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79 Portland Street (Betwet'ii Portland Appliance and The Brattle Street Restaurant) 761-4561
THESE CHAMPIONS SHARE A PASSION FOR PERFORMANCE. AND FOR A CERTAIN TIMEPIECE: ROLEX. Style,stamina,integrityandauniquesenseoftiming asanartdistinguishthesewinners.Theirsis aworld-widechronicleofhighperformance:triple OlympicGoldmedalistJean-ClaudeKilly, tennisstarChrisEvert,golferArnoldPalmer, America’sCupsailor,DennisConner.Eachachiever wearstheRolextimepiece. Elegant,impregnable, theRolexLady-Datejust" andRolexDay-Date’ Chronometersarehandcrafted in18kt.gold,withmatching, hidden-claspPresident®, bracelet,self-windingand pressure-proofto330feetintheir seamlessOyster*case.These championshaveasharpeyefor functionalexcellence,forclassicbeauty indesign.Foreach,ingrandprix sportsasinRolextimekeeping,performance istheultimatetest.
Feb.1988.Vol.3,No.1,copyright1988by PortlandMonthly,Inc.Allrightsreserved.Port¬ landMonthlyismailedatthird-classmailratesin Portland,ME04101.(ISSN:0887-5340).Opin¬ ions expressed in articles are those of authorsanddonotrepresenteditorialpositionsof PortlandMonthly.Letterstotheeditorarcwel¬ comeandwillbetreatedasunconditionally assignedforpublicationandcopyrightpurposes andassubjecttoPortlandMonthly’sunrestricted righttoeditandcommenteditorially.Nothingin thisissuemaybereprintedinwholeorinpart withoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublishers. Postmaster:Sendaddresschangesto:578Con¬ gressStreet,Portland,Maine04101.Returnpos¬ tagemustaccompanyallmanuscriptsandphoto¬ graphssubmittediftheyaretobereturned,and no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicitedmaterials
average daily temperature was on February15,1943—39degreesF. belowzero.
Thecoldestwintersonrecord? EighteenSeventy-Twowasacorker, withanaverageDecember-throughFebruary temperature of 19-5 degreesF.Otherchillersinclude 20-below temperatures in 1917; January 24, 1948; and a horrible stretchin1971:January17,22-; January18,22-,January19,26-,and January 20, 21-. Kids eating orange popsicles, melting in the isobars...
THEY'RE OUT there, bobbingblackwetsuits outbeyondthearctic sea smoke and the Great Grandfather waves. Surfers! The ocean? A fresh-plowedsnow.
Black amphibians climbing Everest on their bellies, disap¬ pearing day-glo boards flipping Honolulu colorful in the white thunderlaughter,andit’s5degrees belowzerointheshade. Razorzero.
Erozen, my son and I go out to meetthesurferwhenhegoesback tohiscar.Hehasnitrogenredskin. He wears a black Lebreux Drywall ballcap.Freshfromthedeepfreeze, he’scrazy,laughing,butthen,asyou know,we’reallknowledgeablycrazy tobelivinginMaineatthistimeof year.
To wit: Maine’s all-time-low
For sustained freezing temper¬ atures, how about the two memorable periods when Mainers have stubbornly walked across saltwater Portland Harbor out to Peaks Island? A sleigh service actuallytookpayingridersonover 100dailytripstoPeaksforquitea stretchduring1887,andin1917, timeactually"frozetodeath.”No furtherinformationisavailableat thistime
The most bizarre year by far, though,andmypersonalfavorite,is "The Year Without A Summer.”
A huge volcano erupted in New Zealandearlierin1816,covering theworld’supperaltitudeswitha finevolcanicashthatinsulatedthe worldfromthewarmingraysofthe sun. A sneak preview of nuclear winter: New England suffered incredibly! The Portland Gazette reportedsnowafootdeeponJune6, June7,June8,andJune9,1816!
Your November issue’s coverage of Greater Portland Landmarks as regardsthearchitecturalintegrityof Portland amounts to disinforma¬ tion.YourprofileofDebAndrews ("The10MostIntriguingPeopleIn Maine”)baldlystatedthatpriorto herascendancy,G.P.L.hadbecome an ”ivy-covered sanctuary for docentsandfeebletourguidesmil¬ lingabout.”Thisisaterribleand untruethingtosayabouttheorgan¬ izationwhich,morethananyother group or individual, focused the city’sattentionontheissueofhist¬ oric preservation during the key periodoftheSeventiesandearly Eighties.Tostatethatthe recent trendhasbeena"dramaticshift... from development-crazy metro¬ sprawling...tocarefullyplanned city”istoreversethefacts.Please notethedestruction,inthelastyear, ofmostofthesouthwesternendof theOldPort,theencroachmentof Miami Vice architecture on poor HenryLongfellow’slittlehouse,and ahorrificoverbuilding,throughout thecity,oflight-robbing,tax-driven officespace,spacewhichwillmost likelystandasemptyasthethou¬ sandsofsquarefeetofspacealready existinginthefloorsaboveCon¬ gressStreet.Callingthesuitregard¬ ingtheLongWharfproject"start¬ ling and effective” conveniently neglectsG.P.L.’slatervirtualcapitul¬ ationonthematter.Inall,it’svery hard to imagine a more effective way to twist the facts about the recentpast.
InyourNovember1987issueit wasincorrectlystatedthatthePort¬ land Ballet Repertory Company would be presenting The Nut¬ crackerinconjunctionwiththePort¬ landSymphonyOrchestraatBidde¬ ford’sCityTheater.
Thankyouforyourattentionto thismatter.
Mary Goodwin
Portland
risoundsystem,andnotthePort¬ land Symphony Orchestra, providedthebackgroundmusicfor 1987's enjoyable Biddeford Nut¬ cracker. TheformerPortlandBallet Repertory Company is now known as the Portland Ballet Company. —Ed.
_ One Steamed Epicure
ToTheEditor:
(Re: Restaurant Review, "The Epicurean Inn,” November, 1987. ToDennisGilbert,reviewer.)
Sir:
You should have begun your criticismwith"Inmyopinion"!The green-eyed monster came through onyourreportoftheEpicurean.I, andhundredsofothers,findita perfectlydelightfulnightout.Inci¬ dentally,howcomeyou’vegivenup the trade for such a degrading pastime?
Anne Daniel Naples
A Second Opinion
ToTheEditor:
Recently an article written by Dennis Gilbert in regard to The EpicureanInnwascarriedbyyour
Finesportswearlormenandwomen.
CLASSIC SPORTSWEAR AT CLASSIC SAVINGS
BOSTON TRADERS OUTLET TIDI WATER MALI., ROLTE I. KITH RY. MAINE OVXM <207। H9-0UI • OPEN ’ DAYS
BOS TON TRADERS OUTLET BH MAIN STREET. I’REI PORT. MAINI (207>H6S-1I12
Mastert.ard*Visa‘AmericanExpress
GREEK ENTERTAINMENT & CUISINE
675 Congress Street Portland, Maine 772-9550
magazine.Inthearticle,anumber of negatives were commented upon byyourrevieweraboutTheEpicur¬ eanInn.
Iwouldliketotakeissuewiththe reviewer's feelings about the ambienceaswellasthefood.The so-called"paradeofglasses”Ifound tobeanencouragingopportunityto sample many wines during this gourmet’s experience. The warmth and coziness of each individual roommakesonefeellikeheisdin¬ ingnotatarestaurantbutatagood friend’shome.Thehostandowner ofTheEpicureanInnisanebullient man who is more than helpful in taking you through the menu and hisfinewinelist.Inthetwodining experiencesthatwehaveencount¬ ered at The Inn, we have had a memorable and gastronomically rewarding evening. The opening touchofchocolatebreadandbutter issomethingthatIpersonallyhave never encountered in my many eveningsspentsavoringtheestab¬ lishmentsofourfinestate.Specifi¬ callysurprisingwasthatthesetreats weremaderightonthepremisesby thechefandowner.Thesaucesthat werepannedbyyourreviewerIfind tobesomeofthebestthatIhavehad theopportunityto'taste,andthe menuhasampleoptionstoavoidall sauces.
Inconclusion,Iwouldsaythere areprobablyveryfewrestaurantsin the state that compare with The EpicureanInnforitsambienceand food and would highly recommend ittoallthosewhoenjoyanevening’s entertainment of dining and good company.
Owen
B. Pickus Portland
Examining Maine Trends
ToTheEditor:
On behalf of the Special Needs ProjectandtheMaineStudiesUnit, I’dliketothankyouforyourgener¬ ous donation of your November issue,whichincludedthe10Most InterestingPeopleinMaine,tothe class at the North Yarmouth Memorial School in Cumberland. Thechildrenareusingyourmaga¬ zine as a resource in examining Mainetrends.
IknowtheirMaineUnithasbeen
LETTERS
enrichedbecauseofyourkindness.
Barbara Keefe McGough SpecialNeedsProject Falmouth
_ Lady In Flames_
ToTheEditor:
Theywerecalledcoasters.
And the name of the six-masted schooner in your picture "On The Waterfront,” June, 1987 is the Annie M. Laurence.
Isawthatshiponfire.Itmust havebeensoonafterthispicture was taken—between 1925 and 1927—atleast50yearsago,whenI livedonLongIsland.
On the way to Washington, D.C. at30,000feet;inthewaitingroom dreamingoflaughinggasandpain-
freefillings;atthebarwarmingup foranothereveningofthesingle¬ digitarcticexpress.Whatdothese individuals have in common? Yes, that’sit!Theyallread Portland Monthlyandcalledtocongratulate meuponbeingcitedasBestShiatsu Teacher ("Bests & Worsts ,’’ December/January, 1987). I am flattered and honored. Thank-you kindly.
David S. Handwerker Portland
Sailing Underground
ToTheEditor:
RecentlyasIreturnedtoBoston fromBurlington,Ihappenedtoread your Portland Monthly from December/January 1988 and particularlythearticleonpage34, titled "The Yacht That Sailed Underground," by Grantland S. Rice.Ifounditaveryinteresting articlebecauseitdescribedanew and educated breed of drug smugglers which because of their background were much harder to detect.ItisforthatreasonthatI wouldliketorequestpermissionto printthebeforementionedarticlein the Academy’s magazine Howling Gale.
Thanks beforehand for your attentionandassistance.
TheLyrictheater, 176SawyerStreet,SouthPortland, Maine 04106. Through February 27:. EyeEyeEirdie. BookbyMichaelStewart,musicbyCharlesStrouse,lyrics byLeeAdams.Cirayskiesaregonnaclearup,putona happyface!That’swhatwillhappenandwhatyou,re suretodowhenyouseethis50'sdo-wopextravaganza. Seasonticketsavailableat$21($24specialreserve). 772-^824.
Mad Horse Theatre Company, TheatreofFantasy,50 DanforthStreet,Portland,Maine04101.ThroughFeb¬ ruary28: Line and IndianWantsIheEronx,byIsrael Horovitz.IwoclassicAmericanoneactsbyaPortlandfrequentingNewYorkplaywrightwhoisn’tafraidto writeitlikeheseesit.InLine, anoutrageoussymbolic comedy,five"average"folksconniveanddobattletobe firstinline. IndianWantstheEronxisapainfulstudyof alienation,ofbeingastrangerinbothastrangelandand onesownland,asrepresentedbytwojuveniledelin¬ quentswhoharrassanLastIndianwhoislostonhisfirst dayinthecountry.TheMadHorseensembleconsistsof DonaldJefferson,CynthiaBarnett,LisaStathoplos, MichaelRafkin,MartinJones,(lingerMyhaver.Karl Rogers, Walt Dunlap, Terry Drew, Randy Aromando, andDeborahHall.Specialbenefitperformancesare plannedtobenefittheMaineFreezeCampaign(April10, featuringMartinJones’snewestplay, The American Club). Curtainis8p.m.,ThursdaysthroughSundays, withplentyofparkingavailable.Andforseasonalrates, trythePassionPass,gcxxlforfiveadmissionstoper¬ formancesofthe1987-88seasonandranginginprice from$25to$40.Anexcellentadditiontothestate's theatricalscene.775-5657.
KAY, NO MORE PEP talks.It'sthemiddleofthewinter.It’scoldand/orgray mostofthetime.Memphishasatornadoandtwofeetof snow.Wehaveslushandslog.Somewherethey’reskiing throughpristine,waist-deeppowder.Herewegetsix inchesifwe’relucky.Somewherethere’sabeachI’mnoton,turquoise water,brightsun.Here,afterlastweek’sdrop,thebeachesareartfully ornamentedwithfrozenocean,inimpressivelylunarseascape.But really,whowantstoliveonthemoon?Especiallyatthistimeofyear. Hibernationisaprimalresponsetotheconditions.Eatalot,gobackto sleep,it’llbeoversoon.TV,books,boardgames,puzzlesallsee extendedservice.Unfortunately,liveentertainmentdoesnot;but FebruaryandMarchhappentobeapeakseasonforlocalperforming arts.Nothingelsetodobutrehearse,Iguess.
Theatrical productions scheduled this month are numerous and diverse. The Portland Players arerunningDeath of a Salesman on weekends with a Sunday matinee. Mid-March they return with Brighton Beach Memoirs. Portland Stage Co.presentsHard Times, anadaptationoftheDickensclassic,throughFebruary14,Tuesday through Sunday (with a matinee), then Painting Churches by Tina HowbeginsFebruary26.PSCisalsopresentingaspecialworkshop production of a modern drama, Woolgathering-, theauthorwillbe presentfordiscussion.ThefreeperformancesareMarch6and7. Newcomers Mad Horse Theater, now firmly established in the TheaterofFantasyonDanforthStreet,arepresentingtwoone-act playsbyIsraelHorovitz: Line, andIndianWantstheBronx, through February.Call775-5957fordetails.AndforsomeShakespeare,the USM Theater atRussellHallinGorhamisopeningA Comedy of ErrorsFebruary26,27,and28;theproductionwillbedirectedbyJohn Neville-AndrewsoftheFolgerLibraryTheaterinWashington.Call theboxofficeforreservations,asseatingislimitedoutthere. Nightclubsdowelltoholdtheirownduringthistimeofyear,but someoutstandingshowsareonthebooks.Raoul’shasJohnPousetteDart & BandFebruary19, Country Joe McDonald(ohno)the20th, andMaine Humor Nightthe26thwith Tim Sampleandthe Wicked Good Band. Ronnie Earl,formerguitaristwith Roomful of Blues makesthesceneFebruary27withhisnewband,arockin’triofeaturing local Per Hanson on drums; the next night the man himself, Leon Redbone.Don’tmissthisguy,guitarfans.Thenamescontinueinto March: Loudon Wainwright March4,JohnLincolnWrightthe5th, Jonathan Edwards the10th,and Dr. John hisself March 11. The monthcontinueswithMax Creekthe17th,David Brombergthe18th, Commander Codythe24th,and The Charlie Brown Orchestrathe 25th. On March 26th, it’s the return of the New Riders. Every Wednesdaythere’stheRedLiteRevueforclassicbluesandR&B,butof courseyouknewthatalready.EverySundayit’s'ReggayThang’with the Tribesmen. Dine and Dance, in roadhouse fashion. Down the waterfrontway,theDryDockhasthebestlineupoflocaltalent,with Rock and a Hard Placethe19thand20th,ScottFolsomthe26thand 27th,theJensonsMarch4thand5th,andMr.Thingthe11thand12th. Checkitout.TheTREE,45Danforth,continuesabookingpolicyof independentlabelrockandreggae. UrbanBlight from NYC February 19 and the Rain the 20th, Max Creek the 25th, raggae with S.W.A.A.M.P. February 26, and Willie Smith February 27. Good Jamaicanchow,too.Ifyou’relokingforaspecialmid-winterevent,the CysticFibrosisFoundationofMaineissponsoringaformalfashion showanddanceattheSonestaBallroom,February12,featuringgreat CaribbeanandLatinjazzfromtheCharlie Brown Orchestra(norela¬ tion).Thiswillbeagreatnightandagoodcause.Call773-0133for reservations.
ON THE TOWN
ary24and25,openingFebruary26,andrunningthrough March13.ThestoryofMags,ayoungportraitpainter, andherrelationshipwithherelderlyparents.Thestory takes place in a Boston Brahmin apartment. She attemptstopaintaportraitofherparentsandlearns abouttheirsandherrelationshipwiththem.EvanYionoulisofNewYorkwilldirecttheproduction.Whenthe playfirstraninNewYork,ElizabethMcGovernplayed the \ead.SharonandHilly, a new plav by Alan Bowne, previewsMarch23and24,openingMarch25andrun¬ ning through April 10. Performance times: Tuesday throughThursday,curtainis7:30p.m.;Friday,8p.m.; Saturday,5and9p.m.;Sunday,2p.m.SecondSunday matinee is interpreted in American Sign Language. Tickets range from $7 to $19. Box office: (207) 774-0465.
Dance
PortlandDanceCenter, 25AForestAvenue.Portland, Mame 04101. ThreePairBridgman.Packer,breachfKoester.Long/Capps. Followingtheoverwhelmingsuc¬ cessofthesoloprogramThree Alone/Togetherduring the1986-1987season,PortlandDanceCenterdoubles thepleasurein1987-1988withaneveningofinnovative duetsbythebestpairsinthefield.ArtBridgmanand MyrnaPackerhavebeencalled"unusuallydeftandmag¬ neticperformers...theirdancingisatoncesuave,power¬ ful,controlled^kx>se,andincisive [The Washington Post)." BridgmanandPackerhavebeenchoreographing andperformingtogethersince1978andhavetoured extensivelyintheU.S.andEurope.TerryCreachand Stephen Koester have been presenting their unique partnershipofmendancingsince1980.Theirworkhas beenhailedbyDancemagazineas"...energeticandexcit¬ ing...theirpartnershipisoneofthosesynergisticaffairs sobeguilingtothespectator."EliseLongandDavid Cappsare,respectively,founder/choreographerand principaldancerofSpoke The Hub Dancing. Thispair hastakenitswide-rangingrepertoryofduetsontourin theUnitedStatesandEurope."Takentogether,theduets aremeatystuff...andtall,gangly,reasonableCappsand playful,impulsiveLongarewonderfultogether [The VillageVoice}. PortlandDanceCentertelephone:7732562.AspartofPortlandDanceCenter’s1987-1988 PerformanceSeries,thisshowisattheStateStreet Church,159StateStreet,Portland,at8p.m.onFebruary 11,12,and13.ThursdayandFriday:adults$9.50, studentsandseniorcitizens$7.50.Saturday:adults $10.50,studentsandseniorcitizens$8.50.March10,11, 12,at8p.m.:AttheBaxterBuildingofthePortland SchoolofArt: Johanna Boyce and the Calf Women, a modern dance group from Tew York City. They use films,slides,andtextintheirdancepresentation.Call 7740465fortickets.
EnjoyAuthenticBellyDancing At The Trojan Horse whileyoudineontraditionalGreekcuisine,steaks,and seafood.Dinnershowsat7and9p.m.,February26and March11.Reservationssuggested.675CongressStreet, Portland.772-9530.
/A/W ROWING this inquiry to the other sideofthelake,where Gary Lawless lives. There are no astral guides,just1-95.alongwhichIwhiz by the usual ADULT X-RATED SPICY MUSTARD of the "usual consensus reality" where I come from,Portland,yes!—PilotLightof theVanities!—andwhenmyskiff arrivesatGulfofMaineHookson61 MaineStreet,Brunswick,Garyties mealongsideandbidsmeinsidefor aseat.
Iamafraidofthisone.Ithink, afraid of bludgeoning something new.
MyfriendshipwithGary,forone thing.At36.Lawlessisoneofthe feuhonest-to-goodnesspracticing poets in Maine. And Gary's New Agecredentialsareimpeccable.Asa longtime friend of poet/legend Gary Snyder, Lawless helped discover Maine's New Age over a decadeago.onasortofintellectual Mayflower. His lineage can be tracedbackthroughhisowneight booksofpoetry,hisownBlackberry and Red Tea presses, back to his association with the Beat Generation, the Black Mountain Poets(Garywouldbelaughingright now, reading this!), the Naropa InstituteofDisembodiedPoetics. CityLightsPress.Andifallthese bearded.Zarathustra-serious intellectual connections sound formidable,forgetit:Lawlessisthe mostenjoyable,funny,personable Maineiconevertointroduceyouto thedark,excitingunderworldofthe unfamiliar:likeVirgil,he’sagood guide.
Bringthiscoupontotheridelily InvestorCenterandpickupyour FRKETav Deductions File, and get alltheinformationyouneedtoplan yourinvestmentportfolio.Offergood untillebruarv.29BISS.
SohereIam,upatGary’sGulfof MaineBookswithanotebookunder my arm, prepared to "unlock the extraordinary” and venture offshoreinaseriousexplorationout intothetwinklinglightsbeyondmy ken,the"realmoftheparanormal and the abnormal, parapsychology and psychopathology, the non¬ physicalandthemystic,"allout therewaitingforme,liketheIslesof Shoals.
Gary, ivho u>ith a laugh has promisedto"dressNewAge,"takes me through the store and back toward the section where he conducts his "Bums' Academy” poetryreadingseries,openreadings that are very popular in the Brunswick,area.Immediatelyinside the threshold, beside the cash register,isacrystalthatGary’sleft formetosee,likearedherring.
Yes!ARedHerring!IfIstartmy questioning with Crystals and ShirleyMacLaine,yousee,thenhis partner and co-owner Beth ("Blue Steps')Leonard.Iimagine,isright! There’s a lot to lose with this interview.Afterall,theNewAgeis good business for the store. And everyonehasadifferentdefinition for it, anyway. Who knows what New Agemeans?itsverynatureis subjective.Thepopulardefinitions areall-embracing,subsumingevery¬ thing from Eastern mysticism to Egyptian studies to astrology to chiropractor)’toIChing.AndGary likes to joke around so much — everybody comes from all over to meet him. to see a collection of booksthat’ssostunninglyoriginal, fromallovertheworld—thathe's constantlyindangerofsayingivhat hefeels;hedoesn'tknowhowtobe boring!Andthereinishisvalue: New Age magazineisconstantly lamentingthat"There'snoBetter Business Bureau, no Consumer Reports tohelpusseparatefact from fiction, the real from the bogus"; — here in Maine, we have Gary.
This,again, thoughi am not a "Dharma Bum, is a serious exp1oration.And though Gary is an
"Moonlight. Fish scale. Ice diamonds.Liftingmyarmsfromthe sea,thewater,fallingaroundme,let loosefromnetsandline,shiningas it falls. My hands to the sky, handlingthedepths.
Iamthewindu’hichblowsover thesea.
Iamawaveofthesea. (from "Looking For Rivers," YELLOW DOG, Gary Lawless)
So his venue for the extra¬ ordinary.his"doorwayofthebreath offlesh,”isNewfoundland,inplaces likeL'Anse Amour,fishingvillages attheendoftheworld,placeswhere
GARY LAWLESS: There’s a road in Labradorthat’s35mileslong,andit deadends.Itjustgoestothebeach and stops. When I went to L’Anse Amour(CoveofLove),therewasno electricitythere.
LAWLESS:Ihadtwograntstostudy oraltraditionsinfishingvillages. One was from the Cabot Trust. It goesbacktotheBostonCabots.Alot of their money came from Newfoundland. The other was from theQuebecLabradorfoundation.I wanted to get an idea of what remoteMainefishingvillageswere likedecadesago.
PM:Whatwerethepeoplelike?
LAWLESS: When they saw a long¬ haired American, the only Long HairedAmericansthey’deverseen were Greenpeace people who were trying to stop them from seal hunting.Thevillagerswatchedme verycarefully.Theywereneverso impolite as to ask me if 1 were Greenpeace,buttheyhadasortof test:They’daskmetosupper,look atmesincerely,andaskmeifI’d mindhavingsealforsupper.Isaid no.(Iwasn’ttheretodisrupttheir wayoflife,Iwastheretostudy them).Iatewellupthere.Sealand onions!
PM: AndPringles?
LAWLESS: Yes.
PM:Asapoet,whereforyoudoes poetryendandtheNewAgebegin? The New Age is such a marketing term. I mean, people think of woodstoves and Joanie’s Jam for Sam when the term comes up. But wouldn’tyouincludemysticpoets like Blake and Yeats in 'the New Age?’
LAWLESS: I think there’s always been a New Age in Maine.
PM: Before they enamelled the woodstoves?
LAWLESS: Sure. There have always beenpeopletunedintothesethings. InMaine,attheturnofthecentury, therewasaplacecalledGreenAcre, inEliot.Artists,painters,writers, easternthinkers,suffragettes...they allstayedinlittlecottages.Marsden Hartleyvolunteeredtowashdishes, justtobethere.MargaretSanger, CharlottePerkinsGillman...It’s nowaBaha’icenter,butforthefirst twodecadesitwasarealhotspot.I think the New Age was big around theturnofthecentury...AliceBail ey, Madam Blavatsky, Annie Besant ... Now almost everybody who channels (the New Age code verb for medium-translation from thespiritualworld)speaksin19th Century Victorian English, like they’refromanAliceBaileybook, like some of these prehistoric Egyptian deities being channeled aren'tsmartenoughtospeak20th Century English! This is just personalsarcasm.I’vejustlost10 customersthere.
PM: And so that’s it. The Beat Generation merges with Average White Buddhism and the Computer Age.Addmarketingflair,acondes¬ cending blend of ignorance and entrepreneurialspirit,andyou’re getting close to the 'high-tech superstition’thatcriticsoftheNew Agearerailingabout.Iheardthat evenRamDasswastakeninbyone ofthoseNewAgechainletters.He lostalotofmoney!
LAWLESS: Ram Dass can afford to beburnedacoupleoftimes.Any¬ way,Naropa’spluggedintoalong, long tradition. The Tibetan Bud¬ dhisttraditionwasbroughttothe westbythemandothers.
PM:LikeRichardGere?
LAWLESS: (laughs) Richard Gere!
PM: Sure. He's a devotee of the DalaiLama.ItwasinPeople.That’s sortofmyquestion:IstheNewAge, inthe1980'ssense,essentiallysocial orpersonal?
LAWLESS: If you're talking about NewAgeasamarketingdevice,it’s verypersonal.1mean,it’stheper¬ fectyuppiereligion—where'you are God.' (A popular New Age belief.) What could be more per¬ sonalthanthat?
PM: How does that differ from Nietzsche?
LAWLESS: They sell more books thanhedoes.
PM:Seriously?
LAWLESS: Does Nietzsche have hisfollowersgiveuptheirhomes andmovetotheWestCoastandbuy racehorses?
PM: So who’s making selfdiscoveriesinearnest?Arepeople genuinelyexploringthementalwil¬ dernessinMaine?
burgeoning New Age section of colorfultitles,andfireswithboth barrels:
"That'swhatbothersmeaboutitall. Talkaboutphysicalandmentalwil¬ derness! Magic and shamanism worked becauseyouhadacommun¬ itythatbelievedinit.Itjustbothers metoseethesewhitemiddle-class idiotsavants(acrossthecountry) becoming shamans. People buy MichaelHarner’sbookandreaditin ordertobecomeshamans.Yes!You buy his book (The Way Of The Shaman),andthere’sanorderform whereyoucansendinforaShaman kit.Youcanevenorderthedrums.”
LAWLESS: (laughing) Hey, none of mycustomersreadthismagazine!
PM: OK, so who are the 10 Most IntriguingBuddhistsinMaine?
LAWLESS: I have to name 10? (pauses) Number 1: Walter Now¬ ick.NorthernMaine.Hecurrently runs the Surry Opera Company, whichjustcamebackfromRussia. He s trained as a Zen master in Japan.I’mnotsurewhatlineage.
PM: An honest-to-goodness opera company? How come I don't know aboutthat?
LAWLESS: Because you live in Portland.
PM: And Number 2?
LAWLESS: Why don't we use Jan Willem Van de Wetering (picks up book).
PM:Theyallhavebooks!
LAWLESS: Well, Nowick doesn’t haveabook.
PM: Yeah, just an opera company. ButIthinkI’veheardofNowick. WhenIinterviewedAllenGinsberg threeyearsago,hementionedboth you and Nowick.
LAWLESS: Jan Willem Van de
Wetering came from Amsterdam in ordertostudywithNowick.
PM: What is Nowick like? How powerful is he? People talk with suchreverenceabouthim.
LAWLESS: When I was in the Zen CenterinSanFranciscoin1973,the head roshi was from South Port¬ land!AndhesaidthatNowickwas toohard.IwasalazyBuddhistthen. Iwasn’treadyforhim.
PM: Too hard! You make the guy sound like Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet.' Whatwouldhehavedoneto you?
It’ssafetousecontemporaryrefer¬ enceswithLawless.Hedoesn'tmiss anewmovieandisextremelycur¬ rentonmusic.Infact,heplaysguitar in a band, "The Lawn Ornaments," andwhenhelivedinSouthHarps¬ well,heandBethdidn’thaverun¬ ningwaterbuttheydidhaveasauna andasatellite-TVdishwhere,as Garyonceputit,theycould"watch 'LeaveItToBeaver’in40different languagessimultaneously.'"Addto thisfamilyabeautifulfamilyofsled dogs,withyellow.PolarBearfur.
LAWLESS: My poetry is my theol¬ ogy.Itismypractice.
IaskLaudesshowheendedupbeing close friends with Gary Snyder. Close?Hevisitshimregularly,his poetry is influenced by Snyder’s (Lawlesshasmoresoul,Ithink.),and threeyearsago.Snyderwasonthe coverof New Agemagazine(it’s14 yearsoldthisyear),wearingaTshirtthatBethhadgivenhimfor Christmas.Close.
Lawless was an English major at Colby then, and editor of the school’sliterarymagazine, Pequod.
"Iwrotetohim,setupareading seriesforhim.Hecameandread.I approached him with the idea of becoming his apprentice, he read someofmypoetry,andhedecided helikedtheplan.”
PM:Isyourfatherstillthepolice chiefinBelfast?
LAWLESS: No, he works for the Court.He’sagoodguy.Ifallthecops hadbeenlikehiminthe1960s,the wholedecadewouldhavebeendif¬ ferent...wherearewe?
PM:We’restrugglingthroughBud¬ dhist No. 2. He’s a professor at U.M.O.,isn’the?
LAWLESS:It’sliketheBuddhisthit parade.There’sagroupinBowdoin thatformallysitsinZenmeditation. OneinBath,also.Someofthatprac¬ ticeisavailabletopeoplewhoare interestedinattending...Youknow, the most prominent Buddhists in Maine are the refugees. The Cam¬ bodiansareanexample.They’renot Maine French Canadian Catholics who'vebecomeBuddhists.It’scul¬ tural rather than picking and choosing.
"Tennarwhalskulls,inaline, buriedbeneaththechurchfloor. Deep magic." I (from "Greenland,” YELLOW i DOG, Gary Lawless)
Ashespeaks,morepeoplewalkinto thestore.Oneisa70-year-oldman whogoestolookatGulfofMaine’s NativeAmericansection,possibly the finest in New England. Also incrediblystrongistheirWomen’s section,aswellasArt,MaineHis-, toryandLiterature,andofcourse, Poetry.Lawless’spoetryisrichwith: Eskimo/Indian mythology and legend,akindofArctic Dreamtime that makes Lawless part of "what oneanthropologisthascalled’The•
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LAWLESS: There’s a certain amount of magic floating around thatwe’velosttheabilitytocall upontoacertainextent.Atleastthe northerntribeshavethevocabulary tocalluponsomeofit.
PM: That spiritual community again,properpractitionersoftheart ofsuperstition.Iagreewiththat,I guess. But even New Age quotes theologianJacobNeedlemanassay¬ ing, "You should be open minded, but not so open-minded that your brainsfailout."Whichbringsmeto thatcrystalatthefrontoftheroom. (Garysmiles)You’llbesurprised thatI’velearnedthatcrystals,espe¬ ciallythesaintedMainetourmaline and amethyst, are prized when they're dug up in New England because New England was once, legendhasit,attachedtoAtlantis beforeitsplitoffandsank.Plate tectonicsaside,whatdoyouthinkof thesecrystals?Doesanythingspirit¬ enhancing actually emanate from them?
LAWLESS: We have a number of customerswhobelieveinthemand usethem.Ithinkthattheaction thatmeditatingwithacrystalpro¬ motes,farmorethananypowerthat may come from a crystal, is very healthy. The concentration and focusonpersonalenergyisboundto beverygoodforyou.
PM: And channeling?
LAWLESS: I can’t say. I’ve never beeninaroomwith500raptpeople listeningtoa6,000-year-oldbeing speakinglikeAliceBailey.
GreenAcreBaha'iCenter—Eliot SriChinmoyCenter-40MainStreet,Topsham Dharma Study Group (Tibetan Buddhist), 98 Maine Street, Brunswick GenpoMerzelSensei—ZenBuddhism,WholeHealthCenter,53 LedgelawnAve..BarHarbor RichardFochtman—Astrologer,RFDI.Box2468.Kent'sHill YogaCenter—PO.Box1243,Portland MeredithDelone,RestorativeTherapySpecializingInPre-Natal Care,883-5.345,Scarborough PhilLevine.PsychotherapyAndAstrology.892-5029,338Fore Street,Portland DavidS.Handwerker,RN,Shiatsu,142HighStreet.Suite414, 773-5581,Portland
WayofLifeMacrobioticCenter—RFD3.Box208,Waldoboro New Directions Body/Mind Center, 14 Jefferson Street. Waldoboro DebSoule—Herbalist/Botanicals.P.O.Box365,WestRockport NorthernPinesHealthResort,Route85,Raymond SunrayMeditationSociety(aCherokee/nativeAmericanteacher, DhyaniYwahoo),CareofFullCircle,760UnionStreet,Bangor OxbowCenter,32WesternAve.,Waterville HaggertyChiropractic,LincolnStreet,Brunswick SusanAldrich—WellnessCounselor,50CirayStreet.Portland TowBowman,JulieRosen.Acupuncturists,30Lafayette.Portland HolisticHealthBtxikstore/TherapeuticTouch/Crystals.Deborah Gagne.250CenterStreet.Auburn Rev.Lynette—SpiritualCounseling/Reiki,PondRoad.Gardiner Wellness Works. RFD I, Box 580. Frankfort — Homeopathic,TherapeuticTouch/Tarot/FlowerEssences NewLeafBtxiks,Rockland WalterNowick,ZenPractice.SurryOperaCo.Surry JanWillemVanDerWetering.ZenPractice,Surry Bath-NewcastleHolisticCenter.FrontStreet,Bath Wilhelm Reich Museum, Orgonon, 861-3443. Rangeley. CrystalJourney—BrendaRegan,107MainStreet,Mexico OmShantiJanakiWellnessCenter.272SabattusSt.Lewiston SiriusAstrologicalServices.353HavenRoad.Windham HealingArtsNetwork,P.O.Box581,BlueHtli—AnnualHealing ArtsFestival Health Renaissance Foundation, III Wescott Road. South Portland
BOOKS BY GARY LAWLESS FullFlouerMoon,BlackberryPress.1975 Wintering, SaltworksPress.1975 Tu-oOwls. WhitePinePress.1976 Gulf of Mame Reader.BlackberryPress,1977 Dark Moon 'White Pine, GreatRaven,1978 Wolf Dnvmg Sled.BlackberryPress,1981 heTattoo,Blackberry/RedTea,1981 Yellow Dog. Blackberry.1986
SELECTED BOOKS PUBLISHED AT GULF OF MAINE B(X)KS
The U'etr.RuthMoore,1986 Spoonhandle, RuthMtxire.1987 Speak To The Winds, Ruth Moore, 1987 7heMameIslandsInStoryAndLegend, Dorothy Simpson. 198’ PoxFootprints. ElizabethGiatsworth.(1923)1986
PM:HowaboutIChing?I’veseenI Ching books being used for Wall Streetdecisionmaking,bookswith executivesinsuitswithbriefcases walking up ladders into the blue heavens on the covers. Show me someIChing.IllustratetheuseofI Chingtodecidewhetherornotyou shouldcontinuewiththisinterview.
LAWLESS.Iwouldn’taskitayesor noquestion.Igotoitbecauseitgives me a way of going to a situation that’soutsideofme.Itdoeshavea great value for an objective apContinuedonpage51
Afternoon Gallery, 49 Dartmouth Street at Forest Avenue,Portland.Contemporarypainting,collage,and drawing.Exhibitionofartistsrepresentedbythegallery. Weekdays1to5p.m.871-9235.
CongressSquareGallery,594CongressStreet,Portland, Maine04101.ThroughFebruary21:newoilpaintings byRobertPollien.Pollien,oneofthesixartistsfeatured atthegallery'sMayNewArtistsShowlastyear,paints Maine'scoastwithanauthoritythatbelieshisyouth. Includedin5/x,AnImnationalExhibitionCuratedby NeilW'elliver at Maine Coast Artists Gallery last summer,Pollien,alongwithhisfellowexhibitors,caught theeyeofMaineSavingsBank'sRobertMasterton.Some ofhisworkisnowpartoftheMaineSavingsBank's RobertMasterton.Someofhisworkisnowpartofthe Maine Savings Bank collection. UNUM has recently acquiredPollien'sworkaswell.Polienwaseducatedat TheSkowheganSchoolofPaintingandSculpture,the UniversityofPennsylvaniaandNewJerseyaswellasin Maine.OpeningThursday,January21,5:30-8:30p.m. GallerytalkSaturday,January23at2p.m.774-3369
TheArtGalleryAtSixDeeringStreet, Portland,Maine 04101. The "Gala Opening of the Second Season" is scheduledforFriday,March4th.Exhibitionofpaintings byMonheganartistthelateAlexMinewski,1917-1979. Previewandreceptionfrom6:30to9p.m.andopen house during regular hours on Saturday. March 5. 772-9605.
The Mame Potters Market,376ForeStreet,Portland, Maine 04101. This new location features expanded displaysofhandmadefunctionalpottery,sculptureand wallpieces;alargecollectionofceramicjewelry;and specialgroupdisplays.774-1633-
GreenhutGallery, 146MiddleStreet.Portland,Maine 04101.OriginalartworkbyGeorgeLloyd,HarveyPeter¬ son, Thomas McKnight, Susan Hall, Theodore Jeremenko, and many others. Through February. Monday throughSaturday,10:30a.m.to5:30p.m.772-2693-
•Largestselectionofskiwearandequipment •Lowpricesandprofessionalservice Tontine Mall-Brunawlck 315 Marginal Way-Portland Lo»t Valley Ski Area 725-8930 Franklin St Ex.t (Rte 295) Auburn ^75-5117_ 784-0103
Secret Colby Fraternities.
Greeks Underground.
B Y M A R G A R E T E C . SCHNAUCK.
JOHN, WE have reason to believethatyonbelongtoa fraternity," the Dean of Student Affairs stated, looking over her reading glasses."Doyouunderstandthatif thisistrueyouwillbeexpelledfrom thecollege?"
Johnnodded.Seriousdiction. "Isittrue?”
Lookingherstraightintheeye,he responded,"Noma'am,I,uh,asan impressionable freshman was coercedbypeerpressuretojoinone; however,1resignedbecauseIcame torealizehowdestructivetheycan be."
Ab!Perfect!Ablockofice!
MYSTERY
M.C.Schnauck
She walked over to the window, pulledasidethecurtain,andlooking outonthequad,sheadded,"Ihope thatwewillnothavetodiscussthis further.Youmaygo."
"Phew!" he exhaled, dazzled in thecorridor."She'sgoodbutI'm better."
Although the witch hunts con¬ tinue,GreeklifeatColbycollegeis strongerthanever.Presently,six fraternities — Lambda Chi, Phi Delt, DU, Zeta Psi, T.D.P., and Deke — are thriving on campus, accordingtoPaulBeach,senioredi¬ toroftheColbyEcho.
"President Cotter is trying to makeColbya'littleHarvard';his movetobanthefratswasawayto gethisnameinlightsandtoboost hisimage,whichitdidn't.”Warm¬ ingUpjohnadds,"Colbycouldhave handledthingsdifferently,butthe administrationdidn’ttakethetime toweighouttheoptions."
Banningfraternitiesonpaperhas noteliminatedtheirexistence.In response, the administration has takenanothertack.Thisyear'sdorm staffevaluationformasksstudents iftheysupportfraternities,area member,orarcwillingtoidentify any dorm staff members they know tobeorsuspectareGreek.
The Greeks, however, have not beenwillingtopackuptheirpaddles andgo.Resolute,theysoldieron,
throwing Bacchian bashes and initiating new members. Under¬ ground?No,althoughillegal,these’ fraternitiesarerecognized.Janet Seitzinger,DeanofStudents,admit¬ tedaftertheshakedownthat"The remnantsoffraternitiesthatexistat Colbytodayaresecretexclusionary organizations.”
Secret?
It’saCatch-22;therearesup¬ posedlynofraternities,butthey acknowledge them,” states John. Based on the following figures, roughlyone-thirdofthemalepopu¬ lationatColbyisGreek:Johnesti¬ matesthateachfrathasapproxi¬ mately 13 pledges and that the averagesizeofeachorganizationis 40members.Fraternitiescontinue toholdmeetings,electofficers,rush, haze,andinitiatenewmembers,all ofwhichoccursoncampus,withthe exceptionofthelatter. ZetaPsiis theonlyfraternityatColbyrecog¬ nizedbytheirnationalorganization, and therefore, members pay both localandnationaldues.John’sfrat¬ ernity is not recognized by nationals,buthepaysannuallocal duesofS80,which,headmitswitha smile,goestowardthe"socialfund.”
He explains, "It’s nothing more thanadrinkingclubunlessyou’reon a team. The Greeks at Colby have strongathleticaffiliations...the Zetes arebasketball;Df/,rugby; LatnbdaChi, football;and Deke, hockey.
Colby’sfraternities,althoughille¬ gal,serveanimportantfunction, fromJohn’sperspective:"Pratsare takingthepressureofftheadminis¬ tration;thefraternitiessponsorall oftheparties,sotheydon’thaveto worryaboutit,”deadpansJohn.The namesofthetraditionalfraternity partieshavebeenchanged,butthe administrationallowsfraternitiesto throw such parties under pseudo¬ nyms.1he Zetesstillthrowtheir Alabama Slammers party, but theyvedisguiseditas"Slammers’’ instead,andthepartytakesplacein thestudentcenter,revealsJohn.
TheWatervilleGreeksarealso charityconscious.Recentlyeachfrat¬ ernitydonated2kegstoapartyheld onNovember20atthestudentcen¬ ter which raised SI300 for Maine Hunger Week.
Meanwhile, Colby Echo editor Beachfindsithardtobelievethat theadministrationcouldeverhave beensonaiveastothinkthatwhen theyabolishedfraternitiesthey’d simplydisappearfromthefaceof theplanet.’Whatdoesthefuture hold? The rumor on campus, Beach tellsme,isthat"nextyear,some¬ thingbigisgoingtogodown.”
J J
REVIEW
The Taj Mahal
BY DENNIS GILBERT.
Alter dining atthe
TajMahalIndianrest¬ aurant on 43 Middle Street,youareaskedto signtheguestbook,an interesting document whose "Comments’’ spaces contain many expressionsofapprobationranging inenthusiasmfromMmtnm!to/l.r good as anything in Boston or Washington!Becauseourownafterdinnerimpressionsweresoundlyat odds with these sentiments, it seemedbesttomakeareturnvisit. OnoursecondeveningatTajMahal wediscoveredthattheatmosphere, as before, was comfortable in an unusual and entertaining way. As before,theservicewasefficientand the host most cordial. And once again,thefarewasofinconsistent quality.
Beyonditshospitality,thebest thisrestauranthastoofferisitsfree licensetousethosepungentaromat¬ icscharacteristicofIndiancuisine —spices like fenugreek, tumeric, cloves,groundcoriander,andfennel seed—seldomfoundinPortland’s restaurantkitchensandsavoryin ways we Yankees are unaccustomed to.AtTajMahaltheseflavoringsare mostskillfullyemployedintheside dishes.TheIndian-stylesalad,for example,isacombinationoffive ordinaryvegetablesrevitalizedbya marinade/dressingnicelybalanced between sweet tang and bright piquancy.Boththedahlandsagalu (spicedlentils,spinach,andpota¬ toes)alsosuggestthatthechefhasa senseofwhattheseheadyflavorings candoforordinaryfoodstuffs.Other dishes, however, are dangerously closetobeingbland,asinthecaseof thevegetablesoup.Themenunotes thatwhilemostIndiandishesare boldly spiced, they may vary in degreeofspiciness(mildtohot)and thatitisuptothepatrontoorder accordingly. For some of Taj Mahal’sfare,thesplashofcayenne pepperperdegreeisadisservice,as itmaskstheintent;forothersitis particularlydesirable.
Theflavoringoftheentreeshere isnotsoeasilydivinedandanalyzed because the preferred method of preparationislong,slowcooking whose purpose is to mingle and harmonizeratherthanorchestrate compatibilitywithcontrast.Itisa methodfoundmostofteninregion¬ alcookery,anditisparticularlyuse¬ fulfortamingsuchferalseasonings asclovesandfenugreeksothatthey maybemarriedtothesturdysavor ofthelambandthewillingbuteasily dominatedfleshofthechicken.At itsbestthismethodclothesinhomespundisguisefoodwhichisatheart complete, complex, and enigmatic withinitsunifyingsimplicity.The methodismagic,butitistrickier than just putting the pot on to simmer. It takes hours of gentle coaxingtoeffectthecoalescence,but thebondisfragileandbreaksdown afterawhile.Afterbeingheldtoo longthemeatsbecomelifeless,the vegetableswatery,thespicesempty. Usingthismethod,TajMahalsteers a crooked course between success andfailure.Whenflavorisfore¬ most,asinthelambdishes,thefood isgood;whenyouarepreoccupied withanoverworkedtexture,well, thenyoudon'tnoticetheflavor.
Anotherpointofinterestinfavor ofmostIndianrestaurantsisthe variety of dishes. A good Indian mealisafeast,apleasureassaultof flavors,textures,colors,temper¬ atures,novelties,andinventions. SinceeverythingatTajMahalisala carte,andsince,ounceforounce,the foodhereisasexpensiveasanyfood intown,thebestbetforvalueand varietyisoneofthethali's,either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Alongwithraita(yogurtwithcucum¬ bers)andafinefruitchutney,you areservedacross-sectionofthe menu — six samplings with one, eight with the other. Each thali comes with Indian mattarpilau,a basmati-typericewithgratedcar¬ rots(asdomostoftheentrees).
Shortlyafterourfirstvisitwe receivedanotefromthestaffofTaj Mahal in appreciation of our patronage.Suchapracticesuggestsa goodbusinesssense,thoroughness, andattentiontodetailwhich,ifap¬ pliedtoallphasesofthisrestau¬ rant’smanagement,couldmakeita muchbetterplacetodine.
Alberta’s. 21PleasantStreet,Portland.Also27A Forest Avenue, Portland. All the selections from Alberta'sever-changingmenuarccookedtoorderover theirmesquitecharcoalgrill.Steaks,seafood,and butterfliedlegoflambareaccompaniedbyhomemade soups, breads, and desserts, including "Death by Chocolate."Lunch,dinner,Sundaybrunch.Majorcredit cards.774-5408.
The Plue Moon»25ForeStreet,Portland.Portland's newjazzclubrestaurantfeatures le jazz hot —live —nightlyaswellasanentertainingdinnermenuA strongadditiontoPortland'snightlife.871-0665.
The Madd Apple Caje.21> ForestAvenue,Portland. AnintimateAmericanbistrokxatedinthePortland PerformingArtsCenter.Offeringachangingmenu;spe¬ cialtiesincludeCarolinaChoppedPorkBBQ.Shrimp Remoulade, tournedos Marchand du Vin, and Bananas Foster.Lunchanddinner.Majorcreditcards.774-9698.
Moose Crossing Dinnerhouse.QiastalU.S.RouteI; Falmouth (5 miles north of Portland, minutes to L.L.Bean).Relaxedcabinatmosphere.Featuringfresh Maine seafood, aged Iowa beef; mesquite grilling. Teriyakisteakandgrilledsalmon,aswellas"House Favorites'Loungeopensat4p.m.daily.Servingdinner at5p.m.Children'smenuavailable.Visa,Mastercard, andAmericanExpressaccepted.Reservationsavailable forpartiesof5ormore.781-4771.
Retina. AttheSchoonersInn,OceanAvenue,Kenne¬ bunkport.Theperfectchoiceforanelegant,world-class diningexperience.Reginacombinesthefreshestingre¬ dients,creativepreparation,artfulpresentation,courte¬ ousservice,andmagnificentviewsoftheAtlanticOcean andKennebunkRiverwithinanintimateatmosphere. Classicmenuselectionsplusuniquecreationswitha Europeanflair.Reservationsaresuggestedforlunchand dinner (served Tuesday — Saturday) and for Sunday brunch.Convenientriversideparkingforrestaurant,inn, andretailshops.
THE MAINE COAST
thattakesdoing-it-yourselftomean designing and building your own house.Mydefinitionofnecessity includesnosuchundertaking,and exceptinthemostunusualcircum¬ stances1canthinkofnoreasonit should. But I admire the owner¬ buildersallthesamefortheirinde¬ pendenceandenterprise.According¬ ly,Ioncemadeapointofseeking themoutandworkingwithsomeof themontheirhousestoseewhatthe ultimateself-helpcouldaccomplish. Much — though by no means all —of what they have shown me is impressivebyanystandard.
The Art OfMaineHomebuilding. By Yourself!
BY JOHN TAYLOR.
DO1NG-IT-YOURSELF is a way of life in Maine, a necessity rather than play.
Having lived down¬ eastthepastfiveyears1oftencon¬ templatethecoursechosenbythose whodefinenecessityintermsfar broaderthananyIhadknownelse¬ where.InparticularIwonderabout theso-calledowner-builders,abreed
Devoted domesticity appears to bethequalitymostcharacteristicof owner-builders,andtothelife-long tenantofacityapartment,agood many of them can seem pretty far gone.Theycareabouthouseswith the same passion other people reserveforacruisingyawloraMer¬ cedesroadster.Theyappeartoknow everythingthereistoknowabout thehousestheybuildandtakepains overeverydetail.Butapartfrom thissharedpreoccupation,owner¬ buildersareamixedbag.Hereand thereitisstillpossibletofindan unreconstructed homesteader, a back-to-the-landromanticbenton totalself-sufficiencyinemulationof thelateScottNearing.Forthemost part,though,thistypeseemstohave disappeared.InmakinginquiriesI moreoftenencounteredthreebroad groups:retiredcoupleswhoareon the whole similar in backgrounds andoutlooktotheordinaryhouse¬ buyerexceptthatinsteadofbuying theybuild;youngstersjuststarting out, building on borrowed money, andexpectingtoimprovisealiveli¬ hoodalongtheway;andinbetween a group made up of men and women intheirthirtieswhohaveleftthe cityandtheirconventionalcareers behindforthesakeoflifeinasmall townoroutinthecountry.Inrees¬ tablishing themselves building a house becomes of central impor¬ tance. What most of them lack, however,isrelevantexperience.
To prepare themselves many prospectivebuildersattendhouse¬ buildingschool,ofwhichthereare twoinMaine,ShelterInstitutein Bath, and Cornerstones in Bruns¬ wick.ShelterInstitutewasfounded in 1974 and since then similar
schoolshaveopenedallacrossthe country. They now number about a dozen and accommodate what ap¬ pearstobeasubstantialdemandfor instructionofthiskind.AtShelter moststudentstakethethree-week courseinthefundamentalprinci¬ plesofconstruction.Math,physics, andengineeringfigureprominently inthecurriculumasinstructorsdis¬ courseonsolardesign,climateand soil,siteanalysis,foundations,the sizingofstructuralmembers,fram¬ ing, household thermodynamics, plumbing,electricity,andahostof othersubjectsdrawnfromeveryday lifewhichfewofusthinkofasbeing ourproperconcern.'Ihepaceis brisk,nottosayheadlong,buthav¬ ingsurvivedit1cantestifythatthe courseisstimulating,especiallyfor thosewhoenrollasIdidinastateof totalignorance.
THOUGH IN my case the knowledge gained remains ornamental for the time being, most graduates put ittoworkassoonastheycan.Des¬ pite their inexperience the results they achieve do them and theirinstructorscredit.Thehouses theybuildtendtobesmallandsimp1e but are nevertheless adequate to their needs. And now that the average price of a new store-bought house approaches $100,000, the homemade alterna¬ tiveisincomparisonallthecheaper. How much cheaper is difficult to judge because the nails-andhammerfolkofmyacquaintanceare aninventivelot,fondofspinning yarns about their exploits as scavengersandthetreasuresthey retrievefromthelocaldumpfreefor thetaking.Therecanbenodoubt, though,thatinMainemostShelter graduates have built themselves bargains. The money they save mightbeconsideredjustification enoughforthetimeandenergythey invest, and indeed financial necessityisthereasonmostoften givenforthedecisiontobuildrather thanbuy.Yetitseemstomethat unlessyouhappentobehomeless, buildingahousefailstoqualifyasa genuine need. So long as your options include staying put or
rentingelsewhere,thereasonsyou citeforbuildinginsteadwillnever quiteadduptonecessity,nomatter how compelling they might seem. How,then,ifyouweredetermined tobuildanyway,wouldyoujustify theenterprisewhenafterallyou couldbedoingsomethingelse?To castthequestioninmoregeneral terms: how far should you go in doing-it-yourself—whateveryour self-assignedtaskhappenstobe— and what will best sustain your efforts when you know that what youhavechosentododoesnotreally needtobedone?
Thehousebuilder’scircumstances are worth considering precisely becausetheyaremoreextremethan whatmostdo-it-yourselfniksever face. As in making any other investment of consequence, the riskstobebornearesubstantial. Some who speak from experience warn that building a house takes twice as long and costs twice as much as the typical unfledged builderwilladmittohimselfatthe outset.Evenifthiswarningverges onoverstatement,itisnotrickto turn up builders who find themselveshouse-poor,atleastfora time.Moneytiedupinahalf-built housecanseldomberecovereduntil thehouseisfinishedandreadyfor potentialsale.Eventhenhomemade houseshaveprejudicetoovercome inmostrealestatemarkets.Mean¬ while,ifyoushouldbesounluckyas torunoutofmoneybeforecomplet¬ ingthejob,youcouldfindyourself spending months on end in both domestic and financial limbo. To liveforanylengthoftimeinahalf¬ completedhousewithallworksus¬ pendedissaidtobehardonmorale forastheFrenchsay,nothinglasts longerthantheprovisional.
Afewbuilders,unluckierstill, learntotheircostthattheyhaveno eyefordesignandnoskillintheir hands,nomatterhowearnesttheir devotiontotheidealofCraftmaybe. Onetoldmeofhisunnervingdis¬ coverythathereallydislikeddoingit-himselfbecausehewasjustno goodwithtools.Hisonlyrecourse wastohirecontractorsforthework he could not do, which of course renderedhisoriginalbudgetmean¬ ingless.Alreadyindebt,hehadto borrowanextraS8,000,andyethis
THE MAINE COAST
house when I saw it was no more than three-quarters finished. As mightbeexpected,therearesome would-bebuilderswhoshouldhave stoodinbed.Howcouldyoutell,in advance,beforeitwastoolate?
Your suitability would depend, so it seems to me, on your expectations,thatis. onthepayoffyoulook forinchoosingtodoyourownwork. AtShelterInstitutetheadvantages arerepresentedtobechieflymoral. Therefore,whenitcomestodoingit-yourself, they would have you attemptthemaximum,andnotjust inhousebuildingeither.PatHennin,co-founderandco-director,can beheardtodeclarethatatleastonce inlifeyoushouldexperiencethe illumination that descends when youtakeyourcarcompletelyapart. Though this suggestion brings to mindacontrarypieceofadvice—if itain'tbrokedon'tfixit—Hennin neverthelessfindsanattentivehear¬ ingforhisdoctrineof"responsibil¬ ity."AsIunderstandit,"responsibil¬ ity”isastateofgraceinwhichyou fend for yourself so as to "take chargeofyourownlife."Insteadof callingontheexpertsandprofes¬ sionalsforjobsthatyoucouldteach yourselftodointheirplace,you renounce all these emasculating dependencies.Thustoberesponsi¬ bleforthehouseyouliveinandthe caryoudriveistotakecareofthem with no more help from mechanics andthelikethanisabsolutelyneces¬ sary. And so would you strive to become,intheMainer’sphrase,as independentasapigonice.
Henninwouldextendhisnotion ofresponsibilitytoeverydepart¬ mentofpracticallifeintheconvic¬ tionthatignoranceofhowthings workisamatterofchoice,andthat tochooseitbordersondepravity. Do your own work, he recommends, andinthelongrunyouwillsave timeandmoney;thejobsyoudowill bedependable;youwillspareyour¬ selftheintensefrustrationofdeal¬ ingwiththeprofessionals,mostof whom are semicompetent at best; andyouwilldiscovertherelatedness
।ofthingsthatmakestheprinciples and techniques learned in coping withthetaskinhandofuseonother jobs.Withself-improvementsocer¬ tain to be the result, who would thinkofcallingtheplumber?
ResponsibilityasHennindefines itmaybeaworthyideal,butitsug¬ gestsnocriterionbywhichtochoose amongthevariousbodiesofknowl¬ edgeandproficiencies.Sincetimeis alwaysscarce,thechoicehastobe ।made,yetwithoutsometestofvalue Iorutilitytherearenogroundsfor Isupposingthatoneproficiencyis smoreworthacquiringthananother, jHenninsidestepsthisissuebyele¬ vatingresponsibilitytothestatusof amoralimperative.Inhisschemeof thingsfendingforyourselfissomekindofduty,andofdutiestherecan benoend.Itwouldseemtofollow thatomniscienceisreallythegoal, and house building an implied obligation.
Asasubstitutefortheprompt¬ ingsofnecessity,highmoralpur¬ posestrikesmeasapoorbet.Before I could dedicate myself to doing whatneednotbedone,Iwouldhave to discover a more provocative inducement.Whatarethepossibili¬ ties?ThebuildersIhavetalkedwith actfromavarietyofmotiveswhich appeartobesufficientforthem, thoughtheywouldnevergalvanize me.Someseeinhousebuildingthe ideal opportunity for selfexpression,whereasaboxoffinger paints would be more my speed. Othersprofessalongingtoliveina house designed for their express needs,whichleavesthemnochoice buttobuildtheirown.Iwouldbe moreinclinedtogetridofafew needsinsteadofputtingmyselfto the trouble of building them a shrine.Agoodmanybuilderswill tellyouthatevenifthehousesthey hadlookedathadbeenpricedwithin theirmeans,theystillwouldnot havebeeninterested.Thetypical contractorintheirjudgmenthasno eyeforspaceorproportion,letalone asenseofcraft.Inevitablymost housesonthemarketareuglyand ill-made.Theevidenceforthiscom¬ plaintisplainforalltosee—which is one reason some of us would rather rent a humdrum apartment thanownaneyesoreofahouse.
Continuedonpageii
Photo courtesy of Jordan Custom Guilders.
STYLE
Window On Window Technology
BY AMY DEMERS.
YOU'VE CHECKED the thermometer out¬ side on the post and the mercury has just disappeared into a clumpofsnowstuckat10degrees. Youknowthat'snotthewholestory becausethewindistryingtopeelthe shuttersoffyourhouseonebyone, andJoeCupoistalkingwindchillin numberstoobigtobelieve.Settling inbythewoodstovewithyourlatest copyofSouthern Living from the subscriptionyourgrandmothersent forChristmas,youcometoanadfor Four Season’s Greenhouses, where RobinLeachandtwobeautifulgirls areinvitingyoutoinstallaFour Season’sSolarHealthSpa(TM)of yourown."Hrnph,"yousnortwitha laugh,andthink"neverinMaine.” Butoh!,howwrongyouwouldbe.
Afterspendingyearsoftryingto finddifferentwaystocoverupwin¬ dowsanddoors,Mainersarebuild¬ ing and remodeling homes with windows,skylights,sunrooms,and atriumdoorsthatnotonlyhelpto keepthecoldout,butkeeptheheat in.Stillnotconvinced?Beforecast¬ ingstonesatglasshouses,consider some of the changes in 'window technology.’
Inthepast,windowsweresimply woodframesaroundeverydayglass. Windowsfitlooselyenoughinthe wintertoletinthatwhistlinglittle draft — and snugly enough in hot weather to make opening them a Herculeantask.Boththeglassand theframeshavechanged.
Thanks to the energy crunch of the1970s(andnecessitybeingthe mother of invention), the brain¬ trustsatM.I.T.developedalowemission,orlow-"E,”glassthatis marketed by Southwall Technolo¬ giesundertbetrademarkHeatMir¬ ror. A step beyond double or even tripleglazing,Heat Mirroriscom¬ prisedoftwosheetsofglasswitha microscopicallythinlayerofmetal
oxide film suspended in between. With HeatMirror,lightisallowed through,butheatisreflectedbackto thesource,keepinghotsunoutin thesummerandindoorheatinside inthewinter.Ifyouunderstandthe R value system for rating energy efficiency,anormalwindowhasa value of R-l, and a Heat Mirror windowcanbringthatuptoR-4.5. Otherattributesof Heat Mirror includetheprotectionofcurtainand upholsteryfabricsfromfading,and reduced noise coming in from the outside.AlthoughSouthwall'sHeat Mirrorwastheforerunner,thereare currently other manufacturers of low-"E”typeglass.
In addition to advancements in glasstechnology,windowandsky¬ lightframedesignshavealsotakena bigleapforward.Windowshopping involvesalotmorethanhowmany and what size, and according to ArnieHoffmanatPella,thetrend seemstobemovingwindowsoutof lumber yards and into specialty stores franchised by the various manufacturers.Pella,basedinIowa withseverallocalfranchises,hasa slightlydifferentapproachthanthe standarddouble-glazetypewindow.
Pella windows are constructed withtwopanelsofglass—afixed outsidepieceandaremovableinner piece much like an indoor storm window.WhilePellaalsooffersa low-"E"glassunderthetrademark Heatlock,thecompanyhasdeviseda way to install a Venetian blind between the two panels of glass. Thisblind,likelow-"E"glass,canbe coatedwithareflectivefinishthat will keep heat in and cold out. Insteadofyankingstringstoopen andclosetheblinds,thereisasmall controlknobinalowercornerofthe window.Whentheshadesareopen, they are thin enough so that the view through the window is very nearlyunobstructed.
For practical purposesPella,aswellas several other window manufacturers,hasrede¬ signed window jambs and sashes so that traditional double-hung and casement windows can be tilted inward and cleaned fromtheinside.Thenexttimeyou spendaSaturdayteeteringatopa ladder,jugglingabucket,sponge, andsqueegee,theadvantagesofthis optionwillbecomepainfullyclear.
Ifyou’rethinkingofexpandinga roomoraddingone,asunroomcan beusedasyear-roundlivingspace, eveninMaine.JackChellis,owner of Chellis-Wood & Sun, Inc., has seenamarkedincreaseinuseand awarenessofsunroomadditionsin Maineoverthelast10years.Chellis, arepresentativeofseveralsunroom, window, and door manufacturers, pointsoutthatsunroomsarevastly differentfromtheirbackyardgreen¬ housepredecessors.
ThemostinnovativemodelChel¬ lis offers comes from Freedom SunspaceinNewJersey.Theinter¬ ior of the Freedom Sunspace has curved wood beams framing the windows and acting as support. Whatseemtomakeparticularsense aretheheavilyinsulatedendwalls and roof — an adaptation of the all—glassroomtoNorthernclimes.
RepresentativesatbothChellis and Pella stress that the most important consideration when you’re choosing windows or sun¬ roomsistofindtheproductthatis mostappropriateforyourintended use. Costs can run anywhere from S300forasimplewindowboxaddi¬ tiontomorethanS10,000forasun¬ room.Remembertoothatinstalla¬ tion (by a contractor of your choosing)isextraandcanrunfrom 50to100percentofthecostofthe product being used. Although manufacturers offer manuals and instructional videos for do-ityourselfers,someoftheconstruc¬ tionphasesrunabitbeyondtheabil¬ itiesoftheaveragehomeowner.
As an investment, window and sunroomadditionsdon’toffervery spectacularreturnswhenyousell your home. According to the NationalAssociationoftheRemod¬ elingIndustry,awell-constructed solar sunroom may add 90 percent ofitsoriginalcosttothepriceofa house; new windows only 43 percent.
THELIGHTINGCOLLECTION
•, Window On The Past: When Monument Square Offered...
ShuttleServiceToBostonAndNew ’ York!
. '
TBY DON MACWILUAMS.
HIS GLASS NEGATIVE of Portland’s Monument Square provides an exceptional glimpse of Portland life pre-1890, when Monument Square was called “Market Square.” In the right backgroundyoucanseethecupolaoftheCityHall » ' which burned in 1908; the steeple of the present First Parish Church;andthetopflooroftheClappMansion,nowthesiteof theClappbuilding,builtbyAsaClapp,oneofPortland’sWest Indiamerchants.
Intheforegroundaresometypicalhorsesandbuggiesofthe periodandtwoofthe“horselesscarriages”oftheday.The ,.nearestofthetwo,ownedbythePortlandRailroad,readsnear thetop: Boston, New York, Island Steamers." There were regularly scheduled Boston and New York boats sailing - (steaming) out.of Portland Harbor in those days. , The left foreground has a billboard on the side of the building publicizing a new play by Denman Thompson, “The Old ? . Homestead," which was playing in the theater (Portland) on the second floor. The C. H. Guppy Apothecary lasted until eitherjustbeforeorjustafterWorldWarIIbutinatall,slender buildingbetweenthetwobuildingsyouseethere.Thetheatre buildingwasreplacedbytheSunSavings“skyscraper”which wasbuiltfortheFidelitybankandforofficesasitisnow.
ISSUES
Meet FrancesPeabody, 84.
One Maine Woman Who’s Afraid Of AIDS, But Not AIDS Patients.
BY VICKI ADAMS.
WHILE MANY peopleshunAIDS patients and their families, FrancesPeabody, 84, of Portland, embraces them. Since her grandson died of AIDS threeyearsago,Peabodyhasspent hundredsofhourslisteningtoand consolingcloserelativesofpeople withAIDS.Herfirstcontactusually isoverthetelephone—
Inmanycasesthecallmarksthe beginningofalongprocesstoward acceptingtwostigmas—thatafam¬ ilymemberisgayandthathehas beenstrickenwithanincurabledis¬ ease.Italsomarksthebeginningofa new friendship when some of the old ones are disappearing. "They feelIamtheirgoodfriend,andIam veryhumbleaboutthat...Idon’t knowwhatitis,”shesayswitha chuckle,"Ithinkit’smyagethat theycantalktome.”
Peabodyoftengoesouttolunch withthemothersorsistersofmen whohaveAIDS,talkswiththemon the phone, and goes with them to
ISSUES
the hospital when the disease becomes too serious to treat at home. Finally, she helps them throughthegrievingprocesswhen theirsonsandbrothersdie."1say, 'Look,I’vebeenthroughthis.Iknow whatitis’,”shesays."Icansympa¬ thize.1cansay,Yes,Iknow,I’vehad it’."
ItwasinNovemberof1984that Peabody’s grandson, Peter Vom Lehn,surroundedbymembersofhis family,diedofAIDSinSanDiego. That same month Stephen Jenteel ofPortlandbecamethefirstperson in Maine to be diagnosed with AIDS. When Peabody returned to Portlandfilledwithherfamily’s tragedy,shedecidedtojoinasmall group of people who were deter¬ minedtopreparefortheinevitable onslaughtofAIDSintoMaine. "Wewantedtoorganizebeforewe hadsomanycasesherewecouldn’t takecareofthem,”shesays.That effort since has grown into The AIDSProject,thestate’sfirstsup¬ portorganizationforpeoplewith AIDS.
Why would an 84-year-old womantakeonsuchadifficultmis¬ sion—whatwouldshegetoutofit besides exhaustion? ”1 haven’t founditdraining,”shesays."I’mso amazedatthecourageandstrength that these mothers have — I feel thatIgetmoreoutofitthantheyget outofme,Ireallydo.AndIcould neverfeelsorryformyselfever,ever aboutanything.Andthat’sgood.”
TODATE,67Maineres¬ identshavebeendiag¬ nosedwithAIDS.31of w h o m have died. Accordingtothestate's OfficeonAIDS,thecasesinclude39 gayorbisexualmen,threeintraven¬ ousdrugusers,threehemophiliacs (oneofthemachild),andtwowho contractedAIDSthroughbloodtrans¬ fusions.Anundeterminednumberof peoplewithAIDShavecomehometo Maineafterbeingdiagnosedelse¬ where.Inadditiontoactualcasesof
PeachesBassoftheOfficeonAIDS saysshethinksthisestimateishigh forMaine,butsheacknowledgesthat many people who have not been testedareaffected.Dr.MichaelBach, aPortlandphysicianandexperton AIDS,sayshethinksthenumbersare validforthisstate.
Thepainbehindthesestatisticsis double-edged.Sincenocurehasbeen found for AIDS, its victims are doomed. And because AIDS in this countryhasspreadlargelywithinthe gaycommunityandisusuallytrans¬ mittedbysexualcontactorintraven¬ ousdrugneedles,itsvictimsare judgedbysometobeimmoral.
"They feel isolated — not worth¬ while,"saysBobMitchell,presidentof TheAIDSProject'sboardofdirectors.
AD AY or so later, Piper-Keene had a feeling her son was goingtodie,andshe refused to go home despitehisnurse’surging."Sure enough,hediedatfouro’clockthat morning,”shesays."Isaid,'Jason,if you can hear me open your eyes.’ And he opened his eyes one more time and looked at me. There was
ISSUES
suchapeacethatcameoverhim.”
Piper-Keene says she never was afraidofcatchingAIDSbytaking careofherson,butherfamilywas concerned.Shehadtwotestsforthe AIDSanitbody,andbothwerenega¬ tive."IhadtheAIDStestmorefor otherpeoplethanformyself,”she says. "Now they say, I guess you wererightafterall.”
During her son's ordeal, most members of Piper-Keene’s family weresupportive,butonewasnot."I haveonebrotherwhowouldn’ttalk tome,"shesays."Hewasdisgraced to have a homosexual nephew — thatwasbadenough.Thenhehadto getAIDS.Hedidn’tseethebeauti¬ ful, wonderful person that Jason reallywas"
This attitude is common even among parents of people with AIDS, Piper-Keene says. She i attendsasupportgroupsponsored by The AIDS Project once a week andsaysthatofthedozenmembers who have AIDS only three have goodrelationshipswiththeirpar¬ ents.Oneislivingwithanauntand uncle,becausetherestofhisfamily has rejected him, and the others havenofamilysupportatall.
"I hear from some of the guys who have AIDS that their parents won’t talk to them — they’ve shamedtheirfamilies,"shesays."1 justdon’tunderstandtheseparents ...Itwouldmatternottomethatit wereAIDS,thattheygotstruckbya carorthattheyhadleprosy.The pointis,theirchildisdying...They shouldnothavetodealwithpeople turningtheirbacksonthem."
Piper-Keenetriestofillthegap forsomeoftheseAIDSpatientsby attendingtheirsupportgroupand visitingthemwhentheygotothe hospital."Iwon’thaveoneperson1 know about not have at least one person who gives a damn whether theyliveordie,”shesaid."Iembrace them. We hold each other, and we always find something to laugh about."
WhenGaryAnderson,33,ofPort¬ landheardthreeyearsagothata member of Portland’s gay commun¬ ityhadAIDS,hewasshaken.Hehad readaboutthediseaseandknewit was spreading among homosexuals
"Todate,67Maineresidentshavebeendiagnosed withAIDS,31ofwhomhavedied.Accordingtothe state’sOfficeonAIDS,thecasesinclude59gayor bisexualmen,threeintravenousdrugusers,three hemophiliacs(oneofthemachild),andtwowho contractedAIDSthroughbloodtransfusions.An undeterminednumberofpeoplewithAIDShave come home to Maine after being diagnosed elsewhere.”
ThenaseniorattheUniversityof Southern Maine, Anderson was studyingsocialwork.Interestedin politicsaswellaspsychology,he combinedhisstudieswithhiscon¬ cern about AIDS and joined the newly formed Gay Health Action Committee. He took part in an efforttoteachpeoplehowtopre¬ vent AIDS by using condoms. He distributedpamphletsandcondoms inbars,adultmovietheaters,and placeswherecasualsexualencoun¬ terstakeplace."Youlearnhowtobe a salesman — how to be diplo¬ matic,”hesays.
Andersonalsoattendedmeetings where he met Frances Peabody and representativesofseveralgroupsof people concerned about AIDS. The groupdecidedtoestablishahotline asitsfirstproject,andtheMaine HealthFoundation,agroupofgay businessmen,agreedtofundit.The toll-free telephone (1-800-851AIDS)wassetupattheheadquar¬ tersofIngrahamVolunteers,Port¬ land’scrisishotline."Thatwaskind of a coup, to get a United Way agency to cooperate with a gay group,"Andersonsays."Theyrec¬ ognizedthatAIDSwasaverydis¬ tinctproblemandwasonlygoingto getworse."
SinceAIDSwasnotyetprevalent inthearea,Andersonwassurprised whenthefirstcallthatcameintothe linewasfromapersonwithAIDS. He had expected questions, not a case."Werealizedfromthatvery firstphonecallthatweneededtodo more,"Andersonsays."Hewasiso¬ latedbothphysicallyandsocially,he hadfamilyproblems,andheneeded changes in his apartment. We realizedwecouldn’tdoanythingfor him."
Thegrouptriedtostartabuddy network,andittrained30people whowereinterestedinvolunteering to help people with AIDS on an individualbasis.Butthatturnedout tobeamistake.Fundsandtraining wereminimal,andonlyacoupleof volunteersfollowedthrough."Itjust blew people away when they saw whattheyweregettinginto,"And¬ ersonsays.PeoplewithAIDSlose
DESPITE disappoint¬ ments, the group continueditsefforts, naming itself The AIDS Project and choosingFredBergerasitsfirst president of the board. Anderson washiredasdirector.Theproject outgrewitsfirstsmallofficeand movedtotheDeeringStreetapart¬ mentwhichitnowisoutgrowing.It serves about 43 people with AIDS plussomeoftheirfamilymembers, andnewclientsarecallinginevery week.
TheAIDSProjectdoesn’thavean impressivebankaccounttopayfor itsbattleagainstthevirus—its budgetin1987wasSI15,000.Most ofthefundscamefromthestate, supplementedbyprivatedonations and proceeds from an annual art auctioncalledVisualAid.About40 volunteersbolstertheproject’sstaff.
"There’salotof denial about j AIDS, and the high-riskbehavior (inMaine)isn’t stopping...”
Thefirstcontactapersonwith AIDSmighthavewiththeprojectis takingatestfortheAIDSantibody, which indicates infection by the AIDSvirus.Beforethetest,whichis done anonymously, the project offers a counseling session to explaintheprocedureandrelated concerns.Duringasecondappoint¬ ment, the results are given and furthercounselingisoffered.Ifa persontestspositive,heusuallyis referred to the project's social worker,whowillhelphimfindthe servicesheneeds.
Oneoftheseservicesisthesup¬
port group. The project sponsors threegroupsledbycounselorsfor peoplewithAIDSandtheirfamilies andfriends.Theprojectalsoover¬ sees a fund for AZT (Zidovudine Retrovir), the only known treat¬ ment for AIDS. The drug is not a curebutcandelaytheprogressof thedisease.
Informing people about AIDS and how to prevent its spread is anothermajorgoaloftheproject. Oneofthefourpaidemployeesisa teacherwhogivespresentationson AIDStointerestedgroups,andshe hasahardtimekeepingupwiththe demand. Her schedule usually is booked two months in advance. However, the education effort doesn’t even approach high-risk groups, according to Susan Cummings-Lawrence, a project boardmemberandlocalmanagerof the state’s Sexually Transmitted DiseaseProgram."Educationhasn’t filtereddowntothestreetkids, teens, IV drug users — people at risk,”shesays."Theproblem,of course,ismoney.”
Hoping to address this need, Andersonhasproposedasafer-sex kit,whichwouldincludeinforma¬ tiononsexualpractices,intravenous druguse,andcondoms.Hehasap¬ pliedforstatefundingtodevelop thekitandhopestodistributeitto thepeoplewhoneedit,justashe usedtohandoutmaterialsthrough the Gay Health Action Committee. "There’salotofdenialaboutAIDS, and the high-risk behavior isn’t stopping,”hesays."Youcan’tgoout ofthecityandgetawayfromAIDS — AIDS is everywhere."
You have to have a sense of humortolivewithAIDS,according toVincentBoulanger,25,ofPort¬ land.Thetall,slim,blondmanwith an easy smile has been known to fakeconvulsions,flailinghislong armsandlegswildly,thenbreakout inagaleoflaughterasheexplainsto alarmed friends that he is just observing the "harmonic convulsion,”hisownversionofthe New Age happening called the Harmonic Convergence. But even whentheemergencyisreal,Boul¬ angercanseethefunnyside.Once hepassedoutinamen’sroom,anda friend found him some time later
BY DAVID SWARTZENTRUBER.
ACOLD January wind searedacrosstheface of Portland's most loved(andonly)wine writer.Heapproached the proprioceptive editorial departmentofPortlandMonthly. "Whatshould1writeaboutforthe nextissue?”heasked. "ThinkSpring."wastheresponse. "Write about Spring wines." On oneoftheworstdaysofthewinter this was my task. Thinking Spring....
The first characteristic about Spring wines is that they should have plenty of bounce in them. Secondly,Springwinesshouldhave aromasandbouquetsthatarequite floral,remindingusoftheearlycro¬ cusesanddaffodilsthatareamong thefirstflowerstoappear.
The biggest problem with Gewurztramineristhatmostpeople can’t pronounce it. The phonetic spellingis Ge-vertz-tram-me-ner, anditistrulyawonderfulwinewith aninterestinghistory.
Thegrapevarietywasdeveloped in the northern Italian town of Traminer,butsurprisinglyverylit¬ tle Gewurztraminer comes out of Italy. The European home for
LIQUID ASSETS
Gewurztraminer quickly became Alsace, France's most northerly growingarea.
"Gewurz"isawinethatistruly packedwithflavor,andinspiteofits name, once most people taste it, they love the wine. The wine is generallyofferedintwoversions: dryandmediumsweet.
The Alsatians generally offer Gewurzinthedrierform,andinthis version,itcangenerallyaccompany spicydishes.TheAlsatiansdomake a number of spicy sausages that Gewurz can accompany. Alsatian producersthatofferniceGewurztraminers include Hugel, Gustav Lorentz, Rene Schmidt, and Doppf andIron.
Turning to California, this unpronounceableG-wineisnormally producedinasweeterversionthan theAlsatianstyle.Truetoitsherit¬ age,alotofgoodGewurzcomesout ofCalifornia'smostnortherlygrow¬ ing region — Mendocino County. TwogoodproducershereareFetzeri and Navarro. Further south in | Sonoma County, Chateau St. Jean andSt.Francisexcel.
JohannisbergRieslingisawine typethatismorefamiliartousasit isresponsibleforagreatdealofthe German wines that are consumed. The Alsatians produce excellent Rieslingthatagainisalittledrier than its California and German counterparts. A German Riesling thatIhaveparticularlyenjoyedwith seafood is the SchlossVollrads, 1985.
InCa1ifornia,Rieslingis producedbyahostofwineries.Good ones on the market here include ChateauSt.Jean,Mondavi,Trefethen, and Beaulieu. Perhaps even closer to the German original, Washington produces excellent Riesling. Look for Columbia and ChateauSt.Michelle.
The good news about Gewurz¬ traminerandRieslingisthatthey aren’texpensive.Allofthewines mentionedgenerallyfallintotheS5 toS10range.
Chardonnay drinkers, take a chance! Compare the lively and lovelycharacteristicsofRieslingand "Gewurz”tosomeoftheheavyoak¬ aged Chardonnays and get out of j yourrut.
Beinnovative—"ThinkSpring.
100% Snowmaking
100%LightingCapacity
15Trails
85Instructors
RentalandRepairShop
5MinutesfromAuburn
30MinutesfromPortland
JustoffExit12onthe MaineTurnpike.
lyingonthefloor.Boulanger’sfirst question when he came to was, "What are my pants doing around myankles?”
Boulangerisoneofthefewpeop¬ leinMainewhoareupfrontabout havingAIDS.Asaboardmemberof TheAIDSProjecthehasworkedon fundraisingforthecauseandfre¬ quentlyspeakstodoctors,nurses, organizations, and anyone concerned about the disease. He spokeatastate-wideconferenceon AIDSinthefall,sharinghisordeal with200people.
Boulangersaidheknewthefirst person diagnosed with AIDS in Maine,andawarethathecouldhave beeninfected,hetookatest,which came out negative. Then he moved toCalifornia,wherehecamedown with pneumocystis pneumonia and wasdiagnosedwithAIDS.Helicked thatfirstboutwithpneumoniaand came back to Maine to be near friendsandfamily.Buteventhough hisparentsknewhewasgay,ittook himayearbeforehecouldtellthem hehadAIDS."Youcan’ttellyour parents you’re going to croak — that’sawful,”hesays."Theydidn’t panic. They are really trying to understand."
"Anyone who says it’s boring — theyjustdon’twanttobother.”
E
IS
CONCERNED
aboutthespreadof thediseaseand about nurses and doctors who work closelywithAIDSpatients.Butheis impatientwiththosewhoareafraid ofhimandgooverboardtoprotect themselves. One time, when he neededadentalXray,thedentist appeared completely swathed from facemasktobooties."Itwasmean¬ ness.hesays.Heisdeeplyoffended bythosewhowouldliketoquaranteen people with AIDS. "Have you ever been ashamed of being a
When a man in the audience asked him if he would discourage young people from chosing a gay lifestyle,heanswered,"Ofcourse not,"andbithistonguetokeepfrom swearing. Then he explained that beinggayisn’tamatterofchoice.He saidhisparentssenthimtoapsy¬ chologistwhenhewas14,andthe psychologistsaidtherewasnothing wrongwithhim,thathehadalways beengay."It’sjustthewayyouare born,"hesays."Theattentionon thesexualityisadiversionfrom muchmoreimportantthings." .
"Onetimehewaswith apoliticianwhowas obviously uncom- ; fortabletobewithai person with AIDS, andhekissedtheman onthecheektobreak theice.Iwouldn’t havedonethatifhe couldgetanything,’he laughs.”
Relaxingwithacigaretteinhis livingroom.Boulangertalksabout thecostoflivingwithAIDS.Heis gratefulthatafriendhaswantedto share an apartment, because he couldn’taffortoneonhisown.He has furnished the apartment with mahoganychairs,agiltmirror,din¬ ingroomtablewithalacecloth,and turn-of-the-centuryartwork—his only possessions. Together the roommates have bought a rose i velvet couch fitting the old- i fashioneddecor.Amugonthecof¬ fee table says, "Things could be worse—sexcouldbefattening."
Atouroftheapartmentincludes the bathroom. "1 just painted my bathroom.I'msoproudofit,”he says."Butthesmellofthepaint almost made me pass out." No big deal.Hecomesclosetopassingout justabouteveryday—oneofthe sideeffectsofthemedicinehetakes. Themedicinecabinetisfilledwith hismedications,includingamonth’s supply of AZT — S876 worth. He
saidhismedicalbillsforoneyear haveaddeduptomorethanSI5,000. He is among the healthier AIDS patients.
Boulangersaysheworkedaslong ashecould,thenappliedforSocial Security. His income from the governmentisS425permonth,and Medicarepayshismedicalbills— butnotwithoutahassle.Thephone rings.ItisLucyMarbach,fromThe AIDS Project, asking about the latestattemptbyMedicaretodrop Boulanger from their rolls. It happenseveryfewmonths,hesays. "Theymakeyoufeellikeasecondclasscitizen,andthat’snotjust AIDS(patients)."
TheAIDSProjecthashelpedhim alot,hesays.Hebelongedtooneof theproject’ssupportgroupsfora whileandfounditwasagoodplace togetthingsoffhischest."When peoplefirstfindout,theyneedpeop¬ letotalkto—especiallypeoplethat know.”Theprojectalsohelpshim get a food allowance, provides emergency transportation, and helpshimfighthisbattles,likethe onewithMedicare.Anditcoordi¬ nates donations fro m I o c a 1 businesses who provide household necessitiesandevenoccasionalrest¬ aurantmealsandtheatertickets, "whichiswonderful,”hesays. Buttheproject’sresourcesare limited,andsomepeoplehavecom¬ plainedthatitdoesn’tdoenough. Boulangeriscriticalofthisattitude. "Thereneedstobemorecommunity helptomakeitbetterinsteadoftry¬ ingtodestroywhat’salreadybeen made,”hesays.
As a board member, Boulanger hashelpedtheprojectbyspeaking inpublic,raisingfunds,andeven lobbyingattheLegislature.Andas hedoesineveryareaofhislife,he spices his messages with humor. Onetimehewaswithapolitician whowasobviouslyuncomfortableto bewithapersonwithAIDS,andhe kissedthemanonthecheektobreak theice."Iwouldn’thavedonethatif hecouldgetanything,"helaughs.
When Boulanger decided to be open about the fact that he has AIDS, the owner of a gay bar in Portlandtoldhimhecouldn’tcome inanymore."Iwasbarredfromthe
bar,”hesays.Boulangertoldthebar ownerthathisactionwasillegaland convincedhimthathehadnointen¬ tion of infecting anyone. "I was greatlyinsulted,"hesays.Buteven thoughhecouldgotothebar,Boul¬ angernoticedthatsomeacquaintan¬ cesstartedavoidinghim. "Theyarejusthavingagoodtime. Theydon’twanttodealwithit,"he says.
SOME PEOPLE with AIDShaverunintomore seriousdiscriminat ion. According to BobMitchell,somehave difficultyfindinghousing,andsome have lost their jobs. Employers claimtheyareconcernedaboutlia¬ bilityandinsurance.
CooperatingwithThez\IDSProj¬ ect,severalchurchorganizationsarcsupporting people with AIDS and tryingtoeducatethepublicabout thediseasesothatpeoplewillact accordingtoreasonratherthanfear. Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish congregations have devoted energyandfundstotheeffort.
However, some fundamentalist religious organizations consider AIDStobeapunishmentinflicted by God on homosexuals — an atti¬ tudethatcondonesdiscrimination ami discourages positive action againstthedisease.ErancesPeabody receivedaletterandtaperecording fromafundamentalistorganization — a package she said others also have received. The message con¬ demned homosexuality as sinful.
Thepeoplewhoaredoingthisare ministers,andtheyaresupposedto beleaders,"shesays."WhenIwrote andansweredthat,1said,"Youcall yourselvesChristians,butyou’renot thekindofChristianthat1call Christian. ... I think they arcdespicable.”
Peabody, a petite woman with wavy,whitehair,dressedinatail¬ oredbrownsuit,raiseshervoiceas she delivers these strong words fromanantiqueFrenchchairinher Victorianparlor.Thereadingmater¬ ialsaswellastheconversationcon¬ trastwiththedelicatefurnishings. Holding a prominent place on the coffeetableisThe Screaming Room,
From what ive read,financialwriters s e em to have no memory of what hap¬ pened in 1987 before October19th.Retrospectivesoflast yearbeginandendwithBlackMon¬ day,condensing365daysofmone¬ tarygoodiesintooneperfectlymis¬ erable6.5-hourperiod.There’sno denyingthata508-pointdropinone tradingsessionhassignificance—it does—buttherewasmoreto1987 thanjusttheOctobercorrection. NineteenEighty-Sevenwasreallya prettygoodyear.
The1987stockmarkethadabet¬ terkick-offthananyotheryearin history.TheDowJonesIndustrial Averageroseineachof11consecu¬ tivesessionsduringthefirsttwo weeksofJanuary,pullingaheadof 1986’sdosebynearly10percent.On Friday,January23,1987,theDow experienceda152-pointswingthat was blamed on program trading. Investors, however, looked upon thisparticulardayasacausefor excitementratherthanconcern.By theendof1987'sfirstquarter,the market had resumed its upward pathandclosedat2335.80,up23 percentfortheyearsofar.Although thedollarwaspoisedforafall, investoroptimismboundedahead.
Inspiteofearlyrumblingsabout badtimestocome,thesecondquar¬ tersawtheDowriseagain,finishing upabout35percentoverthepre¬ viousquarterwhenCongressbegan wranglingwiththebudgetandpro¬ posed takeover legislation was designed to put a damper on any futureBoesky’s.
Just when most market watchers expected the lazy, hazy days of summer to slow things down, the Dow burst through the previously acceptedresistancelevelof2500on
Afterafewencouragingweeksin December, the wizards of Wall Streetwerelookingforatleasta partialrecoveryintoearly1988.But beforewealljumpbackinwithboth feet,I'ddangleatoeortwototest thewatersandlookforreasonable alternativesto"hotstocks."
MunicipalBondsaretakingabad rap these days for no convincing reasons.FirmsclosingtheirMuni desks had problems with their trades, not the bonds. At this moment. Muni Bonds are the only trueremainingtaxshelterbesidesa fewlifeinsuranceproducts.Even thoughthefaceinterestrateslook low,a6-percentMuniistheequival¬ entofa9-percenttaxableinvest¬ ment. Unless you prefer paying Uncle Sam, Maine Municipals deservecloseattention.
Elsewhere on the local front, Mainestocksareforthemostpart behaving nicely. Hannaford Bros, expectstoreport1billiondollarsin 1987salesandhopestodoublethat figureby1990...it'sagoodbuyin themid-thirties.TheOneBancorp regained some lost ground on the strength of a brokerage firm recommendationandarelatedBar¬
ron’s article. The only laggard, UNUM, continues to suffer from news of the insurance company's financialwoes.
At the cost of sounding like a brokenrecord,utilitiesarestillon mypreferencelist.Whileit’strue youmaygiveupsomeupsidepoten¬ tial,as"defensive”issues,quality utilitiesoffersomeprotectionfrom downside risk. Two home-grown companies, Central Maine Power andBangorHydro-Electric,showed up on a Barron's listof49top¬ yieldingutilities.Atpresstime,Cen¬ tralMainePowerofferedayieldof 9.54 percent and Bangor Hydro a yieldof7.71percent.
ISSUES
Continuedfrompage39
abookwrittenbyherdaughter,Bar¬ baraPeabody,aboutthebattleshe and her son, Peter Vom Lehn, fought with AIDS. A dramatic, black-and-white photograph of Vom Lehn is propped on the man¬ telpiecebeneaththeportraitofa family ancestor. A copy of John Boswell’sbook, Christianity,Social Tolerance,andHomosexuality,also liesonthetable.
Commenting on Boswell’s book, Peabodysaysthatinthepast,many societieshaveacceptedhomosexual¬ ity.LikeBoulanger,shedoesnot believethatsexualorientationisa matterofchoice,butthatsomepeop¬ le are born gay. Furthermore she pointsoutthatsomeoftheworld’s mosttalentedpeoplehavebeengay. ’’Wouldn't this world be poorer without Leonardo Da Vinci?’’ she asks."Likeanyothergroupinour societytherearethosewhoareless desirable,butsomanyofthesepeop¬ leareverysuperior...Ifeelthecul¬ turalpartofourcivilizationtodayis goingtosufferhorribly,becauseso manyofthesemenareveryyoungto die."
Itwasprobablyjustbychancethat the gay community in the United Statesbecameatestinggroundfor AIDS.Thediseaseisrampantinthe heterosexualpopulationsofAfrica andHaiti.Andinthiscountryithas enteredintothepopulationatlarge. "Thisvirusdoesnotdiscriminate,” saysDr.Bach,speakingataconfer¬ enceonAIDS.Aboutsixpercentof currentAIDSpatientsintheUnited Statesarewomen,andinMaine,at least one woman and child are infectedwiththevirus. Mitchellpredictsthatteenagers andyoungadultswillbethenext grouptobeattacked."It’sgoingto be explosive, I think," he says. "AIDSisthekindoftragedythat will over the next five years be touchingeveryone.Eithersomeone youknow,someoneinyourfamily, orsomeoneyouworkwithwillhave AIDS...Howwouldyourespondif thesethingshappenedtoyou?”
days, which makes bookselling a middling good trade, even though theincursionofelectronicamuse¬ mentsistakingitstoll.Thesightof the steady stream of customers going in and out of the Happy Times Video Shoppe caused Louise Baum,proprietoroftheGargoyle,to sighagreatsighwhichstartledtwo ofthethreecustomerswhowerein thebookshop.
Louisehadapolicythatifsome¬ onefoundabookmark,oranything elseinabooktheyintendedtobuy,it belonged to the purchaser. This might range from a refined love notetoagreasystripofbacon.
That sum to an up-and-coming lawyer may not seem like much — anhour’sincome—buttoastarving historianitwasatwo-weeks’forthingsoextraordinarythathedid nothearthesigh.Hehadfounda bookmark in a Beacon paperback entitled Inner Asian Frontiers of China.ThebooksoldforonlyS2.95 whenBeaconpublisheditin1962. Nowitwasforsaleforhalfthat tune.However,heknewthatLouise herselfwasstrugglingeventhough herbusinesskeptincreasinglittleby little.Herrent,hereonGissing Street,onthefringeoftheOldPort, wasleapingaheadofher.Soonshe wouldhavetodosomething,either
price.Hewasn’tsurewhetheritwas theprice,orthebrightyellow,black 8 and white cover that attracted him. ie Actually, it was the name of the *" author, Owen Lattimore. He knew r" something about Lattimore, that he a had been somehow besmirched by rt McCarthy and his cohorts or some 11 gang of witch hunters back in the lateFortiesorearlyFifties,he *y wasn't quite sure which. But the name, printed in modest black, T glowed at him like neon.
moveorgiveupthestore.
Hedidnottellherimmediately what he had found. Instead he approacheditobliquely."Louise,’’ hesaidinhisusuallowmonotone, hekepthisexcitementsuppressed soshewouldnotguessanythingwas amiss,"doyourememberwhereyou gotthisbook?”
"Hmmm, let me see.” She took thebookfromhimandlookedather codeinthefrontofthebook."Yes.1 bought that from David Greenaway about two months ago; he brought inaboxofverymiscellaneousstuff and1boughtitall.Why,issome-
thing wrong?”
David Greenaway, David Greenaway — the very person who hadbeatenhimoutofajobatMaine Historical. He knew' Greenaway hadn’tlastedlongthere,someques¬ tionastowhowouldbebossofthe archivalmaterial,methodsofhand¬ ling geneaologists, something to thateffect.Heknewnowthathis rivalwasaspoororpoorerthanhe was—especiallyifhehadtosellthe booksheneededforhisdissertation onborderlands.Ithadbeenapre¬ tentioustrainofthoughtofGreenaway,coinparingMaineto Mongolia.
"No,1didn’tputitthere,Iputall my hundreds in the bank — I have so many, as you know,” she said ironically.
"Well, it sure must belong to David;thencouldyoucallhim?”
”1thinkhehadhisphonetaken outafter|oanandthekidsleft,butI do think he gave me a neighbor s phonenumber.I'llringhimup."
There w'as a long pause as the phone rang and finally was ans¬ wered. As Louise spoke into the
FICTION
phone, Geoffrey mused on all the thingshecouldbuywiththebill. Firstofall,thebookshewanted, thenagoodmealatHuShang,then adecentpipeandatinofAmphora, andiftherewasanythinglefthe’d buyanicebottleofMoutonCadet.
Forseveralminutestheysilently thoughtofasimplesolutiontothis mysterious appearance in their midst.Finallyhesaidtoher:'Why don’tIspendthemoneyhere;then wewillbothbenefit.Iwillgetthe booksIneedformynovel,youwill have a handsome profit, and we bothwillhavesolvedthistoour mutualsatisfaction.Wewilljustsay thehandofGodtouchedustoday.”
Hechosethemcarefully,witha genuine knowledge and care for olderbooks.Theyseemedtorepay himbyeasilyslippingoutofthe bookcasesandintohishandsasif theyrightfullybelongedthere.He knew that with this selection he couldreadilycompletehisresearch andwritethenovelthatwouldbring aneededpaycheckandamodicumof fame.Hewassohappypickingout thebooksthathedidn’tnoticethe othercustomers,andonceortwice hadtosuppresstheurgetowhistle.
Atlasthehadastackoffourteen books that came to just under Si00.00 With the change and five dollarshehadbroughtwithhim,he couldgetanorderofbeefIomein and a Kirin beer at Hu Shang to celebrate. Ms. Baum packed the bookscarefullyintwolargeshop¬ ping bags which he could carry awkwardlybutsuccessfullyinthe short walk to his bedsitter two streetsover.
Justashewaswalkingoutofthe bookstorehenoticedacustomer,a dapper, white-haired old man. He thoughtheheardtheoldmansayto Louise, Do you have anything by Owen Lattimore? I could swear I sawsomethingintherelastweek.”
Thenthedoorclosed.
Books courtesy of Allen ScottBooks,DanaStreet, Portland
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TContinuedfrompage25
hese motives for buildingareatleast intelligible,butformy partIwouldpreferto rely on curiosity to getmestartedandasenseofcraftto keepmegoing.Ofthemanifoldrea¬ sonsyoucouldgiveyourselfforven¬ turingbeyondtherealmofnecessity intotheextracurricular,forassum¬ ingtheburdenofoptionaltasksyou mightlaterwishyouhadleftalone, thedesiretosatisfycuriosityseems tometheleastfactitiousandthere¬ forethemosttrustworthy.Ifyouare genuinely curious about t h d construction of houses, then you have good reason to build. But beyondthesatisfactionofcuriosity youwouldbeunwisetolookforany otherpayoff.Itshouldbegratifica¬ tionenoughtoexplorethebuilding process and to put your hitherto unemployedabilitiestothetest.All other imagined benefits, whether practicalorspiritual,shouldbe viewed with resolute skepticism. Thefinancialincentivecanbeespe¬ ciallytreacherous.Withluckand diligenceyoumaysucceedinsaving money,thatis,inbuildingforsub¬ stantiallylessthanwhatitwould costyoutobuy.Buttorealizethose economies it might have been necessary to adopt an unconven¬ tionaldesign,withtheresultthat whenitcomestimeforyoutosell,a buyermaybehardtofind.
Justlookaround.Compareyourneedswiththeservices, salesandexperienceofrealestatecompaniesinyour area. One company will always stand out in the crowd...PetersonRealty.
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Thespiritualbenefitsofdoing your own work can be equally ambiguous. You may hunger for self-expression of the kind that housebuildingseemstopromiseyet oncetheselfexpressedtakesthe formofahouse,youmaybedisap¬ pointed. More than one owner¬ builderhastoldmethathewasquite sometimeinbecomingreconciledto what he now had to call home. Thereisalways,tobesure,thecom¬ pensatory hope of promoting your moralprogress.Whenbuildingfor thefirsttimeyoustandtolearna greatdeal,mostofitwellworth knowing.Yetwhatyougainthereby inconfidenceandproficiencymay swell your head if you have been seduced by the urge to turn the noveltyofworkingwithtoolsintoa conscious effort at s e 1 fimprovement. It is high-minded futilitiesofthissortthatconfirmme inthebeliefthatinsteadofstrug-
Curiosityseemsthebestmotive for doing-it-yourself because it comescloserthananyothertobeing spontaneousandfreeofcalculation. Unlikeself-improvement,curiosity cannotbewilled.Youareeithercur¬ iousorincuriousaboutagivenkind ofworkaccordingtothefortuitous combination of your temperament andexperience.Itisnousetryingto generatecuriosityforthesakeof some preconceived program as you mightstrivetoaugmentyourearn¬ ingssoastomakeadownpayment. Curiosity is autonomous and will impelyouindirectionsyoumight nothavethoughttochoose.Itwill soon become apparent, though, as youyieldtotheseurgings,thatcuri¬ osity needs encouragement. Doing yourownworkintherealmbeyond necessitywillsustainyourcuriosity onlysolongasyoubecomefairly good at what you do. The most dependablewaytoensurethatyour workwillbethatgoodistocultivate thehabitoftakingpains.Withthis habitformedyoustandachancethat doing-it-yourself might prove a pleasure.
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SHIPS CARPENTER /furniture maker will exchange talents and laborforinterestingPortlandliving space.Evenings.773-0152.
ADD A uniqueconversationpieceto yourhome,office,orbusiness. Exotictropicalaquariumsinstalled andmaintained.Eachanoriginal, excitingbiotope.Call871-7141.
SNOWPLOWING service needed for home in the Kennebunk Beach area. Box #704, Portland Monthy Classifieds,578CongressStreet, Portland,Maine04101.
USED ARCHITECT’S cabinet withdeepdrawersforholdingblue¬ printswanted.Box#705,Portland MonthlyClassifieds,578Congress Street,Portland,Maine04101.
Ahhinspiring.
Thiscustomized Country House istypicalofthewayAcorn® designsstandoutwithoutstickingout.Somethingelsethat saysthehousecanonlybeanAcornisthesuperiorquality andcraftsmanship.
TO national¬ classarchitects,1980s technology,andimpres¬ sive,computer-generated varieties of richly treatedwoods,theluxurykithome industryisartfullytranscendingthe earlycookie-cutterdesignsofits 1940sbeginningswithabold,new look.
AndthestateofMaineistaking note.
Trendyenoughtohavebeenfea¬ turedin Esquire this year, some impressive kits are springing up hereonthelakesandalongthecoast¬ line,withthenewkitsprizedby theirownersforstylisharchitecture, cost-effectiveness, controllable inventory,andsurprisingoverall aesthetics.Besides,ifyou’readven¬ turous,youcantakeastabatassem¬ blingoneyourself!
Our Building Advertisers
Lindal Cedar Homes. West Wood Homes. Inc.. Log Cabin Road. P.O Box 1232, Kennebunkport. Maine 04046(207) 967-3179
Deck House. 930 Mam Street. Acton, Massachu¬ setts01720(617)259-9450.Also1-800-225-5755.
Jordan Custom Builders, 24 Laskey Road, Wind¬ ham. Mame 04062 (207) 892-3433.
Keniston’s. 269 Commercial Street. Portland. Maine 04101 (207) 775-2278
Design Alliance. 75 Market Street, Portland, Maine 04101 (207)773-1756.
A Shade Better. 190 Route 1. Falmouth. Maine 04105(207)781-2113.
TheLightingStore.CornerbrookPlaza.343Gor¬ ham Road. South Portland. Maine 04106 (207) 772-0127.
LightingCollection,165WatermanDrive.South Portland. Maine 04106 (207)799-1185.
InnByTheSea, Cape Elizabeth, MaineO-ilO?
REAL ESTATE
DESIGN VERSATILITY
Today’skithomesareofpost-and-beamconstruction,leavingthe interiorwallsnon-structuralandthusmovable.Evenifyouordera pre-plannedhome,thereisalotoflatitudeforcustomization.Lindal CedarHomes,basedinSeattle,Washington,withanofficeinKenne¬ bunkport,boastsofitsComputerAssistedDesignSystem,whichcan takeoneofamyriadexistingfloorplansandquicklymodifyittoyour personalspecifications.Lindalhasbeeninthebusinesssincethelate 1940s,whentheindustrybegan.(TheKennebunkportLindalofficeis thenumbertwodealershipinthenation,with42cedarhomessoldin thearealastyear.)They’vesuccessfullyturnedawayfromtheindustry’s boxy beginnings and now offer very contemporary designs, which includeurbanmodelsdesignednarrowertofitintosmallerlots,and whichhaveamore"cooleddown”andlesswoodsyfeelingthantheir chalet-likecousins.Picturedhereisa"ModifiedCascade”LindalCedar Home under construction in New Harbor, Maine. The owner is a merchant-marineofficerwho’scurrentlyatsea.Withthisboldocean¬ frontsettingatopauniquerockyformation,hehasalottolookforward to when he gets home. Kit cost is less than $60,000, with total construction(includingkit)approximately$164,000—justaddwater!
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Sincetheoilcrunchofthe1970s,noonehasforgottenaboutthe importanceofenergyefficiency.DeckHouse,ofActon,Massachusetts, specializesinpassive-solarkithomes,completewithin-housemonitor¬ ingsystemstomaximizeefficiency.Thisefficiencyisonlyonewaythat DeckHouseexpressesitsorganicphilosophyoffusingformtofunction andhousetosite.Thedesignsareimpressivelyexecutedinmahogany andDouglasfirandcarrywiththemahighlyevolvedmodernstyle that’sstillevocativeofthe1960sdesignflavorthatreflectsthecom¬ pany’s beginnings. Pictured here is Deck House’s popular Linder model,popularforitsabilitytobringtheoceantoyourlivingroom.To begin your Kit adventure, contact Deckhouse directly at 1-800-225-5755.
BUILDING, Main Street, Winthrop. Two operating retail outlets and 12 vacant apartments. Readyforrehabilitation and investment. Active community, eight miles from Augusta. $167,000.
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19 MAIN STREET WINTHROP, MAINE 04364 207-377-2121
RANGELEY LAKE. Over 600 feetoflakeandbrookfrontage accompanythistwo-year-old energy-efficientcapelocateda shortwalkfromRangeleyvil¬ lage.Beautifulwoodfloors throughout;custompecancab¬ inetsinthekitchen;threebed¬ rooms.21/2baths,fireplaced familyroom.On21/2private acres,withatwo-cargarage. Ask about LISTING #4348 when you call. Priced at $344,000.
Lakeside Village Condominiums, A Way Of Life. GoodCents,all seasonhomeswithsouthernexposureonLakeCobbosseecontee.Min¬ utesfromAugustaand1-95inEastWinthrop.NearAugustaCountry Club.WithinanhourofPortland,theJetport,Mainescoast,skiareas. NearbyManchesterVillageisaprestige,upscalecommunity.Two bedroomhomes,fullyappliancedkitchen,dining/livingarea,luxury bath,allononefloor,deckoverlookslake.Garage,fireplace.From $152,000.00
Country Club Estates. Indulge yourself inaluxuriouscondomi¬ nium.Leavethehustleandbustleandenjoytherelaxedatmospherein CentralMaine.Situatedonanoutstandinggolfcourse,surroundedby Lakesandponds.45minutestoMaine'sruggedcoast.Lessthan2hours fromSugarloaf,USA.AnelegantescapeinManchester,Maine,from $142,000.00.Forinformationontheseproperties,contact Ross, Rizzo & Hanna, 1OrchardStreet,Augusta,323MaineAve.,Farmingdale. Call 207-622-3496 or 207-582-3490.
GORHAM — In-townprivate100-year-oldfour bedroom. 2-plus acres. Well maintained home. Completewithformaldiningroom,livingroom,1 3/4 bath, sun room, garage & plenty of garden space.offered at $249,900.
ALFRED — Located in the shire town of York County. Potential for convent, home office or business.Areaoffast-risingpropertyvalues.2plus bedroom. 1 3/4 bath. Attached garage with loft.offered at $194,500.
ALFRED — FineexampleofFederalarchitecture. Builtin1795,4bedrooms,13/4bath.In-ground pool,spring-fedpond,garage<Scbarn.Situatedon 10-plus acres.offered at $325,000.
Continuedfrompage16 proachthatyoucan’tanticipateoth¬ erwise.Hey!(smilesatourphoto¬ grapher) I just got a couple of customers!
What did you do during the Har¬ monicConvergencelastAugust1617?Peopleassembledinallsortsof holyspotstowitnessthis"mediaheraldedsynchronicity,akindof planetaryrenaissance.”
LAWLESS:Ithoughtaboutgoingto hear Stevie Ray Vaughan at Old OrchardBeach.Thattemptedme.
LAWLESS: I won’t tell. That’s what’s wrong. When the gentry comes to the New Age, they find somethingtostripmine.Actually,1 once attended a conference where peoplewereaskedtocomeupwith themostspirituallyandenviron¬ mentallysignificant(read,holy) placesinMaine.1waspleasedwhen everysinglepersoncameupwitha
PM: TIMEmagazinehasasked,"Is itsomekindofneoleftistresponse totheAgeofReagan,orisitan ultrarightist extension of Reaganism?”
LAWLESS: The Yuppie use of New Ageisapolitical.There’sacertain Yuppiethingwhereyousay,'I’ve gotmine—money,car,house,fam¬ ily—andnowthatthoseessentials areoutoftheway,let'sgofinda religion!’That’swhyGarySnyder couldneverbeonthecoverofNeu’ Age magazineagain.Forthepast severalyears,thecoversubjects have just been.
Viceroyoffersaselectionofthefinest contemporary, traditional and country home designs you have ever seen. Visit our sales office today and pick up your copyofViceroy'sSuperhomescatalogfor 1988. We also custom build homes.
Pleasesendmethe90-pageViceroycatalogIenclose$6
LOCAL FASHION designerslikeMarkBelliveau, Su Brown,andSte¬ phanie Dykashave gone public!Picturedhereisa dressbyScottJillsonfea¬ tured in the 1st Annual MaineDesigners’Showto benefitthe CysticFibro¬ sis Foundation February 12.Alsofeatured:outfits byFigLeafDesign.Mod¬ els by Portland Models Group, hair and makeup byAkariHairFashions
FLASH
HamorGeneralContractors,Inc.
SEVEN-FOOTgiantDedrlckRefflgee. "Chairman of the Boards,” will be crashingtheboardswhen herollsintotownwiththe Harlem Globetrotters on March27attheCumber¬ landCountyCivicCenter
RICHARD BENNETT.24. Maine GOP Executive Director,wasselectedby theAmerican Council of Young Political Leaders asadelegatetoastudy tour in Turkey and Greece Bennett, the youngest member, was accompanied by 10 Amer¬ icanpoliticalleadersand governmentofficials.The groupenjoyedliveenter¬ tainment at the Galata Tower. Istanbul,Turkey Bennett (center) was accompanied by the Bel¬ gian delegate and the West German delegate.
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Mr Re'..- > ■ Weeks w>n redeem P $ *ot ds her ;m.s 8C' ' providedyouandthecustomercompliedwiththeterm-ofthisohtA,hstix :r u>t>• pailbythecustomer'"ZfCvSsh^mQpurchaseofsuGio*--<*xktoi<v*uimsmu$’bsnown upcm -eauest "Cjsc'-m mum mm a$$'qned or •'3''S ,e"edb>y j C vd • state orlocaidy wherebv.r\: t 'ed r” oT'erwise 'estocted Goode m* -.••’j u«r; Cash value ^20 o* one cent fo’Pdymem ?• 1toWei<>Da-r-,he33G\orthStateS’ C^'C(■: NH03301Redemptiononothe-thacproductsspecifiedconstitutesGaudL;m4one(o..iKmpe’ familyoraddress
