"Caron and Frost run again; rocker takes on Adams?" by Chris Busby in the Bollard: April 23, 2006

Former Portland Planning Board chairman Jaimey Caron has announced he's making another run for an at-large seat on the school board. Caron narrowly lost a three-way race for an at-large seat (one of four representing the whole city) last year, falling a few percentages behind Susan Hopkins.

Past school board member Frances Frost also ran and lost in that race, but The Bollard learned last Friday that she intends to seek the seat representing District 1 on the School Committee (the East End, downtown and islands), a post she held for one three-year term in the mid-1990's. Current District 1 school board representative Otis Thompson is not seeking a third term this year, he confirmed Friday. Environmental educator Rebecca Minnick, co-chair of the Portland Green Independent Party, intends to run for that seat, she confirmed today.

The at-large seat Caron is seeking is currently held by Jonathan Radtke, who is not running again this year. This weekend, another candidate for this seat came forward: Kevin Gardella.

Gardella, 28, is an artist who works at a senior living facility in the West End. A registered Green Independent making his first run for office, Gardella said he intends to adopt the campaign finance pledge taken by two other Greens seeking city office this year: Kevin Donoghue and Dave Marshall. The candidates say this will accept no contributions over $100 (the current legal limit is $250) and no money from sources outside the city of Portland. (See "Greens come out swinging in City Council races.")

In other political news, it's come to light that the Green Independent Party challenger in the race for the State House seat representing Bayside and Parkside is none other than Jason Rogers, the local indie rocker whose band, Diamond Sharp, released one of last year's catchiest albums. (See music writer Galen Richmond's piece here).


State Rep. Herb Adams (left) doesn't know the difference between Pavement and asphalt, but Jason Rogers won't be making that a campaign issue. (photos/courtesy State of Maine and Diamond Sharp's MySpace page)

That House seat is currently held by veteran legislator Herb Adams, who is running again this year. Jason LaVoie, a leader of the University of Southern Maine's College Republican group, is also in this race.

Luckily for Adams, Lavoie's chances for victory are slim in this liberal district, and Rogers is not actually running a campaign. Local Green Party officials say Rogers is just holding the party's place on the ballot until a replacement candidate can be found.