Maine Bureau of Insurance issues warning about scam involving roof replacement program
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MOVE TO THE NEW LOCATION AT RIVERFRONT PLAZA IN WESTBROOK. AND A NEW SCAM TO TELL YOU ABOUT THIS AFTERNOON — THE BUREAU OF INSURANCE — ALERTING MAINERS TO BE AWARE OF FAKE WEBSITES CLAIMING TO BE THE NEW “FORTIFY MAINE HOMES” ROOF REPLACEMENT PROGRAM. YOU SHOULDN’T CLICK ON OR TRUST ANY WEBSITES NOT HOSTED BY MAINE DOT GOV THAT OFFER TO CHECK YOUR HOME’S ELIGIBILITY OR OFFER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT. APPLICATIONS FOR THE áREAL PROGRAM AREN’T BEI
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Maine Bureau of Insurance issues warning about scam involving roof replacement program
Updated: 7:25 PM EDT Apr 9, 2026
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The Maine Bureau of Insurance is warning people about fake websites that claim to represent its new Fortify Maine Homes roof replacement program.Officials said Mainers should avoid any websites not hosted by www.maine.gov that offer to check eligibility or provide information about the Fortify Maine Homes Program because they are not affiliated with the program or the Bureau of Insurance.The Bureau of Insurance said its website, www.maine.gov/insurance/home, is the only website where Maine consumers can access information about the Fortify Maine Homes Program. People can click the “Fortify Maine Homes Program” button at the top of the Bureau of Insurance homepage or click here to find that information.Officials said applications for the Fortify Maine Homes Program are not currently being accepted. People can check the Fortify Maine Homes website for updates on the program and the application process.
GARDINER, Maine —
The Maine Bureau of Insurance is warning people about fake websites that claim to represent its new Fortify Maine Homes roof replacement program.
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Officials said Mainers should avoid any websites not hosted by www.maine.gov that offer to check eligibility or provide information about the Fortify Maine Homes Program because they are not affiliated with the program or the Bureau of Insurance.
The Bureau of Insurance said its website, www.maine.gov/insurance/home, is the only website where Maine consumers can access information about the Fortify Maine Homes Program. People can click the “Fortify Maine Homes Program” button at the top of the Bureau of Insurance homepage or click here to find that information.
Officials said applications for the Fortify Maine Homes Program are not currently being accepted. People can check the Fortify Maine Homes website for updates on the program and the application process.
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SANFORD, Maine (WGME) — While some may see Monday as the unofficial start to summer, Maine leaders are using Memorial Day to honor those who served and sacrificed for our country.
There are more than 1,200 burials at the Southern Maine Veterans Cemetery. Veterans here Monday say each one of these gravestones not only represent an American who fought for this country, but someone who never asked anything in return for their sacrifice.
“Memorial Day is unlike any other day. Memorial Day is a national day of recognition,” U.S. Navy veteran Captain James Mentor said.
“I am visiting Jeffery Travis,” Ruthel LeTournaeu said. “He was my significant other. It’s kinda peaceful actually, I try to make it easy.”
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While some may see Monday as the unofficial start to summer, Maine leaders are using Memorial Day to honor those who served. (WGME)
Among the many Monday checking in on their relatives was Senator Susan Collins reminding Mainers what Memorial Day truly means.
“As we come together today, as we look at the rows of headstones, the flowers, and the flags, we see our history,” Collins said.
Other Maine leaders paying their respects to fallen veterans as well, including Senator Angus King.
“Celebrate Memorial Day have a great time with friends and family, but stop for a minute to remember the sacrifices of those who made it all possible,” King said.
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While some may see Monday as the unofficial start to summer, Maine leaders are using Memorial Day to honor those who served. (WGME)
Governor Mills honoring veterans in Gouldsboro Monday writing to CBS 13: “We thank the men and women whose lives were lost in combat in the past, and we pray for the prompt return of those now serving in foreign lands.”
It’s been a somber few weeks in Maine with the passing of two Mainers: Maine game warden Joshua Tibbetts, who died in a plane crash, and Morrill firefighter Andrew Cross, who lost his life battling an intense blaze in Searsmont.
Senator Collins also in Searsmont, marching in a Memorial Day parade where firefighter Cross was honored.
A coastal place with a neighborly spirit, Maine is a must-see for anyone drawn to close-knit communities and natural scenery. The state is home to some of the friendliest towns where festivals, parades, and traditions anchor the calendar. In Lewiston and Biddeford summertime Art Walks bring residents and visitors together to celebrate local artists. Scarborough and Brunswick host outdoor music events that fill warm evenings with live performances. Bangor runs a downtown arts scene while Augusta keeps its historic landmarks and family-friendly green spaces. Each of these nine towns offers easy ways to connect with regional culture.
Lewiston
Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival morning launch.
Central to Maine’s Franco-American heritage, Lewiston is a town soaked in history, with plenty of activities to enjoy. The town is home to the Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning, and Labor, a unique museum offering hands-on learning experiences of all kinds. The town hosts several events focused on community building and supporting local talent and businesses. One of them is Art Walk LA, a summer series that transforms downtown into a lively arts district where you can enjoy artwork from local artists. The Great Falls Balloon Festival at Simard-Payne Memorial Park is an annual tradition featuring hot-air balloon launches, live music, and family-friendly activities. This one is a yearly highlight.
Bangor
Downtown street, Bangor, Maine.
With its waterfront trails and verdant forests and woodlands, Bangor is a nature lover’s destination. Take a hike along the Orono Bog Boardwalk in Bangor City Forest in the autumn to enjoy the fall foliage, or enjoy views of the water on the Bangor Waterfront Trail. The Bangor Historical Society is dedicated to promoting the town’s history and attracting tourists, with several walking tours available for visitors to enjoy. Stephen King fans can trace several Bangor landmarks associated with the author’s fictional Derry, including the 31-foot Paul Bunyan statue on Main Street near the Cross Insurance Center. Bangor’s community spirit also comes through in First Friday Art Walks, volunteer-produced monthly downtown arts events, and the Downtown Bangor Sidewalk Art Festivals, which bring Maine artists and artisan crafters into the city.
Scarborough
Scarborough, Maine at sunrise.
A coastal town on the beaches bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Scarborough, Maine, is a summertime destination. Enjoy a day at Scarborough Beach State Park, with access to the water and trails near the beach. The town hosts several community events in the summer months, including the Summer Concert Series in Memorial Park, where you can listen to live music from local musicians and bands. Scarborough also hosts the annual Summer Fest in August, featuring live music, activities, and food provided by local vendors to celebrate the community.
Biddeford
Aerial drone views of Wood Island Lighthouse on Wood Island in Biddeford, Maine.
A small town bordering the point where the Saco River meets the Atlantic Ocean, Biddeford is a beach town with so much to offer. To support local arts and businesses, Biddeford hosts a monthly ArtWalk, featuring works by local artists in restaurants and cafes around town. Each month’s ArtWalk showcases different artists and businesses, and can even include street performances. The Biddeford Mills Museum works tirelessly to keep the region’s history alive, hosting tours of the town’s textile mill buildings for an immersive educational experience. The town hosts several annual events to drive tourism to the region and foster community, including Winterfest, held every February, and River Jam, held in August.
Brunswick
View of the campus of Bowdoin College, a private liberal arts college located in Brunswick, Maine. Image by EQRoy via Shutterstock
A college town on the Androscoggin River, Brunswick combines community with rich culture. The Maine State Music Theatre hosts Broadway-quality performances, while the Bowdoin College Museum of Art is one of the museums on the Maine Art Museum Trail. The Brunswick Town Mall plays host to the town’s Summer Concert Series, with live performances from local musicians performing all summer long. The annual Bowdoin International Music Festival brings a wide variety of music and music lovers to Brunswick every year to celebrate culture and the arts.
Sanford
Main Street, Sanford, Maine. Image by John Phelan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
With walking trails that take you through downtown, old mill buildings, grand houses, and woodlands, Sanford, Maine, is a town filled with history and adventure. Take a walk along the Mousam River, enjoying the serene sights of nature, and see the local wildlife. Sports lovers can enjoy baseball season by catching games of local college players on the Sanford Mainers team. With a slower pace of life, Sanford provides a blend of easy living with community values.
Saco
Breaking Wave at Camp Ellis Shoreline in Saco, Maine.
Located on the shores of Saco Bay, the town of Saco, Maine, is a community worth exploring. A visit to the Saco Museum to learn about the region’s history is a must for an educational day trip. Navigate the hiking trails in the Horton Woods, or spend a beach day in Ferry Beach State Park, walking along the boardwalk or enjoying the water. Saco’s Main Street is part of the Main Street Maine Community, an organization dedicated to supporting local downtown businesses and hosting many events on the main strip to foster community among townspeople and visitors alike.
Augusta
Old Fort Western, Augusta, Maine.
Located in the Kennebec Valley, Augusta, Maine, feels like stepping back in time. The historic downtown features buildings with ornate Victorian-era architecture. The town has several museums and historical monuments. A visit to Old Fort Western, a National Historic Landmark and living history museum, offers public tours of the fort, store, and house led by costumed interpreters. With over six miles of trails, the Viles Arboretum is a great place to take friends and family to enjoy nature’s beauty.
Gorham
Gorham, Maine. Image by Dougtone, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Home of the University of Southern Maine, Gorham, Maine, is a small town promoting community and family values. The Gorham Sports Center is an indoor facility for rentals and indoor community soccer leagues. Gorham Parks & Recreation offers an adult co-ed softball program in the summer at Gorham High School’s softball field, bringing the town together around sporting events. Families especially appreciate the numerous summer camp programs for kids, which offer educational and enriching experiences to keep kids occupied all summer long. The town hosts an annual Memorial Day Parade, where the community gathers to celebrate the long weekend together. The Cross Town Trail is a 1.5-mile easy rail-trail along an old railroad bed, with trailheads at the end of Hutcherson Drive and on New Portland Road at Tink Drive.
The Friendliest Towns in Maine
These nine towns prove that community is at the heart of Maine’s core values. Through their events, these Maine towns promote their artists and musicians to wider audiences through the Summer Concert Series and Art Walks, going above and beyond to cultivate their regional culture.
In 2025, Acadia National Park had a record-breaking year, welcoming over 4 million visitors to its pristine coastal setting for hiking, swimming, and admiring panoramic views. While Acadia is stunningly beautiful, travelers who want to enjoy similar outdoor adventures without the crowds should trade a visit here for a lesser-known Maine mountain destination. About 90 miles inland from Portland, you’ll find Tumbledown Mountain, a nearly 3,100-foot peak in Maine’s Western Mountains. Surrounded by millions of forested acres, Tumbledown Mountain is part of Tumbledown Public Land, a protected area connected to the larger Mount Blue State Park.
Tumbledown Mountain can be summited by a range of hiking trails, from more moderate ascents to truly intense climbs. The mountain’s alpine terrain is renowned for its flora and fauna, and nature lovers may come across rare and unique species along the way. The crown jewel of Tumbledown Mountain is the scenic Tumbledown Pond, a 9-acre alpine lake cradled by the mountain’s trio of peaks. The pond’s crystal-clear water offers hikers a refreshing place to swim or to fish before continuing toward the mountain’s rocky summits, which promise sweeping vistas of the unspoiled landscape. No camping is allowed on Tumbledown Mountain, but neighboring Mount Blue State Park offers plenty of camping and outdoor recreation opportunities.
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If you’re traveling from out of town to Maine, Tumbledown Mountain is about a two-hour drive from Portland International Jetport, which receives nonstop flights from most major U.S. cities. Tumbledown Mountain is free to visit and open year-round, but the best time to summit the mountain and swim in the pond is between June and October.
The best hiking trails on Tumbledown Mountain
Ray Tan/Getty Images
Hiking enthusiasts will discover a number of trails to ascend Tumbledown Mountain. The main trail is the Brook Trail, considered the most moderate trail to reach Tumbledown Pond. From the trailhead, where there is a parking lot and bathroom facilities, you can head out on the 1.8-mile route. The forested path along the brook is a moderate trek as it gains elevation, but the final push to the pond is rather steep and rocky. For hikers who want more of a challenge after reaching the pond, the Brook Trail can be extended by heading out on the Tumbledown Ridge Trail, which reaches East Peak and then upward to West Peak for stunning panoramas. “This is one of my favorite hikes I have done,” raved a Tripadvisor reviewer. “The views at the top are spectacular!”
From the Brook Trail trailhead, hikers seeking a longer and less popular hike can use the Little Jackson Connector to reach the Parker Ridge Trail. This nearly 6-mile round-trip loop leads to the pond and passes unique “crooked wood,” a phenomenon of curved trees, and rocky outcroppings.
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Tumbledown’s answer to Precipice Loop, one of Acadia’s most daring trails that climbs a sheer cliff, is the Loop Trail, an intensely uphill trek to the mountain’s towering peaks. Loop Trail’s trailhead begins a few miles down from Brook Trail’s. There is parking available, but no bathroom facilities. The nearly 6-mile trail requires some climbing experience and sturdy footwear. In fact, a section of the trail is known as the “Fat Man’s Misery” since it involves rock scrambling through a natural tunnel of large boulders and ladders. Like Brook Trail, the Loop Trail connects to Tumbledown Ridge Trail to reach the summits of East and West Peak, or you can head down just over a half mile to Tumbledown Pond.
Lake adventures on and around Tumbledown Mountain
Ray Tan/Getty Images
While the journey to get there can be exhausting, Tumbledown Pond’s natural beauty makes the effort worthwhile. Fringed by conifer trees, the alpine pond features cold, crystal-clear water beneath the shadow of Tumbledown Mountain’s peaks. The pond sits at an elevation of about 2,800 feet, so the water stays cool year-round, even in the hottest months of July and August. Hikers are free to swim in the bracing blue waters, a welcome treat after an intense hike. Then again, swimmers should be aware that the pond is fairly deep, reaching up to 22 feet. If you pack your fishing rod, you can also catch-and-release fish in the scenic lake, which is stocked with brook trout.
For more outdoor fun, visit the neighboring Mount Blue State Park, a scenic escape for hiking, camping, and lake adventures. While camping is no longer allowed at Tumbledown Mountain, Mount Blue State Park has over 130 campsites for intrepid travelers who want to stay overnight amid Maine’s untouched natural beauty. The park is anchored by the large 2,150-acre Webb Lake, which boasts a sandy beach and boating adventures. Also on the shores of Webb Lake is the Kawanhee Inn, which dates to 1929. Today, the historic inn is a grand shingled retreat that captures Maine’s rustic spirit, but offers plenty of modern comforts (it has welcomed royalty and diplomats). Guests can stay in rooms or suites in the main inn or book one of the private cabins overlooking the lake which feature wood-paneled walls, large stone fireplaces, and cozy furnishings. To explore another iconic Maine lake, don’t miss Sebago Lake, New England’s deepest lake that’s a “vast summer playground” and lies just outside Portland.