by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

The Maine Veterans Homes in Machias and Caribou will remain open, instead of closing on April 15 and May 1 as announced in February. 

by Nancy Beal

Two dozen Beals citizens turned out for the annual town meeting March 28 and took two hours electing officers and raising $225,730. As usual, salaries and snow and solid waste removal commanded the highest figures, but two new issues surfaced. The now-defunct town office — an old 20-by-20-foot shed at the corner of Cemetery Road and Bridgeview Street that was replaced in the 1990s by a doublewide on the old school property — will be torn down. Also, the town will become the channel through which island postal service will continue to run.

by Nancy Beal

The full Jonesport select board met last week for the first time since the March 14 town meeting, at which Logan Alley outpolled select chair Dwight Alley and ended his 12-year term on the three-person board. Logan had been out of town March 16 and 23 (selectmen meet each Wednesday), but the unexpired selectmen, Harry Fish and Billy Milliken met March 16. There was no meeting on March 23.

by Jonathan Reisman

When I was growing up in Philadelphia, March and April meant spring. In my high school years in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, warmer temperatures and longer days corresponded to tennis practice and matches. By mid to late April, temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s were not uncommon. The City of Brotherly Love was fully greened and often sweltering by May Day.

The Machias Bay Chamber is hosting a 2022 Historic Film and Discussion Series. We will be showing a film at 6:30 p.m. each Friday in April at the train station, borrowed from the collection at Northeast Historic Film in Bucksport. Each movie will be followed by a discussion and refreshments with an expert on each topic. These events are partially funded through a Downeast Wind community grant. Space is limited to 45 people; the event is free but donations will happily be accepted. Upcoming showings and speakers include:

by Phil Stuart

The state of Maine road race schedule is much leaner than it was prior to the pandemic. Many races are coming back, but a lot are not as of late.

A number of area runners mainly from the Bold Coast Running Club participated in the Annual Lamoine Half Marathon on March 5.

Isaac Vaccaro of Bangor took first place honors in a time of 118.45, while Katie Norwood of Bar Harbor was the female champ in a time of 137.0.

Serenity Morse, a 10-year-old Juliette from East Machias, sold 2,083 boxes of cookies this year, setting a new record for the state of Maine and breaking Morse’s previous record of 2,023, and the state’s previous record of 2,033.

Serenity was disappointed when her troop didn’t continue this year but loves being a Girl Scout, so she became a Juliette, a girl who participates in Girl Scouts as an individual member. She wanted to make sure that everyone in her community got a chance to support the movement by buying cookies. 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Harlan Gardner turns 100 this week, and though he’s worn many hats in all those years — Marine tail gunner, hearse driver, and mail carrier among them — it’s clear he’s also spent years honing his Downeast wit. He has a perpetual twinkle in his eye.

“It’s a sad place to be, the last one of the line,” Harlan says, pausing. “I’m glad they picked a smart one to be on the end.”

by Hazel Stark

by Jonathan Reisman

In 1994, Newt Gingrich led House Republicans out of 40 years of minority status with the Contract for America. Those mid-term elections pushed President Clinton back to the middle (like Brandon, he had run as a moderate but governed as a leftist) and set the stage for welfare reform, an actual budget surplus, bi-partisan policymaking, and political pluralism, where no one party was assumed to have a permanent monopoly grip on power.

The Hannah Weston Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution honored the Washington County high school seniors selected by their respective schools during the annual DAR Good Citizen reception held Tuesday, April 12, at the Whiting Community Center. The students had been named by the faculty and students as the school DAR Good Citizen for 2022 and were sponsored by the chapter in the state-wide selection of the 2022 Maine DAR Good Citizen.

by Nancy Beal

The Moosabec CSD board that governs Jonesport-Beals High School was introduced to a model transgender policy last week which, after a month of study that will include a 90-minute training session, it will discuss and may act on at its May meeting. The policy is crafted in accordance with the Maine Human Rights Act, 20-A MRSA Section 4601. The reason for its consideration at this time remained confidential.

by Kaileigh Deacon 

During the month of April, a light is shown on a topic that can often make people uncomfortable. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which gives a voice to survivors to share their stories, highlight means of support, and give strength to efforts for change. There is still a stigma around sexual assault despite progress having been made in the last several years, but thanks to survivors and their supporters, they are working to change that. 

by Jonathan Reisman

Justin Day, who served Down East Maine with honor and dignity for more than 50 years, passed away last week. He was 86 years old.

Justin served as the First Selectman of Cooper for many years. He was also the primary assessor, land surveyor, a major landowner and blueberry grower, and the link between the Town County, and State government.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) has confirmed a fatal case of Powassan virus infection in a Waldo County resident. The adult developed neurologic symptoms and died while in the hospital. This person likely became infected in Maine.

Cases of Powassan virus are rare in the United States, with about 25 cases reported each year since 2015. Maine has identified 14 cases since 2010. Humans become infected with Powassan through the bite of an infected deer or woodchuck tick.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

A reward of $10,000 is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the death of Kimberly Neptune, 43, of Perry, who was found dead in her home Thursday, April 21. 

Police today named Neptune’s death a homicide. Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit North is investigating Neptune’s death with the assistance of the Pleasant Point Police Department, which has offered the reward. 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

For the town of Machias, 19 Main Street has filled many roles over the years — as a fruit and confectionery business, a music store, a bar, a stationery and gift shop, and until recently, as a shuttered symbol of Main Street decline. 

This month, the old Nash building was removed, and soon 19 Main Street will be home to something altogether new —  the MaineStreet Business Building, a business incubator that could aid in creating economic growth downtown and across the county. 

by Nancy Beal

At their April meeting, the nine-member board that governs Jonesport-Beals High School approved a budget of $1,776,070 for the 2022-23 school year. That amount is $66,196, or 3.87 percent, above what voters approved last year. When reduced by miscellaneous revenues ($551,153) and state subsidy ($342,546—$46,008 less than last year), the taxpayers’ share of the bottom line is calculated at $822,443, which is just under $60,000 more than last year—a hike of 7.29 percent.

Art students at Machias Memorial High School have advanced to the final 50 in an art contest sponsored by Vans shoes, and they need your help to go further. Art teacher Becky Lee says MMHS is the only Maine school to make it into the contest’s top 50 in a contest that began with 250 schools and if Machias wins, the grand prize will be $50,000 toward the school’s art program. Four other schools will receive $15,000. 

To participate, students designed shoes based on one of this year’s themes of “Hometown Pride,” and the legacy of Vans’ founder Paul Van Doren. 

Porter Memorial Library invites the public to attend its Art Show Fiesta on Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Fiesta will celebrate the opening of two art exhibits at the library: Youth Art Exhibit, on display downstairs in the children’s room, and Photos of Mexico by Stephen Copel, on display upstairs on the main floor. Festivities on May 7 will include music by Duane Ingalls, and a pinata and Mexican food provided by Miguel Guijarro.