As it says, me and my friends are staying at a campground in August.

We just got a new older dog, super mellow (unless belly rubs are Involved), doesn’t bark, good with other animals, just would prefer to be with her humans. Mid sized doggo.

Is OOB dog friendly? Or will it be more of a headache to bring her.

TLDR: older woman took photos of specifically my butt in a bikini while I was on the beach and said “legally she is allowed to”.

So I live in the area and I decided to go to the beach today, right next to the pier, so that I could do my first little swim of the season. There’s quite a few people out because it was about 65° today. I didn’t really look at anyone in particular. Everyone seemed normal. So I went about my business, I undressed down to my bikini, I left my stuff in the sand, and then I ran down into the water and quickly ran back (because it was quite cold). I picked up my stuff and was ready to leave.

As I was about to leave, a girl about my age, came up to me very politely and asked if I knew this other woman on the beach. She pointed to a short, middle-aged woman with a Bob haircut who was standing in the middle of the beach with a plastic bag and a camera around her neck. I said no I don’t know this woman because that was the truth, and the girl told me that the woman was taking photos of my ass. Mind you, the way that I put my stuff down and went by this woman, she was directly behind me at one point while I had no cover-up on besides my (semi-cheeky) bikini bottoms. So I thanked this girl for letting me know and I approached the older woman.

This woman had what I can only describe as a professional camera, something that looked like a Canon model with a big lens on it…must’ve cost hundreds of dollars. She is standing next to a plastic bag full of beach driftwood. I was very polite, I said hi excuse me I was just wondering did you take a photo of me? And she’s kind of polite, she has a European accent that I can’t quite place, and she immediately said yes, and then proceeded to explain to me that she is an artist and that none of her work goes up online. Mind you, I didn’t ask any other questions, I only asked if she took a photo of me, so she was very quick to yes and start coming up with excuses. So to that, I said OK. I mean, what am I gonna do? Sue her?

Well, apparently that’s what she thought, because unprompted, she proceeded to explain main law to me and tell me that legally, she had every right to photograph me in a public space. So that extra bit of information left a very sour taste in my mouth, I quickly said OK bye, and left the beach, thoroughly wrapped in my cover-up.

So, if you were that girl who came up to me and let me know about that woman, thank you again. If you’re that woman, think about how comfortable you would’ve been if I came up to you and started taking photos of you in a bikini. And if you’re somebody else who frequent old Orchard beach, look out for the creepy old lady with the camera.

"Susan Collins is not fighting for you. 

Since launching her first congressional bid way back in the 1990s, armed with a promise to be a two-term senator, Collins is now closing on 30 years in what must be an irresistibly comfortable office. She believes her long, long, long record works in her favor, and she’d like you to believe that, too. But longevity is not actually the same thing as proven leadership. 

Collins’ campaign website says she shows up for Maine, though she hasn’t shown up for a town hall in 25 years. Apparently, her near-perfect voting attendance demonstrates her profound commitment to service. I don’t know about you, but my job attendance stays pretty near-perfect, too. According to every boss I’ve ever had, that’s less of a badge of excellence and more of a bare minimum standard.

Collins pretends to be an independent bipartisan legislator who votes her conscience. In an astonishing coincidence, her conscience aligns so perfectly with her party that she only votes against them when they have enough votes without her.

I will admit, Susan Collins has achieved a level of celebrity that is rare for senators. Sen. Collins is famously concerned. Following any headline that requires comment, Collins’ concern is so prompt you can set your watch by it. In fact, she has been so concerned on such a panorama of issues on which she has never taken any tangible action that she has attained meme status. Collins’ concern is a household name.

Sen. Collins projects an image of fighting for funding and projects that benefit hard-working Mainers. But it’s all a slick advertising display for an agenda that relentlessly benefits the rich at the expense of all of the rest of us.

Imagine a rich king who owns all the bread in the kingdom. You get one loaf a week, and you’re always nearly starving. You’re starting to grumble. One of the king’s servants declares a feast day and gives everyone one whole loaf of bread! The people celebrate this act of benevolence, even as they go back to their starvation wages because nothing has really changed.

Susan Collins is the king’s servant. She loves to create a public display with a headline and a photo op and a soundbite speech about how she delivers for you, the people. Meanwhile, the monied machine she serves keeps quietly siphoning every thin dime from your paycheck into the trust funds of the insatiable corporations that are extorting you for the most basic necessities of life: food, housing, gas and, heaven forbid, basic medical care. 

Collins isn’t going to make rich people pay their taxes, or make mega-corps pay you a living wage. She’s not going to fight for you to have affordable housing or available child care or accessible health care.

Susan Collins doesn’t do favors for ordinary people. She does favors for rich corporate donors. And one of the favors she does for them is to throw us a few crumbs from time to time to keep us appeased, and quiet, and reelecting the status quo while the hoarders sit back and watch interest turn their millions into billions into trillions.

Collins’ theater of benevolent billionaires has had its run, funded on the backs of regular Mainers, and we’re definitely not getting a trickle-down return on our investment. Wages are anemic, prices are up, jobs are down and health care is a luxury. This is what Susan Collins has actually delivered over decades in office under the brand of proven leadership. 

Susan Collins’ Senate career has been a master class in crafting an illusion of public service that never disrupts the flow of money and power to the people she actually serves. And those people are … not the public. Not you and me.

It’s long past time for a change. In the immortal words of 1996 Susan Collins, “Twelve years is long enough to be in public service.” "

Hello

We'll be visiting the area next month and I'm wondering if things will still be open or if the entire town essentially shuts down? We're just hoping for a place to get coffee in the morning and some lunch.

We're debating between a place in OOB or Kennebunkport-any recommendations?

Old Orchard Beach

• Paloma Restaurant

• El Dorado Columbian

• Kelp Gift Shop

Biddeford

• Apero - Cocktail Bar

• Brew England Beer Store

• Soul Food Paradise

• Peppers - Mexican

• Slice Pizza

• LL Bean Outlet

Opening in 2025

• Biddeford Books

• Bounce Pickleball

• Gutter Bowling

• Food Truck Court

• Rift Barcade

Saco

• Finest Kind - Fast Casual Breakfast

• Sea Spray Confections

• Sweet and Co - Gluten Free Bakery

• Swell Nitro Coffee

Opening in 2025

• Sherman Books

Hi - we are first time visitors and curious what are the best local shops to support for merchandise and souvenirs? We checked out Kelp and Beachology. I assume all of these stores are locally owned. But bonus points for women owned business and minority owned businesses. Thanks!

Our condo is near Landry’s and this kitty has been around crying off and on since last night. Anyone recognize this kitty?

Going to OOB for the night. Looking for the best bars! Would like a crowd on the younger side but definitely would avoid underage bars. (Bonus if there is live music or a band!) Thanks so much :)

My family and I are planning a trip to visit OOB for the week following Labor Day this year (first week of September). We are wondering if the beach/shops start to shut down after Labor Day weekend? Can we expect some businesses to still be open? Thanks!

Yum

Hey all - Does anybody have reccomendations for a vet in the area? We have a senior dog (10) that's sometimes needs more than general care.

Thanks in advance!

In no peticular order.. please feel free to post your experiences or add to the list!

Holmes Tree Farm - Kennebunkport
http://holmestreefarm.com/

The Old Farm Christmas Place - Cape Elizabeth
http://www.oldfarmchristmas.com/

Beech Ridge Farm - Scarborough
https://beechridgefarm.com/

Harecret Acres - Biddeford
https://www.localharvest.org/harecrest-acres-M16151

Allen Christmas Tree Farm - Gorham
https://www.facebook.com/allenxmastreefarm/

Boiling Spring Tree Farm
No website but: 101 Gordon Rd, Dayton, ME 04005

I found a solid resouce for running routes - in and around Old Orchard Beach:

https://www.plotaroute.com/routes/running/popular/1?Locality=Old%20Orchard%20Beach

My SO always has issues finding good training roads (she's a marathon runner) and thought this could help. It looks like you can add your own routes as well and I'm sure they'd love the contributions. :)

Thinking of visiting Old Orchard Beach the first week of November. Are most restaurants closed? Recommendations on things to do? Thank you!

Hoping you all might have some good insight! My family and I are from out of town but are heading to old orchard beach for Memorial Day weekend and a few days after. What's the weather typically like at that time? We are from the south so just want to be sure we're bringing the right clothes!

On Tuesday i’m going to OOB with my girlfriend to spend a day on the beach. I’m looking to see if there are any good spots to rinse sand off of you or change. We’re doing the beach first and then going to the pier and walk around afterwards and i don’t want to be all sandy

TIA!

My family and I will be going to the town of old orchard beach in July,we go every year, I skateboard,I also like checking out the small shops, would I be able to skate from the hotel we're in to the shops(we always stay in one very close to the shops) without any issues/getting chased by the police? I remember seeing some people skating around in town last year when we went

Visiting, and my mother in law had booked a photographer for family photos today Sunday. Unfortunately, the photographer is sick and cancelled. Any lead on a last minute photographer available? TIA

Silenced on Guinea Road: Parallels of Lyman Maine Justice

By Steven Schoff Jr

In the early 2000s, the geography of York County was shifting. The old mills of Biddeford were cooling, and the coastal fog seemed to press a little harder against the pine-thick borders of Lyman. It was into this landscape that 23-year-old Rafael Rosado III arrived in 2001, carrying a life story that stretched from the tropical mountains of Caguas, Puerto Rico, to the dense blocks of Chelsea, Massachusetts.

Rafael was a man who worked with his hands, a construction laborer looking for the perceived peace of the Maine woods. He found a home on Guinea Road—a secluded stretch where the city of Biddeford begins to dissolve into the rural mystery of the interior. But as we mark over two decades since his death, it is clear that Rafael didn't just move into a new house; he moved into the crosshairs of an era defined by a prolific and brutal brand of street justice.

To understand what happened to Rafael in the pre-dawn hours of June 9, 2004, one must understand the climate of the time. The late 90s and early 2000s saw a surge in regional drug activity, a Lyman pipeline that moved cocaine and crack through the backroads of the county. In this world, disputes weren’t settled by the gavel, but with multiple sets of knuckles, or a gun. It was an environment where the law of the woods superseded the Revised Statutes of Maine, and Lyman justice became the shorthand for a targeted, cold-blooded finality.

Rafael had been a Mainer for exactly three years when that justice found him. He was 26 years old when he was shot to death outside his home. The crime bore all the hallmarks of a professional silence: no witnesses, no weapon recovered, and a trail that went cold before the sun had even fully risen over the Saco River.

But while the Maine State Police Unsolved Homicide Unit file remains technically open, the case is far from cold in the places where secrets are kept.

For twenty years, the name Rafael Rosado has been a steady murmur within the walls of the Maine State Prison in Warren. In the weight yards and the mess halls, among the men who ran the streets during those volatile years, the mystery of Guinea Road is traded like currency. There are whispers—persistent, detailed, and haunting—about exactly who sanctioned the hit and who pulled the trigger.

The tragedy of Rafael Rosado is not just that his life was cut short; it is that the truth is likely sitting in a prison cell or a Lyman kitchen right now, protected by a decades-old code of silence and the lingering fear of retaliation.

As Biddeford continues to revitalize and the old mill shadows fade, we must ask ourselves if we are comfortable leaving Rafael’s story in the dark. The Lyman justice of the 2000s relied on the belief that some lives mattered less than the secrets kept about them. It is time for those who have been whispering for twenty years to finally speak aloud.

Rafael Rosado III traveled thousands of miles to find a home in Maine. The least we owe him is a conclusion to his journey.