Join local author Shannon M. Parker on Thursday, July 31 at 6 p.m. at Footbridge Brewery in Boothbay Harbor as she discusses her third novel, “Love & Lobsters."  Celebrated by Down East as “a love letter to Maine,” Parker’s book has been optioned for film and is Maine Public Radio’s August pick for “All Books Considered.”

While Parker relied on talks with Maine lobster fishers and the wide body of research around lobster behavior to inform her novel, she also drew from the pervasive commitment to community, care and sustainability cultivated by Mainers.

As anyone who has launched a business knows, it can’t be done alone. The engagement of local community is critical, as is the belief and financial support of donors. For the past eight years, Hearty Roots has been fortunate to be part of an enthusiastic village of helpers. Without the breadth and depth of generosity it has received, Hearty Roots could not have connected with the 600 kids who participated in its programs last year. 

Be sure to attend the St. Giles Episcopal Church fair this weekend held on the church grounds in Jefferson under the tall pines at 72 Gardiner Road (Route 126). The fair is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a live auction at 11 a.m.

After more than four decades of service and stewardship, Dennis Hilton has officially passed the torch to the next generation of leadership at three of Lincoln County’s most respected family-owned businesses: Cheney Insurance, Newcastle Vacation Rentals, and Newcastle Realty.

The Strand Theatre will screen two locally-produced maritime films, The Ghost Trap (2024) and Rockland: A Maritime Heritage (2022), from July 31 - Aug. 3, to coincide with this year’s Maine Lobster Festival held in Rockland. 

Coastal Rivers seeks volunteers to join its “Bittersweet Brigade” workdays, taking place every Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. at Coastal Rivers’ Round Top Farm through the summer and fall.

An invasive plant is a non-native plant species that, once introduced to a new ecosystem, establishes itself, reproduces, and spreads aggressively. These plants can displace native species, alter habitats, and negatively impact various aspects of the ecosystem. 

The Maine Coastal Program, a Division of the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), has opened registration for the annual Coastal Cleanup. The Coastal Cleanup is a volunteer-driven initiative designed to clean debris from Maine’s coastal shores and waterfront communities.

Part of the International Coastal Cleanup, Maine’s Coastal Cleanup will run from Sept. 6 to Sept. 20.

Maine State Credit Union is bringing its Shred-It event to the Rockland community, Friday, July 25, 2025, at its branch located at 168 Camden Street. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Shredding On-Site will be securely disposing of personal and sensitive documents — free of charge.

Ahold Delhaize USA Services reported, personal information of 95,000 Mainers who are current or former employees of subsidiary Hannaford have been affected by a data breach described by the company as an "external system breach (hacking)" that occurred Nov 5, 2024 and was discovered Nov. 6, according to the required breach notification filed with the Maine Attorney General's Office June 26.

Summer is decidedly here. Not only did it arrive with blistering temps this week, but the yacht club was bustling, most notably with several youngsters coming and going from the dock to the fleet of Opti’s and 420’s in the harbor.  

Boat America

Learn boating skills from experienced boaters who patrol Midcoast coastal waters from Small Point to Port Clyde.

Maine now requires persons born on after Jan. 1, 1999 in order to operate a boat over 25 hp on inland and coastal waters to have taken the course Boat America, pass an exam, have the state’s Boat America card, and be registered in Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife database. Completing this course satisfies the requirements.

“What you leave as a legacy is not what is etched in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” Anonymous

This week, thanks to the generous foresight of Marjorie Winslow, $410,000 in donations is coming to 23 nonprofits that serve the local community.

Robert Johnson of Harpswell won Fastest Working Lobster Boat at the Charlie Begin Memorial Lobster Boat Races in Boothbay Harbor June 14. The day’s races marked the start of the 2025 Maine Lobster Boat Race season.  

On Wednesday, June 25 from 6 to 7 p.m. the next Ocean on Tap event will be held at Footbridge Brewery, 25 Granary Way, Boothbay Harbor.

The Innovative Gear Library Team of Maine's Department of Marine Resources will be speaking about their collaborative project testing alternative fishing gear and providing real-world feedback. There's a slight overlap with the Windjammer Days Street Parade, but we hope you can join us after for this fascinating conversation!

Members of the MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital and MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital Community Health Improvement Committee announced their support for two organizations focusing on providing safe, affordable housing and the needed support services for low-income individuals and families who may otherwise be homeless. 

Coastal Rivers is hosting an “after hours” Trail Tamers work partyat Bass Rock Preserve in Round Pond on Wednesday, June 18 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.  

The Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop in downtown Damariscotta is open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. now through Labor Day.

The shop is located on the river at 17 Backstreet Landing, behind Elm Street Plaza. It is normally open from 9 to 4.