July 2008

By Carol McCracken

Just last week Hill resident Ron Weton bought a gas powered scooter. He did it for the same reason that everyone else does he said – “to save money on gas and also to have a pleasant ride around the area.” Weton lives on the Eastern Promenade.

Although Ron did not purchase his scooter on the Hill, he could have. 3Gs’ Tire & Automotive Service sells scooters that range in price from $1,200. to $3,000. and get 100 miles to the gallon says “Mr. H.” long-time owner of the business. He began buying the scooters last fall from a distributor in Georgia who distributes all over the country. The distributor recently told Mr. H. that he can’t keep enough in stock to satisfy all his customers.  Scooters are everywhere!

The scooters are built in China by four different companies. So far the Georgia distributor has been unable to identify just which company is building which scooter. So all four scooters are considered “generic.” As to his automotive repair business, Mr. H. said it is “recession proof” because car parts are relatively inexpensive. 3Gs’ Tire is located at 52 Fox Street and the phone number is 772-1255 if you want to check out the scooters.

There is another scooter model to consider; that is the electric powered model, d/b/a Scoot USA. The price of these runs from $1,550. to $2,500. They are all uniform in size with a range of between 20 to 25 miles. (Battery packages are available to double that mileage figure). According to Jeff Cooper, “Director of Fun,” who owns this franchise, the scooters are made on the Island of Taiwan. Cooper is working with a local company in hopes of setting up a solar recharging station in the area. Scooters may be rented or purchased. Scoot by Scoot USA on Commerical Street next to Sapporo’s restaurant or call (800) 205-2925 to learn more.

Of course, the search for alternative forms of transportation has been intensified by the high price of gasoline at the pump with no indication of any relief any time soon. The Maine Turnpike Authority reported recently that fewer people drove the Maine Turnpike in June this year than did last year for the same month. That means that tax revenues for our highways are also down. How will that be made up or compensated for, one wonders?

Ron Weton is the owner and teacher of ProDrive, a professional truck driving business. “Isn’t it ironic that I just bought a scooter,” he says laughing. When winter comes, “I guess I’ll have to consider snow tires for my scooter. I know I won’t want to take it off the road. I like it that much,” he adds.

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 By Carol McCracken

A Freedom Trail granite marker was dedicated on Saturday, July 12, 2008 on the Hill. About 40 people watched as Rachel Talbot Ross, Director of the Equal Opportunity & Multicultural Affairs office introduced several dignitaries present, city councilor Jill Duson and thanked the city of Portland for their cooperation in this endeavor. Historian Wells Staley-Mays introduced the honoree Charles F. Eastman as an entrepreneur who was also a conductor on the underground railroad.

Eastman owned four barber shops in Portland, but the one at the corner of North and Congress Streets was the only one Staley-Mays was able to document through city documents. ( It’s directly across from Colucci’s Market.) Eastman was also a second hand clothes dealer as well as a taxidermist who opened his home so that others could see his stuffed animals. “In other words,” said Staley-Mays, “he was a hustler!”

Descendents of Eastman were present for the dedication and participated in the unveiling of the marker just after noon. City councilor Jill Duson led the assembled in the singing of several gospel songs. “This is one more celebration in the midst of many,” said Ross. “This history belongs to all of us,” said Ross to the racially mixed audience. Also in attendance were city councilor Kevin J. Donoghue and Justin Alfond who is a Democratic candidate for the State Senate.

Last November the first of the planned sixteen monuments was dedicated in front of the Eastern Cemetery on Congress Street. That location was chosen because some of the key players in the abolitionsts movement are buried at the site. At the time, Ross, said in part: “The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad but a loose network of aid and assistance – of individual sacrifice and heroism – in the efforts of enslaved people to reach freedeom from bondage. As the Underground Railroad, developed, a metaphor unfolded that grew into a culture and myth of its own. People were passengers, although they never set foot on a train car;…”

Life-long Hill resident, Maria DePietrantonia, attended the unveiling of the marker because she was “curious. I didn’t know what it was about, but I knew it was important.” Following the inveiling, Maria said she was glad she attended because “I learned more about the community. I’ve known the McKenzie family all my life.” she said smiling.

“This is not the original building because that burned in the famous fire of 1866,“ explained Staley-Mays. Currently, Fuller Glass Studios rents the storefront overlooking the marker. It has not been determined when the current building was rebuilt.

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 By Carol McCracken

The civic minded Cyrus Y. Hagge is moving his family to Turner Street on the Hill where he’s building a 2 family, triple decker home. He and his wife, Patty, will occupy the top two floors with sweeping views of Casco Bay year round. The first floor unit will be rented. The Hagge family expects to be moved into their Turner Street home by Thanksgiving. They are currently living on an island off Portland since their West End home has been sold.

Hagge, who spent the last 30 years as a building contractor, is building this towering home on a vacant lot. When the foundation was dug he did not find any evidence of a previous home there. However, according to city photographs from 1924, there was a 3 bay barn on the site. The façade will be of clapboard with a curved front bay window facing Turner Street.

Two years ago while living on the west end of Portland, Hagge ran for city council against David Marshall. Hagge, who had been in the public eye for many years was expected by many to defeat Marshall, the lesser known of the two candidates. However, Marshall beat Hagge by 10% of the vote. “What was I thinking? Why did I ever run against David?” said Hagge, laughing at the memory of the defeat handed to him by artist Marshall. The two have since developed a warm relationship through their work together at the Portland Downtown District, a quasi-governmental office of which Hagge is president.

Hagge served on the city’s planning board for twelve years. That duty ended in 2002, he said in an email to the MHN. Over the years, he’s served on a number of city committees and is currently president of the Cumberland County YMCA.

Hagge insists he has no intention of running for city office again next year, even though District I city councilor Kevin J. Donoghue will be up for re-election. Likewise, Donoghue does not see Hagge’s move to the Hill as a threat to his re-election in 2009. “I think he’s just renesting as his kids are over 18,” Donoghue said in an email to the MHN. David Marshall concurred. “I don’t think he’s going to run again, because he’s sick of us all,” said Marshall grinning.

“I’ve lived in Stroudwater, the west end of Portland and so I thought I’d give the Hill a try,” said the congenial Hagge, who was leaning on crutches because of a bad knee outside his under construction home on a beautiful summer day recently.

Hagge now runs a property management company on Commercial Street, Project Management, Inc.

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By Carol McCracken

During it’s short life-span this non-profit has grown rapidly and it’s future continues to look promising. Its about food and its escalating price which is making it more and more difficult for many Hill residents to find “healthy food at reasonable prices,” says Bill Lee, a member of the steering committee for Portland Food Co-op. The steering committee meets monthly at the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization’s office at 92 Congress Street.

At the end of last year, 8 members of the Food Now Buying Club, which operates under the Food Co-op umbrella, ordered $650. worth of product from its then only food supplier – United Natural Foods. As of June, 44 members had ordered $2,000 from each of the non-profit’s two suppliers – Crown of Maine having been recently added. Each supplier delivers once a month to designated locations. The Food Now Buying Club is “where the action is now” said Lee last month in an impromptu interview at the North Street Community Garden where he and his Japenese wife, Taeko, maintain a hard-working presence.

The recent sale of the Whole Grocer on Marginal Way to Whole Foods was the catalyst for the organization of the co-op. Members with cars take turns picking up the produce at several locations. Those without cars perform other responsibilities that keep the organization functioning smoothly. “It’s run by co-op principles,” Lee said. “What each of us does, benefits others,” added the unpretentious gardner.

Since returning to the States in 2001 from Japan where he taught at the college level, the couple settled on the Hill. Lee is a part-time statistics professor at three local institutions of higher learning in the area. He’s also expects to receive another Master’s Degree this summer. The soft-spoken Lee said “I’m not unduly rude” and “I’m not a dancing bear.” In other words, he takes his teaching seriously and so should his students.

“The Portland Food Co-op is my main interest these days,” says Lee as we return to weeding in our respective garden plots. Perhaps Bill and Taeko would consider starting a gas co-op on the Hill, I wonder…next time….

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