SoBo Book & Bean is a friendly little oasis in the heart of South Berwick. The patina of the wood floors, the book lined walls, and the homey furniture create a cozy ambiance for enjoying a coffee or a meal, conversing with friends, browsing the books, watching the world go by out the window, or a little of each. Co-owners Jenna and Tim are friendly, accommodating hosts who make SoBo a comfortable place to linger. This is one of the places that makes up the soul of South Berwick, don’t miss it.

Sobo Book & Bean is located at 241 Main St. in South Berwick and opens at 7 am during the week and 8 am on Saturday.

Great Works Regional Land Trust is offering hikes on conservation land every weekend in February. Nothing beats cabin fever like getting outside.

This weekend:
February 2, Saturday, 9 am - 12 noon

Five of the Seven Wonders of Tatnic - Orris Falls Conservation Area. Visit the ‘Big Bump’, ‘Baker’s Oven’, Balancing Rock, Tatnic Ledges and the Gorge at Orris Falls. Meet at trailhead on Thurrell Road, S. Berwick. (Foul weather date Feb. 3, Sunday).

Go to www.gwrlt.org for more information.

Not enough signatures for consolidation petition
Foster’s Daily Democrat - Dover,NH
A referendum to repeal school district consolidation won’t be on the November ballot…

Car-smoking ban clears legislative panel
Bangor Daily News - Bangor,ME
Statewide smoking ban in cars with children present is moving forward in the legislature. Sarah Lewin, R-Eliot, supports the bill, but reluctantly …

Memorial Bridge closures planned
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH
The Memorial Bridge will be closed for five days in April and could be closed for longer periods in 2009 and 2010 during the bridge rehabilitation project….

York news briefs
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH
The Kittery Republican Committee will caucus this Sunday at noon in Kittery Town Council chambers…

2008 Legislative candidates
Politicker Maine - Augusta,ME,USA
A listing of candidates who intend to run this year, incumbent Bonnie Gould, R-South Berwick, will seek a second term…

Kittery takes environmental step forward
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH,USA
Just weeks after authorizing the installation of a wind-power turbine at the transfer station, Kittery Town Council voted to sign the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement. …

Freon leak forces sub evacuation at shipyard
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH,USA
A small freon leak aboard a submarine at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard briefly forced the ship’s evacuation. …

House race is packed 1st District has 8 seeking seat
Kennebec Journal - Augusta,ME
This year, the 1st District race is a free-for-all, with six Democrats and two Republicans running for their parties’ nominations…

2-alarm blaze destroys barn
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH,USA
A barn on Portland St. in South Berwick was destroyed but the house was spared…

South Berwick barn fire a close call: Firefighters save home …
Foster’s Daily Democrat - Dover, NH
A fast response by fire fighters saved home on Portland Street…

Bangladesh bee
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH,USA
Children, parents and friends watched teams compete in a geography bee at Marshwood Great Works School to raise funds for water wells in Bangladesh….

Maine readies for caucuses
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH
Maine readies for caucuses even though the candidates are ignoring the state…

Portsmouth Herald reports this morning that the work group of seven towns that wrote the legislation to create the Southern York County Regional Development Authority met on Friday. The meeting was attended by Senator Peter Bowman and Representative Bonnie Gould, cosponsors of the bill. The group met to prepare for the work session scheduled for February 26 in Augusta.

According to the Herald’s report, both Bowman and Gould are still in support of the bill, contrary to what was reported earlier. Both indicate that they would like to see some changes to the bill before it is passed, however.

The most encouraging news is that the work group plans to provide more information about the bill to the public prior to the work session. They will hold two public hearings, yet to be scheduled, one at Noble High School and one at Marshwood High. Also Jeff Grossman will be working on a brochure of frequently asked questions and a website so people can get more information.

Here’s a link to the full article in the Portsmouth Herald: Regional authority bill still alive

For more than a year South Berwick, Berwick, Eliot, Kittery, North Berwick, and Wells have been discussing the creation of a regional development authority. As a result, LD 2003, “An Act To Create the Southern York County Regional Development Authority” was sponsored by Senator Bowman of York and cosponsored by Representative Gould of South Berwick and Representatives Wheeler of Kittery, Chase of Wells, Weaver of York, and Hill of York.

On January 17, the legislation went before the Business Research and Economic Development Committee (BRED) in Augusta for a public hearing and a vote. At the time of the hearing, Senator Bowman, the original sponsor, had withdrawn his support because he was concerned that the legislation was too strongly worded and that local citizens were not fully informed about it. Consequently BRED tabled their decision and set a work session for Feb. 26 so they can hear more input and review possible amendments to the legislation.

Citizens of the towns involved have an opportunity to learn more about the legislation, ask questions of its proponents and opponents, and let our legislators and the members of the BRED Committee know what we think of the legislation before the February 26 work session.

Here’s more information about the bill.

(more…)

Here’s a round up of newspaper articles on the proposed Southern York County Regional Development Authority from newest to oldest. Let me know if you know of others and I will add them.

Development authority bill not killed in Augusta
Foster’s Daily Democrat, NH - Jan 25, 2008
Despite Sen. Bowman’s withdrawal of support, the Development Authority bill may yet still live. Jeff Grossman optimistic that Feb. 26 work session will result in viable bill…

South Berwick panel’s vote on business development agency delayed …
Foster’s Daily Democrat, NH - Jan 22, 2008
The tabling of legislation for the proposed Southern York County Regional Development Authority (SYCRDA) last week was met …

Development authority bill loses Bowman’s support
Foster’s Daily Democrat, NH - Jan 17, 2008
Peter Bowman, D-York County, who originally sponsored legislation for the creation of the Southern York County Regional Development Authority, has withdrawn …
(more…)

Sens. blast navy on shipyard changes
Portsmouth Herald
Senators Collins and Snowe are criticizing the Navy for taking away management powers from local Portsmouth Naval Shipyard commanders…

State candidates fire up
Portsmouth Herald
Chellie Pingree, Democratic candidate for the District 1 congressional seat, will be in southern York County area…

Shipyard gets work in San Diego
Portsmouth Herald
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard iwill set up a maintenance shop in California…

Motorist fights off attacker: South Berwick firefighters rush …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Police seek witnesses to assault and attempted robbery that happened Friday afternoon in South Berwick…

Eight straight wins for Marshwood
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The Marshwood girls basketball team rack up another win against Sanford…

Bangladesh buddies: Great Works students have fun while helping …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Students at Great Works and Marshwood Middle School teamed up with the South Berwick Rotary Club for a community quiz night fundraiser for a clean water project in Bangladesh….

Study: Shunpikers not costing state
Kennebec Journal - Augusta,ME
Drivers were surveyed on Route 1 in York, on southbound Route 1 in Wells, on Route 4 in Berwick, and on Route 236 in Eliot to determine how many are trying to avoid the York toll booth…

South Berwick Town Council meets Monday, January 28 at 6:30 in Town Council Chambers. The meeting will be preceded by a meeting of the Vauhgan Fund at 6:00

A sampling of what’s on the agenda:

• A report from Robin Stanley, Mt. Agamenticus Conservation Coordinator
• Discuss parking impact fees
• Discuss proposed amendments to Administrative Code – Council Rules
• Take action on Karl Honkonen resignation from Conservation Commission
• Discuss/take action on appraisal contract
• Discuss Planning Board recommendations

Go to the Town of South Berwick web site for a complete agenda

South Berwick has been going through a comprehensive planning process for the last few years and on February 25 will hold a public hearing on the draft plan. You can find our current plan (from 1990) and the draft of the next comprehensive plan on the town website.

In preparation for the public hearing, I will be posting summaries of the draft comprehensive plan at the236diner.com over the next few weeks. However, before I can do an informed reading of the plan, I realized that I needed to learn more about what a comprehensive plan is, why towns do them, and what makes a good comprehensive plan. Fortunately the State of Maine provides many internet resources to help understand comprehensive planning so here’s my version of Comprehensive Planning 101.

(more…)

I’m a super fan of Nature’s Way Market. It offers a fine selection of real food but it’s also enhanced my quality of life in unexpected ways. I save gas and time by not having to schlep off to other towns to get basic foodstuffs. We waste less food because it’s easy to shop frequently. Instead of our old way of overbuying at a super store to stock up “just in case,” we get what we need for one or two meals. It seems counter intuitive, but we eat a greater variety of food even though the Market is at least ten times smaller than where we used to shop. The human scale of the Market makes it a pleasure to browse and see what’s new or looks tasty. I feel more connected to South Berwick because I go downtown more often than ever before, and it’s rare when I don’t run into someone I know when I’m there.

And did I mention the food? This night it was the Market’s freshly prepared crab cakes as an appetizer, followed by haddock baked in lemon and garlic, roasted rutabaga, and broccoli, served with a glass of pinot grigio from the wine room. See you at the Market!

Study: Cut Maine taxes
Portsmouth Herald News
Peter Bowman, D-Kittery says taking a look at the tax burden is not a bad idea in reaction to tax study released by a conservative think tank…

Development authority bill not killed in Augusta
Foster’s Daily Democrat - Dover,NH,USA
Despite Sen. Bowman’s withdrawal of support, the Development Authority bill may yet still live. Jeff Grossman optimistic that Feb. 26 work session will result in viable bill…

Mainers gear up for upcoming caucuses
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Caucus turnout is expected to be high…

Maine shipyard gets detachment in California
WCAX - Burlington,VT
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is expanding to California, where it will set up a maintenance shop…

Want to buy an old Kittery police car?
Seaccoastonline.com
Five former police vehicles are up for auction…

Ledue joins race for Collins seat
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Tom Ledue, an educator from Springvale has launched his campaign for Senator Collins’ seat. He will face Tom Allen for the Democratic nomination…

Sen. Collins tells Noble Middle School students to aspire to …
Foster’s Daily
Senator Susan Collins visits Noble Middle School….

Long time coming: A fix for Long Bridge between NH, Maine
Boston Globe - Boston, MA
At long last the Sarah Long bridge may be fixed by the end of the year…

York County to look at east-west connector
KeepMEcurrent.com - Scarborough,ME
Maine Dept. of Transportation officials are seeking input on improving east-west transportation in York County, including the route from Sanford to 95…

Lawrence gets endorsement, returns donation
Politicker Maine - Augusta,ME,USA
Mark Lawrence, York County District Attorney, is seeking to return a donation from oil company and has picked of the endorsement of the Metal Trades Council for his Congressional bid …

Free tax preparation available
KeepMEcurrent.com - Scarborough,ME
York County Community Action is offering free federal and Maine state tax preparation to eligible York County residents…

1st CD hopefuls: Pay attention to me!
Kennebec Journal - Augusta,ME
Hopefuls from both sides of the aisle are busy getting their names out as the November congressional election revs up….

Ray Oldenburg, an urban sociologist writes about the importance of “third places” for healthy functioning of communities. He describes third places as

“informal public gathering places. The phrase “third places” derives from considering our homes to be the “first” places in our lives, and our work places the “second.”

Americans long enjoyed third places in the form of the inns and ordinaries of colonial society, then as the saloons and general stores springing up with westward expansion. Later came the candy stores, soda fountains, coffee shops, diners, etc. which, along with the local post office, were conveniently located and provided the social anchors of community life.

“Third places” also suggest the stability of the tripod in contrast to the relative instability of the bipod. Life without community has produced, for many, a life style consisting mainly of a home-to-work-and-back-again shuttle.”

 

From Our Vanishing “Third Places” by Ray Oldenburg

As South Berwick explores the feasibility of using the St. Michael’s property as a library or other use we have the opportunity to create a new kind of civic place in our downtown.
(more…)

Andrews wants senate seat back
Portsmouth Herald News
Former Republican state Sen. Mary Black Andrews of York has announced she intends to unseat state Sen. Peter Bowman, D-Kittery…

How the Maine caucuses work
Portsmouth Herald News
The ins and outs of participating in the Maine caucuses…

Maine school consolidation law needs a total restart
Portsmouth Herald News
Editorial: The confusion and finagling are signs that this law needs to fall…

Wind turbine one step closer to construction in Kittery
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The Zoning Board of Appeals approved a special exception to allow the construction of a 125-foot tower for the proposed turbine, moving the turbine plans one step closer to finalization…

Battle against school law is still on
Portsmouth Herald News
Foes of the school consolidation law plan to continue collecting signatures to force the law to referendum, even if it means filing late…

Independent voters could tip Maine caucus results
Portsmouth Herald News
Independent voters could be the deciding force in the caucuses…

Television is usually bad and with the writers’ strike it’s even worse. If you are sick of sitting home watching reruns or ill-conceived reality shows, here’s an alternative.

Thurs., January 24 - 7:30 pm, Berwick Academy, South Berwick

Old Berwick Historical Society presents

Placenames of South Berwick

The Slide Show

Wendy Pirsig of the Old Berwick Historical Society presents highlights from the new book, Placenames of South Berwick, with maps, photos and historical anecdotes about every corner of South Berwick.

Admission is free. The program will be held at Berwick Academy’s Fogg Memorial building on Academy Street. Enter at the Fogg Memorial driveway and use the parking lot at the top of the hill. For more information, e-mail infoobhs.net or call 207-384-0000.

A round-up of the latest news from local media:

South Berwick panel’s vote on business development agency delayed
Foster’s Daily Democrat
At a hearing in Augusta on January 17 legislation for the proposed Southern York County Regional Development Authority was tabled pending a work session on Feb. 26 for possible amendments…

Eliot to reassess property
Foster’s Daily Democrat
A reassessment of Eliot properties should result in assessments closer to market value than they currently have…

Barn proves big draw: Outlook Farm addition draws weddings, brunch
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Response to the Red Barn at Outlook Farm has exceeded expectations…

Petition fights school mergers
Portsmouth Herald News
Residents of the SAD 35 towns of Eliot and South Berwick are working to get more signatures to meet a Jan. 28 deadline to force the school consolidation law to referendum…

Here’s a recap of the Town Council Meeting of January 14, 2008.

Note: These notes are taken from my written notes and do not include a verbatim recap of the meeting. The notes represent my best effort for accuracy but may include some omissions or errors. I welcome corrections and will post the link to the official minutes when they are posted on the Town web site.
(more…)

Last night we headed south to the Shipyard Brewpub in the Eliot Commons to meet friends for dinner. The place was packed by 6:30 and filled with sounds of conversation and laughter. It felt good to be part of the communal celebration of the end of the work week.

Besides a comfortable bar, the Brewpub has a dining room with a full menu. Selections include small plates, pizzas, sandwiches, fish, meat, and vegetarian entrees. They have a “little skippers” menu with child-friendly selections. Our party tried the pan roasted cod special, the buffalo chicken wrap, the grilled chicken sandwich and a chicken caesar salad. The meals were freshly made and tasty and the tab was modest. And, of course, the beer was great.

Do you ever wonder how South Berwick compares to surrounding towns? Does York have higher incomes than South Berwick? Is the population denser in Eliot than South Berwick? Does South Berwick have more newcomers than Kittery?

Zipskinny, a new website, makes comparisons easy. Using only your zip code, you can get collated U.S. Census information about South Berwick, including comparisons with the surrounding towns or with towns of your choosing. Go to the comparison chart for South Berwick.

By the way, according to the 2000 census data:

• York does have a higher median income than South Berwick. Though South Berwick comes in with the third highest median income of the surrounding towns.
• Eliot has denser population than South Berwick
• South Berwick has fewer newcomers than Kittery , with almost 18 percent more five plus year residents in South Berwick.

South Berwick council OKs structural evaluation
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The Town Council authorized $6500 from the Library Capital Improvements fund for a structural engineer to evaluate St. Michael’s…

Campaign to repeal school law lacks support
Portland Press Herald
More signatures are needed to force school-district consolidation law to referendum, but fight has had an impact already…

Maine home prices defy national slump
Portland Press Herald
Maine has avoided the national slide in real estate values even though home sales are down…

N.H. Senate Votes To Speed Repairs To Portsmouth-Kittery Bridge
WCSH6.com
New Hampshire lawmakers vote on transfer of ownership of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge to speed repairs of a key bridge between Portsmouth and Kittery…

Development authority bill loses Bowman’s support
Foster’s Daily Democrat
State Senator Peter Bowman had withdrawn his support of legislation that would allow the creation of a Southern York County Regional Development Authority, an effort that has been spearheaded by South Berwick Town Manager Jeff Grossman…

Economy bill on death row
Portsmouth Herald News
Without Sen. Bowman’s support, development authority legislation has little chance of passing…

Snowshoeing — beauty, serenity and 600 calories an hour
Portsmouth Herald News - 3 hours ago
Eliot resident Steve Bowden is one of a growing number of people to take to the snowy woods on snowshoes…

Nominations are being sought for the 10th annual Teens Who Care Awards, a program sponsored by Maine Education Services that recognizes outstanding teen volunteers in Maine communities.

Any adult, except for a parent or legal guardian of the nominee, may nominate a teen. The deadline is Feb. 15. An award presentation ceremony hosted by WCSH-TV is scheduled April 7 at Portland Museum of Art.

Six teens will be honored with a short video profile and will receive a $2,000 scholarship from Maine Education Services.

For additional information, visit WCSH-TV for a nomination form.

The meeting, postponed from Monday, January 16 due to the storm, will be held tonight at 6 pm.

A sampling of what’s on the agenda:

• A Maine Dept. of Transportation report on a downtown bypass
• Action on appointments to the Library Advisory Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Historic District Commission
• Discuss/take action on amendments to Administrative Code - Council rules.
• Set public hearing date for Comprehensive Plan
• Take action on St. Michael’s purchase option.
• Discuss/take action on structural engineering proposal for St. Michael’s.

Go to the Town of South Berwick web site for a complete agenda

Here’s a sampling of local news:

Maine caucuses coming up
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH
A round-up of caucus locations, dates and times for southern York Count…

South Berwick Town Council meeting to be held tonight
Foster’s Daily Democrat - Dover,NH
The Town Council meeting postponed by Monday’s storm will be held tonight at 6 pm…

Community aids ailing girl
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH
Community rallies around first grader and her family…

There’s nothing better than a warm place on a cold night. Everything about Pepperland Cafe is warm, from the yellow ochre exterior to the deep red walls and the friendly owner and staff inside. Tonight it was squash and fennel (a very under appreciated vegetable) soup with a lovely touch of spiciness. Then a green salad with goat cheese, artichoke hearts and tomatoes and very crabby crabcakes. We left with a warm glow.

The South Berwick Town Council meeting originally scheduled for tonight has been rescheduled to Wednesday, January 16 at 6 pm.

York County regional panel gets hearing
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH
There will be a public hearing on Thursday in Augusta to consider legislation to create a regional economic development authority made up of Berwick, Eliot, Kittery, North Berwick, South Berwick and Wells…

The hill that teaches children the fastest way down
Foster’s Daily Democrat - Dover,NH
Health family fun and tradition on Powderhouse Hill …

Seacoast Roundup: Marshwood boys win
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH
Marshwood High School boys basketball team defeated Massabesic, 59-49, …

Rebound win for Hawks
Foster’s Daily Democrat - Dover,NH
Marshwood High School boys basketball team prevails …

Coalition readies itself to defeat school consolidation
Foster’s Daily Democrat - Dover,NH
The group that opposes the state’s school consolidation law is likely to collect enough signatures to put the law to referendum …

Eliot citizen survey results published
January 2008, Town of Eliot
The results of Eliot’s Comprehensive Planning Committee’s citizen survey, conducted in late 2006 and completed by 550 residents, are available.

Maine Regulators To Mull 2 More Wind Farms
WCSH6.com
Regulators in Augusta will review two more Maine wind power projects that would produce power to serve more than 70,000 homes…

It is a wonderful day for a stroll around Hamilton House.

Here’s a sampling of this week’s news from around the state and region:

Gloves come off as warmth knocks out 1946 record high
Portland Press Herald, Portland, ME
It felt like spring but air quality was bad….

Goodbye again
Portland Press Herald, Portland, ME
Maine Army National Guard’s 126th Aviation Regiment left for a one-year deployment, their second to Iraq….

Text Of Gov. John Baldacci’s State Of the State Address
WMTW.com
In case you missed it on Wednesday night…

Baldacci backs budget cuts, is silent on tax reform
Portland Press Herald, Portland, ME
Difficult spending cuts and and more efficiency to offset a $95 million budget shortfall…

Rally sends message: Don’t trim programs
Portland Press Herald, Portland, ME
Health and social services advocates don’t agree with Governor Baldacci’s proposed budget cuts…

Eliot homes to be re-assessed
Portsmouth Herald News, NH
The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to update the assessment of town properties to create equity in assessments…

Here’s the latest round up of South Berwick in the media:

Hat company grows fast in South Berwick
Portsmouth Herald News - Portsmouth,NH

Marshwood walks over Cheverus
Foster’s Daily Democrat - Dover,NH

HS Roundup: Williams, Hawks heating up
Foster’s Daily Democrat - Dover,NH

High School Boys Soccer Player of the Year
Foster’s Daily Democrat - Dover,NH

A morning meeting with Patti Mitchem at the Black Bean Cafe in Rollinsford. So much better than Starbucks, the Black Bean is locally owned, has great coffee, delicious hearty food, and very friendly people.