DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine (WABI) – Visitation for a popular Maine singer and songwriter who died earlier this month will be held in Dover-Foxcroft next week.

Lary Funeral Home announced that visitation for David Mallett, a Piscataquis County native, will be held Monday, December 30th from 4PM to 7PM.

Mallet died at the age of 73 on December 17th after battling cancer.

The funeral homes announcement said that family, friends, and the local community are invited.

Mallett began his music career at the age of 11 when he started singing in a folk duo with his older brother, Neil.

He started writing his own songs while studying acting at the University of Maine.

His most well-known song was “The Garden Song” which was recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary, John Denver, Pete Seeger, and The Muppets.

Mallett lived most of his life in Sebec.

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The Maine real estate market is beginning to see a shift to a more balanced market, according to the Maine Association of Realtors.

Maine Listings reported a 6.81 percent increase in sales of single-family existing homes during the month of November compared to November 2023. The median sales price (MSP) increased 8.45 percent to $385,000. The MSP indicates that half of the homes were sold for more and half sold for less.

“Prospective buyers are in a better situation than they were a year ago across many markets in Maine,” said  Paul McKee, President of the Maine Association of Realtors, in a Dec. 19 news release. “The number of homes for sale has increased, price appreciation is slowing, and the economic forecast is good.”

According to the National Association of Realtors, sales of single-family existing homes increased 7.4 percent nationally in November 2024 compared to November 2023, the release said. The national MSP reached $410,900 in November, a rise of 4.8 percent. Regionally, sales in the Northeast jumped 6.3 percent while the regional MSP increased 9.9 percent to $475,500 in November 2024 compared to November a year ago.

“We’re seeing promising signs that the real estate market is beginning to show signs of shifting slightly, with supply increasing and slower price appreciation.” adds McKee.

“The statewide sold statistics from January through November 2024 are 4.1 percent ahead of the same time period from a year ago. I’m optimistic that 2024 will end positively and buyer demand will continue to remain strong throughout 2025.”

POLAND, Maine (WABI) – Poland Spring has donated tens of thousands of dollars for Mainers in need of heating assistance.

$40,000 will go to several communities across the state including Lincoln, Howland, Passadumkeag, and Enfield.

The Kingfield bottling facility and the Farmington Elks Lodge also donated 100 gifts in support of Franklin County’s Operation Santa Claus.

Poland Spring has raised more than $14 million for various statewide causes in the past two decades.

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