2016 Election: Another Look at Senate #30 Race

PPH:

[Democrat Jean-Marie] Caterina is a publicly funded candidate under Maine’s Clean Election Act, which limits private contributions and provides supplemental public funding. She had received $3,000 in seed money contributions and nearly $42,000 in Clean Election funding as of Sept. 20. By the end of that period, she had a cash balance just shy of $37,780. [Republican Amy] Volk is running a privately financed campaign, and she reported roughly $47,334 in contributions as of Sept. 20. She had spent about $12,120, meaning she had a balance of more than $35,000 in her campaign coffers at the end of that period.

- John C.L. Morgan

Election 2016: Another Look at House #27 Race

PPH:

State Rep. Andrew McLean, a freshman Democratic legislator, is being challenged Nov. 8 by Republican James Means in a race for the House District 27 seat representing parts of Gorham and Scarborough. Both Gorham residents, the candidates differ on some major issues facing Mainers, such as raising the minimum wage and requiring background checks for private gun sales, and they agree on others, such as opposing the proposal to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

- John C.L. Morgan

NoGo Sunrise: October 30

7:15a

- John C.L. Morgan

2016 Election: BDN Gives Edge to McLean, Volk in Races

The Bangor Daily News has come out with its latest projections for all the competitive match-ups in this year's State House and State Senate races, and incumbents Andrew McLean (D) and Amy Volk (R) have been given the edge in the State House #27 and State Senate #30 races, respectively.

The BDN's projections categorize McLean's race against challenger Jim Means (R) as "Strong D," which means McLean is a strong favorite. And its latest projections have shifted Volk's race against challenger Jean-Marie Caterina from "Toss-Up" to "Leans R," or that Volk is now the favorite.

The projections, which are not based on any polling, take into consideration the partisan make-up of each district, past performances by the candidates, and spending.

Here are the statewide projections for State House races (top) and State Senate races (bottom):

- John C.L. Morgan

North Gorham Library to Host Westbrook Author

Westbrook author Eleanor Phillips Brackbill will be speaking at the North Gorham Public Library Thursday, October 27 at 7pm. The event is free and open to all.

Brackbill is the author of The Queen of Heartbreak Trail: The Life and Times of Harriet Smith Pullen, Pioneering Woman. In 1897, Harriet Smith Pullen landed in Skagway, Alaska, from Washington State, in the midst of the Klondike Gold Rush, broke and alone. Her enterprising attitude and gregarious nature would make her an Alaska legend.

For more information about the book, click here.

- John C.L. Morgan

NoGo Sunrise: October 23

7:07a

- John C.L. Morgan

2016 Election: A Look at State Senate #30 Race

The Forecaster:

SCARBOROUGH — Town Councilor Jean-Marie Caterina, a Democrat, is challenging Republican incumbent state Sen. Amy Volk in Senate District 30. The district includes most of Scarborough, plus Gorham and Buxton.

- John C.L. Morgan

NoGo Sunrise: October 14

6:55a

2016 Election: A Look at State House #27 Race

AJ:

In the race for Maine House District 27, Democrat Andrew McLean, the incumbent, is being challenged for the seat by Republican James Means. Both are from Gorham. The district represents part of Gorham and part of Scarborough.

- John C.L. Morgan

Gorham Historical Society Gains New Leadership

AJ:

Following passionate pleas Monday [September 26] to preserve the Gorham Historical Society, members averted a potential collapse of the group. The historical society, plagued in recent months by lack of filled leadership positions and dwindling meeting attendance, rallied when a large turnout backed continuing the organization. Then membership elected a new slate of officers. They chose Suzanne Phillips, a School Committee member and former town councilor, as president. “I am looking forward to helping the historical society have more of a presence in the community,” Phillips said Wednesday. “We have wonderful members and lots of great ideas.” The society’s assets include archives housed in a town-owned building at 28 School St., and a White Rock farm bequeathed to the society several years ago. Disbanding the society would likely have led to legal issues.

- John C.L. Morgan

NoGo Sunrise: October 6

6:48a

- John C.L. Morgan

Maine DoT Repairs Babb's Bridge

AJ:

After years of patchwork repairs to damage from vandalism and car accidents, the Maine Department of Transportation is making major renovations to the historic Babb’s Bridge in South Windham. The repairs, which started Sept. 19 and are expected to continue through the end of October, have completely closed the bridge, which connects Covered Bridge Road in Windham to Hurricane Road in Gorham. Doten Construction, the contractor for the project, will be replacing the bridge’s wooden roof and sides, which have seen extensive damage caused by vandalism. The budget for the project is $89,000, according to Ted Talbot, spokersman for the department.

- John C.L. Morgan

Related: Babb's Bridge Among Five Best Watering Holes in Maine (August 22, 2016)  

10% for Maine: October 3

(Editor's Note: This is a weekly feature that will highlight North Gorham residents' ability to spend at least 10% of a weekly grocery bill on Maine-owned products at a major grocery store in the area.)

Percentage of Maine-owned goods bought: 28.7%

Allagash White (Portland)
Bar Harbor Clam Chowder (Whiting)
Fox Family Potato Chips (Blaine)
Kate's Sea Salt Butter (Old Orchard Beach)
Montecito Roadhouse tortilla chips (Westbrook)
Oakhurst Heavy Cream (Portland)
Randall Orchards apples (Standish) 

- John C.L. Morgan

NoGo Sunrise: October 1

(Editor's note: This is the first of what will be a weekly installment capturing a sunrise over North Gorham Pond. Perhaps no spot in North Gorham captures the four seasons better than the pond, so this feature is meant to document our changing landscape over the next year.)

6:40a

- John C.L. Morgan