Portland, ME

Portland, Maine Community Blood Drive will be held this Thursday, December 16, 2010, at the Clarion Hotel at 1230 Congress Street, Portland in the Gallery Ballroom. The American Red Cross has partnered with the Clarion Hotel, ILovePortlandMaine.com and Jeff Mateja of Keller Williams Realty for a much needed community blood drive near the holidays and at a time when blood inventory are at crucial levels.

The Portland Blood Drive will take place from 10am to 3pm at the Clarion Hotel and walk-ins are welcomed, though appointments are encouraged. To make an appointment, please call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

All participating donors will receive a BUY ONE GET ONE FREE Adult lift ticket to Shawnee Peak and Mt. Abram. Kick off your ski season by giving blood and the gift of life. Thank you in advance for helping us reach our goals.

Portland, Maine, received some more good news via NBC's Today Show segment "Today's Real Estate" where Matt Lauer interviewed real estate expert Barbara Corcoran and financial editor Jean Chatsky, regarding the market outlook for 2011 and discussed the past year experience.

According to the NBC segment on the Today Show, home values across the country dropped a total of $1.7 trillion dollars in 2010, and only 1/4 of the metro areas tracked by Zillow saw an increase in values, HOWEVER, Portland, Maine stood out with San Francisco, and Austin, TX, as "real estate bright spots" in the market, as they saw increases in home values.

Portland Police are now mapping crime activity on the web according to an article today in the Portland Press Herald. Citizens and other interested parties can now head to the internet at this time to understand where and what crime activity is taking place in the City of Portland.

According to the article, you can go to www.mapnimbus.com and search for Portland, Maine, and view right on the map where criminal activity occurs and what type of crime is occurring and when it occurred. The program is free to the department at this time as they won a contest, though it is not known if they will continue to use it once they have to pay for the service. In the meantime, have a look and let us know what you think.

Perhaps a great tool for those concerned about the safety of their current location or for home buyers considering living in a particular area of Portland, Maine.

Portland Maine New Years Eve 2010 at a glance appears to have something for everyone... Where will you spend your New Years Eve in Portland? Consider some of the following options...

The Black Cat Ball - A New Years Eve Bash at Mariner's Church presented by Sid Tripp & Proactive Resources Design. "We'll pour a little bubbly to add a little cheer, as we celebrate the start of a brand new year!" Featuring the rockin' songs of WAVELENGTH! Special appearances of legendary performers, hot & cold hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, free champagne toast, countdown ballon drop, photo booth, party favors, & much more! Sid has many tricks up his sleeve for the evening! $50 per person. Advanced tickets can be purchased by calling Lauren at (207) 772-3599. Cash, Check & Cards accepted. Come relive the magic of the Black Cat Ball and ring in 2011 in style with 500 of your best friends! The party gets started at 8:30pm and lasts until 2am.

Midnight in Manhattan - 5th Annual New Years Eve party at the Marriott Sable Oaks featuring the Bob Charest Band and DJ Brian Zutter. $79 per person includes hors d'oeuvres, buffet dinner, party favors, and champagne toast. There are a limited number of $45 per person tickets for dancing. FMI: Bob Charest Band Marriott Sable Oaks New Years Eve

Clash of the Titans at the State Theatre - Enjoy local musical artists battling each other with classic hits from the greatest decades of music. Doors open at 8pm. Show starts 9pm. Zach Jones & friends deliver 60's hits while facing up against The Lucid & friends who will dish out 70's tunes, in a battle against Grand Hotel & friends and their 80's hits. General admission tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. All ages show!

Portland Pirates - Kid's New Year's Celebration - Watch the Portland Pirates battle against the Hartford Wolfpack in a New Years Eve hockey tradition as the Pirates mark their 16th season celebrating NYE in Portland. WGME13 and WJBQ 97.9 present the game, expected to once again be a sell out. Witness the largest indoor fireworks display in New England at the conclusion of the game.

Bob Marley New Years Eve Merrill Auditorium Comedy Show - Guinness Book of World Record Holder and Comedian Bob Marley sends us into 2011 with laughter as he wraps up his three day holiday show with a special NYE edition that will have you in stitches. FMI: Please visit BMarley.com

New Years Eve Gala at The Landing - Jim Ciampi Band will deliver another great NYE party in Scarborough. 21+ event. Please visit TheLandingPinePoint.com for more information.

New Years Eve Portland Empire Dine and Dance with Mallett Brothers and Marion Grace starting at 8pm. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit PortlandEmpire.com

51 Wharf New Years Eve Portland - something special is brewing though no details as of yet. Stay tuned to NYEPortlandMaine for more details.

Portland, Maine can add one more piece of national recognition to the books which should ignite additional tourist traffic thanks to GQ Magazine's November 2010 edition. In an online GQ Magazine article, the magazine notes you can "walk anywhere in this town - even in December" and provides readers with some great attractions to make sure they include in their travels. On their short list are Fore Street restaurant, J's Oyster Bar, Bresca, and Diamond Cove General Store (a 40 minute ferry ride away). Portland joins Charleston, South Carolina on the list

We really like their graphic for Portland, Maine, in the article with the lobster saying "Eat me. Oregon!"

If you have been to Portland, you can appreciate the article, if you've never been...then we'll welcome you here hopefully very soon! Safe travels.