CUMBERLAND — The extension of Amtrak Downeaster service from Portland to Brunswick will increase connectivity between the two communities, and possibly generate tourism revenue for the area. But the new line, which is scheduled to be completed in fall 2012, may also bring additional noise for the residents who live around the many railroad crossings […]

Members of the Casco Bay Sunrise Rotary Club in Portland and students from LearningWorks Youth Building Alternatives pose with the 600-square-foot U.S. map they painted on the playground at Riverton Elementary School on Saturday, Sept. 17. The community service project will help Riverton students learn U.S. geography, with the map as the focus of educational […]

FALMOUTH — Besides struggling with the soft economy, some private preschool and day-care center owners say new public school services are threatening their businesses. The businesses are feeling the pressure from an all-day kindergarten program that began this fall, boasting the largest kindergarten enrollment in town history, and a student/staff-only preschool program available at the […]

Visitors climb the circular stairway between the first- and second-floor libraries of the new Falmouth Elementary School on Saturday, Sept. 17, during a community open house at the school on Woodville Road.People crowd around for a dedication ceremony on Sept. 17 at the entrance to the new Falmouth Elementary School.Falmouth Elementary School co-principals Karen Boffa, […]

FALMOUTH — In response to a lawsuit that alleges wrongful termination, an attorney for the town on Tuesday claimed the former code enforcement officer was fired for, among other things, viewing online pornography. In the lawsuit filed Sept. 6, longtime Code Enforcement Officer Albert Farris Jr., 64, of Brunswick, claims he was deprived of his […]

FALMOUTH — A formal request for propsals for the former school properties on Lunt Road was issued last week by commercial real estate broker CBRE The Boulos Co., which is marketing the properties for the town. The properties include the former Plummer-Motz and Lunt schools. The RFP asks for proposals for the sale, lease or […]

YARMOUTH — Six residents have filed a civil lawsuit against the town and McKearney Village, challenging the developer’s recently approved subdivision off Hillside Road. The plaintiffs, Bruce and Suzanne Jones, Mary Dowd, Carroll Dunn, and Greg and Kara Salvadore, filed the complaint on Aug. 25 in Cumberland County Superior Court in Portland. They want the […]

FREEPORT — A section of Flying Point Road that has been closed since Sept. 12 may partially reopen as soon as Friday, Sept. 23, town officials said. The road over Kelsey Brook, an area between John’s Road and Lupin Lane, was closed last week so construction crews could stabilize the failing road over the culvert. […]

YARMOUTH — As part of an effort to encourage the use of bicycles, promote safety, and improve driver awareness of bike and pedestrian traffic, bike lanes are being marked along Rogers Road. Dan Ostrye of the Yarmouth Bike and Pedestrian Committee said the pilot project is made possible through the collaboration of the Planning and […]

Teachers claim increased student learning, despite test scores PORTLAND — Since 2006, the average teacher and ed tech salary in the city has increased 22 percent, from just over $50,000 per year in 2006 to more than $61,000 this year. Part of the reason for the growth is the “lane change” system contained in the […]