This summer, Cultivating Community is holding “Twilight Dinners,” candlelit 3-course meals prepared by local chefs from the organization’s organic bounty.
$15/person (byob); 6:00 p.m. in the orchard - Limit 50 attendees, reservations required. Seatings still available for the September 11 dinner.
To make a reservation, email craig@cultivatingcommunity.org or call 761-GROW.
Directions to Turkey Hill Farm: After crossing the Casco Bay Bridge from Portland, get in the right lane and turn right at the second set of traffic lights. Follow Route 77 4.3 miles, through Cape Elizabeth town center, then turn left at the second entrance to Old Ocean House Road (it intersects twice with Route 77). Turkey Hill Farm is the 4th driveway on the right.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also, Cultivating Community is organizing another 20 Mile Meal this fall--an event that truly showcases the rich food system we have here in southern Maine while supporting the organization’s youth development and anti-hunger work.
If you would like to volunteer and be a part of the planning team, please contact event chair Sarah Bullett at sarahbullett@gmail.com or Craig Lapine at craig@cultivatingcommunity.org.
Individuals will also be needed to help with specific tasks such as set-up, clean-up and support during the event itself.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cultivating Community is an organization based in Portland that grows food in the community in an organic, sustainable way and helps to feed people who are most vulnerable. The food-growing work is used in youth and community development programs that reconnect people to the natural and social systems that sustain us all.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
WHEN BAYSIDE MEANT BUSINESS
These two scenes taken on a summer's day show how many of life's needs were once served by proud Bayside businesses. The first, taken from the corner where today the Public Market Parking Garage stands, looks southwest to the corner of Preble Street and Cumberland Avenue sometime around 1875-1885. There, the E.M. Thompson Monument Works stands behind a tidy picket fence, tall white family cemetery monuments displayed thick as a forest on its tiny front lawn, and white marble headstones stacked against the shop wall on the right. From the late 1860s to 1890 Enoch M. Thompson's premier stone shop stood here, where a team of six skilled stonecutters shaped and cut many of Portland's most distinguished funeral monuments. Portland's Eastern, Western, Evergreen, and Cavalry cemeteries still feature the magnificent monuments once fashioned here. Hundreds of Portland's Civil War soldiers came home to rest beneath humbler headstones also cut here in Bayside.
Thompson's shop was demolished in 1890 for Horation N. Jose's 3-story brick office building, which still stand there today. But in the late 20th century, city road crews digging near here were startled to find unfinished tombstones buried in the street--reminders from a century ago that Baysiders leave their footprints in the sands (and stones) of time.
Looking to the left (up Preble Street toward Monument Square), behind the waiting wagons, stands the Presumpscot Shoeing Shop, run by Messrs. McKusick and Kennard at 26 Preble Street. Once, scores of such establishments dotted Portland, like today's filling stations. Then, Portland was home to more horses than people, and convenient blacksmiths’ hammers rang in many a neighborhood. (Note that behind the roof of the shoeing shop rises the steeple and clock tower of the Casco Street Baptist Church.) In 1927 the Portland Sunday Telegram lamented their passing: “In 1900 when the automobile came into vogue, there were 44 stables, large and small, in the city from St. Lawrence Street to St. John Street. The largest of these were those of Charles N. Jewell on Preble Street [in 2008 near the Salvation Army shop] and Whitman-Sawyer Stable Company, rear 697 Congress Street [in 2008 the big parking lot behind the Rite Aid near Mellen Street]. Today [1927] there are only seven small stables in Portland, and that . . . is probably more than is needed. . . . The horses kept for pleasure driving may be counted on one's fingers. The auto did it.”
Thompson's shop was demolished in 1890 for Horation N. Jose's 3-story brick office building, which still stand there today. But in the late 20th century, city road crews digging near here were startled to find unfinished tombstones buried in the street--reminders from a century ago that Baysiders leave their footprints in the sands (and stones) of time.
Looking to the left (up Preble Street toward Monument Square), behind the waiting wagons, stands the Presumpscot Shoeing Shop, run by Messrs. McKusick and Kennard at 26 Preble Street. Once, scores of such establishments dotted Portland, like today's filling stations. Then, Portland was home to more horses than people, and convenient blacksmiths’ hammers rang in many a neighborhood. (Note that behind the roof of the shoeing shop rises the steeple and clock tower of the Casco Street Baptist Church.) In 1927 the Portland Sunday Telegram lamented their passing: “In 1900 when the automobile came into vogue, there were 44 stables, large and small, in the city from St. Lawrence Street to St. John Street. The largest of these were those of Charles N. Jewell on Preble Street [in 2008 near the Salvation Army shop] and Whitman-Sawyer Stable Company, rear 697 Congress Street [in 2008 the big parking lot behind the Rite Aid near Mellen Street]. Today [1927] there are only seven small stables in Portland, and that . . . is probably more than is needed. . . . The horses kept for pleasure driving may be counted on one's fingers. The auto did it.”
Museum of African Culture Events
A note from Museum Director Oscar Mokeme:
Dear Friends, What a busy summer it's been at the Museum of African Culture. We are excited to be preparing for our 10th Anniversary event, which is sure to be fantastic! Check out our upcoming events ... and drop in to see our newest exhibition, The Royal Insignia. FRIDAY and SATURDAY, August 8 & 9--10th Anniversary and Celebration of Diversity. Join us in commemorating a decade of achievements in a 2-day celebration, free of charge! In brief, the schedule is as follows: • FRIDAY, August 8: Double-Film Screening 4-6 pm @ Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square Featuring 2 award-winning films from East Africa: Menged (Ethiopia) and Come Back to Sudan (US and Sudan). Panel discussion and refreshments to follow the screenings. Drumming Workshop with Master drummer Sanga of the Valley 7:30-10 pm @ World Arts and Culture Center, 65 Commercial Street. Call to pre-register: 207-761-3765 • SATURDAY August 9: Film Screening 11 am - 1 pm @ The Portland Public Library: Wardance (Uganda). Join us for the Street Festival from 1-5 pm @ Brown Street. World music and dance performances, activities for kids, food and drinks, and more! Details on our website coming soon! Thanks for your support! Museum of African Culture 13 Brown Street, Portland, ME 14101 207.871.7188 africart@museumafricanculture.org www.museumafricanculture.org
Dear Friends, What a busy summer it's been at the Museum of African Culture. We are excited to be preparing for our 10th Anniversary event, which is sure to be fantastic! Check out our upcoming events ... and drop in to see our newest exhibition, The Royal Insignia. FRIDAY and SATURDAY, August 8 & 9--10th Anniversary and Celebration of Diversity. Join us in commemorating a decade of achievements in a 2-day celebration, free of charge! In brief, the schedule is as follows: • FRIDAY, August 8: Double-Film Screening 4-6 pm @ Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square Featuring 2 award-winning films from East Africa: Menged (Ethiopia) and Come Back to Sudan (US and Sudan). Panel discussion and refreshments to follow the screenings. Drumming Workshop with Master drummer Sanga of the Valley 7:30-10 pm @ World Arts and Culture Center, 65 Commercial Street. Call to pre-register: 207-761-3765 • SATURDAY August 9: Film Screening 11 am - 1 pm @ The Portland Public Library: Wardance (Uganda). Join us for the Street Festival from 1-5 pm @ Brown Street. World music and dance performances, activities for kids, food and drinks, and more! Details on our website coming soon! Thanks for your support! Museum of African Culture 13 Brown Street, Portland, ME 14101 207.871.7188 africart@museumafricanculture.org www.museumafricanculture.org
ADAMS URGES INSURANCE RATE REFUNDS
State Rep. Herb Adams is urging Portlanders to apply for refunds due them under a multimillion dollar settlement reached between the State of Maine and the MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company.
Last month the Maine State Bureau of Insurance reached a court-ordered settlement for rate overcharges to Mainers who had individual health insurance policies with MEGA between 2004 and 2007. The total settlement due Mainers is about $5.5 million, said Adams.
MEGA is required to help locate the hundreds of potential policyholders and rebate claimants statewide.
Adams has located almost 100 Portland people and families owed rate rebates, plus interest, in the Parkside, Bayside, and East Bayside neighborhoods alone. The state list of possible claimants in Portland city-wide totals "about 500 names, an amazing number for our small city " said Adams.
"These are tough times, and everyone who is eligible for refunds should claim them quickly " said Adams. To protect privacy, Adams is not releasing the West End list at this time but will be contacting individuals listed and encourages all Portlanders who think they may be owed a rebate to contact the State Bureau of Insurance directly at 1-800-300-5000.
The amount of each refund will depend on the length of time a person held a MEGA policy between 2004- 2007 and the kind of coverage held.
MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company specialized in coverage for small business and the self-employed.
Rep. Adams may be contacted at 772-2565 for help and the State claims help line is 1-800-300-5000 toll-free.
Last month the Maine State Bureau of Insurance reached a court-ordered settlement for rate overcharges to Mainers who had individual health insurance policies with MEGA between 2004 and 2007. The total settlement due Mainers is about $5.5 million, said Adams.
MEGA is required to help locate the hundreds of potential policyholders and rebate claimants statewide.
Adams has located almost 100 Portland people and families owed rate rebates, plus interest, in the Parkside, Bayside, and East Bayside neighborhoods alone. The state list of possible claimants in Portland city-wide totals "about 500 names, an amazing number for our small city " said Adams.
"These are tough times, and everyone who is eligible for refunds should claim them quickly " said Adams. To protect privacy, Adams is not releasing the West End list at this time but will be contacting individuals listed and encourages all Portlanders who think they may be owed a rebate to contact the State Bureau of Insurance directly at 1-800-300-5000.
The amount of each refund will depend on the length of time a person held a MEGA policy between 2004- 2007 and the kind of coverage held.
MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company specialized in coverage for small business and the self-employed.
Rep. Adams may be contacted at 772-2565 for help and the State claims help line is 1-800-300-5000 toll-free.
Arson in Police Van
Police responded to 223 Cumberland Avenue on June 20, at 12:40 PM, after being called by the victim of a domestic assault.
Sol Bolton, 22, of Portland, was stated to be the assailant, and he was still there when police arrived.
Bolton had previous injuries to his arm, which were aggravated while he resisted arrest.
He was taken to Maine Medical Center for treatment of his injuries. When police went to remove him from the arrest van upon arrival at the Cumberland County Jail, they smelled smoke and saw a smoldering handkerchief on the floor of the van.
This led to a charge of arson, in addition to those of assault and refusing to submit to arrest.
By Marge (“Scoop”) NIblock
Sol Bolton, 22, of Portland, was stated to be the assailant, and he was still there when police arrived.
Bolton had previous injuries to his arm, which were aggravated while he resisted arrest.
He was taken to Maine Medical Center for treatment of his injuries. When police went to remove him from the arrest van upon arrival at the Cumberland County Jail, they smelled smoke and saw a smoldering handkerchief on the floor of the van.
This led to a charge of arson, in addition to those of assault and refusing to submit to arrest.
By Marge (“Scoop”) NIblock
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The 2008 Bayside Community Garden Newsletter
It’s spring! Can you believe it? After many snow and ice-logged months of waiting, the soil is nearly thawed and early plantings of peas, spinach, kale, cabbage, lettuces and the like are just around the seasonal corner. Again, 2007 was a successful growing year (literally and figuratively) and we look forward to an even better one in 2008!
Some goals for this season:
• Repair our garden beds – as I’m sure some of you have noticed, the planks holding up your raised beds are looking pretty shabby and are in need of repair. Budget allowing, we hope to rebuild the beds completely in the fall, but until that point, we’re planning on driving stakes around some beds to prop up the wood and replacing entire boards if they’re completely shot. Hopefully this should be done sometime in the next month – we will do our best not to disturb the soil within while doing so, so anything that might be growing there (perennials, garlic, etc.) isn’t disturbed.
• Create a workable, healthy, productive system for composting – for now, any weeds, kitchen scraps and compostable materials should be piled in the depression (marked by a sign) below the bins. I and/or a few volunteers will occasionally add these materials to the bins and water/turn them so that we have nice, rich compost sometime this season.
• Bring in educators/presenters – the hope is to invite master gardeners and others to teach classes and give lectures on garden-related topics (composting, perennials, organic pest control, herb gardening, seed starting, canning).
• Hold a series of workdays (once a month like last year), potlucks (maybe once every couple months) and a harvest celebration at some point in the fall (hopefully with live music).
• Keep all beds full with active gardeners and the space mowed and attractive.
Policies and Procedures
(yep, there need to be some)
1. All beds should be actively used and maintained throughout the season
Basically, this means keeping weeds down to a minimum and keeping your bed planted. Of course, it’s understood that people have other lives and take vacations and such. For some, this is a serious hobby, for others, just a meditation and a way to relax and decompress in the sun. That said, if beds are obviously not being maintained for an extended period of time, either Kate or I will check in with you. If you are going away for a while, it’s encouraged that you have someone maintain your plot while you’re away. Or if that’s not possible, let us know and one of us will gladly help out! If you’re contacted and the bed still isn’t being used, it will be turned over to another gardener – there are plenty of folks waiting for a plot and willing to use it actively.
2. Attending workdays
We’re planning on holding a workday once a month (dates to come), probably on the weekend. Unlike at the beginning of last year, these should be fairly flexible, and if you have to miss a few, no big deal. But please try to make them if you can and contribute some time – as this is a community garden and the beds are provided free of charge, it’s important that everyone plays a part in making it work. Also, bringing food/drink is encouraged – I’m going to try to get some donations from Big Sky, Whole Foods and Coffee by Design if they’re willing.
3. Please keep the pathways clear around your bed (rocks, tools, etc.), for the lawnmower’s (and person who is mowing) sake.
4. The Bayside Community Garden is an ORGANIC garden. For the health of the earth and the community, and because others will inherit your soil once you’ve moved on, please refrain from using inorganic pesticides or fertilizers (Miracle Grow, Roundup, etc.). There are plenty of alternatives (organic preparations, using mulch, maintaining your bed, etc.) and I’m happy to share some with you if you’re curious and/or have a nasty disease or pest-related problem during the season. Also, I’m going to try to post some materials about pest controls and enriching soil organically on the webgroup site.
5. Most of our tools have been loaned to us, and we really can’t afford to buy more if they are stolen, so please take care to return them to the shed when your done with them and make sure to lock up if you’re the last one out of the garden.
Other Things
• We’re working on getting mulch, manure and compost for the beds – there’s a small pile of manure next to the compost piles from last year, and you’re welcome to some if you’d like to amend your soil. While it’s well-rotted, know that it may burn seedlings, so the sooner you work it into the soil before planting, the better. If I can find a good source of cheap straw bales, I’ll pass around a signup sheet for folks who’d like to buy 1 or 2. Mulch is SO helpful for keeping weeds down and moisture in the soil. I can’t recommend it enough for the success of your crop. Same thing is also true for compost – if we can get some, working it into your bed should really help keep your plants healthy.
• Early on in the season, we’ll distribute a signup sheet for people who’d like to volunteer some time and energy at a specific task (lawn mowing, maintaining the perennial beds, fence construction, compost detail, etc.) – if you have a particular interest, definitely let me know! Keep in mind this is voluntary (not required) but very encouraged, as again, our resources are stretched and the more people who can chip in, the better the garden will be.
• Keep track of garden happenings, workday dates, and communicate/network with other gardeners via the Bayside Community Garden Webgroup (see below).
Bayside Community Garden Webgroup
The Bayside Community Garden Yahoo group website was created last season to keep gardeners informed about special events and notices. If you aren’t yet a member, let me know (John Affleck, fieldofstones@gmail.com) and I’ll send you an invite. If you are already a member (there are 10 of us at this point), here’s a little recap of how it works:
The site can be found at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bayside_community_garden/
You might want to save this in your favorites or as an icon on your desktop so you can access it easily. Otherwise, you’ll need to go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ and type in bayside_community_garden.
The group site is fairly straightforward and easy to use. Once you sign in to yahoo with your username and password, check out the green list of links on the left side of the page.
• The ‘Files’ link is a place to look at and post - you guessed it - files! I'm thinking this would be a good place for online contracts/agreements, newsletters, pdf articles and the like.
• 'Photos' is a place to store relevant (or not) images of the garden – you’ll find some posterity pix from the now-extinct yahoo group site as well as some more recent shots. Feel free to post your own.
• 'Links' offers a place where you can post links to other garden-related sites.
• 'Database' is an interesting one. Looks like you can do lots of stuff here. Create lists, for example, favorite vegetables, seed catalogues or lists of diseases or pests you find in the garden. Others can add to the list in an ongoing fashion. This might also be a place to list contact information for people who are willing to have theirs posted so that people can be in touch.
• The 'Polls' function looks like a question-answer forum, although I haven't played with it at all. "Members" lists all of us and our information - this is the place where you can change your user preferences.
• And lastly, the Calendar will exist as a place to list any kind of events that relate to the Bayside Community Garden, or even things that do not (for example, you might want to post a plant sale that's happening, or maybe a class on gardening taught somewhere in the area). Meetings/workdays will be listed in the calendar and a reminder email will be sent out whenever one is about to happen.
Feel free to add links, files or pictures to the site – the more the merrier! This is a tool to keep in touch with each other and share our experiences, knowledge, comments and gardening schemes.
One last thing - when messages are posted to the site, they are sent out to your email account. Some folks have found they prefer to receive messages posted to the site emailed to them in a daily digest, or to just receive essential messages. To set preferences, you simply click on "Members," (on the left-hand side of the page) find your name/email address listed, and click on the drop-down box. By selecting "Special Notices,” you will just receive key messages (about meetings and other important things), probably a few times per month. If you opt to select "Individual Emails," you'll get an email every time someone posts to the group. Although this probably won't be too often (a couple per week at most I'm guessing), it may be too much and you may want to choose "Daily Digest" instead, which will send all the posts done in one day, packaged in a single email.
Some goals for this season:
• Repair our garden beds – as I’m sure some of you have noticed, the planks holding up your raised beds are looking pretty shabby and are in need of repair. Budget allowing, we hope to rebuild the beds completely in the fall, but until that point, we’re planning on driving stakes around some beds to prop up the wood and replacing entire boards if they’re completely shot. Hopefully this should be done sometime in the next month – we will do our best not to disturb the soil within while doing so, so anything that might be growing there (perennials, garlic, etc.) isn’t disturbed.
• Create a workable, healthy, productive system for composting – for now, any weeds, kitchen scraps and compostable materials should be piled in the depression (marked by a sign) below the bins. I and/or a few volunteers will occasionally add these materials to the bins and water/turn them so that we have nice, rich compost sometime this season.
• Bring in educators/presenters – the hope is to invite master gardeners and others to teach classes and give lectures on garden-related topics (composting, perennials, organic pest control, herb gardening, seed starting, canning).
• Hold a series of workdays (once a month like last year), potlucks (maybe once every couple months) and a harvest celebration at some point in the fall (hopefully with live music).
• Keep all beds full with active gardeners and the space mowed and attractive.
Policies and Procedures
(yep, there need to be some)
1. All beds should be actively used and maintained throughout the season
Basically, this means keeping weeds down to a minimum and keeping your bed planted. Of course, it’s understood that people have other lives and take vacations and such. For some, this is a serious hobby, for others, just a meditation and a way to relax and decompress in the sun. That said, if beds are obviously not being maintained for an extended period of time, either Kate or I will check in with you. If you are going away for a while, it’s encouraged that you have someone maintain your plot while you’re away. Or if that’s not possible, let us know and one of us will gladly help out! If you’re contacted and the bed still isn’t being used, it will be turned over to another gardener – there are plenty of folks waiting for a plot and willing to use it actively.
2. Attending workdays
We’re planning on holding a workday once a month (dates to come), probably on the weekend. Unlike at the beginning of last year, these should be fairly flexible, and if you have to miss a few, no big deal. But please try to make them if you can and contribute some time – as this is a community garden and the beds are provided free of charge, it’s important that everyone plays a part in making it work. Also, bringing food/drink is encouraged – I’m going to try to get some donations from Big Sky, Whole Foods and Coffee by Design if they’re willing.
3. Please keep the pathways clear around your bed (rocks, tools, etc.), for the lawnmower’s (and person who is mowing) sake.
4. The Bayside Community Garden is an ORGANIC garden. For the health of the earth and the community, and because others will inherit your soil once you’ve moved on, please refrain from using inorganic pesticides or fertilizers (Miracle Grow, Roundup, etc.). There are plenty of alternatives (organic preparations, using mulch, maintaining your bed, etc.) and I’m happy to share some with you if you’re curious and/or have a nasty disease or pest-related problem during the season. Also, I’m going to try to post some materials about pest controls and enriching soil organically on the webgroup site.
5. Most of our tools have been loaned to us, and we really can’t afford to buy more if they are stolen, so please take care to return them to the shed when your done with them and make sure to lock up if you’re the last one out of the garden.
Other Things
• We’re working on getting mulch, manure and compost for the beds – there’s a small pile of manure next to the compost piles from last year, and you’re welcome to some if you’d like to amend your soil. While it’s well-rotted, know that it may burn seedlings, so the sooner you work it into the soil before planting, the better. If I can find a good source of cheap straw bales, I’ll pass around a signup sheet for folks who’d like to buy 1 or 2. Mulch is SO helpful for keeping weeds down and moisture in the soil. I can’t recommend it enough for the success of your crop. Same thing is also true for compost – if we can get some, working it into your bed should really help keep your plants healthy.
• Early on in the season, we’ll distribute a signup sheet for people who’d like to volunteer some time and energy at a specific task (lawn mowing, maintaining the perennial beds, fence construction, compost detail, etc.) – if you have a particular interest, definitely let me know! Keep in mind this is voluntary (not required) but very encouraged, as again, our resources are stretched and the more people who can chip in, the better the garden will be.
• Keep track of garden happenings, workday dates, and communicate/network with other gardeners via the Bayside Community Garden Webgroup (see below).
Bayside Community Garden Webgroup
The Bayside Community Garden Yahoo group website was created last season to keep gardeners informed about special events and notices. If you aren’t yet a member, let me know (John Affleck, fieldofstones@gmail.com) and I’ll send you an invite. If you are already a member (there are 10 of us at this point), here’s a little recap of how it works:
The site can be found at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bayside_community_garden/
You might want to save this in your favorites or as an icon on your desktop so you can access it easily. Otherwise, you’ll need to go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ and type in bayside_community_garden.
The group site is fairly straightforward and easy to use. Once you sign in to yahoo with your username and password, check out the green list of links on the left side of the page.
• The ‘Files’ link is a place to look at and post - you guessed it - files! I'm thinking this would be a good place for online contracts/agreements, newsletters, pdf articles and the like.
• 'Photos' is a place to store relevant (or not) images of the garden – you’ll find some posterity pix from the now-extinct yahoo group site as well as some more recent shots. Feel free to post your own.
• 'Links' offers a place where you can post links to other garden-related sites.
• 'Database' is an interesting one. Looks like you can do lots of stuff here. Create lists, for example, favorite vegetables, seed catalogues or lists of diseases or pests you find in the garden. Others can add to the list in an ongoing fashion. This might also be a place to list contact information for people who are willing to have theirs posted so that people can be in touch.
• The 'Polls' function looks like a question-answer forum, although I haven't played with it at all. "Members" lists all of us and our information - this is the place where you can change your user preferences.
• And lastly, the Calendar will exist as a place to list any kind of events that relate to the Bayside Community Garden, or even things that do not (for example, you might want to post a plant sale that's happening, or maybe a class on gardening taught somewhere in the area). Meetings/workdays will be listed in the calendar and a reminder email will be sent out whenever one is about to happen.
Feel free to add links, files or pictures to the site – the more the merrier! This is a tool to keep in touch with each other and share our experiences, knowledge, comments and gardening schemes.
One last thing - when messages are posted to the site, they are sent out to your email account. Some folks have found they prefer to receive messages posted to the site emailed to them in a daily digest, or to just receive essential messages. To set preferences, you simply click on "Members," (on the left-hand side of the page) find your name/email address listed, and click on the drop-down box. By selecting "Special Notices,” you will just receive key messages (about meetings and other important things), probably a few times per month. If you opt to select "Individual Emails," you'll get an email every time someone posts to the group. Although this probably won't be too often (a couple per week at most I'm guessing), it may be too much and you may want to choose "Daily Digest" instead, which will send all the posts done in one day, packaged in a single email.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Bayside neighbors join for annual spring clean-up
Coffee and baked goods kick off this year's Bayside
Neighborhood Association's Spring Clean-up Saturday,
May 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meet at the Community
Garden near the corner of Chestnut and Oxford streets.
Here you can pick up trash bags, gloves and rakes.
It's also a good spot to meet members of BNA's
steering committee, as well as local politicians. Once
you've enjoyed some refreshments and caught up on the
neighborhood gossip, select a section of street or a
whole block. Then stroll over and clean up whatever
the winter has left behind.
"A few hours of work helps spruce up the whole
neighborhood," says Adam Hill, chair of the
Adopt-A-Block Committee. "It also gives
Adopt-A-Blockers a headstart on keeping their adopted
streets clean."
The BNA's Adopt-A-Block initiative is a pilot program
in Portland experiencing success. More than 30
residents and business owners have adopted specific
sections of the neighborhood and commit to keeping
them clean. As a result, last year's fall clean-up day
produced much less trash than in previous years.
Following the clean-up at 1 p.m., Portland Trails will
lead a guided walk along the future route of the
Bayside Promenade. The one-mile trail will connect to
the Back Cove Trail at Tukey's Bridge and to Elm
Street. Eventually it will connect the Eastern
Promenade Trail and the Back Cove Trail to Deering
Oaks Park. The walk begins at the Community Garden.
For more information about the May 10 Spring Clean-Up
Day or Adopt-A-Block, call Adam Hill at 615-5267 or
email him at adamcnhill@yahoo.com.
Neighborhood Association's Spring Clean-up Saturday,
May 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meet at the Community
Garden near the corner of Chestnut and Oxford streets.
Here you can pick up trash bags, gloves and rakes.
It's also a good spot to meet members of BNA's
steering committee, as well as local politicians. Once
you've enjoyed some refreshments and caught up on the
neighborhood gossip, select a section of street or a
whole block. Then stroll over and clean up whatever
the winter has left behind.
"A few hours of work helps spruce up the whole
neighborhood," says Adam Hill, chair of the
Adopt-A-Block Committee. "It also gives
Adopt-A-Blockers a headstart on keeping their adopted
streets clean."
The BNA's Adopt-A-Block initiative is a pilot program
in Portland experiencing success. More than 30
residents and business owners have adopted specific
sections of the neighborhood and commit to keeping
them clean. As a result, last year's fall clean-up day
produced much less trash than in previous years.
Following the clean-up at 1 p.m., Portland Trails will
lead a guided walk along the future route of the
Bayside Promenade. The one-mile trail will connect to
the Back Cove Trail at Tukey's Bridge and to Elm
Street. Eventually it will connect the Eastern
Promenade Trail and the Back Cove Trail to Deering
Oaks Park. The walk begins at the Community Garden.
For more information about the May 10 Spring Clean-Up
Day or Adopt-A-Block, call Adam Hill at 615-5267 or
email him at adamcnhill@yahoo.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)