Articles by Heather Steeves
Midcoast Area Veterans Memorial erected in Rockland
ROCKLAND, Maine — It took 16 years, but on Friday the Midcoast Area Veterans Memorial — a 34-foot-long concrete wall with black granite tiles etched with veterans’ portraits — stood for about 200 people to see. The roughly $300,000 memorial was dedicated Friday evening to all veterans. “I’ve noticed that …
Mother of boy who had hand severed says life after accident will never be the same
OWLS HEAD, Maine — Cassidy Keene’s life has changed dramatically in the weeks since her son’s hand was severed in an accident in Rockland. Before, Keene drove her twin boys to summer camp where they could swim and jump around like rambunctious 5-year-olds do. She’d go to work as a …
Down East magazine chief: Publisher’s ouster, end of paid blogs are not connected
ROCKPORT, Maine — The end of paid blogs on the website of Down East magazine and the exit of its publisher are not related, the company’s CEO said Wednesday. John Viehman left his position as publisher after six years, the company announced Tuesday. CEO Bob Fernald, who will, at least …
A day after blogs shut down, publisher out at Down East magazine
ROCKPORT, Maine — The publisher of Down East Magazine has left the position, according to Publishers Weekly. John Viehman’s position will be filled by CEO Bob Fernald. “John worked tirelessly for this organization in his six years here, overseeing a rebuilding of our ad-sales team, consolidating the Down East brand …
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Biddeford roller skate dancer wins the gold at national competition
BIDDEFORD, Maine — It took 20 years of hard work, but Denise Giuvelis, 26, of Biddeford recently skated home with the gold at the national roller figure skating competition. Giuvelis is one of only three competitive artistic skaters from Maine. She competes in coed roller skate dance competitions, which she …
Rockland woman returns to midcoast to open gym with unique look
ROCKLAND, Maine — Hilery Hutchinson graduated from Rockland High School, but never expected to come back. After leaving the area for college, then some work with the NBA and at resorts in the Bahamas, she certainly didn’t think she’d return to a place she lived for a short stint during …
Camden Hills laptop repair bills down from $56,000 to $33,000
ROCKPORT, Maine — The laptop repair bill is in for Camden Hills Regional High School and the total is $33,000. That’s down from $56,000 in the 2010-2011 school year. The school took measures in the past school year to reduce student carelessness, which administrators said was the root cause of …
Camden Rite Aid targeted for drug robbery, again
CAMDEN, Maine — Police say new measures at a frequently robbed Rite Aid stopped a man from getting away with stolen drugs Saturday. A man in a hooded sweatshirt with a bandana covering his face walked into the pharmacy and demanded drugs on Saturday, according to Detective Curt Andrick at …
New Rockland yarn shop offers chance at accessible art
ROCKLAND, Maine — When Mim Bird’s 13-and-a-half-year-old son (“the half is important when you’re 13”) decided to go to school instead of continuing homeschooling, she didn’t know what to do with her life. She had been a homemaker for 16 years. “For the first year I just wandered around thinking, …
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All 1,400 terns nesting on Metinic abandon island
METINIC ISLAND, Maine — For the first time in known history, the entire tern population — 1,400 at last count — abandoned this small island. It took one day. In June, Maine was soaked with four rainy days in a row. Terns, seabirds that use their sight to find and …
Alone on a Maine island: Interns spend summers helping vulnerable birds survive
METINIC ISLAND, Maine — Brian Benedict and Michael Langlois boarded their boat Tuesday despite the warnings — after all, they must feed the interns. They help the interns and the interns help migratory seabirds on the island. “They’re talking about serious storms — hail, high winds. There may be tornado …
Rockland man takes passengers on day sails on boat he bought for $1
ROCKLAND, Maine — By 10 a.m. Daniel Bennett was on his third cup of coffee made from water boiled on a tiny stove in the cabin of his wooden sloop. Seagulls cawed and circled as the boat rocked gently off Rockland’s Windjammer Wharf. He was waiting for his next customer, …
POLL QUESTION
Willing to trade? Midcoast neighbors exchange goods, labor on bartering site
ROCKLAND, Maine — A local police chief needs a defunct trampoline to shade his sheep and is willing to barter for it. A Rockport man had a $100 iTunes gift card he didn’t need and was offered 25 guinea hens. A new public Facebook group, Midcoast Barter, is connecting people …
History of Owls Head on display at The Old Homestead
OWLS HEAD, Maine — People curious about the history of Owls Head now can pop into The Old Homestead and poke around the photo albums, old news clips and maps. The homestead opened Wednesday for the first time this year. The gray shingled cape dates to the 1820s or earlier, …
Knox County seeks $500,000 grant to solve social problems that affect education
ROCKLAND, Maine — Knox County education organizations are putting in an application for a $500,000 federal grant to help improve the area’s social services and schools. The U.S. Department of Education is offering up the cash for local organizations to research what social issues affect students’ educational performance and come …
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Great Schooner Race fills Penobscot Bay with sails, friendly feuds
ROCKLAND, Maine — Captains Doug Lee and Mike McHenry have been handing the Great Schooner Race’s Leeward Class trophy back and forth for years now. As far as races go, their competition seemed pretty fair: Both 95-foot boats were built in the 1980s. Lee’s Heritage docks in Rockland, where the …
Few midcoast residents complain about fireworks on the Fourth
BELFAST, Maine — This city had no fireworks complaints on July Fourth and the midcoast seemed quiet on the holiday, according to police. “We had no complaints. It surprised me. Even though the city banned them, we expected some complaints,” said Detective Sgt. Bryan Cunningham of the Belfast Police Department. …
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Thomaston celebrates with annual Fourth of July parade, L.L. Bean puts on show in Freeport
THOMASTON, Maine — Route 1 was packed on both sides through the entire small town as hundreds of people packed in to see firetrucks, horses, roller skaters and beauty pageant queens in the annual Fourth of July parade on Wednesday. A few raindrops fell before the clouds eventually parted and …
Island becomes summer school for teachers
HURRICANE ISLAND, Maine — This little island is once again seeing visitors, but instead of the granite quarriers of the late 1800s or the summer camp children of the mid-to-late 1900s, this time teachers and scientists are flocking to it. The Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership is getting …
Cramped Rockport animal shelter needs $1 million for expansion
ROCKPORT, Maine — The animal shelter here has plans to double its size so it can accept more animals. Now it just needs a million bucks. The Pets Are Worth Saving shelter, formerly the Camden-Rockport Animal Rescue League, recently bought 2.5 acres next to its spot on Camden Street where …
National Weather Service issues winter storm watch for Wednesday in Maine
Orono man gets a surprise: 4 bears living not far from his front door
Portland man dies from injuries suffered in Windham crash
Mutant lobsters discovered in Casco Bay
Sky bridge? I-395 connection? Change in expectations a better answer to Cross Center traffic
30 percent of private colleges won’t survive next 10 years, predicts Husson official
Mike Michaud can stand up for papermakers and Maine’s high-tech future
How a modern logistics hub in Bangor can make port in Searsport competitive
Safety net pole hits Mainers after Boston Bruins game at TD Garden
William Clay Ford Sr., Detroit Lions owner and former Ford Motor chief, dies
Pistorius breaks down, retches as girlfriend’s wounds are described during murder trial
UMaine women’s basketball team sparks optimism with turnaround season
Scientist: Odd-looking Maine lobsters are not mutants, and still safe to eat
‘Yeah, we get a lot of bruises’: Roller derby skates north to Aroostook County
Daniel Williams named interim director of Collins Center for the Arts
Argyle pipe welder refurbishing statue of soldier in effort to restore Orono Civil War monument
The (one-act) play is the thing: MPA starts high school drama competitions statewide