ASLOW GREEN MASTHEAD lightglidesfromlefttoright above the shadowy white hull oftheCascoBayFerrythatisjustnow arrivingfromPeaks.
Momentslater,figureswalkoffthe docksincloudsofbreath—cigarettes burn from purposeful mouths. Who would be coming in from Peaks at 10:30p.m.?Whowouldleaveanisland atnight?
Upthehillalonecarrumblesalong SilverStreet,parksinfrontofthe Portland Regency’s dolphin statue, and a guy jumps out. He leaves his emergency blinkers on.
Three women stop on Milk Street. Arms are crossed from the cold, two standandfacethethird,asifthethird isdifferentsomehow,asifthethirdis abouttotakeapictureofthefirsttwo, though she isn’t. Three people, two
At DiMillo’s Marina people are reclinedinthemezzanineofayearroundyacht,watchingatelevisionthat zooms computer graphics in blues or greens,twistingasports-showbasket¬ ballcourtintosomesaltwatertaffyand back into a basketball court field again.Thentherectanglechangesinto airbrushedwordsthatfly.
AtJ’sOysterthere’sraucousshuck¬ ing.Welldrinksarebeingservedin warmpocketshereandthere.Welost the hockey game tonight. Dogs are outside,offleash,theirmastersstand¬ ingintheshadows.
Awomangetsintoacarwearingone ofthoseCarrollReed-typecoatsthat peopleboughtbeforeitbecameTuck¬ erman’s. It’s an obedient little Napoleon jacket. There’s someone whowouldhaveleftanislandatnight. Zah! In the dark, fleeing to an un¬ suspectingcontinent.
Mail
Norman Schwarzkopf Responds To Article
The Village Inn’s developing mail orderbusiness,inwhichweshipour famous roast duckling dinners all acrosstheUnitedStates,receiveda boost recently when several news¬ papersheadlinedthefactthatGeneral Norman Schwarzkopf was a fan of our duckling. Portland Monthly Magazineplayedavitalroleinthis because his initial interest was sparkedbyamediapacketwhichIsent to him. I included numerous news¬ paperandmagazinearticlesthathad beenwrittenaboutus,buttheleading storywasthearticlewhichappearedin the1989Summerguide,entitled“Bel¬ grade’sTheVillageInn,Maine’sPlace forRoastDuck.”
I’msurethatthisexcellentlywritten article was a major factor in the general’s decision to sample our wares,forwhichIamtrulygrateful. Thankyouforallthatyouhavedone.
Skip Provandie
“The Duck King” Belgrade Lakes
Best Revenge
The Winterguide 1992 issue of Portland Monthly was a welcome respitefromtherigorsofatypical Maine winter and up to your usual interestingstandards.
CharlieBrown’sfinepiece,“Living Well Is The Best Revenge,” offered some excellent alternatives to the season,buthisresearchwobbledabit gettingfromheretothere.
Bangor’sformerRedLionrestaurant neverdidofferanexpandedbuffet.The hugebuffetmentionedinthearticle has been a feature of Miller's Res¬ taurant,ownedandoperatedunderthe same family ownership as The Lion— inanothersectionofthebuilding.A fewyearsago,theRedLionchangedits nametosimplyTheLion,stressing“An AuthenticGrill...”
Mr. Brown offered some excellent suggestions—with few exceptions.
This magazine is printed on Maine-made paper pro¬ duced by Champion International, Bucksport. Maine.
Laser Cover Separations and image assembly by Cham¬ plain Color Service. (802) 658-6088. Cover printed by FranklinPrinting,(207)778-4801.
PORTLAND Monthly Magazine is published by Colin and Nancy Sargent, 578 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101. All correspondence should be addressed to 578 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101.
Advertising Office: 578 Congress Street. Portland, ME 04101 (207) 775-4339.
Subscriptions: Inside U.S.: $20 for 1 year. $32 for 2 years.$40for3years.OutsideU.S.:add$6.
Newsstand cover date: February/March 1992. publ. February1992.Vol.7,No.1,copyright1992.PORTLAND MonthlyMagazineismailedatthird-classmailratesin Portland, ME 04101. (ISSN: 0887-5340). Opinions ex¬ pressed in articles are those of authors and do not represent editorial positions of PORTLAND Monthly Magazine. Responsible only for that portion of any advertisement which is printed incorrectly, and as compensationwewillrunacorrectioninthefollowing issue.Nothinginthisissuemaybereprintedinwhole orinpartwithoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublish¬ ers. Submissions welcome, but we take no responsibil¬ ityforunsolicitedmaterials.
PORTLAND Monthly Magazine is published 10 times annually by Colin and Nancy Sargent. 578 Congress Street,Portland,withnewsstandcoverdatesofWinter¬ guide. February/March. April. May. Summerguide, July/August. September. October, November, and December.
IGranted, I do like to get “up closeandpersonal”whenIinterview, butusuallynotthis close. But WGME anchorwoman Kim Block and I have beenfriendsfornearly10years.WhenI wasaskedtotakethisassignement,1 was hesitant. Could I be objective? Would1answermyquestionsbeforeI
asked them? Would there be enough foodforbothofus?
1haveseenandsharedmanyofthe changesKimhasundergoneinthelast 11yearssinceshefirststeppedonthe newssetofChannel13attheageof 23—as have 80,000 other people.
PM: So Kim, let’s come out swing¬ ing. We know you’re an ace jour¬ nalist,youvolunteeragreatdeal oftimetopublicservice,you’rea
crusader for worthy causes, and you hold the longest-tenured anchor position in the state of Maine.Butlet’saddresstheburn¬ ing issue that is evidently fore¬ most in your viewers’ minds. What isitwithyourhair?
KB: (Shegroansandrollshereyes.)I wouldreallyliketoputthishairthing torest.Ithasbeenthemostoverriding, pervasive issue that has haunted me sinceIstartedintelevision.Iknowthis is going to sound naive, but I was shocked at how important the visual aspectwouldbe.Istartedinradio.I workedinjeansandworemyhairina ponytail.ThenextthingIknow,I’min frontofacameraandI’mgettingletters from people telling me how awful I look. I didn’t know anything, so 1 startedlisteningtowhateverpeople toldme,justassumingtheyknewwhat theyweretalkingabout.Itdidn'ttake melongtorealizethatIcouldn'tplease everyone.Ican’tfitinwiththedecorof everyone’slivingroom.
The box of mail Kim has accum¬ ulated over the years ranges from politesuggestionstoinsultstofright¬ ening obsessions. She has received proposalsfordinner,forsecretmeet¬ ings, and for marriage. People have writtenaskingfortanninghints,advice forthelove-lorn,andappearancesfor charities. Many of the letters are disturbed and incoherent. Most of themarejustweird.
“DearKim,Hi.IlikeyouonT.V.your (sic) a beautiful girl but—Gee Kim yourHair.Mostofthetimeissucha mess. Please can you have somebody to fixyourhairbeforeyou comeonT.V. 1feelbadforyouwhenIseeyou... Pleaselookatyourselfinthemirror. Pleaseit’sforyourowngood.”
Apparently many of the viewers thinkthatKimdoesnotownamirror: “Dear Kim, have you looked at your hairlately?Pleasechangehairdres¬ sers...” and “...We look forward to seeingyouonthenews,butwhathas happenedtoyourhair?Afterall,you areonT.V.andyououghttolookyour best.Seeyouatsix?”Finally,there’s “KimBlock—youhaveanicevoicebut yourhairdolookslikeaporcupine... We turn to the news for news and an attractivedispenser.”
Kim, saw your picture in the paper todayandcouldnotresistsketching you with a new hairdo—a French Twist.” (The sketch includes both a front and a back view of the “new" Kim.)Oneletterissimpleandto-thepoint.“Pleaseleaveyourhairalonego natural and comb it neat.” One gen¬ tleman seemed concerned for Kim's health.“DearKim,trywearinglight weight scarfs. You look like you’re freezing.”
PM: Who writes these letters? Women from the French Twist Coalition?
KB: Or people with crewcuts and beehives.1don’tknow.Itisjustabout equal between men and women, which might seem surprising. But what’sfrustratingisthatwhenpeople arelookingatmyhairormyclothes, theyaren'thearingwhatwesay.Yes,I realize people want an “attractive dispenser”—whatever that means— but my hair has not affected what I have done as a journalist and a reporter.
PM: So what are you saying, Kim, that you’d like to transcend your hair?
KB: Yes! But unfortunately it comes withtheterritoryofbeinginpeople’s livingroomsfor11years.Peoplethink they know me, they come up to me in thegrocerystoreorinarestaurantand saythingstomethat1couldn’timagine sayingtoanyone...letaloneastranger. Butthat’sthething.Ihonestlybelieve they think they know Kim Block. In some ways, that’s good. It means peoplearewatchingus.ButwhenIget a letter from someone who thinks my mascara was applied too heavily on onenewscast,Ihavetowonder.Ithink, “My God. Someone is staring at my eyelashes.”Butforthemostpart,itall rollsoffmyback.
PM: For the most part.
Kim knows what is coming. Any discussionofherhairwouldhaveto includethe“AstroturfIssue."Ayear ago, Kim’s hair was likened to the textureofastroturfinalocalpaper’s
audiencepoll.Astherewasno“T.V. Anchor With Hair Most Resembling An NFLPlayingSurface”category,itwas interpretedbysomeasadirectper¬ sonalinsult.Thisisobviouslyanother issueKimwouldliketoputtorest.
KB: Iwasfirsttoldaboutitbymynews director,whotriedtoprepareme.I thought“O.K.,it’sjustpartofbeingin thepubliceye.”ButthenIreaditand1 was devasted. It was below-the-belt criticism meant to generate a few cheap laughs—
PM: —that came at a great time. PerhapsIambaitingher.Duringthe timethearticlecameout,Kim’sfather wasdyingofpancreaticcancer.Eveiy day was a struggle for her to pull herselftogetherenoughtobeableto doherjobandmaintainanevenkeel. Every time the phone rang, it un¬ leashedallherworstfears.(Incase youhaven’tguessed,thephoneringsa lotinanewsroom.)
KB: Yes,itcameatabadtime.AndI guess my reaction was stronger be¬ cause of the emotional trauma I was goingthrough.Butthat’snotreallythe point.Ithinkthepaperexceededthe bounds of human courtesy. It was a personalattackthathadnothingtodo withmyprofessionalability.Infact, they made a comment somewhere else inthatpollthatIwas,“bytheway,”a goodreporter.“Bytheway?”Howelse doIwanttobejudged?Itjustmademe realizehowfarIhaven’tcome.
PM:Withthatallsaid,howdoyou get that porcupine/astroturf look?
Kimdoesadmitthatnotallofher hairstyles have been successes—she goessofarastocallsomemistakes— butshealsofeelschangeisgoodand thatshehasbeenwillingtoexperi¬ mentandtakechances.Shefeelscom¬ fortablewithhercurrentstyleandwith herhairstylistandcoloristatAkari.But who knows what’s next? Sheobviously likestokeeppeopleguessing. Thispublicattentionissomething she takes, along with public recog-
nition,instride.
KB: IcanneverstopbeingKimBlock ofNewsChannel13,nomatterwhere1 go. I am always representing the station.
PM: When most of us want to run to the store without combing our hair,wedon’thavetoworryabout being recognized. Of course, I’m luckyinthatifoneofthreepeople who might know me spots me, I’m off the hook since writers are notorious slobs anyway. But what happens when you need to go to the bank on a Saturday morning andyoudon’tfeellikeputtingon make-up?
KB: Ijustgo,likeanybodyelse.Sure,I might run into someone who says, "YoulookbetteronT.V.”Ijustlaugh andanswer,"Ishouldhopeso.”
outourinterview,acoupleatthenext table have been nudging each other andpointingatKim.Orperhapsitis falsemodestyonmypart.Maybethat couple read my "Fat-Free Maine” articleandwerepointingatme.
PM:Whatisthegoodsideofbeing recognized?
KB: Iloveitwhenkidsknowme.Ihad asix-year-oldboydumphiswholebag of Halloween candy when 1 answered thedoorlastyeartorunandtellhisdad hesawKimBlock.Hisbrothergather¬ ed it up for him and left, but a few minuteslaterthedoorbellrangagain and the little boy had come back. He hadn’tgottenanycandy.SoI’malmost uptherewithSnicker’sBars.That’snot bad.
PM: Anything else?
KB: Peopletendtoacceptyououtright iftheyfeellikeyouaren’tastranger. And,asIsaid,afterspending11years inpeople’slivingrooms,theydofeel like they know you. I’m still over¬ whelmedbyallthegenerosityI’veseen overtheyears.It’snotbeenallcriti¬ cism and complaint.
PM: Any special treatment? Do get bettertablesinrestaurants?
Kim is anxious to move away from theissueof“celebrity.”Igrudgingly move on.
PM:O.K.,sothisisatypicaldayin the life of Kim Block, right? You sleeptillnoon,loungearounduntil five,yousaunterintothestation, have someone do your hair and make-up—
KB: —No, wait. Weknow no one is doing my hair—
PM:—someone hands you a script, youreaditontheairandgohome.
KB: No,that’snotexactlyit.Iactually have my massage therapy in the morning...
PM:Really,what’satypicalday?
KB: Therearen’tany.Buttoday,for example,Iwentinat11:30andwill leaveatmidnight.Theanchorsarevery involvedwiththewritingandwealso go on assignments. I do medical reportingeverydayandIamcurrently working on “Monthly Journal.” Then there are the personal appearances that usually occur before work or during my dinner break. But it just comeswiththe(astro)turf.
PM: So when do you have a per¬ sonallife?
KB: Weekends.Andthat’sactuallyan improvement from when I started, because I was so often called in to work weekends. A social life was nearlyimpossibleandstillisn’teasy.
PM: And how about maintaining your relationship?
KB: That’sverydifficult,notonly becauseofthehours,butbecausemy jobisveryemotionallyconsuming.It’s oftendifficultforpeople—throughno faultoftheirown—tounderstandthe stresses involved in working under constantdeadlinepressure.Ittakesa patient,forgivingpersontolivewith that.AndfortunatelyI’vefoundone. But1knewallofthisbeforeIstarted.I knew it would be demanding. There’s giveandtakewithanycareer.
PM: What was one of your most gratifying moments as a journal¬ ist, when you caught your breath andsaid“Jeesh,Ilovethis.”
KB: CoveringBillDunlop’s1982transAtlantictripinanine-footsailboat.It hadalltheelementsofagreatstory. Also, I got to work out of the CBS bureau in London. We went out miles andmilesinapilotboattolookforhim andsawwhatlookedlikeamatchstick on the horizon. That matchstick was his boat. He hadn’t seen a soul for seventy-six days and then all of a sudden,there’sKimBlockfromChannel 13inPortland,Maineinthemiddleof theAtlantic.AmorestartledmanIhave neverseeninmylife.
PM: (stifling a yawn) Another boring day at the office. What else?
KB: MyfavoritestoryisaboutwhenI coveredthe1989inauguration.Iwas slatedtointerviewSenatorsMitchell and Cohen in “The Swamp,” the place reportersdotheirstand-upswiththe capitolinthebackground.Itwassix
minutesbeforeairtime.Iapproached theguardandflashedmypresspass, butitwasnolongervalidbecauseit wasthenightbeforetheinauguration and the passes had all changed. He wouldn’tletmethrough.Hetoldmeto take“mylittlebriefcase”andgetlost.I couldseemycameracrewwaitingfor me.Imarcheduptoaguardatanother gateandsaid,“Listentomeverycare¬ fully.MynameisKimBlock.Iworkat Channel 13 News in Portland, Maine andthereareanumberofpeopleback atthatstationwhoarewaitingformeto pop up on a screen in four minutes. AndIcan’tdothatifIamstandingover hereandmycrewisoverthere.Now, youcanpointthatgunofyoursatme the entire time, but I'm going over there.”Andthemanjustlookedatall 5’1” of me—an imposing figure, I’m not—andletmepass.Istormedoverto thecrew.Iwasfrantic.Iputmyear¬ pieceinandIcouldhearmyproducer screaming“Kim!Kim,areyouthere?” Justthen,theSenatorswalkedupand1 turned and greeted them as though I hadbeenwaitingthereforhours.We literallyhad30secondstospare.But thatisthestuffthatmakesjournalism sogreat.Youdoanythingforastory... withinreason,withinthelaw.Butyou knowthat.
1canquitecandidlyassertthatthis journalisthasneverinvitedanarmed guardtopointaweaponatherinorder togetastory.Infact,shegetsnervous when the librarians in the Portland Room watch over her when she exam¬ inesfiles.
PM: Didn’t covering these big
storiesmakeyouyearntoworkina larger market?
I’mpressingbuttonsagain.Market¬ hopping is endemic to broadcasting— thesizeofthemarketisoftenusedto determine an anchor’s success. Some people might say that Kim Block’s careerisnotsuccessfulbecauseshe hasstayedatonestation.
KB: Maine has proven to be very professionallyrewarding.It’saninter¬ esting place to cover the news. The stateisverypoliticallyactiveandmany ofourpoliticiansareinthenational spotlight.Sure,Ihadmyopportunities togotolargermarkets,likeSyracuseor Oklahoma City, but what happens there?Contrarytopopularopinion,a bigger market does not necessarily mean better news. I grew up in big cities—New York and D.C.—and when 1 go back and see the news, I’m not impressed.
KB: Well,yes.Becausethere’salways thatgnawingquestionwhetherIhave proven myself. But my opinion has changed over the years. This may sound Pollyanna-ish, but I’m happy with my life and that helps make me happywithmycareer.
PM:Don’tyoufeelfrustratedthat youhavegoneasfarasyoucango with your career in Maine?
presentsanewchallenge,soInevergo asfarasIcangointhatrespect.That’s nottosay1willneverleaveMaine—I work contract to contract—but I’m happyhere.Themarkethasgrown,the statehaschanged,thetechnologyhas advanced, there have been continous improvementsatthestation...It’sbeen likeI’veworkedinseveraldifferent marketsandI’veneverleftthestation. Also,seniorityisatoughthingtocome byinthisbusiness,andsenoritydoes haveitsrewards.
PM: You don’t have many role models in that department.
KB: No.It’sparticularlydifficultfor women.Theemphasisisstillonyouth. There haven’t been many women in broadcasting who have been allowed to grow old gracefully. There’s so much pressure—as we know—on appearance. But I have seen change, therehavebeenimprovements.Itjust moredifficultforwomentoestablish credibility.
PM: Why’s that?
KB: Onereasonisthattherearesofew women in upper-management posi¬ tions.Therehasneverbeenafemale newsdirectorinMaine.
PM: Is that a possible career as¬ pirationforyou?
KB: No! I couldn’t stand doing budgets.Butwhatisimportanttomeis survival.Thisisaverycapriciousand competitive business. One day you’re in,thenextyou’reout
PM: Do you worry about ratings, then?
KB: 1 let other people worry about them. I set my own standards. Those numbers can be arbitrary and not always mean you are doing the best job.You'reoftenjudgedbythingsthat haveverylittletodowithyourprofes¬ sionalcapabilities.
takestodomyjob.Iwasinthegrocery store the other day, and some guy cameuptomeandtoldmehethought Ishouldlightenup.Lightenup?\t'sthe news!Buttheseareoftenthepeople whoestablishtheratings.It’sreallyout ofmyhands.
PM: And yet, you’re very involved with those people in the commun¬ ity. Who do you make personal appearances for?
KB: Almost anyone who asks me.
PM:You’dlikemetoprintthat?
KB: IfIcanlendexposuretoacause, that’s not much to ask from me. 1 concentratemyeffortsmainlyonthe Rape Crisis Center and the Muscular DystrophyAssociation,whichI’vebe¬ come personally involved with. My interactionwiththefamiliesshowed me the impact MDA makes on their lives.There’sonefamilyinparticular thatI’vemet,TheGrover’sofBoothbay Harbor.TheirsonTannerand1first metwhenhewastwo-and-a-half,when heappearedononeofthetelethons. Therehewasinhislittlewheelchair, and he looked up at me and said, “Kimblock,”—he thought it was one word from hearing me say it on the news—“Kimblock, I’ve never been on T.V.beforeandI’malittlenervous.”
That came out of a two-year-old! I immediatelyfellinloveandthere’s been no turning back. I would do anything for MDA now because MDA meansTannerandalltheotherchil¬ dren and adults I have met who have anyofthe40neuro-musculardiseases. One 30-second phone conversation withTannerisallittakestogetme going forour 40-hour telethon over LaborDayweekend.Henolongercalls me“Kimblock,”nowit’sjustKim.It’sa sign he’s growing older and I’m not sure1likeit.Ontheotherhand,it’sa greatsignhehassurvived...SowhenI getarudeletterorloseapopularity pollorsomeonedoesn’tlikemyhair— Ihaveabitmoreperspective.Myjobis reallyaboutpeopleandhowwhatgoes onaroundthemaffectstheirlives.
PM: Ya, good. Hey listen, you gonna eat that last shrimp? KB- It’s all yours.
' March 27-29, 1992
Vy i> xperience a preview of Spring’s mostbeautifulTown&CountryGardens attheMaineStateHorticulturalShow. Sponsored by the Junior League of PortlandandtheMaineNurserymen’s Association.
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THEBULLINTHECUMSHOP.
Recoil Management
HeroesorCarpetbaggers?
fromStaff&WireReports
kkWTTT hat’s that?" We were on ’"■■j deadline, working on ■ ■/ this issue, when a fax WW began to appear out of JI the fax machine like a malevolent tongue, lengthening to a yardandthenfallingtothefloor.
“MorestuffonRecoil!”
More?
We’djustreceivedatelephonecall from Sen. Cohen’s office about a quickly announced hearing that was goingtobeheldabout“RecoilLiquid¬ ationpractices.”Itwasscarykismet—
we’d been working on an informa¬ tional piece about Recoil for the previousthreeweeks,spurredbythat firm’smassiveauctionscheduledfor February 6 of Parkside apartment buildings; their placing the Maine Nationalbankbuildingonthemarket ataparticularlybadtimeforthecity; andtheirrefusaltotakedownthelarge KARATE sign on a Congress Street buildingthey’dacquired,inspiteof requestsbyVirginiaHildreth,theCity ofPortland’seconomicdirectorwhois trying to encourage reinvestment
alongCongressStreet.Thecitylater had the sign taken down at its own expense.
Rife with newsroom immediacy, what follows now is a verbatim sel¬ ectionfromSen.Cohen’sfax:
“Thehearing,tobeginat9a.m.in theCityCouncilChamberatCityHall, will examine Recoil’s practices and whether the FDIC has been diligent
“Witnessesscheduledtotestifyin¬ clude southern Maine small business owners who have had their loans calledbyRecoileventhoughtheyare currentontheirpayments...
“WhileRecoilhasactedlegallyin collectingonloans,myofficehasbeen floodedwithcomplaintsandprotests from small business owners through¬ outthestatewhofearRecoilwillput themoutofbusiness,”Cohensaid.
“Inanefforttocollectonbadloans, itappearsthattheliquidationmachin¬ ery has run amok, rolling over many goodMainebusinesseswhoseonlysin was doing business with a bank that failed.Theresulthasputmanyjobsat risk in an already depressed econ¬ omy...”
The senator went on to say that “...sensitivityhasbeenabsentfromthis
process (Recoil’s collection prac¬ tices),assomeofthewitnesseswill testify.Insomecases,Recoilliquid¬ ationsofprofitablebusinesseshave meantthelossofdozensofMainejobs, anunnecessarydrainontheeconomy, and personal anguish for those af¬ fected.”
ohen’s press release on the Recoil probe included the fol¬ lowing “summaries of the prob¬ lems faced by four Maine bus¬ inessesintheirdealingswith Recoil.”
C“1.Sixyearsago,acouplestarteda small seafood company. They bor¬ rowedfromMaineSavings,usingtheir home as collateral. When Maine Savingsfailed,theloanwenttoRecoil, whichcalledtheirnoteforthebalance due. Although they never missed a payment and their business made a profit,theycouldnotcomeupwiththe cash.NowRecoilisthreateningtotake theirhome.Theyaresmallplayerswho havebuiltasmall,profitablebusiness with 12 employees who are now laid-off.
“2. A small manufacturing company with38employeeswascurrentwithits loan payments until it began nego¬ tiating with Recoil last November. Recoil is demanding additional col¬ lateral on the note. Company man¬ agementinsiststhatareorganization and commitments for future orders willensureprofitsin1992andbeyond. However, due to Recoil’s demand for additionalcash,thecompanyisbeing forced to pledge capital needed to purchasematerialsfortheproduction ofgoodstofillcurrentorders.The companyhasaskedRecoiltoforgivea portionofthedebtsoitmayobtain alternativefinancing.Recoilhassofar refused this offer and is moving to liquidatethecompany.
“3.Asmallmanufacturertookouta loan with Maine National with an agreement to extend the loan on an annual basis. When Recoil obtained theloan,theydemandedfullpayment. The owner has offered all of his personal assets to meet this demand and has offered to find alternative financingforalargeportionofthe remaining debt. Recoil wants to liquidateandhasrejectedallofthe
“THE BEST DATA.”
MAINE MANUFACTURING
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MAINE BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY - Asingleref erence source containing listings of over 50,000 commercial, professional and indus¬ trial firms, broken down into two sections: The Alphabetical Section lists company name, complete mailing address, and telephone number; the Classified Section con¬ tains approximately 400 categories under which listings are presented alphabetically bymunicipality.Thisisanespeciallyeasyreferencesourcetouse.Softcover-$47.50
ENTERPRISE - Greater Portland's Business Directory. Lists over 7000 busi¬ nesses with principal officers, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, products and services. Soft cover - $35.00
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“4.Asmallprofitablefishingcom¬ panyacquiredanewfishingboatand took out a 10-year note with Maine Savings Bank using the boat as col¬ lateral.Thecompanyhasnevermissed a payment and has the capacity to meetallloanpaymentsinthefuture. Recoiltookoverthenoteandisnow demanding that the company pay the remainingbalanceorfaceliquidation. The owner cannot possibly meet the demand for the balance due on the note and has not been able to find alternativefinancing.”
Recoil Facts
"Last July,” reports Sen. Cohen’s office,"theFDICawardedafive-year contract to Recoil Management Cor¬ porationtoliquidateassetsclassified assubstandardorworsefromtheBank of New England and Maine Savings Bank. Recoil is one of three major private asset management companies inthecountry.
“AsofDec.31,1991,Recoil’sport¬ folioinMaineconsistedof2,113loans withavaluationof$403.7million.This includesallloansunderRecoilman¬ agement from the former Maine Sav¬ ings Bank and the former Maine National Bank. Of that total, 371 loans—or 17.5 percent—have never missedapayment.Thisrepresents16 percent—$64.6 million—of the value oftheMaineportfolio.”
AdivisioncreatedbyFleetBank,the localRecoilofficeisstaffedwith125 formerMaineSavings,MaineNational, and other employees headed by three executivesbroughtupfromBoston.
Recoil’sseniorvicepresident,Jeff Diggins,isanexampleofthespotlight now occupied by the loan workout specialistsofthebankingworld."We have over $430 million in assets to disposeofinthePortlandoffice,twothirdsofthatMaineSavingsloans.A significantnumberoftheloansareout of state, maybe 25 percent. I mean these guys were making loans every¬ where,Atlanta,allovertheplace.”
ItisDiggins’jobtooverseedisposal of the Recoil-acquired properties, whichusuallymeansnegotiation,fore¬ closure, and sale at auction. “Real estate by its nature is not really
Recoilisrequiredtowait90daysas mortgagee in possession after fore¬ closure before conducting a publicly advertisedsale.
Some find the prospect of the auctionprocessdaunting,andsayit discourages investors who might otherwiseparticipate.MarieGray,an ownerofabuildingonStateStreet,is concernedthat“asmallgroupof10or 12 investors who understand the process is going to end up owning moreandmoreofthecity.”
ButDigginsdefendstheauctionsas efficient and fair. And besides, he claims,theauctiondoesn’tnecessarily dispose of the property. “We have a valueinmind,andifwedon’tgetit,we buyitourselves.
“1 wish the word would get out on the job we’ve done in there,” says DigginsofParkside.“We’vespentover $100,000 correcting code violations andhaveahighertenantsatisfaction ratethanundertheSomeros.”
ButRecoilisnotarealestatecom¬ pany;itonlyexiststomaximizethe value of its holdings toreturn max¬ imumequitytotheFDIC.Thequestion now,asSen.Cohenisphrasingit,is wheredotheMainepeoplefitintothis equation? And are these properties beingdisposedofinawaythatfurther hurts an already depressed economy?
So what happens when a property shifts over to the ownership side at Recoil?
Ann Pringle, City Councilor for the Parkside district, herself a former banker (Maine National) who has travelledrecentlytoBostontomeet withRecoilrepresentativestodiscuss Parkside’sfuture(don’tyoudreamof the day when more of these discus¬ sionscouldbeheldinMaine?),sees potentialbenefitfortheneighborhood intheaftermathoftheauction.“We wantRecoiltoseethatthiscouldbe
Thecityhasassembledafinancing package from five banks, called the PortLendersProgramParkside,which guaranteesforanowner-occupied1-4 unit building buyer a loan of one percent below market rate, with no points. Unknown is the amount which Fleet Bank has pledged to this pro¬ gram. Income restrictions apply to bothbuyerandtenants.
Another promising angle is loans from Maine State Housing, which is veryinterestedingettinginvolvedin severalRecoilbuildings.Pringlealso seespromiseinrehabloansthecity has available to Parkside buyers. “Severalofthesepropertiesarethreedeckersconvertedtosixapartments. Witharehabloan,thebuildingcould beconvertedbacktothewayitwas, reducingthedensityoftheneighbor¬ hoodandimprovingthehousingstock atthesametime.”Underthiskindofa best-casescenario,Parksidebecomes acenterofaffordablehousingforthe city,withon-sitelandlordstomaintain propertyvalues.
TheworstcasescenarioatParkside isenjoyedbythesought-afterowner¬ occupantswhoinvestedintheareaa few years ago, buying in before People’s Heritage and Recoil intro¬ duced the notion of mass auctions (whynotonebuildingperauction,to reduce negative impact and hold pricesup?)thisyear.ThePeople’sHer¬ itageauctiondumpedproperties,once regardedhighlybylargeandsmallin¬ vestors,onthemarketforlessthana third of their assessed value, one buildingat80GrantStreetgoingfor $2,800aunit.Ifyoupaid$150,000,you may now be owner-occupying beside a comparable building which has just sold at auction for $29,000—which, becauseofalowermortgage,canrent unitsforafractionofwhatyouneedin ordertoavoidforeclosureyourself. Your building is then auctioned for $29,000 and you owe the balance— buildingless and unable to pay the smallcarpenters,plumbers,painters, electricians,etc.,whohelpedyouin yourrehabtobeginwith.Repeatcycle as necessary.
DON’T CALL PHILIP LEVINE the "astrologer of the stars.” He hates that. John Denver does have Phil’s trademarked “Cos¬ mic Window” completed an¬ nually,ashavevariousotherHolly¬ wood and New York celebs—who must remain nameless. But these individualsarejustlikeeveryoneelse, andPhiltoldushetreatsthemnodif¬ ferentlythanotherclients.Philownsa
unique Portland-based astrological business.Hisbestsellerishis“Cosmic Window,” an appointment book created personally for each buyer, based on the person’s individual momentandplaceofbirth.The“Cos¬ micWindow”revealsthecosmicorder ofitsowner’sspecificcyclepatterns andastrologicalactivity.Despitehis low profile, Phil’s recent London signingofamajorcontractwiththe
Cosmic Muffin, a prominent radio astrologer,certainlysayssomething about Phil’s growing international renown.
What’s incredible, as you come to know Phil, is that he pretty much understatesalotofhiswellearned fame.ButthenPhilisamystery,an enigma, a frequent face walking in town,aneighbor,allinall,acomplex kind of guy. As it turns out, Phil
Thismanis not searching thestarsfor theUltimate
Lemon Meringue Pie
Levine’snameisknowntoquiteafew peopleintheGreaterPortlandarea. EveryonefromthemayorofPortlandto theheadofOakhurstDairy,fromthe editorofthismagazinetoaprominent psychiatristatMaineMedicalCenteris veryfamiliarwithsomefacetofPhil’s life,andmanypeoplecallhimafriend. Some folks remember him in the early 1960s,asabrightDeeringHighstudent filledwithhumor.Othersareacquaintwithhimasaformerco-worker,asa past bookstore owner, as a psycho¬ therapistwithalivelypractice,asan astrologer,orasadevotedsinglefather tryingtofigureouthowtomakethe ulitmatelemonmeringuepie.Recent¬ ly,wesatdownwithPhilanddiscus¬ sedsomeofhismemoriesofthecityof his childhood, as well as current insightsintohissearchforanswersto life’squestions.
PM:Iunderstandyouwereborn,or grew up, in Portland—true?
PL: 1 was born in Boston; we moved here when I was six months old. My mother was from Portland, Munjoy Hill.
PM: What’s the earliest thing you remember about Portland?
thetrainsgoby.Youwouldbesitting onyourblanketandthetrainwouldgo by,likerightthere;foratwoyearold, thatwasprettyscary.Also,thedump wasrightthere.Thatwasbeforethey discovered it was polluting where everyone was swimming.
PL: OnCongress,rightacrossfromthe Whole Grocer. Then it was a Mobil station. Right at the corner was a beautiful church. On Sunday morn¬ ings, the bells were really loud; I remember that.
Then we moved when I got into the sixthgradeoutbyNathanClifford.And thatwasbefore295,thatwasdifferent.
PM: What do you mean, “differ¬ ent?”
PL; Well,partofaresidentialneigh¬ borhood got taken away to make 295. Now,it’slike,yougodownastreet, there’s a fence and a superhighway. Before,itwasjustanotherresidential streetandweusedtodomostofour wintersliding,sleddingdownatthe endofthatstreet,ataplacecalled “Devil’sSlide.”Nowyoucouldn’tdo that.Ifyoustandonthebridgeand looktoyourrightat295,thatwasarow of houses. That was my paper route. Look to the left—there was another rowofhouses,ahill,railroadtracks, andbrush.
PM: What about going to school in Portland?
PL: Itwasthisviciouscycle,First,way backwhenIstartedgoingtoschool,I wassmart.Ihadstartedreadingattwo; I knew I could impress adults doing math,learningtotelltimeonmyown.I gottoschoolandthatwasthemodeI wasin:ifyou’resmart,youshowitoff. So,1startedkindergarten,tryingto impress the teacher, and all of the studentsstartedhatingme.AndIgot picked on. Also, I got picked on because1wasJewish.Fromthekids, fromtheparents,thisishowitis: “Being Jewish is Bad News.” The messagewastohideit.AndIcouldn’t ordidn’t—IhadthereminderthatIwas going to Hebrew School all through this. I hated Hebrew School. I was thrownoutoforaskedtoleaveevery Hebrew School in Portland. Woody Allen’sportrayalofHebrewSchoolis righton,justrighton,perfect.Atthe end of regular school, your friends went out to play and you went to HebrewSchool.That’sreallygoingto instillasenseofrespectforreligion, humm.
PM: How’d you do in school?
PL: Here again, I have to return to WoodyAllenforsourcematerial:ifyou areatallcreative,school’sgoingtokill you. So school during grade school wasjusttryingtosurvive.Tryingnotto benoticed.Tryingnottobetoosmart butnotaverage.Injuniorhighschool thingsstartedgettingserious.SoI heard that something was special aboutninthgrade.Idecidedtodowell.
andgotstraightA’sandAplusses. ThebestmemoriesIhaveofallmy educationwasthewayIwastreatedby my seventh grade teacher, Ruth Car¬ michael.Iwasahandful;Isawschool as boring and imprisonment. I used humor; I was the class clown. Mrs. Carmichael was the only one who saw what was behind it and gave me the wholebulletinboardatthebackofthe room.Ibloomedinthatexperience.I wroteplaysandputthemon,mybest friendand1.Theyweresopopularwe wereaskedtoperformtheplaysforthe class, then the whole school. Some¬ thing really flowered in me in Mrs. Carmichael’s.
PM: And high school?
PL: WhenIgottohighschool,Iwent backtobeingjustaboveaverage,most ofthetime.Sortofasquarepegina roundhole.Nothingseemedtoclick;I neverfelt“in.”Theclosestthingwas havingasteadygirlfriendmysenior year.Itwasthebestthingthathap¬ pened to me; 1 had a really sweet, sinceregirlfriend;itmultipliedmyselfesteemfromzeroto...Itwasavery healingexperience.
PM: So, you graduate from high school and you have choices? What do you do?
PL: The thing 1 enjoyed was taking those national tests. I liked their anonymity.Mytestscoresweregreat. ButItalkedbacktoteachers.1wasshot down by my top five college choices andgotintoBowdoinandColby.Iwent to Bowdoin.
Iwenttheredecidingthatmathwas notwhatIwasgoingtodoforever.It wasaliberalartscollege,soIhadto takealotofintroductorycoursesina varietyoftopics.Ilikedpsychology, changedmymajor,butthenwasbored with taking all these rat behavior courses.
PhilLevinedidcompletehisunder¬ graduate education at Bowdoin, but foundhishigherratlearningdidnot give him much in the way of mar¬ ketableskills.Nevertheless,duetoa summer’strainingasanactuaryata Boston insurance company, he found work back in Portland at a similar setting.In1971hedecidedtotakea vanwithallhisworldlyposessionsand see the country. The first night he stoppedinBostontoseeafriend,but someonestolehisvan.
PM: So, what do you do? And did you find your van?
PL: When1lookbackatallofthis,it makes me think it was some great trainingprogramtobreakmefreefrom allofthesepatterns.
You know what this sounds like? This sounds like what happens to someone who becomes a shaman. Anyway,1hungaroundinBostonfor amonth,lookingforthevan,hopingit wouldturnup.AllIreallycaredabout wasagraduationpicturethatmyfirst girlfriendhadgivenme;that’stheonly thingthat1hadvaluefor.
Theyneverfoundmyvan.Fiveyears later,1wentbackandaskedthepolice, "Didyoueverfindmyvan?"Theydidn't know what I was talking about. A
DoesPortlandHave ARoleToPlay InTheMilkyWay?
byPhilipLevine
What can astrology tell us about Portland? To be ever succinct, and leaving aside arguments about the validity of this misunderstood and maligned ancient science (just why was Reagan so lucky, anyway?):astrologyissimplythestudyofchangeasit occurs in rhythmic periodic cycles. Everything changes, and nature shows us with each sequential season and day and night that change is rhythmic and orderly.
Ihaveisolatedthisstudytoonesignificantfactorin the birth chart of Portland, using July 4, 1786 as the date when the name of Portland was first used for this area.LookingatSaturninPortland'schartallowsusto examine one particular facet of our city's "per-
stolencarinBoston,doesanyoneeven payattention?
SoafteramonthIdecidedtocome backtoPortland,buyanothervanand takeoffagain.RanintothebigMayDay demonstration in D.C. Through the BlueRidgeMountains,toLouisville, throughIllinois,outWest,triedtogeta jobinColorado.ThentheSouthwest. AttheGrandCanyon,lookingatit,was thefirstexperienceIeverhadofbeing okayallbymyself.Ihadthefeeling,I’m justherewithme.
PhilcamebacktoPortland,boughta motorcycle because he had seen so manyoutWest,methisex-wife-to-be, andfinallygotajobwithaKenmore Square insurance company. While the location of the job was quite con¬ venient to Red Sox games (Ted Wil¬ liamsishispersonalall-timebaseball hero),thejobwasmoreimportantin ourstoryasthesourceofPhil’sintro¬ ductiontoastrology.
PM: So your time at this Boston insurance company proved sig¬ nificant?
PL: The key turning point that hap¬ pened there was that a couple of my programmer friends were studying astrology.“That’sstupid,”Ithought. “Whywouldanyonewanttostudythat gobbledy-gook?”ButbecauseIrespect¬ edthemandwasfriendswiththem,my mindwasopen,alittlebit,maybea crack. Certainly my Bowdoin educa-
sonality." Saturn symbolizes our identity as it has come to be embodied in a relatively permanent structure, and it shows our need to preserve our heritage and defining characteristics. How to incor¬ porate change and growth while maintaining a con¬ sistent and secure image of ourselves is a key challenge of life. The Old Port may have succeeded, Union Station and its ilk have not AswelookatPortland'sSaturn,thefollowingyears stand out during this century as times which led to major changes of our city as we knew it 1915-16—The Million Dollar Bridge is built 1921 -23—Scandals bring about the new city charter, with a council-manager government, replacing the strong mayor 1958-59—The first shopping center opens at Pine Tree 1977-78—Construction of sewage treatment plant and Civic Center 1989-90—Collapse of the real-estate boom
More events could be cited, but for now, to gain perspectiveonthisyear,1992,oneparticularcyclenot included is important. Every 29 years, Saturn returns toitsoriginalbirthposition,havingcompleteditscircuit around the solar system. This means that every 29 years, we complete a cycle of self-definition and tion,myfriends,myreligiousback¬ groundwouldhaveneverallowedthat tohappen.ButIjustwondered,whatis it.AndIdidn’tactivelypursueit.But one day, one of these almost mystic experiences happened. I was living rightbehindtheBrooklineLibrary,and Iwouldgointhereallthetimetocheck booksout.OnedayIwasjustwalking throughandatthisrackofpaperbacks, thisbookjustyelledatme.Iwasn’t evenlooking.ItwascalledATime For Astrology, byJessStern.Itwaslike someone plugged something deep down inside of me into a missing socket;itfeltlikeapartofmefoundits home.AndIthoughtifevenhalfthe stuffsaidinthisbookwastrue...It wasn’ttoteachastrology,'itwasinter¬ viewswithastrologers,storiesofwhat peoplehaddonewithastrology,like Grant Lewi having bought life insur¬ ancesixmonthsbeforehedied...ifhalf ofthiswastrue,thiswasamazingstuff.
It was the early 70s; I went to CambridgetotheGratefulUnionBook¬ store and asked, “How do you learn astrology?” I bought some books. I took these books home and picked up howtocalculatechartsimmediately.It helpedtohaveamathbackground,but itwassecondnature.
PM: What convinced you of astrol¬ ogy’s worthiness?
PL: Iwenttoclasseswithfamousolder woman astrologers from around the Bostonareabutfoundthatwasn’twhat I wanted. So I just got books and studied on my own. Fora long time my mindwasskeptical,soIdrewupall thesechartsforfriends,co-workers,
consolidation.Manyindividualsreachcriticalturning points at the ages of 29 or 57-58. We consolidate what we have built in our lives and move on. We are faced withtherealizationoftherelativesuccessorfailurein ourefforts.
1992 is such a year for Portland. From March through December we are ending a cycle which began in 1962-63 and beginning a new one. Before that, a cycle began in 1933-34. We could trace these cycles back to 1786, if we wanted to be more comprehensive. But for now, we can put the current year into perspective if we note that in 1933-34, the Depression hit Portland, banks permanently closed, and the city could not pay its workers in cash. To appreciate the significance of this, we would need to trace the impact and ramifications of that time in the decades that followed, to see how it formed Portland’s identityinthe30s,40s,and50s.
In the beginning of the cycle just now ending, the shopping center boom just got going, the trees which made us the Forest City began dying out, and many key landmarks were lost to neglect and renewal. Unfortunately, it usually takes years to realize the resultsofdecisionsmadeatthebeginningofthecycle. What decisions were made in the 30s as a result of our local experience of the Depression, and in the early 60s and how did they form the future of Portland?
Somewhere along the way Portland lost itself. As I lookatthisbigger,busierPortland,Ifeelasenseofgrief
familyandcomparedthemtothedes¬ criptionsIlookedupinwhatIcall these “cookbook” astrology books. I would just check them against the person,andtheyweresoaccuratethat Ithought,“There’sreallysomething here.”
PM:Werethereanycriticalexper¬ iences that really convinced you that something was going on here?
PL: Ithadbeenjustsixmonths.Iwas gettingtothepointoflearningabout progressions and transits, the socalledpredictionsandindicatorsof what’s going on in your chart right now. I remember when I learned how todoitIsawIhadthisgreatoppor¬ tunity coming soon. And I wondered, whatdoIdowiththat?ThenIhadthe idea,movebacktoMaine.AndIsaid, I’msureIcan,’causethisismytime.So IappliedagaintoaPortlandinsurance companythatIhadworkedforbefore, buttheyhadfoundmetooproblematic inthepast.Theyhadmecomeinforan interview.Whathadchangedwasthey had hired a Vietnam vet who was clearlydifferentfromtheotherVPs. Andhewaslookingforstrangepeople, creativepeopletoworkforhim.Andhe wantedtohireme,buttheydidn’twant himtohireme.Sohesaidhehadto wait.Itwentonforalongtime.Ikept calling him and he kept saying they
because the heart of the city I knew, the city which formed me, is gone. Portland has been raped by greed, prostituted for a buck. The huge gash of I-295 ripped through neighborhoods across the city, making it easier and faster to run from one cold, plastic shopping center to another. Gone is Lincoln Park, so many family-owned small stores, grocery stores, the Western Promenade as a family park, Union Station, movietheaterswithanidentity,themuseumofnatural history,theElmStreetrollerrink,departmentstores with character and personality.
Of course we had to grow, but who has really benefittedfromthewaywediditandthelossofquality from our city? At the end of the past cycle since the early60s,IwonderifPortlandhassolditsheartand souf.WasittheDepressionandthefearitcreatedthat led to the choices we've made?
What do we have ot the old Portland's heart to pass ontoourchildren?Wasitreallyworthit?Idon'tliketo thinkaboutit,butIguessthat'showithappenedinthe firstplace.
With even a superficial skimming of our two most recent Saturn cycles, we can conclude that 1992 is another time for reflecting deeply on the identity we wanttocarrythroughthe90sandintothenextcentury. Have we learned anything from the past? What we do this year will have long term implications. And next year,in1993,thewholeworldisduetobeginoneofthe didn’twantmeyet.
The time was approaching for this astrological opportunity. Looking back,Idon’tbelievewedidthis.Ann, mywifeatthetime,andIbothgaveour noticesatourjobs.Webothcameup toMaineandlookedforaplaceonthe watertorent.Wefoundahousejust10 miles from Portland, looked at the water and took it. We put down a deposit and went back to Boston. We hadgivenupourjobs,wehadtakena house,andwehadnothingforincome. Wegotreadytomoveout,rentedthe truck, and it was getting a little anxious.IkeptcallingtheVP,butit wasn’thappening.Thenightbeforewe left,thenightbeforetheyunplugged thephone,theguyfromthePortland insurance company called. He said, you’rein,you’vegotthejob,theonly thing is, can you start Monday? The U-Haul truck was outside the apart¬ ment; the house was rented; it was amazing! That’s why I’ve been pretty committedtoastrologyeversince.
Itesteditanditworked,inthesense of allowing me to see. 1 remember drivinguphereafterthat,afterdark,the fullmoonupinthesky,anditfeltso great.
PM: When was that? And how soon did you start teaching astrology afterthat?
major transitions of the century as we experience a Uranus-Neptune conjunction. The only astronomical event of magnitude in this century before was in 1964-65. In 1992 we must consolidate, be clear about who we are and what we really stand for as a city We should bepayingattentiontoessentialsandoursecurity,to protecting what we want to last, not risking or ex¬ panding. In 1993, Portland appears due for critical decisions, and perhaps a leadership crisis. Buried resentmentsorconflictscouldeasilyboiloverherea la Soviet Union. Initiative, passion, and risk-taking should not be suppressed in 1993, because if we fearfullyclingtothepast,wewillmissanopportunity. A curious tact: the U.S. and Portland have the same birthday, July 4. Funny how during 1991 a rebellious attitude suddenly awoke across the country which has left people disgusted with their government and leaders about national issues, and here in Portland, the property tax debate brought about an almost identical These are the brief reflections of an astrologer,notanhistorian.Whatcanyouhistorybuffs out there add to this sparse information? togoouttoeatataMexicanplacein theOldPort.We’resittingthereeating andit’s45minutesbeforemyclass. Theonlyotherpeopleintherestaurant arethesetwomiddle-agedmenatthe table next to ours. They’re talking prettyloudandIkeeplookingatoneof them.Ikeeplookingathim;Iknowthis guy.Isay,IthinkhelookslikeTed Williams!He’sflirtingwiththewaitress and asks her where she’s from. She saysSanDiego,andhesays,“SoamI” whichconfirmeditformethatthisis TedWilliams.
I had these brand new business cards with my chart on them. I went overtohistable,toldhimhowwhenI was a kid he was the greatest and asked him to autograph my yellow businesscard.Helookedatitasifit were from another planet, and then wroteontheback,"TedWilliams.”He asked me how the Red Sox were doing because he said he hadn’t followed themsinceheleft.
I went to class—40 students were there—withnoanxiety.AllIwantedto talkaboutwasthatIhadjustmetTed Williams.Taughtthecourseanditwas fun.
PM: Didn’t you have a Portland bookstore around this time?
PL: Yes,aboutayearaftertheastrology coursesstarted,Idecidedtoopena nonprofitbookstore,Metanoia.Alittle storeonPleasantStreet,atfirst,then later on Exchange Street. I started doing charts in there on Saturday. Peoplevolunteeredsixdaysaweekfor threeyears,itwasaSuccessandIam happyaboutitsbeingaservicetothe
DISCOVER YOURSELF
community. The inventory was unique and we did have people coming from asfarawayasNewYorktoshopthere.
PM: And then you left Portland briefly again? Why?
PL: Istillwantedpsychology.Iwas becomingawarethemorechartsIdid forclients,themoreIwoulduncover problemsinearlylifecrisesorpresent day crises, and they would want to knowwhattodoaboutit.AndIwould not know. If I would touch on some¬ thingverypainful,theymightstart crying,andIwouldn’tknowwhattodo withit.1wouldjustwantthemtostop crying.Sothechartwasthisincredible toolforgoinginthere,butonceinside aperson,whatthen?Iwasnotperson¬ allyequippedtogointoit.Myexper¬ ienceandmyinsightwereoutrunning me.
1 realized I needed to get some training and find out about my own insides.
Phil decided to get some psycho¬ therapeutictraining,firstbywayof doinghisownwithaBostontherapist, then joining a graduate program in Canadathatunfortunatelyclosedand finally graduating in San Francisco withaMastersDegree.ForPhil,this wastherealizationofthereturntoSan Franciscohehadfeltsomesevenyears before.ButPortlandcalledhimhome.
PM:Afterthisreturn,howdidyou developyourastrologicalservice? And how successful is it?
PL: In1985,1wroteabook,TheBirthof theSelf, anddecidedtogetacomputer todothewordprocessing.1gotthe ideathatIcouldprogramcharts.That waswithoneofthefirstMACs.Then came the better models, the laser printer,theideaofthename“Cosmic
Window,”whichisthedailyappoint¬ mentcalendars.Thatwastherealbirth of my business, Sirius Astrological Services.Anditisverysuccessful.I have sold thousands of “Cosmic Windows” worldwide, to Russia, all overEurope,throughoutthiscountry.
PM:Youhaveallkindsofclients, some are well-known. What do the celebrities ask you to tell them about?
PL: The same things that everyone does. The “famous” people whose chartsI’vedone...Ican’trememberany ofthemwhohaveaskedmeabouttheir persona, their careers. They ask me about their marriage, inner values, spiritualgrowth.WhenIdomycharts, theyarenotaboutfameandfortune, theyareaboutturningandfacingin¬ wardandseeingwhoisinside.
PM: What is the newest venture of yours?
PL: That would be my “Relationship Handbook.” This compares the charts oftwoindividuals,lovers,enemies, countries,orwhatever,andgivesin¬ sightsintoharmoniesandconflicts.
PM: And do you still have a pas¬ sionforastrologynowthatyouare seeing psychotherapy clients as well as reading charts?
PL: Oh yes. The excitement and the passion...Icouldn’thavearticulated thistwentyyearsago...it’sreallybe-I causeastrologyisamysteiy.Icansit downwithsomeone’schart,andwith¬ out ever having met someone before¬ hand,gointotheirdeepest,sometimes darkest,mostintimatesideofthem¬ selves. Sometimes parts they aren’t usedtoorgiftstheyhavelosttouch with.
And I don’t have any idea how it works. And my passion and excite¬ mentisthatsomethingthatcanbeso deep and meaningful for someone is unexplainable.1reallylikethatfact, becausewearesoaddictedtoexplana¬ tions. □
Loren Coleman’s Tom Slick and the Seach for the Yeti(1989)willbethe basis of an upcoming 1992 segment of“UnsolvedMysteries.”
Congress Square (Near the Portland Museum of Art and the Sonesta Hotel) 773-2932
Open 7 days a week
Lunch Monday to Sunday 11 AM to 4 PM Dinner Sun.-Wed. 4-10 PM, Thurs -Sat 4-11 PM MC/VISA/AMEX Gladly Accepted 608 Congress Street., Portland, Maine
Economics OfCoffee Shops
ForPortland,coffeemaybethereal estateofthe1990s.
byElizabethPeavey
LLVY ey,Buddy,canyousparea **II buck and a quarter for a JI cupofespresso?"
II Itdoesn’thavethesame JLJLring as ‘‘Buddy, can you spareadime?”,butitmaywellreflect the current state of our troubled economy.Intimesofprivation,people lookforwhateversmallcomfortsthey canafford.Formany,thatcomfortcan befoundinacontainerofcoffee.
amealforacupofjoe?Why,whenthe coffeeindustryingeneralisdown(the U.S.experienceda40-percentdropin coffee consumption from the early 1960stothelate1980s),arespecialty coffee sales booming? And why, when businesses ail over Portland are folding—restaurants very much in¬ cluded—have four new coffeehouses openedhereinthelastyearandahalf? Theappealofcoffeeisasvariedand individual as those who sell and consumeit.Forsome,coffeeisused solelytostimulate...theforcethat
through the brown fuse drives the drinker.Forothers,coffeeisanex¬ perience, a temporary, yet wholly private eight-ounce universe into whichtoescape.Forstillothers,coffee
Whateverthereason,thespecialty coffee business is doing fine and dandy in this recession. The coffee people with whom I spoke are op¬ timisticabouttheirventures,notonly inspiteoftherecession,butperhaps becauseofit.
The general consensus is that in leaner times people are looking for quality and value, and that a cup of gourmetcoffeeisoneofthefewquality purchases one can make for under a dollar. Portlanders have plenty of optionsfromwhichtochose.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters at 15 Temple Street has been a Portland institution since it openedin1984.Ithasremained virtuallyunrivalledinthecoffee¬ housecircuituntilrecently. Portland Coffee Roasting Company opened at111CommercialStreetinAugustof 1990andistheonlyotherstorelocally toroastitsbeansin-house.Theendof 1991sawtheopeningoftwoadditional coffeehouses—Abraham’s House of Coffee at 548 Congress Street and Mountain Lion Coffee on Middle Street—and1992bringsusathird,the very new Bavarian Strudel Shop on 25PearlStreet,withasatelliteat100 Middle. All five businesses report varyinglevelsofsuccess,buttheyall tend to agree that their product is recession-proof.
“It appear <he American consumer
Empty Rooms, alkyd on panel, 1984, 34*x 24"
Dream Dancing, alkyd on panel, 1990, 31*x 33'
Stillness, alkyd on panel, 1989, 27*x 31 ’
All artwork (c) 1991, Edward Gordon, P.O. Box 337, Walpole, NH 03608
iscomingfull-circle,”suggestsGerrie BrookeofPortlandCoffeeRoasterson CommercialStreet.Sheexplainsthat inthethirtiesandfortiescoffeewas roasted in the grocery for the cus¬ tomers. With the introduction of canned and instant coffee, conven¬ iencetooktheplaceofquality.People, shefeels,arenowwillingtogiveup thatconvenienceforsomethingmore.
That search for something more causedGerrieandherhusbandSamto flee the corporate world—“we had a combinedtotalof50yearsofcareer banking between us”—in order to opentheircoffeebusinesstoimprove theirqualityoflife.“Sothat’swhereall the bankers went!” says a friend lookingovermynotesforthis story.“Theydisappearedand started coffee shops!” To GerrieandSamBrooke,agood cupofcoffeesymbolizesthat better quality of life. “We striveeverydaytoofferthe bestproductweareablegive toourcustomers.”
PCRC is high-tech in de¬ sign,withtiledfloors,ahigh tin ceiling, and brass wall scones.Coffeebeansaredis¬ playedapothecary-styledown alongcounter.Itseatsabout 25, and Gerrie encourages table-sharing,“anotionthatis veryEuropean.”
She reports the business has marked steady growth everymonthandthatthemajorityof theirsalesoccurby10:30a.m.,70-75 percentofwhicharecupstogo.
Intermsofcompetition,shegener¬ atesconfidenceinherproduct.“Com¬ petitionisgoodforallofus.Itmeans thatwehavetomakesureourcoffeeis up to snuff. We are dealing with a better-educated consumer.”
She acknowledges a debt of grati¬ tudetoGreenMountainCoffeeRoast¬ ersforitsroleineducatinglocalcoffee drinkers. "Green Mountain came to Portland when specialty coffee was stillasortofnovelty.Theycarvedouta niche in the market that made our endeavorpossible.”
teve Sabol, General Manager of GMCR’s Wholesale Division in Maine,speaksabouthisproduct with the cool assurance only success affords. (Green Moun¬ tainhadrevenuesof$9.2millionin
1990.) The name Green Mountain has growntobesynonymouswithspecial¬ tycoffeeinthearea,andtheproduct can be found at local stops varying from some of Portland’s finest res¬ taurantstoMaineMedical’scafeteria toofficestoachainofgasstations. WhileSabolconcedesretailsaleshave beenflatrecently,thewholesaleand mailorderdivisionsarebooming.
TheretailstoreonTempleStreet hasbeenaPortlandinstitutionthatdefies demographicssinceitopenedin1984. At any time of day you could find business people rubbing elbows with bikemessengers,unitedbythecupof coffeein-hand.
Green Mountain closed its doors
(muchtothechagrinofitsregulars)in Januaryforacompleteoverhaul.The interior was gutted, and among the slated improvements was new inclu¬ sionofVermontBagelWorksasajoint attractionsharingtheGreenMountain space.Sabolexplainstherenovation came partly in response to customer comments, which are a driving force behind the success of the company. “Our aim at Green Mountain is onehundred-percent, hassle-free cus¬ tomersatisfaction.Weoffer,Ibelieve, thebestqualitycoffeeanyonecanget, and our product is backed with com pleteconcernforservice.It’saphilos¬ ophythathasworkedandcontinuesto workforus.”
In terms of bean-boasting, Avi Zwerling of Abraham’s House of Coffeesolidlystatesthathiscoffee (fromCoffeeCoffeeinBoston)isthe best.Heflingsthegauntletatthefeetof
hiscompetition,suggestingacity-wide coffee taste-off. There is a lot of bravadowithbeans,itappears. Heclaimstherecessionhashelped hisfledglingbusiness.“Firstofall,my start-upcostsweresignificantlylower. The owners of the building did my renovationsforfree.”Hisstorehasa neighborhoodcoffeeshopfeel.Zwer¬ lingchatswithhisnewly-established regulars.Heplanstoexpandintothe next-door space and hopes to offer outdoordining. His windowsign prom¬ ises:“CongressSt.isaliveandwell.”
This optimism permeates into his entire venture. “Nothing on my menu costsover$2.95.Abagelwithcream cheeseandcoffeeis$1.69.That’sa meal.Plus,Ihaveabout3,000 people within walking dis¬ tance of my shop. We are completely kosher, and that willcreateanadditionalmar¬ ketforus.”Butwhenitboils rightdown,hethinksitwillbe theappealofhiscoffeethat willforgethewaytohissuccess. Hesmilesandshrugs.“Coffee isoneofthelastvicesyou don’thavetogiveup.”
Greg Lavimodiere of Moun¬ tainLionCoffee,isabitmore laid-backabouthisventure. Hewasdrivenneitherbyhis loveofcoffeenorhiszealfor business. He claims he was simplylookingforsomething othertodothandrivearound andski.Herentedthefirstspacehe lookedatandchosehiscoffeeoutof the phone book, selecting the vendor whomhefeltwasthefirsttobepolite tohim.
Mountain Lion Coffee looks like something off the set of “Northern Exposure.”Setinthedetritusofthe former Gallery 127 on 127 Middle Street,andbenefittingfromtheblonde¬ wood rehab deserted by same, it’s a sixties-stylecoffeehouserepletewith rough-hewnpicnictables,posterandprintwallart,boardgames,andafull music schedule.
Lavimodiere asserts he is neither lookingtomakealivingoraprofitfrom his venture. He hopes only to make backhisinvestmentandtobesuccess¬ fulenoughtobeabletostayopenand offerpeoplesomeplacetohangout. Andforthepresenttime,Portland coffeelovershaveabeanandaspace
TheereuiatAbraham's
K'l
Wallman & Co. 4
Illluilll a Sfl-WT TH 'HieMaine CottageSeries
Designersand Builders
1!)PleasantStreet
Yarmouth, Me. 0409H
Tel. 207-84Crii8l0 -
The example above is in the "Gothic recicar style. It has almost 1200 sq. ft. of living space, two l>e<lrooms. and is designed so it canIk- gracefully expanded. Featuring exceptional materials and workmanship, this particular “cottage" represents one in a series of “cottages’ which can he built on your foundation, ready for year-round living, with prices from as low as ^5ff,fh50. We believe that no better value exists. — “Frame-up only’ prices available on request —
Coffeelookslike something off thesetof “Northern Exposure,” camped out in thedetritusof the former Gallery127...
movingin,thattherewas“nothing”in that area, convenience evidently a concerntolocalcoffeedrinkers,es¬ peciallyinasectoredmarket.
House of Coffee Open mon.-thurs. 6:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Friday ’til Sundown 548 Congress Street Portland 879-2237 -Smoke-Free Environment-
BackatGreenMountain,thisideaof value-added inducements spurred the inclusion of Vermont Bagel Works which,alongwiththeirlineofbaked products,offersGreenMountainCof¬ feebythecup,awisemove,that.Green Mountain no longer provides seating for its customers and has chosen to concentrate on booming retail and coffee-to-gosales.Jo-AnneWalton,a Green Mountain representative, said the downscaling was an attempt to makethisstoremoreconsistentwith Green Mountain’s other stores. She admitsthattheymaylosebusinessasa result,butitwillmakethePortland store “more manageable.”
Inanycase,whetherit’stheultimate, exquisitecupofcoffee,aplacetohang out and gab, or simply an extended caffeinejag,onethingisclear:Agood cup of coffee is one of life’s last affordable indulgences, and people arewillingtodigdownforthatlast crumpleddollarforafleetinggavotte withJuanValdez.
What,me?No,justblack,thankyou.
Who’sReally Building In1992?
Look.Isthatsomethingmovingintheashes?
byMichaelSpinney
IT'S STILL SMOKING here in down¬ townBeirut;firesstillleapfrom trash cans; that uneasy feeling riseshumrubbledeepunderfoot, throughcracksinthecobblestone sidew.iiKS.(pthroughsewergrates. Thefirstsignsoflifewillundoubt edlybeviral,yes,purescience—the stuffthat’ssupposedtobewaitingfot us on M^>*. Then maybe ' bey’ll be ingle-family homes in Yarmouth spare and simple,>ybe a few storage ■' 's along Route L
Oh, the occasional Red Lobster or HQwilldropinhereandthere,Olive Gardens run by impassioned manage¬ mentteamsfromFlorida,butwhatwill we bedoinginthemeantime?Whogot that Dunkin Donuts job in Falmouth, anyway? Scientifically speaking, of course.
Tentativeness abounds, natch. “In the 1980s, hopes were based on a fantasythatsimplywasn’tPortland,’’ says David Kingston, partner in TFH
Architects on Commercial Street. “Now,”hesays,“weareverybusy,but atamuchsmallerscalethanweused to be.” TFH had 19 employees when theirindustrywasatitspeak.Nowthey operateathalfthatnumber.
“Ourworkisalmostentirelypublic¬ sectororinstitutional(schools,col¬ leges and universities, municipal projects).Wearedoingalotofreno¬ vations and additions and there is continuedworkonthepipeline.”
Architecturalcontractsareagood indicatoroffuturedevelopmentactiv¬ ity. When architects are busy, con¬ structionwillfollow.
“We’re doing aconceptdesign fortheUniversity of Maine—a new performing arts facility,a56,000square-footproject.”
“We’re hanging on,” says Robert Howe of Terrien Architects. “The profession is a shadow of its former self.Allfirmsthathavebeenrespon¬ sible are making accommodations."
Howe says the architectural com¬ munitywasthefirsttobeaffectedby thebuildingrecession.
“Itwasveryclearbackin1988tous that we were going to be missing a greatportionofourwork.”
Like TFH, Terrien Architects have becomeheavilyreliantoninstitutional contracts.
“None. We have a few houses, and we’re doing some planning for state officesandfacilitiesasthey’vedown¬ sized,aswellassomeprivateworkfor somelawoffices.Asforcommercial, thereinothingoutthere."
around town. None even approach the sizeofthoseambitiousmulti-million dollar pipe dreams upon which the hopes of A City Too Good To Be True were pinned.
Asthecallforandsizeofcontracts waned, so, too, did the size of the crewsneededtohandlethejobs.
“We’ve downscaled,” said Ledge¬ wood Inc.’s Bill Barthelman of that company’s struggle to survive and compete for available work in a climatehesaysis“very poor to say the least. We’re doing some pub¬ licworkandrenovation workhereandthere.It’s reallytough.”
Ledgewood Inc. is currently involved in one of the larger con¬ structioneffortsinthe area—the firm has the demolitioncontractfor theUniversityofSouth¬ ernMaine’snewlibrary projectonForestAven¬ ue,therestorationofthe old Johnson Supply building.
The actual construc¬ tion contract has just gone out for bid, ac¬ cordingtoBobCaswell, USM’sdirectorofmedia relations, and will be part of an estimated $7.15milliontotalpackage.Thecon¬ tract should be awarded by 31 March andwilllikelydrawplentyofbidsfrom localfirmsinsearchofararefish.
and highway repair, but as for the possibilityofreliefforbuildingcon¬ tractors,“Ireallyhaven’tseenany¬ thing.Thewellisprettydry...Idon’tsee alightattheendofthetunnel."
There are exceptions to every rule,ofcourse,andinthiscase one exception would be Joseph Waltman Builders, of Yarmouth. In fact, this exception could soonbeupgradedtoalightattheend ofthetunnel.Overthelasttwoyears
pansion,iscalledthe“MaineCottage.”
“I knew Ford (Motor Company) wouldhavesuedmeif1hadcalledit the‘Model-T,’butthatisessentially whatitis,"hesaysofthedesign,while admitting to a sense of guilt over capitalizingonthe“Mainemystique.”
“IfeelalittleguiltyusingtheMaine name,butthatisessentiallywhatit is—a Maine cottage.
“FrankLloydWrightdidn’tcometo me in a dream,” he says. “It was somewhat of a clois¬ tered decision. When I came out I had to do something.”
The Maine Cottage is a reaction to what Waltman characterizes as an “assembly-line mentality”inbuilding, an approach that he feelsresultedin"alotof crummy designs (get¬ ting)doneandstuckup everywhere. Houses builtonly25yearsago are now becoming ob¬ solete.”
Another institutional marlin was landed by Portland’s Granger Nor¬ thern,whowonthebidforconstruc¬ tion of a new, 372-cell Cumberland County jail. They bested a Boston contractor by a mere $1,000 to keep $20 million worth of county jobs (estimated at 300) and money home. Countycommissionersclaimthejail projectwillbethelargestconstruction activityinnorthernNewEngland.Yet the300jobscreatedoverthelifeofthe project,comprisingonlyasmallpor¬ tionofthethousandsofconstruction jobslostoverthepastfouryears,do notaugurasustainablechangeinthe industry.
Barthelman mentions the possibil¬ itiesforroadcontractorsasaresult ofimpendingfederalgrantsforbridge
Waltman credits his company’s growth to a genuine integration of design and construction, along with expanding that philosophy to the lower endofthemarket.Howlow?Just above the trailer market, with some Waltman homes completed for under $60,000.Thisshiftofemphasisisno moredramaticthan,say,Thos.Moser goingintotheslingshotbusiness.
“We’re not building cheap houses, butlow-cost,qualityhousing.Weoffer well-designed,aestheticallypleasing housesataffordableratesthanksto proper planning and efficient meth¬ ods.”
Brochuretalkaside,hisbrainchild, thequality,low-costhouse,planned from the land up and capable of ex¬
In spite of his own success,Waltmaniskeen¬ lyawareoftheoverall depressionhisindustry faces. He comments thatseeingacompetitor goingbankruptdoesnot neccessarily mean more opportunity to those left in business,butthatitsendsamessage that things are so bad no one knows who may be next. It is partly that realizationthatimpelledhimtoputhis ideaonpaperandpitchittothepublic. “With the economy I could foresee diminishedsalesanddisaster.Ihadto do something.”
WhatWaltmandidwasbreakatrend inresidentialrealestatethatsome expertsseeasevidenceofthemarket bottoming out. In fact, Waltman’s polarizedclientelebaseseemstobea modelfortheindustryasawhole.
Three out of four of Waltman’s customersarewealthybuyersfromout ofstate,whilethebalanceareMainers taking advantage of his custom designs by snapping up low interest rateswithtypicalDowneastthrift.
Thisratioofout-of-statebuyersto Mainers buying homes is in keeping with trends Valerie Lamont has seen
“Ithinkwe’llatleastholdsteady”is the word from Portland Chamber of Commerce Chair of Economic Devel¬ opment,KeithCitrine.
“We have been working with the Council of Governments on economic developmentprojects.Weserveasan information resource for businesses thatwanttolocate(inPortland)orfor localbusinessesthatwanttoexpand,” hesays,explainingthechamber’srole inhelpingdevelopment."Weactively lobbythelegislatureforlawsandbills thatwillhelpbusiness.”
Citrine goes on to tell what the chamberisdoingtoincreaseitsin¬ fluence on development.
“The chamber is reassessing its economic development policy. Our goalforthenextyearistoreorganize the way we handle economic devel¬ opment.
“Portlandisstillaveryattractive placetodobusiness.Thereisahigh quality of life and a strong New Englandworkethic.”
“Weneedtoimprovetheadvantages we have before we can push those.”
Kortecamp says that, before the developmentindustrycangetbackto work,jobsneedtobecreated,jobsthat willhelpfillthevacanciesinofficeand retailspacethatcurrentlyhavethe marketsaturated.Inaddition,basic improvements need to take place in areassuchasinfrastructure,schools, and the overall business climate to includetaxes,fees,andotherincurred costs that raise the price of doing business in Maine, “things we don’t rankverywellon.”
SMALL
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payroll newsletters Vadpieces word processing "J medicaltranscription businesstranscription freepickup/delivery
And while contractors struggle to survive,theywaitforanswers,lookfor anything close to a solution to the 'riddleofstagnation.
At times, government can hold promise.KarenMartin,SeniorPlanner of Economic Development/Strategy at C.O.G.,isworkinghardtoopenthelid tofederalcoffersinhopesthatsome aidcanbemadeavailable.
“The project we are most involved with this year is trying to get the isouthern Maine area designated as a । (federal) Economic Development Dis¬ trict,”saysMartin.“Itopensupawhole set of programs that are federally funded that communities can become elligible for, such as public works grantsandstrategicplanninggrants.
“Southern Maine and mid-coast Mainearetheonlyareasnotcurrently eligible.”That’sthegoodnews.The badnewsisthat“with12,000jobslost and development way down,” the area may now meet requirements.
Thinkofit.Asbadasthingsarein thePortlandarea,theymightnotbe bad enough.
Should southern Maine (Cumber¬ landandYorkcounties)qualify,itis “morethanlikelytherewillbemoney coming into the area,” Martin says. “How much and what for I can’t tell you.
“In other areas, designation has meantasignificantamountofdollars flowing into the area.-” But Martin warns, “there are never any guar¬ antees.”
In the mean time, look for some heated arguments about areas where newgrowthcould,orshould,occur,in spiteofasaturatedmarket.
■“1think,inorderforthewaterfrontto I flourish and be an exciting contrib¬ utor—a source of revenue—the City Council is going to have to address some fundamental issues.” Sprague feelsthoseissuesare“gettingproperty toworktocreatebusinessandjobs, generate income and investment. Creatingaplantoletpropertieswork.”
AnychangeonPortland’swaterfront mustbeginwithchangeinthewater¬ front development moratorium, an |issueofmuchcontention.
There are some bright spots that point to the waterfront as a growth area.AccordingtoTomValleauofthe CityofPortland,volumesofoilim¬ portationarerisingrapidlyandwill continuetorise.BusinessatMerrill’s Marine Terminal is growing year to yearandhastogrowbiggeryet.The Portland-to-Europecontainerbusiness is new and should provide added waterfrontvitality.Andfinfishhandled at the Fish Exchange are up twenty percent from a year ago (20 million poundsin1990,24millionin1991).
Valleau sums up his philosophy on waterfront commerce this way: “Cus¬ tomshousebrokersdon’tcauseships to come, ships cause the customs house brokers to come. That’s why we’vebeentryingtoattractships,and we’vebeenmoderatelysuccessful.”
John Kortecamp does not agree. “UnfortunatelyinMaine,andPortland particularly,we’vedecidedtoignore highly successful models (of multi¬ usewaterfrontdevelopment).It’saself defeatingattitudeandwe’repayingthe price.
“Thewaterfrontisthejewelinthe crown of the city, and it remains unutilized.”
“Never before has the waterfront beenaskedtolooktoasingleindustry to support the entire length,” adds PhineasSprague.“It’snotpractical.” V arge chains, like Pizzeria Uno, Icanstirthekettleabit.F.P.&C.H. IMurray,Inc,ofSouthPortlandare ■ j delighted to have landed the Pizzeria Uno construction con¬ tractbytheMaineMall.Theirstrategy is to be omnipresent during the biddingprocessfornewwork.“We’re alwaysoutthere,”saysBillEspeaignette,sitemanagerforMurray,whichis also currently involved in ongoing renovationatSouthPortland’sOBGYN park,offWesternAvenue,alongwith buildingseveralnewareahomes.
Though“power-marts,”nationaldis¬ countchainssuchasSam’s,WalMart, BJ.’s Warehouse, and Home Quarters wouldseemaboomtobeaboon,it’s often crumbs from the table: “There are a number of local companies gettingasubstantialamountofwork (from those developments),” says Kortecamp, “but we’re not seeing a majorimpactonconstructionjobs.A lot of them are bringing their own nationalcontractorswiththem.”
Events THEATRE
IntotheWoods, basedonthebookbyJames Lapine,andwithlyricsbyStephenSond¬ heim, will be presented by the Portland Players,420CottageRoad,SouthPortland, openingonMarch20.Forticketsormoreinformation,contactthetheaterboxofficeat 773-6276,10a.m.to2p.m.daily.
The Portland Lyric Theater, 176 Sawyer Street,SouthPortland,willperformBabes inArms, a 1937 Summer Stock show by RodgersandHartfeaturingsuchfavorites as “My Funny Valentine,” “The Lady is a Tramp.” “Where or When," “Johnny One Note.”and“EverydayisValentine’sDay," on February 21 to 23, and February 28 through March 1. Matinees are scheduled forFebruary23andMarch1.FromApril24 to26,withamatineeonApril26,thecom¬ pany will perform LaCageauxFolles, a Frenchmusicalfarceaboutlife,love,and howtheotherhalflives.Formoreinforma¬ tion,callthetheaterat799-1421or7996509.
TheMousetrap, an Agatha Christie “who¬ dunit,”willbepresentedbytheCityTheater of Biddeford, from February 21 through March8.Showsareat8p.m.onFridayand Saturdaynights,andat2p.m.onSundays. Callthetheaterat282-0849forticketsor moreinformation.
OnFebruary22at8p.m..theMaineCenter fortheArts.UniversityofMaine.Orono, willpresent BalletChicago, withareper¬ toireofbothclassicalandneoclassicalbal¬ let.TheISODanceTheatre,agroupoffour dancers who have choreographed and per¬ formeddanceroutinesforsuchpeopleas Sting and David Bowie, will perform at MCA on April 10 at 8 p.m. Admission for orchestraseatsis$28forthegeneralpublic, and$26forstudentsandseniorcitizens; balconyseatscost$23forthegeneralpublic and$21forstudentsandseniorcitizens.To reservetickets,calltheMCAboxofficeat 581-1755.
The Portland Stage Company will present Sam Shepard’sFoolforLove,astoryoftwo loverslockedinanobsessivestrugglefor power and possession, through March 1. From March 10 through 29, the company willperform TheSubstanceofFire byJon RobinBaitz,thetaleofthestrugglebetween a refugee from post-war Europe and his adultchildrenoverthefutureofthefamily business.PerformancesareheldatthePort¬ land Performing Arts Center, 25A Forest Avenue,Portland,TuesdaysthroughThurs¬ daysat7:30.BoxofficeisopenTuesday through Saturday from 12 to 4 p.m., and ticketscanbeorderedinadvancebycalling 774-0465.
The Maine Masque Theatre, University of Maine,Orono,willpresent Fiddleronthe Roof, amusicalbasedonstoriesbySholem Aleichem,fromApril2to4at8p.m.;andon April3and5at2p.m.3'heshowwilltake place in the Hauck Auditorium in the Memorial Union. On April 17 and 18 at 8 p.m.,theannualSpringDanceConcertwill takeplaceattheHauckAuditorium.Tick¬ etscanbepurchasedbycalling581-1755, weekdaysfrom9a.m.to4p.m.
TheChocolateChurchinBathwillpresent StudioTheater’s Odd Couple, written by NeilSimon,fromFebruary28toMarch1. PerformancesareFridayandSaturdayat8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. On March 14, Improv Boston willcometotheChocolate Church,withaperformanceat8p.m.From April3to5at8p.m.,the2ndAnnualBathIron WorksVarietyShowwiWtakeplace.Call4428455forticketsorinformation.
InPerpetuityThroughouttheUniverse,asin¬ istercomedyaboutghostwritersturning outhate-booksforpowerfulbigots,willbe presentedbytheMadHorseTheaterthrough March 1. From April 2 through 26, the companywillpresentDarkRiverby Martin Jones,aplayinwhichgreedandself-decep¬ tionplungeaMainefamilyintotragedyand atownintoecologicaldisaster.Perform¬ ancesareThursdaysthroughSaturdaysat 8p.m.,andSundaysat7p.m.Ticketprices are$15,and$13forstudentsandseniors. Reservationsarerequired,andcanbeob¬ tainedbycallingthetheaterboxofficeat 797-3338.
TheChildren'sTheatreofMainewillperform TheMagicIsland,thestoryofayounggirl’s encounter with a mysterious goblin, who becomesaclosefriendandopenshereyesto theworldthatsurroundsher,aswellasthe worldofherimagination.Performancesare March7,8,14,15,21,and22attheKing Middle School. 92 Deering Avenue, Port¬ land.Saturdayplaysareat10:30a.m.and 1:30p.m.;Sundayplaysareat1and3p.m. Ticketsare$4forchildrenand$5foradults, andareonlyavailableatthedoor.Formore information,call874-0371.
The Hackmatack Repertory Theatre, 10 Franklin Plaza, Dover, NH. will present
SamuelBeckett’sEndgamewillbeperformed at the Gannett Theater, Pettigrew Hall, BatesCollege,Lewiston,onMarch6to8, and13to15at8p.m.;2p.m.onSunday. FromMarch20to22at8p.m.,except2p.m. Sunday,attheSchaefferTheatre,theBates Modern Dance Company, underthedirec¬ tionofMarcyPlavin,willpresentitsannual springshow.Admissionfortheseshowsis $4/$2; and advance reservations can be obtainedbycalling786-6161.
TheVintageRepertoryCompanywillpresent Audience,asatiricalplaybyVaclavHavel, noted dissident playwright and current presidentofCzechoslovakiaabouthisexpe¬ rienceasa“bannedperson”inhisowncoun¬ try,onMarch4,11,and18.OnMarch25, April1,andApril8, TheLover, a black comedyaboutmarriage,infidelityandcom¬ promise,willbeonthebill. TheRuffianon theStair,JoeOrton’srarelystagedfirstplay thatdrawsitscomicvenomfromlove,honor, andvengeance,willbeperformedonApril 15,22,and29.Allperformancesareheldat Cafe No, 20 Danforth Street, Portland. Curtaintimeis8p.m.forallshows,and admissionis$5.
GalleryTheatreofDamariscottawillpresent Take Up the Song, Forget the Epitaph by RamonaBarth,atributetoEdnaSt.Vin¬ centMillayintheformofreadingsfromher work,fromMarch5to8.BeginningApril30, GalleryTheatrewillpresenttwofunnybut philosophicalone-actplaysabouttheart world: TheHabitualAcceptanceoftheNear Enough, and TheEyeoftheBeholder.Per¬ formancesareThursday,Friday,andSatur¬ dayeveningsat8p.m.,andSundayafter¬ noonsat3p.m.,intheupstairsgalleryofthe OatsBarn.Ticketpricesare$8forgeneral admission;students,$5,witha$1discount forSundayperformances.Advancereserva¬ tionsarerecommendedandcanbeobtained bycalling563-1507between9a.m.and4 p.m.
Theatre UMF will presentTalesoftheLost Formicans. a play by Constance Congdon, fromMarch5to8at7:30p.m.FromApril 9to11at7:30p.m.willbetheTheatre UMF
Events
SpringFestivalofStudent-DirectedOne-Act Plays. Performances will be held at the Alumni Theatre, University of Maine at Farmington.Ticketsare$4foradults,$1.50 forseniorcitizensandchildrenunder13, and UMF students are admitted free with I.D.Forreservations,call778-7465.
March21 is Comedy Night at UMF. This nightfeaturesTheComedyTriangle:Janine Ditullio,SueMcGinnis,andHeleneLantry. Theperformancewillbeginat8p.m.atthe Lincoln Auditorium, Roberts Learning Center,UniversityofMaineatFarmington, andwillbefreetoUMFstudents,$2for visitors.Formoreinformation,call7787339.
MUSIC
On March4 at8p.m.,attheMaineCenter fortheArts,UniversityofMaine,Orono,the GatheringoftheClans,aneveningofauthen¬ tic Gaelic celebration performed by Scotland’spremiertelevision,stageand recordingartists,willtakeplace.The Vi¬ ennaChoirBoys willbecomingtoMCAon March21 at8p.m.,withtheirprogramof Austrianfolksongs,classicsandcomedy. On April5 at3p.m.,EinerSteenNokleberg willgivea Piano Concert inhonorofthe 150thanniversaryofthebirthofNorwegian piano composer Edvard Grieg. The Louisi¬ ana Repertory Jazz Ensemblewillperform classicNewOrleansjazz,intheoriginal formatsandwiththeoriginalinstruments, on April17 at8p.m.At3p.m.on April26, the OrionStringQuartet,agroupadmiredforits virtuosity,depthofinterpretation,anddis¬ tinctivenessofsound,willgiveaconcert. For more information about any of these performancesorforreservations,call5811755weekdays,9a.m.to4p.m.
TheBatesCollegeConcertSerieswillpres¬ enttheNewWorldStringQuartet, perform¬ ing works by Dvorak, Barber, Gershwin, andHarbison,on February 28,attheOlin ArtsCenter,BatesCollege.Aconcertofun¬ usualcontemporarychambermusicwillbe performed byAequalison March 13 atthe OlinArtsCenter.Ticketsfortheseevents are$10forgeneraladmissionand$5for studentsandseniorcitizens.Call786-6135 forreservations.
OnMarch1 at2:30p.m.,pianistandAssis¬ tantProfessorofMusicIraBrauswillper¬ formaprogramofMusicbyMozart,Debussy, Nancarrow and Brahms, at the Olin Arts CenterConcertHall,BatesCollege,Lewis¬ ton.TheBatesandColbyCollegechoirswill presentaprogramofEnglishanthems,early Americanworks,andothermusic,includinga jointperformanceofBrahms’“SongofFate,” on March 7 at8p.m.,andon March 8at2 p.m. On March 21 at 8 p.m., the Bates ChapelSingerswillpresentaconcertof Vocal Music from the 15th through 20th Centuries by composers Clara Schumann, Barbara Strozzi, Rafaella Aleotti, Ann Kearns,andothers.Alloftheseperform¬
On February28 at8p.m.,theUSMConcert SerieswillpresentScottReeveswithUSM jazzfacultyandguestsperformingTheMusic ofWayneShorter,aretrospectivededicated totheworksofthiswell-knownjazzcom¬ poser,includinghismasterwork,“TheAll Seeing Eye,” a suite of four tone poems whichhasneverbeenperformedsinceits initialrecording.Theserieswillcontinueon April17, withtheUSMStringFacultywith LauraKargulonPiano,performingCham¬ ber Music Masterworks by Mozart and Brahms,andfeaturingSchubert’s“Trout” Quintet.Theconcertswilltakeplaceat Corthell Concert Hall on the USM Gorham campus;ticketsare$8forthegeneralpublic and$4forstudents,seniors,faculty,and staff.Forreservations,call780-5555.
LAArtswillhostDasPuppenspiel’sPictures atanExhibition,atLewistonJr.HighSchool onFebruary29at2p.m.On March 7at8 p.m.,JukeJointsandJubilee,ablendofblack Americansacredandsecularmusic,willbe performedattheLewistonJr.HighSchool. Ticketsare$12/$10.FlamencoguitaristPaco PenawillperformhisMisaFlamenca, with Flamencosingers,guitarists,adancer,and 24voicesfromtheTheAndroscogginCho¬ rale,on April4 at8p.m.,attheSs.Peterand PaulChurch.Ticketsforthiseventare$15/ $13.Forticketsorinformationaboutanyof theseevents,callLAArtsat782-7228,from 10a.m.to4p.mweekdays.
ThePortlandFolkClubhostsMusic Swaps on the firstandthirdTuesdaysofeach month, at the Swedenborgian Church, 302 StevensAvenue,Portland.Formoreinfor¬ mation,call773-9549.
On March 3at7:30p.m.,intheBowdoin Collegechapel, TheGeniusofClaudioMon¬ teverdi, vocalmusicfromtheperiodaround 1600,willbeperformedbytheConsortof Musicke, England’s premier early-music group.Internationallyrenownedbaritone KurtOilman, along with Steven Blier on pianoandasopranovocalistwillperforma selectionofturn-of-the-centuryFrenchsongs based on poems by Verlaine and Rimbaud, on April4 at 7:30 p.m.Ticketsforthese eventsare$10forthegeneralpublic,$8for seniorcitizens,andfreewithBowdoinCol¬ legeID,andcanbepurchasedattheEvents OfficeintheMoultonUnion.
Watkins,singer,songwriterandguitarist.This performanceisscheduledfor February21 at 8p.m.,inthePickardTheater,Memorial Hall.Admissionis$12forthegeneralpub¬ lic,and$6withBowdoinID.Ticketsare available at the Events Office, Moulton Union,orbycalling725-3201.On February 29at8p.m.,BowdoinCollegewillholda MardiGrasCelebration,featuringtheState StreetTraditionalJazzBand.Thisevent will take place at Daggett Lounge, Wen¬ tworth Hall, on the Bowdoin campus. Ad¬ missionis$8forthegeneralpublic,and$5 with Bowdoin ID.
The Bowdoin College Music Department willsponsorthefollowingfreeconcerts:The Bowdoin Concert Bandwillperformon April 12at7:30p.m.attheKresgeAuditorium. MartinPerrywillpresent Piano Music by Gay Composers,on April18 at7:30p.m.,in theKresgeAuditorium.On April26 at7:30 p.m. in the Bowdoin College Chapel, the BowdoinChamberChoirandCollegiumwill playMusicintheAgeoftheTroubadoursand Trouveres;MusicofLatinAmerica. The Bow¬ doinSymphonyOrchestrawillplayMusicof theUnitedStateson April30 at7:30p.m.,in theChapel.Ticketsfortheseeventscanbe obtainedattheMoultonUnionEventsOf¬ fice.
SteveWitkin,cellist,andCherylTschanz,pi¬ anist,willgiveaconcertonApril4atthe NordicaAuditorium,UniversityofMaineat Earmington. On April 11, UMF willhold anotherconcert,with CarlDimowonflute, andKeithCrookonguitar. These concerts takeplaceat7:30p.m.Admissionis$4for adults,$2forseniorcitizens'andchildren under 13, and free to UMF students with I.D.Formoreinformationabouteitherof theseconcerts,callDavidScribnerat7787136.
GALLERIES
TheChocolateChurchArtGalleryinBath will present the works of DeborahKlotz, sculptor,andStephanieMahanStigHano,book maker,whichareondisplaythrough Febru¬ ary29. The Chocolate Church’s WinterJu¬ riedShowwillbeginon March6, withare¬ ceptionon March8 from3to5p.m.Entries fortheJuriedShowaredue March3. From April3to25, thegallerywillhaveadisplay ofStudentArt.Receptionforthisexhibitwill takeplaceon April5 from3to5p.m.,and entriesaredue March31, Formoreinforma¬ tion,call442-8455.
Works on Paper by John Heagan Eames, an exhibitionofwatercolors,etchingsanddraw¬ ingsofarchitecturalscenesfromEurope andtheUnitedStates,willbeondisplay through March 8 at the Museum of Art at theOlinArtsCenter,BatesCollege,Lewis¬ ton. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. TuesdaythroughSaturdayand1to5p.m. Sunday.Theexhibitisfreeandopentothe public.Formoreinformation,call786-6158.
FridayNights Any Haddock Selection from Our Dinner Menu...
Casco Boy-Honey, Butter, and Crumbs.-»
Chebague Island-Crabmeat with Bernaise Sauce.—► Hope Island-Lobster Meat with Dill Hollandaise. —► Bake Stuff-Seafood Stuffing, Newberg Sauce.—►
Full Menu Available: Maine Lobster, Filet Mignon, SeafoodLinguini,Scallops,Halibut,Chicken.
Atonetime,thefanciestplacein most New England towns was anItalianrestaurant.Itwasthe most frequent destination for birthdays and anniversaries because the food was god and thewhitetableclothsandwaitersin uniforms added that something extra that made everyone feel this was a celebration. The women ate veal parmigianaandthemenatebigsteaks withspaghettiontheside.TheItalian food and Italian restaurants have becomemuchtrendieroflate,andthat ruggedoldstylehasbeguntodieout. Happily,CasaNapoli,anewItalian restaurantonRoute1inFalmouth,has resistedthepressuretobehipandhas openedarestaurantdecidedlyofthe oldstyle.TherearenoyoungItalians
servingplatesofchocolateorsquid inkpastaonmarblecafetableshere—it’s more like waitresses in uniforms servingdishesoflinguineinmarinara on white linen. To many people this retrotrendismorethanwelcome. Westartedwithaselectionfromthe listofantipasti,whichincludedBocconcino with Tomatoes (balls of mozzarella),StuffedorSauteedMush¬ rooms, Prosciutto with Melon, Fried Calamari,anexpensiveHotAntipasto ($14.95 and composed of seafood), andourchoice,ClamsOreganata.The six good-sized clams were served bakedonthehalfshellandblanketed with breadcrumbs. The oregano was imperceptible but the crumbs ab¬ sorbedandamplifiedtheflavorofthe clams.Thedishwassimplebutenjoy¬
able. Of the three soup choices— minestrone,tortelliniinbrodo(little stuffed pasta in broth), and pasta fagioli (pasta and bean soup)—we chosethelast.TheCasaNapoliversion ofthisrusticsoupwasanappropriate¬ lythickstewofwhitebeansandsmall pastacalledditali.Itastedtomatoes morethananythingelse.
We ordered lasagne from the Home¬ made Baked Pastas and Veal Casa Napoli. The lasagne we ordered was made in admirable Southern Italian, Neapolitanstyle—lotsoftomatosauce, ground meat, and cheese. The sauce wasveryfreshtastingbutdominated eventhecheese.
The Veal Casa Napoli was a goodsizedportionoftendervealsauteed withmushrooms,artichokes,andpro¬ sciutto. The sauce contained a good qualitymarsalawine.Thoughthein¬ gredientswereverygoodindividually, theydidnotcometogetherasawhole greaterthanitsparts.Thegarlickyroast potatoes served with the veal were outstanding,aswerethelong-cooked, soft,butterybrusselsprouts.
Themenuboastsfamiliarofferings suchasChickenCacciatora,Eggplant Parmasan, and Linguine with Clam Sauce,butthereareafewsurprises, suchasScungilli(conch)andRignati Vodka (red sauce and white sauce combined and flavored with vodka).
The wine list has about a dozen selections,andtheyareallgoodwines atafairprice(mostlyunder$20).
Unlessyou’reinordinatelyfondof Chocolate Mousse or Spumoni, the dessertlistwillnothaveyouswooning. Theaforementionedisallthereis.
The atmosphere is suprisingly pretentiousgiventhefactthatit’s locatedinamini-mallonRoute1and theItaliantouchestothedecorare amusingly fabricated. The mural is delightful;thepeppermillswithhead¬ lights(whichsoundlikegaragedoor openers when turned on) surely provokeasmile.Afriendly,capable waitstaffhelpsdefusethepretension.
The kitchen does impress with the feeling that they are committed to puttingoutqualityrenditionsoffood many people find easy to love. The antipastiaremostly$4-$6,thepastas $8-$10,entrees$10-$15.
TheGoid/SmithGallery,7McKownStreet, BoothbayHarbor,willopenits1992season with New Paintings byRobertShetterly, beginning April30. Shetterlyiswellknown forhisillustrationfeaturesinTheMaine Times,aswellashavingco-authoredand illustratedseveralchildren’sbooks.Gallery hoursare10a.m.to6p.m.,Mondaythrough Saturday,orbyappointment.Call633-6252 formoreinformation.
At the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Walker Art Building, The Photography of Todd Webb, ashowofimagesspanningthe careerofthewell-knownphotographer,will beondisplayintheBeckerGallerythrough March1. Through March1 5,FromStudioto Studiolo:FlorentineDraftsmanshipUnderthe FirstMediciGrandDukeswillbeexhibitedin the Temporary Exhibition Gallery. The mixedmediacreationsofAnneMinichwillbe ondisplayattheTwentiethCenturyGallery through April5. From March 5 toApril26, OrientalScrollPaintingswillbeonexhibitat the Becker Gallery. Beginning April14, Holocaust:ThePresenceofthePast,apho¬ tographyexhibitbyMaineartistJudyGlick¬ man, will hang in the Twentieth Century Gallery;andbeginning April16, ThePres¬ ence of Women, an exhibit celebrating womenasartistsandpatrons,willbeon displayintheTemporaryExhibitionGallery. ThePoetryofColor:WoodblockPrintsbyMar¬ garetJordanPattersonwillbeondisplayat theBeckerGallerybeginningApril28.The collegeislocatedinBrunswick,andgallery hoursareTuesdaythroughSaturday,10to 5;Sunday,2to5p.m.Freeadmission.For moreinformation,call725-3275.
OndisplayattheHudsonMuseum,Univer¬ sityofMaine,Orono,is OurLivesinOur Hands: Micmac Indian Basketmakers, an exhibitfeattiringbasketmakingbytheAroos¬ tookMicmacIndians,aswellasotheran¬ thropologicalexhibitsofAfrican,Asian,and CentralandSouthPacificitems.Formore informationandhours,callthemuseumat 581-1901.
Over 150 photographs by USM Assistant ProfessorofArt Rose Marascowillbeon displayattheFarnsworthMuseuminRock-
land,beginningMarch1.Thisexhibitispart ofaprojectentitled RitualandCommunity: theMaineGrange, whichexaminesthehis¬ tory and significance of one of Maine’s largestagriculturalorganizations.
Greenhut Galleries, 146 Middle Street, Portland,isexhibitingavarietyofworksby gallery artists including Jane Dahmen, Allison Goodwin, Tom Connelly, Connie Hayes,andEdDouglas,through March15. Gallery hours are Monday through Satur¬ day,10:30to5:30.
TheDanforthStreetGallery,34Danforth Street,Portland,willfeature Love Show: ImagesoftheHeart, anexhibitofphoto¬ graphsby20invitedartists,through March 14, withanopeningreceptionon February 14from5to8p.m.GalleryhoursareTues¬ daythroughSaturday,11a.m.to5p.m.
TheBaxterGalleryatthePortlandSchoolof Art,619CongressStreet,Portland,will exhibitImperiledShores,ashowinwhichsix artistsrespondtoecologicalcrises.The artistsfeaturedinthisshowareNewton and Helen Harrison, Christopher Horton, RobReeps,ChristyRupp,andMierleUkeles. Thisexhibitwillcontinuethrough March8, andareceptionwillbeheldon February23 from5to7p.m.Beginning March19, As SeenbyBothSides,anexhibitpicturingthe Vietnam experience in the work of both AmericanandVietnameseartists,willtake place.Openingreceptionwillbeon March 19from5to7p.m.,andaGalleryTalkonthe showwilltakeplaceon March 26 at7:30 p.m.Formoreinformation,call775-3052.
The Currier Gallery of Art, 192 Orange Street,Manchester,NH,willdisplayrecent andpromisedgiftsofAmericandecorative artinanexhibittitled TheCurrierofthe Future, beginning February25. Gallery hoursareTuesday,Wednesday,Fridayand Saturday,10a.m.to4p.m.;Thursday10 a.m.to10p.m.;andSunday2p.m.to5p.m. ThegalleryisclosedonMondaysandna¬ tionalholidays.Suggestedcontributionis
$3foradultsand$1forchildren.
OTHER
TheMaineIslandTrailAssociationandthe IslandInstituteinRocklandwillcontinue itsseriesofRoundtableDiscussionsonthe UseofMaineIslands, monthly throughout thewinter.Formoreinformation,callthe officesoftheMaineIslandTrailAssociation andtheIslandInstituteat594-9209.
The Center for Performance Studies is offeringActingClassesforpeopleatvarious levelsofskillandexperience.ActingClasses forOrdinaryPeoplearebasic,introduc¬ tory-levelclasses;KidsClassesareforages 9to13;HighSchoolClassesareintensive workshopsforstudentperformersserious aboutdevelopingtheirskills.Intermediate andProfessionalclassesarealsoofferedby theCenter.Allclassesaretaughtin10weeksessions;thenextonebeginsinApril. Formoreinformation,contacttheCenterat 774-2776.
AtBatesCollegeinLewiston,therewillbe alectureonBarbarianQueens:Beyondthe BoundariesofGender, hostedbyAmyRich¬ lin,professororclassicsattheUniversityof SouthernCalifornia,on March 4 at8p.m. ThislecturewillbeheldintheOlinArts Center Concert Hall. On March 5 atthe MuskieArchives,FredWertheimer,presi¬ dentofthecitizens’groupCommonCause willspeakat7:30p.m.aspartofthelecture series“PoliticsandEthics.”Bothofthese lecturesarefreeandopentothepublic.
On March 2 at7:30p.m.,intheMuskie ArchivesatBatesCollege,Lewiston,re¬ nowned scientist Michael Oppenheimer, directoroftheGlobalAtmosphereProgram of the Environmental Defense Fund, will deliver the annual Edmund S. Muskie En¬ vironmentalLecture.Thisdiscussionisfree andopentothepublic.
Saddleback Ski and Summer Lake Pre¬ servewillhosttheRangeleyLakesSledDog Racesin RangeleyVillageon March14and 15. On March28and29, the 10thAnnual BroncoBusterDownhillChallengewilltake place.Formoreinformation,call864-5671.
VIaineStreet
BETHEL-SUNDAY RIVER
From l-acre building lots with lake access to 100 acreswithtownroadfrontageandpowerpriced from $19,800.Callusfordetails.
YEARS AGO it would have been tooremote.Beforetheairport,the faxandthearrivalofcellular serviceinthisarea,thepersonwho needstokeephisfingeronthe pulseofthecitycouldnotafford theluxuryofthistypeofseclusion. Nowthisstylishcontemporarywith itsfreshwaterswimmingpool,its dockandmoorings,splendidviews andeveryconceivableconvenience, canbehome.Wouldyourather hearsirens,orthesirensong?The choiceisyours.
henItellpeopleIcomefrom Maine, they imagine green woods, potato fields, and sandyrocksalongthecoast. The truth is, I come from a smallgraytownofshoefactoriesand papermillswithnoviewofforestorof sea.
“There’s no place like home,” my father used to sing when I bemoaned my fate. He and my mother had been borntwohousesapartonElmStreet, and when they were married, they moved one block over to Maple. “I can’twaittogetoutofhere,”Isaid dailyinmysnotty,affectedvoice."The BijouMovieTheater,andthePineTree Bowling Alley, and the Red Lobster BingoParlorarenotmyideaofcity lights.”When1gotacceptedatRad¬ cliffe,myworld,atlast,becamefullof possibilities;myhorizonsseemedto reach beyond the edges of the sea. “You can thank your lucky stars you come from Maine, Lucy,” my high schoolguidanceteachertoldme.“You only got into Radcliffe because of geographicaldistribution.”
AtRadcliffe,1studiedarthistory, rumoredtobetheleasttaxingtothose, like me, of good geographical dis¬ tribution and bad SAT scores. In my junioryearImetCharles,whowasin histhirdyearatthelawschool,andI attachedmyselftohimlikelichentoa rock.
Intime,CharlesandIweremarried, had two kids, one dog, and half a house on Beacon Hill. Charles prac¬ ticed probate law with a firm and worried about becoming a partner. I gotajobwritingonartforachainof suburbannewspapers.Idid,Iconfess, depend a great deal on Charles. He drewintricatemapschartingthebest routetotheartshows,figuredoutthe proportionsfortriplingandhalving recipes, and once brought back to Filene’sapush-upbrathatturnedout, whenIgotithome,nottopushupat all.WithCharlesasportandanchor,I cultivatedanarty,flakyself.Iwore earringsmadeofbeadsandfeathers, stilettoheels,andclothesfromthe open-airmarketsoftheThirdWorld. “Lucy’sadorableandCharlesisjustso good,”peoplesaidofus.Theyinvited useverywhere.
Though 1 was deliriously happy, I realizedsoonenoughthatBostonwas thetiniestbitprovincial.Afterall,I
subscribedtotheNewYorkTimes,the New Yorker, New York Magazine, and theNewYorkReviewofBooks.TheBig Apple was where it was at. However, since Boston was not only where we wereatbutalsowhereweweregoing tostay,NewYorkwouldhavetobea stateofmind.
While I knew from my prodigious NewYorkreadingthatquichewasout, raccoon coats were in, and that the show at the Guggenheim was contro¬ versial,Irealizedthatthisinformation wasavailabletoanyindustriousout¬ sider,even,Godforbid,someonefrom Maine.ToreachthenirvanathatIsaw astheManhattanstateofmind,Iwould needaguru.
My guru appeared in the person of Malcolm Montgomery, who was in towntoinstallthreelargeblackpaint¬ ingsinanexhibitofminimalistsatthe InstituteofContemporaryArt.Hewas tall,dressedingray,withcheekbones likepyramidsandfeverisheyes.You couldtellhehadsufferedalot,hewas, infact,sufferingfromanastycold.In myinterviewwithhimIskirtedquickly overinterpretationsofhisartsstyle (my readers prefer Gainesborough Blue Boys or Walter Keene urchins overtheirsofas)andwentstraightto hislifestyle.Itwasperfect:Hehadaloft inTriBeCa,threeex-wifeswithwhom heremainedfriendly,aSoHogallery negotiating to give him a one-man show, flattering write-ups by John RussellintheTimes,andpatronswho hunghisworkinbigFifthAvenueco¬ opswithrecessedlighting.(“NewYork Cityisthecenterofcreativeenergy,” theartistsaid.“Andeverybodywhois anybody is somebody I know.”— PortraitoftheArtist:MalcolmMont¬ gomery, by Lucy Roberts Hughes.)
I took him home with me im¬ mediately and fed him French bread, Moroccan olives marinated in garlic andthyme,andaripeandrunnyBrie— all,accordingtoCraigandGael,in impeccablestyle.Charleswentoutto the twenty-four-hour pharmacy to bring back Vitamin C. And later, we openedabottlethatthewidowofone ofCharles’recentdecedentshadgiven us.
“What a marvelous evening,” Mal¬ colm Montgomery said, sneezing into aKleenexfromtheboxIhadplacedat hiselbow.Helookedaroundtheroom
atthefire,atourdog,Matisse,snoring infrontofit,atthebowlofpearsI’d arrangedlikeaCezanne,atthemin¬ imalist drawings borrowed from the galleryofafriend,atthethickamber brandy that sloshed softly and re¬ fractedthelight,atthebigbrownbottle ofvitaminspromisingrelief.“Youmust cometovisitmeinNewYork,”hesaid, raisinghisglassandsquintingatme throughtheroundedbaseofit.
ByFridayafternoon,I’darrangedfor Mona and Leo to be parceled out to friendsandforMatissetospendthe nightwiththetwopoodlesnextdoor. When Charles came home from work, 1 wasinthebedroompushingskirtsand beltsandsweatersintovaryingcom¬ binationsontopofthespread.“What doyouthink,”Isaid,turningmycheek tobekissed,“oftheAfghanidresswith theIsraelibeltandtheIndianearrings, theIndianIndianonesfromIndia?”
Charlesstudiedthebrass-studded, silk-embroidered,silver-filigreedassem¬ blageonthebedinfrontofhim.He cleared his throat. “Of course, you knowmoreaboutthesethingsthanI,” hebegan,“butisn’titawfullybright?”
“You’reright.”Iopenedthecloset door. “Malcolm Montgomery is a minimalist.Ithinkjustaplainblack dresswithoneinterestingtouch,per¬ hapstheredfeatherearrings.”
Charles smiled with relief. He pushed a Mexican serape to one side andsatdownonthebed.“Lucy,let’s stayinahotel,gettheatertickets,just drop by Montgomery’s studio for a coupleofhours.Ireallydon’thave muchtosaytohim.”
“Nonsense, Charles.” With a redfeatheredearringItracedcirclesalong hischin.“YoucandiscusstheRothko will.You’rebrilliantonthat.Besides, thistimewe’renotgoingtobetourists. We’regoingtostayinaloftinaNew Yorkneighborhoodandbepartofthe NewYorkscene.Wearegoingtohave awonderfultime.”ThenItickledhis nosewiththefeatheruntilhesneezed.
Fictionby CityMameveMedwed Lights
Intheshuttleattakeoff,Charles reached for my hand. 1 shut my eyes andheldontight,surethatmanwas never meant to fly. As my stomach lurched and my ears popped, I was gratefulformyrock.Charlesheldme down and yet made it safe for me sometimestotakeflight.1lookedout the window at the Atlantic below. I thought of Maine, of Boston, of New York, of how three different places sharedoneocean.ThenIsawpiecesof myselfpaintedalongtheeasternsea¬ board.IwasafigurebySeurat,with littledotsoffeetinMaine,smallpoints ofheadinNewYork,thethickimpasto center of me rooted with Charles in Boston.Andabovethatimagefloated another one: Lucy in the sky with diamonds soaring through the clouds toward New York.
The taxi pulled up to 110 White Street,clankedthroughapothole,and screeched to a stop. Charles and 1 looked out the window at the dark, shuttered storefront. “C and F Yard Goods,”readthesignabovethedoor, “CheaptotheTrade.”“Yousurethisis the place, lady?” the cabbie asked. Throughthegrimyglassbetweenus,I could see his face was a color en¬ largement of the black and white photographonthefrontseat.Hector Gorgonzola,thelicenseread,Hackney Number 129426871.
1checkedtheaddressontheslipof paperinmypocket.“Yes,thisisit.” Charles paid the fare. We put our suitcases on the ground and looked around.Thoughitwasthreeo’clockon asunnySaturdayafternoon,thestreet was empty, the shops closed down. 1 turned to Charles and smiled broadly.“Yesiree,thisisit.”Myvoice hadthefakebrightnessofakinder¬ garten teacher approaching a new studentonthefirstdayofschool.What 1sawonCharles’faceconfirmedthe reason for my tone. “Isn’t this an
adventure?”Iasked.
Charlesdidn’tanswerbutwalkedup theonecementsteptothedoorofC and F Yardgoods. He tried the knob, then,withacorneroftheWallStreet Journal,wipedacleansquareinthe glassandpeeredthrough.“Thereare stairs in the hallway and a loading elevator,butIdon’tknowhowthehell we’regoingtogetinside.”Straight¬ eningup,hebrushedsootoffthetipof hisnoseandfeltaroundtheedgesof the door frame. “There isn’t even a bell,”hesaid.1staredagainatthe crumpled paper in my hand. “Most loftsareabovestoreslikethis,”1said. “Theremustbeawayin.”
"We could throw a rock.” Charles’ voicewasonlyslightlytentative.He movedtothecurbandstartedtosift throughthedebrisinthegutterwith the toe of his shoe. I gazed at the shardsofurbanlife—cardboardcontain¬ ersforBigMacs,brokenglass,thepull¬ tabsfromsoft-drinkcans,adiscarded T-shirtonwhichwassilkscreened“Lib¬ rariansarenovellovers.”1pickedup whatlookedlikeapebble.Betweenmy fingersitcrumbledintoash.
“Rocks,afterall,arecountrythings," 1said.Itiltedmyheadtowardtherows ofwindowsoverthestore."Besides,a rock could set off a burglar alarm, break a window, damage a newly painted work of art. Maybe we could findatelephone.”
“Why don’t we just yell,” Charles said.
"Yell?”Thewordtastedunfamiliar on my tongue.
"Yeah,holler.”
“Well,youcouldtryit.”
“Not me. You. I’d rather go to a hotel.”
“Okay.”Imovedtothecenterofthe streettogetabetterviewoftheupstairs floors.Iclearedmythroat,squaredmy shoulders, opened my mouth. Nothing came out. All of a sudden, standing there,mouthagape,coldairtingling
“What’sthematter?”askedCharles. I spoke through clenched teeth, putting spaces between my words to emphasizetheirimportance.“Charles, Icannotstandinthemiddleofastreet inNewYorkCityandyell.1willnot standinthemiddleofastreetinNew YorkCityandyell.”WiththatIdidan about-faceandmarchedbackontothe sidewalk.
Justatthatmoment,afigureturned thecornerandstartedwalkingtoward us.Itwasaman,growinglargerand moremenacingthecloserhecame.He had a black beard and mismatched clothespiledinlayers,inmyheadI composed a litany: There are two people on this block, being in New York does not mean being mugged. Withinaninchofus,themanslowed down,movedhiseyesfrommyfaceto Charles’feet,frommyfeettoCharles’ face,thennoddedandwalkedon.Four stepspastus,hestopped,pirouetted, and began to approach with a long purposefulstride.No,no,Isaidto myselfoverandoveragainuntilhis blackbeardwasaninchfrommynose. Mynostrilsstartedtotwitch.
The man reached into his pocket andtookoutaringofkeys,heavyand clanginglikeachatelaine’s.Hesel¬ ectedone,fitteditintothelock,and turned.“Ihavealoftonthetopfloor. Montgomery’sthreeflightsup."
“Thank you.” I smiled as the door swungopen.“Ifithadn’tbeenforyou,I don’t know what we would have done.”
“InNewYork,mostpeoplejustyell," hesaid.
Inside there were smells of tur¬ pentine and linseed oil, of new-cut woodandKittyLitterlefttoolong.We climbedthreesteepflights.Iledthe way,andCharles,whenIlagged,gave meaboostfrombehind.Wepausedto catchourbreathinfrontofthebigsteel door that had Montgomery scratched on it with what could have been the
sharpsideofastone.“Wecanstill change our minds,” Charles panted. "It’salotquickerdownthanup.”
Ididn’treply,merelyadjustedan earringandgaveCharlesadetermined glance.Inhistweedsandnavytiewith itslittleredscalesofjustice,helooked boyish and really rather sweet. Of course,Ishouldhavedonesomething about his clothes. I’d been so busy arrangingmyownpersonathatIhadn’t givenathoughttohis.“Whydon’tyou takeoffyourtie?”Iwhispered.
Charles’ eyes were murderous. “Whydon’tyoutakeoffyourdress,”he suggested,“foramoreminimallook.”
“Oh.”Chainsrattled,boltsslid,and the door opened. “Hullo.” Malcolm Montgomerystoodframedinthedoor¬ way and chiaroscuroed against a soaring background of white. He was dressedingray.(“Ialwaysweargray,” saidtheartist.“It’smypersonalstate¬ ment, a synthesis of my black and white periods.”—PortraitoftheArtist: Malcolm Montgomery, by Lucy Roberts Hughes.) “Comeon in.”
The space was enormous. Light bounced off all the shiny surfaces: enameledwalls,polyurethanedfloors, tinceilings.Akitchen,bedroom,and studiowerepartitionedoffwithwall¬ board,whichstoppedtwofeetfromthe ceilingtoallowtheeyetotravelun¬ hinderedfromendtoend.
“Nice place you’ve got,’’ said Charles, his voice like Bette Davis saying, "What a dump."
"It’s fantastic, wonderful, spec¬ tacular,” I said. 1 skipped around, overcompensatingforCharles’lackof enthusiasmandhisbourgeoisneedof wall-to-wallcarpeting,Utrilloprints, and room service. In my head 1 composed the lead sentence for my nextcolumn:"Theartist’sloftisa space carved out by him amid the concrete jungles of Manhattan.” I wouldcallthearticle“LoftyLives.”
Charlesgavemetheevileye,then sank down on the floor and surveyed the magazines in front of him—Art News, Art Digest, Art Forum, Art in
America, and Penthouse. Casually he pickedupthePenthouse.
"It’s nice to see some genuine enthusiasm,” Malcolm Mongomery said with an appraising look. “New Yorkers on the whole tend to be so jaded.”
Hisremark,thoughmeanttoplease me,onlyintensifiedmyshameandmy resolve to become jaded. “May I see your new paintings?” I asked in my mostlaid-backvoice.
alcolm Mongomery led me around a partition and into hisstudio,whichwasfilled with canvases. They hung on wires from the moldings, leaned in stacks against the walls, werefiledlikerecipecardsinbig, woodenracks.Theywereallblack,but massed together they showed the subtledifferencesintheirblackness— blackwithtintsofblue,ofpurple,of green.Inthecenteroftheroomwasa longtablethatheldbrushes,tubesof oil,maskingtape,paletteknivesar¬ rangedwiththeprecisionofsurgical instumentsonanoperatingroomtray. On the easel near the window was a scarlet canvas, as dazzling as Dor¬ othy’sshoesin The Wizard of Oz.I stoodinfrontofit.
“I never realized how many shades ofblacktherewere.”Isatonastool and proceeded to impress Malcolm Montgomerywithadiscussionofmin¬ imalismandcolorandtheabsenceof color. I’d done my homework well. I even managed to keep my voice properlyjaded.Thatwasn’thardtodo becausemytasteforminimalartwas minimal. Deep down, I had the aes¬ theticsoulofabarbarian.Ipreferred color and movement and excess. Once Ihadbeendiscoveredsheddingatear beforeChristina’sWorld,andtwiceI had publicly admitted affection for seascapes,explainingthatblue-green waves pounding against blue-gray rocks gave me a feel for what my origins should have been. Usually, though, I worked against my baser instincts, hoping that this untamed part of me would be hidden by the thick,hardshellofcitylife.Thus protected, photosynthesis would not
“You know,” said Malcolm Mont¬ gomery, coming to stand beside me, “yousurpriseme.”
“Surpriseyou?”
“Yes,you’renotatallwhatIim¬ agined.”
Iwantedtoaskhimtoexplain,to have his sentences parsed and anno¬ tated, to have him enumerate the colorsofmebeneathmysolidsurface. But1simplysmiled,decidingthatI would accept what he said as a com¬ pliment,thewishingmakingitso.
Malcolm Montgomery moved clos¬ er,grinninglikeaFransHalscavalier. “Iloveyourearrings.”Hereachedout to jingle one so that the feather brushed against my cheek and made mewanttoscratch.Withhisnarrow, fullyattenuatedartist’sfinger,he traced a line along my shoulder aim¬ lessly, like hands drifting through wateronSundayafternoonsatthelake. Up and down. Up and down.
Allatonce,though,Ifeltsomething moveagainstmybreast,feathersorthe wings of butterflies. Perhaps my own skinradiatingpathsofgoosebumps,I told myself. I fixed my eyes on an ominousblackcanvasonthefarwall andtriedtorememberthecapitalsof the New England states. But even beforeIgottoMontpelier,Vermont,I knew it was Malcolm Montgomery brushingadesignofcirclesandfigure eightsaroundthenippleofmybreast.
WhatshouldIdo?TheMainepartof me would blush and cry and call for Dad. The Boston part would flick off the offending hand as one would a pieceoflintandtactfullychangethe subject. And New York? Laugh, leer, grabforhim.1thoughtofCharleson theothersideofthepartition,looking at naked breasts in Penthouse while thebreastheknewsowellwas,atthat verymoment,inthehandsofanother. “Ihavetogotothebathroom,”Isaid, mywhinesignalingtotalregression. Malcolm Montgomery removed his hand,wipingitagainsttheseatofhis pants. He looked disappointed in a world-weary way.
1couldn’treallyblamehim.Iwas disappointed myself. I’d taken two giant steps backward, geographical andchronological.WhenIwas8,1wet mypantsatmyfirstpianorecitalatthe
PineTreeElksHall,ruiningtheclef notethatMrs.MacNeill,theteacher’s wife, had embroidered on the piano bench. “When the going gets rough, Lucyalwayshastogo,”myfatherused tosay.
Inthebathroom,Itriedtopullmyself together. People do have to pee, I thought to myself. I looked in the mirror, hoping to confront a jaded Bohemian with untimely bladder. In¬ stead,1sawapalebabyfacereddened by two Raggedy Ann dots. From the earsdangledfeathers,sillyandincon¬ gruous,achilddressingup.Theword “provincial”flashedbackatme,un¬ mistakable as the numbers under a convict’s mug shot. Shame swept over my body like the black wash on a Malcolm Montgomery canvas.
Fortherestoftheevening,werifled through magazines, made dilatory conversation,clearedourthroats,and observedourhandsandfeet.Attenwe went around the corner for a pizza. Charlestookituponhimselftoexplain thelegalintricaciesoftheRothkocase until Malcolm Montgomery’s eyes glazed over with boredom. I didn’t care. For once I was glad to hear everything I didn’t want to know, settlingintothedroneasonewouldan oldchair.
Backattheloft,Istartedtoyawn.On cue, Malcolm Montgomery handed us sleeping bags and pointed out a clearingonthestudiofloor.“Havea goodsleep.I’llbegoingoutforawhile toseesomefriends.Artists,youknow, arenightowls.”
“Then we’ll say good-bye now.” 1 wasrelievedtobebiddingafinaladieu tothisinstrumentofmyloweredselfesteem.“We’lljusttip-toeoutinthe morningandletyousleep.”
With newfound warmth, Malcolm Montgomery smiled at me. “Great.” Charles opened the suitcase, removed his toothbrush, the white plasticcaseofdentalfloss,andwalked to the bathroom. When Charles had shut the door, I stepped closer to Malcolm Montgomery. I had a chance toredeemmyself,tobewry,witty,a good sport. I lowered my eyes to my chest. “Anyway, I’m sure you prefer them bigger, more Rubenesque,” I said.
“What did you say?”
Malcolm Montgomery poked at the paintunderhisthumbnailwiththeend ofapaperclip.“Pardon?”heasked.
Iwokeinthemorningtothesound ofrain.Itwasagray,darkday,made evendarkerbytheblacksquaresand rectanglesthatsurroundedus.“Let’s getoutofhere,”1whispered,shaking Charles awake. We dressed quickly, stealthily.Atlast,coatson,suitcasesin hand,wetiptoedoutthedoor.Onthe landing we turned to each other and grinned.Westoodthereforamoment givingsilentthanks.Atthetopofthe stairs,weweretwinVictoriesofSamothracetriumphantandfree. harles’ eyes moved around my face.“Youseemedawfullyanx¬ ioustoleave,”hesaid.“Isthere something I don’t know?”
“Nothing.”Istudiedmyfeet. “It just didn’t work out the way I thought.”
Charles had the good grace not to say1toldyouso.Andfeelinggrateful and tender, I followed him down the stairs.
But when the door of C and F Yard Goods shut behind us with a final clang, the relief 1 had counted on wasn’tthere.Instead,mykneestrem¬ bled,myhandsshook.Frantic,Ibegan torattletheknob,butthecontents withinwerekeptoutofmyreachbya solidbrassbolt.“Damn,damn,damn,” IsaidkickingataPepto-Bismolbottle inthegutter.Thebottlebroke,splat¬ tering pink amoebas onto my shoe.
“What’sthematter?"askedCharles. “My pocketbook. My goddamn pocketbook.IleftitinMontgomery’s goddamn loft.”
Charles went to test the knob for himself. “Hell,” he said in a voice unaccustomed to defeat. “How could you have done such a dumb thing?”
Iwantedtosayforgetit.What,after all, was a $55 pocketbook with $75 inside compared to another humil¬ iation? 1 thought of its contents— Tampax,sunglasses,lipstick,driver’s license,creditcards,grocerylists, aspirin,LifeSavers,birthcontrolpills, and notices of library books long overdue. They were all replaceable, not easily, but replaceable never¬ theless.Then1thoughtofthephoto¬ graphs: Mona and Leo as babies, Charlesathislawschoolgraduation. EventhenIhesitated.“Maybewecan findthemanwiththekeys,”Isaid, hopingforamiracle.Butthestreetwas empty.Therewasn’tasoul.
Isteppedbackintothemiddleofthe street,sightedmytarget,andopened my mouth. “Yoo-hoo, Malcolm Mont¬ gomery,”1shouted.Icalledoverand overagain,myvoicegatheringstrength andtimbreuntilIsoundedlikeBeverly Sills.Ibegantoenjoymyself.PerhapsI was experiencing the primal scream. There was a rush that was nearly sexual in the letting go. “Yoo-hoo. Yoo-hoo."
Up on the third floor, the window opened a crack. “What do you think youare,arooster?”avoiceyelledout. “Gobacktothefarm.”
The window slammed shut, causing myjawstoclamptogetherinaparallel reflex.Iwaited,watchingCharlesmake himselfinvisibleinacorneroftheC andFYardGoodsstore.
Thenthewindowopenedalltheway and my pocketbook sailed out over a treeblightedbyDutchElmdisease.For a moment, 1 thought of our old re¬ frigeratorinBoston,which,whenwe realizedwecouldn’tgetitdownthe new spiral staircase, we had tossed fromanupstairsbalcony.Ithadbeena beautifulsight,thedoorsopeningin midflight, the coils and wires and tubesspilledoutlikeentrailsasithit thepavement.Now,though,therewas nothing beautiful about chasing up anddownthestreetforpiecesofmy life.Ifeltlikeapeasantgrovelingfor crumbs thrown by a tyrant who had toldhertoeatcake.
OntheplanetoBoston,1triedto recover some of my aplomb. Why couldn’tIberesilientlikeLeo’sBozo the Clown? No matter how much you punchedBozo,healwayspoppedright backupatyouwithhisbigredclown smile.Iwasn’t,afterall,asubspeciesof animalwithonlyonenaturalhabitat.1 could grow, adapt, maybe someday
blendintotheenvironsofNewYork.I touchedCharles’shoulder.“Nexttime we’llstayinahotel,”Isaid.Charles smiled, thinking of a hotel. And I smiled, thinking of next time. ■
Correction:
In publishing Mameve Medwed's fine '‘LikeMe,LikeMySchefflera'’inourmost recent(Winterguide1992)issue,weomit¬ tedaportionoftextfromthestoryon page47,column3,thecompletesection of which now appears below in proper form.—Ed.
On the way home my step was slow, thepapersheavywithmynewdespair. “Whocouldithavebeen,thisperson who said bad things about you?”
“Beats me. A lawyer for the other side?Theprofessorisold,hemight have made a mistake.”
“Butwhatifhedidn’t?”
“So?Youcan’texpecttobelikedby everyone.”
Later,asIragedovertheidentityof thismysteryman,Ithoughtthatthat’s exactlywhatIdidexpect—tobeliked byeveryone,tohavethoseIlovedliked byeveryonetoo.Likeme,likemykids, likemyangel’sfoodcake,myschef¬ fleraplant.InthefiftiesIrolledmyhair topleaseaman,inthesixtiesItangled ittopleaseanother.IgotA’sformy parents, baked cookies for my kids. Listenedattentivelytobores—Ididn’t likethem,butIwantedthemtolikeme.
My older son, too, suffers from a desiretoplease.Wearebothfirst-born, bothnewbanksforthebrightpennyof ourparent’sdreams.Thefirstyearmy son was at boarding school we drove northforparents’weekend.Theleaves wereturning,theplayingfieldswere burnishedgold.Oursongaveusatour. Everywhere kids greeted him: Hey! How’s it going! What’s up, man!I poked my husband. “He knows so many people already. He’s so pop¬ ular.”
Later, over cocoa and oreos, my husband told me about a classmate who had memorized the face of every studentinthefreshmanregister.The firstweekofcollegehecrisscrossed the campus.HiTim,he’dsay.HiJohn.
“What happened to him?" I asked.
“He became a Fuller Brushman, then a politician,” my husband ex¬ plainedasifthetwowereanatural progression.
