Issue of May 16, 2008

Visitors to Cabela’s Thursday will be among the first to view the new store’s prized centerpiece – a 25-foot-tall mountain ornamented with stuffed mounts of the 27 big-game species found in North America, and a stream emptying into a trout pond that holds 1,000 gallons of water, three species of trout and the third-largest moose shot in Maine history.

The Nebraska-based outdoor outfitter has tried to incorporate Maine icons into its first store in the state, such as a lighthouse above a 10,000-gallon aquarium and lobsters as targets in the children’s simulated shooting range, as well as local game animals and trophies that appeal to the outdoors customer.

This local commitment, however, has presented some challenges and some opportunities for those familiar with Maine’s native species.

“We ask, ‘What is the big thing for people to hunt?’ in the area where the store is opening. In Maine, they hunt moose, whitetail. We try to emphasize the things that they like to do,” said Mark Dowse, Cabela’s project coordinator who is responsible for assembling the menagerie.

After months of such preparation, Cabela’s opens its 130,000-square-foot store Thursday.

Mary Ann Lynch knew it was going to be a long meeting.

“I borrowed my son’s Boggle timer,” said the Cape Elizabeth Town Council chairwoman, placing the sand-filled game timer on the table in front of her, in full view of the standing-room-only audience on hand at Monday night’s school budget hearing. “And that’s not because we don’t want to hear from you. It’s because we want to hear from all of you.”

Cape Elizabeth residents formed a line dozens-deep at the public hearing to address the Town Council’s proposed budget, in which staff and program cuts would lower the School Board’s 6 percent budget increase to a 4.6 percent increase for the 2008-2009 school year.

The South Portland City Council seems divided on whether to impose temporary measures this summer to limit early morning dog walking on Willard Beach.

While some councilors want to let a task force first review complaints by waterfront neighbors, other say immediate action needs to be taken.

“I wouldn’t want 40 dogs running around my house,” said Councilor Maxine Beecher, who argues that the city should make changes to restrict pet access during the busy summer season, when the beach is used most by the public.

But Councilor Tom Blake cautioned that councilors should let the proposed task force do its work, even though it may not issue findings until the end of summer.

“We need to stay the course and get this task force going to fix problems the best we can,” he said. “Overreacting and rushing to change the rules without enough information doesn’t solve the problem.”

From movie stars to middle-aged moms – and even some city councilors – tattoos have become part of mainstream American culture.

So why should South Portland enact special laws to regulate tattoo parlors that try to open in the city?

That question was posed Monday night at a South Portland City Council workshop, when city leaders discussed whether a six-month “emergency moratorium” on tattoo parlors and body piercing studios should be adopted.

In a letter to City Manager Jim Gailey, City Planner Tex Haeuser suggested the ban after learning that a tattoo and body-piercing business may be proposed at 777 Broadway, behind Broadway Variety.

Noting that no tattoo parlors now operate in South Portland, Haeuser wrote that “a tattoo parlor of the kind one associates with run-down areas could have a negative, blighting impact” on neighboring businesses.

The Scarborough softball team didn’t want to base this year’s expectations on last year’s success. The Red Storm capped an undefeated season with a Class A state title last June. With a number of players lost to graduation and some defections to other sports, only three starters returned, so the possibility of duplicating such a feat seemed remote.

Well, midway through the 2008 campaign, the Red Storm is perfect once again. Scarborough improved to 8-0 on Saturday with a 15-0 SMAA victory over Cheverus (2-5) in seven innings in Portland.

Sophomore Melissa Dellatorre pitched a one-hit complete game, striking out 12 to lead Scarborough. Melissa Bell hit a fifth-inning grand slam over the fence in center field and Grace Ledoux added a three-run shot to left in the seventh to fuel the Red Storm offense.

“We really put on a clinic,” Griffin said. “We did everything right. We did everything we needed to do and wanted to do. We put the ball in play when we wanted to. We showed some power at the plate. We had great pitching and played some good defense. Whenever they put the ball on the bat and tried to get back in the game a little bit, we were right there defensively.”