communicado!

words and pictures to share the universe, or at least the way I see it from here...

SLATES RESTAURANT – a longtime Hallowell business that has been blessed with community support to recover from a disastrous fire

BITTERSWEET NEWS The historic Perley Block, a three story 1804 brick building that was home to Slates Restaurant below and several residents above, was severely damaged by a fire that broke out on February 25th, 2007. It took firefighters from a half dozen towns 13 hours to extinguish the blaze. The silver lining: the flood of help from friends and supporters from the entire community and beyond, and every effort is being made to see that the 62 employees of Slates, as well as the tenants who lost their homes, are cared for until Slates can REOPEN, because no one will stand by and allow it to close. Walking sadly in the parking lot behind Slates after the fire, I was heartened to see Wendy Larson's nurturing mermaid mural, as celestially serene as ever, rising from behind the rubble of charred wood and bricks. With her permission, I have transformed this image into a collectible art button, to be worn as a show of community, solidarity and hope. SLATES RISING buttons are available for a donation of $5 each; all proceeds to the Slates Fire Relief Fund. These buttons are created and assembled by hand-- five hundred have already been made, and over $2,000 raised for the Fund! Thank you-- Nancy