LePage scheduled a town hall in Westbrook, home of his latest political target

Good evening from the BDN Portland office on Congress Street. Gene Wilder has died and the now the world is little less magical. I’ll always have this scene, and many others.  

What we’re talking about

Apparently, last week’s condemnation of Gov. Paul LePage by Westbrook officials did not play much of a role in the governor’s planning. (Or did it?) He’s holding another town-hall event on Wednesday — this time, at My Place Teen Center, at 755 Main St. in Westbrook.  

UPDATED: Uh, nevermind. LePage’s office has reportedly canceled that event, according to WGME. Just skip down to the ICYMI section.  

Jake Bleiberg reports:

Gov. Paul LePage will hold a town hall meeting on Wednesday in Westbrook, the city represented in the Maine House of Representatives by the Democratic lawmaker that the governor targeted last week with an obscene voicemail, leading to his biggest controversy yet.

LePage will use the event to “deliver remarks about moving Maine forward and answer questions from residents,” according to a news release issued Monday morning.

But the timing of the event, days after the governor said he would like to engage in a gun duel with Rep. Drew Gattine, has some local politicians saying that the town hall is merely a continuation of LePage’s attack on the legislator.

“I would like to take it as a sign of the governor is trying to move Maine forward, but sadly what I think anyone would take it as is just another way for him to pick a fight,” said Brendan Rielly, president of Westbrook’s City Council.

DEEPER: It’s worth going back to the politics team’s July piece on how LePage uses town halls and radio shows to control his message.

ICYMI

A Portland woman is so devoted to vegetarianism, she covered her arm in vegetable tattoos — Troy Bennett continues his series on Mainers’ tattoos with this profile of a Portland woman, who marked 10 years of being a vegetarian with a full sleeve of vegetable tattoos on one arm.

The long battle to fix Portland’s schools continues — The group of city officials considering how to fund renovations to four Portland elementary schools will hold a meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30 in the City Hall council chambers. The public event will give residents the opportunity to ask questions about the latest in a long series of proposals to improve the city’s elementary schools.

Celebrity watch — America’s favorite woodworker/actor, Nick Offerman was spotted all over Portland today, promoting tomorrow’s show at the Merrill Auditorium with his wife. “Megan Mullally‘s husband Nick Offerman came into the store! I guess they’re doing a comedy show at the Merrill auditorium tomorrow night!” wrote Noah DeFilippis, who owns Pinecone+Chickadee with his wife. Here are the details on the Offerman/Mullally show, which is advertised as offering, “songs, funny talking, heavy ribaldry, light petting and an astonishing final act of completion.”

TRIVIA: Offerman once recruited master Maine woodworker Chris Becksvoort for a cameo in a scene of “Parks and Recreation.” It was pretty funny. Here it is.

The Big Idea

Magazines like to rank Maine’s economy. Put their lists dead last this election season — You know all those convenient state rankings that squish complicated data into easy-to-digest lists? Darren Fishell wrote a “quick news consumers guide” to provide some much-needed context during election season.


 

Got any interesting story ideas, suggestions or links to share? Email Dan MacLeod at dmacleod@bangordailynews.com, or tweet @dsmacleod.

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Dan MacLeod

About Dan MacLeod

Dan MacLeod is the managing editor of the Bangor Daily News. He's an Orland native who moved to Portland in 2002 and now lives in Unity. He's been a journalist since 2008, and previously worked for the New York Post and the Brooklyn Paper.