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Poet Longfellow Is Ready For Christmas!
By Carol McCracken (Post # 351)
For the 37th consecutive year, Marie Trott and her family will be hosting their Christmas Party for children between the ages of six months to eight years old. This traditon is held in the basement of the Root Cellar at 94 Washington Avenue; Saturday, December 19 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. It will happen with support from the community – that is!
About 100 children are expected to attend this year which is the largest number ever. Domino supplies pizza, pepsi is supplied with hot dogs and potato chips as well by others. Each child receives a new toy given to him by Santa Claus when he arrives toward the end of the party.
However, this year Trott and her family are finding it much more difficult to raise the cash needed to rent the Root Cellar basement and to come up with new toys needed to be certain that each child receives a gift of comparable value. If you are in a position to help the Trott family with either new toys or cash, please get in touch with Marie at 772-8799 or drop off a gift at her home at 27 Merrill Street on the Hill.
“We will do this somehow, I’m not just sure how right now,” said a determined Marie Trott early last night. She’s the founder of the Munjoy Hill Mother’s Club. “This is the hardest its ever been,” she added.
Lee Farrmington, chef and owner of FIGA restaurant
By Carol McCracken (Post # 350)
Due to the record high amount of interest on the MHN blog concerning the opening of FIGA, it seems an update is appropriate!
Although the brown wrapping paper is down from the windows at Figa, the restaurant still has a hurdle to jump before it can legally open its doors. Lee Farrington, chef and owner, said this afternoon that required inspections of the property are imminent. Following that, she expects a series of soft openings ending in possibly a Grand Opening on New Year’s Eve.
Plans are still evolving, so details can change. However, the interest is high!
Please visit previous post # 346, dated December 8th for background info.
Holiday Decorations On The Hill
By Carol McCracken (Post # 349)
The steps of First Parish Church, 425 Congress Street, will be the backdrop for a Copenhagen Candelight Vigil tomorrow, Friday, December 11th at 6:00 pm. Maine Interfaith Power and Light is hosting the event.
Its intent is to call upon world leaders in Copenhagen to take action on climate change. The public is invited to attend the candlight vigil to call on leaders from around the world to take action, find consensus and finish a global climate change treaty.
For more information, please call: 207 721-0444 or email info@meipl.org
Megan Shute Shoveling A Mix Of Snow And Water
By Carol McCracken (Post # 348)
The City of Portland has announced its first parking ban of this season starting tonight at 6:00 p.m. It ends tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. The parking ban will allow city crews to remove snow from today’s storm and clear streets for parking. Residents whose trash collection day is Thursday are asked to wait until tomorrow morning, 6:30 a.m., before placing tash and recycling at the curb for pick-up.
Vehicles left on the street will be towed at the owner’s expense including tow fee, impound fee and cost of a ticket and all outstanding tickets. Vehicles will be towed to the city’s impound lot located at the Ocean Gateway International Marine Terminal on Commercial Street. (Phone number is 774-3025)
There are a number of places people can park at no charge during a parking ban including Cutter Street lots off the Eastern Prom. A drive by performed around 4:00 pm of Cutter Street showed that many car owners had gotten the word and already were parking their cars on Cutter Street.
Peter Knight is on the city’s parking ban email list said: “I’m surprised there is a parking ban tonight. It’s more of an inconvenience ’cause the roads are getting cleaned off by all the rain we are now having. Jenna Quartaro, who was walking back to Beckett Street from parking her car on Cutter Street said she likewise was surprised at the parking ban. Hopefully, though it will clear the streets to make parking much better, she added.
One store employee on Congress Street said the 6:00 pm ban is a real inconvenience for store employees as well as though delivering food and supplies to them.
Meanwhile, shoveling more water than snow in front of her newly purchased building at 42- 44 Congress Street was Megan Shute. “It seems more like rain than snow,” she said laughing. Megan is a R.N. at Mercy Hospital.
Residents and visitors to the city can sign up online at www.portlandmaine.gov, call the parking ban hotline at 879-0300 or check the Time and Temperature sign for up-to-date postings on the parking ban.
John and Brendon Ready
By Carol McCracken (Post # 347)
Monday evening the city council gave the green light to Ready Seafood to move their seafood business to the Maine State Pier. The terms of the contract call for a 3 year, non-renewable lease at $100,000 per year for about 9,000 sq. ft.
The Ready Seafood Co. was established five years ago by two brothers on Hobson’s Wharf behind Becky’s Diner. The business has outgrown its current location and after a thorough search could find nothing that met their business needs as well as this location at the bottom of the Hill. Gregory A. Mitchell, Director, of the city’s Economic Development Office, said that he and the Ready brothers have conducted an exhaustive search for private property which might be able to accommodate this growing company. They were unable to find such a location.
Councilor Cheryl Leeman, chair of the Community Development Committee, told John and Brendon Ready Monday evening that she was “excited about having revenue come into the city from such reputable people.” She added: “We don’t know what will happen on the pier in the next 3 -5 years, but we want this company to remain in Portland.”
Ready Seafood Co. hopes to move into the new location early next year.
Rose and Tim Olmsted
By Carol McCracken (Post # 346)
Last night the city council granted the owner of the long-anticipated FIGA Restaurant on Congress Street a liquor license. All this means is that “we are closer to opening than we were before,” said Dudley Irwin, Sous Chef who lives on the Hll. Lee Farmington, chef and owner of the Restaurant was formerly a chef at the popular UFFA! Restaurant.
All recycled wood has been used in the interior for tables. The seating benches are pews from the former Chestnut Street Church. The rest of the recycled wood is all from Maine buildings said Farrington. The light fixtures are most attractive and unique. There is seating for between 27 – 32 which includes the bar area. All in all it looks like a very warm and charming atmosphere for what Farrington hopes will be a popular neighborhood restaurant.
“When the brown paper comes down from the windows is when we will open,” Farrington said this summer. Until that happens, it’s possible to get a glimpse of the interior progress in between the brown paper wrapping.
Please visit www.figarestaurant.com for details.
Dan McGovern
By Carol McCracken (Post # 345)
Dan McGovern established an online seafood news letter a few years ago. It’s been so successful that now he’s looking to expand his business. A resident of the Hill, Dan has lived all over the world including the west end of Portland, but moved to the east end several months ago.
His daily newsletter is distributed to the food industry all over the country; that includes supermarkets, restaurants, food producers, non-governmental organizations and state and federal regulatory bodies. Dan’s newsletter goes out to 4,500 addresses daily and he receives 70,000 page views a month. About 15 of his subscribers are companies that purchase “site licenses” from him. That’s so that all of their employees can read his newsletter at their convenience. One such company is US Food Service, the second largest food distributor in the country with 28,000 employees. All of the computer and telephone work required to keep pace with food industry news, keeps Dan pretty well tied to his desk on the Hill. “I’m a one man show,” he said recently at the Hilltop Coffee Shop. Please visit www.sustainablefoodnews.com for more information.
But Dan doesn’t want to remain a “one man show.” That’s why he’s actively looking for an investor for his online newsletter. That would allow him to hire editorial and sales staff. He wants a reporter who knows all of the rules of being a reporter. “My role has been the same for the past 2 – 3 years. Now I want to grow the business,” he said last week. Because he’s the only reporter, he’s faced with unavoidable “conflict of interest” rules. He doesn’t solicit potential advertisers because of the possibility of the appearance of a conflict of interest that he could favor his advertisers in his articles. He doesn’t solicit for subscriptions either, which cost $299. a year.
With a qualified reporter, Dan would be free to develop deeper relationships with his clients; a must in business today. He already travels to conferences, trade shows, meets with CEOs and speaks at some of these conferences. His expanding role in his business would create additional jobs as well as free him up to grow the business. In an economic environment in which entrepreneurial activity is expected to play a large role in our economy’s recovery rather than revitalizing old industries, the affable Dan is on track for a role in that process.
Dan also has a website called Sustainable Tourism Today at www.sustainabletourismtoday.com which is still being developed.
By Carol McCracken (Post # 344)
If you didn’t already receive the memo, the public should be forewarned that the city ban on parking cars on city streets will start earlier this year than in previous years; the ban begins at 6:00 p.m. and continues until 6:00 a.m. the next morning. In previous years, the parking ban has not begun until 10:00 p.m.
Failure to get your car off the city streets by 6:00 p.m. will result in towing and all the costs resulting in that including impound fee, ticket cost and all outstanding tickets must be paid before the car is released back to the owner. Vehicles will be towed to the city’s impound lot located at the Ocean Gateway Internatioal Marine Terminal at 14 Ocean Gateway Pier. The phone number is 774-3025.
In order to receive the latest on the parking ban, the public is encouraged to sign up online at www.portlandmaine.gov. to receivfe email notices from the city when a city-wide parking ban is implemented. This year people can also get updates through www.facebook.com or receiving tweets from www.twiwtter.com. People can call the parkinf ban hotline at 879-0300 or check the time and temperature sign for up-to-date postings.
For Hill residents, one of the closest off street parking locations are the Cutter Street lots (off the Eastern Promenade).
Woof Woof To All!
By Carol McCracken (Post # 343)
There are so many calendars for sale this time of the year, that MHN decided to go out on a limb and promote one of her favorites: DOGS OF MUNJOY HILL 2010. What’s so much fun about the calendar, is that all the dogs photographed are ones that dog owner and photographer Barbara Feltes sees when she’s out walking her own dog around the Hill.
One of the ‘feel good’ features of this Dog Calendar is that all proceeds after printing expenses are paid, will be donated to the Animal Refuge League in Westbrook. In fact, some of the dogs featured in the calendar were adopted from the Westbrook shelter itself. One good turn deserves another.
Lucy is a basset hound/beagle that Annie Muller adopted from the Animal Refuge League three years ago. “Lucy” is an escape artist,” says Muller. She takes off so often that Muller, owner of “Awful Annie’s Pub” on Congress Street started putting a sign in front of her Pub to alert folks of her escape. Annie says that she gets loose and can’t find her way home because bassets “keep their noses to the ground.” Lucy is also deaf complicating her situation. By the way, Lucy is “Miss March” on the calendar. There are lots of funny Lucy stories which space does not allow MHN to reproduce here – just ask Annie! “Everbody knows Lucy,” said Annie recently over the telephone.
Snickers is another dog spotlighted in the calendar who is from a rescue group. His owner, Devon Wojcik, adopted him from the Beagle rescue group Tall Tails. He’s eight years old. Devon adopted him just over a year ago now. “He’s a great pet,” Devon says. Snickers was his oiriginal name and Devon now has become accustomed to the name. “After all, the name suits him. He looks like a candy bar,” Devon said recently grinning. Snickers came from a large and busy familhy in the area that just couldn’t seem to fit him into their busy life style. Snickers is “Mr. October” in the Calendar.
Other dogs featured in the calendar came from breeders. Zip, “Mr. September” is one of those dogs. Already accustomed to fame, his picture was blown up in the window of “Fetch” for a long time. “Fetch” is the popular pet supply store that Kathy Palmer owns at 195 Commercial Street. (Did you know that Fetch originally was located on the Hill on Congress Street?) According to Kathy, she found Zip through Uncle Henry’s from a nearby family that breeds Pugs. He’s now nine years old.
Speaking of “Fetch” that is one business where animal lovers with a charitable intent this year can pick up a copy of the calendar. Another business is Eli Phant on Congress Street, near the bottom of the Hill. Pip, a Belgian Shepard, has his photo in the calendar as well. He belongs to Sara and Peter of Eli Phant. Each calendar is only $10.00 a piece. And remember that $4.00 from each sale benefits the Animal Refuge League of Westbrook.
“WOOF, WOOF To All From Cover Dog, Putty!
By Carol McCracken (Post # 342)
The public is asked to donate new, unwrapped books and toys for children in need on Friday, December 4th, from 11:30 am – 5:30 pm on Elm Street in Portland.
This event is part of METRO’S “Stuff A Bus” annual program. The first 100 people to donate a gift tomorrow will receive a free bottle of Capt’s Eli’s Root Beer.
Please visit portlandmaine.com for more information.
