Third in a weekly series on where Portland’s mayoral candidates stand on issues facing the city. PORTLAND — It may be a city of about 65,000 residents, but Portland can seem smaller at times because of its many distinct geographic neighborhoods. Besides Peaks, Cliff, Great Diamond and Little Diamond islands, the city’s website lists 21 […]

PORTLAND — Island communities on Nov. 8 will elect three people to the Casco Bay Island Transit District Board of Directors. Two candidates hope to represent Great Diamond Island: Kathleen Hoffner, of Pleasant Cove Lane, and Roger Robinson, of Crescent Avenue. The Great Diamond Island seat is currently held by Hoffner’s husband, Matthew, who said […]

PORTLAND — Voters on Nov. 8 will choose between a construction contractor and an environmental watchdog for an open seat on the Portland Water District Board of Trustees. The five-year seat is currently held by David Margolis-Pineo, who is not seeking re-election. The district provides water and environmental services to more than 190,000 people in […]

PORTLAND — First lady Michelle Obama will be in town Friday to raise money for her husband’s presidential re-election campaign. The fundraiser comes the same week the state Legislature is voting on a congressional redistricting plan that could have an impact on the 2012 presidential election. The Maine Democratic Party said in a press release […]

FALMOUTH — Homes and businesses throughout the region will be open for anyone to stroll through on Saturday, Oct. 1, all in the name of green energy. “This isn’t a house-beautiful tour, this is about energy,” said Falmouth resident Claudia King, who is also chairwoman of the town’s recycling and energy committee. King’s home, on […]

CAPE ELIZABETH — Some lucky people discover a passion in life that feeds the soul. Meghan Mette avidly pursues two such passions, Irish fiddle music and marine biology, and she’s only 18 years old. Moreover, she’s making the world a better place in the process. Mette began taking classical violin lessons at age 4, following […]

PORTLAND — Raising and training a dog as a personal pet can be hard, but rewarding. Raising and training a guide dog can much harder, but much more rewarding, according to several area residents who raise puppies for the local chapter of Guilding Eyes for the Blind, an internationally certified guide dog school. “My favorite […]

CHEBEAGUE ISLAND — Tollef Olson and Paul Dobbins are passionate about seaweed. Pointing to a blown-up photo of a microscopic sugar kelp seedling, Dobbins calls it their first baby. Olson and Dobbins own Ocean Approved, a kelp farming operation with several aquaculture projects off the coast of Maine. They’ve proposed two more farms, one near […]

PORTLAND — On Oct. 2, the Portland International Jetport will officially unveil Phase 1 of its new self, a sleek, modern airport addition with soaring ceilings and tons of glass. Among the new offerings: Travelers who don’t check their bags will be able to walk seamlessly from the parking garage to the airport (so seamlessly […]