March 23, Wiscasset’s planning board is set to hear from Ed Harmon about a school and much more to help veterans thrive. The Boothbay man, founder of Boothbay V.E.T.S., said this would also help fill area workforce needs, by teaching the veterans a trade. And Harmon's goal has big help from the man who for years brought shoppers to “Route One, Wiscasset,” and continues to spend much of his time serving local causes, Allen “Big Al” Cohen, retired from his famous Big Al's store.

In the heart of winter, Camp Kieve is quiet. The cabins are swept clean and locked tight. No trace of wet swimsuits or half-finished puzzles. No backpacks left behind, heavy with headlamps, binoculars and hand-scrawled maps. No letters from home tucked beneath mattresses. In a few short months there will be a line of cars snaking up the road from Reunion Station, delivering young campers to the promise of summer.

Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust is inviting community members to help grow the local conservation movement by becoming volunteer ambassadors. A training session for outreach and events volunteers will be held on Thursday, March 19, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Coastal Rivers Denny Conservation and Education Center in Damariscotta. 

Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission (LCRPC), in partnership with SBDC Maine, Bangor Savings Bank, Bath Savings Bank, and First National Bank, is hosting a free informational workshop on using local banks for financing on Thursday, March 19, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in the LCRPC conference room at 297 Bath Road in Wiscasset and online.

The next to the final Community Lunch of the season was held Monday, March 2 and hosted by Rebuilding Together. This was their second lunch and they turned up the heat with stuffed shells, Shepard's pie, Caesar salad, and an amazing assortment of homemade cookies.

Howard and Dee Wright presented all the CL volunteers with a flower thanking them for their dedication to providing all the guests with outstanding service and conversation for the past five years and especially this season with the weather obstacles and such.

Jigsaw puzzles are now on sale at half price – which means they are $1 apiece – at Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop in downtown Damariscotta. The sale lasts through Monday, March 16.

Donors have recently contributed dozens of puzzles, in all levels of difficulty, but especially in the 1,000-piece category.

The book shop is located at 16 Backstreet Landing and is open every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Boothbay Region High School Class of 2026 is fundraising for its Project Graduation trip. Project Graduation provides graduates with a safe, substance-free activity to celebrate their graduation night.This year’s class is planning an exciting trip north for a white-water rafting adventure, and two fundraisers are coming up to help make it happen. 

The Edgecomb School Committee planned on a long session Feb. 25 to pare down its fiscal 27 budget proposal for presentation to selectmen. The committee spent three hours, 20 minutes reviewing the budget, but did not to reach a final verdict. Instead, the committee tabled deliberations until Monday, March 2,  at 9 a.m. in a special Zoom-only meeting.  

On Wednesday, April 8, Instructor Maryanne Ward will begin her five-week-long class "The Calm Before the Storms of War" on Zoom.

Katerina Nein of Boothbay, majoring in health care management, was named to the Emmanuel College (Boston) fall 2025 semester dean’s list.

On Feb. 14, members of the Boothbay Region High School robotics team traveled to Bangor to compete with 31 teams from 12 schools for the final qualifying tournament in the 25-26 Vex Robotics Competition Push Back Season. Three of our four teams were able to attend, and all had their best showing of the season.

Community members are invited to explore meaningful volunteer opportunities supporting marine education and lighthouse preservation at an upcoming Volunteer Recruitment Fair hosted at the Maine State Aquarium.

Join us Friday, March 20 at Ækeir Brewing, 111 Main St., Wiscasset at 6 p.m. to learn about "The Science Behind Oyster Farming."  Paxton Spencer, Maddi Cox, and Justin Dickenson of Mook Sea Farm and Muscongus Bay Aquaculture will talk about farming oysters, from larvae to market. 

Ocean on Tap is an informal, ocean-centric speaker series organized by researchers from Bigelow Laboratory. Our goal is to bring people of the community together over the fascinating world of the ocean.

The weather may have postponed Monday’s Community Lunch but new hosts Cabbage Island Clambakes and Atlantic Edge wowed the crowd with lobster mac and cheese, chocolate cake, blueberry cake, and unbelievable hospitality on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

With only two weeks left in this year's season we know that spring has got to be around the corner. 

Join the gang next week as Rebuilding Together hosts their second Community Lunch. 

See ya there!

The Southport School Committee proposed a lower budget for the 2026-27 year. The $1,569,234 proposal is $25,431 lower than FY 26's. The committee proposed lowering spending in four areas: special education ($14,218), student and staff support ($1,000), transportation and buses ($21,879), and facilities and maintenance ($62,265). 

The only proposed school spending increase was for regular instruction, which showed a $22,473 increase to $881,865.

Veggies to Table, a non-profit grow-to-donate vegetable and flower farm in Newcastle, has been selected by Hannaford Supermarkets as a beneficiary of their Fight Hunger Bag Program at the Boothbay Harbor branch, located at 180 Townsend Avenue, for all of March.

The Hannaford Fight Hunger Bag Program makes it easy for shoppers to give back to the community. Throughout the month of March, Veggies to Table will receive a $1 donation from every purchase of the $2.50 Fight Hunger Bag.