The next Ocean on Tap is at Footbridge Brewery, 25 Granary Way in Boothbay Harbor on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.  Dr. Kara Gadeken, of the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, will be speaking about her research on marine worms, their bizarre shapes, and the many roles they play in marine ecosystems.

Saturday, Dec. 6

From 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. take a break from your holiday shopping. Make a unique ornament and enjoy a cookie at the Midcoast Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 38 Elm St. in Damariscotta.  Make a shell or needle-felted ornament or even a candy cane reindeer for your tree.  For all ages, no cost, but donations gratefully accepted.  FMI: email re@uumidcoast.org.  

 A holiday tradition continues at First Congregational Church in Wiscasset as the ”Hanging of the Greens” ceremony is held at 10 a.m. on Nov. 30 to mark the beginning of Advent.  

The special service features the presentation of greens in the shape of a star, heart, cross and circle to adorn the sanctuary.   

Join Kennebec Estuary Land Trust’s Community Engagement Manager, Tyler Pascocello and Maine Master Naturalist volunteers for a winter bird walk at Reid State Park on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 10 a.m.

 For a first time doing it, the turnout was "wonderful" Sunday at a free Thanksgiving meal at Wiscasset Community Center, Dave Sawyer of Lincoln Lodge of Wiscasset said Sunday night. "Couldn't have been better. I think between our takeout and the people who attended, we probably served well over 120 people.”

The Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop in downtown Damariscotta will be open all day on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

According to the shop’s co-manager Rosie Bensen, “A couple of our volunteer shopkeepers thought customers might like an opportunity, before or after giving thanks, to visit our quiet shop, read by the fireplace, enjoy our views of the Damariscotta, or maybe treat themselves to a new book or do some holiday shopping.”

Tonight, Nov. 14 is Community Night at Gardens Aglow at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens from 4 to 9 p.m.

Wiscasset School Department will look at whether the planned spot at Wiscasset Middle High School for two new basketball hoops is the best place for them. Resident Chet Grover raised concerns to the school committee Nov. 12 when Principal Sarah Hubert said the grant-funded hoops will replace the portable ones in the parking lot above the softball field.

Grover said when kids play basketball there after hours, balls get bounced off cars or end up in the baseball field and the kids “don’t go pick them up.” 

Who do you think you are? Ellen Newton may have the answer.  

Newton is partnering with Boothbay Region TV and Media Center (BRTV) to create a show, “Relativity Speaking,” a collaborative interview program that provides guests with a deep dive into their family history.  

The Shamrock members of St. Patrick's Church are busily preparing for its annual Christmas Fair, planned for Saturday, Nov. 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Chevrus Hall.

They will be joined by Maine craftspeople and artists who offer a variety of creative items, including wood products, jewelry, and knit gifts.

The Shamrocks are taking wreath orders now before and after Mass and will include their fabulous crafts, bake table, plants, religious items, a re-gifting table, and three raffle baskets. 

Lincoln Home staff and residents recently gathered to wish Jamie Baribeau well in his retirement and welcome Chef Shana York in her new role as culinary director.

Jamie brought great leadership and vision to the culinary team over the last five years, encouraging creativity in our chefs and bringing his commitment to serving healthy, locally sourced food.

When Wiscasset's William Cossette Jr. took a special trip for veterans last summer, he took a photo of fellow American Legion Post 54 member Wally Pitcher with him. Pitcher was supposed to go with him on the Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C. area sites that honor veterans. "He died two weeks before" the trip, Cossette told attendees of the Post's Veterans Day observance Nov. 11.

The popular Bremen Library Wreath Sale Fundraiser will be taking place this month, in time for the winter holidays.

Looking for some good deals at great prices for everyone on your holiday list? Get yourself over to the Edgecomb Community Church Thrift Store, which is againoffering its Holiday Sales beginning on Saturday, Nov. 15 and continuing through to Saturday, Nov. 29.

Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of a 19-acre property in Newcastle, an addition that expands the Marsh River Bog Preserve and extends the River~Link trail and wildlife corridor northward. The new property, purchased from the Penny family in October, adds to one of the region’s most distinctive wetlands and secures an important wildlife crossing along Route 1. 

A Thanksgiving food distribution for anyone in need will be held at St. Philip's Church, 12 Hodge St. in Wiscasset, on Thursday, Nov. 20 from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Check-in will start at 4 p.m. Attendees will be able to choose from a variety of Thanksgiving foods and receive a Shaw's gift card toward the purchase of a protein of their choice. No reservations are required; first come, first served.

In preparation for the 19th annual Gingerbread Spectacular, the Boothbay Harbor Opera House is offering a free class in the fine art of designing and building gingerbread houses. The class is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. in the main performance hall at the Opera House.

Mark your calendars and join Cape Newagen Farm on Southport for a special free Holiday Open Farm Day, a festive celebration for the whole family on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Fourth graders from Wiscasset Elementary School recently took a field trip to learn more about their community's history. First, the students went to the Fish Ladder in Nobleboro to explore this innovation, created in the early 1800s to provide passage for alewives into freshwater.

The students found tiny fry swimming in the pools of the fish ladder and are eager to return in the spring to watch the alewives return in full force.