There have been some very interesting rare birds spotted here in Maine over the last week or so. A MacGillivray’s warbler, the western sibling species to the mourning warbler that breeds in the state and a great rarity here in Maine, was found in Yarmouth. It’s been delighting birders for a few days. Two Eurasian wigeon are loafing in a beaver pond behind a school in Gray. A clapper rail was just found in Scarborough. An eared grebe was at the Sanford sewage treatment plant, at least until a few days ago. All of these wonders kept some birders very busy over the weekend.

But it was news of

Do you spend time thinking about things you are grateful for? If so, doesn’t it make your mood lighter and sometimes bring a smile to your face?

November is National Gratitude Month and in these times of stress and uncertainty about life, it is perhaps time to remember the good things in your life rather than dwell on your problems.

You can be thankful for your family, your health, your job, what your community offers and much more.

To help you remember what you are grateful for, take the time to write them down somewhere so when you are perhaps “down in the dumps,” those grateful items

With that headline, you might think we're about to endorse one of the numerous ideas for Wiscasset's acreage opposite the former Maine Yankee nuclear power plant.

Not even close. No, this deal-finding is simpler and sooner than the decisions the town will eventually come to for its Old Ferry Road property. This is about holiday shopping.

It is upon us, Wiscasset's Early Riser, which in many cases no longer requires you to get up early at all.

This Saturday, Nov. 8, visit the stores you frequent and take this opportunity to set foot in others for the first time. Participants' ads and those of

 “Is that you? Is it? Wait a minute. Let me put you on speaker,” said the voice squeezing out of my left wrist.

Actually, I think the voice was coming from the watch that my kids shamed me into buying after I tripped over a lawnmower in the garage. They said this Dick Tracy thing could notify them if I fell again. I appreciate their concern, and love them dearly, but wonder what they could do as they live about a thousand miles away, but that’s another story.

“Now,” said the voice, “What is the inside scoop on that cute former Marine running for a chance to be the latest Democratic victim of

The gink is about to go!

By the time this issue of the newspaper hits the stands, the leaves from our ginkgo will all be on the ground. One day the tree is full with the bright yellow leaves and the next day the branches are empty. The “ginkgo drop” is sort of a family event here now, a standard fall event that generally occurs around Halloween. In fact, last year, the leaves dropped on Halloween. This year, and I don’t know why, the leaves are hanging on a bit longer. I figured, with the drought, that the leaves would drop early, but such is not the case.

However, there has been increased

Dear Editor:

Steve Robinson, of the Maine Wire, recently released an article titled “Sleepwalking into the least secure election in Maine history.” He qualified that with a statement “at least since the John Martin ballot stuffing incident 30 years ago.” In his article he expressed concern about the lack of information from the Secretary State, the Governor, law enforcement, or the FBI concerning the 250 ballots found in an Amazon box. That event occurred on Sept. 30, and it appears we will have no information before the close of the Nov. 4 election.  This is a concern for any voter

New chapter officers were officially installed on Oct. 9 and will be serving a three-year term: Audrey Miller - regent, Barbara Belknap - first vice regent (resigned), Valerie Trentin - second vice regent, Jessica Tukey- chaplain, Linda Wood - treasurer, Valerie Trentin - recording secretary, Susann Hochstein - corresponding secretary, Jessica Tukey - registrar, Nancy Chick - historian, and Monica Tan - librarian. 

Those in attendance unanimously endorsed the new Chapter logo. We are happy to report that all four high schools in Lincoln County have selected their 2026 DAR Good Citizens. Two

Dear Editor:

It is disturbing that the opposition to President Trump has led to vandalizing street signs. The Kings Highway in the Sheepscott Village, Newcastle is historically one of the oldest streets in Maine. Most of the residents that live on The Kings Highway are retired. One would think they would be happy that President Trump has led Congress to legislate no tax on Social Security. Defacing a public sign is not becoming of residents that should know better.

The “NO Kings Highway” sign has had the NO removed. The sign now reads what historically early Mainers wanted. The movement to

According to the Federal Trade Commission, more money is reported stolen through fraud originating on social media than by any other method of contact. Reports to the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline show a rise in scams on TikTok. Many are recycled fraud tactics with a social media twist. Here are three ways to help protect yourself. 

Check your privacy settings. Limit who can see your posts and which apps can access your information. 

Be skeptical of direct messages. Scammers often pose as celebrities, influencers, or even friends to request money, solicit “donations,” or promote fake

The winter holidays will soon be upon us, filled with Thanksgiving turkey, December parties, and holiday gift-giving. And yet, as we savor our pumpkin pie and plan our Black Friday shopping lists, scammers are also looking forward to increased opportunities to cheat us out of our hard-earned money and spoil our holiday cheer.

According to the AARP Fraud Watch Network, the number of scams increases during the November and December holidays. As more people are shopping online or giving to charities, there are more opportunities for scammers. While there are many different types of scams, there

Cool mornings, earthy smells of fallen leaves, and those first high, thin clouds that are more common in winter—it’s late fall here in Maine.

On Friday nights, in the distance, from across the valley, we can hear the announcer on the loudspeakers at the local high school football games. Sometimes that’s the acoustic backdrop to the “peep” calls of Swainson’s thrushes and “seet” calls of white-throated sparrows echoing down from the night sky as the birds migrate south.

On a recent fall day, we were driving to a favorite spot to look for birds and listening to music on the way. A song came

Continuing our five good things a month in 2025, Wiscasset and its neighbor towns exercised a lot of American democracy in October, particularly in the free speech department.

This month's Wiscasset selectmen's meetings had extensive public comment, mostly on the prospect of a data center on what is now town-owned land opposite the former Maine Yankee nuclear power plant. Speakers came from Wiscasset, Westport Island and Newcastle. Want a data center in Wiscasset? Don't ever want one there or anywhere near there? Whatever your view, if any yet, wasn't it great that people got to say theirs?

An

I planned to begin this alleged column this week with some witty banter from Ms. Pigette, the vocal/local candidate for U.S.Senate who does not have a controversial tattoo. Then the fallout from the Washington Merry-Go-Round reached our shores.

I am, of course, referring to the federal government shutdown, caused by the inability of the Republicans and Democrats (a pox on both their houses) to sit down and hammer out a deal to block a halt to the federal food assistance program for those in need. 

It is called SNAP. That is government shorthand for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It

One of the most fascinating things about living in our larger community, for me, is the diversity and unusual quality of our population.     

You’d think, after 50-plus years in the area, that it would be possible to know a lot about the residents. Yet, to this day, I am often surprised or at least intrigued by how many people I do not know. I do realize that the local population is always changing as new folks arrive and leave, some by choice, others, without permission! Many of the wonderful people I have known since arriving in Maine are gone. Most of the folks I got to know in my early

In August, AARP testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging to spotlight a growing threat to Americans: fraud carried out by translational organized crime groups. Operating openly abroad, these networks are draining billions of dollars from victims, local communities and economies every year. Older adults are navigating a minefield of increasingly sophisticated scams that threaten not only their lifetime savings but even their homes, independence, and health. Money that was saved for retirement is instead supporting illicit activity around the world. 

AARP is urging lawmakers

Congratulations to the Boothbay Region High School fall sports teams.

The field hockey team finished their spectacular regular season 11-1-2 and placed first in Class C South. Their first playoff game is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 29 at home against Traip Academy at 3:30 p.m. Should they win that game, they are scheduled to play at home on Saturday, Nov. 1 (weather permitting, time to be announced) against the winner of the Winthrop/Hall-Dale game. Coaches Jax Hepburn, Taylor Walby and Emma van der Veen have molded this young team into winners.

The Seahawk cross country teams, boys and

The next educational program of Garden Club of Wiscasset will be on Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. Ruth Indrick, Kennebec Estuary Land Trust project director, will talk on “Marvelous Marshes."

Kennebec Estuary has 20% of Maine’s tidal marshes. Learn about the magic of marshes, the rare habitats and the ways they support coastal communities.The program will discuss how roads and historic farming have altered the way marsh systems work. In the future, marshes need to adapt to sea level changes to help wildlife and communities.

This meeting is free and open to the public. It is held at First Congregational

Dear Editor: 

I see a real division in our country between the pro and anti-Trumpers.  

Of course they’re diametrically opposed in their opinions of Trump. But it’s more than that. Why are the anti-Trumpers so full of hatred and so public about their hatred, while the pro-Trumpersaren’t hating anyone, and they stay largely out of sight.                      

I wanted to be part of “No Kings” day in Bath on Oct. 18. Unfortunately, I was on an island in Casco Bay andcouldn’t get back in time. I was saddened, because I had some signs all made up: “Trump Was Right About Everything.”That’s hype

The distinctive buzz and tiny, high-note sputters of the juncos are now everywhere when we walk the neighborhood. That and the high “seet” notes of the white-throated sparrows that emanate from every bush at dawn are clear signals that we are in the latter half of the fall bird migration season.

Listening at night, we also hear mostly those same white-throated sparrow “seet” notes as the birds flow south in night migration.

Yellow-bellied sapsuckers have been appearing here and there around town on our walks as well. They too tend to be later-fall migrants. Out on Monhegan Island, there

About 15 months ago, I wrote about my childhood neighborhoods in Boothbay Harbor, reminiscing about our neighbors on our street, Gilead Street, and friends on Union Street and Atlantic Avenue. It was a column prompted by my sleepless night due to the thunder and lightning and my frightened dog shaking beside me. 

I recently was reminded by a friend that she enjoyed that column (and others about growing up in the 60s and 70s) so I thought I would rekindle those memories while taking another “sleepless bike ride” through other nearby streets. 

The next street over from Gilead – to the east – is