Surface Warfare Schools Command headquarters in Newport, Rhode Island hosted a momentous occasion July 18 as colleagues, family, and a host of distinguished guests gathered to celebrate the remarkable career of Capt. (Ret.) Floyston "Bud" Weeks. After dedicating over half a century to the United States Navy, both as a Surface Warfare Officer and as a civilian employee, Capt.

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.

With a splash of education and fun, Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library’s (BHML) Ocean Day event Aug. 12 celebrated its third successful year. Community members gathered on the library lawn to learn more about marine life with hands-on activities and chats with volunteers from Bigelow Laboratory of Ocean Sciences, the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) and the Maine State Aquarium.

Freezie pops, a touch pool and a sprinkler also provided an oasis for kids to beat the heat.  

No, no one is starting an oil drilling project in the Boothbay region. However, the area’s newest construction boat was built and designed for it. Liftboat Enzo Charles came July 31 after almost a month’s travel to begin its new life with Fuller Marine Services.   

Captain Sam Fuller recently took the ship on an over 2,500-mile journey from New Iberia, Louisiana to its new home in Maine. The crew of four traveled from the Gulf of Mexico, around Key West in Florida, and up the Eastern Seaboard.  

Four U.S. Naval Academy vessels docked at Hodgdon Marina in Boothbay Harbor Monday evening, bringing with them around 120 crew members, students and staff. The ships are here as part of a two-week training trip from the academy in Maryland, and this is their northernmost stop. They came from Boston and plan to head for Martha’s Vineyard Wednesday.

The four Yard Patrol craft, or "YPs," are used by the Navy for training and research. Each carries around 30 people; in this case, mostly midshipmen from the academy.  

Things are looking a little greener in Boothbay Harbor. Heidi Fuller has expanded her home studio in Edgecomb to open Gracelynn’s, a one-stop shop for flower arrangements and house plants at 27 Townsend Ave. The store is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. - 3  p.m.

With Gracelynn’s entering its second month of operation, Fuller said the local response has been “tremendous.” 

“It’s been really heartwarming. I've made some really good connections with my neighbors, and everyone in town has been very supportive.” 

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. 

AUGUSTA (July 23, 2025)—The Maine Association of Realtors reports 1,441 single family home sales during June 2025, 10.51 percent more than June 2024, with a median sales price (MSP) of $425,00, an increase of 4.94 percent compared to a year ago. The MSP indicates that half of the homes were sold for more and half sold for less.

A new convenience store will likely open later this fall on Route One in Edgecomb. The Patel family, which owns Wiscasset Quik Stop and several other business properties in the region, has bought the plaza at 21 U.S. Route One and plans on replacing the three retail units with one convenience store.

July 17, the Edgecomb planning board gave conditional approval to the project pending receiving state permits. On July 22, Harry Patel confirmed the family is preparing the new property for business. Patel reported the store's name as All-In-One Market.

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. 

Getting arrested isn’t something most people look fondly on, but what if it was for a good cause? Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce is holding a “Bail & Jail” fundraiser for its historic trolley on July 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You pay a fee, ranging from $25 to $100, and pick a faux charge for your nominee's "arrest." These crimes range from minor offenses, such as feeding seagulls or failing to return your shopping cart at Hannaford's, to the most serious, “stealing a Windjammer.”  

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.