The week between Christmas and New Year is usually pretty quiet around here.
News sources have shut down for the holidays, reporters are using up the precious vacation days they’ve hoarded all year, our deadlines are early and our papers are returning to normal sizes after the traditional bloat from election season through Christmas.
But things are different this year. It’s anything but calm at The Forecaster, because this week we’re welcoming our colleagues from Current Publishing to our Falmouth offices.
Our cozy little group of 16 has doubled, literally overnight. As a result, we’ve also doubled our office space.
More importantly, the four editions of The Forecaster (Portland, Northern, Mid-Coast and Southern) and four hometown papers published by Current Publishing (Current, American Journal, Tri-Town Weekly and Lakes Region Weekly) – all now part of Sun Media Group – cover every inch of greater Portland. Together we reach about 100,000 readers a week in communities that make up about 80 percent of Cumberland County (plus part of Sagadahoc County).
If you’re looking for local news, The Forecaster and Current papers more than ever are your sources for information about where you live and work. If you’re a local advertiser, we’re where your customers live.
For a change, the New Year really is new around here.
• • •
One thing that isn’t changing, however, is our gratitude to everyone who took the time this year to share their thoughts and opinions in letters to the editor.
Whether you’ve been critical, have offered praise, or just wanted to share some news, we appreciate the thought, effort – and even courage – it takes to speak your mind in a public forum that doesn’t allow anonymous contributions.
We look forward to hearing from you again in the New Year, and wish all our readers, advertisers and letter writers a happy, healthy and peaceful 2016.
David L. Adams, Yarmouth
Susan van Alsenoy, Wiscasset
The Rev. Maria Anderson, Portland
Douglas C. Andrews, Falmouth
Cushman D. Anthony, Falmouth
Mark Aranson, Cumberland
Matt Arrants, Falmouth
Penny Asherman, Cumberland
Paul Austin, Scarborough
MaryBeth Bachman, Falmouth
Bruce Balboni, Biddeford
Craig Baranowski, Falmouth
Lois Barter, Portland
Mike Bellonzi, Hollis
John Berrett, Cumberland
George C. Betke Jr., Newcastle
Caryn Bickerstaff, Falmouth
Dorothy Blanchette, Falmouth
Leonard Blanchette, Brunswick
Peter Boehmer, Falmouth
Sarah Boudreau, Falmouth
Michelle Bourget, Falmouth
John Brautigam, Falmouth
Park Braverton, Phippsburg
Sen. Cathy Breen, Falmouth
Rita M. Breton, Scarborough
Trish Brigham, Cape Elizabeth
Anna Brogan, Cape Elizabeth
Fred Browne, Richmond
Claudia Brzoza & David Nagler, Brunswick
Michael T. Bucci, Damariscotta
Sandy Buckles, Brunswick
Rachel Mason Burger, South Portland
Brian Burwell, Freeport
Skip Cadigan, Cumberland
Christine Carter, Falmouth
Derek Cerjanec, Falmouth
Susan Chase, South Portland
Sandy Chipman, Brunswick
Lee Chisholm, Freeport
Lorraine Clukey, Portland
Karen Coker, Cape Elizabeth
Susan Cook, Bath
Kerry Corthell, Scarborough
Michael J. Cowell, Yarmouth
Harlan Cutshall, Falmouth
David A. Daigle, Bath
Kym Dakin, Yarmouth
Arthur Davis, Woolwich
Rosemarie De Angelis, South Portland
Lindsay deCsipkes, South Portland
Joel Demers, Portland
Bryan Dench, Falmouth
Isabel Denham, Falmouth
Dale Denno, Cumberland Center
Art DiMauro, Scarborough
Shawn Doil, Portland
Fred Dolgon, Old Orchard Beach
Barbara Doughty, Portland
John A. Dow, Windham
Adrian Dowling, South Portland
Margy Dowzer, North Yarmouth
Brian Doyle, Falmouth
Linda Draper, Cumberland Center
Mike Duck, Agoura Hills, California
Russell DuPree, Freeport
Alexander Eisenhauer, South Portland
Walter J. Eno, Scarborough
Michael Erard, South Portland
Jerry Farnham, Gorham
Mary-Jane Ferrier, South Portland
George A. Fogg, North Yarmouth
Merlyn Fogg, North Yarmouth
Katy Foley, Scarborough
Tom Foley, Cumberland Foreside
Mark Follansbee, Scarborough
Richard T. Foss-Lacey, South Portland
Christopher Franklin, Cumberland
JoAnne Freeman, Scarborough
Greg Fryer, Cumberland
Joanne Fryer, Cumberland
David Gaines, Portland
Susan Gallo, Cumberland
Andrea Garland, Portland
Lynn Gierie, Scarborough
Susan Gilpin, Falmouth
Betsy Gleysteen, Scarborough
Ann Goggin, Falmouth
David Goldberg, Falmouth
Martha Goodale, Westbrook
Jennifer Goodspeed, Falmouth
Rosanne Graef, Portland
Anne Graham, North Yarmouth
Bruce Green, Brunswick
Matt Grondin, Cumberland
Penny Guyton, Falmouth
Susan Hall, Falmouth
Susan Hamill, Cumberland
Cindy Han, Falmouth
Jonathan Harris, Newcastle
Lindsay Hauser, South Portland
Anthony Hayes, Falmouth
Alison Hayward, Falmouth
Steve Hendrickson, Scarborough
John Hobson, Falmouth
John Hodge, Brunswick
David Holman, North Yarmouth
Annette Holmes, South Portland
Kandi-Lee Hoy, South Portland
Albert Hutchinson, Cape Elizabeth
Andy Jones, Falmouth
Ethan Jones, Bath
Brian Kanode, Scarborough
Peter S. Karasopoulos, Portland
Carol Iverson Kauffman, Falmouth
Debora Keller, Bath
Wilma Kennedy, Freeport
Brigitte L. Kingsbury, Cape Elizabeth
Ned Kitchel, Falmouth
Zoe Kitchel, Falmouth
Karen Klatt, Brunswick
Kris Eric Kucera, North Yarmouth
David Kuchta, Portland
Maria Kuhn, Falmouth
Analiese Larson, Falmouth
Carol Larson, Gorham
Mary Ann Larson, Portland
Pete Leavitt, Falmouth
Paul Lennon, Cape Elizabeth
Juliana L’Heureux, Topsham
Robert Libby, Chebeague Island
Audrey Lones, North Yarmouth
Jan Love, Scarborough
Bill Lunt III, Falmouth
Dr. Jim Maier, Scarborough
Harley Marshall, Portland
Rob Masciola, Georgetown
Russ Matthews, Portland
Commissioner Mary C. Mayhew, Augusta
Kevin McCarthy, Falmouth
Maura McDermott, Falmouth
Peggy McGehee, Falmouth
Nicole McGovern, Freeport
Steve Melchiskey, Falmouth
Lincoln J. Merrill Jr., North Yarmouth
Steve Merritt, Old Orchard Beach
Andy Meyer, Falmouth
Dr. Nathan Mick, Falmouth
Monica Millay, Portland
Jennifer Morris, South Portland
Linda Morris, Buxton
Julie Motherwell, Falmouth
Katie Murphy, North Yarmouth
Tracy Murphy, Scarborough
Paul R. Napolitano, North Yarmouth
Mary P. Nelson, Falmouth
Robert & Susan Nielsen, Falmouth
Richard Olson, Falmouth
Nancy O’Hagan, Portland
Alfred Padula, Portland
Steve Palmer, North Yarmouth
Frank H. Parker, Yarmouth
Kathleen Parr, Falmouth
Tony Payne, Falmouth
Carolyn Penrose, Cumberland
Mike Perfetti, Cumberland
Thomas E. Perry, Bath
Brian Peterson, Gorham
Rep. Teresa S. Pierce, Falmouth
Mila Plavsic, Falmouth
Michael Pock, South Portland
Nancy St. John Pond, Cape Elizabeth
Elaine S. Povich, Laurel, Md.
Matt Powell, Scarborough
Albert Presgraves, Peaks Island
Warner Price, Harpswell
Jonathan Priest, Windham
Gene Proctor, West Bath
Stephen Randall, Cumberland
Bonnie Raymond, Woolwich
Gary Reed, Falmouth
Sierra Reed, Yarmouth
Tracie Reed, Portland
Bonny Rodden, Falmouth
Eben Rose, South Portland
A. Bernard Rosengren, North Yarmouth
Bob Rovner, Scarborough
Peter Rubins, Cumberland
Sam Rudman, Falmouth
R. Scott Ruppert, Harpswell
Pem Schaeffer, Brunswick
Ed and Mary Schreiber, Lake Katrine, NY
Polly Shaw, Bath
Sarah A. Sherman, Southport Island
Kate Shub, Yarmouth
Rep. Heather Sirocki, Scarborough
Linda Skinner, South Portland
William H. Slavick, Portland
Curt Slocum, Phippsburg
The Rev. Allison C. G. Smith, Harpswell
Daniel Smith, North Yarmouth
James L. Solley, Falmouth
Rebecca Soule, South Portland
John Sperber, South Portland
Charles J. Spies III, Brunswick
Sue Stableford, Brunswick
Ernie Stanhope, South Portland
Barry Stephens, Greenland, N.H.
Robert Stewart, Cumberland Foreside
Bruce R. Stillings, Falmouth
Marlise Swartz, Yarmouth
Nathan Szanton, Portland
Eva Thompson, Camden
Wolfe Tone, Cumberland
Jeff Toorish, North Yarmouth
Lucy Tucker, Falmouth
Lowell D. Turnbull, Portland
Todd Turkewitz, South Portland
Loretta Turner, Biddeford
Ted & Dolores Vail, Falmouth
Joe Walker, South Portland
Jim Walsh, Cape Elizabeth
Carol Watson, North Yarmouth
Everett White, Cumberland
Harry White, Scarborough
Lucinda E. White, Freeport
Rachel Horton White, Falmouth
Stevenson White, South Portland
Gerry Whiting, North Yarmouth
Susan DeWitt Wilder, Scarborough
Bruce Wildes, Cumberland
Dennis Wilkins, Harpswell
Stephanie Wilson, Yarmouth
John P. Winslow, Falmouth
Mike and Karyn Woelflein, Yarmouth
Rob Wood, North Yarmouth
Rita Yavinsky, Cumberland
Robin Young, North Yarmouth
Jana Zimmerman, Cape Elizabeth
Mo Mehlsak is editor of The Forecaster. He can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 107 or mmehlsak@theforecaster.net. You can also follow Mo on Twitter: @mmehlsak.
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