JUNE 2018
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Eric’s Optimal Corner Eric Hilton / Optimal Self Community Health and Wellness Center Hello, this is Eric Hilton of Optimal Self coming to update you on one of my newest adventures: The Vipassana Mediation Retreat. I recently embarked on a four-month cleanse for my brain health. Part of this was to strengthen my brain through meditation. I had a friend some time ago tell me about this “Vipassana, 10-day silent mediation,” and I was like, “OMG!” I have never mediated longer than an hour in my life. But on my cleanse, I was determined to heal the challenges I have been encountering with my brain and I knew that I was going to have to overcome my fears and difficulties. So, I went online to the Dhamma Dhara Vipassan Mediation Centre in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, to sign up. Due to the popularity of the programme, I had to be placed on a waiting list, but they contacted me sometime later to inform that I had been accepted into the programme. At that point I was locked in. And from that point, the anxiety and the intimidation started to build. I arrived on the 11th of April and for the next 12 days, I participated with all of my will and determination in this life-changing practice. Everything was provided for me: a place to stay, vegan meals and peace of mind to focus on my meditation. When I arrived, everyone was talking; curious and nervous. Then, when we had our first meeting they established the “Noble Silence.” For the next full 10 days, we could not talk to anybody. We would try to be as quiet as we could in all that we did and not even acknowledge the people around us… it was as if we were totally alone.
We were given proper time to nourish ourselves with food and to rest and to take a brief stroll outside to appreciate the amazing nature, shake our legs and prepare for the next round. Dinner was always optional fruit and tea, but no main meal. Every night at seven, via recording, we were able to enjoy watching an amazing daily discourse by Goenka himself. This was always exciting for me because this was like “movie night” after a hard, long day of meditation. After that, we finished up with a brief meditation. And each night at nine, we were off to bed. The technique we studied first involved focusing on our natural breath and the triangular area above the centre of our upper lip and below our nose. This was to prepare us for what was to come. Each day we were given a new technique to hone our mediation practice. From Day four on, we learned how to scan from the top of our head down through our body, all the way down to our feet; becoming aware of our physical self. The process of being aware and by being an observer, leads us to a place where we learn how to become equanimous. To be equanimous is to be non-reactive to the pains in our body, the distracting chatter of the mind and to anything that we may become attached to. The process of focusing our awareness on a physical part of the body eventually makes us aware of the deepest depths of ourselves. Eventually we become aware on a molecular level and realise the permeability that things are always changing. We are never the same from one moment to the next. This understanding allows the pain from my frozen foot and the pain in my back to be able to melt away, because I have no reason to be attached to it. After all, it is always changing. Through several long hours of practice, I was able to become so aware of my body on a deep level without any movement that my whole body dissolved and became total light. This was the fruit of my efforts. During the whole time I was alone in my head, I was visited by a lot of challenging thoughts and memories: old, forgotten memories like the pile of leaves you left on your lawn years ago.
There were about 40 other men there with me, separated from the approximately 70 women who shared the centre with us. Men and women were segregated except for when we meditated in the main mediation hall together. I had a nice bedroom I shared with another brother --- very simple with a bathroom. Behind the men’s portion of the centre was beautiful forest with a river and a big hill where we were able to take walks and be at one with nature.
And day by day, in observing memories that were hidden from my consciousness, I pulled away a layer of those nasty, nasty, wet leaves that I had left piled up, allowing me to clean up all the painful stuff that I have been holding on to. On the last day of the meditation retreat, we were taught the final technique: the Metta Meditation. This final closing technique to the practice gives affirmation to the beautiful aspects of our lives and everything in them. I will not discuss this final technique any further for I feel it can only be learned from experience and I feel that this is a treasure that one must earn.
Everyday, when we would have our group meditations, we were in a massive hall where the assistant teacher would sit up front and be there if we had any questions at all about our process. We also had access to talk to our class leader if needed. Other than that, it was just me, my mind and my practice --- no other distractions.
On Day 10, we were released from our Noble Silence, and boy, were the halls filled with chatter!
The structure of this 10-day process is completely planned. It is a tradition that has been preserved for the past 2500 years when the Buddha, whom most of us are familiar with, achieved his enlightenment through self-awareness. Every aspect of the retreat is unchanged to maintain the sacredness of how the Buddha attained his enlightenment. This practice until recently was held by an amazing, comical and genius man named S.N.Goenka, who died in 2013. Everyday our instructions were narrated by him through recordings and videos. The daily schedule, which is meticulously laid out, provided us the time to have focused meditations for over 10 hours. We woke up at 4 a.m. everyday to the sound of a soft gong. At 4.30, we started our first meditation of the day. Each block of mediation generally lasted around an hour to an hour and a half.
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The rejoicing with my brothers, whom I did not know and yet had shared space with, awaked into a celebration of our accomplishment together. The next day were were released from the programme and let out into the world. From there, as I returned home, I felt a shift in my mind and in my being. I was less reactive to things; I didn’t let things bother me so much. And I was at much more peace than I was used to. This 10-Day retreat is not a spiritual or religious practice, but is intended to be a lifestyle technique for everyone, because we all have the opportunity to achieve awareness which is self-enlightenment. I suggest everybody put this on their bucket list. I so enjoyed it that I want to do this every year for the rest of my life. They give you everything you need to be successful. All you have to be is determined. ~Eric Hilton
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Processed Media By Randy Dankievitch — TV Editor of Goomba Stomp
Westworld: The Fascinating, Frustrating Heir to the HBO Throne When Westworld’s first season debuted in 2016, audiences and critics alike hailed it as the rightful heir to succeed Game of Thrones as the signature show in HBO’s lineup. After all, it offered the same mix of nudity, violence and heady examinations of power dynamics HBO’s fire-breathing cultural phenomenon made its forte over six seasons (the 7th, and final, season, will premiere next Summer). Adapted by Jonathan Nolan (Person of Interest) and Lisa Joy (Burn Notice, Pushing Daisies), Westworld’s first season expanded on the themes of the original 1972 film, expanding them to fit the modern age’s growing obsession – and growing paranoia – about AI. Led by a fantastic cast including Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Thandie Newton and Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld’s first season was an engrossing mix of Deadwood and Ex-Machina, observing the slow dawning of consciousness inside sentient beings against a quasi-Western setting. Throughout the first season, Westworld quietly trafficked in the dark arts of the Plot Twist: except, instead of taking the route of most prestige television shows in the Age of Too Much F*cking TV (or what I call this generation) and having one major plot twist woven through its first season, Westworld threw in dozens, both superficial and deeply embedded --- many of which still raise eyebrows and send fans into theoretical seizures upon mention. Equal parts mysterious and pretentious, Westworld slowly unlocked its ruminations on identity and expression as the show’s narrative slowly unraveled in front of the audience, mostly focused on a group of robots in Westworld slowly realising they wanted more out of their lives – which, for a few, included realising they weren’t living lives of their own at all. Beyond the questions of free will and consciousness, Westworld reinvigorated a style of storytelling much maligned in the post- LOST television realm. Its mysteries were delivered piecemeal, with important character beats and revealing bits of information buried deep within its narrative structures and set designs, which is just one of many elaborate ruses Westworld constantly traffics in. Like any great television show, the final episodes of Westworld’s first season gave context to its many scattered puzzle pieces, with an explosive finale that challenged the many preconceptions viewers had about its future direction – or more importantly, just how drastically its characters would change and evolve in the course of but a few hours. Ultimately, the view of Westworld’s first season was almost a begrudged respect: it was a show with big ideas and heady ruminations on important topics, but its allegiance to myopic storytelling and massive tonal shifts in later episodes left a bit of a sour taste in the mouths of many. Though it featured on plenty of year-end critical lists in 2016, its complete absence in 2017 was silently welcomed by the industry, as if giving the show more time to figure out its path forward would allow them to obfuscate some of
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its more tangential stories, streamlining the main narrative and giving the show room to breathe deeper into characters, rather than plot machinations. Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly, depending on how you personally view Westworld), season two, currently airing on HBO, doubles down on everything it did in season one --- from disparate timelines, to thoroughly obtuse foreshadowing, --- and an even more ambitious narrative arc for the show as a whole. Episodes are longer, mysteries are more embedded than ever, and all while the entire world of the show is thrown into an almost unrecognisable chaos. There are no creative concessions made with season two, which is both frustrating and impressive, and has led to some wildly mixed results. (Small spoilers for season two follow) Increased ambitions are natural for a sophomore effort. This is when most shows either achieve their peak or begin seriously building toward it (Community and The Shield are great respective examples of both). But it’s not clear Westworld is reaching a creative peak: there’s certainly more story and more character in this season, but both of those are being constructed on a much larger scale, which leaves a major contrast between the many nuanced observations and performances of season one, and the larger, flashier design of season two. Mostly what it has led to is a wild variance in quality: while it feels like Westworld is whiffing on the big, obvious beats (Dolores’ new “mission”, Maeve’s adventure into another land), it is finding new legs with characters like William’s daughter, the return of Elsie, or dealing with the fallout from Bernard’s worldaltering discoveries last season. Longer episodes have led to more auteuristic choices (a recent episode directed by Vincenzo Natali is the most visually inventive piece of the series to date), but they’ve also had more room for Westworld to obfuscate its truths, which is something that remains this show’s addiction this season, often to a fault. For all its shortcomings with characters like Dolores and Bernard, however, Westworld still makes its case on a weekly basis as one of TV’s best shows, thanks to performances from Newton, Harris, Jimmi Simpson and Wood. However, the show’s unwavering pretentiousness and sense of self-importance drown out some of its more ambitious narrative and character elements, which leads to one of the more dichotomous watching experiences in recent memory. In that way, it may just be the perfect successor to Game of Thrones: shows that know how to enthrall their audiences with sheer density, rewarding those who pledge allegiance to its universe, and shunning those who can’t stomach the granular attention to detail it requires. Westworld airs Sunday nights on HBO at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Sauntering With Mat
By Mat Robedee / Up Portland Commentator
... Is Off this month & will return in July.
Up Portland 06.18 In Print * On The Web At: www.upportland.com * On Facebook
Good News For Summer Parkers Have you seen these decals being added to our on- peninsula street maintenance signs lately? If so, please know they are in fact legit! Last fall, the the city council voted to suspend enforcement of the street maintenance signs from 1st June thru 30th September (excluding those in the Old Port/ Downtown District). For the past few weeks, City staff has been installing decals on the signs indicating that the restrictions are in effect from 1st October thru 31st May. Here is the official language from the Council action: Peninsula parking (including the section around Nathan Clifford School): Only enforce the street maintenance signs (12.01-7 a.m. or 10 a.m.-2 p.m.) from 1 October to 31 May each year. This time frame allows for city staff to sweep streets due to the annual leaf drop, allow for snow removal during Winter months, allow for the sweeping of the streets in the Spring to clean up the residual sand/salt from Winter operations, but residents will not have to move their vehicles between 1st June and 30th September. However, please know that if you leave vehicles in the same spot for more than 10 days, they may be ticketed as abandoned, so you will still have to do some planning.
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Hackin’ The Net By Ted Fleischaker / Publisher We are just back from a vacation to Bermuda, and all along, from the planning to where to park the car at the port in Boston to the check-in, we were amazed at the fact that the old line “I couldn’t have done it without you” applies so much these days to the internet. Gone are the days when we’d call a travel agent, go by or have him or her send a packet of cruise brochures, then call back, book the trip we wanted and then fill out papers, go by with passports to show them and often end up with carbon paper duplicate tickets to hand over at the gangplank. Those days are as much a part of travel history as crossing to Plymouth on the Mayflower. But sadly, not always in a good way. While back in the day everything from the first thoughts of a trip to the final documents were done in person or by voice call, today it is easily possible (some would even say preferable) that little or no face-to-face or ear-to-ear communication is needed. It might all be done online. But can it? Or should it?
(yes million) results pop in. Everywhere from places to stay to cheap cruises to the island’s population show up instantly. Links to hotels, airlines flying to Bermuda, the local weather and more are also there right now. But it’s also a case of overkill, leaving many of us wondering if we will sift thru all the details, and if and when we do, will we get a good deal and have fun or be the victim of some scam. Not that we didn’t occasionally have a lemon of a trip back in the 70s with the old style agent, but these days, getting it right is harder, not easier, much of the time. Choices... just too many choices! Aggregators... that’s places like Priceline and kayak.com and tripadvisor all have a myriad of options, so maybe we do need the old fashioned agent to help us sift thru them. In fact, going online to at least some of the internet sources brings up a pop-up window suggesting you call them and get the latest, greatest unpublished fares they don’t, won’t and can’t post. Everything old is new again, right? And at least in our case, we found we could not complete our booking online, but had to call and speak to a real, live lady, who in this instance worked from home and lived down south, but in many ways was just like a Barry or Blema from back in the day. But let’s not trash the internet for booking or planning a trip quite so fast. While we did still have to book with a real person and fill out the same forms online we used to do on paper when we went by the office, the internet is the best thing we have found anywhere to research, read and imagine before one travels. Wanna see the ship you will be taking next month live at the dock in Bermuda this week? Visit www.portbermudawebcam.com (at left). And it’s not just Bermuda: ports and ship webcams from New York and Fort Lauderdale to Alaska are all streaming online at sites like www.kroooz-cams.com and www.cruisin. me/cruise-ship-webcams/ That’s just two of the dozen or so options. But there’s a whole lot more. Venture online and keep an eye out once you book that cruise or travel. If the price drops, you might not get money back, but you just might still benefit. We noticed our recent trip went down by over $100 and called our travel lady. While she couldn’t get us any cash back, that inside small cabin we paid for became a large window-equipped stateroom as they upgraded us 12 categories, just because we asked! And what about when we got to Bermuda? We were able, thanks to the internet, to find out what a transit pass was gonna cost (four days, $48.50), what the weather radar and forecast were predicting (www.weather.bm) and even whether or not they still have a branch of the venerable British Department store Marks & Spencer in Bermuda’s capital of Hamilton (They do!). What I’m trying to say is the internet these days fills in all the gaps that we were left with when the Blemas or Barrys closed, and the net also answers a lot of the things we used to have to buy a guidebook or trek to the library to find out.
And has the “fun” left travel now that the internet seems to have replaced the “old fashioned” way? A typical Ted answer: Yes, and no. Yes because back in the day we all had our travel agents. They knew what we wanted in the way of cruises, plane tickets or type hotels and whenever something popped up that they thought might be of interest, we’d get a call or a brochure in the post. Our guy, Barry, at the Loop Travel Agency in Louisville never failed when we wanted to go somewhere in the 1970s or 80s. Blema at Rich Travel was equally good for mom and dad and best friend, Keith. One had a travel agent the same as one still has a doctor or dentist or barber shop. They knew us and we knew them. But those days, if not totally gone, are quickly becoming a part of history. A 2011 story done by the Press Herald included a chart that showed Portland had (at that time) gone from a peak of 46 travel agencies in 1996 to just four by 2011. Today there may even be fewer. But is it all good? These days, for most of the folks I socialise with, “Mr. Google” and his ilk are where we start. Type in “trip to Bermuda?” and in under a second, 4.7 million
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But it’s not just Bermuda... far from it. Using the internet you can find anything and everything travel online --- from a cut-rate Boston motel room to train schedules for a trip from LA to San Francisco. And you can book or research almost anything and everything travel. But at the end of the day, like everything else online (and off) today, it’s let the buyer beware. We’d not have been told of that 12 category upgrade unless we’d seen it in passing and called the agent ourselves. We’d not have found out what deals exist for parking or rental cars to get to the port without doing our homework. Like everything, the internet is a fantastic travel tool, but it’s only a tool and only as good as you or I make it. Just as you’d not believe every book or caller (or we trusted Barry or Blema back in the day on everything they wanted to sell us) it’s got good folks, bad folks and some unethical ones, too. So our advice as season cranks up and we all look at places to stay and go: Check multiple sources and know that while most places are honest and do their best, there are some lessthan-honest “cowboys” out there in the wild west of the internet. If a deal looks too good to be true: It likely is. It doesn’t matter where you found it. As I often say in this space, the internet is the media, and not the message. While these days we use a keyboard, mouse and screen to find that trip of a
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lifetime, and before we used a bricks and mortar travel agency, it never hurts to seek out one of the remaining travel agents or visit somewhere like AAA Northern New England and ask their staff, too. Or call the ship line or the port information line. Often, too, they have better deals and will know about things like that upgrade. If you are a regular customer, they likely will call you with the news that your small inside cabin is now twice as large and has a window. And travel agents get paid by the ship lines, airlines and hotels, meaning if you can still find one, their services are free.
So our closing advice: Use the internet to research your potential travels, to shop for “deals” and to visit some of the “fun” sites like marinetraffic.com to track your ship before you board, but know that at the end of the day the net is just another device --- no better or worse than a phone or a letter sent via snail mail. And know that there are a whole lot of options out there. Do the best you can, then settle back and enjoy your trip! And when you get home, remember you can “extend” your fun a few days by checking out that webcam at the dock or watching your ship make its next journey (above).
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Layne’s Wine Time
Layne V. Witherell / Up Portland Wine Critic
I am a professional in the wine biz and have been for over 30 years. Retailer (both large and small), wholesaler, importer, winery CEO, wine journalist, teacher and author of the book Wine Maniacs Life in the Wine Biz; I have seen it all and lived to tell the tale. My wife, Judy, and I have lived in Portland for 13 years.Wine today has reached unheard of levels of popularity, together with scarcely believable levels of myths vs. reality. In this monthly column I will probe and examine both...and have some fun while doing it. We will delve into your Tuesday night wines, your special occasion wines and the wines you might need to pass on to your kiddies. Josh Cellars Chardonnay, 2016, California, $10-$12. Josh is the creation of a variety of people in the biz: The Joseph Carr Winery, with label and marketing design by a famous designer named Tom Larson. Very elegant, subdued work. Get out your phone and do the Vivino app. label picture: WOW, adjectives abound. Wine adjectives add to the mystique. My favourite on this wine is “white fleshy stone fruits” reminding me of Mainers trotting out their freshly hibernated skins to the beach. This is a peck on the cheek oaked Chardonnay for fish and guacamole.
edge, willing to take risks and willing to accept losses to make magic”. It is a perfect wine with eggplant dishes and full-flavoured cheese (think goat). Seek it out as it is worth laying down in the recesses of your basement. There are lots of ways to be led to wine: the big marketing people, the importer who has spent a life travelling the backroads to get their wine into stores and onto wine lists or just plain stumbling onto something. We adore the stumbling onto something part. On a restaurant list recently, there it was: Sean Thackery’s Pleades XXV Old Vines Table Wine, California, ($50 restaurant, $25 retail). If Josh is dressed down farmer corporate, and Kermit Lynch is hippie made good, then Sean Thackery is total California Outsider Artist extraordinaire. He happens also to delve into astrology. What a resume! Reed College, Portland, Oregon, dropout (see James Beard and Steve Jobs, both quasi-alums ), art gallery owner and voyager after old vine vineyards that produce seriously interesting grapes. Pleades XXV is just that. It is a field blend of Sangiovese, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Mourvedre. He hunts among old vineyards and blends what he chooses to be the finest grapes. “It’s like a chef’s special. You trust the chef, so you are prepared to order the dish of the day”. We paired it up with smoked salmon and I wrote on the bar napkin “drinks like a $100 Pinot Noir”. They can lead you, you can lead you, or you can just stumble on something extraordinary- it is a great ride. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Layne can be reached at lvwitherell@gmail.com for talks and consulting. His blogs are at http:// winemaniacs.wordpress.com/blog. Next month we will explore the mysterious world of “Natural Wine”. Stay tuned.
But there is more. When you google up Josh Cellars you get into the why you saw this wine part. The Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits are called a company of “brand building prowess”. They are the people who brought you Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau and Yellow Tail Shiraz. Josh has become “a new growth engine in the California category” selling well over a million cases yearly. Deutsch now owns Josh Cellars with “ongoing opportunities for further expansion”. The wines continue to be good...stay tuned. The other side of wine is exemplified by the American importer Kermit Lynch. He is a self-proclaimed hippie who travelled to France in the early 70’s and met an amazing set of characters. His book Adventures on the Wine Route is a modern classic. This is a story that has been told often. The other story is about his guru, Richard Olney (1927-1999). Olney was a legendary food and wine writer in France, an American ex-pat who knew French food and wines as well as they themselves. “Something can be created by matching food with wine that surpasses either of them standing alone”. This was his lesson. There is nothing like a guru. Kermit wrote me a letter following an article I wrote years ago mentioning his guru “I miss him a lot. I used to catch myself buying for him, in my head, you know. I’d stumble upon something wonderful and say to myself, here’s one to show Richard”. Kermit’s sales manager recently retired and sent out an e-mail describing his hiring interview held in a Denny’s: “on the back of a bar napkin he sketched out a general diagram (of the position and compensation package)”. Some things don’t change.
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Kermit Lynch Selections Cotes du Rhone, 2016, $13.99. The importer’s name is usually buried on the back label. His are not, they are front and centre. With his wines, you are buying his brand for a few more bucks, but you are also buying his extraordinary palate honed over decades. The wine is mostly grenache grapes, juicy and gulp-able with a burger and fries and ketchup. If you are a fan of Cabernet Franc, that illusive grape that usually vanishes in a blend, Charles Jouget Chinon, 2015, $20, is a classic of the grape with the flavours of red currants and herbs mingled with bell pepper aromas coming out of your glass. Lynch says it best. “One has the impression that Charles is out there on the
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Food For Thought... Know what a “Complete English” is? How about a “Complete Irish”? And is it just possible they are exactly the same? If you said the two are very close to identical, the golden rasher is yours, because they are pretty similar. And, sadly for we breakfast lovers, both are similarly hard to find here in Portland. But there is hope as Rí Rá (72 Commercial Street), the Irish Pub better known for late night burgers, beers and “soccer” as we Yanks call what’s properly “football” does offer what they call an all-day Irish Breakfast. Their menu describes it as “A proper fry up of eggs, Irish sausages & rashers, B&W puddings, grilled tomato, pan seared mushrooms and toast.” That’s not too far from what Wikipedia’s definition of a full English is: “Bacon (traditionally back bacon), fried, poached or scrambled eggs, fried or grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, fried bread or buttered toast, and sausages (also called “bangers”). Black pudding and baked beans are also often included, and less often hash browns...” So while there are a few differences, it was great to find a full Irish right here. Taking advantage of my love for breakfast at any time on any day, we recently fought the mobs along Commercial Street this time of year to gaze out the dining room windows at the ferries arriving at Casco Bay Lines next door (below) and indulge in a complete Irish breakfast around noontime. And as with past visits to Rí Rá, it was worth the trip... though this reviewer will say the server (whose name the receipt says was Charity) either needed to set her alarm just a bit earlier or her support crew or the night crew the evening before needed to do just a bit more to help her out. Just minor things were a bit out of place when we arrived, like no salts and peppers had yet made the tables. And flower vases were all in a corner and passed out while we ate. Nothing big, but as the schedule says they open at 11 and it was almost noon we could not help but get the feeling we’d surprised someone by
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coming in first thing, which is rare for this excellent establishment. So were we impressed with our “complete”? A definite yes, though we first had it a few months back and again right after Memorial Day. The second time, we were slightly disappointed to find the half grilled tomato has been replaced with three tiny cherry tomatoes. They are still grilled, but not traditional and they are tough to eat as stabbing each with the fork resulted in mini juice explosions! Hopefully tradition will prevail and the regular tomatoes will return. But aside from that, it was as if we were in Ireland, England or, and I did this about the very same time in late May, on a cruise ship. Maybe it’s the British sailing heritage, but ship kitchens seem to love to turn out Full English Breakfasts. Our latest time to have one was on the Holland America Lines’ Veendam, but from Queen Mary 2 to the Caribbean Princess we have had, and enjoyed, our morning completes on the high seas. So what’s the “romance” of a complete Irish or English? I can’t exactly describe it, but something like having a julep on Kentucky Derby Day or a hamburger on the grill the 4th of July; a hot dog at Hadlock Field or an eggnog at Christmastime. The discoveringireland.com website makes the romance somewhat more sensible saying: “While today it is not possible to be eaten on most work mornings, the traditional full Irish serves as a staple treat for most households to indulge in on a lazy Sunday morning whilst reading the Sunday papers. And it is not just confined to mornings, it is a meal that can be eaten at any hour of the day depending on your liking. “While opinion may be divided on what constitutes an Irish breakfast from household to household the main ingredients remain the same, with the very best of Irish local ingredients comprising of meats such as good loin bacon or rashers, best of local sausages, black and white puddings (which are a type of sausage made up of pork meat, oats and spices and pork blood (in the black pudding)) eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and cold cooked potato or potato bread (optional) all being used. These ingredients are then fried in a little knob of Irish butter in a frying pan and served with a helping of homemade bread, butter and jam at the side and finished off with a cup of tea or orange juice.” Is it starting to make more sense yet? Maybe it will if you go in with an open mouth and mind. Just be sure it’s not the day (or even week) you have your annual blood work for that physical as there’s plenty of fat, salt and cholesterol nono’s to throw some pretty wicked results your way. But aside from that, let’s say a complete English or Irish is a great meal at any time, and the folks at Rí Rá do one to be proud. That’s our way to say next time, skip some of the brew and the burgers and try breakfast --- even if it is past 8 p.m. Oh, and Rí Rá also does a very nice traditional Shepherd’s Pie (Ground lamb simmered in Guinness brown gravy with onions, carrots and peas; topped with a broiled mashed potato & goat cheese crust) which another at our table enjoyed, and their traditional Fish & Chips (Lager battered Icelandic haddock served over fresh hand cut fries tossed with sea salt & herbs, house tartar sauce & a lemon wedge) is also right at the front of the line for those wishing a traditional Irish or British meal. It needs to be mentioned that all of the items mentioned come in at a buck either side of 15, so several of us had lunch, with a nice tip for the hard-working Charity for a bit under twenty quid each. If you want to read more, and check out the full menu (and the neat history behind Rí Rá) visit www.rira.com Or better yet, head down to Commercial Street on a day a ship is not going to be in and try something traditional for yourself. Just don’t tell your doctor or scale what you have been up to and make it a special treat, not a daily event!
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Two recently enjoyed “completes”. Above, the one served aboard the Veendam in the North Atlantic Ocean. Below, the one equally enjoyed at Rí Rá on Commercial Street, right here in Portland. Complete English and Irish breakfasts only come in two kinds: Better and Best!
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Beyond The Forecast
By Jack Sillin / Weatherman & Meterology Student Hello everyone!
Quiet conditions have generally prevailed over Portland’s weather during the past month as we get a brief respite between snow and storm seasons. With that in mind, I figured that this would be a good time to look, not at a particular weather event or phenomenon, but instead at one of the tools we forecasters use to predict the weather. Forecasters across the so-called “weather enterprise” use a wide array of tools to predict the weather each day. You wouldn’t have to keep your TV on very long before you came across some of these. Satellite imagery lets us see clouds and various upper level features. Radar lets us see through the clouds to the precipitation they sometimes produce. An array of weather observation stations blankets the US, letting us know what temperatures, dew points and winds are doing at any given time. This month, however, I want to dig a little deeper into the toolbox to examine a tool that might not seem quite as intuitive, though it is one of our oldest: the weather balloon. Weather balloons are basically weather stations that are carried up through the atmosphere by a balloon. Weather balloons are launched by the 122 National Weather Service offices across the country, and many other locations around the world, twice a day at the same time (noon and midnight, Greenwich Mean Time). The weather stations attached to the balloons report the temperature, dew point, and their location, from which winds can be derived. While this may seem simple enough, a tremendous amount of information can be gathered from this dataset, and forecasts would be far less accurate without them. What are some of the things a vertical temperature/dew point profile can be good for? This column could quickly turn into a dissertation if I tried to explain each and every one of them, so I’ll stick to some of the uses that are particularly important to us here in the Portland area. The first one, most apparent to me as I write this on a foggy evening, is diagnosing the depth of the marine layer. Knowing how deep the marine layer is can be important information for forecasting fog. The deeper the marine layer, and the sharper the contrast between it and the environment above, the more persistent the fog will be. Fog gets “burnt off” when the temperature of the marine layer is heated to the temperature of the air above it, so knowing the change in temperature with height is an important tool in fog forecasting! Winter precipitation type is another area where knowing how the temperature changes with height makes a big difference. It’s important to know the depth, strength, and location of layers which are above and below freezing, because that information is what dictates whether precipitation falls as rain, snow, sleet, or freezing rain. Generally deep layers of air above freezing that occupy much of the lower atmosphere (with the exception of the surface) favour freezing rain, while shallower / colder warm layers favour sleet. If the entire atmosphere is below freezing, snow will fall, while any warm air at the surface will result in plain rain. Not just knowing the actual temperatures at various points in the atmosphere
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makes for accurate forecasts, sometimes it matters for us to know the rate of change of temperature with height --- another dataset provided by weather balloons that ascend constantly through the depth of the atmosphere. Thunderstorms are fueled by rapidly cooling temperatures with height, and the buoyancy that set-up creates. Knowing just how quickly temperatures cool with height will determine how buoyant rising air parcels are, and thus how much fuel is available for thunderstorms to form. Knowing the moisture content of various atmospheric layers is important, too. Very dry air in the lower atmosphere prior to the onset of precipitation will result in some of that precipitation evaporating before it hits the ground. This evaporation is important not just for the forecast of precipitation onset (which will be delayed), but also for the temperature forecast. As water evaporates, it takes energy from the air surrounding it. This loss in energy manifests itself as a drop in temperature. This can be important, especially for wintertime events where a few degrees of cooling in the low levels can make the difference between rain and snow. Dry air in the low-to-mid levels can also be important for thunderstorm forecasting. If dry air from the environment gets entrained into a thunderstorm, some of the thunderstorm’s rain will evaporate, causing the same cooling effect described above. Because cold air is heavier than warm air, this pool of cold air becomes negatively buoyant, and sinks like a stone to the ground. As that pool of air hits the ground, it fans out, sometimes causing damaging winds known as either micro or macro bursts, depending on their size. However, if winds in the mid levels aren’t strong enough, and the downdraft that results from this process can’t become spatially displaced from the updraft feeding the storm, the dry air induced downdraft can kill the storm What goes up must come down, and weather balloons are no different. Most weather stations attached to balloons, also known as radiosondes, end up either in the Atlantic Ocean, or in unpopulated lands that make up the vast majority of the US’s surface area. However, occasionally radiosondes land in populated areas. They are small, lightweight boxes and are attached to parachutes to make sure they’re not dangerous projectiles as they make their way back to the earth’s surface. If you’re lucky enough to find one, you’ll be able to tell because they are clearly marked as harmless weather instruments. Take some pictures with it before you send it back to the NWS office from which it came! I’ll be back next month with more weather! Jack
Jack’s Weather Terms LCL - Lifted Condensation Level: The level at which the moisture contained in parcels of air rising from the surface condenses into liquid water droplets. The LCL is located at the base of any cloud you see from the cumulus family (i.e. those that are driven by air rising convectively from the surface, instead of by larger scale forces). The more moisture contained in a given airmass, the lower its LCL will be. LFC - Level of Free Convection: The level at which parcels of air rising from the surface will begin to rise purely due to differences in density between it and its surroundings without the need for interference by outside forces. Any parcel lifted by a cold front, topography, or other forcing mechanism to this level will accelerate upward towards the stratosphere of its own accord.
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Unique Community Takes Shape In Maine Imagine a whole community where energy is a non-issue, environmental concerns are foremost and where most of the homes arrive on four trucks each... but nothing here will be quite like anything seen before in Maine. This is Douglas Ridge, which is under construction and nearing completion at 207 Hacker Road in Brunswick. The whole project is represented by the Old Port folks at Maine Home Connection, where we got a chance at Up Portland to sit down with Robert Muller, the project’s developer. And sitting with him is unique. He speaks not of the things most developers address, but of marketing what he terms “a sense of place and an old fashioned neighbourhood; one where the kids can play out front in the street or out the back door in the woods.” Each homesite is limited to a half acre, so that there will be minimal disruption to the surrounding land, and will leave room for community green space. But each (and there are several design “platforms” as Muller calls them) will share some common characteristics: low energy use being foremost. “We are doing 17 homes which will vary from 1,400 to 2,200 square feet of living space, but most importantly, we are scaling the homes to the community so we do not chew up all of the land. We also will have fixed energy costs and healthy homes, so things like heat recovery top our list. What I am saying here is we are trying to do a subdivision right,” Muller told us. He asked his own question, too: “Why am I doing this? To show how a conservation neighbourhood can be done. I am passionate about it, but this is the right way in Maine because each home features a flexible grid building design bringing the best building practices
across the world together,” he noted. So what are a few of the details (many more of which can be found at www.douglasridge.com)? For one, Unity Homes are building the houses at their factory in Keene, New Hampshire. “They can make one per day per shift at their factory and they need four trucks for the walls and panels of each home, which are then put together on site, using the most highly engineered construction techniques available,” the developer said. He noted that Unity is a preferred builder with Douglas Ridge and they are also using Landicity builders. “Their homes are nearly unparalleled in green/passive prefab space, so they are high quality, flexible, and built to last for hundreds of years. Landicity only builds high performance homes and obtains its models direct from Unity, completes all on-site, well, septic, foundation and exterior/interior finishes the buyer selects,” Muller added. To find out more (and for a building update or to schedule a look-see) send a note to Muller at douglasridgellc@gmail.com or give a shout to the folks at Maine Home Connection on 207/517.3100 Muller envisions the first move-in by the end of the Summer.
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The Standard Reviewer
By Andrea Rouda / Up Portland’s Film & Theatre Reviewer
Movies to Love Last month during a trip to Venice I attended the opera, against my will I might add. This one was written by the famed Italian composer Rossini, but to me they’re all the same. No fan of that particular art form, I disliked the whole thing from beginning to end. My negative attitude following the performance was met with scorn by my husband, who accused me of being a perennial naysayer who rarely gives anything a standing ovation. Begging to differ, I hereby present four short reviews of slightly used movies I love and urge you to see if you never have.
don’t since you are reading this instead of fleeing a brutal dictator or scrounging for your next meal, you will likely agree that life in America is often mundane. This explains things like bungee jumping and the national fixation on Donald Trump’s tweets. For one little Frenchman, the antidote to crushing boredom is walking on a wire strung between two opposite points, very high up. Seeing this movie about how he does it just might be yours. Director Robert Zemeckis, the mastermind behind Forrest Gump, Cast Away, The Polar Express, Romancing the Stone and Back to the Future, has done it again: He grabs your brain and messes with it for a couple of hours, and when he gives it back it is somehow changed. In The Walk, a fictionalized version of a true occurrence that made world headlines, he offers a rare opportunity to experience what it’s like to straddle a thin cable strung between the (now fallen) Twin Towers, 1,362 feet above the streets of New York City. Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a Parisian sprite who spent his early life as a street performer, juggler, and eventually freelance wire-walker, had a burning desire to walk between the towers, then nearing completion in 1974. He set about assembling a team of helpers to get the job done. Since the planned caper (called “the coup”) was most assuredly illegal, suddenly it’s like we’re in on a bank heist and rooting for the bad guys.
The Martian (2015) Director Ridley Scott’s The Martian is tons of fun to look at, warranting a second viewing just to appreciate all the gadgetry on display. Except for a gruesome opening scene where he performs surgery on himself, actor Matt Damon plays his usual cheery self despite horrible odds in this fairy tale about an astronaut who mistakenly gets left behind and is presumed dead on Mars.
We see it all come together, privy to months of intricate logistical planning and the solving of technical requirements. By the time the big day rolls around we’re on the edge of our seats. And even though we know the coup was a success and that our hero did not plummet 110 stories to his death, still we hold our breath and wonder if he’ll make it. The movie is that good.
Mark Watney (Damon), a brilliant botanist facing four years alone until the next scheduled NASA mission can rescue him, possesses problem-solving abilities that would have put the late physicist Stephen Hawking to shame. In addition to his surgical skills, Watney figures out how to grow food and make water on a dead planet. (Chances are with enough time he’d successfully remove one of his ribs and make himself a woman.)
It’s also funny and charming, with endearing performances by all of the actors, none of whom I recognised except for Ben Kingsley who has a small part in which he shines, as always. Throughout it all a glittering musical score enhances the stunning and often perplexing visuals; just how did they recreate the Towers so perfectly? It’s simply a great film, and leaves you with two thoughts: First, now what? Your same old life simply will not do. And second, gee I miss those Twin Towers. They sure were beautiful.
Despite dropping the F-bomb several times, he maintains a positive attitude worthy of Mary Poppins. In his mind, things always work out and if they don’t, a little duct tape will do the trick. But wait -- there’s more to this story than life on Mars. Back on Earth, Jeff Daniels, as the head of NASA, leads a team of nerdy scientists bent on bringing Watney home after a random ping on a computer alerts them to the fact that he’s still alive. Led by boss-lady Jessica Chastain (looking dour and unglamorous) his original crewmates heading home on their super-cool spaceship scrappily agree to the rescue plan, even though it means another 500 days away from their families. But hey, no problem -- what with all the video chatting, time literally flies by. There are lots of floating astronauts, giant blinking computer screens and stunning panoramas of a desolate landscape that’s a cross between outermost Utah and a video game. Despite an uneasy feeling that something bad is about to befall our hero, it doesn’t. Complicated equipment that has lain buried under the sand for years and years springs to life in minutes: just dust everything off, plug this tube here into that hole there, and voila -- it’s a Martian miracle! Actually, it’s only Hollywood at its finest, and definitely worth your time and attention.
The Walk (2015) Unless you live in a Third World country, which you probably
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The Interview (2014) A few years back there was a big to-do over this film about a planned assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. The fear was that its release would set off World War III. At the time I paid little attention since fart jokes are not my thing. Somehow an international fracas was avoided and the movie slunk quietly off to Netflix, which is where I found it. Call me crazy, but I loved it, laughing all the way, and really, what else is a comedy for? A few cautions: The script is gross and off-colour, so if you’re squeamish about bodily orifices and/or sexual innuendo, steer clear. Also, there are a few fingers bitten off and a lot of fake blood around that, but simply covering your eyes works here. Otherwise, this fable about a pair of loony-tune guys who end up working for the CIA is a non-stop hoot. Dave Skylark (James Franco), a late-night TV host sick of doing celebrity puff pieces, and his longtime producer pal Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen), decide they want more respect from their peers --- those rarefied souls who work for the likes of 60 Minutes. So, when they learn that North Korea’s leader is a huge fan of their show, they decide to fly to Pyongyang and interview him, hoping to wow the world with a brilliant expose of the real Kim. After announcing the upcoming interview on-air, the duo is visited by two CIA agents who recruit them to “take out” the dictator. (“You mean take him out to dinner?”) asks the clueless Rapoport. The proceedings are admittedly slapstick and exceedingly adolescent, but the
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whole thing works. Franco is flat-out hysterical; much better at comedy than drama. The actor who plays Kim (Randall Park) could be elected immediately, if they had elections over there, since he’s a dead-ringer for Kim. And Rogen, who wrote the story and produced the film, is clearly a comic genius of his generation. In addition to the stars, a memorable cameo from rapper Eminen and great supporting performances from everyone else make The Interview a worthy cinematic adventure for the young at heart. Love & Mercy (2104) For those who came of age listening to the Beach Boys and loving their ebullient leader Brian Wilson, Love & Mercy is a shocking and emotional roller-coaster ride. For everyone else it will simply be a searing portrait of mental illness with memorable performances, a challenging script that keeps you guessing and a dreamy sound track filled with those sweet harmonies many people remember fondly. To tell Wilson’s complex life story, two excellent actors share the lead role throughout the film: Paul Dano channels the young Wilson perfectly, right down to his cherubic baby face and endearing onstage persona. It’s hard to believe that while he was singing about California girls, sun and surfing, he was also suffering such inner turmoil.
John Cusack plays the older Wilson, now visibly schizophrenic and made even more paranoid by too much medication doled out by an incredibly evil shrink (Paul Giamatti) who literally controls his every move. If this were a silent film, the audience would hiss every time he comes on the screen. Great as it is, Love & Mercy is no walk in the park. For much of the time it’s tough going, with flashbacks to childhood beatings by Wilson’s brutal father interspersed with him lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, tormented by the voices in his head. Between those dark scenes we get happier glimpses of the boy genius he truly was, writing beautiful, groundbreaking music and directing seasoned studio musicians with professionalism and aplomb well beyond his years. Relief for Wilson finally comes in the form of an attractive automobile saleswoman (Elizabeth Banks) who grows to love him and ultimately takes legal action to rescue him from his living hell. Good thing, otherwise this story, and this film, would simply be too hard to bear. During the final credits Wilson is seen as he is today, alive and well and performing at a recent concert. That’s when the tears really come. Ms. Rouda invites readers to check out her blog, The Daily Droid, at www.arouda. blogspot.com or e-mail their thoughts to: andreajrouda@aol.com
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Join Your Friends On The Eastern Prom! Grab a blanket, a lawn chair or just come as you are and join your neighbours for a Summer of great music as the Friends of the Eastern Promenade (FoEP) begin their popular Summer Community Concert Series at Fort Allen Park. The outdoor musical extravaganza will feature eight different groups with deep Maine roots. The free, hour long concerts for all ages take place every Thursday at 6.30 p.m. on the lawn in front of the historic Gazebo. "The Maine musicians we have invited to perform are exceptional," Joyce Knight, concert series organiser and volunteer member of Friends of the Eastern Promenade Board of Directors noted. "Each group has a unique sound, a loyal following, and a deep appreciation for being from Maine. No one will be sitting still during this Summer's concert series!" Here is the schedule: • 12 July - Muddy Ruckus - "grungy blues, rock infused folk".
• 19th July - Jenny Van West - "Vocally driven Americana". • 26th July - Chandler's - a true Maine Community Band, organised in 1876. • 2nd August - Tim Mercer - returns to his rock roots. • 9th August - Inanna - women's percussion & vocal ensemble/cultural diversity. • 16th August - Delta Knights - R&B, blues, classic rock. • 23rd August - Truth About Daisies - tad of jazz, pinch of rock, dash of country. • 30th August - Primo Cubano - traditional Cuban dance music. Concert-goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, spread out a blanket and have a picnic. Food trucks will also be parked nearby.
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lems and mental health issues most of his adult life. He experienced periods of homelessness and instability for about a decade after the breakup of his marriage. Moving to Portland gave him brightness in his life as he was able to secure housing and get off the street.
Mark: My Words
Eric got by financially doing odd jobs for a few friends and occasional panhandling, supplemented by a meager pension. Outgoing by nature and friendly, he was easy to strike up a casual friendship with. Eric’s prior work history had included serving in the Air Force as a helicopter mechanic. I developed a mutually satisfying work relationship with him. He would meet up with me in the morning and help unload my stock and supplies.
By Mark Gatti / Mark’s Hotdogs I can confidently assume that there is a strong communal bond that occurs in most neighbourhoods, burgs or settlements across the world where humans live or work. The old Port in Portland is no exception. I happily cite a few examples of this phenomenon of familial bonding that I have witnessed and/or participate in. Eric came into my working life about 15 years ago. A native of California, Eric was a highly intelligent man, but had battled a combination of addiction prob-
Utilizing his mechanical skills, he would set up my umbrellas. By his own admission Eric was OCD. This was obvious as evidenced by the exacting manner he took to bracket the umbrella poles to the benches. Each bracket screw had to be tightened precisely 20 turns – without exception. The upside here was my umbrellas were as safely secured as they could be, the downside was on the rare occasion that Eric wasn’t around at closing time to take down the umbrellas I needed my wrench to get the screws loose.
Maine Jewish Museum Current Exhibitions May 10,2018 - July 5, 2018
The Museum Paintings Rush Brown Fineberg Community Room
In Loving Memory Alex Sax 3rd Floor Sanctuary
Maine Jewish Museum
Musicians Ted Arnold Spiegel Gallery
267 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101 (207) 773-2339 Monday - Friday 10am-4pm + Sundays 1pm - 5pm or by appointment mainejewishmuseum.org Nancy Davidson, Curator
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Possessing a high IQ, Eric shared with me ideas on marketing and salesmanship that I found very helpful. He also helped police the area, moving aggressive panhandlers and obnoxious drunks away from the stand by using an effective combination of verbal skills and street savvy. Never asking for anything in return, I usually succeeded in getting him to accept a bag of food and drinks at the end of the day, supplemented by a cash tip he graciously accepted. Eric tired of the grey, cold winters in Maine, and with a couple of months notice, let his friends know he was moving back to his native California. Very sad news arrived a year later when we heard from his mother that Eric had died on the streets of San Diego at the young age of 46. He stays in the memory of all his old work friends and to this writer remains a neighbourhood family member in high standing. Captain had a very positive presence down in our area until recently, when advanced age limited his ability to roam far distances. A native of Portland, he had a very difficult childhood. His mother died while giving birth to him. Captain married early in life and he and his wife had a beautiful daughter. Tragically, his wife died just several years into their marriage. Captain raised his daughter alone, working on a variety of jobs. His last work stint was at DiMillo’s, where he worked in the kitchen for quite a few years. I have known Captain as an occasional customer since I started my business in 1983. When he retired a decade or so later he became a daily visitor. Wanting to work but too old to be hired anywhere, Captain took to collecting bottles and cans to supplement his income. His daily rounds would include a visit to my hotdog stand about an hour before closing. Captain would regale all present about the old days in Portland and his past experiences growing up here.
He informed me that he was on his own cleaning streets and some area businesses for tips and food. I admired his gumption, and as I noticed him cleaning my work area I told him that going forward any time he was at my place cleaning I would comp all his food and drink needs. He was thrilled with this arrangement, but no happier than I. About two weeks ago he strolled up with a brand-new wagon with an assortment of new cleaning tools. Sponsored by a great clothier and businessman down on Commercial Street, and with the help of another business down there, our young friend seems to be gaining momentum in developing his new cleaning business. Words cannot express how happy I am to see this happening right in front of our eyes. The combination of a young guy developing a business on a shoestring budget, coupled with help from some good-hearted benefactors really gives the Old Port a strong sense of community. Finally, I would be remiss to not mention two other fellow businessmen nearby who have helped many others in ways great and small achieve goals in the working and social world. Two physically large man, their hearts are even bigger than their size. Humble men, I will not mention their business names, but we all know them as Anthony and Cousim. Our local banks, coffee shops, and stores are also very welcoming to those otherwise on the outskirts of society. Many of these establishments provide a life affirming touchstone for people who appreciate being accepted and acknowledged... that includes yours truly and my little business. Happy Summer to all. Stay safe and have fun!
Captain had an eye for the ladies and loved to strike up a conversation with any who had the time --- which was quite a few. He would open doors for them and was mindful to use good manners, which the ladies found quite charming. He had the enchanting habit of finding discarded flower bouquets which he would collect on his rounds and give to any lady acquaintance he came across. Keeping in context of the communal aspect of this column, Captain had a few friends who helped his bottle collecting business, one of whom was an occasional customer of mine with a mechanical bent who would fix any wheels or handles on Captain’s cart needing repair. Other supporters include my great friends Scott and Marnie, who brought Captain a new cart when the old one finally broke down. Additionally, various downtown workers bought Captain a new coat or a reflective vest to keep him safe and warm. Captain would help out at the end of the day when I retrieved my car and let potential customers know that we were still open. I would make sure that Captain was well fed, compliments of the stand, with a little extra in a bag for later. Under the careful watch of his daughter, Captain now keeps within the close quarters of his neighbourhood, but we may be lucky enough to enjoy a few more visits from this great friend. I met a young man down on his luck about five years ago. A native Texan, he told me he had a decent work history and wanted to work but was having a rough go lately. Finding himself homeless and in Maine, he resorted to panhandling and working an occasional odd or temporary job to survive. I figured him to be a man of character, as the few times he asked for a hotdog or drink on the cuff, he would come back a few weeks later and pay off his tab. After a year living on the margins, I was happy to see he procured a steady full – time job at a bait company down on the water. This job lasted three years for him, but when I saw him this spring with a broom and a dustpan in hand I assumed correctly that he was no longer working there.
Up Portland 06.18 In Print * On The Web At: www.upportland.com * On Facebook Page 23
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Up Portland 06.18 In Print * On The Web At: www.upportland.com * On Facebook