Maine MultiCultural Center

The South Portland City Council is considering a rent control proposal next month. Acknowledging “The council is very concerned overall with the unintended consequences of rent control,” South Portland Mayor Kate Lewis said the proposed rent control amount would be moderate. Read more…

_{^{Jaime Ricker, left, and Katrina White, chat Wednesday after a vigil in Dufresne Plaza in Lewiston to remember the lives of Mainers lost to human trafficking. Both women work for Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services, which co-sponsored the vigil with Safe Voices. Between them, Ollie the therapy dog looks for treats. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal}}

In commemoration of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, scores of people attended a memorial vigil in downtown Lewiston last Wednesday to raise awareness of the issue. “There are people and resources that want to help,” said Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline. Read more…

^{_{A flyer for 21-year-old Samuel Mugisha, who has been missing since Nov. 4, on Main Street in Westbrook. Derek DavisStaff Photographer}}

Two months after Samuel Mugisha disappeared from his Portland home, his family is reiterating the need to find him. “What can you say when you have a missing person and you don’t know where they are and if they’re dead or alive,” asked his uncle, Claude Rwaganje. “It’s hard.” According to the Press Herald report, “Anyone with information can call the Portland Police Department at 207-874-8479 or the Westbrook Police Department at 207-854-0644.” Read more…

^{_{Downtown Bangor on Monday March 23, 2020. Credit: Linda Coan O’Kresik / BDN}}

A new study found the Bangor area needs $5 million annually in housing investments in order to keep pace with demand. Said Jason Bird, a housing expert with Penquis and the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition: “The reality is we as a state and as a nation really have underfunded housing for decades, and now that issue is really coming home to roost.” Read more…

^{_{Gregg Palmer the superintendent of schools in Brewer. Credit: Gabor Degre / BDN}}

The Brewer School Committee adopted a new policy of celebrating diversity and acknowledging the need for equitable access to resources. “We welcome everyone, period,” said Brewer Superintendent Gregg Palmer, “and research indicates that people learn better when they feel valued.” Read more…

WMTW‘s James Corrigan reported on how Pine Tree Legal Assistance has been working with people facing eviction from hotels this month, which his colleague Terry Stackhouse covered. “The challenge for people who are staying in hotels and people who are month-to-month tenants,” said PTLA attorney Chris Marot, “is that there is this anxiety about what’s going to happen in the long term.”

Andy O’Brien continued his history of immigration in Maine series for Amjambo Africa, with this installment focused on the Black community of maritime workers in Portland of the early 1800s. Read more…

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