PORTLAND

Mavodones shows pictures to back his accomplishments

Additional Photos

City Councilor and incumbent mayor Nicholas Mavodones speaks along the Bayside Trail in Portland Wednesday. Photos of recent development projects by law firm Pierce Atwood, left, the Portland International Jetport, center, and Hampton Inn are on display behind him. John Patriquin/Staff Photographer

Current Mayor and mayoral candidate Nick Mavodones touted new investments made in the city during his tenure on Wednesday, seeking to counter criticism from other candidates in Tuesday’s election who have challenged his accomplishments at City Hall.

At a news conference on the Bayside Trail near Marginal Way, Mavodones displayed large photos of the expanded Portland International Jetport, the Pierce Atwood and Hampton Inn buildings and said Portland is business friendly and moving in the right direction.

“They say pictures are worth one thousand words,” Mavodones said. “But the pictures behind me, coupled with the buildings surrounding us and the investment in Portland over the last few years, is worth almost $600 million.”

After the event, mayoral opponent Markos Miller said Marginal Way is an example of poor city planning, not successful development. Portland needs dense, urban development, Miller said, not one-story buildings and large surface parking lots like those at the Department of Health Human Services and Trader Joe’s. Miller also said Portland shouldn’t strive for large corporate retailers as development.

Area dentists teaming up to offer free care on Friday

Area dentists are offering free dental care this Friday (Nov. 4) to any adult unable to afford regular dental care.

There are 32 dentists volunteering their time in the third annual “Dentists Who Care for Me” day, sponsored by the Greater Portland Dental Society. The dentists are located in Buxton, Cumberland, Gorham, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland and Yarmouth.

“This is the largest group of volunteer dentists so far,” said Dr. Demi Kouzounas, who helped organize the event. “We’re thrilled to see the program growing.”

Last year, Dentists Who Care for Me treated over 600 people. Free care will include one treatment that may involve cleanings, fillings, or extractions.

If someone needs more serious dental work, they will be given a voucher for free treatment and referred to a specialist.

More than 20 dental specialists have agreed to participate in this year’s free dental care program.

Services will be provided on a first come, first served basis and appointments are not be needed.

Persons seeking care are encouraged to arrive at the dental office when doors open at 8 a.m.

Here is the list of participating dentists and the hours they will be available:

• Gentle Dental, 440 Narragansett Trail, Buxton, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Dr. Michael Frost, 323 Main St., Cumberland Center, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Morgan Dental Care, 94 Main St., Gorham, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Dr. Alan Chebuske and Dr. Catalina Atienza, 110 Auburn St., Portland, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• North Deering Dental Associates, 1334 Washington Ave., Portland, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• Ravin Dental, 40 Hannaford Drive, Scarborough, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Dunstan Dental Center, 618 U.S. Route One, Suite 4, Scarborough, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Dr. James Ortengren, 463 Cottage Road, South Portland, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Dr. Stephen Palmer and Jonathan Shinay, 265 Westbrook St., South Portland, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Aspen Dental, 1717 Maine Mall Road, South Portland, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Bayview Dental, 70 Bayview St., Yarmouth, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Creative Portland to raise funds for art market study

Creative Portland will try to raise $30,000 to $45,000 in private donations to help bring a Minneapolis development company to the city.

Andy Graham, president of Creative Portland, said the money will go toward a market study, which ArtSpace needs to determine the needs of the city’s art community.

Wendy Holmes, a senior vice president for ArtSpace, said the nonprofit will use the market study to determine the details, scope and location of the development. That, in turn, will help them finance the project.

ArtSpace builds live/work space for artists, as well as studio space and performance venues throughout the country. It has built and operated about 30 art-themed developments nationwide.

ArtSpace pays for the construction of the development using grants, tax credits, donations and other sources.

ArtSpace officials toured Portland in September, looking at buildings on and near Hampshire Street owned by billionaire Donald Sussman.  They also looked at the St. Lawrence Arts venue on Munjoy Hill, and the Portland Public Works garage on 55 Portland Street. But the community will ultimately decide where the development should go.

New stop signs scheduled to go up around the city

New stop signs will be appearing in the downtown district this month.

The city’s Department of Public Services will install stop signs on Middle Street, at the intersection of Market Street. Advance warning signs and markings on the pavement will be added.

The new signs were requested about a year ago by a number of people, including abutters, Councilor Kevin Donoghue and those concerned about bicycle and pedestrian safety, according to Public Services Director Michael Bobinsky. His department conducted an analysis and determined the stop signs were warranted.

Patient charged for being out of control at hospital

A Portland woman faces charges of assaulting a health care worker after police were called to Maine Medical Center for an out-of-control patient Tuesday night.

Linda Barnard Annis, 24, was charged after she allegedly hit a male nurse in the face and bit a female nurse on the arm. She also was charged with terrorizing after she threatened to blow up the hospital, police said.

Annis arrived at the hospital at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday and was being treated when the outburst occurred, police said. Police took her to the Cumberland County Jail.

SANFORD

Fire victim’s death blamed on overheated light fixture

Investigators say an overheated fluorescent light ignited a fire in a Sanford man’s laundry room and  he died after being overcome by smoke.

Armand Talbot, 74, had just returned from a town meeting Tuesday night when he discovered the fire in his small, converted camp on Armand Lane, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Talbot asked a neighbor to call the Fire department then went inside, probably to try to extinguish the fire, said Assistant State Fire Marshal Joe Thomas. The State Medical Examiner determined the cause of death was smoke inhalation, he said.

AUGUSTA

Patients at trade show get OK to use medical marijuana

Certified patients will use medical marijuana in an outdoor tent on public property as part of a trade show at the Augusta Civic Center this weekend.

The sanctioned use of marijuana on public property — part of the two-day Home Grown Maine Trade Show organized by Medical Marijuana Caregivers of Maine — is unprecedented in Maine, the result of negotiations among Kennebec County District Attorney’s Office, the Augusta Police Department, event organizers and civic center personnel.

The state law that permits medical use of marijuana bans people from smoking it in public places.

Under the negotiated deal, patients with appropriate paperwork can use a vaporizer in the tent.

Major Jared Mills of the Augusta Police Department said the department did a lot of research in order to develop a procedure regarding enforcement of the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act. He said police will cite anyone caught smoking marijuana in the parking lot and anyone leaving who appears to be operating under the influence of marijuana.  No marijuana can be sold on the property.

While Maine is one of 12 states to allow the use of marijuana for medical use, it remains illegal for all purposes under federal law.

McCarrier said he expected more than two dozen exhibitors and sponsors and up to 700 people attending the show.

The show is to run 9 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 per person.

Two companies selected to design, build new bridge

Maine and New Hampshire transportation officials intend to award a contract to a team of two companies to design and build the new Memorial Bridge between Kittery and Portsmouth, N.H.

The $81.4 million contract is expected to go to Archer Western Contractors, of Chicago and Canton, Mass., and HNTB Corp. of Westbrook, the designer of the bridge.

Maine and New Hampshire will split the cost of replacing the bridge that spans the Piscataqua River and has long been a vital link between the two states.

The new bridge is expected to open in July of 2013.

Lewiston joins list of cities that will outlaw fireworks

Lewiston City Council voted Tuesday night to outlaw fireworks. Augusta came closer to banning the sale and use of fireworks within city limits with a vote scheduled Thursday. Portland has already banned fireworks.

The cities’ votes follow passage of a state law that will allow consumer fireworks in Maine for the first time in decades, starting Jan 1. Municipalities may regulate fireworks within their borders.

Lewiston’s vote came despite concerns that some people will still bring fireworks in to the city.

Housing Authority joins in urging aid for heating fuel

The Maine State Housing Authority said Tuesday it’s joining Maine’s congressional delegation in urging Congress to approve more funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Maine Housing says the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notified them last Friday that it should expect to receive $23 million to apply toward the program  down from $55.6 million last year.

Maine Housing Executive Director Dale McCormick calls the reduction “devastating.” She says that with heating fuel costs already nearly $1 per gallon higher this year, that drastic of a reduction could prove to be tragic.

FARMINGTON

Mother gets two years in daughter’s drug death

A 48-year-old Maine woman is going to prison for two years for furnishing a fatal dose of methadone to her daughter.

Valerie Webb of Wilton sobbed Tuesday during her sentencing hearing in Franklin County Superior Court in Farmington.

The Sun Journal of Lewiston reported that Webb pleaded guilty in June to giving some of her methadone pills to her 23-year-old daughter, Alysha Webb, in May 2010. The daughter was found dead the next day in her mobile home.

Defense attorney Christopher Berryment said Webb initially declined her daughter’s repeated requests for methadone to relieve her pain, but eventually relented.

Justice Michaela Murphy also ordered Webb to undergo substance abuse counseling when she leaves prison.

ROME

Police search for man in attempted strangling

Police continue to search for a Rome man they say tried to strangle his girlfriend with a shoelace before threatening her teenage daughter with a knife.

Ronald Willey, 28, is wanted on charges of aggravated assault and terrorizing, Capt. Daniel Davies of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Department said.

A deputy responded to a domestic violence complaint Sunday at the Watson Pond Road home of Cher Simon. She “reluctantly” identified her boyfriend, Willey, as her attacker, Davies said.

Simon claimed she had been knocked unconscious when Willey strangled her with a shoelace, and he threatened her and her daughter before leaving the house, Davies said. Simon went to an area hospital after the attack but she left before emergency room doctors could evaluate her, Davies said.

Willey is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information on Willey’s whereabouts should call the Sheriff’s Office at 623-3614 or 621-0166.

LEWISTON

Apartment building fire leaves 10 people homeless

Ten people have been left homeless after a fire at a Lewiston apartment building.

Fire officials say the blaze was reported at the three-unit Pine Street building just before 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Fire Capt. Paul Fournier told the Sun Journal that the blaze is under investigation, but appears to be from an electrical problem.

Resident Joshua Hickey Sr. says he had finished cooking dinner when the lights went out. He says he took his 3-year-old son to the basement and reset the fuse box. When they got back to their third-floor apartment, it was filled with smoke. His wife and 2-year-old daughter were not home at the time.

– From staff and news services

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