Maine’s gubernatorial race, a rather sleepy affair so far, just got a whole lot livelier with the recent announcement of a new write-in candidate: “Green” Bud Kelly. Kelly is a contractor on a midcoast island whose services include house painting, dry walling, landscaping, carpentry and masonry. He has not, to my knowledge, run for political […]
I support the Portland City Council’s decision this week to ban polystyrene food containers and mandate a five-cent surcharge on non-reusable grocery bags. I just wish the councilors had been more honest about their intentions and their own responsibility for the problems these things cause. The foam ban and bag fee have been primarily promoted […]
Contrary to some wildly erroneous and irresponsible reports in the press recently, Portland has a serious and growing gang problem. The Crips and Bloods are harmless compared with the menacing groups roaming the streets of Maine’s largest metropolis, perpetrating crimes in broad daylight with no respect for the law or common decency. Here’s a rundown of […]
It may not be accurate to say the column I wrote two weeks ago about Portland’s music scene went “viral,” but it did catch a nasty cold. Lauren Wayne, the local promoter and venue manager who books concerts in numerous rooms around town, wrote a lengthy response that was posted on the website of a regional […]
With 11 months to go before the next Election Day, the battle of the bumper stickers has begun, and I’m already fed up. Last week, I was driving behind a work truck on Route 1 in Biddeford when I spotted a small sticker on its back window. “Keep Calm and Vote Cutler,” it read, with […]
The election results in Portland this week prove the old adage: The more things change, the more they stay the same. On one hand, the city will no longer have a law on its books criminalizing the possession of relatively small amounts of marijuana. On the other hand, Portland cops say they will continue to […]
I really want to believe Portland is the kind of place where Chris Shorr can serve on the City Council. The 30-year-old lobsterman is honest, hard-working and compassionate. He’s made a few mistakes in his young life — for the most part, nothing serious — but in all these respects he’s just like the Portlanders […]
Politically speaking, Portland City Councilor Ed Suslovic, who’s seeking another three-year term this fall, should be toast. I’m specifically picturing a thin slice of bland white bread, lightly browned and unbuttered, served next to a steaming pile of scrambled eggs liberally laden with American cheese. Suslovic is one of the councilors who allowed Congress Square […]
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, masquerading as a “moderate,” is behaving like a reckless Republican ideologue. Her political charade during the government shutdown and debt crisis helped push the world’s economy to the brink of catastrophe. It is imperative that we unmask her actions, but, with a couple notable exceptions this month, Maine’s media has furthered the […]
Portland has racked up an impressive number of accolades in recent years, topping lists compiled by magazines like Forbes, which named Portland the most “livable” city in America in 2009. Earlier this month, a website called Card Hub named Portland one of America’s “most learned” cities. The site, which provides information comparing credit card companies, […]
This blog has been archived and is no longer being updated.
