Category: Business & Nonprofits

Organizers of the Harpswell Santa Fund hosted an all-day fundraiser on Saturday, Dec. 2, and they plan to make it an annual tradition. Organized by local residents including Pammy Douglas, Jodi Wallace and Evan Weston, the event was held jointly at Pammy’s Ice Cream Parlor and the adjacent Harpswell Neck Fire and Rescue station.

The trial has been postponed for a lawsuit seeking to force the sale of a sliver of working waterfront on Orr’s Island known as Barleyfield Point. A three-day bench trial was scheduled to begin Wednesday, Nov. 29, but has been rescheduled for 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 9, according to court documents.

After months of delays, the Itty Bitty Coffee Shop in Harpswell Center will have a “soft opening” from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1. Starting Dec. 12, the tiny coffee shop — hence its name — will be open every Tuesday-Saturday, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Pete Arnold, owner of Uncle Pete’s Community Market on Harpswell Neck Road, has signed a contract to sell the store. The market, the land, and the gas and diesel pumps had been on the market for nearly a year.

The new owners of the former Vegetable Corner site at Harpswell Neck and Mountain roads say they plan to open a seasonal market, bakery and cafe called Corner Market with the eventual goal of making it a year-round business.

The Harpswell Planning Board has placed new conditions on its pending approval of a project to redevelop the former Estes Lobster House in South Harpswell into a single-family home, including the completion of stormwater management and landscaping plans.

Internet service provider Consolidated Communications has ramped up activity in Harpswell to install its Fidium fiber-optic residential broadband service, which a town consultant said will close the town’s remaining broadband access gap.

The owner of the former Estes Lobster House is seeking permission to take down part of the building and convert the rest into a home. Larry Crooker owns the South Harpswell property through Estes Properties LLC.

The operators of the Bailey Island Motel in Harpswell have listed the property for sale at nearly $2.2 million through Keller Williams Realty.

Lobsterman Jason Clemens fills a crate of lobsters for sale to the Angie’s Lobster wharf. ...

The owner of the Portland Lobster Co. restaurant is buying the wharf and lobster pound on Garrison Cove, next to Cook’s Lobster & Ale House and facing the Cribstone Bridge.

The Harpswell Coastal Academy site’s new owner plans to convert more than half of the former charter school into office space, according to an application filed with the Harpswell Planning Board in late August.

As coastal Maine communities such as Harpswell continue to attract new seasonal and year-round residents from far and wide, there is a growing risk of longtime residents being priced out.

The new owners of the Harpswell Inn say they aim to preserve the centuries-old property’s historic character while adding modern touches such as contemporary decor and electric vehicle chargers.

When prospective customers call Place Painting in Harpswell to schedule an exterior painting job, owner Alex Rodway has to pull up his calendar for 2024. And even that is starting to fill up.

A new venue for weddings, reunions and other celebrations opened July 25 off Cundy’s Harbor Road. Cranberry Mountain Events’ seasonal pavilion and an adjoining building is expected to be used primarily for weddings, according to owners Brian and Julia Soper.

“When I first say the word finance or budget, what’s the first word that comes to your mind?” When Harpswell resident Sheila Menair, one of the founders of the local nonprofit TogetHER Invested, asks that question, the answers tend to be rooted in anxiety.