This year, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens will present its sixth annual Gardens Aglow, but due to safety concerns surrounding the global coronavirus pandemic, the event will be a drive-through experience, rather than a walking tour.

“We wanted to find a safe way of continuing and honoring what’s become an annual tradition for so many families,” said Gardens’ President and CEO Gretchen Ostherr. “Our committee has worked hard to map out the safest, most accessible route, taking traffic and congestion very much into consideration.”

To ensure that traffic will flow smoothly, CMBG decided to install 50-car limits in timed-ticketing intervals of 15 minutes. Projections are that traffic flow will be less than in previous years. “This system will help us avoid backups onto the road,” explained Ostherr. “We’ll see roughly 1,000 cars per night versus the 2,200 cars per night we saw last year.”

Information about ticket prices will be available soon. Tickets will be sold by the car, not by the individual. Due to height restrictions along the route, only passenger vehicles will be allowed to participate – no buses, mini-buses, limos, or campers. Tickets, bought in advance, will be for a specific date and time. We ask everyone’s cooperation in arriving at their designated date and time. This will be essential to providing a positive guest experience for everyone.

Because this is a drive-through only event, guests will remain in their cars, making the event safe in light of COVID-19 restrictions. While the Gardens is still finalizing details, the event timeline will be similar to the schedule in previous years.

A driving tour, rather than a walking tour, means Gardens’ staff have had to reenvision the display, but it’s giving them the opportunity to get creative and produce something new – even for those who have made Gardens Aglow their holiday tradition. There will be the annual Community Lighting Contest, so anyone who might be considering an entry, please start planning now.

Entrants in the contest will be included on a comprehensive map which will be available on the Gardens Aglow website. Visitors will be able to use the map to tour the peninsula and extend their seasonal outing. They can even vote for their favorite displays; winners in both the residential and business categories will be determined by popular vote.

Gardens Aglow has become a firm tradition in Maine’s seasonal calendar. Working together with Boothbay Lights will ensure that, once again, the Boothbay peninsula will be the place to be for wintertime cheer. More information will be available soon at GardensAglow.org

At nearly 325 acres, CBMG in Boothbay is the largest public garden in New England. CMBG was voted #1 on TripAdvisor. The nationally recognized public garden’s mission is to inspire meaningful connections among people, plants and nature through horticulture, education and research. Visit MaineGardens.org.

“This has been a challenging year,” added Ostherr. “But for the health of our region, our organization, and the families who look forward to this seasonal event, this year’s Gardens Aglow will go forward: Warm, safe, and accessible to all.”

Midcoast Conservancy will host a full moon paddle at its Hidden Valley Nature Center (HVNC) in Jefferson on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 7-9 p.m. Participants can enjoy the silvery glow of the “full corn moon” (so called by early farmers because they had more nights of bright moon light to gather crops) from canoes provided by the nature center as they glide along Little Dyer Pond after a beautiful mile-and-a half hike into the woods.

Safety protocols will be in place. Attendees are asked observe the following COVID-19 guidelines: only registrants from Maine, or other states not requiring quarantine; a COVID-19 questionnaire needs to completed by all prior to the start of the course; social distancing required on the hike in, and when loading canoes in and out of the water; and only family units will share boats—no paddling with individuals from outside that unit. Other safety information is available on the event page of the Midcoast Conservancy website.

Little Dyer Pond is a true Great Pond with no public boat launch and almost no shoreline development. Midcoast Conservancy will provide the canoes, paddles, and life jackets. All ages are welcome! Participants should be comfortable in a canoe on flat water, able to steer a canoe, and able to walk three miles on moderate trails.

Space is limited by the number of boats available, and pre-registration is required. More information and registration is available online at https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/full-moon-paddle-on-little-dyer-pond-8/.

Meet at the gate at 7; bring flashlights or headlamps for the hike back to the parking lot.

AUGUSTA — After much anticipation, the MPA Interscholastic Management Committee, a committee including superintendents and principals from around the state, voted unanimously Thursday, Aug. 27 in favor of the fall sports season to move forward. 

Fall sports in the Midcoast include cross country, golf, football, field hockey and soccer. Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport also sponsors a mountain biking team. 

A week before the decision, MPA Executive Director of Interscholastic Division Michael Burnham noted, in a statement, the organization was being presented with an “unprecedented situation with the COVID-19 virus.” 

Though the MPA and two of its committees have backed a fall sports season, the Mills administration will review the guidelines before the decision to play fall sports is considered to be fully approved, according to Burnham, and be able to provide any input they wish to provide. 

“This is a working document we will want to work closely with State agencies,” said Burnham. 

Leaders of the Maine Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, and Maine CDC have previously said its agencies would leave decisions regarding whether the fall sports season should be played in the hands of the MPA. The Office of Governor Janet Mills has deflected on its stance, referring inquiries on the subject of fall sports to the aforementioned government agencies. 

Throughout the month of August, there has been much debate on whether the MPA should follow guidelines established by the Maine Department of Education for physical education classes or guidelines established by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development for community gatherings.

On top of the debate about what guidelines the MPA should be following for sports, there has been debate about if all fall sports should be played with some sports, especially football, being considered more high-risk for possible COVID-19 transmission.

The MPA, including the MPA Sports Medicine Committee and individual sport committees, worked cooperatively with the Maine Department of Education, the Governor’s Office, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Economic Community Development and the Maine CDC to determine appropriate health guidelines. The National Federation of State High School Associations, the national governing body for high school athletics, also provided support and guidance. 

During a Wednesday meeting, the MPA Sports Medicine Committee recommended all fall sports be played with added safety guidelines adopted. 

Members of the Sports Medicine Committee include Molly Bishop of Oceanside High School, Tim Smith of Foxcroft Academy, Reg Ruhlin of Orono High School, Gordie Salls of Sanford High School and John Keane of Piscataquis Community Secondary. Liaisons include Chris Sementelli of Maine General Sports Medicine, Chris Lutrzykowski of Maine General Medicine Center, Dr. William Heinz of Sports Medicine Center, John Ryan of South Portland School District, Emily Poland of Maine Department of Education and Dan O'Connell of John Bapst Memorial High School.

The committee approved a set of safety guidelines presented to the panel by each of the individual committees for each fall sport. 

The committee also provided recommendations on what risk level for potential COVID-19 transmission each fall sport should be classified as, which, in some states, has determined when certain sports could start playing. 

The committee recommended classifying golf and cross country as low-risk, soccer and field hockey as moderate-risk and football as high-risk. 

All coaches will be required to take an online course about COVID-19 including how to identify the symptoms of COVID-19, and referees will be encouraged to take the course as well. 

Members of the Interscholastic Management Committee include Steve Bell of Dexter Regional High School, Don Gray of Greely High School, Jon Porter of Southern Aroostook High School, Paul Theriault of Shead High School, Jeremie Sirois of Kennebunk High School, Bill Tracy of Hampden Academy, Travis Barnes of Caribou Community School, Scott Gordon of Old Town High School and Rick Amero of Monmouth Academy. Liaisons include Kevin Jordan of MSAA, Bunky Dow of the Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and Gerry Durgin of Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

Though fall sports has been given the go-ahead to push forward across the state, some schools or certain teams at schools may, ultimately, opt to sit out during the upcoming season. 

Last week, Camden Hills became the first, and so far only, high school in the state to opt out of the upcoming fall sports season in favor of participating in practices and modified games this fall.

Fall sports at Camden Hills includes mountain biking, golf, football, cross country, field hockey and soccer.  

A joint letter issued Aug. 21 from Five Town CSD Superintendent Maria Libby, CHRHS Principal Shawn Carlson and CHRHS Athletic Director Jeff Hart noted the administration reached a point where it could no longer wait for a decision from state officials. 

“We feel the path forward is very clear and apparent,” the joint letter stated. “We have come to the disappointing conclusion that there is no way to adequately minimize the risks of mixing our student population with other school populations in thinking about league competition.” 

The joint letter stated the top priority for the Camden Hills community must be taking actions to “maintain the health of our student community in order to keep our buildings open for in-person learning for as long as possible.” 

“I want everyone to know that the decision was made by people who care deeply about this community and the students and their families who are impacted by this the most,” Hart said in a separate letter, while also noting it is okay to mourn the loss of fall sports for now while he works to develop a modified and nontraditional fall sports season. 

Teams, such as Camden Hills, opting out of the fall sports season will not be penalized for the decision by the MPA. 

Schools will not be penalized if they cannot, or do not, field a team in a sport they normally would. The rule mandating teams dropping a sport remain out of competition for two seasons is being waived by the MPA. 

Modified fall season

At the end of July, the MPA announced its plans for shortened fall sports seasons, including a reduction of maximum games played in many fall sports. 

The maximum number of regular season games for soccer and field hockey have been reduced to 10 games, from an original slate of 14. There is no minimum amount of games a team most complete this season.

Schools with football programs will have seven weeks to complete a maximum of six regular season games. Football programs traditionally play an eight game slate.

The cross country and golf maximum number of contests have not been revised.

The MPA has urged its member schools to adopt schedules with an emphasis on regional scheduling to reduce the amount of travel across the state.

Fall sports at the high school level across the state were scheduled to start Aug. 17, though the MPA Interscholastic Management Committee voted in July to push the start of Maine’s fall high school sports season back.

With that vote, the fall season will begin Tuesday, Sept. 8 with practices and preseason contests. The regular season will start Friday, Sept. 18.

Schools will be allowed to alter their schedules after the season begins, if needed, if opponents are impacted by the pandemic.

Sample Guidelines 

The following is a sample of guidelines discussed Aug. 26 and Aug. 27. It is not a comprehensive list; rather, the list is meant to demonstrate some of the highlights of new guidelines for each sport. To view the complete guidelines, view the attached PDF file. 

Golf (Low risk)
Putt with pin in hole
Don’t rake out sand traps
No motorized carts

Cross Country (Low risk)
Changes include increase courses
Six feet in narrowest points 
Wearing masks when not competing
Take masks off at starting line
Masks on hand or arm so it is available for when they finish
Finish line expanded to allow for more room
Encourage runners to head directly to their team tent when they finish
Collapsing at finish line is frowned upon

Field Hockey (Moderate risk)
One substitute per team at either end of scorer’s table to keep six feet apart
Penalty area will see players take a knee rather than sit in a chair
More time between periods so athletes get own water bottle
Mouth guards remain in as much as possible
Sanitize hands if interacting with mouth guards
Players and coaches on sidelines wear face masks

Soccer (Moderate risk) 
Five players per team in the box in addition to goalie
Mouth guards remain in as much as possible
Sanitize hands if interacting with mouth guards
Add an officials timeout at 20 minute mark of each half to hydrate and sanitize hands
No slide tackling if another player is within six feet, only if ball is going out of bounds
Players and coaches on sidelines wear face masks

Football (High risk) 
Expanding sidelines to 10 yard line so players can distance
More time during timeouts so players get own bottle of water
Mouth guards remain in as much as possible
Sanitize hands if interacting with mouth guards
Three to four balls to be rotated throughout the game and sanitized when not in play 
Keep helmet on while on the sideline 

AUGUSTA — The sports medicine committee for the Maine Principals’ Association provided the green light for fall sports to be played this upcoming season with some modifications in place. 

Fall sports in the Midcoast include cross country, golf, football, field hockey and soccer. Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport also sponsors a mountain biking team. 

The recommendation now heads to the MPA Interscholastic Management Committee, who has final say in whether fall sports are played. That committee will meet Thursday, Aug. 27. 

Last week, MPA Executive Director of Interscholastic Division Michael Burnham noted the organization was presented with an “unprecedented situation with the COVID-19 virus.” 

Throughout the month of August, there has been much debate on whether the MPA should follow guidelines established by the Maine Department of Education for physical education classes or guidelines established by the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development for community gatherings.

On top of the debate about what guidelines the MPA should be following for sports, there has been debate about if all fall sports should be played with some sports, especially football, being considered more high-risk for possible COVID-19 transmission.

The MPA, including the MPA Sports Medicine Committee and individual sport committees, worked cooperatively with the Maine Department of Education, the Governor’s Office, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Economic Community Development and the Maine CDC to determine appropriate health guidelines. The National Federation of State High School Associations, the national governing body for high school athletics, also provided support and guidance. 

During a Wednesday meeting, the MPA Sports Medicine Committee recommended all fall sports be played with added safety guidelines adopted. 

The committee approved a set of safety guidelines presented to the panel by each of the individual committees for each fall sport. 

The committee also provided recommendations on what risk level for potential COVID-19 transmission each fall sport should be classified as, which, in some states, has determined when certain sports could start playing. 

The committee recommended classifying golf and cross country as low-risk, soccer as moderate-risk and football as high-risk. 

Even though I’m a lifelong runner, my marathoning career didn’t begin until I was 55, 11 years ago. Since then I’ve managed to plod through at least one marathon each year, getting slower and hurting longer with each attempt.

When I began marathoning my goal was to complete 26.2 miles in under four hours. These days I’m happy with five+ hour runs.

With every marathon, as I cross the finish line, I declare, “That’s it. I’m retired. No more marathons for me.” But within a week or two, I’m already planning next one.

At 66 years old, I should have hung up my sneakers years ago. But, like any addiction, it’s hard to give up. That, plus my son, Brian, also a marathoner, keeps pushing me, “Come on, Dad, you can do one more.”

Lately, Brian has been encouraging me to complete the “World Marathon Majors,” the six most prestigious marathons on the planet, which include: New York, Chicago, Berlin, Boston, Tokyo and London. With five New York Marathons under my belt, as well as Chicago and Berlin, that’s three down, three to go. The Boston Marathon had always been on my bucket list, so with the assistance of my Boothbay Harbor neighbor, Suzanne Battit, I was able to secure entry by fundraising for the Family Aid Boston charity. Finally, I was in!

This summer, while most Boothbay Harbor residents were still sleeping, I have been training for the Boston Marathon.

I know what you’re thinking: “Wait, the Boston Marathon occurs a week after Easter, on Patriot’s Day Monday.” While that was true for 123 years, COVID-19 put an end to that and most annual traditions. The April race date was postponed until September before being scrubbed altogether because the pandemic had not abated. As an alternative, it was announced that registered runners could run a “virtual” Boston Marathon from anywhere in the world. For me, that would be Boothbay Harbor.

After vacationing and summering here for years, Southport Island has become my annual pre-marathon training ground. I believe I know every inch, every hill and every house, around that nine-mile loop. Running from my house near the footbridge, I find the Southport route safer than running on narrow Route 96 around Ocean Point.

Toward Labor Day each year, my running gets serious and I run two laps of Southport. Like many marathoners I increase my weekly “long run” by two miles, capped at 20 miles. Yesterday, with the air temperature a fabulous 55-degrees and humidity a low 65%, I ran my pre-race 20.

As usual, I packed enough Gatorade and energy Gu for four-hours of running, drove my truck over the swing bridge and parked in the gravel lot across from Robinson’s at about 5 a.m. I ran two laps in the counter-clockwise direction (which I have determined is more runner-friendly than the clockwise direction), and by adding two side excursions — through the Newagen Inn parking lot and down to the Town Dock — I completed two 10-mile laps, for 20 miles total in three hours and 45 minutes. That’s roughly the distance from downtown Boothbay Harbor to Route 1 and back again. Satisfying for sure, but exhausting.

I must explain to my neighbors: if you saw me walking slow and stiff around town last Thursday, I was aching from head-to-toe.

Race organizers have allowed participants to choose any day between Sept. 7 and 14 for their virtual marathon, so I’ve decided to start at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12. I hope to complete the marathon distance by 2 a.m. You’re asking: “Why the middle of the night?” Three reasons: the temperatures will be cool; traffic should be light; and I enjoy running at night.

Beginning from my house across from the footbridge at 26 Atlantic Avenue: I’ll turn left onto Union Street (past Mama D’s); turn left onto Townsend Avenue/Route 27 (Grover’s Hardware on left); bear a slight right onto McKown Street (library on right); left onto Sea Streeet (before Boothbay Region Greenhouses); left after Dunton’s Doghouse onto Commercial Street; across the Pier 1 boardwalk; across the footbridge to begin the next lap.

“My” route is 1.6 miles — requiring 16 laps — and decidedly has less elevation than Southport Island. And no Heartbreak Hill like the actual Boston route.

So, if you see a guy running past your house in the middle of the night wearing a headlamp and blinking taillight, he’s not a robber; it’s just a guy trying to catch up to his youth.

And get the Boston Marathon T-shirt.

NOTE: If you’d like to join me for a social-distanced lap or two, feel free. Meet at my house Saturday, Sept. 12, before 9 p.m. My goal will be to maintain a mid-11 minute mile pace. My email is: tomcotter@csx2490.com

Thank you, Hidden Valley Nature Center! COVID-19 brought my wife’s and my long anticipated holiday of birds and nature exploration in Argentina to an abrupt, military-lockdown driven end. We were exploring the Andes when the Argentine government closed airports and road travel due to the impending viral pandemic. During the next 10 days of lockdown, we had access to trails behind our cabin that climbed into the forested Yungas of the southern Andes. I was hiking and seeking out the unique flora and fauna of this region. To say that I was a happy camper was an understatement. Given the uncertainty of the pandemic, the government response, and being outsiders, I finally agreed to return to Maine when the U.S. embassy arranged a charter flight to rescue stranded Americans.

Our five-hour drive took a nerve-wracking 10 hours, through 11 military and police checkpoints. Frequent phone calls needed to be made, as officers had no idea how to handle us. Fortunately we started our day at the local health clinic, where we received a certificate of good health. By the fifth checkpoint, I had my story down, shouting out in Spanish and waving papers before they could begin their interrogation. We arrived at the airport to find all passengers for this, the only flight of the day, waiting outside the terminal in the drizzle. Everyone was given masks and had their temperatures taken before being allowed to enter.

We were stunned to waltz right through Miami customs without a temperature check or any queries concerning our health or recent travels. After a full flight with everyone in masks, it came as a shock to see so few in America. As we locked down for two weeks upon our arrival in Maine, I received a request from my neighbors to help on a bird-related forestry study that needed to be conducted at Midcoast Conservancy’s flagship property in Jefferson. Hidden Valley is a sprawling network of trails through a variety of forest habitats. The Audubon Society is looking at various types of forest management and their impact on bird life. My task was to find eight marked sites on the property and record all birds seen or heard during a 10 minute period. I was asked to do multiple early morning surveys during late May and June. I said yes to the project as a favor to my neighbors. What transpired was amazing.

I stopped pining for the mountains and birds of Argentina and embraced this opportunity to slow down, embrace the stillness, listening to the wonderful diversity of birds found at HVNC. I have recorded over 60 species on my visits. My mornings usually began well before 6 am, so I almost always had this beautiful preserve to myself, with an occasional greeting from an overnight guest using one of the available huts or campsites.

I look forward to learning how this lovely tract of forest compares with other study sites. And I will continue to visit HVNC for the birds, the solitude and the beauty of the Maine woods. We have an amazing resource here in mid-coast Maine that had me embracing my early return home.

For more information on the study, go to https://www.maineaudubon.org/; for more on Midcoast Conservancy and Hidden Valley, go to https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/

Howie Nielsen is a world-class birder; he lives in Whitefield.

The Chocolate Church Arts Center (CCAC) , at 804 Washington Street in Bath, announces September concerts: Pat Colwell and the Soul Sensations on Sept. 12: The Mallett Brothers Band Sept. 20 and Oshima Brothers on Sept.  26. The concerts will take place either at the Maine Maritime Museum, or at private outdoor areas revealed to ticket holders, no more than 100 people, following purchase of tickets.

Per CDC guidelines and the  State of Maine, audience members will be spaced at least 6 feet apart, and staff will enforce mask wearing, distancing, hand sanitizing, and other health and safety measures at all events. For most shows, there will be two performances on each day – at 3 and 6 p.m.

Tickets prices vary for CCAC ROCS performances, and must be purchased in advance at www.chocolatechurcharts.org, or by calling 207-442-8455.  Masks or other appropriate face coverings must be worn  checking in and purchasing concessions or merchandise. More information  at the Chocolate Church Arts Center website or by calling the box office.

Central Maine Board #20 is offering a five-week rules course for people interested in becoming a certified basketball official.

The class meets through zoom at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning Sept. 29.

If you wish to register, you can do so at the Mid-Maine Regional Adult Education website at midmaine.maineadulted.org

For more information contact TJ Halliday at 207-522-2029 or email at tj.halliday@mainegeneral.org

In Boothbay Harbor Sunday, Sept. 6, Trump supporters decorated their boats with banners and flags and paraded through the outer and inner harbor.

Maine Women For Trump gathered more than 20 boats to form a flotilla around East Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor, according to MWFT member Elizabeth Printy. Vessels of all sizes were decked with flags, banners, signs and passengers to show solid support for the re-election of President Trump. The mariners came from near and far - some navigated to Boothbay while others hauled their boats on trailers. There were also supporters who were strategically fixed on land, waving flags and banners. The weather was spectacular.

A major water support rally is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19. Participants will gather at noon south of Tumbler Island. The parade begins at 1 p.m. For more information and to participate, call 841-0174.

Here are some photos Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper/Penobscot Bay Pilot publisher A.R. Tandy took of Sunday’s event.

The Strand Theatre, in partnership with the Owls Head Transportation Museum, continues its Drive-In Movie screenings during September with “The Blues Brothers” Sept. 10-12 at 7:30 p.m. each evening. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.

In “The Blues Brothers” (1981), John Belushi and Dan Akroyd star as Jake and Elwood Blues, “two white boys with black soul.” Sporting cool shades and look-alike suits, Jake and Elwood are dispatched on a "mission from God" by their former teacher, Sister Mary Stigmata (Kathleen Freeman). Said mission is to raise $5000 to save an orphanage.

In the course of their zany adventures, the Blues Brothers run afoul of neo-Nazi Henry Gibson, perform the theme from Rawhide before the most unruly bar crowd in written history, and lay waste to hundreds of cars on the streets and freeways of Chicago.

The film’s many guest stars include James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, John Candy, Carrie Fisher, Steve Lawrence, Twiggy, Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman), Frank Oz, and Steven Spielberg. Directed by John Landis.

The film is rated R. Running time is 2 hours, 13 minutes.

The Owls Head Transportation Museum is located at 117 Museum St., Owls Head. Tickets are $20/car, or $18/car for Strand members, and will be available starting at 2 p.m. each day for that evening’s show. Tickets can be purchased only on the Strand Theatre website at RocklandStrand.com. Availability is limited, so movie-goers are encouraged to buy their tickets early to guarantee their spot, according to the Strand, in a news release.

More information about the Drive-In and the safety precautions that will be in place can be found on the Strand website: www.RocklandStrand.com. For more information, email: info@rocklandstrand.com, or call (207) 594-0070.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine (BBBSMM) invites local businesses, organizations and individuals to sign up to Golf Fore Kids’ Sake on Friday, Sept. 25 at Samoset Resort Golf Club in Rockport. The annual fundraiser, presented by Machias Savings Bank, will directly support Midcoast community-based mentoring programs, as well as school-based programs that serve children at Boothbay Region Elementary School in Boothbay, Nobleboro Elementary School in Nobleboro, Great Salt Bay Community School in Damariscotta, and Miller Elementary School in Waldoboro.

Teams are comprised of four golfers and registration includes course challenges and lunch. The tournament will feature pre-scheduled tee-times and lunch on the course to allow social distancing. Sponsorship opportunities are available and greatly support the event.

BBBSMM Executive Director Gwendolyn Hudson said Golf Fore Kids’ Sake is among the agency’s largest fundraisers and is critical this year to help offset a substantial financial shortfall due to cancelled fundraising events affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are expecting a loss of $150,000 in funding this year due to rescheduled and canceled events. Funding is especially critical at this time to continue to support our most vulnerable children, our Littles, when they need their mentors the most,” Hudson said. “Whether you golf, sponsor, donate or volunteer, participating in Golf Fore Kids’ Sake this year will help keep kids connected.”

To register a team, or sponsor the Samoset event, contact Sophie at 207.236.2227 ext. 102 or email sophie@bbbsmidmaine.org. Businesses can also support Golf Fore Kids’ Sake by donating auction items. Event volunteers are welcome.  For more information, visit bbbsmidmaine.org or call 207.236.2227.

AUGUSTA – The Maine Principals’ Association, the Maine School Superintendents Association, and the Mills Administration issued the following statements today after reaching agreement on updated guidance for fall school sports.

The revised “School Sports Guidance: Return to Competition for Competitive Athletics and Activities in Maine” is now in line with all State of Maine health and safety protocols and will proceed to a vote before MPA’s Sports Medicine Committee followed by its Interscholastic Management Committee.

“I appreciate the support of the Mills Administration as we revised this guidance to ensure that it is in line with all of Maine’s health and safety measures and that it protects students, their families, their peers, and their communities at large,” said Mike Burnham, Executive Director of the Maine Principals’ Association. “While these guidelines provide a strong foundation for how to safely play fall sports in Maine, we recognize that ultimately the final decision on sports will be made by local school districts based on their capacity for implementing the health and safety guidelines as applied to school sports – a decision and process that we wholeheartedly respect.”

“I am grateful to the MPA, the Maine School Superintendents Association, and the Maine School Boards Association for working closely and collaboratively with Commissioners Lambrew and Makin to align the school sports guidance,” said Governor Janet Mills. “As the parent to five now-grown daughters, I know how important school sports are in the life of children. At the same time, I also recognize how challenging it is for school administrators and teachers to undertake in-person learning with the threat of COVID lingering among us. With this guidance, these three organizations, along with my Administration, are working hard to welcome students back into the classroom and to allow for fall sports in a way that protects the health of students on the field and in the classroom and that safeguards teachers and staff and members of the larger community.”

“We have always recognized the important role that school sports play in supporting the physical, social, and mental wellbeing of students across Maine,” said Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew and Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “With this revised guidance, we have reached consensus on how student athletes may play most fall sports in a way that is consistent with the State’s public health measures to protect Maine students, school staff, and communities. We applaud the MPA, the Maine School Boards Association, and the Maine School Superintendents Association for their work to chart this path forward and will continue to support them moving forward.”

“Maine School Superintendents Association recognizes and appreciates the value of co- and extra-curricular activities and their role in supporting our mission of educating all students,” said Eileen King, Executive Director of the Maine School Superintendents Association. “As an extension of our educational programming, it is important both cocurricular and extra-curricular activities are offered in a manner that is safe and consistent with the DHHS-approved Community Sports guidelines. These activities, if offered under these guidelines, will help to promote the safety of all participants as well as the safety of the sponsoring schools.”

The beach at Head Tide Dam will get more cobble and gravel to replace material lost to high flows of the Sheepscot River after the site’s 2019 makeover, Alna’s planning board heard via Zoom Sept. 8. The beach or wading area will be raised a little to protect the underside of the retaining wall, Inter-Fluve’s Michael Burke said. He said two steps that have settled will be reset, fencing will be fixed and the bottom fencing, deferred due to the steps’ settling, will be installed.

Midcoast Conservancy’s Shri Verrill said the work continues the project the board approved last year. The board took no new action following the update. The work later this month will involve a crane and will close the site a few days for safety, Burke said. He noted the site has gotten much use this year.

New board chair Jim Amaral said his family has enjoyed some dinners atop the dam and the “much easier” access for swimming. “I think it’s a great asset for the community.” Verrill told the board, “Now that hopefully lots of the out-of-staters have gone home, you should be able to get a parking spot.”

In October, the town will propose more plantings at the site and seek a permit for a split-rail fence there, Third Selectman Greg Shute said. 

Besides making Amaral chair, the board made Taylor McGraw vice chair and Laurie Hiestand secretary. Amaral will look into possibly getting Zoom transcripts to aid minutes. And he will ask Maine Municipal Association about a Newcastle woman’s request to revoke the constraints on a Route 218 subdivision McGraw said the woman plans to buy as one parcel. 

McGraw said Carol Heaberlin hopes to close on the property later this month. Board members said they might vote via email if MMA said that was OK. Otherwise, they will either call a special meeting or wait and take up the matter Oct. 6, members said.

The board adopted no finding of fact document to give the appeals board on the planning board’s rejection of Jeff Spinney’s proposed ramp project. As with their past votes on the project, planning board members split 2-2 on proposed facts for approving the project and 2-2 on proposed ones for rejecting it. Amaral said they will give those failed lists to the appeals board. “If it gets tossed back to us after the board of appeals looks at it, we will utilize whichever one is most appropriate,” he said.

The appeals board will meet on Zoom at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18 about Spinney’s appeal letter, a town email announced Sept. 11.

For the past seven seasons, Wiscasset boys’ soccer coach Chris Cossette has emphasized a ball control offense. The coach believes if his team possesses the ball then opponents can’t score. On Sept. 14, Cossette continued teaching that philosophy in a different format. Wiscasset Middle High School has opted out of the Maine Principals Association boys’ and girls’ season due to health concerns stemming from COVID-19. Instead, a fall soccer program stressing skill development was implemented.

On day one, 22 players attended the two-hour clinic. Aidan Foley played on the boys’ team last season. “Soccer is my favorite sport so obviously, I’m disappointed,” he said. “But it’s good to be out here hanging out with your friends and still being able to play the sport you love,” he said. 

Due to MPA guidelines, the session began 30 minutes prior to any soccer-related activities. Athletes were screened by answering a series of health-related questions, including whether athletes had a fever or experienced any COVID-19 related symptoms. 

Cossette is expecting more players to participate. The program had a total of 30, both female and male, students sign up. Cossette is running the program, with two assistants Megan Cope and Kiera Hunter. The program runs Monday through Friday for two hours until mid-October. “We’re trying to run it like a normal season except for the social distancing and masks. It’s challenging, but I’m glad the kids still have a chance to continue playing the sport,” Cossette said.

On Sept. 10,  the MPA and several state agencies announced their “Return to Competition for Competitive Athletics and Activities in Maine” plan. Maine high school field hockey and soccer teams were allowed to play a 10-game regional schedule without a postseason playoff format. Wiscasset and Camden Hills are among the schools which opted out of the fall season prior to the MPA ruling.

The Boothbay Region Fish & Game Association will continue its long-standing tradition of conducting “Old-Fashioned Fall Turkey Shoots” starting this Sunday, Sept. 27, which will then run each Sunday through Nov. 1. We will be practicing social distancing, and masks are encouraged but not required.

The shoots will be held at the club rifle ranges at 447 Dover Road in Boothbay starting at 10 a.m., and those interested in participating need to show up by noon at the latest. Events will include .22 rifle at a mechanical target, clay pigeon (skeet), 100-yard bench rest and offhand hunting rifle, and a shotgun “card shoot.” The popular card shoot, won by whoever gets a shotgun pellet closest to the “x” on an index card at 50 feet, is an all-luck event that can as easily be won by a novice as an expert.

Entry fee is $2 per shooting event, or two for $3. Prizes include a variety of frozen turkeys, chickens, hams, pork roasts, and more. Businesses and individuals who would like to donate prizes (gift certificates are especially welcome) are encouraged to contact Barry Gibson at 633-5929.

Coffee, hot dogs, hamburgers, and cold drinks will be available at the club cook shack for nominal charges. These fun shoots, which help provide funding for the Association, are open to the public and shooters of all ages and skills are cordially invited to participate.

For more information on the club visit www.brfga.com

For Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, the show will go on this year. Recently, the Gardens announced that, after careful planning, research, communication with state and town officials, and in conjunction with COVID-19 safety protocols, Gardens Aglow will light up the peninsula for the sixth year in a row – with one important change: What has been a walking tour in previous years will become a driving experience in 2020.

“We wanted to find a safe way of continuing and honoring what’s become an annual tradition for so many families,” says Gardens President and CEO Gretchen Ostherr. “Our committee has worked hard to map out the safest, most accessible route, taking traffic and congestion very much into
consideration.”

To ensure that traffic will flow smoothly, both on the peninsula and along the Gardens Aglow route, CMBG made the decision to establish limited entries per 15-minute intervals. “We worked with the town of Boothbay, and this system will help us avoid back-ups onto the road,” said Ostherr.
Tickets are sold by the car, not by the person, and are only available in advance for a specific time slot.

“To ensure the success and safety of this event, we will not be selling tickets onsite, and our patrons must print their tickets before arrival,” Ostherr explained. Cars that arrive without tickets will be turned away.

Vehicles that exceed height restrictions (no more than nine feet in height) will also be turned away, and no refunds will be given. There will be no trailers, buses, limos, or RVs allowed. Because this is a driving tour, guests will remain in their cars, making the event safe in the light of COVID-19 restrictions.

No food or restroom facilities will be offered this year, but those interested are welcome to visit shop.mainegardens.org for seasonal shopping.

“This has been a challenging year,” concluded Ostherr. “But for the health of our region, our organization, and the families who look forward to this seasonal event, this year’s Gardens Aglow will go forward, warm, safe, and accessible to all.”

A driving tour, rather than a walking tour, means Gardens’ staff has had to re-envision the display, but it’s giving staff the opportunity to get creative and produce something new. Even those who have made Gardens Aglow their holiday tradition can expect something new this year.

It’s also giving peninsula residents an opportunity to get creative as CMBG once again sponsors the annual Community Lighting Contest. Anyone who might be considering an entry should start planning now.

This year’s winners will be chosen by popular vote.

If your home or business is on the Boothbay peninsula in Edgecomb, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, or Southport, and your property is visible from a public roadway, you are eligible to win. Displays will be judged in two categories – business and residential. Employees and family members of CMBG are not eligible to enter.

To participate, complete the registration form at www.GardensAglow.org and click on the “Contest” link. Entries must be received by Nov. 7 to be included in the lighting contest map and eligible for judging. There is no fee to enter. Displays must be completely installed and lit nightly between the hours of 4 and 9 p.m. beginning no later than Nov. 20 and continuing through the evening of Jan. 2, 2021.

Including contest entries on a comprehensive map, available on the Gardens Aglow website, will give visitors the chance to tour the peninsula, extend their seasonal outing and vote for their favorite displays. Votes for residential and business displays will be tallied separately. First place in both categories will receive $1,000. Second place, $500; and third place, $250. Winners will be announced in January.

Gardens Aglow, a firm tradition in Maine’s seasonal calendar, runs Thursdays-Sundays, Nov. 21 - Jan. 2, plus the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, and every night, Christmas Day through Jan. 2, 4:30-8:30 p.m. The event is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

Tickets are $40/car for nonmembers and $30/car for members. To show our appreciation to the Boothbay peninsula for the tremendous outpouring of support – especially this year – CMBG is holding a special Community Night at Gardens Aglow on Nov. 20, 4:30-8:30 p.m. Community Night is a special complimentary showing for Boothbay peninsula residents only. Timed tickets will be required for entry, details to follow. Between Gardens Aglow and Boothbay Lights, the Boothbay peninsula will again be the place to be for wintertime cheer. Experience the Gardens’ explosion of festive color, then enjoy a wide variety of the region’s seasonal activities.

For more details and to order tickets, visit GardensAglow.org; for a complete calendar of regional offerings, visit boothbaylights.com

Midcoast Conservancy will host a full moon paddle at its Hidden Valley Nature Center (HVNC) in Jefferson on Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 6-8 p.m. Participants can enjoy the silvery glow of the “full harvest moon” from canoes provided by the nature center as they glide along Little Dyer Pond after a beautiful mile-and-a half hike into the woods.

Safety protocols will be in place. Attendees are asked observe the following COVID-19 guidelines: only registrants from Maine, or other states not requiring quarantine; a COVID-19 questionnaire needs to completed by all prior to the start of the course; social distancing required on the hike in, and when loading canoes in and out of the water; and only family units will share boats—no paddling with individuals from outside that unit. Other safety information is available on the event page of the Midcoast Conservancy website.

Little Dyer Pond is a true Great Pond with no public boat launch and almost no shoreline development. Midcoast Conservancy will provide the canoes, paddles, and life jackets. All ages are welcome! Participants should be comfortable in a canoe on flat water, able to steer a canoe, and able to walk three miles on moderate trails.

Space is limited by the number of boats available, and preregistration is required. More information and registration is available online at https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/full-moon-paddle-on-little-dyer-pond-8/ Meet at the gate at 6 p.m.; bring flashlights or headlamps for the hike back to the parking lot.

Midcoast Conservancy’s Hidden Valley Nature is open to the public 365 days a year, dawn to dusk. Comprising 1,000 acres of diverse habitat, and laced with nearly 30 miles of multi-use trails HVNC makes a great classroom for nature-based learning and non-motorized recreation. For more information: midcoastconservancy.org or call (207) 389-5150.

Spanning the Sheepscot River from Edgecomb to Wiscasset, Donald E. Davey Bridge takes motorists, cyclists and pedestrians north and southbound along Route 1. Walking it for an hour-plus Sept. 26, Wiscasset Newspaper saw no one else on foot, no cyclists, a mostly steady stream of vehicles, and at least two motorboats passing underneath. 

A couple brief breaks in traffic left only the wind and river sounds, and the views in the late day brightness.

Ten years ago, a crowd of citizens united to celebrate the opening of the Whiskeag Trail, a five mile long multi-use trail in the north end of Bath crossing forested lands owned the City of Bath and the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT). This true community achievement was thanks to the efforts from the City of Bath, local schools, non-profits, individual hikers and bicycle riders, and private businesses. By connecting our communities, we grow closer connections with each other and the place we call home. The public is invited to walk, bike, or run the trail this fall to celebrate! Visit www.kennebecestuary.org/whiskeag-trail-bath for a trail map and directions and follow KELT on Facebook and Instagram for ways to share your adventures.

The Whiskeag Trail explores pockets of lovely wooded areas while connecting destinations throughout Bath like the YMCA, McMann playing fields, Bath Middle School, Oak Grove Cemetery, and the conservation land at Sewall Woods and Thorne Head Preserves.

Bath’s Director of Parks and Recreation, Steve Balboni, was one of the key leaders in creating the trail in 2010. “It has been amazing to watch the usage grow over the last ten years. We are proud to have been involved from the beginning and are just as excited to see what the future brings”, said Steve, “The Whiskeag Trail is a special place that makes you feel like you are in the middle of nature. Get out there and enjoy what’s in your backyard.”

Walking through the forest, and along the creek provides an escape into nature for the casual walker, birdwatcher, or mountain biker. It’s not uncommon to encounter great blue heron or bald eagle along Whiskeag Creek, or a deer or wild turkey along the trail. Beaver and coyote also call this place home, along with numerous bird species that benefit from this protected area. Mountain bikers will find the trail fun with some challenge mixed in, while connecting destinations like Bath Middle School to the YMCA, and popular hiking destinations at Thorne Head Preserve.

Kevin Shute has enjoyed the Whiskeag Trail since the project’s beginning. “I’m always amazed by the number of folks I meet on the trail.” Shute said, “Local area residents are fortunate to have such a valuable resource in their community.”

It has been clear during the pandemic that local appreciation of the trail has been stronger than ever. Trail usage has increased across the state, as residents seek ways to spend some of their free time out in nature. KELT continues to build and maintain trails in the region, and takes pride in providing access to natural places during this time of need. “I know my wife and I were especially grateful to have access to the trail during the COVID lockdown this spring.” Shute added, “Being outside kept us sane.” 

Bath Trails is the community coalition that stewards the five miles long trail. It is a partnership of the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust, City of Bath, local schools, non-profits, individual hikers and bikers, and private businesses. The mission is set on the creation, connection, and maintenance of a network of multi-use trails for recreation, transportation, and a healthier community. Opportunities to care for the Whiskeag Trail and trails nearby can be found at www.kennebecestuary.org/opportunities or by following the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust on social media.

Saturday afternoon on Wiscasset common, Edgecomb’s JoEllen LaFrance was dancing with daughter Lotus, 8. Michelle Peele had her golden retriever Emmett, 2, along as she caught up with her Wiscasset friends she misses after moving to South Bristol. Woolwich’s Bob King was displaying his 1931 Model A car. And Salty Dogs was singing and playing on a stage that had a rake-headed scarecrow beside it.

So began Scarecrowfest.

Wiscasset Parks and Recreation Director Duane Goud was satisfied with turnout for the car show along the common and the concert on it. When Wiscasset Newspaper was there, near the end of the car show and 45 minutes into the planned three-hour concert, about 80 people, some wearing facemasks, were milling about or sitting on the grass or in chairs.

The department’s announced precaution Oct. 5 for Scarecrowfest, Oct. 10-18, was for event-goers to wear masks “where they cannot properly socially distance.” And Goud said Saturday’s gathering met COVID-19 guidelines because it was outdoors with ample space for social distancing.

That was part of what got LaFrance to the concert. “I figured we could really socially distance, and I was just tired of being cooped up,” she added. 

Peele said later via text, “Emmett loved the music and the attention!”

Besides the fun at the common, opening day also had a scavenger hunt. On Facebook, the department posted clues to small scarecrows to photograph at businesses. Events continue through Oct. 18. Find the schedule at wiscassetrec.com. Scarecrow-making on the common is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. Cornhole at Ames True Value Supply to benefit Toys for Tots is Sunday, Oct. 18. Lincoln County Toys for Tots Coordinator Lisa Marr said registration starts at 10 a.m. and tournament play, 11 a.m.

Forget scarecrow-making on Wiscasset common and sampling chili and chowder in a downtown contest this Saturday. Those Scarecrowfest events are canceled due to the forecast for rain and wind, Parks and Recreation Director Duane Goud said. “Trying to set up tents on Main Street and have people on the common, the weather is prohibitive.”

But the chili and chowder contest could be reset for Winterfest at the end of January, according to Goud in the phone interview and Wiscasset Area Chamber of Commerce Administrative Assistant Pat Cloutier in an email. “Looks like the weather is against us,” Cloutier wrote members about Saturday’s cancellation.

Cloutier, added: “We will look at making Winterfest a special event and perhaps adding the Chili/Chowder challenge, perfect weather for a hot steaming bowl of chili!”

Goud said any other year, activities could have been moved inside. “But being the year that it is, we are unable to move things to an inside environment.”

Scarecrowfest’s other remaining events – a costumed Walk Around Wiscasset from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15 and cornhole Sunday, Oct. 18 at Ames True Value Supply with registration starting at 10 a.m. – were still on, Goud said. The cornhole tournament benefits Toys for Tots.

An Alna man said he plans a court appeal after a Friday night decision by the town’s appeals board. Jeff Spinney has sought to do ramp work along the Sheepscot River off Golden Ridge Road.

The planning board split 2-2, twice; and Oct. 16 via Zoom, appeals board members Alex Pugh and David Buczkowski upheld the planning board’s decision. Mary Bowers dissented.

“I think this project is conserving a point of access to the river,” as the shoreland zoning calls for, Bowers said. Buczkowski said the planning board members who rejected the proposal, Laurie Hiestand and Jim Amaral, had sound evidence to base their votes on. “I think that’s the criteria we have to use.”

Spinney’s lawyer Kristin Collins argued, the planning board might have gone “overboard” a little in scrutinizing the proposal, compared to the panel’s handling of other projects over the decades. Describing a “a rabbit hole of logic,” Collins argued the planning board wrongly focused on the ramp’s past use, with some members finding the ramp was not grandfathered from the town’s shoreland zoning.

“There was absolutely a clear path to approval here that just wasn’t followed,” she said. Collins said the project involves erosion control, and amounts to maintenance of a road that runs all the way down to the river.

Project opponents’ lawyers, including Patrick Lyons representing abutter Jeff Philbrick, argued the issue for the appeals board was not if it, too, would have rejected the permit request; the issue was whether or not the planning board had “competent evidence” the ramp was not grandfathered, Lyons said.

Abutter Carol Ervin’s lawyer Gordon Smith argued Spinney did not meet his burden to show the ramp was grandfathered.

Spinney confirmed via text, he plans a court appeal. He deferred all other comment to Collins. In email responses Saturday to Wiscasset Newspaper, Collins wrote in part: “Last night’s result was disappointing. The (appeals board) did not consider ... our very strong arguments that the Planning Board should have allowed the project under other provisions of the ordinance ... It’s unfortunate that Mr. Spinney has had to go through all of this to get the right result, and that these boards have had to make their decisions in the absence of legal counsel.”

Collins expects a Superior Court justice to decide the appeal on briefs.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ first drive-through Gardens Aglow is on track for a Nov. 21 opening night. Bucket lifts are in the air covering the hard to reach places and staff are spread out along the one-mile long course working from the ground up to place over 650,000 lights.

CMBG Chief Executive Officer and President Gretchen Ostherr has been at the Gardens for months and, amid online meetings and learning all the new faces behind masks, the decision of whether or not to hold Gardens Aglow this year was hard and took into consideration CMBG staff, the community and economy and the tradition of a brightly lit Boothbay peninsula during the holidays, Ostherr said.

“Having all been through the experience of the lockdown and how hard that was … we really wanted to be a ray of light for people and actually give people something to do, so … we're very excited to have made this shift to a driving experience.”

Director of Marketing Kris Folsom said the decision has enabled CMBG to keep all its full-time staff. The change to drive through has required staff and volunteers to work together and learn new skills.

Said Folsom, “It's great for the community, it's great for the Gardens … Everybody's willing to learn a new trade almost. It matters, being able to keep people making an income so they can feed their families is really important.”

Horticulture team member Chloe Hoecker has been helping prepare large fixtures – creatures relating to the Gardens’ yearly theme of “Wicked Wetland Wonders.” Hoecker said the giant reptiles and amphibians might not look like much in their lobster-trap wire bodies, but once the lights go on and the fixtures are in place, they will look brilliant with the backdrop of all the rest of the lights.

“I love doing structures because they make me think a little more about how to do an interesting piece. With the trees, you just go up and down, but with this one, you have to go out on every leg and every toe. You have to really think about what you're doing. It's a fun rainy day activity.”

Around 150 vehicles recently tried the course and staff have identified areas in need of traffic direction to keep vehicles moving at a steady 5 mph for the entire 30-minute event. Ostherr said no one needs to exit their vehicles or worry about interaction. All tickets will be sold online or over the phone, will be emailed and must be printed out for collection upon entry to the Gardens. The quick exchange of tickets will help keep traffic moving steadily, but arriving during the time slot chosen for ticket purchase is critical as there are limits to the number of vehicles for every 15 minutes, said Ostherr.

The bright side about the change is that it will be a viable option whether or not the social landscape changes due to COVID-19, said Ostherr. The pluses about driving through the Gardens are that families with young children, the elderly and the disabled will have access like never before. “And it will be much warmer, too … I am cautiously optimistic. Certainly for this year I think it will be a great solution to enable us to continue having Gardens Aglow.”

In a year like no other, the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) remains committed to protecting important landscapes to benefit wildlife, today’s communities, and future generations. Over the past month, KELT completed two conservation projects to contribute to the network of protected lands, the Whiskeag Creek Wetlands property in north Bath and the Burr property in south Bath.

The Whiskeag Creek Wetland property, running along and into Whiskeag Creek and into the Kennebec River, has been identified as important habitat for wading birds and fragile plant species. This property was acquired with funding from the North American Wetland Conservation Act and the land is primarily to maintain crucial habitat for sensitive species, particularly in the context of a changing climate. Local real estate broker Sam Lambert, the previous landowner, purchased this property in 2017 to prevent a planned subdivision from diminishing the integrity of the landscape. Through conserving the land with KELT, Sam has demonstrated an understanding for the importance of protecting these special natural resources, “Things are changing. It’s important to save some of it to preserve the important links of habitat in our Estuaries. Long term visions are needed these days.”

On the other side of town, folks sharing this same vision showed their own commitment to conservation by donating over 10 acres of land to KELT. By conserving these 10 acres, known as the Burr property, KELT has accomplished a crucial step in connecting the Lilly Pond Community Forest preserve to the Losier-Rogers property, which would protect a substantial block of Bath’s largest remaining intact forest. Connecting these conserved lands will maintain interconnected habitat for wildlife and create opportunity for a long-distance trail system to be enjoyed by hikers, bikers, birders, and more (learn more about the Lilly Pond Community Forest project at https://www.kennebecestuary.org/lpcf-expansion). John and Karen Burr, the generous donors of this land, also cited their devotion to future generations as their motivation for conservation, “The more we all have access to, to learn about and engage in our natural environment, the more we will all be invested in preserving its future – our future”.

These two properties collectively contribute approximately 33 acres to Bath’s conserved lands. Although these land protection projects support different habitat types and species, they and their previous land owners share the same goal of maintaining a healthy environment for the benefit of our collective future.

AUGUSTA — The Maine Principals’ Association has announced the winter sports season will be delayed, according to a memorandum emailed to schools Tuesday afternoon and viewed by PenBayPilot.com. 

Winter sports in Maine include basketball, swimming, skiing, ice hockey, wrestling, and indoor track.

“This memo is sent to give you an update as to the status of winter activities as we continue to work collaboratively with the various stakeholders involved in the process,” the email — credited as being from MPA executives Mike Burnham, Mike Bisson and Gerry Durgin — began. 

The winter sports season will not begin as scheduled Monday, Nov. 16, though a formal date has yet to be established. 

“While we totally understand that people would like an answer today, this is a process that involves multiple state agencies, all looking through a different lens, trying to come to some form of agreement about what can and can’t take place and when it may be safe to do so,” the email read. 

The email addressed the three major concerns: 

1. Face Masks: “There is a concern that the guidelines provided in the Framework for a Return to Classroom Instruction, requiring students and staff to wear masks at all times, and the allowing of a practice to occur without the use of a mask, sets a double standard for schools and remains a legitimate concern from other groups.” 

2. Facilities: “Many school gyms are currently being used as classrooms, study halls, a cafeteria, or for storage. It is not reasonable to expect school staff to remove the equipment in the gym at the close of school every day to allow a practice to occur. Many of the outside facilities that are utilized in many sports are not currently available. This includes many of the college facilities as well as some community facilities like YMCA’s and ice rinks.” 

3. Non-school programs: “There continues to be several community programs that are sponsoring practices and games throughout the state, as well as playing outside of the state. Having these teams continue to play, while the school-based programs are not allowed to play games, is an issue that is currently being addressed by the state agencies.” 

ROCKPORT — Carving wooden life size sculptures of sports figures has been a passion for Rockport artist Jon Moro, who recently departed from sports figures to crafting a life size sculpture of two Biblical figures. They were unveiled Oct. 17 at Barnswallow Books, in Rockport Village.

“I’m fascinated by the challenge of creating a sense of movement, and emotion from a still, inanimate object,” Moro said, on his website. “A meaningful sculpture has power, presence and humanity, and generates its own unique narrative.”

It was not until he was 20 years old that Moro began to think of himself as an artist. 

“I had pursued a more academic track in high school, always enjoying projects that involved a poster or drawing, but didn't have time in my schedule for an elective art class,” he said. “After two years in college as an English major, I took a break from school. At that point I started working with wood, making all kinds of sculptural creations. Although the pieces were very rough and sometimes incomplete, something clicked inside of me that said, ‘I can do this!’ Within a few years I started taking art classes. My first class was an adult education oil painting class — I took it four times!”

From there, Moro began working at Home Depot, which he said provided even more inspiration for his art pieces, and began to take a few classes per semester at the University of Maine at Augusta. 

Moro, the head boys basketball coach of the varsity team at Camden Hills Regional High School, is inspired by history, athletics, and themes of trial, struggle and triumph that encompass the human experience, according to his artist biography.  His sculptural work, the biography reads, focuses primarily on humans in motion, from figures to life-size pieces, and each is carved and shaped from wood. 

Wood his chosen medium to work with as he describes it as warm, familiar, organic and ultimately alive — “perfect for conducting memories,” as opposed to plastic, or cold-to-the-touch metal.

“There is always something below the surface of a piece of wood,” he said. “Grain is individual, and yet marks every species distinctively. Our eyes see shape, but we also see the grain. Grain is a life lived. It is a surface with a past. Every piece is the result of a collaboration. The life of the wood, and the shape the sculptor gives it. It is a unique connection between artist and medium, past and present, something crafted, yet something living.” 

Moro has crafted several sports figures into life size sculptures, including basketball hall of fame inductees Kevin Garnett and Julius Erving, baseball hall of fame inductee Yogi Berra, hockey hall of fame inductee Paul Kariya, and professional baseball player Nomar Garciaparra.

He also created a sculpture, “The Crossover,” that is on display at the National Collegiate Athletics Association Hall of Champions museum in Indianapolis, Indiana, which received an award from the NCAA for the art piece.  

Asked to identify his favorite piece, Moro at first compared the question to asking a parent to pick their favorite child, before conceding his most recent piece, David and Goliath in this moment, is always his favorite. 

“However I think my Kevin Garnett piece was very successful, as well,” he added. “It really reflected his personality, his size, and had a spiritual element to it.” 

Moro can usually complete a life size sculpture within 12 months, if he has uninterrupted time to work on the piece. David and Goliath took three years, however, to craft amid various commission pieces Moro was hired to create, and its finish was actually boosted thanks to the pandemic. 

“My major ‘push’ happened in the spring after Camden Hills [Regional High School] went to remote learning,” said Moro, who is also an ed tech at the high school. “I worked for seven months straight, and that was exactly what I needed to maintain momentum and finish the pieces. It’s a long process. But I do feel that time was my secret weapon; nothing about David and Goliath was impulsive.”

Along the way of creating his David and Goliath piece, there were many creative problems for Moro to solve: armor, colors of clothing, how David and Goliath interact with each other.

“There were also practical problems: how to secure and stabilize the sculptures, how to move them, how to make sure the pieces were solidly constructed,” Moro said. “The duration of the project allowed the best ideas to come to the surface.”

The idea of sculpting life size sculptures of David and Goliath came to Moro fairly quickly, recalled, and the first step was to gather as many reference images as possible through Google Images and other research. 

“I looked up hundreds of illustrations depicting the battle, and every sculpture I could find that had already been done,” stated Moro. “It was just a wide open, brain-storming session.”

After much research, Moro narrowed down his options to a few concepts he liked most and realized he was keen on showing the two fully engaged in battle, opposed to remaining static and simply looking at each other. 

“I found a ‘look’ that I wanted the piece to have, as well as distinctive weaponry and clothing,” said Moro. “Now that I had a plan, I started getting really specific with the images I wanted for reference. I used over 100 images; pictures of muscles, clothing, facial references, armor ideas, sometimes parts of toy action figures. I print them all out and have them right next to my work area.” 

Ideas for how the sculpture should be crafted came to Moro at all hours of the day with the artist sketching out the newest thought as soon as he could. 

“During this project, ideas would come in the morning as I woke up, in bed when closing my eyes, and sometimes during my work day,” he said. “For a while I thought this was weird because I was ALWAYS thinking about [the piece]. It turns out that this is a normal part of being a sculptor. Sketching was a way to work out my creative problems and record the ideas that popped up at random moments of the day.” 

To create the actual sculpture, Moro used a chainsaw to rough out his design.

“I use and angle grinder with a wood-carving wheel (a disc with metal spikes on it) to get the muscles defined, and then a Dremel tool for fine details, he said, noting he went through a bunch of sandpaper. 

The piece was inspired by the fact Moro believes each individual is a version of David, at some point life, tasked with facing a version of Goliath. 

“We all face scary things,” he commented. “It’s easy to look at our opposition and forget the unique abilities that we have inside. Appearances can be deceiving. Having a growth mindset where anything is possible can unleash our creativity and give us victory.” 

Moro’s advice for young artists is to be dedicated to the craft, while still enjoying the journey. 

“Be in it for the long run,” he said. “Don’t compare yourself to other artists who have been working at their craft for decades. Any point of development is a good point, as long as you are enjoying it. I had an art teacher say to my class one day, ‘good art is not about your first piece… it’s not about your first five pieces… it’s about your first 50 pieces. And then it’s about the next 50 after that.’ You have to put in the work.”

Enjoy the journey of personal growth as an artist, Moro said. 

“It’s not always glamorous, but growing as an artist should be fun,” he said. “Just because your creation doesn’t look like Michelangelo’s work at age 22, doesn’t mean that you can’t dramatically improve your craft over time. It’s about the process and the journey. As you sculpt, you are also being sculpted.” 

One of the greatest rewards Moro reaps from his art is how much enjoyment his art brings and the memories flooding back to those viewing his pieces, not to mention Moro’s own enjoyment of crafting the piece. 

“One reason I loved doing the sports figures is that people frequently interact with the pieces,” said Moro. “They love talking about ‘the day they saw Mickey Mantle hit one out’ or how their first ballgame was ‘at Fenway with Ted Williams playing.’ But I also think that the real satisfaction is in the process of making the piece. The journey, if you will. Having pieces exhibited and appreciated is certainly pleasing, but the act of creating and shaping and building is what really is the most gratifying.” 

AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development has updated its guidance for community sports amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which will have an impact on the school sports scene in Maine. 

Face coverings are required for all individuals at practices and competitions at all times, including players, coaches, staff, and officials while engaging in practice or competition.

For winter sports, skiing and individual swimming fall under the lower risk category, while basketball, team swimming, ice hockey and cheerleading fall under moderate risk. Wrestling is the lone winter sport flagged as a high risk sport. 

Low risk sports are cleared to participate in Levels 1 through 5. Moderate risk sports may begin Monday, Dec. 7 at Level 1, elevating to Levels 2 and 3 on Dec. 14 and reaching Level 4 on Monday, Jan. 11. High risk sports, at this time, are only cleared for Levels 1 and 2. 

Level 1: Performing skill-building drills or conditioning at home, alone or with household members
Level 2: Team-based practice with physically distanced group activities
Level 3: Intrasquad competition involving one cohort of participants
Level 4: Competition between teams from the same geographic area (e.g. same county or adjacent county).
Level 5: Competition between teams from different geographic areas within Maine
Level 6: Competition between teams from different states

An exception to the level of play allowed is when a county is designated by the Maine Department of Education as being in a yellow category, at which time competition and practice “should be suspended,” according to guidelines. 

The start dates of December 7 and January 11 allow for time to pass after holidays when people may be travelling or at gatherings that increase the risk of COVID-19 spread, according to the Maine Principals’ Association.

Start dates for Levels 5 and 6 of competition will be determined in January. The January 11 start date for Level 4 competition will also be reviewed in early January based upon the status of the public health situation at that time. 

“We are pleased to have worked collaboratively with the various stakeholders to provide an opportunity for winter activities to take place in Maine,” said Mike Burnham, Executive Director of the Maine Principals’ Association. “We understand the importance that these activities are to the health and well-being of our students, their families, and their communities. The alignment with the Community Sport Guidelines gives all groups a chance to work together to provide programs that are meaningful for the young people in our state. These guidelines will also allow for the sport of volleyball to have an indoor season at some point this winter/spring.

“We are grateful to the MPA, the Maine School Superintendents Association, and the Maine School Boards Association for their continued collaboration,” said Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew and Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “This schedule allows students, their families and school communities to plan for a winter sports season that prioritizes the health and safety of Maine students, school staff, and communities.”

“The MSBA Board of Directors supports the plan,” said MSBA Executive Director Steven Bailey. “We understand how important sports are not just to the players but to the school community. Face coverings are the new normal and the best strategy for allowing sports to continue and for keeping schools open, along with allowing no spectators within competitions. While disappointing to both fans and players, it is critical to the success of schools remaining the place where spread does not happen. We need for schools to remain the safe place so that we are able to remain in yellow, heading to green.”

“The MSSA Executive Committee supports the recommendations for moving forward with the winter sports schedule and appreciates the safety precautions of mandatory use of face coverings and that no spectators will be allowed for inside competition,” said Eileen King, Executive Director of the Maine School Superintendents Association. “We also thank the MPA for their strong language mandating the suspension of sports if a county is defined as yellow.”

The MPA continues to update its “School Sports Guidance: Return to Competition for Competitive Athletics and Activities in Maine” for winter sports and will be issuing requirements applicable to particular sports in the coming weeks.

Hunting season is in full swing across Maine. Over the past two weeks, Boothbay Region Land Trust (BRLT) has been fielding a high volume of questions regarding hunting policy on its preserves. The land trust is committed to keeping its lands accessible to the public for traditional activities including hunting, where appropriate. BRLT also recognizes that at this time, with indoor activities limited due to the pandemic, many of the region's public preserves are receiving higher than typical activity for this time of year. In an effort to ensure safe use the BRLT preserves, the land trust is sharing the following guidelines and recommendations.

Land trusts across Maine are a resource for all types of outdoor recreation, including hunting. Hunting can help to maintain a healthy balance of game species, which contributes to ecological diversity and helps native plant and animal communities thrive. It also supports food security for individuals and families across the state. At BRLT preserves hunting is permitted by permission. Interested hunters should contact the land trust to receive approval for hunting. BRLT requires all hunters to have a Maine State hunting license and to follow all state laws regarding hunting. In addition, on BRLT preserves hunters are required to adhere to the same regulations required at Maine State parks. These include maintaining 300 feet (100 yards) of distance from trails and parking areas when discharging weapons. Hunters may not erect shelters, blinds, tree stands, game cameras, or other structures on BRLT-owned lands. Trapping is not permitted on BRLT preserves as it could conflict with other recreational activities. Hunters should know the location of trails on a preserve, patterns of use, property boundaries, and nearby residences prior to use for hunting. Hunters should also avoid crossing onto adjacent properties unless they have the landowner's permission. Drinking alcohol is not permitted on BRLT property and all users of BRLT preserves are expected to follow “leave no trace” ethos.

Hikers utilizing land trust preserves during hunting season should wear blaze orange at all times. Even if hikers are utilizing preserves where hunting is not permitted or common, it is possible that adjacent private properties could be used for hunting. Blaze orange clothing is the best way to notify hunters of your presence and to stay safe while outdoors during this season. BRLT also recommends that hikers stick to the trails and keep dogs leashed. As a general reminder, the state of Maine does not allow hunting on Sundays. Those hikers who feel more comfortable at locations where hunting is prohibited and signs are posted may wish to consider recreating at Oak Point Farm or Saunders Preserve during hunting season.

Some BRLT preserves tend to be more conducive to hunting activities than others, such as Pine Tree Preserve, which generally receives fewer hikers and is one of the larger preserves in the area. Smaller, busier preserves such as Penny Lake, Porter Preserve, and Oak Point Farm can be good options for hikers during hunting season as the heavy traffic, in-town settings, and surrounding residences make them a less likely choice for hunting.

Boothbay Region Land Trust appreciates the community's cooperation in following these guidelines and ensuring that the region's preserves can remain available for a wide variety of activities. For questions or to request more information or permission for hunting, individuals may contact Boothbay Region Land Trust at brlt@bbrlt.org or call the office Monday-Friday.

AUGUSTA — The Maine Principals’ Association, the governing body for high school athletics in the state, announced Monday afternoon the cancelation of this year’s high school cross country state championships. 

“The concern of bringing students together from all parts of Maine through state-wide travel as we are experiencing a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Maine,” said MPA Assistant Executive Director  Mike Bisson. “The new mask mandate for student-athletes to wear masks throughout the competition. Many cross country runners have not been acclimatized to wearing the mask while competing in a high stakes race since the mandate took place last Friday. This is a concern for the health and safety of the student-athletes.” 

The association received a great deal of feedback from school administrators and coaches regarding the championship meets, according to the release, and all concerns were heard.

“Please know that this was not a decision that was taken lightly, but one that the leadership at the MPA felt necessary to take based on a couple of major of concerns,” said Bisson, acknowledging those slated to participate will be disappointed in the event’s cancellation.  

The Camden Hills girls cross country team and Oceanside’s Maria Protheroe had qualified for the state championships. 

Midcoast Conservancy is pleased to announce that Patricia Nease, the Railsback Intern/Maine Conservation Corps Environmental Steward, has been hired on as watershed coordinator on its water team. She has spent the last year working on a variety of programs on Damariscotta Lake, along with the Sheepscot River and the Medomak River.

On Damariscotta Lake, Nease managed volunteers for the Courtesy Boat Inspection Program to prevent the spread of invasive plants including the notorious Hydrilla, the Invasive Plant Patrol volunteers who monitor along the shore, led biweekly water quality monitoring and generally responding to questions and concerns from the community. Nease was on the lake with residents and a researcher from Bigelow Lab in August after Midcoast Conservancy learned of the toxic cyanobacteria bloom which results from warming temperatures and lower oxygen levels that release phosphorus from accumulated sediments in the lake.

As watershed coordinator, Nease will build on the past year of her Maine Conservation Corps service and be the point of contact for Damariscotta Lake volunteer programs, including Lake Smart evaluations, and help Midcoast Conservancy conduct a watershed survey of the entire lakeshore (with volunteers to be recruited in 2021) to help reduce the threat of harmful algal blooms as part of the effort to identify how best to address the cumulative impacts on water quality. Midcoast Conservancy welcomes Nease and looks forward to her leadership on Damariscotta Lake and throughout the Midcoast Conservancy service area as it benefits from her expertise.

To contact Nease with any questions, to learn more about LakeSmart, or to express interest in volunteering for any of the water programs, email her at patricia@midcoastconservancy

In his latest try at a boat ramp Alna will approve at 126 Golden Ridge Road, Jeff Spinney told the planning board Nov. 10, he has ordered a 15-foot wide, modular, portable, military-grade aluminum roadway that will support about 300,000 pounds and cost about $15,000. “So if I wanted to roll tanks down it, I could.” It meets the definition of a temporary structure, he said. “I can roll it out when I want it, and put it away when I don’t.”

So he sees no issue the board would have, Spinney said in the Zoom meeting and in text replies to Wiscasset Newspaper Nov. 13.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has told him that to change his plan to this, he would need to write a letter and the agency would look at the impacts.

Planning board member Laurie Hiestand asked Spinney why he was going with military grade and something that can support that tonnage. Spinney answered, “It’s not my first choice, but they’re the only ones that make such a thing. Anywhere else, you would simply put in a discreet-looking permanent something. But until I take (the earlier proposal the board rejected) to Superior Court, which is where we’re headed next, this will be my interim solution.” Besides being temporary, the mat he proposes is easier and would cause less disturbance than other options he looked at, he said.

In response to questions from Chair Jim Amaral, Spinney said it is designed to not stir up the river bottom and would be placed at low tide. Spinney also proposes earthwork to make a safer, more pleasant surface in place of rocks and other materials he said were dumped there over the years.

Numerous times, some participants referred to Head Tide Dam’s 2019 makeover as a project they felt might not have met the shoreland rules but, unlike Spinney’s prior ramp bid, got town approval. Besides Spinney raising the issue in his presentation, it also came up when the board looked at a proposed change in shoreland rules.

Member Peter Tischbein said under the ordinance, the dam work probably should not have gotten a permit. Agreeing was Ralph Hilton. His petition on the ordinance change has selectmen planning a town vote next month. A Nov. 12 town email announced a 6:30 p.m. Nov. 23 Zoom public hearing on that amendment and a proposed amendment to the E-911 addressing ordinance.

The announcement states the shoreland amendment would  “allow for permanent structures for functionally water-dependent uses extending over or below the normal high water line or within a wetland with planning board approval.”

Citing past permits for fire department dry hydrants and the dam project, Tischbein said those were probably in the public’s interest, but “all of those, theoretically, if we went in the strictest sense, we should have not permitted those,” and Hilton’s proposal is “probably a needed change” to let the board use its judgment, he said.

Member Beth Whitney agreed. She recalled the board’s having to say no to some “quite reasonable” projects over the years due to where they were. Members said to avoid a conflict between the amendment and other parts of the ordinance, a further change, or changes, should go to a town vote afterward.

Amaral polled members for any biases on Spinney’s latest shoreland proposal. Amaral said he asked the questions so everyone in town would know the board looked at the request fairly. Tischbein, of the Army Corps of Engineers, recused himself, as he has on Spinney’s past tries. Other members cited no biases and got the board’s OK to take part.

Some residents cited their concerns about bias or the appearance. Amaral told them he checked with Maine Municipal Association but would again, for clarification.

The board planned a site visit for 10 a.m. Nov. 18 and more talks on the proposal at the board’s 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1 meeting.

With the numbers of active cases of COVID-19 on the rise, Twin Villages Foodbank Farm (TVFF) has made the decision to offer its annual Thanksgiving 5K event virtually. Instead of the physically-distant event originally planned at Coastal Rivers’ Salt Bay Farm on Nov. 26, participants are invited to run or walk their favorite route anywhere on their own schedule, any day between Nov. 18 and Dec. 16.

There is no fee to participate, though monetary donations to TVFF are encouraged. Participants are asked to register online at coastalrivers.org/events or at twinvillagesfarm.org/foodbank-farm-5k

Runners and walkers can complete the 5K (3.1 mile) route of their choice any time between Wednesday, Nov. 18 and the end of the day on Wednesday, Dec. 16. To have their results posted on TVFF’s website, finishers may email a selfie along with their time, or a screenshot of their route and time recorded on a fitness tracking app such as Strava, to hmcghee@coastalrivers.org

TVFF will send a Twin Villages Foodbank Farm patch out to all finishers who provide their mailing address.

TVFF’s mission is to grow and distribute healthy food for those who need it most in Lincoln County. TVFF serves food pantries in Boothbay, Damariscotta/Newcastle, Jefferson, New Harbor, Waldoboro, Whitefield, and Wiscasset, and youth food programs including FARMS at the Y, the YMCA daycare, Newcastle Head Start, and weekend backpack programs at the Boothbay Regional Schools, Bristol Consolidated School, and Wiscasset Elementary School.

To learn more about the farm or to make a secure online donation, visit twinvillagesfarm.org

The Farm operates in close partnership with Coastal Rivers. Coastal Rivers donates use of its prime farmland at Salt Bay Farm and provides administrative, fundraising and communications support.

Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust is a non-profit, nationally accredited land trust with active programs in land conservation, water quality, trails and public access, and nature education in the Damariscotta-Pemaquid region. For more information, email info@coastalrivers.org or visit www.coastalrivers.org

Midcoast Conservancy will be offering its winter youth cross-country ski clinic starting Saturday, Jan. 9 through Saturday, Feb. 13, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson. The six-session ski clinic for kids ages 5-14 is the perfect setting for skiers of different levels to gain skills and confidence while enjoying HVNC’s trails. Instructors use creative, non-competitive methods to ensure that skiers are learning while having fun each week. Hidden Valley has over 25 miles of trails that are groomed in winter, and has five cabins and yurts that are open year round for camping.

COVID-19 considerations will be observed. This program will be held 100% outdoors. Participants will be socially distanced and required to wear masks when unable to socially distance, and will be assigned to small groups and remain in those same small groups each week. The large group circle/ warm-up which normally takes place as a part of this program will be replaced by individual group warm-ups. In the event that this program is cancelled due to an uptick in COVID-19 cases or community transmission in Lincoln County, all families and participants will receive a full refund.

There are separate costs for members and non-members. Space is limited so families are encouraged to register today using the online form found on the Midcoast Conservancy website at https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/youth-cross-country-ski-clinic-2/

Anyone with questions should contact Andy Bezon at andyb@midcoastconservancy.org or 207-389-5156.

Midcoast Conservancy will begin its youth ski lease program with a fit session on Saturday, Dec. 5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its Edgecomb office on Route 1. A second fitting session will be offered on Tuesday, Dec. 8 from 3 to 6 p.m.

Youth packages include skis, boots and poles; the lease period runs through the entire winter so that participants can take advantage of any snow at a moment’s notice! The season price is $70/individual; gear is available for skiers grades pre-K through 8th.

The ski lease will be “curbside” this year. As families arrive at the main office at 290 Rt. 1, Edgecomb, a volunteer will greet them in the parking lot. Families will be assigned a number based on the order they arrive.  Parents will then be asked to stay in their vehicles and fill out the ski lease “order” form (child’s height, approximate boot size, etc.). The order will be fulfilled and brought back out to the vehicle. Participants will be able to try on boots outside or in their vehicle for appropriate fit. Parents are asked to please bring cash or check and a mask for themselves and their children. 2021- season passes/ memberships will also be available. Contact Director of Community Programs Andy Bezon at andyb@midcoastconservancy.org with any questions.

Alna selectmen decided Wednesday, Nov. 18 to take as much time as law allows before setting a town vote on Ralph Hilton’s petition to change the shoreland ordinance. The board plans to decide Dec. 16 how and when the town will vote. Selectmen have considered a referendum, due to the region’s spike in COVID-19 cases.

The proposal would add to a table of uses, “permanent structures for functionally water-dependent uses with a (National Resources Protection Act) permit where required.” Hilton has said the town has been using two scenarios when it considers shoreland projects, and the amendment’s goal is consistency.

A Nov. 13 letter from 61 residents asked selectmen to wait for town meeting next March. “It may be (the) ordinance needs updating and it would be better to take the time ... to review the ordinance and make any needed changes at the same time. Piecemeal changes will be confusing to the public and will lead to future conflict.”

On Zoom Nov. 18, some of those residents again urged the board to wait. And one, Mark DesMueles, said “we all know” the petition aims to help Jeff Spinney get a project passed. Hilton and Spinney said, not so.

“This is not my petition. I’m pretty tired of hearing that people think it is ...,” Spinney said. “It’s not mine, no matter how many times they mutter it ...”

Hilton told the meeting, “This is not Jeff Spinney’s issue. This is my issue, because we need consistency in our ordinances.” As for other residents’ request to wait, he countered, given the way the pandemic is going, there might not be an open town meeting in March. “We have no idea who might be looking to do some project” on the Sheepscot River or other water bodies, and that could pose legal costs for taxpayers, he said. “We need to come up with a plan of how we can run a ballot on this issue now.”

Second Selectman Doug Baston said by law, the board has 60 days to schedule it, and the clock started when the petition’s signatures were certified Oct. 23. He said if mediation resolves Spinney’s planned court appeal of the town’s rejection of his ramp proposal, waiting a month to set the ordinance vote could avoid residents’ basing their votes on their views of that project.

Third Selectman Greg Shute said the town will need to fully understand the ordinance and past permitted projects “so that we’re really working with facts and we’re all in agreement on those facts.”

Planning board chair Jim Amaral announced in a town email Nov. 20, a Nov. 23 public hearing on the ordinance change was off and would be reset when selectmen have scheduled the town vote.

I didn’t want to leave.

I wanted to keep driving around through the dazzling light show at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens this time of year. Gardens Aglow has been taking the breath away from visitors for six years now, but unlike the first five it’s not a walking tour.

This year in particular we’re all in need of a beautiful distraction. Our eyes, mind, and spirit are hungry for respite from the year’s unending stress and anxiety, and Gardens Aglow is just the ticket.

When you begin the drive your senses are overwhelmed by colors outlining the CMBG landscape that in the dark – yes, your headlights are off – appears unending. And, like me, your eyes just may well up with tears.

I love the stories that are prompted by viewing paintings, and Gardens Aglow lives on one huge canvas!

The woodland creatures – deer, wolf, moose, birds, butterflies, fox – are all tucked in places waiting to greet you. The moose in the pond is back. As you are driving near it, if you view it as though its head is at your shoulder, the white light reflecting on the water from a group of trees seems to illuminate the path on which he moved across the water. A red fox on a rock at the pond’s edge stands watching the moose, enjoying being bathed by the light – and the attention from slow-moving cars.

Nearing the end of the drive there are Christmas trees as far as you can see. Multi-color, white, green, red, yellow lights adorn them and as the cold breeze moved the strands lightly, the colors appeared to lift off the trees and float in the air … just for a second. I could see myself dancing around them … if only what was imagined became real ...

One of my favorite places was the covered bridge covered with white and blue lights. It was as mesmerizing as a night drive when it’s snowing … snowflakes dancing in the wind.

Yes, it is an enchanting experience. Everyone at the preview when I was were making their way along the route quite slowly, absorbing the magic.

The staff at CMBG are positioned along the road, particularly as you approach the turns, gently waving lit batons to guide your way. Driving with my window down I found myself calling out to them – “Love it” and “I don’t want to leave.” They would respond with thank you’s and “You have to come back!”

And I will. The addition of snow will bring its own  magic to Gardens Aglow.

Marketing Director Kris Folsom recalls “bravo” and “Wow” as the comments heard most often on the preview night, Nov. 19, of the first Gardens Aglow driving tour. Folsom said there were a few tweaks to work out for Community Night Nov. 20.

“Last night was a great success,” Folsom said. “Timed ticketing worked very well. For the most part, everyone arrived at their ticketed time and that made things go so smoothly. The real test will be on Saturday night as we are nearly sold out in all of our time slots. Actually, that is true of the next four Saturday nights as well.”

Tickets must be bought in advance at www.mainegardens.org. Check out the FAQ section on the site. It is quite comprehensive. Ticket pricing is per car, not per person – $30 for CMBG members and $40 for non-members.

Said Folsom, “It’s wonderful to be able to offer a bright light during what has been a dreary 2020.”

If you’ve never been to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens before, and want a magical departure from reality, it’s at 132 Botanical Gardens Drive in Boothbay. And believe me, you won’t want to leave either!

AUGUSTA — The School Sports Guidance: Return to Competition for Competitive Activities in Maine for winter sports has been updated and approved by the Maine Principals’ Association’s  Interscholastic Management Committee.

“We would like to thank the Office of the Governor, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, and Maine School Management Association for their work in aligning these guidelines,” said the MPA. 

Please note that links to individual sport guidelines may be found in the appendices at the end of the document by clicking here.

Please know that these guidelines are designed to allow for a safe return to play, but that they remain a work in progress and may be modified as circumstances with the virus change.

A few points of clarification:

Participants in school sports – All athletes, coaches, officials, staff -- must wear face coverings during practices and competition, in line with Governor Mills’ latest Executive Order.

Spectators are not allowed at indoor competitions given the challenges of adhering to indoor gathering limits. Schools must continue to follow the Governor’s Executive Order on gathering size limits, currently set at 100 people outdoor, or fewer if distancing rules cannot be accommodated.

The decision to sponsor a school activity is made at the local level.  The MPA does not require approval from a school's local governing board.

As with fall sports, all winter coaches, paid and volunteer, must complete the free Covid-19 course called Covid-19 for Coaches and Administrators currently available on the NFHS Learn platform at https://nfhslearn.com/. It is recommended that athletes and officials also watch the video.

Should a county be designated yellow or red, there should be no practices or games held until which time they are designated green.

Schools must continue to follow the Governor’s Executive Order on gathering size limits, currently set at 100 people outdoors, or fewer if distancing rules cannot be accommodated.

Schools must follow the Maine CDC recommendations for reporting when a person involved in school sports is confirmed positive for COVID-19 or a close contact of such a person (see the Standard Operating Procedure for Investigation of COVID-19 in Pre-K-12 Schools in Maine that is posted on the Department of Education website).

Each winter sport committee has developed “Sport Specific Guidelines” that align with the “School Sports Guidance: Return to Competition for Competitive Activities in Maine” document that was recently approved for winter sports and activities. These guidelines may be found in the appendices at the end of the Return to Competition document.

Each winter activity will have a revised bulletin that addresses the winter season. These may be found on the MPA website soon.

Along with the “School Sports Guidance: Return to Competition for Competitive Activities in Maine” each school must follow all local rules and policies as they apply to the use of facilities, including locker rooms, transportation, operational considerations, cleaning and disinfecting, and the use of shared objects.

Volleyball and Wrestling will be looking at a modified season that will take place in the late winter/early spring.

Unified Basketball will take place during the winter sport season.

Cathy Johnson of Alna has earned Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM)’s lifetime achievement award. NRCM celebrated its 2020 Conservation Leadership Awards online Oct. 22.

“This year’s award winners have done remarkable work to protect what we all love and value about Maine,” said NRCM CEO Lisa Pohlmann. “Each of these individuals demonstrates the power of Mainers to make a difference by speaking up, organizing, and advocating for a better future.”

Johnson was honored for her tireless advocacy in defense of Maine's North Woods and ability to inspire and galvanize support for wild places across Maine. She retired this year from NRCM after serving for almost 30 years as the forests and wildlife director. Johnson helped create Maine’s Ecological Reserve system and the Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument, and pushed back against Plum Creek’s proposal for the Moosehead Lake region.

Also honored were Aram Calhoun of Amherst, for her expertise and leadership in the effort to protect Maine's vernal pools, including as a scientific expert supporting our work to stop the Central Maine Power (CMP) corridor project. Calhoun is a professor of wetlands ecology at the University of Maine; Vaughan Woodruff of Pittsfield, for for his tireless efforts to move Maine toward a clean energy future, create clean energy jobs for Maine people and protect western Maine from the CMP corridor; and Eric Sherman of Greenville, People’s Choice Award for his tireless efforts on the No CMP Corridor campaign and hard work for the greater good of Maine's North Woods. He is a schoolteacher and a whitewater guide.

For more than 30 years, NRCM’s Conservation Leadership Awards have recognized residents who work to protect the natural resources so important for Maine’s economy and way of life. Past recipients include U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, natural history author Phyllis Austin, former Baxter State Park Director Buzz Caverly and Olympic champion-clean air activist Joan Benoit Samuelson.

For more information, visit www.nrcm.org/events/conservation-leadership-awards/

Paddlesports: canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding, is the fastest growing segment of watercraft recreation. Unfortunately, it’s also disproportionately the most dangerous segment comprising only 8% of all recreational watercraft but 20% of all boating related fatalities. Christmas is rapidly approaching and if you’re a paddlesports enthusiast, know some who is, or you’d like to become one yourself, the Paddlesports Gift Guide below can make you, or the recipient, not just happy but also safer on the water. Coast Guard Auxiliary Paddlecraft expert, kayak enthusiastic, Portland CG Auxiliary Flotilla 21 member, and South Berwick resident, Mike Moloney, has assembled the Santa Suggestions below. From a few dollars to a couple of hundred plus, there are “nice to have”, “smart to have” and “must have” gift ideas for paddlesports enthusiasts of all experience levels.

Top (slightly over) 10 Paddle Sports Holiday Gift Ideas

Every year, once the paddling season ends, the holiday season begins. In normal times I love the holidays, except for one part: GIFTS! Gifts stress me out. I never know what to buy for people, and when my family asks me “What do you want…?”, I can never think of what to say. However, if you’re a paddler, or will be buying gifts for a paddler, here are a few holiday gift ideas to help you out!

#1 Lessons

There is no substitute for experience! If you are relatively new to paddlesports, or love someone who is, a gift certificate for some lessons from an ACA (American Canoe Association) qualified instructor can provide worthwhile and potentially live saving instruction in just a few hours.

#2 Sign up for a Guided Tour

The only thing better than hearing about safe kayaking practices is actually doing them! Check your local area for guided tour providers. For information about guided tours in your area visit: http://maskgi.org/
#3 A good Life Preserver A good quality, comfortable life jacket that fits well and is designed specifically for paddling can be a gift of life! For Paddle Boarders, an inflatable Life Vest Belt Pack Waist Bag makes an excellent gift

#4 Bilge Pump, Paddle Float and Leash

On a nice summer’s day, under the right safety conditions, its actually very refreshing to practice self-rescue skills and teach them to your companions. Once back upright and aboard, you’ll want to get as much water out of your boat as possible; a bilge pump and sponge will make the rest of your day much more pleasant. A paddle leash can help keep that paddle from drifting away in an emergency or if you’re distracted while taking a photo of the beautiful wildlife and scenery you’ll see along the New England coast!

#4 VHF Marine Handheld Waterproof Floating Radio

A waterproof VHF marine radio should be a personal requirement for anyone who ventures out onto Maine’s coastal waters. While you may dial 911 with your phone and reach a distant 911 call center, there may other boats nearby who could be summoned much more quickly with a VHF Mayday call.

#5 Spare Paddle

While practicing in the pool, my lightweight paddle broke right in the middle while I was attempting to remount my boat. Having a good heavy duty backup paddle would have been a better idea.

#6 EPIRB

An EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) will quickly alert search and rescue services in case of an emergency out at sea. An EPIRB can help not only pinpoint your location and but can also provide owner/vessel information to rescue services. EPIRB unit sizes vary and many models float; some are specifically designed for sea kayakers.

#7 First Aid Kit & First Aid lessons

This one is a no-brainer. Anyone who goes into the outdoors should bring a First Aid Kit. I like to camp on islands; I find the sense of isolation brings me peace. CPR and First Aid classes may be available through your local Emergency Services Department or local Red Cross, so they’re easy to access. Assume it will take a while for Emergency Services to get to your isolated location so Be Prepared! See also #4 “VHF Marine Handheld Waterproof Floating Radio”

#8 Magnetic Compass

A basic deck-mounted or handheld compass, combined with the knowledge of how to use it, can help you find your way back to safety, especially in limited visibility. For basic navigation information including how to use a magnetic compass, sign up for the Coast Guard Auxiliary course “Weekend Navigator.”

#9 Tow Rope

If you go paddling with others, especially children who may tire more easily, a waist-belt mounted tow rope can come in really handy. Make sure you get one with a quick release buckle, because you never want to be permanently attached to much of anything while in a marine environment.

#10 Whistle

A “sound producing device” is a legal requirement when operating a vessel on Maine waters and may summon help when needed or alert others to your presence in reduced visibility. A “pea-less” whistle is Coast Guard approved and will still work if filled with water.

So there it is, my Holiday Gift to you. A Top 10 List for that special paddler in your life! If that “Special Paddler” is you, leaving this list out with some items circled might provide welcome gift-giving hints to your significant other.

Weeks into Wiscasset Lights of Hope, the response has been great, Wiscasset schools’ athletic director and Wiscasset Middle High School Assistant Principal Warren Cossette said.

AUGUSTA — The Maine Principals’ Association announced Friday team-based practices and team-based scrimmaging for moderate and high-risk interscholastic winter sports, which were originally slated to begin December 14 have been delayed until January 4, 2021.

The decision, which was made in collaboration with the Maine School Boards Association, the Maine School Superintendents Association, the Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and the Mills Administration, comes as Maine continues to see an increase in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and positivity rate.

The decision, however, allows skill-building drills or conditioning to begin as scheduled December 7 with face coverings, physical distancing, no close contact, and in limited numbers when possible.

This measure aims to allow student athletes the opportunity to participate in school sports to a limited extent despite the delay in team-based practice and within-team competition, a news release stated. 

The State of Maine has also aligned its Guidance for Community Sports Activities to align with these changes.

The holidays have come to Alna again and, this year, to its dam. Head Tide Dam has a decorated tree tied to the platform that in 2019 helped replace an abutment and make more room for the fish to get through.

“We are informally calling it the ‘Dam Tree’ but yes, it's a holiday lights/winter solstice tree to bring light and cheer to the townspeople of Alna during these darkest days of the year,” recreation committee member Anne Simpson wrote in a Saturday email response to questions.

Wiscasset Newspaper first reported in September the site might be decorated, an idea floated in a Zoom selectmen’s meeting. Saturday, Simpson explained the tree is the lone item planned this year, “but we may expand a little in future years if folks like the idea of decorations at the dam site.” Lights are minimal, to avoid impacting aquatic life, she added.

Simpson said fellow Alna volunteer firefighter Paul Crandall thought clothespins would help keep the lights in place. She said he donated the tree and lights and made the star that tops the tree. Reached via email Sunday, Crandall said he bought the tree from American Legion Post of Damariscotta, where he is a member. 

Anyone interested in local forestry is invited to attend a Forest Walk on Saturday, Dec. 12, from noon-2 p.m. Walk hosts include Hidden Valley Nature Center (HVNC) Forester Barrie Brusila, HVNC Co-Founder Tracy Moskovitz, and Midcoast Conservancy Forestry and Lands Manager Tim Libby; participants will join them for a walk through the next forest project area at HVNC.  The hosts will explain the Crop Tree Release project at HVNC and how it relates to forest health, wildlife and habitat, soil and water quality, trail layout, harvesting, recreation and more.

This is the first in a three-part series. This walk will focus on the Pre-crop Tree Release; future walks will address what goes on during the Crop Tree Release, and after it.

Participants should meet at the Barn; everyone should bring a mask and be prepared to maintain physical distancing protocols. The rain date for the event is Sunday, Dec. 13, from noon-2 p.m. Registration for the free walk can be found at https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events/forest-walk-at-hidden-valley-nature-center/

Contact Tim Libby with any questions at tim@midcoastconservancy.org

Alna planning board chairman Jim Amaral said the panel will deliberate tonight on Jeff Spinney’s ramp and earthwork request. Wednesday night on Zoom, the board heard some of the same public concern and heard Spinney say he was open to talking about possible public access. The statement came in response to a question from Amaral.

Amaral wondered if Maine Department of Environmental Protection might accept some limited public access as an alternative to a sportsman’s club from a prior proposal. The ramp, as a temporary structure, would not need DEP approval, but the earthwork he also proposes would, Spinney said.

The meetings come about a week before mediation in Spinney’s earlier proposal the board and the town’s appeals board rejected. The new bid the board faces is for a mat he said he can take on and off the bank of his Golden Ridge Road property.

“Most of your project, I’m pretty good with,” member Beth Whitney told Spinney. But she said the ordinance calls for facilities no bigger than needed, and consistent with area conditions, use and character. “It does seem like (the proposal is) a little bit of overkill on that count.” 

Spinney said he needed something heavy enough to stay in place in the water, and wanted the mat big enough to disperse the weight and minimize pressure on soft ground, like snowshoes do, he said. 

Amaral asked about using a smaller mat. Member Taylor McGraw said that might break, damaging the ground.

Among public comments, Ralph Hilton asked the board to focus on the facts, “not a whole bunch of baloney from people who are looking for any excuse at all to attack someone ... looking for a simple permit.”

And Cathy Johnson said the site has a muddy section “completely unsuitable” for the proposal.

Tonight’s meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84954614056?pwd=ZDdhTDB6eEJNVHY1VjZLclN5S0pldz09

A town email lists passcode 137614.

A local basketball milestone was recently brought to light 46 years after it happened.

Laurel “Laurie” Reed, Boothbay Region High School class of 1974, was an outstanding basketball player who made the girls varsity squad all four years (70-74) of high school. She was the team’s leading scorer for at least three of those four years, and was a state foul shooting champion her junior year and runner-up her senior year.

Several years ago, BRHS teacher and athletic director Allan Crocker (BRHS class of 1996) began researching and documenting the school’s sports history from the mid-50s to the present. The history includes individual and team accomplishments that will hopefully be made available to the public in some form in the near future.

In his research, Crocker found Reed’s scoring totals listed in three editions of The Log, the school’s yearbook, from 1972, 1973 and 1974.

“When I added up the points from her sophomore through senior year, it came to 996 points. I made a note of it and always intended to get down to look at the (Boothbay Register) newspaper archives to see if I could find any stats from her freshman year but never found the time to do so,” said Crocker. Reed scored 426 points her sophomore year, 325 points her junior year, and 245 points her senior year.

The significance of being a 1,000-point scorer in high school basketball back in the 1970s was not as great as it is today and girls basketball – sorry to say –wasn’t a great spectator draw, nor was it covered in the newspapers or television on a regular basis.

A few months back, Crocker began talking with Larry Brown, the school’s resource officer from Boothbay Harbor Police Department, about his research and specifically about Reed’s career and point total. He told Brown the 1971 Log did not list the team’s scoring leaders and that he had not been able to do anymore research.

“That’s when Larry ran with it,” said Crocker.

Brown, who has enjoyed Seahawk sports ever since he moved here in 1997, began his quest by contacting Reed’s former teammates from the 70-71 season, including Cathie Parkhurst, Cindy Brown, Kathy Frizzell, Rhonda (Hodgdon) Robinson and the team’s scorekeeper, Wendy Rego. All agreed that Reed “must have” scored at least four points during her freshman year, but none had any written proof.

He also spoke with Peter Cook, an outstanding athlete as well from the class of ’74, by phone at Cook’s Connecticut home a few weeks back. Cook agreed with Reed’s teammates that she was a dominant player and most likely would have scored at least four points.

Other classmates and teammates, as well as Reed’s eighth grade coach Laura Arsenault, were suggested to Brown to contact, and a search on the internet for the coach of the team in ’71, Gail Steeves, has turned up empty.

That’s when Brown went to Boothbay Region Historical Society.

He began pouring through the 1971 Boothbay Register yearbook to possibly find any article on a girls’ basketball game (the boys’ team got most of the press). He didn’t find anything on his initial search.

On Saturday, Dec. 5, Brown went through the newspaper yearbook again and – voila! – he found what he was looking for.

In the Jan. 14, 1971 issue of the Register, there was an article on the recent game against Wiscasset and, although the team lost (no score given) by two points, it mentioned that “Marianne Rowe and Laurie Reed were high scorers with 12 points each.”

The printed proof of Reed’s accomplishment is, however, bittersweet as she will never know about the milestone. Reed died on July 21, 1999 at St. Andrews Hospital from multiple myeloma cancer at the age of 43.

According to her obituary, after high school, Reed graduated from the University of Maine, Orono and then joined the U.S. Army, where she became a captain and fought in the Gulf War. After leaving the armed forces, she lived in Powder Springs, Georgia. She is buried in Oceanview Cemetery, Boothbay. Her parents and a brother are deceased and she is survived by a sister, Collette, and a brother, Michael.

Whether or not there is a listing of Reed’s stats from her freshman year out there (Crocker and Brown are still on the search), she will be honored at a future ceremony at the school as “possibly” Boothbay Region High School’s first 1,000-point scorer. That crown is currently worn by Melissa Hodgdon.

Crocker and Brown are also searching for scoring stats from other standout basketball players (and any other sport) from the school’s 60-year history and other sports fans from the region have also volunteered to help with the research. Crocker’s research and documentation are immense but, as he told the newspaper, there may be some athletes he has missed, especially from the early years.

Should anyone have any suggestions on the research, please contact Crocker or Brown.

Like other rural roads that run through two or more Lincoln County towns, West Alna Road in Wiscasset and Alna is striking with its miles of tall trees and big open spaces.

Dec. 10, clouds and cool temperatures were keeping recent light snowfall on surfaces, giving the roadside its winter look in time for the season’s Dec. 21 start. 

After a 3-2 planning board vote on Zoom Thursday night, Dec. 10, if he gets any other agencies’ permits he needs, Alna’s Jeff Spinney can roll a mat down to the Sheepscot River as a boat ramp; he can also replace some earth with gravel. But with his previous ramp request headed for mediation Dec. 16, he was not sure what project he will choose for his Golden Ridge Road property.

“I’ve got multiple things going on and I’m going to see them probably through to the end on all aspects, and then evaluate what’s the best thing to do. And if the other items drag out for a long time, then I can always fall back to this (mat) option while I’m battling with the others,” Spinney said in a phone interview minutes after the vote. He will also look at which items need Maine Department of Environmental Protection or other approval. And he noted, abutters who opposed his latest proposal to the planning board can appeal Thursday’s outcome. “I’m not foolish enough to think that they’re going to accept the answer.”

Second Selectman Doug Baston told Wiscasset Newspaper Friday morning, the town had not received word of an appeal, but he would be surprised if there is not one, given “the volleyball that this thing has turned into.”

In the post-meeting interview, Spinney reiterated the roll-out ramp was not his first choice. “But it will do as a temporary choice, while I’m dealing with the other issues.”

In the meeting, member Beth Whitney, part of the majority vote for the proposal, said she preferred the prior one and hopes it succeeds in mediation.

Board chair Jim Amaral’s suggested conditions on the latest application’s approval, involving access for residents and power limits on boat motors, did not take with the board. Nor did his suggestion to have, at most, three boats in the water at once. Members saw no way to enforce it.  

“Let’s count that as another bad idea on my part,” Amaral said.

On the public access idea, members and Spinney, past chair, raised liability and other issues. And Spinney said he makes “a good will effort to be inclusive.”

Whitney, Taylor McGraw and Joel Verney passed the proposal. Amaral and Laurie Hiestand dissented on that and on some of the lead-up votes on standards the proposal had to meet.

Hiestand said the replaced earth and the mat over it make a structure – something that holds something else up, she said. Verney countered, that would make a tarp on a lawn a structure if driven over. And Whitney said mud is not a structure unless it is made into bricks and used to build something.

That part of the ordinance can be read multiple ways, McGraw said. 

Members agreed 5-0 the proposal does not interfere with a beach or harm habitat, and minimizes impact on fisheries.

Amaral again wondered if a smaller mat would work. “They wouldn’t make a ramp that would be too small to be usable,” he said. Bigger protects the land better, Verney said. Spinney said, according to the maker, the bigger one is better for mud and silt.

Members said if the DEP or other agencies reject the proposal over erosion or aesthetics, that would nullify the local approval.

Resident Cathy Johnson publicly opposed the rejected proposal and the new one the board passed. She commented via email Friday, “I am very disappointed in the majority of the planning board ... This decision threatens this pristine stretch of the Sheepscot River. But there remain many ways to stop this project and I remain hopeful that this project will never be constructed and the river will remain sacrosanct.”

The board will vote Jan. 5 on a fact-finding document Amaral drafts in connection with the approval.