WESTBROOK — Voters in Wards 2 and 3 will have a new place to cast their ballots for next month’s school validation vote. After getting a last-minute notification that the Maine National Guard Armory, a longtime polling location, won’t be available on Tuesday, June 11, the city council approved shifting voters to the Westbrook Community […]
Michael Kelley
Michael Kelley has been professionally working in the newspaper industry since 2006 writing about municipal news, education news, environmental news, sports and other human interest topics. He has covered the communities of Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Portland, South Portland and Westbrook for several weekly newspapers. His work has appeared in magazines, daily newspapers and weekly newspapers throughout Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont.
Posted inAmerican Journal
12-screen theater signs on for Rock Row
WESTBROOK — Cinemark Holdings Inc. has reached an agreement with Waterstone Properties Group to build a 12-screen theater at Rock Row. The theater, which would be part of the mixed-use development proposed for the old Pike quarry site on the Portland line, still needs approval from the Westbrook Planning Board. It is scheduled to open in […]
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Posted inAmerican Journal
City OKs tax relief plan for seniors
WESTBROOK — The City Council Monday put into place a local property tax program to refund up to $500 to qualifying seniors as early as this fall. Residents who are 70 or older, participate in the state’s property tax fairness credit program and have lived in the city for at least the last 10 years […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Southern Forecaster
No glitches in student pitches
WESTBROOK — It wasn’t ABC’s Shark Tank, but students got a chance this week to pitch their business ideas before a panel of business professionals as part of Westbrook Regional Vocation Center’s INCubatoredu entrepreneurship program. Westbrook seniors Sebastian Johns, Gabe Larson and Alek Opacic took the top prize for their idea to reduce the amount of […]
Posted inAmerican Journal
Community program revenues pooled to help pools
WESTBROOK — When the Westbrook Community Center opened a decade ago, city administration decided each program there should be responsible for covering its own costs. All programs have been self-supporting except for the operation of the swimming pools. Aquatic passes, rentals and user fees have not covered the cost of operating the Davan Indoor Pool and […]
Posted inAmerican Journal
Whittled school budget ready for voters next month
WESTBROOK — City Councilors are hoping the $40.3 million school budget that they approved Monday will be one voters can support at the school validation vote June 11. The school spending plan is part of an overall $69.8 million city budget for fiscal year 2020, which runs July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. Taxpayers […]
Posted inAmerican Journal
MPTC fundraising targets expansion to Biddeford
WESTBROOK — Two decades after starting a program to provide a safe after-school space for area youth, My Place Teen Center’s new fundraising campaign earmarks funds to open a second location in York County. My Place Teen Center’s $6.5 million campaign includes plans to convert 9,800 square feet on the bottom floor of the former St. […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Southern Forecaster
Saccarappa playground designed, awaits funding
WESTBROOK — As the renovation of the old sections of Saccarappa School nears completion, school officials are looking at ways to fund the construction of a playground unlike any other in the city. The school board’s Finance Committee last week met to get an update on the proposed $133,000 playground and how it may be funded. […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Southern Forecaster
Cultural plan may call for more arts downtown
WESTBROOK — Just as community members come together every decade or so to lay out their vision for the future through an update to the city’s Comprehensive Plan, a similar effort is underway to map a cultural blueprint for the city. “Much like land use planning serves as tool for municipalities and regional planning entities to help […]
Posted inAmerican Journal
Pavilion prepares to set stage
WESTBROOK — A lot of work has to be completed at the site of Maine Savings Pavilion between now and the first show May 26, but organizers are confident everything will get done. “You look out there right now and think we have a long way to go, but we have done this so many times […]