The West End News - September Edition 2023 - Vol. 23 No. 09

ReCode Portland First Wave Changes

Analysis: Updates to Portland’s Land Use Code Missing Middle Density Housing

By Tony Zeli

ReCode Portland is an effort to refresh the entirety of the city’s land use code. City planners want to make the code more “user-friendly” and ensure it refects the city’s ten-plus year goals. City planners released a draft of their First Wave Changes this summer. The changes will touch every area of the urban landscape, including housing, design, preservation, and transportation.

But do the changes released so far refect the community’s goals? These goals are named in Portland’s Plan 2030, the city’s long-term comprehensive plan. It calls for an equitable and authentic city with unique neighborhoods, where residents can live and relax near where they work. Importantly, the plan refects a desire that the benefts and burdens of Portland’s growth be shared fairly across the city.

From the discussions I have had with local experts and concerned residents who have been following the process, the First Wave Changes do not achieve these goals. Specifcally, they do not address the missing middle in housing. As such, the future looks more like a downtown that keeps getting denser and single-family neighborhoods that remain the same.

WHAT IS THE MISSING MIDDLE?

Ian Jacob is a West End resident who is advocating for the City to slow down the ReCode process and better educate the public. He wants to see Portland grow to accommodate a diverse population while honoring the existing neighborhood character.

”As long as there is a demand for

housing, we will get more housing - just not necessarily the type we need,” says Jacob. “Planning staff have not demonstrated that the proposed changes are going to create the kind of building types we need - the missing middle (small houses, varied multi-family, triple-deckers, etc.).”

“I could not agree more,” says Todd Morse, president of the Urbanist Coalition of Portland, a group advocating for specifc policies in the land use code to support more middle density, mixed use neighborhoods. According to Morse, the ReCode

edits so far focus on density downtown and along busy transportation corridors. Or to put it another, where density is already found. And they do the minimum in terms of building up single-family neighborhoods.

Middle density housing, such as duplexes, 3–4-unit buildings, and other house-scale buildings don’t stand out in existing neighborhoods. Middle density housing tends to support walkable neighborhoods with local business and is a crucial element in providing an array of

housing options that working families can afford.

Seeing middle density housing spread throughout the city, not just in and around the peninsula but into the single-family neighborhoods like Rosemont and North Deering, could provide the missing middle housing options residents need. But what the First Wave Changes do is further densify already dense areas, especially on the peninsula and along corridors like Forest Avenue and Congress Street. Meanwhile the changes seem to keep the rest of the city as little changed as possible.

For instance, the new RN1 and RN2 zones - which map onto the current R1, R2, and R3 zones that make up most of Portland’s mainland residential zones - will only allow up to two units on a lot. It is not until RN3, or the current R4 zone, that the code starts to allow even 3–4-unit buildings. This is not a substantial change, especially with other restrictions, such as minimum lot sizes. Building up to the maximum allowable units won’t always be easy.

As Martin notes, “The changes are incremental at the end of the day... I think ultimately the impact will be small.”

CAN WE GET THERE?

Several downtown neighborhood associations are discussing how to get the ReCode process slowed down and made more available to all.

According to Nell Donaldson from Portland’s planning department, “We are reassuring people that the opportunity to learn and provide feedback is ongoing, and that these articles (plus more to come)

Zoe Miller: Visioning a Walkable Allen’s Corner

-Vision from Portland's Plan 2030 Cont'd on Pg. 3

NOW ACCEPTING NEW PRIMARY CARE PATIENTS!

FAMILY PRACTICE ON THE RIVER-KENNEBUNK

62 PORTLAND ROAD, SUITE 47 KENNEBUNK • (207) 502-7386

Accepting Maine Care, Medicare, & most Commercial Insurances

100% Handicapped-Friendly Building (inside & out)

Plenty of parking

With hundreds of surveys completed by our patients, we have a 98% happiness rating!

www.FamilyPracticeOnTeRiver.com

Like Us On Facebook!

Family Practice on the River

WHAT'S INSIDE

Book Short.....................................................6

City News & Info ..........................................3

Climate Justice.............................................13

Community Slice..........................................15

Events...........................................................4-5

La Vida Local..................................................4

Layne's Wine Gig ..................................10-11

PelotonPosts..............................................7

Poetry............................................................15

Puzzle Page...................................................15

Travel..............................................................12

SUBMISSIONS

WEN is a community newspaper and we need your voice! Share your submissions with thewestendnews@gmail.com or send to: The West End News, 795 Congress Street, Portland, Maine 04102.

• Letters to the editor should be no more than 200 words. Include your name and town or neighborhood.

• WEN also accepts poetry, cartoons, and photo submissions.

Deadline for publication in the October Edition is Friday, September 22nd. Publication is not guaranteed and submissions may be edited for length.

The thoughts and opinions expressed in our pages belong solely to the authors and not necessarily to the publication.

Kathleen McKeon, CNP

Caroline Wilmot, CNP

ReCode Analysis

Cont'd

won’t be fnished until they work their way through the Planning Board and City Council process.”

Donaldson recommends visiting the Recode Portland website to learn more at https://www.recodeportland. me/frst-wave-changes. You’ll fnd videos and more detailed information. Also, the City is hosting an upcoming virtual event in mid-September. The event will be publicized through the City’s calendar, social media, and ReCode email list.

City planners want to hear from you. Donaldson says they are open to any kind of input,“but specifcally, if members of the public have feedback on particular draft changes (particular uses or dimensional standards in their zone, for instance), that’s very helpful.”

Portland Parks Offers New Tai Chi for Arthritis

The City of Portland Parks, Recreation and Facilities will soon offer people of all ages a new way to stay ft. Portland is one of twenty-seven park and recreation agencies across the country to receive the SHAPR award, thanks to a grant provided from the National Recreation and Park Association with funding support from the CDC.Through this grant funding, Portland will offer a new program, Tai Chi for Arthritis, to the Portland community.

Recent studies show that the Tai Chi for Arthritis program is proven to be effective in relieving pain, improving quality of life, and preventing falls for adults with or without arthritis.

The new program will be offered Mondays and Wednesdays, September 18th through November 13th (no class on October 9th), 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., at 212 Canco Road. The classes will be taught by certifed and trained instructors and are ideally suited for anyone that is interested in a low-impact exercise program, especially those looking to manage their chronic condition. Portland Parks will also be collaborating with Portland Housing to offer a class at their senior housing. For more information, visit the Portland Maine Parks and Recreation website.

Todd Martin agrees it is diffcult to participate in zoning decisions. He recommends his group as a resource. The Urbanist Coalition of Portland have their own set of recommendations to help build the missing middle in Portland. Also, you can fnd on their site a helpful zoning map, showing where the current residential zones are located throughout the city. Of course, says Martin, if you want change, you’ll have to fnd others who agree with you and advocate. And the best way to do that is to engage with your city councilor.

The contact email for ReCode is recodeportland@portlandmaine.gov.

If you’d like to learn more, visit https:// www.recodeportland.me/code-evaluation.

Tony Zeli is publisher and editor. Reach him at thewestendnews@gmail.com.

METRO Fare Deal Discount Ends Sept. 30th

50% off discount contributes to increased ridership

Metro, along with transit partners Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach Transit and South Portland Bus Service, has offered the Fare Deal promotion, a 50% discount on bus rides from March through September, as an incentive to bring back ridership that was lost during the pandemic. The Fare Deal has contributed to increased ridership.

In 2023, monthly ridership is up over 45% compared to 2022. Ridership in June and July was 88% and 83% of 2019 ridership, respectively, continuing the trend of strong recovery compared to previous years, especially since the start of the Fare Deal in March.

Ridership has been strong across all routes, says Metro. Ridership on Route 9 and the Husky Line, which typically see lower ridership in the summer months, are up between 55% and 93% compared to July 2022. Both routes will see significant service changes later this month, which Metro projects will drive ridership even higher.

The Portland Metro fare for a oneway bus ride was $2 and is now $1. A reduced fare one-way bus ride was $1.00. It is now $.0.50. Find a full list of fare prices at https://gpmetro.org/154/Fare-Information.

WHAT'S GOING ON

Reiche Community Room Schedule - September 2023

WENA’s Reiche Community Room Activities

By Rosanne Graef

Thanks to funding support from a Maine Medical Center Caring Community Grant and space provided by Portland Recreation, the West End Neighborhood Association is offering a variety of activities at Reiche beginning September 13th. A monthly schedule will appear in The West End News. More details and presenter bios at www.wenamaine.org/calendar or sign up for weekly announcements at hello@wenamaine.org.

Topic: Mental Health

Discuss the latest high-tech auto safety features. Doors open at 6:30; popcorn & fzzy water avail. Learn to Play or to Play Better - Materials Provided Electric Cars - - Is Tere One in Your Future?

Introductory Bridge Lessons - Have fun with other beginners and those who would like to review the game. This class will start with the basics of how to play bridge: evaluating different hands, when to bid, how to communicate with your partner.

Card Making for Beginners - This class will focus on card stock, decorative paper, folding, and stamping. All materials to make three cards with envelopes are provided along with detailed instructions so students can make more on their own with their own supplies. Two follow-up sessions in November and December.

Limit of 10 participants.

Die Well Death Education - While death can be overwhelming to think and talk about, talking about it does not “make it happen.” Once you have taken the steps to prepare the best you can, you can live your best life with the confdence and comfort of knowing that you have prepared for the inevitable. It is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your loved ones.

MUSIC. COMEDY. THEATER. DANCE.

and so much more...

Join us on The Hill for amazing performing arts!

The Hill Arts (formerly St. Lawrence Arts) has a new name, look and feel! However, the mission and commitment remain the same:

Arts & Culture

Neighborhood & Community Historic Preservaton

9/1-9/3 Portland Theater Festval: Sanctuary City (LAST WEEKEND!)

9/7-9/23 What We Get To Keep. By Roland Tec

9/10 Kate Schrock and Glen DaCoasta LIVE in Concert!

9/12 Balderdash Academy Presents: On The Air! (monthly event)

9/25 Chris Neville, James Cammack and Dave Bowler LIVE

9/26 Balderdash Academy Presents: IMPROV Jam (Come Play!)

9/29 Steamy Nights Burlesque, Fundraiser for The Hill Arts

10/7 Dirty Cello LIVE in Concert!

10/12 - 10/29 Good Theater Presents: Firefies

10/16 Hey Party People - Sketch Comedy at its funniest!

10/27 Los Galactacos LIVE in Concert!

11/1-11/19 Good Theater Presents: Broadway, Twin Piano Editon

11/24 The Unfnished Blues Band LIVE in Concert!

12/1 Bloom Ballet Project: Conversing Through Dance

12/2 Hustle and Flow Presents: Dancestravaganza

12/3 Andy Happel’s 2nd Annual Holiday Hootenanny

76 Congress Street s www.thehillarts.me s 207-347-7177

Electric Cars - Is there an EV in your future? What’s the story on electric vehicles? Are they a good way to reduce emissions? Are they more expensive? Is charging a big hassle? Are they more fun to drive?

Felting - Learn to make small fgures out of wool: animals, houses, trees... Explore needle felting pictures and as a method for repairing or embellishing textiles. All supplies provided. Limit of 10 participants Qigong/Tai Chi - Qigong/Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese mind-body exercise that is about moving more of your body parts with ease and awareness, opening energy fow, circulation, and enhancing balance and strength. Tai chi is relatively easy to learn. For many, it continues as a lifetime journey.

Tai Chi Chih - T’ai Chi Chih is made up of 19 moves and 1 pose. It is a form of Moving Meditation, and with regular practice, it has been clinically proven to help with sleeplessness, ADHD, blood pressure, balance, stress, and more. It’s a “user-friendly” form, doable just about anywhere, at any age, seated or standing. Dress comfortably, wear shoes you feel balanced in, footies, or go barefoot.

Yoga - In this gentle one-hour class discover how meditation, breathing, and asana can bring you clarity and calm. Soften and open as you move, breathe, and focus. Relieve stress as you strengthen, balance, and stretch. Dress comfortably, bring a mat, blocks, blanket if you have them — don’t worry if you don’t.

All activities are FREE unless noted. Donations to WENA are appreciated.

WHAT'S GOING ON

COMMUNITY EVENTS SEPTEMBER

Creative Portland’s Free Summer Stage Concert Series

Fri, Sep. 1st / 6p / Congress Square Park, Portland / FREE

On September 1st, the alternative local indie music venue, Apohadion, will co-present during Creative Portland’s monthly First Friday Art Walk from 5 to 8 p.m. in Monument Square. The event was originally scheduled to be held in August, but it was postponed until September due to weather.

The September 1st billing includes local bands: Trashton N’ Thee Bandits, Peach Hat, JoJo, and Corpus Chicanery, and Maine Academy of Modern Musicians will return in October to showcase student performances.

New Mainers on Stage: New Moon Ensemble

Fri, Sep. 1st / 6p / Congress Square Park, Portland / FREE

Join the Immigrant Welcome Center for our latest New Mainers on Stage event in Congress Square Park. The event will feature Namory Keita from Sang

African Festival Back in Portland on 9/16

Sat, Sep. 16 / 5:30 - 9p / Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Portland / $20 adults, $10 children

The annual African Festival, a celebration of the beauty of African culture and community, will be held at the Guild Hall of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, located on 307 Congress Street in Portland, on Saturday, September 16th, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The festival will be preceded by a Mass at the Cathedral at 4 p.m.

The event will feature a variety of music, dancing, and foods from many African countries, including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Cameroon, Sudan, and Angola.

Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children under 13 and seniors. To purchase tickets to the popular event, call the parish at 207-773-7746. The proceeds will beneft the benevolent efforts of Sacred Heart/St. Dominic Parish on Mellen Street in Portland. The parish provides countless community programs, social justice presentations, and workshops for local residents. In addition, the parish’s food pantry distributes close to 3,000 pounds of food each week and when in need, hundreds in the neighborhood turn to the parish for clothes and household items.

Artist Talk

Henry Isaacs at the Maine Jewish Museum

Sun, Sep. 10 / 2 – 3 p / Maine Jewish Museum, Portland

Artist Henry Isaacs will greet guests in the Fineberg Family Community Room, where his exhibition is currently on view, and will talk about his artistic practice and his heartfelt connection to the Maine Jewish Museum.

RELATED EXHIBITS

Henry Isaacs

August 31 –

October 27, 2023

Maine Jewish Museum

One of the most recognizable artists painting in Maine today, Isaacs is widely known for his broken brushwork style and effervescent palette.

“Geese, Vermont,” oil on wood 10 x 8”

OLS Presents:

Micromassé at Congress Square Park

Thu, Sep. 28 / 6-8p / Congress

Square / FREE

Join us for a FREE community outdoor concert at Congress Square Park featuring Micromassé! Sponsored by Dead

River Company, with support from Norway Savings Bank and Coffee By Design.

Micromassé is a trio of accomplished musicians offering a fresh new sound that is nostalgically analog, worldly, and explosively modern. Combining the classic sound of the Hammond Organ with dynamic electric guitar and infectious drums, Micromassé strives to bring instrumental music to new frontiers while maintaining a positive groove and a fun vibe.

TAYLOR ASHTON W/ ELISE LEAVY

NEIL PEARLMAN & KEVIN HENDERSON

LUCY KAPLANSKY W/ LARRY JOHN MCNALLY

GUY DAVIS

FUNKATIONLAND

GENTICORUM

JULIAN LAGE

SOLD OUT!

THE PORTLAND JAZZ ORCHESTRA

DANIEL CHAMPAGNE

MICROMASSÉ @ CONGRESS SQ. PARK | FREE

JONATHA BROOKE

KIM RICHEY

CAROLINE COTTER ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

LOLS: AN EVENING OF LOCAL COMEDY

GOLDINGS/BERNSTEIN/STEWART ORGAN TRIO

LOUISE BICHAN: MUSIC & STORIES FROM SCOTLAND

HONEYSUCKLE

SHOW CALENDAR + TICKETS: ONELONGFELLOWSQUARE.COM

MUSIC + EVENTS

ROOFTOP *TICKETED*: GINA & THE RED EYE FLIGHT CREW ($25 ADV, $30 DOOR - LIMITED SPACE)

SEP 7, 2023 - 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

EVENTS, ART, CONCERTS & MORE. Email your events to thewestendnews@gmail.com. Contact

www.baysidebowl.com

BOOK SHORT

‘Trust’ by Hernan Diaz

Review by Stephanie Miller

There are four sections to “Trust,” a novel by Pulitzer Prize winning author Hernan Diaz. The frst is a novel itself, a fctionalized life of a legendary and enormously successful 1920’s fnancier in New York City and his wife. The second is an unfnished memoir by the fnancier in New York City presumed by everyone to be featured in the novel. The third is the memories of the unknown young woman hired to help the fnancier write his memoir. The last is a short story about a woman who could be the wife. Each of them explores the human cost of wealth, especially in the reality-bending world of capitalism.

Along the way, fantastic claims are made about who the fnancier really is, how he made his money, why he still made money during the crash (and if he caused the crash), who were his mentors and advisors, and who he infuenced. The enormous fortune is real. The truth about the man is in debate. The title of the novel is a double entendre, of course, as (a) trust is both a fnancial instrument and the foundation of any healthy relationship between two people.

Now that you know the cleverly conceived construct of this book, you will have a leg up on me, who came to it cold on a recommendation from someone in one of my book clubs. It took me well into the third section (the one told in the voice

of the young woman hired to write the memoir) to fgure out that it’s a literary mystery, presenting the life of this man (or two men?) between memory (not necessarily truth!), gossip, journalism of the time, and pure fction.

However, at the end, I refected on how cleverly the various sides of the story are revealed, and how it speaks to the way we gather information on current events and public fgures. Today, we hear the people themselves in interviews with professional journalists. We scan social media. We read novels and watch plays about public fgures and those around them. We hear conficting stories, and we hear alternate facts. How do we actually know what is truth, and which sources can be trusted?

The novel is incredibly spare and precise. It’s so well written, and the voices are so unique and clear that even if you ignore the larger intrigue and quest for truth, the sections are each a delight to read.Together, however, they become more poignant and thought-provoking—like listening to a conversation between each protagonist and seeing the same story through their widely different views.

Bayside resident Stephanie Miller is a voracious reader and bibliophile and spends a lot of time lost in the stacks of bookstores and libraries. Find her online @StephanieSAM.

Please

Zoe Miller: Bringing Joy & Relationships to Visioning a Walkable Allen’s Corner

Every month PelotonLabs co-founder Liz Trice interviews a local community member. This month, Liz caught up with Zoe Miller, a public health planning professional who helped found the Friends of Allen’s Corner, as well as the Moving Maine Network, a statewide coalition focused on improving transportation access.

Why did you start Friends of Allen’s Corner and what do you hope to accomplish?

I moved into my house ten years ago near Allen’s Corner – the intersection of Washington Ave. and Allen Ave., by Shaw’s Northgate Plaza. I liked a lot of things about the area, but we lack a place to gather and it’s a yucky suburban-style intersection, with four and fve lanes of traffc across. It’s a very auto-centric intersection. But we also have a local bookstore, an ice cream shop, and a lot of people both on foot and on bikes going through. I wanted it to feel better for walking and biking, and to have places to get together.

I kept talking to other people who felt the same way. So last year I got together with neighbors to apply for a small grant from America Walks. We’re meet-

ing monthly right now to get to know each other and develop a positive vision as a way to talk to decision-makers, developers, and property owners.

What do you envision being different for Allen’s Corner?

We’d love the traffc to be slower, the roadway to be narrower, and for it to feel safer and more pleasant for people to walk or bike or push a baby stroller. It’s one of the top crash locations in the city, and regardless of what the data says, it doesn’t feel good to bike or walk there. This is our home, and we want to feel safe walking two blocks to the store, yet right now the roadway favors the people driving through. So that requires a thoughtful design. We’d also love to have places for people to come together, maybe a cafe or community restaurant, and some kind of communal green space, a community center with activities for kids and adults. We’ve been meeting at the North Deering Congregational Church.

How can you change a big intersection to be more pedestrian and neighborhood friendly?

In the short term, we work with the city to slow traffc and make pedestrians feel safer with temporary paint and bollards. We can get input from a lot of people to create a compelling vision to share with city staff and elected leaders. If I had a magic wand… maybe it’s a roundabout – the new roundabout at USM is working well. But our goal is not to dictate the exact solution. We want to create shared goals and work together to make improvements.

What does Moving Maine do?

A few years ago, I helped start the Moving Maine Network as a statewide coalition focused on transportation access, particularly for people with the greatest needs: older adults, people with disabilities, people of color, people with low incomes. We envision a Maine where all people have access to transportation regardless of background, destination, or geography.

Last year we worked with GrowSmart Maine and Build Maine to advance legislation for safer streets and expanded funding for public transportation. We had two wins. LD 1674 passed, which requires MaineDOT to evaluate how they set speed limits and identify ways to work with communities that want to slow down traffc. LD 1559 gives a stronger voice to the Public Transit Advisory Council (which advises the MaineDOT) by making it meet more often and include more diverse membership.

We’re also pushing for more funding

for public transportation and more coordination to make transportation solutions a reality. Our transportation system creates barriers to health, wellbeing, and a good quality of life and health. So we have to change it. Public health is intricately connected to transportation and our roads.

What inspires you when making change is tough?

For me, cultivating belonging is essential to meaningful social change. When public meetings get stressful or toxic, that’s the time to hit pause and make space for relationship building. When people have relationships with one another, things are much less likely to turn ugly. With Friends of Allen’s Corner, we’re taking time for people to build relationships.

Also, if you want to make change, you need to have allies and cheerleaders, and fnd ways to make it joyful. It’s not sustainable if you feel alone and discouraged.

How to get involved:

Facebook page: https://www.facebook. com/Allensfriends

Contact Zoe: zmstrategies@gmail.com

PelotonLabs is a coworking space in the West End of Portland, Maine, with a mission to connect and encourage people working on their own to manifest their visions without fear.

PelotonPosts is produced by PelotonLabs and WEN provides free column space. Publisher-editor Tony Zeli is a coworking memeber at PelotonLabs.

Zoe Miller. -Courtesy

LAYNE’S WINE GIG

By Layne V. Witherell

Yes, this is the heading of my column, but it is time for a little shameless promotion. This month’s column is about the gig I do monthly live on stage. A “gig” in this case is a “live performance in a club, on stage, with an audience.” It is a wine event with a bevy of interesting wines, but there is a lot more. I have spent over forty years giving talks and classes on wine from university lecture halls to three-star restaurants and exclusive country clubs. But this is more interesting, different, and a whole lot more fun.

Blue, the music club at 650 Congress Street, Portland, is an iconic, locally revered jazz club surging with energy and fresh ideas, including rock and spoken word performances. It is a stage where I have been honored to have seen my local and national heroes perform, and for the past several years to put all my energy and experience every month in front of a great audience. The Gig can be light, erudite, howlingly funny, or a total snark fest depending on the material. The wines and the subjects always change monthly.

Frankly, I seldom attend wine tastings anymore. They are always advertised as “curated”: carefully chosen and thoughtfully organized. Mostly, they come directly from a sales rep or wine textbook’s sell sheet. I have experienced what I perform onstage, and it bears no relation to the dull tastings that have more in common with watching paint dry.

Every month I share ideas from a wide variety of ancient, modern, and upto-the-second sources that the “curated” wine people can’t imagine exist. Over forty years I have assembled a rare books wine library that I bring together with the most recent thoughts and controversies. Cool stuff.

This is jazz performance - an improvisation on stage with wines that neither I nor the audience have previously tasted. The wines are chosen based on the theme of the evening, which culminates with all of us becoming our own winemaker, a creation composed of joining the wines together in what I call a “Mendo Blendo.” Yes, we make and comment on our personally created wines.

How it works: July’s topic was “Wandering Grapes.” Two whites and two reds, but that’s just the beginning. The wine menu includes a second helping of thoughts:

"Australian Sauvignon Blanc with the story of Brian Croser, ‘the most formidable intellect in the Australian wine industry’ (1988). His winery share got bought out from under him leading to decades in the wine wilderness. In 2023 he has emerged once again, reinvented as a genius. I ran a winery and often told the tale of when the shareholders get delirious, a common affiction in the business. The wine tastes somewhere in favor in the middle of a grapefruit bomb from New Zealand

and a chunky, citrusy California Sauvignon Blanc. Perfect for blending.

"Semeli Moschofero, (Nemea, Greece). Moschofero, a Greek white grape that clones itself at random in the vineyard, resulting in a wide range of favors and styles. The ideal grape for Mendo Blendo resulting in a full, rich luscious white with energy and zest when splashed with the Aussie wine. Look mom, I’m a winemaker. Dazzle your friends with this one.

"Terres Blondes Gamay Loire Valley by Martine Saunier. The Gamay grape wanders throughout France, is fresh and classic French, but the story is Martine. She is an older, feisty French wine importer who lives in retirement in California. Martine has known and seen everybody, but needs a young person to write her biography. Most importers spend

their days on the road (I know, I was one) and fall into obscurity. Instead of you chasing that sommelier pin and a dead-end restaurant job, look her up: ‘Martines Wines.’ That book is your career."

We tasted the Gamay and blended a Chiara German Pinot Noir, 2021, Pfalz, from grapes brought originally by wandering monks in the 8th Century. A splash of Gamay for fruit and Pinot for calm acidity and a touch of tart cherry. It’s your call. We just created a wonderful refreshing summer porch drink.

We close each Gig in true snark fest fashion: Layne’s Eyeroll Winner of the Month. Every month I dig into the juiciest wine news and do a little reporting with the audience, sharing our thoughts. I scour for the wildest piece of winebiz.com info

Cont'd on Next Page

Terres Blondes Gamay and Chiara Pinot Noir were featured in July's Mendo Blendo, part of Layne's live gig at BLUE on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

-All photos courtesy of Layne V. Witherell

or other juicy reporting that occurs and pops up on my radar. The following is my suggested must-read article: “Maggie Harrison’s War on Wine,” The New York Times Magazine, July 4,2023, by Alex Halberstadt.

This was the brainchild of the editors of The New York Times, “tapping into the old topes of wine snobbery” (Jason Wilson, author of “Godforsaken Grapes”), by sending a non-wine writer to interview a brilliant praying mantis winery owner on her turf with an entirely unconventional set of ideas not only about her region in Oregon, but the world as well, Antica Terra in Dundee, Oregon. Look this place up.

The article is metaphysics and “art” in a wine disguise. Maggie had him at “hello.” This was truly a disastrous set, match, game moment for the author, but the excitement is ignited for every clueless wine blogger on the planet, as well as the weighing in by some heavyweights. The article will be talked about for decades to come. It is a trainwreck and a gift that keeps on giving.

Here’s the full disclosure part. In my many decades I have both run a winery and, during my Sundays over twenty-seven years, managed to write and have published 564 newspaper and magazine articles about wine. Winery people clearly have home court advantage. “Wine resonates within the environment of its consumption,” says Clark Smith, author

of “An Ideal Wine.” They can always bend and twist the narrative at will. You are their captive audience.

As for wine journalism, this 4,000word piece is quite long for a wine article. I have broken down the subjects into categories to show how it works. Usually 950 to 1,200 words. These are the basic types of articles that you will experience:

Tasting Notes: A simple article listing wines. Can include travel pieces and winery profles. If you are on your own, it is good. If a distributor pays, it becomes a propaganda piece.

Seasonal Pieces: Thanksgiving, etc. Cookie cutter articles. Dailys love this stuff.

Critiques and Diatribes: When a winey or industry does stupid things. These appear in local independent magazines.

Activism: The latest article on biodynamic wines.

Fawning: This is when the subject blows away the writer. Every wine writer has a few of these in their CV. The “Maggie” article is the classic.

You get to dig deep into all the pros and cons in the 150 plus replies on the site wineberserkers.com. Wine education, enlightenment, and snark does not get any better than this. Scroll down for replies, especially, “Does wine writing have to be so embarrassing?” by Jason Wilson.

Wine Gig

Spend an afternoon reading it to truly experience why people scramble and claw, waiting on her list for years to spend $350.00 for a bottle of her cult wine. Maggie is a consummate magician, doing a Mendo Blendo of ten different barrels of wine with the author that leaves poor Mr. Halberstadt, rookie wine writer, tangled around his brain. As a winery pro this is routine stuff. For Maggie it is part of the magic act...

I wrote this article as an introduction to people who are new to my “Gig” event, but also to announce a new day and time. So, get out of work and come to be entertained:

STARTING THIS MONTH LAYNE’S WINE GIG at BLUE, 650A CONGRESS ST. FORTH WEDNESDAY, 6:00-7:00 P.M.

Layne has been a professional in the wine business for many decades and was awarded the Master Knight of the Vine for his pioneering work in Oregon. He can be reached at lvwitherell@gmail.com.

Line up of wines for the August Layne's Wine Gig live at BLUE in Portland.

Leaving on a Jet Plane… To Hokkaido, Japan!

By Nancy Dorrans

All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go… And while I hate to leave you in September, another adventure awaits…

The 2023 Adventure Travel Trade Association “World Summit” is September 10th through 14th in Hokkaido, Japan, and I’m on my way... Originally scheduled for 2021 (due to that unwelcomed pandemic, the Summit was held virtually), we’ve been anxiously waiting for the real thing ever since.

The Hokkaido virtual summit’s theme was “Build, Back, Better,” and because of the pandemic we had time to pause and think about how to do that. The experience was stimulating and thought-provoking. Some thoughts from my notes: “Cultivate meaningful collaboration... Humanity has never ceased its wanderlust... Live with respect for nature creates a virtual cycle of renewal... Travel has the power to touch hearts. Travel can be a force for good... Who’s got land?... Be present. Place, space & people. Mind, body & spirit... All things have purpose and names. Storytelling = connection.”

At one point during a break in the schedule of this three-day virtual event, a Zoom link was provided to access a Q&A session. I clicked on the link and was transported into a room with at least twenty young Japanese men all talking fast and loud in Japanese. Obviously, I had access to the wrong room. HA! There was a lot of logistical coordination going on. My mind wasn’t the only thing spinning…

The travel industry, like others, was doing its best to survive and come back better.

It is one thing to Zoom with people from around the world, attend workshops, have one-on one meetings, and listen and learn about Hokkaido, an out of the ordinary adventurous part of our world. But it is a whole different ballgame to get to go. ATTA Members from close to sixty countries will be in attendance!

This year the theme is 調和 – Harmony, describing the collective spirit that connects people together. While the word 調和 has layers of meaning, as a cultural concept, it is a reminder to look beyond our individuality.

Since I’ve never been to any part of Japan, and it is a long way to go, I’ll be in Tokyo for a few days ahead of the summit. A few ATTA friends from Chile, Mexico, Italy, and Canada are joining.We’re excited to explore and learn more about the cities within the city of Tokyo.

Then we’ll head off on different PSAs or “pre-summit adventures” around Hokkaido. I’m attending PSA #10, “Japan’s Far North 5 Day Hiking Tour,” on the north-

DEC 1-3, 2023

ern most islands of Hokkaido

I’m promised to have my thirst for adventure quenched on this fve-day island-hopping guided hiking tour to Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park, the nor thernmost national park in Japan. We’ll be hiking on islands at the very top of Hokkaido. The southern tip of Sakhalin Island, Russia, is only 25 miles away - this is as far north in Japan as you can get! Tour highlights:

• Island hop in Japan’s northernmost National Park.

• Hike on the “foating fower garden,” Rebun Island.

• Hike on Mt. Rishiri, a stratovolcano towering 1,721m (5,646ft) above the ocean.

• Savor the Northern Islands’ seafood-oriented gastronomy.

The conference will be a whirlwind of (thankfully) in person workshops, presentations, one-on-one meetings, social networking events with old and new friends

from around the world.

Then after all of that, I’ve been selected to join a post summit adventure in Daisetsuzan, the largest national park in the center of the island of Hokkaido. Only a few select members will spend our last three nights and four days to “Experience the Blessings of Nature and Life in the mountains - A Hiking and Cycling Exploration of Daisetsuzan!”

The ATTA is a very cool adventurous global organization! I think I found my tribe.

Stay tuned for stories about my adventures in Tokyo and Hokkaido.

次回まで - Jikai made (Until next time), よく気を付けてください - Yoku ki o tsukete kudasai (Take good care)! -Nancy

Nancy Dorrans is founder of Adventure Marketplace... Navigating travelers on authentic, nurturing, global and local adventures since 2014.

500 Stevens Avenue Portland, ME 04103 (207) 774-1612

Nancy with ATTA group climbing Via Ferrata course in Saguenay, Canada, June 2016. -Courtesy of Nancy Dorrans

CLIMATE JUSTICE

Bright Idea: Maine-owned power

By Caitlin Marshall

In just a couple months, Mainers will vote on a potentially historic piece of climate legislation: creating the consumer-owned Pine Tree Power Company to replace CMP. With local ownership, the electric utility will answer to its customers, not foreign shareholders. Plenty of towns and counties across the nation (and in Maine) have done this before, but Pine Tree Power is the frst state-sized consumer-owned utility.

Sometimes, achieving something that’s never been done before can be daunting. In those times, it’s helpful to look back, because we truly are leaders in climate action here in the state of Maine. Take just one example:

In June 2021, Reuters ran the headline, “New Maine law marks US frst on fossil fuel divestment.” Building on a long campaign of grassroots activism, legislators and activists came together to craft a balanced, bipartisan bill. It wisely directed that Maine pull retirement investments out of the increasingly risky fossil fuel sector. This was part of a larger national and international trend of divestment, with universities, churches, companies, towns, and individuals all taking money out of fossil fuels and putting it into renewables. But Maine was the frst to take action on a state level.

We can do the same with Pine Tree Power. Like divestment, it just makes sense by the numbers: customers of con-

Young Mainers Lobby Congress for Climate

By Thea Dugas & Jasmine Lucas

sumer-owned utilities in Maine pay a third less than what we pay to CMP and Versant monthly. And like divestment, it’s an important step in the transition to a fossil-free economy. Time and again, CMP has blocked legislation to expand renewables, and they’re refusing to ready the grid for energy technologies of tomorrow. A Mainer-owned utility, by contrast, is beholden only to Mainers, not foreign stakeholders. We can get our priorities straight, incentivizing renewables and modernizing the grid. Six towns in the US are 100% green energy at this point – and all of them have consumer-owned utilities.

And as with divestment, Maine can be a national leader when it comes to how we get our electricity. It’s a big step, and it’s going to take a lot of work to counter the millions of dollars CMP and Versant are spending. But looking to past climate wins – I know we can do it.

Melting glaciers in Antarctica, degrading air quality from wildfres, and records set for highest temperatures are all threats facing citizens of the world today. This news heard daily results in persistent anxiety and angst for the future of the planet. It is increasingly evident that the climate crisis is urgent and underway. This adverse threat will not wait until we feel like addressing the issue, thus it is critical for legislators to hear our voices now.

Thirteen young Mainers, worried for our home, our planet, and our future, traveled to Washington, D.C. to engage in the Citizens’ Climate Lobby conference and to persuade our Congress to take action on climate change. This life-threatening problem has reached us all, and instead of staying home and continuing to wonder about the weather, we calmed our nerves and made the trip to discuss systemic solutions with our members of Congress.

dressed in our most professional attire and equipped with the knowledge obtained over the past days. We were determined to pioneer change and preserve our lives, our communities, and the planet. In the meetings we advocated for carbon fee and dividend legislation, permitting reform, and carbon border adjustment mechanisms. After the meetings concluded, when the moment we had been preparing for passed, empowerment and the potential for change jolted through our bodies.

The views expressed in our pages belong solely to their authors and not necessarily WEN or its advertisers. Share your opinion. Send letters to thewestendnews@gmail.com.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a volunteer organization lobbying for effective and equitable climate legislation. Every June, they host a motivating in-person conference and a day of lobbying our US Senators and Representatives on Capitol Hill. Nearly a thousand people from all over the country attended the conference, which was flled with brainy statistics and data, profound presentations, and touching speeches that blew us away and prepared us for the lobby day.

On lobby day we walked through the formidable doors of the Senate buildings,

As caring citizens and successful lobbyists, we capitalized on the opportunities available to us to advocate for change to preserve the planet that we call home. Our mission is to mitigate the harm destroying our planet and to enhance it for our future children and all generations to follow.

Thea Dugas is fourteen years old and a rising freshman at Portland High School who has met with Senator King, Senator Collins, and Representative Pingree. Jasmine Lucas is a rising sophomore at Baxter Academy who is passionate about climate advocacy and preserving life on earth for all future generations.

Column provided by the Portland chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

COMPOST YOUR FOOD SCRAPS FOR FREE!

DROP OFF SITES LOCATED AT

KING MIDDLE SCHOOL

REICHE SCHOOL

BRENTWOOD COMMUNITY GARDEN

RIVERTON COMMUNITY GARDEN

LIBBYTOWN COMMUNITY GARDEN

PAYSON PARK COMMUNITY GARDEN

BOYD STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN

NORTH STREET COMMUNITY GARDEN

PARKS & RECREATION 212 CANCO ROAD

-Courtesy photo

Bright Ideas by the Portland Climate Action Team (PCAT), meeting the third Tuesday of the month, at 6 p.m. FMI: portlandclimateaction@gmail.com.

ANSWERS ONLINE: TheWestEndNews.com/Puzzle-Solutions

World Capital Trivia

1. You can find a black bear on the city flag of what Swiss administrative capital whose name means "bear"?

2. The only world capital to start with a Q is Quito, in what South American country named for a line of latitude?

3. The Hellenic Star is the leading newspaper in what Mediterranean capital?

4. Revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar is buried in the national pantheon in what capital and largest city in Venezuela?

Mondays at Foulmouthed Brewing, Lazzari

Tuesdays at Ri Ra, Brookside F+D

Wednesdays at Wilson County BBQ, Elsmore BBQ in SoPo

Thursdays at Arcadia, Locally Sauced, Goodfire online @bestworsttrivia

Find the answers online at thewestendnews.com/puzzle-solutions!

HILLTOP SUPERETTE’s

SLICE FROM THE PIE

INDIVIDUAL SLICES OF COMMUNITY NEWS FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT…

Roy’s Shoe Shop celebrates 100 years of cobbling in Deering Center neighborhood…

WMPG celebrates 50 years of broadcasting with a driveway party… Ed King is working on a cartoon map of Chapel Hill and has joined Toastmasters!... Maine is called the State Least Impacted by Natural Disasters

The brand-new Shalom Community Park begins construction behind Temple Beth El in the Oakdale neighborhood… Portland has the 3rd-highest percentage of households where women outearn their partners…

Portland Adult Ed ESOL teacher Shoshana

Happiness

Happiness is for one and all

It's as easy as one, two, three

It's a present you give to yourself

To be as happy as you can be

To make your problems easier

Just come up with a plan

You'll be happy just knowing

You're doing the best you can

When problems get the best of you

Just shove them all aside

Jump right on the world of life

There's magic in this ride

Old Ladies

Little old ladies

Hoose wins the Outstanding Teacher Award

Maine Irish Heritage Center launches the Inaugural John and Francis Ford Film Festival to honor their remarkable impact on world cinema… Maine’s Cambodian community announces a fundraising campaign to construct a traditional Cambodian Buddhist temple and community center on 30 acres of land in Westbrook…

Volunteers of all ages baked over 12,000 cookies for the annual St. Peter’s Italian Bazaar

Open 365 Days 7am - 9pm

Best Pizza on Munjoy Hill!

Huge selection of Spirits, Grocery, Wine, Local Beer & Artisanal Frozen Pizza. 24-hr Outdoor Ice Vending!

135 Congress St, Portland - (207) 773-8000 -

Oh what a sight

They try to dress up

But nothing looks right

Everything is sagging

In all the wrong places

But they have perfect smiles

They wear on their faces

By the time they get ready

How to Support

-Photo by Rick Ness

-Courtesy photo

-Courtesy photo