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A number of years ago my wife andIweretalkingwithAnitaStick¬ neyofDeeringIceCream,andIcan’t remember how it happened, but withsnowfallingoutsidebefore longwewerehearingwonderfulsto¬ riesabouttheskitrainssheusedto ridefromPortlandtoBethelin1949, whenshefirstlivedhere.Oh,they wereromantic,shesaid.Youcould gooutthereinthemorningandbe backintimetocookdinner.Tough life,Anita,Irememberthinking. Andyethereweare.Wehavethe new 9-car Sunday River Express which,forjust$15,whistlesusto Bethelinjustovertwohours,every day,round-trip.Fromthereit’sa1flminuteshuttleridetotheslopes.
approximately 7:45, you reach Bethelat8:45.Therewillbeabag¬ gagecarandlavishlyrestored1937 diningcarand1917loungecarto ensurecomfort.Returntripbegins at5:15;costis$25roundtripfor non-skiers.ThelastBoston&Maine skitraintooperatehereranfrom 1932to1950.Seeourstoryonpage 14.
AndalsofromthePortlandthat seemedirrecoverablylost,wehave the State Theater back! You can enjoycoffeeandchocolatedesserts rightatyourseatwhileyousee someofthebesttalentevertocome tothiscity.Theverylarge,two-bal¬ coniedvenueisalivewithrococo chocolate,green,andwhitelights, gorgeous Exit signs, and a cav¬ ernous,almostMoorishfeel.Alarge areaatthefronthastablesand chairs,CottonClubstyle.Thisisan astonishing improvement to the city.Seeourphoto-storyonpage22. WiththePortlandPiratescelebri¬ tieshere(seeourEricFentoninter¬ view,page11),ournewPortland Gazettesection,theSeaDogsopen¬ ingupthisspringintheirnewstadi¬ um at Hadlock Field, beautiful photography by Kevin LeDuc, and railroadsreopeningtheeconomic corridorbetweenPortland,Boston, andMontreal,I’vegottotellyou,it’s arealchorerunningthismagazine.
Talented Jon Legere
Ijustreadthe"FirstAnnualI HateWinter"Decemberissue.It’s delightfulstraightthrough-start¬ ingwiththecoverbytheverytal¬ entedJonLegere.Thewonderful pictureofPorteous,Mitchelland Brauninitsheydaycertainlydid bring sentimental tears to my eyes.Someofmyfondestremem¬ brancesofChristmasespastare shopping with my Dad at what wasonceMaine'smostimpressive department store on Maine's busieststreet.
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Newsstand Cover Date: Winterguide 1994. published December 1 993. Vol. 8 No. 10. copyright 1993. PORTLAND Monthly Magazine is mailed at third-class mail rates in Portland. ME 04101 (ISSN: 0887-5340). Opinions expressed in articles are those of authors and do not represent editorial portions of PORTLAND Monthly Magazine. Responsible only for that portion of any advertisement which is printed incorrectly, and as compensation we will run a correction in the following issue. Nothing in this issue may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publishers. Submissions welcome, but we take no responsibility for unsolicited materials.
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He’sright.Thephotocopiedshort storybeingdistributedtoourchil¬ dren(labelledsimply“TheCaskof AmontilladobyEdgarAllenPoe”) isa‘GoodNews’Poe,themacabre gorgeousness of his diction stripped completely away! The photocopy makes no apology for ormentionofturningPoeintoWatershipDown. Here’s some good newsPoe: "Thecask?"heasked.
"Thesquareonesarereallycalled Cut Granite Pavers or Belgian Pavers,"saysGeorgeFlahertyof theCityofPortland."Mostofthem datetothelate1800sortheearly 1900s.Iveoftenheardthatsomeof themwereusedasballastinsailing ships-whichwouldexplaintheBel¬ gian connection-though granite wascutinabundanceontheMaine coast.Theround‘cobblestones’ areearlier.Generallytheywere layedingutters."
TherearetwosizesofBelgian pavers: the more common baby¬ blocksandfull-sizedblocks.Tosee somegoodfull-sizedblocks,check outthestretchofMapleStreet, betweenYorkandDanforth.Fla¬
Whentheartofgranitepavinghit itszenithintheearly1900s,“they used4-6inchesofpouredcement” asapreparationbedfortheBel¬ gianpavers,saysFlaherty.“It makesahellofastreet.Imean thosestreetsdon’twearout.The onlycobblestonesmadeinmylife¬ time were the ones we used for WharfandMoultonStreetsinthe
magine a young Carl Yazstremski. Now imagine another young Carl Yaz¬ stremski standing on his shoulders.You'relookingat EricFenton,No.11ofthePortland Pirates.
Waveringonmyhockeyskates,I skateovertohim.Inanill-advised maneuver known only to me and myson,I'mgoingtochallengeEric toaraceacrosstherink.Your typicalmid-lifefantasy.Thepoor
He'stiredafteralongpractice. Sweatisdrippingoffhisnose. When he's most off guard, and most baffled by my hyperbolic questions,I'llracehimacrossthe ice...
Portland Monthly: How old are you?-
Eric Fenton: Twenty-four.
PM: Parents?Brothersandsisters?
EF: Bill and Donna Fenton. My father'sintheMerchantMarines, twomonthson,twomonthsoff. Mymother'saregisterednurseat LongCreekInternalMedicine.I grewupat70SpringwoodRoad, acrossthestreetfromLarryRowe GolfCourse,nowSouthPortland Municipal.Ihavetwosisters;Beth is20andastudentatUSM,and Chussy,who's26,ismarriedwith adaughter.ShewenttoCornell UniversityinIthaca.Herhus¬ band'snamedShawnHawkins. PM: Whereareyoulivingright now?
EF:Inthe1970sIusedtolove cominghereasakid.Thenthe Bruins came, and the people couldn'trelatetoanyoftheplay¬ ersbecausetheyusedtheteam moreasataxisquad.ThePirates takegreatprideinpresentingthis asbasicfamilyentertainment.The ideaisforindividualplayersto contributetothecommunityand bevisibletothefans.
PM: Is that because they know aboutyoufromyourplayingwith theUniversityofMaine?
EF:Yeah,Iguess.
PM: Whoisthemosttalentedhigh Continuedonpage42
Predictions By Dora
LetDora's35yearsexperienceandaccuracy unravelthesecretartsandmysteriesof Psychic phenomena answering all your questionsonlove,marriage,andcareer. Convenientlylocatedat: 609ForestAvenue Portland.Maine Telephone: (207) 874-1942 /giveadviceonbusiness,marriage,andloveaffairs. Bringyourproblemstome.1willhelpsolvethemno matterwhatyourproblemmaybe. furnitureandhandcraftedgiftitems patio fumiture’lamps’shipwheel mirrors’hutches handcarved novelites»desks*cedar chests«much more
he announcement on December 1 by Sunday River SkiResortoffi¬ cials of a new snowtrain—tobeknownas theSundayRiverExpress— between Portland and Bethelharkensbacktoan era of wool clad skiers in baggy pants,beartrapbindingsandleather tieskiboots.Italsocouldverywell bethewaveofthefuture. Thenine-cartrainissettomakeits firstrunonDec.26,usingPortland’s
charged,withfaresfornon-skiing passengersslightlyhigher.Addition¬ ally,ClubCarfareswillbeofferedfor passengers selecting travel in a restored 1917 lounge car and a recently rebuilt and redecorated 1937diningcar.Skierswillalsobe abletopurchaseliftticketsonthe train,enablingthemtobeginskiing immediatelyuponarrival.
irst run from Boston to Warner,N.H.in1931,ski trainsreachedtheirpeakof popularityinthe1930sand 1940s,whentrainscarried asmanyas24,000skiersayeartothe slopesofnorthernNewYork,Ver¬ mont,andNewHampshire.
SundayRiver’sservicewilljointhe DenverRioGrandeSkiTrain—which transportsskiersfromUnionStation in Denver to the Winter Park Ski ResortinColorado—astheonlyreg¬ ularlyoperatedsnowtraininthe country.TheSundayRiverExpress willbethefirstdedicatedskitrainto rollinnorthernNewEnglandsince 1950,althoughoccasionalspecial excursiontrainshaveoperatedsince then.
Thecarsonthetrainareallofvin¬ tagestock.Theoldestcar—aclub loungecarformerlyknownas“Good Cheer”—wasbuiltin1917,whilethe mostrecentlybuiltcarisan84-seater built in 1953 which formerly was usedbytheUnionPacific’s“Cityof Denver”train.Mostrecently,the trainsawserviceasthe“Hoosierland Limited,”adinnerexcursiontrain operatedbytheIndianaRailroad.
Morethanjustatrainride,theSun¬ dayRiverExpresswillbebilledasan experience.Liveentertainment,on¬ board dining, ski movies shown onboardandalcoholicrefreshments
Keyattributesoftakingtheslightly more than two-hour train ride includenothavingtomakethe90minutedriveonRoute26onicyor snowyroads,andbeingabletoleave thedrivingtotheSt.LawrenceRail¬ roadcrewstaffingtheExpressonthe ride home after a day out on the slopes. “People ski hard when they’rehere,andthiswillallowthem tounwindandtakeanapontheride home.Itwillberelaxing,”saysKing. AlthoughSundayRiverwillbebuck-
“Studies indicate that therewillbe11/2million people riding the rails between Portland and Bostonbytheturnofthe century. We’re looking aheadtothetransportation possibilities,”saysKing.
Taking that long-term approach, King says, includesthepossibility that the Sunday River ExpresscouldtieintoPort¬ land’sUnionStation,four milesawayfromtheChap¬ mansiteitwilluseinitsfirstyearor two.TheUnionStationfacilitywillbe thefacilityservedbyAmtraktrains when that service is restored to Mainenextyear.
trainsfromplacesasfarawayas Washington, D.C., to come in and hookupwithus.”
Transportationalternatives in the future could include trains heading north from BostontoPortland,withthree carsfullofskiersboundfor Sunday River. Under such a scenario, King notes, those threecarscouldbedisconnect¬ edinPortlandandhookedup totheSundayRiverExpressfor thetwo-hourrideuptoBethel. “Initsfirstyear,thetrainwill be used by Portland and Auburn residents who don’t wanttomakethe90-minutedri¬ veintheirowncarstoBethel," saysKing,notingthatSunday Riverofficialshavenegotiated tomakeastopinAuburnaspartof theservice.“Afterthefirstyear, thereareallsortsoftransportation possibilities,”headds.
heAuburnsite,forexam¬ ple,islocatedanine-iron shot’s distance from the runwayattheAuburnair¬ port.“ADC9couldlandat theairport,peoplecouldgetonthe
Alsoapplaudingtheeffort was Gov. John McKernan and U.S. Sen. William Cohen.SaidCohen,“Rail service...isacost-effec¬ tiveandenvironmentallyresponsible transportationoptioninaneraof highwayandairportgridlock,andis importantforMaine’sfutureeco¬ nomicdevelopment.”
TrainRidersNortheast,aPortland¬ based public advocacy group that has spearheaded the campaign to bringAmtrakservicebacktoMaine, saidthetrainwillserveasanexam¬ pleofalternatemodesoftransporta¬ tion.“TheSundayRivertrainwill transportupto400people,burning one-eighththefuelandcreatingfar lessairpollutionthanwouldbecre¬ atedifthosepeopletraveledbycar,” saysWayneDavis,chairmanofthe group.
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Relatedtothetrainventure,but separate,isaplanbySundayRiver’s Ottenandtwogeneralpartnersto buildaVictorian-styledtrainstation, hotelandshoppingcomplexatafor¬ mer mill site in Bethel. Pending receiptofallapprovals,the$25mil¬ lioncomplexcallsfora125-room hotel,possiblyarailmuseum,and 80,000squarefeetofretailspace.If allthreephasesoftheprojectare
built, the complex would extend from a local cross road to the AndroscogginRiverona60-acresite.
“We’re working with the town on theproposaltoensurethatitcom¬ plementsthetraditionalcharacter andNewEnglandflavorofBethel,” saysKing,notingthatvotersmust approvetheprojectbeforeitcan moveforward.
From 1931, when the Boston&Maineoperated itsfirstwintersportstrain toWarner,N.H.,to1950, whentheexcursionswere eliminated,thesnowtrainsbecame an institution among the active, youngcrowdofNewEngland.
theB&M,whowasassistedinthe experiment by members of the Appalachian Mountain Club. Two hundred thirty seven passengers rodethefirsttraintoWarner,andits successledGranttoarrangemore excursionstosuchtownsasWilton and Newport, N.H., where passen¬ gerscouldparticipateinwintercar¬ nivalsheldthere.
way,whichsurpassedlittleoldJock¬ eyCap’selevation,accordingtoan article by Karen Cummings in the Feb.11,1993editionofTheMountain EarnewspaperofConway,N.H. Improvedhighwaysandthe“carin everygarage”conceptofpostWorld War II America gradually led to
want to ride the Sunday River Express.
“Wehaven'ttakenoutanyadsfor thisatall—it’sallbeenthroughnews articles—yetwe’vegottencallsfrom people who have heard about this andtheywanttoridethattrain,” saysKing. winter,thetrainswerea bargainandofferedacon¬ venientwaytogettothe skislopesinanerawhen few people owned their own automobiles. Round¬ tripticketscostjust$4 fromBostontoNorthCon¬ way, N.H., where skiers woulddisembarktoskiat Mt. Cranmore. Once in town, skiers were trans¬ portedtotheskislopesvia busesorsleighs,withsome evenresortingtodogsleds.
Forthosewhodidn’town theirownequipment,theB &M’ssnowtraintookcare ofskiers’needsthroughits fully equipped “Winter SportsCar.”Maintainedby theArmstrongCompanyof Boston,thesportscarwas parked on Track 3 at Boston’s North Station weekdaysinthemid-1930s. OnSundays,thecarwould becoupledwiththesnow trainfortheridetothat week’sdestination.Askier in1936couldrentapairof skis(withleatherbindings) for$1,or$1.25(withmetal bindings).Bootswentfor $1apair,andtherental rateforskipoleswas50 cents.
Snowtrainswererunin thewinterof1936-1937by theMaineCentralRailroad and the Maine Publicity Bureau,inconjunctionwiththeFrye-
reducedbusinessonrailroadbranch AllAboaarrd!!!! burg Winter Sports Committee, to bringsnowtrainsfromPortlandto Fryeburg,whereskiersschussedat theformerJockeyCapslope,Pine HillandStark’sHillSkiTrails.Tickets onthetrainwere$1.50,andlifttick¬ etsatJockeyCapwere$1.Fryeburg’s skiheritagewasbypassedthefollow¬ ingyear,however,bytheopeningof nearbyMt.CranmoreinNorthCon-
lines. The B & M dropped regular snowtrainsin1950,althoughthere weresporadicattemptstorevivethe excursions,includingonetoNorth Conwayin1956whichcarriedonly 56passengers.
Editor’snote: TomEastman,author ofFlightWithoutWings:ACelebra¬ tionof50YearsofSkiingatMt.Cran¬ more, published in 1989, is the assistanteditorofTheMountainEar newspaper in Conway, N.H., and a freelancejournalist.
WHEN THE LIGHTS go out,andtheinsideof theStateTheatreislit up like an enormous Moorishcavern,illu¬ minedingreenandgold,themurals comingtolifeinthedarkness,it’s hardtobelieveit’s1994...andyou’re inPortland,Maine.
You feel as though you’re in a genie’s bottle, as though you’ve enteredacavefourtimesaslargeas youimaginedittobe,socavelikeyou expecttohearwaterdripping.
Then a waiter approaches and offersyoubisteeya,phyllofilledwith Moroccan Chicken, Almonds, Egg, Garlic,andCilantro,tripleChocolate Terrinewithraspberrycoulis,cock¬ tailsandcoffee,andinamomentpro¬ ducesatraythattoyoursurprise
screwsintothefrontofyourcom¬ fortableseat.
Thisis,byForestCitystandards, simplyastonishing.
Becauseyou’renotoneofthelucky onessittingintheCotton-Clubseats inthecabaretareabeyondtherail, which features larger tables and miniatureexplosionsofhappypeo¬ ple, where you might expect a chanceatabitetoeat;you’vesimply reservedaseatontheincline,below theshadowoftheenormous800-seat balcony.
Yes,thedarkmiracleoftheStateis finallyhere,incredibleinitstiming, because with the advent of Port¬ land’snewskitrainconnectionto Bethel, the Sunday River Express (anotherirrecoverablylost1930s amenity restored), the Portland PiratesHockeyTeam,andthePort¬ landSeaDogswiththeirnewstadium soevocativeoftheearlydaysofthe game,thiscityboastssomeoriginal attractionsagain,ontheorderofthe FlynnTheatreinBurlingtonandthe PortsmouthMusicHall,whichState TheatremanagerandrainmakerRus¬ sellTurneradmitstohavingstudied “veryclosely.”
And what attractions: From Los Lobos to Bo DiddleytoJudyTenuta toPeterWolftoHenry Kissinger, here for a worldaffairstalk,they’reallflocking toheadlineinthesamevenuethat once hosted personal appearances by Bette Davis, Mae West, George Burns&GracieAllen,W.C.Fields andJohnWayne.
dramatizesthestoriesofStephen King,including"StrawberrySpring," "UncleOtto'sTruck,""GrayMatter" and "The Bogeyman"), Koko Taylor and Ronnie Earl, Max Creek, Emo PhilipswithBrianPowers,andthe CapitolStepsarebookedaswell.
PlainsCave
“Portland Concert Association movedtheHarlemSpiritualEnsem¬ ble’sdateherefromStateStreet Church,whichseats700,andsold 900,” says Russell Turner. “Judi Adam had a good show. She could easilyhavesold400more.”
Another immediate dividend: “MaineStateBallethasbooked20 datesin1994and20datesin1995. They’ve said ‘We really want the StateTheatertobeourhome,”’Turn¬ ersays,addingthatifhecompletes restorationofthebalconyonsched¬ ule this spring or summer, which wouldincreasetheState’scapacity to1,700—andthereiseveryindica¬ tionthathewill—itlooksasthough next season’s Portland Symphony seasonwilloccurattheStateaswell.
TheState’sonlycompetitionforthe symphonyistheCumberlandCounty CivicCenter,anauralbarbecuepit bycomparison,greatforbasketball, mega-rockshows,andtractorpulls, but with notoriously raucous acoustics.(1audited“Cats”there once.Believeme.)
“ThesquirtingpartI’mnotsureof," laughsPowerswhencalledaboutit. “Thebathing—thestereoimagingof the State—is phenomenal. As you standand—forexample,ifyoulisten toapre-recordedCDonthatsystem,
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PORTLAND ^STAGE^ COMPANY
Arms and the Man byGeorgeBernardShaw
October 17 - November 13
Holiday Memories byTrumanCapote
StageVersionbyRussellVandenbroucke November 21 - December 19
“AllIknowis,Imovedaroundthe (StateTheatre)auditoriumwhenBo Diddley was here. You could hear everyword,”saysTurner.“People cameupandsaid,‘Ican’tbelieveit. I’veneverheardanythinglikethis.’”
Theremaybemoretoitthanthat.
“Beforeweeventhoughtofoursys¬ tem,wecalledagenciesoftheacts we hoped to book and found out theirrequirementsinadvance.”
Usingspecificationsgeneratedfrom 11 companies across the country, Turnercameupwithalistofsweet¬ heartsoundparametersthatlaidthe foundationsforthecompetitivebid¬ ding.
“It’sbasicallyaworld-classsystem withathird-worldbudget,”saysPow¬ ers.“Wedesignedittoaccommodate mostoftheacts.Someofthebigger bandsneedabiggermixingconsole. Themonitorsaremoreimportantto these bands than anything else, becausethat’stheirlittleworld; that’swheretheycreatealltheir energyonstage.”
AddsMitchPiper,“TheStateThe¬ atrewasbeautifullydesignedin1929 toreproducethehumanvoiceunaid¬ ed-designed for whispers. When I firstcamehere,youcouldstandon stageandwhisperandbeheardany¬ whereintheroom.Imeanspeaksoft¬ ly,notwhisperinsomeone’sear.
Hesayscomingupwiththemagic formulafortheStatewasnoteasy. "Asfarasacomparisonbetweenthe CityHallandStateTheatre,they’re both difficult places, and both ornate,bothdesignedforthehuman voice,”hesays.
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manypeopleaswecouldwithdirect soundfromthespeakers,beforethey caught a backwash of second-hand soundinthisfairlyreverberantplace. Usingsomefairlysimplestacking andsplayingmethodswithspeakers, wewereabletodothat:hitthem withdirectsound,nottooverwhelm themwithoutit.
“We wanted penetration from the speakersystem;thatis,howfarcan direct sound travel before being overwhelmedbytheambientcharac¬ teristicsofthetheater.
“Afterpenetration,ournextgoal wastotrytogivepeoplethesense thattheyareenvelopedandbathed insound,sothatitfeelsgood.You know, like a warm bath—we wanted tocreatethesonicequivalentofthat asoftenaswecould.Thatisreally dependent on what’s going on on stage,”Pipersays.“Itdoesn’ttake muchsoundpressuretokindofover¬ whelmtheroom,soyou’rereallybet¬ terofftohaveabandplayinareally reasonablewayonstageandletthe PA system take care of it. Some stagesaresobigyougetdisconnect¬ edtoyourinstrumentinsomeways. Thisisn’taproblemwiththeState.”
itchPiperspendsalotof hoursinthere,dayand night,swallowedupby thedark.AndtheState has so much volume thattheremustbeacertain‘caveness’toit,isn’tthere?Isn’ttheStatea degreeortwocoolerinsidebecause ofitscaveness?
Ironically,bothRussellTurnerand BruceMiller,thebuildingmanager, saythatonceits$7millionrestoration is complete to improve acoustics,CityHallAuditoriumwill havefewerthan300seatsmorethan the1,700-seatbalconiedState.
Respondingtothis,somesidewalk criticshavechargedthatPortlandis too small a city to support both venues.Butconsiderthis.Forevery
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TheSleamboalErainMaine’sCalendarIslandRedon o byCAPTAINWILLIAMJ.FKAPPIER 81/2x11,hardcover,196pages,185b&wphotographs,$10OS
person excited about seeing OndekozaatCityHall,isn’tthereanoth¬ er who’d just as soon see Count Basie’sorchestraperformingatthe State?
“Ididhaveacontestforcatering.I saidthatwewantedamenutoreflect thetypeofpatronwhowouldcome tothesefourshows:PaulaPound¬ stone,LosLobos,arockshow,andI forgetthelastone.1couldlookitup. KellyGravescameupwiththiskiller menu with a unique and creative rotationofvegetable-basedeatsthat canfitonasmalltable,”saysTurner. “Therewastheniftytraything.But the question became, ‘How do you accessallthesepeople?’Therewas no model for this. We had a very compressed amount of time to get theproductoutbeforetheshowand duringintermissions.Wecreateda specialbartomoveoutthebever¬ age.”
TheStateisperfectlysuitedto thesevaudevilleandjazz-sizedaudi¬ ences,thekindofhigh-qualitysec•i ond-echelon acts that managerTurner,former ownerofRaoul’sRoad¬ sideAttractiononForest Avenue, is famous for snagging.
It'swhatover250vol¬ unteers, paintbrushes and wrenches in hand, workedforduringahighpressure,cheer-and-anxiety-filled120-dayodyssey of perspiration and ■dreams.
BecauselikeRipVan Winkle,thisplacewent to sleep in 1971 and wokeuplastNovember, afteraninspiredeffort that included some squarelyonthissecondarymarket. Heexplains:“Sincewe’renotamajor marketinPortland,whatagentslike toughdecisions.”Wegotthechairs fromCinemaCityWestbrookforone dollarachair,”saysBruceMiller,32,
Before
willi mil ad - DINNER ONLY Whenwaethehuttime youtriedsomething different?Cometothe AfghanReotaurantand tryreaoonably-prued deheiouoAfghanCuiome. Sample Baomati Rue, Chicken,5oidedioheo, Soup,Salad,Breadand DeMert.Only$7.60with the15%ducoiuit.
of Westbrook, who manages the physicalplantoftheCongressBuild¬ ingforLolaandNickKampfofCum¬ berlandForesidejustashisfather workedformanyyearsforLola’spar¬ ents.Andtheoldhorsehairchairs?
“They’reburiedinthedump.They’re beautiful,butthecostofmaking them‘self-raise’(aMainerequire¬ ment) made it impossible even to considerusingthem.Apairweres¬ cuedfromthebalconyisupstairs,in thetheateroffices,”hesays.Buried deepinthedump,likeleopards.
Theoriginalseatsareornate,self¬ lightingontheaisles,with“angelsin the architecture." The dark-red horsehair plush that survives is glossy,fabulous,makesafirst-rate exhibit.Butthesearenot,bymodern standards,chairs.TheCinemaCity chairs meet code, are actually extremelycomfortable,withacon¬ siderableexpanseofleg-room,and havetheuniqueabilitytoholdstur¬ dy,removablescrew-inplastictrays largeenoughtoservedrinksanddin¬ ner,coffeeanddessert,whichdra¬ maticallysetstheStateTheaterapart
fromanyothervenueinthecity. “Thatparticularstyleoftraycame fromtheguywhoinstalledtheseats forus,"saysMiller,whohasspent thousands of volunteer hours and manynightstryingtohelpthispro¬ ject.
Andover College believes in educating the working population to give them the opportunity for advancement andcareerchange.Classsizesaresmall,sothestudents canenjoyone-on-oneinteractionswiththeinstructor.Each student also receives more than 20 hours of hands-on trainingwithIBM-compatiblecomputers.
Harrison J. and James Libby had builtit12yearsbeforetheGreat Portlandfireof1866,anditstoodthe testoftimebeforethe1920s,roaring inafrenzyofmodernness,created
WinterProgram
Lotus 1-2-3 for Windows (CE 254) Jan.24-Feb.16. CoursewillcoverthecommandmenuofLotusaswellasthe creationofformulas,theuseoflogicalfunctions,andgraphing.
Introduction to Microcomputers (CE 261) Feb.28-Mar.23 Forindividualswithlittleornocomputerexperience.Learn computerterminology,andgainexperiencewithwindows,word processing,spreadsheets,andDOS.
Introduction to DOS (CE 262) Feb.28-Mar.23. CoursedesignedtointroduceDOScommandsandnavigation. Conceptstobeintroducedincludecopyandtypecommands, disketteformatting,andsoftwareinstallation.
WordPerfect for Windows (CE 358) Mar.28-Apr.20. Topicstobecoveredincludeworkingwithamouse,using multiplewindows,andinsertinganddeletingtext.Studentswill developaworkingknowledgeofWordPerfectforWindows.
therevolutionarysteel-beamedCon¬ gressBuilding,whichopeneditsdoorsonNovember8,1929.For74 yearsit“succeededinwithstanding themarchofanewcommercialera,” the 1929 newspapers crowed. “But itsmetamorphosisisnowcomplete.” Exceptitisstillthere,atleastthe ghostfootprintoftheplace.Accoring toMiller,inthecrawlspacebelow theCongressBuildingyoucanstill findrubbleoftheoldfoundationthat continuestolooselydefinetheold building’sperimeter,itssoulinside thegreaterimmensityofthenewer structure,asecretasarcaneasthe entirebowlingalleythatsleeps,lanes andall,belowtheparkinglotofthe nearby Portland Performing Arts Center,coveredoverbycementand tar in its own sarcophagus of progress. The Libby Mansion and twootherlotswerepartofareal estate purchase by the Congress StreetCorporationin1928.
According to newspaper reports, the“propertyconsistedofarowof sixone-storystores,theLibbyestate, and a house formerly occupied by Dr.RichardD.Small,thelastmen¬
tothesoundsofthebrashnewEast¬ land Hotel, which had been constructedjustayearearlier,in 1927,andchristenedbyafly-overby Lindbergh.ThearchitectHaroldW. RhodeshaddesignedtheEastland, just as he was designing the new Congress Building and, down the street,theChapmanBuildingon477 Congress Street, which now bears the ignominious monicker of the
“Time and Temperature” building today, vector quantities atop a dreamstructureobviouslyaimingfor thescalar.
othiswasthecenterofPort¬ land then, feverish with change.ByApril,1928,the cornerofCongressandHigh, all the way to the Baxter Building and its Portland Public Library,hadbeenexcavatedby150 workmenwholevelledtheelms,took themansion down from the top down, knocked down the one-story stores,anddeafenedsomeseagulls astheyblastedtheapartmenthouse intoaholethatwentasmuchas21 feet below Congress Street. The hardestpartwaschiselingachannel ofnaturalledgealongthewallthat facedthePortlandPublicLibrary.By January, 1928, construction pho¬ tographsrevealedsnowcoveringthe half-builtCongressBuilding,itsgiant steelbeamsvisiblefromabove,but thewallsfacingHighandCongress Streetwerecompletetotheeye.In hindsight,thiswasoneofthethree greatperiodsofprosperityforPort¬ land.TheVictorianreconstruction
aftertheGreatFireof1866(Exchange Street,MiddleStreet,Commercial Street); The Roaring 1920s (The Lafayette,Eastland,CongressBuild¬ ing,ChapmanBuildingandArcade, MillionDollarBridge,andExposition Building);The1980s(OneCityCen¬ ter,2CityCenter,100MiddleStreet, OnePortlandSquare,TwoPortland Square),wherewealsooverbuiltand repeatedthesamemistakesofthe 1920sbynotcreatingnewtenants butrathernewvacanciesfortheoldbuildingsasexistingtenantsflocked inamadrushtothenewestproject. Signofthetimes-onefickleimported linenstoreself-importantlymoved fromthenewLafayettetothenewer Eastland to the newest Congress Buildingjusttobringthenewestcon¬ veniencetoitscustomers.
uttherewasasicknessto thiscelebration.OnOcto¬ ber 29, 1929, the great StockMarketCrashrocked the country. The State openedjust10dayslater,toobeauti¬ fulandtoolatetobestopped.
Butatthesametime,Portlandwas stillthesameindefatigableplace, withseagulls,PorteousandBallard Oiladvertisinginthenewspaper, DeeringOaksdownthehill,etc.You know it was the real Portland becauseEdLangloiswashere.
“Iwasjustayoungteenager,”says Langlois,directorofMaineInnkeep¬ ersAssociation,“buttheStatewas amazing.Theoriginalprojectionist wasonmypaperroute.1wasyoung, buteventhen1couldappreciateit." AfewhourslaterLangloiscallsback withtheWindhamtelephonenumber forBirgePeterson.“Who’sthat?”I ask,flippingthroughmynotes.Then 1seeit.OnopeningnightattheState, which starred Gloria Swanson in “TheTrespasser(Screendom’sRav¬ ishingStarinHerFirstAllTalking Singing Triumph A United Artists Production),thereisaprominent blockoftypewhichsays“Singwith Birge Peterson and his Wonder OrganOtherFeatures).ThatBirge!
AbovetheStatewasa400-seat restaurantwithaseven-days-a-week orchestra and a sunken ballroom floor.Portlandwasswinging.
Also, the State came equipped withtheonly"uniqueindependent lightingandpowerplantinNewEng¬ land,"which"obviatesanypossible delayintheshowwhichmightoccur duringviolentstorms,whenthelocal electricplantmightbeforcedtem¬ porarily out of commission," accountsofthedayboasted.“Ifthe outsidesupplyoflightandpoweris cutoff,theStateneednotbeplunged intosilenceanddarknessforasingle instant.Thethrowingofaswitch startstheindependentelectricplant lightingalltheemergencyandelec¬ triclamps."
Inotherwords,inatotalpower loss,patientsintheintensivecare unit at Maine Medical might be thrashing,butyou'dstillbeenter¬ tainedattheState.
TheoriginalWurlitzerisstillthere too,attheState.Infact,Millersays thatisonereasonthatthepornogra¬ phy cinema was allowed to stay weeks longer than planned. "They saidtheirleaseallowedthemtotake originalequipimentaschattel,"he shrugs."Wemadeadeal."
Artistically, Portland was so ambiguousin1929thatthecommer¬ cialspacesweredesignedtohave oldColonialthemes,oldSpanish,or Italian Renaissance. Things were goingsoftlycrazy.Aweekbefore opening,theCongressSquarePart¬ nersbeganhawking3,000preferred stocksharesontheparvalueof100
each; 7 percent stock with semi¬ annualdividends.Readingbetween thelinesinthenewspaper,youcan almostsmellthefear. November,1929.
InNanking,itwasthebeginningof Anti-Opiumweek,"designedbythe government to teach Chinese the harmfuleffectsofthedrug.”"Skin Deep,"theWarnerBrothers"alltalk¬ ingVitaphonethriller,"wasplaying in town, as well as "Dangerous Curves,"byClaraBow.
illersaystheowners, Nick and Lola Kampf, havespent“somewhere around $500,000” to date on the project; Turnersaysit'scloserto$400,000. Enthusiasticandknowledgeable,it wasMillerwhosespadeworkatthe PortlandPublicLibraryunearthed the all-but-forgotten diary of HaroldRhodes,atreasuryofdetails andfeelings.Nowintimatewithhis entriesof1928and1929,Millerand othervolunteerswereabletoview thestructureandtheirrestoration with the eyes of the architect. “Therewereholesintheceiling,” Millersays.“Theroofwasleaking. Theplacewasunhealthytobein... because... it had been a porno house.”Iguessitwasprettybad. Millersnasalcavitycontractsashe speaksofit,andwhenIpressfor detailsapersonnearbywhowishes to be unidentified chimes in and paintsaratherstarkpictureofthe desultoryfacilitybeforetherestora¬ tion.“Look,”theguyontheclean-up crew exclaims. “You stuck to the floorwhenyoutriedtowalk.”
It was bad. Back in February, 1987, when this magazine shook somelocalcobwebswithafeature storyannouncingexpirationofthe porno-house’sleaseonDecember31, 1989andcallingforafuturerestora¬ tion, we sent staffer Margarete Schnauck over to document the existingconditions.ThedayMar¬ garete went over, two shows were playing, “Wild Eyes” and “Black Boss.”Thespunkofurinewasevery¬ where,thelobby“itselfretaining hintsofitsoriginalgrandeur,camou¬ flaged however by billboards announcingcomingattractionsand signsforbiddingpublicurination,
sexualactivity,ormalepresencein theladies'room.Abovethelobby hangsahugewrought-ironlantern," shewrote.“Steppingbackintothe smallerwell-littheater(forthenthe Statewasdividedintotwotempo¬ raryviewingareas,StateIforhetero¬ sexualandStateIIforgayviewing),I proceeded into the lobby area, wheretherearefourwoodenbooths. HesitantlyIopenedthedoormarked “WildEyes.”Insidewasabenchand ametalbox(aprojector),andonthe insideofthedoorwasasmallscreen. Inscribedontheprojectorbyagraffitist:‘Iwatchmyneighbor’s14-yearold-daughterdressforschoolevery day.’ Then-manager Eastman, who workedforAssociatedTheaterMan¬ agement, Inc., a Massachusetts¬ based organization which held a 20-year lease from then-owner JosephPoulin,LolaKampf'sfather, commented that business for pornography theaters was declining everywhere because of theskintradeatVideocassetterental businesses.“Thetheaterisjustthe same as when they walked out in 1968,”hetoldMargarete,addingthat “SwissFamilyRobinson”wasthelast movie shown before the State’s repertoirewasdedicatedtoadult filmsonlyand"IAmCuriousYellow" madeitsdebut.BruceMillerlaughs andsays,“Alocalnewspaperreview¬ errevieweditasanartfilmand didn’tseemtorealizeitwasthefirst ofatotalswitchtopornofilms,”he says.“Thereviewishilarious.”
Mostvaluedvolunteer,according to Miller, was New England Tele¬ phone'sMartyBarnett.Thebeautiful muralsinthestatewerewonderfully andaccuratelyrepaintedbyLaurie BabineauofthePortlandSchoolof Art. "She took all tracings and repaintedthem,"Millersays.
Crowdslovetheplace.
Ifyouwalkinside,you'refilledwith hopeforthiscity.Andifyou'restill undecided,considertherealbell¬ wetherforsuccess:JamesLedueof Alberta’sCafeislaunchinganew restaurantdirectlyacrossthestreet fromthenewState."It'sgoingtobe three-quarters Tuscany and onequarterwhateverwefeellikecook¬ ing,"helaughs.Therestaurantopens in February.
The menu is an eclectic hodge podgeofcuisines,drawingheavily fromtheAmericanSouthwest,Italy, andthePacificRim,aculinaryhybrid thatisnotasdiscordantasitsounds. Fromthisinternationalmaelstrom wechoseCrostiniSalad($5.95)and GrilledLamb($4.95)tostart.The
CrostiniSaladconsistedofslicesof Tuscan bread topped with tomato jam, grilled shrimp, and cheese bakedintoadeliciouslygooeyamal¬ gam. Parmesan vinaigrette coated largechunksofRomaine,creating thefoundationuponwhichtheCros¬ tinilay.Hence,itsdescriptionassal¬ ad.TheGrilledLambhadaflavorfar more complex than the Koreaninspired,menu-describedmarinade ofsoy,honey,andgarlicwouldindi¬ cate.Fourrichlypungentchunksof juicy, smoky lamb topped a mound ofwiltedgreens.TheKoreancab¬ bagecondiment,KimChee,sortofa three-alarmsaurkraut,addedanoth¬ erlayeroftasteandtexturetofur¬ ther enhance the complexity of tastesinthisdish.
thedaywasBlackBeanandOrange. Many would consider the combina¬ tiondaring,butthetastesmelded well and kept the soup light and refreshinginsteadofheavyandfill¬ ing.
Forentrees,wechoseWoodGrilled Sirloin($15.95)andGrilledSwordfish Medallions($15.95).Thesteakwas large,crustedwithpeppercorns,and grilledtomediumrare,perfectlypre¬ paredbutlessthanfork-tender.The plate was accessorized with very goodroastpotatoes,steamedbroc¬ coli(whatcanyousay?),andacom¬ plimentaryhorseradishsauce.The swordfishconsistedoftwothinly slicedgrilledsteaks,layeredwith grilledbitsofradicchio(bitterItalian endive)andpylon-sizedpiecesof tomato. Swordfish benefits from being thinly sliced and quickly
cooked,and,aswasthecasehere,it leavesitmoist,withatender,meaty textureandtaste.Thesaffronoil dressinghadlostsomebrightness, but the radicchio added a proper ;contrast to the good simple flavor of I the fish. Rounding out the wholei someness was a carrot-studded, , comforting, grainy pilaf and more steamedvegetables.
Fordessert,wehadtwoplate-licking-goodpies.AsilkyBananaCream ($3.95)andterrific,sticky,chewy, nutty, tooth-packing pecan pie ' ($3.95).
Maine Center For The Arts, Universi¬ tyofMaine,Orono.OnFriday,Janu¬ ary14,at1and7p.m.,seeDynamO Theatre.Throwtogetheragreatsto¬ ry, amazing gymnastics, and highenergyperformers,andyoubeginto understandwhythistroupehasinter¬ nationalappealforaudiencesofall ages.Next,onJanuary23,at3p.m.,is Pilobolus.Twopartsdancer,onepart contortionist, this dance company stretches the boundaries of human movements in amazing in beautiful ways.OnSaturday,January29,at8 p.m., attend the Brahms Requiem. TheUniversityofMaineDepartment ofMusicjoinsforceswiththeUniver¬ sitySingersandtheOratorioSociety toperformthisBrahmsmasterpiece. Joseph Wiggett and Nancy Ogle are guestsoloists.Formoreinformation, call581-1804.
Androscoggin Chorale, SouthParis. Beginning in February the An¬ droscogginChoralewillcontinueits seriesof"AmericanClassics,"focus¬ ingthisyearonthemusicofRichard Rogers.Thisever-popularserieswill beperformedinSouthParisonFebru¬ ary5th,inLewistononFebruary6,in BethelonFebruary12,andagainin Lewiston on February 13. For more information,call783-4006.
Marcus Roberts Trio willperformon March 12 at Lewiston Junior High. Masterofancientjazzpianotradi¬ tions,Roberts"exploresthegalloping
stridestylepioneeredbyJamesP. Johnson and Fats Waller while alwaysfindingsomethingnewtosay. Anexceptionalofferingpresentedby LAArts.782-7228.
State Theater, CongressStreet,Port¬ land.Saturday,January15,it'sthe ClancyBrothers,RobbieO’Connell, withspecialguestsNortheastWinds. Legendary Irish music. Wednesday, January26,at7:30p.m.,see"Ghost Stories,"adaptedbyRobertPridham fromstoriesbyStephenKing."The ideaistogetbacktostorytellingat itsmostbasic,"sayscreatorPrid¬ ham."Wewanttheaudiencetofeel likethey'resittingaroundaprimitive campfire,listeningtoafamiliartale ofdread.Theatreseats$10,cabaret seats$15.Fridaynight,January28, hear Koko Taylor and Ronnie Earl, "twogreatnationalbluesheadliners ononestage."OnSaturday,January 29, at 2 p.m., see "2001: Space Odyssey on the biggest viewing screeninthestateofMaine-40feet. Fullconcertsound.OnFebruary3, theStatefeaturesTheCapitolSteps, "the only group in America that attempts to be funnier than Con¬ gress."
classic New England village with National Historic District. Affordable accommodations, great restaurants, unrushed, uncrowded pace. CentralTo:alpine&crosscountryskiing•snowmobiletrails' factoryoutletshopping•uniquecraft&antiqueshops
EF: Jerome Roenick. He plays fortheChicagoBlackHawks. PM: Allofasuddenitseemsyou have 6,000 new best friends, even though you grew up here. Howweirdisthat?
EF: It'skindareal.Ineverreally expected it to happen here. Peopletalkaboutthepressure, butI'mjusttryingtomakethis team.
PM: How exactly is your life different?Hasanybodysentyou flowers,slashedyourtires,sent youperfumedgreetingcards?Do people you don't know wait for you aftergames?
EF: I knew a lot of people before. I see them. They're friends. They keep me humble. Theytrashtalkmeandkeepme onmytoes.
EF: Ah,notexactly.(Hespeaks ofthisgood-naturedly.)Afew yearsagoIwassuckerpunched inSharkey's.Ihadabeerbottle in my mouth and someone came upandhitmefrombehind.
PM: And this person knew you were Eric Fenton, the hockey player?
PM: IguessI'llaskitagain:How do people treat you now that you're a Pirate? It must be a fantasy come true, even better thanplayinginaWorldSeriesin an unfamiliar city. You're a professional hockey player ...righthere!Dotheyimagineyou makeatonofmoney?
EF:Yeah,Ithinktheydo.Ihave a 25-game contract where I'm paid around $1,300 every two weeksaftertaxes.
PM: With five games every two weeks,thatworksoutto...$260 per game in a bone-crushing league. Like in the movie "Slapshot."Whodoyouhangout
Bed & Breakfast on the Lake atmosphere,Cross-countryskiing,warm,cozy fullheartybreakfast.Six lakesiderooms,privatebathsquiet Castine,setting.ConvenienttoBlueHill, DeerIsle,andBarHarbor. OPEN ALL YEAR. JanandDougGibson,Lodgekeepers P.O.Box18,Orland,Me.044/2 207-469-6393
with? You aren't married, are you?
EF:No.1datedsomeoneforfive years, but we broke up at the beginningofthesummer.
PM: I'msorry.Fiveyears!Doyou stillcorrespondwithher?Does she know you've achieved what you've always dreamed about since boyhood, to play profes¬ sionally?
EF:No.Ihaven'theardfromher sincewebrokeup.1don'tthink she knows anything about what's happened to me. I'm tryingsohardtocontributeto this team. We’re always traveling.Ah,Iguessthereisn’t much time.
PM: Soyou’renotaffiancedor anythingrightnow?
EF: I guess I hang out with Martin Jiranek, my roommate, whoalsoplaysforthePirates. WealsolivewithKevinScully, who used to play with me at North Yarmouth Academy and thenUSM.ScottSmartandGreg Stroutaremyotherroommates. Theyusedtoplaybasketballfor SouthPortlandHigh.
ground crew for Northeast Air! Everybody flying into Portland met me at the Jetport coming home. Sables. I used to bounce Finish at 12:30. Lunch. there.
PM: Three of your five room¬ matesweresportsstarsinhigh school and maybe college, but they'renotplayinganymore?Can youbelieveyou'restilldoingthis? Don'tyoufeellikePeterPan?
EF: Itfeelsthatwaysometimes. My roommate, Kevin Scully, has a good job now, with an insurance company. Sometimes whenIseehimgoingofftowork Iwishhecouldbehere,withme. We'regoodfriends.
PM: Has any food been named afteryou?IsthereanEricFenton burger somewhere?
EF: 1thinkthereisone,upin Legends in Bangor. A big fat greasy burger, with everything onit.Mayo.Lotsofmayo.
PM: What are your best 30 secondsasaPirate?
EF: In my first game against Albany. We were ahead, 3-2. I scored my goal to make it 4-2. Also,1assistedKaminsky'sgoal with9secondsleftthisseasonto tieagame.
PM: Did you ever work any odd jobsingreaterPortlandearlierin your life? Where could we have seenthefutureNo.11?
EF: Iworkedforthebaggageand
PM: Istherehockeytrashtalk, like in basketball? What have someopposingplayersgrowledto youundertheirhelmets?
EF: No.They'regoingtotryto suck you into fights, though. Yeah,they'regoingtotrytoget youoffyourgame.Ifyouthink they're going to run you then they’rewinning.
PM: What player on another teammostirritatesyou?
EF: Ruchity,ofAlbany.
PM: What does he do? How does hegetyou?
EF: 1 don't like him. He just thinks he's the baddest man around.
PM: What opposing teams are grudgematchesforthePirates?
EF: (Smiles.)Iliketoputonmy leftskatefirst.Idon’tknowwhy. 1liketouseaHespler8800stick, with a right-hand curve. I go through about three dozen in a season. For skates, 1 use CCMTacks. Cost? The team buys them for me. I guess around $300.1usetwopairsayear.
EF: Before I was the man my teammates looked for to score the goals. In this league everyone’s a great player. I'm heretogetopponentsofftheir games.1didn'tplayaggressively atMainebecauseIdidn’tneedto then. Now it gets me into the game.Incollegetheykeptstats of how many hits you had in a game.Ifthereweren'tfivehits per game, the coach would get onyou.ButI'mdefinitelyhappy here,yeah.Myjob'snotetched instone.Therearenonightsoff. I have a lot of confidence in myself. Ten years from now? I have no idea where I'll be. Twenty? I don't know! In a mansion somewhere. Near the ocean. (He's off, racing me, beautiful,totallyacrosstherink beforeIreach...thecenterline!I feel exhausted and ridiculous, but I realize first-hand what incredibleathletesthePirates are.It'strulyaprivilegetolose to him and see someone skate likethat,accelerating.Onthis ice,hedefinesatotallydifferent humanscaleandspeedthatisan uttersurprisetome.Ericisa niceguy,athoughtfulguy,and hetrulylovesskating.)
PM: PeoplemaywinStanleyCups orOlympicGoldmedals,butthey don'tusuallygettodoitinfrontof a home-town crowd. Do you ever havefantasiesaboutplayingin frontofschoolteachers,bullies, and people who make and enjoy Italian sandwiches here in Portland?Oldgirlfriends?
EF:Idon’tevennoticethat.You only look at that during warmups.Lifeisnormal.Myaunt stillcutsmyhair. I -ColinSargent
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IwantedcoffeebutasIstopped atthetouristyOgunquitrestau¬ rantintheboss'svan,Irepri¬ manded myself for doing it. CoffeeIcouldgetbackatthe shopandthiswasthekindofplace wherepeopleinbrightshortsand camerasaroundtheirneckspaida dollarsomethingforcof¬ feewithoutthinkingany¬ thing of it and looked around at the scenery, pointingatsailboatsofno distinction.Thetruthwas Iwantedtopampermyself bythewaterforaminute before heading back to Portland.ThecustomerI hadjustmadeadelivery to had cajoled me into waitingalittlelongerfor payment and 1 knew the bosswouldbesourabout it.Itookmycoffeeoverto astonewallandsatwith mybacktothecarsgleam¬ ingintheafternoonsun.I was beginning to tear openlittlepacketsofsug¬ arwhenathirtyishguyin stonewashed jeans and sunglasses sauntered over. He put a softleatheredfootuponthe wallandlookedseaward.
ItoldhimIwasfromBostonand was here visiting my brother, George,inWindham.Ilookedatmy watch,rememberingIhadpromised GeorgeI'dbeinWindhambyseven, tohelphimfinishweatherstripping theupstairswindows.1wasn'tgoing tobelate,Iresolvedfirmlyinmy mind, remembering how George's handshadtwistedaroundeachoth¬ eronthekitchentableaweekbefore, ashetalkedaboutSandie'srestless¬ nessandthreatstoleavehimforlife inMontreal.Itwastrue,hesaid,star¬ ingintothesmall,amberlightinthe mock kerosene lamp on the table, thatshespokeFrenchandwasedu¬ catedandcouldn'tbeexpectedto waitforeverforhimtomakesome¬
thingofhimself.ForGeorge,every day had become a portentous ten hours of economic significance. He would ask to borrow money tonightandIwouldgivehimwhatI could.
"Oh,you'renotfromhere,"theguy said, looking me over. Then he
1drainedmycoffeecupandstood up.Iputmyfootonthe wall near his and he lookeddownatmydirty boot,probablywondering whyavisitorfromBoston wassportingadirtyboot.
"Maine,"Ipronounced, witharesident'sauthori¬ ty,"isastateoflongwin¬ ters,shortsummers,hard workers,lowwages,few jobs, and crammed with poorpeoplefromBidde¬ fordtoBrownvillewho've neverevenseenaBooth¬ bay Harbor bed and breakfast. Even people who make a nice living hereworktheircansoff."
"What's your brother do?"hewenton,discon¬ certinglychatty.
"Whathecan,"Isaid flatly.
"Hey, I didn't mean any...Jesus,lookatthe chest on that kid. She can'tbethirteenyet."His mouth dropped open as heregardedafamilyof four approaching the restaurant.
Thefatherwasinthelead,dressed inpressed,grayworkpantsanda lightchinojacket.Hewasaboutthir¬ tybuthadsomegrayhair.Hewalked dignified,glancingaroundwarily.I watched his mouth move as he respondedtosomethingsaidbyhis smallboy.
The mother put her arm around himandpulledhimtowardher,whis¬ pering something in his ear that madehimsmileandjumpalittle.She woreashirtwaistdressandhadher hairtiedbackatthenapeofher neck.Withoutlookingatherhus¬ band,shewalkedwithtrance-like posturetowardtherestaurant.The well developed daughter walked
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alongatalittledistancefromtheoth¬ ers. Long-haired and pretty, she threwanappraisinglookaroundthe placeasthoughitweresomething shemightbuysomeday.
"IthinkI’llheaduptoIslesboro," theguysaidwithinspiration."TV people are buying up the houses there,soitmustbeapromisingarea forbusiness."
The guy had given the matter somethought,anyway,butasalocal with my fair share of psychic Downeast baggage, I was a little depressedbyhisremark,andsaidI hadtobegoing.Alotofpeoplewho didwellinMainewerefromother places.Theywerefullofenthusiasm for a new life, understandably seducedbythestate'sgreenandsil¬ verbeautyandthesightofpowerful oceancollidingwithgreatrocksthat seemedfitcompanyforrisktakers with strong bodies and plenty of futureleft.Thetypethatindaysof yorehadbuiltbarksandbrigantines andsentthemofftohunttreasure andadventureonthesevenseas.
Ipiledintothevanandspedto Portland,whereIfoundanoteonthe shopdoorfromthebossinstructing me to do something with the cus¬ tomer's money he'd been counting on.
At quarter past seven I pulledintomybrother's driveway.Thekidswere turningcartwheelsonthe grassneartheshedwhere George kept photographic equip¬ mentthathadfailedtoservehim commercially.Thekidsstoodstillin the September dusk, watching the carapproach.When1alighted,they rantowardme.
"She'llbehere,"Isaidcheerfully, notingthatthehousehadonlyone lighton."Lookinmyrightpocket,"I said,pattingmyjacket.Thelittle one'shandplungedinandpulledout ahandfulofchocolatekisses,drop¬ ping some in her excitement. The three of them crouched down to combthedarkeninggrassforfallen kissesandIwentintotheominously ill-lithousetofindmybrother.■
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