Maine News Tuesday May 19

FREEPORT EVENTS
FREEPORT TALES

Newsweek -  Millions of Americans across at least 11 states are being urged to stay indoors and limit outdoor activity as dangerous air quality alerts are in place across parts of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southern California.  According to the National Weather Service (NWS), air quality alerts stretch across states including New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland—as well as parts of Southern California, where wildfire smoke is worsening conditions.  ...Most alerts remain in effect from Tuesday morning through Tuesday evening.

Mainebiz -   The Manufacturers Association of Maine is launching a registered machinist apprenticeship program at Align Precision’s Arundel factory. The Arizona-headquartered company employs 103 people in Maine.

The effort aims to address a workforce shortage in one of manufacturing’s most critical and in-demand occupations. Recently approved by the Maine Department of Labor as an intermediary sponsor for registered apprenticeships, the Portland-based trade group is leading the initiative.

“Machinists play a critical role in advanced manufacturing and the defense industrial base supply chain,” said John Lewis, executive director of the Manufacturers Association of Maine.

Mainebiz -   A new outdoor sculpture park is slated for installation adjacent to University of Southern Maine’s Crewe Center for the Arts in Portland.

The USM Foundation said the park was initiated by a gift of $500,000 from 1976 graduate David Shaw to the Crewe Center, along with the donation of Shaw’s own bronze sculptures, the Amaras, to anchor the new space.

Shaw’s gift was the opening contribution to the USM Foundation’s recently launched Crescendo Campaign, a fundraising initiative designed to putCrewe on the map for creative education and performance.

News Center Maine - The June 9 primary election is three weeks away.  Polls close at 8 p.m. that day, but Chief Deputy Secretary of State Kate McBrien says you should check with your specific polling location to see what time doors open because it can vary.

If you are voting absentee, the deadline to request one is June 4. McBrien recommends making a plan to physically drop the ballot off at your polling location on Election Day.

"In order to have your vote counted through an absentee ballot, you actually have to have your ballot in the hands of the clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day," McBrien said. "So in Maine, as opposed to some other states, it doesn't matter when you mailed it, it has to arrive and be accepted and in the hands of the municipality where you're voting."

McBrien said you can also track your absentee ballot on the secretary of state's website. 

"You can see when you've requested it, that that request has been accepted by your town clerk," McBrien explained. "You can see when they've mailed it out to you, so that you know to be watching for it in the mail, and then if you mail it back in or you drop it in the drop box, you can actually see when they've accepted it again."

As for how to vote for a particular party, Maine has a semi-open primary. That means you don't have to be registered to a particular party, but you have to pick one party when you go to the polls.

"If you are a registered voter, registered to a specific party, if you're a Republican, if you're a Democrat, if you're a Green Independent, if you're a Libertarian, that's the primary that you vote in, you get the ballot for that party," McBrien said. "But if you are unenrolled, which means you're a registered voter but you haven't enrolled in a party, you actually get to choose which ballot you vote with."

If you haven't registered to vote ahead of time, McBrien said you can do so when you head to the polls.

"As long as you've already registered to vote with your town, that's where you've shown your ID, your proof of residence, your proof of identity, and your proof of citizenship, or at least checked off that you are a citizen," McBrien said. "If you are not yet registered to vote, you can actually go to the polling location and register to vote at that location that day, but again, just, you know, bring some proof of identity, some proof of residency, and then otherwise, that's it."

Maine Morning Star -  Graham Platner, the presumptive Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate from Maine, is known for a few things: his “more Bernie than Bernie” message of wresting back control from the rich and powerful; his biography as a Marine Corps veteran and oyster farmer with limited political experience; and his history of controversial and offensive online commentary and tattoos.

Climate champion? Not so much. But in recent weeks, Platner, who has talked about finding peace from some of his post-combat demons and political disillusionment while working on the clear blue waters of the Gulf of Maine, has started to roll out a message of protecting both the planet and pocketbooks, including through an energy plan released last week.

“We need to get off fossil fuels, not just for its impact on the environment and climate,” Platner told Inside Climate News in a summary of that plan. “We need to get off fossil fuels because that would make America self-sustaining.”

With the departure of Maine’s Governor Janet Mills, a candidate with a strong record of supporting renewable energy, Platner is the presumptive Democratic nominee, although a third candidate with a strong environmental record, David Costello, remains in the primary race. 

Maine Democrats - A whopping $1.7 million was recently dropped into the Maine Governor's race to prop up MAGA extremist Garrett Mason. The billionaire pulling the strings? Richard Uihlein. He's an anti-abortion extremist who gave $49 million to Donald Trump and MAGA-affiliated PACs in 2024 and has supported far-right, anti-choice candidates like Ted Cruz, Lauren Boebert, Josh Hawley, and now Garrett Mason. We can't allow our future to be one in which the wealthy elite can buy our voice from us.

Maine Historical Society - In 1825, the Marquis de Lafayette, Revolutionary War hero and friend of George Washington, visited Maine, cementing our state's place in the Revolutionary War story. Thousands turned out to honor the man who had risked his life and fortune for American independence. Last month, Portland unveiled a commemorative plaque at Bramhall Square, the very spot where Lafayette addressed the crowd during his 1825 visit. Read the Lafayette story

Maine Historical Society - As we approach July 4th—the actual 250th—and a busy year of commemoration, it’s time to gear up and get ready. MHS has a primer for you—resources online and in our Pathways to Freedom exhibit—to help you get oriented, learn the basics about Maine’s role in the Revolution, explore what Mainers thought in 1776, and consider what the Declaration of Independence means to Mainers today.

As the weather warms, Maine rescue workers emphasize hiker safety

 

Mixed reactiom to changes in Medicaid services for children with disabilities

JOBS

Skechers USA, Inc. posted a job opening for Retail Sales Associate in Freeport. Apply here.

Sherwin Williams posted a job opening for Assistant Manager Trainee in Yarmouth. Apply here.

You can search for other jobs near Freeport here.

Maine News Monday May 18

FREEPORT EVENTS
FREEPORT TALES

Press Herald -   We’re told that, despite a 4.4% decline in visitor numbers, at least tourist spending increased by 1.4%. With a positive spin, those figures might suggest that Maine’s economy can benefit from more tourism revenue without enduring more tourist congestion. It’s also encouraging that more tourists visited economically lagging non-coastal destinations.

The problem with a 2024-2025 snapshot comparison is that it fails to account for adverse longer-term trends and price inflation. In fact, visitor numbers have declined steadily from a post-pandemic peak of 15.6 million in 2021 to last year’s 14.8 million, an 8% drop. And, accounting for the overall rise in consumer prices, “real” tourist spending in 2025 was 1.6% lower than in 2024 and 2.6% below the 2022 peak. This looks worse than stagnation.

Press HeraldResidents from every county will converge on Bangor next month to discuss the future of education in Maine. In all, 64 volunteers who raised their hand will take part in what is called a “citizens’ assembly,” with a shared goal to debate and arrive at several common priorities for Maine’s pre-K through 12th grade education. Read more. 

Maine art museums overflow with summer exhibits

ATVs keep getting bigger. It’s putting Maine’s trail system at risk.

They aren’t cops. So who are these people in uniforms in downtown Portland?



JOBS
  • First Atlantic Health Care posted a job opening for Transportation Support in Freeport. Apply here.
  • Albertsons Companies, Inc. posted a job opening for Retail Sales and Store Support in Freeport. Apply here.
  • You can search for other jobs near Freeport here.

 

 

Maine News Sunday May 17

 InteractivePolls

. - U.S. Senate (chance of winning) MAINE 🟦 Democrat: 79% (flip) 🟥 Republican: 23%

Graham Platner -  A "reporter" with Fox "News" asked me if I thought I was too extreme or too radical to defeat Susan Collins here in Maine.  Here’s what I told him:

I don’t think it’s radical to try to bring down costs for working Mainers.

I don’t think it’s radical to try to make sure that our communities don’t get hollowed out because housing has become unaffordable for young people.

I don’t think it’s radical to try to create a health care system that doesn’t exist just to screw over working people all for the benefit of a health insurance CEO.

There’s nothing radical about thinking that the working people of Maine should be able to afford groceries, buy a home, or have a health care system that isn’t collapsing before their eyes.

What’s radical is somebody like Susan Collins who has, for decades now, passed policies that only support corporations and billionaires – to the detriment of working people.

Press Herald - Months after Congress enacted sweeping changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the number of Mainers receiving benefits has plummeted by more than 11,000, according to state officials. The new law shifted more costs to states, slashed benefits to certain groups of people and ended exemptions to work requirements for many others. Rural areas of Maine — where food insecurity rates are the highest and more people tend to rely on SNAP — are being hit especially hard by the changes, according to hunger prevention advocates.

One in five adults in the U.S. have used a GLP-1 drug. Doctors see the medications as an unprecedented tool in the fight against obesity, yet because they’re so popular and powerful, they’ve gotten very expensive, so only a small percentage of insurance plans in Maine cover them and that number continues to fall. Read more.

JOBS

  • Dunkin' posted a job opening for Team Member in Freeport. Apply here.
  • The Gap posted a job opening for Retail Sales Associate - Freeport Vlg Station in Freeport. Apply here. 
    You can search for other jobs near Freeport here.

Where are the songbirds? As climate shifts, Acadia’s forests are getting quieter

Hummingbirds’ arrival has Mainers buzzing 

They aren’t cops. So who are these people in uniforms in downtown Portland?


Maine News Saturday May 16

Old Portland, Maine, Restaurant Has Reopened on an Island in Greece

Graham Platner's interview with the NY Times

Six Maine airports to split $13.6M for improvements

WJBQ - Moderation Brewing and Black Pug Brewing in Brunswick are both moving to new locations. Thankfully, the two breweries aren't going far; instead, they're simply shifting to new places in the town.That means you can still get their crisp, cold beers just in some fresh new digs.

Moderation Brewing shared its moving plans back in 2023, revealing a desire to expand to a larger space, ideally the old fire station. The brewery project, along with plans for affordable housing there, was later approved by the town council. Since then, renovation and work on Brunswick’s Historic Central Fire Station for the mixed-use commercial and residential complex have been underway.

JOBS

  • Circle K Stores, Inc. posted a job opening for Customer Service Representative in Freeport. Apply here.
  • Albertsons Company posted a job opening for Assistant Front End Manager in Freeport. Apply here.
  •  You can search for other jobs near Freeport here.

Maine News Friday May 15

The Wolfe's Neck Farm Café is back, serving up a menu that celebrates the best of Wolfe’s Neck Center and our local food community. Start your morning with hot coffee, house-made pastries and seasonal gran and go options made with Wolfe’s Neck Center produce and pasture-raised meats. Beginning May 22 - Stop by for a hot breakfast sandwich in addition to coffee, pastries and grab and go items. Hours: To May 17th – Friday to Sunday – 8:00am to 1:00pm  May 22nd through the summer – Thursday to Monday – 8:00am to 1:00pm


Press Herald - Speaking to a crowd of about 400 people in Bangor, Vice President JD Vance said healthcare fraud in Maine was robbing taxpayers and that Gov. Janet Mills has "fought back against" efforts to identify fraud in Medicare and Medicaid programs. Mills called it a "weak attempt" to distract from the war in Iran and the rising costs Mainers are facing daily.

Over 11,000 Mainers are no longer receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The decline comes only months after Congress enacted sweeping changes to the program that slashed benefits for certain groups and ended work requirement exemptions for many others. Hunger prevention advocates say rural areas of Maine are being hit especially hard.

The Portland Tenants Union says a recent audit of online rental listings shows not only widespread rent control fraud, but also the city’s failure to enforce its own rules. A team of union volunteers surveyed 271 rental listings that appeared on the real estate website Zillow throughout the month of March and compared those listings to the city’s rental requirements.  According to the union, an analysis of the listings found that 130 of the 271 listings they audited — just shy of 50% — were out of compliance with city rental regulations, alleging overcharged rent, registration issues and false claims of owner-occupancy among other violations.

Maine Morning Star -  A statewide poll from Schoen Cooperman Research on behalf of 314 Action Victory Fund, which is backing the public health leader, found Shah with 28% support, nine points ahead of the others on the first ballot. The survey, which spoke to 522 Democratic primary voters from April 30 to May 4, found King following with 21%, Bellows at 16%, Pingree with 15% and Jackson at 13%. When the ranked-choice ballot is taken into account, Shah’s lead grows to 16 points on the final ballot. 


Down East Magazine - Forty years ago, Jeff Aumuller sailed into Portland Harbor, and he’s lived aboard his boat ever since. In the spring and summer, he moors at Centerboard Yacht Club, in South Portland. When cold weather hits, he docks in a friend’s spot on Maine Wharf, on Commercial Street, or sails down the coast. Around him, the city skyline has become more congested, the boats sleeker and zippier. But Aumuller, a musician, isn’t interested in keeping pace. He wants little more than a deck to strum his guitar on and a tiny cabin to retire to at the end of the day. “I’m here until I die,” he says.

Aumuller has fulfilled a childhood dream of exploring the world by sailboat. “Some winters I’d take off for Bermuda, play music. It was the life I wanted and I led it,” he says. At age 85, Aumuller still rows out to his mooring, but getting into the dinghy takes some doing. He starts off lying sideways along the edge of the dock, then swivels his legs, boom-like, over the belly of the boat before lowering himself slowly inside. A couple of years ago, he traded Grebe, the 40-foot wooden sailboat he had for five decades, for Tyn’Lyne, a 31-foot fiberglass sloop that’s easier to maintain. He calls it “a Clorox bottle.” “It’s a retirement boat,” Aumuller says with a shrug. “I don’t have to cross oceans anymore.”