Alna Fire Chief Mike Trask has cut the cost for a proposed new fire truck. He's saving $33,000 by swapping versions of one feature he wants the new truck to have.

That feature, a “compressed air foam system,” puts out fires faster than water alone; Trask had expected it to add $50,000 to the cost of the new truck.

The state has approved Wiscasset's tax deal with Molnlycke, linked to the Gothenburg, Sweden-based company's planned expansion of its Rynel plant on Twin Rivers Drive.

Wiscasset voters passed the deal on January 14.

Savory Maine’s March music series will feature local musicians. Every Thursday and Saturday in Damariscotta, from 6 to 8 p.m., musicians from around the Midcoast will entertain and charm diners at Savory Maine. Come for a bowl of chowder, a burger, a beer, a cup of tea, dessert or a full meal.

The Wiscasset Newspaper’s editorial page has been taken over by the talents of a group of cartoonists.

In February and March, the talents of a group of 7- to 13-year-old artists will be featured in the pages of the Wiscasset Newspaper and on the website.

The DaPonte String Quartet greets the spring with “Voices of Angels,” a program filled with unusual offerings, running March 20-23 in Thomaston, Damariscotta, Portland and Topsham.

In addition to Randall Thompson’s “Alleluia,” an irresistible and perennially youthful four-part choral work arranged for string quartet, and Franz Joseph Haydn’s well loved “Dream Quartet,” there are two pieces that stand out in the program for differing reasons.

This Sunday, March 9, is the day to move your clocks forward an hour as we move into Daylight Saving Time (DST).

Fire department volunteers suggest it is a good time to check the batteries in your smoke detectors.

The topic for this column was inspired by a reader’s question regarding a particular spice blend she’d seen listed in a recipe she wanted to try. When she located it in her local supermarket and saw the price for a teeny-weeny container, she first nearly fainted and when recovered decided to ditch the idea of preparing that dish.