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By Carol McCracken (Post # 1,071)

A consortium of business leaders, health care providers and a state politician joined Mayor Michael Brennan this morning in speaking out against proposed cuts in the DHHS budget that Governor Paul LePage is pressuring the state legislature to pass. The Mayor said it is one of the few press conferences he has called since his recent election because it is such an important subject for the 65,000 who stand to lose access to their health care. And that doesn’t include those who will lose their jobs in the health care field.

The Mayor said that the emergency room at Mercy Hospital, State Street, was the appropriate place for this press conference because it “will become the center of health care for those who lose access” to health care. Those who can’t afford health care will be forced to come to the emergency rooms in both of Portland hospitals. These cuts will cost Maine Medical Center, Mercy Hospital, social service agencies and non-profits $20 million. The cost to city programs will be more than $2 million. Seventy percent of MaineCare funding goes to 25% of the population which includes the elderly, disabled, handicapped and children.

By threatening to close public schools early this year, if legislators don’t pass his budget, Mayor Brennan said it’s unfortunate that the Governor is “pitting the education of our children against the health care needs” of this vulnerable population. Brennan said that Superintendent of Schools Morse has assured him that Portland schools will not close under these circumstances. “The problem is not as severe as the Governor has said. There are ways to balance the budget. In the past, the state legislatore haas done that. It’s a manufactured crises created by the Governor.”

United Way of Greater Portland president Susan McCormick said there are better alternative than eliminating MaineCare eligibility for thousands of Maine people; the focus should be on reducing costs with high volume/high cost users. Approximately 55% of MaineCare costs come from 5% of its members – most with chronic health conditions. By focusing on managint their care, they can achieve better health outcomes and reduce costs overall.”

State Representative Peter Stuckey (D), who serves on the Health & Human Services Committee said democrats are very opposed to the cuts. “They are happening in a vacuum. The cost shifts are a problem. Somebody else is going to have to take responsibility for the consequences of this budget cutting. The receipients of the cuts cannot take full responsibility for their medical care because of poor choices in their past or for whatever reason. What do you do?

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By Carol McCracken (Post # 1,070)

Late yesterday morning an ice sculpture kicking off the inaugural Portland on Ice Festival was installed in front of the Portland Museum of Art. Just twenty minutes later, a boy of about ten years old and his family were walking in the area. They came up to the three piece sculpture to get a closer look; before his father could stop him, the boy pushed one of the pieces, knocking it over onto the brick sidewalk.

Mike McKenzie, head of security for the Museum, said the father and son came into the Museum and took responsibility for the accident with the son apologizing. But much more damaging to the overall ice sculpture was the warm temperature. Just before closing time, a PMA employee went out front to check on several things. Boom. He heard the middle section hit the sidewalk. He turned and saw the sculpture lying on the sidewalk in many pieces; about five hours after it had been installed. The sculpture probably would have survived the boy’s enthusiasm, but not survive the 40 degree temperatures in Portland yesterday.

Chris Kelleher, on the security staff, said this afternoon said that no one was surprised that it didn’t last longer. “We were concerned about the warm weather for starters. And we were concerned about vandalism from some in the area at night.” Jeff Day, the sculpturer, said he would come over on Monday to pick up the pieces, but it’s hardly worth the trip Kelleher said. Day is from New Hampshire.

Please see the previous post, # 1,069, for more background information on the weeklong Festival hosted by the Portland Downtown District.

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Jeff Day, Ice Designs, Puts Finishing Touches on Ice Sculpture in Front of Portland Museum of Art. By Carol McCracken (Post # 1,069)

“This unveiling of two ice sculptures today is to remind people that there is plenty to do here in Portland in the wintertime, ” said Jan Beitzer, Executive Director, of the Portland Downtown District. “We hope it will grow and maybe we’ll be like Quebec someday.” Ms. Beitzer was referring to the popular Quebec Winter Carnival which began yesterday and runs until mid-February.

This morning Jeff Day, of Ice Designs – N.H. com., was putting the finishing touches on an ice sculpture located in front of the Portland Museum of Art, Congress Street. As he chizzled in some decorative edges, Daly said the freezer in which he works is 15 degrees. Today’s temperatures were in the 40s, but the blocks of ice were so cold to begin with he was confident they’d last through the Festival which runs until Saturday, February 4th. Earlier in the morning he, Ms. Beitzer and Will Ethridge, events & marketing manager for PDD, installed another sculpture at Post Office Park in the Old Port.

The split snowflake, the event logo, was designed specifically for this Festival and will be used at future festivals said Ms. Beitzer. PDD sent out three RFPs and Teresa LaGrange, a local graphic artist came up with the winning logo. “We wanted an edgy design and I think this has worked well for us.”

RiRa, on Commercial Street, and Bull Feney’s in the Old Port, commissioned Mr. Day to sculpt their logos in ice as well. Those will be installed on Monday in front of their respective businesses. PDD hopes that other businesses in the area will follow suit next year.

“The sculptures are a celebration of Portland’s music, art and community. Jeff Day has created marvelouos designs for both the Portland Harbor Hotel Ice Bar and Portland On Ice,” said Mr. Ethridge.

For more information on the Festival, please visit portlandmaine.com

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By Carol McCracken (Post # l,068)

Portland announced earlier today that tonight it will conduct a search of the city to determine how many men, women and children are experiencing homelessness in the city on this day. The program, known as a Point-in-Time surveys, will be asking questions such as: Who is homeless? What factors led to becoming homeless? What can the city and state do to prevent homelessness? This survey is a requirement of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Portland is one of three similar programs in the state and as a result receives $2.9 million in funding from HUD for employment assistance, job training, affordable housing development and emergency shelters. Information gleaned from the survey will be used to direct planning and priorities as identified by the city’s newly formed Taskforce to Develop a Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.

“The results we get from tonight’s Pint-inTime survey will be critical as they give a voice to the hundredsof men, women and children experiencing homelessness every night,” said Mayor Michael Brennan. “At a time when resources are diminishing and numbersa re increasing, it is clear that we need to do more for the city’s and state’s most vulnerable. Now is not the time to eliminate programs that help man, women and families find stable housing or get life saving health care. Rather, it is the time to work together and find innovative solutions.” Govenor LePage’s supplemental budget proposal calls for the eliminatio of several programs utilized by the state’s homeless population including Targeted Case Management, a program that helps individuals experiencing homelessness locate and secure stable housing. Last year, this program helped more than found hundred famlilies achieve stable housing, said a press release issued by the city spokeswoman, Nicole Clegg.

With the beginning of the downturn in the economy four years ago, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness within the city has increased by twenty percent. Due to increasing homelessness and need for emergency shelter, the city in partnership with ZPreble Street has had to expand shelter capacity by opening a community overflow shelter.

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