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JULY 2022.VOL. 22, NO. 07. PORTLAND, MAINE.

PORTLAND’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER. FREE!

Origins of the Shoestring Theater Free Soil Her Son,” an anti-war morality play. Actors wearing masks and black clothing mimed the action described by a narrator.

By Harlan Baker “I’ve been here all my life,” said Nance Parker, director of The Shoestring Theater. “All My Life” is also the name of one of the shows that gained the most publicity for the theater. It was based on the lives of the working class women who lived in Portland’s West End. The theater and Parker have been a fixture in the West End for forty years.The theater’s workshop on the third floor of the old Brackett Street Dress factory is covered with masks, giant puppet heads, marionettes, flyers, and posters for Shoestring shows and parades.

I attended a rehearsal one night at the invitation of Pierre Shevenell. Andy Trompettor saw me sitting in the front row. He walked over to me and asked me to step into the playing area. Suddenly I was thrust into the action of the play.

The Blackbird Theater performing an Anti-Vietnam war play in front of Portland City Hall. -Photo courtesy of Portland

The theatrical ancestor for the Shoe- Public Library Special Collections. Colorization string Theater was The Blackbird Theater, by WEN. (Orig. photo on Pg. 4) founded by Andy and Amy Trompettor. They came to Portland to co-direct the Children’s Theater of Portland. The Chil- minimal. Large and small puppets filled in dren’s Theater was housed in the Wood- for the lack of scenery. fords Corner Fire Barn. The Fire Barn was It was open to anyone who wanted also the home of The Blackbird Theater. to participate and recruited people on the Nance Parker was a performer with spot. A person attending a production or the Children’s Theater. Watching a perfor- rehearsal might also find themselves asmance of Blackbird’s “Rat Story” she was signed a role in the show. intrigued. “Actors were wearing giant rat West End activist Pierre Shevenall head puppets,” she said. “Everyone else hated the show. But something in that was recruited on the day of the nationwide anti-Vietnam war moratorium on struck me.” October 15th, 1969.

Starting the Blackbird Theater

He was walking up High Street and noticed an assembly of people dressed in black with large paper mache puppets in front of the Eastland Hotel. Someone called out to him, “We need someone to wear a mask and a black garment and walk The theater attracted the attention down Congress Street.” of Portland’s counterculture and was reShevenell joined the procession. “I ceiving favorable attention from the local was walking on the sidewalk,” he said, “and media. I see my cousin and two banker friends. The productions relied mostly on They tried hard not to look at this strange movement, sound, and music with minimal thing. I didn’t know what it was all about, dialogue, often just narration. A jug band but I thought hey I like this.” provided musical accompaniment. Actors At the end of the rally the theater would often perform in masks with very simple pieces of clothing. Scenery was performed, “A Mother Says Goodbye to Andy Trompettor, a Holocaust survivor, and Amy met each other working with Bread and Puppet Theater in New York. They soon married.

The Trompetters left Portland for a tour across the United States. When they returned to Maine they were based in Rangeley. They continued to present shows and toured the county fair circuit with Punch and Judy.

Lead Tests Available in Greater Portland Now Testing Chicken Eggs for Lead By Tony Zeli

They toured internationally. It was Gardening is a great activity. But a long during a tour in France that their marriage industrial history and major 19th century ended, which resulted in the end of the fires put the Portland peninsula at an eleBlackbird Theater. vated risk for soil lead contamination. And other neighborhoods throughout Greater Rebirth as The Shoestring Portland that have older housing stock Theater with lead-based paint, former industrial arSometime after returning from eas, and former farmland (think lead based France, Pierre Shevenell and company pesticides) may also be areas of concern. member Michael Romanyshyn were con- Luckily, with a free soil lead test you can versing over a few beers at a bar on Dan- know what your risk to lead exposure is forth Street about reviving the theater. and take the necessary steps to mitigate it “We wanted to continue the tradition of and enjoy your summer! political theater based in the neighborThe Cumberland County Soil and hoods,” said Shevenell. Water Conservation District (CCSWCD) The theater became known as The began the free testing program in 2019 Shoestring Theater. Shevenell and Roma- for four of Portland’s most affected neighnyshyn performed puppet shows and a borhoods. This summer the program is “Cranky movie,” at any location they could serving all the Greater Portland region, including South Portland, Westbrook, Scarfind. More people joined the company. borough, and Brunswick. A growing company needed a perNeighborhoods outside of Portland manent home. Romanyshyn and Shevenell approached the board of Youth in Action, that are of potential concern include: a neighborhood youth group located in Frenchville in Westbrook, Ferry Village the old dress factory on Brackett Street, and Mill Brook in South Portland, Oak known as the “People’s Building.” The third Hill in Scarborough, and Brunswick Stafloor of the building became a workshop tion and Main Street in Brunswick. But any for the theatre. The theater performed all garden is worth testing. And the data col-

Cont'd on Pg. 4

Cont'd on Pg. 3

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JULY EDITION 2022

THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

INSIDE THIS EDITION Best Worst Trivia.........................................14 Bright Ideas...................................................13 Book Short.....................................................4 Love, GenZ.....................................................4 Climate Justice.............................................13 Crossword....................................................14 Dumpster......................................................15 Events...............................................................5 Health & Wellness.........................................6 Layne's Wine Gig..................................10-11 Map (Overheard in Portland).....................8-9 News................................................................3 PelotonPosts...................................................7 Poetry.............................................................15 Sudoku...........................................................14 Travel..............................................................12 We're All in This Together.........................13

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Tony Zeli, Publisher & Editor Rick Ness, Sales Erin Zeli, Sales VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTORS Nancy Dorrans, Travel & Adventure Sadie Levy, Love, GenZ Sydney Patten, Citizens' Climate Lobby Stephanie Miller, Book Reviews Ben Taylor, Best Worst Trivia Liz Trice, PelotonPosts Layne V. Witherell, Layne's Wine Gig

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Soil Lead Tests

NEWS & INFO

THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

Cont'd from Pg. 1

lected will help CCSWCD understand the extent of lead contamination, which can change from block to block. This is essential information for individuals and the community. Gardening in soil with high levels of lead may cause lead poisoning. Lead can build-up in your body over months to years when you breath in small amounts of dust from lead-contaminated soil or eat vegetables that are covSoil Lead Results in Portland from CCSWCD ered in contaminated dust. Eventually, lead report. Green is moderate, yellow is high, levels can make you sick. Children under and red is very high risk. seven and pregnant women are most at chicken keepers around whether their risk. eggs could be impacted by lead contamination. HOW IT WORKS Greater Portland residents are eligible for one soil test. CCSWCD staff collect the sample and then mail it to the UMaine Soil Lab for analysis. It takes about two weeks to receive preliminary results (normal, moderate, high lead). It takes an additional two weeks for the secondary results which provide an actual amount in parts per million. There is funding to provide 150 samples this year. CCSWCD will continue sampling until October, or they reach that number. The program gives priority to households with children.

For egg testing, CCSWCD staff would return to collect the egg sample. They then hard boil it before shipping it to the lab for analysis. These tests cost more than the soil lead testing (about $30).

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WHAT IF I FIND LEAD IN MY GARDEN?

If you find high levels of lead in your soil, it is important to reduce your exposure. Covering the soil with a thick layer of woodchips may be enough. Or you can build raised beds to ensure you are gardening in clean soil. You can learn more TESTING EGG & PLANT from the Cumberland County Soil and TISSUE Water Conservation District at https:// In addition to soil samples, CCSWCD www.cumberlandswcd.org/documents-1/ provides plant or chicken egg tissue sam- soil-lead. ples in locations where lead contamination is found. This is a new addition to the Tony Zeli is publisher and editor. Reach program after receiving questions from him at thewestendnews@gmail.com.

Portland Bike Share Program to Launch in July Tandem Mobility is launching Portland’s first bikeshare program as soon as this July. They plan to offer 150 traditional geared cruiser bikes and 50 electric-assist bikes at dedicated parking hubs across Portland. Bikes will be available to rent 24/7 via a smartphone app. The program is a public-private partnership among the City of Portland, Tandem Mobility, and funding sponsors. It is Portland’s first bikeshare program. The bike share program will use a combination of sponsors and rider revenue to fund its operation. Tandem Mobility expects to operate for an initial 3-year term and will reevaluate the program as they go.

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THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

Shoestring Theater

BROADER PICTURE Cont'd from Pg. 1

Protest Music Needed Now as Ever

over Maine and opened the Old Port Festival with a parade lead by giant puppets. Elizabeth Whitman recalls her experience with the theater in the mid-1970s. She was put to work right away making puppets. “The initiation,” she said, “was just getting up that fire escape.” It was also where she learned to stilt walk. She became one of the core members of the theater. “I don’t really remember any official director, as in anyone having any final decisions. People came up with an idea for a show and interested people supported it,” she said. According to Whitman, Amy Trompetter kept a relationship with the theater by making several visits to run workshops and work on various projects. An 18-year-old Nance Parker joined the Shoestring Theater in the late ‘70’s after working with the Profile Theater, now Portland Stage, as a paid stage manager. She left to work in Germany but returned in 1982 to become Shoestring’s director. For the past forty years she has been carrying on the tradition of this iconic theater. One she has known and valued for the past fifty years.

Love, GenZ

By Sadie Levy

considered protest music if the goal of the lyrics and rhythm are uniting people. Most modern protest music is rooted in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s and gospel. During the Harlem Renaissance black expression had a voice and space to be shared and heard. Black artists came together and cultivated art that reflected the many facets of the black experience. Modern music streaming abilities Blackbird Theater anti-Vietnam War Protest music today reflects the power provide access to any genre, new songs, performance. and creativity that grew in Harlem. and new artists in a click.While the explo-Courtesy PPL Special Collections ration of contemporary music is limitless, Additionally, gospel music was a so is going backwards. Often, I find myself space where the black community could Epilogue and much of my generation nostalgic for a connect and preach hope, resilience, and Andy Trompetter died in 1979 at age musical era we haven’t lived in, listening to belief. Gospel music could not be con37. Amy Trompetter founded the Redwing music from our parents’ youth. Timeless- trolled because gospel was the word of Blackbird Theater in upstate New York. ness and the ability to pass down tunes the church. The black community was like a palpable possession are part of what channeling religion and song into pride makes music the perfect way to commu- and protest. Harlan Baker is currently writing a nicate. Songs with timeless messages, or book on Portland Theater in the 1970s, Throughout history, music has been sounds that evoke deep feelings within a 80s, and 90s. This is a condensed vera popular form of activism. Music is a listener, will withstand generations. Husion of one of the chapters. non-violent tool for protest. Specifically, man nature craves music so that we don’t black artists in the late 20th century and feel so alone, so that we feel empowered early 21st century used music to speak and heard. Perhaps we need more music about racial injustice in the United States. to inspire us to take action and connect They used lyrics to unite and express the with one another. feelings that came with their continuous struggle for equality. Sadie Levy is a Junior at Waynflete high Protest music transcends genres. Hip school in Portland, Maine. She loves hop, folk, pop, and many more can all be writing and adventuring in nature. Music is the language of my generation. It’s something we universally feel. A song can be a lens that people with different perspectives can look through and perhaps be able to see things differently because of the raw human element music possesses.

Book Short

A Place for Us, debut novel by Fatima Farheen Mirza

not know if it was indifference or a desire for independence that kept you from me,” he says. At the wedding, the son Amar meets an old friend of his father’s father. His bewilderment is a mirror-image of his father’s: “Listening to this man praise his father,Amar felt as if a balloon were growing in his chest and he was afraid if it popped, he would cry. He had been cheated out of knowing the best of his father; his father had reserved his kindness for others,” Mirza writes.

Review by Stephanie Miller

At the same time, if a daughter tries to please her father, but realizes that for all her following the rules of being a good Muslim girl in America she will never be more precious to her parents than her brother, then can she be blamed for elbowing her siblings aside once in a while?

Someone else’s family dynamic can be a bit consoling to watch. Until you realize how familiar it all is. That is the beauty of “A Place for Us,” The New York Times bestselling debut novel of Fatima Farheen With each chapter, a series of seemMirza. ingly small incidents and a collection of This is a story about defining a “good” remembered hurts pile up, and by conlife - in particular for first generation Mus- sequence build walls that seem impenelim Indian Americans. The wedding of the trable. The family chasm is heart-breaking, eldest daughter is the last time she sees but inevitable. her troubled brother, their parent’s only The writing is beautiful and decepson, and serves as the plot’s pivot point tively simple. There is mysticism in the for all the loyalty, jealousy, joy, and spite- flow and in the family’s traditions. It draws fulness during the years that lead to it and us in, and we become not just voyeurs of shape the family going forward. someone else’s struggles, but invested in The father has a rigid idea of goodness, based on his deep spiritual beliefs, but the son doesn’t accept that path. Despite their almost desperate love for each other, this father and son do not understand, and cannot reach, each other. The father is bewildered by how different it was to raise a son than two daughters. “You did not ask me any of these things [that your sisters did]. I did

the characters, so that we fully appreciate the instincts, words, and mistakes that so easily bring the family together - when they are not tearing them apart. Bayside resident Stephanie Miller is a voracious reader and bibliophile and spends a lot of time lost in the stacks of bookstores and libraries. Find her online @StephanieSAM.

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WHAT'S GOING ON LIVE MUSIC • PERFORMING ARTS • EVENT RENTALS • COMMUNITY EVENTS

THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

COMMUNITY EVENTS Isabel Stover Quintet at Blue

Friends of Western Promenade Sunset Concert Series

Accompanied by some of the most creative figures on the Boston scene, Isabel Stover draws the emotive thread between timeless Jazz standards, Brazilian, folk, and pop with fresh, new arrangements. Her debut album, “Her Own Sweet World,” went to #1 on the charts in the first week of its release.

July 27 at 7p / Western Promenade / Donations welcome

Her carefully crafted repertoire is a collaboration between Stover and her quartet of talented musicians, guitarist Steven Kirby, bassist Mark Poniatowski, pianist Mark Shilansky, and drummer Mike Connors.

Mark your calendars now and join us for this relaxing neighborhood tradition! Enjoy listening to a variety of talented musicians featured each week. City of Portland Parks rules and regulations apply. Please carry home any trash you bring to the park.

Sat., July 2 / 8-9:30p / 650A Congress St., Portland / Donations welcome Wednesdays, July 13 & 20 at 7:30p,

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Portland’s Annual 4th of July Celebration

Mon., July 4 / 9:15p / Eastern Promenade The City will host the annual fireworks display on Monday, July 4th, at its usual spot on the Eastern Promenade. Because of city staffing issues, the celebration will have no musical performance,VIP Area, or ticketed elements. Food trucks will be parked in the Cutter Street lot during the event. The show is scheduled to start around 9:15 p.m. The rain date is July 5th.

Maine Debut of Quartet Davis at Blue

Fri., July 22 / 6-7:30p / 650A Congress St., Portland / Donations welcome

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Quartet Davis is a string quartet that plays and sings in multiple non-classical styles. Through their musical upbringings in fiddle traditions and blues-based music, Quartet Davis blends original compositions, compelling arrangements, and vocal harmonies, bringing a fresh spirit of creativity to chamber music. Quartet Davis is excited to make their Maine debut. Members Camille Vogley-Howes and Molly Tucker, violin, Emily Edelstein, viola, and Karl Henry, cello, met while studying at Oberlin Conservatory. They released their debut album “Three Lefts Make a Right” in September 2020. Quartet Davis will be playing at Port City Blue in Portland on July 22nd from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Donations welcome.

Presented by Friends of Western Promenade… Join us for free live music concerts in the historic Western Promenade park each Wednesday one hour before sunset, July 13th through August 17th.

Please consider a donation and help keep these concerts going each year. Funds help compensate each band, rent sound and power equipment, and print promotion materials, etc. We appreciate it! To donate visit https://www.friendsofwesternprom.org.

July performances July 13th - 7:30p start Dead Gowns (a new local band) July 20th - 7:30p start Hadacol Bouncers (New Orleans jazz) July 27th - 7:00p start Sabouyouma* (West African Afrobeat) *Co-sponsored by SPACE

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

Portland Summer Meals Locations for Children & Teens

Northern Light Mercy Hospital welcomes new oncologist

The Portland Public Schools will be operating various summer meal sites across the city this summer. Meals and times will be posted at sites and maps have been distributed to students at school. School Sites began operation on June 27th and continue through July 29th, and many through August 12th, Monday through Friday.

Northern Light Mercy Hospital is pleased to welcome Milaim Mustafa, MD, to Northern Light Mercy Cancer Care. Prior to joining Mercy, Dr. Mustafa practiced at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

All children and teens 18 years and younger may receive a meal free of charge, on a first-come, first-serve basis, at any of the meal site locations. There is no meal service on Monday July 4th. To get more information about sites and times, you may dial 2-1-1, text “Summer Meals” to 97779, or go online to http://www.fns. usda.gov/summerfoodrocks.

6. East End Community School (11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., 6/27-8/12) 7. Study Center at Kennedy Park (12 - 1 p.m., 6/27-8/12) 8. Boys & Girls Club - Cumberland Ave (12 - 12:30 p.m., 6/27-8/12) 9. Munjoy South Playground* (12:30 - 1 p.m., 6/27-8/12) 10. Reiche Playground* (12 - 12:30 p.m., 6/27-8/12) *closes for rain

PORTLAND OPEN MEAL SITES Open Monday - Friday 1. Boys & Girls Club - Riverton (12 - 12:30 p.m., 6/27-8/12) 2. North Deering Gardens *M,T,TH* (11 a.m. - 12 p.m., 6/27-8/12) 3. Rowe Elementary School (12 - 1 p.m., 6/27-8/12) 4. Boys & Girls Club - Sagamore (12 - 12:30 p.m., 6/27-8/12) 5. Deering High School (11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., 6/27-7/28)

“Based on my family experience with cancers, I understand how difficult it is to receive such a diagnosis,” said Dr. Mustafa. “That’s why it’s important to me to approach each case individually with empathy and design the best treatment plan for the best outcome.” Dr. Mustafa received a Bachelor of Science from the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine and a Doctor of Medicine from American University of Antigua College of Medicine in Coolidge, Antigua. His residency was at Richmond University Medical Center in New York, New York, and he is fellowship trained in hematology and medical oncology through Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY. He is board certified in hematology and medical oncology. Dr. Mustafa, who lives in the area with his wife and two children, is a member of the American Society of Hematology; American Society of Clinical Oncology; American College of Physicians; and the Albanian American Medical Society. In 2018, Northern Light Mercy Hospital announced a collaboration with New England Cancer Specialists (NECS), which

Milaim Mustafa, MD. -Photo courtesy of Northern Light Mercy expanded its cancer care program. Dr. Mustafa is the most recent NECS provider to join Mercy’s cancer program, where his sole focus is on serving Mercy Hospital’s patients.

About New England Cancer Specialists (NECS) New England Cancer Specialists is an independent medical oncology and hematology practice comprised of thirteen physicians who are nationally recognized for their expertise and experience. They participate in more clinical trials than any other practice in Maine. With partnerships across the state and around the region, NECS aims to further increase the availability of and access to novel cancer therapeutics and programmatic advancements.

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BUSINESS & COMMUNITY

THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

Rachael Murphy:

Inaugural EMERGE artist in residence at Running with Scissors Every month PelotonLabs co-founder Liz Trice interviews a local Peloton or community member. This month, Liz caught up with Rachael Murphy the inaugural EMERGE artist in residence at Running with Scissors (RWS), a shared studio space in Portland’s Bayside neighborhood. What kind of art do you make? I primarily work in woodcuts, a form of relief printing, which involves carving into a flat piece of wood, applying ink, then pressing it onto paper. My subject matter is often inspired by my outdoor adventures in Maine and incorporates larger environmental issues with human activity like power lines or bridges. One of the unique parts of my prints is the inclusion of a waterline, so you can see above and below the surface. More recently I’ve been focusing on endangered and threatened species in the state of Maine.

How does the artist in residency work?

Rachael Murphy and a close up of the woodcut, "Brice the Behemoth." -Courtesy of artist

It’s July through November; there are two cycles per year, and each cycle has two residents. We get five months of studio space and a $50 per month stipend for materials. This is a pilot program. At the end, I will do a workshop or demonstration on a particular medium. Or I can donate work for a RWS fundraising auction.

How to Apply for an Artist in Residency

I have a few freelance jobs but am looking for work in Portland. One thing I do is manage collections for artists and art collectors. I’ll document the condition of the work, how to improve the storage of the work, any history of the artist and preWhere are you from and how did vious owners, and document the dimenyou end up here? sions and media. I have a BFA in Studio Art I moved from Mass in 2017 to go and a BA in Art Education, a minor in Art to school in Orono, and just moved to History, and I interned at the Zillman Art Portland. I heard about the opportunity Museum in Orono. at RWS from a professor and was invited What does Running with Scissors to apply. Right now, I’m dividing my time do? between Portland and Blue Hill where I work at a gallery/frame shop. Running with Scissors is a shared art

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studio space in Bayside. I really missed having a community space once I left Umaine. The printmaking professor, Susan Groce, did a great job at building community. The studio was open 24/7. Late nights were my favorite because everyone working would get a little nutty at times. It’s hard to get access to materials and tools outside of school, and it can be messy, so having a shared space really helps with that.

Next call will be in December 2022. Join the mailing list via their website to find out when it opens: https://www.rwsartstudios.com. How to Visit RWS Contact RWS at info@rwsartstudios.com for a tour or contact individual artists directly to set up an appointment. Link to Rachael’s Work

https://ko-fi.com/rachaelkmurphyart Where would you like to be in three years? PelotonLabs is a coworking space in I feel that I’m at the edge of discov- the West End of Portland, Maine with ering something I want to keep doing. The a mission to connect and encourage large format wood prints, and incorporat- people working on their own to maning the personal with the larger issues, is ifest their visions without fear. something I want to keep exploring. I want to continue refining my skills and subject matter. I’m always searching for something new and challenging in my artistic practice.

PelotonPosts is created by PelotonLabs. WEN provides column space without charge. WEN publisher and editor Tony Zeli is a coworking member at PelotonLabs.

THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

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THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

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THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

FOOD & DRINK

LAYNE'S WINE GIG PRESENTS

YOU NEVER KNOW By Layne V. Witherell

For me, wine and food aren’t a predetermined, preordained, sales-rep induced experience beginning with the admonition, “Wow, you should try this wine, and smell the rock that it is grown in.” I prefer to plunge headfirst into the unknown. This month, it is totally about the unknown.

GRAPE ABDUCTION BLAUFRANKISCH, SLOVENIAN RED, $20.00 Terez, the owner of Port City Blue at 650 Congress Street (as in the venue for Layne’s Wine Gig), and I picked out this red from a distributor’s wine list sight unseen. The grape is an old Austrian-Hungarian variety commonly called Lemberger (which translates into a hard sell in the US). Four thousand acres are grown in its homeland. It’s an indigenous, popular grape. Tasting it live onstage for the first time, I found it had “newest hipster enclave” written all over it. Archaic, artisanal, it glowed in the glass just like the label. Ah, the label. It was a pastiche of the great Le Cigare Volante label (California Red Table Wine) created by the wildly eccentric vintner, philosopher, winemaker, and wine writer extraordinaire Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon. Flying saucers, okay sure. The other influence in taste is Josko Gravner, late of Collio in Northern Italy.

He became the shining light of reviving the ancient 6,000 BC tradition of using Georgian clay amphora for fermenting and macerating of grapes until they resemble their skins instead of the wine itself. This is a glorious example of Randall Grahm and Josko Gravner having a baby. There is a sense of metallic whirligigs and acrid smack.The back label says to “serve slightly chilled, with grilled meats, light cheeses, or light fare.” But... there is more. The audience always participates in the Wine Gig, and our ever inciteful pal Bruce Couillard suggested that it had a character and taste resembling salad dressing. That got us thinking and rooting around in the pantry. Ah, add a little grilled chicken and Trader Joe’s Strawberry Basil Vinaigrette as an accompaniment to the acidic, acrid smack. The white balsamic in the dressing is a knockout accompaniment that must be experienced to be believed. With the pairing, the wine is livelier as is the dressing. Perfection. There is new life in that “newest hipster enclave,” and a great alfresco dinner to boot.

Grape Abduction w/ Trader Joe's Strawberry Basil Vinagrette.

Wines of Anarcy w/ briny snacks.

-Photos courtesy of Layne Witherell

lot of problems with this wine once you get beyond the adorable snarly label. I looked up the blurb on “Rock Juice Monthly Wine Selections.” They are either an importer or P.R. agency, or both.

From the overtly friendly blurb,“Francesco would stand out as a rising star in any of Italy’s big famous regions … but in Abruzzo, his aura is almost blinding.” Whew! When you look him up in “Gambero Rosso Italian Wines” (the authorIt is a simplistic white frizzante to itative Italian wine guide) they say good throw down by itself or with briny snacks. things - blinding aura is not one of them. Muscadet from the Loire Valley in France His Cerasuolo dAbruzzo Amphora (a does it better for less money and less classic Abruzzo rose) is his highest rated hype. In spite of the native yeast, organiwine. His production is small at around cally grown grapes, spontaneous fermentwelve acres. I wonder if that Cerasuolo tation, pet nat style, and the morally imis available here? He is “trying to make proving hype, it is just mildly enjoyable. authentic wine, not important wine.” I The Oyster River Winegrowers Mor- wouldn’t worry about that with the likes phos White pet nat made in Maine at of shining stars Luigi Cataldi Madonna, CIRELLI WINES OF ANARCHY, $22.00 is also actively fermented in the Dino Illuminati, Tiberio, and the astonTREBBIANO, ABRUZZO, FRIZZANTE, bottle and would provide a more inter- ishingly great Emidio Pepe and Valentini $22.00-$25.00 esting, lively tasting comparison side by as your neighbors. Just don’t change your Discovered at the Maine Wild Wine side with local oysters and a hearty side label designer or you’d have to get a difFest in Freeport, Maine.There are a whole of seaweed. ferent schtick.

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YOU NEVER KNOW

THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

LAYNE’S WINE GIG - JULY 7th - FIRST THURSDAY THIS MONTH!

CONT'D FROM PG. 10

HORSESHOES AND HANDGRENADES, AMERICAN RED TABLE WINE, BOTTLED IN DUNDEE, OREGON $16.99

to state. It is common in the Eastern US due to harsh grape growing conditions and crop instability.You never know about this on a label. Wines can range from The Prisoner, a great genre defining red at $50.00, to Our Dog Blue (Chateau Morrisette, Virginia) the perfect combo with I purchased this wine in a local fine fried bread at the fair. wine store thinking it was made by the legendary Charles K. Smith of Washing- BOTTLED BY: This person is bottling ton, who dabbles in Oregon a bit. There wine or grapes and having a blendidly good is a close resemblance to his graphics, that time. are, of course, always catchy. The person I opened it on the deck with a rib working there didn’t have a clue about eye steak on the grill. Interestingly, this this wine. But this article is about taking a was a “gotta try it before I know much” chance. So why not? moment. It was totally fun, hanging out on the deck with my wife Judy, and a rare moWhat's in a Label? ment of respite from being in front of an audience. Nice to take a little time off. I chose not to look anything up first, but I do know Wine Labeling 101, having What hit the glass was one of the run a winery and submitted labels to the most extraordinary wines that I have had Feds for approval. Catchy labels get you in in years. Piles of fruit. Balance. Layers of the customer’s basket. Quality keeps you complexity. It tasted like a thrilling Orethere. (What is with the horseshoe and gon wine with more meat on its bones… hand grenade anyway?) and sunshine. Lots of sunshine. After a few weeks tasting the novelty act acidic creaBRAND NAME: Required. tures, each working and trying to stumble WINE TYPE: Must be 75% of a single their way toward creating a pastoral vigrape variety to list it on the label. Red sion, this was IT. THE BIG IT. Loaded with table is a “mendo blendo” of the wine- luscious, juicy fruit. maker’s choice. You simply must get out of the wine These are pieces of knowledge, but they books and indulge in a bit of John Keats: are only pieces. It is like having a key in “How I like claret. When I can get claret, I your hand and trying to unlock your front must drink it… it fills one’s mouth with a gushing freshness.” door in the dark.

For an afternoon of snark, fun, and wine come to Layne’s Wine Gig on the 1st Thursday in July from 5:00-6:00 p.m., at Blue, 650 Congress St., Portland. Four pours of 3-oz each for twelve bucks. Best to check the website for vax and mask requirements.Visit portcityblue.com.

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.

Horseshoes and Handgrenades. grapes. Southern Oregon Syrah and Red Mountain Washington Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot combine to become ripe cherries meets saddle leather. Run, don’t walk to find a bottle of this wine.

You get to look up Andre Hueston Mack, wine guru extraordinaire, for yourself as you should taste this wine first before being wowed by a person’s curriculum vitae. This guy is as serious as There is a talent for sourcing grapes, wines get for the money. Also, his tee-shirt AMERICAN: On a wine label this means and then there is a genius for sourcing schwag is downright delirious! grapes or wine can be shipped from state

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THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

Organizing Group Travel: Patience and listening skills are key

work it was. She made a list, took names, was Athens. picked a recommended restaurant within Last February I booked two group walking distance of their hotel, made resThe tour was fast paced.The students sites at Lamoine State Park near Mount ervations, and set the time. behaved well and modeled good traveling Desert Island for a four-night camping trip behavior! They were open to trying new over the Fourth of July. I posted the trip Most folks were on time but not things and were smart and kind. Mr. Leonto members of the Maine Outdoor Ad- all. A few showed up that hadn’t signed ard? Not so much. venture Club. And about thirty members up. Then during dinner one of the couples registered! complained loudly that they didn’t like Lost Passport the restaurant and that the service was First thing that happened was that So much planning goes on behind the slow. She was shocked and embarrassed one of the students lost her passport scenes when organizing such a large group by their garish behavior. Never again, she somewhere between Tucson and Maadventure … or any group. And then there told me. drid. Mr. Leonard did not believe it. He are the individuals in the group. There is a yelled at her and made a scene on the lot to it. Europe with Mr. Leonard plane. That didn’t help. This is what I do in my role as travStephanie’s story brought back a I waited with her in the customs ofel advisor and small group tour opera- flood of memories of a trip to Europe tor! Organizational skills are key and one with another Leonard, Mr. Leonard, a high fice for a faxed copy of her passport. After of my knacks! school teacher from the Southwest. In a long delay we were released and she was 1998 he invited me to help chaperone a able to get her passport reissued the next Dinner Troubles in Italy group of forty-eight students on an educa- day. My friend Stephanie signed up for the tional tour from Madrid to Athens. By Nancy Dorrans

MOAC camping trip and was glad that someone else was handling all the details. She said, “I know it’s a lot of work!” Then she told me the story of one time when she tried to help with a group trip in Italy.

The connection? One of his sisters worked with my sister in Tennessee. I was chosen, not because I knew his sister or had travel experience or had worked with high school students, but because he needed someone with time to travel to Egypt with him afterwards. I had the time and wanted to go to Egypt too! The other chaperones were his two sisters and their aunt. I didn’t notice the red flags…

Nancy Dorrans with students in front of the Gothic Barcelona Cathedral (1998) -Photo courtesy of Nancy Dorrans Nancy Dorrans is a professional travel expert and founded Adventure Marketplace in 2014.

panic and anxiety disorder and this tour had triggered a severe episode. Brian had invited her because he thought it would be good for her to get away from all her troubles. She had to fly home and their Missing Girls aunt had to fly with her. So now there Next, we headed out on a guided were only three chaperones and more red walking tour of Madrid. After our first ca- flags were visible. thedral visit, the tour continued with Mr. There is a lot to organizing and esLeonard in the lead. I didn’t think we had corting groups. I learned so much from everyone with us and caught up with him this adventure and cherish most of the to ask how he kept track. He had no budmemories. Despite the ineptitude of Mr. dy system but assured me everyone was Leonard, we made the most of the rest of there. the journey. I bonded with the students, I didn’t know all the students yet but they with each other, and I grew very fond knew at least two girls were missing. One of them. I was proud of these kids and was very tall with long curly hair. The lo- their youthful curiosity, energy, humor, and cal tour guide and I scurried back to the good behavior. cathedral and found her and half a dozen I’ll share the more of the story and other girls standing outside the restrooms the best memories next month– Stay wondering where we were… Ugh! Red tuned… flag coming into view…

It was a church trip that had been organized by her beloved Pastor Leonard and his travel agent. He had led many trips and had a great following. Stephanie recalled how excited she was to finally get Our itinerary: an eighteen-day a chance to go. motor coach journey from Spain to Unfortunately, a few months before Greece. Starting in Madrid we traveled to the trip, Pastor Leonard passed away. The Toledo and took a night train to Barcelogroup considered cancelling, but the travel na. On through Southern France to Monaagent urged them to go in Pastor Leon- co and into Italy. We whirled through Pisa, Florence, Sienna, Rome, Pompeii, Naples, ard’s memory. In the meantime, enjoy your sumand across to Bari where we boarded an Chaperone Down Stephanie recalled how she had overnight Superfast Ferry to cross the mer! Stay curious and please be kind to stepped up to help organize a special din- Adriatic Sea to Patras, on the PeloponThe third day, one of Brian’s sisters the people you meet at home and while ner one night. She didn’t realize how much nese peninsula of Greece. The last stop got sick. Turns out she was suffering from traveling.

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CLIMATE JUSTICE

THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

We’re All in This Together

Climate conference leaves one Falmouth resident feeling hopeful By Sydney Patten Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s annual conference just took place in Washington, DC from June 11th to 14th. Six hundred members from all over the country converged at the Omni Shoreham Hotel for this three-day event, along with numerous presenters, politicians, scientists, psychologists, journalists, and more. I found myself feeling a mixture of despair and hope ... an odd mixture of emotions to feel at the same time. The despair came in moments when, for example, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat from Rhode Island) likened what’s going on in the ocean to multiple Hiroshima nuclear bombs going off every second. The hope came when I saw just how many smart people there are working on all this. Hope came as well, when I saw the many young people who are making the study of climate and the environment their life’s work. Hope came when I attended a session to learn that equitable tree planting is currently happening in many of our cities - planting trees and creating shade where there once was none. And hope came when I heard Alex Flint, the republican executive director of the Alliance for Market Solutions, speak. It was encouraging to hear from him and others that climate is now an issue which 70% of Americans (both Democrats and Republicans) care and are concerned about.

SHORT TAKES:

We are fortunate indeed to have people like Senator Whitehouse and our own Senator King devoting so much time to this. Eight members of our group lobbied Senator King who is deeply knowledgeable in many things related to the climate. One of Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s biggest goals is to pass what’s called a carbon fee and BRIGHT IDEA: Take the Five dividend. In a nutshell, a carbon fee would Steps to Zero Waste put a steadily rising fee on carbon-emitDiscarded food is the single-largting fuels, at the source, where they are est component of US landfills and the first introduced into the economy. country’s third-largest source of methWhile I was in Washington, I felt as ane. Here’s what you can do to change though I was working for the resistance that. in WW2. Only now, the enemy is carbon • Reduce. Stop buying more than and those who don’t believe in the science you can eat. Plan your menus and of climate change. I try to remain hopeful, know how much you can freeze or and on many days I succeed. store. Never shop hungry. In the face of this existential crisis, I believe, as Anne Frank once said, “It’s real• Feed Your People. If you bought ly a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my it, eat it. Use culinary imagination to ideals, because they seem so absurd and avoid throwing away perfectly good impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, food because you no longer find it because in spite of everything, I still beinteresting. lieve that people are really good at heart.” • Feed Other People. If you have too Let’s hope Anne Frank was right! much food, share it. Consider taking If you want to be part of the solution extras to a food pantry or set up a rather than part of the problem, join CCL Blessing Box (like a Little Library) in and get involved! Visit citizensclimatelobyour building or neighborhood. by.org. • Feed Animals. This can be tricky if Sydney Patten is a pianist and a cliyou don’t live on or near a farm. Backmate change activist. She lives in Falyard chickens are excellent for recymouth with her husband, Bill, and her cling leftovers. dog, Patapouf.

Zero Waste, Bill McKibben’s Third Act & Getting to Know Each Other

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BRIGHT IDEA: Let’s Get to Know Each Other

Ever wonder, “Who writes this column? Who is behind it and what is PCAT (the Portland Climate Action Team)?” The short answer is that we are a small group of about two dozen active members who share a deep concern about the state of our climate. The group, affiliated with the Sierra Club, is seven years old and has worked in close collaboration with Portland’s Sustainability Office.We have helped • Compost. A good way to make soil facilitate a number of noteworthy projfrom excess food and scraps. On ects such as the solar array on the Ocean Earth Day 2021, Portland started a Avenue Landfill. composting drop-off pilot project Bright Ideas first appeared four years with five sites. After a successful year, ago in the form of a small pamphlet placed the project is now being expandin coffee shops throughout the city. The ed. Check the City’s website for loEnd News then expressed interWest cations at portlandmaine.gov/727/ est in having a regular Bright Ideas colComposting-Food-Waste-Reducumn. Ever since, our three-person team tion. If you live in the West End, – Espahbad Dodd, Rosanne Graef, and look for the new site on the Clark Liz Parsons – has written 37 monthly Street side of the Reiche School. Try columns using information from a wide a worm box - great fun! FMI: variety of sources. your welPlease direct check out www.wormmainea.com. comed feedback and ideas to portlandcli-Adapted from Sierra Club Magazine, mateaction@gmail.com. Winter 2021

Bright Ideas is brought to you by Portland Climate Action Team which meets monthly on the 4th Thursday, 6-7:30 p.m. All are welcome to join in. FMI: portlandclimateaction@gmail.com.

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THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

“Double-C” Trivia 1. What Italian word for “small” also can be used to refer to a tiny flute? 2. What Saudi Arabian city receives an extra 6 million visitors each year during the 12th month of the Islamic calendar? 3. What is the formal name of the final vertebrae in all primates, commonly called the tailbone? 4. Flour, egg, cheese, and potato can all be ingredients in what family of Italian dumplings, usually eaten as a first course?

Mondays @ Foulmouthed Brewing and Lazzari Tuesdays @ Ri Ra Thursdays @ Arcadia and Locally Sauced Find out more on Facebook and Instagram: @bestworsttrivia

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

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THE DUMPSTER WHERE WE TOSS THE STUFF THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT… Yordprom Coffee owner Tom Yordprom opens new take out joint in the West End called Tobi at the former location of Figgy’s on Walker St… Governor Mills declares June Maine Dairy Month... Internet Explorer is officially retired after 27 years and Microsoft will no longer support the once dominant web browser… Massive Maine employer Idexx tells the SEC they will liquidate their Russia subsidiary and end business operations in Russia… People for Bikes’ city rankings places Portland at 115 out of 455 midsized cities for biking friendliness… Maine is the 5th best state for summer road trips thanks to safe driving laws and low per capita car thefts… Portland is the 5th best city for staycations thanks to hiking trails per capita and high vaccination rates… According to the analysts at SmartAsset.com the most tax-friendly communities in Maine to retire are Skowhegan and Kennebunk… American Association for State and Local History gives prestigious Award of Excellence to Maine Historical Society for their 2021 exhibition BEGIN AGAIN: reckoning with intolerance in Maine… Maine Community Media Association formerly known as the Community Television Association was awarded the Dirk Koning-George Stoney Humanistic Communications award… Exchange St. restaurant Crispy Gai launches the Pro Roe Punch and $1 from every Pro Roe Punch goes directly to Portland Health’s Planned Parenthood…

THE WEST END NEWS / JULY 2022

Taylor's First Game

Right in the middle of a big grand stand Taylor became a Seadogs fan With mom and dad it was such fun She got to see her first home run She cheered the dogs on to victory While wrapped in the love of her family There stood Slugger big and tall But she cried a tear 'cause she forgot her doll! -By Elaine Carver

The WEN Poetry Corner publishes reader poetry when space permits. Please send to: thewestendnews@ gmail.com.

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