Sentinel The Weekly
ECRWSS PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID Seacoast Media Group Portsmouth, NH POSTAL CUSTOMER
Your Community Newspaper Serving: ARUNDEL, BERWICK, CAPE NEDDICK, ELIOT, KENNEBUNK, KENNEBUNKPORT, KITTERY, KITTERY POINT, MOODY, NO. BERWICK, OGUNQUIT, SO. BERWICK, WELLS, YORK & YORK HARBOR
Friday, December 29, 2023 Volume 19 • Issue No. 52
Habitat for Humanity Affordable Homeownership Opportunities YORK COUNTY Habitat for Humanity York County is excited to announce that it is accepting applications for three affordable homeownership opportunities. One home will be built in Saco and two homes will be built in Sanford. With housing prices out of reach for so many, Habitat for Humanity offers households an alternative to the traditional housing market. Habitat partners with local York County households who have a need for safe and affordable housing and have the ability to pay an affordable mortgage. Homes are constructed using volunteer labor, donated materials, and fundraising. Once the home is completed, the homeowners’
mortgage payments are recycled to support the construction of future Habitat for Humanity homes. If selected for a Habitat home, monthly mortgage payments will be no more than 30% of the household income. Habitat’s path to homeownership re-
quires volunteering, educational classes, and willingness to partner with Habitat. Those interested in applying for a Habitat for Humanity home may visit www.habitatyorkcounty.org/homeownership or email program@habitatyorkcounty.org.
Housing Spotlighted in JLUS Report KITTERY Strategies to support local housing production and to make affordable housing easier to build are spotlighted in a new housing report written by the Joint Land Use Study (JLUS). The study was funded through a US Department of Defense grant with the Town of Kittery, Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission (SMPDC), and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS). The report calls for reducing barriers to multi-fam-
Local Average Tide Chart Date High Low Sat 30 Sun 31 Mon 1 Tue 2 Wed 3 Thu 4 Fri 5 Sat 6
am pm
1:11 1:51 2:30 3:12 3:56 4:42 5:31 6:21
1:13 1:54 2:36 3:22 4:11 5:03 5:58 6:56
am pm
6:56 7:33 7:38 8:12 8:22 8:53 9:10 9:36 10:01 10:20 10:53 11:07 11:48 11:57 12:44
Sun Rise Sun Set Sat 30 Sun 31 Mon 1 Tue 2 Wed 3 Thu 4 Fri 5 Sat 6
7:12 7:12 7:12 7:12 7:12 7:12 7:12 7:12
4:16 4:17 4:18 4:19 4:20 4:21 4:22 4:23
Arts & Entertainment
5-7
ily housing production, including accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The proposals aim to avoid increasing requirements such as lot sizes and parking, while still ensuring protection for sensitive areas and aquifers. The report also suggests developing gap financing tools to assist federal workers to buy or rent in the region, and create a local Housing Trust Fund. The report noted that housing prices in the ten communities surrounding the shipyard have increased dramatically: 46% in the last three years. The study shows that by 2026, PNS needs to hire approximately 500 new employees and up to 4,000 additional workers to account for retirements or job changes, further stressing the current housing availability in the area. In addition, the Maine State Economist predicts that the current popula-
Library News
8-9,20,23
Obituaries
8
20-21
People & Business
14
18-19
Pets
9
Puzzles
22
Sports & Outdoors
22
Calendar
17-18,20
Classifieds Dining Finance & Career
11
Home & Business
15-17
PAGES
tion of 114,000 in these ten communities will grow to 123,000 by 2038. SMPDC, in collaboration with the Town of Kittery and PNS, is managing the JLUS effort. The partnership also includes representatives from the Portsmouth, NH and Maine Departments of Transportation, regional planning organizations, as well as other municipal, state and federal partners. According to Stephanie Carver, SMPDC Transportation Director, “Most of us have experienced or know someone dealing with the challenges of this housing market. We know the problem is complex, but the need for more housing is clear and the lack of housing options has evolved as a significant workforce issue. The lack of suitable See HOUSING on page 4 . . .
Health & Fitness
A section concerning your health . . .
12-13
Annual Kennebunk Wild Blueberry Drop KENNEBUNK The blueberry is back! The Kennebunk Wild Blueberry Drop happens twice again this year, at 9 p.m. for the “early bird” drop, and at midnight for the main drop, on Sunday, December 31. Both drops will take place from the Bell Tower of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 114 Main St., Kennebunk. The festivities also include open skating at the Waterhouse Center. Bring those skates and come on down! Founded in 2015 by volunteers f rom the Town of Kennebunk, the Brick Store Museum, and the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, this is New Year’s Eve Kennebunk (NYEKBK)’s eighth year creating a family-friendly
event that brings the community together to celebrate the New Year. The event is hosted by the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, the town of Kennebunk, and Brick Store Museum. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ nyekbk.
OPA’s 22nd Annual Classic Film Festival OGUNQUIT As the holiday season slips into the rearview mirror, and all are again ready for indoor entertainment and opportunities to gather with friends and neighbors, Ogunquit Performing Arts (OPA) announces their winter schedule for the 22nd Classic Film Festival, a twice-monthly Sunday afternoon activity for those who enjoy watching classic films on the big screen. To maintain the ability to provide the Sunday screenings, complimentary refreshments, and parking, OPA has implemented new adjustments for the 2024 season. These modifications align with both new film licensing restrictions and changes of use within the Dunaway Center. Films will now be screened in the Dunaway Center’s community multi-purpose room on the lower level. The room is accessible through the entrance at the back of building, adjacent to the parking area, formerly the Police Department entrance. Movie titles, synopses, and cast and crew bios will now be posted at the Dunaway Center,
and sent through OPA email lists. No other methods of publicity are allowed, in accordance with the new licensing rules for 2024. Films will be screened two Sundays per month. The themes are as follows: Agatha Christie mysteries, January 7 and 21; romantic comedies, February 4 and 18; adventure films, March 3 and 17; musicals, April 7 and 21. For more information, visit www.ogunquitperformingarts. org.
home & garden Tour Our
Real Estate
Section This Week!
23-24
featuring guest columnist
Cheryl Farley
10