Change abounded in the region in 2014. From the opening of a new bridge in Dresden to Wiscasset’s first year outside Regional School Unit 12, some of the dice had been cast in 2013 or earlier. Surprises emerged, including a road-naming controversy in Wiscasset and Alna voters’ attempt to negate the handshake deal their selectmen made with a contractor. Bright notes included some record-smashing at Damariscotta’s Pumpkinfest; and Wiscasset High School living up to its “small but mighty” slogan with exciting wins in a television station’s food drive and boys’ baseball; and a global company’s expansion of its Wiscasset space and workforce.

Wiscasset approves school’s closure

Wiscasset voters agreed to make the 2014-2015 school year the last one at Wiscasset Primary School. Their 367-133 vote at the polls on Dec. 9 upheld a Sept. 15, 3-2 decision by the school committee to close the school. The committee’s decision could have led to the closure without a town vote had residents not petitioned for one. The committee’s early plans heading into 2015 called for students in kindergarten through fourth grade to attend school in 2015-2016 at Wiscasset Middle School. On Nov. 20, the committee agreed to move grades seven and eight in 2015-2016 from the middle school to Wiscasset High School. In combination with the primary school’s closure, the change would have the middle school serving kindergarten through grade six.

Independence from Regional School Unit 12

Consolidation was among the major issues the town’s new school department faced in 2014, as Wiscasset’s pullout from Regional School Unit 12, approved in November 2013, took effect. Other developments included farming out adult education to Regional School Unit 1 in Bath; keeping the local custodians rather than picking up a contractor that had made a pitch to the committee; and hiring Regional School Unit 12 for payroll and other business tasks for year one. In May, voters agreed to tap the town’s reserve fund for $1.25 million to help with the higher cost of education in year one; a subsequent decision by the board of selectmen to use $300,000 from the town’s fund balance also helped keep the tax hike under 5 percent, compared to the double-digit hike taxpayers could have seen without the two moves.

Wiscasset High takes Spirit Cup

On March 7, several weeks of hard work for Wiscasset High School and the community resulted in the school winning Portland television station WGME’s “Spirit Cup.” The prize went to the school raising the most pounds of food for Good Shepherd Food Bank. Wiscasset High’s effort included several fundraisers and a well-attended, televised, early morning rally in Stover Auditorium. The day of the win, the whole school gathered on the school steps to see a group of students arrive back with the cup under escort by Wiscasset’s police and fire departments.

Year of turnover

Several leading positions in Wiscasset schools and government saw turnover, including Boothbay’s Marian Anderson succeeding Laurie Smith as town manager; Don Gerrish did a repeat stint as interim town manager until Anderson came aboard. Smith left to become town manager in Kennebunkport.

Jamel Torres of Waterville started in December as Wiscasset’s town planner. Misty Parker left the planner’s job to become an economic development specialist for the city of Lewiston. The year also saw the retirement of assessor’s agent Sue Varney after about 37 years of service to the town; and Wiscasset Municipal Airport Manager Ervin Deck’s confirmation of plans to leave that post in 2015.

In local schools, Cheri Towle of Newcastle succeeded Deb Taylor as Wiscasset High School principal after Taylor took a job with Regional School Unit 12; Wiscasset Middle School Principal Linda Bleile retired after 41 years at the school. Former Wiscasset High teacher Bruce Scally filled the interim principal’s slot at the middle school.

Construction of Molnlycke’s Wiscasset expansion

Ground broke May 2 on Molnlycke’s 32,000 square foot expansion of the wound-care product-maker’s plant on Twin Rivers Drive in Wiscasset. The town’s cooperation was key to the company’s decision to expand there, a company official said at the ceremony. Wiscasset voters in January passed a tax incentive deal in connection with the project. The expansion was projected to cost at least $5.5 million and add 10 to 30 employees to the company’s local workforce of 70. By mid-fall, the new structure and its roof were up and the focus of work was on the interior, a Molnlycke official said.

Coastal Enterprises progresses on Brunswick move

After announcing in 2013 its plans to consolidate at a new headquarters in Brunswick, Coastal Enterprises in June 2014 confirmed plans to put its downtown Wiscasset buildings on the market. Plans still called for some of the nonprofit’s Wiscasset workforce to stay on in town, possibly in leased space. The Brunswick headquarters was projected to be ready to occupy in summer 2015, CEI founder Ronald Phillips said.

Road-naming, other issues draw interest

Controversy and many letters to the editor swirled around the question of what to do about some trees at Chewonki Campground sticking into the airspace of the town-owned, Wiscasset Municipal Airport. The longtime family-owned campground maintained that the trees are important to the business. There was still no final resolution as 2015 approached.

There was an end to the issue of a new road in Wiscasset being named Redskin’s Drive. After a majority of selectmen in August granted the request from residents of the road; the chief of Penobsot Nation described the name as extremely offensive. In October, the board took residents of the road up on their suggestion to change the name to Micmac Drive.

Detractors of Wiscasset’s return to a town meeting budget vote in 2014 praised selectmen’s plans to restore the secret ballot budget vote in 2015. Proponents of an open town meeting had argued the decisions could be better informed; opponents said it would take away the voting rights of those who couldn’t get to or sit through a town meeting.

Alna got a new snowplowing contractor, the same one selectmen agreed to hire when the Damariscotta firm, Hagar Enterprises, was the lone bidder on the job. But en route to the contract, Alna voters at a special town meeting Aug. 25 called on the board to make a deal instead with the last contractor, Hanley Construction of Bristol. Two of three selectmen spoke of possibly resigning. After a Maine Municipal Association lawyer said the residents’ vote veered too far from the question on the meeting warrant, the board went ahead with the deal with Hagar Enterprises. No one left the board.

Dresden gets new, higher bridge to Richmond

On Dec. 5, hundreds of celebrants braved temperatures in the teens for the opening of the new Maine Kennebec Bridge linking Dresden and Richmond. The bridge replaced one so small and worn that U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, found it harrowing to cross. Collins, who helped secure federal funds for the project, joined Maine Gov. Paul R. LePage and other dignitaries for the ribbon-cutting. A Woolwich contractor, Reed & Reed, built the new bridge.

Adult entertainment gets cold shoulder

After just minimal interest from a prospective adult entertainment store, Damariscotta took action to ensure it was covered. An adult-themed business had looked to Damariscotta as a possible landing place, but the board of selectmen moved quickly to enact a moratorium for six months while the town hammered out a new policy. While the town cannot ban establishments such as adult entertainment shops, it can regulate where they set up shop. Soon after, Newcastle followed suit with a moratorium, which effectively bans all adult-themed stores until the new policy is finished.

Pumpkinfest: Bigger than ever

It wasn't just the size of the pumpkins that set a record in 2014; the amount of people who came to visit the Twin Villages during that time did too. Readfield's Joe Gaboury started the annual Pumpkinfest and Regatta's record-setting weekend when he set a Maine state record with his 1,625-pound pumpkin.

But it wasn't just big pumpkins: the crowds were estimated to be north of 15,000 people for the weekend, which would also set a new record for attendance.

Even though the attendance figures were new, some things didn’t change: Pumpkins were hurled, hauled, shot, dropped and raced as they usually are in the Twin Villages.

Wiscasset in the playoffs

The start of the new year featured both boys and girls basketball teams qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in years. But it was the boys varsity baseball team that went the furthest.

The Wolverines baseball team, which played a Class C schedule during the regular season before dropping to Class D in the playoffs, torched the competition in Western Maine to advance to the state title game.

The Wolverines would take a lead against reigning champion Bangor Christian but the challengers were unable to hold on, and the Wolverines fell, 5-4.

While the team was unable to bring the title back from Bangor, it announced Wiscasset's arrival as a Class D powerhouse — the team graduated only three seniors, and most of the team returns for another crack at the title.

Bans continue for cod, shrimp

Another year, another round of fishery closures and regulations. The National Marine Fisheries Service again effectively shuttered the Gulf of Maine shrimping grounds, ending the season before it began.

As for the other beleaguered species, the cod season was again heavily restricted to the point that the recreational season was whittled down even further.