by Jayna Smith

Many people will soon be receiving monthly Child Tax Credits. This is due to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, which is expanding the tax credit.

Instead of a yearly tax credit, however, advance payments will be received by those who qualify on a monthly basis. Those payments are set to begin on July 15 and will continue mid-month through December.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Three towns and one private homeowners’ association will pay a combined $200,000 to repair road damages from a June 9 thunderstorm that dropped up to 7” of rain in two hours, creating flash flood events in Machias, Roque Bluffs, Jonesboro, and Machiasport. 

by Nancy Beal

When two dozen Moosabeckers showed up on the library lawn last week for Kingfish Maine’s contribution to their July 4th celebration, they were in search of renowned chef Bardon Seaver, his ideas on sustainable fisheries, and a chance to sample some grilled yellowtail that Kingfish intends to grow after building a $100 million land-based fish farm in Jonesport.

Women for Healthy Rural Living will hold a “Chair-ity” Auction from July 22 to Aug. 1 to raise funds for Milbridge Commons Wellness Park.  The on-line auction will feature ten Adirondack chairs, each painted by a different artist.  The chairs will be on display at Milbridge Commons on Saturday, July 31 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the annual Milbridge Days festivities. The online auction will also run from July 22 to Aug. 1.

LACONIA, NH – Donald McKinnon, 85, of Laconia, founder and former owner of the Ridgewood, N.J. Cycle Shop, died Thursday, July 1, 2021, at Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital in Lebanon.

Mr. McKinnon was born December 15, 1935, in Paterson, NJ, the son of the late John and Bertha (Nyenhouse) McKinnon. He grew up in Ridgewood and attended community schools.

In 1955, he joined the Army and served in Germany. He was honorably discharged in 1957 as a specialist fourth class, specializing in weapons and mechanics.

Eastport Arts Center embarks on its first-ever summer session of Children’s Theater Workshop on Wednesday, July 14 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Each week through August 18, participants from ages 7 to 18* can join in to play theater games, build skills on stage, and learn the ins and outs of improvisation and sketch comedy. The workshop will culminate in a short performance for participants’ families during the final class. 

Wild blueberries have been part of the Washington County fabric for generations. But something new for the traditional agricultural sector got added to its culture last week: the Maine Wild Blueberry Hall of Honor.

Respected for their decades-long roles in local blueberry history, two men were inducted as the first cohort: Dr. John Gaddis of East Machias, and the late Francis Nicholas, of Pleasant Point.

by Nancy Beal

Officials in Jonesport have been working on an ordinance to regulate the use of adult marijuana off and on since the substance was legalized for non-medical use by Maine’s legislature three years ago. Lack of state guidelines and absence of prototypes have delayed the process, but selectmen have consistently urged that the town deal with the subject before a building application was presented to the planning board prior to an ordinance being in place.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Cooper Robicheau started raising money for charity when he was only 8 years old. Now 16, he wants to help other youths learn how to raise money, and hopes they’ll also learn something else in the process.

“I would encourage them to use some of it in some charitable way,” said Cooper.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

A plan to fix the aging Machias dike will take another step forward when Maine Department of Transportation drones will survey the Middle River and its adjoining properties beginning next week. DOT Chief Engineer Joyce Taylor said the DOT chose drones as a way to survey without entering private land.

“We’re looking at getting elevation levels so that when we assess the alternatives [for] the Machias dike project, we’ll know what might actually get flooded with each alternative,” said Taylor.

by Joseph Horn

by Ruth Leubecker

Signing a controversial bill that would shift packaging costs of products from taxpayers to product producers, Gov. Janet Mills has spawned a flux of mixed reactions.

The primary question hovering over the bill: Won’t it eventually be paid for by consumers? 

LD 1541, An Act to Support and Improve Municipal Recycling Programs and Save Taxpayers Money, is facing a profusion of contradictory opinions.

by Nancy Beal

For professional chef and educator Barton Seaver, the three “S”es of public health are “Don’t Smoke,” “Fasten your Seat belt,” and “Eat Seafood.” That, and many other bits of wisdom, were shared June 30 on the lawn of Jonesport’s Peabody Memorial Library by Seaver, who was introduced to the Moosabec area by Kingfish Maine, a Dutch company that intends to establish a $100 million land-based yellowtail fish farm on Jonesport’s Chandler Bay. He brought wisdom—and food.

Here are a few words that rarely go together: relaxed, comfortable, and mammogram. After all, having your breasts compressed tightly between two firm surfaces while you stand there awkwardly half clothed is certainly not the most pleasant of experiences. Down East Community Hospital is now offering our patients a new option in mammograms: the Senographe Pristina™. Designed from the ground up with the input from women, it is the first mammography system to provide women with the “three Cs”: comfort, confidence, and clarity. 

The Canned Sardine, Stage East’s storytelling event, returns to the Sutherland Amphitheater on Saturday, July 24 at 4 p.m. Storytellers of all stripes are encouraged to come share their tall tales, myths, autobiographies, or gut-busters with audience members as a part of the Eastport ArtWalk’s Passport Weekend. 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Maine’s nutritious, delicious, and iconic wild blueberry will be the focus of the 1st Annual Maine Wild Blueberry Weekend, which will open farms across the state on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7-8. Governor Janet Mills last week issued a formal proclamation declaring the event.

“I encourage all people to recognize the vital contributions made by the state’s wild blueberry growers and businesses to our economy, and to participate in activities that celebrate and honor the wild Maine blueberry,” wrote Mills.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

At their regularly scheduled meeting held July 14, the Machias Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to establish a new bank account to receive and disburse funds related to the Bad Little Falls “Sounds Like This” summer concert series, taking place every Thursday this summer from 5-7 p.m.

“I’ve heard nothing but absolutely wonderful comments from all over,” said board chairwoman Paula Johnson-Rolfe, speaking of the concerts. Last week’s event drew roughly 250 people.

by Jonathan Reisman

Classes start in five weeks, and as our typically foggy July ends, some mid-summer, late (?) pandemic notes:

by Jayna Smith

Saturday of St. Croix Homecoming Festival, to be held Aug. 5-7 in Calais, promises to be a fun one, with many events scheduled downtown throughout the day. In fact, nearly all events that are normally held in Calais on the Saturday of the International Homecoming Festival are back, with the exception of the international parade.

by Nancy Beal

Recently, Jonesport town fathers became aware that their ability to apply for most grants would be hampered by the absence of an up-to-date comprehensive plan. Over a decade ago—and after going through several versions—the town adopted one, but it was not renewed after its statutory 10-year life expired. This week, the first step in updating and amending that plan will happen, as residents pull a community public survey from their mailboxes.