The Portland Daily Sun, Thursday, February 16, 2012

METRO board approves budget, tech upgrades Automatic vehicle location system lets riders know bus arrival time. See page 3

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012

Feds to limit MaineCare changes See page 3

Chipman has plan to spare MaineCare

VOL. 4 NO. 10

PORTLAND, ME

PORTLAND’S DAILY NEWSPAPER

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Fire department racks up $2M in city overtime Five members took home more than $30,000 in 2011. Page 7

See page 6

Airlines move into new terminal — Page 9

Travel Local: Maine’s best kept secret: Vieques, P.R. See page 8

Gino Cutone of Turner Construction covers an AirTran sign at the Portland Jetport’s new ticketing concourse. AirTran will move its ticketing operation at 4 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29. Until then, Cutone said he was asked to cover the sign to prevent confusion for visitors to the newly expanded Jetport. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTO)

Page 2 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012

Exuberance for novelty has benefits (NY Times) — Do you make decisions quickly based on incomplete information?

Do you lose your temper quickly? Are you easily bored?

Do you thrive in conditions that seem chaotic to others, or do you like everything organized?

Those are the kinds of questions used to measure novelty-seeking, a personality trait long associated with trouble. As researchers analyzed its genetic roots and relations to the brain’s dopamine system, they linked this trait with problems like attention deficit disorder, compulsive spending and gambling, alcoholism, drug abuse and criminal behavior.

Now, though, after extensively tracking novelty-seekers, researchers are seeing the upside. In the right combination with other traits, it’s a crucial predictor of well-being.

“Novelty-seeking is one of the traits that keeps you healthy and happy and fosters personality growth as you age,” said C. Robert Cloninger, the psychiatrist who developed personality tests for measuring this trait. The advantages became apparent after he and his colleagues tested and tracked thousands of people in the United States, Israel and Finland.

“It can lead to antisocial behavior,” he said, “but if you combine this adventurousness and curiosity with persistence and a sense that it’s not all about you, then you get the kind of creativity that benefits society as a whole.”

Fans of this trait are calling it “neophilia” and pointing to genetic evidence of its importance as humans migrated throughout the world. In her survey of the recent research, “New: Understanding Our Need for Novelty and Change,” the journalist Winifred Gallagher argues that neophilia has always been the quintessential human survival skill, whether adapting to climate change on the ancestral African savanna or coping with the latest digital toy from Silicon Valley.

“Nothing reveals your personality more succinctly than your characteristic emotional reaction to novelty and change over time and across many situations,” Ms. Gallagher says.

“It’s also the most important behavioral difference among individuals.” Drawing on the work of Dr. Cloninger and other personality researchers, she classifies people as neophobes, neophiles and, at the most extreme, neophiliacs.

“Although we’re a neophilic species,” Gallagher said, “as individuals we differ in our reactions to novelty, because a population’s survival is enhanced by some adventurers who explore for new resources and worriers who are attuned to the risks involved.”

SAYWHAT...

“

Novelty is the great parent of pleasure.”

—Robert South

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Death toll soars in prison fire in Honduras MEXICO CITY (NY Times) — A fire at a prison in central Honduras has killed more than 300 people, officials said Wednesday, making it one of the worst prison disasters in recent years in Latin America and the latest crisis for a country rattled by surging violence.

Prison officials said they were still sorting through the devastation, telling reporters on Wednesday morning that 357 people were missing and

presumed dead in the blaze at the federal prison in Comayagua, about 45 miles north of the capital, Tegucigalpa.

The authorities also said that another 400 inmates might have escaped in the chaos.

Survivors recounted horrific scenes of companions ablaze and people trapped in their cells after the fire broke out on Tuesday night and burned out of control for 40 minutes before the first rescuers arrived around 11:30 p.m., according

to La Tribuna, a newspaper in Tegucigalpa. The Associated Press said help was delayed because a guard with the proper key could not be located.

“We were asleep when we suddenly heard the screams of people on fire,” said a survivor interviewed on the Televicentro television network outside the prison, where a proverb over the entrance reads, “Let justice be done even if the world perishes.” The survivor continued, “Many of our com-

panions were killed.”

The cause was not known.

Investigators were looking into whether it was started by an inmate who set fire to a mattress in his cell.

Honduran prisons, like many in Central America, are notorious for overcrowding and violence, a problem made only worse as drug trafficking gangs overrun the nation and set up staging grounds to move cocaine from South America to the United States.

Iran warns European countries it will cut off oil (NY Times) — Besieged by international sanctions over the Iranian nuclear program including a planned oil embargo by Europe, Iran warned six European buyers on Wednesday that it might strike first by immediately cutting them off from Iranian oil.

Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency said the threat was conveyed to the ambassadors of Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Greece and Portugal in separate meetings at the Foreign Ministry in Tehran. Officials said an earlier report

by Press TV, Iran’s state-financed satellite broadcaster, that Iran had already cut supplies to the six countries was inaccurate — but not before word of the Press TV report

sent a brief shudder through the global oil market, sending prices up slightly.

“Iran warns Europe it will find other customers for its oil,” the Islamic Republic News Agency said. “European people should know that if Iran changes destinations of the oil it gives to them, the responsibility will rest with the European governments themselves.”

Last month the European Union decided to impose an oil embargo on Iran as of July 1 as part of a coordinated campaign of Western sanctions aimed at pressuring Iran to halt its disputed uranium enrichment program, and the Europeans have been making arrangements since then to

find other sources.

The European Union has been one of Iran’s biggest markets for oil, taking about 18 percent of total Iranian petroleum exports in 2011. Among the European Union members, the biggest buyers have been Italy, Spain and France.

Iran forecasted in December that a cutoff of Iranian oil could double the global price. But a combination of lower demand because of European economic weakness and ample sources of supply elsewhere have helped cushion the anticipated effects of both the planned embargo and Iran’s threat to stop exporting oil to Europe well before the embargo starts.

With cities under fire, Assad Tentative deal reached to sets date for Syrian referendum preserve cut in payroll tax BEIRUT, Lebanon (NY Times) — With Syrian cities under fire and residents saying life is ever more unbearable, President Bashar alAssad set a date later this month for a referendum on a new constitution, the state-run SANA news agency said on Wednesday, a gesture apparently designed to offer some kind of government-controlled change after almost a year of the most sustained crackdown in the so-called Arab Spring.

The plan has been discussed for some time and Assad said in January that the referendum would take place in March. But, SANA said, the Syrian leader has now issued a decree setting Feb. 26 as the date for a ballot.

Even before the violence worsened, the idea of a referendum had

seemed to pale before the scale of the crisis and it was not clear how voting could take place peacefully in some areas where government forces are fighting daily battles with army defectors, analysts said.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that military units backed by armored personnel carriers rumbled into the Barzeh neighborhood of the capital, Damascus, and elite troops searched houses and made arrests, apparently looking for military defectors. The call for constitutional changes was made by opposition figures at the beginning of the Syrian uprising in March, but their demands have hardened since then into a clamor for Assad’s departure — a refrain echoed by much of the Arab League and many Western nations, but not by China and Russia.

WASHINGTON (NY Times) — Members of a House-Senate committee charged with writing a measure to extend a payroll tax reduction and provide added unemployment benefits reached a tentative agreement Tuesday evening, with Republicans and Democrats claiming a degree of political victory in a fight with significant election-year implications.

One day after House Republican leaders said they would offer a bill to extend the $100 billion payroll tax rollback for millions of working Americans without requiring spending cuts to pay for it, the Congressional negotiators struck a broader deal that would also extend unemployment benefits and prevent a large cut in reimbursements to doctors who accept Medicare.

A vote on the measure is likely by Friday, when Congress is set to recess for a week. Senior aides warned that negotiators still had to sign off on the agreement and that obstacles could surface given the long-running tensions over the measure.

Democrats, elated after winning the Republican tax concession after months of clashes, said they had also been able to beat back new conditions that Republicans had wanted on jobless pay, like requiring beneficiaries to seek high school equivalency degrees, and found middle ground on Republican attempts to reduce the number of weeks in which the unemployed could draw benefits.

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012— Page 3

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METRO board approves $6.5M budget, tech upgrades

BY CASEY CONLEY THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

METRO’s board of directors voted to increase its budget by $70,000 yesterday to fund technology upgrades aimed at boosting ridership across the four-city service area.

The technology, known as automatic vehicle location system, or AVL, will let riders check when the next bus is due to arrive using smartphones, tablets and personal computers.

Both the initial vote to fund AVL upgrades and the vote on a $6.5 million operating budget for 2012 were unanimous.

“I’m surprised we got that many votes out of it,” said Portland City Councilor David Marshall, who sits on Metro’s board, referring to the vote on AVL funding. He added that he was “excited that Metro is part of this on the front end of the effort.”

Indeed, Metro will join South Portland Bus Service and Casco Bay Lines in a program that combines local funds and federal grants to install AVL on public transit vehicles. The federal government will pay 80 percent of the total project cost.

Metro serves Portland, Westbrook,

Falmouth and the Maine Mall section of South Portland. The agency had more than 1.4 million riders last year.

Steven Linnell, a senior transportation planner with Greater Portland Council of Governments, said riders are coming to expect these amenities in public transit.

Riders “need to know where the bus is and how soon it will be at (their) stop,” he said. “This provides a way of tracking the buses and being able to push that information out to the public in a number of different formats.”

“The thing we hear all too often is that people are waiting for the bus and they don’t know when it’s coming, or if it’s coming,” Linnell added. “This removes all that anxiety and the unknown from the equation and will hopefully encourage more people to use (public transit).”

At $6.5 million, Metro’s 2012 calendar year budget increases by about 4.6 percent over 2011. Metro officials say higher gas prices were the biggest single factor in the increase. The budget will require Portland, Westbrook and Falmouth to pay about 2 percent more this year in local subsidies to the bus system.

Portland will pay about 80 percent

of Metro’s $2.9 million subsidy in 2012.

Until yesterday morning, it was unclear how Metro’s board would vote on the AVL funding. Last month, the board deadlocked 5-5 on the proposal amid questions from the five Westbrook and Falmouth members about the ongoing costs of the project and the nature of the grant, among other things.

Given the unanimous vote, those questions were apparently cleared up during a presentation from a board task force on the subject, said Michael Foley, a Westbrook city councilor and chair of the Metro board.

“I am satisfied with the budget knowing that the extra increase, per se, is resulting in the addition of a tremendous (addition) to the Metro system,” Foley said. The AVL system “will be a huge addition to our customers and ridership base.”

Board vice chair Bonny Rodden said the unanimous vote showed that board members agreed the AVL system is “really important to the region, and that we are willing to pay for it.”

“Some of us felt some questions needed to be answered more completely in order for us to make our decision,” she said, adding that perceptions

Feds to limit MaineCare changes

BY MAL LEARY CAPITOL NEWS SERVICE

AUGUSTA – Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has told Gov. Paul LePage what the options are for change Medicaid, and offered to send a team to help the state craft a plan that will pass federal muster, she told a U.S. Senate committee yesterday.

“We again made it clear to him what was within the state’s discretion,” she told the Senate Finance Committee. “We volunteered to send a team in to look at their other choices, but we did not have a lot of paper from the governor about what exactly was the proposal.”

Sebelius said the state could act on its own to reduce eligibility of adults for Medicaid coverage to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. For a family of three, that would be an income of $25,390 a year down from the current $38,180 a year of gross income.

Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Me., questioned Sebelius about what HHS could allow the state states to do under the restrictions of federal Medicaid law. She said states need help with meeting increased costs and limited resources.

“Many states, including mine, are wrestling with some major challenges,” she said.

Snowe said an amendment she co-authored that was part of the Affordable Care Act and was designed to give some flexibility to HHS to help states deal with funding Medicaid when the state was

facing reduced revenues.

“States are grappling with deficits and that was what our amendment was all about to give them the flexibility in the event of a budget deficit and that is the Maine circumstance,” Snowe said.

Sebelius said she committed to LePage to help the state not only find immediate short term savings that could be achieved administratively, but to help in developing ways to reduce costs in those programs where HHS has little flexibility in granting waivers.

“We’re doing that with states across the country,” she said.

Gov. LePage declined an interview request to discuss his conversation with Sebelius, and whether the state will take her up on the offer of help in drafting waiver requests. Attempts to reach DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew were unsuccessful.

Maine Senate President Kevin Raye, R-Perry, said he was pleased Snowe took the opportunity to push the issue at the committee hearing. He said all the states need flexibility in dealing with the growing costs of the Medicaid system.

“I think that it is a positive sign to hear that a key administration official is now suggesting publicly that the administration will work cooperatively with the state to reduce the explosive growth in the MaineCare program,” he said. MaineCare is the state name for the Medicaid program that is funded roughly two-thirds by the federal government and one third by the state.

Raye said it is clear the state needs to make significant changes in the program and that many of those changes can only be accomplished with federal approval.

House Minority Leader Emily Cain, D-Orono, said HHS has made it clear to the state in other communications that there are limits to what the state can do without a federal waiver. She was pleased to hear Sebelius had again made that point at a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, the panel that has jurisdiction over Medicaid.

“I think it is great when the federal government, the Obama administration, tries to help states who are trying to navigate a complex environment, particularly the Affordable Health Care Act,” she said.

Cain said it is important that LePage share with the legislature what Sebelius listed as policy changes the state can make without a federal waiver, and which ones will require federal approval.

She said that information will be “very helpful” as lawmakers seek to develop a fiscal year 2013 Medicaid budget bill.

“We don’t want to waste our time working on ideas that can’t be implemented,” she said.

Cain said democrats are opposed to any proposals that would “throw people off MaineCare” but will support efforts to make the programs more efficient and effective.

Lawmakers do not plan to start working on the 2013 Medicaid budget changes until the 2012 bill is enacted.

of a regional split on the issue between members from Portland and members from Falmouth and Westbrook were misguided.

“It’s really a coincidence that it split along geographic lines, and it’s unfortunate that it’s being interpreted by some people as division on the Metro board,” Rodden said.

All told, there is about $400,000 available in local and federal funding for the AVL technology, which will be installed on Metro buses, South Portland buses and Casco Bay Lines ferries.

Depending how much money is left over after the AVL system is installed, there may be money left over for digital “next bus” signs that show everyone, with smartphones or not, when the next bus is due. It will still be a couple months before it’s known if those signs will be included on this initial project or shelved until funding is available.

Linnell also noted that the AVL system can send texts to people without smartphones.

It’s too soon to know when the AVL technology will be installed, although Marshall said he’s hoping it will be in place this fall.

Republican: loss in Me. senate race a referendum on Gov. DAILY SUN STAFF REPORT AUGUSTA — Democrat Christopher Johnson has won a special election to state senate in District 20, defeating state Rep. Dana Dow, R-Waldoboro by a 54-46 margin, according to official results.

Maine Secretary of State Charles Summers certified the result yesterday afternoon. The election was Tuesday.

Democrats were quick to latch onto the victory, claiming it was a referendum on Republican Gov. Paul LePage.

“Paul LePage’s agenda is wrong for Maine, and Republican legislators have been far too willing to fall in line in the face of mounting evidence that the GOP’s plans aren’t working,” Maine Democratic Party Chair Ben Grant said yesterday, according to the Bangor Daily News.

Indeed, Dow admitted to the Lincoln County News Tuesday night that the race was in many ways a referendum on the governor and the GOPcontrolled statehouse.

“I would simply say this vote represents a referendum on the governor and maybe the budget we are trying to get passed. That might have something to do with it,” Dow told the paper. “I don’t feel it’s a referendum on Dana Dow. It’s bigger than that. When people are looking for change, anything can happen.”

District 20 covers 22 towns along the Midcoast region of Maine and includes all of Lincoln County.

The seat had been held by a Republican for the past decade, according to reports.

With Johnson’s win, Democrats now have 15 seats in the Maine senate, compared with 19 Republicans and one unenrolled member. Johnson ran for the seat and lost in 2010, according to reports.

Johnson received 3,369 votes, while Dow received a total of 2,902 votes, according to the Secretary of State’s official results. The seat came open when David Trahan, of Waldoboro resigned last year.

Page 4 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012

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That Old Black Magic As though Bill Donohue didn’t have enough to be cranky about.

The perpetually apoplectic Catholic League president is on the rampage about President Obama trying to make sure women working at Catholic institutions get insurance coverage for birth control.

What’s wrong with the rhythm method anyway?

That’s how I got here.

Donohue took time out from hyperventilating against the president to hyperventilate against the rapper Nicki Minaj.

He was in a snit about Minaj arriving at the Grammys in a red Versace cloak resembling a cardinal’s, arm in arm with an actor dressed like the pope, and her over-the-top exorcistthemed number.

––––– “Perhaps the most vulgar The New York part was the sexual statement Times that showed a scantily clad female dancer stretching backwards while an altar boy knelt between her legs in prayer,” Donohue bristled.

The rapper was debuting a song called “Roman Holiday,” featuring one of her alter-egos, Roman Zolanski. She has described Roman as her gay twin sister and a lunatic, born of rage who comes out when she’s angry (or hyping a new album).

Maureen Dowd

see DOWD page 5

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Heavenly hearts My husband and I aren’t pack rats. Keeping the house clean is hard enough for us. I can’t even imagine navigating additional clutter. However, there are those moments when something arrives, when the little voice inside says “save it — you’ll be glad you did.” The things my mother-in-law did often prompted that reaction. I store such memorabilia in a tin in my closet. The stuff is there; though I haven’t revisited it yet.

My mother-in-law didn’t have much. But she was always in touch.

She had her routine weekly calling times with each of her six kids. She’d update each of us of the goings-on of the others – her kids, her grandkids, and then when she was done with the news, she’d end the call. Short and sweet.

From time to time, article clippings, notes, thoughts and words of encouragement would randomly arrive in the mail. And for the kids, an old crinkled up dollar or two, just to remind them: Nana’s thinking of you! For us kids, we knew the simple pleasures to keep Nana happy, too. A quick visit, complete with a gift card to Walmart, so she could go and hit the yarn department.

Karen Vachon ––––– Better with Age The fruits of her labor would cycle back to us in beautiful afghans and crocheted doilies.

My mother-in-law passed away in September of 2009. We keep her obituary on the refrigerator, and a day doesn’t go by that we don’t think of her. Her passing left a big hole in the family communication loop. We get busy, and forget to check in. There is no one person making those weekly calls. We especially notice this around the holiday seasons. She never missed a holiday. Those little random notes don’t come anymore either — or, do they?

Last week my husband arrived home from work with an old fake leather conference folder, packed with stuff. He recently moved his office, and just so happened to find the folder. He was thrilled with what he found packed away.

It was a return to a different era.

There were paintings that my 18-year-old son, Sam had done

when he was 6 — and it was interesting to note: my son enjoys art and especially loves to draw faces.

When he was six, he decided he wanted to be called Mr. Eyeball — and sure enough, all of his people drawings had people with huge eyeballs. Crazy — but I don’t think that I made that association and connection back then! It was fun to look at his art then, and see his art today — it’s a nice connection, perhaps a pointing in a direction.

Even greater in the find were poems and thoughts sent by my mother-in-law. Her cheerful and reflective notes on coping with crippling rheumatoid arthritis. She had inserted a card of encouragement that was sent to her by my husband’s sister (it meant so much to her). Also in the folder was a picture of her with my father-in-law — standing together, her crippled fingers gripping two canes that she walked with; my father-in-law in a red sweatshirt — the two of them smiling, and happy together.

I’ve been pondering the timing of this found treasure. My fatherin-law is missing my mother-inlaw so much, and we do, too. The loss is different for us than it is for him. We got a weekly dose of see VACHON page 5

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012— Page 5

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That’s what friends are for Here we go again: a tragedy in the music world, a tragedy waiting to happen that did. Disturbing headlines before and after leave us scratching our heads and asking why. On the days before her death, Whitney Houston was disheveled, dressed in clothes that didn’t match, hair dripping with water or sweat, doing handstands by the pool, waving her arms erratically at a rehearsal, visiting doctors in Beverly Hills and even filling prescriptions at the Michael Jackson-made-famous Mickey Fine Pharmacy. And yes, she checked in to the hotel with a large retinue.

Did they try to stop her? Or did they fill the prescriptions and stock the bar for her? Did they see her behaving erratically? Did they tell the doctors she was out of control?

Did it occur to anyone that she belonged at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and not at a rehearsal?

Jackson’s case was, perversely, easy because there was a doctor right there, a doctor whose job it was to keep him alive and who instead, according to the jury’s verdict, killed him. But Dr. Conrad Murray, guilty as charged, was surely not the only

Susan Estrich ––––– Creators Syndicate one responsible for that tragedy waiting to happen, even if he was the only one to meet the law’s definition.

You never know. Anyone who has faced a friend or relative on a path of self-destruction knows how difficult it is to stop them — impossible, most often — and how easy it is to be a well-meaning but destructive enabler. You can’t just “tell” someone to stop, and you can’t make them.

You can know that someone is a heart attack waiting to happen, you can beg them or threaten them, but you can’t make them put away the cigarettes or alcohol or drugs that prove you right. I used to plead with my father not to smoke, fearing he would die young, which he did — but not for lack of love.

Celebrities are even tougher, and their deaths can be tougher to swal-

low. They are surrounded 24/7.

And many of those who surround them survive on their fame. The celebrity, however troubled, is still their ticket to the party, their paycheck, their identity.

Where is the retinue when you need it? Are they blinded by their own desire to be close, by their fear that standing up or walking away will leave them out in the cold?

With all due respect to those who were there, who are no doubt suffering mightily (but not as mightily as the daughter who lost her mother and the mother who lost her daughter), it is hard not to wonder whether they might have done more, or less; whether this was a tragedy that could have been interrupted. In other businesses, we would call it a conflict of interest. In the entertainment business, it’s just a day of the week.

Somebody will make a lot of money from Houston’s tragic death.

Actually, somebodies. The Grammys had a record audience, the magazines with her on the cover will sell out, the record companies and all the managers and agents and others who get a share of the proceeds of

her sales will get a bigger share from record sales. Houston will be back in the Top 10. Her music sounds better than ever. Her memory will live on.

But she won’t.

The news is full of reports about her daughter being inconsolable, and understandably so: an 18-yearold only child losing the only mother she will ever have. Perhaps those who couldn’t — or didn’t — take care of her mother will take care of her daughter. According to the news reports, she already has been to Cedars twice. If only her mother had.

Celebrity or not, there is a lesson here, a lesson for those who think, as Houston must have, they can cheat death, and for those who watch from the next room. A friend may not be able to stop a friend from selfdestructing, but you certainly can try. And more than anything, you can refuse to stand by.

No one — not even a woman with a golden voice — is immune from the ravages of a soul in pain and the poisonous mix of drugs and alcohol.

May Whitney Houston rest in peace, and may God bring comfort to those who mourn.

The finding of this treasure felt like Valentines sent from heaven VACHON from page 4

Brenda, and Jim got a daily dose. This time of year, the house would have a Valentine’s Day theme to combat the winter doldrums. And on the coffee table would be a box of good ‘ole Russell Stover’s candy — no doubt, picked up on the frequent jaunt to Walmart. Simple expressions of love to let us know she was thinking of us. The finding of this treasure felt like Valentines sent from heaven.

Though she’s gone, she isn’t far away. My son Sam graduates from high school this year. He’s unsure of what he wants to pursue for a major. Finding his

childhood art and connecting it to his art today was a fun discovery. Will he do something with that? I don’t know — just more to ponder for now.

But finding the photo of my in-laws together, nudged me to send a Valentine to Jim, along with the contents of the treasure find. It was as if my mother-in-law asked me to send a message to my father-in-law. I sent the Valentines package, complete with a box of Russell’s Stover candy, with a card: “To Jim, You will always be my Valentine.

Love, Brenda.”

There’s a loving mystery to Valentine’s Day that warms your heart and charms a community. Awak-

ing on Valentine’s Day, at Higgins Beach in Scarborough, a Valentine’s Day Phantom had hit our neighborhood, placing hearts on homes. Driving through Portland, seeing the work of a mysterious Valentine Phantom, someone who has never been seen, assures me that these are heavenly hearts; a mystery that doesn’t need to be explained. I’m very grateful for my phantom heart. I hear the little voice inside saying: “Save it, you’ll be glad you did.”

(Karen Vachon is a resident of Scarborough. She is a licensed insurance agent, and an active volunteer in her community.)

Shaky-cam exorcist movie, ‘The Devil Inside,’ scored big despite sulfurous reviews DOWD from page 4

It was more bizarre than outrageous, like bad vintage Madonna now that the Material Girl has gone mainstream. The only good thing about it, as Marc Hogan wrote in Spin, was the chance that her devilish song might make “Bill Donohue’s head spin while spewing green vomit.”

The satanic rap was merely the latest illustration of the renewed fascination with the ancient rite of exorcism. After languishing in the Catholic Church, exorcisms are back in fashion. In 2004, worried about the rise of the occult, Pope John Paul II asked Cardinal Ratzinger, the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith who went on to become Pope Benedict XVI, to direct bishops around the world to appoint and train exorcists in their dioceses.

The infusion of Hispanic and African Catholics to the U.S., with their more intense belief in the supernatural, has brought a fresh demand.

In 2010, American bishops held a conference in Baltimore on the topic.

Last month, the low-budget shaky-cam exorcist movie, “The Devil Inside,” scored big despite sulfurous reviews. And, in a new book, Father Gabriele Amorth, the exorcist for the diocese of Rome — who has complained that yoga and Harry Potter are

evil — claims that Pope Benedict exorcised two possessed men who were howling and banging their heads on the ground by blessing them.

The Vatican demurred that the pope has no knowledge of this. But Father Amorth wrote that “simply the presence of the pope can soothe and in some way help the possessed in their fight against the one who possesses them.”

In an interview in October with The Huffington Post, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of “The Exorcist,” William Peter Blatty said his book and the Linda Blair movie resonated as an affirmation that “man is something more than a neuron net,” that “there is an intelligence, a creator whom C.S. Lewis famously alluded to as ‘the love that made the worlds.’ ” I recently visited Father Gary Thomas, the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Saratoga in Northern California, an exorcist who was the focus of a book by Matt Baglio called “The Rite” that became a movie last year with Anthony Hopkins. It chronicled Thomas’s demonology and exorcism training in Rome.

Father Thomas thinks the time is ripe for exorcisms because “our country is at war with itself culturally over whether or not it believes in God” and because “there is a growing amount of paganism — New Age practices like crystals, reiki, witchcraft, black magic, tarot cards, Ouija boards, seances.” He

said he knows of 52 exorcising priests in America.

Sitting in his office, holding a red book titled “De Exorcismis Et Supplicationibus Quibusdam,” (“Of Exorcisms and Certain Supplications”), he conceded that despite 75 exorcisms on eight people, his success has been limited. (Nicki Minaj told Ryan Seacrest that her mock exorcism failed, too, because Roman was too “amazing” to succumb to holy water.)

The pastor explained that “soul wounds,” like sexual abuse, pornography and sexual addiction, can serve as “doorways” to demonic attachment and possession. “Demons are always looking for people who have broken relationships and no relationships,” he said. “That’s why sexual abuse mixed with the occult is the perfect cocktail.

“Demons don’t have corporeal bodies like we do.

They can travel faster, are far more intelligent and have a much keener sense of free will.”

He’s not frightened of meeting a violent end like Fathers Merrin and Karras. “I’m protected,” he said.

“I go to confession before an exorcism.” The 58-yearold priest does, however, think that Satan has tried to tempt him with “lustful urges.”

“I would be in my car and have this visual rush,” he said, “and I’m like, ‘Where the hell did that come from?’ ” Hell?

Page 6 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012

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Portland legislator hopes to defer income tax cuts to spare MaineCare

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Portland Rep. Ben Chipman said he is proposing a budget amendment that will avoid cutting MaineCare by undoing tax cuts.

"It's picking up an interesting amount of support, I don't know how the final vote will go," Chipman said in an interview Wednesday.

Chipman, an independent, is proposing to delay by one year the implementation of income tax cuts that were passed in 2011. Instead of taking effect Jan. 1, 2013, the income tax reductions would take effect on Jan. 1, 2014.

"In addition to avoiding any cuts to MaineCare for lowincome families the amendment will also generate over $57 million for the upcoming 2013 and 2014 budgets," Chipman said in a press release.

Chipman "There's a lot of interest in it because it avoids any cuts to MaineCare and it avoids any increased taxes," Chipman told The Sun. He expected a vote today or next Tuesday.

On Feb. 6, Republican Gov. Paul LePage stated that the Legislature's Appropriations Committee was "kicking the can down the road, and Maine people deserve better.”

Gov. LePage stated, "Since 2002, enrollment in Maine's welfare program has risen 78 percent, but in that same time Maine's population has only risen 7 percent. Welfare spending has dramatically increased by $1 billion dollars in the last decade, a 45 percent increase. The welfare program has grown out-of-control.

"Maine has roughly twice as many people on wel-

fare than students in our public schools. We must restructure eligibility, re-design benefits and adopt payment reform which addresses those structural problems and will put Maine’s welfare programs on a path to financial sustainability."

While legislators on the Appropriations Committee have crafted a compromise, Chipman said it's unclear how his amendment would fare with the governor, should it pass.

"I think the governor has a policy issue “I’m trying to put the with MaineCare, he's brakes on any further not happy with what the cuts for now until we Appropriations Committee has come up with," can get the state’s Chipman said.

Democratic members of finances figured out.” the Appropriations Com— Maine Rep. Ben mittee may balk because Chipman of their budget compromise with Republicans, he worried.

"What they've come out with is still really devastating to the poorest of the poor and the hospitals," he said.

The projected estimates and details of Chipman’s proposal have been confirmed by officials at Maine Revenue Services and the Legislature’s Office of Fiscal and Program Review, Chipman said.

He is talking to Democrats and moderate Republicans in hopes of rallying support. Today he plans to address the House Democratic Caucus about the amendment and explain it in detail.

The idea is to stave off cuts to MaineCare, the state's version of Medicaid, and preserve health care for 14,000 low-income families, Chipman said.

"I'm trying to put the brakes on any further cuts for now until we can get the state's finances figured out," Chipman said.

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WASHINGTON — Robert B. Zoellick will step down as president of the World Bank when his fiveyear term expires on June 30, the Washington-based institution announced on Wednesday.

In an interview, Mr. Zoellick said that he had no immediate plans for his next career move. He said that he felt most proud of his work to modernize the bank, which focuses on fighting poverty and financing development in emerging countries.

When he first took office in 2007, “there were questions about whether people wanted to be engaged with the bank,” he said. “Now, we find that whether on regular development issues, postconflict states, or climate issues, there is a very strong interest in working with us.”

Mr. Zoellick’s departure seems likely to set off another clash between the advanced economies that traditionally appoint the leaders of the major international financial institutions and the emerging economies that tend to benefit from — and bear the consequences of — those institutions’ policies.

For the last seven decades, since the World Bank’s establishment, the United States has in practice appointed its leader, while Europe picks the head of the International Monetary Fund, the bank’s sister institution.

Recently, countries like Brazil, India and China — with their rapid economic growth and growing political clout on the global stage — have pushed for a more open, transparent and inclusive selection process. Aid and international development organizations have also railed against the old guard’s outsize influence.

“Whoever becomes the president needs to be seen

as legitimate around the world,” said Nancy Birdsall, the president of the Center for Global Development in Washington. “The emerging markets — we need to bring them into the multilateral fold, to have them engaged not as victims or recipients or problems, but as real actors whose decisions matter.”

The World Bank’s leadership has committed to opening up the presidential selection process, and the Group of 20 countries has stated its commitment to “support new open, transparent and merit-based selection processes for the heads and senior leadership” of the funds and banks that support financial stability and development in recent communiqués.

But in practice, that has not yet resulted in a big change at the top. In 2007, European leaders supported former President George W. Bush’s nomination of Mr. Zoellick to head the World Bank. And Washington supported the candidacy of Christine Lagarde, the former French finance minister, for managing director of the International Monetary Fund last year. But notably Mr. Zoellick and Ms. Lagarde visited major emerging market nations to drum up support for their candidacies.

Thomas E. Donilon, the White House national security adviser; Jacob J. Lew, the chief of staff; and Timothy F. Geithner, the Treasury secretary, are consulting with President Obama in choosing a nominee. The White House expects to make an announcement in the next few weeks.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, the secretary of state, is an often-mentioned candidate for the position, though the State Department has repeatedly denied rumors that she is moving to the bank. Lawrence H. Summers, a former Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration and Obama economic adviser, is another possibility.

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012— Page 7

Fire department racks up $2M in OT Halfway through the fiscal year, $1,175,665 had been spent on OT

BY MATTHEW ARCO THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

Vacancy rates within the ranks of the Portland Fire Department have firefighters reaching new heights in overtime payouts, according to officials and city records.

In 2011, Portland spent roughly $2,080,000 in overtime among the department's 234 members.

Upper-level command staff accounted for the majority of higher payouts, and the department employs the city's top overtime wage earners — outpacing the Portland Police Department more than 2-1.

According to salary records, five department members took home more than $30,000 in overtime alone in 2011. Eleven firefighters made more than $15,000 in overtime, and nearly 90 personnel earned Portland Fire Chief Fred LaMontagne stands outside the Central Fire Station. (MATTHEW ARCO PHOTO) an extra $10,000 or more the extra hours in for a larger paylast year. check.

“We can’t just take a person and Only nine people in the departFirefighters opting for overtime ment, which included Fire Chief Fred place them on a fire truck. It takes LaMontagne, reported zero overtime time to get people.”

— Fire Chief Fred compensation.

LaMontagne "These peaks and valleys happen," LaMontagne told The Portland Daily Sun Wednesday.

Sanborn delivered a report to the Vacancies driven by retirement, city council's Finance Committee late sick leave, or vacation time can have a last month that indicated the PFD ripple effect on the department that's has already exceeded what has been required to maintain a certain staffing allocated for overtime compensation level at all times, LaMontagne said. for the entire current fiscal year.

"Ultimately, there's a reason we're The city budgeted nearly $1,170,000 24/7," he said. for overtime in FY 2021. But by When the PFD graduated a new December — only halfway through class of recruits in December, staffing the fiscal year — $1,175,665 had levels were more than 100 percent. already been spent.

The department was up three fireIn FY 2010 the city paid $786,251 fighters. for overtime within the PFD and Now, less than two months after the spent $676,347 in FY 2011. influx of recruits, the department is Despite the record-setting numbers, down five members.

Sanborn said city expenditures are on The civil service hiring process and track for the year. The department's subsequent training academy means overtime is not cause for alarm when getting new department members can tracking the entire city budget, she take months, according to the chief. said.

When vacancies are combined with "I'm not saying it's not a lot of money a lengthy hiring process, increased in overtime," Sanborn said. "(But) overtime is the natural result, he said. overall, I'm not concerned."

"We can't just take a person and The decision to hire a new cluster of place them on a fire truck," LaMonrecruits is made by the fire chief and tagne said. "It takes time to get City Manager Mark Rees. people."

A city spokeswoman, Nicole Clegg, City officials agreed with the chief, said Wednesday that Rees was consaying a municipality's police and fire templating plans for Portland to departments are required to be fully host another academy in the coming staffed on shifts regardless of vacancy months. rates.

"I think that they are looking into "If you're required to fill a shift, that as well as other cost-saving meayou can't just shut down a truck," sures for filling the vacancies or startsaid Ellen Sanborn, the city's finance ing a new drill skill," Clegg said. director. "If you need two people on an In the interim, LaMontagne says ambulance and someone is out sick, there is a steady flow of his firefightyou need to get someone in there do ers who are willing and eager to put it."

submit their names and are chosen based on the amount of overtime they have already accrued, in addition to their qualifications and level of certification or training.

In 2011, the department's top earner grossed more than $106,000 after earning nearly $36,000 in overtime.

The firefighter, Capt. Shawn Neat, was the city's fifth top wage earner for the entire year, according to records.

Ahead of Neat was the city's dentist and three physicians — Shulamith Bonham, Ann Marie Lemire, Jennifer Fultz and Carrie Frost — who were paid on contract and earned between $106,300 and $132,800 for the year.

(Rees, who has a salary of about $140,000, was hired during 2011 and did not earn for the entire year.)

The other firefighters to earn more than $30,000 in overtime last year were Capt. Philip McGouldrick, Lt. Michael Nixon, Dale Dyer and Christopher Tillotson.

The estimated median income in Portland is about $45,500, according to latest U.S. Census data. matt@portlanddailysun.me @matthewarco

Page 8 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––TRAVEL–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Maine’s best kept secret: Vieques, P.R. FAR LEFT: Bill, the tourguide, and Dave, enjoy a day at the beach.

Travel Local ––––– Elizabeth MargolisPineo

LEFT: Potent morning cocktails were as friendly and uncensored as Ricki, the server.

BELOW: A fountain at Min’s house.

I

have long wondered why people from Maine flock to this tiny Caribbean island.

Roosters crow. Wild horses shamble by. Neighbors gossip and chat. Aromas of baking and BBQ combine with scents of jasmine and citrus. The air feels soft – like velvet. We meet gallery owners, chefs, and dog walkers – all with connections to Portland, Bangor and South Bristol. What gives?

No wonder Hunter S. Thompson adored this place – this is gonzo living. Wild horses, dogs, and roosters rule. Pelicans circle overhead. Colorful street food is sold from rickety roadside containers, and hibiscus flowers grow to the size of dinner plates. A sea turtle paddles by when we arrive which we consider a sure sign of good luck and welcome.

Our first glimpse of the Caribbean is profound. The sea goes from greeny blue to bluey green with a solid line of deep turquoise at the horizon. The shallow tide laps gently at the shore leaving the beach soft and clean. Tiny sand-colored crabs wear their eyes on top of their heads like Ricky Martin wears his sunglasses.

Breakfast of Champions, Viequesstyle, starts in the airport parking lot with papaya-rum punch and a shot of chicau (pronounced chee-chow) whose anise flavor riffs on Sambuca with hints of bathtub gin. Our potent morning cocktails are as friendly and uncensored as Ricki, our server. Her partner Lyman stands behind the bar grinning like a fox. Ricki says Lyman honed his technique in St. Thomas or was it Paris or maybe San Francisco which we discuss in great depth with a lot of early morning vigor. When we pile back into Bill’s white beater with cups of rum punch we’re ready to begin a fine day of sightseeing and tales of love, honor and tragedy from before any of us were married or even house-trained.

We keep the magic going at the farmer’s market where we sample savory cheese scones from Bayonda’s bakery. We grab some tropical blooms from Lalita, the flower queen of Vieques, which brighten the boot of Bill’s island beater. Lali also gives us prickly island fruits for a special blender drink. The fruit is ugly – really kind of forbidding – but we’re already thinking about the rum.

We begin planning the night’s meal at midday and decide on street-roasted chicken, with legendary rice and beans from Shaunaa’s. We are determined to avoid Puerto Rico’s ubiquitous “mofongo,” a claggy yucca mash.

Try the roadside ceviche, though, sold in plastic cups. Delicious, muy bien.

Wash it all down with Medalla beer.

BOTTOM: Neruda poem-painting by Richard Giglio.

INSET BELOW: “Bromance” on the high seas. (Photos by Elizabeth Margolis-Pineo)

Roosters rule the island and appear in the streets and in your ears and on the walls of Siddhia Hutchinson’s gallery in town. At Gallery Galleon, Pablo Neruda’s poems are reimagined by artist Richard Giglio as stunning poem-paintings. “May whatever breaks be reconstructed by the sea with the long labor of its tides.”

We visit Becki’s friend Min at her beautiful island home, and it starts to dawn on me that a person can have a pretty refined life in this eclectic tropical paradise. We especially love the pool with its ironwork ceiling open like a basket to the sky. Her bed painted with calla lilies and draped in mosquito netting isn’t bad, either.

Bill’s natural curiosity and joie de vivre make him an outstanding

tour guide. Our rambles include a crumbling sugar plantation with rusty cauldrons, antique brick and stonework, a jungle hike through lush trees with giant termite’s nests the size of Volkswagons, and best of all, a tangled woodland trek where we see a sensitive wild fern that curls like a ticklish child at the touch of a finger.

All this local color is followed by a posh lunch at the W Resort (Bill loves contrasts), where I have an outstanding octopus salad. The outdoor dining room is posh and breezy. Nice. It’s Dave’s birthday and our celebration continues on Navio Beach with many Medalla beers and a game of beach

bocce. Bill lets Dave win — it’s his birthday. The word “bromance” leaps to mind as I watch the two of them bobbing amiably in the turquoise surf.

A hairy coconut sits next to me and bit of teal fishnet hangs across the view from my “bohio,” or beach shack.

Becki finds a spiky little sea urchin and I feel like a happy 21st century Robinson Crusoe.

The mysterious blender drink from Lali’s prickly soursop fruit is cool, milky, and slightly sour. Bill adds vanilla, cinnamon and of course, rum, which makes it more interesting. We sip and admire the sparkling Caribbean blue sea that stretches to San Juan. With exquisite views and a relaxed, bohemian vibe, the little island of Vieques is perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in the Caribbean.

This place is paradise. We’ll be back.

(Elizabeth Margolis-Pineo is a travel writer and creator of EpicuriousTravelers.com.)

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012— Page 9

Airlines move into new Jetport terminal Bradbury: AirTran will begin offering customers connections onto Southwest flights

BY DAVID CARKHUFF THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

Airlines are moving their ticketing operations into the Portland Jetport's new $75 million terminal, including AirTran, a carrier that recently merged to become part of Southwest Airlines.

As a result of the merger, AirTran will begin offering customers connections onto Southwest flights, according to airport director Paul Bradbury.

“That was extremely "Our expectation is that will happen before good news for us, but we have Southwest nothing is ‘done done’ here," Bradbury said.

In March 2011, AirTran until they’re here with shareholders approved a the tails painted.” — merger between AirTran Portland Jetport director and Southwest. Later Paul Bradbury, on the this year, Southwest is expected to take over arrival of Southwest AirTran's service at the later this year due to a Portland Jetport. merger with AirTran Prior to the changeover, the Jetport will offer "through-tickets," meaning Southwest flights will be available to AirTran customers. This means even though someone boards an AirTran airplane out of the Jetport, they will be able to connect onto Southwest flights, Bradbury explained.

"Through the summer, we will still be running AirTran brand," Bradbury said.

In January, Southwest announced that the Portland Jetport was one of 22 domestic and international airports where AirTran would remain in operation. (Elsewhere, Southwest planned to end its AirTran service.)

"That was extremely good news for us," Bradbury said, "but nothing is 'done done' until they're here

While Portland Jetport officials await the arrival of Southwest, existing airlines will continue their move into a new ticketing concourse.

(COURTESY PHOTO)

with the tails painted."

While Jetport officials await the arrival of Southwest, existing airlines will continue their move into the new ticketing concourse.

Delta moved its ticketing operations into the new terminal on Tuesday; AirTran will move 4 a.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 29; and United Continental will be

Great Chili and Chowder Challenge judging

moving at 4 a.m. Thursday, March 8, Bradbury said.

Ticketing operations in the terminal will use a new outbound baggage in-line explosives detection system, allowing agents to process bags at the counter, he said.

"We're looking forward to having everybody down there on March 8," Bradbury said.

The 17th Annual Great Chili and Chowder Challenge took place Sunday, Feb. 13, at the Holiday Inn By The Bay. The event was sponsored by Altrusa of Portland, a service organization. ABOVE LEFT: Portland Police Chief Michael Sauschuck was one of the judges for the best chili. ABOVE RIGHT: Commander Vern Malloch was a judge in the chowder category. Sergeant Bob Doherty judged the displays. Awards were as follows: First place for chili— Judges: Fireside Suites. People’s Choice: Fire & Water Fish & Chop House at the Marriott. First place for chowder— Judges: The Park Danforth. People’s Choice: Fishermen’s Net of Gray. Best display— Holiday Inn by the Bay. (MARGE NIBLOCK PHOTOS)

DAILY CROSSWORD TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

by Lynn Johnston

By Holiday Mathis have to sleuth a bit in order to understand the dynamics that affect your social life. Sometimes it’s what a person doesn’t say that says the most. Listen between the lines, and you’ll hear the real story.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21).

You’ll make sure your loved ones stay out of trouble. It’s a noble pursuit that may not seem to be working at first, although time will prove your efforts most effective.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19).

Generous souls abound. Mostly, they come out of the woodwork ready to give because they recognize you as one of their own. It will feel good to be seen for who you really are.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18).

You’ll be the steady torchbearer, bringing light to a situation that has been in darkness for a long, long while. Don’t be surprised if no one knows what to do next. For now, it’s enough to take it all in.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). In order for an organization to function, the work can never be fully completed.

So don’t worry too much about the unfinished edges.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 16).

This year is a real mix-up to your routine, and your life brightens with the challenges that come with the unexpected twists and turns. Over the next 10 weeks, you’ll concern yourself with the well-being of others and will blossom personally. You’ll manage your money well and fund a June adventure.

Aries and Sagittarius people adore you.

Your lucky numbers are: 40, 2, 33, 49 and 18.

by Paul Gilligan

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Whoever said there are two sides to every story was thinking incredibly small.

Without too much effort, you can think of a dozen sides to today’s story, and you’ll choose the most positive version for your own records.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’ll be caught between wanting things to occur in a predictable manner and knowing that would be a sure recipe for mind-numbing boredom. Liberate yourself. Let go of the controls.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You love a quirky old friend better than you could ever love any idealized version of friendship. You find the flaws endearing. In fact, they just might be the glue that holds this relationship together.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Being well rested will make a great difference in your attitude. When your body feels strong, there is a crisp freshness to your general experience of life.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Go for excellence, not perfection. The first will motivate you to be your best self.

The second will drive you crazy, make everything take too long and cause much to go unfinished.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Don’t be afraid of being an outsider. Such a position could give you a distinct advantage now. You see all kinds of things from the outside that you could never see if you were in the thick of it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). What would you do if you knew you were protected by a supernatural insurance policy that kept you from any physical, emotional or financial harm or liability?

Go for it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ll

by Jan Eliot

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Solution and tips at www.sudoku.com

TUNDRA Stone Soup Pooch Café For Better or Worse LIO

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 thru 9.

by Mark Tatulli

Page 10 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012

1 4 9 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 26 29 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

ACROSS Derby or pillbox Yellow shade Dating couple gossiped about Geisha sashes Want badly French mother Computer geek, for short Garment for an ancient Roman Bucket Run off quickly Curved bands of sparks “I __ Lucy” Physician, for short Develop Vagabonds Embankment __ Rushmore Bit of butter Elderly Leaving Paper towel brand Street paver’s

substance 41 Sound of a firehouse bell 42 More pleasant 43 Penetrating 45 “Well, now, __ that beat all!”

46 School building 47 Nuisance 48 Controlled substance 51 Remorse 56 Crew members 57 Climb 58 __ and crafts 60 Thus 61 Boo-boo 62 Make fun of 63 “As __ on TV”; words in an ad 64 Air __; channels for ventilation 65 Fraternity letter

1 2

DOWN Feverish Lincoln and Beame

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 21 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

Lyme disease transmitter Series of eight piano keys Vulgar __ over; deliver Wicked Flowing back Collision; force Drop of sorrow Monty Python’s __ Idle Tillis and Tormé Removed peanut casings Plunged in headfirst Frequently, to a poet Gladden Meat shunner Obvious __ without; forgoing Ladder step Heroic tales Glossy black bird Begin

35 38 39 41 42 44 45

Painful cry Viewed briefly Asian nation Weep Schnoz Goads Dissuades; talks out of 47 Aviator

48 49 50 52 53 54 55 59

Fawn bearers Seldom seen Encourage Beige shade Drug agent Cut short Engrave Glide like JeanClaude Killy

Yesterday’s Answer

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012— Page 11

––––––– ALMANAC ––––––– Today is Thursday, Feb. 16, the 47th day of 2012. There are 319 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. 16, 1862, the Civil War Battle of Fort Donelson in Tennessee ended as some 12,000 Confederate soldiers surrendered; Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s victory earned him the nickname “Unconditional Surrender Grant.”

On this date: In 1804, Lt. Stephen Decatur led a successful raid into Tripoli Harbor to burn the U.S. Navy frigate Philadelphia, which had fallen into the hands of pirates.

In 1868, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was organized in New York City.

In 1918, Lithuania proclaimed its independence from the Russian Empire. (Lithuania, which was occupied by the Soviet Union, then Nazi Germany, then the Soviet Union again during World War II, renewed its independence in 1990).

In 1923, the burial chamber of King Tutankhamen’s recently unearthed tomb was unsealed in Egypt by English archaeologist Howard Carter.

In 1937, Dr. Wallace H. Carothers, a research chemist for Du Pont who’d invented nylon, received a patent for the synthetic fiber.

In 1945, American troops landed on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines during World War II. In 1959, Fidel Castro became premier of Cuba a month and a-half after the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista.

In 1961, the United States launched the Explorer 9 satellite.

In 1968, the nation’s first 911 emergency telephone system was inaugurated in Haleyville, Ala. In 1977, Janani Luwum, the Anglican archbishop of Uganda, and two other men were killed in what Ugandan authorities said was an automobile accident.

In 1987, John Demjanjuk went on trial in Jerusalem, accused of being “Ivan the Terrible,” a guard at the Treblinka Nazi concentration camp.

(Demjanjuk was convicted, but the conviction ended up being overturned by the Israeli Supreme Court.)

In 1998, a China Airlines Airbus A300-600R trying to land in fog near Taipei, Taiwan, crashed, killing all 196 people on board.

One year ago: Bookstore chain Borders filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and said it would close nearly a third of its stores. (Borders closed all of its remaining stores in Sept. 2011.)

Huge crowds called for a political overhaul in Bahrain, and leaders appeared to shift tactics after attempts to crush the uprising stoked protesters’ rage.

Today’s Birthdays: Singer Patty Andrews is 94. Actor Jeremy Bulloch is 67. Actor William Katt is 61. Rhythm-and-blues singer James Ingram is 60. Actor LeVar Burton is 55. Actor-rapper Ice-T is 54. Actress Lisa Loring is 54. International Tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe is 53. Rock musician Andy Taylor is 51. Rock musician Dave Lombardo (Slayer) is 47. Actress Sarah Clarke is 41.

Rock musician Taylor Hawkins (Foofighters) is 40.

Olympic gold medal runner Cathy Freeman is 39.

Singer Sam Salter is 37. Rapper Lupe Fiasco is 30. Pop-rock singer Ryan Follese (FAHL’-eh-say) (Hot Chelle (SHEL) Rae) is 25. Actress Elizabeth Olsen is 23. Actor Mike Weinberg is 19.

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Yesterday’s Answer

THE

Page 12 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012

CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS • CALL 699-5807

For Sale

Help Wanted

DOLLAR-A-DAY CLASSIFIEDS: Ads must be 15 words or less and run a minimum of 5 consecutive days. Ads that run less than 5 days or nonconsecutive days are $2 per day. Ads over 15 words add 10¢ per word per day. PREMIUMS: First word caps no charge. Additional caps 10¢ per word per day. Centered bold heading: 9 pt. caps 40¢ per line, per day (2 lines maximum) TYPOS: Check your ad the first day of publication. Sorry, we will not issue credit after an ad has run once.

DEADLINES: noon, one business day prior to the day of publication. PAYMENT: All private party ads must be pre-paid. We accept checks, Visa and Mastercard credit cards and, of course, cash. There is a $10 minimum order for credit cards. CORRESPONDENCE: To place your ad call our offices 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 699-5807; or send a check or money order with ad copy to The Conway Daily Sun, P.O. Box 1940, North Conway, NH 03860. OTHER RATES: For information about classified display ads please call 699-5807.

BED (queen size)- Mattress in excellent condition. Will sacrifice for $150. Call or text 207-591-4927.

ADMIN Assistant Grant Mgmt Support: meeting prep, minutes, photocopy, files. organized, proficient MS office. 8 hr/wk. cover letter/ resume: Mohamud Barre, Box 8676, Portland, ME 04101. No phone calls.

Animals

Autos

For Rent

For Rent

AKC German Shepherd puppies. Black & tan, bred for temperament health, beauty & intelligence. 3 year health guarantee. $750. 207-415-3071. brkgsd@yahoo.com.

BUYING all unwanted metals. $800 for large loads. Cars, trucks, heavy equipment. Free removal. (207)776-3051.

PORTLAND- Danforth, 2 bedrooms, heated, renovated Victorian townhouse, 2 floors, 1.5 baths, parking. $1400/mo (207)773-1814.

WINDHAM- 1 bedroom, utilities plus cable included. Yard parking, partial rent for some work.

(207)892-7150.

Autos 1992 HOnda Accord, 144k miles, no sticker, needs $1500 work.

As is $2500/obo. Ashley (207)774-5079.

Rossrecyclenremoval@gmail.com

Cash for autos and trucks, some metals.

Call Steve (207)523-9475.

BUYING Junk vehicles, paying cash.

Contact Joe (207)712-6910.

For Rent 95 Congress St, 3 bedroom, heated, w/d hookup, parking, $1200/mo security deposit, no pets. Call (207)874-2050 or (207)409-0879.

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

PORTLAND- Maine MedicalStudio, 1/ 2 bedroom. Heated, off street parking, newly renovated. $550-$875.

(207)773-1814.

PORTLAND- Woodford’s. 1 and 3 bedroom heated. Bright rooms, oak floor, just painted. $775-$1300/mo. (207)773-1814.

For Rent-Commercial PORTLAND Art District- Art studios, utilities. First floor. Adjacent to 3 occupied studios. $325 (207)773-1814.

St. Judes - $5

BEDROOM- Solid cherrywood sleigh bed. Dresser, mirror, chest, night stand. New! Cost $2,200 sell $895. (603)235-1773

Instruction CLASSIC Wooden Motorola stereo phonic console LP and 45 player 44”X30”X18” with AM/FM radio from the 1950's still works, $100, 723-4032.

COOK Healthy with a Black & Decker Food/ Rice cooker w/ instruction booklet, hardly used, $15, 723-4032.

HOW to become a professional stand up commedian in 12 easy steps. Mail $24.99 money order to Ashley Lenartson Comedy, 198 Sherwood St, Apt 3, Portland ME, 04103 (207)774-5079.

Services

CUSTOM glazed kitchen cabinets. Solid maple, never installed. Cost $6,000 sacrifice $1,595. (603)833-8278.

ESTABLISHED remodeling company- Family rooms, baths, kitchens, painting. Call Phil (207)807-2586.

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

Summit Achievement Clinical Therapist

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Buy one 2012 model at regular price, get 2nd at

1/2 price

Call Today To Learn More About Creating Safe, Healthy Environments 352 Warren Ave. Portland • 207-871-8610 or toll free 1-888-358-3589

Summit Achievement of Stow, ME is a residential treatment center combining psychotherapy, wilderness expeditions and academics to adolescents ages 13-21. The therapist will be responsible for providing individual, group and family therapy. Applicants should have a strong background in working with adolescents and families.

Outdoor experience required. Applicants should have M.Ed, MA, MSW or PhD. Independent licensure preferred.

Please e-mail to: nernst@summitachievment.com or fax to Nichol Ernst @ (207)697-2021

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

PORTLAND AUTO RADIATOR Established 1948

FULL AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES The Best Place in Town to Take a Leak

WINTERIZATION SPECIALS • Tune-ups • Test & Check Antifreeze • Coolant Power Flushes (no machines) 1129 Forest Ave., Portland • 207-797-3606

ZOOM IN ON A BUYER!

Advertise your goods and services in the Classifieds and reach thousands of potential buyers daily.

TWIN ELECTRIC “Lighting Your Way Into The Future” • Fu lly L icensed • Fu lly Insured • Free E stim ates

• Fast/Q uality Service • N o Job T oo Sm all • 24/7 Service

(207) 318-8808

Randy MacWhinnie

twinelectricme@aol.com

Master Electrician/Owner

Call today to place your ad and make a sale quickly.

“A local family owned & operated company specializing in top-rated American brands” 146 Rand Rd, Portland Exit 47 off I-95

Sales & Service 772-0053

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

The Daily Sun Classifieds joevokey@gmail.com

THE

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012— Page 13

CLASSIFIEDS Services

Yard Sale

DUMP GUY

SOUTH Portland 4th Saturday coin show- Buying and sellingAmerican Legion Post 35, 413 Broadway, 8-2pm.

(802)266-8179, free admission.

We haul anything to the dump. Basement, attic, garage cleanouts.

Insured www.thedumpguy.com (207)450-5858.

Wanted To Buy I pay cash today for broken and unwanted Notebooks, Netbooks, and Macbooks. Highest prices (207)233-5381.

DEADLINE for classifieds is noon the day prior to publication

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY The Bradley Foundation of Maine Miracle on 424 Main Street

HOPE

Computer Sales and Service Serving Seniors over 55 and the Disabled

Starting Date Computers starting at $94.40 tax included.

2nd week of Feb. Complete with software and a 17” LCD Monitor.

The Elves’ Playground Now booking parties for all ages

591-5237

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

YOU MUST QUALIFY UNDER OUR MISSION.

Westbrook, ME • 591-5237 Moday-Friday 9am-4pm

ask for Susan or Jerry www.bradleyfoundationofmaine.org for more information We accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover

75 Oak Street, Portland, ME

Benefits of Tai Chi Chih Blood Pressure Control • Arthritis Relief Improved Balance • Increased Sense of Serenity For information call Raymond Reid (207) 518-9375 email: miloshamus@yahoo.com or go to

www.taichichihstudio.com Check Out Our Lunch Time Beginners Classes

ANNIE’S MAILBOX Dear Annie: After eight years at my job, I was let go. I have a felony record. The CEO who knew of my background retired last year. He felt I had proved myself and had no problem with me. When he retired, we got an interim CEO. I told him about my record as soon as he came on board. Today, he decided our company would have a zero-tolerance policy for any criminal records, so I was fired.

Annie, I voluntarily told my supervisors of my conviction. I worked hard to show that I had overcome my record.

Was this a fair thing for the temporary CEO to do? Shouldn’t I have been “grandfathered” in? I was told if I kept to the straight and narrow, I would be fine. I have not done one thing out of line and don’t plan to. My conviction was more than eight years ago. But apparently, my honesty didn’t pay off. No one forgives. No one believes me. I am devastated.

What can I do? -- Think I’m a Good Person Dear Good Person: If a company fires you because of your race, sexual preference, gender or religion, you would be able to sue them for wrongful termination. If the zero-tolerance policy was implemented solely to skirt around one of the reasons listed above, you might have a case. Otherwise, there doesn’t seem to be much recourse, although you could consult an attorney. Please know that your eight-year record as an exemplary employee should help you land another job at a more tolerant company. Also contact the Safer Foundation (saferfoundation.org) for suggestions and assistance.

Dear Annie: My longtime boyfriend and I recently married. My entire family was there. They adore my husband.

But not a single member of his family attended our little church wedding.

The morning of our wedding, one of his sisters texted my fiance and asked whether it was “done yet.” When I

made a comment on my Facebook page about how amazing my new husband is, this same sister rudely commented, “Enough already.”

My boyfriend finally told me that this sister thought we should marry in a Catholic church, despite the fact that I am not Catholic and both of us attend a non-Catholic church. I believe this is why his family didn’t recognize our special day. I am really hurt. Should I say something or simply ignore this? -- Biting My Tongue in Colorado Dear Colorado: Your husband should have told you about his family’s religious objections before you married.

An intermarriage is hardly a trivial matter, and if you have been with this man for a long time, we are surprised you were not aware of the issue. If his family is otherwise accepting, we would let this go. We also suggest you discuss the problem with your clergyperson and ask for guidance.

Dear Annie: The letter from “Put Out in Peoria,” whose family members boycott one another’s weddings, is a sad but classic example of the many petty family feuds that make their way into your column. Everyone has flaws, and family members hurt one another’s feelings, usually unintentionally, perhaps because of conflicts or envy going all the way back to childhood. Bad behavior and selfishness should not be condoned.

However, I’d like to suggest that anyone who is fuming about her young children not being invited to a wedding or about her cousin’s claiming Grandma’s garnet ring that was promised to her should pause to consider all the real suffering there is in the world -- such as the person down the block with terminal cancer or the friend whose child was killed by a drunk driver. Just grow up and get over it. -Rude in Redway, Calif.

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, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

Prickly City

by Scott Stantis

Kellogg to purchase Procter & Gamble’s Pringles business

BY MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED THE NEW YORK TIMES

Kellogg announced plans on Wednesday to buy Procter & Gamble‘s Pringles business for $2.695 billion, after a previous deal with Diamond Foods fell apart.

The new deal comes a week after Diamond announced it would restate its financial statements for the last two years following an internal inquiry into the company’s accounting practices. Soon after, Procter & Gamble said it was re-evaluating a sale of Pringles.

Pringles has been stuck in limbo for months.

In April, Procter & Gamble signed a deal with Diamond Foods, which agreed to buy Pringles for roughly $2.4 billion, mainly in stock. Diamond, which had previously bought Pop Secret and Kettle brand potato chips, heralded the purchase and played up Pringle’s global presence and influence in grocery stores.

But the deal got delayed, as Diamond was ensnared by an accounting scandal after short-sellers started to raise questions last year about its payments to walnut growers. Shares of Diamond soon began to drop, losing more than half their value.

The situation came to a head in early February when Diamond Foods said it would have to restate its financial statements and put its chief executive, Michael J. Mendes, and its chief financial officer, Steven M. Neil, on administrative leave. Within hours, Procter & Gamble said it might have to consider alternatives for Pringles.

The Kellogg deal represents a sweetened offer.

Under the terms of the acquisition, the company will pay $2.695 billion in cash. Kellogg said it would be taking on $2 billion in debt through the deal, adding to its existing $5 billion in long-term debt.

Kellogg’s chief executive, John A. Bryant, told analysts on a conference call that while his company was interested in buying Pringles last year, “it was hard to compete with the Diamond deal.” He added that Kellogg was more focused now on expanding its international operations than it was a year ago.

With Pringles, Kellogg, which makes Keebler cookies and Cheez-It crackers, will gain a leading global snack brand with $1.5 billion in annual sales.

Kellogg expects Pringles to add 8 cents to 10 cents to its per-share earnings this year, excluding costs related to the deal. It also hopes to achieve at least $10 million in cost savings this year, a number that it expects to grow.

“We are excited to announce this strategic acquisition,” Mr. Bryant said in a statement. “Pringles has an extensive global footprint that catapults Kellogg to the number two position in the worldwide savory snacks category, helping us achieve our objective of becoming a truly global cereal and snacks company.”

CARROLL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES The Carroll County Commissioners are seeking RFP’S for a Technology Service Vendor to provide services to the departments of the Carroll County Complex, located in Ossipee, New Hampshire. Interested firms or candidates should specify an understanding of scope of services to be provided to ensure the proper operation of the County’s networked computer system, equipment, and related network infrastructure located in three separate buildings.

All costs and appropriate performance references shall be itemized and defined in the response. The full proposal request can be obtain from the contact information below.

All proposals must be received at the County Human Resources Office no later than March 1, 2012 at 2:00pm.

Robin Reade, Human Resources Director, Carroll County, PO Box 152, Ossipee NH 03864 Tel: 603-539-1721 Fax: 603539-1804 rreade@carrollcountynh.net.

Page 14 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012

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

Thursday, Feb. 16 Energy myth-busting seminar 7:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. “In the environmental and energy technology sector, we often run up against common myths which belie hard science: Making your house too airtight is dangerous — houses have to breathe. Industrial chemicals can never be eco-friendly. Why recycle? There’s no market for it. We’ve all heard them and many of us believe them because we’ve had no other reason not to. It’s time to set the record straight. Myths are costly to business and consumers while facts inform good decision-making and enable a wise use of time, energy and other resources. Join E2Tech on Feb. 16 to get your questions answered by myth busting experts from the environmental and energy technology sector.” Wishcamper Center, University of Southern Maine, Portland. http://e2tech.org/

Väsen at Bull Moose in Portland 12:30 p.m. Väsen, a Swedish folk group known well beyond the borders of Scandinavia, will be at the Portland Bull Moose, 151 Middle St., for a free acoustic performance and CD signing at 12:30 p.m. They will perform that evening as part of Portland Ovations’ season at Hannaford Hall at 7:30 p.m. “Väsen treads an enchanted territory between classical, folk, and pop” wrote the Utne Reader, and Wired said, “The sound may be traditional, but the attitude is completely modern, mixing up the ideas of folk, the virtuosity of prog, and the humor of the insane asylum into a cuisinart of acoustic bliss. Visualize whirled music.” Their music has been called brooding, hypnotic, dramatic and enchanting.

The trio is Olov Johansson, nyckelharpa (a keyed fiddle unique to Sweden), Mikael Marin, viola, and Roger Tallroth, 12-string guitar. Their most recent release, “Vasen Street” will be available at Bull Moose during their visit for $6.97.

Portland Public Library basic computer training 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 16 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is required. The Portland Public Library will host two identical workshops for computer beginners who would like to learn computer basics. The Workshop will be led by Raminta Moore, Library Technical Aid at the Portland Public Library and will cover topics such as the components of a computer, mousing exercises, how to scroll, and how to navigate the web. This class is made possible because of a Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) grant awarded to the Maine State Library in July 2010.

There is limited space available for each of these trainings and participants must register in advance at the Library’s Public Computing desk or by calling 871-1700, ext. 708.

Employment Resources Workshop 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Portland Public Library is hosting an Employment Resources Workshop. “The workshop will cover topics such as: The value of networking and how to use it to open doors of opportunity; the latest social media in building connections; LearningExpress Library to help you with job searching; latest interviewing skills and tactics and what transferable skills are and how to display on your resumé.” Meeting Room No. 5 at the Portland Public Library. To register contact the Portland Public Library at 871-1700, ext. 725 or email reference@portland.lib.me.us.

Slam poet Wil Gibson at Etz Chaim 7 p.m. Join storyteller Deena R. Weinstein with champion slam poet Wil Gibson at Etz Chaim/Maine Jewish Museum.

“Presenting in his unique ‘rap style,’ Wil shares his personal story of ‘growing up’ and discovering his Jewish roots.

Arrive at 6:30 to schmooze (socialize) and nosh (snack).

Between 7 and 8 you will be entertained by Wil and Deena, and have the opportunity to share your own stories of ten minutes or less about finding your roots, or any story you’ve been wanting to tell. This night is appropriate for adults only.” 267 Congress St. (at the head of India Street). http:// treeoflifemuseum.org

Portland Public Schools superintendent forum 7 p.m. The Portland Board of Education will hold three forums to solicit input from the community about the hiring of the next Portland Public Schools superintendent. The next meeting is Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of Riverton Elementary School, 1600 Forest Ave. Each forum will last an hour and a half. The forums will focus on three questions: What are the district’s greatest strengths?

What are the most prominent issues or concerns that the district must face? What are the most desirable characteristics in a new superintendent? An electronic survey is being developed. It will be posted soon on the Portland Public Schools website (www.portlandschools.org), giving community members the opportunity to submit feedback directly to PROACT at their convenience. For updated information about the superintendent search, visit www2.portlandschools.org/superintendent-search.

‘Next Fall’ by Good Theater 7 p.m. “Next Fall” by Geoffrey Nauffts, Jan. 25 to Feb. 19.

Today, storyteller Deena R. Weinstein will appear with champion slam poet Wil Gibson at Portland’s Etz Chaim/Maine Jewish Museum.

(DAVID CARKHUFF FILE PHOTO) “Good Theater presents the Maine premiere of this recent Best Play Tony Award nominee. A charming, funny and touching play about life and love from one of the writers of the hit TV series, Brothers & Sisters.” Directed by Brian P. Allen and starring Joe Bearor, Rob Cameron, Matt Delamater, Moira Driscoll Abbie Killeen and Tony Reilly. St Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress St. Wednesdays 7 p.m. ($15), Thursdays 7 p.m. ($20), Fridays 7:30 p.m. ($20), Saturday 7:30 p.m. ($25), Sundays 2 p.m. ($25) with a special added matinee on Saturday, Feb. 11, 3 p.m. ($20). Reservations and information call 885-5883. Presented by Good Theater, a professional theater; the theater is in residence at the St. Lawrence Arts Center. www.goodtheater.com

New Gloucester Historical Society 7 p.m. The next meeting of the New Gloucester Historical Society will be at the New Gloucester Meetinghouse, 389 Intervale Road, (Route 231), New Gloucester. The meeting will be a business meeting for members only. There will be no program until the March 15 meeting.

‘The Glass Menagerie’ in Freeport 7:30 p.m. Freeport Factory Stage opens its 2012 Season with Tennessee Williams’ drama, “The Glass Menagerie.”

“Set in pre-World War II, when Americans were just beginning to get back to work after a long depression, this is a memory play that is as relevant today as it was when first produced in New York in 1945.” “The Glass Menagerie” runs through Saturday, Feb. 25. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. All Thursday performances are “pay what you want.” Tickets for all other performances are $19 general admission and $15 for students and seniors 65 and over. The Factory Stage offers subscription tickets and discounts for groups of 10 or more.

Tickets are available online at www.freeportfactory.com or by calling the box office at 865-5505.

Friday, Feb. 17 Dan Harrington at the Portland Public Library noon to 1 p.m. Dan Harrington, author of “Who’s at the Door?” The Friday Local Author Series is held from noon to 1 p.m. in the Main Library’s Meeting Room 5. Portland Public Library.

Somalis in Maine talk at COA 4:10 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. “The city of Lewiston has been transformed by immigrants in the last dozen years. Today, nearly 10 percent of its population is composed of refugees from Somalia.” Members of the Somali community and editors of a 2011 book about the Somali experience, Somalis in Maine, will be talking about the experience at College of the Atlantic’s McCormick Lecture Hall. “Somalis in Maine,” a talk with two editors of a recent book of that title and two members of the Somali community in Lew-

iston. Free and open to the public. McCormick Lecture Hall at College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden St., Bar Harbor, ME 04609. 288-5015, or Muscat at amuscat@coa.edu.

The Fifth Annual Flavors of Freeport 6 p.m. “The weekend is a whirlwind of culinary, art and fashion celebrations. It all kicks off on Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. with an outdoor ice bar, and the Chef’s Signature Series and Art Show at the Hilton Garden Inn. The fun keeps going all weekend with wine & beer tastings, a Freeport foodie tour, a Dress for Success fundraising and fashion event, ice skating at the new rink on Depot St., and so much more! This event is a celebration of the many local artisans in Freeport, from chef’s and brewers to artists and fashionistas. The Hilton Garden Inn, 5 Park St., Freeport.

6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17, all day on Saturday. www. freeportusa.com

‘Cave of Forgotten Dreams’ 6:30 p.m. Movies at the Museum, Portland Museum of Art. “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” Friday, Feb. 17, 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 18, 2 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 19, 2 p.m.

NR. ‘‘‘Cave of Forgotten Dreams,’ a breathtaking new documentary from the incomparable Werner Herzog (‘Encounters at the End of the World,’ ‘Grizzly Man’) follows an exclusive expedition into the nearly inaccessible Chauvet Cave in France, home to the most ancient visual art known to have been created by man. A hit at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, Cave of Forgotten Dreams is an unforgettable cinematic experience that provides a unique glimpse of pristine artwork dating back to human hands more than 30,000 years ago-almost twice as old as any previous discovery.”

Peter Sellers — The Human Chameleon 7 p.m. Fridays in February and March at 7 p.m. Hosted by George Hixon. Feb. 17 — “The Pink Panther” (1963); Feb. 24 — “A Shot in the Dark” (1964); March 9 — “Dr. Strangelove” (1964); March 16 — “Being There” (1979). March 23 — “The Life and Death of Peter Sellers” (2004). “Peter Sellers was a brilliant comedic actor who had an uncanny ability to immerse himself completely in a variety of roles — often in the same movie.” Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church of Portland. www.a2u2.org/default.aspx

Free Portrait Photography Demonstration 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. “Constellation Gallery will be providing a free interactive demonstration by Robin Farrin of Farrin Photography on how to create a professional photographic portrait. Robin has been specializing in photographing life’s celebrations for the past 20 years. During the month of February, she is sharing a collection of her portraits titled ‘Who Do You Love, What Do You Love?’

All are welcome! Light refreshments served.” Constellation Gallery, 511 Congress St. see next page

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012— Page 15

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

Saturday, Feb. 18 Maine Home, Remodeling & Garden Show 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Maine Home, Remodeling & Garden Show, Feb. 18 and 19, Cumberland County Civic Center.

“Over 180 exhibitors. See the latest in appliances, kitchens, baths, siding, windows, home accessories, and much more. The weekend will feature a wide variety of on-going demonstrations, relevant seminars and our very popular ‘Meet the Chef’ Cooking Series. Everything you need to know about building, buying, financing, remodeling, decorating or landscaping is all here.” 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission $8 adults; Seniors $6, youth 6 to 16, $5 and children under 6, free. For more information call 866-295-6438.

AWS at the Portland Children’s Museum 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Join the Animal Welfare Society of West Kennebunk Humane Educator and a shelter pet at the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine on Free Street in Portland for a hands-on program about animal care and handling from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Meet some great animals and learn about Pet Care and Handling. The Children’s Museum is at 142 Free St., Portland. 828-1234. For more information, call Animal Welfare Society (www.animalwelfaresociety.org) at 985-3244, ext. 117.

Sunday, Feb. 19 Mardi Gras Breakfast and Open House 11 a.m. “Looking for a delicious breakfast and a vibrant community of people to connect with? Join us for our annual Mardi Gras Breakfast and Open House, 11-12:30 for pancakes, eggs, ham, coffee, juice, etc. Tour our beautiful historic church and meet people from our Irish, African, and Spanish-speaking communities. Suggested donation $5; family $10. Sacred Heart St. Dominic Catholic Church, corners of Sherman and Mellen Sts., Portland.”

Rosemary Miller remembrance 2 p.m. At the University of Southern Maine, the Department of Criminology was “deeply saddened by the passing of Rosemary Miller, the Administrative Assistant for the Department, who retired in June 2011. During her many, many years at USM Rosy always went ‘above and beyond’ to serve the students, faculty and staff.” Rosy’s family is planning a celebration of her life at the Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St., Portland.

Tuesday, Feb. 21 Family February Vacation at the PMA 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. From Feb. 21-23 at the Portland Museum of Art, visit the galleries and experiment with new materials for families to see the museum together, including family guides, cell phone tours, sketching kits, special items in the Café, and more. “On Thursday, bring the family to the Great Hall, where young ballet dancers, like the ones that inspired Degas, will be working at a barre. This will be a unique chance for all ages to sketch from a live model in the tradition of the artists in the exhibition Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist.” Free with museum admission. www. portlandmuseum.org

‘How To Make a Successful Career Transition’ noon to 1 p.m. “Wisdom at Work” weekly professional development series held in February at the Portland Public Library on Tuesdays through Feb. 28. Sponsored by the Portland Public Library, and Portland career counselor Barbara Babkirk and psychologist Amy Wood, Wisdom at Work is a free series of lunchtime professional development workshops designed to help people be happier and more productive in the world of work. Facilitated by local experts ranging from human resource specialists to peak performance coaches, Wisdom at Work workshops attract professionals from every field, job seekers, students, and entrepreneurs. Sessions include: Feb. 21: How To Make a Successful Career Transition, learn the “magic” equation to determining a new career direction and effective strategies to land the job you’re aiming for, with Barbara Babkirk, a Master Career Counselor. Her business, Heart At Work, is based in Portland and offers career counseling and second half of life career transitions as well as customized outplacement services. Feb. 28: Mastering the Beliefs That Drive Your Financial Life: Uncover the counterproductive money beliefs — we all have them — creating stress in your work life, and learn more productive and prosperous ways of thinking about money, with Amy Wood, a Portland and Kennebunk-based psychologist in private practice.

Flatbread benefit for Pine Tree Society 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Flatbread Pizza Company will host a Ben-

efit Night in support of Pine Tree Society on February 21 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the 72 Commercial St. location.

“Between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., Flatbread will donate a portion of all pizza sales to Pine Tree Society, an organization that has been transforming the lives of Maine children and adults with disabilities and their families since 1936.” www. pinetreesociety.org

Foreside Garden Club 7 p.m. The next meeting of the Foreside Garden Club will be held at the Falmouth Public Library. The featured program will be a presentation on houseplants. All are welcome and encourages to attend. FMI call Mimi Hinkel at 829-3578.

Care and Cultivation of Fort Williams Park 7 p.m. Maine Historical Society. Public Parks: Care and Cultivation of Fort Williams Park, Cape Elizabeth. Regarding the Design of the Greater Portland Landscape: Issues in Contemporary Design and Development (Program 1 of 4). “Fort Williams, a town-owned park in Cape Elizabeth, is one of Greater Portland’s gems. A former military base and home to Portland Head Light, one of the most iconic and oft-visited lighthouses in North America, the seaside park is one of the region’s favorite and most heavily-used recreation sites, drawing visitors of diverse interests, incomes, and backgrounds. The cost of maintaining the park and providing access is significant, though. Current initiatives seek to find sustainable funding models, preserve the park’s history, character, and architecture, and to define and provide appropriate visitor amenities.

Efforts to maintain the ruins of the Goddard Mansion, to establish a new arboretum, and to keep access to the park free to individual visitors all reflect evolving ideas about the uses of public landscapes and the values brought to their design. In partnership with Greater Portland Landmarks. Open to the public. Suggested donation: $10 ($5 for MHS/GPL members).” www.mainehistory.org

Wednesday, Feb. 22

nities in conversation about today’s most pressing social issues. For more information visit www.pbs.org/pov.

Thursday, Feb. 23 ‘Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist’ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This winter, the Portland Museum of Art will present the exhibition “Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist,” on view Feb. 23 through May 28, which will feature compelling works from a private collection that have never been exhibited together publicly. “Comprised of more than 100 drawings, prints, pastels, and photographs as well as several sculptures, Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist will provide an insightful exploration into the oeuvre of one of the most skilled and complex artists in history, and grant an unprecedented opportunity to view an impressive private collection formed during the course of 40 years.” The museum is located at Seven Congress Square in downtown Portland. Hours are: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday. For more information, call 7756148 or visit portlandmuseum.org.

Portland Society of Architects annual meeting 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Portland Society of Architects annual meeting at the Portland Public Library, Rines Auditorium. “This year’s Annual Meeting will again be held at the amazing ‘New’ Portland Public Library. Members will gather to socialize downstairs in the Lewis Gallery, and later convene to the Rines Auditorium for the PSA Business Meeting featuring His Honor, Portland Mayor Michael Brennan as the keynote.” The exhibit in the Lewis Gallery will be a “Visual Poetry Painting Show” displaying submissions by a number of local galleries. This is a free members only event.

Portland Society of Architects is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 2006 to promote the progress and economic development of Greater Portland by encouraging innovation and vision in design and planning.

‘Child of Hope’ film screening Ash Wednesday at St. Ansgar Lutheran Church noon to 1 p.m. Ash Wednesday “Walk-ins Welcome” at St. Ansgar Lutheran Church in Portland, 515 Woodford St. (at Rosemont corner). “All are welcome to St. Ansgar in Portland (regardless of denomination) to say a brief prayer and then be imposed with ashes. People are free to stay the entire hour, or come in for a few minutes during their lunch hour. At 7 p.m. that night, there will be a more formal service with ashes and Holy Communion. St. Ansgar (saintansgar.blogspot.com/) is one of two Lutheran churches in Maine that welcomes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender believers, otherwise known as a ‘reconciling in Christ’ church (www.lcna.org/ric/about-reconciling-in-christ).”

‘1812: The Navy’s War’ noon to 1 p.m. George Daughan to speak about his new book “1812: The Navy’s War” at the Portland Public Library.

Daughan speaks about his new book at the Brown Bag Lecture Series at the Portland Public Library. The lecture will be held in the Rines Auditorium. “In the book, Daughan illustrates the conflict between the United States and Great Britain that changed the shape of the world. On the eve of its bicentennial, award-winning author and historian George C. Daughan offers a comprehensive history of the War of 1812 in his new book. ... Arguing that it’s impossible to fully understand the war without an appreciation of the American Navy’s role, Daughan vividly reveals how the war was waged — and won — on the high seas. According to Daughan, ‘The U.S. Navy’s role in bringing about Britain’s newfound respect for the United States was critical.’”

Labyrinth Walk 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 is observation of Ash Wednesday.

Allow about 30 minutes. All are welcome. FMI 772-7421.

‘The Learning’ screening 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. “The Learning,” at the Portland Public Library. The Portland Public Library announces its Winter Documentary Film Series, to be held Wednesday’s throughout the winter from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Rines Auditorium at the Main Library. Dates for the series are: Feb. 22 and Feb. 29, and March 7, March 21 and March 28. This series is made possible by a partnership between the Portland Public Library and POV (Point of View), Public Television’s premier documentary series. Films are offered free to the public and facilitated group discussions will be offered after select showings. The award-winning POV series is the longest-running showcase on American television to feature the work of today’s best independent documentary filmmakers. POV has brought more than 300 acclaimed documentaries to millions nationwide and has a Webby Award-winning online series, POV’s Borders. Since 1988, POV has pioneered the art of presentation and outreach using independent nonfiction media to build new commu-

7 p.m. Fur Cultural Revival (part of The Darfur Community Center of Maine) presents Mia Farrow in the documentary film “Child of Hope” at the Meg Perry Center, 644 Congress St., Portland. This film showing is free and the public is encouraged to attend. “This short film (10 minutes long) documents the ongoing Genocide in Sudan, and features actor and activist Mia Farrow. This film will be followed by an update on the Genocide in Sudan by local Darfuri activist and lecturer El-Fadel Arbab and a question and answer period. Snacks and beverages will be served. “This film is a part of a series of rallies, lectures, and films taking place on the 23rd of each month in Portland, Maine and sponsored by Fur Cultural Revival. July 23 is the anniversary of the U.S. Congress’ declaration of Sudan as a Genocide.

On July 23 of 2011, Fur Cultural Revival sponsored the first national Peace in Sudan Rally held in front of The White House in Washington, D.C.” For further information, please contact El-Fadel Arbab at-221-5197 or email him at elfadelfcr@gmail.com.

2012 Oscar-nominated short films 7 p.m. SPACE Gallery presents Oscar-nominated short films on Thursday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 25. Animation: Thursday, Feb. 23; Live Action: Saturday, Feb. 25. 538 Congress St., Portland. 828-5600. Doors open at 7 p.m., films begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission $8, $6 for SPACE members. Co-presented by Shorts International and Magnolia Pictures.

Friday, Feb. 24 June O’Donal at the Portland Public Library noon to 1 p.m. June O’Donal, author of “The Fryeburg Chronicles.” The Friday Local Author Series is held from noon to 1 p.m. in the Main Library’s Meeting Room 5. Portland Public Library. “The Fryeburg Chronicles are a series of family-friendly, historical fiction weaving strands of American history, events and characters of Fryeburg, Maine with the story of the fictional Miller family. In Book I The Amazing Grace you will meet James and Sarah Miller and their three teenage sons, Micah, Benjamin and Ethan, who are early settlers of Fryeburg and use their Yankee ingenuity and determination to survive the challenges of life in rural New England. Fryeburg learns of the events in Boston during the American Revolution through the letters of Sarah’s two childhood friends, Elizabeth Peabody and Abigail Adams. As the Millers are coping with the death of their only daughter and sister, they take in Grace Peabody, a spoiled, wealthy orphan from Boston.” June O’Donal believes the best way to learn history is not through text books but through “Living Books” — biographies, autobiographies and historical fiction. She lives with her husband and two children in Denmark, Maine. see next page

Page 16 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Thursday, February 16, 2012

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EVENTS CALENDAR––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– desire unites them, but their journey — in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero — brings heartache and torment. From Havana to New York, Paris, Hollywood, and Las Vegas, two passionate individuals battle impossible odds to unite in music and love.”

from preceding page

‘Meet Your Farmers and Fishermen’ 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. “Meet Your Farmers and Fishermen: a celebration of Community Supported Agriculture and Fisheries” will take place the weekend of February 24-26 at the following days, times and locations: Auburn: Auburn Public Library, 49 Spring St., Friday, Feb. 24, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Augusta: Viles Arboretum, 153 Hospital St., Friday, Feb. 24, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Bangor: day/time/location TBD. Belfast: Unitarian Universalist Church, 37 Miller St., Sunday, Feb. 26, 1-3 p.m. Brunswick: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 27 Pleasant St., Saturday, Feb. 25, 1-3 p.m. Ellsworth: day/time/ location TBD. Farmington: West Farmington Grange, Bridge St., Saturday, Feb. 25, 9 a.m.-noon. Hallowell: St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 20 Union St., Sunday, Feb. 26, 1-4 p.m. Newcastle: Lincoln Academy, 81 Academy Hill, Saturday, March 3, 5-7 p.m. (FARMS Fundraising Dinner). Norway: Fare Share Commons, 443 Main St., day/ time TBD. Portland: Woodfords Congregational Church, 202 Woodford St., Sunday Feb. 26, 1-4 p.m. Rockland: First Universalist Church, 345 Broadway, Sunday February 26th, 1-3 p.m. Skowhegan: The Pickup at the Somerset Gristmill, day/time TBD. Springvale: Anderson Learning Center, 21 Bradeen St, Sunday, Feb. 26, 1-3 p.m.

Waterville: Barrels Market, 74 Main St., Saturday, Feb. 25, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. “The event is co-sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association and local organizations at each site. Admission to this event is free. Each location will have it’s own local ‘flavor.’ Additional highlights of the event to look forward to include: local produce & other products from the farm available for sale, light refreshments featuring local seasonal foods, live entertainment and more!” For more information, contact

Free acrylic painting demo 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. “Gallery owner David Marshall, one of Portland’s best known local artists, will be offering a demonstration of acrylic painting techniques and color mixing. Bring your own supplies and paint with Dave, or just sit back and enjoy!” Free acrylic painting and color mixing demonstration. Constellation Gallery, 511 Congress St.

‘The Birthday Party’ by Acorn

On Friday, Feb. 24, June O’Donal, author of “The Fryeburg Chronicles,” will appear for the Friday Local Author Series at the Portland Public Library.

The series is held from noon to 1 p.m. in the Main Library’s Meeting Room 5. (COURTESY IMAGE) MOFGA’s Organic Marketing Coordinator Melissa White Pillsbury, 207-568-4142, melissa@mofga.org

‘Chico and Rita’ at the PMA 6:30 p.m. Movies at the Museum, Portland Museum of Art. Friday, Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 25, 2 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 26, 2 p.m. NR. “Set in Cuba, 1948, a gifted songwriter and beautiful singer chase their dreams. Chico is a young piano player and Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic

7:30 p.m. Acorn Productions, a nonprofit company based in the Dana Warp Mill in downtown Westbrook, continues off its second season of Studio Series presentations with Harold Pinter’s first full-length play “The Birthday Party.” Long-time Acorn collaborator and veteran theater artist Michael Howard directs an ensemble of six actors in a production that will be staged in a modified arena set-up in the Acorn Studio Theater. The Birthday Party features Pinter as his most mysterious and electrifying. In the play, Stanley, a boarder away on holiday, is terrorized by two men from his past association with a shadowy organization of questionable repute. Acorn’s production features Equity actor Harlan Baker, company members Joshua Brassard, Joe Quinn and Jeffrey Roberts, along with guest artists Elizabeth Guest, and Kat Moraros.

The show runs from Feb. 24 through March 11, with performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, and may be purchased on-line at www.acorn-productions.org or by calling 854-0065.

‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ 8 p.m. A new musical based on the 1988 film. Watch as con man Lawrence takes the less sophisticated grifter Freddy under his wing, though not necessarily out of the goodness of his heart ... hilarity ensues.” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” runs Feb. 24 to March 10 at Lyric Music Theater, 176 Sawyer St., South Portland. Visit www.lyricmusictheater.org

Saturday, Feb. 25 Dog Adoption Day in Portland 9 a.m. It’s “Adopt Day” at Happy Tails Training Center, 119 Bishop St., Portland.

The Animal Welfare Society will have a table from 9 a.m. to noon with information about the shelter; adoptable dogs will stop by for a biscuit. Noon to 2 p.m. will feature the indoor dog park. All dog park dogs need to be spayed or nurtured, up to date with all vaccinations, and have proof of them at the door. Owners will need to stay in the building with their dogs at all times. Balls and agility equipment will be out for the dogs to play with. For more information, call Happy Tails at 797-2488 (www.happytailsportland. com).

Longfellow’s Birthday Party 10 a.m. Longfellow’s Birthday Party, celebrate Longfellow’s 205th birthday, with Maine Historical Society. “Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a commanding figure in the cultural life of nineteenth-century America. Born in Portland, Maine, in 1807, he became a national literary figure by the 1850s, and a world- famous personality by the time of his death in 1882.”

Special guests will read Longfellow’s poetry, and there will be craft activities, prizes, cake, and a birthday card for Henry for everyone to sign. Fun for all ages! This event is free and open to the public. http:// www.mainehistory.org

Adoptable Dogs in South Portland 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join the Animal Welfare

Society Mobile Adoption Team and visit with some adoptable canines at the Pet Life at Mill Creek, 50 Market St., South Portland from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call Animal Welfare Society at 985-3244 (www.animalwelfaresociety.org) or the Pet Life at 799-7282 (http://petlifestores.com).

Sunday, Feb. 26 Maine Democratic caucus 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Democrats in every town and city across Maine will caucus beginning at any time between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. “The official business of the caucus shall be to elect delegates and alternates to the 2012 Democratic State Convention and to transact other business.” The Portland caucus will take place at 1 p.m. at the Ocean Gateway terminal. www.mainedems.org/caucus.html

Meet Your Farmers and Fishermen 1 p.m. Meet Your Farmers and Fishermen: A celebration of Community Supported Agriculture and Fisheries in the Portland Area. “Attend a Community Supported Agriculture Fair in the Portland area and learn about CSAs, become acquainted with local seasonal foods, buy a share in a farm’s weekly harvest, and discover how you can grow a relationship with a Maine farm. Additional highlights of the event to look forward to include: local produce & other products from the farm available for sale, light refreshments featuring local seasonal foods, live entertainment and more!”

Organizations involved include The Portland Food Co-op, Local Sprouts, Slow Food Portland. 202 Woodford St., Portland.

Monday, Feb. 27 ‘Tarahumara— Running Out of Time’ 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Film screening at the Meg Perry Center, 644 Congress St., Portland.

Peace Action Maine will present a screening of “Tarahumara — Running Out of Time.”

Tuesday, Feb. 28 ‘Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World’ 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. “For six months in 1919 after the end of ‘the war to end all wars,’the Big Three — President Woodrow Wilson, British prime minister David Lloyd George, and French premier Georges Clemenceau — met in Paris to shape a permanent peace. In this significant work of narrative history, Margaret MacMillan gives a vivid and intimate view of those crucial days, which saw new political entities — Iraq, Yugoslavia, and Palestine, among them — born out of the remnants of bankrupt empires, and the borders of the modern world redrawn. The multiple awardwinning book, ‘Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World,’ will be discussed in three weekly evening sessions, each focusing on a different aspect of the book. Discussions will be held on Tuesday evenings, Feb. 28, March 6 and March 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Copies of the book are available to borrow at the Kennebunk Free Library. In an effort to include our commuter friends, this book will be available to borrow in audio CD format. The book may also be purchased as an E-book, available from Google Books for $13.99.”

Open house for TIP 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Open house for those interested in meeting current volunteers and hearing from some of the first responders assisted in Portland and surrounding areas by the Trauma Intervention Program in Portland. TIP Portland Maine Chapter, Community Counseling Center, 165 Lancaster St. Leslie Skillin-Calder, 553-9311 or skilll@commcc.org.