Pedestrian Safety in the West End
By Kip DeSerres President, WENA
In the last few months, there have been several pedestrian deaths and other dramatic examples of a lack of pedestrian safety in Portland. This was the subject of the March meeting of the West End Neighborhood Association (WENA).
First, WENA is pleased that the City has begun to accept Vision Zero, with its goal that no pedestrian deaths are acceptable. To achieve this goal, we recognize that must slow down and obey traffc rules such as stopping at red lights and stop signs.
To work toward these goals, we plan to continue traffc calming projects on Danforth Street and post signs reminding drivers to slow down.
We discussed other ideas which will require state or local government action. These include:
• Using “red light cameras” to identify red light runners, especially when that endangers pedestrians in designated crosswalks.This is a long-term goal as, currently, state law prohibits municipalities from using this method.
• Lowering the speed limit where there is considerable foot traffc.
• Changing the timing of red lights and crosswalk signals to allow better coordination to prevent vehicles turning into an occupied crosswalk.
• Adding more 4-way stop signs or fashing red lights at intersections.The point was made that drivers are more likely to come to a complete stop versus trying to “rush the yellow light.”
• Posting more “No Right on Red” signs where turning vehicles enter a crosswalk.
Bucking the Trend Portland’s Independent Media Scene
WEN is part of an independent media scene in Portland that remains vibrant despite national trends of media consolidation and loss of trust in media.
-WEN fle photo
By Colin Monahan
Portlanders have every reason to be proud of their Forest City – a postcard-perfect New England vacationland with a working waterfront steeped in a rich maritime heritage, world-class seafood, thriving craft beer scene, a fourishing culinary and arts community, the list goes on. Yet, despite all the accolades, Portland is rarely recognized as a hub for alternative and independent journalism.
Media scholars agree that journalism is in the midst of a crisis. According to a study by Northwestern University, one-third of all American newspapers have ceased operations since 2005, nearly 3,300 publications, leaving close to 55 million Americans with limited to no access to local news in 2024 alone. To make matters worse for the industry, Americans simply don’t trust the media as an institution. A recent Gallup poll found that only 31% of Americans trust the media, a new historic low.
tional, readership. Independent journalism, as defned by the Civil Liberties Union for Europe, refers to any news media that is free from infuence by the government or external sources, such as corporations or powerful individuals.
Common Dreams, headquartered on York Street, is a great example of homegrown independent journalism. Founded in 1997 by Maine Public Interest Research Group Director, Craig Brown, Common Dreams prides itself in its editorial independence, completely reader supported with no government or corporate funding nor advertisers. The progressive outlet has been a central voice in the anti-war movement having captured early internet readership with its alternative coverage of the 1999 Kosovo and 2001 Iraq wars featuring notable intellectual contributors such as Howard Zinn, Robert Reich, and Noam Chomsky. Today, Portland’s Common Dreams steadily grows with millions of readers worldwide.
Means TV - The World’s First Worker-Owned Streaming Service
“We don’t put journalism on some pedestal, people are capable of journalism,” wrote Nick Hayes, founder of Means TV, in correspondence with WEN. Headquartered on Congress Street, Means TV is a newer addition to Portland’s media landscape. Founded in Detroit in 2019 by flmmakers Nick Hayes and Naomi Burton, the platform bills itself as “the world’s frst worker-owned, anti-capitalist streaming service.”
Means TV hosts an online streaming library of flms, series, and a daily news program aimed at “refecting and empowering the 99%.” The duo relocated to Portland after their home and offce was targeted in a drive-by shooting. Before launching Cont'd on Pg. 3 Cont'd on Pg. 3
Page 4
are busy at the Western Cemetery as Spring arrives!
Meanwhile, Portland has been quietly nurturing impactful independent media outlets, some with national, even interna-
Page 5
Max Budreau: We need new systems for growing local food
Page 13
Getting to the Roots of Portland’s Tree Canopy
We can help expand Portland’s urban tree canopy by bringing air and water to its roots.
By Nancy English
A springtime city walk under the shifting shadows of leaves transforms time with natural magic. And the enchantment starts at the roots of trees in symbiotic processes that are still being explored by biologists. But we do know how to help nourish and water those roots, as Portland Arborist Mark Reiland explained, with mulch, aeration, and organic matter.
West Enders have adopted street trees for special attention, clearing tree pits of weeds, tucking perennials into place, and spreading mulch. On May 3rd, from 2 to 4 p.m., free mulch and information will be on offer at Taylor Street Park Cont'd on Pg. 4
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Stewards
Nancy Dorrans fnds herself skiing Italy with a group of chefs
Puzzles! Crossword, Sudoku, Best Worst Trivia
The City is treating this enormous ash tree across State St. Ext. from Deering Oaks Castle for emerald ash borers. -Photo by Nancy English
SUBMISSIONS
WEN is a community newspaper and we need your voice! Share your submissions with: thewestendnews@gmail.com. or send to: The West End News PO Box 10876 Portland, ME 04104.
• Letters to the editor should be no more than 200 words. Include your name and town or neighborhood.
• WEN also accepts short poems, cartoons, and photo submissions.
Deadline for publication in the May Spring Outdoors Edition is Friday, April 25th. Publication is not guaranteed and submissions may be edited for length. The thoughts and opinions expressed in our pages belong solely to the authors and not necessarily to the publication.
Portland’s Independent Media Scene
Cont'd from Pg. 1
Means TV, Hayes and Burton founded the ad production company Means of Production, which gained national attention for producing “Courage to Change,” the campaign ad for Bronx Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during her frst bid in the 2018 midterm primaries.
“We have found [Portland] to be an incredibly dynamic place to live in politically,” said Hayes, citing rising housing costs, a tourism-dependent economy, and its status as a sanctuary city with a growing homeless population, issues that Means TV seeks to bring to light. He added that the city is also home to a growing movement of young people organizing for a more equitable and livable future.
Means TV has been hailed as a media start-up success, especially in an era of fnancial uncertainty within the journalism industry. Uscreen, Means’ media hosting platform, features the worker cooperative as a case study on its website, highlighting its revenue of over $40,000 per month. As a member of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, Means is owned and run by its members, employees and contractors, offering the opportunity to buy into ownership at various levels, with profts shared throughout the cooperative.
With just three full-time employees, Means remains competitive by being too small to fail, said Hayes. However, Means TV’s real success is found in their commitment to principled authenticity. “In a time when it’s increasingly diffcult to tell what a given media platform’s editorial voice is, we’re transparent and open about our communist values and people seem to fnd that refreshing.”
Steady As She Goes - The Bollard Celebrates 20 Years
While outlets like Common Dreams and Means TV may have a national reach, Portland’s local publications that readers fnd in coffee shops, record stores, and bakeries offer a more intimate window into the world of independent media. Chris Busby, a longtime fgure in alternative news, is celebrating The Bollard’s 20th anniversary this year. Busby cut his teeth as a listings editor at the Boston Phoenix, Casco Bay Weekly, and City Newspaper in Rochester, New York.
“We want to give people who have been marginalized by society a voice and a forum to get their writing and art out there,” said Busby. “We work with folks like Kenny Wayne Beek, a recently housed writer. We published his memoir called ‘Transience’ over the course of several years.” “Transience” is an extensive memoir chronicling Beek’s experience with homelessness, incarceration, and addiction across Maine.
Busby sees Portland as a supportive environment for independent media, noting its manageable size. “There’s more of a
Pedestrian Safety
Cont'd from Pg. 1
The following intersections were identifed as problems: Dow St./Congress; Dow St./Brackett; Bramhall/Vaughn; State/ Gray; Pine/Winter; State/Spring; Danforth/ May; Pine/Brackett; Spring/Brackett; and all of Danforth Street. (State and High Streets already have plans.)
If you would like to be involved in continued advocacy for pedestrian safety in the West End, please contact us at hello@wenamaine.org.
sense of Portland being a community. You can wrap your head around what’s going on in the entire city. We can present all of the art things that are happening every day.”
Support Independent, Local Journalism
Michael Socolow, a media historian at the University of Maine, suggests that while Maine may be more skeptical of the media than other parts of the country, this skepticism generally fosters a healthier relationship with the news. He points to Ross Perot’s 1992 third-party victory over George H.W. Bush in Maine, as well as Independent Senator Angus King’s success, to highlight Maine’s strong independent tradition. According to Socolow, this tradition fosters a more discerning yet healthy approach to trust in the news.
“Por tland is a young, vibrant, growing, city with a dynamic culture,” he added, “it should be able to produce successful and sustainable media, even at the low levels. Hopefully, we are at the start of seeing that occur.”
Local journalism may offer a path to restoring trust in the media. “The Bollard is trusted in large part because I’m the face of it,” said Busby. “My cell phone number is in every issue. I’m accountable for everything that we publish. Having that accountability goes a long way towards building trust.”
Independent journalism is essential for local democracy and community engagement. To learn more and support Portland’s independent media, explore the following outlets:
WEN: https://thewestendnews.com/ community-news-champion
The Bollard: https://bollardhead.substack.com
Means TV: https://means.tv
Common Dreams: https://www.commondreams.org
Colin Monahan is a freelance journalist and a graduate student of Media Studies at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich. His work has focused on social movements, labor, confict, and adventure. You can contact Colin at Monahancolin@gmail.com.
Portland’s Tree Canopy
Cont'd from Pg. 1
- along with a list of tree pits that can use care - for any new volunteers in the West End, Parkside, St. John Valley, Libbytown, and the Western Promenade neighborhoods.
“The glaring result of [citywide] soil testing,” Reiland said, is that “soils are depleted of organic matter.” Consequently, our lately abundant rains never penetrate to the roots. The soils are “heavily compacted. The soil is dry at six inches below the surface. Rain is just sheeting off the surface.”
The City of Portland Parks staff will be rolling shatter tine aerators across park land to penetrate the compacted top layer of soil. Oxygen and rainfall and organic matter in compost will then have a chance to sink deeply into the soil.
Over the last 50 years, our area’s growing degree days (GDD) have increased by 25 percent, Reiland said. This calculation measures plants’ growing seasons, beginning earlier and ending later every year. Unfortunately, along with the trees and plants, insects are also fourishing.
The emerald ash borer is rapidly killing many of the city’s 650 to 700 street ash trees. Its larvae eat the vital tissue under the trees’ bark. The city removes the dying trees but is also fghting the insects in around 200 ash trees treated biannually. These specimens can be identifed by a purple disk set high up in the tree trunk.
Tate/Tyng Playground & Harbor View
Memorial Park Fundraiser
The West End Neighborhood Association (WENA) is fundraising to support renovation and renewal of Tate/Tyng Playground and Harbor View Memorial Park on York Street. In addition to replacing and adding new trees, shrubs, and other plantings, the Portland Parks Department’s plans include the installation of an adult ftness court (a frst for Portland), improved accessibility for neighbors of all ages, new play structures, and seating.
Our goal is $10,000 and we are almost halfway there. Every donation, small or large, helps! We hope you’ll donate today either via http://www.wenamaine. org/get-involved/ donate/ or by mail to: WENA, PO Box 7898, Portland, ME 04112.
An upcoming sewer separation and water main replacement project near Fessenden Park will be the site of structural soil installation in a “root corridor” allowing a tree’s roots to travel from an esplanade into the richer territory of a private yard. And meanwhile the City will continue its annual planting of 140 to 150 trees, giving them the best soil they can in the confnes of a sidewalk tree well.
Nancy English ran for Portland City Council D2 in 2024 and is a former paralegal for the City of Portland.
REFOREST THE CITY
Do you love trees? Help us enhance and expand Portland’s urban tree canopy! If you live in one of the following neighborhoods: Libbytown, Parkside, St. John Valley, West End, or Western Prom, we invite you to participate in exciting projects that will positively impact your community. wenamaine.org/resources/reforest 207-233-5184 trees@wenamaine.org
Spring Arrives at the Western Cemetery
By W. John Funk President Stewards of the Western Cemetery, Inc
Spring has arrived! The Stewards of the Western Cemetery, Inc. is looking forward to renewing activities at the Western Cemetery – gravestone cleaning and restoration, maintaining the grounds, removing invasive species, continuing burial research, and conducting tours. Beginning in May (or earlier if the weather cooperates) we will have our Saturday morning work sessions for volunteers.Tours will be held on Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. Please go to our website www.westerncemetery. me to keep abreast of our news.
Following up on an article in the February Edition of The West End News, we
received fnal notifcation from the National Parks Service on March 17th that the Western Cemetery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Over the winter, we continued to make progress on the Capital Campaign. As of March 23rd, donations total over $214,000, substantially all from individuals who reside in our community. Less than $36,000 is needed to meet our goal of $250,000!
The funds donated from the campaign are now being committed to make improvements to the cemetery. Our tool shed and related water service are under contract, and we expect to have them in-
Cont'd on Pg. 5
Fresh Approach
Adopt a Street Tree
Street Tree Mulching Party
Join us for a fun, hands-on street tree mulching party! May 3, 2-4 pm
Visit our website below for more info
Help mulch a tree near your home at your convenience.
Visit our website below for more info
FREE Yard Tree Program
We will plant a free native tree or shrub in your yard. Help grow Portland’s urban forest!
Visit our website below to apply for a tree, or to volunteer to plant a tree.
*Optional site location/species training for planting yard trees. April 15, 5:30 pm at Maine Audubon Gilsland Farm Education Center.
How to Get Involved:
Thank you for supporting our advertisers. WEN is proud to be a free printed newspaper, and our advertisers make that possible.
Damage to the Vaughan Street fence at Western Cemetery. -Courtesy of John Funk
Max Budreau
We need new systems for growing local food
Every month, Liz Trice interviews a community member for WEN. This month, she caught up with Max Budreau, the farmer that runs Winslow Farm in Falmouth.
What does your farm grow?
We grow mixed organic vegetables and small fruit, we have a farmstand, a fower nursery, and pick-your-own blueberries. We also do tours, workshops, and permaculture education on topics like notill growing and perennial food systems. How did you get into this?
I grew up on the farm. My parents bought it before I was born, so I got the basics from them. I studied human ecology and agroecology - the study of the ecological mechanisms of agriculture. I went into landscaping at frst but eventually transitioned to farm management and have now built the business over the last ffteen years. This is a unique place because of its location and proximity to Portland.
What are the challenges of small farms near urban areas?
There’s economic pressure, environmental pressure, social pressure… One of the biggest concerns is, how does a farmer make a living? There’s a high cost of living in Greater Portland... If you add up the hours, a farmer is making poverty wages. Does there have to be a personal sacrifce, or could there be a better balance of capital or community investment?
I would like to create food in the most ecologically sound manner. There are trade-offs. We have some greenhouses that are covered with plastic, but I think it outweighs the environmental cost of trucking food long distances in terms of carbon footprint. The cost of land is prohibitively expensive and the start-up costs of the farm are very expensive for a new farmer. So, it’s very hard for a new farmer to make it work. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to use this land. If we wanted to address food
systems as a statewide community, could we feed the population of Greater Portland on the land that’s nearby?
There are only a small handful of farms growing food in Greater Portland, and they’re doing a great job, but it’s not possible to feed everyone. If we were to try to feed everyone, we’d have to shift how we utilize land. There is a lot of good land around, but the land use planning and zoning for Greater Portland has almost no set aside for farming, and most of the land is zoned for housing that is going to be large expensive homes that require driving.
Right now, we don’t treat farmers as an important economic contributor – it seems like towns’ priorities are tax dollars and their social image. And even people in rural areas might be driving to Hannaford rather than walking over to the neighboring farm. It would also require more participation from the local labor force to produce enough food for everyone. What would a sustainable future for farms in our communities look like?
My vision is that people participate in their food system, so that we can have a local, sustainable food source. Sometimes the issue is lack of manpower. Right now, the only people who can afford to work on farms are young and living at their parents’ home or already have sources of wealth or income from elsewhere. Farms can’t afford to pay people what they need to pay the full cost to live here.
So, we could put aside more land and money for farming, or more people could spend more of their time growing food.
Yes, we could have a participatory CSA model, maybe you work fve to ten hours per week. That could be a lot of labor. I’ve seen that on other farms. I have volunteers, but I’ve never made the work mandatory. It would be interesting to promote that conversation among people and farmers that are interested. Also, there’s
an unfortunate situation where because farms are “for-proft” organizations, you’re not allowed to have volunteers, so you have to go through all the processes you have to do with regular employees.
But maybe you could get one hundred families and create a non-proft or cooperative CSA, where there’s a core group of facilitators, and everyone has to put in time. The most sustainable model would be people growing food in their own backyard.
What would you love for the future of yourself and your farm?
We’re working with Maine Farmland Trust to put this into permanent conservation and will be doing some tours. I have a vision for a sustainable model. I want a relationship with this farm, but I don’t want to be tied here and have to be here every day for the rest of my life! This interview was edited for clarity and brevity.
Western Cemetery
Cont'd from Pg. 4
stalled in 2025. Also, we are working with the City of Portland to issue a request for proposal to extend the fence along the Western Prom. If possible, we hope to get the fence erected in 2025 as well. Part of the project will include repair to damaged fence sections on Vaughan Street across from Spring Street resulting from two recent vehicle crashes. One vehicle struck a tree in the cemetery, but no monuments were damaged.
In addition, we are seeking to install railing on the steps leading to the Western Prom on the southwest side of the cemetery. Finally, we have contracted to refurbish and install the historic wroughtiron section of the fence on the upper southwest side of the cemetery in 2025.
We would greatly appreciate your continued help to reach our Capital Campaign goal and cover our annual operating budget of $12,000 by contributing funds. Send to our mailing address at 622 Congress Street, Suite 9998 #5267, Portland, ME 04101. Or contribute through our website. We are an IRC 501(c)(3) nonproft organization.
Our vision is to restore the Western Cemetery to its rightful place as a source of pride for the City of Portland. We hope you will visit the cemetery regularly to enjoy its serene environment and historic character.
Budreau
Reiche Community Room
April Activities
The West End Neighborhood Association offers a variety of events in the Reiche Community Room (enter by door 11 on the Clark Street side and proceed upstairs, ADA accessible). All actvites are FREE unless otherwise noted. Donatons to WENA are always appreciated!
Thu Apr. 3 - 6:30p - Study Circle – “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder - Register at hello@wenamaine.org. Meets for 4 more sessions: 4/17, 4/24, 5/15, 5/22. Fri, Apr. 4 - 6-8p - Ping pong, Jigsaw puzzle, Games in Community Room –FREE. In Reiche Gym. Pickleball $5. Mon, Apr. 7- 6:30p - Magazine Readers with Rosanne Graef - Dinosaurs & Space Trash. Contact hello@wenamaine. org for materials.
Thu, Apr. 10 - 6:30p - Die Well Death Education with Leona Oceania - Session 5: Film – “Letting Go: A Hospice Journey”. Fri, Apr. 11 - 6-8 p - Ping pong, Jigsaw puzzle, Games in Community Room – FREE. In Reiche Gym. Pickleball $5. Mon, Apr. 14 - 6:30p (Doors open 6:00)Classic flm – “The Damned Don’t Cry”. Thu, April 17 - 6:30p - Study Circle –“On Tyranny” by Timothy SnyderRegister at hello@wenamaine.org . Meets for 3 more sessions on 4/24, 5/15, 5/22.
Fri, Apr. 18 - 6-8p - Ping pong, Jigsaw puzzle, Games in Community Room – FREE. In Reiche Gym. Pickleball $5.
Sat, Apr. 19 - 10-Noon (Clark St. side Reiche) - Spring Clean-up! and Vision Zero — West End Traffc Calming Sign Painting.
Tue, Apr. 22 - 6:00p - Portland Climate Action Team - Topics: Cruise Ship Fee & Vision Zero. FMI - portlandclimateaction@gmail.com.
Thu, Apr. 24 - 6:30p - Study Circle – “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder - Register at hello@wenamaine.org . Meets for 2 more sessions on 5/15, 5/22.
Fri, Apr. 25 - 6-8p- Ping pong, Jigsaw puzzle, Games in Community Room –FREE. In Reiche Gym. Pickleball $5. Mon, Apr. 28 - 6:30p (Doors open 6:00)Comedy flm – “A Mighty Wind” Ongoing
A.M. Exercise - M-F, 8:15-9:15 a.m.Not on Monday, April 21
Arts/Crafts/Games/Socializing/iPhone/iPad Help - Thursdays, 4:15-5:45 p.
Hope to see you there & bring your friends!
Cancellations: In case of inclement weather, check the Recreation departement cancellation line at (207) 756-8130.
Community Events April
Thu, Apr. 3, 6p (5p doors) – Downtown Social Public Grand Opening – 128 Free St, Por tland (formerly Dogfsh Bar & Grille). $5 after 6p – DJ B. Aull takes it back to the 80’s with a Free Street Revival mix, 80’s comfort food by Chef Jordan, starts Thursday, April 3rd and every Thursday thereafter!
Sat, Apr 5, 11a – Weekly Rally Every Saturday in Monument Square – Join us every Saturday, 11 a.m., in Monument Square for a 1-hour protest against the Trump-Musk-GOP assaults on the representative democracy set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Authoritarian Executive Orders unlawfully fre federal employees, slash funds and dismantle whole federal agencies. The onslaught threatens Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and Ukraine. We gather every Saturday in Monument Square in the heart of Portland - except 4/19, 4/26, and 5/24 when we protest in City Hall Plaza, 11 a.m. to Noon. For more information, email angus-ferguson@every-saturday-11am-monument-square.org.
Sun, Apr. 6, 10a - 3p – Book Arts Bazaar – McGoldrick Center, USM, 35 Bedford St. (2nd foor), Portland. Free. – Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts presents the 2025 Annual Book Arts Bazaar, a community celebration dedicated to the fne craft of book arts. This unique gathering showcases the talents of regional book artists, papermakers, bookbinders, printmakers, educators, and writers. This event is FREE and open the public. We welcome visitors of all ages.
Monday, Apr. 7, 6p (5p doors) –Latin Night at Downtown Social –128 Free St, Por tland. $5 after 6pm. – DJ Erikk spins a mix of salsa, merengue, bachata and reggaeton, menu w/ house tortilla and salsa, elotes, tequeno, empanadas, tacos… Star ts Monday, April 7th and every Monday thereafter!
Sat, Apr. 12, 10a – Portland’s Earth Day & Egg Scramble – Payson Park, Portland. Free. –Kickoff Spring at the City of Portland’s free, family-friendly Earth Day Celebration and Egg Scramble from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Egg hunting, photos with Bubba the Bunny, face painting, music, games, and more from 10 – 11 a.m. Ear th Day festivities from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., e-bike demos, free clothing swap, outdoor activities, games, painting, food trucks, and more. Thu, Apr. 24, 5p, and Fri, Apr. 25, 7p –Palaver Strings presents But There Is This - Mechanics Hall, 519 Congress St, Portland 0-$35. – A program of chamber music exploring our journey through life and quest for meaning. Works by Corigiliano, Mustonen, Yoshimatu, and Shostakovich.
Fri, May 2, 7p, and Sat, May 3, 2p –Portland Community Chorus Spring Concert – South Portland High School Auditorium, 637 Highland Avenue, South Portland. $15. – Requiem and Renewal: Finding Light in Life’s Journey featuring “Requiem for the Living,” “Bridge over Troubled Water,” and “Life is Beautiful.” Suggested donation $15.00.
MUSIC & EVENTS
Angelikah Fahray’s RNB Jazz Soirée w/project ensemble & Melvin Gradiz
Apr 4 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Consider the Source w/s/gs Hambone Apr 11 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Primal Soup (Phish Tribute) at Bayside Bowl APRIL 25th | all-ages Apr 25 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Rose Alley (Jerry Garcia Band Tribute) at Bayside Bowl | all-ages
May 2 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
CLIMATE JUSTICE
The Fascinating World of Honey Bees
By Jade Christensen
Spring is here, bringing new life and energy to the world around us. It’s the perfect time to explore the fascinating world of bees. Check out these fun honey bee facts and take on our challenge as nature awakens!
Drones Don’t Sting! Male honey bees, known as drones, are completely stingless—they simply aren’t born with stingers. Unlike worker bees, drones do not defend the hive. Their sole purpose is to mate with queens from other colonies. If you see a drone buzzing around, don’t worry—at most, they’ll give you a friendly bump!
There Are a Lot of Bees! Bee colonies range in size from 15,000 bees in smaller hives to as many as 60,000 at peak season. Beekeepers measure their colonies not by individual bees but by the number of hives. While 60,000 bees are a large hive, it’s not as many bees as you think when considering the time and energy it takes to go out into the world to collect nectar and pollen. Flying up to a fve-mile radius from their hives can make the number of bees seem small!
Honey Bees See the World Differently. Unlike humans, who perceive color using red, blue, and green receptors, honey bees cannot see red. Instead, their vision is based on ultraviolet, blue, and green light, allowing them to detect fo-
ral patterns invisible to us. What are their favorite colors? Blues and purples! When planning your garden this year, consider the fower choices and what would ft the creatures you want to attract. Look for natives that host specifc insects.
Honey Production Takes Time. Harvesting honey is a long-term process. It often takes two to three years before a hive produces honey in signifcant quantities, as the colony frst needs to build wax comb and store enough food for winter. Ideally, a hive should have at least 100 pounds of honey to survive the colder months. For beekeepers, honey is a sweet bonus, but the health of the bees always comes frst.
Spring is a season of renewal, revealing the intricate beauty and resilience of the natural world. Maine is home to more than 270 native bee species and over 120 native butterfies, each playing a vital role in our ecosystems. As the landscape awakens, take a moment to slow down and observe how nature adapts and thrives. With climate change increasing environmental stress, appreciating these small wonders has never been more critical. I encourage you to pause, look closely, and embrace the transformations unfolding around you.
Bright Ideas is brought to you by PCAT, which meets the fourth Tuesday of the Month, 6 to 7:30 p.m. All are welcome. FMI email: portlandclimate@gmail.com.
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER
Emergency Meeting at the Chilean Mission in NYC
By Dr. Susana Hancock
Although my colleagues and I, like much of the world, had attempted to prepare for what a second Trump presidency might mean for the global climate crisis, we hadn’t fully prepared for fght club. Fueled by local bagels and angst, I joined key strategists, ambassadors, environment ministers, and scientists from the Caribbean, Oceania, Europe, South America, Central Asia, and the Himalayas for an emergency meeting on global policy responses to the degenerate positions of the United States.
The meeting took place in the Chilean Mission in New York City overlooking the United Nations Headquarters and East River. Over the course of a week in the UN Headquarters, and with governments and UN agencies, the United States was never formally in any room, but they were always on everyone’s tongue. Things are bad and getting worse.
Internationally, foreign institutions successfully invited US scientists, including me, to contribute to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s next planetary assessment following the executive order blocking our participation. The EU’s developing carbon-border adjustment aims to coerce the US to the table by taxing carbon-intensive imports from countries that lack internal carbon prices. Around the world, many countries are digging deep to increase their own ambitions, in part to make up for the vacuum in Washington. The current Canadian government sees June’s G7 summit as an opportunity to embolden climate action, especially if the US remains absent.
Environmentally speaking, this year is off to an abysmal start. However, it has also underscored that our future does not need to lie in Washington.
Dr. Susana Hancock (at UN Headquarters, NYC) is an internationally recognized climate activist and transdisciplinary polar scientist.
However, the local and international communities are responding. As soon as last November’s results were known, the [former] federal climate team raced to complete our 2030 Paris Agreement obligations, which will outlive the current administration. Bloomberg Philanthropies is, once again, covering our promised fnancial contributions under the Agreement. The US Climate Alliance–a formulation of states representing more than 60% of the country’s GDP–has recommitted itself to upholding the country’s Paris commitments. Private donors are coming forward to meet reneged federal grants for regenerative agriculture and local resilience. Congress reignited the argument for a domestic carbon tax.
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Blind Tasting
By Layne V. Witherell
For those of you not in the know, a blind tasting is where the identity of the wine you are tasting is completely concealed (even the cork is hidden from view). As such, you get to fgure out what is in your glass and where it’s from. This age-old happening can occur in a variety of contexts:
The Party with Friends... Hey, let’s get together and bring some wine over and try to guess what they are. No harm, no foul. Some of the guests know a lot and some don’t. It can be a sloshing good time.
“The Agony of Defeat” Tasting... You have just shelled out around $150,000 and ten years of your young life to pass the Master Sommelier test, hopefully leading to a glamorous wine career, with the last part of the exam being a blind tasting set to a timer with each wine.
The classic book taking a deep dive into the genre is Bianca Bosker’s “Cork Dork,” where she shadows a group of aspiring candidates in their quest. Among her observations:
• “Facing down a fight of six wines was like being caught on a booze treadmill set to Usain Bolt.”
• “Morgan, as many of the other sommeliers I would come to know, was not without a sense of irony… a sycophant sponging off the rich and powerful hawking wines for their price as much as their quality.”
• “If you know the language you can decipher the code.”
Your excellent language guidebook is “The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine,” by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. Read and taste, read and taste.
Such is the life of the sommelier (both aspiring and actual). Now let’s put all of us to the test with my three blind tasting examples. They average around $25 a bottle retail, because $10 won’t show you much in character and $100 is just a waste of money for this little exercise. These are three real blind tasting examples.
1. Syrocco Syrah, 2018, Morocco, $25.00.
herbs. Australian Shiraz (same grape) is hot, alcoholic, on the sweet side, and easy to pick out. French Syrahs like Cornas and Cote Rotie are both great but out of our price range. Classic French Sirah tastes of olives and meat. California and Washington State are somewhere in between with a tad lower alcohol. There is French oak used here indicating high European quality.
Conclusion: Clearly a party wine as the aspiring sommelier candidate would roll out of their chair and onto the foor upon learning of its Moroccan origin. Even though they pegged it as Mediterranean, that wasn’t close enough for the judges. You must take the test again and chuck in yet more money. It is, however, a remarkable party wine to have alongside the Moroccan meatballs and a side of cous-cous. This is a ringer’s ringer, and a delicious one at that.
2. Chateau Pegau “Lone”
Cotes- Du- Rhone Blanc, 2023, $25.00
Only fve percent of Rhone wines are white, the rest are red or rose. That’s the bad news. The worse news is the grape blend hodge podge: 40% Clairette, 30% Bourboulenc, 20% Grenache Blanc, 10% Ugni Blanc. You have just entered the valley of the unknown.
The good news is that they are around in the market, and you can easily look for them. For the blind tasting sommelier, this is the kind of wine that they live for. It isn’t often seen but once enjoyed it can be recorded in their piles of tasting notes and mentally tucked away for future reference.
French winemaker Alain Graillot was bicycling near Rabat, Morocco, when he set his eyes on some interesting older Syrah vines. He joined forces with the Domaine des Ouled Thaleb winery to make this glorious ringer wine. Cool label, huh? This is you tooling through the countryside.
A note on Syrah: Sommeliers are trained to take things apart in their minds when tasting. Syrah is dark in color as your frst hint. It is both full bodied and dry with rich favors of leather and spices plus
It is full bodied with light fruit, a waxy character, a touch of white fowers, and is the perfect aperitif wine. The best news of all is that Chateau Pegau with their 100 acres of old vines and a long presence in the American market is well-known. You have probably had it and enjoyed it. It stands alone.
Conclusion: This wine will work equally well at your blind tasting party as well as the big sommelier test. At your wine reveal party, it can become an “Ahhh” moment and serve as a delicious aperitif. For the big sommelier test it can get all those memory receptors fring alongside the wine analytics parts of taste buds and brain to nail it. Remember, white CotesDu-Rhone’s are usually young. So, 2023 is your best guess.
Cont'd on Pg. 11
3. Birichino Scylla, 2020, California Red Wine, $23.99
Cont'd from Pg. 10...
A blend of 85% Grenache and 17% Carignane. Our frst wine was based on knowing the grape (sorry about the ringer location), with the second based on knowing the style of the wine from a wellknown place – an easier pick. Our third blind taste is based solely on knowing the peculiar and downright fascinating style of winery.
Once you have had a Birichino wine it is forever etched in your memory. Their goal is a quest for ancient undiscovered vineyards throughout California, with some varieties’ plantings older than the equivalent grapes in Europe.
Back in the olden times in California (the 1980’s), there was an infusion of new money brought both by international companies and self-made fat cats planting the two fashionable grapes de jour: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Oh, those little darlings.
Along comes the “lifelong liberal arts major” Randall Grahm, using Alan and Ruthies bucks (a.k.a. mom and dad) to start his idiosyncratic Bonny Doone Winery in Santa Cruz, California. When his own vineyard goes “blotto,” he turns to George Besson’s ancient, circa 1910 plantings of the totally unfashionable Grenache grape. The rest is history: the birth of The Rhone Rangers. Together with a fair for gonzo labels, while using grapes like Grenache and Carignane, he creates his own take on the classic Rhone wines of France.
John Locke, co-owner of Birichino, was Bonny Doone’s Creative Director/ Assistant Winemaker for decades. He not only absorbed the unique style of working in minimal winemaking (no new oak lipstick allowed) but mastered favors that are both elegant and rustic at the same time, using natural yeast, no fltration and neutral French oak barrels. Randall Grahm’s book “Been Doon So Long” is dedicated to “John Locke” - and I thought it was the 17th century philosopher, being a perpetual liberal arts major and all.
Conclusion: Every sommelier in training or getting test-ready needs a Birichino in their life. This is simply the wine world evolving from industrial through its hipster phase and way beyond. It is an affordable version of the next big thing in California wine: the quest for favors of ancient vines in overlooked places.
There is a text, “The New California Wine” by Jon Bonne. Read it, you Sommeliers, and you will ace the next exam.
As to the party people, just sit back and say, “Wow! We just had a Moroccan Syrah, a White Cotes-Du-Rhone, and a fabulous new wave ancient vine treat from California. What fun!”
LAYNE’S WINE GIGS
Pick the topic and the place, and I will conduct Wine Gigs for groups, both large and small. For event thoughts, e-mail me at lvwitherell@gmail.com.
Layne V. Witherell has been a professional in the wine business for many decades as a teacher, importer, writer, competition judge, and winery CEO. He was awarded the Master Knight of the Vine for his pioneering work in the Oregon wine industry.
CARPET HARDWOOD LINOLEUM TILE FLOORING
KITCHENS MATRESSES LAUNDRY REFRIGERATION
Layne offers three unique wines for a fun and enlightening blind tasting. -All photos courtesy of Layne Witherell
The Art Thief
True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession
By Stephanie Miller
A young man and his girlfriend walk into a museum in broad daylight and walk out with precious art and artifacts tucked into bags, under an overcoat, down a pant leg, or even just barely hidden under an arm. Equipped with a trusty and versatile Swiss army knife and knowledge of security operations from a stint working as a guard in a hometown museum, the man quietly and carefully opens glass cases, takes full size paintings off walls, and rearranges shelves to hide the gaps.
They get away with it for years. More than 200 museums were raided. The stolen collection was estimated at more than $1B. How is this possible?
“The Art Thief” by Michael Finkel is the true story of French art thief Stéphane Bréitwieser and his audacious operation, exploring the whys, hows, and what fors of the world’s largest known raid on fne arts that took place in hundreds of museums, castles, and cathedrals in central Europe over half a decade.
One reason the thief was undetected for so long is the unusual motivation: he truly believed that he alone appreciated the works. He was convinced that keeping all the loot in a locked attic sanctuary where only he and his girlfriend could see it was a better place for these precious objects than in a musty museum where hardly anyone “got” them, and few people saw them at all.
Stephane felt like a king. Until one day when it all came crashing down. In a fast-paced portrait of obsession and fawed genius, Finkel gives us a remarkable true-crime story of an insatiable hunger to possess beauty. Based on interviews with Stephane and many of the art crime inspectors who fnally caught him, as well as newspaper coverage and trial archives, we get a glimpse into the rationale behind the thefts.
"The Art Thief"
By Michael Finkel Knopf Doubleday / 2023 / pp. 240
After serving prison time, Stephane wrote a book, “Confessions of an Art Thief.” It didn’t sell as expected, mostly because the author couldn’t stop himself from stealing again, getting caught just before the planned publishing date.
Some of the most amazing parts are the interactions with museum staff, security offcers, and even local police, none of whom suspected that the charming man and his quiet girlfriend had precious art hidden on their persons during the entire conversation. Once they even talked an offcer out of giving them a parking ticket while an ancient sword was hidden down a pant leg, making Stephane stand and walk very stiffy.
After boldly stealing hundreds of items without ever breaking in or causing damage, he never sold a single item. He accumulated pieces he considered beautiful for his own enjoyment – seeing himself as an “art liberator.”
“The Art Thief” reads like a novel and a psychological thriller all at once, while taking us on a tour of beautiful art and museums. It’s almost hard to believe this is a true story.
Making handcrafted, custom tea blends and herbal infusions in the traditions of the Old World Apothecary since 2006 Homegrown Herb & Tea Apothecary Style Bulk Herb and Tea Shop 195 Congress St, Portland
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“The Frozen River”
By Ariel Lawhon
This historical fction is inspired by the 18th Century life and diary of Martha Ballard, a midwife in Hallowell, Maine, who defed the legal system by standing up for a rape victim. It all starts with a body found in the frozen Kennebec River, which belongs to one of the gentlemen accused of the rape.
In those days, women had no legal standing. In most rape cases the woman would be fned, publicly humiliated, and imprisoned for fornication, but the man would not be required to acknowledge his participation or face any punishment. As a midwife and healer, Ballard was allowed to testify in these “courts.” And so, she risked her own livelihood and her family’s reputation to support a neighbor who had been brutally and repeatedly attacked.
Ballard is my kind of bold heroine, who refused to accept anything less than justice in a time when women’s voices were routinely silenced. This novelization is a bit fanciful, but the framework of the actual story keeps it grounded and enjoyable.
“The Berry Pickers”
By Amanda Peters
A family of itinerant First Nations people of Nova Scotia travel to Maine each year to pick berries. When their youngest daughter disappears, the family is tossed into a tempest of bad events that shape the way they deal with the world, both as individuals and as a family. Told in alternate voices of the kidnapped daugh-
ter and the brother who last saw her, the story unfolds in gentle waves – as each tries to deal with memory and guilt. Dealing with childhood trauma defnes their relationships and confnes them to limited choices.
The reader sees more than either, as we watch them struggle to replace the comforting family life they knew together as children. This is a heartbreaking story of how one decision has so many repercussions throughout many lives.
“The Secret Life of Sunfowers”
By Marta Molnar
We owe a debt of gratitude to Johanna Bonger, Vincent van Gogh’s sisterin-law, who inherited his paintings. They were all she had, and they weren’t worth anything. She was a 28-year-old widow with a baby in the 1800s, without any means of supporting herself, living in Paris where she barely spoke the language. Yet she managed to introduce Vincent’s legacy to the world.
Molnar paces Joanna’s story of persistent and resilient love against a modern-day woman in New York City whose business is failing as she grieves her artist grandmother’s death. I don’t love this kind of dual time period/narrator style, but I found the link between them pretty solid. Fight for what you believe in and give people a chance to build a community of support around you. The story of Johanna Bonger is the most interesting part and makes up for some of the fat writing. Stephanie Miller is a voracious reader and local bibliophile. Online @StephanieSAM.
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A casual ‘Hello,’ and I’m on my way to ski with the chefs in Italy!
By Nancy Dorrans
The US Chefs’ Ski club, based out of Hunter Mountain, New York, has been celebrating good food and skiing for ffty years. Last fall, I met Daniela Marino-Goldberg at a travel trade event in Quebec. She is a long-time member of the club and serves as their group travel coordinator. A casual “hello” to a stranger in line for appetizers led to an engaging conversation and an invitation to join her and her club members on a ski trip to the Dolomites…
After a quick fight from the Jetport to JFK, I had a six-hour layover before my fight to Milan. What to do with so much time? I rechecked my bags and meandered over to the original TWA Terminal, now cleverly repurposed as the TWA Flight Center and Hotel complex. Walking into the lobby was like a time machine. I was transported back to the styles, music, and vibe of air travel in the sixties. There was a display of vintage fight attendant uniforms, a twister room, beauty parlor, several bars, a timeline mural, and a working 10c pay phone!
I followed the arrows to “Connie,” which is a 1958 Lockheed Constellation airplane turned into a vintage cocktail lounge. This aircraft has a connection to Maine. Turns out, she was rescued from demolition in 1986 by Maurice Roundy, the owner of Maine Coast Airways. You can read more about her intriguing history at https://www.twahotel.com/connie-airplane/connies-history.
I spent some time in Connie’s lounge with a glass of Pinot Grigio and some fellow time travelers. I love it when I have time for spontaneous moments with strangers!
As I boarded fight to Milan, I was on vacation, though technically also doing “research” for European group ski trips. In Milan, I mingled with a few of the club members while we collected our luggage. One of the women in the group had misplaced her passport somewhere between the plane and customs. I was sorry for her but glad to not be in charge of anything or anyone except myself, my passport, and my luggage.
We settled onto the coach for the seven-hour ride past Lake Garda to the Dolomites. About halfway there, weary and a tad hungry, we poured off the coach into a rest stop. We were in Italy, on our way to the mountains, and it was 60 degrees and sunny. Would we fnd snow? We didn’t know, but I did fnd the frst of many delicious Italian dishes – a fresh “Bus Stop” burrata and tomato salad with basil! Yum!
The next morning I was introduced to Michel Rossignol, renowned pastry chef and good skier. Along with Michel and a few others, we formed the “Dolomiti 7”. We spent that frst day getting to know each other, the trails, and where to fnd lunch. I needed a nap before dinner.
Our fve course dinners at the Olympia Hotel included a salad bar, appetizer, pasta course, main course with unique choices of boar or duck ragout, grilled foal (yes foal), salted pie (pork or beef?), speck (ham), veal, piadina, smoked pork “choppa,” polenta with chanterelle mushrooms... and more. Every night was different but always ended with amazing desserts including a special pastry or choice
of fruit, yogurt, cheese and/or deliciouso gelato… Oh and many carafes of wine by the liter, charged to this room or that.
For six days we skied from Arabba Village in every direction, in every kind of weather: some new snow, some fog, sleet, slush, and bumps. Just before lunch on day two, Antoinette wanted one more run. Ingrid and I joined her. We took a lovely, wooded trail and then discovered it led us away to another village. It took a while and a few lifts to get back to the restaurant where the men were saving us seats with a view! I was growing quite fond of the Dolomiti 7!!
The next day “Dolomiti 7 plus Ed, Steve, and Paul” headed out. We were eager to complete the Sella Ronda, a circuit that covers four Dolomite passes through fve villages. The total route is about 25 miles, requires 16 or 17 lifts, and includes about 15 miles of skiing. We took our
time. The views in and out of
Day 5 was a long day of skiing in wind, sleet, snow, and fog. It required riding two trams and walking through a tunnel. I was in my ski boots for over eight hours. We started out along the Sella Ronda to Sassalungo (a World Cup run) then continued over and back to the Marmolada Glacier.
Day 6 was the last day skiing and the end to this most excellent adventure in Italy, laughing and dining with my new friends from Hunter Mountain and beyond. Arrivederci, Arabba and the Dolomites! My research went well. I’ll be back!
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Repair Gives Extra Wear”
Nancy Dorrans is founder of Adventure Marketplace... Navigating travelers on authentic, nurturing, global and local adventures since 2014.
Above, the US Chef's Ski club and friends (a.k.a., The Dolomiti 7+3) skiing the Dolomites and having a blast despite the foggy conditions. Below, a 1958 Lockheed "Connie" Constellation turned airport lounge at JFK. -All photos courtesy of Nancy
the clouds were incredible.
National Parks Trivia
1. The southernmost U.S. national park is in what unincorporated Polynesian territory in the South Pacific ocean?
2. Big Bend National Park gets its name from the big bend in what river that forms part of the border between the US and Mexico?
3. The hottest, driest, and lowest national park in the entire country is what park, that sits on the California-Nevada border?
4. Across Puget Sound from Seattle, there’s a national park named for what peninsula that is also home to Forks, the town where the Twilight Saga is set? Find the answers online at thewestendnews.com/puzzle-solutions!
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I knew I'd be famous but didn't know when I thought about it time and again
Peace Island, a Maine-made open-world adventure game based on Peaks Island and starring cats, now has virtual copies of WEN… In honor of immigrant entrepreneur Shahnaz Mahager the City creates the Hummingbird Grant to support a Portland cosmetologist business with $1,000 … Rosenthal Museum of Natural History opens for the students at Portland High thanks to a donation of fossils from Class of ’71 alum Sam Rosenthal… Rare West End sighting of previous WEN publisher Ed King caught visiting his old ‘hood by poet Steve Luttrell… New social hub Downtown Social opens for special events at the former site of the Dogfsh Bar & Grille… SmileHub releases new report listing Maine as the 9th Best State for Sustainable Development in part due to our urban tree cover… Online cutest dog competition Pooch Playoffs Maine raises over $2,000 for Falmouth Land Trust… This year’s winner was 8-year-old Shih Tzu-Pittie mix Scruffy McGruff of Portland…
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I became a grandmother there's no higher role It's a wonderful feeling right through my soul
Two little dumplings who light up my world I'm really quite famous to a small boy and girl
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