J.W. Oliver

Ronda Peek joined the town staff Oct. 25 as deputy treasurer and general administrative clerk. Peek, a recent transplant to Harpswell, brings finance experience as a controller at several companies in New England.

Harpswell voters favored a ban on the Central Maine Power corridor, a $100 million transportation bond and a "right to food" in November's statewide referendum.

Harpswell businesses are reporting a strong season, despite challenges that include an unreliable supply chain and an unrelenting labor shortage.

Maine School Administrative District 75 will continue to require face masks in all schools until the district's superintendent deems it safe to lift the mandate.

A homework assignment at the center of complaints from school board members during a September meeting focused on the "seven dimensions of wellness" and, while it included a link to an online survey with questions about sexual activity and substance use, did not ask students to turn in their answers.

Eager to attract substitute teachers, the Maine School Administrative District 75 Board of Directors raised the daily rate from $95 to $125 on Oct. 7.

A new task force will update Harpswell's 16-year-old comprehensive plan — a job that could take more than a year of work and a six-figure investment.

The new principal and assistant principal at Mt. Ararat Middle School in Topsham have set goals to engage families and increase enrichment opportunities for students, all while they adjust to their new roles and guide the school through the pandemic.

A family's decision to forgo a payday from developers and instead offer their Great Island woodlands to the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust at a $1.1 million discount stems from a commitment to conservation and a generational connection to the land.