Information about Portland Girl Scout summer camp will be discussed Jan. 30, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Trinity Church, 345 Main Street, Portland, CT. See what summer camp opportunities are available for your daughter, ages six and up. Camp directors, counselors and campers from some of the different Girl scout camps will be on hand. Girls in attendance will also have the opportunity to learn the Summer Fun Patch, after completing a few activities. Fore more information, contact Alicia at gsleader2237@juno.com or 860-342-0158. 01/10/2008

A scrap-booking event will be held Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25 an 26. There will be set-up Friday night (6-11 p.m.). Leave your stuff and come back on Saturday from 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. to work some more. There will be scrap-booking in the lower level of Trinity Church, 345 Main Street, Portland, CT. Table room and snacks will be provided throughout the event. Come and go as you need; you may bring your own dinners or lunches, or there are local restaurants close by. Cost of the even is $25 ($15 for parishioners). Contact Alicia at gsleader2237@juno.com or 860-342-0158 for a registration form or fore more information. 01/10/2008

Portland's Senior Girl Scout Troop 2745 is taking orders through Friday, Jan. 11, for their Super Bowl Sunday Grinder Sale. You can choose from turkey, ham, roast beef, homemade meatball or Italian Combo(pepperoni, salami, ham and provolone)sandwiches with choice of cheese-American, Swiss or Provolone. Cost is $6 fro half grinders, $11 for whole. Pick up will be from 4-5p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3, in the parish hall of St. Mary's Church on Freestone Ave in Portland, CT. The troop is raising money for 2008 community service projects and group activities. To order, call Carolyn or Deb at 860-342-0293 or Katie and Maura at 860-342-2744. 01/10/2008

The 2008 Portland, CT Historical Society calendar has arrived. This year, 12 Queen Anne style houses in Portland are featured. Queen Anne's are known fro steep cross-gabled roofs, towers, vertical windows, projecting wings, porches, balconies and multiple chimneys. They were a break from the simple square or rectangular Colonial style, and encouraged the growth of architecture to design these embellishments. One home included in the calendar was built by brownstone quarry magnate Erastus Brainard for his 3 middle-aged sisters, Mary, Corrine and Catherine in 1888. Built of brownstone, it was glowingly described in local papers as a design "in advance of anything ever before erected in town." Calendar copies will be available for $8 at the Ruth Callander House, Portland, CT on Sunday, Jan... 01/10/2008

Portland Market Report for December and a Comparison of 2006 to 2007ResidentialThere are 56 active listings on the market in Portland, 9 new listings came on the market in December , 5 homes went under deposit and there were 10 closed sales.  Below you will see the comparison between Dec. 2007 and Dec. 2006:Closed 12/2007:  10                                             Closed 12/2006:  3Avg.Sale Price:  $286,940                                      Avg.Sale Price:  $250,000$/Sq.Ft.:  146                                                       $/Sq.Ft:  156DOM:  50                                                             DOM:  86As you can see, this December was much better than last December with prices being up and days on the market being down by a lot.1/1/2007 - 12/31/2007 compared... 01/03/2008

Come Along and Take a Tour of Portland Located on the shores of the Ct. River, Portland is a town of approximately 9000 people and is rich in history.  Long known for its Brownstone Quarries, where the Brownstone for buildings in New York, Boston and California came from, the quarries are no longer in operation, but are now the home of the new Brownstone Park, where people can come and enjoy all kinds of water activities.  Portland was also the home of a very large shipbuilding industry and many large ships were produced by the Gildersleeve's starting in the 1800's.  As you travel down the wide tree lined Main St, you will see many historic homes and churches.   The large Brownstone building on the right, which was formerly the Town Hall is now the home of the Police Department and Yout... 12/06/2007

Market Report for Portland for Oct. 2007 and Year to DateResidentialThe market in Portland does not appear to be doing as well as some of the other markets.  There are 61 listings on the market, which is not a huge increase in inventory.  There were 16 new listings that came on the market in October, 7 homes went under deposit and there were 7 closed transactions.  Overall comparing 2007 year to date with 2006 year to date prices are down 8%, closings are up 6.7% and average/sq.ft. prices are down 5.7%.                                                                                               Closed                 Avg.Sale Price      Avg.Price/Sq.Ft   Avg.Days on Mkt Oct. 20077$237,950$14381Oct. 20063$271,333$153101/1/2007 - 10/31/200774$290,072$150641/1/2006 - 10/31/200679$267,754$... 11/18/2007

Portland CT Moms Unite!A coffee informational to find out about Moms InTouch will be held Monday, Sept. 10, at 7:30 p.m.Moms In Touch is a group of mothers who meet for one hour each week to pray for their children and the schools they attend.  For more information and meeting location, call Michelle at 342-0282. 08/25/2007

Portland Craft Fair Vendors Wanted As part of the town’s Family Day events on Saturday, Sept. 15, the Economic Development Commission will hold a craft fair at the town parking lot next to the Town Green, and organizers are welcoming more vendors to the event. Craft items so far include food goods, herb plants, jewelry, alpaca wool, handmade soaps, farm goods, quilts and other cloth crafts. Vendor fee is $15. For a registration form, contact Paulette Buchanan at 537-2811. 08/25/2007

Market Report for Portland for July 2007 and Year to Date There are 67 active listings in Portland.  In July there were 19 new listings, 5 homes went under deposit and there were 11 closed transactions.  The average sale price was $310,400, the average price per sq.ft. was $149 and the average days on the market were 58.  In July of 2006 there were 8 closed transactions and the average sale price was $273,150, the average per sq.ft. price was $172 and the average days on the market were 64.  Looking at these comparisons the market looks pretty good, but looking at the year to date will provide a more realistic view.  Comparing the first 7 months of 2006 to the first 7 months of 2007, in 2006 there were 52 sales with an average sale price of $299,805, an average per sq.ft.price of $161 a... 08/20/2007

Rehearsals StartingPortland-based Middlesex Hospital Vocal Chords will begin rehearsals in preparation for their upcoming Holiday Concert on Tuesday, Aug.28, at 7 p.m. atThe Msgr. Fox Parish Hall of St. Francis Church, 10 EIm St., Middletown.  New members are always welcomed (you do not need to be a hospital employee or a resident of Middletown), and no auditions necessary.  Deadline to join is Sept. 18. Founded by Joyce Ghent of Portland, this group starting its ninth season, with proceeds being awarded to students pursuing a career in nursing or music.For more information, call 342-3120. 08/17/2007

Portland Bus Trip To MontrealThe Parks and Recreation Department has announced a bus trip to Montreal from Saturday, Oct. 6, through Monday, Oct. 8.The tour includes roundtrip motorcoach transportation, two nights at the Hyatt Hotel in Montreal, two full buffet breakfasts and one dinner, tour of Montreal including Notre Dame, Place Jacques Cartier and St. Joseph’s Oratory,  leisure time for shopping in the underground Mall or along St. Catherine Street, Casino Montreal, baggage, tax and service and a tour director.Price is $299 for a double, $349 for a single, $279 for a triple/quad and $179 for a child with an adult. Each passenger must have proof of citizenship (birth certificate, passport and a photo license).A 50 percent deposit is required at time of registration, with final paymen... 08/17/2007

Portland First Congregational Church ServicesFirst Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, 554 Main St., Portland, 342-3244,email: first.church.pct@sbcglobal.net Website: firstchurchportland.comSunday worship is at 9 a.m. Summer childcare is offered for children 3 years old through 2nd grade. Everyone is invited for refreshments after the service.Holy Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month.The church is accessible for the pyshically challenged.  08/11/2007

Tag Sale FundraiserA multifamily tag sale to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will be held Saturday, Aug. 11, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, at First Congregational Church, 554 Main St.Funds raised from this sale will go to the MS Society via local resident Suzanne Roberts’ MS150 Cycling team. Roberts and her team, Rebels With A Cause, will bike over 150 miles in September to raise money for and awareness of MS.The team’s goal is to raise $6,000. For more information, go to the team’s website at www.rwac.org or call Roberts at 342-0364. 08/11/2007

Getting Ready For FestivalThe Brownstone Quorum is helping to get ready for the Brownstone Festival in September.  An all-day workday will be held Saturday, Aug. 11, from 9 a.in.-5 p.m., and will be with Mike Susca and Jeanne Dilworth.Workers will be raking, levelling and generally getting the surface ready for woodchips to be spread the following week. Bring garden rakes, and perhaps some shovels. Wear gloves and dress for the weather. Work will be performed along the right-of-way trail beyond the gate at the end of Brownstone Avenue.  For more information, call Jeanne at 342-2260. 08/11/2007

The scout leaders and committee members of Boy Scout Troop 49 have announced the troop’s outdoor activity schedule for the 2007-08 scouting year. These activities consist of campouts, service projects and more.  The schedule is: September, white water rafting in upstate New York; October, cleaning the Portland Fairgrounds; November, Deer Lake Campout, where Weblos from Pack 49 and 15 will be invited to come and see what a Boy Scout campout is like; December, no camping, but possible holiday service projects.  In 2008: January, skiing weekend; March, paintball at Glastonbury Meadows; April, Devil’s Hopyard; May, Cape Cod biking trip.  Any young man, Cub Scout or not, who wishes to join Troop 49 should contact Scoutmaster Don Bascom at 342-3550.The older scouts of the troop are currently ... 08/03/2007

There's an opportunity coming up to meet the Republican candidates for this November's municipal elections.On Sunday, Aug. 26. a family-style chicken-barbecue at the American Legion from 3-6 p.m.Menu includes barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, baked potato and watermelon. Tickets are $10 per person, $20 per couple and $25 per family. Children six and under are free.For tickets, contact any Republican candidate, e-mail Cindy Varricchio at cindyvarricchio@gmail.com or call 342-0184. 08/03/2007

The Middlesex Amateur Radio Club is offering a class to the general public on Morse Code. The organization meets Tuesdays at 6:30p.m. on the first floor of the Portland Senior Center: (No class is held the second Tuesday of each month.)Also known as Ham Radio Operators, this group of, volunteers assists in providing communication for the town's emergency operation center. Licensed operators are encouraged to join.For more information or to find out more about ham radio, call Gordon Barker at 342-3258. 08/03/2007

Girl Scout Troop 2237 is having a Can & Bottle Drive on Saturday, Aug. 11, from 9 a.m. -noon, at Trinity Church, 345 Main St.The girls will accept all returnable cans and bottles (non-carbonated drinks and water bottles are not returnable). If unable to drop them off, call to set-up a pick-up time at 342-5228.Monthly bottle drives will be held the second Saturday of every month. The girls are working towards trips toYellowstone Park and Rocking Horse Ranch in 2008, along with supporting their troop activities and community service projects. 08/03/2007

The Portland Soccer Club is accepting applications for the Fall Recreational Soccer Program for players in Kindergarten through 8th Grade.Drop in registrations will be held Saturdays, Aug. 4 and 18 from 9-1 1 a.m. at Dunkin Donuts, 152Main St. Registration deadline is Saturday, Aug. 25.The travel program tryouts are now complete and teams are set.Teams will be formed based on the numbers of players registered. For more information, including all mail-in registration materials and forms can be found at www.eteamz.com/portlandsoccer 08/03/2007