The Newcastle Local Planning Committee encourages community members to participate in the This is Newcastle photo contest.
Many people who exit Route 1 north onto Business Route 1 think they have arrived in Damariscotta. A new Facebook page and photo contest aim to correct that misunderstanding. This is Newcastle invites residents and fans of the town to highlight the many unique and beautiful parts of Newcastle, which was incorporated as a town in 1775.
Care to test your own knowledge of Newcastle? Decide which of the following statements are true:
1) The area of Newcastle is more than two times the size of Damariscotta.
2) Damariscotta Mills is part of Newcastle.
3) The village of Sheepscot is part of Newcastle.
4) Dodge Point Preserve is in Newcastle.
5) Newcastle borders the Damariscotta River, the Sheepscot River, the Dyer River, Great Salt Bay, and Damariscotta Lake.
Of course, these statements are all true. They illustrate the diversity of scenic and historic places within this town of 32.57 square miles. You can help bring awareness of the many special places in our town by entering your own photos in the This is Newcastle contest.
You can pick up a This is Newcastle sign at the town office, at Homeport Supply, or from Ellen Dickens, you can download a printable version from the Newcastle town website at newcastlemaine.us, or you can make your own. Pose with your sign in a location that says “Newcastle” to you. To be entered in the contest, simply post your photo on the Facebook page, facebook.com/thisisnewcastle. Prizes will be awarded at the town meeting in June.
More opportunities for putting your mark on Newcastle will be available during the last weekend of April, when the Newcastle Local Planning Committee holds a series of hands-on workshops. Through a variety of hour-long focus meetings, residents will help define the identity of the town for future years. More farms? More light manufacturing? More forestry? More open space? More breweries? More retail establishments? More clustered housing? More density downtown? More walking, horseback-riding, biking, snow-machine and/or skiing trails? Whatever your perspective, you’ll want to take part in this creative planning process. Watch the Facebook page and this publication in the coming weeks for details about how to participate.
