There are a lot of ways to celebrate the planet we call home right here in South Portland, whether it be wandering through the city’s sand dusted streets, exploring parks, cemeteries and trails, or looking out at our cliff-scattered coastline. April is Earth Month and next week is Earth Week, which both lead up to […]

This week, we continue looking at the old factory complex in Ferry Village, where RiverPlace Apartments is now located. The first building was constructed in 1892 and opened as a plush factory in early 1893, only to close down almost immediately due to lack of capital. The next business to move in was the bicycle […]

In my district – and across Maine – people are struggling to get the health care they and their children need. The Legislature as a whole has been working on this, taking up bills to improve access to dental care and mental health care among other measures. I’ve been focusing on the health care needs […]

As we continue our research into the large, industrial employers who once occupied the factory complex in Ferry Village, I thought we’d take a break this week and talk about war bonds. The accompanying photographs were donated to the South Portland Historical Society a few years ago by a descendant of William Richardson. As you […]

Since the beginning of my time working in the South Portland Sustainability Office, I have had the pleasure of writing about sustainability topics ranging from coastal resilience to electric lawnmowers. This week, I’m taking a step back, looking back and requesting, humbly, some input from you. There has been a lot to write about since […]

When does spring arrive in Maine? I asked a class of senior nursing students that question and got a wide range of answers, many quite funny. However, I say spring is here, the birds sing, the ducks walk and swim in pairs, the grass is turning green, snow drops are out and other greens are […]

We looked at John Fisher last week, and his founding in 1903 of the Marine Hardware and Equipment Company in the old bicycle factory in Ferry Village. It appears that more capital and/or new investors were needed in 1911, as a new corporation was formed, Marine Hardware-Equipment Company. The original Marine Hardware sold its property […]

Although often overlooked, small-motor, gasoline-powered equipment is a significant contributor to climate change. According to the EPA, off-road gasoline-powered equipment, such as lawn mowers and leaf blowers, emit approximately 242 million tons of pollutants annually, just as much as cars and homes. Nationally, the equipment accounts for 17 percent of all VOC emissions, 12 percent […]

Welcome to the first installment of Sustainability Staff Spotlight, a series introducing you to the South Portland Sustainability Office team. This week we’re featuring a good ol’ Q & A with Cashel Stewart, our sustainable transportation coordinator, who has worked in the sustainability office since January 2021. Cashel spearheads efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions […]

We’ve previously taken a look at the Portland Plush Mill Company, the business that first built the factory building in 1892 in western Ferry Village, where the RiverPlace Apartments are now located. We then looked at the John P. Lovell Company that took over the plant for its bicycle factory in 1895, then expanded the […]