Excitement Builds as Currier, Davis, Shimabukuro Lead Machias All-Stars in Tourney Play

By Will Tuell

Fans of Machias Area Little League’s 10U baseball, 10U softball, and 12U baseball teams had a lot to cheer about last week whether it was back-to-back 1-hitters against Coastal and Ellsworth in the 12U baseball tourney to start off the week, Audrey Currier’s immaculate inning in 10U softball, or Jake Shimabukuro’s no-hitter against Ellsworth to put the 10U baseball squad in the driver’s seat during district championship play this week. 

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Happy Trails! Free-Wheelin’ ATVers Rock Machias Jamboree

By Paul Sylvain

For one weekend this year, an assortment of three-wheelers, four-wheelers, and even a dirt bike or two outnumbered black flies and ‘skeeters in the Shiretown, as scores of ATV enthusiasts turned out for the second annual Machias ATV Jamboree June 28-29.

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People ‘All Fired Up’ for Cherryfield Days

By Wayne Smith

Cherryfield Days is this Friday and Saturday (July 5-6), and I could tell that a lot of people had the fever for it ahead of time and wanted to talk about some of their favorite memories about the town’s annual celebration. Cherryfield is a town with a lot of spirit and pride, that came through loud and clear when I spoke with people about it. This is some of what they had to say. 

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$8.4 Million Machias School District Budget Passes in 14 Minutes

By Paul Sylvain

It took just 14 minutes for less than two dozen voting residents of Machias to quickly dispense with an 18-article warrant and pass an $8.4 million school budget for fiscal year 2024-25.

The meeting was held on June 25 at the Rose M. Gaffney School gymnasium.

After electing attorney Toff Toffolon as the meeting’s moderator, a motion was made to consolidate Articles 2 through 11, so that all ten of those funding articles would be voted up or down in a single vote without individual readings. 

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Truckin’ to the Debate

by Jonathan Reisman

I stayed up way past my usual bedtime to watch the Presidential debate and take in the reaction and the spin.  One good friend, aware of my angst over this election and the polarized state of the country, asked me as the debate concluded, “Were you impressed?” to which I responded, “Not with anyone there actually.” Perhaps that was a little (but only a little) bit unfair. They all actually exceeded my low expectations.

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WindowDressers is Coming Back to Machias

Are your heating costs out of control?  Are you not able to be warm in your own home?  Well, you are in luck.  WindowDressers is coming back to Machias to build custom fit window inserts to keep you warm and save money at the same time.

Thanks to the initiative of Machias Area Community Action Workers (MACAW) a new WindowDressers Community Build will take place in Machias Nov. 8-15, 2024, after a hiatus of several years.  Again, we are partnering with the Machias Savings Bank to host this event at the Edward L. Hennessey Building, 1 Colonial Way in Machias.

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40-Year Retrospective of Dennysville-Born Artist at EAC

Eastport Arts Center’s Washington Street Gallery will feature S.A. Weir: A Retrospective, July 2-30, featuring 40 years of artwork in four mediums: watercolor, pastel, oil, and acrylic. A reception with the artist will be held on Sunday, July 7, from 2-4 p.m. 

A native of Dennysville, Weir lived on her grandparent’s farm until her parents moved to coastal Beverly, Massachusetts, where she currently resides. She spends her summers in Perry. 

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Always ‘Mission Ready’ Currier Prepares for Next Chapter after 32 Years as Forest Ranger

By Will Tuell

After 32 years wearing a uniform for the Maine Forest Service, rising from a field Ranger to one of the highest-ranking officers in the 66-man agency and becoming one of a handful of individuals around the country certified to manage air responses to some of the biggest wildfires and natural disasters across the country, Marion Township’s Jeff Currier signed off for the last time June 28. 

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Bees, Bats, and Moths — Oh, My! Porter Library Summer Program ‘Pollinating’ Young Minds

By Paul Sylvain

Besides bees, butterflies, and moths, you may want to include Porter Memorial Library in Machias as one of The Mighty Pollinators children learned about there on June 25.

The book with that title, written by Helen Frost and featuring incredible photography by Rick Lieder, was the featured selection for last week’s Summer Reading Program session. This year’s program began June 18 and continues at 11 a.m. Tuesdays, through Aug. 27.

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E Pluribus Unum

by Jonathan Reisman

I spent our 248th birthday in Cooper, eschewing parades and politics to marinate in memories, both happy and haunting. This past year of personal bereavement, filial weddings, and political angst has left me both pensive and emotional, occasionally even teary-eyed. I cycled through many years of July 4th memories, searching for solace and optimism.

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Chen-Blake Featured Artist at Henry D. Moore Library in Steuben This Month

Sandy Chen-Blake is the July Featured Artist at the Henry D. Moore Library in Steuben. A native of Taiwan and naturalized US citizen, Sandy enjoys oil painting and Chinese calligraphy. She is a part-time summer Steuben resident along with her husband Richard. Her flair for calligraphy stems from childhood from her talented father's tutoring, who migrated with Chiang Kai-shek to Taiwan.

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A Band from Spain Coming to Milbridge

By Wayne Smith

On July 18 at 7 p.m., the Milbridge Theatre will be bringing Sam Lardiner and the Group Barcelona all the way from Barcelona, Spain, to town. 

“The concert is at the Milbridge Theatre & Community Arts Center Auditorium and will be our first time hosting an international group,” Richard Bondurant said. “Sam and his group are like James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Lyle Lovett meet the Gypsy Kings, and they all go for a musical joyride.” 

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East Machias Voters Act on 43-Article Warrant in 30-Minute Town Meeting

Becomes Latest Town to Adopt Home-Grown Solar Ordinance

By Paul Sylvain

In about the time it takes to brew some coffee and scramble up some eggs and lobster, around 40 East Machias residents met and quickly passed the town’s 43-article annual town meeting warrant June 29.

The meeting moved swiftly toward adjournment some 34 minutes after it started, thanks to consolidating into single votes the bulk of the school, and later town, budgets.

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Bad Little Falls Park Summer Concert Series Returns July 11 with Hot Velvet

By Paul Sylvain

The outdoor stage overlooking the series of rapids and falls from which Machias earned its Abenaki name comes alive with nine weeks of smokin’ hot bands and cool tunes beginning with Hot Velvet on July 11.

Yes, the Bad Little Falls Park Summer Concert Series is back and better than ever for its fourth straight year. From rock and blues to Americana, folk, and more, the lineup for 2024 features a broad variety of musical styles and genres. 

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David Cale and ‘Fire Dog’ Petey Respond to Marshfield Fire

By Will Tuell

When last readers heard from Machiasport’s David Cale, the affable harbormaster, clam-digger, and commercial diver had enlisted with the town’s volunteer fire department and was learning the basics of fire protection as part of a regional training program several area departments were involved with. 

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Volunteers Feted for Ridding Hadley Lake of Floating Camp

By Paul Sylvain

A group of volunteers, who earlier this year gave of their time and equipment to resolve a problem 11 years in the making, were honored at a June 25 ceremony at West Branch Farms in Machias. 

“I just wanted this group to get some much-deserved recognition,” Maine Game Warden Joe McBrine explained after the ceremony. “They should be proud of what they did, and I am sure our community will appreciate hearing about it.”

One of those volunteers was Justin Albee, who explained it best.

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Groundwork Progresses on King Construction’s Newest Apartment Project

By Paul Sylvain

Groundwork on what will be a new four-unit apartment building on King Avenue in Machias entered the next phase on June 28 with the pouring of the building’s foundation.

The project began on May 15 with work crews clearing trees and brush from the site, located behind King’s existing two-story, eight-unit apartment building at 10 King Ave. In the six weeks since work began, fill was brought in, the site leveled, and the foundation’s form set.

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Sheriff Turns to Pennsylvania for New Cruisers as Automakers Close Maine Dealers Refusing to Sell Electric Vehicles

By Paul Sylvain

A discussion at the regular meeting of Washington County commissioners on July 11 has brought to light a troubling trend facing the county’s sheriff’s office and perhaps law enforcement agencies around the state when looking to purchase new cruisers.

“We have a slight problem as far as trying to purchase vehicles,” Washington County Sheriff Barry Curtis told commissioners. “We sent out all that paperwork, and nobody responded from all over the state.”

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Remembering Les Haynes as Machias Mourns the Passing of a True Community ‘Spirit’

By Paul Sylvain

Few people have left such an indelible mark on the community they loved and faithfully served as Leslie “Les” Haynes.

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Currier Leads Miracle Comeback as Machias 10U Softball Clinches District 1 Championship

By Will Tuell

Audrey Currier and the Machias Area Little League 10U softball squad dug themselves a hole in the District 1 Little League tournament two weeks ago, losing 9-3 against Ellsworth, before going on a historic do-or-die run that saw the underdog Shiretown girls win back-to-back-to-back games -- including two against their Hancock County nemesis in stunning, nail-biting fashion last Tuesday to punch their ticket to the state tourney which began this past weekend. 

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NMDC Buys Back Former Bad Little Brewery Property at Auction

By Paul Sylvain

Already on the hook for $221,880 on a failed loan it financed in 2021, Caribou-based Northern Maine Development Commission, at a June 25 auction, essentially bought back the 101 Court St. property with a winning bid of $400,000. 

However, NMDC was, in fact, the sole bidder on the property and now is in it for at least $621,880, between the loan balance and the winning bid. Known as the Clark Perry House, the home’s barn into the Bad Little Brewery, which operated from there until closing permanently in December 2022.

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Longtime Dispatcher Retires after 15 Years

By Will Tuell

Longtime dispatcher Karen Redman of Marshfield retired from the Washington County Regional Communications Center in Machias on July 6 after fifteen years of sending out police, fire, and ambulance services to emergencies across the Sunrise County on a full-time basis. 

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Sound and Fury

by Jonathan Reisman

Americans are grappling with an unappealing Presidential choice, an underperforming economy, an untrustworthy media, and an unclear path forward. Early summer has brought fog, thunderstorms, and drama to our political community theatre.

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Beals Selectmen Told Eastern Bay Salmon Deaths were Due to Algae Bloom, not Disease

By Nancy Beal

A recent die-off of penned salmon in Eastern Bay, the body of water between the islands that make up the town of Beals to the west and Jonesport’s Head Harbor Island to the east, became the immediate topic of conversation among the towns’ lobstermen, for whom the bay is a popular fishing ground, when it began June 20. At the Beals selectmen’s July 9 meeting, Glenda Beal reported on the inquiries that she had made of the parties involved.

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So Many Goodies, So Little Time at Sugar & Crumbs Bakery

By Paul Sylvain

Tucked away on the right side of Kennedy Highway/Route 1A, a little over a mile east of downtown Milbridge is one of the sweetest places you’ll find in Washington County. However, if you’re not careful and blink too fast, you might just miss the tempting goodies within.

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Waiting for Grandpa to Come Back Home

The story of one Israeli hostage and his 3-year-old granddaughter

By Anav Silverman Peretz

A few weeks ago, I was sitting with my family at McDonald's on the way back home to our home in the Negev desert after a visit with our in-laws in Raanana. Our kids were munching on French fries, while my husband went to get our order. I watched Israelis, young and old, sitting together in the American fast food chain, quite popular in Israel.

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Whitneyville Library’s New Summertime Story Hour Features Book Readings, Crafts

By Paul Sylvain

Whitneyville, Maine, is the last place on earth you’d expect to meet an alligator, but on July 20, a group of eager children were introduced to one by Whitneyville Library’s storyteller Monique Smith.

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Machias Area Boy Scouts Welcome Newest Eagle Scout

By Will Tuell

There are many things in life that demand years of commitment and sacrifice. Doctors and lawyers go through extensive schooling before they can hang out their proverbial shingle. Servicemen and women train, serve abroad, and put their lives on the line for the defense of our country. Those who want to become elite soldiers like Green Berets or Navy SEALs will spend even more time reaching the pinnacle of their fields. 

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New Requirements for Dogs Entering the US Starting Aug. 1

By Jayna Smith

Beginning Aug. 1, new rules will be in effect relating to dogs entering or returning to the United States.  These depend on where the dog has been in the six months before entering the U.S. and where it received its rabies vaccination, if required, all in an effort to prevent rabies-infected canines from entering the U.S.  

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Whitneyville Honors Frances Vane

By Paul Sylvain

The guest of honor was fashionably late for her own ceremony, but then again, 93-years-young Frances Vane had no clue until she arrived in the function room at the Machias Veterans Home that she was, in fact, the guest of honor. 

The honor bestowed on Vane was the presentation of the Boston Post Cane as Whitneyville’s most senior resident by Whitneyville selectboard members Judy Spencer, Brenda Bridges, and Chairman Nate Pennell. 

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Demography, Destiny, and Dumbasses

by Jonathan Reisman

One of my favorite courses was demography, the study of human populations. Demographers draw on statistics and a broad swath of both the natural and social sciences, including economics, sociology, geography, political science, biology, psychology, and medicine. Demography starts with a deceptively simple mathematical identity: Change in Population= Births-Deaths+ Net Migration. Therein lie some of the most sensitive and freedom consequential policy areas: fertility, mortality, and immigration/emigration.

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Roque Bluffs Community Center Annual Meeting and Potluck Dinner Held

By Bob McCollum 

The Roque Bluffs Community Center’s Annual Meeting and Potluck Dinner played to a packed house as community members learned more about the center’s activities on Saturday, July 13.

Attendees also learned about recent successes and scholarships for two recent graduates, celebrated one particular community member, and heard from Mr. Sam Whitney, Vice President and Branch Manager of Machias Savings Bank in Machias.

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Coastal Subs Makes Waves in Pembroke

By Will Tuell

Whether it’s general manager Kaci Leighton’s friendly smile, her crew’s care and attention to detail, or the delicious variety of freshly made subs, sandwiches, and baked goods, Coastal Subs in Pembroke has quickly “made waves” as Downeasters say, in the nine months the Mom-and-Pop sub shop has been serving travelers up and down Route 1. 

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Machias Softball Eliminated from Little League 10U Tourney

By Will Tuell

Machias Little League’s 10U softball team went into the state tournament with high hopes last week but found out early on that they would have to, once again, dig themselves out of a hole. Unfortunately for coaches Shannon Currier, Emily Fitzsimmons, and Rebecca Hunter, things didn’t quite work out, though the girls, led by hurler Audrey Currier, didn’t exit the double-elimination tourney without a fight or, to some degree, without controversy. 

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Machias Summer Concert Series Returns For Fourth Season Bigger and Better than Ever

Large Crowd Packs Bad Little Falls Park for Cook ‘n’ Lamb

By Paul Sylvain

Some came with lawn and beach chairs. Others chose to sit on concrete walls or simply stand and watch. Young and old and every age in-between, they came in droves to Bad Little Falls Park in Machias on July 18 for the first in a weekly series of summer concerts scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursdays through Sept. 5.

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