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Good morning:

We have a nice offering of school district stories this week, including a report to the Spruce Mountain Board of Directors that reading achievement is increasing across the district in third and fourth grades. The improvements are the result of new teaching methods introduced this year, and teachers are optimistic about sustaining this good work.

We also have a report from MSAD 58, where the School Board is leaning toward consolidating the district’s four schools down to two to save costs, and a look at the RSU 9 budget going before voters on June 9.

We reported this week that Bowdoin College has withdrawn its application for a campsite at the Finnegan McCoul Woodruff Mountain Center in Kingfield, with the understanding it will refile after possible changes to town ordinances.

And, if you live in Wilton, you should soon be receiving a letter with your revised property valuation. Our story tells you what to expect.

Did you know you can fish for free this weekend? The weather isn't looking great, but fishing is often better in the rain anyway. 

Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife holds these occasional free fishing weekends to encourage people who have never fished to wet a line, but just because the fishing is free doesn’t make it a free-for-all. Anglers still have to follow Maine’s fishing regulations and laws (and there’s no fishing for those with a suspended or revoked license). If you don’t know the local regs, there’s an app for that. 

So, get out there and have fun.

And, please share this newsletter with family members and friends. They can sign up on our website to have it delivered to their own inbox each Saturday.

Bowdoin College withdraws Kingfield campsite application, plans to refile after town review: The move comes after residents requested a temporary moratorium, set for a public hearing in July. Read this story by Ashton F. LeCraw

RSU 73 board reviews reading gains, facility upgrades and efforts to reduce dropouts: Third grade reading proficiency has climbed to 73 percent after the district’s first year with a new curriculum. Read this story by Bob Neal

RSU 9 voters advance $46.2 million budget to June 9 referendum: Proposed spending plan would raise town assessments 1.29 percent and shift costs across all 10 communities. Read this story by Ben Hanstein

Jay Select Board approves nearly $500,000 in trash and paving contracts: Somerset Disposal Service to take over July 1 as hauler; Pike Industries to repave Beedy Road, Lake School Road and Osgood Road. Read this story by Bob Neal

MSAD 58 board signals support for a two‑campus model as consolidation discussions continue: After voters cut $472,000 from the proposed budget, district leaders warn the reductions could affect staffing and special education services. Read this story by Ben Hanstein

Wilton sends updated property tax notices as townwide valuation rises: Many assessments will increase sharply, but a lower tax rate could limit changes in bills. Read this story by Bob Neal

Eastport residents push City Council to oppose DeepGreen’s underwater AI data center: The Council’s objection mirrors a Washington County Commission letter sent to developer Louis Wolfson last month, warning the project could pose risks to local waters and traditional industries. Read this story by Melissa S. Razdrih

Nearly 40% of signature gatherers for Maine trans athlete ballot question were from out of state: Outside petition circulators, money and lawyers have poured into Maine, making the state’s referendum process a battleground in the national debate over transgender rights. Read this story by Matt Junker

Debate over trans athlete question puts Maine referendum process in the spotlight: Here’s how the state’s century-old citizen initiative process works. Read this story by Matt Junker

Can a candidate to the left of Jared Golden win in Maine’s 2nd District?: This cycle looks a lot like the 2018 election that sent Golden to Washington for the first time. Read this story by Torrie Herrington of The Maine Monitor and NOTUS

Maine sewage sludge crisis is ‘still under a clock’ even if landfill expands: Nearly all of the state’s sludge now goes to Juniper Ridge, shifting PFAS pollution from farmland to the Penobscot River. Read this story by Delger Erdenesanaa

Oxford County municipal elections and annual town meetings, June 1, 6 and 9: Oxford, Rumford

The following stories are from other newsrooms. While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind a paywall, some newsrooms we link to below may. Paywalled stories are followed by a ($). We encourage you to consider supporting local Maine newsrooms.

The federal government is suing Maine for refusing to issue undercover license plates to ICE  | Maine Public

Rising steel and fuel costs, as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have contributed to delays in rehabilitating Jay’s Androscoggin Mill | Bangor Daily News

Livermore Falls has chosen an engineering firm to prepare a plan to fix the Norris Bridge, which was identified as a potential mitigation project following the 2023 floods | Livermore Falls Advertiser ($)

A state representative from Wilton pleaded guilty to charges relating to his application for Maine Clean Election Act funds | Spectrum News Maine

Throughout the country, Maine ranks third for home price increases over the last decade | Maine Public

The state has lost more than two dozen nursing homes over the past decade for various reasons, including low reimbursement rates and shortages of staff | Maine Public

RSU 10 will send a $45 million budget to the voters at the June 9 validation referendum, after the Rumford-based district approved the 4.9 percent increase at its budget meeting | Rumford Falls Times ($)

Dairy farmers in Maine are hoping that fertilizer and diesel fuel costs will soon decrease | Spectrum News Maine

A statewide tracking system for the evidence kits used during sexual assault investigations will launch by 2028 | Maine Public

Major teachers union throws its weight behind K-12 screentime limits  | Public News Service

Have feedback, a correction or know of something we should look into? Send it to our newsroom. You can reach Monitor Local editor Judy Meyer directly via email:  judy@themainemonitor.org. 

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.

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