For someone raised on it, sipping a Moxie is a- John C.L. Morgan
symbolic act, a performance of one’s "Maineness." It’s the Louisianian sucking
the head of a crawfish. The debate over the relative merits of Memphis, Texas,
and Carolina barbecues. The Tennessean passing on an iced tea in a chain
restaurant because it’s not "sweet tea."
These doughnuts are something else. They would be tall even if the hole was not
perched on top. The “Elvis”--topped with bananas, halved and stuffed with peanut
butter, and covered in chocolate, looked like some kind of sundae. Even through
all the accoutrements, you could sense the fundamental soundness of the doughnut
itself--the golden, crunchy-but-not-oily exterior, the dense-but-not-heavy
interior, the not-too-sweet dough absorbing the rich chocolate sauce.
- John C.L. Morgan
h/t: Portland Food MapC-Span now has their complete archives online, in- John C.L. Morgan
an easily watchable format. Along with hours of boring House and Senate
proceedings, there’s also an interesting slice of political life in Maine for
the past two decades, everything from John McKernan’s
inauguration as governor in 1991 to a health care
panel discussion with Maine health policy director Trish Riley held last week.
Westbrook's Police Chief William Baker has returned- John C.L. Morgan
from the Middle East, where he presented a three-day workshop on international
police standards. Baker made his presentation, sponsored by the U.S. Department
of State and the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, to 30 high ranking members of the
Egyptian Security Services.
It's called "Portland's First Ever Female-Bodied[snip]
and Allied Topless Adventure." Put more simply, an expected 30 or more women,
along with "allied" male sympathizers, plan to walk from Longfellow Square down
Congress Street to Tommy's Park at the top of the Old Port with nothing on from
the waist up.
It's simple, explained organizer Ty MacDowell, 20,- John C.L. Morgan
of Westbrook, in an interview Friday. On a personal level, MacDowell likes to
swim during the summer at East End Beach and has always yearned to do so
topless. Beyond that, she and her fellow adventurers want to expose what they
see as a glaring double standard.
A judge has ruled that Westbrook City Councilor Dorothy Aube was biased when she- John C.L. Morgan
voted last year against granting licenses to the Skybox Bar and Grill. The
council is set to decide on April 5 whether to grant the owners the licenses it
denied twice last year. David A. Lourie, the lawyer for Skybox owners Allen and
Lynn Moore, said they were denied their request for an injunction to prevent
Aube from voting on the licenses. But he said that if Aube's vote produces a tie
or a majority vote to deny the licenses, the Moores will have grounds to appeal.
Westbrook School Committee member Maria Dorn has resigned as an elected official- John C.L. Morgan
to become the city’s first director of community services, a new position
created by Mayor Colleen Hilton. Hilton announced at her inauguration in January
she was eliminating the job of recreation director in favor of creating of more
comprehensive community services department.
A committee that's seeking a compromise to satisfy residents and businesses- John C.L. Morgan
while allowing Pike Industries to remain in Westbrook examined ways to minimize
the impact that blasting at Pike's Spring Street quarry would have on neighbors.
The committee met for three hours Wednesday night with Mark Stebbins, the Maine
Department of Environmental Protection's mining coordinator.
Opponents, if not tired of them after last season, could be tired of them after- John C.L. Morgan
this season and certainly next. [Scott] Heath, a left-hander, and [Sean] Murphy,
a right-hander, are juniors and arguably the best 1-2 pitching combination in
the state. "I don't know of two better," said Westbrook Coach Mike Rutherford.
Relentless rain that has prompted flood warnings in some areas have some- John C.L. Morgan
residents worried after several inches of rain piled up throughout southern and
central Maine. The Saccarappa Falls rushed fast Tuesday as Cumberland County was
one of many counties under flood warnings.
Tomorrow I’m going to wake early, maybe even wakeYou can follow Colin at Maine Musings.
the dog early too, and leave my sleepy wife to walk the pup in the crispness.
Home to bacon, and eggs, and a morning filled with activity so I can chill all
afternoon. I’ll earn my nap, with a warm and snoring dog across my legs. Well,
that’s the plan. More likely I’ll stay up late, enjoy the inside warmth of my
home when it’s cold and shitty outside, and drink too much whisky. All the while
telling myself how good the day will be. How much I’ll accomplish. I’ll clean
the basement, tidy my life, cook a glorious meal for my bride and spend an
evening filled with conversation and love and time.
The group [Sebago to Sea coalition] this year plans to install its first signs- John C.L. Morgan
marking the trail. So far, 80 percent of the trail is finished, said Tania
Neuschafer, who is coordinating the Sebago to the Seas Trail project. There are
large gaps in downtown Westbrook, Portland's Back Cove neighborhood and the area
near where the Maine Turnpike crosses the Presumpscot River.
A state labor board has overturned the firing- John C.L. Morgan
of Matthew Lamontagne, a Westbrook firefighter who lost his job after an
investigation into allegations of sexual harassment in the fire department. The
Maine Board of Arbitration and Conciliation ruled that the city's decision to
fire Lamontagne in December was unfair because the city had agreed to limit his
discipline for alleged sexual harassment as a result of a previous
investigation. It also ruled that the incident for which Lamontagne was fired
did not constitute harassment.
As part of a national campaign to raise awareness[snip]
about chemical security issues, the environmental group Greenpeace today warned
that six industrial facilities in Maine each pose a disaster risk to 10,000 or
more local residents. The group is hoping those facilities will either choose,
or be forced, to switch to safer chemicals, and adopt new processes that would
be less vulnerable in the event of a terrorist attack.
They include the Westbrook Energy Center in- John C.L. Morgan
Westbrook; Domtar paper company Baileyville; Old Town Fuel and Fiber in Old
Town; a Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Lewiston; and the Fairchild
Semiconductor Corporation in South Portland.
Nearly a year after the Warren Memorial Library’s controversial closure, the- John C.L. Morgan
building is going up for sale--and a likely buyer could be the city as a new
home for the Walker Memorial Library. Rene Daniel, spokesman for the Warren
Memorial Foundation’s board of trustees, said the building has become too costly
to operate and is depleting the foundation’s endowment. "We did not want to sell
the building," Daniel said. "We’re trying to save as much of the fund as we
can."
A leading New England environmental group says Pike Industries of Westbrook will(Update: The PPH has more on this story.)
be violating state regulations should it go ahead with plans to expand its
blasting operations in the Five Star Industrial Park. Toxics Actions Center has
joined up with a group of Westbrook residents to voice their concern as part of
an ongoing struggle between Pike and certain local businesses and residents who
oppose the gravel company's excavation practices.
From Chester Chase's collection of videos from Whitefield, Maine, circa 1950.
- John C.L. Morgan
h/t: All Things Maine
Disability RMS of Westbrook, the nation’s leading provider of turnkey disability- John C.L. Morgan
risk management products and services, today announced that it has formed an
Administrative Services division. The expansion will result in 18 new jobs, the
company said.
Westbrook officials and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland are negotiating- John C.L. Morgan
an arrangement to alleviate parking concerns at St. Anthony of Padua Parish and
provide much-needed space for nearby businesses and residents. But a plan to
develop 132 apartments in the nearby Dana Warp Mill could leave many drivers
circling the block.
Indeed, according to statistics provided by the Westbrook School Department,- John C.L. Morgan
there at least twenty-one different languages spoken in the schools'
classrooms.* And the number of students participating in the school district's
English for Speakers of Other Languges (ESOL) program has steadily increased
over the last decade: A little more than twenty students were enrolled in the
program in 2000; today, there are almost 120 enrollees, a ten-year increase of
about 500%. The capability to view the school district's Web site in seven
different languages, after all, was not developed in a vacuum.
The historic building that houses Walker Memorial Library needs $1.5 million in- John C.L. Morgan
repairs, according to a consultant hired by the city. A report from Building
Envelope Consultants says the 1893 Queen Anne-style library needs repairs to the
slate roofing system and bricks in the front of the building, which are loose,
deteriorated and have moss growth. The report also says a floor on the first
floor tested positive for asbestos. It says there is lead-based paint on many
walls, and walls and ceilings in the basement area tested positive for mold
spores.
Sometime after ice-out this spring, Portland artist Aaron Stephan will hop in aA Web site featuring Stephan's work (including one of my favorite pieces of public art, LIFT) can be seen here.
truck with a buddy and travel north to Moosehead Lake and the headwaters of the
Kennebec River.They will scavenge for old-growth logs left over from the logging
boom, buried in the mud in the depths below the surface. Hundreds of years ago,
these trees were felled and prepared for transport, but were lost before making
their way downriver. Masked from the light above, the heavy maple logs are
preserved at the bottom of the lake. Stephan aims to raise a bunch of them for
his latest art project, "RE: turn," at the newly opened Westbrook Middle School.
There are several indoor play spaces popping up in Southern Maine these days,- John C.L. Morgan
and we are thrilled by the prospects. Although, we must admit, we’re a little
biased when it comes to the Peek-a-Boo Children’s Center in Westbrook. Our
friend, Marina Waisman, is the co-owner, which makes us instant devotees, but
it’s clear that this play space is a labor of love.
Children battling serious illnesses in the hospital- John C.L. Morgan
can often feel isolated from their friends and family. A group of high school
students in Westbrook is working to change that. "If it is a really old laptop,
then we may have to do a Frankenstein thing and take them apart to figure out
what is wrong," commented Weipo Huang, a senior enrolled in the computer repair
class at Westbrook Regional High School.
At a news conference Wednesday, Mayor Colleen Hilton introduced Michael Pardue,For their part, WCSH has footage from the press conference.
of Kennebunk-based Central Intelligence, one of two consulting firms the city
hired while it continues to search for full-time leadership.
On Monday alone, the City CounciI supported- John C.L. Morgan
spending money--likely as much as $100,000--on insurance deductibles for two
sexual harassment claims, attorneys' fees for a special legal project and
contracts with two outside management companies - all costly items city
officials say are necessary for turning around the fire department.
The boys' finalists are Dominic Borelli of- John C.L. Morgan
Westbrook, Stefano Mancini of Falmouth, Indiana Faithfull of Cheverus and Keegan
Hyland of South Portland. The girls' finalists include Christy Manning of
Scarborough and Claire Ramonas of Deering. The lone finalist from outside
southern Maine is Jen Nale of Waterville. Only seniors are eligible for Mr. and
Miss Basketball. The winners will be announced at the Maine McDonald's High
School Senior All-Star awards banquet March 12 at Husson University in
Bangor.
City councilors met in executive session Monday- John C.L. Morgan
night to consider contracts for hiring an interim leadership team for the city's
Fire and Rescue Department. Mayor Colleen Hilton asked the City Council to
consider hiring Central Intelligence, a management recruitment firm in
Kennebunk, to provide the city with a fire chief. The council will consider
hiring Municipal Resources Inc., of Meredith, N.H., to provide a deputy fire
chief. City officials have scheduled a news conference Wednesday at the Public
Safety Building to announce who will lead the department temporarily.
With school budgets as tight as ever, it might be- John C.L. Morgan
hard to believe that Westbrook High School has expanded its curriculum by 250
courses, including investing in the stock market, American popular music and
Portuguese. But the school department hasn't hired new teachers. The courses are
being offered online through a program called Virtual High School.
[A] recent study showed that Westbrook's vacancy rate for large retail spaces,
at 3 percent, is remarkably lower than that of its neighbors. With the larger
lots filled, city officials are hoping that new businesses looking to locate in
Westbrook will start filling in the empty spaces on Main Street. Around the
middle of the last decade, downtown started to look like it was making a
comeback. The Dana Warp Mill had drawn an array of businesses and the new
Disability RMS office building brought an onslaught of workers--and their lunch
money--onto Main Street.
- John C.L. Morgan
