Maine News Tuesday April 21

Freeport, Bow Street - Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22 — and we've been celebrating it longer than most.Back in January 2014, we became one of the first grocery stores in Maine to stop selling tobacco products. We ditched single-use plastic bags before the law required it. And every Earth Day, we give away free reusable bags to every customer — all day, while supplies last — because small actions add up.

NBC News - Graham Platner, a combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and grew deeply disillusioned with war, is seeking a boost to his Senate campaign in Maine over voter opposition to the U.S. war in Iran.

Backlash to the Middle East conflict is playing to his strengths both against Democratic primary rival and two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who also opposes the war, and longtime GOP Sen. Susan Collins, who has so far voted to allow President Donald Trump to continue waging it.

Press Herald

Thanks to support from a newly created Office of Seafood in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine fishermen will finally be eligible to tap into the same federal programs and safety nets as the state’s potato and dairy farmers. The move officially recognizes fishermen and aquaculture producers in coastal states like Maine as essential food providers.

The Electric Tool Lending Library is returning for an extended season/ Borrowing starts 4/24 and will run through mid-November. Tools can be borrowed by Freeport residents 18 or older free of charge & have a library card.

Maine Morning Star -  Curt Brown spent his childhood harvesting lobsters along the coast of Maine. As an adult, he went on to earn a Master of Science from the University of Maine, observing the very waters where he spent years fishing for the crustaceans.

With a rapidly changing climate, many researchers worry that Maine’s lobsters will eventually move north to colder waters. Brown isn’t so sure, though, seeing all of the forces affecting the ecosystem as highly complex. His studies in marine biology and policy, along with his continued work as a lobsterman, have helped him understand that the lobster industry depends upon various factors, some beyond man’s control.

Last year, the state of Maine’s lobster fisheries harvested 78.8 million pounds of lobsters, and according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), commercial harvesters earned $619 million.

Synonymous with the New England state, lobsters have a documented history in Maine that dates back to 1605. Recent studies, though, show that climate change and a shift in currents are warming up the local waters. In a now well-quoted 2015 study led by Andrew Pershing, researchers found that the surface temperature of the Gulf of Maine is warming 99 percent faster than the rest of the ocean.

Some say this could lead to lobsters moving north to Canadian waters in search of colder temperatures and many wonder what the future of Maine’s fishery will look like.

Big Country -   One major change the Maine Wildlife Park revealed in a Facebook post is allowing credit cards to pay for entry. The park used to only accept cash and checks, so if your wallet was empty of dollar bills, you'd have to run to the ATM to get in. Taking my kids to the park last year, I didn't realize it was cash only and expected to use a card, only to be met with panic that the plastic was not an option. Yes, luckily, there was an ATM, but it's exciting knowing that now there's one more way to pay.

JOBS 

• Dunkin' posted a job opening for Assistant Manager in Freeport. Apply here.
• L.L.Bean, Inc. posted a job opening for Trade Compliance Analyst in Freeport. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Freeport here.

EVENTS

Tidal chart for May in South Freeport 

APR 21

Town Council Meeting - 30 Main Street, 6 pm

APR 22 
Wabanaki Oral History Project, Hawthorne-Longfellow Library 5 Colllege St Brunswick 3pm

APR 24

Art Van

Friday, April  24 • 10:30 AM
@ Bradley Room at Freeport Community Center

Age-Friendly Freeport & Pownal is hosting the Art Van every second and fourth Friday. Join us in the Bradley Room to make art and see what the Art Van has in store. Free and open to all!

APRIL 25

Visit Freeport & Meetinghouse Arts present

OPEN STUDIO SATURDAY

Saturday, April 25 •  10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
@ Various Venues in Freeport!

Visit Freeport & Meetinghouse Arts invite you to join us on a journey through Freeport, Pownal, Durham & New Gloucester to explore the artist & maker studios often hidden on side streets and
country roads. You’ll be invited into their working studios to view their newest projects up close. Learn about their inspirations and process in intimate conversations that are sometimes not possible at art show openings.

Earth Day Festival -Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary, Brunswick

Freeport Folio presents

Pressure Makes Diamonds | Poetry Workshop with Joseph Coleman

Saturday, April 25 •  10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
@ Freeport Community Library

In this workshop, “Pressure Makes Diamonds,” students will use the pressure of workshopping an original poem and then reading that poem at an open mike that same evening. The instructor will provide prompts and each student will get a typewriter if they would like to experience what it was like pre computers. As a Barnum and Bailey Ring Master would yell out when a rogue elephant dashed for the exits: “The Show Must Go On!” or in this case: “Poems Must Be Read!”

APR 26

O’Donoghue’s Pub, 103 Pleasant St., Brunswick: Open mic hosted by Billy The Kid, 3-7

FHS Annual Meeting Sunday, April 26th at 3:00 PM Meetinghouse Arts, 40 Main Street As America marks the 250th anniversary of the War of Independence, come learn about Freeport's revolutionary-era history through the people, stories, and sounds that bring the era to life with a preview of our upcoming Summer exhibition. Register Here

Our Contact Information Freeport Historical Society 45 Main Street Freeport, ME 04032 2078653170 http://www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org

Shuck Yeah! Oyster Shucking and Cooking Class

Sunday, April 26 •  3:00 PM
@ Wolfe’s Neck Center

Join Chef Malcolm Kelly to learn about how to safely shuck an oyster along with some tasty recipes. Using oysters from Quahog Bay Conservancy, you will learn raw, grilled and baked oyster preparation and enjoy these yummy bivalves.

APRIL 27 
Royal River Conservation Trust: 

Join us on Monday, April 27th, from 5:30–7:30 PM for an open house at our office, 52 North Road in Yarmouth. Whether you’re an experienced paddler or just paddle‑curious, this casual gathering is a great chance to learn about the many paddling opportunities throughout the Royal River watershed. We’ll review maps, share stories, and highlight both well‑known and more remote paddling areas on the Royal River and beyond. Snacks and beverages will be provided. RSVP

POWNAL MEETINGS & EVENTS

April

27th 6:00 PM Public Hearings

27th 6:30 PM Select Board meeting

28th 6:30 PM Conservation Commission Meeting

29th 6:30 PM Capital Asset Plan Funding Committee Meeting

May

16th 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Pownal Community Day

APRIL 30
 The inaugural Wolfe’s Neck Center “Twilight Meeting” for Freeport community and local partners. Updates on Wolfe’s Neck Center campus stewardship, farm operations, education programs, historical buildings and research. Expect a 45-minute presentation, 15 minutes of small group Q&A, and light refreshments. RSVP here

MAY 1

Maine Democrats Biennial Convention. 1 Thompson Point, Portland. 9 am

MAY 9 

Climate Solutions Dance Party: Dance your way into climate action!  in collaboration with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and SPACE Gallery.  The event is a celebration of the paperback release of Dr. Johnson’s New York Times bestselling book What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures —an inspiring collection of possibilities for building a better climate future.  The first 200 people to arrive will receive a copy of the new book. Grab your tickets before they sell out.  TICKETS

Thanks to Maine Patch for some of the above

Thanks also to Bob Green for his music contributions to this list, He notes, "It is strongly recommended that you call ahead to confirm any performances and the conditions for entry. 

Maine News Monday

Patch - Maine soft shell clam landings down 85% as researchers probe causes and predators.  Researchers working out of South Freeport are investigating why Maine’s soft shell clam landings have plunged 85% since the 1970s, even as the state still supplies most of the nation’s clams. New shellfish recruitment boxes on coastal flats will help them study predators, climate pressures, and growth patterns that could shape the future of this key fishery.

Press Herald

U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner’s standing room only rally Saturday night in Portland underscored his frontrunner status in recent polling. Joined by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the Democrat from Sullivan called for structural overhaul of the country’s tax code.  “The challenges before us are not going to be fixed on the margins anymore,” Platner told the crowd of roughly 1,000 people at the Holiday Inn Portland By the Bay. “It’s not that we can’t dream big. It’s that we must dream big.”

Central Maine Power, Maine’s largest utility, has submitted its latest rate increase proposal to the Public Utilities Commission.  CMP is seeking to increase its revenue by $189 million, with $69.3 million coming from a temporary rate increase starting in July.

Nearly four dozen water systems that provide drinking water across Maine would be at risk of violating new limits on “forever chemicals” if the state had started enforcing updated rules on the toxic substances last week. How communities successfully reduce PFAS to minute levels could be a question of how much public funding is available to plan, purchase and install filtration systems before the April 2029 deadline. Read more. 

 After announcing last November that he would not seek a fifth term, U.S. Rep. Jared Golden said he would use his remaining campaign funds to support Democrats in 2026. His latest federal campaign finance report reveals he has given some of the more than $1 million he had left in his coffers to Democratic candidates in Texas, New Jersey and California. 

Maine makes a high-stakes bet to protect its waterways

Waste less, save more 

Freeport  

A specialty retail store in downtown Freeport is entering a new chapter, as new owners prepare to relaunch the Spice & Tea Exchange of Freeport with expanded offerings. Joel and Sam Elliot, along with business partner Denham Ward, have taken over the store from previous owner David Hamlin. The store was open for over a year before the ownership change. The shop, which is located at 6 Mill St., was closed for just over a week during the transition. A grand reopening is scheduled for May 1. The Spice & Tea Exchange of Freeport is located at 6 Mill St. in Freeport. The Spice & Tea Exchange, founded in 2008 in St. Augustine, Fla., operates nearly 100 franchise locations across 38 states. The Freeport location is the company’s only store in Maine.

Jobs

Regional School Unit 05 posted a job opening for Pre-K Special Education Teacher in Freeport. Apply here.

McDonald's posted a job opening for Hiring Part-Time Maintenance/Custodian must be 18 years old Weekends required in Brunswick. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Freeport here. 

Casco Bay

 Sam Smith - Casco Bay is the westernmost of the great bays of Maine, eighteen miles from headland to headland. The product of glaciers, Casco Bay is speared by a series of points extending in a generally southerly direction. Beyond the points are the islands, many laying on the same axis after being chopped off the peninsulas by the dull but indefatigable knife of the sea. Maine has thousands of islands -- a survey in the 1980s found 2,000 of uncertain ownership alone -- and if its coastline were stretched taut it would reach the Panama Canal. But nowhere is it more jagged and idiosyncratic, nor its waters more jammed with the potsherds of glaciations, than in Casco Bay. The Maine Times claimed once that there were 768 islands and ledges visible above the 9-10 foot high tides. Old tourist material referred to "The Calendar Isles," a reflection of the alleged island count. This count goes back at least to 1700 when an English document cautiously reported that

Sd bay is covered from storms that come from the sea by a multitude of islands, great and small, there being (if report be true) as many islands as there are Days in a Yr.

The US Coast Pilot doesn't tally the rocks and so says there are only 136 islands and ledges. The Portland City Guide says 222 islands -- based on a state study that listed only those outcroppings "big enough for a man to get out and stand on. " And a 1992 computer-aided study found 763 islands and ledges appearing at mean high water.

In any, case there are a lot of islands, rocks and ledges. It is why, perhaps, that the lobsterman, upon it being proposed that he undoubtedly knew the location of all the rocks, replied, "Nope. But I know where they ain't."

The bay is also home to an unusual variety of wildlife. The Casco Bay Estuary Project reported in 1995 that 850 species had been identified in local waters. The density of organisms in the bay is more than ten times that of Delaware Bay. Included are over 30,000 water birds of 150 different species, over 2,000 harbor seals, and over fifty pair of nesting osprey and even a few eagles.

Many of the islands are uninhabited. The country's oldest mail boat service plies among the largest of the others, bringing letters, tourists, food and palettes of construction materials. In the lower corner of the bay is Portland, one of the east coast's great natural harbors, with a channel deeper than that of Boston, Philadelphia or New York. During and after World War II, the Navy formed transatlantic convoys and moored as many as 60 vessels off Portland. The islands provided a natural barrier to storms and enemy subs, with anti-submarine netting strung between them completing the task.

The coastal Atlantic was far more dangerous than Americans realized. Years after the war it would be revealed that in the first months 46 merchant ships were sunk off the east coast.  Another 126 would be sunk before the war was over. And Portland was among the first targets for U-boats after war was declared. At least three U-boats were sunk near Casco Bay - one five miles southeast of the Portland sea buoy, one off Small Point and the other seven miles off  Halfway Rock after being spotted by shore gunners on Bailey's Island. 

On April 23, 1945 - as Stephen Puleo describes in Due to Enemy Action - the 200 foot USS Eagle was sunk less than five miles southeast of Cape Elizabeth by U-853. Only 13 of the crew survived only to be informed by Navy officials that their ship's boiler had exploded and thus they were not entitled to the Purple Heart. It was not surprising the Navy wanted to cover up the cause; after all the war was almost over and no naval vessel had yet been lost off the New England coast.

On May 5, the captains of U-boats received word from Berlin that they were to surrender. The commander of one wrote later, "Henceforth we would be able to live without fear that we had to die tomorrow. An unknown tranquility took possession of me as I realized that I had survived. My death in an iron coffin, a verdict of long standing, was finally suspended." 

The commander of U-853, however, either did not get the word or chose to ignore it. That afternoon he sank a freighter off Point Judith, RI commencing a chase that ended with the sub on the ocean floor with all crew members dead.  

A day later, the war was formally over. 

It would take over a half century of dogged effort, however, for the survivors of the USS Eagle sinking to finally receive their Purple Hearts for an incident the Navy hadn't wanted to admit had occurred.  

Among the Navy ships using Casco Bay was the battleship Missouri which moored right off Clapboard Island. Years after she had departed, the mammoth buoy of the vessel on whose deck the Japanese surrendered remained as a memento as it lazily filled with water and finally sank.

Maine News Sunday

Royal River Conservation Trust -  Today, more than 80 land trusts in Maine — including RRCT — are committed to preserving important habitat, water quality, recreational opportunities, and maintaining the character of our communities. Collectively, land trusts have become the largest conservers of land in Maine, preserving nearly 3 million acres (14.7%) of land in our state since the first Earth Day.

 

Maine News Saturday

News Center Maine - All public schools in Maine will be required to have a bell-to-bell cell phone ban in the fall, similar to ones some schools already have in place.  "It's amazing the difference it can make for the students,” Eric Hutchins, a graphics arts teacher at Bangor High School, said. Even though there's a lot to look at in Hutchins’ classroom, he said students would choose to look at their phones instead. 

"I didn't enjoy teaching as much as I used to because of things like the cell phone distractions," Hutchins said. He found phones in class were distracting more than just students.

"I just was constantly 'No this! No this! This! Put that away!' and I couldn't actually do my job,” said Hutchins.

Many teachers shared the same frustrations, prompting Bangor High School to enact a cell phone ban at the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

"The grades are up for all my classes. Students are focused,” said Hutchins. “They are paying attention. They are actually asking questions. They are talking."

"I would describe it as a resounding success," Paul Butler, the principal of Bangor High School, said. Butler said students have done a good job adjusting to the new rules.

News Center Maine - A new text scam, seemingly originating from the Maine Secretary of State, has been circulating around Mainers' phones. Messages arrive by text and often claim to be court summonses, collection notices, or fines, according to a post from the Clinton, Maine, Police Department. Officials advised against scanning the QR code or sending money. They said important notices usually arrive by other means. 

Officers reported that scammers often create a sense of urgency with phrases like "Act immediately or face the consequences" to pressure victims into responding quickly, without allowing them time to think or discuss with someone else.

"Take a breath and take the time to confirm a situation before acting," officers stated. They stressed the need to look up the phone number rather than just call the one in the message. 

Cumberland-North Yarmouth school staff union reaches contract (pressherald.com)

Press Herald  

Deep in the Maine woods, a decades-old partnership between the federal government and the nation’s most forested state is at risk of coming undone during a sweeping reorganization and budget overhaul of the U.S. Forest Service. Agency Chief Thomas Schultz suggested that states like Maine have developed enough expertise that the federal government’s “paternalistic” role is no longer necessary. 

Current and former servers at Boda have filed two lawsuits accusing the Portland Thai restaurant’s owners and managers of a slew of unlawful practices. The suits claim the business violated the Maine Whistleblower’s Protection Act, Maine Human Rights Act, and various federal laws. Among the dozen alleged violations, the servers also claim that Boda leadership changed pay rates without notice and knowingly sold spoiled rice “in order to save costs.” 

Portland middle school students walk out in protest of teacher’s nonrenewal

Janet Mills says she opposes attempts to stop funding Israel’s defenses

Lawmakers approve rate hike that will improve access for dental procedures 

How Susan Collins and Republicans are handling Trump’s Federal Reserve threat

JOBS

First Atlantic Health Care posted a job opening for Transportation Support in Freeport. Apply here.

Chocoladefabriken Lindt posted a job opening for Retail Shift Supervisor in Freeport. Apply here. Y

You can search for other jobs near Freeport here.

FREEPORT HISTORY

Sam Smith - In 2011 ago Bow Street Market moved to its present location. In honor of this event your editor wrote this song.

EVENTS

APR 18

APR 19
Stained Glass Suncatcher Workshop - 138 Bayview St, Yamouth 9 am
Two Day Metalsmithing Workshop - 138 Bayview St, Yarmouth 930 am

APR 21
Municipal Facilities Commitee - 30 Main St, 7:45 am
Tonic, 7 Dunlap St., Brunswick: Open mic with Rexy Dinosaur, 6-8
Town Council Meeting - 30 Main Street, 6 pm

APR 22 

APR 24

Art Van

Friday, April  24 • 10:30 AM
@ Bradley Room at Freeport Community Center

Age-Friendly Freeport & Pownal is hosting the Art Van every second and fourth Friday. Join us in the Bradley Room to make art and see what the Art Van has in store. Free and open to all!

 LATER EVENTS

Maine News Friday

News Center Maine -   There is a new illegal drug being detected in Maine that increases people’s risk for overdose and severe withdrawal, according to health officials.  Medetomidine is an animal tranquilizer, not approved for human use. Now, it is being mixed with fentanyl.

....The northeast region is the most highly affected area in the country, but it’s not known how widespread medetomidine is in Maine. The Maine CDC said it does not have information on the spread of the drug here, other than that it has been detected.

James Williams, a physician associate at Groups Recover Together who helps people struggling with opioid addiction, said the presence of the drug in Maine is dangerous.

“This has yet to become a big problem in Maine,” Williams explained. “But there are times when our hospitals are already full and there are not a lot of ICU beds. And if this becomes a widespread phenomenon, it could seriously strain the resources.”

Medetomidine lowers heart rate and blood pressure. An overdose, mixed with fentanyl, can make someone stop breathing.

Maine Morning Strar - U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree is demanding the release of Olivia Andre, a 19-year-old asylum seeker who continues to be held in a Texas detention center despite her family returning home to Portland last month.

In a letter Thursday addressed to Todd Lyons, acting director of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and San Antonio Field Office Director Miguel Vergara, Pingree called for Andre’s release, as well as an explanation of the legal basis for her continued detention at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center. 

Andre’s mother, Carine Balenda Mbizi, and two younger siblings were released from custody on March 18 after being held for four months. The family, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, first entered the U.S. in 2022. In November, border agents in New York detained the family  after they attempted to seek asylum in Canada. 

Maine Morning Star -  The Maine Legislature adjourned, but lawmakers left a lot unresolved. A few of the bills that did not receive decisive final action before both the Senate and House of Representatives officially adjourned Tuesday night included requirements for medical cannabis testing, multiple proposals to improve child welfare, and a measure to restore the right to possess firearms for people previously convicted of nonviolent felonies.

The gun rights measure is one of more than 100 bills left on what’s called the “appropriations table,” where bills not otherwise funded in the budget are placed to vie for remaining dollars. Legislation that is still on the table is likely to die because the budget committee already made its funding decisions. 

Maine Morning Star -  The approval gap on President Donald Trump’s war in Iran narrowed slightly Thursday in the U.S. House, when a War Powers Resolution gained a handful of votes, though still falling just short of passage.The effort to force Trump to seek congressional authorization before further action in Iran failed 213-214, with one Republican voting present — shrinking the daylight compared to a 212-219 result in early March.

Democrats Greg Landsman of Ohio, Juan Vargas of California and Henry Cuellar of Texas flipped to vote in favor of the resolution brought to the floor by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, remained the only Democrat in opposition.

JOBS

Freeport Patch - First Atlantic Health Care posted a job opening for Transportation Support in Freeport. Apply here.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. posted a job opening for AE - Stock Associate - Evening (Off-Hours) in Freeport. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Freeport here.

Maine News Wednesday

Bath Iron Works inaugurates $40M building to speed production of Navy warships

Freeport green restaurant guide -   The Freeport Green Guide is an on online directory of where to buy resale, repair, rent, recvcle, and now – restaurant! Local restaurants have shown their commitment to reduce their climate impact through sustainable food, energy, waste and sourcing practices.

JOBS

Toad&Co posted a job opening for Assistant Manager - Freeport Toad&Co Store in Freeport. Apply here.

Brentwood posted a job opening for Housekeeping Manager/Director in Yarmouth. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Freeport here.

Press Herald

In a crowded harbor on Spruce Head Island, a lobster turf war is brewing. On one side is a local co-op of about 40 independent lobstermen. On the other is a Chicago-based seafood giant that buys local lobster from 58 fishermen. The dispute between waterfront neighbors has turned this sleepy fishing village into a legal battleground over a proposed dock expansion and an old, strategically moored smack boat once used to carry lobster to market.

Maine hearing on transgender athletes sets up high-profile November election

Planned Parenthood backs Janet Mills in Democratic primary for US Senate

Portland International Jetport tries again to add parking

Brunswick neighborhood rattled by violent killing

Maine Morning Star - The Maine Legislature passed a bill on Tuesday that would prevent immigration agents from entering public schools, state libraries and hospitals without a judicial warrant. The legislation, which was narrowed in committee and spurred heated floor debate, is a state-level version of the “sensitive locations” policy that President Donald Trump revoked. 

“I do not support the way ICE behaved recently,” Rep. Amy Arata (R-New Gloucester) said during a late night meeting of the budget committee on Monday. She was referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s large-scale operation in Maine in January. The vast majority of the nearly 200 people ICE arrested had no criminal convictions, or pending criminal charges.

Bangor Daily News - Maine's legislature easily approved what would be the nation's first statewide moratorium on building large new data centers.

• It signals a growing backlash to the projects that, fairly or unfairly, are tethered to concerns about rising power bills. While roughly a dozen other states are weighing moratoria, Maine may not be a bellwether.
• [T]his is unlikely to have a contagion effect on legislation beyond the Northeast, where high retail electricity prices have historically deterred hyperscalers," analysts with investment advisory and research firm Capstone said in a note.
•  Gov. Janet Mills (D), who faces a tough June primary in her Senate campaign, has not said whether she will sign the bill.