It’s hard to believe that this week marks the one-year anniversary of our newest weekly paper, the Tri-Town Weekly.

First, I need to say thousands of thank-yous to all the residents of Durham, Freeport and Pownal for welcoming us into your homes every single week. We have been so warmly received and we appreciate it. I also need to say a huge thank-you to the staff of Current Publishing – those behind the scenes – and especially to Matt Stilphen, reporter, and Lynn Woolf, advertising account manager. They are the faces of the Tri-Town Weekly who are out meeting and greeting residents and business owners every week.

I also want to say a big thank-you, the biggest thank-you, to all of the local advertisers who support the Tri-Town Weekly. We could not get the community news and information to all of the residents of these three towns if we did not have the support of our local business community. And I am asking all of you who are reading this to please, please do business locally and visit all of our advertisers regularly. Just like we need them to stay in business, they need you.

I have lived in Durham almost three years now, in a home that my husband has owned for about 25 years. We live on a quiet, dead-end street, four miles outside of Freeport; six miles down the road from Pownal; nine miles over from Lisbon; four miles from Auburn; 10 miles away from Brunswick; and 10 miles in the other direction from Yarmouth. We are, I think, in a perfect location. I am able to find everything I need within 10 miles of my home. I love getting up early on the weekend to hike at Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. This is often followed by a great breakfast at Isabella’s or Fresh Batch, and a leisurely stroll down the aisles of Bow Street Market. I am a frequent patron in downtown Freeport, for sure, and the variety of restaurants is fantastic, including China Rose and Fuji Sakura, 1912 Cafe, Linda Bean’s, Freeport Seafood, Tuscan Bistro, Harraseeket Inn and now (thankfully) again, Jameson’s Tavern – especially the patio.

For me, there is nothing more enjoyable than sitting out at L.L. Bean for one of their fabulous Summer Concert Series shows. We’ve just seen Matt Nathanson, and have plans to see a bunch more. How about Winslow Park? Have you been to see a summer concert there? Check it out. You can pick up your sandwiches, etc., for your picnic at Durham Get N Go, Doherty’s, Derosier’s, or any number of great local spots. In the winter (or anytime) we have the trails at Pineland just a short distance away, or the climb up Bradbury Mountain to simply take it all in.

Let’s face it, living in Maine is great; living in this Tri-Town Weekly area is the best, if you ask me. We have it all – great shopping, dining, strolling, boating, snowmobiling, fishing, and the best part, great neighbors. Thanks for being a welcoming and supportive hometown to the Tri-Town Weekly. As always, we love to hear from you. Please submit letters to the editor and story ideas to tritown@keepmecurrent.com, and to advertise, contact Lynn Woolf at lwoolf@keepmecurrent.com. Tri-Town Weekly is also on Facebook, and our website is www.keepmecurrent.com.

Lee Hews, The Publisher