By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer

Area seniors who received Meals on Wheels were presented with a red rose and handmade card on Monday to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
“I can’t remember the last time someone gave me a flower,” South Portland resident Marilyn Benner said. “It’s so beautiful. I’m going to look at it all day.”
Volunteers of the Southern Maine Agency on Aging in Scarborough delivered 750 roses.
“Lorraine Merrill and her husband, Fred, used to own the F.I. Merrill Company in South Portland,” said Susan DeWitt Wilder, foundation relations’ manager. “She died in 2003 and left a bequest to the agency in her will, part of which provides roses to Meals on Wheels recipients for Valentine’s Day.”
For more than 35 years, the Southern Maine Agency on Aging has been a resource for information, programs and services for seniors living in Cumberland and York counties.
A Maine-registered dietician approves Meals on Wheels menus and food is prepared in USDA-inspected kitchens.
“Each meal meets one-third of the most recent US dietary guidelines,” Wilder said. “Meals are prepared fresh and ready to eat when convenient for participants.”
Wilder said there is no waiting list to receive Meals on Wheels.
“This is not an income-limited service. It is for people, generally 60 and older, who are homebound and need nutritious food,” Wilder said. “It’s possible to receive meals for a short period of time during convalescence after returning from the hospital or a rehabilitation facility.”
There is no income eligibility requirement for Meals on Wheels. A recommended $3 per meal donation is asked to keep the program going; however, no one will be turned away if they are unable to give at the suggested rate, Wilder said.
“I look forward to Terry’s (McNamara) visit each week,” Walter Jacobsky said. “It’s not just the food, it’s a chance to say hello to someone.”
McNamara recently started as a volunteer with Meals on Wheels, delivering food once a week around South Portland.
“The hardest part is finding my way around the area,” McNamara said. “But the people sure do appreciate it and that makes it all worth it.”
Meals on Wheels depends on more than 300 volunteers to help organize and deliver its meals to nearly 2,000 individuals throughout York and Cumberland counties.
“The important “check in” by a community volunteer with agency on aging backup provides much more than a nutritious meal,” Wilder says.
Liz Angel, South Portland site coordinator since 2006, said she loves working with the seniors.
“It’s a very rewarding job to know that you have affected someone’s life in such a positive way,” Angel said. “The food is essential; the rose and card are the little extras that make them feel special.”

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer

Sewage will go down as rates go up for Cape Elizabeth residents.
On Monday, the Cape Elizabeth Town Council unanimously approved a 4.5 percent increase in sewer rates, raising the rate of $37.70 for the first 100 cubic feet of measured water usage to $40 and $4.95 for each additional 100 cubic feet to $5.10.
The increase is the first of four annual rate increases approved by the council to help fund recent updates to the Southern Cape Treatment Facility on Spurwink Avenue and ongoing efforts to curtail overflow near the Ottawa Road pump station.
The overall increase by 2015 will be 20 percent, an increase of $11 to the average monthly sewer bill of $53.
Cape Elizabeth is sharing the $4 million project at the Ottawa Road pump station with South Portland, which also uses the station.
“Rather than do sewer rates in one big jump, the town council has looked at it more long term,” said Town Manager Michael McGovern.
It is the second sewer-rate increase approved by the council in the last four years. In 2008 the council approved incremental rate increases through January 2011.
“It was known it would not be enough, once these two projects got going,” McGovern said.
The $2 million Spurwink Avenue treatment plant project upgraded the 25-year-old facility to virtually eliminate overflow during heavy rains, when sewage bypassed the facility and went untreated into Peabble’s Cove.
“Now that happens almost never, as opposed to more often than we would have liked,” McGovern said.
The second project attempts to mitigate similar overflow problems at the Ottawa Road pump station.
“One of the first steps of the proposed mitigation plan is to identify sources of water infiltration into the system,” said Robert Malley, public works director. “We need to do some data collection, we need to do some house-to-house surveys to find out if there are sump pumps connected to the system, because that’s where a lot of the flow is coming from.”
Cape Elizabeth’s share of the project is estimated at $2.5 million.
McGovern is proposing that most of the money come from a $1.8 to $2 million, 15-year bond to be issued in 2014.
“I am also recommending that $500,000 to $700,000 of the cost be funded with existing sewer-fund balances,” McGovern said. “The bond will also require $150,000 for annual amortization costs.”
The town, city of South Portland and Portland Water District are waiting to hear if the Maine Department of Environmental Protection will accept the mitigation proposal, Malley said.
Cape Elizabeth’s topography contributes to a sewage disposal cost that is higher than in neighboring communities,” McGovern said. “Rises, valleys and ledge make for pleasant scenery, but also make it harder to get sewage to the treatment facility. We have more pump stations than the entire city of Portland.”
The approved increase that will take place over four years begin March 1 with a 4.5 percent increase; March 1, 2013, with a 5.7 percent increase; March 1, 2014, with a 5.4 percent increase; and March 1, 2015, with a 3.8 percent increase.
Sewer connection fees would remain at $4,000, as it has been since 2010.
According to McGovern, 2,200 of the 3,800 homes in Cape Elizabeth are hooked to the sewer system.

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer

Short-term rental of residential properties will undergo Cape Elizabeth Planning Board review, beginning with a board workshop Feb. 27.
The draft amendments to the zoning ordinance, crafted by the town council’s ordinance subcommittee and recommended to the full council, were referred to the planning board at the council’s meeting Monday. Councilors voted unanimously to advance the document for board review, the next step in the ordinance review process.
“It’s really more of a procedural move we make tonight,” said Councilor David Sherman, a member of the ordinance subcommittee. “It doesn’t mean everybody here is endorsing the draft as proposed by the ordinance committee. I think the idea is to follow the process.”
The amendments are in answer to complaints about properties in residential neighborhoods being rented as vacation spots. Noise, parking, disrespect for property and lewd behavior are among complaints from neighbors in recent years.
The draft regulations would require a permit from the town for any rental of less than 30 days, and establish specific standards for parking; total number of tenants; and number of tenants per bedroom on properties smaller than 30,000 square feet, approximately two-thirds of an acre. The standards would not apply to properties where the owner is present, or is living next door.
Residents who spoke at the meeting said the amendments are not enough to preserve the integrity of single-family neighborhoods where these short-term rentals are occurring.
“What single family has 12 people in it?” asked Patty Grennon of Sea Barn Road. “My home of 32 years is now flanked by houses that are rented short term.”
One of the draft standards limits the total number of tenants for a short-term rental at 12, plus no more than half the total number of tenants as day guests.
“I sympathized with those who rent their properties to raise money for property taxes,” Grennon said. “However, those generating more than $100,000 from high-turnover rentals go beyond paying taxes. These short-term rentals are businesses operating in residential neighborhoods.”
Restrictions that govern bed-and-breakfasts, adopted by the council in 2009, are absent from the short-term rental standards and several speakers called for the draft standards to define “single family”; to outlaw rentals for less than one month; and to define “nuisance.”
Jim Huebener, a Kettle Cove Road resident, said the draft standards go too far. 
“Regulations should not apply to my short-term rental property because I live next door, and I believe it’s unfair to regulate the entire town to address complaints that have come primarily from one house,” Heubener said. “Ordinances are already in place to deal with noise and with parking. I just don’t see the need for this. In short, I think this is a solution in search of a problem.”
The ordinance committee held six meetings on the draft standards since September 2011 and heard more than 100 citizen comments during that time.
Councilor Jessica Sullivan said it is a “tough issue” and lauded the work of the ordinance committee to come up with reasonable solutions, even if some think they do not go far enough.
“This is brand new territory for this town and I think a measured approach is important,” Sullivan said. “It has to be remembered that anything that is ultimately finalized affects everybody in the town.”
Other councilors said they also saw the regulations as a first step, and supported sending the draft to the planning board for further review.
“It may come back to us in the same form or it may look very different,” said Councilor David Sherman.
The board is scheduled to discuss the draft at a workshop 7 p.m. Feb. 27 at town hall. The board will then schedule a public hearing and will send its recommendation back to the council, which will also hold a public hearing before adoption.

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer

 Parking is a heated topic of discussion among business owners in the Knightville area, as diagonal parking spots between the rotary and C Street will be gone, replaced by parallel parking on both sides of Ocean Street.
“This would be devastating to my business, and businesses around me,” said Tom Smaha, owner of Legion Square Market.
The Ocean Street project, a $1.44 million utility upgrade that includes sewer separation and catch basin removal, new gas mains, new water mains, sidewalk improvements, landscape enhancements and paving, will force the reconstruction of 1,300 feet of Cottage Road and Ocean Street from April to September.
“I want to go on the record as a long-standing businessman in this community of being totally opposed to this,” Smaha said at a South Portland City Council workshop last Monday night.
“The market has been at 101 Ocean St. for 70 years and people who shop at Smaha’s aren’t likely to parallel park when pull-in parking is available up the street at Hannaford, and other pull-in spots are just too far away for my customers.”
Smaha said people aren’t going to carry their groceries two or three blocks.
“It’s not going to happen,” he said.
The current parking configuration has been in place since the late 1990s, when the Casco Bay Bridge replaced the old Million Dollar Bridge, altering traffic patterns in Knightville. Those who spoke Monday were not anxious to see a return to previous parking alignments.
Business owners were also upset they hadn’t been given more notice of parking changes. Many claimed to have not been aware of the spot-shuffling plan until late January.
“I had been approached about the upcoming road work generally, but never specifically about changes in parking,” said Michael Drinan, owner of real estate and property management firm Drinan Properties. “To the best of my knowledge, neither had any other members of the Waterfront Market Association, a group of businesses aimed at promoting Knightville and Mill Creek. The very nature of parking is going to change - this could be the death knell for some businesses down there.”
Councilors, sympathetic to the business owners’ concerns, gave little indication they are willing to delay the project’s planned start this spring, but did indicate a willingness to examine parking more closely.
“The project is attractive because it gets done in one construction season what could normally take years,” Councilor Tom Coward said. “The merchants are not happy with what’s happening and I think we should look at it. But that doesn’t mean we should hold the thing up.”
Councilors Rosemarie De Angelis and Tom Blake also said they think more conversations could be held about the business owners’ parking concerns, but Mayor Patti Smith said one vision for the neighborhood could mean less of a need for parking, as Knightville orients itself for pedestrian, bicycle and public transportation traffic.
“I support this project because it re-imagines Knightville,” Smith said.
Jim Higgins, owner of Higgins Carpet One, calls it “pie in the sky bad thinking” that some councilors have a vision for the Knightville community to become a pedestrian, walking and shopping area.
“This is a suburban area, not an urban area,” Higgins said. “We all own automobiles. In 21 years of business at this location, I’ve had only three customers who have either walked or rode their bike to my store to buy carpet.”
Business owners who spoke at the workshop praised the project itself, which began last year with new sidewalks on Ocean Street by Mill Creek Park, construction of the Mill Creek Transit Hub and renovation to the city hall parking lot. Last year’s project also included elimination of several storm water catch basins. That work will continue on Cottage Road and upper Ocean Street this year, as the city filters runoff from the sewer system, which has caused the system to overflow during heavy rains.
This year’s sewer separation project is designed to divert rainwater out of the sewers and directly into Casco Bay. Even with a major reduction of combined sewer overflow points in recent years – from more than 20 to six – more than 14 million gallons of raw sewage spills into Casco Bay each year, because the sewer system cannot always handle storm water surges.
Following a water main break in front of the post office last summer, the city decided that, as long as the streets were dug up, Unitil should get a chance to upgrade its gas lines, while the Portland Water District would replace its 8-inch water mains, some of which date to 1892.
However, while those details have been known for months, business owners say they were shocked to learn of a new wrinkle following a Jan. 23 council workshop.
“That was the first we’d heard of plans to reconfigure downtown parking spaces,” Higgins said. “There was no committee process or input from the business owners or residents.”
Dan Riley, senior project manager for Westbrook-based Sebago Technics, the firm hired to oversee the work, said although parking spaces will be reshuffled, there would be no net loss of spots in the district. Moreover, he added, the change would make room for motorcycles and scooters.
“The angled spots can’t remain because they are three feet too short by current city ordinances,” Riley said. “Pulling in the sidewalks to make room would be a poor design aesthetic, as well as an irritant to snow removal.”
Riley said that parking spots lost by the change merely move across the street, or, at the most, no more than 800 feet up Cottage Street from their present locations.
De Angelis had little sympathy for Smaha and others that their customers “can’t parallel park.” She also shot down a suggestion that the city build a parking lot in the Knightville area, directing drivers instead to the side streets.
“It is not the city’s responsibility to buy parking lots for businesses,” De Angelis said.
Smaha has posted a petition against the parking changes, currently signed by more than 150 local people, stating that although they support the overall goals, “removing and or replacing the diagonal parking spaces will be harmful to the businesses and residents located in the area.
Smaha hopes this petition will get the city of South Portland to work directly with area residents and business owners to consider options and alternatives to the removal of the diagonal parking spaces.
“And to cease its work on this particular piece of the overall project until city officials, area residents and business owners have has an opportunity to work together to consider and discuss other options,” Smaha said.
City Manager Jim Gailey said any delay to the proposed April 15 start date of construction could cost the city up to $675,000 in state and federal grants, if that pushed completion of the project into 2013.
“There’s no guarantee that money would be available next year,” Gailey said.
Drinan said people are taken aback by the complete lack of communication and outreach by the city.
“It seems to me this project is being driven by grant money that has a time frame,” Drinan said. “This has been presented to us as a fait accompli. We just hope that, moving forward, the city will consider anything it can do to help our businesses. We can survive short term, but we’re very concerned about the long-term impact this will have.”
Amy Alward, who runs the Allstate insurance branch at 95 Ocean St., said she is worried the parking changes will put an end to what has been a booming business.
“My business is growing exponentially,” Alward said. “I don’t want to be forced to move out of this area, especially because I provide jobs, benefits and high salaries for this area.”
Drinan said the city is enacting some changes that could very well drive out some longstanding businesses.
“This parking issue and the lack of communication is really unusual for this city because there was no meaningful dialogue with the merchants,” said Bob O’Brien, a vice president at Noyes, Hall & Allen insurance. “That really caught people by surprise. We didn’t know this was coming. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here today.”
O’Brien said he knows this project is a big deal for the city, understands the value of the project itself and is looking forward to the end product.
Like O’Brien, Melissa Coriaty, owner of Verbena, is looking forward to all the great changes the (Ocean Street) project will bring to the area when it’s completed.
“I am focusing on the positive,” Coriaty said. “I just want to stay open and hope the construction and parking changes don’t effect my business.”

Staff Writer Michael J. Tobin can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219.

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer

CLYNK, a South Portland recycling company, helps transform redeemable bottles and cans into environmental and social action.
CLYNK will hold the first-ever Maine Recycles Championship, a statewide competition that will raise money for schools, while encouraging children and their communities to recycle.
“We were working on development of recycling curriculum for schools when we got the idea to “game-ify” it by creating a friendly competition,” said CEO Clayton Kyle. “Hannaford Supermarkets, together with CLYNK, is sponsoring the competition.”     
Schools that sign up for the championship will compete to collect the most bottles and cans (per enrolled student) between Feb. 26 and April 29. Prizes will be awarded to schools in two   tiers: 400 students or more, and fewer than 400 students. One winning school in each tier will receive a grand prize of $2,000; second  place will get $1,000; and third place will receive $500.
“And, of course, each school will receive every nickel it earns during the competition,” Kyle said. “Reactions to the challenge have been very positive because the program is so easy to use and the fund-raising potential is significant. We know the impact that kids can make on the environment if they learn to recycle while young.”
Twenty-four schools have signed-up and Kyle hopes for 100 total schools to participate.
“This is sort of a homegrown story,” he said. “It’s just a story that shows a little Maine ingenuity and a little environmental success story.”
Offered through 46 Hannaford supermarket locations in Maine, CLYNK is a bottle redemption system “whose mission is to make recycling easier, offer educational resources focused on recycling and to show customers how their personal recycling positively impacts our environment,” said Kyle.   
The company, created by Kyle in 2005, started with three employees and now employs about 50 people. During the summer, business increases by about 40 percent.     
In March 2006, CLYNK opened a pilot center in Scarborough, which was basically a trailer in a parking lot.
“There weren’t even CLYNK bags at that point,” Kyle said. “We eventually developed the ubiquitous green bags, which can also be recycled.”     
In 2007, Kyle’s organization built a stand-alone building to replace the trailer.
“At that point, we were in full partnership with Hannaford Supermarkets,” Kyle said. “They were remodeling the entire Scarborough store, which would include a CLYNK kiosk.”     The South Portland headquarters, which included offices and the sorting plant, was built in 2009 because operations started to expand, and Kyle wanted to be close to Hannaford’s headquarters in Scarborough.     
Kyle said he believes if he can make it easy for Mainers to return bottles and cans, they’ll recycle more.     
“In addition to being quick, easy and convenient, CLYNK is the only bottle redemption system that allows members to create a personal account, accumulate a balance, and then use their money when and however they choose,” Kyle said. “Customers can cash in their earnings, buy groceries, or give to their favorite cause.”
South Portland resident Anne Weiss has been a CLYNK member for three years and said she is more than happy with the system and uses the money to help buy groceries.
“I’m on a fixed income and this extra money helps a lot when I shop,” Weiss said. “I never recycled before but it’s easy. I just wish they had delivery service, it’s not easy walking to Hannaford with the bags of bottles and cans.”     Kyle said CLYNK’s database lets each member track his or her personal environmental impact with graphics that help users understand how much carbon, energy and emissions has been saved.
“We understand the power of data and want to share that information with our members,” Kyle said.
Kyle said the database also illustrates the environmental influence of the nearly 300 million bottles and cans collected since 2006.
“Members have helped community groups raise over $1.1 million since 2010,” Kyle said. “Currently, 375 charities, civic organizations, school and booster groups have participated in the Hannaford Community Cash Program.”
Jane Calloway of Cape Elizabeth said she was “thrilled” with the results a recent fundraiser for her daughter’s school.
“We gave all our neighbors, friends and family green bags with a bar code to fill,” Calloway said. “Once the bag was full, they dropped it off at Hannaford and it automatically went into the school’s fund-raising account. I think my family raised over $100 alone.”
Kyle said he believes in the importance of teaching children to recycle from an early age.
“We have created six educational modules to teach Maine students about the importance and science of recycling,” Kyle said. “Each module comes with a simple lesson guide, which parents and teachers can use at home or in the classroom.”
Ed Crosby, a Boy Scout leader, uses CLYNK to teach Scouts about the environment and the effects of recycling.
“Not only do we learn, but we also raise money for our troop,” Crosby said. “This program has really inspired the boys and they, in turn, are sharing their knowledge with their family and friends.”   

Staff Writer Michael J. Tobin can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219.

Changes in Mill Creek store frustrate shopper

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer

I’m sure you’ve all heard the old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Well, I sure wish the Mill Creek Hannaford had remembered that.
The never-ending renovations have proven to be a shopping nightmare for many. The store has become a big jigsaw puzzle and none of the pieces fit.
The “new” produce area seems smaller and appears to have less selection. Combining the meat and seafood departments doesn’t make sense. They are far less appealing and appetizing in one, too-small area.
And where are all the familiar, helpful Hannaford faces I look forward to seeing when I shop? Suddenly I’m surrounded by corporate suits and dresses who are trying to impress with their clipboards and “think they know everything” faces, while the real employees do all the work and try to make corporate’s bad decisions work.
I was less than impressed when I overheard a corporate man tell an employee to be quiet about the horrid chemical smell that results when they remove and replace floor tiles. Corporate man said he didn’t want the customers to be made aware of it. Made aware of it? Do you think we’re idiots? Of course we can smell it. The real question is how safe is the food after you’ve used it? It makes me wonder what chemicals get into all the uncovered fruits and vegetables, or find their way into the thinly wrapped deli and bakery items.
I wish corporate would post a list of all the upgrades being done and what to expect and when it will be completed. What the heck is taking so long? How long does it take to rearrange aisles so that nothing makes sense and switch around the registers? How long does it take to create a new and exciting look when it actually looks cold and uninviting? And don’t tell me I’m not giving them a chance or should wait to see what happens. I’ve waited and waited, and all I see is confusion and frustration among the customers and employees and corporate big shots trying to look important in little group meetings and occasionally helping a lost senior who can’t find a darn thing.
Of course, Hannaford had to include the pharmacy in its so-called upgrades. I, along with several others, waited over two hours for medicine last week because the pharmacy was learning a new computer system. We were actually told that they couldn’t do anything unless the computer told them to. Really? If the computer tells you to give me the wrong medicine, are you going to do that too? Makes me feel real safe and confident in the Hannaford Pharmacy.
The ultimate stupid change happened this past week. What paid-too-much executive thought having two cashiers at the checkout would be a good thing? I am watching the first cashier checking out the person in front of me, as the second cashier is scanning my items that I can’t see on the usual screen, as it’s being done by a hand-held tool. Sounds convenient, right? Well, then the second cashier hands over the remaining scanning to the first cashier, who hopefully won’t double scan your items that have yet to be bagged. You won’t know because you have no idea what was scanned already, and then the second cashier proceeds to scan the items of the person behind you. You can just imagine what the check out area looks like with everyone’s items all bunched together. This is not convenience, this is stupidity. First, I want to see every one of my items be scanned and appear on the screen in front of me. Second, I am about to spend my hard-earned money in your store and I want your undivided attention.
I feel so bad for all the employees who have to smile and be polite to us. I have talked to many of them and I know they are just as frustrated with the corporate crap as I am. And by the sounds of customers in the store and the comments I read on Facebook, everyone feels the same way.
Change is good, I know that. Hey, if Hannaford were turning our Mill Creek store into something like the beautiful one in Portland, I wouldn’t be feeling this way. But they’re not. They are ruining our store. 
I am trying to keep my business local and not cross the bridge to support those stores. I want to support Mill Creek Hannaford so that all those great employees being abused by the corporate know-it-alls can continue to have a job. I like walking in to my Hannaford, knowing the friendly staff faces and feeling welcome. Why did corporate have to come and mess it all up?

Staff Writer Michael J. Tobin can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219.

Carrots from market were like no other

To the editor:

I finally know what a carrot should taste like. After years of buying carrots at the grocery store and not knowing there was a difference, I bought my carrots from Alewives Farms at the South Portland Farmers Market. Wow! They were so sweet and delicious that I talked about them for a week. Who knew that a carrot that was locally grown would taste so much better than something that comes from far away, grown who knows how, and shipped around the world to sell to us here in Maine?
There is so much more at the market also including great dairy, locally raised meats, tea, homemade soups, crab cakes, baked goods and wonderful organic sunflower oil and seeds. This week there was even live music and friends gathered to chat and pass the time. I drove from Biddeford to come once I heard about it, and now I am moving to South Portland, so I will come every week.
Don’t miss it. It’s held Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the corner of Route 77 and Sawyer Street in the old Hamlin School, but please, leave some of the carrots for me. I am going back!

Nicole Calvert
Biddeford

Buying local comes naturally

To the editor:

On a recent Sunday, I went to the South Portland Winter Farmers Market to buy some eggs; I ended up going home with eggs, cheddar cheese, kale, bath soap, and a pair of Valentine-themed scarves for my aunt’s dogs. All of those items were made in Maine, and I was able to buy them directly from the farmers and artisans who produced them.
Being able to interact one-on-one with the people who make the things I buy is such a nice change of pace: asking them questions, giving them suggestions, making special requests and being greeted by name when I come back every week.
Now that I’ve gotten into the habit of “buying local,” it almost seems strange to do it any other way.

Adrian Dowling
South Portland

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer

An unpredictable Mother Nature forced the two-day South Portland Winter Festival to be rescheduled until Feb. 17 and 18.
“The festival committee determined last Tuesday night that there was not going to be enough snow in the immediate forecast to do all the events scheduled,” said Dan Mooers, chairman of the festival committee of the South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club. “With rain and warmer temperatures predicted, we decided to postpone the fest until next weekend. We also determined that the ice was not as solid as it needs to be and didn’t want there to be any safety issues.”
Mill Creek and Thomas Knight parks will play host to the South Portland Winter Festival, with proceeds used to fund construction of a new skating shelter for Mill Creek Pond.
  Events will begin at 5 p.m. on Feb. 17, with a candle-lighting ceremony and skating exhibition at Mill Creek Park. On Feb. 18, events will begin at 9 a.m. in both locations, and include snowshoe races, curling, hockey, family ice skating and pony and carriage rides.
“What better way to relieve the winter doldrums than to come out to the South Portland Winter Festival and enjoy the host of various entertaining and family activities we have planned for the weekend,” Mooers said. “I really think we could turn this into another signature festival for the Mill Creek area, similar to Art in the Park – a winter event that the city and Mill Creek Park could be proud of in the long term.”
   The club’s festival planners will use snow making apparatus to augment the lack of snow, something that many Maine ski areas do during a snow drought.
  “This equipment will go a long way in augmenting what snow we hope to receive over the next week through natural means,” said Tony Wagner, a past president of the Rotary Club. “That will be important for the festival’s signature event, a snowman-making contest.”
 Other events include a hockey game pitting former Portland Pirates and Maine Mariners against city employees and Rotarians. Local vendors will serve food.
  The festival is free, but there is a nominal charge for participation in some selected activities, including the snowman-making contest that has a $15 registration fee for families and a $25 fee for businesses. Money from the snowman contest and donations accepted throughout the parks will go toward the Rotary Club’s charity fund, from which the $12,000 for the new skating shelter will come.
  “This festival isn’t going to be lacking for exciting and captivating activities,” Marc Mutty, publicity chair of the committee said. “The committee has planned a host of activities that will appeal to the entire family. From the ice-skating show to the horse-drawn wagon rides to the human dog sled race, not to mention the snowman-making competition, there is indeed something for everyone to participate in.”
Staff Writer Michael J. Tobin can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219.

By Michael J. Tobin  
Staff Writer
 
Helping the one in four children in Maine who go to bed hungry because their parents cannot put food on the table is a labor of love for volunteers at South Portland Food Cupboard.
Just ask Sybil Riemensnider, volunteer director of the food cupboard since its inception in 1997.
“To be able to help another individual who is having a hard time is a gift,” Riemensnider said. “Hunger is at an all-time high across Maine. Results from the annual USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) survey on food insecurity show that more than 200,000 Mainers are struggling to access enough nutritious food to live a healthy life.”
The food cupboard, located at 611 Main St., began as a result of the Social Justice and Peace Committee at Holy Cross Church in South Portland.  
“We knew of elderly in our area, living on Social Security, having to chose between medications and food and we made up a list of questions and visited various food pantries in Portland and elsewhere to see how they run their pantries,” Riemensnider said. “We were amazed that, at that time, the elderly were not the focus of their pantries. Food was being thrown away every day; it was really a sin. So we opened our own food pantry and targeted the many subsidized residences in South Portland.”
Riemensnider said clients have to qualify to get assistance from the food cupboard.
“We use federal income guidelines of 150 percent above the poverty level, about $1,300 per month for a single person,” Riemensnider said. “Clients are asked their income per month in their household. We do not make them show pay stubs or other documentation – 99 percent of those who apply meet our qualifications.”
Riemensnider said the food cupboard also delivers once a month to 12 elderly men and women who are incapacitated.
Sixteen percent of our monthly visitors are between the ages of 60 to 95,” Riemensnider said. “Purchasing prescription medication and trying to live on Social Security is impossible for them.”
Other visitors include single mothers, the working poor, those who are temporarily out of a job and those families that face catastrophic medical bills, Riemensnider said.
“The food cupboard is now serving an average of 65 to 85 families a week and in those families are well over 630 men, women and children.” Riemensnider said. “Within these families, 57 percent are children under the age of 12. We provide a week’s worth, 21 meals, of food to up to four members in a family.”
Riemensnider said the food cupboard also has extra food items that are donated weekly and families can chose from these offerings, thereby receiving more than 21 meals.
The pantry opens its doors at 7:30 a.m. Thursdays. Clients are given a number and there are coffee, muffins, doughnuts and various snacks for them to eat while they wait to start at 8:30 a.m.
“Clients then go to an interviewer, where they are logged in to a computer and given a listing of available food items to select,” Riemensnider said. “This list of checked off food items goes to the cupboard’s volunteers who fill their bags with the foods selected. While this is being done, clients go out into the hall where there are 15 tables covered with perishables, vegetables, pastry and bread.”
The food cupboard has 45 to 50 volunteers, including children from Holy Cross School’s seventh and eighth grades, who come weekly to assist clients, Riemensnider said.
The food cupboard is funded by donations from the city of South Portland, civic organizations such as the Rotary Club and Lions, credit unions, banks, businesses, schools, churches and individuals. 
“Although we have our own 503C nonprofit status, St. John the Evangelist Church does not charge us rent or utilities,” Riemensnider said. “We have so blessed to receive the quantity of foods collected in various food drives and the monetary donations received throughout the year. The community of South Portland has supported our efforts 100 percent.”
Current needs include peanut butter, jelly, soups, canned fruit and gluten-free foods, Riemensnider said.
Riemensnider said volunteers have devised a system where they freeze, refrigerate and take great care of the quality and quantity of perishable food items they pick up from stores.
“My background is microbiology. I am a stickler for safe and proper handling of food and have a certificate of safe handling from the Good Shepherd Food Bank,” Riemensnider said.
With a 110 percent increase in clients this past December, compared to December 2010, Riemensnider worries that If Gov. Paul LePage has his way, program cuts and welfare reform will be devastating for all food pantries. 
“Right now we all are struggling with the increase of men and women out of work,” Riemensnider said. “These cuts will make life for so many overwhelming and we will see our number of clients increase. Cuts in services lead in most cases to real human suffering.”
Sandy Jones of South Portland, a mother with two small children, recently lost her job and is making just enough money to pay rent for their one bedroom apartment.
“I am trying to keep my home and pay what bills I can until I get another job,” Jones said. “I am so tired but the food cupboard is a huge help to me. It means my kids have something to eat for at least one or two meals a day. I will go hungry myself before I let my kids starve. Thank God for Sybil and the people at the food cupboard.”

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer

Love is a many splendored thing for Sally Neilson of South Portland, and other local romantics who shared their thoughts on the upcoming day of love.  
“I met my husband when I was in high school and we have been together ever since,” Neilson said while grocery shopping at Hannaford. “We celebrate our 48th wedding anniversary in May and all four of our kids will be there with their families. I have been truly lucky, I know that. My husband really is my one and only Valentine.”
Neilson said her secret to having a long and successful marriage all these years is compromise.
“Oh, it’s not always easy, especially when you really want something one way and he wants another,” Neilson said. “The real trick is to get him to accept what you want without him thinking it was your idea. I’m pretty darn good at that.”
Neilson’s husband, Walt, said “kids” today don’t know what real love is.
“It’s too easy to give up and move on to someone else without trying to make it work,” Walt Neilson said. “In my day, you worked things out through the good times and the bad times. It wasn’t always easy but it’s worth it.”
Sally Neilson said they would go out to dinner for Valentine’s Day and stop somewhere for a special dessert that isn’t on their diet.
Jack and Cathy Mosher of South Portland remember when they decided to get married.
“We had been living together for almost three years and we were both afraid that making the final commitment would change things,” Cathy Mosher said while standing outside the post office. “But we finally decided to take the plunge and now we’ve been married for almost two years.”
Jack said Cathy was more scared than he was to say, “I do.”
“She kept saying, ‘I’m not ready’ and I kept asking, ‘What are you waiting for?’ thinking she was waiting for someone better to come along,” Jack said. “Her parents had divorced, her mother twice, and I think she feared being like her.”
Cathy said they would spend Valentine’s the same way they do every year.
“We make dinner together, get in our pajamas and watch a romantic movie and then usually fall asleep,” Cathy said. “It doesn’t sound special, but it means a lot to us.”
Debbie Waterman of Cape Elizabeth said nine years of being a serviceman’s wife has taught her to be patient and flexible.
“We’ve been uprooted a lot but I’m so proud of my husband for serving our country,” Waterman said. “But let me tell you, it can be hard on the wife and family. I’ve learned to take each day as it comes and just go with the flow. I think of what my husband is doing and I’m thankful that he’s still alive and with us – that’s my Valentine this year.”
Ben Foster, 14, of South Portland thinks Valentine’s Day is really stressful.
“I don’t know what to do or get my girlfriend,” Foster said. “All her friends will be watching what I do and all my friends will think I’m a geek for doing it. I’ll probably just get her some flowers or candy. I’m not buying any jewelry, no way.”
Foster’s friend, Shane Brady, also 14, and a South Portland resident, said he hopes he can get a girlfriend before Valentine’s Day.
“My last girlfriend broke up with me after Christmas, probably ‘cause I didn’t buy her anything,” Brady said. “But it would be awesome to have someone give me candy and crap like that. I don’t have a job so it’s hard for me to do it back.”
Angela McCue of South Portland said her two children are her Valentines.
“I’m a single mom and my kids mean the world to me,” McCue said. “I just love making Valentines with them, we don’t buy store bought ones. They love giving their homemade cards to their teachers and grandparents. I think they mean more that way.”
McCue said she doesn’t miss having her own adult Valentine.
“My marriage didn’t work out and I’m OK with that – we’re still friends,” McCue said. “Besides, I think if you’re really in love, it should feel like Valentine’s every day.”
Al and Patty Stringham were having breakfast at Uncle Andy’s in South Portland before heading to Fort Williams for a long walk.
“We are both in our 70s, retired and love getting out and about,” Al said. “Fort Williams is our favorite place to go. If the weather holds up, maybe we’ll have a picnic at the (Fort Williams) Park and celebrate Valentine’s Day there.”
Patty said when she met her husband he didn’t want anything to do with her.
“He was a big shot on campus. I put up quite a fight to get him to even notice me,” Patty said. “But I eventually won him over, much to the disappointment of all his girlfriends.”
Al said he noticed Patty from the first day but wasn’t ready to settle down, or perhaps didn’t know how to.
“I just know I wanted to play and have a good time with my friends,” Al Stringham said. “And this silly girl never stopped pursuing me. I finally said ‘yes’ just to shut her up.”
Patty said she hopes Al will get her some more charms for her bracelet on Valentine’s Day.
“He can’t cook and he has no idea how to iron, but he does pick out some beautiful gifts,” Patty said. “I can’t tell you what I got him, but since I’m not sure he’ll like it, I made sure it’s something I would like too.”
Sarah Wilcox, 16, and Tammi Turcotte, 15, both of Cape Elizabeth, said they have boyfriends but don’t expect much on Valentine’s Day.
“I don’t think guys know what Valentine’s Day is,” Wilcox said. “But who knows, maybe he’ll come through. I’ve dropped enough hints.”
Turcotte said she doesn’t want candy and flowers.
“I want him to make me something or surprise me with a night out,” Turcotte said. “That would mean more than some stupid gift he bought that I won’t use. He’ll probably get me carnations and candy. I hate carnations.”
Joanne Cunningham will be celebrating her divorce on Valentine’s Day, treating herself to chocolate and flowers.
“The best gift my ex-husband gave me was a divorce,” Cunningham said. “After 12 years of living with that man, I found out that it doesn’t take another person to make you happy, it comes from within. I did find out he was cheating on me, so that helped the decision too.”
Joe Duley and his wife Charly of South Portland have been married six years and he doesn’t need a special day to remind him how much he loves his wife.
“We do special things for each other all the time,” Duley said. “I don’t need Arbor Day to remind me to appreciate trees and I don’t need Valentine’s to remind me how appreciative I am of my wife.”
Duley and his wife will spend Valentine’s Day on the radio, co-hosting “Dining with the Duleys,” something they do together every Tuesday night.
“We met in New York City back in the ’80s and I knew we’d be married one day,” Duley said. “I never imagined myself with anyone else.”
Ken Chapman of Cape Elizabeth, a widower who lost his wife a few years ago, looks forward to Valentine’s Day every year.
“Even with my wife gone, I still love Valentine’s Day,” Chapman said. “It’s a day to remember how special she was and what a wonderful life we had together. And that’s the real meaning of Valentine’s Day, isn’t it?”

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer

The Cape Elizabeth Recycling Committee, in conjunction with the Maine Resource Recovery Association, is sponsoring a compost bin sale for all Cape Elizabeth residents.
Committee members Jessica Simpson, Jamie Garvin, Pat Salve Bothel, Peter Frye, William Marshall, David Ernst and John Kane are encouraging citizens to make a greater effort to reduce the amount of food, leaf and yard waste they generate by initiating their own backyard-composting program.
“The bin offered for sale is called The Earth Machine, is 33-by-35 inches, made from recycled plastic, has an 80-gallon capacity and converts grass, leaves and table scraps into an abundant supply of rich garden soil,” said Al Ward, clerk of public works. “It assembles easily and comes with a 10-year warranty and instruction booklet.”
The cost is $35 per bin; a companion kitchen scrap pail is also available for $5. Orders will be accepted until Friday, April 27 and bins may be picked up after May 14 at Cape Elizabeth Public Works, 10 Cooper Drive.
The seven-member committee, who are appointed by the town council, serve staggered three-year terms and meet once a month to promote recycling and educate the public about recycling in Cape Elizabeth. The committee reviews and recommends policy and operations-related changes to the recycling efforts at the town’s recycling center.
Because Cape Elizabeth does not have curbside trash collection, residents may dispose of household waste at The Recycling Center, located on Dennison Drive, just off of Spurwink Avenue, or by contracting with private haulers. There is no fee for residents to dispose of non-recyclable household rubbish provided they have a town-issued recycling center permit, issued at the recycling center. Disposal of other materials, including tires, white goods, brush and limbs, does require a fee.

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer

Town Manager Michael McGovern approved license applications at Fort Williams Park from four vendors on Wednesday.
“The second year of the program allowing food sales at the park will increase town revenue used for park maintenance,” McGovern said. “Last year’s program awarded five permits - one for a full season, and two for each of two summer and fall seasons, May 1 to Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 to Oct. 31. Partial licenses have been eliminated this year.”
McGovern said this year’s licenses are effective from May 1 to Oct. 31, but vendors will be allowed to set up in April. Site placements for the vendors were still under consideration.
“The lineup of vendors includes three returning businesses: Frank’s Franks, operated by Frank and Debbie Marston of South Portland, selling hot dogs, kielbasa, smart dogs, sandwiches, snacks and drinks on the south side of Captain Strout Circle, the Atlantic Cookie Co. operated by Carl Dittrich of Cape Elizabeth, selling lobster rolls, coffee, donuts, cookies, chips and beverages on the north side of Captain Strout Circle, and Bite into Maine, operated by Karl and Sarah Sutton of South Portland, selling lobster rolls, Moxie, hot dogs, chips and ice cream at the eastern end of the Parade Ground” McGovern said. “The newcomer this year is Gorgeous Gelato Co. a Portland-based company owned by Donato Giovine and Mariagrazia Zanardi of Cape Elizabeth, which will be selling gelato, beverages and snacks at a new location near Ships Cove beach”
The 2011 program generated between $10,000-$11,000, McGovern said. By adding a vendor site near the beach at Ship Cove, the town is projecting $14,000 in income from the program this year.
Each vendor bid a minimum vendor fee of $4,000, except for Gorgeous Gelato, which bid $3,950.
“Gelato vendors Donato Giovone and Mariagrazia Zanardi had bid $5,000 to sell at one of the other locations, but the selection committee opted to grant permits to vendors returning to those sites and accepted Gelato’s bid of $3,950 for the beach site,” McGovern said. “The four vendors were the only ones to bid for the 2012 program. If the pilot program continues to go well, the Town may award permits for more than one season at a time.”
McGovern, Fort Williams Advisory Commission member Erin Grady and Chairman Bill Nickerson, and Public Works Director Robert Malley reviewed the bids.
Vendors may begin selling as early as April 1, 2012, a change from last year’s start date of May 1.
Councilors at a Jan. 9 meeting said they heard generally positive comments from residents about the food vendors in the park.
McGovern said that the vendors also said they did “OK, they did well” at the park last season. “One said it’s not as profitable as everyone thinks,” he added, but generally park visitors enjoyed having food vendors there.
Recommendations for the Fort Williams Master Plan drafted by the seven-member Fort Williams Advisory Commission and McGovern will be the subject of a public hearing at 7 p.m., Feb. 13, at the Town Hall.
The master plan, first developed in 1990, provides a blueprint for ongoing maintenance and park improvements, and is required by the town’s comprehensive plan to be updated every seven years. The town council approved the last update in 2003.  
With vendor licenses in place for 2011, additional changes to operations and the landscape at Fort Williams include a roundabout near Ship Cove which will improve vehicular circulation, pedestrian circulation, parking lots, elderly and handicap accessibility, safety, restoration of eroded areas, restoration of existing structures and site features, group-use facilities and park maintenance.
“The recommendations are based in part on feedback gained from a survey of park users in the summer of 2011,” McGovern said. “The prioritized list of recommendations and full master plan text can be downloaded from the town website.”
Councilors rejected the idea of user fees for commercial tour bus and streetcar operators before the 2011 tourist season, then approved assessing fees for 2012 last fall.

Cost for Super Bowl ads could save country’s budgets

So, I am completely horrified that advertisers paid an average price of $3.5 million per 30-second ad during the Super Bowl last weekend. Seriously, $3.5 million?
Do you have any idea what that 30-second commercial cost could have done for the homeless and starving people in our country? Think about it. And that’s just one commercial. Imagine if every advertiser decided to donate $3.5 million to all the school systems in our country instead of throwing it away on a 30-second TV spot. What would really happen if the TV just went black during Super Bowl commercial breaks and we took all those millions and actually did something worthwhile with it? And that’s just the commercial costs. I can only imagine the actual amount of money that was needlessly spent on the Super Bowl itself. It just doesn’t make sense to me, given the state of our economy.
We all know the ridiculous salaries these grown men make for chasing a football, and yet we continue to make budget cuts and don’t have enough money for our schools to buy books and supplies to educate our future. Does that make sense?
Does it make sense that all those famous people on TV, in the movies and making music are paid the insanely exorbitant amount of money they get? How can they justify paying some movie star more than a million dollars for making one movie when we are cutting programs from our schools and taking services away from the elderly? Perhaps it’s insane to even suggest that our big money makers consider sharing their wealth, but why not?
If a TV sitcom star is making more than $500,000 per episode per week, do they really need any more than that to get them through the month financially? What if every star donated their other three weeks of salary to charity – can you just imagine how amazing that would be for the betterment of our country?
If Madonna or Lady Gaga donated the proceeds from just one concert to the state of Maine’s school budget, we wouldn’t have to cut programs and teachers and compromise the education of our kids.
If every sports star gave one week’s salary to a food pantry or a homeless shelter, we would see a huge decline in hunger and be able to help our fellow man off the streets and into a productive and fruitful life.
Imagine if every famous person who made multiple millions every year gave just one million to our health system. We would be able to offer everyone in this country health insurance, providing people with the best in medical and dental care.
I don’t know, perhaps it looks good on paper and sounds like it should make sense, but I’m sure these very same people who do earn that money would have a lot to say about why they shouldn’t have to give up their millions. Perhaps because I still live paycheck to paycheck and can’t imagine what it’s like to have so much wealth, I’m bitter and don’t understand their needs. But if you think about it, really think about it, doesn’t it make sense?
Let me put it another way, how wrong is it that our President of the United States, the leader of our country, makes less money than Lindsay Lohan?

– Michael J. Tobin

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer

  “To be or not to be” in Thomas Knight Park this summer is the big question that faces the South Portland Farmers Market Advisory Committee.
  At a meeting last Thursday, advisory committee members Bob O’Brien, Michael Vallaincourt, Caitlin Jordan, Jean Keller and Rosemarie De Angelis were joined by farmers Dick Piper of Piper Ranch in Buckfield and Laura Fillinger of Maine Saltwater Creations to update and discuss the South Portland Farmers Market and some of the concerns that face the group.
  Jordan said there was a total of 17 vendors for the 16 weeks of the summer farmers market in Thomas Knight Park. The market ran on Thursday afternoons from July to October 2011. The winter farmers market, located at the city planning office on the corner of Ocean and Sawyer streets (the old Hamlin School), has had 12 vendors for the past 11 weeks. The winter market, which opened in November 2011, currently continues on Sunday “until people stop coming,” Jordan said.
  De Angelis and Keller gave the results of a survey taken at the winter market on Jan. 15 that asked 54 people a variety of questions about both markets.
  “Twelve people were first timers to the winter market, seven had come once before, 13 attended weekly, 17 attend two to three times a month and six have come three or more times,” De Angelis said.
Twelve came weekly to the summer market, five came quite regularly and 38 attended infrequently or not at all, Keller said.
“Your talking about only 54 people,” Piper said. “What about all the thousands who aren’t coming?”
  When those surveyed were asked what would make their attendance greater or what would they like to see at the market, Keller said 36 of those interviewed wanted more choices in what vendors sold.
  “Other comments included more vendors, more selection, prices were too high, issues with the cobblestone walkways and parking, more signage and advertising,” Keller said. “Twenty people spoke positively on the summer spot, five gave positive feedback on the winter location and 11 gave overall support and interest in the market.”
De Angelis said she wants to continue collecting more information to help make the market a success.
“In addition we hope to have a written survey so that if people don’t want to be stopped and talk, they can get a survey from a vendor, fill it out and drop it off at another time,” Keller said. “Some sort of web site would also be helpful.”
Piper, a vendor at both markets, feels that people only have so much money to spend at markets.
“If you have too many vendors selling the same thing, then some of us aren’t going to make money,” Piper said. “Some vendors aren’t making the money to pay for the gas it took to get them here.”
De Angelis asked the committee to think about how the market can form partnerships and work with other businesses to promote the market through their venues as well.
“The city has had a marketing plan and we’ve been doing marketing things since the beginning,” De Angelis said. “We are now asking you, ‘what’s the market doing?’ This is a partnership and we need to know what’s going on.”
Piper said evidently there are not enough people reading all the things the city is doing because people are not coming to the market.
“I’ve been in contact with someone to design a logo for signs but there’s no sense in getting that done until we know what’s going on with the market,” Jordan said. “We do have a Facebook page that we keep updated and a constant contact list that we send out information to. We’re talking about getting postcards made up to distribute. We sent notices home with every school student. There is only so much you can do.”
Jordan said the committee only has so much money to do these things and needs to know where the market is at in order to take steps forward.
“The biggest issue is location – we need to convenient, not inconvenient, the customer as much as possible,” Jordan said. “I started Scarborough’s farmers market in one location, realized it didn’t work there after a year and the city moved us. It is now a great market. I believe, as well as many other vendors at the South Portland Farmers Market, that Thomas Knight Park is hindering the development of the market.”
Jordan said that nearly the entire elderly population has stopped coming because the cobblestone walkways and parking is not ideal.
De Angelis said there could be an option to move to the “horn” of Thomas Knight Park (sidewalks and roadway) and that there is plenty of parking, including side streets.
“What we need is for Thomas Knight Park to become a destination point,” De Angelis said. “What can we do to draw people to that area?”
Jordan said the market is not making enough money to make it worth the hours it takes for farmers to prep, set up, stand there all day and take it down.
“With the current economic state, farmers cannot stay on board with this market while we create a destination point,” Jordan said. “So most of the farmers who were here last year will not be able to come back because they are just not making enough money to survive. The reality is if you don’t do something, it’s going to be a pretty skimpy farmers market without the farmers.”
In an e-mail to De Angelis, South Portland Mayor Patricia Smith wrote that at the first meeting of the new city council, it was noted that consistency is needed in the committee’s efforts and to tender that with patience.
Smith asked the committee for a report on money collected, how that money is put back into the market and what the association’s marketing plan is to increase awareness to build momentum for the remainder of the winter market and the upcoming summer market.
Smith said she is concerned about the overall transparency of the application process for new vendors and the accounting of market funds. She said the city ultimately is exposed and at risk for the market and would like to see the committee take a more active role with subsequent meetings and to create a brief and concise mission statement for the farmers market.
Smith said it’s important to include how a vendor is selected and by whom and that the committee needs to create a formal statement that concerns variety and depth of goods the public can expect and a range of types and amount of vendors.
Smith encouraged the committee to plan a more formal structure within the group, similar to how other city groups are run.
De Angelis said the committee needs to now find out if vendors will return and participate in the farmers market if the location remains at Thomas Knight Park before it goes any further.
“That feedback will be very telling for the future of the market,” De Angelis said. “Until then, we need people to come out, buy local and support the winter market so that we know they want us here in the future.”
In a final word to the committee, De Angelis quoted a farmers market website from the Massachusetts government site.
“Just as it takes time for a farmer to get established in a farmers market, it takes time for a market to become known in a community,” De Angelis said. “Be patient. If you manage your market, advertise it well and your farmers bring in a varied assortment of quality products, in time you will become a valued institution in your city or town.”

Staff Writer Michael J. Tobin can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219.

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer
 
Fighting retail crime is going to get more challenging for local businesses beginning in February.
For Wendy Kierstead, a Southern Maine Crime analyst, the Maine Police Intel Bulletins for police officers and businesses are an important tool to keep them informed and safe. However, the federal grant that funds the weekly Bulletins runs out Jan. 31 and is not going to be renewed.
“Although we have downsized from two analysts to one, we still have been unable to come up with adequate funding to keep going,” Kierstead said. “As a sworn law enforcement officer, it is illegal for me to take part in any fundraising involving police issues. However we would very much like to keep these bulletins going. We’re now putting together a subscription format hoping that will let us continue with this important information.”
The bulletins were created a few years ago when the Lewiston Police Department felt there was a lack of communications with area businesses. A burglary spree where more than 50 businesses were hit (in Central and Southern ME) resulted in more than $250,000 in cash and goods were stolen.
Detectives in Lewiston set up a  “merchant’s meeting” with area businesses to try to calm them, and was invited to attend.
Kierstead at the time was working on the first federal grant where every police department in the southern half of the state got three bulletins a week and could trade information on a real-time basis.
“Departments in Kittery, York or Portland would send me info with MO’s or names of their suspects and I’d make sure all departments got the info, photos, numbers to call for more information,” Kierstead said. “That’s about the time departments were coming to the realization that criminals did not pay any attention to town, city or county lines and if the police were getting too close in South Portland, they just moved to Lewiston, Brunswick or other communities.”
During the Lewiston merchant’s meeting someone asked if there was a way to give businesses any information but since the police officers received investigative and juvenile information in police bulletins, the businesses couldn’t legally receive them, Kierstead said.
“I offered to put out a bulletin similar to the police ones, but with only info that came under Maine’s Right to Know act and only concerning business crimes,” Kierstead said. “The Maine Merchant’s Association Director Curtis Picard became interested and pushed more businesses to join.”
The federal grant was part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, said Patricia Kimball of Ideactive Solutions, a consulting organization for non-profits, and the bulletin’s administrator.
“It was for $400,000 for three plus years,” Kimball said. “It covered the cost of two full time analysts (one for the northern part of the state and one for southern) and a half-time assistant, as well as grant management and some equipment. The grant allowed us to greatly expand our reach and finally cover the entire state.”
The total cost for the law enforcement and retail bulletin annually is $85,000, Kimball said.
“It is not cheaper to do an online version because the cost is not in distributing the bulletin but in collecting, researching and organizing the information and then putting it into a reader friendly format.”
Currently the Police bulletins, done by PDF through e-mail, continue to be put out every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and retail bulletins go out every Tuesday, Kierstead said.
“Up to this point the funding has been through police grants, so the police definitely have taken priority,” Kierstead said. “In fact, information traded between police departments in the police bulletin has closed far more cases and helped far more businesses than the retail bulletins. Businesses often find out what’s going on with their cases in the bulletins long before the investigating detectives are able to get back to them.”
Big corporate businesses such as Wal-Mart, Mardens, Toys R Us and Hannaford Brothers use the bulletins as well as smaller businesses such as Maine Gold and Silver, VIP Auto and Broadway Gardens, Kimball said.
“The bulletin has been a huge help to us every week,” said John Colby, vice president of Maine Gold and Silver in South Portland. “Our security officer and staff is able to know who and what is going on in Maine and to be on the watch for everything from robbery suspects, released criminals, scams, to counterfeit money passing. It also lets us know when there’s been jewelry or valuable coins stolen and to be on the look out for that, especially in our line of work.”
Colby said he hopes the state finds some way to continue the bulletins because it’s a safety issue for stores such as Maine Gold and Silver that deal with high-end merchandise and never know who might be coming through the door.
Kierstead said she is the only full time analyst working on the Police Bulletins. A part time assistant works 10 hours a week and helps maintain an online list of Maine’s most wanted criminals.
“I think the amount we’re hoping to get from retail to keep that part going is ($20,000 to $25,000),” Kierstead said. “For that, as many people as each business wants can get the bulletins e-mailed directly to them and we’ll be setting up a password secure website where the retail bulletins will be posted. The police already have their website with six months worth of police bulletins posted so they can check older information. I’m planning on setting up the same for retail.”
  Kierstead said the Maine Police Intel Bulletin is considering subscriptions. 
“It is harder to do with retail because there is such variability in the size of businesses,” Kierstead said. “Right now we are about to promote a yearly subscription price of $50 per business location for Maine Merchant Association members and $75 for nonmembers.”
 With nearly 70 members of law enforcement sending letters to the bulletin to “please keep it going,” Kierstead said feedback from the police officers and retail community about the bulletin has always been supportive but the only way the bulletin can continue is through ongoing funding. 
“We know the bulletin is effective; we receive word of this every day,” Kimball said. “And we want to keep it going. We need financial resources to be able to do this. If retailers want to subscribe, they can contact Curtis Picard at the Maine Merchant Association. If they want to “sponsor” the bulletin, we are open to this option as well. We can feature their store, their logo, their business in the bulletin, as a sponsor by calling 449-8805.”

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer

 Cottages and events in Cape Elizabeth’s crowded ocean front communities will now have fewer visitors.
The Cape Elizabeth Ordinance Committee, made up of Councilors James Walsh, Dave Sherman and Katharine Ray, concluded the issue of short-term home rentals on Friday by calling for a 12-person cap on the number of people allowed to stay in a single-family residence offered for rent on the open market.
The town  council will discuss the new zoning rules Feb. 13, then refer the issue to the planning board for review before councilors consider final approval later this year.
The limit, which restricts the number of visitors to half the number of renters for a maximum of 18 people who can be present at the rented home at any one time, applies only to homes on lots of less than 30,000 square feet, or 0.69 acres.
The new zoning rules would require that anyone who rents out a home to obtain an as-yet-to-be created “Short-Term Rental Form,” which cannot be issued without an on-site visit from the town’s code enforcement officer.
At rates from $1,000 to $11,000 per week, more than 35 homes in Cape Elizabeth were offered for rent in 2011, which caused a flood of complaints at the town office this past summer. The complaints were primarily focused on a home at 5 Sea Barn Road owned by David Ginn. The six-bedroom oceanfront home is assessed for taxes at nearly $1.5 million and rents for as much as $4,500 per week.
Town officials said the Sea Barn Road home is rented virtually every weekend during the season, sometimes for weddings large enough to require busing guests into the congested neighborhood for lack of on-street parking.
“The new zoning rules will be taken up at the Feb. 13 town council meeting at which time they will be immediately referred to the planning board for review,” said Town Manager Michael McGovern. “It could be June before the ordinance arrives back on the council table and August before it’s adopted, to take affect 30 days later.”
However, Councilor David Sherman warned homeowners against “going bonkers” by booking as many large groups as they can before the size limit hits.
“That’s probably going to cause the council and the planning board to go the other way,” Sherman said. “The next step could be to declare home rentals to be bed-and-breakfast operations subject to businesses regulation.”
While most of the renters present at Friday’s meeting appeared resigned to the new rules, some Cape Elizabeth residents appear ready to stage a fight at planning board and council public hearings.
“Regulating home rentals as a cottage industry only serves to legitimize what has until now been a freewheeling, almost fly-by-night industry,” said Frank Luongo, a Lawson Road resident. “That will lead to its growth and alter the character of Cape Elizabeth until it looks more like Old Orchard Beach or Saco.”
Town Planner Maureen O’Meara said Old Orchard Beach and Saco are the only other towns in Maine that have short-term rental ordinances.
“You’re talking about getting closer to where you need to be on this,” Luongo said. “But what you’re getting closer to is opening the whole town of Cape Elizabeth to becoming a rental community and I don’t think that’s where we need to be.”

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer
 
A planning study released last week questions the economic climate, willingness of major donors and urges a cautious approach to fundraising for a new Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth.
The study conducted by Demont Associates, a Portland consulting firm that provides philanthropic advice to nonprofit organizations, concluded that with a public awareness campaign and the support of stakeholders to create a proposed “cultural center,” between $1.75 million and $3 million could be raised to help fund library construction.
Demont Associates, hired for $30,000 in early September, has determined the feasibility of privately raising $3 million of the proposed $8 million to $8.5 million required for renovation and expansion of the library at 6 Scott Dyer Road.
“The council has set aside $100,000 for up-front work, but it’s this study that will set the bar on what town officials can expect to raise in donations and, by extension, what they’ll have to collect via taxation if the new library is to be built,”    
Town Manager Mike McGovern said.
The study also recommends waiting until 2013 for a bond referendum on a portion of the funds so that at least two-thirds of private support can be raised.
According to McGovern, If donors come forward in a big enough way, and if voters approve a bond, the new library could open as soon as 2014.
Replacing the Thomas Memorial Library has been an issue in Cape Elizabeth since 2007, when a Town Council-appointed study committee commissioned a report by Himmel & Wilson Library Consultants, of Milton, Wis. That report outlined a list of 102 structural and design deficiencies in the building including shelves that have to be spaced to meet American with Disabilities (ADA) standards, issues with moisture and humidity, poor ventilation and lack of facilities to run the wiring required of modern libraries in the computer age.
“Another of the gross inadequacies is that the heating plant and control systems are just completely obsolete,” Jay Sherma, Library Director, said. “Plus, nothing here was designed with any concept of modern plumbing involved.”
According to Sherma, the library’s five buildings contain 15,000 square feet of space, but only 13,500 which is usable.
According to the Himmel & Wilson report, the cost of renovating any part of the existing library is too great and the historical significance of the component pieces too low, to justify saving the structure. Casaccio’s original design, presented to focus groups in June, was a complete rebuild, which clocked in at 23,000 square feet.
 “I use the library every week for something,” said Elizabeth Burns of Cape Elizabeth. “I’m trying to teach my (teenage) kids to use the library more instead of the computer. I would be more than happy to donate money for the building.”
The findings of the study are based on 57 interviews in the last few weeks with residents, library trustees, Thomas Memorial Library Foundation directors, and members of the Study Oversight Committee, foundation donors and library patrons.
 Eighty-five percent of interview participants said they believe the funding method is appropriate for the project and community and private support through a capital campaign will relieve taxpayers and lower the burden of any bond that might be proposed.
“I never go there, in fact, I don’t even know where it is,” said Paul Foley of Cape Elizabeth. “I would be really angry if I had to pay higher taxes to fund a place I don’t use. I do like the idea of a cultural center, depending on how they define that.”
Sherma said the real trend is for libraries to fill a need as community centers for arts and civic functions of all kinds.
“A library is not just a place to store books,” Sherma said, “It is a place where people come together.”
  Approximately three-quarters of the people interviewed by Demont said they consider the overall expansion plan appropriate or acceptable with modifications.
The study indicated, “vision and focus on a cultural center rather than a library resonates with many interviewees, as does the need for flexible space to meet the changing needs of technology.”
  Consultants assessed whether or not the community would be receptive to the timing of such a private funding campaign.
“Economic uncertainty leads to some hesitation in responses about whether 2012 is a good time for Cape Elizabeth to proceed with gathering support for the library project,” the study states. “There is acknowledgment that most organizations are continuing and succeeding in fundraising, that bond rates are low and that the needs will not diminish with time. For these reasons, the majority of interviewees generally believe now is the time to proceed with caution with the project planning and campaign preparation.”
According to the report there is “broad willingness to give to the proposed campaign at some level among all categories of interviewees.”
Demont Associates determined ways to enhance the project’s fundraising potential through offering donors the opportunity to pledge over a period of years, further clarifying the vision and programming for a cultural center and possible naming opportunities.
“I think this is a no-brainer, we need to do this,” said Hillary Boulard of Cape Elizabeth. “And unlike some of the other communities, many of us here on the Cape can afford to support this. But I would want to know where my money was going.”
The report also revealed that despite “reservations about the overall magnitude of the project, interviewees agree that a $3 million private fundraising goal is attainable for the town of Cape Elizabeth and that the top gifts needed to reach that goal are available.”
The most recent proposed library plan supported by the town council in November increases the overall library space to 23,000 square feet from its current 13,000 square feet by adding a second story that would reduce the building’s footprint.
The new design creates more green space around the building, provides connections with the schools and has 50 parking spots. The entrance to the library would be a split-level design so people could go up to the adult, young adult and children’s areas, or downstairs to the historical society and meeting space.
Key library functions would be on the upper level, with a coffee bar, circulation desk and reading areas, while the lower level would contain storage space for The Friends of the Thomas Memorial Library (FOTML), a division of the Thomas Memorial Library Foundation, which is a non-profit organization founded in 2005 to support the library and its services, mechanical space, a kitchen, restrooms and conference rooms.
McGovern said the report on potential library fundraising would be discussed further before a recommendation is presented to the council.
“I will be scheduling a meeting with Council Chairman Sara Lennon and Councilor Jessica Sullivan, who is the council’s library liaison, to review the report and recommendations from the trustees and the foundation board,” McGovern said.

City’s fire department needs support

There is no question, no hesitation that we need to support our South Portland fire department in their quest for hiring more fire fighters. This should not even be an option up for discussion; this should be an absolute must.
With the recent house fire of my good friends, Mark and Denise Calkins, I got to see first hand how our fire department(s) work. They are heroes. You can’t put a price on what they did.
I saw the horrific adverse conditions they had to work in at the Calkin’s house during the fire. I saw the amazing way they treated this family during and after the fire. I saw the compassion, respect and love these fire fighters gave my friends with the loss of their four pets.
They are putting their lives on the line every day to save yours, so how can we possibly question their needs and deny them the appropriate coverage for their department?
If every resident in South Portland gave $20., we could raise $500,040. for the fire department. Let me say that again, If every resident in South Portland gave $20., we could raise $500,040. for the fire department. Most of us spend $20. on something we really don’t need at least once a week, and we really need our fire department. So the next time you’re about to spend way too much money on a couple cocktails in the Old Port, have water instead and send that money to the Fire Department.
It seems some people (perhaps even our own city council) tend to forget exactly what the fire department does unless it was happening to them. They do far more than just put out fires. Although the council approved the funding for two more fire fighters, perhaps the council members should spend some time in the fire fighter’s shoes putting out a fire or attending to a serious accident. Perhaps then they would get a different perspective about the job they do and realize that their request to be fully staffed is far more important then their debated health insurance. In fact the fire department is their health insurance, because the life they save could be theirs.
Together we can and we must make sure that our heroes have the support they need because, if you ever need their services like my friends did, you will be very happy to have them there to protect you. I know I am.
Please let us (and them) know how you feel about this issue on our new Sentry Facebook page. “Like” us and share your thoughts and news about what’s going on in the South Portland and Cape Elizabeth communities.

– Michael J. Tobin

Online system  saved time

To the editor:

During 2011, the South Portland Police Department accepted a total of 283 crime reports via the Internet, with thefts (including thefts from motor vehicles), and criminal complaints comprising the largest percentage of those.
In May 2010, the department launched a web-based system, allowing the public a convenient option for filing certain non-priority crime reports over the Internet for incidents in which there are no known suspects or evidence. This option was intended to enhance the service provided to the community and to allow the department to make more efficient use of our limited personnel resources and staff time.
It is estimated that during 2011, upwards of 424.5 hours of staff time was saved through use of the online reporting system. Based on an estimated figure of $50 of staff time per reporter, it is calculated that the use of this reporting feature has provided a time savings of approximately $14,150 during the calendar year.
 It can be accessed from both the department and the city’s website – www.southportland.org – as well as from a kiosk desk in the front lobby of the police station.
Once submitted and accepted online, the reporting party will automatically receive a free copy of the final police report e-mailed to them as a PDF document either for their records or for their insurance company’s needs. By contrast, a fee in generally assessed for copies of public records, such as reports filed by police officers. The online report is then automatically uploaded into the department’s records management system where it will receive the same review, follow-up and statistical analysis as if it had been filed by a police officer.

Lt. Frank Clark
South Portland Police Department

Keep market alive

To the editor:

Buy Local is more than a bumper sticker. It means that if we want local business owners here, we must use our pocketbook. Stop shopping for Walmart bargains and choose our local business owners, preferring relationship, partnership and change in our way of life. 

Many of us grew up with the local business owner; the corner grocer, neighborhood pharmacy or small sandwich shop. This is not new, rather it is a return to an old way of life that actually made us happier, gave us more time and developed a sense of community.


South Portland has a winter and summer farmers market. Last Sunday, 60 people came to shop from 11 vendors. If everyone spent $10, totaling $600, then each vendor went home with $55 – not enough for gas for most.
I urge you to please visit the market. Show your support or it will be gone. Vendors sell organic pork and turkey, grassfed beef, fabulous dairy, fresh chicken, pot pies, assorted vegetables, baked goods, wonderful teas, jams, jellies, honey, incredible fish/crab cakes, soups, sunflower oils and even fleece hats and mittens. However, without your financial support, this wonderful business venture will disappear
Sundays, every week, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at corner of Route 77 and Sawyer Street, in the former Hamlin School, now the city planning and code offices. Bring your neighbors and friends. “Like” them on Facebook at “South Portland Farmers Market” and share it with your friends. Do your part to keep this alive.
I hope to see you there.

Rosemarie De Angelis
South Portland

By Michael J. Tobin
Staff Writer
 
Memories outweigh profits at Bathras Market, which will close its doors Jan. 20, eight months after it reopened at 412 Preble St. in South Portland’s Willard Square.
“This decision has not come easily to our family, as we take our role in the community very seriously,” said co-owner Kate Bathras. “We truly appreciate what all our customers have done to help us make Bathras the wonderful place that it is and we will miss being their marketplace.”
  The Jan. 20 closure marks the end of the second chapter for the Bathras family.
Co-owner Tim Bathras’ grandfather, George Bathras, ran the market in the same location for 35 years until closing the shop in 1989. Tim and his wife, Kate, re-opened the market last May.
“The seasonal nature of the location and the lower-priced competition from supermarkets made it impossible to keep the store open,” Kate Bathras said. “Larger buyers can negotiate lower prices because they make huge orders. That means those markets can undercut smaller shops like Bathras.”
Kate Bathras said the market has tried as hard as possible to keep prices down.
“It was cheaper for us sometimes to go to Whole Foods and buy food by the case than it was to buy from the same distributor they use,” she said.
Kate Bathras said the 1,350-square-foot store offered a variety of organic and locally sourced foods, including lobster, pasture-raised meats from Farmer’s Gate Market in Wales and grocery items such as beer, wine, sandwiches, pizza and soups. Bathras also offered gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian items.
“We did not sell foods that contain artificial colors, flavors or MSG, antibiotics or artificial growth hormones,” Kate Bathras said.
Timothy Bathras, grandson of building owners George and Christina Bathras, carried on their South Portland legacy, employing seven full-time people and two high school students who worked part-time on weekends and after school.
“This market is such a good thing for the community,” said Sasha Timpson of Scarborough, a Bathras employee since May. “People love the store and remember it. For many of our customers, they grew up with the market.”
Timpson said the small community feel is crucial to Willard Square. Kate Bathras agrees.
“The store has a legacy of being incredibly customer centered and neighborhood oriented,” Kate Bathras said. “We honored that legacy, keeping the values of the market and the values of my husband’s grandparents.”
Customers in line on Monday expressed sadness over the market closing to Kate Bathras, who was working the cash register.
“My dad told me stories about going to the market when he was a kid. I went to the market as a kid and now I bring my kids,” said Alison Knight of South Portland. “I wish there was some way to help keep them open. It’s very sad.”
The market was opened in 1954 by first-generation Greek immigrants George and Christina Bathras and closed in 1989 when they retired. Christina Bathras, who lives above the market, still helps out in the store.
The Bathras’ aunt, Lisa Flocatoulas, and Tim Bathra’s father, Tim Bathras, a local lobsterman, had been working with the young couple to make the market a success.
“We could go a little longer, but we’re closing based on our projections and how much we’re losing each day,” Kate Bathras said. “We’ve invested a lot in this market and closing now instead of just declining and running it into the ground will allow us the ability to pay off more of our debt.”
  Kate Bathras said they had reused many components of the original building when they reopened, both for the sake of being sustainable and nostalgic.
  “A lot of the elements of the original store, such as the shelving, antique beer and dairy coolers and much of the floor, had been retained,” she said. “We were able to keep many of the elements from the store and reuse many of the elements previously in the store. We didn’t have to change a whole lot in the layout of the store except paint the walls a bright yellow and add a tin ceiling to complement the old hardwood floors.”
According to the South Portland Historical Society, Willard Square was once known for its array of food stores. Prior to becoming Bathras Market, the 412 Preble St. building was the site of the Willard Square IGA store. Across the street, in a building that has since been torn down, was F.K. Richards variety store. The building that houses Scratch Baking Co. once was home to a drug store. In the 1940s, Austin Bean operated the store, which had a soda fountain on one side and a post office substation in the back.
“Willard Square is seasonal now, with summer being a big draw for tourists and summer residents who are looking for local products, food to go and convenience,” Kate Bathras said. “Winter relies on the locals who, understandably, go elsewhere because we can’t compete with their prices and selection.”
Bob Johnson, owner of Scratch Baking Co. located next door, said he is sad to see Bathras Market closing.
“Business is complicated,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t get easier no matter how long you do it.”
The two businesses had established an arrangement where Bathras would sell Scratch’s artisan bread on Sunday afternoons when the bakery is closed.
Johnson said he appreciated that the Bathras reopened the old building and continued the family legacy with what he called “the ghosts of commerce past.”
“Having Bathras next door was more symbiotic than competitive,” Johnson said. “They have a great energy and brought a lot to the neighborhood.”
Kate Bathras said she has had many encouraging words from customers about how to keep the market open and they are open to other suggestions, but the family has gone over the math and weighed their options carefully.
“The reality is, our average daily sales does not support having customers,” she said. “It was a very difficult decision, but the right one for our family and circumstances.”
In the few days remaining, Bathras is offering 20 to 50 percent off groceries and dry goods in an effort to clear its inventory.
“Our customers have been incredible, helping us keep the heart and soul of the old market alive,” Kate Bathras said. “But it would take us all summer to make up for what we have lost over the past few months.”
 Staff Writer Michael J. Tobin can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219.