The Portland Daily Sun, Tuesday, December 20, 2011 by Daily Sun

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

VOL. 3 NO. 226

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Occupy sues city Protesters want to stay in park. See the story on page 9

Police seek CVS robber See page 9

GREEN CLEANING FOR YOUR HOME John Branson, an attorney representing OccupyMaine, held a news conference Monday outside the Cumberland County Courthouse to discuss a lawsuit he ﬁled against the city over the OccupyMaine encampment at nearby Lincoln Park. (MATTHEW ARCO PHOTO)

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Eastland Hanukkah: ‘Spread the light’ targeted Menorah lit today — See page 7

See page 8

Page 2 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Va. warned of ‘hurdles’ on uranium mining WASHINGTON (NY Times) — The National Academy of Sciences delivered a long-awaited report on uranium mining to the Virginia legislature on Monday, warning that the state faced “steep hurdles” for safely mining and processing the nuclear reactor fuel. The report capped almost a year of research by an academy panel to study the pitfalls and challenges that Virginia would face should the General Assembly decide to lift a 1982 moratorium on mining uranium oxide. The legislature commissioned the $1.4 million study to provide a thorough and unbiased backdrop for debate over whether to lift the moratorium. The general assembly asked the panel to study practices in the industry, health and safety issues, and regulatory considerations for the state. The report did not reach any conclusion as to whether Virginia should lift the moratorium; in fact, the body was specifically barred from doing so by the legislature. However, the report said that if the moratorium were lifted, it would take at least five to eight years for uranium mining to commence to allow time for the state to write regulations from scratch, institute health and environmental safeguards, and allow for public input. “If the Commonwealth of Virginia removes the moratorium on uranium mining, there are steep hurdles to be surmounted before mining and processing could be established in a way that is appropriately protective of the health and safety of workers, the public and the environment,” the report concluded. The report, which is over 300 pages, along with other studies about economic impacts and environmental concerns, will be central to the legislature’s deliberations on whether to lift the moratorium and allow mining of a rich lode of uranium oxide in southern Virginia. In the 1980s, a joint venture between the Marline Uranium Corp. and Union Carbide sought to mine and mill the uranium deposit that lay beneath a farm in the region owned by the Coles family of Chatham, Va. The legislature put a moratorium in place to allow study of the issue, but the project was shelved after a dive in global uranium prices. When uranium prices shot up again about six years ago, the Coles revived the project, forming their own company with neighboring families and Canadian investors. The company, Virginia Uranium Inc., is now seeking an end to the moratorium.

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Enigmatic young heir steps forward in North Korea BY MARTIN FACKLER THE NEW YORK TIMES

TOKYO — With the abrupt death of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, the fate of his isolated, nuclear-armed regime has dropped into the hands of his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, who is such an unknown that the world did not even know for sure what he looked like until last year. But the biggest enigma may be whether the younger Mr. Kim will be able to hold onto power in this last bastion of hard-line Communism, much less prevent its impoverished economy from collapsing. For now, the reclusive regime is acting true to form, offering few clues as to what, if any, changes the death of the dictator could bring. It does, however, appear to be offering the first glimmers of an answer to one question that has long dogged North Korea watchers: whether the powerful military and other parts of the nation’s small, privileged ruling elite would go along

Kim Jong-un, at left,. succeeds his father, Kim Jong-il, who died recently (New York Times photo).

with the Kim family’s ambitions to extend its dynastic rule to a third generation. Within hours of the announcement on Monday of his father’s death, North Korea’s ruling Workers Party released a statement calling on the nation to unite “under the leadership of our comrade Kim Jong-un.” The younger Mr. Kim was also named head of the committee that will oversee his father’s funeral on Dec. 28 — a move that some analysts interpreted as evidence that the transfer of

AT&T drops $39B bid for T-Mobile BY MICHAEL DE LA MERCED THE NEW YORK TIMES

AT&T said on Monday afternoon that it had withdrawn its $39 billion takeover bid for T-Mobile USA, acknowledging that it could not overcome opposition from the Obama administration to creating the nation’s biggest cellphone service provider. The company said in a statement that it would continue to invest in wireless spectrum, but could not overcome resistance from both the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission. It added that American wireless customers “will be harmed and needed investment will be stifled” by the regulators’ decisions. AT&T had lain the groundwork for its decision in recent weeks, including by withdrawing its proposal for F.C.C. approval and by asking a federal judge to postpone proceedings in a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department. Both regulators have indicated strong opposition to the deal. The announcement was not unexpected: AT&T said last month that it would take a $4 billion accounting charge this quarter to reflect the potential breakup of the deal.

power to the son was proceeding smoothly, at least in the first days. Analysts said they expect the funeral to be an elaborate public display, not only of reverence for the deceased leader, but also of national unity behind the new one. “The first test of the new leadership will be its handling of the death itself,” said John Delury, a professor of international studies at Yonsei University in Seoul. Some analysts said Kim Jongil had used the three years after

his first brush with mortality, a stroke in 2008, to successfully build up support for this untested son, who is believed to be in his late 20s. They also said North Korea’s ruling class might also recognize that, at least for now, they have no choice but to accept the succession: the elder Mr. Kim’s two older sons are seen as lazy playboys, while any move to reject the Kim family could undo the legitimacy of the entire regime. “Kim Jong-il used the years after his stroke to build a consensus among the elite that his son would be the face of North Korea after he was gone,” said Kim Yeon-su, a professor of North Korean studies at the National Defense University in Seoul. He added that this was an easy face to sell: with plump cheeks, short-cropped hair and a hard gaze, Kim Jong-un looks strikingly similar to his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, the regime’s founder, who is still revered as a god. But what happens after the funeral remains anyone’s guess.

Arrest order issued for Iraq’s V.P. BY JACK HEALY THE NEW YORK TIMES

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government was thrown into crisis on Monday night as authorities issued an arrest warrant for the Sunni vice president, accusing him of running a personal death squad that assassinated security officials and government bureaucrats. The sensational charges against Tariq al-Hashimi, one of the country’s most prominent Sunni leaders, threatened to inflame widening sectarian and political conflicts in Iraq just one day after the last American convoy of American troops rolled out of the country into Kuwait. The accusations were broadcast over Iraqi television, in a half-hour of grainy video confessions from three men identified as Mr. Hashimi’s bodyguards. They spoke of how they had planted bombs in public squares, driven up to convoys carrying Iraqi officials and opened fire. Under the direction of Mr. Hashimi’s top aides, the men said, they gunned down convoys carrying Shiite officials and planted roadside bombs in traffic circles and wealthy neighborhoods of Baghdad, then detonated them as their targets drove by. One of the men said Mr. Hashimi had personally handed him an envelope with $3,000

after one of the attacks. It was impossible to substantiate any of the accusations aired in the confessions. An aide in Mr. Hashimi’s office said the three men had indeed worked for the vice president, but he denied all of the allegations. The aide said Mr. Hashimi was in the northern region of Kurdistan, meeting with Kurdish officials to defuse the worsening political standoff with Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. Reidar Visser, an analyst of Iraqi politics and editor of the blog historiae.org, called the situation the worst crisis Iraq had faced in five years. The last week has yielded a near breakdown of relations between Mr. Maliki, a religious Shiite, and his adversaries in the Iraqiya coalition, a large political bloc that holds some 90 seats in Parliament and is supported by many Sunni Iraqis. Members of the Iraqiya coalition walked away from Parliament on Saturday, accusing Mr. Maliki of seizing power and thwarting democratic procedures through a wave of politically tinged arrests in recent weeks. The boycott was the culmination of months of political discord, and signaled the near breakdown of relations between two of the country’s most powerful political adversaries.

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011— Page 3

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Monday at Berlin City Toyota of Portland, Berlin City Auto Group made the ﬁrst of over $100,000 in donations to local schools in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. (COURTESY PHOTO)

Berlin City Auto Group, a family of dealerships founded in 1980 in New England, and its Drive for Education foundation, a program created by the employees of Berlin City Auto Group, announced the award recipients in its Drive for Education program. Donating $60,000 to 19 K-12 schools spanning across New England, Berlin City Auto Group has met its annual goal of awarding more than $100,000 to local schools, Berlin City Auto Group reported. Recipient schools will be honored with a check presentation at a Berlin City Auto Group dealership in Maine, Vermont or New Hampshire, Dec. 19-21. To be considered for the program, a school official had to submit a short essay to Berlin City Auto Group by Nov. 30 explaining how their school would use a donation of up to $3,500. Berlin City’s Brand Ambassadors, a group of employees that lead the dealerships’ community involvement campaigns, evaluated the needs of each school and selected the winners accordingly. ”We’re thrilled to have met our goal of $100,000 in donations to New England schools this year,” said Yegor Malinovskii, vice president at Berlin City Auto Group. “We believe in giving back to the community and helping our local schools succeed in education.” Berlin City Auto Group held a check ceremony on Monday, Dec. 19 in Maine; and plans similiar events today, Dec. 20 in New Hampshire; and Wednesday, Dec. 21 in Vermont, honoring the winning schools. Awarded schools include: Mackworth Island — Windham/ Raymond

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Berlin City Auto Group names Drive for Education recipients DAILY SUN STAFF REPORT

Longfellow Elementary School — Portland Costal Ridge Elementary School — York Massabesic Middle School — Waterboro Oxford-Cumberland Canal — Westbrook Great Falls Elementary — Gorham Charles A. Snow School — Fryeburg Durham Community School — Durham Lancaster Elementary — Lancaster, N.H. Milan Village School — Milan, N.H. White Mountains Regional High School — Whitefield, N.H. Gorham Middle School — Gorham, N.H. Gorham High School — Gorham, N.H. Kennett High School — North Conway, N.H. Colchester Middle School — Colchester, Vt. Mt. St. Joseph Academy — Rutland, Vt. Malletts Bay School — Colchester, Vt. Folsom School — North Hero, Vt. Thetford Academy — Thetford, Vt. From each vehicle sold at its six dealerships throughout New England, Berlin City gives a portion of sales to the Drive for Education program, according to a Berlin City Auto Group press release. This year alone, the Drive for Education Foundation has awarded more than $100,000 to New England schools with the first donation of $40,000 made in June of 2011 to 12 recipient schools. For more information about Berlin City Auto Group’s Drive for Education Foundation, visit www.berlincity.com/ driveforeducation.htm. You can also find them on Facebook.

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Page 4 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011

––––––––––––– LETTERS TO THE EDITOR –––––––––––––

Peak oil predictions elevate dubious prophet of doomers

see LETTERS page 5

Portland’s FREE DAILY Newspaper David Carkhuff, Editor Casey Conley, City Editor Matthew Arco, Reporter THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN is published Tuesday through Saturday by Portland News Club, LLC. Mark Guerringue, Adam Hirshan, Curtis Robinson Founders Offices: 477 Congress Street, Suite 1105, Portland ME 04101 (207) 699-5801 Founding Editor Curtis Robinson Website: www.portlanddailysun.me E-mail: news@portlanddailysun.me For advertising contact: (207) 699-5801 or ads@portlanddailysun.me Classifieds: (207) 699-5807 or classifieds@portlanddailysun.me CIRCULATION: 15,100 daily distributed Tuesday through Saturday FREE throughout Portland by Jeff Spofford, jspofford@maine.rr.com

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New punctuation for Christmas This is the week where everyone is especially nice to each other, in hopes of walking off some of the misdeeds done over the course of the last year. You’re supposed to be kinder, friendlier, and more amicable towards your fellow man. In short, this is a week bordering on Hell for me. I’m supposed to treat politicos with grudging respect. I’m directed to be snarky at work or in print, to keep that “smart mouth” of mine on hold for at least this week. The only problem with this theory is that this week leads to next week, which leads to turning over a new lead for the new year, and before you know it this column is written by Captain Kangaroo. As I write this, it’s only Monday, and I’ve already bitten my tongue close to bloody twice before noon. The pressure gauge in my head is clearly in the red zone, and the odds-on betting is predicting a full blown mental snap by the weekend. We’ll stick to safe subjects for the rest of the week, hopefully. Christmas kittens in cute sweaters and the like. In perusing the nets looking for biscuit bland stuff, I came across one suitable gem that fits in. Editors and journalists got a new present over the

Bob Higgins ––––– Daily Sun Columnist past year, as usefull as the fruitcake you use to prop open the door during the hot summer. We got new punctuation. The whole new punctuation thing is like the whole “new math” craze from years back. In the end, it seemed new math did more damage to brains that it fixed. Several underutilized punctuation symbols are now being floated for normal usage, so I figured that it was about time to make some introductions. “§” is the “Section” sign, used mainly by lawyers and legislators. Considering the amount of law passed these days, it really should have its own key on the keyboard. You are supposed to make it by holding down the ALT key and then pressing 0167 on the keypad. Didn’t work for me, as apparently my keyboard has decided that ignorance of the law really is a good excuse. The next two are damned near impossible to replicate.

After twenty minutes of cutting and pasting failures and eating half a jar of paste just like in the old days, both the “exclamation comma” and the “question comma” are doomed for the salt mines of higher education punctuation. If they are impossible to reproduce on the keyboard, you’ll never see them. Essentially, both look like the standard question and exclamation marks, but with the funny comma on the bottom instead of the period. The purpose seems to be that just because you are excited or curious and want to convey that, it’s no reason to actually end the sentence. The funnier new one is the “Interrobang,” a combination of the question mark and the exclamation point. It sounds exactly like what it is, a latter day nod to forcefully asking a question. Strangely, this was not invented at Guantanamo Bay. Finally, we come to my all time favorite, the “Snark.” A whole new method of punctuation was needed to convey the emotions of irony and sarcasm, or even the smart-ass remark. Thus in its full glory the mark became known as “” My only question is this. Since it

Editor, Jeffrey S. Spofford’s Dec. 15 column “The doomer conundrum” offers a look at Nicole Foss’s peak oilbased predictions of a “world-wide deflationary depression” we are allegedly entering and media complicity in keeping us “useless-eating citizens” ignorant of this coming “crash.” The real conundrum is why messages like Foss’s persist even after they have been so thoroughly descredited. I’m no stranger to the peak oil concept. A professor of mine, Craig Bond Hatfield of the University of Toledo, wrote some of the earliest columns warning of an impending decline in oil production. He has had the good sense since his retirement in 1999 to keep his mouth shut about the implications of peak oil. When people make predictions, they need to be held accountable when such predictions fail. Foss predicted in no uncertain terms that the stock market would top out at 10,000 points in the Fall of 2009 and then decline precipitously. Her comradein-alarm, known on the Internet only as “ilargi,” predicted that as a result of this “Depression” oil prices would “crash” into the thirties. They are now off by 2,000 points, two years, and seventy dollars, respectively. And yet Foss continues to pack auditoriums preaching an “overall message” that remain[s] unchanged,” according to Spofford. In spite of Foss’s failures — along with the failed predictions of every public peak oil alarmist including the late Maine resident Matthew Simmons — Spofford uses terms such as “truthful picture” and “realistic view” to describe Foss’s persistent forecasting follies. The real truth is that years of studies by scientists who analyze economic forecasts reveal that the economy is inherently unpredictable. As described in the book “Don’t Believe Everything You Think,” Thomas Kida reviews decades of studies that show “economists can’t even predict the major turning points in our economy.” Stock price predictions have never performed any better than would be predicted by chance. These studies show furthermore, and shockingly, that “the amount of knowledge we have in a certain area will not help us predict what will happen,” because what will happen is “inherently unpredictable.” This never stops showboats like Foss from perpetuating her “hardcore doom,” as Spofford calls it, nor people from lapping up such useless prognosticating.

see HIGGINS page 5

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011— Page 5

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– OPINION –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Munjoy observatory brings to mind dance halls, celebs Until the advent of ship-to-shore radio in the 1920s there was a nautical observatory tower standing in every seacoast town on the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards. But now there’s only one left, and it sits high atop Munjoy Hill. When Lemuel Moody built his tower in 1807 it was the biggest thing to hit Portland since the Atlantic Ocean. The tallest structure on the peninsula and standing on its highest point, the Observatory was not only a great boon to commercial interests, alerting dock workers and businesses to the imminent arrival of long-awaited cargoes, but was also a great attraction for the general populace. There are pictures taken in the nineteenth century of people with loved ones out to sea standing at points all over the peninsula peering anxiously through huge binoculars up at the Observatory, “glassing” it was called, hoping, just hoping, to see a certain ship’s flag appear at the top of the tower. And, at a time when there was no other entertainment in town to speak of, we’re talking just a few years after the American Revolution, when a night out meant a quilting bee at best, Puritan New England, Calvinism, all that, ol’ Lemuel built him a bowling alley and a dance hall at the base of the tower. A real happenin’ scene, and right out there on high for all to see. Hey, come to think of it, 1807 was also the year Longfellow was born, so there was definitely something special in the air. Young Henry surely climbed the tower, but he most likely stayed clear of the bowling alley and dance hall, they being easily within his mother Zilpha’s glassing range. Ah-h-h ... think of all the times eager young men requested the honor of escorting lovely creatures with names like Eliza Beth Kettlesford on a stroll

up the hill to the tower on a Saturday evening, certainly not to bowl, but maybe to waltz ––––– some. Oh, those precious moments that Daily Sun lived in a feller's heart Columnist through the long lonely weeks and months out to sea, until he arrives at long last back in port, and she sees the flag of his ship waving from Lemuel Moody's tower. Oh, my Eliza Beth, dost thou wait for me yet still? Yeah, maybe in your dreams sailor, or in the movies, and movies ain’t been invented yet. Which brings to mind a favorite son of Munjoy Hill, six-time Academy Award winning film director John Ford, born John Fenney and raised on Sheridan Street, in the shadow of the tower. In his later years he often spoke of having been a spindly youngster of weak constitution, and how he regularly climbed up the steep stairs of the Observatory in his quest for health and inspiration. He wistfully recalled looking out over out the glistening waters of Casco Bay on one side and the majesty of the western mountain range on the other, all the while breathing in the fine fresh ocean air from on high. Which revelry resulted, of course, in a classic cinematic ending, where, tra-la, John Feeney becomes Bull Feeney, the robust Portland High football player who went west and became John Ford who, he frequently noted, became to twentieth-century film what his fellow townsman, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was to nineteenth-century poetry. So it is that after more than two centuries The Munjoy Hill Observatory Tower still stands and inspires, casting its spell, Lemuel Moody’s ongoing gift to “The city that is seated by the sea.”

Cliff Gallant

(Cliff Gallant of Portland is a contributor to The Portland Daily Sun.)

Many predictions proved untrue LETTERS from page 4

This does not mean that I think a “deflationary depression” will not happen; I would need my own crystal ball to come to such a conclusion. I simply do not know. Nor does it mean that I don’t think peak oil is a serious issue for the future. What I do think it means is that peak oil as a reputable concept is ruined by people like Foss who persist

in holding onto discredited positions, and by fans like Spofford who refuse to apply a statute of limitations to predictions that might cause public panic. The real “message” of her “presentation” should be “Get the hook!” Mike Bendzela Adjunct professor of English University of Southern Maine in Gorham

How to convey sarcasm in print mine witnessed a reply to a post someone had questioned me about, and referred to it as a “wet towel snap” reply. And all this week, I was supposed to be on my best behavior.

HIGGINS from page 4

really does resemble the backwards but not upside down question mark commonly used when typing out things in Spanish, has not a whole segment of the globe been denied the ability to make a snotty comment in print? A week or so ago, a friend of

(Bob Higgins is a regular contributor to The Portland Daily Sun.)

Page 6 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– OPINION ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

This week, with a nod to the onrushing holiday, and various freight trains of dread barreling down the track at us, I want to take a break from the usual concerns and talk about something else: why Hollywood exemplifies our worst collective blunder of the historical moment: our techno-narcissism. I went to the cineplex at the mall late yesterday afternoon — also a break, after a month of moving and shlepping to another house — to see the new Martin Scorcese movie, “Hugo.” The story told is a sort of frame for a homage to one of the pioneers or moviemaking, Georges Méliès, a French “illusionist” (magician) who made over 500 films at the turn of the 20th century, most of them now lost. He was an innovator, also, of what we now call FX, special effects, employing stop-motion, puppetry, and many optical tricks borrowed from his stage magic act in order to portray wild, dream-like fantasies on the screen. His best-known surviving movie is the Jules Verne-inspired “A Trip To the Moon,” in which several Edwardian Age explorers make the journey in a giant artillery shell fired from a colossal cannon. The movies of Méliès possess great child-like charm, consistent with a new art-form in its infancy: exuberant, surprising, and often self-consciously silly. Scorcese conveys Méliès’s story through the frame of another story about a boy, the orphaned son of a watchmaker, who lives in the attic of one of the great Parisian train stations in the 1920s. Hugo goes about his daily business winding the great clocks of the station, pinching croissants and bottles of milk from vendors, and evading the sadistic Station Inspector (Sacha Baron-Cohen, a.k.a. Borat). Hugo’s doings also come to involve the owner of a toy shop in the station, who turns out to be the movie-maker

The fourth wall James Howard Kunstler ––––– Kunstler.com Méliès (Ben Kingsley), now completely disillusioned and forgotten. The boy, of course, becomes the agent of Méliès’s resurrection to glory and public honor for his pioneering work. Scorcese, a leading film historian in his own right, chose to tell this story using the latest movie technology of our day: 3-D and CGI, computer-generated imagery, to wow a contemporary audience. Here, things get dodgy. It turns out that there is a curious relationship between movie technology and the art of cinema story-telling, and it can be expressed in terms of diminishing returns. The more clever we get at applying computer magic to the movies, the worse our story-telling abilities. It has gotten to the point where Hollywood is just about incapable now of telling a story because so many technological tricks are cluttering up the screen that the nuances of human behavior are sacrificed to them. In the case of “Hugo,” Scorcese’s use of 3-D violates one of the cardinal rules of staged dramatic action in its insistence on dragging the viewer through what is called “the fourth wall” in a relentless attempt to induce the illusions of speed and vertigo. The fourth wall refers to an old convention of the proscenium stage, in which the audience is presumed to be viewing the action through an open wall of a sort of magic box. This boundary between “real life” and the life depicted on stage, or on-screen in our time, allows another convention to happen: the

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(James Howard Kunstler is the author of several books, including “The Long Emergency,” “The Geography of Nowhere,” and “The Witch of Hebron.” His column appears in The Portland Daily Sun every Tuesday.)

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Hugo worships at the alter of his father’s broken automaton, just as the American public at all levels worships at the alter of technology, and it is sure to disappoint us. So great are the comforts and conveniences of our time that we are terrified by the prospect of losing them and, as the hypercomplexities around us unravel, we Americans are willing to believe any preposterous story that promises to keep the cars moving and the lights on. I call this state of affairs technological narcissism. The leading current expression of it can be seen in the incessant propaganda from politicians and the corporations telling the nation that we have “hundreds of years worth of oil and gas” available in North America and that we can easily become “energy independent” if we only drill-drill-drill. The public will at first be disappointed by these lies, and then they will become murderously enraged. Just watch. How it unfolds will be a story really worth telling generations from now. For the moment, though, Hollywood has forgotten how to do the one thing that made the American movie industry great: to tell a story. Another irony of the day is that the biggest critical hit of the holiday release season is a silent movie, “The Artist,” made in France by director Michel Hazanavicius, another homage to Hollywood history, made by outsiders and going back to the basics — just as American life will have to go back to the basics when reality drags us kicking and screaming out of the box we’ve crawled into.

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willing suspension of disbelief, so that we become emotionally involved in the action beyond the wall. The fourth wall was respected through the glory days of Hollywood and all of the movie classics that Scorcese has paid homage to over the years. Breaking it has impoverished movie-making, a result that was obvious in James Cameron’s ponderous hit, “Avatar,” which reduced human emotion to a level below the average cartoon of the 1930s while it piled on the dazzling computer-generated images. In “Hugo,” Scorcese’s camera, or “camera” in the case of all the whopping 3-D CGI, shoves the audience through the fourth wall and into the magic box in order to stimulate (or simulate) a sense of wonder about the proceedings inside it. But it only has the effect of wearing you down psychologically, and making you constantly aware of being manipulated. One of the ironies of Hugo is that a major sub-plot in the story involves a mechanical automaton — sort of an early robot, animated like a clock with gears and escapements — which Hugo’s dead father had been working on before his tragic death in a fire. Automatons were popular devices in the magicians’ parlors of the early industrial age. They were wondrous machines for their time, but they really couldn’t do much more than deal out a few cards or wave their arms about. The automaton in the movie doesn’t really do much, either, but the story of Hugo hinges on the emotional attachments that the automaton inspires in him and the other characters. And it does illustrate, inadvertently I believe, one of the crucial primary relations of the human project to technology in our time: that the virtual is just not an adequate substitute for the authentic. This will be a hard lesson for us to learn.

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THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011— Page 7

Chabad of Maine will celebrate 24 years of Hanukkah with the lighting of the grand menorah at Portland City Hall plaza tonight at 6 p.m. Here, Rabbi Moshe Wilansky (center) receives help ﬁlling lamps with oil, aided by city employee Al Leblanc, while Reuven Buckberg attaches lamps to the menorah. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTO)

Hanukkah: ‘Spread the light’ Economic concern part of message as menorah lit today BY DAVID CARKHUFF THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

The story of Hanukkah dates to over 2,000 years ago, but a menorah lighting today will aim to make the celebration fresh and current. “Every year we try to do something fresher,” said Rabbi Moshe Wilansky. “Even though we’ve lit the candles for the last 2,300 years, it’s just like we’re doing it for the first time because Hanukkah has a special message, how a small group of weak people were able to win against the mighty, the Syrians. The message is that we should take the lessons from Hanukkah, and sometimes we might be depressed, we think, ‘What can one person do?’ One person can really do a lot. That’s a message for this year. God made us, each one is special.” The feast commemorates the restoration of Jewish worship at the temple in Jerusalem in 165 BCE, after Judah Maccabee removed the pagan statuary of the Syrians. Hanukkah is celebrated today through Wednesday, Dec. 28.

This year one of the special features of the celebration in Portland will be the chance to have your picture taken, either with a person dressed as Judah the Maccabee, who led the Maccabean revolt, or with a dreidle costume. In tough economic times, Rabbi Wilansky noted that a serious message emerges during Hanukkah. “We can definitely try to help people, help the homeless, spread the light, and (give) somebody a brighter future. Give a little to charity, a little extra food, that really puts a smile on somebody’s face, that’s how we fulfill the story of Hanukkah,” he said. Chabad of Maine will celebrate 24 years of Hanukkah with the lighting of the grand menorah at Portland City Hall plaza. This year, newly elected Mayor Michael Brennan will take part in this tradition. Tonight, on the first night of Hanukkah, the menorah will be lit at 6 p.m. After the ceremony, all are invited to a free buffet meal in the Maine State Room in City Hall. Maine Mishagoyim will provide musical entertainment. For more information, call 871-8947.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NEWS BRIEFS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Turnpike delays expected this week The Maine Turnpike Authority will intermittently stop traffic at mile 48.5, the Riverside Street/Larrabee Road exit, from 10 p.m. through 5 a.m. now through Thursday, Dec. 22 for bridge demolition, weather permitting. Northbound stoppages will take place today while southbound stops are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday overnight, the Authority reported. Occasional traffic stops are needed to accommodate the removal of structural steel from the original Exit 48 interchange bridge, the agency reported. The new Exit 48 interchange bridge opened to traffic in early November. State police will stop traffic at 25-minute intervals to allow the contractor time to remove structural steel without jeopardizing motorist or worker safety, the Authority reported. There may be adjustments to the following schedule due to weather and other factors: • Today: Northbound stoppages at various times between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Traffic stop will include Exit 48 northbound onramp. • Wednesday: Southbound stoppages at various times between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

• Thursday: Southbound stoppages at various times between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

C.E. High Mock Trial winners listed Cape Elizabeth High School won the 2011 Maine State High School Mock Trial championship in a final held on Thursday in the Maine Supreme Judicial Courtroom at the Cumberland County Courthouse in Portland. The Cape Elizabeth Team includes seniors: Max Aronson, Emily Muscat, Claire Muscat, Will McCarthy and Katherine Page. These five seniors were also the co-captains of the team. Juniors: Michaela Forde, Josie Barth, Rachel Matusko, Nolan Morris, Chelsey Whynot, Abby Donnelly, Seth Dobieski and Travis DeLano. Sophomores: Kevin Hare, Jack Tierney, Dorothy Janick and Brian Taintor. Freshmen who served as clerks of the court/timekeepers: Andrew Harrington and Matthew Denison. Coaches included teacher advisor Mary Page. Attorney coaches included Richard O’Meara of Murray, Plumb & Murray, and David Hillman of Verrill Dana assisted by Jeff Shedd (Cape principal). — Staff Reports

Page 8 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Website targets Eastland Hotel owners, management BY CASEY CONLEY THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

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The new owners and general manager of the Eastland Hotel are the subject of a newly launched website that attempts to portray the “human aspect” of the hotel’s planned renovations. Although details of the renovation are vague, one component of the project calls for converting about 50 apartments back into hotel rooms. About 20 of the apartments are currently occupied. The renovation, which could coincide with a full or partial hotel shutdown, could also result in widespread employee layoffs. The website (eastlandparkclosing.com) addresses the potential impacts of employee layoffs and the loss of apartments. But much of its ire is directed at Bruce Wennerstrom, the hotel’s general manager and an executive with New Castle Hotels, which has

an ownership stake in the Eastland. And in an argument reminiscent of the Occupy movement, Wennerstrom is presented as being a wealthy businessman who is “unconcerned” about “the working class poor, single parents, and elderly tenants about to be evicted.” The website also presents what it says is a satellite view of Wennerstrom’s Greenwich, Conn., mansion and a picture of him and a woman standing next to two Bitter SC sports cars. There’s just one problem: Wennerstrom says the sprawling house in the picture isn’t his. The man pictured next to the roughly $1 million sports cars? Not him either, he says. “I wish,” he said in a phone interview yesterday, adding that he didn’t believe a response to claims made on the tenant website was necessary. RockBridge Capital and New Castle Hotels paid

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about $7 million for the 202-room hotel last March. At the time, company officials promised to update the 84-year-old building to modern standards and explore a partnership with an international hotel chain. Although details have trickled out about possible renovation plans over the past several months, the company has confirmed very little. Wennerstrom has said in the past that they are aiming for a four-star rating and a possible affiliation with Westin Hotels. Other improvements are said to include an expansion of the Top of the East rooftop lounge, improved guest rooms and more function space. The hotel is also exploring a potential expansion into Congress Square Park, at the intersection of Congress and High streets. Wennerstrom said yesterday that no final decisions have been made on the renovations, and that the project would be preceded by an announcement to staff, tenants and the media. Still, there are signs that substantial interior work could begin sooner than later: The Eastland’s website is not taking any room reservations past January 2012. The creator of the website eastlandparkclosing. com did not return a phone call seeking comment yesterday, but the site seems to speak for itself. One post asks the question, “Is RockBridge Capital putting profits before people?” Another suggests that the company’s offer to pay $2,500 to all affected tenants for relocation expenses isn’t good enough. “$2500 per tenant is nothing compared to the $2.5 million that Rockbridge Capital managed to swindle out of paying by exploiting a regulatory loophole. Yes, that’s right — a city regulation requires that developers who do not replace affordable housing must pay the city $50,000 per lost unit. Rockbridge found a way to avoid paying,” the site says, referring to a former provision in the city’s Housing Replacement Ordinance that has since been amended. The website also claims that Wennerstrom has been “remarkably evasive” about when tenants will be asked to leave. In addition to the payments, the hotel has agreed to give tenants 90 days notice to move out. Those notices have not yet gone out. Yesterday, Wennerstrom said he was familiar with the website, but disputed claims that he had been vague or unresponsive to tenant inquires. “I don’t think we have been evasive, we have been honest ... that we just don’t have a definite date yet,” he said. “There are huge things being put together being set in place. We don’t want to say one thing and then have to go in a different direction.” He admitted the ongoing process has been “difficult” but said he did not believe there was any ill will between residents and the hotel management. “Honestly, things have been pretty quiet,” he said, adding that he’s had conversations with “a couple” tenants that sought him out but did not believe there was any lingering “bad blood.”

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011— Page 9

OccupyMaine files lawsuit in Portland BY MATTHEW ARCO THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

Protesters camping in Lincoln Park say city officials are infringing on their rights by ordering them to leave and are asking a judge to decide the fate of the encampment. An attorney representing OccupyMaine filed a lawsuit against the city in Cumberland County Superior Court Monday, calling an order to vacate issued to the protesters by Portland's city manager "unconstitutional on its face." The lawsuit was filed just hours before the city's noon deadline expired, which told protesters to either file a claim with the court or face eviction from Lincoln Park. "It wasn't our intention to have to file a lawsuit," said John Branson, the protesters' attorney, on the courthouse steps Monday. He spoke during an afternoon news conference and explained there were a number of ways the lawsuit could have been avoided, including having "the city respect the constitutional rights of these protesters." OccupyMaine is largely challenging city ordinances that officials say prohibit them from remaining in the park overnight, but what Branson and

Police ask for help in identifying latest pharmacy robbery suspect BY MATTHEW ARCO THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

Portland police are searching for a man responsible for the midday robbery of a city pharmacy Sunday. Officials say the man held a gray blanket over his head in an effort to disguise his face when he demanded “specific drugs” from a CVS Pharmacy on Congress Street, said Lt. Gary Rogers, a police spokesman. The man entered the CVS Pharmacy at the Westgate Shopping Plaza located at 1406 Congress St. at noon. Rogers wouldn’t identify the type of drugs he demanded or how much the suspect stole. The incident comes after a nearly two-month lull in pharmacy robberies in Portland. On Oct. 25, a man attempted to rob a Rite Aid Pharmacy on Forest Avenue, but left without This suspect is sought receiving any medications. The after the Sunday robincident was followed by a sub- bery of a CVS Pharmacy sequent bomb scare after police on Congress Street. discovered a suspicious object in (COURTESY IMAGE) the pharmacy’s parking lot. The object — a foot-long pipe, wrapped with electrical tape and plastic tubing — was empty and did not pose a threat. Officials never said whether it was connected to the attempted robbery. Before that incident, a CVS Pharmacy on Forest Avenue was robbed Sept. 23, and another CVS Pharmacy on Brighton Avenue was robbed on Aug. 12 and again on Sept. 12. A Hannaford Supermarket pharmacy was robbed on Aug. 31. Investigators are asking for help in identifying the suspect in the city’s most recent incident. He was described as white male approximately 6 feet tall and heavy build, with brown hair, a close cropped graying beard and pock marks on his face, according to police. He was wearing dark glasses, blue jeans, boots and a brownish colored jacket. Officials believe he fled the scene in a black sedan. People with information are asked to contact the Portland Police Department at 874-8533 or text an anonymous tip from a mobile phone using keyword “GOTCHA” plus their message to 274637 (CRIMES).

protesters say are unconstitutional — citing both the state and federal constitutions. "(The encampment) is not a blight on the landscape, but a beacon, a beacon of hope in a very dire and dark time," Branson said. "The lawsuit contains three counts that challenge the constitutionality of various provisions of the city ordinance." OccupyMaine protesters have been camping in Lincoln Park since the beginning of October. During a Dec. 7 meeting, the City Council voted to deny the group's application for a permit to stay in the park. The group argues that occupying the park is a key tenet of its ongoing protest against corporate greed and corruption in the U.S. financial and political systems. Protesters say without the right to occupy Lincoln Park, and without providing a suitable alternative, the city is denying its First Amendment

rights, as well as their rights under the Maine Constitution. "It is a unique form of demonstration that depends upon the ability to maintain a sustained assembly for the purpose of achieving the sustained attention of the media, government officials and the public at large," Branson said. "Absent that sustained attention, OccupyMaine and its members believe it will not be able to begin the process of reclaiming our democracy," he continued. A city spokeswoman, Nicole Clegg, declined to comment on the lawsuit Monday, saying the city attorney would need time to review the group's complaint. see next page

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Page 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Heather Curtis, a member of OccupyMaine and a plaintiff in a new lawsuit against the city of Portland, talks to reporters Monday while holding a text of the U.S. Constitution. (MATTHEW ARCO PHOTO)

OccupyMaine also asking for court injunction from preceding page

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The city has 21 days to respond to the lawsuit. Following the city's response, Branson will be given seven days for another response before a hearing before a judge is set, Branson said. In addition to the lawsuit, OccupyMaine is seeking a preliminary injunction from the court. If approved, the order would bar city officials from taking any action to disband the encampment until a judge decides the group's fate. City officials have already agreed in writing to allow "the status quo to continue" until a court issues a decision on a request for a preliminary injunction the city's counsel plans to file, according to a letter to Branson from the city's attorney, Gary Wood. Also on Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine filed a "friend of the court" brief in support of the protesters, said Zachary Heiden, legal director of the ACLU of Maine. The brief asks the court to consider whether Maine's constitution offers increased protection for the protesters compared with the U.S. Constitution. "There is nothing more important for our democracy than freedom of expression," Heiden said in a statement. "We hope that Maine's courts will interpret Maine's constitution to give the highest level of protection to speech on matters of public concern." The plaintiffs named in the lawsuit are four individuals and OccupyMaine itself, which is identified as "an unincorporated association of citizens organized in solidarity with the national free speech and assembly movement known as OccupyWallStreet." Protesters say they are eager to continue the fight to remain in the park, according to Heather Curtis, one of the individual plaintiffs named in the claim. "We're going to fight for it and we're going to see if the judicial system actually works the way it's supposed to â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for the people," she said at Monday's news conference, while clutching a pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution. David Marshall, the only city councilor who voted in favor of approving a permit for the protesters, attended Branson's news conference Monday. Marshall said he wanted to hear exactly what the group planned to argue before a judge. "The areas that they're going after are the areas within our own ordinances that I had concerns about when we were voting," Marshall said. "We're in a position to kind of see whether or not this legal challenge is successful at testing the limits of the city's ordinances as backed by the constitution of this state and the U.S. Constitution."

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011— Page 11

DAILY CROSSWORD TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

by Lynn Johnston

By Holiday Mathis challenge. Whether or not you succeed will be irrelevant. You’ll stretch, grow and think a little more of yourself through each part of your process. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Volunteering takes many forms. You don’t have to be involved with a nonproﬁt, church or charity in order to uplift humanity. Today you’ll make a difference by giving your warmth, a listening ear and a smile. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Someone wants to know about your process. Whether this is about a recipe, a way of working or a method of organizing your life, be judicious in the sharing of information. Your methods have real value. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ll be of great help and guidance. Others are depending on you -- especially someone you know who is confused. This one needs to stop asking questions and stand in what is known. Help this person along. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). While you take the time to speculate, someone else rushes in to seize the moment. Watch and learn. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Dec. 20). Wherever you go this year, you’ll make it your goal to bring joy to others and to ﬁnd joy there, too. It’s part of what makes you so popular. You have new passion and purpose for your work in January. June is like one long social experiment. You’ll be involved with a group whose ideas you can really stand behind in May. Taurus and Leo people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 49, 3, 31, 20 and 15.

by Paul Gilligan

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You will befriend the friendless. Those who have been displaced or who are just wandering through will find a tender heart in you. You’ll bring out the best qualities in others. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). As long as your expectations are reasonable and your to-do list is realistic and manageable, it will be a fine day for executing a series of successful undertakings. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The demands of your personal life are steep lately, and it might also be hard for you to see why your efforts matter. Friendships are important, but so is your sanity. Pull back. Strive for balance. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Having a pleasant time with a loved one will not bring you as close as the shared thrill of risk and adventure. That’s why an element of danger will be just the bonding agent you crave. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll have a choice between investing in your life experiences and investing in material goods. Choose the former. The memories you make and the self-esteem you build will outlast possessions. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ll tell people what’s in your heart. Many would consider this to be a difficult undertaking, but there are times when you’re so overcome with feeling that it’s the easiest thing in the world for you to do. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You are usually comforted by patterns, and you easily sync your personal rhythms to the routines of life. However, today you will benefit from a pattern interruption. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ll raise your self-esteem by taking on a

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Page 12 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011

1 5 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 26 29 30 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 43

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distracted 44 __ in; wearing 45 Singer/pianist __ John 46 Swamp 47 Book spine info 48 Stolen 50 Facial twitch 51 Foolish talk 54 King or queen 58 __ jacket; buoyant vest 59 Biblical tower 61 Surrealist Salvador __ 62 Actor Sharif 63 Ring-shaped island 64 Very eager 65 Actor __ Grant 66 Outscores 67 Clockmaker __ Thomas

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THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011— Page 13

––––––– ALMANAC ––––––– Today is Tuesday, Dec. 20, the 354th day of 2011. There are 11 days left in the year. The Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, begins at sunset. Today’s Highlight in History: On Dec. 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union as all 169 delegates to a special convention in Charleston voted in favor of separation. On this date: In 1790, the first successful cotton mill in the United States began operating at Pawtucket, R.I. In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed as ownership of the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States. In 1864, Confederate forces evacuated Savannah, Ga., as Union Gen. William T. Sherman continued his “March to the Sea.” In 1945, the Office of Price Administration announced the end of tire rationing, effective Jan. 1, 1946. In 1961, playwright-director Moss Hart, 57, died in Palm Springs, Calif. In 1963, the Berlin Wall was opened for the first time to West Berliners, who were allowed one-day visits to relatives in the Eastern sector for the holidays. In 1978, former White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman was released from prison after serving 18 months for his role in the Watergate cover-up. In 1987, more than 4,300 people were killed when the Dona Paz, a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro island. In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of Gen. Manuel Noriega. In 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that homosexual couples were entitled to the same benefits and protections as wedded couples of the opposite sex. One year ago: In the biggest anti-terrorist sweep in Britain in nearly two years, police arrested a dozen men accused of plotting a large-scale terror attack on targets inside the United Kingdom. Today’s Birthdays: Actress Audrey Totter is 94. Actor John Hillerman is 79. Actress Kathryn Joosten is 72. Rock musician-music producer Bobby Colomby is 67. Rock musician Peter Criss is 66. Psychic/illusionist Uri Geller is 65. Producer Dick Wolf (“Law & Order”) is 65. Rock musician Alan Parsons is 63. Actress Jenny Agutter is 59. Actor Michael Badalucco is 57. Actress Blanche Baker is 55. Rock singer Billy Bragg is 54. Rock singer-musician Mike Watt is 54. Actor Joel Gretsch is 48. Country singer Kris Tyler is 47. Rock singer Chris Robinson is 45. Actress Nicole deBoer is 41. Movie director Todd Phillips is 41. Singer David Cook (“American Idol”) is 29. Actor Jonah Hill is 28. Singer JoJo is 21.

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Movie: “Santa Jr” (2002) Lauren Holly. Å “Alien Apocalypse”

Planet Earth Å

Planet Earth “Caves” The Real Story

Reed

Tosh.0

Daily Show Colbert

Reed

Movie: ›› “Christmas With the Kranks” (2004) Raymond

The Exes

Cleveland King

Big Bang

Conan (N) Å

Auction

Flip Men

Auction

OXY Movie: ››› “Freaky Friday” (2003) Å

Tori & Dean: Home

Love Scouts (N)

146

TCM Movie: ›› “Good Sam” (1948) Gary Cooper.

A Night at the Movies

Movie: “Holiday Affair”

DAILY CROSSWORD BY WAYNE ROBERT WILLIAMS

1 4 9 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 23 24 26 29 32 33 36 38 39 40 41

ACROSS Moisten Dandruff source Large colorful bird Actress Lupino Lid Sidestep Move out of position Filmmaker Woody Capital of Canada Thick As soon as Moviemaker Joel or Ethan Conway and Robbins Honda models Shakespeare’s river Ship’s pronoun Soporiﬁc compound Unit of illumination Do wrong Prof.’s helpers Pekoe or Earl Grey

42 45 46 47 49 50 51 55 57 59 61 64 65 66 67 68 69

Question formally Wapiti Karl or Harpo Suppressers Barbershop sound Part in a play Beefcake poster subject Unclouded Elliott of “The Spitﬁre Grill” Sci-ﬁ writer Asimov Make worse Tag-player’s call Green years Turn to the right! Gland: pref. Lincoln and Zumwalt O’Neill and Sullivan

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 22 24 25 27 28 30

1 2 3

DOWN Black __ spider Archie’s better half Flavor

31 33

Garbage boat Caesar’s partner in comedy Actress Gardner Permit to Plan beforehand Lake formed by Hoover Dam Headliners only Foster the growth of Fruity cooler Sebaceous cyst Sweater-girl Turner Establish in ofﬁce Support with evidence Spherical object Overnight stopover Underhanded person “Breaker-breaker” buddy Blue-gray Italian marble Whitman and

Pickens 34 Chinese cuisine 35 Release from entanglement 37 PC operator 43 Account for 44 Guy’s date 48 Prison knife 52 Language practice

53 Famous 54 Housemaid’s joints 56 External: pref. 57 Pisa’s river 58 Highland miss 59 Balin or Claire 60 Turf piece 62 Hair-care goo 63 Precious one

Saturday’s Answer

THE

Page 14 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011

CLASSIFIEDS PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

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THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011— Page 15

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ANNIE’S MAILBOX Dear Annie: You frequently print letters from husbands whose wives show no interest in sex, but I’ve never seen a problem like mine. My wife loves sex. However, she will never initiate it or act seductively. If I don’t initiate sex, it doesn’t happen. We can go for weeks without it. Yet when we are intimate, she adores it. She frequently says, “This is so great. I love sex.” In addition, my wife never does anything that might provoke arousal, including kissing. No goodnight kiss, no kiss of greeting when we’ve been apart, no spooning in bed before falling asleep. It’s like we’re roommates. I’m not some unappreciative husband of an overworked wife. I do all the laundry, dishes, housecleaning, yard work, and home and car maintenance. I pay all the bills. We have identical jobs and work hours. I’m in excellent shape, and she claims our sex is amazing. Many times, I’ve explained that I’m hurt that she doesn’t ﬁnd me sexually appealing. We’ve argued about this for 30 years, and she always promises to change, but it never happens. We’ve tried all kinds of marital aids and videos, but nothing helps. Every night, she watches TV, crawls into bed and goes to sleep. Am I wrong to think that a mutually rewarding, romantic, physical relationship needs to be more of a partnership? Is it wrong that I need to believe she is sexually attracted to me? -- Unhappy Husband Dear Unhappy: There could be different reasons for your wife’s behavior. She may have some deep-seated hang-ups about women behaving seductively or initiating sex. She may not be all that interested, but enjoys it once you get started. Or she may be putting on an Academy Award performance for your beneﬁt. After 30 years, we are going to assume your wife is in menopause and whatever chance you may have had to inter-

est her has diminished substantially. This has nothing to do with finding you sexually attractive. Her libido simply isn’t up to it anymore. If she enjoys sex once you get started, please don’t focus on who makes the first move. Dear Annie: I married Bob five years ago. He is 72, and I am 68. Bob is the most loving, kind and generous man I have ever met. The problem is that I love to dance. I could go dancing four nights a week. But Bob will only take me dancing on Saturday nights, and after two hours on the floor, he’s out of gas and wants to go home. I could dance until midnight and then go out with friends for coffee. I’d be happy to let him rest while I keep dancing, but my old dance partners won’t ask me out on the floor now that I’m married. I am so angry. What should I do? -- Jane in Ohio Dear Jane: Why are you so angry? You are married to a wonderful man who takes you dancing every week. It may not be as often as you’d like, but it’s hardly deprivation. Would Bob mind if you went with friends instead? Would it bother him if you asked your old dance partners to squire you around? If those guys knew it was OK with your husband, they might be perfectly willing to step in so you could have a few more hours of fun while Bob takes a break. Find out. Dear Annie: This is for “Adopted Child,” who asked about contacting her biological family. If she doesn’t get a quick response, it’s possibly because the family is going through some difficulties. Or maybe they need more time to digest being contacted by their biological sibling. If there’s no response, I suggest the adoptee gently contact them again, perhaps in a year. Reaching out to one’s biological family can be a positive, life-changing experience, but one should be prepared for all possible outcomes. -- Another Birth Mother

Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to: anniesmailbox@comcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

Prickly City

by Scott Stantis

SHOP THESE LOCAL BUSINESSES To advertise in our professional directory talk to your ad rep or contact 207-699-5801 or ads@portlanddailysun.me

Page 16 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EVENTS CALENDAR–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Tuesday, Dec. 20

Happy Hanukkah! Gingerbread Dream House. 2 p.m. Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine. “Create Your Gingerbread Dream House. One of our favorite holiday traditions: the Annual Gingerbread House Workshops! We’ll supply a sturdy house kit and all the candy and icing you need to create a beautiful house to take home. The houses are pre-assembled, making them perfect for little hands — and leaving you time to focus on fancy ﬂourishes!” www. kitetails.org

DEPA Business After Hours 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The DownEast Pride Alliance hosts its “Business After Hours” Networking Event at the Cumberland Club, 116 High St., Portland. “Cash bar, lite food & media table. Bring business cards to share. See you there for ‘cocktails & conversation!’ Sponsored by Norman Hanson & Detroy, RBC Wealth Management & Sunday River. Find DEPA on Facebook and www.depabusiness.com

Lighting of the grand menorah for Hanukkah 6 p.m. Chabad of Maine will celebrate 24 years of Hanukkah with the lighting of the grand menorah at Portland City Hall plaza. This year, newly elected Mayor Michael Brennan will take part in this tradition. Tonight, on the ﬁrst night of Hanukkah, the menorah will be lit at 6 p.m. After the ceremony, all are invited to a buffet meal in the Maine State Room in City Hall. Maine Mishagoyim will provide musical entertainment. For more information, call 871-8947.

Christmas with Cornils 7:30 p.m. Christmas with Cornils, A Kotzschmar Christmas features Municipal Organist, Ray Cornils along with a variety of guests such as The Kotzschmar Festival Brass, The Parish Ringers, the Choral Art Society Camerata and the Oratorio Chorale.

Nutcracker Burlesque 7:30 p.m. This December, Vivid Motion’s holiday classic — Nutcracker Burlesque — returns to the St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress St., Portland. The show opens on Friday, Dec. 16, and runs Dec. 16-18 and Dec. 20-23; all shows with a 7:30 p.m. curtain. All seats are $15; order online at www.vividmotion.org or in person with cash or check at Longfellow Books, One Monument Way, Portland. Nutcracker Burlesque is not appropriate for children.

Wednesday, Dec. 21

“Warriors Don’t Cry” stars Almeria Campbell and recounts the courageous story of 15-year-old Melba, who endures violence and discrimination as she and eight other African-American students integrate Little Rock, Arkansas’ Central High School. Portland Ovations in collaboration with NAACP-Portland presents this play on Wednesday, Jan. 18. (COURTESY PHOTO) the Holy Eucharist. The healing service includes anointing with oil and the laying on of hands as contained in Holy Scripture and according to the rites of the Church. Persons are welcome to attending both the healing service and the Mass that follows. St. Augustine’s is a Traditional and Orthodox Anglican Catholic Community, part of the worldwide Traditional Anglican Communion, with members in 44 countries. St. Augustine of Canterbury Church worships at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, and Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral Pines Chapel at 156 Saco Ave. in Old Orchard Beach. Father Jeffrey W. Monroe is Vicar and Fr. Joseph Bizimana is Asst. Vicar. For additional information, contact 799-5141.

Shop With a Cop 3:45 p.m. “The Portland Police Department along with their police union, Police Benevolent Association, Target, and Portland Pie Company are sponsoring Shop With a Cop, an opportunity for children to do some holiday shopping with a local police officer. Ten children from more than one hundred applicants were selected based on their answer to the question ‘Why I want to go shopping with a police officer?’to be a part of the fourth annual holiday event. The children will be picked up in a patrol car by a police officer at one of Portland Recreation’s after-school locations and taken to Target where they will have the opportunity to purchase gifts for their friends and family. The officer will accompany the child as they shop. Afterwards, the officers and children will return to the Portland Police Department to wrap their gifts. Portland Pie Company will provide pizzas.” 3:45 p.m., officers and children arrive at Target; 5:30 p.m., wrapping and pizza party at Police Department, 109 Middle St. www.portlandmaine.gov

Portland’s Annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil 4 p.m. “The community will hold a vigil to remember its homeless friends who have died, in the courtyard of the Preble Street Resource Center, on the corner of Preble and Portland Streets. People who are homeless, those who have been homeless, those who work to with homeless people, and those who are grateful not to be homeless will gather on the eve of the winter solstice for Portland’s Annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil. The event will begin with a candlelight procession from the Preble Street Resource Center to Monument Square, where a ceremony will take place to honor homeless persons who have died. The public is encouraged to join the procession at Preble Street Resource Center at 4 p.m. or the ceremony at Monument Square, beginning at 4:15 p.m. The event is sponsored by the City of Portland Health and Human Services Department, Mercy Hospital, and Preble Street.”

St. Augustine of Canterbury healing service 7 p.m. St. Augustine of Canterbury Church will hold a healing service in accordance with the Rites of the Church. The service will be followed by the Mass which includes

Thursday, Dec. 22 Trinity Episcopal labyrinth 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Trinity Episcopal at 580 Forest Ave. (entrance in rear) is offering its indoor Chartre-style labyrinth for meditative walks. Allow about 30 minutes. FMI 772-7421.

Friday, Dec. 23 ‘The Victorian Nutcracker’ 2 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. “Portland Ballet Company brings its own unique New England version of the Nutcracker to Merrill Auditorium with its beloved ‘The Victorian Nutcracker.’ The show, which takes the classic Nutcracker story and sets it in historical Portland, Maine with sets, costumes, and characters inspired by historical ﬁgures, will be performed twice at Merrill Auditorium on Friday, Dec. 23 at 2 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. The cast of professional dancers from the Portland Ballet Company, accompanied by the Portland Ballet Orchestra, is known for its lively, entertaining and beautiful Nutcracker. The story unfolds as young Olivia follows her Nutcracker Prince to the enchanted Kingdom of the Sweets, where she is dazzled by dancers from around the world - from the Russian Trepak to the Sugarplum Fairy. The Victorian Nutcracker features Portland Ballet Company’s professional dancers as well as Portland School of Ballet students selected by audition. This year’s conductor is Sean Newhouse, assistant conductor at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Newhouse made an acclaimed lastminute debut with the Boston Symphony in February 2011, conducting Mahler’s Ninth Symphony on two hours’ notice in place of James Levine.” Tickets are available through PortTix at www.porttix.com or 207-842-0800. Ticket prices range from $17-$47. New this year, season subscriptions to Portland Ballet are available. For more information, please contact Portland Ballet at 772-9671 or visit www.portlandballet.org.

The Polar Express 2:45 p.m. The Polar Express is back, with an early train time of 2:45 p.m. and another First Class car. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 23. The Polar Express will come to life when the Maine Narrow Gauge train departs its Ocean Gateway depot for a journey to the “North Pole.” Holiday decorations inside the train will add to the festive atmosphere as guests on board meet the conductor, have hot chocolate and a treat, listen to a reading of the enchanting story over our sound system, and sing carols. Santa will ride back with everyone to the train station from a special outpost of the North Pole and every child will receive their special bell on board the train. www.mainenarrowgauge. org/polar-express

Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech project for youth 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Portland Housing Authority and study centers located at Riverton Park, Sagamore Village and Kennedy Park in Portland will be working with youth to reﬂect upon Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech and how that speech still has meaning, on Fridays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. between now and Martin Luther King Jr. Day and between 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The students will work with volunteers to write and perform three plays that will take place at the NAACP event in their communities. If you would like more information or are interested in volunteering at this event, contact Emily Fitch at eﬁtch@porthouse.org or 773-4753.

‘Being Elmo’ at the PMA 6:30 p.m. Film screening at Movies at the Museum, Portland Museum of Art. Friday, Dec. 23, 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2 p.m.; Thursday, Dec. 29, 2 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 30, 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 31, 2 p.m. NR “Beloved by children of all ages around the world, Elmo is an international icon. Few people know his creator, Kevin Clash, who dreamed of working with his idol, master puppeteer Jim Henson. Displaying his creativity and talent at a young age, Kevin ultimately found a home on Sesame Street. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage, interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O’Donnell, Cheryl Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney, and others and offers a behind-the-scenes look at Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Workshop.” http:// www.portlandmuseum.org/events/movies.php

‘Home For the Holidays Cabaret’ 7:30 p.m. Lucid Stage announces A New Edge production: “Home For the Holidays Cabaret,” Celebrate the holidays and community with Home for the Holidays Cabaret! Singing, storytelling, audience participation and an optional Yankee Swap (bring a wrapped “re-gift”). $8 at Lucid Stage, 29 Baxter Blvd., Portland. 899-3993. www.LucidStage.com see next page

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011— Page 17

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EVENTS CALENDAR––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– from preceding page

Saturday, Dec. 24 Christmas at the Movies 10 a.m. Next Level Church presents “Christmas at the Movies,” an incredible family Christmas experience featuring clips from the holiday movie, “Elf,” a family photo booth, great gifts, and tons of holiday treats and fun. “Christmas at the Movies” will happen on Saturday, Dec. 24 at 10 a.m. at the Cinemagic Grand Theater, located at 333 Clarks Pond Road in South Portland. Tickets are free but are required, and are available by visiting www.nlc.tv anytime. Next Level Church is one church, meeting every weekend across three locations (Dover, N.H.; Newington, N.H. and Portland).

Christmas with the Longfellows 10 a.m. Through Saturday, Dec. 31, Christmas with the Longfellows: Holiday House Tours. “Visit the Longfellow House for a special holiday experience. This year’s seasonal decoration and interpretation, based on family letters and documents, focuses on 1861. Objects have been added to rooms to illustrate both the emergence of Christmas as the holiday we recognize today, and the impact of the Civil War on residents of the house and of Portland. Wadsworth-Longfellow family members kept up with their usual habits and interests throughout the holiday season: Anne Longfellow Pierce participated in the war effort by making bandages, socks, shirts, and other supplies to be sent to soldiers in addition to her usual charity work; Lucia Wadsworth was interested in political affairs and city life, and also contributed knitted and sewn goods to the war effort. Tours: MondaySaturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Last tour leaves at 4 p.m. Dec. 24 and 31, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Last tour leaves at 1 p.m. http://www.mainehistory.org/ programs_events.shtml

physical comedy, live music and much more. Acorn annually attracts performers from all over the country to appear in Phyzgig, which is attended by approximately 2,500 audience members each year. This year’s edition of Phyzgig features 11 traditional acts and three local burlesque groups, along with the live sounds of ‘The Fabulous Lacklusters’ under the musical direction of Joel Eckhaus. The festival is comprised of 13 shows at three different venues: the mainstage at Portland Stage Company, SPACE Gallery on Congress Street, and the Acorn Studio Theater in Westbrook.” Tickets to Phyzgig range from $10 to $20 and a complete performance schedule appears below. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 854-0065 or visit www.phyzgig.org.

Saturday, Dec. 31. The 12th annual Holiday Show presented by FB Productions. All seats $48 (including service fee). “Maine’s World Record Holder, Bob Marley, returns to Merrill Auditorium for his 12th Annual Holiday Show with special guest George Hamm. Continue or start a family holiday tradition! Television appearances include: Comedy Central, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn.” https:// tickets.porttix.com/public/show_events_list.asp

Cafe en Francais at People Plus in Brunswick

Comedian Bob Marley

2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cafe en Francais at People Plus, 35 Union St., Brunswick. Are you a French speaker, eager to share a lively hour with good company? Have a cup of thé ou café on the fourth Tuesday of each month at People Plus. Nous parlons of our family histories and experiences as French speakers. Join us on Tuesday, Dec. 27 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. when we’re pleased to have local attorney, Richard Lord as our guest. He has represented the interests of the French community for many years and will bring a selection of photos of Old Brunswick. All are welcome.” Call 729-0757 to sign up for Café en Français at People Plus.

Pizza for the Prom

6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Comedian Bob Marley at Merrill Auditorium. Through Saturday, Dec. 31. The 12th annual Holiday Show presented by FB Productions. All seats $48 (including service fee). “Maine’s World Record Holder, Bob Marley, returns to Merrill Auditorium for his 12th Annual Holiday Show with special guest George Hamm. Continue or start a family holiday tradition! Television appearances include: Comedy Central, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn.” https://tickets.porttix.com/public/ show_events_list.asp

5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pizza and the Prom: what a perfect combination! Join us from 5 to 9 pm Tuesday, Dec. 27 at the Flatbread Company, 72 Commercial St. in Portland, for Pizza for the Prom. A portion of the proceeds from the evening’s pizza sales will be donated to Friends of the Eastern Promenade.

Christmas with the Longfellows’ ﬁnal day of Holiday House Tours

Wednesday, Dec. 28

Christmas Eve service

Amateur Kids Stand-up Comedy auditions

7 p.m. First Universalist will present its annual Christmas Eve service in song and prayer. First Universalist Church is located at 169 Pleasant St., with entry on Spring St. Accessible. For more information, call 783-0461 or www.auburnuu.org.

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Schoolhouse Arts Center’s will hold auditions for an Amateur Kids Stand-up Comedy Show on Dec. 28. Shows will be presented in our new Black Box theater beginning on Jan. 14. “This is a chance for any kid who likes to make people laugh and wants a chance to show off their ‘stuff.’ Those auditioning should come prepared to perform before a small group. Performers must be at under 18 years of age. Content should be appropriate for kids of any age. Auditions will be held at the Schoolhouse Arts Center, located at 16 Richville Road (Route 114) in Standish, just north of the intersection of Route 114 and Route 35. For more information, call Schoolhouse Arts Center at 642-3743 or log onto our website at www.schoolhousearts.org.

Sunday, Dec. 25

Merry Christmas! Monday, Dec. 26 Holiday curbside trash and recycling 6:30 a.m. “This holiday season, Portland Public Services crews will collect curbside trash and recycling as usual with no changes to the schedule. Crews will collect trash and recycling Monday, Dec. 26 and Monday, Jan. 2. Residents are asked to place their items out by 6:30 a.m. for collection. Christmas trees can be left for collection on your normal trash day between Dec. 26 and Jan. 20. Trees can also be dropped off at one of the following locations during the month of January: Cutter Street parking lot, Payson Park Little League Field and the nine-hole golf course lot on Riverside Street. Please note that wrapping paper is recyclable, and Styrofoam packaging is not.”

Maine Academy of Modern Music’s Rock Camp 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. “School’s out and it’s time to rock! Forget the books and come play at the Maine Academy of Modern Music’s Rock Camp. Whether on the nice list with a brand new guitar … or stuck on the naughty list for jamming too loud, MAMM’s cool Rock Camp series provides young aspiring musicians a place to learn rock ‘n’ roll and have fun. This weeklong crash course in modern music covers songwriting, recording and tips on how to start a band — everything it takes to get out of the garage and into the studio or on stage. Ages 10 and up. Price: $300. Dec. 26 through Dec. 30. Location: Portland (Breakwater School/856 Brighton Ave.). Registration: www.maineacademyofmodernmusic.org/camps, 899-3433.

Tuesday, Dec. 27 Phyzgig festival in Portland 11 a.m. For the past 13 years, Acorn Productions has been brightening the cold bleak week between Christmas and New Year’s with Phyzgig, a unique festival featuring vaudeville variety shows in downtown Portland from Dec. 27 through New Year’s Eve. “Phyzgig shows offer a complete package of entertainment for all ages — juggling, illusion,

Friday, Dec. 30

Dobrá Tea Storytelling Circle 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. “Miracles happen every day. Become aware of them, and share the joy of their occurrences. Join storyteller Deena R. Weinstein as this month she tells miracle stories appropriate for Chanukah. Come to listen and/or tell. Stories of seasonal holidays, including winter solstice, and other festivals of light are welcome. Share up to a 10-minute story. All are encouraged to tell rather than read, but works-in-progress are encouraged in an environment supportive of learning storytelling, so notes are not discouraged. This month is meant to be appropriate for children ages 8 and up. Please keep this in mind if you intend to tell. Deena will be holding Storycircle at this location the fourth Wednesday of every month. Although adult-oriented, watch for programs appropriate for children, special guests, themes, and surprises!” Dobrá Tea, 151 Middle St., Portland. www.dobrateame.com.

Thursday, Dec. 29 U.S. Postal Service processing operations consolidation subject of meeting in Brewer 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The U.S. Postal Service will hold a public meeting to discuss its proposal to move mail processing operations from the Eastern Maine Processing and Distribution Facility in Hamden to the Southern Maine Processing and Distribution Center in Scarborough. “The Northern New England District office has completed its review and submitted it to the Northeast Area Office for consideration. Postal officials will lead a public meeting to explain the proposal on Thursday, Dec. 29, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Jeff’s Catering located at East West Industrial Park, 5 Coffin Ave, Brewer. Anyone who wishes to submit comments in writing can send them to: Manager, Consumer and Industry Contact, Northern New England District, 151 Forest Ave., Portland, ME. All comments must be postmarked Jan. 13, 2012.”

Comedian Bob Marley 7 p.m. Comedian Bob Marley at Merrill Auditorium. Through

Saturday, Dec. 31

10 a.m. Through Saturday, Dec. 31, Christmas with the Longfellows: Holiday House Tours. “Visit the Longfellow House for a special holiday experience. This year’s seasonal decoration and interpretation, based on family letters and documents, focuses on 1861. Objects have been added to rooms to illustrate both the emergence of Christmas as the holiday we recognize today, and the impact of the Civil War on residents of the house and of Portland. Wadsworth-Longfellow family members kept up with their usual habits and interests throughout the holiday season: Anne Longfellow Pierce participated in the war effort by making bandages, socks, shirts, and other supplies to be sent to soldiers in addition to her usual charity work; Lucia Wadsworth was interested in political affairs and city life, and also contributed knitted and sewn goods to the war effort. Tours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Last tour leaves at 4 p.m. Dec. 24 and 31, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Last tour leaves at 1 p.m. http://www.mainehistory.org/programs_events. shtml

NRCM Polar Bear Plunge and 5K Race 10:30 a.m. East End Beach, Portland. “Be bold in the cold with a plunge in at East End Beach and/or a walk or run around Back Cove to support the Natural Resources Council of Maine’s work to reduce global warming pollution. Run/walk registration starts at 10:30 a.m. at Back Cove; Dip registration starts at 11:30 a.m. at East End Beach. Pre-register online at http://supporters.nrcm.org/register. The walk begins at 11, the run at 11:15, and the dip at noon — the ‘warmest’ part of the day!”

Celebrate New Year’s with the Pirates 5:30 p.m. Portland Pirates vs. Worcester Sharks, Kid’s New Year’s Celebration. Bud Light Saturday Night is Hockey Night. Celebrate New Year’s with the Pirates. “The game, an expected sellout, will mark the 17th season the Pirates have celebrated New Year’s featuring New England’s largest indoor ﬁreworks display at the conclusion of the game.” www.portlandpirates.com/promotions.asp

Comedian Bob Marley 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Comedian Bob Marley at Merrill Auditorium. Through Saturday, Dec. 31. The 12th annual Holiday Show presented by FB Productions. All seats $48 (including service fee). “Maine’s World Record Holder, Bob Marley, returns to Merrill Auditorium for his 12th Annual Holiday Show with special guest George Hamm. Continue or start a family holiday tradition! Television appearances include: Comedy Central, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn.” https://tickets.porttix.com/public/ show_events_list.asp

‘Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits, Volume I’ 7 p.m. Freeport Factory Stage presents: “Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits, Volume I” — a musical roast of Broadway’s best on New Year’s Eve. Two performances at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tickets are $25; call the box ofﬁce at 865-5505 or purchase tickets online through the website at www.freeportfactory.com.

Page 18 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MUSIC CALENDAR –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Tuesday, Dec. 20 Christmas with Cornils, A Kotzschmar Christmas 7:30 p.m. Christmas with Cornils, A Kotzschmar Christmas at Merrill Auditorium. Tickets $34, $30, $22 (includes $5 service fee). “Don’t miss one of Portland’s great holiday traditions! Christmas with Cornils, A Kotzschmar Christmas focuses on the magniﬁcence of the Kotzschmar Organ. Portland’s own municipal organist, Ray cornils, programs an evening that sparkles with the splendor of brass, the exquisite sounds of Choral Art Camerata, the Parish Ringers and more for an unforgettable holiday experience.”

Wu-Tang Clan at the State 8 p.m. State Theatre. Emerging in 1993, the Staten Island, N.Y.-based Wu-Tang Clan proved to be the most revolutionary rap group of the mid-’90s — and only partially because of their music. Turning the standard concept of a hip-hop crew inside out, the Wu-Tang Clan were assembled as a loose congregation of nine MCs, almost as a support group. Instead of releasing one album after another, the Clan was designed to overtake the record industry in as proﬁtable a fashion as possible - the idea was to establish the Wu-Tang as a force with their debut album and then spin off into as many side projects as possible. In the process, the members would all become individual stars. Surprisingly, the plan worked. All of the various Wu-Tang solo projects elaborated on the theme the group laid out on their 1993 debut, the spare, menacing Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). $40.

Wednesday, Dec. 21 The Wedding of Minnie & Waisely 7:30 p.m. Raise a glass to the union of Waisely “Scar” Lighthead and Marie “Minnie” Pistola, the bandit queen. Mayo Street Arts hosts a ceremony of music and love to celebrate our mystical connections.

An open invitation to all rakes, tramps, thieves, and scamps. Performances by Jesse Pilgrim, Blood Warrior, Chriss Sutherland, Peter McLaughlin & Jeff Beam, D. Gross, Samuel James, Over A Cardboard Sea, Rosie Rimjob, dily dilly, Sontiago, Dead Man’s Clothes, Meghan Yates, and Panda Bandits. $10 advance/$12 day of show. http://mayostreetarts.org/calendar/

Sesame Street Vs. The Muppets 9 p.m. The Clash of the Titans; Sesame Street Vs. The Muppets charity show at Empire Dine and Dance, beneﬁt for Toys for Tots. http://portlandempire.com/cal.php

Friday, Dec. 23 Rustic Overtones at Port City 8 p.m. Rustic Overtones at Port City Music Hall. Rustic Overtones formed in Portland, hometown to each of them. Members of this seven-piece outfit are guitarist and lead vocalist Dave Gutter, drummer Tony McNaboe, trombonist Dave Noyes, baritone saxophonist Jason Ward, bassist Jon Roods, alto saxophonist Ryan Zoidis, and Spencer Albee on keyboards and piano. Roods and Gutter began performing together first, in a family basement. They later added the rest of the group, all friends from high school, and became what is Rustic Overtones. Local gigs earned them a fan base that expanded as the band began to travel, appearing at close to 200 shows some years. Rustic Overtones’ “The New Way Out” is the first album of entirely brand new music from the band in over eight years. Recorded in their own makeshift studio between November of 2007 and September of 2009, it’s the bands fifth full length studio LP and first without longtime keyboard player Spencer Albee who left the group shortly after production began to form Spencer and the School Spirit Mafia. He was replaced during the writing and recording of the record by Nigel Hall (Soulive, Lettuce, Robert Randolph) who handles the keyboard duties on TNWO. Advance: $18; door: $20; VIP: $30. http://portcitymusichall.com

Reggae and roots music’s Mystic headlines a New Year’s Eve party at Port City Music Halll. (COURTESY IMAGE)

Monday, Dec. 26 Matishayu’s Festival of Light 7:30 p.m. Matisyahu with Cris Cab at the State Theatre. Matisyahu fuses the contemporary styles of rap, beatboxing, and hip-hop in general, with the more traditional vocal disciplines of jazz’s scat singing and Judaism’s hazzan style of songful prayer— more often than not rolling it all into a dominant background of reggae music. $25 advance/$28 day of show.

Wednesday, Dec. 28 Clutch with Corrosion Of Conformity, Kyng at the State 8 p.m. State Theatre. Clutch combined elements of funk, Led Zeppelin, and metal with vocals inspired by Faith No More. Formed in 1991 in Germantown, Md., the group included Neil Fallon (vocals), Tim Sult (guitar), Dan Maines (bass), and Jean-Paul Gaster (drums). They built a local following through constant gigging, and after just one 7” single (the classic Earache release “Passive Restraints”) Clutch was signed by EastWest Records. Their debut LP, Transnational Speedway League, followed in 1993. In the summer of 2010, the founding members of the pioneering underground metal band Corrosion of Conformity—bassist/vocalist Mike Dean, drummer/vocalist Reed Mullin and guitarist Woody Weatherman—gathered at Weatherman’s farm in the Virginia hills and began jamming together as a three-piece for the ﬁrst time since the mid-1980s. KYNG the southern California hard rock trio, originated in January of 2008 in Los Angeles. This event is all ages. $20 advance/$25 day of show. www.statetheatreportland.com

MAMM SLAM 5 p.m. “The Maine Academy of Modern Music, in partnership with the Portland Music Foundation, kicks off the next year of the MAMM SLAM and announces the opening of registration with a show featuring 2011 MAMM SLAM winner Modest Proposal, hot new indie rockers Worried Well (featuring former MAMM Slam judges Daniel James and Cam Jones), and rising openers Cosmonaut Astrox and Dusty Grooves on Dec. 28 at 5 p.m. at Bayside Bowl in Portland. The concert is open to all ages; cover is $5. The MAMM SLAM is much more than your typical battle of the

bands, providing young, career-minded musicians with a platform for developing not only their songwriting and performance skills, but also forcing them to consider their web presence, marketing materials, professional appearance and all the other factors that go into being a professional touring and recording band. The winner of the MAMM SLAM not only lays claim to a title that is increasingly prestigious in Maine and far beyond, but also takes home a prize package that includes $1,000, recording time, radio play, plum gigs and professional marketing help. Bands can register at www. MaineToday.com/Mammslam starting Dec. 28 through Feb. 14. The competition starts with preliminary rounds at the Big Easy March 24 and 25. Finals will be held April 28. 2011 winners Modest Proposal used their package to record their self-titled debut album which they’ll release at the show on December 28. Since they took home the title, the band has opened for Fearless recording artists Sparks the Rescue, top-selling local act the Mallett Brothers Band and a number of other great bands at venues like Bar Harbor’s Criterion Theater and the LL Bean Music Series.”

Wednesday, Dec. 30 Da Block at Lucid Stage 8 p.m. Da Block at Lucid Stage. Live performances by K Em & B Aull/Conman/A. Willy/Mellmurk/Ga South/Loc Dab/Demon Dog & Da Block! Music By Neeko Brown! Tickets are $8. www.lucidstage.com

Two nights with moe. 9 p.m. WCLZ presents two nights with moe., Dec. 30 and 31, at the State Theatre. moe. is the preeminent progressive rock band on the music scene today. With 20 years of touring and just as many albums under its belt, the quintet of Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey on guitars and vocals, Rob Derhak on bass and vocals, Jim Loughlin on percussion and vibes, and Vinnie Amico on Drums, continues to push the standard for performance art. This event is all ages. $50/two-day pass $75.

Russian rockers Kino Proby 9 p.m. Kino Proby at Empire Dine & Dance, 575 Congress St., Portland. 21 plus. 21 plus. “To celebrate KP’s arrival on BandCamp, we’re performing a Winter 2011 tour! Dec. 29 in Boston at All Asia Cafe and Dec. 30 in Portland at the Empire Dine and Dance!” see next page

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011— Page 19

The Chicago Tribune’s Kevin Pang described a Matisyahu performance as “soul-shaking brand of dancehall reggae, a show that captures both the jam band vibe of Phish and the skapunk of Sublime.” Matishayu’s Festival of Light show featuring Matisyahu and Cris Cab comes to the State Theatre on Monday, Dec. 26 at 7:30 p.m. (COURTESY IMAGE)

P a u lP in kh a m A u to R ep a ir NO LONGER AT

B a ck B a y A u to

Now located at 193 Presumpscot St., Portland

SA M E G R E A T SE R VIC E JU ST A N E W L O C A TIO N ! (207)756 -4817

MUSIC CALENDAR ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

from preceding page

Saturday, Dec. 31 NYE 2011 w/Mighty Mystic, et al 8 p.m. New Year’s Eve 2011 w/Mighty Mystic, Soul Rebel Project and more at Port City Music Hall. Advance: $20; door: $25; VIP: $40. Celebrate NYE 2011 in a reggae style. Mighty Mystic, Soul Rebel Project, Royal Hammer, & DJ Queendem. Mystic began experimenting with the local urban and Hip Hop Scene of the early 90’s, and started to develop a buzz. After several years and several small releases on the local scene, Mystic began to receive some national attention when his “Put up unu Hand” and “Friends” remix’s were featured on popular Dance/Club Compilation Album “Dancehall Devastation” by X-Mix. Mystic says “his rising popularity is due partly to the exciting performance which he and his band ‘Strings of Thunder’ deliver at their concerts.” This party goes til 2 a.m.! 18 plus. http://portcitymusichall.com/events

Paranoid Social Club, others at the Asylum 9 p.m. Paranoid Social Club with Sidecar Radio and Grant St. Orchestra, at the Asylum. Come celebrate the new year with three of portland’s ﬁnest bands!$14 Adv./$16 day of show; 121 Center St., portland, 21 plus.

ICING: SPACE Gallery’s New Year’s Eve Bash 9 p.m. “Ring in the new year SPACE style! ICING, our popular New Year’s Eve bash, will be full of performances and surprises, with music, food, art installations, a champagne toast and the eventual descendence into an all out dance party! Come see what everyone has been talking about and live it up, it is the last party of the year, so do it right!” $50/$40 before Dec. 1/$400 for a virtual table of 10, 21 plus.

Thursday, Jan. 5 Naruse, Dan at noonday concert 12:15 p.m. Program: Sonatina in G major op.100, Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904); Sonata no.2 in Eb major op.120, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897). Chiharu Naruse holds a

master’s degree in Music Performance and Instruction from the Hochschule fur Musik “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin. She has performed and toured extensively at numerous international venues in the United States, Japan and Europe. Chiharu has played with the Portland String Quartet, the DaPonte Quartet and performed Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto, Mozart Piano Concerto K 466 and the Rachmaninoff Second Piano Concerto with the Augusta Symphony. Robert Dan, violist, was praised by the New York Times as “a consistently tasteful stylist.” Mr. Dan has appeared extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan performing and giving master classes. He has performed on many prestigious music series in the U.S. including at Carnegie Hall and has been a member of the Theater Chamber Players of the Kennedy Center for many years. He has been an Artist-inResidence at Harvard University, inaugurating Harvard’s Blodgett Artist-in-Residence program and performing at the 350th anniversary of Harvard’s founding. First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 425 Congress St., Portland. Concerts are free and open to the public. 775-3356.

Thursday, Jan. 12 Atlantic Chamber Ensemble at noonday concert 12:15 p.m. Robert Lehmann is Director of Strings and Orchestral Activities at the University of Southern Maine School of Music. In addition to his duties at USM, he is Music Director of the Portland Chamber Orchestra, the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Hampshire White Mountain Bach Festival. First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 425 Congress St., Portland. Concerts are free and open to the public. 775-3356.

Tuesday, March 6 The Black Keys with Arctic Monkeys 7:30 p.m. The State Theatre presents The Black Keys with special guests Arctic Monkeys at the Cumberland County Civic Center. $45 General Admission www.theciviccenter. com or http://www.statetheatreportland.com

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Page 20 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 20, 2011

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