Ashley Shores, Lawrence senior utility: Shores is the reigning Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B Player of the Year. She can play first base, the outfield and pitch, but will likely spend the bulk of her season behind the plate, guiding freshman starter Alea Williams.
Bella Loubier, Winslow junior catcher: A KVAC Class B second-team selection last season, Loubier is the top returner on a team that coaches believe could be a surprise in Class C North. She will be the leader of a young but talented squad under coach Michael Savage.
Hallie Coots, Nokomis junior utility: Coots was asked to wear many different hats as a sophomore for a young Warriors team, included time as both a pitcher and a catcher. She handled the duties well, earning KVAC B second-team honors. Now a junior, she’ll be a trusted veteran voice who will, once again, be asked to handle a variety of duties.
Kelsie Dunn, Erskine Academy junior pitcher: A KVAC Class B second-team selection last year, Dunn helped lead the Eagles to a Class B quarterfinal appearance. She’ll once again be the leader in the circle for a team that enters the new season with most of last season’s roster intact, creating higher expectations.
Lilly Clark, Erskine Academy senior shortstop: A multi-sport athlete, Clark is a captain who will be counted on to help the Eagles take another step forward. She was a KVAC Class B first-team selection last year.
Lydia Jones, Skowhegan senior infielder: A longtime starter for the River Hawks, Jones was a KVAC Class A second-team selection last season, helping guide a young roster to the North playoffs. She’ll again be relied on to guide a young but more experienced team.
Maddie Provost, Lawrence senior infielder: The Miss Maine Basketball and Varsity Maine Girls Basketball Player of the Year who will continue her career on the hardwood at Division I Holy Cross next season, Provost decided to wrap up her high school athletic career on the diamond, although she hadn’t played softball since middle school. Coach Joey Marcoux believes Provost will start the season at third base. Her athleticism and speed will be an immediate asset in the lineup.
Molly Takatsu, Gardiner sophomore infielder/pitcher: Takatsu produced quickly as a freshman last season and was rewarded with KVAC Class B second-team honors. She’ll be one of the top returning players for a team that once again carries three strong pitchers and will be fast on defense and on the basepaths.
Raegan King, Nokomis senior shortstop/center fielder: A strong athlete who will continue her softball career at Husson University, King has been a long-time contributor to the Warriors’ lineup with her bat, speed and positional flexibility. She’s the top returner for a squad that should make another strong run in the Class B North playoffs. She earned KVAC Class B first-team honors last season.
Riley Smith, Monmouth Academy senior outfielder: A Mountain Valley Conference first-team selection last season, Smith is an experienced outfielder who is an asset both at the plate and in the field. She’ll be a key contributor for the Mustangs, who should be a contender in the Class C South playoffs.
Craig Joseph Ahlemeyer
STANDISH – Craig J. Ahlemeyer, 48 of Standish, passed away unexpectedly, Saturday, June 13, 2026.A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, June 27 th at Standish Congregational Church, 25 Oak Hill Road in Standish. A reception will follow.To see Craig’s full obituary, share a memory or leave the family an online condolence, please visit http://www.athutchins.com.
“Do you ever think we could find some woods to walk in?” my outdoorsy 12-year-old asks me, every now and again. As a kid growing up in New York City, Anton appreciates all the skate parks and bagel shops, but he also really craves nature, like in his bones.
So, when school got out, I offered to take him for a weekend in Maine, a place with not only woods but also lakes and rocks and periwinkles that come out of their shells when you hum. We were both really excited.
The first night, we were lucky enough to snag a room at Aragosta, a beautiful small hotel in Deer Isle that Alison had recommended.
The chef-owner, Devin Finigan, is famous for her seasonal tasting menus, but we focused on the breakfast that came with the room, including these Maine blueberry pancakes. I don’t even usually like pancakes and these blew my mind.
We also played a LOT of chess on our little travel board.
After breakfast, we set out to hike up Blue Hill Mountain.
Here’s the summit!
In the afternoon, we explored the charming fishing village of Stonington…
…then joined my friend Julie (of Rudy Jude fame) and her family for dinner at the Burnt Cove Boil.
Basically, a crab gets plonked down in front of you, followed by a corn on the cob, then a lobster, then a classic ice-cream sandwich. Julie and her husband Anthony taught us how to get all the meat out. (Their kids were already pros.)
Afterward, the four boys scrambled around on the rocks, while the adults chatted. It’s always such a treat to hang out with people who live in the place you’re visiting, don’t you think? Julie and Anthony described how they brought their recently hatched chicks into their home to keep them warm, and all the peeping was sooooo loud — and then a cricket got into the house and added to the noise and no one could find it and everyone was going nuts, haha. Very different from city life!
The next day, Anton and I stayed at the lovely Asticou Hotel near Acadia National Park.
We drove to a couple trailheads but they were PACKED — you had to stand in a long line, just to start the hike! Luckily, we found a quieter area and took a long walk around Jordan Pond, playing Would You Rather and Categories along the way. Do you have any favorite travel games?
Finally, we skimmed stones on our last afternoon before heading back to Brooklyn.
Epic travel buddy
Oh, Maine, what a magical place! Not pictured, of course: traffic, grumpy preteen moments, locking our keys in the rental car, etc., but all that’s to be expected.
Have you been to Maine? Do you live there? What parts do you love? Any pro tips? I’d love to hear. xoxo
P.S. Our Maine trip — and another amazing hotel — when the boys were much younger, and a Maine home with a bedroom looking over water.
Matt Dunlap won the Democratic primary in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District after three rounds of ranked-choice voting, the state’s Secretary of State’s office announced Friday.
Democrats are seeking to hang onto a seat in a district that President Trump won in the last three presidential elections. State Sen. Joe Baldacci led after the first two rounds of ranked–choice voting, but Dunlap overtook him after challengers Paige Loud and Jordan Wood were eliminated.
Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate, is retiring after four terms. His decision not to run for reelection was a blow to Democrats’ efforts to retake the House majority.
In the 2024 election, Golden was one of 13 Democrats to win a House race in a district also won by Mr. Trump. Golden declined to endorse Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and has voted with Republicans on several issues, including measures to avert a shutdown and on reining in Mr. Trump’s war powers authority.
Dunlap, the state’s auditor, will face Republican Paul LePage in November’s general election. LePage is a former two-term governor who ran unopposed in the GOP primary. As of May 20, LePage had $1.2 million cash on hand while Dunlap had less than $100,000, according to Federal Election Commission data.
Dunlap’s win marks a defeat for House Democrats’ campaign arm. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee endorsed Joe Baldacci, a state senator, saying he “has never lost an election and has consistently overperformed Democrats up and down the ballot, including a 3-point overperformance of the presidential ticket in 2024.”
Baldacci was the runner–up, the Maine Secretary of State’s office said. The results were announced 10 days after voters went to the polls due to the ranked-choice tabulations.
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