Celebrate Maine Festival kicks off this weekend
Portsmouth Herald News
As the heat, humidity and the dog days of summer approach, we want to remind ourselves of all the good things about this great state of Maine. …

Marshwood girls basketball team returns from Ireland
York Weekly
Fourteen girls from Marshwood High School are speaking with a bit of a brogue these days, after just returning from a 10-day …

Free admission to state parks
KeepMEcurrent.com
Admission to all state parks and historic sites will be free for Maine residents during the Department of Conservation’s annual Maine Day on Sunday, Aug. 10…

Maine’s Property Tax and Rent Refund Program begins Aug. 1
Portsmouth Herald
The application period for Maine’s Property Tax and Rent Refund Program will begin Aug. 1 for taxes and rent paid…

New power lines are approved
York Weekly
PUC’s decision was a response to a complaint filed in November 2007 by 10 residents of Eliot and South Berwick, led by Mary Fournier. …

Utility Commission OKs CMP line upgrade
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Many people who live in the Woodland Hills condominium complex in South Berwick said they are furious the rebuild project will require patches of tree line …

South Berwick Shop and Swap
Portsmouth Herald
Buy and sell stuff locally. Clean out the basement, attic and garage and make all your old belongings work for you…

Andy Schachat: Pumpkinman Triathlon is sure to thrill
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The race, or races this year, are taking place in South Berwick, Maine, on Sept. 6 and 7 and, based on conversations with the organizers, the second edition …

South Berwick resident’s request for meeting notes has councilors …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
By law, residents can request copies of notes that town councilors take during their meetings. …

Kittery loses DARE program and School Resource Officer
Portsmouth Herald
As a result of the deep budget cuts made by the Town Council in order to achieve a nearly level property tax rate in fiscal year 2008-09, the schools will be losing not only their DARE funding, but the school …

Kittery’s Route 1 reconstruction project ready to go
Portsmouth Herald News
Maine Department of Transportation officials say construction on the Route 1 upgrade could begin within the next couple of weeks. …

Kittery legislative energy forum set for Aug. 13
York Weekly
The public is invited to a community forum to discuss energy-related issues and what citizens can do to prepare for the upcoming winter. …

Pondering public transport: We need more
Portsmouth Herald News
Wouldn’t it be great to have a bus or trolley from Portsmouth to Kittery to Eliot to South Berwick to North Berwick? And from Portsmouth to the outlets in …

Bleak forecast this year for Maine heating oil assistance
Foster’s Daily Democrat
With the former diminished and the latter at an all-time high, Desilets, the social services director for South Berwick, Maine, doesn’t see the numbers …

Prohibition battles rattled York County
York County Coast Star
Maine was the first state to adopt a law against the manufacture and sale of spirituous liquors in 1851, but by then the Kennebunks had …

Report: Maine must lessen energy appetite
Portland Press Herald
Saying the nation is “dangerously dependent” on foreign oil, a report presented Tuesday to Gov. John Baldacci calls for expanding home weatherization, conducting more energy audits and other efforts to reduce energy usage in Maine.

CMP seeks approval for $1.4B power lines
York Weekly
The Eliot Board of Selectmen and the South Berwick Town Council voted on July 10 and July 14 respectively to become interveners in the application to the …

Southeastern Maine needs to get on the regional economic …
Portsmouth Herald News
… Wells, York, South Berwick, North Berwick and Berwick to come together to begin planning projects that could greatly influence the economic climate of …

North Berwick residents hoping traffic control measures will help …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
In the 30 years that Mike Pedersen has lived on Madison Street, he says he can’t count the number of times people …

Tree-planting grant awarded to Kittery
York Weekly
It is going to be a little shadier in town next year thanks to a 2008 USDA Forest Service Project Canopy Assistance grant …

NH, Maine offices ensure consumers get their fair share
Portsmouth Herald News
Blanche said his territory stretches roughly from Waterville to Kittery, and that his job is to prevent customers from being shortchanged on their fuel or wood…

Southern Maine regional economic development plan resurfaces
Portsmouth Herald News
… would bring together all or some of the towns of Kittery, Eliot, York, Wells, South Berwick, North Berwick and Berwick in developing such a project. …

Carter’s town manager contract renewed
York Weekly
Under the terms of a new contract that went into effect on June 30, Town Manager Jonathan Carter will remain in that …

Route 236 crash causes road closure
Portsmouth Herald News
A Friday morning crash on Route 236 took out a utility pole and forced the closure of a portion of the …

Before it closes, special Mass for St. Michael’s
Foster’s Daily Democrat
If anyone deserves the title of matriarch of St. Michael’s it’s Gloria Roberge, who for all of her 80 years has been …

Economic conditions force a drop in lobster prices, sellers say
Portsmouth Herald News
That is why Sanders and Tom Flanigan, of Seaview Lobster Co. in Kittery, Maine, have decided to lower their soft-shell lobster prices to $4.99 per pound, …

Power line project backed
York Weekly
The Maine Public Utilities Commission staff has recommended that the full commission approve Central Maine Power Co. …

Residents perturbed by powerline proposal
Foster’s Daily Democrat
With a blast from an orange spray paint can marking the edge of the power line alley that runs through the Woodland …

High tension utility line collapses in South Berwick: Sparks brush …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
A half-acre of tall grass and brush behind the South Berwick Rod and Gun on Route 236 burned Monday night…

Eliot holds its ground in deal to oust junkyard
York Weekly
The town’s selectmen were unhappy to learn last week that minor changes were made to the Superior Court consent order that requires automobile junkyard owner Timothy Fernald to clean up his property on Spruce Lane.

South Berwick Council backs another try at regional development …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Four months after a regional development project spearheaded by former Town Manager Jeff Grossman failed, the South …

South Berwick crash leads to multiple charges
Foster’s Daily Democrat
A Somersworth, NH, man who police believe was intoxicated was arrested after the car he was driving drifted off …

Portion of Route 236 closed today for rail replacement
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Motorists will have to take a detour if they plan on traveling through a stretch of Route 236 that runs from South Berwick to Berwick …

Special Mass at St. Michael’s before church ownership is transferred
Foster’s Daily Democrat
In one of the last services before its ownership rights are transferred to the town, a Mass of thanksgiving …

Maine communities ‘cool’ down the planet
York Weekly
In addition, 44 communities in Maine have passed some sort of cool energy initiative. Here in southern Maine, the report chronicles these efforts: n Eliot: …

Solar lights stolen from seven different Rollinsford homes
Foster’s Daily Democrat
A number of solar lights were reported stolen around town during the night of Monday, July 7 to Tuesday, July 8, …

After some leg work South Berwick police got their man….
Man who allegedly burglarized South Berwick golf course took taxi …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Andrew Gerrish, the second suspect in a May burglary at the Links at Outlook Golf Course, who police say escaped a …

The emerald ash borer is in Maine:
Little bug does big damage to trees in Maine
Foster’s Daily Democrat -
Trees at 12 coastal campgrounds will be sporting new purple accouterments this summer, but they’re not for show. …

You can give your child the gift of a second language right here in South Berwick:
Kindergarten en Francais: Classes will teach language to kids
Portsmouth Herald News
Nicole Gastonguay Ritchie and her daughters, Sophie, left, and Emmanuelle stand outside The Little Hat Company in South Berwick, Maine, where Ritchie will …

Eat you heart out Lassie, cats rule:
Cat alerts owner to condo fire
Portsmouth Herald
Clinton Hutchins and his neighbors had help from an Angel on Monday morning, when firefighters were able to confine a blaze at his Woodland Hills condominium to the closet where it started.

Choking cat alerts owner to fire at next-door neighbor’s condo in …
Foster’s Daily Democrat -
Tony Kenney’s cat clued him in to the fact that something wasn’t quite right next door on Monday morning. …

Good things happening in Rollinsford:
Local food, art and entertainment at Rollinsford market
Wire
It’s been a near sleepless summer for Laurie Adelmann as she gears up for the first ever Front Street Market event in Rollinsford. …

Figtree open for business
Wire
Chef Mike Shea pounced at the opportunity to start his own café in Rollinsford. The Kittery, Maine, resident graduated from the Atlantic Culinary Academy in …

Our neighbors in Eliot are forming a fuel buying cooperative to take the bite out of fuel prices:
Residents unite to fight oil costs
Portsmouth Herald News
As heating oil prices get tougher and tougher to handle, some residents are joining forces and taking action. …

A South Berwick company lands a new client:
WCSH-6 signs on with CreativeMind
CreativeMind Search Engine Marketing, a Maine-based search engine optimization company, announces the signing of its newest client, WCSH-6, the longest running television station in the Portland-Auburn, …

Great Works students have their day in the sun:
Students shine at solar car competition
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Several area students competed at the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association Junior Solar Sprint Championship on …

The deer and moose are on the move:
Berwick officer safe after cruiser hits deer
Foster’s Daily Democrat
According to South Berwick police Lt. Christopher Burbank, Officer Brian Houde was driving along Route 9 near the intersection of Hurd Lane checking on a …

Five teachers bidding farewell to SAD 35
Portsmouth Herald
Five educators in School Administrative District 35 turned in their chalk last month, retiring after many years of teaching in the system.

Eliot to adopt new source of tax revenue
York Weekly
Officials are moving quickly to create a new economic development tool for the town — a Tax Increment Finance District …

Kittery officials promised no cuts to school aid
York Weekly
At a meeting held in Augusta on Friday, Gov. John Baldacci assured Kittery School Department personnel that it will not …

Historic home saved in Dover
Fosters Daily Democrat
A more than 170-year-old home on Back Road has received a second lease on life with a sale geared toward historic restoration.  South Berwick resident, Tom Johnson…

So. Berwick Strawberry Festival brings out families, visitors
Portsmouth Herald
It’s a family affair for Lisa Flynn. When she was just a small child, she said, “I remember tugging on my dad’s hand. ‘Let’s go to the strawberry festival. Let’s go to the strawberry festival.’”

Huppe defends title in Strawberry Festival 5-miler
Portsmouth Herald News
Finishing behind Huppe, Mark Gosztyla, Sullivan and Beal in the men’s top 10 were Colby Nixon (30:01) of Eliot; Dave Manz (30:22) of Eliot; …

Regatta Banquet Center opens in Eliot
Fosters Daily Democrat
The Regatta Banquet and Conference Center, located at the Eliot Commons on Route 236 next to the Shipyard Brew Pub, officially opened Thursday afternoon.

Power line plans cause angst in S. Berwick, Eliot
Portsmouth Herald
Of the 25 local residents attending the Central Maine Power Company’s public information meeting at Town Hall onTuesday night, many were not satisfied with the company’s answers regarding the company’s planned …

Marshwood High School fourth quarter honor roll 2007-08
Fosters Daily Democrat
Marshwood High School 2007-2008 honor roll Term 4

Bid for $11.43m in shipyard funds advances
Foster’s Daily Democrat
US Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, DN.H., recently announced House Appropriations Committee approval of her $11.43 million …

New bookstore opens
Fosters Daily Democrat
Marie MacDonald, owner of the new SoHo Book & Bean, holds a pair of ribbon-cutting scissors during an opening ceremony for her coffee shop, book store in downtown South Berwick.

Program to keep families warm needs help
Portsmouth Herald News
The rising cost of fuel is affecting everyone, but none more so than those who fall between the cracks of the various …

Neighbors: No progress in Eliot junkyard snafu
Portsmouth Herald
Neighbors are complaining that they haven’t yet seen progress by the town in cleaning up the junkyard owned by Timothy Fernald on Spruce Lane. Some report they believe he is continuing to bring junk onto his property, which they…

Lots of strawberry related news today…

Ripe and ready Heat has sweet results, ripening strawberries to …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The recent heat wave that swept over New Hampshire and Maine may have been the final ingredient needed to produce this month’s …

South Berwick flag placings make cemeteries ‘more meaningful’
Foster’s Daily DemocratNathan Lord helped drive the French out of Nova Scotia during the Siege of Louisburg in 1745. …

South Berwick Strawberry Festival goes green
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The strawberries will be fresh and tasty as they are every year at the South Berwick Strawberry Festival, but this year strawberry shortcake …

Fireworks and more planned for the 4th of July
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The First Parish Federated Church will host a yard sale and barbecue on Friday, July 4, and Saturday, July 5, 8 am-3 pm, …

Strawberry Festival returns to South Berwick on Saturday
It is by all accounts a record strawberry season this year, and what better way to enjoy some of nature’s great early summer treats than at the South Berwick Strawberry Festival.

You’ll get a spicy sweet surprise when you try strawberry poppers
The Canadian Press
Strawberry Poppers 24 medium-sized fresh local strawberries, hulled 50 ml ( 1/4 cup) light cream cheese, softened 15 ml (1 tbsp) finely chopped jalapeno …

Peppered Strawberry and Spinach Salad
Detroit Free Press
Place the strawberry slices in a large serving bowl and sprinkle with the pepper. Toss to coat the slices with the pepper and set aside for 10 minutes. …

South Berwick residents OK $265g in extra town funds
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Residents finally gave permission for the Town Council to transfer $265000 from the town’s savings account to cover unexpected payments incurred this fiscal year.

Tourism officials’ opinions mixed on impact of lower I-95 traffic
Portsmouth Herald
Since the beginning of June, traffic coming through the Hampton and York, Maine, tolls on Interstate 95 has been down substantially from last year. Dan Paradee of the Maine Turnpike Authority sees this as a bad sign for the…

Pellet stove sales brisk
Portsmouth Herald
The big jump in heating oil prices is fueling a boom in sales of wood pellet stoves, with some Maine dealers saying demand is so great that they can’t keep them in stock. Marty Farnum of Northern Lights Hearth Sports…

No need to count calories at 32nd annual Strawberry Festival
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Feeling guilty about gorging on all that delicious strawberry shortcake and cheesecake at South Berwick’s annual Strawberry Festival June 28? Bring along your running shoes and take part in the 5-mile Road Race/2.

County impact on North Berwick tax rate just 2 cents per $1,000
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The town’s county tax for fiscal year 2009 will rise $13,024 over this year to $287,456, Town Manager Dwayne Morin announced to the Board of Selectmen Tuesday night.

North Berwick man saves home from being demolished
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Wilbur Butland, the local resident who was in danger of losing his Pleasant Street home due to unsanitary living conditions, has redeemed his property by removing the waste that littered his house and repaying thousands of dollars in fees he owed the town.

South Berwick again asking residents to OK $265000 in plowing …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The second round in an ongoing effort by the Town Council to gain permission from residents to spend $265000 on unexpected payments starts tonight at 6:30 pm at Town Hall.

Fire destroys North Berwick garage, damages nearby home
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Once at the scene crews reported seeing flames from the building, and quickly called for mutual aid from the Berwick and South Berwick fire departments…

CMP holding another hearing on power line project in South Berwick
Foster’s Daily Democrat
As the project is currently proposed, a new pole would be added 20 feet from Eliot resident Mary Fournier’s backyard pool, and one-fifth of a mile of tree line along Brad Jones’ South Berwick farm …

8 charged in Eliot crime spree
Portsmouth Herald News
After a months-long investigation, police said Sunday they have arrested eight teens and charged them with a total of 58 counts ranging from burglary to criminal mischief.

Eliot selectman resigns
York Weekly
Selectman Roland Fernald has stepped down after nine years. Board members said …

Editorial:  Reconsider access to Seapoint Beach
Portsmouth Herald News
For the vast majority of NH Seacoast residents who are likely still unaware, the Kittery, Maine, Town Council passed an ordinance that prohibits non-residents from parking at Seapoint Beach …

Facilitator to help South Berwick figure out development issues
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The Economic Development Committee is organizing a civil, constructive public process where residents will determine how they want the town to develop in the next few years and beyond…

Most school budgets survive validation vote
Portland Press Herald
Fears that tax-weary voters would reject the spending plans appear to be unfounded. Only a handful of communities statewide have turned down their spending plans and in at least two towns it appears voters rejected the budgets because they were too low…

Artifacts and relics on display at museum
Foster’s Daily Democrat - Dover,NH,USA
An exhibit featuring possessions from one of the first settlers to live in town highlights the opening of the Counting House Museum’s …

Central Maine Power wants to replace aging lines
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Central Maine Power Co. officials are ramping up their efforts to begin a billion-dollar project that would upgrade 485 miles of transmission lines and substations stretching from Orrington, Maine, to Newington, N.H.

Residents protest CMP power line project
Foster’s Daily Democrat - Jun 13, 2008
Brad Jones has owned a 300-acre hay farm on the South Berwick/North Berwick town line since 1991.

Marshwood ousted in girls lacrosse semifinals
For the second year in a row, members of the Marshwood High School girls lacrosse team said they felt like they played the best game of their season in the Western Maine Class A semifinals.

Play The Links at Outlook, but take a cart
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Thousands and thousands of years ago when the land around the Maine and New Hampshire Seacoast was carved and molded by retreating …

MHS grads urged to ‘change the world’
Portsmouth Herald
The words painted on windows of the older model car said it all. After announcing to the world that the owner was “MHS Class ‘08,” there were two words proclaiming in a sassy voice you could almost hear: “Yeah …

South Berwick voters reject recall
Foster’s Daily Democrat
A councilor recall amendment that became the latest in a string of issues that has divided this town of 7000 failed …

S. Berwick elected officials safe
York Weekly
Voters in South Berwick on Tuesday rejected an amendment to the town charter that would have established a …

South Berwick recall amendment defeated
Portland Press Herald
Voters here overwhelmingly defeated a charter amendment that would have allowed …

South Berwick, Eliot pass $26.2M SAD 35 school budget
Portsmouth Herald News
The residents of Eliot and South Berwick, Maine, have passed the $26.2 million fiscal year 2009 budget for the School …

Kittery voters OK $14 million school budget
Portsmouth Herald
The town’s voters on Tuesday passed a $14.276 million school budget and all but one of 17 warrant articles. …

Eliot voters back wind, solar power
Portsmouth Herald
The town’s voters made environmental history by approving solar and wind power referenda by large majorities establishing the town as the third Maine municipality to have an ordinance governing small wind energy systems …

Sinden, Paul elected Eliot selectmen
Portland Press Herald
Sinden said the town needs to make sure the school funding formula between Eliot and South Berwick is equitable. Paul said he was running to represent the …

Register those out-of-state plates or fines may be coming in South …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Residents who haven’t registered their car in Maine may want to do so quickly, as the police department is stepping up enforcement of vehicle registration evaders.

Field of 8 for District 1 includes two locals
Foster’s Daily Democrat
With Rep. Tom Allen vacating his First District seat for a shot at challenging incumbent Republican Susan Collins for US Senate, two local candidates highlight the eight challengers for his position heading into …

Police, students target underage drinking with stickers in South …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The South Berwick police department is teaming up with Marshwood High School students to provide an “in-your-face reminder” about the consequences of providing alcohol to minors now that graduation season is here …

Removal of controversial signs in South Berwick ‘unfortunate
Foster’s Daily Democrat
In what is being called a “brain cramp” — and not an underhanded tactic — a Public Works employee improperly removed …

 Update: I missed this article on my morning perusal of news sources:
Going green proves profitable for towns
Portland Press Herald
As more households recycle, municipalities are saving lots of money…

Natural gas releases scheduled for Newington, South Berwick …
Portsmouth Herald
Planned and controlled releases of natural gas will take place in Newington and South Berwick, Maine, as part of Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline LLC connecting piping at its compressor stations currently under construction in …

$190K more cut from budget in S. Berwick
Portsmouth Herald
A standing-room-only crowd at Monday’s Town Meeting cut an additional $190,000 from the proposed budget and barely approved a higher Legislative Draft 1 state cap on taxes.

Tax savings equal to a tank of gas after budget cuts in South Berwick
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Homeowners will save the equivalent of a tank of gas on their property tax bill next year thanks to the 170 …

At least $135000 cut from South Berwick town budget
Foster’s Daily Democrat
In what amounted to an all-night roller coaster ride while locked inside a sauna, about 170 residents chopped the …

Some South Berwick residents think they may know who the next town …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
While the Town Council intends to launch a search for a long-term town manager sometime after Town Meeting June 2, …

Board eyes parking fix for Great Works School
Foster’s Daily Democrat
School officials said the project, which Eliot and South Berwick residents will have a chance to vote up or down at the school district budget meeting June …

Group preserves 26 acres on river Land trust honors couple’s wishes
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Before they passed away, Raymond and Simone Savage wanted to make sure their property that overlooks the Salmon …

Kittery Council approves business park zoning
York Weekly
The Town Council on Wednesday unanimously approved changes to the town’s land use and development ordinances that would …

SAD 35 voters to act on $26.2m budget June 5
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Residents in South Berwick and Eliot will have a chance to vote on the biggest chunk of their 2009 tax rate during the School District budget meeting on June 5 at 7 p.m. at Marshwood High School.

Monkey Business Bakery opens in South Berwick
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The South Berwick Economic Development Committee hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of Monkey Business Bakery, run by the husband-wife team of Jake and Nicole Bouchard.

South Berwick Yoga holds ribbon cutting
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The South Berwick Economic Development Committee recently held a ribbon cutting for South Berwick Yoga, located at 4 Portland St. in the downtown area.

Congressional hopefuls make push for support
Portsmouth Herald
Fifty area voters had an opportunity to meet Democratic candidates and hear why they are running for the US Congress at Marshwood Great Works School on Wednesday night.

Marshwood High School announces Top 10
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Salutatorian Colleen W. Fitzpatrick is the daughter of James and Terry Fitzpatrick of South Berwick. She plays as a midfielder on the field hockey team, …

Wind-power article is on ballot in Eliot
Portsmouth Herald
When town voters head to the polls on June 10, they could be making “green” history.

New trash fees could be disputed by voters at South Berwick Town …
Foster’s Daily Democrat, NH
Preliminary figures for the proposed pay-as-you-throw program at the transfer station include $1.50 for a 30-gallon …

No smoking, but no arrests or fines either
Foster’s Daily Democrat, NH - 15 hours ago
Excluding Counting House Park, smoking and the use of tobacco products is now technically banned at some recreation …

NHDOT seeks public input on Memorial Bridge closure
Portsmouth Herald News
Both plans were endorsed by the city and the town of Kittery, Maine. Traffic will be detoured to the high level bridge, as it was when the bridge closed for five days in mid-April to replace cables.

South Berwick Rotary Club disbanding
Foster’s Daily Democrat
After five “turmoil-filled years of internal conflicts, the loss of over 30 members … and failed attempts to find compromise and resolution,” the South Berwick Rotary Club is in the process of disbanding…

Smoking law up for debate tonight in South Berwick
Foster’s Daily Democrat
A non-smoking resolution that would apply to the town’s recreation areas and the creation of an assistant town manager position highlight the items on the Town Council’s agenda for tonight’s meeting at 6:30 pm at …

Area schools’ student-athlete academic policies
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Student-athletes must pass four full-time courses, which is in line with the present MPA policy.

New South Berwick library a ‘real possibility’ but process will be …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
One way or another, a new library will be built on the site of St. Michael’s Church. How and when that happens have …

South Berwick task force wants to make public areas smoke-free
Foster’s Daily Democrat
For the second time in as many years, the Town Council will take up one of the third rails of public policy: smoking in public places.

Schools may save money by using Web-based bidding ’service centers’
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Faced with an inflated budget due to decreased state funding and increased service costs, School Administrative …

South Berwick residents reject funds for extra snow removal costs …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
It could’ve been quick and easy - a short period of public comment, three questions determined by a yea or nay voice vote, and a hand count if the vote was too close to determine by ear.

South Berwick police: Pair was stealing items to sell as scrap metal
Foster’s Daily Democrat
After stealing four bicycles, a freezer, and a lawn mower from a home on Brattle Street in the hopes of selling off the scrap metal for cash, a South Berwick man and a juvenile accomplice were arrested Thursday …

South Berwick students hike through their town’s history
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Cars and trucks rumble past the houses on Main Street, and the wastewater treatment plant is entrenched in the background on Liberty Street.

Police say juvenile was in possession of stolen property from …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Police have arrested a girl and are searching for accomplices in connection with thefts from two downtown churches.

Berwick fire chief says more crew needed for frequency of calls
Foster’s Daily Democrat
But some town residents have questioned the validity of Plante’s numbers, saying the Berwick Fire Department is dispatched by South Berwick and therefore more accurate numbers could be provided by the South Berwick Police Chief Dana Lajoie.

South Berwick residents act Monday on $265g to pay for snow cost …
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The town’s undesignated fund could take a major hit Monday night during a special town meeting when residents will decide whether to take out $265000 to cover overruns in the snow removal budget, the buyout of …

South Berwick could add recall regulations
Portsmouth Herald News
The town is taking steps toward allowing the recall of elected officials. A public informational hearing will be held Tuesday to discuss a referendum vote.

South Berwick neighbors concerned about backyard hive
Portsmouth Herald News
Neighborhood residents are buzzing about the actions of a Portland Road man who …

Teens vandals turn to buglary, Eliot police say
Portsmouth Herald News
Numerous teenagers will be facing misdemeanor and felony charges after residents aided a police investigation into multiple house and car burglaries.

Route 236 fire is extinguished
Portsmouth Herald News
Eliot firefighters clean up after dousing a fire at Lin-Cor Environmental, LLC in Eliot, Maine, on Route 236 Thursday.

EDC Celebrates Opening of Monkey Business Bakery

The Economic Development Committee held a Ribbon Cutting at Monkey Business Bakery at 440 Main Street South Berwick on Thursday, May 7. Pictured from left to right is Mike Lassel, Economic Development Committee Vice Chairman, Roberta Orsini, Acting Interim Town Manager, Business Owners Nicole Bouchard and Jacob Bouchard, Andrea Young, and Jean Demetracopoulos, Town Council Chairman. An Open House is scheduled for Saturday May 17. They are open for business between Tuesday through Friday 7 AM to 4 PM, Saturday 8 AM to 4 PM and Sunday 8 AM to 1 PM. Web site.

Curves changes owners in South Berwick
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Members of the South Berwick Town Council and Economic Development Committee held a ribbon cutting for the Curves health club May 1 to signify a change in ownership.

South Berwick police to increase vigilance on underage drinking
Foster’s Daily Democrat
With high school graduation and prom season around the corner, South Berwick Police Chief Dana Lajoie is hoping to curb underage drinking through a series of awareness and enforcement programs funded by a grant …

Eliot to vote on $4M budget
Portsmouth Herald News
With the final changes made in the fiscal year 2009 town budget, voters will be asked to approve a bottom line of $4.2 million at Town Meeting on June 14.

Kittery baker is fighting the feds over food policy
Foster’s Daily Democrat
With the rising cost of food and fuel creating a quagmire for Americans nationwide, local bakery owner Andrew Siegel and US Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, gathered Monday afternoon to announce their plans to combat …

Scholarships available for York County residents
Portsmouth Herald News
If you are a Maine resident and plan to further your education in 2008-2009, the following scholarship funds are open to York County residents. For information on scholarships available to Maine students on a statewide basis, …

Scouting’s highest rank for South Berwick’s Kareckas
Foster’s Daily Democrat, NH
Kevin Kareckas received his Eagle badge and official recognition recently as he accepted the Eagle Challenge at the …

Artists open studios this Saturday
Portsmouth Herald News, NH
… their studios from 11 am to 5 pm Just in time for Mother’s Day, this annual spring event draws guests from all over New England to the rejuvenated …

South Berwick budget slashed
Portsmouth Herald
Town councilors sharpened their pencils and pared an 18 percent increase in the town budget to 13 percent this week.

Elected South Berwick town officials face many challenges
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Job description: attend multiple meetings a week, address questions and concerns from residents at all times, …

Berwick campus celebrates Earth and ingenuity
Portsmouth Herald News
Up on the hill at Berwick Academy on Friday morning, more than 600 students, faculty and staff members formed a …

SAD 35 reinstates special education post
Portsmouth Herald News
In response to parents’ concerns, School Administrative District 35 will add back one special education instructor …

The Town Council has made some headway on getting the budget down. They’ve got spending down below 2008 levels but revenues from excise taxes, car registrations, and building permits continue to be way below expectations so it still means a tax increase. Read more in this Foster’s Daily Democrat article:

South Berwick looking at tax rate increase due to revenue shortfall
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Though the Town Council has slashed nearly $1 million from the first draft of its 2009 municipal budget — in the process actually bringing expenditures below 2008 levels — taxpayers are still looking at a tax rate increase due to a factor largely out of town’s control: revenue.

Berwick retail project may bring real change
Foster’s Daily Democrat
But he added that Jellison, who was in Florida this week, loves the location, which is just south of the North Berwick town line and just north of the South Berwick town line. “It may take a little longer for this to get off the ground,” Gallucci said.

Woman killed in Route 236 crash
Foster’s Daily Democrat
A young woman was killed this morning in a two-car, head-on crash on Route 236 this morning involving a sedan and a tractor-trailer truck.

It’s brush fire danger time of year
Portsmouth Herald News
An Eliot, Maine, firefighter exits the woods where a brush fire at the Kittery landfill went to three alarms during a sunny but windy afternoon recently…

Drivers take notice: Memorial Bridge closes today
Portsmouth Herald News
The Memorial Bridge will close today at 7 a.m. and re-open on Saturday morning at 7 a.m., prohibiting vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle traffic and limiting marine access…

Local papers are running an Associated Press article that gives a round up of new laws from the 2008 Maine legislative session . Read the full story in Foster’s Daily Democrat. Here are a few of the law changes:

• The minimum wage goes from $7 per hour to $7.50 over a two-year period.
• A statewide unified building code will give contractors a single set of standards to follow rather than rules that vary from town to town.
• Vehicle registrations will rise from $25 to $35. Title and vanity plate fees also rise.
• There are new incentives to keep downtowns vibrant and encourage the reuse of existing buildings through a historic preservation tax credit.
• Maine’s family medical leave law will cover employees who must take time off from work to care for a sick brother or sister. The law currently covers workers who care for a sick child, spouse, parent or domestic partner.
• It will be illegal to smoke in cars in which children under 16 are present. The law will authorize $50 fines, but for the first year only warnings will be issued.
• Maine outlaws the sale of cigarette lighters that are attractive to children because they come in the shapes of cartoon characters, toys and animals.
• A new law requires manufacturers to disclose the most dangerous chemicals used in consumer products they make; another bans lead in toys and children’s products
• Truckers will not be allowed to let their vehicles idle for more than five minutes when the temperature is above freezing under a bill to conserve energy and promote cleaner air.
• Distributors will pay more beer, wine and soda taxes as part of funding to keep Maine’s Dirigo Health program running.
• Scrap metal processors must pay sellers only with checks and maintain a paper trail to those they pay. Sellers must also sign statements that the metal is not stolen.

‘History by the Foot’ in South Berwick
Foster’s Daily Democrat
A new self-guided walking tour brochure has been created to lead South Berwick residents and visitors down streets, past shops, houses, and other 19th-century sites prominent in the life of author Sarah Orne Jewett.

Councilor convinces two officials to stay on the job in South Berwick
Foster’s Daily Democrat
After persuading two town officials to keep their posts after they resigned, Council Chair Sue Roberge is now in the opposite role, as at least one council member intends to convince her stay on as council chair …

Eliot board will challenge CMP
Portsmouth Herald News
The Board of Selectmen will become an intervenor in a case against a Central Maine Power Co. proposal to maintain 9.4 miles of power line that runs through the town. Resident Mary Fournier and nine other residents, …

South Berwick residents take aim at budget, try to cut tax hike
Foster’s Daily Democrat
The police budget, employee salaries and a lack of economic development in recent years - some of the main contributors to the town’s inflated 2009 budget - were some of the contentious topics debated by …

Asbestos worry raised in Eliot
Portsmouth Herald News
Town resident Christine Thistle said at Thursday evening’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting that she feared trucks may be illegally dumping construction debris or soil laced with loose asbestos at the Great Hill Sand and …

Council reduces Kittery school cuts
Portsmouth Herald News
If politics is, indeed, the art of compromise, town voters are the beneficiaries of the best politics has to offer based on the results of Monday night’s Town Council meeting.

Reeling and healing in South Berwick
Wire
To say that the current atmosphere within South Berwick’s town government is hectic would be an understatement. As the southern-Maine community of 6670 people labors to draft a municipal budget that some people have labeled a “crisis,” …

2 brush fires scorch coast
Portsmouth Herald News
A two-alarm blaze razed some 10 acres of land in the Great Bog Thursday, and another burned up to six acres in Kittery, Maine. Firefighters said both presented significant challenges as they fought to extinguish the flames.

Thresher service on April 12 will mark 45th anniversary of sub’s loss
Portsmouth Herald
On Saturday, April 12, a memorial service will be held at R.W. Traip Academy commemorating the loss of 129 crew members, U.S. Naval submarine officer observers and civilian support personnel aboard the USS Thresher during sea trials off of the New England coast on April 10, 1963.

South Berwick council to present budget calling for 18% tax increase
Foster’s Daily Democrat
After weeks of budget sessions, the Town Council is ready to present its revised 2009 municipal budget of $5763795 to residents at a public hearing Monday at 6:30 pm in the Town Hall auditorium.

Shipyard dry dock is of utmost importance to area senators
Foster’s Daily Democrat
State legislators from both Maine and New Hampshire have come together to request funding for the construction of an additional dry dock at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

Maine reps: Collect unclaimed assets
Portsmouth Herald News
York County residents are being urged to contact their local legislators to find out if they have assets in the state’s inventory of unclaimed property.

York County gets $600000 in EPA grants
MaineToday.com
The Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission was granted $400000 in grants, bringing that agency’s total brownfield funding from the EPA over the last several years to $2 million, according to Executive Director Paul Schumacher.

Town notified of sex offender
Portsmouth Herald News
A registered sex offender has moved to 563 Emery’s Bridge Road and had registered with local police as of last Wednesday, said Police Chief Dana Lajoie.

Kittery budget cuts raise ire
Portsmouth Herald News
Two members of the School Committee and one town councilor expressed surprise and disappointment Monday at a Town Council decision to require lower than level-funded 2008-09 budgets from both the municipal departments …

Budget cuts ordered for Kittery may hurt, not help
Portsmouth Herald News
The council appears to have made up its mind that the goal of this year’s budget process will be to keep the town’s property tax rate at $14 per $1,000 of assessed property value, come hell or high water…

Bakery’s special is waste reduction
Portsmouth Herald News
The town’s new Energy Advisory Committee is saluting Beach Pea Bakery for its commitment to reducing waste on all fronts…

North Berwick manager signs five-year contract
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Town Manager Dwayne Morin signed a new five-year contract with the town last week. Morin was entering the last year …

Berwick town manager defends work on old police station
Foster’s Daily Democrat
Doing preliminary work on the former site of the Police Department attached to Town Hall was a personnel management …