Colonel Shanon W. Cotta, of Alna, Maine was awarded the Legion of Merit Medal by Major General Diane Dunn, the Adjutant General of the Maine National Guard, on Sept. 13 after serving over 32 years in the United States Army. His final assignment was serving as the brigade commander of the 52nd Troop Command in the Maine National Guard.

Soon Wiscasset's Town Common will be graced with wagging tails and paw prints from our beloved pets! In honor of St. Francis of Assisi's love for all creatures and our natural environment, we'll gather outside to share blessings for our favorite pets on Sunday Oct. 4 at 1 p.m.

All are invited to bring your pets, whether they be dogs, cats, guinea pigs, bunnies, turtles, or bird, for a blessing. Please make sure your pet is leashed or in a safe place such as a crate, cage, or kennel. We will strive for a calm and friendly atmosphere in a natural setting, but close to home.

Come hungry, bring a friend, family and enjoy a hearty meal and community spirit!

Le Café Français, a local French conversation group, resumes its lively in-person meetings on Oct. 5. Our discussions include a variety of themes, from French culture and news, useful expressions for travel and beyond, recipes and cooking experiences plus songs and topics of mutual interest. Our meetings offer participants a “mini French immersion” experience twice monthly.

Everyone is invited to the fifth annual Darrowby Farm Sanctuary Open House on Saturday Sept. 26 from noon to 2 p.m. at 216 N. Mountain Road in Jefferson.

If you are a cat lover living here in Midcoast, chances are you’ve heard of Sunshine Larry. Larry can be best described as the grumpy faced community cat and feline Mayor of Bath. He has his own Facebook Page with roughly 4,000 followers! What more and more people here in Boothbay Harbor are discovering is we have our own community cat Mayor: The “Little Man” about town.

An Industrial Areas Foundation information session will be held on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Edgecomb Community Church, 15 Cross Point Road in Edgecomb. This session is open to the public.

Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District and Maine DEP are co-sponsoring an in-person half-day event on Stream Crossing Installation Practices scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22 at Pownalborough Hall located at 314 Patterson Road in Dresden. The training will be held from 8 a.m. to noon.

Dark Sky Maine is celebrating Dark Sky Week across the state this week, highlighting Maine’s extraordinary night-sky heritage and the growing movement to protect it for generations to come.

Join Veggies to Table at The Contented Sole in New Harbor on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 5 to 8 p.m. for a Harvest Dinner & Fundraiser celebrating exceptional food and wine, community, and the abundance of the farm’s harvest, all in support of Veggies to Table’s work growing and donating organic produce and flowers to neighbors experiencing hunger and needing joy.

The Lincoln Home invites the public to a free Fraud Prevention Presentation, Thursday, Oct. 1 at 6 p.m.

First National Bank has launched the Dream First Community Grant, a new $5,000 funding opportunity supporting food security-related programming in the Maine communities the Bank serves. 

One eligible registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, municipality, or school will receive funding to launch a new initiative, expand a promising program, or strengthen an existing service. Applicants must serve residents in Lincoln, Knox, Waldo, Hancock, Penobscot or Washington County. 

This September, Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library (BHML) is connecting our maritime history to Boothbay’s working waterfront as part of Library Card Sign-Up Month and BHML’s America 250 programming, supported by a grant from the Maine State Library.

The 23rd annual Pemaquid Oyster Festival returns to Mine Oyster Restaurant in downtown Boothbay Harbor on Sunday, Sept. 27 (11 a.m.-6 p.m.). The festival features freshly-shucked oysters from 10 Damariscotta River farms, live music, an oyster-shucking contest, a silent auction and an exhibition tent.

Ever wonder how to change a bike tire? Is there someone you want to write to, but don’t know where to start? Do you love handcrafts, but have yet to try needle-felting? Learn how to do all these and more in a Boothbay-Wiscasset Regional Adult Education enrichment course. Classes begin Oct. 6 and now is the time to sign up.

The Down East Yacht Club (DEYC) wrapped up another Maine boating season Saturday, Sept. 12, with its annual Haul Out Party—and, in true boating fashion, this year’s gathering required a last-minute change of course.