Schedule of Christmas services  

32 Emery Lane, Boothbay Harbor 

Please support the Boothbay Region Fire Auxiliary’s biggest fundraiser of the year by buying raffle tickets to win wreaths made of $250, $100, or $50 in scratch ticket face values. The names of the big winners will be drawn at noon on Dec. 18. Winners will be contacted by phone. Tickets are $5 a piece, or $20 for five tickets.

To purchase raffle tickets, please contact Auxiliary President Jennifer Manson at (207) 350-0429, or by VENMO at: @Jennifer-Manson-19.

On the coldest morning of fall thus far, our intrepid staff member Steve Edwards braved the single-digit weather to capture sea smoke and the stillness of the various waterfronts around the region on Friday, Dec. 5.  Hope you enjoy the scenes.

The Waldo is excited to have The Bearly Dead return to the stage Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. after last year’s SOLD OUT show. Not just another Grateful Dead cover band- this is a cosmic exploration of the Grateful Dead catalog! Bearly Dead, a Boston-based quintet, performs a concert-style show that celebrates the journey of the Grateful Dead from their earliest records until their final tours.

Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust naturalist Sarah Gladu will lead a hike at Plummer Point Preserve in South Bristol from 2 to 3:30p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12. 

Jimmy Merril, Teresa Orne, and members of the Boothbay Region Dart League hosted Community Lunch Dec. 1 featuring an amazing pulled pork casserole prepared by Jimmy. The slow roasted pork was combined with veggies, topped with cornbread and all baked together. The meal was a big hit with everyone and was accompanied by homemade mac and cheese by Teresa.

League members Stan Hornsby, Nick Christopher and Todd Plummer were in attendance as well to help. (Okay, Todd just ate!)

Sarah Sherman hand delivered the first copy of Dr. Barclay Shepard's memoir, "A Surgeon's Slice of Life," to him on Friday, Nov. 28 and by Saturday afternoon, Nov. 29 he was at Sherman's Bookstore for his first book signing, which was very successful. Copies of Dr. Shepard's book can be ordered through Sherman's at 207-633-7262 or online at shermans.com.

Volunteers and friends of the Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop include a number of crafters who are currently donating their work to be sold at the shop for the benefit of the library.

Their creative pieces are on display in the shop’s center room. They include items like knitted scarves, gloves, and socks; greeting cards; photo bookmarks; book pins; art prints; an oil painting; Christmas tree ornaments; women’s jackets; gourmet paprika; and other items that will be donated as the season progresses.

Come celebrate the holidays with us at the Southport Memorial Library! We have an exciting line-up of events in the month of December, and will be kicking off the season with "Decking the Halls" of the library on Dec. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. Hot cocoa, treats and plenty of good cheer to go around! Check out our other upcoming exciting festivities. Hope to see you there!

This Sunday, Dec. 7,  the Boothbay Region Fire Auxiliary invites you to help fill the fire truck with donations of food for the community fridge at Hannaford's parking lot from 9 a.m. to noon. It takes a village to keep all our neighbors fed this holiday season. 

Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library calls for all hands on deck for our third annual Giving Tuesday (Week!) matching gift campaign. Would you give $10, $25, or $50 knowing that your donation would be DOUBLED? If so, our library is in luck!

All donations made during Dec. 2–Dec. 6 will be matched dollar-for-dollar thanks to several wonderful library patrons and trustees who wish to inspire you to give! Every gift makes a difference. Donate online, by check, or with cash to support this fundraising effort. 

Another almost full house landed at Brady's for Richard Hallinan's beef stew, homemade biscuits, salad, and Paula Warford's apple pie mini desserts on Monday, Nov. 24 at 11:30 a.m.

A few more new faces hit the buffet again this week and the addition of Table Bingo added a fun element. Darrell Gudroe and Janice Cotier ran the bingo calling table numbers to bring folks to the food. It went fabulously and will continue to be done every week!

Bring your family and friends to the Boothbay Harbor First United Methodist Church Saturday, Dec. 6 for the annual Christmas Holiday Fair and lobster roll luncheon. 

You will find lots of upscale items including American Girl dolls, a Yamaha keyboard, and ice skates; holiday decorations, gift baskets, cookies, jellies and jams, fudge and other delicious baked goods. 

Schools based in Bath and Frenchville can get state funding to rebuild after both were damaged by fire, while a long list of other schools await funding for construction projects.

Loranger Memorial School in Old Orchard Beach, which serves grades three through eight, is one of Maine’s “worst functioning” school buildings, according to Regional School District 23 Superintendent John Suttie.

Settlers came to Boothbay from Ireland, Scotland and England. Some made their way from Londonderry, NH long before the town was incorporated in 1764. The next few Chronicles will highlight some of these families.

Much information is sourced from Francis Greene's History of Boothbay, Southport and Boothbay Harbor. His family histories exclude the genealogy of women, so additional information comes from internet sites and cemetery headstones.

ABBOTT

Saturday, Dec. 6

From 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. take a break from your holiday shopping. Make a unique ornament and enjoy a cookie at the Midcoast Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 38 Elm St. in Damariscotta.  Make a shell or needle-felted ornament or even a candy cane reindeer for your tree.  For all ages, no cost, but donations gratefully accepted.  FMI: email re@uumidcoast.org.  

Boothbay Region High School students Rose Campbell, Sophia Mansfield, Frida Kerchhauser and Jayden Coulombe auditioned, and were accepted into, the District III honors choir and band (Coulombe).

Chorus members performed the aria "Per La Gloria," by Giovanni Baptistta. Instrumentalists performed scales and technical etudes. Auditions were held at Maranacook High School.

Sheepscot Chorus invites you to their annual holiday concert on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 3 p.m. at the Boothbay Harbor Congregational Church. This concert features Benjamin Britten's magical "A Ceremony of Carols," performed with harpist Melody Lindsay, and conducted by artistic director Linda Blanchard. Tenor soloist David Myers-Wakeman and soprano soloists Jennifer Felkay and Marybeth McCaffrey will be featured.  

Ryanhood is bringing their high-energy, big-harmony, dueling acoustic guitar approach to Saratoga Springs for "A Winter’s Evening with Ryanhood,” a live holiday touring show based on the duo’s award-winning album, "On Christmas."  Ryanhood is bringing this show to the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor on Saturday, Dec. 6 in a 7:30 p.m. concert.