and performers also entertain hourly.
MHNO is a proud member of Portland BuyLocal
Help Support the Observer with your advertising! email us at: Observer@munjoyhill.org Comparison Puzzle-by OutherebyGeorge.com. See if you can find the six differences
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June 2013
MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER
Gardener’s Dirt
By Nini McManamy Perched above Casco Bay, Munjoy Hill groundwater run-off sends a river of stuff downhill to the Bay. Whatever drops on streets and runs off our asphalt driveways enters the sewer system, emerging at the Fish Point outfall. The chemicals we put on our lawns and in our yards end up there, as well. For all they contribute to the mix, lawns, gardens, and the underbrush of the Promenade play an important role in slowing the progress of excess nutrients and damaging chemicals towards the bay, filtering them out and giving them time to decompose. Point of disclosure: Friends of Casco Bay got its start in my living room on the Hill, so I have a personal bias in favor of the health of the bay. But I also have a lawn, albeit a tiny one, restricted to grassy paths between garden beds. And I want it to look reasonably good. To achieve both goals, I offer a guide tocommon lawn problems and their treatments. Crabgrass: This annual thrives in heat, especially next to pavement, and outcompetes grass every time. In spring, use corn gluten to prevent seeds from germinating. In summer, manually pull plants. In fall, replace lawn next to pavement with gravel or salt tolerant junipers or daylilies. Dandelions: Dandelions, it turns out, are an excellent support of nourishment for endangered bees. Who knew? Unfortunately, dandelion control requires the cooperation of neighbors. And since herbicides, including “lawn treatments”, are toxic to bees, to say nothing of little bare feet or puppy paws, this leaves manual control as your best option. Dogs: Male dog urine is fatal to the grass plant and many other plants. Keep them off the lawn, or be prepared to reseed endlessly. Drought: Grass tops die back in the heat while the roots remain alive. The lawn will green up come late August, or a good thunderstorm. Water only if you wish to transfer wealth to the Portland Water District. Fertilizer: Mature lawn needs no lawn fertilizer, as long as nitrogen-rich lawn clippings are left to decompose in place. Apply lime in the fall to sweeten soil for rich green growth in the
Kinder, Gentler Lawn Care
spring. Lime also makes the soil unfriendly to mosses, though no amount of fertilizer or lime will make grass grow in deep shade. If you must, a yearly application of compost or organic lawn food will do no harm. With healthy lobsters and mussels in mind, follow application directions on the package. Grubs: Many grubs grow up to be beneficial, pest-eating soilaerating beetles. But many are baby Japanese beetles, which lay eggs in the soil in late summer. Nighttime digging by skunks tells us these eggs have become larvae, with emergence of beetles just a few weeks away. Again, neighborhood cooperation yields the best results, but Milky Spore fungus is a long-lasting solution; once it colonizes the soil it stays there unless extreme cold or (yes!) lawn chemicals kill it. Milky Spore, available at garden centers, enters the guts of baby Japanese beetle larvae and causes them to expire.
to the surface. Rake vigorously to remove dead stuff and loosen soil, reseed, and avoid fertilizer and superficial watering (standing with a hose or leaving the sprinkler on for less than half an hour is not enough to soak the ground adequately). You can post your lawn care, or other, questions on the Gardener’s Dirt Facebook page. Enjoy your healthy and safe lawn this summer. And check out the Maine Board of Pesticide Control’s Yardscaping web site for more resources, at http://www. yardscaping.org/index.htm Writer Nini McManamy has worked for several years at O’Donal’s Nursery. She is a master gardener with a garden design and consultation business, Gardener’s Dirt (ninimaine@ aol.com, 871-7297). She takes garden questions on Facebook as Gardener’s Dirt.
Moss: see Fertilizer, above. Soil compaction: Decades of foot traffic have compacted the soil of many yards on the Hill. Compaction prevents healthy exchange of gases between the air and grass roots and all the little organisms that transport nutrients in the soil to the grass roots. You can rent an aerator, which looks like a Rototiller, or try aerating sandals. The best aerator is a healthy crop of earthworms: avoid lawn chemicals to protect these wonderful aerators and fertilizers. Thatch: Thatch happens when repeated applications of small amounts of water and too much fertilizer cause grass roots to grow too close
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