Margery Niblock

Police Happenings

New Vest for Police Dog

Two-year-old Taz, a German shepherd in Portland’s canine unit was brought down to police headquarters by the man he works and lives with, Officer Christian Stickney. They arrived around 4:30 PM on December 16 so he could receive a wonderful gift from the Robichaud family of Oxford, Maine.

Last January Jennifer Robichaud decided to raise money to purchase a vest for a police dog as a high school senior project. The Robichauds have now turned her project into a family one, and raise money through donations to accumulate the approximately $800 needed for each vest.

The vest Taz has now is a military one of recycled fabric, which has a shelf life. The new vest brought down by the Oxford family is much lighter weight, and it is bullet-proof and blade-resistant.

Officer Stickney says of his dog: "We’re partners. We take care of each other." They are on call 24 hours a day. Taz came from Slovakia and was described by his partner as "a perfect dog, working very well." He’d had another dog that wasn’t able to be used in police work because he was too skittish.

The Stickneys have two children and another dog, a boxer, and Taz is part of the family. Stickney says when they’re home the dog knows that’s his down time, and he rarely barks. But his personality changes when he goes to work. He’s "attentive for the entire time." He’s very attuned to everything that’s happening. He knows when the blue lights of the cruiser are activated that means he may be starting to work. He barks a lot in the police car.

All of the dog’s training has been done with positive reinforcement. "The dog wants to please," Stickney says, and Taz is toy-driven. His reward for work is a toy, and he has different toys for the different types of jobs he does; tracking; drug work; and play.

Stickney stated "It’s much more work than I realized but I love it!"

Owner Catches Man in His Stolen Truck

On November 18, at about 1:30 PM, police apprehended a suspect who had been driving a stolen truck on Congress Street near North.

Kevin Tardiff, who owns AC Brake and Exhaust at 1020 Congress Street, had one of his trucks parked in his lot. When he came out of the office the truck was missing. He reported its disappearance to police and began driving around in another truck, looking for the stolen one.

Tardiff saw the truck as he was driving east on Congress Street, right in front of the Portland Observatory. He blocked the truck in and ran up to the driver of the vehicle that had been taken, shouting "What are you doing? You stole my truck. That’s my truck." He then shouted for people nearby to call the police, and he called from his cell phone.

The man in the truck began walking away, with Tardiff following him. Tardiff managed to stay right near him and detain him without placing a hand on him.

Aside from the fact that a truck had been taken from his lot, Tardiff was concerned because the sander on the truck, which is quite heavy, wasn’t tied down. It could have fallen off and caused a serious accident. The truck shouldn’t have been driven in that condition.

When police arrived, they took a 38-year-old man into custody and charged him with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Tardiff quoted the man as telling him: "It runs pretty good for a Chevvie."

 

A No-Knock Warrant

A Serendipitous Walk

Whenever I walk past the garage located underneath Police Headquarters, if the doors are open, I always look to see whether anyone I know is driving out.

It was shortly after nine in the morning, the doors were open, and I did know the person driving out that day.

It was Commander Michael Sauschuck. He'd just been promoted to that newly-created position by Chief James E. Craig, who came from Los Angeles and took over on May 4.

This photo of him is from a couple of years ago when his rank was Sergeant. He's come a long way in a short time.

It wasn't unusual for me to run into him, but what was quite chilling was the person seated next to him in that car. I'd never seen anyone dressed like this near the building.

It told me something major was in the works.

Just then, police cars began lining up across the street. I hoped I might know one of the officers in those cars, who could let me know what was happening.

I knew the man in the last car.

It was Sergeant Heath Gorham (recently promoted). This is a photo of him taken July Fourth on the Eastern Promenade, when we were walking toward one another. I snapped the picture as we were both moving, so it's a bit blurred. But his million-dollar smile is quite apparent.

I motioned for him to roll down his window, which he did, and then I said "What's going on?"

His reply was "I can't tell you, Marge." That wasn't the answer I had hoped for.

A quick glance at the car in front of his showed someone smiling and waving to me.  What luck! That was very hopeful.

It was Andelko Napijalo, who had been the subject of an article I'd written for The West End NEWS when he was testing a Segway for a few weeks, to see whether the Portland Police Department wanted to make them part of their fleet.

I shouted across the street: "Shall I follow you?"

His reply wasn't encouraging. He said "No! It could be very dangerous."

I didn't want to place myself in danger but I wanted this story very badly. It seemed like it could be a big scoop. And I like those!

I tried to find people in the building who might have a warm spot in their hearts for me. And then, bingo! I hit upon the right person.

I was given the location of the unfolding event and was told that a no-knock search warrant and an arrest warrant were going to be served for a 22-year-old man with "an assaultive history." The arrest warrant was for violation of probation.

Police were concerned that weapons might be present in his mother's home, where the convoy was heading.

The Special Reaction Team was part of the major police presence at the location.

Members of the Southern Maine Violent Crimes Task Force worked in conjunction with the Portland Police Department to execute the warrants at the home that was surrounded.

Officer Bethany Edwards could be seen taking photographs in and around the house after other police vehicles had left the scene.

It all ended well. A door was breached by the police and the wanted man surrendered without incident.

The entire episode lasted a couple of hours, and no one passing through that lovely suburban-type neighborhood would be able to imagine the dramatic scenario that had taken place earlier.

Keep the Baddies Away from Your Car!

Auto Burglaries Abound

I've written many articles for The West End NEWS about break-ins to cars. It always bothers me when I hear that people have left valuable objects in plain view because that encourages someone to break a window to get at what they see in the car.

This is what I saw this morning while I was taking a walk. It may be difficult for you to discern what it is from this photo, so I'll tell you.

It's tiny pieces of broken glass from a car window, which was evidently shattered last night because of something that was seeen that looked like it might be worth taking.

The map to the right was displayed at a news conference held by the Portland Police Department the other day. It represents motor vehicle burglaries in the city from January 31 through July 31 of 2009.

The numbers have gone down from last year's 388 to 355. But the police want to prevent more of these incidents.

A flier has been created to warn people about locking their cars and not leaving valuables inside vehicles, particularly if they are visible, as they become invitations to car burglars.

It's common sense after all, to not leave a purse or an iPod in plain view, but evidently there are many people who lack that attribute.

Here's the flier that police have started to place on car windshields to make people more aware of what might happen if they leave things visible in cars.

Hopefully people will respond by following the simple directions given on this flier.

The areas where people park their cars and then go jogging are prime targets. And these are the areas that police are concentrating on to start this campaign.

A few weeks ago, after writing my last story about a theft from an automobile, I decided that I would look into people's cars while taking my walks and if I saw anything that looked enticing, I would take photographs of those objects.

So that's exactly what I began doing. I now have some results from those car-peeping walks.

This is a good-looking briefcase, something that should not be left visible in a car. And who knows what might be inside it.

This could be quite tempting to someone looking to make a few bucks.

Here are some other items left in cars that would have been better left in a trunk or someplace where they couldn't be seen.

These items would be temptations to someone with criminal tendencies.

Last night police were called by my neighbor, who had noticed two teenagers going through contents in an unlocked car parked across the street. The two got away. It's nice to know that I have neighbors who are aware of what's going on and who are willing to dial 911.

I came across an interesting fabric on someone's car seat as I was being nosy about what people's cars contained.

Check this out. It's sort of creepy. I wouldn't want to be seated on a strand of skulls. But I know that people have different tastes. I liked the artwork and the design a lot. It's just the topic that I don't find appealing.

The difficult thing about taking these photographs was all of the reflections that came out in the pictures. As you can see, the house behind me is very well depicted here.

 

Skulls are wonderful to draw. One of my favorite scratchboard illustrations that I did for a book contains a skull. The title of the pictures is "Canyon."

It's from a teacher's guide to the works of Gary Paulsen. Five of his books are discussed and I'd done a picture for each of them. The title of this book was Canyons.

I'd read each of the books that I illustrated, even though I didn't have to. These were all books for young adults and it was interesting to see what people in middle school were reading. Gary Paulsen was one of my favorite authors from the group that I read. And I did read a lot of those books, 35.

While strolling around and looking into cars as I conducted my research, I came upon a car that I can only refer to as an "art car."

The interior of this car is sort of a shrine. And there are all sorts of wonderful shiny decorations that have been pasted on.

Here's the dashboard, and you can see what I mean about it looking like a shrine. 

Now check out the rear of the car. That is also quite an interesting sight. As you can see, all of the bumper stickers are black and white, and they're pasted right next to one another, with no space in between. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to see this oddly decorated vehicle parked in my neighborhood.

It's not a car I'd ever seen before. And I like it. But as we know, I think odd. So what?

I like the sticker that says "unmarked police car."

No one will be pulling any bank heists with a car like this. You know that the person driving it is probably a very law-abiding citizen. The car itself attracts so much attention that you wouldn't dare do anything bad. It would be very easy to provide a description, just like my FlameMobile!

The message is simple: Don't leave anything visible in your car and keep it locked.

Summer in the City

What's in the Streets

Hey! This is a city, which is obvious from the surface that this beautiful snakeskin is lying on.

It certainly makes me wonder whether this snake actually shed his skin right in the street on North Street or if it got blown into the street from a garden nearby.

I was lucky to find it when I did, because within four days there wasn't a trace of it left. I watched it disintegrate each time I walked past. I was astounded to see something like this in my neighborhood. It was a wonderful sight for me. But I'm glad I only saw the skin and not the snake. That was enough nature for me while walking in the street.

Gloves—in the Summer?

If I'd come across these a few months ago I wouldn't have been at all surprised. People are always losing gloves during the cold weather.

However, it was slightly shocking to see these wool gloves—aside from their shocking color, which I like a lot—during very warm summer weather.

It always makes me wonder about what sort of story might be connected to these dropped gloves. But I'll never know. That means you'll never know either. But we can all just imagine our own stories to go with the image.

How Did This Happen?

 

I counted an awful lot of cigarettes before taking this ugly picture. They hadn't been smoked. And there were more cigarettes than there are in a pack, which made me wonder how this happened.

Oh, well, it's just one more story to imagine.

Great Catch, Geep! Summer Sport

Geep went down to Connecticut to visit his family last week. He went fishing with his brother and this is what he caught.

Pretty astounding fish. He said his brother didn't catch anything. That hardly seems fair.

This is a striped bass. I don't know its length but I've been told that in Maine you can't take one less than 26 inches or more than 42 inches.

I don't know what the law is in Connecticut, where this whopper came from. I was given a piece of this delicious fish. Yummy!

I've never gone fishing. One of the many things I've never experienced. I have to wonder what it must have felt like to be trying to pull such a large fish out of the water. It seems as thought you'd be able to be pulled overboard with something that size flailing around.

Bayside Block Party Huge Success

Perfect weather and lots of hard work combined to turn Cindy's long-desired block party into a wonderful neighborhood event, enjoyed by lots of people.

It was pretty hot in the sun, but there were beverages to cool people off, and there were lots of hot dogs and hamburgers with all of the trimmings. Everything was free, including the balloons that children were hanging on to when I arrived.

The festivities began at noon and ran until five o'clock. It was the perfect setting for a summer day on a Saturday in Bayside. Lots of people donated many hours of their time in order to make this event happen.

Our famous "bike cops" stopped by several times to see how things were going. This area is part of the city that they patrol, so they were familiar with many of those attending.

Here they are, Dan Knight and Karl Geib. Even though they are in a social setting here, you can see by looking at them that between the two of them they have everything covered visually.

They're always working when that uniform is on, even when they're stopping in at a block party. They have all bases covered, all the time. Quite a duo!

I always have to give leg shots whenever I take their photos. My female readers require that.

That's Dan's leg on the left and Karl's on the right.

 

Here's Mary-Ellen Welch with Dan and Andjelko Napijalo, who also patrols the Bayside neighborhood. He wasn't on the Segway on this particular Saturday. But he'd become a real icon for several weeks as he cruised around on the unusual vehicle.

He drew adoring crowds everywhere he went. And he still was able to make arrests.

Mary-Ellen is the Coordinator for the Midtown Community Policing Center. She worked very hard at this party, making sure things were running smoothly. It was an extremely hot day and there was little shade in the parking lot where the event was being held. I can attest to that because I spent a few hours there.

I should have taken a photo of Mary-Ellen's car, a VW beetle convertible, with a license plate that says "AMORE." I tell you, she's a woman after my own heart! A real delight.

Exciting Changes in Portland's PD

Chief James E. Craig

On May 4, a new man took over the helm of the Portland Police Department. James E. Craig was chosen after a nationwide search.

He brings a wealth of experience garnered from his 28 years of service with the LAPD. Craig began his law enforcement career in Detroit, moving to the Los Angeles Police Department three years later.

He jokingly makes reference to his knowledge of snowy winters, from his time living in Michigan, so Maine's cold weather is not something he will be unfamiliar with.

In Los Angeles, Craig served as Area Commanding Officer (CO) of the West Los Angeles Area, with the rank of Police Captain III. His responsibilities included heading up a diverse community of approximately 190,000 residents, comprising a 12-square-mile area, commanding over 390 sworn and civilian personnel. Portland's department has 160 sworn officers and the city's population is 65,000. Included in the LA figures were over 8,000 gang members, a concept people from Portland find hard to comprehend.

Craig believes in a proactive approach between the community and the police. He uses the word "partnership" often, stating "I want the community to feel they are a partner." To further this concept and to enhance the community policing philosophy that he favors, he's planning to implement a new initiative, the Chief's Community Police Advisory Board, "a work in progress" right now, to augment the concept of people "working in partnership with the Portland Police Department."

Still in the planning stage, the Board will most likely meet on a monthly basis, and will comprise key areas and stakeholders in the various communities. Craig wants to have "a diverse group of people who represent Portland." A good cross section of the city is what he's after, and getting feedback is also important.

All meetings will be open to the public, so that "anyone who might be interested in participating in a meeting will be able to come." The meetings will be announced publicly to make people aware of dates and locations. Craig says "Community Police Advisory Boards are effective at carrying messages out to the larger community. It reinforces the partnership." 

It seems like Portlanders are ready to embrace the partnership that Craig is envisioning. Craig speaks of being "humbled" by the warm welcome this city has extended to him. And it's no wonder that he's being embraced by the community: He's a warm, outgoing man, with an expansive personality that is hard to resist. His sense of humor is also a major plus.

Craig also has other departmental initiatives that he's planning to implement. Because he knows the importance of working with the youth in a community, a Police Athletic League (PAL) will be one of the programs he wants to start. He also is interested in having a PPD Explorer Post that will enable young people to be able to get more involved with the Police Department.

Changes to the police work schedule are also planned. Craig plans to restructure the present allocation of officers by dividing the city into neighborhood districts staffed by a Senior Lead Officer (SLO) who will be a point of contact for residents. The SLO will be an integral part of the community policing efforts and will play a key role coordinating policing strategies, including addressing quality-of-life concerns. The new schedule will also provide PD employees a more balanced work schedule, giving them time off without compromising the level of service to the community, according to Craig.

Portlanders are looking forward to seeing the new changes put into effect and to lending a hand to Chief Craig and his ambitious plans for improving the police-community partnership.

Look Who's on a Segway !

The Portland Police Department has its first Segway PT (personal transporter) out on the street. Chief James E. Craig thought the unique form of transport would be a good option for Portland's department. He was familiar with their use by police in Los Angeles, where he worked before coming to Maine's largest city.

The Segway is an electric self-balancing transportation device with zero emissions, which was unveiled by Segway Inc. of New Hampshire at the end ot 2001, and first went on sale a year later. It is now used by over 1,000 police and security agencies worldwide for patrol operations.

The vehicles are being lent by the company for testing and evaluation as to their possible use here; they will be used for roughly a month before the department decides whether they want to purchase them for full-time use. A three-wheel Segway is also being tested. Those are being used by the LAPD.

Segways have the benefit of giving police high visibility and also allow officers to see well, due to their elevation on the vehicle. Two-wheel Segways can travel 25 miles on a single charge, go up to about 12.5 miles per hour, and may be used on all types of terrain. The three-wheeler gets up as high as 25 miles per hour. It's bigger and heavier, making it harder to maneuver, but it is safer because of its size, and has storage compartments. The price is approximately $6,000 to $10,000.

Officer Andjelko Napijalo, pictured below, was the first policeman to use the vehicle on the job. At a fraction under six feet four inches, he is already a towering figure before stepping onto the Segway.

Napijalo came to Portland nine years ago from Serbia, and he's been on the force for five years. He made his first arrest in the Bayside neighborhood on June 4, which was not even his second full day on the machine. Another officer was called to transport the prisoner to jail. Napijalo said "I went to the jail with the Segway and booked the guy."

Napijalo said the Segway has good maneuverability. "You can make quick turns and you can turn in small spaces." However, he feels a certain vulnerability in traffic. "You need to be careful going past driveways; someone might be pulling out." He doesn't see any problem as far as the time spent on a Segway. "I could easily ride eight hours on it," he said. It's fun to ride."

Public reaction to the Segway has been a real plus. "People have responded to it positively. It's much easier to communicate with people. And kids love it!"

Here's yours truly standing beside Napijalo. Don't I look tiny standing next to him? I'm five feet five inches, but I look like I'm about four feet tall next to "Nappi," which is what his fellow officers call him. He told me he doesn't like that name. He said "My name is Napijalo," but it's not used derisively, so I've included that bit of information in this article.

A few of my friends sometimes refer to me as "Nibbles," and when my son was small that name was ascribed to him also. Neither one of us ever took offense at that name.
 

                                                 [photo by Mary-Ellen Welch]

So all of you Portlanders should be on the lookout for Officer Napijalo and the other police you'll be seeing cruising around the downtown area on Segways. It's a friendly sight.

 

Police Create Special Calendar

Honoring a Fallen Comrade

 

Sergeant Rob Johnsey died in a tragic accident on May 5, 2008, when his service revolver accidentally discharged as he was preparing it for training to be held the following day.

Acting Chief Joseph K. Loughlin hosted a news conference on December 17 to announce the completion of a poetry and photography 2009 police calendar, a special project between members of the Portland Police Department and the Arts & Equity Initiative (AEI). AEI's mission is to improve municipal government and its relationship with the public through art projects with local artists and city employees.

Loughlin said this was a news conference bearing "good news," unlike many others that have been held at Police Headquarters recently. He stated he was "skeptical at the beginning of the project," but said of Mary Pottenger, the director: "She pulled it off." He went on to say that he felt the calendar was a way people might learn about officers as human beings. "It's a valuable and quality product that I'm proud to be part of."

Rachel Talbot Ross, Portland's Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Multicultural Affairs, said the AEI projects are a way to connect city employees to each other and to communities. It's also a way to "understand and express diversity in the city."

Ross stated "Marty has been a lightning rod. She's creating connections where none existed."

Lieutenant Michael Sauschuck, who was involved in helping coordinate the officers and artist teams, said "Marty put together a SWAT team of poets and photographers" to work on this project. He then read one of Rob Johnsey's poems, "The Forest," which is included in the calendar. Sauschuck said that Rob Johnsey "was a special guy." He was held in high esteem by those who worked with him.                                                                                          

AEI is a public/private partnership between the City of Portland and the arts nonprofit Terra Moto Incorporated. The three-year pilot project began in Portland in 2007, with Marty Pottenger as the director.

Pottenger is a theater artist/playwright/director who moved here from New York City to head up AEI.

Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will be shared with the Johnsey Fund, established in the memory of Rob Johnsey, and with AEI.

Officer Chris Mitchell, a member of Evening Directed Patrol, who has been a member of the force a little over two years, is seen here looking at pages from the calendar that were posted outside the conference room. Mitchell was a participant in the project, with some of his photographs appearing in the calendar.

The calendars are priced at $15 and will be available at all major bookstores in the area. The story of life and work within the police department is what the calendar tells about. It also addresses challenges faced by the department, improving the relationship between the public and the department, and improving departmental morale through the creation of art.

Onset of Winter

Here it comes! Winter in Maine. Last year we had over 100 inches of snow and it seems that we're off to a very good start this season, as well.

First we had a vicious ice storm, almost equaling the one of ten years ago.

 

We lost lots of trees in the city and quite a few in my neighborhood. We were quite lucky not to lose power. Many people lost theirs for multiple days.

[Photograph by Peggy Johnson] 

We had two snowstorms a couple of days apart. Friday, December 19, left us with about 5 or so inches. But Sunday, December 21, gave us well over a foot, 14.5 inches (a record breaker), with blizzard-type conditions.

Now the cleanup begins.

 

These are all homes on my block.

 

Poor little tree!

 

Home, sweet home! 

                Portland's Photogenic Acting Police Chief

Here's a photo of Acting Chief Joseph K. Loughlin, taken in a little park right near Police Headquarters in downtown Portland. We're in the process now of finding a new Police Chief and Joe is one of the contenders for that position. 

The elegant boxer is his dog P.T.

He's been doing a great job since he's taken over, and I hope he will be our new Chief. He's also a talented writer, with his gripping  book Finding Amy (cowritten with Kate Clark Flora), nominated for an Edgar Award.  

This is his official photo. 

Can't you see him in Hollywood? I can!

I'd like to see his book turned into a movie. It could be a terrific one. And Joe should play himself, as the Captain in charge of the homicide investigation.

November Police Beat

Raccoon Eats Munjoy Hill Cat for Breakfast

Sorry for the gore, but I was at the scene with my camera, covering the story for The West End NEWS.

Here's the poor guy after taking a bullet or two. 

After a call came in to police that a racoon had killed a cat, followed by other calls of a raccoon menacing people, several police cars were sent to the area in response.

 

A young man who lives directly across the street from where the animal ultimately met its demise, stated that his roommate told him "A raccon ate a cat!"

That information prompted him to go outside, where he saw police searching for the raccoon. "I can verify that my next-door-neighbor was chased by the raccoon," he said.

Sergeant Robin Gauvin was one of the first responders to the scene. Captain Ted Ross also arrived at the location, and said "When we got a call saying the raccoon was chasing kids, we made more effort to locate it, because of the erratic behavior."

"We had police telling people to watch their animals and their kids. Then someone said 'There it is!'" and the chase was on.

Ted Ross and Robin Gauvin

Most of the pursuit centered around a house at 96 Vesper Street, with the raccoon running at the back and alongside the building. Police checked the residence to be certain no one was home before any weapons were fired. Five bullets were discharged before the animal was killed in the driveway.

A police evidence technician gathered the spent bullet casings. There was some minimal damage to a portion of the building's siding, but no other damage appeared evident.

 

An animal control officer from Scarborough's Police Department, who has expertise handling rabid animals, arrived at the scene to remove the body. It was taken to Gray, Maine, then sent to Augusta, to be tested for rabies by the state lab.

Falling Leaves

The squirrels are busily storing away their winter supplies. With several oak trees nearby, they have plenty of acorns to stock up with.

This guy's just surveying the scene in the backyard, deciding what to do next.

Halloween

A house across the street had a charming display for Halloween. I can see it from my living room window, and I'll be sad when it's removed. It's very cheerful!

 

My snazzy neighbors, Dottie (Dori Marsh) and Geep (Gary Amara) had great costumes for Halloween. They knocked at my door so I could get a look, and I'm so glad they did.

 

Dottie made the lovely dress and helped Geep with the sewing necessary to create his costume. Lots of talent between the two of these people.

 

Isn't Geep a fantastic look-alike for John Travolta?

Here's a little toddler celebrating in Ireland. She's my friend Kate's niece Jetta.

 

Such a cute little bug!

Some Gifts from Philly!

My dear friend Felix Tartaglia stopped in Portland with his nephew, on their way to Aroostook County to go deer hunting.

He wanted to have a meal at Becky's Diner to fortify himself for the ride up to Millinocket, where they were planning to spend the night.

Philly pretzels! What a treat. And here's a little story that it brought to mind from the old days.

I'd been delivering transcripts downtown and noticed a man with a pretzel cart outside the building I was about to enter. I decided to treat myself to a nice salty pretzel upon leaving the building. I don't like "bald" pretzels. Bald men can be very sexy, but bald pretzels are not.

I looked the wares over very carefully and saw that there were many pretzels with lots of salt on them. It was a lovely spring day and the man greeted me: "Lovely day, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's beautiful," I responded. "And I'd like a pretzel with a lot of salt on it, please."

He then proceeded to hand me a bald pretzel. I was astonished, since my request had been quite specific.

"I asked for a pretzel with a lot of salt, and this one doesn't have any."

This man, who had started out being so pleasant, became very surly. He reached across the cart and snatched the pretzel (which was on a napkin in my outstretched hand), then put it back behind the glass in the cart, saying "They're all the same."

I was shocked. In one of those unthinking moments when you just say or do something without even giving it any thought, I responded: "Go f***k yourself!"

I must say it made me feel a hell of a lot better. And I found another cart on the way home where I was able to get my salty pretzel. Hah!

 

These cookies are from The Famous 4th Street Cookie Company, owned by David Auspitz, a former neighbor and friend from Queen Village. Dave used to own Famous Delicatessen, a great place, where all of the politicos could be seen having breakfast and lunch. The cookies were part of Felix's care package.

"art of the month" for November

The big question still is: Who sends these wonderful, time-consuming pieces of art each month?

This little booklet had beautiful ink drawings of acorns, a stinky ginko (sic), maple wings, a mystery spikey pod, and pine cones.

The last page says "other books in this series: roofs; bikes; cats; mittens; fences

available upon request!"

For some odd reason the photos that I kept taking of these pages containing the drawings did not turn out as well as I would have liked.

I'm going to post two of them anyway.

$$$ for a Great Cause

Hair Today; Bald Tomorrow

Portland Police Officer Ray Ruby saw a notice at Police Headquarters asking for volunteers to raise money to fight childhood cancer by having their heads shaved.

The event was being sponsored by the St. Baldrick's Foundation, at Ri Ra Irish Pub & Restaurant, a popular establishment on Commercial Street, right on the water.

[view from rear of Ri Ra]

[mural on side wall of Ri Ra]

St. Baldrick's began eight years ago and is now the biggest volunteer-driven fund-raising program for childhood cancer research, raising over $49.5 million and shaving more than 71,000 heads since its inception.

Ruby's goal was to raise $1,000. He'd only found out about the event a week before it was scheduled, but was able to double his original goal, raising $1,295, contributed by coworkers, family, and friends.

Ray was there to register at the appointed hour on September 13.

When asked whether he was nervous, before stepping up to the chair, Ruby replied: "Yes, I'm nervous. I've got big ears."

Ruby, with ears intact, had a wide smile as he stepped down from the chair after being shorn.

Although he has no personal connection to a child with cancer, Ray felt this was a different type of cause to become involved with. "It has to do with children losing their hair during treatment, so it's a way to be supportive."