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Good morning from the shores of Gouldsboro, where the summer is winding down, although, according to meteorologists, there are still plenty of warm days ahead.

Our next door neighbor, Winter Harbor, last weekend hosted the largest lobster boat race ever with 175 boats out of 181 that registered vying for the top titles. The number of boats was only fitting since it was also the 60th anniversary of the race. The Winter Harbor Lobster Boat races were postponed from August 10 to August 25 because of weather. 

Not only did the lobster boat races draw more boats than ever on the Schoodic Peninsula – and anywhere, for that matter – according to organizer Chris Byers – there also were an unprecedented number of prizes. 

The biggest was a 33-foot Crowley Beal hull and top valued at $50,000. The winner was Kyle Look of Harrington. The winner did not need to captain the fastest boat. It was the luck of the draw–a raffle. 

The event included the Dave Worcester Memorial race, named for a resident of Lamoine who for years installed windows in lobster boats up and down the coast.

Hearing on Machias dike decision delayed again

A public hearing and decision on the fate of the flood-prone Machias dike has been delayed once again, this time until the fall. After 15 years of studies, hearings, and back-and-forth plans, the public still awaits a decision from Maine’s Department of Transportation about how it will fix the problem — a dike that keeps crumbling and flood waters that keep coming. 

Read this story by Joyce Kryszak of The Maine Monitor

While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind paywalls, some newsrooms we link to in this newsletter may. 

ICYMI: A Maine nursing home owner has been in the business for nearly 50 years. He wants out. | The Maine Monitor

ICYMI: Law enforcement officers can now get a warrant to take someone into protective custody | The Maine Monitor

A contract worker at a solar farm in Surry died Thursday morning after reportedly being electrocuted, though the cause of the death has still not been determined. | Bangor Daily News

One of the stars of Atlantic Boat Days in Brooklin was a new retractable dock. The boatyard lost its 150-foot dock in January during damaging storms. | The Weekly Packet

Bangor voters in November will be asked to approve more than $2 million in general obligation bonds for the construction of a new multi-use public safety training facility this November. | Bangor Daily News

Educate Maine, a Portland-based nonprofit, says the teacher shortage is a “clear and present danger.” | MaineBiz

A group listed as an extremist anti-government group by the Southern Poverty Law Center is attempting to recruit members in Aroostook and Penobscot County locations. | Bangor Daily News

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Maine Coast Heritage Trust are calling on residents to help the state prepare for as much as 8.8 feet of sea level rise within the next century. | Quoddy Tides

A Gouldsboro man accused in a serial rape case dating to the 1990s and involving a “John Doe” warrant based solely on DNA, was arraigned in Hancock County Superior Court. | Ellsworth American

The Bar Harbor Town Council has voted to give citizens an alternative option for managing cruise ship crowds in a vote to take place in November. | The Mount Desert Islander

The Maine Aquaculture Association says the industry has been growing slowly but steadily for 20 years with operators trained in “hard skills,” such as building a shellfish farm and boat handling. | MaineBiz

The Island Nursing Home board in Deer Isle is considering converting the former nursing home’s rooms into 24 senior apartments and a “senior service center.” The Island Nursing Home closed its doors in 2021, citing funding and staff shortages. | Island Ad-Vantages

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The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization that produces investigative journalism. We believe news is a public good and keep our news free to access. We have no paywall and do not charge for our newsletters. If you value the reporting we do for Maine, please consider making a donation! We cannot do this reporting without your support.