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.