EAST BOOTHBAY — After a short break in 2024, Bigelow Laboratory’s annual Open House is returning. Visitors of all ages are invited to visit the institute’s East Boothbay campus on Friday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., to meet researchers and engage in a day of fun science activities.

A Grand Opening will be held for Stone Coast Weaving School, a new educational organization in Midcoast Maine dedicated to preserve, promote, and teach the craft of hand-weaving to all ages. The event takes place Saturday and Sunday, June 28 and 29, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., at 18 Spring Street, Belfast.

A Lighthouse Tower Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held Sunday, June 29, at 6 p.m. Visit Grindle Point Light Station for a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the re-opening of the Grindle Point Light Station Lighthouse Tower and the 175th Anniversary. 

"Enter the drawing for a T-shirt and to be the first person along with four of your family or friends to climb the steps to the tower for an amazing view (must be over 18 years of age to enter drawing)," said a news release.

All climbers must be school-age or older.

ALNA — The Climate Action Committee (CAC) of the Town of Alna has announced the addition of a Solar House Tour to compliment the Alna Community Solar Day event planned for Saturday, June 21. The Alna Solar House Tour will feature seven residential solar installations that neighbors can drop by to view from 2 to 4 p.m. A map of participating solar homes will be available during the main Community Solar Day event at the Alna Fire House from 1 to 4 p.m.

Bit of a conundrum here. The battery-powered Subaru in our driveway, the Solterra, debuted in 2023 as a 2024 model; there are essentially no changes from ’24 to 2025;  yet the 2026 will already be the second-generation Solterra, and it’s so close to delivery that it’s now front and center on Subaru’s media website. Subaru has had enough ‘issues’ with the first-gen Solterra and is eager to move on to version 2.0. 

Blake Vets, in Northport, has announced that Dr. Cody Minor joined the practice on June 3. He is practicing small animal medicine, surgery, and dentistry.  Blake Vets will be extending its office hours to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. After-hours Urgent Care will be offered starting September 1.

Minor is a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and DVM graduate from Colorado State University.

He and his wife, Dr. Dana Hill, are fulfilling their lifelong dream of practicing veterinary medicine in Maine, according to a news release from Blake Vets.

The Maine State Senate has confirmed Christian Cotz as the new Maine State Archivist. Cotz has served in the position on an interim basis since January 2025. 

Maine Department of Labor announces its no-cost trainings for July 2025.

Upcoming classes:

Workstation Ergonomics – Video Display Terminal - July 15 l 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

Jeff Newsom, MD, will be joining Brian Pierce, MD and Pediatrician Adda Winkes, MD at Megunticook Medicine, a Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice, "a modern, patient-centered approach to medicine that puts time and relationships back at the heart of care," said  Megunticook Medicine, in a news release.

Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District and Maine DEP are co-sponsoring a five-hour classroom and field event hosted on July 17, 2025, at the Pownalborough Hall, located at 314 Patterson Road, in Dresden. The training will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and includes morning refreshments and materials.

“We’re just little Rockland. It may never happen in Rockland,” said Police Chief Tim Carroll during a May 14, 2025 City Council meeting. “But I just feel, as a public safety official, that there are concerns that I have.”

With many stories popping up nationally and internationally regarding enraged drivers plowing into crowds at closed street venues, Carroll is hoping to play it safe.

SEARSMONT — University of Maine Cooperative Extension invites local farmers, service providers and agricultural stakeholders to the 2025 Maine Pasture Walk Series, an opportunity to explore and learn at five working farms throughout the state. The second stop in the free series will be Tuesday, July 8, at 11 a.m., at Faithful Venture Farm, 17 Borough Rd., Searsmont.

Rockland Rotary awarded a total of $15,000 in scholarships to ten "well-deserving and highly qualified" Oceanside and Medomak Valley High School seniors prior to graduation in 2025. Three of the recipients attended Rockland Rotary’s meeting on Wednesday, June 4 and shared their future educational plans. Those recipients are Joshua Placides, Owen Post, and Reese Novicka.

On Wednesday, June 25, at 6 p.m., the Rockport Public Library will host the next program in their deliciously educational “foodie” series. Part-time commercial fisherman John Painter will discuss how the New England fishing industry is developing innovative strategies for addressing climate-change-related challenges — specifically, the proliferation of the invasive green crab.

Painter’s talk, entitled, “Turning the Tables on Green Crabs,” will be about green crabs; how they got here, what they’re doing here, and why it matters.

The Warren Historical Society will have an open house on Warren Day, Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Dr. Campbell House and Museum, 225 Main St., Warren. There will be a quilt display honoring the Good Intentions Quilters. 

ROCKLAND — Trekkers, a Rockland-based nonprofit youth mentoring organization has appointed Nicole Pomeroy as its new Director of Development. Pomeroy succeeds Kate Elmes, who previously served as Deputy Director and played a key role in advancing Trekkers’ mission and fundraising efforts, including the successful completion of the recent capital campaign.

Rockland Rotary teamed up during the first week of June to build a covered shelter at the All Aboard Playground at McDougall Park. The shelter provides the park with a covered area for people who would like to have lunch or birthday parties at the site, according to Doug Curtis Jr.

The All Aboard Playground is a gift to the City of Rockland as part of their year long Centennial celebration. 

THOMASTON — Town officials and community members gathered on Tuesday, June 10 to celebrate the ribbon cutting for YOIKI Japanese Express, a new food truck offering Japanese cuisine at 218 New County Road in Thomaston. The location, formerly home to Plants Unlimited’s Big Tree Lot, is now a destination for fresh hibachi, sushi, and boba tea.