1. education
2. school

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” Margaret Atwood
APRIL 2015
Vol. 1 No. 3
[email protected]
PLAN TO DEVELOP SISTERS OF MERCY PROPERTY RAISES
NEIGHBORHOOD QUESTIONS, CONCERNS
By Squirrel Staff
T
wo recent meetings, one organized by
concerned community members, and
another hosted by the potential developer,
have highlighted neighborhood concerns
surrounding the development of the Sisters
of Mercy property at 631 Stevens Avenue,
as well as the future of Catherine McAuley
High School.
Sea Coast Management Company, the developer behind Ocean View at Falmouth
and Highland Green and the Highlands
in Topsham, has been in negotiations with
the Sisters of Mercy to purchase and develop St. Joseph’s Convent, also known as the
Motherhouse, along with the surrounding
property, into a senior living community
for several years. But the project recently
gathered speed with the expected upcoming distribution of a number of tax credits which would enable Sea Coast to move
forward with the purchase of the property.
Built in 1909 on land purchased from
James P. Baxter, the Motherhouse has been
mostly vacant since 2004. Sea Coast owner John Wasileski, whose daughters both
graduated from Catherine McAuley, has
been working with the Sisters of Mercy on
the project to renovate the aging convent
since 2005, when the Sisters put out a Request for Proposals to potential developers
in the area.
The Motherhouse rehabilitation, which is
being overseen by Kevin Bunker of Developers Collaborative, who recently completed the renovation of the Nathan Clifford
School, is eligible for both historic and low
income housing tax credits. The historic
rehabilitation credits require that historically important elements of the building,
such as the dome and the chapel, be preserved; while the Low Income Housing
Tax Credit requires that one quarter of
the rental units be set aside as affordable
housing. In the case of the Motherhouse
project, the affordable 1 bedroom and studio units would rent for between $640 and
$820 a month. By law, the affordable units
would be mixed throughout the building
and would be identical to the market rate
units. At completion the Motherhouse is
expected to hold 88 units, 20 of which will
be affordable.
While the tax credits would help to defray
some of the costs involved with rehabilitat-
1831
1872
1877
Catherine
McAuley
founds the
Sisters of
Mercy
Sisters of Mercy
establish convent
at 110 Free
Street.
St. Elizabeth’s
Academy for
girls opens
at 110 Free
Street.
1969
St. Joseph’s
Academy and
Cathedral High
School merge to
become Catherine McAuley.
Catherine
McAuley opens in
September of this
year, sponsored
by the Sisters of
Mercy.
1998
2004
Motherhouse
Sisters of
closes.
Mercy begin
looking for
alternate uses
for the
Motherhouse.
ing the aging convent building, according
to Bunker and Wasileski, the credits would
still not be enough to make the purchase of
the Sisters of Mercy Property economically
viable. In order to make the Motherhouse
project worthwhile, Wasileski plans to develop the rest of the property, including
the McAuley playing fields, into a senior
housing campus made up of 4 and 5 story
townhouse-style buildings with apartments
available for purchase. Initially, Wasilesky
says, the development will offer independent living options only, but as the population ages, assisted living services may be
added to accommodate the needs of the
residents.
In order to make the entire project possible, Sea Coast is seeking to have the majority of the property rezoned. The property
is currently zoned as R5, which does not
allow a high enough density for the proposed Sea Coast project. Initially, and at
the time of a March 23rd meeting hosted
by concerned neighbors, Sea Coast had requested that the entire property be rezoned
to R6A, which would have allowed for significant changes in population density and
maximum building height. But since that
March 23rd meeting Sea Coast has scaled
back their request. They are now seeking a
permanent zoning change for the property
(with the exception of the property directly
surrounding the school, and St. Catherine’s
home, which will both remain R5) to R5A,
which would allow approximately 400 total
units, enough to accommodate the 378 total units in the proposed Sea Coast project.
Unlike the current R5 zone, which allows
a maximum building height of 35 feet, the
R5A zone allows the maximum height to
be determined by the planning board on
a case by case basis. In the case of the Sea
Coast property, Wasileski says that any
new construction will be no higher than
the roofline of the Motherhouse building,
with the buildings closest to Stevens Avenue shorter than the ones near the back of
the property.
While many people in the surrounding
neighborhood are supportive of the project, especially the plans to renovate the
Motherhouse, the provisions for affordable
housing, and the positive impact of a vibrant group of seniors in the neighborhood, at the March 23rd meeting, and at
1881
1882
Bishop James A.
St. Joseph’s
Healy purchases
Academy
seventy acres of
opens.
the former estate
of F. O. J. Smith in
Deering and establishes St. Joseph’s
Academy for girls
and a home for aged
women.
2006
2005
The Sisters
of Mercy put
out a Request
for Proposal
for development of the
Motherhouse
property.
McAuley
athletic fields
constructed
a subsequent meeting hosted by the developer on April 2nd, many voiced questions
and concerns about the project. Bobbi
Cope, a lifelong Deering Center resident
and McAuley graduate who organized
the March 23rd meeting, expressed concerns that such a large development would
change the character of the neighborhood,
and that a permanent zoning change could
open the door to even more development
in the future.
Many neighbors worried about increased
traffic and parking issues, and increased
emergency vehicle traffic along an already
overburdened section of Stevens Avenue.
At the April 2nd meeting, Sea Coast representatives told concerned residents that
there would be underground parking including in the project. They also pointed
out that most seniors do not work, and
therefore do not travel at peak hours, when
traffic on Stevens Avenue is at its worst. As
part of the rezoning process, Sea Coast
will be required to perform a traffic study.
However, there has been no indication of
what kind of remediation measures the city
would require from the developer. Other
concerns voiced by residents included the
potential environmental impact on nearby Baxter Woods, potential drainage and
noise issues for the property’s immediate
neighbors, and the impact on Catherine
McAuley High School.
Perhaps the most vocal opposition to the
development came from a group of McAuley alumnae at the April 2nd meeting. The
former students had a number of questions
regarding the school’s future once Sea
Coast purchased the land and the development moved forward. They were especially
concerned by the loss of the school’s playing fields and what this would mean for the
current community as well as the impact
on the school’s ability to attract students in
the future.
At the April 2nd meeting, Wasilesky
stressed that he is committed to the future
of Catherine McAuley. Both he and Sea
Coast have been major financial donors to
the school, and he contributed to the fund
to build the current playing fields. He has
added a provision to the purchase agreement with the Sisters of Mercy that McAuley will be guaranteed a twenty five-year
lease with Sea Coast effective at closing. In
1907
1909
1907
Bishop Louis
Walsh purchases
additional 21
acres of property
from James P.
Baxter for
construction of
a larger convent
for the Sisters of
Mercy.
Motherhouse
opens. The Sisters
of Mercy move
from their Free
Street location to
the Motherhouse.
St. Elizabeth’s
Academy closes,
merges with St.
Joseph’s Academy.
Cathedral Catholic
Girls’ High School
opens inside the
Kavanagh School at
305 Congress Street.
2014
McAuley High School
signs 5 year lease with
Sisters of Mercy Northeast Community. This
is the first written lease
the school has had with
the Sisters.
2015
Sea Coast offers McAuley 25+ year
lease, to be enacted at purchase of
property.
Development Timeline
2016-17
Phase 1: Motherhouse completed. 88
units.
2017-18
Phase 2: 1 new building, 40 units, 3 ½
to 4 stories.
2018-20
Phase 3: 2 more new buildings, 100
units, 4 ½ to 5 stories.
2020-22
Phase 4: final new building, 50 units, 4
½ to 5 stories. McAuley playing fields
gone, with exception of 1 practice field.
addition, he has also scaled back the initial development plan to leave a practice
field for McAuley on the property. When
pressed by the alumnae he admitted that
this would not be a regulation size playing
field. However, after further pressure he
conceded that there might be some flexibility on this issue. Since the April 2nd meeting, Matt Teare, the Director of Development for Sea Coast has confirmed that Sea
Coast will take another look at the issue of
playing fields. “However,” Teare cautions,
“this involves more than simply changing
the plan to show a larger field -- it involves
storm water and open space calculations
and zoning, etc -- there are a lot of details
that will impact the final design. But we
heard that this is an important issue for
many people along with traffic and density
and parking—so we will do our best to address it along with the other issues.”
The zoning request will now be presented to the Portland Planning Board, which
will eventually make a recommendation to
the City Council on whether to approve
or deny the request. There will be a number of opportunities for public comment
during this process. Plans for the development of the property are available for viewing in the Portland Planning Division, 4th
Floor, City Hall. If you wish to submit written comments, address them to Jean Fraser,
Planner, Planning Division, City Hall, 4th
Floor, 389 Congress Street, Portland, ME
04101; contact by phone at 874-8728 or
e-mail at [email protected].
For updates and additional information, including
sketches of the proposed development, a site plan,
and a building schedule, visit the Deering Squirrel’s
Facebook page or find us on-line at dcna.me.
Community News
and Events
Saturday, June 6
Pickleball/Tennis Courts behind Deering H.S.
Mark your calendars for the 2nd Annual Tri for a Cure Pickleball Tournament! The event, directed by Rocky
Clark and Kathy Dion, will bring together
Pickleball players of varying abilities for a
Round Robin Men’s and Women’s doubles
tournament. Net proceeds from this tournament will go directly to Tri for a Cure to
benefit the Maine Cancer Foundation. For
more information about the tournament
please go to: www.atlanticpickleball.com.
For more information about the Maine
Cancer Foundation and Tri for A Cure,
visit: www.mainecancer.org
Saturday, June 13 at 9:00 a.m.
Lincoln Middle School
Come celebrate community at the 2nd
Annual LMS School’s Out 5K. This
high-energy, all-ages, USATF sanctioned
loop course winds through the scenic quiet
streets to the west of LMS before entering
the beautiful Portland Trails trail system
behind Evergreen Cemetery, and finishes
along historic Stevens Avenue to the front
of LMS. Approximately 3.5 K of the run
is on public roads, and 1.5 K is on public-access wooded trails. A community after
party with music, food, raffle, and awards
will be held on the LMS lawn. In honor
of our LMS namesake, feel free to come
dressed as Honest Abe with a top hat and/
or beard! For more details go to: www.schoolsout5k.org/
READ THE DEERING SQUIRREL ONLINE www.dcna.me
DEERING SQUIRREL IS A PUBLICATION OF THE COFFEE CAT, LLC | 463 STEVENS AVE. PORTLAND, ME 04103 | JENNY SILER, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR, ART DIRECTION BY IN DEERING DESIGN
DEERINGSQUIRREL_vol1_no3.indd 1
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Is there one piece of advice Miss Phyllis has for parents to encourage interest
in books and reading? “Just hold the very
young children on your lap while you turn
the pages, and point and name items on
the pictures. This helps them to recognize
and develop language, and the warmth
and closeness reinforces their pleasure in
learning.”
LIBRARY NEWS
By Ellen Gilliam
Director, Burbank Branch, Portland Public Library
L
ittle toddler squirrels peeking into the
Burbank Branch of the Portland Public Library on Wednesday and Thursday
mornings would find 2 and 3-year-old little
human children being entertained by the
very special Phyllis Forward! Phyllis has
been telling kids stories at PPL for over 35
years. Following a career teaching elementary school, where she said her “favorite
part was always reading to the kids!” Phyllis ran an informal story time at the Riverton branch some years back. When budget
cuts forced the branch to eliminate Phyllis’
substitute position, Riverton families ran a
successful petition drive to keep her. “I still
have a copy of that petition with 90 signatures,” Phyllis proudly says.
Toddler Story Times run on Wednesdays
and Thursdays from 10:15–11 a.m. at Burbank Branch at 377 Stevens Ave. and on
Fridays from 10–10:45 a.m. at the Riverton Branch at 1600 Forest Ave. They are
free of charge. Parents or caregivers are expected to stay with their children. For more
information, and to check for any scheduling changes, visit the Programs and Events
page at the PPL web site. Click on “Story
Times for Kids.”
Update on the Burbank Renovation Project. There is still no date for the branch’s
closing date for renovations. Information
will be widely disseminated via notices at
Burbank, on local news outlets, and on
PPL’s web page when plans are finalized.
“Miss Phyllis,” as she is lovingly called by
the generations of children and parents
she has charmed with her stories and lively
games, finger plays and sing-alongs, finds
toddlers fun because “they are at an age
where everything is a marvel.” She appreciates the accelerated developmental process she gets to witness with this age group,
saying, “They come in crawling and leave
walking and running.” She also says the
Toddler Times, which she runs at both the
Burbank and Riverton branches, provide a
“great meeting place for moms and other
caregivers” who are home during the day
with children.
Although all nine of Portland's community
gardens are managed by Laura Mailander at Cultivating Community, Brentwood
Farms Garden is unique in that it has its
own management committee that oversees
much of the garden administration at the
local level, including the waitlist, distributing plots, collecting annual fees, and securing compost. Brentwood Farms is also
unique in that we hold monthly work days
throughout the summer, asking garden-
nate to be close to two excellent spots
for urban bird watching: Capisic Pond
Park and Evergreen Cemetery. Birding
is a great family activity, fun for kids and
adults alike, and a wonderful way to develop a deeper sense of connection to
the local environment, even in our urban
neighborhood.
Getting to know the birds around our
neighborhood can be done in some fairly easy steps. So, if you are curious about
those bird that keep coming to your
backyard feeder, or the ones you hear
when you’re out on your daily dog-walk,
we have a few simple tips.
First, we suggest getting a pair of binoculars. You don’t need anything fancy--Nathan’s first adult pair were purchased at a garage sale. Next, get a bird
guide. There are a number of great ones
out there, both electronic and paper.
The National Audubon Society has a
great bird guide app that costs about the same price as a book, but has the advantage of
easy portability and interactivity. Other apps to explore include iBird Pro, National Geographic Birds, Peterson Birds, Sibley eGuide to Birds, BirdsEye and Merlin. Finally, get
a list of common Maine birds. This is will really aid you in identifying birds, as knowing
what birds live in this area and what time of year they are typically here can save you a lot
of time when trying to identify an new bird. A good, comprehensive list is available from
the Maine Birding Trail website.
Welcome to Deering Tweets, an on-going
occasional column about some of our most
populous non-human neighbors: birds! We are
Nathan Hall and Fleur Hopper, birders and
Deering Center residents since 2012. In each
column we will be sharing some basic birding
tips, as well as interesting local sightings.
Contrary to its name, the Red-Bellied Woodpecker has red on its head and none on its
belly. Red-bellies used to be an unusual sight in Maine, as their range traditionally extended only into southern New England. Climate change, however, is pushing many birds to
extend their range northward, and Red-Bellies are becoming an increasingly common
sight in Southern Maine.
by Deirdre McClure and Elizabeth Tarasevich
f you don't know about it, you should:
Deering Center has a neighborhood
garden with 65 plots and a great community of neighbors getting their hands deep
into the soil every summer. The garden lies
at the end of Brentwood Street, en route
to Evergreen Cemetery's back gate and the
Portland Trails trailhead. 100 years ago,
this land was a commercial farm called
Brentwood Farms. Its food kept Deering
Center and others throughout Portland in
fresh vegetables and fruits. The land became city property during the Great Depression. Seven years ago, a group of enlightened Deering Center neighbors, with
the help of Rocco Risbara, the grandson
of the original Brentwood Farms owner,
worked it back into a garden. Outside the
fence, they planted apple trees, blueberry
bushes, and a raspberry patch. These fruits
are for all to enjoy while strolling up Brentwood Street.
By Nathan Hall and Fleur Hopper
In Deering Center, we are very fortu-
Winter is a quieter time around the neighborhood, as most of our migratory songbirds
have not yet arrived. If you look and listen hard, however, it’s surprising how many of
our feathered friends are hanging around. During the last few weeks at our feeders we
have been visited by the ever-present Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Red and
White-Breasted Nuthatches, Dark-Eyed Juncos, Mourning Doves, Northern Cardinals
and Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. But our favorite visitor over the last few weeks has
been a beautiful female Red-Bellied Woodpecker.
THE COMMUNITY GARDENER
I
Deering Tweets
ers to chip in to mend the fence, distribute wood chips, and help keep the garden
tidy. Everyone is welcome to help on work
days--it's fun and a great way to meet your
neighbors.
New gardeners are invited to join via a waitlist (instructions below). Brentwood Farms
Garden also has a program called common
share, in which a group of gardeners plants
and cares for a larger crop of beets, carrots,
kale, onions, potatoes--and this year asparagus, which we have been waiting 3 years
to mature! Plot rental is $35.00 per year.
Common Share costs $20.00. Orientation
meetings this year will be held on May 9th
and 16th at 9 am at the garden. New and
returning gardeners need to attend one of
these meetings to sign paperwork and pay
the annual fee.
In April, the spring migration of birds coming up from South America, Central America and the Southern US really gets underway. Birds to watch for in Capisic Pond Park
and Evergreen throughout April include: Canada Goose, Wood Duck, American Black
Duck, Mallard, Herring Gull, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker,
Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Blue Jay, Crow, Tree Swallow,
Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper,
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Robin, Starling, Mockingbird, Yellow-rumped
Warbler, Pine Warbler, Palm Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, House
Finch, Goldfinch, House Finch, House Sparrow, Red-tailed Hawk, Belted Kingfisher.
In our next column, we’ll give a roundup of one of our favorite times of the birding year:
spring Warbler season. Until then, Happy Birding, neighbors!
To join the waitlist or to get more information about the common share program,
email
brentwoodfarmsgarden@gmail.
com. You can find us on-line at dcna.me/
community-garden, or on Facebook! Keep
an eye out for Garden Aid 3.0 - a potluck
fundraiser for the garden coming this
spring. And start thinking about what to
plant this year!
Photos and more on this story at facebook.com/
www.TheDeeringSquirrel
Join the SQUIRREL conversation!
Some Real Estate things have never been better.
Zero down on Rural Development loans,
including new construction.
New homes beginning at $200,000.
MSHA loans have never been as attractive.
Interest rates are hovering in the 3.75% range.
Thank you again
for all your
support.
—Steve Swan
Swan Real Estate
40 Years Experience
[email protected] | (207) 712-3682
DEERING SQUIRREL APRIL 2015
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REMAINE IN
PLACE
THE DEERING DELEGATION
This column is authored on a rotating basis by
Deering Center Senator Anne Haskell and Representatives Erik Jorgensen and Dick Farnsworth.
By Michele Praught
w
Coal Chutes and Leaves
alking the streets of Portland like
I do can be a dangerous proposition. I’m often strolling with my head either pointed down somewhere at my feet,
or tilted back so far as to give me a wicked headache. Neither is the suggested mode of
transportation for even the most desolate of city streets. That is unless you’re looking for
old “stuff,” which is, in fact, what I almost always end up doing. If I’m not looking up I’ll
miss the remnant of an old streetlight still clinging to it’s rusty post, or a faded white stenciled sign on the side of a brick building advertising a former business. If I’m not looking
down I’ll miss – coal chutes.
EDUCATION AT THE HEART OF IT
by State Representative Richard Farnsworth
Coal chutes are metal hatches found at the basement level on the side of many older
homes in the Northeast. They come in a variety of sizes, but are generally about the size
of a milk crate. Through these tiny doors anthracite coal was delivered to basements,
allowing people to keep largely un-insulated homes at least a temperature we would probably find challenging. When a home did not have a coal chute, deliveries had to be carried
in bags or by wheelbarrows into basements. Coal carriers were called “lumpers.” Perhaps
the phase “getting your lumps” had something to do with what an awful deal this must
have been. Coal mining for heating homes began sometime in the late 1700s, but it took
until the 1830s for coal to begin to completely fuel industry in the US. With that, coal
became more available for home heating. In 1940, three out of four U.S. households used
coal or wood to heat their homes. Portland was situated well for coal heating needs, with a
waterfront that could handle ships and railroads carrying loads to be delivered throughout
Maine.
As a freshman State Representative I have
had a chance to get involved with a number of issues, from the controversial to the
obscure. Last session I served on the Committee on Health and Human Services.
Discussions about “welfare”, homelessness, MaineCare and all of those things
were pretty intense. However, my assignment this term is on the Education and
Cultural Affairs Committee. Having been
out of school for a LONG time, I did not
realize all of the great changes that have
been going on in education. It has taken
some serious digging in order for me to get
up to speed on some of the critical issues
like teacher evaluations, “Common Core”
curriculum, charter schools, competency
based diplomas and on and on. Just today
we were dealing with school construction
laws, an item near and dear to the hearts of
everyone in both the Hall and Longfellow
School communities.
Peak anthracite production topped out in around 1918 and after that declined steadily
until after World War II, as people installed oil and natural gas lines. Still, it’s not unheard
of for some people to continue using coal because of its quality heat production, and
because many older homes never removed their old coal fired boilers. Like many early
20th century metal work, coal chutes can be utilitarian or artistic in design. They are a
reminder of ingenuity and industry of earlier times and of the continuing task of keeping
our homes warm in Maine. Keep your eye out for chutes throughout the neighborhood
like this one on the Brentwood side of Deering Community Church.
As I have had a chance to reflect on all of
the issues before us, I have begun to realize
what an enormous role our educational institutions play in shaping our society. There
is probably no other single institution in
America that is responsible for managing
the educational and social lives of our
citizens for a basic twelve years or more.
This is both an incredible opportunity and
an unbelievable responsibility to place on
any institution. Over this past term I have
come to see that the actions we take in
Washington, Augusta and here in Portland
can have a huge impact on our developing
citizens. And I have come to see my role on
the committee as more than merely a duty,
but as a task that must be undertaken with
great appreciation and care, as the gravity of what we do could make or break our
economy, our society, our culture and, most
of all, our people.
Fortunately, my colleagues on the committee are all doing their very best to make the
right decisions on the many challenging issues we face. For example, we have been
very concerned about the shift of our taxes
to the property tax. In our budget hearings we were able to recommend that the
budget increase our General Purpose Aid
to nearly $50m. This would be enough to
stop the increase of the mill rate on our
property taxes that was proposed in the
budget. We also passed out of committee
a bill that would have returned the cost of
teacher retirement to the State. This represented another $30m plus in savings. These
actions were all intended to take pressure
off the local property tax payer, as we feel
that they are now carrying more than their
share. It is a great privilege to work with
this committee and to represent the City of
Portland.
The Deering Delegation attempts to cover issues of interest to the community here, but hope
you will be in touch with us at any time to
discuss State policy or other concerns.
Punk Rock Wine Pairing
w
by Ned Swain
Pairing wines with food isn’t too difficult, because there are usually traditional combinations from the culture a particular dish came from. Pairing wine with punk rock is a
completely different ball of wax. One of my delivery guys is a musician and he asked me
to pair a wine with the music of his band: TG9. TG9 is a 3 piece of two guitarists and
a drummer playing energetic, young, and unabashedly raw music that was mostly upbeat
with simple catchy tunes, but also had some more introspective thoughtful moments. I saw
them play at New Systems Laundry: a small warehouse space that was rough, raw, and
exciting, just like the music. Pairing wine with music is harder than food, but this isn’t just
some stupid new wine snobbery that I’ve dreamt up over one too many glasses of Zweigelt. Just like food, music provokes feelings and a reaction; it’s a sensory experience as is
food. I started by thinking about the music and the venue and my reactions to them all,
slowly focusing in on how the band made me feel and how I’d describe their music. Once
I had that I started thinking through my large portfolio of wines, looking for wines that
were similarly young, raw, energetic, not totally finished, but lots of fun.
College
Placement
Services
Providing high school students and their families assistance with all aspects of the
college search, selection, application and financial aid process.
Gary L. Canter, M.S.Ed.
210 St. John Street
Portland, ME 04102
(207) 772-9711 | [email protected]
www.collegeplacementservices.org
Eventually I hit on the perfect match! A young Grenache, Syrah, Carginan blend from
southern France called Chat Pitre (crazy cat in translation). Chat Pitre is made by a smaller family winery, Clos l’Amandiaie, from organic grapes that are then wild fermented
with the natural yeast from the skins. The natural ferment gives the wine a brighter more
lively and wild character, but the fruit is very juicy and exuberant. The wine isn’t so heavy
in feel, more medium bodied. The Chat Pitre may not be very polished or balanced, but
it’s a lot of fun to drink and very satisfying in its playful character. You may not believe
me, but I dare you to try pairing music and wine. The chat Pitre costs about $13 and is
available in Portland at Maine and Loire and Friendly Discount Beverage.
local and artisan honey with tasting bar
unique gifts, mead, wine and beer
all natural line of skincare products
observation hive and hobbyist beekeeping
thehoneyexchange.com • 207.773.9333
494 Stevens Avenue, Portland, Maine 04103
10-6 Tuesday-Saturday • 10-2 Sunday
hat kind of wine pairs with spaghetti and meatballs? Duh, some kind of Tuscan
red like a Chianti. How about a wine to go with roast salmon? A rich Pinot Noir
would be a perfect choice. Ok then, what if you’re on a boat eating raw oysters in the sun?
Easy peasy, Muscadet from the lower Loire is the classic pairing.
The SQUIRREL
is on Facebook.
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conversation!
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DEERING SQUIRREL APRIL 2015
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HAPPY AND GENTLE ASTROLOGY*
By Evening Reverie
Aries
March 21 – April 19 Archetype: Ram|Element: Fire
Your fire breath, Aries, reveals mysteries AND draws us towards you. We are
warmed and inspired by your passionate
integrity, and your courage becomes ours.
On the down side, if you want our support,
you might have to listen to us, even learn
from us. We have water to calm you when
you burn too hot. And babe, have we got
the shiny burn scars on our faces! Sometimes your eruptions fling ingots of outrage
at us, and we gotta run for cover. So go easy
on your fuel, keep the fire steady, and we
can all go together. Other options are lonelier.
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
Archetype: Bull|Element: Earth
You have plans, and there are roadblocks
everywhere. Stay put? Go forth? If you
stay, it’s nice and safe and familiar. If you
go… you have to make choices. Wah! And
then, take ACTION! Yes, Taurus, you
will. There are always roadblocks, there
are always plans, and you always need to
deal. Before someone makes you, avoid the
clamor and badgering and do it. You’re a
full grown adult, right? And there are no
wrong or right choices, just your choices.
There are always rest stops, too, so heave
ho, grass biter, flip your snappy tail, and
lumber towards your heart’s desires. It is
your will, no one else’s.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20
Archetype: Twins|Element: Air
What is outstanding about you is your interest in everyone and everything, as Claude
Rains told Bette Davis in “Now, Voyager.”
Haven’t seen it? Do so. Or consider yourself woefully lacking. Moving on: interest in
your own deep self. Look inside and find
everyone and everything lost, gained, suffered and rejoiced and you will see your
way through to the other side of the past.
But only if you let your amazing brain
show you the bright lights towards home.
Or, keep gathering wool and pretend the
pain isn’t there. It’s a choice.
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
Archetype: Crab|Element: Water
Uh oh. Your shell is shedding, and that is
a rough ride. Or bumpy. Or bouncy. Or
could be lumpy. You might wanna boot.
It’s OK though, really, because Cancer,
you feel the truth of it and that will set you
free. It is sickinin’ but it’s time to lead the
way in your life. In spite of the feeling of
weightless nakedness, Fear not! That’s the
old shell falling away. New muscles, new
height, new confidence! You don’t have to
do it alone if you don’t want to. Not everyone will help, there will be stand offs, but a
new protective shell will come. You cannot
live without that. None of us can.
Leo
July 23 – August 21
Archetype: Lion|Element: Fire
Humility is your friend, Great One. Follow
the pride, I mean, the pack. You hate this,
but it isn’t opening night right now. Right
now, let go, be loose, quiet, and tread softly
through the high grass. No posturing, no
displays, no spotlights, no declarations necessary. Quite a welcome change for you!
Restful and rewarding. The work of your
past is going to bear fruit, but you must
give credit where credit is due. You have
had lots of wise and loving help from the
people that you love, so let them know, and
soon. Or how empty the reward if we don’t
love each other?
Virgo
August 22 – September 23
Archetype: Virgin|Element: Earth
Calm your all-noticing mind, babe, because there is too much to see. Unless
you wish to have a breakdown. And
that’s just the wrong kind of attention,
right? Plus, meds. No more meds than
necessary, please. The world is too
much with us all. Good news: you get
to choose what to care about, and you
need no one’s approval but your own.
Get choosin’ or exhaust yourself. Remember, we all suffer and thrive under
the same sun. See us, especially those
with whom you live. It’s kinder to us,
and less pressure for you to get things
DEERING SQUIRREL APRIL 2015
DEERINGSQUIRREL_vol1_no3.indd 4
right. Stop trying to get things right.
Instead, Virgo, be of service. It’s your
destiny.
Libra
September 24 – October 23
Archetype: Scales|Element: Air
Howdy do, Balancing Act! Maybe this will
help in the Age of Seeking Balance: sometimes, there isn’t any, and let that be. There
is an infinity of choices for you, from those
made unconsciously to those made in the
clear wide awake. Where do you fit in all of
it? What do you really want? And what do
they want? Can you give all that to them?
What about you? Are there limits? Is there
too little or too much? Can you postpone
action? Is asking for help OK? Yes and yes.
Anything you like. Breathe deep. Feel it. No
judgment. No should.
Scorpio
October 24 – November 22
Archetype: Giant Scorpion|Element: Water
You are such a professional! Lots of opportunities coming your way (how do I know?),
so be prepared. Keep the calm, cool, collected demeanor handy. Inside, ponder at
your leisure all your hopes and dreams, and
what makes you happiest. And ponder too:
what is happiness? Is it a fleeting feeling
or a chosen state of being? A finite experience of ecstasy or something deep inside
that flows from day to day? You are a water
sign, so a flow type thingy will most likely best nurture your highest self. Fleeting
is fun, but it’s just a good story to tell with
your best chums.
Sagittarius November 23– December 22
Archetype: Archer|Element: Fire
Sagittarius, you have so much to share, not
to mention your sheer joy in living. Things
are going on, lots of stuff to do, lots of
people on many teams. Is there gas in the
car? Uh oh, the tire blew. Oops, you spilled
grease on your mother’s tablecloth. Dern,
you lost your neighbor’s cordless saw. Wow!
Slow down! Catch your breath! It’ll all be
OK! Find the time to integrate all your
amazing gifts, and then: You got that arrow. Where do you want to aim? What do
you really care about? This is the real thing.
Money or something entirely different?
That’s what’s happening now.
Capricorn December 23 – January 20
tvgirl
Book to Movie
Translating a book into a movie is honestly what most people fail at; that’s just the
truth. Every time you try to translate a book
into a movie it doesn’t come out as well as
the original. It just loses its raw power, like
the Harry Potter series. Every time they
make a new copy, it loses the amazeballs
part of it. Like thoughts and emotions. It
may be more graphic, but it’s not better. It’s
more gruesome, but not better. I know that
some people may disagree, but that is the
absolute truth.
xoxo
tvgirl
The Turing Movies:
An Interrogatory Review
By Wayne Cowart
The recent film about Alan Turing, The Imitation Game (hereafter TIG), raises the
question whether a twenty-something, unabashedly gay Cambridge math prof may have
shaped the outcome of World War II more than most of the generals and admirals of
that era.
Another famous scientist of Turing’s era has described science as an ‘expanding frontier
of ignorance’ — new insights lead to new questions. In that spirit here are some questions
about Turing that can be explored through various resources on the web.
If we could ask Turing to tell his story, what would matter most? The central threads in
TIG are his contribution as a WWII code breaker, being gay, and the horrific indignities
he endured after the war. But a different Turing appears in Breaking The Code (a 1996
BBC film of the 1984 play on which TIG is also based, with Derek Jacobi as Turing;
free on You Tube). This Turing is a passionate mathematician who actually manages “in
general terms” to articulate the core ideas in his pre-war work on the decision problem,
work that made him famous among mathematicians, philosophers, computer scientists,
linguists, and others decades before his wartime code-breaking work was widely known.
Today Turing’s name is often associated with the idea that computers may soon equal
the intellectual competence of mere flesh and blood humans. But there’s another take to
consider in Breaking the Code: what if Turing’s path breaking work proved that math isn’t
all math — that there are important provable truths that can be uncovered only by human
imagination and ingenuity.
Breaking the Code also airs the question of just how Turing died. The standard account
(in TIG and elsewhere) is the coroner’s conclusion: Turing committed suicide by way of
biting into a poisoned apple. His mother argued otherwise. There is also a chilling scene
with a British intelligence officer (played by Harold Pinter) that calls attention to the fact
that both British and American intelligence circles were extremely touchy about homosexuals in possession of military secrets in the post-war era.
Archetype: Fish-Tailed Goat|Element: Earth
Other leads: On YouTube alan turing, turing machine, enigma machine, bletchley park; on WikiBusy brain and body, science and fact empedia, all of these, as well as algorithm, church-turing thesis and chomsky hierarchy; on streaming
power you. Proofs and evidence. We canvideo services (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.) codebreaker and enigma.
not manage without you, and in these days
ACROSS
of evangelical fanatics on every corner, we STEVENS AVENUE
1. used to be the BlueDoor
need people like you to teach us, especially A Puzzle By Gail Belt
3. named after a Saint
8. drugs and dental
our children. Still, your divine self needs
10. mis-spelled virtues or where
some attention as well. Can you choke that
Stevens Ave begins
down for a few minutes a day? It won’t con13. not just movies
tradict your faith in data, in fact, the more
17. no Pontiff here
18. a good characteristic or lunch
you cast your eyes within, the more your
here fast
confidence in the ineffable will grow, in a
19. sweetly buzzing
way that is marvelous rather than ridicu23. our winter past-time
lous. And then talk to someone you deeply
25. a summer past-time
29. free reading and internet
trust about all these wonders. Can you gig30. cobbler
gle about that?
32. drops off many students
34. armory
36. simply named after a country
39. drive slow
40. a senior park
41. legislative body or where
Stevens ends
42. named after a president
43. tax help and finances
44. back door to used shopping
Aquarius January 21 – February 19
Archetype: Water Bearer|Element: Air
Hey, aren’t you sick of this? That water is
heavy, girl. Guy. Leading the way, leading
the way. They don’t always follow, do they,
but they aren’t your responsibility. Yours is
to bring the water to the horse. C’est tout.
Brace yourself: you can put it down for a
while! Stand up straight, stretch and be
yourself. Let the lessons go; there are other teachers. Dive gloriously into the warm
smooth water. Find your pals, go have some
fun. In fact, find people pretty as independent as you. Love ’em up, and they, I guarantee, will reciprocate.
Pisces February 20 – March 20 Archetype: Fish|Element: Water
Have you been worrying about money lately? Let me tell you, security is important,
but more valuable than the content of your
bank account is the security of your higher
self. If that is at risk or in doubt, no amount
of money will comfort you. Please, fish,
have no fear. You smart fish. Resourceful.
A natural problem solver. You are in control of that $$! Listen not to the clangorous
voices within. Go deeper to the silence, and
the one voice that is you. Listen to that. Receive. Believe. Be at peace.
*ignore this and live life by your own compass
If I have to wear this winter coat
one more day I’m going to eat it.
DOWN
2. Mmm - wood-fired pizza
4. named after a former governor
5. purple male sheep
6. sausages
7. Cody cleans
9. often walking with a companion
11. learn to drive
12. tailors
14. our butcher and our favorite
team
15. Deering center gathering place
16. put out emergency
20. go here when you die or to ride
your bike too
21. nice intersecting street
22. buzz of the caffeine type meow
24. served our country
26. hardware
27. Stevens Ave has more of these
than any street in town
28. named after a poet
31. mass and prayer
33. moms drop off kids one of these
35. free publication and seen running across Stevens
37. pamper yourself
38. not quite notorious permanent
art
4/16/15 12:51 PM