Casco Bay News Wednesday October 28

Mainebiz -   The Maine Affordable Housing Coalition will bring together housing industry leaders, researchers, advocates, policymakers, philanthropists and community members on Nov. 9 for its annual conference.

“Housing is the single biggest burden facing Maine’s families and working people today,” said Laura Mitchell, executive director of the coalition. “As rents soar and homeownership slips further out of reach, the ripple effects are felt across every corner of our state: young workers are forced to leave, parents face impossible choices between housing and basic needs, fixed-income seniors struggle to age in place and local business owners can’t recruit or retain the staff needed to keep their doors open.”

Freeport Community Services - Last night at our annual meeting, we shared our plans to expand both our Thrift Shop and our Food Pantry.  Thrift Shop proceeds fuel our vital programs, and the Food Pantry supports our neighbors in need. With the future expansion of these spaces, we can serve the growing needs of our community well into the future. 

WalletHub compared the 50 states across 34 key indicators of job-market strength and economic vitality. The data set ranges from employment growth to the median annual income to the average commute time.

Finding a Job in Maine (1=Best; 25=Avg.):

  • Overall rank for Maine: 7th
  • 5th – Job Opportunities
  • 28th – Employment Growth
  • 10th – Unemployment Rate
  • 10th – Avg. Length of Work Week (in Hours)
  • 23rd – Avg. Commute Time (in Minutes)

Town of Freeport - Freeport residents can vote in-person by absentee ballot at Town Hall through October 29th without special circumstances. If you are a resident and unregistered, you can register and vote in the same visit.

WBLM-   Over the last several years, there have been more than 32,000 vehicle accidents in Maine that have involved deer. In 2025 alone, there were 7,672 deer crashes averaging out to more than 21 per day. Maine ranks number 9 in the nation in odds of having a deer-related vehicle crash and those odds are set to increase over the next few months.

That's because deer mating season has arrived in Maine and during the peak of rutting season in November, deer crashes around the state typically spike. Roughly 20% of the deer crashes in 2025 took place in November. 

92 Moose - Going out to eat can get expensive quickly, especially when you’re trying to grab a bite and catch up with friends. So when I saw that a new spot in Portland is serving burgers, grilled cheese and fries for just $7 each, I had to know more. According to Portland Press Herald, the food menu sticks to a few familiar favorites: burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches and fries, all priced at $7 each. Honestly, seeing a price like that caught my attention. These days, it feels like even a quick meal can add up before you know it, so it’s always nice to hear about another option that won’t break the bank.

 UPCOMING

Calendar for Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment

Wander in Terror walk in Freeport mixes spooky sounds and lighting across historical eras.  Freeport families can head to the Desert of Maine for the Wander in Terror walk, a Halloween attraction filled with eerie lighting, spooky sounds, and themed scenes from different historical eras. On Halloween day, organizers are adding trick-or-treating, a pumpkin scavenger hunt, a train ride, and other family activities, with extra tickets now released online after earlier sellouts

OCT 29