The Maine Lobster Community Alliance (MLCA) invites the public to join in celebrating Maine’s iconic lobstering heritage and vibrant coastal communities at Music, Masts & Lobster Traps 2025, happening this Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Boothbay Railway Village Museum from 2 to 6 p.m.

The next Ocean on Tap is Thursday, Aug. 21 starting at 6 p.m. at Footbridge Brewery, 25 Granary Way in Boothbay Harbor. Science writer Leah Campbell of Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences will be sharing about what causes — and how to prepare for — tsunamis, rogues, and other massive waves! Join us for a thrilling conversation!

Ocean on Tap is an informal, ocean-centric speaker series organized by researchers from Bigelow Laboratory and hosted by Footbridge Brewery.

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. 

Fresh flowers, ripe cherries, cured meats, buttered pastries and even beaded jewelry: These are only some of the wares that can be found at Boothbay's weekly Farmers' Market.

"It's a great community here. Plus, there's a lot of tourists that come through, so it's a very busy market," said vendor Matt Burke, owner of Sweet Monkey Business.

The Belfast-based shop has been attending the event the past four seasons, making Boothbay one of the seven stops a week he does during peak market season. 

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.

Sellers and buyers are in the market and housing demand remains steady. According to Maine Listings, comparing May 2025 to May 2024, sales of single-family existing homes rose 3.28 percent with 1,227 sales. Maine’s statewide median sales price (MSP) increased 6.52 percent to $425,000 over that same time. The MSP indicates that half of the homes were sold for more and half sold for less.

“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.