FALMOUTH — Caitlin Bernard knew she wouldn’t leave when she first set foot inside Maine State Ballet. Sixteen years and dozens of performances later, she will take the stage this weekend as the company presents a rare performance of the classic ballet “Swan Lake” at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium. Bernard, a company member, will dance in […]

YARMOUTH — Catherine McAuley students who performed a 1934 drama at the 2012 Maine Drama Festival won honors for their acting and for an original score. Junior Natalie Brown, sophomore Julia Cornell and senior Lulama Hawkes were named to the all-festival cast for their work in “The Children’s Hour,” by Lillian Hellman. Judges also awarded […]

The Forecaster’s Emily Guerin joined Thema Ponton of News 8 WMTW to discuss Guerin’s story about a new community center that’s been established at the former West Harpswell School in Harpswell. Tune in to WMTW every Sunday morning at 7, when staffers from The Forecaster join News 8 to discuss the week’s top local stories.

PORTLAND — All aspects of books will be showcased this weekend at the Maine Festival of the Book. The sixth annual festival, primarily at the University of Southern Maine, brings more than 50 authors and artists to Portland for a series of mostly free presentations and discussions Thursday-Sunday. Sarah Cecil, executive director of Maine Reads, […]

SOUTH PORTLAND — Replacing the Public Works Department facility on O’Neil Street will be an expensive endeavor. At an estimated $10 million, it’s by far the most expensive item on next year’s capital improvement budget. But there’s a laundry list of reasons the project tops the list of priorities for City Manager Jim Gailey: Old technology […]

SCARBOROUGH — After some behind-the-scenes maneuvering leading up to Wednesday’s Town Council meeting, one thing is clear: a ban on applying synthetic pesticides to town property is anything but settled. Supporters of the ban, and their lawyer, claimed there was wrongdoing in the way a proposal to repeal the policy was brought before the council. […]

SCARBOROUGH — Economic reality and a desire to maintain education quality means property owners could see their taxes rise 10.8 percent under the next town budget. “The day of reckoning has come,” Town Manager Tom Hall told the Town Council on Wednesday. “You knew this day was coming, and here it is.” For the past […]

BRUNSWICK — Town officials suffered sticker shock on Tuesday when they saw the draft budget for a new police station. At $7.2 million, the estimate was nearly 30 percent higher than the $5.1 million budgeted in this year’s capital improvement plan, which the Town Council approved last summer. At Tuesday’s Police Station Building Committee meeting, […]

SOUTH PORTLAND — The city on Monday awarded a $3.12 million contract  for sewer separation, road and sidewalk, and utilities upgrades in Knightville.  The project, expected to start in April and last about seven months, will be handled by Shaw Brothers of Gorham. The Portland Water District will pay  more than $836,000 for work done […]