Home falling into Penobscot River / Maine’s ‘missing middle’ housing / Bangor’s new fire chief

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“When it went, it went all at once. They were home one night eating dinner and they looked out the window and saw trees going by.”

— George Buswell, director of Penobscot County’s unorganized territories, describing what happened when an Argyle couple’s backyard slid into the Penobscot River.

TODAY’S TOP STORIES

The kind of housing Maine needs most is the hardest to build. The state is lacking in multi-unit building targeted toward middle-income families, known to experts as the “missing middle.”

Penobscot County is taking a drastic step to save a home from falling into the river. Last June, the backyard of a home in Argyle suddenly slid into the Penobscot River. Since then, the river has slowly eaten away at the unstable land behind the house, threatening to take the structure with it.

Today is Geoffrey Low’s first day on the job as Bangor’s new fire chief. The role marks his third time serving as a Maine fire chief. He replaces Thomas Higgins, who served in the Fire Department for 34 years, nearly 10 of them as chief.

Dozens of fishermen have applied for a rare chance to catch Maine shrimp. About 30 have applied for just seven slots available in a short, experimental shrimp season due to start in February.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

MAINE IN PICTURES

Mattie Bamman checks on the salad greens that grow through the Maine winter in a small homemade hoop house on the Northport acreage he shares with his wife, Kristin. The two have learned to be flexible and realistic with their homesteading dreams. Read Elizabeth Walztoni’s story about Bamman’s homestead.

FROM THE OPINION PAGES

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks in front of American flags on April 10, 2024, during the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony in honor of “Rosie the Riveter” on Capitol Hill in Washington.

“It was welcome news that Congress overwhelmingly passed the Social Security Fairness Act recently, and that President Joe Biden is expected to sign it into law on Monday. This will be a long-awaited win for many public sector retirees who have spent careers giving back to their communities.”

Editorial: Making Social Security more fair for public sector retirees

LIFE IN MAINE

This man’s homesteading roots pulled him back to Maine. Twenty-five years ago, Mattie Bamman swore he’d never come back. He said so recently from the living room of his Northport homestead.

A lack of ice is threatening smelt season for the third year. Dozens of smelt camps used to dot Maine’s tidal rivers four or five decades ago, but climate change has ripped that tradition apart.

Quebec magical hiking trails are really accessible to Maine hikers. Crossing the border from Maine to Quebec is like walking through a magical portal transporting you to a foreign land where they speak a French dialect and measure in meters — and also is home to gorgeous trails ready for exploring.