La Vida Local
Irregular Notes on West End Life
By Rosanne Graef
SpeeDebating & Street Safety
On November 1st, West Enders and friends who had been enjoying activities at the Reiche Community Room got the much-welcomed chance to return. Adjusting to starting exercise class at 7:45 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m. has been challenging for some, but it certainly beats Zoom or nothing!
Our other time slot is Monday evenings. Although we’ve had to make some changes due to Covid, we’ve added an additional movie night, Memento Mori Death Education Series, and a new offering: SpeeDebating. Who’d have thought sitting around talking about funerals, burials, and the dying process would make for an enjoyable evening out? Events are free and anyone is welcome to attend. You don’t have to be of a certain age, just friendly.
SpeeDebating
SpeeDebating is new. And right now, is a trial-and-error effort that we hope will catch on. It’s on the fifth Monday of the month, so there won’t be many chances to participate. If you weren’t there on November 29th, you’ve already missed one! Another session rolls around on January 31st and it’ll be new and improved.
For the first night, we had two dozen topics, one of which was chosen at random to determine the position to be debated. Topics ranged from superpowers to daylight savings time to children’s chores. Attendees were paired and took turns presenting their arguments for or against the proposition. For example: “Children should be paid for doing chores.”
After each member of the pair debated each side of the argument, we switched partners, chose a new topic with a new proposition, and went at it again.
It was fun to meet different people and try something new. But in the debrief at the end of the evening, we decided that the challenge of having to remember the proposition, as well as which side you were on, was confusing and tiring! Accordingly, on January 31st we will choose only one topic and post the possible questions in advance at http://www.wenamaine.org/resources/community-center.
Check it out and come give SpeeDebating a try!
Street Safety
The condition of Portland’s sidewalks and streets is a perennial topic, especially when the nights are long and the weather conditions are less than ideal for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.
With pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities in Maine at a 5-year high in 2021, we really must all redouble our efforts to look out for others, as well as ourselves. This is especially important here in the West End. Here, many sidewalks are slippery, not shoveled, and poorly lit in the winter. These conditions lead some to choose to walk in the street where visibility may be better, and the likelihood of plowing and sanding is greater.
Always wear something light or carry something bright to give motorists a chance to see you. Motorists and bicyclists, please slow down in our neighborhoods and stop at stop signs and red lights.
Stay safe in 2022!
Rosanne Graef lives in the West End and is a regular volunteer contributor. Email her at lavidalocalwen@gmail.com.
