Rockport residents who are still in shock from the property tax bills they received a few weeks back likely welcomed the news that both the town’s Budget Committee, of which I am a member, and its Select Board have signaled an intent to focus greater energy on the budget for this coming year.

Both bodies have set some priorities and are taking steps on that front.

The most important step they can take, though, has nothing to do with the budget itself.

Instead, they should focus their efforts on reversing the trend, accelerated in recent years, of providing Rockport voters with less and less

ROCKLAND — Midcoast Habitat for Humanity dedicated a new home at 47 Lawn Avenue in Rockland on Sunday, October 26, celebrating the transformation of a once-condemned property into two safe, affordable homes for local families. The dedication marks a milestone in the organization’s ongoing efforts to revitalize neighborhoods and expand access to affordable homeownership in Knox County.

“As you drive around Rockland, you can’t help but notice derelict properties in need of rehab or redevelopment,” said Tia Anderson, Executive Director of Midcoast Habitat for Humanity. “Midcoast Habitat is always

Tuesday is Election Day. 2025 being an off year, there is less to vote on then some years, most notably a couple referendum questions. There is a decent amount of buzz around these, and across Lincolnville signs have popped up in dooryards and at intersections, urging votes of yes or no on Questions 1 or 2.

There are also a number of other signs going up, for positions which won’t be decided for another year. Growing up in a fairly politically active household, I am certainly used to yard signs and bumper stickers advertising one’s political preference, but signs for a primary that won’t take

Cool mornings, earthy smells of fallen leaves, and those first high, thin clouds that are more common in winter—it’s late fall here in Maine.

On Friday nights, in the distance, from across the valley, we can hear the announcer on the loudspeakers at the local high school football games. Sometimes that’s the acoustic backdrop to the “peep” calls of Swainson’s thrushes and “seet” calls of white-throated sparrows echoing down from the night sky as the birds migrate south.

On a recent fall day, we were driving to a favorite spot to look for birds and listening to music on the way. A song came

To the unknown woman in the Rockland Hannaford parking lot:

The other day you gave my 91-year-old friend a small, brightly-colored plant. You said you were looking for someone to put a smile on one’s face — YOU DID!

Little did you know that only minutes ago, she had been at the Staple's parking lot. As she often does, she uses a shopping cart to put her items in, as a walker which she now has to use, and parks in a handicapped parking space, legitimately.

After shopping at Staples, the cashier told her to leave the shopping cart aside, out of the space and she would retrieve it for her.

After

I am writing to express my support for both Martha Proulx and Madison Cook for the school board of RSU 71.  

I’m voting for Martha Proulx because she has dedicated her career to child welfare and has already served thoughtfully and effectively on the board. Her experience and insight have been a real asset to our schools.  

I am also writing in Madison Cook. I have known Madison since she was a whip-smart fifth grader in my son’s class at Capt. Albert Stevens School. She has always had a keen mind and a strong work ethic. Recently, she impressed me with her thoughtful questions about the

Dear Fellow Mainers, Vote no on Ballot Question 1: the Voter “Safety” (SUPPRESSION) Referendum. 

Our Maine vote is our Maine Voice! 

Vote No to a bunch of costly, unnecessary rules to attack our Maine voting rights, “being imported to Maine from an out-of-state playbooksee the latest Ohio voter suppression law] that just doesn’t fit Maine.” (LWV of Maine)

It aims to reduce our voice in our state and our country! 

One example: it makes absentee voting very hard. In 2024, more than 40% of Mainers, and roughly 60% of Maine seniors, voted absentee in the last Presidential election: many of us

“Why Green Burial in Camden, Maine?” Because there are others like me. Young and old! 

In 2022, I moved to Camden from Massachusetts. Moving required transferring all my estate planning to Maine. I still have one document to complete: “Burial Instructions.”

The choices presented didn’t resonate with me.  In March 2024, I learned of and joined Midcoast Maine Green Burial, which formed in July 2023.   

“Green Burial, the act of burying a human body in a natural fiber shroud or simple, compostable pine box without embalming fluids or other harmful chemicals, is an option legal in all 50 states.” 

We are here to stay.

The town of Camden and Children’s House have entered into a lease that ensures that children will continue to learn, thrive and play at the yellow schoolhouse at 58 Elm Street in Camden. 

It is a privilege to dig our roots even deeper here in Camden. We are thrilled to provide hands-on, nurturing Montessori programs at the schoolhouse in the years to come.

This beloved historic location, with its light-filled classrooms and iconic belltower, has been home to learning since 1869, when the Elm Street School was founded. Children’s House is now in its 21st school year

In our current turbulent political environment, it seems to me that it should be legally mandatory that political signs present clear, accurate information.  But as I drive around my community, I am increasingly disturbed by the highly confusing messages of some political signs.  

For anyone only casually informed about the issues, it could disenfranchise many Mainers.

For example, on "#1, Vote YES to secure voting" actually means the exact opposite.

We are being asked if we want to have absentee balloting available in Maine and suggesting that we do not. 

Nearly 40% of Mainers vote by

On October 15, fourteen local dance students and their parents and teachers, traveled to the Collins Center in Orono to see the great classic “Swan Lake” presented by the Grand Kyiv Ballet Company from Ukraine.  

The trip was organized by Julie Fajardo, director of the MidCoast Ballet and was a rare opportunity for Mainers to see some great dancers in a performance that featured dancers from Ukraine as well as from Spain, Italy and the U.S.

As we watch various campaigns unfold the question is arising: “What is the status quo?” I like this straightforward definition: “The state of things; the way things are, as opposed to the way they could be” (American Heritage® Dictionary).

At the Washington County Democrats forum on October 12 for the Democratic gubernatorial candidates, it was clear that this is what former Senate President Troy Jackson means when he argues that Maine cannot afford to continue with the status quo.

Responding to a question on schools in disrepair, Jackson stated strongly: “It comes down to priorities. Do you

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Hundreds of prospective students and their families visited Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) on Saturday, Oct. 25, for the College’s annual Fall Open House, where visitors explored academic programs, toured the scenic oceanfront campus, and met the faculty and staff who help students launch rewarding careers. 

The event showcased SMCC’s more than 40 degree and certificate programs, flexible course schedules, and hands-on learning opportunities that prepare students for success in Maine’s workforce. Attendees had the opportunity to speak with faculty members

Announcing more great news for walkers:  you can now safely navigate Camden’s Ames Terrace, from Rawson Avenue to Washington Street, on a brand-new sidewalk Camden Public Works just installed as they top off the summer’s projects.

Local residents are so much safer now as they walk to and from Megunticook Market, and so are the students walking to the Camden-Rockport Middle School and running on the cross country team. No more dodging cars or ducking into roadside bushes or drainage ditches as cars race around the blind curve on that heavily-used shortcut through town.

The Camden-Rockport

Ah, the spooky old house. That Halloween icon — the abandoned home, once a place where a family lived, now just the dwelling of ghosts. Every neighborhood needs a haunted house.

I have written often about ghosts in this column. On at least one occasion, actual ghosts — the spirits of the dead that purportedly have haunted my old farmhouse, but mostly about ghosts in the sense of old memories. My home is far more haunted these days by my brothers and my younger selves than it has ever been by the poor dead boys of Vonnie and Nat Frohock.

Isn’t that what ghosts are, just the memories of people

The federal government has announced they will not be issuing November’s food stamps (SNAP)--for everyone in the entire country in November. This is a crisis, an emergency, a deliberate starvation disaster. It impacts 12.5% of Mainers—170,000 Mainers!. In Knox County, the AIO Food Pantry says it affects about 5,000 people. This especially harms kids, elders, and people with disabilities.

I am writing in Madison Cook for RSU 71 School Board and you should too! 

Madison Cook is the fresh, forward-thinking voice our community needs on the RSU 71 School Board.

As a Director at Maine Youth Power, I spend my days building social power with high school and college-aged students, working for a just and livable future for young Mainers. We need leaders like Madison, who are committed to including the next generation in shaping decisions that affect them.

I’ve been inspired by the campaign Madison has built as a write-in candidate. Her work shows how young people can step up, organize

BELFAST — Belfast’s beloved vintage Broke Neck Santa lights have hung along High Street from Macleod’s Furniture to the Belfast Free Library for more than 50 years. They are a staple to the historic downtown holiday atmosphere and for many their arrival is the first signs of the oncoming holidays.

Before they light up this year, they need wiring and hardware to hang from. We need your help to make it happen. In collaboration with the City of Belfast, the Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce, and Our Town Belfast have created a community GoFundMe to raise the $10,000 to cover the costs. This will

The Maine State Legislature voted to request permission to replace Maine’s statues of William King and Hannibal Hamlin with statues of Joshua Chamberlain and Margaret Chase Smith in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capital. Statuary Hall displays statues of two important leaders from each of the 50 states, except for Virginia which displays only George Washington.

In 2020, Virginia removed its statue of Robert E. Lee and will replace it with a statue of a civil rights activist. As a lover of history, I hope the Maine Legislature will reconsider its request and maintain Hannibal Hamlin in Statuary

International student exchange programs are a great example of soft power in U.S. foreign policy, influencing global perceptions and fostering international cooperation through cultural diplomacy rather than coercion or military might. In an increasingly interconnected world, traditional hard power approaches—such as military interventions or economic sanctions—often generate resentment or resistance.

Conversely, soft power relies on attraction, dialogue, and mutual understanding to shape foreign attitudes and behaviors. Student exchange programs are among the most potent tools in this arsenal