October 2009
Portland Community
Health Center Now
Taking Appointments
Cumberland County's first federally
qualified health center to open next
month
The Portland Community Health Center is
scheduling appointments for people of all
ages in preparation for their opening next
month. The new federally-qualified health
center is the first of its kind in Cumberland
County and it expected to provide health
care to as many as five thousand patients
in the Greater Portland area. Funded by the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
for $1.3 million for the next two years, the
Health Center will provide a wide range of
services, including primary care, behavioral
health, and limited dental services. The
health center will be accessible to all, and
will accept insurance, MaineCare and
Medicare, and for those with no insurance,
services will be available with a sliding fee
scale based upon the individual's income
level and family size. The clinic is expected
to be open in early November and patients
can call now, 207-482-5000, to schedule
an appointment.
Fitted with seven exam rooms, with
additional space dedicated to dental care,
the Health Center will be open Monday
through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM,
with plans to expand to early morning,
evening and Saturday hours. Located at
180 Park Avenue, the health center will
have a highly skilled medical staff including
medical director, Patricia David, MD, a
nurse practitioner, Sarah Andel and nurse,
Lauren Rose-Cohen, as well as a part-time
pediatric physician. Additional staff will be
added in the next few months.
Federally qualified health centers receive
higher reimbursement rates for MaineCare
covered patients. Currently a number of
private practices in the Portland area are
closed to MaineCare patients and the new
clinic will remove an existing barrier for
these men, women and children. The
health center is also committed to outreach
to Portland's immigrant community and
has representatives that serve on its Board
of Directors.
Man Dies of
Injuries After
Being Run Over
A Portland man died of his injuries at
Maine Medical Center on Sunday,
November 1st, after being run over last
week, allegedly by a man with whom he
was having a dispute.
On Wednesday, October 28th, at about 11:
18 AM, Portland police were dispatched to
the area of 238 Auburn Street in the North
Deering neighborhood, for a personal
injury traffic collision, involving a
pedestrian and vehicle.
Upon arrival at the scene and further
investigation, officers developed
information to indicate that the incident
was intentional.
Witnesses say that the suspect, Tim
Antone, 42, of Scarborough, operating a
blue Ford Explorer, appeared to have
intentionally run over the victim, identified
as Roland Villacci, 49, of Portland..
After running over Mr. Villacci, witnesses
stated that Mr. Antone left the scene on
foot, leaving behind the vehicle, which had
crashed into the building. Mr. Antone was
located a
short distance away and placed into
custody without further incident.
Mr. Villacci was transported to Maine
Medical Center due to injuries sustained.
Mr. Antone was transported to
Cumberland County Jail and was charged
with elevated aggravated assault and
criminal intent to commit murder. His bail
was set at $1 million.
He is now being held without bail on a
charge of murder.
Man Injured in
Fight over Traffic
Island Spot
Eric F. Byrne, 47, of Portland, was
arrested and charged with aggravated
assault on October 29th at 11:30 PM .at
the intersection of Congress and St. John
streets, where he was on the traffic island
with a sign asking passing motorists for
money.
Police say that when another man decided
to encroach on his spot, the man became a
victim of Byrne’s rage. The interloper was
thrown to the ground and kicked, causing
injuries that were significant enough for the
man to be taken to the hospital.
-Marge Niblock
Woman
Arrested for
Munjoy Hill
Burglaries
Tricia Jean Binette, 29, was arrested on
October 28th at 6 PM, and charged with
residential burglary and theft in connection
with a burglary at a residence on Cleeve
Street.
Binette had been taken into custody and
brought in to speak with detectives after
she had entered some unlocked dwellings
on Howard Street the morning of
September 18th. She wasn’t held at that
time because she didn’t have in her
possession any property belonging to
people who lived in the apartments she had
entered.
On that occasion, Binette had said she was
looking for “Alexis,” when confronted by
the startled resident who was working at
home that day in the dining room.
This time, Binette was connected to items
stolen from the Cleeve Street property. The
investigation is ongoing, according to
police, who say there could be more
charges brought.
Skolnik, Police Feud
Over Civilian Review
Board Changes
A proposal by City Councilor Dan Skolnik
to make a change to the Civilian Police
Review Subcommittee has drawn fire from
Portland police union president Lieutenant
Gary Hutcheson. The issue was scheduled
to be discussed at the Public Safety
meeting on October 27th.
Skolnik's proposal would allow persons
who have filed complaints against police
officers to serve on the committee. They
are currently banned from doing so.
Prior to becoming a City Councilor,
Skolnik sat on the Civilian Police Review
Committee, which he left in 2007 after
filing a complaint against a Portland police
officer for "unlawful detention." Unlawful
detention is a potential violation of civil
rights. Deputy Chief of Police William
Ridge explained at the time that the
department's Internal Affairs Division was
obligated to investigate the allegations, even
after Skolnik tried to withdraw the
complaint. The charges made in the
complaint were eventually determined to be
unsubstantiated.
Hutcheson says that allowing such a
change presents a conflict of interest and
may allow someone to be appointed to the
board who has an ax to grind, which,
Hutcheson says, would be counter-
productive.
According to Hutcheson, any change in the
ordinance requires the City to negotiate the
change with the two police unions.
"It would represent a change in our
working conditions, which is a mandatory
subject of bargaining in this state. The
PPBSOA contract doesn't expire until 12-
31-2010. There is no opener for an
ordinance change. The price tag to change
the ordinance would be very high - such as
a retroactive return to the twenty year
retirement for members," said Hutcheson
in a statement.
City Attorney Elizabeth Boynton, however,
says the proposed changes would not be a
bargaining issue.Skolnik said there is
nothing in the proposal that requires
collective bargaining, an opinion he says is
shared by the City Manager's Office and
the City Attorney's Office. He asked
Hutcheson to identify specifically what part
of the proposal represents a change in
police work conditions.
Skolnik expressed "surprise and
disappointment" that he got no prior
warning about Hutcheson's concerns. He
said that the purpose of seeking the
changes is not to increase the review
committee's' confidence in the police, but
to increase the public's confidence in the
review board.
Skolnik said that the parties involved have
identified five measures they can agree
upon, and are in conversation with
Portland Police Chief James Craig about
additional measures he has suggested.
Craig has said that he has no concerns
with a person serving on the panel who
may have filed one complaint, but he
would be concerned about a "chronic"
complainer sitting on the board.
Skolnik took exception to Hutcheson's
statement that Skolnik "had to vacate his
position on the review committee when he
filed a complaint that was unsubstantiated,"
calling it "quite inaccurate." He said he
chose to step down because "the PCRS'
work should not be overshadowed by
argument." Skolnik says he was clear with
the Portland Police Department from the
start - that he had no intention of filing a
complaint, because it wasn't about any
violation of rights, it was about the
officer's training.
WECAN Puts Up
10G for Policing
Center Move
The West End Community Policing Center
will be moving to a storefront at the corner
of Spring and Clark Street, the former
location of Pap's and the Spring Street
Market. The center is currently located at
Harbor Terrace on Danforth Street.
WECAN, the West End Community Action
Network, will put up $10,000 of the
$38,000 in federal funding it received this
year, to cover the first year of the $800 a
month rent. The WECAN planning group
voted to take money from the their
Community Development Block Grant to
pay the rent on the policing center move to
the Reiche area. It is the quickest way to
effect the move, according to West End
Neighborhood Association President
Rosanne Graef, although continued funding
would depend on the Police Department
and their CDBG funds.
Being in a more visible area will allow
Community Policing to work more closely
with WECAN and WENA, according to
Graef. The neighborhood association has
been advocating for the center to be moved
to the Reiche Community Center, but
Reiche school officials opposed the plan
because of security concerns. WENA says
that the current location of the center is too
far removed from the center of the
community.
Elected Mayor
Forum Tonight
The Portland Charter Commission will be
hosting a public panel discussion on the
topic "Should Portland Have an Elected
Mayor?" The discussion takes place tonight
at Portland High School.
The Portland Charter Commission was
established to review potential changes to
the City's charter. One such potential
change involves whether Portland should
move from a form of government where
the mayoral post is largely ceremonial - and
selected by the City Council - to one where
the mayor has greater powers and is
elected by the public. Discussing this issue,
and offering their advice, will be a panel of
experts:
-James Bennett, former city manager of
Lewiston , ME
-Tim Honey, former city manager of
Portland , ME
-John Jenkins, mayor of Auburn , ME and
former mayor of Lewiston , ME
-Donnalee Lozeau, mayor of Nashua , NH
The panel will be moderated by Pamela
Plumb, chair of the Portland Charter
Commission. The public is invited to
attend and to submit written questions for
the panel. The format is as follows:
Portland High School auditorium, 284
Cumberland Avenue , Portland
Monday, October 26th, 2009
5:30 - 7:00 pm Public panel
discussion, with public involvement
7:30 - 9:00 pm Follow-up
discussion between experts and the Charter
Commission, with the public invited to
observe
"This is a great opportunity for everyone in
Portland to learn more about this issue,"
notes Commission chair Pamela Plumb.
"We're extremely fortunate to have this
panel of seasoned professionals, who can
give us their insights into how different
forms of city governments do - and don't -
work."
ENVIRONMENT
MAINE TO NAME
TOXIC DUMPERS
Environment Maine will release a new
report documenting the total amount of
toxic chemicals released by industrial
facilities into Aroostook River and other
rivers, lakes, and streams in Maine and
across the country, at a news conference
at Portland's City Hall on at 10 AM on
Thursday, October 22nd.
Environment Maine ’s report will also
document the top ten industrial dischargers
of toxics into waters in Maine, and total
figures for direct releases of chemicals that
cause cancer, reproductive, and
developmental harm.
The report comes on the heels of a recent
Congressional hearing on enforcement of
the Clean Water Act.
Robbed Bank
Hires Special
Police Detail
A Portland bank that has been held up
twice in the last two months has hired a
special detail of Portland police to try to
prevent another robbery from occurring.
The side entrance to the Gorham Savings
Bank at 63 Marginal Way is locked. A sign
pasted inside the glass door says “Please
use front entrance.” Directly in front of
this entrance, which is the only one being
used by the bank, is a Portland Police
Department squad car with its blinkers on.
An officer is sitting at the driver’s wheel.
Officer Andjelko Napijalo was the officer
on duty October 20th. He said he arrived at
9 AM and would be there until 4 PM. It’s a
one-day overtime shift for him. A police
spokesman said “It’s an outside detail,
paid for by the bank.”
There was a robbery of the branch on
October 13th at about 3:20 PM, and the
same branch had also been the target of a
robbery on August 31st. The description of
the robber given to police were very similar
for both incidents: a very tall black male.
His weight was given as 250 pounds and
260 pounds, and his height was stated to
be six foot five inches and six foot six
inches. The second time he came to
“withdraw” money, he had a gun, which
was very unnerving to bank employees.
Regarding the new police detail, a bank
spokesperson said “We’re looking at
options to make the office safe and
secure.” Because of the two robberies so
close together, she stated that it’s
“uncomfortable, scary, and frustrating.”
No timeline was given as to how long the
bank will be using the special detail.
-Marge Niblock
LETTER
MDOT: Don't
Ignore
Pedestrians
Dear Editor, Friends and Neighbors,
The Franklin Reclamation Authority has
spent the past summer petitioning
MaineDOT to reconsider their redesign of
Exit 7 at the bottom of Franklin Arterial.
There are some good elements to their
design that will keep traffic from backing
up onto 295-an obvious safety hazard. One
of these includes installing a traffic signal
where the southbound off-ramp meets the
northbound off-ramp, so that traffic can
come off 295 in a more coordinated
fashion.
However, their current design will not
accommodate pedestrian access between
Franklin and Back Cove Trail. In numerous
public forums, the Portland community has
identified this as an important access point
between the peninsula neighborhoods and
off-peninsula destinations, including
Hannaford and USM. Portland's own
ShoreWay Access Plan called for this
connection back in 1989; 20 years ago!
What doe not make sense is that there is
enough space for MaineDOT to provide
the necessary 10-foot wide pathway at Exit
7, if they chose to do so. From the early
traffic projections we saw from
MaineDOT for this exit, they are designing
to accommodate over 30% growth in
traffic, even though there has basically
been no change in traffic volumes at Exit 7
over the last 20 years.
Furthermore, the lanes on-ramps could be
narrowed to help slow traffic down as it
comes to the planned traffic signal and into
the Marginal Way/Franklin Street
intersection. MaineDOT could be utilizing
flexible design standards on the books to
make this design work for everyone.
DOT's planned traffic signal will actually
enhance the safety of the pedestrian access
at this location.
With all the other projects going on in this
area (Bayside Trail, Franklin Street
Redesign), this is a great opportunity for
MaineDOT to take a step back and re-
examine Exit 7 in a context-sensitive
manner that takes into consideration the
overall vision for the corridor.
We'd like to think that FRA's work these
last few months would pay off with an
Exit 7 design that works for everyone.
However, MaineDOT has not been willing
to share much information about the
project lately and we're doubtful that they
understand how important this is to our
community.
Please help DOT understand that this
pedestrian connection is important and that
they need to include this in their design
before moving forward. They will be
presenting their plans on Monday, October
19 from 6-8 p.m. in the rehearsal hall of
Merrill Auditorium. Please join us in clearly
communicating the importance of this
connection to MaineDOT.
If you cannot attend, please consider
submitting written comment to
MaineDOT's project manager, Ernie
Martin: ernest.martin@maine.gov and
MaineDOT planning Director Kat Fuller:
kat.fuller@maine.gov
Thanks for speaking out in support our
local community.
Markos Miller
Portland Police
Cleared in Fatal
Shooting
Portland Police Chief James Craig will hold
a press conference at 4PM to discuss the
release of the Attorney General's report,
which concluded that Portland Police
officers acted in self-defense and were,
thus, legally justified in their use of deadly
force on April 27, 2009.
Portland police officers shot and killed
David Okot, a 26-year-old Sudanese man
who resided in Portland, while responding
to the area of 11 Weymouth Street in the
Parkside neighborhood at about 7:35 PM.
Officers were investigating a call to 911
that reported a suspicious man who
appeared intoxicated and who had a
handgun in the waistband of his pants.
Arrest Made in Hill
Burglary
On October 15th, Isabel M. Garcia, 25, of
Portland, was arrested and charged with
residential burglary, misuse of credit
identification, and theft by unauthorized
taking or transfer.
There have been burglaries occurring on
Munjoy Hill, where burglars entered
unlocked residences and then stole things.
Police say there is an ongoing investigation
being conducted by detectives, and Garcia
may be tied to other burglaries, which will
result in additional charges being filed.
Other suspects may be involved, as well.
-Marge Niblock
Cops to Focus on
Motorcycle
Inspections
MECALM Pushes for more
Enforcement
Portland Police Captain Vern Malloch has
told the City Council's Public Safety
Committee that next spring, Portland's
patrol officers would be instructed to pull
over loud motorcycles and check for the
inspection sticker.
Supporters of the loud motorcycle
ordinance also want parking a motorcycle
with straight pipes on Portland's streets to
be a parking violation with a fine of not
less than $50.
MECALM (Maine Citizens Against Loud
Motorcycles) is going to ask that the city
enact a parking ban for all motorcycles that
have straight pipes. Straight pipes have no
muffler and are very loud, according to the
group. In addition, if the motorcycle was
equipped with a catalytic converter, the
toxins emitted into the air greatly increase.
A MECALM spokesperson said that "it is
not extreme to insist that all motorcycles
have mufflers. If parking a bike with
straight pipes became a violation and was
enforced, I believe that would send a
message to loud bikers."
West End Activist
Ward Sherwood
Dies at 85
Ward C. Sherwood, 85, longtime West
End community advocate, died on
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009, at the Gosnell
Memorial Hospice House. He was born
March 29, 1924, educated in Saco schools
and graduated from Thornton Academy in
1943. He was a member of the 1939
championship football team and the 1942-
43 basketball tournament team. He also
played in the orchestra and sang in the glee
club. He served in the United States Navy
during and after WWII, earning several
commendations.
He served as a trustee and chairman of the
PROP board, and also was a Portland
Model City board member and chairman.
He served on the Portland School
Committee and the building committees for
the former PRVTC and the Howard C.
Reiche School. He served as member and
chairman of the Portland Adult Education
Committee, and the Advisory Council to
the Portland School Committee. He served
on the City Manager's Policy Advisory
Council. He was active at Reiche School as
a Foster Grandparent for more than 15
years. He was cited by both the school
committee and Portland City Council as an
advocate for the less fortunate of the City
of Portland, and presented with the Annual
Retha Dunn Community Service Award
from PROP.
He was a lay minister and active church
member, and a member of many national
church organizations.
He received the Joseph Crozier Award in
1988 for his contributions to the game of
football. He was also recognized for his
contributions to the game of baseball, and
inducted into the Maine State Baseball Hall
of Fame.
He was predeceased by his eight brothers
and sister of the Saco area; his wife
Priscilla Hamaker Sherwood; and his
youngest daughter Andrea Sherwood. He is
survived by his two sons, Steward Roy
and his wife April L. of Oakfield, Robert
Sr. and his wife Cynthia A. of Gorham,
and daughter Alice Schroder of Portland.
Also surviving are seven grandchildren
and seven great-grandchildren, two
honorary great-granddaughters, and many
nieces and nephews. Please send donations
in Ward Sherwood's memory to: The
Foster Grandparent Program Care of
PROP 510 Cumberland Ave. Portland,
Maine 04101 or to the Ward C. Sherwood
Memorial Fund Care of Norway Savings
Bank 1200 Congress St. Portland, Maine
04102
Postmaster Wants
Input from Station A
Customers
Portland Postmaster David C. Guiney has
issued a questionnaire asking customers of
the Station A Post Office on Congress
Street about the use of the facility, which
is being considered for closing.
The questionnaire asks customers what
services they use, and how the closing of
Station A would affect them. It is available
to customers at the walk-up window, and
must be returned by October 13th.
In a letter to postal customers, Guiney
explained other options for customers
should Station A be closed. He said that a
review of Station A showed that its office
workload had declined.
Postal representatives will be at Station A
on Tuesday, October 13th, from 3 to 5 PM
to discuss the situation. Any questions may
also be addressed to Michael Doyle,
Consumer Affairs Manager, at 482-7207.
Cops Track Down
Knife Wielder
Portland police arrested Travis Howard,
36, on October 2nd, several hours after he
allegedly threatened two men with a
butcher knife in downtown Portland. The
incident that began at 9:05 PM on October
1st led to an arrest four-and-a half hours
later in a Fore Street pizza establishment in
the Old Port.
Police were called to 41 Chestnut Street
regarding a man threatening people with a
knife. When officers arrived at the scene,
they were met by two victims who stated
that the suspect had entered the building,
then walked up and down the hallway
yelling for the brother of one of the men,
and was told that the brother didn’t live
there.
The victims told police that Howard
walked into the apartment and again
questioned them about the brother. Then
Howard allegedly displayed a butcher knife
and held it to the neck of one man, asking
repeatedly where his brother was. He then
pushed the victim, and verbally threatened
him with the knife.
According to police, the victim was
allowed to get up after he said he’d call his
brother. The group then went to a different
apartment, where Howard, who was
described as “very intoxicated,” threatened
another group of people.
At 1:38 AM, police received information
that a man with a knife concealed in his
waistband was at Joe’s Pizza at 420 Fore
Street. When they arrived at that location,
they discovered the man with the knife
was Howard, whom they’d been trying to
find since the Chestnut Street incident
earlier in the evening. He was arrested and
charged with criminal threatening with a
dangerous weapon and carrying a
concealed weapon.
-Marge
Niblock
Police Storm House to
Make Arrest
Shortly after 9 AM on October 8th, a
police convoy headed by Commander
Michael Sauschuck converged at 101
Virginia Street, closing the North Deering
neighborhood to vehicular and pedestrian
access. Members of the Southern Maine
Violent Crimes Task Force worked in
conjunction with the Portland Police
Department to execute a no-knock search
warrant and arrest warrant for Zachary
Farris, 22, whose mother owns the home.
There was a possibility that weapons were
at the location, and Farris has “an
assaultive history,” according to police.
Farris was arrested after he surrendered to
tactical team officers who had forced entry
to the home. He is charged with violating
terms of his probation. Farris was alone in
the home at the time and no one was
injured during this incident. Several streets
in the area were temporarily closed but
have now been reopened. The entire
episode lasted for about two hours.
-Marge Niblock
Police to Crack
Down on
‘Nuisance’
Crimes
The Portland Police Department will hire a
Community Prosecutor to prosecute
crimes such as drinking in public, criminal
trespass, disorderly conduct, obstructing
public ways, and other minor crimes that
are no longer being prosecuted by the
Cumberland County District Attorney’s
Office due to lack of funding in that
office.
On September 29th, a large neighborhood
meeting sponsored by the Bayside
Neighborhood Watch presented a list of
suggestions of how to improve public
behavior in the neighborhood and lessen
the nuisance crimes plaguing the area. The
meeting was the culmination of growing
complaints and anger at conditions
neighborhood residents felt had become
worse with time.
Chief James E. Craig, DA Stephanie
Anderson and ADA Meg Elam were in
attendance, in addition to representatives
of Preble Street Resource Center, Oxford
Street Men’s Shelter, and
owners/managers of area stores selling
high-gravity alcoholic beverages.
Hannaford sent representatives, and the
owner of Dyer’s, the neighborhood
convenience store, was there.
Bayside attorney Jeff Goldman chaired the
overflow meeting. His opening comments
mentioned the rise of quality-of-life crimes:
criminal trespass; drinking in public;
layouts; urinating, defecating, and vomiting
in public spaces; chronic inebriates arguing
with each other; and sex in public. He said
these things are “an impediment to working
and living in the neighborhood.” Goldman
then related how his wife had been walking
in the neighborhood with their baby, who
was in a stroller, when they came upon a
couple having sex.
Chief. Craig had familiarity with the
concept of community prosecutors during
his career with the LAPD, and he felt that
Portland could use a program of this type,
which will focus on quality-of-life issues
that are so important to neighborhoods.
The department’s grant writer, Lisa
Perrotta, formulated the request for a
community prosecutor, and it has been
approved by the Department of Justice,
under the 2009 Edward Byrne Memorial
Justice Assistance Grant.
The Police Department will work in
conjunction with the District Attorney’s
Office in implementing the program, which
will be led by a Community Justice
Advocate with an office at 109 Middle
Street.
District Attorney Stephanie Anderson is
also familiar with this type of program
from her days in the Brooklyn, New York’
s DA’s Office. She has also applied for a
grant for two community prosecutors.
BethAnne Poliquin, the attorney for the
Police Department, is writing a job
description, and is hoping to see the
program start some time in November.
Funding for the position will be for a one-
year period. There will also be a
memorandum drawn up between the Police
Department and the DA’s Office. Poliquin
plans to contact the Brooklyn DA’s Office
to get input as to how the program is run
there, and if there is enough money
available, someone will be sent to Los
Angeles to see their program in action and
get feedback for Portland.
The Advocate will not need to be an
attorney, but may be a paralegal who will
prepare cases for prosecution. The job will
be a part-time position that will require
working with the new Senior Lead
Officers and the Community Policing
Center Coordinators. Officer Daniel Knight
has been assigned as the Senior Lead
Officer to Bayside, and Officer Karl Geib
will be Parkside’s Senior Lead Officer.
They both have been working in the area
for many years on bicycles as members of
the Day Directed Patrol Unit.
The main purpose of the program will be
an attempt to divert cases involving minor
crimes away from the criminal justice
system. If a problem persists, the DA will
be ready to prosecute at that point.
There may also be some civil ordinances
that would be applicable to the program,
such as the city’s Disorderly House
Ordinance, which comes through the
office of Gary Wood, Portland’s
Corporation Counsel.
-
Marge Niblock
POLICE TASER
MAN IN
DOWNTOWN
PORTLAND
The first Taser deployment by the Portland
Police Department occurred on September
30th, around 9:40 AM, when a man
threatening suicide refused to comply with
police commands.
A call was received regarding a suicidal
male in the area of Casco Street and
Cumberland Avenue in downtown
Portland. Police rushed to the scene, and
were told by a witness: “A guy’s trying to
kill himself!”
Police say the man was acting erratic, and
began swallowing pills. An officer
deployed the Taser and the man fell
backward to the ground. He received a
small cut to the back of his head, which
was treated by medical personnel at the
scene.
Police pulled out the probes from the
Taser, and immediately tried to clear the
man’s mouth, removing any pills they
could reach. He was then taken to the
hospital for evaluation.
Police say that the audio and video record
of the incident, which activated when the
safety switch was turned off, provided a
clear record of what transpired at the
scene.
-Marge
Niblock
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Marshall a Candidate to
be Portland's Next Mayor
District 2 (West End) City Councilor David
Marshall says that he is interested in
serving as Portland's next mayor, a
position which traditionally goes to the
most senior Councilor who has not held
the post. By that criteria, Marshall was in
line for the post last year, but the Council
unanimously elected current Mayor Jill
Duson to serve for the second time.
Neither Marshall nor East End Councilor
Kevin Donoghue, who was also qualified
last year, (both were elected in 2006)
opposed Duson’s election.
Other Portland City Councilors have, for
the most part, been silent about the process
that will lead to one of them becoming the
City’s next non-elected mayor. Under
Portland’s current system of government,
the mayor is selected annually by a vote of
his or her fellow city councilors. That,
however, could change in the future if
Portland’s Charter Commission
recommends that the city change to an
elected mayor form of government, and
voters approve.
At-large councilor John Anton said he had
no interest in serving as mayor and would
support Marshall, saying that Marshall had
done a good job and that his service on the
Council would justify his nomination as
mayor. Donoghue also said he wasn’t
interested in the job, but stopped short of
endorsing Marshall. He said that he was
not a candidate for mayor, but a candidate
for re-election to the District 1 City
Council seat. He said if re-elected, he plans
to focus on the implementation of the
Peninsula Transit Plan, and continue as the
Chair of the Transportation Committee,
and President of METRO. Marshall is
unopposed in his re-election bid.
Councilor Nick Mavodones, who has held
the mayor position twice in his twelve
years on the Council, would say only that it
was too early to start talking about it.
Mayor Duson also said the discussion was
premature.
Fleas Close Local
Learning Center
An infestation of fleas has caused
LearningWorks on Brackett Street to shut
down the room where it holds classes in
English as a Second Language and after-
school programs, and has its computer lab
set up.
The room has been shut down for several
weeks, but the classes are continuing to be
taught in other rooms throughout the
building. Workers have ripped out the
carpeting and repainted the room. It is not
known when classes will be able to resume
in the room.
Portland Community
Health Center Now
Taking Appointments
Cumberland County's first federally
qualified health center to open next
month
The Portland Community Health Center is
scheduling appointments for people of all
ages in preparation for their opening next
month. The new federally-qualified health
center is the first of its kind in Cumberland
County and it expected to provide health
care to as many as five thousand patients
in the Greater Portland area. Funded by the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
for $1.3 million for the next two years, the
Health Center will provide a wide range of
services, including primary care, behavioral
health, and limited dental services. The
health center will be accessible to all, and
will accept insurance, MaineCare and
Medicare, and for those with no insurance,
services will be available with a sliding fee
scale based upon the individual's income
level and family size. The clinic is expected
to be open in early November and patients
can call now, 207-482-5000, to schedule
an appointment.
Fitted with seven exam rooms, with
additional space dedicated to dental care,
the Health Center will be open Monday
through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM,
with plans to expand to early morning,
evening and Saturday hours. Located at
180 Park Avenue, the health center will
have a highly skilled medical staff including
medical director, Patricia David, MD, a
nurse practitioner, Sarah Andel and nurse,
Lauren Rose-Cohen, as well as a part-time
pediatric physician. Additional staff will be
added in the next few months.
Federally qualified health centers receive
higher reimbursement rates for MaineCare
covered patients. Currently a number of
private practices in the Portland area are
closed to MaineCare patients and the new
clinic will remove an existing barrier for
these men, women and children. The
health center is also committed to outreach
to Portland's immigrant community and
has representatives that serve on its Board
of Directors.
Man Dies of
Injuries After
Being Run Over
A Portland man died of his injuries at
Maine Medical Center on Sunday,
November 1st, after being run over last
week, allegedly by a man with whom he
was having a dispute.
On Wednesday, October 28th, at about 11:
18 AM, Portland police were dispatched to
the area of 238 Auburn Street in the North
Deering neighborhood, for a personal
injury traffic collision, involving a
pedestrian and vehicle.
Upon arrival at the scene and further
investigation, officers developed
information to indicate that the incident
was intentional.
Witnesses say that the suspect, Tim
Antone, 42, of Scarborough, operating a
blue Ford Explorer, appeared to have
intentionally run over the victim, identified
as Roland Villacci, 49, of Portland..
After running over Mr. Villacci, witnesses
stated that Mr. Antone left the scene on
foot, leaving behind the vehicle, which had
crashed into the building. Mr. Antone was
located a
short distance away and placed into
custody without further incident.
Mr. Villacci was transported to Maine
Medical Center due to injuries sustained.
Mr. Antone was transported to
Cumberland County Jail and was charged
with elevated aggravated assault and
criminal intent to commit murder. His bail
was set at $1 million.
He is now being held without bail on a
charge of murder.
Man Injured in
Fight over Traffic
Island Spot
Eric F. Byrne, 47, of Portland, was
arrested and charged with aggravated
assault on October 29th at 11:30 PM .at
the intersection of Congress and St. John
streets, where he was on the traffic island
with a sign asking passing motorists for
money.
Police say that when another man decided
to encroach on his spot, the man became a
victim of Byrne’s rage. The interloper was
thrown to the ground and kicked, causing
injuries that were significant enough for the
man to be taken to the hospital.
-Marge Niblock
Woman
Arrested for
Munjoy Hill
Burglaries
Tricia Jean Binette, 29, was arrested on
October 28th at 6 PM, and charged with
residential burglary and theft in connection
with a burglary at a residence on Cleeve
Street.
Binette had been taken into custody and
brought in to speak with detectives after
she had entered some unlocked dwellings
on Howard Street the morning of
September 18th. She wasn’t held at that
time because she didn’t have in her
possession any property belonging to
people who lived in the apartments she had
entered.
On that occasion, Binette had said she was
looking for “Alexis,” when confronted by
the startled resident who was working at
home that day in the dining room.
This time, Binette was connected to items
stolen from the Cleeve Street property. The
investigation is ongoing, according to
police, who say there could be more
charges brought.
Skolnik, Police Feud
Over Civilian Review
Board Changes
A proposal by City Councilor Dan Skolnik
to make a change to the Civilian Police
Review Subcommittee has drawn fire from
Portland police union president Lieutenant
Gary Hutcheson. The issue was scheduled
to be discussed at the Public Safety
meeting on October 27th.
Skolnik's proposal would allow persons
who have filed complaints against police
officers to serve on the committee. They
are currently banned from doing so.
Prior to becoming a City Councilor,
Skolnik sat on the Civilian Police Review
Committee, which he left in 2007 after
filing a complaint against a Portland police
officer for "unlawful detention." Unlawful
detention is a potential violation of civil
rights. Deputy Chief of Police William
Ridge explained at the time that the
department's Internal Affairs Division was
obligated to investigate the allegations, even
after Skolnik tried to withdraw the
complaint. The charges made in the
complaint were eventually determined to be
unsubstantiated.
Hutcheson says that allowing such a
change presents a conflict of interest and
may allow someone to be appointed to the
board who has an ax to grind, which,
Hutcheson says, would be counter-
productive.
According to Hutcheson, any change in the
ordinance requires the City to negotiate the
change with the two police unions.
"It would represent a change in our
working conditions, which is a mandatory
subject of bargaining in this state. The
PPBSOA contract doesn't expire until 12-
31-2010. There is no opener for an
ordinance change. The price tag to change
the ordinance would be very high - such as
a retroactive return to the twenty year
retirement for members," said Hutcheson
in a statement.
City Attorney Elizabeth Boynton, however,
says the proposed changes would not be a
bargaining issue.Skolnik said there is
nothing in the proposal that requires
collective bargaining, an opinion he says is
shared by the City Manager's Office and
the City Attorney's Office. He asked
Hutcheson to identify specifically what part
of the proposal represents a change in
police work conditions.
Skolnik expressed "surprise and
disappointment" that he got no prior
warning about Hutcheson's concerns. He
said that the purpose of seeking the
changes is not to increase the review
committee's' confidence in the police, but
to increase the public's confidence in the
review board.
Skolnik said that the parties involved have
identified five measures they can agree
upon, and are in conversation with
Portland Police Chief James Craig about
additional measures he has suggested.
Craig has said that he has no concerns
with a person serving on the panel who
may have filed one complaint, but he
would be concerned about a "chronic"
complainer sitting on the board.
Skolnik took exception to Hutcheson's
statement that Skolnik "had to vacate his
position on the review committee when he
filed a complaint that was unsubstantiated,"
calling it "quite inaccurate." He said he
chose to step down because "the PCRS'
work should not be overshadowed by
argument." Skolnik says he was clear with
the Portland Police Department from the
start - that he had no intention of filing a
complaint, because it wasn't about any
violation of rights, it was about the
officer's training.
WECAN Puts Up
10G for Policing
Center Move
The West End Community Policing Center
will be moving to a storefront at the corner
of Spring and Clark Street, the former
location of Pap's and the Spring Street
Market. The center is currently located at
Harbor Terrace on Danforth Street.
WECAN, the West End Community Action
Network, will put up $10,000 of the
$38,000 in federal funding it received this
year, to cover the first year of the $800 a
month rent. The WECAN planning group
voted to take money from the their
Community Development Block Grant to
pay the rent on the policing center move to
the Reiche area. It is the quickest way to
effect the move, according to West End
Neighborhood Association President
Rosanne Graef, although continued funding
would depend on the Police Department
and their CDBG funds.
Being in a more visible area will allow
Community Policing to work more closely
with WECAN and WENA, according to
Graef. The neighborhood association has
been advocating for the center to be moved
to the Reiche Community Center, but
Reiche school officials opposed the plan
because of security concerns. WENA says
that the current location of the center is too
far removed from the center of the
community.
Elected Mayor
Forum Tonight
The Portland Charter Commission will be
hosting a public panel discussion on the
topic "Should Portland Have an Elected
Mayor?" The discussion takes place tonight
at Portland High School.
The Portland Charter Commission was
established to review potential changes to
the City's charter. One such potential
change involves whether Portland should
move from a form of government where
the mayoral post is largely ceremonial - and
selected by the City Council - to one where
the mayor has greater powers and is
elected by the public. Discussing this issue,
and offering their advice, will be a panel of
experts:
-James Bennett, former city manager of
Lewiston , ME
-Tim Honey, former city manager of
Portland , ME
-John Jenkins, mayor of Auburn , ME and
former mayor of Lewiston , ME
-Donnalee Lozeau, mayor of Nashua , NH
The panel will be moderated by Pamela
Plumb, chair of the Portland Charter
Commission. The public is invited to
attend and to submit written questions for
the panel. The format is as follows:
Portland High School auditorium, 284
Cumberland Avenue , Portland
Monday, October 26th, 2009
5:30 - 7:00 pm Public panel
discussion, with public involvement
7:30 - 9:00 pm Follow-up
discussion between experts and the Charter
Commission, with the public invited to
observe
"This is a great opportunity for everyone in
Portland to learn more about this issue,"
notes Commission chair Pamela Plumb.
"We're extremely fortunate to have this
panel of seasoned professionals, who can
give us their insights into how different
forms of city governments do - and don't -
work."
ENVIRONMENT
MAINE TO NAME
TOXIC DUMPERS
Environment Maine will release a new
report documenting the total amount of
toxic chemicals released by industrial
facilities into Aroostook River and other
rivers, lakes, and streams in Maine and
across the country, at a news conference
at Portland's City Hall on at 10 AM on
Thursday, October 22nd.
Environment Maine ’s report will also
document the top ten industrial dischargers
of toxics into waters in Maine, and total
figures for direct releases of chemicals that
cause cancer, reproductive, and
developmental harm.
The report comes on the heels of a recent
Congressional hearing on enforcement of
the Clean Water Act.
Robbed Bank
Hires Special
Police Detail
A Portland bank that has been held up
twice in the last two months has hired a
special detail of Portland police to try to
prevent another robbery from occurring.
The side entrance to the Gorham Savings
Bank at 63 Marginal Way is locked. A sign
pasted inside the glass door says “Please
use front entrance.” Directly in front of
this entrance, which is the only one being
used by the bank, is a Portland Police
Department squad car with its blinkers on.
An officer is sitting at the driver’s wheel.
Officer Andjelko Napijalo was the officer
on duty October 20th. He said he arrived at
9 AM and would be there until 4 PM. It’s a
one-day overtime shift for him. A police
spokesman said “It’s an outside detail,
paid for by the bank.”
There was a robbery of the branch on
October 13th at about 3:20 PM, and the
same branch had also been the target of a
robbery on August 31st. The description of
the robber given to police were very similar
for both incidents: a very tall black male.
His weight was given as 250 pounds and
260 pounds, and his height was stated to
be six foot five inches and six foot six
inches. The second time he came to
“withdraw” money, he had a gun, which
was very unnerving to bank employees.
Regarding the new police detail, a bank
spokesperson said “We’re looking at
options to make the office safe and
secure.” Because of the two robberies so
close together, she stated that it’s
“uncomfortable, scary, and frustrating.”
No timeline was given as to how long the
bank will be using the special detail.
-Marge Niblock
LETTER
MDOT: Don't
Ignore
Pedestrians
Dear Editor, Friends and Neighbors,
The Franklin Reclamation Authority has
spent the past summer petitioning
MaineDOT to reconsider their redesign of
Exit 7 at the bottom of Franklin Arterial.
There are some good elements to their
design that will keep traffic from backing
up onto 295-an obvious safety hazard. One
of these includes installing a traffic signal
where the southbound off-ramp meets the
northbound off-ramp, so that traffic can
come off 295 in a more coordinated
fashion.
However, their current design will not
accommodate pedestrian access between
Franklin and Back Cove Trail. In numerous
public forums, the Portland community has
identified this as an important access point
between the peninsula neighborhoods and
off-peninsula destinations, including
Hannaford and USM. Portland's own
ShoreWay Access Plan called for this
connection back in 1989; 20 years ago!
What doe not make sense is that there is
enough space for MaineDOT to provide
the necessary 10-foot wide pathway at Exit
7, if they chose to do so. From the early
traffic projections we saw from
MaineDOT for this exit, they are designing
to accommodate over 30% growth in
traffic, even though there has basically
been no change in traffic volumes at Exit 7
over the last 20 years.
Furthermore, the lanes on-ramps could be
narrowed to help slow traffic down as it
comes to the planned traffic signal and into
the Marginal Way/Franklin Street
intersection. MaineDOT could be utilizing
flexible design standards on the books to
make this design work for everyone.
DOT's planned traffic signal will actually
enhance the safety of the pedestrian access
at this location.
With all the other projects going on in this
area (Bayside Trail, Franklin Street
Redesign), this is a great opportunity for
MaineDOT to take a step back and re-
examine Exit 7 in a context-sensitive
manner that takes into consideration the
overall vision for the corridor.
We'd like to think that FRA's work these
last few months would pay off with an
Exit 7 design that works for everyone.
However, MaineDOT has not been willing
to share much information about the
project lately and we're doubtful that they
understand how important this is to our
community.
Please help DOT understand that this
pedestrian connection is important and that
they need to include this in their design
before moving forward. They will be
presenting their plans on Monday, October
19 from 6-8 p.m. in the rehearsal hall of
Merrill Auditorium. Please join us in clearly
communicating the importance of this
connection to MaineDOT.
If you cannot attend, please consider
submitting written comment to
MaineDOT's project manager, Ernie
Martin: ernest.martin@maine.gov and
MaineDOT planning Director Kat Fuller:
kat.fuller@maine.gov
Thanks for speaking out in support our
local community.
Markos Miller
Portland Police
Cleared in Fatal
Shooting
Portland Police Chief James Craig will hold
a press conference at 4PM to discuss the
release of the Attorney General's report,
which concluded that Portland Police
officers acted in self-defense and were,
thus, legally justified in their use of deadly
force on April 27, 2009.
Portland police officers shot and killed
David Okot, a 26-year-old Sudanese man
who resided in Portland, while responding
to the area of 11 Weymouth Street in the
Parkside neighborhood at about 7:35 PM.
Officers were investigating a call to 911
that reported a suspicious man who
appeared intoxicated and who had a
handgun in the waistband of his pants.
Arrest Made in Hill
Burglary
On October 15th, Isabel M. Garcia, 25, of
Portland, was arrested and charged with
residential burglary, misuse of credit
identification, and theft by unauthorized
taking or transfer.
There have been burglaries occurring on
Munjoy Hill, where burglars entered
unlocked residences and then stole things.
Police say there is an ongoing investigation
being conducted by detectives, and Garcia
may be tied to other burglaries, which will
result in additional charges being filed.
Other suspects may be involved, as well.
-Marge Niblock
Cops to Focus on
Motorcycle
Inspections
MECALM Pushes for more
Enforcement
Portland Police Captain Vern Malloch has
told the City Council's Public Safety
Committee that next spring, Portland's
patrol officers would be instructed to pull
over loud motorcycles and check for the
inspection sticker.
Supporters of the loud motorcycle
ordinance also want parking a motorcycle
with straight pipes on Portland's streets to
be a parking violation with a fine of not
less than $50.
MECALM (Maine Citizens Against Loud
Motorcycles) is going to ask that the city
enact a parking ban for all motorcycles that
have straight pipes. Straight pipes have no
muffler and are very loud, according to the
group. In addition, if the motorcycle was
equipped with a catalytic converter, the
toxins emitted into the air greatly increase.
A MECALM spokesperson said that "it is
not extreme to insist that all motorcycles
have mufflers. If parking a bike with
straight pipes became a violation and was
enforced, I believe that would send a
message to loud bikers."
West End Activist
Ward Sherwood
Dies at 85
Ward C. Sherwood, 85, longtime West
End community advocate, died on
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009, at the Gosnell
Memorial Hospice House. He was born
March 29, 1924, educated in Saco schools
and graduated from Thornton Academy in
1943. He was a member of the 1939
championship football team and the 1942-
43 basketball tournament team. He also
played in the orchestra and sang in the glee
club. He served in the United States Navy
during and after WWII, earning several
commendations.
He served as a trustee and chairman of the
PROP board, and also was a Portland
Model City board member and chairman.
He served on the Portland School
Committee and the building committees for
the former PRVTC and the Howard C.
Reiche School. He served as member and
chairman of the Portland Adult Education
Committee, and the Advisory Council to
the Portland School Committee. He served
on the City Manager's Policy Advisory
Council. He was active at Reiche School as
a Foster Grandparent for more than 15
years. He was cited by both the school
committee and Portland City Council as an
advocate for the less fortunate of the City
of Portland, and presented with the Annual
Retha Dunn Community Service Award
from PROP.
He was a lay minister and active church
member, and a member of many national
church organizations.
He received the Joseph Crozier Award in
1988 for his contributions to the game of
football. He was also recognized for his
contributions to the game of baseball, and
inducted into the Maine State Baseball Hall
of Fame.
He was predeceased by his eight brothers
and sister of the Saco area; his wife
Priscilla Hamaker Sherwood; and his
youngest daughter Andrea Sherwood. He is
survived by his two sons, Steward Roy
and his wife April L. of Oakfield, Robert
Sr. and his wife Cynthia A. of Gorham,
and daughter Alice Schroder of Portland.
Also surviving are seven grandchildren
and seven great-grandchildren, two
honorary great-granddaughters, and many
nieces and nephews. Please send donations
in Ward Sherwood's memory to: The
Foster Grandparent Program Care of
PROP 510 Cumberland Ave. Portland,
Maine 04101 or to the Ward C. Sherwood
Memorial Fund Care of Norway Savings
Bank 1200 Congress St. Portland, Maine
04102
Postmaster Wants
Input from Station A
Customers
Portland Postmaster David C. Guiney has
issued a questionnaire asking customers of
the Station A Post Office on Congress
Street about the use of the facility, which
is being considered for closing.
The questionnaire asks customers what
services they use, and how the closing of
Station A would affect them. It is available
to customers at the walk-up window, and
must be returned by October 13th.
In a letter to postal customers, Guiney
explained other options for customers
should Station A be closed. He said that a
review of Station A showed that its office
workload had declined.
Postal representatives will be at Station A
on Tuesday, October 13th, from 3 to 5 PM
to discuss the situation. Any questions may
also be addressed to Michael Doyle,
Consumer Affairs Manager, at 482-7207.
Cops Track Down
Knife Wielder
Portland police arrested Travis Howard,
36, on October 2nd, several hours after he
allegedly threatened two men with a
butcher knife in downtown Portland. The
incident that began at 9:05 PM on October
1st led to an arrest four-and-a half hours
later in a Fore Street pizza establishment in
the Old Port.
Police were called to 41 Chestnut Street
regarding a man threatening people with a
knife. When officers arrived at the scene,
they were met by two victims who stated
that the suspect had entered the building,
then walked up and down the hallway
yelling for the brother of one of the men,
and was told that the brother didn’t live
there.
The victims told police that Howard
walked into the apartment and again
questioned them about the brother. Then
Howard allegedly displayed a butcher knife
and held it to the neck of one man, asking
repeatedly where his brother was. He then
pushed the victim, and verbally threatened
him with the knife.
According to police, the victim was
allowed to get up after he said he’d call his
brother. The group then went to a different
apartment, where Howard, who was
described as “very intoxicated,” threatened
another group of people.
At 1:38 AM, police received information
that a man with a knife concealed in his
waistband was at Joe’s Pizza at 420 Fore
Street. When they arrived at that location,
they discovered the man with the knife
was Howard, whom they’d been trying to
find since the Chestnut Street incident
earlier in the evening. He was arrested and
charged with criminal threatening with a
dangerous weapon and carrying a
concealed weapon.
-Marge
Niblock
Police Storm House to
Make Arrest
Shortly after 9 AM on October 8th, a
police convoy headed by Commander
Michael Sauschuck converged at 101
Virginia Street, closing the North Deering
neighborhood to vehicular and pedestrian
access. Members of the Southern Maine
Violent Crimes Task Force worked in
conjunction with the Portland Police
Department to execute a no-knock search
warrant and arrest warrant for Zachary
Farris, 22, whose mother owns the home.
There was a possibility that weapons were
at the location, and Farris has “an
assaultive history,” according to police.
Farris was arrested after he surrendered to
tactical team officers who had forced entry
to the home. He is charged with violating
terms of his probation. Farris was alone in
the home at the time and no one was
injured during this incident. Several streets
in the area were temporarily closed but
have now been reopened. The entire
episode lasted for about two hours.
-Marge Niblock
Police to Crack
Down on
‘Nuisance’
Crimes
The Portland Police Department will hire a
Community Prosecutor to prosecute
crimes such as drinking in public, criminal
trespass, disorderly conduct, obstructing
public ways, and other minor crimes that
are no longer being prosecuted by the
Cumberland County District Attorney’s
Office due to lack of funding in that
office.
On September 29th, a large neighborhood
meeting sponsored by the Bayside
Neighborhood Watch presented a list of
suggestions of how to improve public
behavior in the neighborhood and lessen
the nuisance crimes plaguing the area. The
meeting was the culmination of growing
complaints and anger at conditions
neighborhood residents felt had become
worse with time.
Chief James E. Craig, DA Stephanie
Anderson and ADA Meg Elam were in
attendance, in addition to representatives
of Preble Street Resource Center, Oxford
Street Men’s Shelter, and
owners/managers of area stores selling
high-gravity alcoholic beverages.
Hannaford sent representatives, and the
owner of Dyer’s, the neighborhood
convenience store, was there.
Bayside attorney Jeff Goldman chaired the
overflow meeting. His opening comments
mentioned the rise of quality-of-life crimes:
criminal trespass; drinking in public;
layouts; urinating, defecating, and vomiting
in public spaces; chronic inebriates arguing
with each other; and sex in public. He said
these things are “an impediment to working
and living in the neighborhood.” Goldman
then related how his wife had been walking
in the neighborhood with their baby, who
was in a stroller, when they came upon a
couple having sex.
Chief. Craig had familiarity with the
concept of community prosecutors during
his career with the LAPD, and he felt that
Portland could use a program of this type,
which will focus on quality-of-life issues
that are so important to neighborhoods.
The department’s grant writer, Lisa
Perrotta, formulated the request for a
community prosecutor, and it has been
approved by the Department of Justice,
under the 2009 Edward Byrne Memorial
Justice Assistance Grant.
The Police Department will work in
conjunction with the District Attorney’s
Office in implementing the program, which
will be led by a Community Justice
Advocate with an office at 109 Middle
Street.
District Attorney Stephanie Anderson is
also familiar with this type of program
from her days in the Brooklyn, New York’
s DA’s Office. She has also applied for a
grant for two community prosecutors.
BethAnne Poliquin, the attorney for the
Police Department, is writing a job
description, and is hoping to see the
program start some time in November.
Funding for the position will be for a one-
year period. There will also be a
memorandum drawn up between the Police
Department and the DA’s Office. Poliquin
plans to contact the Brooklyn DA’s Office
to get input as to how the program is run
there, and if there is enough money
available, someone will be sent to Los
Angeles to see their program in action and
get feedback for Portland.
The Advocate will not need to be an
attorney, but may be a paralegal who will
prepare cases for prosecution. The job will
be a part-time position that will require
working with the new Senior Lead
Officers and the Community Policing
Center Coordinators. Officer Daniel Knight
has been assigned as the Senior Lead
Officer to Bayside, and Officer Karl Geib
will be Parkside’s Senior Lead Officer.
They both have been working in the area
for many years on bicycles as members of
the Day Directed Patrol Unit.
The main purpose of the program will be
an attempt to divert cases involving minor
crimes away from the criminal justice
system. If a problem persists, the DA will
be ready to prosecute at that point.
There may also be some civil ordinances
that would be applicable to the program,
such as the city’s Disorderly House
Ordinance, which comes through the
office of Gary Wood, Portland’s
Corporation Counsel.
-
Marge Niblock
POLICE TASER
MAN IN
DOWNTOWN
PORTLAND
The first Taser deployment by the Portland
Police Department occurred on September
30th, around 9:40 AM, when a man
threatening suicide refused to comply with
police commands.
A call was received regarding a suicidal
male in the area of Casco Street and
Cumberland Avenue in downtown
Portland. Police rushed to the scene, and
were told by a witness: “A guy’s trying to
kill himself!”
Police say the man was acting erratic, and
began swallowing pills. An officer
deployed the Taser and the man fell
backward to the ground. He received a
small cut to the back of his head, which
was treated by medical personnel at the
scene.
Police pulled out the probes from the
Taser, and immediately tried to clear the
man’s mouth, removing any pills they
could reach. He was then taken to the
hospital for evaluation.
Police say that the audio and video record
of the incident, which activated when the
safety switch was turned off, provided a
clear record of what transpired at the
scene.
-Marge
Niblock
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Marshall a Candidate to
be Portland's Next Mayor
District 2 (West End) City Councilor David
Marshall says that he is interested in
serving as Portland's next mayor, a
position which traditionally goes to the
most senior Councilor who has not held
the post. By that criteria, Marshall was in
line for the post last year, but the Council
unanimously elected current Mayor Jill
Duson to serve for the second time.
Neither Marshall nor East End Councilor
Kevin Donoghue, who was also qualified
last year, (both were elected in 2006)
opposed Duson’s election.
Other Portland City Councilors have, for
the most part, been silent about the process
that will lead to one of them becoming the
City’s next non-elected mayor. Under
Portland’s current system of government,
the mayor is selected annually by a vote of
his or her fellow city councilors. That,
however, could change in the future if
Portland’s Charter Commission
recommends that the city change to an
elected mayor form of government, and
voters approve.
At-large councilor John Anton said he had
no interest in serving as mayor and would
support Marshall, saying that Marshall had
done a good job and that his service on the
Council would justify his nomination as
mayor. Donoghue also said he wasn’t
interested in the job, but stopped short of
endorsing Marshall. He said that he was
not a candidate for mayor, but a candidate
for re-election to the District 1 City
Council seat. He said if re-elected, he plans
to focus on the implementation of the
Peninsula Transit Plan, and continue as the
Chair of the Transportation Committee,
and President of METRO. Marshall is
unopposed in his re-election bid.
Councilor Nick Mavodones, who has held
the mayor position twice in his twelve
years on the Council, would say only that it
was too early to start talking about it.
Mayor Duson also said the discussion was
premature.
Fleas Close Local
Learning Center
An infestation of fleas has caused
LearningWorks on Brackett Street to shut
down the room where it holds classes in
English as a Second Language and after-
school programs, and has its computer lab
set up.
The room has been shut down for several
weeks, but the classes are continuing to be
taught in other rooms throughout the
building. Workers have ripped out the
carpeting and repainted the room. It is not
known when classes will be able to resume
in the room.
West End Community Action Network
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WECAN Puts Up
10G for Policing
Center Move
The West End Community Policing
Center will be moving to a storefront
at the corner of Spring and Clark
Street, the former location of Pap's
and the Spring Street Market. The
center is currently located at Harbor
Terrace on Danforth Street.
WECAN, the West End Community
Action Network, will put up $10,000
of the $38,000 in federal funding it
received this year, to cover the first
year of the $800 a month rent. The
WECAN planning group voted to
take money from the their
Community Development Block
Grant to pay the rent on the policing
center move to the Reiche area. It is
the quickest way to effect the move,
according to West End
Neighborhood Association President
Rosanne Graef, although continued
funding would depend on the Police
Department and their CDBG funds.
Being in a more visible area will
allow Community Policing to work
more closely with WECAN and
WENA, according to Graef. The
neighborhood association has been
advocating for the center to be
moved to the Reiche Community
Center, but Reiche school officials
opposed the plan because of security
concerns. WENA says that the
current location of the center is too
far removed from the center of the
community.
10G for Policing
Center Move
The West End Community Policing
Center will be moving to a storefront
at the corner of Spring and Clark
Street, the former location of Pap's
and the Spring Street Market. The
center is currently located at Harbor
Terrace on Danforth Street.
WECAN, the West End Community
Action Network, will put up $10,000
of the $38,000 in federal funding it
received this year, to cover the first
year of the $800 a month rent. The
WECAN planning group voted to
take money from the their
Community Development Block
Grant to pay the rent on the policing
center move to the Reiche area. It is
the quickest way to effect the move,
according to West End
Neighborhood Association President
Rosanne Graef, although continued
funding would depend on the Police
Department and their CDBG funds.
Being in a more visible area will
allow Community Policing to work
more closely with WECAN and
WENA, according to Graef. The
neighborhood association has been
advocating for the center to be
moved to the Reiche Community
Center, but Reiche school officials
opposed the plan because of security
concerns. WENA says that the
current location of the center is too
far removed from the center of the
community.
ENVIRONMENT
MAINE TO
NAME TOXIC
DUMPERS
Environment Maine will release a
new report documenting the total
amount of toxic chemicals released
by industrial facilities into
Aroostook River and other rivers,
lakes, and streams in Maine and
across the country, at a news
conference at Portland's City Hall
on at 10 AM on Thursday, October
22nd.
Environment Maine ’s report will
also document the top ten industrial
dischargers of toxics into waters in
Maine, and total figures for direct
releases of chemicals that cause
cancer, reproductive, and
developmental harm.
The report comes on the heels of a
recent Congressional hearing on
enforcement of the Clean Water
Act.
MAINE TO
NAME TOXIC
DUMPERS
Environment Maine will release a
new report documenting the total
amount of toxic chemicals released
by industrial facilities into
Aroostook River and other rivers,
lakes, and streams in Maine and
across the country, at a news
conference at Portland's City Hall
on at 10 AM on Thursday, October
22nd.
Environment Maine ’s report will
also document the top ten industrial
dischargers of toxics into waters in
Maine, and total figures for direct
releases of chemicals that cause
cancer, reproductive, and
developmental harm.
The report comes on the heels of a
recent Congressional hearing on
enforcement of the Clean Water
Act.