In illustrator and humorist Rosemary Mosco’s new book, “The bird●ing Dictionary,” she defines a seabird as “A bird that gazed upon the sea with its violent storms, endless roiling waves, lack of shelter, and extreme temperatures—plus sharks, colossal squids, deadly jellyfish, and other assorted horrors of the deep—and said, This seems like a nice place to live.’”

While we have to wonder if Mosco is much of a sailor, her characterization of the challenges of living a life on the open ocean seems fair. For seabirds of the winter seas of northern oceans, perhaps especially so.

We are writing

I recently called Ms.Pigette to see how she was doing, as she, and the rest of us, are buried in a new batch of snow.

“We live on the Maine coast. It is winter. What do you expect, Bozo, tropical breezes, some creamy French cheese, and a nice, cool gin and tonic? Are you thinking about getting out your Speedo, nut job? Geeze, that would be a sight,” she said.

“Of course it is cold, the snow is over my bum, again. The guy down the way had to call the plow guy over so he could get the snow blower out of the garage. In case you don’t get my point, I am damn tired of winter, period, paragraph.”

We

Awaiting a winter storm is like watching bread rise: You know it will happen, but when exactly depends on the ingredients. For me, my bread formula (which is actually passed down from my Irish grandmother) generally behaves better in a warm kitchen. The dough rises, gets kneaded, then rises again. Patience is paramount,  just like waiting to see what shows up in a winter storm. All preparations don’t guarantee results. In both cases, with bread and storms, the finished product is the final measure. Sometimes my bread takes forever to rise and sometimes storms arrive when they are good and

Looking for good company and a warm welcome these cold winter days? Stop by the Community Center any weekday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for puzzles, games, coffee, tea, and sweet treats! Bring your ideas, share a few laughs, and help us enjoy our snacks – without overindulging! We love welcoming new faces and hope to see you soon.   

Do you have a few extra hours? Want to help your friends and neighbors who can't drive? Our People Helping People program helps those who can't drive by taking them shopping and to appointments. Volunteer as your time permits - once a week, once every two weeks or a

Dear Editor: 

Last week I called Senator Susan Collin’s office in Augusta. I got through to one of her assistants. I asked the assistant if it is true that the Senator proposes to vote in favor of the SAVE act which is currently under discussion in the Senate. The staffer said, “Yes.” 

I pointed out, as a constituent of Susan Collins, that a little over three months ago Mainers voted overwhelmingly against similar measures in Referendum 1.A vote for the SAVE act and similar measures would fly directly in the clearly expressed face of the wishes of Susan Collin’s own constituents. The staffer

Dear Editor:

Last week, a letter writer offered an encomium to the Trump administration and an invidious comparison to the Biden presidency. Both of these were riddled with exaggerations and errors.

First, his judgment about America’s fiscal health in 2024: “Our economy was shattered.” Without going into the weeds, the following report in The Economist, a preeminent journal supporting conservative, market-driven policies, refutes this claim. Published on Oct. 24, 2024 (less than two weeks before Trump’s reelection), its headline reads, “The American Economy Has Left Other Rich Countries in the

Dear Editor:

Flock, the domestic surveillance company, is aggressively marketing its spy systems to law enforcement agencies here in Maine. The marketing process is hidden from public scrutiny, there are no public hearings or comment periods. Flock cameras have been installed in Lewiston, Auburn and Sanford, and are being considered in Portland, Falmouth, York, South Portland, Brunswick, Freeport, Kittery, Ogunquit and Saco according to the Maine ACLU.

There is a reason why these deals are being made behind the public’s back, they are a clear and direct threat to our Fourth Amendment rights

Dear Editor:

I am writing to express my grave concern regarding the Edgecomb School Board’s proposed budget increase of $621,000 - a 20% increase over this year’s budget! This is not a minor adjustment; it is an enormous, unsustainable leap that would likely trigger another substantial tax hike for every homeowner and business in Edgecomb: REMEMBER the 32% tax increase we faced just two years ago?

While we all fully support our students and recognize that taxpayers are the pillars of the solid education at Edgecomb Eddy School, we must also demand fiscal prudence from our School Board. At a

Dear Editor:

I am a life-long reader of the Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper. The coverage of the peninsula is excellent. I see photos and news of the region, the comings and goings of friends and family, as well as my favorite sections. It’s a great newspaper.

I subscribe to several print newspapers, some online resources and a few magazines. My wife and I travel a bit, so I buy local newspapers wherever I go. The Letters to the Editor section of the Boothbay Register and Wiscasset Newspaper is unique, containing elements unlike any other Letters sections I’ve read anywhere else.

Th

Dear Editor:

Congrats on an outstanding newspaper. I spent a couple summers many moons ago in Southport overlooking Townsend Gut and the rotating bridge. I keep in touch with your gorgeous area through your newspaper. A dear friend, Peg Patch, shares your publication with me weekly.

I love all of your paper, but please inform the author of the weekly Joe’s Journal how super this column is. As a career journalist, I have some knowledge of what makes a terrific column, and Joe’s is just that every week, especially when he includes Ms. Pigette.

Gary Larrabee

Wenham, Massachusetts

Dear Editor:

In a time when many families are feeling the pressure of rising grocery costs, one small but powerful resource continues to make a meaningful difference in our community: the Community Fridge supported by the Community Resource Council.

What sets this initiative apart is not only the food it provides, but the way it provides it.

The fridge is open 24 hours a day. There is no registration process, no forms to complete, and no one monitoring who takes what. A simple one-bag-per-person guideline is honored through trust alone. The only oversight is a Ring camera for basic security.

Over the past 10 or so years that I’ve been writing primarily about arts, one name kept popping up: Don Demers. He was one of the artists holding painting demos at Artists Alley during Windjammer Days last year. Once, at Waterfront Park, I sought him out to catch him in action. He was painting and answering questions posed by a small, focused, group – and me.

Don has been leading workshops for decades and still enjoys it. “I like engaging with the people. I’m interested in them. I’ve met some fascinating people. It’s not only rich and rewarding to do, it’s good for me because you have to

I am having difficulty writing today, the weather is still so nice, though the gentle silent breezes of this morning are picking up and bringing their sounds with them, tuning up for the gusts that are to come with the next storm. The skies that had been brilliant blue are gradually losing their luster as they become veiled by, yet, thin clouds, the sun diminishing in strength, still warm and creating the shadows of the trees on the snows that remain from several previous weather events.

A walk into the woods helped focus my attention to tasks at hand, but not enough, so I filled the bird

Before turning to some interesting moments in February military history, I want to recognize American Legion Post 202, which hosted its annual Winter Classic Feb.14. This unique fundraiser, a softball tournament played in the snow, brought together 19 teams for a day of fun, camaraderie and good-natured competition. Highly competitive teams came from up north in Fryeburg, and south from New Hampshire, as well as locally, to participate. And then there were teams made up of members who never played softball, much less in the snow, like the team from the Lewiston Androscoggin Bank.  And, the

The Rotary Barn was warm and cozy last Thursday, and our guest speaker happened to be this correspondent, speaking on Rotary’s Peace programs and most especially, the new Rotary Peace Center at Bachesehir University in Istanbul.  Indeed, I was there a few weeks ago for the first graduation ceremony of the new program. 

The talk last week started with a discussion of the difference between the term “Peace” and the term “Ceasefire.”  Ceasefires are determined and signed by statesmen in conference rooms.  Some can be lasting and game-changing – a good example is the Good Friday accords led by

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 from Francis Greene's History of Boothbay, Southport and Boothbay Harbor. His family histories do not include the geneaology of women so additional information comes from internet sites and cemetery headstones.

The name Auld is not common these days, but the family came to the area from Medford Massachusetts around the time Boothbay was incorporated.. Ann Auld

There was an unexpected hush in the Winslow Community Room on a recent Friday morning. It was the last day of Fit Kids Vacation Camp at the Boothbay Region YMCA, and you might expect a room full of fifteen kindergarten through fifth graders to be buzzing. Instead, it was quiet time and, under the steady guidance of director Lindsey Senecal, the kids had settled into the kind of calm that only happens when everyone feels comfortable, included, and at home. 

One group was playing chess. Another tinkered with Legos. A third group of girls played “Chill Girls” on a “porch” they’d built from

As Boothbay Harbor prepares to celebrate the 64th annual Windjammer Days, this year’s theme proudly honors the past, present, and retired members of the United States Navy who have served our nation with dedication and distinction. Throughout the coming weeks, we will feature a series of profiles highlighting local Navy service members—sharing their stories, experiences, and the lasting impact of their service. These articles are a tribute to the men and women whose commitment to duty reflects the maritime heritage at the heart of Windjammer Days and the deep appreciation of our community

Planning a winter escape? Don’t let criminals ruin your trip with bogus deals, fake booking sites, or schemes designed to steal money or personal information.

Scammers create fake vacation rental listings, apply pressure to pay upfront through wire transfers, gift cards, or other hard-to-trace methods. If a host asks you to pay outside the official platform, it’s a scam.

Be cautious of steeply discounted offers and use a credit card whenever possible for added fraud protection. Before booking, verify the company or property. Search the name along with keywords like “scam,” “complaint,” or

This is the fifth installment in a limited series on Maine’s “quaint holdover,” the annual town meeting. This week we turn on the Wayback Machine and visit a Maine village about the time long hair and mustaches … the 1980s.

Dixfield is generally thought to be a sleepy community located near Rumford. There’s usually so little going on you don’t hear much about town. In fact, when the town decided on its motto (“The Only One”), they chose it because the only thing unique they could find about the town was, apparently, no other town in the US (or perhaps the world, we’re not sure) is named