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Yarnbombing has been going on for a few years now in Portland, mostly in small, sniper installations on doorknobs and signposts. But a cadre of knitters just escalated the arms race — or should I say "yarnms race"? — with a huge installation covering the "Michael" sculpture downtown. 
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A local studio, Portland Post Production, which bills itself as the only Autodesk Smoke facility in northern New England, shows off their capabilities in this slick video of Portland's people and places.
I suggest watching this in full-screen mode.
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It wouldn't be much of a stretch to nickname it "North by Northeast": In August, British folk rockers Mumford & Sons will embark on a rare tour to this side of the Atlantic, and their only stopover on the East Coast will be located on the very brim of it, right here in Portland, on the Eastern Promenade overlooking Casco Bay.
With only six performances in all, in unique locations, the "Gentlemen of the Road" tour makes a point of being a unique music festival — one that encourages their audience to enjoy the hosting community as much as they enjoy the music.
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Jonathan Levitt, a Maine-based travel writer, recently had a piece in the Boston Globe Magazine that showcased Portland's music scene.
In it, he speaks with Bryan Bruchman, a Brooklyn-based promoter and photographer.
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The real estate crowd isn't traditionally known for its creativity. Most of the industry's professionals are people who have spent their careers building anonymous strip malls and office parks — exactly the kinds of places I moved to Portland in order to get away from.
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Last week I wrote a post about opportunities to get involved in Portland's abundant civic organizations and volunteer groups. This week, I'd like to highlight one of those city committees I'd mentioned — the Portland Public Art Committee, which happens to have an opening right now.
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A few years ago, the American Planning Association highlighted Portland's Commercial Street, which runs alongside the harbor from Merrill's Marine Terminal in the west to the Old Port district in the east, as one of America's "Great Streets. ".
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At the turn of the millennium, sociologist Robert Putnam wrote Bowling Alone, which observed that a successful community relies on successful community organizations and civic participation. "Researchers in such fields as education, urban poverty, unemployment, the control of crime and drug abuse, and even health have discovered that successful outcomes are more likely in civically engaged communities," Putnam wrote.
