april 2012 munjoy hill observer

“We Love Munjoy MoMs” Mhno essay ContestThe Munjoy Hill

Neighborhood Organization is teaming

up with J.Kelley Salon, Otto Pizza, and Hilltop

Coffee to sponsor an essay writing contest about

Moms on Munjoy Hill. We want to hear from you!

By Kristin Rapinac

In the early sprIng of 1993, warm breezes began to melt the towering snow banks on the east-ern promenade—revealing not only a carpet of grass, but pile after unpleasant pile of dog doo. Diane Demos, the owner of a black golden retriever-poodle mix named lucy, was appalled.

“It’s disgusting,” Demos was quoted in a portland press herald story at the time. “even as a dog owner, I was pretty grossed out by it.”

so the Munjoy hill resident put up posters throughout the neighbor-hood, with a call to duty for dog owners to help clean up the prom. she dubbed the event april stools Day, a clever pun suggested by her boyfriend and future husband, Jeff.

The first april stools Day brought out dozens of volunteer poop scoo-pers to clear the eastern prom of the malodorous landmines. and the rest, as they say, is history. april stools Day turned into a yearly event, spreading to other parks throughout the city and even to Belfast, Maine.

saturday, april 21, will mark the 20th annual april stools Day. Dem-

os, who is now Diane Davison, is proud of the milestone as well as the awareness the event has helped create. These days, with more people picking up after their pets, the task on april stools Day isn’t quite so daunting. although there is still plenty of poop to scoop, much of the focus has turned to picking up litter and debris scattered throughout the eastern prom.

“Compliance with the poop scoop ordinance has come a long way in 20 years,” Davison says. “Through education, peer pressure among

dog owners and ongoing cleanup efforts, responsible dog ownership is now more consistent – resulting in a cleaner park.”

In its eighth year, Kathy palmer, owner of Fetch pet supply, offered to help Davison with april stools

Day. past events have included the dog mascot, scoop, lemonade and brownie stands (get it?) and con-tests for the most pounds of waste collected. and Davison and palmer came up with the “golden turd,” a gilded facsimile to be hidden for

a prize. The pair still jokingly call each other the Duchess of Doodie and the princess of poop.

Davison’s love for the prom has since spurred her to found Friends

MHNO Quarterly Meeting: Getting to Know Your Neighbors

On Thursday, april 19, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. the MhnO will host our next Quarterly Meeting at hill house, 92 Congress street. The theme for the night is Getting to Know your neighbors. There will be a few brief announcements and updates, followed by time to relax and socialize with fellow Munjoy hill residents in the recently renovated hill house. The MhnO Board of directors will provide a potluck of home cooked food and an assortment of beverages. attendees are encouraged to bring a favorite dish to share if they wish. The MhnO will also be collecting donations of non perishable food items to do-nate to a local food bank. please come, and bring a friend!

Hill House First FridayOn Friday, May 4, the MhnO will welcome visitors to hill house, 92 Con-gress street, for our first “First Friday.” as a participant in portland’s First Fri-day art Walk (firstfridayartwalk.com), we will be opening the doors of hill house from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. on the first Friday of every month. Each month we will feature the works of a different local artist. This will be an opportunity to gather with friends and neighbors, enjoy light refreshments, get to know the Board of directors of the MhnO, and support the talented artists of our community. please visit our website, munjoyhill.org, or like us on Facebook to get updated information about monthly exhibits. if you are an artist inter-ested in participating, please email us at: [email protected], subject line, “First Friday.”

MHNO Annual Meeting & ElectionsOn Thursday, JunE 28, the MhnO will hold our annual Meeting and Election of the Board of directors. The meeting will take place from 6 – 8 p.m. in the Cafeteria at East End Community school, 195 north street. Watch for more information on our website and Facebook and in upcoming issues of the Munjoy hill Observer. in the meantime, save the date!

Here are tHe basics (and tHe Prizes!)• Thecontestisopentochildren

whoareinthethirdthroughfifthgradesandliveonMunjoyHill.

• Essaysshouldbeanywherebetween100-300wordsandshouldexplainwhyyouthinkYOURmomisthebestmomonMunjoyHill(orintheworld!).

• the deadline to submit an entry for the We love Munjoy Moms essay contest is Friday, april 13, 2012.

• AllentriesbecomethepropertyoftheMunjoyHillNeighbor-hoodOrganization(MHNO),andentrantsagreethattheiressaysmaybereproducedinprintandonlinemediabytheMHNOasitseesfittopromotethecontestandthepurposeofthecontest:tohonorMomsonMunjoyHill.

• OneGrand Prizewinningessaywillbeselectedandthewriter’smotherwillreceivea$50giftcertificateandgiftbasketfrom

J.KelleySalon,anda$50GiftCertificatefromOttoPizza.

• OneSecond Place Prizewinnerwillbeselectedandthewriter’smotherwillreceivea$25GiftCertificatetoHilltopCoffee.

• OneThird Place Prizewinnerwillbeselectedandthewriter’smotherandthewriterwillreceive“WeLoveMunjoyHill”t-shirts.

• WinningessayswillbefeaturedintheMayissueoftheMunjoyHillObserver.

• Essaysmaybesubmittedviaemailto:[email protected],andmustincludethewords“WeLoveMunjoyMomsEssayContest”inthesubjectline.Additionally,essaysmaybesub-mittedinwritingviausmailto:Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization, 92 Congress St. Portland, ME 04101.

UpcOMiNG NEiGHbOrHOOd

EvENts tO GEt ExcitEd AbOUt

PLease join us in thanking the generous businesses who contributed the prizes for this event: hilltop Coffee, j. Kelley salon, and otto Pizza.

Cool Fuel: Need heating help?MHNOstillhasfundsforheatingfuelforlow-incomeHillresidents.It’sfree.Ifyouorsomeoneyouknowneedsit,[email protected],orleaveamessageat775-3050.Contact is confidential— we respect your privacy.

See back page, aPril stools

FREE Published by the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization Vol. 32, No. 3 • April 2012

Munjoy Hill

OBSERVERNon Profit Org

US Postage

PAIDPortland, ME

Permit No. 824

Munjoy Hill

OBSERVERMHNO,92CongressStreet,Portland,ME04101

ChangeServiceRequested

CLean Green sCeneAPril STOOlS DAy iS NO JOkE Friends of the eastern Promenade make

the spring cleanup serious fun!

2 April 2012 MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER

WHo YoU Gonna call? You can help Prevent crime on the Hill!

If you see a crime happening or see/hear anything suspicious in your neighborhood, please call the police!

1) 756-8135 daytimes: Janine Kaserman with community Policing

2) 650-8770 cell: 11am thru the night, new senior lead officer tony ampezzan (at right)

3) 874-8575/-8574:dispatch/non-emergency events

4) eMerGencies: 9-1-1

anonYMoUs criMes tiPs Pro-GraM:

Phone tip—dial 874-8584 | online: tipsubmit.com

text-a-tip: text “GotcHa” plus your message to 274637 (criMes)

From the Editor, Lisa Peñalver

The Munjoy Hill Observer is published

by the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood

Organization (MHNO) at

92 Congress Street

Portland, Maine 04101

[email protected]

editor: Lisa Peñalver

[email protected](207) 766-5077 munjoyhill.org

observer coMMitteeAndrea Myhaver, Tamera Edison,

Sam Cohen, Kristin Rapinac, Lisa Peñalver

advertisinGTamera Edison

[email protected] 939-7998,

Lisa Peñalver, Layout, 239-1604

3,000 Circulation 8,000+ Readership

aboUt oUr PaPerThe Munjoy Hill Observer is published by the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization (MHNO) as a service to its members and to the community as a whole, to inform Portland’s East End residents of local issues and events, and of the services that can be found here. The Observer serves as a vehicle to connect and inform our neighbors, while enlisting community partners to help us help those who need it most.

The Munjoy Hill Observer was first published in May of 1979. Circulation is 3000, distributed free in Portland at over 100 locations. Nearly 300 copies are mailed to current and former members of the MHNO.

MHNO Board 2012MunjoyHillNeighborhoodOrganization

Andrea Myhaver, President.......................... .......... [email protected]

Kristin Rapinac, Vice President ..................... ............. [email protected]

Elaine Mullin, Treasurer [email protected] .671-6132

Sam Cohen, Secretary .... [email protected]

Eben Albert-Knopp ...................................... .................... [email protected]

Ralph Carmona [email protected] ........518-9177

Nova Ewers ....... [email protected]

Christina Feller ............. [email protected] ............................................. 773-4336

Ross Fields [email protected]

Jamie Lane-Fitzgerald ................................. ... [email protected]

Katie Brown ..... [email protected]

Joan Sheedy .... [email protected] .............................................. 774-7616

Ann Quinlan .... [email protected]

MHNO MissionIncorporated as a nonprofit organization

in January 1979, our purpose is to

be a broad-based, representative

organization committed to improving the

quality of life for the residents of Munjoy

Hill and the East End, by strengthening

the sense of community, maintaining the

current diversity of social and economic

groups, encouraging self-sufficiency, and

enriching the lives of all residents.

show your neighborhood pride! MUnJoY Hill t-sHirts are available: s-Xl@$16, XXXl@$20, tees come in black or white. or get this bUMPer sticKer! (measures 6”x 4”) $3 per sticker. buy one and support your neighborhood group. send your check to MHno, 92 congress st, Portland Me 04101. For info, email [email protected].

The Long-Awaited Objectives To Go With Our Goals

Clip and save these numbers!

For several Months the Mhno Board of Directors has been working on establishing a set of goals and objectives for 2011/2012. I have previously shared with you the goals we approved in sep-tember. This month I am very pleased to finally be able to also share our objectives, which we approved at our March meeting. What is exciting is that although it took us a long time to approve this final list, we have actually been working at achieving many of these objectives already and have made great progress. We’re proud of our efforts thus far, and look forward to rounding out 2012 in a successful way!

The Mhno goals and objectives for 2011/2012 are as follows:

MHno Goals* 2011/2012 (adopted 09/11)

1. to ensure that the Munjoy hill neighborhood organization remains sustainable.

2. to provide assistance and services to families, youth, and elders on Munjoy hill.

3. to build community.

4. to serve as a clearinghouse for information that involves resi-dents of Munjoy hill.

5. to develop a strong voice in all matters that affect Munjoy hill, including development, security, safety, and infrastructure.

MHno obJectives* 2011/2012 (adopted 03/12)

1. Continue publishing the Munjoy hill observer and maintain advertising revenue to support and sustain it. (goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

2. Bring Mhno Board of Directors to capacity by end of fiscal year. (goals 1,2,3,4,5)

3. revive the Membership Committee and engage all Mhno members in activities and events that help build community. (goals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

a. Double our membership numbers by end of 2012.

b. host monthly social events beginning in May 2012.

c. establish “open” hours at hill house.

d. host the We love Munjoy hill! Festival during the fall of 2012.

4. expand and strengthen the services Committee. (goals 2,3,4,5)a. Maintain and expand the ClynK assistance program. b. Build a program for elder support. c. explore ways to address hunger on Munjoy hill. Work with

organizations that have systems in place to identify and dis-tribute assistance to those in need.

5. revive and expand the safe and Walkable neighborhoods Com-mittee. (goals 3, 4, 5)a. Maintain involvement in the avesta adams school project.b. participate and lend our support to the Fort allen restoration

effort. c. actively participate in the Franklin street redevelopment ef-

fort.d. Champion activities that encourage neighborhood cleanli-

ness and pride.6. revamp our website, and strengthen online social media pres-

ence. (goals 1,3,4,5)Editor’s note: “Definition of Goals and Objectives: GOalS are long-term aims that you want to accomplish; OBJECtivES are concrete attainments that can be achieved by following a certain number of steps. Goals and objectives are often used interchange-ably, but the main difference comes in their level of concreteness. Objectives are very concrete, whereas Goals are less structured.” For a more detailed explanation, go to Difference Between goals and objectives at www.differencebetween.net.

aprIl—it’s still not too late for a Maine snow storm. March had us ready to stow all the winter gear, only to fake us out with dropping temperatures toward the end of the month. If you aren’t cautious at this point, you haven’t been paying attention!

Despite its capricious nature, april is one of my favorite months. It brings so many spring flowers, longer days, frogs, garDen time! time to get the yard in shape if you have a yard. time to get out and meet the neighbors.

In contemplating our new Mhno initiative to develop a senior sup-port program, I am becoming in-creasingly conscious of the elders around me—and noticing that they are a feisty and strong-willed bunch!

one incident recently made me re-alize that we could use some sort of “buddy system” among neighbors to watch out for each other, and es-pecially for our seniors.

The situation that struck me in-volved a friend in his 80s who fell from a significant height while do-ing outdoor work that would have given a much younger person the heebie-jeebies.

so this fellow, I’ll call him “Jed,” was lying on the ground after hav-ing fallen about 25 feet, stunned. his wife did not see the accident; she just turned around to see him lying there. a neighbor who DID see the fall hurried over to suggest they call 911.

now comes my oMg moment: The injured man, upon overhear-

ing this conversation, uttered, “Don’t call 911!” and the other two (both also seniors), out of respect, did not call for help. Though he might (and actually DID) have spinal injuries, broken bones and potential head trauma, “Jed” was helped into the house and onto the couch. (The ambu-lance came later.)

okay, now would be a good time to review one of the most basic te-nets of First aid—never-ever move someone who has suffered a trauma that might have injured the head or neck. not even if that person is grumpy, or your boss, the police chief, or anyone!

apologize later, because this is one of those rare occasions you can le-gitimately say it’s life or death. Do

call 911!! In this case, the uber-in-dependent gentleman was lucky: he will recover—after surgery and rehab. It could easily have gone the other way.

so I am making it my personal mission to share this information with my family members, neigh-bors and anyone else who will lis-ten. We can certainly be indepen-dent and get work done, but let’s do it smarter, not harder, and please, be saFe out there.

Send Your LetterS and HiLL newS to obServer@

MunjoYHiLL.org

On Yard Work and 911

at the helm MHNO President, Andrea Myhaver

3MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER April 2012

Pleas

e r

ecyc

le this new

spaper

Open MeeTInGS: the MHno board meets every 2nd Monday of the month, at 7 pm at the Hill House at 92 congress st.

— All are welcome!

“liKe” us & staY inForMed! Sign up for our email list at

munjoyhill.org to receive alerts on events and issues pertaining to the

East End (FYi: we do not share our list.). Get the first glimpse of the

each month's Observer. "Like" the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization on

FAcEbOOk! Just visit us online at munjoyhill.org and click on our Facebook

link. Follow our updates, join the conversation, post photos and share

links, all on our Fb page.

By andrea Myhaver, MHNO President

I sat down with new Board Member, ross Fields, to talk about his recent move from the north east Kingdom of vermont to Munjoy hill and what he hopes to accomplish as the newly appointed chair of the Mhno Mem-bership Committee. our conversa-tion is below.(aM) Ross, i know that you and your wife have lived in many places throughout the US, including ver-mont, New Hampshire, Colorado, tennessee and Minnesota. What made you pick Portland, Maine, and Munjoy Hill as your new hometown? (ross Fields) We have visited France quite a bit, and were considering moving there, but decided to stay in the states to be closer to our daugh-ters. We wanted to be by the ocean and wanted a place with a european feel and portland was the closest thing we could find stateside. also we intentionally don’t have vehicles, and we love that on Munjoy hill you can walk everywhere. We visited portland a few times and picked up the local papers and were impressed with the Munjoy Hill Observer. We read articles about the Munjoy hill neighborhood organization and the India street neighborhood organi-zation, and were drawn here because any place where people are commit-ted to their community is a place we want to be.(aM) We are glad you picked Munjoy Hill and we’re excited to have you as a new board member! You recently took on the role of Chair for the Mem-bership Committee and i know you have many great ideas for building our membership. Can you tell me a bit about that?(rF) our first and most important goal is to get more members. no organization can survive without members. one of the easiest, most effective ways to gain new members is to have existing members reach out as spokespeople for the organiza-tion and encourage their friends and neighbors to join. In addition, the membership commit-tee is looking at ways to acknowledge the existing members and to bring

some more awareness to the organi-zation through some membership ap-preciation activities that we are work-ing on. one thing we’re going to start right away is to have a presence dur-ing the First Friday art Walk starting in May. The Mhno plans to open hill house, serve refreshments, and feature a new local artist each month. We will have representatives from the Membership Committee there to register new members and renew memberships for existing members. We see this as a great opportunity for people in the neighborhood to get to know Board Members and each other, and to share ideas about how to build community.(aM) That sounds great! is there anything else you’d like to add? (rF) as a new resident and member of Mhno, I have a lot of respect and pride for my new chosen home, and I encourage others to just appreci-ate portland for what it is and can be.(aM) Thank you, Ross!The Membership Committee meets on the third

tuesday of each month from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Hill House, 92 Congress St. Meetings are open to the public, and all Hill resi-dents are encouraged to attend. For more information, email Ross, at [email protected].

Member ship Commit teeMembership Committee oversees the expansion, maintenance and involvement of members (works with events Committee as needed). Meetings: 3rd tuesday of every month, at 7 p.m. chair: ross Fields ([email protected])

E v e n t s C o m m i t t e eevents Committee coordinates and implements all Mhno sponsored events such as quarterly and annual meetings, the We love Munjoy hill Festival, and beginning in May 2012, First Fridays. Meetings: 2nd Thursday of every month, at 6:30 p.m., and ad hoc as needed. chair: andrea Myhaver ([email protected])

S e r v i c e s C o m m i t t e eservices Committee initiates and implements all service and assistance

programs, such as Fuel assistance,

youth

Community services, holiday gifts and our new program for elder assistance. Meetings: 3rd Wed of every month, at 5 p.m. chair: elaine Mullin ([email protected])

S a f e a n d W a l k a b l e N e i g h b o r h o o d C o m m i t t e e

safe and Walkable neighborhood Committee oversees Mhno involvement in all matters affecting street, sidewalk and neighborhood environments (includes safe sidewalks, street clean up, parking and traffic issues, maintenance and use of the hill house). Meetings: 4th tuesday of every month, at 7 p.m. chair: eben albert-Knopp ([email protected])

T h e O b s e r v e r C o m m i t t e eThe Observer Committee provides oversight to the Mhno’s monthly newspaper, the Munjoy Hill Observer. Meetings: 3rd Wed of every month, at 6:45 p.m., 4th Wed of every month, at 6:30 p.m. chair: andrea Myhaver ([email protected])

YOU can make a difference—WE WANT YOU! The Mhno has several active committees and we are always seeking new members. Do any of the areas below interest you? please drop in to a meeting (times and days for each committee listed below) at hill house, 92 Congress st, to find out more! all meeting times listed are subject to change. please visit our website for most current meeting schedule.

Enter MHNO’s Essay contest for kids!!

Win a Prize!!Details on front page.

It’s all about our members

Join the Munjoy Hill

Neighborhood Organization

neW MeMBershIp reneWal

name(s) ____________________________________________________________

street address _______________________________________________________

City _______________________________________state ______ Zip __________

email (for Mhno updates) ____________________________________________

Day phone (____) _______________ eve phone (____) _____________________

Membership Levels

Individual: $10 Family: $20 Business: $35

Additional Donation

$25 $50 $75 $100 $250 $500 other amount: ($______)

wish my gift to be anonymous

We want all members of our community to join the MHNO regardless of financial circumstances. If you are unable to pay the suggested minimum amount, please pay what you can. If you are able to contribute more, we encourage you to do so.

We thank you for your support, and we’re excited to have you on board!

PLeAse senD this forM ALong with your check to:

MHNO, 92 Congress street, portland, Me 04101

Questions? Call (207) 775-3050, email [email protected] or visit munjoyhill.org Welcome to the MHNO!

BULLETIN Boardthe munjoy hill neighborhood organization

Volunteer for a committee!We need your help to make Munjoy Hill an even better place to live! Get involved by joining one or more of our committees:

Membership events services safe and Walkable

neighborhood Observer


April AstrOlOGY The Dreaded Mercury Retrograde—it’s here again.

Don’t neglect the joys of this time!

Capital CitystateHoUse UPdate | senator JUstin alFond justinalfond.com

DHHS—No Clear Answers

soMetIMes, it’s good to have high ex-pectations about things. This certainly holds true about the way you think of yourself. a positive attitude is the key to success. What’s better than having a “can-do” mentality? Thinking positively, being with positive people, looking toward the future, that’s the best way to protect your-self. But, let’s discuss some of the more pragmatic risk management planning that can protect you from potentially cat-astrophic events (these are not numbered in any order of priority).1. Career development — What can

be more important than investing in yourself? spending money on educa-tion/training can lead to greater future earning power.

2. Emergency reserves — Maintain enough cash (and cash substitutes) in case you become unemployed or have unexpected expenditures. a rough guideline is to have 3-6 months of your necessary (non-discretionary) month-ly expenses saved.

3. Insurance products — There are many categories (life, disability in-come, long term care, health, dental, property, liability) and they all cost (premiums). Find out which ones are necessary, the amounts needed and the type of policies which are most appro-priate.

4. Goal setting - Be proactive; plan your future and the required financial costs needed that will improve your quality

of life (downpayment on a home, busi-ness, vacation, etc.)

5. Retirement — The key to easier re-tirement planning success is to begin saving and investing when you are younger. small monthly contributions are a good start. It will motivate you to make larger contributions as you see your financial wealth increase. older folks also can accumulate vast amounts of assets as well. They just have to be a bit more careful and make sure they are making the right type of investments.

6. Happiness — take care of yourself by being healthy, having a job you en-joy, having healthy relationships with friends and family, being proactive

with your finances leading to a sense of financial security, and taking time off and relaxing once in a while is behav-ior that will in the end protect you and your family.

Joel ira Gold has been a Finance Profes-sor in the School of Business, University of Southern Maine since 1973. He teaches personal financial planning and other finance courses. Joel also is a licensed investment adviser, dba The Gold Com-pany since 1995. (www.thegoldcompany-financialplanning.com. Joel’s approach is that of practical and mindful financial and investment advising at modest fees. Dr. Gold lived on the Eastern Promenade when he moved to Maine and now has an office on Newbury Street.

aSk tHe MoneY Prof: Protecting Yourself and Your Family, Things to Consider By Joel i. Gold

In last Month’s Observer, I shared the proposed cuts to the 2012 Department of health and human services (Dhhs) and $25 million streamlining budget (cuts to many parts of government). on February 23rd, the legislature passed

this combined budget. I voted against the budget because of its potential for job losses, the 14,000 Mainers who would lose their basic MaineCare, and because I did not believe the Dhhs numbers that were given to us.

It takes a lot to surprise me, but on March 13th, almost three weeks after we passed the budget, the lepage administra-tion managed to do it. In an update to the appropriations Committee, the Commissioner of Dhhs admitted that there was a problem with their numbers, and that she had known about it since at least January.

one of the things we count on in the legislature is receiv-

ing full and accurate data when we ask for information from various state agencies. nowhere is this more important than in preparing a state budget.

This was not a small inconsequential mistake either. although the Commissioner said it was just a computer glitch, she said that the state had improperly covered 19,000 people who didn’t qualify for the program. This error not only cost the state millions of dollars, but also the Commissioner and ad-ministration knowingly withheld information from the legis-lature. They allowed the legislature to use data that was known to be faulty to prepare a budget that required 14,000 Mainers to lose access to needed services. This is simply inexcusable.

What made this even worse was the attitude of the admin-istration while we were preparing the budget. When the sharp-eyed analysts from the non-partisan office of Fiscal and policy review, who are responsible for verifying the in-formation used in preparing budgets, raised questions about the Dhhs numbers to the appropriations Committee, these questions were dismissed as being political, and the

committee members were told that they had all the information they needed.

This whole episode has shaken my ability to believe anything we are told by the administration, and espe-cially Dhhs. Currently, there is an audit happening in Dhhs to understand the true cost and scope of their mis-management.

Finally, to date there has been no sincere effort by the gover-nor to take accountability of the situation or to rebuild the trust that has been damaged. rather, his administration has dismissed the episode as a minor error and has moved on.

as always, I’d love to hear from you. please contact me at [email protected] or 287-1515. see you around town!

By Delores lanai, M.Ed. Beginning astrology teacher

Many folks not very knowledgeable about astrology or astronomy (which used to be one discipline) have nonetheless heard of “Mercury retrograde.”

retrograde means that a planet looks, to the naked eye, like it is going backward, though, of course, both the sun and Mercury are going forward. The com-mon example is when you are on a train and another passes in the same direction; the second train may appear to be going backward, and you can’t get your brain to “know” it because your eyes are telling you otherwise.

Mercury went retrograde on March 12 at 6 degrees of aires for a period of three weeks, going “direct” on april 4th. you may think you’ve missed it, but not so fast. When you get on a highway you are going “direct” as you enter traffic but you’re not

yet going 55 mph. likewise, Mercury is not “full speed ahead” until it gets back to the place where it turned retrograde at 6 aires which is april 23rd.

Quick—you still have some time left to en-joy what retrograde Mercury is all about, things that start with “re:” re-lax, re-ne-gotiate, re-design, etc. But don’t schedule mechanical work until after april 23, as this is the “backward” time of our minds. Mistakes are more easily made at this time.

Because Mercury is so close to the sun, it goes retrograde three times a year. The next time it goes retrograde is July 15th, it turns direct august 8th, and is back to full speed on august 22nd at 12 degrees of leo. another sign, another story.

Delores is putting together a 5-session Begin-ner’s astrology class. if interested, please email her at [email protected] for more details.

Local Writer to Read from Book of PoetryPoetry reading at the Portland Public library, saturday, april 7, 11 amWriter and Observer contributor andrew lapham-Fersch will be reading from his recent book of poetry on saturday, april 7 at 11 am his first collection of poems, “The rough Draft of My life story,” a collaboration with artist phil ashworth, was published in December 2011. The goal of the work is to donate this book to as many public elementary schools and youth organizations as possible, in

order to share a love of poetry with young readers throughout new england.

The first fifty people attending the reading will get a free copy of the book. Connect with the author through Facebook for new poems and updates about readings/events: w w w.facebook .com/pages/a nd rew-lapham-Fersch/388113107879228. The full book is now available electronically as an eBook through amazon.com.

Metro bUs is making changes to

route #1 that runs through

the East End—certain pickup

times will change, stops

will be added, and stops at

Mercy at the Fore will be

reduced, all effective May 14.

For details and a copy of the

new schedule, go online to

gpmetrobus.com


finaL fort aLLen Park Project Hearing: aPriL 18

on hill

Portland’s Historic Preservation Board will hold the final public hearing on the Fort allen Park Rehabilitation Project at 7 p.m. Wednesday, april 18 at City Hall.

FrIenDs oF the eastern promenade is sponsoring the project, working with landscape designers Martha lyon and re-gina leonard, the historic preservation Board and staff from the City of portland. The april 18 hearing is the culmination of design development and public process providing opportunity for feedback from throughout the community.

The historic preservation Board has held three public workshops offering guidance on the design of the park and receiving public input. In addition, Friends of the eastern promenade sponsored a March 8 public meeting on the project, which was attended by about 75 people. The parks Commission also reviewed the project at its March meeting.

While most of the plan has been well re-ceived—including the central walkway, pathways, redesigned overlook and re-aligned carriage drive—the majority of pub-lic comment has centered on trees. nearby residents have expressed concerns about trees blocking views. others approve of the tree plan, which the designers have evolved and compromised over time to balance views with attractive and historically appro-priate species. some oppose removal of the evergreens, feeling that they should live out their useful life or at least remain until new

plantings are established. Many comments call for additional landscaping as a buffer between the park and the portland house condominium building.

Fort allen park, located at the southeastern end of the eastern promenade, is listed on the national register of historic places. The 4.5-acre park is a prominent gathering place for folks to enjoy views of the portland har-bor and Casco Bay, its iconic bandstand and its two Civil War-era cannons, which rest on the remains of the original earthen berm of Fort allen. The park is also home to several monuments, including the Uss portland, the Uss Maine and the 9/11 monuments.

to view the current concept plan and details of the project, visit easternpromenade.org.

you can express your views in several ways:

• attend the april 18 historic preserva-tion Board hearing

• email Friends of the eastern promenade at [email protected]

• send a message through the contact form at easternpromenade.org

• Mail a letter to Friends of the eastern promenade, p.o. Box 16025, portland, Me 04101

• Contact the historic preservation Board: Deborah andrews, historic preservation program Manager, City of portland, 389 Congress street, port-land, Maine 04101, [email protected]

New Produce Company Brings More Food Options to

PeninsulaBy Markos Millera hanDFUl of years ago, peninsula residents had few consistent options for buying fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh approach has provided some of the ba-sics to West end neighbors for well over a decade, but other local markets focus-ing on fresh, creative food have come and gone, for example the good Day Market, of long ago, or Commer-cial street’s green gro-cer. residents were pretty dependent on getting in their cars and driving out to one of the chain super-markets.

Well, times have changed, and as portland’s reputa-tion as a ‘foodie’ town has grown, so have the options for fresh produce, both locally-grown and exotic foods from afar, and other high quality healthy foods.

on the east end, this means interesting ingre-dients from all over the world thanks to markets such as Mittapheap World Market, and high quality local produce from our be-loved rosemont Market at the top of the hill. Munjoy hill residents now enjoy a wide range of produce options just a short walk from their front doors.

rosemont Market and Bakery owner, John naylor, has now added another

option for residents and visitors of the east end and downtown. 5 Commercial street, right around the corner from Ben-Kay sushi on India street, is now home to the rosemont produce Company.

With a large garage door that can be opened to the street, the airy space has the feel of an impromptu market, with

produce spilling out of crates and boxes, and chalk boards over the counter listing the ev-er-changing produce available. In addition to providing another retail venue, which is managed by heather ridley, they are serv-ing many of portland’s restaurants.

Joe Fournier, who also manages the Munjoy hill market, will con-tinue to focus on in-creasing the availabil-ity of locally-grown produce through the rosemont produce Company. Joe men-

tioned the significant growth that the rosemont stores have been experiencing in the past couple of years.

“We were bursting at the seams.”, Joe shared, “so, the idea came from reliev-ing the stresses of finding storage for

See back page, roseMont

What Lies Beneath? Exploring Fort Allen’s Archeological History

MondaY, aPril 2, 5:30-6 PM (rain date 9:30-10 aM tUesdaY, aPril 3), Fort allen ParK, Portland, sPonsored bY Friends oF tHe eastern ProMenade

Meet seth van DaM, an archeology graduate stu-dent conducting a survey of the remains of Fort allen, at 5:30 pm Monday, april 2 at Fort allen park. van Dam, a portland resident and gradu-ate student in applied arche-ology at Indiana University of pennsylvania, will present a free talk, “”What lies Beneath? exploring Fort al-len’s archeological history,” discussing his research project and geophysical sur-vey methods.Fort allen is known to be a War of 1812 fortification, completed in 1814 to pro-tect the entrance to portland’s harbor. The remains of its raised earthen bat-teries still exist today at the top of Fort allen park. van Dam seeks to verify written claims that Fort allen’s batteries actually date to nov. 1, 1775, two weeks after the British bombardment led by

Capt. hen-ry Mowat destroyed most of the town.Through-out april and May, van Dam

will use geophysical survey methods, including ground-penetrating radar and magnetic susceptibility, to collect data for his research. small core samples will be taken from areas of interest identified in the survey. van Dam hopes to learn how and when Fort allen’s batteries were built and perhaps discover evi-dence of a fire pit, structures or histori-cal artifacts. his research will culminate in a master’s thesis report, which will be made available to the public.

For more information, visit easternprom-enade.org.


East End Business Focus

In a ConversatIon with lifelong hill resident Dan haley, I learned that at one point in recent history, Munjoy hill was host to no fewer that 17 grocery stores & markets! The east end continues to be an inviting

location for markets, cafés, restau-rants and bakeries. of the latter, our newest addition is the Bakery on the Hill, bringing desserts and pastries to the row of shops lining Congress just above India street.

The hand-painted sign first appeared in the window in the fall of 2011, and

the shop opened for business just be-fore Thanksgiving. The owners, bak-ers and longtime friends, Wolf gosier and Cecelia vasquez have been cook-ing up confections for over ten years, most recently in a bake shop in north

Conway, new hampshire. They had been eyeing port-land as a new location, and the space along Congress fit the bill. It has more than lived up to their expectations.

“I don’t know where all the people came from!” com-mented Wolf, shortly after valentine’s Day. “portlanders really seem to like this holi-day,” she went on. “When we closed up shop that night (on February 14), our shelves were bare; nothing but crumbs.”

It may be more than the holi-days at Bakery on the hill

that portlanders seem to like. you can find here all manner of cakes, crisp pastries, and cookies, frosted and fruity. I can personally vouch for their scrumptious Christmas “yule log, ” which I bought to take with me to our family holiday dinner. It was a rolled yellow cake with a hazelnut chocolate cream filling and chocolate

frosting and decorated to looK like a log, complete with a frosted branch stump. and frosted leaves and berries. It was a huge hit, and despite the over-eating that came BeFore the dessert, it disappeared amidst hums of appre-ciation.

My art teachers drilled into me the importance of presentation—and this is a lesson these bakers have taken to heart. Their foods are as appealing to the eye as to the taste. The atmosphere of the bakery itself, with it’s sparse decor, bare wood floors, vintage ele-ments and gentle background music, is tastefully crafted to create a calm, warm and welcoming environment that invites the visitor to stay a while.

having perused the desserts displayed on the shelves, I asked Wolf what she would recommend; whether they had a special trademark item. she just shrugged, and with out a trace of irony said, “It’s all special.” and the warm gaze with which she took in the broad assortment of pastries spoke of the fondness she has for both the work and the things she creates. It comes down to the adage: do what you love; love what you do.

as I paused to ponder this, I real-ized that the shop was filling up with people (it was approaching lunchtime) and that they were not just headed to

Bakery on the Hill By lisa Peñalverthe dessert counter. They were lining up at a long solid-looking old wooden table on which sat a cash register, a big pot of evergreen boughs and a big pot of... soup! (how could I have missed that!?) turns out, Cecelia and Wolf make a mean gluten-free vegan soup every day for the lunch crowd, and fresh bread to go with it, on my way out, after my own soup and bread, I discovered yet another treat— a fruit pie-bar., a blueberry or apple pie you can eat like a cookie.

It looks like the Bakery on the hill is going fit right in with our other beloved stopping points. you will find them at 253 Congress st. They take a spring break in late March, but will be back open by Monday, april 2. They can be reached at 653.5341.

see PUzzle on PaGe 12

7MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER April 2012Art SoulReady, Set, CULL! I love It, I love It not; I need It, I need It not; I want It, I want It not. . .

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By Solange Kellermann, aka The Clutter Doc

When it comes to organiz-ing, many people get stuck when they consider what to keep and what to get rid of. here are some hints to help move you through this process.

POSITIVE CULLING: A helpful approach is to make positive deci-sions, rather than negative ones. Deciding what to keep is a posi-tive decision. taking everything off the shelves, out of the cabinet or closet and deciding what items

will go back in are positive deci-sions. This is easier psychological-ly than making decision after de-cision to throw something away.

Removing everything lets you clean out all those nooks and crannies. once you’ve culled out-of-date and no longer used items you’ll find you have more room for the things you are keeping. Put your most frequently used items where they will be easiest to ac-cess. Less frequently used items can go in more remote spots; infrequently-used items can be stored elsewhere (in clearly la-beled boxes). A Lazy susan is one of my favorite gizmos for almost any room– kitchen, craft shelves, bathroom supply closet, or work-room. it lets you get to things that would otherwise be cumbersome to reach.

LOVE IT! Ready to tackle your clothes closet? The secret to do-ing this is advice a friend gave me years ago when i cleaned out my clothes closet. Keep only what you really love. i did that. many bags went to Goodwill. i never missed a single item. in reality, they were only taking up useful real estate and not helping me get dressed easily or look good.

READY? take everything out of the closet. try on everything. Keep what you really love. That means it fits properly; is stylish enough for you. and gets compli-ments whenever you wear it.

Yes, you may have to decide that those pants are never going to fit again (and if they do you’ll want a more stylish pair); accept the fact that although you’ve paid a lot of money, or gotten the bargain of a lifetime for that sweater, it never did look good on you; realize that your favorite skirt is beyond out-of-style and could only be worn to a retro party. You’ll end up with clothes you wear and feel good in.

Put clothes back IN ThIS ORDER (trust me, it works):

• rarely-worn items in the way-back;

• gardening/messy work cloth-ing in one place, possibly in another closet or drawer;

• shirts and sweaters by sleeve length and within that by color, with prints together;

• pants and skirts by weight and color. sounds crazy, doesn’t it, or at least a bit compulsive. i’ve used it myself and with clients and you’ll be surprised

how much more quickly you can find what you want to wear.

Put the culled clothes in the dona-tion bag and get it to your favorite donation center; someone will be going there soon and needs what’s in that bag!

Solange Kellerman is a resident of Munjoy Hill and is active in the Friends of the Eastern Prom-enade. She offers clutter-taming consultations as the Clutter Doc. She can be reached at [email protected]

Photo Copyright ©2012 iStockphoto, by christie & cole studio inc., www.stevecole.com

By Nini McManamyAfter working my gArden for a few years, my focus shifted from trying to fill the place with fascinating plants, or imitating the fabulous borders in the garden magazines (can’t be done without land to devote to each season), to learning to share the space more compatibly with things that i had previously tried to control.

Bugs, for example. it finally occurred to me that bugs have a role to play in nature and even in my garden. They transport pollen, they eat other bugs, and they circulate in their particular orbit in the web of life, supporting the mam-mals and birds who eat them, and entertaining those of us who watch them. never, when i first began my garden, would i have predicted that one day i would take a course in integrated Pest management (a term of art for managing pests by controlling their environment and tolerating enough of them to support those who eat them). And that i would fall in love with the fabulous designs, both mechanical and decorative, that the microscope revealed.

This winter, i bought myself a wonderful new garden toy, the handheld Active eye 100-power microscope. i’ve looked at snow fleas in the snow and white flies on my house plants, and am anx-iously awaiting the permanent arrival of warm weather so i can watch the migrating waves of insects move through my yard, the annual spring jet stream of protoplasm.

This awareness didn’t come easily, and i fought mightily for years to keep aphids off my roses (they now disappear on their own after 2 or 3 days, since i have learned that’s how long it takes aphid predators to ratchet up their reproductive rate to match the food supply). Sometimes step-ping back isn’t enough: i’ve had to stop growing some non-native plants. By growing lilies, i was just drawing red lily leaf beetles to their deaths. They would play possum when i tried to pinch them and then drop into my killing jar of neem below. But they reproduced at an amazing rate, and always chewed up my lilies in the end. So i found other perennials for those spots.

i’ve also allowed some plants to proliferate in my

garden, notably members of the compositae fam-ily (anything that looks like a daisy is probably in that group) because they draw bees, pollinators and other predators, notably beneficial wasps. These are not my favorite plants, but they are necessary and do an important job.

mostly, i’ve learned to notice, and then wait, be-fore taking action. This causes me to listen more intently to what is occurring in my garden and to pay attention to my role in it.

i didn’t set out to be compassionate. But the more i learned about the ways in which we are confus-ing the natural systems on the planet by importing plants and pests from other continents, the more it humbled me. Like Alice of wonderland fame, i could feel my human self shrinking after drinking the tonic of plant knowledge.

i’m not perfect. i still swear at and pinch Japanese beetles though i let them have their way in the grape arbor in the hope of distracting them from the roses. i’ve heard that they prefer pole beans even to roses, and mean to try that strategy.

And the squirrels. Squirrels are the most chal-lenging pest i’ve been up against—mine have tasty peach-flavored flesh, i’m sure, from all the fruit they’ve enjoyed from my trees. i’ve tried poi-soning them with d-Con (really cruel, i admit) and trapping them in Havaharts (they go to live in a nice town across a bridge, with good habitat and excellent school systems). finally, last year, i bought a huge bird net and draped it over my peach tree. difficult, but i got a peach crop.

i now see my garden as a giant terrarium, with all kinds of interacting life and mineral matter. i would love to understand the energy flows, how sunlight and heat are translated into plant food and bug growth that eventually supports those baby birds my cat is after. i’ve read about entro-py, and wonder if the loop is running downhill. But i think that will remain beyond me. The most important lesson i’ve learned from having compassion for pests is compassion for myself. i’m just a passing actor on this piece of territory but i’m resolved to pass it on to the next inhabit-ant in better shape than when it found me.

Compassion in the Garden


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A DAy in the Life of A RAw fooDieBy Elizabeth Fraser of Girl Gone Raw

yoU’ve hearD oF raW FooD, but do you know what it means to eat a raw food diet? It is so much more than carrot sticks and salads! The raw vegan lifestyle includes eating fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains and nothing is heated over 118 degrees. By not heating the food, the enzymes remain intact--enzymes are life force that make us feel vibrant and alive. The food is really creative, colorful and packed with flavor.

I live a high raw vegan lifestyle which means I eat mostly raw food, but on occasion enjoy some cooked vegan food with my friends and family. today I am going to share with you a typical day of food for me.

I begin each day with a glass of water fol-lowed by a quart of green smoothie or green juice. My green smoothie includes 3-4 cups of leafy greens blended with water and 3-4 cups of fruit, like banana, strawberries or mango. a green juice would include juicing celery, cucumber, leafy greens, apple, carrots, ginger, beet and lime. I never miss my morning green drink—it sets the tone for my day!

Mid-morning I enjoy a piece of fruit or a handful of my trail mix: a mixture of rai-sins, mulberries, gogi berries, shredded coconut, almonds, pumpkin seeds and pistachios.

When lunch calls, I love to eat a warm soup, like carrot ginger soup, with a large kale salad. to make a warm soup, I just add hot water to my blender and blend.

I am a big snacker too, so I often enjoy an-other piece of fruit or some sliced veggies with a nut paté in the afternoon. or a glass of green smoothie or green juice makes for a great pick-me-up too!

Dinner time can be anything from a Mexi-can burrito to a plate of spaghetti. The bur-rito is a cabbage leaf stuffed with shredded lettuce, a walnut-sundried tomato “meat,” a tomato, mango salsa, avocado, corn and sprouts. and spaghetti is zucchini turned into gorgeous noodles with a spiralizer, topped with a fresh marinara sauce and marinated vegetables.

and desserts … they are absolutely to live for! My favorites include fruit sorbet, a ca-

shew based “cheeze” cake or anything choc-olate … like the chocolate strawberry birth-day cake I made for my niece’s 5th birthday.

so why eat more raw food? There are so many reason to add More raw food to your life: increased energy, mental clarity, weight loss, detoxifi-cation, an overall improved sense of well-being, and it’s a planet friendly way of living with less waste.

The easiest way to enjoy more raw food is to start making green smoothies or green juices. Dust off your blenders and juicers and join me for my april green Drink Chal-lenge where I ask that you add one quart of green drink to your day, each day, for 30 days. recipes are posted daily. Just by adding this one thing to your life, you will feel the difference! or join me for my “Day in the life of a raw

Foodie” class on tues, april 10th from 6-8 to experience a full day of raw food eating.

visit www.girlgoneraw.com for details on the green Drink challenge and to sign up for a class. Keep on rawkin’!

art SoulThe King and I an essay by Elizabeth Miller, Waterville Street

stephen KIng anD I have two things in common. We share a birthday in september, although I should point out that Mr. King is my senior. More impor-tantly, we are partners in World Book night.

I’m of the “see puff run” generation. once I learned to read, I got my very own library card, which I proudly wielded at the allegheny County (pa.) Bookmobile that arrived on Friday afternoons. Imagine: I could borrow any book in that marvelous green vehicle. as the Bobbsey twins’ escapades and nancy Drew mysteries (I pictured myself as sidekick Bess) fostered daydreams of my own adventures, I became hooked as a reader. By high school, it was not unusual for me to check out 4-5 books on a Friday and have at least two read by sunday night.

Then came years of university studies when I plowed my way through long history and literature syllabi. It wasn’t until my late 20s when I rediscovered the joy of reading for reading’s sake.

Books have power: the power to inform, entertain, provide solace, calm anxious moments, transport to

magical times and places. each time I open a book, I savor the possibilities in that moment.

But not everyone shares this mania for books. It’s not unusual for my adult ed students to admit that the book we’re reading is the first book they have ever completed.

so when longfellow Books announced the launching of World Book night in the Usa, I quickly applied, in-dicated my three preferred books, and eagerly awaited news of whether my plans measured up to World Book night’s mission to reach non and light readers.

Which brings me to stephen King and that other item we have in common.

on april 23, I will join more than 50,000 volunteers in distributing over one million books in the UK, Ire-land and the Usa. stephen (by now I feel we should be on a first name basis) is one of thirty authors who, along with their publishers, generously agreed to provide free copies of their books for distribution through World Book night. In his case, it’s his post-apocalyptic novel The stand.

proud to be part of this transatlantic force to encour-age literacy, a local contingent of more than two dozen volunteers will pick up their boxes at longfellow Books and head off into the evening to spread the joy of reading. Distribution plans include preble street resource Center, Maine Center for Cancer Medicine, the saint elizabeth pantry, and portland adult education, among others.

What joys will World Book night deliver? as the Jimmy Durante song croaks:

i’ll never forget the day i read a book.

it was contagious,

seventy pages.

There were pictures here and there,

So it wasn’t hard to bear,

The day i read a book.

it’s a shame i don’t recall the name of the book.

it wasn’t a history,

i know, because it had no plot.

it wasn’t a mystery,

because nobody there got shot.

The day i read a book. i can’t remember when,

but one o’ these daaaays,

i’m gonna do it again.

9MUNJOY HILL OBSERVER April 2012art Soul

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PPL is celebrating Poetry Month in April!

POETRY CONTEST: Adults, Teens and Children can submit poems until April 20th!

ONE CITY, ONE POEM: The Library encourages ev-eryone in Portland to read “City Trees” by Edna St.

Vincent MillayEDIBLE BOOK FESTIVAL: Friday, April 6th from 5

-8 pmPoetry Month Finale!

Saturday, April 28th 12 -1 pm, Performance by Lady Zen and Poetry Contest winners announced

By: lisa Peñalver

the gooD neIghBors featured in this column come from all walks of life, and often came to the hill from various parts of the country, and some even from abroad, like so many residents here to-day. But every now and again we feature a life-long resident. This month I had the opportunity to speak with Dan haley, re-tired insurance agent (among many other titles). Dan is a fourth-generation hill resident. Dan haley’s great grandfather was born in Ireland and lived on ponce street on Munjoy hill. Dan points out that his daughter, who was born in the driveway of their home on the eastern promenade, can actually boast FIFth-generation status!

you probably recognize the name if you have been around the hill for any length of time: it is still part of the insurance agency that bears the haley name. This busi-ness, begun by Dan’s father, has since morphed to become a sepa-rate entity with the name “United Insur-ance haley agency.” Dan has moved on to other interests.

If you wanted to paint a picture of a model community activist, you need not look further than Dan. he has lent his mind, time, efforts and expertise to everything from the adams school reuse Commit-tee (a long process), the 2003 eastern prom Master planning Committee, to the portland history Docents program, to the Friends of the eastern promenade, and to professional groups such as the Board of governors of the national alliance for In-surance education & research. The list of titles goes on.

Dan’s most long-term involvement has got to be with the Boys & girls Clubs of southern Maine (bgcmaine.org).

“I used to go there when I was a kid, after school,” he told me. “I’ve been in-volved with them all my life.” Dan at-tended the portland Clubhouse during the ’50s and ’60s. after college and the UsMC I became active in BgC alumni association, then later on as president of the alumni association (600 mem-bers), on the Board, and most recently as Facilities Chair.

“We just put in a photo-voltaic system (solar panels) that will save the Boys & girls Clubs $32,000 a year,” he said, rightfully pleased with the achievement. The swimming pool takes a tremendous amount of energy to heat, and this sys-tem will significantly lower those costs.

Beyond community activism, Dan haley has an extensive appreciation of the histo-ry of this neighborhood, “portland’s old-

est.” ask him what the neighborhood was like before the portland house apartments went up on the prom, he can tell you. Dan is an enthusiastic pro-moter of the city of portland, not just of Munjoy hill.

some of his current “projects” include being a portland harbor Commissioner (one of 5) and an aide-de-Camp (veter-an affairs advisor) to the governor. as aide to Camp, working on the advisory Board for veterans affairs, Dan noted “I’ve found the governor to be remark-ably supportive of veterans, and pro-ac-tive about their needs. This is something you don’t hear about in the media.”

regardless of the issues, Dan haley brings to the table an unusual degree of under-standing of the Munjoy hill community, and a very personal sense of its history and the changes it has experienced and continues to undergo. his energy, enthu-siasm and willingness to share his time and talents all make us grateful to have him as oUr neighbor!

good neighbor of the Month Dan Haley

Above (left to right): Dan, daughter Danielle, wife Connie, daughter Brooke, taken at the Portland Club gym prior to their running in the five mile Patriot Day Road Race that raised $15,000 for scholarships for the Club members.

In septeMBer, I Began a four-month journey walking on El Camino de Santia-go—the Way of saint James, a network of an-cient pilgrimage routes that lead to santiago de Compostela, spain. I left the U.s. with no return ticket and without knowing how long it would take to complete my planned route: from le puy en velay, southwest across France, over the pyrenees, and west across northern spain to the galician coast.

I had begun training in portland last summer by taking my hiking boots, pack, and trek-king poles up and down the hills in Fort al-len park and making circles around the Back Cove on Baxter Boulevard. It worried me a little that, as much as I loved the scenery, I felt undeniably bored by the walking. But I had been called to the way, so I figured I just needed to get my body there.

once I arrived in le puy, I asked a local for directions to the campground. It didn’t take much for her to convince me that it was too far to walk. I was tired. so I followed some backpacked gentlemen up one of the steep cobblestone streets toward the cathedral and the pilgrim hostel they were planning to stay in. I lost them but eventually found the hostel and staggered into the reception room sweaty and out of breath. When I asked if they had a bed for me, a concerned-looking

French volunteer told me he was sure they would figure something out for me.

During the next three days, I rested in le puy, adjusted to the time difference and to sleeping in a room with about 25 other people. each morning, I watched people tie up their boots, pack their bags, and leave town. some of them were walking for the first time and many were on their third or fourth camino, at least. I knew I wasn’t there to compete with anyone, but I felt intimi-dated by them and was apprehensive about my imminent departure.

The last day in le puy, I met a woman from Quebec who had walked part of the way to santiago from le puy and returned on foot. so, unlike most of the people I met during those first few days, she was at the end of her journey. she offered advice about where to stay and about how to empty my pack, teas-ing me for considering packing a pound bag of peanuts: “you’ll feed those to the horses!”

But what inspired me beyond my fears about starting the journey was her joy. as I walked down the cathedral steps, out of le puy, and into the countryside that saturday, (with still far too many things in my backpack,) that stayed with me. Whatever it was that made her face glow like that—I wanted it, too. (to be continued ...)

El Camino de SantiagoBy Kate Campbell Strauss

Kate Campbell Strauss moved to Munjoy Hill in February of 2012, one month after returning from her pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. She grew up in Western Massachusetts and attended Pomona College in Claremont, California. She set out on the trek shortly after grad-uating. She had traveled a little bit with her family as a child and studied abroad in Ghana during her junior year in college, but her pilgrimage was the first time she had traveled alone for an extended period of time. Kate would love to be a resource to anyone who is thinking of embarking on the Camino de Santiago. Please send emails to [email protected]


Spotlight on Non-Profits is a regular feature. to feature your favorite non-profit, please contact lisa Peñalver at [email protected].

When I reCeIveD a ColorFUl postcard in the mail recently, inviting me to a celebration for a group called Ilap, I decided to learn more. on the website, I found this description:

Immigrants have helped shape Maine’s culture and economy even prior to its statehood. Today’s immi-grants from Africa, Asia, Eastern Eu-rope, Latin America, and the Middle East follow in the footsteps of those from Africa, Canada, China and Eu-rope who have come to our state for centuries.

Immigrants have long appreciated Maine for its welcoming people and its way of life, and have made vital contributions to every aspect of Maine’s economy, including Maine’s agriculture, hospitality, and professional sectors. Today, ILAP estimates Maine’s immigrant population to be over 55,000 persons. Each year, we assist clients originating from dozens of countries, who come to us from all 16 of Maine’s counties.

As Maine’s only provider of immigration and related legal aid to low-income Maine residents, ILAP helps immigrants stabilize and upgrade their immigra-tion status so that they can improve their lives and those of their families, and so that, like the immi-grants before them, they can participate fully and meaningfully in Maine society.

I spoke with hayden anderson, Ilap’s Interim executive Director, to learn more about the work of this organization.

Q: How long has ilaP been in existence? ha: We’ve been around since 2000. our founder, attorney Beth stickney, saw a need in portland and established this

organization to meet that need.

Q: is ilaP part of a national organization? Where do you get your fund-ing?hA: Ilap is unique—we’re the only such group in the

state, though I am sure there are outfits across the country that do the sort of work that we do.

as for funding, we receive no govern-ment money at all. We rely on generous individuals in the state and to a lesser degree on foundation grants. Individuals are key to our funding structure.

In the wake of the 1996 Welfare reform signed into law by the Clinton adminis-tration, a lot of organizations which used to be able to serve immigrants no longer could do so. Constraints were put on fed-

eral funding of immigrant services.

Q: What populations are you seeing more of these days?hA: We are seeing more people from Burundi, rwanda, and the Democratic republic of the Congo seeking green cards and asylum.

Q: So, do you provide just immigration-related legal help, or do you provide the full-spectrum of legal assistance?hA: We just work on immigration issues. Immigrations forms are very complex, even knowing the language, the average per-son would be hard-pressed to fill them out correctly. and an incorrectly-filed form can delay approval by months! as it is, it takes at least 6 months to be approved for asylum, and the seeker cannot legally get a job during this time.

For legal issues beyond immi-gration, we work closely with our friends over at pine tree legal assistance (ptla.org). But even they are not allowed to represent undocumented individuals, by virtue of their funding struc-ture with the federal government, so asylum seekers face special challenges.

These are people who have fled persecution in their home country. Usually they leave

with practically nothing in the way of pos-sessions, and in this country, they are not permitted to work until they successfully complete the paperwork and are granted legal status. Ilap seeks to offer support to these most vulnerable people in the com-

munity.

We see a paradox among our asylum seek-ers. In the U.s., you associate poverty with lack

of education, but those seeking asylum have often already earned advanced degrees; they are doctors, and judges, and engineers, but when they get here, they are starting over. They are educated and skilled but facing extreme poverty.

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project–ILAP By lisa Peñalver

See page 11, ilaP Maine


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Q: it sounds like there are some very basic needs that must be met in the interim—food, shelter, clothing, security. ilaP can’t offer these… so, who does?

hA: This is where the folks over at preble street come in. We also have a handful of caring individuals who volunteer their time, and the community of faith has been very great in help-ing meet these immediate needs.

Q: So, what is coming up for ilaP this spring?ha: our annual Fundraiser is coming up-the Celesoirée, Friday april 13, 6:30, general admis-sion, see www.ilapmaine.org/celesoiree.html. It’s a lot of fun, and family-friendly. good music, great international foods, and artwork gener-ously donated by artists in the community, all in the impressive setting of the portland Company on Fore street. I invite everyone to attend and get to know our staff and supporters.

For more information, visit ilapmaine.org; immigrant legal advocacy Project, 309 Cumberland avenue, Suite 201, Phone 207.780.1593, toll Free Helpline: 1.800.497.8505 E-mail, [email protected]

ilaP Maine continued from page 10

Five Fun Facts about Earth DayPosted on Hollywire.com by loretta, used with permission

april 22, 2012 is the 42nd annual earth Day! here are five fun facts about the day that already has and will continue to change the way people think about conservation.

5. eartH daY’s start earth Day was founded by Us senator gaylord nelson in 1970. 20 million americans took part in the first earth Day. In 1990 earth Day went global, reaching 200 million people in 141 countries.

4. WHY aPril 22? nelson chose april 22 for earth Day because he wanted to maximize participation from college students. he narrowed the date down to the week of april 19-25 because it wasn’t during spring breaks or college exams and there weren’t any religious holidays that week. nelson then chose Wednesday, april 22, because students would be in class and there was a lower chance of other events because it was the middle of the week

3. eartH daY birtHdaYs saint Francis of assisi, whom many believe to be the world’s first environmentalist, was born on april 22, as was Queen Isabella, vladimir lenin, and Julius sterling Morton, the founder of arbor Day.

2. eartH daY FlaG earth Day has its own flag. The ecology Flag was created by ron Cobb, a cartoonist, and was first published on october 25, 1969.

1. eartH daY 2009 2009 marked the beginning of The green generation Campaign. which consists of three core principles:

a carbon-free future based on renew-able energy that will end our com-mon dependency on fossil fuels, including coal.

an individual’s commitment to re-sponsible, sustainable consump-tion.

Creation of a new green economy that lifts people out of poverty by creating millions of quality green jobs and transforms the global education system into a green one.

earth Day network’s green generation campaign launched in 2009 and culminated on the 40th anniversary of earth Day in 2010. It is simi-lar to “The greatest generation” that con-fronted the challenge of World War II and inspired the major societal changes that followed.

The green generation includes ordinary people who are engaged in individual and collective activities to improve their health, to improve their schools, and to participate in building a solution to ur-gent national and global issues, such as climate change or the world’s water crises.

electronics recYclinG event: april 7, 8am - 2pm @ lyman Moore Middle school

visit earthday.org for a full list of Earth Day events and ways for you to get involved. See page 14 of this observer for local Earth Day event


living With peaCe

crosswordsolution on page 6

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manuscripts29-Youngswan31-Hinduhonorific32-“Seeya!”34-Consumed36-Hamlet,e.g.38-Toil

40-Baseballteam41-___undDrang43-Norwegiandramatist45-MarkofZorro46-Creamcake48-Potpourribag50-Carson’ssuccessor51-Aussiehopper52-Chemicalending54-Needless61-RivertotheMoselle63-HerbertHoover,for

one64-Pipe65-Commediadell’___66-Changeforthebetter67-“___Brockovich”68-Chilled69-Baseballstat70-Miss;

DOwN1-Gator’scousin2-Defensegrp.since19493-___-a-brac4-Chatternoisily5-Very,inVersailles6-Swearwords7-Baptism,e.g.8-Faulkner’s“___Lay

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use10-Seaeagles11-Greektemple13-Neuter14-Hardcandy20-Soothe21-Expensiveseatingarea25-SonofJudah26-Declaim27-Havingtwonuclei28-Flightofsteps29-Crucifix

30-Belief31-Radical‘60sorg.33-Backwardtidalmove-

ment35-Born37-Della’screator39-Hindmostpart42-Hindulawgiver44-Sgts.,e.g.47-AncientregionofAsia

Minor49-Inn52-ActorMorales53-Bustmaker55-Iditarodterminus56-Largejugorpitcher57-Injectablediazepam,in

militarylingo58-Ambience59-Diamondstats60-Cravings62-Roulettebet;bestcrossWords.coM

LivingWithPeaceisadynamiclocalgrassrootscommunitysupportorganizationinvestinginthefutureofourimmigrantsbyprovidinginformation,resources,andtrainingtonewcomerstothecommunityandculture.

Urumuri, Lighting the Way for Rwandese Women

By Christina Feller, President, living With Peace

tWo years ago, a small group of rwandese wom-en came together to start an organization dedicated to helping rwandese women acculturate their fami-lies into Maine life and work while maintaining and supporting the heritage of their culture. and so, Uru-muri was formed. as annonciata Urujeni, president, explains, “Urumuri in our language Kinyarwandan means a lighted way that inspires hope, so we feel that this name is a symbol for us. We are determined to be good american citizens but we are also grounded in our culture which means that certain aspects of our lives must be strengthened, honored, and respected.”

Urumuri’s organizing document states the purpose of the nonprofit: to inform, assist, educate and sup-port women of rwandese descent, and their families, to acculturate to life in Maine and in the Usa, and to assimilate into the social, economic and civic life of their communities, while maintaining the integrity of the rwandese traditional culture including, but not limited to, art, music, dance, language, food and dress.

More than 20 women are members of this organiza-tion now. The women meet monthly to discuss social problems or challenges to the community that must be dealt with. When people are sick, they organize

round the clock care; when there’s a new baby, a wedding, a death, graduation, moving—im-portant life events—the women plan the community’s response. The group has a youth Committee made up of young rwandese that meets every month and reports back to the mothers about their ideas, needs, and concerns. The mothers build up the children in the ways of their culture and the good parts of our new country.

annunciata continued, “We teach our children that like all cultures, there are good things about america and some things that are not so good. so we teach our children right from wrong and what is good to learn from america. We want them to copy the good exam-ples and give away the bad ones. We are teaching them life skills.” The mothers have regular meetings and are focusing on wellness and nutrition, raising their children well, educational needs of the members, and emotional and psychological support for these survi-vors of the genocide. every month, the members pay dues and the collection is given to those women who are having financial difficulties. “We help each other just like back home.”

living With peace and Urumuri have formed a partnership to begin dialogues among american mothers and Urumuri moth-ers to discuss common topics about raising children and being successful in america. Women interested in taking part in these dialogues should contact Christina Feller at 939-3800.

Urumuri’s Daughters is a group of young rwandese girls who are learning to dance in the cultural traditions of rwanda. Thanks to an anonymous donation, the group was able to buy appropriate clothing and other items important to the traditions. photo at left is the group in costume. anyone who wishes to have the girls dance can contact Urumuri at [email protected].

Urumuri’s Daughters, a group of young Rwandese girls who are learning to dance in the cultural traditions of Rwanda.

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Moore Sixth Graders Host Naturalization Ceremonysixth graders at portland’s lyman Moore Middle school will host a U.s. naturalization ceremony on April 6 at 10 a.m. at the school, located at 171 auburn street. Thirty-eight area residents from 19 countries of origin will be sworn in as citizens. For more info, contact David hilton, teacher at lyman Moore Middle school, [email protected], (207) 874-8150


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St. Lawrence artS center

Your neighborhood arts center is at 76 Congress Street, stlaw-rencearts.org, 347-7177

MOOSe DrOppingS—Open Mic/SpOken wOrD

Maine Organization of Storytelling Enthusiasts meet Ev-ery second Wednesday of the month. Drop by the Portland Public Library for our Monthly MOOSE Open Mic / Spoken Word Story Telling Event! Adult original and traditional stories, 10 minutes or less at the open mic hosted each by a different MOOSE Member. Suggested $5 donation. moosetellers.ning.com/

MayO Street artS,Performances & Classes 10 Mayo Street, mayostreetarts. org —Times vary. Classes: Tango, Belly Dancing, Kids Yoga, Jug-gling, Zumba and Pilates. Artist Studios, theater, poetry, music and more. Contact 615-3609, or [email protected]

pOrt VeritaS SpOken wOrD night Poetry Readings, Every Tuesday 7-10 pm, @ Local Sprouts, 649 Congress St., Portland, All Ages,Gil Helmick, 400.7543,

SOccer pick-Up gaMeS

Now indoor: Interested in playing SOCCER in the East End? Pick-up games—No fancy leagues, no super-competitive play - just have fun, keep in shape, and have fun. All ages/skill levels welcome! Contact Andrew: 670-8041 or [email protected]

pUbLic Library eVentS

Free Workshops thru the Library: Wisdom at Work, a lunch-time professional development series at the Portland Public Library, details at www.portlandlibrary.com/

pOrtLanD winter FarMerS’ Market

Continues on Saturdays through April 21, after which the outdoor Portland Farmers’ Market returns. On now at the Maine Irish Heritage Center, on the cor-ner of State and Gray Streets, one block from Mercy Hospital.

pOetry reaDing –new wOrk

Saturday, April 7 at 11 am at the Portland Public Li-brary, Saturday, April 7, 11 am, Writer and Observer contributor Andrew Lapham-Fersch will be read-ing from his first collection of poems, “The Rough Draft of My Life Story.” see Andrew-Lapham-Fersch on Facebook

ceSar chaVez ObSerVance

Saturday, March 31, 3-5 PM, First Parish of Portland Maine, 425 Congress Street. In observance of Chavez’s birthday and 50th Anniversary of United Farm Workers of America. FMI: Dr. Ralph Carmona: [email protected], 518-9177.

pOrtLanD pUbLic Library tO hOSt “FacebOOk FOr SeniOrS”,

Wednesdays, April 4th, 11th and 25th from 1-4pm, in Meeting Room #3. Advanced registration is re-quired, The Portland Public Library will continue to offer three-session “Facebook for Seniors” work-shops for folks wanting to learn how to use the popular social media tool. Will cover building a Facebook account, privacy settings and advanced settings like uploading videos and sharing web

links. Participants must have an email account. Space is is lim-ited for these trainings –participants must register in advance at the Library’s Public Computing desk or by calling 871-1700 ext. 708.

18th annUaL genOciDe cOMMeMOratiOn

Saturday, April 7, 2012, from 1 to 5 pm, Gerald Talbot Hall in Luther Bonney Hall on the USM Portland Campus. In remem-brance of the genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda. FMI, con-tact Thierry at 405-882-6855 or Robert at 207-766-6962

chiLDren’S MUSeUM eaSter egg hUnt Saturday, April 7, Before Hours Easter Egg Hunt 9-10am Chil-dren’s Museum and Theatre of Maine 828-1234.

eLectrOnicS recycLing eVent

April 7, 8am - 2pm @ Lyman Moore Middle School

apriL 8—eaSter SUnDay

hiStOricaL waLk–FOrt aLLen park

Monday, April 2, 5:30-6 pm What Lies Beneath? Exploring Fort Allen’s Archeological History (Rain date 9:30-10 am Tuesday, April 3), Fort Allen Park, Portland, Sponsored by Friends of the Eastern Promenade

pSO kinDerkOnzert: the StOry OF abbie bUrgeSS

Thursday, April 12, 9:30 AM-10:15 AM; (Please arrive early to purchase tickets at the door or get tickets in advance at www.portlandsymphony.org), Additional performance on April 12, 10:30 AM-11:15 AM and Venue: East End Community School, Portland

USM YoUth EnSEMblES PErforM SPring inStrUMEntal ConCErt

Thursday, april 12, 7 pM-9 pM, Venue: Merill auditorium, portland

MHNO is a proud member of Portland BuyLocal


PiratES rEgiStration EvEnt lEMonadE daY MainE - Portland

Friday, april 13, 7 pM-9 pM, Venue: Cumber-land County Civic Center, portland

ilaP’S 8th annUal CElESoiréE

Friday, april 13, 6:30 pM-10 pM; Celebrating immigration through the arts (limited admis-sion preview starts at 5:30 pM. Gen. admis-sion starts at 6:30 pM.), Venue: The portland Company, 58 Fore street, portland, ilapmaine.org/celesoiree.html

Portland Flea-for-All oPEning WEEkEnd

saturday, april 14-15, 10 aM-5 pM; 25 Kenne-bec st., West Bayside (located in old asia West Building), 482-9053, E: [email protected] , portlandfleaforall.com

final fort allEn Park rEStoration PUbliC hEaring

Wednesday, april 18, 7 pm, room 209, port-land City hall

SatUrdaY, aPril 21—Earth daY!Green neiGHbor FaMilY Fest satur-day, april 21, 2012 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. deering high school. Urban rUnoFF 5K race and walk 9 a.m. saturday, april 21, 2012 deering high school. eartH daY celebrations! sunday, april 22, 2012 11am-3 pm: Monument square events, & 2:30-4pm: Children’s Muse-um and Theatre of Maine 828-1234. see p 11.

aPril StoolS daY & ProM PiCkUP

saturday, april 21, 9 to noon, The 20th annual april stools day Eastern promenade Cleanup, rain or shine. sponsored by Friends of the East-ern promenade.

18th annUal 2012 hoPE fEStival & grEEn ExPo

Orono, Maine, saturday april 21st, 11 am to 4 pm, student recreation & Fitness Cen-ter uMaine Orono: Bill McKibben, Keynote speaker, innana, sisters in rhythm, drumming & vocals, Timbered lake, Music for Mother Earth, Zachary Field, amazing Juggler, hOpE Festival singers, as well as children’s activities, local food & 70 social change groups, peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine, peacectr.org/

Portland trailS’ haPPY trailS big baSh & SilEnt aUCtion

Friday april 27 5:30-10 pM, music with sean Mencher and his rhythm Kings. $25 mem-bers/$35. FMi trails.org, 775-2411.

grEat Portland bikE SWaP

sunday, april 29, 10 aM-2 pM, Cyclists of all ages and ability levels will have the chance to buy and sell bicycles – or do both with a percentage of the sales going to support the programming and educational efforts of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine.. drop off bikes to sell between 8 and 9:30 a.m. hosted by Bicycle Coalition of Maine, at university of southern Maine’s sullivan Gymnasium.

EaSt End MaYPolE CElEbration

”The Sun & The Moon,” event on saturday, May 5, 5 pm, at Fort sumner park on north street. a celebration of rebirth and renewal, springtime and community. a Maypole will be erected in the center of the park. Come to dec-orate the maypole with streamers, enjoy lawn games, live acoustic music by local artists, and interact with nature-based art. at 7:30 pm, the Maypole will be wrapped by the streamers/dancers. Free to all.

MainE CoMiCS artS fEStival sunday, May 19-20 from 10-5 at Ocean Gateway in portland, Come meet over 100 FMi: Casa-blanca Comics of portland, mecaf.blogspot.

com.

http:/www.stlawrencearts.com

mayostreetarts.org

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Haley’s Dog Walking, LLCDog First-Aid CertifiedInsured • Portland, Maine

[email protected]


rEAl EstAtE Up ON MUNjOY Hill

Considering Renting Out Your Home or Condo?By Colleen Bedard

The rental market on Munjoy hill con-tinues to be strong—not only for leased apartments but also for short-term con-dos and single family homes. 2011 saw a low turnover in rental apartments, and we expect that 2012 will be approximate-ly the same. tenants seem to be content knowing what their rent and utilities will cost in their existing apartment. The av-erage 2-bedroom apartment on the pen-insula rents for $900; a better-than-aver-age apartment, however, will command a higher monthly rent.

an expanding rental market is short-term, sometimes called “executive-rent-als.” short-term rentals are furnished condos, single family homes or apart-ments and, because they are fully fur-nished, and are available for a short pe-riod of time; they command premium weekly and monthly rents. The rent-als commanding the highest prices are

newly renovated, freshly painted, pro-fessionally “staged” and cleaned homes. a 2-bedroom, 1 or 2-bath condo on the east end can rent, in the summer, for $1,000-1,400/week or $2,000-4,000/month. These units are in “like new” condition. For a homeowner on the hill who will be away for a few weeks this summer, a short-term rental can gener-ate income at a time that the home would otherwise be vacant.

Working with a real estate agent knowl-edgeable in the short-term rental mar-ket can help make renting your home a pleasant experience. obtaining quality tenants is important for you, the home-owner. Clear expectations around condi-tion of the home when the tenant arrives and leaves should be established as well as any other rules and tips spelled out.

Colleen Bedard lives on Munjoy Hill and is a Realtor/Broker with townsend Real Estate.


of the eastern promenade, which now sponsors april stools Day. Davison has served as president of the non-profit organization since its inception in 2006, and has been the leading force behind various park projects, including the Fort allen and loring Memorial trails, the summer concerts in Fort allen park and the current Fort allen park rehabilitation project.

and while her beloved dog lucy has since departed, Davison still walks the eastern prom daily with her current pack, russell and alice.

“We are truly fortunate to be able to share the en-joyment of our trails, beaches and grassy slopes here on the eastern promenade, both with our furry friends and with so many members of the commu-nity and beyond,” Davison says.

The 20th annual april stools Day will be held from 9 to noon, rain or shine saturday, april 21, in con-junction with litter pickup Day. volunteers can choose to pick up litter, dog droppings or both. gloves, trash bags and litter tongs will be provided.

The event is sponsored by Friends of the eastern promenade and portland’s locally owned Fetch pet supply. The traditional golden turd will again be hidden in each april stools Day location, with the lucky finder winning a gift certificate to Fetch.

This year’s portland locations include the eastern promenade, Fort sumner park, reiche park and Baxter Woods as well as Fort Foster and seapoint/Crescent Beach in Kittery. on the eastern prom-enade, volunteers can report to one of five stations: near the top of Cutter street, the Cleeves Monu-ment at Congress street, at the playground & ball-fields, loring Memorial Circle, and east end Beach.

For more information on april Stools Day, visit easternpromenade.org or facebook.com/aprilStoolsDay.

aPril stools daY, from front page

products, mainly produce, by putting together a central distribution space for the three retail locations and our bakery/production kitchen.” They were on the verge of renting a warehouse space out on the edge of the city when the Commercial street space became available. The location and easy access al-low them to be open to the public as well.

The idea of the produce mar-ket actually goes back some years. rosemont founder, John naylor, who also piloted the green grocer of years ago, had proposed a pro-duce market as part of the redevelop-ment plans of the Maine state pier. The new market is stocked in part by a fa-

ther/son team who make daily runs to the Chelsea Market in Boston, and will be providing more local produce start-ing this summer.

The market should also increase pe-destrian activity at the bottom of In-

dia street. a new cafe, Crema, is slated to open up next door to the market in the weeks ahead. The market’s regular hours are 11-5 Monday through Friday; however, it was also open on a recent saturday afternoon, so it’s worth swing-ing by to see.

roseMont, continued from page 5

april 2012 munjoy hill observer

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