Freeport, Maine, 19 miles north of Portland and the gateway to the charming villages dotting the coast leading up to the crown jewel of Acadia National Park, has for years been the virtual starting point of "America's Vacationland." That's over, or it soon will be, as the sleepy little town known as the home of L.L. Bean's flagship store is waking up. Or rather, it has been rudely awakened by all the woke people doing the "right thing" as far as Governor Janet Mills is concerned.
So far two hotels -- one is actually a motel -- that formerly housed the eager tourists flocking to Maine from all over the country, kayaks and bikes strapped to their packed SUVs, have been corralled into housing only migrants from central Africa. This questionable situation has arisen because the city of Portland has reached its max capability, with 12 hotels there already housing 1,500 "asylum seekers." So with no more room at the inn, the overflow is being sent north.
Driving by these two locations one can see the new residents hanging around out front, lounging on beach chairs, listening to portable radios, or walking the two miles or so along Route 1 to Cumberland Farms and Dunkin' Donuts for food or whatever else they can find. Here's the punchline: Federal COVID relief dollars are being used to help pay for the emergency housing. (Hey, I don't make the news, I just report it.)
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