Up Portland June 2019

JUNE 2019

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Processed Media

By Randy Dankievitch — TV Critic / TVOvermind

Card Game Meets RPG in SteamWorld Quest, Nintendo Switch’s Latest Indie Hit Card games are enjoying a rebirth right now; on the heels of Blizzrd’s success with Hearthstone, collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering and The Pokemon Card Game are thriving in the digital realm. This trend has inevitably lead to a handful of new titles in the genre, both remixing traditional card games like poker and solitaire, or offering new takes on the collectible card games, hybridizing with other traditional genres to create entirely new deckbased experiences.

Both forms have offered some really interesting innovations, like iOS’s Solitarica, which turns solitaire into a magic-fueled dungeon crawler. Or Gwent, which went from being a series of side quests in The Witcher 3, to a fullfledged, competitive card game; just about everyone’s throwing their hat on the proverbial card table, including Image and Form, who’ve delivered one of the best games of the year to date with SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech, released last month on the Nintendo Switch (it is set to release on other platforms in the future, though the details are still unspecified).

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Set in Image and Form’s established SteamWorld universe (think light fantasy with sarcastic mechs), SteamWorld Quest takes the strange, oiled world of magical mechs and rusty cowboy cogs of its previous action and puzzle games, and morphs it into a deck-building role-playing game.

Set against the backdrop of a bedtime story being told to a young robot, SteamWorld Quest is the latest pinnacle of the rejuvenated card game genre and perhaps the best non-Nintendo developed game to release on the Nintendo Switch so far in 2019.

SteamWorld Quest is a single-player adventure, where players control a party of three, choosing between five different characters, each with their own unlockable card sets and abilities. Travelling around stages a la Castlevania, a cookie cutter story about an ancient text and an all-powerful evil slowly unveils itself across four acts, each composed of four chapters full of dangerous encounters with a wide variety of different enemies.

The story and world of SteamWorld Quest are rather perfunctory; where this game shines is in the many battles staged across the lengthy campaign; each battle pits one’s vaunted trio against any number of enemies, each with their own individual spells and attacks. Using decks of 24 cards (eight from each character), players take turns fighting AI (computer) opponents, each of which is carefully designed to offer challenging, tense scenarios.

No matter how much planning one puts into their deck construction, every battle of SteamWorld Quest offers a surprise, each beautifully designed to expose player weakness, and make every fight feel like barely contained chaos.

It makes for a much more lasting, controlled experience than multiplayer focused games like Hearthstone or Pokemon TCG; each encounter is a puzzle, rather than a battle, requiring players to understand how the cards synergize, between decks and characters alike.

The story itself is not all that interesting; there’s a magic book, a terrible, mostly unseen evil presence, and a lot of walking around reading lengthy, pointless text boxes. SteamWorld Quest lives and dies with its gameplay; which, thankfully, remains fresh and engaging through each of the game’s 16 different chapters, each full of hidden alternate paths, treasures, and bonuses to find.

It finds that sweet spot between chasing the meta in a multiplayer game, or falling down the rabbit hole of strategy card games with dozens upon dozens of card mechanics --- the rare game that truly finds the balance between being welcoming for casual gamers, while still maintaining the level of depth and challenge more dedicated players seek.

The only thing SteamWorld Quest lacks is content; if there’s any complaint to be had with the game is the lack of endgame content, save for a brief arena mode, which forces players to survive a series of battles using a single, predetermined set of cards.

It all adds up to a roughly 20-hour experience – which is certainly not short, but feels deflating once the final battles of the campaign are completed.

Endless mode, boss rush challenges, additional unlockable dungeons... should SteamWorld Quest offer an expansion in the future, there are plenty of exciting directions the game’s core mechanics could be taken, a wealth of potential the game only begins to unlock when it suddenly ends.

Something not feeling quite right?

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At only $25, though, SteamWorld Quest offers plenty of bang for its buck – especially in the age of $60 games with eight-hour long campaigns. What SteamWorld Quest may lack in length, it makes up for in strategic depth and affable personality, in what amounts to one of the most ingenious takes on modern card games, and one of the Nintendo Switch’s best releases of the year to date.

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HOME DECOR & GIFT SHOP

15 Middle Street Suite B3 Portland, ME 04101

Come See What's New for Summer!

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Beyond The Forecast

By Jack Sillin / Weatherman & Meterology Student Hello everyone!

Despite the relatively slow transition into the warm season, we’ve finally made it into the early part of Summer. The warmer days invite us to make our way down to the beach, spread out our blankets on the Eastern Prom for a picnic, and perhaps even make our way to Two Lights for a lobster roll.

Maine is a spectacular place to be outside in the Summer, and with the cooling influence of the ocean close by, Portland is one of the best places in the state to enjoy being outside. While the weather usually cooperates with outdoor plans, there’s always a chance that Mother Nature has another idea in mind.

Many Mainers, myself included, find ‘inclement’ weather such as 50F and fog/drizzle to actually be quite enjoyable for all varieties of outdoor activities.

In fact, my family only goes to Two Lights if there’s a storm so we can enjoy the short lines (and views of angry seas).

No matter your tolerance for less-than-ideal weather, there is one situation that should send even the heartiest local into the nearest sturdy building: lightning. This month’s column will discuss thunderstorms on the coast of Maine, why they’re harder to get in Portland than most other places nearby, and how you can try to stay ahead of the storm if you’re headed outside in the next few months.

To start off our discussion, let’s first take a very quick look at what thunderstorms are and how they form. A thunderstorm is any storm that produces lightning, the discharge of pent up static electricity that results in thunder.

Sometimes you’ll observe a storm with lightning, but won’t hear any thunder.

Why? Light travels much better through our atmosphere than sound does. You can see things dozens of miles away from the right vantage point, but you can only hear even the loudest noises (like thunder) from a few miles. If you’re far enough away from a lightning strike, you’ll see the flash but won’t hear the thunder. The storm you’re observing is still a thunderstorm, even if you can’t hear it!

In addition to travelling ‘better’, light also travels much faster than sound. If you’re far away from a lightning strike, there will be a long delay between the flash and the thunder. The delay is about five seconds per mile of distance, and this can be used to roughly approximate the distance between you and a strike.

Now that we know the volume of the thunder and the time between a lightning flash and its corresponding thunder clap can be used to approximate the distance between you and the dangerous lightning, how close is too close?

The answer will be somewhat dependent on your risk tolerance, but if you are close enough to a lightning strike to hear thunder, you’re close enough to the storm to theoretically be hit by the next strike. Of course the odds of a strike increase the closer you get to the core of the storm, but strikes can and do occur dozens of miles in front of the storm’s first raindrops. Remember that old expression about someone getting hit “out of the clear blue”? It has its base in reality.

Before we need to worry about lightning, we need to develop the storms that

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can separate positively and negatively charged particles within the cloud. Without that charge separation, we won’t be able to get the rapid transfer of electrons that creates lightning.

It takes a lot of air rising very rapidly for that charge separation to occur, and there are a few ingredients we need to be in place for that rapid upward motion to develop. Those ingredients are moisture, instability, and something to cause upward motion. If any one is missing, we won’t get rapid upward motion in the clouds, and thus we won’t get charge separation, and thus we won’t get lightning.

Moisture and lift are the more straightforward ingredients. You need some water vapor in the air to condense into clouds when it rises. In Maine, we can get moisture from the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. If we have a very dry day with strong downsloping WNW winds, thunderstorms are unlikely.

Why? Because lift is the ‘trigger’ for thunderstorms. In order for air to rapidly accelerate upwards through an unstable environment, it needs an initial push.

In Maine, that push most often comes from a cold front. As cooler air moves east or southeast, it displaces the antecedent warm air upwards. If there’s enough instability, that warm air will accelerate upwards all the way until it hits the stratosphere.

So what’s instability? Instability is defined as the tendency of a small parcel of air to accelerate away from its initial position if displaced slightly. Imagine a ball perched at the top of a hill. If you displace it slightly from its initial position, it will continue moving away from that initial position as it rolls downwards. The ball would be considered ‘unstable’. Once that ball rolled all the way down into a small valley, a small displacement would result in a return to the new initial position (at the bottom). The ball would then be considered ‘stable’.

The same concept applies to the atmosphere. If you were to take a parcel of air near the surface and displace it upwards a bit, it would either accelerate upwards (unstable) or return to its initial position (stable). In order to get rapid upward motion for charge separation, we need near-surface parcels to be unstable.

What makes parcels unstable? They need to be warmer than their surroundings as they rise. Remember warm air is less dense than cold air, so if a small parcel of air is warmer than its surroundings, it will be less dense and thus it will accelerate upwards due to its buoyancy. The greater the density difference, the faster the air will rise, and the more lightning can be expected. Both higher temperatures and added moisture make air parcels less dense, and thus more buoyant, so to get instability we need a warm and humid day.

It’s probably not a surprise to anyone that warm and humid days are when we worry about thunderstorms. For this reason, the cooling effect of the ocean also acts as a thunderstorm shield for places along the coast like Portland.

When thunderstorms approach from New Hampshire and run into the marine layer, they lose access to their fuel source (the instability), and they fizzle right out. Of course this doesn’t work all the time, but it definitely reduces the frequency of lightning along the Maine coast.

Now that you know what causes thunderstorms, and their distinctive lightning, make sure you have a plan ready to go if you find yourself outside with a thunderstorm approaching. Hard-topped cars and sturdy buildings with lightning rods are both safe places to be during a thunderstorm. If you’re headed outdoors on a warm and humid day, having easy access to one or both of these options to take shelter is important!

I’ll be back next month with more weather.

-Jack

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Jack’s Weather Terms Dry adiabatic lapse rate - This one has a fairly complex name for how intuitive the process it refers to actually is. The dry adiabatic lapse rate is the rate at which the temperature of a dry air parcel falls as it is lifted up in the atmosphere. The value is 9.8°C/km which turns out to be a little over 5°F/1000ft. On a dry day, you can test this out by driving up Mount Washington with a thermometer or checking the mountain’s temperature profile online at https://www. mountwashington.org/experience-the-weather/current-summit-conditions.aspx At left is what it looked like on the Observatory’s website on first of June about mid-afternoon.

The summit is about 5,500 feet above the base in North Conway, which means the temperature should drop by about 30 degrees given dry, calm conditions.

While, of course, there are some exceptions, this is pretty much accurate.

If the temperature in North Conway is 90, you’d expect it to be about 60 on the summit.

That’s why when it gets hot and humid this Summer, I’ll be up at elevation!

Moist adiabatic lapse rate - This is similar to the term above, but describes the rate at which the temperature of a saturated (relative humidity = 100%) air parcel cools as it is lifted.

Because water condenses as it cools, and that condensation releases latent heat, the moist adiabatic lapse rate is not a constant like its dry counterpart, but instead depends on the initial parcel temperature. The warmer the air was to begin with, the more water vapor it contained. That means that the warm air parcel released a lot more latent heat as it rose, due to all that moisture condensing into water droplets.

The moist adiabatic lapse rate for an initially warm parcel is thus much smaller than for an initially dry parcel, thus the graph above is not totally dry or wet rate because it’s a bit of both, with the summit humidity at 87% when this reading was taken.

Eventually, however, as you get to very cold temperatures, the amount of water vapor in an air parcel approaches zero, and the moist adiabatic lapse rate approaches the dry adiabatic lapse rate of 9.8°C/km.

This also happens higher up in the atmosphere for an initially warm parcel.

Once it gets to 25,000 feet or so (depending on the situation), most of the moisture has already condensed, and thus there's no more latent heat to release. The net result is that the moist adiabatic lapse rate approaches the dry adiabatic lapse rate with increasing height.

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Layne’s Wine Time

Layne V. Witherell / Up Portland Wine Critic

(the place where American prohibition began). After that, Hot Suppa Restaurant at 703 Congress Street is authentic by NOLA standards (We even spent a day with the owner checking out some of his favourite haunts in NOLA).

NOLA: There is nothing quite like a parade. Our favourite by far was a walking parade of the cities wine professionals called the Krewe of Cork. Pros in the industry can join the organisation, wear outrageous costumes relating to wine, have a champagne brunch, hand out beads while walking and drinking from gigantic goblets and go on to a grand ball.

We reveled in Mardi Gras this year in New Orleans. After experiencing the “bash of bashes”, we came back both energised and full of fresh ideas for our little city of Portland, Maine.

There appear to be as many women in the industry as men. We had a table at the Royal House about a foot from the revelers. Lots of char-broiled oysters, gumbo and a bottle of Story Point Chardonnay (and a bottle of Charles K. Smith Chardonnay). At $30 and $36 each, there is no reason to resist. I did say it was New Orleans, didn’t I? You don’t even have to display anatomy to get beads: just ask. The picture on the opposite page is from the Royal House.

Making New Orleans our sister city would both increase prosperity and impart a coolness that transcends our current economy and tourism. Thus this is my “modest” proposal: NOLA (New Orleans) and PWM (Portland Maine).

PWM: We need to import NOLA people to re-enact this. Getting in touch with the Pride Parade organisers and the recently about-to-be defunct Old Port Fest would add a much-needed vibe. And maybe change a few laws.

NOLA: Southern Food and Beverage Museum and the Museum of the American Cocktail. The place where you can amble up to the bar, order an absinthe cocktail, tour the museum, and “stumble through 200 years of cocktail history” (per Fodor’s).

NOLA: Craft beer. They are good. Abita Andygator, Voodoo, Strawberry Lager and Mardi Gras Bock. Favourite: Parish Brewing Canebreak Wheat Ale. It is amusing how everyone lays claim to “The Creation” of craft beer in America.

MOJO WINE TOUR

PWM: We can do an augmented reality video of our famous “Rum Riot” in Mechanics Institute at 519 Congress Street. Beverages from Liquid Riot Bottling at 250 Commercial Street should be included. After departing Mechanics, there are two very NOLA things to do: carry your beverage on the street in a 32 ounce container or hop on a large party wagon. We can tour City Hall, visiting the famous rum storage basement, or amble by the Neal Dow House 714 Congress

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PWM: We totally bring craft beer to the game. The NOLA people would be astonished: Bunker, Novare Res, Allagash (especially the small batch stuff), Maine Beer Co., Bissell Brothers, Lone Pine, Good Fire, Rising Tide, etc., etc., etc. We do have a great “Beer Bus”.

NOLA: Bacchanal: The one-stop hipster destination in NOLA. A glorified shack with a laid-back backyard with raggedy plastic chairs, drooping strung lights,

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music, and a vibe. Food is smoked gulf shrimp dip, confit chicken leg, lotsa vegan, snack till you drop. The wine prices are not cheap, but they are wines that don’t make it to here: Eyrie Muscat Ottonnel, Oregon, (seldom seen French/ Alsatian grape) that is dry and aromatic. Alexana Pinot Gris, Newberg, Oregon. Both superb, light, refreshing.

PWM: Kind of like a bundling of Washington Ave. under one roof. The oysters of The Shop, craft cocktails of Maine Distilling, Natural wine from every store on the street. Bacchanal does have better parking and a backyard. There is a vacant lot next door, though, that would make a fine backyard.

NOLA: Frenchmen Street: You don’t even have to go to Bourbon Street to do crazy stuff. This stretch is party wagon central. Mostly, bring cash as many places don’t take cards. D.b.a. has a fine spirits and craft beer selection. If waiting for food, a table or a drink, presents a problem I was told by the locals that there are tattoo artists on this street that are among the best in NOLA. Don’t get too wrecked before you pick out your design.

PWM: I like to envision Portland when it was a seafaring, sailor town awash in the sounds of fog horns and sea shanties. Commercial Street both was and is no more; barely hanging on by its fingernails to the encroaching clang of capital. A large party wagon filled with lobstermen, replacing duck boats, faux fire engines, tourist buses and snowbird condos would add remarkably to Portland’s vibe.

NOLA: Restaurants: We are food adventurers who don’t golf, fish, sail, ski (you get the idea), but will book a reservation many months in advance and obsessively scan the PDF of a great wine list; looking and seeking out wines of originality, uniqueness and surprise. NOLA is like dying and going to wine list heaven. There are a variety of reasons, first among them being tourists who spend money, apart from just having it.

A long-standing European wine tradition backed by cellars with older inventories. Fine dining as an adventure. You can go to fun dive places like Buffa’s, Port of Call or a zillion others and get off cheap. Our top three classics: Commander’s Palace: I carry the receipt in my wallet. Worth every large nickel. 1,500 item wine list. Lots of rare magnums in case you bring friends. Start with glasses of Iron Horse Sparking Rose. Turtle soup or gumbo or foie gras followed by creole seafood bouillabaisse and a bottle of Ramonet Bourgogne. “Bliss consciousness” (Kermit Lynch). Rare wine, by a master. Dessert: Creole bread pudding souffle with glasses of Hungarian Tokaji (elixir of the gods) and Boston Boal Madeira. Unexcelled service.

Galatoire: Another massive cellar and list. Veal sweetbreads and escargot washed down with glasses of their Reserve Cuvee Chardonnay, Sta. Barbara, (by Jim Clendenen) followed with Maple Leaf Duck and a bottle of Chateau La Fleur de Bouard Lalande de Pomerol, Bordeaux (“stylish, profound, complex:” Clive Coates). An exquisite seldom seen Bordeaux. Sadly, the equally elusive Domaine Newman Burgundy was out of stock. Next trip.

Antoines: $20.19 three-course lunch with three 25 cent cocktails.

Their oysters Rockefeller and shrimp ’n’grits are spot on with glasses of Keenan Chardonnay, Napa and Tavel Rose from France. The rarely encountered Burgundy called Ladoix is there. Have the cocktails last.

PWM: We dine well in Portland, but alas, to truly drink well you must (I feel) head south to New Orleans.

(EDITORS NOTE: Layne is a professional in the wine business with over 30 years’ experience. He can be reached at lvwitherell@gmain.com for talks and consulting.

His website is http://winemaniacs.wordpress.com Layne is also hosting an event “Layne’s Wine Gig” every second Friday of the month from 4.30 to 5.30 p.m. at Port City Blue 650A Congress Street. $12 gets you four 3-ounce pours and a rollicking schtick of a good time. Be there!)

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Mark: My Words

By Mark Gatti / Mark’s Hotdogs “What is that?!” is a question commonly heard at my stand whenever someone from away catches a glimpse of a Maine red snappy hotdog. Next asked is “Is it spicy?” and “What makes it that colour?”.

After answering these queries the more adventurous tourist orders one and is always happy with the delicious snappy offering. In fact, I am aware that quite a few out-of-staters source this unique local product and bring a case home on occasion.

Sometimes a tourist will engage me in a bit of drawn out conversation when vacillating about deciding to try a Maine Red. One time a tourist was grilling me about why he should try one and doing so in a rather condescending tone.

Overhearing this pontification and filibustering was a local regular.

Quite fed up by the pompous out-of-stater, the regular customer ordered three red dogs loaded and loudly exclaimed how much he loved them! To his credit, the tourist “snapped to” and ordered a snappy red, with his demeanor transforming into a well-mannered gentleman.

I believe there are many unique styles and varieties of hotdogs served throughout the U.S. Some that I am aware of include: ---The “white hot” from Western New York. What makes it white, I am unsure of, but it is mild tasting and good eating.

---The “Red Hot” is a spicy tasty offering served up on the streets of Washington, D.C., but is not to be confused with the milder natural casing Maine Red. The D.C. version is a hybrid hotdog/sausage that is quite spicy and yummy!

---We’ve got the brats in the Midwest that everyone is gaga over and the tasty elk dogs served in the beautiful tundra lands of Alaska, too.

A most unusual-looking hotdog is the vivid green link served in Thailand. A friend of mine saw them on her travels but was too nervous to try one. She gave me a postcard picturing a platter of them and, yep, they are super green!

As expected, every tourist encountering their first sight of the Maine Red is intrigued about the colour. I remember one visitor asking if they came from a particular beef breed that naturally produced their unique hue of meat. No! Not at all! The red snappers served in Portland had their origin in meatpacking companies during the early 1900s. The links were dyed with a food colouring and were made with an extra snappy natural casing. An immediate success, Mainers and adventurous out-of-staters have been happily munching them down ever since.

On the topic of frequently asked questions posed by out-of-staters, one about lobsters comes to mind. My dad was filling in at my sister’s luncheonette when he was asked by a group of Nebraskans about the freshness of the lobsters used in the lobster rolls.

The luncheonette was located in plain sight of one of our picturesque lakes.

The customers seemed to want extra assurance on freshness of the lobster meat. Tongue-in-cheek, Dad pointed out to the lake and informed them he had trapped the tasty crustaceans “just this morning.”

Happy at this knowledge, his guests ordered a bunch and enjoyed them heartily.

Seeing that they really believed his ruse, dad came clean after their meal and all shared a good natured laugh.

A few periods of my life I have been in the category of “He’s from away”. While residing in Colorado Springs I was lucky to befriend a few of the locals. A couple of them invited me to a Friday happy hour at a popular saloon for eats and drinks. Knowing I was from Maine, they insisted I try a large order of crispy fried Rocky Mountain oysters.

Always venturesome in trying new gastronomic treats, they didn’t have to twist my arm. As gullible as the Nebraskans mentioned earlier, I asked if these oysters were harvested out of the rivers or high mountain lakes. They just laughed and said they would disclose what the edibles were after I dined on them.

Shaped like meatballs with a crunchy deep – fried batter coating, they were a bit rubbery in texture but damn tasty!

I gobbled down the whole order, using liberal amounts of hot sauce and squeezed lemon juice. I took notice that my hosts looked at me quizzically as I polished off the generous helping with great delight. They also seemed disappointed when they told me that the “oysters” were really bull testicles and I was the first and only Eastern greenhorn who not only did not get sick when hearing what they were, but actually enjoyed eating them.

Yes, this really is a menu offering in this region and yes, I ordered them a few more times in my half-year stay there. Yum! A similar scenario played out for wife and I while on our visit to Spain. While sitting at the bar at a Cantina, our bartendress seemed overly insistent that we include the Caracoles in our tapas order. My wife noticed a mischievous twinkle of mirth in our server’s eyes when we went ahead with her suggestion.

Not at all to be compared to the delicious garlic/buttery escargot from France, the Caracoles are tiny snails cooked in their own juices. Other than a source of protein, we found them rubbery with a muddy aftertaste. Never one to waste food, I ate my serving but had to use a copious amount of hot sauce to choke em down. My wife was happy to quit this dish after just a few tastes.

Meanwhile, our tour season is starting again, and we have entertained and dined quite a few already from the huge cruise ships. Whether hailing from land, boat or air I find most tourists to be friendly. Those not friendly generally seem to keep to themselves and at least are not rude. I am always a friendly tourist when travelling myself, happy to have some time off, but also with the knowledge that you get more out of life with honey than vinegar.

The unfriendly, rude tourist is so rare that I can only recall a few examples. One that comes to mind occurred a few years ago. While waiting on a customer a rude voice with a thick New York City accent bellowed “Heads up!” I turned around and was surprised to see that he was crudely addressing me. He apparently felt that it was in my best interest to stop waiting on my polite customer and attend to his immediate needs in a New York second.

Shocked and highly irritated I curtly stopped him in his tracks, informing him that I might help him after I finished serving my other customer. Once done, I answered his simple question for directions and then laughed out loud at his loutish behaviour. Of course, he didn’t get it. He should’ve ordered a red snapper. Maybe it would have mellowed him out!

Until next column, cheers to all. Warm regards, Mark G.

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Steel Pan Fest Brings Caribbean To Maine... But Why Here?

By Annie Sillin For Up Portland With its chilly winters and muddy springs, Maine is not exactly a tropical paradise, which is why it is so surprising that steel pans (often called “steel drums”) have found their way into schools and organisations across the state. In fact, Maine is one of the only areas of the U.S. in which steel pans are popular, due to the contributions of Carl Chase, now retired, who built steel pans and directed bands across the state for over 40 years, which is why many schools have access to pans today.

Each Spring, bands from all over Maine come together to perform in the annual steel pan festival, a tradition that was started over 20 years ago. The first took place in 1994 in Blue Hill, and it included North Yarmouth Academy (NYA) and Cape Cod Academy. It has taken place every year since, but the location changes annually. The festival is meant to bring together steel bands from across the state to enjoy a day of music and support the other players. Spectators who are not in a band are also welcome to attend.

Chase became interested in steel pans in high school after buying and listening to one of the first-ever recordings of a steel drum being played. He said he was “grabbed” by the idea that old oil cans had been saved and recycled to use as drums. Fifteen years later, Chase travelled to the Caribbean to do some sailing, and when he was on land briefly, he went to see a steel band concert and “went berserk.” He said it was the “neatest thing [he] had ever seen.” Shortly after that concert, someone gave Chase a book by Peter Seeger on the making of steel drums, which he brought back home to Maine, making one drum and learning to play it before making a few more and starting a small band with some friends. Now, over 40 years later, Chase’s pans are all over Maine, and the steel pan community continues to thrive. Chase’s son, Nigel, now directs bands across the state as well.

Steel drum music originated in Trinidad in the late 1930s and was created with three different sections, meant to be played together in a band: the tenor pans, the rhythm pans, and the bass drums. Each steel band has varying numbers of each of these components--while one band may have ten tenors and one bass, another may have five tenors and three basses, for example. There is also no limit to the size of the band. At this year’s festival, one of the bands had only three players, while other bands had up to 20 participants.

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How did bands like this get started at schools? For NYA, it was the product of soda can money. The chair of the visual and performing arts programme at the time, Susan Riley, collected money from recycling soda cans and saved up enough to buy the school a set of pans, most likely from Carl Chase. Ian Ramsey, the chair of the visual and performing arts programme at NYA and the director of the school’s student steel band, noted it’s likely about two thirds of the pans heard at this year’s festival were built by Chase.

The Maine steel pan festival is a long-running tradition that brings students and communities from all over together to enjoy a day of music that cannot be heard regularly in many places outside the Caribbean, so it’s great that steel pan music is still alive and well in, of all non-tropical places, Maine.

Ramsey also told Up Portland that the first steel pan festival was the first time he had heard any other than his own band play, but it appears to have made an impression as he has participated in every steel band festival for as long as it has been going on, directing the NYA steel band each year. I asked him what his favourite part of directing the NYA steel band and participating in the festival was, and he laughed, saying that it’s getting to educate students who are as interested in the art of steel drums as he is.

This year’s festival, held in the Shaw Gym in Gorham, hosted 17 bands, including those of Planet Pan from Blue Hill and Steel Industry from NYA, and community-wide bands like Panstorm, a band based in Hermon, Maine.

The festival included a wide range of talents, band sizes, performance styles, and ages as participants ranged from elementary school students to adults.

Some of the songs were slower and more melodic while others were upbeat and dance-worthy. And at the end of the festival, all bands joined together to perform a group-wide piece.

The event was held in a round-robin style: each band was set up on the edges of the gym, and the audience moved around the centre from band to band. After each band played one song, the audience would flow to the next, who would play one song, and so on.

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Sauntering With Mat

By Mat Robedee / Up Portland Commentator

With the winter finally behind us and a Memorial Day with no set plans, it seemed only appropriate to dust off my hiking boots and head into the White Mountains. Like any sane traveller, the concern over holiday traffic and crowded vistas instantly came to mind. As I scoured over trail maps for nearby areas that would be off radar to the masses, I soon remembered Evans Notch - one of my all time favourite “go-to” spots.

I first stumbled upon Evans Notch when I was a teenager. Around the age of 16, I owned my first car and filled much of my time driving around the White Mountains in awe. It was wild for me to believe that such magnificence was just an hour’s drive from home.

I remember feeling as if I’d stumbled upon a secret, because every twist and turn gave way to a new mountain range or scenic view. During this time, I discovered Evans Notch, which is located on the Maine / New Hampshire border.

Due to its close proximity to home and all that it offered, I spent more time there than anywhere else.

Evans Notch is the easternmost notch through the White Mountains and roughly 20 miles past the town of Fryeburg, following along Route 113. In fact, much of the drive past Fryeburg is not only bursting at the seams with farmlands and scenic beauty but it also follows along the border of New Hampshire, often dipping in and out of each state (the best of both worlds in my opinion).

As Route 113 enters the mountains the road narrows as it traverses the notch.

Several vista pull offs can be found along the way, until the ride eventually ends in the town of Gilead, New Hampshire.

Along the stretch from Fryeburg to Gilead, there are endless options for outdoor experiences, including one of my favourite hikes in New England – the Baldface Loop Trail. Amongst all my hiker friends, the general consensus is – this is on the top of everyone’s “favourites” list.

My friend and I decided this would be the best place to attempt a hike on Memorial Day... crossing our fingers that the majority of folk would be spending time closer to North Conway and more established hiking areas. Thankfully for us, luck was on our side because as we came to the parking area, we were both surprised to see how few people there were.

As we parked my car and stepped outside to pack a day bag, I was instantly greeted by an overly eager tick who decided my leg was a nice place to reside.

Unfortunately for the tick, it found a quick demise and I quickly covered myself in bug spray. Lyme Disease is no joke, trust me.

The Baldface Loop trail is a 9.5 trek over two mountain peaks and rated difficult. I will say this rating is quite accurate due to both the exposure and rock scrambling involved. Dogs are also able to use this trail but please note, that unless your pup has some serious experience bagging peaks, this is not the safest hike to bring them on – as the Baldface Mountains are the most challenging hikes in Evans Notch.

Around 1900 a fire tore across the range, which has now resulted in much on

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the loop trail being exposed and above tree line. Sad for nature, but as a hiker – the loop offers continuous and jaw dropping views across both Maine and New Hampshire.

Less than one mile in from the trailhead is where the loop begins and one can choose to either go left or right. Having done both several times now, I would say there are pros and cons to both options. The left would bring you up South Baldface first, and also up some of the steepest, most exposed sections on the trail. These steep scrambles along rocks have minimal handholds and could potentially be dangerous if not tackled carefully. Some folk prefer ascending this, while others prefer to descend... trust your gut and do some research before making a decision. Most importantly, these rocks can get incredibly slick, so if the weather is poor, I would strongly reconsider your hiking plans.

The weather for us was stunning and I could not have been more thankful. A strong breeze from the Mount Washington area tore across the Baldface range, which helped cool us due to such intense sun exposure. Additionally, it helped

keep the blackflies away – which were monsters to say the least. To my greatest surprise, there were still pockets of deep snow along the trail in spots that lacked exposure from the sun, which made from some fun trekking and butt sledding along the way. All said and done, it took the two of us roughly five hours to do the hike, with short stops for food, hydration and, of course, headstands along the way. I have also done this trek with less able hikers and have had it take up to seven or eight hours, so plan accordingly and do not forget the bug spray!

Getting there: Take Route 25 from Portland to Route 113 and into the town of Fryeburg. It is here that 113 will take a sharp right and continue on for another 20+/- miles along a paved yet bumpy road. After the farmlands and upon a small decline in the road, a small parking lot will be located on the right and labeled with a large brown sign. The parking lot has a trail map kiosk and outhouse. The trailhead is located on the other side of the road, a short walking distance further on 113. Enjoy!

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Ageless Micucci’s Turns 70, But S Some things are well-kept secrets. Others are very obvious, if only we’d look.

And some are not secret at all. Such is the case with India Street’s Micucci’s Grocery Company, which is marking its 70th anniversary this Summer.

And the things which are no secret are that customer service, attention to detail and a focus by family on what is important have kept the doors open ever since Leo Micucci first started peddling Italian food from the back of a green truck in 1949.

Just ask the current owners --- Leo’s son, Rick Micucci, and his wife Anna --and they’ll be quick to say the service Rick’s dad was famous for continues. But along with the service, it’s the unique products one finds on the shelves, behind the deli counter and in the hot pizza and sandwich area at the very crowded store which make it special. For while the little green truck Rick’s dad started with is long gone, and sadly, Leo left us two decades ago, the traditions go on unchanged.

The couple, who both work in the store daily, as well as occasional visits from other members of the family (they have five children from college age on up) keep the tradition of family alive and well. But so do all the relatives who help out --- from a day a week to every day.

From the store’s manager, Gilbert Galli (better known as “Gib”), to the head cashier, Julie, someone in or connected to the extended family can be found at the store most any time the doors are open.

And that includes occasional visits from the store’s matriarch, Iris Micucci, who turns 91 this Fall. Good and bad, she, and for the past 40 years, her son, have witnessed it all as the India Street neighbourhood has evolved from an Italian enclave to industrial to tony residential --- and the streets from ones teeming with workers at shift changes to those we see today, filled with folks on nearby Munjoy Hill walking their dogs and tourists going to award-winning restaurants.

While Micucci Grocery Company has stayed and grown, places like the Pen & Pencil Club (an after-hours spot which stood about where Nine Stones Spa

is now at Fore and India), and the Commercial Fruit Company owned by the Colello Family which occupied the space where Lois’ Natural is these days have long departed. Mrs. Micucci recalled a gas station on India Street was later bought by Port City Glass. That lot now holds the Mason Block condos. And, of course, the lamented Village Cafe sat where part of the Bay House Condos are now along Newbury and Middle streets.

Along the way, Mrs. Micucci noted the neighbourhood had a barber shop (where Ribollita and Duckfat are these days) as well as several Kosher butcher shops down where Eventide is, and a drugstore in the building now housing Hugo’s.

There were other, more contemporary spots, too. Bruno’s (now out Forest Avenue) started in part of the space now occupied by Micucci’s and Sangiello’s, which later occupied the building on Hampshire Street where Tomasso’s is now, was right there as well.

Micucci’s itself traces their roots to 1949 and a father, Leo, who was a boxer of note and travelled around to matches and events in the ring.

Each time he’d go --- especially to fight in Boston, which has and always has had a large Italian community --- friends would ask him to pick up cheeses, pasta and other Italian foods not available in Maine. That gave him the idea to sell those items in Portland.

For years, the shop had no permanent home, selling from the truck, renting spots in the Old Port and nearby, until a building became available at Middle & India streets in 1965.

The structure (the one we still know today) had been part of the rather imposing Florence Hotel (We didn’t mention there was ever an Italian Hotel at India and Middle streets, did we?). The hotel had burned in 1930 and a local Italian family removed the badly-damaged top floors and restored

the bottom ones into a store with a small lunch counter. It was that which Leo and Iris bought in 1965 to find what became the permanent home for Micucci Grocery Company.

But that’s not the end of the story.

Actually, it’s hardly the beginning, as Leo and Iris passed down their values and ability to please customers to Rick and Anna. And they’ve continued the tradition with pride in business and the city of Portland.

Generations of Micuccis, all seen on the same steps at the store. At left, founder, Leo. In the centre, his wife Iris. And at right, the current operators: Rick and Anna Micucci.

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“We’ve seen a lot of changes, but I strongly support controlled growth, especially since we are hanging on to traditions here, but at the same time adapting to a new business model,” Micucci told Up Portland.

Shows No Signs Of Slowing Down He also noted that the store is not the neighbourhood market that some would like to believe. “We do proudly sell to the neighbourhood, but we are also a destination store. People come long distances from up in the state and elsewhere to get the unique meats, cheeses and other products we still carry,” he said.

Mrs. Micucci told us she remembers well the old times, when the aroma of fresh romano, parmesan and other cheeses filled the store, especially on hot days. The cheese was never pre-packaged and always was cut, she recalled, by hand when a customer would come in --- a tradition which the deli crew continues in any way they can still today.

As the store continued to grow, other things were added. There was a garden out back when they started (thus the steps between levels of the store today) and folks could grab a sandwich from Bruno’s or the deli and eat outside.

But other changes were happening all around, too. A rail line ran down the centre of Commercial Street --- the path still visible by the centre lane’s different colour pavement. Down there, at a railyard that’s long-gone on Commercial, railcars would arrive and Rick and his brothers would go down with hand carts and the store’s infamous green truck to haul up cases of sauces, tomatoes and other supplies. Included was the very first load of pizza sauce to ever arrive by rail in Portland.

There was also a huge foundry which ran night and day, leaving many in the area going to sleep to the thump and bang of the old metal presses. That foundry took up a large chunk of the area just north of the grocery.

“And back then Hancock Street was not even a street between Middle and Fore,” Mrs. Micucci recalled, remembering that the foundry’s many buildings included some that took the space of what’s now the roadway which connects to the waterfront at Ocean Gate. More of the foundry was where the Residence Inn is now and the remaining part (the only one still standing) is what’s now Shipyard Brewing on Hancock Street.

Meanwhile, Micucci’s stayed thru it all... and thrived. The barrels from the 60’s still share space with packaged olives, oils and gourmet items. And the family, seeing that the store was being overrun with stock, opened a wholesale division in the Riverside neighbourhood which serves customers across the Northeast. That allowed space for the grocery to expand their shelves and bakery, make more of their famous pizza, sandwiches and a lunch counter once again. What’s that adage about the more things change, the more they stay the same?

So the question most asked of Rick, Anna and the rest of the staff these days: Is the store staying on India Street when condos, restaurants and spas are going up on every side? And after you guys, who will take over?

Rick’s reply to the first question is a definite “Yes, and as long as it’s fun and I enjoy coming to work, as I do now, we will be here. I get calls all the time offering to buy the building, but we aren’t going anywhere.” It needs mentioning, too, that Rick and Anna have five children who help out at the store on occasion, so for now there’s not only a long reach back into history, but a look forward that pretty much guarantees there’s going to be a Micucci Grocery Company on India Street for a long time to come.

But Rick is equally adamant that if the kids or family are not interested in running a grocery, the place could end up being sold or stopping when he and Anna reach time to retire. “If the family wants it, and wants to take the responsibility of ownership, then we will be here. There are a lot of things we can’t control --- from prices due to tariffs or the price of a Euro --- but others we can. We focus on those and the pride we take in our business as a family.” Based upon that, and upon the smile Rick and Anna’s son Emilio, has when he’s cutting meat and cheese behind the deli counter, we’d say there’s a whole lot of years left at Micucci’s.

Just remember one tradition Rick’s dad started which also continues to this day: Micucci’s is closed on Sundays, because everybody deserves a day off to rest, relax and recharge.

Happy 70th!

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The Standard Reviewer

By Randy Dankievitch — TV Critic / TVOvermind

A Giant Looms As The Second War for Streaming Dominance Begins 2019 is shaping up to the be the end of the first era of television streaming, especially for Netflix: this year marks the end of their partnership with Marvel and Disney, the final season of Orange is the New Black (their first true signature prestige series), and a major shift in their comedy brand, with the recent cancellations of American Vandal, Santa Clarita Diet, and One Day at a Time.

On a larger scale, the fracturing of Netflix’s library as networks like CBS and HBO continue to launch their own streaming services has put a dent in the armor of the OG streaming giant.

These are problems all fledgling streaming services have struggled with in recent years: Hulu’s struggled to build its library off the success of The Handmaid’s Tale, with only a few notable series to its name (like last year’s Castle Rock).

Amazon Prime’s had its own set of issues, with the on and offset issues with Transparent, the questionable (and massive) investment in future Lord of the Rings content, and the unceremonious cancellations of critically acclaimed series The Tick, Mozart in the Jungle, and One Mississippi.

The impending arrival of Disney’s streaming service Disney+ in November has only ticked up the pressure on these networks; 2018 saw Amazon and Netflix get further into movie distribution, and a renewed sense of urgency signing bigname television creators to huge deals (Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes have both signed huge deals at Netflix in recent years, and Amazon signed the creators of Westworld to a nine-figure deal), and developing series around prestige talent, like the George Clooneyproduced Catch-22 adaptation on Hulu.

What happens in the next 18 months will be fascinating. Some have estimated Netflix will lose up to 25% of its subscriber base to Disney+ later this year.

As one would expect, Disney+ will arrive with its own slate of shows and films beyond its existing properties, with The Mandalorian series, two shows starring Loki and Scarlet Witch, the potential (and still only rumored) revival of the Netflix Marvel series, and the impending trilogies of Star Wars films, one written by Rian Johnson (The Last

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Jedi), the other by David Benioff and D.B Weiss (Game of Thrones).

If you haven’t noticed, the race for the Content Crown of 2020 has already begun in haste for “the big four,” (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and HBO); spring’s already been a fruitful time for Amazon, with the amazing second season of Fleabag, and wonderfully whimsical adaptation of Good Omens (both co-productions with BBC) book ending May for the service.

Netflix is doubling down on the hits, with new seasons of Black Mirror and Stranger Things on the way, along with a sequel to 2018’s best romantic comedy film, the wonderful To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. And HBO, looking for a big hit in the wake of Game of Thrones, is throwing everything at the wall, from a Watchman adaptation, to new seasons of The Young Pope, Big Little Lies and Succession – though their catalog lacks a signature hit at the moment with Westworld’s extended hiatus, the network’s lineup is deeper than ever.

It’s impossible to predict what will be the next culture-galvanizing show, taking up the mantle of Lost, Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones in recent years. But the streaming heavyweights are lining up to take their biggest swings at the crown – and in doing so, will put the entire streaming service experiment to the test.

How many streaming services are too many? And once the culture hits that saturation point, which services are the first to go? There are so many questions to answer: Will Hulu fold under the pressures of being co-owned by so many other networks? Will Netflix’s approach of “bury viewers in a mountain of new content every week” eventually collapse on itself? It’s strange to think the arrival of one more streaming service in 2019 will provide clarity to all these questions, but the effect of Disney’s monoculture will reverberate through the television and film industry for the next decade – Disney+ is but the launching pad of Disney’s new branding approach (which now includes 20th Century-Fox as one of its many, many, many sub properties).

So get your popcorn – a new age of Too Much Television is has begun in earnest, and seeing how the giants of the industry react to its latest, and most threatening challenger to date, is going to define the next era of American television.

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Hackin’ The Net

By Ted Fleischaker / Publisher OK, let’s admit it: How many of us as kids hated mom and dad demanding to know where we were every second, what we were doing, had we done our “chores” or were we just sitting by the TV and not outside playing as we were directed?

And how many of us were thrilled after we hit that special birthday when mom and dad no longer felt the need to keep the reins so tight?

If, like me, you were one of those happy to be freed from the strict supervision we all seemed to endure in my childhood neighbourhood, you will definitely not be wanting to buy a 4th Generation of the newly-redone Apple Watch. It’s kinda like mom and dad have returned from the grave and gently (but persistently) remind us of those things we should or could be doing with our time.

I am aware that a lot of the different features can be muted, turned off or deleted altogether, but for the past month, I have been using my new watch with everything as Apple intended out of the box switched on. And I shall admit also, I have had some days where I wanted to toss it in Casco Bay or in front of a bus.

Yes... it really can get that obnoxious. And even when it’s doing it’s nudging “for my own good” as mom used to say when shooing me out to play when I was happy with T Bar V Ranch Time on Channel 11 or Sky King on Channel 3, it can seem overdone.

So, you surely are asking, why did I just spend about $500 on this amazing piece of technology? Well, I looked at friends’ Apple watches for ages and liked some of the do-dads but never could find a real reason to buy one.

But a recent birthday (and I see the big seven-oh clearly approaching a year from now) and some new features pushed me to get one.

The biggest reason is that there’s a fall detector built into the new Series 4 watch. If I fall down or collapse walking or even at home, it gives me a warning so I can stop it (assuming I am conscious), but if I fail after a half minute it calls whomever I have programmed to be notified and 911. It’s more or less a fancier “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” type gadget I hope to never need, but is nice to have, as much as I wander the streets on the Peninsula --- often solo.

But beyond that handy, dandy thing, the watch also tracks my heartbeat. I also can touch the crown and sit still while it counts down 30 seconds and prints out my electrocardiogram (ECG). It can even make it into a PDF I can e-mail my doctor if he or I need or want.

The watch, by the way, is “tied” to the iPhone, so that ECG will show on the native “health” app there, as will a host of other things --- from my resting and exercising heartbeat to how many hours I have been on my feet during the day.

And it’s that latter (and associated things) which make me feel mom has risen

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from the grave to make me turn off the TV and go outside.

Unless one disables them, the watch and app have three “rings” which show your move calories (you enter your weight and height, etc. thru the phone app) and also your minutes of exercise and stand hours.

That latter is to make sure we office types do not just sit and sit and sit, but we stand up and move around for even a minute at least once an hour to get the blood pumpin’.

But the problem, while this is also a good thing, is the reminders. The watch will ding and put a reminder to stand, even for a minute “and move around some” on the screen. A fun reminder for a day or three, but it can be less fun if you are say in a long meeting or watching a movie. The phone and watch combo also have other apps to help you remember to do things --- including a “breathe” app which reminds one to spend a few minutes taking a deep breath or two and relaxing (I assume not in the car at the wheel!)

And there are other reminders. I seem to come up short some days because I fail to turn on my exercise app when going for my walk, so while I do all my daily doctor-recommended 6,000 steps and more, since I do not turn it on, I get no credit on the exercise ring and not much on the move one, which keeps dinging to remind me I can make the goal with a brisk (fill in the minutes needed) walk.

Once again, it’s mom on my wrist!

So do I like the watch? Actually, yes, despite the various dings and dongs.

I do like it that texts go to the watch and I can talk-to-text a reply. It’s very much like the Two-Way Wrist Radio that Dick Tracy predicted in his old comic strip, but hey it means someone who texts me will get a reply sooner and if it’s a reminder to be somewhere, I do not miss it.

The watch also makes a sound and vibrates when my cell phone rings, so I find that a help as some days I am half deaf and half not paying attention and miss my calls.

I also happen to love that I can have the watch face be what I want (yes there is a Mickey Mouse face which will even announce the time) and feature what I want with a few clicks. That means looking at the time (which happens automatically if I raise my wrist) I see a screen I have customised. Mine’s set up to show me the current up or down on the Dow Jones, the Portland temperature and conditions, as well as those pesky exercise and stand rings. It’s a neat and lazy (but fun) way get the basics. Whoda thought some day a watch would be so plugged in?

So how do I feel about the Apple watch thus far? And have I, in just under a month, yet discovered everything this computer on a wrist will and can do?

Answer to first question: Mixed. It’s fun to talk a reply to a text or see how many steps I have walked, calories I’ve burned and whether I need to stand up and move around. Some of the reminders are interesting, useful and though I never want to have to use it, the fall detector does give me some peace of mind.

Other things are, to be polite, obnoxious. I especially disliked and turned off the breathe reminder. And I do not sit and take my ECG every 25 minutes for the fun of it (though I have done it a few times to wow friends and my MD). I also do not even “get it” why I can control music and radio on my phone from the watch. If I am somewhere I can listen, I will likely have the phone right in hand, so why add that? And that learning curve is still going strong for me because

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some of the app symbols on the phone are also on the watch, but so small I can’t figure out which is which. It is neat maps are on the watch so no getting lost downtown (not that I would, anyway) and there are e-mail and walkie talkie apps on the watch, too.

So is the watch worth the close to $500 one of the version four costs? I will have to get back to you after a Summer of use, but I will say thus far the experience has been at best fun and at worst mixed.

But I’d also not be honest were I not to say I was disappointed when my provider’s monthly cell bill showed up last week and I found that in addition to the $10 extra they are charging me a month to use data to power the watch on their system (if I read the bill right the watch even has its own phone number) but they hit me with a $30 activation fee, plus a partial month use before the billing period began, as well as the usual asinine this and that fees and taxes.

That means for the privilege of having mom on my wrist, it’s gonna end up being $13 or $14 a month more with that unmentioned cell service provider.

I assume it would be the same with others.

Is that worth it? I don’t have a clue. And what will happen when I next travel overseas as far as a data or roaming fee?

No clue, but I plan to call and ask before I head out.

The watch is a new frontier, and I’d even say a brave new frontier. Is it one you should explore? Maybe. Is it for everybody? Nope.

And as I write these words I can see several young and older friends slowly shaking their heads and saying “no way” while others are planning to ask for one come next birthday or Christmas.

Either way, just like a motorcycle, bikini briefs and a snowboard, not everything suits everybody.

I happen to mostly enjoy the watch, but I lived almost 70 years without one and probably could have finished my time on earth that same way.... though I’d not have had near as much fun.

Now, if you will pardon me, I got a message from “mom” that it’s time to stand up and I only got a minute to do so!

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Up Portland is edited in Portland and printed the last week of every month in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We may be contacted at the e-mail or phone number below. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and fairness, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors. Liability is limited to the cost of said ad. Ads not cancelled by published deadlines may be billed at agreed-upon price.

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Don’t You Dare Say The Other “F Word” Instead, Just Say This Game Is Ultimate!

This story is about an “F word”, but not THAT one. Nope, it’s about Frisbees, but we aren’t supposed to say that here, either. If you want to spend a lot of spare time looking up the origins of the Frisbee (including the spelling: One E, as the original bakery whose pie tins supposedly gave it its name did, or two, as one brand of flying discs does) then head for the internet, but if you want to see some real flying discs (and people) in action, then you should consider following local team, Cumberland Ultimate... a conglomeration of town residents, Greely High School students and friends who compete and are ranked in the interna-

So what’s a game like and who plays? Fast-moving is the ultimate term, and according to the captains, almost anyone can play. And yes, there is even a “masters’ league” for those who are no longer the typical players, who seem to mostly range from 30 downward to elementary school level. In Maine, players seem to add Ultimate to other sports on their resumes. In some areas, schools have teams, while in still others, towns or recreation departments do. Others are a loose conglomeration of bits and pieces of all three.

Talking to Moore, Ray and Briley, we found that while Ultimate was their first love, cross country, swimming and soccer were also on their sports resumes. And one girl who competes locally also practices karate. What was it we said about all sorts of backgrounds?

The teams in Maine and elsewhere play on a field which is 70 yards long , 40 yards wide and has end zones of 25 yards.

Goals are at each end and one scores similarly to what a soccer (British football) team would.

There are many informal rules, with a “spirit award” given to the team which shows the best sportsmanship, rules knowledge and ability to actually have fun and be excited while on the field. Cumberland often walks away with that prize, even if the team comes up short on the scoreboard.

The games divide into periods, and as a lot of running is involved, peak physical fitness plays a part, as does remembering that this is not like American Football, so no tackling, hitting or violence, please. But the game has shades of basketball, too, so running with the disc is not acceptable, as a pivot foot must remain firmly on the ground while a player is in possession. And there’s a limit, too, of how long he or she can hold the disc.

See? Bits of a lot of different sports, all cobbled together into a very fast-moving game.

As far as gear, Ultimate is the ultimate in minimalist. As there’s no tackling, hitting or purposeful violence, there’s no need for helmets, pads or any of the gear one associates with say football. To quote Cole, “about all that’s needed (besides a desire to play) is a pair of cleats and a disc.”

tional sport of what’s called Ultimate you-know-what, though they can’t and don’t use the “F word” in their name. Read on to see why Never heard of such? Neither had any of us at Up Portland until we got approached about helping to sponsor the team’s shirts this Summer. And that did more than get the team, coached by Kevin Massey and captained by Cole Moore, Adam Ray and Carter Lawless, as well as the girls’ counterpart, captained by Anna Briley and Molly Hale, some shirt funds... it stoked our interest in one of the most recently developed sports (started in 1968), but one which has Olympic sanctioning and might just make it to the 2024 games to boot.

But do not get the idea that Cumberland Ultimate is the only team anywhere near Portland. It’s not even close. Teams also exist in some 30-plus states, as well as countries as far afield as Japan, Colombia and Germany. In fact, involvement in Maine teams is so great that there’s a Maine Ultimate governing body (www. maineultimate.org), and a national one as well.

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That latter is usually something the team has, and Adam noted it has to be a Discraft 175 gram model. Oh, and for the record (here’s that word again), it’s not called a Frisbee ever, but a disc, to keep the lawyers happy.

Why? Well, checking Wikipedia we found out: “The term frisbee is often used generically to describe all flying discs, but Frisbee is a registered trademark of the Wham-O Toy Company. This protection results in organised sports such as Ultimate or disc golf having to forgo use of the word ‘Frisbee’.”

So Cumberland, Cape Elizabeth and all the other local teams play Ultimate and do not even dare to whisper that other “F Word”. Go figure!

So what’s the best way to learn more about the sport and the team who sport Up Portland’s graphics proudly on this year’s shirts?

Head for one of their matches in Maine, Massachusetts or even as far as Minnesota, where a group --- including some of the Cumberland Ultimate players --- will be part of the Maine team at the nationals at Blaine in early August.

By the way, usually there are more players than spectators so the captains said you’ll be more than welcome to check their schedules online or on Facebook and just turn out for some fast and fun action. It’s perfect for a Maine Summer’s afternoon. Just don’t dare whisper that “F word” because some lawyer might hear you!

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Food For Thought...

As Portland is the city of foodies and restaurants, I find myself often lamenting in this column about walking or driving past this or that place over and over and never stopping. That’s why this month’s review is a pleasant change... we walked by and went in a new place which recently opened at 7 Union Street, on that steep hill block between Commercial and Wharf streets.

It’s one of those buildings that’s been around awhile, but also one which is easily walked by. Parking in the area is a major premium, and there’s not a whole lot in that block to shop for or go buy, but now there’s a reason to hunt up a place for your car (or walk down if you live close enough): the princely-named Royale Lunch Bar. The name is itself impressive, but add in the restaurant’s logo --- one of a burger and wine glasses shaped together like a crown --- and it’s even more so. Three cheers to the marketing folk who thought that one up.

But what about the more important things: the food and the space? The answer to both is more than passable, and with an interesting menu to boot. In other words: we will be going back.

Royale Lunch Bar actually goes well beyond “just lunch” from what we witnessed and read on the chalkboard walls and menu, as they serve breakfast Tuesdays thru Saturdays from 8 a.m., and while they close at 6 every day, they re-open on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. till 2 a.m. That’s a time I am hopefully (usually?) sleeping, but given the spot’s Old Port location and the fact you can look out the front windows and see at least a couple major clubs, I can only imagine that this would be a happenin’ place about midnight on weekends, especially in season.

So what about the actual space?

Cramped, though in addition to a counter one orders at, they did manage to jam in a handfull of tables, as well as a second counter with stools looking out on Union Street. The place is so new that looking at the Google Streetview of it, one sees signs in the window for “Heros Subs coming soon”. Googling that, we found Heros did exist (albeit briefly, apparently) as a branch of a Lewiston spot, and while we have no clue what happened to the heros, we are thrilled the space went Royale.

As far as the menu, our normal recommendation would be to start with a visit online at www.lunchroyale.com but lo and behold, all that’s there is a scene of water and a note saying that the site is under construction, and coming soon. What was it we said about the marketing folks? It’s 2019, people, and in this reviewer’s way of thinking a website needs to come before much else.

This is especially so because I was gonna suggest potential diners at Royale Lunch Bar check out the menu before entering. The reason? The menu is extensive and while they have hand-out versions one can take, it would have been way easier to read and know what we wanted to go for before entering and holding up folks waiting behind us while we studied the offerings. Remember, we did say cramped space, and while we did go a bit after peak lunch hour, my mind could envision a long line waiting to order... especially when additional items to pick from cover chalkboards which virtually surround the bar where one orders.

OK, so what did we do? We grabbed copies of the menus (below) and tried to take in all we could --- then we ordered. Afterall, we reasoned, we will be back.

Good call on our part as the food was great and indeed we WILL be returning.

Also good call was grabbing a table when we could find one, and knowing we’d be in and out promptly at mid-day on a recent Tuesday.

So what was on that menu? Well, everything from Poutine ($7, with Pineland Farm Cheddar curds) to chicken (menu didn’t say how prepared but did list quarter or half: $7/$12 served with bread and butter pickles, so maybe fried?) and comfort food thrown in. Talk about memories of childhood: “Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup ($10) featuring Texas Toast, both Gruyere and Muenster cheeses and served with Dilly Beans.”

We are scratching our heads on this one, too, as the menu adds “Smokey Tomato Soup” which I suppose needs tried.

Going further, there’s the place’s version of a Caesar Salad, a chicken sandwich and a Cauliflower Mac & Cheese which has no Mac at all for you no gluten folk!

But despite all the neat sounding things, on our recent first visit eyes went to a Smoked Meat Sandwich (reg $11 / lg $14) for my dining companion, and a Biftech Sandwich ($9) for yours truly. What, you ask IS a

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Biftech Sandwich? Menu says “thin sliced marinated beef eye round, onion jam, American cheese, brioche bun served w/pickled carrots. Add mushrooms $1.50.”

Good thing my late dad was not along as he used to threaten to make us wait for time we paid for on meters to run out before we could leave. We’d have had a long wait as Royale Lunch Bar treated us so royally and speedily!

Once I asked and found out the mushrooms were also pickled (the pickled theme runs pretty well thruout the menu and one can imagine on a busy weekend about midnight, the guests as well) I went for the extra mushrooms and prepared to be wowed. I was not at all disappointed. In fact, my only let-down was they did not offer extra napkins and a fork from the get-go, since this is a deliciously messy and delightful treat which I ended up finishing with silverware.

So what’s the conclusion? We will be back early and often. It’s not quite the fun we have at the nearby City Centre Hi Fi Donuts with their New Deal Italian sandwiches and BLTs for lunch, but we are regulars at Hi Fi, so Royale is a close second. And for friends not wanting to climb the Union Street / Temple Street hill or with offices nearby, Royale Lunch Bar is a perfect choice. Lunch for two, by the way, was $26.46, plus we did give the prompt staff a tip for the great experience.

As for the smoked meat, it came as described: “smoked beef brisket, house yellow mustard, rye, served w/half sour pickle spear.” We split a decent size order of the house-cut fries ($3) and once we wiped off the sauces, juices and finished with a fork, proclaimed it a grand lunch.

Only shortfall here was the website which, while still not fully there on the final day of May, will hopefully be by the time you read these words in June. Let’s share that wonderful menu, folks!

A word, too, about breakfast, though we did not actually have one (Yet!) at Royale Lunch Bar: Sounds good. Lox (house-cured), bagels, Smoked Meat Hash, something called a Crow’s Burrito ($8) “crispy potatoes, egg, smoked meat, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro” and a Creation Sandwich ($8) “salami, egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, rye served w/half sour spear”. Not sure I could face a pickle at 8.30 a.m., but hey, they have all manner of drink specials and more so anything’s possible.

A word, too, about the service. One orders at the counter, pays and the food is delivered when ready. And these folks are fast... real fast. We put an hour and 20 on our meter around the block on Commercial Street, walked over, ordered, ate, talked to a family at the next table, walked back and got to the car with 35 minutes still on the meter slip.

One quick additional bite... I love all the gourmet restaurants which surround us in Portland, but every so often I relent to childhood memories and head out to Maine Mall Road and try not to be seen (as a “gourmet food reviewer”) going to Friendly’s for some clam strips, a turkey dinner or burger, accompanied by their coffee ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry.

I did so last week and was saddened to find out from staff that our South Portland Friendly’s is the last one remaining in Maine, with the Windham and Augusta ones having shut down in the past six weeks. While I know it’s nowhere close to gourmet, it does have a fun air and brings back lots of childhood memories for me, so I hope you will head to Friendly’s this Summer once in awhile just for those memories, plus affordable decent food and to help the local one keep their doors open. Portland would be a less fun foodie town were they to close. Besides, there’s not a “small plate” or snotty chef anywhere to be seen, which is also a plus on some days!

NOW OPEN

Find your JOY at the new gem of Old Port 191 Middle Street, Portland

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Here’s What We Think...

Up Portland’s Opinion

We at Up Portland urge the legislature to stop a poorly-planned bill which has been once again brought back from dead --- this time by Portland’s State Rep. Mike Sylvester. A bill which, if passed, will hit a lot of our readers (and us) in our wallets.

Let’s explain: Sylvester’s bill, if passed, would allow municipalities (think City of Portland) to raise existing meals and lodging taxes through a local referendum.

If enacted, a town could vote to raise the meals and lodging taxes--seasonally or year-round--by 1%; of which 75% would be returned to that town. The other 25% would go to the Maine Rural Development Authority (RDA).

The reason behind this division of the money is to get buy-in from rural legislators. As cities, service centre communities, and towns with a large tourism economy would be the most likely to enact this tax increase and, therefore, get the money returned to them, offering some funding that might help some small, rural towns was tacked on to “sweeten” what in the past has been a failed bill.

However, there’s a catch: RDA funding can only be used for redevelopment of industrial and manufacturing sites.

This means that most towns won’t see any revenue from the tax increase, but their residents will still pay the tax when they travel around the state; and tour-

ism overall could be negatively affected with the message that Maine has higher hospitality taxes than our neighbours. Further, if this door is opened, it likely won’t be long before local option taxes on all retail sales are attempted.

So, readers need to let Mr. Sylvester and his pals know that we have read his bill and oppose it. While towns are supposed to get more money from increases in revenue sharing and more education funding in the next budget, nothing in this bill actually states that will happen ...and we at Up Portland are betting nothing will ---- aside from more and more and more property taxes in addition to this latest cash grab try.

Besides, letting cities raise meals and lodging taxes sends a message that we don’t value our visitors or year-round residents, who will be hit with this tax anytime (in season or in January) for no reason.

We know, Mike, this is your bill and with all deference to you and our tax and spend Mayor Ethan Strimling (who also has lobbied to get a similar policy adopted), it is a bad bill. And it’s a bad message to send locals and visitors alike --- one we at Up Portland feel needs to be withdrawn or defeated.

Unless, of course, Mike, you, Ethan and your pals want to come by and pay our and our friends’ tax when we are the only people dining in January or February at restaurants in Portland. You know the restaurants... the ones which truly need our business after the snowbirds have flown and the tourists are gone.

To readers we say, please get in touch with your state legislator (especially if his last name is Sylvester) and tell her or him NO tax increase. It’s a bad idea ... and one which will cost those of us living in Portland a whole lot of cash. By the way, if the legislature should pass this misguided bill, we urge Gov. Janet Mills to veto it when it hits her desk. We were promised no new taxes, and this is one percent which would hit we locals especially hard. It’s also a tax we do not need. Instead, schools and cities need to spend within their means.

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at Eastern Cemetery

Our gates are open!

Come enjoy a weekend tour in June.

Join us for a guided walking tour of historic Eastern Cemetery at 11 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday in June, weather permitting.

Tours start at the Congress St. gate. Cost $10; students and seniors (62+) $5; children under 12 free.

If those times don’t work for you, email tours@spiritsalive.org and we’ll set up a special tour at no extra charge.

Spirits Alive - dedicated to the preservation of historic Eastern Cemetery More info and volunteer opportunities at spiritsalive.org Up Portland 06.19 In Print * On The Web At: www.upportland.com * On Facebook Page 29

Maine Jewish Museum

Artist Talk with Roland Salazar: Sunday, June 9, 2019 2pm Join Roland in a discussion about his current exhibition at the MJM.

Artist Talk and Movie with Linda J. Hirsch: Sunday, June 23, 2019 1pm

Watch “Cuba’s Forgotten Jewels” followed by discussion with Linda about her photography exhibition.

First Friday Art Walk: June 7 and July 5, 2019 5pm-8pm

Letter to Sun: Edwige Charlot Spiegel Gallery

Ebb & Flow

Innovative Techniques

Third Floor Sanctuary

Fineberg Family Community Room

Linda J. Hirsch Photography Curator - Nanci Kahn

Salazar

Maine Jewish Museum

267 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101 (207) 773-2339 Monday - Friday 10am-4pm + Sundays 1pm - 5pm or by appointment mainejewishmuseum.org Nancy Davidson, Curator in Residence

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Around The Peninsula...

Some Upcoming Events To Note...

TWO ARTIST TALKS SET AT MAINE JEWISH MUSEUM The Maine Jewish Museum has scheduled two artist talks in the next few weeks.

The talks are both open to the public and are free of charge.

The first will be with Roland Salazar Sunday, 9th June at 2 p.m.June 9, 2019 and the second will be a talk and movie with Linda J. Hirsch Sunday, 23rd June at 1 p.m. This will include a screening of the film Cuba’s Forgotten Jewels, followed by a discussion with Linda about her photography exhibition.

Both are being held in conjunction with current shows at the museum. “Roots,” finds Salazar expressing in paint and text his quest for knowledge and understanding of his family ancestry: his Norwegian, Scotch/Irish & German roots: unearthing the hidden past.

“Solar Flares & Salazar,” is an art/ science collaboration; a ‘full-dome’ projection at the Emera Astronomy Centre, USMO. The paintings selected are part of the 11 in his solar series, accompanied by the video from the planetarium public shows.

The Maine Jewish Museum is located at 267 Congress Street and is open Mondays thru Fridays from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. and Sunday afternoons, 1 to 5. The museum is closed Saturdays.

GRILL SAFELY! It’s grilling season and a recent Red Cross survey showed three in five adults have walked away from a grill while cooking --- one of the leading causes of grilling fires which cause more than 9,000 home fires on average each year.

To avoid this, the Red Cross reminds readers to always supervise a barbecue grill when in use. Don’t add charcoal starter fluid when coals have already been ignited, never grill indoors, make sure everyone, including pets, stays away from the grill and above all, keep the grill out in the open, away from the house, deck, tree branches, or anything that could catch fire. Grilling safely is a job well done!

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Good coffee and delicious treats always start the day off right!

Come see us in South Portland or Portland on your way to work.

Portland — 47 India Street 207.347.5144 Tuesday–Saturday 8am-5pm Sunday 8am-4pm

www.twofatcatsbakery.com

South Portland — 740 Broadway 207.536.7713 Tuesday–Saturday 8am-5pm

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