New brew

Another Starbucks is coming to South Portland, in a new building to go up at 365 Maine Mall Road, next to the DoubleTree Hotel. On Tuesday, Aug. 13, the South Portland Planning Board unanimously approved amendments to a pre-existing subdivision plan on the site for VanEastland LLC, as well as plans for a 6,800-square-foot building for United Growth Capital Management LLC.

According to Shawn Frank, from engineering firm Sebago Technics, who spoke on behalf of the applicant, most of the building (5,000 square feet) will be dedicated to “a mattress store.” The remaining 1,800 square feet, he said, will house a 29-seat Starbucks coffee shop, complete with a drive-through window. Construction is expected to take place over the winter months.

New roof

On Wednesday, Aug. 14, the South Portland School Board agreed to spend $77,580 to replace two sections of roof at Mahoney Middle School, over the locker rooms and maintenance shop, and over the central receiving area. The contract went to G&E Roofing Co. of Augusta, one of only two firms to bid after 64 were solicited. Kevin W. Smith & Sons of Gorham bid $89,420. The school department had budgeted $101,000 from money bonded as part of the fiscal year 2010 capital improvements project list. Russ Dillingham, director of buildings and grounds for the school department, said the goal is to have the new roofs on “by the beginning of September, or shortly thereafter.”

New hires

At its Aug. 14 meeting, the South Portland School Board unanimously approved the hiring of five new staffers for the 2013-2014 school year. They are:

• Cybil Kipp, half-time at $63,104, to be an occupational therapist at Brown Elementary School. Kipp has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y., and a master’s in occupational therapy from the University of Southern Maine. She was most recently an occupational therapist in School Administrative District 6, which serves Buxton, Hollis, Limington, Standish and Frye Island.

• Nancy Smith, half-time at $69,926, as a psychologist at Mahoney Middle School. Also coming to South Portland from SAD 6, where she was a district-wide psychologist, Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Colby College, a master’s in risk and prevention from Harvard University and doctorate in school psychology from the University of Rhode Island.

• Mary Katheryn Rinaldi, three/fifth’s time at $51,165, as a district-wide speech language pathologist. Rinaldi earned a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from Emerson College and a master’s in speech language pathology from Northeastern University. She most recently worked as a speech language pathologist for the town of Milton, Mass.

• Jadie Farwell, full-time at $39,227, as a sixth-grade English language arts and social studies teacher at Memorial Middle School. Most recently a life skills coordinator at The Collaborative School in New Gloucester, Farwell has a bachelor’s in philosophy and a master’s in learning and teaching, both from the University of Southern Maine.

• The fifth new hire, who was to have been a music teacher at Skillin and Brown elementary schools, declined the district’s offer, leaving the position still to be filled before class begin in two weeks.

Not so small

At its Aug. 14 meeting, the South Portland School Board approved additional hiring, based on projected enrollment numbers. Superintendent Suzanne Godin said preliminary figures show an incoming kindergarten class at Small Elementary of 46 students. With just two current teachers on staff at that level, the result would be mean classes of 23 students each, above the school board’s K-2 guideline of no more than 20 students.

Godin said the new staff will be paid for with so-called turnover savings the difference between what the school board budgeted in the spring and actual payroll, given the retirement of longtime teachers and the hiring of new recruits. Godin said a “rough estimate” has pegged the savings at about $200,000 this year. “The Board gave me authorization to determine the level of staffing necessary once we have a clear picture of enrollment numbers,” said Godin. “Our clerks came back to work on Monday so we’ll be finalizing projections across the district over the next week.”

New ride

Even after wading through five hours of public comment on tar sands Monday, the South Portland City Council still had one item on its meeting agenda, although it made quick work of it. The council voted unanimously to spend $28,145 on a 2013 GMC Sierra pick-up truck for use by Public Works Director Doug Howard. The city sent bid specs to 23 vendors and received four quotes, awarding the contract to low bidder, Bill Dodge Auto Group or Westbrook. Howard’s current vehicle, a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer with more than 105,000 miles, will be passed on to his deputy director, marking an upgrade from the two-wheel drive pickup that person now drives.