 I'm Ed Gardner, the president of Greater Portland Landmarks, and on behalf of the staff and the Board of Trustees, we're pleased to be holding our annual meeting this year in Westbrook. I want to thank Mayor Sanfee, the city leaders and officials in downtown, discovered downtown Westbrook, and all of you are members and supporters for coming out tonight. We have some special people to recognize before getting into a very brief annual meeting, and then after that we'll announce our 2019 Places in Peril, a list I think that will be of interest for all of you. As you may have read through the fall edition of our Landmarks Observer, we've been pretty busy with our sights on the history of Ferry Village in South Portland, the Portland's Bayside and Forest Avenue neighborhoods, advocating for the historic districts on Munjoy Hill, learning about climate change, which will affect our historic gems along the waterfront of Portland, and revamping the interpretive exhibits at the observatory. I don't know if everybody's been to the observatory, but if you haven't, we're still open. It looks fabulous. But one big change at Landmarks that happened this year was the retirement of our long-term standing Executive Director, Hilary Bassett, and Hilary, you're here. Can you stand up? And with that, we welcome to our Landmarks family our newest Executive Director, Sarah Hansen. Let's give Sarah a warm welcome. Hello. How is everybody doing this evening? Excellent. Thank you for coming to Westbrook. I live right up the street, so this is very, very convenient for me. So, first of all, I want to thank Westbrook Housing for letting us have the event here tonight. This is a 1936 addition to the original 1886 school, and this was built as a gymnasium, as an auditorium, and then added about eight classroom spaces when it was constructed. So we all absolutely love the tile work on the wall. It's pretty awesome. I also want to give a huge thank you to Mark Bogala. I'm not sure if he's made it down the street yet, but I was not on the tour, but I have been in his workshop, and it's extraordinary. So we are so thrilled that he opened that up for all of us tonight. I want to thank Rick with Mr. Bagel for doing our catering tonight. Yes. And I have to give a personal thanks to my dear, dear friend Darren Whitney for playing tonight. Giving us music. Thanks, Darren. And then, of course, thank Ed for many, many things, but especially for being a sponsor of this event tonight. So thank you, Ed. So this microphone has a red light on it, which means it will probably die shortly. But let's start the annual meeting. So landmarks finished up an exciting year this season with the Portland Observatory, 18,000 visitors that brought another record-breaking number of visitors to our lovely place. And the spring fundraising event at the Ocean Gateway cruise ship terminal that broke records in support for the education and programming that we do. We ended our fiscal year, June 30th, in a very positive and strong financial position. We have three quick business items before commencing the place's imperil announcement, so I'd like to call the annual meeting to order now. First, approval of the minutes. In your annual report, you should find the annual minutes from our last annual meeting. And if I can, ask for a motion to approve. Thank you. Second, any discussion on them? All in favor? Any opposed? Okay. Motion carries. Thank you very much. Next I'd like to turn over to Joel Harris. Joel is on our finance committee. Bruce Rillard's our chair. He couldn't be here tonight, so Joel's going to take over for us and give us a brief financial report. Thank you, Joel. Good evening. As Ed said, I'm standing in for Bruce Rillard. So if it appears that I'm reading this report, I am. Great Portland, first of all, officially I'm reporting on the fiscal year that began July 1st, 2018, and ended June 30th, 2019. Great Portland landmarks has had another productive year with a number of successes. We ended our fiscal year June 30th in a positive financial position, and are pleased to share that revenue from programs, including observatory, was particularly strong. Preliminary numbers in the current fiscal year continue to show the observatory generating attendance and revenues above our budget. As we do every year, we went through a formal audit this year, which was very clean and is a distinct vote of confidence in our record keeping. Thank you. I'd just like to ask, and I don't have any, but if there's any new business among some membership that would like to do a shout out, and if none, then we'll move on. I'd like to invite Nate Stevens. He's our first vice president and chair of our governance committee to come up and present the slate of nominees to the board for fiscal year 2019-2020. Nate Stevens. Thank you, Ed. All right. Where am I? Okay. So, trustee nominees to the board for a three-year term include Francesca Glutios-Steel, Ed Gardner, and then trustee nominees returning to the board for a second three-year term include Elaine Clark, Lynn Hallett, and Jack Greenland. And trustee nominees being elected for their first three-year term include Tom Doud, Joel Harris, Matthew Pitzer, and Brad Sprague. Okay. Can I get a motion to approve this slate? Second. Any discussion? All in favor. Any opposed? Good choice. Thank you. Motion carries. In your report, too, you'll see the advisory trustees for greater Portland landmarks. And I need a motion to approve them as well. So can I get a motion to approve the slate of advisory trustees? Thank you. Second. All right. Any discussion? All in favor? Thank you. Any opposed? Motion carries. Thank you very much. And that is it. I'd like a motion to adjourn the short meeting. Thank you very much. All in favor? Thank you. All right. I'd like to ask Sarah to come back up on to the stage, and we're going to get to our places in peril for 2019. Thank you, Sarah. All right. So we are delighted tonight to announce our next places in peril list. This is the fifth time that we've done this since 2012. So after today, our list will include 30 different properties and resource types. So we go through a careful nomination review and selection process that is done by committee. And really the point of this list is it's designed to shine a spotlight on different threatened historic sites in Greater Portland. And the goal here is to raise awareness, to rally resources necessary to save all of these irreplaceable treasures that really help define Greater Portland. And this year, we have identified four places that are in need of our help. All right. So first tonight is Gorham Academy, built in 1806. So Gorham Academy is one of the first six academies that were incorporated in what was then the District of Maine by the General Court of Massachusetts. Designed in 1806 by Samuel Elder in the federal style, it quickly became a symbol of pride in the community. And today it's a focal point on the University of Southern Maine Gorham's campus. The character defining features of the building are still intact, including the classically detailed portico impediment, four-door columns supporting a second floor balcony, and a fan light above the second floor door. And it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. So although the 213-year-old building houses studios for the art department, it is plagued by deferred maintenance. The building is not in a prominent location on campus, and it's easily overlooked as evidenced by an overwhelming addition proposed for the rear of the building and the 2019 University of Southern Maine campus master plan. But the Gorham Academy is a significant building in the town of Gorham. It's currently on the National Register, so tax credits could be used to offset the cost of rehabilitation. And we are very pleased to learn that USM has initiated a planning process looking at the rehabilitation needs of the building. And Landmarks looks forward to working with the Gorham community and the University of Southern Maine to ensure that this important community and Landmarks lives long into the future. Next is the Deering Farmhouse. This house, which was built in 1807, is the last remaining structure of the more than 200-acre James Deering estate, and it is believed to be the last federal period farmhouse within the city of Portland. James Deering, known as the Merchant Prince of Portland, was one of the original founders of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad. Six acres of his estate were purchased by Portland Junior College in 1947, and unfortunately both the Deering Mansion and the Barn were demolished when that happened. And upon the college's merger with the University of Southern Maine, the house became the alumni office. While the building is in good condition, it was last extensively renovated in the 1970s and it's currently vacant. The university's 2019 master plan proposes to use the site as the location for a new graduate school and would require relocation or demolition of the farmhouse. The building was recently determined eligible for listing on the National Register, but it has no current local protection from demolition or alteration. So the key location for the farmhouse on the campus represents an opportunity for continued use for education or administration purposes. And now that the building has been determined eligible for the National Register, historic rehab tax credits can be used for upgrades. And we again look forward to working with the University of Southern Maine to explore practical options for both rehabilitation and reuse. So next is historic fire stations of Greater Portland. So communities in Greater Portland, as you all know, have long histories of firefighting operations, but Portland has one of the oldest departments in America, establishing the first engine company in 1768. Many stations in the area were designed as large open spaces that didn't accommodate quarters for full-time personnel but served other community needs. In some neighborhoods and towns, fire stations have served as voting offices, voting stations or town offices, functioning really as a civic anchor in their communities. Most fire stations in Greater Portland were built during a different age of firefighting. Consolidation changes in firefighting technology and a need for accommodations for staff are challenges threatening some surviving stations. Many have narrow doors or short bays that are unable to accommodate new equipment requiring some departments to close, relocate, or demolish stations and build larger buildings. So in South Portland, the fire station at Cash Corner at 360 Main Street, which you can see in the upper right here, will be demolished for several reasons, mold, lack of sufficient living space, insufficient bay width, and little ability to expand the building to accommodate new equipment. The new replacement station will also result in the closure of the engine house in Fortin Heights, which you can see on the left. So in Portland, an October 2017 study recommended closing or replacing stations in East Deering, North Deering, Riverton, Rosemont, and Central Station on Congress Street. The Bramhull Station on Congress Street was also recommended for a major remodel or closure. So as the Portland Fire Department approaches its 240th year of service, we encourage the department and the surrounding communities to look closely at the legacy reflected in our community stations. Already, several fire stations have been sold or repurposed into functional commercial space and here in Westbrook, Discover Downtown Westbrook recently presented a plan to the city to turn a vacant fire station into an artist space and visitor center, and that's one you can see below there. So we challenge other community leaders to consider alternatives to demolishing these buildings that continue to serve as our neighborhood anchors. So this is the historic coastal communities of Greater Portland. So many of Greater Portland's most treasured prehistoric and historic sites sit along the coast and it's intersecting rivers and streams, areas at very high risk because of rising sea level. These sites include historic seaside communities, residential neighborhoods, warbs, forts, lighthouses, and more than 2,000 documented shell middens that contain valuable information and prehistoric cultural artifacts. The waterfront in the Greater Portland region has been inhabited for thousands of years and through the development of natural and maritime resource economies, people have dramatically shaped its geography. Unfilled projects in Portland expanded the peninsula on the north and south to accommodate real service and industrial uses in the 19th century and in South Portland, Ferry Village's mudflats were filled in during World War II for the construction of massive shipyards. Greater Portland communities are already experiencing reoccurrent flooding, erosion, and increasingly intense storms, threats that are projected to continue to increase as the Gulf of Maine warms and expands. The continued damage and destruction of local historic landmarks and sites could be detrimental to Greater Portland's personality and sense of collective history. The loss of archaeological sites would be both academically and culturally devastating. Information about Maine's prehistory and early colonialism could wash away and indigenous communities lose more fragments of their ancestors' landscapes. If this occurs, Greater Portland will face substantial revenue losses because our regional economy depends heavily on historic districts, properties, and parks to attract tourists, new residents, and businesses. So as concerns about climate change mount, historic preservation and the conservation of existing resources are key to developing a strategy of resiliency, risk management, and adaptation. Through collaboration and broad public engagement, we will raise awareness of the issue and work together with key partners to develop proactive and sustainable solutions. Landmark's goal over the next year is to develop a climate change impact, overview report, and analysis to explore solutions that mitigate these risks. While climate change cannot be reversed, much can still be done to protect our communities, and we look forward to devising creative solutions to mitigate threats and protect our endangered landmarks. So on that rather somber note, I want to switch it up and move on to our historic marker presentation. So the historic marker program is one of Landmark's oldest programs. It was launched in 1975 and has become a way for all of us to really visibly show our pride in our communities. And as part of the relaunch happening tonight, we would like to present the following markers in our new marker design. So I'm going to go through each of the three properties, the owners of whom are here tonight, and then I would ask all three of you to come up and get your new markers. So the first is 205 Ocean Avenue. The Franklin Morse House, which was built in 1878 and now owned by Dr. Ronald Brazil, who's here with us tonight. Franklin Morse was a partner in Cooper and Morse provisions and also president of the Zenith Dry Plate Company. Next is 74 Stevens Avenue, the Edith B. and Thomas A. O'Brien House, built in 1916. And the house was built for Edith and Thomas when they were newlyweds and new parents, they lived next door to Thomas' parents. And this is now owned by Angela Reed and Gary Plant. And then lastly, 234 State Street, which is the George S. Hunt Walk, built in 1881. And this is located in the Deering Historic District. This is a brick duplex that was built by the founder of Forest City Sugar Refining Company and the husband of Augusta Hunt, who was the first woman to vote in Portland. So I would invite all the owners to come up now. Yes, round of applause. A couple of things. One is we're going to do a birthday party for the building on October the 17th. We have invitations, if you folks would like to come and see the building. It's October 17th from 4 to 7. And also I'd like to thank Jane Lettson, who's here with me tonight. My office manager, she did a lot of work on making this happen. So thank you. 205 Ocean Avenue. Show up there, not the other houses. They might that might be a surprise. It could be exciting and prompt to party. So we did. So unfortunately, we did not. Unfortunately, we do other plaques, but these other owners are not able to join us. But just very quickly, 11 Cushman Street, which was the ACC Mitchell House that was built in 1863. It was built for James Berry and purchased a few years after its construction for A.C. Mitchell, who's a railroad engineer and his wife, Julia. 89 West Street was designed by John Calvin Stevens and built for John W. Deering, a former mayor of Portland, who was also a lumber merchant and sea captain. And then 48 State Street, the Jacob S. Winslow block in 1889. This is an apartment block that was developed by a sea captain turned shipyard owner. So so on behalf of Greater Portland, I want to thank you all so much for coming tonight. It's really wonderful to see you. And before I let us enjoy music and drink, I just want to be sure and recognize our staff, who is just extraordinary and who I'm so, so lucky to work with. So I know Christine Forrest, her development director, Alessa Wiley, manager of education. Where's Courtney Walker, our development assistant. And I know so many of you know Julie Larry, who's not able to be with us tonight because of a death in the family. But she is, it's just, I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful team. And I think Paul Ainsworth, our accountant is here too. Or was coming. Oh, OK. Anyway, thank you all so much. I'm so delighted to be here.