Preserving the Scarborough we all love | Council Corner

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 29, 2025

With Labor Day upon us, it’s the unofficial end of summer. One of my highlights was attending Scarborough Summerfest. Our neighbors beamed with joy as they talked about our beaches, the services available in town, how safe they feel, our great schools and so much more. I further asked, what do you think about the growth in town? In general the message was they would like to see more done to manage growth to make sure we don’t lose what they all love. Here are some potential solutions that I am open to exploring with the council and our community. ~ Jon Anderson, Scarborough Town Council

Award-winning journalist crafts a propulsive climate change thriller in ‘We Can’t Save You’

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 28, 2025

Thomas Ricks, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and part-time Deer Island resident, draws on his deep reporting background in his second Ryan Tapia novel, “We Can’t Save You.” Ricks’ story, set in the near future in Maine, masterfully weaves together Native American protests, political maneuvering and military history. Protesters believe the Anglos are “corrupt and doomed” and to blame for the warming of the planet, including its devastating impact on the ocean. Ricks illustrates their concerns with stark facts, painting a bleak vision of the future of land and seas. Their campaign, the Tide is High, focuses on the ocean’s growing distress: lobster shells thinning from acidic waters, oysters budding too early, and disruptions to insect and bird life, including a Mexican crested caracara drifting off the coast of Maine, far from its usual territory. When the tide rises over the highway leading to Eastport, the group’s point is made clear.

Bat in Portland tests positive for rabies

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 28, 2025

A bat in Portland tested positive for rabies this week by the state’s Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory. It is the fourth confirmed case of rabies in Cumberland County this year, Portland’s public health division said in a statement on Wednesday. There were eight confirmed cases of rabies in the county last year. Statewide, there have been 26 confirmed cases of rabies so far in 2025.

State rangers will patrol Tumbledown Mountain over Labor Day weekend

SUN JOURNAL • August 28, 2025

State forest and recreational rangers will be conducting patrols during the three-day Labor Day weekend on popular Tumbledown Mountain in Township 6, north of Weld in Franklin County, to try and keep hikers safe. The Weld Fire Department has responded six times just since June 8 to help hikers who have either been hurt or lost on Tumbledown Mountain, with one on Little Jackson Mountain, which connects to Tumbledown via trails. Camping has been prohibited on Tumbledown Mountain since 2021 in an effort to protect fragile natural resources and improve the hiking experience for all visitors.

Maine hiker rescued from NH boulder loop trail

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 28, 2025

A Bridgton woman was rescued Tuesday afternoon from a boulder loop trail in New Hampshire. Kristina Reams, 33, was hiking the Boulder Loop Trail in Albany about 3:22 p.m. when she experienced a medical emergency that made it impossible for her to hike out on her own, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game. Rescuers quickly reached her and brought her to a waiting ambulance about 5:48 p.m. She was then taken to Memorial Hospital in Conway.

Passamaquoddy Tribe wants to install hundreds of rooftop solar panels. Maine utility says it’s not allowed.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 28, 2025

Maine utility regulators are weighing whether a proposal by the Passamaquoddy Tribe to install hundreds of rooftop solar panels would violate the state’s net energy billing rules. However they rule, experts say, could affect other groups in Maine looking to lower costly electric bills, too. The tribal government last year secured a $7.4 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to put panels on more than 200 homes and administrative buildings at the tribe’s Indian Township reservation. But the project hit a roadblock when the local electric company, the Eastern Maine Electric Cooperative, argued that it was too big to qualify for a state program the tribe says could save its members hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Maine bear discovers the perfect napping spot

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 28, 2025

Bud Utecht is a registered Maine guide in the North Maine woods where he has several bait sites for hunting bears. Due to the difficulty reaching the area, his bait which consists of expired food, is placed in a pack for portability. This time, though, he forgot the pack at the bait site, and his trail camera captured something quite amusing – a bear picking the pack up, checking it out and then finally using it as a pillow to sleep on.

More parts of Maine are in drought, affecting nearly 1.2 million residents

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 28, 2025

Nearly 1.2 million Mainers live in drought areas, encompassing all of southern, western, central and Down East Maine. The conditions have contributed to an unusually high number of wildfires in August. The coastal area now in severe drought has expanded in the past week and now encompasses about 11% of the state, stretching west from Washington County to the eastern half of Lincoln County and including Acadia National Park and the Bar Harbor area.

Colby College to launch program in Port Clyde to help Maine communities tackle natural disasters

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2025

Colby College, a private liberal arts college in Waterville, is launching a program based in Port Clyde intended to better prepare Maine communities for the impacts that natural disasters have on infrastructure and local economies. The Center for Resilience and Economic Impact will use interdisciplinary research to search for solutions before and after natural disasters like severe storms, flooding and wildfires, college officials said Wednesday. The center is set to open in 2026 — four years after the average rate of natural disasters in Maine increased from one to nearly five a year.

Man drowns in Belgrade’s Ellis Pond

CENTRAL MAINE • August 27, 2025

Robert Gary, 66, of Oakland, was apparently swimming after his floating boat in Ellis Pond (aka Salmon Lake) on Wednesday when he went under and never resurfaced. Rescue personnel were able to recover the body in about 4 feet of water, about 30 yards to 40 yards from shore. They attempted to revive him with CPR, but Gary was unresponsive and died at the scene.

Report: Neighborhoods in Scarborough could see regular flooding this century, even in normal tides

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2025

In 25 years, a king tide or storm surge could flood significant portions of the Pine Point and Higgins Beach neighborhoods in Scarborough. In 75 years, those floods could happen even in a normal high tide, with blocks of houses seeing daily flooding. The Flooding Vulnerability Assessment, a report by GEI Consultants that was more than a year in the making, found that the risk of coastal flooding in Scarborough will only increase as sea levels rise.

New Hampshire woman dies in apparent drowning on Sebago Lake, officials say

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2025

A New Hampshire woman died in an apparent drowning in Sebago Lake on Wednesday. The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a 41-year-old New Hampshire woman who was unconscious in the water around 11:35 a.m. Sheriff’s deputies, Sebago emergency medical services workers and the Maine Warden Service responded to the incident near Sokokis Road in Sebago, the sheriff’s office said. First responders attempted “all possible life saving measures,” but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Maine has seen almost triple the average number of wildfires this summer

MAINE MORNING STAR • August 27, 2025

Typically, Maine has fewer than a hundred wildfires throughout July and August, but this year it’s close to triple that. As of Wednesday, the state has already seen 280 fires since July 1, said Terri Teller, a forest fire prevention specialist for the Maine Forest Service. “We haven’t had a year like this in a long time in Maine,” she said. Without much measurable rain and dry soil conditions, the number of fires has ticked up dramatically. For the past two and a half weeks, southern and central Maine have been at an elevated danger.

States fast-track wind, solar permits and contracts to beat Trump’s deadline

MAINE MORNING STAR • August 27, 2025

Across the country, state leaders are racing to fast-track wind and solar projects before the expiration of federal tax credits to support clean energy. Maine regulators are moving up timelines to purchase new power, hoping to give developers a head start on construction. And renewable industry leaders are pressing governors and lawmakers to clear bureaucratic backlogs and connect projects to the grid in the narrow window that remains. Federal clean energy tax credits have been essential to the financing of wind and solar projects across the country, and a key part of states’ plans to transition to wind and solar power. In Maine, the state Public Utilities Commission kicked off an accelerated procurement process last month, seeking bids for nearly 1,600 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy. That’s equivalent to roughly 13% of the state’s electricity usage. By moving up the timeline for developers to submit proposals to build new power projects, regulators hope to give them a better chance to start construction before the deadline.

Fact brief: Is it legal to fish for Atlantic sturgeon in Maine?

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2025

Maine prohibits anyone from taking, catching or possessing Atlantic sturgeon in coastal waters. Any sturgeon hooked must be released immediately, alive and uninjured. Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) are protected because their populations have declined sharply because of overfishing, habitat loss and barriers to migration. Often described as “dinosaur fish,” Atlantic sturgeon are among the oldest living species, dating back more than 120 million years. These prehistoric giants can grow up to 14 feet longand weigh as much as 800 pounds. The ban also applies to the smaller shortnose sturgeon, the only other sturgeon found in Maine. Federally, both species are listed under the Endangered Species Act.

Column: Perennial wheat could help strengthen Maine’s soil

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2025

Perennial plants are a greener option than annual ones. The secret lies in their roots. Because perennials are planted once and can thrive for multiple growing seasons, they have deeper, more complex root systems than rip-and-replace annuals like marigolds and pansies or corn and tomatoes. These perennial plant root systems stabilize soil and prevent erosion. They aerate the soil and enhance its ability to hold water. They help sink atmospheric carbon multiple feet deep into the soil. And, when perennials are no longer productive in 5, 10 or 15 years, the roots decay and participate in the digestive microbial party alive and well in healthy soil. The belles of the edible perennial ball in Maine are asparagus, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, rhubarb, and herbs like chives, parsley and thyme. Now, Maine farmers are experimenting with a perennial wheat known as Kernza that's an environmental booster. ~ Christine Burns Rudalevige

Opinion: Clean water starts on land

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 27, 2025

Just 2 inches of rain in 24 hours triggers an automatic closure of all mudflats for shellfish harvesting. Even 1 inch in 24 hours can lead to emergency closuress. These closures affect local jobs, seafood supply chains and the economy tied to Maine’s working waterfronts. Shellfish harvesters, aquaculture farmers, seafood processors and restaurants all feel the ripple effect when polluted runoff makes shellfish unsafe to eat. What causes these closures? Runoff from roads, lawns and parking lots carries pet waste, fertilizers, pesticides, bird/animal droppings and other contaminants into nearby rivers, coves and the ocean. By reducing or eliminating lawn fertilizers and pesticides, planting native vegetation and leaving buffer zones along shorelines and streams, homeowners can help reduce runoff and improve the resiliency of our coastal ecosystems. Properly maintaining septic systems or overboard discharge systems is also a must. Another simple step is cleaning up after pets. And boaters should be mindful of how they dispose of waste. Let’s protect the coast and people who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods, starting from our own backyards. ~ Monique Coombs, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association

With nowhere to run, Maine wildlife face heat-related risks

MAINE PUBLIC • August 26, 2025

As human-caused climate change warms the planet, summers are getting hotter. The number of days over 90 degrees is expected to at least double across parts of Maine by 2050. During a heatwave, Mainers can head to the beach, the movies, a cooling center or turn on the AC if they have it. But Maine's wildlife don't have that option. On days where the mercury is high and the heat index is even higher, birds, fish and mammals can be at risk. Extreme heat exacerbates the issues wildlife are already facing: drought, habitat loss and the spread of disease. Development prevents animals from being able to flee to cooler areas. Others are likely to take new risks by venturing places they normally wouldn’t, in search of shade or water — this is often why animals, from turtles to moose, are found crossing roads in summertime.

The Forest Revealed: A Book Celebration with Kateri Kosek

MAINE ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS • August 26, 2025

Join a celebration of The Forest Revealed, a stunning new book by naturalist and writer Kateri Kosek, featuring artwork by acclaimed illustrator Jada Fitch. At The Norwich Bookstore, 291 Main St, Norwich, Vermont, September 25, 7 PM.

Gov. Mills pledged to revive Maine’s tribal relations board. Most state seats are empty.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 26, 2025

Formed in 1980, the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission is supposed to report to the Legislature on state-tribal affairs and provide feedback on issues that concern the Wabanaki Nations. It is also charged with regulating fishing in certain waters and approving additions to reservations. Gov. Janet Mills, who controls six of the 13 seats, vowed on the campaign trail to restore the commission, which she said had been “too long neglected” under her predecessor, former Gov. Paul LePage. In her first six months in office, Mills filled all of the state’s seats, and the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians each had two representatives on the board. But for years, the commission has struggled to find its place in state government. Insiders describe it as hobbled by structural limitations; outside observers call it “dysfunctional” and question whether the board is relevant at all anymore.