Students who want to perform in a poetry recital contest sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts no longer have to be a U.S. citizen or even a permanent resident to compete.
The federal agency dropped the requirement recently, in response to a lawsuit by the school district in Portland, Maine. School officials were irked earlier this year when a student from Zambia who goes to high school in Portland won the Poetry Out Loud competition in Maine but was told by federal officials he couldn't compete in the national event.
A seagull swooped down on Singing Beach in Manchester-By-the-Sea and swiped a card holder and money clip, which haven't been found, police said.
The Friday night incident is the second during the last few weeks on Cape Ann, which sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean about 40 miles northeast of Boston.
