Bayside Neighborhood tackles Chapel Street

Here's how the public right of way on Chapel Street looked this morning. With an overgrown, abandoned sidewalk, this cobblestone street near Merrill Auditorium in Portland's Bayside neighborhood has long been neglected. But today was the Bayside Neighborhood Association's Spring Clean-Up Day, and neighbors joined staff from the city's Public Services department to embrace the street and make it a more attractive part of our downtown community.

After three hours and lots of helping hands, here's the result. Isn't it amazing! Everyone did such a wonderful job.

There's still more to be done, and ideas being floated include adding trees, planting flowers, installing more lighting, uncovering the brick sidewalk, putting in a mountain bike trail and building raised beds for a community garden. It will be interesting to see what we're able to accomplish.

Plans under consideration by the Portland City Council for they Bayside Trail call for designating Chapel Street as a pedestrian street and service alley. After today's volunteers removed much of the overgrowth and mulched the elms, it's much easier to envision this street being part of the urban trail.

In addition to sprucing up Chapel Street, dozens of volunteers picked up hundreds of pounds of trash across the neighborhood, which stretches from Congress Street to Marginal Way and from Franklin Arterial to Forest Avenue. A number of elected representatives lent a hand, including Senator Justin Alfond (left), who's standing with Deb Locke, the head of the group organizing this year's Bayside World Market & Fair, and Alex Landry, who's chair of the Bayside Neighborhood Association.

Mayor Jill Duson came out to help, shown here flexing some muscle with neighbor Tom Trott.

We also had help from Bayside's City Councilor Kevin Donoghue (left), shown here with neighbors Rob Sylvain and Alex Landry.

Finally here are some of the people who did the heavy lifting on Chapel Street. If you're in the area, you really should take a stroll down Chapel Street and check out their handiwork.

Portland welcomes new police chief

Portland gained a new police chief this morning when City Clerk Linda Cohen swore in James Craig. Once he was sworn in, he received a standing ovation. In his remarks to the crowd, Craig cracked jokes, emphasized the professionalism of the force he will oversee and even got choked up when thanking his family members. I'm pretty sure everyone in the room became a little teary eyed at that moment.

Craig hails from Los Angeles, where he worked in the police department for the past 28 years, most recently as a captain. Press Herald writer David Hench has an excellent story in today's paper that talks about Craig's background and the importance he places on community policing efforts, such as having officers walk neighborhood beats on foot.

The State of Maine room at City Hall was filled to capacity with members of Craig's family, police officers, city officials, well-wishers and the media. Everyone was excited to welcome and meet the city's 18th police chief.

Here's Chief Craig with his wife, Mary (at left), daughter Erica and mother Eleanor. Mayor Jill Duson is standing behind them. During her remarks, Mayor Duson referenced a recent honor bestowed by Forbes magazine when she said: "Let me congratulate you on becoming chief of police of the most livable city in the nation. That may come as some comfort to you during the city's first snowstorm."

After the ceremony ended, a line formed and one person after another stepped forward to welcome Craig to his new home, which I, and I'm sure many others, hope he will enjoy for a long time to come.

Today's assignment: Vote!

After two years of anticipation, endless campaign messages and hilarious SNL skits, the day has finally come for us average guys and gals to make a decision. Even though I'd been warned there would be lines, I was pretty shocked to find a rather long one at my polling place at 7:15 this morning. I've been voting at the Merrill Auditorium rehearsal hall for the past five years, and today was the first time I haven't just waltzed right in and filled out my ballot.

To be honest, it was pretty exciting to see so many people participating in the electoral process.

If you haven't been to your polling place yet, here's a little peek at how the top of the ticket race looks on the ballot. Should you need info on where or when to vote, check out the Portland Press Herald's election resource page. The page also offers a candidate guide and details about the citizen initiative questions on this year's ballots.

Change is definitely in the air today, and you can be part of it. All you need to do is get yourself to the polls and vote.

Tuesday's hot party: Greendrinks

The monthly Greendrinks gathering is always a happening time, but this month's party taking place tomorrow night is sure to be one of the best yet. Why's that? Well, for starters there's the free beer from Peak Organic, the free organic wine from Rosemont Bakery and the free food from Green Elephant. Then there's the coolness factor of being one of the first people to check out the new home of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Plus, who wouldn't want to spend the evening with the awesome folks from Switch/MaineToday.com, who are co-hosting the event? (Not that I'm biased or anything.) Finally, there's the fact that the first 200 people through the door will leave with a free pint glass.

As you can clearly see with all that free stuff and a great group of eco-minded business people, there's really no good excuse not to be there.

BaROCKing the Vote

Last night Adam and I stopped by the BaROCK the Vote party at the Asylum and got to hear the sweet, sweet sounds of the Pete Kilpatrick Band. There were at least a couple hundred people there and everyone paid $20 at the door, which went straight to the Barack Obama for President campaign. Although neither of us is a registered Democrat, we're both part of the under-50 set and tend to be glass-half-full kind of people, so I guess it was inevitable that we'd gravitate to Obama's inspiring message and promise to provide more thoughtful, compassionate leadership than what we've been subjected to for the past eight years. A number of familiar Democratic faces spoke at the event. Including ...

Justin Alfond, the former head of the League of Young Voter's who's running for Portland's District 8 State Senate seat, and

Chellie Pingree, who's running for Maine's first Congressional seat. She gave a funny speech contrasting herself with Sarah Palin, noting that although she's never field dressed a moose she did beat her Republican challenger in a recent cow milking contest. And

Congressman Tom Allen, who's challenging Senator Susan Collins and write-in Independent Herb Hoffman for Collins' post in Washington.

The youthful crowd was pretty pumped, and a big thanks must go to organizers Elliott May (of Portland Greendrinks fame) and Bree LaCasse (who's mother is responsible for the wonderful holiday sculptures that light up Portland in the winter).

The Pete Kilpatrick Band closed out their set with the title song from their current album, "Hope In Our Hearts." It's an apt anthem for our current political situation, as it tells us that "With hope in our hearts/We'll pull through the night." I, for one, am hopeful that they know what they're talking about.

Politicians + vegan chili in Bayside

At last night's annual Bayside community dinner held at the Boys & Girls Club, Alex Landry (left) was elected chair of the neighborhood association's steering committee. He takes over from Ron Spinella (right), who owns 3 Fish Gallery and has been a tireless champion of Bayside and our downtown neighborhood for a number of years.

Chris Danse (left) made a delicious vegan chili, plus a chili con carne for the omnivores. Other wonderful offerings included mac and cheese (which Susan McCloskey is serving), corn bread, gluten-free corn bread and salad.

Rep. Herb Adams (left) and Justin Alfond (right), who's running for state Senate, both joined us for dinner. Our City Councilor Kevin Donoghue was there too, but he had to catch the 7:15 ferry for a meeting on Peaks Island and left before I could get a snapshot of him.

Not only did I enjoy good food and good company at last night's dinner, I was able to do a little shopping. I purchased a few spring bulbs and supported Nathan Clifford School all at the same time. That's what I call a sweet dessert!

The PMA's awesome 25th

Last night at the Portland Museum of Art's Totally 25 b-day party celebrating the anniversary of the Charles Shipman Payson Building everything was a flashback to the '80s. Down in the glass gallery there were tons of desserts and '80s music by DJ Kyle Downs. I heard there was break dancing going on down there too, but we didn't catch it.

Outside people were making these giant building blocks.

The PMA staff members all had really amazing costumes on. Even acting Director Tom Denenberg was decked out in a totally '80s preppy look that included Bean boots. Here are the party-goers who participated in the costume contest. The girl standing second from left was the winner.

Outside in the sculpture garden, '80s tribute band The Awesome got the crowd moving, even though the temperature was nowhere near the 80s.

Tonight's totally awesome party

Last night over a totally radical dinner at the Green Elephant (you've got to like totally try the tempura asparagus salad off the specials menu - it's like, oh my god, seriously fresh), my sister and I had a blast reminiscing about the gag me with a spoon world that was '80s fashion. Of course we like totally talked about the '80s obsession with peg-legging pants, the use of socks and leg warmers with pumps (that's what we called high heels in the '80s) and the strange trend of acid-washed denim. But mostly we like laughed out loud about '80s hair. My own personal '80s do included a spiral perm with my bangs and the sides teased out and up as high as possible. Like can you believe it? Today it just sounds grody to the max, but back then it was totally rad.

For those of us who didn't get enough of the Material Girl era, we can relive it all again tonight at the Totally 25 Party at the Portland Museum of Art. The fun starts at 5 pm and includes a costume contest, music by '80s tribute band The Awesome and a screening of the '80s classic "The Breakfast Club." I'm stoked that there will be a cash bar. But best of all, it's totally free. Party hearty dudes!