One Portland baby, 33 park vacations

There’s a Portland couple on a mission to visit all 32 state parks — plus Acadia National Park — by the time their baby daughter turns 3.

The BDN’s Aislinn Sarnacki caught up with Danielle and Ray Ruby, who are taking their now 8-month-old daughter Eloise all over the state, to beaches, forests and campgrounds, as part of this adventure. Which I sort of envy, and sort of don’t.

That’s a lot of travel. And babies typically travel with a small vanload of stuff everywhere.

But they’re making great family memories and that they’ll cherish forever. You can follow the family on their website, RubysOnTheRoad.com.

What we’re talking about

Portland police may enforce Maine’s noise ordinance against abortion protesters outside Planned Parenthood’s Portland clinic, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided today. A three-judge panel reversed U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen’s May 2016 decision which previously found the noise section of the Maine Civil Rights Act unconstitutional because it was based on the content of what a protester said. Andrew March, a frequent protester outside the Portland clinic, sued Maine Attorney General Janet Mills, the city of Portland and several Portland police officers in December 2015, after local police told him he could not shout his protests from the street at the clinic.

A political action committee with ties to China has announced it’s backing an effort to put a casino in Maine’s southernmost county. The BDN’s Michael Shepherd reports that the revelation is likely to frustrate state ethics watchdogs investigating millions in offshore dollars already dumped into the effort. The campaign to get voters to approve a York County casino in the November election has been run to date by Lisa Scott of Miami.

The Portland Public Library is giving out special glasses for people to watch the upcoming solar eclipse through, WGME, CBS 13 reported. The sunglasses can be picked up at any of the library locations in the city. The eclipse itself is expected to be viewable from Maine — and everywhere else in the country — on Aug. 21.

A passer-by discovered a dead body in the West End this morning, the Portland Press Herald and WMTW television both reported. Police said drug use did not appear to be a factor and that there were no obvious signs of trauma, and that the state medical examiner’s office will have to help figure out how the man died. He wasn’t carrying identification, but police believe he may have been a jogger, based on his attire, the Press Herald reported.

Maine lobstermen are unionizing to ensure more stable prices, Maine Public’s A.J. Higgins is reporting. The Maine Lobstering Union has about 500 members and is seeking to add more. Members are required to sell their catch to the MLU at competitive boat prices in exchange for an annual additional dividend payment based on total year-end profits. The union also has parent ownership in several holding pounds around the state and works to broker trade orders on global and domestic markets on behalf of lobstermen.

Boston Celtics basketball player Jaylen Brown is coming to Portland next week. Brown’s a 2016 first-round draft pick who showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie last season and has high expectations for the coming year. He’s scheduled to sign autographs and throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Portland Sea Dogs baseball game next Tuesday, Aug. 15.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine has filed a federal lawsuit against Gov. Paul LePage, claiming the governor is infringing on the constitutional free speech rights of Mainers by deleting criticisms posted on his Facebook page and blocking those who post them. LePage has argued that although the Facebook page is branded as his “official” page, it’s run by a side political adviser and not his taxpayer-paid communications staff, and is therefore not a public forum.

Tweet of the day

From Allagash Brewing Co.:

The Big Idea

Is one really a number? Smithsonian magazine covers how, throughout history, many mathematicians didn’t count it as one. (See what I did there?) An excerpt from Smithsonian: “One source from the 15th century, Isidore of Seville, described the reasoning of most mathematical thinkers at the time: number should be considered ‘a multitude made up of units,’ the mathematically-minded archbishop wrote. Under this definition, ‘one is the seed of number but not number,’ he wrote.” Yeah. OK, then.

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

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