by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

The road to becoming a Maine Game Warden drives new recruits through 14 weeks of training and into five regions of Maine, too, including Machias where last month trainees practiced crime scene management during a storm that dropped five inches of rain in a single day.

“The rain definitely added an extra element to things,” said Warden Josh Beal, who worked with the new wardens during their week in Washington County. 

by Hailey Wood

Lydia Sprague of Marshfield will graduate in May from the University of Maine with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She spent her first two years at the University of Maine at Machias completing her prerequisites, then finished her last two years at UMaine.

Her clinical experience solidified her interest in pursuing a career in labor and delivery, or in pediatrics.

“Ever since I was really little, I had an absolute love for the pediatric population — kids, babies, all of that,” Sprague said. “My dream was always to be a nurse.”

First National Bank recently announced a $3,000 donation to the Community Caring Collaborative towards The Joy Fund. 

Established in March 2022, The Joy Fund assists first-time home buyers in Washington County make the transition to homeownership by providing funds for home inspections related to a home purchase.  Georgiana (Georgie) Kendall, a 5th generation Downeaster, started this fund to support folks who would like to live, work and play here in Washington County. 

On Thursday, April 28, the Washington Academy National Honor Society (NHS) held its annual induction ceremony in the Gardner Gymnasium. The ceremony began with a welcome speech from NHS President Kaitlyn Smith and a traditional review of the new inductees' qualities established by the Society, including scholarship, service, leadership, and character. 

by Jonathan Reisman

Almost immediately after rogue oligarch Elon Musk took Twitter away from the conservative censoring wokerati, thereby causing a panic attack amongst the free speech hating left that they might not be able to control the narrative and what people think, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas announced amidst a Congressional grilling that a new Government Disinformation Board, promptly dubbed the Ministry of Truth, would be established, headed by noted musical theater songstress and lyricist Nina Janowicz.

After a two-year hiatus from gathering ‘in person,’ Quoddy Voices members are proud and excited to present their Spring 2022 Concerts, ‘Coming Back’, on Friday, May 27 at 7 pm, and Sunday, May 29, at 3 pm, at Eastport Arts Center. 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Jury selection for the trial of Thomas Bonfanti of Northfield is set to begin May 23 in Belfast. 

“We’re anticipating three to four days to pick a jury and up to two weeks for the trial,” said Bonfanti’s attorney Jeffry Toothaker, who was appointed to the case on April 8. 

Bonfanti has entered a plea of not guilty, and earlier this year requested his trial be held in another county to avoid possible tainting of the jury pool by pre-trial publicity.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

The Machias Schools 2022-23 budget plans a spending increase of nearly $1 million over the previous fiscal year but will raise taxation by a much lower number of $67,441.46, or 4.42 percent.

Some of the next year’s budget increases are in response to a surge in enrollment at Machias Memorial High School, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in decades.

by Nancy Beal

by Hazel Stark

by Jayna Smith

Fiddleheads are a springtime delicacy across Maine and New Brunswick, and in the Downeast area, are ready to be harvested.

The ostrich fern fiddleheads can be identified by the brown, papery scale-like covering on the uncoiled fern.  Because they are perennial, they come back year after year, and according to University of Maine Cooperative Extension, nearly all ferns have fiddleheads, but not all fiddleheads are edible. 

by Nancy Beal

In less than 45 minutes on May 11 and with little discussion, 16 citizens from the Moosabec towns of Beals and Jonesport, nearly half of them school affiliated, approved a budget of $1,781,070 for their combined high school for the 2022-2023 school year. The total amount will be reduced to $882,371 after a state subsidy of $342,546, and miscellaneous revenues of $551,153 are subtracted. Beals will pay 26.1 percent of that amount ($231,487), and Jonesport 73.9 percent ($655,884).

The Roque Bluffs Community Center on Saturday, May 28, will kick off a number of classes with A Nature Walk with Carol. The class instructor will be Carol Muth, and it will be an exploration of the signs of late spring, including bird songs, emerging plant life, and the insects of the day. Roque Bluffs State Park will be the classroom.  It is recommended that people participating in the walk provide their best tick protection, i.e., heavy socks with long pants tucked in. Only a small group of 8 to 10 people can do the walk each time so sign up early.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

If there’s one thing emergency medical workers want you to know, it’s that Washington County is dangerously close to the day when someone calls for an ambulance, and an ambulance does not come. 

“There’s not an ambulance service in Washington County that isn’t short-staffed,” says Machias paramedic Sally Taylor, who has served in Machias for 18 years. “Just because Machias keeps it covered 24/7 doesn’t mean we’re not struggling.”

by Nancy Beal

Serita and Chet Childs’ quest for living quarters in downtown Jonesport for a family member expanded last summer to include a tiny but tasteful gift shop they style “Flotsam & Jetsam.” As its name would suggest, the one-room enterprise, located two doors east of True Value Hardware, offers a variety of wares with a nautical theme.

H. Lori Schnieders of East Machias, an associate professor at the University of Maine at Machias, has been recognized with three awards this spring for excellence in academics. 

In April, Schnieders received the Frederic A. Reynolds Faculty Award, which is presented annually to a faculty member who exemplifies commitment and dedication to UMaine Machias students. She also was awarded a Trustee Professorship for the academic year 2022–23, presented to a faculty member in the University of Maine System who has made noteworthy contributions to academic excellence on their campus. 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Intertidal lands belong to the upland landowner and not the state of Maine, according to last month's ruling by Maine Superior Court Justice John O’Neil Jr. 

"This lawsuit is the latest battle in the war over the intertidal lands off Maine's coast," wrote O'Neill in his decision on Masucci et al. v. Judy's Moody, LLC et al., in which 24 plaintiffs brought five counts — all related to ownership and use of the land between low and high tide — against ten defendants.

by Nancy Beal

Kingfish Maine’s operational managers, Megan and Tom Sorby, came to Jonesport again the evening of May 16, set up again at the firehouse, and again answered various objections that have appeared in newspaper advertisements, op-ed pieces, and flyers. As in a similar noontime meeting May 4, few of the opponents appeared in person and no one voiced the claims made in print.