by Chris Chase
Coastal Journal staff

BATH — Fields for our Future, a group trying to replace the natural turf at McMann Field in Bath with artificial turf, is just $52,000 shy of its $562,000 fundraising goal.

The goal represents the complete cost of replacing the entire field, and is an investment that Fields for our Future says is sorely needed in the community. The field is often subject to the whims of nature, and is frequently completely unusable due to being waterlogged.

Mark Fourre speaks at the Boothbay Opera Houseby Chris Chase
Coastal Journal staff

BOOTHBAY HARBOR — Lincoln County Healthcare (LCH) held a public forum on March 20 to address the community’s concerns regarding their proposed changes to St. Andrews Hospital. 

The changes, which will downgrade St. Andrews from a hospital to an urgent care center, have come under heavy fire from the community. The St. Andrews Task Force, a community group composed of various members of the communities most affected by the downgrade, was formed to make an attempt to reverse the decision made by LCH. 

The forum was LCH’s chance to reach the community on a personal level. The forum itself was chaired by Mark Fourre, the medical director for LCH, who gave an extensive presentation to the packed Boothbay Opera House outlining the future plans for St. Andrews and the effects it would have on the St. Andrews Campus. 

Two Maine environmental groups, Friends of Merrymeeting Bay and Environment Maine, are seeking dam turbine shutdowns to save endangered salmon smolts during this spring’s migration.by Chris Chase
Coastal Journal staff

BRUNSWICK — A pair of environmental groups based in Maine have filed a motion in federal court seeking a preliminary injunction to close off a series of dams along the Kennebec and Androscoggin rivers in spring. 

The injunction, filed on behalf of Friends of Merrymeeting Bay and Environment Maine, would require the dams to close access to the turbines during the annual migration of spawned salmon down the two rivers. It comes after years of legal efforts in an Endangered Species Act case against the dam’s owners, due to the dam reportedly harming salmon without the legal permission, known as an Incidental Take Permit. 

According to Joshua Kratka from the National Environmental Law Center, who is representing the two environmental groups, the company has made little improvements to the dam, and time is running short for salmon that will be migrating down the river this spring. 

by Chris Chase
Coastal Journal staff

ROCKLAND — Under increasing budgetary strains stemming from pending reductions in state funding, RSU 13 has proposed a merger between Thomaston Grammar School and Rockland District Middle School, resulting in Thomaston Grammar housing the two cities’ middle school students. 

The proposal, which was outlined in a public meeting on March 21, drew criticism from residents of the community and teachers in the district, who foresee major growing pains and problems arising from the merger. Neal Guyer, the director of school improvement for RSU 13, asserted that the proposal is still in its earliest stages. 

“It’s very much a work in progress, in my mind,” said Guyer.