Happy (Early) Turkey Day

The fam and I are heading up to Rangeley for the rest of the week, so we wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving--on the day before Thanksgiving.

- John C.L. Morgan

P.S. I'm in a meta-kind-of-mood, so I'd be foolish if I didn't beg remind you to check out my Web site's Web site and become a fan. I've catalogued most of the photos from this site, and the page will allow you discuss or review this site and its contents with fellow readers and me.

Cinemagic to Host Early Screening of Bob Marley Film

Cinemagic will host an exclusive screening of Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, the sequel to the cult film Boondock Saints, Monday night at 7p.

Maine comedian Bob Marley continues his role as Detective Greenly in the movie, which opens nationwide Friday, December 4.

- John C.L. Morgan

City Council Pushes Back Pike Meeting

Via e-mail, City Council President Brendan Rielly (D-Ward 1) confirmed the City Council will fulfill Pike Industries' request that the upcoming December 7 meeting devoted the re-zoning of their Spring Street quarry be re-scheduled for February 1, 2010.

Citing the original December 7 meeting date as "premature," Pike reportedly requested a new date this morning.

- John C.L. Morgan

Skepticism Squared

Though I did not hesitate to vote for the new Westbrook middle school in May 2007, I was one of the 36% of Westbrook residents who cast a vote against the new performing arts center that was expected to cost the City $4.1 million dollars over twenty years, including an extra $2 million in interest.

If I remember correctly, the proponents of the auditorium argued in 2007 that the City would be saving money by building the auditorium, because the city's residents would no longer be required to outlay monies for graduations at Merrill Auditorium in Portland. Moreover, I seem to recall proponents batting away opponents' concerns that our current auditorium in the high school wasn't used enough by pointing out the new one would be more functional because it would have better technology, most notably air conditioning.

So color me skeptical when these two arguments appeared to shrivel up under the lights of Room 114 at the Westbrook School Committee's November 18 meeting.

To be fair, as school committee member Ed Symbol pointed out in defense of his uncharacteristic vote in favor of a graduation at Merrill Auditorium, the Class of 2010's overwhelming preference for that location (I'd link you to the AJ's November 19 story containing more information about the concerns of the Class of '10, but the hamsters at 840 Main Street have slowed their gait) will not cost the taxpayers of Westbrook any more money than if the graduating students had opted for a graduation at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center, because the money for the Merrill auditorium would not be coming out of the budget.

Nevertheless, I tend to agree with the committee's lone dissenter on this issue, Mary Hall, when she pointed out that it's very likely the residents of Westbrook will be digging into their pockets for a Merrill Auditorium graduation, whether it's via the school budget or through some type of fundraising.

Moreover, school committee chairman Greg Smith's observation that the new auditorium will simply not be big enough for a proper graduation (or as he put it, "you can't put ten pounds of flour in a five-pound sack") causes me to wonder if the Westbrook Performing Arts Center will ever fulfill that plank of the proponents' case for building the auditorium. And while this current incarnation of the school committee chose to withhold additional funds for a Merrill graduation, will that be the case in the future?

My attention was further piqued during a presentation of the manager of the performing arts center, Jamie Grant. After informing the committee that the facility should be open for school-related events in February 2010 and will be ready to host professional events by the fall of 2010, committee member Maria Dorn asked Grant why they couldn't host such events earlier in the year.

Grant gave two reasons, the first being legitimate, and the second, head-scratching. First of all, Grant said, we don't know if we'll have the familiarity with the facility's outstanding technology or the staffing necessary to pull off such an event at an earlier date, and we don't want acquire a bad reputation for slipshod productions. That's fair. The second reason, though, made my mind whirl: We won't be hosting events in the summer, Grant said, because there simply aren't audiences for shows that time of year.

I know a vast majority of scientists expect the temperature of the Earth to rise in the near future, but is an air-conditioning system truly needed for a Maine-based performing arts center that'll evidently be closed during the summer?

- John C.L. Morgan

(Update: You can see see now and later photos of the WPAC at the facility's Facebook page.)

Online Art Auction

Westbrook Housing is auctioning off Westbrook elementary students' artwork to benefit the Westbrook Food Pantry and the Animal Refuge League.

- John C.L. Morgan

Could This Work in Westbrook?

PPH:

It takes a number of inputs to make a large data processing center function
well, and it might surprise you to know that Maine is especially well
positioned to host that industry if--and it's a big "if"--we are able to invest
in some missing infrastructure.

- John C.L. Morgan

Even Arkansas is Laughing

KARK-TV:

It was easy for Westbrook, Maine police to track
down a suspect in a store theft. That's because he left his name and address on
a job application. Store surveillance video at a Dunkin' Donuts reportedly
showed the man filling out an application, then putting a jar collecting toy
fund donations under his coat while the staff was busy with customers. Zachary
Locke, 26, now faces a charge of theft.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: Internationally Ridiculed (April 2, 2009)

Judge Sides with Pike on Question of Shutdown Order

PPH:

A Cumberland County Superior Court justice
Wednesday granted Pike Industries' request to stay a "cease and desist" order
and allow quarrying operations to continue at Pike's Spring Street quarry in
Westbrook. The decision by Justice Thomas Humphrey allows Pike to crush rock,
and to excavate and remove previously blasted rock and material at the site.
Westbrook had issued the stop-work order on Nov. 7 to prevent removal of
existing stockpiles of crushed rock. Pike had asked the court for a stay until
the full court can hear its case.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: City, Pike Present Arguments in Court (November 11, 2009)
Related: City: Pike is Violating Shutdown Order (November 6, 2009)

Nightmare Scenario

In these National Geographic videos, Portland is the victim of a dirty bomb attack:





MPBN has information on the making of this show, and the PPH published an op-ed last Friday about how the federal government would respond to such an occurence.

The one-hour show was made by the Maine-based Lone Wolf Documentary Group.

Have a nice day.

- John C.L. Morgan

High School Teachers Gettin' Jiggy Wit It

AJ:

[Brian] Flynn and [Cynthia] DosAnjos are one of 13
pairs of faculty members competing this year in a fundraiser for the high
school's senior class, based on the popular television show, "Dancing with the
Stars." Each couple was allowed take up to three ballroom dance lessons in
preparation for the first round Thursday, after which all but seven teams will
be eliminated. Next week, the remaining contestants will take free-style dance
lessons at Drouin Dance Studio in Westbrook, and a winner will be declared after
the final dance-off on Nov. 19.

I'm not sure my eyes have recovered enough from watching The Hammer shake his tail feather to allow me to go to the grand finale Thursday tonight.

- John C.L. Morgan

Quote of the Day

"When you watch the movie Bambi, you are looking into the Maine Woods."

- Dick Day, quoted in a great Down East piece about how his father, Jake Day, played an instrumental role in ensuring the New England white-tail deer and other Maine wildlife and scenery were featured in the Walt Disney classic.

- John C.L. Morgan

Planning Board Approves Change in Zoning in Pike Case

PPH:

The city's Planning Board sent a message to Pike Industries on Tuesday night,
voting 5-1 to support new zoning that would restrict Pike's operations in the
Five Star Industrial Park and rule out its plan to build an asphalt plant. After
the vote, Pike officials charged the Planning Board with rubber-stamping a
proposal promoted by the city and Westbrook Works, a private group that opposes
the company's operations. The City Council is scheduled to review the new zoning
on Dec. 7, said City Administrator Jerre Bryant, who did not attend Tuesday's
meeting. The council will have the final say on the zoning change.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: Planning Board Tables Pike Zoning Change (October 21, 2009)
Related: Pike, IDEXX Unable to Reach Compromise (October 16, 2009)
Related: Pike: We've Sued Westbrook (March 2, 2009)

Don's Lunch Extends Friday Hours

Kicking it old school, Don's Lunch will be extending their Friday night hours to 2a, starting November 20.

I'll have to keep this in mind when scheduling the next Paper City Pub Crawl.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: Why I Live in the Paper City, Draft One (April 27, 2009)
Related: On Location: Don's Lunch (April 29, 2008)

Olympia Sports May Vacate Downtown Portland

PPH:

"We suspect they [Olympia Sports] will leave
as well," said [FFD Trust trustee Marc] Foster. "I would say that it is likely--
that is why we're marketing it." Bean and Olympia have separate leases, said
Foster, but Bean is the anchor that Olympia relies on. Olympia's president,
Richard Coffey, had no comment. The Westbrook-based sporting goods retailer has
more than 180 stores throughout New England, New York and Pennsylvania,
according to its Web site. On the site, under criteria for new store locations,
the company says it looks at "regional strip centers anchored by big box
discounters and/or department stores."

- John C.L. Morgan

Parking Ban Reminder

One more sign winter's on its way: The City of Westbrook's parking ban is now in effect, so don't park your car on the street from 12:01a-6:00a.

Consider the repeal of this ban one reason to look forward to April 15.

- John C.L. Morgan

Charles Lawton: 'The Ball is Clearly in the Court of Local Government'

PPH:

The other fact that this most recent election has
revealed is that the focus of public initiative has changed from state
government to local government, from Augusta to Town Hall. Whether it is to
resist change or initiate change, the center of action over the next few years
will be in the community, not in the capital. The greatest opportunity for
social creativity lies close to home. The jobs of boards of selectmen, planning
boards, school boards, conservation commissions and economic development
committees will be far more interesting over the next four or five years than
the jobs of state representatives, state senators or even the governor.

- John C.L. Morgan