OPM August 2018 by Maine Magazine

AUGUST 2018

Vacation City

EAT, DRINK, SHOP, ISLAND HOP, AND MORE WAYS TO EXPERIENCE SUMMER IN PORTLAND AUGUST // 2018

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August 2018 36

THE WEEKENDERS

INTREPID TRAVELERS FLY IN TO EXPERIENCE PORTLAND IN A FREE-FORM WAY. by Sandy Lang Photography by Peter Frank Edwards

THIS PAGE: “I smell and can almost taste a bit of the cool, briny ocean with every breath.” –SANDY LANG

A LIFE ON THE WATER

TALKING SHOP AND SHIP WITH OPERATIONS MANAGER (AND FORMER FERRYBOAT CAPTAIN) NICK MAVODONES OF CASCO BAY LINES. by Katy Kelleher Photography by Nicole Wolf

SHORE-TO-SHIP

WAYPOINT PROVISIONS BRINGS PORTLAND’S BEST FOOD AND DRINK TO BOATERS. by Susan Axelrod Photography by Sean Thomas

FAMILY EVERYWHERE YOU GO

A LOBSTERMAN, A TEACHER, AND THEIR THREE CHILDREN WRITE ANOTHER CHAPTER IN A NEARLY 300-YEAROLD HISTORY ON LONG ISLAND. by Debra Spark Photography by Myriam Babin

15 TAKE NOTICE

NEWS, NOTES, AND MORE

16 DINE

DIMILLO’S ON THE WATER

22 36HRS PORTLAND AN ISLAND GETAWAY

66 A-LIST

BEST PLACES TO STAY ON CASCO BAY ISLANDS; SEVEN TOP SPOTS FOR OUTDOOR DINING AND DRINKING IN PORTLAND; PORTLAND’S TOP ICE CREAM SPOTS

IN EVERY ISSUE 11 12 13

EDITOR’S NOTE STAFF INSIGHTS TALENT ROSTER

ON THE COVER A QUIET EARLY MORNING IN THE HEART OF THE OLD PORT. Photography by Peter Frank Edwards

26 48

State 23 Media showcases the finest of Maine, brings inspiring content and uplifting stories to our readers, engages in ongoing community dialogue, and helps companies and organizations grow and contribute to Maineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beauty, prosperity and greatness.

To meet the new owners visit themainemag.com/staff

Publisher’s Note PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN THOMAS

UNDER THE BANNER OF STATE 23 MEDIA, OUR MAGAZINES HAVE NEW OWNERS, AND WE HAVE EMBARKED ON A NEW VOYAGE THAT STRENGTHENS OUR FOCUS ON PRODUCING HIGH-QUALITY, ENGAGING PUBLICATIONS THAT SHOWCASE THE BEST OF MAINE AND MAINERS. The owners include managing partners Adam Japko, founder and CEO of Esteem Media, which publishes New England Home and Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle, and Sandy Spaulding, a longtime Maine business leader. Moreover, we have made a strong commitment to be a model company that is a positive force in Maine—a company that will continually earn the respect and admiration of our staff, contributors, advertisers, and readers. This spring, we learned of inappropriate behavior in the workplace that was far out of line with whom we wanted to be. I understand

the disappointment and doubts these stories caused for our staff, readers, and advertisers. We apologize and are committed to fixing what led to these problems. We have taken actions—including putting in place policies and best practices to promote a corporate culture that is safe, transparent, and respectful, and where discrimination or harassment, in any form, will not be tolerated. I don’t expect that words alone will immediately reestablish your trust in our company. We plan to do even more, including actively listening and learning from those in our community.

I believe in this company, I am committed to our mission and values, and I am proud of our extraordinarily talented and committed staff. There’s an old French proverb, Qui n’avance pas, recule, which roughly translates as “Who does not move forward, recedes.” Here’s to moving forward, ever the wiser, and producing outstanding magazines and superb events to serve you—our readers, customers, and partners—long into the future.

ANDREA KING Chief Executive Officer and Publisher aking@themainemag.com

AUGUST // 2018

Debra Spark PHOTOGRAPHERS |

Ted Axelrod, Myriam Babin, Matt Congdon, Dave Dostie, Peter Frank Edwards, Sean Thomas, Nicole Wolf

PUBLISHER & CEO | Andrea King DIRECTOR OF SALES | Jeffrey D’Amico ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGERS |

MAINE MAGAZINE

Paul Koenig, Joel Kuschke MAINE HOME+DESIGN

Danielle Devine, Joel Kuschke STATE 23 MEDIA

Adam Japko, Sandy Spaulding Managing Partners

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Editorial and subscription information: phone 207.772.3373 | fax 888.836.6715 16 Middle Street | Suite 501 | Portland | Maine | 04101 Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements, unless otherwise noted, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher, staff, or advisory board. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information presented in this issue is accurate, and neither Old Port nor any of its staff is responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. Copyright © 2018, State 23 Media LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission, in writing, from the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. oldport.com

Editor’s Note PHOTOGRAPHY BY TED AXELROD

hen I was a teenager and spent my summers working in Boothbay Harbor, Portland was known as a rough-and-tumble town, where the scents of bait and beer mixed on the cobblestone streets of the Old Port, and empty storefronts lined Congress Street. I never actually set foot in the city until much of that had changed. Eight years ago, my husband and I visited Portland on a beautiful October weekend and knew within just a few days that this is where we wanted to live. We’ve been here for just over five years now, and we’re still discovering new things about the city all the time.

Whether you are a first-time visitor or a longtime resident, I hope this issue will inspire your own discoveries in “Vacation City.” Regular Maine magazine contributors Sandy Lang and Peter Frank Edwards are veteran travelers and offer dozens of ideas for places to eat, drink, and shop, and things

to do and see in The Weekenders, (page 36). For 36hrs Portland, creative director Joel Kuschke explored Peaks Island, having a beer with locals at the American Legion hall and wandering through the slightly spooky Battery Steele (An Island Getaway, page 22). Getting out on the water is essential to experiencing Portland, and even those of us who live here can feel like we’re on vacation when we’re on an island in Casco Bay. Unless you have your own boat or take a water taxi, the best way to get to the islands is via the Casco Bay Lines, whose operations manager and former ferry captain, Nick Mavodones, is the subject of this month’s Profile. After a lifetime of working out there, “he can read the bay like a book,” writes Katy Kelleher (A Life on the Water, page 26). For an island adventure that lasts longer than a day trip, Emma Simard’s guide to Best Places to Stay on Casco Bay Islands (page 66) offers six options ranging from hotels and inns to campsites.

Also in this issue is a rare glimpse at how a Casco Bay lobsterman and his family live on Long Island (Family Everywhere You Go, page 48) and my fresh look at DiMillo’s on the Water, a Portland landmark that has updated both its dining room and menu (Dine, page 16). If you’re a boater, you’ll want to know about Waypoint Provisions, a new business that will bring the best of Portland’s food and drink to you (Shore to Ship, page 32). On that first visit to Portland, I fell in love with all of it: not just the great restaurants, the cool cocktail bars, and the architecture, but the fish piers, the constant cry of seagulls, and the funky shops in the Arts District. I’m as happy eating a hot dog from Mark’s cart in Tommy’s Park as I am a beautiful plate of crudo at Scales. And when I smell both bait and beer along the waterfront, it makes me smile.

SUSAN AXELROD Editor saxelrod@oldport.com AUGUST // 2018

Staff Insights W H E N Y O U H AV E O U T-O F-T O W N G U E S T S VISITING IN THE SUMMER, WHERE IN P O R T L A N D D O Y O U J U S T H AV E T O TA K E T H E M ? “Most of our guests live in big cities, so all they really want to do is relax and embrace the natural beauty of Maine during their visit. The first place we take them is Capisic Pond Park behind our house in Portland. When we first moved to the neighborhood the pond (the largest fresh body of water in Portland) was overgrown with cattails and you could barely see the water. Last year they dredged it for the first time in 60 years and restored the area with three different planting zones to provide a safe habitat for wildlife.” Danielle Devine Editor, Maine Home+Design ddevine@mainehomedesign.com

“When friends from out of town come to visit Portland, the first place I think to take them is for a walk along the Eastern Promenade. After passing all of the cute food trucks parked along the sidewalk, we walk down to the East End Beach. Sitting with the sand between my toes, looking out at Fort Gorges and Peaks Island is a favorite spot of mine and is the perfect place when introducing anyone to the beauty of Portland.” Blair Best Editorial Intern bbest@themainemag.com

“The breweries on Industrial Way are always a favorite because of the sheer concentration of good beer and frequent visits from food trucks. You can also track the evolution of Maine’s brewing industry on this industrial park loop. You have the craft beer pioneers in Allagash and Geary’s, the new standard bearers in Foundation, Austin Street, and Battery Steele, and the new kid on the block in Definitive Brewing.” Paul Koenig Editor, Maine magazine pkoenig@themainemag.com

12 OLD PORT

oldport.com

WE GIVE BACK.

Our mission is to make a substantial and unique commitment to supporting Maine’s nonprofit community both statewide, regionally, and at the town level. We believe that the work Maine’s nonprofit organizations do, individually and collectively, makes our lives better and Maine a better place to live. With limited budgets, Maine’s nonprofits need help boosting awareness of their specific causes and help to raise the funds they need. We have established long-term relationships with over 120 nonprofits and community-based organizations. We give to these organizations by providing, free of charge, services ranging from advertising, graphic design, brand development, marketing advice, online announcements, and social media engagement. We often include nonprofit organizations in our editorial coverage through feature articles and/or recaps of their events. You’ll find the latter in our “There + Then,” “Turnout,” and “Gather” sections. Over the past year, we have made cash and in-kind donations and services of more than:

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Old Port is published twelve times each year by State 23 Media LLC Editorial and subscription information: phone 207.772.3373 | fax 888.836.6715 16 Middle Street | Suite 501 | Portland | Maine | 04101 Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements, unless otherwise noted, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher, staff, or advisory board. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information presented in this issue is accurate, and neither Old Port nor any of its staff is responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. Copyright © 2018, State 23 Media LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission, in writing, from the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. oldport.com

Talent Roster

THE PEOPLE BEHIND OLD PORT MAGAZINE

EMMA SIMARD

Associate Editor Emma Simard is a graduate of the former Catherine McAuley High School and has worked in Portland for the last three years. She enjoys spending her free time in the Old Port, always looking for an interesting event to attend or a local thrift store to browse.

SANDY LANG

Writer Sandy Lang loves summertime in Maine and she’s probably (hopefully) swimming or sailing on the midcoast just now. Sandy grew up in South Carolina, is a contributing editor to Charleston and Maine magazines, and her writing for Maine recently earned a national award in the Society of American Travel Writers’ Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition.

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oldport.com

SCOTT WENTZELL

Director of Marketing Scott Wentzell grew up in Massachusetts but has deep roots in Farmington going back more than three generations on his mother’s side. After graduating from Colby College he moved to Maine full time and has held senior marketing positions at several iconic Maine brands. Scott loves to explore all of Portland’s nooks and crannies with his wife Lisa and son Scotty, and as an avid cyclist has raised nearly $10,000 over the last five years riding in the Dempsey Challenge.

PETER FRANK EDWARDS

A travel, food, and lifestyle photographer, Peter Frank Edwards contributes often to Maine, Bon Appetit, Coastal Living, and Travel + Leisure. When not on assignment he enjoys cooking, tinkering with vintage audio, and dreams of learning how to fly.

AUGUST // 2018

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Take Notice N E W S, N OT E S, A N D M O R E BY KATE GARDNER A new coffee shop, ALL THOSE WHO WANDER, has opened at 93 Washington Ave., the Black Box space made from shipping containers at the corner of Washington Avenue and Marion Street. Owners CYNTHIA AND JOHNHENRY MLYNIEC have created a cozy and simply decorated spot influenced by Nordic and Japanese aesthetics. The shop uses coffee beans from Parlor Coffee in Brooklyn, New York, and also serves espresso drinks, tea, chai, and locally baked pastries.

THIS IS SO PORTLAND.

EAUX, a former food cart, is now a brick and mortar restaurant at 90 Exchange Street in the space formerly occupied by Crooners and Cocktails. Owned by chef EVAN RICHARDSON, a Louisiana native, Eaux serves Cajun-style food inspired by New Orleans. The menu includes a daily gumbo and Richardson’s take on Southern soul food classics such as chicken and waffles and shrimp and grits.

MERCY HOSPITAL has received a $2.75 million donation from the family of the hospital’s longtime chairman of pediatrics. PATRICIA KLINGENSTEIN, the daughter of DR. HARRY E. DAVIS, made the donation, which was announced at the hospital’s centennial celebration this spring. The donation, the largest in the hospital’s history, will be used to consolidate services at the hospital’s Fore River campus, where a wing has been renamed in Dr. Davis’s honor.

WE DELIVER. Subscribe 207 772 3373 themainemag.com/subscribe

A new food truck, the TOTALLY AWESOME VEGAN FOOD TRUCK, has set up shop in Portland. The owner and chef, TONY DIPHILLIPO, opened the truck in July with offerings that include vegan hamburgers, hot dogs, poutine, sandwiches, and macaroni and cheese. Some of the “meats” are plantbased, while others are made from chickpea flour, oat flour, and psyllium husks. The food truck has an ‘80s synthwave theme.

JIM BRADY THINKS AHEAD

CREW CONVENES ON CASCO BAY

SPACE TO CREATE AT EAST END LOFTS

PORTLAND'S

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Dockside Dining

SPEAK ABOUT IT, a nonprofit that provides consent education and sexual assault prevention training through theater, has hired a new executive director. OLIVIA HARRIS of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will be replacing the organization’s founder, SHANE DIAMOND, who founded Speak About It in 2010. Harris has a strong background in sex-positive consent education and gender-based violence prevention, as well as experience in teaching these subjects through the performing arts.

SCALES DISHES THE FRESH FLAVORS OF THE SEA

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Dine

W H E R E TO E AT N O W BY SUSAN AXELROD PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN THOMAS

C U R R E N T

Classic

With respect for the past and thoughtful updates, DiMillo’s on the Water stays the course.

f you’re a longtime local, DiMillo’s may be where you had dinner before your high school prom, or where your grandmother always wanted to go for her birthday. If you’re a visitor, you’ve certainly read about Portland’s only floating restaurant in the guidebooks. And if you’re a newer city resident, you may have bypassed the waterfront landmark, thinking it was too big, too old, too un-hip. But like a classic novel you skipped in college but rediscovered and enjoyed years later, DiMillo’s may surprise you.

The main dining room—with an elevated section in the center that adds dimension to the large space—has recently been updated with more modern furnishings and finishes for a stylish yet relaxed look. Gone are the ship’s wheel chandeliers and linen-draped round tables, replaced by sleek glass pendant lights and reclaimed wood tables, the latter made by Maine Heritage Timber in Millinocket. New seating includes high-backed chairs upholstered in gray linen and red leather banquettes for two.

For starters, DiMillo’s boasts what is arguably the best view in Portland. From a table on the second-level aft deck (one of three decks on the 206-foot-long former ferry), I take in a sweeping vista that includes cruise ships, Fort Gorges, fishing boats and sailboats underway on the sparkling blue water, and gleaming yachts in their slips at DiMillo’s Marina. Diners inside have a similar view from the tall windows that wrap the exterior.

The menu has been updated, too, albeit less dramatically than the decor. “In a big place like this growth is very slow,” says executive chef Melissa Bouchard, who celebrated her twentieth year at DiMillo’s in July, having worked her way up through the kitchen ranks. “Our clientele has certain expectations, so we have to strike a balance.” Tuna tataki and cedar-planked scallops with fig butter now appear alongside traditional favorites such as

broiled haddock and the fried Fisherman’s Platter, but some old-fashioned dishes, such as chicken cordon bleu or lobster Newburg, have been dropped. “One thing you don’t see on the menu is that we don’t open up cans,” says Bouchard. “The majority of what we do here, we do in house.” Her tuna tataki is bright and fresh, the slices of seared tuna dressed lightly with sesameginger vinaigrette and fanned out around precise cubes of perfectly ripe avocado with a tangle of micro cilantro and slices of bright red Fresno pepper. Mussels are plump and buttery, with white wine, a hint of garlic, and tangy, Maine-made Raye’s mustard in the silky sauce. And I’d come back with a friend to sit on that back deck sipping rosé and sharing the calamari bruschetta—a generous portion of crispy squid piled with diced tomato, basil, feta, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. From the beginning, DiMillo’s has been a

Opposite page: Longtime server James “Alex” Alexander takes customers’ orders on DiMillo’s second-level back deck. This page, from left: A bowl of mussels with white wine and Raye’s mustard, The Tito’s Jam is a refreshing summer cocktail. The front desk is command central at DiMillo’s.

AUGUST // 2018

Dine

WE LOVE AND APPRECIATE OUR CUSTOMERS, AND WE ARE HAPPY THEY ARE HERE.”—JOHNNY DIMILLO

18 OLD PORT

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family business. Restaurant managers Steve, Johnny, and Dan DiMillo grew up working for their dad, founder Tony DiMillo, who opened the first DiMillo’s on Fore Street in 1954, moving it to a waterfront location in 1965 and to the repurposed ferry boat in 1982. Today, 15 family members work at the restaurant, including Steve’s children— banquet manager Steve DiMillo, Jr., and Chelsea DiMillo, who is a bar manager along with Lisa Baugher. “Chelsea and Lisa have done at the bar what Chef Melissa did for us in the kitchen—lifted us out of the doldrums,” says Johnny DiMillo. While you won’t find the complex, multi-ingredient drinks common at the city’s newer bars, the cocktail list at DiMillo’s includes choices such as the Tito’s Jam, a refreshing summer sipper made with Tito’s vodka, strawberry puree, simple syrup, lemon juice, and soda water. “At the bar as in the kitchen we have to keep things somewhat streamlined because of our volume,” says Johnny.

With 600 seats, DiMillo’s serves over a quarter-million meals every year—1,200 to 1,400 guests on a summer Saturday night. But Bouchard and her staff still put careful attention into every plate. A bountiful, beautiful bowl of frutti di mare pasta features a zesty tomato sauce with shrimp, lobster, mussels, and hot sausage over squid ink fettuccine; both the seafood and the pasta are perfectly cooked, and the savory scent of the dish causes nearby heads to turn. Also outstanding is a special filet of beef with fried oysters and béarnaise sauce, which food history buffs will recognize as a nod to the oldschool “carpetbag steak”—steak stuffed with oysters—still found on some menus in New Orleans. The flavors of Bouchard’s dish are surprisingly compatible, and the combination of textures—tender beef, crispy oysters, silky sauce, and peppery, butter-wilted baby arugula—is sublime. At 4:30 on a sunny Thursday afternoon, DiMillo’s is already buzzing, with both the bar

and the dining room starting to fill. Regulars and first-timers alike are welcomed cheerfully at the front desk—the restaurant’s command central. “We get everybody here, from the rich and famous to someone with just a few bucks in their pocket,” says Bouchard. Like her, many of the restaurant’s staff members have worked at DiMillo’s for decades. “A lot of our regular customers come back to see the employees they’ve had relationships with—some of them for 30 years,” says Johnny DiMillo. “We’re a humble crowd. We love and appreciate our customers, and we are happy they are here.” While other aspects of DiMillo’s have evolved with the times, the commitment to hospitality remains at its heart. And like much else at DiMillo’s, that heart is a big one. DiMillo’s on the Water 25 Long Wharf, Portland 207. 772. 2216 dimillos.com/restaurant

Opposite page, clockwise from top: Courtney Leighton mixes a drink at DiMillo’s cozy bar. The Diamond Island Cobb Salad includes arugula, grilled chicken, apples, Craisins, avocado, gorgonzola cheese, egg, candied walnuts, and poppyseed dressing. The calamari bruschetta appetizer. This page, from left: Johnny DiMillo manages the restaurant with his brothers, Steve and Dan, plus a dozen other family members. Tuna tataki is a light and fresh summer starter. Executive chef Melissa Bouchard has worked at DiMillo’s for 20 years.

AUGUST // 2018

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36hrs

AN ISLAND GETAWAY

JOEL KUSCHKE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Early explorers of Casco Bay claimed it had 365 islands, leading to the colloquial name “The Calendar Islands.” While the actual number is only 136, each one has a personality of its own. 01

THURSDAY AFTERNOON

The Casco Bay Lines terminal is buzzing with summer activity as locals and visitors shuffle onto the signature red, white, and yellow ferries. I’m Peaks Island bound, and it will be my home base for the next two days. I find a seat on the open-air upper deck, which offers unobstructed views of the bay and the Portland skyline as it shrinks behind me. To my left Fort Gorges sits proudly on Hog Island Ledge. This fort, which is covered in shrubs and trees, was built in the mid-1800s but never saw battle. To my right I can see a trio of lighthouses: Bug Light, Spring Point Ledge Light, and Portland Head Light. It’s a short 20 minutes before we are pulling into the Peaks Island terminal. Passengers spill out and go their various ways. Many

22 OLD PORT

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take off on golf carts (the preferred method of transportation on Peaks). The beautiful Inn on Peaks Island is just up the hill from the terminal. I check in and take a moment to enjoy my room’s water-facing balcony.

Off-Season: Island Photographs by Heather Wasklewicz, provides a look at a quieter side of Peaks during the less busy months when the summer crowds have disappeared.

The Fifth Maine Regiment Museum is having an art opening and I opt to head over on foot. I take a direct route through the island’s residential neighborhoods and admire the various cottages and homesteads. The bright buttery yellow museum sits just above the water on the southern coast of the island. It originally served as a headquarters for the fifth regiment Maine volunteer infantry and has since transitioned into a cultural center for the island and its residents. Inside beautiful stained-glass windows are adorned with the names of soldiers, and display cases contain Civil War-era relics. A vast veranda overlooks the bay. The opening exhibit,

For dinner I stop into the timeless Hannigan’s Island Market. Locals catch up with summer residents returning for the season, and the store clerks seem to be on a first-name basis with almost all of them. I order a simple meal consisting of an Italian sandwich and a bag of chips and enjoy it while the sun goes down on my hotel balcony. My last stop for the night is the American Legion. This classic, dimly lit haunt is a mainstay for locals and visitors. I order a beer at the bar and chat with some year-round residents before heading back to the Inn on Peaks.

EVENING

FRIDAY MORNING

Lisa’s Peaks Island Café is bursting with hungry breakfast seekers and the line is practically out the door. Inside, a long wrap- around counter serves as a centerpiece, behind which two employees are busy taking orders and frying eggs. A local from the legion hall tipped me off to the cinnamon buns, which look irresistible. I leave with a good-sized one and can’t resist adding a breakfast sandwich as well.

There isn’t a cloud in the sky and it’s a perfect opportunity to hike the entire island loop. The coast offers non-stop vistas of Casco Bay. The rocky shoreline is littered with small cairns, (piles of delicately balanced rocks)

which seem to be an island tradition. Visitors cruise by in rented canoes and paddleboards. I stop into Take a Peak, a small shop with several cool island-themed gifts, as well as clothing and home decor. I also find the Gem Gallery, a fun spot featuring jewelry and artwork. Perhaps the most unusual stop is the world’s only Umbrella Cover Museum. This is exactly what it sounds like, a Guinness World Record setting collection of umbrella covers where Nancy, the owner, invites you to “come in and celebrate the mundane.” Once I make it to the back side of the island I find myself at Battery Steele. This concrete behemoth was heavily armed and fortified in World War II to protect Portland Harbor. Now highly overgrown with vegetation and painted in graffiti it serves as a funky place to explore. Inside I walk through a long dark

echoing hallway and poke into the various nooks and crannies. I finish my walk and find myself back at the ferry terminal. Before heading out for more island adventures I hit Down Front, where the team is working hard scooping ice cream into cups and cones for visitors. I get two scoops of Deer Tracks and hop aboard the noon ferry back to Portland.

AFTERNOON

It’s time to explore some of the other islands and sights in Casco Bay, so I’ve opted for the Casco Bay Lines Mail Boat Run. The mail boat goes out daily to Little Diamond, Great Diamond, Long, Cliff, and Chebeague Islands delivering freight to residents. The cruise is also carrying passengers and sightseers, and due to the large turnout, a Casco Bay Lines employee is narrating the trip over a loud speaker. The mail crew is hard at work

01 A Casco Bay Lines ferry passes Fort Gorges. 02 Passengers await the arrival of the ferry at Casco Bay Lines terminal in Portland. 03 Fish tacos and fried calamari at The Inn on Peaks. 04 Gifts and apparel at Take A Peak. 05 Stained-glass windows at the Fifth Maine Regiment Museum. 06 Passengers disembarking at Peaks Island. 07 Ferry passengers enjoying the views from the upper deck. AUGUST // 2018

THIS IS SO MAINE.

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bringing packages containing everything from food to furniture. I’m amazed as they lower down a couch from a crane on the top level. The views aboard the mail run are incredible and offer unique glimpses of some island wildlife. A pair of harbor seals seems to be following the ferry, and a bald eagle scans the water over the forested edge of Great Diamond Island. At one point the narrator points out what at first looks like a lawn ornament, but upon closer inspection is a tiny lighthouse. At six feet tall, Pocahontas Light is the smallest lighthouse registered with the U.S. Coastguard. After an actual “three-hour tour” we return to Portland and I hop back on the ferry to Peaks.

EVENING

The outdoor dining patio at The Inn On Peaks Island looks too good to miss and I find a water-facing seat to relax in while the sun goes down. For dinner it’s fried calamari and fish tacos with Shipyard Export Ale. I need to head back to the mainland in the morning, but I make a final stop into the legion hall for a nightcap and some conversation. Thirtysix hours is certainly not enough time to explore all of the Calendar Islands, but I hope to be back soon to see more of what Casco Bay has to offer.

01 The mail boat stops daily at Cliff Island. 02 Exploring the dark passages of Battery Steele. 03 A cinnamon bun from Lisa’s Peaks Island Cafe. 04 Pocahontas Lighthouse.

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THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE PORTL AND BY KATY KELLEHER PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE WOLF

A LIFE

ON THE WATER Talking shop and ship with operations manager (and former ferryboat captain) Nick Mavodones of Casco Bay Lines.

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hen Nick Mavodones looks out at Casco Bay, he sees something different from what you or I might see. He can read the bay like a book. He knows its finicky weather and its hidden rock formations. He knows the islands, too, and their distinct characteristics. He can tell you which island has summer water (Little Diamond) and which ones have winter people (Long, Cliff, Chebeague, Peaks). He has a special fondness for Cliff Island. Visiting Cliff, he says, is like “going back in time a century.” He used to know an old man who called it “the very end of the world.” “There’s some truth to that,” he agrees. “It’s quiet out there.” It’s a place apart. Mavodones has spent his entire life ferrying from one place to another. As a child, he split his time between Yarmouth and Great Diamond, where his family had a three-season house. He began working on the Casco Bay Lines as a deckhand right out of high school.

“It was my plan to do it for a year, and see how it went,” he says. He liked the job so much that he stayed on, moving from deckhand to captain. In the late 1990s, he hung up his captain’s hat and became the operations manager for Casco Bay Lines, a transition that wasn’t exactly easy for the water-loving Mavodones. He’s a man who enjoys the challenge of stormy days and the deep silencing power of the fog. “Frankly,” he says, “I miss the rough conditions, the strong winds, and the thick fog the most.” He originally took the operations manager position on an interim basis. “It wasn’t until the GM asked me to stay on that I realized: I really like doing it,” he says. As operations manager, Mavodones oversees the construction of new boats, the maintenance of old standbys, the hiring of new deckhands, and adjusting the workload of each ship’s crew. He talks to the Coast Guard to keep them abreast of situations at Casco Bay Lines, and works with regulatory agencies to make sure everything is ship-shape. “I also deal with

customers, and I talk to all of our staff,” he says. “You name it, and I’ve dealt with it.” Hank Berg is Casco Bay Lines’s general manager. “Nick has an amazing historical knowledge of where we’ve been, and why we do the work we do. That makes him invaluable,” Berg says. “He’s seen what works, and he knows what doesn’t work.” Berg points out that Casco Bay Lines has a longer heritage than most Portlanders might realize; the company has operated ferries since the late 1800s. However, it wasn’t until the 1980s that Casco Bay Lines became legally obligated by the State of Maine to serve the islands. “In 1981, they created special legislation saying we have to serve these six islands, and as a result, we have almost exclusive rights to serve those islands,” says Berg. “It’s a tough business; we make money for three months and we lose money for nine months. It’s been a real up-and-down ride.” Casco Bay Lines transports 1.1 million passengers, over 35,000 vehicles, and more

Opposite page: A former ferryboat captain, Nick Mavodones has spent his entire working life on the waterfront. He’s been ferrying from one island to another since his childhood, when he split his time between Yarmouth and Great Diamond Island. Now, Mavodones works as the operations manager of Casco Bay Lines. This page: Ferry passengers have a view of Spring Point Ledge Light on their way out of Portland Harbor.

AUGUST // 2018

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The Aucocisco III pulls into port. It can carry up to 399 passengers, but no vehicles.

AUGUST // 2018

than 500,000 pieces of freight each year. “That’s a lot of stuff going through one little piece of the waterfront,” Berg notes dryly. “When I first started, we handled literally everything by hand,” Mavodones recalls. “Whether we were transporting livestock or sheetrock. If you had an 80-pound bag of cement, you had to swing it and throw it—and of course, somebody else had to catch it.” Decades ago, if you were building a house on Peaks Island, you would have to ship everything through Casco Bay Lines, from your heirloom furniture to your garden mulch. Now, they use pallets and pulleys to take larger items on and off the ferries. “We’ve shipped over a few ballroom pianos in my day,” Mavodones says. He even recalls one summer in the 1980s when the film The Whales of August was filming out on Cliff Island. “We had Bette Davis and Vincent Price out there for weeks, and we would take their dailies as freight back to Portland,” he says.

“

Nick has an amazing historical knowledge of where we’ve been, and why we do the work we do.” —HANK BERG

Mavodones is filled with these kinds of stories— tales of everyday work made intriguing by proximity to the sea. In person, he’s warm but a little guarded. He speaks eloquently about the ocean, and can wax poetic about the northern lights, but when I ask him about a new ferry under construction, he gets almost giddy. “Is it like you’re getting a new toy?” I ask him. “It’s exactly like getting a new toy!” he replies. As a part of our interview, Mavodones and I took the ferry from Portland to Peaks and back. He talked about the clouds, which were high, fluffy cumulus clouds, and pointed to where in the sky pressure was forming. He told me about the history of the Machigonne II, a 399-passenger ferryboat built in 1987 in Rhode Island that boasts a fantastically loud engine (I can attest to this) and a comfortable wheelhouse (manned that day by a charming and self-effacing captain named

This page, from left: Mavodones works closely with the crew and the captains of each ship, including Colin Anderson, left, and Gretchen Frank, to ensure that every trip goes smoothly. There are a limited number of spots for cars on the Casco Bay Lines ferries (and when traveling to Peaks Island, it’s often best to bring a bike). Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Mavodones, left, with Hank Berg, general manager of Casco Bay Lines. A ticket to ride. A lone passenger travels inside. Casco Bay Lines transports 1.1 million passengers per year. For many islanders, the ferry is their morning commute, so it’s crucial that it runs on time. Mavodones and his team work diligently to ensure that happens.

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Billy). Although Mavodones is very serious about his job, he does see some funny things while at work, like that summer when a few wedding guests decided to jump overboard as a prank. “One of our guys chased them through the Old Port,” he says. “By the time I got there, they’d called the police, who caught them. And I just happened to know the police officer who detained them—he used to be one of my deckhands.” Rail jumping, Mavodones informs me, is a crime. The wedding-drunk guests were fined $2,500, which one man contested in court. “The judge then fined that guy $5,000,” Mavodones adds with a half smile. While Mavodones is no longer required to spend his days on the water, he likes to ride the ferries as often as he can. “The ferryboat captains have the best job in Portland,” he says. “But on the other hand, we’re really blessed with our crew. You know, we never need to advertise for deckhands—every year, we get more applicants than we can hire.” It’s a good problem for a manager to have, and Mavodones knows it. “I consider myself really lucky,” he says. “We’re all fortunate to be here,” he says, looking out toward the Portland skyline. And I have to agree.

AUGUST // 2018

Shore-to-Ship Waypoint Provisions brings Portlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best food and drink to boaters.

BY SUSAN AXELROD // PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN THOMAS 32 OLD PORT

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magine this: After a sunny, salt-sprayed summer day of cruising Casco Bay, you’re anchored in Cocktail Cove off Jewell Island, anticipating a gorgeous sunset. Someone opens the cooler and gasps, “Hey, there are only two more beers in here.” There are six of you onboard the boat, which means: four are out of luck, or you can pull the anchor, race into Portland, find a place to tie up, and walk at least a block to a store that sells beer. Good luck making it back to Cocktail Cove before dark.

This summer, thirsty boaters have another option: Text or radio Waypoint Provisions, a floating delivery service that carries a variety of beer, snacks, and supplies, such as toilet paper, sunscreen, and Dramamine. Launched this spring by Falmouth resident Joshua Frances

(a Renaissance man who is also a disaster management expert and concert photographer), Waypoint specializes in local food and drink— baguettes from Standard Baking Co.; cheese, salami, and salads from Rosemont Market; and beer from Austin Street Brewing. “Our vendor/partners are so happy to be involved because they know it’s a killer idea,” says Frances. “We have such a great variety of wonderful, locally grown and made foods in Portland; it’s just nearly impossible to get once you hop on a boat or are out on an island.” What’s available on a given weekend is announced on Facebook and Instagram, and boaters can either radio or text their orders. On a bright June Saturday, photographer Sean Thomas and I meet Frances at the DiMillo’s Marina fuel dock. His 27-foot Boston Whaler,

Petrichor, is loaded with Yeti coolers and a box of bright yellow boat brushes with Waypoint’s label on the back—giveaways to attract new customers. With her fiberglass hull scrubbed clean of moss, upholstery neatly patched with white tape, and new twin 150-horse power engines, Petrichor shows little evidence that Frances found the boat moldering in a friend’s field in Norway, Maine. An avid sailor and licensed captain, Frances was determined to do all the work himself to make Petrichor seaworthy again. “I’m a functional boater,” he says. “It’s part of ownership to know how everything works and how to fix it when it breaks.” His 44-foot sailboat is for pleasure. Petrichor is a working vessel, and she has to earn her keep. We head out into the bay, passing Casco Bay

Opposite page: The Petrichor, a 27-foot Boston Whaler, at the DiMillo’s Marina fuel dock. Waypoint Provisions owner Joshua Frances found the boat in a friend’s field and restored her for his new business enterprise. This page: Frances at the wheel with the Portland waterfront in the background.

AUGUST // 2018

Lines ferries and the CAT coming into port on its regular run from Nova Scotia. It’s not long before there’s a radio call from the Giraffe Hunter, moored off the Eastern Prom. And yes, it’s for beer. “Ahoy,” Frances calls as we pull alongside the sailboat, meeting Zach Hale, Christian Dyer, and Eric Ambrose, along with Hale’s two friendly boat dogs. The Giraffe Hunter belongs to Hale, who lives onboard with his girlfriend; the other two men live on sailboats moored nearby and have motored over in their skiffs for a neighborly visit. We all chat for a bit, and Dyer points out a cabin cruiser he suggests Frances stop by—a liveaboard couple with children may be interested in his services. “They’re going to be another reminder that you should stock gummy bears,” says Dyer with a laugh. “These guys are who I’m after—they live aboard all year,” says Frances. For beer, wine and spirits, Frances cannot charge customers more than he paid; he makes his money via a delivery charge. Today, he also has cocktail kits for four on board—a Bloody Mary kit with Tito’s vodka, locally made Bloody Mary mix; and a Dark and Stormy kit with Sailor Jerry’s rum and Goslings ginger beer. Both kits come with the requisite fresh limes, biodegradable cups, and compostable straws if a customer asks for them. “The environmental stuff is hugely important to me,” Frances says. Waypoint also offers larger-scale provisioning— stocking boat galleys, island campsites, or the cottages on House Island with food and other supplies. “I just provisioned a boat for a two-week cruise,” says Frances, adding that he expects this aspect of his business to grow along with on-thewater deliveries. “There’s been a good reception from the boating community,” he says. “But it’s going to take a while for them to see they can rely on us.” After just a month out on Casco Bay with full coolers, boating knowledge, and a friendly smile, Frances and Waypoint Provisions seem to be off to a flying start.

Clockwise from top: Frances, right, delivers beer to Zach Hale, who lives aboard a sailboat moored off the East End. Frances pets one of Hale’s dogs while chatting with him and boat neighbor Christian Dyer. Waypoint Provisions coolers hold a selection of beer, wine, and soft drinks.

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“

We have such a great variety of wonderful, locally grown and made foods in Portland; it’s just nearly impossible to get once you hop on a boat or are out on an island.” —JOSHUA FRANCES

AUGUST // 2018

THE

Weekenders INTREPID TRAVELERS FLY IN TO EXPERIENCE PORTLAND IN A FREE-FORM WAY. BY Sandy Lang // PHOTOGRAPHY BY Peter Frank Edwards

’m thinking that not many tourists do this, but I can’t resist. We’ve left steamy South Carolina for a couple of days in Portland, and Maine’s early-hour sunrises are inspiring a pre-dawn wake-up.

“Let’s take the first ferry,” I say to my partner, photographer Peter Frank Edwards. It’s not even 5 a.m. and he’s not fully awake. But ever since our flight arrived yesterday, the gushes of saltwater-chilled air have invigorated me. Within minutes of landing we picked up our rental car and headed downtown, following Portland’s peninsula north and east all the way to the sunny Eastern Promenade, and walking down the hillside to the waterfront. I’d heard there may be sand here, but had never seen the tucked-away East End Beach. A couple people are unloading kayaks from car rooftops when we find it, this sandy stretch in the city, perfect for a summer swim. The official start of summer is still a few weeks away—it’s jacket weather and the forecast threatens rain—but the weekend has begun with the blue sky and green grass of early summertime. I smell and can almost taste a bit of the cool, briny ocean with every breath. “Ready to get out there?” I ask Peter Frank. He’s sleepily propping himself up amid the nautical

blues, whites, and reds of our generously sized room at the Portland Harbor Hotel on Fore Street. Photographers, I’ve learned, are inspired by good light. When I open the window blinds to the promising golden-pink sunbeams that are just beginning to brighten the sky, he immediately says he’s game for the ferry plan. By now, it’s about 5:15 a.m. and a boat departs in 30 minutes. I pull on a jacket, Peter Frank grabs a couple of cameras, and we both make our way downstairs and begin walking toward the waterfront. There’s very little car traffic this early on a Saturday morning, just the sounds of a few gulls calling out. At this hour, even the bakeries we pass aren’t open yet for customers. We don’t see other passengers waiting at the Casco Bay Lines terminal, but I’m happy to smell and see a coffee vending machine inside the boxy, all-glass building. I’ve got the paper cup dropping into the dispenser and filling with coffee even before I find the counter to navigate a ferry ticket purchase. The next boat departs in just a few minutes for Peaks Island, the ticket seller tells me, and I ask if it matters if we don’t disembark at the island landing, but just stay onboard for a round trip. “Either way,” he says matter-of-factly. “But you’ll have a few minutes if you do get off of the boat. Then we sound the horn.”

Opposite page: Stepping into some exploring on Moulton Street and imagining long-ago ships that carried the Old Port’s characteristic cobblestones.

AUGUST // 2018

Rise and shine, Casco Bay

t’s just us, a man in a pick-up truck stacked with lumber, and another guy who’s reading a book—that’s everyone on the first outbound ferry. The water’s surface is smooth as liquid silver and the ride is a peaceful passage. The engine hums, water laps. I breathe more of that water-cooled air and get some of the views you really need to familiarize yourself within a waterfront city. Seeing the peninsula from a boat feels essential. Out here, the Casco Bay islands offer shelter from the open Atlantic. When I look back at the port city, I’m struck by the working-waterfront sights of cargo ships and fishing boats beside the mix of new hotels and other buildings downtown. On the streets rising up from the water, I see countless red brick buildings, showing the architectural bones in this largest of Maine’s cities. We decide to spend the boat’s brief stop walking up the hill from the Peaks Island landing, and I’m captivated by the handful of shops and the town bulletin board. Peter Frank reminds me that he knows one of the owners of Down Front, the ice cream shop

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Seeing the peninsula from a boat feels essential.

where we peek in the windows. The shop is owned by Leslie Davis and Stuart Jackson; it’s Jackson who’s a friend of his from middle and high school, an artist who grew up partly in South Carolina and partly in Maine. Nothing’s open yet for the day, of course, but we’re already thinking we’d like to zip back over later—it was only a 17-minute crossing. On our return to downtown, we make our way westward along Commercial Street past the Portland Fish Pier to Becky’s Diner. We’re lucky. In the morning buzz of customers, two seats open up right away at the front corner of the counter, and the coffee being poured into thick mugs is hot. Next to me, a man named John is picking up two of the big muffins with tops bursting over the sides— he says, “make it three,” before his order is tallied—and I’m soon sliding my fork into one of the plate-sized blueberry pancakes and a side of cheesy scrambled eggs. We’d stay awhile, but a line of people is waiting. What’s next? The rain that was expected hasn’t arrived, dozens of cyclists stream past on a Saturday ride, and we simply keep walking and letting the Portland day unfold.

Opposite page: Some of the two-wheeled fleet available to rent at Brad’s Bike Rental and Repair on Island Avenue, Peaks Island. This page, clockwise from top left: During the morning pancake and muffin hours at Becky’s Diner, open since 1992 on the Portland waterfront. Stuart Jackson scoops up the cones and sundaes at Down Front on Peaks Island and says of himself and co-owner Leslie Davis, “We’ll live on this island forever.” A veggie burger and lemonade at one of the picnic tables near the Milly’s Skillet food truck, Peaks Island.

AUGUST // 2018

East End Beach is a popular spot for a summer swim, right in the city.

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AUGUST // 2018

Scout and About

ulips are blooming and the trees are budding out like crazy on this warm weekend. Along the way to buy some whole-bean Peruvian coffee from the Speckled Ax we take a path from Congress Street to a tucked-away garden that dates back to 1785. It’s next to the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, where Portland native and literary giant Henry Wadsworth Longfellow grew up. The pocket of urban quiet and green feels like a beautiful secret. For several minutes we’re the only people walking among the deep purple tulips and past the gurgling lion-head fountain. It’s a pensive, inspiring place. “Now here’s a spot I’d like to return to,” I say. Peter Frank laughs knowingly. When a trip’s going well, he knows I’ll start scouting for future visits.

Another walk-to destination is Print: A Bookstore, which was opened by Emily Russo. (Her father, Richard Russo, created a captivating story and sense of place in his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Empire Falls, set in Maine.) As soon as we walk in, I already like the looks of this stand-alone, independent bookstore on Congress Street. The daylight falls easily through the tall windows on the simple shelf organization and displays (including lots of Maine writers). The layout

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and the contemporary book cover designs all somehow work to make every title seem important and interesting. I quickly choose two books to take with me, including a debut novel by an Irish author titled Pond (Claire Louise Bennett, Riverhead Books, 2017), along with a pocket-sized book of haiku. The bookstore was one of several around-town recommendations from Briana and Andrew Volk, owners of Portland Hunt and Alpine Club (which serves Scandi-Maine cocktails in the Old Port) and the newer restaurant and bar, Little Giant, on a Danforth Street corner in the West End. We stopped at the latter for an early dinner last night—not just to dip biscuits through the broth of the moules et frites, but I did. We shared some grilled fresh asparagus, too, and soft-shell crabs battered “Nashville hot” style. In a room of soft colors and mod watercolor portraits based on family snapshots, the biscuits were served with just a skim of lard instead of butter, and the martini was made with a splash of seawater—the whole dinner was a light-hearted, good idea. I wouldn’t call it a spree exactly, but we do a little more retail browsing and shopping, including along Middle Street at the new

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Checking out what’s fresh and local at the Saturday Farmers’ Market in Portland’s Deering Oaks Park. The iced-down oyster section on the wharves at Harbor Fish Market. Share-worthy moules et frites in a dining room of blond wood and fresh flowers at Little Giant on Danforth Street. This page: Just about every table orders a Bloody Caesar (or two) during brunch at Woodford Food and Beverage.

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Ramblers Way (thin, soft wool and cotton), at the airy Judith, where a pair of lilachued leather flats are beautifully tempting, and at the new Simon Pearce showroom of glass, pottery, and tableware. The lack of big chain stores is remarkable in the Old Port. And after we stop by the hotel and retrieve our car, we make a stop at another locally owned business. I’m thinking about Italy, so at Maine and Loire I ask about wines from Puglia and Umbria. Peter Frank, meanwhile, is looking for a bottle from the open shelves of natural wines for “something unfiltered and interesting, even funky” to bring home. Owners Peter and Orenda Hale are happy to oblige us with ideas, and with stories of some of the winemakers they meet. We end this whirlwind of a mini-vacation with a final stop a couple miles from the waterfront for an easygoing Sunday brunch in one of the booths at Woodford Food and Beverage, owned by the husband-and-wife team of Birch Shambaugh and Fayth Preyer. Instead of the maritime, brick-and-stone vibe of the Old Port, this restaurant is inside a

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refurbished, midcentury building with a multipeaked roofline and a neighboring tenant that’s a longtime laundromat. Shambaugh likes the location. He’s a surfer who collects vintage LPs and Gourmet magazines, and when he stops by our table, he lets me know that he prefers a line-up of beverages, too. He’s noticed that I’ve got a hot coffee, a ginger-berry shrub with a paper straw, and a tall ice water arranged in an arc around my plate of eggs, grits, and pickled tomatillo. Peter Frank and I are about to taste a couple of Winnegance oysters on the half-shell, and Shambaugh explains that these coldwater Maine oysters weren’t harvested until the fourth year. (I tip one back and it has an ocean-washed sweetness that I’d say is worth the wait.) Meanwhile, Peter Frank is sipping a Bloody Caesar cocktail that looks appropriately red from the tomato juice, but is garnished with enough celery, pepperoncini, and green olives that when I go for a sip it tastes like bright green health—a happy finish to the blossoming, almost-summer Portland weekend.

This page: Sipping beer and catching late afternoon sunlight at the Porthole, open on Custom House Wharf since 1929. Opposite page, clockwise from top: One of the spacious rooms at Portland Harbor Hotel. Maine ingredients from clams to potatoes to salt served up at the food cart of Vantage Point Chowder. The entree to Casco Bay is a ride on a Casco Bay Lines ferry.

STAY

TASTE

PORTLAND HARBOR HOTEL: Easy parking (valet in connected garage) at this elegant boutique hotel one block from the waterfront. Restaurant, patio firepit, handsome lobby, and bookcases of oceaninspired reading, too. 468 Fore St., portlandharborhotel.com

DO/SEE BECKY’S DINER: Easy and open all day; after one big blueberry pancake, homemade corn muffin, or an order of scrambled eggs with cheese, you’ll be back. 390 Commercial St. beckysdiner.com

CASCO BAY LINES: Ferry passage to the islands of Casco Bay; scenic tours and cruises. 56 Commercial St. cascobaylines.com LONGFELLOW GARDEN: A linear, compact urban garden of fountains, flowers, and benches, begun in the 1920s and open seasonally next to the Wadsworth-Longfellow House. 489 Congress St. hwlongfellow.org OUTDOOR ART: Contemporary pieces around the city include Glimpse, a series

of metal animal sculptures by artist Wendy Klemperer installed roadside. Portland International Jetport PEAKS ISLAND DAY TRIP: Arrive by ferry or boat hire; island maps and diversions in walking distance of the landing include Milly’s Skillet for burgers (vegetarian option, too); Down Front for ice cream, sundries, and gifts; Gem Gallery for art. Bicycle or electric cart rentals also available.

J’S OYSTER: At booths with water views or around the bar at this time-stands-still wharf restaurant; whoever took your oyster, lobster, or clams order 10 years ago is probably still serving tonight. 5 Portland Pier, jsoysterportland.com LITTLE GIANT: Neighborhood vibe restaurant, bar, and shop with light, fresh style by Briana and Andrew Volk, who also shake up the cocktail scene at Portland Hunt and Alpine Club. 211 Danforth St. littlegiantmaine.com THE PORTHOLE: Old-school watering hole; watch fishing boats and order pints of beer and french fries; check the live music line-up, or play chess. 20 Custom House Wharf, portholemaine.com

PICCOLO: Looks like a jewel box; fewer than two dozen seats and serving beautiful Italian fare and wines, including housemade pastas. 111 Middle St. piccolomaine.com SPECKLED AX: Scholar Matt Bolinder started this thinking man’s coffee shop after mastering the art of wood-fired coffee roasting. 567 Congress St. speckledax.com VANTAGE POINT CHOWDER: A mobile food cart by Garrett Patteson (sometimes in front of Maine Mead Works on Washington Ave.) has built a following with concoctions using Maine potatoes, seafood, and salt. Locations announced on Instagram @ vantagepointchowder WOODFORD FOOD AND BEVERAGE: The style is surfshop-meets-Paris-cafe, with a record player spinning LPs all day; the menu features local ingredients. Brunch is a farmegg paradise. 660 Forest Ave. woodfordfb.com

AUGUST // 2018

SHOP

THIS IS SO PORTLAND. JUDITH: Gallery-like space, a contemporary collection of women’s clothing in a new location. 131 Middle St., shopjudith.com MAINE AND LOIRE: Proffering natural, often obscure wines and happily answering questions; run by Orenda and Peter Hale, whose Drifter’s Wife restaurant shares the adjoining space. 59 Washington Ave. maineandloire.com PRINT: A BOOKSTORE: Well-organized shelves of new books; an indie shop on the East End. 273 Congress St., printbookstore.com PORTLAND FARMERS’ MARKET: Saturdays at Deering Oaks Park and Wednesdays at Monument Square; everything’s grown and produced in Maine. portlandmainefarmersmarket.org RAMBLERS WAY: Retail store of the wool and cotton clothing company begun by the founders of Tom’s of Maine. 75 Market St. ramblersway.com SIMON PEARCE: Founded in Vermont, makers of gorgeous blown glass and pottery; also tableware and furniture. 111 Commercial St., simonpearce.com JIM BRADY THINKS AHEAD

CREW CONVENES ON CASCO BAY

SPACE TO CREATE AT EAST END LOFTS

PORTLAND'S

CITY MAGAZINE JUNE 2017

Dockside Dining SCALES DISHES THE FRESH FLAVORS OF THE SEA

WE DELIVER.

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This page: Bringing home a few musthaves after a walkabout in Portland, including purchases from Print, Judith, and Speckled Ax.

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48 OLD PORT

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A LOBSTERMAN, A TEACHER, AND THEIR THREE CHILDREN WRITE ANOTHER CHAPTER IN A NEARLY 300-YEAR-OLD HISTORY ON LONG ISLAND.

am on the phone, getting set to describe myself to lobsterman Jonathan Norton. We are meeting tomorrow on Long Island, and I’m thinking he’ll want to know what I look like when he fetches me from the ferry. My go-to joke is forming in my mouth—“I’m middle-aged, tall, with naturally messy hair”—when Jonathan says, “No need. You’ll be the one person I don’t recognize.” Which makes plenty of sense, given I’m visiting in April, when the year-round population of the small Casco Bay island is (at least as of a recent unofficial count) 197, with Norton’s extended family figuring significantly in the number. Ezekiel Cushing, a relative on Jonathan’s maternal side, bought the threeby-one-mile island in 1732. His family has been on Long Island ever since. Stepping off the ferry, I guess that Jonathan is the big man with the rangy red-brown beard and blond hair cinched in a loose ponytail. He, his wife Katie, and their three young children seem to live in two eras. At least that is my romantic take on their lives, which appear to offer the pleasures of an earlier, putatively simpler time, even as their weekly family trips to Portland involve the twenty-first century joys of a Hannaford supermarket, drum and piano lessons, bowling, and sushi. Long Island is home to one store (for basic groceries), lovely beaches, a freshwater marsh, a community center, a small library with an

art gallery, and a conservation area, which once held Navy fuel tanks. During World War II, and because the island has a deep sound, destroyers refueled here. Although the population balloons to 1,000 in summer, even seasonal visitors are often multi-generational. “It feels like family everywhere you go,” says Katie. She is one of two teachers at the island’s one-room (well, really two-room) schoolhouse. Two of the 17 children in attendance are her own. Children study on the island until fifth grade, when they commute to Portland for school, even though Long Island is its own town, having seceded from Portland in 1993. Jonathan and Katie live in a home that his greatgrandparents bought in 1930. Built in 1910 by Jonathan’s great-great-uncle, the home was originally two small rooms with a porch downstairs and three small bedrooms upstairs. When the island’s post office burned down, the greatgrandparents added a small room that became the island’s temporary post office. Later, the space was converted to a workshop. Today, thanks to a 2010 renovation by Phil Fabiano of Island’s Builder, the former post office is the “rumpus room,” housing toys, a drum set, Jonathan’s great-grandmother’s sewing table, and a keyboard. If you stand at the desk (made by Jonathan’s cousin as a wedding gift for Jonathan and Katie) and look out the window, you see the cove with a wharf built by Jonathan’s great-grandfather. The area is full of mudflats. When Jonathan’s mother’s generation was being born, his great-

Opposite page: The latest generation of a family whose roots on Long Island go back to 1732, lobsterman Jonathan Norton and schoolteacher Katie Norton in their front yard with their children, from left, Seamus, Isla, and Silas. At far right is their dog, Rudder. This page: Long Island’s community center hosts a variety of workshops, including one on wreath making, where Jonathan made this wreath from found objects. AUGUST // 2018

grandfather wanted his grandchildren to have a sandy beach on which to play, so he brought buckets of sand from Little Chebeague over on a dory. (It has mostly washed away.) Across the cove, you can see Johnson’s Boatyard, which is owned by Steve Johnson, a custom boat builder who is also Jonathan’s uncle. Evidence of Johnson’s handywork is in the boatyard itself, but also by the ferry landing, where Jonathan’s lobster boat, the Isla Dawn, built by Johnson, is moored. Johnson’s Boatyard is located on a former Navy seaplane ramp, and in a sense, if the Navy had never come to the island, Jonathan might never have been born, for although his mother’s family has been on Long Island for generations, his father’s side arrived in the twentieth century as summer folk. In the early 1960s, Jonathan’s paternal grandparents bought the inexpensive abandoned naval barracks, including a wharf with a large breakwater, gymnasium, and bowling alley. They fixed up a corner of the barracks and summered there, putting on large, popular clambakes in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The story of how Jonathan and Katie met is somewhat parallel. Katie, whose own family is from the Farmington area, first visited Long Island with a high school friend whose mother was Jonathan’s aunt. Katie and Jonathan dated when they were teenagers then separated for college. Eventually, the two reconnected in a Portland bar where she was playing the fiddle. “We picked it right back up from there,” Jonathan says. To make their home livable, Phil Fabiano left the old wooden staircase that leads to the upstairs rooms in place, but added a small bathroom on the second floor and a new full bath on the first. He opened up the first floor, removing walls. In addition to the bathroom, the first floor now consists of a dining room/ kitchen, a TV room, and the rumpus room.

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Opposite page: A view of the Nortons’ property from Johnson’s Boatyard, which is owned by Jonathan’s boat builder uncle, Steve Johnson. Jonathan and Katie’s 1910 house is on the far left. A house in between (now used as a studio and workshop) was built in 1900. Jonathan’s parents use the red house, which was built in 1890. This page, clockwise from top left: The front of the Nortons’ house with Casco Bay in the background. On the back of the house, the new door-sized windows at right have helped to lighten the interior. The home’s original staircase is seen behind a Hoosier cabinet built by Katie’s father. It features a work surface, bread box, drawers, and cabinets for flour and other storage.

AUGUST // 2018

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Ezekial Cushing, a relative on Jonathanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maternal side, bought the three-by-one mile island in 1732. His family has been on Long Island ever since.

Jonathan rows Seamus and Rudder into shore from his lobster boat, the Isla Dawn.

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Floor-to-ceiling windows and two glass doors offer views of two additional homes on the land (one of which Jonathan’s parents use when they visit the island, another that functions as a studio/workshop). The rumpus room now joins the main floor through French doors. A two-level black granite kitchen island, new flat-panel kitchen cabinets (some of which have been painted with chalkboard paint), and new windows and insulation make the house more functional, brighter, and warmer. As for the furnishings, almost everything was either made by a relative or inherited from a relative. Favorite items include a peach-andtan Hoosier cabinet, which was built by Katie’s father and has a built-in bread box, shelves, flour storage, and drawers, and a rocking chair that was Jonathan’s great-grandmother’s and in which subsequent generations have rocked their children. When Jonathan’s grandmother insisted Katie have it, she thought with delight, “I’m in! I’m in the family!” She’s in the Norton family, she means, but she might as well mean the family of the island, which includes the children she teaches, their parents, and the returning seasonal visitors, all experiencing a life that feels just outside of time.

Opposite page, from top: On the renovated main floor, the kitchen island is new, but most of the furnishings, including the china cabinet, rocking chair, dining room table, and dining chairs, belonged to Jonathan’s great grandparents. Johnson makes toy boats for children on Long Island, like the one Seamus is pulling. This page, from top: Shirley Conner is a retired schoolteacher, whose Long Island front yard is full of flamingos, colorful buoys, and other items she has found on the beach. A kitchen display of sea glass, old bottles, and feathers collected by the Norton children.

AUGUST // 2018

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G O O D T I M E S, G R E AT C A U S E S

THIRD ANNUAL REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ART SHOW AT CASCO BAY ARTISANS Photography by Sean Thomas

Each December, Portland High School juniors are sent to Casco Bay Artisans as interns to learn how to organize, implement, curate, install, and present this large-scale art show featuring the best high school art from over 15 regional high schools in Greater Portland. With the guidance of Casco Bay Artisans, the annual Regional High School Art Show is curated by students, for students. 02

“The show gets better every year. At the beginning of each school year, regional high school art students know they will have this chance to submit and possibly show and sell their art at a real international fine art gallery through the run of the show. It’s a joy all the way around to provide this venue.” —Jen Swarts, owner of Casco Bay Artisans 07

01 Casco Bay Artisans on Commercial Street in Portland 02 Caitriona Moran, student artist; Sarah Moran, social worker at Maine Medical Center; and Adrian Moran, cardiologist at Congenital Heart 03 Ethan Strimling, mayor of Portland 04 Sakara Pullen, student artist 05 Joseph Buchanan and Sanni Hackett 06 Sam Kemmerer, student artist 07 Ethan Hatt, student artist 08 The third annual Regional High School Art Show was attended by students, artists, and community members.

AUGUST // 2018

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G O O D T I M E S, G R E AT C A U S E S

GULF OF MAINE SEAFOOD CELEBRATION Photography by Matt Congdon

In April, top local chefs, scientists, seafood experts, and guests gathered at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland for its fifth-annual Gulf of Maine Seafood Celebration. Over 200 guests enjoyed an evening of delicious food and live music in support of responsibly harvested Gulf of Maine seafood and the hardworking communities that bring it to us. GMRI culinary partners showcased a wide variety of Gulf of Maine species, including mussels, pollock, oysters, mackerel, redfish, hake, dogfish, and scallops. 02

“I am eternally grateful for the education GMRI has provided for me and other chefs in our community. I am thrilled to be a culinary partner at this event so that I can showcase the glorious flavor and versatility of the Atlantic Pollock.” — Chef Evan Mallett of Black Trumpet

01 Andrea Maker, co-chair at Focus Maine and partner at Pierce Atwood, LLP, and Ellen Grant, chief operating officer at Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) 02 Andrew Chadwick, executive chef of Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea 03 Anne Wright, director of health trust services at Maine Municipal Association, and Terry Campbell, environmental engineer 04 Kat Champigny, grant writer at GMRI, and Rachel Katyl, donor engagement specialist at GMRI 05 Marissa McMahan, senior fisheries scientist at Manomet, and Chris Jamison, a fisherman 06 Sam Hayward, co-owner and executive chef at Fore Street and Scales 07 Tyler Gleason, We Compost It, and Jim Hiltner, principal and COO of We Compost It 08 Yazmin Saraya, pastry chef at Five Fifty-Five

AUGUST // 2018

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G O O D T I M E S, G R E AT C A U S E S

THE PORTLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA'S WINE DINNER & AUCTION Photography by Dave Dostie

At the symphony’s wine dinner, 250 attendees celebrated the PSO’s mission to serve the community by enriching lives through music. Chefs Troy Mains of the Harraseeket Inn, Sam Hayward of Fore Street, Paolo Laboa of Solo Italiano, Sara Jenkins of Nīna June, and Ilma Lopez of Piccolo and Chaval created beautiful dishes. PSO violinist Sasha Callahan and cellist Leo Eguchi performed a dynamic Kodály piece for guests. The evening, which included a silent and live auction, raised over $100,000 to support music programs that are world-class, accessible, and transformative for Maine’s children and adults. 01

“What a terrific evening the yearly PSO Wine Dinner is! This event has everything— great wines, food prepared by award-winning chefs, fabulous live music, and unique items on auction. Every year is different, new, and fun.” — Jan Gerry, PSO Board Member

01 Cornelia Sawyer, violinist, and Charlotte Gill, corporate and foundation relations manager at Portland Symphony Orchestra 02 Lisa Dixon French, chief operating officer at Nashville Ballet, Carolyn Nishon, executive director of Portland Symphony Orchestra, and Ari Solotoff, associate at Bernstein Shur 03 Deb Abbondanza, VP at Bangor Savings Bank, and Rick Abbondanza, attorney at Hopkins and Abbondanza Attorneys 04 Colleen Callahan, Aurora Provisions, and Lucas Desmond, financial advisor at Edward Jones 05 George Hall, Joan Reynolds, and Belle Traver 06 Larry Stoddard, owner and founder of Distinctive Tile and Design 07 David Heady, air traffic controller at Portland International Jetport; Nichole Heady, production manager at State 23 Media; Melissa Olander, director of finance at State 23 Media; and Erik Olander, therapist 08 The Portland Symphony Orchestra Wine Dinner and Auction drew 250 guests.

AUGUST // 2018

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G O O D T I M E S, G R E AT C A U S E S

MR. LONGFELLOW’S COCKTAIL PARTY Photography by Dave Dostie

The evening before Maine Historical Society’s Magical History Tour, Mr. Longfellow’s Cocktail Party featured a grand reveal of the tour sites, as well as energetic and fun live and silent auctions featuring unique Maine experiences and goods. Held this year at O’Maine Studios on Danforth Street, the event was a celebration of Maine and the Magical History Tour, which features fascinating historical places in Portland that are not usually open to the public. 01

“The ‘raw’ urban space of O’Maine Studios was the perfect venue for this year’s Mr. Longfellow’s Cocktail Party! It highlighted that there are so many cool places and spaces in Portland just waiting to be discovered.” —Katie Clark, communications manager at Maine Historical Society 06

01 Claudia Sides, Maine Historical Society (MHS) volunteer, and Rachel Beaulieu, MHS volunteer 02 Joshua Edgcombe, director of community and brand development at Browne Trading Company, and Karen Edgcombe, client services representative at Portland Veterinary Specialists 03 Sandy Pablo, MHS volunteer, and Steve Harding, MHS volunteer 04 Dawn Tully, MHS volunteer, and Daniel Bois, site manager at Capstone Logistics, LLC 05 Meredith Strang Burgess, president and CEO of Burgess Advertising and Marketing; Katherine Pope, anesthesiologist at Maine Medical Center; and Katie Clark, communications manager at MHS 06 A bottle of Geary Brewing Co. beer specially made for the event 07 Steve Bromage, executive director of MHS; Pat Jackson, MHS board member; and Linda Pomerleau, MHS volunteer 08 The event took place at O’Maine Studios on Danforth Street.

AUGUST // 2018

(Back Row): Brenda Cerino-Galli, Mark Fortier, Bob Knecht, Lucy Foster Flight, Joi Kressbach, Gail Landry, Whitney Harvey, Tish Whipple, Susan Lamb, Pete Molloy, Sue Lessard, Jeff Davis (Front Row): Sandy Johnson, William Davisson, Dianne Maskewitz, Steve Parkhurst, Lynn Hallett.

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The broad lawn at the Chebeague Island Inn is a perfect spot to sit and spend a summer afternoon.

A-List

BY EMMA SIMARD // PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER FRANK EDWARDS

Best Places to Stay on Casco Bay Islands Take a vacation without leaving Portland by spending a night, a weekend, or longer on an island offshore. Even if your getaway is just a short ferry ride away, staying on an island feels like a true escape.

Hotels and Inns CHEBEAGUE ISLAND

Chebeague Island Inn Painted yellow and set on a hill, Chebeague Island Inn is a beacon on Casco Bay’s largest island. With no two rooms alike, the inn is a distinctive vacation experience in itself. Beach cruiser bicycles, tennis courts, golf, and cornhole are some of the numerous amenities offered during a stay, but there’s also something to be said for kicking back in a rocking chair on the spacious porch or an Adirondack chair on the lawn. The menu in the dining room makes good use of local ingredients, including produce from Second Wind Farm on the island.

PEAKS ISLAND

Inn on Peaks Island Only a 15-minute ferry ride from Portland, the Inn on Peaks Island possesses true Maine island charm. Each room is bright, unique, and named after a surrounding island. The inn is walking distance from the ferry dock, and the onsite restaurant serves up fresh Maine seafood and local beer and soda from Shipyard Brewing Co. There’s a lot to do on Peaks: visit local art galleries, explore historic abandoned buildings, horseback riding, and ocean kayaking. See the island in an hour by walking the circumference, or bike it in about 20 minutes.

GREAT DIAMOND ISLAND

Inn at Diamond Cove Built in the 1890s as the army barracks for Fort McKinley, the historic building that is now the Inn at Diamond Cove has 44 spacious rooms—many with balconies—a heated outdoor swimming pool and a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Among many other amenities offered at the inn are a fitness and activity center, tennis courts, hiking trails, and a private marina. Walk along the pebble beaches and experience a true island getaway.

Camping JEWELL ISLAND

Located eight miles off the coast of Portland, Jewell Island boasts hiking trails, camping spots, and abandoned buildings. Only accessible by private or chartered boat, this uninhabited island is rich with history and places to explore. Local volunteers and the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) work in collaboration with the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands to maintain Jewell Island, which is open to the public and free to visit.

LITTLE CHEBEAGUE ISLAND

Little Chebeague Island has a lot to offer in less than a mile and a half of space. There was a large military presence throughout Casco Bay during WWII, which left this island speckled with abandoned buildings. At low tide, Little Chebeague Island is connected to Great Chebeague Island by a walkable sandbar. With two different tenting sites, hiking trails, and gravel and sandy beaches, exploring Little Chebeague is easy. The island is free to visit, open to the public, and leashed pets are allowed.

WHALEBOAT ISLAND

Whaleboat Island is lesser known, and a little further away from Portland, however, it is Casco Bay’s largest wild island. With three established campsites available, this hidden gem has space for larger groups, offering five to six private tenting spaces at just one established area. There are no designated trails on the island, but dedicated hikers can follow the rocky shoreline at low tide. Visit in the springtime for some migratory bird watching, or catch the sunset over Casco Bay. With gravel beaches and scenic meadow views, Whaleboat Island invites endless exploration.

AUGUST // 2018

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A-List

BY BLAIR BEST // PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH PRAK

Seven Top Spots for Outdoor Dining and Drinking in Portland Plenty of Portland restaurants have outdoor dining areas, but some are true retreats, complete with fairy lights, umbrellas, fire pits, and bubbling fountains. Tis the season for sun-kissed days and balmy summer nights on our favorite outdoor patios. THE THIRSTY PIG | 37 EXCHANGE ST.

Love live music, locally brewed beer, and one spacious outdoor patio? Be sure to check out The Thirsty Pig, where a deck bookended by brick walls adorned with green ivy offers a true Old Port feel.

TIMBER STEAKHOUSE & ROTISSERIE | 106 EXCHANGE ST.

Replete with fire pits and soft seating as well as tables and chairs, this outdoor patio lined with old beer barrels and tiki umbrellas is the perfect summer spot to enjoy a cocktail, steak dinner, or a nightcap from one of the state’s largest bourbon selections.

DUCK FAT FRITE SHACK | 43 WASHINGTON AVE.

The latest addition to Washington Avenue’s bustling food and drink scene, this cozy beer garden is tucked next to Oxbow Blending and Bottling. The walk-up window serves up Duck Fat’s famous fries and is open late, making it an instant favorite.

GARDEN CAFÉ | PORTLAND REGENCY HOTEL AND SPA | 20 MILK ST.

A canopy of trees, colorful plantings, and a softly bubbling water feature make this spot an oasis in the center of the Old Port. If the breeze is blowing from the right direction, you’ll catch a scent of salt from Portland Harbor, just a block away.

THE TREEHOUSE | 484 STEVENS AVE.

A second-level deck nestled beneath the treetops gives this restaurant its name, and it is the place to be when the weather is fine. Illuminated only by lanterns, it’s a magical place to spend a summer evening.

NOVARE RES | 4 CANAL PLAZA

Popular at any time of year, this “secret” spot, just off touristy Exchange Street, attracts locals and visitors in the know for its huge selection of beer from around the world. In the summertime, the spacious outdoor deck with wooden tables and bar games is the place to be.

YOSAKU | 1 DANFORTH ST.

Yosaku’s charming, Asian-style garden patio features a waterfall tumbling into a pond and a wisteria-draped pergola. It’s a serene spot to savor the restaurant’s noteworthy Japanese cuisine.

The deck at The Thirsty Pig is a fine spot to sip a local beer and snack on housemade sausages and pickles.

AUGUST // 2018

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A-List

BY BLAIR BEST // PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH PRAK

Portland’s Top Ice Cream Spots Ice cream and summertime go together like…well…two scoops and a waffle cone. Here are our favorite places in Portland to indulge in everyone’s favorite frozen treat. MOUNT DESERT ISLAND ICE CREAM | 51 EXCHANGE ST.

If multiple national accolades aren’t enough to grab your attention, then maybe it’s the unique taste of 27 homemade flavors such as Butterbeer, Maine Sea Salt Caramel, and Bay of Figs. President Obama famously enjoyed a cone of MDI’s coconut ice cream when he and his family visited Bar Harbor in the summer of 2011.

GELATO FIASCO | 425 FORE ST.

Eleven years ago, recent college grads Joshua Davis and Bruno Tropeano decided to add gelato to the list of good things made in Maine. Using milk from family farms, pure cane sugar, and natural flavorings, they have created a total of 1,500 flavors and an empire that includes stores in Brunswick, Portland, and Orlando, Florida.

CURLIO’S CONES | 94 COMMERCIAL ST.

Somewhat off the radar, even though it’s in the heart of the Old Port, this fan favorite is inside Casco Variety (look for the ice cream sign outside). In addition to homemade flavors such as Maine Morning (blueberries and Maine maple syrup) and Needham (Maine’s classic candies in vanilla), Curlio’s specializes in the Japanese treat taiyaki—soft-serve ice cream in a fish-shaped cone.

CAPTAIN SAM’S ICE CREAM | 136 COMMERCIAL ST.

Look for the statue of Rufus the crocodile outside to find Captain Sam’s. The family-owned business makes its super-premium ice cream on site, including flavors such as Kentucky Derby—bourbon, molasses, pecans, and chocolate chips—and Maine Wild Blueberry.

BEAL’S OLD FASHIONED ICE CREAM AND FROZEN YOGURT | 12 MOULTON ST. | 18 VERANDA ST.

With two Portland locations—in the heart of the Old Port and just off the peninsula—Beal’s is a city institution. Using a proprietary formula, the company creates more than 100 flavors of super-premium ice cream, including Teaberry, Whoopie Pie, and Grasshopper.

GORGEOUS GELATO | 434 FORE ST.

Husband and wife team Mariagrazia Zanardi and Donato Giovine came to Portland from Milan, Italy, in 2010, determined to introduce Maine to authentic gelato. Hazelnut, pistachio, chocolate, Oreo, and coconut gelati are always on the menu, along with a rotating selection of special flavors.

Needham ice cream in a chocolate-dipped waffle cone from Curlio’s Cones on Commercial Street.

AUGUST // 2018

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Get beach ready with swimwear at Aristelle.

Liv Toftner, 71. Dairy goat farmer. Mount Vernon

Sammee Quong, 72. Rock climber. Augusta

Traditional ideas about aging and life choices just don’t always fit us. Sammee Quong, 72, takes her adventurous spirit to new heights. Liv Toftner, 71, raises dairy goats on her farm in Mount Vernon. Mainers refuse to be defined or confined by a number. At AARP Maine, we don’t limit our goals and dreams based on age. In fact, our organization was founded by a retired school teacher when she was 73 years old. What does “living your best life” mean to you? To learn more about us and our work in Maine, go to aarp.org/me or @aarpmaine. #NotDefinedOrConfined

Mainers have always been independent, innovative and strong.