While he’s walking around Bath, Keiyatah Hogan is an easy man to spot. 

When walking to and from his job at J.R. Maxwell’s on Front Street, Hogan wears his signature backpack with a pair of American flags on display. 

“I carry the colors. I figure I served underneath it, I’ll carry it,” said Hogan.

Hogan is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force, and served in a number of armed conflicts during his time in the military. He initially joined the Marines at 17, and eventually transferred to the Air Force. But as far as he is concerned, his own time in the military isn’t worth mentioning.

Diana von Hallett
Coastal Journal contributor

Liam Conlin of Boothbay is not your average 14-year-old. Conlin is the founder and CEO of Downeast Jerky, a business that makes organic beef jerky. He founded the business as part of his participation in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA), sponsored by the Midcoast Chamber of Commerce, and will officially present his product to the public at a trade show in June.

As part of the YEA program, students are required to develop a business plan and present it to a panel of potential investors. Along with investment money, one student from each YEA program in the nation is awarded the opportunity to compete in the Saunders Scholars Competition in Rochester, New York. The three winners are awarded scholarships of $20,000 to $30,000 to Rochester Institute of Technology and a fast pass to audition for “The Shark Tank,” a reality show where businesses compete for funding.

Based on his presentation to the investment panel assembled by the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber of Commerce, Conlin received investment funds and was chosen as Midcoast’s YEA entrepreneur to compete at the Saunders Scholars Competition.

by Kay Liss
Coastal Journal contributor

Stepping into Bruce’s Barber Shop is truly an adventure in time and space. In this tiny little building, located in Reny’s parking lot behind Main Street in Damariscotta, one almost feels as if one is in a ship’s galley, the ceiling about six feet high and the floor tilted, which actually has does have to do with water, proprietor Bruce Soule explained.

Once upon a time, before the parking lot was built in the 1950s, the Damariscotta River came right up to the mostly brick buildings in the area. Occasionally, in a high tide or storm, it would come up into the little wooden building, so the floor was built at an angle in order for the water to wash back toward the river. Over time, the floor has been built up, though it is still tilted, and has gotten a bit closer to the ceiling.