HARPSWELL — A proposal that would have concentrated development in West Harpswell has failed due to overwhelming opposition from neighbors. The plan would have created a “village district” centered around Mitchell Field, where smaller lots could be carved out of existing properties. The idea behind the zoning change was to encourage lower-income and working families […]

BATH — Using threads from the people and places she knew in Mid-Coast Maine, Morgan Callan Rogers wove a tapestry in her debut novel, “Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea.” Set in a 1960s Maine coastal village called The Point, her coming-of-age story has earned rave reviews from publications like Entertainment Weekly and […]

BRUNSWICK — The School Board is hoping members of the public will turn out at the first public forum on the 2012-2013 budget. Brunswick is facing a nearly $2 million decline in tuition dollars and state and federal aid over last year. Faced with another challenging budget season, officials and administrators want to hear from […]

TOPSHAM — The Board of Selectmen last week unanimously tabled an excise tax exemption proposed for residents on active military duty. Town Manager Cornell Knight said at the board’s Feb. 16 meeting that the exemption used to apply to non-resident military personnel stationed in town. But a state law that took effect Jan. 1 allows […]

LEWISTON — Justin Lindsay doesn’t exactly look like he belongs roaming around open mic night at the local watering hole. In fact, he’s barely tall enough to see over the bar. He’s not much taller than the electric guitar he plays. Nope. The 11-year-old from Scarborough looks more like your typical middle-school student than a […]

BRUNSWICK — Smelt season ended early this year for Deasy Edwards. Last Sunday afternoon, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, Edwards weaved around patches of thin ice as he pulled his smelt shack from the Androscoggin River near Baybridge Landing. Although he put his shack out less than a month ago, warm temperatures and rain forced […]

AUGUSTA — A bill that would make it easier for towns to withdraw from consolidated school districts is heading to the Maine House of Representatives. The bill is especially relevant now because as of Jan. 1, towns that formed consolidated school districts three years ago are able to begin the withdrawal process. Expensive and time-consuming, […]

DURHAM — Simon says it is time to consider withdrawing from Regional School Unit 5, and more than 250 residents agree. Milton Simon, a member of the town Budget Committee, has submitted 255 signatures asking the Board of Selectmen to initiate the process of separating  from RSU 5, which also includes Freeport and Pownal. “I’m […]

FREEPORT — As a landscape, the 15 acres of town-owned woods off Pownal Road near the transfer station are quiet this time of year, with little to hear but the sound of snow crunching underfoot. But as a political battlefield, the area is a source of noisy contention. Town councilors could decide next week on […]

FALMOUTH — A recent survey by the Falmouth Memorial Library Board of Trustees shows residents value the role of the library in the community, but wish it had more space and programs. Julie Rabinowitz, president of the board, said responses from 100 interviews and 200 surveys will help trustees as they address the status of […]