December 2009

Some of the Staff Members Hosting the Holiday Party

Joanne Willis and Dorothy Yorke

Manny Bento

By Carol McCracken  (Post # 356)

Holiday fun and good cheer were in abundance when thirty-three seniors got together Monday for a holiday party at the Cummings Center on the Hill.  The anuual event was hosted by the city’s parks and recreation division for those fifty-five PLUS.

With some dressed in whimsical holiday hats and sweaters, seniors were served an outstanding ham dinner with all the fixins.  Christmas Carols were sung.  Gifts were exchanged in a “Yankee Swap” fashion – seniors could swap their presents for another one they preferred that already had been opened.  The buffet dinner was prepared by city employees.  All good fun for a small fee to members of the city’s 55_ program.

Dolly Sawyl, Shirley Tevanian and Blanche Johnson. (All Showed Up With Identical Sweaters From RENY’S!)

Donning a big grin as well as his Santa Claus hat with his wife sitting beside him, was Manny Bento.  Bento, who comes from New Rochelle, NY joined the U.S. Coast Guard on Broadway in NYC in 1946.  He received his training aboard the USCG Barque Eagle in 1947.  The ship was captured by the United States from Germany in 1947 and converted into a training ship.  Bento, a Hill resident, was among the first Americans to undergo their training on the Eagle.  In fact, instructions and directions aboard the Eagle were still written in German when he boarded the ship.  The U.S. Coast Guard had made other updates to the ship including installing radar and water tight doors.   The ship’s home port is the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Ct.

Following that in 1950, Bento, now 81,  was stationed aboard a ship docked at the Maine State Pier in Portland.  His Coast Guard ship was involved in search and rescue as well as weather forecasting.  One time his ship was on its way to Rhode Island and found two tankers that had broken in half in rough seas.  Bento’s crew was ordered to “put lube oil in the heands and flush i down to calm the seas.  It was a common practice,” Bento said.  ”The  Coast Guard was the real ring leader for pollution,” he said laughing.

For more information about the 55+ Adult Program, please call 874-8870.

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Holiday Wreath at Ocean Gateway

By Carol McCracken  (Post # 355)

Numerous restaurants and shops throughout downtown Portland dressed up their windows for the holiday season with great window displays.  Portland’s Downtown District has annually hosted a contest for the best window and has just announced this year’s winners:

First place winner is:                  Emerald City, at 611  Congress Street,

Second place winners are:       Folia, 50 Exchange Street in the    Old  Port and Mensroom Salon & Lounge, 8 City Center.

The windows can be seen throughout the holiday season in the Old Port and Arts District. “There is nothing to get you into the holiday spirit like walking through downtown Portland’s fabulous shopping district.  The windows this year have surpassed previous year’s in creativity!”, said Jan Beitzer, Executive Director of Portland’s Downtown District.

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Polar Bear Tears From Last Year's "NRCM" Plunge at East End Beach!

By Carol McCracken  (Post # 354)

The brave and the bold are invited to plunge into the Atlantic Ocean to support reducing global warming pollution.  The plunge happens on  Thursday, December 31st at noon at the East End Beach on the Hill.  The event is hosted by the Natural Resources Council of Maine (“NRCM”).

Your donation will be used to raise money and awareness about global warming and what NRCM is doing in Maine to curb it.  It will be fun with folks in polar bear costumes, hot coffee by Coffee by Design and pastries from Standard Baking Company.

The three top fundraisers will receive commemorative items.  To participate, email or call stacie@ncrm.org (207) 430-0127 with your name and contact information and NRCM will send you an information packet.    It is requested that participants raise a minimum of $50. in pledges.  Pledgers may use the online pledge forms at http://supporters.nrcm.org/poplarplunge.d

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Brian Lawrence, Licensed Massage Therapist

By Carol McCracken (Post # 353)

The holidays are getting busier and busier and with that comes some stress as well.  Right about now, time spent in a sauna followed by a soothing massage would do wonders for MHN.  And MHN knows exactly where to go for that special experience:  Massage & Bodywork Therapy at 16 St. Lawrence Street on the Hill.  This new business is owned and run by Maine native Brian Lawrence.

Although his business on the Hill is new,  Brian is not new to the field of massage therapy.  He already has a similar business up and running on the Magdalen Islands.  (They are located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Quebec, Canada.)  Brian says it’s a “jewel” of a place.  The chain of Islands is known primarily for its tourism, fishing and as a sportsman’s paradise because of the  constant winds in a mild maritime climate.  But in the winter, the Islands do get isolated, so Brian decided to return to Maine for now.

A windsurfer himself, Brian became interested in massage therapy to help him understand his own aches and pains.  Now he wants to share that expertise with others in the Greater Portland area, he said earlier this week at the Hilltop Coffee Shop. 

 ”Massage therapy is becoming  more integrative and complex, ” he said.  “It’s necessary to learn other healing arts (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and medical knowledge too.   It’s important to learn about massage interactions with prescriptions interactions for example.”  Most people’s problems are not just physical.  They have more to do with their spiritual life, energy and thinking he said. Massage therapy can touch on all of these.   That’s why Brian spends time with each client assessing their situation before any massage happens. 

Although Brian has traveled largely for extensive educational purposes, he has deep roots right here.  He grew up on Cousins Island and on an island off the coast of Rockland.  His father, now deceased. Dr. Frank Lawrence, was chief of the Emergency Room at Maine Medical Center, Portland.  His mother taught child psychology at a local nursing school. She changed her career at age 40 when she became a lawyer.  She is now a  mediator.

Brian is an interesting young man with  a wide array of interests as reflected in his educational pursuits before studying to become a licensed massage therappy.  He’s studied engineering, astrology and speaks French.   At one time, he had his own graphic design and advertising business and later  for eight years he was a sub-contractor to  Whole Foods Market here on the east coast. 

Check out his services at www.bodytherapybybrian.com and give him a call to make an appointment:  207 – 318 – 1254.  He charges $60. per hour and has  some great introductory offers that last until the end of December.

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