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Times Record - Freeport is taking the next step to implement the community’s vision for diverse transportation options, new housing development and downtown vitality with support from the Maine Department of Transportation. According to a Freeport news release, a collaborative Planning Partnership Initiative through the town and MaineDOT has retained the engineering firm Stantec and city planning and design firm Speck Dempsey to analyze the U.S. Route 1 corridor and design a Main Street for the future with input from the community.
On Tuesday, June 3, the Freeport Town Council reviewed the work plan for the next eight months to update zoning and ordinances to implement the goals of the Comprehensive Plan. Those plans align with the Planning Partnership Initiative and the transit-oriented development Tax Increment Financing (TIF) work, endorsed by the Town Council on May 20. The town’s Planning Board unanimously approved the plan on Wednesday, June 4.
Freeport Development Director Brett Richardson said the goal is for the land use and infrastructure funding package for the Village Corridor project to be approved by the state by March 1, 2026, along with renewal of the transit-oriented development TIF district. The transit-oriented development TIF is exploring options to establish dedicated, long-term funding to build the community’s vision for Freeport. The TIF is being fine-tuned, focusing on pursuing a dedicated funding source.
Harraseeket Yacht Club - HYC Wednesday Night Race & Golf at the Chebeague Island Inn. This
Wednesday is the annual Race to Chebeague and Golf Night. The start will
be 1/2 hour earlier than usual, with the warning horn going off at 5:30
pm. Please note this and remind your crew to get there early. This is a
potluck event so please bringing a shareable snack and encourage your
crew to do the same.
Once at the
Chebeague pier we will cycle through hitting golf balls for the closest
to the pin competition. Each crew member on a boat gets one shot, so
load up with good golfers for more chances to hit the green! Bring an
iron and a ball if you have them, otherwise Chebeague Golf Course should
have some to share. Closest three balls get time deducted from their
race time .... Wednesday is the full
moon and the weather looks promising. When you finish the race, look
for Chebeague Island Inn moorings. They should be yellow balls with a
blue stripe, but I recall the colors were very faded last year.
Freeport Forward - Last month, resisters packed a courthouse conference room for the Cumberland County Commissioners’ meeting (Maine Public Article - May 20) to tell the Commissioners and Sheriff Joyce that Mainers don’t want ICE operating in our state and that we demand an end to Cumberland County’s cooperation with ICE operations.
The sheriff’s response was full of bluster and defense. While he denied cooperation with ICE via 287(g) agreements, which would allow local law enforcement officers to act as partial ICE agents, he failed to take responsibility for his compliance in their activities by providing space and resources to process and detain our neighbors who have been kidnapped from our towns.
Sheriff Joyce also attempted to discredit the pleas of the people to protect our immigrant neighbors as “political rhetoric.” But our neighbors’ lives are not rhetorical; they are real, valid, valuable, and deserving of respect and due process.
The responsibility now falls on us to stand up for our neighbors, for whom it is not safe to go to a meeting held in a courthouse to use their voices at this time. We must raise our voices and presence to convey to the County Commissioners and Sheriff Joyce that any ICE activity in Cumberland County is against the will of the people.
Send an email to our Freeport Town Councilors and invite them to come with us: council@freeportmaine.com Let our municipal leaders know that we in Freeport are more diverse than ever, that we value our diversity, and that we want no part in ICE/CBP or imposters terrorizing our neighbors. Encourage them to use their respected platforms to influence the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners to take action against this illegal, unconstitutional activity in our town, county, and state. If you haven’t already, sign Maine DSA’s petition: End Cumberland County’s Co-operation with ICE