The West End News - September Edition 2025 - Vol. 25 No. 09
Image from "It Can't Happen Here" poster. For event information see listing in Community Events on Pg. 6
Voters Can Now Request Absentee Ballots for Nov. 4 Election
By Tony Zeli
Voters around the state can now request their absentee ballots for the November 4th State Referendum and General municipal election.
In Portland, At-Large City Councilor Pious Ali is defending his seat against engineer Samuel Aborne. Otherwise, Portland’s ballot is uncontested. Current school board members Sarah Lentz (Chair) and Jayne Sawtelle are running unopposed for at-large seats. Also, Julianne Opperman, mother of two sons who both graduated from Portland Public Schools, is the only nominated candidate for District 3 school board. District 3 City Council-
Cont'd on Pg. 3
Page 4
Opinions from our readers on Congress St. and Cold Storage
‘It can happen here.’
Staging a Depression Era Radio Play as a Warning for the Present
By Nancy English
“It Can’t Happen Here,” a play by Sinclair Lewis and John Mofft, based on a novel by Lewis, read by local actors and directed by Harlan Baker, will be presented on September 12th and 13th at the Irish Heritage Center in Portland. It is set in Vermont, where Lewis lived when he wrote the book in 1935, and describes a fascist takeover.
The simple production is accompanied today with menacing realism by events around the United States, where National Guard troops stop vehicles in Washington, D.C., unidentifed, masked authorities arrest people at courthouses and in the streets, universities cough up millions, and corporations give away shares to the federal government. Competent government employees are fred, and lackeys replace them.
“It can happen here. It is happening here,” said Seth Berner, who plays a farmer named Mr. Veder in the play. Veder and his wife begin by supporting Windrip, an aspiring dictator, and end up beggared by the confscation of their farm.
In 2018, Baker directed this play on the anniversary of Donald Trump’s frst inauguration. Many of his actors wanted him to direct it again. He had read the book frst in 1983 and even then, “I was struck by how real the situation is.” In the book and play, Adelaide Tarr Gimmitch deplores women’s suffrage. In the news of the 1980s, Phyllis Shafy did too.
In the 1930s, Ku Klux Klan racists; the Silver Shirts, antisemites inspired by Hitler’s rise to power; and Father Charles Coughlin spoke for fascism, as Proud Boys and Bugaloo Boys do now, Baker said.
Kelley McDaniel will read the part of Frances Tasbrough, played here as the widow of the original version’s factory owner, Frank Tasbrough, who begins with enthusiastic support of Windrip and ends up poor.
“I think the attacks on the press are
Page 5 Kip DeSerres is Unearthing History in the Western Cemetery
particularly chilling. It’s without a free press that atrocities are allowed to happen because they are kept secret,” McDaniel said. She mentioned a recent New York Times report about a housing development in Arkansas’ Ozark Mountains where applicants are asked to prove they are white and straight. “I’m glad we have an independent media that can report on a story like that.”
Doremus Jessup, played by Herb Adams, is a main character and a smalltown newspaper editor whose voice is silenced.
According to Adams, “Though 90 years old, [the play] could not be more amazing and timely – Windrip rules by ‘Corpo’ thugs, builds ‘walls’, rounds up dissidents, opens concentration camps, plans attacks on Mexico and Canada, [and] shuts down the press – all a little too familiar.”
Barney McClelland plays Dan Wilgus, the print shop foreman whose initial objections to composing print for a fery opposition editorial fade before the urgency of the situation.
8-9
“People think fascism will always look the same, but Lewis showed us a uniquely American version of it,” McClelland said. He referenced a phrase famously associated with Lewis’ book though it is not an exact quote, “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a fag and carrying a cross.”
“The play describes how people can pretend it’s not happening,” McClelland said, at least until “neighbors start to disappear.” McClelland lived in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, during the Troubles, with a “front row seat” to its violence.
“We are susceptible to the same follies.”
Sinclair Lewis, the frst American to win the Nobel Prize for literature, based his Windrip character on Huey Long. Long was a Louisianan politician on the road to a 1936 presidential campaign when he was assassinated in 1935, just before Lewis’ book was published.
In the Depression era of the 1930s,
Pages 10-11
takes us to the Eastern Townships & Quebec City
From left, Barney McClelland reading Dan Wilgus, a print shop foreman; Kelley McDaniel reading the part of Frances Tasbrough, widow of the factory owner; and Herb Adams as Doremus Jessup, a main character and small-town newspaper editor in Harlan Baker’s 2018 production of “It Can’t Happen Here,” which like the 2025 performance was a live radio play. -Photo courtesy of Harlan Baker
Layne reviews wines from Spain both new and old
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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.
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Deadline for publication in the October Election Edition is Friday, September 26th. Publication is not guaranteed. The thoughts and opinions expressed in our pages belong solely to the authors and not necessarily to the publication.
WEN READER PHOTO
The Publisher/Editor/Owner of The West End News takes a little downtime at Harbor View Memorial Park! Photo taken by Steve Graef and submitted by Rosanne Graef. The event was the West End Neighborhood Association Annual Picnic on August 12th. The evening featured a sing-along with the Jolly Ukes and children’s activities by Love Lab Studio. On the topic of Tony Zeli's bubble making skills, Rosanne noted, “It was the winning bubble of the evening.”
-Photo Credit: Steve Graef
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'It
can happen here.'
this play was performed around the country by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Theater Project, headed by Hallie Flanagan. “Free, uncensored, adult theater” was President Franklin Roosevelt’s promise for this program. Flanagan asked Lewis to adapt his novel for the stage.
On October 27th, 1936, the play was performed in 21 theaters in 18 states in English, and in Spanish and Yiddish, and at an all-black production in Seattle, according to John Apicella, an actor and writer. By 1939, the Federal Theater Project funding was cut by Roosevelt’s opponents in the United States Congress and the program ended.
Absentee
Cont'd from Pg. 1
Lorinda Pike is the “Society Editor” on the Vermont newspaper at the center of this play. “The Corpos intend everything,” she says, “They tell the industrialists they’ll stop all strikes. They tell the workers unions will be sacred. They tell the well-to-do they’ll have lower taxes. They tell the poor they’ll have twenty-fve hundred a year.”
All that is echoed now, except the last point. The poor nowadays are promised nothing.
Freelance journalist Nancy English ran for Portland City Council District 2 in 2024 and is a former paralegal for the City of Portland.
Ballot Requets
or Regina Phillips is running unopposed for her seat. Two candidates, Jerzy Sylvester and Jonah Bradenday are running for three available seats on the advisory Peaks Island Council. All the above seats are three-year terms. In addition, William Hewes is running for a fve-year term for Portland Water District.
In Portland there are three ways to request a ballot:
1. You can request an absentee ballot online through the State of Maine’s website (https://apps.web.maine.gov/ cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index. pl).
2. You can call the Portland City Clerk’s offce, open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 207874-8677.
3. You can complete an absentee ballot application and submit it by mailing it to: City Clerk’s Offce 389 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101. Faxing it to: 207-874-8612. Emailing it to: elections@portlandmaine.gov.
Voter registration must match your current address when requesting an absentee ballot online. Update your voter registration before requesting an absentee ballot.
Cont'd from Pg. 1
Ballots will be sent out once they are ready in October.
In-Person Absentee Voting
In-person absentee voting begins 30 days prior to the election. In Portland, in-person absentee voting will take place in the State of Maine Room, adjacent to the City Clerk’s Offce, on the 2nd Floor of City Hall. Hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On the Thursday before the election only, the Clerk’s Offce will remain open until 7:00 p.m. This is the last day to absentee vote, unless you have an allowed special circumstance.
Did you know?
Maine residents can register to vote online or change their party status. Visit https://registertovote.sos.maine.gov/.
Use this online service if you are a Maine resident and want to:
• Register to vote for the frst time in Maine.
• Provide updated information for your existing Maine voter registration.
• Change your par ty enrollment.
The November election will be held on Tuesday, November 4th, 2025.
Portland Sets Mil Rate for FY26
The City of Portland has completed its Revaluation Project and has set the mil rate for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). The new mil rate will be $11.98 per thousand dollars of assessed value, a decrease of more than 25% from the projected FY26 mil rate prior to any revaluation. The City’s total taxable value of real estate is now approximately $19.7 billion, an increase of roughly $4.9 billion. This increase is due to the completion of FY26 real estate and personal property revaluations. The City’s total tax-exempt real estate value has risen to over $3.93 billion, for a total value of real estate of approximately $23.7 billion.
Property owners should receive their tax bills in the mail in early-to-mid-September. The frst half of property tax payments are due on October 17th, 2025, and the second half is due on March 20th, 2026. A reminder that the City only mails property bills out once in September - included are pay stubs for both payments.
Property tax bills can be viewed and paid online.
The most recent revaluation project - which included real estate and personal property - was approved by the City Council in 2024, and it aligns assessed property values with 100% of fair market value as of April 1st, 2025. This effort was prompted by a 2021 Council resolution that increases the frequency in which the City will conduct revaluations. The last revaluation in 2021 used market data from 2018-2020. Property owners received their revaluation notices in May 2025. In June and July, the Assessor’s Offce worked with Tyler Technologies to hold hearings for those wishing to appeal their new values.
Property owners can review their values online at portlandmaine.gov/PropertySearch.
What about Congress Street?
Cold Storage – Boom or Bust?
By Rosanne Graef
Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Hartford, Portsmouth, San Diego, Savannah, Tucson. What do these cities share with Portland? They all have a Congress Street, named not for the legislative branch of government, but for the meaning of “congress” — coming together. All Congress Streets have probably seen good and bad times as economic cycles come and go. They’ve experienced the advances, trends, and mistakes in urban planning, and felt the strains of population growth and shrinkage. The hope remains that a Congress Street will be a lively place to gather for work or pleasure.
Look at our downtown Congress Street. Start at Washington Avenue and head west to Bramhall Square. It’s got a lot going for it: history, architecture, cemetery, City Hall, businesses, services, residences, hotels, entertainment venues, museums, fre stations, places to eat/drink/ shop/worship, libraries, schools, galleries, parks, gardens… WOW! And yet, our current Congress Street isn’t feeling well and needs to pull itself together.
Think of that stretch of Congress Street as a string of spaced beads.The frst bead is Eastern Cemetery, then Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and City Hall, followed by Monument, Congress, Longfellow, and Bramhall Squares. There’s a badly frayed portion of the string crossing Franklin, then passing the surface parking lot where “Jesus Saved” before moving to Canco Road.
Thankfully Lincoln Park and Central Fire Station offer visual relief. The rest of the string and the beads have weak spots and chips. Empty buildings, some for years,
with notices in the windows for neighborhood planning meetings long past. Too many of the occupied ground-level commercial entities are just not interesting, some are downright creepy. Either no windows, no window displays, the same window displays for years, or the windows are covered by paint or paper. Defnitely not an invitation to take a stroll to see what’s new.
The City, Portland Downtown, and other organizations teamed to address what ails downtown Congress Street. A group of residents spearheaded the formation of Friends of Monument Square.
To succeed, Congress Street needs to draw folks to a variety of interesting things that don’t require spending. It also needs a wide variety of interesting things to see and do and buy at a range of prices.
And while Congress Street recovers, we all need to start visiting more often to help her get and stay healthy.
Rosanne Graef lives in the West End and was previously a regular volunteer contributor writing the La Vida Local column.
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By Jo Coyne
Soon after Portland’s cold storage warehouse opened in February, West End neighbors began noticing a distinct lack of activity at the site. Waterfront rezoning and site-plan approval for the Maine International Cold Storage Facility (MICSF) had been promoted as essential to the city’s economic development, so why was the parking lot empty day after day?
Already wondering about the logistics of keeping a largely-empty warehouse at -10 degrees, we learned on April 23rd from the Portland Press Herald (“Maine’s new cold storage facility is at the center of a legal battle over millions in unpaid bills”) that construction cost overruns were huge and that many vendors had not been paid. Since there had been no formal opening or other opportunity to learn more about the new facility, several of us felt it would be helpful to have a public meeting where we and other Portland residents and business owners could ask questions and share concerns.
On June 11th, we sent a letter to the city manager, the mayor, our District 2 councilor, and the director of the Maine Port Authority (MPA). We eventually received letters, in mid-July, from Amber Maine Cold Storage, the Maine Port Authority (MPA), and Portland Planning Director Kevin Kraft. However, no offers were made for holding the public forum
we had requested. Each entity has its reasons for not meeting with the public.
Amber feels it is too busy growing operations at the facility. (Amber is also facing a $12.2 million lien fled by general contractor FCL Builders.) The MPA sees itself involved only in its holding of Amber’s 50-year lease, despite the state’s investment of $8.6 million to assist with site preparation. The City sees no need to meet with community members because it followed all the rules in approving MICSF’s site-plan application.
Time will tell whether the MICSF is fnancially viable. What we know already is that the facility was built at great taxpayer expense under ongoing pressure from the state; it occupies a signifcant portion of the working waterfront that might have been used for other purposes; and its importance to Eimskip is questionable, given that frm’s recent, large increase in reefer plugs.
A community discussion about the long road to cold storage might help future projects such as Live Nation achieve better outcomes. Just because something can be built doesn’t always mean it should be.
Jo Coyne is a founding member and a past president of the West End Neighborhood Association. She has lived in the West End since 1993.
Got an opinion? Share it with WEN!
The West End News publishes readers’ opinions when space permits. To share your opinion, write to thewestendnews@gmail.com or send a letter to our editor at: 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. Deadline for publication is the Friday before publication. Publication is not guaranteed and submissions may be edited for length and content.
The thoughts and opinions expressed in our pages belong solely to the authors and not necessarily to this publication or its publisher. Thank you for sharing your opinion.
Intersection of Congress and Casco. Below: Reny's is about to close their downtown location potentially leading to a large empty storefront on Congress St.
-Photos by T. Zeli
West End resident Jo Coyne shares concern that the new cold storage facility on the Western Waterfront (above) is underutilized and asks why not a public meeting?
-Photo by T. Zeli
Kip DeSerres: Unearthing Stories in the Western Cemetery
Every month, Liz Trice interviews a community member. This month, she caught up with Kip DeSerres, Vice President and Tours Coordinator for the Stewards of the Western Cemetery.
What should everyone in Portland know about the history of the Western Cemetery?
It was the only public cemetery between 1830 and 1852, when Evergreen opened. Ninety percent of the people in the Western Cemetery were buried in the 1800s. The largest single group that’s buried here is the frst wave of Irish immigrants in the 1840s and 1850s, who came here because of oppression and unjust policies which resulted in famine in Ireland. Very few of those stones are visible, so we have a stone memorializing the Irish as a group. It’s a large black headstone that says “An Gorta Mor,” which means “The Great Hunger” in Irish.
Many people in the cemetery died from infectious diseases which were rampant in the 19th century - typhoid, diphtheria, measles - before we had antibiotics, vaccinations, and modern sanitation. Almost half the people buried in the cemetery are children, and twenty percent of people in the cemetery died from tuberculosis. There are whole families where children pre-deceased their parents, which for me makes it all the more important to tell their stories, because they don’t have any descendants. Whole generations were wiped out due to infection which we can now prevent.
What do the Stewards of the Western Cemetery do?
The Stewards of the Western Cemetery care for the cemetery, restore the headstones, and tell the stories of the people who are buried there. The cemeter y was neglected for over one hundred years, and in 2000, a group got organized to start restoring it. Of 6,000 people buried in the cemetery, we know locations of only 3,000 of them, and only 1,500 headstones are visible. There was a lot of vandalism, and the acid from the dog urine over the years had eroded the bases of the headstones, and many have fallen over, been cracked, buried, or stolen. Eventually the city banned dogs due to the damage caused by dogs, and a new group organized in 2021 to clean and renovate the stones.
Ever y Saturday we have a crew that comes and does stone restoration. We restore one hundred stones per year. On Sundays, I and three other people provide tours.We research the history of the people buried here and tell those stories, so they’re not forgotten.
fn, and people decided to make a replica of the coffn in stone as a monument.
The Longfellow tomb is one of the tombs built into the hillside below Bowdoin Street. Samuel, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s brother, and Henry’s parents, were buried here. But in 1986 the tomb was opened and found empty, and we have no idea where the bodies went. It’s possible that a family member intended to have them shipped elsewhere and got lost, but there’s no records.
We are currently almost done raising $250,000, that will be used for several major projects: a fence all the way around, rebuilding a tool house that burned down one hundred years ago, and building a walking trail on the far side of the Western Prom road. To make a donation, go to our website: www.westerncemetery.me/.
How do you restore a headstone?
First you have to fnd it. Sometimes they’re lying fat on the ground. So you have to pick it up, fnd or make a stand for it, and clean it. Sometimes they are broken into pieces. Then you epoxy them together and fll it with a material called Lithomax, which looks like the same white marble as the stones. The oldest stones are slate, then people started using marble, which is easy to carve by hand, but easily erodes. Then people switched to granite once power tools were available.
How did you get involved?
My undergraduate major was in history and I have a master’s degree in public health. I was the vice president for the American Cancer society, doing patient education and services, and worked for the Maine CDC during the pandemic. I know Jonathan Monro, who works primarily on restoration, said he wanted someone to organize tours. I’m trained and on the faculty of the Maine History Docent Program, so I’ve been involved for 2 to 3 years.
How do you fnd the stories?
Findagrave.com allows you to identify where people are buried and attach stories. I look for census records, obituaries, and other public records.
Tell me the story about the “witches grave”, the Longfellow Tomb, and other special sites in the cemetery.
The grave known as the “witches grave” has an unusual design. It looks like a dark colored above ground casket with inscriptions in Latin. It’s actually for a young priest who was born in Portland but died of tuberculosis while in England. He was returned to Maine in a carved wood cof-
John Neal is buried here. Neal Street was named after him. He was a real renaissance man. Neal opened the frst public gymnasium founded by an American in the US in 1827; he was an advocate for equal rights for minorities and women, and ended his relationship with the gym a year later when the members would not support his nomination of African-Americans for membership. He established gymnasiums in other Maine cities and taught boxing and bowling at Bowdoin College. He also built the four-story grey stone building on State Street near Longfellow Square. Neal wrote short stories before Edgar Allen Poe, published one of the frst overviews of American writers, and traveled in Europe.
If someone wants to help, what would they do?
Show up at 8:30 a.m. on a Saturday between May and October, and you’ll be trained in restoration and stone cleaning.
If someone wants to join a tour?
Show up at 2 to 3 p.m. on Sundays, May to October, or go to https://westerncemetery.me/.
This interview was edited for clarity and brevity. PelotonPosts is produced by PelotonLabs founder Liz Trice.
Kip DeSerres. -Courtesy photo.
The 'An Gorta Mor' stone was placed by the Ancient Order of Hibernians in 1999 and blessed by the Catholic bishop to honor the Irish buried there. -Photo by Liz Trice
-WEN fle photo by T. Zeli
1st Annual West End Neighborhood Association Eat Out Move dinner out of your kitchen and onto your porch, yard or driveway.
Register Here:
(Use this QR code to visit: https:// eatout-westend. squarespace.com)
Why register? We’re going to make a map of participants so you can stop by, meet your neighbors and pick up treats / swag!
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WHAT'S GOING ON
Community Events September
Sun, Sep. 7, 6p - Hear Here 3 - Merrill Auditorium, Portland - Creative Portland in collaboration with the City of Portland is proud to announce that Hear Here 3 is back in its third edition since the Pandemic shutdowns to celebrate and showcase Portland’s performing arts gems on the big stage at Merrill Auditorium. Both community tickets and affordable ticket prices at PortTIX: $30 for adults, $20 for seniors/ students
Sun, Sep. 7, 7p - Impressions of Ethiopia - Mayo Street Arts, Portland - Acclaimed violinist and composer Kaethe Hostetter draws from over a decade of life and music-making in Addis Ababa, blending live-looped violin, electronics, visual storytelling, and feld-inspired soundscapes in a 75-minute performance that offers a rare personal window into one of Africa’s richest musical traditions that is threatened by civil confict. Mayo Street Arts does not turn anyone away from its events for lack of funds. Contact the organization at 207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org for information on their pay-what-you-can admission. For tickets, visit www.mayostreetarts.org.
Thu, Sep. 11, 7:30p – 9:30p - Maine Outdoor Film Festival event in Scarborough – Memorial Park, 5 Durant Dr, Scarborough - Enjoy outdoor flms from across Maine and around the world in Memorial Park. Films start at 7:30 p.m. so be sure to arrive early to get a spot. For more information, including the evening’s lineup of flms, visit https://maineoutdoorflmfestival.com/2025-scarborough/.
181 Congress St., Portland, ME 207-771-0994 katiemadebakery.com
Portland
Fri. & Sat, Sep. 12 & 13, 7:30p – It Can’t Happen Here live radio play - Maine Irish Heritage Ctr, corner of Gray & State Streets, Portland – It Can’t Happen Here a play by Sinclair Lewis and John C. Moffett adapted for radio from the 1935 Sinclair Lewis novel. Directed by Harlan Baker and presented live as a 1930s radio show. Play reading to beneft Maine civil rights and immigrant groups. Suggested donation, $10.
Sat, Sep. 13, 11a - Annual Tree Hugging Event – Bayside Trail at Somerset and Elm (behind Trader Joe’s) - Portland Parks’ Annual Tree Hugging Event is coming to Bayside for the frst time in 2025. Welcome ceremony performed by the Burnurwurbskek Singers of the Penobscot Nation. Refreshments including traditional white pine tea, activities, information tables, and more. Free and open to the public.
Sun, Sep. 14, 1p (take 12:15p Casco Bay Ferry) - CMTA Peaks Island Walk 4 CMT - Inn on Peaks, 33 Island Ave, Peaks Island - Local Portland woman, Mary Louie, will lead the CMTA Peaks Island Walk 4 CMT on Peaks Island and invites the entire community to join her. CMT is an inheritable, progressive neuromuscular disease that affects 135,000 people in the US, including an estimated 600 across Maine. It causes muscle weakness, impaired balance, diffculty walking, and nerve degeneration. Many people go years before receiving an accurate diagnosis or proper medical care. The walk follows the Peaks Island perimeter (participants are welcome to walk any distance they are comfortable with) and is open to all ages and abilities. Proceeds beneft the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA) and its ongoing research to develop treatments and improve the quality of life for Mary and others living
with this debilitating disease. Learn more and register: cmtausa.org/peaksislandwalk.
Sat, Sep. 13, 7p (doors 6p) - Mayo Street Arts presents Simon Joyner with an intimate night of stories and songs – 10 Mayo St, Portland - Acclaimed American songwriter Simon Joyner will perform, joined by local favorites Milan McAlevey and Heather Lynn (full band). The all-ages show will feature three sets with short transitions between acts, offering a full evening of powerful, poetic music.Tickets are $15 in advance , $18 at the door, and $25 for preferred seating, with paywhat-you-can options available.
Sat, Sep. 20, 8 – 9:30a – Bird Walk at Pleasant Hill Preserve – 256-280 Pleasant Hill Rd, Scarborough - Enjoy a fascinating bird walk at Pleasant Hill Preserve with SLT Executive Director and expert birder Andrew Mackie.
Thu, Oct. 2, 5:30 – 8p - Inside Wayside 2025 Annual Fundraiser – 135 Walton St, Portland - This community event is held at our Walton St. location and is an evening flled with delicious food, great conversation, live music, a raffe and auction, plus guided tours. Every year, members of the ACF—Casco Bay Culinary Association—give their time to prepare delicious hors d’oeuvres. Tickets: $60 (plus Eventbrite fees)
Submit your event to thewestendnews@ gmail.com. Space is limited.
520 Ossipee Hill Road Waterboro, ME 04087 drpaving@roadrunner.com
Visit the tea shop W-F 11-4, Sat 9-2 or Order online: homegrownherbandtea.com
Micromassé on the Roof | Maine Music Weekend Festival | Free | all-ages Sep 4 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
We May Be Right (Billy Joel Tribute) | all-ages Sep 12 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Found Footage Fest : Porcelain VHS Treasures Live Sep 13 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
By Spanish standards Albarino is a recently discovered grape with plantings in its home in Rias Biaxas, the far north of Spain, rising exponentially year by year based on its growing popularity. The grape has expanded from less than 500 acres in the 1970’s to 3,700 acres in the early 1990’s to over 10,000 acres today… and still growing.
Let’s hear it for modern technology, producing a young, fruity, feshy, zesty wine that is an ideal accompaniment to local (or not so local) mussels, octopus, roast veggies, paella and soft cheese.
Our favorite, per Judy’s photo (above), is fresh tuna steak, sashimi or lightly seared. The book is a Spanish classic by D.E. Pohren (American ex-pat) “Adventures in Taste: The Wines and Folk Foods of Spain”. Lots of local restaurants feature the grape. Surprisingly, the Bissell Brothers outpost at Thompson’s Point (appearing on their tiny wine list) is one, and Mr. Tuna’s Sake centric list has got it. The Al-
barino with freshly caught tuna sashimi is brilliant.
The problem with Albarino, as with anything that becomes ungodly popular, is what I call “the lobster roll effect”. Every national food and wine mag needs a story, either real or just culled from their clip fle. Are you listening, New York food writers and wine bloggers?
There is great stuff and the not-sogreat stuff. Not to be confused with Alvarinho, the wine of Vinho Verde, a light, low alcohol, high acid, slightly fzzy white from Portugal that is okay in a pinch but not the real thing. For me, a good guide are two high quality Spanish wine importers, Fran Kysela or Jorge Ordonez, will be listed on the back label.
Lobetia Tempranillo
“Vegan and Carbon Conscious,” “Made With Organic Grapes,” Vino De La Terra Castilla, 13.5% Alc. $10.99.
LAYNE'S WINE GIG PRESENTS
WINES OF SPAIN
By Layne V. Witherell
This wine proves several things. First, there is lots of room on front and back labels for a whole lot of politically correct jargon. Second, you can get a good Spanish wine for not a lot of money. Third, and most importantly, Spain is all about the old and the new and this is a prime example. It is a classic of the “hey, we made it baby” syndrome – complete with the addition of a mystical butterfy on the label.
Well, actually they did. Prior to the 20th century this was a leather-goat-skinstrapped-on-the-burro-while-herdingthe-shepherd’s-focks kind of wine. Occasionally, and I mean occasionally, these were the wines of the local wine bars (see Casa Pablo for a local look). The usual urban sprawl interfered with shrinking the vineyards, and there wasn’t a lot in the future until the Spanish government, because of the locals six-year campaign, awarded the region a Denomination of Origin (DO).
The Denomination of Origin is the academy award for a local wine. In the case of this wine, it is good in boosting both local investment and self-esteem. Lobetia pairs especially well with Manchego cheese or a veggie burger on the grill. Their grape, Tempranillo, resembles favors that resemble Pinot Noir, but just a touch more rustic. Just reading and thinking about the label makes me feel better already.
Montsant was previously part of Tarragona and the wider region of Catalonia in Northeastern Spain. They take their new name from the Montsant mountains in the region.Their moment in the sun was around 218 BC when founded by Publius Scipio with visits from the Roman emperors including Augustus and Hadrian, both who came to build as well as reside. There is an amphitheater that can hold 12,000, as well as a really nice aqueduct. Their local wines were shipped to Rome with much applause and adulation.
Fast forward several thousand years and things weren’t going so well in the re-
gion.The wines were sweet, shipped in bulk, and had few customers.The Brits with their love of treacly stuff kept a co-op or two barely alive.
Then came NEW GRAPES! This is truly a “new age” blend. Don’t let the 14.5% alcohol scare you as it is soft and lovely, having its own elegance alongside Judy’s Peruvian grilled chicken and creamy green sauce dish. The grapes offer up a classic “Mendo Blendo” (see Layne’s Wine Gig online) as they mellow out the wine. Carignan is usually always blended to provide that soft, velvety favor. Way to go.
Faustino Crianza, Rioja, 2021, 14% Alc. $17.99.
No region in Spain is more hidebound to tradition or is undergoing more revolutionary change than Rioja. It comprises three large grape growing areas: Alavesa with 24,000 acres, Alta at 50,000 acres, and Baja with some 37,000 acres. They are a presence on the world’s wine stage. The French came down here in the 1850’s when the awful bug phylloxera ate their vineyards.
Then, there are the rules. They have been in force for ages, and are currently under assault. Rioja falls into distinct categories for red wine (not much white is produced). Let’s look at Faustino, an old
Layne Flor
-All
and venerable estate circa 1860. Everything depends on time spent maturing in barrels.
Crianza - 1 year in wood minimum, 1 year in bottle minimum, $17.99.
Faustino V11 - 1 year in the bottle, $14.99.
V Reserva - 2 years in wood, 2 years in the bottle, $21.99.
I Gran Reserva - 2 years in oak, 3 years in the bottle, $37.99.
All wines must be sold in the bottle with no bulk shipping allowed. Bottle aging laws are per bodega with no single vineyard designations permitted. Each barrel is computer tracked and 20,000 casks are in their cellars, with American oak as the barrel of choice. The principal grape is Tempranillo –always has been, always will be.
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The Controversy
Since they are governed by the toughest wine rules in Europe, vineyards are trying new things. Let’s take a look.
Yield per acre: Experiments to change and lower the yields.
Minimum alcohol levels: Experiments to lower alcohol by harvesting earlier.
Those dreaded barrel aging requirements: They are shipping older wine to a world that increasingly wants younger wine.
Women in power: A woman has, for the frst time ever, assumed a major leadership role in the Rioja wine industry.
How They Taste
Actually, very good. In an era when oak is used more as a condiment (think Napa and Bordeaux) the favors of a mellow, aged Rioja are a refreshing change.
Bottle bouquet (a word that we haven’t heard for a while) versus a primarily fruit favor from wine that was smothered in a barrel of brand-new oak and bottled yesterday. It is best to check the age of the vintage. In this case, it is 2021, with lots of bottle bouquet and a soft whisper of oak from those 20,000 older barrels.
Spain is about food and wine. Plain and simple. Rioja is all about lamb chops or your best fllet on the grill to accompany that 14% alcohol.
In conclusion…
Spanish wines are having a moment. Whether it is the luscious Albarino with seared tuna, calamari, or paella; the Lobetia for your vegan pals, along with a little veggie burger or kale salad; or the Flor de Zalin and the Manchego cheeseburger on the grill. They are all here. Take your pick.
Layne’s Wine Gigs
Individually tailored gigs for small or large groups. Pick the place and the theme, and I will help you select the wines and provide the fun. E-mail me @ lvwitherell@gmail. com.
Layne V. Witherell
The TL Taste
A yummy celebration of this tasty town of ours… one bite at a time. Just think of me (and my occasional co-sleuth) as undercover bandits for fabulous, should-be local hot spots
It was the Dog Days of Summer all right, when we decided to let 76 degrees of sunshine with a cool breeze blow us toward a patio. This, of course for the average tourist, might be a hard ambience to fnd in the heart of the Old Port on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in August. But boy did we local rogues sniff out an oasis in Amigos, an over 50-year-old establishment known for its rustic, neighborhood charm, cheap drinks, pool tables and dart boards, and – Who knew? – also happens to have the best darn taco in town.
My sidekick and I found plenty of seating on their partly shaded porch out back, strategically poised behind the fencing for the entertainment of people watching on touristy Dana Street. It was a dish and a Dog Day for the books – two paper thin corn tortillas flled with mouthwateringly prepared chicken, pickled onion, fresh cilantro, and just a sprinkle of cojita cheese that came with the most delicious and simple side of rice and black beans. Nothing like an authentic taste of Mexico to top off our perfect summer day in Maine
The Scoop Amigos, 9 Dana St., Portland.
The Vibe Casual laid back local bar and restaurant with outdoor patio front and back.
The Taste
Chicken Tacos with house rice and beans. Savory, authentically light, and satisfying with all the traditional choices (but you gotta go for soft corn).
The Sip
House Margarita - Classic and delicious, no salt or sour mix please!
The Drop
Two tacos with a side of rice and beans, two house cocktails, $32.
The Lip Totalmente cinco!
Layne explores wines of Spain. Featuring (above left)
Flor De Zalin and (above right) Faustino Crianza.
photos by Judy Witherell
By Nancy Dorrans
Summer of Blooms in the Eastern Townships & Quebec City
Since 2015, I’ve organized an annual tour in February to Quebec City for Winter Carnaval de Québec. Canadians defnitely know how to celebrate winter, and we always have a blast, albeit a cold one.
Over the years, many travelers have asked me if I would set up a tour to Quebec when it’s warmer. They wanted to see the gardens in bloom, walk the cobblestone streets without the risk of slipping on ice, and leave their heavy down jackets at home.
So, this year it happened. My frst thought was to plan the trip in May, during shoulder season. However, in May I discovered the gardens would not be open and there might still be snow about.
And so, I went back to the drawing board and ended up scheduling two summer tours. One in July when the felds of lavender would be at their peak. Another in early September to celebrate the harvest and visit the region’s restaurants, village cafes, vineyards, microbreweries, cheese and chocolate producers, festive public markets, distilleries, bees, and the Gardens of Light at the Botanical Garden in Montreal. Both adventures begin in the Eastern Townships before heading either east to Quebec City or west to Montreal.
Thanks to a few fellow travelers, I’ve also discovered a fondness for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and the Louise Penny mystery novels, which are set in the Eastern Townships and Montreal. When this article is published, we’ll be on our September tour to Magog and Montreal, perhaps catching glimpses of the characters and locations that have served as the inspiration for the fabled village of Three Pines.
But now, I’ll share the complete sensation of our July adventure. While you can’t taste or smell what we did, this
account may help to inspire you to join us next year and “come hug it out in the Eastern Townships!”
Fields of Lavender at Bleu Lavende
We started out on a steamy mid-summer Sunday from Portland. We enjoyed a delicious catered lunch and inhaled the sweet scents of the lavender felds at Bleu Lavende. Next up, a lively bubbly cruise on Lake Memphrémagog, then a local beer and sandwich creation called Club Cantons (poulet mariné, vieux cheddar, bacon, tomatoes, roquette, sur pain ciabatta) at Des Cantons Microbrasserie! A pop-up thunderstorm cooled us off at the end of this delicious day.
Parc Marie-Victorin’s Gardens
The next day, heading to Quebec City, we took a breathtaking stroll through Parc Marie-Victorin’s seven themed gardens. We stood in awe at base of their mosaic cultures, “enormous three-dimensional plant structures linked to Brother Marie-Victorin’s many voyages of exploration. The one representing him is over six meters tall and is made up of more than 13,400 plants!”
We capped the day off with a tour and tasting at the Meillerie King Honey distillery before arriving in Quebec City for the next two nights.
Top: Adventure Marketplace group tour of lavender felds in Bleu Lavende.
Below: Cider related fun at Cidrerie Verger Bilodeau.
-All photos courtesy of Nancy Dorrans
Winter Carnival 2025.
Plant sculpture of explorer Marie-Victorin.
Summer of Blooms in the Eastern Townships & Quebec City
Cont'd from Pg. 10
Quebec – History & Appetite
Tuesday morning, my friend Catharine Moser and I enjoyed an early stroll past Café Boulangerie Paillard, Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Quebec, Le Monastère des Augustines, and breakfast at Le Cochon Dingue (The Crazy Pig!).
We then met our guide from Cicerone Tours for a full-day gastronomic tour of Quebec City and île d’Orléans. She was dressed as Marie-Anne Barbell, who was a French-Canadian businesswoman in New France (1704 –1793).
She is remembered for leading several successful business enterprises after the death of her husband, all while raising fourteen children!!
Marie-Anne shared stories of her life in New France in between visits of a cider tastings at Cidrerie Verger Bilodeau, a three-course lunch with fve wine paring at La Grange de l’ile, and a sweet stop at the Chocolaterie de l’Île d’Orléans, where the soft serve was dipped in real chocolate!
Back in Quebec City the group had some free time for relaxing and exploring Old Quebec.
Copper Doors of Sanctuaire SainteAnne-de-Beaupré
Wednesday began with a visit to the beautiful Sanctuaire Sainte-Anne-deBeaupré Shrine followed by a tour of the Cuivres d’art Albert Gilles, a family owned and operated copper art workshop and museum. The main doors of St. Anne’s, depicting the life of Jesus, were created by the copper artist Albert Gilles.
Montmorency Falls
Montmorency Falls, nearly one hundred feet taller than Niagara Falls was our last stop. We rode the cable car to the top for our buffet lunch. We admired the falls, viewing from the bridge and below.
This was a much different experience than when we visited in February. I think we will plan to do this adventure again next year! I hope you can join us!
“Don’t Delay....NOW is Someday!”
and
Nancy Dorrans is founder of Adventure Marketplace... Navigating travelers on authentic, nurturing, global
local adventures since 2014.
Quebec City Annual Winter Carnival Multi-Day Motor Coach Tour fom Porland
Copper doors at Sanctuaire Sainte-Anne-deBeaupré Shrine
Bonhomme of Winter Carnival fame at Montmorency Falls
Guide from Cicerone Tours dressed as Marie-Anne Barbell.
Gladis House Cleaning
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Book Short
The Buoyant Letters of Mimsy Bell
By Laurel Dodge
Reviews By Stephanie Miller
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Thank you for reading!
This delightful slim novel hooked me from page one.
“Dear Gerald,” it begins. “The water into which I release this letter is not the same water in which you slipped away, though the river remains the same: Sinuous, deceptive, violent. Curse though she is, people still come from all directions to bob along on foats, ride her rapids, and dance and drink themselves insensate on her beaches as if she were tame. It’s said she takes three lives per year. A debt from a wrong done long ago. The year of your death she took only two. I‘d like to think you were so alive you counted more than one, that your sacrifce spared another.”
Mimsy, eighty years old, has returned to her New England hometown, which, if it was a real town, could be in Maine but may be in New Hampshire. After a hard and fast and drug-fueled life as a rock and roll star, she returns to the scene where her frst and truest love died in a canoeing accident sixty-fve years before. She collects a number of antique bottles, places a letter inside, and each day drops the letter in the river. Although known to be a fckle lady, Mimsy is sure the river will bring the letters to her beloved Gerald.
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A Liturgy of Contemplation
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
Sadly, you can’t return to a small town, especially one in which you grew up, without everyone getting all up in your business. Mimsy is feisty, slightly ornery, tremendously kind, and flthy rich. Everyone from the pastor of the church in need of repair to the busybody old ladies running the food pantry to the eager young cousin who wants guitar lessons is after Mimsy, drawing her into village life.
The only viewpoint in the book is Mimsy’s letters to Gerald, a literary technique that I enjoyed very much for both what it reveals about Mimsy’s character and thoughts, and what it leaves out. Through that limited lens we join Mimsy’s adventures, including a love affair worthy of a rock star, becoming the unlikely best friend of the town’s only policeman, a few Hallmark moments, several disastrous and tragic deaths, and one sadness-infused birth. Throughout all, Mimsy remains steadfastly cantankerous, incredibly thoughtful, and brutally honest with Gerald.
We learn more about the long lost Gerald; sigh at the beauty of their young, perfect love; grieve and tantrum with Mimsy as she relives memories and discovers long kept secrets; and celebrate her friendships. She’s the kind of woman I would like to be (maybe without the drug phase) and have for a friend and neighbor. Being inside the correspondence of Mimsy and Gerald is a beautiful and heart warming ride down a sunny, slightly heart-racingly rapid, and gorgeous river of words.
“The Orphan Collector” By
Ellen Marie Wiseman
Two very different women star in this novel of the 1918 infuenza pandemic in Philadelphia, the frst I’ve read by this author. One is young Pia Lange, the thirteen year old daughter of German immigrants living in the slums while her beloved father is off to war. Despite their poverty, there is love and warmth in the home. Pia’s special gift, a sort of sixth sense where she can tell by touching someone if they are diseased, she keeps hidden by avoiding human contact, making her life lonely. Luckily, her newborn twin brothers are healthy and she revels in taking care of them.When her mother falls to the fu, Pia makes a fateful, desperate decision that leads to separation from her brothers, incarceration in a dreary orphanage, and fnally becoming a servant in the home of a kind doctor.
The other protagonist is Bernice, living across the street from the Langes. She’s bitter. Her husband was killed in battle, and her only son is dead of the fu and she blames the immigrants who are taking jobs from “true Americans,” infltrating the neighborhoods, smelling up the hallways with strange cooking, and not speaking proper English. She goes a little crazy – fueled by her prejudices and despair – and starts stealing children, especially immigrants.
Bernice is the most horrible of evil characters and Pia is the kind of plucky, moral, and clever protagonist we all love. I enjoyed the story very much, and despite the gruesome pandemic setting and the parallels to today’s American bigotry, this makes a great beach read.
“How to Read a Book” By Monica Wood, Maine Author
This is a light, sweet story of three people who have big hearts and luckily fnd each other in a happy coming of age tale. I’m typically not a fan of this kind of romantic novel, but about three chapters in I got curious about how it would all work out.
Harriet Larson brings her teaching background and compassion to lead a book club at the women’s prison. Along the way, there are some nice book discussions, a bit of insight into how a marriage can work when one partner is loving but not in love, a disastrous love afair that has all the makings of a horror movie, and fascinatng informaton about African grey parrots.
For more Aug. Micro Shorts visit https:// thewestendnews.com/33-place-brugmann-where-every-resident-has-a-survival-story/.
Payne Rd., Scarborough
"33 Place Brugmann" By Alice Austen Littoral Books / 2024
Get your home energy projects in before tax credits expire
By Marie Caspard
Have you been considering getting an EV or adding a home charger? Perhaps adding solar to your roof? Upgrading your electrical panel to 200 amps? Insulating your attic?
These residential clean energy and energy effciency projects, among others, are currently eligible for federal tax credits. These credits, specifcally the Residential Clean Energy Credit and Energy Effciency Home Improvement Credit, offer homeowners thousands of dollars of savings on project costs, and these projects themselves can translate to long term energy savings.
These two energy credits were established by the Infation Reduction Act in 2022. This spring, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” included provisions to eliminate these credits as early as September 30th, 2025, with most phasing out by December 31st, 2025. To receive the credit next time you fle your taxes, you must complete your projects before the tax credit expiration dates.
If you are considering home improve-
ments, do your research. Get a few quotes and make sure the tax credit deadline doesn’t slip away from you! Please note that other incentives other than federal tax credits may exist. Check out resources provided by Effciency Maine or your municipality for other incentives and information.
Bright Ideas is brought to you by PCAT, which meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month, 6 to 7:30 p.m. All are welcome! FMI: Portlandclimateaction@gmail.com or visit https://facebook.com/PortlandClimateActionTeam.897.
We're All in
This Together Endangerment Finding in Danger
By Nancy Nickerson, CCL Volunteer
In your perusal of climate-related literature, have you heard of the Endangerment Finding? I had not, but recently I have learned a lot about this. I took for granted the protections that have been afforded us all through the Clean Air Act and that have been in place for decades and monitored and regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But now, those protections are in danger of being eliminated.
This summer the EPA announced it plans to roll back the agency’s 2009 determination that climate pollution endangers public health and welfare. The Endangerment Finding came about from a Supreme Court ruling (2007’s Mass v. EPA) that said, according to Section 202 of the Clean Air Act, the EPA has the authority to regulate greenhouse gases as “air pollutants” if EPA determines that they threaten public health or welfare. This was further solidifed in the 2022 Infation Reduction Act, when Congress codifed EPA’s mandate by explicitly defning climate-warming greenhouse gases as air pollutants. Congress amended the Clean Air Act to enable the EPA to further regulate climate pollution.
President Trump’s frst EPA administrator, Andrew Wheeler (a former coal lobbyist), didn’t question or challenge this. But the new Trump administration, bolder and more extreme – some would say reckless – is taking a different approach.
According to Dana Nuccitelli, climate
scientist and policy expert for Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL), Section 202 of the Clean Air Act has only been used to regulate direct health impacts from local and regional pollution, not indirect health impacts from global pollution like greenhouse gases, which are well-mixed in the atmosphere. The Trump EPA is arguing that because Congress did not explicitly delegate to EPA the authority to regulate pollutants based on their indirect global impacts on public health then the agency cannot do so
In the words of climatologist Michael Mann of the University of Pennsylvania, “It takes a special sort of cognitive dissonance to deny, as the current administration is doing, that fossil fuel burning endangers us at a time when this is plain as day to the person on the street.”
Congress has done its job in passing the Clean Air Act and consistently supporting EPA climate-related regulations over the past three-plus decades. Here, the Trump EPA is attempting to defy Congressional effort and intent by reinterpreting the law. BUT there is a public comment period on this change that has been extended to September 22nd! Groups and individuals will be weighing in on this change, and we encourage you to do likewise. Contact your congressional representatives and newspapers. Or submit a comment to the EPA: https://www.epa.gov/regulations-emissions-vehicles-and-engines/proposed-rule-reconsideration-2009-endangerment-fnding#extension.
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Rooftop solar installation in West End. -WEN fle photo by Max Power
Sweet Treat Trivia
1. What small French sponge cakes are baked in pans that shapes them like sea shells?
2. In 2011, the Maine State Legislature made the whoopie pie the o cial state treat, and awarded the title of o cial state dessert to what other baked good?
3. Eclairs, profiteroles, and beignets are made using what kind of dough whose name is related to the French word for “hot”?
4. What Italian dessert with a name that means “pick me up” is made with ladyfingers dipped in co ee, mascarpone cream, and cocoa powder?
Mondays at El Rayo Scarborough, Banded Brewing, Lazzari
Tuesdays at Another Round, Ri Ra, Brookside F+D
Wednesdays at Salt Yard, Mast Landing, Wilson County, Smoked, George + Leon’s Thursdays at Dock’s Seafood, Locally Sauced, Tomaso’s Pizza, Arcadia online @bestworsttrivia
SLICE FROM THE PIE
The Hearth
The woman tends the hearth
As she has always done While fames in middle years
Portland ranks as 10th priciest U.S. summer destination at $346 per night with rates down 10% since 2023… Nantucket tops the list at $621 per night… According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac the Maine’s fall will be cooler and drier than usual with below-average temps and limited rainfall… Creative Portland’s Arts District banner project brings vibrant artwork by Maine and international artists to Congress Street… Portland Conservatory of Music celebrates 30 years with fall shows, a survey, and ticket giveaways for alumni… Furniture Friends names former city councilor Tae Chong as Executive Director… Portland hosts a ribbon cutting on Sept. 5th to mark the completion of the Back Cove sewer project and the opening of the new Preble Field at Back Cove Park Senator Jill Duson celebrates August opening of 45 Dougherty Court an affordable housing project funded in part by the Jill C. Duson Housing Trust Fund… Charlie Therrien is recognized for 15 years of leadership as he steps down as president at Northern Light Mercy Hospital… Maine ranks 4th nationally for women’s equality excelling in education and unemployment gaps, but lags in minimum-wage equity (26th) and entrepreneurship rates (25th)…
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Reduce themselves to embers Under the burden Of daily obligation
But now, despite the silvery gray of age
The fames are once again ablaze
Because the woman tends the hearth As she has always done
-By John Raby
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 hear t 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.
-David Tierney
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