The Portland Daily Sun, Tuesday, December 14, 2010

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2010 VOL. 2 NO. 223 PORTLAND, ME PORTLAND’S DAILY NEWSPAPER 699-5801

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Judge in health care case known as

tough

See the story, page 2

My cat is not a socialist

See Bob Higgins’

column on page 4

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With Patriots on horizon, Packers evaluate Rodgers for concussion

See story in Sports, page 16

Lindsey Schwarz of South Portland organizes donated toys for distribution at the Salvation Army Portland Citadel Corps Friday. The toy sorting was part of a community service project for Youth Building Alternatives, a program of Portland-based nonprofi t LearningWorks. For a story on the project, see page 9. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTO)

Santa’s helpers’ helpers

see OTTO’S page 6

see RENOVATION page 8

BY DAVID CARKHUFFTHE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

BY MATT DODGETHE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

see PEAKS page 3

BY CURTIS ROBINSONTHE PORTLAND DAILY SUN

If Peaks Island voters want to leave the city of Portland, says their state represen-tative, then he will introduce legislation to make it happen.

But, adds state District 114 Rep. Peter Stuckey, “there’s a lot of work to do” before options are known.

In the wake of last weekend’s “straw poll” vote with about 58 percent of those voting supporting secession, Stuckey has agreed to investigate introducing secession into

the state legislature before a Jan. 7 dead-line for new laws.

According to the Peaks Island Council

members’ new Facebook page, where the straw poll was announced last week, the fi nal tally stands at 133 votes in favor of secession and 96 against. Those fi gures are a bit different than widely reported prelim-inary tallies that indicated slightly stron-ger secession support.

In an interview Monday, state Rep. Stuckey, D-Portland, said his current thinking is that another formal election would have to be held before the measure could be taken up since a previous effort

Peaks rep says he would introduce secession bill“If the work gets done and the will of Peaks Island is that they want to secede,

then I will submit the bill ... but I think there are people

on both sides of this.”District 114 Rep. Peter Stuckey

Many business owners try to start small, gain a share in the market and steadily expand.

But the owners of Portland pizza slice bar Otto might have taken the maxim a little too far with their claustrophobic space at 576 Congress in the summer of 2009.

Initially offering only take-out pizza, the shop made such a splash among downtown diners that they soon expanded next door with the adjacent and equally cozy dining room facil-ity Enzo’s.

A sprinkler system for the high-profi le historic renovation at Con-gress Street at High Street has forced the closure of one lane of Congress.

Continuing through Wednesday between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., inbound traffi c on Con-

gress Street at High Street will be reduced to one lane, combining left turn and through traffi c, city offi cials warned.

A fi re-safety sprinkler system is part of the renovation of the nearby Schwartz Building, also known as the Clocktower Build-ing because of its signature clock

Historic renovation spurs closure of Congress St. lane

Trench work closes part of Congress Street Monday. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTO)

Munjoy Otto’s to open by Friday

Political landscape: ‘As Maine goes’ is a Tea Party opportunity

See Curtis Robinson’s column on

page 5

Page 2 — THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, Tuesday, December 14, 2010

AUGUSTA (AP) — The challenge to expand coverage under the federal health care overhaul law won’t be as daunting in Maine as it is in much of the nation, according to a new report.

Maine has already been involved in innovative efforts to provide afford-able health coverage for its residents, making the “leap” to broad coverage easier, according to the report’s authors who have been studying the impact of the new federal law for months.

The Maine Advisory Committee on Health Systems Development and the Steering Committee on Health Reform will hold a public hearing Tuesday on the report. It contains recommendations

to the governor and Legislature on how the state should implement the national health overhaul that was signed into law by President Barack Obama earlier this year.

The two groups held 14 public meet-ings across Maine before completing their draft report, which was released Dec. 8.

Gov. John Baldacci, who leaves offi ce in January, signed the Dirigo Health pro-gram into law in 2003, extending insur-ance to thousands of Maine residents and small businesses. While seen at the time as a groundbreaking program, Dirigo has encountered criticism for not fulfi lling its expectations and costing too much.

Report sets stage for health reformsRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The federal

judge who struck down the very centerpiece of the Obama administration’s health care law Monday is a George W. Bush appointee who earned the nickname “Hang ‘Em High Henry” for his tough-on-crime stand as a prosecutor and on the bench.

Among those who have felt U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hud-son’s wrath is NFL star Michael Vick, who in 2007 received a nearly two-year sentence — and a dressing-down — for running a dog-fi ghting ring.

Hudson rejected Vick’s plea for leniency, questioned whether the athlete was truly remorseful and chas-tised him for failing to apologize to children who looked up to him as a role model.

“You were instrumental in promoting, funding and facilitating this cruel and inhumane sporting activity,” the judge said, adding: “I’m not convinced you’ve fully accepted responsibility.”

The health care ruling could make Hudson, 63, a hero to political conserva-tives, just as the Vick case did among animal rights activists.

Hudson declared unconstitutional the requirement that nearly all Americans buy insurance.

“At its core, this dispute is not simply about regulating the business of insurance — or crafting a scheme of universal health insurance coverage — it’s about an individ-ual’s right to choose to participate,” he said.

Whether health care will replace Vick as

Hudson’s most memorable case remains to be seen.

“If his decision is ultimately vindicated by the Supreme Court, his original opin-ion may actually stand out for quite a long time,” said Paul McNulty, a Washington lawyer who served as U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Virginia from 2001 to 2006.

Hudson

Judge in health care case known as tough

SOUTH PORT-LAND — Lorraine R. McGrath, 88, of South Portland, passed away Friday, Dec. 10, 2010. Lorraine was born in Salem, Massachusetts on Nov. 12, 1922. She was predeceased by her husband Gordon McGrath and her great granddaughter Claire Elizabeth Hindle.

Lorraine grew up in Westbrook, Maine and moved to South Portland after getting

married. She worked for the telephone company, and for many years was a sec-retary at South Portland High School. In later years, she was employed at Uncle Andy’s Bakery. Before she lost her eye-sight, Lorraine loved to knit and to read. One of the joys of her life was doing the crossword puzzle daily with her son, Mar-shall.

Lorraine is survived by her three chil-dren, Marshall McGrath of South Portland, Kathleen Wise of Buxton and Marylou McGrath of South Portland; four grand-children, Tamara Hindle and husband Tom of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Robb Friedman and wife Elisa of Newton, Mass.,

Courtney Connolly and husband Kevin of Old Orchard Beach, and Megan Coolbroth of Portland. She also leaves behind eight great-grandchildren and a special niece, Carol-Ann Cass.

Lorraine’s family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Seaside Nursing Home for the wonderful care given to their mother during her stay there.

Visiting hours will be 3-5 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 14 at the Hobbs Funeral Home, 230 Cottage Road, South Portland. A funeral Service will be held 10 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 15 at the funeral home with burial to follow at Brooklawn Memorial Park, Port-land.

Lorraine R. McGrath, 88

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– OBITUARY ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Frigid air whipped through a desolate Metrodome on Monday as crews began inspecting the Minnesota stadium’s nearly three decades-old roof after it collapsed under the weight of heavy snow that pounded the Twin Cities and forced the Vikings to move their game to Detroit.

Sunday’s roof collapse was the fourth since the since the 29-year-old facility

opened, and it has rekindled the debate over whether the cash-strapped state should build a new venue using taxpayer money.

“It’s an aging facility. We all know that. This actually ramps up that part of the dis-cussion,” said state Sen. Julie Rosen, who said she will introduce a new stadium bill when the Legislature convenes in January.

The Vikings have lobbied lawmakers

for more than 10 years for a new stadium, arguing the Metrodome is outdated and doesn’t generate enough revenue. The team’s lease runs through the 2011 season and they have said they won’t renew it. The NFL team is the stadium’s only major tenant after the Minnesota Twins and University of Minnesota moved into new facilities, which received public subsidies, in the past two years.

Metrodome roof collapse rekindles stadium debate

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WORLD/NATION–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– DIGEST––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Critic calls

ballerina fat

SAYWHAT...A critic is a man who knows the way

but can’t drive the car.”—Kenneth Tynan

NEW YORK (AP) — Christmas is upon us, and for a top ballerina at New York City Ballet, that means one sure thing: suit-ing up in tulle and sequins as the Sugarplum Fairy in the annual classic, “The Nutcracker.” What Jenifer Ringer surely didn’t expect was to be accused of having “eaten one sugar-plum too many.”

That remark two weeks ago by the nation’s most prominent dance critic reverberated across the Web, with many coming to Ringer’s defense and call-ing the reviewer a cad.

Even worse, angry fans wrote on chat boards, Ringer has been public about struggles with eating disorders earlier in her career, over which she tri-umphed to become one of NYCB’s most popular danc-ers. How cruel, then, to criti-cize her body now.

Through two weeks of chatter, though, Ringer remained publicly silent, as most dancers do — until Monday, when she appeared on NBC’s “Today” to address the controversy swirling around her like the confetti in “Nutcracker’s” famous snowfl ake scene.

“I’m not overweight,” said the ballerina, who at 37 is not only a company veteran but one of only three moth-ers in its ranks. “I do have, I guess, a more womanly type than the stereotypical ballerina.”

But she declined to demand an apology from New York Times dance critic Alastair Macaulay.

“It’s his opinion,” said Ringer, whom NYCB would not make available to The Associated Press for com-ment. “He is a critic and he’s paid to put his opinion in the paper.” She added that “there were 2,000 people probably out there ... and everyone else had a different opinion as well.”

Amid the kerfuffl e over whether and when a danc-er’s weight becomes an issue lies an even more basic question about ballet, an art form in which the body is subjected to untold rigors — not to mention the constant threat of injury — in order to fulfi ll its strict, time-honored require-ments. Are different body types allowed? Must one be rail-thin to qualify as a top dancer?

To longtime observer Wendy Perron, editor of Dance Magazine, the answer is no.

“Perhaps she is not the thinnest dancer on the stage, but who cares?” Perron said in an interview. “What she has is warmth. She is just wonderful in the role of the Sugarplum Fairy, welcoming Marie and her prince to the Land of the Sweets. Not every dancer can pull that off.”

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was defeated in the legislature.Supporters of Peaks secession have

said they feel the new Republican leg-islature in Augusta may be more sup-portive of allowing a secession election for the island. They had also said they wanted to present the issue in time for consideration early in 2011.

The previous island independence measure would not have actually brought about the split, but would have empowered a referendum elec-tion to determine the island’s munici-pal fate. Even secession supporters concede that some voters might have been supporting a “process moving forward” and not the eventual split.

If voters had created a new town, that government would have taken over the schools but remained part of the Portland water district. The new town would have been responsible for its share of existing Portland debt, but also received tax revenues including property taxes.

That secession effort failed after a legislative committee failed to back the measure. Instead, the state pushed formation of an advisory com-mittee. Members of the resulting Peaks Island Council have consis-tently charged that mainland offi cials ignore their advice, and the entire

group either resigned in protest or chose not to run in the November elec-tions.

But three candidates did get elected via write-in ballots, although the lead-ing vote-getter had only fi ve votes. All three are supporters of leaving the city of Portland. The weekend straw poll, with a good turnout, will no doubt bolster their efforts.

Critics had charged that the new council, given the lack of votes, lacked real standing to lead the neighbor-hood. They may need political stand-ing as they begin the independence process anew.

“It’s my current understanding that they have to start over,” said Rep. Stuckey of the secession backers. He attended the community discussion part of the weekend vote on Peaks Island and agreed to investigate “what’s next.”

Stuckey is not necessarily in favor of Peaks separating from the mainland.

“I’m someone who likes to bring people together,” he said. “I’m not wildly enthusiastic about it [secession].”

The representative added that he would still offer the legislation.

“If the work gets done,” he said, “and the will of Peaks Island is that they want to secede, then I will submit the bill ... but I think there are people on both sides of this.”

PEAKS from page one

OXFORD (AP) — Casino opponents on Monday abandoned a recount of the statewide vote that approved Maine’s fi rst casino with both table games and slot machines.

The recount was requested after voters on Nov. 2 approved the state-wide referendum by 4,601 votes — less than 1 percent of more than 564,000 votes cast statewide.

Opponents ended the recount Monday because there was no appre-ciable change after more than 20 per-cent of the vote had been retallied, said Dennis Bailey from Casinos NO!

Even as the recount progressed in Augusta, Black Bear Entertainment LLC continued to move forward with

its plan for a $165 million casino and resort in Oxford.

The casino plans to submit state environmental applications next week, said Peter Martin, Black Bear’s director of governmental relations. The goal is to start construction in June and to have the fi rst phase of the casino up and running in the fi rst quarter of 2012.

Bailey said it remains to be seen whether Black Bear can win fi nan-cial backing and fi nd an outfi t to operate the Oxford casino in light of an anticipated legal challenge, as well as efforts in Lewiston and Bid-deford to open competing casinos in those cities.

Casino foes abandon recount of vote

PORTLAND (AP) — The Coast Guard has ended its search for a Maine lobsterman who fell overboard while fi shing in deep waters 45 miles off the coast of Rockland.

The Coast Guard dispatched aircraft and boats Sunday afternoon and con-tinued to search with boats on Monday before giving up at 1:15 p.m. Coast Guard Lt. Nick Barrow says the pre-liminary indication is that 38-year-old David Mahonen of South Thomaston

went overboard after becoming entan-gled in gear.

Mahonen was not wearing a life jacket or survival suit. Coast Guard searchers battled fog, driving rain, 12- to 18-foot seas and high winds. Aircraft were grounded Monday by low clouds.

Offi cials say that Mahonen was one of four people aboard the Rhode Island-based Timothy Michael. The 77-foot boat often fi shes far offshore near Jef-freys Ledge.

Search called off for lost lobsterman

Supporters of Peaks secession see their chance in legislature

PORTLAND (AP) — A price-mon-itoring website says average retail gasoline prices in Maine have risen 1.2 cents per gallon in the past week to an average of $3.11.

The website, MaineGasPrices.com, says Sunday’s prices in Maine are higher

than the national average, which has increased 1.3 cent per gallon in the last week to an average of $2.96. Including the change in gas prices in Maine during the past week, prices in Maine as this week began were 41.8 cents per gallon higher than the same day a year ago.

Maine gasoline prices rise to $3.11 average


All letters columns and editorial cartoons are the opinion of the writer or artists and do not refl ect the opinions of the staff, editors or pub-lisher of The Portland Daily Sun.

We welcome your ideas and opinions on all topics and consider every signed letter for publication. Limit letters to 300 words and include your address and phone number. Longer letters will only be published as space allows and may be edited. Anonymous letters, letters without full names and generic letters will not be published. Please send your letters to: THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN, [email protected]. You may FAX your letters to 899-4963, Attention: Editor.

We want your opinionsThose who read my column last

Saturday about moving all my stuff to the new place, in addition to the cat, are due for an update.

Late Friday night, I went to the bar seeking crafty minions with strong backs and weak minds, but apparently publishing such intentions in a daily newspa-per is not the best of strategies. No amount of mind tricks could summon an assistant, so I ended up doing the move early Satur-day a.m.

Moved just about everything except the cat in one shot, and returned back to the room for the fi nal cleaning, and to gather said cat. I fi gured out that if I moved all the stuff fi rst, then came back for the cat, she would be a bit more comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings if some of the stuff she was used to seeing was there.

This was a mistake, somewhere on par with mixing wine, beer, vodka, pickled eggs, and tequila on the assumption that they were old friends.

I set most of the stuff in the room, taking a few seconds to set up the bed. After cleaning the room, I found the 16-year-old cat cowering in the corner of the room. Everything she “knew” had been carried away a piece at a time, and that horrid vacuum

My cat is not a socialist

sucking monstrosity had entered the room.

Apparently, cats have some sort of visceral dislike for vacuums. The devices so seldom made an appearance in my life, who knew?

Cat in box, I headed for a local cab. For the entire journey, she wailed like she was getting skew-ered by dogs wielding pointy sticks. Even the cab driver got into the act, meowing back at the box.

Here is where I’m supposed to mention that the new place has two other cats, a long-term resi-dent, and a 10-month-old kitten. Both seemed fairly cool, curious about the fat bastard bringing in box after box of what was surely cat toys. They must have seen me as some deranged early Santa, for all the boxes went into the room, and the door was closed until my return.

Taking cat into the new room, I opened the box on the bed. Like an idiot, I left the door of the room

open. Now I know the true defi ni-tion of the term “caterwauling.” It sounded like a lame duck session of Congress on tax debate day.

Took a minute to set up the food, water, and the cat-box. It was at this point, cowering on the bed, that the total and complete freak-out began. The kitten, smelling food in the new room, decided to come in and help himself.

My cat, sputtering and spitting with a rage that reminded me of certain a.m. radio talk show hosts, was having none of it. The kitten, undeterred, then decided to explore the rest of the room, and the new cat-box.

Ladies and gentlemen, to my cat, this was an outrage on par with defecating on the fl ag while burning a bible. She was a hiss-ing, spitting, name-calling wild animal puffed up to twice her normal size with rage hormones. Any attempt to reach out and pla-cate this animal would surely be met with at the very least, a miss-ing limb.

Of course, the cat never left the bed to do anything about it, also reminding me of certain a.m. radio show hosts.

She does not want to share her food, or her water, or her box. My

see HIGGINS page 5

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– COLUMN ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Smart women know that if a guy is sending mixed signals — promising to call but never getting around to it, making dates and then canceling, professing warm feelings but not introducing you to his friends — it can mean only one thing: He’s just not that into you.

Liberals keep wondering why Barack Obama so often disappoints them. But if he truly cared about

Left and right, fooled by Obama

Steve Chapman

–––––Creators Syndicate

not disappointing them, he wouldn’t. He disappoints them because his heart is somewhere else.

It took a while, but thanks to the tax deal he reached with Republicans, it seems to be dawning on those in the left wing of the Democratic Party that he is not one of them and never will be.

They were aghast when he agreed to keep the Bush tax cuts for upper-income house-holds, while settling for an inheritance tax rate of just 35 percent. House Demo-crats promptly rejected the agreement wholesale.

For a long time, liberals suppressed their doubts by blaming Republicans, or Wall Street’s excessive infl uence, or Obama’s political advisers. Eventually they decided the president, though well-meaning,

see CHAPMAN page 5

––––––––––––– COLUMN –––––––––––––

Bob Higgins–––––

Daily Sun Columnist

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That old political saying “as Maine goes, so goes the nation” may take on new currency as the national conser-vative movement looks around for examples of its accomplishments.

“As Maine goes” used to be a sort of electoral truism, dating back to the era of electing our governors in Sep-tember ahead of the national voting in November. Our election pretty much predicted the White House occupant through much of the 19th century and even a few decades into the 20th.

The phrase entered the lexicon after the 1888 election, when Maine voted for Republicans and the GOP’s Harrison won the presidential elec-tion – historians will note that it was a rare example of winning the presi-dency despite losing the national pop-ular vote.

In those days, we were like New Hampshire today: Highly courted despite few congressional seats, and naturally scant electoral college votes.

The “new” saying might become a great slogan for the Tea Party crowd.

Newly elected Governor Paul LePage, in my opinion, somehow never really made the consensus national media list of Tea Party loons

‘As Maine goes’ is a Tea Party opportunity

nesting in high offi ce. I think some of this is becasuse he embraced the political advice of Abraham Lincoln, who suggested it is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt.

(That wisdom is also attributed to Mark Twain, but I often prefer the original-original: “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding,” ‘Proverbs’ 17:28.)

LePage, despite blasting into the GOP nomination with the support of Tea Party backers who also reworked the party’s campaign platform, was just never totally linked to the fringe aspects of the movement. Go fi gure.

Actually, staying above that fray (remember when that statewide Tea Party website that was taken over in the parking lot?) was one of few signs that LePage had any traditional

political instincts ... well, that and winning the election.

Yet a glance through the transition team shows the Tea Party connec-tions.

This presents a real opportunity for national conservatives. There was that high-profi le, close-to-election magazine piece listing us dead last in the nation for business environment, and we have signifi cant unemploy-ment and other benchmarks.

And we remain a state that went from all-Democrat (House, Senate, Gov.) to all-Republican.

Thus it will be easy for conser-vatives to make an argument that things are getting better under GOP government. This will be important as the 2012 election looms, and the presidential hopefuls will be booking those cheap fl ights into Manchester any day now, and conservatives seek a theme.

Will they actually get better? Who knows, but give somebody $100,000 and Frank Luntz’ website address and you can have data aplenty.

This will, of course, bring a howl of complaint from the variety of groups left hanging from what might be wildly unprecedented budget cuts

and general goings on. But, as they say in D.C. politics, if you’re the one explaining, you’re the one losing.

All this, of course, comes in the context of already having two moder-ate Republican U.S. Senators. So the national perception, no matter what reality we have in the state, could easily be that we’re actually more Red-state right-wing than virtually any other state in the nation.

As narratives go, of course, that would be way off base. But national political narratives usually cling to unbiased truth in a way usually reserved for college entry letters of recommendation, and those of us who would offer a more balanced view had better get busy.

We may have failed to vote in favor of equal rights for marriage, and our lawmakers may be stupidly defying voters on the medical mari-juana question, but we are not in fact becoming Arizona.

But a conservative “As Maine goes” messaging spree could leave us, well, explaining ourselves.

(Curtis Robinson is editor of The Portland Daily Sun. Contact him at [email protected].)

Curtis Robinson

–––––Usually

Reserved

cat has apparently decided that this is a form of socialism. It doesn’t matter that there is plenty of food there for all, it is her food and there will be none of this sharing nonsense.

In telling the story this afternoon, yonder editor

brought up a good point. In bowing to the wisdom of The Great Lebowski, I told the tale of the capitalis-tic cat. He pointed out that my cat, in not bothering to get up and defend herself, is less of a capitalist and more of a nihilist, and there was nothing to be afraid of.

And all this time, I thought the saying was about

about the futility of trying to teach old dogs new tricks. Apparently, cats are not only slow to learn new ones, but as paranoid and delusional as talk radio.

(Bob Higgins is a regular contributor to The Port-land Daily Sun.)

HIGGINS from page 4

She was a hissing, spitting, name-calling wild animal

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– STAFF OPINION ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

was naive, inept or afraid to fi ght. They did not, however, examine the underlying presumption: that Obama shares their beliefs and goals.

No doubt they took heart from his background as a community organizer, his idealistic rhetoric and his left-wing pastor. They were also encouraged by conservatives who denounced him as a fanatical socialist on a mission to transform America into a replica of France or Cuba or Berkeley, Calif.

The last two Democratic presidents, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, were white Southerners who hewed close to the center. In Obama, an African-American from Chicago, those on the left end of the spectrum expected something more to their taste.

So the tax cut deal came as a bitter surprise. But why? Obama has made it plain that he sees liberal priorities as sometimes congenial but always expendable.

He signed a stimulus package far smaller than liberals wanted. He dropped the “public option” from health care reform while protecting the interests of insurance companies. He bailed out big banks.

He stuck to George W. Bush’s policy in Iraq and escalated the war in Afghanistan.

He hasn’t gotten around to closing the Guantanamo detention camp. He signed a free trade deal with South Korea.

Fervent liberals claim there’s noth-ing in the middle of the road but

yellow stripes and dead armadillos. But that’s where Obama consistently travels.

A few weeks ago, liberal Democrats were up in arms about the recommen-dations of defi cit commission co-chairs Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the plan “simply unacceptable.” Ver-mont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an avowed socialist, denounced it as “absurd.”

What no one seemed to notice is that the commission came about only because of an executive order by Obama, who also appointed the lead-ers. Could it be that Obama selected them because he knew, and liked, what they would propose?

Jonathan Chait of The New Repub-lic noted that their plan is “tilted, overwhelmingly, toward Republican priorities,” and that “three-quarters of the savings come from spending cuts.” He made the excuse that to appease Republicans, “the commission had to cater to their whims by crafting a plan that lies almost as far as can be toward the right-wing side of poten-tial choices.”

Could be. Or it could be they catered to the whims of Barack Obama.

Conservatives have always assumed that because he learned from radical Saul Alinsky, knew former Weath-

erman Bill Ayers and sat through sermons by Jeremiah (“God damn America”) Wright, Obama must sing “The Internationale” every morning in the shower. Giving up that convic-tion is not easy.

Even after he cut the tax deal with Republicans, Wall Street Journal col-umnist Daniel Henninger claimed the president is “a Class Warrior with every fi ber of his being” — comparing his poli-cies to those of Franklin Roosevelt in his 1936 attack on “economic royalists.”

But under FDR, the top income tax rate was 94 percent. Obama proposed a top rate of 39.6 percent. That’s higher than under President George W. Bush, but lower than the 50 percent top rate in 1986 — when the president was a notorious class warrior named Ronald Reagan.

Liberals and conservatives have one thing in common: They have both per-sisted in believing that Obama, in his heart of hearts, is a man of the left. But by his fruits, they — eventually — shall know him.

(Steve Chapman blogs daily at news-blogs.chicagotribune.com/steve_chap-man. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.)

Tax cut deal came as a bitter surprise to those on the leftCHAPMAN from page 4

Legislation to avert a Jan. 1 income-tax increase for millions won overwhelming support in a Senate test vote on Monday, backed by an uneasy and unusual alliance between the White House and lawmakers in both parties. Even before the vote was complete, President Barack Obama said the show of support “proves that both parties can in fact work together to grow our economy and look out for the American people.” Here, Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, talks with a reporter on Capitol Hill in Washing-ton Monday during a procedural vote on the tax cut legislation.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)


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Daily Sun Columnist

Figgy pudding. Sugar plums. Chestnuts roasting on an open fi re. There are some foods that rarely exist outside of Christ-mas lyrics, which is fi ne by me.

Chestnuts are mealy and bland. Sugar plums aren’t plums at all and people who camp out on your doorstep demanding pudding are people I want nothing to do with. But wassail … now there’s a Yuletide tradition worth making more of.

Wassailing is an old English tradition, essentially a ceremony that involves multiple toasts to the good health of apple trees, the ones that produce the cider that hardens into the beverage you toast with. The wassail beverage was typically mulled and served hot, usually — but not always — made with hard cider. It was also made with ale and wine.

Although we are a soup-eating people, we really don’t have a strong culture of hot beverages. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and the occasional cider are typically the only hot beverages that you’ll fi nd on menus in this country. Hot broths and savory brews

are really a home affair, made to order when it’s bitter cold. The only local exception I’ve found is the buttery rich tea that is served at Korea House.

In our family we often warm our-selves with hot cider, lightly sim-mered with a stick of cinnamon and a few cloves.

A spoonful of miso in a cup of hot water is a lovely welcome home. Mulled wine is another lovely wel-come but not when you need to do much more than slip into bed with a good book. When anyone starts sneezing or getting sniffl y we make hot lemonade, mixing in a couple of crushed aspirins with lemon and honey. I’m not sure what the AMA would say but Dr. Mom says the citric acid/aspirin combo is good for the throat.

As homely as its ingredients are, I consider real borscht a real luxury. In Poland, where I learned to love the stuff, it’s made with beets, onions, carrots, celery and garlic then strained into a bouillon that is served on its own or as a prelude to a larger meal. One of the keys to good borscht is a nice splash of

acidity. You can speed the process with lemon or vin-egar but borscht that has been left to age for several days allows for a natural souring that is well worth the effort.

It’s so exquisite that it’s the fi rst course of the tradi-tional Christmas Eve feast. I could drink it every day.

This year’s hot beverage discovery is a variation on mulled cider called Lambswool. It’s a medieval punch that takes its name from the white wooly look of roasted apples that fl oat in cider.

The recipe calls for apples that have been roasted at 400 degrees until they are soft and begin to burst, likely about an hour or so. The apples — in pieces or whole — are then placed in mugs and mulled cider is poured over them. The classic mulling spices are cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger (either ground or crystallized) but star anise, black peppercorns and cardamom could be used as well.

It’s double apple goodness. Fortify it with a little Applejack and you can keep dozens of physicians at bay.

(Margo Mallar is a Portland resident and Daily Sun contributor.)

The twinkle in Santa’s eye

Now two years after opening “little” Otto’s, the men who believe that any and everything deserves a shot as a topping will expand into an additional location on Munjoy Hill at the site of the former North Star Cafe. They expect to open by the end of this week.

The new location, also called Otto’s, will offer 90-plus seats of family style sit-down dining, a full bar, and an expanded menu along with its popular by-the-slice take-out.

“It’s going to look kind of like Enzo next door. It’s a little more grown up than Otto,” said co-owner Anthony Allen.

The space at 225 Congress has undergone exten-sive renovations over the last couple of months, with the Otto’s team adding a half-exposed pizza kitchen, 26-foot bar, pinewood fl oors and a unique array of seating, with plans to add an additional 20-plus sidewalk seats during the warmer months.

Allen said Otto’s Munjoy will serve a need not cur-rently met by the downtown location, which sees most of its business in the form of walk-in, by-the-slice traffi c in an area of town where fi nding parking

can be a chore.“We’re really heavily reliant on the slice business

at little Otto. Munjoy Otto’s will be more family-friendly, more people picking up pies to bring home,” he said.

The expansion adds Allen and business partner Mike Keon to the growing list of Portland restaura-teurs who operate multiple, and often very different, businesses throughout the city.

Food blog Portland Food Coma reported Sunday that Steve and Michelle Corry, owners of Five Fifty-Five have taken a lease on the former Evangeline space at Longfellow Square, and plan to open a casual dining restaurant serving lunch and dinner in Spring 2011.

Other local restaurant dynasties include chef Har-ding Lee Smith’s rooms (Front, Corner and Grill), Jay Villani’s Local 188 and Sonny’s, Fore Street and Street & Co. and Rob Evan’s Hugo’s and Duckfat.

The Munjoy incarnation of Otto’s will be open 11:30 a.m. to “at least 11 p.m.” on weekdays, and midnight on weekends, said Allen.

“It’s a really neat space, we’ve done neat things

with the dining room,” said the co-owner.Topping that list of neat things would be the res-

taurant’s booths — fi ve grand pianos salvaged from around the state by Keon and turned into one-of-a-kind seating.

Allen, who has worked in the pizza business off and on since his teenage years, teamed up with chef Keon with the aim of offering an “affordable slice” created with gourmet ingredients and unusual top-pings.

“We just combined forces and came up with what we think is a really good product that has been really well received,” Allen said.

Combinations like mashed potato, bacon and scal-lion and butternut squash, ricotta and cranberry are some of the 26 recipes that put Otto’s on the map, but Allen said the shop’s best-selling pizza is an older standard.

“We probably sell more cheese than anything,” said Allen. “It’s a really pure fl avor with mozzarella, asiago and tomato sauce that is really well ripened and naturally sweetened.”

All of the Otto’s favorites will be available at the new location, but come hungry for pizza, as the menu doesn’t extend far beyond pie-based creations, with only a salad and dessert option being added to the menu.

Allen said he’s excited to be opening up a restau-rant in the East End shopping district, an section of Congress where he sees a lot of promise. “I’m not from Portland, so I don’t know the location that well, but now that we’ve been up there working on it, I really like it,” he said.

Situated across from the Eastern Cemetery, the row of craft, book and antique shops, yoga studio and hair salons that make up the neighborhood are ideal for further culinary expansion in Allen’s estimation.

“Figa opened [recently] and I think another res-taurant or two in that row would be terrifi c, I think it’ll be a great location,” he said.

Otto’s is also preparing to open up a slice bar in Cambridge’s Harvard Square. Similar in setup to the 576 Congress St. location, the shop test the limits of close-quarters cooking when it opens Jan. 4.

“It’s even tinier than Portland,” Allen said.

OTTO’S from page one

The Otto’s at 225 Congress St. has undergone extensive renova-tions over the last couple of months, with the Otto’s team adding a half-exposed pizza kitchen, 26-foot bar, pinewood fl oors and a unique array of seating, with plans to add an additional 20-plus sidewalk seats during the warmer months. (COURTESY PHOTO)

New Otto’s location on Munjoy Hill to feature 90-plus seats


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Isaac Holden with Maietta Enterprise of Scarborough clears off a water line in Congress Street near the High Street intersection Monday. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTO)

tower overlooking the corner of Congress and High streets.

Utilities blocked access to a 16-inch water main about 5 and a half feet under the street, stretch-ing out the fi re-sprinkler job, according to a contractor.

“We were hoping we could do it in a day; it’s going to take us two or three days, there’s a lot of stuff in the way,” said Jim Maietta, an owner of Maietta Enterprise of Scarborough, whose crew is doing the work.

Maietta said he wants to get the street-trenching and repatching job done before the asphalt plants close for the season.

Structural work on the build-ing likely includes straightening the clock tower, which is leaning about fi ve inches off center in toward the building.

Architect James Sterling, who is working on the renovation with fellow architect Jeremy Moser, said the goal is a renovation that restores the street-level façade to what it looked like in the 1920s.

“We’re all permitted, we’re work-ing through fi nalizing the block grant we got last spring. That’s pretty much done. We’re fi nalizing some structural work, and we’re preparing drawings to go back to the design review board for the façade,” Sterling said Monday.

Portland’s Historic Preservation Board is reviewing façade designs in keeping with the 1920 build-ing’s historic character.

Described as a “very particular kind of piece-by-piece renovation,” the job includes “literally brick-by-brick approval” of exterior work for historic purposes, he said.

“The position of this building,” writes Historic Preservation Program Manager Deborah Andrews in a briefi ng to board members, “is prominent as it both defi nes and organizes Congress Square. It is signifi cant as well for what it says of the west-ward expansion of the commercial district and the people responsible for it, and for the reworking of old buildings into new.”

Meanwhile, the renovation seeks to fi x “life and safety” code issues.

Sterling said the partners don’t have tenants yet for either the upstairs apartments or the ground-fl oor retail space. He said he’s hoping for “some-thing exciting” for the corner space, however, which boasts high visibility at the High Street

intersection with Congress.“I think the goal is to get the residential element

done by late April early May,” he said, while prog-ress of the retail space is hard to predict. Exist-ing residential and commercial tenants have been moved out of the building for the duration of the renovation.

“We’re fi nalizing some structural work, and we’re preparing drawings to go back to the design

review board for the façade.” — Architect James Sterling

RENOVATION from page one

Water-main work closes lane

Maine Cabinet offi cial receives nonprofi t post

AUGUSTA (AP) — The head of the Maine depart-ment in charge of welfare and public health is get-ting a new job.

On Jan. 6, Brenda Harvey will become executive director of a regional information-sharing nonprofi t organization.

The mission of the New England States Consor-tium Systems Organization is to encourage the New England states to work together to maximize the effectiveness of Medicaid programs and other human services.

The group Harvey will head is affi liated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School.


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ABOVE: Amanda Fields and Josue Ntimugura stock toys at the Salvation Army Portland Citadel Corps Friday. INSET BELOW: Stuffed ani-mals adorn a table at the Salvation Army offi ce. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTOS)

A group of students who have dropped out of high school helped the Salvation Army organize donated toys for children in a Christmas toy distribution.

The students, part of a Learn-ingWorks program for at-risk youth, stacked board games, gathered dolls and sorted a vari-ety of toys by the age of the recip-ients during a work party Friday.

“Volunteerism is a huge part of our program to try to get the stu-dents out in the community,” said Nick DeSouza, vocational teacher with Youth Building Alternatives, an alternative education program serving at-risk youth between the ages of 16 and 24 years old. “We do a lot of community clean-ups, we go down and unload the food bus at Preble Street. We cook Thanksgiving dinners for refugee families.”

Lindsey Schwarz, who dropped out of South Portland High School, said Youth Building

Alternatives is helping her gain training so she can graduate with a GED in the next couple of months.

Schwarz said she hopes to go into business.

“Everything’s hands on, it’s a lot easier to comprehend every-thing,” she said of Youth Building Alternatives.

DeSouza said the program focuses on the building construc-tion trades.

“Our students in the vocational program are manufacturing wooden toys that we give away to

needy families. We’ll be building the toys all day long for an entire month, and then having a give-away at our program,” he said.

The Salvation Army has been faced with increased requests for food assistance this year, and toys were also in demand, accord-ing to organizers of the toy room. More than 1,100 children are on the list this year for donated, new toys.

Ashley Kuntz, program devel-opment associate with the Salvation Army, said the Learn-ingWorks volunteers were orga-nizing toys for 700 families. The families already have been identifi ed, and the toys will be distributed to them the week of Christmas, she said.

Anyone looking to help the Ssl-vation Army can fi ll out an online volunteer application via www.use.salvationarmy.org/use/www_use_portland.nsf or contact Kate McCarty at 774-4172, ext. 262, or email [email protected].

At-risk youth help Salvation Army organize Christmas toy distribution

BY DAVID CARKHUFFTHE PORTLAND DAILY SUN


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HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Expan-sion comes with effort. This is no time to get comfortable, especially in mat-ters of career. Do two things that are a stretch. You can’t expect to expand your infl uence if you don’t reach. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Not only will you leave well enough alone; you won’t fi x it if it isn’t broken, and you’ll also mind your own business. Adhering to these three policies con-tributes to world peace. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There’s a creative notion inside you that des-perately wants out. Self-expression is an integral part of your health and well-being. You work out any troubles you have through your art. CANCER (June 22-July 22). There are so many unknowns that to specu-late an outcome at this point would just be silly. Trust life’s process. You may not get what you want, but you’ll get something so much better than what you originally wanted. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). If you can be graceful when the pressure is on, you will also be happy. The state of grace you inhabit allows you to appre-ciate and honor everyone and every-thing around you. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Your focus is strong. You will be prone to anchor yourself on a single subject. The trick is to pick one worthy of the energy and passion that you are likely to pour into it. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Mix it up. Mingle with people. Are you lacking a good excuse to get out? Make one up. If you sit inside and don’t talk to anyone, you’ll go fl at like an old soda. And that’s so not you. You’re effervescent! SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Here’s

a pie-in-the-sky idea: You might actu-ally fi nd a way to enjoy the piles of work that are laid before you on this busy day. But wait -- you defy the odds and, with a cheerful heart, do it all. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You have had many teachers in your life, but history is by far the greatest of them all. You’ll spend some time look-ing back and noting what you did right, and also what you could have done dif-ferently. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You were told that it’s not what you do but how you do it that matters. Today, your living example of this principle will inspire others to approach their work with humility and a sincere will to do a fantastic job. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You could dwell on your shortcomings, but it’s such a tedious thing to do. Count-ing your talents and blessings will lift your mood and give you the energy to handle all that’s on your plate now. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You have friends in high places and also in weird and unlikely venues. Both will be most helpful to your situation today. Reach out and ask for what you need. You’ll be surprised by who responds. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Dec. 14). You go into the year with the right attitude, and much is made possible because of this. You know that you can manage whatever comes; therefore, you take risks that others wouldn’t take. Your personal life thrives in January, and friends introduce you to stellar busi-ness prospects, too. There’s a wind-fall in March. Scorpio and Leo people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 24, 20, 32 and 19.

ACROSS 1 Give a nickname

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34 Wasp nest spots 35 Soiled 36 Morning moisture 37 Zealous

38 Bushy-tailed forest animals

39 Harp of old 40 Moment, for short 41 Flooring pieces 42 Lump; swelling 43 Involved 45 Phoned 46 Spider’s creation 47 Letter carrier’s

delivery 48 Seaweed 51 Amuse 56 Hindu garment 57 Respond to a

stimulus 58 Teacup’s edge 60 Make a sweater 61 In a __; quickly 62 Pair of oxen 63 Collections 64 Of the sun 65 After taxes

DOWN 1 Short swim

2 Employs 3 Uninteresting 4 Fluttering trees 5 Cures 6 Border 7 Grows old 8 Cakes and pies 9 Legume often

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DAILY CROSSWORDTRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

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pilgrimage 48 Inquires 49 Pathway

50 Sandy residue 52 Fiddling Roman

emperor 53 Part wagged by a

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Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 thru 9.

Solution and tips at

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TUESDAY PRIME TIME DECEMBER 14, 2010 Dial 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 5 CTN 5 Lighthouse Jubilees Healthvw Community Haskell-House Bulletin Board

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Glee “Britney/Brittany” Will becomes curious about Emma’s beau.

News 13 on FOX (N) Frasier (In Stereo) Å

According to Jim Å

8 WMTWI Want a Dog for Christ-mas, Charlie Brown! Å

No Ordinary Family Stephanie suspects that J.J. is lying. Å

Detroit 1-8-7 Investigat-ing a woman’s murder. (In Stereo) Å

News 8 WMTW at 11PM (N)

Nightline (N) Å

10 MPBNNova A new branch of math called fractals. (In Stereo) Å (DVS)

Frontline “Close to Home” Middle-class copes with uncertainty.

Independent Lens “45365” People and com-munity. (N) Å

Charlie Rose (N) (In Stereo) Å

11 WENHAre You Being Served?

Keeping Up Appear-ances

As Time Goes By Å

Good Neighbors

The Vicar of Dibley Å

The Red Green Show

Globe Trekker “Finland & the Baltic States” Garu-nai Flea Market.

12 WPXTThe Vampire Diaries Stefan faces a new dan-ger in the woods.

The Vampire Diaries Katherine reveals new secrets. Å

Entourage “Entourage”

TMZ (N) (In Stereo) Å

Extra (N) (In Stereo) Å

Punk’d (In Stereo) Å

13 WGMENCIS “False Witness” A witness in a murder trial disappears. (N)

NCIS: Los Angeles “Disorder” Investigating a deadly dispute.

The Good Wife “Nine Hours” Alicia receives a cryptic tip. (N) Å

WGME News 13 at 11:00

Late Show With David Letterman

17 WPME Smarter Smarter Lyrics Lyrics Curb Earl Star Trek: Next

24 DISC Dirty Jobs Å Dirty Jobs (N) Å Auction Auction Dirty Jobs Å

25 FAM Movie: ›› “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” “Dr. Seuss’ How-Grinch”

26 USA Law & Order: SVU Law & Order: SVU Law & Order: SVU Psych Å

27 NESN Red Sox Classics Hot Stove Red Sox Daily Hot Stove Daily Daily

28 CSNE Air Racing Replay Sports SportsNet Celtics SportsNet

30 ESPN E:60 (N) Å Pre-Bowl NFL Live Quarterback SportsCenter Å

31 ESPN2 Wm. Basketball NBA Coast to Coast (Live) Å Quarterback

33 ION Without a Trace Å Criminal Minds Å Criminal Minds Å Criminal Minds Å

34 DISN Sonny Suite/Deck Hannah Phineas Phineas Suite/Deck Phineas Phineas

35 TOON Movie: “Nacho Libre” Tower Prep “Dreams” King of Hill King of Hill Fam. Guy Fam. Guy

36 NICK My Wife My Wife Chris Chris Lopez Lopez The Nanny The Nanny

37 MSNBC Countdown Rachel Maddow Show The Last Word Countdown

38 CNN Parker Spitzer (N) Larry King Live (N) Anderson Cooper 360 (N) Å

40 CNBC Ford: Rebuilding Biography on CNBC American Greed Mad Money

41 FNC The O’Reilly Factor (N) Hannity (N) Greta Van Susteren The O’Reilly Factor

43 TNT Bones (In Stereo) Å Movie: ››‡ “The Forbidden Kingdom” (2008) Southland Å

44 LIFE Pawn Pawn Movie: ›› “A Different Kind of Christmas” How I Met How I Met

46 TLC Cmas Lights Invasion: Lights Crazy Christmas Lights Cmas Lights

47 AMC Movie: ››› “Scrooged” (1988) Bill Murray. Movie: ››› “Scrooged” (1988) Bill Murray.

48 HGTV First Place First Place House Estate House Hunters For Rent First Place

49 TRAV Mysteries-Museum Mysteries-Museum Ghost Adventures Ghost Adventures

50 A&E Billy Billy Billy Billy Storage Storage Storage Storage

52 BRAVO Matchmaker Matchmaker The Fashion Show (N) Happens Matchmkr

55 HALL Movie: “Three Wise Women” (2010) (N) Å Movie: “Three Wise Women” (2010) Å

56 SYFY “Cold Creek Manor” Movie: ››› “Identity” (2003) John Cusack. “Phantom Racer” Å

57 ANIM River Monsters River Monsters River Monsters River Monsters

58 HIST Ax Men “Alaska” Å Third Reich A look at the rise of Nazi Germany. Hitler’s Family Å

60 BET Movie: ›› “Harlem Nights” (1989) Eddie Murphy. Å Kennedy The Mo’Nique Show

61 COM Tosh.0 Tosh.0 Tosh.0 Tosh.0 Tosh.0 Tosh.0 Daily Show Colbert

62 FX Movie: ›‡ “What Happens in Vegas” (2008) Movie: ›‡ “What Happens in Vegas” (2008)

67 TVLND Sanford Sanford Raymond Raymond Everybody-Raymond Raymond Roseanne

68 TBS Fam. Guy Fam. Guy Fam. Guy Fam. Guy Glory Daze Conan (N)

76 SPIKE Ways Die Ways Die Auction Auction Auction Auction Phowned! Ways Die

78 OXY Movie: ››‡ “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins” (2008) “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins”

146 TCM Private Screenings Movie: ›››‡ “Cabaret” (1972) Liza Minnelli. “A Matter of Time”

––––––– ALMANAC –––––––

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 14, the 348th day of 2010. There are 17 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:On Dec. 14, 1799, the fi rst president of

the United States, George Washington, died at his Mount Vernon, Va. home at age 67.

On this date:In 1819, Alabama joined the Union as the

22nd state.In 1910, the Carnegie Endowment for

International Peace was created in Wash-ington, D.C. as industrialist Andrew Car-negie presented a gift of $10 million for its founding.

In 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen (ROH’-ahl AH’-mun-suhn) and his group became the fi rst men to reach the South Pole, beating out an expedition led by Robert F. Scott.

In 1946, the United Nations General Assembly voted to establish U.N. headquar-ters in New York.

In 1962, the U.S. space probe Mariner 2 approached Venus, transmitting information about the planet.

In 1985, Wilma Mankiller became the fi rst woman to lead a major American Indian tribe as she took offi ce as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Former New York Yankees outfi elder Roger Maris, who’d hit 61 home runs during the 1961 season, died in Houston at age 51.

In 1995, Presidents Alija Izetbegovic (AHL’-yuh ee-zeht-BEG’-oh-vich) of Bosnia, Slobodan Milosevic (sloh-BOH’-dahn mee-LOH’-shuh-vich) of Serbia and Franjo Tudj-man (FRAHN’-yoh TOOJ’-mahn) of Croatia signed the Bosnian peace treaty in Paris.

One year ago: President Barack Obama implored top bankers to help keep the fragile recovery from faltering by boosting lending to small businesses and getting behind an overhaul of fi nancial regulation. Dubai got a $10 billion lifeline from oil-rich Abu Dhabi, securing a last-minute cash infusion aimed at preventing a default that risked sparking broader fears about the city-state’s shaky fi nances.

Today’s Birthdays: Jazz musician Clark Terry is 90. Singer-actress Abbe Lane is 79. Actor Hal Williams is 72. Actress-singer Jane Birkin is 64. Actress Patty Duke is 64. Pop singer Joyce Vincent-Wilson (Tony Orlando and Dawn) is 64. Entertainment executive Michael Ovitz is 64. Actress Dee Wallace is 62. Rhythm-and-blues singer Ronnie McNeir (The Four Tops) is 61. Rock musician Cliff Williams (AC/DC) is 61. Actor-comedian T.K. Carter is 54. Rock singer-musician Mike Scott (The Waterboys) is 52. Singer-musician Peter “Spider” Stacy (The Pogues) is 52. Actress Cynthia Gibb is 47. Actress Natascha McElhone is 41. Actress-comedian Michaela Watkins is 39. Rhythm-and-blues singer Brian Dalyrimple (Soul For Real) is 35. Actress KaDee Strickland is 35.

ACROSS 1 Tissue makeup 6 Pound sound 10 Large amount 14 “Tell __ I Love Her” 15 Old Norse

character 16 Spelling or Amos 17 Conclusive

evidence 20 Features of faces 21 Pass, as time 22 Harem area 25 Pester persistently 26 Concoct 27 Alleviation 29 Tailless amphibian 30 Draft org. 33 Choir singers 34 Blockhead 35 Asian nanny 36 Uploaded or

downloaded 39 Emerald Isle 40 Forestry tools 41 Edmonton hockey

player 42 Coifs

43 Neat and tidy 44 Stuck (out) 45 Freshwater fi sh 46 Nexus of activity 47 Green Card org. 48 Insipid 51 Coup d’etat group 53 Actually 58 Baby’s fi rst word,

often 59 Wide-mouthed

pitcher 60 Heep of Dickens 61 U-boats 62 Flat-bottomed

rowboat 63 Cairo in “The

Maltese Falcon”

DOWN 1 Grippe 2 McKellen of “The

Lord of the Rings” 3 Flower-to-be 4 Guitarist/singer

Clapton 5 Reckless quality 6 Twisted forcibly

7 Inning enders 8 Unspecifi ed

individual 9 Join forces 10 Kind of poll or hat 11 Circle 12 Greeks’ Cupid 13 Marriage partner 18 Old-time singer

Edith 19 Appealed 22 Spoke from a

soapbox 23 Texas border city 24 Offering sites 26 Lightning strikes 28 Skye of “Say

Anything...” 29 Native American

emblem 30 Mosaic pieces 31 Glossy fabric 32 Broken pottery 34 Civil War anthem 35 Mine entrance 37 Offered to the

public 38 Uncertain

43 “Private Dancer” singer Turner

44 Goddess by Jove?

45 Alternative to Nikes

46 Step on it! 48 Tight spots 49 Jacob’s twin 50 Part of a door

frame 51 Catcall 52 Big do of the ‘60s 54 Even prime

number 55 Expose to public

scrutiny 56 Coupe or sedan 57 Defi nite article

Yesterday’s Answer

DAILY CROSSWORDBY WAYNE ROBERT WILLIAMS


THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN CLASSIFIEDS

DOLLAR-A-DAY CLASSIFIEDS: Ads must be 15 words or less and run a mini-mum of 5 consecutive days. Ads that run less than 5 days or nonconsecutive days are $2 per day. Ads over 15 words add 10¢ per word per day. PRE-

MIUMS: First word caps no charge. Additional caps 10¢ per word per day. Centered bold heading: 9 pt. caps 40¢ per line, per day (2 lines maximum) TYPOS: Check your ad the fi rst day of publication. Sorry, we will not issue credit after an ad has run once. DEADLINES: noon, one business day prior to the day of publication. PAYMENT: All private party ads must be pre-paid. We accept checks, Visa and Mastercard credit cards and, of course, cash. There is a $10 minimum order for credit cards. CORRESPONDENCE: To place your ad call our offi ces 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 699-5807; or send a check or money order with ad copy to The Conway Daily Sun, P.O. Box 1940, North Conway, NH 03860. OTHER RATES: For information about classifi ed display ads please call 699-5807.

CLASSIFIEDS • CALL 699-5807

Prickly City by Scott Stantis

ANNIE’S MAILBOX Dear Annie: I am a 26-year-old woman, recently engaged to my live-in boyfriend. The other day, I came across an online conversation he had with an ex-fl ing of his. I know I shouldn’t have snooped, but the word “marriage” came up and I got curious. In the conversation, he said she would always have a piece of his heart and told her that “in another universe,” he would have married her. I feel completely betrayed. My boyfriend says the conver-sation was private and was meant to bring him closure so he could continue to move forward comfortably and confi dently into our marriage. And besides, it was none of my business and I could not possibly understand. I am furious. I feel this was inappropriate and hurtful. I no longer trust him and am having a great deal of diffi culty moving beyond this. My last three boyfriends all cheated, and one was also physically abusive. I suffer from extreme PTSD. My therapist told me it was a miracle that I was able to take steps toward trusting another person. Now I am back at square one. Am I foolish to stay with my fi ance after he did something like this, knowing it would hurt me? Or could this, in fact, have been a conversation to gain closure, as he said? -- Boston Dear Boston: We are inclined to give your boyfriend the benefi t of the doubt, although he should not have kept his correspondence a secret. You and your fi ance need to have a long talk, perhaps with your therapist, about how fragile your sense of security is and how he needs to be transparent in his dealings in order to cement the trust between you. If he is open and honest, it will bolster your confi dence in the relationship and you will not feel the need to snoop. Dear Annie: I shower daily, but do not use a washcloth. I prefer to suds up my hands and wash my entire body that way.

My sister tells me that unless I use a washcloth, I am not cleaning myself well enough. I do not agree. I feel sparkling clean after each shower. What do you say? -- Clean as a Whis-tle in Upstate New York Dear Clean: As long as you are getting to all the nooks and crannies of your body, you are doing an adequate job. Most folks fi nd that they are more thorough when they use some-thing other than their hands, hence the washcloth. This is also why some people install bidets and use detachable shower-heads. Dear Annie: I read the letter from “Confused,” who wants to hyphenate her name, but her fi ance is opposed to it. The women in my family have a tradition of using their maiden names in place of their middle names. This custom started with my great-great-grandmother. I went from being Jane Anne Doe to Jane Doe Smith. My daughter, Louise Mary Smith, became Louise Smith Jones when she married. In addi-tion to allowing us to retain a part of our identities, it has sim-plifi ed tracing our genealogy, making us aware of the maiden names of the women in our past. This is an easy way to keep our maiden names without the cumbersome process of hyphenating them. It is not a new idea -- Mary Todd Lincoln did it, as did Martha Custis Wash-ington and other historical female fi gures. I’m proud to have my maiden name as part of my legal name, and my husband and I are quite pleased that our daughter has continued this practice. I hope this may be of some help. -- Kay in Indy Dear Kay: We think this is a splendid idea and helpful for family trees. (However, as a historical aside, “Custis” was not Martha Washington’s maiden name. It was her fi rst husband’s surname. George was her second husband. Her maiden name was Dandridge.)

Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to: [email protected], or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

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For Sale

2 large chandeliers, 6' tall, 45lights with crystals. Asking$2,500 each, 603-466-3383.

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Help Wanted

SALEBAAN Motors, 235 St JohnSt, Portland, (207)541-9088. Me-chanic wanted, 10 years experi-ence needed, well paying job$14-20/hr.

Real Estate

PEAKS Island- 71 Luther St.1880’s Greek Revival, 4 bed-room, 2 bath, $389,000. Ownerbroker. (207)766-2293.

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Wanted To Buy

I buy broken or unwanted lap-tops. Cash today. Up to $100 fornewer units. (207)233-5381.

St. Judes - $5

SCARBOROUGH — Thomas P. Sesto, 58, of Scarborough, Maine died unexpectedly, Dec. 8, 2010 at his residence.

Tom was born in Portland, Maine, a son of Pat C. and Dorothy Snow Sesto and was raised on Meeting House Hill in South Portland, where he had many childhood friends with whom he stayed in touch with and will all miss him terribly.

He was educated in the South Port-land Schools and graduated from South Portland High School in 1971 in the top ten of over four hundred students. Tom also graduated from

the University of Maine in 1975 and received his Masters in Business from Husson Col-lege in Bangor, Maine.

Among his many hobbies were playing cribbage, his many local poker games with his close friends, fi shing and being with his family. He also loved to go to yard sales, auctions and col-lecting unique and sublime art. He cooked for every occasion,

creating artwork from food and put-ting together thousands of meals. Tom was also a man who loved to learn new things and was always looking for ways to improve his mind and general knowl-edge. He loved traveling, and literally

traveled around the world. Tom was a self made man and was

a licensed real estate agent for sev-eral different companies and was well known in real estate for his keen eye and ability to work on many projects. Tom was president and a director of Connote, Incorporated and Vice Presi-dent of Magellan Resources, Inc.

Predeceasing him was his fi rst wife, Joyce Richardson in 2010 and his father in 1986.

Surviving is his wife of 20 years, Barrie A. Walter of Scarborough, three children, Jill B. Ewing and her hus-band Jordan Smith of Pownal, Maine; Chelsea Sesto and Alec T. Sesto of Scar-borough; his sister, Karen E. Sesto of

South Portland; his brother, Stephen M. Sesto and his wife Joan Reddington of Portland, Maine; his mother of South Portland; and many aunts, uncles, cous-ins, nieces and nephews. He also left behind many lifelong friends, including a camaraderie of 30 years with Jeffrey Robertson, of Scarborough.

Contributions may be made in his memory to the Preble Street Resource Center, 5 Preble Street, Portland, Maine 04101.

A time of visitation was followed by a funeral service Monday, Dec. 13, at the Hobbs Funeral Home, 230 Cottage Road, South Portland. Interment will be at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in the spring.

Thomas P. Sesto, 58

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– OBITUARY ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– EVENTS CALENDAR–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

see next page

Tuesday, Dec. 14

DEPA ‘Business After Hours’5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. DownEast Pride Alliance (DEPA) will host a “Business After Hours” networking event at Har-mon’s & Barton’s, 584 Congress St., Portland. “Keeping a new tradition alive, please join DEPA early this month for a festive, end-of-year event at the Harmon’s & Barton’s fl oral gallery on 584 Congress Street in downtown Portland. Relax stress away with a complimentary chair massage by Steve Mitchell Body Works. A wine & cocktail cash bar will be offered by Personal Touch Catering, along with delicious passed hot & cold hors ‘douerves. As DEPA’s last event of the year, this will be a real treat and defi nitely not one to miss! We’ll see you next month for cocktails & conversation! DEPA is a GLBT & gay-friendly business-networking event that meets monthly at local establishments.” 774-5946

Rock and Roll Bowling Fundraiser5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. To celebrate community and have some fun this holiday season, Hour Exchange Portland will host a Rock and Roll Bowling Fundraiser. This event will be held at the Bayside Bowl on 58 Alder St. Festivities will include live musical performances by Adam Waxman and friends, Tony McNaboe, Myron Sam-uels and Alison Violette. A $10 suggested donation at the door will get you stamped for entry, drink specials, and half price on Bowling Lanes and savings on shoe rentals. Bayside Bowl will donate a portion of revenues from this night to Hour Exchange Portland in support of our operations. By creating a service exchange network, where neighbor helps neighbor, HEP ultimately works to build social capital and reweave the social fabric of our community. This idea of reviving the American com-munity through social capital is described in Robert Putnam’s seminal work called Bowling Alone, which is why on this special day we want people to come bowl together and kick off the end of our online Holiday Auc-tion FUNdraiser happening now. With 150-plus items varying from “pamper me” items to health care, sports activities, vacation getaways, jewelry and restaurants-- there’s a special something for everyone. Invest your holiday gift-giving allowance on this selection and you’ll be giving twice! Beautiful presents and supporting our shared community. Bid at www.BiddingForGood.com/HEP. www.HourExchangePortland.org

Laughter Yoga5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Laughter Yoga with Arline Saturday-born, Dec. 7 and 14. “We will play with different kinds of laughter without jokes and mindful movement ending with relaxation.” By donation. Sadhana, the Meditation Center, 100 Brickhill Ave., South Portland. www.SadhanaMe.com

Preview Reception: Rackstraw Downes6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Committee of One Hundred Events — Preview Reception: Rackstraw Downes: Onsite Paintings, 1972-2008, Portland Museum of Art. Committee of One Hundred Members are invited to an exclusive preview reception for the exhibition Rackstraw Downes: Onsite Paintings, 1972–2008. Susan Danly, Curator of Graphics, Photography, and Contemporary Art, will be there. www.portlandmuseum.org

‘The Gift Of The Magi’7 p.m. “The Gift Of The Magi” an original musical set in 1940s Maine. Dec. 7-23, Tues. and Wed. at 7 p.m., Satur-day at 2 p.m. Added shows, Thursday, Dec. 23 at 2 and 7 p.m. $15-$22. Old Port Playhouse, 19 Temple St., Portland. 773-0333. oldportplayhouse.com

Maine’s only offi cial Poetry Slam7 p.m. Port Veritas hosts Portland’s longest running spoken word open mic. The event is open to all who wish to read. The venue is also host to Maine’s only offi cial Poetry Slam. The slam is also open to all who wish to compete and is held on the second Tuesday of every month. at Blue, 650 Congress St. All ages — $3 suggested donation, (venue requires two purchase min.) A youth slam is held the fourth Tuesday of each month at Coffee By Design on India St. FMI please visit www.portveritas.com

Portland Schools concert schedule7 p.m. The Portland Public Schools will hold concerts at the following times and places to showcase the work of student musicians: Dec. 14, 7 p.m., Portland High School; Dec. 15, 6 p.m., Lincoln Middle School; Dec. 16, 6 p.m., Moore Middle School; Dec. 16, 7 p.m., Deering High School; Dec. 20, 6 p.m., King Middle School. All concerts are free and open to the public.

Wednesday, Dec. 15

Author Neil Rolde at Portland Public Librarynoon to 1 p.m. Neil Rolde, author of “Maine in the World,” at Portland Public Library, Rines Auditorium. “Author Neil

Rolde has once again crafted a book of Maine history that draws in and satisfi es the reader. He tells of Mainers who are well recorded in historical works and of some whose names are less familiar, each of whom left a distinct mark far outside the state’s boundaries. Rolde begins with the leg-endary Gluskabe (Glooskap), the creator of the Wabanaki native peoples. Lore has it that he roamed great distances from the Northeast. Rolde includes the stories of poets, pol-iticians, missionaries, an engineer, a knight, an opera singer, a pirate, a Hollywood director, and a ten-year-old diplomat named Samantha Smith. The book is arranged chronologi-cally and includes contemporary examples of those who have made an impact far from the Pine Tree Sate. It also includes a bibliography and is well indexed. Maine Antique Digest, January 2010.”

Portland Public Health Division focus group to discuss local environmental health issues5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Portland Public Health Division seeks Portland residents 18 years and older to participate in a focus group to discuss local environmental health issues. Sites will be accessible by public transportation. Participants will be compensated $25 for their time. If inter-ested, please call 874-8787. www.portlandmaine.gov/hhs/showart.asp?contentID=997

Riverton Elementary School learning exhibition3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Students enrolled in the new after-school academic and enrichment program at Riverton Ele-mentary School will present a learning exhibition for their parents and other community members in the school’s media center. The event will feature performances by the program’s guitar, a cappella and drama clubs. Students involved in other after-school activities such as nature exploration and story writing also will present their work. “The Portland Public Schools has partnered with Learn-ingWorks to launch the after-school program as part of Riverton’s $3.4 million school improvement grant. Chil-dren attend the free program for two to three hours each school day. Run by eight certifi ed teachers, the program provides active, hands-on learning activities to complement regular school work. The after-school program will continue through early June.” This program is funded with federal stimulus. www2.portlandschools.org

Running With Scissors comedy troupe7 p.m. Running With Scissors — standup and improv comedy showcase. With over 35 years of collective improv comedy experience, Running With Scissors is Maine’s pre-mier improv comedy group. In the style of “Whose Line?” Rachel Flehinger, Dennis Hunt, Tom Walsh, and Tuck Tucker create a hilarious new show from each audience’s input. Perfect for corporate events, private parties, or a night on the town, Now on the third Wednesday of each month at Mayo Street Arts. $7. http://mayostreetarts.org/calendar

‘The Gift Of The Magi’7 p.m. “The Gift Of The Magi” an original musical set in 1940s Maine. Dec 7-23, Tues. and Wed. at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. Added shows, Thursday, Dec. 23 at 2 and 7 p.m. $15-$22. Old Port Playhouse, 19 Temple St. 773-0333. old-portplayhouse.com

Thursday, Dec. 16

Maine Charitable Mechanic Association lecture11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Maine Charitable Mechanic Associa-tion at 519 Congress St. hosts a lecture; bring your lunch; desserts and refreshments provided. Open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; talk at noon. Speaking will be historian Dr. Charles P.M. Outwin on ”Boom Town, Party Town: Frolics on the Southern Shores of Casco Bay, 1760-1775.” “The goodly people of Falmouth is Casco Bay, during its boom years of 1760 through 1775, fl ush with cash, knew how to party ... and neither inclement weather nor dour mor-alist opprobrium could long prevent them from doing so!! From the scruffy rum-shops of Fiddle Lane and the gra-cious homes of Upper Middle Street, to Ring’s popular inn and tavern at Black Point, and perhaps even further afi eld, Falmouth’s denizens, rich and poor, found opportunities to feast, dance, and celebrate.” http://mcma-art.blogspot.com/2010/11/mcma-december-events.html

Executive Committee of ecomaine4 p.m. A meeting schedule has been issued by ecomaine, a nonprofi t, municipally-owned and operated recycling and solid waste disposal facility. Executive Committee: Thurs-day, Dec. 16 at 4 p.m.; Recycling Committee: Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 4 p.m.; Finance Committee: Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 4 p.m.; Full Board Meeting: Thursday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. Board and Committee meetings of ecomaine are open to the public and are held at the waste-to-energy plant at 64 Blueberry Road, Portland.

Business After Hours with the chamber5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Business After Hours. Join the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce for an event at the Wynd-ham Hotel in South Portland with networking, great food, cash bar, door prizes and the big 50/50 drawing. Donations of canned/dry goods or new unwrapped toys to support the Salvation Army are appreciated.

Merry Madness5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Shop ’til you drop with the Portland Downtown District’s Merry Madness promotion in downtown Portland. Par-ticipating stores offer free refreshments and remain open until 10 p.m. The kickoff begins at the Eastland Park Hotel with music, food, and fun from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. A free shut-tle bus takes you throughout downtown from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.portlandmaine.com.

Mary Reid Kelley video screening6 p.m. The Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art will screen “You Make Me Iliad” and “Sadie, the Sad-dest Sadist” by Mary Reid Kelley. Reid Kelley uses painting, video, animation and performance as vehicles to examine the construction of historical war narratives culled from archive-based research. Her dialogues are written in a style that evokes epic poetry and is saturated with puns, rhyme, and wordplay that result in an exploration of the political and symbolic weight of language. The artist received her MFA from Yale University and recently had her fi rst solo exhibition at the Fredericks & Freiser Gallery in New York. The screening is free and open to the public.

Avner the Eccentric will make a rare appearance in Portland in late December as a fundraiser for Phyzgig. Avner is probably best known for his endearing portrayal of The Jewel, the scene-stealing holy man, in “The Jewel of the Nile,” co-starring Michael Douglas and Kath-leen Turner. He was also featured in the fi lm Brenda Starr and the television series Webster and Mathnet. Avner’s one-man show, Avner the Eccentric, was a hit of the 1984–1985 Broadway season. Avner is the artistic director of Phyzgig, and annual festival of physical comedy, (COURTESY PHOTO)


Film screening: ‘Gasland’ at SPACE7:30 p.m. “The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of “fracking” or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a “Saudia Arabia of natural gas” just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When fi lmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fi re. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new coun-try called ‘Gasland.’ Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part show-down.” $7/$5 for SPACE members, all ages.

Red Claws fans help Good Shepherd Food Bank7 p.m. The Red Claws will join with presenting sponsor Quirk Chevrolet to collect donations for the Good Shep-herd Food Bank during the team’s second annual Food Drive. Fans are encouraged to bring canned or other nonperishable food items to the Red Claws game, where they will be collected in a pickup truck provided by Quirk in front of the arena. Volunteers from Good Shepherd will be on hand to collect the food items, and everyone making a donation will be entered to win prizes provided by Quirk Chevrolet and the Red Claws. Tickets for these and all Red Claws home games and can be purchased online at www.maineredclaws.com

Friday, Dec. 17

Lincoln Middle School farming forums9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sixth graders at Lincoln Middle School in Portland will host forums with farmers from diverse back-grounds at the school, located at 522 Stevens Ave. One forum will take place in the school library, and another will be held simultaneously in Room 209. “Panelists include Lincoln parents, staff members, new Mainers from Soma-lia and Sudan and other community members. Some work on farms, while others raise honey bees or grow medicinal plants in their backyards. The forum is part of a cross-cul-tural unit of study based on the novel, ‘Seedfolks’ by Paul Fleischman. The novel takes place in a forgotten part of Cleveland where garbage, rats and violence have takenover. The characters come from various backgrounds and ethnic groups, but each has faced adversity. They slowly get to know each other by transforming a vacant lot into a garden, and a real community is born.” www2.portland-schools.org/

Holiday Revels Open House at the Falmouth Memorial Library4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Holiday Revels Open House at the Fal-mouth Memorial Library takes place. Enjoy storytelling with Jodi Fein, music by Ralph Warnock, refreshments and good cheer. Free and open to the community. Bring the family! Sponsored by the Friends and Trustees of the Falmouth Memorial Library. www.falmouth.lib.me.us. 781-2351.

‘My Dog Tulip’ at Movies at the Museum6:30 p.m. “My Dog Tulip” at Portland Museum of Art as part of the Movies at the Museum series. Friday, Dec. 17, at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 19, at 2 p.m.; also Sunday, Dec. 26, 2 p.m.; and Sunday, Jan. 2, 2 p.m. “Beau-tifully animated and featuring the voices of Christopher Plummer, the late Lynn Redgrave, and Isabella Rossellini, My Dog Tulip is a bittersweet retrospec-tive account of author J. R. Ackerley’s 16-year relationship with his adopted Alsatian, Tulip. A profound and subtle meditation on the strangeness that lies at the heart of all relationships, My Dog Tulip was written, directed, and animated by award-winning fi lmmakers Paul and Sandra Fierlinger and is the fi rst ani-mated feature ever to be entirely hand drawn and painted utilizing paperless computer technology.

Season of Light at the Planetarium7 p.m. Season of Light: Southworth Planetarium’s annual holiday show that explores the astronomy and history of the holiday season: from Christmas to Hannukah to the Solstice. We also exam-ine the “Star of Bethlehem.” Assuming it was a natural event, what might it have been? A supernova; a planetary con-junction or some other celestial event. Southworth Planetarium, 96 Falmouth

St., Portland. Also Dec. 18-19. Check times at 780-4249. www.usm.maine.edu/planet

Saturday, Dec. 18

Kennel Shop in Scarborough Christmas party10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Kennel Shop in Scarborough is host-ing a Christmas party from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are col-lecting donations for the Animal Welfare Society shelter residents. For more information, www.animalwelfaresoci-ety.org or call 985-3244.

Pet adoptions at Pet Smart in Biddeford11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Animal Welfare Society canines available for adoption will be on hand at Pet Smart in Biddeford from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to get their photo taken with Santa and to spread good cheer. For more information, www.animalwel-faresociety.org or call 985-3244.

Pet photos at Pet Smart in Biddeford11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pet Smart in Biddeford will host the Animal Welfare Society for photos of your pet with Santa; $5 from the sale of each photo goes directly to the Animal Welfare Society. Sunday also. For more information, www.animalwelfaresociety.org or call 985-3244.

Portland Green Independent Committee Annual Meeting, community potluck at Meg Perry12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Portland Green Independent Commit-tee Annual Meeting takes place at the Meg Perry Center, 644 Congress St. “Solstice/Yule celebration and potluck (open to the public), where we’ll converse plan and warm

each other in the spirit of the season.” Potluck from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

N.C. Wyeth by Sy Epstein1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Gallery talk at the Portland Museum of Art. Join Museum Docent Sy Epstein for a gallery talk about artist N.C. Wyeth. Free with museum admission. www.port-landmuseum.org

‘The Gift Of The Magi’2 p.m. “The Gift Of The Magi” an original musical set in 1940s Maine. Dec 7-23, Tues. and Wed. at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. Added shows, Thursday, Dec. 23 at 2 and 7 p.m. $15-$22. Old Port Playhouse, 19 Temple St., Portland. 773-0333. oldportplayhouse.com

Peaks Island authors open house2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. “For the Love of Peaks — Island Portraits & Stories: A Collection” by Fran Houston and “A Glimpse of Old Peaks Island: Through Rose-Colored Glasses” by Alice Boyce, Eunice Curran, Ellin Gallant, Reta Morrill and Joyce O’Brien. Both books embody rich histories and photographs. The Inn on Peaks, 33 Island Ave, will host the authors. “Featuring wonderful music by Ronda Dale and Kevin Attra. A check will be presented to Peaks Island Tax and Fuel Assistance for 10 percent of the gross sold-out fi rst printing sales of ‘For the Love of Peaks’ to keep someone warm this winter! Please FMI contact [email protected], other info at www.fortheloveo-fpeaks.com, http://www.facebook.com/fortheloveofpeaks, www.aglimpseofoldpeaksisland.com, www.myspace.com/wheeedoggieband, www.cascobaylines.com.”

Annual Portland Harbor Boat Parade of Lights4:30 p.m. The boat leaves at 4:30 p.m. and the parade begins at 4:45 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for chil-dren (5-9) and a majority of the proceeds will be going to Sail Maine, to learn more about Sail Maine you can visit their website at www.sailmaine.org. Tickets are on sale now at Casco Bay Lines, for questions about tickets please contact Caitlin Gildart at 774-7871, ext. 105 or e-mail at [email protected]. To register your boat in the parade please call Chris Kean at 408-7525 or e-mail at boatparadeofl [email protected]

Home for Christmas at Anthony’s7 p.m. Many of Anthony’s Alumni singing a wide selec-tion of Christmas songs and standards. Special six-course Christmas dinner, $39.95 and 1/2 price for children under 10. www.anthonysdinnertheater.com

‘It’s A Wonderful Life’8 p.m. “It’s A Wonderful Life,” the holiday classic. Dec. 2-19, Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. $15-$22. Old Port Playhouse, 19 Temple St., Portland. 773-0333. oldportplayhouse.com

Christmas with Renaissance Voices8 p.m. Christmas with Renaissance Voices at The Cathe-dral Church of St. Luke, 143 State St. $15 at the door; $12 in advance at Starbird Music in Portland, Longfel-low Books in Portland or Books Etc. in Falmouth; $5 for students with a valid student ID. Renaissance Voices is a 21-voice, auditioned, a cappella chorus based in Port-land, Maine. We specialize in music from the medieval period through the 17th century, but our performances regularly feature more contemporary work, including pre-mieres of pieces by both new and established compos-

ers. Concerts also feature short readings that complement the themes of the musi-cal selections. www.renaissancevoices.org/repertoire.html

Sunday, Dec. 19

Skate for the Salvation Army Toy Drive1.20 p.m. Family Ice Center, Falmouth. A family fi lled Christmas event — Christmas tree light-ing, a skate show, Santa and lots of skating fun. “This is a tremendous way for the family to get involved to help the less fortunate in the Portland community. Helping a child this year is easy, simply bring a toy when you come to the Family Ice Center in Falmouth and donate it to the Salvation Army which will make sure it goes to a needy child this Christmas.” All skate hire fees ($5 per person) for the Public Skate Session will also be donated to the Sal-vation Army. Family Ice Center Falmouth, 20 Hat Trick Drive Falmouth.

‘It’s A Wonderful Life’2 p.m. “It’s A Wonderful Life,” the holiday clas-sic. Dec. 2-19, Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. $15-$22. Old Port Playhouse, 19 Temple St., Portland. 773-0333. oldportplayhouse.com

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from preceding page

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A crowd departs First Parish in Portland after a noontime Thursday performance. First Parish is among the venues to partake of a Christmas Eve service. First Parish’s Candlelight Christmas Eve service is at 5:30 p.m. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTO)

Artist N.C. Wyeth is shown in this fi le photo. Portland Museum of Art docent Sy Epstein will give a gallery talk on Wyeth at 1 p.m. Saturday. (AP PHOTO)


Solstice Dawning at the Planetarium7 p.m. “Solstice Dawning,” celestial poetry evening. “We celebrate the winter solstice with poetry! The Southworth Planetarium offers an evening of verse, prose and the Uni-verse. During this event, local writers recite poetical works about the cosmos, nature, love, and much more. This year’s ‘Solstice Dawning’ theme is light and dark. Admis-sion by donation.” Call 780-4249 to reserve your space.

‘Solstice Dawning’ Celestial Poetry Evening7 p.m. Celebrate the Winter Solstice with poetry and stars. The USM Southworth Planetarium offers an evening of verse, prose and the Universe down in the star dome theatre. Three celestial poetry evenings each year. During this year’s fi nal celestial poetry evening, local writers recite poetical works about the universe, nature, love the stars and much more. The theme of this year’s “Solstice Dawn-ing” is light and dark. To reserve your space for an event or for more information, send a reply or call 780-4249.

‘A Child’s Christmas In Wales’ and ‘A Christmas Memory’7:30 p.m. “A Child’s Christmas In Wales” and Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory” performed by Timepiece Theatre Co., Sun. and Mon., Dec. 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. $10-$12. Old Port Playhouse, 19 Temple St., Portland. 773-0333. oldportplayhouse.com

Monday, Dec. 20

Mad Horse’s take on ‘A Christmas Carol’ 7 p.m. Mad Horse Theatre Company offers a production of “A Christmas Carol” that will not be soon forgotten. Found-ing company members, current members, and some very special guests will join forces for a revival of the Mad Horse Christmas Radio Show — a madcap depiction of the effort to produce a radio play of “A Christmas Carol.” “Featuring hilarious performances and the merriest of holiday songs, this show brings you behind the scenes of an old-fashioned radio program, where nothing ever goes quite as planned. Mad Horse performed this show many years ago, and is bringing it back for a whole new audience to enjoy. This event is a benefi t to support Mad Horse’s 25th Anniversary Season.” Performances run Dec. 20 through 23, 7 p.m., at the theater’s new home in the Hutchins School, 24 Mosher St., South Portland. “So whether you’ve been waxing nos-talgic for the old Christmas Show, or you want to start a new holiday tradition, please join us for an evening full of fun, holiday spirit, and tasty seasonal treats served before and after the show.” For more information, call 730-2389, or visit www.madhorse.com.

Mid-winter’s Eve at Stonehenge7 p.m. For the fi rst time, Professor Patrick Peoples will present his summer Stonehenge program on the night before the winter solstice, at Southworth Planetarium. ”Professor Peoples conducts a tour of Stonehenge, one of the ancient world’s most famous structures. What was its purpose? Who built it? How was it used as an astronomical observatory? Astronomers believe that Stonehenge’s designers might have used it as an eclipse prediction device. As we’ll have a total lunar eclipse on the solstice, what better time is there to attend a Stone-henge lecture!” Admission by donation.

A Child’s Christmas In Wales’ and ‘A Christmas Memory’7:30 p.m. “A Child’s Christmas In Wales” and Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory” performed by Timepiece Theatre Co., Sun. and Mon., Dec. 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. $10-$12. Old Port Playhouse, 19 Temple St., Portland. 773-0333. oldportplayhouse.com

Tuesday, Dec. 21

College of The Atlantic Holiday Open House5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. College of The Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Holiday Open House: Share holiday sweets and son with the island community at COA’s annual holiday party, with music from the MDI High School Choir in the Leslie C. Brewer Great Hall inside The Turrets, COA south entrance. Contact Lyn Berzinis at 288-5015, [email protected], or 801-5625.

Blue Christmas Service6:30 p.m. Hope.Gate.Way. (on the ground fl oor of the Gate-way parking garage, just beyond the Eastland Park Hotel, at 185 High St. “While the world is rejoicing, for some, the days leading to Christmas can be fi lled with pain and sadness. Loss of a spouse, child, or parent… a broken relationship … job loss or fi nancial insecurity… seasonal depression — these can make the holiday season a diffi cult

time for many. On the longest night of the year, we invite all who wish to come together for a time of quiet, medita-tive worship: to acknowledge their pain, to be assured that they are not alone, and to fi nd time and space to refl ect and fi nd comfort.” www.hopegateway.com. or www.newlight-portland.org


Gong Meditation on the solstice7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. In the early morning of Dec. 21 there will be a total eclipse of the Full Moon. That evening will be the exact moment of Winter Solstice. “To better attune to these solar and lunar energies, Dragonfl y Taijiquan will be hosting a ‘Gong Meditation’ that evening at its studio in Portland, at 222 St John Street, Suite 240. “Gongs are ancient instruments used for thousands of years to promote healing, balance and intuition. Come, relax, and experience the sounds of gongs, singing bowls and other sound medi-tation instruments in a musical improvisation by Todd Glacy of Saco River Yoga. On this day of the Winter Solstice and Full Moon, be immersed in the primordial, resonant, heal-ing, sacred, vibratory sounds of the gong. Bring a pillow, mat or blanket to lie on, or a meditation cushion.” There is a suggested donation of $10 to $15. Advance registration is encouraged. FMI or to register contact: 761-2142 or drag-onfl [email protected].

Total Lunar Eclipse Viewing12:45 a.m. to 4 a.m. There will be a total lunar eclipse on Dec. 21 (in the early morning hours). The Southworth Planetarium is open for the Lunar Eclipse. “We’ll open our doors for the seething throng at 12:45 a.m. (Yes, 12:45 in the morning!) We’ll have a tedious, indefensibly long eclipse lecture at 1 a.m. Viewing begins at 1:30 a.m. (Weather per-mitting, of course.) Free and open to the public.

Wednesday, Dec. 22


Secret Lives of Comedians7:30 p.m. Secret Lives of Comedians at Lucid Stage, 29 Baxter Boulevard, Portland. Produced by Cloud Morris and Brian Brinegar, this monthly series features stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, “surprised guests” and other “dis-turbing delights.” Musical guest Pete Witham. $10. www.lucidstage.com/

Thursday, Dec. 23

The Victorian Nutcracker in Portland2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Christmas comes with its own set of family traditions and for many, the season isn’t consid-ered complete without seeing the only Nutcracker set in Maine. Portland Ballet Company brings its own local ver-sion of the Nutcracker to life in celebration of the holiday season again this year with “The Victorian Nutcracker.” Tickets are available through PortTIX at www.porttix.com or 842-0800 or in person, 20 Myrtle Ave., Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.portlandballet.org or call 772-9671.

‘The Gift Of The Magi’2 p.m. and 7 p.m. “The Gift Of The Magi” an original musi-cal set in 1940s Maine. Dec. 7-23, Tues. and Wed. at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. Added shows, Thursday, Dec. 23 at 2 and 7 p.m. $15-$22. Old Port Playhouse, 19 Temple St., Portland. 773-0333. oldportplayhouse.com

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine welcomes kids for a special performance. $5 for members, $6 plus admission for non-members. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. Call 828-1234, x247.

Next Level Church Christmas celebration5 p.m. Using hundreds of volunteers, Next Level Church is hosting a “life-changing Christmas celebration” at the Abromson Center on the campus of the University of South-ern Maine. The event is completely free, although Next Level Church is asking attendees to bring non-perishable food items to donate to the Wayside Food Rescue Program. The church hopes to make the largest single donation by a church in Wayside’s history as a result of this event. The Christmas celebration will begin at 6 p.m. Learn more about Next Level Church by visiting www.nlc.tv.

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Chicago Bears safety Danieal Manning (38) is tackled by New England Patriots’ Matt Slater (18) on a kickoff-return in the fi rst half of Sunday’s NFL football game in Chi-cago. Tom Brady threw for 369 yards and two touchdowns, and the New England Patriots locked up their eighth playoff berth in 10 years with a 36-7 pounding of Chicago on a snowy, blustery, bone-chilling Sunday. Deion Branch caught eight passes for a career-high 151 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown at the end of the fi rst half. Wes Welker had eight receptions for 115 yards and the Patriots totaled 475 yards while holding NFC North leader Chicago to 185. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Even with Green Bay’s playoff hopes in jeopardy, coach Mike McCarthy insists the team will err on the side of caution when evaluating Aaron Rodgers’ second concussion of the season.

Rodgers was expected to begin the evalu-ation protocol for head injuries Monday. The quarterback’s availability for Sunday’s game at New England remains unclear.

“We’re not going to take any chances,” McCarthy said. “No different than on game day. When it became a question, an issue — was he clear, wasn’t he clear? — we pulled him immediately. We’ll always take the high side of caution in these types of situations.”

Rodgers left Sunday’s game at Detroit shortly after he was hit hard on back-to-back plays in the second quarter, a scramble and a sack. He was replaced by Matt Flynn, and the Packers went on to lose 7-3.

Rodgers also sustained a concussion in Green Bay’s loss at Washington on Oct. 10. He played against Miami the following week and has not missed a game since taking over as the Packers’ starter in 2008.

Going into Sunday’s game at New England, McCarthy said doctors will consider Rodgers’ recent concussion as they evaluate him.

“He’s just getting ready to start to go through the fi rst procedure, fi rst process of the testing and so forth,” McCarthy said Monday. “They had him sleep in this morning, and I just had a chance to visit with him. We’ll go through the protocol that we do with all of our players, and we’ll probably have a little better update

for you Wednesday or Thursday.”According to NFL guidelines for head inju-

ries, Rodgers must be symptom-free and cleared by a team doctor and independent neurological consultant before he can play again.

Rodgers’ situation isn’t the only bad injury news for the Packers this week.

McCarthy said Green Bay could be without outside linebacker Frank Zombo on Sunday because of a sprained knee. And defensive end Cullen Jenkins, who sat out Sunday’s game with a calf injury, isn’t expected back this week, either.

McCarthy said left guard Daryn Colledge has a chance to play Sunday after spraining his knee against the Lions.

But the team’s biggest concern by far will be Rodgers.

“We’ve got to make sure, No. 1, that Aaron is healthy and take care of him,” wide receiver Greg Jennings said after Sunday’s game. “He’s the priority. Health is fi rst and foremost. You can’t risk it all because you want to play a game. We understand that. As an offense, we just have to come together and refocus and rededicate ourselves on the practice fi eld.”

Rodgers is well on his way to becoming one of the league’s elite quarterbacks, but still needs to learn to slide out of danger when he takes off running.

“We probably need to do a better job of get-ting that across because the quarterbacks can’t be taking unnecessary hits like that,” McCarthy said.

With Patriots on horizon, Packers evaluate QB Rodgers for concussion

The Portland Daily Sun, Tuesday, December 14, 2010

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