‘Acoustic Dogs’ Sold On The Portland Waterfront

John Mayhew, 'Acoustic Dogs', offers the photographer a delicious dog, while Jay Bird, sometime musician there, looks on.

By Carol McCracken

It was a hot dog, mustard and soda kind of day today.  Sunny and warm and a good day to be outside.  Business was up for John Mayhew, owner of Acoustic Dogs, with his hot dog cart at the juncture of SailMaine and Portland Yacht Services on the waterfront.

But the miserable recent weather has put a lid on the number of dogs Mayhew has sold this season.  “People just don’t come out when the weather is like it has been,” said Mayhew.  He hopes to make up some of that lost revenue if the weather improves in the near future.

Mayhew used to own a Deli in Windham so he’s no stranger to the food business.  He’s planning on adding new food to his menu of dogs, chips and sodas until he finds the right balance for his many patrons in the area.

In the meantime, you may hear Mayhew say:  “Free dogs for sale here!”  It got lots of chuckles and some unexpected sales.

Casco Bay’s Naval Role in WW II Subject of Two Summer Lectures

By Carol McCracken

Portland Harbor Museum and Maine Historical Society are hosting a two-part lecture series on the U.S. Navy in Casco Bay during World War II.  They are free and open to the public.

“On January 24, 1941, the U.S. Navy designated Casco Bay a fleet anchorage and authorized the establishment of a U.S. Naval frontier Base in Portland.  The Frontier Base soon grew to be a U.S. Naval Station operated by thousands of sailors and serving hundreds of vessels; the Army and Navy secretly designated Portland as the most important naval base in the United States….” says the promotional material from the two non-profits.

The two lectures are:

Wednesday, July 15, 7 pm   Naval Shore Activities in Casco Bay. Lecturer is Joel Eastman, Professor of History Emeritus, University of Southern Maine 

Wednesday, August 19, 7 pm.  Naval Sea Activities in Casco Bay.  George Stewart, Retired Naval Officer

Both lectures are at  the Lecture Hall at Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress Street, Portland.

Public Lecture Series on Wind Energy Starts at Gulf of Maine Research Institute – 7/9

By Carol McCracken

The public is invited to attend a series of free lectures on  “emerging challenges and opportnities in the Gulf of Maine” hosted by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.  “GMRI” is located at 350 Commercial Street in Portland.

The schedule and topics of the lectures are as follows:

JULY 9 The Gulf of Maine is the Saudi Arabia of Wind – Governor Angus King, Independence Wind

AUGUST 13 – How Does  a State Take the Lead in Ocean Wind? – Lessons from Rhode Island and New Jersey.  Chris Wisseman, Deeptwater Wind.

SEPTEMBER 10 – The Challenges and Opportunties for Maine to Emerge as an International Ocean Energy Leader – George Hate, Ocean Energy Institute.

OCTOBER 8 – Grid Scale Renewable Energy:  Lessons from Europe – Speaker to be Announced.

NOVEMBER 12 – Community Wind on Maine’s Islands:  Lessons from an Early Wind on Vinalhaven and North Haven.  George Baker, Harvard Business School and Fox Islands Electric Cooperative

These Sea State Lectures are free and parking is provided in GMRI’s adjacent parking lot.  SEATING IS LIMITED, so please RSVP in advance.   Please call Patty at 228-1625 or email:  lectures@gmri.org

The Sun Shimmers On A Soggy Hill & ‘Incredible’ Fireworks Bring Cheer To Hill On Fourth of July!

Mega-yacht - 'Grits' - from St. Vincent & The Grenadines

Brian Durham, narrow gauge steam engineer

Grucci’s of New York Fourth of July Fireworks

By Carol McCracken

There were two highly anticipated light displays in the skies over the Greater Munjoy Hill area over the passing holiday weekend.  The first was the re- emergence of the glorious sun on Friday and the other, the ‘incredible’ fireworks display on the Eastern Promenade on Saturday evening, July 4th.

As usual, the Eastern Prom was packed with people of all ages and from different cultural backgrounds.  Many came expecting an unusually good fireworks show this year.  That’s largely because of the pre-holiday promotion by the city for this year’s producer.  Grucci’s of New York was the producer of the show for the first time.  The show began prompatly at 9:25 p.m. even as the audience was still arriving.  It featured a Broadway Curtain Call Opening, scenes of color and special effects. Grucci Grand Illuminations and the Milky Way Grand Finale.  Grucci’s was responsible for the Salt Lake, Athens and Beijing Olympics fireworks programs in the past.

Everyone seemed enthusiastic about the production on the Hill’s Eastern Promenade.  There were rave reviews from everyone MHN spoke with.  Barbara Libbey said: “They were incredible.  The best I’ve seen on the Hill and I’ve seen lots of them here.  The color coordination was especially outstanding.”  However, she did express concern as to the appropriateness of spending so much money on the event when so many people are out of work.  Barbara, who is a gaphics designer in Boston, was visiting her mother who lives on the Hill.

The long weekend began on Friday, July 3rd which for many was a day off from work.  That’s when people began arriving on the Portland waterfront.  Whether people arrived by train or by yacht, Commercial Street was crowded by folks eager to absorb the first rays of sunshine following weeks of rain and cold along the east coast.  “It didn’t take much – just some blue sky to cheer everyone up,” said Sarah Foshay, marina manager  of DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant on Long Wharf.

In many places on the Hill, the power went out in mid-afternoon, but according to employees at the 7Eleven on Washingon Avenue, it was restored by 6:00 p.m.

Sunny weather, backyard parties and outstanding fireworks brought good cheer to many  Hill residents.

First Anniversary For Munjoy Hill News: Takes A Long Weekend Off To Look For Sunshine!

"Did You Say You Saw The Sun Shining Somewhere?"

By Carol McCracken

Just so you know, today, June 30th, marks the first anniversary of the Munjoy Hill News!  The year started with a promise to proivde readers with community news in a light manner that does not take itself too seriously.  I think MHN has done a pretty good job of that.

It seemed like a good idea at the time since there was a scarcity of really local news about the Hill.  Things change.  Since last summer, “The Portland Daily Sun” has emerged with lots of hard sought after local news.  More recently, the “Portland Press Herald” has refocused itself to cover more local news than it did previously.  With all this local coverage, the good news is that there appears to plenty of news to go around!  MHN has found no scarcity of news; it has posted over 200 articles since beginning last June 30th. 

Most importantly, however, I want to thank each one of you who has been so supportive of what I’m trying to do here on this blog.  You know who  you and I believe you know how much it means to me personally.   I also want to thank each of you who already has or will in the future trust me enough to tell your story – hopefully as you want it told.  If you haven’t already figured it out from reading the blog, MHN has tried to be apolotical and focus on the other cultural aspects of the Greater Munjoy Hill Area!  There are plenty of other publications to cover the local political scene and MHN leaves it to them, happily.

With all of this said, MHN has given itself a Long Fourth of July weekend off – beginning now!  If you see a patch of sun somewhere, MHN will prbably be right in the middle of it – trying to soak it up.

Enjoy the Fourth and MHN will be back online after the Long Weekend!

Carol McCracken, Editor

Munjoy Hill News

ca10cken@aol.com

Cutter Gambo Prepares For Scientific Expedition To Greenland – July 10 – With International Crew Aboard

Skipper Nolwenn Chauche & First mate Stephen Bate Pose In Front of Gambo's Keel

By Carol McCracken

MHN recently had the thrill of sitting in the cabin of the seaworthy cutter Gambo with her skipper and first mate.  The three of us were looking at a chart of Greenland spread out on the cabin table.  They were explaining the purpose of their upcoming expedition to western Greenland.  The Gambo is scheduled to leave Portland Yacht Services (”PYS”) at the bottom of the Hill on July 10.  Or it could be earlier than that as well.

The skipper is Nolwenn Chauche, 33, a Frenchman who is an experienced seaman having sailed with his parents in the Atlantic for years.  He admits to suffering an occasional bout of sea sickeness but takes nothing for it.   The first mate is Englishman Stephen Bate, 22, whose first experience with sailing just concluded. That’s when the two and the rest of the crew, now disbursed, sailed this 45 ft steel boat from South America to Portland Yacht Services.  The crew left Uruguay on April 2nd and arrived at PYS on June 17th.  MHN spotted this massive working boat as she was hauled out of the waters at PYS and was placed in her cradle there on the 17th.

Dr. Alun Hubbard owns the Gambo.  He is a lecturer of glaciology at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales.  Recently he purchased Gambo to sail to Greeland to assist in the measuring of the speed with which the glacier on the western side of Greenland (near Umanak) is breaking up.  Crew members will put cameras on the sides of the glacier and use GPS to determine how the glacier moves.  This equipment will be in place for 2 seasons.  Then in 2010, the Gambo will return to put in place more and different equipment and pick up the data that will have been collected over this year.

The Gambo will be anchored far off the glacier and the crew will go ashore in dinghies.  They will have to climb up the sides of the glacier to put the equipment in place on the glacier.  They don’t know how far a distance that will be yet.  Dr. Hubbard is currently in Greenland doing preparatory work for this data collection research.  Most of the funding for this research comes from Great Britain and NASA.  First mate Bate said they expect it will take 2 – 3 weeks for the Gambo to reach Greenland; it depends largely on the weather conditions they encounter along the way.  It’s summer there now and it’s daylight all the time.  The temp should be around 40 degrees.

Both Chauche and Bate are graduate students overseas.  The skipper is working on his master’s degree in physics and chemistry in France.   Chauche said he needs to back in France by September 1 to continue his studies.  He has been assured of a flight back home by a supply plane that flies into Greenland regularly. Bate is doing graduate work in quaternary science in London.  That is the study of historical climate change in the last 2 l/2 million years.  This earnestly hardworking duo is preparing hard for the expedition to Greenland.  Their first project begun just moments after arriving at PYS on June 17th was to remove the old engine in preparation for replacing it with a new 65 horsepower engine which is to arrive tomorrow.  Covering the deck with foam to make it slip-proof at sea is another priority on their extensive to-do list before setting sail on July 10th.

The two don’t know yet  just where the return voyage will land.  It could be back here in Portland, the St. Lawrence River or in northern U.K.  Dr. Hubbard will determine that later on in the expedition.  One thing is for sure- there are a lot of unknown factors on this     expedition – mostly weather related.  For example, the skipper said that, generally speaking,  the Gambo needs to leave Greenland by mid-September to avoid the buildup of ice and the dangers tha would present for Gambo.   But it’s for sure that this bright and impressive ‘in every way’ team is working diligently to minimize as many of those unknowns as humanly possible.

Sprague, who manages the marina at PYS says he hopes the Gambo will return to his marina at the end of their expedition this summer.  He’s doing everything he can to make that happen.

“It’s fun to have Gambo in the yard because it’s the cutting edge of science – that is climate change.  The connection between the Bowdoin and Maine’s tradition of Artic expeditions are very close.” said Spague.  “The Gambo will be following in the tradition of the Bowdoin to the Artic. The Bowdoin made 28 research trips to the Artic before becoming the training ship for the Maine Maritime Academy.”

Please google Dr. Alun Hubbard and/or Gambo for more information.

‘Fence’ Cutting Ceremony For Path Between Ft. Allen Park & Waterfront Trail – 7/1

"PT" employees Diane Fabian-Smith & Jamie Parker Put Finishing Touchs On New Stone Path - Both Live On the Hill

By Carol McCracken

The public is invited to a ‘fence’ cutting ceremony on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at Ft. Allen Park near the Portland House on the Eastern Promenade.  The fence to be cut is the one that separates the Portland Trail along the waterfront from the Park itself.  The ceremony begins at 10:o0 a.m.   Councilor Kevin J. Donoghue is expected  to speak.

“We’ve all been using this path all these years so it’s nice to make it safe and attractive,” said Jamie Parker, trail manager for Portland Trails.  The 400 ft. path is made of stone steps with a bench almost mid-way from which to enjoy the waterfront view.  At the bottom of the path an 8 ft. split rail fence will be set up to break the exit of people leaving the stone path before reaching  the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum & Co. tracks.

The enire path is expected to be completed and ready for use by the annual  Fourth of July celebration on the Eastern Promenade.  That annual celebration usually draws about about 50,000 people.

Planning Board OK’s Wind Anemometer Amendment – Next Stop – City Council Next Month

John and Judith Rastle; Pauline Daniels Residents of Eastern Promenade Opposed Wind Study at EECS.

By Carol McCracken

The planning board voted last night to approve an amendment  to forward to the city council for its consideration and action in July. If approved, the amendment would be added to  most zones in the City of Portland.  Its possible inclusion will prepare the way for alternative energy proposals that probably will be submitted to the City in the future.

Although the vote was unanimously in favor of the ”text amendment” regarding wind anemometers, not all board members agreed with it as written.  Planning Board member and Hill resident, Joe Lewis, has children attending the East End Community School.  He expressed concern that an anemometer could fall over and injure children attending the school or other people in the area.  

During the public comment time, residents of the Hill spoke out on both sides of the issue.  George LaPoint who has children attending EECS supported the wind anemometer study. Another Hill resident with children attending EECS,  John Mahoney supported the amendment saying “there are impacts with oil as well as wind power.  There are no health issues with anemometers,  just wind turbines.”

Residents of Promenade Towers on the Eastern Promenade and near the School, have opposed this project  from the start.  A petition opposed to the anemometer was signed by 64 residents of Promenade Towers and delivered to the city during the day.  It asked the Planning Board not to approve the amendment to allow the wind study because: (1) The tower and guy-wires are a safety risk to children and the neighborhood, (2) It would be an eyesore and (3) It ’s a precursor to a permanent wind turbine – too close to many residents in the area.  The president of the PT board, Jim Zafirson, spoke in opposition to the anemometer study as did another resident John Rastl, also a board member. He pointed out that if the study is unsuccessful, then a lot of money will have been wasted.

Temporary chair Lee Lowry II said approval of this amendment would be an “enabling” thing for the future of Portland.  “Although this amendment was triggered by two projects, East End Community School and one on Peaks Island, this amendment does not apply to specific sites.  Technology is constantly changing and in the future may be a lot smaller.”

The City is in the process of researching and writing an ordinance which is expected to be completed this fall.

Did You Know…………………………..(7)

By Carol McCracken

that starting back in the 1880s, Peaks Island was home to a major amusement park?

It may be difficult to imagine that today with all the summer cottages dotting the Island, but it’s true.  The late John K. Moulton, well-known local historian, says this and much more in his book, “Peaks Island – An Affectionate History.”  The book is available at the Portland Public Library if you want to learn more about it.

Greenwood Gardens on Peaks southerly end was the center of the amusement area. It opened on the 4th of July in 1887 and provided lots of entertainment every day.  There was a Garden Opera House among the other attractions.  Later,  The Gem was erected on another part of the island.    It was a roller skating rink which ran very successfully for a dozen or so years.  In  1898, it was converted into a theater  and  became the first summer stock theater in Maine.  The theater opened  with a seating capacity of 1,600.  However, following World War I, the theater faltered and was destroyed by a fire in 1934.

Transportation to Peaks started in 1851 with regular steamboat service and was never a problem for the Island.  As Moulton points out:  “For example, in 1898, Casco Bay Lines carried 450,000 passengers to the islands – at least half of these to Peaks Island.”

Because of the arrival of electricity and other modern conveniences on the Island,  in 1910 summer cottages began to spring up around the Island. For the next twenty years or so, the Island became more of a long-time summer colony that an amusement park.  This trend continued until World War II when summer cottages dominated and the days of the amusement park were gone.

In many ways, Peaks Island once resembled a quieter and smaller version of Old Orchard Beach than you’d probably  have suspected!

New Collaboration Starts – For FREE Disposal Of Derelict Fishing Gear

Reps. From Covanta Energy & National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Pose With Mayor Jill Duson

By Carol McCracken

The Fish Pier on a rain drenched Commercial Street was the backdrop for an announcement this afternoon that fishermen will now be able to dispose of their derelict fishing gear with no cost to them or to the City of Portland.  Until now, it was costly for fishermen to dispose of old ropes, traps and metal equipment in landfills.

There are now two bins on the Pier where fisherman can dump their unwanted equipment into in order to avoid associated costs.  The program called “Fishing For Enerbgy,” turns collected material into clean, renewable energy by Convanta Energy at its Massachusetts facility.  The metal equipmenet will be processed separately by Schnitzer Steel Industries for energy as well.

Mayor Jill Duson said that Portland is proud to be the first fishing community in Maine to collaborate with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program, Covanta Energy and Schnitzer Steel Industries. “Fishing equipment, if it becomes derelict, can threaten marine life, impair navigational safety and cause serious and costly problems for coastal communities like Portland.”  Hopefully, “Fishing For Energy,” will encourage fishermen in our waters to collect debris as they come upon it and bring it to the Fish Pier for handling.

Theresa Torrent-Ellis, a senior planner for the Maine Coastal Program in Augusta, said there’s no way of knowing just how much derelict gear there is off the waters of Maine.  The State has run several pilot “grappling” programs to determine that number.  It hopes to receive Fedeal funding to continue this program.