UMaine’s ‘Hungry Hollow’ / Free speech cases / PFAS advisory

UMaine’s ‘Hungry Hollow’ / Free speech cases / PFAS advisory

Today is Tuesday. Temperatures will be in the low 50s to mid-40s from north to south, with cloudy skies and scattered showers across the state. April showers will be abundant this week. See what weather is in store for the rest of the day here.

Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.

How a Depression-era ‘Hooverville’ turned into UMaine’s hippie paradise

Hungry Hollow was a laid-back counter-cultural hotspot for eastern Maine. It even spawned its own music festival, Bumstock.

Bangor restarts plans for shared commercial kitchen

The shared commercial kitchen would give small businesses space and equipment to grow without having to make expensive capital investments.

Conservative activist faces Maine school boards in free-speech court cases

Last fall, RSU 22 settled a lawsuit for $40,000 over the school board banning Shawn McBreairty from public meetings.

A nonprofit’s quest to buy Maine newspaper empire began a year ago

The Maine Journalism Foundation wants to raise $15 million from donors to buy the state’s largest newspaper group, Masthead Maine.

Maine shrinks scope of ‘do not eat’ warning for PFAS-infected wildlife

The state said only deer and turkey living in close proximity to the most highly contaminated farm fields have PFAS in their meat and organs.

This is Patten’s last chance to save 1845 church from wrecking ball

The Regular Baptist Church was built with the money and sweat of Patten’s founding families. A Thursday vote will seal its fate.

Championship-winning coach takes over Mattanawcook boys basketball team

Brian McDormand is back to the varsity basketball sidelines for the first time since 2017.

Cooper Flagg had an insane weekend

He scored an astounding 52 points and grabbed 12 rebounds during Maine United’s Friday game in Atlanta.

Watch this great blue heron attack a trail camera

The great blue heron took great offense to this clear invasion of privacy.

The case for ‘soft hiking’

“The fad is introducing outdoor exploration to more people and making it seem more accessible. That’s a wonderful thing,” BDN Outdoors contributor Aislinn Sarnacki writes.

I took my 1st spill of the season while kayaking down a Maine rapid

“Rolling or swimming in icy water results in a shocking experience paddlers call an ‘ice cream headache,'” BDN Outdoors contributor Ron Chase writes.

In other Maine news …

Maine’s COVID-19 hospitalizations have fallen to a new low

Reward for missing man Graham Lacher is now $5K

Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory will open next week

Faculty departures at UMaine Machias have professors on edge

Popular Brunswick burger joint has opened for the season

$2M Down East dam project will help open the St. Croix River to sea-run fish

Wildfire burns half-acre in Acadia

Eagle Lake pilot is Maine Game Warden of the Year