April 29, 2012 / by Christian MilNeil / At the turn of the millennium, sociologist Robert Putnam wrote Bowling Alone, which observed that a successful community relies on successful community organizations and civic participation. "Researchers in such fields as education, urban poverty, unemployment, the control of crime and drug abuse, and even health have discovered that successful outcomes are more likely in civically engaged communities," Putnam wrote.  

February 3, 2012 / Two weeks ago, environmental activist, author and founder of 350. org, Bill McKibben, came to the Portland US District courthouse to join a midday demonstration "marking the two-year anniversary of the Citizens United v.  

January 4, 2012 / How many times do we actually ask you to do anything on this blog? Our tone is usually more of an invitation to enjoy the pleasures of Portland or a suggestion of someone you might be interested in meeting. We're not really about action items—but here's one! At this month's Portland Greendrinks event, on the second Tuesday (January 10) at The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies (561 Congress Street) Sean Sullivan from Bowdoin College will be filming for a video about career opportunities in Maine.