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Before we get into this week's news, I'm looking for some book recommendations.
In January, I set a goal of reading 12 books in 2025. I got lazy in March, but I just picked up my third of the year this week. I'll need to do some catching up this summer — with any luck, on a beach somewhere.
Any recommendations on a page-turner? Historical fiction is my favorite genre, but I'm open to any and all suggestions.
In this week's newsletter: South Portland residents call for the removal of 19 oil tanks; Cape Elizabeth's proposed school budget is on its path to the ballot; Scarborough puts its new police cruiser and body cameras to the test and more.
- Drew Johnson |
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TOP STORY |
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South Portland residents are campaigning for the removal of 19 of the city's roughly 100 oil tanks. The 19 tanks are part of the Hill Street Tank Farm which, unlike the rest of the tanks in South Portland, are tucked into a residential neighborhood, near schools and the city's community center. |
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A view of the Hill Street Tank Farm from Nutter Road in South Portland, across the street from the city’s community center. Drew Johnson/Community Reporter |
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MORE NEWS |
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The Cape Elizabeth School Board unanimously approved a $36.3 million school budget last week, and the Town Council will be asked in the coming weeks to send it to the June 10 ballot for a validation vote. The district's proposal represents a 2.5% increase over last year and packs an estimated 2.9% tax increase. |
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The Scarborough Police Department’s new body and cruiser camera system, implemented last month, is already paying off in helping identify suspects, according to the department. Sgt. Andrew Flynn found value in the gear last week when his cruiser's dashcam helped identify a suspect who fled. |
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Bug Light will celebrate its birthday in style this summer. The city of South Portland and the South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the city landmark on Saturday, July 26, with crafts, games, speakers, a book sale, poetry, photography and more. |
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Cape Elizabeth’s proposed municipal budget of over $19.5 million for fiscal year 2026 comes with an estimated 4.85% property tax increase. The proposed budget is roughly $871,000, or 4.67% higher than this year’s. |
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In The Know: Scarborough's proposed capital budget includes $11.15 million to capital investments, representing 12.4% of the total net budget. Read more on the proposed investments in the FY26 budget in the town of Scarborough's bi-weekly column. |
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Use the buttons below to see news from a specific community. |
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Fireworks display off Portland’s Eastern Prom seen from Bug Light Park in South Portland in 2024. The landmark's 150th anniversary will be celebrated this summer. Greg Rec/Portland Press Herald |
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DON'T MISS OUT: To thank you for being a loyal reader of this newsletter, we're giving you a special subscription offer! Get unlimited digital access to pressherald.com for just $1.25 a week and enjoy even more local coverage. |
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK |
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"You could smell that oil, and it was so strong. Sometimes it was so strong it almost felt like you had heartburn." |
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— Ellie Chatto, South Portland resident, on living near
the Hill Street Tank Farm for more than 20 years. |
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April 17, 1987: The Portland Evening Express previewed an expected referendum vote on a new expansion for Scarborough High School and where it ranked amongst the town's priorities of municipal and school projects.
Click here to read more of this story from 1987 in our archives at Newspapers.com.
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THINGS TO DO |
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The sun won't set until about 7:30 p.m. this week, meaning you've got nearly two more hours to walk, bike, or eat ice cream. If your short on ideas, check out some local activities that could soak up some of your brightened evenings.
Get closer to understanding marine life and its connection to environmental conservation at the Scarborough Public Library on Friday, April 25, at 11 a.m. Join Marine Mammals of Maine (MMoME) as they take you through a seal’s journey from stranding to release, and all of the obstacles in between. Start with seal basics, such as whether it's normal for them to be out of the water and why you might see a baby on its own, then dive into when and why seals need our help. You will learn about MMoME, what they do, animals they care for, and how you can help. |
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Local news brought to you by the former South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Sentry and Scarborough Leader staff, published in a digital newspaper format. |
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Start reading |
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Drew Johnson is a community news reporter for South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough, and previously reported for the Leader and Sentry. Though he is from Massachusetts, Drew grew up going to his family’s lake house in Denmark, Maine, learning to snow ski at Shawnee Peak and water ski on Moose Pond. While he started as a “Vacationlander,” Drew has adopted “the way life should be” motto and moved to Portland in September of 2021. Contact him at djohnson@metln.org. |
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