Maine News Updates

SOUTH PORTLAND -- A proposal to ban dogs from Willard Beach during the summer appears headed for defeat.

The final result is not yet available because the City Clerk’s office is still hand-counting about 1,000 photocopied ballots. It had to use the copied ballots – which can’t be counted electronically – because of a heavier-than-expected turnout.

Opponents of the ban, however, have predicted a victory based on partial machine counts that ran about 60-40 against the proposal.

“It looks like we’re going to cruise to a very sizable victory,” said Tom Ayres, communications director for Share Willard Beach, the group that campaigned against the ban.
 
The City Clerk’s office confirmed that the opponents had a substantial lead based on the partial count, but could not yet provide numbers.