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Purple shark warning flags to fly all season

Purple shark warning flags to fly all season

By Jeffrey Good • July 8, 2026

After a fisherman spotted a shark swimming near Bailey Island's Cedar Beach in late June, Harpswell town officials raised a purple caution flag alerting beachgoers to the potential risk. But rather than continue to raise and lower warning flags at this and other swimming spots as shark sightings occur, they've decided to keep them up throughout the summer tourist season.

The other oyster: How an alien shellfish with a strange taste made Harpswell its home

Features

The other oyster: How an alien shellfish with a strange taste made Harpswell its home

By John Gormley • July 1, 2026

About 30 years ago, Scott Moody was clamming near Harpswell by the Sea when he came across "a monster bed" of shellfish he couldn't identify. "What the hell are these?" he asked himself. He showed some of them to Bob Waddle, a lobsterman and seafood buyer. Waddle recognized them right away: European oysters.

HCS kids launch rockets and learn to cook in volunteer-led mini courses

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HCS kids launch rockets and learn to cook in volunteer-led mini courses

By Hannah Miller • June 30, 2026

There's no better time at Harpswell Community School than a Wednesday afternoon as the school year draws to a close. For four weeks in May and June, community volunteers bring their skills to the elementary school at 2:30 p.m. each Wednesday to offer students hands-on learning opportunities.

Dead-end road to success: Out-of-the-way shop still crafting high-end shotguns 4 decades on

Features

Dead-end road to success: Out-of-the-way shop still crafting high-end shotguns 4 decades on

By Troy R. Bennett • June 29, 2026

Looking back now, Rich Cole knows opening his gunsmithing shop on Bog Hollow Road, just off Harpswell Neck's main drag, in 1985 was a big mistake. It was far too isolated to attract the kind of clientele Cole was looking for: bird hunters and competitive clay target shooters interested in custom, high-end, Italian shotguns as beautiful as they are accurate.

First Person: ‘I’ll walk down the street proudly and speak up when I need to’

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First Person: ‘I’ll walk down the street proudly and speak up when I need to’

By Jeffrey Good • June 28, 2026

"I grew up in Brunswick, but I've always come to Harpswell. This was the place we would take people from out of state because it's so beautiful. During the pandemic, Harpswell got gentrified. But when my girlfriend and I decided to move in together three years ago, we found an affordable apartment on Orr's Island. Our landlord had bought the property and lowered the rental rate for locals, people who would benefit from the community."

Experts criticize ‘excessive’ redactions in state report on fatal house fire

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Experts criticize ‘excessive’ redactions in state report on fatal house fire

By J. Craig Anderson • June 25, 2026

Government transparency advocates say the state went too far in redacting an investigator's report on a fatal March 2025 house fire on Bailey Island, withholding details that are typically disclosed after an investigation has concluded.