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Friday, June 25, 2021
Volume 17 • Issue No. 26
“Spamalot” A Lot to Enjoy as the Playhouse Opens Again By Nancye Tuttle, Staff Writer OGUNQUIT It’s back — live theater, that is — at the Ogunquit Playhouse. And while it differs from previous Playhouse seasons, with a massive outdoor performance pavilion, mandatory masks and seating for two in safety pods, it still feels good to gather again in person, as the pandemic wanes and Maine opens. “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” a super-silly spoof of just about everything, opens the season. A laugh-a-minute romp through plague-ridden Tudor England, it sends up time-honored legends
like King Arthur, his knights and their quest for the Holy Grail, classic Broadway musicals like “Man of La Mancha,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “The Producers,” “Gypsy” and “Phantom of the
Opera,” and hot button topics like gay marriage. Eric Idle, a member of Monty Python, the brilliant British comedy group, wrote “Spamalot” in the early 2000’s.
Home Sales and Prices Up 28% STATEWIDE Sales of single-family existing homes in Maine continue a double-digit increase trend. Statistics released today by the Maine Association of Realtors show 1,1613 homes changed hands across the state in May 2021 — a 28.32% increase over May 2020. High buyer demand continues to impact home values. The statewide median sales price (MSP) increased 28.21% to $305,000 in May 2021 compared to May 2020. The MSP indicates that half of the
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homes were sold for more and half sold for less. “May 2020 was the low point for Maine’s residential real estate market due to the COVID19 shutdown,” says Aaron Bolster, broker/owner of Allied Realty in Skowhegan and 2021 President of the Maine Association of Realtors. “Since then, the numbers have rebounded and continue to show strength. These reported numbers reflect
a comparison to the May 2020 COVID-19 shutdown statistics. May 2021 sales volume was comparable to pre-pandemic sales volume levels, about one percent above the May 2019 figures.” According to the National Association of Realtors, singlefamily existing home sales across the country rose 39.2% in May 2021 compared to May 2020. The national MSP of $356,600 represents a 24.4% increase from
He “lovingly” ripped it off from the 1975 movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and teamed with John Du Prez, who wrote the music. It won three 2005 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, under the legendary Mike Nichol’s direction. Then, Nichols tapped BT McNicholl to oversee the Broadway, West End and national touring productions. McNicholl helms the Ogunquit show, using the version that Idle crafted for a Las Vegas production. He tapped Nate Bertone to design the set for the Playhouse’s May of 2020. Regionally, sales across the Northeast increased 46.9% and the regional MSP increased 17.1% to $384,300, compared to May 2020. “We continue to see swift market conditions with most transactions navigating multiple offers,” added Bolster. “Statewide, the Days on Market for May 2021 was six days, compared to 17 days a year ago, and 20 days in 2019. The month of May brought additional for-sales homes onto the market, with active single-family listings up
Vaccinationland Sweepstakes! STATEWIDE Governor Janet Mills announced the “Don’t Miss Your Shot: Vaccinationland Sweepstakes,” a statewide program to encourage Maine people to get vaccinated against COVID19. The sweepstakes will reward one vaccinated winner with $1 for every person vaccinated in Maine by the Fourth of July. The cash winnings increase by $1 for every Maine resident who receives at least one dose, as reported on the U.S. CDC vaccination tracker: the more people vaccinated, the higher the prize. The final prize amount will be determined by the number of
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Maine residents who have gotten a vaccine as of 6 a.m. on July 4. If the drawing were held today, the prize amount would total $876,655. Residents age 12 and older who have received at least one dose of a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Maine since December 15, 2020, may enter for
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a chance to win the prize. Registration is required and the deadline to get vaccinated and submit an entry is 11:59 p.m. on June 30. Entries are now being accepted online at https:// govstatus.egov.com/mesweepstakes-home or by calling the Community Vaccination Line at 1-888-445-4111. Governor Mills will announce the winner and the prize amount on the afternoon of July 4. The sweepstakes represents another push to vaccinate as many Maine people as possible ahead of President Biden’s July 4 goal of delivering at least one shot to 70 percent of adult
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new outdoor venue, which has a stage three times larger than its indoor space. Bertone’s inventive design resembles a pageant wagon. Medieval theatre companies traveled the European countryside in those wagons, staging religious plays in town squares. Entire communities turned out to see the shows, so the design is a great concept since community predominates this season at the Playhouse, even with social distancing in place. The slap-happy show is one laugh after another as Arthur, See PLAY page 5...
21% at month’s end. Additional for-sale supply will help meet this pent-up demand.” (18+) Americans. Maine met that goal on May 12 and has also met that goal ahead of schedule for a larger eligible population: people 12 years and older. Maine is closing in on having 70 percent of adults fully vaccinated as well. “Maine is a national leader in COVID-19 vaccination thanks to the more than 876,000 people who have already rolled up their sleeves,” said Governor Mills. “Our goal with the Don’t Miss Your Shot: Vaccinationland Sweepstakes is to encourage even more people to get the vaccine and declare their independence from COVID-19 as we approach the Fourth of July.” Entry into the sweepstakes requires providing your name, See SWEEP page 8...
Plastic & Polystyrene Bans Start July 1
The plastic bag & polystyrene bans that were delayed due to the pandemic are going into effect on July 1 so don’t forget to bring your own reusable bag or pay a small fee at check-out. For details: www.maine.gov