Terms of Service

1. Agreement to these Terms

By accessing or using Aroostook.ME (the "Site"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to any part of these Terms, please do not use the Site.

The Site is operated by Alexander Wasson ("we," "our," "us"). The Site is hosted by Alexander Wasson. Charlie Cormier assists in creating, maintaining, and editing content on the Site.

2. Nature of the Site

The Site is a personal, community-oriented guide to Aroostook County, Maine. It provides general information about towns, businesses, recreation, maps, and the County generally. The Site is supported in part by paid advertising from businesses that choose to purchase listings and featured placement (see Section 3); that support does not change the community-oriented nature of the rest of the Site. All information is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not professional, legal, medical, or financial advice.

3. Business Advertising, Listings & Featured Placement

Aroostook.ME offers businesses in and around Aroostook County the opportunity to purchase advertising. Depending on the option chosen, this may include a directory listing, a promoted or featured placement on the Site, a sponsored card, or more prominent positioning in town pages and category pages (collectively, "Advertising"). Pricing varies by option, term, and placement, and is agreed with the business at the time of purchase.

For visitors:

• A listing or featured placement is paid for by the business. It is advertising, and it does not mean that we endorse that business, its goods, or its services.
• Paying for Advertising does not buy influence over the editorial content elsewhere on the Site. We maintain full editorial independence.
• Not being an advertiser does not prevent a business from being mentioned in our community guide on its own merits.
• We do not use third-party advertising networks, and we do not share your information with advertisers (see our Privacy Policy).

For businesses purchasing Advertising:

• By purchasing or maintaining Advertising, you represent that the information you provide about your business (name, description, hours, contact details, photos, links, and any claims) is accurate to the best of your knowledge, that you are authorized to use it, and that it does not infringe on anyone's rights.
• You grant Aroostook.ME permission to display your business name, logo, description, hours, contact details, photos, and links on the Site and in materials about the Site.
• Placement is subject to availability and our approval. We may edit, decline, move, delay, or remove any Advertising at any time, with or without notice, including, but not limited to, when the information becomes inaccurate or misleading.
• Fees, term, and placement are as agreed at the time of purchase. Advertising is not a guarantee of sales, traffic, or results.
• You remain responsible for the accuracy of your business information and for fulfilling any claims made in your Advertising.

4. AI-Assisted Content Disclaimer

The Site uses artificial intelligence tools to assist in drafting, researching, organizing, and formatting content. Here is the honest version of how that works:

• Content on this Site may be generated, expanded, or edited with the assistance of AI tools, and then reviewed and edited by humans associated with the Site.
• AI-generated content can be wrong, outdated, or nonsensical. We do our best to check facts and catch errors, but we cannot guarantee that every statement is accurate, complete, or current.
• Details about businesses, restaurants, trail conditions, population figures, founding dates, hours, prices, and other factual information can change and may be incorrect. Always verify current information independently before relying on it (this is especially true for recreation, see Section 8).
• Nothing generated by AI on this Site should be treated as professional advice of any kind.
• You use the information on this Site at your own risk.

5. Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise noted, original text and design on the Site are the property of Aroostook.ME and Alexander Wasson, and are offered for your personal use only. You may not reproduce, republish, sell, or commercially exploit material from the Site without prior written permission.

Photographs on the Site are used with fair, licensed, or public-domain status and are credited where used. All trademarks, restaurant names, business names, logos, and brand names mentioned on the Site, including those appearing in Advertising, are the property of their respective owners; mention or display does not imply endorsement and is used for identification only.

6. User Conduct

You agree not to use the Site to violate any law, interfere with the Site's operation, transmit malicious code, attempt to gain unauthorized access, scrape content at scale, or use the Site in any way that could harm the operator, contributors, other users, or the Site itself.

7. Community Calendar & Event Submissions

Aroostook.ME includes a Community Calendar at calendar.aroostook.me. Anyone may submit an event for inclusion on the Calendar without creating an account or signing in.

By submitting an event, you agree that:

• You are authorized to submit the event, and the information you provide (event name, date, time, location, description, and any contact or ticket details) is accurate to the best of your knowledge.
• You grant Aroostook.ME permission to display the event publicly on the Calendar and anywhere else we share it.
• We may edit, delay, or decline any submission at our discretion, and are not obligated to list every event submitted.
• You take responsibility for the content you submit and agree it will not be unlawful, misleading, offensive, or infringe on anyone's rights.

Submissions are reviewed and published as we are able; there is no guarantee of timeliness, placement, or continued listing. Events may be modified or removed at any time, with or without notice. Submitting an event is not an advertisement purchase, event submissions are separate from business Advertising as described in Section 3.

8. Outdoor Recreation & Safety

The Site describes outdoor recreation opportunities including skiing, paddling, hunting, fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, and remote backcountry travel. These activities are inherently risky and can result in serious injury or death. The Site provides information only; you alone are responsible for assessing conditions, your skill level, your equipment, the weather, and any hazards before you go. Wilderness in northern Maine is real wilderness: cell service is limited or absent, help can be far away, and conditions change fast. Tell someone your plan. Government rules, trail conditions, and land access change regularly, check with land managers, trail clubs, and advisories.

9. No Warranties

The Site is provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Site, its content, or any Advertising will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Aroostook.ME, its operator (Alexander Wasson), and its contributors (including Charlie Cormier) shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from or related to your use of, or inability to use, the Site or any content, products, services, or Advertising mentioned on it, including but not limited to errors or omissions in content, reliance on inaccurate content, or injury or property damage arising from outdoor recreation described on the Site.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Aroostook.ME, Alexander Wasson, Charlie Cormier, and their respective successors and assigns from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees) arising out of or in connection with your use of the Site, your violation of these Terms, or your reliance on Site content.

12. External Links

The Site may link to third-party websites, including maps, businesses, and news sources. We do not control and are not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of any third-party sites. Links, including those appearing within Advertising, do not imply endorsement.

13. Changes to these Terms

We may revise these Terms at any time by posting an updated version on this page. Your continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

14. Termination

We may restrict, suspend, or terminate your access to the Site at any time for any reason, with or without notice. Termination of the Site does not relieve any advertiser of obligations for fees or services provided before termination.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Maine, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Maine.

16. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be severed and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

17. Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Aroostook.ME regarding your use of the Site and supersede any prior agreements.

18. Contact

Questions about these Terms, or interested in advertising your business on the Site? Reach out through the contact information listed on this Site. Please allow reasonable time for a response.