The Lodge at Kennebunk is set on a quiet 8 acres of land, and has convenient highway access. It is also minutes away from shopping, dining, and beach options. Our facilities include a 40' outdoor heated pool, a conference room, a game room, a playground, picnic tables, and gas barbecue grills. Our amenities include extended cable television, air conditioning, phones, refrigerators, and microwaves in every room.
munity — the restaurant, the café, the hair salon, the store, the art studio, the fitness center — are front and center at The Baldwin,” said Saad. “That’s what makes this community very unique.
8 Signs It’s Time For Memory Support
“What’s most surprising for us,” he continued, “has been how, as residents have moved in, the main street concept is developing beyond our imagination. We imagined that Woodmont Avenue would be a busy thoroughfare with people coming and going, walking from their apartments to the fitness center, the café, and other amenities. But the way residents are really using it as the heart of the community has been gratifying. It’s flipping the coin; the buildings are no longer the heart. Now, it’s the outdoor space that’s the heart of the community as people move from one area to another.”
Memory problems are one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. As the disease progresses, worsening memory problems make it difficult to complete everyday tasks, such as putting clothes on in the right order, following a recipe, or using a microwave oven. Imagine trying to figure out your next step when your brain can no longer help you. What would you do?
If you’re caring for a loved one experiencing memory loss due to Alzheimer’s or another progressive dementia, you’re familiar with the challenges and range of emotions that come with the disease. There are medications that can lessen symptoms for some people with certain dementias, but there is no cure for these progressive diseases. At some point, your loved one may need more help than you’re able to give. To help you recognize when the time has come to consider a move to memory support, look for the following signs:
An enclosed skybridge and underground parking enable residents to move between buildings and come and go without having to encounter inclement weather.
1. Forgetfulness — It’s normal to forget names but recall them later. Or enter a room and momentarily forget why you’re there. It’s not normal to forget the name of a close family member. Or forget why you entered a room and have illogical thoughts about why you’re there. If someone you care about is becoming increasingly forgetful, they may leave the stove on, or the water running, or forget to take their medication. A move to memory support can provide the assistance they need to stay safe.
“I love that The Baldwin is the first anchor of the larger Woodmont Commons development.” Saad continued. “Usually senior living is an afterthought, but here, senior living is leading the way and setting the stage for everything that will come after. It’s transformative.”
2. Repeating questions or stories multiple times — People in the early stages of memory loss may repeat themselves frequently. If you notice a loved one asking the same question over and over again or telling the same old stories repeatedly — but they can’t remember new information — look for other signs of memory loss listed here. If you notice several signs, it may be time to move to memory support.
3. Difficulty planning or problem-solving Changes in the brain can make it difficult to develop and follow a plan — preparing a
ORCHARD INN AT THE BALDWIN
Integrated into the center of the community’s campus, Orchard Inn at The Baldwin offers an equally innovative, empowering, small-home model of assisted living and memory support that is unique in the area.
meal, for example. Working with numbers may also be difficult. If your loved one can’t balance their checkbook or stay on top of monthly bills, they could get into financial trouble or become targets for a scam.
“Typically, assisted living is put in a place that is the back side of the building — out of sight, out of mind,” said Rotering. “But our philosophy has always been about creating an environment in which residents feel independent and feel good about who they are, with a sense of purpose and connection no matter where they are in the aging process.
4. Problems finding the right words — Occasional trouble recalling the right word when speaking is normal, especially if you’re tired or stressed. But a pattern of not being able to express thoughts is a sign of cognitive decline. Pay attention if your loved one loses their train of thought when talking, stops mid-conversation and has no idea how to continue, or substitutes the word they’re after with something similar, such as “ringer” for the telephone or “mouth cleaner” for toothbrush.
“I love that Orchard Inn, our assisted living and memory support household, is in the main building,” she adds. “Residents say they love watching the hustle and bustle from large windows on the Woodmont Avenue side and being able to go out on the balcony on the other side and feel like they’re in the country. It also makes it easy for them to participate in community programs.”
5. Confused about time or place — Someone with memory loss may get lost while driving a familiar route. They may forget where they are or how they got there. They may even think they’re in a different time or place. It’s heartbreaking when someone you love doesn’t recognize you. It’s dangerous if they become so confused they start to wander and get lost. A move to memory support can provide a safe, secure environment where help is available 24/7.
“This is part of The Baldwin’s overall plan for interaction and inclusivity,” adds Saad. “In traditional senior living communities, older adults receiving some level of health care tend to be isolated and put to the side. But this
6. Misplacing things — If a loved one is experiencing short-term memory loss, you’d expect them to have difficulty remembering where they put something. In addition to losing things, another sign to be aware of is putting things in odd places. They may hide keys in the fridge, put milk in a closet, stash medications in old shoes, or place their glasses in the microwave. Check favorite hiding spots and look for other signs that it’s time to make a move.
population actually benefits from more integration. In designing The Baldwin, we set the stage for natural connections and a community feeling that brings people together.”
Licensed as an Assisted Living Residences-Supported Residential Health Care Facility (ALR-SRHCF) by the State of New Hampshire, Orchard Inn is also staffed and equipped to admit and serve those individuals who require a higher level of care than is typically allowed in a traditional assisted living community. On-site physical, occupational and speech therapy are also available.
7. Personality changes — Being irritated by changes to their routine is normal for older adults. Lashing out, acting aggressively or pacing a lot, especially later in the day, is abnormal behavior for older adults and potentially dangerous for caregivers. Other common behavior changes in people with dementia include feeling suspicious of or threatened by others for no reason and having difficulty sleeping through the night. With memory support, caregivers with specialized training in how to manage mood or personality swings can help your loved one feel understood and supported.
LIVING AT THE BALDWIN
Now fully open, The Baldwin offers a full complement of services and amenities including two restaurants, an auditorium, pool and fitness center, salon and spa, general store, medical clinic, and more. A limited number of apartment homes are available.
8. Caregiver burnout — The demands of caring for a loved one with memory loss can be physically and emotionally draining. If you’re juggling caregiving with work and family responsibilities, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. If you’re anxious about your ability to cope, feeling sick or depressed, a move to memory support can give you both peace of mind.
Orchard Inn: An innovative, small-home model for memory support.
To learn more, visit the website at TheBaldwinNH.org.
The small-home model for assisted living and memory support at Orchard Inn is unique in southern New Hampshire. Four specialized households accommodate just ten residents each. Our small size allows team members to get to know each resident on a personal level.
Every member of our dedicated team is trained to communicate with and care for people experiencing memory loss. Residents can relax in a safe, intimate environment where support is available 24/7. With an easy-to-navigate layout and engaging activities tailored to individual interests and abilities, Orchard Inn is a place to thrive.
Orchard Inn is here to help.
To speak with a member of our team or to schedule a personal tour, please call 603.699.0100 or scan the QR code to use our online contact form.
Innovative, small-home Assisted Living and Memory Support at Orchard Inn empowers residents to maintain as much autonomy as they choose. Dedicated team members partner with each resident to design a detailed plan of care based on their unique needs and preferences. And we continually adjust as their needs change to ensure a truly personalized living experience. At Orchard Inn, the security of knowing a caring, helping hand is always nearby imparts a renewed sense of freedom — and peace of mind for the entire family.
Ride the North Pole Express and meet Santa.
Write a letter to Santa and join a scavenger hunt. Make s’mores and enjoy hot cocoa and treats. Explore historical exhibits and make crafts.
NEW! Look out for a special trip exclusively for adults! Make it a
102 Baxter Blvd, Portland, ME 04101
coliN w. SargeNt
Founding Editor & Publisher
ART & PRODUCTION
Art Director NaNcy SargeNt
Associate Publisher JeSSe SteNbak
Graphic Design MeaghaN Maurice Design MercedeS VilleNeuVe
ADVERTISING
Advertising Executive aNdie ewiNg
Advertising Executive Per lofViNg
Publisher’s Assistant & New Media liz Naber
EDITORIAL
Contributing Editor gweN thoMPSoN
Proofreader katheriNe Miller
Contributor clif traVerS
Special Features & Archives coliN S. SargeNt
Special Projects JaSoN hJort
Distribution Nick o'Malley
ACCOUNTING
Controller JeNNifer lord SubScriPtioNS
Subscribe online at www.portlandmagazine.com.
Portland Magazine, aka Portland Monthly Magazine, is published by Sargent Publishing, Inc. Repeat Internet rights are understood to be purchased with all stories and artwork. For questions regarding advertising, invoicing, and payments, call Jennifer Lord at 775-0101.
November 2025, Volume 40, No. 8 (ISSN: 1073-1857). Letters to the editor are welcome and will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as subject to Portland Magazine’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. Responsible only for that portion of any advertisement which is printed incorrectly. Advertisers are responsible for copyrights of materials they submit. Nothing in this issue may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publishers. Submissions welcome, but we take no responsibility for unsolicited materials. All photography has been enhanced for your enjoyment.
Portland Magazine is proudly printed in the USA by Cummings Printing.
Intriguing Mainers
Let’s adopt a new standard. It’s high time we did. If you identify with Maine, you’re one of us.
Beyond that, are we intriguing because of who we are or where we’re from? Naturally, we’re geographically fascinating. Maine is the capital of Parts Unknown. We’re the home of Everyone.
What can we learn from characters whose backstories suggest they’re Mainers? Big dreamers, warm hearts. Independence is the feather in our cap.
We walk the walk. Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H is from Crabapple Cove. He’s funny, opinionated, fearless when required. He isn’t afraid to chart his own course.
In How to Be Single (2016), Dakota Johnson plays a fictional Mainer looking for love in Manhattan. She’s a fish out of water. In NYC’s wonderland, her name is Alice. In an interview with Vulture, Johnson explains how she connected with her character’s journey: “I really tried to tap into that feeling of being somewhere new, where everything is unfamiliar but also exciting. There’s this mix of vulnerability and hope, which is kind of universal.”
The cachet of being from the North Woods is an enviable calling card. Maine is cool, off the grid, off-stage. We’re the “it” Un-place.
Even Aquaman claims us. The DC Comics star lets it slip that his father was a lighthouse keeper in Maine in the eponymous 2018 movie. Just add Maine when you need to ground your personality.
We’re not the middle of Nowhere, we’re the capital of Nowhere. Just the way I love it. Wear it like a badge. Our writer Diane Russell interviewed Alan Alda for us in 2014: “I became a Mainer in 1957 when I played at the Kennebunkport Playhouse,” he says. “It was beautiful there. I was just married, and my wife and I were busy exploring all the nooks and crannies.”
Do Mainers speak with an accent?
“I don’t think so. If they have an accent, how come Meryl Streep never played anyone from Maine?”
A Mainer is who you see in the mirror.
We hope you enjoy getting to know your neighbors in these pages.
Joshua L. Noddin, Host
Cyr Northstar Tours’ Upcoming Tours
Quincy Market Boston, MA NOV 8
Foxwoods Resort Casino Foxwoods, CT NOV 9
New York City Thanksgiving NYC NOV 26
Holiday In Lancaster Lancaster, PA NOV 30 Holly Dolly Christmas Pigeon Forge, TN DEC 4 Gardens Aglow Boothbay DEC 7
New York City Christmas NYC DEC 12
New England Patriots Gillette Stadium DEC 14
NOTIFICATIONS
Our daily struggle with digital over-stimulation is continuous and real. With emails, pop-up ads, and notifications, we are often in sensory overload. Reading a print publication is a focused experience outside of the digital realm. Printed content has tested better with brand recall than digital, and is easier on the eyes. Bottom line: printed publications provide readers with a meaningful and memorable experience.
Cummings Printing is a fourth-generation family-owned company specializing in printing high-quality, shortrun publications. At each phase of the print process, they provide a human-touch that is unmatched by the competition. We help you create compelling publications so your readers truly understand the allure of the printed word.
Wow! Great article [“The Long View,” October 2025] about the farm and its history. It made me want to know John Hathaway, as it sounds as though we share some experiences (blueberry raking for Wyman!) and a love of Goosefare Farm. I was surprised and pleased at the inclusion of my quote. Thank you for that and for sharing the article.
Mary Mayo, Biddeford
IN THE LENS
…You asked if I have recent pictures of Scarborough and OOB in the off-season.
I first “met” Scarborough when I photographed the marsh in the winter, actually. I have a picture of Massacre Pond that I love.
I love the way Old Orchard Beach looks in winter too, and have taken quite a few pictures of that as well. It would be neat to do an article with images from all three of those places, although I must confess that I don’t have many from Saco (yet!).
Cynthia Farr Weinfeld, Portland
FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS
About Witch Way in Cape Elizabeth [“Which ‘Witch Way?’” October 2025]: I agree with you about history.
Joan Connor, Belmont, VT
Moved to Custom House Wharf.
Find us down the wharf past Sea Bags Factory Outlet store across from Porthole.
1339 CHUK K A
by Alden
2- eyelet Chukk a Bo ot in C olor 8 shell cor dovan leather
Handcrafted on the Barr ie last 360º pre-stitch reverse welt, maho gany D ouble oak leather sole M ade in New England since 18 84
For these, and mor e “ Good Shoes , ” shop with us in- stor e in Por tland’s Old Por t - and online at davidwoodst yleshop com. See you soon.
The photos of the Crewe family home in our September 2025 story “Can’t Take My Eyes off You” were taken by Wave5 Productions and Southern Maine Aerials.
Scattered like baguette crumbs across America, cities named Paris channel La Ville-Lumière from Texas to Maine. Sur prise: Iowa has two Parises! But only Maine gets to slide in with the Paris Sled Co. See the 2025 romcom The Wrong Paris
Visit all the Parises: Maine, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan.
We Love Paris Grand Gesture
Snow Babies Snow Babies
What could be more perfect than to anchor the Crewe Center for the Arts with Bob Crewe’s original piano? Imagine it playing, in its former life, hits Crewe wrote like “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” The instrument was lovingly restored for its new gig by Starbird Music and Piano Gallery’s Sherwin Young. “Bob’s piano was a Knabe,” says David Andreson of Starbird. “All the other pianos at the Center are Steinways except for Bob’s. He would have had the
Curseofthe
Saco River
According to legend, a Colonial settler threw an infant into the Saco River to see if he could swim (he drowned). The boy’s dad, a sachem, cursed the invaders with a death in the Saco every year. In 2025, the count is 2: man, 28, canoeing near Fryeburg; man, 38, drowning after falling into the Saco at Buxton’s Pleasant Point Park.
According to Marine Mammals of Maine, gray seals are yearround residents who “give birth in January and February on coastal islands” off our shores.
Spend some of this winter with your fellow Portlander, Liv Tyler. In 1999, she starred with Ralph Fiennes in Onegin. ‘A disillusioned nobleman rejects a young country woman’s love, only to become infatuated with her years later after she’s married; his pursuit of her leads to a fatal duel, a tragic opera, and profound regret.’ It’s based on a haunting poem by the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin. Oh, and see our interview with the intriguing Tyler, November 1996.
Photo
Cold Hands, Warm Heart
Kennebunkport’s Garnet Hathaway, 33, stars as a right wing for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Not everyone learns to skate on a pond in Maine alongside a flock of rare Cotswold sheep. Did any of them actually join you on the ice?
ally. One little lamb I remember crossed the road, came up to our front door, and waited to get bottle-fed. As a kid, I was always trying to ride them.
INTERVIEW
BY
COLIN W. SARGENT
No, I think the flock follows each other. They’re pretty smart about that. But they hopped on the road occasion-
My wife and I often parked off the Mills Road to see that flock. Once they were hiding in the marsh. Just when I was about to give up and leave, a ram popped his head up
“I wear True skates and have for quite a while now, at least 10 years. I use a Bauer stick.”
just inches from my window. What a thrill! Did you have a name for the pond?
Just “The Pond,” really. Skating was everything to me.
How often did you end up skating in the dark?
More often than not. We would just stay out there. All my siblings would skate. If my brother and I weren’t on the pond, we were playing hockey in the house. There was a big old hearth on the first floor. We didn’t use it as a fireplace, we used it as a net.
Growing up, where else did you skate?
My first organized skating was at Biddeford Ice Arena, where my big brother Ephraim was signed up. As we grew older, our parents built a rink with plywood boards in the backyard. I went to Cheverus for a single year. We won the state championship that year. Then I went on to Andover, and later Brown, Class of 2014.
Same year as Emma Watson. Did you ever meet her there?
A few times. Some of my teammates had classes with her. But the big deal is, I met my wife Lindsay there. We have three little ones.
In 2019, you signed with the Washington Capitals, and the Washington Post did a feature story on you. Then you were traded to the Bruins. Your dad says you were the first Mainer to play for them! Now you’re flying in Philadelphia. How often do you get to Maine?
It’s usually one long trip into summer. We’re deep into planning Summer ’26.
What are your favorite places when you’re up here?
Now that I have kids, I’m excited to walk along the water. I would always hop on the ferry, go out to Peaks, and ride through Casco Bay to hop off at
My favorite two hockey movies? The Mighty Ducks. No, Miracle. No. Mystery,
Alaska.
islands. But my favorite haunt used to be my family’s business, the Sea Star Grille on Western Avenue in the Lower Village, Kennebunk. Our whole family ran it. I miss the food, the friendship, and the live entertainment. My parents brought us five children up in Maine as Mainers.
Did you follow the Portland Pirates?
Yeah, we went up to the Civic Center quite a bit as they switched affiliations between the Caps and the Bruins. It’s so amazing that I got the opportunity to play with both.
What are your 30 worst seconds as an NHL player?
Game 7, in the playoffs against Florida
after they scored. That was the 30 worst seconds.
What are your 30 most exciting seconds as an NHL player?
It was Leap Day in 2016, February 29, a trade deadline day. I joined the [Calgary Flames] when I didn’t know if I’d be called up or end up sitting in the stands. The next game I played was against the Bruins in TD Garden. My whole childhood rushed back to me.
What are the key points to playing right wing?
Understanding when to make a play and recognizing when there’s no play to be made. I’ve built my career on knowing when’s the right time to pressure and when to possess. As a winger, puck battles on the wall can be very important—those individual little moments can make all the difference.
You and Lindsay are doing great work for Flyers Charities, including “Hath’s Heroes.” Tell us about that.
In D.C, we founded a player initiative to give back to first responders. My namesake great-great-grandfather, Garnet McElroy, from Winnipeg, Canada, was a firefighter. We’ve hosted first responders and their families at games, and we make firehouse visits. Families Behind the Badge in Philly supports the families of fallen first responders. We’ve partnered with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery [part of the Boston Beer Co. portfolio, along with Samuel Adams], launching a beer—Engine 19 IPA—where the proceeds will go to Hath’s Heroes. We’ve tried to raise awareness of first responders’ work.
It’s always how I’ve played. Initiating contact and finding timing and knowing. A lot of hitting is timing: when do I make a hit, take a puck away, or skate back to my own zone. n
Above: sharing Engine 19 IPA. “We met at Brown. Lindsay studied political science. I studied business, entrepreneurship, and organizations.” They have one daughter, Ella. In July 2024, Garnet signed a 2-year contract extension for $4.8M with the Flyers.
Spreading Joy after Combat
Hotelier, veteran, and BailaME! cofounder Bryan Noyes returns home to start a movement that takes us beyond dance.
INTERVIEW BY COLIN W. SARGENT
Imagine the 4th of July coming at you. They saw we were posting up. My lieutenant was hit in the head.
After you graduated from Cheverus, reeling from 9/11 like all of us, you went to Vermont Tech for a couple of semesters but then joined the volunteer U.S. Army.
In the fall of 2003, I was stationed in Germany but then went straight to Iraq as a forward artillery observer, an elite scout. I was in Baghdad and was cross-attached to tank and infantry commands. I was lucky to stay at one base for two to three weeks before the next mission.
Did you consider Maine home? What’s the difference between Maine and Iraq? Iraq is a lot hotter, a lot sandier! I was adopted from the Philippines when I was three, but Maine is certainly home to me. Even though, as teenagers, my friends and I couldn’t wait to leave, as time wore on, I found myself looking forward to returning.
What were your scariest 30 seconds in uniform?
Missions in Najaf, under fire on top of buildings. My team was am-
bushed. Imagine the 4th of July coming at you. They saw we were posting up. My lieutenant was hit in the head. Even with U.S. forces evacuating us, there was heavy firefighting getting out. That was the most intense.
When did you come home and begin making contact with other veterans?
In 2008, I left the Army as a sergeant to support my family in Scarborough when my brother Matthew died of a brain tumor. I was happy to learn that Maine had a lot of support units, like National Guard refuelers. When we met as fellow vets, we’d go over
our timelines to see how close we’d been to running into each other in the Middle East. There were some near misses!
I also help run an army cadet program. Army cadets are similar to Sea Cadets.
How long have you been dancing?
While I was in Germany, I was in a hip-hop dance crew. I tried to do the same thing here in Maine, but due to back surgery I’d had in the military, I couldn’t dance the same way. What to do? I didn’t want to sit at home or in bars trying to recover. I needed to keep moving and to keep developing community. I joined the Red Hot & LadyLike burlesque dance group in Portland and took classes at Danza
We’re not causing any harm. That spirit, wherever you go, reminds you, you just want to dance.
Latina in South Portland, where I learned Cuban Latin dances, salsa, and bachata.
Where did you meet your BailaME! business partner and friend Emily Bottini?
We were part of the high-energy, younger crowd in the class. Ours was a relatively small group, but we hung out a lot. The small group has
turned into a big community of friends. At BailaME!, we host local and global events, go bowling, take dance trips to Havana and also the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Puerto Rico next year. I run three more dance companies with instructors who are starting up in Maine right now. We began with one or two events each month; now we have four to five just in Southern Maine, Bangor, and Lewiston.
I want to share that smooth joy with everyone!
Where else have you been as Maine’s Latin dance ambassador?
Cuba, Santo Domingo… My first return trip to the Philippines was in 2017. I’ve visited there to see the island where I’m from, Catanduanes [the 12th largest island in the Philip-
I did an internship in Geneva, and yes, the Swiss salsa too!
pines], and its capital city, Virac.
I went to SMCC and USM and studied political science, international relations, and sociology. I worked for the UN with the Philippine ambassador. I did an internship in Geneva, and yes, the Swiss salsa too!
When I booked a flight to the Philippines last winter, within two days all my social media feeds were filled with Latin dancing, even from Thailand. Join us at BailaME! baila-me.com. n
MAINE
Emily Bottino: Community in Motion
Meet BailaME! cofounder, inspirational speaker, and traveler Em ily Bottino: “BailaME!, which of course means ‘dance with me’ in Spanish, is a pun on dance with Maine. Bryan had been wanting to grow the Latinx dance company for a couple of years, but he didn’t want to do it alone, so I organized a dance trip to the Dominican Republic—we’d danced together in Latinx dance classes before.
“He and I both embrace the Latin culture and dance in Maine through music. There’s a growing Latinx population in Maine; by some estimates, the number of people who identify as Latinx has tripled in the last five years. Latin dancers can welcome new arrivals in Maine outside the classroom as well as inside.
“I’m originally from New York, did my undergraduate work at Stony Brook, and got my master’s degree at the University of Seville. Now I live near Bowdoin College with a newborn, Luna.
“You can run with a running group, swing dance with a swing group, but with BailaME!, we don’t just dance—we experience. We try to have at least one dance trip per year. People in general may think that Latin dance…is simply technical like ballet or swing, but it’s totally cultural, and therefore everyone is welcome to dance it. It’s an incredibly safe, healthful, inclusive thing to do.”
Top Flight
At 98, Alex Katz is fluorescing…and Ada Katz, 97, is incandescent.
BY DIANE HUDSON
What draws you to this place?
AK: Maine was beautiful, and the atmosphere was very liberating. You felt free. I first went there on a scholarship in 1949 at the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture. I have had a studio in Maine since 1954.
How would you say your winters in New York affect your work compared to how you create in Maine? The subject matter and light are different. I paint more indoor subjects with artificial light in
New York. In Maine, I’m painting mostly outdoor subjects in natural light. Sometimes I’ll start an idea in Maine and finish it when I return to New York.
How do you reward yourself if you’ve just had a breakthrough moment while painting? (We
Alex Katz, Sunset 6, 2008. Oil on linen. 108 x 192 in. (274.3 x 487.7 cm). Colby College Museum of Art, promised gift of the artist, 041.2009
Alex Katz, Ada in Black Sweater, 1957. Oil on masonite, 24 x 18 in. (61 x 45.7 cm). Colby College Museum of Art, gift of the artist, 1995.063
Sometimes
I’ll start an idea in Maine and finish it when I return to New York.
know one painter who hides wrappers from KitKat Bars under the cushions of the love seat beside her easel.)
I can’t really tell. Sometimes I think a painting I’ve done is a mess, and then people love it.
Do you listen to music while you
“Alex Katz met his wife, Ada Del Moro, at a gallery opening in New York City’s East Village in 1957. Del Moro, a research biologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, was attending the event with a friend. Katz, noticing the gentleman did not assist her with her coat, stepped in to help—a gesture that led to their first date: a Billie Holiday concert. They married on February 1, 1958.” —Christie’s
ARTIST & MUSE
work? Who’s on your playlist?
Sometimes I listen to music—Charlie Parker is my favorite. I listen to Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion. The complete Prestige recordings of Sonny Rollins. Machito [Frank Grillo] was heaven.
Red Sox or Yankees?
I am really not that interested in baseball. I played baseball with the guys in my neighborhood as a teenager, and I ran track in high school. Later, at Cooper Union, I played basketball. We played softball in the summers in Provincetown. Franz Kline played with us, and Red Grooms was a great athlete. Still later, I played basketball in New York with the poets—Jim Carroll, Paul Auster, and others. I like watching sports on TV but am not really a fan. I like the Knicks. n
H o s t
Y o u r
H o l i d a y
E v e n t
w i t h
C e l e b r a t e t h e s e a s o n w i t h c o a s t a l c h a r m a t
B o o n e ’ s F i s h H o u s e & O y s t e r R o o m !
P o r t l a n d ’ s i c o n i c wa t e r f ro n t v e n u e i n t h e O l d P o r t .
B o o n e ’ s o f f e r s c o z y i n d o o r s p a c e s , p r i va t e a n d s e m i -
p r i va t e ro o m s , t w o l e v e l s o f d i n i n g , a n d c u s t o m i z a b l e
m e n u s - p e r f e c t f o r h o l i d a y c e l e b ra t i o n s .
H o l i d a y P a r t i e s | F e s t i v e D i n n e r s | C o c k t a i l R e c e p t i o n s
C o r p o r a t e G a t h e r i n g s | Fa m i l y G a t h e r i n g s
2 0 7 - 7 7 4 - 5 7 2 5
e v e n t s @ b o o n e s f i s h h o u s e . c o m
b o o n e s f i s h h o u s e . c o m
8 6 C o m m e r i c a l S t o n
C u s t o m H o u s e W h a r f
PORTLAND, MAINE
Dune Messiah
BY JUDSON VAIL
“Dreams are messages from the deep.” Frank Herbert, Dune
When the large swath of sand dunes in Freeport known as the Desert of Maine went up for sale in 2018, Mela Jones was immediately interested. For one, she was living next door and didn’t want to see the sleepy campground turn into a development. But she also recognized the unique value and potential of the historic land that has seen many iterations over the centuries—from Wabanaki territory to Civil War-era homestead to roadside tourist attraction.
The Desert of Maine is not technically a desert, receiving ample rainfall just like the rest of the region. Rather, the sands are deposits from the last ice age, when the enormous Laurentide Ice Sheet moved over Maine and ground stone into tiny particles. Lying undisturbed for millennia under forest foliage and topsoil, the sand was exposed when the Tuttle family began grazing sheep on the land in the 1860s, leading to intense erosion
. By 1940, over 100 acres of the area was awash with sand.
I meet Jones at the sand’s edge on a sunny Saturday morning. Enthusiastic and soft-spoken, she leads me up the boardwalk from the welcome center and out into the expanse of fine rolling dunes surrounded by forest.
“When I first took over, I just walked around with people and told stories,” she says, recalling those early days with a bit of whimsy and an obvious appreciation of the landscape. Similarly casual outings are just how the Desert of Maine began as an attraction a century ago, when enterprising Henry Goldrup purchased the abandoned farm in 1926 and held forth loquaciously on nature strolls to anyone who would listen. Over the ensuing decades, the Desert would have its ups and downs, changing hands several times but always catering to the curious public, boasting such offerings as the ultra-fine anomalous sand, a live camel, and free-flowing information of dubious historical accuracy.
“There wasn’t a lot of historical record-keeping from the 1940s to the 1980s heyday,” Jones says as we make our way down the dunes toward an enormous lone tree she calls Queen Oak. She marvels at the tree’s ability to grow in the sand and produce a full, lush canopy, then goes on to tell me about one-time proprietress Elaine Polakewich, whose instructions to her tour guides were simply: “Say anything you want, just make it sincere.”
With equivalent enthusiasm, but much more emphasis on fact, Jones has transformed the Desert from a kitschy tourist attraction into a tasteful outdoor natural history museum. Informative placards detailing the geology, ecology, and inhabitants of the land line pathways and trails. The restored Tuttle farmhouse serves as an interactive exhibit, and the excavated old spring house is now a wishing well. Jones is also interested in simply watching the land heal itself. “The forest is fine without our help,” she tells me, noting that the desert has
Mela Jones re-imagines her Desert of Maine.
Home Loans for Maine
been shrinking for decades. The trees and understory are reclaiming the sand at a rate of about an acre
Jones is quick to mention collaborators she’s worked with, including wildlife ecologist Deborah Perkins, Ecology at the Edge: How serves as a detailed guide to the Desert of Maine. Yet Jones is obviously a very ambitious and visionary individual, and her plans for the Desert extend beyond the dunes. Along with the rental cabins and mini golf course already in place, she’s in the process of creating a venue for the Center for Arts and Ecology, her non-profit side of the operation.
“The thing that really struck me was the barn,” she says of the historic structure she’s having restored for the venue, which will host dance performances, musicals, art shows,” and possibly weddings. “I immediately knew when I saw it that this place
There’s a sort of lost era of the Desert of Maine, after the farm was mortgaged and before it became a tourist attraction. During this period, locals would come and picnic on the dunes or gather for a late-night rendezvous under the stars. It was when the Desert was for Mainers, part of the local fabric of the area. With her new vision, Jones is harkening back to that era, ensuring the Desert of Maine isn’t just a strange oddity for tourists to see once, but a part of the community for locals to enjoy over and over again.
My Favorite Year
BY COLIN S. SARGENT
Two hundred years ago, Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette, known in America as General Lafayette from service in our war for independence, completed a thirteen-month, whirlwind tour of all 24 of the United States.
Though a retired Major General of the Continental Army, Lafayette had never broken his connection to his French noble roots; indeed, although he assisted with the writing of France’s Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, he had tried to help France steer a path toward a British-style constitutional monarchy.
France would continue to waver between different flavors of autocraft. By 1824, Lafayette was in his late sixties, the only major general still
alive from the Revolutionary War. Hoping to pass on the spirit of ’76 to the next generation, President James Monroe asked Congress for a resolution to permit the sending of a U.S. Navy frigate to ferry Lafayette over at his convenience. Instead, wishing to avoid even the appearance of benefiting from public service or politicizing his visit, Lafayette booked passage on a merchant ship, the Cadmus. John Quincy Adams insisted in 1825, however, that Lafayette’s return to France would be on the maiden voyage of the USS Brandywine, a new 44-gun frigate named in honor of Lafayette’s first battle, in which he was wounded.
IF IT’S TUESDAY, WE’RE IN…
Traveling at a rate that would sometimes exceed eleven miles an hour,
Lafayette Elm, Kennebunk
&Lafayette would stop at well over a hundred cities and towns, visiting all 24 states, including, in 1825, Maine. Notably, the retinue included his accomplished son Georges Washington Louis Gilbert de La Fayette, 56, who would handle many of the details.
THE
WAY LIFE SHOULD BE Lafayette arrived at South Berwick on the morning of June 24, where a committee met him at Maine’s border to escort him to breakfast. He next passed through Wells for dinner in Kennebunk at the Storer Mansion, shaded by what came to be known as the Lafayette Elm.
The proposed Pine Tree flag for Maine that was voted down last year was also near-identical to the flag of the Massachusetts Naval Militia during the Revolutionary War.
Provincial officers were not considered to be formally senior to British regular officers, and on more than one occasional Washington, as a Virginia colonel, was in disputes with two separate British army captains who refused to take his orders even when assigned to his command; the British captains received no consequences despite Washington pressing the matter. The 1754 royal order on rank placed the command of a company of regulars above any provincial military office, a system that would go on to last almost 200 years further in the East India Company military and the British Indian Army until Indian independence in 1947.
Humanity has won its battle. Liberty now has a country.
Lafayette spoke suavely in French, but since English was not his first language, his quips in our tongue could be a little choppy. With the now-famous tree floating above him like a leafy, green cloud, here are his only recorded words spoken in Maine, transcribed verbatim by local townsman James Remick: “The town
of Kennebunk, where the first tree was fell on
“I Rise from this chair so Kindly, so beautifully ornamented, to Propose you a toast to the Kennebunk Ladies.”
Next, Lafayette journeyed to Biddeford, where he stayed the night at Spring’s Tavern on Spring Island, which, two nights in a row, would be the only place he’d sleep in Maine.
He then passed through Scarborough before being received in Portland. Never did he set foot in the Tate House, but he did visit the Means House across the street. At Union Hall in Portland, he would thank Maine for our role in the war for independence: “The State of Maine who, yet an infant and not weaned from its mother, gallantly helped in crushing European aristocracy and despotism; and the town of Portland which rose from the ashes of patriotic Falmouth to become the flourishing metropolis of a flourishing State; may their joint Republican propensity last, and increase forever.”
Lafayette was back in New Hampshire by June 27.
To put his Maine sentiments into perspective: he meant them and had a set of unmatched career
When Lafayette was a major general in the Continental Army, he was a Versace model compared to this 1825 portrait by Samuel Morse, inventor of the telegraph.
the day when the first gun of American and universal liberty, was fired at Lexington; may the glorious state date, be to flourishing Kennebunk be a Pledge of everlasting, and ever Increasing Republican Prosperity, and happiness.”
Pressed further, he would add,
bona fides, including five years in prison in service of the cause of liberty because, according to the Austrian king, he had betrayed the French monarchy. He could apply more flair when he wanted: one of his letters following his victory at Yorktown rings with: “Humanity has won its battle. Liberty now has a country.”
Earnestly kind manners touched with a hint of staggering privilege was the Lafayette brand. It’s a feature, not a bug. Embodying this idea as its most fashionable exponent was,
Capt. James Means House, Stroudwater
Now the offices of Deering Lumber, the former Spring’s Tavern on Spring Island, Biddeford, was run by Seth Spring, a veteran of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
indeed, the entire point of Lafayette’s venture to the United States and our acceptance of him, aged only 19, as a Major General. The people involved put their money where their mouths were and their lives on the line.
Since he was formally the Marquis de Lafayette, to accept a rank below George Washington (whom Lafayette would name his son after) put American generals and diplomats suddenly “above the salt” in the diplomatic gutter-fighting that would happen in Paris.
The Marquis de Lafayette gave us a backstage pass into the halls of power just as our country was being born, while living out a Classical Roman military adventurer fantasy as a 19-year-old major general.
When talking about a national tour and the birth of our nation, it’s hard not to drift toward more recent events. A historical perspective allows us to realize just how valuable the traditions of good cheer, manners, and fellowship can be in times of crisis— the spirit of ’76, indeed—a cordiality that in today’s divisive climate may take a bit of effort to revive.
In a time when concepts such as national divorce are openly bandied about not just by fringe personalities but by elected officials, perhaps we owe it to ourselves to take a little step back. How can we embarrass ourselves in front of French nobility?
We could all do with taking a breath. Instead of a national divorce, we need a renewal of vows. Maybe a little couples’ counseling, as we all continue to seek that more perfect Union. Doesn’t any relationship take some work every day? n
The Cadmus carried the Marquis de Lafayette to the United States from Le Havre.
Medicinal Plant Sciences -DE
Bachelor of Science Degree (B S ) Length: 34 months
Cannabis Sciences -DE
Associate of Applied Science Degree (A.A.S.) Length: 18/36 months
Cannabis Business Administration -DE
Associate of Applied Science Degree (A A S ) Length: 20/40 months
Cannabis Business Operations -DE | Diploma Length: 10/20 months
Baked!
“Nothingsays autumn in Maine betterthanacidercannabisd
BY COLIN W. SARGENT
From their North Windham Mall loca-
tion, Maine’s Alter-
native Caring (MAC) is here to catch you as you Fall…in love with the ultimate comfort food.
“When I studied Food Science at the University of Maine [in 2018], I definitely did not imagine I’d be cooking anything like this back then!” says Kelsey Mulligan.
“But I’m grateful. It feels like a natural fit—food has always been my language of care. We bake our medicated cider donuts right here in our gluten-free oven. Yup, right here in Windham. We use local cider and gluten-free flour. I introduced them in 2023. People start thinking and getting excited about them when the trees start changing color.”
THERE’S A NIP IN THE AIR
“They’re great with coffee, cocoa, or
hot cider,” Mulligan says. “My spouse runs Dirigo Cannabis in Lewiston, and he helped with the extract.” Online, the product beckons: “Indulge in cozy fall flavors with a twist—our Medical THC-Infused Apple Cider Donut delivers warm, cinnamon-spiced comfort with the calming benefits of medical can-
nabis. Each soft, sugar-dusted bite is carefully dosed for consistent relief, making it the perfect treat for patients seeking both wellness and flavor. Sweet, soothing, and made with care—this isn’t just a donut, it’s elevated healing.”
Considering their elevation, how does MAC spell these goodies? “On our packaging, we spell them like Dunkin’ Donuts does,” Mulligan says.
GETTING EARTHY
Cider and cannabis blend so well into doughnuts that you can now actually buy a cannabis plant called “Doughnuts & Cider” at The Hideaway in Oxford, Maine. It’s a cross between Point Break and Sugar Cake.
“Interesting,” Mulligan says. “I may take a look at that. We grow all our own flower,” the reproductive bud, or the female part, of the cannabis plant that’s harvested for cannabinoids. n
Sky’s the Limit
Harding Lee Smith is a master at spinning plates—in Portland and beyond.
BY NANCY ENGLISH
Twenty years have passed since Harding Lee Smith opened The Front Room on Munjoy Hill. Back then, the entrees were clocking in below $30. “It’s a neighborhood restaurant,” Smith said at the time, and it still is. He wants it to stay that way. He also owns the Grill Room and the Corner Room in Portland.
By the end of 2025, Smith, 56, plans to open his sixth restaurant in Maine, in Bethel, where he’s already set up The Mountain Room and the Last Run Room at Sunday River, open seasonally.
The new Mayville Union House, at 174 Mayville Road, will be open year-round and is a hands-on venture. It will also be the first in which he has owned the real estate, with other investors, and the first with hotel rooms for guests.
“In Portland, you’re a little fish in a big pond. But in Bethel, running a business is a lot easier,” he says. “It’s a quiet life. I just love it up here. I love the people.”
The menu will be focused on New American comfort food, with everything from scratch. “We’ll make our
own sausages, desserts. It’s a union of everything! We like to throw a party.”
Live music is promised, as well as a pig roast outside.
A humidity-controlled cabinet will display beef as it dry-ages into tender, succulent steaks. “It develops an outer crust that you cut off to find the meat has developed a beautiful dark color.”
Smith was born and raised in West Bath, but he started his career in restaurants working for others on the West Coast. His reputation in Portland grew more colorful with stories of angry outbursts that paralleled his own initial experiences in San Francisco. But the years have brought inevitable changes.
“I don’t take myself so seriously anymore,” he says. “The world has changed. You can’t get away with that now. But I am still not sending out
an undercooked chicken. The food has to be perfect.”
The collapse of fine dining during the pandemic in 2020 was the worst of his years as a restaurateur, Harding has told the Boulos Beat, a local real-estate podcast. The solution? Shifting gears, he introduced takeout from The Corner Room nine months after the shutdown started, and his other restaurants rebounded slowly after that.
Workers have also changed. “When I started, we used to have a lot of high-school kids. We don’t have a lot of young people now.” Instead, Smith says servers make from $70,000 to $90,000 a year, and they tend to keep their jobs. Staff managers who have worked for Smith for 17 and 19 years now run two of his restaurants.
With South Paris’s Timberwoods Farm supplying mushrooms and lamb or pork and many other local sources for good beef, foraged mushrooms, and dairy, along with his own extensive gardens, Smith’s ambitions can expand on a bigger stage in Bethel. His years in the business and discipline will be informing every winter braise and summer seafood dish during the exciting decades unfolding ahead. n
EL RODEO
The Corner Room features bright, wide-open space with towering ceilings complemented by handcrafted woodwork. Patrons can expect a warm, comfortable atmosphere, marked by the arich aromas of housemade pastas, pizzas, antipasti and artisanal breads. Come and enjoy the taste of Venice in the heart of Portland, ME! 879-4747, 110 Exchange Street. Visit thecornerroomkitchenandbar.com for more information.
Boone’s A Portland landmark since 1898. Original home of Alexander Boone’s world-famous Baked Stuffed Lobster. Two waterfront decks, two full bars, two cozy dining rooms, fireside tables. Perfect setting to enjoy the finest seafood from Maine and the world. Steaks, chowder, lobster rolls, grilled dishes, daily features. Visit Boone’s for a romantic date, business luncheon, family gathering or large banquet. BoonesFishHouse.com
Bruno’s Portland’s Best Italian, Market Surveys of America. Silver medal, Best Italian, Best of 207. Seriously delicious Italian, American, seafood dishes with signature in-house pasta (Bruno’s Pasta Co. goodies entice in statewide culinary stores). Great sandwiches, pizza, calzones, soups, chowders, salads. Lunch/dinner in dining room or tavern—casual dining as an art form. 33 Allen Ave., 8789511, restaurantji.com/me/portland/ brunos-restaurant-and-tavern-/
Leonardo’s Pizza, is a beloved local spot for handcrafted pizzas on organic whole-wheat or white King Arthur flour crusts. Known for specialty pies like Fennel Sausage and vegan “Salvation,” it offers delivery and take-out. (207) 775-4444, 415 Forest Ave, Portland, leonardosonline.com.
Maria’s Ristorante Portland’s original classic Italian restaurant. Greg & Tony Napolitano prepare classics: Zuppa di Pesce, Eggplant Parmigiana, Grilled Veal Sausages, Veal Chop Milanese, homemade cavatelli pastas, Pistachio Gelato & Maine’s Best Meatballs. See our own sauce in local stores. $11.95$22.95. Open at 5 Wed.-Sat. Catering always avail. 1335 Congress Street 7729232, mariasrestaurant.com.
DiMillo’s On the Water Now’s the time to enjoy everything DiMillo’s has
to offer: fabulous dishes prepared by Head Chef, Melissa Bouchard, voted one of Maine’s Chefs of the Year, plus Certified Angus Beef, Italian and the best lobster around. Our outside dining is unparalleled. Open Monday thru Saturday at noon, Commercial St., Old Port 772-2216. Always FREE PARKING while aboard.
Flatbread Company Portland Situated on the working waterfront next to Casco Bay Cruise Lines in Portland’s Old Port. Family-friendly restaurant with signature wood-fired, pizzas, fresh salads, local craft beer, spirits and local, organic fresh ingredients. Pet friendly, deck seating on the water during summer. 72 Commercial St., 772-8777, flatbreadcompany.com.
Joseph’s by the Sea in Old Orchard Beach offers breathtaking views of Saco Bay. Enjoy indoor dining, outdoor seating, an upstairs lounge, and a rooftop deck. We specialize in locally sourced seafood and fresh Maine lobster. Closed for the season, we’ll reopen in March. Contact us at info@ josephsbythesea.com or call 207-9345044 for more info.
Hurricane Restaurant We are celebrating our 35th year as a Restaurant serving New England Cuisine with an international twist. Lobster & blueberry pie! Local produce and seafood, fresh shucked oysters, full bar, award-winning wine list, and an in-house Pastry Chef. Sunday brunch. Dinner served seven days a week, lunch on Saturdays, and Brunch on Sundays starting at 11:30am. Bar menu is always available. Good restaurants come and go. Great restaurants get better and better. Reservations suggested. 29 Dock Square, Kennebunport. 967-9111, hurricanerestaurant.com
Discover Oun Lido’s, Portland’s newest culinary gem at 30 Market St. Chef Bounahcree “Bones” Kim blends Cambodian and Cantonese flavors in standout dishes like twice-fried lemon chicken, lemongrass beef skewers, and savory stir-fried noodles. Named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants of 2024, this cozy spot offers both takeout and indoor seating. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 11 AM–8 PM. Call 207-554-3111 or visit ounlidos.com to order.
Holiday Gifts & Events
Holiday
44th Annual Christmas Prelude, Kennebunkport. 11-day event celebrating Christmas with tree lighting, Santa arriving by lobster boat, caroling at the Franciscan Monastery, fireworks, street festival, and more, Dec. 4–14. christmasprelude.com.
Aura, 121 Center St. Mihalidaze, Dec. 11; Spose’s PDank Xmas, Dec. 13. 772-8274.
Brick Store Museum, 117 Main St., Kennebunk. A Dickens Christmas, Nov. 23; Holiday Storytime with Matt Tavares, Nov. 29; Holiday in History, Dec. 7; Metal Embossed Ornaments Workshop, Dec. 10. 985-4802.
The Burleigh, Kennebunkport Inn, 1 Dock Sq. Holiday Cocktail Class, Nov. 22, 29, & Dec. 20. 204-9668.
Cadenza, 5 Depot St., Freeport. Heather Pierson plays Vince Guardaldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas, Dec. 13. 560-5300.
Chocolate Church Arts Center, 804 Washington St., Bath. Cyrus Chestnut plays Vince Guaraldi, Dec. 6; Còig & Screaming Orphans, Dec. 13. 442-8455.
City Theater, 205 Main St., Biddeford. A Swingin’ Christmas: The Holiday Music of Tony Bennett, Dec. 5–21. 282-0849.
Festive Glow: Holiday Spa Night, Tree Spa Pop-up, Cape Arundel Inn & Resort Club House, 8 Old Fort Ave., Kennebunkport.
November 6 - 29
Featuring work by Nancy Morgan Barnes, Robert Barnes, Victoria Barnes, Tim Conte, and Read Pate
Holiday Gifts & Events
Prepare to sparkle & shine this holiday season. Join us for a day of indulgence, relaxation, & radiant skin care amidst the enchantment of Christmas, Dec. 10. 604-2609.
Fete Market, 31 Diamond St. B. Fete Holiday Market, Dec. 12–13. fetemarket.com.
The Hill Arts, 76 Congress St. Ragtime Rebellion & The Sexy Circus Presents: ‘Twas The Night Before Fascism, Dec. 5–6. Andy Happel & Friends Holiday Hootenanny, Dec. 7. 347-7177.
Island Arts Association, Atlantic Oceanside, 119 Eden St., Bar Harbor. Holiday Craft Fair, Dec. 5–7. islandartsassociation.com/ upcoming-fairs.
Jonathan’s Ogunquit, 92 Bourne Ln. Jay Bragg: Christmas in Vaudeville: A Nashville Holiday Tradition, Dec. 4; Gary Hoey, Dec. 7; Chris Collins & Boiler Canyon: A John Denver Christmas, Dec. 12; A Christmas to Remember with Deep Blue C Studio Orchestra, Dec. 14. 646-4777.
Kittery Art Association, 2 Walker St. Holiday Show & Gift Bazaar, Nov. 20–Dec. 21. 451-9384.
Lyric Music Theater, 176 Sawyer St., South Portland. Elf Jr., The Musical, Dec. 12–20. 799-1421.
Maine State Ballet, Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St. The Nutcracker, Nov. 28–Dec. 7. 842-0800.
Meetinghouse Arts, 40 Main St., Freeport. Capital City Improv presents Hallmark Christmas: Unscripted!, Dec. 5; Sparkle: Annual Holiday Show, Nov. 21–Dec. 28. 865-0040.
New England Craft Fairs, see website for locations. Annual Makers Market Christmas Arts & Craft Show, Nov. 15–16; Santa’s Coming to Town Christmas Arts & Craft Show, Nov. 22–23; Annu-
Holiday Gifts & Events
al Thanksgiving Weekend Christmas in New England Arts & Craft Show, Nov. 29–30; Last Minute Christmas Arts & Craft Show, Dec. 13–14. newenglandcraftfairs.com.
Now You’re Cooking, 49 Front St., Bath. Thanksgiving Wine Tasting, Nov. 20; Asian Holiday Appetizers, Dec. 3; Bright Night Bath, Dec. 5; Katie’s Holiday Appetizers, Dec. 10; December Wine Tasting with Pine State, Dec. 11. 443-1402.
Ogunquit Playhouse, The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, NH. White Christmas, Dec. 3–21. 646-5511.
One Longfellow Square, 181 State St. Tartan Terrors Celtic Christmas, Dec. 5; Mr. Sun plays Ellington’s Nutcracker, Dec. 6; A Charlie Brown Christmas with The Heather Pierson Trio, Dec. 7; Alicia Witt, Dec. 10; Low Lily’s Winter Solstice Celebration, Dec. 13; Lúnasa, Dec. 14. 761-1757.
Opera House at Boothbay Harbor, 86 Townsend Ave. Building Spectacular Gingerbread Houses Class, Nov. 19; Ryanhood, Dec. 6; 2025 Gingerbread Spectacular, Dec. 12–14. 633-5159.
Owls Head Transportation Museum, 117 Museum St. Holidays at the Museum, Dec. 7; STEM Saturday: Gift Makers, Dec. 13. 594-4418.
Penobscot Theatre Company, Bangor Opera House, 131 Main St. Another Kick in Your Dickens, Dec. 4–21. 942-3333.
Portland Media Center, 516 Congress St. Yes&Co.: Our Holiday Stories, Dec. 13. 842-0800.
Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Sq. PMA Films: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Dec. 13. 775-6148.
Public Theatre, 31 Maple St., Lewiston. A Christmas Carol, Dec. 12–14. 782-3200.
Holiday Gifts & Events
Railway Village Museum, 586 Wiscasset Rd., Boothbay. North Pole Express, Dec. 6, 7, 13, & 14. 633-4727.
Saco River Theatre, 29 Salmon Falls Rd., Buxton. Neil McGarry’s A Christmas Carol, Dec. 13. 929-6473.
State Theatre, 609 Congress St. Choir! Choir! Choir!, Dec. 2; Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, Dec. 7; The Fogcutters Superfantastic Christmas Extravaganza, Dec. 13. 956-6000.
Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dugway Rd., Brownfield. Annual Christmas Craft Fair Dec. 7; Stone Mountain LIVE for Christmas, Dec. 12–13. 935-7292.
Stone Mountain Arts Center, The Little White Church, Rte. 153, Eaton Village, NH. Dana Cunningham & Carol Noonan, Dec. 6. 935-7292.
Strand Theatre, 345 Main St., Rockland. The Right Track, Dec. 12. 594-0070.
Theater at Monmouth, 796 Main St. Who’s Holiday!, Nov. 27–Dec. 7. 933-9999.
Ticonic Gallery & Studios, 93 Main St., Waterville. Winter Trees: A Holiday Clay Workshop, Nov. 21 & Dec. 5; Made: Maine Makers Market, to Jan. 26, 2026. 873-7000.
Vivid Motion, The Hill Arts, 76 Congress St. Holly Jolly Follies, Dec. 12–14 & 17–20. 558-1979.
Waldo Theatre, 916 Main St., Waldoboro. White Christmas, Nov. 28; Hundreds of Beavers Holiday Screening, Dec. 4; Craft Cinema: The Holiday, Dec. 7; The Muppet Christmas Carol, Dec. 14. 975-6490.
Waterville Opera House, 1 Common St. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Nov. 14–30; The Nutcracker, Dec. 12–14; Christmas with the Celts, Dec. 15. 873-7000.
York Art Association, 394 York St., York Harbor. Small Works / ART WALL, to Dec. 14. 363-4049.
Featuring a 1 lb bag of Casco Bay Blend coffee, Maine Grains Multigrain Malted Pancake Mix, 100% certified organic Passamaquoddy Maple Syrup, and two Coffee By Design A Great Cup of Coffee Changes Lives Diner Mugs. Coffee
Featuring a 1lb bag of Espresso Bella Crema, a 16oz jar of Vena’s Fizz House Espresso Martini Spirit Sipper Infusion, Dean’s Sweets Dean’s Sweets Maine Mix Dark Chocolate Truffle Box, and two 12oz Akakpo & Co. cocktail glasses.
Holiday Gifts & Events
ArtBates College Museum of Art, 75 Russell St., Lewiston. Shellburne Thurber: Full Circle, to Mar. 21, 2026; Precision & Expression: American Studio Ceramics from the E. John Bullard Collection, to Mar. 21, 2026. 786-6158.
Blue, 650A Congress St. Portland Drawing Group, Nov. 17 & Dec. 15. 774-4111.
Bowdoin College Museum of Art, 245 Maine St., Brunswick. Visions Unsettled: Stages of the Self in the Hispanic World, from the Spanish Empire to the Global Present, to Dec. 21; Flora et Fauna: Nature in Ancient Mediterranean Art & Culture, to Mar. 7, 2026. 725-3275.
Brick Store Museum, 117 Main St., Kennebunk. Ocean World: Perspectives of the Sea, to Dec. 20; In Brick!: Lego Art by Colby Adolphsen, to Dec. 20. 985-4802.
Caldbeck Gallery, 12 Elm St., Rockland. The New Season, to Jan. 31, 2026. 594-5935.
Center for Maine Contemporary Art, 21 Winter St., Rockland. 2025 Biennial, to Jan. 12, 2026. 701-5005.
Colby College Museum of Art, 5600 Mayflower Hill Dr., Waterville. Gertrude Abercrombie: The Whole World is a Mystery, to Jan. 11, 2026. 859-5600.
Cove Street Arts, 71 Cove St. Pentimenti: Little Histories, to Nov. 22; InnerVisions, to Dec. 13; Critters: Fins, Feathers, Fur, to Dec. 20; Tom Glover: Hurricane Journey, to Dec. 20. 808-8911.
Farnsworth Art Museum, 16 Museum St., Rockland. Finding Maine: The Wyeth Family of Artists, to Dec. 31; Re-Indigenizing Sacred Landscapes: From Wigwam at Cetawamkeag, to Jan. 4, 2026. 596-6457.
Greenhut Galleries, 146 Middle St. Nancy Morgan Barnes & Co., to Nov. 29. 772-2693.
Maine Film Center, 93 Main St., Waterville. Natural Selections: Works by Maria Wyzykowski, to Dec. 31. 873-7000.
Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress St. Notorious: Maine Crime in the Public Eye, 1690–1940, to Dec. 31; Lapsed Time: Portland in the 1980s, to Dec. 31; Stitches: Quilt Handwork, to Dec. 31. 774-1822.
Maine Jewish Museum, 267 Congress St. Roy Gyöngy Fox: On the Fence, to Dec. 31; Jesse Melchiskey: Just One More, to Dec. 31; Guest Curator Dr. Aaron Rosen: Up/Rooted, to Dec. 31. 773-2339.
Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington St., Bath. Upon That Isle in Maine: The Story & Works of Chris Van Dusen, to Mar. 29, 2026. 443-1316.
Maine Sculpture Trail, Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium. An outdoor exhibit of 34 sculptures over 200 miles Downeast. schoodicsculpture.org.
Moss Galleries, 251 US-1, Falmouth. Brian Smith: The Deep Sea is a Dark Room, to Nov. 29. 781-2620.
Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, 10 Polar Loop, Brunswick. Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios, to Dec. 14; At Home In the North, to Jun. 1, 2026. 725-3416.
Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Sq. Grace Hartigan: The Gift of Attention, to Jan. 11, 2026; David C. Driskell: Collector, to Mar. 1, 2026. 775-6148.
River Arts, 36 Elm St, Damariscotta. Celebration, Nov. 22–Dec. 30. 563-6868.
Ticonic Gallery & Studios, 93 Main St., Waterville. 3D Printing: Lithophanes, Dec. 6; Community Draw, Dec. 10. 873-7000. University of New England Art Galleries, UNE Art Gallery, 716 Stevens Ave. Unspoken Resilience: Healing from the Lewiston Shooting Two Years In, to Feb. 8, 2026. 602-3000. York Art Association, 394 York St., York Harbor. Spruce it Up, to Dec. 21. 363-4049.
Zillman Art Museum, 40 Harlow St., Bangor. John Bailly: Nomadic, to Dec. 13; Charley Harper: Birdwatching, to Dec. 13; Cristi Rinklin: More Than Human, to Dec. 27; Ralph Gibson: Chiaroscuro: Selected Works from Italy & France, to Dec. 27. 581-3300.
Music
1932 Criterion Theatre, 35 Cottage St., Bar Harbor. Eli Young Band, Dec. 6. 228-0829.
Aura, 121 Center St. Def Leppard’s Journey, Nov. 21; Eli Young Band, Dec. 3. 772-8274.
Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Collins Center for the Arts, 2 Flagstaff Rd., Orono. Masterworks II: Symphonic Glory, Nov.
Holiday Gifts & Events
SLUG
16. 942-5555.
Bay Chamber Concerts, 5 Mountain St., Camden. Winter Chamber Music Recital, Dec. 11; Winter Youth Choir Concert, Dec. 15. 236-2823.
Blue, 650A Congress St. East End Redemption, The Gubs, & Septic Approval, Nov. 15; Laura Zarougian, Eugene Tyler Band, & Stillwater, Nov. 20; The Bob Dylan Belated Birthday Benefit Band, Nov. 22; S.C.O.B.Y., Megan from Work, & El Malo, Dec. 5; Open Mic, every Tues.; Jazz Sesh, every Wed. 774-4111.
Camden Opera House, 29 Elm St. American Patchwork Quartet, Nov. 15. 236-7963.
Center Theatre, 20 E. Main St., Dover-Foxcroft. Pihcintu & Akiwacu, Nov. 22. 564-8943.
Chocolate Church Arts Center, 804 Washington St., Bath. Poranguí, Nov. 21; Shadow Riders, Nov. 22; All About Joel, Nov. 29; Roomful of Teeth, Dec. 5. 442-8455.
Collins Center for the Arts, 2 Flagstaff Rd., Orono. DakhaBrakha, Nov. 21; Randy Travis, Nov. 22; The Met Live: Arabella, Nov. 23; Symphonic Band & Bangor Band, Dec. 3; Soweto Gospel Choir: PEACE, Dec. 4; Paul Sullivan & Friends, Dec. 11; The Met Live: Andrea Chénier, Dec. 14. 581-1755.
Cross Insurance Arena, 1 Civic Center Sq. The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight, Dec. 14. 791-2200.
Share Bar Harbor, Maine with a gift card to any Witham Family Hotel property, includes room stays, gift shops, spa services, and restaurants.
finish your gift list today: www.barharborgiftcard.com
Holiday Gifts & Events
Pam’s Wreaths
Pam’s Wreaths has been a family owned business since 1984. We offer a full line of Christmas wreaths and decorations, including our very popular Moose Head Wreath. Call or go online for more information
Lincoln Theater, 2 Theater St., Damariscotta. The MET Live: Arabella (Strauss), Nov. 22; The MET Live: Andrea Chénier (Giordano), Dec. 13. 563-3424.
Maine Film Center, 93 Main St., Waterville. Met Opera: La Bohème (Puccini), Nov. 22; Met Opera: Arabella (Strauss), Dec. 6. 873-7000.
Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St. Castlebay presents The Maine Irish Song Project, Nov. 15; Maine Irish Song Project Workshop with Castlebay, Nov. 16; Bailey’s Mistake, Dec. 13. 780-0118.
One Longfellow Square, 181 State St. Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas, Nov. 15; The Arcadian Wind, Nov. 18; USM Student Jazz Combo Night, Nov. 19; Portland Jazz Orchestra, Nov. 20; The Suitcase Junket, Nov. 21; Breakin’ Strings, Nov. 22; Tom Rush with Matt Nakoa, Dec. 4; Vanessa Collier, Dec. 12. 761-1757.
Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St. Amy Hunter, Nov. 15; Otherlands Trio, Nov. 15; John Ross, Nov. 20; Luette Saul & Timothy Burris, Dec. 4. 775-3356.
Portland House of Music, 25 Temple St. Wake Up Mama, Nov. 15; AJ Lee & Blue Summit and East Nash Grass, Nov. 19; Jordy Searcy, Nov. 20; Jake Minch, Nov. 23; Tracheotomy, Nov. 24; Hunter Root, Dec. 4; GoldenOak, Dec. 5; Toledo with Darryl Rahn, Dec. 7. 805-0134.
Saco River Theatre, 29 Salmon Falls Rd., Buxton. Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas, Nov. 21; Erica Brown & The Bluegrass
Connection, Nov. 29; The Kind Kids, Dec. 14. 929-6473.
State Theatre, 609 Congress St. Kitchen Dwellers, Nov. 15; DakhaBrakha, Nov. 18; The Movement, Nov. 20; Neighbor, Nov. 21; The Crane Wives, Nov, 22; Blue October, Nov. 23; Sparks the Rescue, Nov. 26; Spencer and the Walrus, Nov. 28–30; Weakened Friends, Dec. 5; The Mallett Brothers Band, Dec. 6; The Happy Fits, Dec. 9; Kip Moore, Dec. 11; The Wood Brothers, Dec. 12. 956-6000.
Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dugway Rd., Brownfield. Rose Cousins & Melissa Ferrick, Nov. 15; Keb’Mo’, Nov. 16; Susan Werner, Nov. 22. 935-7292.
Stonington Opera House, 1 School St. Open Mic Night, Dec. 3. 367-2788.
Strand Theatre, 345 Main St., Rockland. ShinDaiko, Nov. 15; Met Opera: La Bohème, Nov. 20; Met Opera: Arabella, Nov. 22 & Dec. 4; Rigometrics, Nov. 26; Met Opera: Andrea Chénier, Dec. 13 & 18. 594-0070.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick, 1 Middle St. Kat Logan, Dec. 12. 729-8515.
University of Southern Maine, Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St. Osher Wind Ensemble, Nov. 15; Osher Opera Theatre: Hansel & Gretel, Nov. 20–23; Ryder-Rose Haines, Nov. 22; Elizabeth Johnson & Will Searway, Nov. 25; University Chorale & Osher Chamber Singers: Joyous Sounds, Dec. 2; Osher Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Dec. 4; Composers Showcase, Dec. 9. 780-5555. University of Southern Maine, Gorham High School, 41 Morrill Ave. Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra, Dec. 3. 780-5555.
Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, 53 Old Post Rd., Arundel. Northern Cross, Nov. 15; Jim Messina, Nov. 18; Rustic Overtones, Dec. 5. 985-5552.
Waldo Theatre, 916 Main St., Waldoboro. Adam Ezra Group, Dec. 13. 975-6490.
Waterville Opera House, 1 Common St. Let’s Sing Taylor, Dec. 5. 873-7000.
Holiday Gifts & Events
Theater
Belfast Maskers, 17 Court St. Puffs (or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic), Nov. 14–23. 619-3256.
Collins Center for the Arts, 2 Flagstaff Rd., Orono. NT Live: Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Dec. 5. 581-1755.
Community Little Theatre, 30 Academy St., Auburn. The Rocky Horror Show Live!, Dec. 12–13. 783-0958.
Cross Insurance Arena, 1 Civic Center Sq. Disney On Ice: Road Trip Adventures, Nov. 28–30. 791-2200.
Footlights Theatre, 190 US-1, Falmouth. Mrs. Smith Goes to Washington, to Nov. 22. 747-5434.
Good Theater, Stevens Square Theater, 631 Stevens Ave. Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, to Nov. 23. 835-0895.
Saco River Theatre, 29 Salmon Falls Rd., Buxton. My Shakespeare, Nov. 16 & 19. 929-6473.
Holiday Gifts & Events
Literary
Blind, Nov. 14–16. 780-5151.
Camden Public Library, 55 Main St. Saturday Storytime, Nov. 15 & Dec. 6; Tuesday Morning Book Club: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Dec. 2; CamdenCAN’s Resilient Reading Group, Dec. 9; Art & Journaling, every Wed.; Book Time for Babies, every Wed.; Story Time with Miss Amy, every Thurs. & Fri. 236-3440.
Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St. Maine Irish Writes, Dec. 4; Maine Irish Reads: Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry, Dec. 11. 780-0118.
Maine Jewish Museum, 267 Congress St. MJM x Hadassah x Rimon Book Group, Nov. 16. 773-2339.
Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington St., Bath. Story Time with Splash, Nov. 18 & Dec. 9; Annual Fall Book Sale, Nov. 21–23. 443-1316.
Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Sq. Now More Than Ever: A Book Launch Celebration, Nov. 16; Ekphrastic Writing Workshop with the Trans Poetic Archive, Nov. 20. 775-6148.
Maine Audubon, Gilsland Farm, 20 Gilsland Farm Rd., Falmouth. Ecological Garden Design Workshop, Nov. 15; Bird Walk, every Thurs. 781-2330.
Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray St. Claddagh Awards 2025, Nov. 20. 780-0118.
Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington St., Bath. 50th Albert Reed & Thelma Walker Maritime Symposium: Re|Sounding, Nov. 21; Full Moon Gathering with Maya Rook, Dec. 3. 443-1316.
Owls Head Transportation Museum, 117 Museum St. Owls Nest: Feed the Turkey Game (Nov. 19 & 21), Magic Milk (Dec. 3 & 5), Magnetic Race Track (Dec. 10 & 12); STEM Saturday: Turkey Run, Nov. 22; Fall Workshop, Nov. 26. 594-4418.
Shop Maine Craft, Center for Maine Craft, 288 Lewiston Rd., West Gardiner. Tiny Treasures, to Dec. 31. 205-0791.
Stonington Opera House, 1 School St. Trivia Night, Nov. 20. 367-2788.
Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth. One-Day Scarf Weaving Workshop, Nov. 15 & 22; A History of Thanksgiving for Homeschoolers, Nov. 19. (603)433-1100.
To submit an event listing: portlandmonthly.com/portmag/submitan-event/
Compiled by Bethany Palmer
Animal Art/Garden Elements
Roger’s sculpture covers the gamut from fine art to whimsy including functional garden elements, weathervanes, birdbaths, gates, fountains and more. Given the sculptures unique eclectic qualities, they work in sophisticated to comfortable environments. www.ditarando.com
Seven Arctic explorers, one Snowy Owl—what could possibly go wrong?
Join Arcturus and his pals Lena, Captain Donald MacMillan, and a crew of friendly research sailors aboard the lovely schooner Bowdoin in 1934. A children’s story inspired by a true adventure.
Suggested for ages 3 to 9.
Available now on Amazon.
Now Available as an audiobook on Audible!
Aviator Charles Lindbergh’s aw-shucks schtick is a mask for a monster who destroys strangers and loved ones with equal indifference.
Hunter makes a fortune exposing fraudsters. When he stumbles across the corpse of his German teacher on his old reformatory grounds, he’s certain he is onto something evil and becomes drawn into the mystery.
Unsure who his own father is, Hunter is no angel himself. A former “black ops” military officer, he knows what he has to do to get the job done,no matter the cost.
Nightmares, hallucinations, and fragments of grisly memories knock on the door of his subconscious. Even the stage prop “Old Sparky” in his new lover’s lurid Grand Guignol connects a deadly circuit in Hunter.
Orisa cards warn of air disaster. Brainy Pia offers a path out of his disintegration. Traveling the globe—Paris, Berlin, Geneva, and London—Hunter can’t resist the magnetic scene south of New York where the Crime of the Century once played out.
Hunter is falling through the universe’s trap door. He’s headed for hell—unless he can redeem himself with one final flight.
Holiday Gifts & Events
Good
Gracious!
Where do you park your second grand piano?
Under the flying staircase, of course!
BY COLIN W. SARGENT
At 18 High Street in Wiscasset stands a house so achingly antebellum it seems to have wandered north from a Savannah film set, pausing only briefly to consult the script of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Built in 1852 for shipbuilder Henry Clark (of merchant vessel Golden Horn fame) and his son-inlaw, sea captain George W. Wood, who helmed the handsome bark Telassar, this Greek Revival masterpiece feels transported not just in place and time, but in purpose.
There’s a tradition that Captain
New England takes us closer: “For years, [18 High Street] was thought to be just an unusual vernacular Greek Revival architecture building until a couple of years ago, when I attended a talk where an historian showed a photo of ‘Monmouth,’ an important house in Natchez, Mississippi, built in the early 19th century that
Wood may have admired houses like this while engaged in the cotton trade. Peggy Konitzky of Historic
looked exactly like this one! I was flabbergasted!”
From his second-floor balcony, Wood could look down and see the masts of his own fleet bobbing on the Sheepscot River.
From 1963 to 2014, the house played a melodic second act as the Musical Wonder House, a museum of mechanical musical curiosities—Regina music boxes, polyphonic clocks. Today, the Savannah-like fountain burble outside the double front doors.
Inside, a center flying staircase ascends like a glissando on a grand piano. The first floor is so pharaonic it hosts not one, but two grands, graciously.
There are 12 bedrooms, 8 baths,
a double living room, dining room, parlor, library, and kitchen where ghosts of dinner parties past still linger in the woodwork. All told, it’s $1.35M for 8,920 square feet on .9
acre. Piazzas on two floors overlook English gardens illuminated just so. A two-story carriage house hides coyly in back.
Did somebody whisper B & B? n
WISCASSET VILLAGE HISTORICAL GEM
HISTORICAL MANSION FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE MUSICAL WONDER HOUSE , a prominent landmark in Wiscasset Village. This Greek revival has undergone a magnificent renovation making this a true gem along the coastal route of Maine. As you walk through the front yard with breathtaking gardens and Georgian Savannah fountain you come to the double entry that takes you into the formal entry and it’s breathtaking center flying staircase as you enter through the double front entry. This beauty speaks history as you flow through the rooms from library, double living room, dining room, parlor, vestibules, hallways and the gorgeous kitchen. The charm of the antique home is evident and the pride of ownership center stage in every corner. The second level of bedrooms does not disappoint and history continues throughout. The third level had been started to become more living space including two bedrooms, living room and kitchen along with full bath with thoughts this could be used as owners quarters if someone chose to operate as a B&B. This is not included in any of the room counts or the square footage. First and second floor piazzas overlook the sculptured English gardens, Georgian Savannah fountains and the birdcage gazebo Fountains. The nights reflect the lights tactfully placed within the gardens. At the rear of the property is a two story carriage house that allows for more opportunities in the future.
Helping Buyers and Sellers throughout Midcoast Maine!
service with a wide array of cabinetry and countertops.
estimates and design services.
670 Main Street (Rte 1) • Saco
207.283.1811 • heartwood.biz
Mon–Fri 9–5
Saturdays by appointment
AUGUSTA COMMERCIAL
HALLOWELL $500,000
Location Location! Custom built one owner home with 3 bedrooms 3 baths and 3443 square feet of living space. 1 acre lot with breathtaking views. Finished basement with pellet stove. Access to hundreds of acres of trails and woods. MLS#1614571
Discover endless potential with this 12,000 sq. ft. commercial building set on a 1.04acre lot in a high-demand location just o Western Avenue in Augusta. Ample parking, great o ice space, medical facilities, retail, or specialized services. $525,000 • MLS#1636331
WORTHERLY POND
$625,000
Charming year-round waterfront cottage with 60 ft of private shoreline. 2 bd/2 bath. Open-concept main floor with pond views, sun porch, and large living area. Deck, fire pit, patio, and dock. Detached 2-story garage and storage shed. Furnished. MLS#1632822
WILTON COMMERCIAL
2,400 sq. ft. commercial space in Wilton, ME, approved for a 50-seat restaurant. New plumbing, electrical, and foundation. Ideal for various businesses, with high foot tra ic, downtown location, and easy access to Farmington. MLS#1634154 • $225,000
CONCORD PLANTATION
100-acre parcel, prime hunting land; 18’ by 32’ camp with septic system with a dug well nearby. Generator for electricity, propane tanks for cook stove, refrigerator, and lights. Bingham area. Motivated sellers, potential to subdivide. MLS#1609628 • $296,000
NEW PORTLAND $950,000
Exceptional Investment Opportunity—4 Properties Conveyed Together. Residential, Commercial & Waterfront. Present rental income is $7,850 per month and a possible income of $11, 050 monthly. The potential of this opportunity is immense. MLS#1635147
WINTHROP COMMERCIAL
Over 20,000 cars a day drive by this amazing business opportunity. 6384 square foot commercial building with four automotive enterprises. Knowledgeable seller to assist in the transition. MLS#1625027 • $1,675,000
WOODBURY POND
Classic lakefront with 4 acres and 300 feet of pristine water frontage on the last remaining open cove on Woodbury Pond in Litchfield. The waterfront lot is level and inviting to all and perfect for all ages with no slope at all.
MLS #1604469 • $413,000
AUGUSTA COMMERCIAL
1.1 acre commercial lot at the corner of Civic center drive and Bog Road. Public water and sewer is available on both streets and the tra ic count is tremendous. MLS#1624182 • $875,000
WAYNE $699,750
Stunning Colonial-style home nestled in the heart of Wayne and in the middle of the lakes. Four bedrooms and 3 full baths on a very private 3.46 acres. Over 4,842 square feet of living space! Plus 1,405 square feet of decks and porches. MLS #1614192
COBBOSSEE LAKE $780,000
Stunning 4BR 3BA Waterfront home on Cobbossee Lake in Monmouth. 2264 sf on three levels. Chef’s kitchen, granite with islands, primary bedroom suite lakeside. MLS#1639803
Assisting people buy and sell properties in the beautiful Western mountains of Maine since 1985 Enjoy Maine’s Vacation-land!
SUGARLOAF ON MOUNTAIN Condominium. Sought after location of Kibby Mtn Road. 4 bed 2 baths, 2 living areas and furnished . No crossing any roads to go skiing ! Just head out the door! $879,000
Beautiful western mountains of Maine. Cape on 80 acres of fields and forest! Dead end road in Salem Township. Fish Hatchery Rd. Fireplace. 3 bed, 2 baths plus additional large sunroom. Garage and building/ workshop. Fruit trees and berry bushes. $395,000
LOOKING FOR WATERFRONT? Here is one of our several waterfront listings. 4 bd 3 bath with ROW to water and near boat launch and public beach. $380,000. CSM has water front homes, camps and land in the beautiful western mtns of Maine. Spring Lake, Flagstaff Lake, Embden Pond and rivers and streams.
259 MAIN STREET, KINGFIELD CSMREALESTATE.COM OFFICE:207-265-4000 CELL: 207-491-9703 KIM@CSMREALESTATE.COM
195 Hillside Street, YARMOUTH
First
beach. $565,000
259 MAIN STREET, KINGFIELD CSMREALESTATE.COM | 207-265-4000 JANET@CSMREALESTATE.COM
259 MAIN STREET, KINGFIELD CSMREALESTATE.COM | 207-265-4000
James L. Eastlack, Owner Broker 207-864-5777 or 207-670-5058 | JLEastlack@gmail.com
SPRING LAKE –property on a great remote body of water. Off grid w/generator, year round building, detached garage, Ice fish, hunt, enjoy all seasons! $495,000.
RANGELEY LAKE WATERFRONTAPPROVED LUPC PERMIT
20 Vista Lane – RANGELEY LAKE – A rare offering, the Buena Vista Estate on 567 feet of deep water frontage,53 private acres w/south facing exposure, total privacy, development potential.
6 Spring Lake Rd - Escape to nature and a wonderful waterfront property on a great remote body of water. Off grid w/generator, year round building, detached garage, Ice fish, hunt, enjoy all seasons! $495,000.
RANGELEY LAKE – Lakeside Marina & Convenience - Wonderful business opportuinty in downtown commercial zoning, convenience store, 25 boat slips, gas, boat rental business, great waterfront location! $965,000.
2582 Main St - Wonderful commercial business on Main Street w/ 105' on Rangeley Lake, Marina/ Convenience Store, 25+ Slips, Gas, Shop, Downtown Commercial Zoning, High Traffic Location, $965,000.
PINE GROVE LANE – Located close to the village with expansive southwest views of Rangeley Lake, 4 beds, 3.5 baths, very close to Saddleback Ski Area, snowmobile and ATV from your doorstep, heated garage! $639,000.
631 Bald Mtn. Road – MOOSELOOK LAKE – A rare offering, 4 bed, 4.5 bath contemporary lakefront home w/beach, detached garage AND private island w/2 bedroom guest cottage, 3.56 Acres! $1,899,000.
.32 Acre Waterfront Lot W/Full 3 Bedroom Septic Design and Approved LUPC Building Permit for a 25x40 House w/full daylight basement. Building site is approved at 75' from the waters edge! Very nice 100' of frontage with sunrise views and good clear water. Currently, existing mobile home in great shape with drilled well and older septic but usable in the summer and fall season! Great spot for protected private dock and boating. Immediate use with current structure while you finalize your building plans and select a builder! Call Today for a private showing!
$649,000
RANGELEY LAKE VIEWS – 21 Pine Grove - 4 Beds, 3.5 Baths, Fully Furnished, SW facing views w/LOTS of sun, Snowmobile and ATV from your doorstep, Detached 32x32 garage fully heated, a must see! $639,000.
Gorgeous VIEWS overlooking Rangeley Lake and Saddleback Ski Area, wonderful estate property located just outside the Rangeley village, 48.32 Acres,4 bed,4.5 bath home w/ guest quarters. $1,495,000.
277 Stephens Road – MOOSELOOK LAKE – West facing Sandy Beach frontage, 4 bed, 3 bath home w/attached 3 car heated garage and detached 3 car garage w/large bonus room! $850,000.
Incredible privacy with this 9.4 acre peninsula property that is actually comprised of 5 different points of land and over 3200’ of diverse ocean frontage with ledges and pocket coves. The home has been completely remodeled in the last two years right down to window and door replacements, new roof, new paint inside and out, new floors, new kitchen and bathrooms and more. Fabulous setting with southern views toward the mountains of Acadia and frontage on the Skillings River and Martins Cove where you can moor your boat. The western peninsula has power already run down a path for another private building site on an entirely separate peninsula away from the main house. Plenty of natural light throughout and great flow on the main level for one floor living. Simply an incredible property and an immaculate house. MLS# 1640746
Where customer satisfaction doesn’t happen by accident!
I highly recommend DIRFY Generators and Heat Pumps. If I had to rate them on a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate them a 10 without question. If I had to rate the individual phases (consultation thru installation), each phase would be a 10. The consultation was well explained with di erent options, which allowed me to easily make my choices. The installation was very organized and professional. The team was very polite, explained things to me, and was very neat. I didn’t have to clean anything. And to the o ce sta , I can’t say enough from the rst phone call through the whole process.
I discovered through the process the money that I would be adding to my monthly budget. We are retired and on a xed income. We didn’t have the funds available to proceed with this without their help. That helped us to be able install the heat pump system with no upfront money, which was a huge help to us. Not only that, but it also removed the need to pay for our propane to heat for our house. The cost di erence was substantial. We actually save so much, that between the monthly nance payment, and the cost of the electric bill, we actually had more money for the month. We will be saving about $110 a month (Over $1,300/yr). On a xed income, that is substantial. It was almost like we were being paid $1,300/yr to put in the heat pumps. Again, a lot of money for xed income.
And the best part, from the time we signed the contract to installation, less than a week. They had a good sized crew here.
We were so impressed, we decided to put in a Heat Pump hot water heater. Again, no money upfront. The savings after the nance payment and the power bill amounted to about $97/mo ($1,164/yr). That was a total savings of about $2,500 a year for the heat pumps to heat and cool as well as the hot water heater. It was like getting paid $2,500 a year to install these. (p.s., I veri ed the gures from the E ciency Maine website.)
I am recommending to everyone I know to contact DIRFY Generators and Heat Pumps so that they can increase their spending money.
This company is awesome. No wonder they are number one in New England R&L W.
spinach & bacon twice-baked potatoes
Crispy potato skins are loaded with a creamy spinach and bacon filling, then baked to perfection with melty cheese. Pair with tender broccoli for a flavorful, elevated meal.
We’re committed to supporting your health and wellness goals. Our team of registered dietitians offer free nutritional services online and in-store.
Thank you to our sponsors for partnering with Hannaford to offer free dietitian services. Visit hannaford.com/dietitians to learn more.
Roll up your sleeves:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick potatoes all over with a fork and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until fork-tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool slightly. Reduce temperature to 375°F.
2. Meanwhile, heat a 10” skillet over medium-high. Add bacon and cook until crispy, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the bacon fat in pan.
3. In skillet, melt butter over medium. Add garlic and spinach and season with salt and pepper. Cook until spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the insides, leaving skins intact and hollow. Reserve potato flesh. Place skins on baking sheet.
5. Using the large holes on a box grater, shred cheese, for about 1 1/2 cups. To a large bowl, add potato flesh and mash. Stir in soymilk, spinach mixture, bacon and half of shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
6. Spoon potato mixture into potato skins. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cut any larger broccoli florets into smaller florets. Spread broccoli around potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Bake until cheese is melted and broccoli is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Dietitian’s Tip:
Treat yourself to a sheet pan meal that comes together faster than delivery. Bold, flavorful potato skins are paired with nutritious broccoli for a balanced plate that’s perfect for a busy weeknight.
Source: Adapted from Hannaford fresh magazine, September 2025
Vermont Bear
Vermont Bear is all-seeing. She sees beyond time, back to the creeping ice, carving the shallow seas, back before whale bones and mollusk shells. With her wise eyes, she watches land and rock fold and fault, shouldering up mountains. Her keen brown eyes take it all in and hold it there, fixing history, rugged as granite. If she had a name, it would be bedrock. But she does not have a name; she is just Vermont Bear. She watches the nomad people come and go, hunting her forests, fishing her lakes and brooks. They come and go like leaves and snow and rain, scudding like cloud shadows over the trees. Vermont Bear’s eyes brim with weather. Daisy to aster. Dandelion to blowball. She watch-
BY JOAN CONNOR
es each turn, each timeless change. Vermont Bear steps in the same river twice, over and over.
Vermont Bear is all-hearing. She hears the trappers’ language as it changes, and changes again. The forts fortify themselves and fall; this is what forts do. Boundaries shift like brook waters blocked by dropped boulders. This is what boundaries do. But the brook burbles on. Vermont Bear hears the brooks’ babbled ballads. She knows the force of water, the willfulness of floods. The whoosh of time is timeless. Like water.
She sees the mills huddle along the river, and the rivers swell and rip the mills out. The mills churn; the rivers churn and ferry the mills away. After the roaring rivers murmur again, the quiet is so quiet that it sounds like
noise. The valleys whisper again, as quiet as snow.
And they come back with their languages and boundaries, building their barns and houses and shops, and Vermont Bear ascends the mountain because she knows scripture in her iambic heart: The Lord is god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys.* The words course through her without language. She knows. Blood writes on blood and turns no pages. Sometimes Vermont Bear needs to rise, approach the skies.
But the asters have passed, the apples have dropped. The leaves have fluttered away. Vermont Bear trundles, her stomach heavy. The cold wafts and drifts over the hills like a lullaby. Then it stings like frost-spiked grass. Vermont Bear is sleepy. She scrapes out a new
FICTION
den near her last. And lumbers into slumber. Vermont Bear is slumber bear in a timeless present.
Vermont Bear is all-seeing in her dreams. She sees the meltwater. She scratches logs for grubs. She sniffs the jays’ songs and the crows’ raucous chorus. She scratches her back on tree bark. The berries pop on the brambles. The green apples redden and soften and brown. The world goes on, the world turns within her and without her. Weather is the timeless scripture pumping through her heart. Her rugged and ragged heart. And then she stirs. Her eyes wide with bear knowledge and hunger, she rumbles and stumbles and rises. She follows her hunger for all things bear. She trundles into the meadow and whiffs pine scent. She climbs *1 Kings 20:28
through the pines above the tree line, approaching the lord god of the hills. Vermont Bear is all-seeing. She scans the forests and valleys. She sees through granite time to timeless time before time. If she had a name it would be starlight. But she does not have a name; she is just Vermont Bear. She stands on her hind legs on the mountain top, and she rises, rises, pointing north toward the pole, and still, she rises, overseeing all. Vermont Bear. Über Bear. She constellates the Cosmic Hunt. Vermont Bear sees above and below. Mountain and godless valley, she does not discriminate. Bear is Vermont. Vermont is myth. It is complete. And you will know her when she rises, when she falls. Everywhere bear floods the night sky with light, night as dark as her eyes, as her fur, studded with stars. Vermont Bear rising. n
Settlers Green has brands families love, local restaurants, and a public art walk. Just minutes from the White Mountain National Forest, discover tax-free shopping deals while enjoying stunning views and endless activities in North Conway this holiday season. For special holiday events, visit settlersgreen.com/events Make us your place to get together
