Maine
Harpswell Heritage Land Trust celebrates opening of new preserve on Great Island
“That’s just examples of (how) there’s nature around here,” said John Boomer, a trustee of the Land Trust. “Preserving this land, we don’t add pollution to the area, we give the native animals a good place to do that kind of stuff. So that’s our motivation.”
The 57-acre preserve, located across from Harpswell Community School on Great Island, marks the Land Trust’s 19th preserve and includes a 1.4-mile loop trail.
Saturday’s celebration included guided walks, refreshments, and brief remarks from Land Trust Board of Trustees President Wendy Batson, Executive Director Julia McLeod, and Greg Tondreau, son of the preserve’s namesake.
“It’s very exciting to think about the future and think about how land trusts are promoting a future where … many future generations, people we have not even imagined in our minds, will be able to experience this incredible property,” McLeod said at the event on Saturday. “It’s a legacy that we’re putting forward.”
Attendees at the Anna M. Tondreau Preserve Celebration stand in front of a sign at the Harpswell Community School on Saturday, June 29, in Harpswell. The Harpswell Heritage Land Trust officially closed on the property on June 20, 2023. Brendan Nordstrom photo
The five Tondreau siblings — Greg, Rod, Nancy, Beth, and Claire — inherited the land after their mother, Anna, passed away in 2018. Anna purchased the property in 1996.
Greg, who grew up in Philadelphia with his siblings, recalled coming up to the property in summertime when growing up.
Electing to preserve the land instead of selling it to developers, the siblings offered the property to the Land Trust at a bargain sale of $500,00, less than one-third of its appraised value.
“We siblings wanted to do something to preserve the land because there had been an effort many years ago to develop it, and we thought, ‘Let’s make this special,’” Greg said. “It would be nice to curtail a development and to have a place where people can just go reflect and enjoy the outdoors.”
The Land Trust estimated that 20-25 houses could have been built on the property along with a razed forest and toxic runoff that would diminish water quality and the ecosystem, Greg said in his speech.
The Land Trust raised the funds to purchase the land, closing on the property just over a year ago.
“This adds a moderate-difficulty, slightly longer trail in an area of town that doesn’t have a ton of other trails,” McLeod said. “It’s also just really nice that you can be on a main road but you get in there and because of the topography, you get away from the road noise.”
After acquiring the property, the nonprofit had worked to set up the trails and public access up until the week prior to the opening celebration.
David Walter leads a guided walk of the Anna M. Tondreau Preserve during the celebration of the preserve’s opening on Saturday, June 29, in Harpswell. The trail through the preserve is a 1.4-mile loop complete with moss, rock walls, and an ocean view. Brendan Nordstrom photo
Ron Davis, a trustee who helped set up the trail, said it was an “iterative process” of different groups going through the woods to mark a path that stayed on dry land, provided easier walking, had pretty viewing, and avoided cutting down large trees.
The looped trail has a high side that goes up and down a ridge, as well as a low side that leads to an ocean view. The trail’s highlights include a rock wall, a sea of ferns, and sections full of moss. It also has the most elevation gain of any Land Trust trail.
“This is going to be one of the highlights of the Land Trust’s trails,” said Mary Robinson, an attendee of the celebration who has hiked the trail twice. “The Land Trust is one of the premier benefits of living in the Harpswell area.”
Boomer added the Land Trust is excited about the opportunity for outdoor education due to its location across the street from the Community School.
Greg Tondreau said he hopes the preservation of the land will last forever.
“Our family’s goal all along has been to preserve the tranquility and habitat,” he said. “We trust that these peaceful trails, with their carpeted forests, moss-covered boulders and rock walls, and scenic shoreline, will forever be available for you and future generations of residents and hikers to enjoy.”
When BDN shines a light, policymakers act. Make a gift to help our reporters keep Maine’s leaders informed. Make a donation now.
This story will be updated.
The Maine Department of Transportation is moving to slash up to $400 million in projects from its agenda, a shocking and abrupt cutback that is rattling the state’s construction industry at the start of building season.
Roughly $50 million across six pavement projects have already been delayed, according to a memo exclusively obtained by the Bangor Daily News. The agency plans to cut or delay another $150 million in bridge, highway, intersection and multimodal projects later this month. A further $200 million or more in cuts are planned in the next three-year work plan.
Those figures were outlined by Transportation Commissioner Dale Doughty in the May 18 memo to Gov. Janet Mills that has since circulated widely in the transportation sector, which has been getting drip-by-drip details on the wide scope of the cuts over the past three weeks.
It comes at the beginning of the state’s relatively narrow construction season. Companies have hired workers and ordered materials for projects they expected to begin this summer. The severity of the transportation budget problems was not raised to lawmakers during the 2026 legislative session.
Kelly Flagg, executive director of the Associated General Contractors of Maine, called the shortfall “deeply troubling” in a statement.
“We stand ready to work with policymakers, stakeholders, and industry partners to identify both immediate and long-term solutions,” Flagg said. “Maine cannot afford to fall further behind.”
Insiders saw this first.
This story was broken in Maine Politics Insider, the BDN’s daily premium newsletter for the most ardent political news followers. If you are a new BDN subscriber, you can sign up here. Current subscribers can contact our customer service team to upgrade.
The cuts stem from a structural funding gap of at least $130 million in the state’s current work plan, according to Doughty’s memo. Losses are magnified because state money from the gas tax and other revenue sources is matched by federal funds. Lawmakers have long grappled with politically difficult long-term problems with the state’s transportation budget.
A Mills spokesperson said Wednesday morning that the administration was working on a response to questions from the BDN. The department says it needs roughly $240 million more in state capital funding annually to maintain the existing system, and that anything less than $200 million will erode it over time.
Doughty’s memo the only near-term solution is a series of bonds beginning as soon as possible. Lawmakers would have to return to Augusta to authorize that if one is going to appear on the November ballot.
The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Michael Capeci is the former chairman of the Bangor GOP.
Let’s be honest about Maine’s current state.
For many families, the cost of living has become unsustainable. Housing is out of reach for many young people. Energy bills keep rising. Many small businesses are struggling under taxes and regulations that make it harder to grow. Rural hospitals are under strain and despite years of increased state spending, the results are not showing up in people’s daily lives.
Concurrently, Maine continues to lose young workers to other states. That is not a statistic, it is a warning sign.
To me, the question in this Republican primary for governor is not about slogans. It is whether we continue with a political approach that has failed to reverse these trends, or whether we nominate someone with new ideas. I think that someone is Owen McCarthy.
Owen is not a political insider. He is an entrepreneur from Patten, a small town where opportunity is not assumed, it is built. He grew up in a working-class family, became the first in his family to graduate from college graduating from the University of Maine, and founded MedRhythms, a healthcare technology company focused on neurological treatment.
He didn’t just talk about opportunity. He built it. That distinction matters, because Maine’s problem is not a lack of debate it is a lack of results. We have seen the trajectory: higher costs, slower growth, and a steady outmigration of young workers. I believe Owen McCarthy represents a break from that pattern.
His Maine 2040 plan focuses on creating 50,000 new jobs in sectors where Maine has real advantages — maritime and defense, advanced forest products, and life sciences. These are export-driven industries tied directly to Maine’s workforce, geography, and institutions. What sets Owen apart is not only what he proposes, but how he approaches governing.
He prioritizes modernizing permitting so projects do not stall. He supports using technology to reduce costs and increase efficiency. He focuses on making it easier to build, hire, and expand in Maine.
That same practical mindset extends to healthcare. Expanding telehealth, strengthening EMS systems, improving provider flexibility, and shifting toward earlier intervention are not abstract reforms. They are system upgrades designed to improve access while controlling costs.
Maine voters consistently respond to competence. They reward candidates who understand problems and present plans to solve them. I believe they are tired of rhetoric that does not translate into results, and skeptical of politics that prioritizes messaging over execution.
Owen’s approach is grounded in solving the issues that shape daily life — affordability, healthcare access, job creation, and government efficiency. That is not just policy positioning. It is a governing model that speaks directly to voters.
Some will point to his lack of political experience. But I believe Maine’s core problems are not the result of insufficient political experience; they are the result of policies that have failed to deliver measurable improvement. Experience inside a broken system, by itself, is not a solution.
If Republicans want to win, this primary must be taken seriously. From my perspective, it is not about choosing a nominee for governor who can energize the base. It is about selecting someone who can compete in a broader electorate that is frustrated and looking for change.
That requires a candidate who can speak beyond the base, not by abandoning principles, but by demonstrating competence and a credible plan to address Maine’s challenges. I believe Owen McCarthy offers that combination. He represents a shift away from managed decline and toward economic execution.
This is not just another primary. It is a decision about whether Republicans position themselves to win Maine or whether they remain trapped in a cycle of repeating the same strategies and expecting different outcomes.
If Republicans want to compete for Maine’s future, they cannot afford to nominate a candidate who only motivates part of the electorate. They need someone who expands it.
I believe Owen McCarthy is that candidate.
And if the goal is to win Maine, then the choice should be unmistakable
The only notable change in the top-seven of the Varsity Maine baseball poll is that Gorham now has eight first-place votes, two more than last week. The order of the seven teams is identical. In fact, the only change in the top-seven over the past three polls is the swap at the top after Gorham’s win over South Portland on May 19.
Furthermore, Gorham, South Portland, Oxford Hills, Cheverus, Bangor, Mt. Ararat and Fryeburg have been ranked in the top seven for four straight weeks, and six of those squads have been among the top seven in every poll this spring.
Meanwhile, Scarborough is ranked for the first time since May 5, and Ellsworth and Thornton swapped spots.
The Varsity Maine baseball poll is based on games played before June 2, 2026. The top 10 teams are voted on by the Varsity Maine staff, with first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points.
1. Gorham (8) 89
2. South Portland 79
3. Oxford Hills (1) 75
4. Cheverus 55
5. Bangor 42
6. Mt. Ararat 41
7. Fryeburg Academy 30
8. Ellsworth 27
9. Thornton Academy 25
10. Scarborough 12
Also receiving votes: Washington Academy 8, Monmouth Academy 4, Cony 4, Leavitt 2, Falmouth 2.
-
Politics50 seconds agoBessent flips script on Dem senator with reminder about his son’s past ties to Epstein
-
Health13 minutes agoNew ways to prevent flu revealed in ‘accidental’ lab breakthrough, study finds
-
Sports16 minutes agoRussell Wilson announces retirement from NFL after 14 seasons
-
Technology21 minutes agoDark web monitoring: does it put your data at risk?
-
Business28 minutes agoIn a first for the country, voters in Monterey Park ban data centers
-
Entertainment31 minutes agoReview: Muscling past a flat script, a big-screen ‘Masters of the Universe’ embraces its own silliness
-
Politics43 minutes agoHilton and Becerra lead California’s unsettled governor’s race; Steyer faces elimination
-
Sports51 minutes ago‘SNL’ star Marcello Hernández to host 2026 ESPYs as show leaves L.A. for New York
