by Chris Chase
Coastal Journal staff

BRUNSWICK — The Swedish health care manufacturing company Mölnlycke held a grand opening for its new Brunswick facility at Brunswick Landing on March 15, marking the event with a golden key ceremony attended by prominent members of the community. 

The facility, which had a structural cost of $15 million and features over $35 million of high-tech equipment within, will bring 50 jobs to Brunswick initially, with that number increasing to at least 100 as the facility gets up to steam. 

A substantial investment in the community, the deal was furnished through the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Agency (MRRA), which has been instrumental in the efforts to redevelop the now close Brunswick Naval Air Station. 

by Chris Chase
Coastal Journal staff  

NEWCASTLE — A historic home in Newcastle, estimated to have been built in 1760 during the first wave of settlement in the region, will not be demolished until an archaeological survey has been conducted, and until a nearby nest of bald eagles has fledged in the summer. 

The residence, located at 21 Pond Rd. in Newcastle, was recently purchased by John Homan, a resident of Massachusetts. Homan planned on demolishing parts of the structure and using the more structurally secure parts as a starting point for a new residence. 

Homan, who has followed every aspect of the law, learned on March 7 that he cannot proceed with demolition due to the building’s estimated age, and because the demolition would be within the 200 meter (666 foot) limit of a Bald Eagle nesting site. 

Selene Dumaine ties a fly to be sold in her much-anticipated and recently opened shop.by Chris Chase
Coastal Journal staff

BRUNSWICK — It is pretty easy to miss the location of Selene Dumaine’s fly-fishing shop. Located above Kidz Clothesline at 22 Stanwood St. in Brunswick and tucked into a corner, the shop doesn’t look like a hub for fly fishing in Maine. 

Talk to someone into fly fishing however, and the name Selene Dumaine will pop up in a heartbeat. Most well known for her ability to tie Carrie Stevens’ Gray Ghost Streamer, Dumaine is a big name in the fly-tying community. And it shows, both in her presence in the American fly fishing museum as one of 50 female fly tiers from around the world, and in the absence of flies on her shelves after being open for only 12 days. Fans and fishermen have already devoured half her inventory.

According to Dumaine, her opening day on Feb. 2 was supposed to be a quiet affair so she could test the waters. But word of her shop got out online, and long-time friends and former customers of her past endeavors managed to make Feb. 2 a bit more active than she had planned 

by Chris Chase
Coastal Journal staff  

BATH — In a meeting held on March 6, the Bath City Council helped a citizens’ group, allowed a family to keep their longtime home, discussed a park smoking ban, and approved election workers for the March 19 RSU #1 referendum. 

The citizens’ group’s goal had been to get the council to approve a resolution to repeal the US Supreme Court’s Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission decision, which held that the First Amendment prohibited the government from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations and unions. The Council took this step in order to aid a grassroots movement which has been doing similar work across the state and country. Their efforts had been ongoing since last fall, and the group had hosted information forums in the past to help spread the word about their cause.

Much to the joy of the group, the council voted unanimously to approve the resolution, after amending it slightly to a wording that the council felt was more appropriate and grammatically correct.