West Bayside on the Threshold of Transformation
By Nancy English
Two projects, both still in various phases on the drawing board, could remake the blocks of West Bayside between Preble Street and Pearl, Lancaster and Cumberland, now mostly parking lots, into a dense urban neighborhood.
Between now and whenever these buildings rise, the Planning Board, city staff, and neighbors will push to improve exteriors, make interiors standard across all units, fx sidewalks, add green space, require tree plantings in “silva cells” –or subsurface structural soil that allows broad root development – and more.
“While these developments still need to … demonstrate compliance with existing regulations that support broader citywide objectives, creating substantial housing opportunities in and near our downtown is fundamental to sustainable development patterns and a vital step toward meeting our housing needs,” said Kevin Kraft, Director of the Portland Planning and Urban Development Department.
89 Elm Street
The design of 89 Elm Street, an enormous 201-unit building that borders the block between Lancaster and Oxford Streets along Elm, has borne the brunt of Portland Planning Board and public criticism so far. It frst came before the Planning Board in 2023. It was one of seven new buildings in Phase 1a of the West Bayside Master Development Plan covering almost nine acres of West Bayside. The design included 804 units in total and 28,200 square feet of commercial space to be built over ten years. The building at 89 Elm received major site plan approval on October 24th, 2023.
Page 5
Units will be affordable for people earning 60% of the area median income, but these units will be segregated into only one of the seven buildings proposed. The Planning Board required that the affordable unit building at 89 Elm not be demarcated by less appealing design.
Public comments contained criticism of the architecture. At the late July 2023 workshop, the Planning Board asked that the design be modifed to “break up the large massing” along the Elm Street side. The applicant, 89 Elm Street, LLC, argued successfully against a mid-block gap, adding brick siding at ground level to make the building more attractive from the street.
According to Jessica James of Longfellow Communications, who represents Reveler Development, construction activities are already underway for 89 Elm Street.
197 Oxford Street
A second development of three buildings to be built in three phases starting at 197 Oxford Street is more controversial. Reveler Development proposes to sell the Phase 1 building to Avesta once it is built. The city’s planning department memo from Eric Freeman, attached to the November 12th, 2024 Planning Board Agenda item states, “To satisfy the IZ off-site requirements at 197 Oxford Street, Reveler will need to demonstrate how their proposed partnership with Avesta complies with the defnition of owner.”
It also puts its affordable units into one structure and adds a Housing First facility on the frst foor. Its location is at the site of the former Oxford Street Homeless Shelter, which closed in December 2023, when the new Portland Homeless Services Center opened on Riverside St. Cont'd on Pg. 3
Pages 10-11
Bans & Snow Removal
By Tony Zeli
Here comes winter! The City of Portland Department of Public Works cares for more than 560 lane miles of road, and the City’s Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Department cares for more than 100 miles of sidewalks during and following Maine’s snowstorms. Last season, the City was concerned about labor shortages causing delays in the cleanup, but the winter wasn’t has bad as it could have been and new hires were made to fll open positions for drivers. This year, the department says it is ready.
“We are fully staffed this year and ready for winter operations,” said DPW Director Mike Murray. “We look forward to ensuring the city’s streets are safe when winter weather events occur.”
Get alerted! Parking Ban Notifcations
The City can call a city-wide parking ban, a peninsula ban which covers the entire peninsula, or a yellow zone ban, which covers the downtown district. Residents and visitors can view alerts on the City’s website at www.portlandmaine.gov or sign up to receive email, text, and phone notices via the Stay Connected feature. You can also text the word “PortlandParkingBan” to 38276 to get parking ban updates. Motorists can also call the parking ban hotline at 207-879-0300.
TIP: If parking your car on the street, please park as close to the snowbank as possible. Often people park several feet away from the curb in order to allow passengers to move in and out of the car eas-
Cont'd on Pg. 3
Page 12
What better place to celebrate winter than
Stephanie Miller explores two novels that embrace place
Interview with new Portland City Councilor Wes Pelletier
Layne offers his takes on a rough year for the wine biz
Quebec w/ Nancy
Front elevation 89 Elm St., one of two major projects slated for the near future in Portland's West Bayside. -Approved Drawings 89 Elm St, 11/21/2024, pg. 191
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West Bayside on Threshold of Transformation
Objections were raised to this location of a Housing First facility, serving formerly homeless tenants, based on its proximity to Elena’s Way, an ultra-low barrier shelter run by Preble Street, and being adjacent to streets that are the site of multiple Portland Police service calls for violence, drug use, and more. Preble Street, a nonproft that runs Elena’s Way, would run the new site.
“Placing people struggling to get their lives together in the middle of a neighborhood full of the poison they want to get away from is wrong,” said Jess Falero, an advocate for the homeless who ran for an at-large seat on the Portland City Council in 2024 and fnished second. “People cannot heal in the same place that made them sick.”
Public comment from Laura Underkuffer and David Nowlin attached to the November agenda described the architectural design of 197 Oxford Street as “stark and institutional,” and praised the market rate buildings’ exteriors, proposed for Phases 2 and 3, as “highly attractive, architecturally detailed, and welcoming buildings,” in vivid contrast.
At its July 2024 workshop the Planning Board asked Reveler and its development partner Avesta to “make a more cohesive development site.” At its November 2024 workshop, the developer agreed to reconstruct the sidewalk on Cedar Street. The
Cont'd from Pg. 1
November staff memo also required the developer to be responsible for street improvements on Cedar Street.
According to spokeswoman James, as of December 17th, there have been no changes to this project.
The integration of inclusionary zoning units, or payment of a fee-in-lieu, is now required in all new residential building applications following the approval by the city council of ReCode, the new land use code, in November 2024. These projects, submitted before the zoning change, may be built as allowed under the earlier zoning code.
Further Planning Board review of 197 Oxford Street will be scheduled in the upcoming months.
Nancy English ran for City Council District 2 seat this past election and is a former paralegal for the City of Portland.
Winter Parking & Snow Regs
Cont'd from Pg. 1
ily. Parking the car in this manner shortens the width of the street by several feet, making it diffcult for Portland snowplows to clear the street safely and emergency vehicles to respond as quickly as possible to a fre or medical emergencies. If the street is impassable for an emergency vehicle, the vehicle blocking the street will be towed.
TIP: Be on the lookout for any emergency no parking signs that may be posted on streets following major snow events to aid in further snow removal. These signs are only required to be posted 12 hours in advance.
Get your snow shoveled! Sidewalk Snow Removal Reg-
ulations
A minimum of four feet is required to be clear of snow and treated for ice on all public sidewalks and sidewalk access ramps. Snow cannot be pushed or dumped from driveways and parking lots onto public access sidewalks and access ramps. Business owners have 12 hours following a winter storm, and residents get 18 hours to clear their properties or face fnes. Should the city have to remove the snow and ice, the property owner will be charged for the cost of removal plus a 10% charge for administration.
TIP: Members of the community may help the Portland Fire Department by keeping their neighborhood fre hydrants clear of snow and ice. Residents should also help Public Works by clearing catch basins and storm drains in front of their homes.
Get your sand! Residential
Sand
& Salt Pile
The City’s residential sand and salt pile is located at the Little League parking lot at Payson Park. This sand and salt pile is for residential use only, contractors are not allowed.
TIP: Residents can take two 5-gallon pails at a time.
Get help! Customer Service Hotline
For customer service related to winter operations, please call 207-874-8493. For sidewalk plowing concerns, please call 207-874-8793.
Tony Zeli is publisher and editor. Contact him at thewestendnews@gmail. com.
TIP: Elderly and disabled residents who need help with removing snow from sidewalks should contact the City’s Elder Services Department at 207-541-6620.
Regional planners seek help identifying new spots for EV charging POLICE BEAT
Regional planners are asking the public to help identify additional locations for future electric vehicle charging stations in Greater Portland. This outreach is part of a broader initiative aimed at helping cities and towns access public and private funding opportunities for improving EV infrastructure, said Jonathan Gagne, Sustainability Program Coordinator at the Greater Portland Council of Governments.
“We’re helping our region’s cities and towns get ready,” Gagne said.
Maine has submitted its second round of applications to the federal Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program. If successful, the state could secure up to $15 million to fund 64 public electric vehicle charging ports across 16 community locations, including six hospitals, enhancing transportation resiliency in areas prone to fooding and storms.
The state may also receive $20 million to establish 80 charging ports at 20 stations along Maine’s federally designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, which include I-95, I-295, Route 1, and Route 302.
“The funding hasn’t been announced yet, but a key focus of our work is to plan ahead and prepare municipalities to make the best use of funding as it becomes available,” Gagne said.
As par t of its Charging the Region
initiative, the Greater Portland Council of Governments is estimating future demand for charging stations and using traffc volume data to track emissions.
Public Sur vey
The agency is also conducting a public survey to gather input on residents’ priorities, concerns about EV adoption, and preferred locations for charging stations. The survey period closes on February 28th. The survey is available online at: www surveymonkey.com/r/ChargingTheRegion.
Currently, about 6,700 electric vehicles are registered in the region, representing just two percent of the total number of vehicles, so there is a signifcant potential for growth in EV adoption, Gagne noted.
The region already has 119 public charging locations, but more are needed, Gagne said.
“Access to reliable and affordable charging is critical to accelerating EV adoption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.
“Transpor tation accounts for 49% of Maine’s carbon emissions, making EV adoption one of our best opportunities to combat climate change. With Charging the Region, we aim to make EV ownership accessible, convenient and a practical solution for residents across Greater Portland.”
Shots Fired on Maplewood Street – 12/29/24
On December 29th at 11:30 p.m., Portland Police responded to Maplewood Street for two reports of shots fred. When police arrived, they found a Ford Expedition parked at 1344 Washington Avenue with signifcant damage. Two of the windows had been shattered and there appeared to be several bullet holes in the vehicle. Multiple shell casings were found nearby on Maplewood Street. This does not appear to be a random act. No injuries were reported due to the incident.
Shots Fired on Cumberland Avenue – 12/26/24
On December 26th at 12:08 a.m., Portland Police responded to 139 Cumberland Avenue for a report of shots fred. Upon arrival, Police discovered numerous damaged windows and numerous penetration defects to several apartments
at 139 Cumberland Avenue. There were also signs of several penetration defects inside the apartments. It appears at this time that more than a dozen rounds were fred into the structure. The area was canvassed with several shell casings found in the snow in Peppermint Park. No injuries were reported by any of the occupants.
Portland Police Make Arrest In Shooting on Sanborn St. –12/23/24
On December 23rd at 4:42 p.m., Portland Police responded to a report of a shooting at 22 Sanborn Street. Upon arrival, Police found Destiny Bullock, 23, of South Portland, suffering from a gunshot wound. She was transported to Maine Medical Center and is in stable condition.
Portland Police have arrested 21-yearold Ayden Jordan of Portland and charged him with Elevated Aggravated Assault. No further details will be released at this time.
Wes Pelletier
Every month Liz Trice interviews a community member for The West End News. This month Liz caught up with Wes Pelletier, the new District 2 city councilor.
Tell me a little about yourself.
I grew up in Richmond and Topsham, studied English at UMaine Orono, then moved to Portland about ten years ago. I’ve been involved in politics since middle school, when I canvassed for Howard Dean. In 2017, I joined DSA, where I got into leadership and learned how to be an organizer, run meetings, and deal with all sorts of administrative overhead. In my day job, I’m a software engineer with a company based out of Scarborough.
What made you decide to run for offce?
I’ve been frustrated with City Hall over the past decade, and, having talked to a lot of folks at the doors over the past year, I don’t think that sentiment is uncommon. A lot of critical issues have been left unaddressed, leading to the crises we now fnd ourselves in, in which rising housing costs are forcing out the working class that make Portland function. I decided to run for offce after Tori Pelletier (no
and fnd out how we can build on them and make them permanent. I’m also excited about the direction Greater Portland Metro is headed and want to empower them where possible.
relation) who is a strong advocate for the working class, decided not to run, and I wanted to ensure that City Council would continue to have a strong voice for the needs of tenants and the working class. And I’m looking forward to fguring out where the barriers to meaningful policy change are and how we can overcome them.
What do you think the council can do to address the housing crisis?
We’re seeing a drain on our workforce as people are getting priced out of Portland and even southern Maine altogether. In the past year, Portland’s made good progress in getting our zoning policy up to date in the implementation of LD2003 and ReCode, and groups like the Urbanist Coalition of Portland have helped create a better process with community buy-in. I think we can use the same approach to examine our permitting and licensing process, which is, by all accounts, Kafkaesque, and often results in projects losing a great deal of money as they sit in bureaucratic limbo.
Fresh Approach
So we need to be looking at that end, which is the nuts and bolts, but we also need to be looking at the bigger picture, and how we can get to a place where affordable and workforce units are as or more feasible than luxury units. Some solutions could include city bonding to loan money to projects that include workforce housing – a process called social housing, to explore the idea of having a public developer without the higher proft motive that for-proft developers have. I would like to see public money that goes into housing be more effciently recycled so that we can build more housing without costing taxpayers as much money.
Any other issues you’re prioritizing?
I really think one of the most unifying issues for Portland is increasing its walkability. Everyone wants to feel safer on the streets, and we all recognize the potential that a city as small as Portland has in being easily traversable.
I want to look at a lot of the temporary
What’s your process over the next few months? Who will you be talking to?
I would love to hear from anyone with ideas about how to address the core issues facing Portland: increasing workforce and affordable housing. I will be building relationships with other city councilors and City staff. I would love to hear from every business owner in District 2, renters, housing developers, anyone who is trying to solve the housing crisis.
I plan on holding town halls and offce hours, reaching out to renters and business owners in District 2. It’s important for people to reach out to me and let me know what they think could be better. We can build a coalition that can make real change in Portland.
You can contact Wes at: wpelletier@portlandmaine.gov.
This interview was edited for brevity
Reiche Community Room
January & Early February Activities
The West End Neighborhood Association offers a variety of events in the Reiche Community Room (enter by door 11 on the Clark Street side and proceed upstairs, ADA accessible).
Please consider joining us for some of these FREE activities in the New Year!
Monday, Jan. 6 - 6:30 p.m. - Magazine Readers with Frank Mitchell - Maine’s Invasive Plants - Contact hello@wenamaine.org for materials.
Wednesday, Jan. 8 - 6:30 p.m.WENA - General Meeting - All Are Welcome!
Thursday, Jan. 9 - 6:30 p.m.Die Well Death Education with Leona Oceania - Session 4: The Importance of Legacy Work: What to Do, and Where to Start - Writing Your Own (or Someone Else’s) Obituary.
Monday, Jan. 13 - 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6) - Classic flm –“The Producers”
Thursday, Jan. 16 - 6:30 p.m.
- New! Are You Curious? Learn, make, do—every month will be different! Are You Curious? Lunar New Year — Learn about the traditional Chinese and Korean celebrations of starting a New Year!
Thursday, Jan. 23 - 6:30 p.m.Join In! Community Study Circle - Current Topic: Being a Pedestrian in Portland - Contact hello@wenamaine.org for materials.
Monday, Jan. 27 - 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6) - Foreign flm –“Lovers’ Grief Over the Yellow River”
Thursday, Jan. 30 - 6:30 p.m.Ukulele basics (& beyond) with Kip DeSerres - Ukes to loan for the class.
Monday, Feb. 3 - 6:30 p.m.Magazine Readers - Contact hello@ wenamaine.org for materials.
Thursday, Feb. 6 - 6:30 p.m.Are You Curious? Learn, make, do—Every month will be different! Are You Curious? Celtic Calendar— Learn about the association of May Day and Halloween.
Ongoing
A.M. Exercise, M-F, 8:15-9:15 a.m. - No class on January 20.
Arts/Crafts/Games/Socializing, Thursdays, 4-6 p.m.
PLUS - Pickleball - Every Friday from 6-8 p.m. in the Reiche gym - $5 drop-in fee for residents, $10 for non-residents.
Hope to see you there - bring your friends!
Cancellations: In case of inclement weather, check the Recreation departement cancellation line at (207) 756-8130.
Community Events January
Window Dressers
Community Build
Jan. 6-12 / 8:30 – 12:30 & 1 – 5p / Allagash Brewing (Portland)
Mad Horse Theatre’s production of Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance
Window Dressers are insulating window inserts that save carbon emissions and money because folks burn less fossil fuel to warm their homes. They help people stay in their homes comfortably at lower costs, so positively impact the housing crisis and community health. And because customers and volunteers work together to measure and make the inserts, we build community! For more info, visit WindowDressers.org.
There is a Window Dressers Workshop coming up at Allagash Brewing in Portland. Sign up for four hour shift to help make insulating window inserts. The tasks of making the inserts are taught on site, easy to follow, and very satisfying.
The Window Dressers Workshop at Allagash Brewing Community Room (81 Industrial Way, Portland) will be held from January 6th through 12th, with shift signups from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1 to 5 p.m. Please note to park beside the building and enter at the left end.
Jan. 16 – Feb. 9 / Thurs – Sat. 7:30 p.m. with additional shows / Mad Horse Theatre, South Portland
Mad Horse Theatre presents the award-winning classic of American theater, Edward Albee’s “A Delicate Balance,” directed by Christopher Price, January 16th through February 9th.
The uneasy existence of upper-middle-class suburbanites Agnes and Tobias and their permanent house guest, Agnes’s witty and alcoholic sister Claire, is disrupted by the sudden appearance of lifelong family friends Harry and Edna, who ask to stay with them to escape an unnamed terror. They are soon followed by Agnes and Tobias’s bitter 36-year-old daughter Julia, who returns home following the collapse of her fourth marriage. These guests bring doubt, recrimination and ultimately solace, upsetting the “delicate balance” of Agnes and Tobias’s household.
The shows run Thursday - Saturday at 7:30 p.m. the frst weekend, with three Sunday performances, two at 2 p.m. (1/26 and 2/9) and one at 5 p.m. (2/2), and one Wednesday 7:30 p.m. performance the last week.
PAY WHAT YOU DECIDE: That means every production, every performance, every person pays what you decide as you leave the theater.
Masta Killa (Wu-Tang Clan) w/s/gs Adrienne Mack-Davis, eyenine & DJ Myth Jan 31 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Bob Marley Birthday Celebration ft. Mighty Mystic w/ Nomad I & The Slow Train Feb 8 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Postponed: Angelikah Fahray’s RNB Jazz Soirée w/project ensemble & Melvin Gradiz Apr 4 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Window inserts at MIHC. -WEN fle
BOOK SHORT
Two novels that embrace place
By Stephanie Miller
We love many novels for character, others for pacing. Some capture us with the power of a unique story — or an old story newly told. These two novels are grounded in place: The location is what drives the story and the character development.
In “All the Broken Places,” best-selling author John Boyne gives us the sequel to the disturbing Holocaust story he wrote for middle-schoolers, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.” Here, ninety-one-yearold Gretel Fernsby lives a quiet life in London but has never lost the look-over-myshoulder fear that someone will expose her dark past as the daughter of a man who ran one of the most fearsome concentration camps.
A new downstairs neighbor shakes up her hard-won, anonymous, and comfortable life, while her son increases his thinly veiled demands for her to sell her apartment and provide his inheritance early. Although the narrative jumps from Berlin to Paris to Sydney to London, ev-
erything centers on the place she is trying to hide: Those few years she spent in Poland, and the many years since when she has refused to talk about it.
This book positively thrums with tension. Is a young girl complicit in the crimes of her father and a nation? Can she bear to face the comfort and power of being her father’s daughter at that time and place? Throughout the story, Gretel struggles with her grief, guilt, and the risk of revealing the secrets she has so long protected.
Place also leads the story in “The Great Alone” by award-winning novelist Kristin Hannah. She takes us to remote Alaska with a family led by a struggling Vietnam War POW who is desperate to escape his demons. Thirteen-year-old Leni is caught in the wake of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship. Sure that moving to the wildlands of Alaska will give him the space to heal, her father does his best to set them up for survival in the unforgiving and dangerous landscape.
As the 18-hour daily darkness of winter descends, his mental state collapses and Leni and her mother realize that the danger inside the cabin is more deadly than the threats outside.
We grow up with Leni through this frightening family dynamic, even as she falls in love with Alaska and matures into a capable frontier woman. As her father descends further into the dark places, the two women must make horrible choices. This is an ode to the incomparable beauty and danger of Alaska, as well as a compelling coming of age story. (Sensitivity disclosure: Domestic violence is featured in both books.)
Micro Shorts
‘The River We Remember’ by William Kent Krueger
Here is an author who makes small town drama an art form. William Kent Krueger, award winner for “This Tender Land” and “About Grace,” turns his piercing lens on the murder of a man no one really liked, but many people feared, and the struggles of the local boy turned sheriff to right the wrongs in a small Minnesota town in 1958. The crime unleashes a torrent of anger and bigotry that quickly threatens to tear the town into pieces. Laced through it all are incredible acts of kindness and neighborliness.
It wouldn’t be a Krueger novel without some deep-thinking young characters who muddle into the mess with the righteous single-mindedness of inexperience. Although slightly sappy, this novel is worth a trip to meet the people of this remote town who struggle with old grievances and their own troubled histories.
‘The Book of Charlie’
by David Von Drehle
This is a true story of how to live a long and happy life as illustrated by the youthful Charlie White, who lived to be 109 years old. Losing his father at a young age to a tragic accident, he nonetheless keeps his adventurous boyish spirit and cultivates his ability to accept fate. We
BOOK SHORT
Reviews by Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller is a voracious reader and local bibliophile. Find her online @StephanieSAM.
think technology changes rapidly now, but Charlie lived through similar upheaval in the early 20th Century and he early on adopted a stoic commitment to embrace change while living fully in the present.
Written by a veteran journalist who happens to move across the street, the best parts are the memories, respectfully chronicled so we can hear the echo of a delighted storyteller in Charlie’s voice.
‘Istanbul Passage’ by
Joseph Kanon
The staccato pace of this period novel set, as the title implies, in Istanbul, matches my impression of that mysterious and multicultural city that sits at the intersection of Europe and Asia and has long been a crossroads of trade and culture. We meet American expatriate Leon Bauer who is drawn into a shadow world of espionage upended by the grim recovery days at the end of WW2. Shifting loyalties and moral quandaries confuse everything he trusted, and literally everyone is actively deceiving everyone else.
Played out amid the bazaars and faded mansions of the ancient city, the story weaves around Leon’s desperate solo play to keep himself and his secrets from being gutted onto the foor. Despite the complex set of characters, the story is very comfortable to follow. It’s perfect for those who love a good spy novel set in a gorgeous place that is both a setting and a player in the action.
"The Great Alone" / St. Martin's Griffn / 2019 / pp. 576
"All the Broken Places" / Penguin Books / 2023 / pp. 400
By Layne V. Witherell
Here are a few words that sum up the state of wine in 2024: anxiety, confusion, desperation The industry saw sales decrease 8-12%. For wine, this is unknown territory.
Wineries are struggling to try to fnd their audience in a year of unprecedented sales decline. The Wine Market Council (a.k.a. the tribal elders of the industry) are clinging desperately to their demographic charts, eagerly praying to fnd new consumers in that mysterious tangle that masquerades as inclusivity.
The major problem is that in the decades of the 80’s and 90’s we all looked at the Boomers (22.9% of the population) and Gen Xers (19% of the population) and started wine businesses and wineries, planted and expanded vineyards like all holy hell and never realized that there was a tsunami of naysayers in their cribs ready to take over.
The totally unpredictable Millennials and Gen Z-ers are now 46% of the population. Prohibition? Sure. Life on a phone? Sure. Creating their own personal pronoun fuidity as a culture? Sure. Total unpredictability? Sure. Selfes as a lifestyle? Sure. Self-absorption? Sure. Sober curious? Sure.
France is in the process of uprooting 67,000 acres of vines. California will be following with 25,000 acres or so.
FOOD & DRINK
But There Is Hope: The Rising Young Rebel
Much as I malign the Gen Z and Millennial members of our world, alongside the strident community of neo prohibitionists, there has just appeared in my mailbox a copy of a book loaded with an abundance of fun, wit, wisdom and outrageous snark, “Corker: A Deeply Unserious Wine Book,” by Hannah Crosbie.
Hannah is a 28-year-old from Edinburgh, living in East London, a wine pro, totally informed about the weaknesses and strengths of her generation and has written a keeper of a book. She is unabashed in an era of cautious restraint.
Her introduction: “I love wine. I love everything about it. I love pouring it, swirling it and holding it up to the light to watch it glow. I love thumbing through atlases and wine journals to fnd the right words for it. I love writing about it. I love scrubbing it out of white cotton shirts, off my purple teeth, off other people’s sofas.” This is bold stuff in today’s overly precious world.
Her wine writing is clearly unpretentious, non-conventional, loaded as it is with F-bombs and relationship double entendre; but this is a book that explores the studied expression of the well-honed Millennial mind at work, aimed more for the novice than the pro with very little esoterica here.
Where she gets it, and really gets it, is in her brilliant idea of pairing wine with life events - some good, some awful. Breakup wines. First-date wines (some good, some bad). You just quit your job wines. The real Holiday Hannah and the make-believe Holiday Hannah wines, etc. To wine writers and the public this is a startling earth-shaking revelation. To anyone who runs a wine shop this is old stuff. These are questions we get asked every day. Just make a jaunt to your local wine store to try this theory out.
The book stares directly into a world
of hyper political incorrectness and simply defes you not to laugh and enjoy yourself. And remember: the attire at the “Just Finalized a Divorce Party” is basic black.The wine is Barbera because it “beckons you into your newfound freedom.”
Her classic line, “not to tempt fate, but I think I’d make a brilliant ex-wife. So many of the things that I already lovewearing black, smoking heavily, complaining about exes.” Tell me - where are you going to fnd this in a wine book? Congrats Hannah, game changer.
Cont'd on Next Page
Left: “Corker: A Deeply Unserious Wine Book,” by Hannah Crosbie (Penguin U.K., 2024). Right: The Bota Box, Layne's choice for 2024 Wine Starter Kit. -All photos courtesy of Layne Witherell
FOOD & DRINK
LAYNE’S WINE GIG PRESENTS 2024 YEAR IN REVIEW
Cont'd from Previous Page
Your Wine Starter Kit: Bota Box
“America’s favorite premium boxed wine brand.” That is kind of an oxymoron, but we don’t care. It comes packaged in three-liter cartons (four bottles) at $17.99, or 500 ml “minis” for $4.99. No glasses, tablecloths, no fuss, no muss.
The goal here is the wine introduction to accompany those estimated 1.42 billion chicken wings consumed each year during the big game. For the Gen Z-ers new to wine there is always the opportunity to cook up a little tofu or a plantbased burger. Their maker, the Delicato Winery in Manteca, California brings you wine veterans Gnarly Head Zinfandel as well as the limited bottling of the Grateful Dead label zinfandel.You gotta start somewhere.
Desperation Marketing 101
Aptly released on Halloween 2024 (are you sure it isn’t April Fool’s Day?), the headline: “California Wine Brand Teams Up with Colgate.” “The McBride Sisters Winery has collaborated with one of the world’s best toothpaste brands to prove that drinking red wine doesn’t have to mean permanently stained teeth.”
This limited-edition gift set contains two Colgate whitening pens, a compact mirror, a bottle of McBride Sisters Col-
lection Red Blend, and a tube of Colgate Optic White for a mere $49.99 for a limited time only with the encouragement for “consumers to unwind, sip and shine.”
Ever had a little toothpaste chaser alongside your glass of red wine? Let’s try it and see. I am calling them out because this is the 2024 Winner of Desperation Marketing in a year flled with desperation marketing.
Cringy Trends
RTD’S (Ready to Drink) - Tequila disguised as a healthy drink.
Non-alcohol wine - Basically lousy stuff.
Natural wine - Mousy favor as a cult.
Clean wine - Overpriced just like your yoga mat. A nice dose of pseudo health paranoia by celebrities.
Sober curious - Say what?
Pot. Why Not?
Just count the number of pot stores in your neighborhood and divide by the number of wine stores. Fifty to one? I guess if you are going to get anesthetized instead of experiencing aesthetic pleasure this is a way to go.
It all resembles the Dutch tulip mania in the 17th century where they “utterly failed to notice as their world shrank to
the dimensions of a fevered dream,” (Michael Pollan). Instead of chasing the highest high, or most paranoid health yoga mat adventure, why not just chase a terrifc bottle of wine to share?
Let’s Have Some Fun
Grape Abduction Blend, Slovenia, 2023, 1 Liter, $17.99 retail. Here it is, complete with our collection of Halloween mason jars from Bellfower Brewery in Portland, as a quirky fun ensemble.
The wine is not too dry, not too sweet, just a delicious blend of pinot Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Gewurztraminer, lovely and aromatic, paired with some chicken with fre roasted peppers in a curry sauce. A wonderfully edgy aesthetic experience to have at home while watching a Netfix fick.
It’s time that we replace mindlessness and biting negativity with stories and connections instead of frivolous fads. Let’s make wine drinking fun again and enjoy a glass for what it is - the world’s longest revered civilizing beverage. “There must be joy,” (Julia Child).
Gladis House Cleaning
Layne’s Wine Gigs
I will be adding private, group, or individual tastings to my schedule in 2025. Wine author, journalist, historian, fun guy. You pick the subject, time, and place and I will provide the knowledge, storytelling, and entertainment. You can e-mail me at lvwitherell@gmail.com for thoughts and details.
Layne V. Witherell has been a professional in the wine business for many decades and was awarded the Master Knight of the Vine. He can be reached at lvwitherell@gmail.com.
Waiting for Snow?
By Nancy Dorrans
Are you someone who hibernates, or does winter never feel long enough for you? As we wait for snow, I tend to fall or slide into the latter... Although winter has been slow to start here, the skiers, riders, and outdoor adventurers in my circles are now poised, excited, and ready to embrace winter in New England and beyond. So am I.
We’ll continue to embrace winter the Quebecois way as we wander through the winter wonderland of North America’s beautiful, oldest, and most European city. We will stay three nights at the iconic Chateau Frontenac and visit the Hotel de Glace, enjoy live music, ice bars, and fne restaurants.
Even with the little snow we have had as of December, thanks to snow-making efforts, the ski areas in the mountains of Maine and New Hampshire are open. I am continuing to volunteer as a coach with New England Disabled Sports (NEDS) at Loon Mountain and Bretton Woods, NH, helping people with disabilities learn how to ski. It is very rewarding to volunteer for an organization that offers so much opportunity and positive change for students and their families!
In early February, an Adventure Marketplace bus group is heading north to experience the Quebec City Winter Carnival, one of the world’s largest winter carnivals. An Adventure Marketplace annual tradition, this tour is one of my favorites!
Bonhomme is the offcial representative of the Québec Winter Carnival. “White as snow, wearing a red tuque and arrow sash of heroes of our past, Bonhomme embodies the joie de vivre of Quebecers!” We’ll see Bonhomme at the evening parade on Saturday and hope to catch up with him during the festival. He seems to pop up when you least expect it and brings such joy,
In 2025, Carnaval de Quebec will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the frst Ice Canoe Race. On Sunday, we will cheer on the brave athletes battling the icy waters of the Saint-Lawrence River from just outside the Chateau Frontenac or down by wharves of the Port of Quebec.
Winter hikes and fat bikes? There are even more ways to embrace the season in Quebec. The Québec City area has a variety of trails to choose from that will take you to cliffs overlooking the St. Lawrence River and beyond.
According to Emilie Pelletier, owner of Tuque & Bicycle Experiences, “riding a
fat bike in Old Quebec and downtown Quebec City is an unforgettable experience. Whether it’s an independent ride or an introductory experience, we make wintertime fat biking accessible to everyone. And we rent a complete winter outft. The secret to enjoying and playing outside in Quebec in winter is to dress well.” We Mainers know that!
Our 2025 tour to Quebec Winter Carnival is fully booked. However, you can jump on the waitlist or save the dates for next year (February 6-9, 2026). See www. adventure-marketplace/adventures for more details. We always have a wonderful, delicious, and chilling good time!
Happy New Year Portland! Dress well and go outside and play! Wishing you all the best as we move into the longer brighter days of 2025!
of
travelers on authentic, nurturing, global and local adventures since 2014.
528 Main St, South Portland
Monday 11-5pm • Tuesday 11-6pm Thursday & Friday 11-6pm Saturday & Sunday 10-6pm (207) 558-5881
Left: Nancy with Quebec Winter Carnival's offcial rep Bonhomme. Right: The Chateau Frontenac seen from a ferry crossing the Saint Lawrence River.
-All photos courtesy Nancy Dorrans
Nancy Dorrans is founder
Adventure Marketplace... Navigating
Ice bar fun with Adventure Marketplace at last year's Winter Carnival.
Nancy volunteers at Loon Mtn.
CLIMATE JUSTICE
Your mini traveling checklist
By Jade Christensen
Bonjour, hola, ciao, olá, hello! Winter is in full swing in Maine and I’m sure you are all thinking about traveling somewhere warm for a little vacation. This month let’s talk about the little things we can do to help create a more sustainable travel plan.
Let’s start with the biggest contribution to climate change while traveling, how we get to our desired destination. Consider taking public transit to experience a city rather than Uber-ing. Flying currently accounts for 2.5% of the world’s carbon emissions. Continue to reduce that number by fnding ways to get direct fights to shorten overall airtime. For us, that may mean taking the bus or train to Boston.
While planning your trip, also take into consideration where you stay. If you are going somewhere tropical, look into staying at a local inn or do a little research to fnd a hotel or resort’s sustainability plans. Tropical resorts often build over mangrove forests to create those pristine beaches and clear views to the water, while other hotels and resorts have sustainability in mind and create entirely eco-friendly experiences. While it may be small, it helps to take into consideration the sustainability of your hotel while booking your travel plans.
Now let’s talk about once we get to our destination. The best way to help
create a more sustainable economy is to support local businesses. When we are traveling, we want to keep the money as local as possible. Start by choosing local restaurants. While we all can appreciate the comfort and convenience of chain restaurants, they do not give back to communities as much as local ones. If you can fnd farm-to-table restaurants that get as much of their food locally as possible, that’s even better.
Next, dive into the local culture.Visiting museums, taking tours of monuments, or participating in other cultural activities drives money not just to preserve those areas but also to support local nonprofts. Diving into local culture not only provides enhancement to your life but also ensures the cultural sites will be there for future generations.
Finally, let’s cover the simplest of all sustainable acts, bring a water bottle! I know we have all been told to reduce our plastic but staying hydrated while traveling is important. Bring your reusable water bottle instead of constantly buying plastic water bottles. It will save you some cash and make a difference in your footprint.
As you start getting antsy and planning your next vacation, consider taking these easy steps towards creating a sustainable travel experience.
Bright Ideas is by Portland Climate Action Team (PCAT), which meets the 4th Tuesday of the month, 6-7:30pm. Email: Portlandclimate@gmail.com.
WE’RE
Action is the Antidote
By Peter Dugas
Citizens’ Climate Lobby prides itself on being a nonpartisan, peaceful army of volunteers working to “build the political will for a livable world.” Regardless of our personal partisan alignment, we understand the need to build coalitions across economic, ethnic, and political diversity.
There’s no sugar-coating what recent election results could mean for climate progress. The new administration campaigned on rolling back climate success and responds to near-universal calls for increased climate action with the tired old refrain “drill baby drill.”
But now is not the time for despair. We must redouble our efforts, build broader coalitions, and do all we can to accelerate the transition to a cleaner energy future. The global climate system does not care about our politics or feelings, only our actions. Here are practical steps we can take:
1. It’s never been cheaper to decarbonize – take advantage of clean energy and effciency incentives now. The Biden administration has done more than any previous one to nudge the US economy towards energy innovation. While the incoming administration has other concepts, there is growing bipartisan appreciation for the new incentives. Eighteen Congressional Republicans asked the Speaker to preserve the Infation Reduction Act – moved by 85% of benefts going to Republican districts. If you’re considering heat pumps, insulation, so-
lar panels, or an EV, it would be wise to jump on the incentives now. Contact rewiringamerica.org or effciencymaine.com to learn more.
2. Climate change is a growing national concern, which impacts prices from food to insurance. And 72% of Americans are concerned it’s happening, so don’t avoid talking about it. Visit cclusa. org/conversation for tips on effective climate communication.
3. We’re in the middle of a global energy transition – ask our leaders to support it. Renewable energ y is now the cheapest form. Battery storage is quickly evolving to fx intermittency. Businesses know the “winners” of the 21st century will be those who win this renewable energy race.
4. Carbon pollution pricing is coming –ask lawmakers for Cashback Carbon Pricing that helps the environment and every citizen. The EU, UK, Japan, and other carbon pricing nations are implementing carbon border adjustment mechanisms on imports from countries that don’t have a high enough carbon price (like China) or no carbon price (like Belarus, Russia, Libya… or the only developed nation without it: USA!). US businesses know we will be increasingly disadvantaged in international trade until we bridge this carbon pricing gap. Tell our lawmakers to price carbon pollution through cclusa.org/write-cfd.
Peter Dugas is Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) Northeast Regional Director.
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SLICE FROM THE PIE
SMALL SLICES OF COMMUNITY NEWS TO
HEAT YOU UP BEFORE YOU GO…
US Census Bureau projects U.S. populaton on New Year’s Day to be 341,145,670 an increase of 2,640,171… Maine Teacher of the Year Joshua Chard and third graders from East End Community School design nature-themed ornaments that decorate Maine’s tree at the 2024 Natonal Christmas Tree display at the White House Congresswoman Pingree joins Pres. Biden in Newcastle to celebrate the designaton of the Frances Perkins Homestead as a natonal monument… Deputy Fire Chief Chad Johnston becomes Portland’s next Fire Chief… An excitng tme for the new chief with two new fre trucks including Engine 9 out of Riverton and Ladder 6 out of Bramhall Square… Private heated igloos return this winter to ALTO Terrace Bar + Kitchen and Harbor Bistro + Terrace CBHS seniors hold the school’s 12th annual “College March” down Congress Street to the downtown post ofce with nearly 100 students partcipating… The state’s minimum wage increases on Jan. 1 from $14.15 to $14.65 per hour
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Around the World
WEN READER PHOTO
NOT UNTIL FEBRUARY
Time to put the tinsel away Until next year
Now that the New Year Is here
MLK Day is coming Our newest day Conveniently in January Time to catch our breath
Now we can have the rest of winter With no holidays until St Valentine’s Day in February
We remember the joyful singing of the crowd The magic of Christmas Spirit
Trying on new clothes
Decorating the house inside and out What happens to all that good Christmas cheer After the holidays?
Christmas is a wonderful season Even if you’re not a believer You can be any age And be transfxed
- Abram Gabriel Scarborough
Learning to Play Playing to Learn
Let's Make Music! Do you play a brass instrument? Woodwind or percussion? SMNHB wants YOU!
We welcome musicians at all levels who are interested in playing music in an educational and supportive setting.
Next Session begns Jan. 8
St. Luke's Cathedral, L ower Hall 136 Park St., Portland, ME
SouthernaineNewHorizonsBand.org
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