25 things to do this fall — festivals, foliage and fun | Bangor Daily News

As you bid goodbye to summer — so long flip flops, air conditioner and iced beverages on the patio — you say hello to an even more fleetingly beautiful part of the year. The crispness in the air arrived last week, and the leaves have just barely begun to change color.

Summer may look pretty fantastic after four months of winter, but autumn feels just lovely after four months of summer. Enjoy it while you can by trying any of the 25 things to do this fall that we’ve assembled for you.

Click for more on the story by Emily Burnham in the Bangor Daily News.

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Rockland: Halloween Dance Party with ‘Thriller’ workshop | Bangor Daily News

Halloween Dance Party with “THRILLER” Workshop | Bangor Daily News.

25 fun fall things to do in Maine | Bangor Daily News

Your alarm goes off in the morning. After coffee, a shower, reading the newspaper and getting dressed, you’re out the door — and that’s when it hits you.

There’s a slight chill in the air. A yellow leaf flutters gently to the ground. Your clothing isn’t warm enough. Autumn has arrived.

In between unpacking your sweaters and bringing in the patio furniture, the change of season means a renewed vigor for experiencing all that Maine has to offer. From leaf-peeping driving trips around the state to Halloween events, from apple picking to concert-going, the fall is the time when Mainers really get to bask in the glory.

The gold, red, orange and yellow that light up treetops lasts only about a month — so what are you waiting for? Get out and have fun, before you make that appointment to put on your snow tires.

Click for the rest of the story by Emily Burnham in the Bangor Daily News.

Light show: Open Lighthouse Day offers rare chance to peek inside the towers, keepers’ houses at 25 of Maine’s lighthouses | Portland Press Herald

Living in Maine and never climbing a lighthouse is kind of like living in South Dakota and never seeing Mount Rushmore, or visiting Memphis and skipping the tour of Graceland.

You know you should do it, but somehow you just never get around to actually going.

Well, here’s your chance. On Saturday, 25 ocean, river and island lighthouses throughout Maine will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Some of these lighthouses aren’t normally open to the public, so this is a rare chance to peek inside their light towers and keepers’ houses.

Even if you’ve been to Portland Head Light a million times with visiting relatives, during Open Lighthouse Day, you’ll be able to climb the tower, which is usually closed.

“At the 25 sites that are going to be open, there will be people there staffing, and many of them will have guided tours,” said Bob Trapani Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation in Rockland, which is sponsoring the day along with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Maine Office of Tourism. “It’s an educational opportunity, not just a chance to climb.”

Click here for the rest of the story by Meredith Goad in the Portland Press Herald.

For more info and a complete list and map of lighthouses that will be open for Open Lighthouse Day, http://lighthousefoundation.org/ or www.lighthouseday.com.

Three tons of lobster perish in Rockland fire | Bangor Daily News

Three tons of lobster perish in Rockland fire | Bangor Daily News.

Maine loses a ‘visionary’ on energy alternatives | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Maine loses a ‘visionary’ on energy alternatives | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram.

Rockland lobster festival opens Wednesday with free admission | Bangor Daily News

Rockland lobster festival opens Wednesday with free admission – Bangor Daily News

For a full schedule of events visit mainelobsterfestival.com.

Five things to do this July 23 weekend | Bangor Daily News

Five things to do this July 23 weekend | Bangor Daily News

International jumping contest draws canines, owners to Rockland – Bangor Daily News

International jumping contest draws canines, owners to Rockland – Bangor Daily News

For more information on Seacoast Dock Dogs, visit www.seacoastdockdogs.com. To help with next year’s event, contact Heidi Vanorse at Loyal Biscuit at 594-5269.

Rockland won’t use taxpayer money to fund Lobster Festival | Bangor Daily News

Rockland won’t use taxpayer money to fund Lobster Festival – Bangor Daily News.

Waste knot: Toxic threat on banks of the Penobscot | Portland Press Herald

ORRINGTON – At this time of year, the Penobscot River flows dark and deep, draining the second-largest watershed in New England – and one of the most pristine.

But as the river passes through the town of Orrington, it picks up an added ingredient: mercury leaking from five landfills on the riverbank at the former HoltraChem Manufacturing Co. plant. The polluted water then flows past Bucksport and into Penobscot Bay, past the coastal tourist towns of Castine, Camden and Rockland, the big summer homes on the islands of Islesboro, North Haven and Vinalhaven, and into the fishing grounds of the Gulf of Maine.

“This is not just an Orrington issue. This river is so valuable to Maine’s economy,” said Ryan Tipping-Spitz of Bangor, an organizer with the Maine People’s Alliance, an advocacy group that has been pushing for a cleanup at HoltraChem for decades.

The mercury contamination at the plant, once described by Gov. John Baldacci as the worst hazardous waste site in the state, has been the focus of a cleanup effort dating to the 1980s.

Click on the link for the rest of today’s story by Beth Quimby in the Portland Press Herald.

Bar Harbor will see more cruise ships | Bangor Daily News

Bar Harbor will see more cruise ships – Bangor Daily News

Bar Harbor’s complete list of scheduled cruise ship visits can be viewed at www.barharbormaine.gov/document/0000/562.pdf.

Readin’, writin’, and reality for an island teacher | DownEast.com

[I enjoy Ms. Murray’s wit – it’s a Maine wit. She does spend quite a bit of time of steering people away from island life, yet she’s been an island-dweller for more than 20 years. I think she’s just trying to keep a good – great – think to herself. – KM]

As a member of the Board of Directors of RSU #65, which means a school committee member on Matinicus Island for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, until Town Meeting does us part, and as a former island teacher myself, and a school bookkeeper, and the parent of two little island students in homemade sweaters, I feel like I know a thing or two about what an applicant for this job ought to think about.

The problem is we’re not supposed to talk about much of it.

When I made my way out here for my interview in May of 1987, the winds were fierce and the airplane flight was something like riding a buckboard over a dry-rutted ox track in the middle of the Oregon Trail. Teacher applicants, be advised: that ten-minute flight gets bumpy sometimes. If you’re afraid to fly or have a delicate stomach, you might think twice before you take this position. Oops, excuse me. I take that back. Only your professional qualifications warrant discussion.

My interview happened to fall on what I later found out was Subpoena Day, when most all the male residents of the island were wasting their time cooling their heels in Rockland, waiting to be called to testify in a case of some non-violent neglect of the rulebook. Many were not asked to speak, and came home generally aggrieved for the imposition. One of them was married to member of the school board.

Click on the link for the rest of this entry by Eva Murray in her “Sea Glass (and) Scrap Iron” on DownEast.com.

Defendants not guilty in lobsterman shooting trial | Bangor Daily News

Defendants not guilty in lobsterman shooting trial – Bangor Daily News.

Jury begins deliberations in Maine lobsterman shooting case – Bangor Daily News

[Deliberations have started, apparently. — KM]

Jury begins deliberations in lobsterman shooting case – Bangor Daily News.

Maine ‘lobster wars’ trial of illustrates case of bad blood on Matinicus | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME

[I posted a link to a wire story about this trial earlier, but this has far, far more details. — KM]

Trial illustrates case of bad blood on Matinicus | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME.

Closing arguments today in trial of Maine lobsterman | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Closing arguments today in trial of lobsterman | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram.

$35 million grant will allow Amtrak to expand train service to Brunswick | Portland Press Herald

 $35 million grant will allow Amtrak to expand train service to Brunswick | Portland Press Herald.

Turning Seawater Into Fuel: Experiment Underway in Rockland

(I found this Maine Public Broadcasting Network story interesting in that they are talking about using seawater, air and electricity to possibly turn the water into amonia and then fuel. It is a long-term project that could go on for a decade before you see cars running on the stuff. Still interesting, though. — KM)

 Turning Seawater Into Fuel: Experiment Underway in Rockland.

Milo serves TV host beans, whoopie pies – Bangor Daily News

This guy is pretty big among the TV foodies. It’s pretty cool that he’s making a swing through Maine. Here’s a link to the story.

 Milo serves TV host beans, whoopie pies – Bangor Daily News.