Dory Waxman is the founder and owner of Common Threads of Maine, a nonprofit program that teaches immigrants and asylum applicants how to become skilled industrial stitchers. The program was started to provide skilled textile workers for the start-up venture American Roots, which now employs over 100 graduates from the Common Threads program. Overall, the school has trained over 200 new Mainers since 2016, representing 18 countries, with 90% now working in textile manufacturing.
Waxman also owns the Old Port Wool and Textile Company and has spent most of her working life in Portland, Maine as a community organizer, businesswoman, volunteer, and civic leader. For over thirty-five years, her roles have included Portland city councilor, library board member, parks commission member, school committee member and business owner. She founded the tuition-free school in 2015 after spotting a rare opportunity. As a textile entrepreneur, she knew Maine textile manufacturers needed more skilled industrial stitchers, while immigrants in Maine needed stable, good paying jobs. She believed she could help immigrants quickly become the expert stitchers that Maine’s textile makers needed.
Dory and her husband Dan raised three sons in Portland, and are proud grandparents to five, soon to be six, grandchildren.
Bits and Pieces
Portland Rotary held its first in-person meeting in over a year with 38 people gathering for a picnic at Fort Williams Park on June 18. “The meeting was wonderful,” reported President Ellen Niewoehner. “Perfect weather, a nice breeze and views of the ocean all around.” People started convening at 11 to catch up with one another. Jennifer Frederick took care of registration and did a great job. Tom Talbott opened the meeting with an invocation.
Photo: Left to right, Mike Fortunato, Jan Chapman, Katie Brown, Julie L'Heureux, Ellen Niewoehner, Bowen Depke.
President Ellen welcomed District Governor Peggy Belanger who shared some of the District’s accomplishments this year—distribution of over 300,000 masks, providing laptops and other assistance for first responders at vaccination clinics, and an overall increase in members during a pandemic. DG Belanger also presented President Ellen with a lovely set of wind chimes as a gift.
Box lunches were provided by Food Works on India Street and were consumed with an abundance of fellowship and laughter.
Guests included Richard L’Heureux, (guest of Julie L’Heureux); Jen Lowry, guest of Ben Lowry; Bill Morrison, guest of Ellen Niewoehner, Andrea Southworth from the Friends of Fort Williams, and DG Peggy Belanger.
President Ellen invited everyone to come to an informal dedication ceremony on Wednesday, June 23 at 5pm to honor the installation of a granite bench in Rotary Grove in memory of Loretta Rowe. The Grove can be accessed by following the paved path either from the East End beach end of the trail or from the Portland Ocean Gateway cruise ship terminal. Bring your thoughts and memories to share.
President Ellen said she wanted to split her year-end remarks between the last two meetings of her Rotary year.
Ellen extended her thanks to he members of the Board for their work during the year: Bob Martin, 1stvice president; Bruce Jones, 2nd vice president; Bruce Moore, Secretary; Scott Blakeslee, Treasurer; Nan Heald, Club Protection Officer; David Putnam, Sergeant-at-Arms; Bob Clark, Board Member; Michael Fortunato, Board Member; Jennifer Frederick, Board Member; Mark Foster, Board Member; and, Amy Chipman, immediate past president.
She also recognized Charlie Frair for taking over the Fundraising Committee and leading two successful events—Flags for Heroes and the Fifty/Fifty Raffle.
Ellen gave kudos to Amy Chipman for another successful Foundation year. Members exceeded the Club’s Foundation goal by $3,205 with contributions over $18,000.
She expressed her appreciation to Bruce Jones and Mike Fortunato for chairing the Membership committee and adding nine new members during the year. We also created a new membership opportunity for New Mainers. Ellen called attention to the new satellite club for Literacy and Childhood Education under the leadership of Megan Peabody, and again invited everyone to attend those Tuesday evening meetings.
Ellen noted the amazing programs all year and thanked the Program Committee, under the leadership of Bowen Depke and his quarterly chairs Roxane Cole, Justin Lamontagne, and Rusty Atwood.
Ellen thanked International Service Committee chair Erik Greven, and his leadership team Roger and Liz Fagan, John Curran, and Dave Small. She emphasized all the international work accomplished from afar this year in the Dominican Republic, Rwanda, Kosovo and India.
She also recognized Julie L’Heureux for her PR work on Facebook; Bruce Moore and Jan Chapman for leading the Recovery Task Force; Amy Chipman for leading the Nominating Committee to come up with an excellent slate for next year; and Dave Small for Invocations.
Fort Williams Invaded | By Dick Hall
At the Fort Williams picnic, we were treated to a talk on invasive species by Andrea Southworth, a member of the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust. Andrea first thanked our club for its work two years ago in clearing invasive plants from an area on the Cliff Walk landscape. Over the years, both the Park Committee and the Friends of Fort Williams Park have managed areas to control invasive plants.
Andrea talked about several species which are not native to Maine, including honeysuckle, bittersweet and black swallowwort. She said that invasive species are horrible for wildlife. Swallowwort, for example, resembles milkweed, but is poisonous to the monarch butterflies who like milkweed. Invasive plants are a big problem because they grow unchecked. Since they come from different regions or countries, local animals do not eat the leaves or stems. The plants themselves are not ugly, and many are attractive. The issue, however, lies in their complete ground coverage over native flora. “Monocultures, or near monocultures, do not work,” she said.
For the Fort Williams ecosystem to function properly, Southworth said it needs to be inhabited by many species of native plants and animals --it needs biodiversity. Biodiversity is the key to clean air, clean water, healthy soils, and livable climate. Invasives start where there is a disturbance, and out compete the native species. Because invasives provide no food to local insects, the reduced population has a very damaging effect on birds, as 90% of songbirds feed on insects and nearly 100% of the food given to young birds is insect-based.
Andrea was passionate about her subject and stated “Invasives – This is my life.” When she lived in Maryland, she had trouble finding any interest, but when she moved to Maine, she found a community that cares. After the talk, Andrea led a group, including Jan Chapman, Bruce Moore, Eric Greven, Bowen Depke, Laura Young, and Dick Hall, to work clearing invasives near the Children’s Garden.
Moment of Reflection
A Letter Sent to Summer
Oh summer if you would only come
With your big baskets of flowers,
Dropping by like an old friend
Just passing through the neighborhood.
If you came to my door disguised
As a thirsty biblical angel,
I’d buy all your hairbrushes and magazines.
I’d be more hospitable
Than any ancient king.
I’d personally carry your luggage in!
Your monsoons! Your squadrons of bugs!
Your plums and lovely melons!
Let the rose let out its long long sigh.
And desire return to the hapless rabbit.
This request is also in my own behalf.
Inside my head it is always snowing,
Even when I sleep. When I wake up,
And still you have not arrived,
I curl back into my blizzard of linens.
Not like winter’s buckets of whitewash.
Please wallpaper my bedroom
With leafy vegetables and farms.
If you knocked right now,
I would not interfere.
Start near the window.
Start right here.
that teaches immigrants and asylum applicants how to become skilled industrial stitchers. The program was started to provide skilled textile workers for the start-up venture American Roots, which now employs over 100 graduates from the Common Threads program. Overall, the school has trained over 200 new Mainers since 2016, representing 18 countries, with 90% now working in textile manufacturing.
