PORTLAND — The future of Commercial Street will be the topic of a community forum Dec. 11 from 6-8 p.m. at Rines Auditorium in the Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Way. City Hall spokeswoman Jessica Grondin said the meeting, organized in conjunction with the Greater Portland Council of Governments and consultants WSP USA, will gather […]

PORTLAND — In its 10th year of awarding teacher grants, the Foundation for Portland Public Schools has approved 54 proposals totaling just over $35,000. Through the grants, classroom teachers get support for initiatives designed to enrich the educational experience of students, and engage the wider community. The foundation is a nonprofit committed to raising philanthropic support […]

PORTLAND — About 80 years ago, Patricia Nickerson would visit her aunt at the Motherhouse on Stevens Avenue. Early last week, she moved in. “I just moved here two days ago with my pussycat,” Nickerson said Nov. 29 before the grand reopening of the former St. Joseph’s Convent as Motherhouse on Stevens Square. Dating to 1909, […]

PORTLAND — Jazz is a uniquely American form of music known for encouraging musicians to experiment and improvise while working together to create a coherent whole. “Jazz is a very egalitarian genre,” said Jayne Sawtelle, the music teacher at Portland High School, who this school year has helped interested students start a new jazz band. […]

PORTLAND — Planning Board members on Tuesday were expected to forward a recommendation on new marijuana-related zoning changes to the full City Council. “In addition to being responsive to changes in state law, the proposed amendments strive to balance both the needs and wishes of a burgeoning new sector of the local economy with reasonable […]

PORTLAND — One planned emergency homeless shelter could become many, after city councilors on Tuesday were expected to continue to discuss how to replace the Oxford Street Shelter. The revised plan that could add city partnerships with Avesta Housing and the Opportunity Alliance to the new model is not enough for District 3 Councilor Brian […]

PORTLAND — With hundreds of Native Americans marking last week’s Thanksgiving holiday with a day of mourning at Plymouth Rock, and President Trump arguing some tribes should no longer have protected status of their lands, the rights and grievances of indigenous peoples are attracting widespread attention. Locally, the School Department is working toward implementing a Wabanaki […]

PORTLAND — Nan Cumming’s new job is not exactly a walk in the park. Yet as she prepares to become the new executive director of the fledgling Portland Parks Conservancy, she will be heading down some familiar paths. “I read about it last fall when the idea was first put out there, and I thought with my […]

PORTLAND — The latest report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that the percentage of children in Maine at risk for hunger is one of the highest in the nation. The report, released in September, said one in five children in the state are food insecure, which means that being fed at school is more […]