Rent Control Year 5
Opinions Differ on Progress Implementing Portland’s Rent Control Ordinance
Western Cemetery Approved for National Register of Historic Places
By John Johnson
By Nancy English
With dedicated rent control staff and going on fve years of experience, City of Portland landlords and tenants are gaining clarity on how to navigate its rent control ordinance, frst approved by voters in 2020 and updated in 2022.
Housing Safety Manager Zachary Lenhert said Portland staff review longterm rental registrations for rent increases that exceed 10 percent. The ordinance prohibits larger increases unless the unit is otherwise exempt.
Former mayor Ethan Strimling, who with the Maine Democratic Socialists of America campaigned for the rent control citizen initiatives, asked if this would be a slanted article. From Strimling’s perspective, the city should still be doing far more to make landlords compliant. But Lenhert said fnes, which Strimling and others want imposed, are in civil matters corrective
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and not punitive. “The offce only seeks compliance,” Lenhert said. “We want any money owed sent back to tenants.”
Landlords may raise their rents based on what the Housing Safety Offce announces on September 1st as allowable rent increases for the following year. They base the allowable increase on 70 percent of the regional Consumer Price Index increase. Also, if a new tenant has moved in, a landlord may increase the rent by fve percent. That is as long as the previous tenant left voluntarily.
General Assistance Exception
In 2023, Aaron Flacke, a 15-year resident of an apartment on Briggs Street, received a 90-day notice of eviction. “I was very lucky and found a place to move to,” Flacke said. Within a short time, Flacke saw the apartment that he had rented for $1,172 in November 2023 offered for
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Pages 10-11
On January 8th, Western Cemetery was approved by Portland’s Historic Preservation Board (HPB) for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.Western will join other Portland cemeteries Eastern (1973) and Evergreen (1992) on the register.
Western Cemetery is a 12-acre outdoor museum of cultural symbolism. Many seek this urban green space for quiet refection. Enter the lychgate on Vaughan Street and discover slate gravestones, the frst example of sculpture in New England.
Massive granite blocks are buried in hillside family tombs. There are monuments to famous people, granite obelisks to honor the departed, fag-marked graves of domestic and foreign war veterans, sea captains from the city’s rich history of maritime commerce, and clergy of the Protestant elite.
The Catholic Burial Ground, with many unmarked graves, is an explicit reminder of our immigrant Irish heritage. Most headstones are fashionable mid19th century white marble, all in need of conservation.
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Unlike Eastern (early burial ground) and Evergreen (rural cemetery style), Western refects an evolving approach to landscape design in the 19th century. Established as a private burial ground (1811) and later as a public cemetery (1830), Western has concentric oval circulation avenues designed by Captain James Hall, a civil engineer and frst superintendent of the Cumberland and Oxford Canal (1830). Hall’s circa 1836 elliptical pattern is the dominant feature of this landscape from the period of signifcance dating 1811 (frst burial) through 1914 (Daveis Gate).
The Vaughan Family burial ground was created at the death of William’s second wife Elizabeth in 1811. Vaughan’s Federal style house (1799) on Danforth Street is the oldest house in the West End neighborhood. In the early 1800s Eastern was at capacity, so Portland purchased Vaughan’s undeveloped property on Bramhall Hill to create a large public cemetery and engaged Hall to draft an engineering plan to formalize the arrangement of future burials.
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Laynes explores masterpieces that he refers to as Wine and Art
Interview with new Portland City Councilor Sarah Michniewicz
Stephanie Miller reads Daniel James Brown’s Facing the Mountain
Nancy Dorrans isn’t facing the chill alone
Apartment Mart offce in the Trelawny Building. The Trelawny Tenants’ Union has fled multiple complaints against landlord Geoffrey Rice for noncompliance with Portland’s rent control ordinance.
-Photo by Tony Zeli
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Rent Control Implementation
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more than $3,000 a month.
Flacke contacted the city about the violation. He later learned the 1,300-squarefoot two-bedroom unit was being rented to a tenant with a General Assistance housing subsidy, making it exempt from the rent control ordinance.
The new owner, Chris Faulhaber, bought the Briggs Street building in mid2023. “The properties under rent control are wildly under market rate,” Faulhaber said. “We offered it for subsidized housing, and I was able to level out the expenses on that building.” Faulhaber lives in a four-unit he owns, also exempt from rent control.
Capital Improvements Exception
Landlords must submit rent increase applications for review by the Portland Rent Board to recoup money invested in capital improvements. Landlords may “bank” these additional rent increases and add them into rent increases annually until used.
At the December 18th, 2024 hearing, the Rent Board heard one such rent increase application for a two-unit on Deering Avenue owned by Anna Kuperman and Marine Kuperman-Beade. The 31-page application detailed the capital improvements typically allowed and what did not qualify. Tenants had been notifed of the hearing, but no one objected.
Rent Board members discussed a $1,400 expense listed as a manager service for help fnding and leasing the unit to a tenant. One of the tenant representatives on the board found the expensive excessive. Ultimately, the landlord’s request for $543.00 increase per month –covering extensive renovations including a new boiler, partial roof, water heater, and much more – was reduced to $505.00 by the board.
That “banked” amount may be applied to monthly rents in addition to the CPI increase, as long as the increase does not exceed 10 percent annually. Nonexempt
unit rents are listed in the city’s citizen self-service database under “More Info” for each long-term rental license.
Noncompliance
Of 147 cases initiated by Housing Safety in 2024, 15 violations remain as of January 2025 for 200 rental units, many in buildings owned under various entities by Geoffrey Rice and managed by Apartment Mart, with an offce in the Trelawny Building. The Trelawny Tenants’ Union, with Strimling as a founding member, has fled multiple complaints against Rice. Over the years Rice issued multiple checks refunding rent increases to tenants.
A September 2024 rent board complaint from the tenants’ union asserted “substantial noncompliance” by landlord Geoffrey Rice. If confrmed by the Rent Board, the landlord would not be allowed to receive any rent increases, according to Strimling, resulting in more than $12,000 in refunds. The complaint also seeks more than $60,000 in fnes. Rice’s attorney offered to attempt to resolve the matter, and a decision was postponed. No resolution has been agreed to as of now, Strimling said.
“Anyone can assert the rights of tenants,” Strimling said, and the tenants’ union is doing that for all Geoffrey Riceowned rentals, which is “between 300 and 400 units in 30 buildings.”
“I think rent control has done a great job of keeping landlords from gouging,” Strimling said. “But there are a lot of landlords who are not being audited.” He said the city is not following up with landlords, for example when a unit is listed with $0 rent. “The city is very complaint driven, but they don’t have anywhere near the staff that is needed to follow up. It has improved a little.”
Nancy English ran for Portland City Council D2 in 2024 and is a former paralegal for the City of Portland.
Historic Western Cemetery
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Unfortunately, we don’t have Hall’s original plan. However, following the Great Fire (1866), cartographers charted the “City and Harbor of Portland” map during waterfront rebuilding (now known as the Old Port). This 1870 plan illustrates Hall’s original elliptical shape of avenues and paths.The Coastal Survey map was twenty years before Portland city engineer William Goodwin’s plan (1889) and detailed individual burial plot locations. Goodwin’s plan and William Jordan’s burial records are used today to fnd individual grave markers. Jordan’s publication expanded on the work of Virginia Greene (1938).
Western presents unique preservation challenges. Grave markers are a fnite deteriorating resource needing protection from weather, vegetation, vandalism, and
deferred maintenance. Stewards of the Western Cemetery, an all-volunteer notfor-proft organization, work to protect this cultural heritage. Last year was outstanding for conservation achievements, see https://westerncemetery.me/.
A rare historic photograph (1857) informs preservation decisions along with guidance by stone conservation professionals.Tour guides explore buried history to document genealogy. Next, the Maine HPB will approve the nomination, before fnal listing on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service.
John Johnson is a neighbor of Western Cemetery with over ffty years of experience in public history.
City Receives $2M in Federal Funds to Support Franklin St. Redesign
The City of Portland and MaineDOT were awarded $2 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program for the frst phase of design for the Franklin Street redesign project. The federal funding will be matched by the City and MaineDOT, each contributing $250,000. Having these federal funds in place will allow the City to move immediately into the design phase after the fnal planning phase is complete. The fnal planning phase work is set to begin in the frst quarter of 2025 after the City hires a consultant to lead the effort.
The fnal planning phase will create a road map for a newly designed Franklin Street to refect transportation, land use development, and City goals outlined in the Franklin Street Master Plan, which was adopted by the City Council in 2015.
The focus of this project is to transform Franklin Street into a safer, multimodal street that creates stronger transportation and social connections between neighborhoods that were divided by the original construction of Franklin Street and to foster signifcant economic growth and mixed-use, residential development.
The Franklin Street Update aims to transform one of Portland’s most heavily used streets into a modernized urban corridor that better serves residents, pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists—while creating a stronger connection between the surrounding neighborhoods and the rest of the city.
Maine makes it possible to fle taxes - for free - with IRS Direct File
Starting today, eligible Mainers can use IRS Direct File, a groundbreaking new service that allows taxpayers to fle taxes online quickly, easily, and for free. Think TurboTax, but directly from the IRS and with no hidden fees or charges.
This change will help get more money to people with little or no “earned” income.
Here’s how to use it:
1. Visit directfle .irs.gov on your computer, tablet, or phone to check your eligibility.
2. If you’re eligible, create an ID.me* login account and use the simple interview-style tool to complete your federal taxes.
3. Once you complete federal taxes, you’ll be taken to Maine’s free state fling system, where you can fle to get a number of fully “refundable” state tax credits worth hundreds of dollars, like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Property Tax Fairness Credit (PTFC), Sales Tax Fairness Credit (STFC), and as of this year the Child and Dependent Tax Credit. This is true even if you don’t owe taxes or have little to no “earned” income.
Don’t qualify for Direct File but still want to fle your taxes at no cost? The free and Maine-based CA$H coalition can help. Learn more at https://www.cashmaine.org.
POLICE BEAT
Shots Fired in Kennedy Park – 1/18/2025
On January 18th, at 12:08 p.m., Portland Police received a report of shots fred in the area of Kennedy Park. Multiple witnesses stated they heard between 5 to 8 gunshots ring out. Upon arrival, several apparent bullet holes were found in building 22. No one was injured and no arrests have been made at this time.
Portland Police are continuing the investigation and are urging anyone who has any information that might assist in this or any other case to call them at (207) 874-8575. You may also text the keyword PPDME and your message to 847411.
Shots Fired on Eleanor Street – 1/13/2025
On January 13th, at 11:50 p.m., Por tland Police responded to 12 Eleanor Street for a report of shots fred. An investigation led to the discovery of several suspected bullet holes in the structure, with at least one passing through a window and others into the siding. Witnesses stated they heard four to fve loud bangs prior to making the 911 call. A similar call to this address was reported on October 13th, 2024, when a gas line had been struck.
Portland Police are continuing the investigation and are urging anyone who has
any information that might assist in this or any other case to call them at (207) 874-8575. You may also text the keyword PPDME and your message to 847411.
Boat Thief Arrested –1/12/2025
On January 12th, just after 8:00 a.m., a boat owner came into the Portland Police Department to report his vessel had been stolen from Fore Points Marina. After consulting with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) as well as Marine Patrol, the boat was spotted offshore. The USCG boarded the sailboat and took its occupant into custody and proceeded to tow the boat back to the Marina. The boat is estimated to have at least $25,000 in damage.
Por tland Police have arrested 43-year-old Jesse Drinkwater of Portland in connection with this incident. He was charged with Theft by Unauthorized Taking or Transfer, Theft by Unauthorized Use of Property, Criminal Trespass, Burglary of a Motor Vehicle and Aggravated Criminal Mischief.
Por tland Police would like to thank the USCG and the Maine Marine Patrol for their assistance with this case.
Sarah Michniewicz
‘You Don’t Have to Leave Your Neighborhood to Live in a Better One’
Every month, Liz Trice interviews a community member for The West End News. This month, she caught up with Sarah Michniewicz, the new District 1 City Councilor.
Congratulations on your win! Tell me a little about yourself.
Thank you! Living in Bayside has given me a unique perspective—it’s a neighborhood that deals with almost every major issue: homelessness, public safety, housing development, and even sea level rise. Bayside has it all, and unfortunately, not always in a good way.
Despite this, the neighborhood’s challenges are often underrepresented at City Hall. As far as I can tell, it’s been over ffty years since a District 1 City Councilor came from Bayside.
I’ve lived here for twenty-seven years. I rented for nine years before buying the house next door. The previous owners were longtime residents and part of Bayside’s Armenian community. They wanted someone who genuinely cared about the neighborhood to take over, and I’m grateful for that opportunity. I’m a seamstress, and my husband is both a musician and a tech worker.
Living near the Oxford Street Shelter, I’ve had a front-row seat to the challenges of homelessness and the opioid crisis and how the city was struggling to address the associated needs. That’s what got me interested in city affairs. I got involved with the Bayside Neighborhood Association, and successfully advocated for replacing the old, inhumane shelter, as well as the recent surge in tree planting.
What made you decide to run for offce?
I frst ran in 2021. It was a big leap of faith, but I received a lot of encouragement from people I respect. Running for offce
felt like a natural next step in the work I was already doing. Some people doubted that someone from Bayside could win, but I was inspired by a TED Talk by Majora Carter, “You Don’t Have to Leave Your Neighborhood to Live in a Better One.” That message resonated deeply with me.
In 2021, I lost by just 300 votes. It was close enough that I knew I wanted to try again.
What issues are you prioritizing?
I serve on the Health & Human Services and Public Safety Committee and one of my frst proposals is to create a homelessness strategic plan through asset mapping. Too much of what we’ve done in the past has been reactive. We need a long-term, comprehensive approach.
Are we using funds effectively? A strategic plan could help taxpayers understand why we’re making certain investments and guide us in choosing programs with the greatest impact.
A couple of years ago, I participated in Statewide Homelessness Council meetings planning a redesign of the state’s homelessness system through Community Solutions, an organization focused on the data-driven “Built for Zero” framework that aims to end homelessness by building systems that transition people out of homelessness as quickly as possible. It’s a tangible, understandable goal.
Here’s how I see it. If there’s a hole in the roof, you need to both fx the roof and put a bucket under the leak. With home-
lessness, we have to address immediate needs and also tackle systemic issues. Asset mapping will help us prioritize and connect resources.
I’m also concerned about sustainability. We’re not on track to meet our climate plan targets. Policy is important as are smaller steps. Recently, I co-led the Portland Window Dressers build, where volunteers create window inserts to prevent heat loss in the winter—a simple, practical step toward energy effciency.
What can the council do to address the housing crisis?
We need to examine the 25% inclusionary zoning requirement. While well-intentioned, it may be too high and impeding new development. Recent projects have relied on subsidies to create those units and concentrated them in separate buildings, which isn’t ideal.
The city has creative options, like issuing RFPs (requests for proposals) for land it owns, as it did with the Barron Center property. I’d also like to see more focus on rehabbing existing housing to improve energy effciency.
Unfortunately, current funding mechanisms prioritize large-scale developments, which can face resistance. I’d love to see more incremental, community-driven building efforts.
ReCode recently allowed for greater density, but I’m concerned about creating units that don’t support families or the generational diversity that makes communities vibrant. Right now, we do a good job supporting the economic extremes, but we need more housing options for the middle class. I’m eager to learn more about how we can address that gap.
Trees are another passion of mine. Bayside has historically lacked tree coverage, with only 3% tree canopy a year ago. The city often prioritizes “easy” planting locations, which perpetuates inequities between neighborhoods. But last year, we planted 150 trees in Bayside, increasing our canopy to 7%. It’s progress, but we need to keep pushing. As we develop taller, denser buildings, we must prioritize green spaces.
What’s your plan for the next few months? Who will you be talking to?
My main goal is to be accessible. I’d like to start a newsletter or blog to keep people informed. Community engagement is key, and I want to make it as easy as possible for people to reach me.
Anyone can contact me at: smichniewicz@ portlandmaine.gov.
This interview was edited for clarity and brevity.
PelotonPosts is produced by PelotonLabs founder Liz Trice.
Portland's District 1
Parkside neighborhood. -WEN fle
-District 1 City Councilor Sarah Michniewicz
Reiche Community Room 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!
Monday, Feb. 3 - 6:30 p.m. - Magazine Readers with Robert Pantel - Thoughts on Jimmy Carter - contact hello@wenamaine. org for materials.
Thursday, Feb. 6 - 6:30 p.m. - Are You Curious? - Learn, make, do—every month will be different! Celtic Calendar—learn about the association of May Day and Halloween.
Monday, Feb. 10 - 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6) - Classic flm - Laura
Thursday, Feb. 13 - 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.
Wednesday, Feb. 19 - 6:30 p.m.WENA’s 1st Spoken Poetry & Prose Circle - Share your original poem or short story or read aloud a favorite from the public domain. You must register to read, contact hello@wenamaine.org FMI. All are welcome to attend. Light refreshments. N.B:This will be held in the Reiche Auditorium - enter from the Clark Street side of the building.
Thursday, Feb. 20 - 6:30 p.m. - Ukulele basics (& beyond) with Kip DeSerres - Ukes to loan for the class.
Monday, Feb. 24 - 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6) - Comedy flm - Best in Show
Thursday, Feb. 27 - 6:30 p.m. - Join In! Community Study Circle - Current Topic: Being a Pedestrian in Portland. Contact hello@wenamaine.org for materials.
Ongoing:
A.M. Exercise – Mondays - Fridays, 8:159:15 a.m. - No class on February 17.
Arts/Crafts/Games/Socializing/iPhone & iPad Help - 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 February
MIHC’s Women & Global Entrepreneurship Panel
Sat, Feb. 1st / 12 – 1 p (panel) / 1 – 2 p (networking, light food & drink) / MIHC
The Maine Irish Heritage Center (MIHC) is thrilled to host our frst Women and Global Entrepreneurship Panel in celebration of St. Brigid’s Day, a time to honor the achievements and contributions of women worldwide. Admission is free and all are welcome. To RSVP, visit https:// maineirish.com/event/women-and-global-entrepreneurship.
MIHC: Stories Aloud/Allowed – Live Storytelling
Sat, Feb. 1st / 2 – 4 p / MIHC
The Maine Irish Heritage Center (MIHC) is excited to announce Stories Aloud/Allowed, a captivating live storytelling event that celebrates the diversity of Maine’s cultural communities. Join us for an afternoon of tales that transcend borders. This vibrant gathering will spotlight storytellers from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, sharing myths, folklore, personal experiences, and original works. The event will also include an open mic session and social hour.
This event is open to the public, with a suggested donation of $5. For more details, visit https://maineirish.com/event/ stories-aloud-allowed.
WENA’s 1st Spoken Prose & Poetry Writers & Readers Event
Wed, Feb. 19th / 6:30 – 8 p / Reiche
WENA sponsors our frst Spoken Prose & Poetry Writers and Readers Event. There are a couple of ways to participate:
• Read a short story or poem you have written. Stories should be no longer than 3 pages (1500 words) and take approximately 5 minutes to read.
• Select a favorite poem or short story from the public domain for a dramatic rendering. This is also limited to around 5 minutes.
Send your title, along with the name of the author, to hello@wenamaine.org by noon on Wednesday, February 12th. Provide your name and street where you live. We’ll notify those selected to read on Friday, February 14th. Light refreshments.
BEST FRIENDS Mainers & Their Pets
Feb. 11 — June 6 / Maine Historical Society
Do you love animals? A new exhibit at Maine Historical Society explores the affectionate bonds between humans and animals through some fascinating Maine history and storytelling. This touching and intimate show provides a glimpse at the vital role of pets in Maine and the nation. Cost: Members/kids under 5 Free / General $10; kids 6-17, $5. FMI: mainehistory.org.
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
Better Together ft. Homeboy Sandman (Monday of the Minds presents...) Mar 1 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Climate Advocacy in the New Normal
By Peter Dugas, CCL Northeast Regional Director
Strap in Maine climate advocates. We’re in for choppy (and rising) seas.
It is offcial, 2024 is the hottest year on record. Images of the Appalachian Ridge devastation from Hurricane Helene and the incineration of southern California (in January!) make ever more obvious that climate change is no longer a future concern. It is here, it is now, and it will only intensify.
Human activity, predominantly burning fossil fuels, has pushed our atmosphere to the brink. Our common home is groaning under the manmade stress of continued greenhouse gas pollution (carbon dioxide and methane). The calculated costs are $16 million dollars per hour.
The UN reported that climate change intensifed 26 out of 29 major weather disasters this year. Further, these disasters killed more than 3,700 people and displaced millions more. Add to those horrors news that the new administration has declared its intention to rollback recent climate progress and recommit American energy to fossil fuels. One can’t help but be discouraged.
But giving up is not an option. We can’t change the past, but there’s still a lot we can do to change our future trajectory and stabilize our climate. Now is the time to organize for the immediate battles. To prepare ourselves for our next opportu-
nities for robust climate action which will inevitably come. Here are some quick and easy ways to move climate advocacy forward in these hard times:
Our federal lawmakers need to hear from us to protect the Infation Reduction Act and its allocations towards clean energy and climate mitigation. Many conservative lawmakers (including Senator Collins) understand that the IRA was an incredible investment in America’s future. While the executive branch may boast about their plans to scrap it, prudent lawmakers understand that doing so would only impede our economy and competitiveness with foreign adversaries. Ask your lawmakers to defend the IRA.
With the recent wildfres in all our minds, tell your lawmakers that climate is a growing concern for you, their constituents.
Also, keep up the pressure to get the US to join every other developed nation and price industrial carbon pollution. Visit https://citizensclimatelobby.org/get-loudtake-action.
Bonus Maine action: Maine lawmakers passed LD99 in 2021 requiring Maine Public Employment Retirement System (Maine PERS) to divest from fossil fuel investments, but it has not been enacted. Contact Maine PERS and ask them to develop a plan to comply with LD 99 and move our investments away from continued damage to our atmosphere.
Celebrate Local Climate Wins
like the Portland Climate Action Fund
By Caitlin Marshall
Now, more than ever, state and local climate action is essential for meeting the climate crisis. Fortunately, that is already underway.
At the end of last year, the Portland City Council unanimously approved the creation of a new Climate Action Fund to develop projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An important aspect of the fund is that it does not take money from the city budget. Instead, it is funded by the sale of RECs (renewable energy credits) which are earned by the city’s solar arrays along with donations and grants.
This ordinance was passed after a year of dedicated effort by the members of PCAT, the Portland Climate Action team. Members worked to learn the ins and outs of RECs, then shared that information with the wider public and representatives on city council. We looked at the example of other communities using RECs to fund sustainability initiatives (like Washington, DC), and helped shape an ordinance that is clear and simple.
The next step is to ensure all voices are heard fairly in the selection of projects. This is where you come in!
In Portland, as in the rest of the country, the threats of climate change such as
extreme temps and risk of fooding most affect the communities already marginalized as low-income and communities of color. A shortcoming of the ordinance is that it does not specifcally outline the process for selecting projects, beyond laying out what types of projects qualify: increasing sustainability and resilience and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
As Portland residents, we can work with our neighborhood associations, volunteer groups, or connect directly with city councilors to give input on what kinds of projects we’d like to see and who they should beneft.
Connect with PCAT
To connect with the PCAT volunteer group, come to a meeting or email us at portlandclimate@gmail.com. We’re looking forward to working together to bring greater sustainability and resilience to this city we call home.
Bright Ideas is brought to you by PCAT, which meets the fourth Tuesday of the Month, 6 to 7:30 p.m. All are welcome. FMI: email por tlandclimate@gmail.com or visit facebook. com/PortlandClimateActionTeam.
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Your comfort and efficiency experts
By Layne V. Witherell
So, it’s Valentines Day and you and your date have managed to snag that last available cozy table in the most recently nationally reviewed HOT restaurant in these parts. The wine steward (pronounced slowly and deliberately as “som-ill-yay”) glides over to your table to recommend their latest acquisition. It is a 95-point rated wine, priced at a mere 300% markup from wholesale, but you didn’t know that.
It’s famously great until you turn the bottle over and see the skull and crossbones printed on the back label, a new addition as recommended by the guy in the admiral’s uniform, the offcial Surgeon General of these United States. This isn’t a mere skirmish, but it is an all-out war. The neo-prohibitionists versus wine drinkers and wine lovers.
Gaja Barbaresco, 2011, Pricey ($300 & up)
This is a profound example of the art of the winemaker. To me it is the ultimate symbol of winemaking as art. I enjoyed it as
a celebratory bottle for my frst retirement from the wine biz in 2011. I fondly remember interviewing Gaja when I was a rookie freelance writer for an article that appeared on November 5th, 1997, “Winemaker Pours his Soul into Transforming Industry,” Richmond Times Dispatch.
Angelo Gaja at 80 is alive and well and has received every global industry award. He single-handedly transformed the quality of Italian wines through a lifetime of study and modern innovation.
How was the wine? From my notes it was “total balance and perfection.”
Here’s the reality. Your “El Cheapo” house wine probably won’t be going up in price because there is an ocean of it panting and begging to be bought. A billion gallons or so are waiting. But the masterpieces that I refer to as “Wine and Art” will rise in cost to you, not based on rarity but based on lost restaurant and retail store sales. This undoubtedly is due in part to the terror instilled by that skull and crossbones resulting in lost restaurant revenue. As their sales drop they must do something to make up for the loss.
Sociando-Mallet, Haut Medoc Red Bordeaux, $50 (retail)
This is the retail price for this underpriced, overperforming Bordeaux. At 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, it could use some time developing in the glass. Speaking of glasses,
these are locally made and hand blown by the great Ben Coombs.
Invite your best friends over to taste the favors of blackberry, thyme, sage, mocha, and a touch of leather all contained in a fabulous Bordeaux as a work of art – in glasses that are works of art. These are ridiculously diffcult glasses to make and, frankly, I don’t really know if he makes them anymore.
Have it with a nice steak... if that is
still allowed.
Taylor Fladgate Port
One of the most disgusting moments of the new wine prohibition will be the removal of your skull and crossbones from the back label and placing it on your priceless Waterford Crystal decanter that was left to you in your sainted grandmother’s will. This imparts a homey touch.
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Sociando-Mallet with locally made glasses by Ben Coombs. -All photos courtesy of Layne Witherell
FOOD & DRINK
LAYNE’S WINE GIG PRESENTS WINE & ART
Cont'd from Previous Page
Taylor was founded in 1692 in Oporto, Portugal. Oporto was soon shortened to Port, and shortly thereafter the Brits became enamored with the stuff and became their best customers. Basically, it is a blend of a partially fermented red wine with the addition of Brandy making it one of the world’s great dessert wine experiences. Port, Stilton cheese, and walnuts are savory, divine, and transform the favors of all three. Look up umami. This is it.
The beauty of Port is that it performs in all manner of styles and prices depending on your taste and your wallet. The prices are retail, although you can usually fnd from one to several styles by-theglass in restaurants.
• Ruby - Simple, sweet, light, and savory ($16/bottle).
• Tawny - More complex with some barrel age ($16/bottle).
• 10-year Tawny - Very mellow after spending ten years in a barrel. A great by-the- glass restaurant experience ($20).
• 20-year & 40-year Tawny - These are offcial designations and can run big bucks. They used to bottle mini four packs for the holidays, but today they are too pricey. Usually, $40 and up per bottle.
Ultimate Wine & Art
Of course, the prize has to go to Champagne. While Gaja grows grapes and crafts to perfection, Bordeaux just makes you enjoy life as the locavore that you are. Port signals the end of a fabulous meal, while Champagne personifes romance. You don’t toast with Pinot Grigio when you are engaged. Also, you can share stories, some real, some imagined, of the major characters in the saga…
Dom Perignon didn’t invent the bubbles, the brand was created in the 1940’s to honor the old guy, but he did equally glorious things. He made clear still wines in an unpredictable area for weather. He created the classic blend of grapes (called a cuvee), the sum being better than the parts. Also, he was the one who brought heavy English glass to protect the by then fashionable bubbly wines of the 17th century. The bubbles are from a second fermentation in the bottle. Only Champagne is Champagne… the rest are simply sparkling wines.
Perrier Jouet Fleur de Champagne, Epernay, Brut “Belle Epoch Bottle” (various vintages, sizes, and prices, expect $250.00 and up).
• Vintage - Prices range from 2017 at a mere $150 a bottle to a whopping $9,500 for a bottle of the 1863 vintage in its own presentation box. Perfect for sticking both that skull and crossbones on, adjacent to a picture of Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy, along with a tribute to his $403,000 a
Octave Gallice, a director of the frm, met the famous Le Belle Epoch Art Nouveau glass artist Emile Galle in Paris during the 1889 Eiffel Tower World’s Fair and had him design a label of a spray of Japanese white anemones. Galle was the great master of fower designs. The label became iconic.
What is Champagne? It is 81,000 acres of grapes in northern France and is “the best example of what can be achieved when nature, climate, and human intervention come together,” according to Michael Bittane, France’s premier wine authority.
• Non-vintage - 80% of Champagne production. A blend of grapes and years.
• Vintage Champagne - From a single vintage, usually aged longer.
• Prestige Cuvee - Specially selected from the fnest vineyards and are “the prize bottles of the house,” says Bittane. These are the famous ones that include bottlings of Krug, Dom Perignon, and Louis Roederer Cristal, as well as Perrier-Jouet Fleur de Champagne.
The best moment, other than having
Layne with his bottle of Perrier.
it as your proposal wine or marriage wine, would be to toast that optimistic time known as the “Belle Epoque” while celebrating from under the Eiffel Tower. The era of Art Nouveau, “joie de vivre,” joy of life, in the time of the Wright Brothers, the telegraph, and cars. Where would we be without all that?
The wines mentioned today are masterpieces of civilization. A skull and crossbones plastered on one of Emile Galle’s Japanese white anemones would be an absolute affront to civilization.
Layne’s Wine Gigs
I will be adding private, group, or individual tastings to my schedule in 2025. Wine author, Master Knight of the Vine, historian, and fun guy. Pick the topic and the place, and I will provide the entertainment and knowledge. For event thoughts, e-mail me at lvwitherell@gmail.com.
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.
Taylor Fladgate Port with crystal decanter.
Facing the Mountain An Inspiring Story of Japanese American Patriots in WW2
Book Short by Stephanie Miller
Some immigrant integration stories in the United States make painful reading, and the internment on our own soil of tens of thousands of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II is sobering.
However, under the talented pen of award-winning author Daniel James Brown, “Facing the Mountain” is also incredibly inspiring and engaging. We learn the hero stories of four American boys – all of whom happen to be of Japanese descent. Three volunteered to fght in Europe and one conscientiously objected to being drafted by the government that had destroyed their businesses, foreclosed on their homes, stripped away their civil rights, and imprisoned their parents and families.
After a grueling training, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was deployed to Italy and assigned an impossible task, to take a barren mountain from the Nazi’s without adequate soldiers, weaponry, or support. Like most soldier stories, these are heartbreaking, awe-inspiring, reckless, and compassionate. Bottom line: Americans of Japanese descent served well, with pride and courage, died for their country, and achieved much. Many of their fellow Americans (and their Army chiefs) didn’t think they could or would do it – and let them know it even as they entered the battlefeld.
Back in the courtrooms, jails, and workcamps of Seattle, Texas, and Washington, the courageous story of Gordon Hirabayashi unfolds. He was one of a handful of resistors who stood up to the government. He repeatedly argued that it was undemocratic to demand he pledge allegiance to a nation that deprived him and his family of their rights as citizens. Especially while the US was proclaiming the goal of making the world safe for democracy.
I knew that we put Japanese Americans into internment camps, but this book showed me the deeper despair and crisis of conscience that many young Japanese men and women endured. They were Americans, shocked at the devastation of Pearl Harbor, and eager to serve their country as loyal patriots. They were also raised with Japanese traditions like gaman, enduring the seemingly unendurable quietly and with patience while fghting for the group over oneself. Despite their varied upbringings, almost all these young men were told some version of the same thing by their fathers before they left. Whatever you do, don’t bring disgrace to the family.
Brown writes nonfction like a novel. While there is a lot of deep research here including actual quotes and photos, the story is so compelling it makes this history a page turner. It’s also timely, as America once again struggles to decide who belongs here and who does not.
Micro Shorts
“The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper,” by Phaedra Patrick
This light novel about a charm bracelet is (wait for it) charming. Arthur Pepper is a widower who fnds a beautiful bracelet buried in a boot while cleaning out his late wife’s closet. He has never seen this jewelry before. Each of the charms seems to tell important stories about her life. One has an inscription. On impulse, he calls a number in India and speaks to a man who claims Arthur’s wife was his beloved childhood ayah (nanny). Arthur never even knew his wife went to India. What else is she hiding?
Arthur is compelled to follow the clues for every charm – a road of surprises and self-refection. This is a good rainy day read, as it doesn’t require much of the reader and moves along quickly. The key question: If your spouse had a whole, interesting, meaningful life before you met, but never shared anything about it with you, is that worrisome or insulting? Or freeing? Or just part of what made her love you?
“Everyone Knows but You, A Tale of Murder on the Maine Coast,” by Thomas E. Ricks (Part Time Maine Author)
This is a wonderful mystery by journalist and nonfction writer Thomas E. Ricks. FBI agent Ryan Tapia requests a re-
mote posting in northern Maine after a family tragedy. When a murder happens off Liberty Island, he takes a professional and serious approach to uncovering the truth.
In this insular island community, it seems everyone knows what happened, but they aren’t telling. He remains persistent in the search though troubled by the layers he uncovers. Of course, like all crime fction heroes, he perseveres and sorts through the lies and sabotage.
I loved it for the portrayal of a tightknit Maine community, the respectful treatment of both rural populations as well as tribal leaders, and Ryan’s very human struggle to put his life back together.
“Four teen Days, A Collaborative Novel,” by The Authors Guild, Margaret Atwood & Douglas Preston
Attracted by anything Margaret Atwood touches and the idea of a collaborative novel, I read this with great anticipation. It’s a collection of stories told by residents on the roof of their New York City apartment building during the Covid-19 pandemic. Unable to go out, they meet every night on the roof to cheer for essential workers and share their stories as a form of entertainment.
There is a mystical element woven through that I enjoyed. The stories are mostly interesting. Although I got that “trapped by a dull person at a cocktail party” feeling several times, and the unexpected ending is amazing.
Stephanie Miller is a voracious reader and local bibliophile. Find her online @StephanieSAM.
Looking for some peace and quiet?
Need a quiet beautiful space where you can sit and relax?
Please join us –
A Liturgy of Contemplation
A lay-led service of meditation and Holy Communion held at 5:15 p.m. each Sunday at St. Luke’s Cathedral
The Liturgy invites you into stillness and quiet, with music, readings, and reflections in a personal, contemporary idiom. It is God’s hope to meet you here.
Emmanuel Chapel – St. Luke’s Episcopal Cathedral 143 State Street, Portland, Maine
"Facing the Mountain" by Daniel James Brown / Random House Large Print / 2021 / pp. 832
Piercing Chill: How does it feel?
By Nancy Dorrans
“Whenwinter winds are piercing chill / And through the hawthorn blows the gale / With solemn feet I tread the hill / That over-brows the lonely vale.” -“Woods in Winter” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The piercing chill this January spread far and wide across our country. My latest adventure began when I few to Tennessee to visit my dad on January 19th. I had changed my fight to depart ahead of a pending storm. When I landed it was snowing in Knoxville and sunny and 40 degrees in Portland. What is going on?
The gale blew the piercing chill down, around, and across our country. Snow fell from southeast Texas through Louisiana and into parts of Mississippi and Alabama. Meanwhile, fres still burned in Southern California. My great nieces in Tennessee had a few days off school due to the “extreme cold” – not snow!
Just the day before fying to Tennessee, I had attended the People’s March in Portland on January 18th. I showed up, marched once again, and connected with friends old and new… It feels like trust and belonging are all around me, in my circles anyway, and that hope is still in the air here in Portland, Maine!
The day after I few to Tennessee was Martin Luther King’s holiday. Ironically, it was the same day as the Presidential Inauguration. I noted the irony and felt the chill. What is going on? How did you feel?
What can I do to combat how I feel about the piercing chills this winter and the current political administration that I did not support?
Okay, I’m wrapping my head around the notion that “the best things in life aren’t political...” and “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn,” (Hal Borland). According to an article in The Conversation, “…the main sources of human well-being are family, friends, meaningful work, hobbies, the arts, nature, spirituality, and acts of kindness. None of these depend on political systems. We can cope with political distress by falling back on the best things in life.”
I’m going to do my best to “tread the hill” ahead and spend time with people and places that bring me joy. I’ll follow the experts’ advice and take a break from the news and technology, get more exercise, and sleep… And, if and when it comes up, I’ll try and talk about the policies, not the people or the parties involved.
I’ll keep volunteering for New England Disabled Sports at Loon Mountain and attending First Parish Unitarian Uni-
versalist congregation. I’ll support the good work First Parish is doing with the warming shelter, monthly community dinners, through the Racial Justice Team, Climate Action Community, and the Wabanaki Ally Team for starters.
I’m also seeking shelter from the storm by listening to music. I went to see the movie “A Complete Unknown” on Christmas Day and was transported back in time.
The story is about Bob Dylan’s arrival in New York City in 1961, his meetings with Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, and his burst to legendary fame. In “Diamonds and Dust,” Joan Baez writes, “Well, you burst on the scene / Already a legend / The unwashed phenomenon / The original vagabond…” What was going on then? How did he feel?
Ever since , Dylan’s music and other favorite folk tunes and singers’ voices have been flling my feed. They take me straight back to my childhood. I grew up listening to my father singing the songs of the ‘60s—Woody Guthrie; Pete Seeger; Peter, Paul and Mary; Joan Baez; Bob Dylan; and others. I played Pete Seger’s “Songs for Children” album over and over!
While I haven’t always understood or
analyzed the lyrics, these songs have become a part of me. I cherish these memories, fowing like the blood in my veins. It feels good!
As my dear friend Hildegarde always says, “Music is medicine for the soul.” What about you? What are the best things in your life right now? How does it feel?
Nancy Dorrans is founder of Adventure Marketplace... Navigating travelers on authentic, nurturing, global and local adventures since
Nancy's dad sings to her family (pictured is Nancy and her sister) and a present day photo of her dad in Tennessee. -All photos courtesy Nancy Dorrans
Nancy Dorrans with Cathie Crute and Lady Liberty at the People’s March in Portland, ME (Jan. 18, 2025).
2014.
90s Pop Culture Trivia
1. What Australian duo crooned songs like “Truly, Madly, Deeply” and “I Want You”?
2. The Seattle record label Sub Pop coined the use of what “dirty” word to describe bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains?
3. As kids, Keri Russell, Christina Aguilera, and Ryan Gosling all were part of the cast of what Disney TV show?
4."The Alchemist", by Paulo Cuelho, was a sensation when it was first published in English in 1993, but in what language was it originally written?
HILLTOP SUPERETTE’s
SLICES OF NEWS THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE FINAL CUT…
Lighthouses of Maine named to the 2025 World Monuments Watch list due to the unique threat they face with sea level rise in the Gulf of Maine… Bululu Ngalamulume is the frst graduate of PAE’s Transportation Careers Program to secure a bus driver position with Portland Public Schools… Long-time Chewonki staff member Greg Shute selected for the 2025 Special Recognition Award from the American Camping Association Food Coop celebrates 10 years at its current location on Congress Street in the East End… Camden National Bank celebrates its 150th anniversary founded in 1875 sharing space with the local Five and Ten Cent Store in Camden… SmileHub says Maine is 2025’s 10th Best State for Social Activism partly because so many of us belong to an organization… Portland is WalletHub’s 5th Best City to Find a Job mostly due to a low unemployment rate and relatively strong job market… Cartoonist and former WEN publisher Ed King completes a massive cartoon map of his new hometown Chapel Hill
Open 365 Days 7am - 9pm Best Pizza on Munjoy Hill!
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Old seas Color Skies And Trick the cold
Old seas
Crack the frozen moments Beg the salt water To breathe warmer air and Push a soft whisper Across old seas
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