Loons rafting…people flocking to agricultural fairs…leaves floating silently downward…goodbyes echoing across lakes. The summer of 2021 is gradually winding down, giving way to exciting changes outdoors and unpredictable parameters indoors. But first, there's still time to enjoy many of the qualities that summer provides and to enjoy any outlets that were missed. More…

You were the heroes of the summer. You were presented with a great season in a great resort region and you ran with it, boated with it, hiked with it, swam with it. You made the outdoors the new indoors. You appreciatively visited the towns and villages. You shopped and bought. You prudently attended events. More…

Where'd the summer go?! Seems like Memorial Day was just yesterday, and here we are barreling toward Labor Day. This summer brought great relief and a return (mostly) to normalcy. More…

First responders — those who make the necessary sacrifices to be there for us in an emergency — deserve our gratitude. Some Belgrade residents believe a public acknowledgment of our appreciation is long overdue. More…

All motorists are urged to be aware of the new road signs in the area and to be courteous of our new Amish neighbors traveling the region's roads by horse-drawn buggy. By Maine law, a person riding or driving an animal has the right of way. More…

There is a loon and a chick in my cove. The mother appears to be entangled in some fishing line and a bobber. What to do? More…

Of the 27 articles on Belgrade's town meeting ballot in March, the vote for the mooring ordinance was by far the closest. This closeness suggests that voters may have been uncertain as to what the ordinance would do or whether it was needed. In this article, we will try to clear up any confusion. More…

For the third time this summer, a Courtesy Boat Inspector has kept an invasive plant from entering the Belgrade Lakes. On July 24, Katie Trebilcock identified and removed fragments of what she suspected was Eurasian milfoil from a boat about to enter North Pond. More…

To honor the late Richard McCann, a longtime summer resident of Hoyt's Island, his family has pledged to help 7 Lakes Alliance forever conserve the 119-acre Blaisdell property in Rome, which overlooks Great Pond in the heart of a corridor trail planned to connect The Mountain and Mt. Phillip. More…

Well, this is our final Dams Keeper Report for the season. With the exception of the dam in Oakland, all of the other dam gates are closed, and they should remain closed until the fall drawdown in late October. More…

There are so many children's books, but let's consider books about trees to supplement our community read for adults, The Overstory. German forest expert Peter Wohlleben, who wrote The Hidden Life of Trees, has also written two simplified versions of this international bestseller for kids: Peter and the Tree Children and Can You Hear the Trees Talking? More…

Local author Tamra Wight lives in Portland. The Poland Spring Campground has been her family business for 25 years. Along with her husband and two kids, the author shares a lot of fox encounters in this young adult novel, Mystery of the Missing Fox. More…

Mother Nature is marching forward with her schedule, pandemic or not. The days are getting shorter; the swamp red maples beginning to turn red in the wetlands; and birches are turning yellow high on the hillsides. It is still quite warm during the day, but the nights are growing cooler. More…