Penobscot Bay Pilot

04/04/2024

10,000-plus customers out in Knox County; 20,000-plus in Lincoln County, and 4,000plus in Waldo County. With more trees coming down across power lines the number of outages has increased over the April 4 morning and early afternoon.

UPDATE: Central Maine Power anticipates a multiple-day restoration effort, lasting into early next week for some customers in hardest hit areas. With more trees coming down across power lines the number of outages has increased over the April 4...

04/03/2024

Fingers crossed NOBODY loses power this time around! Worst conditions, including a combination of heavy snow, strong wind gusts, and coastal flooding, will occur Thursday morning, said the NWS, in a 4:24 p.m. weather update. NWS increased anticipated snowfall amounts late this afternoon by a few inches. Fill some jugs of water, just in case....

A slow-moving nor’easter is forecasted to bring strong winds and more than a foot of heavy, wet snow to the Central Maine Power service area beginning tonight. In anticipation of hazardous weather conditions, CMP are pre-staging more than 450 line...

03/30/2024

"I’m here to tell you that it is critical, and so important to our Midcoast business community. Our contractors, construction companies, manufacturers are in serious need for young people passionate about the trades. Along with that, our manufacturers, our construction companies have serious need for young people who are creative, innovative, and confident.”

ST GEORGE — At a groundbreaking ceremony in St. George, March 28, 2024, a local business CEO told a fourth grader, who would be visiting Steel-Pro later that day with his class, to pick up a job application while he was there. “I know it might be...

02/21/2024

“This was not an easy decision, nor is it one that I made lightly. For more than two years, my Administration has evaluated Sears Island and Mack Point thoroughly and with an open mind, recognizing that each site has its own set of benefits and its own set of drawbacks."

SEARSPORT — The announcement made Feb. 20 by the State of Maine that is has chosen Sears Island and not Mack Point in Searsport as its preferred site for a port facility to support the floating offshore wind industry drew both praise and...

02/17/2024

Listen to the Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations' conversation with Heather Cox Richardson Feb. 10 in Camden, Maine

CAMDEN — Any era in human history can be fraught with social and political tension, but these days we are on overload, not just with information and tense opinion, but with discord and violence. It is hard to find perspective, but some voices cut...

02/05/2024

Where else are you going to find a fun, eclectic and exuberant celebration of the toboggan but in Camden, Maine, at the annual U.S. National Toboggan Championships. Cold. Yeah. Great weekend? Yes!

CAMDEN – Blustery winds out of the northwest chilled the Midcoast Feb. 3, 4 and 5, and with temperatures dropping to the teens during overnight hours, conditions were excellent – albeit cold — for competitors seeking high speeds down the chute at...

01/29/2024

In all, thanks to St. George Fire Dept., and mutual aid assistance from South Thomaston Fire Dept., firefighters leapfrogging (or snaking) the patient across the island totaled 17 personnel. With that 17 were about five more Marine Patrol officers and some Coast Guard members.

TENANTS HARBOR — A stokes basket carrying a fisherman was passed hand over hand across an island Sunday evening, Jan. 28, 2024, after search and rescuers tracked the overdue man to the treacherous terrain of a dark, wet, isolated rocky shore. Having...

01/21/2024

Rockport Maine Fire Department, Rockport and Camden police, and North East Mobile Health Services bring a woman to safety after an hour of dangling precipitously just five feet above icy water.

ROCKPORT – Just as dusk settled into Saturday evening, Jan. 20, a woman driving a Jeep careened over four-foot tall chain link fence and was dangling precipitously over the edge of Union Street quarry. One sturdy ash tree protected her from smashing...

01/18/2024

Good luck in your next adventure, Ben! The Camden International Film Festival and Points North have been integral and energizing for Maine's creative economy and the Midcoast.

CAMDEN — Points North Institute, which produces the annual Camden International Film Festival, has announced the departure of Executive and Artistic Director Ben Fowlie. Fowlie, who grew up in Camden, founded the Festival in 2005 and cofounded the...

01/17/2024

UMaine is ready to divest its Belfast property

BELFAST – Last summer, the University of Maine, based on its Orono campus, abruptly announced that it was closing the Belfast Hutchinson Center, a higher learning campus. Now, UMaine is circulating a request for proposals for repurposing the Center...

01/13/2024

On Jan. 9, just before the storm began its rampage along the coast of Maine, a young seal pup made its way up from Rockport Harbor to the lee of a house on a bluff overlooking the water. He secured refuge outside the front door, as if sensing the woman who lived there would care for him. With great kindness, she did.

ROCKPORT — On Jan. 9, just before the storm began its rampage along the coast of Maine, a young seal pup made its way up from Rockport Harbor to the lee of a house that sits on a bluff overlooking the water. He secured refuge outside the front door...

01/12/2024

The state urges individuals and commercial entities who sustained property damage from the January 10 storm, including wharfs, floats, vessels, etc., to document and report that damage by filling out the Business and Agriculture Initial Damage Assessment Survey. Submission of damage information will help the State of Maine best understand the extent of damage from the January 10 storm.

Governor Janet Mills announced Jan. 11 that she has declared a State of Civil Emergency for all of Maine’s coastal counties. The eight counties – Cumberland, Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington, and York – were significantly...

01/10/2024

We have stopped talking about "storms of the century" for they just keep coming, but the Jan. 10, 2024 storm, and its ocean surge, has surpassed all others with its coastal damage. The Pilot is still uploading photos and video from points around the counties. Feel free to send yours along, so that we have a regional chronicle of the massive effect on the Maine coastline. Send your jpgs to [email protected]

The coastline is suffering major damage with high tide occurring around 9:30 a.m. The ocean is washing over all infrastructure, ripping and tearing property and sending surf to the highest ever seen in recent history. Police have closed off public...

12/25/2023

The entire crew at Penobscot Bay Pilot wishes you joy, peace and good health this holiday season, and into 2024! May your homes be warm and peaceful, your hearts full.

12/24/2023

Thank you, Knox RCC, for the update!

NORTH POLE — Santa is on his way now, and the folks at North American Aerospace Defense Command are both tracking Santa Claus and the reindeer and providing an es**rt to ensure their safety until the last gift is delivered. Using Santa cams and...

12/20/2023

The menu does not stop with Asian food. Try grilled head on prawns with Aleppo, a spicy chili pepper used in Mediterranean dishes, or try hen of the woods tostada with mole and queso fresco, and brothy black beans with cilantro. The scallop dish has a Caribbean flare to it and one of the desserts that will be offered has its roots in Africa.

CAMDEN – Albatross is a new restaurant opening at 115 Elm Street in Camden, on the same property as the Cedar Crest Inn. Owners Maggie and Jeffrey Harris have a rich history in the food service industry and this is their first foray into restaurant...

12/19/2023

More than half of all Central Maine Power customers statewide are without electricity as of 7 p.m.

In an email to customers Dec. 18, at 6:30 p.m., Central Maine Power said restoration of electricity will begin overnight. CMP said the extensive damage of the Dec. 18 wind and rainstorm exceeded that of the 2022 Christmas storm. “ Observed...

12/11/2023

More trauma and distress for families and the community currently ongoing in the Midcoast.

THOMASTON — Thomaston police and area law enforcement have converged on Pleasant Street, at the Thomaston-Rockland town line, after a person alleged to have weapons entered a building and is now refusing to leave. Maine State Police Tactical Team...

12/05/2023

"There’s a lot going on in Waldoboro!"

The winter holidays were in evidence in Waldoboro on Saturday, December 2. All over town, shops and organizations decked the halls and some hosted special events. At the north end of town, Christmas gifts and decor returned to Morses’ Sauerkraut...

10/22/2023

Crews are working on the lines

ROCKPORT — Central Maine Power linesmen have traced the cause of a Sunday morning power outage to a squirrel at a CMP substation in Camden. According to John Breed, CMP spokesperson, power to expected to be back on prior to noon as crews are working...

10/20/2023

We have not just one, but TWO "Where to go for Halloween" stories to check out. Events start tonight and go into next week! Whether you want to go somewhere with the kids or just hang out with the adults, Maine has a ton of events coming up.

https://www.penbaypilot.com/article/killer-road-trip-outdoor-halloween-haunts-walks-crawls-around-state/179621 https://www.penbaypilot.com/article/2023-halloween-rundown-events-adults-parents-kids/179441

The Spooky Season is upon us! We have combed through every Halloween-themed event going on in the Midcoast to bring you a comprehensive rundown of events. From parties to art, from poetry to theater, we’ve color-coded these events for partying...

10/09/2023

A tragedy today, just outside the Rockland Breakwater.

The mast on the Grace Bailey schooner broke while just beyond Rockland Harbor after 10 a.m., today, Oct. 9, resulting in one death and several injured. Three patients were transported from the U.S. Coast Guard pier, with two taken to Pen...

09/29/2023

Neighbors and community members have given them a lot of help, which keeps their animals in good mental and physical health. They collect excess produce from local food banks and one neighbor even collects apples out of her orchards and donates them by the bucket.

JEFFERSON—In a rural corner of Maine, a sanctuary for farm animals has quietly taken shape for pigs, goats, equines, and birds who’ve been abandoned or dumped by their owners. Or, who grew too big to be “pets.” Amanda Glenn and Andy Theriault bought...

09/28/2023

A first call to mutual aid departments brought Warren, Cushing, South Thomaston, Thomaston, and Owls Head. Around 11:15 p.m., Rockland FD was called, and shortly after 1 a.m., Rockport, Camden, and Friendship firefighters were requested, with Hope responding with a tanker.

PORT CLYDE — Three buildings at the Port Clyde wharf caught fire Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2023. Well into the day Thursday, fire crews will continue to battle flames that have jumped among Factory Road structures occupied by Monhegan Boat Line, Dip Net...

09/16/2023

A lot of people without electricity, and a number of roads closed because of downed trees and wire. But boats left in the water are holding their moorings, and the storm is to diminish this evening. Goodbye Massive Lee!

MIDCOAST – The storm is gusting hard, and then winds calm slightly, almost to a sense of normalcy. Suddenly, though, gusts will pick up again, downing big trees and breaking branches, causing drivers on the road to suddenly swerve out of the way. “...

09/03/2023

Getting all the schooners into their assigned spots at the head of Camden Harbor takes skill, pluck and a sense of grace as captains edge the big hulls around in a very small space. But they did it without a hitch, and Camden had a great 2023 Windjammer Festival to celebrate its unique maritime legacy.

CAMDEN — There could not have been a finer weekend to celebrate Camden’s most storied legacy, the windjammers that make their trade where the mountains meet the sea, and contribute to the town’s unique schooner culture. But to start the annual...

08/26/2023

The ferry crew aboard the 'Margaret Chase Smith' did not miss a beat in saving a kayaker this afternoon, acting swiftly and heroically

ISLESBORO – Crew members aboard the Maine State Ferry Margaret Chase Smith rescued a kayaker mid-afternoon, Aug. 25, as she was attempting to make a short crossing from Warren Island to Grindle Point on Islesboro and found herself instead...

08/21/2023

The crew remains the same at Rankin's, and all remains normal on Union Street in Camden -- “It’s a win for Rankin’s, it’s a win for Viking, and it’s a win for our customers.”

Rankin’s Hardware and Supply, on Union Street in Camden, counts amongst the friendliest stores in the Midcoast. Customers are greeted as they walk in the door, with a “Can I help you?” or if they are regulars, a familiar greeting by name. It has...

08/03/2023

What was once Sea Goddess is now Maine Lobster Festival Delegate, which Adelaide Hendrick will now represent for the next year. For her win, Hendrick was awarded $2,000, and as delegate, will help to raise awareness of the Maine lobster industry by meeting with Maine leaders and writing letters.

ROCKLAND — Traditional crowns and sashes have taken on new names during the 76th annual Maine Lobster Festival, which began Aug. 2, 2023. Yet, “nothing has been taken away from these young ladies,” said the 75th and final Maine Lobster Festival Sea...