Maine
York and Kittery resolve ‘border war’ dating back centuries
Maine’s two oldest towns, Kittery and York, have resolved a centuries-old dispute over their borders.
The issue dates back to the 1600s but reemerged a few years ago after a land developer purchased a parcel of land along Route 1 that straddles the boundary between the two towns.
York officials contended the border was a straight line, while Kittery argued that the divide meandered eastward from neighboring Eliot to Brave Boat Harbor on the coast.
The dispute between the two towns remained friendly — with residents of both towns making tongue-in-cheek references to a “border war” — until 2022, when York filed a lawsuit against Kittery in an effort to redraw the border. But the lawsuit was soon dismissed by a York County judge.
Now, over three and a half years later, the two towns have reached an agreement on a new boundary that the Maine Legislature is expected to officially approve in 2026.
The revised boundary was drawn up after a 2024 survey, the cost of which was split by both towns.
The proposed agreement follows roughly the same border both towns had been using, save for an added 4 acres of land designated for tree growth that will officially shift from York to Kittery.
York Town Manager Peter Thompson said officials are thrilled to have finally reached an agreement.
“ People that have been at this a lot longer than I have are very happy that this is kind of the last piece,” he said.
Kittery Town Council Chair Judy Spiller likewise said she is pleased to put the dispute to bed.
“It was our belief that we could sit down and sort this out,” she said. “Finally, the Select Board agreed with us that we should get the land surveyed, and then based on the results of the survey, we would ask the state Legislature to approve the new boundary line.”
The dispute initially arose in 2020 after a survey paid for by the developer indicated the true border was actually 333 feet south of the border both towns had been observing for much of their history.
York officials said a straight-line border had been established in 1652. Kittery disagreed and argued that the process to change the border would be an expensive and complicated one that could affect several families and businesses.
In 2020, Spiller defended the boundary line the towns had been following in a letter to the York Selectboard.
“In any event, the Town of Kittery will vigorously protect and defend her borders against any and all claims now, or in the future,” she wrote.
While any boundary change would not have altered property ownership, some officials feared it could prompt major changes to affected residents’ taxes and where they would send their children to school.
But the final agreement will have limited impact, officials from both towns said.
The 4 acres that are changing hands are wooded wetlands that won’t be developed.
And Thompson said the taxes for the affected property owners will only increase by a dollar or two.
Considering Kittery and York’s friendly histories with each other, Thompson said he’s glad the neighbors have finally put an end to the dispute.
“ The people of Kittery were great to work with,” he said. “Once we got over the initial rough patch there, it’s been fantastic.”
PORTLAND (WGME) — New changes to the federal student loan program are impacting college students across the country.
The changes were brought on by the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
It includes new limits to how much a student can take out in government-backed loans and could affect some students’ ability to go to college.
The changes took effect in May, with some revisions in June.
In some cases, students will now have to pay more out of pocket to go to college.
“The amount of stress I’ve been under this summer is just crazy,” University of Maine-Farmington student Lindsay Bates said.
New changes to the federal student loan program are impacting college students across the country. (WGME)
In mid-July, Lindsay Bates got a nearly $13,000 bill from UMaine-Farmington for the upcoming fall semester.
“This is insanity,” Lindsay Bates said. “The bill is due tomorrow. We can’t just make money magically appear like that.”
“When you’re looking at this bill and the financial aid part is zero, it’s like, ‘How am I going to come up with $12,000, almost $13,000, between now and the 15th of August?’” mother Yvette Bates said.
As of Thursday, she still hadn’t heard from the college about financial aid.
“They’re like, ‘It’s pending. You’ll get it. You’ll get it soon. You’ll get it soon.’ They just kept telling me to be patient and wait,” Lindsay Bates said.
New changes to the federal student loan program are impacting college students across the country. (WGME)
“All of that has become a lot more complicated,” University of Southern Maine Director of Financial Aid Elizabeth Sarazin said.
Sarazin says colleges across the country are dealing with some of the same delays, brought on by federal changes to student loan eligibility and new limits on student financial aid.
“So, it’s the amount of aid that’s been tricky to determine,” Sarazin said. “The nitty gritty of, ‘How many dollars can you borrow?’ That’s really occupied a lot of our time this summer.”
Parent plus loans now have a $20,000 annual cap with a four-year-limit of $65,000.
Another concern among colleges is the federal government eliminating the graduate plus loan program for many grad students.
“You know, our nurses that we need so badly, and our OT students,” Sarazin said. “Social work students. These are professions that we really need, and students we really value. And their borrowing has been cut back.”
Lindsay Bates’ financial aid came through Friday morning, a day before her bill is due.
Instead of owing nearly $26,000 for the upcoming school year, student loans will cover all but $7,000.
Other students are still waiting.
“One of my friends, I texted today, and he still doesn’t have his,” Lindsay Bates said. “And I know there’s other students still that haven’t gotten theirs either, yet.”
Lindsay Bates and her mom say they want the federal government to stop messing around with financial aid.
“I mean these kids want to go to school and get an education so they can have a good, successful life, and the government is just making it harder and harder with all the changes that they come up with,” Yvette Bates said.
Undergrad and grad students aren’t the only ones worried about a loss in financial aid, so are colleges and universities.
If students don’t get the financial aid they need, they may be forced to drop out, which could lower enrollment on campuses across the country.
CORINNA, Maine (WVII) — A Maine community rallied around a woman after the loss of her husband, helping her recover something priceless.
Cristina Leonard’s husband, Dustin, died in an ATV crash in Corinna last month.
Afterward, she realized his wedding ring was missing and asked for help online.
A Maine community rallied around a woman after the loss of her husband, helping her recover something priceless. (WVII)
People she had never met went out searching for the ring until Saturday, when Ben Bailey of Greenville found it using a metal detector.
“There was a picture of him in my Messenger holding the ring, and I just could not believe it. I still cannot believe it. It was a God thing. There’s no other way. And my husband knew I needed that at that moment,” Cristina Leonard said.
Cristina says the experience has left her with a message for others: Life is short, so cherish the people you love and every moment you have with them.
BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – Three people have been taken into custody after a drug bust in Bangor.
Diany Garcia, 28, and Arismendi Acosta, 27, both of New Jersey, were arrested, according to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Jeremy Rodriguez, 30, of New York was also arrested, officials said.
The arrests come after a weeklong investigation into drug trafficking in downtown Bangor and at a local hotel.
Authorities said they found crack, cocaine, and more than $1,000 in suspected drug money after searching the hotel room.
All three were taken to Penobscot County Jail and are being charged with drug trafficking.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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