Drag queens help break barriers at state ice fishing event

SUN JOURNAL • February 26, 2025

For the second year that the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife asked Ophelia Johnson and Letta the Queen, drag queens from Topsham and Portland, to lead activities at the Winter Extravaganza at Range Pond State Park, where activities included free ice-fishing instruction, snowmobiling practice, guided hikes, and knot-tying and cooking demonstrations. Outreach Director Emily MacCabe said that queer people, especially drag queens, are rarely seen participating in traditionally male-dominated outdoor sports like ice fishing. “When you think of the outdoors, and in specific to ice fishing, you think of the boys’ club,” Johnson said. “It’s very much that kind of ingrained misogyny, whereas events like this help to show that it’s not just the guys that can go out and do that, it’s anybody.”

Recreation and preservation butt heads in East Brunswick

TIMES RECORD • February 24, 2025

After years of workshopping, a plan is taking shape for a vast stretch of land in Brunswick, but opinions vary on how much, if anything, should be done to develop the land for recreation. The 230-acre swath, has the potential to include a playground, playing fields, trails and a fishing/swimming area. While the possible use of the land is long-awaited, its location between the Androscoggin and New Meadows rivers hosts a trove of wildlife habitats. Residents have opposed proposed ballfields, expressed mixed views about swimming (concerned about water quality and the scope of development) and voiced skepticism about the impact on the nearby aquifer, pedestrian safety on Old Bath Road and the cost of the endeavor.

MDI man gets jail sentence for hunting violations

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 25, 2025

A Mount Desert Island man accused of more than 60 hunting violations is spending 30 days in jail after reaching a plea deal with state officials. Benjamin Hamor, 51, of Mount Desert, also was ordered to pay more than $11,000 in fines and related charges, according to court documents. Hamor was charged with nearly 50 misdemeanors and more than a dozen civil violations after going on a spree of hunting crimes in the fall of 2020. Jeffrey Toothaker, Hamor’s defense attorney, said he potentially could have faced more than $50,000 in fines for his illegal hunting spree. Toothaker said, “It could have been a lot worse.”

Construction is starting soon on downtown Bangor’s new Wabanaki Center

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 25, 2025

A Bangor nonprofit aims to launch construction of a $6.5 million downtown Wabanaki Cultural Center this spring. Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness will convert the first floor and mezzanine of 16 Central St. in downtown Bangor into a cultural center that caters to local youth and shares Indigenous culture with the region. The space will also be decorated with artistic representations of Maine’s natural resources, including a river, ocean and Katahdin, with information on the significance of each in Indigenous culture.

Rumford moose roaming Rumford streets this winter

RUMFORD FALLS TIMES • February 24, 2025

A young male moose continued his monthslong wandering of the streets Monday, attracting attention, prompting a poem and a possible name of Edmund Moosky, after the town’s native son and U.S. senator, Edmund Muskie. Town Manager George O’Keefe said, “I think he is, at some point, going to be relocated by (the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)”, or he might relocate himself to a more amendable corner of forest.” Police officers have written a poem about him which begins “In Rumford, Maine, there’s a moose on the loose, Sipping some juice with the Androscoggin goose.”

South Portland will give voters a choice: natural grass, synthetic turf or neither

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 24, 2025

After approving a substitute motion Monday night, South Portland's school district now plans to give voters a choice between a $4.3 million natural grass athletic complex, a $5.1 million version with a synthetic field, or to oppose both options.

Are taller seawalls the answer to rising seas and storm surge?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 24, 2025

In response to last year’s winter storms, Maine allowed coastal landowners to rebuild docks, wharves, and piers higher to prepare for future storms and sea level rise. Now, Rep. Bob Foley, R-Wells, wants landowners or municipalities to be able to raise seawalls by up to 2 feet, even if they are located in one of Maine’s protected coastal sand dune systems, to safeguard buildings and public infrastructure from rising seas and storms. But opponents argue that seawalls meant to keep out rising waters can cause sediment erosion at their base, deflect water and damage neighboring properties, the sand dune system that provides natural flood protection and wildlife habitat, and the state’s 35 miles of sandy beaches.

Hiring freeze is lifted for seasonal staff at Acadia National Park

MAINE PUBLIC • February 24, 2025

Layoffs and a federal hiring freeze for national parks across the country have cast confusion over Acadia National Park's approaching summer season. On Friday, eight full time employees responsible for fee collection and trail maintenance were laid off. And 35 seasonal employees who had received job offers for this coming summer had their offers rescinded. But now, the hiring freeze on seasonal employees has been revoked. Eric Stiles, President of Friends of Acadia, said Acadia National Park brings in $12 million annually in entrance fees. The park's presence brings in $685 million, and supports some 6,600 associated jobs in Downeast Maine. "It's really important. There's a lot at stake here, and we have to be careful that in our efforts to reshape government, that we don't cook the golden goose,” Stiles said. Stiles said it's currently unclear if the laid off employees will get their jobs back, or how long it will take to staff seasonal jobs.

Lewiston looks to public for Sunnyside Park revamp ideas

SUN JOURNAL • February 24, 2025

Sunnyside Park on Winter Street has been considered a neighborhood asset for years, but its aging amenities are largely maintained by local volunteers. On Tuesday, the city and engineering firm Gorrill Palmer will host a “spark session” to glean ideas about how to improve the park. Should the city bring back an ice rink, install new playground equipment or add more gardens?

Bill calls for transparency in climate policy costs but critics say it ignores price of inaction

MAINE MORNING STAR • February 24, 2025

While there is general agreement around the need to be transparent about how much Maine’s climate policies are costing consumers and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a Republican proposal to collect such data is being panned as redundant while omitting key details. Sponsored by House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor), LD 495, proposes that the Maine Department of Environmental Protection be required to produce two estimates when adopting any new rules designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: one on the adverse climate effects that would be prevented by reducing emissions and another on associated costs that will fall to consumers. 

Sheepscot salmon show a rare resurgence in Maine

TIMES RECORD • February 24, 2025

Promising signs in local streambeds signal hope for an Atlantic salmon rebound. With continued restoration efforts, that is. A recent survey of redds (nests) conducted by the Department of Marine Resources and the Maine Coast Heritage Trust revealed a higher-than-expected count in the Sheepscot River, which starts between Georgetown and Southport, winding its way 66 miles north to Montville. For the past two decades, counting redds has largely revealed grim news. By 2000, the population had dropped so significantly that the species was declared federally endangered. Since then, runs have only gradually improved. Melissa Cote, Midcoast Conservancy Sheepscot River Watershed manager, said, “The Sheepscot salmon population is potentially the most resilient in Maine when it comes to climate change.”

UMaine’s School of Forest Resources reflections on termination of Forest Service employees

MAINE (ORONO) CAMPUS • February 24, 2025

The United States Forest Service (USFS) is terminating approximately 3,400 employees. Rose Ambroff, Assistant Professor of Forest Soils at the University of Maine, addressed concerns about how these layoffs could affect forest management nationwide and what they mean for Maine’s forestry industry and conservation efforts. “Terminating thousands of USFS employees will negatively impact the health of our forests and the livelihoods that depend on them. Federal funding for forestry research is such a large proportion of available funding that it will be difficult to replace.” The reduction in workforce creates uncertainty for UMaine students, particularly those studying forestry, as they face questions about their future career prospects.

Proponents moving full steam ahead with passenger rail expansion efforts in Maine

MAINE MORNING STAR • February 24, 2025

Though not enough lawmakers were on board with a proposal last session to study a potential passenger rail line from Portland to Bangor, proponents are back at it arguing that now is the time to explore the possibility of expanding passenger rail in Maine. An emergency proposal from Rep. Tavis Hasenfus (D-Readfield), LD 487, is seen as the first step in the expansion. It seeks to direct the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority to apply for federal funding to identify a potential passenger rail corridor from Portland through Auburn, Lewiston, Waterville, Bangor and ending in Orono.

Opinion: Coyote killing contests have no place in Maine

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 24, 2025

We have trapped coyotes, snared them, increased the hunting seasons on them, used hounds, allowed night hunting, baiting, bounties, calling devices and, worst of all, we have used killing contests. The result? We have more coyotes today than ever. Despite every piece of legislation imaginable and countless studies, programs and methods, 50-plus years later we continue to hear the same hollow arguments. It is time to rethink this endless, ineffective, inhumane cycle and focus instead on living with this important component of nature’s ecosystem. Coyote killing derbies only serve to perpetuate a culture of violence and send a message that wild animals have little intrinsic value and are disposable. Contact your state legislators and ask them to support “An Act to Prohibit Coyote Killing Contests,” which have no place in modern civilized society. ~ Robert Fisk Jr., Maine Friends of Animals

Cats aren’t the only domestic animals that disappear

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 24, 2025

Cheryl Curtis was at home last week when the Jersey steer she spent nearly $3,000 raising to feed her family this winter disappeared from her barn. A horse went missing from another farm in Somerset County the same week, also a suspected theft. Though there’s only so much farmers can do to prevent losses, knowing how to respond if their animals go missing can increase the chances of finding them. Livestock with valuable genetics can be stolen for resale. For that reason, keep an eye on local farm auctions, social media and online listings such as Craigslist.

The Maine ski town being overtaken by pricey vacation homes

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 24, 2025

Newry, which is known for the Sunday River ski resort, is not a typical small town. It has long had local builders putting up fancy vacation homes for sale. But the luxury housing market boomed during the pandemic, raising prices for homes that once were in the $500,000 range as well as demand for them on small plots on or near the mountain. It is leading to some concern in the western Maine town. It will hold a public meeting Wednesday to consider writing an ordinance that would regulate vacations rentals, although town officials have already decided against capping them as some other popular Maine tourist towns including Kennebunkport and Bar Harbor have done in recent years.

A Bangor neighborhood is frightened by coyote sightings

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • February 24, 2025

A state wildlife biologist says the best way for residents in a Bangor neighborhood to get rid of their coyotes is to remove food sources, not trap or hunt them. Residents in Bangor’s Fairmount neighborhood, near the Bangor Municipal Golf Course, are afraid because coyotes have been spotted in the residential area several times in recent months. Now, they’re considering how to rid themselves of the animals. Additionally, Keel Kemper, a regional wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said neighbors shouldn’t let their pets, including cats, outside alone, especially at night. “If you’re scared, you can carry a whistle. It’s very easy to scare off a coyote.”

Future economic development in Maine: Are there limiting factors?

TIMES RECORD • February 23, 2025

Should the California fires tragedy be a “wake-up call” for Maine to closely examine our own plans to prepare for: record-setting hottest years, more strong variability in precipitation, more violent hurricanes, torrential rains and enhanced coastal/inland flooding Yes. One solution: implementation of efficient and widespread public transportation systems, further reducing our carbon footprint. Additionally, designing future communities, where housing/markets/shops/services are within close proximity/walking distance, thereby reducing use of personal vehicles. Further, new strategies to improve/manage traffic/pedestrian flow patterns would aid in reducing greenhouse gases. Lastly, carbon capture and sequestration technologies, intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from large industrial sources, could be introduced state-wide. ~ Dr. John M. Mishler, former Professor of Basic Life Sciences; and Sigrid R.E. Fischer-Mishler, former medical/radiological technologist; they live in Harpswell

Trump has some Canadians rethinking their Maine vacation plans

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • February 23, 2025

Thousands of Maine business owners who have been snared in recent political tensions between the U.S. and Canada and are bracing for the potential impacts of President Donald Trump’s threat to levy 25% tariffs on Canadian goods, as well as his insulting statements about their Canada. Maine’s tourist economy is particularly at risk because it depends on people feeling good about how and where they spend their fun money. In 2023, 781,400 Canadians visited Maine and spent $464 million while they were here. The Maine Tourism Association, which represents over 1,600 member businesses, has received a rash of calls and emails from Canadians with questions and concerns about their 2025 travel plans, said CEO Tony Cameron. “Some voiced their intent to cancel.” Now, 56% of Canadians say they will not travel to the U.S. or have canceled plans to do so.