by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

You won’t hear documentary filmmaker Alan Kryszak’s voice in his fifth film, “Hungry Now”, which will have its regional premiere at UMaine Machias at 7 p.m. this Friday, Dec. 2. Instead, audiences will hear directly from the film’s subjects — people talking about or living with poverty, hunger, and homelessness, like Suzie, an adult student at UMaine Machias.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office will hire one new deputy in 2023, not four, as requested by Sheriff Barry Curtis, following a vigorous debate and a 5 to 3 vote from the county budget advisory committee (BAC) on Monday, Nov. 21. 

With the additional deputy, the 2022-23 county budget will total $13,429,218.50 (including just over $3 million in restricted federal ARPA funds), an expenditure increase of $962,343 over the prior year, and a net increase to taxation of $674,902.27, or 10.24 percent. 

by Marina Schauffler, Maine Monitor

Limiting new sources of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can gradually lower your accumulated chemical load, aptly known as your body burden. PFAS compounds can linger in bodies for decades, with concentrations in blood plasma taking up to eight years to decline by half. Growing scientific evidence suggests that even low levels of PFAS can disrupt hormonal, immune, and reproductive systems and can increase the risk of various cancers. 

by Jonathan Reisman

Elections have Consequences- Barack Obama

The House Republican majority is slim and potentially fragile. The surest way to assure that it will not last long is to heed the advice of Democrats and moderates and not respond to the ruthless partisan hackery of the past four years in kind. To do otherwise will assure that Democrats will repeat the behavior in the future. The GOP House majority should:

by Amy Dowley

Reporting out on another successful Roque Bluffs Turkey Trot. Thirty-four participants strong, we raised $600 towards the Roque Bluffs Education Fund, which gives $500 to every Roque Bluffs student upon their high school graduation.

By Will Tuell

Newly elected Hancock-Washington County District Attorney Bob Granger, who narrowly ousted two-term incumbent Matt Foster in the November election, announced Saturday that he would be officially sworn into his post at the Hancock County Superior Courthouse in Ellsworth Sunday, January 1 at 9 a.m. Granger will also hold an “unofficial” swearing-in ceremony in Machias “later that day,” though plans have not been finalized as yet. 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon 

The estate of Barbara L. Smith has offered to sell a half-acre lot to the town of Machias, partially in exchange for unpaid property tax and sewer bills related to other Smith properties. 

At the Machias Board of Selectmen’s Nov. 9 meeting, realtor Nicole Ball spoke on the family’s behalf, offering 114 Dublin Street to the town for the reduced price of $85,000, down from a list price of $99,000 for the .54-acre lot.

by Jonathan Reisman

Stage East’s run of Tennessee Williams’ classic The Glass Menagerie will continue with shows on Friday, December 9, and Saturday, December 10, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, December 12, at 2 p.m., at 34 Water Street, downtown Eastport (across from the WaCo Diner. The production features familiar Stage East performers Jenie M.

A Lubec man pleaded guilty today, Friday, Dec. 9,  in U.S. District Court in Bangor to stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee, witness tampering, and retaliating against a witness.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Monday, Dec. 12, was the final day of operations for one of Machias’ newest businesses. Through a Dec. 1 Facebook post, Bad Little Brewing Company (BLB) co-owner Kathryn Toppan announced their intentions to close.

by Will Tuell

After months of intense campaigning, the 186 men and women of Maine’s 131st Legislature were sworn into office last week. The constitutionally prescribed ceremony, set for the first Wednesday in December, proved heavy on pomp, pageantry – and politics – as policymakers also deliberated on the merits of Gov. Janet Mills's (D-Farmington) nearly half billion supplemental budget designed to offer relief for those struggling with soaring energy costs. 

The Down East Community Hospital Auxiliary’s 49th Annual Holiday Craft Fair was one of the holiday events that filled Machias’ calendar on Dec. 3.  The gym and halls were filled with a total of 41 crafters displaying their crafts, a six-item “Drop-in-the-Bucket” auction (aka Chinese Auction), a “Take home your Saturday night bean supper” table with all the fixings, and a very well-stocked kitchen offering lunch which included lobster rolls made with fresh local lobster.

Calais Celtic Concerts is extremely pleased to present the Internationally acclaimed, award-winning, musical sister-duo of Cassie and Maggie MacDonald, who are no strangers to Celtic Christmas, Holiday Magic! The sisters are part of a multi-generational musical dynasty, in which Christmas was always a time to gather near and sing boisterously, as in the days of old. The doors were always open to company when the New Year was just around the corner.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Machias readers 141 years ago would be reaching for their copy of The Machias Union, then in its 29th year, and sporting its motto, “Our Home, Our State, Our Country, and Our Brother Man.” 

by Jayna Smith

For over ten years, Ian Pratt at Pratt Cars has held a donation-match campaign throughout the month of November that helps bring in needed funds to area food pantries.  His idea came to fruition after realizing how great the needs are for the pantries in Washington County.  

Anyone taking part in his matching-donation campaign could simply bring his or her donation to the front desk at the Pratt car dealership throughout the month of November, where all donations would be matched up to $10,000 — an increase from last year’s $5,000.  

For Washington Academy Coach Corey Schwinn, volleyball is a year-round sport. He is a winning coach with four state championships and one large school championship in eight years. His commitment to performance and his players knows no season. For these reasons, he has been selected as the Portland Press Herald 2022 Volleyball Coach of the Year. 

by Joseph Horn

by Nancy Beal

Jonesport selectmen continued their efforts to establish a town broadband committee last week, extending the invitation for committee volunteers into next month. Having initially advertised for three volunteers to come forward by today, December 28, and having received but one offer, last week, they agreed that the holiday period was a poor recruiting time, and looked forward to putting a group together in the new year. 

Most Mainers are familiar with the annual Wreaths Across America convoy to Arlington National Cemetery and other veterans cemeteries across the nation, where they lay Christmas wreaths on the graves of America’s veterans. But did you know that the Wreaths Across America motto of “Remember-Honor-Teach” also flooded the airwaves this past weekend? 

On Friday, December 16, 62 cadets graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program (BLETP) at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro. The 18-week intensive residential training program teaches and trains cadets to deal with the rigors of the job. The class began in August with 70 cadets. Sixty-two cadets completed the program and graduated Friday, including nine females.

by Joseph Horn