JOIN IN!
WENA Encourages Residents to Join In! Intergenerational Activities
A Climate Justice Feature Citizens’ Climate Lobby presents A Concert for Climate at St. Luke’s in Portland on October 27th
By Sydney Patten
It’s been said that if you overwhelm people with statistics or retell stories of doom over and over again, things eventually will go in one ear and out the other. And so it is with climate change, an existential crisis like no other humans have ever faced. We’ve all heard that things are bad. We can even feel the difference in warmer air temperatures and even ocean temperatures. Many more people are now able to brave the once frigid waters of Maine to go swimming while lobsters move northward to fnd cooler waters.
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Intergeneratonal Fun at WENA’s 2024 Picnic at Harbor View Park
By Mark Tappan, WENA
The West End Neighborhood Association (WENA) kicked off its new Join In! initiative at the annual WENA picnic on Tuesday, August 13th at Harbor View Park. The goal of Join In! is to build community by fostering relationships among all residents of the West End and to create a more inclusive and welcoming neighborhood. It will include a specifc focus on intergenerational activities and events to encourage deeper connections between young people and adults in the neighborhood. Join In! is funded by a Caring Community Grant from Maine Medical Center.
The WENA picnic, attended by more than ffty residents, featured art activities for children sponsored by Love Lab
on Brackett Street, science activities for children and adults sponsored by WENA’s Reforest the City Project, an art and community-building activity table sponsored by the WENA executive board, and a special bubble station for young and old alike! The evening concluded with the group Ukuleles Heal the World leading all in a community sing-along.
Join In! Free Showing of ‘Join or Die’ Documentary
The Join In! initiative continues with a free showing of the flm “Join or Die”— which focuses on the role that civic involvement and engagement play in promoting individual and community well-being – on Monday, September 23rd, at 6:30 p.m. in
Cont'd on Pg. 4
Harbor View Park Cleanup
Volunteers and the Portland Parks Conservancy cleanup a West End park
On Thursday, July 25th, volunteers turned out at the West End’s Harbor View Memorial Park for a cleanup organized by the Portland Parks Conservancy. Outftted with trash bags, work gloves and pickers, several neighborhood residents plus a workplace group from IDEXX joined in the effort. The volunteers collected fve bags of trash and dozens of needles.
“The Conser vancy is grateful to the many committed volunteers who devote time to caring for Portland’s parks,” says Jack Phillips, the organization’s Executive Director. “These contributions are essential to maintaining clean, safe, and healthy outdoor spaces for Portlanders to enjoy. Harbor View is in much better shape thanks to the volunteers who helped out in late July.”
Founded in 2018, the Portland Parks Conservancy organizes dozens of volunteer events in Portland’s parks annually. Activities include cleanups, invasive species removal, and trail repair. Visit por tlandparksconservancy.org to sign up for updates about volunteer opportunities. Or email jack@por tlandparksconservancy.org to request volunteer support for a special park project.
Cont'd on Pg. 3
Page 12
Nancy's trip to the remote Sas-
-Courtesy photo by Steve Graef
Portland's Community Newspaper Since 2001
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Contact Us
The West End News PO Box 10876
Portland, ME 04104 thewestendnews@gmail.com
Tony Zeli, Publisher & Editor Rick Ness, Sales CONTRIBUTORS
Marie Caspard, Bright Ideas
Nancy Dorrans, Travel & Adventure
Stephanie Miller, Book Short Sydney Patten, CCL Column
Ben Taylor, Best Worst Trivia Layne V. Witherell, Layne's Wine Gig
Special Thanks to Jack Phillips, Portland Parks Conservancy Rosanne Graef, Mark Tappan, & Elizabeth Parsons, WENA
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ALL SALES INQUIRIES
Contact Rick Ness: 207-577-7025 rickthewestendnews@gmail.com
WEN is a community newspaper and we need your voice! Share your submissions with:
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The West End News PO Box 10876
Portland, ME 04104.
• Letters to the editor should be no more than 200 words. Include your name and town or neighborhood.
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Deadline for publication in the October Local Election Edition is Friday, September 27th. 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.
Cleanup
Cont'd from Pg. 1
In addition to its volunteer coordination role, the Conservancy raises funds for special parks and recreation initiatives in partnership with the City. Current priorities include the Portland Youth Corps, a work-service program for teens; revitalization of Riverton Trolley Park; improvements to North Deering Park, Portland’s newest green space; development of Portland Harbor Common, a planned park on the eastern waterfront; and support for the City’s forestry team in creating a more robust and equitable tree canopy.
Submitted by Jack Phillips, Exec. Dir. Portland Parks Conservancy.
Harbor View Park cleanup day. -Courtesy of Portland Parks Conservancy
JOIN IN!
Cont'd from Pg. 1
the Reiche Community Center on Clark Street. This feature documentary, released nationwide this summer, after winning awards in several major flm festivals, follows the half-century story of America’s civic unraveling through the work of social scientist Robert Putnam, author of the best-selling book “Bowling Alone.” Putman’s research on America’s decades-long decline in community connections also holds answers to our present crises of social isolation and loneliness.
The flm weaves historical analysis and contemporary community profles featuring the types of civic organizations that Putnam has found to be foundational to a healthy democracy. One of the organizations featured in the flm is Bowl Portland, a thriving local bowling league at Bayside Bowl. More information about the flm can be found at https://www.joinordieflm.com.
WENA’s “Join In!” programming for 2024-2025 will include: convening community study circles to follow up on questions, issues, and ideas generated from the flm; sponsoring a West End Neighborhood Intergenerational Community Celebration; and collaborating with other community organizations on an Intergenerational Public Art Project at Harbor View Park next spring.
In addition, throughout the year, WENA and Portland Parks and Rec will be sponsoring a variety of Elder Xercise physical ftness and social activities (e.g., pickleball, cornhole, basketball, volleyball, badminton), and opportunities for intergenerational learning and relationship building (e.g., learning to play cribbage) at the Reiche Community Center.
More information can be found at http://www.wenamaine.org.
$10,000 Goal to Refresh Harbor View Park
West End Neighborhood Association is raising money to refresh Harbor View Park and are planning an intergenerational recreation and respite area
As garden harvests come in and days shorten, the West End Neighborhood Association has started planning for an intergenerational recreation and respite area centered around Harbor View Park and the Tate/Tyng Street playground. This effort will integrate our ReForest the City project with park spaces that need refreshing. We’ll also push for an adult ftness court in the playground area.
WENA members and the Parks Department are working closely on this effort, and Parks has asked for our help in raising $10,000. This money will go towards refurbishing Harbor View Park while other funds are being sought for the ftness court. Between WENA board pledges and other early donations, we have already raised more than $3,100 towards the goal.
Please join us!
A gift of any amount makes a difference. You can donate online by going to: http://www.wenamaine.org/get-involved/. Or mail a check to:
WENA PO Box 7898 Portland, ME 04112
Or donate cash at any WENA event at the Reiche Community Room.
The West End Neighborhood Association (WENA) is one of the most active neighborhood associations in Portland. It takes a lot of volunteers to pull together our events and activities, but seeing people having fun or creating a cleaner, safer, and more resilient community is worth it… for all of us.
We couldn’t do it without the support of the Portland Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Department and the help of The West End News in getting the word out. You can always visit wenamaine.org, e-mail hello@wenamaine.org, or check out the bulletin board on the Clark Street side of the Reiche Community Center for more details. Here’s what’s on tap for September:
Arts/Crafts/Games Grab Bag
Thursdays from 4:15-6 p.m. - Informal socializing. Bring your project or help with ours. Play board or card games.
Card Making
Thursday, 9/26 from 6-8 p.m. with Faith Garnett - Make 3 different fall cards using a variety of techniques. Materials provided. Limit of 10. Must register at hello@wenamaine.org.
Elder Xercise (50+)
Ongoing Mon-Fri 8:15-9:15 a.m. - We tried to stay in shape all summer, did you? Join our FREE DVD Exercise Class in the Reiche Community Room (use Door 11 and go upstairs) for Strength, Balance, Stretch, Cardio. every Mon,Wed,Thu - light-moderate; Tue, Fri - moderate-vigorous.
Qigong/Tai Chi
Thursdays, 3-4 p.m. Sept. 5, 12, 26with Karen Morency.
Learning & Discussion
Magazine Readers -Monday, 9/5 at 6:30 p.m. - Contact hello@wenamaine org for materials and to get on the e-mail list.
Die Well Death Education - Thursday, 9/12 at 6:30 p.m. - With Leona Oceania. Session One: Why Talk About Death? – You’re going to die. Why not die well? Preparation is key.
Movies - Mondays, at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6p - Popcorn & fzzy water available, bring a snack to share if you wish. Contact hello@wenamaine .org for titles and to get on the e-mail list. 9/16 - Classic Movie - Made ffty or more years ago, various genres. 9/30 - Comedy
Travelogues - Thursday, at 6:30 p.m 9/5 - Bike England, Belgium and Holland with Kip & Barb DeSerres 9/19 - Visit Nepal with Kim Sutton
WENA General Meeting
Wednesday, September 11, 6:30-8 p.m. - West End Neighborhood Association’s general monthly meeting is held in the Reiche Community Room. All Welcome!
Sweet Treats
Breakfast Sandwiches
Lunch
Special Occasions Cakes
Phone Orders – Curbside Pick-up
181 Congress St., Portland, ME 207-771-0994
katiemadebakery.com
Homegrown Herb & Tea
Apothecary Style Bulk Herb and Tea Shop 195 Congress St, Portland
Making handcrafted, custom tea blends and herbal infusions in the traditions of the Old World Apothecary since 2006
Visit the tea shop W-F 11-4, Sat 9-2 or Order online: homegrownherbandtea.com
Eastern Promenade Sat, Sep. 7th / 5p / Fort Allen Park (Portland)
The Bread & Puppet Theater returns to Portland with its iconic circus on Saturday, September 7th, at 5pm. Mayo Street Arts, Maine’s de facto puppet hub and a longtime collaborator with Bread & Puppet Theater, will present the company at Fort Allen Park for “The Beginning After the End of Humanity Circus,” a brand-new show in the tradition of the iconic Bread & Puppet Circuses.
The show draws on traditional circus tropes and familiar Bread and Puppet iconography to highlight urgent issues of the day. Stilt dancers, paper maché beasts of all sizes, and a riotous brass band make a raucous, colorful spectacle of protest and celebration. After the show, Bread & Puppet serves its famous sourdough rye bread with aioli, and “Cheap Art” – books, posters, postcards, pamphlets and banners from the Bread & Puppet Press – will be for sale.
Mayo Street Arts invites audiences of all ages to attend the outdoor performance of Bread & Puppet Theater’s “The Beginning After the End of Humanity Circus” at Fort Allen Park in Portland at 5 p.m. on September 7th. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $10-$25. For more information and tickets, visit www. mayostreetarts.org.
From Barcelona to Brackett Street: Puppets in Portland International Festival
Sep. 13-22 / Various locations in Portland
Puppets in Portland (PiP), a biennial international city-wide festival of puppetry arts, returns September 13-22nd. Presented by Mayo Street Arts, PiP 2024 expands from the 2022 inaugural festival to include two weekends of free and ticketed events at various locations throughout Portland.
Muppets or marionettes dominate thoughts when people hear “puppets.” PiP 2024 seeks to expand this perspective, featuring style-defying executions of the puppetry’s diverse subgenres, including mask work, paper arts, and shadow. The performances encompass a compelling gamut of topics ranging from personal histories to uncharted planet sci-f survival. In addition to world-class shows, visiting artists will offer hands-on workshops for both adults and children.
In addition to ticketed events and targeted community events, PiP 2024 will also offer free opportunities for the general public to engage. Local favorite Shoestring Theater will once again emerge from their base in Portland’s West End to lead PiP PiP Parade! through East Bayside, and Modern Times Theater (East Hardwick, VT) will perform Punch and Judy shows in Congress Square Park. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit puppetsinportland.org.
Thomas Park 111th
Anniversary Celebration Sun, Sep. 15th / 11a-1p / Thomas Park (64 Burnham St., Portland)
The Thomas Park 111th Anniversary Celebration will be held on Sunday, September 15th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Thomas Park, located at 64 Burnham Street in the Libbytown neighborhood. This historic event will feature prominent speakers and guests, including Portland City Councilor Regina Phillips, District 3; Elias Thomas III; Portland Historian Herb Adams; and members of the Thomas Family for the Thomas Park Sign Reveal and Dedication. The celebration will also include music and light refreshments.
The event is hosted by the Friends of Thomas Park, the Libbytown Neighborhood Association, and the University Neighborhood Organization. For more information or questions, please contact Heather Thomas Beaupre at email: htbeau@atlanticbb.net.
WMPG Presents Jazz at the Movies:
‘Cesaria Evora’ Sat, Sep. 21st / 7p / PCM (28 Neal Street, Portland)
Join WMPG’s Jazz at the Movies for the Portland premier of CESARIA EVORA, at Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal Street, Portland on Saturday, September 21st at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
The flm, CESARIA EVORA, follows the struggles and success of this legendary singer’s journey born into abject poverty in colonial Cape Verde ascending to the throne of Queen of World Music in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Join WMPG’s Jazz at the Movies for the Portland premier offering a glimpse of Cesaria, who’s voice became a feminist force and an African icon.
All are welcome!
Portland Maine Comedy Festival. Balderdash Academy. Vivid Motion. Tribute to Shane MacGowan. Bombay Rickey. Sleuths Mystery Entertainment FMI: www.thehillarts.me
UPCOMING SHOWS
ROOFTOP: Gina & The Red Eye Flight Crew present the End of Summer Soirée Sep 19 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM
GRAMMY WINNER BLACK UHURU W/S/GS ROOTS, RHYTHM, & DUB Sep 21 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Royal Hammer on the Roof (Free) Sep 26 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Rose Alley (Jerry Garcia Band Tribute) Sep 27 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM
The Strong Pioneering Women Edition
By Stephanie Miller
A beautiful actress desperate to make good on her forced complicity with the Nazis patented the idea of multi-modal radio frequency that became the basis for all our mobile phones—and never got credit or the chance to see her solution applied to the war effort. A society bride and the wealthiest woman in America claims her late father’s seat as chairman of the board of one of the country’s largest companies, simultaneously remaking herself as a corporate titan, philanthropist, and presidential hostess.
I always love reading about anyone (particularly women) changing the world. Last month I read two bestselling novels by different authors that each feature the life of a pioneering woman who met resistance and discrimination head on.
“The Only Woman in the Room” is by Marie Benedict, author of “Carnegie’s Maid” and “The Personal Librarian.” It’s a light-touch on the amazing story of actress and WW2-era scientist Hedy Lamar. Years ago, I read the wonderful non-fction “Hedy’s Folly” by Richard Rhodes which was much more about her scientifc work. Benedict’s novel focused mostly on Hedy’s early, abusive marriage to a weapons manufacturer in Austria (one of the sources of her knowledge of German submarines
Gladis House Cleaning
"The
Only Woman in the Room"
By Marie Benedict
Sourcebooks Landmark | 2019 / pp. 336
which led to her invention), her tense relationship with her mother, and her daring escape to California for a glamorous but not entirely happy life in Hollywood.
Lamar has such an amazing story, not the least of which was the rejection of her radio-jamming idea by the US Navy, despite the frantic and failing race to break the stranglehold of the German U-boats in the Atlantic. I don’t love that Benedict’s novel focuses more on her love life than her multiple careers and scientifc brilliance, but this is a quick and interesting read.
Micro Shorts
“Bird In Hand,” by Christina Baker Kline (MAINE AUTHOR)
From the author of “Orphan Train” and “The Exiles,” this short novel tackles some big life choices: love, marriage, parenthood, friendship, and obligation. On a late, rainy drive home, Alison collides with another car running a stop sign—and her life goes sideways. Her husband’s accusatory reaction reveals cracks in their relationship that she never noticed before— and now she sees everything differently. She discovers that the life she carefully constructed for herself is a charade and now in a shambles.
This is a fast-moving novel that tackles the “best friend steals husband” trope with a kind and thoughtful hand. Layers of secrets are revealed and betrayed. No one ends up very happy in the end, but they all make new choices from places of strong self-awareness, and there is a lot of hope for the future.
“The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson,” by Ellen Baker (MAINE AUTHOR)
This sweeping family drama is driven by secrets revealed by an at-home DNA test. What everyone thought would be a fun surprise for their ninety-four-year-old grandmother Cecily, turns out to expose a complex web of mothers reluctantly or cruelly forced to give up their babies for adoption. Cecily’s extraordinary life includes an orphanage in Chicago, imprisonment in a home for “wayward” girls, and an apprenticeship to become a bareback circus performer where she falls in love with a roustabout named Lucky. Later she has a life-changing visit to a TB hospital, where I was fascinated to learn that women stayed in an outdoor pavilion in the hopes that 24-hour fresh air would cure them.
“The Fifth Child,” by Doris Lessing Doris Lessing did not shirk from the stark, evil side of human nature. In this short novelette she tells the hair-raising story of a mother who gives up everything for one of her children.This ffth child, Ben, is monstrous in appearance, abnormally strong, demanding, and brutal. His abusive nature turns her former welcoming home into an intolerable prison. Her extended family, once happy to take advantage of her hospitality, make excuses to go elsewhere for the holidays. Her other children escape to school and relatives’ homes. Her husband buries himself in his work. When the well-meaning family intervenes and puts Ben in an asylum, intending to turn their backs on him forever, the mother rescues him from a horrifying existence of straitjackets and over medication. That choice isolates her from everyone else. Friendless his whole life , he becomes a gang leader at school, and she realizes that there may be a role for Ben to play in our world. She doesn’t like Ben very much and hopes he will leave home. But until he does, she will stay. It’s in many ways a beautiful story of motherly love, and, as it was written in 1988 before our current understanding of neurodiversity, a very insightful and empathetic telling of the desperate struggle of a divergent child trying to ft in with “normal” society.
“Ash,” by Malinda Lo
I found this reimagining of Cinderella on The Lucky Fox Bookshop stand in a market on Congress Square Park (fnd them at: theluckyfoxbookshop.com) where I always see a half dozen books that I already love and get introduced to several new authors. This queer-owned, indie bookseller specializes in fantasy, fction, and LGBTQ+ books and “Ash” is a great combo of all three!
“The Magnifcent Lives of Marjorie Post” by Allison Pataki is the story of the Post Cereal (later General Foods) heiress and her unconventional life choices. This one also focuses a lot on Post’s many marriages (spoiler: four times a bride, but never found lasting love).What I found fascinating is her ability to manage the political and misogynist corporate nonsense to take her father’s place as chairman of the company, where she innovated product lines and was a bit of a shark when it came to acquisitions. Perhaps her experience dealing with haughty, judgmental society matrons served her well in the halls of business. She also fed the homeless during the depression, saved priceless treasures from the Tsar that were languishing in a Russian warehouse, and hosted presidents and celebrities at her several homes. Her fascinating life and huge ego make this a wonderful adventure story.
Both Lamar and Post had a similar life philosophy: Think for yourself, study and read voraciously, be charming but not soft, give back, love with abandon, and wear your diamonds with style and grace.These two novels provide a glimpse into the epic lives of these two extraordinary women who had to battle for self-determination and yet through sheer force of personality and will, lived full, satisfying, and compassionate lives.
The key to the novel is illustrated by this quote from Cecily’s daughter, “Now, ffty-two years later, Clarissa walked and walked, not knowing who her parents were; who she was, after all this time. Nor did she feel consoled by the idea that within days the DNA test would likely tell her. What if she learned the truth of where she came from—and it only made everything worse?”
It is a fascinating and compassionate telling of how a truly modern secret keeper —our DNA—has exposed suppressed family histories and reconnected millions of adopted people with their birth parents, unknown siblings, and relatives.
When “Ash” was published in 2009, Lo is credited with creating one of the frst lesbian characters in the Young Adult genre. And wow, what a heroine. It’s the story we all know but with no emotional mute button. “Ash” gives us full-throated and richly written grief, despair, hunger, love, and a whole heaping of lushly drawn fairie. It deserves to be a staple on every teenage bookshelf, with our thanks for opening up the YA canon to the girls (and boys) who were left out of the original fairy tales.
Read more at https://thewestendnews.com/ category/bookshort
Stephanie Miller is a voracious reader and local bibliophile..Find her online @StephanieSAM.
MaineCDC Confrms
Bird with West Nile Virus in Portland
The City of Portland’s Public Health Division is informing residents that the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (MaineCDC) has confrmed the presence of a West Nile Virus (WNV) positive bird in Portland. A total of nine birds, from six counties, tested positive in a recent round of routine surveillance, conducted by the Maine Department of Fishery and Wildlife. A previous routine surveillance was performed in July, at which time the presence of West Nile Virus was detected in six birds.
Besides WNV, mosquitoes in Maine can also spread Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEE) and Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV). As the Maine CDC announced in July, mosquitoes in Maine have tested positive for JCV this year. There are currently no known human cases of any locally acquired mosquito-borne diseases in Maine.
These viruses spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. They cannot spread from human to human or human to animal. Although rare, these diseases can have serious consequences, including death. The best protection is to take precautions against mosquito bites.
You can take these simple steps to protect yourself, such as wear long sleeves and long pants, use an EPA-approved repellent, use screens on windows and doors, drain artfcial sources of standing water.
City Announces Upcoming Vaccination Clinics
The City of Portland’s Por tland Public Health Division, in conjunction with Northern Light Home Care & Hospice, are announcing a series of upcoming infuenza (fu) and COVID vaccination clinics open to the public for both the insured and uninsured. For those with insurance, you must bring your insurance card with you to the clinic.
The City’s Public Health team will also be running a number of clinics specifically for the City’s shelter guests and City employees.
What You Need to Know
• The CDC recommends the 2024–2025 updated COVID-19 vaccines —Pfzer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax— to protect against serious illness from COVID-19.
• Everyone aged 5 years and older should get 1 dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against serious illness from COVID-19.
• Children aged 6 months–4 years may need multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccines to be up to date, including at least 1 dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine.
• People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may get additional doses of updated COVID-19 vaccine.
• People aged 65 years and older who received 1 dose of any updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine (Pfz-
er-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax) should receive 1 additional dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months after the previous updated dose.
• COVID-19 vaccine recommendations will be updated as needed.
• People who are up to date have lower risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19 than people who are unvaccinated or who have not completed the doses recommended for them by CDC.
• CDC recommends that everyone age 6 months and older receive an annual fu shot.
Public Vaccination Clinics
Friday,October 4,9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
Portland Public Health, 39 Forest Ave, clinic entrance. COVID and FLU vaccines; dependent on supply.
Friday, October 4, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Maine Access Immigrant Network (MAIN), 237 Oxford Street, Suite 25a. COVID and FLU vaccines; dependent on supply.
Sunday, October 6th, 2:45 - 4:45 p.m.
Mystery of the Cross Church, 132 Auburn Street. COVID & FLU vaccines; supply dependent.
Thursday,October 10th,1:30-4:30 p.m.
Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square. COVID and FLU vaccines; dependent on supply.
Tuesday,October 15th,9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Portland City Hall, Myrtle Street Entrance, Kippy Richardson Room 24. COVID and FLU vaccines; dependent on supply.
Sunday, October 20th, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Sacred Heart Church, 65 Mellen Street. FLU ONLY vaccines; dependent on supply.
Tuesday, November 12th, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.CocoMaine, 175 Lancaster Street. COVID and FLU vaccines; dependent on supply.
Specialty Clinics
September 3, 3:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Family Shelter, 58 Chestnut Street. Back to School Clinic + COVID and FLU vaccines; dependent on supply. Clinic for Family Shelter guests only.
Tuesday, September 17, 1 - 3:30 p.m.
Homeless Services Center, 654 Riverside St. HEP A COVID and FLU vaccines; dependent on supply. Clinic for HSC guests only.
Tuesday, September 17, 1 - 3:30 p.m.
Preble Street Learning Collaborative (PSLC). Hepatitis A (COVID and FLU vaccines; dependent on supply). Clinic for PSLC clients only.
Lifestyle vs. Critique Angoor Self Pour Wine Bar
There have been tons of local lifestyle media and mag interviews of Angoor Self Pour Wine Bar owners Sangeeta Nasiff and Rafael Dones. The photos are so lovely, as are the couple. In case you haven’t heard the story yet, they met while dog walking, shared a glass of wine and a cross-cultural moment, fell in love, and viola their wine bar in Portland emerged years later.
Rafael and Sangeeta are a nice couple, but I am here for the wine. This is the frst critique of the wines and their concept; let’s see how it’s doing.
MEAT OF THE MATTER
“Angoor …a futuristic concept of self-pour wines”. -PortlandOldPort.com
Futuristic, huh? I wrote a piece on a self-serve wine bar in Philadelphia that we visited in September of 1999, “Restaurant in Philadelphia Mecca for Wine Enthusiasts,” Richmond Times Dispatch, September 15, 1999. Panorama Ristorante featured 120 wines self-served in a state-of-the-art wine preservation system. They arranged them all in brilliant fights like “Big Barrel Bustout” and “Anything but Chardonnay.” My favorite was “Local Yokels,” a medley of East coast offerings. Even when you are writing fuffy lifestyle pieces, it pays to do your homework.
This early example probably wasn’t
even the frst self-serve wine bar, but at 120 wines it was a model, and they are still in business.
ABOUT ANGOOR
Angoor means grape in India. With climate change maybe China and India will be the next Napa Valley. My wife Judy and I made two visits for the grand opening in May and recently in August.
How it works is you exchange your credit card for their card, which allows you access to any or all of their 31 selections. You have the option of 2, 4, or 6 oz. pours for each wine. The list changes frequently so you can expect variation –which is good.
You get a several page guide to the wines, some complete with painfully redundant descriptions. Included is a behind the bar selection of seltzer, beer, cider, non-alcoholic wine, Coke and Sprite, and ffteen spirits (including some twelve-yearold scotches for the connoisseur in your party).
Also, assorted small plates including a build-a-board cheese and meat assortment, as well as empanadas and samosas. And… desserts by Two Fat Cats. What more can you ask for?
LET’S LOOK AT PRICES
Sean Minor, California Pinot Noir 2oz $5.25 / 4oz. $10.50 / 6oz. $15.50
This is the lowest tier of Minor’s pinot noirs. It is not the hallowed Sonoma Coast
unless it says so on the bottle. Don’t be fooled. I like the “aromas of ripe plum and violets,” but better yet, unlike many esoteric wines offered here, the actual price is very look up-able.
Maine wholesale per bottle is just under $20 per bottle.That equates to $29.99 in a wine shop. And now the world gets dicey... Restaurants can charge from $40 (a deal, rare indeed) up to $80 per bottle (oh, I am in pain now). Angoor is marking it up three times wholesale, which is very sane and comforting.
Their greatest gift is what I call the “honest pour.” For four ounces you get four actual ounces. For six ounces you get six. I am tempted to carry a little measuring cup in restaurants and check out the Cont'd on Next Page
-All photos courtesy of Layne Witherell
Lifestyle vs. Critique
Angoor Self Pour Wine Bar
Cont'd from Previous Page
actual number of ounces in their “wine by the glass.” The pours get smaller as the prices get higher. Infation anyone?
Durigutti ‘Las Compuertas’ Malbec 5 Suelos, Argentina
2oz. $6.00 / 4oz. $12.00 / 6oz. $19.00
This wine is worth the price of admission to the entire place.
All I want is a catchy one liner. The quote in Angoor’s May guide: “Ever try 100-year-old malbec vines? Why… no!” Malbec to me is like a dull red pinot grigio look alike. You got me at 100-year-old vines. This is killer favorful malbec unlike most tasted before or since.
The August quote for the same wine was minus that catchy one liner: “On the palate, it offers favors of dark fruit, a touch of minerality, and a refreshing acidity.” The usual wine speak dribble. Sad. I would have never tried this masterpiece after reading this. Lure me in… just don’t put me to sleep.
Broc ‘Got Grapes’
2oz. $5.00 / 4oz. $10.00 / 6oz. $15.00
From Berkeley Winery, just doesn’t say so. The label only looks like it. Look it up. Want hipster rustic? Their combo of wines are great examples of shaking it up and trying the widest variety of favors in a glass. Broc’s grapes are sourced from a
variety of old vineyards in California. Don’t read the blurb, just look at the label and get a big glass of this deliriously good wine.
Tears Of Vulcan, (Chehalem Mountain), Oregon
2oz. $5.00 / 4oz. $10.00 / 6oz. $15.00
Pinot gris, viognier, muscat... Strange, I like the May description by far for this wine: “Orange wine, at its best.” You need to deliver that knockout one liner! There is a smattering of skin fermented “natural” orange wines on their list that are porch-centric worthy.
Rafael and I had a nice chat at the bar:
LAYNE: Tell me about the May opening? Lots of Gen Z [the 28-year-olds notorious for non-wine interest].
RAPHAEL: Lots of Gen Z testing out Moscato and sweeter wines. A pre–Old Port evening and post dinner crowd. Probably too expensive for the full party scene. The interactive system works well with a generation that is always on their phones. Good thing is that there isn’t a bottle commitment, so they can experiment with lots of different small pours.
LAYNE: What’s next?
RAPHAEL: Events, events, events. Lady Shuckers tasting and show. Corporate parties. National Cabernet Day… the options are infnite.
WOULD WE RETURN?
In a hot second. Judy and I don’t plan our adventures; they just happen. The May opening visit was wild with people (mostly Gen Z’s) failing their little cards, glasses, and phones while yakking to their pals all at the same time.
First interactive wine bar? We are old hands, but to Gen Zer’s it was like a moon landing. Raphael couldn’t fll bottles in their slots fast enough. This was their frst interactive wine bar, and their little technology adapted brains were exploding. This was a happening. I have experienced wine as a professional pioneer/apostle in the business from the 1970’s to the dull redundant quacking of soulless overeducated wine speak types of today. All we
ask for is joyfulness.
We didn’t show up with an idea of what to taste, or a budget, but each trip averaged a total of $55 with no snacks, just many wines shared with lots of laughs together – and seeing a new generation out there treating this glorious stuff like the great new adventure that it is.
The best is seeing people sharing their thoughts with each other instead of staring off in their phones or posing as lifestyle models. Critique of the wines? Bring it on. Share ideas. Tell each other what you like, hate and adore. For the start of your wine adventure Angoor is truly a great place.
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.
By Nancy Dorrans
A few years ago, at an ATTA (Adventure Travel Trade Association) event in Eugene, Oregon, I met Patti Peesker, the Travel Trade Market Consultant for Tourism Saskatchewan. She passionately expressed her love for her homeland, the trapezoid-shaped Canadian province nestled between the neighboring “prairie” provinces of Manitoba and the Alberta. These three provinces are referred to as the northern Great Plains of North America.
I knew very little about this part of Canada. Most people I know aren’t sure where Saskatchewan is and don’t know how to pronounce it or spell it. They’ve simply fown over it or driven through it on their way to somewhere else. I have since learned why Patti is so passionate!
The Where
Saskatchewan is bordered by Montana and North Dakota to the south, and Nunavut and the Northwest Territories to the north. It contains three natural geographical regions: the Arctic tundra in the north, the Canadian or Boreal Shield, and the Central Plains in the south. Within these regions, Saskatchewan is divided into four ecozones: the Taiga, the Boreal Shield, the Boreal Plains, and the Prairies.
The When
This spring Patti contacted me and she was excited! Tourism Saskatchewan was organizing a familiarization tour for the end of July, including an opportunity
to explore a fy-in-fshing adventure in Northern Saskatchewan. She invited me to come along. And so, along with three folks from Tourism Saskatchewan and two other travel advisors, I was on my way to explore and familiarize myself with a land where there are more lakes and rivers than roads, more fsh than people!
The “Fam” plan was to rendezvous and spend a day touring Saskatoon, Saskatchewan’s largest city. Activities included visiting the Remai Modern Art Gallery, Wanuskewin Heritage Park, a tasting at Black Fox Farm & Distillery, and a snack visit to Berry Barn Eatery. We would head back to the hotel for a bit of downtime before dinner at Odla where they like to say, “Your food shouldn’t travel farther than you do!” All this on the day before fying up to Lloyd Lake Lodge for our four night Prairie Angling adventure.
Best laid plans…
My fights were scheduled from Portland JetPort via Minneapolis and Winnipeg to Saskatoon. Everything was going smoothly until I arrived in Winnipeg about 5 p.m. I sat down at the airport restaurant, ordered a glass of wine, and was considering my dinner options when I received a text from the airline. My fight was delayed and now scheduled to depart at 12:41 a.m. Ugh!
When stranded in Winnipeg for over six hours, what would you do? I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but here’s what I did. I rented a car, drove downtown, and enjoyed a burger and beer at Nonsuch Brewery.
Chatting with some locals, they recommended I head down to explore “The Forks” district by the river. The Forks shops were closing so I drove around and parked, when I heard live music… Turns out it was the Fringe Festival and The Main Street Exiles, a Rolling Stones Tribute Experience band, was blaring out, “You can’t always get what you want!” Ha!
That night the song rang true for me, and live music in Winnipeg was what I needed! “...If you try sometimes, well, you just might fnd... You get what you need!”
I made it back to the airport to fnd out my fight was canceled. Thankfully, WestJet airlines put me up in a hotel, gave me a few meal vouchers, and rescheduled my fight for the next day via Calgary. I had now touched down in all three of the Great Plains Canadian provinces!
Even though I missed out on the fullday tour of Saskatchewan’s largest city, I got to enjoy Winnipeg and the Fringe Festival. I eventually made it to Saskatoon in
time to meet up with the group for dinner at Odla.
The next morning I had the chance to quickly tour the Remai Modern Art Gallery exhibit (across from our hotel) before heading via two private fights to our Prairie Angling Adventure at Lloyd Lake Lodge, far north in Saskatchewan.
More adventure, tight lines, and plenty of fsh were on the horizon...
To be continued in next month’s edition and online at https://thewestendnews.com.
nurturing, global and local adventures since 2014.
Nancy at Nonsuch Brewery in downtown Winnipeg making the most out of a delayed fight.
Nancy Dorrans is founder of Adventure Marketplace... Navigating travelers on authentic,
Winnipeg airport. -All photos by Nancy Dorrans
CLIMATE JUSTICE
Curbside and neighborhood composting in Portland A Concert for Climate
Cont'd from Pg. 1
But how many of us are really changing the way we live? How many of us know about the many things we can do to mitigate our carbon footprint? How many of us know which actions are the most effective? What will it take to get us to make changes?
A Concert for Climate
Sun., Oct. 27 / 2:30p / St. Luke’s Cathedral
A group associated with Citizens Climate Lobby is offering an event to inspire us and demonstrate what we can do to make a difference. The event is called A Concert for Climate and will take place at St. Luke’s Cathedral in Portland on October 27th at 2:30 p.m.
So, you can throw statistics at people all day long and that will not change their habits. But if you inspire them – and what better way to do that than with music –then you stand a much better chance of affecting their behavior.
Some of the performers you will hear at this concert are Grammy Award winner, Paul Sullivan; violinist with the Daponte String Quartet, Lydia Forbes; Annie Antonacas, pianist with the Portland Piano Trio; world fusion musician, Randy Armstrong; Cassandra Hayes, singer and actress; and Sydney Patten, pianist.
Come to this inspiring concert. You will most defnitely be moved. Plus, you will be armed with new information to combat climate change. You may even transform any despair you are feeling into hope with the new actions you may be taking. Get your tickets here: https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/concert-for-climate-tickets-936499624587.
Sydney Patten is a CCL volunteer and lead for A Concert for Climate.
We’re All in this Together is a monthly column provided by the Portland chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
By Marie Caspard
Where to start?
If starting your own compost bin sounds intimidating or physically not feasible, fear not! The City of Portland manages community drop-off sites at schools, community gardens, and other parks throughout the city where residents can drop off compostables on their own schedule, at no cost. Check out this map to fnd the nearest composting site near you: https://www.portlandmaine.gov/727/ Community-Composting-Program
The drop-off sites consist of signage providing composting guidelines and a set of green forty gallon bins managed by Garbage to Garden. This is a great option if you don’t create much food waste or aren’t ready to commit to a weekly service or home composting setup.
Garbage to Garden is also the primary residential curbside compost service provider in the city. You might have noticed the green buckets that pop up on curbsides alongside trash and recycling bins on trash day. Garbage to Garden provides customers a designated fve-gallon green bucket. Each week, they pick up your full bucket and drop off a clean one. For the green thumbs among us, who may be interested in the end product, Garbage to Garden also provides complimentary 2.5 gallon bags of compost when seasonally available. Garbage to Garden’s service fee in Portland is currently $19 per month, equivalent to the cost of one roll of city trash bags. The more residences that participate, the lower costs will be for each of us. Currently 23% of West End, East End, and East Bayside neighbors participate.
Garbage to Garden also offers free service if you volunteer your time. Each month, Garbage to Garden offers oppor-
tunities to volunteer at an event where Garbage to Garden provides composting services, at a local non-proft event, or at the shop. This summer, for example, volunteers can get a free month of service in exchange for taking shifts monitoring compost bins and keeping the grounds tidy at the State Theater Concert Series at Thompson’s Point – and stick around for the concert! Talk about a sweet gig!
Check out Garbage To Garden’s Get Involved page to subscribe and/or email volunteer@garbagetogarden.org. What to compost?
It is an unfortunate reality that your curbside compost bucket sometimes might get warm, wet, stinky, or buggy. Keep in mind, though, that if it doesn’t end up in your compost bin, it ends up in your trash. Some of this can also be alleviated by adding dry materials, like paper towels, napkins, or leaves and brush.
Industrial scale composting systems like Garbage to Garden’s “windrow” systems often accept more organic materials that you might not compost in an at-home system, like meat and bones, in addition to your typical vegetable scraps.
Reach out to your composting service provider if you have questions about what materials can and cannot be composted. If you’re unable to contact your service provider and in doubt about tricky items like biodegradable tableware, avoid potential contamination by putting it in the trash.
Why compost?
Composting reintroduces circularity into our waste stream while reducing trash’s greenhouse gas emissions – in Portland’s case, incineration at ecoMaine. You might think that the food waste you produce won’t make much of a difference, but it does add up. According to a 2024 study commissioned by Maine DEP, residences in Cumberland County alone account for about 7% of all food waste generated in Maine – or 27,747 tons annually – presenting signifcant opportunities for waste reduction and diversion to composting.
Portland and South Portland’s One Climate Future Plan estimates that the two cities dispose of over 8,000 tons of food waste per year, much of which is not currently diverted from our waste stream.
Bright Ideas is brought to you by PCAT, which meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month, 6 to 7:30 pm.
The compost drop-off site at the Boyd Street Community Garden (2 Boyd St.). -Courtesy of Portland Climate Action Team
Biology 101 Trivia
1. According to biologist Philip Siekevitz, and then an internet meme, what organelle is considered the “powerhouse of the cell”?
2. What family of green pigments are essential in the process of photosynthesis, in which plants absorb energy from light?
3. The primary process for water moving in and out of cells is known by what word that applies to any liquid moving through a membrane?
4. Carcinisation is a type of convergent evolution in which di erent types of crustaceans evolve into versions of what animal? Find the answers online at thewestendnews.com/puzzle-solutions!
HILLTOP SUPERETTE’s
SLICE FROM THE PIE
SLICES OF COMMUNITY NEWS THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT …
City of Portland and Friends of Woodfords Corner launch Shop
Around the World to shine the spotlight on ethnic grocers and minority-owned businesses in the Woodfords Corner neighborhood…
A little house and wharf on a cove
Sunny September days
The wind over the sound
On the wharf
With its gentle rocking
Narrow but long
Check out the Woodfords Corner Farmers’ Market on Thursday afternoons at Woodfords Congregational Church parking lot to learn more… Andrew Xenos of xenosworks wins Portland Fine Craft Show’s Best of Show award… What happens when the city holds a contest to name its new electric trash truck? We get Optimus Grime Lowe’s Hometowns awards Mayo Street Arts a $110k grant to help improve the carbon footprint of its 134-year-old former Danish Lutheran church building… STRIVE celebrates its 25th Anniversary by setting sail on a sunset cruise around Casco Bay… Maine Historical Society’s new exhibition features sheet music along with stories about Maine connections to the songs… Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tours the Portland International Marine Terminal… Artist Timohty Goldkin installs new 8’x10’ Custom House Wharf mural capturing Portland’s maritime legacy…
Open 365 Days 7am
Fresh Approach
Like many outdoor rooms
Entertaining anyone passing by With a drink or a little something to eat
The house at the lands end
Where the bar and the kitchen are
Is a great place to watch the water
While staying warm and dry
Little beacon of light
In a cove in southern Maine
On an island that has a bridge connecting it
Which lets the roadway continue
Lobstering is a way of life around here
There are many boats to prove it
And many buoys in the water
Some summers
The starfshes
Have disappeared
Because of the sea urchin divers
Or so the story goes
It may be apocryphal
But it teaches good lessons
Unanticipated consequences
The difference between correlation and causation
-By Abram Gabriel, MD, MPH, Scarborough
SUBMISSIONS
Please send your submissions to: thewestendnews@gmail.com
Tacos – Burritos – Quesadillas – Enchiladas –Sopes – Pozole – Goat Birria – Fajitas –Cocteles de Marisco – Chile Rellenos – Carne Asada –Lamb Shanks in Adobo &
