Sam Lemonick

Feb 25, 2025 | harpswellanchor.org | Sam Lemonick

Across from the Bailey Island firehouse, a radio tower rises above the neighborhood, broadcasting prayers and teachings from an international network of evangelical stations. Below, a house on the property is slated for demolition. Neighbors and a town official hope to save the building and convert it into affordable housing. With a deadline approaching, there is now some hope that a buyer who shares those goals has emerged.

Feb 10, 2025 | pressherald.com | Sam Lemonick

With no municipal sewer system, almost all of Harpswell’s homes and businesses rely on septic systems to handle their wastewater. But a few dozen properties that are too small or too rocky for conventional septic systems still use what are called overboard discharge systems, even as the state and town governments work to replace them.

Feb 2, 2025 | harpswellanchor.org | Sam Lemonick

Sheldon Morse Sr. died Dec. 5, two weeks shy of his 86th birthday. He lived his whole life on the land where he grew up on Allen Point Road, fishing into his late 70s on a boat he built with his father and named after his daughter. Family and fishing were the focal points of his life. Sheldon grew up around his father’s boat shop, but he wanted to be out on the water. He started with a few traps and a skiff as a teenager.

Jan 24, 2025 | harpswellanchor.org | Sam Lemonick

Harpswell’s Housing Committee has begun to explore both near- and longer-term solutions to the town’s housing shortage. Its first meetings have focused on how to boost housing options such as home sharing and accessory dwelling units, and exploring the creation of a housing trust or similar entity that could build or manage housing. “One of the best things about Maine and Harpswell is the sense of care and responsibility shared between neighbors,” committee Chair Sean Ruel said.

Nov 18, 2024 | pressherald.com | Sam Lemonick

The Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Department recently proposed an alternative to the town’s proposed central emergency services facility, then withdrew the plan in the face of stiff opposition. The town appears likely to ask voters if they want to build a $6 million-plus central station in March 2025, at Harpswell’s annual Town Meeting. OBIFD’s alternative would at least triple the number of firefighters in the town’s employ and involve the replacement of the Cundy’s Harbor station.