Spotlight Pilot

Featuring gifts made from blueberries, lobster and craft beer
Shop Local: Quintessential Maine gifts
Mon, 12/04/2023 - 11:15am

For the holidays, we’re shining the spotlight on Maine craftspeople who make custom items by hand. Shop locally and support innovators and entrepreneurs who keep the creative economy alive in this state. Maine Blueberry Gifts The back story : Go to Maine Etsy and search “Maine Blueberry Gift” and you’ll find dozens of handcrafted items using Maine’s most iconic fruit for every budget, from stocking stuffers for $5 to gift boxes for...
Wassail: A cup of cheer for the upcoming holiday parties
Take it and Make it: Maine Style
Sun, 12/03/2023 - 6:15pm

The comforting aroma of hot cider, ginger, and cinnamon fills the kitchen when you make the ancient mulled drink wassail, but did you know that the drink itself dates back to pre-Christian times? Farmers in England would use the drink to bless apple trees for a bountiful harvest for the next season and to ward off evil spirits. The word originated from Middle English “wæs hæil,” or “washayl,” meaning "a toast to someone's health” similar to the way we raise a glass to toast someone with the...
The exhibit is only up at the Rockport Public Library until November 29
You only have a few more days to catch artist Jon Friese’s cigar box guitars on display
Sat, 11/25/2023 - 12:00pm

ROCKPORT—Musician/artist Jon Friese’s cigar box guitar art exhibit is still up at the Rockport Public Library in case you haven’t caught it yet, and it’s worth a walk-through before it comes down at the end of this month. These unusual pieces of functional art date back to the Civil War, according to Friese. During the early days of the pandemic, he got inspired after viewing one being played on YouTube, and it spurred a desire to go find a cigar box and make one of his own. “I was always...
Hail to the Rad Kids
Through the eyes of Caleb Carr, teen photographer
Wed, 11/08/2023 - 11:30am

“Quiet and thoughtful” is how I’d describe my first meeting with 15-year-old Caleb Carr, a relatively new Camden Hills Regional High School student to the Midcoast from Massachusetts. Turns out that’s an apt description for his photography, as well. As we chatted in the school library, I got to know him a little bit and what he’s drawn to in life, and behind the lens. “When I was in Massachusetts, I focused on sports and aviation, which is what I was interested in,” he said. Hockey and football...
What to do with end-of-season bounty
Take it and Make it: Maine Style
Wed, 11/08/2023 - 11:30am

Rutabaga. What do you do with this alien softball-sized thing? This is the kind of vegetable I’m likely to pass over at a farmer’s market, because it’s so unfamiliar, but it’s a fall/winter root vegetable that’s in season right now. It’s nutrient-packed , low-calorie, and high in antioxidants. The best part? One only cost .99. A side dish for a buck that could feed four people! But back to what to do with it—you just have to go on faith that if you peel it and cook it, it will taste good. I...
Indoor clubs, groups, and social events to partake in this fall and winter
Mon, 11/06/2023 - 11:00am

It’s 4 p.m. in November as dusk settles in Maine. You pull back your curtains...and sigh. Another winter approaches as the days get shorter. And everyone cocoons in their houses for what seems like an eternity. If you’re not an outdoor person once the days get colder, don’t despair—there are a number of ways to still be social in the Midcoast this fall and winter. Trivia Nights Trivia Nights are a special kind of bonding with a group of pals or work friends because they...
Killer road trip to see artwork, performances, craft shows, and more
Five cultural events in Maine to honor Native American Heritage Month
Wed, 11/01/2023 - 11:30am

November 1 kicks off National Native American Heritage Month, which holds significant importance in Maine as the state is home to several Native American tribes, including the Wabanaki Confederacy, which comprises the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, and Abenaki peoples. According to Four Directions in Maine, a nonprofit Community Development Corporation, the Wabanaki Confederacy or (Waponahki) — is “translated as “People of the First Light” or “Dawnland”...
“While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping....”
2023 Halloween Rundown: Events for adults, parents, kids
Fri, 10/27/2023 - 9:30am

The Spooky Season is upon us! We have combed through every Halloween-themed event going on in the Midcoast to bring you a comprehensive rundown of events. From parties to art, from poetry to theater, we’ve color-coded these events for partying adults, parents, and kids to make finding them easier. Thursday, October 19 · Adults : The Rockland Public Library will host Deputy Library Director Patty King as she shares her multi-year...
What to do with end-of-season bounty
Take it and Make it: Maine Style
Wed, 10/25/2023 - 9:45am

Kale, like beets, for me, is one of those vegetables I so want to like. It’s part of the Mediterranean diet, it’s been referred to as a “nutrition superstar” due to the amounts of vitamins A, B6, C, K, folate, fiber, carotenoids, and manganese, plus it’s only 20 calories a cooked cup—and plentiful and cheap this time of year. I really want to like and be friends with kale. But the raw texture of it for me in salads is not my thing. So, instead, I consulted a chef friend of mine to...
Three options: Family-Friendly • Kid at Heart • In Bed by 9 p.m.
Killer Road Trip: Outdoor Halloween haunts, walks & crawls around the state
Thu, 10/19/2023 - 12:00pm

MAINE—Calling Midcoast people: there will be numerous Halloween-themed events around the Midcoast as we’ve compiled in our annual “ Halloween Rundown” article . However, if you feel like packing up the costumes and the car, we’ve got the best outdoor events for every energy level around the state. Check it out: Photo courtesy MetroCreative Family-Friendly (Energy level: Daytime; prefer to be home by dinnertime.) Pumpkin Patches : Want to go on a road trip to a...
What to do with the end-of-season bounty
Take it and Make it: Maine style
Wed, 10/11/2023 - 2:00pm

It’s harvest time! When your neighbors drop off heaping bags of produce from their gardens and the farmer’s markets are overflowing, the question remains: “What should I make tonight?” First, let me start with the admission that I’m merely a home cook with a penchant for recipes and a platform with PenBayPilot. I don’t have Instagram-worthy photos or state-of-the-art cookware. I use what I’ve got and what I’ve learned. Tomatoes are overflowing this time of year and I got a bunch of heirlooms...
An early November opening anticipated
Former owners of Colonial Theater elated to see their beloved theater opening again
Wed, 10/11/2023 - 1:30pm

BELFAST—As Mike Hurley, the former co-owner of The Colonial Theater in Belfast tells it, he and his wife, Therese Bagnardi were living in Belfast in 1995 when Bagnardi, in between jobs as a faux painter, lamented there was no work available. At that time, a small little theater in downtown Belfast came up for sale. He said to his wife: “Hey, The Colonial is for sale—you want to buy it?” Days later, the couple closed on the theater and ran it for 28 years until last year. After a 10-day run of...
10,640 square foot footprint with parking and store
Retail store proposed for Drake Corner in Lincolnville
Wed, 10/11/2023 - 9:00am

Gorill Palmer, a South Portland-based engineering consulting firm, has submitted on behalf of the North Carolina-based Primax Properties, a sketch plan for a proposed retail store at Drake Corner. The lot, currently a field, is at the intersection of Thurlow and Beach roads, and is approximately 1.95 acres in size. “The site consists of a large grassed/meadow area containing wetlands and a small, wooded area along Thurlow Road,” wrote Gorill Palmer, in the preapplication. “The lot is located...
Pen Bay Medical Center doctor on board succumbed to injuries
UPDATE: Mast breaks on schooner ‘Grace Bailey’ while under sail, one dead
Mon, 10/09/2023 - 1:00pm

The mast on the Grace Bailey schooner broke while just beyond Rockland Harbor after 10 a.m., today, Oct. 9, resulting in one death of a female and several injured. The woman who was killed has been identified as Emily Mecklenburg, a physician at Pen Bay Medical Center, in Rockport. The cause of her death has yet to be determined, according to Maine’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner. Three patients were transported from the U.S. Coast Guard pier, with two taken to...
ScrapDogs Community Compost has diverted 260,000 pounds of food waste from landfills so far in 2023
Young couple makes it their mission to divert food waste from our Midcoast landfills
Thu, 10/05/2023 - 10:15am

MIDCOAST—It’s been five years since Rockport native Davis Saltonstall and his partner Tessa Rosenberry started ScrapDogs Community Compost, an innovative business to collect food waste from subscriber restaurants and Midcoast households, keeping it out of the landfills. “When we first started, it really felt more like a project than a business,” said Rosenberry. That was in 2018: they only had between 80 and 100 customers and no facilities. “We were composting at a farm, and because we didn’t...
Darrowby Farm Sanctuary open house, Oct. 14
Jefferson couple take on 50 farm animals as a sanctuary
Fri, 09/29/2023 - 10:45am

JEFFERSON—In a rural corner of Maine, a sanctuary for farm animals has quietly taken shape for pigs, goats, equines, and birds who’ve been abandoned or dumped by their owners. Or, who grew too big to be “pets.” Amanda Glenn and Andy Theriault bought the 50 acre-property in 2018, not knowing at the time, that a draft horse named Jay would change the course of their lives. The couple both grew up in Maine. “I quit teaching to start a pet care business,” said Glenn, Darrowby’s founder and director...
Three Port Clyde buildings burn at one fire scene
Thu, 09/28/2023 - 3:15am

Editor’s note: An update to this article can be found at https://admin.penbaypilot.com/article/scene-three-building-fire-port-clyde-stays-active-through-most-next-day/178969 . PORT CLYDE — Three buildings at the Port Clyde wharf caught fire Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2023. Well into the day Thursday, fire crews will continue to battle flames that have jumped among Factory Road structures occupied by Monhegan Boat Line, Dip Net restaurant, and Port Clyde General Store. “This is just about...
Portland Downtown’s inaugural ‘Stephen King Week’ is a tribute to the man and his writing legacy
Writers and fans gather to honor Stephen King for his birthday week
Sat, 09/23/2023 - 12:00pm

PORTLAND—Longfellow Books was the place to be on September 20 for an author talk amongst Maine writers Chris Holm , Bruce Robert Coffin , and Richard Cass with an enthusiastic audience of 20-25 people on the floor. The topic: Author Stephen King and how each person in the audience had a personal connection to the man, his books, his movies, and his legacy in Maine. Portland Downtown kicked off its inaugural week-long Stephen King Week event from September 18 to 22, in honor of King’s 76th...
Dishes are made with love for anyone in need
Lasagna Love, a national nonprofit, brings free lasagna to Maine
Thu, 09/14/2023 - 9:00am

A pay-it-forward initiative that started in the Boston area during the pandemic offering one of Italy’s most iconic comfort dishes to anyone in need has expanded nationally and is now solidly in Maine. Lasagna Love, now boasting 45,000 volunteers around the country, was started by a Massachusetts woman, Rhiannon Menn, in 2020. Prompted by the COVID-19-related struggles of families in her community, she founded Lasagna Love, delivering lasagnas to her friends and community. This home initiative...
From 25 years ago, lessons for Maine as it begins to distribute opioid settlement money
Tue, 09/12/2023 - 9:30am

As Maine communities begin to spend what will amount to more than $235 million in opioid settlement money, parallels — and lessons — emerge from a similar 25-year-old landmark agreement with tobacco companies. In 1998, Maine and 45 other states’ attorneys general settled lawsuits with four tobacco companies in which the states sought to recover billions in healthcare-related costs due to tobacco use. The settlement — to this day, the largest in U.S. history — established annual payments in...
Seven unique brew fests to check out
Maine craft brew fests make a roaring comeback this fall
Sat, 09/09/2023 - 9:00am

Die-hard craft beer lovers who have followed Maine fests like they were Grateful Dead concerts have had a rough couple of years navigating the COVID-19 pandemic when many festivals were largely called off. And it doesn’t help when an opinion piece this summer in Beer Advocate states that the craft brew festival industry is currently in a doom loop. But tell that to Maine beer festival goers and they’re likely to raise their four-ounce glass and say, “Have a sip. It’s good for what...
Three totally Maine things to do to stretch out last summer days
Fri, 09/08/2023 - 9:45am

After “The Summer That Never Was,” September sure has been producing a lot of nice, hot, summery days. Make the most of them with these three Maine activities: Pick Your Own Flowers at Half Hitch Farm Calyx Farm, in Morrill, is an organic MOFGA-certified organic mixed vegetable farm, which is not only bursting with end-of-the-summer produce right now, but on Wednesday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m., the public is invited to wander through the farm and pick their own flowers. The...
Creative farm-to-table casual fine dining and supper club
The Black Goat electrifies sleepy Warren
Sat, 08/26/2023 - 3:00pm

WARREN—“Creative.” That’s Chef Derek Ronspies one-word descriptor of how The Black Goat approaches food. “We always try to do something that’s not the norm, but some kind of play on comfort food,” he said. He clearly likes a personal challenge and approaches each day with an open mind to the menu. “It’s probably self-punishment that I don’t do the same menu twice,” he said with a laugh. “I like it when people come in they’ll always know there is something new to try.” Ronspies and his partner,...
A spin on Little Free Book Libraries that have sprung up all around Maine
Lincolnville Improvement Association builds Little Free Toy Library for the beach
Sat, 08/26/2023 - 3:00pm

LINCOLNVILLE BEACH—Anyone familiar with A Little Free Library, a free book exchange in the form of a glass-enclosed box where people can take or leave books, can now find a Little Free Toy Library at Lincolnville Beach, courtesy of the Lincolnville Improvement Association. “I saw a picture of a toy library on Facebook that another town had done years ago and it stuck in my mind,” said Christine Leary, a member of LIA. “I happened to be working on the Heart & Soul Project [a community study...
UPDATE: ‘Margaret Chase Smith’ ferry crew rescues kayaker in distress off of Islesboro in heavy storm
Fri, 08/25/2023 - 7:15pm

ISLESBORO – Crew members aboard the Maine State Ferry Margaret Chase Smith rescued a kayaker mid-afternoon, Aug. 25, as she was attempting to make a short crossing from Warren Island to Grindle Point on Islesboro and found herself instead being pushed out into Penobscot Bay in a fierce storm. UPDATE In an Aug. 26 conversation with Able Bodied Seaman Kristain Rudman, who was one of the Margaret Chase Smith crew members who got into a 12-foot lifeboat to...
Knox County works to rebuild 911 call center, disillusioned towns speak up, public safety chiefs warily regard temporary fix
Fri, 08/18/2023 - 11:30am

ROCKLAND — A salvage attempt is underway to rebuild the deflated Knox County Regional Communications Center, a 911 call center for the 18 municipalities and islands that comprise the county, plus Lincolnville just over the Waldo County line. On Monday, Aug. 21, staff at Waldo County Regional Communications Center will begin answering 911 calls made by those in Knox County, and then will relay notifications to staff at Knox Regional Communications...
Fire and police chiefs, EMS directors push for action to save Knox Regional Communications Center
‘Perfect public safety storm’ at Knox 911 call center; ‘closure’ yet to be defined
Fri, 08/11/2023 - 10:00am

ROCKLAND — Put public safety chiefs in a room together with a critical problem to solve, such as the demise of the county emergency dispatch center, and they won’t leave until a viable action plan is in place. That was the case Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 9, as Knox County fire and police chiefs, along with EMS directors and county staff, assembled in person and via Zoom for swiftly convened meeting of the Knox Regional Communications Center Executive Board to address the lack...
Once 51 Main, it’s now a quirky homey pub with a vintage feel
Pottle’s, a cozy pub/restaurant, opens in Liberty
Thu, 08/10/2023 - 1:00pm

LIBERTY—A casual bar and restaurant has come back to anchor the tiny town of Liberty once again. Isaiah Pottle and his older sister Amy Smith are Maine born and raised and are bringing their homey, quirky aesthetic to the house and tavern that once belonged to 51 Main, the restaurant. Pottle, 35, grew up working in kitchens, starting with making pizzas and baked mac and cheese at age 15 at Center General Store in Lincolnville Center, now Lincolnville General Store. With their grandmother Ruth’s...
Marshall Point Lighthouse is awaiting a replacement light after lightning strike
See a rare empty lighthouse tower on National Lighthouse Day, August 7
Fri, 08/04/2023 - 7:15pm

PORT CLYDE—The lighthouse made famous by Forrest Gump has hit a setback. On a rainy evening last week, Diane Heath, the publicity coordinator for Marshall Point Lighthouse was inside the keeper’s house when she noticed a squall kick up around the property. “The wind started blowing, the flagpole was sort of bent over; which is unusual to see in the summertime–you see that more often in the winter. I went out to take some video in the side garden and then I got a bad feeling and knew I had to...
Motifs, once a Rockland store, reemerges on Camden Wharf
Tue, 08/01/2023 - 1:15pm

CAMDEN—A favorite Rockland store has reemerged in Camden on the Lyman-Morse waterfront boardwalk this summer. Motifs, a boutique specializing in coastal-inspired wares, men’s and women’s fashion, home décor, vintage, and antiques, reopened Memorial Day weekend. The store is run by Paula Jalbert, who has the same exuberant style as she did when we first covered her Rockland location in a 2014 story . Jalbert has been in retail for 40 years having opened her first store in 1981...
Former blueberry processing facility now supports multiple farmer initiatives
Union gets a repurposed building to host pop-up farmers’ markets and storage/utility space
Fri, 07/28/2023 - 1:00pm

UNION—A new Midcoast Farmers Union site at the former Coastal Blueberry Services facility at 61 Common Road is now open to farmers to set up pop-up retail markets and to use the space for storage and/or other functions. T he Midcoast Farmers Alliance ( MFA) was formed by farmers in 2015 with the support of Maine Coast Heritage Trust , which operates Aldermere Farm and Erickson Fields , two working educational farms in the Midcoast. The goal of MFA is to increase the shared supports available to...
Goods, Mosaic, and Paper Plane
Three new bars/restaurants invigorate downtown Camden
Fri, 07/28/2023 - 12:00pm

After the pandemic left a dearth of empty storefronts in Camden around 2022, as reported in our annual Welcome Back Snow Birds series, the town has gotten a shot in the arm with a number of new restaurants. Here’s what’s popping this summer: Goods —A Fun Food Shop & Bar Even though Goods, a specialty market on 31 Elm Street in Camden, has technically been open for a year, owners Megs Senk and George Korsnick have developed a new offering in the little market—a bar with...
Sunflour in Hope and The Place in Camden
Two Midcoast micro-bakeries receive rave reviews, and grow their businesses
Wed, 07/19/2023 - 12:15pm

MIDCOAST—Two micro-bakeries have quietly opened their doors this summer. Take a look at what they’re offering: Sunflour meals and cookies 43 Hatchet Mountain Road, Hope For the last three years without a website or advertising, Hope resident Carrie Laurita has been quietly cooking and baking in a tiny air-conditioned shed behind her house at 43 Hatchet Mountain Road, trying to feel out a direction on where her avocation would go. She is part of a growing...
Fundraiser for LifeFlight July 30
From punctured aorta to paramedic, Paige Smith pays it forward for those who saved her life
Tue, 07/18/2023 - 9:45pm

ROCKLAND — When Paige Smith woke from what she thought was routine laparoscopic surgery, she glanced over to the white board that is mounted next to every patient’s bed, and read “punctured aorta,” the only two words on it. To the most basic EMT, that implies a host of dire circumstances, all barely survivable. And Smith, at age 19, is a paramedic. She knew immediately something had gone horribly wrong inside her body. “I thought I was dying,” she said. But she did not die, and she credits a...
Maine homeschooling numbers remain high following pandemic spike
Sat, 07/15/2023 - 10:00am

In the fall of 2016, Jessica Coakley became increasingly concerned that her son, Braden, was falling behind in school. The fourth grader had an Individualized Education Program, requiring certain services for students like him with different learning needs. But his mother worried it was not enough. “I was feeling like the teachers and the principals and the people weren't listening to me,” said Coakley, who lives in Bradley, just north of Bangor. “I would go to these IEP meetings and I'd be...
Screening July 13 and July 15
Four spooky horror short films to catch at Maine International Film Fest this week
Tue, 07/11/2023 - 9:00am

WATERVILLE—If you’re one of those people who longs for fall in the midst of summer, the Maine International Film Festival has you covered. Now in full swing this week (July 7 to 16), MIFF has a special category for “Mostly-Maine Horror” shorts. Coming up Thursday, July 13, at the Waterville Opera House for a matinee at 4 p.m., as well as Saturday, July 1,5 for a 9 p.m. screening at the Maine Film Center are four spooky, moody, fictional narratives. While several of the stories involve the...
Neighbors assist in catching Camden honeybee swarm
Mon, 07/10/2023 - 1:15pm

CAMDEN – After days — nay weeks —of clammy, rainy, foggy, and generally crummy weather, a break in the yuck Saturday, July 1, was the perfect time for a Camden honeybee colony to swarm. And thanks to the caring nature of nearby neighbors, the honeybees were “caught,” accepted the offer to move into the rescue beekeeper’s hive box and were eventually rehomed at a nearby beekeeper’s yard. Honeybee swarm season in Maine is typically late spring and early summer, but honeybees can swarm at any time...
UPDATE: Divers recover body of Hope father who rushed to save girls from Union pond
Mon, 07/10/2023 - 4:00am

Update: July 9, 2023 (8 a.m.) — The Maine Warden Dive Team recovered the body of a Hope man who drowned while rescuing his children, according to the Maine Warden Service, in a July 9 news release. Henry Brooks, 46, of Hope, was with his family a little after 4:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon at Ayer Park on Seven Tree Pond in Union watching his 12- and 13-year-old daughters swimming in the water when one of his girls fell into the deeper water where the river enters the pond. The other...
Artist proposes teardown/rebuild in favor of Live+Work affordable housing
Thu, 07/06/2023 - 7:30pm

ROCKAND – An artist is proposing to raze a Rockland structure in favor of a Live+Work model of affordable housing. Sally Levi and Dominic Turgeon, of Badhus LLC, wish to tear down 25 Oak Street in favor of constructing a 4-story structure with housing on the upper levels and a public/commercial space on the ground. Levi is the owner of an interior design firm, and Turgeon once worked in mass production of apartment complexes and now owns a plumbing business. The two are in collaboration for “25...
Nicole Moore’s Maine Produce Alliance is a chef’s and home cook’s dream
Liberty farmer launches statewide network with Maine Produce Alliance
Wed, 07/05/2023 - 7:15pm

LIBERTY— From 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nicole Moore, a first-generation Liberty farmer, does not stop working. Most farmers understand that lifestyle already, but Moore has more on her plate than just growing produce. This past January, Moore founded Maine Produce Alliance, an online and offline network of nearly 50 farmers throughout the state of Maine. With 38 restaurant accounts, natural food stores, farmer’s markets, wholesale accounts, and individual customers, Moore and her team travel around...
Did you hear that? No? Thomaston PD drives down electric avenue and into the future
Sat, 07/01/2023 - 3:30pm

“That little Mustang out there is an animal,” said Thomaston Police Chief Tim Hoppe. A year old, and ripened with 14,000 miles of maturity as of Jan. 30, Thomaston PD’s little electric car is great in the snow, according to Hoppe. Based on weight ration, it’s relatively heavy for the battery centers, and it’s an all-wheel drive vehicle. “I’m not saying it will climb a mountain,” he said, “but I would definitely put it up against some things that would normally get stuck.” Hinging on the Town of...
In business
Dennis’ Jamaican jerk chicken draws loyal customers to Beth’s Farm Market
Thu, 06/29/2023 - 11:45am

WARREN — Anyone craving authentic jerk chicken, tender and juicy, slow-cooked on the grill, along with rice and peas, a classic Jamaican side, need only to go to Beth’s Farm Market every weekend while Dennis McCalla is cooking. For the 23rd season, McCalla, a loyal employee of Beth’s Farm Market, has returned to the farm and has turned a family recipe into a customer favorite. Inside a corrugated metal hut that Beth’s Farm Market had built for him, McCalla can be found tending the grill with...
Get a taste of this pickled fiddlehead martini
What’s in that cocktail? Nautilus in Belfast uses secretly harvested fiddleheads
Tue, 06/20/2023 - 4:45pm

BELFAST—If you like a dirty martini, you’re going to love Nautilus Seafood & Grill’s Pickled Fiddlehead Martini, only seasonally available, and harvested locally. Nautilus Bar Manager Katie Hills had to be careful not to reveal either the name of the forager who procures the delectable Maine seasonal fiddlehead — the tiny shoots of an ostrich fern that can only be picked late April to early June. Nor could she reveal his secret foraging spots. All she could say about the star ingredient to...
Jury hands down verdict in Vinalhaven caretaker case, awards $300,000 to plaintiff, $5,000 to defendant/counter plaintiff
Tue, 06/20/2023 - 10:15am

PORTLAND — A jury in Portland found in favor of Vinalhaven summer resident Andreas von Hirsch, who alleged breach of fiduciary duty on the part of caretaker Angelyn Olson, a Vinalhaven resident. The same jury also decided that von Hirsch, or his authorized representative, breached a contract between him and Olson, after he had promised Olson he would pay her in 2020 to continue working for him. The jury’s verdict stipulated that Olson was to pay von Hirsch $300,000 and von Hirsch was to pay...
Sterlingtown Public House opens its third eatery in four years
The Spot in Washington aims to be a casual beer, burger, and ice cream destination
Mon, 06/19/2023 - 4:00pm

WASHINGTON—Just down the road from Union where Jillian Lary and Brian Fickett, owners of Sterlingtown Public House live and work, sits a roadside take-out called The Spot by Sterlingtown, the couple’s third business venture in four years. The Spot is not your average take-out stand and is designed to be a destination in itself. Sitting back from the busy Route 17 road that connects the Midcoast to Augusta, it boasts an enclosed screened-in area that seats about 20 with an outdoor beer garden...
Supporting lesser known makers, crafters, artists, farmers, and home gardeners
H & H Mercantile in Searsport is an artist-farmer’s market collaborative
Fri, 06/16/2023 - 2:00pm

SEARSPORT—The humble shop that sits at the Hobby Horse Antiques Marketplace in Searsport ( 383 E. Main Street ) is actually a hub of creative collaboration between multiple industries in Maine. Patrick Hutchings and his husband, Jack Hill, both artisans themselves, wanted a small place to sell their own upcycled artwork, as well as give lesser-known makers and crafters in the area more exposure. Having recently moved back to the Midcoast from Florida after being away for nearly 20 years...
In cost-cutting move, UMaine’s Hutchinson Center in Belfast to close as of Aug. 5
Thu, 06/15/2023 - 12:15pm

BELFAST — For 23 years, the Hutchinson Center has served as UMaine’s Midcoast education and cultural post. As of Aug. 5, it will cease programming. “The University of Maine is examining options for the future of the Hutchinson Center property,” said Meredith Whitfield, UMaine’s chief marketing and communication officer. “To reduce costs during this period of due diligence no further programming will occur at the facility as of August 5. The university remains committed to...
New businesses, new expansions, and the annual Summer Solstice street festival
Big doings in Rockland for the summer
Wed, 06/14/2023 - 1:00pm

ROCKLAND—No sooner had we pressed the “publish” button on the Welcome back to the Rockland area, Snow Birds 2023 article than a host of new businesses and expansions sprung up like dandelions in Rockland. Here’s the rundown of what’s new and what to check out during the annual Summer Solstice Street Party on June 17. Main Street Markets renovates, expands to-go food offerings After months of renovation, Main Street Markets, a full-service specialty grocer,...
Hearing to be held at Hope Corner Fire Station
Hope to hold public hearing on proposed mining moratorium June 14
Sun, 06/11/2023 - 6:00am

HOPE — Like neighboring towns of Union and Warren, the citizens of Hope are concerned about the possibility of metal mining in their town. This follows last winter’s arrival of the Toronto-based company Exiro in both Union and Warren to talk with residents there about mining projects. Exiro Minerals generates and explores mineral projects, according to its website. Hope has responded with a proposal to enact a 180-day moratorium on mining in...