Good evening. We're on the air once again with another edition of Patience on the News. Something a little different tonight. You know, we usually talk about politics, national politics, main politics, and often have a guest who's a politician. We've had many famous politicians, all of the politicians in Maine, except Susan Collins. She's never agreed to come on the show. Don't blame her. Maybe she doesn't like me. I don't know. We've had everybody else. So we even had former Senator Bill Cohen in the last few months. So we kind of stick to politics and public affairs. But we're going to talk about public affairs tonight in another sense. Our guest is Steve D'Amillo, who is the manager of D'Amillo's Restaurant, member of the iconic family that owns the iconic restaurant here in Portland. And welcome, Steve. Thank you. Great to be here. A lot of questions for Steve about the hospitality industry in Maine, why they can't find help, what's happening to restaurants, foodie Portland, Portland Waterfront, Portland politics, because Steve is one of the city's activist citizens who pays attention to what's going on. And so we want to talk to him about that. I might even ask him a few questions about his late father, who was really something. And started the restaurant and was a friend of mine. So Steve, welcome. The name of the, I give a title to these programs, and this is Portland, Waterfront, Past and Future of the Waterfront, and what's happening with the hospitality industry today. So you have many brothers and sisters, correct? I'm one of nine. One of nine. And where were you born? 1960. So in 1960, your father did not have this fancy restaurant. He did not. He had a little small place up on the hill. Up on Bunjoy Hill, on 4th Street. But he went into the Navy. I know he left high school, went into the Navy, was brought up on, as he used to tell me, Newbury Street, which was the Italian neighborhood, right? Correct. Were his parents Italian immigrants? They were. They both immigrated through Canada. Yeah. As did a lot of the Italians and settled in the city of Portland. A lot of men ended up in Rumford and Jay at the mills because they were stone masons. Right. But my people came right to Portland. To Portland. And when he got out of the Navy. Excuse me, Harold, Army. And he would not like it if you said Navy. Oh, okay. He was in the Army. He was a soldier. My two brothers that served in the Army also. Okay. So, he was a soldier and he came back home and he was apparently just naturally entrepreneurial. Wants to be in his own business. Yeah. He opened his first business when he was 13 years old, kind of a corner store. Sold candy, had a pinball machine in it. And he was looked after and befriended by several people in the neighborhood, including Harry Baker. So what do you attribute this kid who really, the work he did, which was hard work, was running his own businesses from the very beginning? Yeah. Well, he was one of sex and he grew up poor and he didn't want to be poor. And he knew, you know, he had plenty of intelligence. He was not book smart. Right. Did not read, did not go to school very long. But he knew that he didn't, he knew there was a better way. And he figured it out. He did figure it out. And you say he wasn't book smart. He didn't finish high school. But imagine, I have here something that you gave me some time ago, an article from Greater Portland Magazine, spring of 1985, 35 years ago, 36 years ago. And there's a feature piece about your dad. It was after he opened the floating restaurant, a big picture, the Tony DeMillo interview. And what really interested me, this is 1985. He said, in the summertime, we serve 13 or 1400 meals a day. And in the wintertime, when it's 600 a day with the busiest restaurant in the state of Maine, well, to create and run and successfully operate a restaurant that's the most successful in your state, you have to be very smart because you have a lot of things to think about. So this, he was gifted. He was gifted. Multi-tasker would be an understatement, but he also surrounded himself with great people. That was important to him? Yes, he was.  Correct. You have five of the nine kids in my family work on the property. My brother-in-law runs the kitchen along with the chef. Long time kitchen employees, the chef and her husband have been there for 20-plus years. My kids work there. Hesonises and nephews working through college there. So it's a big family fair, but also long-time staff that stay with us because it's a fun place to work and we pay people well. This is truly a family business. And that's the other nice thing that your father created. He created not just a business, but a family business. He did. He was really proud of that. His sisters worked. My aunts worked the front desk for 60 years.  I remember your aunts and your mother being down there. Absolutely. They were a great presence. Yes. Your mother's still living. My mother is still living. She has dementia, but she still knows us, which is fun. We reminisce. So your father was the son of Italian immigrants. What was your mother's heritage? My mother's people came from PEI. From Prince Edward Island. Correct. Were they Scotch? They were Scotch. They were farmers. They were stoic, hard-working, nice people. Yes. All right. So now we talked a little bit about, Steve, about your family, but what about you? Do you know how to cook? I know how to cook. I spent, well, I started in 1968. Summer is washing pots and pans. I'm really good at washing pots and pans and dishes. And then my dad put me on, as a prep cook, and then a line cook for I cook, a broiler cook. I was in the kitchen until I graduated high school in 78, and I put a tie on and came out front. So when you walk into the kitchen, you know what's going on. I do. I can't do it like them, though. We have some really good people, talented people. And our menu has been up-scaled or uplifted over the years. Chef Bouchard has taken it to another level, and so, you know, I don't think I could work the saute station. I'll try, but I won't do a good job at it. So how's DeMillo's doing today? Well, we're doing good despite the pandemic. We had, you know, we were closed down for a couple of months, like everybody was, March of 2020. But then it came back. It came back pretty strong up until a year ago, you know, like last October, November, things, the numbers came up, the COVID numbers came up, cases came up in Maine, and people started hunkering down. But we've done well. The very stable workforce could use some more people. Just one of our good cooks just moved back with her family up to Orrington because she wanted to be with her family. And there's absolutely not one person applying for that job. So we've made do. The chef has altered the menu to accommodate the talent that she has. Can't just have that saute guy get all the orders on a ticket, so it's got to be spread out. It's kind of menu engineering. Well, we hear about restaurants, Portland, you know, famous foodie town, famous first restaurants. And what we hear is all the restaurants are having the same problem. They can't get help. But it sounds to me like the focus is in the kitchen. It is. I mean, that's the heart of the house. So, you know, a lot of our neighboring friends, a lot of successful restaurants in Portland are chef owner operated, a lot of friends, we're friendly with almost all of them. And so they're holding down the fort themselves in the kitchen and they create the cuisine and serve it. But they, you know, we need, we need ancillary staff. We need dishwashers. We need prep cooks. Not so skilled labor. But they get the minimum wage now. Is the minimum wage applicable in Portland? Well, the market, because of the staffing shortages, the market has driven the wages up tremendously. You know, we hire a dishwasher at 18 bucks an hour now, because you're not going to get one if you offer 17 or 16. Otherwise, nobody's going to come to work for you if you want them. And therefore our prices have stayed up. We had hoped to bring our prices back down, but we had to make money, keep the place going. So, at almost $20 an hour, a dishwashing, if they work 40 hours a week, that's 100 a week. And you can't get people. Correct. Why? That's a combination of things. People have, I think, found another way to make a living. Hospitality is not for everybody, but it is certainly a fun way to make a living. Hospitality positions allow you like a skier. I don't wait in line. I don't ski on a Saturday or Sunday. I ski during the week when there's no line. There's a lot of benefits to it. A lot of our staff, our students, they're at college, they might be at my main college about or SMCC or University of Maine, and they were able to work 20 hours a week, 25 hours a week, still make a good living, and have some flexibility in their life. So that's part of it. But what about servers? I don't quite understand. I read in the newspaper what was happening with tips and whether tips are included or $15. But what does a server make? Does a server make the minimum wage or do they have a different arrangement? In Maine, there's a tip credit is allowed, so they'll make half of the minimum wage plus tips, but they're the highest earners in the restaurant. Highest earners have any restaurant anywhere. I mean, if they make $608 an hour that we paid them, they're making $50 an hour when they combine it with their tips. So we don't feel sorry for the way it's done. So a server in a good restaurant and one of the good restaurants in Portland can make much more than $1,000 a week. Oh, yeah, by far. A couple of thousand a week. Correct. But a lot of them choose not to work that many hours. They like to travel. They like to have fun. So they can work a short amount of hours and make good money. One of the other challenges we had with bringing people back to work was the safety aspect of it. People were comfortable maybe working among others, unmasked. You can't really social distance in the kitchen right next to each other. And then of course the extra unemployment money has added to that staffing shortage. You don't know how many people will come back to work after. But the elimination of that extra unemployment money will come at a time where it's the end of the summer. There might have been some people that saved some money last year because they didn't do anything. And they took the summer off. So maybe they'll be back in the workforce. I talked to a fellow who's in the staffing business and he anticipates in the fall there'll be more people wanting to come back to work. I think he's right. You think he's right. Yeah. So what about business this summer as opposed to- Gangbusters. I mean the street is just crawling with people. I don't know an operator. I'm the chairman of the hospitality main organization. I don't know a member of ours in any part of Maine that is not breaking records this year. I talked to a big hotel operator. I have many hotels in Maine as well as other places in the country. And this was probably a month ago, month and a half ago, the end of June. And he said we'd never seen anything like it. He said people will come to our hotels on a weekend for instance. We could charge them anything they'd pay. He said it's just unbelievable. And then I drive down Commercial Street, people everywhere. Yeah. I often think I wonder what my dad would think of that because he's been gone 22 years. So he didn't really see that. Well Portland was not a tourist destination when father died. You are correct. Is it a big tourist destination? Oh it's huge, it's huge. You know the establishment of it being a foodie city, the Bon Appétit designation, the best place to live, all those things have helped. But the thing is when folks come here for a culinary experience, they get it. I mean I don't travel a whole lot but if I'm in Chicago or Boston or New York or Washington D.C. which I go every year for the Public Affairs Conference, I don't want for anything more than I've already got in Portland. It's all over the place. Now we're getting to the citizen involvement. You just triggered something with me. You said you go to Washington for a Public Affairs Conference. What kind of a public affairs? For the NRA. Yep. Restaurants, not rifles. Right. So we, well across the country, every state, restaurant association, I was a hospitality main, sends their representatives, their government affairs people, their chief people, anybody who's interested in participating in politics. We go and we visit the hill and we visit, we only have four visits. I'm sure when you're in California you've got a lot more visits to make. But we go, we visit all of our legislators and do it in a few years. So even our representatives that we know don't agree with what we're asking them to support. They're cordial, they're friendly, they're helpful, and... You like this? I do like this. My dad was always politically active, but I'd have to say my political mentor was Dick Groton. And Dick Groton coined the phrase, or I think he coined it, politics is not a spectator sport. Well I ought to explain. Dick Groton was the long time, was it main restaurant association? Correct. Long time executive director of the main restaurant association and a very well known person in the halls of power in Augusta. And a developer before that. And a great guy. Yeah. So you worked with Dick a lot and you learned stuff from him. I'd learned a lot from him. Yeah. In fact, you're a very active citizen in Portland. People know you and you're active. You ran to be elected to the Charter Commission in the city of Portland recently and you got a lot of votes. But you got a lot of votes. How many votes did you get? I got 1,848 first place votes. Now 1,848, there weren't many total number of people that voted in that election. You are correct. So you must have gotten more than a lot of other people. I was the second highest. The second highest in the state wide. In that city, in the at-large race. Which is city-wide. Correct. So you're the second largest. Yes. And are there people on that that did get elected to the commission that got fewer votes than you? Well, I know that Commissioner Washburn, when they applied ranked choice voting, he had 367 first place votes. First class votes. First place votes. Now she's on the commission and I'm not. You had 1,800 in some and she had 300 in some.  That's ranked choice voting for you. So you don't like ranked choice voting? I don't. But I'm told that maybe the city applied the wrong metrics because there were four candidates for, excuse me, 10 candidates for four at large seats. So would I do it differently this time or next time? I certainly would. They ran a slate of candidates, which that's what you do with ranked choice voting. Run in the middle of normal people that are not, you did call me an activist, but I'm not an activist. We don't know these things. So now we know. So now as the. Well, I don't see any difference between activists and involved citizenship because even I don't agree with much of the democratic socialist position at all. I disagree with much of it. I don't think it's realistic, but they're active citizens. And in self government, democracy depends on citizens being active. I mean, I'm a Greek. I've read a lot about the ancient Greeks. And it was citizen participation. They were activists, those ancient Greeks. So we call everybody an activist. It gets a bad name. Some people are, you know, a charge into the capital with flags and guns to be activists. We don't agree with that. Before we leave the Charter Commission discussion, I just want to point out that the low voter turnout, which we knew was going to be a factor because it was in June. It's just traditionally it's not a good time to get voters out. But the conservative or the moderate voter did not come out. And the other side, the democratic socialists of Poland, they were very good at getting the vote out. And so I still say they're the vocal minority. John Q. Public, there's way more of them that just want their taxes to be lower. They want to manage their council form of government. They don't want a strong mayor to be ruling over all the department heads. But they need to come out this coming November. They need to come out and vote. I would say they need to come out. And no one is organized as well as the democratic socialists. And I think a little, if there's people that don't agree with their positions, those people need to organize as well. You know, messaging, of course we all know, is important. And these people, these democratic socialists had a message when it came to the Charter Commission. And that is that the council manager form of government, it was a product of racial bias. And there's something supported by the Klu Klux Klan. And that is absolutely untrue. It's just, it's a lie. It's not true. The fact is that the council manager form of government was a reform proposal. Good government people, League of Women Voters, were for the council form of government because they didn't like the corruption in the strong mayor strong mayor governments. So it was reformers, not Klu Klux Klaners, who came up with the council, manager form of government, and sold it in many places across the country. So unless you have better message, and I'm not talking about you personally, but unless those who don't agree with the democratic socialists and don't want them to control what's in the Charter and what kind of government Portland will have, the message has to be clearer. You are correct. Yeah. So let's talk about some of the other things. The waterfront, the whole issue in the waterfront over the years, once development pressures began, and really once your dad put his floating restaurant down there with a big parking area. How many acres of parking do you have? There's three acres there. And then there was four acres of water, but it was deemed to be belonging to the state. He was sold the acreage, the water acreage. Yeah, but he has to lease it from the state. Well, he didn't know that when he bought it. Oh, he didn't know that. The bank sold it to him as X number of acres on land and X number of acres of water. He didn't know. He was very friendly with that bank. He was. But yeah, so you have the marina, which occupies a lot of the water space, and very successful marina too. And you do boat sales. You have boat sales in someplace north of Portland? Sure. My youngest brother, Chris, has DeMillo's yacht sales, and he has offices in Maryland. He has a nice facility up in Freeport, Long Island, New York, Kittery. He's got the DeMillo entrepreneurial gene too. He's got it better than anybody, I think. He does really well. He's very smart, very astute, loves the challenge of business. So he's involved in boat sales up and down the Atlantic coast. Correct. He's the most successful savory yacht dealer on the East. And the country, I guess, because the Eastern seaboard is the market. Wow. Well, I didn't know that. So anyway, but you have the big marina there. You've been the big boat place. Now there's another alternative for big boats, but it's a longer walk to the restaurants. Well, the developers of the Portland East End. Yeah, it's what they call it. Portland Company? Yeah, the folks that are developing that, they're going to lease out space to restaurants. They're trying to create their own community. Residential restaurants, shops. So that's another destination. So it's nice to see this summer when you talk about the large yachts. Because their marketing was that if we build it, they will come and they will correct. Because we could only handle so many of them. And my brother manages that, the dockage at the D'Millo's. And he's at capacity, always was at capacity. But now there's just more of those mega yachts. And it's great to see. So this tension, back to this issue of tension between the working waterfront, so-called, on one hand, and the hospitality industry, restaurants, and hotels on the other hand, is there, you folks, talk back and forth. Sure, we're all friendly. Both sides are trying to look out for their own turf. So the lobstermen, or the harvesters, but it's mainly lobstermen that are involved in the discussions, they don't want to lose their birthing. They don't want a hotel or a restaurant to displace their workplace. And they have legitimate concerns that once an upland use or a restaurant gets located next to their lobster boat, then eventually they'll be talking about the stinky bait and the loud engines early in the morning and all that goes on. So I don't blame them, but there's room for everybody. And it really goes back to when my dad bought Longwater in 1978. And pretty much everything on the waterfront was either established businesses. You remember, Shirtliff was down there and Air Bishop. And there were still boons. Boons was there as a restaurant from the turn of the century. But most of the wharves were falling in disrepair. You had the pool family run and union wharf, which is really kind of the post-it child for a well-run marine wharf. But then you had Long Wharf, like my dad bought. And it was derelict. It was a burnt-out coal pier. So he developed it slowly, built the marina. He opened it in 79. And then he was going to build a restaurant in the parking lot. We had been diagonally across street 121 from 65 until 82. We moved over to the boat. That's a pizza place now, is it? It was. It was Angie's Pizza for a lot of years. Now it's Seabag's flagship store. Oh, Seabag's Store, yeah. So they just took it over, which was great people in that business too. So him developing Long Wharf probably wouldn't have been a problem. But it's Chandler's Wharf that was the lightning rod. And if you think back to the- Michael Liberty. You got it, Michael and David Cope, the living group. And all that were involved, they developed that. It was Central Wharf at the time. They changed it for marketing reasons. From pier's edge to pier's edge, building and structures and it didn't allow any- Scared people. It did scare people and it got them going. I mean, there was a moratorium on development. Right, we had a referendum. Correct, back in the early 80s. So I understand where they're coming from, but there's room for everybody and I think we've proven that. Well, and I think that over the last couple of decades, that's worked out pretty well. There is kind of a synthesis of the two things.  That's where they birth. I think it's worked out for them and I don't think it bothers Pierce-Atwood in the least. You are correct there, cohabitating just fine. Just fine. So I think that's where we arrived ultimately in Portland is a sharing. I think you're right. And I think, well, one of my friends that really has been more active in waterfront zoning than myself was Charlie Poole from Union Wharf. And he just always said, we need mixed use. So on his wharf, he needed upper floors to be able to put offices in. They pay for the infrastructure of the pier. So that that pier is a nice, solid pier now, but they couldn't have done it without some other uses. Correct. And the rents for the lobstermen have to stay reasonable. And that's the whole ballet that's being danced on those piers. Yeah, yeah. See, practical solutions, there are always practical solutions, but not everybody in the extremes is willing to look in the center where the practical solutions emerge. You're correct. And that was the last go around with waterfront zoning is that there was a threat of another moratorium. So the Batemans were going to develop a fisherman's wharf that they had a channel's wharf. They were going to develop a hotel there. And the working waterfront people came out of the woodwork and they threatened a moratorium. And our city manager got together with the representatives from the working waterfront people. Actually in Keith Lane's kitchen up on Monjoy Hill. And they had a- Is he a lobstermen? He is a lobstermen, a great guy on Custom House Wharf. So Willis Spear, John Bisonette, Keith Lane, all very active and a lot of other- Fishermen. Fishermen, yep. Yep, and they brokered a deal with the city manager that we'd halt all development for now and let's discuss it. Hence the city manager's waterfront working group of which I serve as do several of the lobstermen, peer owners, business people in the area. So it's a nice combination of all- People talk to each other. Correct. And try to work things out. In a civil manner. In a civil manner. Ah, you added that in a civil manner. Which is not always the case these days. No, it's too bad. Because as much as we are, appear to be adversaries, say property owners and lobstermen, when we'd get through with these meetings, we'd go out and have a beer afterwards. We're friends, we see each other socially. It's a nice group of people and like I said, they're just trying to protect their turf, their livelihood. Now the other change is hotels. I mean, I was talking to somebody the other day, I think I mentioned this to you earlier, that told me there are now, with the opening of the new hotels on Commercial Street, 3,000 rooms on the peninsula. And you can't get a room on a weekend here. It's craziness.  And they get New York prices. And they're getting New York prices and it pours over to other things. My wife works at a woman's dress store on Exchange Street, not far from the Press Hotel. The business they do is strongly tied to the Press Hotel.  The tourist industry is just fueling Portland economically. Yeah, it's burgeoning. Where she works, I don't know what shop it is, but the beauty of the Oldport Exchange, or it was called the Oldport Exchange, but our area, now it's expanded down to Commercial Street, there are shops that are offering something that they can't, they're unique, they're unique items. They can't get them everywhere. That's exactly what happens to them. I said, where do the customers come from? Texas, California, Missouri, Chicago. Significant portion of their sales that are those people. And then they hear from those people, sometimes, can you send me this or can you send me that? Good for them. No, it's really unusual. People don't realize a lot of the people, because I'm old, I'm 85, so people don't realize in the 1960s.  Sure was. You were worried. There might be a knife fight or something down there. It was not a place to hang out. It was not, the Iron Horsemen had their clubhouse up on 4th Street. Yes. Oh, my dad befriended them because he needed them to be on his side. He befriended everybody. Really? Tony DeMello was friendly with the guy that picked up the trash in the morning and the bank president. Yeah. He didn't truly like people, but he knew he needed everybody. Yeah. Well, I know he was friendly with the bank president because they knew the bank president. They had a fun time together. Yes. But yeah, it's just changed dramatically now. I went into the city hall one time. It was a big brouhaha over something at a city council meeting and there was a huge crowd of young people. Most of them, I'm guessing most of them didn't grow up around here, but they moved here and were happy they're here. And one guy stood up and he said, we gotta do something to get rid of these out of state developers.  I knew he hadn't been around very long and I had this urge when he was finished to grab him by the ear, march him to the window and point out the window and say, you like this town? You say you like this town. Wouldn't be here unless people invested money in it. Just wouldn't be here. You're right, you're right. From that time, the villages became towns and towns became cities. It took people risking money, their own money to do this, but they don't think of that. They don't realize that and they want to stop things and had they stopped things in the 1960s in this town, it would be a far different place and much less attractive to the young man who made that speech. You are correct. And to take up one step further, I said I couldn't wait for my first waterfront working group with the city manager and my lobstermen friends and my first statement to them was because they were in a slump all during the pandemic. They weren't selling lobsters.  But one of their major complaints is not just providing dockage for their people in the business, for their industry, but it's traffic on commercial street. They don't like that they now have to wait to get from point A to point B in traffic. But I brought to their attention, gentlemen, I said, there's a correlation between you selling lobster in that traffic. You gotta have both. We laughed about it. I made my point. Yeah, but it seems to me a very good point that you sell a lot of lobster in your restaurant. Right, right. Probably as much as anybody in the state. You don't know. We don't know, but a lot. But a lot of the restaurants in the neighborhood sell lobster. But people come to a floating restaurant on the main sea coast, they think lobster. And every time you make a lobster sale, it's good for those lobstermen. Exactly, that's the point I was making. Yeah. I took you off task a little bit. You were talking about development. And I immediately thought of the Eastern Waterfront where we have that kind of a rapid expansion of development. A lot of office buildings down there. Boy, big time. Big time. Yep. And condos. And the developers of the four points mariner and then the upland buildings, it's all good. I mean, I happen to have a wife who disagrees with me on that. She does not like all that. She doesn't want all those big buildings. She drives through there. She said, it reminds me of Boston. It's good. It's progress. Well, there's a little difference between Portland and Boston and many other cities, not all cities. Portland is almost an island. It's a peninsula. And there's not a lot of space on that peninsula. It's the limited. So in terms of downtown Portland, it will never sprawl too much because there's no place to go. The only place to go now is West Commercial Street where the veterans building is being constructed now on the west side of the bridge. But otherwise, Portland is a very contained place. Seawater on three sides of Portland. So it's very contained. And the peninsula is no room for sprawl. The sprawl is being self Portland or Scarborough or Westbrook, but not in Portland. So Portland will never get too big. Can't. There's no room. But then it's not just the people that like Portland the way it used to be. My wife moved here in 77. It's not the same Portland or at least the downtown waterfront, isn't it? But we also have the islanders who have a legitimate concern about parking. That's true. That's a big issue for them. Yeah. And there's more people living on those islands. Than ever. Than ever. Yeah. They are dependent on the ferry and the parking garage next to the ferry. And is that parking garage, I guess, is full all the time? Oh, yeah. Yeah, you're a long waiting list, but... Waiting list. There were surface lots that the city owned. And they've got one open right now for a daily pay, $15 a day, which is reasonable. But that'll be developed here eventually. The city's got some grand plans for a nice Portland park, a waterfront park down there by the... Down with the ferry terminal. Correct. The Nova Scotia ferry terminal. Correct. Yeah. They've got some great plans for down there to offer more public access to the water. But it is coming to the cost of parking for our islanders. It is. But overall, the amenities in this city, extraordinary for a city its size. They have very few places in America with the amenities that have been developed here in the last 40 years. Very few places in America that can match it in terms of lifestyle, amenities, and so forth. You know, for those who don't want it to be developed too much, you've got the fact that the peninsula is limited in space. There's not much room for much more development. Correct. And the climate. Fact of the matter is that climate always has and always will be a kind of governor on development. It'll never get too great because people don't like cold weather. No, I think you're right. But it is spreading a little bit. I mean, look at the news with Berman Morrow moving out all those jobs. And I haven't heard how many jobs are leaving, but that's going to be replaced by the Ru Institute with the collaboration with Northeastern University. So it's going to be replaced by many hundreds of students who do not live here now that come here to go to school. They're going to spend many, they're all graduate students and they're learning to be entrepreneurial. They're learning to develop new science and new businesses. I think it is, you know, it's replacing factory workers with jobs that some kid growing up that goes to Deering High School. Well, you went to Deering High School that has been confronted with the fact that unless you have your own business, you might end up working in Philadelphia. That kid's going to go to college and come back to Portland and work in a job that pays well. So I'm very excited about the Ru Institute and the Berman Morrow place. That site, Berman Morrow's site, as you cross the bridge with the back bay on one side and the Casco Bay on the other side. And that site is one of the best sites I've ever seen in any city. Yeah, it's beautiful. It's spectacular. And I didn't mean to speak bad about that. No, no. I love those folks and it's definitely bringing some new excitement. Oh, I think it's going to stimulate jobs. But there's the housing issue too. There is the housing issue and that's true. And there is a crisis at housing to the cost. So many people can't afford rents and so forth. But supply and demand always affects those things. So the supply is restricted and no matter what the city council does, unless the restriction and supply is alleviated, they can't fix it. You can pass laws, you can try to cap rents, you can do all those things. Just means fewer housing. The more you cap the rents, the fewer new housing units will be built. So, but you build enough of them. Now they're starting to work now on a high rise apartment house, the tallest in Maine in downtown. Well, those kinds of things alleviate the housing crisis because the more you build, the less price pressure there is in rents. I believe you're correct. And the folks that, they don't like that the workers have to go to Westbrook or Soco, which is that those are popular places to go now. Very popular. Yeah, because the price is right. The taxes are lower. I mean, let's say our property taxes are really high here in Portland. They are indeed. Yeah. And that's what's driving, another reason why it drives the rents up so high. Yes, yeah. No, there's no question about it. But in any event, the bottom line is that for politicians in Portland, for people on the council, people who want to be a mayor or whatever, that it gets funds from only one place. The money to pay for the things they want to do comes from people, from residents, property taxes, fees, that kind of thing. That's where all the money comes from. No development, no money. Simple. So the city is partners with people like you.  The more success you have in your restaurant business, the higher value your property has, the more in taxes the city of Portland collects, the more it can spend. Pretty simple equation. So what worries you about Portland in the next 25 years? You may think the big concerns, I mean, we're doing well, but the things we have to be careful about? Oh, homelessness, unhoused, it's a big issue. So we've got people all around the city or the peninsula anyways that are in a place to live. I don't know the answers. I see a lot of people studying it. A lot of, you know, I watched the Preble Street organization do their best to feed people and to house people and to attend to their needs. You know, the Portland Free Clinic doing their work out there on the healthcare for the unhoused. But then there's the debate, where's the next homeless shelter? Not my neighborhood, it's not my neighborhood. Nobody wants it in the neighborhood. The popular one is the Riverside Street now, but then the city's now gonna put it on the ballot. Maybe there's a choice between smaller ones or the large one, which is not very, I don't think it was aptly cited, some do, or none of the above. So here's what some people would ask you, and I'll ask you on their behalf. You talked about difficulty in getting dishwashers in your restaurant. Joseph Brennan, who grew up in Portland and was for two terms, Governor of Maine, always said, as he went around in campaign, the best social program is a job. The best social program is a job. I had always appealed to me, I always thought, Joe's right about this, it's pretty simple, and he's absolutely right. He was right about a lot of things.  Why don't they come and wash dishes at DeMillo's? No, there's a fair amount of those folks that are suffering from mental illness, substance abuse, those are big, big factors in the homelessness issue. That's, you now put on the table a major part of the issue, which is mental health and addiction. And it is a mental health issue, and that's what I think, what we don't know what the solution is. When I was growing up into adulthood, mentally ill people were actually treated in mental hospitals. Now there was an idea that went around, that caught hold that this was cruel to put people in these institutions who were mentally ill when they could be treated with medicine. And so everybody went on the street, and some people can't function, and they don't take their medicine. And I don't know what the solution is, but you put your finger on the disconnect between you want people to work, and these people are on the street, and you said a lot of it is mental health and addiction. Yeah, I have, I don't have the answers, evidently nobody has the golden spike to fix the problem, but there's a lot of good people out there working towards it. And if you look, if you talk about workers and homeless or panhandlers, you know, both my brother, one of my brothers has offered, stopped and offered work to people. We've got some people from that offer. My brother-in-law has done it, but most people, I don't know, they either enjoy the cash or they can't deal with it mentally. But you do have some people that were down and out that you've given jobs to and they've come to work. Correct, and worked up the ladder, some of them. Really? Yeah, yeah. Because then it goes back to the minimum wage thing, like the minimum wage, minimum wage wasn't tended to someone to raise their family on. And it's an entry-level wage. Come to work as a dishwasher, work up to a prep cook, a lined cook. Run the kitchen someday. We'll train you. But now you can make 800 bucks a week washing dishes, so the times have changed. A dishwasher. And I don't think that's bad. The fact is that the more you pay people at the lower end, the more they can put back into the economy. So, my theory, because I don't own a restaurant, is if you pay them dishwashers $800 a week, they can afford to go to a restaurant and buy a meal, too. That does help the economy. It does help the economy, absolutely. So I think, well, let me ask you this. So your involvement in city politics and public affairs, you think about running for some office? Well, running for the charter commission was appealing to me because it was a defined role, a defined period of time, even though it was a little bit flexible as to how far out would go. But it was a defined role that I thought would be a great way to give back to my city. You mentioned Governor Brennan. Governor Brennan gave me that advice for 20 years ago, probably. He said, do not run for a council seat as a business person.   So now you have on the Portland City Council some people that I believe are moderates like, yeah, Spencer and Nick, they're getting off, and so the Democratic socialists were organized to get those seats. Correct. But those seats, and it's this year, I guess, it's in November, so it's an off year election. District one seat, given up by her name her name escapes me, but she's also from the Hill. Also a great, great moderate candidate. She's a moderate, yeah. She is, nice person, hard worker, thinks outside the box. Yeah. Sorry, I remember her name. So there is obviously in government a place for people in the middle that aren't on the extremes, but the problem is that in this city, for instance, we talked about the Democratic socialists being highly organized. There's no moderate organization. There's no organization of moderates. There are some of that are brewing. Okay. So stay tuned. Stay tuned. Okay. Belinda Ray, I'm sorry. Sorry, Belinda. Belinda Ray seat, district number one, Sponsored Tibidot two, and then there's two, excuse me, on that large seat, Nick Mavadonis' seat. Those three seats will be up for election in November. And their ranked choice voting will be applied to those races. And so if we don't want it to be just one group in power, other groups have to organize. Politics is not a spectator sport. Politics is a non-spectator sport. That's right. So all right, so we're not gonna see you running for mayor, that's for sure. Bad for business, I agree. Yeah, I think the governor hit the nail in the head too, but also, I mean, I've been working a lot of hours, long hours, all my life. I wanna have some fun. I've got a great family. I love my wife spending time with her. My kids work with us. So you have two grown children? Two grown children, yeah, 38 and 35. Boys. Steve Jr.'s 38, Chelsea is 35. They both work with us. They do. They both, they gave us three grandchildren that are just so much fun, and we're having a great time with them, but look at them, I mean, they're already eight, seven, and three, so before you know it, they'll be in high school and gone off to college, so I wanna catch some of that along the way. Yeah, all right, so you have a lot of things you wanna, you wanted to, do you have a boat? I share a boat with my family. A boat my dad had built in 1989, that's a Holland. Lobster? Lobster, yeah, it's a 38 Holland, and we love it. We really enjoy it. Well, your dad had me on that boat a few times.  No, he didn't. On two occasions, I can remember, I had somebody visiting from out of town, and I called him up and I said, Tony, I wanna show these people, Portland and the harbor and everything. And he says, bring them down, we'll take them out on the boat. Both times, he had a little spread on the boat. Nice. You know, we had a nice lunch and so forth. He was a great promoter of the city of Portland. Yeah, he was. A great promoter of the city of Portland. Do you, do you remember when, of course you do, because you were a young guy, but you remember when your father decided to take the risk on this ferry from Newport, Rhode Island, and bring it to Portland and everything. Sure did. Well, he must have had some sleepless nights because that's dicey stuff.  He knew that, and he really didn't know, he hadn't traveled a whole lot at that point in his life, but he knew people were drawn to the water, and he literally was reading Boats and Harbors Magazine at our old restaurant across the street, thinking about the restaurant he'd built on the end of the pier, and then he saw this thing and he just, the light bulb went off. He just looked at it as a platform, a foundation. Common sense. So he had a lot of it. So, but he also had a lot at risk. He could have lost everything. Yeah. My mom used to tell a funny story about, he said to my mom one day, I'm thinking about, because he was established, he owned that whole block of buildings on the other side of Commercial Street, a successful business, real estate. He bought Long Wharf and he had built a mariner, and he said to my mother, I'm thinking about buying this ferry, 206 foot long retired car ferry, and kind of mapped it out a little bit for, and what do you think? And she said, I don't know, Tony, that's a little big of a risk. He says, too late, I already bought it. And that's the way he worked. Yeah, yeah. He never consulted us. You know, myself and my other family members, I shouldn't say. He was definitely driving the bus. It was his, he said, because I asked him one day when he came down the gangway and he kind of undid everything I had done that night. And I said, what does that mean when you say you're semi-retired? He said, as soon as I walked down that gangway, I'm the boss. He was the boss. He paid attention to everything, every detail. If you went into that restaurant and you saw your, and talked to your father, he would come to your table and talk to you. But his eyes were everywhere.  He knew what was going on. He would say, excuse me a second, and go speak to somebody. He'd say, don't do that or do this. He was something. One time, when I was managing partner of my law firm, we hired a new administrator to be the boss of our law firm. And the first day he came to work, I said, what are you doing tonight? Nothing.  Only require one thing. He said, what's that? I said, watch DeMillo. Learn from him. Learn from your master. DeMillo, I said, that's the way we want you to be here. So yeah, he was a remarkable guy. And I like it that you have a painting of your father in the entryway to DeMillo's restaurant, where he's looking at his eyes, and it's a way I remember him watching everything. And when you walk by it, you must think he's watching you. We used to, I used to tell my brother, Gene, he's looking at you through that office window. When some say he's looking at the cash register, but he also said, we live when conflict might arise in our family management of the restaurant. And he said, we live by the golden rule. I've got all the golden eye rule. It was great. Yeah, it was great. Your father was young when he died, how old was he? 66. 66. What he strikes. Smoked all the time. My mother said his feet didn't touch the floor in the morning, he had one going. He loved smoking cigarettes. Yeah, and it did a man. Oh, yeah. Whatever, he had a good time while he was here. Yeah, yeah. Well, Steve, thank you very much for coming here. We learned a lot from you tonight. And people will now come into your restaurant. You know most of the people in town, but maybe some people here say, I saw you on television and I'd come in to have a meal. So thanks very much for coming. My pleasure. Bye-bye. Thank you.


I'm Emily Hamilton, and this session will introduce the acquisition of 3D printed objects. As we shift from the technology of these works to their lives and collections, we'll begin to unpack some of the issues and questions surrounding their preservation. I'm speaking today from Buffalo, New York, on the campus of Buffalo State College. The college would like to acknowledge that our campus is situated within the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, including the Seneca, Tuscarora, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk, and of their ancestors, the Neutral, the Erie, and the Wenrel. We wholeheartedly pledge to work in the spirit of collaboration with our current Indigenous neighbors, the Seneca and the Tuscarora, who continue to maintain a cultural and spiritual connection to the region. 3D printed objects entering museum collections include works of design, architectural models, and artworks, which present varying needs and challenges. Prototypes or models may not have been intended to be preserved when first made, while highly sophisticated artworks may have a complex conceptual or technical underpinning. Considerations for these works include the varying potential scope of acquisition, the processes necessary to facilitate their entry into collections, and understanding their material needs and anticipated behavior. I will elaborate on each of these points, as well as introduce some considerations related to reprinting and exhibition possibilities, drawing from my past experience as an Objects Conservator at SF MoMA. You may notice several points of overlap in the next several sessions, and we hope that hearing these topics discussed from the context of different institutions, perspectives, and artworks underscores the nuance of these issues. The scope of acquisition varies, depending both on the work and the capacity or the interest of a collection. An acquisition may consist solely of a physical print, or it could also include preliminary drawings or renderings, digital files, or photographic or video documentation, particularly if the work is interactive or related to a performance. In some cases, it may consist of only a digital file. Some acquisitions may focus on an end product, while others have a broader interest in the process. Prior to acquisition, it is essential to clarify the scope of acquisition, both in terms of what the work is and what the institution can manage. Material samples may also be considered if the work is related to technical innovation, as with this work by Neri Oxman, that explores the potential of sustainable biopolymers. In this example, extensive material explorations were created prior to making the large-scale pavilion that was acquired by the museum. These samples were not officially part of SFMOMA's acquisition, but they were used to represent the work in an exhibition at MOMA. Preserving material samples such as these presents an interesting option for works that are challenging to transport or are intended to degrade, though they represent an additional commitment of resources and consideration of what a collection can reasonably support. It is just these kinds of questions that emerge in the pre-accession process. This is a key time to learn more about the works and engage with creators or fabricators. While every institution manages this process differently, collaborative dialogue is a key component. At SFMOMA, interdepartmental conversations surrounding 3D-printed works are nurtured within a framework referred to as Team Architecture and Design, or Team A&D, as that is the primary collecting department of these works. This group consists of collections, exhibitions, and curatorial staff, with differing perspectives and knowledge of the works, promoting a less hierarchical structure than is often found in museums. This discussion structure also provides the important space to revisit previous discussions and build from them as works are loaned, exhibited, or conserved. Acquisition processes evolve in response to the works being acquired and the issues they surface, and it's interesting to note that the pre-accession documentation process at SFMOMA has evolved three times in the past 10 years. To go into this a little further, questions for the artists could relate to both the understanding, the concept, and the materiality of the work. An open-ended, non-technical conversation is a good opportunity to learn more about the work and the artist's practice. For the print, basic questions could include the make and the model, the printer, the material used, post-processing techniques such as sanding or painting, and assembly methods. Specifications for display may also be helpful to discuss, as well as the details of the digital process and related decision making that Peter Alexek will address in the next talk. This is also a chance to ask about any changes in appearance since printing, the artist's thoughts about them, and whether any intervention might be desired. There are different ways to track this kind of information. At SFMOMA, conservators use this checklist as guidance for remembering to ask about these kinds of details and also to keep information organized. A first draft was made in 2011 and was then revised in 2018 to include an additional field specifically about reprinting. In the time between these versions, a few instances arose where reprinting was discussed. In some cases there were varying recollections of an artist's opinion or directive with surrounding documentation captured in personal correspondence or files with limited access. We added this space in the checklist to track whether reprinting was discussed at the time of accession or perhaps considered unfeasible or not appropriate. Though opinions around this may always change, we found it helpful to have a record of the initial thoughts. The accession documentation has evolved further since then. Efforts to understand whose work is represented in the collection led to the creation of a questionnaire for artists who wish to self-identify in terms of race, gender, origin, and other identities. This is being developed in tandem with an adaptive object questionnaire for artists that relates to the work's conception, fabrication, and installation, as well as a curatorial questionnaire that captures their reasons for bringing a work into the collection and their understanding of its significance. The questionnaires have now been used by museums for some time and are not without their complexities. This process is novel for the use of adaptive technology that it's responsive to varying answers and becomes tailored to an individual artwork. Overall, these efforts represent a major rethinking of the accession process for SF MoMA and will encourage greater information access and transparency. On a very practical level, the cataloging of the medium description for 3D printed works is also important. Since there are so many different printing processes and materials, it can be difficult to find works and collections databases if there isn't consistent terminology. Deciding on a consistent approach for cataloging will help researchers and visitors to learn what's in a collection and promote further study. As an example, in the 2018 survey of SF MoMA's collection with Caitlin Richardson, we were interested to see that gaps in cataloging practices over time made it difficult to find 3D printed works and know what materials and techniques were represented. Though we were able to identify most of them through curatorial guidance, archival documentation, or visual examination, we were not able to confirm the printing techniques for 10% of the works that we examined. Conversations with colleagues and other institutions suggests that this is fairly common and it's something to be aware of as works enter a collection. When receiving a 3D printed object, shipping is a primary moment where works may be damaged and it's a main cause of reprinting. 3D printed plastics are often brittle and these works are often coming from non-museum sources where professional packing and shipping services may not be used. As Peter will highlight, the digital files related to a work may be very useful for creating custom housing that can support complex shapes. At a minimum, a conversation with a shipper about potential vulnerabilities and packing options would be helpful and it's generally a good idea to use a barrier layer between the object and materials such as packing peanuts. The material behavior and care of these works will be covered in greater detail on day 3 by Caroline Kuhn but I'll mention just some of the common issues very briefly as they relate to making an initial condition assessment and connect to the discussion of reprinting. Plastics are currently the most commonly acquired 3D printed works and are often observed to yellow, shift in color, and delaminate between layers. Some may appear to sweat liquid components while others may be very brittle. They tend to show handling marks and can be challenging to clean, especially for architectural models or prototypes not necessarily intended to be kept. Unstable adhesive such as super glue are commonly used and these may yellow or fail. Finally, the support material used in the printing process may not be stable and it can create stains or areas of weakness in the print if it's not removed completely. If the condition of a print is thought to be problematic, the question of reprinting will not be far behind. As this comes up in several case studies of this conference, I'll introduce some of the considerations. First, there is some level of expected variation. Over time, materials and techniques will evolve and the many variables in print settings mean that the chances of creating a precise replica are low. This is especially true if there's complex post-processing that directly involve the artist. Navigating these discussions requires technical understanding to truly be in dialogue with the printers which we hope this conference will help address. Cost is not an insignificant factor either as high-end processes may cost tens of thousands of dollars. Beyond the practicalities, the core of the discussion for conservators comes down to the ethics of refabrication to which we may look for precedence in the conservation of other media. In some cases, collecting institutions may wish to support reprinting to address a specific issue such as shipping damage but with limitations such as within a certain period after initial manufacture or only with the direct participation of the artist given concerns around intellectual property. For other works such as the Josh Klein case study that we'll hear about from the Whitney, reprinting is part of the artist's conception and this is a very different conversation. Finally, what happens to the old prints? Are they returned to the artist, destroyed or retained for study? While we won't resolve all of these questions here, this case study of an architectural model that Martina and I referred to in the opening session provides a chance to see how these considerations surfaced in a real-world example. As we shared earlier, pre-accession dialogue around this model raised the question of whether we could simply acquire the digital files and I should say here that these conversations are ongoing and I'm not showing the full model or the name of the architect since it hasn't formally been acquired yet. In this case, a print made 10 years earlier had yellowed and the architect requested a new print prior to exhibition. Since the timeline of future exhibition was then unclear, we decided not to print until that timeline was established so new prints would not also yellow before they would be shown. Additionally, the size of this work was variable and could also be printed at furniture scale so the idea of acquiring the digital files would leave that option open. Before committing to this plan, we worked with Fathom Studios in Oakland to make a test print of a small section shown here to learn more about how this would work. Though there had been several previous conversations about potentially reprinting, this was the first time that SF MoMA had pursued it and there were several informative lessons. Unsurprisingly, there was directional variation in the surface texture because of how the print was oriented. For SLS prints, there may be multiple projects made at once by the printer and these fine lines reveal how the parts were oriented. If this were deemed important, it might be possible to work with the printer to match the orientation, though for this test print it wasn't a problem. What was surprising to us was that there were slight dimensional variations between the original and the reprint. Some of the thinnest parts were slightly thicker, though everything still fit together. At first, we thought there might be an issue with the scaling of the STL files. Dialogue with the architect clarified that the files they sent were a different version than the original print we had, probably to make these very thin areas stronger. After some discussion, they decided to send files that corresponded to the print with thinner walls. It can be difficult to see these kinds of variations by looking only at the digital files, so we elected to make a test proof in a less expensive printing material to confirm that the second batch of files matched the old print. This proved very helpful in visualizing the shapes and the cost difference was significant. The FDM print made by Mark Heller was less than a dollar, while the partial test print in SLS was approximately $800 and printing the entire model would cost upwards of $30,000 US dollars. The FDM print would never be exhibited, but it was very effective as a confirmation that we had the right files. The question of what will happen to old prints will vary depending on the institution and the artist. At SFMOMA, the most likely outcome would be for the print to become part of the Engelisa-Eckman Lane Artist Materials Tower. As working with living artists as the central tenant of SFMOMA's conservation practice, this tower was built in the conservation studio to house and display the material traces of these interactions. This collection holds many different kinds of objects, including material mockups, samples, artist tools, and works that have required refabrication, such as this yellowed soap component of Janine Antoni's lick and lather. These materials are accessible to visitors, school groups, and researchers with the goal of providing transparency about museum practices and telling the stories of caring for the collection. While refabrication is the exception and not the rule in the conservation of contemporary art, this is not the first time it's come up. Examples in other media may help us navigate the decision-making and ethics of these choices by lending an understanding of precedents within an institution and the field. The test prints that we made for the architectural model were retained in this collection. They join other material samples of differing 3D printing materials and processes, which create a reference for understanding the capacity of these techniques in different moments in time. The possibility of refabricating 3D printed works present interesting options for display, as well as some ramifications. If it's possible and appropriate to make exhibition copies, these may allow for more flexible installations with less need for barriers or light restrictions. They could promote interactivity, as will be discussed in the Cooper Hewitt presentation. Works that were created with the potential of reprinting at different scales would retain that flexibility, such as the architectural model discussed here. While encouraging a greater volume of plastics may give us pause, the development of more sustainable materials could encourage us to reprint locally for loan, reducing the need for travel. The financial and environmental impact of these possibilities merits thinking through, as these and future developments in technology may allow us to reduce the carbon load of global exhibitions, as well as the real burdens of storage. 3D printed works prompt many questions. As we go forward, it'll be interesting to learn how many institutions are acquiring 3D printed works and how the numbers of these acquisitions may change if the technology becomes even more commonly used by artists and designers. Printing costs for many techniques have declined significantly, though it remains to be seen if this continues to a point where refabrication becomes more financially feasible. We can expect that printing materials and techniques will evolve, possibly becoming more environmentally sustainable and more stable. As the technology evolves, earlier prints may be valued differently, with evidence of earlier manufacture considered more like a patina than a problem. These works encourage us to reflect on current museum practices and challenge the stewards of these works to match the level of ingenuity demonstrated by their creators. I'd like to acknowledge my colleagues who've been such wonderful partners in learning together about these works. Thank you very much for listening.


Hi everyone, Joe for jaspyscasebreaks.com. We did it. We knocked out 2022 Panini National Treasures Football one box, random team break number one. A lot of fun stuff here, yep. It's the 2022 draft class we're chasing after Brock Purdy, among others. Some other good names in the 2022 class. Big thanks everybody here. We were planning on two fillers, we ended up just doing one, which was awesome. So thanks everybody who bought their spot straight up, including the final group right here. And congrats to people who won their way in. The next one box break is in the store right now, jaspyscasebreaks.com, all 32 teams are in. And let's roll it and randomize names and teams seven times. Good luck, one, two, three, four, five, six, and seventh and final time. All right, we got Jalen up top, Garrett in the 32 spot. We got one and a six, seven times for the teams. One, two, three, four, five, six, and seventh and final time. One and a six, seven times. We got the Titans up top. The Broncos towards the bottom, the Niners are right there in the 30 spot. All right, Jalen with the Titans, Josh with the Bengals, Chad with the Seahawks, Patrick Rams and Patriots. Francis with the Texans, Stephen with the Chiefs, Ryan with the Falcons, and the Colts, Nick with the Vikings. Stephen P, you got the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Evan with the Ravens, Stephen with the Saints and Dolphins, Tristan with the Steelers, Daniel with the Bills, Josh last spot, Mojo Packers, Tristan with the Eagles, Francis with my Raiders, Douglas with the Carnals, Stephen Bears and Panthers, Douglas with the Browns, Jalen with the Lions, Tristan with the Jets, Nick with the Commanders, Thomas with the Cowboys, Stephen with the Giants, Evan with the Jaguars, Daniel Smith with the 49ers, Chris with the Chargers, and Garrett with the Denver Broncos. And let's alphabetize by team. There is a trade window, so I'll pause the video just for a little bit. When we come back, we'll see if there's any trades, then we'll have the break. Stick around, BRB. All right, welcome back folks. No deals were done, so TWC trade window closed. So here is the final printout on a Monday. Thanks everyone for getting in on it. Appreciate you. Next one box break, like I said, in the store right now, jaspyscasebreaks.com. The sounds of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade on the background, one of my favorites. So there's the fresh case right there. Now let's see which one box break we're gonna do. Packed with too many hits. There we go. Empty box, here are the four boxes. Mark these with letters. A, B, C, D. So we'll go on the dice roll, one, two, three, four. If I roll a five or a six, we'll just roll again. And it's four, one, two, three, four, box D. And we'll save those for the next one box break. Good luck everybody. Everyone knows the quality of NT, everyone knows the potential of what could be pulled here. Potential monsters. Thanks for going on a monster hunt with me. Case card slide and not a little early. I'm gonna use this jaspys sticker card right there to slow play the hits a little bit. All right, so I was Quinn and William sliding around there. 43 out of 95. That'll be for the Jets. That's gonna go to Tristan and the Jets. And then we've got Cooper Cup. There's a treasured moment right there. Super Bowl MVP. That's 27 out of 99. I wonder what treasured moments will happen in this upcoming Super Bowl. Chiefs, Niners. Then we've got more Rams. Bobby Wagner, seven out of 49. Two color patch for Patrick and the Rams. Cooper Cup and now the Bobby Wagner. Century materials. And we've got a dual relic, 23 out of 49. Jahan Dotson and Brian Robinson Jr. Nick and the Commanders. And we have Shaquille Leonard. Eight out of 99 on that Shaquille Leonard going to the Colts. Ryan with the Colts with the spot that he won in the filler. We've got Tom Brady, part of him. 62 out of 99. Century materials, piece of his jersey as a patriot. Patrick with the Pats. Yeah, game worn. Always nice to see. All right, here's our first autograph. It's Jason Whitten. 30 out of 49. Jersey and autograph Dallas Cowboys. Thomas with the boys. Nice, that's a catch. We've got a Leonard Fournette, Jersey and autograph. Eight out of 49. Stephen P and the Buccaneers. And we've got a, what time is it? Game time. 17 out of 49, Ray Lewis for the Ravens. That would be for Evan who won that spot in the filler. Nice, it's really sweet. And the final one is, is rookie first edition signatures. It's Christian Watson. 95 out of 99. Two color patch and autograph. That is for the Green Bay Packers. That's last spot in Mojo. Strikes again, Josh with last spot in Mojo. Nice. All right, gang. No Brock Purdy's in here, but maybe somewhere else over here. So check it out. Ask Me's casebreaks.com. I'm Joe. I'll see you next time for the next one. Bye-bye.


Ann Blythe, Dennis Day, Philip Terry, star on Family Theater. A mutual broadcasting system in cooperation with Family Theater Incorporated presents All brides are beautiful starring Ann Blythe and Philip Terry. Refortions are transcribed. Dennis Day is your host. I suppose most of us married men carry an insurance policy. We do it because we love our families and want to be sure they will always be happy, always be together no matter what happens to us. But what if you could get a policy that would keep your family together and happy while you're alive? You'd take it, wouldn't you? Well, there is such insurance and you possess it when you make daily family prayer, a practice in your home. Praying as a family will make your family love and understand each other better. It unites your family in asking God for the things you need and thanking Him for what you have received. Yes, family prayer is an insurance policy. It ensures happiness for your home. Dennis Day returns after this week's Family Theater drama. All brides are beautiful starring Ann Blythe and Philip Terry. Stand on you like this, I know. You always seem to understand. Is it Bob? For Sharon. They're going to be married right away. He told you so himself? He wrote me a letter. Oh, why couldn't I have been beautiful like Sharon? I don't blame Bob. What chance is a girl like me of happiness? A better chance maybe than the Sharon's. Oh, now you're talking like mother. Sit down, Gaila. It may help you to hear about another letter, a letter I once received. A letter like Bob's? No, Gaila. Quite another kind of letter. It's a letter that came to me when I was about your own age. Some of the events leading up to it you already know. My coming to the city, for instance, and the reason I came. But let's begin with my experience one day at an employment office. Your references are excellent, Miss Palmer. None better. But is it so necessary that you stay in New York?  Miss Palmer. Oh, I don't blame you. I don't blame anyone. Sometimes I find my own eyes avoiding a mirror. And I've had a long time to get used to myself. A long, long time. Would you mind telling me how it happened?  She falls and her head strikes against a wagon wheel. Her chin is crushed. It must have been ghastly. They were afraid I wouldn't live. Oh, come now. You mustn't feel that way. mustn't I? All these years I've been able to bear it because of one hope. Plastic surgery. Then it is possible. It must be. Oh, you haven't been to see a plastic surgeon yet? The job comes first, then when I can afford... Miss Dana, there's something I haven't told you. This isn't the first employment agency I've tried. I guessed as much. Well, I always was as softy. I'll do all I can. Miss Dana kept her word. She did all she could. All anyone could for a job applicant like Lucy Palmer. I got so I had to force myself to go out on the interviews.  Oh, come in. Sit down, Lucy. No, Miss Dana, this time I've merely come to say goodbye and thanks. I'm sorry, Lucy. If I could hold out even a ray of hope. I know. I've already bought my train ticket. I'll be running along. No, wait. Dana Employment Agency. Hello, Miss Dana. This is Ralph Colton again. Oh, now don't tell me to do. Yes, same old Terry. Some poor simpleton decides to marry her. Say, I know just the girl for you. She's, well, I'll send her over. Do that. Lucy, I want you to hurry over to the law office of Ralph Colton. It's only a few blocks away. Here, I'll write down the address. Why, bother? Oh, but my dear, I know you'll get the job. Not when he sees what I look like. You don't understand, Lucy. Ralph Colton is blind. I hardly keep from running all the way. People turn to stare until I realize that in my excitement I'd forgotten to turn up my coat collar. But one doesn't enter an office with face hidden by a coat collar. So the girl looked at me unbelievingly when I told her what I had come for. It was an incredible relief to be alone at last with Mr. Colton. Miss Palmer, I have only one more question. How soon can you start? This very minute. You know all the right answers, Miss Palmer. I'm anxious to have the other girl start showing you around immediately so that by the time she leaves... Mr. Colton. Yes? I want the job very much. But before you make up your mind, definitely there's something you should know. Oh? I... my face. I had an accident when I was a child and... I know how you must feel, Miss Palmer. Been handicapped since childhood myself. Went blind when I was eight. Now then, if you'll tell Miss Wildland... I'm afraid you still don't understand. The truth is that no one else would hire me. I know that you'll make a perfect secretary. But it doesn't seem fair.  You have a lovely voice, Miss Palmer. A very lovely voice. It was weeks before I even unpacked my trunk. The trunk somehow was a symbol of permanency and this couldn't last. Even when it did, I found myself unaccountably putting off the very thing for which I had waited a whole lifetime. The visit to a plastic surgeon. Now, I'm not going to tell you to relax, Miss Palmer, because I know that would be utterly impossible. Neither can I dismiss all your doubts and fears with that magic word yes. Then it's no? No, not quite that simple either, Miss Palmer. You see, the surgery necessary in your case will involve a certain degree of danger. What kind of danger? Of having the facial nerve injured. The consequence would be complete paralysis of the affected sign. If the surgery is entirely successful, I can promise you a normal face. A beautiful face even. But if not, the decision is entirely yours. A short time ago I wouldn't have hesitated. And now? Now I've found a place for myself. A place where I'm wanted, even needed. Thank you, Doctor, but I'm afraid my answer is no. In the days that followed, I tried to dismiss the whole matter from my mind as well as tried to dismiss what confronted me in the morgue. But I didn't realize that anyone else was aware of my inner turmoil. Miss Palmer, has something gone wrong? Why do you ask that, Mr. Colton?  I hope it's nothing really serious. Not as serious as it once seemed. Nothing I may have said or done? Oh no, you've been very kind. I can't tell you how grateful I am. It's nice of you to say that. From my own part, I want to say, well, how much I've come to depend on you. Oh, but I haven't told you the good news. Good news? Yes, the best. My kid brother, Chester, has just been admitted to the bar. And I'm expecting him in this afternoon from Upstate. From now on, the firm will be Colton and Colton. Oh. You'll like him, Miss Palmer. Everybody does. Who's there? Pardon the intrusion, sir, but could I possibly interest you in a new law partner? Yes. You're looking great, Ralph. Is it prosperity or a touch of romance, maybe? You know, I've always said you ought to appropriate a wife. Oh, Miss Palmer, this is the scallywag I was telling you about. Well, how do you do? How do you do, Mr. Colton? If you'll excuse me now. No, no, don't go on my account. I was just leaving. Oh, but Chester... Somebody I promised to look up, Ralph, as soon as I got back. Same old chat. The new member of the law firm of Colton and Colton treated me most of the time as though I were invisible or at most a pair of hands that took his dictation and typed his legal briefs. It was less than a month before I discovered, quite by accident, how thoroughly justified I was in giving way to a mounting sense of misgiving. Now look, Ralph, it just isn't good business policy to have someone like her around. At face... Check. About you, Miss Palmer? Oh. It isn't important. Just that bill of particulars to be signed. Oh, later, perhaps? No. Let me have it now. Very well. Your pen. And the line for your signature is here. Thank you. Lucy, I'm terribly sorry. About what? It was rotten to have it happen that way. Did something happen? It was no use, Lucy. You couldn't have helped here... Oh, before I forget. May I leave early this afternoon? There's something I should attend to as soon as possible. The wind blew fresh and free on my face as I hurried down my mission. That face, Chester Coden had called it, I had overheard worse things before, but never with such impact. It was with color turned down with relentless steps that I headed for the office of Dr. Albert Lowerman to arrange for the operation. The next two weeks were the longest I had ever endured. For it was two weeks until the operation. Luckily, there was the task of finding a girl to fill in for me at Coden and Coden and breaking her in. All the while, Chester Coden behaved rather guiltily toward me. Ralph was more considerate than ever. So tomorrow's the day, Lucy. Yes. We'll miss you a lot. It's very kind of you to say so. You don't know what it's meant to. But the new girl is caught on remarkably well and by the time I come back, you'll probably prefer her. I hardly think. Must you submit to the operation? That's a strange question, Mr. Coden. Confounded, Lucy. I've had a talk with the doctor. There's a risk, a big risk. Lucy, don't go through with it. It isn't worth it. Oh, it is. To me. Listen, Lucy, I know how you feel, but, well, maybe it would make a difference. Maybe you'd change your mind. Nothing could make me change my mind. Nothing. The spring morning smiled in through the tall windows at the end of the hospital corridor as they weared me into the operating room. Just such a morning it seemed to me as that spring day when the little girl had played in the hayloft of her father's barn. Then came the pain. The bottomless vortex of pain. Just as when the little girl had gone hurtling down. Down. Down. And crushed her chin and her hopes against the brutal biting rim of the wagon wheel. You lie with your arms strapped to your chin and time grinds to a throbbing halt. And only one thing matters anymore. To be able to tear that arm away, to flex it, to fling it back and forth, until the agonizing ache is gone. Until a delicious nothingness has settled mercifully over the bound, bandaged heap which is Lucy Palmer, which is you. I thought this moment would never come. The moment of my unveiling. You mustn't give way now, Miss Palmer. I'm sorry. Just nerves. Lucy, maybe Ralph and I shouldn't be here. Especially me. It was my idea, but Lucy, if you'd rather... Oh, no. No, I'm glad. And I've never thanked the firm of Colton and Colton for converting my hospital room into a flower garden. You've no idea what they are. Steady now, Miss Palmer, while I snip off these bandages. Doctor. Nurse, bring Miss Palmer a hand mirror. Well, Chet, tell me. She's... she's beautiful. The plastic surgery was a great success. People no longer looked away from me in embarrassment. Now, unbelievably, they turned to admire Lucy Palmer. Yes, I was beautiful. And the world was beautiful. Incredibly beautiful. Hey, Lucy, let me help you with your coat. I... what? My dear, you mustn't feel so self-conscious about being seen admiring yourself in a mirror. If I had a lovely face like yours, I'd always have a mirror within view. Oh, you always know the right thing to say. No, not always. Well, goodbye, Ralph. Bye. I had dinner with Chet that evening. Such a nice dinner. Such a nice evening. Soon we were together almost every evening. It was a part of living that I had never even glimpsed. And how I gloried in it. Yet all the while, I kept telling myself that it couldn't last. I have an extra special reason for wanting to sit out this dance, Lucy. For once you sound serious. For once I am. Lucy, I... I suppose everyone has warned you about my romantic past. Everyone? Well, as you accused, I've a right to know just what they've said. That you never could resist a pretty face, except that it's always a different one. Well, they're wrong. I was just searching until I found the right one. Lucy, I have. Shall we go in now? You've got to believe me, Lucy. I never meant anything more in my life. Maybe you haven't, but you will. I'm going in. Lucy, I can't say the news is wholly unexpected. And I guess you both know that you're my two favorite people. All the happiness in the world to you. Thanks, Ralph. You've been so wonderful to me from the very first, Ralph. I'm going to prize having you for a brother-in-law. Say, that reminds me, I'd better call it Miss Dean and tell her that Cupid Colkin has done it again. By the way, will the wedding be soon? No, Lucy is holding out for a long engagement a whole month. There was only one thing to mother happiness of that month of true so-buying and honeymoon planning. Something was wrong with Ralph. Ralph, who had always been the picture of health and vitality. Chet insisted on his having a physical check-up, and though the doctor said it didn't seem to be anything serious, I began to worry. A confused kind of worry. I'd wake up at night with the feeling that something terrible was going to happen. The night before the wedding, I awoke with a feeling that it had happened. Whatever it was, I had been ready. Then suddenly I knew what it was. I jumped out of bed, snapped on the lights and ran to the mirror. You said yourself, Doctor, that the danger was past. And now look at me. This was to have been my wedding day. Your wedding day? I wonder... Wonder what? Miss Palmer, you're suffering from paralysis of the facial nerve, true. The drooping lower lid, mouth, there's no mistaking the symptoms. But the cause need not have been physical. Don't talk in riddles. The brain, Miss Palmer. The brain is the greatest riddle of all. Unconsciously, without in the least suspecting it, you might have wheeled this very calamity upon yourself in order to find escape of some sort. Go on, Doctor. Now ask yourself, is this connected somehow with what was to have happened today? Is this connected somehow with the wedding and Chester Colton? I don't know. I don't know. I didn't seem to have a worry in the world, except Ralph. What's that? Chet's brother Ralph. He hasn't been feeling too well lately. Ralph Colton? Wait a minute. What are you doing, Doctor? Ralph Colton came to see me before your operation. He entrusted me with this letter. I was to give it to you only if the operation didn't succeed. Well, here, read it. Maybe it can throw light on our riddle. My dear, it may be some slight consolation to you in this bitter hour of disappointment to know that no surgery of man, no miracle of God, could make you more beautiful than you've always been to me. I love you, Lucy. And while I grieve over your heart-breaking, it gives me courage now to ask something which I would not otherwise have dared to dream. Darling, will you be my wife? Well, Gaila, now you know about the letter I once received. Yes, Aunt Lucy. And now I think I understand what you meant. You meant that Bob couldn't really have been in love with me, not if I lost him to Sharon just because she was beautiful. I suppose that someday I may even be thankful about my letter. I'm sure you will be. Oh, you and Uncle Ralph are the happiest couple I know. And to think that if it hadn't been for that facial paralysis, but there's no sign of it now, it never has been as far back as I can remember. That's right, Gaila. Every trace had disappeared by the day of our wedding. But then, as Ralph has always said, all brides are beautiful. This is Dennis Day again. You know, there are a lot of unusual things about family theater, but here's something that really makes it different as far as I'm concerned. Family theater has no sponsor, and yet it has a million sponsors. Yes, I'd say that every father and mother in the country has a stake in this program, because every parent has the responsibility of making his home a place of happiness, a place of goodness, a place where God is known and family prayer is a daily practice. You are the listeners and the sponsors of family theater. And family theater is successful if it helps you realize that the family that prays together stays together. Thank you for being with us, and God bless you. Our grateful thanks to Anne Blythe, Phillip Terry and Dennis Day for their appearances, and to Marie Zim for writing our play. Original music was scored and conducted by Max Tehr. This production of Family Theater Incorporated was directed by David Young. The supporting cast included George Neese, John Daener, Jean Young, and Florence Ravenel. This series of the Family Theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who felt the need for this kind of program, and by the Mutual Broadcasting System which has responded to this need. Be with us next week at the same time when Dan Daly, head of Hopper and Fred Allen will star on Family Theater. Your announcer, Merrill Ross. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.


You find out that it is important to avoid violence in order to not engage in chaos because at the end of the day, what's important is the ability of people to come together to achieve their goals, not to fight each other. And I think in terms of conflicts in the United States and I think around the world that nonviolence is an important and very important way of dealing with the conflicts.