Coming Together for Safer Streets
Neighborhood groups, Portland Trails install traffc calming projects in Libbytown, West End
By Tony Zeli
This summer, if you drive down Portland’s Brighton Avenue or Danforth Street, you’ll see the purple paint the volunteers have rolled out. Portland Trails is partnering with Libbytown Neighborhood Association, West End Neighborhood Association (WENA), Bicycle Coalition of Maine, and the City of Portland to install traffc calming projects on Brighton (at the intersections with Whitney Avenue and Bolton Street) and Danforth (at May Street and Emery Street).
The Libbytown and West End neighborhood associations have observed drivers ignoring pedestrians who want to cross. Extending the curbs and highlighting the crosswalk, these purple bump outs along with temporary vertical elements should make pedestrians more visible and slow down traffc.
WENA member Gregory Farino, who took the lead organizing volunteers with WENA, lives on Danforth Street near the elderly community at Harbor Terrace. We spoke as he painted on a hot June afternoon. He told me that even those who are mobility challenged, sometimes with walkers or electric chairs, couldn’t catch a break from drivers.
“It’s a perennial issue. I mean, even since we’ve been here (volunteering), it seems like the traffc is increasing and speed is not decreasing,” said Farino.
Gordon Platt a member of the Portland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PBPAC), a group promoting bicycle and pedestrian issues, was volunteering that day, too. He backed up all that Farino said. Platt is a resident of the West End’s Taylor Street. He told me, “I walk
Page 7
Above, WENA member Gregory Farino took the lead organizing volunteers to paint two crosswalks on Danforth St. this June. It was as part of a larger traffc calming project at four intersections also on Brighton Ave. Below, Danforth Street intersection near Harbor Terrace after traffc calming measures were installed. Right, Gorham's Corner traffc calming project from 2023. -Photos by Tony Zeli
through here, I drive through here, I bike through here… A lot of people use it as a cut through street and they go too fast.
I’m excited to see this squeeze the street a little bit… and show people that people
Pages 10 - 11
live here. These streets are for people, and drivers can afford to slow down a little bit.”
Portland Trails’ has studied the intersections, and they say their data back up this anecdotal evidence. Many drivers are not yielding to pedestrians. “On Brighton Avenue, one pedestrian waited for twenty-four vehicles to pass before one stopped,” said Jaime Parker of Portland Trails.
According to Parker, an early look at the data shows that the traffc calming
efforts work to reduce speed. In fact, on Brighton Avenue the efforts have already increased crosswalk yield rates. After all, it is easier to stop for a pedestrian if you are going slower, Parked noted.
“These are demonstration projects,” Parker continued, “So, they are meant to be temporary and meant to show basically how easy it is to achieve better outcomes for neighborhoods like slowing traffc down to a safe level.”
In fact, a similar – though splashier version – at Gorham’s Corner downtown was popular with pedestrians – and for selfes. Last summer, this fve-way intersection where the West End, downtown, and the Old Port come together (also, home to the John Ford statue), got a facelift.
Local artist Jill Perry created a large mural that reads, “Smile, you’re in Portland,” along with other nautical themed murals. These elements along with two new crosswalks and temporary vertical bollards (removed for the winter and not reinstalled) did slow traffc.
“That was an exciting project for us, and it was really successful with the mu-
Caitlin Marshall: Climate anxiety
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• Letters to the editor should be no more than 200 words. Include your name and town or neighborhood.
• WEN also accepts short poems, cartoons, and photo submissions.
Deadline for publication in the August Arts & Creative Economy Edition is Friday, July 26th. 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.
Correction: The caption for the feature photo
“Portland
The
was taken from Portland Pier and is a view of Custom House Wharf. The photo was taken by Publisher-editor Tony Zeli.
Traffc Calming Projects
from Pg. 1
rals and the change in traffc patterns,” said Parker, “people really felt a lot safer there.”
The groups collected speed and yield studies prior to installing the traffc calming measures. They say they will continue to collect data through the fall.
“The idea was to prove the concept and work with the City to come up with long term solutions,” said Parker. He was encouraged by the early data that demonstrated how these low-cost implementations can make a big difference.
It helps that volunteers are taking the lead. When I visited the group of WENA volunteers, it was around noontime on a hot early June day. But Farino and Platt
were happy to be painting the streets. Neighbors were already thanking them. One asked if they could do the rest of the crosswalks.
To that end, Parker said he wants to hear from other neighborhood groups about other intersections in need of traffc calming projects. Portland Trails wants to support grassroots efforts where they can, he said.
To learn more or to give feedback about this project, please visit https:// www.trails.org/our-work/active-transportation/2024-traffic-calming-demonstrations/.
Tony Zeli is publisher and editor. Reach him at thewestendnews@gmail.com.
ELECTION RESULTS
Duson,Yusuf Win Dem Primaries
Voters also approve Portland's School Budget FY25
State Senator Jill Duson (D) defeated challenger Ken Capron securing about 87% of the vote in the June 11th primary. Duson represents Portland’s Senate District 8 which covers western parts of the city and part of Westbrook. In the city’s other contested primary, for State Representative District 118, Yusuf Yusuf with 56% of the vote defeated Herb Adams (32%). Given the electoral makeup of their districts, Duson and Yusuf should have a clear path to victory in November.
Voters Approve Portland
School Budget
Also in June, Portland voters resoundingly approved the Portland Public Schools’ budget for fscal year 2025. The FY25 school budget totals $161.4
million and is made up of $154 million in local funds and about $7 million in non-local funds.
The budget includes strategic funding for increased student mental health, reading support, special education, and school climate, as well as increased rigor in the classroom, while maintaining funding for athletics, extracurriculars, and class sizes. This budget also includes sizable reductions and strategic restructuring to address the fscal shortfall.
The budget was approved by a wide margin. The vote to validate the budget was 3,464 or 70.1% in favor and 1,423 or 28.8% opposed. Learn more about the budget on the PPS website: https:// www.portlandschools.org/department/fnance/fy-2025-budget.
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Thank you for reading!
Traffc calming demonstration at the intersection of Brighton Ave. and Bolton St. -Photo courtesy of Portland Trails
Looking for some peace and quiet?
Need a quiet beautiful space where you can sit and relax?
Please join us –
A Liturgy of Contemplation
A lay-led service of meditation and Holy Communion held at 5:15 p.m. each Sunday at St. Luke’s Cathedral. The Liturgy invites you into stillness and quiet, with music, readings, and reflections in a personal, contemporary idiom.
It is God’s hope to meet you here.
Emmanuel Chapel – St. Luke’s Episcopal Cathedral 143 State Street, Portland, Maine
MUSIC + EVENTS
(ROOF) MICROMASSÉ
JUL 12 - 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM
BIM SKALA BIM (40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR) W/S/GS
ZEME LIBRE & EL GRANDE
JUL 26 - 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
CLUB D’ELF W/S/GS HAMBONE
AUG 3 - 8:30 PM – 11:30 PM
RASCAL VAN W/S/GS OODELALLY (AEDAN MACDOUGALL GOING AWAY SHOW)
AUG 9 - 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
ISRAEL VIBRATION & ROOTS RADICS (ZERO GRAVITY PRESENTS...)
AUG 29 - 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
COMMUNITY EVENTS
ART IN THE GARDEN: CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF THE LONGFELLOW GARDEN CLUB
Opens Thu, July 18 / Maine Historical Society Shettleworth Gallery (Ptld)
The Longfellow Garden Club celebrates its centennial in 2024. To mark 100 years of tending Maine Historical Society’s (MHS) historic Longfellow Garden, the club collaborated with MHS and Maine College of Art and Design (MECA&D) on the exhibition, Art in the Garden: Celebrating 100 years of the Longfellow Gar
den Club.
Continuing Education students at MECA&D created works inspired by the Garden in June 2024. The exhibit features their art displayed alongside historic images of the Longfellow Garden.
First created by the Wadsworth-Longfellow family in 1785, the Longfellow Garden is located directly behind the Wadsworth-Longfellow House on Maine Historical Society’s campus. Designed in the Colonial Revival style, it is a secluded green oasis in the heart of downtown Portland. MHS provides free access to the Garden for the general public from May to October.
WENA’S ANNUAL SUMMER BRING-YOUR-OWN PICNIC
Tue, Aug 13 / 5:30 – 7p / Harbor View Park (Portland)
West End Neighborhood Association will hold its annual Bring-Your-Own-Picnic on Tuesday, August 13th from 5:30 to 7 p.m. (with a rain date on August 15th).
Come mingle with friends and neighbors at Harbor View Park near the corner of York and Brackett Street. WENA will bring the water and dessert, you bring your own supper, cutlery, and a blanket or chair.
There will be participatory entertainment with world, art, and science entertainment for all with Ukuleles Heal the World, Love Lab Art Studio, and ReForest the City. FMI: www.wenamaine.org.
WENA’S ANNUAL SUMMER BRING-YOUR-OWN PICNIC (we ll bring the water and dessert,
Longfellow Garden Club tree planting, Portland, 1957. -Photo by Gardner Rob erts, Collections of Longfellow Garden Club on deposit at Maine Historical Society/ MaineMemory.Net #100185
FREE SUMMER CONCERTS
LoveLincolnPark
Summer Concert Series
Tuesdays @ 6:30p
Once again, it’s time for the LoveLincolnPark Summer Concert Series. Every Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m., beginning July 16th, come on down to Lincoln Park to enjoy great music in the summer breeze.
LoveLincolnPark Summer Concert Series is presented free to all by the Friends of Lincoln Park.
There will be four concerts in July & August:
Tue, July 16
Ideal Maine Band
Tue, July 23
USM Jazz Combo
Tue, July 30
Wayne Street Band
(a.k.a. Lincoln Park Troubadours)
Tue, Aug 6
Blues Prophets
Visit www.LoveLincolnPark.org for more information.
Western Prom Sunset Concert Series Wednesdays
@ 7 or 7:30p
Join us for free sunset concerts on the prom. The 2024 Western Prom Sunset Concert series returns Wednesday, July 10th for its fourth season, every Wednesday evening, one hour before sunset, running through August at Portland’s historic Western Promenade Park.
The Western Prom Sunset Concerts began in 2021 and attract nearly 300 audience members from the neighborhood and beyond who gather with lawn chairs, children, dogs, and picnic dinners to enjoy free, informal concerts as the sun sets over the White Mountains. The series presents a wide range of musical groups including folk, rock, jazz, brass, country, African, and more.
Now fully incorporated as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation they have expanded their mission and are looking forward to building community, supporting Maine’s talented pool of musicians, introducing audiences to diverse musical styles, and nurturing our beautiful Western Promenade Park. We welcome all new volunteers and fnancial donors. FMI: https://westernpromsunsetconcerts.org.
Western Prom Sunset Concert Series
July Schedule:
Wed, July 10 - 7:30
PRIMO CUBANO
Wed, July 17 - 7:30
KOUCHERA
Wed, July 24 - 7:30
SILVER HEELS
Wed, July 31 - 7:00
SOGGY PO BOYS
Wednesday concerts will continue through August 21st.
7:30 SILVER HEELS
Wed July 3 - 7:00 SOGGY PO BOYS
Wed Aug 7 - 7:00 LOUISA STANCIOFF
Wed Aug 14 - 6:30 WILDFLOWER
Wed Aug 21 - 6:30 KOTOKO BRASS BAND FMI: WesternPromSunsetConcerts.org 1
‘Long Island,’ the long-awaited sequel to ‘Brooklyn’
by Colm Tóibín
By Stephanie Miller
If you remember Colm Tóibín’s 2009 prize-winning “Brooklyn” – the coming-ofage story of innocent and tender-hearted math-whiz Eilis Lacey’s secret-flled, solo journey from her home in Enniscorthy, Ireland, to Brooklyn, New York – then you will love this sequel, “Long Island, released earlier this year.
Even if you didn’t read the frst story, this novel stands on its own, and it’s got just the right mix of love story plus family drama to make it a wonderful early summer read.
When we left Eilis in the frst book, she was nineteen and just married to Tony Fiorello, an Italian-American home builder in the family business. “Long Island” picks up the story after Tony and his parents and four brothers have moved together to a block of homes on a cul de sac in Lindenhurst. It’s a boisterous extended family that dines together every Sunday and lives so much on top of each other that everyone is in everyone else’s business.
Eilis is in her forties now, with two teenagers. She’s happy enough. She sends photos every month but hasn’t been back to Ireland to see her mother since she returned from the visit that was the denouement of “Brooklyn,” and the deciding factor in her committing to stay with Tony in America.
One day a stranger comes to her door. He threatens to bring a baby in a few months and deposit it on her doorstep.
The baby’s mother is his wife. The father is Tony.
Eilis’s reaction to this shocking news – and the Firoello family’s subsequent response – is the center of this riveting novel. Tóibín weaves a gorgeous narrative about a lonely woman discovering her depths of strength and morality as Eilis tries to navigate the competing bonds of marriage and motherhood, and family loyalty and valuing her own individual worth.
She retreats with her children back to her hometown in Ireland, reconnecting with her isolated and cantankerous mother and her old friends. The romance she nearly left Tony for all those years ago resurfaces, but this time, she unknowingly is cutting out her childhood best friend.
This is really a story of longing, both urgent and long simmering. Eilis longs for an authentic romantic love, her children’s understanding, and a way of life that she thought was lost. Mrs. Lacey suffers for dignity and family honor. Tony is desperate for forgiveness and connection. Tony’s mother, like all great matriarchs, commands fealty.
Tóibín’s melodic writing brings us close to each character’s heart, and as the novel runs forward, left me feeling the kind of breathless, hopeful, unavoidable sense of loss of the sun sinking below brightly hued clouds. Colored by gorgeous writing, each of these people are served an uncommon portion of human heartbreak.
'Long
Island' | By Colm Tóibín | Scribner (2024)
Micro Shorts
‘The English Teacher,’ by Lily King (MAINE AUTHOR)
After seeing bestselling Maine author Lily King interview Morgan Tally (another great Maine author of “Night of the Living Rez” fame) at Print last month, I was inspired to dive into my bookshelf and pull out this treat of a novel from 2005. In it, single mother and English teacher Vida Avery accepts a marriage proposal half-heartedly, never quite convincing me that she really thought the marriage would ever happen. It does — and her teenaged son has high hopes for a “regular family life.” Of course, you can’t create a family by putting strangers in the same house.
‘Granite Harbor,’ by Peter Nichols (MAINE AUTHOR)
A psychotic serial killer is loose in a small harbor town in MidCoast Maine called Granite Harbor, which closely resembles Camden, where best-selling author Peter Nichols lives. The detective, a former novelist, relies on his writing skills to imagine the killer’s motive and predict the next move. As crime fction, this book is perfect: tightly woven, suspenseful, full of red herrings, with the murderer introduced early on yet well hidden, and a very likable and relatable detective straining against personal and professional pressures.
As a novel, however, this book is amazing. It’s the most literary detective novel I’ve ever read, and for that it should appeal to every reader who likes strong characters and a great story. Yes, the murderer is inventive and grisly, but it’s not a spooky book. The character development is precise, delightful, and rich in nuance, making this book just as much a tender tale of ordinary hopes and dreams as it is a desperate race to fnd a heinous killer.
‘Late in the Day,’ by Tessa Hadley
Best friends Christine and Lydia are in their twenties when they meet and marry good friends Alex and Zachary. The four of them share each other’s lives and know each other’s secrets. When generous, grounded Zach suddenly dies, Lydia moves in with Christine and Alex, unspooling old entanglements and exposing weaknesses in the scaffolding of their friendship.
Sweet Treats
Breakfast Sandwiches
Lunch
Special Occasions Cakes
Phone Orders – Curbside Pick-up
181 Congress St., Portland, ME 207-771-0994 katiemadebakery.com
Vida slowly unravels, and her son is forced to see that the woman he always considered indomitable is at risk and he is the one to save her. I love King’s melodic, transcending style. Here, she maps Vida’s journey with that of the heroine of “Tess of the d’Ubervilles” - a novel Vida teaches her middle schoolers. It is both a beautiful coming of age story for both Vida and her son, and a tribute to the ongoing lessons classic fction (even Hardy’s!) can teach us.
Told as a fast-paced blur of the emotional months following the death interspersed with memories of past encounters and shared history, the novel has an unruly, syncopated rhythm which helps prepare us for the fnal conclusion. Spoiler alert: Their friendship is deeply damaged but not destroyed, as the three survivors each dig deep to recover personally and emerge as a resorted group.
Read more at https://thewestendnews.com/ category/bookshort
Stephanie Miller is a voracious reader and local bibliophile..Find her online @StephanieSAM.
Caitlin Marshall
Channeling climate anxiety into positive change locally with PCAT
Every month PelotonLabs founder Liz Trice interviews a community member for The West End News. This month Liz caught up with Caitlin Marshall, a volunteer with the Portland Community Action Team (PCAT).
What is the Portland Climate Action Team and what does it do?
PCAT is a group of folks who live in Portland who want to make change at the local level. It started in 2015 and has about eighty members now. It’s part of Sierra Club Maine, and there are climate action teams all over the state and country focused on action at the local level.
We work to make the Portland-South Portland One Climate Future action plan real and educate Portlanders and council members about the plan.
PCAT helped build the municipal solar project on the old landfll off Ocean Avenue in Portland, helped create an energy benchmarking ordinance, and write a monthly Bright Ideas column in The West End News. We’ve helped with the city’s Electrify Everything program, making it easier for people to buy heat pumps and e-bikes.
What is your background and how did you get involved?
I’ve been in Portland for over a decade. Before that, I lived in California and Texas. My husband’s family is from Freeport. We live in North Deering now with our two kids. Having grown up in Dallas, which is a large, car-oriented, paved
city, it’s a treat to live in a city that has lots of green spaces and is close to the ocean. I want to help protect this place and keep it a livable climate for my children when they grow up.
I’ve always loved being out in nature and growing things. I just started working for the Wild Seed Project teaching people to know the native plants from our region and to restore our ecosystems. Before, I worked at Rosemont, then Revision Energy, and I designed websites.
I’m going back to school for environmental science; I want to respond to the climate crisis with an ecological and community engagement approach. Working and volunteering with environmental groups helps me to take my anxiety about what’s going on in the world and channel that energy into taking action. I’ve learned that paying attention to local politics matters, and it feels good to take part in things where you can see results.
What is PCAT working on right now?
We’ve been working on a Climate Action Fund. The idea is to create a sustainable income stream to fund more sustainable energy projects. After the city built the solar array off Ocean Avenue, it helped develop other renewable energy projects around the state. It started making energy and also earning the city RECS (Renewable Energy Credits).
These RECS can be sold to create a funding stream for the City of Portland. So, we helped create an ordinance to direct that new stream of money towards getting off fossil fuels and onto renewable energy sources. Revenue could pay for feasibility studies, build more municipal-owned solar on schools or parking garages, or pay for transportation projects, energy upgrades
by climate change and the strategies in the One Climate Future plan. We get items on the agenda, work with neighbors to get the word out, build relationships with staff in the sustainability offce, and advocate for change.
What’s it like to volunteer with PCAT?
People show up with their strengths and do what they can. Some people go to a lot of city council meetings, some write, some table at events. There’s a monthly meeting, a Google email group, and subgroups work on things they are passionate about. For me, I’m a parent with two kids at home, so I stay in touch with people by phone or email.
for buildings, and/or coordinate to get more Federal money. We hope the City Council will vote on the ordinance in July. How does change actually happen?
There’s an episode of the podcast “How 2 Save A Planet” that sums it up well... The author said, “Sometimes, you have to be okay with going to some boring meetings!” and I think that’s true. City Council meetings might not be exciting, but they are where real change happens.
PCAT sets priorities each year and we educate our councilors - especially those on the Sustainability and Transportation Committee - on the threats posed
Everyone is welcome and we always want new voices. If you don’t have a lot of time, just get involved a little bit. Even if that’s just getting our group emails and responding when something interests you or writing a letter to a councilor or a newspaper. Every little bit helps.
FMI: https://www.sierraclub.org/maine/ portland-cat
PCAT meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday, 6-7:30 p.m. Alternating every other month in person at Reiche and via zoom. FMI: PortlandClimateAction@gmail.com.
This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
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Caitlin Marshall volunteers with the Portland Community Action Team (PCAT) and often writes WEN's Bright Ideas column. -Courtesy photo
PelotonPosts is produced by PelotonLabs founder Liz Trice.
Map illustrated by Ed King Colorist: Will Hessiean
By Layne V. Witherell
You have a kid in a stroller and one on the way. It’s time to make some changes. Most notably, a move from the dinky Portland one bedroom, one bath apartment you have been in for fve years. Portland is unaffordable at your income level - $7 per hour plus shared tips as a sommelier at a chic restaurant where diners pay $400 for lobster rolls sprinkled with caviar.
The move to the burbs or beyond may require a change from your previous city hipster lifestyle and will necessitate some getting rid of both stuff and possibly some of your prior identity. It’s time for a millennial yard sale – good thing you saved those rare wine lists.
$$ PHRENOLOGY HEAD: $50.00
This famed 19th century relic was as emblematic of the “natural wine movement” in the early 2000’s as the bong was to the pot movement of the 60’s. It was the very symbol of classic pseudo-science of people like the famed Austrian architect, clairvoyant, occultist, and whack job Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), father of the biodynamic burial of blessed cow dung and crystals in your vineyard to ensure you that your vines and wine imbibe correctly on either “root days or fruit days.” Check your lunar astrological calendar for that one. This was all about going back to the land and making wine in a yurt. Steiner is the MacDaddy of the rebirth of peasant farming.
When you have that second kid, those overpriced artisanal, rustic, crushable hipster wines may fade into the past. You might want to look into cheapie canned seltzers as an option.
$$ YOUR TASTEVIN: $20.00
Your actual cost is $1,800 for the Wine School of Philadelphia Intensive Accelerated Sommelier Wine Course. (Become a member for $1.00 and save 40% on the summer course – limited time only,
&
just like those “buy it now” wines that pop up on your phone.)
As you proceed to get a real job you will look longingly back at your sommelier days.The tastevin originated as a little light refecting tasting cup in those dank, dimly lit Burgundy cellars. I have been there, and they are all that. The wily Burgundians put a ribbon on it, put it in a parade, and made it a fashion statement. This has been your uniform and emblem.
Two thoughts on sommeliers: This is the you that will be happy that you sold that thing and moved onto a job that pays real money. “The throbbing hangover” from the pandemic is the disappearance of the sommelier.There has become a creation of a hybrid gig involving bartenders, servers and managers… “the people who
turn otherwise unknown bottles into delicious adventures are rarely seen strolling the dining room.” These people were the classics of American dining, presenting wisdom and a friendly face. The ‘Somm flms’ made people think it was a sacred job. (“The Twilight of the American Sommelier,” Eric Asimov, New York Times, Feb. 16, 2024.)
On the other hand: if the dinky town you move to has become invaded by Brooklyn expats you might want to hold on to your tastevin. Celine Bossart, food activist, content creator, wine fashionista, photographer, activist sommelier, and wearer of restaurant work “fts” that move from “staid elitism to statement attire” may be your new neighbor. Someone to chat with about the “good old days.” Cont'd on Next Page
Phrenology head and old wine lists from Trattoria Fanny and Roma Cafe. Everything has to go in the Millennial Yard Sale. -All photos courtesy of Layne Witherell
Tastevin on ribbon
Layne's copy
"The Great Wines of Burgundy," by Hubrecht Duijker
Cont'd from Previous Page
$$ DOWNSIZE THOSE WINE GLASSES: Big wine glasses $5.00/ea.
The current trend is about drinking less. You could switch to unpalatable dealcoholized wine, but that probably won’t last long. Best thing is to simply measure out a little amount in your now smaller glasses. You might want to keep a couple of very large pinot noir glasses as the small ones just don’t allow the wine to open up and shine. These are the things you may regret selling at a later date at your millennial yard sale.
$$ BOOKS: $5.00
(wine list prices on request)
What is a decent yard sale without books?
"WINE POLITICS: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Infuence the wines we drink," by Tyler Colman, U.C. Berkeley, 2008. This is the book that explains why you can’t get that glorious little wine you discovered at the mom-and-pop winery on vacation in Idaho and wanted
shipped to your doorstep. Included is your copy of the ultimate Portland hipster wine list from the departed restaurant Drifters Wife, ca. 2017.Your one stop shop to early Portland coolness. It just drifted away. Was it a wine shop or a restaurant? You never really fgured out which. Just $5.00 for the book, notes included gratis.
"REAL WINE : The rediscovery of natural winemaking,” by Patrick Matthews, London, 2000. Included are notes from classes that you taught about natural wine and a David Brooks article, “Lady Gaga and a Life of Passion: Learning lessons from over the top,” New York Times, unknown date. Only $10.00 for the book. Various rare ephemera will appear on e-bay.
GAMBERO ROSSO, 2017, one-thousand pages of every Italian wine on the planet. Your copy of this book is crammed with endless numbers of wine lists, receipts, and menus from Portland to Rome. Above it is photographed together with rare copies of the ill-fated Trattoria Fanny restaurant at 3 Deering Avenue, corner of Bramhall on the West End in Portland, from February 2017. The wine list is thoroughly annotated with comments and numerous price changes. It is a classic commentary of the arrival of highpriced distributor and restaurant markup wines before their time. (Note: early use of the word “crushable” on a local wine list.) The food was authentic Roman; the wine list was overambitious.
You’ve always picked a book sturdy
enough to hold a pile of lists. Some classics include: A receipt from Cul de Sac, Piazza Pasquino, a great wine bar in Rome, from July 10th, 2014. The wine: Emidio Pepe Trebbiano d’ Abruzzo, 26.90 Euro. It goes for $300 a bottle today, if you can fnd it. Ancient Roman winemaking from a master. One of Italy’s frst cult wines. Tastes of dried mushrooms and stony minerals. A wine that stops you in your tracks. No oak aging. Bottles aged and decanted by hand at the winery.
The list from Rosioli Via dei Giubbonari in Rome, where you always need to book well in advance. The wine list in 2014 was twenty-fve pages long. It’s an encyclopedic list from the world’s greatest deli. They hate giving out their wine lists. FYI, they have a pricey wine club that can maybe, just maybe, ship to your house.
The list from the Roma Cafe and Chef Ron Medlock Present “Big Night,” dinner and movie in 2018. He is now famous at Papi in Portland (I’ve got a signed menu).
One of the wilder dining experiences in Portland.
One last list to mention from the Central Provisions of Rome: Cloraflla Cucina e Distillati, Vicolo delle Grotte, 17, 00186 Rome. A must stop restaurant for the drinks, food service, and ambiance. Colorful menu and wine list.Very encyclopedic and reasonable.
Save those wine lists and menus as they can become keepsakes, relics, and rarities. Your millennial world with the early Drifters Wife wine list and the equally rarer Trattoria Fanny menu and list can be trotted out at later dates to inform the kiddos about how under the radar and cool Portland was when you were there as a millennial “back in my day.”
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.
Blue Portland Maine
Layne blueportlandmaine.com
The Wanderlust Gene
By Nancy Dorrans
I wonder, was I born with wanderlust or was it nurtured in me? When I was too young to remember, probably around three years old, I overheard my mother say she needed to go “on-a-diet!” As the stor y goes, every time she said she needed to go “on-a-diet,” I asked her when she was going.
She thought I had noticed that she was gaining weight, but that wasn’t the case. When she fnally asked me why I wanted to know when she was going “ona-diet,” I replied, “Because, when you go, I want to go with you.” To me it sounded like an adventure!
I believe my desire to travel is a genetic predisposition. According to Dr. Richard Paul Ebstein, a psychologist and geneticist “...certain genetic factors might contribute to a propensity for adventure and exploration. The DRD4-7R gene, often dubbed the “wanderlust gene,” has been linked to novelty-seeking behavior, which could infuence one’s desire to travel and explore new places.”
Other key researchers in this feld have focused on personality traits such as “openness to experience, curiosity, and extroversion. They propose that these traits have a genetic component that is associated with a desire for new experiences, including travel.” Explains my passion for adventure and travel.
The research does state that environmental factors can shape individual differences in these traits as well. However, I still believe I was born this way!
Genetic predispositions continue throughout your life. Seems true for me. This spring I packed my bag and passport and wandered to a few different countries in Europe to quench my thirst for wanderlust and feed my appetite for adventure!
Wanderlust in Slovenia
Slovenia, the only country with “love” in its name was my frst course. Here , the Pannonian, Alpine, and Mediterranean worlds converge to create a rich natural, cultural, and culinary experience.
Invited by the Slovenian Tourist Board, I arrived in Ljubljana, the small capital city in the country’s center. To ward off jet lag, I wandered into Prešeren Square and strolled across the Triple Bridge, a stunning, uniquely designed foot bridge spanning three ways over Ljubljanica River. Live music from Kavarna Tromostovje caught my ear and I sat and listened to an Irish musician playing Top 40 hits from the US while sipping on a local “spritz.” Life’s good in Ljubljana!
The next morning, two busloads of travel advisors from around the world converged for a two-day fast-paced Slovenian Study Tour. We ventured into Postojna Cave, where an underground railway has been operating for 140 years. We continued to the coastal medieval town of Piran. Then visited the church of St. George, went truffe hunting, and walked across the Sečovlje salt pans.
Next up, this year’s Slovenian Incoming Workshop which was hosted in the picturesque alpine town of Bled.
For our Day of Adventure (DOA) in Bled, instead of zip-lining due to rain and wind, my group toured Bled Castle. Perched high on a cliff overlooking the lake, the castle dates to the 11th century. The next day, I met with dozens of suppliers from Slovenia and the other Balkan countries. From hiking, biking, wineries, traditional delicacies, local cuisine, cultural events, water sports, and winter sports... My head was spinning with ideas for new adventures!
venture travel industry. One way to help is to encourage longer trips instead of multiple airplane journeys. I decided the sustainable thing to do was to extend my stay and attend the frst Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) European Elevate event in Kitzbühel, Austria. The dates matched up perfectly.
On to Austria
And so, straight from Bled, I transferred via Venice for a fve-day Elevate Pre-Adventure, from Lake Garda to the Dolomites. This region served up a feast of favors, delicious wines, and jaw dropping vistas. Lake Garda is known as the “Mediterranean in the heart of the Italian Alps”! The Dolomites were born from the sea over 200 million years ago and an extensive network of trails and mountain huts exist.
Our pre-adventure was organized and hosted by Trentino Tourism and Caldana Tours. We went e-biking around Lake Garda, took an alpine hike in the mountains around Molveno, went forest bathing in Paganella, and mountain climbing on the Via Ferrata Rio Sallagoni through a stunning river gorge. A Via Ferrata (Italian for “iron path”) is an advanced hiking route with fxed anchored ladders and suspension bridges. We wore harnesses and helmets, climbed and repelled.
I wasn’t scared… Exhilarated for sure, maybe a bit nervous, but not scared. Really, I wasn’t! The views and experiences are hard to describe, but totally breathtaking is a start.
Canyoning… and rappelling, jumping, climbing, and swimming in crystal-clear water in Kitzbuhel,
On to Kitzbuhel for yet another DOA before the two-day trade event. I chose canyoning… and rappelling, jumping, climbing, and swimming in crystal-clear water. Equipped with a helmet and protection against the cold [wet suit], canyoning allowed us to explore adventurous routes to hidden places in the surrounding Kitzbühel Alps. Exhilarated once again and inspired.
These adventures defnitely fed my inherent wanderlust. Now, I’m going “ona-diet”!
-All photos courtesy
Sustainability is the current buzz in Slovenia and in all corners of the ad-
“Shoe Repair Gives Extra Wear”
Nancy Dorrans in Piran, along coastal Slovenia. Nancy is founder of Adventure Marketplace... Navigating travelers on authentic, nurturing, global and local adventures since 2014.
of Nancy Dorrans
Austria.
CLIMATE JUSTICE
WE’RE
Maine Climate Advocates Go to Capitol Hill
By Clara Parker
This June, thirty-six Maine advocates took their growing climate anxiety to Washington D.C to ask our national lawmakers for effective and equitable solutions. These meetings and the preceding 3-day training conference are the cornerstone of what Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) volunteers do – advocate for climate solutions that meet the scale and ambition necessary to ensure a livable world.
As a college intern at Portland’s CCL chapter, attending this conference and lobby day was eye-opening. The passion and commitment of CCL volunteers from across the country was palpable. It’s easy to feel cynical about politics and government today. However, it gave me hope to see over 1,000 volunteers from every district and diverse backgrounds fghting for a livable world. Not only that, I saw frsthand that lobby meetings have tangible impacts. The climate provisions in both 2021’s bipartisan infrastructure law and 2022’s Infation Reduction Act immediately followed CCL lobby days. However, those provisions are just the beginning.
For the frst time, this year’s conference featured a student summit for the over 180 youth who made the trip to D.C. It was inspiring to meet fellow youth climate advocates and discuss our roles in the fght. The following days consisted of learning not only about effective policy measures, but how to have climate conversations with a diverse range of people.
-Courtesy CCL
The most inspirational part of the weekend, however, was lobby day. After we gathered on the steps of the Capitol for a photo, we divided into groups to meet with senators and representatives from every state. This year, our primary focus was the PROVE IT Act, a measure that would provide comprehensive data collection on U.S. products’ carbon emissions to bolster international trade negotiations and bipartisan climate support.
This transformative four-day experience not only connected me with passionate advocates, but also highlighted the impactful work being done by Mainers. Most importantly, it highlighted the immense value of grassroots action, affrming that anyone can make a difference starting right in their own community.
Learn more at cclusa.org or check out our local CCL chapter, meeting at 9 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month,133 Pleasant Street, Portland.
Clara Parker is a UPenn rising junior, Cape Elizabeth resident, and Citizens' Climate Lobby intern.
It’s a DIY Summer!
By Jade Christensen
Summer is here and it’s perfect time to embark on DIY home improvement projects. Whether you’re a homeowner or a renter, there are always opportunities to make your home more comfortable. The best part? These small investments can lead to signifcant long-term savings. So, let’s get started on some changes that can make a big difference this summer!
One of the simplest and most cost-effective projects is re-caulking your doors and windows. This prevents air drafts and reduces the risk of moisture damage, extending the life of your home’s trim and siding. The best part? This can lead to 1020% energy savings and can be completed for as little as $30 (Energy.gov).
Switching out the shades and updating the window shades from generic vinyl blinds to cellular shades will boost home energy performance. This is an easy way to insulate a home without replacing windows. Cellular shades are made with pleated fabric, which creates a design that traps air within the cells and helps prevent heat transfer. A study by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that cellular shades saved up to 20% on heating energy and up to 15% on total energy from heating and cooling compared to without (US Department of Energy, 2021).
Finally, look for Energy Star-certifed refrigerators or dishwashers for homeowners who are replacing appliances. En-
ergy Star is a formal agreement with the EPA based on performance requirements and is overseen by a third-party certifcation. This creates an unbiased examination of the equipment to show its performance ability matches a high standard.This agreement requires increased energy effciency; for example, Energy Star refrigerators are around 9% more energy effcient than other models. (Energystar.gov)
To put the cherry on top of these great ways to save money and increase your home’s sustainability, there are programs to assist you. Portland’s New Electrify Everything program allows eligible Portland homeowners and renters to get reimbursed up to $250 towards the purchase of DIY products that can be purchased from the local hardware store. Learn more at www.portlandmaine. gov/1479/DIY-Electrify.
The Portland Climate Action Team (PCAT) is a volunteer group of greater Portland residents committed to addressing the current climate crisis. We advocate for reducing greenhouse emissions in Portland and promote the equitable transition from fossil fuels to clean renewable energy. PCAT supports the implementation of the One Climate Future Plan and the city’s other climate goals. FMI: Email Portlandclimate@gmail.com or visit https://facebook.com/PortlandClimateActionTeam.
Renaissance Trivia
1. What Florentine diplomat, author, and philosopher is often paraphrased as saying “The ends justify the means”?
2. What Italian astronomer helped advance the telescope from 2x magnification to more than 10x?
3. Sir Thomas More is most famous for a 1516 book about an idealized world, which had what title that we now use to describe any near-perfect fictional society?
4. Poet John Donne gave us what phrase about funeral bells that was used as the title of a Hemingway book and a Metallica song? Find the answers online at thewestendnews.com/puzzle-solutions!
SLICE FROM THE PIE
SLICES OF COMMUNITY NEWS THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT …
The Lazy Days of Summer
Magnifcent Maine morning
The kind you crave
The kind you can’t get too much of
It’s a beautiful day
It’s warm but the wind is blowing
And the aromas are magnifcent
Freshly mowed lawn
It’s more than just visual
Riding on a bike
The feel of ocean air
It’s quicker getting around
The wind plays games on your skin
West End's ZU Bakery and its owner Barak Olins wins James Beard Award in the Outstanding Bakery category… Portland holds a naming contest for the state’s frst electric dump truck… Wallethub ranks Maine the 9th Best state for Road Trips in part for having the 2nd lowest rate of car thefs… According to 94.9 the Irish pub Rí Rá is one of the hardest business names to pronounce in Maine along with other supposed tongue-twisters Cianbro and Zildjian… As of June 15th Hannaford no longer ofers Redbox so hopefully you’ve returned your DVDs… Ideal weather conditons help a fungus that kills browntail moth caterpillars thus knocking back populatons of the pest and its irritatng hairs… Cofee By Design celebrates 30 years with two special 30th Birthday Blends… West End’s Opus Consulting is approaching its 15th year in business… Friends of Casco Bay is celebratng their 35th anniversary with a sea-salted Cherry Lemonade seltzer (5.0% abv) by Après...
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
The smell of suntan lotion
Though none should be around It’s just that sort of day
The wind plays games with your face
You hear the lawn sprinkler
Or maybe it’s a cricket.
The sound is too soft and distant
The day is humming
Lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Just like right now
Everything is bright
Everything is good
-Abram Gabriel, MD, MPH
SUBMISSIONS
Please send your submissions to: thewestendnews@gmail.com Or write to: The West End News
Photo Submission
Photos by Liv Ivy (@liviivy) from the Goose show at Thompsons Point, Portland, on June 26th.
-Courtesy Friends of Casco Bay
Tacos – Burritos – Quesadillas – Enchiladas –Sopes – Pozole – Goat Birria – Fajitas –Cocteles de Marisco – Chile Rellenos – Carne Asada –Lamb Shanks in Adobo & much
