Maine lifts restrictions this month; beach race goes virtual
May 13, 2021
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CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (AP) Maine is removing capacity limits and easing physical distancing restrictions ahead of what it hopes will be a busier summer tourist season this year.
Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said Thursday the state will lift all capacity limits and requirements to physically distance in outdoor settings starting May 24. That same day, the state will remove all capacity limits in public indoor venues.
Maine will also eliminate physical distancing requirements indoors, other than in settings in which people are eating or drinking such as restaurants and bars. The state is still calling for facial coverings to be worn in public indoor settings, officials said.
By Staff
The Common Ground Country Fair, held annually in September by the Maine Organic Farmer & Gardeners Association, will be held live this year at the organization s Unity fairgrounds provided it can muster the volunteer power to run the three-day event.
The fair, which features organic food vendors, craft sellers, speakers on rural life, and more from around the state, is scheduled for Sept. 24-26. This year s fair, the 44th, will have attendance limits, require masks for all participants, have touchless payment systems, additional space between vendors to allow social distancing and increased sanitation in high-touch areas. At the same time, it will forgo some of the traditional events.
Unity’s Common Ground Country Fair set for in-person return this year
The fair is scheduled for Sept. 24-26 at the Common Ground Country Fairgrounds in Unity.
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Free horse-drawn wagon rides were featured during the 2019 Common Ground Country Fair in Unity. Organizers announced Friday that the 2021 fair would return to in-person, after being held virtually last year amid the pandemic.
Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel file
The Common Ground Country Fair is coming back in-person.
While it won’t be attracting the traditional crowds of 60,000-plus visitors who flock to the fairgrounds in Unity, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association announced Friday its plans to host an in-person, coronavirus-compliant fair Sept. 24-26.
Bill would bring land-based aquaculture under agriculture building regs
BUCKSPORT A bill filed last month on behalf of Gov. Janet Mills would exempt land-based aquaculture facilities from certain state building and energy codes, as is afforded to buildings that house livestock or harvested crops.
The bill, LD 1473, was filed on April 14, and aims to bring the land-based aquaculture industry, including Whole Oceans, a land-based Atlantic salmon farm that is currently in the design stages, in line with the agricultural regulations.
The company is revamping the former Verso paper mill site in Bucksport and planned to install several large salmon tanks inside of a metal building on the site. The $180 million project could eventually produce as much as 20,000 metric tons of salmon annually.