Memorial Day is a day of remembering and honoring the past. We especially remember those who have died while serving to protect our nation. In such a time we also tend to think of and honor others who may have served in the military but were spared. And it can be a time of memorializing loved ones in general.

This year on Memorial Day, we were blessed with a warm, blue sky day with trees bursting in new green leaves, apple trees draped in white and pink blossoms, and wildflowers of every color on the roadsides and in the woods. After a number of days of rain, there seemed also to be a

First of all, it was so nice to cover the Memorial Day celebrations and observances under blue skies and warm temperatures.

Other coverage highlights:

—Christopher Armstead, Americanism officer at Legion Post 36, did a marvelous job getting everything organized for the parade and observances.

—The crowds, especially the Newagen and Southport observances that I covered, were well attended and respectful.

—Grand marshal Jim Singer was an excellent choice. He has done so much for veterans in the region, especially starting the Veterans Banner project. And he did a great job placing the

This week's headline is not referring to this spring's zigzagging temperatures, although it could be. No, this is a combo editorial: The May installment of our yearlong, monthly five good things that happened in or near Wiscasset; plus, something not good which has continued to plague the town government.

Good news first, or bad? Bad, because it is important, and because I'd rather end this week's column on an up note. 

So, as we have mentioned here before, sometimes people are rude to the town office staff; that is no more OK than it is at the grocery store, a drive-up window, etc. People are

I’ve misplaced my sunblock! Ha!

Continuing on with the theme of summer, a followup on last week’s fishing experience column, I remain invested in an archive dive from days gone by. To this end, allow me to share brief recollections of my Antonisa experience.

The photo attached with this week’s adventure was made from a magnificent flying machine, the “Bell Jet Ranger,” then owned and operated by Maine Helicopters based in Whitefield. It is probably my most favorite platform from which to photograph. The Jet Ranger is spacious and maneuverable, with a picture window view from the open side

The big buzz in Washington last week had something to do with the discovery that former President Joe Biden was old.

A couple of reporters wrote a book that quoted Biden associates claiming he showed signs of mental decline for the last several years and should not have sought reelection. The book, "Original Sin," also said Biden’s close aides kept this knowledge from the public and his cabinet. The authors, Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, likened the Biden aides to the Soviet Politburo that kept the public in the dark.

Of course, his mental decline came to light last June during the

Dear Editor: 

A Wiscasset special town meeting to approve the school budget was held on April 29. It was attended by less than 10% of the registered voters, the majority of which were united to approve the school budget. Throughout the Special Town Meeting, many of the attempts to understand the reasoning behind the cost of any item was met with the motion to "Move the Question," which ends debate and brings the article to a vote. It prevents any attempt to understand the budget. 

Questions unanswered: Is the budget reasonable, achievable and sufficient to meet the required learning

Our district is surrounded by water. The ocean, rivers, and lakes throughout Lincoln County keep us alive, literally and economically, through tourism, fisheries, and marine trades. Maine’s boatyards and marinas connect our people to this essential resource. These businesses ensure that recreational boaters can enjoy a safe day on the water, and that those who rely on our waters to earn a living can count on the boats and engines that power their businesses.  

However, running a marine business in a state where the water can stay frozen and unfriendly until mid-April is not always easy. Like

The next public supper will be June 4. The meal will consist of Tuscan ribolita, salad, garlic bread, lasagna, and pizzelle cookies with ice cream. The cost is $10 for members and $12 for non-members. Additional meals may be purchased for takeout at the same cost when reserved. Takeouts should be picked up at 5:45 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, call 882-8230 and join us for a wonderful meal.

Cribbage results for two weeks

Tuesday, May 13, with 26 players: First place: Joanne Oliver, 847. Second place: Nancy Wright, 837. Third place: Pam Frenier, 833. High hand: Nancy

 QR codes are everywhere – from restaurant menus to package tracking. But where there is innovation, there are criminals exploiting them for fraud. QR codes are now being used by scammers to lead you to phishing websites, where they may steal sensitive details like banking info, login credentials and more.  

Before acting on a QR code in the real world, check for signs of manipulation (a sticker over the original QR, for example). And you don’t have to use a QR code – if you’re at a restaurant, ask for the printed menu. Also, look at emailed or texted QR codes with suspicion; the point of

It was eleven o’clock on Sunday night, May 18, here in Maine. The lilac flowers glowed like purple ghosts in the dim light from the porch lamp; near the end of driveway, limbs covered in apple blossoms reached through the darkness to the sky. Occasionally, a car passed through the light beaming down from the telephone pole at the corner.

It was not a moment that many people would associate with bird migration.

Yet above us, unseen, were hundreds, perhaps thousands of birds flying north. We knew because of their high-pitched flight calls pitched down in the dark—short little packets

Should the sun start shining for more that two or three days in a row … and Saturdays being one of those days (it seems every Saturday for the past month has been cloudy, rainy and downright miserable for getting outside to work or play), the unofficial summer season begins this coming Monday, Memorial Day, and, hopefully, tourists will start flocking to the region.

Our region depends on tourism and depending on the weather, it’s a make or break time for local businesses. Having gone through one summer (I am sure there were others, but this one comes to mind) during my college years, where

With recent forecasts looking a bit glum, and additionally, with my fog infatuation, I figured it might be better to look elsewhere for this week’s adventure. So, a deep archive dive was in order.And look what I found! 

When Megan and Morgan were little folk we lived in the Harbor, up on Sherman Street, next to Nettie Mitchell (no relation) in a house previously owned by Verna Coady, a direct relation to “Commander Coady,” my personal hairdresser whose office was located under the bowling alley just off the sidewalk from the “Footbridge” approach.Bernard Coady actually suggested I/we have

Not far from the Boothbay town office stands the statue of a Civil War soldier. On its side, you can view a list of the names of men who served during that terrible conflict. Many of these names are familiar, as many of their families still live in our region.

There is another list of veterans in the great room of Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library. A yard or two from the used bookstore’s porch is another memorial. There are other memorials at the Southport library, on the side of the road in East Boothbay, and in the square on Southport.

These memorials and others are part of the way we honor

Dear Editor:

I am delighted after reading ‘New Future of Our Schools Committee in Boothbay region explores options’ article in the Wiscasset Newspaper. Finally, a larger community has publicly announced a similar exploratory project to the futures of the Wiscasset school system. Rumblings from Dresden and Edgecomb are also encouraging.

Each community understands that the continued process of current education and budgeting is simply not sustainable. We do our kids and community a disservice. Denials of a full and complete education are not providing for our kids with the best education with

Dear Editor:

Last week, I promised to bring you all up to speed with the LCTV funding situation in Wiscasset. Well here goes!

In 2015, for whatever reason, the Selectboard in Wiscasset decided not to fund LCTV any of their reported fifty thousand dollars’ worth of franchise fees that they receive each year for the rights to run cable wires over town-owned property or better known as the public right of way. This money has been coming to the town since at least 1984, and a portion of it, up until 2015, was allotted to support public access television.

In 2020 when the Board of Directors at

Recently, I told a friend that I had a birthday coming up. It is a big one, the big seven zero. My friend quickly replied that I didn’t look 70 at all. Which was nice, but it made me wonder what, exactly, 70 should look like? Is 70 the new 60? Probably not, but it begs the question: what does aging look like in our modern society? 

Gone are the days of retiring to your rocking chair on the front porch. Many Mainers continue to work well past the Social Security retirement age of 67. Maine’s retirees and other older citizens are often active in many different ways in their communities as

Criminals are always looking for ways to get your personal information to use in criminal activities. The good news is that there are many steps you can take to help protect your data and minimize its value to criminals. Here are three:  

--Create stronger passwords: Better protect yourself by using strong and unique passwords or passphrases or consider using a password manager to store and generate strong passwords securely.   

--Use multi-factor authentication: A second layer of defense to your accounts makes it harder for cybercriminals to gain access. Check account settings for two

Everybody loves the American robin. There’s even a song about, “Robin, robin, robin redbreast, flies through the air and sits on a rail.” At least that’s how we learned it when we were kids. It’s easy to be inspired by robins, they live all around us, filling our neighborhoods with their songs, feeding on our green lawns, and nesting in our shrubbery. Given that they are one of the most well-known and regularly seen species of birds, how much do you really know about them? Here we present five surprising facts about the familiar American robin.

1. American robins are considered the most

We have a Pope, said the Cardinal from the balcony of the Vatican. Of course, he spoke in Latin, after all, this was the Roman Catholic Church. The wait was over, the conclave was complete, now all we had to do was speculate on who the 133 cardinals picked to lead the 1.4 billion faithful.

They picked a guy few tabbed as the frontrunner, at least that was the opinion of the oddsmakers. And, they picked an American, from Chicago, by way of Peru and Rome.

He was Cardinal Robert F. Prevost. We knew little of him, for he did not preside over one of the great American cities. For much of his

Sailing Yacht EROS is on the big railway at Bristol Marine!  

After significant cruising, S/Y EROS returned to Boothbay Harbor and Bristol Marine for some updates and repairs. The very substantial railway at Bristol Marine is ideal for ships the size of this remarkable vessel, with a tonnage of 185 tons! Some EROS dimensions include 103 feet length overall, (79’ on the waterline), a beam of 21’ 9 inches and draft of 12’ 3 inches with a working sail area of 3,800 square feet. EROS has a 40-plus ton lead ballast keel and composite construction with steel frames and beam stringers. Burma teak