by Will Tuell

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

At their meeting last Wednesday, the Machias Board of Selectmen resolved two matters raised at their final meeting of 2022. 

First, the board voted to approve the town’s release of a UCC filing against some brewery equipment owned by Bad Little Brewing Company, which closed its doors in December 2022. 

The UCC filing, a type of lien, was given to the town until BLB met its $180,000 Community Block Development Grant (CDBG) terms. 

by Jonathan Reisman

As President Biden struggles to find a classified document discovery hiatus that allows him to announce his re-election plans, nearly three-quarters of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track. Here is why:

Climate alarmism and the Price of Energy

When Biden took office and canceled the Keystone pipeline, gas, and heating oil were under $2.50 a gallon, America was energy independent, and the climate alarmists were only dreaming of banning internal combustion engines and gas stoves. 

The public is invited to attend the first of three sessions in the UMaine at Machias’ Wabanaki Voices Spring ‘23 series, to be held Thursday, Feb. 9, at 12 p.m. in the Science Building, room 102.

Osihkiyol (Zeke) Crofton-Macdonald is a Wolastoqey person from the Houlton Band of Maliseets in Maine (Metaksonikewiyik) and the Oromocto First Nation (Welamukotuk) in New Brunswick, Canada. Zeke has spent his life advocating for Native rights in the United States and Canada. He will be hosting a talk titled "Wabanaki Nationhood Past, Present, and Future." 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

A forecasted temperature of -17 degrees followed by a high of 2 degrees will bring dangerously cold weather and shocking wind chills to Washington County this weekend, which means residents should prepare now to ensure their safety and the safety of their loved ones.

by Will Tuell

Two busloads of lawmakers from across the state visited Washington County on Jan. 19 and 20 as part of a tour organized by the Maine Development Foundation to familiarize legislators with different parts of the state. 

Representative Anne Perry (D-Calais) said that she and her Washington County colleagues were proud to show off this part of the state to other lawmakers who may not have been Downeast before. 

by Will Tuell

United States Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) made several stops on a swing through central Washington County on Jan. 19, including visits at the Whiting Town Hall, where she celebrated funding for the Mill Pond Dam, the Whiting Village School, where she met with pupils of all ages, and a working lunch at Helen’s Restaurant in Machias featuring nearly a dozen prominent business and community luminaries. 

by Jonathan Reisman

Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.  The Machias Rotary Club would like to do something about the effects of cold weather on our neighbors before the 2023-24 season.  Drafty windows can rob the home of precious heat in the winter in Maine. It is expensive and dangerous. 

Jan. 22 update: The family of Sarah Neal reports that she has been contacted and is safe in another New England state.

The Washington County Regional Communications reported yesterday that the sheriff's office sought contact with 17-year-old Sarah Neal of East Machias, reported missing that day by her family. Neal was listed in the National Crime Information Center database as a missing juvenile runaway.  

by Will Tuell

The Department of Marine Resources (DMR) held a public meeting Jan. 9 to discuss possible changes to the rotational management system local scallopers have been operating under for over a decade. Under the plan, Zone 2, which runs from Cutler to Eastern Penobscot Bay, would go from a three-year rotation to a two-year rotation. 

by Nancy Beal

The three school boards that govern Jonesport-Beals High School and Beals and Jonesport Elementary Schools all met last week to discuss issues they have in common and others unique to each school. The piece of news that most profoundly affects all three schools is the pending retirement of Superintendent Lewis Collins.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Go Vet Go, a new mobile veterinarian service based in Bar Harbor will return to Machias next Wednesday, Jan. 18, after seeing a full day’s worth of patients on their inaugural visit to Machias last week.

The mobile clinic will be parked at the Machias Telebusiness Center on Stackpole Road, and pet owners can make appointments for services by emailing [email protected] or calling 207-337-6100. 

EAC’s Sunday Afternoons at the Arts Center series will continue with a presentation and reading by Chuck Kniffen, author of Fifty Years in a Foxhole (2018) and Rude Awakenings: Making Peace with the Beast Machine (2022), at 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22. Kniffen will discuss his experiences in the Vietnam/American war, and his subsequent journey towards natural healing, and share excerpts from his two books.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Five Maine Game Wardens, two Maine Forest Rangers, the Whiting Fire Department, one K-9, and a Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy successfully located a missing Cutler man after a four-hour search and rescue operation conducted during a sleet storm on the night of Sunday, Jan. 15.

Peter Taylor set out by ATV on Sunday morning, looking for moose antlers, a frequent pursuit of his. His family knew Taylor would normally return from the woods by midday, so when he didn’t come home, they went out to search for him.

by Will Tuell

Ending weeks of speculation, Steve Pineo, owner of Pineo’s True Value, announced that his family has officially purchased Tom’s Mini-Mart on Outer Dublin Street in Machias in a social media post Jan. 8. 

by Nancy Beal

by Jonathan Reisman

Last week’s column riffed off the continuing Twitter files revelations and the Hamlet quote, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” The rot and the stink run deep. More evidence came to light on the US House floor and in revelations about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts mandated by the Biden administration that are guaranteed and designed to destroy freedom and prosperity. 

Eastport Arts Center will offer a series of Cabin Fever Open Mics on Friday evenings, Jan. 20, Feb. 17, and March 10, from 6-8 p.m. 

Katelyn C. Denbow passed away unexpectedly at home, on Saturday, January 7th, 2023, with her family by her side. Katelyn Cecille Denbow of Wilsons’s Beach, New Brunswick, was born on November 11, 1997, in Machias, Maine, U.S.A.. She is the daughter of Gina (Savage) Denbow of Wilson’s Beach, New Brunswick, and Jeff Denbow (Melissa) of Jonesport, Maine, U.S.A. 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

The nonprofit Petit Manan Ambulance Corps is weighing whether or not to close its doors following another year of lost revenue and news that the municipalities it serves, Milbridge and Steuben, have declined to offer additional financial support. 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Maine’s critical shortage of veterinarians has made statewide headlines, including coverage of a bill passed last year to address the issue. Governor Mills signed An Act to Increase Maine’s Veterinary Workforce in May 2022, enabling veterinarians to receive loan forgiveness of up to $140,000 over four years, for practicing in an underserved geographical area.