Happy Summer! I’ve been traveling all over the district to meet with residents. Some of our conversations are about the progress of the 124th Legislature and what residents would like to see in Augusta. I’ve enjoyed listening to you, and always welcome your thoughts.

Community Event
For two consecutive Sundays, I have attended great events on Munjoy Hill. On the 11th, I attended the Hidden Gardens of Munjoy Hill, put on by the friends of the Eastern Promenade. Twelve wonderful secret gardens had hundreds of us walking the Hill’s streets. On the 18th, I attended this year’s Munjfest. It was great to see all of the vendors, tablers, musicians, and “Hillers” enjoying the great weather on Munjoy Hill. Walking around during these two events made me cherish living in Portland and in Maine. Thank you to all of the people who have spent countless hours planning both of these wonderful neighborhood events.

Gulf Voices Event
 Last Wednesday, I was the moderator of the Voices of the Gulf Coast at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Three courageous residents of the Gulf Coast came to Maine to share their experiences with the oil spill. Hearing their pain and frustration was an eye-opening experience. Many of the Maine speakers talked about what the impact of such a spill would have on Casco Bay and consequently Maine’s environment and economy. Did you know that thirteen years ago, there was an oil spill in Casco Bay resulting in over 180,000 gallons of oil released into the bay? Compare that to the 84 million to 150 million gallons currently spilling into the Gulf of Mexico.

Click here to read a Portland Daily Sun article about the event.

Peaks Island Tour
 On Saturday morning, July 17th, I joined the Portland City Council for a tour of Peaks Island. We met with the Peaks Island Council and over 30 island residents. We spent 2 hours in a forum discussing issues important to Peaks Island residents, including the FEMA flood maps, parking on the mainland, summer trash removal, and the new dynamic of public safety officers on the island. We concluded with an island tour.
Education Update

LD 1658 – High School Graduation Bill
During the 124th Legislature, one of the bills I was most proud of sponsoring was LD 1658, An Act to Increase High School Graduation Rates. The law mandates that the state reach a 90% high school graduation rate by the 2015-2016 school year.

The law also creates a 26-member group of stakeholders including teachers, parents, administrators and legislators to discuss what we can do to increase the graduation rate. These include not only making the curriculum more relevant and ensuring students have the support they need to succeed, but also looking at policies that keep students out of school like suspensions, zero-tolerance and expulsions. Our report is due on November 2nd and I look forward to reporting back to you.

Click here to read a Portland Press Herald article about Maine’s graduation rates.

Closing
I hope everyone is enjoying this great weather, and I hope to see you around town!

-Justin