University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the Maine Grass Farmers Network, the National Grazing Land Coalition, and Northern Tilth announce a three-day series of workshops focused on pasture and forage management on August 26, 27 and 28. These hands-on workshops are designed to help farmers, graziers and landowners improve their grazing practices and soil health.

Older adults and family members interested in learning more about assisted living are invited to attend an Assisted Living Open House at Quarry Hill, in Camden, Thursday, Sept. 11, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., at Quarry Hill’s main building, the Anderson Inn.

The event is planned as part of Quarry Hill’s annual observance of National Assisted Living Week, scheduled this year for September 7–13.

Georges River Land Trust invites the public to experience Apples Jubilee, Saturday, Sept. 6, at Langlais Art Preserve.

This day of apple-centric celebration will include art-making, local tree history, cider pressing and tasting, a pie sale, and more. At the heart of this celebration will be the return of Apple Magic, an immersive, site-specific performance and installation by Rockland-based artist Nate Luce.

Jeff Nathan, the General Manager of the Snow Bowl, will be the featured speaker at the annual Hosmer Pond Association Meeting on August 21. Nathan will present a draft of the proposed Four Season Master Plan for the Snow Bowl, and welcomes a Q&A session; the Town of Camden hired SE Group to draw up the proposal this summer.

The Town also engaged OSI (Outdoor Sports Institute) for the development of a new multi-use and mountain bike specific trail network. Both topics will be covered.  

The 2025 Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign kicks off this Thursday, August 14, at the Augusta Civic Center. Maine's annual campaign is a statewide effort with the goal of at least 100 employers hiring at least 100 veterans and military family members during a 100-day period.

The kickoff will be followed by monthly in-person hiring events throughout the state:

WINTERPORT — University of Maine Cooperative Extension will host a workshop on On-Farm Composting of Animal Mortalities, Saturday, Aug. 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Waldoview Farm, 238 Goshen Road, Winterport.

Caitlyn Robbins has successfully passed her Maine Insurance License exam, solidifying her role as a licensed insurance agent. Robbins serves clients at both the New Harbor and Boothbay Harbor offices of J. Edward Knight Insurance.

A native of Waldoboro, Robbins is a graduate of Medomak Valley High School. Her recent achievement marks a significant step in her career, enhancing her ability to provide comprehensive insurance services to the local communities.

ORONO — When Connor Daigle of Union, Maine attended a career event at the Maine Business School, he didn’t expect it would lead him to a top-tier internship and an award-winning team project.

Daigle, who is double majoring in marketing and business information systems and security management, led his team to victory in Sherwin-Williams’ Eastern Division Internship Competition with a chatbot service they designed for the company.

ROCKPORT and BELFAST — MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals have earned national recognition with the 2025 Practice Greenhealth Partner for Change Awards, highlighting their strong commitment to environmental sustainability in health care.

Presented by Practice Greenhealth (PGH), the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable health care, the award honors hospitals that have made significant progress in reducing their environmental impact through comprehensive sustainability programs.

WOOLWICH — The Maine Department of Transportation will be conducting work on Route 1 in Woolwich starting Monday, August 4, 2025. Work is scheduled to be completed by October 1.

This is a highway preservation project that involves improving the pavement with a new thin asphalt layer. The project area begins at .02 miles south of Route 127 and extends north 0.3 miles of Montsweag Road. Drivers will encounter a one lane road during construction and short delays under 10 minutes.

“Let’s go out to Beth’s,” said my wife, the Blind Lady. “I want some garden tomatoes.” We threaded through the summer traffic in town, stopping at the crosswalks like the good citizens we aspire to be, and made our way into the countryside. “This thing rides like a truck!” She said. “What is it?” 

ROCKLAND — An idea to construct a new Public Safety Building housing Fire/EMS and Police on the site of the current fire station has been tabled as of the Aug. 4, 2025 Agenda-Setting meeting of Rockland City Council. The City Manager and the Police Chief will, instead, continue looking at other properties for just the police.

Second Story Builders will host the inaugural Radical Reuse Festival & Artisan Fair, Saturday, Aug. 23, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., at 2179 Heald Hwy in Union (the old Agway building).

University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine New Farmers Project will host “Using Tech to Grow Sales on the Mid-Coast” on Friday, August 8, from 10 a.m. - noon, at Tenderwild Farm, 33 Gurney St., Rockport. A rain date is scheduled for August 15.

Bruce Van Note, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), will retire from his position on August 15, 2025.

Governor Janet Mills nominated Van Note as commissioner of MaineDOT in 2019. His tenure as commissioner culminates a professional transportation career of over 30 years in Maine, which also included a dozen years as Deputy Commissioner of MaineDOT from 2002-2014, and as Director of Policy and Planning for the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) from 2014 through 2019.

BRUNSWICK — The Maine Department of Transportation began work on Route 1 in Brunswick on July 6. Work is scheduled to be completed by December 1, 2025.

On August 3, between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., crews will close the northbound and southbound ramps of U.S. Route 1 leading to the Main Street Bridge and the Topsham Bypass Bridge over the Androscoggin River one at a time. Each closure will be clearly marked with cones and signage directing drivers to the next available exit.

It’s been a while, Outlander—nice to see you back in the driveway, and all growed up, too. Once upon a time, this was what a family bought because Mom & Dad didn’t want to spend the bucks for a compact SUV from Honda, Toyota or Mazda. On paper, the Outlander occupied the same niche but at a bare-bones price, as it offered only the bare bones of a smaller family vehicle. 

The Restorative Justice Project Maine will be offering a new Foundations of Community Based Restorative Practices training this fall. The series includes six days: Aug. 20-21 and 28, Sept. 25, Nov. 6, and Dec. 4, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. each day, online via Zoom.