NovaStar Home Mortgage, our goal is to make it easy for consumers to get the home loantheyneed.Asoneofthenation'sleading mortgage companies, we offer everything from no down payment, to stated income programs, to loans to those with marginal credit.Callthebranchtodaytofindthebest wayforyoutogetthekeystoyournewhome.
Mix ONE PART TRADITION, two parts memories,apinchofsageandadashofcinnamon andyouhavetherecipeforaperfectThanksgiving dinner.Thisyeartaketheexpectedturkeyandstuffing,mashed potatoes,greensandcranberriesandraisethesecelebrated favoritestoanewleveloftaste.
Step into a treasure trove that has been closed to the public for 100 years.
By Colin Sargent
A Real Maine Thanksgiving Delight friends and family with a spectacular array of all-Maine treats.
By Jan Grieco
The 10 Most Intriguing People in Maine
Phyllis O'Neill, Bau Graves, James Cagney IV, Julie Berry, Nathan Szanton, Winston McGill, Pat LaMarche, Dr. Kathleen Gensheimer, Hillary Bassett, and Beth Stickney. Life & Death of a Banana Peel
Wherein we follow the aforemen¬ tioned peel through trash, dump, and fire until it becomes the air we breathe.
With a Paddle
castaway artists visit Goose Island for a week to relive a tradition begun by the Brush 'Uns in 1860
Stacey Chase
Arrayof Sunshine
Mainers are sensitive about power. Over the years, great crowds of us demonstrated at Maine Yankee until they quietly dismantled the symbolic dome of Wiscasset's for¬ mer nuclear-power plant last month. Now we buy our power from Energy East-who knows how much of it is or isn't nuclear? We're even suspicious of a proposedwind farm whose futuristic vanes might scare hikers along the Appalachian Trail. So what's going to keep us warm-beyond love, bayberry candles, and fossil fuels, so often the subtext of many unspeakable world events?
Solarpower?Yes.Yearsaftermanyofusgaveuphope,itlooksasthoughaffordable, easily installable solar power may be around the comer, if not 93 million miles away.
Blue Link Solar Network, headquartered at 25 Limerick Road in Arundel, has devel¬ oped "a simple, affordable photovoltaic (solar electric) system for any building."
It'sjustfivefeetbyeightfeet.Itsnapsontoyourroofinjust30minutes."TheBlue Link 480 is $4,400," says Liz Case, an architecture student interning at the firm who answers when I call. "Our president is Naoto Inoue. He's been here working on solar technology since 1975."
"We've already sold a dozen: four in Maine and others in Massachusetts, Vermont, Arizona, New York, and California," says Inoue, 53. "It's a 480-watt unit" built to aug¬ ment a house's traditional power source. "A typical household uses 550 kilowatt hours per month, while the Blue Link 480 provides 60 to 70 kilowatt hours a month. I've had property in Kennebunkport since 1979 and worked in solar energy since 1975, but only in the last five years have utility-interfaceable inverter technologies become mature enough to make solar panels economically possible. Blue Link is making these units the equivalent of 'plug and play.' We are absolutely the first company anywhere to come up with an appliance model. Before this new development, the minimum invest¬ ment was $15,000 to $20,000." Inque's dream? "One million Blue Link units over North America could replace three large coal-generated plants."
The Blue Link 480 works "everywhere under the sun." Now if we could just do
Portland Magazine ispublished10timesannuallybySargent Publishing,Inc,722CongressStreet,Portland,Maine,04102,withnews stand cover dates of Winterguide, February/March, April, May Summerguide,July/August,September,October,November,andDecember
SARGENT ’
LETTERS
LetterstotheEditor:editor@portlandmonthly.com
WitchoftheWest
I never knew Margaret Hamilton had a house in Maine ["No place like home," July/August 2004, by Ian Crouch and Amy Barnett]. I did know there were some prob¬ lems with the makeup on a few of the char¬ acters.Tiresilverpaintonthetinmancomes to mind. Buddy Ebsen was slotted for the 0 part,butwasallergictothepaint.
Charming story. Always of interest are these 102"storiesbehindthestories"andglimpsesof theprivatelivesofsomeverypublicpeople. Keep up the good work.
km R. Palmquist, Muaiccnw@maine.rr.com, 1,4 CaveElizabethore '
0h
1won'ttellyoumyage.Buttomethisstory
ifl was great as I saw the movie the day it came )or an out, way back when. Not knowing she lh“ stayed in Maine till now made it that more ,ior_ ibiL interesting. Must have seen the movie at least 30 or more times, an hoping to see it ien: lots more.Thank you!
W5 J iar Scottie,mobb63nio@niaine.rr.com,Portland be
Itrulyenjoyedthisarticle.Iwasstruckby oneoftinenamesonthebyline.Coulditpos¬ sibly be the same Ian Crouch who graduat-
ed from Edward Little High School and is a student at Duke? It would make his old English teacher proud if it were indeed the same Ian. Thank you. lsturgis@securespeed.usNewGloucester IndeeditisthesameIanCrouch.-Ed.
Will people forget her? TheWizard of Ozwill live on for eternity! Every time we pass her house in our boat, my 4-year-old grand¬ daughter (a Southport native) proudly points out her house. Gone, but not forgot¬ ten by many generations. rdacey@maine.rr.com, Portland
Great story. She was truly a great lady and a bonus for the state of Maine. We were very lucky she wanted to be part of our wayoflife.
JohnMorril,Portland
Thought it was just lovely to know she had foundhappinessinourstate.Thearticlewas written very well, and her son should be proud of your writing. You showed Ms. Hamilton to be very down to Earth, kindhearted, and beloved. Thank you.
Joan Gorman, Westfield
I truly enjoyed this story. I am originally from Kansas and have always felt connected to this movie. It's interesting to know some
Wetakeyourcar.Youmighttake adeductiononyourtaxes.There are many reasons to donate a vehicletotheNationalKidney Foundation. Funding kidney researchandpatientcareareonly afew.MakeyourcaraKidney Car. Cars that save lives. For more information,call 1-800-488-CARS.
of the behind-scenes and personal traits of the people in the movie. The Wicked Witch of the West was one of the most memorable characters. We have the movie and all our kidsenjoyit.
Ilovedthisstory.Itisthefirst"complete’ one 1 have read about Margaret Hamilton It's great to know some of her time wat with us. God bless. ppodziak@hotmail.com
Whatagreatstory.MargaretHamiltonterri¬ fied me in the Wizard of Oz as a child bu when watching her onMisterRogers'Neigh¬ borhood with my own son, she was so apolo¬ getic and warm hearted. What a great actressandwhatagreatstory.
Leigh,seaside@maine.rr.com,SouthPortland
I really enjoyed hating the Wicked Witch o: the West in The Wizard of Oz when I was growingup.ButIreallyappreciatethelove shehadforMaineanditslighthouses.Beiry a Mainer, I also appreciate the lighthouses that we have taken for granted. There wil. beatime(unfortunately)whenthesenation¬ al treasures will no longer be needed. W( needpeopletorealizethattheyshouldn'tb< destroyed,butresurrectedasahistorytotht strengthofthisgreatcountry.Thankyoufo: tirebitoftriviaaboutMrs.Hamilton. Karen Auspland Johnson, Lexington, Kentucky
Very well put together. I have always en¬ joyed her performances. Never knew shi lived in Maine. narey@maine.rr.com
Titisisquiteinteresting.Ineverrealizedtha: Ms. Hamilton was from Maine. She outdic herself and proud to know the story. Tht home looks so peaceful...what a getaway Well-deserved home!
Deb Coady, Wells
ShockingInstallation
ItwasanhonortohavemysculptureMoment: ofSilence:1039+ includedintheSeptember20ff "Brave New Art" issue of PortlandMagazlsI Theboldredheadlineonthecover,"Shocking Installation for the War Dead" caught me of
i- guard. Having been involved, since Memorial >Day,inthedailyrhythmsofaddingribbonsto rthepiece,Ihadbecomeinuredtoitsemotional content.Thankyouforjoltingmebackintothe horrorofthesewardeaths.
Also,asIcreated Moments, rather than X feeling grateful to be working in a country isthatprotectsfreespeech,Ibecameincreas'( ingly aware of the erosion of our freedoms since the War on Terror began. At the border x of my serene island property, stapling the Ideathtollintoatelephonepole,Iwasoften 1- reminded how unique a location I had choksen. Though controversial and very fragile, x Moments remained intact for three months. u It took publication in PortlandMagazine j; tomakemefullyrealizethat1wasbeingmil¬ itant and courageous. On Labor Day, several y friends and I dared a parade to bring the piecebacktomyyardafteritsexhibitinthe si GEM Gallery on Peaks Island. This event kwas sobering and very well-attended.
In the midst of a small room filled with the 1006 frosty six-foot-tall ribbons, each withaname,face,andageofadeadsoldier, a:aperformanceartistinaburkastoodquieticly.Inherhandsheheldoutapoppytoviewn ers, a subtle reminder that Operation v Enduring Freedom has not altered the plight of Afghan women. Instead, it has resulted in increased rape and poverty. Tire agreements Bush made with the Northern Alliance to defeat the Taliban, as you may know, have it dramatically increased the flow of opium 3! onto the global market. Deaths from that it drug in this country outnumber those from rf the attacks on the WTC on 9/11 /01. )f SusanHiesterWebster,PeaksIsland
TheOldPort,soevocativeofthenineteenth century,isparticularlyintriguingtoBlack,''"The <..,. buildingsmakeitbeautifulinalldirections/jj.e-says.“ "We'reallnostalgicaboutPortland.IguessI'mas sentimental as the people who buy my work." And whatisitaboutBlack'sworkthatmakepeoplewant tobuyit?"Whatisit?"Hepauses,thenlaughs."People likeit."PaulBlack'sartworkshowsforthethird consecutiveyearatForeStreetGalleryfortheir"Cityin Winter theme," opening December 3rd and continuing throughtheendoftheyear.
Visit www.forestreetgallery.com and www.paulblack.com -Rachel Groh
STAR BUCKY
The stamp of choice for many of Portland's architecture and design firms is none other than former Maine summer resident R.BuckminsterFuller (1895-1983), inventor of the celebrated geodesic dome and the notorious "Bucky Box." Released on July
1JLIFR
12, his birthday, with daughter Allegra Fuller Snyder in the crowd, the stamp recreates the January 10,1964,Time magazine cover originally painted by Boris Artzybasheff. Born in Milton, Massachusetts, Fuller always maintained that his summers on Bear Island in Maine deeply influenced him. He even designed
plans for an (unrealized) "glass university" at the University of Maine at Machias whicharestillonfilethere.Inanycase, we're glad to see Bucky back in circulation.
& CHOWDER
SenatorDebbieStabenow
1 (D-MI),Snowe,AARP pw—»n^>pr~ esj (jent Mari e smith.To theleftjustoutofthe pictureisSenatorJohn McCain(R-AZ).
What's it all I about, algae? i
We'reallentertainedbythegeeseandducks| thatadornthewateron51-acreDeeringOaks Park,designedbyFrederickLawOlmsted,the visionarybehindNewYork'sCentralPark.The duckshavebeenhereinforcethisyear,wild mallardswhoflysouthontheirowntimetable. ButdidyourealizethatPortland'scitygeese never made it to Deering Oaks last summer?
'Wehadalgaeproblemsatthepond,so wecouldn'tbringthemoverthisyear,"sayscity foresterJeffTarling.'Wekeepthemat EvergreenCemeteryduringthewinters,atthe twopondsthere,"Duringthewinter,the cemeterycrewlooksafterthem.Theroutine goes back to the192Os. When the ice warms up,they'reprettyvocalaboutgoingbacktothe pond.It'sincredible.Allwehavetodotocatch themistostarttheoldestfemaletowardthe cageandtherestfollowinsinglefile."
And the famous duck house?'We keep it overatEvergreenCemetery,too.Wepullitin earlyNovember.Theoriginalwas builtin1886;it'soveratSmiling HillFarminWestbrook.This one was made by Portland HighSchoolstudentsinthe 1970s." -Nicole Nelson
Of the 1,875 pels who have served in the U.S. Senate since 1789, just 33 have been women. Of course, both Maine senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are among this elite. This year, the September 6 issue ofForbes magazine ranks SenatorSnowe among the 100 most powerful women in the world-58th, in fact, above Oprah Winfrey (62) and just below Katie Couric (57). Also on the list: Queen Noor (83), Diane Sawyer (26), Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri (8), Supreme Court justices Ginsberg and O'Connor (7 & 6), Sen. Hillary Clinton (5), Laura Bush (4), India's Pres. Sonia Gandhi (3), Vice Premier Wu Yi of China (2), and Condoleezza Rice (1).
What has 124 strings, 310 fingers, and a lot of rosin? Childsplay, 'a self-contained folk festival,' appearing at Portland High School auditorium December 3. The group started 18 years ago when a ! worldwide coterie of musicians got together because of a common bond: they all play instruments made by violinmaker Bob Childs, now of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Childs, who learned his craft in Orrington and maintains family ties to Portland, says the group's formation ' was a surprise to him. "It's turned out to be this incredibly cool community experience," he says. In addition to A musicians from as far away as Sweden j I (the country), Joyce Anderson of York I and Ellen Gawler of Portland will join [Irish fiddlers, an Irish harpist, an Appalachian dogger, and a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Tickets:PortlandGreenGrocer,BullMoose jMusic,MacBeansMusic,and trchilds618@comcast.net,orcall845-2140. only21percentoxygen-andanothertank addsdifferentaromastoaltermoods.Itcosts 50centsaminute,withmostcustomers optingforabout10minutes.Doubleyour pleasurewithAirSupplyontheheadphones.
DECEMBER 21 - Merrill Auditorium, Portland
Dependable, Neighborly Service
Falmouth • Falmouth Shopping Center 781-3136
Biddeford • 124 Elm St. 282-5156
Augusta•300StateSt.623-1171
Bangor * 47 Bangor Mall Blvd. 947-8800
^ufus Porter
BridgtonHistoricalSocietyvotes soon on whether to mount a campaigntopurchasethis NorthHighStreethousein ordertopreserveandpromote theRufusPortermuralsglowing onitsinteriorwalls.Board memberJulieLindberg: "Personally,I'dliketoseea RufusPorterSocietyformedto takeovertheproject.These muralsarepartofBridgton'sart heritage."Whilethereissome controversyoverwhetherPorter was born in Bridgton or moved hereasachild,he'dapplaudthe historicalsociety'seffortsto honor him.
Brobdignagian Bulwark
It's nice to live and work at a destination resort. This fall, a number of cruise ships have invigorated shopping at the Old Port by stopping here, including the 893footCarnival Victory, above, laden with 2,758 guests. To get an indication of her size, remember your last trip across Casco Bay on theIsland Holiday, dwarfed in comparison at the lower right of the photo. According to the Port of Portland, "The impact of the cruise ship business in Maine account[s] for $9.2 million in purchases, 327 jobs, and $9.6 million in wages [fiscal year 2002 data]. An average port-of-call passenger spends $117 locally. An average port-of-call cruise ship crewmember spends $38 locally. Total economic impact on Portland is estimated at $8.71 million or $198.96 per passenger for the cruise ship trade." For more information, visit www.portofportlandmaine.org
This modest Bridgton housecontainstreasures within:mural-painted wallsbyRufusPorter.
Top 10 Corporate Taxpayers
At one time, sugar and molasses merchant J.B.Brownpaidnearlyhalfthetaxesinthe cityofPortland.HereisalistofPortland's current Top 10 Corporate Property Taxpayers:
1. UNUM/Provident insurance pays $2,682,573 forallofitsPortlandproperties.
10.BankNorthGrouppays$284,808forallof itsPortlandproperties.-Nicole Nelson
EnjoytheFreedomoftheGreatOutdoors
If you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses Maine Eye Center can help you experience the great outdoors in a new way with LASIK Laser Vision Correction. Using the VISX Excimer Laser, we can reduce or eliminate your dependency on eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Contact Maine Eye Center today to learn more about LASIK Laser Vision Correction and schedule your Free LASIK Screening.
LaserVision
Maine
Eye Center
NorthernNewEnglands'LargestPracticeof Eye Physicians and Surgeons — Since 1907 (800) 545-6066 ♦ (207) 774-8277 • 15 Lowell Street. Portland. Maine 04102 laservision@maineeyecenter.com • www.maineeyecenter.com
Exteriorview, Winslow Homer Studio.
Aboveright:Foldingstorage pouch used by Winslow Homer.Itstillcontainsatube otchinawhiteanda porcelain-tippedburnisher, feelow^right:Winsor& ewton(1832-pre'sent)’ nglishwatercolorbox lomer ■ ipans * entin* i cups.t
here's more security here than at thePortlandInternationalJetport. Who are they expecting here, Muhammed Atta? Officials hold cellularphonesanddirectthepas¬ sage of shuttle vans to and from the Black PointInn.Guestsstepoffandarewhiskedto their first view of Winslow Homer's studio, from the back yard. Above the sea roses is a sweeping vista of Ram Island, Wood Island Light, Biddeford Pool, Old Orchard Beach, and Scarborough Beach. Theboom-boom of thesurfdetonatesontheledgebelow.
SothisistheshorethatinspiredMaine's greatestpainter!Notsoloud!Remember,thisis ProutsNeck,Maine'smostexclusiveneighbor¬ hood. For years the uninvited curious have beenrunoutofhereliketheruffianstheyare. Such a strange admixture of eternals and hedged property rights. But wait-the press conferencetomakeWinslow'sstudioapartof thePortlandMuseumofArtisabouttobegin. Microphones crackle. News cameras jostle for position.EveryoneleansinasDanielO'Leary of PM A welcomes the crowd.
"The Homer studio is certainly the most preciouslocationintinehistoryofMaineart," hesays."Thisplaceisuniqueandpowerful." OLeary describes the purchase agreement be¬ tween the museum and Charles Homer Willauer between $1
Then O'Leary introduces Charles "Chip' HomerWillauer,thesellerandagreat-grand¬ nephew of Winslow Homer.
"Myspeechwriterisn'tonduty,sowhatev¬ erIsaywillbecomingjustoffthetopofmy head," Willauer says. Of all times for the speechwritertotakeoff,whytoday!Willauo wearssomethingoutofRobertLowell'scloset black wingtip shoes, white duck trousers, a blueblazerandtie.Heexplainsthatafteral! theseyears,he'ddecidedtolookforfuture stewardshipforthestudioasanationalland¬ mark, and that a neighbor had been kind enoughtotipDanO'Learyofftothisduring lunch. A "dance" of negotiations has ensued leadingtothis,the"bridaldance."ThenWil-
Winslow Homer, his dog, Sam, father,CharlesSavageHomer,Jr., andothers,watchingtheocean fromtheCliffs,ProutsNeck,Maine, circa 1895, unknown photographer,.
rAfterStevensrefused * payment, Homer *stunnedthearchitect lf bypresentinghimwith ’AnArtist'sStudioin anAfternoonFog.
ivlauerintroduceshisstep-grandmother,Doris u Homer-second wife to Charles Lowell Homer, asonofWinslow'sbrotherArthur-whohastirelesslyledgroupsthroughthestudiooverthe ayears.She'saformerrealestateexecutive,too, illaswellshemightbe:atonetime,membersof retheHomerfamilyowned"twothirdsofProuts j.Neckrealestate."
id Dressed in a pink suit with a couture cut and black sunglasses, she smiles as Willauer dsays,"Thisisnotawinterhousebehindus,but jj.Dorislivesforshowingtinestudioandtelling
the Winslow Homer story; and I can tell you she's been here so late the snow was falling outside. She wants people to continue to be abletoenjoyit."
That chicken farm is now Piper Shores retirementcommunity,aluxury'affairbuilton
land that Doris Homer, widowed since 1955, owned for many years. Now she herself is aresident.
Asked how, as an in-law, she became the pre-eminent Homer representative in the fam¬ ily,shesays,"Charlieopenedthestudio,sowe used to listen to his tours,"she says as the crowdfilesintothestudioforatourledbyPMA curatorJessicaNicholl.Fewpeopleareclose enoughtohearherwhendiesays,"Charlieowns the building but when you step off the front porchorthebackporchyou'reonmyland."
Inside,there'sasenseoffadedoldgold wood smoke, and the soggy redolence of old books:Scott's }Nmxrhj novels, somebod/s his toryofBritain,ahistoryoftheRomanEmpire "Winslow Homer first visited Prouts Ned in 1875 when his brother Arthur was honey¬ mooning at a resort here," Nicholl says "Homer's older brother, Charles, decided t( move to Prouts Neck in 1883, buying almos thewholeNeckwiththehopesofbringingth entireHomerfamilythereandsubdividingth property to create a summer resort. When th familylearnedthatWinslowwouldbejoining themontheNeck,theyconstructedapainting roomintherearofthefamily'shomecalledth 'Ark.' Homer, who relished his solitude anc independence, instead asked that the stable nexttothehousebeconvertedtoastudio."
Thegreatartisthadfalleninlovewith"th lapsingocean,therocks,thesoundsandinti¬ mations of the sea." Homer had the studic moved100feettopositionitdirectlyaboveth sea.Theeffectismagic.
On top of this, Homer contracted with ar upcoming young Portland architect namec JohnCalvinStevenstoredesignitashisstu¬ dio and home. While retaining the sense of; carriage house, Stevens adds "a portico, l mansardroof,afireplacewhichstandswhen, thestabledoorsusedtobe,"bedroomsupstairs, and beadboard paneling stained a lovelv tobaccocolor.
Stevens adds another dash of style-h refuses payment for his work. Inspired W
I paints a remarkably modernist masterpiece, I! TheArtist'sStudioinanAfternoonFog, andpres।‘$entsittothedumbfoundedarchitect,showing E the Prouts Neck skyline dislimned against a j’darkening sky. For many years the painting If.remainsintineStevensfamily;today,it'sinthe 4|collectionoftheMemorialArtGallen.’ofthe glUniversityofRochester.
"Homer's move up here has often been (presentedasaradicalbreak,butitreallywas¬ n't,"Nichollsays."He'djustspentayearpaintjing[thesea]inEnglandandhaddecidedthere jhewasgoingtoconcentrateontheseaandits .many moods, so you can see why he'd leave ,NewYork."
1Oh,yes,wecanseeit.Sunlightandviewsof si’ Ram Island spill through the windows. The
ocean dazzling in real-life recreations of Homer's greatest works.
Buttheinsidehasallure,too.InthePainting Room,Nichollshowsustheblackoilskinfish¬ erman'shatthatdoesn'tjustlooklikethehat that appears in Homer'sHerringNet,itisthe veryone.
According to Charles Willauer, other per¬ sonaleffectsinclude"amedalthatHomerwon attheCarnegieExpositioninPittsburgh,which includeda$5,000prize,"thathangsoverthe mantelintirelivingroom.Butthisisalsoafam¬ ilyhome."Doyouseethisbell?"Willauersays. "Itwasrungtomakeusclimboutoftreesor cometomeals.It'sinWinslowHomer'spaint¬ ingNoonRecess." Warmingup,Willauerdirects ourattentiontoanoctantoverthefireplace "that appears in the paintingEightBells" as
well as a phrase Winslow inscribed into the wooden wall in pencil that reads, "What a friendchancecanbewhenitchooses."
Other ephemera include Winslow's whale oillamp,fishingnets,flags,asetofcrossed Columbian epees, and a tortoise shell on the wallmadeof...well,realtortoiseshell.
One final knick-knack: a sign warning of Snakes!Snakes!Mice!
"Winslow used to put that close to where he was painting to scare people away," Doris Homer says.
"There's nothing to see up there," Doris Homer deadpans as we head upstairs, but we climb up anyway.
And indeed we see nothing but the green surfheavinginfrontofbanksofroses,scotch pines,andledge.Twolobsterboatsarechug-
ging across the scene from the north, towan Ram Island. Then the ocean rolls up into; single,malignantridge,heavingitselftowan theledgelikeafast-movingprecipice,itssub marine undercurrents gathering power unt itcrashesinfreshcollapse,explodinginto; mist of spray 20 feet high, the way it doehere day and night, watched and unwatchec Besideus,atall,thoughtfulmaninagra’ suit stands, just watching. No one say Weatherbeaten,butit'sasifthepaintingha justrecreateditselfinfrontofoureyes.
Boom. There goes another one.
The quiet man is Brad Willauer, Charles; younger brother. "I'm a portfolio manage* with Head and Associates," he says wher, asked. "We manage other people's mono; endowments, schools and colleges, that son of thing." After a few more questions h revealshimselftobechairmanoftireboard8‘ MECA, though today is not MECA's show. I "When 1 was newly’ married, Chip rentes thestudiotosomefancyfellowfromAtlant.; whoattirelastminutecouldn'tcome,"Bract
a’ Winslow Homer, SketchoftheArtist'sStudio-Home, y ProutsNeck,Maine withtheinscription,"Where ' the Women cease from troubling and the Wicked areatrest,'circa1898,ink,graphiteonpaper,3x 111/16inches.
Si
;e‘Willauersays."Welivedrighthereforthree eiweeks,rentingatadiscounttofilloutthe ev time with our two little children. My wife or and I slept in that bed, where earlier my h> grandmother had died."
I a: Didn't that bother you?
r. j "No," Willauer says. He is quiet so long K that another wave crashes. "One of my kids nt announced his engagement downstairs, ac- He'd been down on the rocks with his bride •andaring.
> ; "Do you see this?" he points to a grating :inthefloor."Askids,weusedtoliebeside , this and listen to what the grownups were 5 saying." He points through the grate to an aerialviewofDorisHomerinherpinkdress, caneinhand,seatedinachair.
1 By noon, the announcement of the studio's transferisnationalnews;wehearitdriving home on Boston's WBZ radio. At this juncture we are happy to report the grownups seem to know what they are doing. ■
S/i’I ish attractive ft motional These beautiful woven blankets sold nationally in mail-order cat¬ alogs and department stores throughout the country are now being offered to you at outlet prices 50%-70% off retail!
Osedtobe,seeingflocksofwild turkeys was a sure sign of de¬ lirium tremens. Now they real¬ lyare out there. Jody Jones of Maine Audubon Society is fasinated by them. “They're smart birds," she says. "We're seeing them everywhere." They lurkinourbackyards,teasingus.Sometimes great numbers of them appear to be plotting right along the Maine Turnpike.Which can't butmakeusthink:
An all-Maine Thanksgiving maysound
like something you might only consider on adare,butitis possible-a real Maine cele¬ bration in every way. From candles to crou¬ tons, turnips to turkeys to fabulous FrancoAmerican tortieres, Maine's got it covered. We've even asked Maine' Public Radio's Robert Skoglund to kick in with a classic, quirky Maine Thanksgiving anecdote, "butyoucancallitatale,"soyou can send friends and family home with a Maine 'souvenir.'
Firstthingsfirst.Ifyou'vebeenwaiting until November to shoot your turkey, you're too late. The season ends on Halloween. Sandy Ritchie of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says, "Last year's harvest was 246 birds. The fall season is archery only." Until recently, hunters were limited to York and Cumberland counties, but the bird can now be found in atleast11ofMaine'scounties.
YellowAsphalt, Nov3/4, TripletsofBelleville, Jan 5/6 . Happy Times, Feb2/3
MyArchitect, Mar 2/3 *, ToBeandToHave, Apr6/7
Of course, turkey hunting may be a littk too back-to-nature for those of us who pre¬ fer a pampered-turkey farm. At SpringBrool FarmDairyStore in Cumberland there an usually birds aplenty. Kay Fowler (that'really her name!), who oversees the familyrun operation, said that the farm raises 5l turkeys each year, and they go quickly. "I begin taking orders for the birds [r ? right after the Fryeburg Fair in early October, and usually all of them are destined for dinner tables by' early November. However, visitors to the 5
storecanpurchasemilk,cheese,butter,and cream for topping the pumpkin pie, all pro¬ duced locally, along with beef, pork, veal, and seasonal vegetables and fruits, if not a locallyraisedturkey.Thefarmisjustashort drive north of Portland in Cumberland Center, two miles from Route 1 and one mile from Route 9. Year-round hours are Tuesday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m., Satur¬ daysfrom9a.m.tonoon.Call829-5977.
If you can't find a Maine-grown turkey at Spring Brook, Tabor's Perennials in North Berwick (676-5579) and Little River Farm in Buxton (727-3673) also raise turkeys, and Forbes Meats in the Portland Public Market also offers up delectable birds. Make sure to order early to guarantee Ikthehighlightofthemeal. re- Cranberries mean Thanksgiving, and >ol Maine's cranberries are the most tart and in delicious in the world. While most of the it's farms producing the colorful, tangy berry ly- are located Downeast, most also offer their 5l products by mail. WeownitCranberryCo. in Jonesboro has a full selectionofdriedber¬ ries, candy, fudge, > gift baskets, jellies, and cranberry teas. ' Telephone 1-866-936-9648 or visit www.cranberryshop.com. Bradshaw's Cranberry Farm in Dennysville of¬ fers fresh gourmet cranberries delivered toyourhomeaswellassauces,jellies,and spreads.Toorder,call726-5065,orcheckthe company out at www.cranberriesfresh.com. Tireproductsarealso availableinScarboroughat TisketATasketGiftShop. Vegetables are thenextorder,and while there are a number of excellent farm stands provdF/ ing a full range
Cutthegingerintopaper-thinslices. Stack the slices together and cut them intoverythinslivers.Combinetheginger
of Thanksgiving produce, SnellFamilyFarm offersupaselectionsuretotemptanypalate. This farm stand on 1000 River Road, Buxton, overflows with produce that will just about complete any Thanksgiving feast. The Snells raise and sell apples, pumpkins, squash, carrots, rutabagas, and potatoes, and Ramona Snell-who helps run the stand-says there may even be a few onions left over for those die¬ hard New Englanders who believe it isn't Thanksgiving without boiled onions. Some less well-known produce, includ¬ ing leeks and celeriac, along with herbs, can contribute to a traditional stuffing for
slivers,garlic,vinegar,sugar,andcayenne inasmallpot.Bringtoasimmer.Simmer on a medium flame for about 15 minutes oruntilthereareabout4tablespoonsof liquidleft(excludingthesolids).Addthe cranberrysauce,salt,andpepper.Mix andbringtoasimmer.Itwillbeabit lumpy,butthatisfine.Simmerona gentle heat for about 10 minutes. Cool. Putinajarandrefrigerate.Thiswillkeep forseveraldays.Makes2cups.
From Easy East/West Manus for Family and Friends, Harper & Row, 1987.
the bird. The farm is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and can be contacted at 929-5318 or www.snellfamilyfarm.com.
Speaking of stuffing, a great version can be made from BigSkyBakery's whole- grain breads, made from organic flour milled right on site, at shops in Woodfords Corner and tire PortlandPublicMarket.A favorite with some families is the wheat bread, which is then cubed, lightly toasted in the oven, and combined with diced apples, celeriac,onions,andsageforamoistsuccu¬ lent stuffing that is wonderful for sopping up gravy. Contact Big Sky at 761-5623 (Woodfords)or228-2040(Public^Market).
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients except chicken broth in a medium casserole dish. Add chicken broth; mix well. Add more chicken brothforamoisterstuffing.Coverand bake for 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 3 cups.
Earthytreatsadd gusto:Maine's potatoes and sweet potatoes arethefinestin theworld. Forzestieringredi¬ ents and a FrancoAmerican flair in your stuffing, conside: products from MailhotsSausageCompany at 258BartlettStreetinLewiston.Establishedir 1910,Mailhot'sproducessavoryturkey'Cre¬ tans(pate),porkpietourtieres,saltedherbs and salmon and chicken pies. Their sausage fillings and products, available at Shaw's Hannaford, and Wal-Mart, will absolutely ensurethatyouhavesidedishesorthefoun¬ dationofadressingwithrealjoiedevivre. For dessert, ValleyViewOrchards oi Hebron offers some of the best pies around These delicious homemade fruit pies, made by Jim and Jean Kroitzsh, are very populai with customers who shop in local specialty stores, and, in recent years, have become available through Hannaford supermarkets aswell.AtthePublicMarket,awidevariety of pies are prepared and baked, including
Poulin
Pumpkin pie perfectlyfitsthe occasionina ceramiccontainer purchasedata Maineestatesale.
along with cream pies and tarts. The Public Market store is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call them at 228-2036.
For those who enjoy baking their own pies and baked goods, fiddler'sGreenFarm is a two-family-owned organic stone mill in Belfast that has been producing organic cereals and baking mixes for the past 15 years. Fiddler's Green produces a variety of stone-ground flours, including whole Mailhot'sSausageCo. inLewiston,est.1910, producessavoryturkey cretonsandporkpie tourtieresthatwillgive yourtableflairand zestyauthority. blueberry, rhubarb, and strawberry,
INDIAN PUDDING
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4cupsmilk
1/3cupmolasses
1/2tspsalt
1/2tspgroundginger
1/3cupsugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
Preheat oven to 275°. Heat 2 cups milk untilveryhotandpouritslowlyoverthe cornmeal,stirringconstantly.Cookin double boiler over simmering water for
10-15 minutes, until the cornmeal mixture is creamy. Add remining 2 cups milkontop,setintoapanofhotwater andbakefor2-1/2to3hoursoruntilset. The pudding will become firmer as it cools.
To serve, put a spoonful of pudding in eachbowl;addasmallscoopofvanilla ice cream and top with some compote. Thiscanbeservedwarmrightafterit's made.Oritcanberefrigerated,then servedcold.Itisaspectaculartreatona cold night when served warm.
GOOD FOR WHAT AILS YOU
AvenaBotanicalsisanherbal apothecary headquartered in Rockport. Hand-harvesting herbs at optimum potency following seasonalandlunarspecifications, theyoffersomereliefforthoseofus who might over-indulge this holiday season.
wheat and unbleached white flour, alone with a variety of baking mixes, cornmeal and more exotic flours such as rice, oat quinoa, oat, and millet, perfect for a pie crustorotherholidaybaking.Visittheweb siteat www.fiddlersgreenfarm.com orcall1 800-729-7935 to order.
Devotees of Indian Pudding can ordei the dessert from MaineGoodies inAlbion.A single can is available at Portland's Just MaineMade shop on Congress Street; orde a can or a case from Maine Goodies at 4372052 or www.mainegoodies.com.
It may be a bit more work, but planning!
traditional Thanksgiving dinner and buying locally grown and produced foods is a good way to extend the holiday festivities and provide a new outlook on the Big Feast to childrenandadultsalike.Buyinglocalfoods also supports local farmers who constantly struggleagainstrisingpropertyvalues,and ithelpskeepthosecornfields,pastures,and
hayfields as much a part of the Maine land¬ scape as they have always been.
And that story from RobertSkoglund,The humbleFarmer? Here'tis:
I was seated at a Thanksgiving table many yearsagowhenmyfathermentionedtheimpor¬ tanceofgivingthanksandbeinggratefulfor smallblessings.Hesaid,"Yearsago,neighbors woulddofavorsforeachotherandnotacentever changed hands. You do something for me and I dosomethingforyou.Thatwasthewayitused tobehereinMaine.
A good example was the time Del Smalley fixed Aunt Ada's tomcat. Of course back then nobodywouldthinkoftakingatomcattoavet forasimplelittleoperationlikethat.Yousimply stuckthetomcat'sheadandfrontfeetdowninto anoldboot-oh,you'vegottodoitlikethat-a tomcat will make a wicked fuss about nothing-andaquicksnipwoulddoit.
When Bau Graves pitched for a place for his band in the 1979 Maine Festival to thendirector Phyllis O'Neill, little did he know hewassettinghimselfupforalifetimegig.
Marriednotlongaftertheirfirstnegoti¬ ation, they are now the proud parents of two children and equal partners and co¬ directors of the Center for Cultural Ex¬ change, located at Longfellow Square in Portland.
The Center hosts ongoing international performances as well as the exciting new Festival for Cultural Exchange, where Congress Street is shut down between Longfellow and Congress Squares for topnotch food and entertainment at a multi¬ plicityofvenues.
At this year's inaugural festival, an immediate success that brought thousands
to the city and featured acts from Penobscot Native American Drummers to Brazilian Tango Dancers, one reveler was heard to say, "I'd forgotten what I loved about Portland.Thisisit.It'sjustthisfeelingthat anything is possible here."
Thisorganizationhasbeeninexistencesince 1984,thoughatthattimeitwascalledPortland PerformingArts.Weproducedaconcertseries andbecamedirectorsin1987.Workingfroman almost inaccessible office in the Portland Performing Arts Center, we managed to put on shows for years. Nobody knew it was us doing it; hopefully the move to the building at LongfellowSquarehashelpedclearupsomeof theconfusion.
Howdidyougetthisgorgeousbuilding?
WerespondedtoanRSVPbythecityofPortland, in 1997. The building was dilapidated and condemned when we bought it for $65,000. The
biggestproblemwastakingthissmallalternater artsorganizationandthenrasingmoney-weha:I toraiseclosetoamilliondollarstorenovateth* spaceandgetitgoing,andittooktwoyears,rV wasaverychallengingprojectandwediditwiti alotofchutzpah.Themortgageisverysmall.V c
So both of you own the building? v No, it is the property of the nonprofi j organization. We are simply employees o that organization so we have no ownershi; I interest in any of the property. \
What's your thumbnail pro-forma for "Th: Center for Cultural Exchange"? I Itisanot-for-profityear-round,multi-disciplinar, arts organization offering public program i includinganannualconcertseries,multi-da। eventsandfestivals,theproductionofHeritag-:। Tours,community-basedculturalprogramswit■ Portland'srefugeeandimmigrationgroups,an:■ school-based educational and after-schoc programming.Ithasanannualoperatingbudge of$900,000andassetsofoveramilliondollar: Community-basedartistsandactivistsandIocs religiousandsocialorganizationsprovided rectionforprogrammingandcollaborateinth: productionofworkshops,concerts,dances,are community suppers. Participating ethnic com munities in Southern Maine include African American, Cambodian, Franco-American, Greet Armenian,MiddleEastern,Irish,Jewish,an: Latino.Jazzandpoetryarealsorepresentedif theCenter'sactivities.
As"co-directors,"whodoeswhathere?
BG: There'salotofoverlap.I'minchargeofth: programmingandPhyllisdoestheinstitutions stuff.Shehasagreatgraspoftheinstitutions pictureandalltheplayersandhowitfitstogethe Iammoreofafrontguy.Idoalotofthegran proposalwriting,butPhyllisisakeeneditor. PO: Bauisquickandavisionaryandcantafe these crazy ideas and punch them into place quickly.ThenIcomeinandsaythisisagreatides andsuggesthowwecanmergeitalltogether.W workextensivelywithartists,andoneofBau'sarea ofdepthismusicwhichpermeateseverythingv^ dohere.Hebringsstronginterestsincultureante community while I offer more of a dance an:| performance background and visual stuff. 2 X
How many people attended your recent firsG FestivalofCulturalExchangeinPortland.?; Our estimate is 12,000 to 15,000. j 2
Howmanyworkersandvolunteersdidittaketc-
; make this thing happen? :Therewereatleast300volunteers.
• Was there any profit or loss and how will you useaprofit,ifany?
We just about broke even, with an output of around$300,000.Iftherehadbeenasurplus,it would have gone back into supporting iprograms.
A portion of programming is conceived and :developedinpartnershipwithdifferentethnic .communitieslocally.Anotherchunkwedoona •curatorialbasis...Thenwetrytocomeupwith ■theunexpected,stuffthatnobodyisfamiliar :with--groupslikethethroatsingersofTuva. :"Beatthedonkey,"aninternationalpercussion ’extravaganza,turnedouttobeverypopular.
■ What was the most attended event?
TheSteveEarleshow.
: What's your take on how the Festival went? Peoplehadareallygoodtime.Ayoungwoman wasdancingintheworlddancetentwithayoung .guyshejustmetwhowasLatinoandtheywere :dancingaDominicandance.Heaskedher,"Are ■youhavingagoodtime?""Ohyes,ohyes,"she said,"andyou?"Hesaid,"Iamhavingsuchagood time-these are my people." He was dancing on CongressStreetwithaDominicanband.Itwasn't ■justagoodtime-itwasreallyspecial.
ourchildren,andithadahugeimpactonthem. Youknow,youcansaytoyourkids,"Cleanyour plate;therearepeopleintheworldstarving,"but you see as a parent how those are just words whenyourchildrenactuallyexperiencethetruth of what you have tried to say. Our kids just changedafterthisexperience.Therearehuge rewardstowhatwedo,workingtogether.
Favorite performance group?
PO: Themostmovingperformanceinthiscountry
is,Ithink,EinsteinontheBeach.Butthen,seeinga bunch of men do the monkey dance in Bali-100 meninsarongsatnightchantinganddoingwhat iscalledthececakdancebythemoonlight-thatis hardtobeat!
We'd like to take a photograph. Would you please stand over here, and maybe hold up two videocassette boxes of your grandfather Jimmy Cagney's films, maybe WhiteHeat and Angels WithDirtyFaces?
I went to South Portland High School. My undergraduateschool?HardKnocks.Look,there
arealotofskeletonsinthecloset.It'snoteasyt talkabout.Mydadandmomgotmarriedinth bigwhitechurchonMeetinghouseHillinSouf Portlandin1962.1wasbomin1963,atMain Medical. When my mother and father gc divorced,myfatherandgrandfathergotintohug fightsandneverspoketoeachotheragain.Iwa seven.Myfatherleft.Ididn'tseehimuntil11yea'S later,andIneverheardfrommygrandfatheragairi
MydadopenedagasstationinSouthPortlancs
He passed away before his father did. j
Justafterheappearedin Ragtime? 1981orso?
justcareaboutthejoke,whatpeoplecallthe j just care aoout me W'coincidence.'Except P was mv orandfather. hewasn'tacoincidence,he wasmygrandfather.[Pause]Iwasunabletocon¬ tacthimafterhesplitwithmyfather.
HedidafewfilmsandsomeTVafterthatButyou don'tcareaboutanyotherpartofmyfamily,do you?Youdon'tcarethatmymother's-sidegrand¬ fatherownedInnessPhotoinSouthPortland.You workshereatVideoport.Mypartisawalk-on, wheremycharacterplaysadescendantofJimmy rj Cagney. When I was on film, I scowled at the t*. camera.Icouldn'thelpit.Itjusthappened.Then “’there'sTwelveStepsOutside,byAllenBaldwin, alsofromVideoport.
AlotofpeoplewholovefilmworkatVideoport. Yeah.InTwelveStepsOutside, IwasEddiethe suburbanfather.I'mafather.Icouldsinkmyteeth B intothat.Youknow.I'veactuallycometolike y,acting.I'mappearinginThe ZombiebyTimKelly, 4 at Presumpscot Grange Hall through November 13.Thetheater'sat1844ForestAvenue.Thisismy Vfirstbigpart.
1
YoumustlikeworkingforBillDuggan! [Joking,withasmile]He'sabastard.Idon'trec¬ ommend anyone work for him. No, don't print that!Iadmirehisbusinesssense.Hepayswell.He givesgreatparties.
I'msorrytodredgeallthisup.Ihadnoideait would be hard for you. Forgetaboutit.
I think my favorite Jimmy Cagney movie was shot whenhewasolder,aWorldWarIImovieinwhich hetrainedspies.Oneofthespiesiskilled,sohe has to go and complete a dangerous mission that he's physically unprepared for. It's a terrific performance. He's so mortal. What's that movie called?
You know,doit. Say whatHE says,uponthe sideoftheflamingoiltank:"Finallymadeit,Ma! Topo'theworld!"
But how often do you find yourself standing in frontofexplodingoiltanks?
Ah,youseemypoint. -ColinSargent
JULIE BERRY Shewillsurvive
RATS! It's been cold and raining in pad dise-and Gorham attorney Judith Berry] worriedaboutdaughterJulie,23,oneofthl starsofSurvivor IX: Vanuatu,theCBSrealit] television show.
"Shedoeslooklikeshe'slostweight,juJ from the episodes we've seen. I'm thinking 'Oh!She'shungry.'It'sveryhard."
Falmouth resident Zoe Zanidakis, (| Survivor IV, knows what Julie is goinj through. "She's playing it under the radal likeIdid,"Zoesays."She'snotmakingan] large statements that would put her on th chopping block.'
Zoe's advice? "Follow your heart and ui your mind of course, and your intuition."
IntuitionisoneofJulie'sbiggestasse according to Stephen Prince, her former s pervisor at Saco River Health Services, where Julie worked with children before quitting to go on Survivor. "She's enthusiastic, ener¬ getic,bright,andintuitiveas hell. My advice? Win at any cost."
Ofcourse,it'stoolatefor
NATHAN SZANT01
Building Collector
\
How do you turn a sow's ear into a sit r purse? Portland developer Nathan Szante r may have discovered the formula. Having [ law degree and work experience at Main StateHousingAuthority'doesn'thurt,eithey Aboyish43,Szantonsays,"Ifinditexd| ing to contribute to turning around a sit fromaliabilityforthecitytoanasset."
he and Maine Workfor: v Last year, t h c li fi ai fi' o c Housing partner Robe Monks turned an old part inggarageat41StateStre into Casco Terrace, attra five brick apartmentNow, he's applyir i his magic touch! I 730 Congre 1 Street, where 1 d e s e r t e | $480,000 gas st £ tion mav ver
advice. Even though the show is still run¬ ning, shooting ended months ago. The con¬ testantsarekeptundermorewrapsthanKing Tut, and everyone's mum about the outcome. But Julie's mother says, "We're extremely proudofhernomatterhowfarshegoes."
3r, well be transformed into a 40-unit apartbe ment building.
atJ "The total project cost is about seven miltre. lion," Szanton says, and he's hoping to ja; finance $5.5 million of it with MSHA loans :nt augmented by $560,000 in HUD money prfromthecityofPortland."ThetaxesI'llpay •ht on the site will be going up from $10,000 currentlyto$50,000-afive-foldincrease."
■e The key that opens doors for him? e Affordable housing. Promising affordable st housing has helped him overcome obstaver cles to the Congress Street project that
Szanton envisions a modern brick and copper apartmentbuildingat730CongressStreet.See artist'sconceptions,above.
includerezoningtoacontractzonetoallot fora55-footbuildingheight,waiving40c the required 80 parking spaces, and neec ingthecitytosellhimasliveroflandft $10 a square foot. But then there's th; promise: to create a mix of one- and twt bedroom units earmarked for both middle and low-income tenants.
Whereothersseean oldgasstation,hesee
WalkerTerrace...
Orlando Delogu, who chairs Portland Planning Board, calls the rezone "lei unusual than it used to be but not yet con mon." He points out that the project hi cleared two significant hurdles, with bo! the City Council and the Planning Boar giving preliminary approval. Delogu al? sees the current string of old gas station "sort of depressing for a gateway."
Not everyone is charmed. "The or. issue neighbors consistently bring up parking-and that's never changed," con merits neighbor Alison Hawkes of Carltc Street."Ijustthinkit'sinsanethatthecit would let the parking situation get worse Szanton counters with data showir; "low-income families in a walkable an like the West End have significantly lei than one car per household."
Where others see an old gas static: Szanton envisions Walker Terrace, a brie and copper-clad building that he calls "win,win,win-architecturally,forthecib tax base, and for housing for people." -LeeBellavaK
■WinstonMcGill,49,isafirefighter,presi¬ dent of the Portland branch of the NAACP, : and a former Westbrook police officer. He's !alsoaformerfarrier,drug-enforcementoffi:cer,andsecurityofficerfortheU.S.State Department overseas. Intrigued? Well, he is i also Muslim and the only African-American ifirefightertoserveinPortlandsincetire1800s.
You are a firefighter, so I have to ask, where ? were you on the morning of September 11th? :Ihadjustgottenoffduty,actually.Iwassitting zln Back Cove Deli on Ocean Avenue, watching theTV.Ikeptthinkingthatthefirefighters[who hadgoneintotheWorldTradeCenterbuildings] musthaveseenthecollapsecomingandgotten
out in time. They must have had enough warn¬ ing,Ikepthoping.Ithadsuchaprofoundeffect.
How so?
Well,Portlandhasabout254firefighters,and NewYorklost342...Justthink:wow,thatwould be our whole department gone, and then some.
Did you want to go volunteer at Ground Zero?
Yes.Alotofuswerecallingandvolunteering, but they had more than enough help and encouragedustostayhereandtakecareofour own towns.
Iworkedforayearforaprivatesecuritycon¬ tractoroverseas,workingintheMiddleEastand SouthAmericafortheStateDepartment.Ire¬ turned to Maine and worked in the BIDE drug enforcement program for the state for three years,thenIhadmyownhorseshoebusinessfor sevenoreightyears.IfeellikeIfoundmycalling inthefiredepartment.
As a Muslim, what do you do to keep spiritually connected in Maine?
Iprettymuchkeepmyreligiontomyself.Itravel toBostontogotoamosquewhereIfindit's easier to connect with my fellow American Muslims.ButthebenefitsoflivinginMainefar outweigh any challenges. Maine has a lot to offer,it'sasafeplace,andthepeoplearedecent.
Festive Views
■ FEATURE
When did you convert to Islam? Eightyearsago.IwasraisedEpiscopal,but hadn'tbeenclosewithmyreligionforanurr berofyears.Ifeltthatvoid...Ithinkpeople needtofocustheirspirituality.IstudiedIslar anditmakessensetome,itappealstorr. logicalside.
How does being a Muslim affect your outlooi after9/11?
Peoplewhousereligion-thenameofIslamto commit crimes against fellow humans, we theyarewrong.Thereareactuallymanysin ilaritiesbetweenChristianity,Judaism,andIslarr IntheKoran,followersofallthreeareconsiders: "PeopleoftheBook."
What are the most harrowing moments yo. havehadasafirefighterandapoliceofficer?
Oh,I'vehadalot!Iwouldsayinmypolk: work,theshootingonSt.JohnStreetanumbe of years ago where a fellow officer, Bude Pelletier,wasshotintheface-thatwaspret scary,eventhoughIwaspartoftheperimett control.Asafirefighter,manytimeswhenweo: inandsearchforvictims,wecan'tseeanythin; evenourhandrightinfrontofourface.Or time,Iunknowinglywalkedintoashowersta Iwasfeelingaround,unabletofigureoutwhs kindofroomIwasin.Itwasprettyintensefor: fewminutes.
Your position as the NAACP Portland presider involvesadifferentkindofpressure. It'smoresituationsthatangerandfrustratem Blatanthousingdiscrimination,forexample.Ju lookinthepaperattherealestateads:"Weda acceptSection8,"or"Nochildren."It'snotju peopleofcolor.There'sjustnoenforcementc thefairhousinglaws.Youhavetolearntocha’ nelthatangerinpositiveways.
How about particularly rewarding moments?
Well,we'vedoubledmembership[to150]sire I'vebeenpresident.Weareoneofthebusk branchesinNewEngland.Ienjoygettingoutin: the community and showing the NAACP in fe positivelight.[Memorablythisfall,ina50-y£ celebration of the Portland branch w? CorettaScottKinginattendance.]Andit'sa honorservingwithagroupofvolunteers.Tr NAACP has done more for civil rights tha anyothergroup.Ienjoyseeingoursuccess? likeanytimeasituationisresolvedandit's win-win.
Are there any nuances that make working in Maine's NAACP different from anywhere else? Well,MaineisstillpartoftheUnitedStates,soit stillsharesmanyofthesamechallenges.Iguess alotofproblemsarerelatedtolackofexposure andignorance.Somefolksjustdon'tunderstand.
What is the stupidest question you've ever been asked while working with the NAACP? DoblackpeopleliveinMaine?Or,Iguess,where ;is Maine?
r Incidentally,youarethefirstAfrican-American 'ifirefighterinPortlandsincethe1800s.Doesthat c length of time seem strange to you? rNotatall.Itfitswiththedemographicsofthestate.
( What do you know about the previous African)'Americanfirefighter?
HisnamewasRubenRuby.Hewastheequivalent ofadeputychief.HefoughtinthebigPortland ’firein1866andprettymuchsavedtheareaoff xIndiaStreettoFederalStreet.Hisfamilywasvery « active in the abolition movement and helped itfoundtheAbyssinianChurchinPortland.
eiWhatdoyouseeyourselfdoinginfiveyears?
ntHopefullyinfiveyearsI'llstillbehappywithmy c life, watching my grandson grow up, seeing ftmyselfasapartofthecommunity.I'mlucky.I i£lovemyjob[firefighting];Ican'twaittocomein >eeveryday.AslongasIcandothejob,I'llkeep '$doingit.They'llhavetocarrymeout. -ElizabethValente
PAT LaMARCHE VicePresidentialCandidate
It isn't easy being Green. But Patricia LaMarche knew it wouldn't be an easy road campaigning for Vice President of the
United States of America as running mate to the Green Party's David Cobb. "When 1 found out, 1 didn't really tell
anybody-just my kids. I guess 1 wasn't sui ofwhattothinkofityet."
As she speaks, LaMarche is about 20; feet down Yarmouth's East Elmstreet Roa; from Royal River Park. Like ancient ruin¬ evidenceofaonce-flourishingmillliessea: teredaboutthepark'sriverside."It'saplat that both calms and fascinates me LaMarche says. "The park is so importar to me, in fact, that 1 plan to petition th townforaplacardthatdisplaysapicture; themillinitsheyday.
"If you're a full-time daydreamer, yo: can almost see the building standing tai above the trees. If you're a part-time dav dreamer, you'll need the placard," she sav withasmile,speakingovertheriverrapid; "Thisplacehasapieceofsomethingtha was important once and just doesn't exk anymore," she adds, continuing to walk hr Trek bicycle down the Royal River Pan path with a rubber "piggy" sitting prom nently between the handle bars.
Stopping, she glances back and sneak in,"It'skindoflikeourgovernment." Visit our stunning show room soon!
MarbleGranite,Inc. t r a n sj o r tn i n g your home 47ParkDrive (offTopshamFairMallroad), Topsham,Maine 207.72S.7309 www.mornintj.starmarble.com
ELIZABETH MOSS GALLERY
Forty-three-year-old LaMarche has a large audience as a Maine radio personality on Augusta's country station WEBB. She's also been a prominent figure on WGAN news radio. Beyond that, she's an active philanthropist, championing causes such as the Children's Miracle Network, cancer re¬ search, and community events.
Single and a mother of two, she takes politicsseriously;it'sinherblood.
"My mother [the late Genevieve Judge LaMarche] was politically driven. As a child, I was encouraged to fight for what I believed in before lying down in front of a bulldozer or doing something rash. I was gettingpapercutsasakidonissuesIdid¬ n't even know about," says LaMarche. "Mom thought that politics was a way to deal with what wasn't right."
Adopting her mother's philosophy, LaMarche began her fight at age 11. "In 1971, 1 was living in Providence, Rhode Island. 1 wrote a letter to President Nixon asking him to find better ways to deal with the race riots than to send kids home from
GraniteCountertops J Hard Rock
Deep in Cathedral Woods byII.Kallem, Acrylic/paper, 20” x 30” Photo
Meyers
( j(ouMef/
European Hooded Cape—Perfect for the Holidays! Wrap yourself or someone you love in the warmth and romance of a handcrafted Casco Bay Wool Works European cape. This slightly slimmed down versionofatraditionalEuropeancapeis flatteringtoall.Madeof100%warm,plush merino wool. Finished with 3 lovely pewter clasps,thisdistinctivegarmentissureto turnheads.AvailableinRed,Black, Charcoal and Winter White. TheCascoBaySlimlineEuropeanCape Pet.,Reg.,Long$295.00 XLong $315.00
Pleasecomevisitourretailstoreat 10 Moulton Street (207) 879-9665
■ PEOPLE
school, only to make up the days in sum¬ mer school. Of course, LaMarche though the riots should have been prevented. Sht. also, as any child would, had strong feel¬ ings against summer school.
"This put me on Nixon's Black List, bir was a great beginning to a career in poli¬ tics,"shesayslaughing.
"In 1974, my dad, Paul LaMarche moved us from Providence to Bangor. I waa geek at Bangor's John Bapst High Schoo! keeping my opinions to myself" until she looked up and realized she'd graduated witi aliberalartsdegreefromBostonCollege.
She was 28, married, with two sma! children when things began to stir again fa PatLaMarche."Iwasathomewithtirekidand the Iran/Contra hearings took over th TV. It brought new meaning to my life. 1'c watchthatalldaylongandwaitformyhus¬ band Mike to come home to talk about it. Hi thought I was nuts. He couldn't understanc why it was such a big deal to me."
Themarriagedidn'tlast."I'mnotfeelin; cheated by anyone today; I wasn't rejectee by Mike. The fact he couldn't put up witi me is normal. He really was a nice guy,' explains LaMarche, adding, "I think Cinderellaistheworststorytotellanychild It's bad for boys and girls. The burden or Prince Charming is unreasonable and th< power taken away from girls is unfair."
As a single mom, LaMarche says, ". cametotherealizationthatIcouldactually do things by myself." Working as a waitresat Miller's Restaurant in Bangor, LaMarcht was approached by a customer to work ir broadcastingatalocalTVstation."Hernam isMichelleSlater,andsheisthemostwon derful human being alive," LaMarche says.
LaMarche became Portland/WGAh" firstfemaletalkradiohostafewyearslater It was then that she became Green. "Ths party basicallytold me I was Green," sht says. "I had strong liberal opinions on th< radio that matched up with what the part) wasallabout.Someoneoncetoldme,'Ifyot don't have a personal agenda in what you'n doing,youwon'tdoitwell.'It'sverytrue.'
She apparently struck a nerve in th state'sconservativeradioaudience,fieldin; death threats and insulting letters durin; her gig at WGAN. The pressure built, ant in 1997, before she accepted the party) nomination as Maine's Green Party guber natorialcandidate,thetalkradiohostwaarrested for drunk driving.
1- She pleaded guilty during a media-coveredtrialinJulyof1997andlostherjobat it WGAN. LaMarche says, "I'd never been 1 really hated before that or done anything to getinserioustrouble."Thetoughestaspect roftheincidentwastellingherpre-teenchilj- dren. "I wanted them to know I did some¬ thing that was very wrong [and] I didn't e want them to repeat what I had done. I've r always had the philosophy that if you >! screw up, you own up to it. If someone conksistentlytellsthetruth,eventuallythatper¬ il son is believed," says LaMarche. "We had a lot of time at home that summer."
i! Though grieving the loss of her mother in i addition to tire events of previous year, i LaMarche still managed to pull off a rek spectable showing in the gubernatorial earn¬ 'dpaign,generatingsevenpercentoftheMaine 5voteinthe1998election,runningon$20,000.
I A year after running for governor, it LaMarche and her children moved to the Netherlands so she could study at the if University of Amsterdam. "Europe is such icanopenculture,"shesays."Ithasacertain Ifsocialfiberyoudon'tseehereintheUnited States.Itwasthebestexperience."
il LaMarche became morning-show host d on Augusta's WEBB country radio once the >r family returned. On air, her name is Genny it Judge, in honor of her mother. "Now any¬ time I do something on the radio to help “i people, Mom gets all the credit," she says h with a smile.
s This year, LaMarche met her ultimate it challenge: accepting the nomination to run it alongside California's Cobb. "The camn< paign is a way to make a difference in the n-country'selectionprocesswhilealsoclear¬ ing the White House path for future I' Greens," LaMarche says. "The media covera age and awareness raised during the elecfittionyearisavictoryfortheGreenParty." h; The race has been one of her most diffihi cult endeavors. "Life really ought to be t fun," she says. "Running for vice president )t has made running for governor seem easy." r, Plans for the future? "Steer clear of the .' White House for a while." LaMarche plans he to keep very active in the Green Party on ifbothstateandnationallevels,"helpingpeolipieandindividuals.I'dliketogetpeopleto itvote.I'dliketohelppeoplegetelected.
A "We're so afraid to change things in this ;r country because we're afraid of making it a-worse.Tirethingis,itcan'tgetanyworse."
-TishaEadie
THEPORTLAND:SHOW,‘04:
November4-27,2004
Openingreception:Thursday,November4,5■7p.m.
Joel Babb Tina Ingraham
Susan Barnes Jeff Kellar
Phil Barter Sarah Knock
KatherineBradford AndreLaPorte
AlanBray
Sam Cady
Thomas Connolly
Marsha Donahue
EdDouglas
SeanFoley
KathleenGalligan
RebeccaGoodale
TomHall
DeWitt Hardy
PatHardy
ConnieHayes
PeytonHiggison
BritaHolmquist
JamesLinehan
AnnLofquist
FredLynch
JanetManyan
JamesMullen
Thomas Nadeau
NancyNevergole
GregParker
AlecRichardson
MargueriteRobichaux
Abby Shahn
RichardWilson
John Wisseman
Nancy Wisseman-Widrig 146MiddleStreet
Not using 3M™ Scotchtint™ Window Film can leave quite an impression.
Sunlight can make a timeless design look oldfast.3MScotchtint Window Film helps protect a room and its furnishings from the sun'sharshultraviolet rays and intense heat.
3M Innovation
For more information and free estimates, calk
Maine Sun Solutions
DR. KATHLEEN GENSHEIMER
Maine's Antidote to Doctor Germ
Nexttimeyoususpectalittlesalmonelli in your Caesar salad, or sense that you] phlegmy cough might be a touch of the per tussis, give Dr. Kathleen Gensheimer a cat She can dazzle you with the professions savvy of a Maine public health official and clearthingsup,becauseit'sherjobto"ex pect the unexpected."
Gensheimer, Maine's State Epidemi ologist since 1981, vaulted into the public eye during the media feeding frenzy re¬ lated to the New Sweden arsenic poison¬ ings in April of 2003.
"[The Department of] Public Health war reallythefirstresponder,notthepoliceand firemen,"shesays."1stillrememberthecal IgotthatSaturdaynight."
And ever since, with her duties carica¬ turedinshowslikeCSI,Crossingjordan,and Law and Order, Gensheimer has found her¬ selfontheothersideofthemicroscope.
Educated at Penn State, Cambridge, anc Harvard, she may in fact have more back¬ story than many of her TV counterparts Huent in German, she picked up Afrikaans
EversinceNew
Sweden,inthewake ofshowslikeCSI,Dr. Gensheimer has found herselfontheother sideofthemicroscope,
while studying in South Africa. And jus like the rest of us, she can catch a whoppe of a cold. "I contracted whooping cougl whileaninterninPhildelphiain1970,"shi says, "while my husband acquired hepatitiB from a needle-stick exposure." The up side? "It gave him time to reupholster oir couch and chairs."
Intireinterim,Gensheimer,who'sweath ered her own set of nicknames over ths years-'"Dr. Gunslinger' from the dain farmers who opposed my attempts to gf rawmilkoffretailshelves,'Dr.Gloomanc Doom,' even 'Dr. Diarrhea "'-has gone on I raise four children while advancing he career in medicine. And in both of he worlds, communications remains a key:
| In this post-9/11 world, epidemiology hasbeenthrustsofarintothelimelightthat "I've seen the value of a growing public recognitionofthecriticalnatureofpublic health." Of course, there are nuances here: • "There's a fine line between providing necIessaryinformationversusinstillingfear... hit'sthe way you present information that's i important in some respects."
i Recently, several Maine communities > have been struck by minor epidemiological t crises. A handful of high schools suffered whooping-cough outbreaks, with Gensheiy mer confronted with students actually "geti ting mad at [me] about not attending the i prom." In August, a crow infected with the y West Nile virus was discovered, "but the c people of Maine "seem to have more of an I understanding" about the dangers of fantningfear,especiallysince"WestNile'sgot 5anexotictitle."
HILARY BASSETT LandmarksontheMove
Under the leadership of executive director Hilary Bassett, Greater Portland Land¬ marks is taking a bold new direction.
"We're looking for a new home for our headquarters,"shesays."Ouridealsituation would be on the Peninsula, and we'd love to beclosertothePortlandObservatory,which we own and oversee, and the Old Port, becausewedoourdailytoursthere.
"Beyond that, we're looking for a space with a civic presence, where we could con¬ ducttradeshow's,exhibitions,classes,pos¬ sibly auctions." Such a place would contain a small auditorium, where outreach pro¬ grams could be conducted. "Not only that, weneedalargerspaceforourlibrary;w'e're burstingoutofourseamshere"at165State ^Street, home to Greater Landmarks since the1970s.
The Frances Peabody Library at Land¬ marks,w'itharchitecturalsurveys,pictures, and ephemera on thousands of Portland structures,isalreadyaninvaluableresearch tool for homeowners, architects, writers, andhistorians.
A dynamic presence at Landmarks since replacing Martha Deprez in 2000, Bassett, a 1975 Wellesley graduate [majoring in art 11historyandSpanish]andSpringStreetresi¬ dent,saysherbiggestsurprisessofarhave been the volume of technical and historical queries Landmarks has to field every day and the variety of administrative skills requiredofherstaff,frompublications,lob¬ bying,andITexposure(visitw'w'w.portlandlandmarks.org for instantaneous views of PortlandHarborfromtheObservatory)tothe TitisOldHouse knowledge members and visi¬ torsexpecttofindhere.
Keep an eye on Bassett as she adroitly guides Landmarks to prominence as a larg¬ er, more flexible organization in the years to come.
BETH STICKNEY Immigration,Ma'am
Beth Stickney's fate might easily have been ice cream. Or possibly saving the environ¬ ment. Instead, Stickney, 47, is a bilingual Portland immigration lawyer and the exec¬ utive director of Immigrant Legal Ad¬ vocacy Project (ILAP), the only nonprofit legal aid office in Maine specializing in immigration law.
She is passionate about the issues her clients face, some controversial, including that of Touch Rin Svay.
When you entered law school at Northeastern, was it dear then you'd go into immigration law? Notatall.IthoughtI'dgointoenvironmentallaw. But it turned out that environmental law was very dry. You have the opportunity to impact people, but you aren't dealing with human beingsonadailybasis.Ilikedealingwithpeople.
You practiced law in Boston for 13 years. Why did you move your profession to Maine?
Isawthattherewasnoviableresourceforlowincome immigrants and non-citizens. ILAP was startedin1993asaprobonoproject.In1998 wedecidedtoturnitintoastaffedproject,and ImoveduptoMaine.
How is practicing immigration law here in Maine different than Boston, or another place? Well,forone,therearefewerimmigrantsinMaine, so the immigration officers have a more sane workload.It'swonderfultohaveagoodworking relationshipwiththem.Fortheimmigrants,Maine has a shorter green card or citizenship ap¬ plicationbacklog.TheprocessinMainemaytake sixmonths,whereasinotherurbanareasitcan take two years. In many ways, being in Maine makes my job much easier.
How emotionally involved do you get in your work?
Iampassionatelyinvolvedinthelegalaspects and implications of my work. We [the United States]arehistoricallyapowerhousebecause we'vebeensowelcomingtodifferentpeopleand theircultures.It'sfrustratingthatthatwelcoming
You also lived in Central America for a while What drew you there?
IwentdowntoElSalvadortodohumanrigh: workbecauseIwastiredofonlyworkingatth endoftheproblem.Iwastherein1991ar; 1992,thelastyearofthecivilwarandthefirsto theceasefire.Thewarwasthereasonsomar people were driven out and immigrated toft UnitedStates.
Is the Touch Rin Svay case the most publicize case you've worked on?
Are yourelatedtotheDeeringIceCreamfamil; Yes.Itwasmygrandfather'sbusiness,then it r parents';nowmybrotherrunsit.Growingu: I just assumed I'd go into the business c \ DeeringIceCream,too.Lotsofthingschange.I mymind.IguessultimatelyIhadadesireft1
BEAUT;Y, WARMTH & RELIABILITY
• Long lasting quality and beauty of castiron.
•Freestandingorbuilt-infireplace model available.
• Convenience of propane or natural gas.
• Remote or thermostat capable.
• No electricity required.
• Direct vent, chimney vent and vent free.
• Vermont Castings models are available in a variety of colored enamel finishes.
• Majestic models are available in a variety of brass fronts or bay windows.
moresocialimpact.
Why do you enjoy living here? It'seasylivinguphere.IwenttotheUniversityof Minnesota,wherewinterisworse!Ilearnedto
lovedoingwinteractivitiesandIlovesnow.I'd beenaway[fromMaine]formorethan20years, livinginBostonfor17ofthose20,andImissed beingsomeplacewherea10-minuteerrandisa 10-minute errand! My husband and I have a
What aspect of immigration law would you like toseeimprovedinthenextfiveor10years? I'dliketoseeimmigrationrightsthathavebeen erodingberestored.I'dlikeCongresstomakea truecommitmenttoreunitingfamilies.Congress putlimitsonthenumbersofspousesandchildren whocanbebroughtoverafteronefamilymember hashisorhergreencard.WhenIfirststarted,the processusedtotakeapproximatelyoneandahalf years.Nowit'sanaverageofsix.Ifyou'refrom Mexico,it'smorelikenine.
WIt'snicetoknowthatourgarbagegetscartedawayandwe don'thavetodealwithitanymore.Butdidyoueverwonder exactlywhat does happentoit?Wefollowadiscarded bananapeelfromthemomentit'sthrownawayuntilit becomes...butlet'snotgetaheadofourselves.
here does your garbage go?
You just threw a banana peel into a can under the sink. The peel sits there at least for a couple days. If you're unlucky, your dog scatters your garbage on the floor to remind you what you've been through that week: take-out Chinese, your daughter's dirty diapers, a burned-out light bulb, a clear plastic bread bag.Youtransferthegarbagetoalargercan in the garage. In the colder months, your banana turns nearly black and freezes. In the warmer months, it decomposes quite
BY LINDSAY STERLING
quickly.Withinacoupleofdays,it'sbrown, squishy, and hosts a family of fruit flies. Thenyoutakethetrashouttothestreetcor¬ ner.Voila.Asfarasyou'reconcerned,itdis¬ appearsintothinair.Butwheredoesitgo? In the garbage truck on the way to south Portland,yourlife'sdebrisjoinsthatofyour neighbors. Banana peel, meet your neigh¬ bor's potato chip bag, rotten chicken bones, and dirty doll. And here's your neighbor's clump of bathroom garbage. Banana peel, meet Bob's toenail clippings and Mary Anne's hair collected from the shower drain. From highway 95 near exit 46, we
can see the incinerator's two smokestad offtothewestbarelypokingabovethepin trees.Thegarbagetruckturnsintoitsfa destination, Regional Waste Systems o Blueberry Road, off Route 22 just west of 1 and the pink Unum-Provident building. The truck drives up to a blocky, gr: building and dumps the neighborhood garbage at the bottom of an eight-stct cement pit. Another truck dumps on top it. Neighborhood trash, meet the comm« cial debris from L.L. Bean, Starbucks, an The Gap. The banana peel has turned ir: brownpastebynow,butnomatter.Theer.
itssad,physicalexistenceisnear.Within inutes, our banana peel will be blasted to molecular smithereens.
Mark Arienti, the environmental managoftheincinerator,andIareinaPlexiglas om perched at the top of the garbage eol¬ ationpit,eightstorieshighandaswideas iofficebuilding.Arienticallsthepit"the inker." The bottom of the bunker is cov¬ ’dinplasticbagsofgarbage.Intiresumerwithallthetouristshere,3000tonsof >shcanfillthebunkeruptotwothirdsof capacity. To stay on top of the garbage >w,theplantmustrun24hoursaday,365
days a year, burning about 550 tons of trash each day.
A crane operator is in tire room with us, listening to Van Morrison while doing his job.Inhis12-hourshifthewillusetwojoy¬
Theincinerator atRegional Waste Systems on Blueberry RoadinPortland
sticks, one in each hand, to transport 250 tons of trash up from the bunker into a chute that feeds the incinerator. As he maneuvers his joysticks, we watch a giant metal claw in the bunker chomp down on bags of trash. The garbage, some dripping and falling out of the claw, swoops 70 feet into the air before dropping into the feed hopper. Now would be a good time to say good-bye to our banana peel.
We walk out of the crane operator's cabinontometalgratesontheseventhfloor. "So where's the incinerator?" I ask. Arienti pointstothegraymetalwallsoneitherside NOVEMBER 2004 PORTLAND
of me. There are actually two incinerators, each eight stories high, and we're standing in between them. Though the air smells unquestionably like hot garbage, my gag reflexneverkicksin.Thesmellisjustthere, a tolerable presence in this dimly lit, allmetal, windowless, industrial space. The near-eighty-degree temperature where we stand, he says, is a nice perk for workers mid-winter, but hard to tolerate during summers.
With Arienti's okay, I reach out and touch the wall of the incinerator. It's very warm, like the hood of a recently run car. Arientitellsmethatthebananapeelisburn¬ ing inside at two thousand degrees Fah¬ renheit."It'swellinsulated,"hesayswitha smile.Inthefineourbananapeelischanging form utterly, breaking apart into many things,eachwithitsownpathtofollow.
The most unexpected of its new forms is electricity. A banana in the incinerator may be powering your reading lamp. An old ham mav run your hair dryer. An old couch may power, fittingly, your TV. How does your banana peel turn into electricity? Above the fire in the incinerator there's a network of pipes filled with water. The heated water in the pipes turns to super¬ heated steam, which gets released out of the
pipes to push the blades of a turbine. The magneticfieldsintheturbinegenerateelec¬ tricity.Theincineratorsellstheelectricityto the power company which in turn sells it to you. In a single day the incinerator gener¬ ates enough electricity to power the town of Freeport, and then some.
Also on the seventh floor, Arienti shows me a set of gauges and a monitor screen. This is where the plant operators control I nitrogen oxide emissions, a contributor to smog. They spray urea, a chemical related in structure to ammonia and human urine, at a gallon a minute into the fire, which reduces nitrogenoxideemissionsby35to40percent. Other systems in the plant spray chemicals into the fire that make unwanted airborne elements stick to the ash. For example, to prevent harmful mercury-what collects in our waterways, builds up in fish, and is believed to cause developmental brain prob¬ lems in children-from leaving through the smokestacks, they spray powder-activated carbontosolidifythemercuryintheash.
I ask Arienti, "What is leaving through the smokestacks, right here in Portland?" In
winter, as 1 watch gray smoke billow out. the smokestacks and merge with tl. clouds, 1 wonder what kind of pollutarr might my banana peel-not to mention le natural garbage like an old couch or a ph tictoy-maybesendingintotheair.Arier. assures me that over 99 percent of thei coming out of the smokestacks is simp carbon dioxide and water.
To prove his point, he shows me the ca trol room where he points out eight con puters that are monitoring various pll'^ functions and the air leaving the stadS Trace amounts of greenhouse gases (nitr> gen oxides, sulfur oxides, and carbct monoxide)dogetintotheair,butnotnea^ ly as much as they did five years ago. 11“ plant operators monitor the amourt according to rules set by the federal & vironmental Protection Agency (EPA) ar. Maine's Department of Environment Protection (DEP), and regulate them 1 adjusting the injected chemicals mentiore above and the amount of garbage being pi intothefire.
left is the ash. It gets quenched in cold water,drained,andsenttoanashlandfill.
)[Theash'scontentssoundlikealistfromthe table of elements: aluminum, arsenic, bari¬ um, cadmium, calcium, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, silver, zinc. Again, the EPA and DEP monitor the ash content with a Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Test to make sure that the ash is non-hazardous. The ash turns as hard as cement and be¬ comeshighlyinsoluble,sothereislittlerisk ofleakage.Still,theashlandfillisencapsu¬ lated in a 40-millimeter-thick plastic mem¬ brane, which is in turn surrounded by nearly impervious natural clay, so no harm¬ ful heavy metals should reach the water table.Justtobeextrasure,thegroundwater that touches the membrane of the ash land¬ fillisregularlytestedduringtheuseofthe landfill and for a minimum of 30 years after its closing to ensure that our water remainssafe.
Now what has become of our banana peel? It has become carbon dioxide that the nearby pines are breathing. It has become water which fish eventually swim through. It has become ash, buried in the earth. And let's not forget, the light shining on that bunch of bananas in your kitchen. ■
Thisodysseyisanoddkindofhome coming,areturntoaplacenonet the travelers has ever been bi knows through the work of Ion' dead Portland landscape painter and has journeyed to in the imagination.
New York artist Bob Braine and a swasl buckling crew embark on an arduous four day kayak adventure to Upper Goos Island in Casco Bay-fittingly dubbed th "The Maine Odyssey"-that reprises expert tionstakenbytheBrushians,alittle-know groupoflocalartistsactiveinthelate19L and early 20th centuries.
"Ratherthanareenactment,thisisacor. tinuum of a process that is not engaged i’ frequently by contemporary artists," sav 41-year-old Braine, an installation arti-'
nt who has been on numerous river excurio sions in the New York City area, as well as )t in South America and Central America, in thenameofcreatingart.
r "We're segueing into what I consider manual conceptualism, which is interfacing si with the world in a very physical way," he ir adds. "It used to be that the artist was a sportsman-like Alexander von Humboldt, h who was an avid fisherman-so we're sort of (tworkingwithinthatslurry."
.r The six-person crew makes the 36-mile, H round-trip trek to Upper Goose Island in pairs using three 20-foot-long kayaks of X! wood and fiberglass handmade by Braine rspecificallyfortinetrip.Expeditionmembers, ivhesays,are"bondedbyanintrepidspirit."
i ; The team consists of Braine and his botanist-wifeLeslieReed,24,bothofBrook¬ lyn, New York; Toby Kamps, 39, director of Maine College of Art's Institute of Conf temporary Art; as well as Nathaniel Ed1 munds, 21, of Edgartown, Massachusetts; 4 Noah Frigault, 20, of Bourne, Massachusetts; ■ and Jack Rigollet, 22, of Barnstable, Massa4chusetts,allseniorsatMECA.
I "We have the same romantic intent in 1 heading out, but now we have a new set of J tools to create our art," notes Kamps, ad¬ ding the participants, who camp on the । island, have cell phones, radios, a GPS systern, Gore-tex clothing, and high-tech gear •alongwithartsupplies."Artistsliketouse the sharpest pencil in the box. They [the Brushians] were technological innocents."
16NationalBeautyLines
Smashbox,PaulaDorf,philosophy,Blisslabs,AnthonyLogistics, DessertBeauty,UrbanDecay,HardCandyandmuchmore Callaboutmakeuplessonswithour Nationalmakeupartists! Open 7 days a week Located in the Old Port, 425 Fore Street, Portland, Maine 207-879-4242 Visit our 2nd location at 25 Ceres Street, Portsmouth, NH 603-427-5454
ELIZABETH MONAGHAN
Preparing your child for a lifetime of learning is the most important gift you can give. At Berwick Academy, you will find our students are challenged and thrive on our rich blend of rigorous academics, arts, and athletics. Berwick's college prep program fosters excellence in all endeavors from kindergarten through grade twelve.
Visit us and discover how Berwick prepares our students for college and forlife.
The Brushians (sometimes called the Brush 'Uns or Brussians) were an informs, group of post-Impressionist artists whe hunted, fished, painted, and sketched or outings to the Casco Bay islands, using th proceedsfromthesaleoftheirpleinairwori tofinancefutureexcursions.Ledbyboiler¬ maker George Frederic Morse, they hek downprosaicdayjobsandincludedintlrer ranks architect John Calvin Stevens, cabi netmaker Charles Frederick Kimball, ant Edward Souther Griffin, a carver of ship figureheads, as well as a policeman, pho tographer, and paperhanger.
"We'repickinguponthisgreatideaanc re-framing it in the 21st century, but wei very open to the changes in ourselves anc the landscape," Kamps says. "The voyageof these Maine landscape artists have inspired us, and we hope we can do some thing worthy of our predecessors and a our time."
The creative output from The Main Odysseywillbespotlightedinanexhibitior at the Institute of Contemporary Art enti tied "Back from Nature: The Sportsmar Redux," which runs March 9 to April 21
2005. Among the other featured artists are photographers Jocelyn Lee and Scott Peter¬ man, sculptor Andrew Mowbray, and paint¬ er Alexis Rockman.
The modern-day Brushians expect the publicshowtoincludenotonlytheirpaint¬ ingsandsketchesbutdigitalvideoandpho¬ tographs documenting the Upper Goose Islandartexpedition,plantandsoilsamples, GPS coordinates plotted on line drawings, excerptsofjournalentries,andislanddetritus, as well as two of the kayaks "gussied up," Brainesays,"withtexttellingwhattheyare."
For student Noah Frigault, a work-study project led to his newfound admiration for theschoolofoldpainters."Theyweredefi¬ nitelyindicativeofthatera-justtheirtranscendentalist philosophy and also what they didontheirtrips.Ithinkofitasthismachis¬ mo being thrown around-like hunting and fishing-but also doing loftier things like painting," says Frigault. "I would probably have been interested in joining up if I had been around." ■
The Pierce family of Falmouth had enjoyed autumn glories from their tiny cottage on Lake Sebago for many years when they realized they needed a larger house to accommo¬ datetheirextendedfamily.Theoriginalstructure, close to the water and with lots of character, was the scene of many happy times, with the old stone fireplace a favorite family gathering place. What to do?
The Pierces contacted Stephen Blatt Architects in Portland, well known for their award-winning designs. They dreamed of a fairly sizeable house of an aspect somehow mystical enough that it would not appear too large from the lake and so would "blend into the trees and echo the colors of fall."Abitofenchantment,sotospeak.
The wish list included a large living space, dining room, screened porch facing the lake, fam¬ ily-style kitchen, bedrooms for eight to 10, screened sleeping porch, and, of course, a large centralfireplace.
Blatt and his associate Carol Morrisette re¬ moved the old cottage but brilliantly saved the stone fireplace, which now serves as the focus of outdoor gatherings and cookouts on the lake side of the new house.
Next, they sited the new house to respect the shoreland zone, deciding to move it back from tiresiteoftheoriginalhousesotheycoulddesign a house large enough for the Pierce family with¬ out overwhelming the scale of the surrounding lakeside cottages.
Normally a two-story house with a tall gable would face the water for a project like this. Instead, Blatt and Morrisette designed an innova¬ tive roof that makes the house appear to be only one story tall. By extending the new roofline low over the living room bay window and the screened porch, the architects have made the
insides±ory_
The cottage was the scene of many happy times,withtheoldstone fireplaceafavoritefamily gatheringplace.
Tiredrawbackherewasthatlocatingthescreen porch on the lake side of the house would make theinteriordark.Thearchitectssolvedthatprob¬ lembeautifullybydesigningalongclerestorywin¬ dow running almost the full length of the house. Tippingupoutofthemainroof,itbringsnatural daylightdeepintothecenterofthehouse.
Inthelivingroom,thefireplacewalliswashed with light and makes the room feel spacious and airy.Tothesidesofthelivingroomtheclerestory provides generous shafts of sunlight for the sec¬ ond-floor bedrooms facing the water.
From the outside, the row of clear cedar columns unifies the lake side of the house to look like a continuous porch. In fact it is several spaces: the all-glass comer and curving bay win¬ dow of the living room, an entrance-and-exterior stair between the living room and the dining room, and the screened porch on the other comer. The strong rhythm of these columns and the sim¬ plesweepoftheredrooforganizethesedifferent parts of the house into a simple form that belies the complexity and richness of the plan.
Theinteriordetailsofthishousearealsointrigu¬ ing. The Pierces are retired and devoted a lot of energy and time to help with the inside of the
dor bedrooms and;”' 4 , bunktoVm ^aygaccess^toThe sleeping^^Kwifhjtecdfopy^ Jikeo'p'enings.Apdpdn’porch" jielowp/ovide^Snelterfortheentrance'totli^house.’’
house. "They loved fine craftsmanship ar. ' werealwayslookingforthingsthatcouldb< incorporated into the house," Morriset. J says.
They also wanted to support local bus 1 nesses whenever they could. The architect t were thrilled when the owners located ‘ large cache of 21-inch wide pine board- 1 Look closely and you can see them on th wallsandceilingofthemainlivingspace c
The largest boards are on the wi ; behindthefireplace,butthearchitectshi ( them milled in different widths to fit th ' shapeofthecurvedceiling,recreatingapa: 1 tern not unlike the bottom of a wood? 1 canoe. With a semi-transparent whit «• washed finish they make the interior seer c toglowwithlight. a
Oneofmyfavoritespacesinthishouse:t the screened sleeping porch on the secor ' floor.Aspacethatismorecommonlyseent5 summer homes down south, the porch pit vides a unique experience for this fa mi1 Locatedoffthe"bunkroom,"ifslikesleeps in the treetops. The architects curved an ' splayedthescreenedopeningsintheextent walllikeatreecanopytoenhancetire"in$
an: woods" spirit of the room. They then used lbclearcedaronthewalls,ceiling,andfloorto etgivetheporchthefeeloftirenorthwoods.
Anotherfundetailistheboard-and-batten uspanelinginthesecond-floorstairhall.The ecarchitectsusedoff-the-shelfpineboardswith d a clear finish, then made them unique and rdplayfulbypaintingthebattensgreen.
th. This lakeside house is well designed. Not Xonlyistheconnectiontotheoutdoorsstrong va.andobvious,withthenaturalmaterialsand ha:colorsoftheexterior,butitalsohasanice thvarietyofinteriorspaces,textures,andcolors, pa: Never known to shy away from an unusualtit' ly shaped window or a bright palette, litStephenBlattArchitectshavecreatedawonsr derful home on Sebago Lake that should be atreasurefortheirclientsformanygeneralionstocome.■ ar ’---
nt Scott Simons is president of Scott Simons % Architects, Portland. Architecture by Stephen litBlattandCarolMorrisette,StephenBlatt ,in Architects, Portland. Photography by Brian ar Vanden Brink, Rockport. General hr Construction by Peter Warren, Warren th Construction Group, Freeport.
The Jesuit College Preparatory School of Maine Where young men and women of today are prepared for the challenges of tomorrow. ...WHENYou're... ...alldressedup
o you hear music but there's no one there? Meet the man who struggled withthatproblemoverhalfacentury ago, Broadway veteran and two-time Tony winner Russell Nype.
When Nype discussed his symptoms with his pal Etlael Merman, she joked,"You're not sick,you'rejustinlove,"alludingtothetitleof asonginthe1950musicalCall Me Madam.
Which touched off another memory the two shared.
It seems composer living Berlin had dashedoff"You'renotsick,you'rejustinlove" as a last-minute addition toCall Me Madam when Merman, after having seen Nype's show-stopping first act "It's A Lovely Day Today" at out-of-town previews, demanded thatBerlinwriteher"anumberwiththekid."
All of a sudden, Nype was summoned to Berlin's hotel room, where Berlin, still in pajamas, sang the duet to Nype for the first time, and upon hearing it, Merman crowed, "We'll never get offstage." "It's all true," Nype confinns today. "And some nights we almostdidn't!"
At tire time, the Midwestem-born "kid"who made the ladies swoon with his unique look of horn-rimmed glasses and overbite long before Buddy Holley and Elvis Costellowas tire toast of Broadway. Hollywood and high society beckoned and Nype responded, forging relationships with the Duchess of Windsor and Joan Crawford, among others. Tire publicity-sawy, fortyish Crawford man¬ aged to snag the newly arrived, twentysome¬ thing Nype for a flashy Hollywood dinner at the famed Mocambo nightclub; morning papers carried photos of them looking cozy above captions that read, "Is this Joan's newest romance?"
Not long after, Nype was invited to Crawford's mansion and tire pair spent the evening searching for her son Christopher who had apparently run away from home. "At one point we were crawling on the roof,"
Nype recalls, "with me following her. All I could think of was that here I was, this kid from Illinois, and 1 had the famous Crawford ass in my view!"
Now 80 and a longtime summer resident of Kennebunkport-New York's Hamptons is home the rest of the year-Nype and his wife Diantha live in a restored farmhouse full of souvenirscelebratingtheir50yearstogetheras wellasNype'sslightlylongerloveaffairwith Americanmusicaltheater.AHirschfeldcarica-
thatshe'dfoundakindredspirit,theownt actuallykepttirehouseontiremarketuntil6o following summer, when the Nypes final' s purchased it. e
"Thefirstpersonwhoinvitedmetoluirii here was [Senator] Pres[cott] Bush [grandt n thertoPresidentGeoigeW.Bush].Iwent,mA his wife, and we sang some songs at lund I Nype recalls. "I'm still very fond of tl Bushes;whenIfirstgotherehewasjust"tkn oil man from Texas." n tureofNypeadornsarusticwall.Theafter¬ noonsunfiltersthroughdivided-lightwindows and antique farm implements to spotlight the grandpianoNypestillplaysdaily.
Actress Jane Morgan introduced Nype to theareain1955whenthetwostarredinapro¬
duction at the Kennebunkport Playhouse. "I lovedthelittlevillage.Isawthislittle1780red saltbox;theownerwasverywealthy,andinthe
Today,Nypeisanavidtennisplayeratf1 RiverClub.Hisfavoriterestaurantis"homeN hechuckles.Butwhenhedoesgoout,it'sHiL WayfarerinCapePorpoise."Ifthatscloseca have fried haddock at The Captain's acre thestreet.Idon'tcareforthefancystuff;Ia getallthatinNewYorkifIwantto."
He can also get work, if he wants t Nype still gets residuals from appearance
rableturnasastuffytalk-showhostonThe CosbyShow.
There's one Broadway role he would have loved to do in recent years and, in fact, thoughthemight:J.B.Biggley-theroleorigi¬ nated by Rudy Vallee-in the 1995 revival of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Tying. "It would have been my return to Broadway, and 1 really think it would have gotten me my third Tony," Nype says.
Nype turned his back on Broadway after that,butit'soneofthefewsournotesinan otherwise harmonious career. Never a movie star—"I just couldn't work up the same enthusiasm I had for the stage"-he became instead a fixture on live television and nationaltours,includingBrigadoon andKiss Me, Kate [with Robert Goulet and Carol Lawrence]inthe1960s.
He also worked with Ethel Merman again, repeating his Tony-winning role in a revival/tourofCall Me Madam in the mid, 1960s and finally, in 1970, as a part of Merman's final months onstage in Hello, Dolly! as Cornelius Hack!. Merman remained afrienduntilherdeathin1984.
Only 26 when he made his initial impact, Nype has seen the musical theater world he knew and loved consigned to memory. But he remains a part of the performing scene withacabaretacthekeepspolishedforspe¬ cialoccasions.It'salookbackatthecareer hestillrecallswithasenseofwonder."To this day I don't know how 1 wound up being considered a leading man," Nype laughs."IalwaysthoughtthatIlookedlike everybody's worst blind date; the original geek."Luckily,audiencesknewbetter.
The Portland Symphony Orchestras's Youth Concert Series begins November 15-16 at Portland's Merrill Auditorium. Tire mommg concerts introduce young audiences-students aged 8 to 13-to tire elements of orchestralmusicandtheinstrumentsthatper¬ form it. A snoozer? Better reconsider: I^SO conductor Tosliiyuki Shimada was a student ofLeonardBernsteininasimilarprogram:the New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concerts of the 1950s,1960s, and 1970s. The Maine school system program is in its 66th year supplementing existing music programs. CallthePSOat773-6128,ext.208,orvisit www.portlandsyniphony.com. ■ ----
The Armory RestaurantinthePortlandRegency Hotel.Spectacularcuisine,OldPortcharm,&impeccable serviceinanelegantyetcasualatmospherew/fresh dinnerspecialsfromland&sea.Unforgettablehouse specialties-SeafoodFettuccinew/lobster,shrimp,crab,& mussels;SteakDiane,&BlackAngusSirloin.Alsoopen forbreakfast&lunch.*774-4200.
The Audubon RoomattheInnbytheSeaonRoute 77inCapeElizabeth.Breathtakingoceanviews&culinary masterpieceswithfreshlocalproduce,nativeseafood specialties.&exceptionalhandmadebreads&desserts. Patiodining&off-premisecateringavailable.Breakfast, lunch&dinnerdaily.767-0888.
Barbara’s Kitchen and Cafe.388 Cottage Road, South Portland,acrossfromthePortlandPlayersTheater, headingtoFortWilliams.Casual,creative,&modestly pricedcuisineforintimatediningbysunlightforbreakfast, candlelightfordinner.VegetarianscansavorourEggplant Ravioli with a Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce. * 7676313. www.barbaraskitchen.com
Beale Street BarbequeJustovertheCascoBayBridge intheKnightvilleareaofSouthPortland.Servinghickorysmokedandgrilledmeats,poultry,fish,andseafoodas wellascreativedailylunchanddinnerspecials.Fullbar featuring Maine microbrews on tap. Reservations not accepted,childrenwelcome,openallday,everyday.90 Waterman Drive, South Portland. 767-0130. www.mainebbq.com
Bintliff's.98PortlandStreet,Portland.Along-favorite brunch spot with an innovative menu 7 days a week, fromdecadenttoamoresimple,traditionalfareand healthyvegetarian.Dinnerreflectsthewarmeclecticstyle ofbrunch,withaworldmenuthatstepsoffthebeaten path.Amagnificentmaplesheltersthebackdeck.Brunch 7-2,dinner5-9.774-0005.
Black Point Inn,Scarborough. Let ocean views from our
romantic,elegantdiningroom,librarylounge,andbrick fireplacesevokeold-worldambience.Enjoyourwinelist, expertlypreparedcuisine,SundayJazzBrunchfeaturing theTonyBoffaJazzTrio,andholidaybuffets.Every occasionisspecialatTheBlackPointInn.Dinnernightly from6:30,SundayBrunch10:30to1.LibraryLounge open daily from 11:30 a.m. * 883-2500 www.blackpointinn.com
Burger King Hot&freshfood. Fast&friendlyservicealways.
•349AlfredRoad,Biddeford
• 102 Main Street, Gorham
•Route1,Kittery
•520MainStreet,Saco
•1252MainStreet,Sanford.
Cafe StroudwaterTakeadvantageof5-starchefAlex Gingrich'screativetouchesatCafeStroudwateratthe Embassy Suites Hotel. We feature Maine native seafood &primecutsofbeefandofferbistro-stylecuisine&a varietyofselectfinewines.Youwillbepamperedby ChefAnderson&hisstaffwhileenjoyinga6-coursemeal preparedespeciallyforyou.Breakfast,lunch,&dinner daily.CallforinformationregardingHolidayGrand Buffets.*775-0032.
Charlie Beigg'sOn Route 302 in Windham just 20 minutesfromPortland,thisistheplacetogoforcasual finedining.PrimeRibavailableeveryday,,freshseafood, steaks,pasta,soups,homemadedesserts,vegetarian dishes,andchildren'smenu.Havingaparty-useoneof our banquet rooms and leave the work to us! 754 RooseveltTrail(Route302).11am-9pmeveryday.8928595.
DiMillo's Floating Restaurantat 25 Long Wharf off CommercialStreet.Youcan’tbeatthelocationfor fabulouswaterviewsofPortlandHarbor.Escapefromthe hustle&bustleofthecity.Watchtheboatsgoby.Enjoy
freshMainelobsteryear-round,steak,seafooddishes,ii। more. Open every day 11 am-11pm. Children’s menu available.Fordrinks&alightermenu,tryourPortside Lounge. 772-2216.
Finch's Restaurant.DublinnativeJohnnyRobinson, ( "PortlandRestaurantLegend"(PortlandPressHerald), r recently opened his new place in Falmouth. Customers y whoknowhimfromhisdayswithHugo'scanstillfindsignaturecrabcakesandthe"bestIrishcoffeeinthe,p land"atFinch's,204U.S.Route1,Falmouth.781-3342p
Flatbread Company,voted Portland's "Best New । Restaurant"isservingawardwinningallnaturalflatbrea: ( pizza, baked in a wood-fired earthen oven. Relax and < enjoytheshowastheFlatbreadcrewprepares,bakes,i. andservesyourflatbreadfromanopenkitchen,places:< themiddleofthediningroom.LocatedintheOldPonj ; overlookingtheCascoBayFerrydock.Openeverydaya ; 11:30.722-8777 ' ( Great Lost Bear,540 Forest Avenue in the Woodforc ( areaofPortland.Afullbarwithover50draughtbeers.< predominantly from local micro-breweries, an enormoq | menuwithsoups,salads,&sandwiches,steaks,alarge'\ vegetarianselection,&thebestnachos&buffalowine:■, in town. Discover where the natives go when they're ; restless! Every day 11:30am -11:30pm. 772-0300. ( www.greatlostbear.com. s
Jameson Tavern,withacasualbar,lounge&dining tar I Thebuildingisthesiteofthesigningoftheconstitutionfa\. thestateofMainewhenitbrokeawayfromMassachusey। Classicpreparationsservedinagraceful&elegantsettingr makethisafineretreatfromfrenziedoutletshopping.11:r Main St, Freeport. * 865-4196. j Lotus Chinese and Japanese Restaurant 251US'( 1 Falmouth, Maine (Falmouth Shopping Plaza). We F featurefull-servicebarandloungearea,sushibar,■(: ChinesetraditionalfoodnotavailableoutsideofBoston. F F
Parker's Restaurant,locatedatAllen'sCorner.Parker's celebratesits15thyearasoneofNorthDeering'stop restaurants.Ourfreshseafoodandhand-cutsteaksarea traditionhandeddownfromF.ParkerReidy's,ourparent restaurant. Steak and seafood combinations are among Parker'smorepopularchoices.Soups,salads,and sandwichesarealwaysavailable.Ampleparking.Serving from 1130 am until 10 pm. Reservations welcome but not necessary.878-3339.
Saigon Thinh Thanh,608CongressStreet,Portland "Saigon Thinh Thanh is Maine's—and probably New England's-finestVietnameserestaurant"-Portland DiningGuide."Fivestarsforfood,service,&valuefor moneyWithlight&healthy,flavorfulfood&quickservice inapleasant,cleanatmosphere,SaigonThinThanhis worthinvestigating."—PressHerald.773-2932.
Saeng Thai, 267St.JohnStreet,Portland.Beautiful mahoganydecorandtantalizingdishesawaityou. EntreesindudeTamarindDuck,PadThai,SeafoodDelight, and much more. Tel. 773-8988 fax. 773-4490 Sun-Thurs '1am-9:30pm,Fri.-Sat.11am-10pm.
What to do if you own the legendary The Goldenrod luncheonette in York Beach? You guessed it! You wait 100 years and then come from out of nowhere to launch the most deli¬ cious steak restaurant Maine's ever seen at thesiteoftheformerCapeNeddickInn.
Because the new Talpey's Tavern in York is exactly that, serving the best prime rib we've had in ages. We predict Talpey's will becometheplacetogoforsteak,aswell.
Extremely reasonable prices, extraordi¬ narily generous portions, an attractive and eclecticassortmentofcutsofmeat,terrific service and presentation, and a flair for cooking the meat truly 'as ordered' con¬ tribute to the absolutely satisfying dining experience. We think these traits will also contribute to Talpey's immediate success. The wine list is thoughtful, varied, and offers reasonably priced selections. The DarienRioja at$18isanoutstandingbargain, as is the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars'Cabernet Sauvignon at $68. In an atmosphere con¬ ducive to festive occasions, champagne offerings include Moet & Chandon White Star ($60)andCristalinoCava Brut($16.50,or $5.95aglass),andthereisanampleselection of draught beers including Bass, Newcastle, Sam Adams, and Shipyard ($3.95)
Our dinner began withChef’sSoupofthe
BY DIANE HUDSON
Dap ($4.95),abigbowloffull-bodiedchick¬ en tortellini with big chunks of chicken, deliciouspasta,andanicebasketofbread.
Therearealluringnon-steakofferingshere, too-notablySlow-RoastedHalfChickenat$12.99, MaineLobsterPie at$22.99,andJumbo Baked Stuffed Prawns at $16.99-but we determined immediately that we had found a steak-lovers oasis. Aged and hand-cut on premises, selec¬ tionsincludeHouseTopSirloin($18.95),Filet Mignon($23.99), PetiteFilet($16.99), London Broil($13.99),Porterhouse($24.99),Pan Seared SirloinTips($14.99),Delmonico($19.99),Steakan Poivre($20.99),andNewYorkSirloin($20.99).
My partner ordered the special of the evening, thePrime Rib($17.99),andIsettled on the Delmonico. Our cuts were perfectly, and we mean perfectly, cooked. The steak fries are wide and wonderful; the salad and vegetables,includedintheprice,superb.
The deep-dish Maine wild blueberry pie, served warm with vanilla ice cream ($5.95),wastheperfectfinish.
Talpey'sisworththedrive,especiallydur¬ ing this season of greatly reduced Route One traffic.It'sawholenewwayto"gosouth"this winter.LeaveittothefolksattheGoldenrod tocomeupwithabrandnew'twist.
Portland's annual tree-lighting ceremony takes place in Monument Square on November 26 at 5:30 p.m. This traditional annual event is celebrated with entertainment by Rick Charette and the Bubblegum Band. Buy your own tree at Post Office Park December 3-5. Santa Claus will be there on the 4th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Ifitgetsalittlechilly,stopatCoffeeBy Design for a coffee spiked with Grand Marnier. If the caffeine doesn't give you a jolt, the $28-per-shot price tag will.
The SRC 45 Champion Fastback (below, top) and the largerSRC55ChampionFastback(below,bottom)bring backthejoyoftraditionalsledding.Yes,theystill makethemhereinMaine!Fortheultimategift,call539-8221 andrequestafactorytour,www.theparisco.com
Listen to carolers on street corners as you take a free horse-drawn carriage ride through downtown Portland November 26 through December 19 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Pick up and drop off every half hour at the Portland Public Market.
Acorn Products of Lewiston offers The Big Easy for your holiday comfort. It has uppers of soft tumbled leather, a full lining of genuine sheepskin, and a weatherproof outsole with skid-resistant tread. $75, available at many Reny's, Lamey-Wellehan, Olympia Sports, and other stores around Maine.
!Victorian Delight
The Victoria Mansion (right), 109 Danforth Street, Portland, really knows how to dress for the season. For tour times, call 772-4841. Be sure to dress warm youself while you trudge through the streets buying those specialgifts,like something from Wilbur's of Maine, 32 Independence Drive, Freeport. They offer everything from Wilbur the Chocolate Moose to a Chocolate Maine Hunting Boot. Want alifesize chocolate moose? Visit Len Libby Candies, 419 U.S. Route 1, Scarborough.
Russian Around
Below the sidewalk at 57 Exchange Street opposite Starbucks, it's Christmas 365 days a year at the Old Port's famous Country Noel Christmas Etc. Inside shoppers will find precious holiday ornaments, including gorgeous traditional glasstrinketsforthetreefromRussia. Tchaikovsky would be proud. 773-7217.
Abbe Museum, BarHarbor."Yearsof Archaeology at the Abbe Museum" continues 288-3519 or www.abbemuseum.org
ArtGalleryattheUniversityofNew England, 716StevensAvenue,Portland. "ShadesofPicassoandMatisse:RichardDerbj TuckerRetrospective"continuesthrough November 21. 797-7261 or www.une.edu/artgallery/
AucociscoGallery, 615ACongressStreetar attheEastlandParkHotel.Anexhibitofthe worksofartistJessicaGandolfcontinues through December. 874-2060 or www.aucocisco.com
Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston Novemberexhibitsinclude"VideodromeII"ar: "MarsdenHartley:ImageandIdentity"throur December 18, and "Local and Global Contemporary Photography" through May 20, 2005. 786-6158. www.bates.edu
Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick.OngoingexhibitsincludeArtand LifeintheAncientMediterranean,American Murals,andAsianArtfromthePermanent Collections. 725-3275 or www.bowdoin.edi Center for Maine Contemporary Art, 161 RussellAvenue,Rockport."FallFine Woodworking Exhibition" continues through November 22. 236-2875 or www.artsmaine.org
Children's Museum of Maine, 142Free Street,Portland.Playgroupcontinuesto December16,"CulturalCreations"and celebrationsofspecialethnicholidayscontinu; andtheHurdyGurdyPuppetTheaterappears December11."TalkingWalls"opensNovembe' 9,the15thanniversaryofthefalloftheBerlin Wallandthe30thanniversaryofthededicatio' oftheVietnamVeteran'sMemorial.828-123^ or www.childrensmuseumofme.org
Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville OngoingexhibitsincludetheAlexKatz,Lunde' andJohnMarincollections.872-3228or www.colby.edu/museum
ElizabethMossGallery, 251U.S.Rte.1, Falmouth."Dreamscapes:RemoFarrugio"runs through November 21, and "Through Women's Eyes,ScenesofMaineWinter"opens November 5. 781-2620.
Farnsworth Museum of Art, MainStreet, Rockland. "Maine in America: Two Hundred YearsofAmericanArt"isongoing,"Mainein America:PhotographsfromtheCollection"an: MaineFiberArtscontinue.596-6457or www.farnsworthmuseum.org
FilamentGallery, 181CongressStreet, Portland.The5thAnnualHolidayShowruns November 12 to December 22. 774-0932 or www.filamentgallery.com
events
JuneFitzpatrickGallery, 112HighStreet and522CongressStreet,Portland.Current exhibitsinclude"Naked,"mixedmediagroup exhibit,throughDecember;"SensualMatter,"a juriedexhibitofbodyadornments,and"Pots" bySequoiaMillershowthroughJanuary.7721961 or www.junefitzpatrickgallery.com
PortlandMuseumofArt, 7 Congress Square,Portland.LawrenceGoldsmiththrough November 8, "Becoming a Nation: Americana fromtheDiplomaticReceptionRooms,U.S. DepartmentofState"November4toJanuary 2.StreetSmart:ThePhotographsofGarry Winogrand" to December 6. 773-ARTS, (800) 639-4067or www.portlandmuseum.com
Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington Street,Bath.Currentexhibitsinclude"A ShipyardinMaine:Percy&SmallandtheGreat Schooners,""Lobstering&theMaineCoast,"
and"AMaritimeHistoryofMaine."443-1316c|f www.bathmaine.com/programs.asp > t
Maine State Museum, 87 State House f Station,Augusta.Exhibitsinclude"12,000Yes':f inMaine,"'ThisLandCalledMaine,""Maine< Bounty:Woods,Sea,andGranite,""Madein Maine,""StruggleforIdentity,"and"Reflection: of Maine." 287-2304 or . www.state.me.us/museum/ I
The Maine Women Writers Collection, [ WestbrookCollegeCampus,UniversityofNev,.\ England,StevensAvenue,Portland.Morethan ( 4,000 volumes on more than 500 Maine J women authors. 797-7688, ext. 4324. ‘ Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, Hubbac t Hall, Bowdoin College, Brunswick. This [ collectionincludessuppliesandequipmentther RobertE.PearytooktotheNorthPole,aswel. astheEskimoartifactsandthefull-sizeskin. kayak from Donald B. MacMillan's arctic , explorations.725-3062 t
SaltGallery, ExchangeStreet,Portland. PhotographybyVaughnSillsdocumenting20 yearsinthelifeofaruralfamilythrough ( December 4. 761 -0660 or www.salt.edu/gallery.html
Seashore Trolley Museum, LogCabinRoart Kennebunkport.OperatedbytheNewEnglar:r ElectricRailwayHistoricalSociety,theworld's< oldest and largest museum of mass transit 1 vehiclesishometothe"NationalCollectionof< Historic American Streetcars." 967-2712 I University of Maine Museum of Art, 40 HarlowStreet,Bangor.Thepermanent collectionincludesworksbyBereniceAbbot,I MarsdenHartley,WinslowHomer,Carl Sprinchorn,andAndrewWyeth.561-3350.
VictoriaMansion, 109DanforthStreet, Portland.Firstdayof"ChristmasatVictoria Mansion" is November 28, and the annual HolidayGalaisonDecember4. 772-4841 or www.victoriamansion.org
UniversityofMaine,MaineStage,Russell Hall,37CollegeAvenue,Gorham. Six Character*inSearchofanAuthor November 5to14,andoriginalworkbystudents iDecember3to11.780-5151or ewww.usm.maine.edu/theater
,Music
ChestnutStreetChurch, Portland. "ChristmaswithRenaissanceVoices"features a capella musicoftheseason,fromthe15thto scthe21stcenturies,December18.766-0059or n:www.renaissancevoices.org
Osher Map and Smith Center for CartographicEducation,314ForestAvenue, Portland.Originalmaps,atlases,geographies, andglobesfrom1475tothepresent,with 20,000maps,asseparatesheetsorboundin morethan1,500rarebooksandatlases.7804850 or www.usm.maine.edu/-maps
|R I groups, dreamers from Marblehead, P ■ Massachusetts, set to discover a new lifeuphereinMaine.Theybuiltlogcabins
•* huddled together on land that would one ) daY become Windham and christened their •^settlement New Marblehead. Here in the
wilderness they built a stockade, braved ferocious elements, and worshiped with a new preacher, John Wight. But when Wight died, he was replaced by young Parson Peter Thatcher Smith, son of the famous minister from Falmouth Neck (Portland). The boisterous young Smith had a sometimes
strainedrelationshipwithInisfellowwoods¬ men, but in spite of this his congregation began to grow. During a recreational trip to Boston, Smith met and wooed the beautiful heiress Elizabeth Wendell, then brought her backtotlnisraw-knuckledoutpostashisbride.
Her parents were up in arms. They sent representativestoreportontheactivitiesat New Marblehead. They sent money, possi¬ bly architects' plans, and even a slave named Phyllis to ensure that Elizabeth would continue to live in a manner to which she was accustomed. The town was abuzz as the elaborate structure began to take shape. They knew New Marblehead was undergoing a transformation. Oh, was itever!
What her parents did was to underwrite and direct the construction of a Georgian palace in the Maine wilderness of dimension
and aspect that would have made it the pride of any city much less New Marblehead.
Two hundred forty years later, the story of the young newlyweds and their adventures withtheirin-lawscanstillbetracedinjour¬ nals discovered in the stacks at Maine Historical Society. But the house is very much a part of the present and can be yours today,alongwith124acres,for$729,500.
"The Presumpscot River was the road," says listing agent Linda Griffin of Linda Griffin Homes. "Everything traveled here by canoe or barge."
For protection from hostile Indians, the house was built immediately to the left of a stockade fort which no longer stands. "Indian" shutters blocked passage through
housemonth
allofthefirst-floor's12-over-12panewin¬ dows. Back then, New England's settle¬ ments were still raw from the French and Indian wars.
Sixty-four of the acres slope down to the Presumpscot across the street, while 60 keep company with the manse, playing host to a maple tree so hoary and distin¬ guished it "probably dates to the original construction," says the Reverend Donald P. Dickinson, a retired Massachusetts minsis¬ ter who with his wife Elaine A. Dickinson purchased the Parson Smith House from Society for the Protection of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) in 1992 for $225,000.
"We were just the third owners of this house," he says. "The original family owned itfor190yearsbeforeleavingittoSPNEA."
The Boston-based SPNEA "operated it as a museum for 50 years," but the very distance from the madding crowd that keeps this Shangri-lasobeautifuliswhatkeptvisitor¬ ship at a low ebb. By the time SPNEA divest¬ editselfoftheParsonSmithhouse,ithad42 other properties to worry about.
"Buttheytransferreditinperfectstruc¬ turalorder,"Griffinnotes,"eventakingcare to date the year 1992 in pencil on the replacement beams they added to the [enor¬ mous, dry] cellar." Other conditions of transfer include no subdivision and SPNEA approval required of any changes to the main house.
But then, why, apart from some awk¬ ward bathroom situations, even think of changing something so enduringly graceful?
The elegant foyer treats guests immec ately to views of the back gardens beckoi ing from the lushly planted back yard. 11 experience is very similar to the one th greets visitors upon entering in the Sara Ome Jewett House in South Berwick.
Butcloserathandisaluxuriantset। Georgian stairs, with parlors to the 1c and right, an interim landing large nough for a tall clock, and a mezzaninec the second floor. The walls and woa work glow in a creamy Colonial palett setting off the lifetime collection of fu niture and paintings collected by the Re and Mrs. Dickinson.
Donald Dickinson explains: "As it ha; pens, I'm from Salem/Marblehead, and ir favorite place in the world was the salom my great grandfather's Colonial house: Pigeon Cove. I was just seven when it ha tobesold."
"I think he's been looking for it evi since," says Elaine Dickinson. Then as in dream they found this house. Beyond beir the perfect couple to assume stewardship: the property, there was the coincident "How delighted we were to have retrace the Marblehead settlers' steps in findir thisplace!"
While SPNEA had fastidiously acted: conservator for the house in matters: structure and engineering, cosmetics ha long taken a second place, and the Did insons had their work cut out for them.
"We tried 13 different types of plast before we found one to match the one the used here originally," Elaine Dickins says. "We wanted an exact match.'"
Withhorsehairinit?
"Actually, the mixture is Boar's ha: lime,clay,manure,andsiltfromtherive Donald Dickinson says.
Highlights include an enormous walld brickfireplacewithtwobuilt-inbakeove in the original kitchen, hand-adzed pant ing, and, in the right-hand parlor, fant namesscratchedinthewavyglass,justli‘ Nathaniel Hawthorne and his bride did J their house in Concord, Massachusetts. In the parson's study, there's an end sure that probably held a forerunner totMurphy bed.
There are eight fireplaces here and five large bedrooms, one of them reserved for another 'gift' the Wendells sent up from Boston: "Phyllis the slave," says Elaine Dickinson."Asfaraswecantell,shelived herefortherestofherlife."
The house has a homing room on the firstfloorandtwoqueenpostsinthecellar, holdinguptheentirestructure."It'saking¬ postifthere'sjustone,"Griffinexplains.
Hardware throughout the house is orig¬ inal,andtheraftersareclassicmortiseand tendon construction-the whole of it held together with pegs "and not a single nail," Griffinsays.Arough-hewnlogthatrestson the beams may have been hung with dry¬ ingherbs.
An ancient ladder leads to an old hatch that once swung open to provide access to the roof. Asked what that's for, Griffin smiles. "So you can pluck the burning arrowsofftheroof!"
Taxes are $4,400 with a farm exemption. Visit vvww. lindagriffinhomes.com ■
Lushholidayplants,fragrantgarlands,andsprightlywreaths. v Bringthebestoftheseasonintoyourhome:poinsettias, tholly,andbalsamfir.Selectfromanabundantassortmentof beautifullycultivatedtrees,andvisitouremporiumpacked withhundredsofornamentsandinspiredgiftideas.Bringthe spiritoftheseasonintoyourhomeinahundredfestiveways. AND HAVE
SAT. DEC. 18 11 AM, 3 PM and 7:30 PM SUN. DEC. 19 2 PM and 7:30 PM
AUBURN, ME S324.900
Presently under construction. 3 bedroom. 2.5 bath Colonial. Hardwoodfloors,tile,60'wrap around porch, 12x16 deck, 2 car garage overlooking 65 acres ofconservationland.
DIANE 1 ANDRY
207-795-9629
dlandry@millcttrealty.com
AUBURN, ME $379,000 Taylor
Pond Waterfront. 3 bedroom Contemporary, completelyrebuiltinrecent years.Smallguestcottage onseparatelotforfuture expansion. Deck overlooking water and gorgeous sunsets.
JAN JACQUES 207-795-9622
jjacques@millettrealty.com
TURNER, ME $350,000 Gorgeous new construction offerstotalprivacyand circulardrive,plus countryside views. Quality galore with Corian counter tops, hardwood floors, and 3 levelgarage,masterwith whirlpoolandgasfireplace.
JAN JACQUES 207-795-9622
jjacques@milicitrealty.com
AUBURN, ME $575,000 TrulyoneofAuburn'sfinest appointed homes. Located justofftheAuburnexitof Maine turnpike for Portland or Augusta commuters. Offers almost5,000sfofluxury living,adjacenttoMartindale Country Club plus 4.5 acres. What more could you ask for?
- J JAN JACQUES 207-795-9622
jjacM^^Hdllettrealt) com
NEW ENGLAND HOMES & LIVING
M 111 Bill ??
PORTLAND, ME $765,000 Built in 1870's,thishistoricWestEndhome hasspaciousroomswithgreat .highceilingsandalargesunny kitchenwithFrenchdoorsleading toalargedeckandprivateback yard,givingthispropertyatrue senseofcasualelegance.Perfectfor entertainingaswellasquietnights alhome.Includes2separate domiciles; one bedroom apartment andanathomeoffice.Trulymust seetoappreciate.
TEAM FLETCHER 207-795-9623 milletilletchcr@millcttreahv.com
DURHAM, ME $179,900 4 bedroom, 1.75 bath, Cape in a countrysetting.Brickhearth, screened porch, above ground pool, barn with two horse stalls.Readyandwailing foryou!
LINDA DAMS 207-795-9644
lidavis@millettrealtv.com
MINOT, ME $379,000 Luxun¬ living!Ruralsubdivisionwith 4in7milesofshoppingcenter. Over3300squarefeetofliving area. Surround sound system with big screen TV
RITA CONNER 207-795-9624
rconner@millettrcalty.com
SI SAN CAMERON 207-795-9626 scameton@millettrcally.com
HARTFORD, ME 5350,000 Exceptional!Beautifully manicured grounds, brook, fireplace,3200+/-squarefeel, family room, security system, pool, 3 bedrooms, 2cargarage.
DON KILBRETH 207-795-9664 dkilbreth@tnillettrcaltv.com
BETTY GRANT 207-795-9060 bgrant@milleiircaliv.eom
coldwgll BANKGRQ
POUND. ME $589,000 Year-round waterfront.4Bedroom.3.5bath Contemporary home on Upper RangePondSitsonabeautiful, privatelotwith169'ofwater frontage.Remodeledandreadyto movein.2cargarage,walkoutfam¬ ilyroomwithwoodstove,screened inporch,multidecks,docks,well landscaped.Thetruefeelingofliv¬ inginMaineatitsbest Tl AM Fl Fit HER
millettnetchcr^Ptnilletlrcahv.com
GREENE, ME $299,900 Luxurious country Cape. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, open floor plan with exposed beams, hardwood and tile, radiant heal,centralvac,porch,deck, oversized2cargarage.
I INDA D.WIS 207-795-9044
lidavis@milk-tlrcalty.com
GREENE. ME $325,000 Year round waterfront home on Allen Pond in Greene. Offering 4privateacres,largeliving room,fireplace,cathedral ceilings, kitchen, mudroom, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, deck, dock, garage and more.
MON1TA. GAGNON 207-795-9612
mgagnon@millcltrealtv.com
NEW ENGLAND HOMES & LIVING
Seekingclassicquartersinthecity?
Three unique residences available in The George E. Dow House, ca. 1886. JohnCalvinStevensdesign,builtas2bedroomflats,inclassicColonialRevival style.Spaciousrooms,hardwoodandpocketdoors,twowithfireplaces.Quality updates throughout. Each with two car parking. Walk to every where! FromS207,500toS254.5OO.Callfordetails.
QUINTESSENTIAL JOHN CALVIN STEVENS
Delano Park in Cape Elizabeth is the location of this 1908 Shingle Style Cottage nestled on a tiered lot with water views. Gracious wrap around open and enclosed porches envelope this home. Original features are accented with today's amenities throughout. Traditional formal rooms dominate the first floor. The second floor holds sleeping quarters, including a MBR suite w/private deck. The third floor guest suite offers stunning water views. Studio possi¬ bilitiesexistinthedetachedgarage. $1.8M.
KELLERWILLIAMS BAY
Linda Mansfield
Connecting People with Property Direct (207) 553 -2611 • linans@kw.com 49 Dartmouth Street, Portland, Maine 04101
Windham - Serene & extremely privatesettingoffields&woods, rockwalls&springfedpond. Beautiful18+acresprofessionally landscaped w/ heated in ground pool. Huge great room, formal DR.LR.4baths,wood.tile,gran¬ ite!Mastersuitew/marble& Jacuzzi. Offeredat$629,900
Chebeaque Island, ME - 6.7 Acre, 300' Beach Front Property. Charming3bed¬ room1bathcottageandbunkhouse w/accessroad.Relaxandenjoyyourown 4acrebirchforest,2acreyard,and300' beach.Apeaceful,privateretreat.Island amenitiesincludegolf,tennis,reccenter w/pool,library,finedining,andferry servicetoandfromPortlandWaterfront. Listedat $775,000 WinnettCunningham CBRB 207-846-1600 X248
Raymond - fantastic 1800 s 3-4 bed farmhouse on 2.75 acres of fields! New vinyl windows, home painted in 2004. Great barnwith2stallsreadyforyour horses,easilyconvertedtomore stallsifnecessary.Wonderful3 seasonporch! Offeredat$269,900
-
Bedroom Colonial. Open Concept Kitchen, Family Room withCathedralCeilings,Living Room with Fireplace, Hardwood Flooring, Library, Screened [Porch and more! $729,900 __
HARRISON-800’ofWaterfronton Long Lake with Dock and Foot¬ bridge.3BedroomSuiteswithWater¬ frontPorchesphisMasta:Suitewith CoveredLakesidePorchandseethroughLedgestoneFireplacefacing theBathSpaCommercialKitchen,2Story Great Room, Panoramic WindowWallandmore.$1,870,000 . . . 4;-
FALMOUTH COUNTRY CLUBExceptionalShingleStylehome builtbyDaleBragg.CherryKitchen withGraniteandStainlessSteel Appliances,FormalDiningRoom f with Wainscotting and Crown Molding,2-StoryFoyerwithStair¬ case,1stFloorMasterSuitewith privateCoveredPorch,CustomBath withWhirlpool&Shower.$949,9001
Commercial Building - Prime Location! ForSaleorLease.Over4,400sq.ft.ofprimeofficespace.Excellent condition. Parking for 20+ vehicles. Distinguished Greek Revival buildingwithoutstandingarchitecturaldetailing.12officerooms,inc. 2 conference rooms. 3 bathrooms and I kitchen. Wrap around slate cov¬ eredporch,Hardwoodfloors,4fireplaces.Originaltinceilings throughout the building. Fire alarm System & firescape $350,000
SCARBOROUGH $495,000
200’ontheMarshwith gorgeousViewsandulti¬ mateprivacy.2Bedroom Capewith2-CarGarage, Updates and ampleExpansion Roominthe Basement. I Deborah Coward Dir:553-7370
| A /e ca H>tthegimpline.Ithasmetal IfIf railingsahairwiderthanawalker, ■ ■ and it's where you wait if you re¬ quireamonthlyphysician'sreportcertify¬ ingcontinuedneed.I'veheardsomecrueler >lurs the TBAs-Temporarily Able-Bodies— use for our line, but they aren't clever Enoughtorepeat.
We re in line when the office opens, and there aren't as many in our line as in the others. Mothers, waiting for chits for the sclinic,standthelongestbecausethere never enoughinterpretersorclerks.Our hie rarely needs them. Seems most of the
gimps are locals: born, raised, and maimed inMaine.ThevetssaythatifToguswasbet¬ terstaffed,ortherewasanotherV.A.hospi¬ tal, they wouldn't have to come here and our line would be even shorter.
I'm running a little late. There are ten gimps ahead of me, though the man in black socks and sandals, and theelephantine woman in the print dress and capri pants, may be together. I can tell they know each other well. I've only been coming here for three months, but I'm a quick learner. That's why 1 abide by the gimp code rule number one. Don't ask. It may be fatal.
Two girls are lounging on a bench by the men's room door. They look bored. I guess they're waiting for a hearing because they keep checking the clock. They're both leggy and thin, showing their midriffs. They ogle the gimps. I notice this because I'm break¬ ing rule two; gimps never acknowledge TBAs. 1 don't know why this is true except maybe because they look back. I amuse myself imagining the cruelties the girls are heaping on us.
We learn everyone's name from the clerkswhoshoutatusasifwe'realldeaf,so I don't need to look behind me to know that
HARMON’S BARTON’S
SPECIAL FLOWERS
Mr. Happaugue is there. I know his coug andIcansmellhiscigsandOldSpice. 1glanceuptothefrontofthelinewhe Mrs. Muir sits rigid in her electric wh« chair.Thechairsmellslikecatpiss.Icar smell it this far back, but I've smelled before.Herdaughterdropsheroffsoshe: firstinline,andleavesherwithacellphon soshecancallwhenshe'sdone.Ihearshe not as old as she looks. She wears a lot brimmed fishing hat like Hemingway's, a; Icatchthegirlspointingather.Herno! hookslikeabeak.I'msurethegirlshave* name for her. Probably not veryclevef Hawkface, or something dull like that.
Behind the wheelchair is Mr. Cleave Hisleftarmhangslooseandunpredictab), Some kind of a farm accident, I rememte hearing. His neck is wrinkled like wetd. nos, and he shambles up a place as Mr Muir whirs to the desk, his bad arm han; ing palm to the rear and swinging like he swimming. Waiting for the bus, I se! Cleavesrollacigarettewithonehand.E, overallsarethecolorofdamphay.Ibettit kidscallhimLefty,orMr.GreenJeans.
Mrs. Alder is the fattest human beir, I've seen. She turns sideways to get dok between the railings; blotchy gray ha~ hang from her sleeves. She emits the odor ground beef moments from spoiling. Is I oneofthegirlspuffouthercheeks,sprex 1 ingherarmsaswideasshecan,likeato:< dlerplaying,"I'mthisbig,"thenswingh,‘ hips into the other girl. They explode^ laughter,surprised,Ithink,bythesound, 1 their voices, then cover their faces. M’ Muircallsherdaughter.Hervoicecarries<
The man in the black socks and t! d obese woman in the capri pants lurch to¬ ward.Sheturnsslightly,grunting.Witha,Ihand above the massive shelf formed!11 ' her backside, he urges her forward. I god they'remarried.Thegirls,I'msure,ponV' how gross it would be to see them naU convulsing themselves imaging the coud I' having sex. Exaggerated disgust encird their tight mouths. cl
The next gimps are gay. I've watA ' them kiss on the mouth on the bus. crushedahipinamotorcycleaccident.I'd here when she first told the story to J 0 clerk. Women clerks don't like them. ‘ ;L girlsarepuzzlingthisoneout,headstog^' er, hands over their mouths. At their straightgirlsareafraidoflesbians.
Gary is next. No one talks to him; he's too menacing. I think he's embarrassed to be here, and I know Meg and Crystal think he's a slacker. He doesn't look like a gimp until you look closely. He has long suture scars down the backs of both arms, and there'saslighthitchinhisgait.He'ssothin thebackpocketsofhisjeanscometogether. Hewearsshirtscuttighttothebody,ciga¬ rettesrolledinthesleeve.Hisleftbootheel isbuiltup.Thegirls,I'dbet,peghimpsy; cho, an unmasked Jason. Thegirlsdarttotirevendingmachinesin the alcove. They pose before making their ,choices,scratchingtheirnakedbellies.Sodas !inhand,theyfloponthebench.Mrs.Muir, 1who's spotted her daughter, nearly hits a small girl with her wheelchair and is [upbraidedbythechild'smother.Mrs.Muir's daughter hustles her out, apologizing. The girls laugh, hands on their stomachs. One spits soda through her nose. The other (laughs harder. No gimps look, but the men waiting for hearings do. They're debating whetherthegirlsareoldenoughtohiton.
) The girls gain their breath. One takes a Kleenexfromherpurse,dabshershirt,then : disappears into the ladies room. When she :comesbackIcanseetirewetspotonherwhite ,blouse,andthatshe'swearingadarkbra.
| The man in tire black socks and Iris wifeH'vespottedrings-headtotirecashier.Just ■ Meg and Crystal stand between me and the clerkwithbadeyebrowdandruff.Icatchtire girls scrutinizing me. I wonder what they !think.1lookmyage,thirty-eight,sportasmall paunch, though I've lost weight, have gray ■hairatthetempleandclearblue-grayeyes.
They're sure I'm gay because of my ;shoulder bag and pink Hawaiian shirt with ;tRcocktailglassesandparasols.AIDS,they *guess.Theycan'tseemyring,and,cometo Ithinkofit,thatwouldn'tnecessarilymean anything.Theycan'tseethepicturesinmy iwalletofHollyandourgirlswhowillsoon *betheirage.Theycan'tseethehealthyliver, (bladder,andlungs.Theycan'tseethescar, »or unhealed muscles, and they' can't imag^ineeverbeingsick,orfat,orugly'.Andthey Joantseetheplacewherethekidneyandtire <dividingcellsusedtobe.Theycan'timag(Lewaitinginthisline.■
1. "In My Backyard" art show and festival in Yarmouth, from left: Rachel Dobkin, Mark Sherman, David Kauffman, Sonja Baur. 2. Found magazine exhbit at Space Gallery, from left: Jon Courtney, Nat May 3. Found at Space, from left: Kathy Schneider, Doug Smith 4. Portland Ballet fundraiser and reception, from left: Laurie Schwartz, Alexa Schwartz, Harry Schwartz, Eugenia O'Brien, Daielma Santos. 5. Portland Ballet, from left: Gunnel Larsdotter. Dick Reed. Sallv Donelson 6. Found at Space, from left: Carrie Losneck, Nicolas Bresinsky, Sashi Kaufman, Charlotte Royer 7. Carlo Pittore exhibitatJuneFitzpatrickGallery,fromleft: Alison Berry, Stephanie Rudloe 8. Pittore exhibitattheFitzpatrick,fromleft:Carlo Pittore, Tony Owen 9. Pittore exhibit at the Fitzpatrick, from left: Abby Shahn, Stephen Petroff10.PittoreexhibitattheFitzpatrick, from left: Nancy Marstaller, Leslie Talmadge, and Sharon Turner
Ifyoulike
YOU’LL LOVE THIS STORE!Chaudier. PotsforEternity. Qualitystainlesssteel cookwarethatisamongstthebestintheworld.AndattheChaudierCookwareFactory Store,you’llenjoysavingsof40-70% OFF LISTExceptionalheatcontrol,stay-cool handles,nodriplipsanda25YearWarranty.Thesesavingsalonemakeitworththetrip. Butthere’smore.TheChaudierFactoryStorealsohasahugeselectionofcookingknives, cuttingboards,bakeware,dinnerware,utensils,kettles,gadgets...and,well,justabout everythingyoucanimaginefortheperfectkitchen.Allatexceptionallyattractiveprices. Whichmeansyou'llunderstandwhenwesay Ifyouliketocook,you’lllovethisstore.
