Dear Editor:

There is a certain poignancy in reading the list of grievances in the Declaration of Independence to King George that now resonates with today’s governmental overreach. How did we get here?

Over 50 years ago Lewis Powell penned his memorandum written at the behest of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The 14-page memorandum was a blueprint for a massive lobbying and propaganda effort to put control of the government into the hands of oligarchs.

That's 50 years of propaganda, lies and divisiveness deployed to undermine our democratic republic. Fifty years of the ruthless pursuit of power

Through sun and storms, the students at BSSC spent the first week of July dialed into weather. Aptly titled Day to Day, our third week focused on the importance of daily weather observations. Our “budding meteorologist” recorded information on precipitation, wind, clouds, sea temperatures and air temperature daily, collaborating to build a thorough data set. Inspired by historical weather logs from ships, we discussed the value of collecting long term weather data to determining changes in climate.  

Through the lens of weather observations, we dove into the elements that make up weather

The Opening Party was a success! Over 70 people attended and Sprucewold cooks were at their finest with a wide variety of appetizers. Residents visited with neighbors both old and new and cornhole was played on the Green. One highlight was meeting ten week old Esme Addis and her parents. The Social Committee outdid themselves with setup and cleanup and everything in between. On ice duty were Leigh Pumilia, Keith Moulaison and Alyssa Kay Smith, setup and cleanup were Elisa Goldsmith, Kim Sullivan, Jody Lawrence (also on tablecloth duty), Emily Rittershaus Haggett, Annaliese Rittershaus Neff

The weather was in full cooperation this week and we couldn’t have been happier to have beautiful, sunny days on the Sheepscot.

The sailing program celebrated on the July 4th with our Independence Day Challenge.

Sailors came dressed head to toe in their team colors and enthusiastically chanted their team names upon arrival. We opened the ceremonies with the Star Spangled Banner and a terrific parade around the senior building to Grand Old Flag. Next the teams battled it out in the Rig/Row/Sail event, Egg Toss, Knot Tying Torch Relay, Saltine Whistling competition, Bubble Blowing contest, and

Activities are in full swing here at Ocean Point and this past weekend was a busy one.

The Town Hall was well attended last Thursday evening. If you are interested in being a contributor to the OPCT but have not yet made your contribution please do so. The same holds true for racquet sports fees. Payment may be made on line or via mail to OPCT P.O. Box 642, East Boothbay, Maine 04544.

There are many to thank for last week’s activities. Thank you to Jonathan and Kate Dawson for a fun and wonderful Horribles Parade and to the many band members as well as the participants and spectators all

The amended bill “LD 396” ("An Act to Provide for a Later Starting Time for High Schools") has recently been passed by the Maine House of Representatives stating that it would “establish a grant program to encourage schools to adopt start times at 8:30 a.m. or later” (“Legislative recap for Wednesday”). The grant program is a one-time fund of about $106,078 to school administrator units to help them start the process of implementing later start times into their schools (“132nd Maine Legislature”). This bill is anticipated to be enacted for the 2026-2027 school year, which is a recent

Dear Editor:

As I write this on Sunday evening, I can still hear the rumble of fireworks celebrating the birth of our nation. My dogs will be relieved when the explosions end and I, too, will be happy to move past the flag waving and chest-thumping that this weekend has highlighted.

Truth be told, I don’t feel very proud about the current state of our country. The passage of the so-called Beautiful Bill demonstrates how the MAGA party would rather fund extra-legal deportations than they would school lunches. It shows how tax cuts for billionaires are more important than providing healthcare to

Dear Editor: 

Senator King: “This bill is a farce. Imagine a bunch of guys sitting around a table, saying, ‘I've got a great idea. Let's give $32,000 worth of tax breaks to a millionaire, and we’ll pay for it by taking health insurance away from lower-income and middle-income people. And to top it off, how about we cut food stamps, we cut SNAP, we cut food aid to people?’... I've been in this business of public policy now for 20 years, eight years as governor, 12 years in the United States Senate. I have never seen a bill this bad. I have never seen a bill that is this irresponsible

Every stick of furnitureat the Community House resembling a table or seatwasdeployed last Saturdayto accommodate the record breaking turnout for the lobsterbake. Set-up crew leader Jim Dilleysaid “Ifitwasn’tnailed down wetookit to the field.” Lobster bakeco-chairsJean Dilley and Cindy Gagneknockedit out of the park managing 240 lobsters, 140 hot dogs, countless boxes of corn, 2 bushels of clams and pounds and pounds of butter and coleslaw. Early afternoon the Community House parking lot turned into a corn shucking arena with many hands making light work. Down by the shore Dick

This week at the Southport Yacht Club was beautiful and full of fun events! 

Nine new sailors passed the swim test on Monday’s sunny morning to kick off the week. Lucy McDonough, Samuel Legree, Charlie Legree, Rylie Leighton, Parker Leighton, James French, Evelynn Sligar, Owen Sligar, and Everly Boyd were all welcomed into SJYC and swam through Cozy Harbor to begin the week’s fun! The morning class sailors had lots of fun this week through all of the different wind speeds, and even traveled to Five Islands. 

On Friday, the morning class participated in the Independence Day Challenge, which

Another Fourth (and maybe a few fifths) has come and gone and Bayville, as usual, was a pretty good place to be.

The fun kicked off at 9 a.m. when Chris Munnell fired up the air raid siren signaling all Bayvillians to make their way to the Community House for the start of the annual BIA Meeting. Ushers guided the overflow crowd to available seats while street vendors plied their wares. The white, cushier front row seats were open to all, but word is they will soon be paid seating for those who want to be closest to the action. The Buzz will stay on top of this developing story.

The meeting

What's happening, how can this be, it hasn't rained! Yes indeed, It hasn't rained for about a week, even last Saturday was a beautiful, sunny day. Only the second Saturday without rain since the Rotary Barn opened the first week of April. We thought the long line waiting for us to open was because everyone had nothing else to do because of the rain. But, even on a beautiful, sunny summer morning there was a long line of cheerful customers waiting for Laurie to open the door at 8:30 to say good morning and thanks for coming. Thank you everyone, the shoppers, the donors and the Rotarians who

Please bring either a main, side dish or salad or a dessert to share to the July 16 potluck at the BICA hall (24 West Side Road) starting at 5:30. As always water and coffee will be provided but you are welcome to bring your beverage of choice. If you have any questions regarding the potluck please reach out to Louise at pandlcowan@hotmail.com.  

After dinner you will have an opportunity to hear about upcoming events and the results of the Better Than A Yard Sale as it really was better than one. What a day! The line for entrance to the hall stretched out to Barters Island Road by 7:45

Having just returned home from the 4th of July parade held this morning at nine, I am filled with a sense of joy that this community brings.  Neighbors and friends gathered to see the fire trucks, decorated cars, the “pirate ship” filled with children, bicycles with flags, bunting, streamers ridden by enthusiastic kids, strollers, walkers, it all is a reminder of small-town wonder and goodness.  Walking back to the car provided one more bit of happiness, a pen with alpacas from the Cape Newagen Alpaca Farm. If you have never been, you should make a point of going this summer.  Anne and Mike

The week leading up to this July Fourth at the BHYC has been like driving up the on-ramp to the southeast expressway in Boston at rush hour. How is this so? Because the summer is off with a flurry of activity all on the heels of Boothbay Harbor’s annual Windjammer Days. Never a dull moment around these parts. Popular trivia nights, Mah Jong, regular bridge nights, regular Thursday night cocktail hour, regular raft-up socials, a junior program that has young participants enthusiastically experiencing summer on tennis courts and sailing in crafts of all sizes and scopes and so much more

According to the Federal Trade Commission, theft through fraud may have been as high as $158.3 billion in 2023 alone. To put this into perspective, if fraud was a US company, it would be in the top 40 by revenue. That’s $434 million every day, or about $300,000 every minute – stolen from Americans by fraud criminals.

All reports on fraud that seek to measure the problem show a meteoric year-after-year increase. And we, at last, are beginning to see signs of hope in addressing the fraud crisis. We see more policymaker concern at the federal and state levels. The Aspen Institute has taken on a

Surrounded by the crisp ocean air and the deep green woods, it is easy to understand why Maine is called “Vacationland.” From the early “rusticators” of the 1900s to modern tourists, people come to bask in Maine’s natural beauty each summer. Whether we are on vacation, taking a staycation, or embarking on a day trip, Maine summers are filled with enough outdoor adventures, arts, and festivals to explore all season long.  

Maine State Parks offer a slice of summer fun for everyone. Maine’s 48 State Parks can be found along our coastline, blue lake shores and mountain trails. There is bound to

Summer brings beautiful weather, beach days, barbecues, visitors, and plenty of outdoor fun. As the season arrives, some of our programs at the Community Center are taking a short break to enjoy everything Boothbay Harbor has to offer. These include Ladies Who Love to Dance, Qigong, Tech Help with Bethany, and Healing Hearts. All of them will return in September/October—so stay tuned!  

No need to worry—our regular daily games continue each week, offering fun, laughter, and friendly competition. Whether you're a regular or new to the group, there's always a seat for you at the table! Not into

Picture perfect is the only way to describe the days of the 2025 Windjammer Days Artists' Alley June 26 and 27. And, thanks to the variety of artists and artisans attending, there were temptations for everyone … and, from what I observed, many succumbed!

As I walked down to Whale Park my breath caught at the sight of of the Privateer Lynx and the Pinnace Virginia anchored side by side at the Town Landing. What a perfect location for these two vessels; they surely added a splash of historical artistry and elegance to this popular event. The crews aboard both ships led tours each day donned in

Walking our little black chug through the leafy streets of our neighborhood several times a day for years continues to give us an appreciation of the small things that can otherwise be easily missed in our daily lives. We notice when someone plants a new shrub in front of their house. We take notice when the first peonies start blooming.

Lately, we’ve noticed that the robins have started singing more vigorously again now that their first brood has fledged.

Over the years, we have tracked three cherry trees in our neighborhood, all within a mile of our house, that come into ripeness every