July 2010

By Carol McCracken (Post # 535)

Late last week the State’s Department of Health & Human Services told Northeast Patients Group that it could go forward with its plans to establish a medical marijuana dispensary at the site of the former Key Bank at the corner of Congress and St. John’s Streets in Portland.

On Tuesday July 13, Becky DeKeuster, of Northeast Patients Group, told the planning board at an afternoon workshop: “The former bank does not abut any residential properties and can be easily secured.” Several days following that workshop, it was disclosed that the Deliverance Center, a church that runs a school and Bible College, was located within 500 ft. of the proposed dispensary, which is illegal to do in Maine. The matter was referred back to the Department of Health & Human Services for a decision.

Late yesterday afternoon, Catherine Cobb, who is the director of licensing and regulatory licenses, Augusta, said that since the Department of Education has never heard of the Christian Academy it does not meet the state’s statutory requirements. “It has to meet some statutory definition of a school we would all recognize as a school. And it doesn’t,” Cobb said. She went on to say that she believed she didn’t need to notify them because no one from Deliverance Center had been in touch with her.

Officials in Augusta did not believe that the referendum to permit marijuana dispensaries in Maine would pass in last year’s election Cobb. “We didn’t anticipate it would pass, so we started from scratch the day after election day and we’ve been very busy ever since,” she said. In fact, she did not vote in favor of the referendum herself.

Since Maine is one of only 5 states in the country that allows dispensaries for the distribution of medical marijuana, Cobb has been overwhelmed by media inquiries as well as questions by other states wanting to observe the process as it unfolds. Officials from Canada want to visit in September.

“I’ll be glad when things settle down so I can get back to my old job,” Cobb said at the end of another long day yesterday.

Share on Facebook

Members of the Public a the Well Attended EECS Meeting

Better communication from the State and better neighborhood representation during the 18th month process were the key concerns of the public who attended an informational meeting last night at the East End Community School on the Hill. The agenda for the well-attended meeting was to describe the next step in the Franklin Street Feasibility Study – it is called “Phase 11.”

Phase 1 of the Franklin Street Study was completed last year and the report accepted by the City Council. The Committee. co-chaired by Markos Miller, identified three prelimlinary alternative design concepts to address concerns on the Franklin Street corridor. They revolved mostly around bicycle/ pedestrian traffic around the corridor. Phase 11 expects to begin in September where Phase 1 ended.

An advisory committee will be established and it is expected to be composed of members of the Phase 1 committee and others. It’s hoped that separate contracts will be signed in September with two consultants; one is VHB and the other Smart Mobility. The latter was involved in Phase 1. Darryl Belz, study manager, for the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) described the scope of the project in detail and in a 12 task process handout. Task 3, public outreach, was the subject that brought most of the comments from the public.

Jay York, of East Bayside, expressed concern about the lack of public notice to the neighborhood. He said he was concerned about community involvement “at the table” and worried about the right people being “at the table” as well. He declined an invitation from the state to be a member of the advisory committee. Other speakers reinforced his concerns.

The state said that this was a preliminary meeting and it would take effective steps to insure better communication to the neighborhoods and heavy input from the communty. MDOT would like to hear any additional comments from the public by August 13th. Markos Miller has agreed to serve as a conduit; please email him at markossmiller@hotmail.com. He will forward them to MDOT.

For more background information, please see post # 532, dated July 26th.

Share on Facebook

By Carol McCracken (Post # 533)

They are everywhere! Those little signs in store windows that remind shoppers to “buy local” – to help the local economy and local business people. We’ve all seen them, whether or not we adhere to them. With that little sign is the inherent message that shoppers should not buy at big box stores. I read in a book by a local writer that the profits go right back to where the corporate headquarters are located; another city and another state. The profits do not stay here in Portland or even Maine. Well, I’ve already broken that caveat; I shop every several weeks or so at Wal-Mart. Can’t beat it for prices on cleaning products, kitty litter and instant coffee. I confess I’ve broken the rule. Is there a penalty?! Give it to me straight.

Yesterday I went out to Macy’s at the Maine Mall in South Portland. That begged the same question. I believe Macy’s fits the description of a big box and its corporate headquarters are in New York. So all of its profits from here are also going out of state and won’t stay here in Portland or Maine – to help boost the local economy. But there is a difference here that doesn’t exist with Wal-Mart.

Too many years ago to remember, I lived in White Plains, New York. That was home and in a lot of ways remains home, although I’ve done some growing up here in Portland I must confess. That’s where I went to public school, church and all the rest of it. The rest of it included shopping trips with my beautiful mother in downtown WP. Usually on a Saturday morning. The first stop was at Macy’s on Mamarneck Avenue. That’s where we did our shopping. School clothes, summer clothes and clothes for special occasions all came from Macy’s. There were other stories in the area, but they were too pricey. Stores like Lord & Taylor & Bloomingdale’s. But prices at Macy’s were reasonable which was paramouont in our family. There was also a large selection from which to shop and the clerks were professional at Macy’s. For lunch, the two of us would cross Mamaroneck Avenue to our favorite sandwich shop. That’s where we always ordered the same thing; a shrimp salad sandwich on white bread with a coke. A pickel came with it. We’d talk about our purchases in between sandwich bites. It was several hours when I had my stylish mother to myself. She was into clothes and that I remember.

Those 50s memories came back to me yesterday as I drove out to Macy’s at the Maine Mall. I ended up buying a pair of black shoes at less than a third of its original price. The sales clerk was professional. How can a store that brings back memories be on someone’s unacceptable list? When I got home from Macy’s, I called someone knowledgeable about the buy local campaign. Is Macy’s on the buy local “no-no” list because it’s a big box whose profits go elsewhere, I asked her? “I can’t find a comparable store anywhere in downtown Portland.” “It’s not dogmatic,” was her answer. Then: “We are busy. I have to go.”

Some lessons from my growing up are worth remembering: I shop where I get the best price, have the best selection from which to choose and from where I get the best service. I want to help the local economy and I do. So what if I’m also contributing a little to the economy of New York where I grew up. But sometimes it’s not just about the money. Sometimes the memories are more important.

Share on Facebook

By Carol McCracken (Post # 532)

The public is invited to attend an informational meeting to discuss the next steps for the Franklin Street corridor process and improvements to 1-295 Exit 7 – to ensure that a bicycle/pedestrian connection at Marginal Way to the Back Cove is created safely. The public meeting is set for this Wednesday, July 28th at East End Community School, 195 North Street on the Hill.* The event is hosted by the City of Portland, Maine Department of Transportation and the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System. (MDOT & PACTS)

Last year, the City of Portland and the Franklin Study Committee engaged in a public process to re-imagine an important gateway to the city. At the conclusion of this process, (co-chaired by Hill resident, Markos Markos), the public identified three designs that might help improve the transportability of the area and the interconnectedness of the neighborhood. The design alternatives included a multi-way boulevard with four lanes in the center and two side access lanes providing parking and bicycle use; an urban street with bicycle lanes and parallel parking; and an urban parkway with landscaped median, limited parking and parallel bicycle path. For more detailed information and to view the results of the Franklin Study Committee’s work, visit the city’s website at www.portlandmaine.gov/franklinstreet arterial.htm.

Wednesday’s meeting marks the beginning of the second phase of the city’s process to improve Franklin Street by gathering public input for a feasibility study that will help define the scope of work for the project. Please RSVP to 874-8823.

Also as a part of this meeting, the city, MDOT and PACTS will discuss improvements on the 1-295 Exit 7 and the Pedestrian Safety Evaluation Process including the steps needed to provide a bicycle/pedestrian connection to the Back Cove Trail from Marginal Way that is safe.

* The Wednesday, July 28 meeting is in two parts:

5:30 pm – 6:45 pm Franklin Street Feasibility Study Discussion, and,

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm 1-295 Exit 7 Discussion.

Share on Facebook