Last week was very good for opponents of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. Smarter Balanced is the nightmare of testing that parents are opting their kids out of in droves all over the country, including here in Maine. WCSH reported these Maine Education Association numbers for the opt-out rate around the state for high school […]
Portland Forecaster
City-wide news from The Forecaster.
Posted inCoastal Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Northern Forecaster, Portland Forecaster, Southern Forecaster, The Forecaster
The Universal Notebook: The phantom punch heard round the world
Back in March I had lunch in Portland with artist Charlie Hewitt and filmmaker Gary Robinov of White Dog Arts to discuss a film they wanted to make. I listened to the story they wanted to tell and went home that night and wrote it all down for them. “On the evening of February 21, […]
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Posted inCoastal Journal, Northern Forecaster, Portland Forecaster, Southern Forecaster, The Forecaster
Dishin' That: Tips for getting tips
With Memorial Day Weekend fresh on our minds, so begins the shoulder season, bringing steadily increasing hospitality business to southern Maine. It’s a short period where business starts to pick up as folks From Away make day-trips with the windows down, and locals venture out in flip-flops. Patio furniture comes out of storage and al […]
Posted inPortland Forecaster, The Forecaster
Portland zoning question heads back to council, amid debate over building heights, waterfront views
PORTLAND — Height is the root of a dispute about zoning needed to redevelop the Portland Co. complex at 58 Fore St. CPB2, the development company owned by Jim Brady, Casey Prentice and Kevin Costello, is seeking two zoning changes for 10 acres of property and additional submerged land in Portland harbor. The City Council […]
Posted inNorthern Forecaster, Portland Forecaster, The Forecaster
Lawyer pleads guilty to child porn charge
PORTLAND — A lawyer charged with possessing child pornography has been sentenced to 90 days in jail. Lawrence Winger, 64, a Falmouth resident who practices law in Portland, pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement on May 20 in Cumberland County Superior Court. He admitted having sexually explicit images of children younger than 12 […]
Posted inPortland Forecaster, The Forecaster
Portland attorney announces council bid
PORTLAND — The first hat is in the ring. Spencer Thibodeau, 27, of Pitt Street, announced in a May 18 press release he will seek the City Council District 2 seat currently held by Councilor David Marshall. Thibodeau, an attorney at Verrill Dana, said he would like to “shift the focus back to providing efficient […]
Posted inPortland Forecaster, The Forecaster
Portland church to host wage, equality forums
PORTLAND — The First Parish Church will host community forums on living wages, and bisexual, lesbian, gay and transgender advocacy on June 1 and June 8, respectively. The forums begin at 6 p.m. at 425 Congress St. and are free and open to the public. The forum on wages will feature a panel of business […]
Posted inPortland Forecaster, The Forecaster
Police: Speed a factor in fatal motorcycle crash on Brighton Avenue
PORTLAND — Police on Thursday, May 21, said they tried to stop a speeding motorcyclist on Brighton Avenue shortly before a fatal crash around 1:40 a.m. Lt. Clifford Strout said one cause of the crash that killed John H. Fontaine, 38, appears to be excessive speed, although Fontaine was not identified by police as the […]
Posted inPortland Forecaster, The Forecaster
Woman's body found along Portland waterfront
PORTLAND — Police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was discovered in the Fore River near 58 Fore St. early Friday morning. Lt. James Sweatt said the woman, described as an Asian female between 50 and 60 years old, was discovered by a pedestrian on the East End Trail at about 6:10 […]
Posted inPortland Forecaster, The Forecaster
'This is not how municipal government works': Portland council postpones budget vote
PORTLAND — In the midst of Monday’s three-hour City Council meeting, Councilor Nick Mavodones Jr. posed a critical question. “What are we doing?” he asked as councilors wrestled with a series of motions that ultimately postponed until June 1 a public hearing and final vote on the $221 million fiscal year 2016 municipal budget. Before […]