Portland Monthly Magazine September 1986

S i |

September 1986 $1.95

Volume 1, No. 5

Its Best I n v e s t m

Painter Alan Bray e n t s ?

THE OLD PORT LITTLE PHOENICIA OR ANDY WARHOL’S 15-MINUTE COCKTAIL PARTY?

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FEATURES 12 Are Portland’s H ottest Young Artists Also Portland’s Best Investm ents?

By Colin Sargent.

30

The New Urban Cliff Dwellers.

By M argarete C. Schnauck.

40

The Old Port: Little Phoenicia Or Andy Warhol’s 15 Minute Cocktail Party?

By Dennis Gilbert.

DEPARTMENTS____________ 2

Septem ber, 1986 Volum e 1, No. 5

On The Town: Performing Arts And Entertainm ent Listings.

By Michael Hughes.

22

Controversy: Art In Public View— When Committees Shop For Art.

By Bruce Kidman.

38

Portlandiana: The Unwritten Rules Of Portland.

By Brian Daly.

44

R estaurant Review: 22 Lincoln.

By George Benington.

48

Residential Real Estate: Flying High With The IBIS Corporation.

By Richard Bennett.

50

Fiction: Special Preview—Excerpt From Picking Up, Winner Of The 1986 Maine Novel Award.

By Lucy Honig.

52

Flash.

C over P h o to : Alan Bray, 1986 by Peter Ficksman.

SEPTEMBER 1986 1

ON THE TOWN Deadline for listings is six w eeks in advance of publica­ tion date. Please send m aterials to Michael Hughes, Listings Editor, Portland M onthly, 154 Middle St., P ort­ land, Maine 04101. Please include date, time, place, c o n ta ct person, telep h o n e num ber, c o st and a descrip­ tion of your event. If you have any questions, please call Portland M onthly a t 775-4339.

TIME NEVER SOUNDED BETTER!

music__________ Robin W right, New England’s first lady of Country & W estern, Hancock County Auditorium, Saturday, Aug­ ust 2 3 ,8 p.m. $5. 667-5911.

S u m m erso u n d s, Portland Perform ing Arts Center, Portland. On Saturday, August 30, A rchie Shepp returns to th e PPAC with B eaver Harris. Shepp’s sp ec­ tacular perform ances of last sum m er w ere am ong the w aterm arks of PPAC’s Summerjazz series, and th e m as­ ter saxo p h o n ist/sch o lar/ed u cato r just gets b e tte r with time. Shepp perform s tw o shows, at 7 and 10 p.m.; reservations recom m ended. In th e C enter’s Summerfolk! series, banjo guru T ony T rischka and his band, Skyline, prom ise an evening of vocal and instrum ental w izardry on Friday, A ugust 29 at 8 p.m. Tickets for Shepp are $12.50; for Trischka and Skyline, $10. For m ore information about the Summerjazz! and Summerfolk! series at th e Portland Performing Arts Center, call 774-0465.

Sum m er C oncerts ’86, Mill Creek Park, South Port­ land, feature music from the Park’s gazebo in timehonored sum m er co n cert fashion. W ednesday, A ugust 13, S c h o o n er Fare; and W ednesday, A ugust 20, D on D oane Band. The free co n certs begin a t 7 p.m. Rain da te is usually th e next evening. 799-7996.

N oon tim e Perform ance S e r ie s, p resen ted by the Intow n Portland E xchange, offers som e of M aine’s finest perform ers in a series of o u td o o r co n certs at a variety of intow n locations. This month: H eart o f G old (T uesday, A ugust 12, W harf Street); Randy Judkins (W ednesday, August 13, Maine National); Bellam y Jazz Band (Thursday, A ugust 14, Tom my’s Park); Sam Kilbourn (Friday, August 15, M onum ent Square); Ja ck so n G illm an (M onday, A ugust 18, Congress Square); Peter G allw ay & the Proof (Tuesday, August 19, Congress Square); Heart o f G old (W ednesday, A ugust 20, Maine Savings Bank); O cca sio n a l String Band (T hursday, A ugust 21, W harf Street); East End Q uartet (Friday, A ugust 22, Tom m y’s Park); Joy Spring Jazz (M onday, August 25, Maine National); J e ff A um u ller (T uesday, A ugust 26, Maine Savings Bank); Anni Clark (W ednesday, A ugust 27, Maine National); Stadtpfeifer B rass (T hursday, A ugust 28, M onum ent Square); and Martin S tein g esser (Friday, A ugust 29, W harf Street). For m ore information, call 772-6828.

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Fridays After Five, also p resen ted by Intow n Port­ land E xchange, presen ts perform ances each Friday afternoon in th e sum m er from 5 to 6:30 in M onum ent Square in Portland. In August: B ellam y Jazz Band (A u gu st 15); Fab ulous Icon s (A u gu st 22 ); J en n y M enna Q uartet (A u g u st 2 9 ). For m ore information, call 772-6828.

_________ THEATER_________ Cabaret D elux, w ith th e C harlie Brow n O rchestra in an all new Big Big Show with a Big Big Latin Band.

Every Su nday night a t th e B eachcom ber in Old Orchard Beach, Maine’s finest living w acka-dacka troupe trips the rh u m b a fantastic. The C abaret is as unpredic­ table as th e sto ck m arket only funnier, and Charlie Brown’s O rch estra are n o t only a gas to w atch, they m ake som e of th e b est m usic this side of Perth Amboy.

For more information, call the B eachcom ber at 934-2436.

B runsw ick M usic T heater, Pickard T heater, Bowdoin College, Brunswick. This season will m ark th e 28th c onsecutive sea so n of th e Brunswick Music Theater, the only professional resident stock music th eater rem aining in th e country. From A ugust 12 through A ugust 24, BMT presen ts T intypes. Tuesday to Satur­ day evenings a t 8 p.m.; W ednesday, Friday, an d Sunday m atinees at 2 p.m. $8 to $15, with group rates available.

725-8769.

2 PORTLAND MONTHLY

The Seamen’s Club Newly renovated, open daily for lunch, dinner until closing and still serving the best chow der in Portland.

375 Fore St., Portland, ME 772-7311

Hackmatack P la y h o u se, on R oute 9, Beaver Dam, Berwick, presen ts its fifteenth season: Laura (A u gu st 12 to August 16); and C am elot (A u g u st 19 to August 23, A ugust 25 to 3 1 ). Curtain tim e is 8 p.m.; Thursday m atinee is 2 p.m. $6 to $8. For ticket informa­ tion, call 698-1807.

Maine Theatre, W aynflete School, 360 Spring St., Port­ land. One of Maine’s m o st innovative com panies, Maine Theatre has received critical and popular acclaim for its challenging pro d u ctio n s over th e p ast seven years.

From A ugust 13 th rou gh A ugust 31, The M erchant of V enice, th e Bard’s classic com edy of love and money. W ednesdays through Sundays at 8 p.m. Ticket range is $5 to $10; for m ore information, call th e box office at 871-7101 from T u esd ay to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or, on days of perform ances, until curtain time.

The Theater Project, Brunswick’s new est professional theater, stages its p roductions in historic Old Varney Hall on School Street. T hrough A ugust 16, th e Theater Project p re sen ts E quus, Peter Shaffer’s dis­ turbing study of th e loss of society’s mythic underpin­ nings. From A ugust 14 to A ugust 24, the tro u p e pre­ sents A rsenic and Old Lace, Joseph Kesselring’s classic comedy. Show s run T hursday through Sunday; curtain at 8 p.m. $6. 729-8584.

Sanford Maine Stage C om pany, Little T heatre at Nasson College, Springvale. The acclaim ed SMC pre­ sents a summer season of com edy and musical comedy.

Company (A u g u st 13 to A ugust 2 0 ), and Noel Coward’s Private Lives (S e p te m b e r 3 to S ep tem b er 14). For more information, call 636-2222.

The Theater at M onm outh, Cum ston Hall, M on­ mouth. The T h eater’s sev en teen th sum m er seaso n includes five plays on a rotating schedule through August 30: The M iser, by Moliere (A u g u st 14, 19, & 29 at 8 p.m.; m atinee A ugust 23 at 2 p.m.); The Lion in Winter, by Jam es G oldman (A u g u st 1 0 & 2 7 at 8 p.m.; Matinees August 16 & 20 a t 2 p .m .); And a N ightin­ gale Sang, by C.P. Taylor (A u g u st 7, 15, 20, 23 & 24 at 8 p.m.; m atinees A ugustl3 & 30 at 2 p.m.); The Merry W ives of W indsor by Shakespeare (A u gu st 12, 13, 16,17, 21, 22, 26, 28 & 30 at 8 p.m.; m atinees A ugust 27 at 2 p .m.); and B eauty and th e B east, a children’s show, on August 1 2 ,1 5 ,2 7 ,2 2 & 26 at 2 p.m. For ticket information and group rates, call 933-2952.

York County P layh ou se and D inner T heatre, 4 Berwick St., Sanford, offers food, musicals, and a “Sing­ ing Waiter Revue” in a relaxed, cabaret-style atm os­ phere (dinner is optional). Perform ances take place Wednesday through Saturday evenings; dinner is served from 6:30 to 7:30; th e Singing W aiters hold forth a t 7:15; and the m ainstage m usical curtain is a t 8 p.m. Evita (A ugust 13 to A ugust 3 0 ). The Playhouse also offers a Children’s T heatre Program of fairy tales on Friday mornings at 11. For reservations and ticket information, call 324-2664.

LITERATURE The Maine W riters C enter of th e Maine W riters and Publishers Alliance officially o pens its new facilities at 19D Mason St. in Brunswick on Saturday, A ugust 16, from 4p.m. till th e ink ru n s dry. The opening features an exhibit of Maine Small Press A ssistance winners, a tenyear retrospective of th e m ore th an sixty publications from Maine small p resses th a t have b een funded by the Maine Writers an d Publishers Alliance since 1976.

Authors will be on hand to read from their publications.

The exhibit runs th rou gh S ep tem b er 12. The new Maine Writers C enter will also serve a s a perform ance space for readings and o th e r literary activity, an d it will be a retail sp ace for Maine literature distributed by MWPA. For m ore information, call 729-6333.

MUSEUM SHOWS/TOURS/ SPECIAL SHOWS Faculty Show , University of Southern Maine, Portland Cam pus, Student Center. M onday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Through August. Free. 780-4076.

R obert A bbe M useum o f S tone A ge A ntiquities, Sieur de M onts Spring, Bar H arbor. The exhibits feature Native A merican prehistoric and ethnographic artifacts, including baskets, quillwork, ornam ents, pottery, and sto n e and b o ne tools. Open through m id-October. In A ugust, h o u rs are 9 to 5; S ep tem b er to m id-O ctober, 10 to 4. 288-3519.

S h e e p sc o t R iver A rtisans G uild Rt. 218, Kings Mills, Whitefield. An exhibit by are a artists which includes paintings, drawings, sculpture, prints, photographs, and quilts. T uesd ay through Saturday, 10 to 5.

549-5751.

B o w d o in C o lle g e M useum o f Art, Bowdoin College, Brunswick. Hunt Slonem : C ucuruchos (th rou gh A ugust 1 7 ), works by a New York artist often labeled an “exoticist”; Y vonne Jacquette: Tokyo N ightview s (th ro u g h A ugust 2 4 ), p a ste ls and oils of Tokyo at night; Photographs by Paul Sm ith (A ugu st 19 through O ctober 5 ); and M akers ’86 (th rou gh A ugust 24— see sep a ra te listing).

The D elightful Experience of M aking Unexpected and Valuable Discoveries.

Fine Imported Clothing and Craftw ork

C enter for the Arts, at the C h ocolate Church, 804 W ashington St., Bath. Through A ugust 30, I n sid e /O u t­ sid e , a juried show open to Maine painters, printmakers, an d sculptors. 442-8455.

Peary-MacMillan Arctic M useum , H ubbard Hall, Bow­ doin College, Brunswick. Continuing exhibits from the collections, including artifacts, carvings, costum es, and paintings of th e tw o famed arctic explorers. Tuesday through Saturday 10 to 8; and Sunday 2 to 5. Closed M ondays and holidays. 725-8731, x253.

H aw thorne-L ongfellow Library, Bowdoin College, Brunswick. Special selections from the H aw thorne Col­ lection (th ro u gh mid-September). B otanical Draw­ in g s from Kate Furbish (th rou gh A ugust); From H om er to S u eton iu s: S ix teen C la ssica l A uthors (th ro u g h S ep tem b er), N ew E ngland B ook S h ow Award W inn ers (th ro u g h A ugust 2 5 ). M onday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 725-8731, x253.

M aine M aritim e M useum , 963 W ashington St., Bath.

The M useum offers the visitor a com prehensive expe­ rience of nineteenth century sea c o ast life, a time w hen half of all m erchant vessels flying the United States flag w ere built in Bath. The M useum ’s collections include ships’ paintings, m odels, navigational instrum ents, fish­ ing gear, antique tools, period furnishings, family p or­ traits, foreign trade items, and o ther memorabilia, and an outstan d in g collection of over a half million docu­ m ents, acc o u n t books, ships’ logs, ships’ plans, m aps and charts. The M useum ’s A pprenticeshop con stru cts and resto res w ooden boats using techniques and tools from th e golden age of shipbuilding. For m ore informa­ tion, call 443-6311.

M aine State B u ild in g and All S o u ls C hapel, Poland Spring, off R oute 26. Built by the state at Chicago’s 1893 Colum bian Exposition, the Maine State Building was disassem bled and rebuilt on the grounds of the Poland Spring Resort; the building features photographs and artifacts of the Fair and th e Resort. The All Souls Chapel, built of solid granite, has beautifully crafted stained glass windows a nd a 1926 Skinner pipe organ.

Though August, M onday to Friday from 9:30 to 3:30; T uesday an d Thursday, 9:30 to noon. Septem ber, w eek­ ends only. $1. For m ore information, call 998-4311.

M akers ’86, Maine’s second bienniel exhibition of crafts at th e Bowdoin College M useum of Art, Bruns­ wick. The juried exhibition rep resen ts selections m ade from a field of over 130 Maine craftspeople. Merit award w inners are Abby H untoon, Hilary Ervin and J. Fred Woell. A d ocum entary catalogue depicts at least one piece from each accepted craftsperson. Sponsored by th e Maine Crafts Association. Through August 24.

348-2535.

M useum o f Y arm outh H istory, upstairs in Merrill M emorial Library, Main St., Y arm outh. The m useum features collections of objects, photographs and m anu­ scripts relating to the Y arm outh area. Tuesday and

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Fine W inter Suits and Coats.

Handcrafted Carpets and Bedspreads 57 Exchange Street Portland, Maine 04101 772-0219

SEPTEMBER 1986 3

PORTLAND M O NTHLY

Senior Editor Editorial Assistant Advertising Director Advertising Production

Colin Sargent Margarete C. Schnauck Bobbi L. Goodman Tom Lennox Fit To Print

Contributing Editors On The Town Movers & Shakers Restaurant Reviews Flash Commercial & Resi­ dential Real Estate The Arts The Waterfront Style At Large

Michael Hughes Marcia Feller George Benington Marjorie Mills Richard Bennett Juris Ubans John Taylor Madeline McTurck Kendall Merriam

P ortland Monthly™ is published by Colin and Nancy Sargent, 154 M iddle Street, Portland, ME 04101. All cor­ responden ce should b e ad d ressed to 154 Middle Street, Portland, ME 04101.

A dvertisin g O ffice: 154 Middle Street, Portland, ME 04101 (207) 775-4339.

S u b scrip tio n s: In th e U.S. and Canada, $18 for 1 year, $30 for 2 years, $36 for 3 years.

Sept. 1986, Vol. 1, No. 5, copyright 1986 by Portland M onthly. All rights reserved. Application to mail to second-class rates pending at Portland, ME 04101.

(ISSN: 0887-5340) Opinions expressed in articles are th o se of a u th o rs an d do not rep resen t editorial posi­ tions of P ortland Monthly. Letters to th e editor are w elcom e and will b e treated as unconditionally as­ signed for publication an d copyright p u rp o ses and as subject to P ortland M onthly’s unrestricted right to edit and com m ent editorially. Nothing in this issue m ay be reprinted in w hole o r in p a rt w ithout w ritten perm ission from the publishers. Postm aster: Send ad d ress changes to: 154 Middle Street, Portland, Maine 04101. Return postag e m u st acco m p an y all m anuscripts and p h o to ­ graphs subm itted if th ey are to b e returned, and no responsibility can b e assum ed for unsolicited materials.

4 PORTLAND MONTHLY

Thursday 3 to 5, and 6 to 8; or by appointm ent.

846-6259.

__________GALLERIES__________

J o a n W hitney P ayson G allery of Art, W estbrook College, S tevens Avenue, Portland. The gallery’s tradi­ tional sum m er show of m asterw orks from the perm a­ n en t collection includes work by C hagall, Courbet, D aum ier, D egas, G auguin, G lackens, Hofm ann, Hom er, Ingres, M arquet, Monet, N evelson, P ica sso , P rendergast, R enoir, R eynolds, R obin son, R ous­ se a u , Sargent, S isley, S ou tin e, van G ogh, W histler, and W yeth. T hrough A ugust 24. T uesday to Friday, 10 to 4; w eekends, 1 to 5. 797-9546.

A bacus H andcrafters G allery, 44 Exchange St., Port­ land. T hrough A ugust: jew elry by G ail R appoport and by Jan Yager; ceram ic w orks by E ilene Sky; and w orks in glass by Laurie Thai, and by Kit Karbler and M ichael David. M onday to W ednesday, 9:30 to 6; T hursday to Saturday, 9:30 to 8; Sunday 12 to 5.

772-4880.

P e n o b sc o t N ation M useum , C enter St., Indian Island, Old Town. The P enobscot Tribal M useum displays tra­ ditional and contem porary north east Indian arts and crafts, including basketry, w ood carvings, stone sculp­ ture, and prehistoric stone im plem ents. Paintings, arti­ facts and c ostum es are also on display. M onday through Friday, 12 to 4. Mornings by appointm ent. $l/$.50. 827-6545.

B arridoff G a lleries, 4 City Center, Portland. Selec­ tions by Gallery artists and selected nineteenth and tw entieth century e sta te paintings. M onday to Friday, 10 to 5; Saturday 12 to 4. 772-5011.

Portland M useum o f Art, 7 Congress Square, Port­ land. A m erica O bserved: W ood Engravings by W in slow H om er (th rou gh A ugust 13); W inslow Hom er: The C harles Shipm an P ayson C ollection (th ro u g h S ep tem b er 7 ); and S e le c tio n s from the Joan W hitney P ayson C ollection (through A ugust).

On th e Line: The N ew C olor P h otojou rn alism (th ro u g h S ep tem b er 7 ) features twelve internation­ ally recognized photographers w hose work bridges the gap betw een photography as Fine Art and as photo­ journalism . From A ugust 19 through S ep tem b er 28, th e M useum p resents W ild ern ess: A V ideo In stalla­ tio n by Mary Lucier. In this installation, Lucier exam ­ ines th e effects of the advance of civilization on the n atu ral environm ent. Drawing on the literature and painting of the seco n d half of the last century, Lucier utilizes seven large m onitors showing three separate v ideotapes th a t juxtapose unspoiled landscapes with m an-m ade objects and images of industry and technol­ ogy. On Thursday, August 21, Lucier presents a free lecture at 7:30 p.m. E uropean W orks From a Private C o llectio n (th rou gh A ugust 3 1 ) is an exhibition of paintings and sculpture, lent anonym ously, draw n from the collection created by the late Joan W hitney Payson.

W orks range from a lum inous early C orot, View o f the Forum, Rom e, of 1826, to Paul G augu in’s brilliantly colored Te Poi Poi of 1892, one of the artist’s Tahitian paintings. The exhibition includes paintings by R ous­ s ea u , D elacroix, D aum ier and Sargent, as well as b ronzes by D egas, M atisse and P ica sso , am ong oth ­ ers. M useum adm ission $3/$2/$l. Tuesday to Saturday, 10 to 5; T hursday to 9; a nd Sunday 12 to 5. Free adm is­ sion Thursdays, 5 to 9. 775-6148.

Portland P u blic Library, 5 M onum ent Square, Port­ land. Through August 14, “First Light: Sojourns with People in R em ote Places; P hotographs by Ethan Hub­ bard,” featuring black and w hite photographs of the O uter Hebrides, the Sierra M adre and the Himalayas.

From A ugust 18 through August 29, the Library displays “Prize W inning Paintings from the 21st Annual WCSHTV Sidewalk Art Festival.” Monday, W ednesday and Friday, 9 to 6; T uesday and Thursday, noon to 9; and Saturday 9 to 5. 773-4761, xl 10.

C astine W ilson M useum , Castine. Exhibits include pre-historic artifacts from North and South America, Europe and Africa; a series of exhibits illustrating the grow th of m an’s ability to fashion tools, from the early Paleolithic, through the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. 2 to 5 daily except Mondays. Free. 326-8753.

Sabbathday Lake Shaker M useum , R oute 26, New G loucester. The M useum features displays of Shaker furniture, tin and w oodenw are, folk and decorative arts, Early A merican tools and farm im plem ents, textiles, and an exhibit of historical Shaker photographs entitled In Time & Eternity: Maine Shakers in the Industrial Age (su p p o rte d by the Maine Humanities Council). M onday to Saturday, 10 to 4:30, through O ctober 13. Guided tours $3/$ 1.50.

W ellehan Library, Standish. The Library presents an exhibit of Lucile Page’s Tole paintings. Tole Painting is th e term that has been used historically for decorative painting on tin surfaces, especially in New England and

by Pennsylvania Germans. M onday to Friday, 8 to 4. For m ore information, call Sister Kathleen Smith a t 892-6788.

Art for A m erica G allery, N ewcastle Square, Newcas­ tle. M onday through Saturday 10 to 5, Sunday 12 to 4.

563-1009.

Cafe A lw ays, 47 Middle St., Portland. Lori Austill: N ew W orks on P laster. T hrough Septem ber. T ues­ day to Sunday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. 774-9399.

C on gress Square G allery, 594 Congress St., Portland.

A changing exhibit of gallery artists, including Siri Beckm ann, Jill Hoy, H ow ard F u ssiner, and Phil Barter. M onday to Saturday, 10 to 6. 774-3369.

Frost G ully Gallery, 25 Forest Ave., Portland. Exhibi­ tions of recen t works by artists represented by the Gallery. M onday to Friday, 12 to 6. 773-2555.

David H itchcock G allery, 602 Congress St., second floor suite 204, Portland. C ontem porary Maine artists and w orks from the Hitchcock Collection. M onday through Friday, 4 to 7 (to 9 on Thursdays), Saturday and Sunday 12:30 to 4. 774-8919.

H obe Sou nd G a lle r ie s North, 1 Milk St., Portland.

T hrough A ugust 16, D on Stone: R ecent Paintings; from A ugust 20 to Septem ber 20, W illiam Thon: Landscapes and Seascapes. Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30 to 5. 773-2755.

M aine P otters Market, 9 M oulton St., Portland. Stone­ w are. porcelain and earthenw are by 14 Maine craftspersons. M onday through Saturday, 10:30 to 5:30.

774-1633.

M aple H ill G allery, 367 Fore St., Portland, and Perkins Cove, Ogunquit. Fine contem porary works. In August: David and S u san Kirk, painted w ood boxes and furni­ ture; D oug Stock, mixed m edia assem blages; C onnie Lehm an, miniature tapestries and wall pieces; David Keator, tables of w ood and ceram ics and ceram ic p lat­ ters; glass jewelry by Jan e Nyhus and D en ise B loch; Mark R u sse ll, glass; W ren H endrickson, jewelry; Carolyn S ale, ceram ic sculptures. The Gallery also p re sen ts tw o special events from A ugust 15 to S ep ­ tem b er 22: C ontem porary G lass Art VI, featuring a select group of artists from the New York E xperim en­ tal G lass W orkshop; and the Group Basketry Invi­ tational. M onday to Saturday, 10 to 9; and Sunday from 11 to 6. 775-3822.

N opo G allery, 60 York St., Portland. From A ugust 14 through Septem ber 13, a show of works by painter Elliot Barowitz. Thursday through Saturday, 12 to 5. 774-4407.

The P ine T ree Shop and Bayview G allery, 75 Market St., Portland. For the m onth of August, a show of selected gallery artists, including Caroi Sebold , J o e F rassetta, and N eal Parent. M onday to Saturday, 9:30 to 5:30. 773-3007.

The P lain s G allery, 28 Exchange St., Portland. Am er­ ican Indian traditional and contem porary art to P ort­ land along with handm ade jewelry, Navajo rugs, pottery and artifact reproductions. Open seven days a week.

774-7500.

P o sters Plus G alleries, 146 Middle St., Portland.

W atercolors, pochoirs, and lithographs by Elizabeth Schippert. M onday to Saturday, 10:30 to 5:30, Thurs­ day until 8 p.m.

The Stein G lass G allery, 20 Milk St., Portland.

Through August 18, the decorative glass of Charles C orrell, and the difficult glass of Fred W idm er. Correll’s interests include a d eep study of music, of which he says, “The rhythm of the music m ust be accurately p u rsu e d .” W idm er’s glass includes beautiful vase shapes in m agnificent color com binations and very detailed, finely engraved bowls. Som e of his works take a y ear to com plete. M onday to Saturday, 10 to 6; Sun­ day 10 to 6; and by appointm ent. 772-9072.

Heavenly Food, Heavenly View.

Tim es Ten, 420 Fore St., Portland. Fine functional crafts from ten Maine craftspersons, including clocks

by Ron Burke, earth en w are p o tte ry and tiles by Libby Seigars, and handw oven rugs by Sara H otchk iss.

Monday to Saturday, 10 to 6. 761-1553.

Tracy J o h n so n Fine J ew elry , 62 M arket St., Portland.

Featuring th e work of Tracy Johnson, Cindy Edwards and Janice Gryzb. One-of-a-kind, c u sto m designs and wedding rings are a specialty. T u esd ay to Saturday, 12 to 6, or by appointm ent. 775-2468.

o

at Dine a little closer to heaven in the Top of the East Restaurant, overlooking the Portland skyline. And taste our divine selection of Sunday Brunch delights.

12 Noon-2:30 pm O THER EVENTS OF INTEREST Southworth P lanetarium , in th e S c ie n c e B uild ing at the U niversity o f S ou thern M aine’s Portland cam p u s. Public evening sh o w s in c lu d e Dawn of Astronomy, Tour of th e Solar System, and Birth and Death of Stars. Sunday, W ednesday and Friday a t 7:30 p.m. R eservations reco m m en d ed . $2.50/$1.50/USM students free. 780-4249.

The M aine A quarium , 783 P ortland Rd., Saco, has recently b eco m e th e ho m e of s ix M agellanic p e n ­ guin s, c o lle c te d by a s p e c ia l p erm it g ranted by the C hilean G overnm ent. In addition to its num erous finned denizens, th e Aquarium has recently begun a fundraising program to ad d a live dolphin exhibit a t its Rt. 1 site. For m ore information ab o u t th e Aquarium, contact Joseph T erra a t 284-4511.

Danish and Muffins • Eggs Benedict Eggs Florentine • Sausage and Bacon Selection of Hot Entrees such as: Seafood Newburg • Chicken Chasseur •Roast Top Sirloin of Beef • Marinated Flank Steak Potato and Vegetable du Jour • Variety of Salads Sinful assortment of Desserts Complimentary champagne $11.95 Adults • $ 7.95 children under 10 + tax and gratuity

Try our daily luncheon buffet at the Top. Monday-Friday

The M aine A udu bon S o ciety is located on Gilsland Farm, off R oute 1 in Falmouth. O pen year-round for self-guided and guided tours, th e beautiful saltw ater farm is a san ctu ary of 60 acres bordering th e Presum pscot River. The Farm is also th e location of the Society’s N ature Store, an Art Gallery, an d Solar Build­ ings which display co n tem p o rary applications of solar and wind technologies. In Scarborough, th e Scarbo­ rough Marsh, on th e Pine Point Road, is a 3,000 acre salt marsh with tw o rivers, th e D unstan and th e N onesuch, running through it. The m arsh is rem arkable for its sceneiy and is also an im portant wildlife habitat. Volun­ teers are n eed ed for th e sum m er a t th e Scarborough Marsh. For m ore information, call 781-2330.

Sum m er Program s at th e C hild ren’s M useum o f Maine include ‘M ovie T im e,’ T u esd a y s at 2 p.m ., and ‘Story H ours’ on T hursdays at 2 p.m ., through August. From A ugust 18 to A ugust 22, art c la s s e s are offered in tw o sessions each day of th e week. Ses­ sion I, for 3 to 5 y ear olds, tak es place from 10 to 11 a.m. and teach es drawing, painting and sculpture. Session II, for 6 to 8 y ear olds, tak es p la c e from 1 to 2 p.m. and offers the sam e courses. For m ore information, call 797-5483.

Springtim e in th e Park, a series of ou td o o r program s at W olf N eck W ood s State Park in F reeport with naturalist Pat B ailey, Sundays a t 2 p.m. T hose inter­ ested should m eet a t th e gate; w hen th e Park gate is open, m eet at th e end of th e seco n d parking are a by the three large interpretive panels. For m ore information, call Pat Bailey at 865-4465 o r 688-4712.

Portland O bservatory, 138 Congress St., Portland.

Built on th e cre st of P ortland’s Munjoy Hill, this is the last rem aining 19th cen tu ry signal tow er on the Atlantic coast. In August, W ednesdays to Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 6 to 8 p.m. Events a t th e O bservatory in

OF THE EAST Sonesta Hotel Portland 157 High Street, Portland, ME 04101 207-775-5411.

SHIRLEY S. CARSWELL

Sensational Sentiments

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Stationery 17Exchange Street

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Portland, Maine 04101

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(207)774-3125

SEPTEMBER 1986 5

August include: “Songs of th e Sea” w ith th e Portland Folk C lub on A ugust 14 at 7:30 p.m.; an d “Saving the S n ow S q u a ll”, th e sto ry of a 1982 m ission to th e Falk­ land Islands to re sto re America’s only existing clipper ship, on Thursday, August 21. On Thursday, August 14, at 11:30 a.m., th e O bservatory p re sen ts its Third A nnual Egg Drop. The challenge is to drop a raw egg, suitably packaged, from th e heights. U nbroken eggs win a prize; lo sers win a H um pty D um pty h o norable m ention. Pre-registration from 9:30 to 10:30; $l/$.50.

Admission to th e O bservatory is $l/$.35.

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

V ictoria M ansion. O pen for season June 3. Built in the mid 19th century, this sp ectacu lar Italianate Victorian m ansion c o n tain s m any of its original fin d e siecle appointm ents. T uesday to Saturday, 10 to 4.883-5382.

Kids W alking T our o f Portland. A self-guided to u r for children and a d u lts of over 25 of P ortland’s attractions in less th an one mile. Highlights include th e book under Longfellow’s chair in Longfellow Square, th e Portland M useum of Art, and th e sp ectacu lar trom pe 1’oeil mural in T om m y’s Park. For m ore information, write: Old Port Publications, 235 Commercial St., Portland, Maine 04101.

COURSES/WORKSHOPS____ L ifeline, a com prehensive series of ad u lt fitness p ro­ gram s offered by th e University of Southern Maine.

Encom passing prevention, intervention and rehabilita­ tion, th e program s are designed to prom ote positive lifestyle c hanges through education and exercise. Pro­ gram s include fitness testing, stress and lifestyle, sm ok­ ing clinics, aerobic exercise, aerobic dance, bodyshop, yoga, cardiac and p ulm onary rehabilitation, senior life­ line and various recreation services. C lasses in various program s are offered throughout the year; information on registration, schedules, tim es and fees can be obtained by calling th e Lifeline Office at 780-4170.

PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE “Investing in Hum an P otential: New A llia n ces for L asting S o lu tio n s,” S ep tem b er 8-12. For th e first time, seven local organizations have com bined en er­ gies to create a w eek-long conference to look at solu­ tions to C um berland C ounty’s problem of its underutil­ ized hum an resources. Sponsored by th e G reater P ortland C ham ber of Commerce, G reater Portland Council of G overnm ents, Maine Medical Center, Peo­ p le’s Regional O pportunity Program, Training R esource Center, University of Southern Maine, and The United Way, th e w eek of w orkshops, panel discussions, speak­ ers, an d social ev en ts focuses on action program s for individuals, businesses, governm ental, and social ser­ vice agencies. Call Rita Furlow a t 874-1140 for a com ­ p lete schedule of events and registration material.

P rop rio cep tiv e W riting C enter, in Portland, offers w orkshops w hose goals are: to express the self directly in writing with range, d ep th an d immediacy; to learn principles of creativity and thought; to locate o n e ’s creative center; and to develop a writing discipline.

Individual counseling an d m onthly group sessions are available. The group sessions take a w eekend; individ­ ual sessions can be individually designed. For work­ shop c o sts an d m ore information, call th e Propriocep­ tive Writing Center a t 772-1847.

A he great news is, original contem ­ porary art is hot along the coast of Maine, for the first time since the 1930s.

Sales are booming.

At press time, Portland artist Anne Gressinger, just 24 years old, has sold 100 abstract expressionist paintings in the last year at O’Farrell Gallery, 45 just this summer!

A year ago, her paintings were go­ ing for $75 to $150 in the basement of the O’Farrell building. Now they’ve moved upstairs and they’re larger, some selling for $1,500 and rising.

Her show at O’Farrell has completely sold out.

It’s about time contem porary art moved back upstairs and into the black.

Quiet, brilliant Alan Bray, our cover artist, sells paintings for $6,000 a shot through Barridoff Galleries. Five years ago, you could have bought an Alan Bray for $500. Next year, you’ll wish you’d bought one for $6,000!

He’s foxy, a thinker, lives in tiny Sangerville, M aine (post office, Christmas tree farms, birthplace also of Dennis Gilbert), and he has a large and enthusiastic Portland audience that includes private collectors like Dr. Carl Metzger, Robert A. Monks, and Robert Masterton.

When I grew up in Portland, newspapers and magazines used to cover art as if they were doing it a favor by covering it, as in ‘Oh, yeah, it’s time to write the story again on United Way ... and let’s also do something about art.’

Those were dark days, and I’m pro­ ud to say that things have changed.

Art is news now in Portland, thanks to the galleries, corporate interest (e.g., ‘trickle-down’ as a result of the real estate boom), the artists themselves, and a com m ercial, professional gallery atm osphere that reflects both high quality and admirable energy.

And thanks, of course, to you - an intelligent audience who’s in search of the real coast of Maine hiding behind all those lighthouses, lobstertraps, and $ 3 6 0 ,0 0 0 d u c k d e c o y s .

Announcing Our People Issue!

TRAVEL/TRANSPORTATION B a llo o n R id es available in th e Portland area from B a llo o n S p o rts (772-4401), Fantasy B a llo o n in g C om pany (929-3200 in Hollis), and Hot Fun (761-1735).

L on gfello w C ruise Line, offers 5 trips daily from Long W harf on th e Portland w aterfront to th e Islands of C asco Bay. The Longfellow follows old steam b o at ro u te s and offers passengers a close up look at Port­ land H ead Light, Civil W ar forts, island coves with Victo­ rian sum m er cottages, seals, and Portland’s working w aterfront. Cruises leave at 10 a.m.; and 12:05, 1:30, 3:30, a n d 7:30 p.m . R ese rv a tio n s re c o m m e n d ed .

774-3578.

B ay E x p ress W ater Taxi C om pany, offers yearround, tw enty-four h o u r service from Portland to the C asco Bay Islands. For $20 to $40, this unique taxi

6 PORTLAND MONTHLY

We are proud to announce our up­ coming November special focus on T h e 10 M o st In tr ig u in g P e o p le In M ain e. It promises to be both a lively

and an eagerly read special focus issue.

W e W o u ld L ik e T o K n o w

Exactly who you feel these 10 people M a in e

p e r s o n a li t ie s

are

are. Deadline is S e p te m b e r 20. To cast your vote, call us at 775-4339 or write the names of 10 Maine residents and send them to P e o p le Issu e, Portland Monthly, 154 Middle Street, Portland, Maine. We’ll bring your selections to you as the high-impact cover story of our November 1986 issue.

m o r e fa s c in a t in g

th a n

e v e r b efo re ...

LETTERS DOWN WITH BENINGTON

pleasant an experience as actually riding on the ferries. We appreciate D.L. Cooper’s observation: “There are four vending machines, and in one of them is the best deal in town, a cup of delicious hot chocolate for only a quarter.” This and other statem ents throughout the article emphasize the author’s attention to detail by relating the experience through the eyes of the ordinary customer.

Michael Kaplan Kaplan Vending Co. Portland

That was a very strange review of Sapporo (the Japanese restaurant) in your June issue.

Your reviewer adm itted he knew lit­ tle about the history of sushi, then spent half of his piece theorizing about it. When he finally got around to writing about Sapporo, he got stuck on its decor. It’s really quite elegant and comfortable, but he said it looked like a Jewish cafeteria, thereby dem onstrating his ignorance of both ethnic traditions.

What should have been the heart of the review -- a discussion of Sapporo’s cuisine - got just a single paragraph, most of it devoted to a series of pretentious disgressions(sic).

Toward the end of the piece, your reviewer said he was ’’starting to sound like a restaurant critic.” He need not fear. The resem blance is too faint to be taken seriously. What reviewer, for instance, would pro­ claim that dining at Sapporo was ”a very satisfying outing” - which it is without giving his readers a clue about why he thought so?

I wonder why your reviewer includ­ ed a copyright line at the end of his piece. Did he fear plagarism(sic)? Is he planning to publish his collected works? Both notions are quite amus­ ing - and just as pompous as the rest of the review. Surely Portland Mon­ thly can do better.

Harvey Ardman Rockport

To The Editor: I am a long-time summ er resident of one of the Casco Bay Islands serviced by the Casco Bay Lines. I have made hundreds of trips on these and the old boats.

Yesterday I purchased a copy of the June issue of Portland M onthly, especially to read the article “Life On The Casco Bay Ferries,” by D.L. Cooper.

I was very disappointed and hurt to read the Casco Bay Line boats service only five islands.

By my count they service six, not five islands. Perhaps the author of the article has never taken a round trip on one of the boats.

Except for this one error the article was very interesting.

Elizabeth G. Van Arsdale Chebeague Island

UP WITH BENINGTON

FROM PEAKS

To The Editor: At last Portland has a good food critic with an educated palate. I en­ joyed George Benington’s review of Cafe Always almost as much as the delicious meals I’ve eaten there. Con­ gratulations to Benington and the owners of Cafe Always.

Richard Weiss Portland

To The Editor: The m agazine is great; I hope you can keep up the good job - it is a real­ ly good job.

Pearl E. Williams Peaks Island

RIDING THE CASCO BAY FERRIES To The Editor: Reading the article pertaining to Casco Bay Ferries (June, 1986) was as

SIX, NOT FIVE ISLANDS SERVED

ONE ISLANDER TO ANOTHER To D.L. Cooper: You do have a way with descriptive words - some very good and ap­ propriate, but I am surprised at the am ount of misinformation in said arti-

service m akes it possible to reach th e Islands or the m ainland quickly and conveniently. The com pany is on call 24 hours a day and is also available for ch arte r on an hourly basis. For m ore information, call L ionel Plante A sso c ia te s, 766-2508.

S co tia Prince, cruises and tours to Y arm outh, Nova Scotia and back to Portland on Prince of Fundy Cruises.

A w ide variety of to u r packages available, from a 23ho u r round trip to several d ays’ layover in Nova Scotia.

For m ore information, call (M aine only) 1-800-482-0955 or (P ortland only) 775-5616.

__________ FESTIVALS__________ Sk ow h egan State Fair. The fair enjoys a national rep­ utation as one of M aine’s top exhibitions. Superior race program s and stage show s are offered, and th e em pha­ sis on agriculture offers informative exhibits of the s ta te ’s m ost im portant industry. Draft horse, dairy, sheep and poultry shows. Skowhegan. 474-2947.

D o w n east H orse C on gress, M aine’s new est fair, fea­ tures spectacular equine events, including horse and donkey show s, dressage, and a h u n ters and jum pers show. The C ongress also offers dem onstrations, gym­ khana, a flower show, a street parade, a 4-H horse show, the Miss Rodeo Maine Pageant, an arts and crafts show, a trade show, and a goat show. Lewiston. 377-8504.

W in d sor Fair, A ugust 24 to S ep tem b er 1, offers extensive agricultural and handiwork displays, dairy and beef shows, nine days of harness racing, five days of ho rse and ox pulling, a tra c to r and truck pull, a parade, a beauty pageant and a midway. Windsor.

Sp rin gfield Fair, A ugust 29 to S ep tem b er 1, fea­ tu res 4X4 and 2wd pulls, C ountry W estern stage show s and a dance, Children’s Day, Senior Citizen’s Day, W oodm an’s Day, a horse show, pony pulling, an Exhibi­ tion Hall and an Antique Car Parade. Springfield.

H ancock C ounty A gricultural, A ugust 29 to Sep ­ tem b er 1, presents tw o fireworks shows, its 25th annual sheep dog trials, two auto thrill shows, four days of oxen and horse pulling and the only non pari-m utual horseracing in the state. Blue Hill Fairgrounds, Blue Hill.

Eighth A nnual B lu eg ra ss Festival, A ugust 29 to A ugust 31 at T hom as Point Beach in Brunswick. The L ab o r D ay w e ek e n d e v e n t fe a tu re s a na tio n a lly renow ned lineup of the best in the business: The Lew is Fam ily, O range B lo sso m B lu egrass, C.W. Brock Fam ily, Bill Grant & D elia B ell, The J o h n so n M ountain B oys, Bob & G race French & The Rain­ b o w V a lle y B o y s, W hite M ountain B lu e g r a ss, Traver H ollow , G reen M ountain B lu egrass, H obbs & Partners, and The T exas Instru m ents. The event begins a t 6 p.m. on Friday, A ugust 29, and continues from 10 a.m. to m idnight Saturday and Sunday, A ugust 30 and 31. Camping available. Individual tickets are $ 10 Friday, $ 14 for each of the next two days; a three day ticket is $32 a t the gate, $28 in advance. Children under 12 free. For advance tickets, write Thom as Point Blue­ grass Festival, c /o Pat Crooker, M eadow Road, Bruns­ wick, ME 04011, or call 725-6009.

__________ SERVICES_________ The C um berland C ounty Child A buse and N eglect C ouncil is a non-profit social service with offices in Preble Chapel, 331 C um berland Ave., Portland. The group functions as an advocate for children and as a voice for a com m unity. For m ore information, call 774-0046.

T he Rotary H o u se Fund, a com m unity service of the Portland Rotary Club, m akes housing available, at no cost, to families who m ust com e to Portland from dis­ ta n t areas for hospital care. Hospitals participating in the program include Maine Medical Center, Mercy Hospital and the O steopathic Hospital of Maine. For m ore information, write Rotary Club of Portland, ME, *177, 142 High St., Room 619, P.O. Box 1755, Portland, ME 04104; or call 773-7157.

Continued on Page 8 SEPTEMBER 1986 7

LETTERS Continued from page 7

H O R S EFEATH ER S - — In t h e C e n t e r o f N o r t h C o n w a y Vi ll ag e W h e r e w e s t a r t e d in A m e r i c a ' s B ic ente nni al y e a r . Cele bra tin g o u r 10th a n n i v e r s a r y , w e r e still th e p l a c e f o r S u s t e n a n c e .

M e r r i m e n t & C h e e r in Mt. W a s h i n g t o n Va ll ey .

7 d a y s a w e e k — 356- 26 87

H O R S EFEA T H ER S T o p of t h e Old Po rt O u r n e w e s t ( s i n c e 1981) a n d largest Horsefeathers com bines a ll t h e b e s t o f o u r e x p e r i e n c e .

H O R S EFEAT H ER S On t h e U p p e r S q u a r e Our s e c o n d r e s t a u r a n t quickly b e c a m e th e " n e ig h b o rh o o d

S uppings Menu features A m e r ic a n Regional Co ok in g W ine £ C h a m p a g n e ,

e a t e r y " in t h e NH b u s i n e s s belt.

Nightly e n t e r ta i n m e n t, g o u r m e t

e n te r t a in m e n t nightly 7 d a y s a w e e k — 773-3501

piz za, b l a c k b o a r d fr esh-fish specials & su ppings menu 7 d a y s a w e e k — 749- 04 83

On t h e B e a c h in P e r k i n s C o v e The la te st a d dit io n to o u r f a m i l y of r e s t a u r a n t s . A S e a f o o d Bar & Broiler sitting r i g h t o n t h e b e a c h in o n e of New E n g la n d 's m o s t a u th e n tic c o a s t a l villages. Fr esh -b roiled f i sh, s h e l l f i s h b a r & c h o w d e r s .

O p e n y e a r r o u n d 6 46 - 840 8 ( o p e n s J u n e 15. 1986)

T H E C O D F IS H T o p o f t h e Hill Our c h a n c e to try s o m e n e w c o n ­ c e p ts : A w a rd w inning piz z a , s a l a d ba r. s u m m e r dec k & n o w S u n d a y a f t e r n o o n J a z z . N i g ht l y e n t e r t a i n ­ m ent . w in e & c h a m p a g n e , fresh-fish b l a c k b o a r d s pe c ia ls .

7 d a y s a w e e k — 431- 85 03

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cle (“Life On The Casco Bay Ferries,” June, 1986).

Where did you get all your informa­ tion?

To whom did you talk?

Newcomers, old-timers, or did you just assume and presume a lot by observation?

You certainly ruffled a lot of feathers!

We islanders are special, unique people who live an extra special life; one we choose of our own free will.

Don’t you know the correct ter­ minology on boats? Downstairs in­ deed - try below deck.

A pilgrim ship hold? Come on now it’s not that bad!

At least you give us credit for know­ ing how to read, knit, cross-stitch.

As for the L.L. Bean bags - hey - we make use of everything (Have you tried to clean an L.L. Bean bag? They never look the same once they b e c o m e d i r t y d e s p ite u s in g everything on the market in washing them) in order to carry things to and from the mainland.

We are sensible people who do what they have to do; dress sensibly for the elements in order to live a good life on an island.

Once again - floors are decks walls are bulkheads. I can tell you know little of the language used in describing parts of boats. Oh, well.

Gossip as fuel? We are intelligent human beings who discuss more than the neighbors or newcomers. We are well aw are of local, city, and national events and air our thoughts and feel­ ings in regards to politics, foreign af­ fairs, needs of people worldwide.

Don’t judge the whole community by a few who gossip - that’s not fair!

Don’t slam the newcomers - they have to learn as I did 40 years ago.

It takes an unique person to be able to adjust to island living; it is not for everyone.

Women employees are allowed in the pilot house. Granted, even the Coast Guard regulations ban non­ employees from the wheelhouse -there may have been women in the wheelhouse - I do not feel that a label of W heelhouse Women is fitting.

It’s degrading!

The 8:15 boat does not deliver freight and bread. Newspapers and bread arrive daily except Sunday on

M em ber, In te rio r D esign Society * P ortfolio A vailable For R eview.

Continued on Page 11 8 PORTLAND MONTHLY

____________ FILM____________ Sw ept Away, Lena W ertm uller’s , 1975 classic, is the story of Raffaella, a rich, beautiful, acid-tongued Mila­ nese w ho h as ch artered a yacht, an d Gennarino, a sw arthy Sicilian deckhand. Their tum ultous courtship is a foray into class struggle an d th e b attle of th e sexes.

(Italian with English subtitles). Part of th e Portland M useum of Art’s Sum m er Camp series, the film show s on Thursday, A ugust 28, at 7 p.m. $3/$2.50. 775-6148.

C inem a City, W estbrook Plaza, W estbrook. 854-8116.

M aine Mall C inem a, Maine Mall Road, South Port­ land. 774-1022.

The M ovies at E xchange Street, 10 Exchange St., Portland. 772-9600.

N ick elo d eo n C inem a, T em ple and Middle Streets, Portland. 772-9751.

DANCE S cottish Country D ancing, with Paul Sarvis, a profes­ sional d ancer w ho h as tau g h t m aster classes and work­ shops in Scottish d an ce throughout th e U.S. and Can­ ada. E very W ed n esd a y e v en in g a t 7:30 a t Williston West Church, 32 Thom as St., Portland. 775-4019.

RESTAURANTS A lberta’s. 21 Pleasant Street, Portland. All the selec­ tions from A lberta’s ever-changing m enu are cooked to order over their m esquite charcoal grill. Steaks, seafood, and butterflied leg of lam b are accom panied by h o m e­ m ade soups, breads, and desserts, including “D eath by C hocolate.” Lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch. Major credit cards. 774-5408.

Afghan R estaurant. 629 C ongress Street, Portland.

Delicious an d exotic Afghani cuisine in a family setting.

A tm osphere includes paintings by ow ner with fun per­ spectives. 773-3431.

A m igo’s. 9 D ana Street, Portland. A wide selection of Mexican food in a relaxed setting. Enchiladas, tacos, burritos, everything m ade from scratch . Brings the Mex­ ican experience to th e Old Port. Lunch an d dinner T uesdays through Saturdays, clo sed Sunday and M on­ day. 772-0772.

The B aker’s T able. 434 Fore Street, Portland. Relaxed bistro ben eath th e Old Port Bakehouse offers diverse European cooking, veal, fish, tournedos, hom em ade chow ders, soups, stew s including bouillabaisse are available, as well as fresh bread s and pastries from upstairs. Local artists exhibit occasionally. Major credit cards. 775-0303.

The B lue M oon. 425 Fore Street, Portland. P ortland’s new jazz club re stau ran t features le jazz h o t— live— nightly as well as an entertaining dinner m enu. A strong addition to P ortland’s nightlife. 871-0663.

B o o n e ’s. C ustom H ouse Wharf, Portland. T hey’ve been serving an extraordinary range of seafood since 1898.

Portland m em orabilia an d antiques are displayed in the heavy-beam ed dining room , an d th ere are nightly sp e­ cials in addi^on to th e extensive menu. Lunch and dinner daily, all m ajor credit cards. 774-5725.

th a t changes weekly; steaks and seafood are great, too.

M arble fireplaces warm the room s of this historic build­ ing, an d conference sp ac e is available. Reservations suggested. 846-3895.

Carbur’s . 123 Middle Street, Portland. Carbur’s is fun, from th e m enu to the antique advertisem ents, to the “Kitchen Sink Club,” a sandw ich accom panied by a p arad e of th e restaurant staff. A lthough the m enu fea­ tu res sandw iches, soups and salads are hom em ade and inventive, too. C arbur’s h as a new b a n q u et room w ith a special m enu, and they have a prim e rib special T hurs­ day, Friday, and Saturday nights. Lunch and dinner, major credit cards. 772-7794.

C avanagh’s. 154 Middle Street, Portland. The afford­ able m enu includes hearty sandw iches and salad bar.

H ouse specialties are ribs, chicken fried streak, and lobster specials. T here is a full b a r featuring Cavanagh’s W orld Fam ous Margaritas. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner: 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Major credit cards. 772-8885.

C hannel C rossin g. 23 Front Street, South Portland. An elegant re stau ran t with an elegant view of Portland from its p erch on the water. Teriaki sirloin is a favorite, as is “Fresh C atch,” the very freshest fish available each day.

Lunch and dinner, Sunday brunch, major credit cards.

799-5552.

C h risto p h er’s . 688 Forest Avenue, Portland. Greek w ines can be had with the baked lam b in tom ato sauce and o th e r Greek specialties. Philo pies and stuffed grape leaves lead crisply into the fresh baklava and o ther desserts. A relaxed, spacious restaurant. Lunch and dinner M onday through Friday, dinner only on Saturday, closed Sunday. Major credit cards. 772-6877.

D eli O ne. 106 Exchange Street, Portland. Spinach and sausage pie, pasta, om elets, deli sandw iches are am ong th e international a ttractions in this cozy place. The so u p s an d chow ders are intriguing as well. A sunny patio w hen seaso n perm its. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Sunday brunch. Art exhibits by local talent. MC, V. 772-7115.

D iM illo’s Floating R estaurant. Long Wharf, Portland.

U nique floating re stau ran t has steaks, seafood, Italian cuisine, ribs, and, always, lobster. Fine wines, nightly chef’s specials, and entertainm ent. Lunch and dinner daily, Sunday brunch. Major credit cards. 772-2216.

D ock Fore. 336 Fore Street, Portland. Daily specials in this cozy Old Port setting include burgers, quiches, soups, chow ders, fresh fish, steam ers, and m ussels.

Lunch and dinner. 772-8619.

El M irador. 50 W harf Street, Portland. The true ta ste of Mexico com es to the Old Port. Direct from New York City, El M irador is one of P ortland’s new est and finest restau­ ra n t additions. A uthentic Mexican recipes are created from th e freshest ingredients daily. Dine in the Ixtapa, C hapultapec, or V eracruz Rooms. Linger over a margarita in o u r exciting Cantina. Or enjoy th o se warm sum m er nights on th e Patio. O pen for Lunch and Dinner. Call for reservations. 781-0050.

The G alley. 215 Foreside Road, Falmouth. Located at H andy Boat Yard, The Galley offers a beautiful view of C lapboard and C hebeague Islands plus sleek racing y ach ts an d an im pressive, varied m enu of seafood spe­ cialties. Cocktail lounge o n u p p e r deck. A m ust for the yachting set. 781-4262.

Brattle Street. 19 B rattle Street, Portland. Fine French cuisine. W heelchair accessible. 772-4658.

T he G ood Egg Cafe. 705 C ongress Street, Portland.

B reakfast is the specialty in this com fortable cafe. H ouse favorites are the hom em ade hash, English muffins, and multi-grain pancakes. The egg variations are endless, a n d th e re are herbal te a s and fresh ground coffee.

M onthly exhibits by stu d en t artists. W eekdays 6-12, Saturday 7-2, Sunday 8-2. 773-0801.

Cafe A lw ays. 47 Middle Street, Portland. One of Port­ land’s new est restau ran ts. Features strong, ambitious m enu and a rom antic atm o sp h ere. 774-9399.

G orham Station. 29 Elm Street, Gorham. A lovely full-service re stau ran t in a restored railroad station.

Steak an d seafood; American favorites. 839-3354.

Cafe C o rn erb ro o k . C orn erb ro o k shopping plaza, opposite th e M aine Mall, South Portland. The th eatre kitchen serv es up such specialties as sau teed soft-shell crab, philo pie, seafood an d p a sta salads. Q uiches and soups are c re ated daily; jazz b ands play nightly. Break­ fast, lunch, and dinner, Saturday and Sunday brunch.

772-3224.

T he G reat L ost Bear. 540 Forest Avenue, Portland. The exotic burgers, th e friendly service, the etched glass, the hilarious m enu m ake T he Bear a special spot. T here’s also award-winning chili, ribs, chicken, and steak, and of course, th e hom em ade Toll H ouse Cookie Pie. For su m m er days, th e re is a patio in Bearidise Alley, and for Sundays, a cham pagne brunch. Lunch and dinner 7 days served right to 11:30. 772-0300.

B ram hall Pub. 769 Congress Street, Portland. Soups and sandw iches in a p retty brick-walled setting b en eath the Roma Cafe. 773-8329.

Camp H am m ond. 74 Main Street, Yarmouth. Lunch and dinner are served in four ro o m s of a beautiful Victorian hom e. Veal an d lam b are featured on a m enu

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A legacy of prid e . . .a future of promise. It’s as true to d a y as it was a hundred years ago. For w ithout A the skill and d e d icatio n of g e n e r­ ations of M aine shipbuilders, the hallm ark Bath-built® w ould never have b ecom e a synonym for excellence.

A n d w ithout innovative, e xp e rie n ce d m anagem ent, o u r small shipyard w ould never have b e c o m e one of the p re ­ eminent nam es in Am erican shipbuilding.

Thanks, Maine, for a great sh ip ­ building tradition.

A history of Bath Iron Works is on display at the M aine Maritim e M useum in Bath.

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LETTERS C o n tin u e d fro m pa g e 8

the 5:40 a.m. boat. Alan delivers the bread to Feeney’s Market at 8:30 a.m.!

You make it sound as if we are outside the country!

Please check your resources next time before printing untruths.

The Rebel is a hard-working boat and the deckhands do a very good job of directing the cars on and off. City dwellers do not always understand the hand signals, but it’s old hat to the regular commuters. These young men know what they are doing!

Half the fun of a tourist-filled run is the Speil. Even the islanders enjoy it!

You are saved by the last two paragraphs - they are great!

Marjorie Erico Peaks Island

G reen M ountain C offee R oasters. 15 Temple Street, Portland. Exotic coffees and teas, interesting conversa­ tions, great location n ear O ne City C enter and Nickelo­ d eo n movie th eatres. O pen late in the evenings.

773-4475.

H am ilton’s India R estaurant. 43 Middle Street, Port­ land. N orthern and C entral Indian cuisine by chef Hamil­ ton Ash. MC/VISA/Am. Express. 773-4498.

H o r se fe a th e r s . 193 M iddle Street, P ortland. The award-winning m enu offers fresh char-broiled fish, stirfries, steaks, veal O scar, as well as notorious “Horsefries” an d nachos. M any daily specials, served by a cheery, creative staff. Elegant and fun. Entertainm ent nightly. Lunch and dinner, 11:00 to 11:45 daily. Major credit cards. 773-3501.

H uShang II. 11 Brown Street, Portland. Award-winning Szechuan, Shanghai, M andarin, and Hunan cuisine.

Spicy and inventive. A Portland mainstay. Lunch and dinner daily. 774-0800.

Hu Sh ang III. 29 Exchange Street, Portland. Shrimp in black b ean sauce, cashew chicken are am ong th e Sze­ chuan, Hunan, Shanghai, and M andarin dishes offered.

Daily luncheon specials, hom em ade Chinese soups.

Two brick an d glass dining room s. Lunch and dinner.

Major credit cards. 773-0300.

J ’s O yster Bar. 5 P ortland Pier, Portland. Delicious w aterfront sp o t for seafood lovers. O ysters, steam ed clam s, very fresh seafood. 772-4828.

Editor’s Note: D.L Cooper is also a Peaks Island resident.

J a m e so n Tavern. 115 Main Street, Freeport. Steaks, veal, seafood, and daily chef’s specials. Veal sau teed with proscuitto, provolone, and m ushroom s is a favorite, served in an historical colonial home. Lunch and dinner, Sunday brunch. 865-4196.

DURING LUNCH AT HORSEFEATHERS

J u stin ’s R estaurant. 645 C ongress Street, Portland.

D electable array of seafood, beef, poultry and very specialized veal entrees. O ur luncheon m enu includes a choice of creative, fresh salads and a variety of san d ­ wiches. Elegant pastries and d esserts are created daily along with o ur freshly baked breads. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. Candlelight dining with Roy Frazee at the piano.

773-5166.

To The Editor: Y e s t e r d a y 1 h a d lu n c h a t H o rs e fe a th e rs a n d R obin, th e bartender, handed me the latest copy of Portland Monthly. It was the first I’d seen of it and I was very impressed with the way the parking story (July, 1986) w as p re s e n te d .

The photographs were crisp and welltuned to the text, the layout dynamic, and the graphics compelling. It pulled in my vision. Just wanted to say thanks to the people who put it together. Excellent work.

Chris Stewart Gorham

DATING SERVICES To The Editor: It was refreshing to read about the positive look into the dating services for single people (May, 1986).

Portland can be proud to have a magazine to amuse as well as inform the public of all the different places, businesses, people of interest, and views available to them. I’m looking forward to reading your magazine each month.

Edwin Seale P o rtla n d

L’A ntibes. 27 Forest Avenue, Portland. Elegant French cuisine served in the Portland Performing Arts Center.

Perfect sp o t before and after Portland Stage productions an d o th e r Arts C enter events. Extensive wine list.

772-0453.

La S a lsa . 444 Fore Street, Portland. Spicy, new-age restau ran t features Chile verde enchiladas, Indian blue corn tortillas and tam ales, Colache burritos, distinctive soups, an d New Mexican and South American fish dishes. New location sp o rts high-design interior, daily specials. Also: lamb dishes and Mexican bread pudding.

775-5674.

L obster Shack. 246 Two Lights Road, Cape Elizabeth.

Striking o cean view and picnic seafood to m atch. Great sp o t to w atch Portland and C enterboard Yacht Club events. 799-1677.

T he Madd A pple Cafe. 23 Forest Avenue, Portland. An intim ate A merican bistro located in the Portland Per­ forming Arts Center. Offering a changing menu, special­ ties include Carolina C hopped Pork BBQ, Shrimp Rem oulade, T o urnedos M archand du Vin, and B ananas Foster. L unch and dinner. Major credit cards. 774-9698.

M aria’s R istorante. 337 Cum berland Avenue, Port­ land. Formal dining, good wines, and fine Italian cuisine.

O w ner an d chef, A nthony N apolitano specializes in veal dishes, including veal scallopini m arsala, and there is an em phasis on fresh seafood, as well. Dinner 5-10 w eek­ days, 5-11 w eekends. MC, VISA. 772-9232.

M ichel’s at Exit 8. 202 Larrabee Road, W estbrook.

Seafood an d steaks in a pretty, plant-filled diningroom .

Among th e selections are a tw o-pound prime rib, baked haddock, an d Sicilian scallops. The portions are large, dinner specials change every two w eeks, lunch specials every day. Lunch and dinner. Major credit cards.

854-9496.

Old Port T avern. 11 M oulton Street, Portland. Steaks, seafood, salad bar, and live music in the heart of the Old Port. Award-winning Bloody Mary’s. 774-0444.

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C ontinued on Page 28 SEPTEMBER 1986 11

‘B lowdown,”Alan Bray, 1983.

"Flight in to E gypt,” A la n 14 PORTLAND MONTHLY

B ra y , 1978.

ARE PORTLAND'S HOTTEST YOUNG ARTISTS ALSO ITS BEST INVESTMENT?

BY C O L IN SARGENT

Im a g in e Portland having no art gallery until 1966.

Imagine classy Alan Bray landing in this dark city with a black suitcase full of paintings (like The Man Who Fell To Earth), unannounced, brilliant, in Portland in 1973 after earning his MFA in painting from the Villa Schifanoia in Florence, Italy.

Imagine Bray running into A Cer­ tain Gallery Director.

Imagine A Certain Gallery Director looking at the paintings for a few seconds and pausing...

Imagine how the city of Portland must have been in those dark years, when that Certain Gallery Director told Alan Bray to “try gift shops” as a m arket for his contem porary art!

N ^ w , with contem porary art in the black, with over 15 private galleries to choose from in the immediate area, Bray is a star, with his striking, distur­ bing works in tem pera selling very quickly in this m arket for $5,000 to $ 6 ,0 0 0 .

Five years ago, sm art investors w ere buying his paintings for $400 to $500.

To call him “this year’s Eric Hopkins” is an oversimplification, as tautological as calling Eric Hopkins “last year’s Alan Bray.” But any way you want to snap the rubber band of celebrity, Portland now has a group of “nam e” artists and galleries, art con­ sultants, et. al., with growing private and corporate audiences - finally -a n d gallery crowds with the in­ telligence to look beyond the duck paintings and trivial lobsterboat scenes for some originality, personali­ ty, interpretation.

w

e used to call it Villa Paranoia,” says Alan Bray of Villa Schifanoia.

“Nuns ran it.” It was during this period that “1 was very taken with early Renaissance painting. The early pain­ tings I saw in Italy didn’t have all that romantic mushiness...you know, the grand tradition of oil paintings with all

that gold and unfocused glow...there was som ething modern about those Italian landscapes...”

Something acute.

And that “m odern something” soon developed into w hat critics began to call magic realism in Bray's work, an acute and selective attention to detail that m akes individual objects (rocks, trees, a waterfall with antigravitational water running up instead of down) so clear that they’re wonderful­ ly disturbing to a viewer, as if the natural scene has a hidden agenda that will devour you if you stroll too far into the woods from your Volvo station wagon...a sort of surly in­ telligence that dwells in Bray’s rocks, trees, and stream s and whispers, “Maybe you don’t belong here.”

“Sometimes they even scare m e,” Bray laughs.

“They’ve been called ‘m enacing,’ ‘ominous.’ Actually, the detailing that comes out as ‘magic realism’ is something I understand a lot more about when I’m finished,” he says. “I sort of have a hard time with the term . It’s much more solidly based in the landscape than it might appear.

The point is, it’s hard to look at land­ scapes in the old romantic way anym ore, what with modern physics there didn’t seem to be any analysis anym ore in landscape painting. See­ ing a lot of medieval paintings gave me the courage to come back to Maine and paint it this way.”

Another disturbing and successful technique of Bray’s is his use of light and color. T here’s no attem pt to blend colors softly together in decorative fashion - often his colors look pur­ posely unmixed, caught before they can pose and subsume themselves in­ to the deception of a traditional land­ scape.

Colors still in their bathrobes before they can wake up.

Colors not ready for you to ring the doorbell.

Untouristy.

Scary.

“1 tend to paint places from

m em ory,” says Bray, who’s just finishing a painting of “the Seven Deadlies,” with medieval illumination figures juxtaposed against stubbed-out cigarettes. ”1 don’t go set up (an easel).

I go out drawing for discipline.”

Painting from m em ory found the Sangerville, Maine native in Florence, Italy’s strange environs painting the Sesquicentennial Parade in Monson, Maine “through an Italian lens,” with Villa Schifanoia nuns scurrying about like black and white polarized images.

To paint Maine with this kind of detachm ent required both classical art training (Art Institute of Boston, ‘68; B.S., Art, University of Southern Maine, working closely with Juris Ubans and Mike Moore, ‘71; and M.A., Painting, Villa Schifanoia Graduate School of Fine Arts) and aesthetic distance, shades of W ordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey,” w here the poet had to wait 5 years before memory had ferm ented properly to allow him to tackle the ’’sylvan Wye.” So Bray is no overnight success. It’s just that the mechanism to recognize his success in Portland has developed virtually overnight.

He’s being collected by psychiatrist Dr. Carl Metzger, Robert Masterton (Maine Savings Bank), businessman Robert A. Monks, Sharon Kallwert, and a num ber of other Maine and outof-state buyers.

Recently, the contem porary art fever hit One City Center. ’’They were using polaroids!” says Bray. “They were taking polaroids (of his and other Barridoff Galleries artists’ work) across the street, for Pete’s sake, holding them up to the walls, and say­ ing, ‘Let’s take this one!”

“T hey’re testing the corporate w aters” for contem porary art all over town, says Bray, who tells an in­ teresting story about Unionmutual: “Through Barridoff Galleries, Unionmutual was considering a fish painting of mine for months.

“First 30 days passed. I asked Rob (Elowitch) what was going on. ‘It was being considered by com m ittee,’ we SEPTEMBER 1986 15

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In Portland gallery Aug. 1-31 Original work by Carol Sebold, Neal Parent & Joe Frassetta.

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16 PORTLAND MONTHLY

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O ’F A R R E L L Q a lle ru 46 M aine Street Brunswick, M aine 040T1 (207) 729-8228

were told. Then 60 days passed. It dragged on and on. They were ‘waiting for accounting.’ They were ‘in the process of cutting a check.’ I said ‘Get it’ to Rob. ‘If they want the painting they can come over here and buy it.’” Bray smiles and says, “Yes, it was a little risky. But it paid off. The afternoon it was brought back, Carl Metzger walked into Barridoff, saw it for the first time, and bought it on the spot!”

Bray is grateful to Rob and Annette Elowitch for recognizing his talent years ago, when he needed recogni­ tion and support in the mid-1970s. “At first Rob seemed real cool, but by the time he’d seen my paintings (from Ita­ ly in that famous black suitcase), he becam e real animated. Rob has responded to my work in a very real and personal way. It’s funny - he plays the hard guy and then Anette comes over as the good girl and smooths things over.”

Regarding “trickle down” from Portland’s real estate development boom to the art community, Bray says, “Oh, yeah. No question about it.

Barridoff’s reorganization is to better configure itself” to increased contem­ porary art demands from the private and corporate sectors. “The contem­ porary stuff began to edge into the black on its own volition. There’s a new breed of galleries now, not like tourist places - I’ve always avoided those places like the plague.”

And art consultants have hit the metropole “like certain birds,” says Bray. “Suddenly in Portland there’s a bunch of them. I’ve never seen one face to face, but basically they go to a corporation and say ‘You should be collecting art,’ and try to tailor a col­ lection for them. See this painting (he gestures with a smile toward one on his studio wall)? It has a scratch in it from an art consultant!” One of Bray's newest paintings is a line of shrubs bagged for the winter with white cloth coverings. They stand symmetrically in front of a line of wilder trees, and yes, there’s something, there’s this uneasy feeling you get looking at one of the bagged bushes. “Last winter I was doing some studies with a model - a female bodybuilder,” smiles Bray. ”So maybe some of that crept into this painting, which I started next. I guess the model was a litte upset when she learned that I’d turned her into a bush.”

■*'.$m

.

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IMAGE W ORKS

“Q u arry P o in t,” A la n

B ra y , 1982.

blown and a r t glass th e la rg e s t regional glass gallery in the un ited s ta te s , fe a tu rin g th e blown and a r t glass of tw e n ty -th re e new england a rtis ts .

the stein glass gallery 2 0 milk stre e t / in the old port Portland me 04101 / (207) 7 7 2 -9 0 7 2

CHROMA A r t i s t S u p p ly C o m p a n y ^ S;’ C u sto m F ra m in e r’

ANTIQUE MAINE MAPS PRINTS 26 E x c h a n g e S t r e e t , P o r t la n d .,M a i n e IMAGE W ORKS

“The Falls a t T h o m pson ,” A la n

B ra y , 1984.

SEPTEMBER 1986 17

Autumnal Fire, Michael Willis, 1978. Courtesy of the Hitchcock Collection of Contemporary Art.

18 PORTLAND MONTHLY

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Purchasing fine early paintings

A r t d e a le r David Hitchcock of Hitchcock Art Dealers, a tw e n ty y e a r c o lle c to r tu rn e d dealer.

I t ’s not so much who’s the next Eric Hopkins,” begins David Hitchcock, founder of the Hitchcock Collection of C ontem porary Art, 602 Congress Street. “The real question is, w ho’s the next Marsden Hartley?”

For candidates he presently lists: William Manning, Howard Rackliffe, Anne Gresinger, Eric Hopkins, Betsey Meyer, Michael Willis, Katherine Bradford, Philip Barter, Natasha Mayers, James Linnehan, W endy Kin­ dred, Sherry Miller, Matt Blackwell, Marilyn Blinkhorn, Frederick Lynch, DeWitt Hardy, and Celeste Roberge.

“Michael Willis, for example, has been painting in Portland for the last 30 years, largely ignored by the art establishment. About a half dozen knowledgable collectors have been collecting up to 40 Willis paintings each, recognizing the obvious talent,

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Atlantic Opening, Sherry Miller, 1983.

One p a in te r D a vid H itc h c o c k says has a chance to be the n e x t M arsden Hartley.

Hobe Sound Galleries North presents William Thon w a te rco lo rs an d oils, A ug ust 20- S eptem ber 20. W illiam T h o n ’s one man sh o w a t H obe S ound is his first m a jo r g a lle ry s h o w in the S tate o f Maine.

Thon has been a reside nt o f P o rt Clyde, M aine since 1946.

2 0 PORTLAND MONTHLY

the undervaluation by the m arket, and the likely prospects of Willis pain­ tings in the future. A painting that recently sold for $1,500 would have sold for $500 three years ago.”

Dean V alentgas, an individual underwriting executive and local art collector, has purchased over 50 con­ tem porary paintings in the last two years. He mentions Frederick Lynch, M arjorie M oore, L arry H ayden, DeWitt Hardy, and Betsy Meyer as high-quality artists to watch. Valen­ tgas was savvy enough to buy three Anne Gresingers when they w ere still in the O’Farrell basem ent. “It’s phenom enal that an artist of her age (24) could have caught on like she has this sum m er.”

Valentgas is even m ore excited about Betsy Meyer, who waitresses nights at Deli One. “Anne Gresinger seems to be very hot,” says Hitchcock. “The contem ­ porary art m arket is embryonic. It’s all so new that things are almost hap­ pening by chance. The danger of all this is that people often know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

Hobe Sound Galleries North direc­ tor Peter Bullock at 5 Milk Street adds mystery to the situation when he says, “This is all privileged business infor­ mation. I have to protect my cor­ porate and private clientele. We’re seeing m ore m ovem ent in Portland m ore people aware of contem porary art, but I don’t go asking Benoits what sport jacket is selling best this summer!”(We did. It’s the silver Fiesta, by King's Ridge.)

Regarding corporate purchases, David Hitchcock allows that tastes are still running strongly on the represen­ tational side. “A lot of corporations w ant pablams. They w ant work that doesn’t offend anybody.” On the other hand, Hitchcock explains that ’’Trickle down” does have a very positive effect because “look at Liber­ ty Group's mural project. They’re get­ ting a trem endous am ount of mileage from that. I think it’s great. It provides recognition for area artists.” It also serves as a very public olive branch from local developers to the art com­ munity.

For new collectors, Ray Farrell, of O’Farrell Gallery, 46 Maine Street, Brunswick, has an interesting pro­ gram for the $500 to $1,500 level: “We’re very m arketable for the young

collector. We’ve started a 90-day no­ interest program. It m akes a big dif­ ference. There are times when I see a painting for $1,500 and have to think twice, and we w ant to encourage peo­ ple to buy art. “ 1 don’t prom ote art as an invest­ ment. Of course you should pick a painting because you love it. But to ig­ nore the idea of art appreciation is to stick your head in the sand.”

Farrell used to work as an art con­ sultant out of New York, with clients like Texaco, Union Carbide, and General Electric. “One New York dealer asked me if I w anted to sell An­ dy W arhol’s work and I did, so when I m oved to Maine I brought Andy with me.

“Two galleries in New York are already interested in picking up Anne Gresinger. But things have changed so much that we think there’s a value to keeping her here. You don’t necessarily have to go to New York rig h t aw ay to get reco g n ized anym ore.”

Interestingly, Farrell is also actively recruiting corporate buyers for largesca le e n v iro n m e n ta l sc u lp tu re s.

“T here’s a real lack of them in Maine.

I’m working with a major corporate client w ho’s interested in acquiring one.”

C redit for c o n te m p o ra ry a rt aw areness should also go to Posters Plus, which colorfully introduces local browsers to a wide range of regional and national contem porary art. Many a developing collector has discovered a love for contem porary art at the gallery now located at 146 Middle Street.

Sales are impressive at Posters Plus - this year Peaks islander Peyton Higgeson’s 3-week show brought in $10,000 in sales for his work alone.

“We’re doing very aggressive cor­ porate campaigns, too,” says Phil Stein of Stein Glass Gallery. “We recently sold a piece of glass to Mur­ ray, Plumb, and Murray. We had 4 pieces of glass over there, and they kept a large aquam arine bowl resting on a base of clear crystal by Matthew Buechner, whose father is president of the Corning Museum. W e’ve also sold a piece recently to Daniel Zilkha, corporate counsel for Indian Affairs at Katahdin Corp. The nice part about glass is you can’t put a nail in it. To observe it, you can touch it, and that is appealing to a lot of corporations.”

KEEP MAINE BEAUTIFUL T he professionals at INNOVATIONS are specialists at: ■ Cosm opolitan H air Styling ■ Personalized Make-Up Design ■ Manicures Com e celebrate M aine beauty now and throughout the year.

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SEPTEMBER 1986 21

CONTROVERSY

WHEN THE CITY OF PORTLAND AND THE STATE OF MAINE INVEST IN ART J im S k in n e r ’s $17,000 sculpture looks

back to the SMVTI m achine tools building that made it possible.

Deering High School students move in and out of the school’s new gym­ nasium. J o s e p h N ic o le t ti’s basketball players, however, remain in suspend­ ed motion.

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The idea seemed so simple: Place art in public buildings...

22 PORTLAND MONTHLY

BY BRUCE K ID M A N

I n 1979, Maine becam e the 21st state with legislation making public monies available for art each time a statefunded construction or renovation project began. Over the next six years the P e r c e n t f o r A rt program ac­ counted for approxim ately $150,000 worth of art as only 14 buildings rang­ ing from elem entary schools to state offices took advantage of the pro­ gram. With 43 more now in progress, and the dollars invested in art heading over a half million, it is clear the idea has taken hold. But it is not so simple.

The roughest of times may well be over. Local resistance - a compound of political wariness, fiscal conser­ vatism, and fear of the unfamiliar -h a s turned, in most places, to open acceptance. Yet the process of actual­ ly choosing the art will always be what one observer calls “an issue of constant balancing and judgments, a road full of little bumps and potholes.”

Within the context of that process, the rem aining issues are under cons­ tant debate.

Selection committes in a school, for example, typically bring together school adm inistrators, architects, town councilmen, sometimes parents, and, invariably, several art experts appointed by the agency charged with administering the law, the Maine Arts Commission. Practical concerns vie with the esoteric, and it is hard to know which are more important. One m em ber may ask: “What if students vandalize the art - will it survive?”

The next wonders: “Is this art am ­ bitious enough, challenging enough -will it last?”

The state’s testing ground for Per­ cent for Art was to the northwest of Portland, at the Poland Community School. First test: worst experience.

The issue was one of local control.

After many a long and arduous meeting, after slide presentations and interviews with artists, after selecting four finalists, the community leaders learned, to their dismay, that ultimate ap p ro v al of a rtw o rk s w as the prerogative of the Maine Arts Com­ mission. Tem pers exploded. It was the law, and if that w asn’t enough, so­ m eone at the state level even had the nerve to question w hether a painting of chickadees was appropriate art for the school.

What followed was, at best, a com­ edy of m is c o m m u n ic a tio n .

Somewhere in the midst of it all, legislators sought to am end the law to give real control of art selection to the local community. The move failed by vote, but passed in practice (and was eventually fashioned into the law by the arts commission itself). At any rate, Poland got the art it wanted: an historical mural, a carved wood black panther, an animal mural, and the chickadees. All very traditional, and very safe.

Central to the issue of local versus state approval w ere the questions of who is qualified to choose the art and what kind of art they should choose.

The P o la n d e x p e rie n c e dem onstrated the need for very clear communication between the local community and the state. To the credit of director Denny Wilson and his arts commission staff, that becam e the hallmark of succeeding projects.

The second lesson of Poland had to do with the representatives appointed by the state. From that point on, the Maine Arts Commission has em­ phasized their appointees’ role as art e x p e rts and a d v is o rs , and downplayed their role as art selectors.

“I’m not there to select the art,” says Harriett Matthews, a Maine sculptor who served as one arts com­ mission representative on a Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute (SMVTI) project. “What I try to do is encourage people to keep their ideas open. Everybody seems to start out with an idea of just what they want.

Well, nobody is going to make exactly what you want.”

If Matthews is comfortable as expert guide and advisor, another arts com­ mission appointee suggests the art ex­ perts need to play an even m ore ac­ tive role.

“A great deal of Maine art is too safe to begin with,” insists John Coffey, curator of the Walker Museum of Art at Bowdoin College. “And safe art is flabby art. Too many committees worry about how they are going to explain their choices to other people.

They end up with art that fades into the wall as quickly as a reproduction of Christina’s World. The com m ittees’ responsibility is to provide the best art. W hether it's popular art shouldn’t enter into it. Any good piece of art is

going to be complained about.”

And indeed, completed projects of $25,000 at Portland’s Deering High School and $18,000 at SMVTI in South Portland have not pleased everyone.

The Deering project almost didn’t happen. Schools, unlike other publicly funded buildings, have the option to participate or not. The Portland school committee took one look at the $25,000 price tag and said, “No thanks.” It took pressure from the building committee and the public to convince the council to reconsider.

“That was a vote of m isunderstan­ ding,” says city councilor Linda Abromson, then a m em ber of the building com m ittee. “They w ere afraid we just didn’t have an extra $25,000 to put into art.”

Once the school committee learned that the money for art was available over and above the construction budget, the vote turned around. Still, concern about spending money on art instead of blackboards has cropped up around the state. The premise of the Percent for Art law - that exposure to art is a valuable, essential experience for living and learning - does not con­ vince every Maine citizen. Art looks awfully much like a luxury to those folks, and the idea that we should spend real money on it leaves them squirming in their seats.

Named to chair the Deering com­ m ittee was the man who has made fiscal conservatism in Portland a per­ sonal crusade, city councilor Don MacWilliams. His was apparently a lonely, if undaunted, voice calling for the kind of art people can easily iden­ tify.

“My first choice would have been a bust of former principal William Wing,” says MacWilliams. A true historian of his native city, Mac­ Williams also suggested art that com­ m em orated events of significance in the Deering neighborhoods: the in­ vention of the glass insulator by Cor­ nell, the Presumpscot Trotting Park, the first telegraph wires.

What MacWilliams wanted was what Poland had chosen: the kind of art we all grew up with. Enlightening not of itself, but because of what it depicted - like a painting of George Washington. No grade school teacher ever pointed to George and said, “Now consider the way the surface SEPTEMBER 1986 23

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George W ashington was hanging in the hallway because he was an American hero. A ny picture of George Washington would have done as well.

The Deering comm ittee followed w hat has becom e the usual pro­ cedure. They spent many hours view­ ing slides of artists’ work, narrowing the possibilities from hundreds to about 20. They then wrote the artists, asking them to visit the school, review the plans, and make proposals specific to the new addition. Four artists made the final cut. Photographer Chris Church was aw arded $4,000 for 16 photographs of the Greater Portland area. For $7,500, Joseph Nicolette created a painting of basketball players converging on the hoop (he attended Deering games religiously in preparation).

Painter Marjorie Moore had an am­ bitious $12,000 proposal to address a curved wall outside the administra­ tion offices. It called for shelves holding mixed media drawings and assemblages with the word “Deering” scrawled beneath in neon “to set the space aglow.” Concerned the con­ 24 PORTLAND MONTHLY

T h e H e a r t o f P o r tla n d

struction would attract vandalism, the committee suggested a compromise: $3,000 for five assemblages to hang in the new library. The curved wall went to Paul Heroux for a 7’x26’ mural of handm ade, china-paint-glazed tiles virtually indestructible. H eroux’s abstract aquatic scene has gathered the most com m ent and controversy.

Committee m em ber Joanne Waxman isn’t surprised.

“Paul Heroux’s work isn’t easy art to understand,” she says. ’’But that certainly doesn’t bother me, doesn’t bother me at all. Art should be challenging. We have 1,300 students at Deering. We’ll have 1,300 different reactions. If they are not exposed, how can they learn?

(Waxman, director of the Portland School of Art library, must have seem ­ ed an unassailable choice for the Deering committee: “I went to Deer­ ing. My husband went to Deering. My three daughters went to Deering ... and we lived right around the corner.”)

Percent for Art projects throughout the state have been the domain of Maine artists. It is not the law. It is just

how people want it. That the same ar­ tists appear with regularity concerns some. Others counter that there are simply not enough Maine artists with the ability or track record to pull off a large commission. (“You can’t give a big commission to an artist with two exhibitions and a lot of ambition,” says Coffey.) Sometimes a long track record is not the ticket either. Joanne Waxman says her committee saw too many slides of generalized, sanitized, one-size-fits-all art -- usually from out of state.

“There are people who make their living off Percent for Art projects around the country,” she says. “After looking at the slides a while you could tell. You’d be going along and sudden­ ly there would be this big architec­ turally oriented amoebic shape. “ If you want am oebas on your walls,” they seemed to say, “I’m your guy!”

We didn’t preclude anyone from out of state. The fact is, we just never came across anything from out of state that interested us.”

When the Southern Maine Voca­ tional Technical Institute committee narrow ed their field from 51 sculptors to 10, one of the artists was from New York. All 10 w ere sent letters re­ questing site specific proposals, only hers included the line ’’preference will be given to the nine Maine artists.”

Can you guess which of the 10 failed to present a proposal?

Dick Davis has been in the machine tool trades for 24 years, and has taught at SMVTI for nine. Like many local representatives appointed to Percent for Art committes, Davis had no background in art.

“It was strange at first,” he says. “I wasn’t really sure why I was on the committee. I didn’t know where the artists were coming from, so I did a lot of hard listening. I concluded that I was there to see that the art chosen would be acceptable not only to the school, but to the community.”

T he c o m m itte e ’s ch o ice was Portland artist Jim Skinner. Skinner chose to involve SMVTI students in the fabrication of portions of his $17,000 p o u re d c o n c re te an d aluminum sculpture. Davis, who supervised the students, says the best part of the whole Percent for Art pro­ cess was the opportunity “to pick Jim Skinner’s mind.” In explaining his piece, Skinner touched on a concept new to Davis: Each viewer, he said,

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was free to interpret the sculpture in his own way. Explanations too specific could prove more confusing then helpful.

It is a concept - an assumption common to many contemporary ar­ tists. It is also what may unnerve many non-artists who prefer their world literal and undemanding. Dick Davis wasn’t one of them.

“The only negative thing I’ve heard about the sculpture is that question ‘What does is mean?’ says Davis. “And I don’t know that that is negative. To me the sculpture represents ‘thought,’ and the calipers circling the back of the sculpture link it to the trades. Of course what I see may be 180 degrees from what somebody else sees.”

And, in this case, that seems to be true. W here Davis is well pleased with the sculpture, others are not. Some question its relationship to the campus and to the campus’s seaside location.

Some just are not impressed.

“The best thing for m e,” says the ar­ tist, “was the opportunity to have a budget this size, to commit myself, but also to risk myself. When you have to deal with the fact that your work may

well be there for centuries, reality sets in. If you make a false move, a lot of people will know.”

The merits of any one work of art aside, the dilemma seems to be about serving two masters. If the art is bold, inventive, perhaps even abrasive and challenging, som eone will question what it has to do with its surroun­ dings. If it presents familiar subjects, conventionally rendered ... well, what is the point? And then, too, what is startling to one, strikes the next per­ son as pretty tame. The question may be w hether you start with art that ever so gently lifts the general public’s tastes and awareness, or w hether you yank them into the art present.

Perhaps, after hearing how Deering students puzzle over his mural, Paul Heroux has the answer. He has just been commissioned to create another mural - also abstract - for a second SMVTI project. His aquatic references this time will fit right in with the school’s oceanside location. Just to be sure, though, Heroux will have sheets of w ater pouring over his tiles to a p o o l b e lo w .

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BY MARGARETE C. SCHNAUCK ’’Their backyard, rooftops; their view, the entire city and the ocean beyond. They are the voyeuristic, om­ niscient T. J. Ecklebergs of the 1980s.”

e’re not talking renovation or restoration here, but ELEVATION. The latest thing in urban renewal (read: back from nature, as in “Hey, I didn’t realize there’d be no pizza delivery out there!) is building your own crow’s nest. The most interesting changes in Portland’s skyline are ac­ tually luxurious penthouses pitched under the stars on landmark rooftops.

Gone is the rage for a view of the Central Maine Power unit across the water on Cousins Island; instead the city itself tor these people is the view.

At last count there were 10 of these cliff d w e llin g s co m m a n d in g a bom bardier-navigator’s eye view of the goings on below...

T h o m a s Witt, owner of Custom Glass Design, was one of the first to kick holes in the skyline. His was built in 1977, when he came to Maine and moved into a warehouse. There were not a lot of restrictions imposed on his building because it was not registered with the National Registry. His reason for moving up? Escape. Like all cliff dwellers he wanted to live and work in the city while retaining a certain degree of privacy and inaccessibility.

“With all these bars and drunks and creeps around it’s a great way to escape it,” he says.

D r . Joseph Melnick has taken a dif­ ferent tack and moved his psychology

practice to a more tranquil setting: a cliff dwelling high above the noisy ci­ ty, complete with exercise room, showers, and office facilities. His desire was to have a location with ocean views. “This building was advertised as having partial ocean views, so I had the owner take me up to the roof to see from there,” says Melnick. He decided to have building rights included in the contract when he purchased the second and third floors so that he could add on to the existing building and improve his view. Melnick explains that previous­ ly he had an office above Hushang III, but becam e disgruntled with Ex­ change Street and the Old Port, which in his words had become Portland’s version of “plastic,” so he began look­ ing for another place, with a view of the ocean.

His addition was built by Sunrise Builders, a unique organization of carpenters whom he highly recom­ mends for their work. To be one of their crew, he jokes, “you need to have a degree in Anthropology from the University of Michigan.” Melnick had to use another type of siding than he’d originally planned due to fire restrictions, and he had to install a fire escape. He seems very happy with his new addition and proudly states that he doesn’t block anyone’s view. Ideal­ ly, he’d like someone to build a park-

D r. J o s e p h M e ln ic k ’s penthouse

i*yL %1CH

New Near The Top Of The Seam en’s Club - This cliff “office” is actually the new location of the law firm of attorney Dan Lilley. A ll Cliff dweller photographs by Dean Abramson.

SEPTEMBER 1986 33

ing garage next to his building so that something will not be built which obstructs his view.

Because Melnick spends more time in his office than he does at home, he wanted to create a pleasant at­ mosphere in which to work. The plush wall-to-wall carpeting, comfor­ table furniture, large windows, and ad m irab ly u n th re a te n in g pastels create an atm osphere that would seem perfect for an office in his line of work. He says he enjoys being above the city but being hidden at the same time. Commenting on criticism of rooftop additions, he says, ’’People can criticize these places, and as 1 look out at one of the scenic eyesores that we have in Portland (gesturing in the direction of the Holiday Inn), they serve a valuable function.”

S a r a and Fred Pesce, owners of 34 Exchange, own one that is built atop th e V ic to ria n /C o m m e rc ia l- s ty le building that houses their restaurant, on the Merchants Bank block. Guiding me out onto the patio on the second level, Sara Pesce points out a family of seagulls that she’s been watching on a neighboring roof. The babies are just one day old. I have always wondered w here baby seagulls are born. I im­ agined a cozy nest on a sturdy pine branch near the ocean, nothing quite so romantic as a city roof. The baby gulls light up cigarettes -- the panoram ic view is amazing! 1 feel like one of those little gulls seeing the world (or at least Portland) for the first time. The patio is very private and peaceful even though it is located in the heart of the Old Port, a global village rose cottage with satellite reception dish directly in the shadow of Key Bank. ’’People in suburban areas need to fence yards,” Sara Pesce explains. “I don’t need to do that, because with the exception of those workers (she points to a couple of construction w orkers building another cliff dwelling near the top of the Seam en’s Club), no one can see me up here. Not many people even know we are here unless they use binoculars, and even then they pro­ bably couldn’t make out who it was.

And because there are no other apart­ ments in this building, it is usually very quiet, except at night, when peo­ ple are moving in and out of the local bars.”

Reasons for building this living space stem m ed primarily from a need 34 PORTLAND MONTHLY

This rooftop penthouse, the residence of F re d and S ara P e s c e . owners of 3 4 E x c h a n g e restaurant, is built on top of what was originally the State Board of Trade building, built by Matthew Stead in 1866-67. To obtain tax benefits from the National Register, a site drawing had to be made to determ ine if the new struc­ ture would in any way mar the ap­ pearance or character of the existing building as seen from the front. The penthouse’s interior is spacious and bright, decorated with impressionist prints and oriental rugs. Each of the bedrooms is good-sized, has a large Velux window with a wonderful view, and a private bathroom with marble floors.

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Carroll M. Ross, D.D.S. Nancy D. Sargent, D.D.S. to be close to the business which they purchased six years ago. The Pesces have owned the building since 1966.

Having lived in a conventional cape for so long, they decided that it was time for a change, and “if you’re go­ ing to make a change, you might as well do it,” says Sara Pesce. Initial plans involved raising the roof above a newly built apartm ent in the already existing building, but due to large crossbeams that held the building up, that plan was abandoned. When their architect told them that the only way they could build was up, wanting to

take advantage of the view, they took his advice.

I notice that m any of the buildings visible from our vantage point on the roof of the State Board of Trade Building are being renovated. More disturbing than these controversial rooftop dwellings though are the big metallic air-conditioning and central heating units that grow off the tops of buildings. Pesce feels that these units are ruining the architectural design and beauty of m any buildings in Portland.

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-773-7368 othing ruins a vacation faster than a run-in with Portland’s finest (except a run-in with the police). If you’re in Portland for Red Tide Days, don’t let ignorance of the law spoil your good time. You can avoid prosecution by m emorizing and obeying THE UN­ WRITTEN RULES OF PORTLAND!

signal for a left turn a fte r the light turns green provided he has held up several cars. Signaling after the light turns green is as effective as not signaling at all and will limit traffic flow to the right lane. Portlanders from The Old School say The Recent Am endm ent has weakened this un­ written rule, but they concede that 1. IT IS ILLEGAL TO SIGNAL FOR A Portland must keep up with the changing times.

LEFT TURN ON FOREST AVENUE BETWEEN THE POST OFFICE AND 2.

RIGHT OR WRONG, USE AN MULLIGAN’S. APOSTROPHE. It’s perfectly okay to make a left turn, but you’re forbidden to signal for it.

T he Indians called P o rtlan d The intent of this law is to prevent “M achegonne,” literally “The Fourtraffic from moving too fast on Season Home of the Apostrophe.”

Portland’s major east-west artery.

Portlandiacs have always loved The thoughtful motorist will stop at apostrophes, and they want visitors to the red light and not touch his blinker. love them, too.

Other drivers will pull up behind him To m ak e su re v is ito rs use because they think he's going straight. apostrophes this summer, college They think they’ll beat the long line of work-study students have been hired cars in the right lane. But when the to screen all post cards mailed from light turns green, the long line of cars the Post Office on Forest Avenue (see on the right will move ahead, leaving Unwritten Rule 1). Cards that lack the cars in the left lane stuck behind apostrophes will be impounded. the driver who wants to turn left.

To obey this unwritten law, use When this unwritten rule works to apostrophes to make plurals. Write “We had lobster's last night.” perfection, oncoming traffic will pre­ vent the lead car from turning left un­ When you’ve m astered the Portland til the light is red again. One car at a method of writing with apostrophes, treat yourself to a perm at Hairstylist’s time through the light is the ideal.

A recent am endm ent called The Re­ Unique.

Apostrophes are fun to use in con­ cent Am endm ent allows a motorist to

versation, too. Thirsty? Say "Give me a Miller’s.” Hungry? Say “Let’s go to Hu Shang’s.”

Portland’s apostrophe boosters plan to spread their campaign to neighbor­ ing communities such as Prouts Neck.

3. PRONOUNCE THE “S” IN WOOD­ FORD. The invisible “S” comes at the end of the word. Observance of this unwrit­ ten rule is vital if a visitor wants to blend in with Portlandites; a properly pronounced “Woodford” can over­ come an Old Orchard Beach sweat­ shirt. (Did you silently pronounce the ”S”? Don’t forget!)

Pop historians (and let’s not forget the Mom historians) have searched in vain for the origin of the invisible “S” - it’s a history mystery.

The Portland City Guide of 1940 says the Woodford neighborhood is located on property formerly owned

by Isaac Stevens, “an extensive lan­ dow ner,” and that the principal in­ dustry of the neighborhood was tinsmithing until a fire destroyed the tin shops in 1842. The mystery begins here with two key questions: 1. How extensive was Isaac Stevens? 2. Did Dunkin’ Donuts have anything to do with the fire?

The origin of “Woodford” might be in the bridge that crossed part of Back

THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF PORTLAND

BY BRIAN DALY

38 PORTLAND MONTHLY

Cove w hen that body of w ater was larger than it is today - nearly as ex­ tensive as Isaac “The Refrigerator” Stevens. A ford over water in the woods makes sense.

But what about the “S”?

A tour of the neighborhood yields a lovely exam ple of apostrophe use, the Woodford Arm ’s Apartments (see Un­ written Rule 2), but no clues as to the origin of the “S.” And to add confu­ sion to the mystery, “Woodford” is spelled three ways.

The street signs say “Woodford” ex­ cept the one at the corner of Beacon Street. It says “Woodfords.”

Located on that corner is the Wood­ fords Congregational Church. The Woodfords Club is across the street.

The Woodford’s Sandwich Shop is next to Mulligan’s (see Unwritten Rule 1). The Woodfords Cafe, of course, is a couple of miles away on Spring Street.

Don’t w orry about the origin of the “S,” just rem em ber to pronounce it.

It’s Portland’s shibboleth. But don’t say ’’shibboleth” or people will think you’ve stepped in something nasty.

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SEPTEMBER 1986 39

THE OLD PORT

LITTLE PHOENICIA OR ANDY WARHOL’S 15-MINUTE COCKTAIL PARTY?

BY DENNIS GILBERT

“Ifyou are lucky enough to have spent some time in the Old Port as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for the Old Port is a moveable feast ” 1. his paraphrase of Hemingway’s epigraph to his memoir of Paris in the 1920s may seem rather grand to some, but the Old Port is currently Portland’s liveliest and most pictures­ que quarter, and as such it inspires a lot of interest, from board room brooding to cocktail party chatter.

True, a significant part of Hem­ ingway’s m oveable feast has to do with his uncanny knack of running in­

to a great writer or a famous artist every time he turns a corner, and, Judd Nelson aside, Portland’s chances of surpassing its birthplace-of-HenryLongfellow status are probably rather low (partly because people don’t get to be as famous as they used to).

But if you were to sit Hem down at a table in Tommy’s Park (or anyw here else around here w here the leaves of the trees that blew in the salt wind made shadows on the street), you

might well imagine it was the Old Port he was thinking of when he wrote: ”.../ saw people that I knew by sight and others I knew to speak to. But there were always nicer-looking people that I did not know that, in the evening with the lights just coming on, were hurrying

SEPTEMBER 1986 41

someplace to drink together, to eat together and then to m ake love. The people in the principal cafes might do the sam e or they might just sit and drink and talk and love to be seen by others. The people that I liked and had not met w ent to the big cafes because they were lost in them and no one noticed them and they could be alone in them and together. ”

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..How romantic! You see? The Old Port is like Paris. It is not, however, the exclusive haunt of artists and lovers. To be truthful, one must also admit that is it a tourist trap (just like Hemingway’s corner of Paris). If that term has a connotation of side-show tastelessness, perhaps we should reserve it for the beaches of New England and spare the Ports, but that doesn’t prevent those same sightseers who go in for boardwalks and roller coasters from coming here. Of course they come for different, and more culturally satisfying, reasons.

One of the reasons they come here is because the Old Port is clean and lovely and interesting to look at. It is diverse enough so that it must have reached its present form naturally, rather than having been made to con­ form to a them e, like Frontier Village or Six-Gun City. So it isn’t contrived. It isn’t quaint, and it isn’t exactly anti­ que: The handsome 19th century ar­ chitecture gives it a historical feel that makes you wonder, strolling the cob­ blestone streets, what must have hap­ pened here back in the olden days.

What dastardly schemes w ere devis­ ed? What allegiances forged? What secret affairs consummated? What fortunes made and lost? Whose throats were slit behind these newly tuckpointed brick walls? .^A ppropriately enough I was think­ ing of this on the eve of a going-away party for someone I didn’t know. I had come with a friend and had lost him and when he turned up later he had his father, Dr. Adams, and another fellow nam ed Bill with him. I had met Nick’s father, but I didn’t know Bill, but I had seen him around.

When Dr. Adams asked me what I was workiȣ on, I told him I was writing a story about the Old Port but

that I didn’t know what it was about yet and was trying to figure it out.

T here was a round of jokes about one thing and another, but then Bill said, “It’s such a little Phoenicia.”

Hearing this was like the feeling of a trout striking the fly, and we all waited to find out what Bill meant.

“1 was walking along Fore Street the other day,” Bill said. “I walked past La Salsa, the Alsatian Kitchen, Lin Lin, Ugg n Ewe, Celtic Design, and House of India. I turned the corner up Ex­ change Street, and 1 walked past Ireland’s Crystal and Craft, La Femme, Hu Shang, Amaryllis, the Plains Gallery, Pierre’s, Edinburg Square, Tavecchia, Soho, Australia House, Santa’s, Belle France, the Mysterious East, and Dos Locos. I felt like i was wandering through this thriving, bustling bazaar at the Crossroads of the World.”

“The Fertile Crescent,” Nick said.

“Either that, or nothing made in the States is worth buying.”

You could tell Nick and Dr. Adams w ere thinking this over, and you could see it working in Nick’s father, but it was Nick who spoke up.

“If you want to get historical,” he said, “Phoenicia’s way off. So’s the whole ancient world. It’s too distant.”

Nick worked as a waiter, but he was a history major in college so he knew w hat he was talking about. He gave the ice in his glass a shake and said, “It’s m ore like Bruges or Antwerp, one of those sturdy, self-proclaimed quasi-sovereignties at the end of the Middle Ages.”

He had us, but he didn’t make us wait long, and after he started talking, the m ore he said about it the more he liked the idea.

“At last,” he said, “the light of pro­ sp erity is b eg in n in g to daw n.

Unemployment is way down, even am ong the lower classes. For the most part, the townspeople are adequately clothed and adequately fed. Trade has picked up smartly, and the m erchant class has begun to realize some pretty long-standing aspirations. Minstrels wandering through the m arche are singing about the deeds of classical heroes and unrequited love and any m anner of other leisurely diversion.

It’s a good time, a happy time.

G ro w th .

S ta b ility .

P ro m is e .

Everybody is figuring m aybe the Plague has burnt itself out and the

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C ontinued on Page 45 SEPTEMBER 1986 43

RESTAURANT REVIEW

2

2

I f you have already been to every one of the thousands of restaurants in Portland five times (although I will ad­ mit it’s hard to stay ahead with several new ones opening weekly), take the short hop up the coast to Brunswick and 22 Lincoln.

We began with an asparagus cream soup with mushrooms and caraway. It was thinner than we have become ac­ customed to in cream soups and very well balanced. 1 next had a plate of stilton (an English, excruciatingly sharp, pub cheese) in port with strawberries. The presentation was m em orable -- a wedge of stilton soak­ ing in port with a flying V of straw ber­ ries, carefully hand-selected and ar­ ranged in descending size (although it was puzzling that an appetizer as special and well thought out as this one was served with crackers as mun­ dane as Stoned W heat Thins).

As a second course we had the softshelled crab in a horseradish cream sauce. It was so appropriately season­ ed that my dining com panion and I did not even try to play a guessing game with the waitress to figure out w hat the seasonings were.

Deciding w here to go from here was tough. The most appealing main course turned out to be the most “pricey” (as an old family friend once said of Maison Robert in Boston):

LINCOLN Maine veal with vegetables, fresh foie gras, and gingered leek compote. 1 fell for the close second (after having a fresh-from-the-garden salad with a w a ln u t v i n a g r e t t e d r e s s in g ) , medallions of breast of Moulard duckl­ ing, arranged around the rim of my dinner plate, just getting their feet wet in a sherry and mango sauce. Here you are going to have to put away your ideas that quantity is in a direct relationship with price. However, freshness, innovative preparation, quality of presentation, and flavor, certainly are.

I was also fortunate enough to try the halibut with tom ato mousseline and lemon balm which was an ample portion, tender, altogether quite fine.

Also available that evening was a tenderloin steak with roast black pep­ per and oranges; flan of lobster with shrimp, scallops, and basil; and several other appealing choices.

We had dessert, from a rather spare selection, and though I don’t subscribe to the current fanaticism about chocolate, 1 found the chocolate mousse cake rich, light, and well worth the taste.

The wine list at 22 Lincoln is ab­ solutely one of the most extensive of any in Maine: fitting in a restauraant dedicated to the pursuit of a fine meal.

Besides making for good reading, a broad wine list assures one of finding

BY GEORGE BENINGTON 4 4 PORTLAND MONTHLY

a wine to compliment any meal and inspire the palate (the only few times I have eaten at the Blue Strawbery in Portsmouth I was offered a choice of two red Bordeaux, a white Burgundy, and a Beaujolais - not my idea of any way to round out and tem per an otherwise fairly fine meal).

That evening we selected a Chateau Coufran (1982) which was one of the smoothest, most harmless Bordeaux I have had for the money. The wine list was very strong in the newly chic California vineyards, had a good selection of French wines, including the finest Margaux affordable by m or­ tals (that is, without taking out another mortgage), and an array of Champagnes and Methode Champanois that forever endeared the en­ tire list to me. Few are the restaurants in Maine (if any) where one can choose betw een Louis R o d erer “Kristal” and Krug: two Champagnes which sham e Dom Perignon at a com­ parable price.

The chef is thoughtful enough to suggest two complete meals at a fixed price, one with four courses for $25 and one with six for $44. Also available were an assortm ent of dishes for ”pre-theatre” dining. Ap­ petizers range from $3 to $5.25; se­ cond courses from $6 to $13; entrees fro m $12 to $2 0 .

OLD PORT C ontinued from page 43

Schism was nothing but a minor scrap betw een the superpowers and m aybe , with God on o u r side now, the world is about to enter a long-deserved renascence, thanks to the guilds and the burgers. It’s easy enough to ignore the stray pauper dragging his shopp­ ing cart all a-clatter down the street, or the punked-out band of dervishes whirling through the square, or any other rem inder of that dark, frightful time behind us now. Easy enough, anyway, for the archbishop,” Nick said. “Who absentm indedly fingers his purse as his breast swells with agape and he gazes out over the town from that cathedral of capitalism, One City Center.

“Jesus,” Bill said, shaking his head.

“I don’t know.”

My guess is Bill was expecting trou­ ble from Nick’s father about this, but that just shows you he didn’t know him very well.

“Can’t you just see it!” Nick said.

“Cast yourself into the future: T here’s a reincarnation of Jacob Bronowski, in The Ascent o f M an: P art II, guiding us through the Old Port.

‘Akers,’ he says, pointing out one building. ‘Willette,’ he says, gesturing to another. He looks up and down the street.

‘Monks,’ he says. ‘Goldenfarb. Singh.

Did they anticipate the burgeoning we see here. The flowering?’ He slaps his hands (and Nick slapped his, too) and answers his own question: ‘Of course they did!”’

“Jesus,” Bill said.

I liked w hat Nick had said, but it was Dr. Adams I w anted to hear talk about the place. I asked him if he came down here when he was a kid.

“It w asn’t very interesting then,” he said. “But it is now. W hat’s interesting about it now is that it is living proof of A ndy W arh o l’s p re d ic tio n th at everybody was going to be famous.

For fifteen minutes,” he said.

I had expecting something like this.

After all, he was a doctor, w asn’t he?

But not quite so much of a brain teaser. It took a minute for my im­ agination to stretch and flex enough to let in all those famous people. But I couldn’t rem em ber any.

“You m ean so m eone sells a building,” Bill said. “Or opens a shop.

Or goes out of business. And the papers com e down here to run the story?”

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Dr. Adams said he wasn’t talking about that, or even the media’s tendency to swallow cam era fodder without chewing in order to sniff out the next meal before the screen goes blank. “ I’m talking about the ac­ c e le ra te d e v o lu tio n of th e community,” he said. “Not famous in­ dividuals,” he said. “But the collective celebrity so many of us share in the form of that rem arkable creature, the Old Port Person.” “ Persona portus altus," Nick said.

“Rem arkable,” said Dr. Adams, “because of his incredibly swift rise to prominence. If you want to talk history, think of the eons it took for civilization to find its way out of the wilderness and then for the ancients to consolidate their power. In Europe, following the Middle Ages, it took cen­ turies for a name to gain the upper strata. Even in this hell-for-leather country, in the first 200 years, anyway, it took a good generation or two for the Rockefellers and Vander­ bilts and even the Watsons to rise to the top of the pool. Although sometimes it happened faster if you struck gold or invented something.

“But, depending on how you date it, th e Old P o rt P h en o m en o n is som ewhere between 15 and 20 years old, and already we have our promi­ nent families who go way back to the Very Beginning, and a privileged class of the well-connected and well-to-do, a lot of them nobodies just a few years a g o , m a n y of th e m r e la tiv e newcomers.

“Sure, the Old Port is a center of commerce. Sure it’s in a new age of prosperity. But everything is happen­ ing so quickly in this microcosm it already has a bluebook. It's not a melting pot, it’s a pressure cooker. A still, where the mash is steaming and working and fermenting so crazily, you don’t have to be a founding father, or even be here very long or do very much to become a person of note.”

It did not occur to me at the time but later it gave me a m om ent’s pause: I wondered if / was one, since I had made my living for the past 10 years in this part of town and had gone to its clubs and restaurants, theaters, even done my Christmas shopping here.

But I hadn’t done anything of note, and even though some of my friends had, I still didn’t know if they were 4 6 PORTLAND MONTHLY

OPPs. I thought about who these peo­ ple were, and the conclusion 1 finally drew was that they were the faces you saw most frequently and the names you heard most often, in those 10 or 15 or 20 years, in connection with the growth and development and general m ovem ent of the place. For the most part they were fairly young and handsom e and well-dressed and educated; retailers, professionals, businessmen and women; most of them people who’d migrated here to make their fortunes and carve out a comfortable living for themselves.

I also concluded that the ties I still had with my hometown were suffi­ ciently strong and alive so that I couldn’t rightfully count myself among that group. I was still a small town boy, I thought. And then it hit me: The celebrity of this OPP had a distinctly small-town stamp upon it.

The Old Port is a place of many aspects, and you can call it the Bruges of the New World if you want to or the Paris of New England, but if you have been lucky enough to spend some time in a small town, you will recognize certain characteristics of it here in the Old Port.

For example, you don’t have to spend very much time at all in a small town before you are noticed. You are almost immediately the new man or new woman living in the house on Whatyoumacallit Street.

Almost as quickly as your presence is detected, it is gotten used to. Before long it is fairly easy to feel that you are a m em ber of the community.

You don’t have to join the volunteer fire departm ent to be thought of as a good enough joe, and you don’t have to serve in the legislature to be con­ sidered a good citizen.

If you are friendly and get along with the neighbors and lead a decent life, you soon become a Small Town Person. And as long as you are capable of amusing yourself, the town can be a comfortable place to live, for a sense of acceptance is readily at hand.

(The converse is true, too, but even though it is the small town that is notorious for this, it applies equally well in the Old Port: You don’t have to sink very deep into sin or default on many debts or dress or behave more than a little eccentrically to be made to feel you are n ot a mem ber of the community.)

Another shared characteristic is

that you get to know people quickly, at least by sight if not who they really are and what they really like. It doesn’t take very much longer to spot the Anna Kareninas and Richard Cory’s than it does to recognize the Village Idiot directing traffic or the Town Drunk lugging home his breakfast under his arm. The others either become friends or remain the people you ‘know but have not met.’

There are other similarities, too, but the sum of it is that the Old Port is a small, fairly closely knit community of citizens who pull together to make it a pleasant place to live and work, to make it interesting and keep it alive and lively and growing.

It is in its growth that the small town facade of the Old Port begins to crum­ ble. There are some obvious minor discrepancies, such as the way the bustle h ere co n tin u es between holidays and festivals, year round, and the way the countryside con­ tinues to get farther and farther away.

But there is also the larger problem of the interest this part of town has aroused in so many investors: It is cur­ rently growing at such a rate there hardly seems enough real estate to go around. (This also makes it a wealthy small town, which is something of a contradiction in Maine.)

Can it continue to grow as it has in the past few years? Of course it can.

As long as it grows up, into the sky.

And it will, too. But this raises a few other questions. Will it be able to re­ tain its com fortable small town character with demi-skyscrapers like One City Center and One Hundred Middle Street and One Portland Square towering over the village green? Do the OPPs want to retain the small town ‘feel’ of the place? And if they do, does that suggest a sub­ conscious resistance to growth?

There is something very comforting as well as comfortable about the small town. Something you might describe as pastoral because it alludes to and tries to recapture a simpler time and a simpler life. Simpler than Europe in the Middle Ages, simpler than Paris in the Twenties, simpler even than one of Warhol’s mass-produced images (or theories). In spite of the Old Port becoming ‘hot property,’ it seems to be evolving in a way that preserves w hatever it can of the small town.

On the other hand, even though many of the OPPs are transplants, they are not the new farmers you find

NO W , FOR TH E FU T U R E OF GREATER PO RTLAN D. in authentic small towns, ready to de­ fend the old ways to the last man in spite of the fact that their countrified neighbors like those innovations that m ake their labors easier and the new fashions that make them look sharp.

The OPPs are not interested in turn­ ing back the clock or resisting change so much as finding a clever way of adapting to it. (They’d like to keep the pond small, but they are not afraid to go swimming over their heads.)

That is really what the so-called Old Port ‘phenom enon’ is: a way of m ak­ ing the expansion that is going to come anyway more acceptable, more comfortable. And it is not much of a phenom enon, either; at least not in the sense that it is unique to Portland or even to the present. Perhaps that’s why it’s of interest: because it has hap­ pened before and is happening now all over the country. And because this em ergence of the small town within the big town is an example of the skill with which the species adapts in the course of its evolution from semi-erect hominid to Old Port Person and beyond.

Gertrude Stein told Hemingway that he and his pals w ere “ une generation perdue." I suppose that any genera­ tion which comes at the end of something, like the age that came to a close at the end of World War I, or at the beginning of something, like a sudden infusion of m oney and people and culture into a forgotten corner of town, is a lost one. New values have to be determ ined and codes of con­ duct developed and all sorts of other things have to be figured out, so these are the times when the adaptive powers of the species are most ap­ parent. The comparisons are fun and perhaps they tell you that there is either a lot of confusion or a lot of people with different ideas in a place like the Old Port. But the existence of the small town within the big town tells you something about the people who are drawn to such places. They are willing to put up with the constant ham m ering of jackham m ers and with the detours and the insistent hype about putting some excitem ent into your business or locating it in Portland’s most prestigious business address as long as they can have both the big cafes w here they can be lost and together as well as the ones where they can sit and love to be seen by others.

“T he easiest way to build an office complex is to bring in the bulldozers and bring down the trees. In no time at all you’ve got wall-to-wall buildings — and acres o f parking.

But that’s not how we want to see Greater Portland developed.

So when we decided to build M aine’s first major planned office park, our idea was to do it right.

H

o w

P ^ n n n

1

T hat means leaving as m uch as possible of the natural environment intact. It means , underground utilities, widely separated I n P i l buildings nestled in the trees, and I V T G C l parking areas and roads that blend 1 , . into the wooded landscape.

a

D rO U g n t

lWO

T hat's exactly what we’re doing at SouthBorough, a new c o m m u n it ie s 60-acre business community we re building where South Portland and Scarborough meet just t o g e t h e r . south of the M aine Mall.

•

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Already, we have attracted one of M aine’s largest and most readily visible corporations to our community. This happened when U nion M utual decided to expand their corporate office to SouthBorough.

W e’re working hard to create a development that leaves the environment undisturbed. T he result is a beautiful and uncrowded park like no place else in Maine.

W e feel it’s the right thing to do to maintain the look and the feel of the M aine all of us love.”

Mac MacBride The MacBride Dunham Group

The MacBride Dunham Group Ind ustria l/C o m m e rcial Real Estate

Portland, M aine

(207) 773-7100

H E L T E R C R A F T IN C .

Q u a lity made w ood products, textiles, etc., crafted by M aine’s handicapped.

V isit the retail show room at 58 Ex­ change Street in P o rtla n d ’s Old Port.

• W holesale Inquiries W elcom e • 207/773-8697

SEPTEMBER 1986 47

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

F L Y IN G

H IG H

WITH THE IBIS CORPORATION

M a r jo r ie S la g u s —secretary to the President

L i k e the glossy ibis flapping listless­ ly above the Scarborough marshes, the development team of Dana Good­ win and Bob Taylor is a newcomer to Greater Portland. And like its ornithic nam esake persistently practicing its piscatorial pursuits, the IBIS Corpora­ tion has found a niche in the teeming ecosystem of southern Maine develop­ ment.

According to Dana Goodwin, the avian m etaphor proved useful in creating a name for the fledgling com­ pany incorporated to buy the lands for the M arshw inds residential development in Scarborough. The project, consisting of 15 single-family

Q U A L IT Y Always makes a lasting impression

IBIS

C O R P O R A T IO N

Designers • Developers • Builders 594 Congress Street • P o rtla n d • (207) 774-9210

4 8 PORTLAND MONTHLY

homes, was the first sizable undertak­ ing for the Taylor-Goodwin partner­ ship. However, Marshwinds was not the raison-doetre for their joint enter­ prise. The idea actually hatched over dinner one evening in late 1982. “We had too much gin one night,” jokes Bob Taylor. In reality, Cindy Taylor, Bob’s wife and a developer in her own right as a vice-president of Housing Resources Corporation, had known Goodwin and attended school with him since the fifth grade. When the subject came up, Taylor and Goodwin felt that their respective talents made “a pretty good fit” to create their own construction company.

“We could bring together Dana’s experience locally with sm aller, wood-frame houses and finishing out larger projects and my experience in large construction and m anagem ent,” says Taylor. ’’These kinds of skills complem ented each other.”

Also, both men were ready for a new venture. Taylor had gone back to work as an assistant division manager for the engineering firm of Stone & Webster in Boston, commuting daily from Scarborough. Disgruntled at not being tapped for division manager when he thought he had earned the position, Taylor believed he could use his next six or seven years to greater advantage by striking out on his own than by struggling up to the next rung on the corporate ladder. At the same time, Goodwin, who had been selfemployed since leaving college, was looking for a change. He had recently sold his business in Brunswick, the Bowdoin Steak House, and with his prior experience as a carpenter had started his own small residential con­ struction company.

The fourth elem ent in their decision to undertake the joint venture - in ad­ dition to the timing, the complemen­ ting skills, and the gin - was their perception of the market. “The southern Maine economy was really beginning to move,” says Goodwin,

BY RICHARD BENNETT “and I was convinced the time was right for this type of business.” And, adds Taylor, “To our eyes, there was more of an opportunity to build homes than to construct space for commercial and retail uses. At that time, everybody was talking about an office space glut, and we thought that by building homes it would be easier to reach a m arket.”

To hedge their risk, however, the new partners determ ined that Taylor would not leave Stone & Webster un­ til they had two projects set and secured. “Both of those jobs vanished in the month after we began,” laughs Taylor. But, in March of 1983, with of­ fice space rented above the Bowdoin Steak House, which Goodwin had just reacquired, the two set out to find work.

The sam e entrepreneurial spirit which first provoked them into part­ nership, however, immediately led Taylor and Goodwin to change their approach. Says Taylor, “We could go out and pound nails and make a living

“Which is what 1 was doing at the time,” interjects Goodwin. or we could start a development com pany to give our construction com pany something to build.” Thus, the brother-sister companies, IBIS Corporation and IBIS Construction, w ere born, along with the Mar­ shwinds project.

Now, with their expanding offices moved from Brunswick to the third floor of the Hay Building in Congress Square, IBIS Corporation is stretching its wings as it embarks on its “flagship project.” Stonegate, on 100 acres of prime real estate off the Mitchell Road in Cape Elizabeth, received final ap­ provals on May 20. At roughly $12 million, the plan to construct 52 single-family quality homes, expected to sell for $200 - $300,000 each, is the IBIS Corporation’s “biggest, most com plex p ro ject.” B eyond th at, however, it is a testing ground for the new com pany in the corner of the housing m arket in which they want to work. Says Goodwin, “We view it as an opportunity to establish ourselves

as the builder of superb homes ... We would like to have people say, ‘I want to have a home in Stonegate or like one of those in Stonegate.’” Conse­ quently, Goodwin, Taylor, and their growing staff have spent days of painstaking effort planning an attrac­ tive site design and appealing amenities.

IBIS has grown from $250,000 worth of business in their first year to m ore than $3 million in their third.

Their staff has grown from 2 to 15.

With expansion such as this and ongo­ ing projects such as Stonegate and Harbor Ridge in West Bath, Taylor and Goodwin have obviously benefitted from the economic climate of southern Maine. But, they feel that it will be their reputation for quality workmanship which will earn IBIS a perm anent place in the community.

They enter their new period of challenge eagerly. As Taylor says, “W e’re in a very exciting stage.”

SEPTEMBER 1986 49

NEW FICTIO N

w ,rite to him!” he yelled. “I don’t know w here he is,” I said. “Write him in care of the army, they’ll find him!” my dad scream ed. “Tell a com m an­ ding officer what he did to you!” But I wouldn’t. We had a big blow-up and he called me names; then he kicked me out. He said, “Your m other must be turning in her grave to see you now,” and he set my bags out on the porch. ”Go back to her folks,” he yell­ ed. And I did. After a neighbor took me in for that night, 1 went to stay with my m other’s family way up near Cherryfield w here everything had gone to pot ages ago and nobody cared about what I did or how preg­ nant I was and I could at least make som e m oney raking blueberries before I got too big.

Oh, what a mean summer that was: late in August, the sun squatting flat on the blueberry barrens, my back about ready to break in two, my arm working that damn rake even in my sleep and the blue spots floating in front of my eyes from the minute I awoke. My Uncle Ned caught his hand in the winnowing m achine the first day out and was laid up the whole season long. They caught my cousin Clayton selling booze to the Indians one Sunday morning so early the tar had not even had a chance to warm up on the shacks, and they threw him in jail. Then, the maggots being what they were and the com pany junking so many boxes of berries because of

S P E C I A L

them, I was lucky to get five dollars for all the sweaty hours of a day. But I was out there anyway, raking like a fool, two months gone and some mor­ nings so queasy I could hardly stand up.

After about a week was when the envelope came, sent by my father without a word inside from him, con­ taining a postcard from my soldier. It said, “They’re sending us overseas now. See you when I get back. Pray for me. Love, John.” Well, 1 was young and hadn’t learned my lesson and so I got all excited. He loved me after all. He’d forgotten to put the return address on the card but that didn’t faze me in the slightest: he at least had not forgotten me. My heart fluttered for ten days straight. This time I did write to him in care of the United States Army, Portland, Maine, and I told him that I’d wait for him pa­ tiently and that the baby would, too. I got so happy thinking about him com­ ing home to me that on the field they took to teasing me for standing there, staring out into space with a great big grin across my face and not enough berries in my bucket to cover the bot­ tom. For a couple of weeks I was sur­ rounded by an invisible cushion, I pic­ t u r e d it m a d e of g o ld a n d goosefeathers, and for as long as it protected me the teasing didn’t bother me or the work, either. I guess I was in love.

It was around then that Franklin

E X C E R P T ;

P IC K IN G U P W IN N ER O F TH E 1986 M A IN E N O VEL AW ARD

50 PORTLAND MONTHLY

BY LUCY HONIG passed. It didn’t much m atter that on a regular sort of day there were hardly any cars. It would only have taken one. 1 couldn’t stand to see it. I didn’t know the man. He was nearly as old as my own father. But I just couldn’t stand to see it.

“Look here,” they’d say to me as things w ent on, “in your condition you can’t be pulling no two-hundred pound man out of the road.”

“Who else’ll do it?” I’d ask.

“Why, the Lord takes care of Franklin,” was what more than one of them said to me.

Well. If the Lord was taking care of Franklin, I figured, he would not have been out there in the first place laying in the road like an overgrown baby, his knees pulled up to his belly, his eyes shut tight, and a little smirk on his face, just waiting for the right car to come along. Jesus, they told me that the last time he did it he’d sent three cars straight into the ditch, old man Patterson head on into some rich tourists from Connecticut, and a full loaded Sherman truck hurdling over the alder bushes so the berries came down like Christmas and there was three-thousand dollars of blue stain on the road until the end of time. And all because I wasn’t there that particular year to pull my stupid neighbor out of the road.

So I kept an eye on him. And that was how my summer went: I stayed up there and took care of my uncle and cousins, and pulled Franklin Cooper out of the road about once a day, though more on weekends, and 1 raked my berries and waited for the next letter from John. But the letter never came. I thought maybe he’d been killed. I thought maybe he was on some secret mission. I thought m aybe he was being tortured in some horrid Nazi prison camp, or lying all fevered and full of malaria in a hospital som ewhere. 1 never thought he just didn’t write. But my little gold goosefeather cushion was gone, and th e r e w as n o th in g a n y w h e re anym ore to protect me.

And so everything got worrisome.

Little by little Franklin Cooper got to sense that because I kept hauling his carcass out of the road I must have had some feeling for him, and by God when he got sober, he started to come around to the house with flowers he’d picked from alongside the road or stolen from som ebody’s garden.

driving through the countryside on a Sunday afternoon and never pull any funny stuff. Probably old Franklin Cooper, though he could have been my father, was the nicest man I ever knew.

The blueberry harvest ended, and good riddance. I had a little cash. Un­ cle Ned said I could stay on, and though it was no great Taj Mahal, I had no place else to go, and so I bur­ rowed into my little room in the ram ­ shackle old house, putting layers of fat around myself like some animal about to go into hibernation. Franklin came by every Sunday, all scrubbed up and shaved smooth and with the best he could muster for clean shirts, and he stayed pretty sober. He stopped going out in the road and I stopped looking for him there. When it started to get too cold for sitting outside and taking walks, we went to a picture show in Machias once or twice, and even took to going to suppers up at the Grange Hall. Oh what a strange couple we made, him always looking a little sur­ prised, as if he couldn’t get over the fact that he could walk and talk, and me growing big as a house. But it was getting to be a regular style rom ance and people stopped their teasing.

Then one Saturday night without so much as my suspecting, he w ent out and laid across the road. Some kids w ho’d had a few to drink never saw him. Just ran him right over in som ebody’s father’s Studebaker. And that was the end of Franklin. Oh, I felt so bad, like it was my own dam n fault.

Everyone said not to blame myself, but I did. I should have kept an eye on him, I should have known. And not only that: I missed him bad. Oh, I felt so terrible about old Franklin...

Didn’t I just about want to die! When that old ugly drunk showed up on the doorstep 1 didn’t know what to do.

“Don’t be cruel, Sally, you don’t want him going back into the road on ac­ count of your heartlessness,” said Un­ cle Ned, and he and the cousins teased me like crazy. But they were right, I had to be nice, so I’d go sit with Franklin on the front steps. He was like a big puppy, devoted to me and eager to please and not sure how, and it was nice having the attention, I have to admit. I em barrassed myself to discover after a couple of weeks that I’d begun to look forward to his visits. Once Franklin even kissed me on the cheek as he handed me his lit­ tle bouquet of weeds, and I blushed. 1 pointed down at myself, at the belly which was already quite clearly look­ ing like what it was, and 1 said, ’’Look, Franklin, I’m not exactly much for courting.” He said he didn’t care, and I should think not, being as he was in no position to put on airs! He mumbl­ ed that I’d been taking care of him and he could do a little taking care of me. It would have been the funniest thing in the world to hear except that he was so bashful and so sincere.

W hat was I to make of it? It was war­ time, the men were getting drafted, the pickin’s, as they say, w ere slim.

Franklin was a drunk, and he didn’t look like much, and he sure felt like weight deader than dead when I drag­ ged him off the pavement. But still, he was nice to me and I think he really m eant to take care of me. And so, despite my own inclinations and everyone else’s merciless teasing, 1 grew fond of him, during those sober times of his, which were m ore and m ore often. He would borrow a car from som ew here and take me out

gas

Maine's potato fields will never seem the same again

PIC K IN G UP

by Lucy Honig ■ A U T H E N T I C ..." -

Bangor Daily News

$8.95 (paper) $15.95 (cloth) Send me paperback & cloth copies of PICKING UP. Tofal enclosed $ Name Address Send to: Dog Ear Press, Harpswell, Me 04079

SEPTEMBER 1986 51

FLASH

O n e of th e m a n y events p u t on as a fu n d ra is e r for th e P o rtlan d S ym p ho n y O rchestra recently w a s a fashion sh o w in the g a rd e n o f th e Show case '8 6 house in C ape E lizab eth .

From le ft to righ t, m o d el B e th A s to r ; show case c h a irm a n B a r b a r a

M rs . Jo h n C u rra n and M is s M a r y S t a t e , h ea d of th e English d e p a rtm e n t a t South P ortlan d H igh School, en jo y the P o r t ­ la n d S y m p h o n y O r c h e s ­ t r a 's fashion sh o w in the g a rd e n of the S how case '8 6 house in C a p e E lizabeth.

N o t w a n tin g to miss a th in g a re fro n t-ro w spectactors le ft) G r a c e B r a c k e t t , center) L u cy P a c h io s , rig h t) E d ith O 'M a lle y .

W h itt e n ; a n d m o d e l R a u n i K e w h e lp e d g ive re a l charm to this even t.

C h a n n e l 6's J a n F o x a n d S te v e G i f f o r d g e t into th e spirit o f things a t the P o rtlan d Dance Center's g a la b e n e fit ev en in g .

P o e ts A n n e W a ld m a n a n d A lle n G in s b e r g tre a te d the p ub lic to a n e v e n in g of p oetry read in g s as a b e n e fit for th e M a in e W r it e r s a n d P u b lis h e rs A llia n c e .

52 PORTLAND MONTHLY

A fu n d raiser sponsored

by H e n r y W i l l e t t e for th e G u lf o f M a in e A q u a r iu m w a s h e ld a t El M i r a d o r . Enjoying th e festive e v e n in g w ith cash b a r a n d a n e la b o ­

ra te M e x ic a n b u ffe t w e re : L) R e a lt o r D ic k M c G o ld r ic k , C) D r . J .L .

W ilk is , R) A t t o r n e y C h a r le s C r a g in .

We’ll help your plans and ideas take shape.

Norstar, the right choice for straight talk, good banking and you.

Call or visit the Norstar Bank nearest you today.

NORSTAR BANK Straight Talk, G ood Banking and You Member F.D.I.C. Equal Housing Lender { = }

•r,A good broker creates sales that make every■body a winner.

Roger Gendron

As Roger Gendron sees it, the job of a commercial real estate broker isn't sales; it's marketing.

That means matching the objectives of the seller and the needs or the buyer, structuring a deal that makes both sides happy.

W hen the job is done right, buyers and sellers keep coming back. Which is why so much of Roger's business is "repeat.'' These long-term relationships spell important advantages for you whether you're buying or selling.

R o g e r G e n d r o n (left) w ith c lie n t Jo h n M a th e w s.

Because if you're buying, Roger can offer you a lot of properties; if you're selling, he can offer you a lot of buyers.

Roger Gendron. He knows where the buyers are because he sells to them on a regular basis. That makes him one more reason why the Gendrons sell more commercial real estate than any other Portland broker. Put their experience and creativity to work selling your commercial property. Call 775-1811, and discover the difference that dealing with #1 can make.

Gendron

Commercial Brokers Portland's leading commercial brokers.