Portland Monthly Magazine October 2020 by portlandmonthlymagazine

Fiction by Dan Domench • The Boathouse Rises to the Occasion

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Cover photo by Desi ree Vargas. from left: courtesy the boathouse; trash or treasure - UMC; Sarah Szwajkos/Damn Rabbit Studios

C i t y

M a g a z i n e

Perspectives

Food & Drink

Ten most intriguing Mainers

10 From the Editor

48 Dining Guide

17 Forgiving Force

27 Stand by ME

18 Wind and Stars

31 Emotional Rescue

20 New Victory

33 My Own Front Porch

22 At the Summit

38 Embracing the Northeaster

“Goodbye, Columbus” Statues are coming down. What should go up instead? By Colin W. Sargent

12 Letters

Maine Life 15 Chowder

A tasty blend of the Fabulous, the Eyebrow-Raising, and the Just Plain Wrong.

Select area restaurants strut their stuff.

49 Restaurant Review

“Romantic Evening, Delivered” Whether by candlelight or in your cozy socks on the couch, The Boathouse delivers. By Colin W. Sargent

Shelter & Design 59 Talking Walls

51 G i f t G u i d e

“Writer’s Retreat” Pulitzer-winner Walter Lippmann’s hideaway on Mount Desert Island could now be yours. By Colin W. Sargent

The Arts & Style

64 Homes & Living

45 Experience

Events are heating up this fall.

72 Last Words

“Laughing Ghost” New fiction by Dan Domench

Exciting properties to make your fantasy of a home in Maine come true. 31

David Patrick advocates for equality in Maine. By Colin S. Sargent Dozier Bell stirs philosophy into paint at her Waldoboro studio. By Sofia Voltin Cidny Bullens’s ninth album is his first under a new name and his new gender. By Sofia Voltin Christopher Newell, the first Wabanaki director of the Abbe Museum, shares his journey. By Sofia Voltin

24 Of Beer & Politics

Heather Sanborn levels the playing field in Maine’s craft breweries. By Jesse Stenbak

Cover: David Patrick, NAACP Political Action Chair and co-founder of Racial Equity & Justice.

October

M a i n e ’ s

Dr. Nirav Shah stands strong at the center of the coronavirus fight. By Sofia Voltin Passamaquoddy advocate Donald Gellers gets a posthumous pardon. By Colin W. Sargent Victoria Rowell—writer, actor, director, producer, and treasure hunter—is just getting started. Interview By Colin W. Sargent

Entrepreneur David Roux jolts the Portland waterfront with a $100M high-tech investment. By Sofia Voltin

40 Piccirillo’s Knot

Lisa Piccirillo solves a problem that perplexed mathematicians for decades. By Sofia Voltin

O c t o b er 2 0 2 0 9

Editorial Colin W. Sargent, Editor & Publisher

Goodbye, Columbus

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aybe we should get out of the business of honoring human beings in bronze or pot metal and concentrate on sweet, brave animals as inspirations for statues. Let’s face it, we’re inevitably going to uncover something unsavory at best in a ‘hero’s’ past, if not criminal acts. That’s what makes us human. So if it’s animals we hold aloft, whom do we choose? I always liked Andre the Seal in Rockport (like many Mainers, I was outraged when Andre was played by a sea lion in the 1994 Paramount Pictures movie: What? A California sea lion, co-opting the role that belonged to a Maine seal?) Every spring for two decades running, the real Andre would swim from Seaquarium in Boston in the open Atlantic to be reunited with his pals in Rockport Harbor, 150 miles to the north. Other favorites of mine include Greyfriar’s Bobbie (who guarded his owner’s grave for 14 years after he died) in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Bremen, Germany’s “Town Musicians”: a rooster standing atop cat atop a dog atop a donkey. Italy’s greatest prize is Fido, the street dog of Borgo San Lorenzo (to see him in action, visit youtube.com/watch?v=ivrR6Qnza80), who had a bottomless capacity for love. Carlo Soriani, a brick-kiln worker, rescued the injured Fido who was dying in the street and nursed him to health. Ever after, Fido walked with Carlo to the city square to watch him board his bus to work. At the end of the day, Fido was there to greet him and walk home with him. When the World War II bombing killed Soriani, Fido mourned so deeply he kept up the ritual, trotting to the bus in the mornings and returning to wait for Carlo to come off the bus at the end of the day—for 14 years following Carlo’s death. Over 5,000 times. Let’s see you do that, Columbus. n

E x t r ao r dina r y P e r sp e c t iv e

Portland

Maine’s City Magazine

165 State Street, Portland, Maine 04101 Phone: (207) 775-0101 www.portlandmagazine.com www.portlandmonthly.com

Colin W. Sargent Founding Editor & Publisher editor@portlandmonthly.com Art & Production Nancy Sargent Art Director Jesse Stenbak Associate Publisher staff@portlandmonthly.com Meaghan Maurice Bailey Design Director meaghan@portlandmonthly.com Advertising Nicole Barna Advertising Director nicole@portlandmonthly.com Per Lofving Advertising Executive per@portlandmonthly.com editorial Sofia Voltin Assistant Editor & Publisher sofia@portlandmonthly.com Sarah Samel Copy Editor sarah@portlandmonthly.com Colin S. Sargent Special Features & Archives Experience Events Portal: portlandmonthly.com/portmag/submit-an-event/ accounting Jennifer Lord Controller jennifer@portlandmonthly.com Interns Desirée Saucier, Andrew Simons, Alexis Wells, Andrew Yang subscriptions To subscribe please send your address and a check for $35* (1 yr.), $58* (2 yrs.), or $68* (3 yrs.) to Portland Magazine,165 State Street Portland, ME 04101 *Add 5.5% if mailed to a Maine address. or subscribe online at www.portlandmagazine.com

Readers & Advertisers

The opinions given in this magazine are those of Portland Magazine writers. No establishment is ever covered in this magazine because it has advertised, and no payment ever influences our stories and reviews. Portland Magazine, a.k.a. Portland Monthly Magazine, is published by Sargent Publishing, Inc. All correspondence should be addressed to 165 State Street, Portland, ME 04101. Advertising Office: 165 State Street, Portland, ME 04101. (207) 775-0101. Repeat Internet rights are understood to be purchased with all stories and artwork. For questions regarding advertising invoicing and payments, call Jennifer Lord. Newsstand Cover Date: October 2020, published in September 2020, Vol. 35, No. 7, copyright 2020. Portland Magazine is mailed at third-class mail rates in Portland, ME 04101 (ISSN: 1073-1857). Opinions expressed in articles are those of authors and do not represent editorial positions of Portland Magazine. Letters to the editor are welcome and will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as subject to Portland Magazine’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. Responsible only for that portion of any advertisement which is printed incorrectly. Advertisers are responsible for copyrights of materials they submit. Nothing in this issue may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publishers. Submissions welcome, but we take no responsibility for unsolicited materials. All photography has been enhanced for your enjoyment. Portland Magazine is proudly printed in the USA by Cummings Printing. Portland Magazine is the winner of 75 American Graphic Design Awards presented by Graphic Design USA for excellence in publication design. In 2018, the magazine won two National Association of Real Estate Editors medals for editorial excellence.

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We Didn’t Say That! I am a proud native Mainer, born and raised in Old Orchard Beach. I’ve been quarantining here with family for the last six months. I was happy to pick up Summerguide 2020 and enjoy positive articles and observations on Maine. The “Beach Vibes” article was clever, comparing celebrities to different beaches throughout Maine. I was so disappointed, angry, and confused as to why the Old Orchard Beach summary made a reference to “where drunks meet the ocean.” Claudia Pouravelis, Boston, Massachusetts

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Navigating Muddy Waters [“Muddy Waters,” Summerguide 2020] is just excellent! Congratulations! And perfectly timed, as Bruce and I have just published volume two, The Intellectual Sword: Harvard Law School, the Second Century, which continues to address the issues of racist historical facts. We would be delighted to get your reaction. Again, many congratulations on a most interesting and well-researched article! Daniel R. Coquillette, Boston College, and Harvard Law School

Dockside Delights Thank you for the review [of DiMillo’s On the Water], “The Floating Opera” [Summerguide 2020]. Your generosity in this time of uncertainty is appreciated. Steven DiMillo, Portland

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Nature delivers.

The Shell Gam e

The Portland Fish Exchange is now sorting and bagging oysters. The first shipment came from Running Tide in Harpswell. When the finished product delivered to The Shop, a raw bar on Washington Avenue, “We sold 500 oysters in 24 hours,” says general manager Kit Paschal. “The oysters are great in consistency for shape, size, and taste—a well-balanced oyster. We sold through another 500 the next week and again the week after that. They’ll be staying in the rotation.”

Second Chances

Remington has cantered a long way since he was born in the deserts of Nut Mountain, California, in 2007. Captured wild, he was trailered to Vermont by age two. But his strong will overwhelmed his adopter. In 2013, he was surrendered to Ever After Mustang Rescue in Biddeford. After months of Yankee ‘whispering,’ he became an ambassador of Ever After. Portland Magazine has been his proud sponsor since 2017. “Remington adores frolicking with friends in the pasture, greeting visitors, and eating carrots,” director Mona Jerome says. “He loves being the center of attention and is thankful that horses don’t need to think about social distancing.”

photo courtesy mona jerome

Farm Re port

“Maine is the largest producer of wild blueberries in the world. We rank second in brown eggs, tenth in potatoes, and third in the country for maple syrup,” reports the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. “The 2020 growing season was difficult given the drought. Spring frost in the spring hit wild blueberries. COVID-19 market disruptions caused milk prices to plummet and slowed potato sales.” Lily Calderwood, a wild blueberry specialist at the University of Maine, says, “Times of change are also times of opportunity. The demand for wild blueberries has increased. People are now, perhaps more than ever, aware of the benefits of eating healthy and the economic benefits of supporting local farmers.” October 2020 15

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Peop l e

Very Intriguing Mainers They make Maine Maine.

Forgiving Force Family man. Son. Peacemaker. Mainer.

avid Patrick grew up in Orrington and went to the University of Maine, where he earned his B.S. in Marketing & International Business and his Master’s in Social Work. He’s now Maine’s NAACP Political Action Chair, a proud husband and father, co-founder of Racial Equity & Justice, an urban gardener, and an advocate for equity. We asked David to share his Maine journey with us.

Photo by Jpk Photography

Your office on 96 Harlow Street in downtown Bangor was attacked with a brick through a window just before 10 a.m. on a Monday morning in January 2020. It smashed through two panes of glass, with shards of glass flying. You were in the office at the time. A man ran from the scene to a spot near the public library, was arrested by police and taken to Penobscot County Jail. What went through your mind?

By Colin S. Sargent

Throwing a brick is uncontrolled, misplaced anger.

I am part of a transracial family and was adopted as an infant. I have been fortunate to have two supportive and loving parents, as well as an honorary sister who lives in Florida. I have started a family of my own. My children are the first people who I know are directly related to me and share my lineage. The one identity that supersedes all is that. As a husband and dad to two boys, my family is the most important factor in the decisions I make. They are the reason I chose to become a social worker and cofound Racial Equity & Justice. If I

D av i d Pat r i c k

can use my experiences as a person of color, as a father, and as a community member to help others, I feel I’m making a positive contribution to society. Without my unique childhood, exposure to different cultural heritages, and my experiences as a father, I don’t think I would have had the tools to support other diverse families in the community and across the state. You can’t get much more ‘Maine’ than Orrington.

As a lifelong Mainer, avid outdoors person, and Boy Scout, I’ve continued to experience (Continued on page 42)

David and his two sons, David (left) and Princeton.

This is a difficult discussion to have. Initially, the public perception was that someone targeted an organization fighting for social justice and equity. We later found out the individual who did this had other challenges, which would not be appropriate for me to make public. When presented with this additional information, we worked diligently to ensure restorative justice. I worked with the family to identify community resources and supports for this individual. As social workers, we know that punitive outcomes don’t necessarily contribute to healing or recovery. To genuinely support people and prevent recidivism, we must address the underlying issues. October 2020 17

Peop le

D oz i e r B e l l

Wind and Stars

Dozier Bell: Painter, Gardener, Guide. By Sofia Voltin

Tidal pool, night 2019, 4.5" x 6.5", watercolor on canvas.

rawn from memories, experiences, and reflections of a life instilled with natural philosophical curiosity, the paintings and charcoal drawings by Dozier Bell stir the hearts of Mainers, art fans, collectors, and casual viewers alike. She was born in Lewiston in 1957 but grew up in Bath and Manchester. Her work frequently presents our dramatic Maine landscape through the lens of her childhood. She’s received several awards, including an American Academy of Arts and Letters Purchase Prize, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Fulbright Fellowship as artist-in-residence in Germany, two Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grants, and the Adolf and Esther Gottlieb Foundation Grant. Her residencies include the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center, the MacDowell Colony, and the Monhegan Artists’ Residency in 2019. She lives and works in Waldoboro. What was your upbringing like?

My three siblings and I had a lot of freedom. We spent many weekends at Reid State Park and Popham Beach. A farm in 18 p o r t l a n d magazine

western Maine where my father was born made a deep impression on me. He bought it from his parents when they retired. The farm was secluded in the middle of hundreds of acres. The complete lack of human sounds when no one was around fascinated me as a child. We spent a lot of time there. Most of our social life involved my father’s large extended family. There was a strong sense of belonging. Tell us about your education.

I went to high school at Kents Hill School in Readfield. It was a lucky break—my mother was secretary to the headmaster. I loved school and the tiny class sizes there for individualized learning. Socially, it was a total bust because I lived 15 miles from

Being a career

artist requires the personality of an

alcoholic gambler.

school, but I made up for that when I got to college. At Smith, I studied philosophy, German, and finally art. I loved philosophy but realized it reaches relatively few people. I began wondering if some of what I was studying couldn’t be translated into visual images. Later, I learned that illustrating a concept with artwork is a dull affair doomed to failure, but when a concept has become part of the way you see the world, you have something to bring to the dialog that’s necessary for the painting to have a life of its own. What memorable challenge will our readers most easily recognize you by?

Surviving as an artist.

What were your 30 most rewarding seconds from the last year?

The point where I saw it was working as I was struggling to teach myself watercolor. Growing up, who wasn’t so excited about what you were trying to do?

Pretty much every responsible adult. I’m sure the ones that aren’t dead are all doing (Continued on page 43)

photo by greta rybus; painting by dozier Bell. Courtesy photos.

The artist we need right now: she expresses on canvas what we can’t put into words.

THOMAS CONNOLLY October 8 - October 31

146 Middle Street, Portland, Maine • (207) 772-2693 info@greenhutgalleries.com • www.greenhutgalleries.com October 2020 19

Cidny Bullens

New Victory Cidny Bullens rocks the North Haven Island line.

“Sometimes the gender line is hard; for others it is fluid. But it exists. It is very real.”

By Sofia Voltin

e’s known for singing on the Grease movie soundtrack and co-writing the 2001 musical Islands about his beloved North Haven (with a midtown-Manhattan premiere OffBroadway at New Victory Theater). After eight solo albums, two Grammy nominations, and working with Sir Elton John, Bob Dylan, Gene Clark, and Rod Stewart, Cidny Bullens is once again just getting started. No, “Cidny” is not a typo. In 2011, Cindy Bullens made the decision to transition from female to male. He stepped back from the spotlight for five years as he went through the process and returned in 2016 as Cidny with his one-person show, Somewhere Between: Not An Ordinary Life. “My Maine premiere of the show was at St. Lawrence Arts in Portland. It was a big deal for me—telling my story in full to the hometown crowd.” He continues to explore transgender awareness with his new album, Walkin’ Through This World. He is currently writing his first memoir. 20 p o r t l a n d magazine

What was your upbringing like?

My father’s mother grew up in Portland on Spring Street near Waynflete. My grandparents’ house on Goose Rocks Beach burned down in the Great Fire of 1947. They re-built, and it’s here where I have my first Maine memories—the fine white sand; the fragrant rose hips that grew around the rock wall between the road and the beach; the dry, needle-like grass on the lawn that wasn’t pleasant on little feet. My mother’s side of the family had houses on Chebeague Island. We’d go there every summer after our month at Goose Rocks. Island life meant freedom. It meant screen doors slamming, wild raspberries on the path to the shore, and, of course, the smell of fresh salt air. I still can’t get enough of it. I have salt in my veins. What were your most rewarding moments in the last year?

Seeing myself on the big screen for the first time in the documentary short about

my life—The Gender Line—at the Edmonton Film Festival. (It won best documentary short!) The film’s still screened at festivals around the world. Another was the moment after listening straight through my new finished album, Walkin’ Through This World. It’s my first as Cidny. Every 30 seconds with my wife, Tanya, is a miracle, and it’s always rewarding to see my four grandchildren’s faces and spend time with my daughter Reid. What’s the most thoughtful thing you’ve ever heard from a fellow Mainer?

One late afternoon I was on the shore by the second bridge at Pulpit Harbor, North Haven, sitting on a rock, taking in the air. I was still nervous about how I’d be received by people on the island who had known me for years as Cindy. A yearround islander and lobsterman—whom I knew enough to call by name—was stacking his traps. Suddenly, he walked up to

Peo p le

from top: photo by Travis Commeau; courtesy music museum of new england

The island of North Haven is where my soul lives.

me and said in his full-on Maine accent, “I just want to tell you how proud I am of you—and that I respect what you are doing. Welcome aboard, my brother.” Then he gave me a big, long hug. I wanted to cry. You just can’t get here from there. How does North Haven ground you?

he island of North Haven is where my soul lives. The moment I stepped foot on the island decades ago I knew I was home. I have a small property there. I call it a shack. My wife calls it a cottage. It’s actually a cute little house on the hill right up from the village Post Office. I sit on my front deck, interact with my neighbors, or just watch people go up and down from town. It’s walking distance to

the ferry, Waterman’s Community Center (which houses the John Wulp Theatre), the galleries, and Calderwood’s restaurant. I’m steps away from the wonderful Nebo Lodge and restaurant. I ride my bike around the island or down to Crabtree Point almost every day I’m there. I always stop at certain views and say a little prayer of gratitude. After my daughter Jessie died from cancer in 1996 (her grave is on the island; it’s her soul place, too), I’d come to these vistas for comfort. If this beauty exists, I’d tell myself, then there must be a God or something greater. I believed in the beauty I was seeing even if reality at the time was bleak and unbearable. It gave me hope.

What’s your private dream for this year?

I’m hopeful Walkin’ Through This World is heard far and wide. The first single, “The Gender Line,” has gained quite a lot of attention. I’m grateful—not so much for my career but because I want to create a wider understanding of being transgender. I wrote this quote for promotion of the song: “No one who isn’t transgender understands it. How can you? People who aren’t don’t have to ask the question: what am I? You just are. Well, we just aren’t. We aren’t the body we were born into. We aren’t what you see, what you hear, what you think. Some of us figure it out early, some later, some have carried it to their grave. Others have been killed because of it. Sometimes the gender line is hard; for others it is fluid. But it exists. It is very real.” Bullens writes catchy music as few can. His refrain in “The Gender Line”: Are you a boy or are you a girl? It’s an easy answer in a binary world. n October 2020 21

people

C h r i sto p h e r N e w e l l

At the Summit

“Telling the hard truths of history isn’t about blaming anybody or assigning guilt… I’m doing the work of my dreams now.” ifetime educator, singer, and now executive director of the Abbe Museum, Christopher Newell explores the history and culture of our nation’s first native peoples. He is the first member of the Wabanaki Nations to lead the museum.

of the land and only truly makes sense in that context. I didn’t grow up as a fluent speaker of our language, but I was forever grounded by hearing it every day. I do my best to view the world through the lens of our language rather than through English.

Tell us about your beginnings.

Where were you educated, and how did that figure into what you’re doing now?

I was born in Washington County at Calais Regional Hospital in January 1974. I spent a lot of time on my bicycle and swimming in Big Lake or Grand Lake Stream. I grew to love fishing and being out in the woods. However, I was raised on the Passamaquoddy reservation at Motahkmikuhk (Indian Township), and that upbringing forever shaped my understanding of myself. Both Passamaquoddy and English were spoken in my home. My grandmother Adelaide Newell came to live with us when I was little. She, like my dad, learned Passamaquoddy first and English second, so they conversed in Passamaquoddy all the time. To help me learn, she often spoke in Passamaquoddy first and then explained to me what she meant. I don’t use the word translate on purpose. The languages are completely different, and it can be difficult to express in the English language what a Passamaquoddy speaker is saying. In Passamaquoddy we have a term, tupqan, which we translate for English as “dirt, soil, or earth.” But the more literal translation is the “molecules of our ancestors.” Through the lens of Passamaquoddy, the dirt is not something destined to be improved or developed by humans, but rather a living animate force of the natural life cycle. It shows a highly scientific understanding of the local eco-system. Because of this, the land (as a living force) cannot be owned as individual property. Our language was born 22 p o r t l a n d magazine

Much of my education comes from life experience. In high school, I saw myself becoming an engineer or something along that line. I was active with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES). My father, Wayne Newell, has a Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard University, and I had aspirations of making it to the Ivy League as well. At Calais High School, I focused much of my education on AP math and science and let the humanities slide by me. It’s interesting to think about where I started, and I ended up with a career in the humanities. Every school I applied to accepted me, including MIT, Dartmouth College, and Brown University. In the end, I

chose Dartmouth. However, I’m not a Dartmouth graduate. I’ll never regret my time there, but making the transition from the reservation was difficult. I struggled out of the classroom rather than in. I saw a profound ignorance about Native peoples in many of my classmates. It wasn’t their fault—the education system was set up that way. One of the hardest parts about transitioning to off-reservation life is having to explain and teach about yourself, your culture, and existence in modern times over and over to folks who don’t have the same basic information about Native peoples. It’s a burden. It can be tough at times. When my first son was born, I left Dartmouth to be with his mother. My relationship with his mother didn’t last, and I found myself in Connecticut as a member of the Mystic River Singers—an intertribal pow wow singing group. Pow wow music is not traditional to Passamaquoddy people. I was introduced to it by singers from western tribes while I was at Dartmouth. My father is a teacher of our traditional music and uses it to educate, so I was well versed in the beat pattern of northeastern woodland music. Pow wow music is pretty much the opposite beat pattern, but I picked it up right away and fell in love with it. I spent the next few decades singing with Mystic River. It was a great life. We traveled all over the U.S. and Canada, going to pow wows in communities. We spent time with different tribes, different languages, and customs everywhere we went. Pow wow MCs can be some of the best educators about a tribe’s culture. Every tribe teaches its culture differently. I always paid attention, especially when they told the history of their (Continued on page 44)

Mystic River Singers - Courtesy photo

By Sofia Voltin

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h e at h e r s a n b o r n

“I had a music teacher who told me I shouldn’t sing. Screw that.” By Je ss e Sten b ak

ising Tide Brewery is celebrating ten years. Co-owner Heather Sanborn runs the business operations. She also represents parts of Portland and Westbrook as State Senator.

Where were you born, and where were you educated?

I was born in Bangor, then moved to Windham, and then to North Deering. I live in the same neighborhood and represent them today. I went to Middlebury College and studied political science before I attended Maine Law. My husband, Nathan, and I ski-bummed for a year in Lake Tahoe. Growing up, who was your opposition character?

I had a music teacher who told me I shouldn’t sing. Screw that. I sing in the car, shower, and when no one is in the brewery. My son now takes voice lessons. I think that’s due to her. I remember her name, but I’m not going to tell you. By what memorable accomplishment will our readers most easily recognize you?

In 2012 I helped to legalize tasting rooms by changing what breweries could do on-site. The craft beer industry seems to be predominately ruled by white men. Do you consider the industry as a whole to be a patriarchy?

The craft beer world has traditionally been a pretty white male-dominated environment, but I think that’s changing. Many breweries across Maine have a woman in some position of top leadership or ownership in the company. Foundation Brewing Company is co-owned by Tina Bonney (who runs business operations) and Christie Mahaffey (laboratory program). Mattie Daughtry co-owns Moderation Brewing in Brunswick (she also serves in the legislature and is currently running for state senate). Mia Strong is the co-owner of Strong Brewing Company in Sedgewick. Some of these are husband-and-wife 24 p o r t l a n d magazine

ownership teams to be sure, but don’t discount the role of these women in the leadership of these companies. They often play a very critical role. We have a very active Pink Boots chapter in Maine, a trade organization for women professionals in the beer industry. At Rising Tide, half of our hourly production team is female, and we have women in critical leadership roles throughout our brewery. They’re not just serving or working in marketing. They’re part of the physical act of making great beer. Such representation is important to help more young women imagine themselves as brewers or brewery leaders, and it will help even the playing field as we go forward. Although the craft beer scene in Maine has a lot of white males in it, my experience is that it’s actually a very welcoming and inclusive group. I was elected by my peers to serve as President of the Maine Brewers’ Guild from 2014 to 2016, and I didn’t find gender to be an issue in that leadership role. What sparked your interest in running for public office?

I’m passionate about reforming our healthcare payment system. Through my own

family’s experiences and my experience as a small business owner, I find it crazy that Americans’ access to quality, affordable health coverage in this country is tied to our jobs. I’m the Senate Chair of our Health Coverage Committee in the Maine Legislature. I’m working hard to ensure more people have access to affordable health care. Ultimately, the big changes that are needed are likely going to have to come from the federal level. Have you fully left the law? If so, why?

I am not a practicing lawyer at this time, but I now help to write laws, so I’m certainly still using my law training every day! What was your lowest point, professionally, this last year? What did you learn from it?

It was sitting at home all day on March 16. We shut down the brewery. We didn’t know if we were going to be able to open up again. It was one of the most challenging points in my life. I learned about the importance of having my team this year. Every weekday we have a virtual manager’s meeting at 9 a.m. Before, we rarely met. I’ll never forget that time in my life. I wrote a daily newsletter. About two thousand people a day were reading it. The information was changing daily. From unemployment to applying for PPP loans, there was something to write about every day. There was so much to deal with every single day. Where is your magic place in Maine, and why?

The view from the top of the Skyline chairlift at Sugarloaf. On many days, it’s clear enough to see the snow-covered top of Katahdin. Usually, when I get to the top of this lift, I’m with friends and family, outside in the winter, and getting exercise. It’s all very restorative. When you go away from Maine and return, how do you know you’re really here?

When I roll over the Piscataqua River Bridge, I know I’m home. I roll down the windows to breathe in Maine air. I love driving over that bridge. I have a personal rule never to cross that bridge from June 15 to Labor Day. It’s a terrible idea to leave Maine during that time. n

Meaghan Maurice

Of Beer & Politics

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d r . n i r av s h a h

Are we part of the cure, or are we going to be part of the disease?

Stand by

He has charmed and soothed Mainers during his COVID-19 briefings—and not only by reciting popular lyrics.

courtesy photo

By Sofi a Voltin

e all want to know what lies around the corner, and we turn to Dr. Nirav Shah for answers and updates. (So does Jake Tapper on CNN.) The Maine CDC director lies at the center of our coronavirus fight. He’s been praised for his clear communication style and has a knack for riffing music lyrics into catchy reminders and notes of encouragement. In March, he quoted Coldplay. In September, he dropped some Rick Astley. “The bottom line here is that Maine CDC contact tracers are never gonna give you up, they’re never gonna let you down, they’re never gonna run around and desert you. Maine CDC contact tracers are never gonna make you cry, they’re never gonna say goodbye, and they’re never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.” He came to Maine after working for four years as director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. In late 2018, two Illinois U.S. Senators called for his

resignation due to a controversy over his handling of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that sickened 74 people and killed a dozen. He joined the Maine CDC in May 2019, taking charge of an agency that was severely understaffed. Now, the Fans of Dr. Nirav Shah Facebook group has 34K members. “In Shah We Trust” lit up an electronic road sign in Topsham on Route 196, and the catchy phrase has been printed on shirts, stickers, mugs, and tote bags to raise funds for the Good Shepherd Food Bank. Where did you grow up, and what is your most indelible early impression of Maine?

I grew up in a small community in Wisconsin. My parents were very hard workers who emphasized scholarship, equity, and public service. In many ways, Maine reminds me of where I grew up. My most indelible early impressions are the kindness of Maine people and the diverse natural beauty—you can

have breakfast by the ocean and go downhill skiing in the afternoon. On the job, what were the 30 most rewarding seconds over the last year?

Public health is problem-solving, so the most rewarding 30 seconds were 30 different times when our team found a way to address a problem: when our gumshoe disease detectives found lines of virus transmission that limit potential spread; when our Public Health Emergency Preparedness team found ways to transport personal protective equipment hundreds of miles to new outbreak sites; when our Public Health Nursing program set up clinics to ensure children had their necessary immunizations; when our Public Health District liaisons jumped in to help meet the specific needs of vulnerable populations. It’s deeply satisfying to have a team that’s able to help Maine people in so many different ways. October 2020 27

P eople What were the hardest moments?

hey were a series of difficult, heartbreaking circumstances. Every time I have to acknowledge the passing of a Maine person with COVID-19, it’s a reminder of the personal toll this pandemic takes on us all. When it’s part of my job to tell Maine people about the passing of a person who had survived the 1918 pandemic, served her country during World War II, led nurses in rural Maine, and helped others for decades, it’s profoundly painful.

What one thing do you think people least understand about you?

It might be hard for people who have seen me so frequently on television this year to realize I don’t enjoy the spotlight. I work in public health, which requires me to keep everyone informed, but I would prefer to do that work in ways that focus less attention on me.

Dr. Shah’s Pandemic Playlist • “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers

• “Happy” by Pharrell Williams

• “Accentuate the Positive” by Kay Keyser and his Orchestra How is your family getting through COVID-19?

Like everyone else, our family has had to make big changes as a result of COVID-19. We had hoped to see a lot more of Maine than we have been able to since moving here. Instead, we take short trips when we can. Cooking together has always been a very important part of our lives, and it is even more so now. What single accomplishment do you most hope for in the coming year?

I’d like Maine people to be able to feel safe and healthy as we all work together to recover from COVID-19’s effects on each of us.

Folks can stop sending me Diet Coke.

28 p o r t l a n d magazine

• “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats

• “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” by The Police What quirks have you noticed about fellow Mainers?

Maine people give directions based on where things used to be, so if you are new to the state and weren’t around when the “Jewett’s Used Fish” sign was visible from Route 1, it makes it more challenging to get around. It’s a distinct Maine trait. I’ve also been touched by the outpouring of generosity that Maine people have shown to me and my family. On that note, folks can stop sending me Diet Coke* and instead donate to Good Shepherd or their local food bank. n *Dr. Shah keeps a can of Diet Coke by his side, including at his COVID-19 briefings. His playlist is meant for entertainment only and do not represent public health policy.

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Donald Gellers

Emotional Rescue Passamaquoddy advocate wins a reprieve—in the afterlife.

photos courtesy Paul Gellers

By Colin W. Sargent

ever let it be said that you must be alive in order to be intriguing. In January 2020, the late Donald C. Gellers, a.k.a. Tuvia Ben Shmul Yosef, received a posthumous pardon for “the constructive possession of six marijuana cigarettes” in 1969 at his home in Eastport. The drug bust was a retaliatory silencer for Gellers having filed a land-claims lawsuit to benefit the Passamaquoddy tribe. Governor Mills hints at that in her pardon: “Mr. Gellers and his houseguest, Alfred Cox, were arrested immediately after Mr. Gellers filed the original land claims lawsuit on behalf of the Passamaquoddy Tribe. The charge was unlawful constructive possession of six marijuana cigarettes that were found in Mr. Gellers’ home. Mr. Gellers was convicted on only one of his three counts, sentenced to two to four years imprisonment and, because he now had a felony conviction, he was disbarred from practicing law in Maine. “Even the chief of the State Police in public comments at the time recognized that a felony charge for small personal possession was ‘so severe’ that it was ‘difficult to get proper adjudication[s].’ This is why, even before Mr. Gellers’ trial started, the legislature was working on a bill to downgrade the offense to a misdemeanor. This new law, P.L. 1969, c. 443, took effect two years before Mr. Gellers’ appeal was decided and three years before his disbarment was ordered. It is not clear why this significant and timely change in the law did not temper the state’s discretion in prosecuting and disbarring Mr. Gellers.” Shades of The Four Feathers Maine’s disproportionate punishment may have devastated Gellers’s legal career, but it was a cosmic launching pad to a wild and wonderful life of high purpose. He left Maine to join the Israeli army, fight-

The Passamaquoddy people “had known so many defeats that hope, itself, was a victory.

ing (and getting wounded) during the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. Rebuilding his reputation from the Maine conviction that trailed and degraded him, he won the right to be a lawyer in Israel, then fought his way back to law practice in the U.S. after standing before the First Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals. He aimed higher. He became a rabbi in his native New York, helping countless people on their journeys of faith. But the young man’s courage in helping the Passamaquoddy was unrecognized by the law for five decades. Until now. Gov. Mills remarked, “During his eight years in Eastport, Mr. Gellers worked tirelessly for the Native American people, often for little or no pay. He worked on issues small and large, and his work mattered. “In court, he secured the dismissal of charges against peaceful protesters, helped return native children who had been placed in non-native homes, and successfully challenged state jurisdiction over minor offenses committed on a reservation. “He also brought his advocacy to Augusta. He pressed state officials to repair leaking sewage systems, and Princeton barbers to cut tribal members’ hair. He lobbied for the repeal of laws prohibiting tribal members from hunting on their own land and for the state to create a new Indian Affairs Department. He also helped prompt an investigation of an unscrupulous state official who had effective powers of life and death over tribal members through his control over access to food, medical care and fuel.” In a letter from 1979 to request payment, Gellers wrote, [for the Passamaquoddy people,] “getting arrested for anything meant getting convicted. Living meant begging the welfare Indian agent for

—Donald C. Gellers

groceries and clothes, having children taken from parents and placed for adoption in non-Indian homes, not voting for the legislature or serving on juries, and occasionally talking about land and treaty rights that no one ever respected. I stopped all that, and stopped it peacefully.” Follow the Guest List Paul Gellers, M.S.W., listened intently when Gov. Mills was speaking. Paul and his wife had come all the way from Florida to hear the sound of justice–51 years after the arrest. What did it sound like? We caught up with him. “It was hard to describe because it had been a battle my family had been fighting for years. My brother especially, of course. I so wish he could have been there, along with my parents. It was definitely entrapment. Those joints were planted. It didn’t stop him. It became quite obvious that really the powers that be didn’t want him and wanted to get him out of Maine. They knew very well when he went to Israel, and they made no effort to stop him. It changed his life for sure.” As for what should be remembered about Don, Paul says, “His love for teaching, his love for people. He’s always been a champion of the underdog. He was 13 years old when I was born. I was born during his bar mitzva! He said I was the best bar mitzva present a brother could ever have.” Did he use the occasion of your birth to get out of some of the memorization? “No. He was very good at memorization.” We’re glad Maine is remembering him. n O cto b e r 2 0 2 0 3 1

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Peop l e

V i cto r i a R ow e l l

My Own Front Porch

I’ve been on artistic house arrest for the last 13 years for pushing for diversity for African Americans behind the camera.

Is there anything she can’t do?

soaps in depth

ictoria Rowell—the actress, writer, director, producer, activist, and mother—was born in Mercy Hospital in Portland in 1959. Her birth mother was a Mayflower descendant. The Sisters of Mercy directed little Vicki to a foster home, but two and a half years after she bonded with her foster parents, “Maine stepped in,” Rowell says. “They said, ‘She’s black—you can’t keep her.’ The State of Maine took me away from the Taylors because Maine was one of 16 states [at that time] where it was against the law for white parents to raise a black foster child.” This tragedy sizzles through Rowell’s New York Times bestselling book The Women Who Raised Me. Her further adventures, from her rise to ballet prodigy, movie and television actress, bestselling author, and auteur, bring her to us now. To call you a whirlwind, iconic, a force of nature, or Victoria 360 smacks of Inside the Actors Studio. So, Victoria, who are you today?

I am a faithful servant to my community,

Intervie w By Col in W. Sargent

the underserved, my family, and getting to the truth. In my professional life I am a content creator, producer, writer, and job cultivator. Oftentimes my direction is to support marginalized African Americans in my profession and other minorities. It’s who I am today and who I’ve been. What’s the last project you were working on before you fell asleep last night?

My podcast, Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva. It’s available on Spotify and Apple. It’s a fun title, and it touches on African American contributions to the soap opera industry by legendary actors and actresses including Cicely Tyson, Morgan Freeman, Ruby Dee, and Brock Peters. I’m on air today with The Young and the Restless reruns. Because of COVID-19, Sony lost 50 percent of new content under development. Sony licenses to ViacomCBS, and they needed a way to address the lack of material. So they asked viewers what they’d like to see.

What’s on the front burner for today?

Working on a Christmas script—rewrites on an original movie I may be able to shoot before the end of this year, which is exciting but always with caution. Because of COVID, I’ve been getting more work than ever before as a boutique movie producer/director. My Days Ferry Productions can produce smaller-budgeted shows, which makes us more nimble to produce projects on spec. The industry is looking for safe locations, not hot spots. Some productions have gone to Canada. What’s horrible for world health is exciting artistically, though it hurts to have to put it that way. We can answer the demand for stories covering addiction, family health, family denial, mental health, job creation, and women and children. What’s your role in the Christmas movie?

Direct and produce. Consult. Creator of story. I’ve also been asked to direct another movie for ViacomCBS BET. That’s two projects. Beyond that, I just pitched four October 2020 33

P eople people projects to a streaming service. You don’t just do a single pitch—you pitch more while your foot is in the door. I’m hopeful these pitches will lead to one or two projects for the 2021 or 2022 cycles. Where are Maya and Jasper right now, and what are they doing?

My daughter Maya works multiple jobs. Her primary work is in conservancy and the recycling space. She’s in Los Angeles. She was also part of the artists’ beautification project when the boards went up on the storefronts of shops during peaceful protests. She was part of an artists’ brigade that painted. My son Jasper Marsalis [a.k.a. Slauson Malone, an experimental NYC jazz/hip hop performer and producer, formerly a member of Standing on the Corner] has been equally busy as an artistic and music producer. Listen to him on Spotify. Jasper’s been chosen to work on a project in Minneapolis. How is Jasper doing after losing his grandfather, the jazz great Ellis Marsalis, to COVID-19? Of course the world misses Ellis, who has performed memorably on piano onstage in Portland. Few people have a singular piano style.

Respectfully I’ll decline answering that question. Perhaps you can ask Jasper that question someday. I was able to spend time with Ellis about a year ago. My children are artists. As artists, we’re used to self-quarantine. Often, artists are considered different and strange. More often than not, when I talk to my artist friends, we’re creating. Working on new ballets. Most of the time artists don’t have a safety net. In the landscaping kaleidoscope, I even include landscaping as an art that’s exploding. We’ve been busy in this time of self-reflection and pause. I remain very inspired to spend more time with my family than I ever would have gotten. I always look for the light. In this pause, many miracles are happening with respect to all the tragedy that has happened. There are inexplicable blooms. [Pause.] I might as well tell this to you first—Portland Magazine, the Maine publication. I think it’s appropriate. After a 45-year search I have found my father. It just happened last week. All the pieces were confirmed. It’s been a long process. I would never have found my father and paternal family if it weren’t for the world being upended by COVID. Work34 p o r t l a n d magazine

Dead or alive, I needed to know the other half of who I am. ing people were at home. They were willing to take the test. It’s been funny to find so much of my life. My birth father was a U.S. marine. He is deceased. Dead or alive, I needed to know the other half of who I am. I started looking when I was 15. With the advent of Ancestry.com, over the years I slowly aligned with distant relatives. It’s not necessarily the person at the top of the mountain; it’s the advocate in the middle who will bring your boat home. The sixth cousin, the fourth cousin. I’m 61 and I never stopped looking. What a voyage!

e as a family are largely Nigerian, according to the DNA. On my father’s side. It did not surprise me that when I did a DNA test last year in Jamaica with a willing party, he

Screening Victoria Rowell • Trash vs. Treasure (2020); creator, producer, host

• BET Her Presents: The Waiting Room (2020); actor • BET Her Presents: The Couch (2020); director

• The Young and the Restless (1990–2019); actor

• The Rich & the Ruthless (2017–2019); executive producer, writer, director, actor

• Jacqueline and Jilly (2019); writer, director, actor, executive producer • Diagnosis Murder (1993–2001); writer, actor • Dumb and Dumber (1994); actor

• The Distinguished Gentleman (1992); actor • Mann and Wife (2017); actor

• Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (2013-2014); actor • Home of the Brave (2006); actor • Eve’s Bayou (1997); actor

• What Love Will Make You Do (2015); actor Look for Rowell starring in these upcoming films: • Black Kids White Mama • Birdie • Way Out of Bounds

came back as a third cousin. Why didn’t it surprise me? I could probably take a test in England, Brazil, through the Caribbean, along the eastern seaboard and further. To Texas. To Russia during the slave trade… and find my family. Family systems were completely divided. Brothers, sisters, aunts. Many of us are fascinated (or deeply disturbed by) doppelgängers. So who wasn’t drawn to the extraordinary episode of Diagnosis Murder (where you starred as Dr. Amanda) that centers on murder on the set of The Young and the Restless (where you starred as Drucilla). The idea seems like an early sparkle of the content creator you are today. Confess to it now: You pitched that episode, didn’t you?

I pitched that idea to Perry Simon who was over at Viacom at the time. Here I was working both shows simultaneously and it made so much sense—if we could pull it off. It meant quite a bit of coordinating. CBS was in Television City; Diagnosis Murder was filmed in the Valley. It required thinking and a writing team. You had two different shows, yet somehow we were able to successfully shoot the episode. Of course the development directors and executive producers had to agree. Of course it made sense. It was a lot of fun playing the two characters, and it made me proud to show my producing ability and out-of-box thinking even back then. I’ve been producing for a long time. I want to encourage people to take chances. Pitch ideas. Some people are always going to look at you sideways. We’ve got to stretch. I was proud to see the two casts integrate. In Maine, distancing comes naturally to us, yet we’re close to each other. You get that. Have you had fleeting moments in California where you’ve said, earthquakes and forest fires and crowds are nice, but I’m feeling a breeze from my childhood, calling me. Isn’t there any way I can catch my breath in Maine?

I think of Maine often. We had a few tremors the other creatorday. I posted #auntyvicky.

My practical decorating tips and homemaking are #auntie. Maine is in all of that Instagram. I wanted to get there last year [see our story “High Velocity–Victoria Rowell,” Summerguide 2018] because I relax when I’m in Maine. Someone asked me where I’d like a second home. Easy answer: Peaks Island. My nephew Andy Rowell is outfitting a food truck so he and his business partner can serve brunch during COVID. He plays at least seven instruments and was invited by Wynton to Jazz at Lincoln Center to participate in a program. That’s how gifted he is. His father, the late David Rowell, my brother, was also a prolific guitarist. What’s your longest interlude off the grid, where you just couldn’t be the straw that stirs the drink for a while? Where did you go?

I’ve been on artistic house arrest for the last 13 years for pushing for diversity for African Americans behind the camera. [She’s referring to a lawsuit she launched against the network after they did not ask her to return to the next season of The Young and the Restless following her advocating for diversity on both sides of the camera. Consider this tweet from former CBS CEO Leslie Roy Moonves: “And I have never used my position to hinder the advancement or careers of women.” Rowell’s reply: “#LIAR. Your loafer heel has been on my neck for over 11 years all because I cited a lack of substantive of diversity at CBS behind the camera #MeToo #RetaliationIsIllegal #Bully”] Leslie Moonves, when he was booted out, was making $60M. I was pushing for diversity and met with extreme pushback by Steve Kent of Sony Pictures Television. His campaign against me to be quiet about diversity and economic equality is well known. Mr. Kent made it exceedingly difficult. Look. It becomes difficult because it becomes a pebble in a pond that causes a ripple effect. It’s easy for a Steve Kent or a Leslie Moonves to poison the pond for someone. Over diversity. Over getting one black screenwriter hired. One black hairstylist hired. The vitriol is incredible. And yet ViacomCBS BET seems like a guiding star now, behind many of your shows.

To be a producer and director at Viacom and CBS means a lot to me. There has been sweeping change. That means a lot to me and numerous other professionals. I feel October 2020 35

people I ran 100 miles and wound up at my own front porch. e’re seeing new sweeping change by the new ViacomCBS CEO George Cheeks. Pushing to keep Daytime diverse across the board, especially after 80 years. The Young and the Restless [is a huge success, with revenues in the countless millions], with an over-indexed black female audience buying Proctor & Gamble products. Anyone can Google the guilds and see the economic disparities. My podcast tomorrow asks my fellow Daytime casts and crews, where have you been for African American colleagues? We all have to be in this together.

Tell us about Trash vs. Treasure. I get the sense that you feel it isn’t décor unless the decoration specifically addresses the emotional state, joys, and challenges faced by the occupants. That is, you can’t decorate a place without meeting the client.

Absolutely. There isn’t a space I can’t decorate. I didn’t grow up on any farm. I grew up in a 200-year-old peg-and-groove

farmhouse. You could get lost in there. We had everyone’s stuff. When farms are passed down, they don’t take everything with them. There was so much in-house already in the barn, it was a constant treasure hunt for a kid. My foster mother, Agatha Armstead, let me decorate. She taught me to refinish furniture and rearrange items. She was also a thrift-shop hound, an auction hound, so I learned everything has value, whether it’s chipped, tarnished, or just ‘broke.’ Recycling has always been part of my life. Trash vs. Treasure is perfectly placed.

I’ve just checked my notes. Did you just say zhush it up? Is that a coinage?

Zhushing is anything. You can zhush up a room, zhush up your dinner table, zhush up what you’re wearing. While shooting Trash vs. Treasure, I talked with tent dwellers and considered zhushing a tent space to bring more attention to the homeless population that is exploding. Anything can be zhushed. Simplicity, what’s in plain sight. You take what you have and make the most of it, with style. n

I enjoyed the example of the ironing board/dining room table you showed to Good Morning America’s Amy Robach.

eauty and inspiration are grounded in purpose, flexibility, and utility. We decided on the ironing board because you can cook on an ironing board. You can reduce its height so it’s a desk, or lower it to become a coffee table, a breakfast in bed tray, a child’s desk. All you have to do is zhush it up.

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f e at Duarvei d R o u x

Embracing the Northeaster Roux Institute adds a dash of high-tech to the Portland waterfront.

By Sof i a Volti n

avid Roux—entrepreneur, corporate executive, financier, and philanthropist—was born in Lewiston to parents whose careers and passions foreshadowed his own. Connie Longley, his mother, was a computer programmer with New England Telephone. His father, Donald, was a banker who coached high school sports, chairman of the Lewiston school board, a member of the local Rotary Club, and head of the region’s United Way. Shared family interests include technology, education, environmental conservation, and health paved the way for David. One year out of Harvard Business school, Roux co-founded Datext, the first commercial CD-ROM publishing company. His success springboarded him to senior executive positions in the technology industry at Lotus (which bought Datext) and later Oracle, the multinational computer technology corporation. In his 40s, Roux and three associates suspected the market under-estimated the massive impact and longevity of the Internet. In 1999 Roux co-founded Silver Lake, a firm to invest in private technology companies. Today, it has more than $60 billion in combined assets under management. The company’s portfolio of investments collectively generates over $180 billion of revenue annually and employs 295K people globally. It has invested in, bought, and sold brands including Dell, Alibaba, Ancestry, Ameritrade, Skype, Go Daddy, Groupon, and Expedia Group. Roux is currently chairman of the private equity firm Baypine based in Boston. Roux’s philanthropy includes his post as vice chairman of the National Audubon Society. Over the years, he and his wife Barbara have contributed to the En-

38 p o r t l a n d magazine

bowdoin

People vironmental Defense Fund, Bowdoin College, Harvard, Positive Coaching Alliance, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor. David Yarnold, president & CEO of the National Audubon Society, says, “Dave has always been an outdoorsman. When he came to our board, he immersed himself in bird science and the conservation issues central to Audubon. He helped professionalize the board with his business savvy, his interpersonal skills, and his experience in board building. Nobody thinks bigger in a disciplined way than Dave does. Barb’s passion for nature, especially for oceans, makes them a power couple when it comes to environmental leadership. And he’s a proud Mainer, through and through.” Their most recent endeavor is to launch a graduate institute with Northeastern University. This sweeping last investment hits Portland body and soul. The aptly named The Roux Institute is “an institute, a graduate school, and research center designed to bring advanced cutting-edge technology capabilities to Maine and Northern New England,” David Roux says in his live-streamed launch event. “Our plan is to focus exclusively on the practical application of artificial intelligence and machine learning on digital engineering and life sciences. It’s a narrow but incredibly powerful target that we’re aiming at, which happens to represent the most important growth engine in the economy…The mission is to train a next generation of talent with the skills necessary to participate fully in the innovation economy, and to attract and help grow a group of dynamic companies here in the state, who will come here, who will grow here, and who will start here, because they’re going to come for the rare talent that we’re going to create right here locally.” The project was envisioned by David and Barbara, who invested $100M in the university. The institute welcomed its inaugural class of 76 graduate students on September 8 in an online ceremony featuring Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern; Gov. Janet Mills; and Sen. Angus King. David and Barbara have a summer home in Harpswell but live primarily on St. Bride’s Farm, a 350-acre horse farm in Upperville, Virginia. Barbara is an accomplished equestrian who breeds, trains, and shows world-class show jumpers. n

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Changing Lives Th rough Math 40 p o r t l a n d magazine

™

L i s a P i c c i r i ll o

Piccirillo’s Knot “Thinking about three and four-manifolds is the most fun thing I can do with my time.”

“I

by sofia volti n

’m from a tiny town in western Maine, which is very beautiful and in which there is very little math,” Lisa Piccirillo, 29, says on her website. She’s not kidding—her hometown, Greenwood, has a population below 900. She attended Telstar Regional High School, where her mother taught middle school math. She describes her childhood self as an overachiever, riding dressage, participating in drama and band, and a member at her church youth group. “I did my undergraduate at Boston College, where I learned that thinking about three and four-manifolds is the most fun thing I can do with my time.” By the time she earned her B.S. in mathematics in 2013, she was already taking graduate-level courses in topology. She went on to get her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2019. As a graduate student, she learned of an unsolved, decades-old mathematical problem at a conference. She began to spend her free time working on the Conway knot problem and cracked it in less than a week. Knot theory has helped scientists understand the shape of DNA, protein folding, the behavior of economic markets, and even the possible form of the universe. The Conway knot is a closed-loop knot with 11 crossings. The late mathematician John Horton Conway, who died at 82 of COVID-19 complications in April, discovered

People the knot over 50 years ago. Today, it decorates the gates of the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences at Cambridge University. The knot’s fame comes from the unanswered mathematical question: is the Conway knot a “slice” of a higher-dimensional knot? Meaning, can it be made by slicing a knotted sphere in four-dimensional space? “Lisa came to my office to talk about what she had been doing,” says Cameron Gordon, a professor at UT Austin. “She said, ‘By the way, I’ve proved that the Conway knot isn’t slice.’ I don’t think she realized what a big deal it was. I said, ‘What? That’s going to the Annals right now!’ The Annals of Mathematics is widely regarded as the top journal in mathematics, and her solution was published in February. Her proof is absolutely brilliant. I find it totally surprising. I would have bet her approach would not work—but it did! “Mathematicians have been studying the abstract properties of knots for about 150 years, using many deep mathematical theories. People felt the solution to the Conway knot lay beyond even the most up-to-date techniques. Lisa realized some ideas she’d used in previous work on four-dimensional spaces had the potential to solve it. She was certainly not intimidated by it.” In September, her solution won the $50K Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize, awarded to women mathematicians for achievements early in their careers. “Lisa’s mind is razor-sharp, and her work shows a lot of creativity. But the thing that strikes me most is her determination. Once she gets hold of a problem, she’s not going to let go until she’s solved it. Lisa is far from the public image of the closeted nerdy genius mathematician. She’s very much in tune with the real world. As a graduate student, she was also heavily involved in mentoring and organizational activities within our math department. She demonstrated real leadership and carried them out extremely conscientiously. She has a strong commitment to helping other students in mathematics, and is especially aware of the particular difficulties faced by women in the field.” This season she joined the faculty of MIT as an assistant professor. She is presently a postdoctoral visitor at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Bonn, Germany. n J u ly / A u g u s t 2 0 2 0 4 1

P eople Forgiving Force (continued from page 17)

all Maine has to offer. From a very early age, I began fishing and outdoor activities. Some of my earliest memories were working with the Audubon Society in Holden and Orrington, studying the flora, fauna, and wildlife of Maine.

rrington is a unique small town. It lies on the outskirts of what we would consider a major metropolitan area for Maine. One ingredient I find unique about Lincoln is that one of the state’s most famed athletes and farmers is a person of color, [former star running back] Ralph Payne. Payne Gardens and Farm Stand remains as one of the few notable farmers of color in this community. This family business has always been a place for wholesome conversation, inspiration, and connection. I’ve come to know other relatives of the Paynes and learned about their connection to the underground railroad and lineage as one of the oldest black families in Maine. More recently, I’ve chosen to explore

my ancestry and cultural heritage. I always thought I was Haitian. I learned earlier this month that I’m also Nigerian, Angolan, and Congolese. I’m now embarking on a journey to learn as much as I can about my cultural heritage and how that impacts my health, perspectives, and identity. What do you grow in an urban garden?

We’ve done many community garden projects, but the pandemic has limited our volunteer engagement. Our family garden has a multitude of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. We grow things that are suitable for our climate and soil quality. However, we do have some unique plantings such as honeydew melons, collard greens, and African basil that don’t traditionally grow in this zone. What myths stand between Maine’s reality and selfperception as the state proud of the legacies of figures such as Hannibal Hamlin and Joshua Chamberlain?

One of many is the belief that racism does not occur, and that issues reflected and broadcast in the national news cycle are not relevant here. This could not be further

from the truth. Statistically, experientially, and demographically, people of color here experience many of the same instances that occur in areas with larger populations of color. Incarceration rates, COVID-19 infection rates, income inequality, and academic trajectory all negatively impact communities of color disproportionately in Maine as they do elsewhere. There’s also a lack of opportunities given to people of color in the state when it comes to career advancement, academic opportunity, and other instances. Black, brown, and indigenous people are often qualified for jobs and advancement but not given those opportunities. One of the most resounding myths is that there are no educated, skilled, and qualified individuals for these positions from black, brown, and indigenous communities. All too often, communities of color are overlooked or must work harder for similar recognition. This forces members of our community to embark on an exodus or remain underemployed in Maine due to being overlooked, undervalued, and overqualified. n

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Peop l e Wind and Stars (continued from page 18)

fine now. They were right about art being a terrible way to make a living, but there’s no point arguing with the terminally obstinate. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever heard from a fellow Mainer?

I was struggling with tire bolts on a flat. I’d been contemplating standing on the wrench to move the damn things when an old man pulled over to help. It was the near-complete silence during the proceedings. It’s how I knew we were both Mainers—him helping without being asked, and neither of us feeling the need to chat about it. Where do you live?

My husband, Ken Greenleaf, and I have two houses in the same town. The first one we bought 21 years ago. Peeking through the windows we could see it was exactly the kind of old, un-remodeled Maine house we were looking for—deeply familiar to our childhoods growing up here. It’s a little townhouse with an acre and a half of back yard and field where I used to have a large

garden and keep bees. (I’ve since moved the garden to the front yard and the bees to a friend’s farm.) There’s a small barn that’s my current studio. he other house is on the Medomak River. It was bought from a friend who was moving out of the country. From the first time I visited her there, I felt like I needed to have it. Its entire first floor is a studio my husband is using. The views of the river from the living space on the second floor are wonderful. It’s at the top of a very steep, long bank where there was a landslide into the river years ago, but I’m OK with that. Being a career artist requires the personality of an alcoholic gambler, anyway.

What one thing do you think people least understand about you?

A life-long combination of social anxiety and poor social skills has made me tend to avoid social situations. It’s given me a reputation for being less than congenial. Tell us about your family near and far. How are you all

getting through COVID-19?

So far so good in terms of everyone staying healthy. Because social life is not a priority for many of us, I don’t think anyone’s faring too poorly in that respect. We’re all facing the same challenges as everyone— lack of contact with close friends, financial concerns, and feelings of impending doom at the onset of any symptoms conceivably COVID-related. What’s your magic place in Maine and why?

Last year was the first time I’d gone out to Monhegan Island on the Monhegan Artists’ Residency program. That’s the place. The silence reminded me of what I’d experienced occasionally as a child at the farm. I’d never been alone in that kind of silence for so long. It was incredibly restorative. When you go away from Maine and return, how do you know you’re really here?

I’m really never not here. Trips away are temporary physical dislocations, but my mental space is more or less fixed. So once I’m home, the dissonance stops. n

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It was like an explosion of positive energy right back at us.

people At the Summit (continued from page 22)

people. During those years, I got to speak to a lot of elders. How to talk about a tribe’s culture is not something you can get a degree in, but I gained a hell of an education on the road. What memorable accomplishment will our readers most easily recognize you by?

What were your 30 most rewarding seconds in the last year?

I have a business partnership that I began in 2018 called Akomawt Educational Initiative. We find ways to change the education system to add Native perspectives in classrooms and museums in an equitable and culturally competent manner. One of our first clients was the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Last October, the MFA decided to hold its inaugural Indigenous People’s Day celebration. We officially partnered with them. Part of it was curating the North American Indian exhibit. We also set up a show in the large courtyard on hoop dance. We had two performances, but the second one was the most memorable. I sang for two-time worldchampion dancer Lisa Odjig from Wikwemikong First Nation in Ontario. The crowd swelled as she danced, and there were close to 500 people gathered to watch. She finished to a raucous standing ovation. It was like an explosion of positive energy right back at us. 4 4 p o r t l a n d ma g a z i n e

What were the hardest 30 seconds?

Where are you living these days?

Growing up, who was your opposition character? What are they up to now?

What’s your most controversial aspect?

t was making the decision to leave a place I loved. I realized my need for personal growth outpaced the growth of [the National Association for Multicultural Education in Connecticut]. I knew it was time for me to move on to something else, but I didn’t know where life would take me. Change is hard, but it’s been worth it. I’m doing the work of my dreams now. It took a lot of work, but I’m here and ready to change the world.

Dartmouth was the first time I ran into people who felt I didn’t belong in that space. I didn’t know how to handle it properly at the time. I still have non-Native friends from college, but there are one or two individuals I’m sure aren’t too hot about the way I approach education. Without naming them, I occasionally use them as examples of how not to approach Native peoples or subjects when I’m teaching. What are they doing now? They’re helping me show people what not to do, whether they like it or not. What’s the strangest thing you’ve observed about fellow Mainers?

When out of state and gathered with fellow Mainers, the subject eventually turns to Humpty Dumpty potato chips. You can’t find them far outside of Maine, or maybe at all. Other chips just don’t compare. Mainers who’ve been out of state for some time will wax poetically about favorite flavors of Humpty Dumpty chips. Now I’m back, and I get my fix whenever it’s needed. You sure don’t realize how much you like them until you’re unable to find them. And then there’s Moxie…

I’m in a transition phase and living in a rental house in Ellsworth. It’s a clean little place and very quiet. It’s close to the Union River. Being near water is always the one thing that grounds me. Maine’s waterways are the superhighways of my ancestors. I know when I’m near water that I’m in a place they lived and used for 10,000-plus years. The whole cycle of life can be explained with the metaphor of a river. It gives you lots to reflect upon. There’s a resistance to talking about hard truths sometimes, especially when it comes to U.S. history. Native peoples were once 100 percent of the population on this continent. We’re now less than two percent. There’s some hard history about why that is, and yes, it involves genocide. When I come into a space talking about these hard truths, there are those who immediately think I have some nefarious agenda. But telling the hard truths of history isn’t about blaming anybody or assigning guilt. It lets us understand how we really got to be where we are now. If we learn the hard truths of history, we can learn from them and collectively do better going forward. It’s about the world we leave for our children and their children. We all have a magic place in Maine—a place where we go to restore our energy, see a gorgeous view, plan our next move. What’s yours?

Ever since I was a child, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park have always been my favorite places in the world. What an extreme blessing I now work at the Abbe Museum, which has locations in both. This area was a vacation to me as a child, and I’ll

MFA Indigenous People’s Day - chris newell and lisa Odjig

Mystic River had a good amount of success, and I was singing with a legend of the pow wow music world, Kenny Merrick Jr. We won lots of singing championships over the years and even ended up in a few films. The first was a Native production called Naturally Native in 1998. You’ll find us in Matthew Barney’s nearly six-hour documentary, River of Fundament. We sing the title track for the film and open the (adults only) trailer. I was blessed to join the post-production team of the documentary Dawnland as a senior adviser. Dawnland was picked up by PBS’s Independent Lens and seen by 2.2M viewers. It went on to earn two Emmy nominations—outstanding music and sound, and it won for outstanding research. The film is still making waves and educating the world about the high rates of Native child removal and the consequences our communities deal with as a result.

forever love the beauty of the park. Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, Jordan Pond, Cadillac Mountain—you name it, I love it. What single accomplishment do you most hope for in the coming year?

The Abbe Museum is one of the leaders of the museum decolonization effort. I would like us to expand on that success and become the model for other museums to follow. I would love to see our museum create the national conversation that large museums have to change the outdated way they present Native content, and then for that conversation to radiate outward to the world of education in general. I like to think big. When you go away from Maine and return, how do you know you’re really here?

We, as Wabanaki peoples, know we’re in our homelands when we hear the sounds of loons. I grew up next to a lake listening to that beautiful singing. When I first left Maine for an extended period of time, I really missed it. I know I’m back by the beautiful voices of the loons. n

Hiding in Maine. With Us. “Death to the Dracu grandson!” In terror, Iordana Ceausescu of Romania disappeared in secret to Old Orchard Beach with her son while the world searched for them. She lived a buried life among us for five years. Drawn from 800 hours of unique interviews with Iordana. Colin W. Sargent’s Red Hands—“an astounding account of the Romanian revolution in the voice of Ceausescu’s daughter-in-law.” –Martin Goodman in the Morning Star “Brilliant. If the novel is Macbeth then it is Romeo and Juliet too, for the pounding heart of the book is a great love story that never fails to move. A tale from last century and a warning for this one, Red Hands is a novel of rare power that teaches us much about Romania and even more about ourselves. –D. D. Johnston

barbicanpress.com/red-hands-colin-w-sargent/

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The Porthole, 20 Custom House Wharf. Trifecta, Oct. 18; American Ride. Oct. 24. 773-4653.

Footlights Theatre, 190 US-1, Falmouth. The Moose in Me, The Moose in You with Susan Poulin, Oct. 9, 10. 747-5434.

Portland Symphony Orchestra, 50 Monument Sq., Digital concert, Noel Paul Stookey, Oct. 18. 842-0800.

Colby College Museum of Art, 5600 Mayflower Hill Dr., Waterville. Ja’Tovia Gary, The Sea in a Jug, through Nov. 1. 859-5600.

Ogunquit Playhouse, 10 Main St. Jelani Remy, Oct. 9–11. 646-5511. Penobscot Theatre Company, 131 Main St., Bangor. The Glitch Witch, livestream performance, Oct. 11–Nov. 1; Ghost Postcards from Maine, virtual audio show, Oct. 15–Nov. 8. 942-3333. Portland Stage, 25A Forest Ave., Talley’s Folly, Oct. 29– Nov. 15. 774-0465. Saco River Theater, 29 Salmon Falls Rd., Buxton. Mrs. Mannerly, Oct 22–Oct 31. 929-6615. Theater at Monmouth, Cumston Hall, 796 Main St., streaming Measure for Measure, Oct. 13-31. 933-9999.

Music

Aura, 121 Center St., Robin Trower, Oct. 10; The Pettybreakers, Nov. 7. 772-8274. Blue, 650A Congress St., Alison Perkins & Nicholas Brown, Oct. 14; Lindsay Straw & Jordan Santiago, Oct. 21; Baron Collins Hill & Emma Swartz, Oct. 28. 774-4111. The Frog & Turtle, 3 Bridge St., Westbrook. Moore Wild Lynch, Juke Joint Devil Band, Oct. 16; The Jimmy Macisso Trio, Oct. 22. 591-4185. Jonathan’s Ogunquit, 92 Bourne Ln., Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute, Oct. 17; George Winston, Oct. 22–22; Don Campbell Band, Oct. 24. 646-4777. Ogunquit Performing Arts, 23 School St., Elizabeth Dunaway Burnham Piano Festi-

Saco River Theater, 29 Salmon Falls Rd., Buxton. Magic 8 Ball, Nov. 7. 929-6615. SPACE, 538 Congress St. Lisa/Liza live stream, Oct. 6. 828-5600. The Strand Theatre, 345 Main St., Rockland. Kat Edmonson, Oct. 17; Mike Farris, Oct. 30. 594-0070. Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dugway Rd., Brownfield. The Clements Brothers, Oct. 16; Jason Spooner Band, Oct. 24; Mike Farris, Oct. 31. 935-7292. Sun Tiki Studios, 375 Forest Ave., June of 44, Oct. 12. 329-5621. Waterville Opera House, 93 Main St. The Weight Band, Oct. 11. 873-7000.

Comedy

Jonathan’s Ogunquit, 92 Bourne Ln., Paula Poundstone, Nov. 7. 646-4777. Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Nate Bargatze, Oct. 16. 842-0800. State Theatre, 609 Congress St., Cat & Nat Off The Rails Live, Nov. 4. 956-6000. Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dugway Rd., Brownfield. Bob Marley, Nov. 5. 935-7292.

Art

Brick Store Museum, 117 Main St., Kennebunk. Perspectives 2020, through Dec. 985-4802. Center for Maine Contemporary Art, 21 Winter St., Rockland. BIENNIAL 2020, Oct.

Cove Street Arts, 71 Cove St., Distilled, through Oct. 17; Flight, through Dec. 5. 808-8911. Dowling Walsh Gallery, 365 Main St., Rockland. Margaret Rizzio, Warren Seelig, Robert Hamilton, through Oct. 31. 596-0084. Farnsworth Art Museum, 16 Museum St., Rockland. First to Hail the Rising Sun, Andrew Wyeth: Maine Legacy, Eliot Porter: All the Wild Places, through Jan. 3, 2021. 596-6457. The Gallery on Maine Art Hill, 14 Western Ave., Kennebunk. Craig Mooney, through Oct. 26; The Pink Show, through Oct. 31. 967-2803. Greenhut Galleries, 146 Middle St. Thomas Connolly, Oct. 8 –31. 772-2693. Kittery Art Association, 8 Coleman Ave., A Decade Of Exploration, Virtual Show: Art & Soul, through Oct. 18. 451-9384. KW Contemporary Art, 184 Port Rd., Kennebunk. Falling, through Nov. 30. 204-0480. Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress St., State of Mind: Becoming Maine, through Jan. 30, 2021. 774-1822. Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington St., Bath. We Lead, Interwoven, Shipwrecks & Salvage, through Nov. 1. 443-1316. Messler Gallery, 25 Mill St., Rockport. Out of Bounds: The Art of Croquet, Sep. 18– Jan. 6, 2021. 594-5611. Ogunquit Museum of American Art, 543 Shore

Rd., Andy Rosen, Kathleen Speranza, Emily Nelligan, through Oct. 31. 646-4909. Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Sq., James Welling, through Oct. 31; Mythmakers: The Art of Winslow Homer and Frederic Remington, through Nov. 29. 775-6148. Richard Boyd Art Gallery, 15 Epps St., Peaks Island. Scenes of Maine, through Oct. 30. 712-1097. River Arts, 241 US-1, Damariscotta. Abstract, through Oct. 24. 563-1507. Saco Museum, 371 Main St., Gibeon Elden Bradbury (1833-1904), through Dec. 31. 283-3861. University of Maine Museum of Art, 40 Harlow St., Bangor. Maine Inspired, JoAnne Carson, Marcie Jan Bronstein, through Dec. 23. 581-3300.

Film

Camden International Film Festival. Virtual & in-person, Oct. 1–12. 200-3171. Frontier, 14 Maine St., Mill 3 Fort Andross, Brunswick. Virtual Cinema Nomad, through Oct. 22. 725-5222. Ogunquit Performing Arts, 23 School St., Ogunquit. The Uninvited, Nov. 1. 6465139. Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Sq., Virtual cinema: 2020 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour, 775-6148. The Saco Drive-In, 969 Portland Rd., The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) with the Kotzschmar Organ, Oct. 17, Nov. 1. 842-0800. Sanford International Film Festival, virtual with new Quarantine Creativity award, Oct. 15–17. (339) 203-5257.

Literary

Experience

Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant St., Brunswick. Anne Gass: Voting Down the Rose, Oct. 14, Oct. 18; Joseph Souza, Oct. 20. 725-5242. Ogunquit Museum of American Art, 543 Shore Rd., Arts & Letters by the Sea with Wally Lamb, virtual event, Oct. 18. 646-4909. Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Sq., Virtual Literary Lunch: Carolyn Chute, The Recipe for Revolution with Ron Currie Jr., Oct. 21. 774-0465. Print: A Bookstore, 273 Congress St., All events over Zoom. Anna Crowley Redding, Chowder Rules, Oct. 13; Josh Funk, Short & Sweet, Oct. 20. 536-4778.

Tasty

Fork Food Lab, 72 Parris St., Halloween Cupcake Baking class, Oct. 11. 558-0881. Maine Maple Producers Weekend, held virtually & in-person with recipe contests, Oct. 9–11. mainemapleproducers.com. Now You’re Cooking, 49 Front St., Bath. Virtual Cooking Demo, every Thu. 443-1402.

Don’t Miss

Ghost Hunting in Bangor. Virtually join Ben Laymen live as he tours the Bangor Opera House. Penobscottheatre.org. Maine Harvest Festival, 515 Main St., Bangor. 150 Maine growers, bakers, cheese artisans, vintners & brewers, Nov. 21, 22. 561-8300. Pumpkin Pickin’ Trains, 97 Cross Rd., Alna. Train ride to pumpkin patch with farmstand, Oct.3, 10, 17, 24 & 31. 882-4193. Stroll Haunted Yarmouth, 305 US Rte 1. Explore Yarmouth’s past with real stories online, Oct. 29–31. penobscottheatre.org.

October 2020 47

Dining Guide

Scratch-made Nice People Totally Authentic

Ada’s Portland brings the joy and beauty of fresh pasta, ravioli, and Roman pizza to Portland. With origins in Italy and a start in Rockland, they bring community and authenticity to 642 Congress Street. Enjoy housemade pasta and Italian specialties made-to-order in its quickservice restaurant and pasta, sauces, wine, and more in its retail store. Dine-in or carry-out. Limited seating.

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Becky’s Diner has been serving comfort food at a reasonable price on Portland’s historic waterfront since 1991. Located at 390 Commercial Street, we offer all-day breakfast, locally sourced seafood, and diner classics such as our Roast Turkey Dinner. Featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives,” come see what all the fuss is about. Becky’s Diner, Nothin Finah! 773-7070. BlueFin North Atlantic Seafood Chef Gil Plaster creates the quintessential Old Port dining experience: classic, contemporary dishes with fresh, locally caught seafood & seasonal ingredients. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, or your favorite cocktail in comfortable elegance or out on the patio w/ fire pit. 468 Fore St. 7759090, bluefinportland.com. Boone’s Fish House & Oyster Room Native seafood—fresh Maine lobster steamed over rockweed, a variety of oysters & wood-grilled fish, steaks & chops. Baked Stuffed Lobster invented here by Alexander Boone right on the Portland Waterfront in 1898. 86 Commercial St. 774-5725, boonesfishhouse.com.

Bull Feeney’s Authentic hearty Irish fare: from-scratch sandwiches, steaks, & seafood. Local craft & premium imported brews. Maine’s most extensive selection of single malt Scotch & Irish whiskeys. Live music 5 nights. Open 7 days, 11:30-1. Kitchen till 10. 375 Fore St. 773-7210, bullfeeneys.com.

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Eighteen95 A warm and intimate restaurant w/ a lovely fireplace in the historic Portland Regency Hotel and Spa. Offering Breakfast, Dinner, and Sunday brunch. Specializing in modern American dishes w/ a New England influence. Local seafood, pork, chicken, turkey, with beef & produce from our farm! 774-4200. Flatbread Company Portland Tucked between two wharves with picturesque waterfront views. Family-friendly restaurant w/ signature pizzas, weekly carne & veggie specials. Made w/ local ingredients, baked in wood-fired, clay ovens. Everything’s homemade, organic, and nitrate-free. 24 local drafts & cocktails showcase all-local breweries & distilleries. 72 Commercial St., 772-8777, flatbreadcompany.com.

Restaurant Review Hurricane Restaurant New England cuisine with an international twist. Lobster & blueberry pie! Local produce and seafood, full bar, award-winning wine list, in-house dessert chef. Sunday brunch. Live music Wednesday nights. Lunch and dinner seven days a week. Bar menu always available. Good restaurants come and go. Great restaurants get better and better. Reservations suggested. 29 Dock Square, Kennebunkport. 967-9111, hurricanerestaurant.com Portland Lobster Company “Maine’s Best Lobster Roll,” lobster dinners, steamers, fried claims, chowder. Enjoy live music daily w/ ice-cold local beer or fine wine on our deck overlooking gorgeous Portland Harbor. 180 Commercial St., 775-2112, portlandlobstercompany.com. Rivalries Sports Pub & Grill Now with two fun, comfortable upscale sports bar locations. Known for great pub food, Rivalries’ menu has something for everyone. With 30+ HD TVs and every major pro and college sports package, you won’t miss a game! Located at 10 Cotton St. in Portland. (774-6044). And 2 Hat Trick Drive, just off I-295 in Falmouth. 747-4020, rivalriesmaine.com. Sea Glass at Inn by the Sea Chef Chadwick’s seasonally sourced, innovative taste of Maine. Spectacular ocean views inside the intimate restaurant or on the decks. Creative vegan dishes w/produce & seafood from local farms & sea. (Wine Spectator “Best of” Award of Excellence) 40 Bowery Beach Rd., Cape Elizabeth. 799-3134, innbythesea.com.

photo from top: trip advisor; courtesy the Boathouse

Shay’s Pub & Grill Heart of Portland. Local favorite since 2005. Pub fare specialties: sweet & spicy chicken sandwich, fish & chips, seasonal salads. Famous $5 martini menu & daily specials. Outdoor seating. M-Tues. 11:30-9, W-Sat. 11:30-10, Sun. closed. Schedule your private event with us! 18 Monument Sq. 772-2626, shaysgrillpub.com.

Romantic Evening, Delivered

K-port’s Boathouse scores with a five-star promise fulfilled.

By Co li n W. Sargent

n the cool of the evening, the fall breeze carries a note of magic. Driving over the bridge between Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, we catch a glimpse of The Boathouse with its mirrored image in the river. Look at those lucky candlelit diners. Aw, that could have been us. Too bad I have a Zoom appointment tonight. That can still be us! We dial the restaurant and order an intimate dinner delivered to our home by a Boathouse staffer in an open safari car that arrives within five minutes of our appointed time. Sorry, but GrubHub and Door Dash don’t always deliver dinner and panache. From the inspired menu, we devour

fresh Lobster Tacos ($16)—“three mini wonton tacos with kewpie mayo.” A terrific start—delicious crunch! Next, we dive into the Lobster Spring Rolls ($16), “pickled carrot, cilantro, basil, cucumber, scallion, citrus sauce.” The Crispy Brussels Sprouts ($9) jump with honey, lime, and Sriracha. Because the name is such a tease, we can’t resist the deeply satisfying Turf & Turf ($34), “tenderloin, short rib, mushroom cipollini onion, coconut creamed kale, black garlic demi-glace.” The wow factor here continues with the Seared Shrimp & Scallops ($35), featuring inventive “lobster fried rice, sesame egg, baby bok choy.” The generous lobster fried rice is worth the price of admission alone. Congratulations to executive chef John Shaw. We finish our romantic evening at home by sharing the Maine Blueberry Crisp ($9), with oat crumble and vanilla ice cream. There’s an old snark—‘I guess you had to be there.’ Not this time! n O ctober 2 0 2 0 4 9

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Pageant, Dec 13. 864-5000.

u The Bethel Inn Resort, 7 Broad St., craft & wares fair with 30+ vendors, raffle, and horsedrawn wagon rides, Nov 27. 824-2282.

u Richard Boyd Art Gallery, 15 Epps St., Peaks Island. Holiday Offerings, Dec. 1–31. 712-1097.

u Boothbay Railway Village, 586 Wiscasset Rd., North Pole Express, weekends Nov. 28– Dec. 20. 633-4727.

u Santa Hustle 5K: Virtual Race, any location of choice, Dec. 1-31. 847-829-4536. Santahustle.com.

u Brick South at Thompson’s Point, 8 Thompsons Point, Maker’s Market at the Point, Nov. 22. 747-5288. u Christmas by the Sea, Downtown Ogunquit, Dec. 11–13. 646-2939. u Christmas Prelude, downtown Kennebunkport. Outdoor Christmas market & virtual celebration with tree lighting, carol singing, Santa reading, and prizes, Dec. 3–13. 967-0857. u Church of the Good Shepherd, 2614 Main St., Rangeley. Walk to Bethlehem Annual Community Performance & Pageant, Dec 13. 864-5000.

u Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ, Christmas with Kennerley—Home for the Holidays, available for viewing for 2 weeks in Dec. 842-0800. u Greenhut Galleries, 146 Middle St., Holiday Show, Dec. 3–Jan. 30. 772-2693. u Philbrook Place, 162 Main St., Bethel. Light Up Main Street Jingle Bell Walk, a parade of carolers with Santa & Mrs. Claus leading to tree lighting, Dec. 5. 824-2282.

u Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, 132 Botanical Gardens Dr., Boothbay. Gardens Aglow: A Driving Tour of Magical Light, Nov. 21–Jan. 2. 633-8000.

u Portland Symphony Orchestra, Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Magic of Christmas, Dec. 10–20. 842-0800.

u Country Christmas in Bethel, corner of Church & Main St., free horse-drawn wagon rides, Nov. 27, Dec. 5, 12. 824-2282.

u Portland Trails Holiday Dash 5k, Greater Portland, Dec.13. Local craft brews and a beer-brunch to follow. 775-2411.

u Footlights Theatre, 190 US-1, Falmouth. A Christmas Carol, Dec. 1–23. 747-5434.

u Rangeley Inn, 2443 Main St., Walk to Bethlehem Annual Community Performance &

u Schoolhouse Arts Center, 16 Richville Rd., Standish. Elf: The Musical, Dec. 3–13. 642-3743. u Sparkle Weekend, Downtown Freeport, Dec. 4–13. u St. John’s Community Center, 43 Pleasant St., Brunswick. Midcoast Tree Festival, Nov. 20–22, Nov. 27–Nov. 29 u Sunday River, 15 South Ridge Rd., Newry. Skiing and snowboarding Santas hit the slopes for the annual Santa Sunday, Dec. 6. u State Theater, 609 Congress St., Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker: Christmas Stream, Dec 19–Jan. 3 956-6000. u West Parish Congregational Church, 32 Church St., Bethel. Christmas Fair & Tea, Dec. 5. 824-2282. u WW&F Railway Museum, 97 Cross Rd., Alna. Victorian Christmas, Visit Santa, hot cocoa and treats, model trains on display, crafts, and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Dec. 12. 882-4193.

October 2020 51

G i f t G u i d ef r e e p o r t t o b o o t h b a y

Your guiding light, your source of inspiration, the brightest star in your universe.

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order online at www.martinijewels.com or visit our studio in Biddeford, Maine. Appointment suggested. (207) 522.7289

Snowy Owl

Seven Arctic explorers, one Snowy Owl—what could possibly go wrong?

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Join Arcturus and his pals Lena, Captain Donald MacMillan, and a crew of friendly research sailors aboard the lovely schooner Bowdoin in 1934. The wounded snowy owl gets a lift from Portland, Maine, to his Arctic homeland. On the way, everyone learns something new in this children’s story inspired by a true adventure. $12.95

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from top: Sarah Szwajkos/Damn Rabbit Studios (2); Cover of Lippmann’s “the Public Philosophy”

Talking Walls

Writer’s Retreat I

Welcome to two-time Pulitzer-winner Walter Lippmann’s hideaway.

magine watching the presidential election returns from “Indian Head Camp,” Walter Lippmann’s former oceanfront retreat on the wild southern tip of Mount Desert Island. Here at 186 Lopaus Point Road in Tremont, you’re sheltered by 28 acres of pine trees. Need a break from the pundits to hear yourself think? You can hunt for shells on your own 2,500-foot beach. Built in 1940, this rustic getaway was listed for $4.35M in 2013. Now, it’s available for $2.995M. Early Love for Maine Born in the Upper East Side of New York,

BY COLIN W. SARG EN T

Lippmann (1889-1974) was taught by history and psychology by George Santayana and William James at Harvard. He first vacationed in Maine during his undergraduate years or even earlier. In 1914, we trace him to Maine, because a copy of his early notes for Public Opinion is in the Yale library, with “Sebasco, Maine” listed in the dateline. That same year, Lippmann founded The New Republic with Herbert Croly and Walter Weyl. As a political thinker, Lippmann popularized ‘Cold War’ (he had a bestseller with the same name) and ‘stereotype’ (when used psychologically). Pulitzer prizes flooded in toward the end of

What does a world-class intellect do up here beyond the madding crowd? He pens thought-provokers: “When all think alike, then no one is thinking.” October 2020 59

Talking Walls

his career: in journalism in 1958 and for his interview with Nikita Khrushchev in 1962. Can’t you see him looking into the dark sky up here, tracing the path of Sputnik? making a move ippmann fell in love with the geography of Indian Head and built the camp here two years after marrying his second wife, Helen Byrnes, who served as a nurse in France and served as national director of the Volunteer Nurses Aide Corps of the Red Cross during World War II. The heiress daughter of James Byrne, legal counsel of General Motors, who owned a “cottage” in nearby Bar Harbor, she learned Russian so she could better work with her husband on some of his journalistic projects. When they weren’t writing or researching, they loved to hike–and raise generations of their famous standard poodles, who bounded all over the property when in Maine.

6 0 p o r t l a n d m o n t h ly m a g a z i n e

Time & Space Capsule Today, the house is still filled with the couple’s ghosts. That’s because the same family has cherished it for nine decades. “Indian Head camp is still very much in the family,” says Margaret Wilmerding, Lippmann’s great-granddaughter, on the telephone. “It is owned by multiple family members, 33 to be exact. And we are selling it now because honestly it’s just too big of a burden with so many owners. It makes me ex-

tremely sad, but life goes on. Nothing has changed since Pappy was here. The Steinway upright that’s in the corner of the living room, the same furniture.” Even the rattan? “Yes, the rattan. Even the same towels are here with HBL, the initials for Helen Byrne Lippman.” Walter Lippman’s granddaughter, Helen Wilmerding, 80, of Rye, New York, is also on hand for this interview. Either she or her niece Margaret pipes up, “They’re these horrible little towels that barely cover your rump!” Margaret writes, “Walter Lippman was my great grandfather. Although technically he was not because he had no children. It’s just that my grandmother was his ward.”

Walter Lippman, summer of 1974. “I remember him this summer. All of us children were sent outside to play because we were too noisy around this venerable old man. He gave the camp to my grandmother in 1964 or 1965.” —Margaret Wilmerding, great-granddaughter

We are told about the world before we see it. We imagine most things before we experience them. And those preconceptions, unless education has made us acutely aware, govern deeply the whole process of perception.

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—Walter Lippmann, Public Opinion

Signs of Love he enormous views of Blue Hill Bay still mesmerize here, too. “He played tennis (the tennis court is still here); he was a good woodworker,” Margaret says. “In fact, he designed and worked on most of these buildings.” One of his signature touches is “unusual door latches with wooden pegs.” Indian Head Camp consists of a main house, two guest houses, and the writer’s cabin. “His chair is still in the cabin, along with some of his books. His globe is still here.” Let your thoughts revolve around that—Walter Lippman’s globe.

Sarah Szwajkos/Damn Rabbit Studios; courtesy photos

The Party Line Everything here is “on the quiet side of the island. The fancy people were in Bar Harbor and Northeast Harbor.” Lippmann knew many of them, partying with local luminaries both famous and notorious, including FDR adviser Sumner Welles. October 2020 61

Madeline and John Miller, Washington correspondent from 1947 to 1954 for The Times in London, visiting Indian Head Camp.

One time, when rival reporters hunted Lippmann down here for a comment on a delicate story, he jumped on the phone and complained to his Maine neighbor Joseph Pulitzer, according to Walter Lippmann and the American Century. Poor Walter. The Lippmanns were fully engaged in a world where international stars like his buddy Noël Coward could arrive in Bar Harbor on flying boats. “[Coward] may have come here. I know he was at Lippmann’s place in D.C. Henri Bonnet,

France’s Ambassador to the U.S. [from 1944 to 1954], was here many times,” Margaret says. In a welcoming place like this, ideas touched down from near and far. One of Lippmann’s watchwords to reporters was, don’t shape the news in your head before it’s happened. The ultimate sharing Something else is still here at Indian Head Camp, too: Walter. He died in December 1974. “His ashes are under the birdbath. My grandmother must have taken them up here that following summer. I don’t know if he directed her to do it or that’s simply what she did with them!”

o what would Lippmann think of the 2020 version of political discourse? Both granddaughter and great-granddaughter agree: “He’d be horrified. Absolutely horrified. He was an incredibly civil and intelligent and well-reasoned man.” Indian Head Camp isn’t just the secret life of Walter Lippmann; it’s more than a writer’s retreat. It’s a writer’s charge. As for the upcoming presidential election, we’ll give the man who stared down Mussolini during an interview the last word: “There can be no liberty for a community which lacks the means by which to detect lies.” n Taxes are $39,806. Maggie Hunt, Lower Field, acrylic on canvas, 36” x 36”

1 Old Firehouse Lane Northeast Harbor, Maine 207.276.3001 62 p o r t l a n d magazine

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courtesy photo; Sarah Szwajkos/Damn Rabbit Studios

Talking Walls

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64 p o r t l a n d magazine

Homes & Living

Deering Highlands Portland $789,000 Condo Newly Renovated 5 Bed | 3 Full Bath | 2 Half Bath $389,000 2 Bed | 1 Full Bath

WestScarborough End Townhouse $1,075,000 Estate Luxury Equestrian 3 Bed | 2 Full Bath | 1 Half Bath $750,000 3 Bed | 2 Full Bath | 1 Half Bath

Falmouth Western Promenade Private Quintessential $1,050,000 Gambrel $479,500 4 Bed | 2 Full Bath | 1 Half Bath 3 Bed | 1 Full Bath | 1 Half Bath

Portland Harbor Water Views Raymond $698,500Colonial Lakes Region 3 Bed | 2 Full Bath $409,000 4 Bed | 2 Full Bath | 1 Half Bath John Hatcher • The Hatcher Group 6 Deering Street, Portland, Maine 04101 207-775-2121• John@JohnHatcher.us • www.JohnHatcher.us

October 2020 65

Homes & Living

Your MAINE Solution for Home Financing Needs Purchase | Refinance | Construction | Reverse

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Mark Violette Broker/Owner NMLS# 1634913

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YOUR BASE CAMPCamps for Rangeley Adventures – the Niboban Sporting on Legendary Rangeley ‘GREYCabin GHOST’ Pond Camps! FullyFully Yr-Rd Lake! #4 at EndQuimby Unit Abutting the Woods, 3BR CottagePrivate Just Steps to Shared Waterfront Year-Round, Flag Stone Patio.419’ Once You w/Dock. Tranquil, Legendary Fishing. Arrive, You’ll NeverNo-Motors, Want To Leave! $279,900 Rental Potential. $219,000

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Million HOME, Dollar Views This Hillside in GREAT GREATFrom LOCATION! LodgeLot Style Desirable Acre 3BR HomeRangeley with LightWest FilledSubdivision! Great Room,1.8 Professional Parcel w/Direct Snowmobile Access, Minutes Kitchen, Master Suite. AttachedTrail 4-Car Garage, to Oquossoc Amenities. Abutting Lot Also Generator, ATV/Snowmobile from Your Door,Available All on 10 For Purchase. $115,000 for each Acres. $425,000

SADDLEBACK IS BACK! RaNgeleY Super Mountainside Pond Condo isWell Ready for Your Immediate Enjoyment! Beautifully Very Private BuildingRock Parcel in Desirable, Established Manor Woods Subdivision. Gently Sloping Appointed 2BA Unit with SunIn,Filled Floor Rangeley Plan, Mt./Saddleback Views. Plus Rangeley 3 Acre Lot 3BR, Has Rough Driveway Potential Lake Views.Lake Super Location Handy to Lake Town Resort Time Share Week Included. $329,000 Amenities, Saddleback Ski Area. $78,900

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VIEWS, Panoramic Rangeley Neat asVIEWS! a Pin Ranch StyleVista Homeofw/ 2BR, Lake, Doctors Island, BaldMetal Mt From Comfortable Floor Plan,Sunsets CoveredOver Car Port, Roof, This ElevatedGenerator. Lot in Pine Grove Heights. Wooded On-Demand Roomy Farmers Porch, Quiet 1.73 Acre ParcelClose Close Town, Saddleback Mt. Country Setting, to to No-Motors Quimby Pond. $119,000 $239,000

66 p o r t l a n d magazine

Fabulous Visibility – Prime Location Beautifully Crafted Log-Sided Chaletonw/Main 3-BR,St! FormerKitchen, Bank Building Offers Cook’s Open Floor Plan.Excellent Sited on 9Opportunity Private to Start or Relocate Your Off Street Acres w/Deeded Access to Business. Pond Brook.Paved Fish/Paddle Parking, Potential Living SpaceLake, in Unfinished the Magalloway River, Umbagog Sturtevant Pond. Walkout Basement. $279,900 $282,500

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Chamberlain Waterfront on Muscongus Bay Welcome to Salt Pond House where the sea’s drama continually unfolds. This is the best of “Bold Ocean:” First Light, Soaring Surf, Island Views, Brewing Storms, Sailing Ships and Fishing Boats. This home’s spacious comfort offers 5 bedrooms, multiple levels, separate guest quarters, observation decks and beach area abutting nature conservancy land! Exclusively offered at $899,000

Round Pond Waterfront on Muscongus Sound Welcome to sunrise: Character abounds in this traditional cottage-style, waterfront home designed with today’s conveniences and amenities: first floor master suite, traditional fireplace, separate dining, oversized guest bedrooms and baths, attic, wrap around porch, basement garage space, expansive water views of Loud’s Island and sailable Muscongus sound, deepwater dock. Very quiet with the exception of shorebirds, sounds of surf and the rumble of lobster boats ...exciting in all types of weather. Exclusively offered at $750,000

2568 Bristol Road, New Harbor, Maine | info@ldchase.com | 207-677-2978 Rentals: rentals@ldchase.com | 207-677-2100

Homes & Living Assisting people buy and sell properties in the beautiful Western mountains of Maine since 1985

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Beautiful western mountains of Maine. Cape on 80 acres of ﬁelds and forest! Dead Freeman Township in theend heart of the western mountains. 30 road Township. Fish Fireplace. 3 bed, mins in to Salem Sugarloaf. 45 acres of Hatchery forest thatRd. hasn’t been cut in 2 baths plusSpacious additional large Garage and building/ over 2 yrs. 4 bd 2.5sunroom. bath 2 living areas and attached workshop. trees and berry bushes. $395,000 garage. MlsFruit 1453425. $238,000

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36 Rosewood Lane (Lot 36), Cobb Bridge Commons, New Gloucester, ME Cobbs Bridge Commons is an upscale community close to Brunswick, L/A and Portland. The subdivision offers privacy, walking trail to the Royal River and is close to Fox Ridge Golf course. The land is listed for $59,900 or with a new home for $379,900

33 Bluff Head Rd, Chebeague Island, ME Beaches, Mooring, and Views! Cottage sited atop Bluff Head Rock outcropping. Motivated seller, recent favorable interest Kelly Wentworth-Lowe rates, and charming location make this sweet worth strong Sales spot Manager consideration. $449,500 (207) 831-4934 kelly@kellywentworth.com

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October 2020 69

Homes & Living

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1322 Main Street – BEAVER MTN. LAKE – A park like setting, extremely private location, 3 beds, 2.5 baths, 596 feet of waterfront, attached garage, detached garage, potential guest cottage. $775,000.

20 Vista Lane – RANGELEY LAKE – A rare offering, the Buena Vista Estate on 567 feet of deep water frontage,53 private acres w/south facing exposure, total privacy, development potential. $2,650,000.

631 Bald Mtn. Road – MOOSELOOK LAKE – A rare offering, 4 bed, 4.5 bath contemporary lakefront home w/beach, detached garage AND private island w/2 bedroom guest cottage, 3.56 Acres! $1,899,000.

277 Stephens Road – MOOSELOOK LAKE – West facing Sandy Beach frontage, 4 bed, 3 bath home w/attached 3 car heated garage and detached 3 car garage w/large bonus room! $850,000.

70 p o r t l a n d magazine

Homes & Living

United Realty

FRAN FRAN RILEY, RILEY, GRI GRI BROKER BROKER

ROLANDLITTLEFIELD LITTLEFIELD ROLAND BROKER BROKER

307 307 Belmont Belmont Ave. Ave. •• Belfast, Belfast, ME ME 04915 04915 207-338-6000 • UnitedRealtyME.com 207-338-6000 • UnitedRealtyME.com

Please visit visit our our website website for for virtual virtual tours tours on on our our listings listings and and access access to to ALL ALL Maine Maine Real Real Estate! Estate! Please Belfast

Swan Lake

179 nortHPort aVe, Belfast Swanville Notably one of THE most reThe Nesmith-Read House • $350,000 markable properties on this desirable lake! Located close to Belfast’s downtown and waterfront, this historical Circa Custom built w/3314 sq.ft., Cathedral ceil1783 Cape is within walking distance to hospital, oceanfront parks and ing in Great Room will awe you. Access to waterfront. Front parlor and living room are adorned with fireplaces, a both levels & garage. Waterfront deck from formal dining room off custom designed kitchen featuring ins, and dock for the 1.5 Acresgranite, w/ 285’built frontage & woodstove; an office/family room with entranceboats! to studio, currently used Expansion Possible. SWAN LAKE SWANVILLE as a custom, interiorWINTERPORT design studio. MLS: 1304620 | $529,900 With 9 rooms, 3 baths, building flexiblethe floor plan, and zoning allows Lake House was built in 1999. Interior adorned Year-Round Nestled at the end of Pleasant St,offers overlooking Penobscot administrative center,this professional, clinical officefeatures space, uses are endless. with wide spruce & yellow pine. Living room & kitchen with 200’ waterfront, 4 bdrm, 2.5 bath home Renovated 2009 with attention to maintaindeck the original this historic house, theopen charm adorn every open flofoor plan; French Doors to and a 1stwarmth floor bedroom or lovely openinfloor plan with accessgiven to wrap-around from details room. room Commercial, ADA accessible Utilities, Central Mls# 1446059 ce; master suite on upper level. Beautiful views. Walkout living and sunroom. Vistas willw/City awe you. Detached 4 AC.offi Be agarage part ofw/loft. its history, one of Belfast’spaved oldest, existing houses, The Nesmith-Read House. $350,000 basement. 110’ waterfront, beach & dock. Rec room over bay Property is fenced, drive, sea wall; garage. MLS:1359899 $499,900 impeccable inside and out. MLS:1412774 $399,900

Belfast Stockton Spring - Ocean

Swan Lake Swanville Lovely Ranch home on 2.5 Acres w/ 515’ shorefront featuring many updates including new kitchen, waterfront deck, flooring, interior painting, paved drive, and more. 1500 sq. ft on one floor. Expansion possible to full 2nd floor; double lot! BELFAST MLS: 1287308 | $299,900 Contemporary home featuring 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with modern decor throughout. Well-appointed kitchen w/ breakfast bar; open to dining which in turn opens to the rear, private deck. Master En-Suite w/private bath. Attached 2-car garage. Downstairs media room. MLS:1410884 $275,000

BelfastCross Pond, Morrill Penobscot Bay

Belfast Belfast

Beautifully Restored New England Cape on Pitcher Rd in Serenity, andintricate Tranquility on Cross Pond in Morrill… views across Belfast Sea Captain’s has been impeccably Built in 2003, nothing spared here folks! Custom built 3/2 home Peace, features Belfast Commanding Only 2Home milesthat to downtown, this lovely Belfast. Sunny & open 1stevery floor LAKE w/spacious kitchendetails featuring describes thiswood amazing property. Nestled in the middle of a this Contemporary, maintained and home updated. Walking distance to downtown BELFAST SWAN Captivating views from room, wrapthroughout. Lovely floors, Penobscot Bay from has an updated kitchen, fireplace BELFAST granite counter tops, stainless appliancesRoom & top of the line water spacious 5+ easy Acres,access this home none5you willto find. Chef’s Belfast Belfast and alsointoliving, the Belfast Harbor and Rail Trail. around lower level seasonal views and on is likecondo only miles downtown wateropen porch.Walk Most recently Attention Equestrians! Near downtown, home featuresoper8 Spaciousdeck, 4 bedroom 3 bathpatio, homeGreat on Beautiful Swan Lake Beautiful 3 bedroom 2 bathroom only 2 miles to cabinetry. Slider leadsEn-Suite to new deck that wraps around the Trail which kitchen, Living rm & dining featuresfront. gas fireplace; den w/ this 1624Great with entrances ideal as home w/fi replace, Master replace thetoRail leads to the Belfast 2005, sq. ft Room/studio home as aseparate business, locatedroom on U.S. Rt. 1 rooms, spaciousated kitchen w/island, family overlookw/over 700’ shared water frontw/fi to access for&your boating, downtown waterfront! Located within a Built 46 unitincomplex rear overlooking theroom lovely apple trees & with gardens. Living, din- Water office,every professional, clinical, spa unit. Formal dining and living woodstove. Wrap-around deck w/hot tub. Master bdrm features jetted tub, family on lower level Waterfront. facing screened porch features access to oceanfront from makes this ideal home offi ce, accounting, ing private 14.46 acres, pastures for horses. Horse barn w/ swimming and fishing enjoyment. 3 floors of living. Master spread over 44 acres with walking paths. Lovely, spacious ing, den &1st bdrm, laundry & full bath all onand 1st floor. 3 deck. rooms, spaciouslegal kitchen with tin ceilings, private bath.SEE! Central Air, full house generator, outdoor shower, walkout to thefloor shore! spacious Must room! City utilities, private development. or medical facility. This is the dream electric & water opens to paddock area. MLS:1401830 on 1st floor. Lovely views. Make this your summer or yeardeck. Master w/private bath. Maintenance-free living rooms & full bath |up. Large 2-story barn ideal for shop/home MLS: 1302727 $349,900 MLS:1295111 Brazilian | $229,900 Enjoy lobster bakes on your own beach! MLS: 1290995 $254,900 home you’ve been searching near|Belfast Proper. $374,900 hardwood decking, dry basement, det. 2-car garage, Only $269,900 round home. MLS:1410836 $394,900 included in price. MLS:1405561 $139,900 MLS: 1283853 |$495,000 $549,900 business. 3 miles to downtown waterfront. $429,900 FULLY FURNISHED HOME. 284’ WATERFRONT

1 BENNER DRIVE ~ BELFAST Exquisite home located only 3 miles to downtown Belfast Waterfront. Beautiful Contemporary Cape showcases a sophisticated yet warm elegance throughout. The Chef’s kitchen is modern and displays a sleek, clean design boasting granite counters, stainless appliances, a center island and abundant cabinetry. The open floor plan creates a wonderful entertaining and family gathering place. Kitchen flows into the dining with arched entry into the Great Room. Dining and kitchen feature patio doors leading to covered deck. The Great Room is warmed with a majestic stone fireplace. Wood floors, high ceilings and crown moldings add to the warmth of this lovely living section of the home. Patio doors lead to a lovely flagstone patio, overlooking private back yard featuring gardens and a greenhouse. 1st Floor den, office or bedroom offers a private entrance to the full bath. Master En-Suite w/jetted tub, shower spa, walk in closet.

BELFAST

A complete renovation in 2017 provides you care-free living when you move into this home. Situated on a corner lot, only a couple miles to all the amenities of Downtown Belfast and the waterfront. Beautifully done, 3 bedrooms, ofﬁce 2.5 bathrooms and a seasonal water view too! $299,000

2 Guest bdrms share 2nd full bath each with private entrances. The theater and media room are over the garage and includes projection equipment and screen. This room is very private and offers a wonderful adult section of the home or overﬂow for guests. Sliders lead to a balcony deck overlooking the peaceful and quiet 6+ acres. This room has a heat pump for AC and a propane stove. Full basement has a custom built wine room you’ve dreamed of having. Space for your gym and the little ones too. Custom built woodworking shop is heated and is a craftsman’s dream building. Separate garden shed serves the tools required for your greenhouse. Of course, we cannot leave out the basketball court, good for pickle ball and tennis too. This home and property offers everything on your list and truly is a One Of A Kind! MLS: 1466115 Exclusively Offered by United Realty for $699,000.

MORRILL

63 ACRES with abundant pasture land, a Rare Offering! Only 7 miles to downtown Belfast, this is an Equestrian’s Dream property. Build your barn and riding stables. Apple orchard, long road frontage, this will not last long at only $325,000.

October 2020 71

La st Wo r d s

he could not have known she would inspire hundreds of schoolgirls over the years to trick-or-treat costumed in long white dresses and strawberry blonde wigs, their faces streaked in pink blush over pale foundation with mouths smeared in blood-red lipstick. She could not foresee a future where impersonators would distort her laugh into a wild cackle echoing through the streets on Halloween. Those of you from my hometown will know I N ew Fiction By am referring to the legendary Laughing Ghost that haunts the tenacre St. Joseph Cemetery on the hill overlooking the village center. No, I am not asking for your sympathy for a spirit. I am talking here about my mother. In 1951, after a beer bottle spun out of the graveyard darkness and shattered spectacularly in the headlights of his Buick Special, Monsignor Kevin McKenna resolved to permanently halt the nocturnal nonsense going on in St. Joseph Cemetery. He ordered a fence built “to respectfully enclose the Holy and Consecrated Grounds honoring the Saints awaiting Resurrection within.” Completed in 1953, it remains an impressive enclosure: black wrought-iron bars ten feet high topped with sharp fleur-de-lis crosses. The front gate is twenty feet high, two lanes wide, and swings on massive hinges that cry out when opened. The barrier was, coincidently, a godsend to a good Catholic contractor who surrounded the cemetery with modest houses built with their backyards against this formidable palisade. These homeowners lived simple lives enjoying their flowerbeds, patios, and lawns without thought to the tombstones and monuments among the solemn oaks visible through metal stripes on the hill behind their homes. At some point in the 1970s my mother thought it important to create a style to get her comfortably into her later years. She decided on white flats, a long white linen or cotton dress, hair “rinsed” a color red not seen in nature, and facial cosmetics recommended by the young women at the perfume counter at Weinstocks. Around noon, or later, my mother emerged daily from her toilet, face made up like a silent film star, lit cigarette in hand, and dressed in her hab-

it to address the day. She believed this outfit worked well enough in daylight and even better in the evening when she walked into the VFW hall for a little drink. This may seem eccentric, even sadly vain, but my mother grew up isolated on a small farm, married at 18, was a mother at 19, a homemaker for thirty-odd years, and then widowed with two grown children living hundreds of miles away. A lonely person could have worse faults than to be concerned about Dan Domench appearance. My mother considered herself devout. She was certainly faithful in her belief that signs did not apply to a woman of her stature. When she walked through the gate of St. Joseph Cemetery with an armful of daisies to lay on my father’s grave on the day before All Saints’ Day, that is, All Hallows’ Eve, the large sign that read “GATE LOCKED AT SUNSET” meant nothing to her. It was 5:50 p.m., and the sky overhead was orange with sundown. My mother took her time at my father’s headstone. She prayed, or smoked, which to her are the same as both require contemplations. The Groundskeeper closed the gate with a heavy chain and went home. When she found it locked, she went to the nearest backyard where a teenaged girl removed sheets from a clothesline in the darkening twilight. My mother gripped the wrought iron with both hands and called out, “Excuse me. I can’t get out.” The girl screamed and ran into her house. My mother screamed and ran back into the murk. So the legend began as my mother went from backyard to backyard calling through the bars from the gloom, “Help. I am locked in” or, “I can’t get out. Please help.” Her victims shrieked, or froze like statues, or dropped their beers and ran, and my mother retreated back in the shadows laughing out loud at herself, at her situation, and at the faces of those sure they had seen a ghost. Ask her to tell you the rest of the story herself. She’s in the backyard. There’s an epilogue she calls “My Rescue.” The Groundskeeper is out there with her. n

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