Inspection Chronicle of a Housing First Facility
By Nancy English
Over the years, the City of Portland has cited three housing first facilities owned by Avesta Housing with many housing safety violations. Preble Street provides support services at the facilities, including casework for community, living, and tenancy skills and works with tenants on personal goals including recovery from substance use disorder.
But adjusting to a life indoors can take months or years to achieve, Andrew Bove, Vice President of Social Work at Preble Street, said. “Independent apartments are not necessarily the right, appropriate situation for some people. But people change over time.”
Residents may have endured chronic homelessness, Danielle Smaha, Preble Street Senior Director of Communications, wrote in response to questions about specific code violations. “One big way that the work Preble Street does in housing has changed since Logan Place opened is that people are experiencing homelessness for longer and longer periods of time.”
An inspection report of Logan Place was provided by the City of Portland on May 12th, 2025, and some complaints are dated and italicized below.
May 25, 2021: “Unit […] is posted against occupancy due to the extremely unsanitary conditions and excess storage that is obstructing egress from the apartment. The unit may not be occupied until it has been professionally cleaned, excess storage has been removed and a licensed pest control company has treated the infestation.”
Bove talked about how a relationship with possessions may be disordered after living on the street, but that eventually a sheltered person may come to realize they no longer need, for example, ten blankets.
Three housing first facilities in Portland, including Logan Place above, have had many housing safety violations reported over the years.
His staff tries to bring clients toward that goal with their cooperation to achieve progress toward true independence.
“The goal of housing first is to house people who are the most challenged in the community. It has never been surprising that there are some challenges with housing that group. It’s different than housing any other population in the state.” said Jon Bradley, who was involved with the first years of Logan Place when he was working as Deputy Director at Preble Street, applying for grants that funded Logan Place and Florence House. He now works to research homelessness and solve shelter issues around the state. “In the past, clients had had houses, families; but some on the street today have never had stable housing.”
October 18, 2022: “Early this morning, we
went to 52 Frederic St., Logan Place, for a medical call. Upon entering the first floor hallway, we noticed a large amount of insects crawling on the floors, walls, and ceiling. A sticky strip in front of the door to one of the apartments was covered with insects.The unit we went in […] was absolutely infested. The ceiling had hundreds of insects crawling on it and flies swarming.”
Preble Street staff helped people get ready for inspections in the 30 units of Logan Place when it opened in 2005, Bradley said. He could not comment on any of the current issues. When Logan Place first opened, after Avesta Housing finished construction and was the landlord, the buzzer system had to be moved inside the locked inner door. All guests are required to sign in and sign out. “There were lots of people who were not allowed in.”
Cont'd on Pg. 3
June 10
School Budget
Referendum
For many towns in Maine, Tuesday, June 10th is municipal Election Day. In Portland, voters are going to the polls to decide whether to validate the school budget and whether to continue to vote on the school budget in future elections. Every three years Portland voters must decide whether they want to continue the school budget validation process.
Also on the ballot is an at-large school board seat that Ben Grant vacated when elected to the city council.The term is for six months. It has drawn two candidates: school parent Cassidy LaCroix and retired music teacher Jayne Sawtelle.
In-person Early Voting
In-person early absentee voting is on-going in the State of Maine Room, adjacent to the City Clerk’s Office, on the 2nd Floor of City Hall, until June 5th. Regular hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The last day to in-person absentee vote is Thursday, June 5th, unless you have special circumstances. The Clerk’s Office will be open until 7 p.m. that day, only for voter registration and in-person absentee voting.
Election Day
All Portland polling places will be open on Tuesday, June 10th from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Same-day voter registration is allowed at your polling place on Election Day. You must provide proof of identity and residency.
-Photo by Nancy English
Contact Us
The West End News PO Box 10876 Portland, ME 04104 thewestendnews@gmail.com
Tony Zeli, Publisher & Editor
CONTRIBUTORS
Marie Caspard, Bright Ideas
Nancy Dorrans, Travel & Adventure
Nancy English, Freelance Reporter
Sue Inches, CCL Column
Stephanie Miller, Book Short
Ben Taylor, Best Worst Trivia
Liz Trice, PelotonPosts
Layne V. Witherell, Layne's Wine Gig
SPECIAL THANKS
Liz Parsons, Reforest the City Sam Wilson, Stewards of the Western Cemetery
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Inspection
In 2005 the primary concern was alcoholism and some mental illness. “We have a whole different population now,” Bradley said, because of illegal substance abuse. “People get very desperate in different ways.”
March 16, 2023: [Portland Fire Department] responding to an [Emergency Medical Services] call observed several units that have been demo’d [as a result of water damage]. One of the units has a person living in it. I responded and posted 3 units […] against occupancy. I additionally posted a 4th unit […] for unsanitary conditions that was also occupied.
June 4, 2024: “Due to water damage, units […] are posted against occupancy […]. The units will need to be re inspected by the City before they can be reoccupied.” [One unit “met minimum sanitary requirements” as of June 14, 2024; the other apparently did as well by July 15, 2024.]
Cont'd from Pg. 1
March 7, 2025: “The fire load in unit […] is very dangerous due to excessive storage of items and personal belongings….”
Preble Street works with an array of providers, navigating, for example, a Medicare home health aide who may decline to be exposed to cigarette smoke. Its work is hemmed in on all sides by many factors.
During the March 2025 inspection, the inspector noted that tenants are allowed to smoke, despite the registration stating this was a non-smoking building. As of May 12th, 2025, the unit that was too full of storage still needed work, but another unit had received the extensive cleaning requested and passed inspection.
Nancy English ran for Portland City Council D2 in 2024 and is a former paralegal for the City of Portland.
WENA’s First Street Tree Mulching Party Shows Growth in Support for Protecting City Trees
By Liz Parsons
“I kept noticing more and more trees in my neighborhood that could use some help,” remarked Gail Ringel after participating in WENA’s first-ever street tree mulching party. Held at Taylor Street Park on a Saturday afternoon in May, the event invited residents to tend public trees by placing compost and mulch at their bases.
The mulching party was one element of WENA’s ReForest the City project that launched last year, funded by a Maine Medical Center Community Caring grant. In addition to taking away high-quality mulch (courtesy of Portland Parks Department), organic compost, instructions on proper mulching techniques, and a tree marker, participants were able to talk with volunteer tree and landscaping experts and enjoy mocktails and tree-themed treats.
Supporting Portland’s aging tree canopy is timely with development surging and official regulations for protecting trees passing in 2020. Fortunately, locally organized advocacy and relationship building are starting to take root.
For instance, last year’s street tree mulching was largely a West End activity, involving 17 volunteers mulching 20 trees. This year, in addition to coordinating with the City, a collaboration with Portland Parks Conservancy led to much more public exposure and support for the project. As a result, 40 volunteers from 3 neighborhoods mulched 57 public trees. A similar initiative is now underway on the East End.
The overarching hope for such events is that taking what seems like a small action will lead to greater awareness of our tree-neighbors, as happened with Gail Ringel.
Get a free tree or shrub
Another ReForest the City activity is now underway in cooperation with Maine Audubon’s Bringing Nature Home program. Throughout the summer, West End residents may have a tree or shrub planted on their property at no expense. Readers interested in learning more about either of these endeavors may contact trees@ wenamaine.org.
Liz Parsons is a ReForest the City volunteer.
WENA’s Street Mulching Party gave volunteers mulch, organic compost, and tree markers to help spruce up neighborhood street trees. -Courtesy photo
Western Cemetery Springs into Action
By Sam Wilson, Treasurer
The Stewards of the Western Cemetery, Inc., is pleased to report that progress is being made on many fronts at the Western Cemetery.
First, our capital campaign has passed $225,000, with less than $25,000 to go to reach our goal of $250,000. John Funk, our trustee heading the campaign, is confident we will reach our goal this year. Donations may be made at www.westerncemetery. me.
Second, the capital projects to be paid for from the capital campaign are all underway this year, under the direction of Jonathan Monro, also a trustee. We expect to install a new fence along the Western Promenade, including remnants of the original wrought iron fence on the upper portion, and to construct the tool shed and a water pipe near the utility gate.
Third, the Stewards have joined Visit Portland and expect that partnership will result in more visits to the cemetery by tourists and people interested in Portland’s heritage. In addition, under the leadership of Kip DeSerres, another trustee, we have added more docents to give tours of the cemetery on Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. Additional tour times can be arranged by request at tours@westerncemetery.me.
Fourth, the Stewards and the Parks and Recreation Department hosted a volunteer day for Abbott Laboratory volunteers in May. Cam Scharff of Parks
and Recreation helped coordinate and organize the event. Over twenty Abbott employees participated. They helped pull invasive plants and trees, picked up debris, raked leaves to serve as mulch around trees, and even discovered buried headstones in the course of their work. This effort on the part of the employees will enable the Stewards to focus on the restoration of gravestones this year.To volunteer for Saturday morning work sessions, contact Jonathan@westerncemetery.me.
Fifth, the Stewards continue to unearth the history of people buried in the cemetery and have connected that history with Find a Grave resources on the internet. Over the past year, Kip DeSerres and others have completed research into the lives of these people and identified
stories of the lives of Civil War veterans, sea captains, poets, artists, immigrants, and community leaders. The addition of this information will continue to enrich our tours, telling about the lives of 19th century Portland.
Sixth, the Stewards honored veterans from the Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War, Mexican War, Aroostook War, World War I, and World War II by placing flags identifying their gravestones for Memorial Day.
Please go to www.westerncemetery. me to keep abreast of developments. Sam Wilson is Treasurer for the Stewards of the Western Cemetery, Inc.
Portland’s Parks Dept. Starts Youth Mentoring Program
The City of Portland is excited to announce that its Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Department has started up a new youth mentoring program thanks to a grant from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). The goal is to build an evidence-based youth mentoring program that serves youth who are living in communities impacted by substance misuse.
The City received roughly $74,000 in grant funds to pay for additional staff, translation costs, and to purchase an evidence-based curriculum that East End Elementary School has used previously. The program is held every other Wednesday afternoon during early release time. Currently, there are nine children participating in the program, and they have been working with Parks staff to build new benches to give to the school.
“Our staff are often involved in cleaning up the hazards and impacts in our parks and public spaces, so it gives us hope to be focusing on root causes and prevention, rather than simply cleanup and mitigation. We hope to be able to expand enrollment next year,” said Ethan Hipple, Director of the Parks Department.
Abbott Labs volunteers assisting in the clean up of the cemetery. -Courtesy Stewards of Western Cemetery
Community Events June
Art... Music... Culture... and more!
Portland celebrates Clean Water Week, June 1-7. Many of the events are free and open to the public. Check with the City for more information:
Tue, Jun. 3 – 11a – 1p – Forest Bathing/ Shibashi Qigong with Ranger Liz & Clean Up Event - Eastern Promenade, Cutter Street Parking Lot - Portland’s Ranger Liz will be leading a Forest Bathing and Shibashi Qigong session at the Eastern Prom. Forest Bathing and Qigong practice is for all individuals of all abilities. The idea for this day is to incorporate the essence of both Forest Bathing and Qigong. We will conduct a mindful clean up walk of the area immediately following the Forest Bathing and Qigong practice.
Fri, Jun. 6 - 11:30 a - 1:30 p - Visiting Scientists: Explore Our Interactive Watershed Model - Children’s Museum and Theater, 250 Thompson’s Point Rd, Portland - Join City staff and the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District for an interactive watershed model that shows how water from your street connects to the ocean. Free with museum admission.
Fri, Jun. 6 - 4 - 5:30 p - Back Cove Water Resource Management Tour - Meet in Back Cove Trail parking lot, Preble St, across from Hannaford - City-hosted walk along a portion of Back Cove to highlight its stormwater and wastewater management, climate resilience efforts, and the new Back Cove South Storage Facility.
Sun, Jun. 22 - 1st Annual East Bayside Trail Fest - Featuring three events: the Trail to Ale 10K is a revival of Portland Trails’ long-running and popular 10K race, now with an updated course; the Bayside Ride is a 15- and 30-mile casual group bike ride along the coast hosted by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine; and the Trail Mix 2-Miler is a family-friendly two-mile fun run and walk. Culminating in a celebration on Diamond Street with music from 107.9 WJZP, local food, beer, cider, spirits. For details and to register: www.eastbaysidetrailfest.org.
Tue, Jun. 24 - 6p – 7p - PCAT (Portland Climate Action Team) June Meeting – Virtual meeting - The main topic will be the proposed pollution fee for cruise ships. Google Meet link: meet.google.com/ fsa-dwot-fgs.
Mon-Fri, All Summer – 8:15a – 9:15a
- AM Exercise in the Reiche Community Room – Clark St, Portland - Free A.M. Exercise in the Reiche Community Room every weekday morning continues through the summer. No sessions on June 19th and July 4th.
Submit your event to thewestendnews@ gmail.com. Space is limited. WEN Community Events gives preference to free, charitable, and community-building events.
Roots of Creation live at Bayside Bowl (KGB Glass & Zero Gravity Presents) Jun 6 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Danny Bedrosian & Secret Army (ft. members of P-FUNK) live at Bayside Bowl Jun 14 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
15th Anniv.Pre-Party at The Apohadion Theater ft. Dub Apocalypse (ARME / Zero Gravity Presents) Jun 19 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
15th Anniversary Celebration w/ The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, John Brown’s Body, Rustic Overtones... Jun 20 – Jun 22 - 8:00 PM
Victoria Mansion Announces $8 Million Campaign
Victoria Mansion’s Forward Facing campaing is a 5-year, $8 million initiative aimed at creating a world-class institution to preserve and share the cultural landmark.
As outlined by Tim Brosnihan, Executive Director of the Mansion, the newly announced campaign will help advance four key strategic goals approved by the Board: exterior restoration, interior conservation, education and research, and organizational stewardship for long-term sustainability.
Brosnihan also announced the establishment of the Peter Sheldon Preservation Fund at Victoria Mansion. The fund recognizes Mr. Sheldon’s generous bequest that has made possible the restoration of the Mansion’s brownstone front bay.
“There is more good news,” stated Brosnihan. “We have secured more than $1 million as a collective challenge to inspire and motivate others to support the campaign. “As part of that challenge, he said, “we are so pleased that Kennebec Savings Bank has stepped forward to be our first corporate supporter. The Bank has a long-standing commitment to historic preservation in the State.”
For full details on the Forward Facing Campaign, visit https:/ /victoriamansion. org/forward-facing/.
New Report Shows Maine Has Highest Rate of Child Food Insecurity in New England
Food insecurity continues to impact every county in the United States, with Maine holding the highest rate in child food insecurity, and second highest rate of overall food insecurity in New England, according to Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study. In 2023, one in eight Mainers (13.8 percent) and one in five children (20.6 percent) experienced food insecurity, marking the fourth consecutive year that food security has increased in Maine and underscoring persistent challenges statewide.
Good Shepherd Food Bank is using this data to call attention to the urgent need for sustained efforts to end hunger. They note that these troubling trends come at a time when federal resources are shrinking. Recent cuts to USDA food programs, combined with proposed threats to SNAP benefits, put key supports that families rely on at risk.
More information, including an interactive map detailing food insecurity by geography, income, and race, can be found at www.feedingamerica.org/MaptheMealGap.
Lift Heavy, Be Kind
Looking for new clients. Contact me today!
erinz@ironlegionscarborough.com www.ironlegionscarborough.com 450 Payne Rd., Scarborough
Dougherty Condos Application Period Opens
Maine Cooperative Development Partners announces the application period for Dougherty Condos: 20 brand new, zero energy ready, 1- and 3-bedroom condos priced to be affordable to households earning 100% of Area Median Income (AMI). The project is built on land formerly owned by the City of Portland near 45 Dougherty Court.
The developers are touting the condos’ recreational and transportation access. The City’s Dougherty Fields complex has a playground, outdoor swimming pool, skate park, playing fields, and basketball court. Multiple Metro bus lines and the Portland Transportation Center are nearby. The Transportation Center offers access to the Amtrak Downeaster train and Concord Coach buses. These services run south to Boston and New York, and north to Bangor via Midcoast or Central Maine. Metro’s Breez bus also runs from the Transportation Center offering routes to Yarmouth, Freeport, and Brunswick.
Prices for 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath homes will be priced at $325,000, and one-bedroom homes will be priced at $268,800. This project is publicly funded by Maine Housing and the City of Portland and will not be paying commissions to real estate agents.
The application period is currently planned to be June 18th through July 7th but will close once the first 200 applications are received.
Public Zoom Presentation and Q&A sessions
• Thursday, June 5, 6-7:30pm
• Monday, June 9, 4:30-6pm
Zoom Meeting ID: 812 1559 8462
Passcode: 490551
Revaluation Notices Distributed to Portland Property Owners
The City of Portland’s Assessor’s Office has distributed revaluation notices to property owners this May. Approved by the City Council in 2024, the Revaluation Project aligns assessed property values with 100% of fair market value as of April 1st, 2025. This update, prompted by a 2021 Council resolution to increase the frequency in which the City conducts a revaluation, follows the last revaluation in 2021, which used market data from 20182020.
The City notes that regular revaluations help prevent inequitable tax burdens. If revaluations aren’t conducted regularly then owners of more valuable properties experience the equivalent of a tax break, while owners of less valuable properties pay a relatively higher price for the same public services.
Property owners can review their new values online at portlandmaine.gov/ PropertySearch. An informal appeal process is available for those wishing to discuss their value and property data with Tyler Technologies, Inc., the vendor assisting with the revaluation. Appeal appointments can be scheduled at tylertech.com/portland or call 1-844-651-3398 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Appointments must be scheduled by June 13th, 2025, with hearings concluding on June 20th.
New property values will be used for the Fiscal Year 2026 tax bills, expected in early September. The tax rate will likely be adjusted downward due to the overall increase in taxable value. The revaluation does not generate additional revenue for the City; it redistributes the tax burden based on current property values.
Erin Zeli Personal Trainer
CLIMATE JUSTICE
Now is the time to sign up for a CSA!
The growing season is here! While time is flying, it is not too late to consider signing up for a CSA this summer. CSA stands for community supported agriculture. It’s a system in which customers typically pay upfront for a “share” of farm produce throughout the growing season. This model helps connect customers more deeply with local farmers and supports farmers’ early season expenses. In my five years in Portland, I’ve had a CSA with three different farms: Dandelion Spring Farm, Phil’s Farm (sadly no longer operating in Maine), and Harvest Tide Organics. I have loved all three.
Here are some things to consider as you go about deciding whether to sign up for a CSA.
Share Size: CSA’s will typically offer a few different size shares for two-ish people up to a large family. If committing to eating produce each week sounds intimidating, you might want to try the smallest share to start. If you’re just one person, now is the time to link up with a friend or neighbor to share it!
Pickup Site: Make sure you understand the day, hours, location, and duration of your CSA pickup to ensure that it works for your schedule. Pickup sites in the greater Portland area are often at the farm, at local breweries, or in a person’s driveway/yard. Some bigger Portland area employers have organized CSAs for their
employees with pickup sites at their offices.
CSA Choice: Depending on the specific farm’s CSA model, customer choice with regard to what goes into your share each week ranges from none to fully customizable. Some CSA’s will pre-package shares and just let customers know what’s in them, often via email. Make sure to research the farms you’re considering to get a sense of what might come in your CSA and if the farm uses the pre-packaged model. Recently, more farms have adopted systems with more customer choice, like pre-ordering systems or “free choice” at the pickup site. For example, Phil’s Farm would set up a farmer’s market style stand and let CSA customers pick out vegetables using a point system.
Missing shares: Make sure you understand your CSA’s policy when it comes to missing a week’s worth of shares. Some CSA models use a point system and allow you to use those points when you’re back in town, while others allow you to delay and double up on shares when you get back. If doubling up shares sounds intimidating, you should consider sharing your CSA with a neighbor or getting comfortable with food preservation techniques.
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.
Finding Inspiration in Cancer Alley
By Sue Inches
Cancer Alley is the nickname given to 80 miles of the Mississippi between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. There are 150 petrochemical plants located along the river there. The area is home to many working-class people, a majority of them Black. The cancer risk for people living there is 50 times higher than the US average—hence the name “Cancer Alley”.
Two days after the November election, five people from First Parish Yarmouth traveled there. Our mission was to meet the organizers and learn about their struggle for civil and environmental rights.
The first thing you notice are huge refineries. Tall smokestacks spew toxic chemicals. Methane flares light up the sky. The scale of industrialization is hard to imagine – there are miles and miles of factories and chemical plants.
Sandwiched between them are small communities, many settled after the Civil War. In many places the only thing separating industrial complexes from homes, schools, and churches is a seven-foot chain link fence.
We weren’t sure how a group of white people from the north would be received in these places. But we found warm and welcoming people. There are twenty or more grassroots organizations in Cancer Alley working for the right to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. Meeting them was inspiring!
Since 2018, they have stopped two plastics plants and a methane plant from being built. They face huge challenges now as a 40% EPA funding cut is proposed.
You can help them by reducing your plastics and fossil fuel use. Each time you use these products, someone is breathing in toxic emissions in Louisiana and other places where they are made.
To learn more: www.labucketbrigade. org and www.risestjames.org.
Sue Inches is an author, educator, and environmental writer from North Yarmouth. Check out her blog at www.susanbinches. substack.com. WE’RE
We're All in This Together is provided by Portland area CCL volunteers.
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experts
Members of First Parish Yarmouth visit Cancer Alley days after the November election. -Photos courtesy of Sue Inches
CiderFeast
By Layne V. Witherell
Judy and I were recently invited to interview a “cider guru” at this year’s CiderFeast held at Oxbow on Washington Avenue in Portland.
I started by picking out my best flannel shirt to wear, as these are the cider people after all. Then Judy and I perused the list of over a dozen high quality cider producers. We settled on an interview with Zack Kaiser, Cider Master of Absolem in Winthrop, Maine.
Absolem is aptly named after the caterpillar in Alice and Wonderland. I call their work “craft cider 2.0”. Cider is doing just fine as a beverage in the alcohol world, except for the fact that it must chase natural wine, low ABV (alcohol by volume) wine, beer, seltzer, and any number of new creations on the market. It must both differentiate itself and reinvent itself. A mighty task.
Cider exists under numerous incarnations, including the commercial (think Angry Orchard), the purists (Citizen Cider), the feral (Aaron Burr), and the far out (Anyone flavoring with nettles?). For us the quest was for what we refer to as cider 2.0, or co-ferments with grapes in traditionally winemaking vessels bringing it closer to wine.
Interview with Zack Kaiser, Cider Master at Absolem (Winthrop, ME)
Layne & Judy (L& J): Where are you going with all this?
Zack (Z): We are headed in a variety of directions with the result being the best quality.We are experimenting, using everything from ancient Amphora fermentation to Fuder, German barrels for oak flavors. We are running the gamut of cider with everything from the approachable, every day to esoteric. Big heavy Champagne bottles to cider on draft for the pubs and restaurants.
L& J: You seem to favor co-mingle and co-fermenting grapes with apples to create something new and different.
Z: My two partners and I come from very extensive wine and beer backgrounds. I moved from Baltimore to Winthrop, Maine and brought with me ideas about everything from ice cider (made from frozen apples) to Vermouth and beyond.
L & J: Who is your market?
Z: We aren’t chasing demographics but change things up based on what we feel the mood is and what nature gives us. We still want to be price-accessible and focused on what we do best, whether it’s large Champagne bottled specialty ciders or a house tap at your local restaurant.
The Ciders at Absolem
Cosmic Drama: A co-ferment of lowbush blueberries, organic blackberries, and grapes. A place where wine and cider meet. 8.5% ABV. The classic definition of cider 2.0. Cider can be a tad bit fruity and light, while this wine and cider combo is the definition of modern fruit. (750 ml. bottle)
Groundwork Harvest Moon: Single varietal - Northern Spy - with a crisp bubbly character. With the Northern Spy apple, a classic cider heirloom varietal, you are entering into an entirely different world from Cosmic Drama. They are funk personified and could be vintage dated except the government won’t allow it. You could do a lot number instead. The apple is named after a pulp novel of the 1830’s, an underground railroad kind of thing. (750 ml. bottle)
Aplomb: A blend of apples, peaches, plums, and Frontenac grapes. Frontenac is a hybrid grape that was created in the 1970’s for its ability to withstand cold climes. Frankly, it isn’t much of a quality varietal but as a cider co-ferment all the flavors pop.The combo of apples, fruit, and wine at around 8.5% ABV is as exciting for cider as it is for us.
FYI: It is worth a trip to this place to experience, in addition to their house made offerings, their amazing cider, beer, cocktail, and wine list. Judy is a cocktail maven, and I have written more than my share of wine lists, and we can say this list is well worth your trip. Find them at 799 Winthrop Center Road, Winthrop, Maine. Cont'd on Pg. 11
Judy & Layne
Layne and Judy visit CiderFeast. -All photos by Judy Witherell
FOOD & DINING
CiderFeast
Cont'd from Pg. 10
Closer to Home
Freedom’s Edge (Portland)
Redfield Cider: Since we are looking at and tasting ciders that are clearly into wine territory, this is a prime candidate. The Redfield is a single varietal apple which spends three or so years in a Port barrel that produces an “oaky and buttery” cider. This is a perfect complement to cider 2.0.
No Name Cider: With Co-Owner Andy Kaplan pouring along with his General Sales Manager extraordinaire Leon, you knew there would be a ringer hidden under the table. They dragged out a 750ml bottle that had been stashed away pre-pandemic and poured it for us. It was both fruity and a tad funky, but like a well-stored bottle of wine, it had developed vastly additional character. So, cider doesn’t age, huh? This is proof that it does.
Do visit their tasting room in Portland at 31 Diamond Street. I can’t promise that an ancient bottle will make a guest appearance, but their cider, ambiance, and food are well worth the short drive. And don’t forget to check out the stunning apple tree mural by local artist Pat Corrigan.
Farther Afield
Fogtown Brewing (Ellsworth)
If you have just graduated from art school or are looking at starting a brewery, this is your introduction in both style and graphics (lawyers and accountants are extra). Check this place out. It ranks as an ultimate brew, cider, and creative experience. The people here are having far too much fun with beer names like Disco Eclipse, Stud Wall, Night Nurse, and Aqua Culture (with the best oyster shell label). They brought no less than a half dozen ciders to CiderFeast. Each was different, and each was to our thoughts a hit.
Maine Pommeau: Black Oxford, Winesap, and Wickson apples fermented in French Oak barrels and boosted - and I mean boosted - to 20% ABV with a healthy dose of grain alcohol. A seasonal offering, because after a couple of glasses of this you may need a little while to recover. Calvados, anyone?
Downeast Heritage Pet Nat: This is an extraordinarily hipster way of making wine with partial fermentation occurring in the bottle before your very eyes. In addition, it is composed of feral and forgotten fruits that were hand-pressed in their beer garden! It doesn’t get more feral or funky than this in the cider world.
Fat Apple: The last of their lineup. A classic modern cider 2.0 rendition. Apples co-fermented with white grapes (of an indeterminant type), aged in American white oak Fuder barrels, a European wine classic.
Shout Outs
Special thanks to Zack Kaiser of Absolem for the interview.
Jimmy Carbone of Jimmy Pots and Pans (I am not making this up) for taking CiderFeast on the road.
Oxbow Brewing and Bottling on Washington Avenue, Portland, for allowing a whole bunch of “cider heads” to take over.
And to all those moms who received this event as a special Mother’s Day treat.
And There’s More
Apres at 148 Anderson Street, Portland, is hosting their own Bay Cider Fest on Saturday, June 7th, featuring many of the same cast of characters. Tickets are $35 with VIP at $50. Call (207) 613-8231 for additional information.
LAYNE’S WINE GIGS
I am adding individual, private, or group tastings in 2025. Wine author, journalist, knowledgeable guy. You pick the subject, place, and theme. I will provide the fun. E-mail me at lvwitherell@gmail.com for availability.
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.
KITCHENS MATRESSES LAUNDRY REFRIGERATION
At CiderFest visiting with Freedom's Edge sales manager Leon.
Book Short
Mudbound: Families surviving the deep South after WW2
By Stephanie Miller
Laura names their new southern Mississippi home, Mudbound. It’s a very remote farm without running water or electricity, and yes, the mud is truly everywhere. The name is her first act of rebellion after her husband Henry drags her and their two young daughters from a civilized life in Memphis to fulfill his dream of working the land. Henry had suggested the name, Fair Fields.
Titled after their farm, “Mudbound,” the debut novel by Hillary Jordan, is a powerful story of one family striving to make its way in the world while slowly destroying another. Since it takes place in post-WW2 Mississippi, where Blacks scraped out a living as sharecroppers and landlords lamented having to pay them a few dollars per day to pick cotton, you can probably guess which family does the ruining and which one gets ruined. There is a bit of justice, however, as neither family gets off easy.
Told in alternating character voices, the story starts at the end, with Henry and his younger brother Jamie digging a grave for their father. Everything is in that initial short chapter — Henry’s optimism and goodness, Pappy’s outright bigotry, the ingrained racism of all whites, how both brothers despised their father in different ways, the commonplace violence against Black people, and Laura’s emerging self-determination. Then, the story unwinds to reveal intense emotional connections driven by love, friendship, lust, hate, and fear.
Jordan doesn’t shrink from ugly issues like racism, sexual politics, infidelity, and war. Southern Black men who went to war and were (eventually) treated as men by fellow soldiers and the Europeans, came back to the oppressive Jim Crow environment they left behind. Despite also
By Hillary Jordan Algonquin Books / 2009 / pp. 368
Micro Shorts
'The Confessions of Frannie Langton'
By Sara Collins
Lady’s maid Frannie Langton is accused of the brutal double murder of her employers. She claims she cannot recall what happened or how she came to be covered in blood in her mistress’s bed.
From her cell in London’s Old Bailey, she writes her confession as a memoir, relating how the emotional and physical torture she endured as a mulatto slave on a Jamaica plantation led to her current scandalous status as whore, manipulative witch, and bloodthirsty criminal bent on revenge. Taught to read and carry out horrific scientific experiments on fellow slaves by a debauched master, her desperate need for love and validation is completely warped.
lives in the most absurd, charming, and narcissistic manner. And yet you still really like them and want the best for them. The stories are so delicious I read them all in one sitting, and then immediately went back and re-read them slowly to savor all that is contained between the lines.
'Clear'
By Carys Davies
This short novel is a beautiful ode to language. Reverend John Ferguson innocently agrees to travel to a far north Scottish island to evict the sole resident as part of a (real life) state-sanctioned rural removal project that tore small farmers and landowners from their homes and forced them into cities or sharecropping arrangements, transforming them from independent subsistence owners into poverty-stricken, wretched tenants.
experiencing the same PTSD horrors that haunted white veterans, they either had to re-learn to slump their shoulders and use the back door or they were hunted down and lynched.
Throughout, the thick, rich, fertile soil of the Mississippi Delta is a character itself, especially when combined with the heat, mosquitoes, and many severe storms. Silence is also a character. Just like today, does standing by constitute endorsement or is it a necessary tactic of self-preservation?
Driving the story forward is Laura, emerging from her muted city life into a competent, fearless mother and farmer who milks the cows, knifes the snakes, nurtures food from the land, and handles a shotgun with precision. Her perspective matures over time, but leaves us with the question: Are there some moral positions that are absolute or should we take into consideration things like time and place? "Mudbound"
How can we blame her for crashing heedlessly into unhealthy relationships and tripping over societal norms? Her confession is more than a murder mystery; it’s an indictment of racist and misogynist society itself. This historical fiction is based in part on the author’s ancestor’s experience in Jamaica, and is both riveting and disturbing, but completely un-put-down-able.
'Atavists'
By Lydia Millet
This Pulitzer Prize finalist collection of short stories is an insightful party with a loosely connected community of neighbors and colleagues, each centering on someone’s intense longing. The stories are superb – witty, clever, intense, modern, and real. Many characters are raging — about climate change, racism and bigotry, the frivolity of youth, their midlife crisis, the death of a loved one, or getting ghosted by an ex.
Reading these stories is a little bit like everyone in your social feed is actually interesting and erudite, sharing bits of their
John doesn’t speak the island’s unique dialect, but he slowly learns words while recovering from a nasty fall that served as his introduction to Ivar, who nurses him back to health in his rustic island home. Ivar teaches John the many words for sea, for the special blues of twilight, for the way the wind plays over the grass, and for storms. John is dependent on Ivar’s goodwill and ministration for survival and is hesitant to tell him why he has actually arrived. At first it was because of a lack of shared language, and then it is from fear of losing this strange, beautiful friendship.
Despite being trapped on this lonely, barren rock in the middle of the sea, quite a bit happens between these two, making “Clear” a rich page turner. Davies’ prose is melodic and mesmerizing, transporting us to this remote, wild land where communication is almost solely dependent on reading the other person’s heart.
Stephanie Miller is a voracious reader and local bibliophile. Online at @StephanieSAM.
Looking for some peace and quiet?
Need a quiet beautiful space where you can sit and relax?
Please join us –
Sweet Treats
Breakfast Sandwiches
Lunch
Special Occasions Cakes
katiemadebakery.com
Phone Orders – Curbside Pick-up Dana Brown 207-281-2224 520 Ossipee Hill Road
A lay-led service of meditation and Holy Communion held at 5:15 p.m. each Sunday at St. Luke’s Cathedral. The Liturgy invites you into stillness and quiet, with music, readings, and reflections in a personal, contemporary idiom. It is God’s hope to meet you here. Emmanuel Chapel – St. Luke’s Episcopal Cathedral 143 State Street, Portland, Maine
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Chance Encounter Leads to a Walk with Gorillas
By Nancy Dorrans
I first heard about the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) in March 2014 while skiing in Killington, Vermont. I was attending the North American Snow Sports Journalists’ Association (NASJA) event as a guest.
I’d been in the travel business for years and at that time I was considering branching out on my own as an independent travel advisor. While skiing with a representative from Discover New England—a marketing organization established in 1992 by the six New England state tourism offices—she mentioned they were co-sponsoring an upcoming ATTA networking event in New York City. “You should try to make it… Carolann Ouellette will be there!”
Carolann was then Maine’s tourism representative and is now the Director of the Maine Office of Tourism. I wanted to meet her. This chance encounter on the slopes of Vermont proved serendipitous. So, I went.
Co-sponsors Men’s Journal magazine held the ATTA event in their mid-town publishing house, where Rolling Stone Magazine is published, too. The hallway to the bathroom was plastered with framed covers of old Rolling Stone magazines…
I was in awe and amid so many adventurous, budding, and experienced travel entrepreneurs… What a welcome into the Adventure Travel tribe. I joined!
Every year, ATTA brings together reps from the adventure travel industry at adventurous destinations to talk shop and
inspire.
Since joining ATTA in 2014, I’ve been around the world! I’ve attended two ATTA World Summits in Tuscany and Hokkaido, Japan and regional “Elevate” events in Sangueny Fjords National Park, Quebec; Lake George, NY; Eugene, Oregon; right here in Portland; in Asheville, NC; and this year in Denver, CO. Last spring was the first European Elevate event held in Kitzbuhel, Austria. I was there too!
In Tuscany I met Mandip Singh Soin, founder and managing director of Ibex Expeditions based in New Delhi. Since then, Mandip has become a dear friend. During the pandemic he led a small group of us on a worldwide guided meditation program. We started with a 21-day challenge and kept it going over a year.
Mandip and I were reunited in Sapporo, Japan in September of 2023. I ran into him on his way to dinner with a couple, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka and her husband Lawrence from Uganda. He invited me to join.
Dr. Gladys is a veterinarian to the wild primates in Uganda. For over 20 years, their organization CTPH (Conservation Through Public Health) has worked to “promote biodiversity conservation by enabling people, gorillas, and other wildlife to coexist through improving their health and livelihoods in and around Africa’s protected areas.” Over dinner I learned more about their work and knew I wanted to go. They said, “You must come!”
Last spring at the ATTA Elevate event in Ashville, I met with Alex Guma Tibanyendera, the Ugandan founder of Gorilla Walking Safaris. Alex knows Dr. Gladys. More serendipity!
And so, along with two friends, I will be on my way to Uganda when this article hits the streets! Alex has set up an amazing itinerary for us.
Highlights include: Murchison Falls National Park - Observing ChimpanzeesKazinga Channel Safari - Tree Climbing Lions - Nature Walks - Bird Watching - Bush
Nancy Dorrans has chance encounters with Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka (holding a copy of "Walking with Gorillas") and Mandip Singh Soin of Ibex Expeditions.
Below: Nancy with Mandip, Dr. Gladys and her husband Lawrence Zikusoka at Ikinari Steak restaurant in Sapporo, Japan (2023).
-All photos courtesy of Nancy
Breakfasts & Sun Downers - Nile River Expedition - Authentic Local Experiences - Mountain Gorillas Trek.
I’m excited to see the lively and active chimpanzee families in the wild and to connect with the local people. I’m told we’ll see a wide variety of amazing wild animals, birds, and then... On Sunday, June 25th we will embark on our much anticipated Mountain Gorilla Trekking Experience in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest. Led by Dr. Gladys and her team! We will be briefed at the starting point, ascend, and descend into the forest in search of the great giants of Bwindi.
It can take up to six hours of hiking and once we locate a gorilla family, we are only allowed one precious hour with them. I’m so excited!!
I’ll be back next month with more first-hand experience and photos to share from our journey.
In the meantime, if you’re interested, a new documentary ‘Hidden Uganda’ offers an in-depth look at Uganda’s lesser-known attractions. From vibrant street food scenes in Entebbe to white-water rafting on the Nile and the gorilla trekking (guided by Dr. Gladys) in the country’s lush forests, the documentary highlights Uganda’s unique tourism offerings.
ATTA deserves a nod for helping me along on this journey and for all the amazing connections it has sent my way. Thank you, ATTA!
Don’t delay… NOW is someday!
Nancy Dorrans (in Tuscany for ATTA event, 2018) is founder of Adventure
Marketplace... Navigating travelers on authentic, nurturing, global and local adventures since 2014.
Buttons Trivia
1. What type of fruit has a variety named after the human belly button, because one side of it resembles one?
2. The button is the equivalent of the bullseye in the “house”, and the house is the target area in what sport that’s sometimes called “chess on ice”?
3. “The Hardest Button to Button” is a 2003 single by what two-piece rock group, o of their album Elephant?
Mondays at Sebago Brewing, Lazzari, Banded Brewing
Tuesdays at Ri Ra, Brookside F+D, Another Round
Wednesdays at Wilson County BBQ, Salt Yard, Smoked BBQ
4. Button is another name for what kind of mushroom that starts with a “P”, which is one of the most widely consumed mushrooms in the world?
Thursdays at Arcadia, Locally Sauced online @bestworsttrivia
the answers online at thewestendnews.com/puzzle-solutions!
SLICE FROM THE PIE
INDIVIDUAL SERVINGS OF LOCAL NEWS…
Gladis House Cleaning
www.salutions4u.com
Jackie Burris wins this year’s Governor’s Award for Outstanding National Service Volunteer for her work as a foster grandparent at East End Community school… And foster grandparent at Talbot Community school Fran Seeley is honored for over 500 volunteer hours over the past year… City of Portland opens the Riverton Trolley Bike Park as the first dedicated bike park in the city… Plus installs new lights at Payson Park Tennis Courts thanks to $175k funding from US Tennis Association… Portland is called 2025’s 4th Best City for Summer Jobs partly due the number of summer jobs available… And ranks #12 on PODS list of Cities People Want to Move To… Travelers from Massachusetts and New Hampshire are seeing new Keep Campfires Wicked Good – Use Local Firewood billboards… East End Community School students hold the fourth annual May 30th “Danny Day” celebration for much loved and dedicated crossing guard Danny Lowe… Our city’s beloved maritime signal tower the Portland Observatory reopens for the season providing daily tours and self-guided fun Monday through Wednesday evenings and weekends… Gov. Mills celebrates Maine Arbor Week and presents Jay and Kathryn Libby with the 2025 Maine Outstanding Tree Farm Award for exemplary forest management…............................
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Best Pizza on Munjoy Hill!
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Thank you for reading!
TODAY
The trees are crusted with flowers It’s finally spring
It’s sunny and warm
Nice after so much snow and rain
We deserve this fine weather
For enduring winter It’s warm enough
To be outside without a coat
To feel the sea nearby
And the warmth of the sun
The flagpole is a mast
You can almost forget where you are
By Abram Gabriel, MD, MPH
My
Granddaughter
I hear the pitter patter of little feet
I hear a tiny voice that is so sweet
My little granddaughter who is almost three Has come to mean so much to me
How can a little girl so very small
Make me feel like I'm ten feet tall?
By Elaine Carver
The Lion
I stand alone, the lion on the plain. I gather my strength in solitude. I reckon no animal better than myself. I am a brother to all creatures, King of the beasts, protector of all. Loneliness has cleared the clutter from my mind.
I have chosen to be who I am, the lion hearted.
I have chiseled my character with each aching decision. I have strained and strengthened my heart for the chase.
I have pruned my body to the pursuit of my prey.
I am the lion, lean and limber. Lines of concern for my pride furrow my forehead.
My yellow gaze catches the glinting sun from the waving grass.
My brown tufted tail, the scepter over my kingdom, my rudder on the run
By David Tierney
submissions
Gov. Mills w/ Jay and Kathryn Libby -Ctsy. Governor's Office
Happy Hour Specials
Casita Corazon Now Open Mondays!* *South Portland location only. !
Tacos – Burritos – Quesadillas – Enchiladas –Sopes – Pozole – Goat Birria – Fajitas – Cocteles de Marisco – Chile Rellenos – Carne Asada – Lamb Shanks in Adobo & much more! “To know how to eat is to know enough”
(207)
158 Benjamin W Pickett St, South Portland Open Mon-Sat 11am-8pm *Reservations are not available at South Portland location.
