FEBRUARY 2022.VOL. 22, NO. 02. PORTLAND, MAINE.
Polar Bear in Bramhall Square By Tony Zeli
After years of community-driven efforts, Bramhall Square Redesign takes another step towards becoming reality. Portland Public Art Committee approves Chris Miller’s ‘Keeper of the Picnic’ design. It’s been thousands of years since polar bears roamed Maine. But now, with approval from Portland’s public art committee, a polar bear will make its return. The art installation, “Keeper of the Picnic” will be a part of a redesigned Bramhall Square. It marks another step in a long effort by community members to draw attention to a small and difficult to use urban open space.
Historic Square Draws Community Interest The historic Bramhall Square is located at the intersection of Bramhall Street, Congress Street, Deering Avenue, and Cumberland Avenue. It marks the boundary of two of Portland’s most densely packed neighborhoods, Parkside and the West End. And it has the infamy of being the site of the first federal execution in 1790. Navigating the busy intersection and the park’s steeply sloping brick sidewalks can be difficult, especially in winter. The steep sidewalks even offer a challenge to city plows. There is no adjacent parking and there is City crew struggle to no shelter for a busy clear Bramhall Square bus stop. in March 2017. -WEN file photo As such, a community effort for the redesign of Bramhall Square began. A neighborhood design charrette kicked things off in 2015. Liz Trice, owner and manager of PelotonLabs,
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The Time to Install Solar Power in Portland is Now By Matt Power A detailed look at one West End resident’s experience installing panels and generating solar energy. Read the Climate Justice Feature on Page 5. -Photo by Matt Power
-Courtesy of Chris Miller
But a major design element was yet to be decided. Until last December, when a coworking space located at Bramhall the public art committee selected Chris Square (where I am a member), organized Miller’s polar bear design. the design charette. A few dozen neighbors and stakeholders gathered to discuss Polar Bear in the Park the future of Bramhall Square. Miller’s winning proposal, “Keeper of Attendees discussed the problems, the Picnic,” features a large reclining bear which seemed numerous, but also took made out of five individual concrete piecturns sharing ideas for improvement: bet- es – head, two front paws, and two back ter lighting, public art, more outdoor seat- paws. Miller designed the polar bear to fit ing, and new plantings. Some of the bigger within the proposed landscaped areas of ideas included a treehouse lookout, bread the redesigned park. That plug and play oven, or a large glass barrier to block design quirk, plus being fun for kids and street noise. families, was part of what sold the selecThen in 2017, Trice hosted a design tion committee on Miller’s work. competition and key elements of the reMiller, who lives in South Portland, is design began to take shape. In 2019, Maine excited to be a part of the transformation Medical Center offered $100,000 to re- of Bramhall Square. “The landscape design build the square, matched by $150,000 that Braden Drypolcher did for Mitchell from the City. In 2020, the City chose and Associates is incredibly well-crafted Mitchell & Associates as the landscape ar- to make the most of a relatively small and chitecture firm to complete the redesign. somewhat challenging space, and I’m esAnd in 2021, the Portland Historic Pres- pecially proud of how tightly my proposal ervation Board approved the schematic integrates with that whole,” Miller said. design. Key design elements include a bus “When all is said and done the new shelter, better lighting, more seating, bike Bramhall Square is going to be a gem,” he racks, and plantings.
-Courtesy of Chris Miller
said. “It will be a much more entertaining place to bring kids, especially one might imagine for their first visit. I look forward to seeing that whole vision realized and am happy to live nearby so my family and I will be able to enjoy it too.”
Revitalizing Portland’s Urban Spaces Miller is also excited to be a part of a larger community effort to revitalize an underutilized public space, an effort that he hopes will inspire others. See BRAMHALL REDESIGN on Pg. 3
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Coming this February… 207 Day Scavenger Hunt
Interview with Nel Donaldson the city planner leading ReCode
"Mendo Blendo?" It's worth experimenting...
Cardiologist Dr. Craig Brett says “know your numbers”
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FEBRUARY EDITION 2022
THE WEST END NEWS / FEBRUARY 2022
FROM THE EDITOR
Bramhall Square is WEN’s Home I’ve been following the efforts to revitalize Bramhall Square and its little urban park since 2015 when the neighborhood design charette was hosted at PelotonLabs. Bramhall Square is a special place for the News, we’ve been operating on its periphery at PelotonLabs coworking space since 2014.
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INSIDE THIS EDITION Buy Local Page...............................................6 Climate Justice............................................4-5 Crossword....................................................14 (The) Dumpster...........................................15 Health & Wellness.......................................13 Layne's Wine Gig...................................10-11 Map Page (Overheard in Portland)........8-9 Neighborhood News...................................3 PelotonPosts...................................................7 Sudoku...........................................................14 Travel..............................................................12 Words in Words..........................................14
As publisher and editor, I’ve stood at Bramhall Square for too long on cold days waiting for the bus, I’ve penguin walked up the slippery bricks when the rain is just cold enough to become icy, and I’ve WEN is a community newspaper and walked through the park on dark nights we need your voice! Share your submisand wished it was better lit. I’ve also met sions with thewestendnews@gmail.com friends there on beautiful evenings and or send to: enjoyed a (relatively) quiet moment on a The West End News sunny day. Attn: Editor 795 Congress Street Even forgotten open spaces can be a Portland, Maine 04102 treasure in the urban environment. Like Congress Square – the park that was al• Letters to the editor should be no most sold, until neighbors saved it, and is more than 300 words. Include your now slated for redesign – this little space name and town or neighborhood. atop Bramhall Hill needs some attention • Op-eds should be no more than 750 from its neighbors. And with the selection words and include a brief biography of Chris Miller’s polar bear installation, I of 1-2 sentences. hope others begin to see the possibilities • WEN also accepts poetry, cartoons, and get involved. and photo submissions. Also in this edition, the aptly named Matt Power (who I try not to call Max), Deadline for publication is the fourth brings us an in-depth look at his own ex- Friday of every month. Our column space perience installing solar panels and gen- is very limited, publication is not guaranerating green power. After five years, he teed, and submissions may be edited for knows the unique challenges the West length and content. End can offer to those who want to install The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed solar in an urban environment. It’s been in our pages belong solely to the authors worth it for him, and he wants you to con- and not necessarily to the publication. sider solar energy for your home. Read more on Page 5.
SUBMISSIONS
I also want to highlight that it is heart health awareness month, and we’ve got heart health advice from a Northern Light cardiologist on Page 13. Dr. Craig Brett reminds us to “know our numbers,” as the first line of defense to protect ourselves from heart disease. And as always, we have the neighborhood news (Pg. 3), puzzles (Pg. 14), wine advice (Pg. 10-11), and travel stories (Pg. 12)! Thank you for being a part of the community by reading the News! -Tony Zeli, Publisher & Editor
Published by Zeli Enterprises, LLC 795 Congress Street Portland, Maine 04102 thewestendnews@gmail.com Tony Zeli, Publisher & Editor Rick Ness, Sales VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTORS Nancy Dorrans, Travel & Adventure Rosanne Graef, Words'n Words Dr. Julia Lockwood, CCL Matt Power, Climate Justice Special Feat.
Mary Alice Scott, Portland Buy Local Ben Taylor, Best Worst Trivia Liz Trice, PelotonPosts Layne Witherell, Layne's Wine Gig
Thank you for contributions from: Northern Light Mercy Hospital & Portland Climate Action Team Printed in Maine by Lincoln County Publishing Co.
ALL SALES INQUIRIES Contact Rick Ness 207-577-7025 rickthewestendnews@gmail.com
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
Bramhall Square Redesign
THE WEST END NEWS / FEBRUARY 2022
3
Compassionate & Innovative Memory Care
Cont'd from Pg. 1
“A community of neighbors first engaged with Portland’s design community to initiate the project with ideas and since then have worked tirelessly alongside the City to steward those ideas into reality. I hope that others will be inspired to look around their neighborhoods and communities for such a worthy labor of love, even if Portland excels at those sorts of things already.” There is no timetable for construction. You can currently see more of Chris Miller’s work already on display at Bramhall Square. “The Gilded Age and the Ice Age on Bramhall’s Hill” is a mural on a public utility box depicting among other things... polar bears.
Meanwhile at Congress Square Park
Memory Care In every season of change, we’re here to help.
https://www.portlandmaine.gov
work of the first phase is out to bid and the City expects construction to begin as soon as spring. The Congress Square Redesign Project will make safety improvements to the intersection, create increased public space, and remove the slip lane from High Street onto Free Street. After the roadwork, the redesign of Congress Square Park may proceed.
(207) 878-0788 FallbrookWoods.com Portland
On the topic of urban park revitalization, here is a quick update on the Con- Tony Zeli is publisher and editor. Reach gress Square Redesign Project. The road- him at thewestendnews@gmail.com.
City Seeks Feedback on Reducing Homelessness City of Portland & Cumberland County to host a public meeting on Tues., Feb. 8 at 6pm
lessness and increase housing stability.The funding must primarily benefit qualifying individuals and families who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or in a vulnerable On Tuesday, February 8th, at 6:00 population. p.m., the City of Portland and CumberPublic input will help guide the plan’s land County will co-host a public meetrecommendations and is part efforts to ing to collect public feedback on reducassess the needs of and gather input from ing homelessness and increasing housing the community. stability. Zoom Info Cumberland County and the City of https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82615536058 Portland have been awarded $3.5 million Meeting ID: 826 1553 6058 in HOME-ARP funding to provide housing, Telephone Number: 646-558-8656 rental assistance, supportive services, and non-congregate shelter, to reduce home-
Monday Night POLICE BEAT Police Investigating Car, Activities at Pedestrian Crash Reiche Are Canceled
On Friday January 21st, at 6:40 p.m., a 65-year-old Portland man was seriously injured when he was struck by a car. The car was being driven by a 23-year-old Portland resident. The collision occurred in the area of 1335 Congress Street. The victim was taken to Maine Medical Center by MEDCU with life-threatening injuries. Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash or have information to please call them at 207.874.8532 or 207.874.8575.
The West End Neighborhood Association board decided to suspend Monday night activities at the Reiche Elementary School Community Room. At their January meeting, WENA members discussed the challenges to keep the space open including the current surge in Covid rates, construction at Reiche which will restrict access to the community room, and staff- Portland Police Officer ing shortages experienced by Portland’s Charged with Assault recreation department. The board voted to suspend activities until further notice, A Portland Police Officer has been probably until the fall. charged with assault by the Attorney General’s Office stemming from an incident that occurred on-duty on May 2nd, 2021. After a review of the incident by first line supervisors and the command staff, an investigation was initiated with the Cumberland County District Attorney and the Attorney General to review whether the actions of the officer were criminal. Officer Christopher Crout was charged with assault and is currently on paid administrative leave.
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THE WEST END NEWS / FEBRUARY 2022
CLIMATE JUSTICE We’re All in This Together
Health Impacts of Climate Time to Limit New Construction Change
Rather than demolishing old buildings to build new ones, why not add new footage, more natural light, and visual verve to existing buildings, creating living spaces that are appealing, energy efficient, and far less costly? Some “green” architects advocate such an approach as one answer to a warming world. Build as little as possible and use what’s already there. Instead of demolishing, recycle. Sustainability involves making already existing things last longer.
It also inspires a more livable, neighborly place for everyone. Offices emptied by the pandemic can be repurposed for reasonably priced living spaces. Derelict retail spaces like shopping malls, shuttered in the short term, can offer new residential opportunities as well.
BRIGHT IDEA: Let’s be creative in devising solutions that work for most people.
As the “Six Big Moves” in our One Pursuing another One Climate FuClimate Future plan advise: ture goal, we should center both new and renovated construction around neighborWe will improve the way we design, hood hubs that provide a full range of serbuild, and retrofit our buildings – creating vices – transportation, schools, markets, spaces to live and work that are more etc. The mix of housing and businesses energy efficient, comfortable, healthier, near transit would bring people closer to resilient to extreme weather, and powjobs. This ensures that those who most ered by renewable energy. The goal is rely on public transportation - due to into build smarter, not more expensivecome, disability, or otherwise - have ready ly, and to ensure everyone can benefit access. from climate-ready homes. We will work to expand beneficial incentives to make These measures, and many others, retrofits more affordable… and continue will improve our lives while cutting enerto expand our cities’ low-carbon and regy costs and dramatically reducing greensilient affordable housing. house gas emissions. Such a tall assignment may only be achievable by limiting new construction. The focus needs to be on providing affordable housing while limiting construction of high-end housing. This strategy can help Portland avoid divisions found in many U.S. cities that are increasingly occupied by the ultra-rich and the homeless.
Acknowledgements Most of our content this month is thanks to Frances Anderson. Read her article “To Build or Not to Build” in Sierra Club Magazine, Winter 2021. For more information on One Climate Future plan, go to oneclimatefuture.org.
By Dr. Julia Lockwood
As a general pediatrician who practiced for thirty-seven years in Yarmouth, I have fond memories of my patients and families. As those in my care were largely healthy middle-class children, the bulk of my work was developmental guidance and caring for routine pediatric ailments: how to manage acne, how much TV is too much, how to deal with the picky eater, the distractible child, the busy sport schedule…. As these children grow and have children and grandchildren, I can only imagine -WEN file photo the health challenges they will face in the future if we don’t address the causes and lar and neurological ailments.The extreme mitigation of the changing climate. weather events will result in a cascade of In a paper in the Proceedings of the problems including increased mortality, National Academy of Sciences Study from crop failures, undernutrition from food November 2021 a well-known climate insecurity, population displacement, and scientist Dr. Drew Shindell and his team resulting societal and global conflict. state that the clean air that would result Research suggests that the increased from meeting the targets of the 2015 Par- temperatures won’t affect humans directly is Climate Accords (less than 2 degree until the end of the century. But experts Celsius rise in global temperatures above agree that the more immediate impact pre-industrial levels) would avoid over the in the next 30 years will be the deleterinext 50 years the following: ous effects of increased air pollution on • •
Bright Ideas is brought to you by Portland Climate Action Team which meets on the fourth Thursday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m. All are welcome. FMI: portlandclimateaction@gmail.com. • •
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morbidity and mortality from respiratory and other health conditions. The specific culprits are ozone and atmospheric particulate matter (PM) with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers from metals and organic compounds from fires and the burning of fossil fuels. What happens to the child with asthma?
Without strong action, there is a lot more to worry about than acne and There is consensus among experts screen time.We can all help by demanding that the effects of climate change on hu- our lawmakers take action through cclusa. mans will be secondary to rising tempera- org/action. tures and sea levels, extreme weather Dr. Julia Lockwood is a retired pediatrician events, and decline in air quality. The rising who practiced for many years in Yarmouth. temperatures will lead to an increase in Column is provided by the Portland chapter infectious diseases, as well as cardiovascu- of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. •
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CLIMATE JUSTICE
THE WEST END NEWS / FEBRUARY 2022
The Time to Install Solar Power in Portland is Now By Matt Power Here’s my detailed analysis after almost 5 years of generating power on the West End. Performance and Payback
Matt Power is an award-winning journalist based in Portland, who covers and encourages sustainable building practices. You can reach him at matt.power@ greenbuildermedia.com. If you own a building in Portland, you may be thinking about the pros and cons of installing solar panels. I hope my experience will convince you that despite the initial hassles, the changing landscape of energy costs in Maine makes it worth the money and effort. Back in 2017, I began talking with ReVision Energy about reducing my CO2 footprint on my 3-unit building on Dow Street. We decided that for my flat roof, a 7-kilowatt system would be about right, with a 6-kilowatt inverter, and no battery storage. At the time of my installation, inverters with automatic switchover to battery power were not readily available. New systems, however, can include a dual function inverter with automatic switchover to battery power in an outage.That makes adding battery storage now or later much more affordable.
Here’s what you really want to know: Was the solar install worth the money and effort? If you had asked me two years ago, I might have said no. But a lot has changed.
Out of sight. Panels were installed at a shallow pitch to appease Historic Preservation office sightline restrictions. -All photos courtesy of Matt Power
On the roof. Crews from ReVision Energy installed 26 of the 320-watt panels over about 3 days.
Based on what CMP and others are telling us about natural gas shortages and grid reliability, backup storage may become more urgent, as soon as this winter. Over the long haul, however, we need to start thinking about upgrading all buildings to net zero performance, ditching natural gas and converting to full electric equipment.
Some Assembly Required The total cost to install my solar system was about $19,000. After the 30 percent federal tax credit, my net total cost was closer to $13,000. Part of what drove that price up, however, were the challenges of working in the tight quarters of the West End on a multifamily building.
Sweat equity. The author had to move more than 100 concrete blocks up four flights of stairs to hold the panels on the flat roof, with no penetrations.
concrete blocks of ballast onto the roof— not to mention the panels and other gear. I cringingly agreed to move the blocks, if they would handle the rest. With the help of my wife and two hired hands I found First, I had to have an engineer in- on Craigslist, we lugged the blocks up four spect and approve the strength of my flat flights of stairs over one afternoon. It took roof. Fortunately, the 100-year-old wood- us a couple days to recover. framed building was overbuilt, so no addiReVision’s crews handled the rest of tional framing was needed. The roof has the job, including permitting and haggling an EPDM (rubber) roof membrane, so the with the historic office about sightlines. installer recommended that we ballast the They also installed electric heat pumps in panels, rather than penetrating the rubber each of the three floors of the building, all membrane with fasteners. tied to the solar-fed panel. My plan was to That raised a big problem, however. try to use the solar energy to reduce my ReVision could not maneuver a crane overall dependence on natural gas in the close enough to the building to lift the 119 building.
First, the price of natural gas keeps rising, with no end in sight. Second, climate change compels us to act. Third, the electric grid is tenuous, the price of power volatile. As you can see from the table provided below, we use all of the energy we produce, averaging 670 kWh (kilowatt hours) of demand each month. Keep in mind that this usage includes all of the mini splits (for multiple floors) plus our personal electric use for one apartment. We’re able to cool the entire building in the summer without tapping out all of our “banked” credits. Heating with mini splits, however, is much less efficient, so we quickly use all of our banked hours. And our solar performance drops to almost zero for two or three months when snow covers the panels. We decided climbing up to scrape them off after each storm wasn’t worth the value added.
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Little Known Solar Perks Longer Roof Life. The latest research suggests that solar panels actually add life expectancy to your roof. It makes sense. They protect the rubber or asphalt from UV rays. Less Air Conditioning. Solar panels also prevent a certain amount of solar heat gain through your roof during the summer. That used to not matter. But global heating is upon us. No Need to Clean. You won’t need to climb on your roof and scrub panels. The research shows that normal dust and dirt have minimal effect on output. Greater Lifespan. Newer panels have warrantied performance up to 25 years, much better than the old 15-years-of-optimal-performance rule of thumb. that New England may face “rolling blackouts” this winter.
Here’s a Yankee option: Set up a small battery backup for now, just enough to provide you with power for key systems, such as running your gas boiler in the building during an ice storm. I did the calculation for my building, by testing the electricity required by my boiler, with all three pumps running to move the heated liquid to each floor. I tested their power draw using a Kill-A-Watt device that you just plug in to an outlet. The Portland Public Library used to loan them out and Until recently, Portland has had very may still. Another way to do this is with a inexpensive electricity, about 7 cents per Wemo Insight that sends a power reading kWh.We produced about 433 kWh of en- to your smartphone. ergy per month in 2020, so if you do the In my case, I need only 800 watts to math, we’ve only been paying back about $303 per year of our solar investment. keep the heat on in my building. The turnThat’s not great. Portland’s (CMP) utili- key way to set up a backup would be to ty rates, however, are expected to go up have my installer add a small, commercial about 12 percent this year, so our payback battery pack to the dual function solar inwill shorten accordingly. Every time en- verter. Instead, I plan to do a homemade ergy prices rise, our solar panels become version using a 1200-watt power inverter/charger that has an automatic transfer more valuable assets. switch.You can buy one on Ebay for about The Storage Decision $400, hook it up to four 12-volt batteries, plug it into a circuit on the same panel as Adding batteries to your solar array your solar feed, and you could run your will likely double the cost of your system. gas boiler for several hours in an outage. The most affordable option is to tie your power production to CMP’s grid. You ba- The Bottom Line sically trade the power you make for an Based on how much CO2 we have equal number of credits from the electric kept out of the air with our solar system utility. This will result in an extra meter since installation, my wife and I now live on your building that basically runs backa carbon neutral lifestyle in downtown wards. Portland (being vegetarian helps). Sure, batteries offer some piece of Our long term goal is to improve the mind. They can keep things running during outages, but they require a lot of resourc- performance of our leaky building so that es to produce, start to lose their value the the solar could handle most of the enermoment you purchase them, and are rare- gy load for the whole structure. As a very ly needed in urban areas, where power rough benchmark, right now we produce outages tend to get repaired more quickly. enough energy to fully heat, cool, and elecThat being said, we have just been warned trify one of the three 1,100 sq. ft. apartments. We also plan to get completely off natural gas and switch to all-electric living. We’ve already removed all gas kitchen appliances in the building. If you have specific questions about pros and cons of installing solar on the West End, feel free to email me at the address below. My goal in writing this article is to inspire more solar in town, but with realistic expectations. Seasonal shift. Using the table to the left you can see how snow cover in 2020 cut solar production for three months, but on average, the panels produce about 450 kWh of power monthly. -Table provided by author
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THE WEST END NEWS / FEBRUARY 2022
BUSINESS & COMMUNITY
February is the best month to live in Portland By Mary Alice Scott Hot take: February is the best month to live in Portland. The chaos of the busy season has subsided; we (hopefully) get beautiful, fresh snow; and the Valentine’s Day bandit, one of Portland’s most unique and beloved traditions, makes its return.
season. Take the provided blank canvas and turn it into a love letter to your favorite business, restaurant, park, street, building, landmark... The possibilities are endless when love knows no limits.
Visit https://www.portlandmaine. com/love-notes/ to create your own love This February, Portland Buy Local is note. Don’t forget to tag Portland Downcollaborating with Portland Downtown town and Portland Buy Local so we can on two events to celebrate our Love for share the love! Local!
LOVE NOTES Have you fallen for the City of Portland hook, line, and sinker? Let our lovely city by the sea know how you feel with Love Notes, an initiative created to bolster our local community in this quieter
207 DAY SCAVENGER HUNT
and Portland Buy Local are launching the City of Portland’s inaugural 207 Day. Much like how Milwaukee, Wisconsin turned its 414 area code into “Milwaukee Day” on April 14th, and how Chicago celebrates its city on March 12th each year, February 7th (mirroring Maine’s own 207 area code) will mark 207 Day here in Portland.
Easing into what is hoped to become an annual Maine-stay event is a citywide While we introduced Love Notes last scavenger hunt! We’re calling on locals year, we are thrilled to introduce a brand- and visitors alike to explore and interact new event for 2022 also! with the city and its businesses. This February, Portland Downtown
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Players of this free event will view and/or print a list of 207 Day scavenger hunt items, available on the Portland Downtown website, and make their way around the city. Players will complete tasks and scan QR codes to prove it. Those who complete enough tasks will be entered into a raffle for prizes.
job with Maine Association of Nonprofits. Check out Portland Buy Local’s website to view our job description and see if you or someone you know is the next leader of Portland’s amazing local economy movement! Mary Alice Scott is Executive Director of Portland Buy Local.
The West End News is a Portland Buy Local member and media partner.
We hope you join in the fun and celebrate Love Local month with us!
PBL is Hiring I also want to note that this is my last month writing a column in this space. In February, I will be transitioning to a new
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BUSINESS & COMMUNITY
THE WEST END NEWS / FEBRUARY 2022
7
sity and mixed-use zoning to work well with the evolving transit system.
How can people get involved?
Nel Donaldson : Using Recode to Implement Portland’s Vision for a Green & Equitable Future Every month PelotonLabs co-founder Liz Trice interviews a local community member. This month, Liz caught up with Nel Donaldson, Director of Special Projects for the City of Portland. She is leading ReCode Portland, the process to bring high level goals from the City’s comprehensive plan into the ordinances that govern land use and development.
What is the ReCode and how did we get here? The ReCode is a two-phase effort to rewrite the land use code for the City of Portland. There were several hundred people and dozens of meetings involved in writing the city’s last comprehensive plan, “Portland’s Plan 2030,” which the Council adopted in 2017 to set a modern vision and broad policy goals for the city. There are also many transportation plans that have been developed, and now we have the One Climate Future plan. By state law, every town’s land use code is supposed to be consistent with the comp plan, but Portland’s hasn’t been updated in a comprehensive way in a long time. This is what ReCode is about - implementing the comprehensive plan. Phase 1 of Recode was focused largely on restructuring the code to make it easier to use. It had been amended so many times that it was difficult to navigate and administer. Phase 2 is designed to make sure that the land use code actually accomplishes the big policy goals that
the public and council have for the city. It’s tricky, because everyone can understand wanting to do something about climate change, but how does that translate into the land use code - do you decrease the minimum lot size or required setbacks of buildings from a street? How does the city actually encourage more people to walk or bike?
Give some examples of the broad policy goals the new ordinance will try to address. Housing? Transportation? Climate? “Portland’s Plan” sets goals around providing diverse housing types to people of all ages and incomes, and the plan strongly asserts that the city’s population should be growing. Some ways to allow more housing within the land use code might be to reduce minimum lot size for new homes, to allow increased density on existing lots, and to allow multi-unit buildings in more neighborhoods.There’s some good housing data on the ReCode website that shows what housing we’re seeing built and where.
Nel Donaldson, Portland Dir. of Special Projects -Courtesy photo
To address some of the climate impacts of new development, one small example is that we can specify how much impervious surface is allowed on a lot. Both roofs and paved areas can reflect heat and create run-off that can cause erosion and pollutants, so we want to reduce those surfaces, handle stormwater well, and create tree canopy and green roofs for shade in the summer.
We hired a consultant, Camiros, who specializes in this type of work, to conduct a Land Use Code Evaluation report which makes a list of potential recommendations for changes to the land use code, based on the policy goals of “Portland’s Plan.” There’s also a short video and summary document of the code evaluation on the ReCode website. Anyone can add comments to the code evaluation online. We presented the code evaluation to the Planning Board in January, and on Wednesday, February 9th there will be a Council workshop on ReCode Phase II.
We will release a brief survey on the Code Evaluation recommendations in February. We’re also planning a public zoom event where people can hear recommendations and give public feedback. Complete neighborhoods is anoth- In the meantime, if community members er strong theme of “Portland’s Plan.” It’s are interested in learning more about Rethe idea that everyone should be able to Code, you can explore our website, www. walk and/or bike to home, schools, parks, recodeportland.me, and join our mailing stores - the basic necessities of daily life. list there. We’re also willing to meet with Matt Grooms in our office has analyzed community organizations about ReCode. complete neighborhoods in the city you can see the maps of gaps on the Re- More information: Code website (www.recodeportland.me). Portland Comprehensive Plan: https:// Recommendations to encourage more view.publitas.com/city-of-portland/portComplete Neighborhoods might include lands-plan-2030/page/1 revising residential zoning to allow for appropriate, small-scale retail uses or cre- Read the Land Use Code Evaluation on ating more neighborhood business zones. the ReCode website and give feedback: https://www.recodeportland.me/ GPCOG’s Transit Tomorrow and Transit Together studies are looking at Feb 9th Portland City Council Workshop: how to make transit easier across the re- https://www.portlandmaine.gov/129/ gion.We’re looking at where to allow den- Agendas-Minutes Content Provided By 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. PelotonPosts is created by PelotonLabs and WEN provides column space without charge. WEN publisher and editor Tony Zeli is a coworking member at PelotonLabs.
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FOOD & DRINK
LAYNE'S WINE GIG PRESENTS
MENDO BLENDO By Layne V. Witherell
Among the zillions of job descriptions that I have had in this wild forty-plus year ride in the wine biz, one was as a CEO of a medium-sized Virginia winery in the early 90’s. My life beyond the job description entailed three major components: the April 3:00 a.m. adrenalized wake-up when the frost was cold enough to kill young buds on the vine - and the vines themselves. Time to get out the smudge pots, an oily disgusting device designed to warm up the vineyard, accompanied by that 3:00 a.m. panic. The second component was the banker. He was an arteriosclerotic, older, rumpled gentleman whose chief delight was in staring down, with the glare of lifelong practiced minutia, at your profit and loss statement. Not a lot of profit or a lot of loss, but this too resembled in its own way the smoke and stink of the smudge pot. The third and, interestingly, the most compelling event, was what I came to characterize as “Mendo Blendo.” We were far from the best winery, but fortunately, were far from the worst. Mendo Blendo was an occasion when the winemaker and I sat in the lab to attempt to replicate the blend of another winery that had just cleaned our proverbial clock, winning all the competitions’ Best of Show Gold Medals. Meanwhile we were living further
the idea of Mendo Blendo came about as a young wine broker/distributor. Actually, I was traveling the West in the early 80’s in search of new wines and people. Napa was one dimensional and fashionably staid. Sonoma was mildly intoxicating like a rural old school Spanish lifestyle. Mendocino Bordeaux - The Original was fascinating.The wineries, as well as the people, were down to earth and engaged Mendo Blendo in all manner of experimentation (includThe original idea of blending for per- ing the growing of a whole lot of illegal fection is from Bordeaux, the exalted re- pot). No ideas were proscribed or sacred. gion of France, that doubtless can share Consider the bizarre Chardonnay of claim to the origin of that fabulous French Husch Vineyards, the French Colombard word “elevage,” teaching the young little grapes of John Parducci (a person who critter wine to behave properly. Elevage was born “old”), the designed slurpabilis a very French way of saying “Mendo ity of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay (the Blendo,” although as their original stated originators of “another glass over here, goal, they referred to it as a combination please”), and the guava nectar essence of of classic grape varieties in harmony with Navarro Gewurztraminer. All could have their sacred “terroir” (a mystical flavor of easily been blended into a single fascinatplace). ing wine. Hence, Mendo Blendo. This was Our photo is a bottle of Chateau clearly not Napa or Bordeaux but was exPhelan Segur 2018, around fifty bucks a hilarating in its own adventurous way. bottle, on our table with its accompanying meal of prime rib and fixings for the holi- Mendo Blendo at Blue - Your days. It is a meticulous blend of 58% Cab- chance to make a blend ernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 1.5% CabWhich brings me to the new part of ernet Franc, and 1.5% Petite Verdot. That’s this story. One evening while doing my precision! Bordeaux speaks of precision. impromptu show with live wine tasting at Imagine Mendo Blendo as an exhilarating the jazz club Blue, as I was going on stage, Olympic event. it flashed on me that we could recreate, Personally, my earliest introduction to with an audience, those heady days of down on the excitement podium. The “thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat” (Jim McKay), was a continual struggle in, “an emerging wine region.” Sometimes that emergence takes longer than double the hibernation of a cicada.
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Chateau Phelan Segur 2018, around fifty bucks a bottle, on our table with its accompanying meal of prime rib and fixings for the holidays. -All photos by Layne Witherell
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MENDO BLENDO
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Cont'd from Pg. 12
Phantom - Our Mendo Blendo Inspiration
tally different grape (Durif or Pelerossin, but why change the name?). A dark, meaty rustic high alcohol grape that exists to Our current inspiration is a quirky, become Mendo Blendo. Sadly, this is disfascinating old California style red called guised before you ever see a hint of the Phantom by Bogle Vineyards, $15.00 per grape name on a label. bottle. It is the poster child of exciting, high adventure old school Mendo Blendo, On to the Blending a combo that varies from year to year and Our two blending wines at Blue were: can contain 50% Petite Sirah, 49.5% Zinfandel, with 19 months spent in American D’Arenberg Stump Jump Shiraz oak barrels. (Syrah), a terrific example from a McLarTo me it tastes of ripe blackberries en Vale winery in Australia that was both filtered through saddle leather (in a good powerful and delicious. A traditional basway). Don’t worry, it is vegan friendly. The ket press, old bush vine example of the saddle leather is an allusion to the glories grape and the place. Look this place up! of that aggressive American oak barrel Better yet just go there. They make wines aging. What it lacks in the adorable fruity ranging from this Shiraz (Syrah) at $15.00 squishiness of modern Chardonnay, the a bottle to an ancient $500 Tawny Port, bespoke elegance of Bordeaux, and the and everything in between.
A quirky, fascinating old California style red called Phantom by Bogle Vineyards, For Petite Sirah we chose Line 39 $15.00 per bottle. It is the poster child of old school "Mendo Blendo." from California. At $15 per bottle, it is a slurpy, rambunctious wine hinting of both school” Petite Sirah. Runs you more tar, fruit, and deliciousness. You want to money but it buys you more flavor. pair a Petite Sirah with the characteristic abundance of ripeness, high alcohol, and Among the constant and eternally The finest Petite Sirah in America is fascinating questions are: “Hey wine gig fruit. The problem is that most labels have still the Stags’ Leap from Napa at around guy, what is the difference between Syrah already disappeared as part of a blend. $40.00 per bottle. Ironically, this is when (aka Shiraz) and Petite Sirah?” Glad you Try It on Your Own the grape takes charge over the usually asked. more powerful Syrah in the blend. If you want to be an adventuresome Mendo Blendo is fun and exciting, as Syrah is, well, Syrah, born in the famed soul, you can seek out the following: we find out monthly at Blue. Join us on the Rhone region of France and transported to far places. In the Rhone Valley, it is char• Guenoc Petite Sirah, $12.00 bottle, third Thursday of every month at 5 p.m. acterized as a wine of smoke, spices, iron, Lake County, CA. A delicious exam- Be sure to bring your vax card and wear a mask.You will learn some new ideas and and minerals. In Australia. it is still potent ple, ideal for Mendo Blendo. can try this at home as well. but can be made into more playful flavors. • Foppiano Vineyards Petite Sirah, Happy blending! This brings us to Petite Sirah, a to$20.00-$25.00 bottle. Serious “old
frantic attempt to “capture gold,” as in medals, it more than makes up for in versatility with everything from a bold Osso Bucco to making it into a winter warming Wassel.
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. He can be reached at: lvwitherell@gmail.com. Your new place for brunch, coffee, & pastries in the West End! 64 Pine Street Portland, ME 04102
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TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Don’t give up on your travel dreams… By Nancy Dorrans If you read my article last month, you know that I spent the holidays a bit differently this season.Along with my father, sister, and her family from Ohio, we stepped out of our comfort zone and went on a four-night cruise leaving from Miami the day after Christmas. This adventure was my father’s idea, his dream. It was quite a journey…
up for a watercolor workshop. I went to the fitness center for yoga. There’s something special about a yoga class on the bow of a ship, with a view the sea and the faint outline of the mountains of Cuba in the distance! So far so good!
-Photos by Nancy Dorrans
Ready for a Holiday Change-Up Everything was different. Instead of a feast of seven fishes, he and I went for our Covid tests on Christmas Eve. He didn’t have a valid passport, but I was assured by the cruise line that his original birth certificate with the raised seal and his government issued photo ID would be sufficient. Our PCR tests were negative, but when I asked for an electronic copy of the results the woman at the clinic in Tennessee said, “I’m sorry honey, we’re swampt. Ya’ll have to come pick them up!” We were already in Miami. Oye. Luckily, I had a paper copy of our negative rapid test which was accepted along with my father’s birth certificate. Needless to say, I was relieved and gave my brother-in-law a high five when we finally rolled my dad onto the ship.
Clean Cruisin’ on the Celebrity Summit My dad is 88. He’s been quite healthy, but back pain has slowed him down. He swallowed some pride and agreed to ride in a wheelchair through the airports and onto and around our ship. The Celebrity Summit is almost one thousand feet long with twelve decks! The staff was courteous, and the ship was very clean with rules posted everywhere on how to follow the strict Covid protocols!
Nancy Dorrans and her father on board a flight for Miami to catch a Christmas cruise. To right, is the view of the Celebrity Summit docked at Costa Maya, Mexico.
Watercolor, "Dreaming of the next adventure..."
oriented. We called the cruise ship medical team, and they made a code call for the first responders to come to his cabin. Turns out he was quite dehydrated and had dangerously low sodium levels. Luckily, it was not Covid related! Later I overheard another passenger say that their waiter left in the middle of taking their lunch order when the code call came over the intercom.
Home and on the Mend
As stressful as this journey was, the good news is my dad is home and slowly recovering. He spent five nights in the hospital in Miami. My older sister drove down from Tennessee to bring us back. We spent New Year’s Eve and more wandering the streets of Miami! I stayed an extra two weeks in Tennessee before flying back to the jetport on one of the coldest My dad spent that last night in the days of the new year. ship’s clinic. Although it was quite frightI’m grateful for this new year. I’m ening at the time, I was very impressed by grateful to have helped my father fulthe doctors and the level of professional fill one of his travel dreams, and that he medical services on board. We docked in was and remains in good hands and on Miami before dawn and he and I were the the mend. Also, I’m grateful for my love first two off the ship.We rode in an ambuof travel and adventurous spirit. And I’m lance to the University of Miami Hospital. hopeful that this new year will bring more travel dreams to life. It was 6 a.m. on another beautiful day
Our one port of call was on the third day in Costa Maya, Mexico. Once a quaint fishing village, Costa Maya is now an extension of the cruise ships. The long pier brings you to the stepping off point for a variety of shore excursions. While my sister and her family went to discover the mystery of a Mayan ruin, my father and I rolled around the “village,” window shopping and looking for the tequila museum. and I was sitting in a folding chair outside the emergency entrance with our luggage. When I think about this experience it seems surreal. No visitors were allowed in the hospital. My sister and her family wanted to stay but they also had to get home. We were all so far out of our comfort zone!
Travel revitalizes the soul and opens our eyes to fresh new perspectives. Getting away from it all is our first step. Nothing takes our minds off the everyday like dreaming of the next adventure. My father and I agree, our next adventure will not be a cruise!
Nancy is a professional travel expert and founded Adventure Marketplace in 2014.
Nancy's dad at a cigar shop in Costa Maya, Mexico.
We found our adjacent cabins, chatted to each other from our balconies, On a Folding Chair Outside hung out on the sun deck, and tried our the ER luck at the lunch buffet and the casino! The weather was perfect! We wined The next day my dad wasn’t feeland dined in a variety of restaurants and ing well and slept till lunch time. When I lounges. My sister and nieces and I signed checked in on him, he was weak and dis-
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
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Preventing heart disease na. If left untreated, this process can eventually cause heart damage and a weakened Each February, we observe Heart heart. Month, which places a national spotlight on the important role that healthy life- Risk factors styles play in preventing heart disease. There are several conditions that can Because those with poor cardiovascular health are also at increased risk of severe increase the likelihood of having coroillness from Covid-19, focusing on heart nary artery blockages. A family history of this problem may reflect the presence of health has never been more important. genes that make this more likely. It is well It’s more common than known that people who smoke, or who have high blood pressure, high cholesteryou think ol, or diabetes, are at especially high risk. According to the CDC, heart disease These are known as “risk factors” and is the leading cause of death for men and it is very important to know if you have women in the United States. With about them. People who have risk factors can be 659,000 people dying from heart disease treated and significantly lower their risk of each year, that’s one in every four deaths. having a heart attack.
CDC Study: Flu Vaccine Prevents Severe Flu in Children
By Craig Brett, MD
The most common form of heart disease in America is coronary artery blockage. The coronary arteries are very important blood vessels that feed the heart with Image by marina_ua. blood. As people -Adobe Stock become older, particularly if they have certain risk factors, the coronary arteries can become filled with a fatty substance that restricts blood flow to the heart. When this happens, people can develop chest pain or a pressure-like sensation that is called angi-
Know your numbers All people should know their blood pressure. This can be recorded at a doctor’s visit or at home with a blood pressure monitor. It is best to measure blood pressure in the morning, while seated with your feet resting on the floor and your arm at your side. Take several measurements each week and write them down so that your doctor can see what the average measurement is. To help keep blood pressure in the normal range, it is important to maintain a healthy weight, do regular exercise, and restrict salt in your diet. Cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels (for diabetes) are measured by a simple blood test. If these tests show elevations, there are several options for
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Dr. Craig Brett is a cardiologist at Northern Light Mercy Cardiovascular Care, which is located at 195 Fore River Parkway in Portland. treatment, including lifestyle changes and medications. Some people will have a genetic tendency for high cholesterol even if they eat a healthy diet and are not overweight. Because this condition has no symptoms, people will not know they have it unless they are tested. In this case, people benefit from medication to reduce their cholesterol levels to lower their risk of having a heart attack. There are now many cholesterol medications that are inexpensive, safe, and very effective.
Vaccine protects, even when vaccine virus and circulating viruses are different A new CDC study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID) shows that flu vaccination protected children against serious flu illness even when they were infected with a flu virus that was antigenically different from the vaccine virus.
The CDC study reports that flu vaccination reduced the risk of severe flu in children by 78% against similar flu A viruses and 47% against flu A viruses that had drifted from the vaccine virus. Further, the vaccine was 76% effective at preventing life-threatening influenza. This study adds to evidence showing that some people The important thing is to “know who are vaccinated still get sick, but the your numbers” so that you will know if vaccination can decrease illness severity. you are at increased risk. It is much betThe U.S. Advisory Committee on ter to prevent the development of heart Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recdisease than to treat it once it has already ommended annual vaccination for all peroccurred. sons aged 6 months or older since 2010. Despite this recommendation, during the Content Provided By Northern Light Mercy Hospital is a nonprofit 2020–2021 flu season U.S. flu vaccinacommunity hospital sponsored by the Sisters tion coverage remained between 50.8%– of Mercy. Northern Light Mercy Hospital is a 68% for children younger than 18 years old. paid advertiser.
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THE WEST END NEWS / FEBRUARY 2022
PUZZLES Groundhog Trivia 1. Other names for the groundhog include whistlepig, thickwood badger, and what word that features in a popular tongue-twister? 2. The most well-known Groundhog Day ceremony takes place in what Western Pennsylvania town? 3. An important part of the groundhog’s Spring diet is what yellow flower whose name means “lion’s tooth” in French? 4. A version of the “six more weeks of winter” myth appears in what Victor Hugo epic about crime, social status, and an 1832 rebellion in Paris?
Mondays @ Lazzari Tuesdays @ Ri Ra Thursdays @ Locally Sauced in Yarmouth Find out more on Facebook and Instagram: @bestworsttrivia
Find the answers online at thewestendnews.com/puzzle-solutions!
UPCOMING SHOWS AT ONE LONGFELLOW SQUARE
many words can you make from the Words In How letters in the phrase below? Words must have at least 3 letters. Plurals don’t count, nor do proper nouns, Words abbreviations, or foreign words not commonly used By Rosanne Graef
in English.
“Apples and coffee and chocolate cake” -from Living in the Body by Joyce Sutphen GOLD = 150 words | SILVER = 125 words | BRONZE = 100 words MASTER LEVEL STARS = 300 words | SUN = 250 words | MOON = 200 words
BONUS = How many words of 2 or more syllables containing
at least one “c” can you make?
January Bonus: How many words ending with “l” from “connected by love and a leash.” Some examples: cancel, steel, shell, stool, cabal, nasal...
2.4 2.10 2.17 2.23 2.25 2.26 2.27 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.10 3.11 3.16 3.19
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POETRY CORNER
Kindnesses Old English, kyndnes meaning “nation” also “produce an increase” Heroics are wrapped in sturdy brown paper In large cartons Sealed with shipping tape Kindnesses are wrapped tight in pretty papers Small enough to fit into your purse or pocket Heroics may be a once in a lifetime occurrence Kindnesses can happen anytime, anywhere Heroics are for outstanding personalities Kindnesses are for the “little people” Who can reach into their pockets And hand one hour for any occasion Grand or trivial Simply unwrap Pop into your mouth Savor the sweetness Smile And say “Thanks” That was kind of you. -Susan Pickford, Portland
We Publish Poetry Please keep sending your poetry submissions. The WEN Poetry Corner publishes reader submissions when space permits. Please send to thewestendnews@gmail.com or write to:The West End News, 795 Congress St., Portland, ME 04102.
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THE DUMPSTER WHERE WE TOSS THE STUFF WE DIDN'T HAVE ROOM FOR...
On National Popcorn Day the US Census Bureau reminds us that Americans consume 47 quarts (or almost 12 gallons) of popcorn per man, woman, and child each year… The day of the January bomb cyclone sees the Portland jetport cancelling all but one flight… Gulf of Maine Research Institute purchases Union Wharf, Portland’s oldest commercial wharf, from the Poole family… In business updates, Roy’s Shoe Shop installs new front steps as a small step towards fixing up for their upcoming 100th anniversary… After 20 years Sebago Brewing closes its Portland brewpub on Fore Street to focus on other locations… Foulmouthed Brewing in South Portland hosts a vaccine clinic and gives out 74 shots… Maine has the 10th highest job resignation rate in the country during the so-called “Great Resignation” at 2.62% over the past 12 months… From our list of lists… Men’s Health names Portland the 6th greenest city… Burlington, VT was #1… And calling all creators and designers… WMPG announces a T-shirt design competition for spring and fall t-shirts…
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FEBRUARY EDITION 2022
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On behalf of Laura, Joe, and the rest of the El Corazon ´ family we want to thank all of you out there in newspaper land for all your continued support with your take-out and delivery orders during this difficult time. We truly appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts (Corazon). ´
Together we will re(Maine) strong!
FULL MENU AVAILABLE FOR TAKEOUT INCLUDING ICE COLD MEXICAN BEERS: DOS EQUIS, MODELO, SOL, TECATE... Also Available Through
ON
Opening
Tacos – Burritos – Quesadillas – Enchiladas – Sopes – Pozole – Goat Birria – Fajitas – Cocteles de Marisco – Chile Rellenos – Carne Asada – Lamb Shanks in Adobo & much more!
www.elcorazonportland.com (207) 536-1354 “To know how to eat is to know enough”