The West End News - December 2020 Shop Local Edition - Vol. 20 No. 12

DECEMBER 2020.VOL. 20, NO. 12. PORTLAND, MAINE.

Outdoor Exercise this Winter: Parks & Rec During Covid-19

PORTLAND’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER. FREE!

COVID-19 MEMORIAL

The West End News joined with neighbors to honor those we have lost

Longfellow Square hosted a temporary memorial for Maine people who have died from Covid-19.

Turn to Page 3 for more.

By Tony Zeli Throughout the Stay at Home orders, outdoor exercise has remained a viable option for getting out and about.

But the state recommends recreating near home. Luckily, more than ninety percent of the Forest City’s denizens live within a ten-minute walk of an open space, park, or trail. All must keep a healthy six feet apart from others while enjoying the outdoors, but it is a small price to pay for the opportunity to get out and have fun, safely, this winter.

In the past, City staff have turned on up to four snowmaking guns to prep Payson Hill in Payson Park for sledding.

Also at Payson Park is the snowboard terrain park that includes a rail, fun box, and mini half pipe. Or consider skating at Payson pond.

Parks & Rec During Covid-19

On the Eastern Promenade Hill find more opportunities to sled, tube, telemark, and cross-country ski.

The City of Portland is maintaining an online map that shows the status of its Parks & Rec facilities and open spaces during the Covid-19 pandemic. The City offers numerous cross-country skiing, ice skating, sledding, snowshoeing, and even snowboarding opportunities.

In the past, the City has flooded Deering Oaks Park, Ludlow Street, and Nason’s Corner ponds for ice skating. As of print there were no reports on which ponds might be operational this season.

Riverside Golf Course offers seven kilometers of groomed cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails. There are hills for snowboarding, sledding, and tubing at the golf course, too.

INSIDE THIS EDITION Page 4 Neighbors respond to "affordable housing" development on Munjoy Hill Page 9 The Portland Palate says Farewell to Food

Terrain park at Payson Hill.

-WEN file photo

-Photos by Tony Zeli

Evergreen Cemetery Woods and Baxter Woods offer over one hundred acres of forest with trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and walking.

There are also miles of trails along the Presumpscot River leading to the Presumpscot Falls, with trailheads on Allen Avenue Extension and Summer Street.

And the famous Portland Trails, a nonprofit land trust, maintains over seventy miles of trails connecting every neighborhood.

Check trails.org for more information.

For more on winter recreation in Portland during Covid-19, visit the City’s website at https://www.portlandmaine. gov/2602/Parks-Open-Spaces-DuringCOVID-19.

Page 13 Portland Buy Local shares a gift guide to support the local business community Page 15 Astrologer Leo Knighton Tallarico ends his regular column but he'll be back Page 18 Inspiring Women by Nancy Dorrans

Page 6 Shop local and support your community

Page 7 Layne's Wine Gig Presents: Best of 2020

Page 12 Katie Shorey on startups and making "it" happen in Maine

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THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

OUR READERS

An Old-Fashioned Christmas

SUBMISSIONS

By Elaine Carver

If Christmas was like it used to be It wouldn’t cost much to trim the tree Handmade presents would mean much more Than all the junk bought in a store

Offering Hope, Community, and a New Beginning

Each present wrapped with down home love An old-fashioned Christmas is what I’m dreaming of Homemade candies is what I desire And Christmas carols sung by the fire

Christmas Shopping

Meeting on the corner at 867 Congress St. and the corner of Weymouth Street, New Genesis is now serving the homeless and local community, offering a full Sunday Community Breakfast from 8:15 am – 9:00 am each Sunday, followed by an encouraging word of hope and new beginning at our 9:00 am service.

I despised the gifts that were under the tree So I took myself on a shopping spree I chose some fine gifts especially for me And placed them neatly beneath the tree

New Genesis has been serving the homeless community since 2009. We also are presently offering jackets and winter wear from our clothing closet.

For more information you may call Dan White at (207) 251-6967. We are following social distancing and sanitizing measures. Masks are provided.

It’s no wonder – I’m full of Christmas cheer I get the gifts I want year after year!!

Merry Christmas, Elaine Carver

WEN is a community newspaper and we need your voice! You may share your submissions with thewestendnews@gmail.com or send to: The West End News Attn: Editor 795 Congress Street Portland, Maine 04102 • Letters to the editor should be no more than 300 words. Include your name, neighborhood, and phone or email for confirmation.

• Op-eds should be no more than 700 words and include a brief biography of 1-2 sentences.

• WEN also accepts poetry, cartoons, and photo submissions.

Deadline for publication is the fourth Friday of every month. Our column space is very limited, publication is not guaranteed, and submissions may be edited for length and content.

Thank you for sharing your voice!

COVID-19 MEMORIAL

NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES

The West End News came together Mary Ann with volunteers from the neighborhood Rasor over Thanksgiving weekend to create a Armstrong temporary memorial remembering those October 27, 1943 – we have lost to Covid-19. Hundreds of June 8, 2020 handwritten cards adorned black stakes to remember each of the nearly 200 An adventurous woman of dignity, goofdeaths in Maine. iness and love, mother, sister, daughter, wife, “Difficult or painful situations mustn’t grandmother, partner, friend. be ignored due to stigma or politics,” said Mary Ann raised her children, Derek and volunteer and WEN contributor Rosanne Melanie, to be good people.

Graef. “Failure to collectively mourn those She loved to laugh, contra dance, and whose lives have been lost or upended play board games. adds another tragic dimension.”

She appreciated a wide variety of music Mourners left remembrances like a blue pebble, heart shaped stone, flow- and read voraciously. She was a PEO sister. ers, and a story from a life lost. Since we She was a letter writer and loved her cannot tell all the stories from those who home; her favorite movie was “Harold and have passed, here is one from a life honMaude.” ored at the memorial.

Mary Ann is remembered with love by Derek, Melanie, Steve, Joy, Allen, Elissa, and many, many friends.

-Photos by Tony Zeli

Perhaps, Mary Ann Armstrong’s story will remind us of the hundreds of our neighbors who have passed and are not just statistics, but mothers, fathers, friends and neighbors, healers, adventurers, leaders, and so much more.

La Vida Local: Irregular Notes on West End Life

Ever Onward

By Rosanne Graef There are some exciting events coming up in December that you won’t want to miss (actually you can’t miss them).

Good news is that there’s no ticket or cover-charge! December 9, 21, and 28 are the dates to circle on your calendar. You’ll also need to set your clock alarm to remind you of the exact times: 4:03 p.m. on the 9th, 5:02 a.m. and noon on the 21st, and 7:14 a.m. on the 28th. Those of you This illustration shows the Earth who are attuned to the outdoors here at on the Winter Solstice for us here the Northern Hemisphere.

43.6591° N should have already figured in -Photo by Siberian Art / Adobe Stock out the noteworthiness of these days and times, but in case you haven’t here are the reasons to pay attention. phenomenon, but isn’t it much more picThese events are all related to the big turesque to imagine Ol’ Sol at 5:02 a.m. on trip all of us take every year, mostly with- December 21st, announcing, “I’ve come out realizing we’re going anywhere. This this far and will not go one step further”? excursion, of course, is Earth’s 584-million-mile yearly journey around the sun, and we get to go along for the ride, and the sights, and experiences through which it takes us.

If you don’t feel like getting up and celebrating at 5:02 a.m. on the 21st, not to worry. If the weather’s cooperating and the sun is shining, you can just wait until noon, go outdoors, and see your longest The jolt from the return of Eastern noontime shadow of the year! How’s that Standard Time in early November should for some excitement? have made you notice how early it beThings start to pick up and perk up comes dark outside and how much that as the days lengthen, although it’s not until makes you feel like getting into your pa- 7:14 a.m. on December 28th that we’ll see jamas before supper. On December 9th, the latest sunrise. By then we’ll have made if you begin to feel some stirrings that it through the darkest evenings and be enable you to press on and stay awake, ready to see out this annus horribilis and, it may be because the earliest sunset has with luck and pluck, welcome an annus occurred at 4:03 p.m., and happy hour has mirabilis. begun its march towards coinciding with Thanks to timeanddate.com and “News Hour.”

The Farmer’s Almanac for the astroAlthough we commonly think of the nomical data. winter solstice as lasting a day, it is, in fact, the point in time when the sun will reach the Tropic of Capricorn and begin its re- Rosanne Graef lives in the West End turn to the Tropic of Cancer. Of course, it and is a regular volunteer contributor. is Earth’s tilted posture that creates this Email: lavidalocalwen@gmail.com.

THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

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THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

OPINION

Letters to the Editor

Munjoy Hill Development Not Affordable

As residents of Munjoy Hill, we feel compelled to clarify the picture of the development at 128R North Street, as described in the article, “Munjoy Hill Residents Team up….” [November 2020].

Calling this “affordable housing” is misleading and inaccurate. The developer is planning a large four-story, six-unit building, out of scale with neighboring homes and squeezed into a small backyard lot next door to an historic home.

Although the development includes one small workforce housing unit, the remaining five units are quite pricey, each valued in the half-million-dollar range. Apparently, the developer intends to live on the top floor in a 4-bedroom condo with a market value closer to one million dollars.

Moreover, the current plan actually results in a net loss of affordable housing units. The developer already demolished a single-family home and envisions demolition of an adjacent building with four rental units, in order to provide adequate road access for the new condominium building.

There is no legal requirement that he replace the building to be demolished.

Last month’s article fails to take note of the tremendous resistance to this project by dozens of neighbors, who have voiced opposition to this ill-advised project consistently over the past year, and to two pending legal challenges to the project. We certainly appreciate the need for affordable housing on the Portland peninsula. It is a far stretch, though, to envision this ill-advised development as an improvement and affordable.

Deborah Cole & Bill Eager Ann Casady & Peter Pitegoff Marianna Pratt Lindsay & Susan Mann Betty Lorber & Bud Pollak Betts & Eldon Mayer Andrew Marsters Erin Dunn Munira & Ali Naqui Justin Dewalt Terrell & Susanne Robins Yael Reinharz & James Trainor Peter & Pat Bagg Linda & Michael Englert Mary & Robert Morse

Is $1 Million Affordable?

The public relations piece published recently in The West End News erroneously claims that developer Josh Wojcik is building “affordable” housing on Munjoy Hill. With the exception of one workforce housing unit, the remaining 5 units are luxury condos which will start at around half a million dollars and top out with a four-bedroom penthouse for the developer likely valued at a million dollars or more, based on current listings of similar condos in the neighborhood.

Meanwhile the developer is tearing down five affordable rental units that he owned on the property including a single-family home he did not maintain. So this luxury condo project, vehemently opposed by neighbors, actually results in a loss of affordable housing.

There is nothing “innovative” at all about this project, as the developer alleges. Rather it is a mundane typical super luxe behemoth out of scale and character with the neighborhood.

-Leslie Hart & Kevin Schochat

David & Nancy Machesney

READER OPINION

According to the City of Portland website, “The Racial Equity Steering Committee is charged with reviewing the City’s approach to public safety,” including: the scope of police duties, the nature of its community partnerships, and to recommend changes to curtail systemic racism.

These are hot button issues for sure, but one thing that everyone can probably agree upon is that legislative policy has its limitations. A legislative body cannot account for every aspect of civic life, nor can it enforce policies other than to assign the task to bureaucratic agents such as inspectors, regulators, and most notably, police.

Police are agents of the state and are inextricably tied to the multiple structures of government policies that they are meant to enforce. And while policy might have its limitations, bureaucracy does not.

Sadly, we have reached a point where our regulatory apparatus has become so technocratic and so byzantine that it simultaneously surpasses normal human intelligence while it negates it.

Bureaucratic expertise – whether it be in city planning, industry regulation, or the law–lies not with knowledge and judgement, but with the understanding of a complex matrix of codes, standards, and regulations often enforced by multiple agencies but rarely accountable to just one. The anonymity of the enforcement and lack of accountability is what made the political theorist Hannah Arendt consider bureaucracy as a form of tyranny because those caught on the wrong end (whether they add an illegal addition to their house or are caught drinking in public) are subject to punishment and harm.

As Hannah Arendt wrote: Bureaucracy is the form of government in which everybody is deprived of political freedom, of the power to act; for the rule by Nobody is not no-rule, and where all are equally powerless we have a tyranny without a tyrant.

Historically, and to the present day, the role of police has been to enforce administrative ordinances and protect business interests. Over the years the duties of the constable have included land surveying, verifying weights and measures, capturing freed slaves, and squelching labor demonstrations. But for many years the primary role of police has been to “maintain order” which in large part means regulating behavior particularly in the realm of “crimes of vice,” such as public drinking, drug use, and prostitution – generally directed toward the underclasses. (Public drinking is a good illustration.

It is illegal to drink on a sidewalk unless a business establishment pays for a license and a permit.) Such notions of behavior as crime prompted author David Graeber to describe police officers as “bureaucrats with batons.”

So when it comes to considering the purpose of policing, it is most useful to think in terms of bureaucratic systems and not isolated incidents by individual actors.

Commentary by Dr. Oren Gersten On November 3rd voters in Portland, Maine passed a ballot initiative paving the way for workers in the city to receive among the highest minimum wages in the country. In addition to a $15 minimum wage, essential workers will receive a time and a half minimum wage during declared states of emergency [which at the current $12 minimum wage comes to $18/hour].

This victory follows a nationwide movement dubbed “the fight for fifteen,” that has won increases in the minimum wage in other cities across America.

So why would a doctor write about an increase in the minimum wage? There are several fascinating connections between workers’ wages and health care which are important to understand and which put this historic legislation in context.

1. Our inefficient health care system has been stealing workers’ wages It has been well documented that wages have been stagnant in the U.S. for decades. When you compare the increase in the cost of living and inflation to takehome pay, people are earning comparatively less year after year. This is despite our overall economy growing and many businesses doing quite well.

So, where is all this money going, if not to workers? It is not going to small business owners and not to the government. It’s not going to public resources like schools, parks, and libraries. It is going to health care costs.

The Rule of Nobody

By Zack Barowitz

How health care costs are eating up workers’ raises

Police from twelve law enforcement agencies deploying riot equipment and militarist tactics at racial justice demonstrations last June.

-Photo by Caroline Losneck are empowered to use force and may employ tactics and behaviors not suited for civil discourse. If an excess occurs (such as lethal force) the police may expect a large bureaucratic government (from local review boards up to the Governor) to protect them.

As wages have remained flat, healthcare costs have skyrocketed. Money that could have been going into people’s pockets, instead is going into health insurance premiums that families, business owners, or the government end up paying.

Unfortunately, we are not getting a lot for our money. Despite increased spending, health outcomes are terrible compared to other developed countries. So, it turns out our wage problem is a health care problem.

2. Fairly paid workers are happier, It is therefore both the limitations of healthier, and better at their jobs policy and the intention of it, that the poIn cities that were early adopters lice are often left to their own devices to of minimum wage increases, Seattle for decide which activities are sanctioned and example, there was controversy about how to deal with them; often by summary CONT'D ON PG. 14 justice.

In Portland, the City Councilors and members of the Racial Equity Steering Committee don’t carry guns and batons.

They don’t legislate justice in the streets, but they empower police to enforce certain policies. While we might see thoughtful and respectful discourse in the council chamber, the dynamic shifts dramatically in the streets when the city official is carrying a gun. Because behind that gun is not an individual but the full power of the government that it serves. As employees and representatives of the city of Portland, police could be judged by the same standards as city councilors. However, that is not the system. The system we have does not rely on rational discourse, instead, it allows the police to fall back on the threat – and use – of blunt force in the name of the law.

The relationship between politicians and police is a sort of social contract.

Since 9/11 and probably a lot longer than that, governments have sought to diminish individual liberties in favor of heightened security (think of the days when you were allowed to bring toothpaste on an airplane). Police are charged to fill the gaps where policy fails. In exchange, they Zack Barowitz is a Portland resident.

SUBMIT YOUR OPINION Share your opinion with the editor. Email thewestendnews@gmail.com or mail to: The West End News Attn: Editor 795 Congress Street Portland, Maine 04102.

Letters to the editor should be no more than 300 words. Include your name, neighborhood/town, and phone or email for confirmation. Op-eds should be no more than 700 words.

Deadline for publication is the fourth Friday of every month. Our column space is very limited, publication is not guaranteed, and submissions may be edited for length and content.

WHAT'S GOING ON

THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

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Sea Change Chorale Presents the 3rd Annual

Share The Warmth Event On December 10th, Sea Change Chorale will present its 3rd Annual Share The Warmth event to raise funds to purchase winter clothing in support of Preble Street. This year’s virtual sing-along will be presented on Zoom at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 10th. Seasonal songs, poetry, and other works appropriate to the holiday season and suitable for the whole family will be showcased.

We invite you to make a contribution for Preble Street via our Venmo or PayPal account or by check sent to us. Preble Street asks that we not collect winter clothing this year but provide monetary contributions that support their work.

helps homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence by providing housing, meals, case management, and community for families experiencing homelessness. Sea Change Chorale’s Benefit Concert for Greater Portland Family Promise, initially planned for April 2020 at Williston-Immanuel United Church, will be rescheduled once it is deemed safe to hold choral concerts again.This will be our sixth benefit concert for a local nonprofit.

Recent (pre-Covid) performances by the 55-member chorus include the First Friday Art Walk, MLK Dinner hosted by the NAACP, and the Annual Benefit Concert.

Prior to COVID-19, Sea Change Cho- For more information, please visit rale held Share The Warmth concerts in seachangechorale.org or find us on front of Renys on Congress Street during Facebook. the December First Friday Art Walk in Portland. Festive holiday musical selections were featured while donations from passers-by of new adult winter clothing for Preble Street were collected. Over the past two years, Sea Change Chorale has been able to collect over 500 items of winter clothing helping Preble Street meet the needs of those experiencing problems with homelessness.

In addition to the December Share The Warmth concerts, Sea Change Chorale partners annually with a local nonprofit to provide support and build awareness of their mission. This year’s partner, Greater Portland Family Promise,

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Community News

At The West End News, we promise to present solutions, cover stories of neighbors coming together, deemphasize the controversy, and clearly present the facts. And most importantly we will give readers relevant information that is helpful to their day-to-day lives.

That is what we mean by positive community news.

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SHOP LOCAL

THANK YOU for shopping local for the holidays!

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Support the local economy.

Shop at local, indie biz!

When you spend dollars at an independent, locally owned business, more money stays in our local economy. Spend a dollar at a local store and 62 cents return to our local economy in the form of wages, rent, and charitable giving.

Spend it at a chain store and only 13 cents return. Spend it at an online giant like Amazon and only a couple pennies come back to us.

When you shop locally, you are putting money into the hands of local people. Retail is Maine’s top sector.

And about 56.5% of retail workers are women. Also, Blacks and Hispanics are overrepresented in retail work. In 2017, Blacks comprised 12.5% of the retail workforce compared to 11.4% of the total workforce; Hispanics were 18.7% and 17.5%, respectively.

Since the 2020 pandemic, small businesses face challenges they never expected, becoming custodians of public health in addition to what they wanted to be doing – providing us with the goods and services that we need and make us happy.

During the holiday and winter shopping season, consider spending a little extra close to home. Shop local!

Looking for more ways to shop locally? Here are some great resources: Portland Buy Local’s Gift Guide https://www.portlandgiftguide.com Black Owned Maine https://www.blackownedmaine.com Portland Food Map https://www.portlandfoodmap.com

FOOD & DRINK

THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

Cahors, Chateau La Grave, 2017.

The original old school French home of the malbec grape. Perfection with the duck dish.

LAYNE'S WINE GIG PRESENTS

BEST OF 2020

By Layne V. Witherell

I admit, it has been less than a banner year. But we can still present awards and have a tiny socially distanced gathering in my cluttered basement. This list presents my highlights of both giving, living, and reading in 2020.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT TUCKED INSIDE AN OLD DINER 2020 Judy Gibson, 171 Ocean St., South Portland

THE ‘SAY IT AIN’T SO AWARD’

We have dined out every week, covering in total, as many local restaurants as exist in Portland during the past 14 years.

The West End News has an independent ad sales rep. It is important to maintain your own independence in both food and wine.

Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy

The first award, of course, goes to our own iconic Maine beverage (actually made in Massachusetts), Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy. Awarded for falling off the #1 top drinks pedestal it has occupied for centuries(?) in Maine only to be replaced by a cinnamon thing called Fireball. Now, when you go to your favorite watering hole it is not impolite to ask, “I’ll have a # 2 please.”

This colorful holiday decanter should be a gift that every aficionado of our own “fat ass in a glass” will treasure for a lifetime.

Milk in its own container sold separately.

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

Illahe Winery, OR The Illahe Winery in Oregon wins this one hands down. According to Jancis Robinson of the London Financial Times, “Percheron draft horses deliver grapes to the winery; the wine is taken by stagecoach to the nearby river on which it is transported by canoe and eventually delivered locally by bicycle.” Eat your heart out Maine, we are cool, but not that cool.

I have three criteria: the food, of course. Please, no YELP reviews, but I do read Andrew Ross and Pete Wells for style and content.We eat everything if it is fresh and well prepared. The wine list – I don’t care how long or short, just don’t rip me off. Food and wine have been an integral professional experience in my life for over 40 years. And service. We caught up with Moses from Hot Suppa in New Orleans and he and his local pals filled us in to the difficulties of keeping staff.

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Be still my heart: 86’d is FRICO, the magical Lambrusco concoction. Save the Frico.

Hours and menu vary with Covid restrictions. Go to their website judygibsonrestaurant.com for weekly updated menus and takeout. Hopefully soon you can bring your gift certificate and put yourself in Stephanie’s hands for pairing recommendations. Fine dining in a diner that is not afraid to be edgy.

Cahors, Chateau La Grave, 2017. Find it on the wine list at Layne's Best New -Photos by Layne Witherell Restaurant. che reminded us of Medjool dates made of succulent meat. It was shocking in a good way. It makes guest appearances as a dish.

Roasted Duck maple braised radicchio, farro, and spicy prunes. Rare duck with a sweetness of the maple and fruitiness of the prunes. It all works together.

WAITPERSON OF THE YEAR 2020

Scott C. of the Black Point Inn, Prouts Neck

Black Point Inn is a hotel done in a classic Down East nautical boardroom style with a zillion dollar view. Not only did the waitstaff push our Mini Cooper S up the hill when we ran out of gas, but our waiter Scott remarked “what an excellent choice” when I ordered the Terradora Felanghina (an obscure ancient Roman grape) along with the fish tacos. Nobody orders those two things together.

The wine list is small at 16 items and like the menu everything changes. They include both the things you know and the far out, but you have options: glass, 11oz Judy Gibson is a rock star for all carafe, 17 oz carafe, and bottle. A model I asked him if he was an actor. “No, I three. Give a couple of friends a gift certif- for restaurants. Wines of note, include: just love what I do,” (even during a pandemicate to this place this holiday season – it’s ic!). And he meant it.

Rkatsiteli, Kakheti, Georgia. Light, worth it. Remember, they probably won’t I have thoughts about our restauhave the same dish twice. In several visits, medium bodied white with a hint of pepper, 17 oz carafe at $32.00.

The grape travrants in Maine. Because of the magnet of we felt comfortable with the chef being in eled from Crimea Georgia to Russia, to tourism and both scenic and architectural charge. Some highlights: Concannon in California, and Horton in Smoked Bangs Island Mussels Escabe- Virginia.

CONT'D ON PG. 8

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FOOD & DRINK

THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

LAYNE'S WINE GIG CONT'D FROM PAGE 7 adorableness, you don’t have to be that good. Some places just choose to be.

The ambiance of The Black Point Inn itself is great, but that fish taco and glass of Falanghina just taste better when people care.Thanks for treating unknown little us like rock stars. Congrats Scott.

EXQUISITE CURBSIDE DRINKS AWARD 2020

Felanghina, an excellent choice according to Waitperson of the Year Scott C. -Photo by L.ayne Witherell

THE ULTIMATE BOOK Cocktail Mary, 229 Congress St. LOVERS & SEEKER INTO THE FUTURE GIFT AWARD Sure, it is a couple of wooden benches barely hanging onto Congress Street, but the cocktail menu at 21 items strong and the craft beer and cider list weighing in at 12 to 14 are both well selected.

There is something for everyone here from a House Cocktail the Scurvy Snack made of Plantation 3 Star Rum, pineapple gum syrup, lime, and caraway to the exotic and whimsical.

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Take out & curbside service available Please see our website for a current menu and hours

“What Does Your Cup Reveal,” by Kizzie Everhart Smith

From Rabelais Rare Books in Biddeford, Kizzie Everhart Smith’s immortal classic “What Does Your Cup Reveal,” San Pedro, California, 1948. First Edition of an indispensable guide to reading leaves in a teacup. Illustrated with 15 images photographed from above, surrounded by text with author’s interpretation. Included is a glossary of interpretations. The best little 32 pages that money can buy: $120.00.

This fits both the 2020 prophesy category and the support your local business category. Contact info@rabelaisbooks.com.

There are many more juicy morsels on their website.

Be safe out there. And remember to support the local businesses. Check with OhNo Café and Blue for a December Tucked amidst the small wine list was [virtual] Layne’s Wine Gig. their single item sake category. We asked Isaac, the proprietor, “What is this Bushido sake, anyway?”

Curbside at Cocktail Mary. -Photo by

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It was a deal that he got from the local distributor who has little in the way of local Japanese restaurant business now. If only this could happen to all wines. It was served chilled in a wine glass accompanied by a tiny carafe to pour the remainder.The sake tastes like drinking a cloud. Remember it is an 18% alcohol cloud. So that is why Congress Street looked so good at our curbside bench. Actually, Isaac simply knows his stuff. You are in the hands of a pro.

Layne 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.

Visit http://winemaniacs.wordpress.com/blog.

WineManiacs

By Layne V. Witherell

Updated 2020 Edition

Informed Irreverent Fun

Now available at Print: A Bookstore

FOOD & DRINK

THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

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THE PORTLAND PALATE

Farewell to Food

James Fereira has a background in making mischief, music, and merriment. In his spare time, he enjoys writing and questioning authority. James can still be reached at ThePortlandPalate@ gmail.com.

By James Fereira

Goodbyes and transitions are never easy. Sometimes they are by choice, sometimes by circumstance, perhaps sometimes a combination of both. The reasons are many: we grow out of something, away from someone, our needs change, or there is a conflict requiring our attention or action. We get bored. We move away.

Someone dies. Making transitions is a constant in life. We adjust and adapt. We try not to head toward stagnancy, or worse yet, personal disaster.

Through transitions we have the opportunity to expand. We could, in fact, view the inevitability of transitions as absolutely essential if we are to grow, to evolve, to move on. “Everything has a shelf life,” I like to say, whether political tyranny, nuclear waste, even honey – I suppose.

TRANSITIONS Beyond the philosophizing, and beginning my article with such an ominous title, one might be tempted to ask a few clarifying questions. Has James gone on some kind of hunger strike? Perhaps to protest a GOP/Donald Trump takeover of our democracy and the presidential election results? (Surely, if this were the case, I would starve to death.) Has James discovered a heretofore unknown way of living on Earth which eliminates the necessity for food? Are finances so tight that he can no

longer afford to feed himself? Or has he embarked on some other equally outlandish pursuit, using starvation as a vehicle toward existential enlightenment?

Maybe James has finally just flipped his lid.

The answer is disappointingly simple: I’ve run out of …steam. (Ah, I bet you thought I was going for ‘…things to say?’

Hardly.) Over the past several months, partly due to Covid, but also separate from it, I’ve lost interest in writing solely about food. Aside from the fact that so many skilled writers in Maine write endlessly about the food experience, with myriad glossy magazines, blog sites, and newspaper columns dedicated to the subject, I’m ready for a reboot. Sure, I’m passionate about food, but I’m even more zealous about writing.Writing for the sake of putting pen to paper. Writing has been in my blood since a young age. I am finally recognizing it. Writing is in my soul and it is an ineluctable part of me, and I trust that it always will be.

With this in mind, I nervously approached Publisher-Editor Tony Zeli about my dilemma. I expressed how grateful I am at having had the opportunity in 2017 to step in as WEN’s nascent food columnist.

Tony took a chance on an unknown like me. Forty-five reviews and three years and

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seven months spent writing The Portland Palate have been an honor. I’ve learned a lot about myself, about being a wordsmith, even about this community – where I’ve lived since 1992. I have been humbled to learn that many readers look forward to seeing my column each month. Several have written to me over the years, not all the comments being nice. Whether I’ve shown compassion or created controversy, at least people are reading, right?

WHAT’S NEXT I am ready to explore. I want to write about more than food. I’m preparing to launch my next career as a freelance writer, photographer, blogger, philosopher, activist… I see no cap to the many hats I am prepared to wear. Tony generously and judiciously offered to keep me on with WEN as an occasional writer, covering assignments or particular subjects. I will always be a foodie, too. So, that parlance is not necessarily off the table, so-to-speak.

But it is time to grow, to evolve, to move on.

I envision submitting articles to periodicals and newspapers to get my name out there; to develop a blog/website; and to enter the freelance writing market, as vast as it already is. Maybe I’ll write a book.

Enter contests. I hope that I’ll have something to say that hasn’t already been said or can be said in a new way. Will I succumb to an insurmountable depression after I receive my first fifty rejections?

Perhaps. Though I’m counting on some internal strengths to help sustain my own salvation: I am stubborn, and unwaveringly persevering – even self-confident, if not foolishly so.

I realize my news will make some of you sad. Possibly others of you, happy. And the rest just won’t care. All of it is fine.

If it’s one thing I’ve learned as a formerly

abused kid who tried desperately to fit in: wanting to be liked by others, in the long run, doesn’t matter.You attract those who resonate with you for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. The cliche seems true that you really MUST like, and love, yourself to be happy.This brings you to recognize that it is ultimately not important what others think of you. Because you already think enough of yourself to accept and respect who you are, and your self-esteem is not dependent upon other peoples’ opinions of you.

FOR EVERYTHING A SEASON The timing feels right. It is the end of 2020 – a surreal and punishing year. It’s the finale of a painful forty-eight months’ worth of living with, and in spite of, a dysfunctional Washington and the vile Trump empire. I’ve got a family in crisis – rife with multiple losses. I had shoulder surgery last year. I’ve recently taken early retirement and there’s been no work available at my jobs anyway. Ruth Bader Ginsburg died.

So did Alex Trebek. We adapt, we adjust. I don’t know of any alternatives to doing so, except death … and I’m not ready to face that inevitability quite yet.

I will miss all of you, and from the bottom of my snarky yet defiantly hopeful and passionate heart, I thank you for reading. I will maintain my email address should you wish to connect. And I look forward to whatever comes next in this complex, screwed-up, beautiful world of ours, and all which it has yet to lay bare before us.

The End.

Thank you for reading!

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THE WEST

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THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

BUSINESS & COMMUNITY

Katie Shorey: Starting Up Maine Every Month PelotonLabs founder Liz Trice interviews a community member for The West End News.This month Liz caught up with Katie Shorey of Startup Maine and Live & Work in Maine.

You have a lot of energy around start- exciting person moving back to Maine? ups and attracting people to Maine. What There’s a woman who grew up overseas drives you? and is an editor of a large publication, and her husband grew up in Maine. She and I didn’t realize I had such a passion for her husband and kids moved from New Maine until I lived in Washington, D.C. My York City to Portland. Another couple friends would say,“Oh you’re such a chamlived in Brooklyn, and she works for a big pion and promoter for Maine.” So, when national consulting firm, and her husband’s I moved back, and caught wind of excita furniture maker, and they’re looking for ing things happening here, I wanted to be a place to land in Maine. part of a story that was up and coming.

When you go to New York or San FrancisThe quality of life is driving people to co, they’ve already made it, but here I can Maine. So, the exciting part is that they’re help make it happen. seeing enough action and growth in Maine that they want to put down roots. Maine, What is “it?” What is the thing especially greater Portland, is becoming a that is happening in Maine that career destination.

is so exciting?

The burgeoning startup community.

Not only are startups popping up left and right, but they’re growing and expanding without people knowing about it: bluShift, the rocket space startup on Brunswick Landing; Running Tide, an oyster company turn aquaculture venture; vet/tech companies like RareBreed and ElleVet Sciences.

I’m encouraged by all the support that rallies around these companies like Maine Accelerates Growth and the various organizations that make up that group.

I also love the community-driven sense among small businesses. I always say that Maine is very relationship based, not transactional. Local businesses try to support other local businesses and I love that collaboration.

The third thing is the talented people who are interested in coming back here.

People who grew up here, summered here, went to camp here – and have left – but want to come back. From where I sit, it’s fun to see those people come back.

So how does this benefit the rest of us?

That is a valid concern! It’s something that can be worked on at the state level, as well as grassroots. We have to focus more What are the good things that on education, workforce development, happen when highly skilled increased wages, tax policy… We don’t want to widen the divide. We also need people move to our state? to impress on people moving to Maine They bring a new set of life and work that they’re moving to a community, and experiences that they can bring to their that means getting involved, knowing your place of work, their community, even to neighbors, and giving back. the school their kids attend. Maybe they Our primary job is marketing Maine can see a gap and help make a company or as a great place to live and work, but we an organization in their community better know we need to address these issues, or see things from a different angle. too. We have a lot of work to do around I’m thinking about the guy who in- making sure that immigrants get connecttentionally moved bluShift Aerospace, the ed to the community and employers, too. rocket company, here. Maybe that opens We need to make sure that any new resomeone’s eyes that Maine can be the sources are invested in ways that beneplace where space technology happens fit everyone. Abbott Labs and hospital and inspires more people to get involved. systems need housekeepers and mainteRunning Tide is sinking tons of kelp to the nance staff, and people who work those ocean floor to sequester carbon from the jobs can’t afford to live in those communiatmosphere... These ideas are opening ties. That’s a problem. We need good jobs, possibilities for people to dream bigger. and we need affordable housing.

It also means that if someone grows up in Maine dreaming of rockets, they don’t have to We also want to welcome people leave their families to pursue who are new to Maine. Their stories are that dream. exciting, and it’s heartening to see the state get new people.We banned the term “from away” because people feel unwelcome when they hear it. It’s not inclusive.

So that’s a little first step, and I encourage others to do the same.

have a cluster of businesses with people and researchers in the same industry, it feeds on itself and can create lots of new resources and new businesses that can benefit everyone living in the region.

We have over 400 life sciences companies in Maine, which is a huge potential niche we should market and celebrate.

You can say if you’re interested in life sciences or ocean related businesses (the Blue Economy) that this is the place to be.

Can you give me an example of an And the way these things work, when you

If you’d like to learn more about Live + Work in Maine, visit LiveWorkMaine.com or reach out to Katie Shorey directly at katie@ liveworkmaine.com.

PelotonLabs is a coworking space in the West End of Portland, Maine with a mission to connect and encourage people working on their own to manifest their visions without fear.

BUSINESS & COMMUNITY

THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

13

Support Local Business Use the Buy Local Gift Guide

By Mary Alice Scott Every year, we produce an annual gift guide to inspire community members to shop locally and support the small businesses that make Portland a unique place to live and work.

This year, we built our Gift Guide into something bigger and better than we’ve ever done before. You can find the full guide – with 60+ ideas from local businesses – at www.portlandgiftguide.com.

AND each gift idea links directly to the website of the local business who sells it.

In many cases, you can purchase the item online, making a safe local shopping experience for everyone.

Mary Alice Scott is Portland Buy Local (PBL) Executive Director, and WEN publisher and editor Tony Zeli is president of the board of directors and WEN is a PBL media partner.

positively related to the share of its economy held by local businesses, while the presence of mega-retailers … undermines social capital and civic participation.”

Throughout this year, we’ve seen how important those social ties are and how much more difficult life is without the connections we have to one another. It’s Your purchases can make a big differ- an extreme example of what our comence. When you shop at a locally owned, munities could feel like with a dwindling independent business, 76% more of your number of local businesses. money stays right here in Portland.

If we want to return to having a city If everyone in Cumberland County that is vibrant, unique, and filled with a shifted just 10% of their shopping to local- sense of community, this is the most critily owned businesses, it would generate an cal month to support local businesses.The additional $127 million in local econom- next months are the slowest season for ic activity and generate an additional 874 many public-facing businesses, and they jobs. rely on income from this month to help pay their fixed costs (like Portland’s very The benefits of a strong local business expensive commercial rents) through the community go beyond the economic im- winter months. pact. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance looked at several studies that analyzed loBuy local – and use our Gift Guide cal business impact on the community and as a launchpad – to ensure our local busifound that “A community’s level of social ness community is still there at the end capital, civic engagement, and well-being is of winter.

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THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

CLIMATE JUSTICE

We’re All in This Together Climate Solutions Beyond Your Backyard

Maine’s Outsized Role in The Terms We Use to Build One -By Peter Dugas, citizensclimatelobby.org Climate Policy Climate Future Since its inception, this monthly column has focused on creating the political will for effective and equitable climate solutions. While many of us have worked to reduce our carbon footprints, the truth is that as laudable as those efforts are, there is little hope we can avoid climate disaster by relying solely on individual virtue.

Climate policy must have two essential design features: (1) It must be effective in reducing the greenhouse gases driving climate change and (2) it must protect the poor. While comparing all possible policies, a Carbon Fee and Dividend policy (“carbon cash-back”) is singularly beneficial on both fronts.

According to independent analysis (see M.I.T.’s En-ROADS climate simulator, en-roads.climateinteractive.org), carbon pricing policies like the bipartisan Energy Innovation Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763) does more to reduce projected temperature increases than any other single policy.

fee as a monthly check, Carbon Fee and Dividend would predominantly benefit low- and middle-income Americans who have a smaller carbon footprint than their wealthier neighbors – who should be incentivized to de-carbonize their lifestyles.

Furthermore, Carbon Fee and Dividend enjoys high approval from both parties, ensuring its political resilience.

With properly designed cities we can greatly lower our impact on the planet while living healthy, meaningful lives. This is, in part, the promise of the twin cities’ One Climate Future (OCF) plan’s “Six Big Moves.” For everyone to participate in meeting OCF’s goals, we need a shared understanding of the terms we use. The current Bright Ideas series hopes to elabPresident-elect Joe Biden has shown orate on some of the important concepts addressing climate change will be a top we’ll need to do our part. priority. As Mainers, we enjoy an outsized The first big move, “Build Better capacity to help lawmakers implement the best possible climate policy, since we are Buildings,” proposes new policies to “imthe only state with both Senators on the prove the way we design, build, and retSenate Climate Solutions Caucus, a bipar- rofit our buildings” to create more enertisan group that has been studying poten- gy efficient spaces resilient to extreme weather and powered by renewable ential climate policies using En-ROADS. ergy. Climate-ready homes would be an Maine volunteers from Citizens’ Clioption for everyone. New buildings would mate Lobby have been meeting with Senbe net-zero energy starting 2032. ators King and Collins for many years.

While they have been working on smaller • Resilient: To recover quickly from climate bills, we hope that our upcoming difficult conditions – to “spring back” meetings will move them closer to this into shape. economy-wide climate policy. Through • Net-zero Energy: For a building to our Climate Council, Mainers have been produce as much energy as it uses. working hard to address our carbon emisThis means well-insulated houses, sions – a mere 0.32% of the national total. often with triple paned windows, enImagine if a similar lobbying effort was apergy efficient appliances, LED lighting, plied to Senators King and Collins! and smart thermostats.

The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states “carbon prices remain a necessary condition of ambitious climate policies,” or as Columbia University climate authority Noah Kauffman says, “With a gradually increasing price on carAs we approach 2021, please considWith new advances in energy efbon emissions, we have a chance, without er joining the 195,000+ Citizens’ Climate ficiency, it’s possible to keep buildings it we don’t.”

Lobby volunteers working to create the warm in winter and cool in summer while By returning 100% of the carbon political will for a livable future! reducing emissions and saving energy. The big challenge is retrofitting our old building stock (40% of housing units in Portland and 32% in South Portland are pre-1940).

Cold climate heat pumps will make a major contribution with 100,000 units installed within five years.

tioners that move heat from cool to warm spaces and vice versa.

With Grid solar studies showing that solar rooftop could generate 29% of all electricity in both cities, it’s understandable that this is a major OCF component.

Adopting and enforcing new energy codes is critical with stretch codes recommended for both cities together with LEED certification of new buildings. Benchmarking will ensure compliance.

• Stretch Code: Locally mandated code or alternative compliance path that is more aggressive than the base code, resulting in buildings with higher energy savings.

• LEED: Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, a globally recognized green building rating system.

• Benchmarking: Measuring energy performance of a building against a similar one thought to be “best in class.”

BRIGHT IDEA: Conduct an energy appraisal of your home and/or place of work to prepare for 100% clean energy.

The OCF plan is ambitious but possible. Implementing such a plan would generate thousands of good-paying jobs. The building strategies alone could reduce Green House Gas emissions between now and 2050 by as much as 71%.

Author’s Note: Access the full draft of the OCF plan at www.oneclimatefutuire.org under “Reports.”

Bright Ideas is brought to you by Portland • Energy Efficiency: Using less enerClimate Action Team which, during the gy to perform the same task(s) (i.e., pandemic, meets online on the fourth Thurseliminating energy waste). day of the month, 6 to 7:30 p.m. All are wel• Heat Pumps: Energy efficient alter- come to join in. FMI: portlandclimateaction@ natives to furnaces and air condi- gmail.com.

OPINION: Health Care & Wages Cont'd from Pg. 4

whether increasing the minimum wage would hurt the economy. Fierce debates ensued where one side argued that businesses would shut down, workers would need to be fired, stores would move away, and prices for consumer goods would increase.

a living wage and supporting a massively dysfunctional healthcare system. Right now, insurance premiums are increasing every year, squeezing employers and families. In the short term, we need health care options that are affordable to whoever is paying for them. In the long term, we need to rework our health care system so we Fortunately, after legislation passed can spend a reasonable amount of monthese things were either very minor or ey for good health care and great health did not happen. Seattle, and many other outcomes. cities, still have thriving economies despite This is not a zero-sum game. We can a $15 minimum wage. It turns out that low wages were a major cause of worker turn- have it all: living wages, a thriving econoover, which costs businesses money in ef- my, and excellent health care. America is ficiency and re-hiring. Also, wages are not prosperous enough that there is money a net loss for the economy. They are spent enough to go around. Though, for this on other goods and services, often near to work we need to make some major changes. Increasing the minimum wage is where they are earned. a powerful first step.

3. Our health care system still needs work While increasing the minimum wage is a huge step towards supporting the working class, it does not by itself address the underlying issue of health care costs.

It’s unfair to small businesses to ask them to face the double burden of supporting

Oren Gersten, M.D. is a boardcertified doctor in private practice in South Portland at Portland Direct Primary Care. Visit online: PortlandDirectCare.com.

THE BROADER PICTURE

THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

15

PERSPECTIVES FROM THE SKY DECEMBER 2020 Dear Reader,

Turning a Corner… Into a Dark Tunnel

I will be putting to an end these monthly forecasts for WEN, but we are now talking about how I can contribute my writings less regularly, but still often enough to keep all in the planetary loop.

By Leo Knighton Tallarico

Diversity within Unity, supported by Love and Truth, will give us the compass December brings an end to a quite we need to go forward into the Age of challenging year for humanity on Planet Aquarius.

Earth. As my readers know, the planetary configurations in 2020 mirror the turbu- DECEMBER STARTS WITH lent times we are experiencing. Understandingly, life feels more fragile and un- A BANG predictable now.

December starts off with a bang, as the Lunar Eclipse Full Moon in The election victory for Joe Biden Gemini from November 30th is still and Kamala Harris brings new hope for in the air.

As in all Full Moons and Lunar many that we can evolve into beings who Eclipses, the place of the Sun is directly do not make “survival of the fittest” priopposite the Moon.

What is the energetic mal instincts as their most important valof that combination? ue. Also, they hope we can “go back to normal” now.

Not going to happen. Covid, economy/stock markets, race relations, women’s empowerment issues, climate change, the Middle East, China, and more have shaken up our world. The “old normal” is in essence gone. Perhaps we can co-create and/or hold onto the images and now shaky structures of that “old normal.”

But on a very deep level we are each and collectively moving into new horizons, evolving into beings who are moving into the consciousness and ways of the Age of Aquarius.

EVOLVING INTO 2021 November 2020 through early next year 2021, we are releasing in huge volume old energies, patterns, beliefs, and paradigms that do not fit who we need to evolve into. Letting go of Trump is an obvious big step forward in the releasing of the old paradigm and its stories that have kept us chained to an old Age of Pisces.

With the Biden/Harris victory, we get some light shining through the cracks in our walls of separation, as we experience the darkest day of the year on Winter Solstice December 21st. The symbolism is obvious, as Jupiter and Saturn make an important conjunction with each other at 0+ degrees of Aquarius. Jupiter and Saturn make conjunction exactly in Aquarius on Winter Solstice, less than 2 months since Biden/Harris won and accepted their new and important roles in our world.

But surrounding that new hopeful vision is the growing darkness of our world.

The darkness has much to do with the continuation of Old Age consciousness, beliefs, and choices.Trump is the face of the old world’s most honored values of being rich and famous, deserving more privilege, “taking it all for myself,” and needing to feel superior to others. Let that sense of superiority or inferiority leave the premises of our minds, hearts, and bodies. Let go of that deeply ingrained programming by our culture/society/world.

Moon in Gemini is a bright light of clear thinking and communication – when at its best. President Obama was born with Moon in Gemini. But sometimes it is scattered all over the place, often because it gets overwhelmed with so many facts and information to digest.

Leo Knighton Tallarico is an astrological and spiritual guide with 30 years of experience. To contact Leo, email soulus@aol.com. els of being. Surrender to the collective Soul-being that unites us all, no matter the circumstance.

Just look at the amazing African American journey through slavery and beyond as an example of soulful joy no matter what.The gospel music, singing and dancing, helped keep hope alive during the hell of slavery and kept intimate connection with the Divine.

That is where the Sun in Sagittarius comes in. It is good at bringing varied ideas, opinions, and thoughts together for greater understanding, resolution, and higher meaning. But at its worst, it jumps This Solar Eclipse New Moon in Sagto conclusions too rapidly and is usually ittarius is closely in opposition to USA not great at making sure that all the t’s Mars in its birth chart. Plus, the last Lunar are crossed.

Eclipse in Gemini was exactly conjunct the Together they are a true power cou- USA natal Uranus. So, there is much still ple, with Sagittarius bailing out an over- shaking in the USA, with rebellion, revoluwhelmed Gemini from indecision and tion, and likely violence.The clash of chaos too many choices. And Gemini bails out and order is always waiting in our collecan often arrogant, know-it-all, judgmental tive human Shadow.

Sun in Sagittarius. Together they can move away mountains of fearful mental desper- THE WAITING IS ALMOST ation, jumbled thinking, or judgmental at- OVER titudes.

On December 15th Chiron goes

Of course, I do readings and counseling. For more information or to set up a reading and/ or counseling session write me at soulus@aol.com.

I do sessions and readings on Zoom, Skype, or phone.

I am beginning a new radio show on Oneness Radio on December 12th. It will have astrology forecasts, UFO extraterrestrial viewpoints, social consciousness, metaphysics, etc. Hope to see you there.

-Leo Knighton Tallarico

Direct and on December 16th Saturn goes into Aquarius in preparation for its conjunction with Jupiter On December 7th, we move into on Winter Solstice. Saturn will stay the last quarter of our current lunar in Aquarius for the next 2+ years. cycle, which began at the New Moon So yes, it is what we have been in Scorpio on November 15th. Now waiting for: Jupiter conjunct Saturn as we move into that last quarter of the at 0+ degrees of Aquarius on Winter current lunar cycle, our soul seeks safety Solstice December 21st – at 5:02 AM and order, sanity, and discernment.

EST. We have just turned a corner into

NEPTUNIAN DARK CLOUDS

Then on December 14th at 11:17AM EST, the Solar Eclipse New Moon in Sagittarius wants to burst through our dark walls of fear laden separation from each other, from human connection. Neptune’s square of this Solar Eclipse puts a damper on the bright lights of the Sagittarius New Moon Solar Eclipse.

a dark tunnel, but with binoculars we can see the proverbial light at its end point.

The Election gave us our first sense of that hopeful light. But now it is dark again, as worldly events are dictating. But we have turned that corner and we know where this all goes, into a New Paradigm and Age of Aquarius.

There is no putting out the light of We are not ready to jump for joy yet. this new consciousness, no matter what it There are Neptunian dark clouds that are may look like on the outside. keeping us aware that our souls still need time to process emotionally and spirituLove you all, ally all that is happening on so many levLeo

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PUZZLE PAGE

THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

Holiday Food Trivia 1. Gingerbread cookies in Germany are traditionally dipped into what fortified wine produced on the Iberian peninsula?

2. Since 1995, Manitou Springs, CO has held a contest to see who can launch what often ridiculed holiday baked good the farthest?

3. Hannukah gelt, a common gift for children, is chocolate in the shape of what objects?

4. Thanks to the miracle of HDTV, we can now know clearly that the traditional Festivus meal on Seinfeld consisted of what molded meat creation, sliced, and presented on lettuce?

Monday: Lazzari Wednesday: Rivalries Find out more on Facebook and Instagram: @bestworsttrivia

Find the answers online at thewestendnews.com/puzzle-solutions!

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many words can you make from the Words In How letters in the phrase below? Words must have at least 4 letters. Plurals don’t count, nor do proper Words nouns, abbreviations, or foreign words not comBy Rosanne Graef

monly used in English.

“The darkest evening of the year” -from Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost GOLD = 150 words | SILVER = 125 words | BRONZE = 100 words

BONUS= How many words having to do with winter or night can you make?

November’s bonus: Words with double 'm' or 'n' in “Imagine the leaves dream now.” Some examples: minnow, tinned, glimmer, hammed…

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Seasonal Affective Disorder

By Emily Erickson, MD & Greg Bates, NP It’s that time of year when the days are shorter and the temperature drops.

For some, this is a welcome change that brings the excitement that comes along with outdoor winter activities and the holiday season. For others, this time of year can be very tough and could result in Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)—a condition that many may or may not know they are dealing with.

Prevalence of seasonal affective disorder Seasonal affective disorder consists of a subset of disorders that are caused by mood and biochemical disturbances that have a seasonal pattern. The most common form is seasonal depression. SAD can affect up to 5% of the population, but it can be as prevalent as 10% in northern latitudes where the weather is colder and sunlight is harder to come by. In northern regions with extended winter conditions, patients with SAD can have symptoms up to 40% of the year, greatly impacting their quality of life.

Symptoms to watch for Symptoms of SAD can mirror typical symptoms of depression, which include sadness, guilt, hopelessness, lack of energy, fatigue, sleep problems, weight gain or loss, lack of interest in activities, and difficulty concentrating. However, with SAD,

THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

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most people recognize or can trace a pattern to the seasons. For example, symptoms tend to arise in fall and winter and go away, even without treatment, in spring and summer. Others, although less common, experience symptoms in the spring and summer with remission in the colder months.

There are treatments There are several treatment options for SAD, including phototherapy.This form of therapy promotes exposure to light for set periods of time using light boxes that can be purchased online or at local stores.

This treatment, also known as light therapy, can significantly improve mood in one to two weeks. Other beneficial practices Emily Erickson, MD and Greg Bates, NP practice at Northern Light include exercise, relaxation techniques, Mercy Primary Care in Gorham.

-Photos provided by Northern Light Mercy and spending more time outdoors, especially during daylight hours. Sometimes Content Provided By treatment options include prescription Seeking advice medications and/or cognitive behavioral Our team at Northern Light Mer- Northern Light Mercy therapy. These treatments can be done cy Primary Care wants you to know that Hospital, a nonprofit alone or in combination with each other. you are not alone in feeling this way. We community hospital sponsored by the Social isolation and sea- are here to help.

Sisters of Mercy, Just as every person and every situa- has been providsonal affective disorder tion is different, so too can be the proper ing care to greater With the ongoing pandemic, these treatment. It’s not unusual to have a bad Portland since 1918. consistently symptoms can be exacerbated as social day or feel down every now and then. Mercy But if it becomes a pattern and impacts receives an ‘A’ grade isolation is worse than during a typical your life, it’s time to seek advice.

If you or by The Leapfrog Group for meeting winter. People may also be experiencing someone you know may be experiencing the highest safety standards in the more anxiety and stress as they cope these symptoms, a primary care provider country.

It has also been recognized as with making it through this winter while could help you weigh options tailored to a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. attempting to remain connected to what your specific needs.

News and World Report. matters most—people.

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TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

THE WEST END NEWS | DECEMBER 2020

Inspiring Women

Nancy Dorrans (right) and grandmother Bessie Macleod (left) circa 1915. Nancy is currently working as a Dedicated (in school) Substitute Teacher at Deering High School. She figured she could do something meaningful while we wait for travel to be safe again.

-Photos courtesy of Nancy Dorrans

Night Nurse, Activist, Clairvoyant, Grandmother

By Nancy Dorrans

If you read my column last month, “Personal memories on politics and moMy mother’s mother, Helen Mary ments with politicians,” you may have noticed that all the politicians I mentioned Pieper, Klovski, Lemke was smart, stylish, and driven! Born in Ontario, Canada in were men. Was it a sign of those times?

1914, she was the oldest of nine siblings.

So here are some personal memories I could and probably should write a book of women I know or have known… my about her. mother, grandmothers, and teachers. OthThe family moved to the Detroit area ers are women I’ve never met; writers, actors, singers, poets, and leaders including and her father died on the stand while tesGloria Steinem. Her movie “The Glorias,” tifying in a trial. She was fifteen and had based on the book “My Life on the Road,” driven him to the courthouse to practice her driving. She drove home by herself. inspired me.

In high school she met and soon married my grandfather, William Klovski. She ‘If It Weren’t for that had my mom when she was nineteen and three more sons and my uncle Johnny Mosquito…’ when she was thirty-nine. She worked as Grandma Dorrans (Bessie Macleod), a night nurse, rocking newborn babies and my father’s mother, was courageous and crocheting feverishly. sweet. She and her first husband Peter She lobbied for the lottery in MichBond traveled from Scotland to North igan in the early ‘60s. I remember seeing America around 1915. They returned to her interviewed on TV on the local news Scotland when Peter was drafted as a when I was four years old. She had a lot medic in WWI. He was stationed in Mesof diverging interests, remarried after my opotamia, became sick with malaria, regrandfather died, sold real-estate, studied turned to Glasgow, and died three years astrology, was clairvoyant, and rarely slept later. If it weren’t for that mosquito, I more than four hours at a time. She cared wouldn’t be here. deeply, stood her ground, argued veheMy grandfather had worked with Pe- mently, and cherished her grandchildren! ter in the tool and die trade in Michigan.

My grandmother, then twenty-eight years Singing Loud old, was in Scotland, a widow, childless, and didn’t think “any man would have her.”

My mother “Joanie” was a loving My grandfather (John Dorrans) sent her caretaker. She was mother first to her a letter with his condolences after Peter younger brothers and practically managed died. In the letter he wrote, “Bessie, come the home when her mother was working. back,” to Michigan. She did. They married. She cooked many meals, assigned chores, My aunt Sheila was born when my grand- and found time for her schoolwork and mother was thirty-seven. My father was friends. She especially loved her maternal born three years later in 1933, when she grandmother, whom she admired and emwas forty! ulated.

These women are my role models.

E L I Z A B E T H

P R I O R

Latitude & Longitude Silver, Gold & Glass

She lived her life like that of her grandmother with open arms and wonderful recipes. Her kitchen always smelled of baked goods. She had a huge extended family and loads of cousins, nieces and nephews, and grandchildren which she loved dearly.

Here are a few of my favorite inspiring quotes from women whom I have never met but greatly admire!

I’m just trying to matter.

-June Carter Cash

While she could not carry a tune, it Work for the things that you care didn’t matter to her! She sang loud! She -Ruth Bader Ginsburg was passionate, sensitive, generous, and about. loved babies. My mother is another book I A positive attitude and a sense of could and maybe should write.

So Many Amazing Role Models

humor go together like biscuits and gravy.

-Dolly Parton My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.

-Maya Angelou

My grandmothers and my mother were courageous, smart, caring, and present women. There are so many other women that gave me good advice and were amazing role models. My third-grade I used to be Snow White, but I teacher, Beth Hertle was inspiring in so drifted.

-Mae West many ways.

Nancy with her third-grade teacher, Mrs. Hertle, and best friend, Jeannine Barry Marks (daughter of Mary Kapper Barry) in 2009.

There will be people who say to you, ‘You are out of your lane.’ They are burdened by only having the capacity to see what has always been instead of what can be. But don’t you let that burden you.

-Kamala Harris

If you are unhappy with anything ... whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it … you’ll find that when you’re free, your true creativity, your true Mary Kapper Barry, my childhood self, comes out. -Tina Turner

best friend’s mother was an only child and the mother of ten. She divorced her alcoholic husband, went to college, worked as a social worker, became President of National Organization of Women in Akron, Ohio, and was ordained as a Unitarian Universalist minister late in life! She bought me my first subscription to “New Women” magazine.

The art of life is not controlling what happens to us but using what happens to us. -Gloria Steinem I am grateful for these inspiring women that led the way for me! I’d love to be able to thank them all for following their own dreams and inspiring mine.

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THE DUMPSTER…

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THE WEST END NEWS

WHERE WE THROW ALL THE STUFF THAT WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH…

You’re not alone because nearly 1 in 3 consumers are forgoing holiday gifts this year due to Covid-19… In business news that didn’t make the cut… Independent music, movie, and game store Bull Moose closes their downtown Portland location due to a lack of foot traffic… National chain Friendly’s files for bankruptcy but keep open their last location in Maine near the mall…

Because the Top 10 lists never end… Maine is the 9th Most Charitable State thanks in large part to volunteer hours… And Maine ranks as the 2nd Safest State to Spend Thanksgiving thanks to a low crime rate and relatively low Covid infection rate… In because it’s cold outside news… Reiche school teachers Joy Goddard and Kristen Fox plan a polar plunge on January 30th to demonstrate to students that you can do hard things even when you are afraid… The beloved Maine tradition Gardens Aglow at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is now a drive-thru event… And bidding a fond farewell to James Fereira as The Portland Palate author, here is a pic of his Thanksgiving Day pho that proves he can cook as well as eat… We look forward to working with James in the future…

Published by Zeli Enterprises, LLC 795 Congress Street Portland, Maine 04102 www.thewestendnews.com thewestendnews@gmail.com Tony Zeli, Publisher & Editor Rick Ness, Sales Printed in Maine by Lincoln County Publishing Co.

ALL SALES INQUIRIES Contact Rick Ness 207-577-7025 rickthewestendnews@gmail.com

VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTORS Nancy Dorrans, Travel & Adventure James Fereira, The Portland Palate Dr. Oren Gersten, Healthy Living Rosanne Graef, La Vida Local Leo Knighton Tallarico, Astrology Layne Witherell, Layne's Wine Gig

Thank you for contributions from Emily Erickson, MD & Greg Bates, NP, Northern Light Mercy Hospital Mary Alice Scott, Portland Buy Local Ben Taylor, Best Worst Trivia Liz Trice, PelotonLabs Portland Citizens' Climate Lobby & Portland Climate Action Team

Thank you for reading!

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in our pages belong solely to the authors and not necessarily to the publication.

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