Arts & Equity Initiative | 389 Congress Street | Portland, Maine 04101 | (207) 874 8681

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Portland Begins Preparation for July 4th Fireworks and Celebration   (6/5/2009)
Next month, the City of Portland will host its annual 4th of July celebration and fireworks show at the Eastern Promenade Park. Grucci’s of New York, the company responsible for the Salt Lake, Athens and Beijing Olympics fireworks programs, will produce Portland’s fireworks show. More

H1N1 (swine) Flu Information   (4/27/2009)
Information available to the public on recent cases of swine flu. Visit the city's public health webpage for up to date infortmation. More

Traffic Advisory – Forest Avenue  (7/1/2009)
On Monday, July 6, gas line installation and repair work by Unitil will be underway on Forest Avenue at Riverside Industrial Parkway, weather permitting. More

Traffic Advisory – Canco Road  (6/29/2009)
Beginning today, construction work on Canco Road at Read Street will result in one way traffic with alternating inbound and outbound traffic flow. More

City Hall Closed July 3rd  (6/29/2009)
City Hall will be closed July 3rd in recognition of the 4th of July holiday. More

Traffic Advisory – Washington Avenue  (6/29/2009)
This week, construction work on Washington Avenue at Maine Avenue will result in one way traffic with alternating inbound and outbound traffic flow. More

Barron Center’s Monday Outdoor Concert Series Underway  (6/19/2009)
The 4th annual Barron Center Outdoor Summer Concert series is set to kick-off this Monday with a concert by the Pinetones. More

E-card Changes at Riverside Recycling Facility  (6/18/2009)
Beginning July 1, 2009, there will be changes to the City e-card program at Riverside Recycling Facility. These include: * E-card holders will have free disposal of up to 10 bulky items per year such as furniture, non-freon appliances, mattresses and box springs, gas grills and outdoor equipment as well as limited quantites of yard waste and hazardous waste More

City’s Summer Outdoor Concert Season Begins Next Month  (6/17/2009)
From folk to bandstand to children’s music, this year’s concert series has something for everyone. More

Get the Latest News from Portland Cityline, Facebook and Twitter  (6/17/2009)
Portland establishes newsletter to keep residents and businesses informed of city news and events. More

Public Health Invites You to Show Your City Pride!   (6/11/2009)
Portland joins many other cities across the nation this month to celebrate gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and ally pride. More

Riverside Recycling Closed July 4th  (6/11/2009)
The Riverside Recycling Facility will be closed on the 4th of July and will be closing at noon on July 3rd. More

Police Chief James Craig Issues Letter to Community  (6/10/2009)
Chief Craig expresses gratitude to the community and outlines new strategies for the department. More

Kiwanis Pool Opens to the Public June 22nd   (6/9/2009)
Swim classes available for all ages beginning June 29th. More

Traffic Advisory – Baxter Boulevard   (6/9/2009)
Beginning this week, the Clifton Street Sewer Separation project will progress to Baxter Boulevard. More

Municipal Election June 9th, 2009  (6/9/2009)
Click here to view Election Results. More

Traffic Advisory – Washington Avenue  (6/5/2009)
Work underway on the sewer separation project at Washington Avenue and Maine Avenue will move to the opposite side of Washington June 9th. More

Portland Adds Moped/Motorcycle Parking Downtown  (6/2/2009)
For the first time, parking available for two-wheel vehicles only. More

Joint City Council Meeting Discuss Long Creek Watershed Restoration Project  (5/28/2009)
Portland, Scarborough, South Portland and Westbrook City Officials to meet to discuss ways to improve the health of the natural waterway More

Traffic Advisory Brighton Avenue  (5/28/2009)
Water main installation work will begin next Monday, June 1st, on Brighton Avenue. More

Traffic Advisory for Outer Washington Avenue Neighborhood  (5/26/2009)
Traffic delays can be expected on Bernard Road, Mona Road, Samuel Road, and Sara Lane between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. More

Nightly Crosswalk Painting Begins this Month  (5/20/2009)
For the next two weeks in June, from 7:00 PM to 6:00 AM, crews will complete the nighttime crack sealing projects along major arterials throughout Portland for the summer. More

Skatepark Committee Receives $10,000 Grant  (5/20/2009)
Tony Hawk Foundation awards city funds for construction of a new skatepark at Doughtery Field More

Firefighter Exam to be Held in the Fall  (5/19/2009)
Originally scheduled for this summer, the entry-level exam for Firefighters has been postponed to the fall. More

Traffic Advisory Ocean Avenue and Read Street  (5/15/2009)
Next week, Monday May 18th to Friday May 22nd between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM, sewer separation construction work at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Read Street will result in the reduction of travel at the intersection to one lane with an alternating flow of traffic. More

Recovery Funds at Work in Portland  (5/15/2009)
Homeless prevention, combined sewer overflow projects and a health center for the underinsured are just a few of the Portland programs funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. More

Looking for Parking in the Vicinity of Casco Bay Lines?  (4/27/2009)
Please click here for a list and map of the businesses that provide parking within the vicinity of Casco Bay Lines. This information also includes places that offer monthly parking rates as well. For more information, please call our Parking Control Office, Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. at 874-8443. More

Kayak and Dingy Rack Rentals Now Available at the East End Beach Boat Launch  (4/24/2009)
Season Pass Rates: Resident $50 and Nonresident $100 Daily Fees: Resident $5, Nonresident $10 and Commercial $125 More

Traffic Advisory – Congress Street  (4/21/2009)
As a result, traffic on Congress Street at the intersections of Preble Street to Elm Street will be reduced to one lane in each direction throughout the summer. More

Traffic Advisory for Ray Street, Maine Avenue and Florida Street  (4/8/2009)
Construction work for sewer separation projects currently underway will cause a number of traffic delays in outer Washington Avenue neighborhoods. More

2009 Spring and Summer Recreation Guides Available  (3/27/2009)
From summer camp to fitness programs, guide features numerous fun and affordable activities for all ages. More

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Arts & Equity Initiative Flyer
City Writers Group
Elizabeth Jabar
Daniel Minter
Inside AEI
Police Photography Exhibit at Portland’s City Hall
As a part of the city’s Arts & Equity Initiative, participating police officers will exhibit photos.

What: Tomorrow, the Arts & Equity Initiative (AEI) will sponsor the second segment of Thin Blue Lines, a police photography exhibit and community dialogue at Portland City Hall. Members of the Police Department partnered with local photographers to capture their lives as police officers through the lens. The public is invited to view the exhibit and participate in a community dialogue about police work with the officers and photographers Friday evening. The exhibit will be open to the public for the next two months. Thin Blue Lines is sponsored by the Maine Humanities Council, Center for Cultural Exchange and the City of Portland.

Implemented in Portland in 2007, AEI is a public/private partnership between the City of Portland and the arts nonprofit Terra Moto. AEI’s work with the Police Department was conceived to address two challenges identified by the department –improve the relationship of the staff with the public and improve departmental morale through the creation of art.

For more information about the project, visit artsandequity.us or call 874-8681.

Who: Local photographers, Dave Wade, Rachel Morales, Jeff Swanson, Rose Marasco, Kate Philbrick and Marty Pottenger will be joined by Portland Police photographers Officer Chris Mitchell, Officer Gayle Petty, Detective Mary Sauschuck, Officer Karl Geib and Officer Victor Cote.

“The calendar project allowed us to create something positive out of Sergeant Johnsey's death, and when the final product turned out so well, it played an important part in unifying the department,” stated Officer Karl Geib, photographer in the exhibit . “I always thought it was funny that people didn't think about the human side of officers, but this project helps us tell that side of the story. After my family saw the calendar, they chipped in and bought me an expensive camera that I've been using ever since."

When: Friday, April 3, 2009
4:30 – 8:00 PM Photography Exhibit
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Community Dialogue

The public can view the photography exhibit while it is on display for the months of April and May, Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Where: Portland City Hall

The Arts & Equity Initiative has been made possible with the support of the Dept. of Multicultural Affairs, City of Portland, with funding from the Nathan Cummings Foundation, Maine Community Foundation, Animating Democracy/Ford Foundation and the Center for Cultural Exchange. Arts & Equity Initiative Director Marty Pottenger, 207 874-8681.

Police Calendar
Profits support the Sgt. Johnsey Fund and the work of Terra Moto Inc. Thanks for your support!

Thin Blue Lines
Portland Public Library, March 5th, 2009 about 150 citizens gathered to hear police officers and detectives and local poets read the poems they wrote for the Police Poetry & Photography Calendar 2009. Click here for the video.

END CREDITS:
Thin Blue Lines is sponsored by the Nathan Cummings Foundation, Maine Humanities Council, the Center for Cultural Affairs and the City of Portland's Multicultural Affairs.

Partners: Portland Public Library and Longfellow Books and the Portland Police Department, and the Community Television Network

Art At Work/Arts & Equity Initiative -- improving municipal government through strategic arts projects www.artsandequity.us

City Writers Group

More about AEI

Part I
Part II
Part III