PORTLAND, Maine — The city’s restaurant inspection program will see temporary changes due to an impending medical leave by a city employee, according to city officials.
Michele Sturgeon, Portland’s health inspector, is scheduled to start medical leave on Monday, according to city spokeswoman Nicole Clegg. The Maine Center for Disease Control’s Health Inspection Program will handle restaurant inspections in Portland while Sturgeon is on leave. Sturgeon is expected to return to her normal duties after the medical leave, contrary to a post Thursday by Munjoy Hill News, a well-known blog about Portland that is operated independently but hosted by bangordailynews.com.
“Michele Sturgeon is still the public health inspector,” said Clegg. “We have coordinated with the state so they can provide services in her absence.”
Sturgeon has been a visible public employee in recent months as her inspections have resulted in reprimands and shut-downs of some Portland eateries.
Did she get sick on her own cooking? What is the reason for this story to get front page in the BDN?
Wish her the best with whatever this medical leave is all about (looks a bit fishy to me…rotten at that). We need many more people doing what she’s been doing. She’s been putting a lot of pressure on Portland restaurants to clean up their food service “messes” and make eating out safe for us all. Hope she gets back to that as soon as possible. Restaurants, clean up your acts on your own or ask for some help and no one will have to come in and shut you down.
Portland better smarten up the reputation as a foodie town will go down the drain quickly if the perception exists the city is looking the other way