A selection of news headlines from 2020:
January
Jan. 2: Army veteran to become Wiscasset veterinarian; Bristol couple begins ‘encore career’ with sustainable agriculture project. Jan. 9: Brewery to open in Wiscasset Marketplace; CLC Ambulance requests nearly double, but agency predicts ‘leveling off’; CLC YMCA leader to depart; Damariscotta Planning Board recommends historic preservation ordinance; Dresden land buy going to vote; Local police warn of smash-and-grab vehicle burglaries; New farm crops up in Newcastle to battle food insecurity; Newcastle to send town manager question to special town meeting; Wiscasset town treasurer resigns. Jan. 16: Late Damariscotta businessman ‘would do anything for you’; Nanotech Auto Detailing moves to Wiscasset; New Nobleboro fire chief aims to raise awareness of department’s needs; No one solution to firefighter recruitment issues, chiefs say; Nobleboro bakery to hold grand opening Monday; South Bristol School plans pre-K program; Wiscasset Planning Board gives go-ahead for Barn House Grill. Jan. 23: Bristol, Whitefield schools go for gold in WinterKids program; Dresden first selectman to resign; Dresden voters approve land purchase; Number of English learners stable in most area schools, up in Wiscasset; Snowmobiler OK after going through ice on Biscay Pond in Bremen; Somerville considers public-private model for broadband expansion; Waldoboro’s ALLPLaY now Sammi’s Family Entertainment Center; Whitefield to vote on ‘opt-in’ for recreational marijuana; Wiscasset wine bar to share name with jazz album. Jan. 30: Community leaders view DB&T merger as a good deal – and inevitable; Democrats to decide three-way primary in House District 90; Floral design service to open in Damariscotta; New collaborative pushes for better sidewalks in Damariscotta; New family farm in Nobleboro bustles with activity; Nobleboro education budget up $367K; South Bristol municipal budget up 6.23%; Waldoboro to conduct survey on public transportation; Waldoboro wins $116K grant for truck; Wiscasset Planning Board approves Chewonki Campground construction.
February
Feb. 6: County will use drones for rescue operations; Fishing tackle shop to open in Damariscotta; GSB adds third math team, seventh graders win meet; Jefferson’s Lakeside Diner to close; Lincoln County prepares for coronavirus, although risk is low; Local homeschoolers put knowledge on display at Skidompha; Medomak schools lock down briefly as ‘precautionary measure’; Public balks at Alna Planning Board procedures; Sale of Edgecomb event center falls through; Wiscasset Budget Committee asks town to consider bond; Wiscasset town manager to resign; Wiscasset Winterfest has a revival, despite warm weather. Feb. 13: County sides with Lincoln Academy in appeal of Newcastle tax bill; Despite concerns at hearing, Damariscotta preservation ordinance will go to vote; DOT to reduce speed limit for section of Main Street, Damariscotta; Former Wiscasset restaurateur, selectman receives chamber’s lifetime achievement award; New watershed plan will help Waldoboro combat pollution; Over 250 pack Damariscotta Legion hall to hear from Senate candidate; Somerville may refinance roadwork debt; SUV rolls into Back River in Wiscasset; Storm damage closes LA technology building; Whitefield will not vote on recreational marijuana; Wiscasset budget talks turn to planner. Feb. 20: Bristol farm starts meal club to offer restaurant-quality options; Camden National Bank to open new Damariscotta branch March 2; Damariscotta seeks $3 million-plus in grants for waterfront work; Developer plans 10-acre solar farm in Waldoboro; Emergency agencies debut program to check on isolated residents daily; GSB School Committee approves LGBTQ Allies Group; JVS sixth grader wins county spelling bee; Moody’s co-owner, longtime cook remembered as caring, hardworking; Nobleboro woman competes on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ with best friend; Seacoast Coffee aims to start operations in Wiscasset on May 1; South Bristol ice harvest draws hundreds in ‘biggest year ever’; Twin Villages hair salons join forces to form Lavish; Wiscasset restaurant reinvented as Hot Spot Diner. Feb. 27: Collins, LePage headline Bristol event; County’s new detective transitions from patrol to investigations; Damariscotta voters approve TIF district; Edgecomb selectmen mull option to recover cost of fire calls; Farrin, Lemelin seek House seat; Hearing on Somerville marijuana rules draws little interest; Nobleboro woman wins cash, tropical vacation on ‘Wheel of Fortune’; Olde Bristol Days ‘alive and well,’ will have bicentennial theme; Prosecutors point to Gatto’s own statements in defense of guilty verdict; Schoonerfest planned for Wiscasset.
March
March 5: Asked to serve, Wiscasset Legionnaire ‘never said no’; County voters reject people’s veto, Dems back Biden; Damariscotta voters pass preservation ordinance, elect selectman; Fire damages Waldoboro antique shop; Former Waldoboro selectman seeks House seat; Gamage Shipyard to launch first new vessel in nearly 40 years; Green Independents talk national candidates at Jefferson caucus; Jefferson voters reject moratorium on gravel pits; LA climate rally seeks to driver voter turnout; Lincoln-Sagadahoc Libertarians aim to grow numbers; Poliquin rallies local Republicans at caucus; Waldoboro store completes repairs after fire, plans to reopen soon; Wind project off Monhegan to have one turbine, not two. March 12: County Democrats rally for candidates up and down ballot; Damariscotta selectmen approve revisions to new preservation ordinance; Edgecomb forum grows contentious over school concerns; Information center will not return to Edgecomb, market to open; Midnight fire destroys Boothbay home; Newcastle voters approve switch to town manager; Retiring Bristol teacher reflects on creating ‘atmosphere of joy for books’; Sheepscot River project draws concern in Alna, Newcastle; Somerville voters OK cannabis rules, election of road commissioner; South Bristol approves budget hikes, including new pre-K program; Waldoboro selectmen approve 10-year contract with Maine Water Co.; Wiscasset ordinance changes would allow redevelopment of primary school. March 19: BCS Diversity Week celebrates Native American culture; Bristol zips through unusual town meeting, will reconvene in June; Businesses adapt or close amid virus concerns; Coronavirus arrives in Lincoln County; Emergency services exercise caution, but work goes on; Jefferson Green closes, citing workforce shortage; Lincoln County schools close for at least two weeks; Nobleboro postpones town meeting; RSU 12 approves 20-year agreement for solar farm; Waldoboro Planning Board approves 10-acre solar farm; Whitefield postpones town meeting. March 26: Alna holds quick town meeting, selectman blasts ‘secret campaign’; Damariscotta lifts plastic bag ban, retools town meeting; Damariscotta native in Italy offers glimpse of life under lockdown; Edgecomb postpones election, town meeting; Fire destroys Somerville garage, firefighters save house; Lincoln County coronavirus cases up to five; Lincoln County schools extend closures; Local businesses, organizations rally to aid residents; Monhegan advises new arrivals to self-quarantine; No school, but schools continue to feed kids; Waldoboro weighs lifetime ban for vandalism of shellfish conservation sites.
April
April 2: A year after fire, new sawmill up and running at N.C. Hunt in Jefferson; Bremen postpones due date for property taxes; County gets three more COVID-19 cases, Mills issues stay-at-home order; Dresden selectman delays resignation; Elver season starts, but prices plunge; ‘It’s what you signed up for’: Miles nurses upbeat amid pandemic prep; Loss of market for clams puts many locals out of work; Museum showcases 100 years of Westport Island through resident’s life; Two more candidates join House District 88 race; Wiscasset Family Health moves to new location; Wiscasset selectmen postpone election, referendum. April 9: Bristol woman celebrates 100th birthday, with physical distancing; Construction begins on Bristol Road sidewalk project; County sees just one new COVID-19 case, but prepares for surge; Damariscotta’s River Arts relocates from Route 1 to downtown; Damariscotta police chief sees stay-at-home order as ‘educational opportunity’; Donation buys groceries for first responders, restaurant staff; Firefighters rescue canoeists from Sheepscot River rapids; House District 89 to see rematch; Local school districts take different approaches to distance learning; Mobius employees continue work, despite COVID-19 risk; Sheriff uses emergency authority to appoint special deputies; Some local day cares remain open, with less demand; Somerville finds nontraditional way to complete nomination process; Wiscasset town manager to stay on through town meeting. April 16: Alna selectman compares voters to white nationalists; County commissioner faces primary challenge; County commissioners allocate $10,000 to assist residents; County has two new COVID-19 cases, governor extends state of emergency; Damariscotta woman gives $30K in virus aid; Family spreads smiles at Pemaquid Point; Fire guts Captain’s Fresh Idea restaurant in Waldoboro; From car repairs to hand sanitizer, businesses find creative ways to help; Snow, wind cause widespread outages; Waldoboro moves town meeting to July; Waldoboro staff, volunteers check on residents; Wiscasset Ambulance will buy CPR device to limit exposure to virus. April 23: County has one new COVID-19 case, no hospitalizations; Damariscotta enacts pandemic assistance program; Damariscotta receives first application for recreational cannabis business; Damariscotta wins $3M grant for waterfront project; Many schools to continue distance learning through end of school year; Nobleboro volunteers sew face masks, with power or without; Pop-up pantry distributes food to 40 families in Somerville; Renys ‘getting back to business’ with curbside pickup; Waldoboro holds first weekly drive-thru food pantry; Whitefield manufacturer ProKnee swaps knee pads for face shields. April 30: Alna selectman apologizes for ‘white nationalists’ comment; Dresden town clerk resigns; Edgecomb fire officer, seasonal resident dies of COVID-19; More donations sustain food pantries through spike in demand; No new COVID-19 cases in county for two weeks; RSU 40 moves district-wide art show online; ‘Tirdy Works’ to premiere Tuesday; Waldoboro to revisit budget amid revenue concerns; Wiscasset American Legion Auxiliary makes face masks; Wiscasset eighth grader makes ‘ear savers’ for front-line workers.
May
May 7: Always a quiet helper, Edgecomb man’s last act was to help again; Animal House changes hands, keeps focus on community; Bristol fears plunge in parks revenues; Bristol fields $480K bid for plowing; ‘Cholera Love Society’ distributes masks, shields to essential workers; County has one more COVID-19 case, one more recovery; Damariscotta resident interned at Big Cat Rescue featured in ‘Tiger King’; Organizers cancel Damariscotta Pumpkinfest, weigh-off to go on; Spear Farms to honor COVID-19 victim with fudge. May 14: Bristol, Damariscotta, Newcastle cooperate on LED streetlights; Former legislator to challenge incumbent for Wiscasset-area House seat; Kieve-Wavus closes camps for season; Lincoln County high schools plan graduations around COVID-19; Lincoln County sees two more cases, one more recovery; Local educators reflect during Teacher Appreciation Week; Most RSU 40 towns to see lower contributions; Newcastle approves remodeling of town office; Oyster farms adjust to restaurant closures; Tidewater ensures connectivity for students, workers during shutdown; Uptick in Jefferson education expenses will not cause tax hike. May 21: Bremen reschedules town meeting; Collaboration brings 25,000 pounds of food to Lincoln County pantries; Construction of Pemaquid Beach Pavilion complete; County planner resigns; County sees first hospitalization, two new cases; Couple proposes small campground near Orffs Corner; Edgecomb selectmen want changes in teachers contract; Familiar face takes over Harbor Ice Cream; GSB budget down $392K; MVHS to celebrate graduation with parade and campus ceremony; Newcastle 8-year-old receives super-cool thank you from CMP; Nobleboro’s Country Coach Charters at standstill, but owner brings joy with makeshift drive-in; Whitefield house burns down, no injuries; Wiscasset pub reopens after violation of COVID-19 rules. May 28: Alna selectmen urged to halt operation of sportsman’s club; As restrictions loosen, local eateries take different approaches to reopening; County case count up three, with one more in hospital; COVID-19 derails wedding plans, devastates industry; Damariscotta grants tax-exempt status to Inn Along the Way, Ledgewood Court; Downtown Damariscotta merchants propose open-air market; Garage fire extinguished quickly in Bristol; ‘Heart of Edgecomb Eddy’ to retire after 30 years; LePages living in Edgecomb; Local providers report success with telehealth after ‘trial by fire’; MVHS English teacher is Lincoln County Teacher of the Year; Newcastle to hold town meeting by referendum; No longer forgotten, local veteran receives new headstone; RSU 12 has hot spots, but cell reception poses a problem; RSU 40 board split on disbursement of funds to MVHS seniors; Whitefield creamery’s hoop houses not subject to regulation, board says; Wiscasset’s 105-year-old insurance agency sold to J. Edward Knight; With few guests, New Harbor inn reopens restaurant closed since 1999.
June
June 4: Bremen to expand internet access throughout town; Bristol bumps town meeting to August; Bristol Road sidewalk on schedule, despite hiccup; County free of new cases for nine days; Damariscotta boutique shutters permanently, citing coronavirus; Damariscotta fence viewer reflects on ‘quirky’ role; Damariscotta Planning Board approves Coastal Cannabis application; MVHS cancels graduation parade, citing restrictions on law enforcement; Nationwide protests spread to Newcastle; New Lincoln County business offers delivery of microgreens; New owner to reopen Harbor Room, with few changes; Round Pond restaurant closes for season while sister business reopens; Searchers find East Boothbay woman with help of new program; Sheepscot River project draws more opposition at public hearing; State approves Damariscotta TIF district; State identifies 52 potential archaeological sites in Bristol; Waldoboro weighs closure of Friendship Street for outdoor shopping; Westport Island voters to decide North End Road question, again. June 11: Alna’s Village School undergoing repairs; Bacon grease fire destroys New Harbor house; Bristol Mills Fish Ladder strains to accommodate surge in migration; Damariscotta open-air market to debut Saturday; Firefighters make quick work of Bristol house fire caused by lightning strike; Funds for MVHS senior trip will go to students; LA students celebrate at physically distant graduation ceremony; Legislative candidates discuss weighty issues at forum; Libraries begin to reopen for curbside borrowing, browsing; Most of Alna ‘doesn’t care’ about Golden Ridge proposal, Baston says; No new cases in county for 16 days; Protests grow in Newcastle, spread to Wiscasset; Whitefield administrative assistant resigns. June 18: Alna switches plowing contractors; Alna to request $50K for legal fees; Boat and RV storage business proposed for Route 1 in Waldoboro; Bremen farmer grows sugar kelp in Muscongus Bay; Bristol Road sidewalk construction resumes after delays; Candidates discuss health care, climate change at forum; Car parade brings cheer to Whitefield nursing home; CDC reports first new case in Lincoln County since May; Damariscotta businesses hopeful after first open-air market; Edgecomb tax collector resigns; Finding Our Voices sheds light on intimate partner abuse; Grant to fund review of septic systems on Medomak; MVHS celebrates graduation with drive-in ceremonies; Police investigating death of former Waldoboro man on Vinalhaven; ‘Ready for the next race,’ WMHS seniors graduate at Speedway; Sportsman’s club is not a business, Alna selectmen say; Stolen pickup torched in Waldoboro, flames spread to nonprofit’s clubhouse; Waldoboro Food Pantry to relocate; Waldoboro Planning Board approves addition to Hillside Collision Center; Whitefield cuts $330K from draft budget; Whitefield man suffers burns in grease fire. June 25: ‘A beautiful soul’: friends and family remember Connor McLean; Car crash closes railroad in Nobleboro; County free of new COVID-19 cases for another week; Damariscotta approves secondary ed budget with flat local share; Damariscotta demonstrators gather in solidarity with Postal Service; Edgecomb to vote by referendum; Former Waldoboro man’s fatal injuries inflicted with knife, police say; Jefferson voters approve education budget; Local vacation rental agencies experience opposite effects during pandemic; New redemption center opens in Damariscotta; New takeout restaurant, Maine Kebab, to open in downtown Waldoboro; Sole graduate at CLC Adult Education ceremony achieves lifelong goal; Two Bridges to cut 15 positions; Waldoboro broadens mandate of A.D. Gray Committee; Waldoboro candidates discuss town’s future at forum; Waldoboro recreation director adapts to changes in position; Whitefield Elementary teacher retires after 38 years; WMHS juniors document life during pandemic.
July
July 2: Alna Planning Board denies permit for Golden Ridge project; CDC reports three new COVID-19 cases in Lincoln County; Community supports teacher after fire destroys Damariscotta home; County inns, hotels report losses in excess of 80%; Damariscotta Mills fixture celebrates 100th birthday; Local man named Maine Warden of the Year; No injuries in tent fire at Nobleboro campground; Rising Tide fish market fills void for fishermen, shoppers. July 9: Alna Planning Board to reconsider Golden Ridge project; Bristol rededicates Liberty Pole; Bristol selectmen accept $182K roadwork bid; Cable shortage will slow installation of fiber in Bremen; COVID-19 remains rare in Lincoln County, with one new case; COVID-19 slows, but does not derail, WW&F Railway Museum’s progress; Damariscotta approves first adult-use cannabis shop; Damariscotta karate studio closes permanently due to COVID-19; Damariscotta to continue open-air market through July; Edgecomb’s Watershed Center proposes new studio; Hardy Boat Cruises wins Governor’s Award for Tourism Excellence; Pandemic temporarily halts effort to bring new health facility to Waldoboro; South Bristol tax rate rises to $3.925; Village Grill fires up customers with new pizza menu; ‘We all need this’: Hearty Roots adapts and grows; Wiscasset picks ambulance director for next town manager. July 16: Alna first selectman takes leave of absence, citing ‘harassment’; Alna votes down $50K for legal fees; Bristol sees beach visits rise, lighthouse visits drop; ‘Completely different and completely the same’: Monhegan businesses adapt to COVID-19; Coveside back to business with new owner and chef; Damariscotta approves education budgets, elects officials; Demand soars for real estate across Midcoast; Dresden elects Rzasa, reelects Moeller; Forthcoming novel brings mystery to a fictional Monhegan; GSB enrollment down, partly due to COVID-19; Hamilton and Lemelin win District 88 primaries; Jail’s plan for solar farm meets obstacle; LCSO engaging in self-reflection and training, sheriff says at Bremen forum; Lightning strike causes house fire in Bristol; Lincoln County sees one new COVID-19 case, one recovery; Newcastle father and daughter both Truman Scholars; Software issue delays Newcastle election results; Somerville advances municipal broadband network; Waldoboro elects Minzy and Griesenbrock, bans fireworks; Waldoboro Planning Board approves boat and RV storage on Route 1; Waldoboro Planning Board approves food pantry’s new location; Waldoboro property to store vintage cars; Wiscasset Planning Board hears proposal for community solar project. July 23: Alna town clerk withdraws resignation; Black national anthem lyricist has tragic link to Wiscasset; County sees most new COVID-19 cases in one week, link uncertain; Crafts wins District 90 Democratic primary in ranked-choice count; Damariscotta approves budget at annual town meeting; Dresden approves budget, sticks with Saturdays for town meetings; Dresden hires new town clerk; Flash floods damage Walpole roads; Gideon makes Bremen waterfront first stop after primary win; Newcastle elects Glendinning and Nelson, approves budget; Nonprofit presents $6.2M idea to turn A.D. Gray into senior housing; Westport Islanders accept section of North End Road as town way; Whitefield OKs municipal budget, passes on solar farm; Wiscasset selectmen approve pergola for Sunken Garden. July 30: Alna Planning Board upholds decision on Golden Ridge project; AOS 93 forms diversity and equity committee; Bremen sees decrease in tax rate; Carpenter’s Boat Shop to offer more apprenticeships, shorter program; Daughter joins father as arborist at Five K; Fire evacuates four-story building in Waldoboro village; LA announces hybrid model for return to school; LCTV back on Spectrum’s Channel 7; Lincoln County furniture retailers see strong summer sales; Lincoln County sees first death from COVID-19; Lobsterman’s Wharf reopens in East Boothbay, an old business with a new look; Red Stove Farm offers homemade meals for pickup in Jefferson; ‘Rethinking everything’: Two Damariscotta businesses cope with pandemic; Waldoboro to negotiate with Volunteers of America on A.D. Gray property; Wiscasset Speedway Hall of Fame inducts six.
August
Aug. 6: AOS 93 picks JVS principal as assistant superintendent; Barn burns down in Christmas Cove; Bristol concludes town meeting in under 20 minutes; Broad Bay Cafe opens in Waldoboro; County sees one more COVID-19 case, two recoveries; Damariscotta sees second medical cannabis application; Digital archives launch at lcnme.com; JVS to start year with full-time, in-person instruction; Lincoln County dedicates memorial to law enforcement; Lincoln County judge of probate faces reelection challenge; Nobleboro to consider regulation of short-term rentals; Taxes up in Alna, RSU 12 rep resigns; Tool shed at Sunken Garden can stay, selectmen say; Waldoboro aims to refinance $1.2M debt; Waldoboro mulls future of blueberry fields at Quarry Hill; Westport Island History Committee moves into new home; Wiscasset procession honors firefighter after death from 9/11-linked cancer. Aug. 13: Bristol family loses ‘true north’ to COVID-19; Bristol Planning Board hears proposal for solar farm; Bristol School Committee sets date for return to in-person instruction; County down to three active cases of COVID-19; Damariscotta approves drive-in movies on waterfront; Damariscotta’s ‘Hannaford Heroes’ adapt to work during pandemic; Dresden Elementary to reopen under hybrid model; Edgecomb Eddy opts for in-person instruction four days a week; Forty-five years on, a Newcastle murder remains unsolved; Gideon speaks with veterans at Waldoboro VFW; Jefferson writer publishes first novel; NCS to start year with full-time, in-person instruction; New Bristol Mills Fish Ladder set for completion by winter; Waldoboro schools to open with mix of in-person and remote instruction; Wiscasset schools choose hybrid model, first day Sept. 8. Aug. 20: Alna selectmen decline request to change rules for public comment; Conservancy warns of cyanobacteria in Damariscotta Lake; GSB sets tentative start date for students; LCN archives help researcher honor local airman killed in WWII; Lincoln County goes 11 days with no new COVID-19 cases; New county planner hired; Newcastle artist completes Oysterhead Pizza mural; Newest sheriff’s deputies bring diverse experiences to agency; South Bristol sets date for return to in-person instruction; Westport Island selectmen field complaint of ‘violent dog attack.’ Aug. 27: Bangor Savings plans renovation of DB&T’s New Harbor branch; Bristol wins $15K broadband grant; Edgecomb OKs Watershed Center project; Lady Lamb brings outdoor concert series to Lincoln County; LePage fires up Republicans at Damariscotta rally; Make-A-Wish builds playhouse for Waldoboro 8-year-old; MVHS English teacher one of three finalists for Maine Teacher of the Year; New developers of Monhegan wind project aim for 2023 deployment; ‘Swab-and-send’ site opens at LincolnHealth, no new cases in county; Waldoboro trust continues work to restore fish access to ‘holy grail’; Westport Island couple celebrates 70 years of marriage.
September
Sept. 3: County gets first new COVID-19 case in 22 days; Democrats rally at Wiscasset ‘Drive-in for Democracy’; Dresden tax rate holds at $18.80; Edgecomb rejects school budget; Erskine grad takes over as JVS principal; Fire destroys vacant house on Depot Street in Waldoboro; Jefferson school leader remembered; LincolnHealth’s first orthopedic surgeon retires; New Harbor developer presents solar farm as chance to buy local energy; Nobleboro contracts Hagar for Belvedere Road project; Waldoboro launches new website; Whale tooth with Wiscasset connection sells at auction for $152,500. Sept. 10: Alna town clerk resigns; ComfyDome offers unique camping experience in Jefferson; Edgecomb artist reflects on a century of life; Edgecomb School Committee adjusts budget after no vote; Newcastle COVID-19 survivors urge community to remain vigilant; No new COVID-19 cases in Lincoln County; Picnic on the Common concludes 150 days of bell-ringing in Wiscasset; RSU 40 delays start of school to Sept. 14; Sea Gull Shop destroyed in ‘historic’ midnight fire; WMHS opts out of interscholastic fall sports; Wiscasset voters repeal preservation ordinance, elect three selectmen. Sept. 17: Damariscotta chamber to acquire, expand information bureau; Damariscotta Planning Board approves medical cannabis shop; In-person school at NCS ‘going really well,’ principal says; Lincoln County has three new COVID-19 cases, no outbreak; ‘Our salvation’: Alumni reflect on Edgecomb boarding school; Return to school ‘remarkably smooth’ in Whitefield; Westport Island History Center offers preview; Wiscasset’s Maine Heritage Village could become Maine Tasting Center. Sept. 24: Alna hires new town clerk, schedules special town meeting; Beach visits up for season, lighthouse visits down; Bremen voters adopt budget, with a little extra for ambulance service; Damariscotta OKs contract for restrooms; Dresden’s Freedom Center will no longer provide housing; Farmer, firefighters save Jefferson barn; Firefighters battle brush fire on Bremen Long Island; Lincoln County has two more COVID-19 cases; Local business community reports uncertainty in COVID-19 survey; Medical marijuana shop eyes Dresden location; Newcastle moves code vote to November; State extends closure of clam flats in Broad Cove; Truck goes into harbor in South Bristol; Wiscasset taxes up to $20.12.
October
Oct. 1: Damariscotta preschooler tests positive for COVID-19, no outbreak; Damariscotta School Committee member resigns; Dresden OKs $8,800 for demolition of building; Final work on Belvedere Road to wait until spring; First draft of county budget up 2.12%; Lincoln County picks up six COVID-19 cases, two hospitalizations; New Damariscotta accounting firm brings ‘hometown feel’ to finances; Somerville retains attorney in dispute with contractor; Somerville website aims to improve transparency; Westport Island tax rate up; Windstorm knocks out power to 6K in county; Work on Damariscotta waterfront project to begin in mid-October. Oct. 8: Alna voters adopt E-911 ordinance; Bristol to seek permit for goose population control; Chair of Edgecomb Board of Selectmen resigns; Damariscotta approves Morning Dew Farm project; Damariscotta committee wants a safe place for skateboarders; Dresden Planning Board approves medical marijuana business; Gideon tours jail, oyster farms; JM Automotive relocates to Wiscasset; JVS adopts dual grading system; Lincoln County adds four COVID-19 cases, one recovery; MVHS graduate’s 1975 disappearance remains unsolved; RSU 12 resumes in-person learning after COVID-19 case; Westport Island sees uptick in construction activity. Oct. 15: Broad Bay Church completes first phase of renovations; Chelsea Elementary has COVID case, but RSU 12 stays course; Church to hold services at Edgecomb Eddy; COVID-19 cases at Warren school will not derail RSU 40 learning plan; Damariscotta approves second medical cannabis shop; Dresden town administrator to resign; Damariscotta’s Prep Kitchen introduces takeout, expands frozen offerings; Monmouth COVID-19 case will not affect other RSU 2 schools; Morris Farm offers free produce at new stand; MVHS graduate’s 1975 disappearance remains unsolved; New owners restore Newcastle’s Kavanagh House, once home to a governor; No new COVID-19 cases in Lincoln County, six recoveries; Outdoor focus gives Juniper Hill head start on pandemic; Pemaquid Beach residents petition town for safety measures; Schooner runs aground on ledge in South Bristol; Somerville adds drop box, plans ramp with grant funds. Oct. 22: Alna Board of Appeals upholds Golden Ridge decision; Boothbay Legion takes hands-on approach to veteran housing; Bristol woman celebrates end of cancer treatment with parade; County budget committee recommends $12.58M in spending; County has four new COVID-19 cases, two recoveries; Developer proposes 18.5-acre solar farm on Controversy Lane; Edgecomb school budget passes on second try; Edgecomb tax rate down 3.39%. Oct. 29: County notches seven more COVID-19 cases; Damariscotta Historic Preservation Commission meets for first time; Damariscotta receives $75K grant toward Church Street sidewalk; LCN collects honors for cartoons, photography, reader engagement; MVHS, Union Elementary report COVID-19 positives, switch to distance learning; Pemaquid Beach students honor late jazz musician with new band; Westport Island History Center welcomes public for grand opening; Wiscasset approves plans for Maine Tasting Center; Wiscasset police officer tests positive for COVID-19.
November
Nov. 5: Bristol preps for $400K second phase of fish ladder project; Core Zoning Code passes in Newcastle; County adds 12 COVID-19 cases as CDC confirms community transmission; COVID-19 outbreak identified at MVHS, principal in quarantine; Democrats take back Lincoln County’s Senate seat; Dresden Elementary goes remote after COVID-19 case; Newcastle cuts ribbon to celebrate reconstruction of Academy Hill Road; Waldoboro expects results of local referendum Thursday or Friday. Nov. 12: Alna to vote on shoreland zoning petition; Coastal Rivers plans solar array at Round Top Farm; County tallies 13 more COVID-19 cases, two hospitalizations; Cove’s Edge employee tests positive for COVID-19; Developer plans 5-MW solar farm near Bristol Mills; Protesters gather in Newcastle to ‘protect the results’; Waldoboro backs sale of A.D. Gray by 4-to-1 margin. Nov. 19: 90-year tradition of smoking herring continues in South Bristol; Community navigator to start work in Waldoboro on Dec. 1; County doubles weekly record for COVID-19 cases; County treasurer to resign; COVID-19 positives interrupt Damariscotta sewer work; Dresden dedicates Veterans Memorial Bridge for second time in 65 years; Edgecomb closes town hall due to COVID-19 risk; Edgecomb’s Skip Cahill Tire closes; First recreational cannabis shop opens in Lincoln County; Retiring pantry manager ‘a treasure’ to Waldoboro; Sheriff’s deputy receives Community Service Award; Spinney brings new proposal to Alna Planning Board; Three more Cove’s Edge employees test positive for COVID-19; Whitefield Elementary has outbreak, other schools report cases. Nov. 26: A legacy of giving in Jefferson; Alna selectmen delay vote on ordinance change; Bristol Planning Board approves plan to build new Seagull Shop; Final Academy Hill cost nears $2.05M; Grant to expand broadband access in Bristol; GSB shifts to five days of in-person instruction; LA student tests positive for COVID-19; No injuries in Waldoboro fire, but home a ‘complete loss’; Second resident dies of COVID-19 as county adds 29 cases.
December
Dec. 3: Dresden hires new town administrator; Edgecomb pop-up restaurant hopes to attract Gardens Aglow traffic; From forest to table: Edgecomb family business thrives in hunting season; Jefferson considers changes for building heights, safety codes; New COVID-19 cases dip in Lincoln County; Search for Wiscasset man continues after standoff in Dresden; Wiscasset police seek robbery suspect. Dec. 10: AOS 98 superintendent to retire; Bangor Savings Bank completes acquisition of DB&T; Damariscotta selectmen propose to expand preservation commission; Dresden denies payment to plowing contractor; Edgecomb has new selectman; Fisherman’s Catch Seafood Market reopens in downtown Damariscotta; Gluten-free cafe and hard cider bar coming soon to Damariscotta; Lincoln County sees steady growth in COVID-19 cases; Nobleboro receives $20K grant toward Jaws of Life; Oshima Brothers return to Lincoln County roots at renovated Waldo; Wiscasset names athletic field in honor of retiring custodian. Dec. 17: A Waldoboro seedling fulfills its destiny; Alna Planning Board OKs new Spinney application, appeal expected; County sees highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases; Damariscotta Planning Board visits potential cannabis shop, grow site; Donations lift GSB greenhouse project to goal; Dresden plowing contractor vows to resolve issues; Fancy to retire after 50 years of fighting pollution in Waldoboro; NCS principal steps down, interim principal starts work; Police arrest two in connection with Wiscasset robbery; Two staffers at Damariscotta preschool test positive for COVID-19; WW&F Railway to receive tamper from Australia. Dec. 24: Alna expands pantry to meet demand; Birches coffee shop and market opens in Wiscasset; Christmas Bazaar carries on at JVS; County breaks record for weekly increase in COVID-19 cases; LincolnHealth begins vaccinating front-line caregivers; Nobleboro resident seeks solution to neighborhood’s rodent infestation; Somerville effort to build fiber network faces ‘Herculean hurdles’; Voters approve AOS 93 budget; Waldoboro family seeks help to fund child’s operation.
