The 37th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recognition Day will be celebrated on SUNDAY, January 18, 2026.

The event will start at 3 p.m. with a commemorative Walk from the Post Office to the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church of Belfast on Miller Street, followed by a program from approximately 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

On Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 6:30 p.m., renowned conservationist Michael Wojtech will give a Zoom presentation entitled “The Growth of Trees Through Time” at the Belfast Free Library’s Abbott Room. This program is co-sponsored by the library and the Belfast Garden Club.

"What’s all this fuss about fermented foods?" said Rockland Public Library, in a news release. "Why are fermented foods essential for gut health, and why are they so expensive?"

RPL will host "Vegetable Fermentation for Gut Health: A Class with Mo Katz-Christy," Thursday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m.

Join Coastal Mountains Land Trust for the first workshop of a two-part tracking series, Saturday, Jan. 17, from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., at the Fernalds Neck Preserve in Lincolnville. 

This hiking excursion is being led by expert tracker Meg Selkie, who has extensive experience guiding participants in understanding who has been inhabiting the forest, what food sources they have been relying on and how recently they left behind their “sign”, according to CMLT, in a news release.  

A Repair Cafe will be held Saturday, Jan. 17, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., at the Waldo YMCA in Belfast. This is a free event.

"Don’t live in the dark. We can fix your broken lamps," said Belfast Community Works, in a news release. "Bring us your vacuum or small appliances. How about a blender or sewing machine? Clothes got holes? Keep wearing your favorite sweater or pants. Need a button? Have a zipper that sticks? Come by, see, learn and have some fun!"

ROCKPORT — MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals will hold a “Meet the Midwives” event Wednesday, Jan. 21, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The event will be held at MaineHealth Obstetrics and Gynecology Rockport, located on the MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital Campus at 3 Glen Cove Drive, Suite 1 in Rockport.

Certified nurse midwives from both hospitals will be present for informal discussions, allowing patients and community members an opportunity to meet the care team. Snacks will be provided.

Registration is not required.

For more information, call 301-8900.

"Wintersong: A Midcoast Gathering of Voices" will take place Tuesday, Jan. 13 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Porter Hall at Skidompha Library, Main St., Damariscotta with a snow date of Tuesday, Jan. 20. The event is free and open to the public. Please enter via the Elm Street side (rear entrance) of the library, as the event will be held after regular hours.

Video Chair Yoga and Exercise Classes are being held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 8:30 to 9 a.m., at Second Congregational Church, 252 Main St., Warren.

 Free to all.

THOMASTON — Join Georges River Land Trust (GRLT) and Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT), Saturday, Jan. 17, at 9:30 a.m., in the Rockland Bog, for an animal tracking walk. 

"Winter is an exciting and active time for wildlife," said GRLT, in a news release.

Kirk Gentalen, naturalist and Regional Stewardship for MCHT, will provide tips for identifying animal tracks, and give insight into what animals are busy doing in the woods this time of year.

This walk is free and open to everyone. Please visit georgesriver.org/events to register.

"This winter, anyone, anywhere can take a class with Belfast Senior College," said BSC, in a news release.

All ten classes are held remotely via Zoom – all ages are welcome – and membership fees will be waived. BSC invites everyone to enjoy a class with this special one-time promotion in honor of its 25th Anniversary.

Advance care planning is an organized process of reflecting upon and discussing goals for future health care decisions.

"It is an important part of creating an advance directive, which is a written plan that represents your individual preferences and tells others what medical care you want or do not want to receive if you become too ill in the future to tell them," said Rockland Public Library, in a news release.

"Love LEGO blocks?" asked Belfast Free Library, in a news release. "Join the Club!"

The library provides the LEGOs.

"Build what you like or take the Library Challenge," said BFL. "Near the conclusion of the program, you can describe your build or leave it to our imagination."

Thursday, January 8, from 4-5 p.m., in the Abbott Room of the Belfast Free Library, 106 High Street, Belfast.  

Rockland Nursing Circle will hold a meeting Friday, Jan 9, from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., in the Rockland Public Library Children's Room. Upcoming meetings also include February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8, and June 12.

"This circle welcomes expectant and nursing families of all stripes with their nurslings of all ages," said RPL, in a news release. "Come meet other families. Come with questions, or just to socialize. Refreshments and positive vibes are provided."

Free to attend, on the second Fridays of the month.

Entries are now being accepted for the 2026 Maine Constitution Poster and Essay Contests. The deadline is March 13, 2026. 

The contests are designed to promote the history of Maine, the Maine Constitution, and the importance of democracy and voting.

From interpreting a medical scan to sorting family photos, artificial intelligence (AI) makes snap judgments users often trust blindly.

Chaofan Chen, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Maine, aims to change that by creating AI systems that explain their results and learn from the people who use them.

Starting on the evening of Dec. 24, 2025, Rockland's Emergency Warming Center, at the Recreation Center, will open for four nights: 

Over the past five years, the attorney general’s office, with Aaron Frey at the helm, has secured for Maine more than $260 million in settlements with major pharmaceutical companies accused of “supercharging” the opioid epidemic.

It has overseen the settlements’ distribution and contributed to efforts to help a state council and local governments spend their shares deliberately and transparently.

The St. Thomas Episcopal Church,  at 33 Chestnut Street, in Camden, will hold two Christmas Eve Services on December 24.

4 p.m.  -  Christmas Pageant and Eucharist

ROCKPORT and BELFAST — In observance of Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Day, MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals announce the following adjusted holiday hours:

Christmas Eve:

 All physician practices, including walk-in care in Rockland and Belfast, will close early at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24.

 The retail pharmacy at Pen Bay Hospital will be open for abbreviated hours, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24.

 The outpatient lab at Pen Bay Hospital will close early at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24.