South Portland News Briefs

SOUTH PORTLAND NOTEBOOK

Donations

The South Portland City Council recently accepted $2,325 in private donations, including $1,000 from the South Portland Lions Club “Trucking for Kids Convoy,” to be used for the police department’s Youth Alternatives program, which instructs students in the dangers of drug abuse, and $1,000 from the Greater Portland Men’s Senior Softball League, to be put toward maintenance of the Wainwright Field complex.

Other donations included $25 to the public library from Mary Greenlaw of Falmouth in memory of Lilian (Campbell) Buckley and $50 to the Art in the Park fund from Lois Stock, in addition to $150 from Sally Flynn and $100 from Dan Harkins, both the Service Memorial Pavers Fund.

Fully vested

The South Portland Police Department has been awarded $9,442 from the U.S. Department of Justice Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant, to reimburse half the cost of 17 new and replacement sets of body armor ordered by the city before April 1.

“Due to the size of our agency and continuous turnover, we are in constant needs of these funds,” said Police Chief Ed Googins.

In all, 43 Maine law enforcement jurisdictions got $109,704 in BVP funding in 2012 for bullet- and knife-resistant vests, including Scarborough police ($5,250 for 15 sets), Portland police ($21,630 for 60 sets), Westbrook police ($4,165 for 14 sets), Saco police ($3,150 for nine sets), Biddeford police ($1,750 for five sets), and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office ($2,100 for six sets).

Cummings Construction

The South Portland City Council has approved an agreement with the Maine Department of Transportation, setting the city’s share of a $1.35 million project to reclaim, re-shape and pave Cummings Road at $228,090. South Portland had budgeted $500,000 for the job, but found “significant cost savings,” said City Manager Jim Gailey, “due to staff requesting from MDOT design exceptions to the original scope of work.” The federal Department of  Transportation will contribute $991,113 to the project, which will be fully administered by the state.

Mill Creek shelter dedication

On Saturday, Nov. 3, an impressive crowd gathered at the Mill Creek Park to witness the rededication of the park itself and the dedication of the new skating shelter.

Dan Mooers, who headed up the winter festival for the Rotary club, the primary funding source for the skating shelter, spoke of the origins of the project, thanked the numerous generous corporate sponsors who made it possible, and recognized the work of the Rotarians themselves in completing the structure, which was designed to blend in well with the other structures at the park.

The gift of the structure was part of a commitment made by the club in recognition of its 50-year anniversary to fund two major projects, one in Cape Elizabeth and the other in South Portland, as a lasting tribute to their dedication to these two communities.   

The skating shelter, which is on a permanent trailer, can be transported on and off the site as needed allowing for some flexibility of its use. City officials anticipate using the structure for a number of various venues throughout the year.