John ‘Jack’ Sylvester wants to buy out the 25 other owners of Barleyfield Point, on Orr’s Island, because he says it’s mismanaged and deteriorating. The other shareholders are fighting back, saying they fear that Sylvester’s purchase could signal the end of another working waterfront in Maine.
Kay Neufeld
Staff Writer
Kay Neufeld is a business reporter with the Portland Press Herald, covering labor, unions and Maine's workforce; lobstering, fisheries and the working waterfront. They also love telling stories that illustrate the vibrant culture that makes Maine and its Mainers so special. They previously worked at the Camden Herald, Franklin Journal and the Bangor Daily News, covering local communities. Kay grew up in New York and graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute in 2018. They spontaneously moved to Maine in 2020 after visiting on vacation, searching for housing on Craigslist in the middle of their trip and asking their mother to ship their belongings to the Midcoast. In their spare time, Kay loves taking their miniature dachshund on miniature hikes, passionately defending Beyoncé's artistry and playing the fiddle with friends.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State
Flipped birds, selfies and stares: A day in the life of Portland’s Cybertruck owner
Travis Carter has 1 of the 2 Tesla trucks in all of Maine. He says he’s shy and doesn’t like the limelight – but when he’s behind the wheel, all eyes are on him.
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Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News
Shooting by York County deputy was justified, attorney general rules
Police were attempting to arrest Nicholas Goodwin on charges of domestic violence terrorizing and violating conditions of release when the shooting occurred. Goodwin, who had threatened to kill police and his former girlfriend, survived and is now awaiting trial.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News, Politics
Gov. Mills orders state to find ways to hire, retain more women in construction jobs
The order is intended to address a large gender gap in the construction industry and help the state combat a severe workforce shortage.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, Schools and Education
Graduate workers’ union bemoans pace of negotiations with UMaine System
Six months into bargaining, administrators and the union have reached tentative agreements on just two of 22 contract issues.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State
State backs lobstermen in urging regulators to reevaluate changes to minimum size
They say increasing the minimum length of a harvestable lobster by one-sixteenth of an inch will prevent them from catching their most popular crustaceans.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
23 people died on the job in Maine last year, including 3 killed in the Lewiston mass shooting
As Maine leads the country in workplace injury rates, labor advocates are calling on the government to strengthen safety protections and enforcement.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State
Maine’s wharf owners scramble to repair what they can before lobstering season starts
Contractors are hard to come by amid the mounting demand to repair damage from January storms that battered the coast. Now, many are patching their own wharves, hoping they can hold out until the real work can be done.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Parker Hannifin to halt Kittery operations by November, laying off 48 workers
The company, which manufactures an array of motion control technology, plans to move the work it does in Maine to plants in Michigan and Ohio, saying it’s ‘necessary to maintain our competitiveness in a challenging market.’
Posted inLocal & State, News
Rapt tour group: Bird-watchers gather on Bradbury Mountain for a day of education on birds of prey
‘Feathers Over Freeport: A Birdwatching Weekend’ lured visitors to the state park in Pownal, where up to 1,800 hawks might pass over the mountain at the height of the season.