​First, I want to say that I agree wholeheartedly with the joint statement that was issued by Northern Light Health and MaineHealth, the parent organizations for Mercy and Maine Med, respectively. As they said on September 17, 2021, people must do everything they can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Everyone who is able should:
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• get vaccinated;
• wear a mask in public indoor settings;
• practice social distancing;
• wash their hands well and regularly; and
• think twice about attending large indoor gatherings – especially if they know others in attendance will be unmasked or unvaccinated.
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That said, I am opposed to enacting a mask mandate in the City of Portland for numerous reasons, which I have outlined below.

Lately I've been getting a lot of emails about the volume of trash on the Eastern Prom, its potential causes, and what we should do about it. Read on to see one of the most recent emails on this topic (edited for anonymity) and my response. 

It's not easy running a business in good times, let alone during a pandemic requiring so many shops, stores, restaurants, and offices to shut down their public facing facilities. Here in Portland, our small businesses--the shops and restaurants, bars and bookstores, artist studios, coffee roasters, yogis, makers, retailers, and manufacturers--are the lifeblood of our city. Here's how you can support them in this era of social distancing. 

As if it's not bad enough to be termed "non-essential," businesses in Portland--from book stores to art shops to music purveyors and more--have been faced with local restrictions that have prohibited them from pursuing any form of revenue stream during the COVID-19 pandemic. I've been hearing from A LOT of folks on this one over the last few days, and here's the gist of what I've been writing in response.