Westbrook resident John C. L. Morgan has launched a new Web site, www.riverbankrepublic.com, dedicated to all things Westbrook. The site includes a calendar of events, a discussion group and a blog, where Morgan, 24, comments on the politics and culture of the city and the state. Last week, Morgan sat down with the American Journal to talk about why he started the Web site, what he hopes to accomplish with it and who would play him in the movie of his life.
Q: How long has the Web site been up and running?
A: Since Jan. 1. I’ve been working on it for a couple of years now. At first it was supposed to be a monthly online magazine, but I have three jobs right now. It will be updated monthly, but the blog will be updated every day, and the calendar is updated every week.
Q: What are your three jobs?
A: I’m working as an ed tech over at Gorham Middle School. I’m working with a kid who has autism, and I’m in the Coast Guard Reserves.
Q: How long have you lived in Westbrook?
A: Since I was a baby. I grew up in the Hamlet, then I moved to Monroe Avenue, right by the high school. I lived in a couple apartments on Main Street while I was going to the University of Southern Maine. I just bought a house on Rochester Street, where I live with my wife, Elisha.
Q: After living here your whole life, why have you decided to stay in Westbrook?
A: I love it. I have a lot of family here. I think it has a lot of potential, and I think it’s capitalizing on it somewhat. It’s right by Portland, and it’s 15 or 20 minutes from the woods.
Q: On your Web site, you ask your readers to vote on their favorite places to spend money in Westbrook. What are some of your favorite places?
A: For bars, I probably go to the Stockhouse most often, because it’s in stumbling distance from my house, but the Millside Tavern has a lot of characters. I really like Siam Square. I love their pad thai. I’m a big fan of Casa Novello. My absolute favorite place in Westbrook is Riverbank Park at night, especially right after a snowstorm. You’ve got the pink sky and the white lights. Don’t you think it’s funny that Westbrook has two libraries and two bowling alleys?
Q: Which do you prefer – duckpin at Westport or candlepin at Colonial?
A: I’ve actually only been to Colonial. It has more character. The ideal night would be a chili dog at Don’s Lunch, followed by three games at Colonial Bowling with the juke box going, capped off at the Millside Tavern. It’s the Paper City trifecta. That’s the old nickname for Westbrook. I’m on a one-man campaign to get a new slogan for Westbrook: “We don’t stink no more.”
Q: What do you think the Web site offers to the residents of Westbrook?
A: First of all, I think I have some funny things to say about the city, but I also have some serious things to say. A lot of associations in Westbrook are getting grayer. The members are getting older and not being replaced by younger people. I hope it gets people more involved and more connected to the city. I see my role as the cheerleader for Westbrook – 80 percent cheerleader, 20 percent critic.
Q: Do you have any changes or additions planned for the Web site?
A: I want to make it more of a monthly magazine. I want to get more contributors. I want some fiction in there – mostly Westbrook writers, but Maine writers, too. I want to get some book reviews in there, some essays. I want to do a column – something longer and more serious than the blog. Mostly, I want people who check on the calendar and see what’s going on in Westbrook on any particular day, talk about who the quickest gas pumper is, stuff like that.
Q: What do you think are the most important issues facing the city right now?
A: My wife and I are annoyed by the lack of recycling. It’s one of the hot-button issues. I love that they’re going to single sort, but it’s really annoying to go to the green bullet. I think it’s time for curbside recycling. I’m with Bru Chu (Mayor Bruce Chuluda) on that. I think we need to make downtown more diverse. We have a whole lot of businesses, but not a lot of residential life – people who can step out the front door and go to Freaky Bean for Sunday morning coffee. And, of course, you have parking. I just seems like we need more parking. If you want people coming downtown, and people aren’t living downtown, they’re going to need to drive.
Q: Where do you see Westbrook in 10 years?
A: It’ll still have a healthy mix of gentrification and blue-collar character. It’ll still have good schools, and the city will still be yearning for a winning football team.
Q: If there was a movie made of your life, what would it be called and who would play you?
A: It would be called “The Vagabond Lover 2: Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries,” the sequel to Rudy Vallee’s 1929 movie, “The Vagabond Lover.” I have no idea what the movie’s about, but it’s on my Netflix queue. It’s ironic because I’m far from a vagabond and will hopefully be married to the same woman until we’re old and gray. As for the subtitle, it’s the title of a Vallee song and seems to describe my life right now. I’m trying to stick with the Westbrook theme, while giving a nod to the Rudy Vallee Fan Club, I mean the Westbrook Historical Society. I love those gals. I would be played by Patrick Dempsey, in honor of my wife’s Buckfield heritage.
Q&A with John C.L. Morgan Send questions/comments to the editors.
