WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2011
Skepticism of secession See story, page 3
A great Find?
VOL. 2 NO. 253
Gov’s son nixes his ‘retarded’ Twitter comments
PORTLAND, ME
PORTLAND’S DAILY NEWSPAPER
A Reny’s renovation
BY CURTIS ROBINSON THE PORTLAND DAILY SUN
DAILY SUN STAFF REPORT
See What’s In a Name? in Business, page 6
Really bad service: A trend or just winter blahs? See Natalie Ladd’s column on page 9
Maine Governor Paul LePage’s adopted son has apparently closed a Twitter account after a columnist from The Portland Daily Sun questioned posted comments about people with mental handicaps. Devon Raymond, who entered the state’s political fray amid the governor’s “kiss my butt” comments directed toward the NAACP on the eve of Martin Luther King Day weekend, posted, “Remember guys tomorrow is ‘Hug A Retard’ day ... so don’t freak out like you did last year, nobody is trying to hurt you.” The comment is a common Internet email and is often dismissed as a “joke” way to tell somebody they are perhaps doing something you deem less than smart. Daily Sun columnist Bob Higgins wrote that he’d seen the comment over the weekend and thought it a good example of how easily people, even those in the spotlight, forget that social network platforms are public. “What I’m getting at is simple,” Higgins wrote in a column published Tuesday. “No matter how many times it’s said, people just don’t seem to get the fact that social media is like herpes. It is going to follow you around forever.” But some readers who contacted the newspaper see TWITTER page 3
FREE AG opinion energizes Peaks Island secession bid 699-5801
Amy Sims of Boston strolls under the scaffolding in front of the old Olympia Sports store on Congress Street Tuesday. A Reny’s store will open in April at the location, taking up dual spots vacated by Olympia Sports and L.L. Bean. The scaffolding is for historic renovation work on the building’s masonry. Inside, even more is going on. For a story on the renovations, see Business, page 8. (DAVID CARKHUFF PHOTO)
Less than a week after Maine’s attorney general issued a formal opinion that Peaks Island secession supporters would not have to repeat the entire petition process, the city of Portland’s legislative committee vowed to contest that finding (see sidebar, page 3). Meanwhile, fueled by the AG’s opinion, the Peaks Island Independence Committee is holding a steering committee meeting this week and formCity ing research committee committees to update raises financial and issues with other inforsecession mation. A commitSee the story on tee spokespage 3 man says the group is on track for a November election on the island, but that meeting that deadline will be largely up to the legislature. The AG opinion, along with clearing a hurdle locally, also sets the stage for a proposed law to exit the writing stage to be considered by the state and local government committee. “It [the AG opinion] means we don’t have to re-do the work that was already done,” said Rand Gee, a volunteer for the committee. “The procedural question is one that had been round the island for a couple of weeks.. I think we’ve resolved that.” Now, he added, those favoring an independence vote will prepare information that lawmakers are sure to need when they consider the law allowing an island-wide vote on leaving the Portland municipality. In particular, he said, the legislature is going to want “hard numbers” to make sure the resulting town is financially sustainable. see PEAKS page 3