August 2010

Hill resident, Jim Lobley, of the Finance Department

Sixteen proposals were received this afternoon at city hall for the $42,500 commission offered by the city for the successful application for public seating on the Bayside Trail. The RFP was issued in early July by the Portland Public Art Committee (“PPAC”).

Jim Lobley, of the city’s finance department, said the next several days will be spent going over the sixteen proposals to be certain each conforms to the requirements laid out in the RFP. When that is finished, the conforming proposals will be posted on the city’s website. It appeared that less than l/3 of the proposals were from the Portland area. Lobley said he received 72 requests for the proposal package, many of the requests coming from California.

Two of the RFP goals are to “enhance the Bayside Trail with high-quality, appealing, durable, public seating that enchances the trail experience and create objects of art that function as public seating. The 13 page RFP says the public seating must be built to last at least 25 years and that the $42,500 commission (or “budget”) covers all costs including design fee, cost of materials and fabrication, engineering, insurance, shipping and installation of the work itself.

Some of the timelines established by the RFP calls for notification of artist/designer selection in October; installlation in May of 2011 and a public ceremony on June 4, 2011 which is also National Trails Day.

Please see Post # 550 posted herein, dated August 18th for more information.

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East End Beach

The annual 10K “Trail to Ale” Race/Walk will be held this year on Sunday, September 19. The race begins at 9 am near the beginning of the Eastern Promenade Trail and wraps up at East End Beach. Participants can catch a ride back to the post-race festivities courtesy of the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad. The event is hosted by Portland Trails.

This 6.2 mile race is run exclusively off-road and allows beautiful views of Casco Bay as they run on Eastern Promenade and Back Cove Trails.

Following the 10K race participants are treated to a post-race party sponsored by Shipyard Brewing Company, Whole Food Market and Portland Pie Company. Runners and walkers can enjoy pizza, beer, music and an awards ceremony at The Portland Company. The party begins at 11 am.

REGISTRATION is available online at www.trails.org

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Sean Mencher & His Rhythm Kings on the Hill Today

Sean Mencher & His Rhythm Kings put on a delightful rockabilly concert for the enjoyment of an audience in the garden at 92 Congress Street this afternoon. A spontaneous concert, Mencher said that if conditions are right, it might become a traditional Sunday @ noontime garden event.

Three members of the five member group played for over an hour early this afternoon. They played such favorites as: Bye Bye Blues, Ramblin Man, Folsom Prison, Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, Flatland Saturday Night and many others.

Matt Young played the harmonica, Sean the guitar and Derek Moniz, the bass. Sean did most of the solo vocals. Last night the group performed at the new Bayside Bowl. This Friday night, the group will perform at Geno’s at 9 pm.

In the meantime, if conditions are right, perhaps there will be a Sean Mencher Et Al concert next week in the garden at 92 Congress Street – the office of the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization.

Check it out!

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Michelle Cole, Jake, & Iman Ali

It’s been a long journey from Kenya to Portland for Iman, but clearly he’s thriving in his home in Kennedy Park. MHN.com had an opportunity to visit with him one day recently when he was on duty with Michelle Cole and her bomb sniffer dog, Jake. The three were riding in a police car on the waterfront on a steamy day.

Iman, 18, is employed this summer in the Portland Police Cadet program. He and another Cadet employee, Ater Ater, have spent a large part of the summer patroling the streets of the Old Port reminding businesses that if there are any problems to contact the police department. Iman graduated from Portland High School in June. Next month he’ll attend the Southern Maine Community College for two years before transferring to a four year college. Iman wants to study medicine to become a doctor; either at the University of New England or University of Southern Maine, Portland.

With Iman is Michelle Cole, and her 7 year old chocolate lab who is hard to ignore! Friendly Jake was trained at 3 years old to be a bomb sniffing dog at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, Vassalboro. Cole, who has had Jake since he was a puppy, will be retired soon. Cole says he doesn’t get paid for his hard work; but his food and vet bills are paid, and she gets a little more in her pay check. Since January, the two have been on 13 bomb sniffing calls within the State.

Iman’s salary is paid from a US grant received this spring.

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