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The Bollard

@the-bollard.bsky.social
416 followers 226 following 226 posts

Fearless indie journalism about Maine since 2005. Subscribe at bollardhead.substack.com for scoops, rants, and daily music & arts listings

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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
The United States is in the midst of a slow-motion Holocaust.
nytimes.com
In Ohio, Haitians Feel Shaken by Ankle Monitors and Increased ICE Presence
The devices, which will make it easier for authorities to locate immigrants in Springfield if large-scale deportations begin, have intensified a sense of dread.
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Bangor Daily News @bangordailynews.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
“All I want is to attend these events in peace, just like all the other people in line who haven’t compared the Vice President to a sentient jar of mayonnaise online,” Amanda McGonigle said. www.bangordailynews.com/2026/08/21/b...
bangordailynews.com
Woman behind Instagram's 'CatsOnACouch' sues to attend JD Vance's Brewer event
Instagram influencer Amanda McGonigle is suing to ensure she can attend Vice President JD Vance's upcoming event in Brewer.
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Yet another Maine Song of the Summer by Freak Phone!
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for Aug. 10, 2026
Local Music Monday: Freak Phone delivers a "Fresh Set"
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Rosalie Genova, LCPC, CCS @rosalie-genova.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
"We All Need the Same Things: Dispelling Myths and Seeing Real Solutions to #Addiction" I wrote the cover story for last month's issue of The Bollard! More to come... #harmreduction #therapistsky #Maine @the-bollard.bsky.social
thebollard.com
We All Need the Same Things
Dispelling myths and seeing real solutions to addiction
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
“People in Maine’s Latin American community are terrified right now,” [his lawyer, Kerry] Doyle said. “They see that you’re brown and they just arrest you. They don’t ask questions, they don’t look at your documents, they don’t care. They just take you.”
pressherald.com
ICE to return Maine man after ‘inadvertently’ deporting him
The agency told a judge it 'inadvertently removed' the 31-year-old Portland resident after misidentifying him during the January enforcement surge.
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
If Troy's gonna win, he'll needs Travis
bollardhead.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for Aug. 3, 2026
Local Music Monday: An open letter to Troy Jackson re: Travis James Humphrey
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Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 30/07/2026
"A concentration camp, in its most basic definition, is a place where a targeted civilian population, not necessarily accused of a crime, is detained and at least some of their basic rights are suspended," writes @jwashing.bsky.social. "That’s precisely what’s happening in the United States today."
theguardian.com
Don’t call them ICE detention centers. Call them camps | John Washington
I’ve spent a decade reporting on immigration enforcement. The word ‘camp’ best captures the political function of these facilities
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Common Dreams @commondreams.org · 14/07/2026
"We are grieving, we are furious, and we will not allow his death to be treated as routine or inevitable," the head of the Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition said after ICE killed a man in Biddeford.
commondreams.org
'We Are Grieving, We Are Furious': Mainers Protest Fatal ICE Shooting in Biddeford
"It is horrific. ICE needs to be disbanded. People who work for ICE are untrained. And we want them out of Biddeford," one resident said. "Killing people in cold blood. They need to be out of Maine."
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
If you like social media scuttlebutt, you're gonna love this one!
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for July 6, 2026
Local Music Monday: The King of Maine declares a class war
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chuckmertz.bsky.social @chuckmertz.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
ICYMI, today's Sunday Funnies... and not so funny... inclludes shots at the media, war and/or peace, Trump counting his sheep, some regret, death, wealth, and AI and its mortal enemy. Join now for bonus content throughout the weekend and all week long. www.patreon.com/thisishell/p...
patreon.com
Sunday Funnies... and not so funny: Guns, War, Peace, Sheep, Shame, Genocide, Wealth, AI and Bamboo? | This Is Hell!
Wake up every Sunday morning with the Funnies... and not so funny cartoons, images and memes -- either hilarious, insightful or both -- we'v
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
The second episode of our new recording series dishes about the Old Port's past, present and future with the crowd at The Thirsty Pig's 15th anniversary party. Featuring an impromptu jam by singer-guitarist James Wholey and Larry "The Viking" Benson. Produced by Scott Howe of Lean Meats fame!
open.substack.com
Bollard On The Street
Old Port Festival (Slight Return) as The Thirsty Pig celebrates 15 years
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
"I politely but firmly and curtly informed him that I do not cooperate with the current federal government, then shut the door. Hence my case."
bollardhead.substack.com
Effin' with the government
Should we cooperate with Trump's census this year?
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Yet another outstanding indie-folk album from the blossoming Portland scene
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for June 15, 2026
Local Music Monday: Laurels for Heather Lynn
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ACLU of Maine @aclumaine.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
VICTORY: South Portland is ending its contract with Flock for AI-powered surveillance. We should all be free to move about town without the government watching our every move.
pressherald.com
South Portland will stop using Flock cameras
Councilors voted to immediately disable the 7 cameras and end the contract.
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Ken Jennings @kenjennings.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Stop texting my wife!
Graham Platner fundraising spam
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Maine Morning Star @mainemorningstar.com · 05/06/2026
Judge John J. McConnell Jr. said the Trump administration “threw the lives of countless immigrants living in the U.S. into indeterminate legal limbo” when it directed USCIS to pause asylum and green card paperwork for immigrants hailing from 39 countries. mainemorningstar.com/2026/06/05/r...
mainemorningstar.com
Trump administration processing freeze on asylum seekers violated law, judge rules • Maine Morning Star
WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Rhode Island Friday struck down several Trump administration policies that halted processing for asylum seekers following a shooting in Washington, D.C., that left one…
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Kristy Cacciapaglia @kristyisreading.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Wednesday morning🌞 @the-bollard.bsky.social
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Jo Locktov @jolocktov.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
The closing of a community treasure, Fresh Approach closes after 34 years of serving the eclectic & wonderful West End neighborhood in Portland. via @the-bollard.bsky.social #Maine
open.substack.com
Bollard On The Street
Fresh Approach customers and supporters speak their minds
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Kristy Cacciapaglia @kristyisreading.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
May South Portland scoop 🎉 @readbookpage.bsky.social @the-bollard.bsky.social
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Jason Read @jasonread.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Look upon my works, ye mighty and despair
Abandoned Sears store load dock
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Jason Read @jasonread.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
"Nobody is as poor as those who see their own relation to the presence of others, that is to say their own communicative faculty, their own possession of a language, reduced to wage labor.” Paolo Virno www.bostonglobe.com/2026/05/06/l...
bostonglobe.com
Starbucks baristas are forced to write cheery messages to connect with customers. Instead, they read like a cry for help. - The Boston Globe
Starbucks baristas are expected to write upbeat cup notes they may not feel — and many customers don’t even notice.
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David_j_roth @davidjroth.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Look if you've got a better way to run a country than "putting an illiterate octogenarian bigot on TV every few days to free associate and complain, and then everyone tries to figure out if it means we're about to start a war or not" I'd love to hear it. But the constitution says this is it.
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
"“It’s all begun to feel like we’re waiting for apocalypse” — "Apocalypse," by Telescope Club
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for May 4, 2026
Local Music Monday: Telescope Club spots the Giant Meteor, and sings anyway
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Ken Klippenstein @kenklippenstein.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
The real reason gerontocrat Janet Mills ended her campaign www.kenklippenstein.com/p/voters-tak...
kenklippenstein.com
Voters Take Keys Away From Elder Politician
The real reason gerontocrat Janet Mills ended her campaign
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Mary Shelly Beans 🎃 🫘 @billhookunion.beanyear.com · 28/04/2026
Plants EAT the air Every now and then I like to remind myself that the physical structures of plants are directly made from the Carbon Dioxide in the air Plant roots take up water and small amounts of other stuff but the plant isn’t eating the soil to make more plant.
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Repeating Cloud @repeatingcloud.com · 27/04/2026
Check out Chris Busby's dead-to-rights review of last fall's @teenagetompetties.bsky.social album
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
"TTP’s full-throated endorsement of gettin’ boozed up is refreshing to hear these days, when far too many people are sobering up for no good reason."
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for April 27, 2026
Local Music Monday: Teenage Tom Petties taps the raw joy of rock
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Collins Watch @collinswatch.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
"[Jared] Golden will be remembered, to the extent he will be remembered at all, as a cowardly representative among many who abdicated their duty to the rule of law and common decency at a critical moment in American history." #MEpolitics
Portland Press Herald letter to the editor.
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Jim @jimw14.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
"Meditation", Je Shen, Chinese Artist, 2026
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Jo Locktov @jolocktov.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
“As the secret meetings, pre-determined parameters & rushed hiring of a white-shoe commercial brokerage firm show us, unelected city officials aren’t interested in what the people of Portland want to do with the land they’re supposedly managing for our collective benefit.” @the-bollard.bsky.social
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for April 21, 2026
Cartoon Tuesday: The "highest and best use" of our land in Bayside
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Tye Newton Music @music.tyenewton.com · 16/04/2026
This was a fun way to find out that my local friend David Rogers is playing with another group! He's not on Bluesky for a mention, but his release as Tremolo Fields is really nice—very cool blended analog/digital grooves and moods—time for another re-listen: www.tremolofields.com
tremolofields.com
Tremolo Fields
Tremolo Fields is the indie-rock, alt-folk, diy-electronic project of David Rogers who was born in Iowa and now lives in Maine.
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Portland Cruise Control_Maine @portcruisecontrol.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
“‘Chump Change,” a deeply researched debunking of the official bullshit touting cruise-ship tourism’s local benefits. 18 cruise seasons later, the grassroots battle against these noxious behemoths rages on more fiercely than ever." @the-bollard.bsky.social thebollard.com/2008/06/05/c...
A magazine cover illustration showing a massive black and white cruise ship with a green parking meter in the foreground against a yellow sunburst.
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Plus poetry, a chance to harangue Janet Mills about poetry, and exposing the real sources of poverty in South Asia
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for April 14, 2026
Cartoon Tuesday: Mort Todd's "Atlantic Rim: Mutant Lobster Bake!"
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Dig in!
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for April 13, 2026
Local Music Monday: Finger Food's latest platter of petit four
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Jason Read @jasonread.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Verso book's theory sale ends today. Last chance (for now) to get The Double Shift for 40% off. www.versobooks.com/products/292...
versobooks.com
The Double Shift
Even as the rewards of work decline and its demands on us increase, many people double-down on their commitment to wage slavery—working harder, doing overtime, and learning to hustle. To paraphrase Spinoza, why do people fight to be exploited as if it were liberation?To find the answer, The Double Shift turns to the in
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Kristy Cacciapaglia @kristyisreading.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
April South Portland scoop🎉 @sarahdavisgoff.bsky.social @readbookpage.bsky.social @the-bollard.bsky.social #booksky
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worm restraint @ctsmike.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
for the morning crowd… the band i’ve been singing and playing guitar in for the last year or two has a song out! we are playing at apohadion next sunday 3/12 with Field Studies and @gumparker.bsky.social ! come out!
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Behold! The band that defeated Death itself!
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for March 30, 2026
Local Music Monday: Gwynne & The Tonics beat The Reaper
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Our hard-hitting April issue is now online for our Substack supporters. Join us today & read all about it!
open.substack.com
April 2026 Print Edition
A-Holey Donut: The Holy Donut’s workers want a livable wage, safety and respect. Ownership wants them to shut up
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Comedy, Americana, acrobatics, an AI doom movie and this week's guide to museums and galleries await your click:
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for March 26, 2026
We're just the workers behind the scenes who make all the magic possible
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
"A recent survey of Americans appears to confirm this, with nine of ten respondents reporting that existence, as they perceive it, 'sucks.'"
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for March 24, 2026
Cartoon Tuesday: Welcome to this black hole universe!
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James Myall @jamesxmyall.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
The average driving-age Mainer will pay an extra $30 a month from an increase in gas prices of $1/gallon thanks to Trump's War. That's $36 million a month statewide #mepolitics itep.org/gas-prices-s...
itep.org
These States Are Most Impacted by the Spike in Gas Prices
The recent spike in gasoline prices is on pace to cost American drivers an extra $9.4 billion per month. Gas prices are up dramatically across the country, but the South has been hit hardest and is on...
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
This also tracks with Mills’ opposition to reinstating parole: self-improvement is either impossible or a lie. This dark and destructive view of human nature pervades her politics.
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
There'll be a listening party for this one tonight at DTL
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for March 23, 2026
Local Music Monday: The country music songwriting team Thetford & Gutter delivers again
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
This weekend's schedule of delightful local strangeness:
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for March 21 & 22, 2026
Punk cabaret, a crazy spelling bee, a jazz film by Flea, a Punk Rock Flea, the Oddities Expo and other oddities you can witness and enjoy this weekend
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The Bollard @the-bollard.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Hop aboard this disco train - subscribe today!
open.substack.com
The Bollard Bulletin for March 19, 2026
Our arts coverage will continue until morale improves
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Collins Watch @collinswatch.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Susan Collins's taxpayer-paid chief of staff leaves his govt job to join her campaign and her former comms director who left last year for K Street rejoins her staff. The line between govt service, campaign work and DC influence peddling ceases to exist once you enter Collins's orbit. #MEpolitics
Susan Collins press release: Senator Collins Announces Senior Staff Updates
Steve Abbott to Manage Reelection Campaign; Katie Brown Named Chief of Staff; Annie Clark to Return as Deputy Chief of Staff.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced updates to her senior leadership team for the remainder of the 119th Congress.

Senator Collins’ longtime Chief of Staff Steve Abbott will manage her reelection campaign. Katie Brown, currently the Senator’s Legislative Director and Chief Counsel, will serve as Chief of Staff. Annie Clark, the Senator’s former Communications Director, will return to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff.
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World Bollard Association™️ @worldbollardassoc.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
Bollards save lives AND bring immense joy and happiness to the world. #WorldBollardAssociation
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World Bollard Association™️ @worldbollardassoc.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
Bollards save lives. End of story. #WorldBollardAssociation
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World Bollard Association™️ @worldbollardassoc.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
A truly magnificent sight (slightly ruined by Windsor Castle). #WorldBollardAssociation
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