Election '08: Tim Driscoll's Proust Questionnaire

Tim Driscoll is a Democrat seeking re-election to District #126 in the Maine House of Representatives. Click here to see if Driscoll will be on your ballot on Tuesday, November 4.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A world without conflict, hunger, or illness.
What is your current state of mind?
Sane.
Which living person do you most admire?
Sr. Consuela White.
What is your greatest fear?
Being stung by a bee (I’m allergic).
What is your most marked characteristic?
To my family, friends and colleagues, my composure.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I’m vertically challenged.
Which living person do you most despise?
I dislike Dick Cheney.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Daily coffee at Dunkin' Donuts.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
A standing height greater than 5’6”.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Patience.
What do you dislike most about your appearance?
Those damn crow’s feet came out of nowhere!
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Gravity is taking over, everything is dropping.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Kindness.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Self-confidence.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Move forward.”
Who is the most influential person in your life?
My Mother.
Which talent would you most like to have?
To sit down at a piano and just play.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My wife, of course.
When and where were you happiest?
Southwest Cork, Ireland in 2002.
Where would you like to live?
I’m very happy and content right here in Westbrook, Maine.
What is your most treasured possession?
Genealogical research of my family.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Homelessness.
Who are your heroes in real life?
My Wife. She will complete her Masters Degree in Nurse Anesthesia in November.
What do you most value in your friends?
The ability to confide in them.
What is it that you most dislike?
A sink full of dirty dishes.
What is your motto?
“Let’s move forward.”

(Editor's Note: Tim Driscoll's opponent, Kevin Crocker, did not respond to my e-mails.)

- John C.L. Morgan

Full Disclosure: My father has contributed to Tim Driscoll's campaigns in the past in the form of a $5 check to qualify to be a Clean Election candidate.

Hon. Willis H. Duran, Westbrook's Sixteenth Mayor (1920)

Election '08: Robert Morrill's Proust Questionnaire

Robert Morrill is a Republican seeking election to District #125 in the Maine House of Representatives. Click here to see if Morrill will be on your ballot on Tuesday, November 4.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Relaxing with my wife Martha, while knowing all our children are happy and living their own lives as they choose.
What is your current state of mind?
Euphoric. We had our first grandchild, Hunter Ahlias, this past weekend.
Which living person do you most admire?
My wife Martha. She has been my rock for 38 years through tough times.
What is your greatest fear?
I do not have a greatest fear. We have wonderful family and friends. Whatever tomorrow brings, it is God’s plan.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Hiring someone to mow my lawn.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Lack of consideration of others and their opinions.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Strong willed.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
When I show a lack of consideration for others and their opinions.
Which living person do you most despise?
I do not despise or hate anyone. It is not Christian.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Altruism defined as devotion to the welfare of others. The majority of individuals are only concerned with their own well-being.
What do you dislike most about your appearance?
Nothing. I am quite comfortable in my own skin.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
More tolerance of others.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
The ability to show emotion without being embarrassed.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
The ability to love and nurture in tough times.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"You do not understand."
Which talent would you most like to have?
Professional golfer.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My wife Martha and our collective family.
When and where were you happiest?
Last Friday night when our grandson Hunter Ahlias was born in our presence.
Where would you like to live?
Eventually in warmer climates. I still have much to do in Maine.
What is your most treasured possession?
Pictures of family, as many have passed.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Being emotionally lost and thinking like there is no way back.
What is your favorite occupation?
Being in a position as a team builder.
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Superman, because in actual life he showed real courage.
Who are your heroes in real life?
My mother and father in-laws, Agnes and Girard Giguere.
What do you most value in your friends?
Honesty and loyalty.
What is it that you most dislike?
When my friends are not honest and loyal.
What is your motto?
One of my favorites is “You either lead, follow, or get out of the way.”

- John C.L. Morgan

Election '08: Ann Peoples's Proust Questionnaire

Ann Peoples is a Democrat seeking re-election to District #125 in the Maine House of Representatives.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I don't think "perfect" happiness is possible in a less-than-perfect world. Being useful, fulfilled and fortunate in your friends and family is pretty darn good however.
What is your current state of mind?
Hopeful.
Which living person do you most admire?
The person who gets up every morning and does what needs to be done with good humor and compassion and without complaint.
What is your greatest fear?
Helplessness.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Um, pedicures if you must know!
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Thoughtless cruelty.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Curiosity.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience.
Which living person do you most despise?
The person who does something to you "for your own good."
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Patience (I think there's a pattern in here somewhere).
What do you dislike most about your appearance?
My very round face.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
At almost 62, that would have to be my age!
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Compassion.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Compassion.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"Ya know?"
Which talent would you most like to have?
The ability to put people at ease.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My husband.
When and where were you happiest?
I make it a practice to be happiest in the here and now because that's where I am.
Where would you like to live?
Right here.
What is your most treasured possession?
My family.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Loneliness.
What is your favorite occupation?
Learning about everything and anything.
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Horatio Hornblower (no, really!)
Who are your heroes in real life?
The guys who run into burning buildings.
What do you most value in your friends?
Their ability to put up with me!
What is it that you most dislike?
Meanness.
What is your motto?
The Lord will provide, but if you want potatoes, pick up the hoe.

- John C.L. Morgan

Debatable

Via Maine Politics, here's video footage of the first debate between Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rep. (D-Tom Allen) in their contest for Collins's U.S. Senate seat. The PPH has a write-up of the event here, as well as a review of the second debate between Chellie Pingree and Charlie Summers in their race to replace Tom Allen in the U.S. House of Representatives.

- John C.L. Morgan

Livestock and Carnies and Grub, Oh My

The fam and I ventured out to the Cumberland County Fair yesterday morning, an event captured quite nicely by this Roger McCord videogram.

For a schedule of events, click here.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Politics: September 22- September 26, 2008

Monday, September 22
City Council meeting
Westbrook High School, Room 114
6:30p
FMI

(Editor's Note: Though the agenda does not mention it, the City Council is also scheduled to workshop the proposed Stroudwater Place, according to the City Council President Brendan Rielly, the AJ, and the Stroudwater Place website.

- John C.L. Morgan

Song of the Week

This week's song is "All Godz Critters" by Evan Casas. Despite Casas's over-the-top vocals, I challenge you to not tap your foot and chuckle while listening to this song.

Anyway, maybe I'm just looking for a reprieve from the fact that we are one day closer to winter and I had to fire up my furnace for the first time this weekend.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Almanac: September 14- September 20, 2008

Week-to-Date:
High: 81F (September 15)
Low: 36F (September 20)
Precipitation: 0.21 inches
Previous Sunrise: 6:27a
Previous Sunset: 6:42p

Month-to-Date:
High: 88F (September 4)
Low: 36F (September 20)
Precipitation: 6.23 inches

Year-to-Date:
High: 88F (September 4)
Low: -5F (January 4)
Precipitation: 43.47 inches

Source: National Weather Service

- John C.L. Morgan

Election '08: Introducing Nick S. McGee, Maine Senate #9

Full Name
Nicholas S. McGee
Political Party
Republican
Birthdate
November 27, 1979
Hometown
Portland, Maine
Family
Wife, Vanessa
Daughter, Madison
Religion
Catholic
Current Occupation
Stay-at-home Dad/Part-time consultant
Education
BA, History and Political Science, Providence College
Professional Experience
Assistant to Town Planner and Mayoral aide, Lincoln, Rhode Island
Legal/arbitration at a non-profit
Office manager at a law firm
Political Experience
None
Military Experience
None
Association Membership(s)
Board Member, Northwood Condominium Association
Former Chairman, Portland Republican City Committee
Address
80 Northwood Drive
Website
www.mcgeeforme.com
Phone Number
797-3960

Click here to find out if Nick McGee will be on your ballot on Tuesday, November 4.

(Editor's Note: Nick McGee's opponent, Joe Brannigan, did not respond to my requests for biographical information.)

- John C.L. Morgan

Maine Speech

mod'rate
noun
1. a man who walks and talks slowly or lazily.

- John C.L. Morgan

Election '08: Introducing Phil Bartlett, Maine Senate #6

Full Name
Philip L. Bartlett II
Political Party
Democratic
Birthdate
September 24, 1976
Hometown
Gorham, Maine
Family
Wife, Susan
Daughter, Abigail
Religion
United Church of Christ
Current Occupation
Attorney
Education
JD, Harvard Law School
BA, Economics & Political Science, Tufts University
Professional Experience
Attorney, Scaccia, Lenkowski, Aranson & Bartlett
Associate, Ropes & Gray LLP
Law Clerk for Chief Justice Leigh Saufley, Maine Supreme Judicial Court
Political Experience
State Senator, Maine Senate
Military Experience
None
Association Membership(s)
None
Address
141 South Street, Gorham
Website
www.philbartlett.com
Phone Number
839-7827

Click here to see if Phil Bartlett will be on your ballot on Tuesday, November 4, 2008.

- John C.L. Morgan

Election '08: Introducing Phil A. Csoros, Maine Senate #6

Full Name
Phil A. Csoros
Political Party
Republican
Date of Birth
July 6, 1966
Hometown
Lewiston, Maine
Family
Wife, Tammy
Children, Mark, Constance, Elaine, and James
Religion
South Portland Church of the Nazarene
Current Occupation
Pilot, American Airlines.
Education
M.B.A., Finance, Walden University
M.S., International Relations, Troy State University
B.S., Aircraft Engineering Technology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Professional Experience
AC-130 Gunship Pilot, U.S. Air Force
Political Experience
Town Councilor, Gorham, Maine
Military Experience
U.S. Air Force
Association Membership
Member, Gorham Economic Development Corporation
Coach, Gorham Recreation Department
Member, Children’s Council at the South Portland Church of the Nazarene.
Address
28 Black Brook Road, Gorham
Phone Number
415-9010

Click here to see if Phil Csoros will be on your ballot on Tuesday, November 4.

- John C.L. Morgan

L.L. Bean Gets Onion'd

Via Maine Politics, here's the Onion News Network's, um, news story on African-Americans' eighty-year boycott against L.L. Bean.

- John C.L. Morgan

Quote, Unquote

"Only enemies speak the truth; friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty."

- A character in Stephen King's novel The Gunslinger.

Unconsitutional

In honor of Constitution Day, I present Barney Fife's, er, recitation of that document's preamble.

On a more serious note, I recommend the National Constitution Center.

- John C.L. Morgan

Election '08: Introducing Tim Driscoll, Maine House of Representatives #126

Name
Tim Driscoll
Political Party
Democratic
Birthdate
November 20, 1956
Hometown
Calais, Maine
Family
Tina, Jacquie, Mallory, Lindsay
Religion
Catholic
Current Occupation
Emergency Room Registered Nurse, Mercy Hospital
Education
AAS Nursing, Westbrook College
AAS Occupational Health and Safety, Central Maine Community Center
Professional Experience
Registered Nurse, Mercy Hospital
Political Experience
Representative, Maine House of Representatives
Westbrook School Committee
Westbrook City Council
Westbrook Zoning Board of Appeals
Westbrook Board of Assessment Review
Military Experience
U.S. Navy, 1976-1980
Association Memberships
Friends of the Presumpscot
Emergency Nurses Association
Westbrook Democratic City Committee
Address
111 Monroe Avenue
Website
www.westbrookdems.com
Phone Numbers
856-7014
232-5026

Click here to find out if Tim Driscoll will be on your ballot on Tuesday, November 4.

(Editor's Note: Tim Driscoll's opponent, Kevin Crocker, did not respond to my requests for biographical information.)

- John C.L. Morgan

Full Disclosure: My father has contributed to Tim Driscoll's campaigns in the past in the form of a $5 check to qualify to be a Clean Election candidate.

Sawin'

On Location: Scouting on the Green

When I was in junior high school, I faced a dilemma: Do I attend school dances on Friday nights, or do I skip the opportunity to sit on the outskirts of Wescott's gym and pray for one slow dance in order to attend Boy Scouts meetings? Considering I readily admit I'm all ax, no lumber, I'll let you venture a guess about my choice.

Flipping through my 1990 edition of the Boy Scouts Handbook, I now realize that I regret that decision. I regret not soaking up the practical skills and experiences the organization has to offer. Moreover, I've acquired a new appreciation for the Boy Scouts' emphasis on a brand of conservation and environmentalism that dovetails nicely with Rooseveltian (as in Theodore) ethics. So it's sad to write about the sparsely-attended exposition of one of Westbrook's two Boy Scout Troops. And even sadder to read about the depth to which the Boy Scouts of America have been thrown (or have thrown themselves) into the fires of America's culture wars.

On Saturday morning, Boy Scouts Troop 81 gathered at Westbrook's civic capital, Riverbank Park, and hosted a "Scouting on the Green" exposition. The troop, which has made it a habit to camp out at the park and prepare a pancake breakfast during Westbrook Together Days, is now starting a tradition of hosting an annual display in which various skills are shown off and adventurous experiences are talked about in an effort to attract interest and therefore bolster the troop's membership rolls.

On Saturday morning, for example, the Boy Scouts showed off their tent-pitching skills by erecting a canvas shelter while blindfolded. And they used a century-old two-man saw to display the old-fashioned method of teething the wood for winter. They even appealed to their own tastebuds by making homemade vanilla ice cream to complement the root beer they'd whipped up and bottled using vintage Coke bottles.

Unfortunately, though, when I dropped by around 10:30a, the expo, which started at 9a, had not yet attracted one visitor.

According to Dick Chretien, Troop 81's Scout Leader for thirty-four years, active recruitment for the troop is necessary, as there are ten teenagers in his Boy Scout troop and only eight boys in his Cub Scout troop. When pressed for possible reasons for his troop's relatively low numbers, Chretien supplied two theories: Busy kids and politics. Now, busyness and an assortment of other reasons for a reduction in an association's membership are familiar fare for this Robert Putnam reader. But I pressed Chretien on the politics angle, and he mentioned the Boy Scouts' exclusionary policy regarding homosexuals, agnostics, and athiests as being possible factors. Chetien cited only one personal experience in which the Boy Scouts' politics explicitly affected whether a boy would become a member of the Boy Scouts or not (Chretien said he'd tried to recruit a young man living in his neighborhood, but the boy's mother balked because of the Boy Scouts' policies), so I was taken aback by the prevalence to which the Boy Scouts is now linked with homophobia and religious intolerance.

In an ultimately fruitless attempt to research the membership trends of the Boy Scouts of America, I Yahoo'd various combinations of "membership" and "Boy Scouts". But each time I was bombarded with webpages full of court cases, lawsuits, and all the other goodies associated with a good, old-fashioned battle in America's culture war.

Which is too bad, because my Handbook contains some really great advice about winter camping.

- John C.L. Morgan

Full Disclosure: My father has been involved with Troop 81 since I was a Cub Scout back in the day, and my youngest brother is currently working toward his Eagle Scout as a member of the troop.

A Closer Look at the Casella-Westbrook Agreement

Courtesy of Leslie Bridgers's fine article in the American Journal and an informative e-mail from Westbrook City Administator Jerre Bryant, here's a quick review of the agreement between Casella Waste Systems and the City of Westbrook:

- The free curbside recycling program Casella Waste Systems will provide for Westbrook residents slated to begin next October will cost the company $540,000 each year over the next 20 years.

- The City of Westbrook's municipal solid waste tipping fees, described by Bryant as the cost of disposing the city's trash, will be reduced from $94.50 per ton to $68.50 per ton. According to Bryant, the $55,250 savings this reduction in tipping fees will generate is an estimate based on the city's current volume of trash (6,500 ton), coupled with the anticipation that the city's volume of waste will be reduced by 20-25% as a result of the recycling program.

- Casella Waste Systems has agreed to fund the construction of a left-turn lane and related road improvements on County Road. Westbrook City Engineer Eric Dudley estimates the cost of the construction to be $317,483, according to Bryant.

- The City of Westbrook has agreed to pay for an extension of the public sewer line on County Road. According to Bryant, the sewer line currently ends at Ledgeview Drive, so the City will extend it 850 feet to the current entrances of Winward Petroleum and to the proposed entrance of Casella's proposed development at 610 County Road. Bryant writes that City Engineer Eric Dudley has estimated the cost of the sewer extension to be $258,063.

- And finally, according to Bryant, all the buildings, equipment, and land involved with the Casella project will be taxable. Moreover, Bryant writes, "[t]he 70+ acre parcel is currently assessed at $841,500 with a 2008/09 property tax bill of $12,984.35," but he's unable to project what the new property value and tax bill will be after construction.

The Westbrook City Council will vote on final approval for the agreement on Monday, September 22.

- John C.L. Morgan

Election '08: Introducing Robert S. Morrill, Maine House of Representatives #125

Name
Robert (Bob) S. Morrill
Political Party
Republican
Birthdate
February 18, 1947
Hometown
Portland, Maine
Family
Wife, Martha
Children, Jessica (Morrill) Sheets, Julie Morrill and Jaclyn Morrill
Religion
Catholic
Current Occupation
Director of Client Relations, First Suburban Title Services
Education
High school, one year of college
Professional Experience
Director Marketing, Autowize Auto Parts
Vice President of Operations, Emery Waterhouse
Director of Customer Service and Distribution, Sebago Shoe
Political experience
Westbrook Planning Board
Westbrook Housing Authority
Westbrook Rent Justification Board
Military Experience
U.S. Air Force, 1965 – 1969
Association membership
Board of Directors, Mortgage Bankers Association of Maine
Address
260 Conant Street
Website
None
Phone Numbers
856-6613
807-8036

Click here to see if Robert S. Morrill will be on your ballot on Tuesday, November 4.

- John C.L. Morgan

Election '08: Introducing Ann E. Peoples, Maine House of Representatives #125

Name
Ann E. Peoples
Political Party
Democratic
Birthdate
January 31, 1947
Hometown
Westbrook, Maine
Family
Husband, Patrick
Children, Briana, Terry, Gavin, Kevin, and Kimberly
Grandchildren, Evan, Ainnir, Kyle, Lex and Fennel (Editor's Note: Another grandchild, Max, has joined the Peoples family since the 2008 elections.)
Religion
Catholic
Current Occupation
Telephone provider, Pine Tree Network
Education
BA, University of California
Professional Experience
Process Technician and Employee Communication, S.D. Warren
Branch Office Administrator, Edward Jones Investments
Political Experience
Representative, Maine House of Representatives
Westbrook City Council
Westbrook Planning Board
Military Experience
None
Association Membership
Westbrook Woman's Club
Address
22 Garfield Street
Phone Number
856-7264

- John C.L. Morgan

Paging Lynne Truss

River's Edge Deli, a local convenience store relocating from Bridge Street to Main Street, currently boasts a sign at its new location that attempts to remind passerby that the owner of River's Edge already has Main Street experience in the form of River's Edge Deli's antecedent, Fruiti's Deli.

Alas, the sign reads "formally (sic) Fruiti's Deli," which inspires a couple questions: Does how one refers to the deli (River's Edge or Fruiti's) depend on the fanciness of one's dress? Or does the diction and accent one uses when verbally referring to the shop determine whether it should be referred to as River's Edge or Fruiti's?

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook on the Tube

WMTW reported on Westbrook Police's increased efforts to fine drivers who fail to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk, an increase in vigilance this frequent pedestrian welcomes.

And WCSH was on the scene at Westbrook's memorial service to commemorate the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. (Blogger Tony Bessey was also on the scene and has a few photos from the event.)

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Politics: September 15- September 19, 2008

Monday, September 15
Casella Waste Systems neighborhood meeting
Westbrook Public Safety Building, 570 Main Street
6:30p
FMI

Tuesday, September 16
Westbrook Planning Board meeting
Westbrook High School, Room 114
7p
FMI

- John C.L. Morgan

Song of the Week

The song of the week is the Poor Valley Salvation Society's "Leaning."

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Almanac: September 7- September 13, 2008

Week-to-Date:
High: 79F (September 7)
Low: 42F (September 11)
Precipitation: 2.23 inches
Previous Sunrise: 6:19a
Previous Sunset: 6:55a

Month-to-Date:
High: 88F (September 4)
Low: 42F (September 11)
Precipitation: 6.02 inches

Year-to-Date:
High: 88F (September 4)
Low: -5F (January 4)
Precipitation: 43.26 inches

Source: National Weather Service

- John C.L. Morgan

American Journal One-Liners

Gloria Noyes, a fifth-grade teacher at Congin School, was named the 2009 Maine Teacher of the Year.

Agreement between the City of Westbrook and Casella Waste Systems would bring a solid waste transfer station to County Road and a curbside recycling program to Westbrook residents.

City of Westbrook and its employees agree to a labor contract.

- John C.L. Morgan

Did You Know?

Did you know the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) has named Westbrook High School's Olmsted Field the Field of the Year in the High School and Parks & Recreation division twice since 2000?

Indeed, the STMA considered Olmsted to be the best high school football field in America in 2000, and it named it the best high school soccer field in the country in 2003.

Named in honor of George Olmsted, a president of S.D. Warren who contributed $150,000 toward its original construction mid-1960s, the field was renovated in the late 1990s as part of an $800,000 facelift for the high school's athletic complex.

- John C.L. Morgan

9/11 Memorial Scheduled for Tomorrow

A memorial service to remember the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 will take place at Riverbank Park tomorrow at 5:45p.

- John C.L. Morgan

Noyes Named Teacher of the Year

Gloria Noyes, a fifth-grade teacher at Congin School, was named the 2009 Maine Teacher of the Year earlier today.

Noyes is the fourth Westbrook teacher to win the award since 2000.

(Update: WCSH has video from the event.)

- John C.L. Morgan

On Location: 19 Monroe Avenue

I.
"On television, the quarterback peers out into the distance within the narrowed frame of the midfield camera and for a moment everything seems possible; the viewer can't know if there's a wide-open man fifty yards deep or if there is nothing ahead but despair--four men crowding two receivers, who aren't even bothering to wave their arms. The drama of the game on TV lies in finding out."

- Adam Gopnik in his New Yorker essay entitled "The Unbeautiful Game."

There are four types of sports in America: Those that are enjoyable only on television, those that are enjoyable only when viewed live, those that can inspire enjoyment whether watched on the tube or with the naked eye, and those that are just not enjoyed, whether they are on TV or live.

Now, depending on your seats, baseball and basketball fall into the third category. Scenes from Fenway Park and the TDBanknorth Garden are equally splendid whether one is sitting on her couch here in Westbrook, Maine or in one of Fenway's cramped seats. Hockey, on the other hand, is a sport that must be experienced live to gain appreciation for its allure. As for soccer, well, despite my affection for the sport both live and televised, it is not well-regarded by many Americans, regardless of whether they're on their couches or in a stadium seat. So that leaves football, the sport that was made for television, even if the medium had not yet reached its maturity when the sport was founded.

Almost every autumn Sunday afternoon (or, as increasingly bleary-eyed Patriots fans know, Sunday or Monday night), my wife and I (and now Eleanor) make our weekly pilgrimmage to my parents' home on (sniff) Monroe Avenue to watch that week's Patriots game. The scene: A spread of food and beverages bountiful enough to almost always inspire a private promise to start dieting tomorrow (it will be Monday, after all); a fifty-two-inch television displaying the game; a computer monitor bearing the oft-updated stats for the clan's fantasy football league (more on that later); and a collection of Patriots paraphenelia that, besides showcasing the family's sporting allegiences, also inspires strange superstitions (one of my uncles has developed the nervous tic of repeatedly jabbing the top of a Tom Brady bobble-head doll with his finger whenever the doll's namesake faces a big third-down or a similarly sticky game situation). And, of course, there's also a constant din of conversation that, while largely consisting of friendly banter (read: biting harassment about everything going on in each other's lives), occasionally erupts into hollers for joy and high-fives all around or vulgarity-laced howls of disgust culminating with a hat chucked at the TV screen.

In other words, who needs Gillette Stadium when you've got (your address here)?

II.
If the iPod is the culprit for the triumph of the single over the album, fantasy football must be blamed for the dominion of the player over the team.

True story: During a Patriots game late last year, our usually rambunctious crew on Monroe Avenue was silent after Tom Brady delivered a strike to the endzone. The reason for the deafening silence? Identification of the receiver was delayed by poor camera angles, so everyone was forced to peer closely at the TV to figure out if the receiver was on their fantasy team. Moreover, the silence continued even after the receiver of the touchdown pass was identified because it was Jabar Gaffney, the one Patriots receiver not stocked on someone's fantasy team.

To be sure, our uncharacteristically quiet reaction was cultivated by a season in which Patriot touchdowns were plentiful and, therefore, ho-hum. But it can mostly be attributed to the fantasy football phenomenon that forces us to cheer for players even when they're playing against the Patriots, while also causing us to remain silent for a Patriots touchdown because the scoring player didn't generate any points for our fantasy teams.

- John C.L. Morgan

Sign It

Westbrook's golden boy Rudy Vallee is the subject of a signature-collecting drive designed to affix the late crooner/actor's face to a commemorative stamp produced by the U.S. Postal Service.

There's a website devoted to the effort, and you can sign the petition in less than one minute here.

- John C.L. Morgan

Hat tip: Marian Peterson of the Walker Memorial Library.

Wanted

Via WMTW, Bustlin' Bill Baker's crew pounded the pavement Monday to round up about 11 people with arrest warrants attached to their names. The drive is part of an effort to arrest about 300 people with arrest warrants.

(Update: WCSH and the PPH also have a story on the sweep.)

- John C.L. Morgan

Hat Tip: Stacy Tucker-Stanley

Hon. William B. Bragdon, Westbrook's Fifteenth Mayor (1919)

Programming Note: Election '08

Beginning next Monday, I'll be profile the various candidates seeking to represent Westbrook in the Maine House of Representatives and the Maine Senate each week until Election Day on Tuesday, November 4. Below is the schedule I'm aiming for:

Mondays: House of Representatives, #125
Morrill, Bob (R)
Peoples, Ann (D)

Tuesdays: House of Representatives, #126
Crocker, Kevin (R)
Driscoll, Tim (D)

Wednesdays: Senate, #6
Bartlett, Phil (D)
Csoros, Phil (R)

Thursdays: Senate, #9
Brannigan, Joe (D)
McGee, Nick (R)

To find out who'd represent your particular swath of the city, click here ("SS" refers to the Senate seat, and "SR" refers to the House seat). And if you have a particular question you'd like me to ask the candidates, please e-mail me at riverbank_republic@yahoo.com.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Politics: September 8- September 12, 2008

Monday, September 8
Westbrook City Council meeting
Westbrook High School, Room 114
7p
FMI

Song of the Week

The song of the week is Sean Mencher's "Dark Eyes."

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Almanac: August 31-September 6, 2008

Week-to-Date:
High: 88F (September 4)
Low: 53F (September 3)
Precipitation: 3.79 inches
Previous Sunrise: 6:11a
Previous Sunset: 7:07p

Month-to-Date:
High: 88F (September 4)
Low: 53F (September 3)
Precipitation: 3.79 inches

Year-to-Date:
High: 88F (September 4)
Low: -5F (January 4)
Precipitation: 41.03 inches

Source: National Weather Service

- John C.L. Morgan

Top 10 Local CDs: August 25-August 31, 2008

Here are the Top 10 Local CDs for the week of August 25-August 31, courtesy of the Portland Phoenix:

1. The Wrecking, "A New Abolition"
2. Dead Season, "When Everything's Lost..."
3. Dead Season, "Rise"
4. Jan Broberg Carter, "Swift Justice"
5. Dominic and the Lucid, "Season of the Sun"
6. As Fast As, "Destroy the Plastique Man"
7. Bill Chinnock, "Badlands"
8. Jerks of Grass, "Come on Home"
9. Darien Brahms, "Number 4"
10. Prospect Hill, "For the Lovers and the Haters and the Dead"

The list was compiled from Bull Moose Music.

- John C.L. Morgan

Swollen Presumpscot

Tony Bessey has posted a photo of Saccarappa Falls after the remnants of Hurricane Tropical Storm Hanna swept through Westbrook yesterday.

- John C.L. Morgan

Statehood in One Minute

Sharon Cummins does a great job packing some of the history of Maine statehood into a short article.

Though mostly written with Wells's longtime opposition to statehood in mind, the piece does a great job touching upon the underappreciated Coasting Law and the politics that surrounded Mainers' drive for independence. Just one quibble: Her explanation of "Brunswick Arithmetic" is too vague and undefined, so I'll have to brush up on my Ronald Banks to fully understand the controversy again.

Nevertheless, a must-read.

- John C.L. Morgan

Subtle Signs of Fall

The signs of an expiring summer are delicately evident. Golden streaks melt across the pale blue sky, and my windows, though still open, must be shut soon to defend against the autumn chill now creeping into our nights and mornings. Speaking of open windows, Earl Cutter's play-by-play commentary of the Blue Blazes' opening football game rides the cool breeze from Olmsted Field to my living room.

Who needs a radio when you live within one-half mile of Olmsted Field?

- John C.L. Morgan

P.S. Portland just jumped out to a 7-0 lead. And Westbrook just returned the subsequent kickoff for a touchdown and added the extra point to make it 7-7.

Quote, Unquote

To mark the beginning of the school year, I thought I'd provide words of advice to the incoming freshmen who undoubtedly sprint home from school each day to read this site couldn't care less about this site, courtesy of the Class of 1939's list of "Freshman Do's and Don'ts":

"Don't stare at statues in the Main Room for more than five minutes per glance. Respect upper classmen. Don't try to think--you can't. Don't loiter behind doors in mixed company."

Something tells me the Class of 2009's advice to the Class of '12 would be a little more, er, colorful.

- John C.L. Morgan

P.S. The source of that quote is the program from a Freshman Reception held on October 7, 1938.

Putting Maine Literature on the Map

The PPH published its Literary Map of Maine Sunday morning, but instead of bragging about my status as a, um, contributor to the project (I know I plucked the quote from E.B. White's One Man's Meat, but I can't recall if I wrote the summary for the book), I'll provide a link to this great public service.

Anway, my reading list (and hopefully yours) just got a little longer.

- John C.L. Morgan

You Know You're a Geek When...

Excuse me while I channel my inner Jeff Foxworthy: You know you're a geek when you're licking your lips in anticipation of a "State of the Presumpscot" report.

- John C.L. Morgan

Paper City Minute: Woodlawn Cemetery

Footage from Woodlawn Cemetery on Stroudwater Street.

- John C.L. Morgan

Where Do Artists Live and Work?

Riverbank Arts Festival

Unless you've driven on Main Street with your eyes limited strictly to the gray corrider, you'd know the annual Riverbank Art Festival is on Saturday, from 10a-4p.

The Bakery Photographic Collective, Ingrid Bathe, Chaya Caron, Mary Kearns, Carrissa Larsen, Susan Orfant, Kari Radasch, and Terrill Waldman are just a few of the artists displaying (and, hopefully, selling) their work.

And The Frog and Turtle will provide grub, while the Cajun Aces will fill the air with sweet music.

Or something like that.

- John C.L. Morgan

Laborious

In honor of Labor Day, it would be worthwhile to listen to "Remembering Mother Warren," a thirty-minute award-winning documentary about S.D. Warren's remarkable history in Westbrook.

Broadcast by Maine Public Radio in 2003, the WMPG program was produced by Michael Hillard, Claire Holman, and Jessica Lockhart; narrated by Thomas Lestage and Paul Drinan; and was awarded first place in the Public Affairs category in the 2004 Maine Association of Broadcasters News and Creative Awards.

Anyway, I bet you can't look at a peeled banana the same way after listening.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Almanac: August 24-August 30, 2008

Week-to-Date:
High: 83F (August 25)
Low: 50F (August 26)
Precipitation: 0.02 inches
Previous Sunrise: 6:04a
Previous Sunset: 7:18p

Month-to-Date:
High: 83F (August 25)
Low: 49F (August 20)
Precipitation: 6.28 inches

Year-to-Date:
High: 87F (June 9, July 8, July 17, July 19)
Low: -5F (January 4)
Precipitation: 37.24 inches

Source: National Weather Service

- John C.L. Morgan

River Runs Red

If the Presumpscot River turns a reddish hue next week, it (probably) does not mean Westbrook is at war with Falmouth.

The watery crimson will instead be a result of a dye-tracing study intended "to track the rate of flow and dispersion of water" in the river.

- John C.L. Morgan

Westbrook Teacher is a Finalist for Teaching Award

Gloria Noyes, a fifth-grade teacher at Congin School, is one of four finalists for the 2009 Maine Teacher of the Year award.

The winner will be announced at a surprise school assembly in September.

- John C.L. Morgan

Did You Know?

Did you know Westbrook High School was the second school in Maine to implement a Chinese language program? Only the Maine School of Science and Mathematics has an older Chinese language program than Westbrook High, which started its Chinese program in 1997.

There are now 16 schools in Maine with a Chinese language program.

- John C.L. Morgan

Movies at Riverbank

(Courtesy: Suzan Norton)

On Location: Movies at Riverbank

(Editor's Note: The Westbrook Historical Society and the City of Westbrook co-sponsored a public screening of The Palm Beach Story underneath the stars in Riverbank Park on Friday evening. Below is a quasi-review of the movie.)

In one of his memoirs, Rudy Vallee compared his casting as John D. Hackensacker III in the Palm Beach Story to the hypothetical (and unorthodox) casting of Marlon Brando in a Charlie Chaplin re-make, baggy pants and derby cap included.

The seemingly strange casting of Vallee aside, here are four (random) thoughts about the movie:

• Despite the film censors' apparent attempts to scrub similarities between the fictional John D. Hackensacker III (Rudy Vallee) and the real John D. Rockefeller III from the movie, the former is clearly based on the latter. Besides the similar names, there are the numerous references to vast inherited wealth, a New York heritage, and the reference to his grandfather being considered a "burglar" (read: Robber Baron). It should be noted, however, that Hackensacker's philandering sister is evidently based on one of Preston Sturges's ex-wives, not Rockefeller's sister, Abby.
• The film's portrayal of blacks is often cringe-inducing. Blacks only played the roles of stuttering and stammering porters who--when they weren't butchering the English language (one porter mispronunced yacht twice, muttering "yatch-it" each time)--were on the receiving end of the white characters' meanness [besides the one porter who almost became target practice in the Ale and Quail Club's drunken shooting fit, another was on the receiving end of an unneccessary and uncharacteristically cold scolding from Geraldine Jeffers (Claudette Colbert)].
• The movie is well-written. Despite a flimsy plot and an unsatisfactory ending, the movie's dialogue is witty and smart. Which is good, considering it has been deemed the seventy-seventh funniest movie by the American Film Institute.

And finally, Rudy Vallee could afford to laugh about the unorthodox casting as John D. Hackensacker III: The role won him the National Review Board 's Best Actor of 1942 award.

- John C.L. Morgan

(Disclosure: I was involved in the planning and showing of the movie.)

Dahlin, Torres to Play at Warren Memorial

Emilia Dahlin and Vanessa Torres will be performing at Warren Memorial Library (WML) Friday night to kickstart the 2008-2009 WML Women in the Performing Arts series.

The concert begins at 7p and is free.

- John C.L. Morgan

Stroudwater Place Workshop, First Reading Scheduled

According to Westbrook City Council President Brendan Rielly (D-Ward 1), the City Council will host a workshop devoted to the Stroudwater Place contract zone on Monday, September 22. And, Rielly wrote in an e-mail, he anticipates the first reading of the contract zone will occur on Monday, October 6.

Rielly did warn the dates could change, but "that's the plan at the moment."

- John C.L. Morgan