The West End News

05/21/2026

Friends of Casco Bay open their Water Reporter season and we were there to cover it for our newest newsletter: Portland Climate Dispatch. Learn how residents and scientists are working together to track the health of Casco Bay - https://thewestendnews.substack.com/p/portland-climate-dispatch-water-reporter

05/14/2026

What if we also viewed service as the little interactions, friendly gestures, and moments of recognition we give and receive every day? Rosanne Graef asks about the importance of volunteering and supporting community. https://thewestendnews.com/the-importance-of-community-service-by-rosanne-graef/

Photos are of the recent unveiling of the Lafayette trail marker where volunteers held a successful and well-attended event celebrating Portland and American history. -Photos by Penelope Hamblin

05/07/2026

“We can’t be afraid to put people in the criminal justice system, but we are,” says Portland Mayor Mark Dion. Instead, we watch as people are “committing slow suicide” in public. -Read more here:

We watch as people are “committing slow suicide” in public., said Portland Mayor Mark Dion. The scope of the problem on city streets.

05/06/2026

Can Portland learn from Amsterdam how to make our streets safer and more climate friendly? By Colin Monahan a former WEN contributor and current resident of Amsterdam for our newest newsletter the Portland Climate Dispatch: Rethinking the Streets from Amsterdam to Portland - https://thewestendnews.substack.com/p/portland-climate-dispatch-rethinking

04/09/2026

Happy Local News Day! Celebrate with me. It's the perfect excuse to subscribe to a local publication. Or pick up a copy of our free print edition at a local business or supermarket news rack.

Here's a look inside the April Edition - https://thewestendnews.substack.com/p/from-the-editor-inside-the-april