News in South Portland

The Universal Notebook: Cooperate or perish

Have you noticed the propensity of television producers to turn everything into a game these days? Other than the occasional "Jeopardy," I don’t watch any of the popular programs based on contests between people vying for everything from who can lose the most weight to who will becom...

Edgar Allen Beem • Opinion •

Monday, April 1, 2013 at 10:20 am

Short Relief: Charter school rivalry does education a disservice

I attended private schools in New York and New Jersey. My wife attended public schools in Maryland. We both went on to private colleges and graduate schools. She’s smarter and more accomplished. You can draw your own conclusions about what that says about the relative virtues of a public ve...

Halsey Frank • Opinion •

Monday, April 1, 2013 at 10:00 am

Letter: Fed up with the president's vacation habits

Once again our illustrious president sees fit to go on another vacation golfing in Florida with Tiger Woods to the paltry tune of $1 million. It makes me feel so good when he has no conscience about spending this money on himself and has the audacity to tell us to inflate our tires to save money....

• Opinion •

Monday, April 1, 2013 at 9:30 am

Letter: Disappointed with Collins' stance on tar sands

I am a retired high school science teacher who has followed climate science for the past 40 years. I write to express my disappointment with Sen. Susan Collins' vote to endorse the Keystone tar sands pipeline. My question for her is: Do you believe in climate science as presented by the overwhelm...

• Opinion •

Monday, April 1, 2013 at 9:10 am

Portland lawyer credited as 'mastermind' behind landmark gay rights court cases

PORTLAND — Opponents and admirers alike have called Mary Bonauto the Thurgood Marshall of gay rights. For decades Bonauto, 51, of Portland, has been a force at the center of many landmark cases dealing with gay rights, from Augusta to the chambers of the U.S. Supreme Court. In...

Noah Hurowitz • News •

Monday, April 1, 2013 at 8:20 am

North Yarmouth Academy to merge with Freeport Montessori school, add lower grades

YARMOUTH — North Yarmouth Academy will expand its grade offerings for the first time in its nearly 200-year history to include instruction below fifth grade. NYA announced Thursday that it will merge with Freeport's...

Will Graff • News •

Friday, March 29, 2013 at 2:30 pm

Southern Meetings: March 29-April 4

Cape Elizabeth Mon. 4/1 7:30 a.m. School Board Policy Committee TH Tues. 4/2 7 p.m. Planning Board TH Thur. 4/4 7 p.m. Recycling Committee PW Scarborough

Community •

Friday, March 29, 2013

Abundance of all stars this winter

The stars of winter shone brightly and their impact continues to be felt on postseason all-star teams. Whether the sport was basketball, hockey, indoor track, swimming or skiing, athletes from Forecaster Country rose above and earned their du...

Michael Hoffer • Sports •

Friday, March 29, 2013

Barbara J. Sawyer, 72: Beloved nursing assistant with thousands of children

SCARBOROUGH — Barbara J. Sawyer, 72, of Scarborough, died peacefully of end-stage liver disease at her home on March 18, her birthday. Sawyer was born in 1941 at Mercy Hospital in Portland, to Edward Knight Bayley and Bertha Leslie (McDonald) Bayley. She grew up in the Pine Poin...

Obituaries •

Friday, March 29, 2013

Maine Mall owner loses appeal of South Portland tax valuation

SOUTH PORTLAND — The latest appeal of 2009 city property tax valuations by the owners of the Maine Mall was turned aside by the Maine Board of Property Tax Review in Augusta. The board's written decision is not yet available, but city Tax Assessor Elizabeth Sawyer said the refusal by...

David Harry • News •

Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 9:50 am