Peter Alexander, president of the Maine Songwriters Association (MSA), is hosting the finalists of the second annual MSA contest to find the best songwriter of the year this weekend at Frontier Cafe in Brunswick. Maine, and especially Portland, is brimming with talented musicians (see numbers 13 through 17 in our Reasons to Love Portland), and the contest seeks to highlight some up and comers in the state. Alexander provided us with sample songs from this years contestants.

Ten groups of Salt Institute for Documentary Studies students visited the Oxford County Fair in Oxford, Maine and each found their own story to tell. Part 3 looks at Frank Merrill and the enthusiasm for rocks he brings to the fair.

Ten groups of Salt Institute for Documentary Studies students visited the Oxford County Fair in Oxford, Maine and each found their own story to tell. Part 2 looks at the woodsman competition by way of a few lumberjills.

An incredibly easy and useful craft project to help you get organized. 

Ten groups of Salt Institute for Documentary Studies students visited the Oxford County Fair in Oxford, Maine and each found their own story to tell. Part 1 looks at the demolition derby as part of the fair's tradition.

Skiers hit the trails at Sugarloaf Friday, the earliest opening for the resort in Carrabasset Valley since 2007.

Two trails are open at The Loaf. The resort credits its three hundred new snowguns for the the early start.

Sunday River will open for the season on Tuesday with three trails.

Salt Stories features the work of students at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, a 15-week educational program training aspiring writers, radio producers, and photographers in the art of nonfiction storytelling. Salt student Julia Henderson brings us this audio piece of a current exhibit at the Children's Museum of Maine.

The Downeaster train made its inaugural trip to Brunswick yesterday, marking the beginning of Amtrak service that goes from Boston and extends to Freeport and Brunswick. There will be several round trips daily. It fulfills the original vision of the line when it was initially launched as a Boston to Portland service in 2001. The extension was made possible by $38.3 million federal stimulus dollars.

Hurricane Sandy is set to hit the United States as a category 1 hurricane later today, but already there is flooding across the Northeast. How exactly it will impact Maine is unclear, but we want to encourage everyone to take every precaution necessary for what may be tropical storm strength winds across the state. 

One can find information for how to prepare for such storms at official Web site for FEMA ready.gov and everyone should keep on eye on your local weather forecasts to follow the track of this storm as it moves towards Maine. 

Here are five loops where the foliage is so stunning that the price at the pump seems like an inexpensive ticket to the greatest show in the state.