Portland’s hand cream king

Good evening from the BDN Portland office on Congress Street. Tonight a Portland man’s hand cream empire; state school funding is on the chopping block; and it’s going to snow — again.

What we’re talking about

How one Portland man built a hand cream empire — This week 88 years ago the hand cream king of Maine, and maybe the whole world, died, BDN Portland’s Troy R. Bennett reports. In the 1870s Aurelius S. Hinds developed a “honey and almond” hand lotion at his drug store on Congress Street. The cream went on to be sold around the world, Hinds eventually moved operations to a 60,000 square-foot factory on Forest Avenue and his brand is now owned by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. One of the secrets of this wildly successful lotion: it contained neither honey nor almonds.

Schools could lose $2 million in state funding — Portland’s is among the 132 Maine school districts that will have their state funding slashed if Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed budget becomes law, the Press Herald’s Noel Gallagher reports. The budget is already being fought over in the State House and may see major changes, but it’s also creating worries in communities where schools stand to lose money. Portland Superintendent Xavier Botana is looking to reduce the $107 million school budget by $1.2 million, but even the lower sum may run into trouble with the city council. The school budget called for a 6.5 percent tax increase, while city councilors have a goal of not raising property taxes more than 2.5 percent in the next fiscal year.    

“13 to 14 inches” — That’s the amount of snow National Weather Service meteorologist Mal Walker forecasts Portland will get between Tuesday morning and Wednesday, BDN’s Nok-Noi Ricker reports. All of Maine and much of the Northeast is under a winter storm warning, the Portland International Jetport has issued a travel advisory, and various events around the city have been postponed or rescheduled in advance of what we hope will be winter’s final fierce blast. The city has declared a parking ban from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday.

For young people, leaving Maine means higher incomes  — Even as Maine grays and baby boomers edge out of the workforce, young workers are also leaving the state, BDN’s Darren Fishell reports. From 2011 to 2015, the state lost more than 1,800 workers younger than 26 and had a net loss of about 667 workers under the age of 65, according to IRS statistics. The major driver may be money. In 2015, young workers who moved to Maine saw their incomes grow more slowly than people who moved out of state.

Adult milkshake bar opens today — The burger and shake bar that Kathleen Peirce reported on last week opened today at 4:30 p.m. Located in an antique brick building on Brown Street between Congress and Free streets, BGBR Bar serves a variety of burgers — from beef and bison to tuna and duck. Its milkshakes cost $6 but you can make them boozy for an extra $5. Look for a video on how to make one at home on BDN Portland’s Facebook page tomorrow.

Coffee with Cooks features Cara Stadler on Tuesday — Our new FB Live series focuses on the talent behind Bao Bao Dumpling House (and James Beard semi-finalist) Cara Stadler. If you’ve picked up a food mag lately chances are you’ve seen her. Conde Nast dubbed Stadler Best Young Chef to Watch and she’s up for a Beard award for rising stars. She sits down with Kathleen Pierce at 3 p.m. See you in cyberspace.

Tweet of the day

Sports betting analyst RJ Bell on your chances on winning big in March Madness:

The Big Idea

What will happen to poor, sick Trump voters without Obamacare?  — Across much of rural Maine and America, poor, chronically ill people who voted for Donald Trump are likely to see their health care affected by the president’s plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. The Washington Post’s Jessica Contrera reports on how the change in policy will touch patients at one West Virginia clinic.

Got any interesting story ideas, suggestions or links to share? Email Jake Bleiberg at jbleiberg@bangordailynews.com, or tweet @JZBleiberg.

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