Over the weekend, we traveled to southern Maine to see if we could observe the drama of heavy surf expected from the passing of Hurricane Erin far offshore. We spent a half hour or so at Fortune’s Rocks Beach in Biddeford Pool, where the water churned foamy white as the storm waves came thundering in. It was late in the day, under beautiful sunny blue skies with light winds that gave no indication that a massive hurricane was passing hundreds of miles to the East.

Just a hundred yards offshore, behind where the waves were breaking, a group of about 30 common terns, adults and juveniles

It can be hard for a town to keep its personnel long term, just like in the private sector these days (our employer thankfully being an exception).

Just ask Alna how many times it has had to hire a town clerk in the last several years (many times, for no one reason and despite having upped the pay to compete). Wiscasset has had the good fortune of not having to find a town clerk in a decade. Linda Perry came aboard 10 years ago and stayed aboard. Selectmen and staff honored Perry Aug. 19 and you might want to thank her also, for her professionalism, good nature and longevity.

Perry has a ways

From my perspective – if you value it at all – the local tourism season seems to have been very good, as we roll into the unofficial end of summer with the arrival of Labor Day Sept. 1. The observation is based on the number of cars and the variety of license plates, the sidewalks, downtown streets, park and piers jammed with people most days, and the aisles at Hannaford being crowded with shoppers.

The weather, except for the rainy weekends to start the season, has been nice, especially this month – though we desperately need rain now.

Three weeks into September (Sept. 22), the calendar says

I drove to Wiscasset and Bath on Friday and waved to Ms. Pigette as I passed her on Route 27. I waved again on the way home. She looked pretty cute in her summer outfit, as she clutched a racket, ready to return a serve from anyone who would dare share a pickleball court with her. When I got home, I waited until I sat down with a cold glass of water before I answered the buzzing phone. That conversation began the usual way as she asked why I did not stop and chat.

“What am I, chopped liver?” she asked. “Are you just too snooty to stop and chat with moi?” I apologized profusely, I might add, as

*Note: A casual observation!

Midweek last week, during an infrequent drive out of town, I observed, as I often do, the price of fuels along the way. It was a Portland trip, even more rare this time of year. Our local station was $3.06 per gallon which was fairly consistent with prices I noticed along the drive. Curious observer that I am, on Friday of last week, during a local run to the dump, the price per gallon became $3.26! All the pumps were busy and there was a line of cars stretching out along the state road. Hmmm, thought I, our summer visitors must be topping off their tanks in

The Community Center will be closed on Monday, Sept. 1 in observance of Labor Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, Sept. 2, following our regular schedule. 

Don’t miss the next V.I.P. (Visually Impaired People) meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 1:15 p.m. Members will share updates on their vision treatments—whether it’s eye injections, cataract surgery or getting bifocals. There will also be time for Q&A, support, and information on the latest tools and resources.

The Community Center invites friends and neighbors to an easygoing afternoon filled with friendly faces and great conversation. It's a

The drought remains with us, but it is hard not to appreciate the stellar weather, cool temperatures, mostly clear skies, with occasional bilious clouds that make one remember the childhood wonder of looking for familiar shapes in them. The breezes have been stiff since Erin passed by, enough for the sound of the surf to penetrate my small nook in the woods, you can feel the energy of the water, the hum of it all around, especially at night when all else is still.  Stillness is gradually returning here, many summer friends have needed to return home, schools are beginning, events here are also

I find it difficult to believe that we are now at the end of August. I’m certain many of you as well as myself are asking where did the time go? Our activities are over, residents are departing for their winter homes, and many boats have been pulled from their mooring.

Chapel services are also over for the season, however, the chapel remains busy.

Family and friends gathered last Saturday morning to remember our dear friend and neighbor, Dianne Eakin who sadly passed away in June. It was indeed a beautiful service for a beautiful lady. 

On a happier note, Nick Ripley and Michelle Barter

Fall-like weather makes it a bit easier to return to school. Just a bit! As we start to prepare our cabins for the next season, please remember Firewise. Our committee, led by Randy Lehman, Curt Audin and Doug Winter, need to know the amount of brush, trees and branches removed from your property and how long it took you to clean it up. Please email the committee; we get credit for our Firewise program from the state for that information. Our granddaughters look forward to their gardening and forestry work each summer because they earn spending money for the trips to their favorite stores in

Dear Editor:

The referendum on Nov. 4 regarding voter ID requirements in Maine is a solution in search of a problem. There has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Maine. Our voting system is secure, and this proposal is unnecessary. Instead, it introduces an unjustified barrier that will make it harder for some Mainers to exercise their right to vote. 

This proposal will disproportionately impact the elderly, disabled, and homebound citizens who rely on absentee ballots. Absentee voting is hugely popular in Maine, with 388,000 absentee ballots issued during the 2024 presidential

Dear Editor: 

An answer to Joe Grant, who thinks that temperature is not rising in Maine. 

Not sure where he gets his research? According to the EPA.Govwebsite, Maine has warmed 3 degrees since 1900. Spring is arriving earlier with more rain, sea level is rising and causing more flooding and the ocean is becoming more acidic, due to the absorption of carbon dioxide, which affects sea creatures with shells. The website states that carbon in the atmospherehas increased 70% since the 1700s, which increases the warmthretained by the atmosphere and oceans. A warming atmosphere contains more

Dear Editor:

On Friday, Aug. 15, the two top clubs in the Nuclear Weapons League met in Alaska for a much-hyped but ultimately meaningless "friendly" match.

Evenly matched in team leadership (Russia’s captain is an indicted war criminal; America’s is a 34-count convicted felon), the U.S. claimed home field advantage — though the Russians had formerly owned it and now talk about getting it back.

Russia got off to an early lead when the U.S. captain scored the first of his three ‘own goals’: he welcomed his opponent (who has not been allowed to enter any country in the free world since 2015)

Dear Editor:

This November we will vote on the citizens’ initiative, “An Act to Require an Individual to Present Photographic Identification for the Purpose of Voting.” This sounds simple enough, until you understand what we will lose.

If the “Voter ID” referendum passes:

• You will no longer be able to call your town clerk to have an absentee ballot sent to you.

• A family member will no longer be allowed to pick up or drop off your absentee ballot.  

• It will eliminate ongoing absentee voting which directly impacts seniors and people with  disabilities.

• Two of the most popular days for

Dear Editor:

The Boothbay Railway Village wishes to thank all sponsors and attendees for celebrating 61 years with us, Mine Oyster Catering for the outstanding food and service, and the Don Campbell Band for keeping the party rocking all night! We are already making plans for the 62nd, with more details to be announced soon.

Thank you again to our event sponsors: Carousel Marina/Whales Tale, Janson's Clothing, Tindal & Callahan, Brown’s Wharf Inn and Marina, Jim and Nancy Hudson, J Edward Knight, Maine Lobster Community Alliance, Harold Bishop Insurance, Sullivan Associates, Barnes Custom

Sometimes friends just like to hang out together. 

And so, when our speaker canceled, and with Chef Amy on sick leave, president Laurie decided that we would have a social night, potluck, with friendly efficient self-service.

And it turned out great.

Everything was delicious. Byron was smart enough to bring pizza – always a winner. Laurie brought a shrimp platter of which she claims she did it all – whether “all” means procure from Hannaford or grow the shrimp herself seemed unclear. There were quiches and salads and Doug Lockwood’s dessert was scrumptious enough to make me forget about the

As summer is winding down and we all get back into whatever routine that means, remember, it's not over until it's over. Now, and the approaching fall, is a great time for a hike. Actually, anytime is! In celebration of that, Thomas Hultin has written a great description of the newest BRLT hike. Until now, there wasn't anywhere to park to walk these trails other than a couple of spots at Lobster Cove. Now, Autumn View offers more spots. Details after Thomas Thoreau's walk...

"In case you are out of the loop, there is a new loop trail in town. We Bayvillains all know and love the Indian and

David’s new show “Reengaged” marks his return to fulltime painting after after two years (one as president) working with the 50-year-old nonprofit, Union of Maine Visual Artists. During that commitment, which ended in October 2024, there was simply no time to paint. But he’s back with a few new pieces, and newly completed re-worked paintings.

As is the case with all of David’s work, really, his paintings are provocative, colorful, and, in most cases (for me, anyway) – mesmerizing. Let’s dig into just four, OK, six, of the ​​20 paintings in this show running through Aug. 31.

First up is

September is shaping up to be a great month for local veterans and their families to connect with resources, learn about programs, and network the veteran support community. Several events are being held in the Midcoast region that bring together many of the organizations dedicated to serving veterans.

The first opportunity is on Saturday, Sept. 6, when VFW Post 2197 in Brunswick will host an Information Exposition at Tractor Supply Company (TSC), 24 Farley Road, Brunswick. This fee event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food will be available for a donation, with proceeds supporting VFW scholastic

The past few weeks have been busy at the Boothbay Region Food Pantry. The number of people using the pantry continues to increase and we have been actively seeking funds for the growing needs of our community as SNAP cuts go into effect. Increased funding is also necessary because cuts to the USDA program seriously reduced the supply of free food that we were able to obtain, and inflation has made everything that we must buy more expensive. We are very grateful for the support of the Dawes Foundation and another generous foundation. Most recently, Town Fair Tires, a faithful source of funding

Sarah Barton and Azhar Meyer are getting married on Sept. 4! They want to share this message with their guests:

We are so thankful for all our family traveling to Boothbay Harbor to celebrate our wedding! Huge welcome to Boothbay first-timers Nishat, Daim, and Kamram Meyer, Naureen Meyer, Iden and Omid Baghdadchi, Pervez, Ghazala, and Raza Mobin, and Vanessa Herndon and Shariq and Ayla Mobin.

Also special welcome back to Michael and Patty Tita, and Tamara and Mark Stenger. So happy to have you join us on what would have been Helen’s 100th Birthday.

To the Barton extended universe, we can’t wait