Each day as we walk our little black dog around the neighborhood, we revel in each new song and call as spring adds them to the acoustic environment that surrounds us. Those sounds are now layering at a rapid pace. The rollicking song of the ruby-crowned kinglet.  Sweet, wispy trills and emphatic “chuck” calls of the yellow-rumped warbler. The persistent trills of the chipping sparrow. Bubbling, rambling vocal exuberance of the purple finch. Each morning brings a new thrill to ear. Perhaps the new sound we are enjoying the most is the loud “old-sam-peabody” whistles of the bunches of

Peter Clifford of Northport was a friend as well as a fount of information about all things maritime. Maine lighthouses, lost propellers, shipwrecks, he and I corresponded and visited often. We recently lost Peter in an auto accident. He will be missed. Peter provided the following material about the Battle of Mobile Bay and I write this column in honor of him.

Joseph Marthon of the Union navy had probably the best seat to watch the Battle of Mobile Bay. It was early August 1864 and the country had been fighting itself for over three years. 

The capture of Mobile on the Gulf Coast would

At the direction of editor Lynda Clancy, my wife, Haunani, and I wish to state unequivocally that we have never written under the pseudonym, "Jack Bauer".   

This rumor must stop, and we will pursue legal relief against anyone who facilitates this slander.

Doc Wallace lives in Camden

Certain bird species come and go in our neighborhood. This includes mockingbirds—northern mockingbirds to be exact, since there are another 13 species of mockingbird found south of the U.S. We see a mockingbird in or near our yard just about every year. But they’ve never stayed and set up territory. That means that we don’t get to experience, on a daily basis, what makes northern mockingbird so famous: their ability to mimic.

We were reminded of this recently when a local birder posted his recording of a mockingbird singing from a Portland location at midnight. In the recording, you can

Who is Stacey Contakos?

Stacey is a Rockport resident, a Mom with four children, a veterinarian, a ribbon-winning gymnast, and one smart, organized lady.

Stacey's commitment to Rockport and the schools here knows no bounds.  She is intelligent, persuasive, and goal oriented. She has my vote for the Rockport School Board. 

The election will be held June 10, 2025.  Please vote!  Thank you. 

Marsha Steinglass lives in Rockport

On April 19, 2025 I attended an extraordinary 3-D Multimedia Poetry event, Celestial Earth, created by poet Barbaria Maria, of Belfast.

This poetic journey opened my heart and mind to the potential of humanity in an ever-evolving universe. I was captivated by the powerful words and emotions they provoked.

The stars stretched imagination outward and inward and expanded my perception of what is possible! Celestial Earth is presented at the Versant Power Astronomy Center and Jordan Planetarium, University of Maine, 167 Rangeley Rd., Orono.

Final Shows: April 26, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Admission

What is going on here? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently ordered a purge of the library at the U.S. Naval Academy. Books critical of racism and the Holocaust were removed, while books embraced by white supremacists were left on the shelves. 

What is going on here? The White House announced the elimination of the Institute for Museum and Library Services, an agency that has provided important grants to small public libraries in Maine. Cutbacks at the IMLS are now threatening to cause the layoff of one-third of our State Library’s staff if not also the elimination of our great

Certain birds are kind of magical. They exhibit qualities that command extra attention. Cranes are in that category. Across the world, each of the fifteen crane species occupies a special place in the culture of the humans that share their geographies.

We certainly felt that magic a few weeks ago. As we drove toward the “pop-up” pond in our favorite hayfield that we check regularly after rains, we jokingly said, as we had many times before, “there should be a sandhill crane here.”

When we turned the corner and saw a tall creature standing in the wetland, we pulled the car over and

KNOX and LINCOLN COUNTIES — April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Healthy Kids is committed to working with our community to prioritize child and family well-being. We believe that the residents of Lincoln and Knox Counties are essential in understanding the needs of our community and are invaluable in promoting family support. By building local supports and services, we can take a proactive approach to keeping children safe.

This April, we want to emphasize the importance of collaboration and partnership in enhancing support for families within their communities. Our family

As a board member of MCH, Maine’s Knox County Meals on Wheels provider, I am writing today with deep concern over the federal government’s recent dismantling of critical infrastructure that supports our nation’s most vulnerable.

The decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to eliminate 40% of the staff at the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and shutter its regional offices is not just a bureaucratic reshuffling — it’s an act that risks lives.

The ACL has been a lifeline for organizations like ours, ensuring that older adults and individuals with disabilities receive

My name is Ellen Reynolds, and I would like to formally introduce myself to the community as a candidate for School Board in the Town of Rockport.  I have long been interested in taking a step to serve my community in this capacity, and while I will be challenging incumbent Brieanna Gutierrez, my desire to run is based solely on the skills and perspectives I am able to offer.

In the current political climate, I believe strongly in taking action to support and bolster the well-being of our community, and consider a stable, adaptive, and forward-thinking education system to be the basic

Late in the day on Saturday, we took a ride down to look for birds at some favorite spots along the coast in Freeport. Parking by the narrow bridge at Wolfe’s Neck Farm, we scanned the bay, its dark rocky shores framed by tall, green pines contrasting with the blue sky. We expected perhaps to see a handful of bufflehead on the calm, flat waters, maybe a goldeneye or two. But looking south toward the shore of popular Wolfe’s Neck State Park, we were instead greeted with the sight of hundreds of American black ducks nestled into the narrow band of buffy saltmarsh grass. Interspersed among

"My country, right or wrong" is a motto often heard from zealous would-be patriots. It is derived from a toast offered by Stephen Decatur, a U.S. Naval officer who fought the "Barbary Pirates" off North Africa in the early 1800s.

A modified version by Carl Schurz in 1872 changed mindless affirmation into a more balanced expression of patriotic support. Schurz was a German immigrant who served as a Union General in the Civil War and later as a U.S. Senator. Shurz said:
         

My country, right or wrong.
When right, to be kept right;
When wrong, to be put right.

With every passing day under

The cloudy skies and threat of rain did not prevent or overshadow thousands of Mainers from turning out for the Hands Off! Rally and March that took place in Augusta, Portland, and many other locations in Maine on Saturday, April 5.

It was heartening and galvanizing to be part of a crowd of around 4,000 at the State Capitol that showed up to be seen and be heard in protest against Trump and his henchpeople with a loud and clear message: Hands off everything that matters and stop with the whole scale destruction of our democracy, government institutions, and the global economic order! 

It was

Approximately one dozen or so Islesboro residents joined millions of U.S. citizens and others around the globe Saturday to express their deep concern about President Trump and his chief advisor Elon Musk’s dictatorial attempt to demolish democracy. 

A Knox County Legislator Town Hall held March 28 in Rockland was a powerful and insightful event.

The Knox County Democratic Committee collaborated with moderator Arleigh Kraus to assemble five Knox County Representatives and Senator Pinny Beebe-Center in an informal town hall-style setting to talk about the current issues working their way through the Maine Legislature and how the current presidential administration is threatening the economy, independence and stability of Maine.

More than 200 people attended in person and through Zoom. People left with an appreciation of the complex and

This past week disturbing video footage from two separate incidents was aired which should alarm everyone. Ostensibly each was to deliver messages about the Trump administration’s apprehension and deportation of people in our country, but through a different lens, they provide images of how this administration regards women.   

The first showed the ambush of a 30 year old Tuft’s University Ph.D student by six ICE officers, all dressed in black, who jumped her, surrounding and then handcuffing the petite woman as she was quietly walking down a sidewalk in late afternoon.

This seemed almost

The early bird may get the worms, but they may also get an unexpected dump of snow that makes the worms hard to find. Although the snow has been relatively light (at least closer to the coast) and has melted pretty quickly, it certainly impacts many birds, especially early spring migrants.

We noticed the impact this last weekend. Along many country roadsides we traversed, there was a 2-3 foot strip of sand and gravel between the snowbanks (such as they were) and the road. As we drove along, flocks of sparrows flew up. Occasionally, we could see the flash of white on the sides of the tail