The Boothbay Register got an unexpected reptilian visitor Friday, Aug. 29. The painted turtle was first spotted crossing Union Street and was ushered safely to the other side by Register employee Robin Ford. 

With concern about the turtle’s presence in a business area and the absence of a clear fresh water source, a call was made to local animal control services. The Register was then connected to Pam Meier of The Turtle’s Back, a turtle rescue and rehabilitation center based in Waldoboro.  

Surface Warfare Schools Command headquarters in Newport, Rhode Island hosted a momentous occasion July 18 as colleagues, family, and a host of distinguished guests gathered to celebrate the remarkable career of Capt. (Ret.) Floyston "Bud" Weeks. After dedicating over half a century to the United States Navy, both as a Surface Warfare Officer and as a civilian employee, Capt.

Howard Wright carried his tools across the breakwater in the earliest hours of daylight. 

The Southport Island Association is hosting a discussion of Southport emergency preparedness options at its next meeting, Thursday Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. at the Southport Town Hall. The Southport Resilience Network, an ongoing effort of the Southport Climate Action Team (SCAT), will be reporting their progress on multiple fronts.

This summer, our family’s annual month-long stay in Southport was marked by some lively talk-of-the-town.

A whale.

There was - people-in-the-know told us, eyes wide - a humpback (at least one) just off the coast. Spotted by kids in the SYC sailing program, by others’ from the rocky shore, and during boat rides to local restaurants. Not just a glimpse: full tail slaps and breaching, like it wanted us to take note; to be wowed by its presence. I was immediately obsessed. 

Saturday, Aug. 30 is International Play Music on the Porch Day, and the Skidompha Strummers, the ukulele ensemble of Skidompha Public Library, will mark the day with a public concert under the portico at the library’s front door. 

Their program will begin at 10:30 a.m. It’s free and open to all, and will include a variety of familiar popular songs. The library is located at 184 Main St. in downtown Damariscotta.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church is seeking experienced singers to join its Senior Choir. This dedicated choir provides inspiring music for the 9 a.m. Sunday service and rehearses weekly on Thursdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m., September through mid-June.

Under the leadership of Choir Director Linda Blanchard, and accompanied by organist Sean Fleming, the Senior Choir upholds a tradition of excellence in sacred choral music. Singers with prior choir experience who are eager to contribute their talents to a welcoming and supportive ensemble are encouraged to join.

Cordula Mathias, administrator of the Bettinson Art and Literary Trust, will present a PowerPoint presentation slide show with information about the genesis of the Brenda Bettinson Ravensbrück Series at Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library, 4 Oak St. in Boothbay Harbor on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 5:30 p.m. The talk will take approximately 45 minutes with time for a Q & A portion afterwards.

Join author and poet Maggie Dewane for a nature-inspired poetry workshop and reading from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Community Room at the Rockland Public Library at 80 Union St. on Friday, Aug. 29.

From the Boothbay Region Historical Society’s files, here is another newspaper article (retyped) about the Leach House. We hope readers will get excited about visiting this historic landmark at the Society’s event scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 13. 

The Rev. Canon Vicar Katie Pearson will be returning to the All Saints by-the-Sea community for her fourth summer at the chapel. She comes to us from Denver, Colorado and will lead the service of Holy Communion at 8 and 10 a.m. both Sundays. Inspiring organ music will be provided by our accomplished organist, Mr. Henry Lowe at all services. A time for fellowship and coffee on the chapel grounds will follow each of the 10 a.m. services. People of all faiths are invited to attend the services.

The Boothbay Railway Village Museum will celebrate its 61st season this Saturday, Aug. 23 with a summer gala under the stars. The event will honor the museum’s founder, George H. McEvoy, who we sadly lost earlier this summer.

Festivities begin at 6 p.m. with a train ride to the Antique Auto Museum, where guests will enjoy the start of an evening filled with artisanal cuisine and specialty cocktails prepared by Mine Oyster Catering, and spectacular music by award-winning Maine musician, Don Campbell.

Midcoast Conservancy is hosting a free training for interested hikers and curious outdoorspeople to aid in the organization’s annual property monitoring process. The training will be held on Monday, Sept. 8, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., at the Midcoast Conservancy office at 290 Route One, Edgecomb. 

Saturday, Aug. 30 from 1 to 4 p.m., Brady’s will host Maine’s own blue-collar author, Jerry Farnham, as he launches his third book of the "Red At Night" series, "First Light." All are welcome to attend.

"First Light" is the prequel of the series with the backstories of main characters, native Mainer Jack Finn and PFA (person from away), Hollywood actress Melissa Andrews.

Craig Ferguson will be performing in his only Maine appearance on Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. at The Waldo Theatre. Ferguson is a multiple Grammy nominated, Peabody, and Emmy Award-winning actor, writer, producer, director and comedian with a diverse career that encompasses film, television and the stage. He is a New York Times bestselling author and has recorded numerous standup specials for Netflix, Epix, Comedy Central and Amazon.

Grab a teammate, bring your best toss, and join Mobius, Inc. for “A Hole Lotta Good”, a cornhole tournament fundraiser to benefit local individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The event will take place on Sunday, Sept. 7 at the Nobleboro Little League Field on Route 1.

Festivities kick off at 10 a.m. with concessions, games, music, and family-friendly fun. The highlight of the day is the cornhole competition, where teams of two will face off for cash prizes: $500 for first place and $250 for second place. Team entry is just $60.

It is widely agreed that our democracy is in some form of crisis, but with extremely divergent views on how we got here and what is wrong. Politics is increasingly described as ‘tribal,’ with far less communication across the divides.

Midcoast Literacy, a nonprofit that provides free literacy tutoring to people of all ages, is holding two training sessions for new volunteer tutors this fall: one for volunteers who want to work with children and one for volunteer English language tutors for adults. Midcoast Literacy serves individuals in Sagadahoc, Lincoln, and northern Cumberland counties, and is seeking volunteers who come from any of these communities.

Boothbay – Boothbay Harbor CSD 

Student drop-off