dEarn your associate degree in ComputerSciencein16-22months. Allclassesmaybetakenduringthe dayorevening.
VContinuingEducationcourseswill helpyou"brush-up"onjusttheskills youneedtoknow!4-weekclasses, Saturday classes, and All-day seminarsareavailable.
V94%ofourgraduatesareemployed intheworkplace!
AndoverCollegeissouthernMaine'sleaderincom¬ putertechnology.Wehavebeeneducatingstudents incomputersforyears.Ourinstructorsarehighly skilledandtrainedonthelatestcomputersoftware. The workplace is changing, ARE YOU? The com¬ puteristhewayofthepresentandthekeytothe future, so Learn For Tomorrow...TODAY at Andover College!
Colin Sargent E oundtn^ Editor d Publisher N A N C Y S A R G E N T Art Director Cheryl Casey Publisher's Assistant
Lavra Catlin Mark Using er Advertising Johanna Ha n a b u r g h ( ops- Editor
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Portland Magazine is published by Sargent Publishing. Inc.. 57X Congress Street.’ Portland. ME 04101. All correspondence should be ad¬ dressed to 57X Congress Street. Portland. ME 04101.
Advertising Office: 57X Congress Street. Portland. ME 04101 (207) 775-4339.
Billing Questions: If you have questions regarding advertising invoicing and payments, call Cheryl Cases at 775-4339.
Newsstand Cover Date: April 1995. published March 1995. Vol. 10. No. 2. copyright 1995. Portland Magazine is mailed at third class mail rates in Portland. ME 04 101 (ISSN: OXS7-534O). Opinions expressed in articles are those of authors and do not represent editorial portions of Portland 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 with¬ out written permission from the publishers. Sub¬ missions welcome, but we take no respon¬ sibility for unsolicited materials
Portland Magazine is published 10 times an¬ nually by Sargent Publishing, Inc.. 57X Congress .Street. Portland, with newsstand cover dates of Winlerguide.February/March.April.May. Summerguide, July/August. September, October, November, and December.
If
DATING
ExperTech Inc.
unravelling the mysteries of information technology
Haveyougotoldcomputer equipmentyou'dlikeputto gooduse?Donateittothe MaineVolunteerConnection (MVC) and make a local non¬ profitgrouphappy!Freepickup andapossibletaxdeductionto boot.Formoreinformationcall ExperTech.Inc.at207.767.5099 or800.850.5099.Orcallthe MVC at 207.594.2636.
FROM THE EDITOR ■
blue uniform with a Napoleonic blue hattoofficialfunctions.TheEvening Expresslovedhim,creditinghimwith usinghisinfluencetoestablishthe city’syear-roundsteamshipserviceas well as bringing the Royal Scots, a crackdrillteam,tomarchthroughPort¬ land’sstreets.Allofasudden,large BritishvesselsliketheHMSPallas were glidingintoport.“Mr.Keatinghassuc¬ ceeded in making himself extremely popular,”thenewspaperunderstated, adding that “Mr. Keating has been furthersuccessfulinfurnishingand maintaining,largelyunassisted,ahome forseamenofallnationalities."
SotheydispatchedViceConsulJohn B.KeatingtoPortland.Hehadlivedin placesasfar-flungasMauritius,the Cape of Good Hope, St. Helena, Gos¬ port,Gibraltar,andBermuda.Hehit Portlandin1895andby1898hadin¬ creasedexportsfromtheForestCityto GreatBritainbynearly500percent. Doubtersstartedtoblink. Crowdscheered.
Combiningtherobustnessofformer DeeringHighSchoolfootballstarMort Soule, whom he resembled, with the civicenthusiasmofGeorgeNeavoll, ViceConsulKeatingwasagreatbearof aconsulwhoworeaswordanddress
But where? Where would you choose toliveifyouweretheBritishVice-Con¬ sul?
Istumbleintotheansweralmosta yearlaterwhiletouringanoldbuilding withrealestateagentKevinMcQuinn. Thisparticularbrickrowhouse,now zonedformorethan4apartments,is forsalefor$139,000andislocatedone block up from Longfellow Square on the left side of Lower Pine Street, Number16.1amonlyconventionallyin¬ teresteduntil1feelsomethingpulling metotheroof.Bagpipes? Theattic skylighthasaviewofPortlandHead Light,andbeyondit,blueinfinitude. Bagpipes?I’velearnedaboutthetaxes, theheatingsystem,thepresenttenants atwill.TheTrelawneyBuildingwavers tomyleft;farbelow,theLongfellow statuesitsinclearrelief,carsasnarl aroundit.Weareactuallyhigherup thanthetopoftheHolidayInn,Ireal¬ ize.“TheysaytheBritishConsulused tolivehere,”Kevinmentionsbefore movingontotheelectricbill.
Itwasgratifyingtoseeoneof Maine’smostdistinguishedarchi¬ tectsreceiveattentioninyour cover story on Margaret Burn¬ ham. One of George Burnham’s buildingsisrighthereattheheart ofdowntownPortland-theformer Porteousdepartmentstorebuild¬ ingonCongressStreet.Burnham isresponsiblefordoublingthe original1904structure,adding threebayswhichcarefullyrepli¬ catedthemagnificentBeauxArts facadethatremainsoneofthe finestofitskindinMaine.
MaineCollegeofArt(MECA)will bepreservingthehistoricexteri¬ orofthistreasuredlandmarkasit renovatesthePorteousbuilding foritsfuturehome.Andrunning through the new MECA building willbeacascadingfive-storey stairwaydesignedbythearchitect RichardRenner,wholaterlearned thatoneofBurnham’spassions wasdesigningstairs!
How do you compete against the Goliath in your industry? By workingharderandsmarter!Today'sforwardthinkingleadersare doingjustthatbyleveragingonlinetechnologytoboostproductivity, 1enhancetheirpublicimage,anddeliverstellarcustomerservice.
We'dliketohelp.Ourproduct.TheMajorBBS,istheworld's leadingonlinesoftware.Thousandsoftop-rankedorganizationslike Gateway 2000, Holiday Inn. Symantic. the Miami Herald, AST Research, and Harvard University have chosen The Major BBS as theironlineplatform.
DOS, Windows, Novell, and UNIX compatible, as well as seamless Internetsupportconnectivity.Whetheryou'relookingforan in-housee-mailplatformoramultinationalcustomerserviceandfile transfersystem.TheMajorBBSfillsallthesefunctionseffortlessly. Wehavebeenservicingonlineplatformssince1989andwantto helpyoucompetewiththeGoliathsinyourindustry.
P.O. Box 632 Gardiner. Maine 04345-0632 207-582-0342ext.15.Fax207-582-0342Ext.2. JUST DO IT? Not this time.
We helpMainebusinessestorealizetheirpublic relationsgoalsthroughapartnershipofcreativity andexperiencethatisLetterPerfect.
Whether your club needs anewsletteror your company would like help introducing a new service,wewilllistentoyourideasand develop theimageyoureallywanttoproject.
CHRISTIAN RATCUFF — better knownasratcliff@bid.com— is a webmaster, an occupa¬ tionthatdidnotexistuntila fewyearsago.HelivesinPort¬ landandchartstheelectronicuni¬ verse,creatingpathwaysalongthe WorldWideWeb,thesleek,glitzy newpermutationoftheInternet.The WebistotheInternetwhatTechni¬ colorwastoblack-and-whitesilent movies,whattelevisionistoradio. Infact,thefirsttimethatPortland ad man Jonathan Farley saw a Web page,“1thoughtitwaslikethefirst daysoftelevision.Whentelevision firstcamealong,somepeopleinad¬ vertisingsaid‘Thisisgreat,’andoth¬ erspooh-pooheditandhadtocatch uplater.”Farleydoesn’tplanto catchuplaterontheInternet,which iswhyhehasaWebsiteundercon¬ struction.
When you ask around southern Maine about people who construct Websites,youtendtohearthename ofDarrellTaylor,aretiredphiloso¬ phyprofessor—andone-timecomputerphobe—who started reading computerbooksafewyearsagoand nowdesignsWebpages.
Although the words “site” and
“page” are sometimes used inter¬ changeably, they mean different
things.AWebsiteisacomputerthat hosts World Wide Web activity. A Webpageisascreenfuloftextand digitizedphotographsorotherim¬ ages — and sometimes sounds and evenvideoclips—thatoneputsup onaWebsiteforviewingbyanyone connectedtotheInternet.
Buttheirvisualappealisnotwhat makes Web pages fascinating and useful.Itishyperlinksthatdothat. Hyperlinks, when you see them on thescreenofacomputerconnected
Internet,”Taylorsays.Taylorcreated amini-magazinefullofraspberry facts,informationabouttheanticarcinogenicpropertiesofber¬ ries,lusciouspictures.It’s available for viewing at WhistlingWingsFarm’snew Web site: www.farm.com. Rightnow,he’sdesigning pagesforasmallMainecom¬ panythatmakesflotationde¬ vicesforresearchsubmar¬ ines.Mostofthecompany’s businessiswithclientson theWestCoastandinHong Kong. “With Web pages, they’llbeabletosharein¬ formationandpictureseas¬ ily and cheaply,” Taylor says.“Andthey’llhavean FTP(FileTransferProtocol)site,so peoplecaninstantlyclickonwhat theyseeanddownloadit.”
AlthoughFarley’sPortlandadagen¬ cy,DesignMarketing,doesn’tyet haveitsownsitebuilt,Farleyhada handinthegraphicdesignaspectsof asiterecentlyconstructedforSugar¬ loaf USA. Farley decided how it shouldlook,andsomeonelikeTay¬ lor-TomGaleofNetImpact,aMass¬ achusetts-basedfirm—didthepro¬ grammingtomakeitwork.
As soon as someone figures out howtotransmitcreditcardnumbers whilekeepingthemsafefromonline thieves,Taylorbelieves,we’llsee shoppingmallsspringingupallover theWorldWideWeb.Indeed,securi¬ tyisacontinuingconcernandamaj¬ orresponsibilityforwebmasters.
B“WE,” RATCLIFF means the WebsitehemaintainsforBid¬ defordInternet,oneofahand¬ fulofInternetprovidersbased insouthernMaine.AtBidde¬ fordInternet’sPortlandoffice,a sparselyfurnishedsuiteatthecor¬ ner of Exchange and Congress streetswithashelfofhigh-speed modemsblinkingononewall,Eliza¬ bethFreysaystheclienteleisgrow¬ ingslowlybutsteadily,including lawyersandphysicianswhovalue theInternet’sresearchresourcesas wellasretailerswhovaluethedemo¬ graphicprofilesofindividualInternet users.
It’s an occupational title smackingofmysteryandmagic thatRatclifftriesonlypartiallyto dispel.Beingawebmaster,he says,meansmonitoringtheuse ofaWebserverforcommercial billingandaccommodatingus¬ erswhowanttobeaddedtoa Web site’s pages. He designs pages,orexpandsthem,andhe keepsthemsafeandsecure.He keepsthesiterunningsmoothly. Hegoesoutofhiswaytoargue againstmysteriousness.Yes,hyper¬ linksseemmagical,“butthey’realso pedestrian.Wealldoitallthetime— writinginformationdowninnote¬ booksorcommittingthingstomem¬ ory,creatingcross-references.Irail againstthisproblemallthetime,that therearealotofpeopleincomput¬ ingwhowanttokeepitallmysteri¬ ous. But the gap between under¬ standingandnotunderstandingis verysmall.It’sturningsomethingon andturningsomethingoff,liketurn¬ ing‘bold’onandoffinawordpro¬ cessingprogram.”
TheWorldWideWeb,withitsrevo¬ lutionaryhyperlinks,ofcourse,isal¬ soyoung,inventedin1990atthe European Laboratory for Particle PhysicsinGeneva,Switzerland,and madeaccessibletonon-physicistsin 1993withthecreationattheUniver¬ sityofIllinoisMosaic,thefirstgraph¬ ical browser for the Web. Before Mosaic,theWeb,andtherestofthe Internet,wasaccessibleonlybylab¬ oriouslytypingoutcommands.With Mosaic, a user could now move aroundtheelectronicworldbyclick¬ ingonicons.AndwithMosaic,pic¬ turesandsoundsbecamepossible.
Continuedonpage21
FULL Unrestricted INTERNET Access
As the largest Maine-based Internet provider with physical points of presence in Portland, Augusta, and Bangor, Agate Internet Services connectsyourbusinesstotheInternetwithahighspeeddigitallinein lessthan20businessdays.
Individual and professional accounts are created in 1 day. If you connect with the Agate network, you also receive access to special software that tells how many hours you have been connectedAgateInternetistheonlyproviderthatoffersreal-timeaccounting.
In addition to 15 free hours of usage per month, Dial-on-Demand users also receive an E-mail address, a free USENET Newsfeed (11,000+ groups), a free WWW home page, and an individual, static IP address. Your computer actually becomes a part of the Internet. It's almost like having 15 free hours to talk with anyone, anywhere in the world.
red and black acrylic on canvas "Lobster Claws" size: as large as requested
What are municipal bonds? Municipal bonds arc debt issuesofcitiesandtowns,statesandterritories,counties, localpublichousingauthorities,waterdistricts,school districts,andsimilargovernmentalunits.
How is interest income taxed? Interest income from most municipal bonds is exempt from federal income taxes, althoughsomenon-essentialbondsissuedafterAugustX. 1986maybesubjectloeitherthealternativeminimumlaxor federalincometaxes.
Whetheryourmunicipalbondinterestincomeissubjectto state income tax depends on your state of residency and wherethemunicipalbondswereissued.
Taxpayerswhoreceivesocialsecuritypaymentsareindirectly taxedontheirmunicipalbondinterest,sincetheportionof theirMvialsecuritypaymentssubjecttofederalincomelaxis based on income received from all sources, including municipalbondinterest.
Investors who purchase "market discount" bonds (bonds purchased in the secondary market at a price below face value)shouldbeawareofarecenttaxlawchange.These
Why is the interest rate on municipal bonds lower than the rate paid by corjxirate bonds and U.S. government securities?Sincetheinterestincomefrommunicipalbonds isexemptfromfederalincometaxes,investorsarewilling toacceptalowerrateofreturn.Inordertocomparethe returnsofmunicipalbondstoothertypesolbonds,you shouldcomparetheyieldtotheyieldyoucouldobtainona taxableinvestmentwithasimilarmaturityandcreditrating. Inordertodothat,youhaveloconvertthetax-exemptrate toa"taxableequivalent."Ifyouarenotinvestingina municipalbondwhoseinterestincomeisalsoexemptfrom statetaxes,thecalculationisfairlystraightforward:Taxexempt interest percentage^ I marginal tax bracket) = taxableequivalentpercentage.
How can you invest in municipal bonds? There are three basicwaystoinvestinmunicipalbonds:
•Individualbondscanbepurchasedwithaminimumface amount of $5,000. You should purchase more than one issueinorderloprovideadequatediversification.Theaftermarketformunicipalbondsisnotasextensiveasother bondmarkets,sometimesmakingitdifficultlosellanissue beforematurity.
What factors should you consider before investing in municipalbonds?Checkthecreditqualityofthebonds, since you will probably hold the bonds for ten years or longer.Reviewthecallprovisionsofthebondsoyouarc notsurprisedbyacall.Findoutwhetherthebondscarryinsurance.whichraisesthecreditratingofthebondbut mayreducetheyield.Beforeinvestinginauniitrustor mutualfund,examineallcosts,includingsaleschargesand feesformanagementandoperation.
With increased lax rates came increased discussion of municipalbonds.Pleasecallifyouwouldliketodiscuss municipal bonds and their place in your investment portfolio.
While Mosaic remains popular — andfree—otherWebbrowsershave alsobecomeavailable.Themostad¬ vanced,manyuserssay,isNetscape Navigator,whichisalsofree.
Itmaybeusefultothinkofthe World Wide Web not as the over¬ done“informationhighway,”butas a house with numerous outside doors,eachofwhichopensintoadif¬ ferentcountry.Ifyoulivedinsucha house,geographywouldhavelittle relevancetoyou.
Geographyhaslittlerelevanceto ChristianRatcliff.Hedealsdailywith people all over the world. Where theyarephysicallyisirrelevantto where they are on the Web, where everyone is everywhere. Today, someoneontheWebinSwitzerland. Yesterday,someoneinFinland.Still, Ratcliffsays,“Whenyougetare¬ questforinformationfromsomeone inFinland,youtakeastepback.You havetoconsiderculturaldifferences, differentwaysofsayingthings.”
IF YOU ASK him what’s involved inbeingawebmaster,Ratcliff downplaysthetechnicalexper¬ tisethejobdemandsandtells youthat“Thebiggestskillyou needisknowinghowtopresentin¬ formation.Therearetoomanyin¬ stancesofpagesthatarejustbig pictures.Noteveryonehasthecom¬ putercapabilitytoseethingsonthe Webgraphically.Manypeoplejust havetextcapabilities.Youhavetobe abletodesignpagesthatgiveweight tobothtextandgraphics.”
Beingdocumentation-oriented,Rat¬ cliffhaspackedalotintothehome page(akindofhypertexttableof contentsthatusuallyincludesapic¬ tureortwoalongwithheadlines andessentialsnippetsofinformation linkedtogreaterdetailonsubse¬ quent pages) he has created for himselfontheWeb.Reachableat
MOST Web sites and pages, though,areaboutbusiness¬ es,educationalinstitutions, and governments rather than about individuals. Maine’sWebsitesincludeallofthe UniversityofMaineSystem’scam¬ puses;Bates,BowdoinandColbycol¬ leges; Gould Academy in Bethel; SouthernMaineTechnicalCollegein SouthPortland;ThomasCollegein Waterville;TheJacksonLaboratory inBarHarbor;SacoShoalsMarine LaboratoryinKittery;TransLearn Associates in Old Orchard Beach; TheJournalofMindandBehaviorin Orono; Delorme Mapping in Free¬ port;Sugarloaf/USAinCarrabassett Valley; Sunday River in Bethel, WhistlingWingsFarmsinBiddeford; EyeMagic Text and Image in Port¬ land;MaineStateGovernment,the MaineStateLibrary,andMaineState TourisminAugusta.
A sampling of Maine businesses with or developing Web pages in¬ cludesthese:CaribouVisualPresen¬ tations, Casco Bay Weekly, Chase Tavern Farm Alpacas in Bowdoin, Portland Magazine, Levinsky's,Whit¬ tleFarm,SalmonRiverandLakeOn¬ tarioFishingReport,YoungFineArts Auction, MaineAntiqueDigest,WoodenBoat Magazine,EastRiverExpedi¬ tions, Sabre Yachts, Tower Pub¬ lishing, Shipyard Brewing, Maine LobsterDirect,JordanBayTrading, Century21Balfour,DeepRiverPub¬ lishing,andPinetreeGardenSeeds.
And do you remember the disap¬ pearancelastyearofRussellTurner ofRaoul’sRoadsideAttractionand StateTheatrefame?He’sturnedup ontheInternetwithMaineLobster
Information About Internet Providers Is Drawn From Their Web Pages and/or Their Local Bulletin Boards.
“MichaelD.Perron(mperron@abacus.bates.edu);Comments:Gladto seeMaineisonthemove.1enjoythe fourseasonsinMaine.Maineisa greatplacetoraisemy3children. We enjoy many outdoor activities andthestateparksonthecoast.My
The state government home page hasabigsmilingphotographofGov. AngusKingwithhismotto,“MaineIs ontheMove,”superimposedinbig lettersofamapofthestate.
The state tourism home page is cheerilyeffusive;
“MAINEThewaylifeshouldbe!
“Welcome to the Maine Tourism Website!Wehopeitprovidesyou withwellorganized,helpfulinforma¬ tionaboutallthethingsthatmake Maineawonderfulplaceforrecre¬ ation,exploration,andrelaxation. We’dliketohearwhatyouhaveto say about our State and our Web site,sowe’veaddedahandyfeed¬ backformforyoutouse.Also,while you’rehere,pleasetakeamomentto signourguestbookandtellusabout yourself and what you enjoy most aboutMaine.StaytunedtoourWeb site as we add more and more de¬ tailedinformationincludinglodging anddiningdirectories,travelser¬ vices,andmore!Havefun!”
A good admonition for the Web. Have fun. ■
fing Maines Net. ABusinessGuide
StoryByDavidM.Daniels
Let'ssayyou'vejustbeenhiredtobe theadvertisingsalesmanagerfora newtelevisionnetwork.Your"sta¬ tion”ishookeduptolessthan13 percentoftheviewingpublic,and,to makethingsworse,only4percent have ever watched your channel. Viewershavetobuymoreexpensive “sets”eventoreceiveyoursignal, whichassuresthemofunpredictable receptionquality-someshowseven
quitinthemiddleofanepisode.To topitalloff,there’snoaccuratelist¬ ingofyourchannel’sprogramming, soviewersmayseeanythingatany¬ timewhen,or,should1say,if,they trytotunein.Ifitsoundsasifyou’ve gotyourworkcutoutforyou,you maybesurprisedtofindthatyour phonemayactuallyberingingoffthe hook.Youaresellingthetelevision equivalentoftheInternet"channel,” andthere’sbeenamadscrambleby businessesinMaineandacrossthe nationtoputtheirwares“on-line”to capitalizeonwhatsomeobservers are touting as the technological equivalentoftheindustrialrevolu¬ tion.
ing"firmestablishedinSeptember 1994.NetImpacthelpsbusinesses establish a presence, known as a Website,ontheInternet’sWorld Wide Web. The sites consist of a HomePage-thefirstscreenviewed by users when they “visit” the site-followedbyseveralotherpages (screens)whichformaninteractive, multi-media brochure promoting theirproductsorservicestotheesti¬ mated30millionInternetusersin152 countriesaroundtheworld.Perhaps evenmoreimportantthancreating theWebsite,Gale’sjobistopubli¬ cizetheexistenceofthosesitesand develop pathways to ensure elec¬ tronic“foottraffic"bytargetcus¬ tomersandprospectsforhisclients. TheWorldWideWebisthefastest growing segment of the Internet because it provides multi-media capabilities-theabilitytoexchange not only text, but photography, graphicartwork,soundand,ifyour computerhasthehorsepower,even full-actionvideo.MostoftheInter¬ net’s commercial development has takenplaceontheWorldWideWeb becauseofthismulti-mediaaccess and the availability of Web Browsers-softwaretoolsthatallow userstofreelynavigateamongWeb sitesthroughanintricatewebof pathwayscalled“Hyperlinks."For example,suppose,avidskierthat youare,youfindyourselfperusing
resultinrepeatbusinesswithsatis¬ fiedcustomersareonesGale’sfirm seeksout.Thesecharacteristicshave leadNETImpacttofocusitsatten¬ tiononservingthetravelandrecre¬ ationindustry.TheMaineOfficeof Tourism in Augusta and Resort SportsNetworkbasedinPortlandare twoMaineorganizationsthatfitthis profile and have established Web siteswithGale’sassistance. TheOfficeofTourismintroducedits informationsiteasacentralrefer¬ encepointforMaine'stouristbusi¬ nesses throughout the state to displaytheirproductsandservices. Theofficeoffersfreeaccessfor Maineadvertiserstosubmitcolor photographs, artwork, even brief audioandvideoclipstogettheir message out to prospective vaca¬ tioners and travel professionals worldwide.Again,thedemographic fitisrightfortheMainetouristtrade, as the concentration of Internet usersinthedesirableMassachusetts andNewYorkmarketsarethesec¬ ondandthirdlargestnationally. DinaJohnson,marketingcoordinator fortheoffice,pointsoutthatMaineis amongtheleadersindeployingthis technology.Currently,fewerthanten otherstates’tourismofficeshaveset upshopontheInternet.Toexpedite traffictotheMainesite,hyperlinks areinplacetolurehiking,skiing,and whitewaterraftingenthusiaststo Mainebusinessesofferingtheseac¬ tivities.
Maine’s newest commercial entry totheInternetistheResortSports Network(RSN).RSNisacabletelevi¬ sionnetworkproviding“adventure sports”programmingtodestination resortsaroundthecountry.Found¬ edin1985byRoryStrunk,sonofthe latesinger/songwriterJudStrunk, RSNbroadcastsskiing,mountainbik¬ ing,sailboarding,andtennisshows to nearly 100 winter and summer resorts from coast to coast. RSN unveileditshomepageonMarch3, 1995,offeringninedifferentfunctions to educate and entertain Web browsers.LizHarvey,Internetde¬ signeranddeveloperforRSN,indi¬ catesresponsefromcompanieslike AT&T, Chevrolet, and DuPont, who alreadyadvertiseheavilyonRSN’s cablenetwork,hasbeenenthusias-
tic. Ad Age magazineevenfeatured RSN’sinnovativeapproachtoon-line marketinginitsMarch6issue,which furtherpeakedadvertiserinterest.
When it comes to promoting the visibilityofitsWebsite,RSNhasa built-inadvantage.Ithasupwardsof 25 million active, affluent, and educatedoutdoorrecreationalists watchingitscablebroadcastsyearround. Between resort vacations, theseviewersareurgedtologonto RSN’s home page to view and pur¬ chaseadventuresportsvideos,ex¬ periencethe“virtualreality”ofdown¬ hillracingat100MPH,enterbiweekly e-maildrawingsforfreetripsand sportinggoods,plantheirnextvaca¬ tion with the assistance of the Hewins/Carlson Travel Network in Portland, and check out current weather,ski,andsnowconditionsat various ski resorts via “Weather Cam.”
Whetherit’saskiresortinMaineor abackpackmanufacturerinBritish Columbia,therealbenefitindoing businesson-lineistheabilitytoedu¬ cate,consult,andevenentertaincon¬ sumersandprospectswiththeaim ofcultivatingloyalcustomers.The directcorrelationtoincreasedsales andgreaterprofitabilityremainsto beseenandwilllikelyvaryaccording toindustryandapplication.Howev¬ er,businessescuttingtheirteethon today’srelativelylimitedarenaare positioningthemselvestocashinon theirexperienceandexpertiseas cableandtelecommunicationsgiants compete to wire over 100 million homes for Internet access by the year2000.Inthesamemannerthat theproliferationoftheautomobile redefined the urban landscape by spawningsuburbsconnectedbythe Interstatehighwaysystem,theevolu¬ tionofon-linecommercecouldlevel theplayingfieldfortechnologicallyastute Maine businesses ready to prosper from a new, informationdriveneconomicorder.
His eyes clenched and his shoulderspulledtogether, MichaelHowardisaboutto become a merchant marine seaman.Abearofamanin hismid-40s,he’srecentlybeena muteIndianinamentalhospitaland amanipulative,high-rankingNazi. Butnowhehasputthosepersonae behindhim,funthoughtheywere, andheisreachinguptoadjustaceil¬
Harry Bale's world, “where Harry proposestoGertrude....‘Canyou tell?I’mdifferentthistime,right? Whatisit?What'sdifferentabout me? Something happened to me. It wasawhileback.AndIgotrelieved offthatmid-watchandIcomeupout ofthatstinkinghotengineroomandI openthehatchandIfeel...strange.” Helaughs,shyly,anditisstartlingto realizethatthisisHarryBale’slaugh, notMichaelHoward’s.
‘“It’shardtoexplain.ButIremem¬ berthattheseawassocalmthat night, I mean not a ripple! That doesn’thappenveryoften.Thesight wasunbelievable.Ifyou’venever seenit,imagine,imagineanoceanas farasyoucouldsee,itlookslikea graysheetofglass,likeyoucould just...walkoutonit.”’Hisvoicerises andfallsintonesofaweandexcite¬ ment, his eyes focused on the recounted memory.
Youknowhecanseeit.Heis describingwhatheseesin hismemory,andyetpartof you knows that it is not MichaelHoward’smemory.It isnoteventheplaywright’smemo¬ ry.Itisthememorytheplaywright hascreatedforHarry,whomMichael Howard has become. So that now HowardrecallswhatisinHarry’scre¬ ated memory, and he sees the im¬ agesinthisfictionalrecollection.
AndsuddenlyHarryBaleisgone. Michael Howard is sitting in his place.Theglassygraysheetofocean dissolves into the walls of this unadornedactingstudio.1amdriven toapplaud.Thatwasmagic,1say.
Hehasstudiedthearthewas bornwith,practicingandre¬ finingitsincetheageof9, when his first mentor, a youngwomanrunningoneof thecountry'sfirstchildren’stheaters —inSanAntonio,Texas,nearHow¬ ard’s home town of Waco — “saw that1couldplayabearverywell. ‘Whatelsecanyoudo?’shesaid.”
wayperformances,nearlytwodozen in performances elsewhere in New YorkandinSanFrancisco,Portland andelsewhere,includingbothPort¬ land Stage Company and Mad Horse Theatre.Directednearly20other plays in Maine and Texas. Taught acting,voice,andmovementatUSM, and,since1990,attheCenterforPer¬ formanceStudiesatPortlandStage, whichiswherewearenow.
“WithGoering[themanipulative, high-rankingNaziheplayedin“Two,” another recent Mad Horse Theatre production],itwasmuchmoreofa physicalthing.1simplystoodoverin acornerand1wouldbeatmychest and then open my arms up, a psy¬ chologicalgesturetogettheblood flowing,togetasenseofthatbravura thatcomeswiththeexcessofpow¬ er.Anddidthatfor10or15minutes. Itisawayofcenteringintheworkat hand.Youtrytocloseoffthestatic, theclutter.Yourheart’sbeating twiceasfastasnormalbeforeaper¬ formance.”
Howard is most comfortable in a role when he has been able to researchit,toexploreitbeyondthe dimensions created by the play¬ wright or even envisioned by the director.“Ibecomeaquestioning, questingperson;Ihavetobecurious abouteachrole.Ihavetoresearchit, bothintermsofmyowninnerwork andexperiences,andifit’ssomeoneI don’tknowanythingabout,I’vegot tofindoutwhatthat’slike.Theplay gives you most of the necessary
clues.Butyoudon’tfindoutanything fromtheplayaboutGoering’sfirst wife,thathecreatedamausoleum for her and went once or twice a weektohertomb,talkingtoheras thoughshewerehisalterego.Isaw therewasalotofthefeminineinhim, aninnermuse.Theaudiencewould neverbeabletoseethatintheper¬ formance,butitfeedsthewhole.”
Youbringmuchmoretoyourroles than what the playwright and the directoranticipate,Isuggest.How¬ ardshrugs.“Youbringwhoyouare,” hesays.Itryagain:Yousearchfor waystobringtothestagethees¬ senceofthecharacterasyouper¬ ceiveit.“Exactly.”
ButHowardlikestopointout thatactingisn’tonlysome¬ thingdonebytrainedactors onaprofessionalstage.He likestotellhisstudents,inthe Center’s“ClassesforOrdinaryPeo¬ ple,”thatactingisawaytochannel strongemotionalurges“inasocially acceptable way.” For someone who works all day cramped behind a desk,hebelieves,“thesoulisdying toexpresstheserepressedemotions.
The teacher in him pauses for a momentastheactorinhimrecalls on-stagemoments.So1askHoward whichheprefers:acting,orteaching acting.Hedoesn’thesitate:“When everything’sfullyinsync,there’s nothing like a performance. My wholebodyistingling....
The only Afghan Restaurant in New England is locatedrightintheheartoftheOldPortat88 ExchangeStreet,wheretheHabibzaifamilybrings traditionalAfghancuisinetoPortlandusingingredients suchasBasmatirice,lamb,chicken,beef,spinach, eggplant,greenbeans,andpumpkin.Theresults— includingvegetariandishes—aredeliciousbutnottoo spicy,andattractcustomersfromasfarawayas Boston and Bangor. The Afghan Restaurant has received3-1/2starsoutoffourand“TheBestEthnic Food"awardfromCascoBayWeekly.773-3431.
AharnThaiRestaurant,OneCityCenter.Formerly knownasThaiGardenRestaurant,thefinestThai restaurant in Maine is now open under new management with a new reduced-price menu. SpecializinginauthenticThairecipespreparedbyan experiencedchef,AharnThaiRestaurantisopenfor dinnersevendaysaweekwithalunchbuffetMondayFriday.Catering,take-out,andfreeone-hourparkingat OneCityCenterParkingGarageareavailable.Make sureyoutrytheircoconutsoup!Forreservationscall 772-1118.
TheAudubonRoomattheInnbytheSeaonRoute 77inCapeElizabethcombinesbreathtakingviewsof theAtlanticOceanwithculinarymasterpiecesthat featurefreshlocalproduce,nativeseafoodspecialties, and exceptional homemade breads and desserts preparedonthepremises.Somehousefavorites include Grilled Salmon with an Orange Basil Vinaigrette, Sauteed Oysters with Porcini and Champagne, and Lemon Custard Tart with Maine Blueberries.Patiodiningandcarry-outavailable.7670888.
G'Vanni's,34WharfStreet.Portland.“TheViol,The Violet and The Vine..." — Edgar Allan Poe. At G'Vanni'syoucanhaveitall:superbItaliancuisine,art. finewines,romance,discriminatingdesserts,mesmeric entertainment,aperitifsextraordinaires,muse-ic.Camp outatG’Vanni’a.775-9061.
SaigonThinhThanh,608CongressStreet,Portland. JustacrossCongressSquarefromtheSonestaHotel and the Portland Museum of Art is Maine's-and probably New England’s-finest Vietnamese res¬ taurant.Four-star,spicy,exotictastesjumpfromthe deliciousfish,pork,shrimp,andscallopdishesthat includeVegetableSateRiceVermicelli,Beancurdwith GarlicRiceVermicelli,ScallopswithSnowpeas,and extraordinarycurriesandspecials.773-2932.
TajMahalIndianrestaurantat43MiddleStreet, Portlandservesawideselectionofseafood,chicken, lamb, beef, and vegetarian dishes which can be preparedasmildorasspicyasyoulike.Mogulbiryanis madewithyourchoiceofmeatorvegetarianarea specialty,asistheirfresh,homemade,chemical-free curry.They’reopenforlunch11:30a.m.-2:30p.m., Tuesday-Friday,andfordinner5-10p.m.,TuesdaySaturday.Reservationsaccepted:773-4498.
Conveniently located at 671 Main Street, South Portland—justminutesfromtheMaineMallattheend of Exit 7 of the Maine Turnpike — Tony Roma’s specializesinthebestBBQribswiththeirownoriginal sauce,althoughthegrillisalwaysfiredupforafull menuofchicken,primerib,seafood,steaks,salads, andsandwichesaswell.Enjoythecasualatmosphere andcompleteyourvisitwiththeirfamousloafofonion rings.Openforbreakfastbuffet,lunch,anddinner sevendaysaweek.761-4211.
Zuniopenedinmid-Januaryon PleasantStreetattheformer siteofAlberta’s,on121Pleas¬ antStreetinPortland.Itbills itselfastheplace“wherethe southwest meets the northeast.” Southwest preparations, one as¬ sumes,withfreshnortheastingredi¬ ents.It’sawinningcombination.
Wearrivedearlyonabusyweek¬ end evening. The restaurant was crowded,thenoiselevelwasfairly high,andtableswerejammedto¬ gether. But the atmosphere was cheerfulandfriendly,thewaitstaff helpfulandknowledgeable,andthe aromassurroundingusenticing.
Abasketofhomemadecornbread was brought to the table as we lookedoverthemenu.Thebreadis servedwithjalapenojelly(froma secretfamilyrecipe).It’sacomplex mixofhotandsweettastesthat makesagoodintroductiontothe meal.
ghostlytraceofcilantrolimebutter. Theporkloinmedallionshadbeen marinated in a habanero citrus juice,thengrilledandservedona bedofasweetandsourguavaonion relish-lotsofcomplexflavorshere, nonedominating,allnicelyinbal¬ ance.Boththesalmonandthepork loinwereslightlydryandtherefore slightlyoverdoneformytaste.This may have been a pacing error ratherthanapreparationerror,as ourappetizershadtakenalongtime tobeserved.Thesalmonwasac¬ companiedbyaricepilaf,thepork loin by coarse mashed potatoes. Thevegetableofthedaywasseared kale.Allwereverywelcomeona chillyspringnight.
Fordessert,weshareda raspberrychocolatetorte($4.). Thiswastheonlyseriousflawto the meal. It should have been moistanddense.Instead,itwas cold and dry. When we mentioned ourdisappointmenttoourserver, it was quickly whisked away and asquicklyremovedfromourbill.
Portland Stage Company, Portland Performing Arts Center, 27 Forest Avenue, Portland. Alan Ayckbourn, master of the middle class comedy of manners, is the first British playwright since Noel Coward to have five plays running simultaneously in London's West End. In his contemporary farce Intimate Exchanges, two ordinary couples undergoing mid-life crises at a co¬ educational prep school helpfully aggravate each other s difficulties while making decisions that determine which of the play's two endings will be presented on alternate nights (through April 15). The world premiere production ofMrs. Warren's Profession, George Bernard Shaw’s scathing attack on hypocrisy and social convention that deals with a mother's attempt to shield her daughter from the knowledge of the source of their wealth, was almost shut down by the Mayor of New York in 1905 because of its “moral degeneracy" and controversial treatment of sex, motherhood, feminism, and familial devotion (April23-May20).DuringtheSixth>\nnualLittle Festival of the Unexpected, a company of playwrights, directors, actors, and solo artists will converge on the Portland Performing Arts Center May 7-13 for a week of experimentation, development, and presentation of cutting-edge new plays and solo works celebrating risk-taking theatricality,includinginternationally-acclaimed artist Mark Davis' performance piece “Faggot with a Gun" and readings of a new stage adaptation of Henry James’ classic novel The Turn of the Screw and of Elizabeth Egloffs new playLovers. Performances will take place Wednesday-Saturday evenings as well as Saturday afternoon, and all are free and open to the public,butseatingislimited,soconsidercallingahead forreservations.BoxOffice:774-0465.
Mad Horse Theatre, 955F Forest Avenue, Portland. Now playing is Betty Lambert’s Under the Skin, a
LISTINGS
nightmarish tale of the neighbors’ attempts to assuage Professor Maggie Benton’s terror when her 12-year-old daughter Emma disappears (through April 23). Next up. Mad Horse Children’s Theatre ventures deep into the Hundred-Acre Wood with everyone's favorite honey¬ loving bear and his friends Christopher Robin and Pigletin Winnie the Pooh, dramatized by Kristen Sergei fromthestoriesofA.A.Milne(May6-7.13-14,and2021).BoxOffice:797-3338.
Oak Street Theatre, 92 Oak Street. Portland. Vintage Repertory Company's current production al Oak Street
is Entertaining Mr Sloane, a bizarre black comedy by Joe Orton in which everyone speaks of principle while tucking away not only the corpse on the living room floor, but the corpse of Western civilization as well (April 13-16 and 21-22 at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and at 5 p.m. on Sunday: tickets $10). Following that. American Renaissance Theater will perform Cymbelme. Shakespeare’s fantasy adventure of romance and intrigue. April 27-30 and May 4-7 at 8 p.m. ThursdaySaturday and at 5 p.m. on Sunday (tickets are $10 for
Maine
adults and $8 for students and seniors). Continuing their Saturday children's series, at 11 a.m. on April 15 Krackerjack Theater Company will present The Emperor's Nightingale, based on the classic fable by Hans Christian Andersen and staged as a participation piece in which the audience enters the scene by playing the part of the people of China (tickets $5). Call 7755103.
Lyric Theater, 176 Sawyer Street, South Portland. “Come and meet those dancin’ feet" as the Lyric appropriately closes its 42nd season to the accompaniment of the “Lullaby of Broadway" with a big. bold, and brassy production of the blockbuster 1930s musical 42nd Street (April 28-30. May 5-7 and 12-14 at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. oti Sundays; tickets cost $13 Friday-Saturday and $11 on Sunday).Call799-6509.
University of Southern Maine Department of Theatre, 37 College Avenue, Gorham. InA Dream of Canaries, Diana Saenz’s cuttingedgeplayof|X)litlealintrigue,acallgirland a gigolo form an uneasy alliance in their attempt to escape a militaristic society whose citizens are being systematically "disappeared" (April 21-23 and 26-30 at 5 p.m. on Sundays and at 7:30 p.m all other days on the Main Stage in Russell Hall; ticketsare$7forthegeneralpublic,$6(orseniorsand USM faculty and staff, and $4 for students). Box Office: 780-5483.
Children’s Theatre of Maine, P.O. Box 1011, Portland. The winning play from CTM's 4th Annual Young Playwrights Contest will be performed at Deering High School May 6-7, 12-14. and 19-21 at 7 p.m. on Fridays. 10:30 a m. and 2 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 p.m. on Sundays.Ticketsare$4forkidsand$5foradultsatthe
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door.Formoreinformation,call874-0371. SacoRiverGrangeHall, SalmonFallsRoad.BarMills. OnApril21-22and27-29at7:30p.m.theOriginalswill be performing Sam Shepard's Ohio Award-winning playFoolforLove, which brings searing intensity and rare theatrical excitement to its probing yet humorous study of love. hate, and the dying myths of the Old West (tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for students and seniors). And don't forget contra¬ dancing with live acoustic music provided by the versatile Sea Slugs continues on the first Saturday of every month at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children, with a $10 maximum per family (no experience is necessary—just enthusiasm!). Call 929-6472.
The Theater Project. 14 School Street. Brunswick From April 28 through May 7 the Young Company will present David and Lisa, the story of two adolescents in a home for emotionally disturbed youths who forge analliancethatenablesthemtofindsolutionstotheir problems despite the obstacles placed in their way by their parents and the institution to which they've been sent. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. FridaySaturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday; tickets are $8 lor adults and $5 for students and seniors. Box Office: 729-8584,
MaineStateMusicTheatre, 14 Maine Street. Suite 109, Brunswick Follow the continuing adventures of the five "Little Sisters of Hoboken” on the set of the Mount St. Helen’s school’s performance of The Mikado when MSMT adds a production ofNunsense H—lhe Second Coming to their traditional “summeronly” season April 2S-May 7 at the Chocolate Church in Bath. Shows are at 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, with an additional 8 p.m. show on Saturday. May 6; tickets cost $20 for regular seats and $15 for additional side balcony seats. Call 725-8769,
ThePublicTheatre, 2 Great Falls Plaza, Auburn, concludes their season with Prelude io a Kiss, a modern-day fairy tale by Craig Lucas in which a perfect couple’s storybook wedding is interrupted by a mysterious old man who unex|>ectedly appears and kissesthebride,withmagicalresults(May5-7and1l14 at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sundays: tickets are $10 for adults. $8 for students and seniors, and $6 for children under 12). The Public Theatre is located on the corner of Lisbon and Maple StreetsinLewiston.BoxOffice:782-3200or(800)6399575.
MUSIC
Portland Symphony Orchestra, P.O. Box 3573, 100 Fore Street, Portland. For the grand finale of their 70th anniversary season the PSO will join forces with the Boy Singers of Maine, the USM Women's Chorus, and alto soloist Cynthia Anderson to perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. a musical odyssey from primitive times through nature to the ultimate discovery of the Creator, on Tuesday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. Then on Friday. April 28 Guamary. an ensemble specializinginLatinAmericanmusic,willjointhePSO for two “South of the Border" Youth Concerts featuring Cuban Overture. Malambo. El Salon Mexico. l.a Cumparsita, and more at 9:30 and 11 a.tn. (tickets cost $4 for children and adults, and $2 for groups of 25 or more). The PSO Pops season ends on Saturday, April 29 with a tribute to the Fab Four when guest conductor Newton Wayland takes the podium at 7:30 p.m. for the "Pop Go the Beatles!" concert, featuring favorites such as "Michelle," "Penny Lane," "Yellow Submarine.” “Yesterday," ‘Hard Day’s Night." and others, as well as Sousa's “Hands Across the Sea," Vaughan Williams' English Folk Song Suite, and Alford's “Colonel Bogey" March. All concerts will take place at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Box Office:773-8191or(800)639-2309.
Portland Concert Association, P.O. Box 1137, 100 Fore Street, Portland. Make sure you're at the Civic Center on Sunday. May 7 at 7:00 p.m when the internationally-acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater creates thoroughly original dance that breaks ground and barriers to the accompaniment of the jazz., blues, and gospel music of black America. To ordertickets,call772-8630orl-80(L639-2707.
68ElmStreet,U.S.Rt.1
Camden, Maine 04843
"Where the mountains meetthesea’
•5min.walktoharbor,shops,restaurants
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Hosts: Hal & Barbara Smith
207-236-3377
Open Year Round
■ LISTINGS ■
Portland Performing Arts, 25A Forest Avenue. Portland. The “French Connections Tour"—which will makeastopatMorganfield'sat8p.monFriday,April 21—brings together major traditional dancers anti musicians from five Francophone cultures, including Cajun accordionist Eddie Lejeune & the Morse Playboys from Louisiana; the Maine French Fiddlers with legendary New Brunswick fiddler (Jerry Robichaud; Acadian chanteuse Florence Martin from Aroostook County; Trio Quebecois with Quebec’s leading accordionist, fiddler / pianist. and championship step-dancer; and Vents d’Ouest. a traditional music and dance quartet from Brittany (tickets$12).PPA’s"JazzonFilm/JazzonStage"series will begin at 8 p.m. on Saturday. May 6 in Portland High Schoo! Auditorium with a performance by highly-acclaimed jazz bassist Charlie Haden s Quartet West, which was founded by Haden to pay homage to the vintage film noire music which formed the inspiration for much of the Quartet's repertoire: appropriately, the concert will be preceded by the screeningofaclassicpulpfilm(tickets$15).Call7610591.
University of Southern Maine Department of Music, 37 College Avenue. Gorham. On Friday. April 28 at 8 p.m.inCorthellConcertHall,tenorBruceFithianand friends will lead a journey through music history, starting in the Medieval period with troubadour love songs accompanied by harp, psaltery, and flute: moving on into the Baroque era with court lute songs and Italian monodies accompanied on theorbo; exemplifying Romantic music with Schubert sAuf dem Strom—featuring John Boden on a period horn—and Robert Schumann'sDichterliebe accompanied on one of Rodney Regier's period fortepianos; and finishing up with American art songs of the 19th century, including three composed by Portland's own Hermann Kotzschmar (tickets cost $8 for the general public and $4 for students, seniors, and USM faculty andstaff).AlsoinAprilalUSMareaplethoraofendof-semester student performances: the USM Jazz Ensemble at 8 p.m. on Friday. April 21; the USM Chorale at 3 p.m. on Sunday. April 23; Small Jazz Combos at 8 p.m on Thursday. April 27: and the USM Chamber Singers and USM Wind Ensemble at 3 p.m. onSunday.April30(allstudentconcertstakeplacein Corthell Concert Hall, and admission to each is $3 for the general public and $1 for students, seniors, and USMfacultyandstaff).Boxoffice:780-5555.
Bowdoln College, Brunswick. Early music soprano Julianne Baird will perform 16th and 17th century English lute songs by John Dowland and Robert Johnson in Kresge Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. April 10 ($10 general public. $8 seniors 65 or over, and free with a Bowdoin ID). The Bowdoin Orchestra Spring Concert, at 3 p in on Sunday. April 23 in the Chapel, will feature works by J.S. Bach. Rachmaninoff, Mussorgsky. Jongen, and Mendelssohn (free). The Bowdoin Chorus and Bowdoin Concert Band will give a joint performance of works by Hall. DeCormier, Thomas. Ringwald. Rachmaninoff, and others at 3 p.m. on Sunday. April 30 tn Smith Union (free). The Bowdoin Chamber Choir will be performing a program of works by Dowland. Bennet. Ixtwes. Tomkins. Palestrina, and Handel at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. May 6 in the Chapel at Bowdoin (free) and at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. May 7 at St. Luke's CathedralinPortland.Call725-3375.
L/A Arts. 23-1 Lisbon Street, l^wiston Lifelong Delta¬ based blues harmonica player James Cotton—who also has twelve years with Muddy Waters to his credit—brings his high-energy Chicago blues band to Lewiston Junior High for an intensely powerful performance at 8 p.m. on Saturday. April 29 (tickets $14$12).Call782-7228or(800)639-2919.
State Theatre, 609 Congress Street. Portland. Don’t miss the magic of total entertainer Mel Tormd’s marvelous, masterful voice on Friday, April 21 at 8 p.m. Then on Saturday. April 22 al 8 p.m. “A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline" is a loving tribute that traces the singer's early struggles, breakthroughs, successes, and challenges with the aid of a five-piece band backing up her wonderfully dreamy, sad and wise hits. And on Tuesday. May 2 at 8 p.m. Tish Hinojosa’s Border Tour stirs up the State with their red-hot Tex-Mex music. Call 773-5540 for tickets, and don't miss Portland Monthly photographer Kevin
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I.eDuc’s exhibit of backstage and performance photos of ads from Bo Diddley to Bob Dylan who have appeared at the State since early 1994 (on view Monday-Friday 9:30-5:00 and 10-4 on Saturdays).
Chocolate Church Arts Center, 804 Washington Street,Bath.OnSaturday,April22at7:30p.m.Judith Sloan presents her sharp and insightful comedy in the guise of her many on-stage characters, including of course her beloved Sophie (tickets are $8 in advance and $10 al the door). Then Jean Redpath, the first ladyofScottishsong,returnsafteraten-yearabsence with a full evening of Scottish history, lore, humor, and music on Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. (tickets are$10inadvanceand$12atthedoor).Call442-8455.
Maine State Ballet, 91 Forest Street, Westbrook, presents a full-length production of Prokofiev's story ballet Cinderella featuring more than fifty dancers, over ninety costumes, a fifty-two piece orchestra, a golden pumpkin coach, and a royal wedding amidst a shower of rose petals. Portland performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. May 5; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 6; and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. May 7 at the State Theatre. There will also be three performances at the Waterville Opera House on Saturday. April 29 at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday.April30al1:30p.m.Call856-1663fortickets.
DAKE
Ram Island Dance, 25?\ Forest Avenue, Portland, presents an informal evening of original composition pieces by modern dance students and recent works by Ram Island faculty members Betsy Dunphy. Lisa Hicks. Emily Ojala, and other guests at 7 p.m. on
Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $5 at the door. Call773-2562.
(UXLLEBIES&MUSEUMS
Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square. Portland The PMA's exhibition of oil paintings and works on paper by Maine artist William Manning coincides with the ten-year retrospective of his work at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland (see below) and features works from the early 1960s to the present (through May 7).
“Isamu Noguchi: Early Abstraction" is an exhibition highlighting a littleknown group of twenty black and white gouache drawings and three sculptures that mark the beginning of Noguchi's transition from figurative to abstractsculpturesandhiseffortstoexpressbothhis Japanese and American heritage (through June 4).
“From the Ashes: Portland's Cultural Renaissance 1790-1870" focusses on images of Portland, its surrounding landscape, and its most prominent
works by Portlanders Harrison Bird Brown, Charles Octavius Cole, and Charles Frederick Kimball that illustrate the social and economic growth of the city during this period (through September 24). Opening April 19. the exhibit “Perspectives: a Sense of Place" explores ideas about location in a broad selection of abstract work by contemporary Maine artists Jessyca Broekman, Jeff Kellar. Greg Parker. Johnnie Ross. Michael D. Ryus, Michael Shaughnessy, and Alice Spencer in a range of media including painting, sculpture, and prints (through June 7). Call 775-6148 for museum hours and admission.
Maine Historical Society Gallery, 489 Congress Street. Portland. Opening May 10. “All the Arts that Please: Folk Art of the Maine Historical Society" explores why Maine people made folk art. and what it meant in their lives, through displays of samplers, quilts, watercolors, calligraphy, oil paintings, and portraits (through October 31). For further information,cal!879-0427.
Maine College of Art’s Baxter Gallery, 619 Congress Street. Portland. The MECA Student Scholarship Exhibition features work by freshmen, sophomores, and juniors that will be juried to determine which student will receive the McCandless & Hunt Prize of a scholarship for the following year at MECA. The opening reception will take place at the gallery on April 13 from 5 to 7 p.m.. and the exhibit is free and open to the public Tuesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (through
May6).Forfurtherinformation,call775-5152.
Danforth Gallery, 34 Danforth Street, Portland. Thursday. April 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. is the opening of ‘Maine Abstract Art 1995," an exhibition curated by New Hampshire artist John Knapp that will include 2030 paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by artists working in Maine (through May 5). A panel discussionoftheexhibitwillbeheldonSunday.April 23 from 3 to 5 p.m. For gallery hours and information, call775-6245.
Children’s Museum of Maine, 142 Free Street, Portland. At the ‘Monsters Under the Bed" exhibit, which runs through June 18. you can walk under a giant-sized bed and discover what's really lurking there—dust mites’ (If you thought imaginary monsters were scary, wait till you look at real dust magnified 100 times under a microscope!) Besides being Income Tax Day. Saturday. April 15 is also Farm Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. during which time there will be sheep shearing and wool spinning demonstrations, a special farm program, and a visit from the Bee l.ady. During school vacation you can sayhellotoababyllamaonTuesday.April18at12:15 p.m.; join the Skillins* Green House Program to plant seeds on Wednesday. April 19 and Friday, April 21 at 11:00a.m.;andhaveafternoonteawithCinderellaand her friends from the Maine State Ballet on Thursday, April20at1p.m.OnFriday.April28from5to8p.m. the Museum will host the Portland ASSIST Coalition's “Showcase of Youth Tobacco Use Prevention," featuring activities, demonstrations, a puppet show, and student posters throughout the museum. There will be a hands-on animation workshop for ages 10-15 on Saturday. April 29 at from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (registration required). For recorded information call 828-1234.
University of Southern Maine Art Gallery, 37 College Avenue. Gorham. The USM Student Show is running through Thursday. April 27, when there will be a closing reception from 3 to 5 p.m. For museum hours andinformation,call780-5409.
Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick. “Prints of the Northern Renaissance" features a selection of early woodcuts and engravings from the 15th and 16thcenturies,withspecialattentiontotheprintsof AlbrechtDurer(throughApril16)."ArtandLifeinthe Ancient Mediterranean" illustrates the cultural interconnectedness of the region from the 4th millennium B.C. to the 4th century A.D. with Assyrian. Egyptian. Cypriot, Greek, and Roman objects in marble, terra cotta, bronze, stone, ivory, and glass from the Museum’s permanent collection (ongoing). In conjunction with this exhibit. “Crosscurrents 1995" features additional tools, pendants, jewelry, and limestone figures from North and Central America. Africa, and the Pacific Islands (ongoing). Opening April20."CollectingforaCollege:GiftsfromDavidP. Becker ‘70" is a major retrospective exhibition of works of art—primarily prints—ranging from the 15th through 20lh centuries by artists such as Albrecht Durer. Hendrik Goltzius, Charles Meryon, Odilon Redon. Roy Lichtenstein, and Jasper Johns (through June 4). Also opening April 20 is “Nature Inhabited." an exhibition of landscape drawings from the 16th to the 20th century which contain evidence of human presenceinnatureasitvariesfromtheicyterrainof Greenland to the coastline of Maine (through June 4). 725-3275.
Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington Street. Bath. "Ram Bows and Ironclads"—an exhibition of paintings of early American. British. French. German, and Russian ironclad warships—features the historically accurate watercolors of Ian Marshall (through May 21). "Exhibition E" (named for the Army and Navy efficiency awards given to several Maine shipyards and many Maine-built naval vessels for their contributions to the war effort) illuminates— through shipmodels, shipyard ID badges and shift books, celebratory launching pins. Merchant Marine medals, original propaganda posters, historic photographs, and shipbuilders tools—the many ways in which 24 Maine shipyards, homefront rationing, a civilian coastal watch, the Coast Guard, and merchant and naval mariners helped win World War II (through October 29). During the 19th century ship portraits evolved from animated portrayals of man's struggle with the forces of nature into static renditions that
provided accurate documentation for ship owners and shipmasters; "The Evolution of Marine Painting 1800-1925" exhibition traces these changes through the work of some of the great “pierhead painters" of all time, including James Buttersworth. Antonio Jacobsen, John Hughes. Antonio De Simone, and CharlesRobertPatterson.Call443-1316.
Farnsworth Art Museum, 19 Elm Street. Rockland. "William Manning: a Decade of Painting" features abstract drawings, collages, and standing paintings based on Manning's annual pilgrimages to Monhegan Islandthatreflecthisinterestinmultipleviewpoints (through April 16). In a similar vein, the exhibit entitled "Monhegan: an Artist's Island." which opens on April 23. is a survey of paintings and watercolors by artists associated with the Monhegan art colony, including Hopper. Bellows, Henri. Kent, Wyeth, and others(throughJune18).Forfurtherinformation,call 59(^-6457.
Portland Public Library. 5 Monument Square. Portland. The 6th annual Brown Bag Lecture Series continues with “The Rockbound Coast—A phot¬ ographic journey Downeast." a slide presentation by internationally-acclaimed photographer Christopher Little that features images of secluded coves and islands—and the people who inhabit them—from Eastport to Kittery (Wednesday, April 12 from noon to I p.m. in Rines Auditorium). “The Many Realms of King Arthur" exhibit in the Lewis Gallery explores the legendofArthurfromitsoriginsintheMiddleAgesto its 20th century representations through illustrations from medieval manuscripts, engravings, paintings, books, films, musicals, comic books, and other genres (through May 11). Adult programs to be presented in conjunction with the exhibit include "The Trans¬ formation of Early Britain—I’he Literary and Arch¬ aeological Evidence of King Arthur” on Tuesday. April 18; “The Origins of Arthur" on Wednesday, April 19; “History of Arthur's Britain" on Wednesday. April 26; and “The Round Table" on Wednesday, May 3 (all will take place in the Rines Auditorium from 12 to I p.m.). The Library’s "King Arthur Film Festival" will feature The Legend of Arthur. Roman Britain, and Le Morie d'Arthur on Thursday. April 13;Gatrain and the Green Knight onThursday.April20;/IConnecticut Yankee in KingArthur'sCourt on Thursday. April 27;Camelot on Thursday. Mav 4;Monty l*ython and the Holy Grail on Tuesday. May 9; and The Fisher King on Thursday. May 18 (all will be shown at 6 p.m. in the Rines Auditorium for free). Call 871-1700 for further information.
Celebrate Maine Writers! Wednesday. April 5 through Saturday. April 8. at USM. Writers featured at this ninth annual event include Richard Russo, Cathie Pelletier. Susan Kenney. Wesley McNair. Gary Lawless, Betsy Sholl. Colin Sargent. Kenneth Rosen. Diane Benedict. David Walker. Steve Luttrell. Barbara Hope. Alfred Depew. Deborah De Nichols, and many more. Readings and workshops four days running. For moreinformation,call780-1947.
Greater Portland Landmarks, 165 State Street, Portland. The second annual "Everything and the Kitchen Sink Architectural Garage Sale and Auction’ will be held on Saturday. April 29 at the old Portland Newspapers press facility on Cumberland Avenue between Myrtle and Pearl Streets. The garage sale startsat8:30am.,theauctionbeginsat10a.m.,and there will also be a “Restoration, Renovation. Remodeling, and Rehabilitation Resources" area where retailers, contractors, and designers can assist you with the challenges of older buildings and the old carriage house doors, schoolhouse stairways, fireplace mantels, antique furnishings, slate and marble sinks, clawfoot tubs, door knobs, and hinges you might find to put in them (proceeds of the event will support Greater Portland Uindmarks). For more information,calltheAuctionHotlineat772-0685.
Cumberland County Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Square. Portland. The Kora Temple Shrine Circus is coming to town Monday-Wednesday, April 17-19 with showsat2p.m.and7p.m.al!threedays,aswellasan additional 9:30 a.m. show on Tuesday. April 18 (reserved seats cost $7, and general admission is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children under 12). Then on Saturday, April 22 Boyz 11 Men take the stage at 7:30 p.m.(reservedseatscost$30).775-3458.
-Compiled by Gwen Thompson
CaptainReedHouse,1830,$95,000
1CHMOND, MAINE, is possiblythemostun¬ spoiledforgottenmer¬ chanttowninthestate (certainlythefirstone northofBoston),andthelocation of:1)Maine’sFascinatingWhite Russiancommunity;2)poetKen¬ dallMerriam,authorof The Lara Poems andco-authorof The Un¬ censored Guide To Maine, and, 3) this issue’s house of the month.Forjust$95,000,youcan ownthislargewhitecirca-1830 seacaptain’shousewithcarriage house,cupola,andred-tileroof. Here,fromthislofty1.5-acrelot aboveFrontStreet,whichparal¬ lelstheSheepscotRiver-infactfromanyspotonitshandsome wraparoundporch,youaretreat¬ edtosweeping,high-altitude unobstructedviewsoftwomiles oftheSheepscotRiverasthey unfoldintothedistance,aswellas directfrontalvistasofthesavage naturepreserveofSwanIsland, darkandlightgreenfirsjuttingup toaltitudesof200-300feetabove sealevelinthetraditionofaJohn
Toyourleft,fromtherailofthe house’s marvelous porch, is a grandviewofanoldgreenrailroad bridgecurlingacrossthewaterlike aseaserpent,andtoyourright, the Sheepscot heading out to sea.
Youhavetobeearnestabout running from the madding crowd,because,withtheexcep¬ tionofthenearbyEtonicshoe factory,there’sbarelyasenseof commerce here in a town once whitewithshipping.Itis,infact, alittlescaryhere.Thebrickware¬ houses facing the water have first-floorspacestolet.Thereisno MacDonald’shereamongtheorient turretsandunusualVictorianarchi¬ tecturethatlookdownontheriver, butthereisapubliclibrary.There aretrees.Youcouldgoalittlecrazj
Richmond is like Brigadoon, then. You have to mean what you’ve been saying all these yearstoyourfriendsaboutwant¬ ingtogetaway,andthere’sthe hitch.That,andthatalone,isthe reasonforthe$95,000pricetag withallthesewaterviews,though Richmondisnearlyequidistant fromHallowell-AugustaQustfol¬ lowFrontStreetdowntheriver), Bath,andBrunswick.
It’sasiftimestandsstillhere. Well,thereissomelife.Thereis, forexample,amostunusualres¬ taurantcalledtheRailwayCafe, whichservesdeepbowlsoflob¬ sterstewfor$6.95andotherde¬ lightsinabuildingthatwas, oddly,afuneralparlor140years ago.Peopleshuckclamsandeat deliciousfriedfishandpineapple upside-downcakebesidehighly varnishedfuneralbiers.Ifthereis suchathingasauthenticMaine cuisine,they’reservingithere. Thedauntingthoughttoanout¬ landeris...ifyoueatheretonight, where will you go tomorrow night?Sucharethespruce-scent¬ edriddlesoflifeinthisremote andbeautifulplace.Everythingin Richmond—the great beauty and thesmallbusinessesofthetown, therhythmoftheriverandthe warmpercolationsofpeopletoo friendlytobenatives(butwho are)—isjust“stepsaway.”
Like Hallowell, the town was built on a grand scaleandsprinkledwitha number of late Federal and Victorian houses. ThecathedralfortheWhiteRuss¬ ian community even has a dome liketheoneonthesummerpalace in Dr. Zhivago. Youfeelatugto disappearhere.
Andyoudon’thavetohavereal visiontoappreciateoldCaptain Reed’s house and lot—mostly, youjustneedasawtolimbthe verymaturelandscaping,alotofit cedartrees,and,admittedly,a
paintbrushforitspatinaedand time-dulledindoors.
The side door has loveseats below an arbor covered with grapeleaves.Theupstairsbed¬ roomhasalovelyfireplace,as doesthelivingroomandmagnifi¬ centenclosedporchwithlarge windows and tin ceiling. The kitchenfeaturestinceilingsas wellasavarnishedbutler’spantry andscullery;thelargedouble parlorgiveswaytotwosetsof stairs.Asecondbedroomupstairs isanartist’sstudio;athirdcon¬ tainsremnantsofapeacefulchild¬ hoodofthe1940s—horseshoes,a hamradio,dolls,high-schoolyear¬ books,andIndian-printskirts.
“Idon’tthinkmuchhaschanged herein40years,”sayslistingag¬ ent Deborah Morton of Morton Realty,Brunswick,walkingpasta bedroom dresser on which are scatteredlettersaddressedtothe presentownermailedwithsingle purple6-centFranklinDelanoRoo¬ seveltstamps.“Oneprospective buyer,aNativeAmerican,recently camehereandendedupsaying,‘I thinkthisbear’stoobigtowrestle.’” Othersfallinlovewiththehouse butdon’tdaretotaketheleap.
Buttheimprovements,Ifeel, wouldbeonlycosmetic—replace themaudlin1950swallpaper,re¬ finishthehardwoodfloors,liberal¬ lyscrape,caulk,andpaint.Re¬ constructtheornamentalwidow’s walkthatusedtocrownthetopof thehouse.Theroofisinremark¬ ablecondition,andthebuilding’s structureisverysound,withgood ceilingsandnoevidenceofrot. Thereisacementdriveway,the housebenefitsfromtownwater andsewer,there’sagardenshed besidethecarriagehousewhere you can keep your mare, and there’sanacrebehindthehouse torideheron,allhighabovethe watersoftheSheepscot.
Forty-fiveminutesfromPortland, thisisthebestsingle-familyreal¬ estate value in Maine. HI
JIM CORTON!
Hidden Treasure
$279,000
^TTomesofDistinction,Inc.isproudtoaddTheHazeltinetothe many high quality homes built in southern Maine by one of the area’s most respected builders. The Hazeltine, being built at Falmouth On The Green, is one of our own designs and will be readyforoccupancyinthe.Springof1995.Thisspecialone-of-akind home combines Colonial and Victorian features which set it apartandmakeituniquelyyourown.
Fromtheclassicfrontporch,youentertheelegantopenfoyerwith staircaseleadingto3largebedroomsplusmastersuite,asecond bathandlaundryupstairs.Aspaciousfamilyroomwithfireplace, breakfastnookandkitchen,formallivinganddiningrooms,plus another half-bath and mudroom complete the downstairs. There is alsoatwo-cargarage,fullbasementandscreenedporch.Pleasecall forbrochure.
878-7770
Special financing terms to acquire this unique properly are offered exclusively through First Portland Mortgage.
Inorabout1830,Capt.Reedbuilthis10roomhome in Richmond, overlooking Swan Island and the KennebecRiver.Setona1.5+acreintownlot,with woodfloors,anembossedmetalceilinginthedining room,twoparlorsandalovelysunporchwithfire¬ place,itmusthavebeenashowplace!Now,needing, andwelldeservingof,renovation,itcanbepur¬ chasedforjust$95,000
Sells Top Product Lines-Kemcohas represented Toshiba for 15 years. Toshiba's patents are more frequently cited than any of itscompetitors.
Service Capabilities-Kemcohas a large service staff with an average experience level of over 4 years each.
Competitive Prices-Kemcopurchases at high volume and pays cash. We will meet or beat any apples-to-apples quote.
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Spriogj
FictionByDanDomench
unbarpoppedopenthe topfoursnapsofhis vestsohecouldlower hisfaceintothesteam risingfromhisplate. Thefattrimoftherib-eyehadtight¬ enedonthegrillcurlingthemeat upwardintotheshapeofacupped hand offering red juice. Dunbar sniffedinthesaltysmellandsmiled graciouslyattheoldmanwearing the dark suit and overcoat who stoodinthecenterofthediner waitingtospeaktohim.Dunbarcut atriangleoutoftheflesh,chewedit, andsaidloudly,“Sitdown,Mister. Youwanttotalktome?Talk.You wanttoeat?Eat.Youlookstarved.”
The frail man came forward and loweredhimselfdownonacornerof thepaddedseatacrossfromDun¬ bar. He braced himself with one elbowandtrembled,buthiseyes werecalm.Helookedlikeoneof thoseoldtimeguysaroundinthe Prohibition days when Dunbar’s dadloadedcasesofCanadianClub offhisboatintoModelAtrucks headedfordowntownPortland.The oldmansaid,“InBostoninAprilit’s springtime.”Hisvoicewassoftbut clearlikeavoiceoutofaradio,“In Mainetheroadsturntoblackiceat sunset all the way down your peninsula.Ishould’vehiredadri¬ ver.”
Dunbarcuthimoff,“I’veusedthat pierfortwentyyears.Noonefrom away comes here and changes my business.”Asliverofbeefflewoutof Dunbar’s mouth and stuck to his waterglass.“Sixty-onemenworkfor me.Irunfourlobstercrewsanda trucking company. Everybody on bothsidesofthecapeknowsIbend therulestokeepmoneycomingin thisareaandtheysaynothingtothe police.Idoalotforpeople,butthis: —Terry’s a rich queer driving a woodenboathepaidsomeonetofix up.Igotnotimeforhishappyhorse¬ shit.”
“Terry’sretired,”thelawyersaid, “tryingtorelax.Heusedtoworkfor a group of important men in Boston. They used to say Terry couldslipanicepickupthebackof yourskullwithtwofingers.”
“Isthatwhyyoucametoseeme?” Dunbar wiped his hands down the thighsofhisjeans.“Tothreatenme? Forgetit.It’soveranyway.Lastnight Terry’stoyboatgotlooseandgot suckedouttoseawiththetide.”
up when he hit deep water and triedtomotorbackin,buthad enginetroubleIguess.Youcan’t trustoldboats.Noone’sseenor heardfromhim.He’snotatthe pierandthat’sallthatmatters.”
He walked across the gravelparkinglottoa risethatoverlooked thenortherncove.The icywindfeltgoodon hisface.Hepulledamarijuana cigarettefromhisMarlborohardpackandlitit.
