Criminals steal billions by promoting fake investment opportunities that promise quick, guaranteed, or low‑risk returns. They may sound professional and convincing, but they exist for one reason: to steal your money. 

Scammers often reach victims through seemingly errant text messages or on social media and dating platforms. Many build trust over time before the “investment opportunity” arises. But the opportunity is fake, and when you try to withdraw your gains, they invent fees, taxes or technical problems—then disappear altogether. 

As exciting as a new investment opportunity sounds, this

There’s still at least three or four feet of snow on the ground in the Seal River Watershed. It’s located in northern Manitoba, but already there are perhaps twenty million birds or more migrating north toward the impressive landscape they’ll call home for the summer. Some are potentially coming from places as far south as Chile and Argentina. Some portion of the population of species like greater and lesser yellowlegs (widespread migrants here in Maine) and American golden-plover winter that far south and nest in the Seal River Watershed.

But, more species that breed in the Seal River

It’s Volunteer Week and although I must have missed the memo, I was pleasantly surprised when returning home from Hannaford Saturday morning, my wife and I came upon a group of at least 20 neighbors and friends walking south along Back Narrows Road, carrying bags, wearing gloves and holding gripping sticks, doing their annual roadside clean-up of garbage and returnable bottles and cans. It was a great sight to see.

I say it was annual but I am not certain that it has happened every year – but I do know that it has been several years they have banded together for this volunteer effort. Thank

Reading Wiscasset department heads' monthly reports in selectmen's meeting packets at wiscasset.gov can be more interesting than that might sound. There can be humor, like the "Ghost in the Machine" headline in Sewer Department Superintendent Robert Lalli's March report (part of the board's April 21 packet), about a tripped generator at a Birch Point Road pump station. 

There can be gentle reach outs, like Fire Chief Robert Bickford's noting the department, with 17 active members and six "lifetime" ones, is "always looking for new members that are interested in serving their community."

And

With March set aside for Women’s History, and April given over to poetry, I found myself wandering back to the words of Hannah Augusta Moore and Annette Hubbard Hobson, poets of yesteryear who felt the tug of Wiscasset so strongly they were inspired to put pen to paper.  

Each wrote a poem about Wiscasset that leaves the reader with what I’d call – well I’ll let you read them and decide for yourself.  For me they seem to be saying the town they fondly remembered had changed over the years and lost, shall we say a bit of its charm.  It seems only natural they might feel this way. I often hear

It's been 30 years since Cecil Pierce passed and 120 years since his birth, yet many of his accomplishments linger. The stories about Cecil’s accomplishments and activities are too numerous to mention, especially since my contact with him was quite limited. I knew about Cecil and have seen products of his creation, but I think there are many other people, especially here on Southport, who would be far more knowledgeable than I. Needless to say, Cecil Pierce was a pretty unique individual ... emphasis on individual! He built his own roads and traveled them without hesitation.

I made the

Driving around last week, you might have noticed a scattering of yard signs plugging Graham Platner’s candidacy for the U.S. Senate. To be fair, supporters of Gov. Janet Mills, who is seeking the same office, have placed some of her yard signs around, too. I have not seen any signs for Sen. Susan Collins, but I may have missed them.

If you missed the campaign efforts of the Senate candidates, it is understandable, as the primary election is some 50 days away, on June 9. And, to be honest, many political junkies were distracted by national/world events.

For example: POTUS took a swing at the

Dear Editor:

I urge Wiscasset residents to attend an upcoming Special Town Meeting to vote on the funding for Wiscasset public schools for the coming year – from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 29, in the Wiscasset Middle High School Gym, beginning at 6 p.m.

At the meeting, Wiscasset residents will be asked to vote on each category item in the proposed budget to determine the maximum amount that can be spent for each line item – such as Regular Education or Special Education.

It is important for citizens to attend this meeting and

After the loss of a loved one, families deserve support—not scams. Unfortunately, criminals comb through obituaries, funeral home websites, and online memorials to find names and personal details they can use to target families.

The schemes include impersonating the funeral home or cemetery about payment issues, appearing as a “long-lost” relative, promising healing through “spiritual advisers,” and identity fraud against the deceased loved one.

In the wake of a loved one’s death, consider the public nature of an obituary and online memorials, and limit information that could be used to

It’s still early enough in spring that migratory bird species are arriving relatively slowly. The first wood ducks one day, then maybe there’s a week or so before the next arrival—perhaps tree swallows swooping around over the stream or wetland. Then it’s another week before the familiar buzzy “free-bree” sounds of the eastern phoebe sound out near the shed where they will be soon building their nest. A few days later, it could be the reddish-capped chipping sparrow showing up on the lawn or you hear its familiar trill that will quickly become the background music for the rest of the

Politics. I am not a fan. I attended Boys State, the American Legion program for high school juniors where I learned about state government, how elections were done, building a party plank, how bills were constructed and passed, etc. This was back in June 1974 and I found it informative and fun, meeting new people and more. However, two months later, our president resigned over Watergate. That started the ball rolling in the gutter for me regarding politics and, although I vote every year and keep informed, I have become more and more disinterested about entering into politics. No thanks.

Spea

Is spring here, finally?

Last week, the random patches of white cold stuff vanished from the hillside rhododendron patch, a line of daffodils emerged from somewhere south of Hades, and birds sang.

All are signs of spring and, well, with the turmoil spewing from the District of Columbia, we could all use a shot of good news.

So here goes. What do rocket ships, space travelers and happy endings have in common?

For a moment, and maybe a few ticks more, the world focused upon a tiny speck of light dancing deep into our TV screens.

It was Artemis II, the school bus-sized capsule, home to a quartet

One of the nicest things about working with the Boothbay Register is Kevin Burnham’s willingness (reluctantly sometimes I suspect) to cut me some slack … and correct my screw ups! For example, today I was trying to pull something together for my weekly column. No small challenge! During a moment of brilliance, having written all but a brief signoff, I clicked the wrong key on my computer and vaporized the entire column! I wrote to Kevin to share my mishap and he graciously said it was OK if I took a little more time. I took a walk, made a cup of tea and here I am, trying again. Jeesh, thanks

Dear Editor:

In March 2020, voters in Maine overwhelmingly defeated Question 1, which would have eliminated vaccine requirements in the state, by a margin of 72.5% to 27.5%. The people's voice rang loud and clear. Mainers want their children to be protected from measles, mumps, rubella, and other childhood illnesses.

Sen. Susan Collins could not have been thinking of her fellow Mainers when she voted to approve Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Secretary of Health and Human Services in February of 2025, despite having misgivings about his qualifications and agenda.

Since his ascent, RFK Jr. has

Dear Editor:

I write to celebrate an historic moment for tax fairness in Maine.

The Legislative Appropriations Committee in Augusta recently voted to include a millionaire tax in Maine’s supplemental budget that would apply a 2% surcharge on income over $1 million.

As the Maine Center for Economic Policy notes, “this would affect some 2,600 people or 0.4% of Maine’s taxpayers. In return it would generate $96 million in the first year and $150 million in the following biennium.”

It would make possible increases in property tax fairness credits for home owners and renters, childcare assistance

The AARP Fraud Watch Network™ Helpline (877-908-3360) is hearing from more people about misleading “free trial” offers. These schemes make cancellation difficult, if not impossible.

In many cases, someone signs up for what appears to be a free trial and then cancels before having to pay for the subscription. However, the charges continue to appear each month, and the companies make it hard to cancel them. Before you sign up for a free trial offer, review all the terms and conditions to understand exactly what you’re agreeing to, how and when to cancel, and what happens if you don’t.

Also

Have you ever wondered why it is that some ducks have the word “duck” in their English name while others don’t?

Maybe you have to be a bird nerd like us to ponder that question, but ponder it we did recently.

Yesterday, we were taking in views of North America’s smallest duck, the green-winged teal, in a wetland not far from home. This is the time of year when lots of green-winged teal migrate north through Maine on their way to their extensive breeding grounds across Canada and Alaska. Green-winged teal do have a green patch in their wing, as suggested by their name, but it’s not

After spending three weekends, and more, watching college basketball and the NCAA tournaments (women’s tournament included), I am ready for a break, although the men’s tournament had to be one of the best I have witnessed. There were not a lot of upsets but there were a lot of close games, which was fine with me.

Although the top seeds, Florida, Duke and Arizona, in the men’s bracket didn’t make it to the championship game, the Michigan Wolverines did. I predicted they would take the crown, which they did by defeating the ever-competitive UConn Huskies, 69-63, on Monday night. I didn’t get to