by Gina Hamilton
Coastal Journal staff

WOOLWICH — A powerful ocean storm packed a punch to the midcoast region on Sunday night, and continued Monday morning, leaving trees uprooted, power lines down, and road hazards everywhere.

Power outages led to a cancellation of school for SAD 75, giving Topsham, Harpswell, Bowdoin, and Bowdoinham students the day off on Monday.  Also closed were Edgecomb Eddy School, Georgetown Schools, and Dresden Elementary School.  Woolwich students, who are currently attending Huse School in Bath, were unaffected, even though power was out in Woolwich on Monday.

Central Maine Power Company (CMP) crews were out in full force Monday morning after strong gusty winds from the coastal storm disrupted service to thousands of homes and businesses in the utility's service area. At 11:30 a.m. Monday, an estimated 47,598 customer accounts were without service.

by Gina Hamilton
Coastal Journal staff

PORTLAND —  Both independent Eliot Cutler and Republican Paul LePage went to bed early on Wednesday morning, neither able to concede defeat or accept victory, as the margin between the candidates held to less than one percentage point, with 90% of the precincts reporting.

Democrat Libby Mitchell bowed out much earlier, telling reporters a little after 10 p.m. that her family was “zero for three” - her son had also lost a race for Portland City Council, and her daughter lost the Vassalboro state representative seat she had been seeking - but later acknowledged that her husband, who was running unopposed for a judgeship, was the bright spot of the day.  Mitchell said that as far as she was concerned, her political career had come to a close with the loss.  She would have been Maine’s first female governor.

by Gina Hamilton
Coastal Journal staff 

In what can be seen as a vindication of Maine’s Clean Elections Act, the United States Supreme Court denied the application for injunction in Cushing v McKee last Friday.   Nearly 300 candidates running for elected office in Maine in 2010, including gubernatorial candidate Libby Mitchell, use Clean Election funds to finance their campaigns.

The act limits private contributions to a candidate while providing matching public funds.

Candidates also receive matching money when a non-participating challenger out spends them.

In August, the ‘Respect Maine Political Action Committee’ and Republican State Representative Andre Cushing, who represents Hampden, Newburgh and Dixmont, challenged the act in court.

by Annee Tara
Coastal Journal contributor

BRUNSWICK -- The last time Brunswick had a new downtown master plan was 1997: there was no talk then about Naval Air Station Brunswick closing.  There was a vacant lot full of toxic coal dust where Maine Street Station now stands.  We were not in the most serious recession since the Great Depression.

More than 10 years later, the Town has a new Comprehensive Plan and one of its Key Objectives is “in partnership with local organizations, make the Downtown more attractive, inviting and the 'hub' of community activity.”  Key Action 1 is to develop a new Master Plan for the downtown relating economic, housing and infrastructure improvements.

For two years, since the Comprehensive Plan was adopted, a group of twenty of so town officials and concerned citizens has been working on a new vision for the Downtown, including the Outer Pleasant Street Corridor.  The 2010 draft Downtown Master Plan was presented to the Town Council last week.  It contains a vision for three separate areas: one that extends from the I-295 off-ramp to intersection of Pleasant Street and River Road, one from inner Pleasant Street all the way to Maine Street, and one that encompasses Mill Street and the “pool table” area near Fort Andross.