WGME (Channel 13) is reporting that the Portland City Council's decision on the redevelopment of the Maine State Pier (and the subject of our cover story this week, "Saving A Sinking Waterfront") has been put off until September 17.

That gives people who object to the disastrously flawed process, and/or the disappointing (and nearly identical) proposals put forward, more time to raise additional concerns. It also gives our city councilors plenty of time to think about doing the right thing, and starting over from scratch.

Post your ideas for the Maine State Pier's future as comments here, or on our story.

8/30/2007 1:10:07 PM by Jeff Inglis | Comments [0] |  

Approximately 250 people turned out in Monument Square last night for the statewide Take a Stand day, sponsored by Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, the organization that's been putting the heat on Maine's congressional delegation (and politicians nationwide) all summer. State House speaker Glenn Cummings (D-Portland) spoke at the rally, along with activists and military family members. There were also Take a Stand events in Augusta, and in Orono, where about 100 people attended a town meeting.

Representative Tom Allen attended the Orono town meeting in person; Rep. Mike Michaud and Sen. Olympia Snowe sent a video and a written statement, respectively. But Senator Susan Collins, who recieved a hand-delivered invitation, told the Lewiston Sun Journal that she would not attend. Americans Against Escalation in Iraq never got an official response from Collins' office.

8/29/2007 3:00:34 PM by Deirdre Fulton | Comments [0] |  

The art by federal inmate Thomas William Manning that was put up and then taken down by USM officials last fall (see "Prisoners of Politics," by Rick Wormwood, September 14, 2006 - and note the links to related articles down the right-hand side of the page) has hit the road.

"Can't Jail The Spirit" closed in June after a month-long show in New York City, and has just opened in the City of Brotherly Love last week, with the support of a group called the Anarchist Black Cross Federation.

To see where else it's going (or to ask for it to visit another location), hit the show's Web site.

8/28/2007 1:41:54 PM by Jeff Inglis | Comments [0] |  

We're not sure if it's art, but it apparently won Ryan Eling a MacBook computer. It's a video entry in a contest being held by Friendly's, the ice cream and restaurant company. As a result of dreaming up "The Ballad of Phineas Fribble," complete with original song, choreography, and special effects, Eling is in a seven-person final for a $10,000 shopping spree of Apple products. (No gift certificates? Maybe they need to drum up some more business first.)

Check out the video here, and then, if you are moved, you can vote on whether you think it should win the contest.

8/27/2007 3:21:00 PM by Jeff Inglis | Comments [0] |  

A new TV ad, which will run for roughly one week on six channels in Portland and Bangor, calls on Senator Susan Collins to vote to end the war in Iraq -- and lambastes her "continuing support for the war, support for the president and her repeated votes against efforts to bring [the war] to a safe and responsible end." The ad, sponsored by the non-profit Americans United for Change (which also led the charge against Social Security privatization a couple years ago, and which has paid for similar ads targeting other senators in other states), splices together clips of chaos and destruction in Iraq with a shot of Collins and Bush smiling together. This is part of a statewide effort to pressure Collins to join the other members of Maine's delegation in their opposition to the war.

Watch the ad:

8/22/2007 11:46:29 AM by Deirdre Fulton | Comments [0] |  

Maybe New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell is a breast man. That’s at least what Jason Jones of The Daily Show implied, as Jones introduced his score for McNallica at the US Air Guitar National Championship, held Thursday at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza in New York City.

But we get ahead of ourselves.

(If you want to get ahead of yourself, too, follow the links below to see exclusive Portland Phoenix photos from the event, and a couple videos - a short interview with McNallica, and a clip from the post-competition celebration.)