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Sunday, February 17, 2008
Hinck presents bill to license
contractors
Also presents bill to preserve neighborhood
schools
West End Representative Jon Hinck, presented two bills to legislative
committees on February 12th, one that would require the licensing of general
contractors, and a second that would help preserve successful neighborhood
schools.
Hinck presented the first bill, LD 1038, to the Business, Research and
Economic Development Committee. It would create the Maine Home
Contractor Licensing Board, which would oversee the licensing and collection
of fees. Under the
legislation, any contractors and people who perform residential framing,
roofing, siding, insulating, window work or
chimney work would require licenses. It would also require the adoption of a
model building code.
The bill would also help make sure that contractors who take money in advance
can be found and their customers
reimbursed when a job is not completed in a workmanlike and reasonably
skilled manner.
Hinck presented the second bill, LD 2082, to the Education Committee. It
would allow for the preservation and restoration
of successful, historic, neighborhood schools as long as the buildings
substantially comply with modern energy efficiency
standards.Hinck submitted the bill as a result of the ongoing debate over the
possible renovation and future use of the Nathan Clifford School.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Woman Shot From Outside Home
At approximately 1:30AM on Friday morning, February 15th, the Portland
Police Department responded to a shooting that
occurred at 243 Taft Avenue. Unknown individuals were outside the residence
and fired multiple shots into the exterior of the residence. One of the fired
shots struck a 32 year-old female inside the residence. The unknown assailants
fled prior to officers’ arrival.
This is the second shooting of this nature at 243 Taft Avenue. The first incident
occurred on January 1st. The incident is
still under investigation by the Portland Police Department.
The female was treated and released from Maine Medical Center for the
gunshot wound to her leg.
Anyone with any information regarding this incident is requested to contact the
Portland Police Department at 874-8596.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Would-Be Burglar Waits for Police
Police responding to a call of an attempted burglary at 28 Hanover Street at 5:
00 PM on February 2nd, saw Ismael Andujar,35, of Portland, standing next to
the owner of the property.
The owner informed police that when he arrived at his home a few minutes
earlier, he saw a window ajar which had been
closed when he left, and Mr. Andujar was there holding the owner’s ice spade.
Andujar remained at the site until police arrived, and was arrested and charged
with attempted burglary and violation of bail conditions. Police stated that he
appeared to be under the influence of intoxicating beverages. -Marge
Niblock
Thursday, February 14, 2008
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
Victoria Mansion to Celebrate 150th
Anniversary
Victoria Mansion will celebrate its Sesquicentennial Anniversary this year with a
kick off celebration at the end of May.Events will include a keynote address by
Earle Shettleworth, Director of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission on
May 30, and a festival day of 19th-century games and activities at the Mansion
on May 31.
In May of 1858 Ruggles Morse broke ground at the corner of Park and
Danforth Streets in preparation for his grand
summer Mansion. A native of Maine, Morse was a self-made man who
amassed a fortune as the proprietor of luxury hotels
in New Orleans during the 1850s.
Today, Victoria Mansion is considered the most important historic house
museum of its period in the nation. The building, designed by Henry Austin, is
one of the greatest examples of American residential architecture from before
the Civil War. The interiors by Gustave Herter are unmatched for their quality
and completeness.
Man Breaks into Car, Calls Cops
Police responded to a call from Joe’s Smoke Shop at 12:45 AM on February 4,
regarding an individual wishing to turn
himself in for breaking into a car and stealing a purse.
Warren Peavey, 30, of Portland, told arriving officers that he used a brick to
smash out the window of a vehicle parked on
Cumberland Avenue and stole a purse. After looking through the purse and
finding nothing of interest in it, he left it on the
side of a street.
Peavey brought police to Oak Street, where he had abandoned the purse, and
then pointed out the damaged vehicle, which
was in front of 419 Cumberland Avenue. He was arrested and charged with
burglary of a motor vehicle, theft, criminal
mischief (for damage to the window), and carrying a concealed weapon, since
a knife was found in his possession. It was discovered that Peavey also had
two prior outstanding warrants for burglary to a motor vehicle and theft.
-Marge Niblock
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Opponents Rail Against I-
295 Widening
About 200 people packed into a conference room at the Clarion Hotel on
Outer Congress Street on February 12th, most of them to voice their
opposition to a proposal to widen Interstate 295 as it goes through
downtown Portland. Among the groups opposing the plan were the
League of Young Voters, the Portland Green Independent Party, and a
group of students from the University of Southern Maine.
Peninsula City Councilors Kevin Donoghue and David Marshall have led
the opposition to using federal funding for the project, preferring that
money be spent on mass transit improvements, including the
development of rail service from
Portland to areas like Brunswick and Lewiston/Auburn.About 30
members of the League took a Metrro bus from downtown
Portland to the meeting location to dramatize their point.
The few people who spoke in favor of the widening cited issues of
improved safety and the necessity of improved roads for motorists, who
are still a great majority of the commuting public.
Monday, February 11, 2008
WENA Holds Reiche Open House
The West End Neighborhood Association celebrated recent renovations
to Reiche’s pool and locker rooms on January 31st
with an open house at the Reiche Community Center. Kids and families
enjoyed a free dip in the pool, shot hoops in the
gym, stopped by the Book Nook, branch library and Public Health Station
and visited displays set up by community
organizations in the program area.
Ohno Cafe provided refreshments for the event and the Reiche PTO held
a bake sale. WENA member Andrew Sawyer
entertained with his cello and Maine Squeeze accordionists kept things
hopping. WENA’s next Monthly Meeting will be held on Wednesday,
February 13th, 6:30 p.m. at the Reiche Community Center.
Bintliff’s Continuing to Serve Brunch
Bintliff's American Café at 98 Portland Street in the Bayside
neighborhood has announced that it will continue brunch
service, seven days a week from 7 AM to 2 PM. The restaurant will be
ceasing regular dinner service and re-focusing evening efforts on
functions and special events. Saturday January 19th, was the last night of
dinner service.
The restaurant issued a press release after it was incorrectly reported
that the restaurant was closing completely.
Any certificates specific to dinner will be honored at brunch. If there are
any questions please contact the restaurant at
(207) 774-0005 or email info@bintliffscafe.com
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Councilor Wants To “Get It Right
This Time”
The City Council’s Community Development Committee is determined
that the next request for proposals that it issues does not produce the
same political controversy that the Maine State Pier proposal caused last
fall.
About 25 people attended the committee’s last meeting on January 30th
to discuss the fate of the Adams School on Munjoy Hill. Committee
member James Cohen said that, given the current economy, a request
for proposals for the property “doesn’t have to go out next week.” He
called for a “tighter approach” to get away from a system where “who
you know matters.”
“Let’s get it right this time,” he added.
Committee chair Cheryl Leeman said that there would be a workshop in
front of the full City Council before a proposal goes out. Committee
member John Anton, who was elected to the Council in November,
recused himself from the Adams
discussion because his employer, Northern New England Housing
Investment Fund, has an ongoing business relationship with Avesta
Housing, which will be submitting a proposal for the property.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Brennan: Strim Tax Plan Would Hurt Poor
By ED KING
First District Congressional candidate Michael Brennan says that a tax
plan put forward by one of his competitors in the
race would hurt rather than help poor and working people in Maine.
Brennan made his comment at a congressional campaign forum in
Portland on January 23rd where he discussed issues with
fellow candidates Mark Lawrence and Ethan Strimling. Three other
candidates in the race- Chellie Pingree, Mark Cote, and
Stephen Meister faced off in a similar forum a week earlier.
Brennan’s assessment was aimed at the Nass-Strimling tax reform
legislation that Strimling and Republican Richard Nass
put together in 2007.
“He’s wrong,” said Brennan, after Strimling mentioned the Nass
legislation as an example of how he can work with
Republicans. A reworked version of the legislation was rejected by the
Maine legislature last June.
The proposed legislation included a constitutional amendment which
would have required a 2/3 vote of the legislature to
increase the income tax rate, motor vehicle excise tax rate, or the sales
tax rate. Brennan said that agreeing to the 2/3
majority requirement would be compromising basic democratic principles
and the legislation would interfere with the state’s
ability to carry out current social programs.
Thursday, February 7, 2007
Swann, Anton Condemn YWCA Demolition
Portland City Councilor John Anton and Preble Street Executive
Director Mark Swann say that the community should have
made repairs to the YWCA building on Spring Street that was
demolished in November. While acknowledging that the
building was obsolete and inefficient, it should have been saved because
no housing alternative existed for the women who
lived there. The two local housing advocates made their comments in an
op ed piece in the Portland Press Herald in January.
In the piece, they say that as a consequence of the demolition, the Preble
Street Women’s Shelter has averaged nearly
double its capacity this winter. They also say that “replacement”
apartments planned for Danforth Street do not replace the
lost units because they are designed for people with different needs, not
for poor women with unstable lives and incomes.
They called on the community to “repair, replace and increase the often
invisible housing – old hotels, rooming houses, and
the rabbit warrens of studio apartments- that provide a home for our
poor.”
Disorderly Conduct at YMCA
On January 17, at 5:18 PM, police were called to the YMCA at 70 Forest
Avenue regarding Paul Peterson, 48, who they say
had been threatening the staff and was being uncooperative about leaving
the premises.
Cops say that Peterson, a Portland resident, told the person at the front
desk he would “kick his ass” and threatened to kill
him once he saw him on the street.
After becoming confrontational with officers responding to the complaint,
Peterson was arrested and charged with
disorderly conduct and refusing to submit to arrest. According to police,
they smelled intoxicating beverages on him.
-Marge Niblock
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Rand Joins Race for Local State Senate Seat
Portland State Representative Anne Rand will run in the Democratic
primary in June for the Maine State Senate seat from
which she was term-limited in 2002. Rand currently represents Portland’
s East End in the State Legislature.
The District 8 Senate seat for which Rand will be a candidate is open
because current State Senator Ethan Strimling, who
succeeded Rand, is running for the Democratic nomination for the US
Congress.
Former Portland State Representative J. Elizabeth Mitchell dropped out
of the race last week, and Portland attorney Clifford
Ginn has announced his intention to seek the nomination. The primary
will be held on June 10th.
Other Democrats being mentioned as possible candidates include
Parkside Representative Herb Adams and Portland activist
Justin Alfond.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
PARKSIDE DINNER NETS $300 FOR LOCAL
FUEL
Parkside's annual "Keep ME Warm " fuel assistance dinner on February
2nd featured a full house and raised about $300 for
needy families’ heating aid in the Parkside/ Bayside neighborhoods says
State Representative Herb Adams, who hosted the
event.
The event, held at the Parkside Community Center is the city's oldest-
running fuel assistance dinner, and was one of the
very first to be held in the state.
The spaghetti dinner drew guests from as far away as Augusta and
Georgetown, Maine. Attendees included Portland state
reps Anne Rand and Ann Haskell, city councilors Dave Marshall and
Kevin Donoghue, and Pat Eltman, Director of the
Maine State Office of Tourism, representing the governor.
Residents of the Parkside and Bayside neighborhoods needing heating
assistance may contact the PROP office at 874-1140
or 1-800-698-4959 toll-free.
For assistance programs for winter bills for electric lights and gas
utilities, contact Rep. Herb Adams toll-free in Augusta at
1-800-423-2900.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Woman Injured by Pellet Gun Shooter
On January 24th at 7:30 PM, a car traveling near 894 Washington
Avenue was hit in the front passenger window by
someone firing a pellet gun. A woman in the passenger seat was hit by
shattered glass, receiving minimal injuries.
Police arriving at that location were able to identify the perpetrator
through interviews conducted at the scene.
Michael J. Gurney, 19, of Portland, was arrested and charged with
aggravated assault and reckless conduct.
-Marge Niblock
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Portland May Get NBA D-League Team
Maine officials will welcome NBA D-League representatives to the city
on January 31st, as they consider bringing a minor
league affiliate of the professional basketball league to town.
The representatives will be greeted in front of City Hall and welcomers
will include the Stillson School of Irish Dancers and
local musicians. The public is welcome to attend.
Mayor Ed Suslovic will be joined by Governor John Baldacci and other
dignitaries at 4 PM as they welcome Dan Reed,
President NBA D-League, and Shawn Smith, NBA Vice President and
Chief Marketing Officer to Portland.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Magazine Names Portland Top Green City
Organic Gardening Magazine has selected Portland, Maine as the top
green city to live in the US. The magazine cited
Portland's vast parklands and trails, the City's commitment to the
Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, its anti-idling
ordinance and the use of biodiesel for city-owned vehicles as some of the
reasons for its selection. Portland was ranked
number one for top cities with a population less than 150,000.
The other cities recognized by the magazine include Burlington,
Vermont, Fargo, North Dakota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
and Billings, Montana. The magazine ranked the cities based on data
from Earthday Network's Urban Environmental Report.
The categories used included water quality, green space, percentages of
residents who walk, bicycle or use public transit,
availability of locally grown food and the municipal government's
commitment to climate change policy.
For more information, go to: http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,
7518,s1-2-10-1637,00.html
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Adams to Sponsor Fuel Help Dinner
Parkside event may be oldest “Keep ME Warm” dinner in state
Parkside Representative Herb Adams, will host a “Keep ME Warm” fund
raising spaghetti dinner from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Parkside Community Center on Grant Street.
All proceeds from the dinner – $3 a person or $7 a
family – will benefit neighborhood families in need of heating assistance
this winter.
The traditional Parkside event, was the first Keep ME Warm fuel
assistance dinner held in Portland and is now the longest-
running such dinner held in the city. Celebrity servers will include
Portland Mayor Ed Suslovic and City Councilor Dave
Marshall. Gov. John Baldacci has also been invited to attend.
Through matching grants and such gifts as donations from the “Share
the Plate” program at the First Parish Unitarian
Church of Portland, dinner-goers in Parkside and Bayside have raised
thousands of dollars for fuel assistance in the last four
years, Adams said. Statewide, over a million dollars has been raised in
local Keep ME Warm dinners, according to the
Governor’s Office.
Adams will distribute free information and applications about local and
state energy assistance programs, rent and property
tax rebate forms, and other consumer help publications at the dinner.
There will also be a raffle with local prizes.
Past dinners have featured full houses and several sittings, said Adams .
Tickets will be available at the door. The dinner is
co-sponsored by the Parkside Community Center and the Parkside
Neighborhood Association. For details and to make
contributions, call PNA President Diane Edwards at 775-0224 or Rep.
Herb Adams at 1-800-423-2900 toll-free in Augusta
.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Two Arrested for Car Vandalism
A cooperative investigation between the Portland Police Department and
the South Portland Police Department resulted in
the arrest of one adult male and one juvenile male for elevated
aggravated criminal mischief on January 24th. The adult male
arrested is Adam Wedge, 18 years of age, from South Portland. The
juvenile male is a resident of Portland. He is currently
in Long Creek juvenile facility
The two individuals were responsible for damaging multiple motor vehicle
windows with BB guns on either January 11th
and/orJanuary 16th, according to police. The investigation is ongoing and
police are working towards identifying additional
individuals involved in the incidents, which occurred in both Portland and
South Portland. A $500 reward had been offered
in the case. Police did not say whether the reward had figured in the
arrest of the two suspects.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Local Man Cleared as Getaway Driver
Charges have been dropped against a Portland man who police originally
identified as the driver of a car that they chased
through the West End on November 20th. Jay Stori, 39, had been
arrested and charged with attempting to elude an officer,
and leaving the scene of an accident. Both charges have been dismissed.
The brief car chase resulted in the capture of Charles Limanni, 36, of
Scarborough. He was sought for robbing the TD
Banknorth at 883 Forest Avenue around 1 PM on Friday, November 16.
Officers saw Limanni in an Enterprise rental car with Massachusetts
plates on November 20, but the car, occupied by
another man and two women sped away when they tried to stop it.
During the course of the pursuit, the car struck a van parked on
Congress Street, owned by Dave Brackett of Munjoy Hill,
who was dining at Uncle Billy’s. The left rear brake light and taillight
were demolished in the hit-and-run incident.
Limanni was captured and arrested a little before 6 PM, near the Spring
Street Holiday Inn, after exiting the car on Park
Street and running to the hotel. He was charged with robbery.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Downtown Portland Raises $4G for Good Cause
Portland's Downtown District’s Annual Shop For A Cause Day raised
over $4,000 from downtown shops and businesses in
the Old Port and Arts District for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern
Maine.
Day One Executive Director Sam Beal will receive a check at 10 AM on
Tuesday, January 22 at 195 Lancaster Street in
Portland .
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine matches caring adult
volunteers with children to foster nurturing, one-to-one
mentor relationships.
For 7 years, Shop For A Cause Day has been part of Portland 's
Downtown District’s month-long celebration, Light Up
Your Holidays. Some previous recipients are Day One, the Caleb Adult
Center, Preble Street Resource Center and the
Frannie Peabody Center .
Sunday, January 20, 2008
College-Bound Students Urged to Attend Financial Aid
Event
Portland ’s eight state representatives have announced that College Goal
Sunday 2008 will take place at 2 p.m.on Sunday,
January 27th in the Hannaford Lecture Hall at University of Southern
Maine’s Portland campus. The representatives urged
students planning to go to college in the fall to attend the event.
In order to qualify for financial aid, students must file a Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). College Goal
Sunday is a volunteer program coordinated by the Finance Authority of
Maine (FAME) to provide free assistance to families
applying for financial aid from technical and community colleges and
universities. The Portland program is one of 26
College Goal Sunday events happening concurrently throughout the state.
At Sunday’s seminar, FAME will provide coaching staff to walk
individuals through the FAFSA line by line, and answer any
questions regarding state and federal financial aid programs. Attendees
should bring copies of their most recent tax
information.
If you are unable to attend an event, you can file your FAFSA online at
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. William Norbert of
FAME cautions against using other Web sites with FAFSA in the name,
as many charge for assistance in filling out the
forms.
For more information on College Goal Sunday and state higher education
resources, contact Rep. Jon Hinck at 450-0003 or
Rep. Herb Adams at 772-2565. You can find more information about
College Goal Sunday, including a list of locations, at
www.collegegoalsundaymaine.com.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Police Offer $500 Reward in Vandalism Case
The Portland Police Department and an anonymous Portland resident are
offering a reward of $500 for information leading
to the identification and successful prosecution of whoever is responsible
for the damaging area motor vehicles with either a
BB or a pellet gun.
Persons involved in or assisting in the damage to these vehicles will not
be eligible to receive a reward. This offer expires
and is no longer in effect after February 1, 2008. No reward money will be
disbursed for information received after
February 1, 2008.
Any persons having information regarding these crimes are asked to
contact detective Andy Haggerty of the Portland Police
Department at 874-8550 immediately.
Friday, January 18, 2008
West End Collector Loses Nearly Everything in Flood
Some of the books destroyed in recent local flood.
Well-known West End actor, writer, and collector Daniel Noel lost nearly
his entire collection of art, books, record albums,
and manuscripts as well as most of his personal belongings in a flood at
his apartment on the weekend of January 12th.
Noel had been away from his apartment at 67 West Street for several
days when he was apprised of the situation by an
upstairs neighbor. The flood was apparently caused by a faulty
thermostat and several burst pipes.
Noel estimated that he had between 2,500 and 3,000 books, many of them
signed collectibles, first editions and antiques. He
also had over 700 albums, most of whose covers were irreparably water-
damaged. Some of the books were so water-
logged they were swollen into the bookshelves that housed them.
Also lost in the flood was a large collection of artwork by local artists that
Noel had collected over the years. His collection
of oil paintings did survive.
Noel is the author of Longfellow: A Life in Words, a play marking the
200th anniversary of the birth of the famous local
poet. The play recently completed its world premier run at the Portland
Stage Company, receiving strong reviews. The
research papers for the play, as well as personal letters, photographs, and
other theater memorabilia were also lost in the
flood.
Noel said he hopes to be able to hold a fundraiser in the near future to
raise money to replace the furniture, clothing,
appliances and personal items that were lost.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Controversial Art Show to Return to Portland
A show featuring politically-inspired artwork that caused a furor in the
city two years ago will return to Portland this
February in, Art from Inside: Paintings by Political Prisoner Tom
Manning. The exhibit includes works featured in
Manning's previous show, Can't Jail the Spirit, as well as a number of
additional pieces which have never before been
publicly displayed. The paintings will be on display throughout the month
of February.
Manning taught himself to paint in prison, where he is currently serving
a 53 year sentence for a series of bombings
carried out in the early 1980s. He was also sentenced to 80 years in
prison for what he claimed was the self-defense
killing of a New Jersey state trooper.
Manning's art gained local notoriety following the censorship of his
previous show, Can't Jail the Spirit, by University of
Southern Maine's former president Richard Pattenaude in September
2006. Pattenaude ordered the exhibit's closure
prior to its opening reception after pressure by a variety of police
agencies and USM's corporate sponsors. Can't Jail the
Spirit was later rehung at Ubu Gallery in Portland's East End before
being sent on to appear in Boston, Providence, New
York, and Philadelphia.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Man Arrested for Making False Charges Against Police
On January 10th, Steven M. Williams, 28, of South Portland, was
charged with unsworn falsification, which resulted
from his having signed a written statement attempting to deceive a public
official. He was also charged with false public
alarm or report for reporting a crime to police he knew did not occur.
In September 2007, Williams was told to leave a property on Thompson’s
Point after police found him asleep there. He
became angered and called the shift commander, alleging he had been
assaulted by police officers who injured him and
then threw his fishing gear into the Fore River.
Internal Affairs Unit Lieutenant Peter Wentworth stated that during the
course of their investigation after receipt of the
complaint, witnesses were discovered and evidence was located leading
police to conclude that Williams’s story was
fictitious.
Because of the serious nature of the charges, the results of the
investigation were sent to the District Attorney’s Office. It
was determined that Williams’s injuries were self-inflicted, which he
admitted, saying he wanted to “get back” at police
because he didn’t like the way he had been treated.
Marge Niblock
Friday, January 11, 2008
Man Charged With Assaulting Infant Son
The Criminal Investigation Division of the Portland
Police Department today charged David Allen Carter,
20, with assault on a minor. He is charged with this
Class C felony in connection with the assault of his 6
month-old son that was reported on January 10th. The
incident occurred at the family shelter located at 54
Chestnut Street. Carter is scheduled for arraignment on
02/19/08 at 1 PM.
The child is still being treated at Maine Medical Center
for his injuries. The Department of Health and Human
Services is aware the child’s injuries and the charges against Carter.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Police Investigating Car Vandalism
The Portland Police Department is investigating approximately 30
reported criminal mischief to motor vehicles that
occurred on January 11th between midnight and 8 AM. All the vehicles
appeared to have had their windows damaged
by being shot with either a pellet or BB gun. The vehicles damaged were
parked on Beacon Street, Bismark Street,
Codman Street, Congress Street, Coyle Street, Dartmouth Street,
Deering Avenue, Douglass Street, Emerson Street,
Fairmont Street, Forest Avenue, Glenwood Avenue, High Street, Kent
Street, Oregon Street, Salem Street and Woodford
Street.
Anyone with any information regarding this incident is requested to
contact the Portland Police Department at 874-8596
Friday, January 11, 2008
Fire Academy to Graduate Eighteen New Firefighters
Portland celebrates the graduation of eighteen new firefighters
The Portland Fire Department will hold a graduation of eighteen new
firefighters on January 12th. . Their graduation
follows a rigorous and intense twenty-six week training in advanced
firefighting and life support medical training.
During the ceremony, the new graduates will receive their fire fighting
pin from a chosen loved one, a longstanding
PFD tradition.
Portland Fire Chief, Fred LaMontagne, will be joined by members of the
PFD as they congratulate the graduates.
The ceremony will be held at 10:00 AM at the Portland High School
Auditorium.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Adams Lists New ‘Winter Disconnect’ Rights
Mainers who find it hard to make ends meet have new
protections from disconnection of lights and electric
heat this winter, said Rep. Herb Adams, D-Portland,
who serves on the Legislature’s Utilities and Energy
Committee. A number of new measures will help
consumers in 2008.
Current Public Utilities Commission (PUC) rules bar
utilities from shutting off power to any customer
between Nov. 15 and April 15 without explicit
permission from the PUC’s Consumer Protection
Division. The PUC will work with customers to find
financial assistance to pay electric and gas bills during
that period, as well. New rules also require a full
information packet explaining consumer’s rights and
options be mailed or delivered to homes which have lost
heat or light service since April 15.
Letters from the power company, phone calls and in-person attempts at
contact are all required before a winter
disconnection can take place, said Adams . At any time a customer can
contact the PUC’s Consumer Assistance Division
toll free at 1-800-452-4699 to work out a payment schedule with the PUC’
s help, and get free help to seek ways of
meeting the bills.Customers should contact their utility company first –
in Portland, likely CMP or Northern Utilities –
and if not satisfied call the PUC Consumer Assistance Division for free
help. Mainers may call the Consumer Assistance
Division toll-free at 1-800-452-4699, or Rep. Herb Adams toll-free in
Augusta at 1-800-423-2900.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Man Arrested With Concealed Weapon
The Big Apple at 2 Park Avenue was the scene of an
arrest at 11:37 PM on December 28th when an
employee notified police that a man wearing a ski mask
and refusing to leave the premises was being aggressive
toward the staff.
When police arrived they saw that the person causing the problem,
Portland resident Robert A. Grady, 45, had a wooden
handle protruding from his left jacket pocket. Upon removing the piece
of wood, a steak knife was discovered to be
attached to it.
Grady was arrested and charged with criminal trespass and carrying a
concealed weapon.
City Picking Up Christmas Trees
The City of Portland will be offering curbside pick up of
Christmas trees beginning on Monday, Jan 7 and
ending on Friday, Jan. 18th. Residents should put their
trees at the curb on their regular trash day to ensure
collection.
Trees may also be dropped of at the following locations
until Friday, January 25:
· Payson Park (Little League parking lot)
· Cutter Street Parking Lot
· 9 Hole Golf Course Parking Lot
For more information, contact Troy Moon at 874-8801
BASIC SELF DEFENSE FOR WOMEN
The Portland Police Department will be hosting a Rape
Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) Training class on January
22, 23, 24 & 26, 2008
R.A.D provides women with the tools they need both to
avoid dangerous situations and to escape from them. R.
A.D. is specifically designed to help women survive situations in which
their lives are in jeopardy.
This course is open to all women in the Greater Portland area who would
like to develop real life defensive tools and
tactics.
The Basic Self-Defense Course consists of a series four classes. The class
is scheduled for January 22, 23, 24 three hours
each, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM and January 26, Saturday morning, 9:00 AM to
12:00 Noon. All classes must be attended to
complete the course. The classes will be held at the Portland Police
Department, 109 Middle Street, Portland.
The course donation is $25, which will help support the Amy St. Laurent
Fund, which sponsors these classes.
To sign up for this class or receive more information about Portland R.A.
D., please contact 756-8306 or e-mail,
eac@portlandmaine.gov
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Local Group to Help Iraqi Child Injured by U.S. Sniper Fire
A Maine-based chapter of No More Victims has been formed to bring
an Iraqi child to Maine to receive reconstructive surgery early next
year.
The five year old girl, named Nora, was shot by a U.S. Army sniper,
leaving her missing a piece of her skull and with her face and head badly
disfigured.
Former West End State Representative John Eder is the Project
Coordinator.
Maine Medical Center has agreed to provide Nora’s medical care. She
and her father will be housed at the Ronald
McDonald House in the West End during their stay in Maine – a stay
which could last as long as six months to a year. A
steady stream of volunteers and Arabic translators will be needed to help
with day to day living so that father and
daughter can be made comfortable in their unfamiliar surroundings. The
group’s goal is to raise $30,000 for Nora’s
stay in Maine.
No More Victims was founded in September 2002. The group works to
obtain medical sponsorships for war-injured Iraqi
children, and to forge ties between the children, their families, and
communities in the United States. To learn more
about the organization and to donate money, log on to
www.NoMoreVictims.org http://www.nomorevictims.org/ Contact John
Eder at 871-0317 to volunteer.
Local Museums Looking for Volunteer Guides
History Docent Classes to Begin in February
Five Portland museums have begun recruiting for Portland’s History
Docent Program, a ten-week training class for people who would like
to become volunteer guides. The sessions will be held at the Maine
Historical Society on Congress Street every Thursday morning, 9AM
to noon. Volunteers receive lectures on area history, art and
architecture, and training on good guiding techniques. Graduation
will take place at the Fifth Maine Regiment Museum on Peaks Island
on May 2nd.
The Portland Observatory, Greater Portland Landmarks Walking
Tours, Portland Harbor Museum, Tate House Museum, Victoria
Mansion, and the Wadsworth-Longfellow House will participate in the
program. Graduates of the program are asked to serve at least six
hours per month at the site of their choosing at one of the institutions.
For more information, contact the program manager Bill Hall at 253-
6290, or leave a message for him at Greater Portland Landmarks, 774-
5561, extension 120.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Portland Reps Honored for Environmental Voting
Legislators receive perfect scores from environmental advocacy group
The Maine League of Conservation Voters recently praised Portland
state representatives for
their voting records in favor of bills that will have a positive impact on
the environment.
None of the city’s seven Democratic state representatives cast a vote
against any of the
environmental bills tracked by the MLCV.
Representatives Herb Adams, Jon Hinck, Anne Rand, John Brautigam
and Charlie Harlow
all scored a perfect record for the 2007 legislative session. They were
among a handful of
legislators to receive a perfect 5-for-5 score for their voting records on
new laws that will
reduce carbon emissions in the Northeast, ban chemicals that are
dangerous to children from
household products, expand conservation efforts through Land for Maine’
s Future, and
prevent shoreline deforestation and invasive plant infestations.
Adams, Brautigam and Harlow are among an even smaller group of
legislators who have
earned a perfect score from the MLCV during every year that they have
served in the
Legislature.
Hinck submitted several environmental bills during his first term in the
Legislature,
including LD 555, which passed the Legislature last session, which
requires landlords to give
tenants 30-day notice of any renovations that could disturb lead paint.
Adams also sponsored successful environmental legislation last session
that was recognized by the MLCV. His bill, LD
1297, will combat pollution in Casco Bay by setting new, stricter
standards for nitrogen levels. Eventually the standards
will apply to the entire coast.
The Maine League of Conservation Voters has tracked and reported
legislators’ voting records on key environmental
issues since 1986. To view the entire scorecard, including bill summaries
and a full list of honor roll and dishonor roll
members for 2007, visit http://www.mlcv.org/scorecard2.asp.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Canine Unit Finds Offender
On December 8th at 1:20 AM, Portland police were called in response to
a vehicle off the road near the Falmouth line
of Allen Avenue. A Geo Prism was stuck in a snowbank and damage was
noticed to the front of the driver’s side, which
police believed to be the result of an earlier hit-and-run accident..
The person sitting on the side of the road fled as police approached. The
canine unit was called for, and followed
footprints in the snow on Allen Avenue, discovering the operator of the
vehicle, Brian R. Green, 28, of Falmouth.
After police interviewed Green, he was arrested and charged with leaving
the scene of an accident.
Police Walking Downtown Foot Beats
Portland police are walking two foot beats in the Old Port and on
Congress Street from noon to 8 PM, under the
auspices of the Day Directed Patrol Unit, commanded by Lieutenant
William Preis.
“We do have foot beats periodically and deploy them to neighborhood hot
spots,” says Preis. The beats will last at least
through New Year’s Day, when an evaluation will be done, and may
continue if manpower permits.
Students Raise $10G in AIDS Walk
Frannie Peabody Center, southern Maine’s AIDS
Services Organization joined Scarborough Middle
School for an awards rally on December 19th to thank
student participants for walking in this year’s 21st
annual Ed Wimert Bike/Walk-a-thon for AIDS, which
was expected to raise $10,000 for the organization.
The bike portion of the event was cancelled this year due
to inclement weather. However, more than 100 students
still participated in the 8 mile walking course. Annually,
FPC is awarded proceeds from the Walk/Ride during
this event. Over the years, the event has raised more
than $135,000 for AIDS services in Maine and it is
driven solely by the support and participation of
Scarborough Middle School students, staff members
and volunteers.
Cell Phone Helps Cops Catch Teen
Officer Kent Porter received a call on November 29, at 4:20 PM, about
two teenagers who had stolen DVDs at Guitar
Grave, 441 Congress Street. Porter was met by the store’s owner who
said he’d chased one of the thieves down Elm Street
and then lost him near Portland High School. During the chase the youth
dropped his cell phone, which was turned
over to the officer.
After Porter saw a number for “Mom,” he dialed it, got her name and
address, and was told her son wasn’t home yet.
Police were waiting to arrest him upon his arrival.
Volume 7, Number 21 Portland, Maine December 14-26, 2007
December 12, 2007
Modern Technology Dooms Burglar
Portland police arrested Daniel Murphy, 26, of Westbrook, on December
1st and charged him with commercial burglary,
theft, failure to stop for a police officer, operating after suspension, and
violation of conditional release. Police spotted
Murphy on Washington Avenue, driving a truck reported stolen earlier
in the day from Delta Roofing on Riverside
Street. Murphy was apprehended after he jumped out of the truck and
tried to flee on foot.
Police say that Murphy stole the truck and, at a little after midnight,
burglarized a company on Riverside Drive, netting
about $10,000 worth of tools and a laptop computer. The burglary, and
the truck, were captured on the company’s
surveillance video.
The police used the truck’s Global Positioning System (GPS) to track its
location and apprehend Murphy. Police were
also able to track every location the truck had been to and recover
almost all the stolen items.
Cops Not Ignoring Mystery Death
By MARGE NIBLOCK
The case regarding Edward Okeny is still categorized as a “death
investigation” and it remains “suspicious,” according to Deputy Chief
Bill Ridge.
“This is not a case in which we’re withholding any investigative leads.
If anyone knows anything about this, we’re more than happy to talk to
them.”
This has been the major problem regarding this tragedy: A young man is
dead and the cause is unknown. No witnesses
have come forth. The police department doesn’t have anyone who has
said “I know what happened.” Police haven’t
spoken to anyone who has shed light on the matter, despite the fact that
the neighborhood was canvassed a couple of
times, with police knocking on doors, hoping to find someone who might
have some information that might prove
helpful.
Ridge says “To this day, I don’t know that there was a crime.”
But this hasn’t prevented The Portland Phoenix from running
inflammatory headlines taunting police, which aren’t
backed up by facts:
“Who Killed Edward Okeny?”
“Killed on the street: Portland cops don’t bother with a mystery death”
“Portland police ignore a stone-cold mystery”
The final report from toxicology tests on tissue samples hasn’t been
received yet and it may still be many weeks before
this information comes through. A video from the 7-Eleven at
Washington and Cumberland Avenues shows Okeny
appearing to be intoxicated. Police are still working on trying to identify
other people in the store so they can interview
them. All staff people working that night were spoken to.
It is a regular occurrence in Portland for police to receive calls for a
“layout,” where a person is found unconscious. In
some situations people will fall down, pass out, and die. When police
reached Okeny at Cumberland Avenue and
Anderson Street early in the morning of October 21st, they were
responding to a call of “a guy passed out on the
sidewalk.” Three people came across Okeny lying face-down, and called
911. They remained at that location until police
arrived. When Okeny was turned over, there was some blood coming
from his nose. MEDCU was called and he was
transported to Maine Medical Center, where it was discovered he had
swelling in his brain. An operation was performed
to relieve the pressure.
Okeny never regained consciousness and died in the hospital on
November 8th of a medical condition related to his
incapacitation due to the head injury. The medical examiner’s report
states he “suffered blunt trauma to his head, most
consistent with his falling and hitting his head.”
The Phoenix article says “Officers found Okeny with a severe injury to
the back of his head.” However, officers at the
scene were unable to know this from his appearance.
“There was no visible sign of injury. He had a closed-head injury,” says
Ridge. Police didn’t know they were dealing
with anything extraordinary. The problematic aspect was that he couldn’t
be revived. It wasn’t until Okeny’s arrival at
the hospital that doctors realized something was wrong inside his skull.
Okeny’s wallet was lying next to him, with the contents strewn on the
sidewalk. This in itself was not remarkable and
could have more than one interpretation; he could have been robbed; he
could have fallen and a passerby could have
gone through his pockets after the fact.
Until the final medical reports are received, the case will remain a
mystery, and it may be destined to remain just that
even after those facts are gotten—a mystery. But it is certainly not a
mystery that the Portland Police Department is not
bothering with or ignoring.
Anyone with information is urged to call police at 874-8479
November 8, 2007
Woman Faces Multiple Charges
Bunra Sun, 26, of Saco, was arrested on October 31st on numerous
outstanding warrants from various cases and will face multiple charges of
theft, negotiating a worthless instrument (for writing bad checks),
forgery, violation of conditional release, and failure to give correct name
and date of birth.
Police say Sun convinced many family members and friends to give her
control over their bank accounts. She would then write checks from one
account, knowing that amount of money was not in the account, and
deposit the checks into another bank account. She withdrew money via
ATMs from the overinflated accounts before the victims' bank discovered
that the deposited checks were no good.
Substantial amounts of money were involved in the commission of these
crimes - totaling just under $30,000. Victims included: Bank of America;
Key Bank; Norway Savings Bank; and Carpet and Rug Depot.
Sun’s brother-in-law also suffered the loss of $1,080 in stolen checks,
and Sun will be charged for that crime this month.
-Marge Niblock
November 6, 2007
City of Portland Election Results
City Councilor (District 3)
Donovan, Anthony J. 709 24.01%
Farnsworth, Richard R. 542 18.35%
Linnell, William S. 713 24.14%
Skolnlk, Daniel S. 989 33.49%
Councilor-At-Large
Anton, John M. 6,320 29.04%
Cloutier, James F 5,243 24.09%
Duson, Jill C. 6,029 27.70%
Reilly, Mark G. 4,172 19.17%
School Committee-At-Large
Caron, Jaimey R. 4,609 21.44%
Delogu, Orlando E 3,540 16.47%
Meiklejohn, Benjamin J. 2,737 12.73%
Minton, Leslie G. 3,080 14.33%
Snyder, Kathleen M. 7,534 35.04%
Portland Water District
Gibson, Keith M. 1,436 14.49%
Libby, Gary W. 5,036 50.83%
Martin, Jr, Dennis B 3,436 34.68%
Friday, November 2, 2007
Mitchell Kicks Off State Senate Bid
Former Portland State Representative J. Elizabeth Mitchell announced
her candidacy for the Maine State Senate on October 25th at Colucci’s
Market on Munjoy Hill. Mitchell and her supporters took a walking tour
across the peninsula, stopping at businesses along the way and ending up
at Binga’s Winga’s in the West End.
Mitchell was elected in 1994 to the House of Representatives for District
30 in Portland; she served two terms. She is the daughter of State
Senator Elizabeth H. Mitchell of Vassalboro and is the first announced
candidate for the Democratic primary in June, 2008, to fill the State
Senate seat of Ethan King Strimling, who will be running in the
Democratic primary for the District 1 seat in the US Congress.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Cop Shoots Self During Drug Raid
An unidentified Portland police officer shot himself in the foot on
October 30th during a drug raid at a house at High and Danforth Street.
Police arrested Scott Stolkner, 34, and Kayla Russo, 21. A large quantity
of ecstasy and heroin, as well as cash and a loaded handgun were
recovered during the operation.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Gap in Meals on Wheels
Participation in Portland is
Estimated to be 500 People
The Southern Maine Agency on Aging has announced an outreach
campaign to identify an estimated 500 older residents of Portland who
may be eligible for Meals on Wheels. In June, 2007, the Agency on
Aging assumed responsibility for Portland’s Meals on Wheels and
uncovered a surprising gap in participation compared to neighboring
Cumberland County towns and cities.
A graph showing the “Percent of Population 75+ Receiving Meals on
Wheels in Greater Portland” showed on average 12% of persons over age
75 receive Meals on Wheels in Cumberland County compared to only 2%
in Portland
SMAA Board President Judi Austin and Executive Director Laurence
Gross called for support from the community in dollars and volunteers.
Federal and state funding will be static despite any increase in number of
people served.
“Currently 35% of the daily costs for 100 recipients have to be raised
from donations. By the time 500 new people are added, 52% of the daily
cost will have to be raised from donations,” Gross said. The Agency on
Aging estimates that $150,000, or $550 a day, will be needed to meet the
first phase of its outreach campaign to identify and serve 200 new
recipients by June 30, 2008.
With the addition of Portland, SMAA provides Meals on Wheels in all
cities and towns in Cumberland and York counties. The food is cooked
from scratch in a commercial kitchen in Saco and transported to 11
distribution kitchens in southern Maine, where the food is packaged and
delivered by local volunteers. The Salvation Army is providing the
kitchen in Portland.
“For every 100 meals we deliver, we need 10 volunteers per day,” Gross
said. “The need for volunteers is constant and serving Portland means
hundreds of new volunteers.”
Meals on Wheels can be a crucial service to help older adults stay in their
own home. More than 11,000 Portland residents are age 60 or older, and
of those, nearly 5,000 are over age 75. Seventeen percent (17%) of the
population of Cumberland County is age 60 or more and that is also true
for Portland. Portland differs from the surrounding cities and towns
because 39% of the City’s older residents - or 3,500 people - live alone,
according to the most recent Census. An estimated 1,000 Portland
seniors live in poverty, or 11% of the population age 65 or older, versus
7% for Cumberland County . The Meals on Wheels Association of
America identifies “living alone” as a risk factor for poor nourishment.
Combine living alone with physical limitations and low income and you
have a recipe for an imbalanced diet resulting in poor health.
To find out if you or someone else is eligible for Meals on Wheels, call 1-
800-400-MEAL [6325]. Donations for Meals on Wheels may be sent to
Southern Maine Agency on Aging, 136 US Route One, Scarborough ,
ME 04074 . To volunteer, call 775-6583 or 1-800-400-MEAL [6325]. The
statewide, toll-free number for Meals on Wheels is 1-877-Elders1 (the
number 1) [1-800-353-3771].
Adams to Sponsor Rent/property
Tax Refund Workshop
Does the state owe you money? State Rep. Herb Adams, D-Portland, is
sponsoring a workshop to help residents find out.
Residents will get free forms and free help filling out their 2006 Maine
Resident Property Tax and Rent Refund Program application.
Homeowners, renters and senior citizens can qualify for refunds of up to
$2,000.
The workshop will be held from 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1, in the
Bayside Community Center at 24 Stone Street in Portland. Residents
should bring income tax and property tax or rent information for 2006.
For more information contact Rep. Adams at 772-2565.
Legislature Will Consider Three
Hinck Bills
Three bills submitted by West End Representative Jon Hinck will be
considered by the 123rd Legislature during its second session, which
convenes January 2nd.
The Legislative Council opted not to admit many of the almost 600 bills
submitted by legislators when it met on October 25th. Of the bills it
approved were Hinck’s three bills - to protect journalists, curb pollution
from vehicle idling, and protect neighborhood schools.
The first bill would protect journalists from being forced to reveal their
sources. The bill would give journalists greater protection when reporting
on illegal or improper activities through the use of confidential sources.
A federal law has been championed by the Associated Press and many
other media outlets, but has yet to pass. Hinck’s bill to institute a state
law has the support of the Maine Chapter of the Society of Professional
Journalists. Twenty-six states, including California , New York and
Connecticut already have such laws.
The anti-idling bill would prohibit operators from idling their vehicles for
more than five minutes when the temperature is above freezing.
Vehicles could idle longer, depending on temperature. The bill is modeled
on New Hampshire law.
Maine already has an intensive program to reduce idling of school buses
and create anti-idling zones around all school facilities. Childhood
asthma, an epidemic in Maine, has been linked to increased pollution
such as is created from idling vehicles.
The third bill would allow Maine to save successful, historic,
neighborhood schools as long as they substantially comply with modern
energy building standards.
Libbytown Getting Organized
About a dozen people turned out at the West School Gym on October
23rd for the Libbytown Neighborhood meeting to hear a presentation on
how Community Development Block Grant funds might be used in their
neighborhood.
This year, the City of Portland has around $2.1 million dollars in federal
money for capital improvements and other funding for non - profit
groups.
Fred Dillon, a Libbytown resident, gave a brief overview of some of the
issues people in the neighborhood were concerned with which included
improvements to Douglas Field, the proposed skate park, the possibility
of a new school being built at Dougherty Filed, and Congress Street
traffic.
Dillon noted that a Libbytown Neighborhood Association had been in the
process of being formed, but people drifted away.
"The by-laws are in place," he added. He hoped people might be
interested in forming a Libbytown Association as a follow up to the
October 23rd
meeting. –Harlan
Baker
Politics, Issues and Solutions
Luncheon
The Turkey Month Political Discussion Group luncheon will be on
Thursday, November 1st at 12 noon at The Village Café, 142 Newbury
Street in Portland. Everyone has two minutes to speak about pressing
political issues. Contact John Ridge, Chairman at 799-7673.
The group is also looking for more people to help collect signatures at the
polls for the three measures- the new Taxpayer Bill of Rights, an Excise
Tax Reduction, and a measure to create competition in the health
insurance market. Call Steven Scharf at 774-9393.
Man Charged With Beating 86-
Year-Old Tenant
Sidney P. Kilmartin, 45, of Portland, was arrested and charged with
aggravated assault and residential burglary, after an incident in the
building he owns at 22 Bailey Avenue in Portland.
A little after 10 PM on October 17th, police say Kilmartin forced his way
into the apartment of his 86-year-old tenant, who was in bed. Police say
Kilmartin attacked the man, who needed to be hospitalized for several
days after receiving facial and torso injuries. Police are not releasing the
nature of the weapon used in the assault.
Man Arrested With Dangerous
Knife
On October 11, at around 8:15 PM, a police officer on patrol saw what
looked like a hand-to-hand drug transaction in the Preble Street area.
During a pat-down search, a knife with a three-to-four-inch blade that
could be opened by force of gravity was discovered. Since these knives
are illegal in Maine, Lance Blumenthal, 26, of South Portland was
arrested for trafficking of dangerous knives.
Man Arrested, Then Mugged
On October 19th at 6:00 PM, police responded to a call of a broken-down
motor vehicle at the off-ramp of I-295 at Franklin Arterial. After they
checked the license and registration of the operator of the vehicle,
Edward Okeny was arrested for operating after suspension.
The next evening, police received a call for a “layout” at Kennedy Park,
and discovered Okeny unconscious on the ground, with the contents of
his wallet strewn beside him. He had been the victim of a strong-arm
robbery. Detectives have not concluded their investigation into this
incident yet.
Mr. Moulton, Is that You on State
Street?
I’m trying to find if a gentleman named Moulton is still alive. My father
mentioned his name recently in conversation. They met during the war
when Mr. Moulton was stationed in England. My father remembered his
name and his address as State Street, Portland Maine. The B17 was called
EAGLES WRATH 2. Please contact Janet Woodward with any info at
gorsuch.robert@neuf.fr
3rd ANNUAL ARTS GUIDE
PUBLISHED
Portland’s Downtown District has announced the publication of its third
annual Arts Guide. The guide has become a well-known resource for
events, gallery listings, art walk information, and performances in
greater Portland.
Created based on input from the arts guide committee, Portland’s
Downtown District and Port City Life, the guide serves as a
comprehensive guide to all the arts in Portland and offers free listings
for any venue open to the public.
Portland’s Downtown District Executive Director Janis Beitzer, Laurie
Hyndman and committee member Gillian Britt were recently invited to
present to the International Downtown Association annual conference in
New York, discussing how to duplicate the Portland Arts Guide in other
downtowns around the world.
The arts guide is available at Portland’s Downtown District’s offices at
549 Congress Street in addition to multiple venues throughout the City.
You can also order it on line at info@portlandmaine.com.
YOUNG VOTERS PLAN PUB CRAWL,
LIT DROP, PHONE BANK
In the run-up to Election Day, the League of Young Voters is planning a
‘Pub Crawl’ with its endorsed candidates, a First Friday Voter Guide
drop, a phone bank and more.
Thursday, Nov. 1, 7-10 p.m.
Meet at The League office, 1 Pleasant St., 2nd Floor. in the Cinnamon
Building across from Brian Boru. Will start at Boru, move to Rivalries
and end at White Heart. 21+
Friday, Nov. 2. meet at the League at 5:30 p.m. for the First Friday Art
Walk Voter Guide Drop
Finally, on ELECTION DAY, Tuesday, Nov. 6, phone-banking,
canvassing, in the streets, poll watching, driving to the polls, and the list
goes on and on.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Patriot's Day Storm Damage
Hinders Tree Search for Portland’s
Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
The search is still underway for the “perfect” 40 to 50 foot spruce or fir
tree for Portland's Monument Square. The tree is removed from the
donor's property at the City's expense, and the donor's family is
introduced at the tree lighting ceremony. The Annual Holiday Tree
Lighting Ceremony kicks off the holiday season on November 23rd at 5:
30pm in Monument Square .
"We are having a difficult finding a tree this year due to the number of
large spruce and fir trees that were toppled during the Patriot's Day
storm. This means we are expanding our search area from 15 to 25 miles
from Portland for a tree," said Jeff Tarling, Portland City Arborist. The
tree is harvested locally to minimize fuel and freight costs. This, in
conjunction with energy efficient LED lights donated by Efficiency Maine
in 2006, makes the tree one of the ways Portland conserves natural
resources. The Annual Tree Lighting ceremony draws over 7,000 people
to Monument Square each year, most of whom are children.
All tree entries must be received by November 5, 2007. For more
information contact Portland’s Downtown District at 207.772.6828 or
email info@portlandmaine.com .
October 27, 2007
Man Faces Extra Charge for
Kicking Woman
A little before 2 PM on September 29th, police were called to a
Cumberland Avenue residence by a woman, in reference to a person
refusing to leave.
Roger Gower, 53, of Portland, had been invited in and had been drinking
with the woman, but wouldn’t leave when asked to do so.
When police arrived they discovered that Gower had an outstanding
warrant from 1995 for OUI. He was placed under arrest and, as officers
were walking to the door with him, he lashed out with his foot and kicked
the complainant, according to police. That footwork caused Gower to be
charged with assault.
November 1,2,3
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
Day of the Dead
A Company of Girls' Portland will celebrate Dia de los Muertos, or Day of
the Dead, at classes on Nov 1st, 2nd and 3rd. These classes are
appropriate for all ages. A light meal will be served before all evening
workshops at 5:30.
6:00pm. FREE. A Company of Girls, Adams School, 48 Moody St. Call
874-2107 for more information and to register.
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration practiced in
Latin America and parts of the U.S. It is a family event to remember
ancestors. In some places, people make skull masks, called calacas to
wear in parades.
People dance to honor deceased relatives. Skulls, symbols of death and
rebirth, are cast in sugar, and names of those passed on are written on
them. In rural areas, families go to the cemetery, decorate graves with
marigolds and candles, and eat the favorite foods of those passed on.
Families also build altars in homes and on the street in honor of the
dead, adorning the altars with photos, flowers, candles, and favorite
foods. During Dia de los Muertos, special bread is baked in the shape of
bones. Dia de los Muertos is a time to celebrate life and to embrace
Latino life and culture.
October 24, 2007
COUNCILOR-AT-LARGE
CANDIDATES' FORUM
TO BE HELD AT PREBLE
STREET
Candidates for the At-Large seats for Portland City Council will meet
and respond to questions from homeless voters at a breakfast and forum
organized by Preble Street Homeless Voices for Justice on Monday,
October 29th. Breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the forum will take
place from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the soup kitchen at Preble Street Resource
Center in Portland at 252 Oxford Street (corner of Preble and Oxford
streets).
Incumbents Jim Cloutier and Jill Duson as well as challengers John
Anton and Mark Reilly will participate.
The candidates' forums, which have existed for more than a decade, are
known for their unique atmosphere, interesting questions, and discussion
that you may not hear elsewhere. Most importantly, they are a place for
the candidates to learn about and address issues that are important to
the homeless and very low-income community, a constituency whose
concerns are often underrepresented in public discourse during election
season.
October 23, 2007
Mitchell to Announce for State
Senate
Former Portland State Representative J. Elizabeth Mitchell will announce
her candidacy for the Maine State Senate on October 25th at Colucci’s
Market on Munjoy Hill. Mitchell was elected in 1994 to the House of
Representatives for District 30 in Portland; she served two terms.
Mitchell is the daughter of State Senator Elizabeth H. Mitchell of
Vassalboro. She is the first announced candidate in the Democratic
primary in June, 2008 to fill the State Senate seat of Ethan King
Strimling, who will be running in the Democratic primary for the District
1 seat in the US Congress.
October 22, 2007
Man Charged in Hit-and-Run
Police were flagged down a little after 5 PM on September 27th by a man
who said that his car had just been damaged by a hit-and-run driver. A
call was then received by police from a witness to the accident who was
following the suspect’s car.
That vehicle, driven by Richard A. Yanok, 47, of Brunswick, was stopped
in the area of Brighton Medical Center on Brighton Avenue. A field
sobriety test was administered to Yanok after police interviewed him. He
was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident and OUI.
Estimated damage to the two cars was $5,000.
Senate President Edmonds to
Chair Brennan Campaign
State Senate President Beth Edmonds announced on October 11th that
she will serve as the campaign chair for the US Congress race of former
Senate Majority Leader Michael Brennan. The announcement was made
at a press conference at the Portland Public Library.
Edmonds is the highest-ranking elected woman in the State of Maine, the
director of the Freeport Community Library and former State
Coordinator for the Maine Chapter of the National Organization for
Women (NOW).
Edmonds and Brennan served together in the Maine State Senate from
2002 to 2006. From 2004 to 2006, Edmonds' first term as Senate
President, Brennan served as the State Senate Majority Leader.
October 17, 2007
More Parking Meters in Front of
Paul’s Market
The Portland Downtown District has requested that the five taxi spaces
on Congress Street near Forest Avenue in front of Paul’s Foods be
reduced to two taxi spaces, and three parking meters be added to provide
more turnover parking in the Arts District. The taxi spaces would also be
shared as a commercial loading zone for deliveries to Paul’s. The
Portland City Council approved the plan at its October 15th meeting.
High School Seeks Donations for
Stricken Employee
Students, teachers and staff at Portland High School are raising money to
help Ken and Linda Davison of Waterboro cope with a current crisis the
family is experiencing. Ken Davison has colon cancer and the prognosis is
bleak. He has been a custodian at Portland High School for ten years.
Linda was recently laid off from her job.
The senior class has already donated part of its prom money to the
family’s two children, seven-year-old Andrew and six-year-old Emily.
Portland High has a list of possible donations for the family. They include
money, gift cards for groceries, prescriptions and gas, crafts for the
children (molding clay, washable paints, construction paper, gift cards to
Michael's or A.C. Moore), as well as clothing for Emily and Andrew.
Emily is in first grade, size 6/7. Andrew is in second grade, size 7/8.
For more information on donations, contact Liz Bryant at Portland High.
The number is 874-8255. You can also email her at
bryane@portlandschools.org
Traffic Snarls as Bridge is Stuck
The Casco Bay Bridge between Portland and South Portland was stuck in
the open position at about 12 noon on Saturday, October 13th, causing a
twenty-minute traffic backup.
Later that same evening, the bridge could not be opened for ship traffic
in the harbor because of another electrical malfunction..
Representatives from General Electric were scheduled to inspect the
bridge this week to determine the exact cause of the problem.
Portland Snow Plow Drivers Place
Third
The Portland Public Works team of Andre Provencher and Bruce Warner
finished in third place competing in the APWA Western Snow and Ice
Conference and Snow Rodeo in Estes Park, Colorado on September 25th.
The Portland team was competing with 43 other teams from around the
country. The competition tests the drivers in an obstacle course, along
with a written and technical test.
October 13, 2007
Duo Nabbed for Two
Robberies
Jason Lear, 31, and Paul Donovan, 39, are being held without bail at the
Cumberland County Jail after being arrested for two early-morning
robberies on October 12.
At 6:29 AM, a man with one of his hands inside a paper bag demanded
money at the Big Apple at 754 Congress Street, stating that he had a
firearm. He fled without money or merchandise.
At 8:39 AM, Colucci’s Market at Congress and North Streets was robbed
of an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes after a man, whose one
hand was in a paper bag, said he had a handgun.
The owner followed the suspect from the store, and then followed the
man's vehicle, providing police dispatch with the car’s location. The
vehicle was stopped by officers in the area of Ocean and Washington
Avenues. Two men were taken into custody at that time. Subsequent
investigation led to the arrest of Lear and Donovan, who were charged
with two counts of class B robbery.
October 12, 2007
Anton, Donovan Get
Chamber Endorsements
The Portland Growth Coalition, the political action committee formed last
year by the Portland Community Chamber, has voted to endorse John
Anton and Tony Donovan for City Council in the nonpartisan November
election.
Anton, who is running for an at-large seat, and Donovan, who is running
in District 3, will receive support from the Portland Growth Coalition in
the form of independent support. Anton asked to not receive direct
financial support from the PGC, and Donovan will receive it.
The Portland Growth Coalition PAC asked all candidates to fill out
surveys. In addition, it reviewed past voting records and public service
records in making its determination.
Donovan and three other candidates are vying for the District 3 seat,
which is being vacated by retiring Councilor Donna Carr. The other
candidates are Daniel Skolnik, William Linnell and Richard Farnsworth.
Four candidates are campaigning for the two highest vote totals as “at
large” members of the City Council. Incumbent Councilors James
Cloutier and Jill Duson are both running to retain their seats. Mark
Reilly is the fourth candidate. Chamber spokespersons said that the
chamber was dissuaded from backing the incumbents by the support
Cloutier and Duson offered such items as the Formula Business
Ordinance and the expanded Circuit Breaker, both of which they said
were counter to a favorable business environment.
Student Stabbed at Deering Game
On October 5th at approximately 7:45 PM, the Portland Police
Department responded to an altercation at Memorial Field at Deering
High School. Officers working at the Deering-Bonny Eagle football game
discovered that a 16 year-old Portland youth had been stabbed in his
facial area during this altercation. The juvenile was treated and released
for his injuries at Mercy Hospital
On October 10th, Portland Police detectives arrested Ryan Egeland, 20,
of Westbrook, in connection with the stabbing. Egeland was charged with
Aggravated Assault, class B. Egeland was arrested at the Cumberland
County Jail.
Police Seek Armed Robber
Police are seeking the identity of a man who robbed the Cumberland
Farms at 49 Pine Street on September 29th at about 2 AM. The suspect
was described as a white male wearing a brown sweater with a hoodie
covering most of his facial features. He is 5 foot 10 inches tall with a
medium build, with freckled skin and dark eyebrows.
The robber told the clerk to give him money, making a threat of a
weapon, which wasn’t shown. The subject fled on foot after the robbery
with an undisclosed amount of
cash. -Marge Niblock
Truck Hits Tree limb
Local 188 proprietor Jay Villani was awaiting a delivery of beer and wine
to his Longfellow Square restaurant when the delivery truck was low-
bridged by a tree limb on Congress Street on October 6th. The accident
severed the tree limb and damaged the top of the truck's cab. There were
no injuries.
October 7, 2007
Donoghue Calls for Better
Neighborhood Planning
Meets With Portland (Oregon) Officials
East End City Councilor Kevin Donoghue met with Portland, Oregon
officials during a recent visit to the west coast, to tour the city and
discuss neighborhood planning and development.
Donoghue was given a tour around “The Next Big Thing,” the city’s
massive street rebuilding project to accommodate the expansion of a light
rail system in the city, during a midday walk with Portland City
Councilor and Transportation Commissioner Sam Adams.
Donoghue also met with Dan Saltzman, another City Councilor and
Sustainable Development Commissioner, who described the city's
commitment to green building in its mixed-use redevelopment districts.
Donoghue said that the other Portland’s Pearl District looks and feels
how neighborhood planning documents merely read in our Portland,
particularly the Eastern Waterfront Master Plan and the Bayside Vision.
Donoghue gives a lot of credit for the west coast’s city’s urban planning
success to neighborhood advocate Bonny McKnight, who convenes
monthly salons with planners and neighborhood leaders - known as the
Citywide Land Use Forum. Donoghue attended one of the meetings,
where topics such as filtration of stormwater and preservation of trees
were discussed. McKnight explained that for over thirty years the city
has been working under a neighborhood system, whereby neighborhood
associations are legitimized by the Office of Neighborhood Involvement
(ONI). ONI provides support, technical assistance, and funds
management for the neighborhood associations, and helped to win
assignment of a planner to each neighborhood through the District
Liaison Program. The neighborhood system has been credited with
improving the quality of planning and development.
In October, Donoghue will host neighborhood meetings with the Office
of Housing and Neighborhood Services, to gather raw citizen input on
how best to allocate the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
The meetings will be held on October 11th (7pm) at Franklin Towers and
October 18th (7pm) at the East End Community School. The public is
invited to give input on funding priorities for physical improvements to
streets and parks in the district, and help formulate a general direction
for community planning and economic development goals on the East
End. Donoghue can be contacted at kjdonoghue@portlandmaine.gov
Downtown Looking for the
Perfect Tree
A search is underway for the “perfect” spruce or fir tree to be placed in
Monument Square for the holiday season. The Annual Holiday Tree
Lighting Ceremony will be held on November 23rd at 5:30pm.
The winning tree will be 50-70 feet tall and only trees within 15 miles of
Portland will be considered. The tree will be removed it from the donor’s
property at the City’s expense.
All tree entries must be received by October 31, 2007. For more
information contact Portland’s Downtown District at (207) 772-6828 or
email info@portlandmaine.com .
Munjoy Hill Officers Resign
By ED KING
The president and the former president of the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood
Organization are among a number of members who have resigned amidst
a growing rift in the neighborhood group.
The problems began after a Portland landlord threatened to sue the
organization over a statement in the July, 2007 issue of the Munjoy Hill
Observer which he says slanders him.
Attempts by the organization’s board of directors to remedy the situation
have proved fruitless. A letter of apology was approved by the board and
three thousand copies were inserted in the newspaper’s September issue.
However, the letter was physically removed by board members who
disagreed with its content.
The organization is planning a meeting on October 14th to elect a new
president. Meanwhile, board member Katie Brown has replaced Curtis as
the Observer’s editorial board chair.
October 1, 2007
Construction Begins on
Commercial St.
Major roadwork began on October 1st on Commercial Street between
High and Beach streets in the West End. The work is expected to take
four to five months to complete, with most of the work taking place
through October and November, and in April and May of 2008.
The work includes storm drain improvements, removal of railroad
tracks, new curbs and sidewalks, repaving and re-striping. Traffic delays
and lane closures are expected throughout the project. Call the Portland
Public Works Department at 874-8846 for more information.
Efficient Condos Planned for High
& Danforth
A new condo development is in the planning stages in the West End that
will offer ownership opportunities for individuals who value efficient
living space and who are willing to utilize alternatives to car ownership,
according to Portland housing activist Elizabeth Trice.
The site of the proposed building is the corner of High and Danforth
streets where there is a parking lot right now. The site is within a 10-
minute walk of 40,000 jobs, dozens of restaurants, cafes, and food stores.
It is on a bus line and will have bike parking and repair space. Two cars
will be owned by the condo association, and shared exclusively among the
members. Most of the units will be generous one-room studios (400-650
SF) with high ceilings, big windows, and balconies, and there is a guest
room that will be available to be signed out by residents. Six of the units
will have lofts with roof decks.
There will be 26 condos in total, with some priced possibly as low as
$110,000. Thirteen parking spaces are available to be purchased
separately at cost (around $20,000-$25,000). As the project is specifically
designed to not add cars to the street, residents will not be eligible to get
a residential sticker for street parking. At these prices, it's possible that
someone who makes in the low $30,000s and doesn't have a lot of debt
could afford to buy one of the condos, according to Trice.
Trice is working on the project, and in order to get the project through
the Portland Planning Board and City Council, needs to find people who
want to live downtown - and are open to living without a car.
Trice is asking people who would like to own in Portland sometime in the
next few years to contact her at etrice2@yahoo.com . They don’t need to
be looking to buy right now.
September 27, 2007
Guvs to Launch Opportunity Maine
Governor John Baldacci (D), former Governor Angus King (I) and former
Governor John McKernan (R) will hold a press conference with
Opportunity Maine leaders at the Abromson Center at the University of
Southern Maine in Portland at
3 p.m. on Monday, October 1st to launch the implementation of the
Opportunity Maine program and introduce the Opportunity Maine “Tax-
Credit Card.”
Opportunity Maine is the first program of its kind in the nation.
Beginning in January 2008, any Maine student will be encouraged to sign-
up for the program. When students graduate from a Maine college and
live and work in Maine after graduation, they will receive a large tax
credit to help pay their student loans each year for the life of the loan.
Press conference participants will also introduce the Opportunity Maine
“Tax-Credit Card.” In October, every student in Maine will receive a
plastic card that will serve as a physical reminder that in January 2008,
they are eligible to become an Opportunity Maine student. Businesses
and organizations will offer exclusive discounts or free services or
products when students present their Opportunity Maine “Tax-Credit
Card”.
September 26, 2007
State to Address Sex Offender List
Changes
The State Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee will meet on
October 23rd to focus on ways to improve Maine’s Sex Offender
Registry, including considering a major revision to the registry to try to
achieve a balance between the safety of children and the public -and the
rights of convicted sex offenders.
Many of the concerns raised by Maine’s Law Court will be part of the
upcoming work. The Criminal Justice Committee has had extensive
public hearings on the matter and has been monitoring changes to
federal laws, such as the new Adam Walsh Act, which creates a three-
tiered system of monitoring sex offenders based on their threat level.
The ranking system would make public on the state’s web site the names
and general location of the most dangerous sex offenders. A second -
ranking tier would make available the names of medium-risk sex
offenders to the police and to the public upon request. The names of the
lowest-risk offenders would be available only to the police.
The Law Court reversed a decision by the Kennebec County Superior
Court, which threw out a sex offender’s challenge to being included in
Maine’s Sex Offender Registry. The registry is available to the public to
search on the Internet through maine.gov. The sex offender who
challenged being included on the list committed his crime prior to the
creation of the registry.
September 22, 2007
DOES THE STATE OWE YOU
MONEY?
Parkside/Bayside State Representative Herb Adams will host an evening
entitled DOES THE STATE OWE YOU MONEY? on Wednesday,
September 26, 4 to 7PM, at the Parkside Community Center, 85 Grant
Street.
Adams will discuss the 2006 Maine Rent Refund and Property Tax
Refunds of up to $2,000 for Maine renters, homeowners, and Senior
Citizens. Free forms and free help will be available.
Council Gives DPW Power to
Make Parking Changes
The Department of Public Works has been authorized by the Portland
City Council to make specific changes to parking - in order to implement
pedestrian crossing improvements and traffic calming measures.
The most common need is for the removal or relocation of parking
spaces to improve site distances for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.
Previously, only the full City Council could authorize various additions,
removals, or modifications to the on-street parking regulations. Traffic
study outcomes, such as installation of crosswalks, stop signs, or traffic
islands often trigger parking revisions to ensure proper sight distances
and safety.
Downtown Parking Meters to
Change
The Portland Downtown District will be changing and adding parking
meters downtown to provide more turnover parking in the Arts District.
One five-minute space, one fifteen-minute space, and one commercial
loading zone on the west side of Forest Avenue near Congress Street will
be converted to three two-hour meters.
In addition, the four two-hour spaces and two fifteen-minute spaces on
Spring Street, in front of the old YWCA building, will be converted to
two-hour meters, to provide better turnover parking and better
enforcement of the city’ parking regulations.
Six two-hour parking meters will be installed in front of 63 Marginal
Way, seventeen two-hour parking meters will be installed on the new
Chestnut Street Extension, and sixty-five two-hour meters on the new
Thames Street and Hancock Street Extension.
In the future, up to 25 spaces on Thames Street, the new eastern
extension of Commercial Street, may be dedicated to a resident parking
sticker program for island residents.
September 19, 2007
Police Searching for Missing Person
The Portland Police Departing is currently investigating a report of a
missing person (Timothy Thomas). Mr. Thomas was last seen on
September 2, 2007 and has not been heard from or seen since. Mr.
Thomas is described as a 26 year-old white male, 5’11”, 150 lbs, blond
hair (shaved) and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing jeans, dark blue
sweatshirt and a blue bandana. He was last seen in the West End of
Portland.
Young Voters Kick Off 2007 Local Election
Debate Season
The League of Young Voters held the first series of debates for Portland
City Council and School Board candidates on September 18th at the
Portland Community Television Network at 516 Congress Street. About
fifty members of the public attended the debates, which were televised
live on cable access Channel 4 and will be re-aired in the coming weeks.
Fourteen candidates, vying for five seats on the Portland City Council
and the Portland School Committee, took part in the debates.
John Bartholomew of Common Cause moderated the debates, which were
unique in that each candidate had one opportunity to ask a question of
another candidate.
Among the issues discussed by the six School Committee candidates were
the current financial crisis causing shortfalls in the Portland School
District, restoring public trust in the school department, declining
enrollment, the viability of Casco Bay High School, the hiring of a new
superintendent, and unfunded mandates.
The eight City Council candidates, including two incumbents running for
re-election, debated the procedural breakdown that has cast a shadow
over the Maine State Pier re-development proposal, as well as affordable
housing, global warming, emergency preparedness, street repairs, the art
economy, and the expansion of the Portland Jetport.
There are two at-large City Council seats being contested, as well as the
District 3 seat. One at-large School Committee seat is up for grabs, and
one seat is uncontested. The election is November 6th.
September 17, 2007
West Street Armed Robbery
On August 31st, a 21-year-old man walking near 92 West Street was
confronted at 1:30 AM by a white male with a gun, who took his wallet
and cell phone. The robber was wearing a baseball cap and a black T-shirt
and was last seen running toward Pine Street. Police found a portion of
the cash down the street from where the incident occurred.
September 15, 2007
City Gets Donations For New Trees
A number of local businesses and individuals have donated $6,100 to the
city’s Tree Trust so that the Department of Parks and Recreation can
replace the trees lost in the April 16th Patriots’ Day storm. The storm
caused considerable damage to the city’s street trees and park trees.
The donations will pay to replace about thirty trees lost in Deering Oaks,
Fessenden Park, Boyd Street Park, Western Prom and Baxter Boulevard.
September 14, 2007
Man Tries to Flee Cops With
Broken Taillight
Tobie W. Clement, 40, of Portland was seen driving east on Congress
Street at 2:10 AM on September 5, with only one taillight operating.
When Officer Bradley Rogers signaled for him to pull over, Clement
made a sudden turn onto Park Street in an effort to avoid stopping.
Clement was found behind the Lafayette building and charged with
operating under the influence and failure to stop for a police officer.
Clement, an habitual offender, was also found with drug paraphernalia in
his vehicle.
-Marge
Niblock
September 13, 2007
RECOVERED!
Anonymous Letter
Leads to Recovery of
Stolen Art
Portland police recovered a cache of stolen artwork from a laundry room
in a Congress Street apartment building on September 13th after the
West End NEWS received an anonymous letter revealing the
whereabouts of the loot.
The letter, written on September 12th and received by the West End
NEWS the next day, said that “10 framed prints, 7 individual frames, a
large album with numerous prints, and a small box of brushes can be
found at 439 Congress Street, in the laundry room, on the shelf under
the clothes-folding table.”
The art thieves struck a storage space near Congress Street during the
Labor Day weekend and took off with frames, tools and prints of local
street artist Jeannette Ross. Hundreds of dollars worth of framed prints
were reported stolen.
Ross reported that the thieves ripped the art off the sides of the
distinctive hand-made wooden cart that Ross uses to display her artwork
around the city in places like Monument Square and in front of the
Portland Museum of Art.
Ross, who specializes in drawing and painting what she calls “big furry
creatures” had most of her original art at her home because of her
participation in the WCSH Sidewalk Art Festival on August 25th.
September 12, 2007
Trash and Syringes Tarnish
Portland’s “Necklace of Green”
Friends of Casco Bay recently organized a clean up of Back Cove with
environmental engineers and others and saw firsthand what ends up on
the coastal shoreline from stormwater runoff and discharges from
combined sewer overflows.
In less than two hours, the group collected 15 bags of trash, including a
hubcap, a Halloween mask, a hardcover copy of The DaVinci Code, and a
dozen syringes from the shoreline below the parking lot by Back Cove.
Portland's Public Works Department had provided the group with tools to
pick up and dispose of medical wastes. When the volunteers located a
syringe, they marked the site with a flag and yellow tape; only one
member of the clean-up crew was allowed to pick up the syringes.
Shortly after the Patriots Day storm in April, a clean-up by Friends of
Casco Bay, the Back Cove Neighborhood Association, and Portland Trails
found a similar number of syringes. City engineer Brad Roland suspects
that the syringes were probably flushed down toilets and were washed
into Back Cove through nearby combined sewer overflows during a heavy
rain. He said he didn’t think that the syringes came from anyone with
persistent medical conditions, such as diabetes, as they are normally well-
educated in how to properly dispose of medical wastes. The Public Works
Department cautions anyone who finds a syringe not to pick it up
themselves.
Portland’s Back Cove was conceived in the late 1800s,as a “pleasure
basin” by the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
Young Voters to Hold City Council
Debate
The League of Young Voters will host a live debate for Portland City
Council and School Board candidates at 5:30 p.m. on TUESDAY, Sept. 18
at the Portland Community Television Network at 516 Congress Street.
The event is open to the public and will be televised live on cable access
Channel 4.
John Bartholomew of Common Cause will moderate the debate; this
debate will be unique in that EACH CANDIDATE WILL HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ONE QUESTION OF ANOTHER CANDIDATE.
Justin Alfond, the Maine State Director of The League of Young Voters,
says this new twist on a traditional debate should yield important and
revealing dialogue
Among other issues, the League is concerned by the current financial
crisis causing enormous shortfalls in the Portland School District, and
the procedural breakdown that has cast a shadow over the Maine State
Pier re-development proposal.
All candidates for City Council have confirmed that they will attend the
debate, as have a majority of candidates for the Portland School Board.
A District 3 and an at-large seat are up for grabs for both the Council
and the School Board.
Portland Legislators to Hold
Town Hall
Meeting on Health Care
The Portland legislative delegation will hold a town hall meeting to
discuss ways to improve access to high quality health care in Maine. The
meeting will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m., in the
Hannaford Lecture Hall at the USM campus.
When the first session adjourned, the Legislature had not completed
work on proposed changes to the Dirigo health program and possible
reforms to the private insurance marketplace. The legislators want to
collect public input for comprehensive health care legislation that will
garner broad public support in the second session.
In a comparative analysis conducted by The Commonwealth Fund of
health care performance state-by-state, Maine ranked fifth best in the
nation and was noted for its low uninsured rate and its leadership in
reforming and improving health systems in the state.
The event is open to all members of the public and will focus on
individuals sharing both their knowledge and experiences with the health
care system in Maine.
Individuals who would like more information or organizations interested
in attending the event should contact either Rep. John Brautigam at 671-
6700 or Rep. Jon Hinck at 450-0003.
For more information about The Commonwealth Fund’s analysis of state
health care performance, visit http://www.commonwealthfund.
org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=494551.
To view Maine’s state health plan, visit http://www.dirigohealth.maine.
gov/2007%20State%20Health%20Plan.pdf.
For more information about health care proposals under consideration in
other state legislatures, visit http://www.ncsl.
org/programs/health/universalhealth2007.htm.
September 11, 2007
PUBLIC MARKET HOUSE
MARKS FIRST YEAR
The Public Market House on Monument Square is approaching its first
anniversary on September 14th.
Last year, the Public Market House entered into a license agreement
with the City of Portland to rent the space in front of its building on
Monument Square for up to 12 day tables to Mainers who are making,
producing, harvesting, or growing something for sale.
In the first summer season for the Public Market House, 28 people have
rented tables. Beginning in May, potters, photographers, jewelers,
knitters and bag -makers rented tables. As the season progressed, the
group grew to include vendors selling foodstuffs, vegetables, and crafts.
Kris Horton is president of the governing board of the Market House,
comprised of the four original vendors including Maine Beer & Beverage
Co., K. Horton Specialty Foods, A Country Bouquet and Big Sky Bread
Company.
The group is planning an expansion of the Market House to the second
floor and to the lower level, including seating overlooking Monument
Square.
Donovan Supports Clifford School
Renovation
District 3 Portland City Council candidate Tony Donovan says he
supports the proposed renovation/rebuild of the Nathan Clifford School.
Donovan says that the state requirements of site and energy may be
applicable to suburbs and rural areas, but not to the unique
neighborhoods that make up the city. He says the data calling for the
closing of the 100-year-old school is being imposed by the state and that
the City should demand a revaluation of the requirements. He
recommends that the City delay the vote and take the risk of having it
postponed. The state has said it will pay the entire cost of building a new
school but will not pay to renovate the Clifford School.
Dow Street Residents Face Neighborhood
Criminal Activity
Residents of the neighborhood around Dow Street met with West End
City Councilor David Marshall in late August to discuss ongoing criminal
activity in the neighborhood, including drug dealing. In the latest
incident on August 24, a little before 11 PM, while police were going to do
a bail check, they arrested two men after witnessing a drug transaction
in the driveway of 3 Horton Place.
Mohamed Abdul Karim, 22, was charged with aggravated trafficking of
drugs (crack cocaine) and Klein Fernandes, 20, was charged with
possession of schedule W drugs
(cocaine). –Marge Niblock
Man Leaves Scene, Gets Arrested
on Peaks Island
Theodore R. Dalton, 35, of Portland, was arrested shortly before 6 PM on
August 18th, when police responded to a call about a vehicle off the road,
after an accident on Peaks Island.
Witnesses gave a description of the driver and stated that they saw him
flee in another car. Police found that car and Dalton, who, based on their
observations, was intoxicated.
In the process of trying to place him under arrest, Dalton was non-
compliant and shoved the officer’s arms, causing a
charge of assault on a police officer to be placed against him. He was also
charged with leaving the scene of an accident,
operating after suspension, and operating under the
influence. -Marge Niblock
Gun Confiscated Near Portland H.S.
On August 15, Chris D. Young, 23, of Portland, was arrested after police
received information that he might have a handgun in his possession.
Young was located near Portland High School around 9:40 PM, and
admitted to having a gun. Police confiscated the gun and charged
Young with carrying a concealed weapon. –Marge Niblock
Portland Dems to Host School
Committee Candidates
Democratic candidates for the Portland School Committee will gather at
the East End Community School on
September 9 at 6:30 p.m. Organized by the Portland Democratic City
Committee, this event is an opportunity to meet this year’s Democratic
candidates, hear what they have to say, and find out where they stand on
issues.
Everyone is welcome. Social time over coffee and cookies begins at 6:30
and the candidate panels will start at 7:00 p.m..
For more information, please contact Sadhbh “Sive” Neilan at 838-7719.
September 6, 2007
VoteVets Endorses Cote for
Congress
District 1 Congressional candidate Adam Cote has announced that he
has been endorsed by VoteVets.org, a group working to elect veterans
who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to Congress.
A Democrat, Cote served as a platoon leader in the Maine Army National
Guard's 133rd Engineer Battalion in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. He
previously served as an Army reservist in Bosnia in 1997 and 1998.
Nationally, Cote is one of three veterans of the Iraq war seeking a seat
on Capitol Hill.
VoteVets played a crucial role in helping to elect Congressman Patrick
Murphy (D-PA), the only Iraq veteran out of 535 members of Congress.
Its board members include retired Army General Wesley Clark and
former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey.
September 5, 2007
LOCAL STREET
ARTIST
VICTIM OF ART
THIEVES
Art thieves struck a storage space near Congress Street during the
Labor Day weekend and took off with frames, tools and prints of local
street artist Jeannette Ross. Hundreds of dollars worth of framed prints
were reported stolen.
Ross reported that the thieves ripped the art off the sides of the
distinctive hand-made wooden cart that Ross uses to display her artwork
around the city in places like Monument Square and in front of the
Portland Museum of Art. .One smaller original piece of art valued at
$800 was also reported stolen.
Ross, who specializes in drawing and painting what she calls “big furry
creatures” had most of her original art at her home because of her
participation in the WCSH Sidewalk Art Festival on August 25th. The
myspace link to view Ross’s work is
www.myspace.com/abigfurrycreature
Ross said her future plan was to travel around the country with her art
cart and try to make her way across by selling and bartering her prints,
but now will have to reinvest in more prints and frames.
Anyone seeing Ross’s artwork being sold by anyone other than her is
asked to contact local authorities.
September 4, 2007
BILL TO PROTECT
SECURITY
DEPOSITS BECOMES
LAW
Measure to Help both Landlords and Tenants
Renters and landlords will both enjoy new protections for security
deposits on rental properties under a new law sponsored by
Parkside/Bayside State Representative Herb Adams that takes effect
later this month.
The measure, LD 330, " An Act To Protect the Integrity of Security
Deposits ", will officially become Public Law 332 the last week of
September.
The law requires that when a building with rental units is sold or
transferred, the old owner must present the new owner with written proof
that the building's security deposits have been legally transferred to the
new owner during the sale's final closing proceedings.
Adams introduced the bill in response to complaints from both
landlords and tenants who discovered after the sale of buildings that
the old owner had never turned over security deposit funds. New owners
and tenants had no recourse but to pursue old owners - many long gone -
in
costly lawsuits, often in out-of-state-courts.
Security deposits can be in the thousands of dollars for just one
apartment, and in the tens of thousands for one single building,
according to Adams.
September 3, 2007
City Councilor Pushing Bike
Registry
East End City Councilor Kevin Donoghue is urging the city’s bicycle
owners to register their bicycles, after Donoghue's unlocked bike – a
gray Bianchi Bay City (serial: h6gb89954) - was stolen from behind his
house on Munjoy Hill earlier this summer following his return from a
trip to Oxford County.
Donoghue says bicycles are the primary vehicle for hundreds, if not
thousands of kids in the city, not to mention for two Portland City
Councilors, Donoghue and West End Councilor Dave Marshall. Both grew
up in cities smaller than Portland with robust bike registries, respectively
Augusta and Beverly, Massachusetts.
Donoghue has been meeting with the Greater Portland Council of
Governments, the Portland Police Department, and the Bike Shop in East
Bayside to work out the details of the registry over the summer. The
result is a one-of-a-kind online bicycle registry: (http://police.
portlandmaine.gov/bikeregistration.asp).
According to an article written by Donoghue for local community
newspapers “any cursory tour of police headquarters will include a view
of a former gymnasium which has become somewhat of a warehouse, not
least for recovered bicycles, all of which have owners and serial numbers,
but none of which can easily be returned to their homes without having
been recently been reported stolen.”
“Without a database of registered bicycles or an active police effort to
recover wayward bicycles, the chance of
returning them to their owners are slim.”
Working with bike shops, neighborhoods organizations, public schools,
and police, Donoghue wants to create a collaborative culture that not only
returns more bikes to their rightful owners, but also creates more
positive contacts between kids, bicyclists of all ages, and the police
department.
Donoghue says that if people register their bikes before they are stolen,
and render found bikes to the police, more bikes will be returned to their
homes and more bikes will find good homes - like the earn-a-bike
program at the Bike Shop in East Bayside: http://www.thebikeshop1.org.
Bike owners may register their bikes online or at the MunjFest on
Munjoy Hill on Saturday, September 15th.
September 2, 2007
USM To Sell Congress Street Dorm
The University of Southern Maine’s Interim President Joseph S. Wood
says that the university has taken steps to place Portland Hall on the
market. The building at Congress and Park Street is a converted hotel
that currently serves as a student dorm. Wood says the hall no longer
served the college’s needs in a cost-efficient manner
.
Wood made the announcement in an opening breakfast speech on
August 31st, where he cited the need for the university to refocus and
cut spending in many areas, including the elimination of some faculty
positions. Eighty percent of the university’s budget is in personnel costs.
The university will hold a grand opening ceremony for its new residence
hall on the Gorham campus on September 29th. It recently dropped plans
to convert a park at High and Danforth Street into a parking area after
community opposition to the plan.
September 1, 2007
Sex Sting in Parkside
Portland police, using undercover female officers, arrested eleven people
in the Parkside neighborhood and charged them with engaging a
prostitute, a misdemeanor. The men ranged in age from 18 to 60.
The midday sting was conducted after neighborhood complaints about
street prostitution.
Horton Place Drug Bust
On August 24, a little before 11 PM, while police were going to do a bail
check, they arrested two men after witnessing a drug transaction in the
driveway of 3 Horton Place.
Mohamed Abdul Karim, 22, was charged with aggravated trafficking of
drugs (crack cocaine) and Klein Fernandes, 20, was charged with
possession of schedule W drugs
(cocaine). -Marge Niblock
August 31, 2007
Law Court Rules That Same-Sex
Couples May Adopt
Maine's Law Court has ruled that a same-sex couple may legally adopt
children.
The Law Court ruled that Ann Courtney and Marilyn Kirby, as a couple,
may legally provide a permanent home to two children they have cared
for and nurtured for the last six years. The Court said that the couple
may jointly adopt "M" and "R" because it is in the best interest of the
children to remain in the only secure and stable home they have ever
known.
The ruling marks the first time in Maine history that a same-sex couple
can jointly adopt a child. Until now, only a married couple or an
unmarried person has been allowed to petition to adopt a child.
M and R (sister and brother) were removed from their home at a very
early age after Maine DHHS determined that their biological parents
were unable to care for them. They were placed in the care of the couple,
who had foster parent and adoption experience.
Officials at EqualityMaine expect a legislative effort to overturn the
ruling, and plan to go on the offensive to defeat any attempt to overturn
it.
August 30, 2007
Man Leaves Scene, Gets Arrested
on Peaks Island
Theodore R. Dalton, 35, of Portland, was arrested shortly before 6 PM on
August 18th, when police responded to a call about a vehicle off the road,
after an accident on Peaks Island.
Witnesses gave a description of the driver and stated that they saw him
flee in another car. Police found that car and Dalton, who, based on their
observations, was intoxicated.
In the process of trying to place him under arrest, Dalton was non-
compliant and shoved the officer’s arms, causing a charge of assault on a
police officer to be placed against him. He was also charged with leaving
the scene of an accident,operating after suspension, and operating under
the influence.
August 30, 2007
Public Forum on the Future
of the Civic Center The Civic Center Joint
Task Force will be holding a public forum on Wednesday, September 26th
to provide an opportunity for members of the public to learn more and
share their thoughts about improving the Civic Center building and its
surrounding area. The forum will start at 5:30 pm in the Penalty Box
Grille in the Civic Center. Stakeholders and other members of the
public are invited.
The Joint Task Force recently retained the Boston office of Struever
Bros, Eccles & Rouse, led by renowned architect and planner Janet Marie
Smith, to provide direction in the planning and design of the Civic Center
. Ms. Smith and her team have begun their work and now seek input
from all interested parties throughout the region as design and program
concepts are developed. Smith will be in attendance at the Public Forum.
The Civic Center Joint Task Force is comprised of representatives from
the Cumberland County Civic Center; Cumberland County
Commissioner Richard Feeney and Deputy Director Bill Whitten; the
City of Portland Councilor James Cohen and City Manager Joseph Gray;
and the Portland Pirates The Joint Task Force was formed on June 27,
2007.
For further information, please contact Neal Pratt, Chair of the Joint
Task Force (253-4636).
Fire Destroys Brackett
Street Apartment
There were no injuries in a Saturday morning fire that heavily damaged
a third floor apartment at 165 Brackett Street on August 18th. Portland
firefighters were called at about 9AM and were able to prevent the fire
from spreading to other units in the building, which did sustain smoke
and water damage. The fire was caused by faulty wiring a window fan.
Brackett Street was closed to traffic for most of the day.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
PAC Forms to Oppose Term Limits Extension
Former Senate President Rick Bennett has organized a political action
committee to oppose the November ballot question that would extend
legislative terms limits from four to six consecutive terms.
The ‘No More Than Four’ committee was registered with the state’s
ethics and elections commission in July. Bennett, whose supporters had
tried to push into the Republican campaign for governor last year, said it
was “scandalous” that the Legislature put the question on the ballot.
A citizen’s initiative referendum was adopted by voters in 1993 limiting
legislators to four consecutive, two-year terms in either the House or
Senate.
Legislators approved the question for the November ballot in a
bipartisan, 26-9 vote in the Senate and a 78-65 vote in the House. The
proposal is being backed by the state’s League of Women Voters, which
would like to see the full repeal of term limits.
Opponents of term limits say it puts too much power in the hands of the
executive branch, partisan staff and outside lobbyists, who have more
institutional memory than new legislators. They also say it is more
democratic to let voters decide if they want to keep incumbents in office,
regardless of how long they have served.
The proposal on the ballot would allow a legislator to serve six terms or
12 consecutive years in either the House or Senate before being forced
out of office or running for the other body. The extension would apply to
incumbent legislators except those now in their fourth term.
League Launches Rent G.R.E.E.N.
Campaign
The Portland League of Young Voters has announced its newest
campaign: Rent G.R.E.E.N. (Green Renewable and Energy Efficient
Now!). The multi-year Rent G.R.E.E.N. campaign looks to increase the
energy efficiency of Portland's rental stock by providing information for
renters, incentives for landlords, and by encouraging individual action.
The campaign was developed by the League's thirteen-member Steering
Committee.
The campaign's first goal is to raise awareness about the Energy
Efficiency Disclosure Form law that the League helped create. With the
form, renters can make informed decisions about housing choices –
based on how much rental units will cost to heat and will cost to the
environment.
The League will be organizing renters by knocking on doors every
Saturday, talking about the form, and asking renters to talk to their
landlords about it. The League will also be emphasizing individual actions
that can be taken to make rental units greener.
West End Representative Jon Hinck joined League members during the
Alive at Five concert in Monument Square in an effort to promote the
campaign, handing out energy-efficient light bulbs that will save users an
estimated $60 per year in energy costs., and educating people about the
Carbon Free Homes project, which helps Mainers to completely erase the
"carbon footprint" created by energy use in their homes.
Local Cop to be Honored by Channel 6
A Portland police officer is among a group of outstanding volunteers who
will be honored at the 8th Annual 6 Who Care Awards, a celebration of
outstanding volunteers in the community, sponsored by WCSH Channel
6.
Sergeant Robin Gauvin has been with the Portland Police Department for
24 years. He is working with law enforcement and National Alliance on
Mental Illness of Maine (NAMI Maine) to establish Crisis Intervention
Teams (CIT) statewide in police departments, jails, hospital emergency
rooms, and with social service providers.
He has worked to create 40 specialized teams of law enforcement
officers, and organizes their annual trainings to learn how to de-escalate
a person in psychiatric crisis.
Gauvin received the NAMI Maine CIT officer of the year award in 2005.
He has been volunteering his services to NAMI Maine since 2001. In
2003, he was instrumental in establishing the first in-jail CIT team in the
nation. The ceremony will be held on Wednesday, October 17th.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Drug Robbery Suspect Arrested
Lee Allan McLaskey, 26, of Portland, was arrested and charged on
August 14th with the July 11th robbery of a Rite Aid on Forest Avenue.
During the investigation of that robbery, McLaskey had been developed
as a suspect.
McLaskey was arrested and brought to the Cumberland County Jail. At
that time police also recovered the weapon believed to have been used in
the crime. The nature of the weapon has not been divulged. McLaskey is
now out on bail.
-Marge Niblock
Residents Claim More Than $33G
in Unclaimed Property
State Representatives from Portland have returned a grand total of
$33,877 in unclaimed property to people in their districts.
Every year the State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division releases a
list of unclaimed property being held by the Treasurer’s office for the
rightful owners to claim. Typically these unclaimed assets are savings
and checking accounts, contents of safe deposit boxes, life insurance
policies, utility deposits and undistributed dividends.
Representatives obtained the list of constituents in their districts who
were owed money from the state and began working to track them down.
The rightful owners of the property are often hard to find because they
no longer reside at the last known address provided to the state.
Parkside/Bayside Representative Herb Adams returned more than
$15,800 to his constituents. West End Representative Jon Hinck returned
$2,317, and Munjoy Hill Representative Anne Rand returned $3,174 to
people in her district.
Last year the state received more than $25 million in unclaimed
property, and only about $10.4 million was claimed – leaving more than
half of the funds still waiting for Mainers to collect. The Treasurer will
hold the funds, typically for three years. The 2007 Unclaimed Property
list is available online at State Treasurer Dave Lemoine’s Web site. To
check the list, visit www.maine.gov/treasurer/.
Task Force to Look at Civic Center Future
The Portland City Council has established a Joint Task Force to plan for
the future of the Cumberland County Civic Center on Free Street.
At its August 20th meeting, the Council authorized an agreement
between Cumberland County, the Civic Center, the Portland Pirates and
the City. Each party will contribute $44,000 to a planning study to be
done by Janet Marie Smith of Struever Bros, Eccles & Rouse. She and
her firm are responsible for the renovations of Fenway Park in Boston
and Camden Yards in Baltimore.
Smith will conduct Phase I of a comprehensive Study and Report, at a
cost of approximately $175,000, on the future of the Civic Center, A
separate contract for the study will be executed by the firm and the Civic
Center, and the four-party Task Force will oversee the progress of the
work. Each party will have two representatives on the Task Force, which
will be chaired by the Chair of the Board of the Civic Center.
A public forum on the future of the Civic Center will be held on
September 25th.
City Manager Appoints Island-
Neighborhood Administrator
Portland City Manager Joseph Gray has selected Mike Murray of
Gorham as the City’s Island/Neighborhood Administrator.
Murray, who was one of more than 170 applicants, is a former member of
the City’s Parks & Recreation Department and was the Downtown
District Manager from 1999-2002. The Island/Neighborhood
Administrator is the primary point of contact for island and neighborhood
associations, and works with City Councilors to address citizen requests
for services.
Murray, who has a B.A. in Public Administration form the University of
Maine, succeeds Tom Fortier who left Portland to become the Town
Manager of Richmond, Maine. Murray officially begins his duties on
August 27th, although he will be joining Mayor, Councilors and City staff
on their annual visit to the islands to meet with the residents and discuss
issues of interest and concern to them. He is currently the General
Manager of Conroy-Tulley Crawford Funeral Homes.
Hinck presents bill to license
contractors
Also presents bill to preserve neighborhood
schools
West End Representative Jon Hinck, presented two bills to legislative
committees on February 12th, one that would require the licensing of general
contractors, and a second that would help preserve successful neighborhood
schools.
Hinck presented the first bill, LD 1038, to the Business, Research and
Economic Development Committee. It would create the Maine Home
Contractor Licensing Board, which would oversee the licensing and collection
of fees. Under the
legislation, any contractors and people who perform residential framing,
roofing, siding, insulating, window work or
chimney work would require licenses. It would also require the adoption of a
model building code.
The bill would also help make sure that contractors who take money in advance
can be found and their customers
reimbursed when a job is not completed in a workmanlike and reasonably
skilled manner.
Hinck presented the second bill, LD 2082, to the Education Committee. It
would allow for the preservation and restoration
of successful, historic, neighborhood schools as long as the buildings
substantially comply with modern energy efficiency
standards.Hinck submitted the bill as a result of the ongoing debate over the
possible renovation and future use of the Nathan Clifford School.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Woman Shot From Outside Home
At approximately 1:30AM on Friday morning, February 15th, the Portland
Police Department responded to a shooting that
occurred at 243 Taft Avenue. Unknown individuals were outside the residence
and fired multiple shots into the exterior of the residence. One of the fired
shots struck a 32 year-old female inside the residence. The unknown assailants
fled prior to officers’ arrival.
This is the second shooting of this nature at 243 Taft Avenue. The first incident
occurred on January 1st. The incident is
still under investigation by the Portland Police Department.
The female was treated and released from Maine Medical Center for the
gunshot wound to her leg.
Anyone with any information regarding this incident is requested to contact the
Portland Police Department at 874-8596.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Would-Be Burglar Waits for Police
Police responding to a call of an attempted burglary at 28 Hanover Street at 5:
00 PM on February 2nd, saw Ismael Andujar,35, of Portland, standing next to
the owner of the property.
The owner informed police that when he arrived at his home a few minutes
earlier, he saw a window ajar which had been
closed when he left, and Mr. Andujar was there holding the owner’s ice spade.
Andujar remained at the site until police arrived, and was arrested and charged
with attempted burglary and violation of bail conditions. Police stated that he
appeared to be under the influence of intoxicating beverages. -Marge
Niblock
Thursday, February 14, 2008
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
Victoria Mansion to Celebrate 150th
Anniversary
Victoria Mansion will celebrate its Sesquicentennial Anniversary this year with a
kick off celebration at the end of May.Events will include a keynote address by
Earle Shettleworth, Director of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission on
May 30, and a festival day of 19th-century games and activities at the Mansion
on May 31.
In May of 1858 Ruggles Morse broke ground at the corner of Park and
Danforth Streets in preparation for his grand
summer Mansion. A native of Maine, Morse was a self-made man who
amassed a fortune as the proprietor of luxury hotels
in New Orleans during the 1850s.
Today, Victoria Mansion is considered the most important historic house
museum of its period in the nation. The building, designed by Henry Austin, is
one of the greatest examples of American residential architecture from before
the Civil War. The interiors by Gustave Herter are unmatched for their quality
and completeness.
Man Breaks into Car, Calls Cops
Police responded to a call from Joe’s Smoke Shop at 12:45 AM on February 4,
regarding an individual wishing to turn
himself in for breaking into a car and stealing a purse.
Warren Peavey, 30, of Portland, told arriving officers that he used a brick to
smash out the window of a vehicle parked on
Cumberland Avenue and stole a purse. After looking through the purse and
finding nothing of interest in it, he left it on the
side of a street.
Peavey brought police to Oak Street, where he had abandoned the purse, and
then pointed out the damaged vehicle, which
was in front of 419 Cumberland Avenue. He was arrested and charged with
burglary of a motor vehicle, theft, criminal
mischief (for damage to the window), and carrying a concealed weapon, since
a knife was found in his possession. It was discovered that Peavey also had
two prior outstanding warrants for burglary to a motor vehicle and theft.
-Marge Niblock
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Opponents Rail Against I-
295 Widening
About 200 people packed into a conference room at the Clarion Hotel on
Outer Congress Street on February 12th, most of them to voice their
opposition to a proposal to widen Interstate 295 as it goes through
downtown Portland. Among the groups opposing the plan were the
League of Young Voters, the Portland Green Independent Party, and a
group of students from the University of Southern Maine.
Peninsula City Councilors Kevin Donoghue and David Marshall have led
the opposition to using federal funding for the project, preferring that
money be spent on mass transit improvements, including the
development of rail service from
Portland to areas like Brunswick and Lewiston/Auburn.About 30
members of the League took a Metrro bus from downtown
Portland to the meeting location to dramatize their point.
The few people who spoke in favor of the widening cited issues of
improved safety and the necessity of improved roads for motorists, who
are still a great majority of the commuting public.
Monday, February 11, 2008
WENA Holds Reiche Open House
The West End Neighborhood Association celebrated recent renovations
to Reiche’s pool and locker rooms on January 31st
with an open house at the Reiche Community Center. Kids and families
enjoyed a free dip in the pool, shot hoops in the
gym, stopped by the Book Nook, branch library and Public Health Station
and visited displays set up by community
organizations in the program area.
Ohno Cafe provided refreshments for the event and the Reiche PTO held
a bake sale. WENA member Andrew Sawyer
entertained with his cello and Maine Squeeze accordionists kept things
hopping. WENA’s next Monthly Meeting will be held on Wednesday,
February 13th, 6:30 p.m. at the Reiche Community Center.
Bintliff’s Continuing to Serve Brunch
Bintliff's American Café at 98 Portland Street in the Bayside
neighborhood has announced that it will continue brunch
service, seven days a week from 7 AM to 2 PM. The restaurant will be
ceasing regular dinner service and re-focusing evening efforts on
functions and special events. Saturday January 19th, was the last night of
dinner service.
The restaurant issued a press release after it was incorrectly reported
that the restaurant was closing completely.
Any certificates specific to dinner will be honored at brunch. If there are
any questions please contact the restaurant at
(207) 774-0005 or email info@bintliffscafe.com
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Councilor Wants To “Get It Right
This Time”
The City Council’s Community Development Committee is determined
that the next request for proposals that it issues does not produce the
same political controversy that the Maine State Pier proposal caused last
fall.
About 25 people attended the committee’s last meeting on January 30th
to discuss the fate of the Adams School on Munjoy Hill. Committee
member James Cohen said that, given the current economy, a request
for proposals for the property “doesn’t have to go out next week.” He
called for a “tighter approach” to get away from a system where “who
you know matters.”
“Let’s get it right this time,” he added.
Committee chair Cheryl Leeman said that there would be a workshop in
front of the full City Council before a proposal goes out. Committee
member John Anton, who was elected to the Council in November,
recused himself from the Adams
discussion because his employer, Northern New England Housing
Investment Fund, has an ongoing business relationship with Avesta
Housing, which will be submitting a proposal for the property.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Brennan: Strim Tax Plan Would Hurt Poor
By ED KING
First District Congressional candidate Michael Brennan says that a tax
plan put forward by one of his competitors in the
race would hurt rather than help poor and working people in Maine.
Brennan made his comment at a congressional campaign forum in
Portland on January 23rd where he discussed issues with
fellow candidates Mark Lawrence and Ethan Strimling. Three other
candidates in the race- Chellie Pingree, Mark Cote, and
Stephen Meister faced off in a similar forum a week earlier.
Brennan’s assessment was aimed at the Nass-Strimling tax reform
legislation that Strimling and Republican Richard Nass
put together in 2007.
“He’s wrong,” said Brennan, after Strimling mentioned the Nass
legislation as an example of how he can work with
Republicans. A reworked version of the legislation was rejected by the
Maine legislature last June.
The proposed legislation included a constitutional amendment which
would have required a 2/3 vote of the legislature to
increase the income tax rate, motor vehicle excise tax rate, or the sales
tax rate. Brennan said that agreeing to the 2/3
majority requirement would be compromising basic democratic principles
and the legislation would interfere with the state’s
ability to carry out current social programs.
Thursday, February 7, 2007
Swann, Anton Condemn YWCA Demolition
Portland City Councilor John Anton and Preble Street Executive
Director Mark Swann say that the community should have
made repairs to the YWCA building on Spring Street that was
demolished in November. While acknowledging that the
building was obsolete and inefficient, it should have been saved because
no housing alternative existed for the women who
lived there. The two local housing advocates made their comments in an
op ed piece in the Portland Press Herald in January.
In the piece, they say that as a consequence of the demolition, the Preble
Street Women’s Shelter has averaged nearly
double its capacity this winter. They also say that “replacement”
apartments planned for Danforth Street do not replace the
lost units because they are designed for people with different needs, not
for poor women with unstable lives and incomes.
They called on the community to “repair, replace and increase the often
invisible housing – old hotels, rooming houses, and
the rabbit warrens of studio apartments- that provide a home for our
poor.”
Disorderly Conduct at YMCA
On January 17, at 5:18 PM, police were called to the YMCA at 70 Forest
Avenue regarding Paul Peterson, 48, who they say
had been threatening the staff and was being uncooperative about leaving
the premises.
Cops say that Peterson, a Portland resident, told the person at the front
desk he would “kick his ass” and threatened to kill
him once he saw him on the street.
After becoming confrontational with officers responding to the complaint,
Peterson was arrested and charged with
disorderly conduct and refusing to submit to arrest. According to police,
they smelled intoxicating beverages on him.
-Marge Niblock
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Rand Joins Race for Local State Senate Seat
Portland State Representative Anne Rand will run in the Democratic
primary in June for the Maine State Senate seat from
which she was term-limited in 2002. Rand currently represents Portland’
s East End in the State Legislature.
The District 8 Senate seat for which Rand will be a candidate is open
because current State Senator Ethan Strimling, who
succeeded Rand, is running for the Democratic nomination for the US
Congress.
Former Portland State Representative J. Elizabeth Mitchell dropped out
of the race last week, and Portland attorney Clifford
Ginn has announced his intention to seek the nomination. The primary
will be held on June 10th.
Other Democrats being mentioned as possible candidates include
Parkside Representative Herb Adams and Portland activist
Justin Alfond.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
PARKSIDE DINNER NETS $300 FOR LOCAL
FUEL
Parkside's annual "Keep ME Warm " fuel assistance dinner on February
2nd featured a full house and raised about $300 for
needy families’ heating aid in the Parkside/ Bayside neighborhoods says
State Representative Herb Adams, who hosted the
event.
The event, held at the Parkside Community Center is the city's oldest-
running fuel assistance dinner, and was one of the
very first to be held in the state.
The spaghetti dinner drew guests from as far away as Augusta and
Georgetown, Maine. Attendees included Portland state
reps Anne Rand and Ann Haskell, city councilors Dave Marshall and
Kevin Donoghue, and Pat Eltman, Director of the
Maine State Office of Tourism, representing the governor.
Residents of the Parkside and Bayside neighborhoods needing heating
assistance may contact the PROP office at 874-1140
or 1-800-698-4959 toll-free.
For assistance programs for winter bills for electric lights and gas
utilities, contact Rep. Herb Adams toll-free in Augusta at
1-800-423-2900.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Woman Injured by Pellet Gun Shooter
On January 24th at 7:30 PM, a car traveling near 894 Washington
Avenue was hit in the front passenger window by
someone firing a pellet gun. A woman in the passenger seat was hit by
shattered glass, receiving minimal injuries.
Police arriving at that location were able to identify the perpetrator
through interviews conducted at the scene.
Michael J. Gurney, 19, of Portland, was arrested and charged with
aggravated assault and reckless conduct.
-Marge Niblock
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Portland May Get NBA D-League Team
Maine officials will welcome NBA D-League representatives to the city
on January 31st, as they consider bringing a minor
league affiliate of the professional basketball league to town.
The representatives will be greeted in front of City Hall and welcomers
will include the Stillson School of Irish Dancers and
local musicians. The public is welcome to attend.
Mayor Ed Suslovic will be joined by Governor John Baldacci and other
dignitaries at 4 PM as they welcome Dan Reed,
President NBA D-League, and Shawn Smith, NBA Vice President and
Chief Marketing Officer to Portland.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Magazine Names Portland Top Green City
Organic Gardening Magazine has selected Portland, Maine as the top
green city to live in the US. The magazine cited
Portland's vast parklands and trails, the City's commitment to the
Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, its anti-idling
ordinance and the use of biodiesel for city-owned vehicles as some of the
reasons for its selection. Portland was ranked
number one for top cities with a population less than 150,000.
The other cities recognized by the magazine include Burlington,
Vermont, Fargo, North Dakota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
and Billings, Montana. The magazine ranked the cities based on data
from Earthday Network's Urban Environmental Report.
The categories used included water quality, green space, percentages of
residents who walk, bicycle or use public transit,
availability of locally grown food and the municipal government's
commitment to climate change policy.
For more information, go to: http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,
7518,s1-2-10-1637,00.html
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Adams to Sponsor Fuel Help Dinner
Parkside event may be oldest “Keep ME Warm” dinner in state
Parkside Representative Herb Adams, will host a “Keep ME Warm” fund
raising spaghetti dinner from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Parkside Community Center on Grant Street.
All proceeds from the dinner – $3 a person or $7 a
family – will benefit neighborhood families in need of heating assistance
this winter.
The traditional Parkside event, was the first Keep ME Warm fuel
assistance dinner held in Portland and is now the longest-
running such dinner held in the city. Celebrity servers will include
Portland Mayor Ed Suslovic and City Councilor Dave
Marshall. Gov. John Baldacci has also been invited to attend.
Through matching grants and such gifts as donations from the “Share
the Plate” program at the First Parish Unitarian
Church of Portland, dinner-goers in Parkside and Bayside have raised
thousands of dollars for fuel assistance in the last four
years, Adams said. Statewide, over a million dollars has been raised in
local Keep ME Warm dinners, according to the
Governor’s Office.
Adams will distribute free information and applications about local and
state energy assistance programs, rent and property
tax rebate forms, and other consumer help publications at the dinner.
There will also be a raffle with local prizes.
Past dinners have featured full houses and several sittings, said Adams .
Tickets will be available at the door. The dinner is
co-sponsored by the Parkside Community Center and the Parkside
Neighborhood Association. For details and to make
contributions, call PNA President Diane Edwards at 775-0224 or Rep.
Herb Adams at 1-800-423-2900 toll-free in Augusta
.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Two Arrested for Car Vandalism
A cooperative investigation between the Portland Police Department and
the South Portland Police Department resulted in
the arrest of one adult male and one juvenile male for elevated
aggravated criminal mischief on January 24th. The adult male
arrested is Adam Wedge, 18 years of age, from South Portland. The
juvenile male is a resident of Portland. He is currently
in Long Creek juvenile facility
The two individuals were responsible for damaging multiple motor vehicle
windows with BB guns on either January 11th
and/orJanuary 16th, according to police. The investigation is ongoing and
police are working towards identifying additional
individuals involved in the incidents, which occurred in both Portland and
South Portland. A $500 reward had been offered
in the case. Police did not say whether the reward had figured in the
arrest of the two suspects.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Local Man Cleared as Getaway Driver
Charges have been dropped against a Portland man who police originally
identified as the driver of a car that they chased
through the West End on November 20th. Jay Stori, 39, had been
arrested and charged with attempting to elude an officer,
and leaving the scene of an accident. Both charges have been dismissed.
The brief car chase resulted in the capture of Charles Limanni, 36, of
Scarborough. He was sought for robbing the TD
Banknorth at 883 Forest Avenue around 1 PM on Friday, November 16.
Officers saw Limanni in an Enterprise rental car with Massachusetts
plates on November 20, but the car, occupied by
another man and two women sped away when they tried to stop it.
During the course of the pursuit, the car struck a van parked on
Congress Street, owned by Dave Brackett of Munjoy Hill,
who was dining at Uncle Billy’s. The left rear brake light and taillight
were demolished in the hit-and-run incident.
Limanni was captured and arrested a little before 6 PM, near the Spring
Street Holiday Inn, after exiting the car on Park
Street and running to the hotel. He was charged with robbery.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Downtown Portland Raises $4G for Good Cause
Portland's Downtown District’s Annual Shop For A Cause Day raised
over $4,000 from downtown shops and businesses in
the Old Port and Arts District for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern
Maine.
Day One Executive Director Sam Beal will receive a check at 10 AM on
Tuesday, January 22 at 195 Lancaster Street in
Portland .
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine matches caring adult
volunteers with children to foster nurturing, one-to-one
mentor relationships.
For 7 years, Shop For A Cause Day has been part of Portland 's
Downtown District’s month-long celebration, Light Up
Your Holidays. Some previous recipients are Day One, the Caleb Adult
Center, Preble Street Resource Center and the
Frannie Peabody Center .
Sunday, January 20, 2008
College-Bound Students Urged to Attend Financial Aid
Event
Portland ’s eight state representatives have announced that College Goal
Sunday 2008 will take place at 2 p.m.on Sunday,
January 27th in the Hannaford Lecture Hall at University of Southern
Maine’s Portland campus. The representatives urged
students planning to go to college in the fall to attend the event.
In order to qualify for financial aid, students must file a Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). College Goal
Sunday is a volunteer program coordinated by the Finance Authority of
Maine (FAME) to provide free assistance to families
applying for financial aid from technical and community colleges and
universities. The Portland program is one of 26
College Goal Sunday events happening concurrently throughout the state.
At Sunday’s seminar, FAME will provide coaching staff to walk
individuals through the FAFSA line by line, and answer any
questions regarding state and federal financial aid programs. Attendees
should bring copies of their most recent tax
information.
If you are unable to attend an event, you can file your FAFSA online at
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. William Norbert of
FAME cautions against using other Web sites with FAFSA in the name,
as many charge for assistance in filling out the
forms.
For more information on College Goal Sunday and state higher education
resources, contact Rep. Jon Hinck at 450-0003 or
Rep. Herb Adams at 772-2565. You can find more information about
College Goal Sunday, including a list of locations, at
www.collegegoalsundaymaine.com.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Police Offer $500 Reward in Vandalism Case
The Portland Police Department and an anonymous Portland resident are
offering a reward of $500 for information leading
to the identification and successful prosecution of whoever is responsible
for the damaging area motor vehicles with either a
BB or a pellet gun.
Persons involved in or assisting in the damage to these vehicles will not
be eligible to receive a reward. This offer expires
and is no longer in effect after February 1, 2008. No reward money will be
disbursed for information received after
February 1, 2008.
Any persons having information regarding these crimes are asked to
contact detective Andy Haggerty of the Portland Police
Department at 874-8550 immediately.
Friday, January 18, 2008
West End Collector Loses Nearly Everything in Flood
Some of the books destroyed in recent local flood.
Well-known West End actor, writer, and collector Daniel Noel lost nearly
his entire collection of art, books, record albums,
and manuscripts as well as most of his personal belongings in a flood at
his apartment on the weekend of January 12th.
Noel had been away from his apartment at 67 West Street for several
days when he was apprised of the situation by an
upstairs neighbor. The flood was apparently caused by a faulty
thermostat and several burst pipes.
Noel estimated that he had between 2,500 and 3,000 books, many of them
signed collectibles, first editions and antiques. He
also had over 700 albums, most of whose covers were irreparably water-
damaged. Some of the books were so water-
logged they were swollen into the bookshelves that housed them.
Also lost in the flood was a large collection of artwork by local artists that
Noel had collected over the years. His collection
of oil paintings did survive.
Noel is the author of Longfellow: A Life in Words, a play marking the
200th anniversary of the birth of the famous local
poet. The play recently completed its world premier run at the Portland
Stage Company, receiving strong reviews. The
research papers for the play, as well as personal letters, photographs, and
other theater memorabilia were also lost in the
flood.
Noel said he hopes to be able to hold a fundraiser in the near future to
raise money to replace the furniture, clothing,
appliances and personal items that were lost.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Controversial Art Show to Return to Portland
A show featuring politically-inspired artwork that caused a furor in the
city two years ago will return to Portland this
February in, Art from Inside: Paintings by Political Prisoner Tom
Manning. The exhibit includes works featured in
Manning's previous show, Can't Jail the Spirit, as well as a number of
additional pieces which have never before been
publicly displayed. The paintings will be on display throughout the month
of February.
Manning taught himself to paint in prison, where he is currently serving
a 53 year sentence for a series of bombings
carried out in the early 1980s. He was also sentenced to 80 years in
prison for what he claimed was the self-defense
killing of a New Jersey state trooper.
Manning's art gained local notoriety following the censorship of his
previous show, Can't Jail the Spirit, by University of
Southern Maine's former president Richard Pattenaude in September
2006. Pattenaude ordered the exhibit's closure
prior to its opening reception after pressure by a variety of police
agencies and USM's corporate sponsors. Can't Jail the
Spirit was later rehung at Ubu Gallery in Portland's East End before
being sent on to appear in Boston, Providence, New
York, and Philadelphia.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Man Arrested for Making False Charges Against Police
On January 10th, Steven M. Williams, 28, of South Portland, was
charged with unsworn falsification, which resulted
from his having signed a written statement attempting to deceive a public
official. He was also charged with false public
alarm or report for reporting a crime to police he knew did not occur.
In September 2007, Williams was told to leave a property on Thompson’s
Point after police found him asleep there. He
became angered and called the shift commander, alleging he had been
assaulted by police officers who injured him and
then threw his fishing gear into the Fore River.
Internal Affairs Unit Lieutenant Peter Wentworth stated that during the
course of their investigation after receipt of the
complaint, witnesses were discovered and evidence was located leading
police to conclude that Williams’s story was
fictitious.
Because of the serious nature of the charges, the results of the
investigation were sent to the District Attorney’s Office. It
was determined that Williams’s injuries were self-inflicted, which he
admitted, saying he wanted to “get back” at police
because he didn’t like the way he had been treated.
Marge Niblock
Friday, January 11, 2008
Man Charged With Assaulting Infant Son
The Criminal Investigation Division of the Portland
Police Department today charged David Allen Carter,
20, with assault on a minor. He is charged with this
Class C felony in connection with the assault of his 6
month-old son that was reported on January 10th. The
incident occurred at the family shelter located at 54
Chestnut Street. Carter is scheduled for arraignment on
02/19/08 at 1 PM.
The child is still being treated at Maine Medical Center
for his injuries. The Department of Health and Human
Services is aware the child’s injuries and the charges against Carter.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Police Investigating Car Vandalism
The Portland Police Department is investigating approximately 30
reported criminal mischief to motor vehicles that
occurred on January 11th between midnight and 8 AM. All the vehicles
appeared to have had their windows damaged
by being shot with either a pellet or BB gun. The vehicles damaged were
parked on Beacon Street, Bismark Street,
Codman Street, Congress Street, Coyle Street, Dartmouth Street,
Deering Avenue, Douglass Street, Emerson Street,
Fairmont Street, Forest Avenue, Glenwood Avenue, High Street, Kent
Street, Oregon Street, Salem Street and Woodford
Street.
Anyone with any information regarding this incident is requested to
contact the Portland Police Department at 874-8596
Friday, January 11, 2008
Fire Academy to Graduate Eighteen New Firefighters
Portland celebrates the graduation of eighteen new firefighters
The Portland Fire Department will hold a graduation of eighteen new
firefighters on January 12th. . Their graduation
follows a rigorous and intense twenty-six week training in advanced
firefighting and life support medical training.
During the ceremony, the new graduates will receive their fire fighting
pin from a chosen loved one, a longstanding
PFD tradition.
Portland Fire Chief, Fred LaMontagne, will be joined by members of the
PFD as they congratulate the graduates.
The ceremony will be held at 10:00 AM at the Portland High School
Auditorium.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Adams Lists New ‘Winter Disconnect’ Rights
Mainers who find it hard to make ends meet have new
protections from disconnection of lights and electric
heat this winter, said Rep. Herb Adams, D-Portland,
who serves on the Legislature’s Utilities and Energy
Committee. A number of new measures will help
consumers in 2008.
Current Public Utilities Commission (PUC) rules bar
utilities from shutting off power to any customer
between Nov. 15 and April 15 without explicit
permission from the PUC’s Consumer Protection
Division. The PUC will work with customers to find
financial assistance to pay electric and gas bills during
that period, as well. New rules also require a full
information packet explaining consumer’s rights and
options be mailed or delivered to homes which have lost
heat or light service since April 15.
Letters from the power company, phone calls and in-person attempts at
contact are all required before a winter
disconnection can take place, said Adams . At any time a customer can
contact the PUC’s Consumer Assistance Division
toll free at 1-800-452-4699 to work out a payment schedule with the PUC’
s help, and get free help to seek ways of
meeting the bills.Customers should contact their utility company first –
in Portland, likely CMP or Northern Utilities –
and if not satisfied call the PUC Consumer Assistance Division for free
help. Mainers may call the Consumer Assistance
Division toll-free at 1-800-452-4699, or Rep. Herb Adams toll-free in
Augusta at 1-800-423-2900.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Man Arrested With Concealed Weapon
The Big Apple at 2 Park Avenue was the scene of an
arrest at 11:37 PM on December 28th when an
employee notified police that a man wearing a ski mask
and refusing to leave the premises was being aggressive
toward the staff.
When police arrived they saw that the person causing the problem,
Portland resident Robert A. Grady, 45, had a wooden
handle protruding from his left jacket pocket. Upon removing the piece
of wood, a steak knife was discovered to be
attached to it.
Grady was arrested and charged with criminal trespass and carrying a
concealed weapon.
City Picking Up Christmas Trees
The City of Portland will be offering curbside pick up of
Christmas trees beginning on Monday, Jan 7 and
ending on Friday, Jan. 18th. Residents should put their
trees at the curb on their regular trash day to ensure
collection.
Trees may also be dropped of at the following locations
until Friday, January 25:
· Payson Park (Little League parking lot)
· Cutter Street Parking Lot
· 9 Hole Golf Course Parking Lot
For more information, contact Troy Moon at 874-8801
BASIC SELF DEFENSE FOR WOMEN
The Portland Police Department will be hosting a Rape
Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) Training class on January
22, 23, 24 & 26, 2008
R.A.D provides women with the tools they need both to
avoid dangerous situations and to escape from them. R.
A.D. is specifically designed to help women survive situations in which
their lives are in jeopardy.
This course is open to all women in the Greater Portland area who would
like to develop real life defensive tools and
tactics.
The Basic Self-Defense Course consists of a series four classes. The class
is scheduled for January 22, 23, 24 three hours
each, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM and January 26, Saturday morning, 9:00 AM to
12:00 Noon. All classes must be attended to
complete the course. The classes will be held at the Portland Police
Department, 109 Middle Street, Portland.
The course donation is $25, which will help support the Amy St. Laurent
Fund, which sponsors these classes.
To sign up for this class or receive more information about Portland R.A.
D., please contact 756-8306 or e-mail,
eac@portlandmaine.gov
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Local Group to Help Iraqi Child Injured by U.S. Sniper Fire
A Maine-based chapter of No More Victims has been formed to bring
an Iraqi child to Maine to receive reconstructive surgery early next
year.
The five year old girl, named Nora, was shot by a U.S. Army sniper,
leaving her missing a piece of her skull and with her face and head badly
disfigured.
Former West End State Representative John Eder is the Project
Coordinator.
Maine Medical Center has agreed to provide Nora’s medical care. She
and her father will be housed at the Ronald
McDonald House in the West End during their stay in Maine – a stay
which could last as long as six months to a year. A
steady stream of volunteers and Arabic translators will be needed to help
with day to day living so that father and
daughter can be made comfortable in their unfamiliar surroundings. The
group’s goal is to raise $30,000 for Nora’s
stay in Maine.
No More Victims was founded in September 2002. The group works to
obtain medical sponsorships for war-injured Iraqi
children, and to forge ties between the children, their families, and
communities in the United States. To learn more
about the organization and to donate money, log on to
www.NoMoreVictims.org http://www.nomorevictims.org/ Contact John
Eder at 871-0317 to volunteer.
Local Museums Looking for Volunteer Guides
History Docent Classes to Begin in February
Five Portland museums have begun recruiting for Portland’s History
Docent Program, a ten-week training class for people who would like
to become volunteer guides. The sessions will be held at the Maine
Historical Society on Congress Street every Thursday morning, 9AM
to noon. Volunteers receive lectures on area history, art and
architecture, and training on good guiding techniques. Graduation
will take place at the Fifth Maine Regiment Museum on Peaks Island
on May 2nd.
The Portland Observatory, Greater Portland Landmarks Walking
Tours, Portland Harbor Museum, Tate House Museum, Victoria
Mansion, and the Wadsworth-Longfellow House will participate in the
program. Graduates of the program are asked to serve at least six
hours per month at the site of their choosing at one of the institutions.
For more information, contact the program manager Bill Hall at 253-
6290, or leave a message for him at Greater Portland Landmarks, 774-
5561, extension 120.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Portland Reps Honored for Environmental Voting
Legislators receive perfect scores from environmental advocacy group
The Maine League of Conservation Voters recently praised Portland
state representatives for
their voting records in favor of bills that will have a positive impact on
the environment.
None of the city’s seven Democratic state representatives cast a vote
against any of the
environmental bills tracked by the MLCV.
Representatives Herb Adams, Jon Hinck, Anne Rand, John Brautigam
and Charlie Harlow
all scored a perfect record for the 2007 legislative session. They were
among a handful of
legislators to receive a perfect 5-for-5 score for their voting records on
new laws that will
reduce carbon emissions in the Northeast, ban chemicals that are
dangerous to children from
household products, expand conservation efforts through Land for Maine’
s Future, and
prevent shoreline deforestation and invasive plant infestations.
Adams, Brautigam and Harlow are among an even smaller group of
legislators who have
earned a perfect score from the MLCV during every year that they have
served in the
Legislature.
Hinck submitted several environmental bills during his first term in the
Legislature,
including LD 555, which passed the Legislature last session, which
requires landlords to give
tenants 30-day notice of any renovations that could disturb lead paint.
Adams also sponsored successful environmental legislation last session
that was recognized by the MLCV. His bill, LD
1297, will combat pollution in Casco Bay by setting new, stricter
standards for nitrogen levels. Eventually the standards
will apply to the entire coast.
The Maine League of Conservation Voters has tracked and reported
legislators’ voting records on key environmental
issues since 1986. To view the entire scorecard, including bill summaries
and a full list of honor roll and dishonor roll
members for 2007, visit http://www.mlcv.org/scorecard2.asp.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Canine Unit Finds Offender
On December 8th at 1:20 AM, Portland police were called in response to
a vehicle off the road near the Falmouth line
of Allen Avenue. A Geo Prism was stuck in a snowbank and damage was
noticed to the front of the driver’s side, which
police believed to be the result of an earlier hit-and-run accident..
The person sitting on the side of the road fled as police approached. The
canine unit was called for, and followed
footprints in the snow on Allen Avenue, discovering the operator of the
vehicle, Brian R. Green, 28, of Falmouth.
After police interviewed Green, he was arrested and charged with leaving
the scene of an accident.
Police Walking Downtown Foot Beats
Portland police are walking two foot beats in the Old Port and on
Congress Street from noon to 8 PM, under the
auspices of the Day Directed Patrol Unit, commanded by Lieutenant
William Preis.
“We do have foot beats periodically and deploy them to neighborhood hot
spots,” says Preis. The beats will last at least
through New Year’s Day, when an evaluation will be done, and may
continue if manpower permits.
Students Raise $10G in AIDS Walk
Frannie Peabody Center, southern Maine’s AIDS
Services Organization joined Scarborough Middle
School for an awards rally on December 19th to thank
student participants for walking in this year’s 21st
annual Ed Wimert Bike/Walk-a-thon for AIDS, which
was expected to raise $10,000 for the organization.
The bike portion of the event was cancelled this year due
to inclement weather. However, more than 100 students
still participated in the 8 mile walking course. Annually,
FPC is awarded proceeds from the Walk/Ride during
this event. Over the years, the event has raised more
than $135,000 for AIDS services in Maine and it is
driven solely by the support and participation of
Scarborough Middle School students, staff members
and volunteers.
Cell Phone Helps Cops Catch Teen
Officer Kent Porter received a call on November 29, at 4:20 PM, about
two teenagers who had stolen DVDs at Guitar
Grave, 441 Congress Street. Porter was met by the store’s owner who
said he’d chased one of the thieves down Elm Street
and then lost him near Portland High School. During the chase the youth
dropped his cell phone, which was turned
over to the officer.
After Porter saw a number for “Mom,” he dialed it, got her name and
address, and was told her son wasn’t home yet.
Police were waiting to arrest him upon his arrival.
Volume 7, Number 21 Portland, Maine December 14-26, 2007
December 12, 2007
Modern Technology Dooms Burglar
Portland police arrested Daniel Murphy, 26, of Westbrook, on December
1st and charged him with commercial burglary,
theft, failure to stop for a police officer, operating after suspension, and
violation of conditional release. Police spotted
Murphy on Washington Avenue, driving a truck reported stolen earlier
in the day from Delta Roofing on Riverside
Street. Murphy was apprehended after he jumped out of the truck and
tried to flee on foot.
Police say that Murphy stole the truck and, at a little after midnight,
burglarized a company on Riverside Drive, netting
about $10,000 worth of tools and a laptop computer. The burglary, and
the truck, were captured on the company’s
surveillance video.
The police used the truck’s Global Positioning System (GPS) to track its
location and apprehend Murphy. Police were
also able to track every location the truck had been to and recover
almost all the stolen items.
Cops Not Ignoring Mystery Death
By MARGE NIBLOCK
The case regarding Edward Okeny is still categorized as a “death
investigation” and it remains “suspicious,” according to Deputy Chief
Bill Ridge.
“This is not a case in which we’re withholding any investigative leads.
If anyone knows anything about this, we’re more than happy to talk to
them.”
This has been the major problem regarding this tragedy: A young man is
dead and the cause is unknown. No witnesses
have come forth. The police department doesn’t have anyone who has
said “I know what happened.” Police haven’t
spoken to anyone who has shed light on the matter, despite the fact that
the neighborhood was canvassed a couple of
times, with police knocking on doors, hoping to find someone who might
have some information that might prove
helpful.
Ridge says “To this day, I don’t know that there was a crime.”
But this hasn’t prevented The Portland Phoenix from running
inflammatory headlines taunting police, which aren’t
backed up by facts:
“Who Killed Edward Okeny?”
“Killed on the street: Portland cops don’t bother with a mystery death”
“Portland police ignore a stone-cold mystery”
The final report from toxicology tests on tissue samples hasn’t been
received yet and it may still be many weeks before
this information comes through. A video from the 7-Eleven at
Washington and Cumberland Avenues shows Okeny
appearing to be intoxicated. Police are still working on trying to identify
other people in the store so they can interview
them. All staff people working that night were spoken to.
It is a regular occurrence in Portland for police to receive calls for a
“layout,” where a person is found unconscious. In
some situations people will fall down, pass out, and die. When police
reached Okeny at Cumberland Avenue and
Anderson Street early in the morning of October 21st, they were
responding to a call of “a guy passed out on the
sidewalk.” Three people came across Okeny lying face-down, and called
911. They remained at that location until police
arrived. When Okeny was turned over, there was some blood coming
from his nose. MEDCU was called and he was
transported to Maine Medical Center, where it was discovered he had
swelling in his brain. An operation was performed
to relieve the pressure.
Okeny never regained consciousness and died in the hospital on
November 8th of a medical condition related to his
incapacitation due to the head injury. The medical examiner’s report
states he “suffered blunt trauma to his head, most
consistent with his falling and hitting his head.”
The Phoenix article says “Officers found Okeny with a severe injury to
the back of his head.” However, officers at the
scene were unable to know this from his appearance.
“There was no visible sign of injury. He had a closed-head injury,” says
Ridge. Police didn’t know they were dealing
with anything extraordinary. The problematic aspect was that he couldn’t
be revived. It wasn’t until Okeny’s arrival at
the hospital that doctors realized something was wrong inside his skull.
Okeny’s wallet was lying next to him, with the contents strewn on the
sidewalk. This in itself was not remarkable and
could have more than one interpretation; he could have been robbed; he
could have fallen and a passerby could have
gone through his pockets after the fact.
Until the final medical reports are received, the case will remain a
mystery, and it may be destined to remain just that
even after those facts are gotten—a mystery. But it is certainly not a
mystery that the Portland Police Department is not
bothering with or ignoring.
Anyone with information is urged to call police at 874-8479
November 8, 2007
Woman Faces Multiple Charges
Bunra Sun, 26, of Saco, was arrested on October 31st on numerous
outstanding warrants from various cases and will face multiple charges of
theft, negotiating a worthless instrument (for writing bad checks),
forgery, violation of conditional release, and failure to give correct name
and date of birth.
Police say Sun convinced many family members and friends to give her
control over their bank accounts. She would then write checks from one
account, knowing that amount of money was not in the account, and
deposit the checks into another bank account. She withdrew money via
ATMs from the overinflated accounts before the victims' bank discovered
that the deposited checks were no good.
Substantial amounts of money were involved in the commission of these
crimes - totaling just under $30,000. Victims included: Bank of America;
Key Bank; Norway Savings Bank; and Carpet and Rug Depot.
Sun’s brother-in-law also suffered the loss of $1,080 in stolen checks,
and Sun will be charged for that crime this month.
-Marge Niblock
November 6, 2007
City of Portland Election Results
City Councilor (District 3)
Donovan, Anthony J. 709 24.01%
Farnsworth, Richard R. 542 18.35%
Linnell, William S. 713 24.14%
Skolnlk, Daniel S. 989 33.49%
Councilor-At-Large
Anton, John M. 6,320 29.04%
Cloutier, James F 5,243 24.09%
Duson, Jill C. 6,029 27.70%
Reilly, Mark G. 4,172 19.17%
School Committee-At-Large
Caron, Jaimey R. 4,609 21.44%
Delogu, Orlando E 3,540 16.47%
Meiklejohn, Benjamin J. 2,737 12.73%
Minton, Leslie G. 3,080 14.33%
Snyder, Kathleen M. 7,534 35.04%
Portland Water District
Gibson, Keith M. 1,436 14.49%
Libby, Gary W. 5,036 50.83%
Martin, Jr, Dennis B 3,436 34.68%
Friday, November 2, 2007
Mitchell Kicks Off State Senate Bid
Former Portland State Representative J. Elizabeth Mitchell announced
her candidacy for the Maine State Senate on October 25th at Colucci’s
Market on Munjoy Hill. Mitchell and her supporters took a walking tour
across the peninsula, stopping at businesses along the way and ending up
at Binga’s Winga’s in the West End.
Mitchell was elected in 1994 to the House of Representatives for District
30 in Portland; she served two terms. She is the daughter of State
Senator Elizabeth H. Mitchell of Vassalboro and is the first announced
candidate for the Democratic primary in June, 2008, to fill the State
Senate seat of Ethan King Strimling, who will be running in the
Democratic primary for the District 1 seat in the US Congress.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Cop Shoots Self During Drug Raid
An unidentified Portland police officer shot himself in the foot on
October 30th during a drug raid at a house at High and Danforth Street.
Police arrested Scott Stolkner, 34, and Kayla Russo, 21. A large quantity
of ecstasy and heroin, as well as cash and a loaded handgun were
recovered during the operation.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Gap in Meals on Wheels
Participation in Portland is
Estimated to be 500 People
The Southern Maine Agency on Aging has announced an outreach
campaign to identify an estimated 500 older residents of Portland who
may be eligible for Meals on Wheels. In June, 2007, the Agency on
Aging assumed responsibility for Portland’s Meals on Wheels and
uncovered a surprising gap in participation compared to neighboring
Cumberland County towns and cities.
A graph showing the “Percent of Population 75+ Receiving Meals on
Wheels in Greater Portland” showed on average 12% of persons over age
75 receive Meals on Wheels in Cumberland County compared to only 2%
in Portland
SMAA Board President Judi Austin and Executive Director Laurence
Gross called for support from the community in dollars and volunteers.
Federal and state funding will be static despite any increase in number of
people served.
“Currently 35% of the daily costs for 100 recipients have to be raised
from donations. By the time 500 new people are added, 52% of the daily
cost will have to be raised from donations,” Gross said. The Agency on
Aging estimates that $150,000, or $550 a day, will be needed to meet the
first phase of its outreach campaign to identify and serve 200 new
recipients by June 30, 2008.
With the addition of Portland, SMAA provides Meals on Wheels in all
cities and towns in Cumberland and York counties. The food is cooked
from scratch in a commercial kitchen in Saco and transported to 11
distribution kitchens in southern Maine, where the food is packaged and
delivered by local volunteers. The Salvation Army is providing the
kitchen in Portland.
“For every 100 meals we deliver, we need 10 volunteers per day,” Gross
said. “The need for volunteers is constant and serving Portland means
hundreds of new volunteers.”
Meals on Wheels can be a crucial service to help older adults stay in their
own home. More than 11,000 Portland residents are age 60 or older, and
of those, nearly 5,000 are over age 75. Seventeen percent (17%) of the
population of Cumberland County is age 60 or more and that is also true
for Portland. Portland differs from the surrounding cities and towns
because 39% of the City’s older residents - or 3,500 people - live alone,
according to the most recent Census. An estimated 1,000 Portland
seniors live in poverty, or 11% of the population age 65 or older, versus
7% for Cumberland County . The Meals on Wheels Association of
America identifies “living alone” as a risk factor for poor nourishment.
Combine living alone with physical limitations and low income and you
have a recipe for an imbalanced diet resulting in poor health.
To find out if you or someone else is eligible for Meals on Wheels, call 1-
800-400-MEAL [6325]. Donations for Meals on Wheels may be sent to
Southern Maine Agency on Aging, 136 US Route One, Scarborough ,
ME 04074 . To volunteer, call 775-6583 or 1-800-400-MEAL [6325]. The
statewide, toll-free number for Meals on Wheels is 1-877-Elders1 (the
number 1) [1-800-353-3771].
Adams to Sponsor Rent/property
Tax Refund Workshop
Does the state owe you money? State Rep. Herb Adams, D-Portland, is
sponsoring a workshop to help residents find out.
Residents will get free forms and free help filling out their 2006 Maine
Resident Property Tax and Rent Refund Program application.
Homeowners, renters and senior citizens can qualify for refunds of up to
$2,000.
The workshop will be held from 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1, in the
Bayside Community Center at 24 Stone Street in Portland. Residents
should bring income tax and property tax or rent information for 2006.
For more information contact Rep. Adams at 772-2565.
Legislature Will Consider Three
Hinck Bills
Three bills submitted by West End Representative Jon Hinck will be
considered by the 123rd Legislature during its second session, which
convenes January 2nd.
The Legislative Council opted not to admit many of the almost 600 bills
submitted by legislators when it met on October 25th. Of the bills it
approved were Hinck’s three bills - to protect journalists, curb pollution
from vehicle idling, and protect neighborhood schools.
The first bill would protect journalists from being forced to reveal their
sources. The bill would give journalists greater protection when reporting
on illegal or improper activities through the use of confidential sources.
A federal law has been championed by the Associated Press and many
other media outlets, but has yet to pass. Hinck’s bill to institute a state
law has the support of the Maine Chapter of the Society of Professional
Journalists. Twenty-six states, including California , New York and
Connecticut already have such laws.
The anti-idling bill would prohibit operators from idling their vehicles for
more than five minutes when the temperature is above freezing.
Vehicles could idle longer, depending on temperature. The bill is modeled
on New Hampshire law.
Maine already has an intensive program to reduce idling of school buses
and create anti-idling zones around all school facilities. Childhood
asthma, an epidemic in Maine, has been linked to increased pollution
such as is created from idling vehicles.
The third bill would allow Maine to save successful, historic,
neighborhood schools as long as they substantially comply with modern
energy building standards.
Libbytown Getting Organized
About a dozen people turned out at the West School Gym on October
23rd for the Libbytown Neighborhood meeting to hear a presentation on
how Community Development Block Grant funds might be used in their
neighborhood.
This year, the City of Portland has around $2.1 million dollars in federal
money for capital improvements and other funding for non - profit
groups.
Fred Dillon, a Libbytown resident, gave a brief overview of some of the
issues people in the neighborhood were concerned with which included
improvements to Douglas Field, the proposed skate park, the possibility
of a new school being built at Dougherty Filed, and Congress Street
traffic.
Dillon noted that a Libbytown Neighborhood Association had been in the
process of being formed, but people drifted away.
"The by-laws are in place," he added. He hoped people might be
interested in forming a Libbytown Association as a follow up to the
October 23rd
meeting. –Harlan
Baker
Politics, Issues and Solutions
Luncheon
The Turkey Month Political Discussion Group luncheon will be on
Thursday, November 1st at 12 noon at The Village Café, 142 Newbury
Street in Portland. Everyone has two minutes to speak about pressing
political issues. Contact John Ridge, Chairman at 799-7673.
The group is also looking for more people to help collect signatures at the
polls for the three measures- the new Taxpayer Bill of Rights, an Excise
Tax Reduction, and a measure to create competition in the health
insurance market. Call Steven Scharf at 774-9393.
Man Charged With Beating 86-
Year-Old Tenant
Sidney P. Kilmartin, 45, of Portland, was arrested and charged with
aggravated assault and residential burglary, after an incident in the
building he owns at 22 Bailey Avenue in Portland.
A little after 10 PM on October 17th, police say Kilmartin forced his way
into the apartment of his 86-year-old tenant, who was in bed. Police say
Kilmartin attacked the man, who needed to be hospitalized for several
days after receiving facial and torso injuries. Police are not releasing the
nature of the weapon used in the assault.
Man Arrested With Dangerous
Knife
On October 11, at around 8:15 PM, a police officer on patrol saw what
looked like a hand-to-hand drug transaction in the Preble Street area.
During a pat-down search, a knife with a three-to-four-inch blade that
could be opened by force of gravity was discovered. Since these knives
are illegal in Maine, Lance Blumenthal, 26, of South Portland was
arrested for trafficking of dangerous knives.
Man Arrested, Then Mugged
On October 19th at 6:00 PM, police responded to a call of a broken-down
motor vehicle at the off-ramp of I-295 at Franklin Arterial. After they
checked the license and registration of the operator of the vehicle,
Edward Okeny was arrested for operating after suspension.
The next evening, police received a call for a “layout” at Kennedy Park,
and discovered Okeny unconscious on the ground, with the contents of
his wallet strewn beside him. He had been the victim of a strong-arm
robbery. Detectives have not concluded their investigation into this
incident yet.
Mr. Moulton, Is that You on State
Street?
I’m trying to find if a gentleman named Moulton is still alive. My father
mentioned his name recently in conversation. They met during the war
when Mr. Moulton was stationed in England. My father remembered his
name and his address as State Street, Portland Maine. The B17 was called
EAGLES WRATH 2. Please contact Janet Woodward with any info at
gorsuch.robert@neuf.fr
3rd ANNUAL ARTS GUIDE
PUBLISHED
Portland’s Downtown District has announced the publication of its third
annual Arts Guide. The guide has become a well-known resource for
events, gallery listings, art walk information, and performances in
greater Portland.
Created based on input from the arts guide committee, Portland’s
Downtown District and Port City Life, the guide serves as a
comprehensive guide to all the arts in Portland and offers free listings
for any venue open to the public.
Portland’s Downtown District Executive Director Janis Beitzer, Laurie
Hyndman and committee member Gillian Britt were recently invited to
present to the International Downtown Association annual conference in
New York, discussing how to duplicate the Portland Arts Guide in other
downtowns around the world.
The arts guide is available at Portland’s Downtown District’s offices at
549 Congress Street in addition to multiple venues throughout the City.
You can also order it on line at info@portlandmaine.com.
YOUNG VOTERS PLAN PUB CRAWL,
LIT DROP, PHONE BANK
In the run-up to Election Day, the League of Young Voters is planning a
‘Pub Crawl’ with its endorsed candidates, a First Friday Voter Guide
drop, a phone bank and more.
Thursday, Nov. 1, 7-10 p.m.
Meet at The League office, 1 Pleasant St., 2nd Floor. in the Cinnamon
Building across from Brian Boru. Will start at Boru, move to Rivalries
and end at White Heart. 21+
Friday, Nov. 2. meet at the League at 5:30 p.m. for the First Friday Art
Walk Voter Guide Drop
Finally, on ELECTION DAY, Tuesday, Nov. 6, phone-banking,
canvassing, in the streets, poll watching, driving to the polls, and the list
goes on and on.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Patriot's Day Storm Damage
Hinders Tree Search for Portland’s
Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
The search is still underway for the “perfect” 40 to 50 foot spruce or fir
tree for Portland's Monument Square. The tree is removed from the
donor's property at the City's expense, and the donor's family is
introduced at the tree lighting ceremony. The Annual Holiday Tree
Lighting Ceremony kicks off the holiday season on November 23rd at 5:
30pm in Monument Square .
"We are having a difficult finding a tree this year due to the number of
large spruce and fir trees that were toppled during the Patriot's Day
storm. This means we are expanding our search area from 15 to 25 miles
from Portland for a tree," said Jeff Tarling, Portland City Arborist. The
tree is harvested locally to minimize fuel and freight costs. This, in
conjunction with energy efficient LED lights donated by Efficiency Maine
in 2006, makes the tree one of the ways Portland conserves natural
resources. The Annual Tree Lighting ceremony draws over 7,000 people
to Monument Square each year, most of whom are children.
All tree entries must be received by November 5, 2007. For more
information contact Portland’s Downtown District at 207.772.6828 or
email info@portlandmaine.com .
October 27, 2007
Man Faces Extra Charge for
Kicking Woman
A little before 2 PM on September 29th, police were called to a
Cumberland Avenue residence by a woman, in reference to a person
refusing to leave.
Roger Gower, 53, of Portland, had been invited in and had been drinking
with the woman, but wouldn’t leave when asked to do so.
When police arrived they discovered that Gower had an outstanding
warrant from 1995 for OUI. He was placed under arrest and, as officers
were walking to the door with him, he lashed out with his foot and kicked
the complainant, according to police. That footwork caused Gower to be
charged with assault.
November 1,2,3
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
Day of the Dead
A Company of Girls' Portland will celebrate Dia de los Muertos, or Day of
the Dead, at classes on Nov 1st, 2nd and 3rd. These classes are
appropriate for all ages. A light meal will be served before all evening
workshops at 5:30.
6:00pm. FREE. A Company of Girls, Adams School, 48 Moody St. Call
874-2107 for more information and to register.
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration practiced in
Latin America and parts of the U.S. It is a family event to remember
ancestors. In some places, people make skull masks, called calacas to
wear in parades.
People dance to honor deceased relatives. Skulls, symbols of death and
rebirth, are cast in sugar, and names of those passed on are written on
them. In rural areas, families go to the cemetery, decorate graves with
marigolds and candles, and eat the favorite foods of those passed on.
Families also build altars in homes and on the street in honor of the
dead, adorning the altars with photos, flowers, candles, and favorite
foods. During Dia de los Muertos, special bread is baked in the shape of
bones. Dia de los Muertos is a time to celebrate life and to embrace
Latino life and culture.
October 24, 2007
COUNCILOR-AT-LARGE
CANDIDATES' FORUM
TO BE HELD AT PREBLE
STREET
Candidates for the At-Large seats for Portland City Council will meet
and respond to questions from homeless voters at a breakfast and forum
organized by Preble Street Homeless Voices for Justice on Monday,
October 29th. Breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the forum will take
place from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the soup kitchen at Preble Street Resource
Center in Portland at 252 Oxford Street (corner of Preble and Oxford
streets).
Incumbents Jim Cloutier and Jill Duson as well as challengers John
Anton and Mark Reilly will participate.
The candidates' forums, which have existed for more than a decade, are
known for their unique atmosphere, interesting questions, and discussion
that you may not hear elsewhere. Most importantly, they are a place for
the candidates to learn about and address issues that are important to
the homeless and very low-income community, a constituency whose
concerns are often underrepresented in public discourse during election
season.
October 23, 2007
Mitchell to Announce for State
Senate
Former Portland State Representative J. Elizabeth Mitchell will announce
her candidacy for the Maine State Senate on October 25th at Colucci’s
Market on Munjoy Hill. Mitchell was elected in 1994 to the House of
Representatives for District 30 in Portland; she served two terms.
Mitchell is the daughter of State Senator Elizabeth H. Mitchell of
Vassalboro. She is the first announced candidate in the Democratic
primary in June, 2008 to fill the State Senate seat of Ethan King
Strimling, who will be running in the Democratic primary for the District
1 seat in the US Congress.
October 22, 2007
Man Charged in Hit-and-Run
Police were flagged down a little after 5 PM on September 27th by a man
who said that his car had just been damaged by a hit-and-run driver. A
call was then received by police from a witness to the accident who was
following the suspect’s car.
That vehicle, driven by Richard A. Yanok, 47, of Brunswick, was stopped
in the area of Brighton Medical Center on Brighton Avenue. A field
sobriety test was administered to Yanok after police interviewed him. He
was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident and OUI.
Estimated damage to the two cars was $5,000.
Senate President Edmonds to
Chair Brennan Campaign
State Senate President Beth Edmonds announced on October 11th that
she will serve as the campaign chair for the US Congress race of former
Senate Majority Leader Michael Brennan. The announcement was made
at a press conference at the Portland Public Library.
Edmonds is the highest-ranking elected woman in the State of Maine, the
director of the Freeport Community Library and former State
Coordinator for the Maine Chapter of the National Organization for
Women (NOW).
Edmonds and Brennan served together in the Maine State Senate from
2002 to 2006. From 2004 to 2006, Edmonds' first term as Senate
President, Brennan served as the State Senate Majority Leader.
October 17, 2007
More Parking Meters in Front of
Paul’s Market
The Portland Downtown District has requested that the five taxi spaces
on Congress Street near Forest Avenue in front of Paul’s Foods be
reduced to two taxi spaces, and three parking meters be added to provide
more turnover parking in the Arts District. The taxi spaces would also be
shared as a commercial loading zone for deliveries to Paul’s. The
Portland City Council approved the plan at its October 15th meeting.
High School Seeks Donations for
Stricken Employee
Students, teachers and staff at Portland High School are raising money to
help Ken and Linda Davison of Waterboro cope with a current crisis the
family is experiencing. Ken Davison has colon cancer and the prognosis is
bleak. He has been a custodian at Portland High School for ten years.
Linda was recently laid off from her job.
The senior class has already donated part of its prom money to the
family’s two children, seven-year-old Andrew and six-year-old Emily.
Portland High has a list of possible donations for the family. They include
money, gift cards for groceries, prescriptions and gas, crafts for the
children (molding clay, washable paints, construction paper, gift cards to
Michael's or A.C. Moore), as well as clothing for Emily and Andrew.
Emily is in first grade, size 6/7. Andrew is in second grade, size 7/8.
For more information on donations, contact Liz Bryant at Portland High.
The number is 874-8255. You can also email her at
bryane@portlandschools.org
Traffic Snarls as Bridge is Stuck
The Casco Bay Bridge between Portland and South Portland was stuck in
the open position at about 12 noon on Saturday, October 13th, causing a
twenty-minute traffic backup.
Later that same evening, the bridge could not be opened for ship traffic
in the harbor because of another electrical malfunction..
Representatives from General Electric were scheduled to inspect the
bridge this week to determine the exact cause of the problem.
Portland Snow Plow Drivers Place
Third
The Portland Public Works team of Andre Provencher and Bruce Warner
finished in third place competing in the APWA Western Snow and Ice
Conference and Snow Rodeo in Estes Park, Colorado on September 25th.
The Portland team was competing with 43 other teams from around the
country. The competition tests the drivers in an obstacle course, along
with a written and technical test.
October 13, 2007
Duo Nabbed for Two
Robberies
Jason Lear, 31, and Paul Donovan, 39, are being held without bail at the
Cumberland County Jail after being arrested for two early-morning
robberies on October 12.
At 6:29 AM, a man with one of his hands inside a paper bag demanded
money at the Big Apple at 754 Congress Street, stating that he had a
firearm. He fled without money or merchandise.
At 8:39 AM, Colucci’s Market at Congress and North Streets was robbed
of an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes after a man, whose one
hand was in a paper bag, said he had a handgun.
The owner followed the suspect from the store, and then followed the
man's vehicle, providing police dispatch with the car’s location. The
vehicle was stopped by officers in the area of Ocean and Washington
Avenues. Two men were taken into custody at that time. Subsequent
investigation led to the arrest of Lear and Donovan, who were charged
with two counts of class B robbery.
October 12, 2007
Anton, Donovan Get
Chamber Endorsements
The Portland Growth Coalition, the political action committee formed last
year by the Portland Community Chamber, has voted to endorse John
Anton and Tony Donovan for City Council in the nonpartisan November
election.
Anton, who is running for an at-large seat, and Donovan, who is running
in District 3, will receive support from the Portland Growth Coalition in
the form of independent support. Anton asked to not receive direct
financial support from the PGC, and Donovan will receive it.
The Portland Growth Coalition PAC asked all candidates to fill out
surveys. In addition, it reviewed past voting records and public service
records in making its determination.
Donovan and three other candidates are vying for the District 3 seat,
which is being vacated by retiring Councilor Donna Carr. The other
candidates are Daniel Skolnik, William Linnell and Richard Farnsworth.
Four candidates are campaigning for the two highest vote totals as “at
large” members of the City Council. Incumbent Councilors James
Cloutier and Jill Duson are both running to retain their seats. Mark
Reilly is the fourth candidate. Chamber spokespersons said that the
chamber was dissuaded from backing the incumbents by the support
Cloutier and Duson offered such items as the Formula Business
Ordinance and the expanded Circuit Breaker, both of which they said
were counter to a favorable business environment.
Student Stabbed at Deering Game
On October 5th at approximately 7:45 PM, the Portland Police
Department responded to an altercation at Memorial Field at Deering
High School. Officers working at the Deering-Bonny Eagle football game
discovered that a 16 year-old Portland youth had been stabbed in his
facial area during this altercation. The juvenile was treated and released
for his injuries at Mercy Hospital
On October 10th, Portland Police detectives arrested Ryan Egeland, 20,
of Westbrook, in connection with the stabbing. Egeland was charged with
Aggravated Assault, class B. Egeland was arrested at the Cumberland
County Jail.
Police Seek Armed Robber
Police are seeking the identity of a man who robbed the Cumberland
Farms at 49 Pine Street on September 29th at about 2 AM. The suspect
was described as a white male wearing a brown sweater with a hoodie
covering most of his facial features. He is 5 foot 10 inches tall with a
medium build, with freckled skin and dark eyebrows.
The robber told the clerk to give him money, making a threat of a
weapon, which wasn’t shown. The subject fled on foot after the robbery
with an undisclosed amount of
cash. -Marge Niblock
Truck Hits Tree limb
Local 188 proprietor Jay Villani was awaiting a delivery of beer and wine
to his Longfellow Square restaurant when the delivery truck was low-
bridged by a tree limb on Congress Street on October 6th. The accident
severed the tree limb and damaged the top of the truck's cab. There were
no injuries.
October 7, 2007
Donoghue Calls for Better
Neighborhood Planning
Meets With Portland (Oregon) Officials
East End City Councilor Kevin Donoghue met with Portland, Oregon
officials during a recent visit to the west coast, to tour the city and
discuss neighborhood planning and development.
Donoghue was given a tour around “The Next Big Thing,” the city’s
massive street rebuilding project to accommodate the expansion of a light
rail system in the city, during a midday walk with Portland City
Councilor and Transportation Commissioner Sam Adams.
Donoghue also met with Dan Saltzman, another City Councilor and
Sustainable Development Commissioner, who described the city's
commitment to green building in its mixed-use redevelopment districts.
Donoghue said that the other Portland’s Pearl District looks and feels
how neighborhood planning documents merely read in our Portland,
particularly the Eastern Waterfront Master Plan and the Bayside Vision.
Donoghue gives a lot of credit for the west coast’s city’s urban planning
success to neighborhood advocate Bonny McKnight, who convenes
monthly salons with planners and neighborhood leaders - known as the
Citywide Land Use Forum. Donoghue attended one of the meetings,
where topics such as filtration of stormwater and preservation of trees
were discussed. McKnight explained that for over thirty years the city
has been working under a neighborhood system, whereby neighborhood
associations are legitimized by the Office of Neighborhood Involvement
(ONI). ONI provides support, technical assistance, and funds
management for the neighborhood associations, and helped to win
assignment of a planner to each neighborhood through the District
Liaison Program. The neighborhood system has been credited with
improving the quality of planning and development.
In October, Donoghue will host neighborhood meetings with the Office
of Housing and Neighborhood Services, to gather raw citizen input on
how best to allocate the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
The meetings will be held on October 11th (7pm) at Franklin Towers and
October 18th (7pm) at the East End Community School. The public is
invited to give input on funding priorities for physical improvements to
streets and parks in the district, and help formulate a general direction
for community planning and economic development goals on the East
End. Donoghue can be contacted at kjdonoghue@portlandmaine.gov
Downtown Looking for the
Perfect Tree
A search is underway for the “perfect” spruce or fir tree to be placed in
Monument Square for the holiday season. The Annual Holiday Tree
Lighting Ceremony will be held on November 23rd at 5:30pm.
The winning tree will be 50-70 feet tall and only trees within 15 miles of
Portland will be considered. The tree will be removed it from the donor’s
property at the City’s expense.
All tree entries must be received by October 31, 2007. For more
information contact Portland’s Downtown District at (207) 772-6828 or
email info@portlandmaine.com .
Munjoy Hill Officers Resign
By ED KING
The president and the former president of the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood
Organization are among a number of members who have resigned amidst
a growing rift in the neighborhood group.
The problems began after a Portland landlord threatened to sue the
organization over a statement in the July, 2007 issue of the Munjoy Hill
Observer which he says slanders him.
Attempts by the organization’s board of directors to remedy the situation
have proved fruitless. A letter of apology was approved by the board and
three thousand copies were inserted in the newspaper’s September issue.
However, the letter was physically removed by board members who
disagreed with its content.
The organization is planning a meeting on October 14th to elect a new
president. Meanwhile, board member Katie Brown has replaced Curtis as
the Observer’s editorial board chair.
October 1, 2007
Construction Begins on
Commercial St.
Major roadwork began on October 1st on Commercial Street between
High and Beach streets in the West End. The work is expected to take
four to five months to complete, with most of the work taking place
through October and November, and in April and May of 2008.
The work includes storm drain improvements, removal of railroad
tracks, new curbs and sidewalks, repaving and re-striping. Traffic delays
and lane closures are expected throughout the project. Call the Portland
Public Works Department at 874-8846 for more information.
Efficient Condos Planned for High
& Danforth
A new condo development is in the planning stages in the West End that
will offer ownership opportunities for individuals who value efficient
living space and who are willing to utilize alternatives to car ownership,
according to Portland housing activist Elizabeth Trice.
The site of the proposed building is the corner of High and Danforth
streets where there is a parking lot right now. The site is within a 10-
minute walk of 40,000 jobs, dozens of restaurants, cafes, and food stores.
It is on a bus line and will have bike parking and repair space. Two cars
will be owned by the condo association, and shared exclusively among the
members. Most of the units will be generous one-room studios (400-650
SF) with high ceilings, big windows, and balconies, and there is a guest
room that will be available to be signed out by residents. Six of the units
will have lofts with roof decks.
There will be 26 condos in total, with some priced possibly as low as
$110,000. Thirteen parking spaces are available to be purchased
separately at cost (around $20,000-$25,000). As the project is specifically
designed to not add cars to the street, residents will not be eligible to get
a residential sticker for street parking. At these prices, it's possible that
someone who makes in the low $30,000s and doesn't have a lot of debt
could afford to buy one of the condos, according to Trice.
Trice is working on the project, and in order to get the project through
the Portland Planning Board and City Council, needs to find people who
want to live downtown - and are open to living without a car.
Trice is asking people who would like to own in Portland sometime in the
next few years to contact her at etrice2@yahoo.com . They don’t need to
be looking to buy right now.
September 27, 2007
Guvs to Launch Opportunity Maine
Governor John Baldacci (D), former Governor Angus King (I) and former
Governor John McKernan (R) will hold a press conference with
Opportunity Maine leaders at the Abromson Center at the University of
Southern Maine in Portland at
3 p.m. on Monday, October 1st to launch the implementation of the
Opportunity Maine program and introduce the Opportunity Maine “Tax-
Credit Card.”
Opportunity Maine is the first program of its kind in the nation.
Beginning in January 2008, any Maine student will be encouraged to sign-
up for the program. When students graduate from a Maine college and
live and work in Maine after graduation, they will receive a large tax
credit to help pay their student loans each year for the life of the loan.
Press conference participants will also introduce the Opportunity Maine
“Tax-Credit Card.” In October, every student in Maine will receive a
plastic card that will serve as a physical reminder that in January 2008,
they are eligible to become an Opportunity Maine student. Businesses
and organizations will offer exclusive discounts or free services or
products when students present their Opportunity Maine “Tax-Credit
Card”.
September 26, 2007
State to Address Sex Offender List
Changes
The State Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee will meet on
October 23rd to focus on ways to improve Maine’s Sex Offender
Registry, including considering a major revision to the registry to try to
achieve a balance between the safety of children and the public -and the
rights of convicted sex offenders.
Many of the concerns raised by Maine’s Law Court will be part of the
upcoming work. The Criminal Justice Committee has had extensive
public hearings on the matter and has been monitoring changes to
federal laws, such as the new Adam Walsh Act, which creates a three-
tiered system of monitoring sex offenders based on their threat level.
The ranking system would make public on the state’s web site the names
and general location of the most dangerous sex offenders. A second -
ranking tier would make available the names of medium-risk sex
offenders to the police and to the public upon request. The names of the
lowest-risk offenders would be available only to the police.
The Law Court reversed a decision by the Kennebec County Superior
Court, which threw out a sex offender’s challenge to being included in
Maine’s Sex Offender Registry. The registry is available to the public to
search on the Internet through maine.gov. The sex offender who
challenged being included on the list committed his crime prior to the
creation of the registry.
September 22, 2007
DOES THE STATE OWE YOU
MONEY?
Parkside/Bayside State Representative Herb Adams will host an evening
entitled DOES THE STATE OWE YOU MONEY? on Wednesday,
September 26, 4 to 7PM, at the Parkside Community Center, 85 Grant
Street.
Adams will discuss the 2006 Maine Rent Refund and Property Tax
Refunds of up to $2,000 for Maine renters, homeowners, and Senior
Citizens. Free forms and free help will be available.
Council Gives DPW Power to
Make Parking Changes
The Department of Public Works has been authorized by the Portland
City Council to make specific changes to parking - in order to implement
pedestrian crossing improvements and traffic calming measures.
The most common need is for the removal or relocation of parking
spaces to improve site distances for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.
Previously, only the full City Council could authorize various additions,
removals, or modifications to the on-street parking regulations. Traffic
study outcomes, such as installation of crosswalks, stop signs, or traffic
islands often trigger parking revisions to ensure proper sight distances
and safety.
Downtown Parking Meters to
Change
The Portland Downtown District will be changing and adding parking
meters downtown to provide more turnover parking in the Arts District.
One five-minute space, one fifteen-minute space, and one commercial
loading zone on the west side of Forest Avenue near Congress Street will
be converted to three two-hour meters.
In addition, the four two-hour spaces and two fifteen-minute spaces on
Spring Street, in front of the old YWCA building, will be converted to
two-hour meters, to provide better turnover parking and better
enforcement of the city’ parking regulations.
Six two-hour parking meters will be installed in front of 63 Marginal
Way, seventeen two-hour parking meters will be installed on the new
Chestnut Street Extension, and sixty-five two-hour meters on the new
Thames Street and Hancock Street Extension.
In the future, up to 25 spaces on Thames Street, the new eastern
extension of Commercial Street, may be dedicated to a resident parking
sticker program for island residents.
September 19, 2007
Police Searching for Missing Person
The Portland Police Departing is currently investigating a report of a
missing person (Timothy Thomas). Mr. Thomas was last seen on
September 2, 2007 and has not been heard from or seen since. Mr.
Thomas is described as a 26 year-old white male, 5’11”, 150 lbs, blond
hair (shaved) and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing jeans, dark blue
sweatshirt and a blue bandana. He was last seen in the West End of
Portland.
Young Voters Kick Off 2007 Local Election
Debate Season
The League of Young Voters held the first series of debates for Portland
City Council and School Board candidates on September 18th at the
Portland Community Television Network at 516 Congress Street. About
fifty members of the public attended the debates, which were televised
live on cable access Channel 4 and will be re-aired in the coming weeks.
Fourteen candidates, vying for five seats on the Portland City Council
and the Portland School Committee, took part in the debates.
John Bartholomew of Common Cause moderated the debates, which were
unique in that each candidate had one opportunity to ask a question of
another candidate.
Among the issues discussed by the six School Committee candidates were
the current financial crisis causing shortfalls in the Portland School
District, restoring public trust in the school department, declining
enrollment, the viability of Casco Bay High School, the hiring of a new
superintendent, and unfunded mandates.
The eight City Council candidates, including two incumbents running for
re-election, debated the procedural breakdown that has cast a shadow
over the Maine State Pier re-development proposal, as well as affordable
housing, global warming, emergency preparedness, street repairs, the art
economy, and the expansion of the Portland Jetport.
There are two at-large City Council seats being contested, as well as the
District 3 seat. One at-large School Committee seat is up for grabs, and
one seat is uncontested. The election is November 6th.
September 17, 2007
West Street Armed Robbery
On August 31st, a 21-year-old man walking near 92 West Street was
confronted at 1:30 AM by a white male with a gun, who took his wallet
and cell phone. The robber was wearing a baseball cap and a black T-shirt
and was last seen running toward Pine Street. Police found a portion of
the cash down the street from where the incident occurred.
September 15, 2007
City Gets Donations For New Trees
A number of local businesses and individuals have donated $6,100 to the
city’s Tree Trust so that the Department of Parks and Recreation can
replace the trees lost in the April 16th Patriots’ Day storm. The storm
caused considerable damage to the city’s street trees and park trees.
The donations will pay to replace about thirty trees lost in Deering Oaks,
Fessenden Park, Boyd Street Park, Western Prom and Baxter Boulevard.
September 14, 2007
Man Tries to Flee Cops With
Broken Taillight
Tobie W. Clement, 40, of Portland was seen driving east on Congress
Street at 2:10 AM on September 5, with only one taillight operating.
When Officer Bradley Rogers signaled for him to pull over, Clement
made a sudden turn onto Park Street in an effort to avoid stopping.
Clement was found behind the Lafayette building and charged with
operating under the influence and failure to stop for a police officer.
Clement, an habitual offender, was also found with drug paraphernalia in
his vehicle.
-Marge
Niblock
September 13, 2007
RECOVERED!
Anonymous Letter
Leads to Recovery of
Stolen Art
Portland police recovered a cache of stolen artwork from a laundry room
in a Congress Street apartment building on September 13th after the
West End NEWS received an anonymous letter revealing the
whereabouts of the loot.
The letter, written on September 12th and received by the West End
NEWS the next day, said that “10 framed prints, 7 individual frames, a
large album with numerous prints, and a small box of brushes can be
found at 439 Congress Street, in the laundry room, on the shelf under
the clothes-folding table.”
The art thieves struck a storage space near Congress Street during the
Labor Day weekend and took off with frames, tools and prints of local
street artist Jeannette Ross. Hundreds of dollars worth of framed prints
were reported stolen.
Ross reported that the thieves ripped the art off the sides of the
distinctive hand-made wooden cart that Ross uses to display her artwork
around the city in places like Monument Square and in front of the
Portland Museum of Art.
Ross, who specializes in drawing and painting what she calls “big furry
creatures” had most of her original art at her home because of her
participation in the WCSH Sidewalk Art Festival on August 25th.
September 12, 2007
Trash and Syringes Tarnish
Portland’s “Necklace of Green”
Friends of Casco Bay recently organized a clean up of Back Cove with
environmental engineers and others and saw firsthand what ends up on
the coastal shoreline from stormwater runoff and discharges from
combined sewer overflows.
In less than two hours, the group collected 15 bags of trash, including a
hubcap, a Halloween mask, a hardcover copy of The DaVinci Code, and a
dozen syringes from the shoreline below the parking lot by Back Cove.
Portland's Public Works Department had provided the group with tools to
pick up and dispose of medical wastes. When the volunteers located a
syringe, they marked the site with a flag and yellow tape; only one
member of the clean-up crew was allowed to pick up the syringes.
Shortly after the Patriots Day storm in April, a clean-up by Friends of
Casco Bay, the Back Cove Neighborhood Association, and Portland Trails
found a similar number of syringes. City engineer Brad Roland suspects
that the syringes were probably flushed down toilets and were washed
into Back Cove through nearby combined sewer overflows during a heavy
rain. He said he didn’t think that the syringes came from anyone with
persistent medical conditions, such as diabetes, as they are normally well-
educated in how to properly dispose of medical wastes. The Public Works
Department cautions anyone who finds a syringe not to pick it up
themselves.
Portland’s Back Cove was conceived in the late 1800s,as a “pleasure
basin” by the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
Young Voters to Hold City Council
Debate
The League of Young Voters will host a live debate for Portland City
Council and School Board candidates at 5:30 p.m. on TUESDAY, Sept. 18
at the Portland Community Television Network at 516 Congress Street.
The event is open to the public and will be televised live on cable access
Channel 4.
John Bartholomew of Common Cause will moderate the debate; this
debate will be unique in that EACH CANDIDATE WILL HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ONE QUESTION OF ANOTHER CANDIDATE.
Justin Alfond, the Maine State Director of The League of Young Voters,
says this new twist on a traditional debate should yield important and
revealing dialogue
Among other issues, the League is concerned by the current financial
crisis causing enormous shortfalls in the Portland School District, and
the procedural breakdown that has cast a shadow over the Maine State
Pier re-development proposal.
All candidates for City Council have confirmed that they will attend the
debate, as have a majority of candidates for the Portland School Board.
A District 3 and an at-large seat are up for grabs for both the Council
and the School Board.
Portland Legislators to Hold
Town Hall
Meeting on Health Care
The Portland legislative delegation will hold a town hall meeting to
discuss ways to improve access to high quality health care in Maine. The
meeting will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m., in the
Hannaford Lecture Hall at the USM campus.
When the first session adjourned, the Legislature had not completed
work on proposed changes to the Dirigo health program and possible
reforms to the private insurance marketplace. The legislators want to
collect public input for comprehensive health care legislation that will
garner broad public support in the second session.
In a comparative analysis conducted by The Commonwealth Fund of
health care performance state-by-state, Maine ranked fifth best in the
nation and was noted for its low uninsured rate and its leadership in
reforming and improving health systems in the state.
The event is open to all members of the public and will focus on
individuals sharing both their knowledge and experiences with the health
care system in Maine.
Individuals who would like more information or organizations interested
in attending the event should contact either Rep. John Brautigam at 671-
6700 or Rep. Jon Hinck at 450-0003.
For more information about The Commonwealth Fund’s analysis of state
health care performance, visit http://www.commonwealthfund.
org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=494551.
To view Maine’s state health plan, visit http://www.dirigohealth.maine.
gov/2007%20State%20Health%20Plan.pdf.
For more information about health care proposals under consideration in
other state legislatures, visit http://www.ncsl.
org/programs/health/universalhealth2007.htm.
September 11, 2007
PUBLIC MARKET HOUSE
MARKS FIRST YEAR
The Public Market House on Monument Square is approaching its first
anniversary on September 14th.
Last year, the Public Market House entered into a license agreement
with the City of Portland to rent the space in front of its building on
Monument Square for up to 12 day tables to Mainers who are making,
producing, harvesting, or growing something for sale.
In the first summer season for the Public Market House, 28 people have
rented tables. Beginning in May, potters, photographers, jewelers,
knitters and bag -makers rented tables. As the season progressed, the
group grew to include vendors selling foodstuffs, vegetables, and crafts.
Kris Horton is president of the governing board of the Market House,
comprised of the four original vendors including Maine Beer & Beverage
Co., K. Horton Specialty Foods, A Country Bouquet and Big Sky Bread
Company.
The group is planning an expansion of the Market House to the second
floor and to the lower level, including seating overlooking Monument
Square.
Donovan Supports Clifford School
Renovation
District 3 Portland City Council candidate Tony Donovan says he
supports the proposed renovation/rebuild of the Nathan Clifford School.
Donovan says that the state requirements of site and energy may be
applicable to suburbs and rural areas, but not to the unique
neighborhoods that make up the city. He says the data calling for the
closing of the 100-year-old school is being imposed by the state and that
the City should demand a revaluation of the requirements. He
recommends that the City delay the vote and take the risk of having it
postponed. The state has said it will pay the entire cost of building a new
school but will not pay to renovate the Clifford School.
Dow Street Residents Face Neighborhood
Criminal Activity
Residents of the neighborhood around Dow Street met with West End
City Councilor David Marshall in late August to discuss ongoing criminal
activity in the neighborhood, including drug dealing. In the latest
incident on August 24, a little before 11 PM, while police were going to do
a bail check, they arrested two men after witnessing a drug transaction
in the driveway of 3 Horton Place.
Mohamed Abdul Karim, 22, was charged with aggravated trafficking of
drugs (crack cocaine) and Klein Fernandes, 20, was charged with
possession of schedule W drugs
(cocaine). –Marge Niblock
Man Leaves Scene, Gets Arrested
on Peaks Island
Theodore R. Dalton, 35, of Portland, was arrested shortly before 6 PM on
August 18th, when police responded to a call about a vehicle off the road,
after an accident on Peaks Island.
Witnesses gave a description of the driver and stated that they saw him
flee in another car. Police found that car and Dalton, who, based on their
observations, was intoxicated.
In the process of trying to place him under arrest, Dalton was non-
compliant and shoved the officer’s arms, causing a
charge of assault on a police officer to be placed against him. He was also
charged with leaving the scene of an accident,
operating after suspension, and operating under the
influence. -Marge Niblock
Gun Confiscated Near Portland H.S.
On August 15, Chris D. Young, 23, of Portland, was arrested after police
received information that he might have a handgun in his possession.
Young was located near Portland High School around 9:40 PM, and
admitted to having a gun. Police confiscated the gun and charged
Young with carrying a concealed weapon. –Marge Niblock
Portland Dems to Host School
Committee Candidates
Democratic candidates for the Portland School Committee will gather at
the East End Community School on
September 9 at 6:30 p.m. Organized by the Portland Democratic City
Committee, this event is an opportunity to meet this year’s Democratic
candidates, hear what they have to say, and find out where they stand on
issues.
Everyone is welcome. Social time over coffee and cookies begins at 6:30
and the candidate panels will start at 7:00 p.m..
For more information, please contact Sadhbh “Sive” Neilan at 838-7719.
September 6, 2007
VoteVets Endorses Cote for
Congress
District 1 Congressional candidate Adam Cote has announced that he
has been endorsed by VoteVets.org, a group working to elect veterans
who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to Congress.
A Democrat, Cote served as a platoon leader in the Maine Army National
Guard's 133rd Engineer Battalion in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. He
previously served as an Army reservist in Bosnia in 1997 and 1998.
Nationally, Cote is one of three veterans of the Iraq war seeking a seat
on Capitol Hill.
VoteVets played a crucial role in helping to elect Congressman Patrick
Murphy (D-PA), the only Iraq veteran out of 535 members of Congress.
Its board members include retired Army General Wesley Clark and
former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey.
September 5, 2007
LOCAL STREET
ARTIST
VICTIM OF ART
THIEVES
Art thieves struck a storage space near Congress Street during the
Labor Day weekend and took off with frames, tools and prints of local
street artist Jeannette Ross. Hundreds of dollars worth of framed prints
were reported stolen.
Ross reported that the thieves ripped the art off the sides of the
distinctive hand-made wooden cart that Ross uses to display her artwork
around the city in places like Monument Square and in front of the
Portland Museum of Art. .One smaller original piece of art valued at
$800 was also reported stolen.
Ross, who specializes in drawing and painting what she calls “big furry
creatures” had most of her original art at her home because of her
participation in the WCSH Sidewalk Art Festival on August 25th. The
myspace link to view Ross’s work is
www.myspace.com/abigfurrycreature
Ross said her future plan was to travel around the country with her art
cart and try to make her way across by selling and bartering her prints,
but now will have to reinvest in more prints and frames.
Anyone seeing Ross’s artwork being sold by anyone other than her is
asked to contact local authorities.
September 4, 2007
BILL TO PROTECT
SECURITY
DEPOSITS BECOMES
LAW
Measure to Help both Landlords and Tenants
Renters and landlords will both enjoy new protections for security
deposits on rental properties under a new law sponsored by
Parkside/Bayside State Representative Herb Adams that takes effect
later this month.
The measure, LD 330, " An Act To Protect the Integrity of Security
Deposits ", will officially become Public Law 332 the last week of
September.
The law requires that when a building with rental units is sold or
transferred, the old owner must present the new owner with written proof
that the building's security deposits have been legally transferred to the
new owner during the sale's final closing proceedings.
Adams introduced the bill in response to complaints from both
landlords and tenants who discovered after the sale of buildings that
the old owner had never turned over security deposit funds. New owners
and tenants had no recourse but to pursue old owners - many long gone -
in
costly lawsuits, often in out-of-state-courts.
Security deposits can be in the thousands of dollars for just one
apartment, and in the tens of thousands for one single building,
according to Adams.
September 3, 2007
City Councilor Pushing Bike
Registry
East End City Councilor Kevin Donoghue is urging the city’s bicycle
owners to register their bicycles, after Donoghue's unlocked bike – a
gray Bianchi Bay City (serial: h6gb89954) - was stolen from behind his
house on Munjoy Hill earlier this summer following his return from a
trip to Oxford County.
Donoghue says bicycles are the primary vehicle for hundreds, if not
thousands of kids in the city, not to mention for two Portland City
Councilors, Donoghue and West End Councilor Dave Marshall. Both grew
up in cities smaller than Portland with robust bike registries, respectively
Augusta and Beverly, Massachusetts.
Donoghue has been meeting with the Greater Portland Council of
Governments, the Portland Police Department, and the Bike Shop in East
Bayside to work out the details of the registry over the summer. The
result is a one-of-a-kind online bicycle registry: (http://police.
portlandmaine.gov/bikeregistration.asp).
According to an article written by Donoghue for local community
newspapers “any cursory tour of police headquarters will include a view
of a former gymnasium which has become somewhat of a warehouse, not
least for recovered bicycles, all of which have owners and serial numbers,
but none of which can easily be returned to their homes without having
been recently been reported stolen.”
“Without a database of registered bicycles or an active police effort to
recover wayward bicycles, the chance of
returning them to their owners are slim.”
Working with bike shops, neighborhoods organizations, public schools,
and police, Donoghue wants to create a collaborative culture that not only
returns more bikes to their rightful owners, but also creates more
positive contacts between kids, bicyclists of all ages, and the police
department.
Donoghue says that if people register their bikes before they are stolen,
and render found bikes to the police, more bikes will be returned to their
homes and more bikes will find good homes - like the earn-a-bike
program at the Bike Shop in East Bayside: http://www.thebikeshop1.org.
Bike owners may register their bikes online or at the MunjFest on
Munjoy Hill on Saturday, September 15th.
September 2, 2007
USM To Sell Congress Street Dorm
The University of Southern Maine’s Interim President Joseph S. Wood
says that the university has taken steps to place Portland Hall on the
market. The building at Congress and Park Street is a converted hotel
that currently serves as a student dorm. Wood says the hall no longer
served the college’s needs in a cost-efficient manner
.
Wood made the announcement in an opening breakfast speech on
August 31st, where he cited the need for the university to refocus and
cut spending in many areas, including the elimination of some faculty
positions. Eighty percent of the university’s budget is in personnel costs.
The university will hold a grand opening ceremony for its new residence
hall on the Gorham campus on September 29th. It recently dropped plans
to convert a park at High and Danforth Street into a parking area after
community opposition to the plan.
September 1, 2007
Sex Sting in Parkside
Portland police, using undercover female officers, arrested eleven people
in the Parkside neighborhood and charged them with engaging a
prostitute, a misdemeanor. The men ranged in age from 18 to 60.
The midday sting was conducted after neighborhood complaints about
street prostitution.
Horton Place Drug Bust
On August 24, a little before 11 PM, while police were going to do a bail
check, they arrested two men after witnessing a drug transaction in the
driveway of 3 Horton Place.
Mohamed Abdul Karim, 22, was charged with aggravated trafficking of
drugs (crack cocaine) and Klein Fernandes, 20, was charged with
possession of schedule W drugs
(cocaine). -Marge Niblock
August 31, 2007
Law Court Rules That Same-Sex
Couples May Adopt
Maine's Law Court has ruled that a same-sex couple may legally adopt
children.
The Law Court ruled that Ann Courtney and Marilyn Kirby, as a couple,
may legally provide a permanent home to two children they have cared
for and nurtured for the last six years. The Court said that the couple
may jointly adopt "M" and "R" because it is in the best interest of the
children to remain in the only secure and stable home they have ever
known.
The ruling marks the first time in Maine history that a same-sex couple
can jointly adopt a child. Until now, only a married couple or an
unmarried person has been allowed to petition to adopt a child.
M and R (sister and brother) were removed from their home at a very
early age after Maine DHHS determined that their biological parents
were unable to care for them. They were placed in the care of the couple,
who had foster parent and adoption experience.
Officials at EqualityMaine expect a legislative effort to overturn the
ruling, and plan to go on the offensive to defeat any attempt to overturn
it.
August 30, 2007
Man Leaves Scene, Gets Arrested
on Peaks Island
Theodore R. Dalton, 35, of Portland, was arrested shortly before 6 PM on
August 18th, when police responded to a call about a vehicle off the road,
after an accident on Peaks Island.
Witnesses gave a description of the driver and stated that they saw him
flee in another car. Police found that car and Dalton, who, based on their
observations, was intoxicated.
In the process of trying to place him under arrest, Dalton was non-
compliant and shoved the officer’s arms, causing a charge of assault on a
police officer to be placed against him. He was also charged with leaving
the scene of an accident,operating after suspension, and operating under
the influence.
August 30, 2007
Public Forum on the Future
of the Civic Center The Civic Center Joint
Task Force will be holding a public forum on Wednesday, September 26th
to provide an opportunity for members of the public to learn more and
share their thoughts about improving the Civic Center building and its
surrounding area. The forum will start at 5:30 pm in the Penalty Box
Grille in the Civic Center. Stakeholders and other members of the
public are invited.
The Joint Task Force recently retained the Boston office of Struever
Bros, Eccles & Rouse, led by renowned architect and planner Janet Marie
Smith, to provide direction in the planning and design of the Civic Center
. Ms. Smith and her team have begun their work and now seek input
from all interested parties throughout the region as design and program
concepts are developed. Smith will be in attendance at the Public Forum.
The Civic Center Joint Task Force is comprised of representatives from
the Cumberland County Civic Center; Cumberland County
Commissioner Richard Feeney and Deputy Director Bill Whitten; the
City of Portland Councilor James Cohen and City Manager Joseph Gray;
and the Portland Pirates The Joint Task Force was formed on June 27,
2007.
For further information, please contact Neal Pratt, Chair of the Joint
Task Force (253-4636).
Fire Destroys Brackett
Street Apartment
There were no injuries in a Saturday morning fire that heavily damaged
a third floor apartment at 165 Brackett Street on August 18th. Portland
firefighters were called at about 9AM and were able to prevent the fire
from spreading to other units in the building, which did sustain smoke
and water damage. The fire was caused by faulty wiring a window fan.
Brackett Street was closed to traffic for most of the day.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
PAC Forms to Oppose Term Limits Extension
Former Senate President Rick Bennett has organized a political action
committee to oppose the November ballot question that would extend
legislative terms limits from four to six consecutive terms.
The ‘No More Than Four’ committee was registered with the state’s
ethics and elections commission in July. Bennett, whose supporters had
tried to push into the Republican campaign for governor last year, said it
was “scandalous” that the Legislature put the question on the ballot.
A citizen’s initiative referendum was adopted by voters in 1993 limiting
legislators to four consecutive, two-year terms in either the House or
Senate.
Legislators approved the question for the November ballot in a
bipartisan, 26-9 vote in the Senate and a 78-65 vote in the House. The
proposal is being backed by the state’s League of Women Voters, which
would like to see the full repeal of term limits.
Opponents of term limits say it puts too much power in the hands of the
executive branch, partisan staff and outside lobbyists, who have more
institutional memory than new legislators. They also say it is more
democratic to let voters decide if they want to keep incumbents in office,
regardless of how long they have served.
The proposal on the ballot would allow a legislator to serve six terms or
12 consecutive years in either the House or Senate before being forced
out of office or running for the other body. The extension would apply to
incumbent legislators except those now in their fourth term.
League Launches Rent G.R.E.E.N.
Campaign
The Portland League of Young Voters has announced its newest
campaign: Rent G.R.E.E.N. (Green Renewable and Energy Efficient
Now!). The multi-year Rent G.R.E.E.N. campaign looks to increase the
energy efficiency of Portland's rental stock by providing information for
renters, incentives for landlords, and by encouraging individual action.
The campaign was developed by the League's thirteen-member Steering
Committee.
The campaign's first goal is to raise awareness about the Energy
Efficiency Disclosure Form law that the League helped create. With the
form, renters can make informed decisions about housing choices –
based on how much rental units will cost to heat and will cost to the
environment.
The League will be organizing renters by knocking on doors every
Saturday, talking about the form, and asking renters to talk to their
landlords about it. The League will also be emphasizing individual actions
that can be taken to make rental units greener.
West End Representative Jon Hinck joined League members during the
Alive at Five concert in Monument Square in an effort to promote the
campaign, handing out energy-efficient light bulbs that will save users an
estimated $60 per year in energy costs., and educating people about the
Carbon Free Homes project, which helps Mainers to completely erase the
"carbon footprint" created by energy use in their homes.
Local Cop to be Honored by Channel 6
A Portland police officer is among a group of outstanding volunteers who
will be honored at the 8th Annual 6 Who Care Awards, a celebration of
outstanding volunteers in the community, sponsored by WCSH Channel
6.
Sergeant Robin Gauvin has been with the Portland Police Department for
24 years. He is working with law enforcement and National Alliance on
Mental Illness of Maine (NAMI Maine) to establish Crisis Intervention
Teams (CIT) statewide in police departments, jails, hospital emergency
rooms, and with social service providers.
He has worked to create 40 specialized teams of law enforcement
officers, and organizes their annual trainings to learn how to de-escalate
a person in psychiatric crisis.
Gauvin received the NAMI Maine CIT officer of the year award in 2005.
He has been volunteering his services to NAMI Maine since 2001. In
2003, he was instrumental in establishing the first in-jail CIT team in the
nation. The ceremony will be held on Wednesday, October 17th.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Drug Robbery Suspect Arrested
Lee Allan McLaskey, 26, of Portland, was arrested and charged on
August 14th with the July 11th robbery of a Rite Aid on Forest Avenue.
During the investigation of that robbery, McLaskey had been developed
as a suspect.
McLaskey was arrested and brought to the Cumberland County Jail. At
that time police also recovered the weapon believed to have been used in
the crime. The nature of the weapon has not been divulged. McLaskey is
now out on bail.
-Marge Niblock
Residents Claim More Than $33G
in Unclaimed Property
State Representatives from Portland have returned a grand total of
$33,877 in unclaimed property to people in their districts.
Every year the State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division releases a
list of unclaimed property being held by the Treasurer’s office for the
rightful owners to claim. Typically these unclaimed assets are savings
and checking accounts, contents of safe deposit boxes, life insurance
policies, utility deposits and undistributed dividends.
Representatives obtained the list of constituents in their districts who
were owed money from the state and began working to track them down.
The rightful owners of the property are often hard to find because they
no longer reside at the last known address provided to the state.
Parkside/Bayside Representative Herb Adams returned more than
$15,800 to his constituents. West End Representative Jon Hinck returned
$2,317, and Munjoy Hill Representative Anne Rand returned $3,174 to
people in her district.
Last year the state received more than $25 million in unclaimed
property, and only about $10.4 million was claimed – leaving more than
half of the funds still waiting for Mainers to collect. The Treasurer will
hold the funds, typically for three years. The 2007 Unclaimed Property
list is available online at State Treasurer Dave Lemoine’s Web site. To
check the list, visit www.maine.gov/treasurer/.
Task Force to Look at Civic Center Future
The Portland City Council has established a Joint Task Force to plan for
the future of the Cumberland County Civic Center on Free Street.
At its August 20th meeting, the Council authorized an agreement
between Cumberland County, the Civic Center, the Portland Pirates and
the City. Each party will contribute $44,000 to a planning study to be
done by Janet Marie Smith of Struever Bros, Eccles & Rouse. She and
her firm are responsible for the renovations of Fenway Park in Boston
and Camden Yards in Baltimore.
Smith will conduct Phase I of a comprehensive Study and Report, at a
cost of approximately $175,000, on the future of the Civic Center, A
separate contract for the study will be executed by the firm and the Civic
Center, and the four-party Task Force will oversee the progress of the
work. Each party will have two representatives on the Task Force, which
will be chaired by the Chair of the Board of the Civic Center.
A public forum on the future of the Civic Center will be held on
September 25th.
City Manager Appoints Island-
Neighborhood Administrator
Portland City Manager Joseph Gray has selected Mike Murray of
Gorham as the City’s Island/Neighborhood Administrator.
Murray, who was one of more than 170 applicants, is a former member of
the City’s Parks & Recreation Department and was the Downtown
District Manager from 1999-2002. The Island/Neighborhood
Administrator is the primary point of contact for island and neighborhood
associations, and works with City Councilors to address citizen requests
for services.
Murray, who has a B.A. in Public Administration form the University of
Maine, succeeds Tom Fortier who left Portland to become the Town
Manager of Richmond, Maine. Murray officially begins his duties on
August 27th, although he will be joining Mayor, Councilors and City staff
on their annual visit to the islands to meet with the residents and discuss
issues of interest and concern to them. He is currently the General
Manager of Conroy-Tulley Crawford Funeral Homes.
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