Old Port Magazine September by Maine Magazine

DISCOVERING DEERING OAKS PARK

PADDLEBOARDING ON CASCO BAY

DINING AT CHEBEAGUE ISLAND INN

PORTLAND'S

CITY MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2017

Tails of the City

DOG-FRIENDLY PORTLAND EMBRACES PUPS AND THEIR PEOPLE.

+ A DOG LOVER’S GUIDE AND PORTLAND’S TOP DOGS

Purposeful Planting

AN URBAN OASIS ON MUNJOY HILL

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Born to non-conform Progress is never blending in. The Audi Q5 represents everything we’ve learned from building one of the world’s most progressive vehicles. So we’ve loaded our groundbreaking SUV with technology and features that can deliver beyond the norm. Like standard Audi smartphone interface for simple connection with compatible devices,1 and available rear cross traffic assist2 that can sense approaching vehicles and apply brakes when needed. Equipped with our 2.0-liter TFSI® engine that can propel you from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds, the all-new Q5 leaves the status quo – and the competition – in the dust.3 The all-new Audi Q5 is here. audiusa.com/Q5

Morong Falmouth Audi 187 US ROUTE ONE 207-781-4020 WWW.MORONGFALMOUTHAUDI.COM ¹ Always pay careful attention to the road, and do not drive while distracted. See Owner's Manual for further details, and important limitations. ² Driver Assistance features are not substitutes for attentive driving. See Owner's Manual for further details, and important limitations. ³ Always obey local speed and traffic laws. “Audi,” “TFSI,” all model names, and the four rings logo are registered trademarks of Audi AG. ©2017 Audi of America, Inc.

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Get to know your neighbors. MELISSA SMITH

PODCAST

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Melissa Smith, president and CEO of WEX, was inducted into the Junior Achievement of Maine Business Hall of Fame and named a Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year in 2017. She also cofounded the Executive Women's Forum and sheJAMS, an all-women training club.

LUKE SHORTY

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Luke Shorty is the executive director of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM) and a 1998 graduate from MSSM. U.S. News and World Report recently ranked the school as the 10th-best high school in the nation for science, technology, engineering, and math and 19th-best overall high school.

JEAN HOFFMAN

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Jean Hoffman is an executive and entrepreneur who has built successful companies in the global pharmaceutical, veterinary, and healthcare information technology industries, including Putney, a pet medicine company. She has been honored with numerous awards including a 2014 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year New England award in the life sciences category. SPONSORED BY

Love Maine Radio introduces you to our neighbors, one conversation at a time. Hear what they have to say. Welcome to our community.

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SEPTEMBER 2017

56 FOUR PAWS UP by Susan Axelrod Photography by Erin Little

Pups and their people find a warm welcome in dog-friendly Portland.

T H I S PAG E : “Portland’s unusual; there’s a dog vibe here that is different than other places.” –Deb Collins

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THE PEOPLE’S PARK

Open to all, Deering Oaks is Portland’s natural treasure. by Susan Axelrod Photography by Nicole Wolf

PRIDE AND JOY

Rob and Robin Whitten create a peaceful, personal garden on Munjoy Hill. by Debra Spark Photography by Myriam Babin

D E PA RT M E N TS

19 TA K E N OT I C E News, notes, and more

28 ACT I V E L I F E

Far from its Pacific origins, standup paddleboarding finds fans in Maine.

34 L O O K

Yo u r g u i d e t o g a l l e r y h o p p i n g

40 P RO F I L E

Xavier Botana, Portland’s Superintendent of Schools

22 D I N E

The Chebeague Island Inn

87 GAT H E R

Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine 2017 Auction

88 I N S I D E R P I C KS P o r t l a n d ’ s To p D o g s

I N EV E RY I SSU E 13 EDITOR’S NOTE 15 STAFF NOTE 17 TALENT ROSTER 82 ON THE BLOCK

O N T H E COV E R :

North Deering residents Deb and Mike Collins explore the Portland w a t e r f r o n t w i t h t h e i r y e l l o w l a b , Te d .

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OUR BANK’S TIGHT-KNIT BECAUSE OUR

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGERS |

Karen Bowe, Anna DeLuca, Jessica Goodwin, R yan Hammond, Peter Heinz, Tom Urban PRODUCTION MANAGER | Joel Kuschke DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & SPONSORSHIPS |

Terri Coakley

ONLINE EDITOR | Shelbi Wassick EDITORIAL ASSISTANT | Brittany Cost OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR | Grace Skerritt COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER |

Casey Lovejoy

ART INTERN |

Laura Douglas

Dr. Lisa Belisle, Katy Kelleher, Debra Spark

IS TOO. Our focus is on you—our friends and families. We see how much you love it here and we do too. As the oldest bank in Maine, we’ve been here for over 190 years. And we’ll be in it together for 190 more.

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Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements, unless otherwise noted, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher, staff, or advisory board. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information presented in this issue is accurate, and neither Old Port nor any of its staff is responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. Copyright © 2017, Maine Media Collective LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission, in writing, from the publisher. Printed in the U.S.A. oldport.com

12 OLD PORT

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EDITOR’S NOTE PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEB COLLINS

t starts the minute I walk in the door: two-year-old Mavis hops and whirls, while her four-year-old “sister” Dixie yips—the happy mayhem stopping only when I make them sit and wait for a treat. As the late comic genius Gilda Radner said, “I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.”

trails, and beaches in and around Portland share our devotion to these four-legged members of the family—a fact that’s contributed to the city’s reputation as exceptionally dog friendly. Or as North Deering resident Deb Collins says, “dog-loving.” In “Four Paws Up,” (page 56), she and her husband, Mike, explain why they and their yellow lab, Ted, have found their happy place here.

The two border collie mix rescue pups my husband and I share our home and our life with may not always be role models of good-dog behavior, but their joyful exuberance tells us that we most certainly are loved. Their silliness as they toss a toy into the air or chase a ball headlong into the shrubbery reminds us not to take things too seriously. Their need to run prompts us to explore. And if we’ve had a tough day or are feeling down, we can count on them for a restorative cuddle on the couch. The fellow dog owners we meet on the streets,

Portland’s embrace of dogs was also evident from the response to our Portland’s Top Dog contest. More than 220 proud dog owners shared photos of their pups; we reveal the winner and the five runners-up in this month’s Insider Picks (page 88).

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Also in this issue, food editor Karen Watterson kicks back in classic Maine style at the Chebeague Island Inn (Dine, page 22); Katy Kelleher experiences the thrill of stand-up paddleboarding (“Stand-Up Sport,” page 28);

and Dr. Lisa Belisle learns what drives Portland superintendent of schools Xavier Botana (“On Common Ground,” page 40). Debra Spark digs into gardening with architect Rob Whitten and his wife, Robin, who have transformed a former fisherman’s storage lot on Munjoy Hill into an urban meadow (“Pride and Joy,” page 72). Whether or not you are a dog “parent,” I hope you will find inspiration and joy in these pages. And if in your Portland travels you encounter two black-and-white pups loving life—well, you already know their names.

SUSAN AXELROD Managing Editor saxelrod@oldport.com

SEPTEMBER // 2017

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WE GIVE BACK.

Our mission is to make a substantial and unique commitment to supporting Maine’s nonprofit community both statewide, regionally, and at the town level. We believe that the work Maine’s nonprofit organizations do, individually and collectively, makes our lives better and Maine a better place to live. With limited budgets, Maine’s nonprofits need help boosting awareness of their specific causes and help to raise the funds they need. We have established long-term relationships with over 120 nonprofits and community-based organizations. We give to these organizations by providing, free of charge, services ranging from advertising, graphic design, brand development, marketing advice, online announcements, and social media engagement. We often include nonprofit organizations in our editorial coverage through feature articles and/or recaps of their events. You’ll find the latter in our “There + Then,” “Turnout,” and “Gather” sections. Over the past year, we have made cash and inkind donations and services of more than:

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14 OLD PORT

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STAFF NOTE PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEIDI KIRN

ulling up to a light at the intersection of Franklin and Congress Streets this summer, my husband and I were guilty of rubber necking. Crisscrossing the slim median that splits the four-lane arterial was an ethereal installation. Commanding gates made of simple wood posts and see-through plastic sheeting with flagging tape balusters fluttering in the wind wound their way through shaggy pines and rambled down the grassy divide. The snaking path reminded me of British artist Andy Goldsworthy’s Storm King Wall, in which a stone wall snakes through the sculpture park’s woods, but with man-made materials and placed in an urban setting. Was it construction? Was it art? The light turned green, we drove off, and I didn’t get

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my answer until a few days later when I stood waiting at the same noisy corner, this time on foot. A sign stuck in the grass explained it was John Sundling’s Ghost Fence, a site-specific piece that recalls the original boundaries of bordering Lincoln Park, prior to the arterial being put in. It was there that the city razed buildings and homes in the 1960s as part of the urban renewal movement. Sundling says he wanted to “create a simple and effective reminder of both past and present, as well as a place to envision the future.” It’s a statement that seems to speak to, not just this specific location, but of city planning at large, doesn’t it? Cities are always in flux, down to every single street-corner interaction. Though we think of buildings as behemoths—solid and still—in

actuality, at every moment a city as a whole is always moving, changing, and transforming. In Portland, where buildings are packed with historical details and date back hundreds of years, what I hope we’ve learned—especially from a townscape lost—is that to move forward we must not plan for then, or now, but rather, as Sundling’s work suggests, for tomorrow.

JEN DEROSE Managing Editor, Maine Home+Design jderose@mainehomedesign.com SEPTEMBER // 2017

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20 17 B E R N A R D O S H E R L E C T U R E

T HER E S A SECO R D Keeping Tradition Alive: Native American Art Ecology in Maine and the Nation

Tuesday, September 12, 6:30 p.m. Hannaford Hall, Abromson Center, University of Southern Maine $15 general public, $10 PMA members, $5 students It wasn’t long ago that one of Maine’s oldest art forms—ash and sweetgrass basketry—was in danger of disappearing entirely. Activists and advocates from the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet, and Micmac tribes saved the tradition through a long, hard-fought struggle, preserving a crucial piece of the region’s cultural heritage. In this special lecture, Theresa Secord, the founding director of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, shares this story as well as insights from her decades of experience advocating for artists and the arts from Maine to Hawaii.

Tickets available by calling (207) 775-6148 or at PortlandMuseum.org/Secord

re serve your ticke t s today!

The annual Bernard Osher Lecture Series is made possible by the Peggy and Harold Osher Endowment at the Portland Museum of Art. Media Sponsor: Top to bottom: Jeremy Frey (Passamaquoddy, born 1978), Urchin Basket, 2007, brown ash, sweetgrass, dyes, 4 inches high. Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor, Maine. Museum purchase, Diane Kopec Collection Fund, #2007-03001. © Jeremy Frey; Sarah Sockbeson (Penobscot, born 1983), Basket, 2011, brown ash, sweetgrass, antler, 4 x 31/2 inches. Hudson Museum, University of Maine, HM8622. © Sarah Sockbeson; Theresa Secord (Penobscot, born 1958), Barrel Basket, 2015, ash, sweetgrass, and cedar bark, 8 1/2 x 4 inches. Museum purchase with support from the Friends of the Collection, 2016.5; George Neptune (Passamaquoddy, born 1988), GMO Indian Corn, 2013, brown ash, sweetgrass, dyes. Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor, Maine. Museum purchase, Diane Kopec Collection Fund, #2013-06. © George Neptune

(207) 775-6148 | Por tlandMuseum.org

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TALENT ROSTER THE PEOPLE BEHIND OLD PORT MAGAZINE

ERIN LITTLE

Erin is a portrait and interior photographer based in Portland. For this issue she met many local dogs and got some tips on SUPing at Willard Beach. Her dog, Lou, would only sit for this picture if he had his new toy and loves living in Portland where he knows every single business with dog treats behind the counter.

DR. LISA BELISLE

Lisa is a family physician, wellness editor, radio host, and mother who dearly loves to write fiction and host events like Maine Live, which is produced twice a year through the Maine Media Collective. She hopes you can join her at Maine Live on September 21.

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MELISSA PEARSON

Melissa, an art director at the Brand Company, grew up visiting Maine each year. After one too many hot summers in Nashville, she and her husband Trent decided it was time for a change of pace, so they packed up everything and moved to Maine. They now spend their time fixing up an old farmhouse, exploring the state, and trying out new restaurants.

JESSICA GOODWIN

After living in California, where she graduated college with degrees in journalism and Spanish, and traveling in Spain, Jessica thought her move back to her native Portland was temporary. Five years later she lives in the West End and loves working as an advertising account manager at Maine Media Collective. She never wants to stop exploring the world, but nothing beats coming home to family, friends, and a Tandem malt iced coffee.

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New and Used Books, Magazines, Cards, Journals, Gifts… and always free gift wrapping!

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TAKE NOTICE NEWS, NOTES, AND MORE

S PAC E G a l l e r y h a s n a m e d K E L S E Y H A L L I D A Y J O H N S O N a s e xe c u t i v e d i re c t o r. Jo h n s o n p re v i o u s l y s e r v e d a s t h e c u r a t o r i a l f e l l ow i n p h o t o g r a p h y a n d n e w m e d i a a t t h e Mi c h e n e r A r t Mu s e u m i n Doy l e s t ow n , Pe n n s y l v a n i a . L a s t y e a r, s h e w a s a w a rd e d a Pe w C e n t e r f o r A r t s a n d He r i t a g e E x h i b i t i o n s a n d Pu b l i c In t e r p re t a t i o n g r a n t f o r h e r p r o j e c t a n d p u b l i c a t i o n M a k i n g / B re a k i n g t h e Bi n a r y : Wo m e n , Ar t & Te c h n o l o g y ( 1 9 6 8 1 9 8 5 ) . A s e xe c u t i v e d i re c t o r, Jo h n s o n h o p e s t o i n c r e a s e S PAC E ’s p re s e n c e i n t h e c o m m u n i t y a n d e x p a n d t h e c r e a t i v e opportunities it offers for artists. 2017

LITTLE WOODFORDS, a c o m m u n i t y c o f f e e s h o p, i s o p e n i n g a t 6 4 3 Fo r e s t Av e n u e i n t h e In d e p e n d e n t O rd e r o f O d d Fe l l ow s b u i l d i n g . O w n e r s A n d re w Z a r r o a n d T J Q u i n n aim to bring something new t o t h e Po r t l a n d c o f f e e s c e n e by working with roasters who a re n’t c u r re n t l y o f f e r e d l o c a l l y. “ We a re v e r y a c t i v e i n o u r community and live a block a w a y f r o m t h e s h o p,” s a y s Z a r r o. “ T h a t’s i m p o r t a n t t o u s a s o u r n e i g h b o r h o o d c o n t i n u e s t o g r ow, a n d a s w e g r ow w i t h i t .”

Bottom photo: Chanel Lewis

Po r t s m o u t h - b a s e d G U S AND RUBY LETTERPRESS is opening a new location o n E xc h a n g e St re e t . D e s i g n e d b y A l i c e a n d Bi rd In t e r i o r s , t h e n e w s p a c e offers wedding invitations a n d c u s t o m s t a t i o n e r y, h o m e g o o d s , j e w e l r y, a n d curated accessories.

T h e Po r t l a n d Re g i o n a l Chamber of Commerce has chosen QUINCY HENTZEL a s i t s n e x t C E O . He n t z e l served as the interim CEO of the chamber and previously w o r k e d a s v o l u n t e e r p re s i d e n t o f t h e Po r t l a n d C o m m u n i t y C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r c e . Sh e i s t h e re g i o n a l c h a m b e r’s f i r s t female CEO.

T H E S A L T C E L L A R o n Ma r k e t St r e e t h a s o p e n e d t h e c i t y’s f i r s t Sa l t Va u l t , a s a l t t h e r a p y r o o m i n w h i c h c l i e n t s l i e o n z e r o g r a v i t y c h a i r s a n d b re a t h e i n d r y s a l t a i r d u r i n g 4 5 - m i n u t e sessions. The salt chamber is lined with 12,000 pounds of i l l u m i n a t e d Hi m a l a y a n s a l t , a n d a h a l o g e n e r a t o r d i s p e r s e s s a l t p a r t i c l e d u s t t h r o u g h o u t t h e r o o m . K n ow n a s h a l o t h e r a p y, s a l t t h e r a p y m a y t h i n m u c u s , re d u c e i n f l a m m a t i o n , a n d r e l i e v e congestion.

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SEPTEMBER // 2017

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Chebeague Island Inn Take a boat to experience the dream of Maine island life.

22 OLD PORT

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DINE

W H E R E T O E AT N O W BY KAREN WATTERSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY MYRIAM BABIN

ate afternoon on the graceful porch of the Chebeague Island Inn encompasses all one imagines Maine to be. Farmer Chuck Varney of Second Wind Farm, in rubber boots and jeans held up with suspenders, leans on the rail, talking with a guest from San Francisco about woodworking, as lobsterman Mike Robinson walks by to join his brother at the bar. General manager Caitlin Prentice, walkie-talkie in hand, is arranging for a launch to pick up guests who have arrived by boat. Server Sean Fitzpatrick descends the steps, balancing a tray full of blueberry lemonade cocktails, and heads for a group of guests playing cornhole on the sweeping lawn. And inside the screened-in dining area, tables are being set for dinner. It’s an enchanting, idyllic snapshot with a mixture of visitors and locals, who are in no hurry to be anywhere else.

“GUESTS SAY THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THE VIBE HERE. IT GETS ATTACHED TO YOUR SOUL.” –Alexandra Andronesi

On Chebeague Island, it can feel as if time stands still. Everyone waves a hand in passing, whether on foot, bicycle, or vintage pickup. The island is just a short ride from Portland, either by Casco Bay Lines ferry or islander Kevin Wentworth’s private water taxi, named The Result. “I love people and I love running Opposite page: The inn sits high on a hill overlooking Casco Bay and Little John Island. This page, from left: Server Sean Fitzpatrick serves cocktails to guests on the porch. Lobster is delivered by island lobstermen directly to the inn’s kitchen. SEPTEMBER // 2017

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Photos this page: Ted Axelrod

DINE

“THE FOOD HERE ISN’T PRECIOUS, BUT IT’S ALL FROM SCRATCH, EVEN THE BREAD.” –Matt Ginn

boats,” says Wentworth, as he helps us on board. “This is the result of a dream to have my own business.” He’s a confident, enthusiastic captain, and our trip to the island is scenic and comfortable. “‘Relax, we’ve got this,’ is our slogan,” Wentworth says. “It’s all about making your trip easy, taking any stress out of it.” As we arrive at the dock, kids are taking turns jumping into the chilly water and putting around in dinghies. In full view of the water, the yellow inn is set grandly on the hill, just beyond the Great Chebeague Golf Club, a ninehole course that’s much more casual than its name implies. The inn was rebuilt in the 1920s, after a fire razed the original structure, and very 24 OLD PORT

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much retains the feel of that era. The spacious, paneled living room, with its stone fireplace, boasts tasteful, comfortable seating. On that captivating porch, oversized wicker furnishings invite lingering, and the view of Casco Bay is phenomenal, especially late in the day when the sun starts its descent. The peace and quiet, the tables set on the lawn under strung lights, and the fire pit for s’mores add up to offer a welcome respite from a hurried and harried life. Service is graciously old-fashioned too, with all the details attended to by a welcoming staff. They hail from seven different countries, Prentice tells me. “This is more than a job for them,” she says. “It’s their whole summer and it makes for a very tight-knit group.” Dining

room manager Alexandra Andronesi is here for her third summer, far from her home in Romania. “Guests say there’s something about the vibe here,” she says. “It gets attached to your soul. You just have to come here and feel it. Guests always say to me, ‘I can’t remember the last time I sat and did nothing.’” Executive chef Matt Ginn has returned for his second season overseeing the inn’s kitchen. Ginn, who also runs Evo Kitchen and Bar in Portland (owned by Prentice Hospitality, as is the inn), spends a few days each week out on the island. “This is a far cry from za’atar and tahini,” he says, referring to the eastern Mediterranean menu at Evo. “It’s very

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Opposite page, from left: Kevin Wentworth runs The Result, a private water taxi based on Chebeague Island. On the inn’s front lawn, there’s nothing to do but sit back, sip a cold drink, and enjoy the view. This page, from top: Executive chef Matt Ginn, center, with junior sous chef Jackson Jeffers, left, and sous chef Jessica Werthen. Dishes are beautifully and brightly plated, like this seared salmon.

refreshing for me to come out here and cook a cheeseburger or a Caesar salad very well. The food here isn’t precious, but it’s all from scratch, even the bread. There’s a lot of integrity in the food.” The menu is focused on New England cuisine with a contemporary twist. Lobster, provided by island lobstermen who deliver it to the back door in tote bags, is available at all times of day, from lobster benedict at breakfast to a delicate and decadent butter-poached lobster dinner. There’s lobster bisque as well as lobster sliders on house-made biscuits to enjoy with cocktails on the porch. Produce comes from the inn’s garden, and is dictated by micro-seasons. Today’s offering of seared salmon with strawberries will evolve to make use of other berries as they ripen. “We’ll change the menu at least five or six times between now and Columbus Day,” says Ginn. I’m hoping the deconstructed hake “chowder” stays on, as well as the tender goat cheese gnudi in a luxurious roasted red pepper sauce. The chef also relies on Farmer Chuck’s island garden, especially later in the season for root vegetables and beans. He and chef de cuisine Addie Davis artfully use the inn’s produce in gorgeously arranged plates, like the asparagus salad with mint and preserved lemon. When Ginn is off the island, Davis takes over the helm, carrying on the inn’s vision of refined dining and genial hospitality. Signature cocktails are light and refreshing libations with fresh ingredients, created especially with summer in mind. Before dinner, I sip on the Tea Minus, a delightful blend of Pimm’s, Stoli Razberi, blueberry simple syrup, and lemon juice. Favorite local beers are available too, as is a short but well-curated list of wines by the glass. If you’re harboring a fantasy about Maine island life, you might find it here at the Chebeague Island Inn. The Sunday jazz brunch is a particularly pleasant experience, but really, any time you’re looking to slow down the day, enjoy the company, and relish the best of Maine, pull up a seat on the porch. Chebeague Island Inn 61 South Rd. | Chebeague Island 207.846.5155 chebeagueislandinn.com SEPTEMBER // 2017

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This page: Rafael Adams goes for a leisurely paddle. Adams has been paddleboarding for seven years and he currently organizes a series of races, which take place weekly in and around Casco Bay. Opposite page: Jill Upham puts a leash on her board. Leashes are an essential piece of gear for both paddleboarders and sur fers; they ensure that should you fall off the board, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lose it to the waves.

28 OLD PORT

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ACTIVE LIFE HOW PORTLAND KEEPS MOVING BY KATY KELLEHER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN LITTLE

hey arrive at the beach one-by-one. Some wear wetsuits, others are dressed in bathing suits, and a few seem to be sporting hiking gear. The group is mixed—there are men with white hair and women who look fresh out of college, and all age groups in between. They come carrying boards. Long, unwieldy objects, their epoxy resin surfaces are shiny candy-apple red and ultramarine blue, and each one is longer than its carrier is tall. The weekend warriors line up on the silky sand of Willard Beach and look out towards the horizon. In minutes, they will be paddling toward Peaks Island. The racecourse is over eight miles long, and even the best paddlers won’t be back to shore for several hours. I watch them as they push out into the water and set out for Peaks. Each stand-up paddleboarder is his or her own vessel, a oneperson ship with a single rudder, a single oar, a single goal. I first came upon the sport of stand-up paddleboarding—known as SUP—four years ago, but like many contemporary trends (including home brewing and tiny houses) this so-called fad has been around for centuries. SUP is believed to have originated in seventeenth-century Hawaii, and for many paddleboarders, it’s the simplicity of the sport that explains the longevity of its appeal. “I have always thought it was interesting that paddleboarding seems like the final iteration of water sports when really it is the most obvious iteration,” says Rafael Adams, founder of SoPoSUP and the Casco Bay Summer SUP racing series. “If you look at the way we’re built, the evolution of humans, we’re made to stand on our feet, and our arms are clearly made to use a tool—like a paddle. It’s almost like we’re designed to do this.” Craig Brett, a South Portland-based cardiologist, says that although he grew up around boats, he has since become a paddleboard convert. Like Adams, he finds SUP more physically comfortable than sitting in a kayak or canoe. Plus, it is just easier. “Boats are great, but you have to trailer them, launch them, maintain them. They’re a pain and they’re expensive. But a lot of what I can do on a boat I can do so much easier on a paddleboard, like cruise around the Casco Bay islands or go for a picnic on a beach,” he says. Adams agrees. “Paddleboarding can be a really

casual sport,” he says. “You can have the spark of an idea, and just go.” Since the boards weigh less than 30 pounds, they are also easy to carry and transport. “That’s opened the sport up to a lot of women, which is a good thing in my opinion,” says Adams.

For the better part of a decade, Adams has promoted the sport through his South Portland store (now closed) and the racing series. In addition, Adams provides paddleboarding lessons and rentals. He organizes informal clinics, where paddleboarders can get together SEPTEMBER // 2017

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ACTIVE LIFE

“THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT BEING ON THE BOARD THAT GIVES YOU AN INCREDIBLE VANTAGE.” –KATE MILES

30 OLD PORT

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Opposite page: Bill Fox gains a new perspective on his local landscape. This page: “For me, the appeal of paddleboarding boils d o w n t o b e i n g o n t h e w a t e r, intimately connected with the ocean,” says Adams.

to observe and critique each other’s form. Brett says this was particularly helpful when he was starting out. “I learned that my stroke was a little wide—that I was bringing my paddle too far back,” he explains. “It’s amazing what you can learn from other people in the paddling community, especially because you can’t see yourself when you’re paddling.” Although the races do have an element of competition, SUP enthusiasts tend to be an open, welcoming group. “I love working with beginners,” Adams says. “I really just want people to get into the sport that I love.” Adams became enamored with the sport seven years ago. “For me, the appeal of paddleboarding boils down to being on the water, intimately connected with the ocean,” he says. In the summer, he likes to paddle around islands, like House, Richmond, Cushing, and Peaks, examining the shore from his watery perch. “You see things differently when you’re on the water—not sitting down in a kayak or sailing on a boat,” he says. “But truly standing on the water. That feeling is so absurd. It doesn’t feel normal, but at the same time, it feels absolutely normal.” In the winter, he rides the larger swells, using his paddleboard like a surfboard. After paddleboarders learn the basics of their sport, he explains, they go in a few different directions. Some use the boards to race, while others use them to surf, and some even treat them as floating platforms for yoga and other activities. “While you can go out on a paddleboard on a lake and experience some wind chop, that isn’t as satisfying for me,” Adams says. “Personally, I find riding the swells, those big waves that come maybe halfway around the world—I find that much more captivating.” Feeling the swell under the board, his feet rooted to the textured grip, is like “riding on the chest of a giant, and just feeling it breathe beneath you,” he says. “The ocean is like something alive. The whole experience becomes almost magical.” As his racing series shows, SUP need not be a solo affair. This is one of the great perks of the sport—SUP lends itself equally well to social

meet-ups as it does to quiet, personal workouts. “One of the nice things about SUP is that you can make it suit you and your body. Sometimes you can have a calm, leisurely paddle. But other times you can ramp up your cadence and muscle through each stroke,” says Brett. As a doctor, he often deals with elderly patients— people who have bad knees or painful joints or other ailments—and he frequently suggests they try SUP. “Paddling forces you to use your balance mechanisms, even in calm water,” he explains. “That means it is a great activity for people whose joints can’t withstand running. It can be an aerobic activity, and a great core workout.” SUP is also adaptable to various weather conditions. In the winter, when many of the tour boats have left Casco Bay, Adams and his group paddle around the Portland city shoreline, enjoying the relative calm and delighting diners at DiMillo’s and other

waterfront eateries. In the fall, writer Kate Miles enjoys paddling on the Saco River and soaking in the colors of the season. “In a way, that’s the best time to be on the water,” Miles says. “The water is warm, and it is just the prettiest time in Maine.” While Miles paddles for exercise and as a social activity, she too emphasizes the importance of gaining new perspectives of the Maine landscape. “There’s something about being on the board that gives you an incredible vantage,” she says. “You can go into these complex ecotones, where shore meets water, where all these rich things are happening in the natural world. You can see the jellyfish arrive, or have a seal follow you around.” Last summer, she spent a day on the water surrounded by a pod of porpoises. “The physical side is important, but there’s also this intentional, peaceful side to paddling, where you get close to the landscape.” That, she adds, “is such an incredible gift.” SEPTEMBER // 2017

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Christine A. Maclin, Flowers, watercolor on rice paper

Heather Perry, Mike, Welder, photograph

David Allen, Back Cove, New Harbor, Maine, oil on panel

0 5 Heather Perry, Jenna, Ship Fitter, photograph

02 CHRISTINE A. MACLIN | Charles Thomas

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04 + 05 SOUTHGATE FACES: FACES AND VOICES FROM AN AMERICAN SHIPYARD | August 4– September 22 | Lewis Gallery at the Portland Public Library portlandlibrary.com 06 ROCKS, TREES, SAND AND SEA: POPHAM Tina Ingraham, Source, Popham Beach, Maine, oil on linen

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SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS X AV I E R B O TA N A F I N D S FA M I L I A R I T Y IN PORTLANDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S D I V E R S I T Y. This page: Xavier Botana held a broad range of teaching and administrative positions, including in Portland, Oregon, and Chicago, before coming to Maine. Opposite page: Students gather in the cafeteria at Deering High School on Stevens Avenue in Portland.

40 OLD PORT

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P RO F I L E

THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE PORTLAND BY DR. LISA BELISLE PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE WOLF

orn shortly after the Cuban Revolution, Xavier Botana was one of more than 14,000 unaccompanied children to leave that country as part of what would become known as Operación Pedro Pan (Operation Peter Pan). “Like so many Cubans at the time, my family was in a situation where they really wanted to get out,” says Botana, referencing the political unrest created by Communist leader Fidel Castro. Botana was just two years old when he and his one-year-old brother boarded a plane to leave Cuba in the care of a flight attendant. They lived in Spain with their grandparents until the family was able to obtain visas and relocate to the United States two years later. “My story resonates with a lot of people in this community,” says 54-year-old Botana, who has served as the superintendent of Portland Public Schools for the past year. The district has children from 60 different language groups, many of whom have been refugees themselves. “My experiences are not unlike that of many of

“MY EXPERIENCES ARE NOT UNLIKE T H AT O F M A N Y OF OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR PA R E N T S . ” – X AV I E R B O TA N A

our students and their parents.” Raised in the southern suburbs of Chicago, it was not immediately clear that Botana would choose an academic career. “I was not a great student in middle school and high school,” he says. “I was somewhat disengaged.” His family’s situation changed his thinking.

Botana remembers a conversation with his grandmother when he was six years old, in which she shared how challenging it had been for the older generation to integrate into the workforce in the United States, due to their lack of formal education. Botana’s grandfather, a successful business owner in Cuba, took a job as a hospital custodian. “That was very difficult,” says Botana. “He was, I would say in retrospect, embittered by that.” Botana’s parents found employment teaching Spanish— his mother at a high school, his father at a university. “They had a much easier path,” he says. Botana eventually became an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in the Chicago public schools, but he was not content to accept the status quo. “I was rebellious and questioned, ‘Why are we doing things this way? We should really think about a different approach to things.’” At the same time, his community was experiencing rapid SEPTEMBER // 2017

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PROFILE

B O TA N A ADMIRES THE LEVEL OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN PORTLAND. demographic changes. When he began his career, Botana was one of only three ESL teachers; within three years, he was one of 40. “I didn’t go into education to become a superintendent,” he says. “For the longest time I thought that would be the last place that I wanted to wind up. Because I have a big mouth, I think, they asked me to start doing some leadership work.” Botana went on to obtain a master’s degree in educational administration and has completed courses at the doctoral level. Botana has worked in school administration 42 OLD PORT

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in four different states. He first became familiar with Maine when his son, David, began attending Camp No Limits. Based in Rome, Maine, the camp now has ten programs nationwide, and is the only one in the country for young people with limb loss and their families. “We always loved coming up for that,” says Botana. “It’s been a big part of David developing his sense of self and his desire to overcome any challenges that are thrown his way.” Botana had served as the associate superintendent of Michigan City area schools

in Indiana for almost six years when he and his wife, Suzanne (a school psychologist), heard that Portland was looking for a new superintendent. “I half-jokingly asked my wife, ‘Would we be interested in moving to Maine?’” says Botana. “She said, ‘Absolutely.’ We talked to David and he said, ‘Absolutely.’ That’s how that all started.” The Portland school district operates 10 elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools, for children in prekindergarten through grade 12. A third of these children come from homes where English

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Opposite page: Portland Public Schools had approximately 6,800 students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 in 2016. This page: Botana says that Portland Public Schools has made a commitment to equity for all of their students, regardless of economic background.

is not the first language spoken. “I wanted to work in a place where there was a diverse community, and a commitment to that community, and to understanding the value of having different people living together,” says Botana. Botana admires the level of public engagement in Portland. “I recently had the opportunity to sit with a group of gentlemen who get together every Tuesday to talk about important issues in the community,” says Botana. “Most of them are retired, successful, and willing to make a huge investment in the schools, but also obviously very concerned about making sure that the investment is being used wisely.” In June, Portland voters passed a $105 million budget. “People believe in public schools,” he says.

When not occupied with his responsibilities as superintendent, Botana follows professional soccer: his favorite professional teams are Liverpool and Barcelona. “I’ve been known to watch three games in a row on a Sunday afternoon,” he says. He is also a committed husband and father. David will be a sophomore at Casco Bay High School; his grown daughter is getting married this year. Botana, a former child of Cuba who has traveled the United States as an educator, is happy to create roots in Portland—the way that many of his students have done. “We feel like this is home,” says Botana of his family. “We’re really looking forward to getting to see more of Maine.”

Hear more from Xavier Botana on Love Maine Radio with Dr. Lisa Belisle. lovemaineradio.com

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Two of the most prominent features of Deering Oaks Park are the pond and the urban forest of oak trees.

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THE PEOPLE’S

PARK Open to all, DEERING OAKS is Portland’s natural treasure.

BY SUSAN AXELROD PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICOLE WOLF

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This page: Rainbow chard for sale at the Portland Farmers’ Market, held in the park every Saturday from March to October. Opposite page: A child jumps for joy on the splash pad.

ou may have shopped at the Saturday farmers’ market, pushed your child on a swing at the playground, skated on the pond on a winter afternoon, or cooled off in the ravine’s wading pool on a hot summer day. What Central Park is to New Yorkers and the Common is to Bostonians, Deering Oaks is to Portland—a beloved community landmark, accessible place to play, and a bucolic refuge in all seasons. Once part of the Nathaniel Deering farm, most of the park’s 54 acres were given to the City of Portland in 1879, in exchange for a ten-year tax abatement. More land was acquired later; on the eastern edge where tanneries once stood is now the Rose Circle, one of the park’s few formal elements. “People think it’s a Frederick Law Olmsted park, but it’s not,” says Anne Pringle as we head out on a walking tour. The president of the Friends of Deering Oaks and

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a former mayor of Portland (1993 and 1994), Pringle is referring to the famous landscape architect who designed Central Park and dozens of city landscapes and univeristy campuses across the country. Deering Oaks was in fact designed by the Portland city engineer, William Goodwin, who drew on Olmsted’s overarching design principle that municipal parks should highlight the natural features of the landscape, and that they should be open and welcoming to all. Pringle and I begin our tour at the Castle in the Park, a whimsical stone building with a turret originally built in 1894 as a warming hut for ice skaters. Having been stripped of much of its charm when it was converted into restrooms in the mid-1950s, the castle was restored in 2005, with the Friends contributing 40 percent of the cost. Because the park is municipal property, “repairs are a city obligation,” says Pringle. “Our job is to advocate for what needs to be done.” After the Friends pushed for the castle to

be occupied by a foodservice tenant, Tiqa Cafe and Bakery opened there last summer. From the castle we walk underneath towering old white oak trees toward the playground, as Pringle points out that the lower lying areas of the park—where the playground, tennis courts, and other sports fields are now—were once part of Back Cove. Long one of the most popular features of the park, the first playground was installed in 1902 and significantly updated in 2009. In late July, the Friends unveiled the latest upgrade, called the Rocky Hill play area. Funded in part by a $25,000 grant from the Old Bug Light Charitable Foundation, the new section features a labyrinth and a new interactive water feature; using a hand pump, kids can direct the water to flow down a number of sluiceways. Walking toward the center of the park, we pass through the sun-dappled forest of oak trees that gives Deering Oaks its name. The

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THE FRIENDS OF DEERING OAKS KEEP A CONSTANT TAB ON PARK UPKEEP. grass underneath them isn’t mowed, to protect the trees’ fragile root systems, Pringle explains, adding that silty soil—leftover from the days when this section of the park was marshland— adds to the challenge of keeping the trees healthy. Any that come down due to winter storms are replaced the following spring, the responsibility of city arborist Jeff Tarling. The centrally located pond may be Deering Oaks’s most prominent element, but what I find to be the park’s most interesting feature— the ravine—can’t be seen until you are close to it. Part of the original park, the ravine had a spring-fed stream running through it that emptied into the pond. When nearby development affected the water flow in the 1930s, the Portland Water District piped in city water to create a wading pool for children, complete with spraying fountains along the edges. But in the early 1950s, the pool was declared a public health hazard and filled in; some say the move was the result of a child being hurt, says Pringle, while others attributed it to the polio epidemic. Nearly 50 years later, a new wading pool and splash pad were opened in the ravine as a tribute to Kay Wagenknecht-Harte, a landscape architect and urban designer for the City of Portland who died of breast cancer in 1997. Designed by the Portland landscape architecture firm Mohr and Seredin, with two-thirds of the funds raised by the Friends, the shallow, granite-edged pool mimics nature as it winds through the ravine, emptying at one end into a rocky spillway, and SEPTEMBER // 2017

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culminating at the other with a sculpture by Maine artist Carole Hanson called The Circle of Life, a ring of carved stones surrounding a reflecting pool. On warm summer days, kids shriek as jets of water shoot up from the sunny splash pad, while adults stay cool on the grassy banks. “Somebody said, ‘It’s the place where the community comes together around the delight of its children,’” says Pringle, adding that because fresh water is added every day, it is always clear and clean. 50 OLD PORT

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The other significant water feature in the park is of course the pond, with its classic fountain and the Victorian-style duck cottage on its own little island. Original to the park, the duck house was in such disrepair in the late 1980s that the city sold it for a dollar to the late Roger Knight of Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook, who restored it, and in 2007, sold the house back to the city for the same price. When the pond freezes in the winter, the skating scene is like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting, especially when the surrounding park

Opposite page: The pond is a cool oasis in the summer and a favorite place to ice skate in the winter. This page: Friends of Deering Oaks president Anne Pringle underneath one of the park’s old white oak trees.

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“SOMEBODY SAID, ‘IT’S THE PLACE WHERE THE COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER AROUND THE DELIGHT OF ITS CHILDREN.’” –ANNE PRINGLE

SEPTEMBER // 2017

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This page: Rob Ragonese strolls through the Saturday farmer’s market with his son, River.

is covered by snow, as it was when Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington skated on the pond for the 1996 film, The Preacher’s Wife. (In the movie, however, much of the snow was man-made, as the weather was unseasonably warm.) As we circle the pond, Pringle points out that the stone retaining walls surrounding it are in need of repair. The Friends keep a constant tab on park upkeep, and the group—which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year—is grateful for the volunteer efforts that augment their work and that of city employees. For example, Take Action Portland weeded the ravine “like a SWAT team,” she says, and the residents of Serenity House, an addiction treatment center for men, pick up trash in the park once a week. The Friends sponsor annual events, such as the winter lighting display designed by local artist Pandora LaCasse and, since 2015, a lantern walk, preceded by lantern-making workshops for children. They also have an ongoing list of future projects, including restoration of the bowling green, the construction of restrooms to replace the porta-potties near the wading pool, and the installation of more efficient and historically accurate lights along the path. “We’d also like to see the bandstand restored,” says Pringle. The first structure in the park, the circa-1883 bandstand was replaced in 1984 and is often used for events, including kids’ concerts sponsored by the Friends this summer. The oldest event in the park is the Portland Farmers’ Market, held on Saturdays since the mid-1980s (and in Portland since 1768). “The market truly reflects Olmsted’s principles of the park as common ground, where people from all walks of life come to purchase fresh local produce, but also to socialize with both friends and other market patrons,” says Pringle. And after you’ve shopped the market, a few steps will take you to Tiqa Cafe for lunch on the patio, or to wander along a pretty wading pool. On a September Saturday, you just might find me at all three. 52 OLD PORT

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When you see Karen out and about tell your server, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

Maine magazine food editor Karen Watterson and a shot of one of the dishes she sampled at The Burleigh in Kennebunkport.

Join Karen’s dining adventures. Subscribe, read, like, follow.

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themainemag.com + @eatmaine

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FOUR PAWS

UP Pups and their people find a warm welcome in dog-friendly Portland.

by Susan Axelrod Photography by Erin Little Opposite page: Lou, left, and Millie wait patiently for their owners outside of Tandem Coffee and Bakery in the West End.

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Opposite page: Deb and Mike Collins like to get out on the water with their yellow Labrador, Ted, who, thanks to their diligent training, is well-behaved on both land and sea. This page: Commercial Street in the Old Port.

troll along any Portland street on any given day and it won’t be long before you encounter someone accompanied by at least one dog. Plenty of Old Port shops welcome well-behaved pups, offering treats from a jar on the counter and setting bowls of water outside on hot days. Dogs lounge at their owners’ feet on restaurant patios and feel the wind in their fur riding Casco Bay Lines ferries out to the islands. “There’s dog-friendly and then there’s dog-loving,” says Deb Collins, the “Chief Happy Officer” of the dog-centric business HappyME. “That’s the difference with Portland; people genuinely love dogs here.” In 1998 Deb and her husband Mike came to the United States from Deb’s native New Zealand with their first dog, Kaye, a Labradorgolden retriever mix. They lived in various places around the country before deciding to settle in the Portland area in 2005. Mike grew up in New Hampshire, and as outdoorsy types,

they both wanted to be close to ski areas and the ocean. They rented a house on the water in Cape Elizabeth, where they took Kaye for walks in Fort Williams Park and cross-country skied with her through Robinson Woods. “We hadn’t put our roots down, but as we wandered around the Old Port we loved the fact that you could take your dog into most of the shops,” says Deb. “They didn’t just say you could; they invited you in and served treats supplied by the local dog shop, Fetch (now The Fish and Bone)—it was beyond.” Kaye influenced both Deb’s job search and

the couple’s eventual purchase of a home—a colonial with a big backyard in a North Deering neighborhood close to trails along the Presumpscot River. “One of the biggest clinchers for me was when they told me they had bring-your-dog-to-work Friday,” Deb says of her decision to work with the Greater Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau (now Visit Portland) as membership director. When Kaye eventually passed away at 15, “the whole membership community knew because she was kind of a celebrity,” says Deb. About 18 months later they acquired Ted, a.k.a. Teddy the Bear, an energetic yellow lab she describes as “the SEPTEMBER // 2017

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Opposite page: Ted cools off with an ice cream at Bealâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Wharf Street. This page: Bubba takes a break from his walk in the West End to pose.

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didn’t have a dog,” Mike chimes in, adding, “Probably the only reason I even swim in Maine’s ocean is because my dog goes in.” In 2011, Deb launched HappyME, an online retailer of Maine-made collars, leashes, and other gear with whimsical designs featuring a character called Hap and his pup Wag enjoying various outdoor activities. Deb also writes a blog, The Maine Wag, which offers guides to dog-friendly beaches, places to stay, and seasonal events, along with the occasional recipe for homemade dog treats. “I had worked in the dog industry in New Zealand, where I was the brand manager for Best Friend Pet Foods, a division of Heinz,” she says. “Having been with Visit Portland, HappyME merges my passions for dogs and for Maine.”

This page: Dogs are allowed on the back deck of Flatbread Company, at right. Opposite page: Ted and a pal go for a swim off Willard Beach in South Portland.

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Ferrari of puppies.” The training period was challenging, to say the least, recalls Mike. “He never wanted to stop. All night long he’d be bringing you things to throw to him.” At the same time, Visit Portland was beginning to get more requests from dog owners eager to learn about dog-friendly options in the city. Deb wrote a column for the organization’s visitor’s guide, having discovered many of the prime spots with Kaye. “She would come into the Old Port with us; we’d walk around and go to the Portland Lobster Company,” says Deb. “And she loved Mackworth Island; we wouldn’t have done half the hiking we’ve done if we

Several years ago, Deb’s Visit Portland connections put her in touch with Carolyn Ferraro, the restaurant manager at the Portland Regency Hotel and Spa, who had heard about an event happening elsewhere called Martinis for Mutts. “I already had a relationship with the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland (ARLGP), so I connected them with the Regency and it went from there,” says Deb. “The idea was simply to have a fun happy hour where we raised money for the League and you could bring your dogs.” On August 23, the fifth-annual Martinis for Mutts, co-sponsored by the Regency and HappyME, drew another sell-out crowd to the hotel’s leafy Garden Cafe and cobblestone courtyard, complete with a green carpet—a tongue-in-cheek nod to the event’s VIPs. Humans sipped signature martinis—there’s a different recipe each year— and bid on raﬄe prizes, while their canine companions of all sizes and breeds posed for photos and nibbled martini-shaped dog cookies from Gourmutt Beastro and Barkery, which has donated them since the beginning. Proceeds benefit the ARLGP, which opened a new, stateof-the-art facility in Westbrook in December 2016, and the event has also helped to increase the number of dog-friendly hotel rooms in the city. Two years ago, the Regency’s general manager, Dave Tamulevich, announced during the festivities that the hotel would welcome four-legged guests to stay in the hotel. “The Greater Portland community supports animals in general,” says Patsy Murphy, executive director of the ARLGP. “In 2017 dogs in particular are valued and cherished; they really are family members.” Incorporated in 1911 by Governor Percival Baxter, the ARLGP serves 14 communities over 750 square miles and has a 99-percent release rate for the animals it shelters until they are adopted. It sponsors

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“The Greater Portland community supports animals in general.” –Patsy Murphy, ARLGP

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This page: Lucy out for a walk. Opposite page: Ted accompanies Deb and Mike on a stroll around the Old Port.

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This page: Playing ball on the beach is one of Ted’s favorite activities. Opposite page: Deb and Mike say Portland’s embrace of dogs is one of the main reasons they chose to settle in the city.

most hotels in welcoming its canine guests, providing blankets from L.L.Bean, organic dog treats at turn-down, and offering doggie massage, dog-walking, and dog-sitting services. Dog owners can order for their pets from a menu that includes Meat Roaff, Doggie Gumbo, and K-9 ice cream made with soy milk. Pups may eat with their owners on the deck overlooking Crescent Beach or in the fireplace lounge, and are allowed in the lobby and on the hotel grounds. “Right after Columbus Day, before we shut it down for the winter, the pool is dogs-only for a couple of weeks,” says Kew, who also cites HappyME as a resource for guests. “We refer to her blog all the time and send guests there,” she says. The inn is a beloved spot for the Collinses to take Ted, especially in the off-season. “One of my favorite things to do in fall is to walk along Crescent Beach and then go up to the inn, sit by the fire pit, and order a Bloody Mary or a martini,” says Deb, adding that the beach walk helps tire their active dog out so she and Mike can relax.

22 off-site adoption locations, including Planet Dog, The Fish and Bone, and Allagash Brewing Company, and puts on annual events, including the popular Ales for Tails, scheduled for September 30 at Thompson’s Point. “There are 1,500 people with their dogs, and the dogs all get along,” says Murphy. “I think that speaks volumes, and that we could all learn something from the animals.” The ARLGP also works with Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, which has welcomed dogs for about 25 years, on a special dog-fostering program. The inn hosts one dog from the shelter at a time, caring for the animal until it 66 OLD PORT

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is adopted. “Because we were so pet friendly it was an easy transition to start fostering dogs, says the inn’s public relations and Green Program manager Rauni Kew. “We don’t hire people who don’t like dogs, and our guests love dogs.” In just two years, 95 dogs have been adopted from the inn. “Blind dogs, 14-year-old dogs, dogs with no teeth—some are here three weeks and some 48 hours,” says Kew. “The Animal Refuge League is a terrific partner. They are good about flagging dogs that aren’t going to be too noisy—they have made this very possible for us.” Inn by the Sea goes considerably further than

Having worked hard to train Ted, Deb, who is also the trade marketing manager for the Wild Blueberry Association of North America, and Mike, a senior marketing strategist with Ethos Marketing, can take him almost anywhere— for a lake paddle in their canoe, where he sits regally in the middle, wearing his red “life guard” jacket, and to Sunday River, where they spend nearly every weekend of ski season. They stay in a dog-friendly place they would prefer to keep a secret, but say that the Bethel Inn is a good option for skiers with dogs in tow. “In the mornings we take a walk to Cafe Di Cocoa for our coffee; you can go in with your dog and Ted loves that routine. When we hit the slopes, Ted hangs with the mountain dogs at Barker Brook daycare.” On Halloween, he greets trickor-treaters at their door, sporting his Superdog costume, a hand-me-down from Kaye, and he is always a willing subject for Deb’s blog photos, posing on beaches and near lighthouses. “We love that our community just gets that dogs are part of the family,” she says. “Ted’s our social butterfly. Many folks around here know us as Ted’s mom and dad, and that’s fine with us.”

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DOG-LOVERS’ GUIDE TO PORTLAND

Comments by Deb Collins of HappyME

DAYCARE AND BOARDING

CAMP BOW WOW 49 Blueberry Rd., Portland 207.541.9247 campbowwow.com/portland DINKY DOGS 1052 Congress St., Portland 207.774.7704 dinkydogs.biz HAPPY TAILS 119 Bishop St., Portland 207.797.2488 happytailsportland.com ROSCOE’S BED AND BARK 121 Hutchins Dr., Portland 207.536.7245 roscoesbedandbark.com TINY TAILS 130 St. John St., Portland 207.871.5959 happytailsportland.com/tinytails/

DOG FOOD AND GEAR THE FISH AND BONE 195 Commercial St., Portland 207.773.5450 shop.thefishandbone.com

Kathy Palmer has helped drive the dog-friendly culture in Portland from the get-go, supplying Fish and Bone treat jars and cookie refills to dogfriendly businesses around town.

GOURMUTT BEASTRO AND BARKERY Portland (online only) 207.671.7523 gourmuttbeastro.com HAPPYME Portland (online only) 207.400.0650 happymestuff.com PLANET DOG 211 Marginal Way, Portland 207.347.8606 planetdog.com UNCOMMON PAWS 13 Exchange St., Portland 888.549.7297 uncommonpaws.com

DOG-FRIENDLY PLACES TO STAY:

Most area hotels welcome well-behaved dogs. The best etiquette is to call ahead and get the inside scoop; there is often some flexibility on weight restrictions.

Elizabeth 207.799.3134 innbythesea.com

DINE WITH YOUR DOG:

The ambassadors of dog-friendly Maine with their dog foster program and over-the-top guest dog pampering amenities.

According to the Portland health code, dogs are allowed on outdoor decks and patios that can be accessed without having to go through the restaurant.

PORTLAND REGENCY HOTEL & SPA 20 Milk St., Portland 207.774.4200 theregency.com

BOONE’S FISH HOUSE AND OYSTER ROOM 86 Commercial St., Portland 207.774.5725 boonesfishhouse.com

The hotel announced its dog-friendly status in select rooms at Martinis for Mutts a few years ago.

RESIDENCE INN DOWNTOWN PORTLAND 145 Fore St., Portland 207.761.1660 Marriott.com/hotels/travel/ pwmdt Easy access to the Eastern Prom Trail and just a stroll to East End Beach.

WESTIN PORTLAND HARBORVIEW 157 High St., Portland 207.775-5411 westinportlandharborview.com Signature “Heavenly” dog beds, treats, and dog bowls.

THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR DOG: CASCO BAY LINES 56 Commercial St., Portland 207.774.7871 cascobaylines.com

Take the mail boat cruise or pick an island to explore—The Inn on Peaks welcomes dogs on the patio and there is a shoreline trail that’s fun to sniﬀ out.

DOG-FRIENDLY BEACHES Happymestuff.com/the-mainewag/dog-days-of-summer MACKWORTH ISLAND Falmouth Maine.gov/mackworthisland

Requires a State Park pass or pay entry fee at the gate. Parking is first come, first served.

PORTLAND DISCOVERY LAND AND SEA TOURS 170 Commercial St., Portland 207.774.0808 portlanddiscovery.com

A maritime adventure good for mellow mutts who like the wind in their ears and to pose for photos with lighthouse views.

PORTLAND TRAILS 305 Commercial St., Portland 207.775.2411 trails.org

The downstairs deck has an awning oﬀering cool sanctuary for doggie diners on a hot day.

THIS IS SO MAINE.

GARDEN CAFÉ AT THE REGENCY HOTEL 20 Milk St., Portland 207.774.4200 theregency.com/dining-en.html GRITTY’S WHARF STREET PATIO 396 Fore St., Portland 207.772.2739 grittys.com/pubs/portlandbrew-pub PORTLAND LOBSTER COMPANY 180 Commercial St., Portland 207.775.2112 portlandlobstercompany.com Our favorite for dockside happy hour tunes and eats—we are always mindful not to have Ted rock too close to the music speakers.

THE PORTHOLE 20 Custom House Wharf, Portland 207.773.4653 portholemaine.com SEAGLASS AT INN BY THE SEA 40 Bowery Beach Rd., Cape Elizabeth 207.799.3134 innbythesea.com/sea-glassdining/the-restaurant

DOG-FOCUSED EVENTS: ALES FOR TAILS Saturday, September 30 at Thompson’s Point arlgp.org

WE DELIVER.

I like to call it their “harvest hound festival.” Often the human games like corn hole are hijacked by the playful pups. Local brews, live music, food trucks, and vendors. Benefits Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland.

Subscribe 207 772 3373 themainemag.com/subscribe

INN BY THE SEA 40 Bowery Beach Rd., Cape SEPTEMBER // 2017

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E E FR ERY V I L DE 195 Commercial Street, Portland | 207.773.5450 | 217 Newbury Street, Boston | 857.753.4176 | TheFishandBone.com

For the love of pets.

Handmade collars, harnesses, and leashes in a store brimming with a well-curated selection of products for your favorite pet. Come see us in the Old Portâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;because we know thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing common about your four-legged friend.

13 Exchange Street Portland, Maine 04101 888.549.7297 UncommonPaws.com

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PLANET DOG STORE PORTLAND’S PREMIER PET DESTINATION

FOOD, TOYS, TREATS AND MORE FOR ALL YOUR 4-LEGGED FRIENDS. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK. 211 Marginal Way | Portland, ME 04101 | Exit 7 (Franklin Arterial) off of I-295 STORE: 207. 347. 8606 GROOM: 207.347.5139 www.planetdog.com/company-store /planetdoglife /planetdogportland

VISION BEYOND THE HORIZON

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serious

To grow, you need dogged persistence and a nose for novel solutions. We help businesses track down opportunities and run ahead of the pack. Regardless of size.

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Pride

AND JOY

Rob and Robin Whitten create a peaceful, personal garden on Munjoy Hill.

by Debra Spark Photography by Myriam Babin This page: Since 1976, architect Rob Whitten and editor Robin Whitten have lived in this 1847 house on Portland’s East End, a few blocks from Casco Bay. Opposite page: A corner of the Whittens’ newly remodeled kitchen with Robin’s detailed garden diary open to a page on bulbs.

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Every morning at 6, Rob and Robin Whitten hit the “green gym.” “We do the classic stoop, bend, stretch,” Rob says of his and his wife’s 90-minute routine, although the exercise has some non-classic elements: the fitness studio is their garden and the activity consists of weeding, planting, digging, and laying stone. “We’re a team,” says Rob. “She is the gardener; I’m the helper. Robin has a wonderful sense of color and texture. She spends hours with the bulb and seed catalogues, and garden books. I’m the spatial/structure guy who does the heavy lifting. I’m pulling weeds, turning the compost, and mulching the beds, while Robin is at her planting bench, labeling and tagging.” It’s a workout with beauty as the afterburn. Then it’s off to work in the Old Port, where Rob is the founder and principal of the awardwinning firm Whitten Architects, and Robin is the founder and editor of AudioFile Magazine, which reviews and recommends audiobooks. Largely open to the street, the Whittens’ Munjoy Hill garden consists of a flower-strewn mini-meadow, fruit trees, planted beds, and a stone dining terrace, all on property whose 20-foot grade forms multiple levels, thanks to two crescent-shaped retaining walls, built of broken fieldstone. (Tony Aceto of Maineway Landscaping and Excavating in Saco assisted with the stonework.) It wasn’t always so lovely. For 35 years, the gardens were limited to the land immediately surrounding the Whittens’ circa-1847 house, which they bought in 1976 and which sits on a hill a few blocks away from Casco Bay. The Whittens’ longtime neighbor was a lobsterman and while a fence separated their properties, the house’s high perch meant that the immediate view was of an asphalt lot with a boat, traps, and other apparatus of the industry. At some point, the Whittens asked their neighbor to let This page: A tulip border along the property’s back wall with white lilacs in the background. Opposite page: Rob and Robin sit just above the old millstone that served as an inspiration for the steps leading to the upper level of their garden to the lower level, a meadow that they created after acquiring the property next door. The pots on the steps are planted with narcissus.

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A recent remodel created this lightfilled living space and opened up views of the garden from the galley kitchen and dining table. The fireplace is original.

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“Robin has a wonderful sense of color and texture. She spends hours with the bulb and seed catalogues, and garden books.”–ROB WHITTEN them know if he ever decided to sell the lot and its accompanying shed. In 2012, he did so; the lot became part of the Whittens’ now extensive gardens and the shed became Rob’s workshop, subsequently updated with white cedar siding, forest green trim, sliding barn doors, and decorative asphalt roof tiles. A newcomer experiences the gardens from right to left, downhill to uphill, public portion to private. A mown path leads through the meadow, planted with crocus, wind anemones, fritillaria, and scilla, and past fruit trees, before it meets stone steps: two of slab granite and a third comprised of half a millstone. On either side of the steps, stone walls create flat areas for planting beds, which are dominated by

blues, purples, and whites in some areas, and yellows in another, thanks to creeping phlox, vinca, lavender, and daffodils. Once established, daffodils and grape hyacinths, planted in pots that frame the steps, are moved into the garden. The house overlooks all this, but is also surrounded by taller plantings, including lilacs, a dogwood, a stately old maple, magnolia, and two fruit-bearing apple trees, the latter of which (along with pine trees) were there when the Whittens bought the house. The newer garden is on the south (and water) side of the house. The north side is “the engine room,” Rob says. Here there are more planted beds, but also a brick walkway, greenhouse, potting shed, and an impressive row of compost bins, ending in a container with ready-to-use soil.

This schematic describes the larger elements of the garden, but hardly touches on the abundance of details that charm. A large slab of stone by the sidewalk is purposefully placed to serve as a bench for passersby. A profusion of Solomon’s seal edges the dining terrace. Robin describes the green ground plant with small bell-like flowers as reminding her of the fairy villages that “you see in those little English garden books with animals who live in the woodland.” In season, tulips, iris, daylilies, English bluebells, wisteria, peonies, clematis, and chrysanthemums all make an appearance. Triumphs and failures are noted in Robin’s extensive garden log, a fat diary that she keeps in the kitchen, which is stuffed with catalogue clippings, notes, instructions,

This page, from left: In advance of a pink tulip party, a fundraising effort for breast cancer awareness, the Whittens painted this gate found at Portland Architectural Salvage pink, and never changed the color. Robin’s seed box. Opposite page: Early seedlings are nurtured inside a greenhouse surrounded by pots of pink tulips, narcissus, hyacinths, and other bulbs and plants.

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“The garden’s big moment is spring. You wait so long for spring to come and are rewarded with all the lovely blooms.”–ROBIN WHITTEN and encouragement. On one page there will be a recorded disappointment, on another an exuberant, “Garden looks great!” The garden is always evolving, and last summer’s changes extended to an architectural renovation. The kitchen and mudroom in the house’s back ell were reconfigured to include more windows and accommodate a new porch. This “last piece of the garden design,” Rob says, created more ways to enjoy the garden. “The house was designed around the garden space,” not, as is more often the case, vice versa.

action and even saving grace. Robin is a breast cancer survivor. In 2004, when she first got her diagnosis, her tulips were already planted for the season. To get her through “the dark days of chemo and radiation,” she says, she imagined her garden blooming in the spring. The next year, she spearheaded community plantings of pale pink tulips in public spaces, as a way to fundraise and create better awareness of breast cancer. At its height, the Pink Tulip Project had beds at 80 schools, hospitals, and parks in Maine alone and raised $380,000 for the Maine Cancer Foundation.

Gardening is not a mere pleasure for the Whittens, but at times a matter of social

The Pink Tulip Project was purposefully timed for Mother Day’s blooms. Rob and Robin’s

personal garden also has a spring focus, with masses of tulips and daffodils. Lily of the valley lines the wall of boulders at the back of the property. Columbine, mountain laurel, poppy, and scilla are arranged under an apple tree. Climbing hydrangea weaves through a low, curved iron fence that runs along the sidewalk and was fashioned by blacksmith Tim Greene of StandFast Works Forge in Parsonsfield. As the summer moves on, shade overtakes the garden, and “shade plants don’t interest me much,” says Robin. Though she does plant for later color, she says, “The garden’s big moment is spring. You wait so long for spring to come and are rewarded with all the lovely blooms.”

Rob Whitten holds a page of the garden journal that he and Robin keep when they travel, in part for inspiration for their gardens. Here, the notes and sketches are of the garden at Great Dixter, East Sussex, England, home of the late gardener and writer Christopher Lloyd.

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Imagine living in a stylish urban environment two blocks from the ocean, steps away from celebrated restaurants, and in the heart of a historical neighborhood. Residents of The Mason Block will enjoy all the amenities of a thoughtfully designed building in one of the best locations in Portland, between the Old Port and the East End on India Street. All of the units at 62 India Street feature stone counters, hardwood floors, custom tile work, contemporary gas fireplaces, private decks, sophisticated lighting and plumbing

fixtures, and high efficiency heat pumps and air conditioning. Private storage areas and covered parking are also included. Buyers have the option to select from multiple countertop, flooring and cabinetry finishes, as well as a radiant heat option in the bathrooms. Prices for The Mason Block condominiums start at $450,000, and the building will be ready for occupancy by the Spring of 2018.

THE MASON BLOCK • 62 INDIA ST. PORTLAND, MAINE 04101 TOWN & SHORE ASSOCIATES, LLC • TOWNANDSHORE.COM SANDY JOHNSON, BROKER • 207.415.2128 • GAIL L ANDRY, ASSOCIATE BROKER • 207.650.8893

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g. d.

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Munjoy Hill • Completely Renovated • Single Family / Multi-Family / Condo • 32Turner.com

Tom Landry & The Landry Team Portland’s Real Estate Leader® landryteam@benchmarkmaine.com 207-775-0248

Local - Savvy - Responsive

Enjoy a waterfront trail run, craft beer, pizza, massages, yoga, healthy snacks, and a dance party at the finish line!

18th Annual

RACE + WALK

All proceeds support 70 miles of trails in Greater Portland.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

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They say if you’re not bor n here, you’ll never be a Mainer.

We disag ree. We’ve been making Mainers for more than 60 years!

(Back Row): Mark Fortier, Brenda Cerino-Galli, Bob Knecht, Lucy Foster-Flight, Joi Kressbach, Whitney Harvey, Gail Landry, Tish Whipple, Susan Lamb, Pete Molloy, Sue Lessard, Jeff Davis. (Front Row): Sandy Johnson, William Davisson, Dianne Maskewitz, Steve Parkhurst, Lynn Hallett.

www.townandshore.com | 207.773.0262

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Own a piece of quintessential oceanfront real estate on Penobscot Bay.

64 Kelley Dr, Stockton Springs, ME This stately cottage-style home is sequestered on 6.8± acres with 400± feet of picturesque Maine ocean frontage. Within the 5,000± SF of main living space, you’ll find 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a

stone fireplace with Deer Isle Granite hearth. The Kennebec Kitchen, at the center of the home, includes top-of-the-line appliances and opens to an expansive dining space.

entrance and a patio. An attached 2-car garage, plus large barn with guest apartment provide ample storage and accommodations for family and friends.

Ocean views throughout including from the 2,347± SF of finished space in the 2-bedroom walk-out basement apartment with private

Steps to the ocean, and a haven of wildlife, this home is perfectly suited for a life of adventure, reflection, and balance.

Buy it at your price!

PuBlic AuctiOn On-SitE: Thursday, September 21 Tranzon Auction Properties is a member company of Tranzon, LLC. All Tranzon companies are independently owned and operated.

TRANZON.COM 866-503-1212

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ONE IN FOUR MAINE CHILDREN EXPERIENCE FOOD INSECURITY. MAMM’S SCHOLARSHIP GALA FUNDRAISER

An Evening With The Fogcutters At AURA

THIS SCHOOL YEAR, LET’S RENEW OUR COMMITMENT TO ENDING CHILD HUNGER. We’re working hard to end childhood hunger in Maine by connecting kids to effective nutrition programs like school breakfast, lunch and summer meals. Here at Full Plates Full Potential, we know which programs are effective to combat hunger. We know where to target resources to reach the highest numbers of hungry kids. And with your support, we will end childhood hunger.

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GATHER

G O O D T I M E S , G R E AT C A U S E S

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM AND THEATRE OF MAINE 2017 AUCTION Photography by Dave Dostie

The Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine held its annual auction at the Brick South Events Center on Thompson’s Point. The theme was “Passport to the World.” Guests bid on more than 400 auction items including an African photo safari, trips to Chamonix and Paris, and a private helicopter tour of Halfway Rock Lighthouse. The event raised vital funds for the organization, along with $16,000 in donations to support yearlong scholarship memberships for families in need. 01

“We love bringing people together to celebrate the work we do with children and families. This year’s event was a huge success, and it was extra special because we were able to invite our guests to join us on Thompson’s Point—just steps from the site where we hope to build our new home in the next few years.”

–Suzanne Olson, executive director at the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine

01 Warren Valdmanis, managing director at Bain Capital Double Impact, and Kristin Kellogg Valdmanis 02 Amy Landry, healthcare communications strategist at Amy Landry Communications, and Tom Landry, broker and owner of Benchmark Residential and Investment Real Estate 03 Ann Misterovich, certified registered nurse anesthetist; Lisa Smith; and Ann Sellinger, certified registered nurse anesthetist 04 Katie Magoun, writer; Meghan Stasz, senior director of sustainability at Grocery Manufacturers Association; Andrew Magoun, board member at Portland Food Co-op and museum & theatre board member; and Julie Ouellette, nurse anesthetist 05 Kevin Herbig, Lanco Assembly Systems, and Gabrielle Rioux Herbig, merchant card services specialist at Bangor Savings Bank 06 Beth Fossett and Tim Fossett, co-owners of Lighthouse Distribution 07 Justin Alfond, former Maine State Senate president; Dan Kleban, co-owner of The Maine Beer Company; and Bethany Kleban 08 Colleen Raney, vocalist, and Hanz Araki, musician

SEPTEMBER // 2017

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INSIDER PICKS L O C A L S G I V E T H E I R R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S

Portland’s TOP DOG

Finalists Oliver James

FRENCH BULLDOG Owner: Shannon Gordon

WINNER Bear

ENGLISH SETTER Owner: Robert Backhaus

Lucy

MINI AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD Owner: Ashley and Shelbi

Luca

TERRIER/LAB MIX Owner: Alex Moran

Bert

FOX TERRIER/LAB MIX Owner: Hannah Bechatf

More than 220 dog owners submitted photos of their pups for our Portland’s Top Dog contest, sponsored by

Uncommon Paws.

See more Portland dogs at oldport.com

Nellie

GOLDEN RETRIEVER Owner: Sara Brooke

88 OLD PORT

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oldport.com

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We know Portland.

WHERE TO GO WHAT TO DO WHERE TO SHOP WHERE TO EAT

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asktheexperts@oldport.com

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