Articles by Ben McCanna
Once controversial Portland charter school gets high marks in state report
PORTLAND, Maine — A charter school that opened this fall in the city is as “good as it gets,” according to a review from the state’s Charter School Commission. Baxter Academy for Technology and Science received generally positive feedback in a two-page report approved Dec. 3 by the Maine Charter …
Falmouth library board: $5 million expansion dead without purchase of nearby lot for parking
FALMOUTH, Maine — The Falmouth Memorial Library board has drawn an apparent line in the sand, deciding that a proposed $5 million expansion project should not move forward without acquisition of an adjacent parcel of land. That assessment is included in a four-page letter addressed to Town Councilor Russ Anderson …
Maine Chess Academy teaches ‘royal game’ to Portland schoolchildren
PORTLAND, Maine — Chess teacher Ben Monaghan had his work cut out for him. On a recent afternoon, Monaghan set up six chess boards at Fred P. Hall Elementary School and endeavored to teach the royal game to a dozen energetic children. At first, it was pandemonium, but over the …
Falmouth firefighter arrested on arson charge, indicted on sex assault charge
FALMOUTH, Maine — A part-time firefighter has been arrested for arson after allegedly setting two fires in September, according to police. Griffin Kline, 20, of Woodlands Drive, was arrested Wednesday night following a two-month investigation, according to a press release from Lt. John Kilbride. Kline was also indicted earlier this …
Trail system for walkers, bicyclists proposed for tracts beside rail lines north of Portland
YARMOUTH, Maine — The planner behind a five-town effort to improve bicycle and walking trails in the region is eyeing a 24-mile strip of railway as a potential rails-with-trails corridor. The announcement came Monday during a presentation at Yarmouth Town Hall by Mike Lydon, principal of The Street Plans Collaborative, …
Towns work in tandem to improve bicycle, walking paths north of Portland
FALMOUTH, Maine — Bicycle and pedestrian pathways north of Portland are under scrutiny this week in a series of workshops to improve connectivity between towns. The five-day, five-town series kicked off Tuesday, Nov. 12, with a day-long tour of Falmouth’s paths and trail heads by bicycle and car, followed by …
Portland schools’ proposed $3.6 million purchase, upgrade of downtown building gets initial approval
PORTLAND, Maine — City schools are a step closer to having a centrally located central office. On Thursday, Nov. 7, the city Finance Committee unanimously recommended a $3.6 million plan to purchase and renovate the former Goodwill Industries building at 353 Cumberland Ave. in the city’s downtown district. The committee’s …
Deering High freshman basketball coach dies at age 34
PORTLAND, Maine — A veteran basketball coach for Deering High School has died. Freshman basketball coach Brendan Conway, 34, died suddenly while playing basketball Thursday. Deering athletic director Melanie Craig said the staff at Deering High School wasn’t aware of any health issues that may have led to Conway’s death …
Pious Ali makes history as first African-born Muslim elected to Portland School Board
PORTLAND, Maine — Legalization of marijuana wasn’t the city’s only first on Election Day. Pious Ali, winner of an at-large seat on the School Board, is very likely the first African-born American to win a publicly elected office in Portland. He may also be the first Muslim to do so. …
Television stars to perform in Portland to raise awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder
PORTLAND, Maine — The organizers behind the upcoming performance of a 2,500-year-old play hope to address a very modern problem. “Theater of War” is an event that combines a dramatic reading of the ancient Greek play “Ajax” with a town hall-style forum on post-traumatic stress disorder. The free event will …
Demand for Portland trio’s mushrooms grows like, well, fungus
PORTLAND, Maine — It’s an unlikely setting. On the outskirts of downtown, wedged between a billiards bar and a busy stretch of train tracks, lies a graffiti-marked cinder-block garage. Deep within, a delicate beauty grows under heavenly white light. Welcome to Bountiful Mushrooms Farm. Here, alongside heavy traffic and light …
With more music students than instruments, Portland schools sound call for donations
PORTLAND, Maine — For the first time in 20 years, the music department at Portland Public Schools is sounding a call. The schools need musical instruments. This year, about 50 students were unable to take music lessons for lack of instruments. Adding to the pressure, the Portland Music Boosters — …
New obstacles for quiet zones at Falmouth rail crossings
FALMOUTH, Maine — Establishing quiet zones at two town rail crossings has proved an elusive goal, fraught with curve balls and a significant increase in the estimated cost. That was the consensus at a Town Council meeting that included an update on the stalled projects, a round of public comment …
Habitat for Humanity opening bigger ReStore in Portland
PORTLAND, Maine — Just beyond the entrance to the new Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland ReStore lies a hulking seven-foot service counter that was cobbled together from discarded antique doors, ornate trim and scraps of mahogany. “We wanted this to be exemplary of what we do here,” employee and …
Archers lament Falmouth’s new bow-hunting ban on town properties
NORTH YARMOUTH, Maine — Steve Dunsmoor was fast at work behind the counter, tapping new arrow points into aluminum shafts for a nearby customer. But Dunsmoor took a moment’s break to lament a revised ordinance in Falmouth that restricts bow hunting from some town-owned properties. For bow hunters, the loss …
Falmouth police seek burglar who broke into multiple homes while bleeding
FALMOUTH, Maine — Police placed a reverse 911 call to residents Thursday, Oct. 3, to warn them about a series of attempted burglaries by a man who is still at large. Lt. John Kilbride said the call was made Thursday night after a string of incidents, beginning with a motor …
Falmouth lobsterwoman hopes new dockside restaurant can be a year-round destination
FALMOUTH, Maine — While much of the Maine coast is winding down for the season, a new waterfront restaurant is just getting started. And that’s partly the point. Dockside Grill, at 215 Foreside Road, opened Sept. 20 at a familiar location. For more than half a century, this seaside spot …
Portland-area bus service seeks to expand into 5 northern suburbs
CUMBERLAND, Maine — The Greater Portland Transit District is eyeing a potential expansion of its METRO bus service to five towns north of the city by summer 2014. First, however, METRO needs elected officials to get on board. Greg Jordan, METRO’s general manager, made his pitch Monday during a meeting …
Deal to provide equal opportunity for girls sports to cost Portland schools $400,000
PORTLAND, Maine — A recent agreement between the U.S. Education Department and Portland Public Schools will cost nearly $400,000 to implement and will provide equal athletic opportunities for girls. The agreement also calls for “substantial upgrades” to Payson Park. The agreement was announced Friday — more than three years after …
New route awaits participants in annual Maine Marathon
PORTLAND, Maine — Runners participating in a 22-year-old Maine tradition will have a new path to follow this year. The Maine Marathon and Half Marathon will take a temporary, westerly course to avoid construction at the Martin’s Point bridge, which connects Veranda Street with U.S. Route 1 in Falmouth over …
Eastern Maine Medical Center facing $7 million shortfall
Ex-UMaine football player accused of stabbing same woman he attacked in Orono in 2012
The Holy Grail in Maine? History Channel researcher’s theory touches off fresh debate about Phippsburg artifacts
Mining metals from Maine landfills? Burgeoning effort is already worth millions
Can LePage’s ‘right-to-work’ plan grow Maine’s economy?
Maine GOP dismisses Medicaid compromise that meets its own demands
Everything, including ‘right to work,’ should be on the table in a conversation about Maine jobs
Maine’s lobster industry might not last forever. Then what?
Prosecutor explains plea bargain for UMaine football player accused of 2012 domestic violence assault
Bangor stations to televise Maine hockey playoff games on Friday, Saturday nights
UMaine officials defend school’s handling of 2012 incident involving football player now accused of murder
Kidney donor from Veazie, recipient from Caribou form special bond
Actor Patrick Dempsey, Jackson Laboratory to receive Maine awards
LePage’s plan to get tough on drug abuse needs to be more than a campaign speech
Forty to one — the symbolism of maple sugaring, finding the richness of life