Munjoy Hill round-up

Lots of goings-on on the Hill these days... 

-- State legislative candidates will entertain questions at the St. Lawrence Arts Center this evening, at a debate hosted by the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization. Ed Democracy and Diane Russell, who are facing off to represent the East End and the Old Port, will start the evening at 7 p.m.; Senate District 8 candidates Justin Alfond, Cliff Ginn, and Anne Rand will go on around 7:45.

 
-- Since the Rosemont Market & Bakery folks took over Fat Baxter’s East End Market, the selection of both produce and dry goods has improved. We’ve heard that some people shop there exclusively these days. And seriously, holy crap, that Torta (layered goat cheese, pesto, and roasted red peppers) is addictive, and delicious with warm bread.

 
-- Munjoy Hill resident (and brand-new Colucci’s cashier) Randee Bucknell is organizing “signing parties” to collect the 500 signatures she needs to launch her effort to recall City Councilor Kevin Donoghue. Since she sent out a press release last week announcing her intent to circulate a recall petition, Bucknell says she’s received several calls and emails from other disgruntled citizens. “Many times, Councilor Donoghue would say one thing at [neighborhood] meetings ...and do far from that in city council meetings,”she says, referring primarily to Donoghue’s actions around the Adams School re-use issue. Bucknell, who’s lived on the Hill for 11 and a half years, supported Donoghue’s campaign in 2006.

 
-- Matti Gurney organized two public meetings last week -- one on the Hill, and one in the West End -- where interested parties discussed the possibility of bringing some type of car-sharing program to Portland. According to the update Gurney sent out this morning, the meetings were well-attended (especially the one on the Hill) by enthusiastic people. Topics discussed were: bringing ZipCar to Portland; launching some type of partnership with ITNAmerica, which has its IT department in Maine; involving Peaks Island residents, who could particularly benefit from car-sharing; continuing market research to see what costs Portland residents would be willing to consider/tolerate.

-- Deirdre Fulton