Maine News Friday

Morning Star -   The final budget of Gov. Janet Mills’ tenure narrowly passed after some members of the Democratic majority objected to the governor’s plan to send relief checks to certain Mainers, joining Republicans in critiquing the move as bad policy. 

Press Herald

State Sen. Jim Libby, a Republican running for governor, said Thursday that his campaign “is no longer viable” after state officials identified numerous problems with paperwork he submitted to qualify for clean elections funding. The Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics & Election Practices denied Libby’s request for clean elections certification, citing fraudulent qualifying contributions and other deficiencies.

The U.S. Drought Monitor dropped the “extreme” drought rating from Maine’s southern coastline this week. As recently as October, all of coastal Maine — except the southernmost tip of York County — was in extreme drought.  Much of the state, however, remains in severe drought. Meanwhile, the Maine Forest Service declared most of Maine was under a high wildfire risk on Thursday, with only the northwest corner of the state considered at low risk.

Maine set a goal to end hunger by 2030. What will it take to get there?

Maine News Thursday

Freeport Patch   - Freeport residents should know their own library director, Wynter Giddings, is helping shape new statewide standards that could affect training, funding, and services at public libraries across Maine. At a special Maine Library Commission meeting, Giddings and other leaders emphasized professional training, intellectual freedom, and sustainable funding as keys to quality service. Draft rules are expected this spring, followed by public comment and a fall vote. More

Maine Morning Star - The Democratic majority of the Maine Legislature cast its initial approval for a supplemental budget Wednesday night that increases taxes on millionaires and sends $300 relief checks to some Mainers, pulling from the state’s rainy day fund to make that initiative and other priorities possible.... The budget ... aims to increase future revenue by way of adding a 2% tax on income above $1 million, which is projected to generate $150 million over two years. Mills announced she’ll support the initiative after she’d long opposed calls to increase income taxes. 

All the places you can go on the Amtrak Downeaster 

Freeport  - Join Town staff and representatives from our partners at Stantec as we showcase the latest designs, including all-way stops, street trees & on-street parking on Main Street, plus a multi-use path and bicycle/pedestrian amenities along U.S. RTE 1. This is your opportunity to review and provide feedback before the plans are finalized.  Whether or not you plan to attend, please take our survey at this link to give feedback before the plans are finalized

Press Herald -   Brunswick, Topsham back new bridge name reflecting Indigenous roots.  Both towns have signed off on the name Pejepscot Falls Bridge for the new span replacing the Frank J. Wood Bridge. 

The recently opened bridge connecting Brunswick and Topsham will likely be named to honor the Indigenous history of the region.

At a meeting Monday night, the Brunswick Town Council signed off on the new name, the Pejepscot Falls Bridge, which was recommended by a committee of Brunswick and Topsham residents who oversaw the design of the new bridge. The Topsham Select Board approved the committee’s name recommendation last week.

The towns’ proposals will be sent to the Maine Legislature, which has the final authority to name bridges. The new bridge does not currently have an official name.

Events


Thru April 30th in various venues around Freeport



Stroll through downtown Freeport and encounter original poems by local writers displayed in storefronts and public spaces throughout April. Selected from the Freeport Community Poetry Competition, these works celebrate connection, place and shared belonging. Presented in partnership with the Freeport Community Library.


Darn It! Mending Drop-In

Every Last Saturday of the Month  •  10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
@ Freeport Community Library, Sun Porch


Come be a part of the change sweeping the nation. Darn It! is the place to chat with neighbors and get mending advice to save money and keep junk out of the landfill – and look cool while doing it. Free and open to the public; some materials will be available for you to mend with but we recommend bringing some notions (patch, thread) if you have them.


Winslow Park - Campground reservations are now open.  The camping season runs from Friday May 22nd through Monday September 28th. 
April
13th 6:00 PM Public Hearings
13th 6:30 PM Select Board meeting
15th 6:00 PM Planning Board meeting
11th 6:30 PM Open Mic Night
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 10

Art Van

Friday, April 10 & 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 11

Wabanaki Stories

Co-Commissioned with Akomawt Educational Initiative

Saturday, April 11, 3 PM 
Merrill Auditorium, Portland

Runtime: 70 minutes, no intermission


Open Mic Poetry with Betsy Sholl - Free tickets can be reserved here now for our next Freeport Folio Open Mic Poetry featuring Betsy Sholl, Poet Laureate of Maine 2006-2011. We have also invited the to be crowned 2025-2026 Maine State Poetry Out Loud Champion. The event is on April 11th, 1pm at the Freeport Community Center. Tickets are free but seats are limited

Pownal Open Mic

Saturday, April 11  •  6:30 PM
@ Mallet Hall



Join us for this evening of music, storytelling, and more, open to all ages. Performers, be sure to put your name on the sign-up sheet when you arrive. Three songs or ten minutes on stage. Audience, come on in and grab a treat and a seat! The show is free.

LADIES OF FLAME  7:00 PM A beloved all-women musical ensemble that performs a lively selection of heartfelt songs and popular hits. Reserve tickets





APRIL 12
Vesta, 424 Walnut Hill Rd., North Yarmouth: Bess Jacques Trio (Jacques, piano/vocals; Evan Haines, guitar; Sheldon Perkins, drums), 4-6 PM

APRIL 14

Complete Streets Committee- 30 Main Street, 7:30 AM
Town Council Workshop - 30 Main Street, 6 pm

APRIL 15

The Freeport Project Review Board will hold public hearings on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 6:00pm in the Freeport Town Hall Council Chambers at 30 Main Street, Freeport, Maine, to discuss the following: items:

1) An application for Subdivision Review, submitted by Lumbo Ledge LLC (Mark Dorsey), for a 12-unit Village Open Space Subdivision off of Elm Street. The subdivision proposes 6 duplexes with an associated access drive, stormwater management, landscaping, and utilities on a 62,617 square foot parcel. The site, previously occupied by a residence, is now vacant. Zoning District: Village 1 (V-1) District, Freeport Village Overlay District (FVOD). The subject premises is located at Tax Assessor Map 11, Lot 88 (39 Elm Street).

2) An application for a Subdivision Amendment Review, submitted by Alex and Nubia Calabi, for an amendment to the previously approved Todd Brook Farm Subdivision to revise the language of Note 5 on the recorded subdivision plan to allow Lot 10 of the subdivision to have a driveway entrance from Old County Road. Zoning District: Rural Residential 1 (RR-1) District. The subject premises is located at Tax Assessor Map 26, Lot 12-10.

The public is welcome to attend and may choose to attend in person, or on Zoom. The meeting agenda (including information on how to join on Zoom) can be viewed at the Freeport Town Office or on the Town’s website at www.freeportmaine.com. Supporting materials are on file for viewing at the Freeport Town Hall.

 The Wabanaki in Casco Bay

event graphic

Join Seth Goldstein of the South Portland Historical Society for an illustrated presentation on the Wabanaki people of Casco Bay. Explore their history, culture, and habitation in the region, from life before European contact to the arrival of settlers. 

Wednesday, April 15
6:30 p.m.
Main Library, South Portland

Free and open to all. More info

APRIL 17



APR 18

APR 24

ERICA BROWN & THE BLUEGRASS CONNECTION: Friday, energetic five-piece band featuring some of the finest musicians in New England.April 24 at 7:30 PM 

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


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 30
Freeport Folio presents:

A Celebration of The Maine Poets Laureate

Thursday, April 30  •  6:30 PM
@ Meetinghouse Arts

Join us for this State of Maine National Poetry Grand Finale Event: a special reading by ALL of the Maine Poets Laureate to be held in Freeport. A partnership of  Maine Arts Commission, the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance and Freeport Folio.


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

MAY 8-9 

First Parish Hall, 40 Main St, Freeport (lower side door) 

5:30 pm doors, 6 pm show.

TICKETS : https://our.show/crabcakes/fp 

MAY 9
Wolfe’s Neck Center is proud to present the Climate Solutions Dance Party on Saturday, May 9 in collaboration with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and SPACE Gallery. This special series is making stops at iconic institutions across the country, including the American Museum of Natural History and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We are proud to be a part of this vision, bringing people together to celebrate climate solutions through community and creativity. 

The evening celebrates the paperback release of Dr. Johnson’s New York Times bestseller 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. Tickets


MAY 13
Freeport Conservation Trust

FCT Annual Meeting & Membership Celebration

Wednesday, May 13th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
📍Bradley Room, 53 Depot St, Freeport


MAY 16
The Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce invites you to be part of the Boots & Brews 5K on May 16, 2026—bringing hundreds of participants and visitors into downtown Freeport. Consider offering an exclusive day-of discount or special to runners and attendees, identified by their race bibs. This initiative is designed to drive people into your business, encouraging participants to explore, shop, and dine throughout town.

To be included in our promotions, please send your discount details to info@freeportmainechamber.com by May 1st.

MAY 20 

Are You Cyber-Savvy? Understanding thet Geopolitics and Personal Threats of Cyber Attacks, which will be held on Wednesday, May 20, at 7:00 pm at the Freeport Performing Arts Center.  You will hear from Nathaniel Fick, a Maine resident, former American diplomat, technology executive and author of the memoir One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer.  Ambassador Fick was selected to lead the U.S. State Department's Bureau for Cyberspace and Digital Policy in 2022. Ambassador Fick will be joined by Rachel Wilson, Head of Cybersecurity for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Ms. Wilson transitioned from a career leading counter-terrorism and cyber-exploitation missions at the National Security Agency to protecting the financial sector.  Tickets go on sale a month before the event.


Thanks to 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. "
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