For a long time, I’ve wondered whensomeonewouldstartasmall liberal-artscollegeinPortlandon the model of Emerson College in Boston.ALongfellowCollegewould bearealattractionforourcity,and weinPortlandarefamousforliving inthebirthplaceofHenryWads¬ worthLongfellow,aren’twe?
There’sevenabuildingreadyto houseLongfellowCollege,themar¬ velousbrickcornerbuildingthat faces the statue on Longfellow Square.I’mtalkingaboutaschool thatwouldofferthebestcreative writingcoursesandtheworsthock¬ eyandbasketballteamsinthestate. Here’sthescoopfromDanGreen¬ stein,apartneratTheBoulosCom¬ pany,listingagentforthebuilding.
Iresolvethatthisisacallforlovers ofForestCityletters,investors,and prospectivetrusteestocontactme atSargentPublishing,Inc.,(207)7754339,aboutlaunchinganaccredited smallfour-yearin-townprivatecol¬ legeintheheartofPortland,tobe namedLongfellowCollege,andfur¬ therresolvethatoperationswould becenteredinthebuildingIhave described on Longfellow Square through a purchase of same, and that the college begin growth throughinitialendowmentsanda seriesofwriter’sworkshopsattend¬ edbyfull-andpart-timestudents andtaughtbyvisitingwriters,the finestinNewEngland,firstasan organizationsimilartoTheWriter’s CenterinWashington,D.C.,andin timeasafullyaccreditedcenterof learning.
Hooray for your magazine and “BestDormRoom”inyourDecem¬ berissue.Wasnotsurprisedto seethatNathanielHawthorne’s roomatBowdoinisstillinuse. Hadasimilarstructurehoused Mainehighschoolstudents,your typicalMaineschoolofficialwould have declared it unsafe, un¬ healthy,toooldtobefunctional, andrazedityearsago.
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Newsstand Cover Date: Wmterguide 1996. published Dec¬ ember 1995. Vol. 10. No. 10. copyright 1995. Portland Magazineismailedatthird-classmailratesinPortland.ME 04101(ISSN:0887-5340).Opinionsexpressedinarticlesare thoseofauthorsanddonotrepresenteditorialportionsof PortlandMagazine.Responsibleonlyforthatportionofany advertisementwhichisprintedincorrectly,andascompen¬ sationwewillrunacorrectioninthefollowingissue. NothinginthisissuemayIk* reprintedinwholeorinpart withoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublishers.Submissions welcome, but we take no responsibility for unsolicited materials.
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east meets west
21plEASAntstREEt>poRtlAnd,mAinE>774-5260
> appetizers ~ Portland Press Herald
QUESADILLAfilledwithBBQonions,roastchicken,grilledcorn,goatcheeseandmontereyjack. Served with tomatilla salsa.’4.95
ASSORTED GREENS AND VEGETABLES with house dressing.’2.95
SOUP OF THE DAY. >3.50
CAESAR SALAD with red chili croutons. ’5.95 with mesquite grilled chicken.’5.95
PORK & CHICKEN SAUSAGE hand rolled at Zuni, with chilis, cilantro and roasted peppers. Served on seared escarole with warm apple & carmelized leek chutney.’3.95
NACHOS with tri-colored tortilla chips, assorted cheeses, relishes and toppings.priced daily
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ZUNIBURRITOahugeflourtortillawithroastedvegetables,blackbeans,riceandjack&goatcheese blend. Served with lettuce, salsa cruda and sour cream.’B.95 with mesquite grilled chicken.’9.95
ENCHILADA corn tortillas rolled with roast chicken and baked with ancho sauce & cheese. Served with rice and beans.*5.95
GRILLEDPORKCHOPSmarinatedwithchili,garlicandlime.Servedwithtomato,cuminbasilsauce. Accompanied by a sweet potato cake and roasted vegetables.’10.95
ROASTED TEQUILA CURED SALMON with cucumber yogurt and mint dressing served with spicy red cabbage cole slaw and grilled vegetables.’10.95
TheFirst Mountain Cat: Portland-bound Manute Bol has playedforthe Washington Bullets,Golden StateWarriors, MiamiHeat,and Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers. He’sthe7thalltimeshotblocker inNational Basketball Association
WHEN THE POKTI AND Mountain Cats take thecourtforthefirst timeonMay10,199(5. theywillhopetotap intotheenthusiasmwhichthe cityhasshownforthePirates and the Sea Dogs. Maine's ownUnitedStatesBasketball League team will showcase bothfamiliarnames,aswellas potentialstarsofthefuture,in thirteenCivicCentergames
“Manute Bol a Portland resident! The thought of his PROMOTIONAL ATTIRE. But the real
RAFTERS OF VARIOUS Old Port eateries
HEAD RUBBING THE TICKLES MY
IMAGINATION AS McClure rushes off TO GET ME THE USBL PRESS GUIDE AND SOME Mountain Cats
QUESTION IS, WHAT made McClure dare
during May and June. The team’s principal owner and GeneralManager,nightcluben¬ trepreneurMarkMcClure,is enthusiasticaboutthecoming ofprobasketballtoPortland andpointstothesuccessof thehockeyandbaseballfran¬ chisesasproofthatthetimeis ripeforminorleaguesportsin Maine.
arkMcClurewelcomes meheartilytohissix¬ teenth-floorpenthouse in Back Bay Towers, apologizing for the
testantson“ThePriceisRight”shout out at me as my eyes fix on the screen.Afewscatteredpiecesofcol¬ orfulmodernartadorntheotherwise blankwalls.ThetiniestdogI’veever seen peeps out from behind the couch.1reachdowntopetit,butit backsoff,quiveringwithfear.
GoldenStateWarriors.ManuteBola Portlandresident!Thethoughtofhis headskimmingtheceilingsofvari¬ ousOldPorteateriesticklesmyim¬ aginationasMcClurerushesoffto get me the USBL press guide and some Mountain Cats promotional attire.There’snoquestionaboutBol beingabigattraction.Instead,asthe secondstickby,Irealizethatthereal questionis,whathaspossessedthe 28-year-oldMcCluretotrytopullall ofthisoff?
tainCatslogo,alongwithapress guide.“Lookatthis!”hesaysand pointstoaphotoofBolstanding behind5’7”guardSpudWebbonthe cover of the pamphlet. The cover tellsmethatthiswillbetheUSBL’s tenthanniversaryseason.
McClureisaCapeElizabethnative whose father, Eugene McClure, teachesSocialStudiesatLincolnMid¬ dleSchoolinPortland.Hegraduated in 1986 from Fryeburg Academy, whereheplayedbothbasketballand baseball.AfterastintatTylerJunior CollegeinTyler,Texas,hereturned toPortlandtofinishupatUSM.“I’m stillsixcreditsshortofgraduating.”
Part owner of the Middle Street nightclubThePavilion,he’salso founderofThePenguinintheOld Port,aswellasanewclubcalledThe EdgeonWharfStreet.Todayhe’son his way to Bangor to oversee the openingofasecondPavilionclub there.
AccordingtoMcClure,thetimeis rightforprobasketballinPortland. ThesuccessofthePiratesandSea Dogshasdemonstratedthatthere’sa marketforminorleaguesportsin Maine.Ifanything,hesays,there should be more response to the MountainCatsbecauseofthepres¬ ence of big-name players on the court.“There’salotofhighquality talentatthesub-NBAlevel,”hesays. “Peopleknowwhotheseplayersare because college hoops is so much biggerthancollegehockeyorbase¬ ball.”
The league includes such pro standoutsasAnthonyMason,Muggsy Bogues,CharlieWard,andJohn“Hot Rod” Williams among its alumni. Many other players have used the USBLasaspringboardintotheNBA, notable among them is McClure’s
firstacquisition,ManuteBol.
AmemberoftheDinkaTribein theSudan,Bolmacleaname forhimselfin1985whenhe firstappearedinanNBAuni¬ formwiththeWashingtonBul¬ lets.AtthattimeManutewasthe tallestplayerinleaguehistory,adis¬ tinctionhenowshareswithcurrent players Georghe Muresan and Sean Bradley. He immediately turned headswithhisshot-blockingability, whilehisoffensiveskillsleftalotto bedesired.Inhisrookieyear,Boltal¬ liedthesecondhighestseasonshot blocktotalever.The1985-1986De¬ fensivePlayeroftheYearvotingsaw BolfinishsecondbehindAlvinRob¬ ertson.HewentontoplayforPhil¬ adelphia,Miami,andGoldenState duringaten-yearNBAcareer,and currentlystandsseventhincareer shotblocking.
Before his much-publicized NBA debut,Manutehonedhisskillsinthe USBLwiththeRhodeIslandGulls. Evenafterhiscareerhadtakenoff, Bolreturnedtoplayoff-seasonball eachyearwiththeGulls.Now,after atwo-yearhiatusfromtheUSBL,Bol returnstotheleague,thistimeasa PortlandMountainCat.Alongwith NBAexperience,hebringsrecogni¬ tiontotheneworganization.
Also being negotiated is an NBA affiliationwiththeBostonCeltics. “ManyUSBLteamshaveanNBAaffil¬ iation,”McCluresays.“Forexample, there’stheLongIslandSurf,which servesasafarmteamfortheNew YorkKnicks.”Oftenthelowerendof theNBAteam’srosterissenttoits affiliateUSBLteamforseasoningat theendoftheNBAcampaign.“M.L. Carrisenthusiasticaboutthepros¬ pects,”McCluresays,referringto Boston’sheadcoachanddirectorof basketballoperations.
centlyidentifiedDonaldTrumpand MichaelMilkenashisboyhoodidols. Judging by the enthusiasm with whichherevealshispendingdealsto me,thisisnosurprise.Infact,Mc¬ Clureissobusythesedayshehadto postpone his October wedding to AmieSpears,23,ofScarborough,un¬ tilafuturedate.
Despitehisintensebusiness attitude,McClureisnotyour typicalsportsfranchiseown¬ er.Untilthismonthhewasliv¬ ingathomewithhisparentsin CapeElizabeth.Infact,McClureisa self-proclaimed “leg-work man” whoseventuresareprimarilysup¬ ported by a number of investors. These include personnel direc¬ tor Jeff O’Sullivan of Hampden and Guy Nedeau of Biddeford, Mc¬ Clure’sprincipalpartnersinthe Mountain Cats endeavor, which is fundedbyatotalof10investors.
Togainacceptanceintotheleague, McClureandhisassociatesfirsthad toputupa$200,000entrancefee. Once this was accomplished, he hiredheadcoachKevinMackey,the manresponsibleforbringingBolto America.McClureaddedtothelocal excitementlastDecember17,when heheldtryoutsatSouthernMaine TechnicalCollegetotrytodiscover promisingregionalplayers.
“Beyondthat,I’msettingmysights on signing Ralph Sampson. Think about that-7’4” Sampson and 7’7” Manutedownlow.”
The USBL has a salary cap of $40,000to$42,000.“Thatmightnot soundlikemuch,butkeepinmind thatit’sonlyatwomonthseason,”he says.Standardleaguewagesare$300 aweek.“It’stheNBAexposurethat’s mostimportanthere.Noneofthese playersarelookingtobecomemil¬ lionairesoffthis.Youcanpayyour marquee players more than the leaguewillallow,though.”
I ask McClure about the name he haschosen,theMountainCats,andit obviouslytouchesasorespot.He getsupoffthecouchandwalksto theTVwhereoneofBarker’sbeau¬ tiesisbusyextollingthefinerpoints ofWhirlpool’slatesttechnology.He flicksofftheTV,andturnsback towardme.“I’vecaughtalotofflak forthatinthepress,youknow.”So muchflakthatitpromptedMcClure towriteaninflamedletterdefending thechoice.Theletterwaspublished intheNovember16issueofCasco BayWeekly.“Peoplesaythereareno mountainlionsinMaine,butthere are,it’sbeenproven,they’vebeen seen.”
According to McClure, peo¬ ple shouldn’t get hung up on the name, anyway. “I mean, how many Bengals do youthinkthereareinCincin¬ nati?Wereallyjustwantedanorigi¬ nalnamethathasn’tbeenusedin sports,andthatreflectedsomething aboutMaine.Ifyouthinkaboutit,it’s anoriginalname.Youlookataname likethePirates,andyou’vegotthe PittsburghPirates.TheSeaDogsthat’sanoriginalname,anditreflects themaritimelifestyle.”
TheMountainCatsneedtoaverage 3,500fansintheir13CivicCenter appearances to make the endeavor worthwhile.Bycomparison,thePir¬ atesaveragebetweensixandseven thousandfanspergameinthe7,000 seatarena.McClureisconfidentthat theteamwillbeabletodrawsuffi¬ cientnumbers.
Ileavetheapartmentwithahand¬ shakeandabiddingtowearmynew MountainCatsshirtwithpride.Head¬ ingfortheelevator,Ithinkabout “ThePriceisRight.”Apparentlyit’s ManuteBol’sfavoriteshow,too.AsI hitthe“lobby”button1picturethe Dinka tribesman and his new boss bondingover“ThePriceisRight,”as McClureand1did.Then1hitthe street,turn,andlookskyward.I
ACCESS A PROBLEM?
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But not every snowshoe is the same,notatall.Theteardrop¬ shapedshoeofaMainer’schild¬ hoodwouldlookabitstrangeto, say,anativeAlaskan.Andthesedif¬ ferencesweren’tmerelydecora¬ tive.Eachchangewasworkedout overyearsoftrialanderrorforthe specialwinterterrainandweather conditionsofaparticularregion. Here’saquickguidetowhathave evolvedasthehalf-dozenorso most common forms of snowshoe inNorthAmerica:
SHORT & NEARLY ROUND
Bear paws, whose nearly round shape give them their curious
name,arethemostpracticalsnow¬ shoesfordifficultterrain.Theyare theshortestsnowshoes,andthus theeasiesttoturnindensefoliage 0haveclamberedthroughmanya dense alder swamp without a scratchusingbearpaws);theyare extremelylight;andtheyarethe cheapestsnowshoestopurchase. Theywill,however,tipovermore readilythananyotherstyle.
manufactures a very popular GreenMountain-styleshoefrom aluminum.Anothercompany,the Sherpa Company in Chicago, buildsaluminumshoesforbackcountryandmountaineeringuses. These shoes are roughly the shape of Green Mountain-style woodenshoes,butcontainbuiltincramponsforextragripping poweronice.
Thisdesignhaschangedsome¬ what over time. Old-fashioned Maine snowshoes were quite heavy;youneededtheheartand lungs of a marathon runner to strapthemon,astheheavytails made for quite a workout. The modern-dayincarnationsofthis shoearelighterandlessawkward, however;someevendoawaywith thetail.
1.TheAugustaRotary.According totheMaineDepartmentofTrans¬ portation’sPotentialHighAccident LocationListings,1992-1994,three hundred and fifty-four accidents happened on the East Rotary near theStateHousefrom1992-1994.
Now,1knowthiscircleverywell. Myguesswasthatsomepeopleget ontherotarybeforedecidingwhich exittotake,andthatotherscom¬ pound the problem by becoming mesmerized by the Capitol dome. Who knew? Maybe still others are madabouttheirtaxesordreaming about the legendary brunch they serveatTheSenatorInnupahead. Whatever the reason, the Augusta Rotaryfaroutweighsanyotherloca¬ tioninthestateforsheernumberof accidents,thoughthankfullynoone waskilledtherebetweem1992and 1994.
“What might be recommended is a thirdbridge.Whatyouhaveistwo rotariesandasinglebridgethatcan handleonly2,000carsanhourin peakhours.Ifyouputmoretrafficin thanyoucangetout,thenyoucan getbackups,etc.
dousamountoftrafficthroughthem. Therearealotoffender-bendertype accidents.Therearearound325,000 perweekgoingoneway,andaround 425,000perweekgoingtheother.But Rotariesareuniqueinthemselves, and maybe shouldn’t be compared withotherthree-andfour-leggedin¬ tersections.Theremightbe100or 200intersectionsthatweconsider, butwhenyouruniverseofdatagets downto4or5rotaries,yougetsta¬ tisticallyonshakygrounds.They reallyaren’tasbadaspeopleimagine theyare.”
2. The Augusta Rotary, West¬ bound. That’sright,thecirclegoing intheotherdirectionisthesecond biggestlocaleforaccidents,at149 between1992and1994.
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3. Ramp H, Westbrook Street, SouthPortland.Onehundredthirtytwoaccidentshappenedhereduring the same period. Lieutenant Mark ClarkoftheSouthPortlandPolice Departmentsays,“Ifyou’reheading towardtheMallonthe1-295Exit3 offramjibyPapeChevrolet,youhave ayieldsignifyou’returningrightand merging into traffic. The people behindyouwillsometimeslookonce andseeyoubearingright,thencheck tothelefttoseethetrafficthey’re goingtobemerginginto.Attimes,” hesays,“theyhitthegasatthesame timeandifyou’vestoppedforsome reason (for instance, if you’ve changed your mind and decided to golefttoheadforsomeribsatTony Roma’s),theydon’ttakethetimeto lookbackagainandseethatyou’ve stopped.Alargemajorityoftheacci¬ dentstherearerear-endaccidents.”
Laconic solution to both of the above:AvoidLewiston.Justkidding. Instead,simplyavoidthenorthern¬ mostbridgeintotheareaifyouhope tobeattheseraw,unevaluatedstatis¬ tics.Therearetwootherbridges fromAuburntoLewistontochoose fromwith,ifnothingelse,trafficpat¬ ternsanddensitiesthatdidn’tfigure intoasmanycrashes.
7.Brunswick.SoniaMoellerofthe BrunswickPoliceDepartmentsays, “CabotStreetisthestreetthatturns rightinfrontofFortAndross,but1 thinkthey’retalkingabouttheramp offtheRoute1Bypassthatpeople takewhenthey’retravellingfrom Bath to Brunswick.” All sorts of ramps converge on Route 1 from Brunswickproperinthatarea,in¬ cludingtheMaineStreettoMillStreet connection,sobecarefulallaround, especiallyduringsnowstorms.Bet¬ teryet,stopatGulfofMaineBooks andwaititouttillspring.
The State of Maine’s Bob Baker explainsthat“Ifyouputinanewbus¬ iness,thenthepatternofaccidents changes,becausethetravelpattern changes.Countermeasuresweuseto correctsuchproblemsareislands, signs,maintenancework,trimming trees.”
Whichbringsupagoodquestion.If a resoundingly popular business bringswithitsprosperityameasur¬ ableincreaseintrafficaccidents, doesitbearanyresponsibilityfor reparations,ordoesithaveamoral
IronWorksandthehullsofrakish ArleighBurkedestroyersbristling withguidedmissiles.Quiteaspecta¬ cle.Andperhapsyouletdownabit afteryoucrossthebridgeandsee BurgerKinguponyourright,be¬ cause... Whoinp! A car has side¬ swipedyouasitentersRoute1on
the southbound onramp. There was astopsignthere,but...
10.Auburn.OnthecornerofCourt StreetandSpringtherewere65acci¬ dents.ThisgivesAuburnthreeofthe top10,hardlyanenviablerecord, though the Maine D.O.T. will be quicktotellyouthatlookingatsheer
7.Biddeford.Route1toRoute111. 8. South Portland. Maine Mall Road,Philbrickstretch.
9.Portland.ForestAvenue,River¬ sideStreetarea.
10.SouthPortland.JohnRoberts, GorhamRoadstretch.
The high crown on I-295 and on RiversideStreet(above)isoneofthe reasonscarsslipoverintotheditch¬ esofthoseroadsduringsnowcondi¬ tions,saysSergeantMazziottiofthe PortlandPoliceDepartment.“High crownsarecurvedontoroadswhen theremaybeagreaterdangertotraf¬ ficduetothechanceoffloodingfrom rainsorsnowmeltdown,”hesays.
devastating January thaw-“We calleditthe‘June-uarythaw,’”Hod¬ dinottsays-allbutbroughtthe199495skiseasontoahalt.
The warm spell included four straightdaysof50-degree-plus weatherandcloseddownMt.Ab¬ ramwhenitlostsnowcoveronits summitduetoaninversion.Shaw¬ neePeaksurvivedthethawwith¬ outclosing,buttheunseasonal weathersentsportsenthusiasts outgolfinginsteadofskiing.
to a ski area operator, Homer recalledthatitrainedatleastone oftheweekenddaysthefirstsix weekendsthattheywereopenlast year.“Thatwasprettytoughto take,”Homersays,whoactually laughsaboutitnow.
“1thoughttheraftingbusiness was weather dependent,” Hoddi¬ nottsayswithachuckle.“It’snot evenclosetoskiing-it’stotally weatherdependent.Youcanpro¬ videanexcellentskiingproduct, butiftheweatherisn’tgood,you
Homer and Hoddinott are amongthefewindependent ownersofrelativelysmall skiareasinoneofthemost competitivebusinessesin theworld,inwhichconsolidation andincreasedsizeseemtobethe governingfactors.Thenumbersof smallerskiareashavebeenstead¬ ilydecliningoverthepast20 years,ascompetinginskiing’s new high-tech environment of high-speedquads,stateoftheart snowmaking and wall-to-wall groominghasbecomeincreasing¬ lydifficult.
Infact,both,inessence,rescued theirskiareas.Hoddinottpur¬ chased a badly run-down Mt. Abram in June, 1993 from the Crossfamily,whofoundedtheski areain1960.HomerboughtShaw¬ nee Peak in September, 1994, when its parent company faced bankruptcy (although Shawnee Peak had always proved prof¬ itable,thePennsylvaniaowners hadhadextensiverealestateloss¬ esintheirhomestateduringthe late1980sandearly1990s).
Hoddinottevennotedthathav¬ ing Sunday River nearby was a boontohismountain.“Wehavea lotofpeoplewhoskiSundayRiver onedayandusthenext,”hesays.
Though both noted that they wereallcompetingforthesame relativelysmallnumberofskiers, theyemphasizedthatwhatthey offeredatMt.AbramandShawnee Peakwasdecidedlydifferentthan whatSugarloafandSundayRiver offered.
A young person's imagination finds areassuringscaleandconstancyin forests,rivers,andmountains. Campers who come to the four miles oflakefrontatMoosePondareoffered direction...sotheycantaketheir own steps.
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Butbothemphasizedthat,al¬ though they don’t have high¬ speed quads or more than one peak,theybothprovidequality snowconditions.
“Wecontinuetoprovideasgood snowconditionsthatpeoplecan possibly find-as good as any¬ whereelse,”Homersays,whohas investedheavilyinsnowmaking and grooming at his mountain, doublingtheskiarea’ssnowmak¬ ing capacity and buying three $150,000-plusgroomingvehicles.
Hoddinott, who has also in¬ creased his area’s snowmaking capacity and bought a new flex tillergroomer,jokesthatthehalfa milliondollarshe’sspentonim¬ provementsatMt.Abramoverthe pasttwoyearsprobablywouldn’t even pay for the carpet at the SummitHotelatSundayRiver,but they’ve“reallymadeadifference” forhisskiers’experience.
Andskierinterestisup,too. Both Homer and Hoddinott are happy with season pass sales, whichareupfortheirareas,and earlysnowfallontheheelsofthe lastyear’sbadseasonhasevery¬ oneanxioustohittheslopes.
So,despitecomingoffawinter that “couldn’t have been much worse,” according to Homer, and at first made Hoddinott“wanttositdown andcry,”bothoftheseentrepre¬ neursareupbeatandlookingfor¬ wardtoanotheryearofworking andlearningandanotheryearof skiing.
“It’sanewbusiness[forme],” Homersays,whonotesthatheis there every weekend and often comesupduringtheweektotake a few runs and check in with what’sgoingon,“soIamvery intriguedbyit.Ithinkitwillprove tobeasoundbusinessinvest¬ ment.”
Bud Mogul Series Eastern Triple Crown Finals-January21,Samuel Adams Super Bowl Weekend, Maine State High School Championships, February19-23; MardiGrasCelebration,February24-25; March10-16,US Masters National AlpineSkiingChampionships-, March 21-24FederationInternationaleduSki TelmarkWorldCupFestival.
Sugarloaf/USA
US National Championships, March1830.Men & Women's Downhill, March 21;Men & Women’s Slalom, March25.
It’severythingyougofor.Aterrific mountainatourdoorstep.Superlative accommodationswithfinediningand aprivatespa,andabustlingvillage nextdoor.Addgraciousservices,great family programs, and an award winnningskischoolforatrulymemo¬ rableskivacation.
We nowhaveeverythingyouneedforsmallquantitiesof printedmaterialinbrilliantcolor.Pleasecallusat 453-4971,orFax453-7156ifyouhaveanyquestions.
■WINTERGUIDE■
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PortlandStageCompany,PortlandPerforming ArtsCenter,27ForestAvenue,Portland.Inthis newadaptationbyJeffreyHatcherofHenry James’chillingghoststory The Turn of the Screw, anEnglishgovernessstrugglestosave heryoungchargesfrombeingcorruptedby diabolicalapparitions(throughJanuary28).
OpeningFebruary4incelebrationofBlack HistoryMonth, FromtheMississippiDelta byDr. EndeshaIdaMaeHollandisapassionate, humorous, and musical true story of one woman’s liberation from poverty through education and the Civil Rights Movement (throughFebruary25).Performancesareat7:30 p.m.Tuesday-Thursday,8p.m.onFridays,5 p.m.and9p.m.onSaturday,and2p.m.on Sundays,withanadditional7:30p.m.showthe firstSunday.Ticketscost$15to$29.Ik>xOffice: 774-0465.
Oriental:JapaneseBlockPrints,PorcelainChina,IvoryNetsuke 19thCenturyPaintings•PaintingsbyMaineArtistsJohnDehlinger&TerryWolf OPEN 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Seven Days
To m: “There are times when I’m withavisitor,orinameetingand can’tbedisturbed.I'dliketobeable toletpeopleknowthatI’minthe office,andwhenI’llbeavailable.”
BatesCollege,Lewiston,Maine. Let'sTalkabout AIDS isamusicalcomedybySandraDeerabout raging hormones, romantic fantasy, and personalresponsibilitythatwillbepresented February3-4at11a.m.and2p.m.atthe BenjaminMaysCenter(tickets$3).Following that,theNewEnglandpremiereof beforeItHits Home byCherylWestrevealstheeffectsofAIDS onayoungblackjazzmusicianFebruary2-11at 8p.m.Friday-Saturdayandat2p.m.onSundays inGannettTheater(ticketscost$6foradults and$3forstudentsandseniors).BoxOffice: 786-6161.
ChocolateChurchArtsCenter,804Washington Street,Bath.TheLittleTheatreoftheDeaf— comprisingfiveperformersfromtheNational TheatreoftheDeaf—challengesaudiencesboth tohear and toseeeverywordofthefamiliar storiesthey’llbepresentingat2p.m.on Saturday,January20(ticketsare$8inadvance and$10atthedoor).Call4-12-8455.
MUSIC
PortlandSymphonyOrchestra,P.O.Box3573, 100ForeStreet,Portland.OnTuesday,January9 andWednesday,January10at7:30p.m.,the PSO’s“MysterybeforeIntermission"concert willfeatureBerlioz’ RomeoandJuliet-—«complete withactorsDeborahHallandMichaelRafkin enactingthebalconyscene—andanothertorrid, romanticworkthatwillremainundisclosed untiltheperformance(tickets$15to$35).Next theChamberOrchestraconcertsonSaturday, January27at 6:30 p.m.andSunday,January28 at2p.m.willtuneintothepassionofstrings withFinzi’sRomanceforStrings,selectionsfrom TheCypresses byDvorak/Suk,Rossini’sSonata No.1inGforStrings,andVivaldi’s The Four Seasons (tickets$25to$45).ThenonTuesday, February6andWednesday,February7at7:30 p.m.,thePSOwillcelebrateToshi's10th anniversary as conductor with Japanese composer Mayuzumi's bugaku: Part I (a translationofatraditionalJapanesecourtdance towesterninstruments);Mozart’sSinfonia Concertante,K.364(includingararejoint appearancebysistersAniandIdaKavafianon violinandviola);andDvorak’sSymphonyNo.8 (tickets$25to$35).Lastly,bringsomeoneyou lovetothisyear’sValentinePopsconcert entitled“It’sAlmostLikeBeinginLove"and cuddleuptotheromanticBroadwaymelodies ofLernerandLoewesungbythePortland Community Chorus with soloists Victoria Casella,FrankReam,andLeeVeltaat7:30p.m. onSaturday,February10andat2:30p.m.on Sunday,February11(tickets$15to$35).All
Showroom: Mon-Sat., 10a.m 5 p.m Free Brochure Available RR1Box2585,RiverRoad Edgecomb, Maine 04556 207-633-3326
from 11/1/95 to 3/31/96
”SHALIMAROF” INDIARESTAURANT
The Great Wall Of China Restaurant
We’realwayspublishingstories on Portland’s China Trade but rarelyconnectthemtolifeinthe present-dayForestCity.Whatto do if you’ve loved the Maine Historical Society show, for instance,butfeelhungryanhour later?
TheGreatWallofChinarestau¬ rant,inmanywaysthemostChin¬ eseexperienceinPortland,may beyouranswer.LocatedatPine TreeShoppingCenternearExit8, it’sfast,informal,and,inthemost wondrous sense of the term, freshofftheboat.
BangkokCityThaiandSeafoodRestaurant,One City Center. Formerly known as That Garden Restaurant,thefinestThairestaurantinMaineisnow openundernewmanagementwithanewreducedpricemenu.Specializinginseafooddishesandother authenticThairecipespreparedbyanexperienced chef,BangkokCityisopenfordinnersevendaysa weekwithalunchbuffetMonday-Friday.Catering, take-out.delivery($20minimumorder),andfreeonehourparkingatOneCityCenterParkingGarageare available.Forreservationscall772-1118.
ChocolateChurchArtsCenter,804Washington Street,Bath.TherapidlyrisingstaroftheYing StringQuartetfromJesup,Iowawillbetouching down briefly in Maine for a 7:30 p.m. performanceonSaturday,January27(tickets are$12inadvanceand$15atthedoor).Then Maine’s own Dave Mallett returns from Nashvilleforamid-winterfolkconcertat7:30 p.m.onSaturday,February3(tickets$12/$15). Call442-8-155.
World Premiere of Henry James chillingghost story.
PortlandConcertAssociation,P.O.Box1137, 100ForeStreet.Portland.TheelectrifyingPaul Taylor Dance Company demonstrates their cutting edge choreography on Tuesday, February13at7:30p.m.attheStateTheatre (tickets$30and$22).BoxOffice;772-8630or1800-639-2707.
Children’sMuseumofMaine,142FreeStreet, Portland.OpeningFebruary8,thenew“Bug Builders"exhibitcomparesinsectandhuman architecturebyallowingvisitorstoclimbintoa giantspiderweb,viewaleafchopperant colony,watchbeekeepingdemonstrations,and crawlinsideamodelbeehive(throughJune16). MuseumhoursareWednesday-Saturday10a.m to5p.m.,Fridayevenings5p.m.to8p.m.(free admission), and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.; admissionis$4perperson.Forrecorded informationcall828-123-1.
MaineCollegeofArt’sBaxterGallery,619 CongressStreet,Portland.OwningJanuary18is anexhibitionofnewworkbyMainepainter Roger Winter (through February 18); the openingreceptionfrom5p.m.to7p.m.on Thursday,January18willbefollowedbythe artist'slecturefrom7p.m.to8p.m.Thegallery isfreeandopentothepublicTuesday-Sunday 11a.m.to4p.m.andThursdays11a.m.to9p.m. Formoreinformation,call775-5152.
BackBayTowernowoffersfully furnished corporate apartments completelyequippedforconvenient and comfortable living for the businesspersonpreferringahome environmentversusahotelsetting. BackBayTowerisPortland'sfinest addressofferinggreatviews,superb intownlocationintheheartofthe businessdistrict,Portland'sfinest diningandculturalofferings.
Themanyamenitiesyouwillenjoy:
•Distinctive2and3bedroomapartments
•Flexibleleaseterms
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•Conciergeservice
•Undergroundsecuredparking
•"FloridaRoom"featuringlappool,exercise alcove and saunas
•Twenty-fourhourlaundry
•Drycleaningservice
•Half-acreterracebeautifullylandscaped
BACK BAY TOWER
offers the most comprehensive and professional corporatc/executive rental options in the area.
forthearrivaloftheNationalGallery’straveling exhibitiononWinslowHomerattheMuseumof Fine Art in Boston in February ($10 for members, $12 for non-members). Opening February14is“MyFunnyValentine,"aspecial Valentine’sDayinstallationfeaturingtheworkof tenpoetsandtenvisualartistsincludingBetsy Sholl,GaryLawless,KateBarnes,Richard Wilson,RebeccaGoodale,andNancyNevergole (throughMarch6).ThethirdannualFebruary PhotographyForumfeaturesphotographers ChuckFeil,PaulD’Mato.RoseMarasco,and JohnCaponigrodiscussingslidesoftheirwork at7p.m.eachThursdayinFebruary.Thegallery isopen11a.m.to5p.m.onWednesday,Friday, andSaturday;11a.m.to8p.m,onThursday; andnoonto5p.m.onSunday(freeadmission). Formoreinformation,call775-6245.
Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington Street.Bath.Duringthe19thcenturyshippor¬ traitsevolvedfromanimatedportrayalsof man’sstrugglewiththeforcesofnatureinto staticrenditionsthatprovidedaccurate documentation for ship owners and ship¬ masters;“TheEvolutionofMarinePainting18001925"tracesthesechangesthroughtheworkof someofthegreat“pierheadpainters"ofalltime, including James Buttersworth. Antonio Jacobsen,JohnHughes,AntonioDeSimone,and CharlesRobertPatterson(throughJanuary14. 1996).Museumhoursare9:30a.m.to5p.m. everyday;admissionIs$7.50foradults,$4.75 forchildrenages6-17,and$21forafamilyofat least2adultsand2children.Fordetailscall4431316.
Farnsworth Art Museum, 19 Elm Street, Rockland.“NC.Wyeth:ExperimentandIn-
■WINTERGUIDE■
vention,1925-1935"featurestwenty-fourlargescalepaintingsinwhichtheartistexperimented withcontemporaryartforms(throughJanuary 28).OpeningFebruary4is“Sun.Stones,and Silence,"acollectionoffiftynever-before-ex¬ hibitedphotographsofJapan,Ireland,the AmericanSouthwest,andMainebyPaulCaponigro,oneofAmerica’sgreatestlandscape photographers (through March 17). The museumisopen10a.m.to5p.m.TuesdaySaturdayand1p.m.to5p.m.onSundays; admissionis$5foradults,$4forseniors,and$3 forchildrenages8-18.Forfurtherinformation, call596-6457.
MLSaiUNY
Maine Audubon Society, Gilsland Farm Environmental Center, Falmouth, demon¬ stratesonceagainthatneithersnow,norsleet, norwinterchillwillkeeptruenaturelovers fromenjoyingtheoutdoors!Whilemeeker soulsshiverbytheradiator,die-hardfresh-air fiendscanstillenjoyawildlifewalkat9a.m. onSaturday,January13($3formembers,$4 fornon-members);awinterbotanywalkat2 p.m.onSunday,January21($3/$4);aslide showondogsleddinginAntarcticaand/Maska at2p.m.onSunday,January28($4/$5);winter bird-feedingpointersat9a.m.onSaturday, February3($5/$7);andcross-country“nature" skiingat9a.m.onSaturday,February10 ($3/$4).Birdwatcherscanalsotakeadvantage ofthe“WingsofWinter"seriesoffieldtripsto various prime spotting sites around Cum¬ berlandCounty(Saturday,January13from9 a.m. to noon; $10/$12), Penobscot Bay (Saturday,January20from9a.m.tonoon; $10/$12),andYorkCounty(Saturday,January 27from8a.m.to1p.m,;$10/$12).Otherfield tripsincludewinterwildlifetrackingat HedgehogMountaininFreeportonSaturday, February3from8:30a.m.tonoon($8/$10)and anintroductiontobasicdog-sleddingin OxfordonSaturday,February10from9a.m.to 5 p.m. ($120/3130). For information and reservations,call781-2330.
Cumberland County Civic Center, 1 Civic CenterSquare.Portland.ThePortlandPirates takeonProvidenceat7:30p.m.onSaturday, January13(tickets$5-$13).ThenonSunday, January14from11a.m.to5p.m.istheMaine BridalShow’(admission$3),followedbythe PortlandHomeShowJanuary19-21,open4p.m.9p.m.onFriday,10a.m.-9p.m.onSaturday,and 10a.m.-5p.m.onSunday(admissionis$3for adults,$2forseniors,andfreeforchildren under12).TheTourofOlympicandWorld FigureSkatingChampionsat7:30p.m.on Thursday,January25isalreadysoldout.but you can still see the Pirates challenge FrederictononFriday,January26at7:30p.m. (tickets$5-$13).Nextupafterthatisthe NickelodeonMegaMess-A-ManiaLiveTourat1 p.m.and4:30p.m.onSaturday,January27and at1p.m.onSunday,January28($11and$15). Forticketscall775-3-158.
LotwithrightstoMOOSE POND just minutes from aboveproperty.S18,000.
Route302.Buyorlease this nice commercial building.Hasbeenoper¬ atedasrestaurant-store. HasaI-bedroomanda 2-bedroom apartment upstairs.BECREATIVE! START YOUR OWN BUSINESS. Owners will hold 1st mortgageforqualifiedbuyer.$175.0(H).
FICTION
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Steppingstones.Evensomeofthe husbandsweresteppingstones. Three months. That’s how long Jackhadbeenthere.Threemonths on the Dead and Kennebec and Penobscot. Three months on old schoolbuses,drivingthroughsyl¬ vantractsofcutspruceandhem¬ lockandwhitepinetogetdownto therivers.Threemonthsoflisten¬ ingtopeoplewhowerealotlike Jackhadbeen.Undefeated.Callow. Steady.ButbeinginJackman,a guideonriversinsteadofonsoft blue computer terminals, made Jacklookatpeopleinadifferent light.
Jacklookedbackatherhusband. He laughed up on the big rock about something with the man fromSyracuse.
“Hedoesn’tcare,”Jackheardthe womansaybehindhim.
ANewFictionByJeanpaulFerro
t26Jackfeltanenormous powerinhimself.Hewasfit and muscular, and after three months on the Dead Riverthesunhadbrought outtherootsofhishairblond.He had to ignore the women there, though. The ones who’d hide behind the fir and watch as he hungthewetsuits.Thewaythey’d touchhisarmwhentheysetthem¬
selvesdownintheraft.Theway their eyes would turn nervous, theirlipshard,theuntrainedlove they had nowhere to put but in themselves. They came for the weekend from big New England citieslikeBoston,Providence,and NewLondon,allthewayuptoJack¬ man,usuallywiththeirboyfriends, those fair tempered temporary¬ typeboyfriendssomegirlshad.
He helped the husband and the manfromSyracuseintotheraft andthenthesixhappycollegekids upfromNortheastern.Itwasdark andgraythatmorning,coldwhen Jackputonhiswetsuitinthetent.
Quickly,theraftmovedonto therapidsandJackshouted commands he’d taught his novice crew back at the lodge. They moved through thegranitecanyonandoutinto the open river. Some days the wind would come in from the northandJackwouldsmellthe 1lierapidsgrew larger and more powerfuu1and! everyone smiled nervously lAe al a greatplay. bitterdecayofthepapermillupin thehills.Butthatmorningthe mistandcloudsbluntedthesmell fromcomingdown.
Thewoman,Kate,keptlooking back.Therapidsgrewlargerand more powerful and everyone smilednervouslylikeatagreat playoronarollercoaster.Jack shouted more commands as the water broke and crashed over them.Heturedstraighton,right forthebigtwelve-footrapid.He knewhehadtohititstraightor risktwistingover.
Jackwentaheadforanhourand then he put them on shore and tookthepassengersforawalk throughthewoodstogettheir legsback,passingoutsometrail mixhehadputtogetherthenight before-Chexcereal,raisins,wal¬ nuts, M&M’s, pecans, popcorn. ThemanfromSyracusewasflush andsweatyandhetookmorethan ahandful.Thewomantrailedbe¬ hindeveryoneelse.Jacksawher hairmatteddownandwetandshe hadcolorinhercheeksnow.
“Iknow,”hesaid.“LastyearIwas inawindowlessroomwritingRPG forFidelityrightinBoston.”He sawherturnandlookathim.“My dad’sdream,”hesaid,smiling. “Not mine. That’s why I came here.”
“Oh,”shesaidandnodded.“I know.Idoaccounting.”
She stopped and the group ahead of them turned the corner.Jackbumpedintothe woman and she turned and lookedupathim.Hermouth wasgentleandtremblingandher eyesstaredupatJacklikeshehad alwaysknownhim.Hepretended itwasamistakeandtriedtowalk aroundher.
ShereachedforJackandtook hishand.Hecouldfeelhershiver¬ ing.
“No,”Jacksaidverynervously.“I don’t.Notanymore.”
“Please?”shesaid.“I’venever... Allmylife-”
Jackpulledawayfromher,awet lindenbranchbrushinghischeek as he moved back. He trembled andtriednottolookather.He lookedaheadforthegroupbut theyweregone.
Jackdroppedthebagoftrailrnix andslumpeddowntotheground. Hisfacefellintohishandsasthe windpickedupandthemistand water dripped down from the canopy of leaves and needles above them. The woman knelt downtothegroundbesideJack and she tried to put her arms around him but he pushed her back. She leaned into him and forcedhermouthupagainsthis neck.Butitwasonlyforasecond, andthentheyheardthevoicesof the husband and the man from Syracuseandthesixhappycol¬ legekidsfromNortheasterncom¬ ingbackdowntowardthem.
Jacklookedather,jumpedup, clearedhisthroat.Shestoodup with her hand over her mouth. Thereweretearsinhereyes.
“Theretheyare!”thehusband shouted to the man from Syra¬ cuse.
“Come on! We found another waterfall,”oneofthecollegekids shouted.“It’ssobeautiful.”
“We’llberightthere,”Jacksaid. “We’recoming.”
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estartedtowalktoward them and the woman fol¬ lowed behind. Jack fol¬ lowed the trail he knew now and he watched the sky through the trees and saw some holes of blue opening up andthentheslightsmellofthe papermillthatbegantocomeup intheair.Hesawthewaterfallup aheadandstoppedwiththewom¬ anjustbeforetheendofthetrail. She trembled as she leaned againstJackandhekissedheron theforehead.Heheardeveryone shoutforthemagainandJackand thewomanletgoofoneotherand slowly,deliberately,theywalked overtotheothers,wherethey Ooh-edandAah-edwitheveryone elseinfrontofthewaterfall.■