Please reelect Misha Pride to the South Portland City Council. He demonstrates the ability to analyze issues in depth. He readily integrates new knowledge to modify his positions. He is respectful to all and leads discussions of difficult topics forward while acknowledging all sides of an issue. He is serving his second term as mayor […]

I’m addressing this open letter to all South Portland property taxpayers. I’m a lifelong resident of the city and taxpayer since 1991. The City Council’s proposal to borrow $74 million to renovate the former Mahoney Middle School for a city hall, and additions for a new police station and new library is not something the […]

No South Portland resident should have to take out a reverse mortgage to pay property taxes. But that is exactly what Mayor Misha Pride offered as an option for senior citizens to consider, as the City Council seems incapable of  exercising fiscal responsibility. During the Aug. 13 City Council meeting where the assessor presented on […]

I am deeply committed to fostering genuine community engagement and citizen activism that sparks meaningful dialogue. Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a No Yard South presentation led by one of the group’s founders and a former South Portland mayor. I was interested to hear the group’s concerns, constructive criticism and potential solutions. […]

Imagine if South Portland collaborated with a land conservation organization and fundraised enough money to purchase the 30-acre property known as Yard South. Imagine if the current owners, Jennifer Packard and David Packard, accepted a competitive offer from the community at large, to preserve this waterfront jewel for generations to come. How much would we […]

Accusing South Portland residents of NIMBYism is insulting and inaccurate. The community objections to Yard South relate to: 1. Development on a fragile coastline prone to flooding due to climate change and rising ocean levels; 2. Increased traffic in an area with very limited road access, which could be catastrophic in an emergency requiring evacuation; […]

As someone who has taken pride and enjoyed living in South Portland for almost 40 years, I now look forward to living my retirement years here. One of the specific activities that my husband and I both enjoy is going to Bug Light early in the morning and looking out at the sea with a […]

As we wade into the murky world of remediation of brownfield-contaminated land regarding the Yard South proposals for the Bug Light buildout, we should think back to the earlier Protect South Portland efforts to forestall tar sands coming through our port. Those efforts remain ongoing. Biological weapon agents have caused harm and death to many […]

Yard South will not solve the affordable housing problem in South Portland. Instead it will cater to folks who can afford million-dollar homes and raise taxes. New roads, schools, upgraded resources and future damage to our shoreline will increase taxes. The plan for the new owners to ride a bus or a bike is a […]