The Portland Daily Sun, Friday, March 2, 2012

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012

Land of the lost candidates See Bob Higgins, page 4

Bibi vs.

Obama

VOL. 4 NO. 21

PORTLAND, ME

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Commercial burglaries clustering in Old Port Historical data used to warn businesses — Page 6

Record snowfall; ski areas rejoice — Page 8

See Pat Buchanan, page 5

The First Friday Art Walk opening of Madness Immemorial: A Tribute to H.P. Lovecraft, with artwork by Brandon Kawashima and Michelle Souliere, is at The Green Hand Bookshop.

First Friday Art Walk See Events Calendar, page 14 A plow truck clears Baxter Boulevard Thursday in a storm that set a daily record in Portland. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTO)

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Like totally ahead of the linguistic curve (NY Times) — Whether it be uptalk (pronouncing statements as if they were questions? Like this?), creating slang words or the incessant use of “like” as a conversation filler, vocal trends associated with young women are often seen as markers of immaturity or even stupidity.

But linguists — many of whom once promoted theories consistent with that attitude — now say such thinking is outmoded. Girls and women in their teens and 20s deserve credit for pioneering vocal trends and popular slang, they say, adding that young women use these embellishments in much more sophisticated ways than people tend to realize.

“A lot of these really flamboyant things you hear are cute, and girls are supposed to be cute,” said Penny Eckert, a professor of linguistics at Stanford University. “But they’re not just using them because they’re girls. They’re using them to achieve some kind of interactional and stylistic end.”

The latest linguistic curiosity to emerge from the petri dish of girl culture gained a burst of public recognition in December, when researchers from Long Island University published a paper about it in The Journal of Voice.

Working with what they acknowledged was a very small sample — recorded speech from 34 women ages 18 to 25 — the professors said they had found evidence of a new trend among female college students: a guttural fluttering of the vocal cords they called “vocal fry.”

A classic example of vocal fry, best described as a raspy or croaking sound injected (usually) at the end of a sentence, can be heard when Mae West says, “Why don’t you come up sometime and see me,” or, more recently on television, when Maya Rudolph mimics Maya Angelou on “Saturday Night Live.”

Not surprisingly, gadflies in cyberspace were quick to pounce on the study — or, more specifically, on the girls and women who are frying their words. “Are they trying to sound like Kesha or Britney Spears?” teased The Huffington Post, naming two pop stars who employ vocal fry while singing, although the study made no mention of them. “Very interesteeeaaaaaaaaang,” said Gawker.com, mocking the lazy, drawn-out affect.

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Reserve North Korea agrees Federal chairman sees to curb nuclear work modest growth WASHINGTON (NY Times) — North Korea announced on Wednesday that it would suspend nuclear weapons tests and uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors to monitor activities at its main nuclear complex, a step that raised the possibility of ending a diplomatic impasse that has allowed the country’s nuclear program to continue with no international oversight for years.

Although the Obama administration called the steps “important, if limited,” they nonetheless signaled that the country’s new leader, Kim Jongun, is at least willing to engage with the United States, which pledged in exchange to ship tons of food aid to the isolated, impoverished nation.

The United States and other nations have been watching closely to see whether Kim’s rise to power

would alter the country’s behavior following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, late last year.

North Korea also agreed on a moratorium on launchings of long-range missiles, which have in the past raised military tensions in the region, but joint statements released by the State Department and North Korea’s official news agency omitted direct references to relations with South Korea, which remain tense.

North Korea has agreed in the past to halt its nuclear program only to back out, demanding more concessions or accusing the United States of reneging on its obligations. And the statement Tuesday from the North’s official Korean Central News Agency included a caveat, saying the country would carry out the agreement only “as long as talks proceed fruitfully.”

Syria moves forces around besieged area in Homs BEIRUT, Lebanon (NY Times) — The Syrian military tightened its deadly vise on a besieged neighborhood of Homs on Wednesday, pounding the area from four sides with mortar and rocket fire, moving new tanks into the vicinity, and raising fears of possible preparations for a ground assault, activists in the city said.

Communication with those in the Baba Amr neighborhood, the epicenter of a government bombardment that has lasted more than three weeks, was severed for several hours, and there were

conflicting reports throughout the day over whether the longexpected assault on the area had already begun. But a few activists in the city reported that there was no invasion.

Fear of a final assault had been reinforced by the sudden disappearance of checkpoints around the city. But activists later speculated that the checkpoints might have been moved as a precaution when the tanks moved in closer and intensified their fire, said Omar Idlib, a Lebanon-based activist with the Local Coordinating Com-

mittees, an opposition group.

Tank reinforcements had rumbled into the area around Baba Amr overnight from the Damascus highway, activists said.

“It was a very aggressive attack on Baba Amr today,” Mulham al-Jundi, an activist who was in a nearby neighborhood, said Wednesday. He said he doubted the army would try to enter Baba Amr with tanks.

“I don’t think they want to enter it anyway; they want to destroy it completely by shelling it from adjacent villages and neighborhoods.”

WASHINGTON (NY Times) — The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, said on Wednesday that the Fed retained its modest expectations for the American economy this year, despite some evidence of stronger growth.

Bernanke told the House Committee on Financial Services, that the recent rise in oil prices had not affected the Fed’s view that the economy would expand from 2.2 to 2.7 percent this year, about the same rate as during the second half of last year.

He acknowledged that higher oil prices were “likely to push up inflation temporarily while reducing consumers’ purchasing power.” But the Fed expects the overall pace of increases in prices and wages to remain “subdued,” Bernanke said.

Some economists see evidence that the pace of growth is increasing. The Bureau of Economic Analysis said Wednesday morning that the economy expanded at an annual rate of 3 percent during the last three months of 2011, somewhat higher than its initial estimate of 2.8 percent.

The unemployment rate has declined to 8.3 percent in January from 9.1 percent last July.

But the Fed has remained cautious, and Mr. Bernanke reiterated Wednesday a familiar list of reasons for that stance, including the depressed condition of the housing market and continued economic turbulence in Europe.

The Fed also has overestimated the pace of recovery several times in recent years.

“The recovery of the U.S. economy continues, but the pace of expansion has been uneven and modest by historical standards,” Bernanke said.

Storm system crushes Midwestern towns KANSAS CITY, Mo. (NY Times) — A powerful storm system tore through parts of the Midwest on Wednesday, killing at least nine people and leaving pockets of devastation across several states, marking the acceleration of another deadly tornado season.

Howling winds tore off roofs, downed power lines, tossed mobile homes and sent people to the hospital from Kansas to Kentucky. The storm system continued to cause

problems as it pushed farther east and north.

The damage appeared to be most significant in Harrisburg, a small city in southern Illinois, where at least six people were killed in the storm, according to a spokesman for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. Blocks of houses and businesses were reduced to rubble.

“Everything in the path was completely wiped out, just destroyed,” said Nick

Sumner, who ran for cover after waking to tornado sirens.

“It’s indescribable,” he added. “It’s surreal. Nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s something you’d see on a movie. Complete devastation.”

The storm system, which originated from the Rocky Mountains, also killed at least three people in southern Missouri, according to state officials.

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In Illinois, a curfew lifts and a tornado’s devastation sinks in that was torn apart — about 100 more were injured, some gravely, sheriff’s officials said.

The tornado, gauged preliminarily as having wind speeds around 170 miles per hour, touched down here around 5 a.m. Wednesday, moving swiftly and cutting a path that city officials have described as several hundred yards wide. Warning sirens had gone off here, and some residents described waking even before the sirens to text messages with warnings from local authorities.

The pre-dawn timing of the storm was a double-edged sword: thankfully, officials here said, few people were on the roads at such an early hour or inside the dozens of businesses that were crushed; sadly, though, others may have been asleep and never heard the warnings at all.

“I was barely awake,” said Diana Turner, 62, who heard the sirens, got up, and almost instantly found herself buried inside her trailer. “I just kept hollering, and I could hear my husband hollering from where he was buried. I finally felt some air rushing in, and crawled toward that. I don’t know how I got out.”

Ms. Turner’s husband emerged, too, to a world of flashing emergency vehicle lights, power lines all around, and what was left of the trailer’s bedroom perched, 20 feet up, in a tree.

“After the sirens went off, there was a cracking sound, then everything lit up pretty as could be and my place just exploded around me,” Charles Turner, 71, recalled, tears pooling in his eyes. “Everything went black, and I thought that was it, I was done.”

Mr. Turner was treated at a local

BY MONICA DAVEY AND A.G. SULZBERGER THE NEW YORK TIMES

HARRISBURG, Ill. — As a curfew lifted on Thursday morning in this small, battered city, the scope of destruction from a powerful tornado a day earlier began to sink in.

Residents sifted through piles of debris where their houses had stood in search of photo albums, prescription bottles, prom dresses, anything. A strip mall sat crumpled, only parts of signs left to hint at what it had been.

And word began spreading about the identities of six people who died here in Harrisburg, a community of about 9,000 where most people know one another.

“I’ve heard three names so far, and I knew them all,” said Dave Bramlet, 49, who said he considered himself fortunate even as he surveyed a commercial building he owned where pieces of the roof were stripped away, a nearby garage vanished and a giant crack ran down one brick wall. “That’s what it’s like in a place like this. No one’s not going to know them. It’s hit us all.”

The devastation here, in far southern Illinois, may have been the worst in a powerful storm system that tore through parts of the Midwest and South on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people. Tornadoes and strong winds tore off roofs, downed power lines, tossed mobile homes and injured scores of people from Kansas to Kentucky, according to the National Weather Service.

In Harrisburg, in addition to the six people who died — many had been in or near an apartment complex area

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Damaged homes in Harrisburg, Ill., where six people were killed and about 100 injured on Wednesday.

At least six other people in the storms’ paths died. (NEW YORK TIMES/STEVE JAHNKE PHOTO)

hospital and released, but even the local hospital sustained some damage and had to move patients to safety.

Officials said more than 250 homes were damaged here, and that power was out for almost half of the city, but only about a dozen people stayed at a makeshift shelter overnight. More people stayed with family or friends; other residents offered to open their homes even to strangers. Outside the immediate path of the storm — and sometimes just a single house away — little or no damage was visible.

The intense late winter storm system, which resulted from cold air from the Rocky Mountains mixing

with warm air from the Gulf of Mexico, also killed at least three people in southern Missouri, according to state officials. Moving east Wednesday night, storms tore roofs from buildings and flattened trees in eastern Tennessee, leaving at least three people dead.

The sound of warning sirens and the sight of devastation provided unnerving reminders of the fierce unpredictability of the skies in this part of the country. Last year, 550 people were killed by tornadoes, making it the deadliest season in 75 years, according to the National Weather Service.

Page 4 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, March 2, 2012

––––––––––––– COLUMN –––––––––––––

Eastland lore captured over the years Many of us who’ve been around town for a while have worked at the Eastland at one time or another.

Front desk, bellman, wait staff, chef, security, housekeeping. Scratch a lawyer down on Exchange Street and you’ll find that she was a bartender at the Top of the East while she was in law school.

Your accountant’s father was the front doorman who everyone remembers seeing standing out front wearing a black top hat and twirling a silver knobbed cane.

The lady who lives in the apartment upstairs over you worked in housekeeping for thirty-eight years. When you meet her on the stairs she tells you about the time Billy Joel left a beautiful gold watch on his bedside stand and about how he was so thankful when she turned it in to the front desk that he sent her two round-trip plane tickets to New York to see his show at Madison Square Garden.

A favorite uncle had left the Daily Sun watch to him. She and her husColumnist band had the time of their lives she says.

Yes, the Eastland means a lot to a lot of people. It’s good to hear the new owners talking about the big plans they have for the place. It feels like deja vu all over again for us longtime Eastland watchers, to be sure, but these people seem to have the prerequisite amount of energy and vision, so here we go.

Cliff Gallant –––––

see GALLANT page 5

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–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– COLUMN ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Land of the lost candidates In December of 2009, I did a piece for this paper about a new political beast roaming the land.

Using the old journo’s trick of cut and paste, here is a snippet.

“The Maine political landscape is littered with the carcasses of challengers from the last thirty years of Sen. Snowe’s political career. She doesn’t fear them, hears their approach, and has resigned herself to another session of chewing and tearing them asunder.”

“In the end, I too hear the thundering hoof-beats of the approaching herd, this year larger than ever due to the heating up of the political climate. I could try and warn of the approaching herd, but it would make little difference, for in the end, I see yet another field piled high with the bones of those who have tried to unseat Sen. Snowe.”

Little did I know, in this particular instance, the dinosaur unleashed the killer asteroid herself.

Not kidding here, folks. Maine had a huge bolide meteor sighted late Tuesday nght, on track to crush something in Canada.

In Senator Snowe’s announcement that she would not be seeking another term (timed with less than 16 days to the signa-

Bob Higgins –––––

Daily Sun Columnist ture deadline) the entire political landscape of challenger bones has suddenly unzombified itself, ripping careful campaign plans apart.

At the very least, we’re all looking at a chaotic period of two weeks, where up is down, left is right, and candidates who had made their bones years before suddenly find themselves back in the potential spotlight.

So as a service to the reader, I’ll attempt to describe some of the new creatures that will shortly be infesting the political landscape of the Mane races.

First off, there are the amphibians. Any good political story is a fairy tale at best, so we the voters of Mane will be presented with any number of frogs to kiss. Potential princes or princesses, we’re all expected to pucker up and give their hopes and dreams a smooch.

We’ve seen some of them before.

Trust me. They are actually toads in disguise. I’m not even referring

to the good kind of toad, that you could lick to get high. I mean the wart-bearers.

Secondly, there are those wonderful “Sleestacks” from the 1970s.

Rarely seen in the light of day in Maine politics, these are the social media set, the ones who show up for any nightly appearance where they may be able to shake down unsuspecting potential donors for cash. They tend to gather in groups and hiss at their potential opponents a lot.

There are also the rats. Not content to stay on the ship that they suddenly realize is sinking (the campaign they started on), at least a couple have decided to play musical chairs with the race.

If they can’t win the seat they wanted, they want to swap ballot spaces and run for a different seat.

A friend of mine once observed the following, though. If the ship is sinking, maybe the rats have a point.

Then, here come the thunderdumpers. These are the old hands n the land of lost political beasts.

They have smelled the blood of the fresh kill, and are ambling over slowly to kick the minor peasant dinos away from the meaty seat.

They may move slowly, but the see HIGGINS page 5

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, March 2, 2012— Page 5

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

Will Bibi break Obama?

The prime minister of Israel is angry with Barack Obama and is coming here to force a hardening of U.S. policy toward Iran.

“Bibi” Netanyahu had his anger on display at a meeting in Israel with Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham.

McCain emerged saying he had never seen an Israeli prime minister “that unhappy.” “He was angry,” said McCain. “I’ve never seen U.S.-Israel relations at this point.”

“The Israelis are unnerved,” said Graham. “They think the administration is sending the wrong signal, and so do I.” What has so enraged Netanyahu?

The Obama policy of tightening sanctions on Iran while holding out the opportunity for Tehran to negotiate and provide guarantees that its nuclear program is not aimed at an atomic bomb.

The U.S. intelligence community unanimously believes that Iran is some time away, perhaps years, from being able to produce a nuclear weapon and has not made the command decision to build one.

Israel retorts that Iran is entering a “zone of immunity,” when Israel will lack the ability to attack and abort Iran’s nuclear program, as new nuclear sites are being moved underground. Netanyahu’s government is also angry at what it sees as U.S. leaders’ distancing themselves from Israel.

When that fifth Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated and Tehran accused America and Israel of complicity, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denounced the murder, leaving Israel as prime suspect.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta leaked to columnist David Ignatius that Israel might strike Iran in April, May or June, leaving no doubt as to who wants a war, while ex-CIA Direc-

Members of a paramilitary group handed out leaflets recently in Tehran in support of a party that says that religion is more important than democracy.

(Newsha Tavakolian for The New York Times)

Pat Buchanan ––––– Creators Syndicate tor Michael Hayden openly disparages Israel’s capacity to cripple Iran’s nuclear sites: “They only have the ability to make this worse.”

Adm. William Fallon, who headed U.S. Central Command, has been categorical: “No one I am aware of thinks that there is a positive outcome from a military strike” on Iran.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey has called Iran a “rational actor” and told the Israelis that for them to attack Iran now would be “premature,” “destabilizing” and imprudent.

Netanyahu said that Dempsey’s remarks “served Iran” and the general was “unwilling to aid Israel.”

Like Panetta, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said he does not believe that Iran has decided to build a bomb, while National Security Adviser Tom Donilon spent three days in Israel, reportedly arguing against an Israeli attack.

“The Israelis are fuming over what they perceive as deliberate attempts by the Obama administration to undermine the deterrent effect of the Jewish state’s threat to use force against Iran by publicly questioning the timing and utility of such strikes.”

So write Jay Solomon and Carol Lee of The Wall Street Journal.

Netanyahu is coming to Washington, the Journal writers add, to demand that Obama spell out the “red lines” Iran will not be allowed to cross without triggering a U.S. attack.

What Netanyahu wants is a U.S. ultimatum to Iran.

White House sources say that when Obama meets Netanyahu Tuesday, he will reject the prime minister’s demands.

But the pressure to shorten the timetable for war is intense and growing.

Obama will speak Sunday to the annual assembly of the Israeli lobby AIPAC. Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney, all more hawkish than the president, have also been invited to address the conclave.

Three dozen senators have signed on to a resolution declaring it a U.S. “vital national interest” that Iran not possess even a “nuclear weapons capability.”

S.R. 380 reads like a resolution crafted as a casus belli, a cause for war. For South Korea, Brazil and Japan all have a “nuclear weapons capability,” as all have the industrial proficiency and technical know-how to build an atomic bomb, should they chose to do so.

The resolution demands that Iran halt all uranium production and end its ballistic missile program, and

declares “unacceptable” any U.S. policy of containment of an Iran that is capable of building a bomb, even if Iran has decided not to build a bomb.

Containment succeeded with a Soviet Empire with 10,000 nuclear weapons, but is apparently inadequate for dealing with an Iran that has no atom bombs, only the potential to build one.

S.R. 380 points directly toward a U.S. war on Iran.

Who wants that war? Netanyahu, his government, and his allies in U.S. politics and the press, and in a Congress that gave him 29 standing ovations the last time he spoke there.

Who does not want a war?

The White House, the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs, the intelligence community, the antiwar left and Old Right, and millions of Americans who believe a U.S. war on Iran could ignite a sectarian and regional war that could prove catastrophic for the Middle East, the world economy and the United States of America.

(Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of “Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?”)

Idea to consider: If the ship is sinking, maybe the rats have a point HIGGINS from page 4

damage they leave behind them in their wake can be terrifying.

Last off, I can’t help but mention the darwin-fish.

They are the candidates that resemble fish with feet. You can’t quite figure them out, but the obvi-

ous radiation damage from past meteor impacts has so shuffled their dino DNA that they are unrecognizable and unclassifiable by party. Their motto is a simple one. “Evolve or die.”

I thank the Senator for her service, but shudder to think of all the time we’ll be spending in the next few months cleaning up the mess of bones left on the land-

scape. With the arrival of her meteor-like pronouncement Tuesday, an era of politics ended here in Maine.

I just can’t wait until we get to the scene where the monkey sees the monolith.

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

It feels like deja vu all over again for us longtime Eastland watchers GALLANT from page 4

I did two tours myself at the hotel. I was a bellman back when the Tower Suites were added on to the original hotel, and what had been a “sun parlor” was made into the Top of the East. It was a heady time and I was quite impressed with it all. The governor came and officiated at the grand opening. It was all over the news. I felt like a celebrity in my bellman’s vest. A number of years later when I returned to the hotel as shift manager, or floor walker, whichever title you prefer, I wore a jacket and tie and saw a bit more of the inner workings of the hotel ( and of human nature ) than I did as a bellman, but given the choice, I’d take the excitement of being a wideeyed seventeen-year-old bellman any day.

The best Eastland story is the one about Eleanor Roosevelt and her dog, Fala. President’s wife or not, no dogs allowed. So Eleanor and her considerable entourage packed up and trekked up to the Lafayette Hotel, where they were very pleased to welcome Eleanor and Fala. Probably even served up a good bone at meal time.

Most of the stories told about the Eastland are of a more personal nature though. Like having your senior prom in the State of Maine ballroom, or getting engaged at the Top of the East while looking out over the romantic view of the harbor and the twinkling city lights. No way she’s saying no up there, especially after two gin and tonics. Well, ah, that’s not true actually, but at least you’ve got the view going for you.

Whether you worked there or just marked the milestones in your life at the Eastland, the place tends to go deep. The best illustration of that took place a few years ago when under a previous administration the place went belly up and they stopped paying the help but people kept working anyway.

Where else would that happen?

So there you go. There’s no place like the Eastland.

Cheers to the new owners. Stories that will someday be part of a rich past are laying in wait. And of course there will be a wide-eyed bellman taking it all in.

(Cliff Gallant of Portland is a regular columnist for The Portland Daily Sun. Email him at gallant. cliff555@yahoo.com.)

Page 6 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, March 2, 2012

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SUNDAYS 9am-3pm

BY MATTHEW ARCO THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

An Old Port business and a nearby Greek Orthodox church were burglarized this week in what has been the latest of a rash of ongoing break-ins, police said.

On Tuesday, an employee of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, located at 133 Pleasant St., reported a jar filled with money was smashed on the ground, and the cash stolen.

Additionally, a church office was ransacked and more money was stolen from a desk drawer that was pried open, police said.

On the same day and less than a mile away at Dobra Tea and Coffee, 151 Middle St., an employee reported that someone pried open the shop's cash register during the overnight hours and stole money, police said.

These incident are characteristic of commercial burglaries that have been reported to the Portland Police Department in recent weeks.

Individually, they don't amount to too much, according to investigators, who say odd items and small amounts of cash have mostly been what thieves target.

And overall, the number of reported burglaries this year to date are consistent with last year, said Lt. Gary Rogers, head of the department's Criminal Investigation Division.

But the common thread that has caught the attention of investigators is the location of the reported burglaries.

"We're definitely seeing an increase in burglaries in the Old Port," Rogers said. "A lot of the commercial burglaries we've seen are focused in that area."

Rogers explained that it's not uncommon for trends like this to occur, but he said it's prompted officers to educate business

“We’re definitely seeing an increase in burglaries in the Old Port,” said Portland Police Lt. Gary Rogers, head of the department’s Criminal Investigation Division. Here, cruisers are shown in the police garage. (FILE PHOTO)

owners about not only the need to be vigilant, but also about crime statistics and repeat victimization.

It's the job of Lisa Konopka, a certified criminal analyst with Portland police, to pore over the city's crime statistics in an effort to give the department's officers an edge in fighting crime.

Crimes are not always random events, she says.

According to historical data, the odds of a business being burglarized increases if a business located within 100 and 200 feet of it has been burglarized within the last seven days, Konopka said.

"In the first seven days (after the initial incident), they are more likely to be hit than they were if their neighbor was not burglarized," she said.

The department's new way of using historical data has prompted police to hand out fliers to Old Port business owners in

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recent weeks, police said.

Rogers said the fliers were distributed to tell businesses to take precautions, and to alert them of crime trends.

Konopka's work with historical data goes back more than a year ago when she compiled an analysis of residential and commercial burglaries.

"The whole point of the project was to have officers be informed that when they have victims in their area that they should notify the residents themselves (about repeat victimization), but also notify their neighbors — which we weren't doing," Konopka said.

Anyone with information on a commercial burglary in the city is asked to contact the Portland Police Department at 874-8533 or text an anonymous tip from a mobile phone using keyword "GOTCHA" plus the message to 274637 (CRIMES).

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, March 2, 2012— Page 7

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– MUSIC CALENDAR ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Whitcomb) is a tight, well-oiled machine — of brutality. Boston’s Phantom Glue (Teenage Disco Bloodbath records) grind out raw, grungy riffs. The local boys of Death Cloud aim for heavy — and succeed. http://www.space538. org/events.php

Friday, March 2 Tricky Britches at Local Sprouts Cafe 7 p.m. Portland’s Tricky Britches at Local Sprouts Cafe. From their roots of playing heel-stomping old-time fiddle tunes they have progressed into a fusion of classic bluegrass, country, and folk rock. The band consists of Tyler Lienhardt on Fiddle, Seth Doyle on Mandolin, Jed Bresette on bass, Ryan “Bear” Wilkinson on banjo, and Nick Wallace on guitar. http:// www.facebook.com/trickybritchespage

Saturday, March 10 The Polish Ambassador at Port City Music Hall 8 p.m. The Polish Ambassador at Port City Music Hall. Carbon Vapor presents The Polish Ambassador w/ Stephan Jacobs and Of the Trees at Port City Music Hall. Also, Alpha Data has been added to the lineup. www. portcitymusichall.com

John Eddie CD Release Party

8:30 p.m. John Eddie CD Release Party at Empire Dine and Dance.

John’s always been a great songGlen Templeton writer; now he’s an even better one. During his tenure at Sony, at Empire Dine and Dance and later Elektra, his perennial Portland band Tricky Britches has recorded a new 12-track EP, “Hop on a Train,” at Portland’s own Acadia Recording Company. 8 p.m. Simplicity & Rock On! Next Big Thing status got in the In the summer of 2010 the boys successfully toured 13 countries in Europe, over the course of three and a half months. They will Concerts Presents: Glen Temway of the truth of the matter he perform tonight at Local Sprouts Cafe in Portland. (COURTESY PHOTO) pleton at Empire Dine and had already arrived. All you had to Dance. “I’m not sure I chose Portland. Imagine a band with slap upright rockabilly bass, do was tune out the din of hype and listen. His material was country music, in a way it kind of chose me,” explains Brian Setzer on lead guitar, Johnny Cash playing flattop, unfailingly clever, often funny, alternately foot-stomping and Glen Templeton, one of Country Music’s most promissinging original songs that were the result of an all night heartbreaking. After John went on his own and launched ing up and coming stars. “I probably had ten or eleven songwriting session between Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and Thrill Show Recordings, the more stripped-down sound of jobs from the time I got out of high school until the time I David Lynch. High energy roots rock and roll with witty, wry, his subsequent albums made his gifts much more apparfinally moved to Nashville and I think I was probably fired darkly humorous lyrics. ent. www.facebook.com/portlandempire?ref=ts ten or eleven times too!” says Templeton. www.glentemThe Black Keys with Arctic Monkeys pleton.com/about 7:30 p.m.

SOLD OUT. The State Theatre presents The Saturday, March 3 Black Keys with special guests Arctic Monkeys at the CumMonday, March 12 berland County Civic Center. $45 General Admission www. theciviccenter.com or www.statetheatreportland.com Jane’s Addiction at the State Sourvein, Meatsaw, Finisher and Paige Turner 7 p.m. SOLD OUT. The alternative rock pioneers — front9 p.m. Sourvein, Meatsaw, Finisher and Paige Turner at man Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro and drummer Friday, March 9 Geno’s, 625 Congress St. Meatsaw, stoner/punk. We play Stephen Perkins, along with Chris Chaney on bass — are our own premium blend of punk rock and “stoner” rock. poised to deliver an immersive theatrical experience as only From Cliff Island, N.H. http://www.facebook.com/pages/ they can. www.statetheatreportland.com Enter The Haggis Genos-Rock-Club/106415422773796 8 p.m.

Five albums and a decade on the road have seen Melissa Ferrick and Audrey Ryan Enter The Haggis evolve 8:30 p.m. Melissa Ferrick and Audrey Ryan at Empire Dine from wildly popular local and Dance. Singer/songwriter Melissa Ferrick emerged in band to established inter1994 as part of a group of new female alternative singer/ national touring act. The songwriters, much in the vein of Liz Phair. Ferrick began Toronto roots rock band will singing in coffeehouses after dropping out of college, evenplay Port City Music Hall, tually winding up in Boston. Her major breakthrough arrived $15 Advance/$20 at door; one night when she replaced Morrissey’s opening act www.portcitymusichall.com less than an hour before showtime. Ferrick’s performance impressed Morrissey and he invited her to open for him during the rest of the tour. “Ryan is an intriguing new singer.

She grew up in Bar Harbor, Maine; studied at the Sydney Music Conservatory in Australia; and now lives in Boston.

She is a jazz-pop artist whose influences would appear to range from Joni Mitchell to Edie Brickell. And she has a high-pitched voice with original phrasing and backup that includes her own impressively syncopated work on electric, acoustic, and classical guitars, as well as her standout violin lines, which lift a song when you least expect it. — Boston Globe. www.facebook.com/portlandempire?ref=ts

Sunday, March 4 Vancouver Chamber Choir at Merrill 3 p.m. Portland Ovations will present the Vancouver Chamber Choir at Merrill Auditorium for an afternoon concert.

“Canada’s foremost vocal ensemble for more than 40 years, the Vancouver Chamber Choir is internationally renowned for the depth and range of its repertoire, interpretive skills, and performing excellence.” Ovations Offstage offers a preperformance lecture, “Considering Choral Arts” at 2 p.m. in the Rehearsal Hall at Merrill Auditorium with Bob Russell, Music Director of the Choral Arts Society. Tickets for the Vancouver Chamber Choir are $34 for Ovations’ Members, $38 for the general public and a limited amount of $10 student tickets are also available. To purchase tickets, contact PortTix at 842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium. Tickets are also available online at www.portlandovations.org.

Tuesday, March 6 Pete Witham & The Cozmik Zombies 7 p.m. Pete Witham & The Cozmik Zombies will play a set at Asylum for WCYY’s The Black Keys Preshow Party. Pete & The Zombies is a rockabilly/twisted Americana band from

The Fogcutters

8 p.m. The Fogcutters at Empire Dine and Dance. The Fogcutters are a 21-piece big band with a fresh approach to a traditional style of music that incorporates modern sounds and a melting pot of musical styles. The band plays standard big band repertoire but isn’t afraid to cross into uncharted territories, and the band is proud to back the lush and soulful vocal stylings of Stephanie Davis and Phil Divinsky. Boasting 13 horns, a rockin’ rhythm section and two of Portland’s brightest voices, it’s hard not to love The Fogcutters style and energy. www.facebook. com/portlandempire?ref=ts

Waranimal, others at SPACE Gallery 8:30 p.m. Waranimal, Barnburner, Sylvia, Phantom Glue, Death Cloud at SPACE Gallery. $8, 18 plus. Tickets at SPACE or at all Bull Moose locations. Are you in the mood for metal? Party vikings Waranimal appear out of the mists of time with one mission only: to shred.

Montreal’s Barnburner blaze a path of destruction from the north. Sylvia (members ex-Cult Maze, Ocean,

Page 8 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, March 2, 2012

Snow falls in Portland, and the ski areas rejoice ‘Snow in the backyard means more skiers’

BY CASEY CONLEY THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

There’s an old saying in ski towns across New England that snow in the backyard draws skiers to the slopes.

And after yesterday’s storm, which dropped nearly a foot of snow in Portland and surrounding towns, ski resorts that have suffered through an unusually warm and dry season could see a late-season boost.

“Snow in the backyard means more skiers,” said Ethan Austin, a spokesperson for Sugarloaf ski area, in Carrabassett Valley. “It always has and I think it always will. Hopefully this storm puts people back in the mindset that it’s still winter.”

Austin said Sugarloaf is “down a little bit” this season compared to last year, which he attributed to a lousy December.

“We’re starting to catch up. We had a really great February vacation week where we beat our budget pretty significantly every single day for the entire week,” Austin said, adding that the mountain got at least 10 inches from yesterday’s storm and has about 140 trails open.

Prior to yesterday’s storm, Portland had received just 29 inches of snow for the season — which is 17 inches less than average. But even those numbers are misleading: more than half of that fell in two storms in October and January.

And after February’s stretch of warm weather (temperatures hit 51 degrees two weeks ago), there hasn’t been considerable snow on the Peninsula in weeks. There’s been even less snow this winter in Boston, which is considered another crucial market for the Maine ski areas.

“I think our day traffic this winter has been off because there is no snow in our markets,” said Robin Zinchuk, executive director of the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, which counts on Sunday River to attract thousands of skiers and snowboarders each winter.

Tyler Whitney catches air. Snow in populated areas can drive traffic to the mountains, officials say. “I think our day traffic this winter has been off because there is no snow in our markets,” said Robin Zinchuk, executive director of the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce. (DAVID CARKHUFF FILE PHOTO)

“I think people get out of the mood,” she said, adding that die-hards still come to the mountain, whereas some fair-weather skiers have decided

to stay home. “It’s hard to convince people there’s snow any place when it’s not in their backyard. But I think (yesterday’s storm) will give us a great

little bump for March.”

Driving from Portland to Bethel recently, Zilchuk said she was “amazed” how little snow there was, especially in cities and towns between Portland and Gray. “There was hardly any snow, and what snow was there was dirty piles of brown snow,” she said.

Darcy Morse, spokesperson for Sunday River, said that the resort is actually having a pretty good season despite some challenging weather.

Skier visits are up, she said, and so are season’s pass sales.

“Mother Nature hasn’t been terrible, in fact she’s been pretty good from the start, but we have been doing a lot of snow-making and using natural snow where we can fill in,” she said, adding that Sunday River has received seven feet of snow this winter.

Still, other ski areas, including those further south that have received more rain than Sunday River and Sugarloaf, have been fighting the perception all season that either there is no snow, or that the skiing isn’t any good.

Rachel Wilkinson, head of marketing for Shawnee Peak, in Bridgton, said the relative lack of snow caused some people to think the mountain was closing early — something she said wasn’t true.

“Making snow was never an issue, it’s making people aware that ... there is snow here, because there wasn’t snow anywhere,” said Wilkinson, who added that the mountain is down for the year “but not heartbreakingly so.”

She predicted the mountain would be 100 percent open by the weekend.

Austin, at Sugarloaf, predicted there was plenty of skiing left this winter, even though the season got off to a slow start.

“For the Portland area, this is probably a relatively late-season storm,” he said. ‘But for us, this isn’t really late. March and April are historically either the two snowiest, or two of the snowiest months of the year.

“We’re definitely used to the snow in March. But anytime it snows, it helps (draw people to the mountain). But it helps even more when it snows in Portland or Boston,” he added.

Snowstorm sets daily record in Portland; traffic snarled

BY DAVID CARKHUFF THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

Portland logged a daily record for snowfall yesterday, gaining .4 inches prior to midnight, and 9.6 inches of snow between 12:01 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service reported.

The daily record for snowfall was 9.3 inches set in March 1, 2005. At 1 p.m. Thursday, the weather service reported a new record with the 9.6 inches of snow that accumulated for the day in Portland. After presstime, additional snowfall was expected as the storm tapered off.

By Thursday afternoon in Portland, there had been at least 18 car accidents reported, with no injuries, Portland Police Cmdr.

Vern Malloch said. He said the

accidents were spread throughout the city.

Falmouth Fire Chief Howard Rice said the department was kept busy yesterday with fender-benders and other calls, including a vehicle fire when a tractor trailer’s brakes ignited.

“We were really busy this morning, but nothing serious, a couple of minor car accidents,” he said Thursday.

Chris Kimble, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, said the previous high for daily snowfall “was a fairly high record.”

Temperatures today are expected to stay in the low 30s, but Saturday is expected to bring rain, Kimble said.

A van is stuck off Route 1 in Yarmouth Thursday afternoon. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTO)

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, March 2, 2012— Page 9

Pa u lPin kh a m A u to R epa ir NO LONGER AT

B a ck B a y A u to

Now located at 193 Presumpscot St., Portland

B U YIN G L A T E M O D E L C A R S. B O D Y D A M A G E A N D T E C H N IC A L P R O B L E M S O K A Y! (207)756 -4817 30 Years Experience Domestic & Foreign Dependable Auto Repair

ABOVE: Snow plow driver Scott Powell of New Gloucester watches with Capt. Dennis Buhelt of the Falmouth Fire Department as crews extinguish a blaze in Powell’s truck Wednesday night. BELOW: The truck fire occurred on Route 26 in Falmouth. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTOS)

Driver escapes truck fire; engine destroyed

BY DAVID CARKHUFF THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

Snow plow driver Scott Powell of New Gloucester was going to work Wednesday night when smoke began billowing out of the hood of his truck.

His Dodge 250 threequarter ton truck rapidly caught fire, so he quickly pulled into the parking lot of Portland North Truck Center on Route 26 in Falmouth.

“There was smoke coming out from underneath the hood, so I pulled over here, and popped the hood. There were flames.

I turned everything off, and got everything out of the truck that I could,” Powell said.

The flames apparently originated in the engine compartment,

causing heavy damage, said Falmouth Fire Chief Howard Rice.

“It was destroyed, the engine compartment was completely

destroyed,” Rice said.

Rice said Powell was preparing to go out plowing in Wednesday night’s snowstorm.

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

City biking and pedestrian forum postponed to Wednesday, March 14 DAILY SUN STAFF REPORTS City officials postponed Thursday night’s pedestrian and bicycle public forum due to this week’s snowstorm, officials announced yesterday.

The event, which was scheduled to go before the city’s Transportation, Sustainability and Energy Committee, is postponed to Wednesday, March 14 at 6:30 p.m.

The committee is hosting the forum to garner feedback of a draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Chapter proposal developed by city staff.

A final proposal will ultimately be presented to the committee and full city council before being added to the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

The draft proposal would lay the groundwork for bicycle byways, rate city sidewalks and set up a framework for pedestrian and biking transit in Portland.

The postponed forum will be held at the Merrill Rehearsal Hall at Portland City Hall.

Snowe: Amtrak funding defended On the heels of announcing that she would not seek re-election, U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, reported yesterday that she has secured a “critical amendment” that would save the Amtrak Downeaster passenger rail service from a loss of nearly $6 million in federal funding a year.

Snowe said that as a senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, she had introduced an amendment to S.1813, “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21),” the surface transportation authorization bill currently being debated in the U.S. Senate. Snowe’s measure was adopted into Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid’s substitute amendment, which combines each portion of the bill and a number of amendments, she said.

Reid’s substitute amendment must be considered by the full senate and adopted, a press release stated.

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DAILY CROSSWORD TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

by Lynn Johnston

By Holiday Mathis SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

There’s something tangible you want to have by the end of the day. You will narrow your choices and home in on your top priority. You wisely realize that if you chase everything, you get nothing.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21).

There are a certain number of halffinished projects in your past, and you have that in common with many other creative people. Seize today’s opportunity to complete a journey, or at least commit to completing it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). All skills require time, patience and practice to learn. As much as you wish for instantaneous knowledge, the very nature of knowing is that it happens through a process. So relax and get ready to go through all of the steps.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18).

Wanting something else doesn’t lessen the value in what you already have.

Take measures to care for and protect what you have, and you’ll see the great power and opportunity in it.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Checklists will be involved. There’s something wonderful about doing exactly what you expected to be doing. Feeling like you are in control of your time will bring you great happiness.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (March 2).

The next seven weeks represent the end of a cycle, and you’ll celebrate accomplishment and completion. May brings new adventures. Quality time with family and relationship-related events could cause you to change your career trajectory in June. A hobby that has nothing to do with your job will feed your spirit in August. Aries and Libra people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 30, 2, 12, 25 and 40.

by Paul Gilligan

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You may suffer from a kind of urban ennui.

The bustle around you seems like a rerun of yesterday’s drama. Break the pattern by finding reasons to laugh out loud. You’ll probably have to go out of your way.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). No matter what you achieve, however big or small it may be, you don’t forget your roots. You feel gratitude toward the people who have helped you, and you’ll be sure to express it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You tend to concentrate on one thing until you’re sure it’s solved. It’s a bit like your mind is a television show, and you don’t want to change the channel until the end credits roll.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Avoid being so conscious of returning favors that you don’t enjoy the kindness that others are trying to give you. You’re a good person, and your heart is in the right place. All will balance out in the end.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It’s natural that you would want to hold on to certain things for sentimental reasons. However, if you have hundreds of such items, the feeling is diluted. Let go of old possessions, and make way for the new.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Even when you are overwhelmingly happy with a result, you believe there’s always room for improvement. This mindset is what keeps you learning and growing all day long.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Much good comes from your ability to delay gratification. If you catch yourself thinking of the short term, stop and go for a broader perspective. Before committing to an action, ask yourself what it will likely lead to in the long run.

by Jan Eliot

HOROSCOPE

by Chad Carpenter

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, Friday, March 2, 2012

1 6 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 26 29 30 31 33 37 39 41 42 44

ACROSS Famous Flower stalk Edinburgh resident Foolish Healthy Bangkok native Cancels Charitable contribution Ceremony Wild adventure Web spinner Hamster’s home Numbs Give shelter to Grocery store lane Gabor of “Green Acres” Kingdom Concluded Small brook __ tax; buyer’s surcharge Hailed vehicle Just right Adjust a clock

46 Fib 47 City in central Georgia 49 Looks for 51 Unrealistically perfect 54 __ time to time; occasionally 55 Assistants to abbots 56 Arouses from sleep 60 “Sport of Kings” 61 Creative notion 63 Sir __ Newton 64 __ though; albeit 65 Orderly 66 High-IQ group 67 Maroon & ruby 68 Hooting birds 69 Lawn tool

1 2 3 4

DOWN Bedtime for some Burden Powder Intertwine

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 21 23 25 26 27 28 29 32 34 35 36 38 40

Hopelessness Window cover Yarn Lawn tree __ up; blows it Like a harsh grating voice Berate Made of a cereal grain Bleacher levels De Mille or Moorehead Ashen-faced Thin coins Garr or Hatcher Like a go-getter Hardy cabbage Steve or Gracie Baseball great Hank __ Artist Salvador Way out Perishes Satirizes Department store chain

43 Lion’s den 45 Betray, as one’s lover 48 Gambling place 50 Entertained 51 Higher berth 52 Treasure __; valuable cache 53 Greased 54 Italian autos

56 TV’s “Let’s Make a __” 57 Pealed 58 First, second, third or home 59 Mark left after a wound heals 62 Moisture on the morning grass

Yesterday’s Answer

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, March 2, 2012— Page 11

––––––– ALMANAC ––––––– Today is Friday, March 2, the 62nd day of 2012. There are 304 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a game against the New York Knicks, an NBA record that still stands. (Philadelphia won, 169-147.)

On this date: In 1793, the first president of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston, was born near Lexington, Va. In 1836, the Republic of Texas formally declared its independence from Mexico.

In 1861, the state of Texas, having seceded from the Union, was admitted to the Confederacy.

In 1877, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was declared the winner of the 1876 presidential election over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, even though Tilden had won the popular vote.

In 1917, Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship as President Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones-Shafroth Act. In 1932, the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which moved the date of the presidential inauguration from March 4 to January 20, was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification.

In 1939, Roman Catholic Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli (puh-CHEL’-ee) was elected pope on his 63rd birthday; he took the name Pius XII. In 1943, the World War II Battle of the Bismarck Sea began; U.S. and Australian warplanes were able to inflict heavy damage on a Japanese convoy.

In 1951, the East beat the West, 111-94, in the first NBA All-Star Game, which took place at Boston Garden.

In 1972, the United States launched the Pioneer 10 space probe, which flew past Jupiter in late 1973, sending back images and scientific data.

In 1989, representatives from the 12 European Community nations agreed to ban all production of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) by the end of the 20th century.

One year ago: The Supreme Court ruled, 8-1, that a grieving father’s pain over mocking protests at his Marine son’s funeral had to yield to First Amendment protections for free speech in a decision favoring the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. A man armed with a handgun attacked a bus carrying U.S. Air Force troops at Frankfurt airport, killing two airmen before being taken into custody.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor John Cullum is 82.

Author Tom Wolfe is 82. Actress Barbara Luna is 73. Actor Jon Finch is 71. Author John Irving is 70.

Singer Lou Reed is 70. Actress Cassie Yates is 61. Actress Laraine Newman is 60. Former Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., is 59. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is 57. Singer Jay Osmond is 57. Pop musician John Cowsill is 56. Tennis player Kevin Curren is 54. Country singer Larry Stewart (Restless Heart) is 53. Rock singer Jon Bon Jovi is 50.

Blues singer-musician Alvin Youngblood Hart is 49. Actor Daniel Craig is 44. Rock musician Casey (Jimmie’s Chicken Shack) is 36. Rock singer Chris Martin (Coldplay) is 35. Actress Heather McComb is 35. Actress Bryce Dallas Howard is 31. Actor Robert Iler (“The Sopranos”) is 27.

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Ghost Adventures (N)

The Dead Files Å

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Parking

Parking

Parking

Parking

Parking

BRAVO Movie: ›› “Fast & Furious” (2009) Vin Diesel.

Parking

Parking

Movie: ›› “Fast & Furious” (2009) Vin Diesel.

55

HALL Little House on Prairie Little House on Prairie Frasier

56

SYFY WWE Friday Night SmackDown! (N) Å

Merlin (N) Å

Being Human

57

ANIM Infested! Å

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58

HIST American Pickers Å BET

61

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67 68 76

FX

101 Gadgets That Changed the World Å

Movie: ›› “All About the Benjamins” (2002)

60

62

Infested! Å

Tosh.0

Movie: “Star Trek”

Key

Payne

Payne

SPIKE Ink Master “Game On”

Mudcats Å

Movie: ›› “Hitman”

Raymond

Raymond

Payne

Movie: ››› “Shrek 2” (2004) Eddie Murphy

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Raymond

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Ink Master (In Stereo)

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78

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146

TCM Movie: ›››‡ “The Right Stuff” (1983, Docudrama) Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn. Å

DAILY CROSSWORD

BY WAYNE ROBERT WILLIAMS

Frasier

Roast of Larry the Cable Guy Å

UFC: Alves vs. Kampmann (N) (Live) Payne

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Movie: ›› “Video Girl” (2010) Meagan Good.

South Park Tosh.0

TVLND Home Imp. Home Imp. Raymond TBS

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1 6 10 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 24 26 27 29 32 35 36 37 38 40 41 43

ACROSS Uneven haircuts Stitched up Cut, like lumber Divided Asian country Melange Painful throb Venezuelan landmark Amphitheater level August sign Swiss mountain Ridiculed Tirelessly energetic person Overbearing scholar Nursery necessity “Aida” composer Yodeler’s range?

Earl Grey or pekoe Forte Luau wear Adaptation Type of shooter Mythical mariner Dancer Miller

Auction 2001

44 Armchair athlete’s channel 45 Like the old bucket of song 46 If it should happen that 48 Trigonometric function 50 Tell 54 Steals 56 Arctic surface 57 Some French?

58 Redo a column 59 Sore throat relief 62 “Rape of the Lock” poet 63 Ticklish Muppet 64 Composer Blake 65 Designer Schiaparelli 66 Beloved 67 Estate documents

1 2 3

DOWN Scandinavian poet Dear About 1% of the atmosphere

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 23 25 26 28 30 31 32 33 34 36 38

Golly!

Deli slice Daytime TV choice Architectural add-on “Our Town” playwright Nuzzled Inferior, shiny fabric LSD experiences Exclamation of exultation Excessive studier Didn’t sink Portentous bird Commercials, in brief Agricultural laborer According to Over one’s head Pakistan neighbor Furthermore “Star Wars” princess Firing notices Sovereign Cyrus or Vivian

39 Back of the bus.

42 Meaty beverage 44 Subsurface shocker 46 Boot cushion 47 Ranked in a tournament 49 Rainbow-shaped 51 Unburnt brick 52 Not so hot

53 Snaking curves 54 First name in cartoon skunks 55 False god 56 Frankenstein’s flunky 60 Thurman of “Pulp Fiction” 61 Regret with bitterness

Yesterday’s Answer

THE

Page 12 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, March 2, 2012

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In The Classifieds

—

THE

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, March 2, 2012— Page 13

CLASSIFIEDS PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

For some web users, an eye blink is too long

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Arvind Jain, a Google engineer, pointed out the loading speed of individual elements of a website on a test application used to check efficiency, at Google offices in Mountain View, Calif. (NY TIMES/PETR DASILVIA PHOTO)

BY STEVE LOHR THE NEW YORK TIMES

ANNIE’S MAILBOX Dear Annie: Our son’s first marriage ended in divorce 10 years ago. From that union, we have a wonderful 13-year-old grandson.

Our ex-daughter-in-law, “June,” remarried quickly, and that marriage failed about 18 months ago. Apparently, she used our names as a credit reference, because we’ve been getting calls from several collection agencies asking for June by her most recent married name. After the first call, I told the agency I would not give out her phone number but would have June call them. I sent her a letter with the pertinent information. She phoned and said I should tell these callers I don’t know her.

Lately, I’ve responded to these agencies by saying June hasn’t been in the family for 10 years and I don’t know how to reach her. Lying isn’t my normal operating procedure, but in this instance, it seems the safest. I don’t know what type of retribution there would be for our son, our grandson or us if June thought we turned her in. The calls are getting more frequent, and we’re tired of them. What do you suggest? -Ex-In-Laws Dear In-Laws: There are laws in place to prevent harassment of third parties by collection agencies. Keep in mind, however, that if the collection agencies have reason to believe you are lying to them about June’s location, you might not have much recourse in getting them to stop. But please report any problems you have with a debt collector to your state attorney general’s office and the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov).

Dear Annie: My husband recently retired, but I still work full time at an office. My problem? My husband does not feel he should have to help me in any way with the household chores. He absolutely refuses.

I have asked him numerous times to please put dinner on

before I get home from work, but it falls on deaf ears. I might add that he’s an excellent cook when he is so inclined. A number of his friends are also retired, and they joke among themselves about how domesticated they have become around the house, but my husband just won’t budge. I even mow the lawn in the summer and shovel the snow in winter.

I may as well be living on my own. I’m not getting any younger and am simply too tired to keep up with everything along with my full-time job. All I ask is that he take over a couple of chores so I can have a little downtime on the weekends. Is this too much to ask? Don’t suggest a housekeeper.

He would never allow it. Nor would he ever go for counseling. -- Tired and Worn Out in Canada Dear Tired: Might your husband be depressed since retiring? It is not uncommon and could explain his lethargy and intransigence. But you should not be exhausted because he cannot or will not help out. If you are earning enough to hire housekeeping help, we recommend you do so whether he approves or not. You also could minimize your efforts around the house so that you handle your own laundry and meals and leave him to cook and clean for himself. Of course, he still may not lift a finger, but at least you won’t be doing his work as well as your own.

Dear Annie: I read the letter from “Heartbroken Mother,” whose daughter thinks her family will be an embarrassment at her upscale wedding.

I chuckled because, recently, a friend was extremely worried about her “rough and tumble” blue-collar family behaving properly at her well-planned and expensive wedding to a wonderful professional man.

Well, liquor can even the playing field. Her family behaved perfectly. The groom’s upscale family, however, nearly ruined the event. -- Michigan

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

Wait a second.

No, that’s too long.

Remember when you were willing to wait a few seconds for a computer to respond to a click on a Web site or a tap on a keyboard? These days, even 400 milliseconds — literally the blink of an eye — is too long, as Google engineers have discovered. That barely perceptible delay causes people to search less.

“Subconsciously, you don’t like to wait,” said Arvind Jain, a Google engineer who is the company’s resident speed maestro. “Every millisecond matters.”

Google and other tech companies are on a new quest for speed, challenging the likes of Mr. Jain to make fast go faster. The reason is that data-hungry smartphones and tablets are creating frustrating digital traffic jams, as people download maps, video clips of sports highlights, news updates or recommendations for nearby restaurants. The competition to be the quickest is fierce.

People will visit a Web site less often if it is slower than a close competitor by more than 250 milliseconds (a millisecond is a thousandth of a second).

“Two hundred fifty milliseconds, either slower or faster, is close to the magic number now for competitive advantage on the Web,” said Harry Shum, a computer scientist and speed specialist at Microsoft.

The performance of Web sites varies, and so do user expectations. A person will be more patient waiting for a video clip to load than for a search result. And Web sites constantly face trade-offs between visual richness and snappy response times. As entertainment and news sites, like The New York Times Web site, offer more video clips and interactive graphics, that can slow things down.

But speed matters in every context, research shows. Four out of five online users will click away if a video stalls while loading.

On a mobile phone, a Web page takes a leisurely nine seconds to load, according to Google, which tracks a huge range of sites from the homes of large companies to the legions of one-person bloggers.

Download times on personal computers average about six seconds worldwide, and about 3.5 seconds on average in the United States. The major search engines, Google and Microsoft’s Bing, are the speed demons of the Web, analysts say, typically delivering results in less than a second.

The hunger for speed on smartphones is a new business opportunity for companies like Akamai Technologies, which specializes in helping Web sites deliver services quicker. Later this month, Akamai plans to introduce mobile accelerator software to help speed up the loading of a Web site or app.

The government too recognizes the importance of speed in mobile computing. In February, Congress opened the door to an increase in network capacity for mobile devices, proposing legislation that permits the auction of public airwaves now used for television broadcasts to wireless Internet suppliers.

Overcoming speed bumps is part of the history of the Internet. In the 1990s, as the World Wide Web became popular, and crowded, it was called the World Wide Wait. Invention and investment answered the call.

Page 14 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, March 2, 2012

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Friday, March 2 Exhibit and Awards of the National Arts Program 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. City of Portland, Portland Public Schools and Portland Public Library employees and their families will showcase their artwork on the walls of City Hall as a part of the sixth annual Exhibit and Awards of the National Arts Program. Nearly 100 employees and family members are expected to participate. Members of the public are invited to visit City Hall to view the art on display March 2-March 16, Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. www.ci.portland.me.us

Read Across America Day 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Hall Elementary School will welcome guest readers in celebration of Read Across America Day, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Hall Elementary School is located at 23 Orono Road, Portland. Guest readers will include: Portland Deputy Fire Chief Terry Walsh; Portland Police Chief Michael Saschuck; Susan Ward, administrative assistant to Portland’s school superintendent; Lee Goldberg, a Hall alumnus and WCSH6 sportscaster; Crusher, mascot of the Maine Red Claws; Tricia Duchesneau of Bangor Savings Bank, Hall’s business partner; Sarah Long, a meteorologist for WGME13; Portland Superintendent James C. Morse Sr.; Mary Preveda, head children’s librarian at the Portland Public Library; Erin Ovalle, WMTW morning anchor; Dave Eid, sports director for WGME13; Cynthia Remick, Hall’s assistant principal; and Ron Adams, director of food services for the Portland Public Schools.

‘Raising Rufus’ at the Portland Public Library noon to 1 p.m. Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold, author of “Raising Rufus: A Maine Love Story.”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 Portland Public Library will host a book talk by this awardwinning Brunswick author as part of their Friday Local Author Series. Books will be available for signing and light refreshments served. “Verdino-Süllwold’s novel, ‘Raising Rufus: A Maine Love Story,’ was released in November by Weiala Press, an independent publisher in Brunswick and is being distributed to booksellers by Independent Publisher Services in Chicago.”

First Friday Art Walk at Constellation Gallery 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. “The Constellation Gallery will be welcoming visitors with a wide range of original art and reasonably priced prints provided by our resident artists and invited contributors. Check out ‘Show Boat,’ our March show celebrating the beauty, danger and excitement of life on and near the sea. On exhibit in our main gallery. Light refreshments provided. All are welcome.” 511 Congress St. http://constellationart.com

‘Elusive Liberty’ at Meg Perry Center 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. First Friday Art Walk at the Meg Perry Center, 644 Congress St., Portland. “Elusive Liberty” by artist G. Bud Swenson. “Nine years ago we were led into a war in Iraq, based on lies, at a terrible cost to the country: over four thousand military personnel killed and many thousands maimed both physically or psychological over one hundred thousand Iraqi civilians killed and the complete destruction of a sovereign nation that offered no threat; over a trillion US dollars spent; the implementation of torture and the erosion of our civil liberties.” For further information, call 443-2899.

‘Visual Poetry: A Painting Show’ 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. “Visual Poetry: A Painting Show” exhibition in the Lewis Gallery at the Portland Public Library through April 3. A new exhibit in the Lewis Gallery this month, Visual Poetry: A Painting Show, features paintings curated by four prominent art galleries in Portland: Greenhut Galleries, June Fitzpatrick Gallery, Aucocisco Galleries and Gleason Fine Art. Visual Poetry is an inclusive title combining the visual with the written — the show aims to make connections between visual art and the library. The Lewis Gallery is located on the Lower Level of the Main Library. A reception for the exhibit will be held at the Library on March 2 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. during First Friday Art Walk.

Madness Immemorial at the Green Hand Bookshop 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. First Friday Art Walk opening of Madness Immemorial: A Tribute to H.P. Lovecraft, artwork by Brandon Kawashima and Michelle Souliere. The Green Hand Bookshop, 661 Congress St., Portland. Friday, March 2 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (on display through the month of March). FMI: Contact Michelle Souliere at253-6808 or michelle.souliere@ gmail.com. Greetings from the Green Hand Bookshop. Here is the info for this month’s First Friday opening, with sample images attached. “Instead of the usual March Madness, why not sample something darker? Brandon Kawashima and Michelle Souliere have assembled a select body of new work in tribute to their eldritch literary idol, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, to coincide with the 75th anniversary of his death (March 15, 1937). Crawling chaos and other treasures from

the deep dark spaces of our cosmos.

Accursed imagery wrought in shadows and jeweled tones brought forth for your viewing pleasure. Make your March a little more interesting!”

Lisa Dombek’s new paintings 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. First Friday opening reception, St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress St., Munjoy Hill, Portland. Lisa Dombek’s new paintings from her Celestial Phases series and other Selected Works. Twenty percent of art sales to benefit St. Lawrence Arts. Viewing through March during scheduled events or by appointment. Call 347-3075 (Whitney McDorr, Theatre Manager) or 7732822 for further information.

Portland Pirates 7 p.m. Portland Pirates hockey, Portland Pirates vs. Connecticut at the Cumberland County Civic Center. www.portlandpirates.com/group_ticket.asp

‘Hidden Tennessee’ at Portland Stage 7 p.m. “Hidden Tennessee” at Portland Stage, 25A Forest Ave. February 28 through March 18.

“An evening of one-act plays from a 20th century master of lyrical snapshots of human nature. From the dreams of lonely, threadbare teenagers to the quiet fears of an aging spinster, these revealing short plays, stories, and letters showcase Williams’ unmatched talent for uncovering truths both beautiful and sad, hidden behind closed doors.” www.portlandstage.org

Portland Playback Theater.

7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. CTN5 Studio, 516 Congress St. Portland Playback Theater Company uses improvisation to re-enact true stories from your life ... on the spot. Tell your story and see what happens, or just come to watch and experience this unique community event.

‘The Birthday Party’ by Acorn 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 “Dreams are fire-proof” says Wael Nawara, Egyptian activist. Nawara co-founded El Ghad full-length play “The Birthday Party.” Party (Tomorrow) in 2003, and is the co-founder and president of the Network of Arab Long-time Acorn collaborator and Liberals, a coalition of Arab liberal parties. He was among the protesters featured in Time veteran theater artist Michael Howard Magazine’s Dec. 14, 2011 “Person of the Year: The Protester” issue. A free, public event directs an ensemble of six actors in featuring Nawara will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, March 9, in the University a production that will be staged in a Events Room on the seventh floor of the Glickman Family Library, Portland. (COURTESY modified arena set-up in the Acorn PHOTO) Studio Theater. The Birthday Party feathe Town Hall). The exhibits will feature displays about New tures Pinter as his most mysterious and electrifying. In Gloucester veterans, new acquisitions and framed historic the play, Stanley, a boarder away on holiday, is terrorized archival photographs. Admission is free. Sponsored by the by two men from his past association with a shadowy New Gloucester Historical Society. organization of questionable repute. Acorn’s production features Equity actor Harlan Baker, company members Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday in OOB Joshua Brassard, Joe Quinn and Jeffrey Roberts, along 10:30 a.m. Help Libby Memorial Library in Old Orchard with guest artists Elizabeth Guest, and Kat Moraros. The Beach celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday! “We’ll be reading the show runs from Feb. 24 through March 11, with perforstory the Lorax, making Truffula Tree Cupcakes, making mances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays a Lorax to take home and more!” Libby Memorial Library. at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and FMI: 934-4351 or www.ooblibrary.org. seniors, and may be purchased on-line at www.acorn-proAuthor Howie Carr at Nonesuch Books ductions.org or by calling 854-0065.

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. “New York Times best-selling author Howie Carr will be signing copies of his new crime novel, Saturday, March 3 ‘Hard Knocks,’ at the Nonesuch Books South Portland store on March 3. Popular Boston radio talk show host Howie Carr has written two previous best sellers, ‘The Maine Statewide Fishing Derby Brothers Bulger,’ and ‘Hitman.’” Nonesuch Books & Cards, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Maine Statewide Fishing Derby is the Mill Creek Shopping Center, 50 Market St., South Portland. largest ice fishing tournament in the state with fishing on all 799-2659 or nonesuchbooks.com legal bodies of water in Maine. It will take place on March 3 and 4. “You can go to your favorite spot and ice fish all day Meet Archie Comics artist Dan Parent and register your fish to be entered for thousands of dol11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Casablanca Comics will welcome Archie lars in prizes. This year bonus prize is $100,000 for Maine Comics artist Dan Parent at the store in Portland. Dan State record Togue. Plus many other prizes just for registerParent is the regular artist of Archie Comics, including the ing and weighing in your fish. The more fish you register current storyline of “Archie Meets Kiss!”. In addition, he is the more chances to win.” Sponsored by the Sebago Lake also the writer and artist of the new series “Kevin Keller” Rotary Club in Windham. Statewide Ice Fishing Derby Regfrom Archie. He will be meeting fans and signing books istration is $20 Individual and $30 for Family which includes as part of Casablanca Comics 25th Anniversary celebratwo adults and up to 6 children. For online registration or tion. Casablanca Comics is located at 151 Middle St. in more information go to: www.icefishingderby.com Portland’s Old Port. The phone number is 780-1676. The New Gloucester History Barn Open House website is www.casablancacmics.com 9 a.m. to noon. The next monthly New Gloucester History see next page Barn Open House is at Intervale Road (Route 231 behind

THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, March 2, 2012— Page 15

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

admitted at the special group discount of $10 per person.

‘Great Maine Outdoor Weekend’

Deering High in state championship

2 p.m. Maine state parks will participate in the upcoming “Great Maine Outdoor Weekend” on Saturday and Sunday, March 3-4, with unique activities highlighting four state parks.

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park will take advantage of its clam flats to offer a fun steamer dig.

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, 426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, features Wabanaki Nature Legends, 2 p.m., Saturday, March 3.

A short walk on the White Pines Trail with stops for stories based on Wabanaki Legends. Winter Steamer Dig, 2 p.m. Sunday, March 4. Try your hand at digging steamer clams! For more information about Maine state parks, go to: www.parksandlands.com.

7 p.m. Boys’ Class A State Basketball Championship, Hampden Academy vs.

Deering High. Cumberland County Civic Center. Tickets: Reserved Seats — $9 Adult General Admission — $8 / Student & Senior General Admission — $5. www.theciviccenter.com/events

‘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., Catherine McAuley High “Longfellow’s Shadow,” a poetry reading inspired by the South Portland. Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2:30 p.m. famous poet, will take place Tuesday at noon at the Maine Hisin state championship Fridays at 8 p.m. Visit www.

4 p.m. The Catherine McAuley torical Society. (COURTESY IMAGE) lyricmusictheater.org High School girls’ basketball ‘The Tempest’ team on Saturday night, Feb. 25, won the Western Class 8 p.m. William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” at Lucid Stage, A Championship Basketball Tournament game against through March 4. “The story of Prospero, one time Duke of number two ranked Scarborough High School. The Lions Milan, now cast out and master of a dark and mysterious will now go on to compete for the Class A State Championisland. After years with only the company of his daughter and ship for the second year in a row this Saturday night at 4 the spirits of his island, his enemies unwittingly pass with the p.m. at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland. sphere of his power, and he conjures a storm to wreck their The Lions will face Cony, who, like McAuley, went undevessel and draw them into his world. Will he punish them for feated this season with a 21-0 record. www.mcauleyhs.org/ having wronged him so long ago, or will he find forgiveness in newsblog/2012/02/27/mcauley-basketball-is-best-in-thehis heart? You may find a different answer than you expect at west Lucid Stage.” 29 Baxter Blvd, Portland. Also 3 p.m. Sunday ‘Hidden Tennessee’ at Portland Stage and 8 p.m. Thursday, March 1. http://www.lucidstage.com 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. “Hidden Tennessee” at Portland Stage, 25A Forest Ave. February 28 through March 18.

“An evening of one-act plays from a 20th century master of lyrical snapshots of human nature. From the dreams of lonely, threadbare teenagers to the quiet fears of an aging spinster, these revealing short plays, stories, and letters showcase Williams’ unmatched talent for uncovering truths both beautiful and sad, hidden behind closed doors.” www.portlandstage.org

International Women’s Day Celebration 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Join Women Around the World for Greater Portland’s third annual celebration of International Women’s Day to be held March 3 at the Woodfords Club in Portland. “Women around the World is a newly formed nonprofit organization which promotes the positive image and achievements of women locally and globally. International Women’s Day focuses the world’s attention on the economic, social, and political achievements of women.

Come celebrate with international food and music and an international fashion show featuring women from over 50 different countries who now live in Maine. Admission is $15 per person. A limited number of scholarships will be available.” Contact: Margie MacDonald for tickets at 671-1164 or email to womenaworld@gmail.com.

Acappellooza 12 6 p.m. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine will host its fifth one-of-a-kind multigenerational a cappella musical concert at USM’s Hannaford Hall (in the Abromson Center on the Portland Campus). “Acappellooza 12” is an annual event, created by the late Terri Hatt, who was a Big Sister with the organization. The 2012 program will feature seven singing groups from Maine and New Hampshire who have again volunteered to help the local nonprofit organization raise funds to support kids needing mentors in Southern Maine. The concert is sponsored by Systems Engineering.

It features a cappella groups volunteering from USM (the Chamber Singers), Colby, Bowdoin and Bates colleges, and the Portland area women’s quartet known as “Rally.”

Terri Hatt, who volunteered three years as a Big Sister for the mentoring agency until her death in January 2009, created and coordinated the public event for the first two years.

“We’ve once again put out the call to college and other adult groups from around the region and we’re so pleased with just how many enthusiastic singers want to return to support us once again,” said Jan McCormick, the event’s volunteer coordinator. “This is a unique event and should be experienced by everyone who loves quality a cappella singing.” Tickets can be purchased by calling 773-5437, or at the door. The advance ticket price is $12 and admission at the door is $15 per person. Groups of 6 or more, paying in advance, will be

Sunday, March 4 Barbara Walsh at the Maine Irish Heritage Center 2 p.m. “Maine Maritime Museum and the Maine Irish Heritage Center host Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Barbara Walsh as she discusses her latest book ‘August Gale.’

Barbara — who has interviewed killers, bad cops, and crooked politicians in the course of her journalistic careerfaces the most challenging story of her lifetime: asking her father about his childhood pain. In the process, she takes us on two heartrending odysseys: one into a deadly Newfoundland hurricane and the lives of schooner fishermen who relied on God and the wind to carry them home; the other, into a squall stirred by a man with many secrets: a grandfather who remained a mystery until long after his death. Together, she and her father journey to Newfoundland to learn about the 1935 storm, and along the way her dad begins to talk about the man he cannot forgive. As she recreates the scenes of the violent hurricane and a small boy’s tender past, she holds onto a hidden desire: to heal her father and redeem the grandfather she has never met.”

Lecture and book signing will be held in Portland at the Maine Irish Heritage Center (34 Gray St. on the corner of State and Gray). The lecture is free. Books will be available for sale and signing by the author. 780-0118 or www. maineirish.com.

Vancouver Chamber Choir at Merrill 3 p.m. Portland Ovations will present the Vancouver Chamber Choir at Merrill Auditorium for an afternoon concert.

“Canada’s foremost vocal ensemble for more than 40 years, the Vancouver Chamber Choir is internationally renowned for the depth and range of its repertoire, interpretive skills, and performing excellence.” The program for their Merrill Auditorium performance features works by Thomas Weelkes, Andrea Gabrieli, Johan Sebastian Bach, Robert Ingari, and Electo Silva amongst others. Ovations Offstage offers a pre-performance lecture, “Considering Choral Arts” at 2 p.m. in the Rehearsal Hall at Merrill Auditorium with Bob Russell, Music Director of the Choral Arts Society. The discussion will focus on the expressive values inherent in Renaissance music and music of the modern era. The USM Chamber Singers will join Russell and help bring his ideas to life. Tickets for the Vancouver Chamber Choir are $34 for Ovations’ Members, $38 for the general public and a limited amount of $10 student tickets are also available. To purchase tickets, contact PortTix at 842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium. Tickets are also available online at www.portlandovations.org.

‘The Children’s Hour’ at McAuley High 3 p.m. Catherine McAuley High School Limelighters present this play by Lillian Hellman. It is loosely based on a true story about a malicious child who wreaks vengeance by accusing her school teachers of being lesbians. Her lie causes catastrophic consequences for all involved. For mature audiences. 631 Stevens Ave., Portland. The suggested donation of $10 includes a Victorian Tea. Reserve tickets by calling 797-3802.

Monday, March 5 State Charter School Commission 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. “The State Charter School Commission is holding three public sessions to garner input from local citizens as to the educational gaps in their particular regions that a charter school could possibly fulfill.” The sessions are scheduled for: March 5 (postponed from March 1) — Deering High School cafeteria (enter through the back parking area); 370 Stevens Ave., Portland; 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.; March 8 — United Technologies Center; 200 Hogan Road, Bangor; 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.; March 15 — Cross State Office Building, Room 500; 111 Sewall St., Augusta; 10:30 a.m. to noon. “If you would like to speak to those areas of need in your region, please join us at one of the sessions. However, if you would like to share written comments on the topic, please E-mail the Maine State Charter School Commission or mail them to Jennifer Pooler, 23 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0023.”

‘Marx Reloaded’ film discussion 7:30 p.m. University of Southern Maine Philosophy Symposium sponsored film: “Marx Reloaded,” at SPACE Gallery, 538 Congress St., Portland. 828.5600. “‘Marx Reloaded’ is a cultural documentary that examines the relevance of German socialist and philosopher Karl Marx’s ideas for understanding the global economic and financial crisis of 2008-09. The crisis triggered the deepest global recession in 70 years and prompted the U.S. government to spend more than $1 trillion in order to rescue its banking system from collapse. Today the full implications of the crisis in Europe and around the world still remain unclear. Nevertheless, should we accept the crisis as an unfortunate sideeffect of the free market? Or is there another explanation as to why it happened and its likely effects on our society, our economy and our whole way of life?” Sponsored by the USM Philosophy Symposium. Followed by discussion with Jason Read, USM Professor of Philosophy.” Doors open at 7 p.m., film begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission $7/$5 for SPACE Members, free for USM staff and students with ID. www. marxreloaded.com

Tuesday, March 6 Go Red For Women Luncheon and Educational Forum 10 a.m. The seventh annual Go Red For Women Luncheon and Educational Forum is scheduled for Tuesday, March 6, at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland. The Go Red For Women Luncheon is presented is presented nationally by Macy’s and Merck and locally by Maine Goes Red statewide partner Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. he morning will begin at 10 AM with a series of educational workshops, exhibits, health screenings, and a silent auction. The lunchtime speaking program, emceed by News 8 Anchor Tracy Sabol, will include a heart-healthy lunch, guest survivor speaker, and special keynote address by humorist and author Loretta LaRoche. LaRoche is an internationally acclaimed stress management and humor consultant. She has starred in 7 one-woman PBS specials on humor and optimism (two of which received Emmy Award nominations) and has authored and published eight books. The luncheon is presented locally by Bank of America, Martin’s Point Health Care, Mercy Hospital, Downeast Energy, Hannaford Supermarkets, The Maine Heart Center, Maine Medical Center, MaineHealth, and Spectrum Medical Group. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit: www.heart.org/mainegoredluncheon or call (207) 879-5700.

‘Longfellow’s Shadow’ noon. “Longfellow’s Shadow: A reading of poems by Wesley McNair and Betsy Sholl.” Maine Historical Society presents The Richard D’Abate Lectures: Conversations About History, Art, and Literature (Program 1 of 7). “Join us for readings by two Maine Poet Laureates. Richard D’Abate, a poet himself, has embraced MHS’s Longfellow legacy as an opportunity to incorporate literature, the arts, and culture as vital elements of a Maine history that is broadly told and understood. The poets’ readings will reflect themes in Longfellow’s poetry, his stance as a poet, and his attitude toward social issues of his time.” www.mainehistory.org see next page

Page 16 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Friday, March 2, 2012

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EVENTS CALENDAR––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Appalachian Mountain Club.

Free. Maine Audubon Gilsland Farm Center, Falmouth.

from preceding page

Annual Job Fair at USM

University of Maine Singers in Saco

noon to 4:30 p.m. University of Southern Maine job fair in the Sullivan Gym on USM’s Portland Campus. To register go to www.experience.com/emp/cf_ details?fhnd=5520. “Held each spring, this job fair is an opportunity for students and employers to meet in an informal setting and discuss employment and career possibilities. As a participating employer, you’ll enjoy meeting prospective employment candidates and giving your organization greater visibility at the University. USM’s annual Job Fair is open to all employers whether you’re hiring for full-time, part-time or seasonal jobs.”

7 p.m. First Parish Congregational Church and the City of Saco are celebrating their 250th Anniversary during 2012. Several events are being planned in celebration of this shared momentous history.

A special concert will be performed by the 80-voice University of Maine Singers on Wednesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. at First Parish Congregational Church, 12 Beach St., Saco.

Five former ministers and their wives will be special guests, along with Saco city officials.

Wednesday, March 7 ‘The Economics of the Lack of Dental Care’

‘Maine’s continuing unemployment crisis’ 7 p.m. The University of Southern Maine’s Portland campus will be hosting a public forum in Talbot Hall to explore “Maine’s continuing unemployment crisis.” “Forum panelists and guests will do so by looking back at labor history and forward to where this problem may take us. ‘Unemployment: Past, Present and Future — Finding Solutions to Maine’s Unemployment Crisis’ will feature an impressive panel of speakers but will also spotlight the important voices of actual workers confronting a challenging economic landscape. Some political leaders have suggested that unemployed workers may somehow be responsible for their own plight and have advocated cutting or erecting barriers to unemployment benefits. But with approximately five workers chasing every single job opening, such arguments seem misplaced and mean-spirited to unemployed workers and their advocates.The forum will be hosted by Laura Fortman, Former Maine Commissioner of Labor and Executive Director of the Frances Perkins Center in Newcastle.”

“‘Between Two Worlds’ is a groundbreaking personal exploration of the community and family divisions that are redefining American Jewish identity and politics. The filmmakers’ own families are battlegrounds over loyalty to Israel, interpretations of the Holocaust, intermarriage, and a secret communist past.” The film will be screened at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 18 at the Nickelodeon Theater in Portland as part of the Maine Jewish Film Festival. Visit http://www.mjff.org for details. (Photo courtesy of Snitow-Kaufman Productions)

10:30 a.m. to noon. The Maine State Chamber of Commerce will host a panel presentation titled “The Economics of the Lack of Dental Care” at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta. “The panelists, moderated by Frank McGinty of MaineHealth, will discuss how the lack of access in Maine to dental care affects businesses and Maine’s economy. Maine suffers from a shortage of dentists that affects far more than our smiles. Not having enough dental professionals to provide care also undermines our state’s economy.The growing need to manage health costs requires a look at possible new policies to expand access to dental services for adults and children alike. Nearly 40 percent of Maine people live in federallydesignated Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas, according to the Pew Center on the States. And adults, Maine businesses and Maine’s economy are suffering.

Healthcare costs and workforce issues are primary concerns for Maine’s business community. And healthcare costs go up when patients without access to a dentist seek urgent care in hospital emergency rooms, burdening an already strained system.” The event is open and free to the business community. To RSVP to the event, please contact Amy Downing at the Maine State Chamber of Commerce at adowning@mainechamber.org.

Capoeira workshop for kids at Portland Public Library 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Registration is required. The Sam L. Cohen Childrens Library is excited to offer children ages 6-14 the opportunity to learn and practice the art of Capoeira. “Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art rich in culture and history, combines music, gymnastics, dance,

strength, balance and discipline. The program will be divided into two sessions with a workshop for ages 6-11 held from 4:30-5:30 p.m. and a workshop for ages 12-14 held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Participants should wear clothing appropriate to move freely in.” Registration is required as space is limited. Please call 871-1700, ext. 707 to register for this program.

2012 Flower Show 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 7: Opening Night, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., special ticket price for one night only. Thursday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, March 11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Plant Auction immediately following closing.

Portland Company complex. “Join us for the annual rite of spring, the 2012 Portland Flower Show. We are a collaboration of green industry landscapers, growers, gardeners and industry retailers dedicated to the continued success of everything about ‘Gardening in Maine.’ Whether you are a property owner, renter, or consumer of fine flowers and vegetables, this is the garden show that will bring it all together for you. We have every aspect of the landscape industry represented here at 58 Fore St.” http://portlandcompany.com/flower

Legislative briefing by Maine Audubon 6:30 p.m. “Learn about legislative proposals affecting the environment and how to make sure your voice is heard.”

Cosponsored by Maine Audubon and Maine Chapter of the

‘Little Me’ at St. Lawrence 7 p.m. “Little Me,” the musical comedy by Neil Simon (book), Cy Coleman (music), and Carolyn Leigh (lyrics) will be presented by Good Theater March 7 to April 1 at the St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress St. on Munjoy Hill in Portland. “Little Me” is directed by Brian P. Allen with musical direction by Victoria Stubbs, leading the three-piece band, and choreography by Tyler Sperry. Performances for Little Me are as follows: Wednesdays 7 p.m. ($20), Thursdays 7 p.m. ($20), Fridays 7:30 p.m. ($25), Saturday 7:30 p.m. ($30), Sundays 2 p.m. ($30) with a special added matinee on Saturday March 24, 3 p.m. ($25). Call 885-5883.