Maine’s firearms deer season drew to a close Saturday, but before then thousands of local and visiting hunters took the opportunity to commune with nature and their hunting buddies in the woods. The hunting tradition has been passed down through generations of Maine families — an exercise in skill, patience and seized opportunities. The traditional …
When the downtown Ellsworth Christmas parade steps off Saturday morning, longtime former organizer Thelma Beal will emerge from behind the scenes into the spotlight. She is this year’s grand marshal, but she won’t fulfill that role alone. She asked members of the team that has helped her over the decades to join her. As any …
“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that we might after a more special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the Company almost a week. At which time, …
It was the early 1950s and America was on red alert. Communists could be lurking in boardrooms, lecture halls, movie sets, even the nation’s highest offices. Wisconsin Sen. Joe McCarthy, a far-right Republican, fanned the flames of suspicion and panic. He claimed to have a list of Soviet sympathizers and spies working in the State …
Heidi Grindle is moving on. After 16 years as city clerk and registrar of voters, she is burned out (her words) and ready to regain some free time and peace of mind. It’s Ellsworth’s loss and we wish her well. Even the casual observer could see the diligence Grindle applied to her work, most especially …
In an annual contest of Yankee fortitude, Mainers see how long they can hold out before turning on the heat. A great many of us have already conceded defeat this season. Our toes were cold. Just how we warm our appendages varies, but three-fifths of Maine households use oil as their primary heating source. That’s …
Last Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. Many parents, eager to protect their children and those around them, breathed a sigh of relief. Some, less worried about health issues among this lower-risk group, just want to avoid an umpteenth …
With Veterans Day just a week away, there is good news from Maine’s congressional delegation. They announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded a design for a new Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program building at Togus. The project is an investment in the well-being of Maine veterans and in the nation’s …
Last winter, ahead of the November general election and the holidays, the Postal Service went into freefall. Customers were unable to count on prompt delivery of holiday cards and presents. Hancock County residents and Mainers across the state reported late mail, including receiving bills from service providers after their due date. Since then, the service …
After the rollercoaster ride over shark-infested waters that was last November’s election, heading to the ballot box Tuesday seems like a gentle turn on the carousel. Hancock County voters will not be electing any national, state or county leaders this go-around. There are three statewide referendum questions, with Question 1 concerning the CMP corridor the …
Among the items Mainers will be asked to vote on this Nov. 2 is Question 3, which seeks to amend the state constitution’s Declaration of Rights to include a right to food. While the constitution has been amended more than 170 times for largely mechanical reasons such as updating language and for other so-called housekeeping …
Did you know that if you vote yes on Question 1 the government will be able to time travel back to 1971 and demand your mother NOT give you that unfortunate bowl cut before fourth-grade picture day? Or that if you vote no, all the leaves in the forest will drop to the ground — …
