| The West End NEWSCC |
| Portland’s New Position: Neighborhood Prosecutor By Marge Niblock |
Bragdon to Run
for Mayor
East End taxi driver Charles Bragdon
is the first announced candidate for
the elected mayor position that was
approved by Portland voters on
November 2nd. Bragdon was a
candidate for an at-large seat on the
Portland City Council in the recent
election. Incumbent City Councilors
John Anton and Jill Duson retained
their seats in that race.
Bragdon has previously been a
candidate for the District 1 City
Council seat (Munjoy Hill, East End,
Bayside, Downtown). He was
defeated in that race by City
Councilor Kevin Donoghue. Bragdon
also lost a Green Independent Party
primary race to Anna Trevorrow last
spring for the Green Party
nomination to run for the District
120 seat in the Maine State
Legislature . Trevorrow was recently
defeated by the incumbent
Democrat, Representative Diane
Russell.
Bragdon is the owner of the A-Plus
Family Taxi in Portland. He is a
Portland native and lives in Munjoy
South with his wife and two
children. The mayoral election will be
held in November, 2011.
for Mayor
East End taxi driver Charles Bragdon
is the first announced candidate for
the elected mayor position that was
approved by Portland voters on
November 2nd. Bragdon was a
candidate for an at-large seat on the
Portland City Council in the recent
election. Incumbent City Councilors
John Anton and Jill Duson retained
their seats in that race.
Bragdon has previously been a
candidate for the District 1 City
Council seat (Munjoy Hill, East End,
Bayside, Downtown). He was
defeated in that race by City
Councilor Kevin Donoghue. Bragdon
also lost a Green Independent Party
primary race to Anna Trevorrow last
spring for the Green Party
nomination to run for the District
120 seat in the Maine State
Legislature . Trevorrow was recently
defeated by the incumbent
Democrat, Representative Diane
Russell.
Bragdon is the owner of the A-Plus
Family Taxi in Portland. He is a
Portland native and lives in Munjoy
South with his wife and two
children. The mayoral election will be
held in November, 2011.
Police Recover Stolen School
Computers; Discover Pot
Growing Operation
Portland Police detectives executed a search warrant at a residence on
Irving Street on Friday night, November 5th, and recovered 61 of the 78
computers that were reported stolen from the Ocean Avenue School on
November 4. There are 17 Apple IMAC and Apple Mac Book computers
still missing. Detectives also discovered a small marijuana grow in the
residence and recovered 12 marijuana plants. No arrests were made and
the case remains under investigation. The location is near the school.
The investigation has revealed that the computers were stolen from the
school over a period of several days. The 17 missing computers have
most likely been sold, say police, some of them even before they were
reported stolen. Police originally said that the 78 computers were stolen
from the Ocean Avenue School between the hours of midnight and 2AM
on November 4th. By prying open a window, thieves forced their way
into the school, which is still under construction, and scheduled to open
in January.
Contractors arriving to work at the site at at 150 Ocean Avenue
discovered the burglary. There were 33 Apple iMac computers and 45
Apple MacBook computers stolen. The machines were new and were
still in boxes. Police say their value is approximately $60,000.
After entry was gained to the building, an inside door was forced open,
and this was where the computers were stored. Smaller construction-
type tools were also stolen.
Police expect to make an arrest and are hopeful that they can recover the
remaining computers. Police are asking that anyone who has recently
purchased a new Apple IMAC or Apple MAC Book at a reduced price or
through a private seller to contact them. Anyone with information about
this case is asked to call Portland Police at 874-8533.
To provide information anonymously community members may contact
police by text, internet, or phone. To "Text a Tip", mobile phone users
should text the keyword “GOTCHA” plus their message to 274637
(CRIMES). Community members may also submit tips by going to the
Portland Police Department website: www.portland-police.com, and
clicking "Submit an Anonymous Crime Tip.” Finally, community
members can leave anonymous phone tips on the Department’s Crime
Tip line: 874-8584.
-Marge Niblock
Computers; Discover Pot
Growing Operation
Portland Police detectives executed a search warrant at a residence on
Irving Street on Friday night, November 5th, and recovered 61 of the 78
computers that were reported stolen from the Ocean Avenue School on
November 4. There are 17 Apple IMAC and Apple Mac Book computers
still missing. Detectives also discovered a small marijuana grow in the
residence and recovered 12 marijuana plants. No arrests were made and
the case remains under investigation. The location is near the school.
The investigation has revealed that the computers were stolen from the
school over a period of several days. The 17 missing computers have
most likely been sold, say police, some of them even before they were
reported stolen. Police originally said that the 78 computers were stolen
from the Ocean Avenue School between the hours of midnight and 2AM
on November 4th. By prying open a window, thieves forced their way
into the school, which is still under construction, and scheduled to open
in January.
Contractors arriving to work at the site at at 150 Ocean Avenue
discovered the burglary. There were 33 Apple iMac computers and 45
Apple MacBook computers stolen. The machines were new and were
still in boxes. Police say their value is approximately $60,000.
After entry was gained to the building, an inside door was forced open,
and this was where the computers were stored. Smaller construction-
type tools were also stolen.
Police expect to make an arrest and are hopeful that they can recover the
remaining computers. Police are asking that anyone who has recently
purchased a new Apple IMAC or Apple MAC Book at a reduced price or
through a private seller to contact them. Anyone with information about
this case is asked to call Portland Police at 874-8533.
To provide information anonymously community members may contact
police by text, internet, or phone. To "Text a Tip", mobile phone users
should text the keyword “GOTCHA” plus their message to 274637
(CRIMES). Community members may also submit tips by going to the
Portland Police Department website: www.portland-police.com, and
clicking "Submit an Anonymous Crime Tip.” Finally, community
members can leave anonymous phone tips on the Department’s Crime
Tip line: 874-8584.
-Marge Niblock
Greens to Push Runoff
Voting Statewide
The Maine Greens Independent Party plans to pursue the idea
and implementation of instant runoff voting for future elections
across the state. Party leaders and members plan to contact
members of the legislature as well as key political players who
have expressed an interest in the reform.
In the recent election, Portland, voters approved the work the of
the Portland Charter Commission that calls for the election of a
mayor using instant runoff voting, a method of voting that
allows voters to choose their preference of candidates by
number.
“This provides us the opportunity to use instant runoff voting
as a starting point for electoral reform in the city, and as a
model for the state,” said Anna Trevorrow, a Green Independent
candidate who finished second in her race for the state house in
District 120, against incumbent Diane Russell.
Eliot Cutler, the gubernatorial candidate who finished second in
the November 2nd election, was quoted on MPBN as saying that
he would like to pursue a method of electoral reform in Maine
that included a runoff.
The Maine Green Independent Party has always favored instant-
runoff voting as a more democratic way of voting, since it
eliminates the need for a second election between the candidates
who receive the top percentages of the vote, and allows voter to
rank their preference of candidates in order from one to the
amount of total candidates. It would also mean the winner
would have to get just over 50% of the vote to be declared the
winner.
The runoff could take place by the election workers, and require
no additional voting, no second election, according to Nate
Shea, media chair for the Maine Green Independent Party. “It
would also encourage greater civic participation and would
encourage candidates to soften their tone to attract a wide-range
of voters, not just their base,” said Shea.
Voting Statewide
The Maine Greens Independent Party plans to pursue the idea
and implementation of instant runoff voting for future elections
across the state. Party leaders and members plan to contact
members of the legislature as well as key political players who
have expressed an interest in the reform.
In the recent election, Portland, voters approved the work the of
the Portland Charter Commission that calls for the election of a
mayor using instant runoff voting, a method of voting that
allows voters to choose their preference of candidates by
number.
“This provides us the opportunity to use instant runoff voting
as a starting point for electoral reform in the city, and as a
model for the state,” said Anna Trevorrow, a Green Independent
candidate who finished second in her race for the state house in
District 120, against incumbent Diane Russell.
Eliot Cutler, the gubernatorial candidate who finished second in
the November 2nd election, was quoted on MPBN as saying that
he would like to pursue a method of electoral reform in Maine
that included a runoff.
The Maine Green Independent Party has always favored instant-
runoff voting as a more democratic way of voting, since it
eliminates the need for a second election between the candidates
who receive the top percentages of the vote, and allows voter to
rank their preference of candidates in order from one to the
amount of total candidates. It would also mean the winner
would have to get just over 50% of the vote to be declared the
winner.
The runoff could take place by the election workers, and require
no additional voting, no second election, according to Nate
Shea, media chair for the Maine Green Independent Party. “It
would also encourage greater civic participation and would
encourage candidates to soften their tone to attract a wide-range
of voters, not just their base,” said Shea.
LEEMAN TO
SERVE AS CITY'S
LAST NON-
ELECTED MAYOR
Longtime Portland City Councilor
Cheryl Leeman will serve the next year
as the last Portland mayor to be chosen
by her fellow councilors. Beginning
next year, the mayor will be elected by
voters.
Leeman has served on the Portland
City Council for 26 years, or nine
three-year terms. She has served as
mayor twice before, in 1988-89 and
2000-20001.
Leeman has the support of the four
Democrats on the officially
non-partisan council - Mayor
Mavodones, and Councilors Duson,
Waxman, and Coyne.
SERVE AS CITY'S
LAST NON-
ELECTED MAYOR
Longtime Portland City Councilor
Cheryl Leeman will serve the next year
as the last Portland mayor to be chosen
by her fellow councilors. Beginning
next year, the mayor will be elected by
voters.
Leeman has served on the Portland
City Council for 26 years, or nine
three-year terms. She has served as
mayor twice before, in 1988-89 and
2000-20001.
Leeman has the support of the four
Democrats on the officially
non-partisan council - Mayor
Mavodones, and Councilors Duson,
Waxman, and Coyne.
Pushy New
Yorker Shoves
His Way into a
Jail Cell
Portland police arrested a man
wearing a Yankees baseball cap
after he pushed a clerk at the Big
Apple at 2 Park Avenue on
November 1st at 10:00 PM. The
thirty-year-old New Yorker was
upset because he was carded
when trying to buy cigarettes.
The female clerk told the man to
leave the store and he refused,
pushed her out of the way, and
tried to get at the male clerk,
when a customer intervened.
When stopped nearby by police
for questioning, the man identified
himself as Christopher Watson
from New York. He claimed the
female clerk had pushed him, and
he told the officer he was going
to return and assault the clerk.
The Cumberland County Jail
employees couldn’t verify the
suspect’s name, but his
fingerprints identified him as
Jermaine Hill. Hill was charged
with assault, failure to give a
correct name, terrorizing, and
aggravated forgery, since he had
given a false name when he
signed the fingerprint card.
-Marge Niblock
Yorker Shoves
His Way into a
Jail Cell
Portland police arrested a man
wearing a Yankees baseball cap
after he pushed a clerk at the Big
Apple at 2 Park Avenue on
November 1st at 10:00 PM. The
thirty-year-old New Yorker was
upset because he was carded
when trying to buy cigarettes.
The female clerk told the man to
leave the store and he refused,
pushed her out of the way, and
tried to get at the male clerk,
when a customer intervened.
When stopped nearby by police
for questioning, the man identified
himself as Christopher Watson
from New York. He claimed the
female clerk had pushed him, and
he told the officer he was going
to return and assault the clerk.
The Cumberland County Jail
employees couldn’t verify the
suspect’s name, but his
fingerprints identified him as
Jermaine Hill. Hill was charged
with assault, failure to give a
correct name, terrorizing, and
aggravated forgery, since he had
given a false name when he
signed the fingerprint card.
-Marge Niblock
Man’s
Pants Stolen
in Robbery
Portland police reported that a
man’s pants were taken in a
strong-arm robbery at 6:30 PM on
November 18th. Along with the
pants, a cell phone and a wallet
were stolen.
Police say that two out-of-town
men, ages 23 and 24, went to visit
a friend at 255 Oxford Street, and
were jumped by two others when
they entered the building’s
hallway. One of the victims was
punched and threatened with a
knife.
A third suspect, a female, got the
keys to the vehicle of one of the
victims, and removed his
backpack, containing cash and a
laptop.
Police speculated that the victim's
wallet may have been attached to
his pants, and it may have been
easier for the robbers to take both
items, rather than to try to
separate them.
-Marge Niblock
Pants Stolen
in Robbery
Portland police reported that a
man’s pants were taken in a
strong-arm robbery at 6:30 PM on
November 18th. Along with the
pants, a cell phone and a wallet
were stolen.
Police say that two out-of-town
men, ages 23 and 24, went to visit
a friend at 255 Oxford Street, and
were jumped by two others when
they entered the building’s
hallway. One of the victims was
punched and threatened with a
knife.
A third suspect, a female, got the
keys to the vehicle of one of the
victims, and removed his
backpack, containing cash and a
laptop.
Police speculated that the victim's
wallet may have been attached to
his pants, and it may have been
easier for the robbers to take both
items, rather than to try to
separate them.
-Marge Niblock
Saturday, May 19, 2012
| THE 10th VOICE ORLANDO DELOGU |
Early Returns (1st Place Votes)
Bragdon, Charles E. 213 1.09%
Brennan, Michael F. 5,240 26.76%
Bryant, Peter G. 367 1.87%
Carmona, Ralph C. 317 1.62%
Dodge, Richard A. 670 3.42%
Duson, Jill C. 834 4.26%
Eder, John 271 1.38%
Haadoow, Hamza A. 185 0.94%
Lapchick, Jodie L. 127 0.65%
Marshall, David A. 1,516 7.74%
Mavodones, Jr, Nicholas M. 2,938 15.00%
Miller, Markos S. 718 3.67%
Rathband, Jed 1,394 7.12%
Strimling, Ethan King 4,390 22.42%
Vail, Christopher L. 403 2.06%
Bragdon, Charles E. 213 1.09%
Brennan, Michael F. 5,240 26.76%
Bryant, Peter G. 367 1.87%
Carmona, Ralph C. 317 1.62%
Dodge, Richard A. 670 3.42%
Duson, Jill C. 834 4.26%
Eder, John 271 1.38%
Haadoow, Hamza A. 185 0.94%
Lapchick, Jodie L. 127 0.65%
Marshall, David A. 1,516 7.74%
Mavodones, Jr, Nicholas M. 2,938 15.00%
Miller, Markos S. 718 3.67%
Rathband, Jed 1,394 7.12%
Strimling, Ethan King 4,390 22.42%
Vail, Christopher L. 403 2.06%
| Ad Rates & Schedule |
Friday, April 20, 2012
West End Community Forum to
be Held at Reiche on Tuesday
Public meeting to discuss improvements to Reiche Elementary
School and Community Center
This Tuesday, April 24th, West End City Councilor David Marshall will
host a community forum to discuss efforts underway to improve Reiche
Elementary School and the Reiche Community Center, and get
feedback from the public.
In collaboration with the Reiche Parent Teacher Organization and the
West End Neighborhood Association, Marshall is leading efforts to
improve access, and enhance safety and utilization of the space. In
addition to this discussion, attendees will be able to learn about and
provide input for the City’s five-year capital improvement plan and
proposed improvements for the Reiche School and Community Center.
Those include enhanced traffic management with additional crosswalks,
speed limit and traffic signs. The City will also seek input for the design
process for the building’s renovation.
“Reiche is in many ways the heart of the neighborhood. Whether it’s the
school or the community center, this building serves as a gathering
place for our residents and provides a space for our community to
connect with each other. I am hopeful that through this process we will
identify ways to improve the building,” said Marshall.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Reiche Community Room 166 Brackett Street, Portland
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Longfellow Books to be Part of
World Book Night
Longfellow Books will be a community partner for the first World Book
Night in the U.S., following the launch of the campaign in the UK and
Ireland last year. In 6,000 towns and cities across America, volunteers
will give away half a million free books on one day: April 23, 2012.
World Book Night U.S. is an ambitious campaign to give away half a
million free, specially-printed books across America. Volunteer book
lovers will help promote reading by distributing free copies of a book
they enjoy to new or light readers, reaching them especially in under-
served places. Volunteers from the greater Portland area will be picking
up the books they selected to share in locations as diverse as VA
hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, ballparks, mass transit, diners, and
more.
In the week prior to World Book Night, Longfellow Books hosted a
gathering for givers to pick up their books, share ideas and meet fellow
givers in the community. The books were chosen by a panel of
booksellers and librarians through several rounds of voting. The printing
of the free books was possible due to generosity of the authors,
publishers, and book manufacturing companies.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Portland Trails Dedicates
Riverton Rail Trail Kiosk in
Memory of Steve Aylward
Stephen Aylward, a popular and respected professor at Saint Joseph's
College, who was instrumental in developing Portland's Riverton Rail
Trail, will be remembered with a kiosk and bench on the neighborhood
trail to which he dedicated much of his time, energy and skill. The
dedication ceremony will take place Sunday April 22 at 9 a.m. at the end
of Harris Street.
Steve Aylward was a shining example of community service at its best. In
addition to being an educator who was respected by his colleagues and
loved by his students, he also was heavily involved in his church, the
Riverton Neighborhood Association, the City’s Landbank Commission
and Portland Trails. Shortly after he was recognized with the Kay
Wagenknecht-Harte Trailblazer Award for Volunteer Service for his work
on the Riverton Rail Trail, and in the midst of a battle with brain cancer,
Aylward was killed in a car accident last October.
Aylward was a valuable member of the trails committee, providing
creative ideas for trail development and stewardship around the city, as
well as enlisting his students at Saint Joseph’s to develop projects to
better understand trail usage patterns. But his real legacy with Portland
Trails lies with the Riverton Rail Trail, a trail that would not exist but for
his efforts. This 1.5-mile trail follows the historic Portland-Lewiston
Interurban Rail line and passed by his neighborhood. Riverton Rail Trail
was the perfect project for him, combining his love of history, his belief in
the importance of Portland Trails’ mission, and his devotion to the
Riverton neighborhood.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Hinck Wins League Candidate
Forum
West End State Representative and US Senate Candidate Jon Hinck
won the “Help Wanted” US Senate Primary Candidate Forum hosted by
the Maine League of Young Voters at Lucid Stage on Sunday evening,
April 15th. The straw poll was conducted using ranked choice voting,
and 34 people attending the event submitted ballots. Former Secretary
of State Matthew Dunlap came in 2nd, State Senator Cynthia Dill was
3rd and builder Ben Pollard came in fourth.
The hour-long forum featured specific questions for specific candidates,
and addressed issues such as the possibility of war with Iran,
candidates’ opinions on the Occupy movement, and whether or not they
had or would accept PAC money to run their campaigns.
All six republican candidates were invited to participate but none
accepted the offer, and only three replied to repeated requests from the
League. Independents Angus King, Andrew Ian Dodge and others were
not invited because they will not be on the June 12th ballot.
WMPG is airing the broadcast tonight at 8:30pm and Community
Television Network will also air the forum. The League of Young Voters
will host their semi-annual “Project Vote” meeting on Thursday, April
19th, to set endorsements for their Primary Voter Guide. Any members
that volunteer a minimum of eight hours are invited to attend and use
ranked choice voting to set endorsements in primary races. 140 people
qualified to participate.
MeACT Announces 2012 Play
Festival at Lucid Stage on April 21st
MeACT, Maine Association of Community Theaters, a Maine not-for-
profit corporation, will be producing its annual one-act play festival and
workshops MeACT for members and the public on Saturday, April 21,
2012 at Lucid Stage, 29 Baxter Boulevard, Portland, Maine, behind the
Forest Avenue Hannaford’s Supermarket.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Senate Primary Forum Tonight
at Lucid Stage
PORTLAND - A forum for primary candidates in the upcoming primary
elections for the US Senate will feature only the Democratic candidates,
according to the Maine League of Young Voters. None of the
Republican candidates accepted an invitation to take part in the event,
according to the League. Democrats who will be participating in the
forum are West End State Representative Jon Hinck, State Senator
Cynthia Dill, former Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, and Portland
businessman Benjamin Pollard. Republicans who have entered the
Senate race include Scott D'Amboise, Secretary of State Charlie
Summers, State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin, Attorney General William
Schneider, former state Senate President Rick Bennett, and Assistant
Senate Majority Leader Debra Plowman. Independent candidates, such
as former governor Angus King, will also not be participating since they
will not be in a primary race.
The Maine League of Young Voters will be hosting the community forum
for the US Senate Primary candidates in Portland tonight, Sunday, April
15th. The event will features a 'help wanted' format, and questions will
be framed in an interviewer/interviewee style. Candidates will answer
questions as follow-ups to questionnaires and interviews conducted by
the League of Young Voter's Elections Committee. Candidates will also
have an opportunity to ask each other questions.
The Candidate Forum will be held from 6:30pm to 8pm at Lucid Stage,
29 Baxter Boulevard. Doors open at 6:00pm, and the event is free and
open to the public. Audience members will be invited to submit questions
for consideration at www.maine.theleague.com/mesen and at the
beginning of the event. Questions may also be submitted during the
forum by tweeting to @MaineLeague as follow-ups to previously
discussed topics.
WMPG 90.9 and Community Television Network will be recording and
broadcasting the forum. Approximately 100-150 community members
are expected to attend. Attendees will use ranked choice voting at the
end of the event to decide which candidates they want to "hire" for the
job of US Senator. Straw poll results will be released that evening.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
City Seeks Solutions for Six-
Legged Intersection
On Thursday, April 26th, West End City Councilor David Marshall,
District 3 City Councilor Ed Suslovic, and the Portland Area
Comprehensive Transportation System (PACTS), will host a second
public meeting for the Brighton Avenue-Deering Avenue-Falmouth
Street Intersection Study. The study is analyzing the complex six-legged
intersection near the University of Southern Maine campus, and
evaluating different configurations to better meet traffic, bicycle,
pedestrian, transit access, and safety needs.
The study’s consultants will present alternatives developed based upon
deficiencies and opportunities surrounding the intersection identified by
residents, USM, and the consultant’s own assessment. An evaluation of
how well each alternative meets project goals will also be presented.
Alternatives to be discussed include a roundabout; the closing of
Brighton Avenue from Falmouth to Bedford Streets, with a street light at
the intersection of Deering Avenue and Bedford Street; and changes of
traffic lane configurations and signal timing, bikeway markings, improved
signage and lighting and changes to crosswalks and curb ramps to
make them ADA-compliant.
As part of its recent campus expansion, USM contributed $250,000 to
make improvements to the intersection for motor vehicles, bicyclists,
pedestrians, and transit users, as well as to improve the quality of the
streetscape. Currently, wide expanses of pavement make pedestrian
crossings difficult and unsafe. Bicycle lanes are discontinuous, and high
volumes of traffic along a principal arterial, Route 25, create significant
congestion and long signal delays. The feedback from this meeting will
help determine the outcome for the study and what improvements to
fund.
Thursday, April 26, 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM Open House, Light
Refreshments; 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM Public Meeting, USM Wishcamper
Center, Room 102, Bedford Street, Portland
Monday, April 9th
Fire Damages Historic Building
on Park Street
An historic five-story brick building at 106 Park Street was damaged by a
fire that was reported at about 1:30 AM on April 9th. There were no
injuries reported in the fire, which was confined to the fourth floor of the
one-family residence. Two people were home at the time, but escaped
safely.
The building is located in a row of townhouses between Spring and Gray
Street in the West End. The Park Street Row, also known as Park Street
Block, was built in 1835 and was added to the National Register of
Historic Places in 1972.
City to Sponsor Urban Earth
Day in Monument Square
West Enders to Form Butt Bucket Brigade
On Sunday, April 22nd, MENSK and the City of Portland will host
Portland's 2012 Urban Earth Day Celebration. Portland Mayor Michael
Brennan will kick off the event, which will showcase many of Portland’s
environmental and non-profit organizations, artists and sustainable
businesses. Attendees can learn about local efforts to promote
sustainable business practices and improve Portland's urban
environment. The event offers fun, free activities for all ages including
demonstrations on green technology, local agricultural practices, urban
gardening, recycling, bike decorating, a parade, and live music.
Join the West End Butt Bucket Brigade at Longfellow Square at 3 p.m.
on Earth Day - after the City's Earth Day event at Monument Square.
Pick up your Butt Bucket and fan out along Congress, State and Pine
Streets to pick up cigarette butts. Butt Buckets and Gloves will be
provided. If you want to bring a brush and dust pan, please do. Make
Mother Nature Happy and Help Pick Up Those Butts!
For more information about the Urban Earth Day Celebration contact:
Troy Moon: 207-874-8801 or thm@portlandmaine.gov; Ned Swain: 207-
939-3052 or info@menskmaine.org or www.MENSKmaine.org. Sunday,
April 22nd,11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Monument Square, Portland. Rain or
Shine.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Senate Republicans Override
Portland's 'Spoiled Little Brat'
Republicans in the Maine Senate have killed a measure that sought to
clarify the roles and responsibilities for Constitutional Officers who
concurrently run for higher elected office during their service as
Constitutional Officers. The bill was introduced by Senator John Patrick
after three of Maine's Constitutional Officers - Secretary of State
Charlie Summers, Attorney General Wiilam Schneider, and State
Treasurer Bruce Poliquin - all began campaigns for the United States
Senate.
The Republicans on the Legislative Council, the body that decides
whether or not to accept after-deadline bills, voted unanimously to not
allow the bill to be heard. As a member of the Legislative Council,
Portland State Senator Justin Alfond - who Governor Paul LePage
referred to in a radio interview as a 'spoiled little brat' - supported and
voted for the bill.
Investigation Finds No
Evidence of Wrongdoing for
Shipyard Sewer Billing Error
City adopts measures to ensure safeguards are in place
PORTLAND, Maine – In a report given to Portland City Manager Mark
Rees on April 6th, attorney Bryan Dench, who was charged with
investigating why Shipyard Brewing Company was not billed for a 6”
water service line from 1996 to 2011, and whether there was any
improper activity by anyone with the City, has determined that there is
no evidence of wrongdoing, and the error was mostly likely a result of
miscommunications between the City of Portland and the Portland Water
District.
“Without question, this billing error is regrettable, and while there is no
definitive answer as to how this miscommunication occurred, I am
hopeful that the findings of this independent investigation are assuring
to the public,” stated City Manager Rees. “Certainly, a mistake of this
magnitude is unfortunate. The City is taking aggressive action to ensure
that there are checks and balances in place so that something like this
won’t happen again. We need to deserve the trust bestowed upon us by
the public, and I am hopeful that the investigation findings and our
actions to remedy the situation will help assuage concerns.”
For the past month, Dench conducted a thorough review of documents,
interviewed staff, and toured facilities in an effort to determine how the
mistake occurred. The City of Portland, the Portland Water District and
Shipyard Brewing Company all cooperated with his investigation.
The investigation focused on the installation of a 6” water main line at
the brewery in 1996, which was erroneously established as a “water no
sewer” line. As a result of this error, the brewery was not properly billed
for water from the 6” line that was discharged into the sewer system.
Mr. Dench concluded in his report that the mistake was the result of
human error and miscommunication between City and PWD employees.
He further states that the brewery did not mislead anyone about the
uses of the water for the 6” line, and actions taken by brewery staff in
1996-1997 indicate that at the time they were unaware of the billing
mistake. Mr. Dench attributes much of the miscommunication to a
misunderstanding between city and PWD staff. He concludes that the
conversations between the two entities indicate that they may have been
talking past each other, with David Peterson, the City’s senior sewer
technician, either referring to a submeter or separate line at the
brewery. From 1997, the brewery had two water main lines, a 6” and 4”-
each with primary meters and submeters. The 4” line has always been
properly billed for both water and sewer, minus the amount measured by
the submeter as going into product. Mr. Dench further states that an
error of this magnitude would be completely out of character for
Peterson. Peterson, who died in 2007, was an experienced public
official with an excellent reputation.
Mr. Dench also refers to efforts by the PWD in 2004 and 2007 to raise
the issue with Peterson. Again, based upon the documentation, it is
likely that there was a continuing miscommunication, and a failure to
follow-up on the issue, discuss it with the brewery, and bring the matter
to the attention of supervisory staff.
In addition to his conclusions, Mr. Dench includes several
recommendations, many of which the City has already implemented, to
ensure that water customers are properly billed for sewer. The City and
PWD are meeting bimonthly to discuss and review high water users,
verify billing accounts with sewer charges, and establishing effective
protocols for the resolution of outstanding issues, including the
requirement of the City’s Public Services Director or his designee to sign
off on any credits for accounts billed by the PWD.
Both the City and PWD intend to either amend the existing Collection
Agreement or create a Memorandum of Agreement that clearly identifies
appropriate changes related to the treatment of no sewer lines and
submeters. Public Services and Building Inspections are also working to
create a permit program for commercial submeters before the applicant
can purchase a submeter from the PWD.
As a part of this review, PWD provided the City with a complete list of
current water accounts not being billed for sewer. Of the more than
18,000 accounts within Portland, 108 were identified for not being billed
sewer, and while the majority proved to be properties with septic
systems, twelve accounts were found that needed to be charged for
sewer. These accounts either represent a conversion from septic to
sanitary or new construction. The monthly charges for these accounts
range from $24 to $162 resulting in an annual loss of $14,598 or .07%
of the total annual budget $21 million and a total cumulative loss of
revenue of $46,672.50. All accounts have been notified and are now
being correctly billed for sewer.
Mr. Dench will present the findings of his investigation to the Portland
City Council, Monday April 9th at its regular meeting. The report, as well
as a list of corrective measures, is available online at http://misc.
portlandmaine.gov/current.pdf.
Parkside to Hold Unity Festival
The Parkside Unity Festival will be held at Sacred Heart/St. Dominic’s
Parish on Saturday, April 28th, from 1-4 pm. There will be music,
singing, dance, art, East African food, and more. The Festival is a
gathering of friends and families of the Parkside neighborhood to bring
support, healing and enjoyment to Parkside neighbors, sponsored by
neighborhood groups, faith communities, and agencies working together
to celebrate Parkside.
Organizers are also looking for volunteers to help out with the event
(arriving at 11 am and leaving at 5:30 pm). Anyone interested in
volunteering, please contact Rachel Horton White at 553-5940 or at
rachel.white@opportunityalliance.org.
Chers amis Parkside,
Nous aimerions vous inviter à la Unity Festival Parkside! Il s'agit d'un
rassemblement d'amis et les familles du quartier Parkside à apporter un
soutien, la guérison et la jouissance de nos voisins, parrainés par des
groupes de quartier, les communautés religieuses et les organismes qui
travaillent ensemble pour célébrer Parkside. Un dépliant est joint ici.
Le festival se tiendra au Sacré-Cœur / St. Dominique paroisse, le
samedi 28 Avril 1-4 h. Il y aura musique, chant, danse, art, Afrique de
l'Est des aliments, et plus encore! S'il vous plaît rejoignez-nous!
Nous recherchons également des volontaires pour aider à l'événement
(arrivée à 11 h et départ à 17h30). Si vous êtes intéressé à faire du
bénévolat, s'il vous plaît me contacter à 553-5940 ou à
rachelwhite@opportunityalliance.org. Nous nous réjouissons de
vous y voir!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Maine House Rejects Governor’s
Secrecy Bill
AUGUSTA – A measure to shield Governor Paul LePage’s working
papers was dealt a significant bipartisan blow today, as the Maine House
of Representatives voted 98-47 against the bill.
“No other governor, Republican, Democrat, or Independent has asked
for this exemption in transparency,” said Rep. Maeghan Maloney, D-
Augusta, during a floor debate on the measure. “The best government
is one that is open and transparent to its citizens.”
The bill would have temporarily shielded advice, decisions, and
recommendations pertaining to legislative matters and the state budget
between the governor and his senior staff.
“These are the public’s records, not owned by the governor, any
legislator or any other government official,” said Rep. Kim Monaghan-
Derrig, D-Cape Elizabeth, who serves on the Judiciary Committee, which
first considered the bill. “People have a right to know what went into
decision-making before the legislature acts.”
The bill’s opponents included veteran State House journalists, the Maine
ACLU, the Maine Press Association, Common Cause, the Maine
Association of Broadcasters, the Maine Freedom of Information
Coalition, and the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting.
Democrats also said the measure flew in the face of the governor’s
campaign promises. During his campaign, LePage frequently promised
to have the most transparent administration in history. According to the
LePage campaign website “Every Maine citizen has a right to know what
government is up to.” The bill faces further votes in the House and
Senate.
City Implements Bulky Waste
Collection
The Portland City Council at its April 2nd meeting re-instituted the
popular Bulky Waste Collection program which allows city residents to
dispose of large items such as couches, refrigerators, and picnic tables.
Under the new program, there will be a fee of $40 per large item, and no
charge for small items. Residents will be able to buy tags to apply to the
items to be picked up by City crews. There will be a limit of 10 free tags
a year for small items.
Large items are items that weigh over 30 pounds. Small items are items
that weigh 30 lbs or less that can be handled by a single employee and
do not fit in a city trash bag. The Bulky Waste program was raised as an
issue during the recent mayoral campaign by candidate Peter Bryant.
The City hopes to institute the new program in May.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Deering Grad Makes Major
Leagues
Portland native Ryan Flaherty, who played baseball at Deering High
School, has been named to the opening day roster of the Baltimore
Orioles. Flaherty, 25, graduated from Deering in 2005. He also played
football and basketball at Deering, and played college baseball at
Vanderbilt. Flaherty, an infielder, was originally drafted by the Chicago
Cubs. His father, Ed Flaherty, is the baseball coach at USM.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
First Portland Medical
Marijuana Dispensary Opens
Portland's first medical marijuana dispensary opened on March 28th at
685 Congress Street near Longfellow Square. The facility, run by
Wellness Connection of Maine, will dispense medical marijuana to about
100 patients undergoing treatment for cancer, and to patients with
chronic pain.
Adams to Run for Legislature
from Parkside
Former Parkside state representative Herb Adams plans to run for his
old seat in the Maine State Legilature from District 119, Parkside/
Bayside. Adams held the seat for eight years before being termed out in
2010. Independent Ben Chipman is the current representative. Adams
filed his candidacy papers on March 12th. He is an instructor in history
at Southern Maine Community College.
Monday, April 2, 2012
WestFest looking for Sponsors,
Crafters, Artists, Nonprofits,
Performers, Volunteers
On Saturday, May 19, from 10-4, the West End Neighborhood
Association, in cooperation with the City of Portland, will be holding the
3rd Annual WestFest at Reiche. This is their big event of the year and
they need your help in many ways! They try to offer as many activities
as we can for free so that all those attending may participate as much as
possible. In order to do this, though, they need to raise funds to cover
the costs of putting on the event. They try to accomplish this in several
ways.
1- Sponsors - If you as an individual can make a donation, it would be
greatly appreciated. If you have a business, especially if it is in the West
End, we also welcome business sponsorships and would acknowledge
your gift publicly in the ways listed on the sponsor form. Either way, if
you'd like to donate that way, please send your donation to WENA, PO
Box 7898, Portland, ME 04112. WENA is a 501(c)3 organization and
your donation is tax-deductible. Please let us know if you require a
receipt for those purposes.
2 - Craft Tables/Artist Displays - People are invited to participate in
WestFest by selling their crafts and artistic products. The fee for a
space is $15 if you have your own table, $25 if you need to have us
provide a table for you. You may not sell food at a craft table and it is
not a yard sale. The coordinator for the craft tables and artists displays
this year is Tom MacMillan. If you'd like a spot, please let us know or visit
our web site at www.wenamaine.org to download an application.
3 - Silent Auction - we have a popular silent auction with gift
certificates, food baskets, jewelry, paintings, etc. from West End
individuals and businesses, as well as others throughout greater
Portland and Southern Maine. If you'd like to donate or solicit items for
the auction, please e-mail us and Judy Witherell, this year's silent
auction coordinator, will get in touch with you. Plan to come to WestFest
and bid in the auction as well.
4 - Non-profit fund-raising tables - non-profits are invited to participate
in WestFest and may fundraise by selling food(please, no pizza, cotton
candy, lemonade, hot dogs or ice cream sundaes) or other items. If a
non-profit wishes to do this, the cost for a table is $15 and the
application form is available at www.wenamaine.org . If a non-profit wish
to have a space without selling anything, i.e. only pass out information
or display posters, etc., that is free, but you must register. The
registration form is available on our web site www.wenamaine.org .
5 - 50/50 Raffle - They have a 50/50 raffle with three drawings during
the day, so bring plenty of cash and try your luck!
6 - Ice Cream sundaes - WENA also makes some money by selling ice
cream sundaes at WestFest, so come try a treat!
If you aren't interested in any of the options above, there are lots of
other ways to support WENA and have fun at WestFest:
1 - Performers - They like to have a variety of performances - vocal,
instrumental, dance, juggling, etc. They are able to pay an honorarium
of $50 for a 20-30 minute set. [If you're a solo performer, you'd get $50
for just you, if you're in a band of fifty people, you'd get $1 each]. This is
a family-friendly event. The performances will be outdoors, weather
permitting, if not, they'll be inside at Reiche. If you're interested in
performing, or know someone who might be, please go to our web site
www.wenamaine.org and download the appropriate application. The
coordinator for the performances this year is Rosanne Graef.
2 - Healthy Living - Summer Safety and Green Information - A variety
of organizations will be providing tips and literature on these topics. If
you'd like to help out with this section of WestFest, or if you represent
an organization which would like to be a part of the Healthy Living
displays and activities, please contact WENA with your questions or
offers to help.
3 - Volunteer - WENA can use all the help they can get - setting up,
cleaning up, helping out in the kids' area - please let them know via e-
mail if you'd like to volunteer on the day of the event.
4 - Supplies - WENA is looking for a couple of big cardboard boxes, the
kind refrigerators come in. If you have access to these - clean and in
good condition as they will be painted and made into games - please e-
mail us or call 879-6024.
5 - Balloon Animal Maker - if you know how to make balloon animals,
please get in touch with WENA! We would like to add this to the kids'
area along with face painting and caricatures!
If you live in the West End and have other great ideas of things to offer
at WestFest, feel free to let us know!
Pass the word along on WestFest and be sure to come yourself and
bring your family. See you May 19th.
West End Community Forum to
be Held at Reiche on Tuesday
Public meeting to discuss improvements to Reiche Elementary
School and Community Center
This Tuesday, April 24th, West End City Councilor David Marshall will
host a community forum to discuss efforts underway to improve Reiche
Elementary School and the Reiche Community Center, and get
feedback from the public.
In collaboration with the Reiche Parent Teacher Organization and the
West End Neighborhood Association, Marshall is leading efforts to
improve access, and enhance safety and utilization of the space. In
addition to this discussion, attendees will be able to learn about and
provide input for the City’s five-year capital improvement plan and
proposed improvements for the Reiche School and Community Center.
Those include enhanced traffic management with additional crosswalks,
speed limit and traffic signs. The City will also seek input for the design
process for the building’s renovation.
“Reiche is in many ways the heart of the neighborhood. Whether it’s the
school or the community center, this building serves as a gathering
place for our residents and provides a space for our community to
connect with each other. I am hopeful that through this process we will
identify ways to improve the building,” said Marshall.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Reiche Community Room 166 Brackett Street, Portland
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Longfellow Books to be Part of
World Book Night
Longfellow Books will be a community partner for the first World Book
Night in the U.S., following the launch of the campaign in the UK and
Ireland last year. In 6,000 towns and cities across America, volunteers
will give away half a million free books on one day: April 23, 2012.
World Book Night U.S. is an ambitious campaign to give away half a
million free, specially-printed books across America. Volunteer book
lovers will help promote reading by distributing free copies of a book
they enjoy to new or light readers, reaching them especially in under-
served places. Volunteers from the greater Portland area will be picking
up the books they selected to share in locations as diverse as VA
hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, ballparks, mass transit, diners, and
more.
In the week prior to World Book Night, Longfellow Books hosted a
gathering for givers to pick up their books, share ideas and meet fellow
givers in the community. The books were chosen by a panel of
booksellers and librarians through several rounds of voting. The printing
of the free books was possible due to generosity of the authors,
publishers, and book manufacturing companies.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Portland Trails Dedicates
Riverton Rail Trail Kiosk in
Memory of Steve Aylward
Stephen Aylward, a popular and respected professor at Saint Joseph's
College, who was instrumental in developing Portland's Riverton Rail
Trail, will be remembered with a kiosk and bench on the neighborhood
trail to which he dedicated much of his time, energy and skill. The
dedication ceremony will take place Sunday April 22 at 9 a.m. at the end
of Harris Street.
Steve Aylward was a shining example of community service at its best. In
addition to being an educator who was respected by his colleagues and
loved by his students, he also was heavily involved in his church, the
Riverton Neighborhood Association, the City’s Landbank Commission
and Portland Trails. Shortly after he was recognized with the Kay
Wagenknecht-Harte Trailblazer Award for Volunteer Service for his work
on the Riverton Rail Trail, and in the midst of a battle with brain cancer,
Aylward was killed in a car accident last October.
Aylward was a valuable member of the trails committee, providing
creative ideas for trail development and stewardship around the city, as
well as enlisting his students at Saint Joseph’s to develop projects to
better understand trail usage patterns. But his real legacy with Portland
Trails lies with the Riverton Rail Trail, a trail that would not exist but for
his efforts. This 1.5-mile trail follows the historic Portland-Lewiston
Interurban Rail line and passed by his neighborhood. Riverton Rail Trail
was the perfect project for him, combining his love of history, his belief in
the importance of Portland Trails’ mission, and his devotion to the
Riverton neighborhood.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Hinck Wins League Candidate
Forum
West End State Representative and US Senate Candidate Jon Hinck
won the “Help Wanted” US Senate Primary Candidate Forum hosted by
the Maine League of Young Voters at Lucid Stage on Sunday evening,
April 15th. The straw poll was conducted using ranked choice voting,
and 34 people attending the event submitted ballots. Former Secretary
of State Matthew Dunlap came in 2nd, State Senator Cynthia Dill was
3rd and builder Ben Pollard came in fourth.
The hour-long forum featured specific questions for specific candidates,
and addressed issues such as the possibility of war with Iran,
candidates’ opinions on the Occupy movement, and whether or not they
had or would accept PAC money to run their campaigns.
All six republican candidates were invited to participate but none
accepted the offer, and only three replied to repeated requests from the
League. Independents Angus King, Andrew Ian Dodge and others were
not invited because they will not be on the June 12th ballot.
WMPG is airing the broadcast tonight at 8:30pm and Community
Television Network will also air the forum. The League of Young Voters
will host their semi-annual “Project Vote” meeting on Thursday, April
19th, to set endorsements for their Primary Voter Guide. Any members
that volunteer a minimum of eight hours are invited to attend and use
ranked choice voting to set endorsements in primary races. 140 people
qualified to participate.
MeACT Announces 2012 Play
Festival at Lucid Stage on April 21st
MeACT, Maine Association of Community Theaters, a Maine not-for-
profit corporation, will be producing its annual one-act play festival and
workshops MeACT for members and the public on Saturday, April 21,
2012 at Lucid Stage, 29 Baxter Boulevard, Portland, Maine, behind the
Forest Avenue Hannaford’s Supermarket.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Senate Primary Forum Tonight
at Lucid Stage
PORTLAND - A forum for primary candidates in the upcoming primary
elections for the US Senate will feature only the Democratic candidates,
according to the Maine League of Young Voters. None of the
Republican candidates accepted an invitation to take part in the event,
according to the League. Democrats who will be participating in the
forum are West End State Representative Jon Hinck, State Senator
Cynthia Dill, former Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, and Portland
businessman Benjamin Pollard. Republicans who have entered the
Senate race include Scott D'Amboise, Secretary of State Charlie
Summers, State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin, Attorney General William
Schneider, former state Senate President Rick Bennett, and Assistant
Senate Majority Leader Debra Plowman. Independent candidates, such
as former governor Angus King, will also not be participating since they
will not be in a primary race.
The Maine League of Young Voters will be hosting the community forum
for the US Senate Primary candidates in Portland tonight, Sunday, April
15th. The event will features a 'help wanted' format, and questions will
be framed in an interviewer/interviewee style. Candidates will answer
questions as follow-ups to questionnaires and interviews conducted by
the League of Young Voter's Elections Committee. Candidates will also
have an opportunity to ask each other questions.
The Candidate Forum will be held from 6:30pm to 8pm at Lucid Stage,
29 Baxter Boulevard. Doors open at 6:00pm, and the event is free and
open to the public. Audience members will be invited to submit questions
for consideration at www.maine.theleague.com/mesen and at the
beginning of the event. Questions may also be submitted during the
forum by tweeting to @MaineLeague as follow-ups to previously
discussed topics.
WMPG 90.9 and Community Television Network will be recording and
broadcasting the forum. Approximately 100-150 community members
are expected to attend. Attendees will use ranked choice voting at the
end of the event to decide which candidates they want to "hire" for the
job of US Senator. Straw poll results will be released that evening.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
City Seeks Solutions for Six-
Legged Intersection
On Thursday, April 26th, West End City Councilor David Marshall,
District 3 City Councilor Ed Suslovic, and the Portland Area
Comprehensive Transportation System (PACTS), will host a second
public meeting for the Brighton Avenue-Deering Avenue-Falmouth
Street Intersection Study. The study is analyzing the complex six-legged
intersection near the University of Southern Maine campus, and
evaluating different configurations to better meet traffic, bicycle,
pedestrian, transit access, and safety needs.
The study’s consultants will present alternatives developed based upon
deficiencies and opportunities surrounding the intersection identified by
residents, USM, and the consultant’s own assessment. An evaluation of
how well each alternative meets project goals will also be presented.
Alternatives to be discussed include a roundabout; the closing of
Brighton Avenue from Falmouth to Bedford Streets, with a street light at
the intersection of Deering Avenue and Bedford Street; and changes of
traffic lane configurations and signal timing, bikeway markings, improved
signage and lighting and changes to crosswalks and curb ramps to
make them ADA-compliant.
As part of its recent campus expansion, USM contributed $250,000 to
make improvements to the intersection for motor vehicles, bicyclists,
pedestrians, and transit users, as well as to improve the quality of the
streetscape. Currently, wide expanses of pavement make pedestrian
crossings difficult and unsafe. Bicycle lanes are discontinuous, and high
volumes of traffic along a principal arterial, Route 25, create significant
congestion and long signal delays. The feedback from this meeting will
help determine the outcome for the study and what improvements to
fund.
Thursday, April 26, 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM Open House, Light
Refreshments; 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM Public Meeting, USM Wishcamper
Center, Room 102, Bedford Street, Portland
Monday, April 9th
Fire Damages Historic Building
on Park Street
An historic five-story brick building at 106 Park Street was damaged by a
fire that was reported at about 1:30 AM on April 9th. There were no
injuries reported in the fire, which was confined to the fourth floor of the
one-family residence. Two people were home at the time, but escaped
safely.
The building is located in a row of townhouses between Spring and Gray
Street in the West End. The Park Street Row, also known as Park Street
Block, was built in 1835 and was added to the National Register of
Historic Places in 1972.
City to Sponsor Urban Earth
Day in Monument Square
West Enders to Form Butt Bucket Brigade
On Sunday, April 22nd, MENSK and the City of Portland will host
Portland's 2012 Urban Earth Day Celebration. Portland Mayor Michael
Brennan will kick off the event, which will showcase many of Portland’s
environmental and non-profit organizations, artists and sustainable
businesses. Attendees can learn about local efforts to promote
sustainable business practices and improve Portland's urban
environment. The event offers fun, free activities for all ages including
demonstrations on green technology, local agricultural practices, urban
gardening, recycling, bike decorating, a parade, and live music.
Join the West End Butt Bucket Brigade at Longfellow Square at 3 p.m.
on Earth Day - after the City's Earth Day event at Monument Square.
Pick up your Butt Bucket and fan out along Congress, State and Pine
Streets to pick up cigarette butts. Butt Buckets and Gloves will be
provided. If you want to bring a brush and dust pan, please do. Make
Mother Nature Happy and Help Pick Up Those Butts!
For more information about the Urban Earth Day Celebration contact:
Troy Moon: 207-874-8801 or thm@portlandmaine.gov; Ned Swain: 207-
939-3052 or info@menskmaine.org or www.MENSKmaine.org. Sunday,
April 22nd,11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Monument Square, Portland. Rain or
Shine.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Senate Republicans Override
Portland's 'Spoiled Little Brat'
Republicans in the Maine Senate have killed a measure that sought to
clarify the roles and responsibilities for Constitutional Officers who
concurrently run for higher elected office during their service as
Constitutional Officers. The bill was introduced by Senator John Patrick
after three of Maine's Constitutional Officers - Secretary of State
Charlie Summers, Attorney General Wiilam Schneider, and State
Treasurer Bruce Poliquin - all began campaigns for the United States
Senate.
The Republicans on the Legislative Council, the body that decides
whether or not to accept after-deadline bills, voted unanimously to not
allow the bill to be heard. As a member of the Legislative Council,
Portland State Senator Justin Alfond - who Governor Paul LePage
referred to in a radio interview as a 'spoiled little brat' - supported and
voted for the bill.
Investigation Finds No
Evidence of Wrongdoing for
Shipyard Sewer Billing Error
City adopts measures to ensure safeguards are in place
PORTLAND, Maine – In a report given to Portland City Manager Mark
Rees on April 6th, attorney Bryan Dench, who was charged with
investigating why Shipyard Brewing Company was not billed for a 6”
water service line from 1996 to 2011, and whether there was any
improper activity by anyone with the City, has determined that there is
no evidence of wrongdoing, and the error was mostly likely a result of
miscommunications between the City of Portland and the Portland Water
District.
“Without question, this billing error is regrettable, and while there is no
definitive answer as to how this miscommunication occurred, I am
hopeful that the findings of this independent investigation are assuring
to the public,” stated City Manager Rees. “Certainly, a mistake of this
magnitude is unfortunate. The City is taking aggressive action to ensure
that there are checks and balances in place so that something like this
won’t happen again. We need to deserve the trust bestowed upon us by
the public, and I am hopeful that the investigation findings and our
actions to remedy the situation will help assuage concerns.”
For the past month, Dench conducted a thorough review of documents,
interviewed staff, and toured facilities in an effort to determine how the
mistake occurred. The City of Portland, the Portland Water District and
Shipyard Brewing Company all cooperated with his investigation.
The investigation focused on the installation of a 6” water main line at
the brewery in 1996, which was erroneously established as a “water no
sewer” line. As a result of this error, the brewery was not properly billed
for water from the 6” line that was discharged into the sewer system.
Mr. Dench concluded in his report that the mistake was the result of
human error and miscommunication between City and PWD employees.
He further states that the brewery did not mislead anyone about the
uses of the water for the 6” line, and actions taken by brewery staff in
1996-1997 indicate that at the time they were unaware of the billing
mistake. Mr. Dench attributes much of the miscommunication to a
misunderstanding between city and PWD staff. He concludes that the
conversations between the two entities indicate that they may have been
talking past each other, with David Peterson, the City’s senior sewer
technician, either referring to a submeter or separate line at the
brewery. From 1997, the brewery had two water main lines, a 6” and 4”-
each with primary meters and submeters. The 4” line has always been
properly billed for both water and sewer, minus the amount measured by
the submeter as going into product. Mr. Dench further states that an
error of this magnitude would be completely out of character for
Peterson. Peterson, who died in 2007, was an experienced public
official with an excellent reputation.
Mr. Dench also refers to efforts by the PWD in 2004 and 2007 to raise
the issue with Peterson. Again, based upon the documentation, it is
likely that there was a continuing miscommunication, and a failure to
follow-up on the issue, discuss it with the brewery, and bring the matter
to the attention of supervisory staff.
In addition to his conclusions, Mr. Dench includes several
recommendations, many of which the City has already implemented, to
ensure that water customers are properly billed for sewer. The City and
PWD are meeting bimonthly to discuss and review high water users,
verify billing accounts with sewer charges, and establishing effective
protocols for the resolution of outstanding issues, including the
requirement of the City’s Public Services Director or his designee to sign
off on any credits for accounts billed by the PWD.
Both the City and PWD intend to either amend the existing Collection
Agreement or create a Memorandum of Agreement that clearly identifies
appropriate changes related to the treatment of no sewer lines and
submeters. Public Services and Building Inspections are also working to
create a permit program for commercial submeters before the applicant
can purchase a submeter from the PWD.
As a part of this review, PWD provided the City with a complete list of
current water accounts not being billed for sewer. Of the more than
18,000 accounts within Portland, 108 were identified for not being billed
sewer, and while the majority proved to be properties with septic
systems, twelve accounts were found that needed to be charged for
sewer. These accounts either represent a conversion from septic to
sanitary or new construction. The monthly charges for these accounts
range from $24 to $162 resulting in an annual loss of $14,598 or .07%
of the total annual budget $21 million and a total cumulative loss of
revenue of $46,672.50. All accounts have been notified and are now
being correctly billed for sewer.
Mr. Dench will present the findings of his investigation to the Portland
City Council, Monday April 9th at its regular meeting. The report, as well
as a list of corrective measures, is available online at http://misc.
portlandmaine.gov/current.pdf.
Parkside to Hold Unity Festival
The Parkside Unity Festival will be held at Sacred Heart/St. Dominic’s
Parish on Saturday, April 28th, from 1-4 pm. There will be music,
singing, dance, art, East African food, and more. The Festival is a
gathering of friends and families of the Parkside neighborhood to bring
support, healing and enjoyment to Parkside neighbors, sponsored by
neighborhood groups, faith communities, and agencies working together
to celebrate Parkside.
Organizers are also looking for volunteers to help out with the event
(arriving at 11 am and leaving at 5:30 pm). Anyone interested in
volunteering, please contact Rachel Horton White at 553-5940 or at
rachel.white@opportunityalliance.org.
Chers amis Parkside,
Nous aimerions vous inviter à la Unity Festival Parkside! Il s'agit d'un
rassemblement d'amis et les familles du quartier Parkside à apporter un
soutien, la guérison et la jouissance de nos voisins, parrainés par des
groupes de quartier, les communautés religieuses et les organismes qui
travaillent ensemble pour célébrer Parkside. Un dépliant est joint ici.
Le festival se tiendra au Sacré-Cœur / St. Dominique paroisse, le
samedi 28 Avril 1-4 h. Il y aura musique, chant, danse, art, Afrique de
l'Est des aliments, et plus encore! S'il vous plaît rejoignez-nous!
Nous recherchons également des volontaires pour aider à l'événement
(arrivée à 11 h et départ à 17h30). Si vous êtes intéressé à faire du
bénévolat, s'il vous plaît me contacter à 553-5940 ou à
rachelwhite@opportunityalliance.org. Nous nous réjouissons de
vous y voir!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Maine House Rejects Governor’s
Secrecy Bill
AUGUSTA – A measure to shield Governor Paul LePage’s working
papers was dealt a significant bipartisan blow today, as the Maine House
of Representatives voted 98-47 against the bill.
“No other governor, Republican, Democrat, or Independent has asked
for this exemption in transparency,” said Rep. Maeghan Maloney, D-
Augusta, during a floor debate on the measure. “The best government
is one that is open and transparent to its citizens.”
The bill would have temporarily shielded advice, decisions, and
recommendations pertaining to legislative matters and the state budget
between the governor and his senior staff.
“These are the public’s records, not owned by the governor, any
legislator or any other government official,” said Rep. Kim Monaghan-
Derrig, D-Cape Elizabeth, who serves on the Judiciary Committee, which
first considered the bill. “People have a right to know what went into
decision-making before the legislature acts.”
The bill’s opponents included veteran State House journalists, the Maine
ACLU, the Maine Press Association, Common Cause, the Maine
Association of Broadcasters, the Maine Freedom of Information
Coalition, and the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting.
Democrats also said the measure flew in the face of the governor’s
campaign promises. During his campaign, LePage frequently promised
to have the most transparent administration in history. According to the
LePage campaign website “Every Maine citizen has a right to know what
government is up to.” The bill faces further votes in the House and
Senate.
City Implements Bulky Waste
Collection
The Portland City Council at its April 2nd meeting re-instituted the
popular Bulky Waste Collection program which allows city residents to
dispose of large items such as couches, refrigerators, and picnic tables.
Under the new program, there will be a fee of $40 per large item, and no
charge for small items. Residents will be able to buy tags to apply to the
items to be picked up by City crews. There will be a limit of 10 free tags
a year for small items.
Large items are items that weigh over 30 pounds. Small items are items
that weigh 30 lbs or less that can be handled by a single employee and
do not fit in a city trash bag. The Bulky Waste program was raised as an
issue during the recent mayoral campaign by candidate Peter Bryant.
The City hopes to institute the new program in May.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Deering Grad Makes Major
Leagues
Portland native Ryan Flaherty, who played baseball at Deering High
School, has been named to the opening day roster of the Baltimore
Orioles. Flaherty, 25, graduated from Deering in 2005. He also played
football and basketball at Deering, and played college baseball at
Vanderbilt. Flaherty, an infielder, was originally drafted by the Chicago
Cubs. His father, Ed Flaherty, is the baseball coach at USM.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
First Portland Medical
Marijuana Dispensary Opens
Portland's first medical marijuana dispensary opened on March 28th at
685 Congress Street near Longfellow Square. The facility, run by
Wellness Connection of Maine, will dispense medical marijuana to about
100 patients undergoing treatment for cancer, and to patients with
chronic pain.
Adams to Run for Legislature
from Parkside
Former Parkside state representative Herb Adams plans to run for his
old seat in the Maine State Legilature from District 119, Parkside/
Bayside. Adams held the seat for eight years before being termed out in
2010. Independent Ben Chipman is the current representative. Adams
filed his candidacy papers on March 12th. He is an instructor in history
at Southern Maine Community College.
Monday, April 2, 2012
WestFest looking for Sponsors,
Crafters, Artists, Nonprofits,
Performers, Volunteers
On Saturday, May 19, from 10-4, the West End Neighborhood
Association, in cooperation with the City of Portland, will be holding the
3rd Annual WestFest at Reiche. This is their big event of the year and
they need your help in many ways! They try to offer as many activities
as we can for free so that all those attending may participate as much as
possible. In order to do this, though, they need to raise funds to cover
the costs of putting on the event. They try to accomplish this in several
ways.
1- Sponsors - If you as an individual can make a donation, it would be
greatly appreciated. If you have a business, especially if it is in the West
End, we also welcome business sponsorships and would acknowledge
your gift publicly in the ways listed on the sponsor form. Either way, if
you'd like to donate that way, please send your donation to WENA, PO
Box 7898, Portland, ME 04112. WENA is a 501(c)3 organization and
your donation is tax-deductible. Please let us know if you require a
receipt for those purposes.
2 - Craft Tables/Artist Displays - People are invited to participate in
WestFest by selling their crafts and artistic products. The fee for a
space is $15 if you have your own table, $25 if you need to have us
provide a table for you. You may not sell food at a craft table and it is
not a yard sale. The coordinator for the craft tables and artists displays
this year is Tom MacMillan. If you'd like a spot, please let us know or visit
our web site at www.wenamaine.org to download an application.
3 - Silent Auction - we have a popular silent auction with gift
certificates, food baskets, jewelry, paintings, etc. from West End
individuals and businesses, as well as others throughout greater
Portland and Southern Maine. If you'd like to donate or solicit items for
the auction, please e-mail us and Judy Witherell, this year's silent
auction coordinator, will get in touch with you. Plan to come to WestFest
and bid in the auction as well.
4 - Non-profit fund-raising tables - non-profits are invited to participate
in WestFest and may fundraise by selling food(please, no pizza, cotton
candy, lemonade, hot dogs or ice cream sundaes) or other items. If a
non-profit wishes to do this, the cost for a table is $15 and the
application form is available at www.wenamaine.org . If a non-profit wish
to have a space without selling anything, i.e. only pass out information
or display posters, etc., that is free, but you must register. The
registration form is available on our web site www.wenamaine.org .
5 - 50/50 Raffle - They have a 50/50 raffle with three drawings during
the day, so bring plenty of cash and try your luck!
6 - Ice Cream sundaes - WENA also makes some money by selling ice
cream sundaes at WestFest, so come try a treat!
If you aren't interested in any of the options above, there are lots of
other ways to support WENA and have fun at WestFest:
1 - Performers - They like to have a variety of performances - vocal,
instrumental, dance, juggling, etc. They are able to pay an honorarium
of $50 for a 20-30 minute set. [If you're a solo performer, you'd get $50
for just you, if you're in a band of fifty people, you'd get $1 each]. This is
a family-friendly event. The performances will be outdoors, weather
permitting, if not, they'll be inside at Reiche. If you're interested in
performing, or know someone who might be, please go to our web site
www.wenamaine.org and download the appropriate application. The
coordinator for the performances this year is Rosanne Graef.
2 - Healthy Living - Summer Safety and Green Information - A variety
of organizations will be providing tips and literature on these topics. If
you'd like to help out with this section of WestFest, or if you represent
an organization which would like to be a part of the Healthy Living
displays and activities, please contact WENA with your questions or
offers to help.
3 - Volunteer - WENA can use all the help they can get - setting up,
cleaning up, helping out in the kids' area - please let them know via e-
mail if you'd like to volunteer on the day of the event.
4 - Supplies - WENA is looking for a couple of big cardboard boxes, the
kind refrigerators come in. If you have access to these - clean and in
good condition as they will be painted and made into games - please e-
mail us or call 879-6024.
5 - Balloon Animal Maker - if you know how to make balloon animals,
please get in touch with WENA! We would like to add this to the kids'
area along with face painting and caricatures!
If you live in the West End and have other great ideas of things to offer
at WestFest, feel free to let us know!
Pass the word along on WestFest and be sure to come yourself and
bring your family. See you May 19th.
Rent Rebate Deadline Nears
The deadline to apply for the Property Tax and Rent Refund Program, also
known as the "Circuit Breaker," for tax year 2010 is approaching. Applicants
must be Maine residents who lived in the state for all of 2010. Those who are
married or have dependents may qualify if 2010 household income was
$86,600 or less. Those who are single may qualify if household income was
$64,950 or less. The other major requirement is that the 2010 property taxes
must have been more than four percent of the 2010 household income. If
renting, then one may qualify if the rent paid in 2010 was more than 20 percent
of the 2010 household income. The maximum refund to eligible homeowners or
renters this year is $1,600.
If you would like to apply for the Circuit Breaker program, you must do so by
May 31, 2012. (Applications for tax year 2011 will be available starting August
1.) You may apply for the Circuit Breaker program online or download an
application at the Maine Revenue Services web site at www.maine.
gov/revenue/taxrelief. You may also call (207) 626-8475 to request an
application.
Bike Your Way to Work Day Today
Bike commuters greeted with coffee and snacks in
Monument Square
In celebration of National Bike to Work Day, the City of Portland, with the
Bicycle Coalition of Maine, Portland Bicycle Commuting Meet-up, and the East
Coast Greenway Alliance-Maine will welcome bike commuters riding into work at
Monument Square with coffee and snacks, as well as bike tech and safety tips,
on Friday, May 18th.
After work, bike commuters are encouraged to ride to Bug Light Park for a
slice of pizza, fun give aways, and safe bicycle commuting tips. Commuters can
enjoy a beautiful spring day as they ride across the Casco Bay Bridge and
along the Greenway. A free water taxi shuttle at 72 Commercial Street from
3:45 PM – 5:15 PM is also available for commuters looking to skip the four mile
ride (space is limited, no reservations). For more information about the events,
visit www.bikemaine.org.
Friday, May 18, 2012 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM Monument Square,
Portland
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Bug Light Park, South Portland
Rid Litter Day Saturday
The Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization will be hosting its first annual Rid
Litter Day on Saturday, May 19, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Taking pride in where
we live demonstrates the respect we have for ourselves, our neighbors and our
community. Everyone is encouraged to pitch in, clean up and RID Munjoy Hill of
litter!
To participate, come to the Hill House at 92 Congress (next to Hilltop Coffee)
between 8:30 and 9 am on Saturday. Be assigned to a Rid Litter team. Get
your equipment (gloves, bags, rakes, etc.) Head out to your team's Rid Litter
area and pick up litter. Return to Hill House for refreshments and prize
drawings. For more information, email info@munjoyhill.org.
Voters Approve School Budget
Portland voters approved the 2012-2013 $94.2 million school budget on June
15th by a vote of 1,000 to 562 (64%-36%). The record-low turnout was about
3% of Portland's 48,000 eligible voters.
'Splash for Trash' at East End
Beach
Trash clean-up effort goes underwater
The City of Portland and the Roddenberry Dive Team will host 'Splash for
Trash' at the East End Beach on Saturday, June 2nd, from 9AM to 2 PM.. The
underwater clean-up is a part of a community effort to improve the water quality
and environment at the beach. SCUBA divers will scour the sea floor for trash
and debris and bring it to the surface for collection. Prizes provided by Barclay’
s Skindivers Paradise will be given for the best “catch” of the day.
Trash in the ocean kills more than one million seabirds and 100,000 marine
mammals and turtles each year through ingestion and entanglement. Trash left
at the beach can easily be picked up by the tide and find its way to the floor of
Casco Bay, where it could sit for hundreds of years posing a hazard to local
marine life. A tin can will take more than five decades to decompose, and a
plastic bottle thrown into the ocean today will still be decomposing four
centuries from now. For more information about the clean-up effort, visit http:
//www.skindiversparadise.com/.
Mayor Concerned Over State
Health Cuts to City
Budget proposal calls for cuts of at least $250,000 to city health
promotion and disease prevention programs
Portland Mayor Michael Brennan has voiced concern over the proposed 30%
cut to programs funded by the Fund for a Healthy Maine (FHM), and
administered by the City of Portland. FHM, funds received by the state from the
Master Tobacco Settlement, are the only dollars dedicated to prevent chronic
disease and health promotion in Maine. While details are not complete, the
Republican Legislative Leadership budget proposal calls for cuts of at least
$250,000 to City programs, specifically Healthy Maine Partnerships, school-
based health centers, and home visitation.
Brennan, who was a state legislator when the tobacco settlement monies came
to the state, called the proposed cuts "penny wise and pound foolish." He said
that for every dollar the state has invested in the prevention efforts, Maine has
saved approximately $7.50 in costs, the highest return of investment for any
state in the country.
“Healthy families are the key to a healthy economy. Children do better in
school, workers are more productive and businesses can add jobs because
their health care costs are lower, said Brennan. "I consistently hear from
businesses leaders that healthcare costs are holding them back from
expanding. If we want to be aggressive about building our economy for the
future we need to adopt policies that help businesses control these costs and
investments in prevention and health promotion are key.”
According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American health care
system currently spends $238 billion per year in excess costs. These costs are
associated with the cost of care for people with preventable chronic disease
like type2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke. More than half of
those costs are financed through Medicare and Medicaid.
Two of the three leading causes of preventable death, tobacco and obesity,
cost Mainers millions of dollars each year. Medical expenditures attributable to
obesity have been estimated at approximately $767 million dollars per year.
The annual healthcare costs in Maine directly caused by smoking totals
approximately $602 million each year. On average, tobacco and obesity-
related medical expenses cost each Maine household approximately $2,523
every year. Chronic conditions associated with preventable causes are
expensive to treat, but relatively inexpensive to prevent.
The budget proposal calls for $185,000 in cuts to the City’s Healthy Maine
Partnerships, Healthy Portland and Healthy Casco Bay. These programs are
community coalitions that focus on preventing tobacco use, eliminating
involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke, increasing physical activity, and
improving nutrition. Beyond the direct health benefit, the Healthy Maine
Partnerships in Cumberland County have been able to bring in more than $ 4.5
million of additional local, state and federal prevention dollars to the region.
More than 3,500 students receive primary health care at one of the city’s six
school-based health centers. These centers ensure that all Portland youth
have access to health care. Should the proposed cuts be approved, two of
these clinics would be closed, thereby eliminating health care coverage for
hundreds of children.
The impact of the proposed cuts to FHM would result in a 14% reduction of
funding for the city’s Home Visitation program, which serves three hundred and
fifty families annually with home visits, and nine hundred families per year with
support groups.
Public Schools Announce 2012
Top Academic Honors
The following seniors have ranked at the top of their classes at Portland’s
public high schools, based on their grade point averages:
● Casco Bay High School: Noah Lupica, top-ranking student; Madeline
Weatherhead, second-ranked student.
● Deering High School: Madeleine Ostwald, valedictorian; Julia Kang,
salutatorian.
● Portland High School: Ellen Jewett, valedictorian; Eleni Anderson,
salutatorian.
Noah Lupica is a member of the Student Cabinet and he served as the CBHS
representative to the Portland School Board. Noah has been a leader in the
school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. Last year, he was the student coordinator for
his class’ Junior Journey to Biloxi,
Mississippi to work on a Habitat for Humanity project. He has worked as a
student research fellow at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory. Noah
will attend Brown University next year.
Madeline Weatherhead has many years of volunteer experience at the Preble
Street Soup Kitchen, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine and on
political campaigns. She participated in the CBHS Gay-Straight Alliance,
Natural Helpers and the school’s International Club. She plays violin, rides
horses, does Bikram yoga and works as a childcare provider. She will attend
Bennington College next year.
Madeleine Ostwald is a three-sport athlete who has captained the Deering
Nordic ski team and spring lacrosse team. She is a member of the Student
Senate, Key Club and Environmental Club. She volunteers for the Friends of
Casco Bay doing water sampling and at the Children’s Museum of Maine and
Portland Museum of Art. She has participated in a neuroscience workshop at
Bowdoin College, a genomics project at the Mount Desert Island Biological
Laboratory and an independent study course in genetics through the University
of Southern Maine. She will attend Cornell University.
Julia Kang plays violin in the University of Southern Maine’s Youth Symphony
Orchestra. She was a Commended Scholar in the College Board’s National
Merit program and she has pursued an independent study course in
neuroscience. Julia has not yet chosen a college.
Ellen Jewett serves as secretary of Portland High’s Senior Class Executive
Board. She participates in the Math Team, Drama Club and Shakespeare
Club. She also has been a member of the orchestra, school band and field
hockey and tennis teams. She plays with the Portland Youth Symphony
Orchestra and sings in the St. Pius X Church Choir. Her academic
achievement earned her induction into the National Honor Society. She
received the Brown University Book Award and the American High School Math
Exam Award. She plans to attend Yale University.
Eleni Anderson was a member of the Portland High yearbook staff, Art Club
and indoor track, outdoor track and lacrosse teams. She captained the field
hockey team. Eleni participated in the Maine Medical Center Explorers, the
Katahdin Field Hockey Club, Hockeypalooza and an indoor field hockey
league. Her academic achievement earned her membership in the National
Honor Society, and she received the Phi Beta Kappa of Maine Award. She
plans to attend the University of Maine in Orono.
METRO Bus Service Changes
Take Effect
Portland's METRO Bus has made several route changes affecting bus riders in
the city, including the following:
Route #1 - NEW evening service added along Congress Street to Munjoy
Hill/Eastern Prom:Three evening runs (Monday - Saturday) will be added to the
schedule at 7:45 p.m., 8:45 p.m. and 10:25 p.m.
Route #1 service to Mercy at the Fore (Monday - Friday) will be adjusted to 12
trips (from 26) beginning at 7:01 a.m. and continuing through 5:15 p.m. Every
other trip on current schedule will service Mercy at the Fore. Updated schedule
to Mercy at the Fore will run hourly (approximately).
Route #8 - Route #8 service will be changed to eliminate service on Pine Stree
and continue along Congress Street to Bramhall Street, then continue regular
route #8 on West End.
Service along Marginal Way to Cove and Anderson Streets will be rerouted to
Franklin, Somerset (with a new stop across the street from Whole Foods) and
Elm Street, then continued regular route to Hannaford. The bus will no longer
stop at the Park and Ride lot. It will be necessary to cross the street to board
the bus.
Updated schedules will be available prior to service changes. Updated changes
can be found at www.gpmetrobus.com.
City to Launch New Bulky Item
Disposal Program on Monday
Starting Monday, May 14th, the City of Portland’s Department of Public
Services will officially launch a new bulky waste program for residents - Tag It –
Bulky Item Pick-Up. The online program offers an easy and affordable way for
residents to dispose of bulky and large items. Developed by department staff
and the Solid Waste Task Force, the new program replaces the city’s heavy
item pick-up, and provides residents and renters alike with an easy method to
dispose of large items.
Residents who wish to participate in the program may do so by filling out an
online form at www.recycle.portlandmaine.gov (online program will go live
Monday, May 14). Staff from the Department of Public Services will confirm the
request via e-mail and issue the requested bulky item tag(s) to the resident
through the US mail. Once the tag is received, generally two to three days
after requested, the resident should secure it to the item and set it out at the
curb on the specified date for pick-up. Generally, the disposal date will be the
resident’s next regularly scheduled trash day. Tags for bulky items weighing
less than thirty pounds such as kitchen chairs, cribs, lawn furniture, and toys
are free and limited to ten per eligible household a year. Bulky Tags for items
weighing more than thirty pounds, such as couches, beds, dressers and
mattresses will be issued at a set fee of $40 per item
As part of the City’s efforts to reduce waste, residents are encouraged to
donate unwanted items that are in usable condition to local charitable
organizations or give them to friends or neighbors who could use them.
Residents can also contact private waste haulers for disposal services.
The Tag It - Bulky Item Pick-Up program will operate from April to November
annually. Electronic waste like televisions, computer monitors and other
components are not eligible for this program. There are several options for
recycling these items. For more information, visit the city’s website at http:
//recycle.portlandmaine.gov/ewaste.asp.
Woman Arrested for Stealing Cash
Register
Portland police arrested Deidra Hoffman, 45, at her apartment at 11 Forest
Park on April 24th, and charged her with removing a cash register from a
business several blocks away. Police said that Hoffman first entered Maine
Video Systems at 495 Forest Avenue at about 9 AM, told an employee that she
was armed and demanded money. When she was told that there was no money
in the store, she left and went next door to the Green Light Studio, demanded
money, and left with the cash register when an employee there went to a back
room to call police.
Meanwhile, a Back Cove woman who fit the description of the suspect was
detained while the robbery was being investigated. The woman was returning to
her apartment on Baxter Boulevard at about 9AM when she was surrounded by
police with guns drawn. She was handcuffed, and placed in the back of a squad
car for about an hour, and released when the real suspect was identified.
ACLU Sues Two Local Jail Guards
The ACLU of Maine Foundation filed suit against two guards at the Cumberland
County Jail on May 8th, alleging that they used excessive force against a
prisoner in 2010. The ACLU of Maine represents Wilmer Moreno Recinos, who
has since been deported to El Salvador. The beating was captured on the jail’s
security video, and one of the guards was disciplined for his action.
The incident took place on the evening of November 10, 2010, when Recinos
approached the medical cart at the jail because he felt feverish and asthmatic.
Recinos suffers from a number of food allergies. As he was being escorted
back to his cell, one of the guards shoved him to the ground and began
punching him repeatedly in his chest, even after Recinos balled up in a
protective position. The other guard then pepper sprayed the supine Recinos
in the face. Recinos spent most of the rest of his time at the jail in the medical
unit because of his injuries.
The ACLU and its affiliates have produced seven major reports on immigration
detention in the last four years, and have lawsuits pending over detention
conditions at Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in Arizona,
California, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Texas.
Cash Prizes at WestFest Chalk-It-Up
The West End Neighborhood Association is sponsoring Chalk-It-Up at
WestFest3 on Saturday, May 19, at the Reiche Community Center. This
contest is for all artists age 14+ - students, teens, adults, amateur and
professional! Cash prizes, no entry fee, materials provided - how much better
can it get? To register, please go to our web site at www.wenamaine.org ,
click on WestFest and download the registration form and guidelines. The
theme for this year's contest is "Maine - Vacationland".
The contest will be held rain or shine - if it does rain, the artists will be drawing
on paper inside the Reiche Community Room. If it's nice weather, the art work
will be done on the cement outdoor deck at the top of the ramps on the second
floor of Reiche Community Center, 166 Brackett Street in Portland. The
drawings will be done from 10-1, with judging to follow. Awards will be given at 3
p.m. Take advantage of this great opportunity to show your talent!
WestFest Cardboard Figures
Being Made
If you're looking for something fun to do tonight from 6:30-8:30, stop by the
Reiche Community Room on Brackett Street in the West End and help paint
cardboard figures for WestFest. Materials provided - no talent necessary!
On Saturday, May 19, from 10-4, the West End Neighborhood Association, in
cooperation with the City of Portland, will be holding the 3rd Annual WestFest
at Reiche. This is their big event of the year and they need your help in many
ways!
Tear Gas Routs Suspect After
Shooting and Standoff with Police
Portland police arrested Brian Kelley, 48, at about 6PM on May 5th,after a
shooting earlier in the day, and a seven-hour standoff in downtown Portland.
Kelley surrendered after police fired several rounds of tear gas into a building
at 19 Cedar Street, where he was barricaded, and he was charged with
elevated aggravated assault and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.
Police cordoned off the area around Portland High School after the shooting
occurred at about 10:45 AM. A woman was shot in the chest and taken to
Maine Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. She was hit by a shot
fired from a nearby building. About 200 students were in the school taking SAT
exams at the time of the shooting. The school was locked down, and eventually
evacuated.
Chipman to Host Forum on
General Assistance
In response to Governor LePage’s recent veto of funding for General
Assistance, State Representative Ben Chipman will host a panel discussion on
the General Assistance program on Wednesday, May 9th at 6:30 p.m. at the
Parkside Neighborhood Center, 85 Grant St. in Portland. The panel will include
Bob Duranleau, Social Services/General Assistance Director, City of Portland;
Robyn Merrill from Maine Equal Justice Partners; and Betsy Whitman from
Homeless Voices for Justice. Members of the Legislature’s Health and Human
Services Committee have also been invited to participate. The event is open to
the public.
“General Assistance is extremely important to this district. This program
provides basic necessities for the poorest of the poor and it is critical that we
continue to fund it.” said Chipman, who represents Portland’s Parkside,
Bayside, and East Bayside neighborhoods.
General Assistance is a state-mandated program that provides basic
emergency assistance for food, shelter, and other necessities to Maine’s lowest-
income residents. Last month, the day after the state legislature left for a four-
week recess, Governor LePage used line-item veto to strike out funding for GA,
after a compromise had been reached in the legislature. Republican leaders
then refused to bring the legislature back to consider overriding the veto.
The purpose of the Parkside event is to educate the public about the history of
General Assistance, how it works, what can be done to protect funding for it,
and get feedback from the public before the Legislature re-convenes on May
15th to vote on a supplemental budget.
For more information contact Rep. Ben Chipman at (207) 318-4961.
Bicycle/Pedestrian Changes
Planned for Parkside/Libbytown
Representatives of the Maine Department of Transportation will meet at King
Middle School on Wednesday evening, May 9th, from 6 to 8 PM to explain
traffic, bicycling and pedestrian improvements planned for two streets in the
Parkside/Libbytown area.
Changes are planned for St. John Street, from Congress Street to Park Avenue
(at the overhead railroad crossing). Similar changes are planned for Park
Avenue, from St. John Street to Deering Avenue (at the corner of King Middle
School.)
The meeting is intended to provide details of the projects to area residents and
businesses, as well to seek input from area residents. MDOT’s St John Street
project, as drafted, will dovetail with streetscape work at the intersection of
Congress and St John Streets. The MDOT work will not slow down or interfere
with the St. John Street Streetscape improvement project scheduled to begin
this summer. If approved in the next month or two, these MDOT projects will
likely take place during this upcoming construction season, along with the
streetscape improvements.
SJVNA Monthly Meeting
The St. John Valley Neighborhood monthly meeting will be held on Wed June
6th, 6.30pm, Shalom House. Entrance on the corner of Gilman Street and Park
Avenue. Contact: sjvna1@gmail.com
Green Party Convention Coming to
Portland on Saturday
The Maine Green Independent Party will hold its 2012 annual state convention
on Saturday, May 5th at the Maine Historical Society in Portland.
This year’s convention theme is “Back to the Roots,” with respect to its keynote
speakers - Pat LaMarche and Jonathan Carter. Both speakers are former
Maine Green Party gubernatorial candidates and are heralded as fundamental
to the party's early successes and growth.
Presidential candidates Jill Stein, Roseanne Barr and Kent Mesplay will also
address the convention via Skype. Attendees will have a chance to meet and
hear from local candidates for office, discuss the pertinent issues facing the
state this election year, and vote for the party’s presidential nominee.
The convention runs from 9AM to 5PM, with a break for a community-prepared
lunch. Registration is $25 at the door, or $20 by pre-registration at www.
mainegreens.org. Sliding scale fees or scholarship options are available by
calling 207-284-3358. Day-of-convention registration begins at 9:00 a.m. The
Maine Historical Society is located at 489 Congress Street, Portland.
Additionally convention attendees will have access to the Longfellow Garden as
well as private viewing of the museum during the lunch hour.
For more information call 207-284-3358 or visit www.mainegreens.org.
Construction Starting at Intersection
of Allen and Washington Avenues
Starting tomorrow, May 1st, and continuing through the month, construction
work for a combined sewer overflow abatement project will cause delays at the
intersection of Allen Avenue and Washington Avenue between the hours of 8
PM and 6 AM. Motorist should seek alternate routes to avoid traffic and delays
and as always, remember to share the road with bicycles.
Winter is Officially Over
Winter 2012 in Portland officially ended in mid-April when Joan Sheedy,
Founder/Director of the FREE Senior Snow-shoveling Project, issued her
annual 'thank you' to all the volunteers who shoveled snow for all the elderly
residents in the Senior Snow-shoveling Project.
"Although we only had two 'shovelable' snowstorms, this past winter, these
faithful people were there for those storms, and 'at the ready', for any others!
The Senior's really appreciate this service, and it makes their winter so much
safer, and more convenient."
Sheedy also thanked the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department for its
financial and shoveling support. This year, about 154 people over 65 had their
properties shoveled out at no charge.
"Excuse me, can you tell me where the Reiche School is?"
West Enders Push for Major
Reiche Renovations
West End City Councilor David Marshall met with about two dozen of his
neighbors on April 24th to talk about and plan major renovations that will be
taking place over the next five years at the Reiche School and Community
Center on Brackett Street.
Members of the Reiche School Parent Teacher Organization have been
working with City officials to make upgrades on signage, lighting, and
crosswalks at the school. PTO member Judy Watson talked about how the roof
in the school library leaked after a heavy rain, and how people had a hard time
finding their way around the school because of the poor signage. (While
Watson was speaking, a news cameraman from Channel 8 who was looking for
the meeting walked past the Community Center room where the meeting was
being held, and had to be flagged down.)
Marshall told the group that the City plans to set aside nearly $3 million in
Capital Improvement funds in 2016 and 2017, as part of its five-year Capital
Improvement Plan. Marshall said that the first step was to spend $60 thousand
on architectural drawings for proposed changes.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Sidewalk Repair on Congress Street
Beginning on Tuesday, April 24th, and continuing through the month, City work
crews will be replacing sidewalk bricks along Congress Street from Park Street
to High Street (the block containing the Station A Post Office and Coffee by
Design) between the hours of 7 AM and 4:30 PM. Work is weather dependent.
All businesses will be accessible while the work is underway.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
WENA Kicks Butts on Earth Day
In about 45 minutes on Earth Day, undaunted in a downpour, a hearty crew
from the West End Neighborhood Association picked up ten #10 cans of full of
cigarette butts (plus broken glass, bottle caps, wrappers and 49¢ in cash).
They worked only on Longfellow Square, the south side of Congress Street to
the barber shop, both sides of State Street (from the square to State Street
Church and then the Portland Club to the Square) and the south side of Pine
Street to Blackstone's.
To avoid being hit by cars, they picked up butts in the gardens, from the
sidewalks and esplanades, and did not collect the butts in the gutters. If six
people got this many butts in 45 minutes from such a small area, just imagine
the pile of cigarette butts littering the public grounds, streets and walkways
of Portland!
The deadline to apply for the Property Tax and Rent Refund Program, also
known as the "Circuit Breaker," for tax year 2010 is approaching. Applicants
must be Maine residents who lived in the state for all of 2010. Those who are
married or have dependents may qualify if 2010 household income was
$86,600 or less. Those who are single may qualify if household income was
$64,950 or less. The other major requirement is that the 2010 property taxes
must have been more than four percent of the 2010 household income. If
renting, then one may qualify if the rent paid in 2010 was more than 20 percent
of the 2010 household income. The maximum refund to eligible homeowners or
renters this year is $1,600.
If you would like to apply for the Circuit Breaker program, you must do so by
May 31, 2012. (Applications for tax year 2011 will be available starting August
1.) You may apply for the Circuit Breaker program online or download an
application at the Maine Revenue Services web site at www.maine.
gov/revenue/taxrelief. You may also call (207) 626-8475 to request an
application.
Bike Your Way to Work Day Today
Bike commuters greeted with coffee and snacks in
Monument Square
In celebration of National Bike to Work Day, the City of Portland, with the
Bicycle Coalition of Maine, Portland Bicycle Commuting Meet-up, and the East
Coast Greenway Alliance-Maine will welcome bike commuters riding into work at
Monument Square with coffee and snacks, as well as bike tech and safety tips,
on Friday, May 18th.
After work, bike commuters are encouraged to ride to Bug Light Park for a
slice of pizza, fun give aways, and safe bicycle commuting tips. Commuters can
enjoy a beautiful spring day as they ride across the Casco Bay Bridge and
along the Greenway. A free water taxi shuttle at 72 Commercial Street from
3:45 PM – 5:15 PM is also available for commuters looking to skip the four mile
ride (space is limited, no reservations). For more information about the events,
visit www.bikemaine.org.
Friday, May 18, 2012 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM Monument Square,
Portland
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Bug Light Park, South Portland
Rid Litter Day Saturday
The Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization will be hosting its first annual Rid
Litter Day on Saturday, May 19, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Taking pride in where
we live demonstrates the respect we have for ourselves, our neighbors and our
community. Everyone is encouraged to pitch in, clean up and RID Munjoy Hill of
litter!
To participate, come to the Hill House at 92 Congress (next to Hilltop Coffee)
between 8:30 and 9 am on Saturday. Be assigned to a Rid Litter team. Get
your equipment (gloves, bags, rakes, etc.) Head out to your team's Rid Litter
area and pick up litter. Return to Hill House for refreshments and prize
drawings. For more information, email info@munjoyhill.org.
Voters Approve School Budget
Portland voters approved the 2012-2013 $94.2 million school budget on June
15th by a vote of 1,000 to 562 (64%-36%). The record-low turnout was about
3% of Portland's 48,000 eligible voters.
'Splash for Trash' at East End
Beach
Trash clean-up effort goes underwater
The City of Portland and the Roddenberry Dive Team will host 'Splash for
Trash' at the East End Beach on Saturday, June 2nd, from 9AM to 2 PM.. The
underwater clean-up is a part of a community effort to improve the water quality
and environment at the beach. SCUBA divers will scour the sea floor for trash
and debris and bring it to the surface for collection. Prizes provided by Barclay’
s Skindivers Paradise will be given for the best “catch” of the day.
Trash in the ocean kills more than one million seabirds and 100,000 marine
mammals and turtles each year through ingestion and entanglement. Trash left
at the beach can easily be picked up by the tide and find its way to the floor of
Casco Bay, where it could sit for hundreds of years posing a hazard to local
marine life. A tin can will take more than five decades to decompose, and a
plastic bottle thrown into the ocean today will still be decomposing four
centuries from now. For more information about the clean-up effort, visit http:
//www.skindiversparadise.com/.
Mayor Concerned Over State
Health Cuts to City
Budget proposal calls for cuts of at least $250,000 to city health
promotion and disease prevention programs
Portland Mayor Michael Brennan has voiced concern over the proposed 30%
cut to programs funded by the Fund for a Healthy Maine (FHM), and
administered by the City of Portland. FHM, funds received by the state from the
Master Tobacco Settlement, are the only dollars dedicated to prevent chronic
disease and health promotion in Maine. While details are not complete, the
Republican Legislative Leadership budget proposal calls for cuts of at least
$250,000 to City programs, specifically Healthy Maine Partnerships, school-
based health centers, and home visitation.
Brennan, who was a state legislator when the tobacco settlement monies came
to the state, called the proposed cuts "penny wise and pound foolish." He said
that for every dollar the state has invested in the prevention efforts, Maine has
saved approximately $7.50 in costs, the highest return of investment for any
state in the country.
“Healthy families are the key to a healthy economy. Children do better in
school, workers are more productive and businesses can add jobs because
their health care costs are lower, said Brennan. "I consistently hear from
businesses leaders that healthcare costs are holding them back from
expanding. If we want to be aggressive about building our economy for the
future we need to adopt policies that help businesses control these costs and
investments in prevention and health promotion are key.”
According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American health care
system currently spends $238 billion per year in excess costs. These costs are
associated with the cost of care for people with preventable chronic disease
like type2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke. More than half of
those costs are financed through Medicare and Medicaid.
Two of the three leading causes of preventable death, tobacco and obesity,
cost Mainers millions of dollars each year. Medical expenditures attributable to
obesity have been estimated at approximately $767 million dollars per year.
The annual healthcare costs in Maine directly caused by smoking totals
approximately $602 million each year. On average, tobacco and obesity-
related medical expenses cost each Maine household approximately $2,523
every year. Chronic conditions associated with preventable causes are
expensive to treat, but relatively inexpensive to prevent.
The budget proposal calls for $185,000 in cuts to the City’s Healthy Maine
Partnerships, Healthy Portland and Healthy Casco Bay. These programs are
community coalitions that focus on preventing tobacco use, eliminating
involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke, increasing physical activity, and
improving nutrition. Beyond the direct health benefit, the Healthy Maine
Partnerships in Cumberland County have been able to bring in more than $ 4.5
million of additional local, state and federal prevention dollars to the region.
More than 3,500 students receive primary health care at one of the city’s six
school-based health centers. These centers ensure that all Portland youth
have access to health care. Should the proposed cuts be approved, two of
these clinics would be closed, thereby eliminating health care coverage for
hundreds of children.
The impact of the proposed cuts to FHM would result in a 14% reduction of
funding for the city’s Home Visitation program, which serves three hundred and
fifty families annually with home visits, and nine hundred families per year with
support groups.
Public Schools Announce 2012
Top Academic Honors
The following seniors have ranked at the top of their classes at Portland’s
public high schools, based on their grade point averages:
● Casco Bay High School: Noah Lupica, top-ranking student; Madeline
Weatherhead, second-ranked student.
● Deering High School: Madeleine Ostwald, valedictorian; Julia Kang,
salutatorian.
● Portland High School: Ellen Jewett, valedictorian; Eleni Anderson,
salutatorian.
Noah Lupica is a member of the Student Cabinet and he served as the CBHS
representative to the Portland School Board. Noah has been a leader in the
school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. Last year, he was the student coordinator for
his class’ Junior Journey to Biloxi,
Mississippi to work on a Habitat for Humanity project. He has worked as a
student research fellow at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory. Noah
will attend Brown University next year.
Madeline Weatherhead has many years of volunteer experience at the Preble
Street Soup Kitchen, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine and on
political campaigns. She participated in the CBHS Gay-Straight Alliance,
Natural Helpers and the school’s International Club. She plays violin, rides
horses, does Bikram yoga and works as a childcare provider. She will attend
Bennington College next year.
Madeleine Ostwald is a three-sport athlete who has captained the Deering
Nordic ski team and spring lacrosse team. She is a member of the Student
Senate, Key Club and Environmental Club. She volunteers for the Friends of
Casco Bay doing water sampling and at the Children’s Museum of Maine and
Portland Museum of Art. She has participated in a neuroscience workshop at
Bowdoin College, a genomics project at the Mount Desert Island Biological
Laboratory and an independent study course in genetics through the University
of Southern Maine. She will attend Cornell University.
Julia Kang plays violin in the University of Southern Maine’s Youth Symphony
Orchestra. She was a Commended Scholar in the College Board’s National
Merit program and she has pursued an independent study course in
neuroscience. Julia has not yet chosen a college.
Ellen Jewett serves as secretary of Portland High’s Senior Class Executive
Board. She participates in the Math Team, Drama Club and Shakespeare
Club. She also has been a member of the orchestra, school band and field
hockey and tennis teams. She plays with the Portland Youth Symphony
Orchestra and sings in the St. Pius X Church Choir. Her academic
achievement earned her induction into the National Honor Society. She
received the Brown University Book Award and the American High School Math
Exam Award. She plans to attend Yale University.
Eleni Anderson was a member of the Portland High yearbook staff, Art Club
and indoor track, outdoor track and lacrosse teams. She captained the field
hockey team. Eleni participated in the Maine Medical Center Explorers, the
Katahdin Field Hockey Club, Hockeypalooza and an indoor field hockey
league. Her academic achievement earned her membership in the National
Honor Society, and she received the Phi Beta Kappa of Maine Award. She
plans to attend the University of Maine in Orono.
METRO Bus Service Changes
Take Effect
Portland's METRO Bus has made several route changes affecting bus riders in
the city, including the following:
Route #1 - NEW evening service added along Congress Street to Munjoy
Hill/Eastern Prom:Three evening runs (Monday - Saturday) will be added to the
schedule at 7:45 p.m., 8:45 p.m. and 10:25 p.m.
Route #1 service to Mercy at the Fore (Monday - Friday) will be adjusted to 12
trips (from 26) beginning at 7:01 a.m. and continuing through 5:15 p.m. Every
other trip on current schedule will service Mercy at the Fore. Updated schedule
to Mercy at the Fore will run hourly (approximately).
Route #8 - Route #8 service will be changed to eliminate service on Pine Stree
and continue along Congress Street to Bramhall Street, then continue regular
route #8 on West End.
Service along Marginal Way to Cove and Anderson Streets will be rerouted to
Franklin, Somerset (with a new stop across the street from Whole Foods) and
Elm Street, then continued regular route to Hannaford. The bus will no longer
stop at the Park and Ride lot. It will be necessary to cross the street to board
the bus.
Updated schedules will be available prior to service changes. Updated changes
can be found at www.gpmetrobus.com.
City to Launch New Bulky Item
Disposal Program on Monday
Starting Monday, May 14th, the City of Portland’s Department of Public
Services will officially launch a new bulky waste program for residents - Tag It –
Bulky Item Pick-Up. The online program offers an easy and affordable way for
residents to dispose of bulky and large items. Developed by department staff
and the Solid Waste Task Force, the new program replaces the city’s heavy
item pick-up, and provides residents and renters alike with an easy method to
dispose of large items.
Residents who wish to participate in the program may do so by filling out an
online form at www.recycle.portlandmaine.gov (online program will go live
Monday, May 14). Staff from the Department of Public Services will confirm the
request via e-mail and issue the requested bulky item tag(s) to the resident
through the US mail. Once the tag is received, generally two to three days
after requested, the resident should secure it to the item and set it out at the
curb on the specified date for pick-up. Generally, the disposal date will be the
resident’s next regularly scheduled trash day. Tags for bulky items weighing
less than thirty pounds such as kitchen chairs, cribs, lawn furniture, and toys
are free and limited to ten per eligible household a year. Bulky Tags for items
weighing more than thirty pounds, such as couches, beds, dressers and
mattresses will be issued at a set fee of $40 per item
As part of the City’s efforts to reduce waste, residents are encouraged to
donate unwanted items that are in usable condition to local charitable
organizations or give them to friends or neighbors who could use them.
Residents can also contact private waste haulers for disposal services.
The Tag It - Bulky Item Pick-Up program will operate from April to November
annually. Electronic waste like televisions, computer monitors and other
components are not eligible for this program. There are several options for
recycling these items. For more information, visit the city’s website at http:
//recycle.portlandmaine.gov/ewaste.asp.
Woman Arrested for Stealing Cash
Register
Portland police arrested Deidra Hoffman, 45, at her apartment at 11 Forest
Park on April 24th, and charged her with removing a cash register from a
business several blocks away. Police said that Hoffman first entered Maine
Video Systems at 495 Forest Avenue at about 9 AM, told an employee that she
was armed and demanded money. When she was told that there was no money
in the store, she left and went next door to the Green Light Studio, demanded
money, and left with the cash register when an employee there went to a back
room to call police.
Meanwhile, a Back Cove woman who fit the description of the suspect was
detained while the robbery was being investigated. The woman was returning to
her apartment on Baxter Boulevard at about 9AM when she was surrounded by
police with guns drawn. She was handcuffed, and placed in the back of a squad
car for about an hour, and released when the real suspect was identified.
ACLU Sues Two Local Jail Guards
The ACLU of Maine Foundation filed suit against two guards at the Cumberland
County Jail on May 8th, alleging that they used excessive force against a
prisoner in 2010. The ACLU of Maine represents Wilmer Moreno Recinos, who
has since been deported to El Salvador. The beating was captured on the jail’s
security video, and one of the guards was disciplined for his action.
The incident took place on the evening of November 10, 2010, when Recinos
approached the medical cart at the jail because he felt feverish and asthmatic.
Recinos suffers from a number of food allergies. As he was being escorted
back to his cell, one of the guards shoved him to the ground and began
punching him repeatedly in his chest, even after Recinos balled up in a
protective position. The other guard then pepper sprayed the supine Recinos
in the face. Recinos spent most of the rest of his time at the jail in the medical
unit because of his injuries.
The ACLU and its affiliates have produced seven major reports on immigration
detention in the last four years, and have lawsuits pending over detention
conditions at Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in Arizona,
California, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Texas.
Cash Prizes at WestFest Chalk-It-Up
The West End Neighborhood Association is sponsoring Chalk-It-Up at
WestFest3 on Saturday, May 19, at the Reiche Community Center. This
contest is for all artists age 14+ - students, teens, adults, amateur and
professional! Cash prizes, no entry fee, materials provided - how much better
can it get? To register, please go to our web site at www.wenamaine.org ,
click on WestFest and download the registration form and guidelines. The
theme for this year's contest is "Maine - Vacationland".
The contest will be held rain or shine - if it does rain, the artists will be drawing
on paper inside the Reiche Community Room. If it's nice weather, the art work
will be done on the cement outdoor deck at the top of the ramps on the second
floor of Reiche Community Center, 166 Brackett Street in Portland. The
drawings will be done from 10-1, with judging to follow. Awards will be given at 3
p.m. Take advantage of this great opportunity to show your talent!
WestFest Cardboard Figures
Being Made
If you're looking for something fun to do tonight from 6:30-8:30, stop by the
Reiche Community Room on Brackett Street in the West End and help paint
cardboard figures for WestFest. Materials provided - no talent necessary!
On Saturday, May 19, from 10-4, the West End Neighborhood Association, in
cooperation with the City of Portland, will be holding the 3rd Annual WestFest
at Reiche. This is their big event of the year and they need your help in many
ways!
Tear Gas Routs Suspect After
Shooting and Standoff with Police
Portland police arrested Brian Kelley, 48, at about 6PM on May 5th,after a
shooting earlier in the day, and a seven-hour standoff in downtown Portland.
Kelley surrendered after police fired several rounds of tear gas into a building
at 19 Cedar Street, where he was barricaded, and he was charged with
elevated aggravated assault and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.
Police cordoned off the area around Portland High School after the shooting
occurred at about 10:45 AM. A woman was shot in the chest and taken to
Maine Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. She was hit by a shot
fired from a nearby building. About 200 students were in the school taking SAT
exams at the time of the shooting. The school was locked down, and eventually
evacuated.
Chipman to Host Forum on
General Assistance
In response to Governor LePage’s recent veto of funding for General
Assistance, State Representative Ben Chipman will host a panel discussion on
the General Assistance program on Wednesday, May 9th at 6:30 p.m. at the
Parkside Neighborhood Center, 85 Grant St. in Portland. The panel will include
Bob Duranleau, Social Services/General Assistance Director, City of Portland;
Robyn Merrill from Maine Equal Justice Partners; and Betsy Whitman from
Homeless Voices for Justice. Members of the Legislature’s Health and Human
Services Committee have also been invited to participate. The event is open to
the public.
“General Assistance is extremely important to this district. This program
provides basic necessities for the poorest of the poor and it is critical that we
continue to fund it.” said Chipman, who represents Portland’s Parkside,
Bayside, and East Bayside neighborhoods.
General Assistance is a state-mandated program that provides basic
emergency assistance for food, shelter, and other necessities to Maine’s lowest-
income residents. Last month, the day after the state legislature left for a four-
week recess, Governor LePage used line-item veto to strike out funding for GA,
after a compromise had been reached in the legislature. Republican leaders
then refused to bring the legislature back to consider overriding the veto.
The purpose of the Parkside event is to educate the public about the history of
General Assistance, how it works, what can be done to protect funding for it,
and get feedback from the public before the Legislature re-convenes on May
15th to vote on a supplemental budget.
For more information contact Rep. Ben Chipman at (207) 318-4961.
Bicycle/Pedestrian Changes
Planned for Parkside/Libbytown
Representatives of the Maine Department of Transportation will meet at King
Middle School on Wednesday evening, May 9th, from 6 to 8 PM to explain
traffic, bicycling and pedestrian improvements planned for two streets in the
Parkside/Libbytown area.
Changes are planned for St. John Street, from Congress Street to Park Avenue
(at the overhead railroad crossing). Similar changes are planned for Park
Avenue, from St. John Street to Deering Avenue (at the corner of King Middle
School.)
The meeting is intended to provide details of the projects to area residents and
businesses, as well to seek input from area residents. MDOT’s St John Street
project, as drafted, will dovetail with streetscape work at the intersection of
Congress and St John Streets. The MDOT work will not slow down or interfere
with the St. John Street Streetscape improvement project scheduled to begin
this summer. If approved in the next month or two, these MDOT projects will
likely take place during this upcoming construction season, along with the
streetscape improvements.
SJVNA Monthly Meeting
The St. John Valley Neighborhood monthly meeting will be held on Wed June
6th, 6.30pm, Shalom House. Entrance on the corner of Gilman Street and Park
Avenue. Contact: sjvna1@gmail.com
Green Party Convention Coming to
Portland on Saturday
The Maine Green Independent Party will hold its 2012 annual state convention
on Saturday, May 5th at the Maine Historical Society in Portland.
This year’s convention theme is “Back to the Roots,” with respect to its keynote
speakers - Pat LaMarche and Jonathan Carter. Both speakers are former
Maine Green Party gubernatorial candidates and are heralded as fundamental
to the party's early successes and growth.
Presidential candidates Jill Stein, Roseanne Barr and Kent Mesplay will also
address the convention via Skype. Attendees will have a chance to meet and
hear from local candidates for office, discuss the pertinent issues facing the
state this election year, and vote for the party’s presidential nominee.
The convention runs from 9AM to 5PM, with a break for a community-prepared
lunch. Registration is $25 at the door, or $20 by pre-registration at www.
mainegreens.org. Sliding scale fees or scholarship options are available by
calling 207-284-3358. Day-of-convention registration begins at 9:00 a.m. The
Maine Historical Society is located at 489 Congress Street, Portland.
Additionally convention attendees will have access to the Longfellow Garden as
well as private viewing of the museum during the lunch hour.
For more information call 207-284-3358 or visit www.mainegreens.org.
Construction Starting at Intersection
of Allen and Washington Avenues
Starting tomorrow, May 1st, and continuing through the month, construction
work for a combined sewer overflow abatement project will cause delays at the
intersection of Allen Avenue and Washington Avenue between the hours of 8
PM and 6 AM. Motorist should seek alternate routes to avoid traffic and delays
and as always, remember to share the road with bicycles.
Winter is Officially Over
Winter 2012 in Portland officially ended in mid-April when Joan Sheedy,
Founder/Director of the FREE Senior Snow-shoveling Project, issued her
annual 'thank you' to all the volunteers who shoveled snow for all the elderly
residents in the Senior Snow-shoveling Project.
"Although we only had two 'shovelable' snowstorms, this past winter, these
faithful people were there for those storms, and 'at the ready', for any others!
The Senior's really appreciate this service, and it makes their winter so much
safer, and more convenient."
Sheedy also thanked the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department for its
financial and shoveling support. This year, about 154 people over 65 had their
properties shoveled out at no charge.
"Excuse me, can you tell me where the Reiche School is?"
West Enders Push for Major
Reiche Renovations
West End City Councilor David Marshall met with about two dozen of his
neighbors on April 24th to talk about and plan major renovations that will be
taking place over the next five years at the Reiche School and Community
Center on Brackett Street.
Members of the Reiche School Parent Teacher Organization have been
working with City officials to make upgrades on signage, lighting, and
crosswalks at the school. PTO member Judy Watson talked about how the roof
in the school library leaked after a heavy rain, and how people had a hard time
finding their way around the school because of the poor signage. (While
Watson was speaking, a news cameraman from Channel 8 who was looking for
the meeting walked past the Community Center room where the meeting was
being held, and had to be flagged down.)
Marshall told the group that the City plans to set aside nearly $3 million in
Capital Improvement funds in 2016 and 2017, as part of its five-year Capital
Improvement Plan. Marshall said that the first step was to spend $60 thousand
on architectural drawings for proposed changes.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Sidewalk Repair on Congress Street
Beginning on Tuesday, April 24th, and continuing through the month, City work
crews will be replacing sidewalk bricks along Congress Street from Park Street
to High Street (the block containing the Station A Post Office and Coffee by
Design) between the hours of 7 AM and 4:30 PM. Work is weather dependent.
All businesses will be accessible while the work is underway.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
WENA Kicks Butts on Earth Day
In about 45 minutes on Earth Day, undaunted in a downpour, a hearty crew
from the West End Neighborhood Association picked up ten #10 cans of full of
cigarette butts (plus broken glass, bottle caps, wrappers and 49¢ in cash).
They worked only on Longfellow Square, the south side of Congress Street to
the barber shop, both sides of State Street (from the square to State Street
Church and then the Portland Club to the Square) and the south side of Pine
Street to Blackstone's.
To avoid being hit by cars, they picked up butts in the gardens, from the
sidewalks and esplanades, and did not collect the butts in the gutters. If six
people got this many butts in 45 minutes from such a small area, just imagine
the pile of cigarette butts littering the public grounds, streets and walkways
of Portland!
WestFest 3 - 10-4!