Volunteers work on restoration of the historic No. 11 schoolhouse at Belle Marsh and Emery’s Bridge roads. In March, the Emery’s Bridge Community Improvement Association received $17,485 from the town-run Vaughan Fund to finish renovating the building’s main space for youth education in such outdoor skills as hunting, fishing, outdoor safety, camping and hiking. (Courtesy photo)
Pat Robinson (back to camera) hugs Rosalie Scharf, owner of Spring Hill function center, at the 40th Anniversary Gala for the Great Works Regional Land Trust celebrating the conservation of more than 8,000 acres across six towns. Nancy Hansen, an employee at Spring Hill, holds the flowers given to Scharf, who was recognized for all the ways the function center has supported the community over the years. (Sandy Agrafiotis courtesy photo)
Bundled up against a chilly breeze, Kara Miller and her children – Jackson, 3, Maisie, 11 months, and Hadley, 5 – pick up trash near their home on Knight’s Pond Road. Earth Day was part of Miller’s home school curriculum that morning, she said, so later they headed outside for the children’s first Earth Day cleanup. (Staff photo)
Moira Canty pours a drink at the Hawk’s Nest Kitchen and Bar, which she opened in Punkintown in November. The name honors Marshwood High School’s mascot, and Canty says she often hires seniors to work in the restaurant. (Staff photo)
The South Berwick Reporter staff and board of directors are celebrating Local News Day April 9 with an in-person gathering – a rarity, as the weekly editorial and monthly board meetings are via Zoom. Community support and financial contributions have kept this endeavor afloat since 2023. This graphic was created as part of the Press Forward Maine initiative of the Maine Community Foundation, which aims to strengthen local journalism. (Courtesy graphic)
Giant spools of cable stored in the upper parking lot at the Agamenticus ball fields are getting leaner this week as Prowire Inc. strings them in South Berwick neighborhoods. Town officials have been informed by Fidium, a fiber internet company, that work is being done in town. (Staff photo)
Parent Street is closed for much of the day Friday as several large trees, one of them gigantic, are removed from the back yards of two residences there. (Staff photo)
York County Sheriff Bill King speaks at a recent South Berwick Eliot Rotary Club breakfast meeting at Berwick Academy, describing the role of the sheriff’s department, which among other things provides law enforcement services for more than a dozen towns that don’t have police departments and operates a jail with a capacity of nearly 300 people. (Staff photo)
Grace Wright holds a bag of homemade bagels she sells at Wildflower Cafe, a business she opened on Lower Main Street this winter. Wright previously worked at Nono’s Kitchen in the same location, and took over the lease for the spot. Everything is cooked and baked on site, Wright promised. (Staff photo)
Dozens of hats, mittens, jackets and snow pants are waiting to be claimed by their young owners (or their puzzled parents) at several lost&found tables in the hallway of Central School. (Staff photo)
Skiers enjoy the beautiful weather on Valentine’s Day at Powderhouse Hill. Some 205 skiers were at the hill for a day of free skiing, hot cocoa, cookies and hot dogs hosted by Haven Homes & Lifestyles. Donations amounted to $500, which will be given to the South Berwick Community Food Pantry. A beautiful day Sunday brought another 135 people to the ski slope. (Staff photo)
Berwick Academy Outreach Club middle schoolers (l to r) Maya Koh, Tabby Aspeslagh and Addie Robertson lend a hand to South Berwick Public Library children’s librarian Maureen Harrison as she prepares for the 2026 Storybook Ball. The library invites children to come in costume or fancy dress for fairytale-themed games and activities at the special event 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21. (Nicole Derr photo).
South Berwick residents Ginny Wilson, left, and Pat O’Leary chat in the Central School parking lot after Sunday afternoon’s women’s basketball game in the school gym. Wilson is a founding member of the winter pick-up game now in its 27th year. Poor or middling players are welcome to join, she quipped, but “really good players are scary.” (Staff photo)
James Mundy of Paul Street starts the work of clearing from his pathways the nearly two feet of snow that dropped on the region Sunday and Monday, part of a storm that affected much of the country. (Staff photo)
Large swaths of ice on Powderhouse Hill kept the ski area closed last weekend while those strolling on the mountain found footing nearly impossible. Hill volunteers are hoping continuing snowfall will give the hill sufficient coverage to allow them to open Wednesday night. (Staff photo)
Town Hall is fenced off and parking limited to residents doing business in Town Hall as renovations begin on the renovation project, expected to cost between $7 million and $8 million. Employees who work in offices normally on the ground floor have been moved upstairs while work in that area proceeds. (Staff photo)
Maddie, 12, takes her parents Dan and Irene Hurley of Belle Marsh Road for a spin on the town ice skating rink at the base of Powderhouse Hill. Skating is free and lights come on at sundown for evening skating. (Staff photo)
Larry and Diane Fogarty (center) of Fogarty’s Restaurant and Bakery are presented an appreciation award for the family’s support of VFW Post 5744, which began decades ago when Larry’s parents, David and Loretta Fogarty, managed the restaurant. As a Post sponsor, Fogarty’s supplied ice cream vouchers for Memorial Day bikeathon participants and now donates pastries for the VFW concession stand at local events. Malcolm Kenney (left) is past post commander and Jeff Chase is post commander. (Michael St. Pierre photo)
Marcia Gagnon of the Catered Event on Main Street serves her last breakfast to the South Berwick Eliot Rotary this month at the club’s morning meeting at Berwick Academy. Gagnon, who has been in town for 20 years, is moving to Massachusetts and will no longer operate her business. Rotarian Len Bogh is in background. (Staff photo)
Santa Claus makes an early stop on Portland Street, where he can watch both the naughty and nice pass by. (Staff photo)
Skiers start December with a bang at Powderhouse Hill ski area, which boasted being the “first in the state (maybe the country?) to have 100% of our trails open.” The area offers skiers three trails and 175 vertical feet for a $5 ticket for the rope tow, which operates Wednesday and Friday nights and weekend afternoons when conditions allow. (Courtesy photo)
Crew members of the USS Washington submarine, stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, help prepare Thanksgiving turkey meals for seniors at the South Berwick Community Center. The members of the Navy worked with the South Berwick-Eliot Rotary to serve about 90 seniors on the Monday before Thanksgiving. (Photo Miller)
County Commissioner Robert Andrews (l) presents the “Spirit of America” award for York County to SoBo Central board members (l to r) Dan Boyle, Pat Robinson, Hanna Bulger and Len Bogh during a ceremony at the York County Government Building in Alfred. The award, presented earlier this month, recognizes exceptional contributions to the community by the non-profit Spirit of America Foundation in Augusta. (Courtesy photo)
This deer in the headlights ventures out of the woods onto Highland Avenue near downtown South Berwick, where a speed bump appears to slow him down. (Staff photo)
A representative of each candidate for the two-year Town Council seat participated in the recount of Nov. 4 ballots that originally had Joel Martin winning by one vote against Brian Hussey. Pictured (l to r) are Kim Derochers from the town clerk’s office; Interim Town Clerk Monique Ward; Brigid Graf, representing Martin, and Katie Howard, representing Hussey. After the recount, Martin had 12 votes more than Hussey. (Staff photo)
Hundreds of people enjoy homemade soups along with bread and desserts at the17th annual Keep South Berwick Warm Soup Supper Oct. 29 at Spring Hill. The popular community fundraiser, which assists residents who need help with rising fuel bills, brought in more than $6,500 in donations this year, about $3,000 more than usual. (Staff photo)
Bea Mundy, 11,(left) and her brother Charlie Mundy, 9, join Roshana Morgan, 10, at the coloring table set up by the Central School PTO at Saturday’s first ever community Block Party on Paul Street, organized by the town Planning Department. (Staff photo)
Mackie Bogh of South Berwick and Ella Morris of Eliot, both 2025 high school graduates, celebrate their finished mural that was installed last week on the SoBo Central Shed on Dawson Street. Bogh and Morris began painting this mural last December, inspired by the ecosystems of Maine rivers.(Staff photo)
Aubrey Brown, 3, and her canine pal are having fun preparing for Halloween in the Old Mill neighborhood. Her parents say it’s a holiday Aubrey really, really loves. (Staff photo)
Jesse Hutchins of Biddeford walks with his dog, Anna, into the Orris Falls Conservation Area on a trail maintained by Great Works Regional Land Trust volunteers. Hutchins grew up nearby in South Berwick, where his parents still live. (Staff photo)
South Berwick cartoonist John Klossner signs copies of “Lobster Therapy and Moose Pick-Up Lines” at Reny’s, The book of cartoons about Maine by five regional cartoonists, including Klossner, is being sold at Reny’s stores across the state. Klossner is on the Reporter’s volunteer staff. (Staff photo)
The former Secundo restaurant space on Main Street is being renovated in preparation for the opening late next month of a new restaurant called Catbird. Molly Pritchett and Josh Grindstaff, who met while working at Dufour at the Stage House Inn in 2021, will be opening the restaurant. Catbird received approval for a liquor license at the Sept. 9 Town Council meeting. (Staff photo)
Chelsea Brown of Guilford, N.H., takes a rest during the 25th anniversary Pumpkinman Festival Saturday. Brown, 43, finished in 4:28:39, making her the last of 174 people to finish the Olympic Triathlon – a 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10k run. Brown said she knew the swim would be hardest for her but she took her time, stopping to rest at every supporting kayak and succeeding in her goal of finishing. In addition to the Olympic length race, 380 people completed the shorter sprint triathlon – a .3-mile swim, 15-mile bike and 3-mile run. (Staff photo)
Kailey Hutchison, left, and Karla Martin head back downtown to Happy Valley Beer & Wine Garden, where the Monday running
club steps out at 6 p.m. Runners set their own distance and pace, the women said, and their goal that day was the entrance to Agamenticus Estates. Multiple runners, some pushing strollers, can be spotted in the downtown area on Monday evenings. (Staff photo)
Hail pellets several neighorhoods of South Berwick during a fast and furious storm Wednesday afternoon. The half inch or so of precipitation will not significantly change the drought conditions that sent South Berwick into a water emergency, but every little bit helps, said Ryan Lynch, superintendent of the South Berwick Water District. (Staff photo)
Porter Boys, 15, of Brattle Street is fishing on a very low Leigh’s Mill Pond where he caught a small mouth bass. He fishes most mornings on the pond, but rarely is it as low as he found it recently. According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, the gate operator opened the gates for a period this summer, letting water drain into the Salmon Falls River, and then closed them, allowing the water level to recover slowly during drought conditions. (Staff photo)
Visitors watch as Lifeflight Maine’s helicopter makes a stop at South Berwick’s National Night Out event at Shoetown Park on Tuesday. Children were thrilled by the opportunity to tour the helicopter. (Staff photo)
Tanya Cattabriga, director of the South Berwick Community Food Pantry, shops last week for items needed at the pantry, which spends about $500 weekly to restock shelves. Needs include condiments, salad dressing, paper towels, crackers, tuna, granola, cereal bars, hand soap and deodorant, said Cattabriga. Donations can be left in bins in the Town Hall or Public Library lobby. Also needed are volunteers to help with fundraising, grant writing, and customer service during pantry hours, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday and 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday. To volunteer, contact southberwickfoodpantry@gmail.com or 207-384-4324. Cash can be donated at https://givebutter.com/SBFoodPantry. (Staff photo)
A sugar maple known in the neighborhood as “John’s tree” that is at least 100 years old toppled suddenly during a wind storm at 8:20 a.m. last Friday, July 18. It fell within three feet of an Old Fields Road house, but did no damage to the structure. (Staff photo)
Chip Harding, local musician and music teacher, handles the sound July 16 as he does each Wednesday for the Hot Summer Nights concert series at Shoetown Park, where the crowd spreads out across the large green. Harding also helps recruit musicians for the series, often featuring former students from the community. The free 6:30 p.m. concerts are sponsored by SoBo Central and supported by local businesses. (Staff photo)
Siblings Carly, 10, Caleb, 12, and Everly Hilton, 7, of South Berwick get ready to paddle out to the island in Leigh’s Mill Pond while their mom takes a swim nearby. (Staff photo)
Abby Wallace of South Berwick, accompanied by 14-month-old Lucas, volunteers at the Strawberry Festival hulling party the day before the June 28 event. The annual early morning party attracts a full house of townspeople who socialize with friends and new acquaintances as they make short work of a mountain of berries. (Staff photo)
Handcrafting 2,220 biscuits for strawberry shortcake to be served with 75 gallons of fresh whipped cream at Saturday’s Strawberry Festival are (l to r) Kim Whelan, Gina Cattrano and Joanne Hoerth-Cram, all of them teachers in Marshwood district schools. It’s all hands on deck this week, said Cattrano, owner of Gina’s BHQ in Rollinsford, who has her friends, parents, and daughters helping turn 200 lbs. of flour and 70 lbs. of butter into flaky cakes for the annual festival’s hallmark dessert. Occasional outbursts of singing and dancing provide a special ingredient, said Cattrano. (Staff photo)
Fifty-two members of the Marshwood High School class of 1985, including from Utah, Missouri and New Jersey, gathered for a barbecue and evening of reminiscing at a South Berwick home last weekend, this group among the last to leave. Like all class reunions, a yearbook from their year of graduation was on hand to provide humor and unforgettable memories. (Courtesy photo)
A painted turtle explores the Railroad Avenue area looking for a place to dig a nest and lay her eggs. The eggs will take 65 days to hatch and the nickel-sized baby turtles will stay in the nest and overwinter underground if no animal discovers the eggs and eats them. All species of Maine land turtles lay their eggs in June or July. (Staff photo)
Sarah Jeanne Shimer, sustainability coordinator at Berwick Academy, shows the school’s pollinator garden to members of the South Berwick Eliot Rotary Club after this week’s Rotary meeting. Also pictured are (l to r) Rich Donhauser, Hap Moore, Tom Harmon (in back) and Brian Beeler. Shimer said her work to bring a culture of sustainability to the campus has led to students helping create a vegetable garden, a storywalk in the woods and an art installation using upcycled waste products. (Staff photo)
More than 90 children riding decorated bicycles joined sailors from the USS Washington, local Veterans, firefighters, and the Marshwood marching band to participate in Monday’s Memorial Day parade through downtown. Central School students led the crowd of about 200 people in the Pledge of Allegiance to open the ceremony at the All Wars Memorial on Portland Street. (Staff photo)
Linda Becker of the Old Berwick Historical Society, playing Miss Olive Raynes, prepares third graders for their roles in the May 30 annual Hike through History, explaining that girls were expected to greet the teacher with a curtsey and boys to tip their hat. Miss Raynes, a teacher in one of South Berwick’s 11 one-room schools before Central School was built in 1925, conducted a school in her home at 110 Portland St., now the home of Century 21 Real Estate and on the National Register of Historic Places. The historical society collaborated with Central School teachers to give third graders a 19th century one-room school experience and to celebrate Central School’s 100th year. (Staff photo)
The 1.5-acre Shoetown Park off Norton Street sits mostly idle and unused, other than the small playground area. Residents are invited to a meeting 5 p.m. Monday, May 19, at the nearby Community Center to share ideas for recreational development there. Recreation Director Nikki Drake and DeCarlo Brown, town planner and community economic director, will host the meeting. (Staff photo)
Music teacher Kate Smith gets ready to lead Central School 3rd graders in a rousing rendition of “The Grand Old Flag” in tribute to the new American flag, presented to the school by South Berwick VFW Post 5744. Teacher Megan Zottoli-Breen’s students wrote their request to the VFW for a new flag as part of an “opinion” unit where they agree on a school or community need. The students also will sing patriotic tunes at Memorial Day observances 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. May 21 at the school and noon that day at the Senior Center (Staff photo)
Caleb Allen, John Symington and Derek Arsenault, members of the Lions Club of Dover/Rollinsford/South Berwick, rebuild a table at the Shoetown Playground where they joined residents, town officials and other volunteers April 26 to repair and clean the playground. Despite the rain, 25 to 30 people showed up to help with the work at the Norton Street park next door to the Community Center. (Courtesy photo Catherine Allen)
The Brand family of Rollinsford enjoys a visit to Aggies, South Berwick’s iconic ice cream stand that opened this week for its 30th season. Aggies recently placed fourth in an online survey by seacoastonline that ranked favorite ice cream stands in the area. From left: Nora, Tom and dad Phil holding Lucy. (Staff photo)
A sign on Route 236 in South Berwick instructs drivers in both official jargon and more user-friendly terms how to navigate the merging of two lanes just north of the recently reconfigured intersection with Route 91. (Staff photo)
Audience members line up to greet author Monica Woods and have their books signed after Woods shared her writing process and storytelling adventures recently with over 80 attendees at the South Berwick Public Library. The next guests in the library’s author series will be Kittery resident Johanna Mangion, who will discuss her mystery novel “Tripped Up in Kittery” on April 9, and Elliott Kronenfeld, author of “Couples by Intention,” who will hold an interactive workshop on building lasting connections. Both are at 6 p.m. and reservations are not required. (Staff photo)
Shaw Earthworks employees excavate the area where a fish trap will be located at the South Berwick Hydropower Project at Counting House Park. The structure will help Salmon Falls River herring migration by allowing a catch and release above the two dams upstream in Rollinsford. (Staff photo)
A sturdy bench made of 500 plastic bags repurposed from the South Berwick Transfer Station and donated to the town by the Rollinsford-South Berwick Lions Club offers a comfortable seat to residents waiting in line to conduct business at the Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall. (Staff photo)
The all-volunteer staff of the South Berwick Reporter holds its biannual in-person meeting this week as it launches its third year of publication. They are (from front left, clockwise) Karen McCarthy Eger, Noreen Biehl, Jesse Roman, Nora Irvine, Susie Burke, Amy Miller, John Klossner, Patti Mitchem, Mark Pechenik, Zelda Kenney and Trish English.
Nick Martin and his son Brendan haul sap for the family’s sugaring operation from maples in front of the Red Schoolhouse on Emery’s Bridge Road, where sap began flowing strongly Sunday. They expect five to six gallons of syrup this season from 24 trees tapped at the schoolhouse and their neighboring property. Brendan runs the evaporator. The Martins donate a portion of maple syrup toward renovation work being done by the Emery’s Bridge Community Improvement Association. (Staff photo)
Community members join in a discussion about ways to enhance the bond between South Berwick and its sister city of Tuskegee, Ala. About 15 attended the meeting Monday in Town Hall. Suggestions included a joint cookbook with recipes from both towns; musician visits to each other’s town, an expanded Tuskegee exhibit in the renovated Town Hall and an annual Tuskegee Day in South Berwick. One of the discussion groups (clockwise from light blue sweater): Kara Plank, Christy Woods, Lisa Jones, Mark Ferrin, Mike Ouellette, Julie Serrano, David McDermott and Mallory Cook. (Staff photo)
Local historian Brad Fletcher of South Berwick presents a program on “Lafayette, Maine and America,” which drew a capacity crowd of about 100 people to the Old Berwick Historical Society meeting at the First Parish Federated Church last week. Fletcher traced General Lafayette’s 1824-1825 tour of the United States on the 50th anniversary of the Revolutionary War, including an account of the French war hero’s stop for breakfast at the Frost Tavern, now the Stage House Inn. (Staff photo)
The Danielle Moura Quintet jazz ensemble performs a Valentine’s Day concert at the South Berwick Public Library last week. Moura, on saxophone at the podium, is a local resident and bandmates are from around the area. Her seventh-grade son Kazimier (front row right) plays trumpet with the Marshwood High School marching band. (Lee Shaw courtesy photo)
The town-owned electric vehicle is charging at the EV port behind Town Hall recently. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is used primarily by the Assessing Department, according to Assistant Town Manager Jennifer Janelle, but is occasionally driven by other town staff traveling to a location this side of Portland for a training. The sign states the charging station may be used only for town vehicles. (Staff photo)
Jay Redimarker, director of South Berwick’s Department of Public Works, stands by one of the town’s dozen snow plows. Last week’s storm had plows and drivers out for eight rounds of plowing and salting the town’s 85 miles of roads, dropping some 128 tons of salt. The DPW also plows 14 miles of sidewalks along main arteries in town. Drivers stay out as long as the snow is falling, which meant 67 hours each for most the town’s plow drivers last week. (Staff photo)
Deputy Town Clerk Monique Ward assists John Renaud with his truck registration last week. Ward, who joined the clerk’s staff in September and was promoted to deputy clerk earlier this month, is serving as interim town clerk during Clerk Tyanne Giambusso’s leave of absence. (Staff photo)
Jace Gagnon, Edward and Easton Baggs are helpless with laughter after wiping out on Powderhouse Hill Monday. Dozens of families flocked to the hill to enjoy their day off from work and school. The area’s first significant snowfall was perfectly timed to coincide with the Martin Luther King Day federal holiday. (Staff photo)
Bruce Howarth shows off the town’s recently purchased automated cardboard handling system, which went into use this week at the Transfer Station. The new system bales cardboard and automatically moves it to an adjacent trailer that stores up to 10 bales of cardboard. Once full, the trailer is hauled away and replaced by an empty trailer. In the previous system, transfer station staff manually fed bales one by one and then stacked and loaded them onto a trailer. (Staff photo)
The town ice rink at the bottom of Powderhouse Hill sits quietly waiting for skaters this week as temperatures and winds keep folks indoors but hurry along the ice-making process. The Recreation Department bought the rink over a decade ago with a grant from the local Vaughan Fund. In the past it was set up farther down Agamenticus Road near the Youth Barn, but mild winters prevented the town from setting up the rink in the last few years. The 50-by-90-foot rink – a joint effort of the Recreation, Public Works and Fire departments – is flooded with about 10,000 gallons of water. Lights are turned on from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. (Staff photo)
The sun sets on 2024 Tuesday evening at Counting House Park. (Staff photo)
IT’S A WRAP – Firefighters (l to r) Arthur Graves, Glenn Whitehouse, Floyd Frost and Ralph Hyson wrap toys collected by the South Berwick Fire Department. Local firefighters have held the annual toy and holiday food basket drive for nearly 30 years. Deputy Chief John Leach said the toys and baskets go to a family chosen by the fire department in coordination with the Police Department, and to families of some Central and Great Works school students. Any extra toys are shared with area fire departments. Support also comes from the Links at Outlook Golf Course, Village Motors, American Legion Post 47 Auxiliary, P Gagnon & Son, the Digger and Sally McCaffrey Santa Open Golf Tournament at Outlook, and community members. (Courtesy photo)
Maya Srinivasan of Great Northern Builders speaks Friday at the one-year anniversary party of the South Berwick Reporter. Srinivasan told an audience of about 60 people at Spring Hill that her company is supporting the Reporter at the highest level of $1,000 because she finds it so important to have a source of local news. (Staff photo)
Julia Gagnon and Nate Haven wave to spectators lining Main Street for Saturday’s parade during the annual Home for the Holidays downtown celebration. Gagnon, who has close South Berwick ties and wowed a national audience during this year’s American Idol competition, performed for a crowd at Town Hall to close the day’s festivities. Haven, her fiance and musical partner, holds their puppy. (Staff photo)
More than 90 guests enjoy a Thanksgiving feast Monday at the Senior Center following a Shades of Grass concert. The annual holiday meal was sponsored by South Berwick-Eliot Rotary, Spring Hill and York Hospital. Rotarian servers were assisted by four young sailors from the USS Washington submarine docked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. South Berwick is host community for the crew through 2027. (Staff photo)
The town’s new holiday tree will glow throughout the holiday season after lighting ceremony 5:30 pm Saturday, Nov. 30, at the conclusion of annual Home for the Holidays celebration downtown. The 16-foot balsam fir was donated and installed by Salmon Falls Nursery to replace the towering but aging Norway spruce donated by the late Donnell Kenney in 1994 and taken down earlier this year. The lighting was tested this week by the Home for the Holidays committee. (Staff photo)
Students portraying the Von Trapp family in the Marshwood district musical “The Sound of Music” rehearse for performances Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 and 16 at 7 p.m. at Marshwood High School auditorium. Cast and crew include 90 district students in grades 3-12. The show continues the following weekend, Nov. 22 and 23, with 7 p.m. performances, and a 2 p.m. matinee Nov. 23. (Courtesy photo)
Supporters of Keep South Berwick Warm, a program of SoBo Central that assists residents with winter bills, enjoy the community Soup Supper at Spring Hill Wednesday. From left, Michael, Tyson and Cari Quater finish their meal before taking a shift ladling soup. Dozens of volunteers as well as area restaurants and local cooks join efforts to produce the popular annual fundraiser. (Courtesy photo Greg Tuano)
Wondering where in the world your youngster was separated from a brand new sweatshirt or fleece jacket this fall? The lost and found tables at Central School may hold the answer. Voters casting ballots Nov. 5 at South Berwick’s new polling place in the school gymnasium might find the missing apparel on display outside the gym door. (Staff photo)
Zack Gravel of Wadleigh Lane, shopping downtown with his 8-year-old son Judah over the weekend, recently returned from nine months with the U.S. Navy in Djibouti in northeastern Africa. Thus, he sports a Djibouti sweatshirt, something you don’t see often in Southern Maine.The smallest nation on the Horn of Africa, a land formation that protrudes into the Indian Ocean, Djibouti was a French colony until it achieved its independence in 1977. (Staff photo)
Alvey Purser, 5 1/2, gives a thumbs up after inspecting a truck at the South Berwick Fire Department’s open house last Saturday, attended by more than 100 people. Alvey and his parents of Greenland, N.H., joined friends from South Berwick at the event, which capped Fire Prevention Week. Firefighters conducted fire drills and fire safety education at local schools and daycares, and Central School students walked to the station to experience the “smoke house” and get a close look at the equipment. (Staff photo)
Kayaking up the Salmon Falls River between South Berwick and Rollinsford over the weekend brings fall into sharp focus. Peak foliage viewing in York County is predicted for mid- to late October this year. (Staff photo)
Neighbors (l to r) Craig Merrow, Tin Smith and Dan Smith (no relation) press apples for cider last weekend. Maine is enjoying an exceptional bumper crop of apples this year, thanks to ideal weather, and Tin and Jane Smith’s orchard in the Tatnic neighborhood was no exception. (Staff photo)
Tina Hurley of Merrimack, N.H., guest at the South Berwick Eliot Rotary Club meeting this week, speaks about losing her left leg due to a rare condition called Popliteal Artery Entrapment Syndrome and about the organization, Less Leg More Heart, that she created to support other amputees. At the meeting, Hurley signed the book “Farther Than the Moon” by Lindsey Lackay, to be donated to the South Berwick Public Library in her name. Each week, the local Rotary donates a book to either the Eliot or South Berwick library in the name of that week’s speaker. (Staff photo)
Jan Gochey is a familiar sight on Hooper Sands Road, picking up trash on her daily walk. Passersby stop to thank her for keeping the roadside clean, and one grateful driver wanted to give her $20. Picking up litter while walking – which Merriam-Webster calls plalking – has resulted in a more peaceful walk, Gochey says, because she used to get so angry at people who throw trash out the window. (Staff photo)
Members of Marshwood High School’s class of 1989, wearing name tags with their senior year pictures, celebrate their 35th reunion at Spring Hill on Aug. 17. An after-dinner cornhole competition was won by Allison Gagnon Gray and Chris Thompson. The event was coordinated by classmates Sheila Shufelt Wells and Pete Eastman. (Staff photo)
Hanna Bulger, a board member with SoBo Central, waters the flower barrels along Main Street. The planters, put in place each year by the local non-profit SoBo Central, are watered twice a week by a team of volunteers. To help with the watering, residents and local business people can email goodgirlgraphics@comcast.net. (Staff photo)
Helen Goransson, president of the South Berwick Eliot Rotary Club, passes out watermelon to folks at a concert on the lawn of Central School. Local Rotarians showed up in force last week to present a check for $250 to Hot Summer Nights, the SoBo Central program that plans the free weekly summer concerts. (Staff photo)
James Allen of Ellsworth, along with Fiona, Ken, Wayne and Erin Allen (pictured l to r), take advantage of a refreshing dip in Leigh’s Mill Pond on a hot afternoon. The three Allen brothers grew up in South Berwick. (Staff photo)
Lucia Anglade shows off the haddock she caught on her first deep sea fishing excursion during a recent visit to South Berwick. A resident of Long Island, NY, and founder of the Eben Ezer School in Milot, Haiti, Anglade was in town to meet with board members of Life and Hope Haiti, the non-profit organization that runs a school for 500 students and has been largely supported by South Berwick and Seacoast residents since 2008. (Staff photo)
Historic New England’s “Sunday in the Garden Concert Series” at the Hamilton House kicks off with Old Hat Stringband last Sunday. The band includes (from left) Isa Burke of South Berwick (vocals, fiddle), Steve Roy of Eliot (mandolin, fiddle, vocals), Whitney Roy of Eliot (fiddle, vocals), and (in back) Amanda Kowalski of Stafford, NH (bass). The garden concerts are held from 5:30-7 p.m. every Sunday through Aug. 4. (Staff photo)
Tim Cunningham of Barrington, NH, visiting a friend in South Berwick this week, strolls past the array of flags on Main Street installed by the local “flag team” to mark the Fourth of July. (Staff photo)
Monte Bohanan (blue shirt) of Old Mill Road in South Berwick attends the Portsmouth Pride Celebration at Strawbery Banke Saturday with his daughter Izzy,13, and wife Sarah (partially hidden). Seacoast area residents thronged the event, believed to be the largest turnout in its 10-year history. (Staff photo)
Sarah Orne Jewett (right), played by Amy Desrosiers, and her longtime companion, Annie Fields, played by Maggie O’Neill, read poetry and letters written to each other over the years at the Pride Garden Party June 14 at the Sarah Orne Jewett House. Both actors are Dover, NH residents. The third annual Pride event was sponsored by Historic New England, which manages the Jewett house and museum, along with Seacoast Outright and Equality Maine. (Staff photo)
Some people are lucky enough to have umbrellas during a torrential downpour in the midst of the 2024 Marshwood High School graduation ceremony Friday, June 7. Here, (l to r) Marshwood freshman Kate Starkey, her mother, Pam Starkey, and Marshwood junior Tia Anderson manage to stay dry during the sudden cloudburst as the commencement carried on. Pam Starkey, a 5th grade teacher at Great Works School, was in the crowd to see her son, Dougie Starkey, get his diploma. (Courtesy photo, Pam Starkey)
The magnificent Norway spruce that outgrew its space near the Town Hall entrance and had become a risk to the building is being removed this week. The tree was grown from a sapling by the late Donnell Kenney, who donated it to the town 30 years ago for use as the annual Christmas tree. Salmon Falls Nursery moved the tree from the Kenney property on Agamenticus Road to Main Street in 1994. A new, smaller tree of a slower growing variety will be planted this fall in time for the Home for the Holidays tree-lighting ceremony, Town Manager Tim Pellerin told Donnell Kenney’s widow, Zelda Kenney, and daughter Mary Hussey. Disclosure: Zelda Kenney is on the staff of the South Berwick Reporter. (Staff photo)
Andre Martineau of Somersworth tries his luck fishing at Counting House Park, which he says is one of his favorite fishing spots. He is one of several fishermen who regularly spend early evenings at the park casting for herring and the occasional striper. (Staff Photo)
South Berwick Memorial Post 5744 VFW officers for the coming year, installed in a ceremony at the Community Center, are (L. to R) Bruce Brown, Barry Kray, Mark Scheele, Brent Roets, Mike Murray, Mike St. Pierre, Daniel Kenney, Shelley Landry, Malcolm Kenney, Steve Shea, Roger Guptill, Cmdr. Jeff Chase and installing officer John Elwell. The Memorial Day observance on Monday, May 27, will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a brief service at the Vietnam Memorial at Town Hall and move to Central School for a bicycle decorating contest and parade formation. The parade will step off at 11 and proceed to the War Memorial on Portland Street for 11:30 service. If it rains, the parade will be canceled and services held in the Town Hall auditorium at 11:30. (Staff photo)
Maggie Smith, age 6 (and a half, she notes), proudly displays the fairy house she created at the South Berwick Public Library’s popular Fairy House program last Saturday. About 20 people attended the annual event. The wooden bases were provided by community volunteers handy with chain saws, but the children were encouraged to bring their own materials so each fairy house would be uniquely their own. (Lee Shaw, courtesy photo)
Cara Miceli and Charlena Beganny stop to enjoy the spring scenery while hiking in Vaughan Woods State Park on Friday. Residents of Rockport, Maine, they were visiting relatives nearby. The Maine Tourism Association touts the 165-acre park on the Salmon Falls River for its picnic facilities, playground and hiking trails that wind between massive pine and hemlock trees. (Staff photo)
Bill Glass and 10-year-old golden retriever Layla enjoy soft serve at Aggie’s Ice Cream on a sunny afternoon. Bill and Layla live at the Young Street Apartments where they are a familiar presence at the back entrance, greeting Central School families as they walk to and from school or the library. The pair also volunteers in classrooms, and the next lesson will include bird call identification. (Staff photo)
Some 90 South Berwick residents flock to Outlook Tavern on Sunday in solidarity with the Gagnon family, cheering Julia Gagnon of Cumberland as she moved into the top 12 of the “American Idol” competition on ABC TV. Julia, 21, is a granddaughter of Cynthia Gagnon and niece of Mark Gagnon and Alison Gagnon Gray. The watch party, organized by Gray and Michelle Roberts Richards, had an old home week vibe as people chatted with friends before and after Julia’s rendition of Whitney Houston’s “Run to You.” On Monday night she was named a top 10 contestant and will perform again at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 28. (Staff photo)
South Berwick resident Nathan Glidden takes advantage of school vacation week to paint an agility ladder on the blacktop section of the Central School playground. “I don’t know what an agility ladder is,” he said, smiling. “The school gives me the dimensions of what they want and I just paint the lines.” He and his assistant, his son Jared Glidden, also painted two foursquare courts on the playground Friday. Glidden’s business, Top of the Line, specializes in pavement marking. (Staff photo)
The Community Chorus at South Berwick rehearses for its spring concert, “Take Courage, Take Hope, Take Joy,” to be performed Saturday, April 13, at 3 p.m. at United Methodist Church in Eliot and Sunday, April 14, at 3 p.m. at Christ Church Episcopal in Exeter. The 60-voice chorus is made up of singers from 22 area towns led by Amy Kotsonis, director of Choral Activities at the University of New Hampshire. (Staff photo)
Marshwood High School students perform in the musical “Mamma Mia.” Shows this weekend, April 5 and 6, will be at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Saturday. Pictured here are Evie Cormier, Kiera Guilmette, Nora Widerstrom, Autumn Baldwin, Hollis Quinlan, Percy Gray, Hamilton Siebach, Josie D’Angelo, Baer Gray, Lauren Hunting, Kate Starkey, Jillian Luders, Jessie Harrington and Summer Brown. (Courtesy photo)
Tickets are available at https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/marshwood-high-school/65e7de6c59a4bf0e42089876/tickets
Mike Moloney of South Berwick emcees the annual South Berwick-Eliot Rotary Club Geo Quiz, which he and his wife, Cindy Moloney, organize. This year the quiz raised funds for the Common Man for Ukraine, a New Hampshire-based organization that has raised millions of dollars to help children affected by war in Ukraine. In this photo, Moloney runs the quiz while the Geography Boggarts team, including adults Trevor Lawson and Danielle Moura and sixth grade students Kaz Kucala and Bronwyn Lawson, ponder a question. Twenty-six teams participated on Friday. (Staff photo)
The benches outside the Sarah Orne Jewett House are filled with flowers and notes of affection for John Nason, who died March 13 in his favorite spot downtown, where he spent many a morning and afternoon watching the traffic go by and chatting with neighbors and passersby. Originally from York, he lived in the Grant House in recent years. Calling hours will be 10 to 11 a.m. March 25 at Lucas & Eaton Funeral Home in York, with a graveside service to follow. (Staff photo)
Cari Quater (l) and Ginny Wilson are among the South Berwick women who get together for a no-score, low-key game of basketball at Central School each Sunday afternoon in the colder months. (Staff photo)
South Berwick and Tuskegee residents from the Common Ground Sister City project walk across the bridge in Selma, Ala., during the annual bridge crossing to mark the 1965 march for voting rights. Pictured are (l to r): Carl Pehrsson and Sandy Agrafiotis of South Berwick (in baseball hats); Sullivan Hanna (in back with hat) and Rovetta Hanna of Tuskegee; Leigh Peake, David McDermott, John Klossner (in back with hat) Hershey Hirschkop, Mike Lassel (in back with hat), all of South Berwick; Guy Trammel and Michael Hanna of Tuskegee. (Staff photo)
The historic bell formerly in the steeple of St Michael’s Church, now the South Berwick Public Library, is enshrined in a gazebo on the grounds of Our Lady of the Angels Church on Agamenticus Road. The bell was restored by the new parish formed when St. Michael’s Church in South Berwick and Our Lady of Peace Church in Berwick consolidated in 2012. (Staff photo)
A Little Something, South Berwick’s downtown gift shop, is shuttered after its last two days in business. This week, local artists who have been featured in the shop over its nearly seven years in operation will pick up their remaining work and bid goodbye to the Paul Street business and its owner, Jennifer Parker. (Staff photo)
Town Clerk Barbara Bennett is honored by townspeople and co-workers at a party at the Community Center celebrating her retirement Jan. 31 after 27 years of service to the town. The rocking chair, a gift to her, is embossed with the town seal and her name. (Staff photo)
About 75 people came to the first public workshop held by the Downtown Revitalization Plan Committee on Jan. 18. Residents offered a variety of ideas to improve the downtown area. (Staff photo)
Miles Elsemore of South Berwick, a seventh grader, was one of the younger volunteers helping at the South Berwick Food Pantry on a recent Thursday night. The South Berwick Community Food Pantry at 47 Ross St. is open 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and 10 to 11:30 am the first and third Fridays of the month. (Staff photo)
After a few weeks only blinking, the new traffic lights at the intersection of 91 and 236 are in full operation. (Staff photo)
Thousands of people from South Berwick as well as all across the nation have enjoyed the millions of lights that brighten the holidays at Sandy Hill Farm in Eliot. (Staff photo)
The Angelov family is bundled up for a sledding adventure at Powder House Hill Sunday afternoon. They are (l to r) Tsonko, Angel, Caleb and Megan Angelov. Because the season’s first snowfall was insufficient for opening the ski area, families took advantage of the adjacent sledding slope. (Staff photo)
The Home for the Holidays flag once again welcomes winter to downtown South Berwick. The design was created in 2010 by local artist Rachel Schumacher and the flags have been hanging along Main Street and around town each winter ever since. (Staff photo)
Angelia Walton of Tuskegee, in Boston with three teenagers, including her son, made an overnight visit to their sister city of South Berwick. (Staff photo)
Tourists take a tour of the historic Hamilton House. (Photo Amy Miller)
