The West End News - June Edition 2024 - Vol. 24 No. 06

Walk the Working Waterfront

Sat., Jun. 8 / 12p-3:30p / Commercial St., Portland

Walk the Working Waterfront is a self-guided walking tour of Casco Bay’s waterfront. Now in its 9th year, this annual event encourages visitors to explore the protected piers and wharves of Commercial Street from Becky’s Diner to the Maine State Pier.

• Learn from commercial fshers and see fshing gear in action

• Interact with experts on aquaculture, sea level rise, seafood quality analysis, and more at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute

• Guided tours of the working waterfront to learn about Portland’s historical wharves and collaborative efforts to protect them

• Sample seafood products and learn about Maine’s diverse marine economy

• See live demonstrations on gyotaku, the art of fsh printing, and its history in fsh identifcation

• Board a U.S. Coast Guard vessel and tour the City freboat

Find the full details and event map: www.walktheworkingwaterfront.com.

Sea Level Rise and the Working Waterfront

Sea level rise will threaten the future of Portland’s working waterfront.Today, we can help document the change as it happens to inform tomorrow’s resiliency plans.

By Tony Zeli

Walk the Working Waterfront is an annual self-guided tour celebrating and focusing attention on the city’s coastal culture. This year, on June 8th, the tour along Commercial Street also will focus attention on sea level rise and its impact.

“Portland is uniquely positioned because we still have a working waterfront… We chose decades ago to preserve what we have today,” says sustainability associate Katie Tims. Katie helps to organize community engagement for the Portland Sustainability Offce.

This year is the 9th annual event, and it is the frst year the City has stepped up to take a leading role. Portland is working with the Maine Coastal Program, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and the Waterfront Alliance. In addition to supporting the diverse businesses and stakeholders of the waterfront, this year’s walk will include documenting and discussing sea level rise.

VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT

Portland and South Portland have a joint climate action plan (One Climate Future). Part of that plan is to ensure that the cities’ ports and waterfronts can respond and adapt to new climate stresses.

As Katie notes, coastal fooding and coastal resilience planning has become a

more pressing and visible concern, particularly after the devastating back-to-back storms in March and April that wreaked havoc along Maine’s coastlines. Those storms are a reminder for the state and city that we need to build for climate resiliency. “I do think we are going to have to think innovatively about the ways we continue to maintain our infrastructure and think about things that are going to keep getting wet.”

The Cities of Portland and South Portland published a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment in 2019. It takes a sobering look into potential sea level rise and its street level impacts. Looking toward 2050, Portland commits to managing an “intermediate scenario” of 1.48 feet of relative sea level rise and is preparing to manage an “extreme scenario” of 3.38 feet. You can explore scenarios yourself with Portland’s Projected Coastal Flood Risk Interactive Web Map: https://www. recodeportland.me/resilience.

COMMUNITY SCIENCE PROJECT

You can help document sea level rise by sharing your own observations through the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s (GMRI) Coastal Flooding Community Science Project. You can start your journey as a citizen scientist with an introduction during the walk at GMRI.

Also, interspersed along Commercial Street will be three posted signs inviting you to share your pictures and observations.This data will inform future decisions and priorities.

“Observations can be personal, too. If it’s affecting something that people care about that is still a really important part of data collection,” says Katie. “This program is fantastic for involving people in not only gathering that data, but informing the efforts we’re going to be taking to protect our infrastructure… It’s not just boring

Portland Pier. -Photo by Tony Zeli

WHAT'S INSIDE

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, PO Box 10876, Portland, Maine 04104.

• 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 July Edition is Friday, June 28th. 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.

Sea Level Rise

science data collection, it’s engaging with citizens on the actual process of how to plan and prioritize decisions that are going to be made at a higher level.”

By June 8th, there will be signs -- like the one to the left highlighting fooding by J's Oyster -- at Moon Tide Park, Bell Buoy Park, Portland Pier, and Widgery Wharf. Plus, the City plans to post

more signs across the waterfront sometime this summer.

The data collection continues all year long, too. Tidal fooding, the temporary inundation of low-lying areas, is usually not

severe enough to alert the media. However, so called sunny day fooding often causes road closures, leads to minor property damage, and strains stormwater systems. It’s important to document sunny day fooding, too.

Katie and the Portland and South Portland Sustainability Offces will be available during the walk to answer questions at Buoy Park on June 8th.

“I love city events where people get really excited and bring the whole family out. It’s a really participatory and hands on fun event,” says Katie.

Learn more about Portland and South Portland’s climate action plan at Oneclimatefuture.org.

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

Maine Primary Election & Portland School Budget

In-person absentee voting for the June 11th, 2024 State of Maine Primary and Portland School Budget Referendum Election is underway. Portland voters may vote in the State of Maine Room, adjacent to the City Clerk’s Offce, on the 2nd Floor of City Hall. Regular hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The last day for in-person absentee voting is Thursday, June 6th, unless you have a special circumstance. On June 6th only, the Clerk’s Offce will be open late until 7:00 p.m. for voter registration and in-person absentee voting.

Residents can check the status of their absentee ballot request or track their returned ballot using the Secretary of State’s new tracking system: https:// apps.web.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/ballot_status.pl/.

Portland Drop Box

The external ballot drop box will be set up at City Hall and Canco Road and ready to receive completed absentee ballots 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Absentee ballots must be returned by 8:00

p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots must be returned via mail or the external ballot box outside of City Hall and Canco Road and not to your normal polling place.

Election Day & Primary Info

Election Day is Tuesday, June 11th, and all polling places will be open on that day from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Anyone enrolled in the Democratic, Republican, and Green Independent parties may participate along with anyone who is not enrolled in another political party. Unenrolled voters will select either the Democratic, Republican, or Green Independent ballot.

Anyone enrolled in another party other than Democratic, Republican, Green Independent, or Unenrolled may not participate in this primary election. You must be in a party for three months before changing to another party. The deadline to withdraw or change enrollment passed on May 24th. Call the City Clerk’s Offce at 207-874-8677 to verify your party status.

All Portland voters can participate in the School Budget Referendum.

Pro-Outdoor Recreation Added 6,000 acres and KATAHDIN LAKE to Baxter State Park (Gov. Baxter was a Portlander and a Parksider!) Portland - Parkside, Bayside, East Bayside

Pro-Affordable Education Created OPPORTUNITY MAINE scholarship program — to pay off college loan debt

Pro-Environment Protected CASCO BAY — making it Maine’s most protected bay, banning wastewater dumping, regulating Cruise Ships, and making Maine’s FIRST Federal “No-Discharge” Zone

Pro-Green Energy Created Maine’s first power “Feed-In” law —- CMP pays YOU for energy you generate from renewables “Legislative Valor” Award by the Maine People’s Alliance

JUNE 11th

• Reiche Community Room evening activities are winding down for the summer. We’ll see you in September!

• Exercise in the morning continues all summer.

• All our activities are FREE!

• Donations to WENA are always appreciated. Have a great summer!

A.M. EXERCISE Continues All Summer! 8:15-9:15a.m. Monday - Friday Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays Strength, Balance, Flex DVD Wednesdays Tai Chi

COMPOST YOUR FOOD SCRAPS FOR FREE!

City Celebrates Clean Water Week

The City of Portland’s Water Resources team is excited to announce a roster of public events in celebration of Clean Water Week, June 2-8. Water Resources staff and local partners have organized clean up events, educational tours, and volunteer opportunities to recognize and celebrate clean water in Portland. Below is a selection of events, for more info visit: https://www.portlandmaine. gov/1504/Clean-Water-Week.

Tuesday, June 4

Children’s Story Time at the Portland Public Library, 10:30 AM

Free and open to the public at Downtown Library, 5 Monument Square. Join staff at the Portland Public Library for kids’ story time with a Clean Water theme. Staff will read water-themed books to the kids and may even lead the group in some songs about water.

Friday, June 7

Watershed Model Kids Activity, 9:30 AM

Included with museum admission at Children’s Museum and Theater of Maine, 250 Thompson’s Point Road. Celebrate World Ocean Day and Clean Water Week with Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District and the Children’s Museum & Theater of Maine by using a hands-on watershed model to see how water from your street connects to the ocean where fshes eat.

The Maine Regiment

All Age Drum & Bugle Corps Curbside / TakeOut Luncheon

Sat., Jun. 15 / ** by Advance Order Only ** / American Legion Post 35 (So. Portland)

Ham Italian Sandwich, chips, dessert, and beverage for only $10.00. All proceeds to support The Maine Regiment All Age Drum & Bugle Corps. Deadline to Order is Wednesday, June 12th, by 2 p.m. Please call 207-613-9196 with number of meals, your name, phone number, and choice of beverage. Pick-up is Saturday, June 15, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Stewar t P. Morrill American Legion Post 35, 413 Broadway, South Portland. Please pay at pick up. Cash only. No indoor dining or restrooms available.

Juneteenth at Victoria Mansion

Reading of Emancipation Proclamation & Free Admission

Wed., Jun. 19 / 12 p / 109 Danforth St., Portland

Join us on Victoria Mansion’s lawn at noon for a recitation by local actors of the Emancipation Proclamation in commemoration of its reading in Galveston on June 19th, 1865. We will also honor and hold space for the twenty-seven individuals known to have been enslaved by Ruggles and Olive Morse in New Orleans, whose

SAWYER AUGER W/ SPECIAL GUEST JAKE SWAMP

MAINE MARIMBA ENSEMBLE - 6PM @ CONGRESS SQUARE PARK

PHILLIP-MICHAEL SCALES + MATHIAS LATTIN KYSHONA

RENT SCREENING

THE WELLERMAN W/ SPECIAL GUESTS SHANK PAINTERS

THE PORTLAND JAZZ ORCHESTRA - 6PM @ CONGRESS SQUARE PARK

KEN BLOCK & DREW COPELAND OF SISTER HAZEL BARBIE SCREENING

THE ARCADIAN WILD W/ SPECIAL GUESTS RIVER & RAIL

TRICKY BRITCHES - 6PM @ CONGRESS SQUARE PARK RAGING BRASS - 6PM @ CONGRESS SQUARE PARK

BIG YELLOW TAXI: THE MUSIC OF JONI MITCHELL

NORA BROWN & STEPHANIE COLEMAN

HILDALAND + KATIE MCNALLY & NEIL PEARLMAN

uncompensated labor in Louisiana contributed to the fortune that built Victoria Mansion.

On June 19th all tour admissions are free, but reservations are encouraged due to museum capacity. Visit https://victoriamansion.org/your-visit to secure your spot. Victoria Mansion is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the regular season.

40th Annual Greek Festival

Thu.-Fri., Jun. 20-21 / 11:30a–9p & Sat., Jun. 22 / 11:30a–8p / Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church

Opa! The 40th Greek Festival is just around the corner! Join us for music, dance, and of course delicious food from Thursday through Saturday, June 20th to 22nd, Thursday and Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 11:30 to 8 p.m. Come and share the joy with the best food and sweets!

Pride is Forever: A Pop Dance Party

Fri., Jun. 28 / 7–11p / Austin Street Brewing (Portland) / $10 adv, $15door

Come check out the frst event in a new monthly series of queer dance parties and drag performances. Club 302 and Austin Street Brewing present Pride Is Forever, a pop dance party featuring beats by DJ SYD and iconic performances by local legends Chartreuse Money and Tasha Tektite.

The event is at Austin Street Brewing (115 Fox St, Portland) on Friday, June 28th, starts at 7 p.m. and goes until 11 p.m. Tickets are on sale now on Eventbrite, $10 in advance and $15 at the door. See you there, and remember, Club 302 loves you! Tickets: https://club302.eventbrite.com.

Get out and enjoy! Thanks for reading!!

MUSIC. COMEDY. THEATER. DANCE.

Join us on The Hill for amazing performing arts! and so much more...

The Amazing Acro-Cats are coming in August! Get your tickets today.

FMI: www.thehillarts.me

MUSIC + EVENTS

(ROOF) MICROMASSÉ JUN 6 - 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM

(ROOF) PRIMO CUBANO! JUN 13 - 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM

BELLA’S BARTOK W/ SEEPEOPLES JUN 22 - 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM

(ROOF) RAGING BRASS REGGAE! JUN 23 - 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

(ROOF) GINA & THE RED EYE FLIGHT CREW *TICKETED* JUN 27 - 5:55 PM – 9:35 PM

‘The Woman in the Library’ by Sulari Gentill

Reviews by Stephanie Miller

A woman in Australia named Hannah is writing a novel about an Australian woman named Freddie (short for Winifred), who is writing a novel during a fellowship grant year in Boston about an Australian writer falling in love with a fellow writer named Cain–who may be a murderer. Amid the chapters of Hannah’s novel about Freddie we read one-sided email correspondence between Hannah and a fan/fellow writer named Leo, who lives in Boston and offers to provide local color–and who may be a murderer.

Got that? I hope not, because exploring the twists and turns of this psychological thriller cum mystery novel is a not-tobe missed, wonderful experience.

I found it on the “Featured Fiction” table of our splendid Portland Public Library, which is ironic (and appropriate for this twisty tale) because the Boston Public Library and its magnifcent reading room is the opening murder scene for Freddie’s novel. She is inspired by her real-life fast friendship with three others sitting together when a horrible, ragged death scream echoes around them. It’s a bonding moment among random strangers. Or was it staged by the murderer to provide an alibi?

It’s a bit of a heart-pounding page turner as the psychological threats to both Hannah and Freddie escalate. I love

the construct of it. The author describes it in an interview as, “A story within a story wrapped up in a correspondence.” We only hear Hannah’s voice through her novel—which she is sending progressively to Leo for fact checking — and in his email replies to her. Is Hannah writing this novel in response to the research Leo provides? Is Leo’s generous support a guise for stalking her? A mask for his psychotic tendencies? Or are they simply writers using whatever life offers as material for their work?

There is a crashing crescendo that does what the best mystery novels do— reveal the last person I suspected as the murderer. There is a delightful ending paragraph that tosses in one fnal twist in the tale, leaving us hanging as to where this story within a story will really end.

“Woman in the Library” was my introduction to this award-winning author, but it turns out Gentill is prolifc, with ten Rowland Sinclair WW2 mysteries and several other series and standalone novels. The blurbs on this edition are written by well-known mystery writers—so there is defnitely more to explore.

I picked it up because I’m a sucker for any book about books. I’m glad I did because it was one I’d like to read again. I’m sure I missed some nuance in this sophisticated, multi-layered novel that explores friendship, second chances, trust, and the power of well written words.

Micro Shorts

‘American Daughters' by

Maurice Carlos Ruffn

The cover shows a Black woman holding a silver tray of decanted port and fancy fute glasses. Her face turns away from us: determined, intelligent, and proud. It’s a good cover choice, as this novel is an unexpected take on the life of enslaved women in America, giving them a power and purpose that will inspire and shake you.

There is a somewhat confusing construct of a researcher looking back from the far future trying to piece together what is authentic from scraps of voices that were erased by the owners of “slave labor camps, also known as plantations” and their racist descendants. The story follows Ady, enslaved, and Lenore, a free colored woman, and their fellow clandestine operators of The Daughters — an abolitionist insurrectionist group. They spy for the North, sabotage the Confederate cause in small and large ways, and circumvent the proper protection of the city. All of which paves the way for New Orleans to be taken over by Union soldiers without a fght.

Their lives are not glamorous or safe. Ady is beaten and raped repeatedly by her master, who perversely insists she call him “Father.” Lenore runs her own business but is suppressed by her father and soci-

ety’s unwillingness to let colored people live with dignity.

The novel’s claim that this story is pieced together by future historians explains the disjointed narrative, how Ady gets away with her double life as an employee of Lenore’s boardinghouse, and some of the inconsistent behavior of the slavers. Despite that, I found the core premise plausible—that enslaved and oppressed Black women formed their own loosely organized sabotage efforts to honor the struggles of their mothers and create a better world for their daughters.

‘Home Now: How 6000 Refugees Transformed an American Town' by Cynthia Anderson (MAINE AUTHOR)

When the mill jobs disappeared, the story of Lewiston, Maine twisted in a new direction: becoming a hub for thousands of African immigrants. Chronicling this transition from 2016 through 2019, when Lewiston became one of the most Muslim towns in America, Anderson provides a journalistic reveal of the racism, and anti-Muslim and cultural clashes of her hometown in transition. Through threads of people calling Lewiston home — longtime residents and New Mainers alike — she also shares beautiful but hard wrought stories of acceptance, love, joy, and hope, as refugees and asylum seekers make Maine their new home, collaborating, supporting, and advocating for rights and understanding.

“Home Now” remains relevant as a window into the struggles of New Mainers to join our society, adapt to and infuence our culture, build shared economic wealth, and call Maine home.

"Women in the Library," by Sulari Gentll Poisoned Pen Press (2022)

Susan LoGiudice: Free Trees for Residents to ReForest the City

Every month PelotonLabs founder Liz Trice interviews a community member. This month Liz caught up with Susan, a volunteer with the West End Neighborhood Association Reforest the City project.

What is the West End Neighborhood Association’s ReForest the City project?

ReForest the City is a grassroots effort to encourage restoration of our urban tree canopy. Although Portland is known as “Forest City,” our urban tree canopy throughout the city has decreased dramatically in the last ffty years. Trees are incredibly important for a myriad of reasons, including general enjoyment, air quality, habitat for birds, and mental health.

ReForest has great partners on this project: the City of Portland parks department and the City’s wonderful new arborist Mark Reiland, Maine Audubon’s Bringing Nature Home program, Wild Seed Project, and the Portland sustainability offce.

What is the ReForest the City group doing?

We have a number of current initiatives. First, we are hosting a series of Tuesday Tree Talks and Walks at Reiche Community Center. Speakers to date have been Mark Reiland, Portland’s City Arborist; Tyler Refsland of Wild Seed Project; and Andrew Tufts of Maine Audubon.

Second, we are planting native trees and shrubs in the yards of West End residents who apply. Maine Medical Center’s Community Cares grant is paying for that, and we have technical assistance and plant sourcing from Maine Audubon. We hope to plant up to ffty in the fall.

Third, we are working with the City to create an Adopt a Tree program where residents commit to mulching a street tree to help with water retention. Compacted soil, car doors, animal waste, and vandalism all take their toll on the trees that line our streets.

Last, we are updating an inventory of

street trees in the West End, noting tree health, damage, and where there are empty tree wells.

What in your background led you to this?

Personally, my interest in this project grew from a desire to take a positive step (albeit an infnitesimally small one) to combat climate change and support both wildlife and a vibrant, healthy community. My mother was a nature lover and a grassroots environmentalist as early as the 1960’s. She was lovingly referred to in our community as “Mary Tree.” I think of her often as I work on this project. I have no special training.

What do you want everyone to know?

A healthy urban canopy cover is so important.Trees help manage storm water surges, purify the air, sequester and store carbon, are used as habitat for wildlife, and provide cooling. On a hot summer day, the temperature under a tree can be 10 degrees cooler than the ambient air. Treelined streets enhance a neighborhood and increase real estate values. Being around trees can reduce blood pressure and improve overall emotional and psychological health. And trees add beauty to our daily lives.

Some folks worry about property damage from falling limbs or trees, but rarely does a healthy tree need to be removed to minimize that risk. A qualifed arborist has many tools to help keep a tree both healthy and strong.

I have learned that a properly planted and cared for small tree or shrub will generally grow more quickly and be stronger than a larger plant of the same species.The smaller plant is less likely to be rootbound, so the roots grow more quickly into the soil. And it’s fun to plant from seed! So, planting a tree or shrub doesn’t need to bust the budget.

How can people get involved?

There are many ways to get involved and we are always looking for volunteers. Folks with a background and/or interest

in horticulture and those willing and able to wield a spade can help us to meet our goal of planting up to ffty more native yard trees and shrubs this fall. We are also looking for people to adopt a street tree, and there is plenty of non-hands-on work to do as well. And, of course, we are looking for folks who would like a native tree or shrub planted in their yards!

It has been heartening to learn how many people are passionate about trees and recognize the incredible importance of urban canopy cover. My hope is that this project will take root and grow not only in the West End but throughout the city.

Where can I learn more?

• Reforest the City’s webpage for native tree/shrub application and coming events: http://www.wenamaine. org/reforest-the-city.

• City of Portland Street Tree Map identifes location and species of trees: https://www.portland.gov/ trees/get-involved/treeinventory.

• Project Canopy, a website and newsletter produced by the Maine Forest Service on urban tree canopy: https:// www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/policy_ management/project_canopy.

• TreePeople is an organization in southern California working to improve urban tree canopy and serves as an inspiration: https://www.treepeople.org/22-benefts-of-trees.

is produced by PelotonLabs founder Liz Trice.

Susan LoGiudice plants a serviceberry or shadbush tree, which is one of the species ReForest is planting. -Courtesy photo

Below: An example of serviceberry/shadbush in fower. -By hcast / Adobe Stock

PelotonPosts

FOOD & DRINK

Vines

By Layne V. Witherell

So, you own a lovely old winery and from your porch you can gaze daily at your thirty-year-old vineyard. This is nice. What isn’t nice is that at thirty years of age vines decrease in productivity.This not only worries you, but it also worries your banker. You can do several things:

• Grub it all up and plant all over (mild heart palpitations for your banker).

• Let one third get older, replant one third, and let one third go fallow. A common practice in Bordeaux is to make “Grand Vin de Bordeaux” – the blenders’ paradise.

• You can intersperse plantings of younger vines for youth and vigor.

Or today, you can let the vines age and add an older vineyard to make an “Old Vine” wine. Old vine wines are a hot thing for several reasons: frst, they are better in favor and complexity than your thirty-year vines. They tend to be more

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interesting because of the extra care taken with both vineyards and winemaking. Nothing quite like grubbing around with a hoe.

There

You can buy into the “old vine industrial complex” by joining the Historic Vineyard Society, Old Vine Registry, The Old Vine Hero Award, Old Vine Conference, or Global Old Vine Tours. Start by reading Randy Caparoso’s book on the Lodi region in California, $60.00 (Lodi is sort of the Sierra Redwoods of old vine Zinfandel). There are lots of people out there promoting old vine culture, their own websites, and consulting gigs.

SCOTTO OLD VINE ZINFANDEL, LODI, 2020 $12.00-$15.00 bottle

This is a delicious burger on the grill old vine Zinfandel. Smooth, tasty, complex. Ketchup and onions stuff. The irony of Lodi –apart from the John Fogarty song, “Lost

&

in Lodi Again” – is that the land is cheap and plentiful. Their grapes fueled the White Zinfandel craze that was all about quantity over quality. Today, they represent some of the best values anywhere. There are a handful of 135-year-old vines in Lodi that won’t be going for over $12 a bottle! Lodi Zins can be notoriously high in alcohol (15% plus), but today with earlier picking they are calming them down.

OVR: OLD VINE RED Lot #74, Marietta Winery, Geyserville, Calif. $15.00-$20.00 bottle.

A classic replication of old school California feld blends started by the Bilbro family in an old dairy barn in Geyserville in the late 1970’s. There was no chasing the illusive 100-point Cabernet score here, nor the mass marketed, Snoop Dogg, sweet red world. They have always made an honest

“Tuesday night wine” from Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Carignane - classics of the old Italian feld blend winemakers.

This bottling is complex and steak on the grill worthy. They blend different lots of grapes and old vine vineyards for current drinkability. They are currently experimenting with Italian varietals such as Barbara and Nero d’Avola. Their longstanding contracts and grower loyalty ensure a brilliant drinking wine.

BONESHAKER ZINFANDEL OLD VINES, LODI, 2020, $20.00 bottle.

WHEW! What a difference a place makes. While Scotto is a burger friendly Zin, this is the wild boar on a spit wine. Made by the Hahn Winery as their frst excursion into Lodi, this is as full throttle a Zinfandel as can be imagined. Fruit, acid, tannin are all in place Cont'd on Next Page

FIELD BLENDS - THE OLD DAYS

The federal law is that to state a grape variety name on a label (say Zin) there must be 75% of that grape in the bottle. In the 1950’s it was 51%. But when many of these grapes were planted in the 19th century, the older Italians living in Lodi and Sonoma just wanted to have some wine for dinner. They interspersed many different grape plantings in what are called feld blends. I have been fortunate to have tasted many of these wines while a college student at San Francisco State in the 1970’s. There are a handful of people still around who tasted them and can attest to their brilliance. Your one stop source is “Zinfandel: A History of a Grape and It’s Wine,” by Charles Sullivan.

Fresh Approach

FOOD & DRINK Old Vines

Cont'd from Previous Page

just sinfully amped. It all comes down to yield per acre and this one must be miniscule.

making this up), Syrah, Grenache Blanc, all those Southern French grapes. What makes her different is that at Domaine Jones you can adopt an old vine complete with a certifcate and your name on it. The vineyards are small, and both harvested and vinifed separately. Diffcult painstaking work.

I

to do this to you but due to our archaic wine shipping laws in America this is the old vine wine you can’t buy unless you go to London. Bring me a bottle back if you fnd one.

OLD VINES ARE A THING

You just thought while looking at your vineyard that old vines were a Lodi or a mostly Sonoma thing. The competition that Randy Caparoso won with his book on Lodi was international. Australia, France, South Africa, Slovenia, Italy, Greece, they are everywhere. You just must root around those feld blend, out of the way vineyards to fnd them.

DOMAINE JONES, FITOU, FRANCE, around $25.00 a bottle with erratic delivery times. Available in six packs.

Katie Jones worked in the wine biz for some decades then decided to buy an ancient vineyard in the Fitou region in Languedoc in the South of France. There, she is hoe in hand grubbing through the Carignan, Hairy Grenache (I am not

You can scroll through her website and choose your vine to adopt. Recently available are Edgar, Florian, Jean-Francois, etc. Kind of like the pet store of ancient vines.

LABELS or

How to identify old vine wines

Old vine wines are having a moment. They offer fascinating examples of handmade work in an increasingly industrialized world. They are worth your attention.

• California: Old vines or ancient vines.

• France: Vielles Vignes.

• Germany: Alte Reben.

• Alsace: Old Vines.

Check the Old Vine Registry for the most complete global database for old vines.

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.

4TH WEDNESDAY of every month 6-7 PM / 4 x 3oz. pours ONLY $18! “Bring $10 in cash fo the basket.”

CONNECTIONS

By Nancy Dorrans

Connections is a New York Times online game I play almost every day. It groups words that share a common thread. Connecting words is a game. Connecting with people is an art. My friend Matthew tells me I’m a natural connector. My friend Sara calls me a conduit. Making connections seems to come naturally to me. If you read my article last month you’ll realize, in that regard, I’m a bit like my mother Joanie. I don’t have any problem talking to strangers and making connections… You just have to look up, reach out, say hello, and listen. It works for me.

For example, I was walking out of Whole Foods recently and noticed an older lady wearing cute red boots. I said good morning and told her that I really liked her boots. This sparked a lovely conversation.

She said they are waterproof but also helpful in her garden where she spends a lot of time. So, I pointed into the back of my Subaru Outback, currently laden with garden tools, buckets, bags of compost, mud boots, gloves, and seed packets… Turns out she loves to garden, too. In fact, she used to be a garden designer.

Now in her mid-eighties, she thinks she spends way too much time in her garden and feels the aches a bit more. She forgets she’s not ffty years old anymore. I told her she didn’t show her age. She then shared her secret: She eats healthy, sleeps well, and gets plenty of exercise gardening and walking every day!

What a spontaneous conversation and connection we had. Gardening brings her joy, and it does me too. Just a simple “hello I like your boots” sparked a connection, and gardening was the bond.

Travel Connections

This art of connecting with people is essential in my business. I stay connected with my clients via Facebook, calls, emails, and an occasional email newsletter. It takes me a long time to put together these newsletters and I’m never sure of the reaction they will generate. Recently I sent out a newsletter and in just over an hour over 500 contacts (out of 2000) opened the email. This was encouraging!

Staying connected and making new connections with travel industry colleagues is also essential. As I write this, I’m preparing to fy to Europe to attend two different adventure travel trade show events. The frst is in Slovenia, promoting their commitment to sustainability along with the country’s natural, cultural, and culinary riches.

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

-All photos courtesy of Nancy Dorrans

The second is the ATTA Adventure Elevate event being held in the alps of Northern Italy (Trentino) and Kitzbuhel, Austria. There, I’ll connect with a whole new group of adventurers. Together we’ll discover and share stories about sustainable adventure travel and community-based tourism in the region.

I’m excited to learn about even more “out of the ordinary” adventure opportunities in these parts of the world. Plus, I’m sure to come away with more genuine connections. Then I’ll be able to share these with you and connect you to more adventures! Stay tuned... 500 Stevens Avenue Portland, ME 04103 (207) 774-1612 Tuesday - Friday 10am - 3pm |

Connecting with Life

I’m also trying to be connected to not just people but to the rest of the living world. I have a reciprocal relationship with my gardens, native plants, and seedlings. We connect. I tend to them, and they bring me joy now and nourishment later. The peas, onions, and lettuce seeds are already in. Hopefully, when you come across this article, the risk of frost will have passed, and I’ll be ready to start planting in the rest of my garden.

“When times are easy and there’s plenty to go around, individual species can go it alone. But when conditions are harsh and life is tenuous, it takes a team sworn to reciprocity to keep life going forward. In a world of scarcity, interconnection and mutual aid become critical for survival.” -Robin Wall Kimmerer, “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientifc Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants”

This season, I hope you can make some new connections and fnd some time to be outside and sow some seeds in your little corner of our world.

Crescent Street Community Garden, Portland

Tailgate at Nantucket Daffodil Festival

Environmental Voter Project: Your Voice Can Make a Difference

By Nancy Nickerson

Have you wondered if your vote in an election makes any difference at all? That was the question posed to me recently while I was making phone calls for the Environmental Voter Project (EVP). Yes, your voice can matter!

EVP has been around for nearly a decade and has been able to engage non-voters, turn them into voters, and help shift legislators’ policy positions. Polling shows that people for whom climate change is the biggest issue are in the demographic least likely to vote.

EVP is nonpartisan and nonproft, focused on accurately identifying non-voting environmentalists and converting them into a critical mass of consistent voters. In fact, 251 randomized control trials measure the impact of their outreach. Since 2015 they have helped turn 1,824,260 non-voting and seldom-voting environmentalists into consistent super voters.

EVP does not ask individuals to take positions or support candidates. Rather, EVP urges participation in the process by voting. Their research highlights that getting folks to turn out for elections generally (not only ones that may have environmental questions on the ballot) is effective in getting them to establish a voting habit. Once someone votes for the frst time, they’re much more likely to vote again. Therefore, EVP treats every election— local, state, and federal—as a high-lever-

age opportunity to turn non-voters into voters. And data reveal that politicians are much more inclined to listen to their voting constituents.

EVP uses proven voter-turnout messaging based on the latest behavioral science. Volunteers canvass, call, text, mail, and send digital ads to target environmentalists before every election.

As an EVP volunteer, I have taken part in several phone-banking sessions. The sessions are highly organized and start with a Zoom meeting, where I can see many volunteers from around the country making calls at the same time that I am.

You need a laptop or tablet and phone. Instructions are clear, and a script (with lots of contingency scenarios) is provided. Debriefng at the session completion provides an opportunity to offer feedback. And despite glitches, the potential for connecting with citizens, and helping change behavior and policy outcomes, motivates me to continue. I hope to participate in a postcard campaign later this spring or summer.

Nancy Nickerson is a volunteer with the Portland Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby (where she frst learned of EVP).

Portland CCL is planning weekly letter writing parties from 4 to 6 p.m. on the frst Sunday of the month. For location and more information, contact por tlandme@citizensclimatelobby.org.

Climate change served on your plate

By Avery Yale Kamila

Portland City Hall is ignoring a large part of the climate problem:The emissions from the food we eat. However, residents’ love of vegetables and the Portland Public Schools’ embrace of plant-based lunches means the city is well positioned to take a leadership role in aligning city menus with climate science.

Por tland’s One Climate Future plan focuses on fossil fuel use, which is important, but ignores food. This is despite the fact that the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization fnds that more than 30 percent of human-caused methane emissions come from livestock. Methane is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat. When it comes to farming, it’s not transporting food but rather raising beef cattle, dairy cows, hogs, and other livestock, whether factory farmed or free range, that is generating emissions.

At last year’s United Nations’ climate change summit in Dubai, the U.N.’s FAO released a plan to lower agricultural emissions that would require Americans to adopt fexitarian meals with far fewer animal products. Americans don’t need to become vegetarians, but they would need to eat beef, cheese, pork, and chicken just a few times a week to signifcantly lower emissions.

Recent research shows that ignoring animal agriculture’s role in climate change is bolstered by the powerful and well-funded meat and dairy lobbies that

have poured millions into academic research designed to downplay the role of livestock in climate change. However, in the face of this disinformation campaign, 27 cities around the globe have signed the international Plant Based Treaty.

Treaty signers create policies to reduce the consumption of animal-based foods within their municipal borders. These policy moves don’t ban meat, as some pro-meat activists suggest, but rather use policy tools to reduce its consumption.

While Portland’s climate policy ignores animal agriculture, the city is well positioned to develop its own plant-based action plan. Portland is a nationally-recognized leader in serving vegan and vegetarian school lunches. The city has a fourishing community garden network, with a long list of residents waiting for plots. And studies have ranked Portland as one of the places where people consume the most daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

If Por tland City Hall is serious about tackling climate change, it’s time for its policies to encourage more plants and fewer animals on our plates.

Por tland resident Avery Yale Kamila writes a plant-based food column for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram.

Bright Ideas is brought to readers by Portland Climate Action Team (PCAT), who meet the fourth Tuesday of the month, 6 to 7:30 p.m. All are welcome! FMI: Email Portlandclimate@gmail.com

Geography Trivia

1. What country contains about half of the natural lakes in the world, the longest coastline in the world, and borders three di erent oceans?

2. The closest mainland US point to Africa lies in what state?

3. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world above sea level, but measured from its base, what Hawaiian volcano is taller?

4. Lesotho is the largest country in the world that is an enclave, meaning it’s completely surrounded by one other country; what country surrounds it? Find the answers online at thewestendnews.com/puzzle-solutions!

HILLTOP SUPERETTE’s

JUNE EDITION

SLICE FROM THE PIE

DELICIOUS

TIDBITS OF COMMUNITY NEWS & MORE …

The Wind Whispers…

Portland Jetport is proposing a parking rate increase from $14 to $15 a day… Norway Savings Bank delivers $50,000 to Equality Community Center to help the safe space continue as a beacon of welcome and inclusion for all… Lending Tree fnds that Maine collected $33.7 million in cannabis tax revenue in 2023 which is a 24% increase over the previous year… Still a Good Cause Thrift Shop celebrates 20 years of providing quality vintage clothing, accessories, and home furnishings… One Longfellow Square announces their frst ever Season Sponsorship from Northern Light Mercy Hospital… Portland’s Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church celebrates the 40th year of its popular Greek Festival… Portland is WalletHub’s 4th Best City for Summer Jobs thanks to the number of summer jobs per person and the relative ease of commuting… Pest Gnome ranks Maine the 6th most vulnerable to ticks thanks in part to our historical average number of extremely hot days… Allagash Brewing makes Hop Culture’s list of Queer-Supporting Breweries for representing with LGBTQ+ staff and raising money for LGBTQ+ orgs….......................................

The wind whispers, Upon its gentle breeze, For that which may come near, Only to fade away as if to disappear; And the turn to a new directon, Within a subtle distncton, When the wind whispers, Are the many sounds of what goes past, As if broken noises, And far of voices, Of talks of murmured breath, Therein their own depth, So as to listen to a sudden “quiet,” While the winds foat afar and away, And yet, the sound, As the winds linger round; For a diferent day, The winds are her to stay, Where other may come about, Just for them to bestow, Realites to be sown, Within both the now and then, And again.

© Russ Basset 2016

SUBMISSIONS

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Learning to Play Playing to Learn

Let’s Make Music ! Do you play a brass instrument? Woodwind or percussion? SMNHB wants YOU! We welcome musicians at all levels interested in playing music in an educational and supportive setting.

St. Luke’s Cathedral, Lower Hall 136 Park St., Portland, ME SouthernMaineNewHorizonsBand.org