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In the two weeks after an image of Mt. Blue Middle School Principal James Black wearing an ICE uniform costume on Halloween spread across social media,
RSU 9 received more than 1,000 emails and telephone calls about the incident.
Black, who was pictured on Halloween night standing at a private home wearing what appeared to be a bulletproof vest along with an “ICE” hat and face covering, said he regrets that the costume caused “concern or discomfort.” He said he wore it in a “lighthearted spirit, without consideration for the broader implications it might have.”
About 200 people packed a school board meeting this week at the Mt. Blue Campus auditorium in Farmington, many offering comments on the controversy.
Comments were mixed, with some speakers citing the need for moral leadership from those in positions of trust and emphasizing the importance of understanding how Black’s costume affected students. Others, including Black’s mother, defended his right to wear the costume under the First Amendment and urged district administrators and residents to be tolerant of differing viewpoints.
District bus driver Nancy Richardson spoke about the dedication of school employees to making students feel safe, and urged the board and public to move past the controversy.
“We are all professional people when we are transporting, educating, coaching or even at Walmart," she said, "but I would like you to please put this chapter behind us.”
Teacher Doug Hodum said he was not ready to move on yet, pointing to the importance of leadership in a district he described as “mired by crisis.” Still, he said the controversy and public discourse over the past three weeks had created an opportunity: If leaders step up and take responsibility for missteps, the district could grow stronger as a community.
While opinions about Black’s costume varied widely, one thing was clear at the auditorium: Residents care deeply about their schools and their children’s learning environment, and they are willing to face administrators and elected officials to say so. Such civic engagement, painful as it can be, is essential to a healthy community.
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RSU 9: In a school district ‘mired in crisis,’ residents call for accountability: About 200 people packed the Mt. Blue Regional
School District board of directors meeting this week to air comments on the middle school principal’s controversial Halloween costume. Many defended his choice under the First Amendment. Read this story by Ben Hanstein
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Repairs made to Pennesseewassee dam to prevent ‘catastrophic’ failure: Engineers discovered the damaged sections during an inspection prompted by lakeside property owners’ complaints about low water levels. Read this story by Jon Bolduc
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Under pressure, Maine Library Commission postpones vote to adopt new requirements for libraries: The unanimous vote followed an outpouring of criticism of the proposed requirements. Commissioners will seek a legal opinion on the agreement’s requirements before voting on the document. Read this story by Judith Meyer
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Cloutier named Waterville city manager, expected to begin Jan. 5: Nick Cloutier, 41, is returning to his hometown with ‘excitement, appreciation and gratitude.’ Read this story by Charley DiAdamo
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Norway officials receive a dozen applications for open town manager position: Police Chief Jeffrey Campbell has been serving as interim town manager for 19 months. Read this story by Jon Bolduc
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While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind paywalls, some newsrooms we link to in this newsletter may.
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Five school districts, including RSU 73, are being sued by the Maine Human Rights Commission over their transgender policies. | Bangor Daily News and The Maine Monitor
Voters in Livermore Falls approved a $2.35 million upgrade to the town’s sewer line along Route 17. The project will take place as MDOT reconstructs roughly a mile of the state road in 2026. | Livermore Falls Advertiser
Video of forums conducted over the summer about issues relating to Sandy River — including the 2023 floods and ongoing erosion – are now being made available to view online. | Mt. Blue TV
A federal jury has found a Rangeley man guilty of multiple crimes relating to a marijuana grow operation that police shut down in 2020, resulting in guilty pleas from eight defendants. | Sun Journal
A CMP transmission line running through western Maine that connects Canadian hydropower to the New England grid is expected to be online this winter. | WMTW
Commissioners in Androscoggin and Oxford County have joined Franklin County in earmarking funds to pay for a consultant to study the creation of a regional jail. The counties’ sheriffs proposed exploring the idea last month. | Sun Journal
A location app has been a boon for wilderness rescues in the Newry area. | Bethel Citizen
A caucus of municipal officials in Somerset County selected a Madison man to fill an open seat on the Board of Commissioners until a special election can be held. | Morning Sentinel
Police departments in Farmington, Jay and Wilton are updating their mutual aid pacts. | Franklin Journal
A data breach may have compromised the personal information of nearly 45,000 Norway Savings Bank customers in Maine. | WGME
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Have feedback, a correction or know of something we should look into? Send it to our newsroom. You can reach Monitor Local editor Judy Meyer directly via email: judy@themainemonitor.org.
The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization that produces investigative journalism. We believe news is a public good and keep our news free to access. We have no paywall and do not charge for our newsletters. If you value the reporting we do for Maine, please consider making a donation! We cannot do this reporting without your support.
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