Author: boothbay

Maine Poets Society Prize Poem Contest

boothbay Contests, General

THE MAINE POETS SOCIETY PRIZE POEM CONTESTS 2023

The Maine Poets Society is proud to present our sixth annual $100 prize poem contest. This
year we are again also offering a $50 prize to Maine poets whose poetry has not been
previously published. Publication in a newsletter or an online workshop does not count for
this purpose.

The contests are open to all Maine residents, including seasonal, except for Maine Poets
Society board members. If your entry will be postmarked out of state, please enclose a
letter verifying your address when resident in Maine.  Entries must be postmarked
between January 15 th and the deadline of March 30 th , 2023.

There is a $5 entry fee for the $100 prize poem contest, and a $2.50 entry fee for the $50
contest for previously unpublished poets. You may enter up to 4 poems, but you must cover
each poem with an entry fee. You may not enter a poem that has been previously published.

Topic and form are left open, but there is a 50-line limit. Entries exceeding this will be
disqualified.

Our distinguished judge for the $100 prize poem contest in 2023 will be Wesley McNair,
Maine Poet Laureate from 2011-2016 and Emeritus Professor at the University of Maine,
Farmington. He has received fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Guggenheim
Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the
Arts, and United States Artists. Among his other honors are the Robert Frost Prize, the
Theodore Roethke Prize, the Jane Kenyon Award for Outstanding Book, the Sarah Josepha
Hale Medal for “distinguished contribution to the world of letters.”
Our prizes will be presented at the 2023 Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance awards
evening. The shortlists will be announced beforehand by email and on the MPS Facebook
page.

Please send two copies of your poem, one of them identified with your name, mailing
address, email address and telephone number and which contest you are entering, and one
with no additional information, to MPS Vice-President Gus Peterson, at 12 Middle Street,
Randolph, ME 04346. Mark your envelope CONTEST.

Enclose a check payable to Maine Poets Society, with ‘Contest entry’ on the memo line.
Entries will not be returned, so please retain a copy.

2/7: Author Talk with Gerry Boyle

boothbay Featured, General

Author talk with
Gerry Boyle

Robbed Blind: A Jack McMorrow mystery

Tuesday, February 7 at 1:00pm in the Great Room

Join us in the Great Room to hear Maine author Gerry Boyle discuss the latest book in his acclaimed Jack McMorrow mystery series.

Gerry Boyle is the author of 16 crime novels, including the acclaimed Jack McMorrow mystery series. His latest McMorrow novel is ROBBED BLIND. The previous McMorrow novel, RANDOM ACT, was awarded the 2020 Maine Literary Award for crime fiction, the second time a McMorrow novel has been chosen for that honor. Boyle is also the author of the Brandon Blake mystery series, featuring a young Portland police officer. His novels have been published in a half-dozen languages. The author lives in central Maine in a village on a lake. In addition to writing crime fiction, he has been a newspaper reporter and columnist, and for many years was editor of the Colby College magazine, published by his alma mater.

Gerry BoyleBook Description:

Robbed Blind is McMorrow’s world turned upside down, with moonlighting cops doing weed-shop security, stories told, not in print, but on podcasts, his daughter dancing on TikTok, and his battle-honed reporting skills brought to bear for a story Jack knows will never be written. McMorrow risks his life in order to ensure that, in at least this one case of good vs. evil, good won’t go down without a fight. But in this 13th installment, the question looms larger than ever—will Jack McMorrow survive to fight another day?

BHML is Hiring: Circulation Coordinator (Part-Time)

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2/8/23: This position has been filled. 

Part Time Circulation Coordinator 2023.pdf

Our Vision:
A world where knowledge is free, and all people are inspired and empowered.

Our Mission:
To create a welcoming space in which to explore ideas, foster community, and nurture individual growth through open access to the tools to learn, dream, connect, and do.

Our Values:
Respect people
Empower communication
Advocate for equity and intellectual freedom
Deliver quality information with professionalism

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Fact Sheet for the Boothbay Region

boothbay General, Library News

For the latest information on coronavirus in Maine, visit the Maine CDC website.

If you think you might have coronavirus, both Lincoln Health and the Boothbay Region Health Center ask that you call first before coming in.

From the Maine CDC:

“”The risk to the public remains low, but we must prepare for the potential spread of coronavirus,” said Nirav D. Shah, Director of the Maine CDC. “As we focus on the health of the public, we urge Maine people to take care of their personal health. Eat well, get plenty of sleep, and practice good hygiene. Healthy habits save lives.”

The best thing that Maine people can do to protect their health is to take the same preventive measures that help to avoid catching a cold: Wash your hands often. Cover coughs and sneezes. Stay home if you are sick.”

For more information, check out the Johns Hopkins website, or the WHO’s Coronavirus Mythbuster site.

3/17-21: Amateur Radio Bicentennial Kickoff

boothbay Featured, General

It’s not every day that a public library transforms into a radio station.

But that’s just what’s going to happen at BHML when ham radio operator and library friend Al Sirois sets up a portable station W1L (whiskey 1 lima) in the Great Room and an antenna on the lawn as part of the Amateur Radio Relay League’s Maine Bicentennial Special Event. 

On Tuesday, March 17 through Saturday, March 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., patrons of all ages will be able to initiate and receive calls to and from amateur radio operators all over the world. 

The ARRL’s Maine Bicentennial Special Event will involve eleven other special event call signs in both Maine and Massachusetts. Each represents one of Maine’s nine original counties, plus three special locations that have historical significance. These include the city of Boston (K1B), which was the capital of the District of Maine while it was still part of Massachusetts; Jameson Tavern in Freeport (K1J), where the papers were signed that separated Maine from Massachusetts; and the town of Portland (K1P), which was Maine’s first capital. The original nine counties will be represented by the following call signs during the event: Cumberland (W1C), Hancock (W1H), Kennebec (W1K), Lincoln (W1L), Oxford (W1O), Penobscot (W1P), Somerset (W1S), Washington (W1W), and York (W1Y). 

Certificates will be awarded to hams who contact special event stations, with endorsements available for bands, modes, and a clean sweep for contacts with each of the Maine 200 Special Event call signs.

Please visit: https://maine200specialevent.com/ for more information and announcements leading up to this special on-air activity.