J’port Selectmen Reconsider Position on Former Coast Guard Housing

By Nancy Beal

For at least a decade, an eight-unit housing complex located north of Greenwood Cemetery on Jonesport’s eastern side that used to house personnel from the Jonesport Coast Guard base has stood empty, after the servicemen and their families moved to a complex in Harrington. Recently, the (federal) General Services Administration (GSA), which handles the purchase and sale of government property, asked the town of Jonesport if it was interested in buying the abandoned group of houses and invited the town to make an offer if it was.

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Local Conservation Groups Clear Trails for Public Use

The Downeast Salmon Federation (DSF) and the Pleasant River Fish and Game Conservation Association (PRFGCA) partnered together with community volunteers to clear downed trees along trails in DSF’s Pleasant River Community Forest in Columbia last week.  

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Machias Selectboard Reorganizes After Annual Town Meeting, Awards Sand Contract

Edwards Replaces Porcher as Vice Chair

 

By Paul Sylvain

Probably the last thing the five-member Machias selectboard wanted to do after slogging through a hefty 55-article town meeting warrant on Sept. 25 was to reconvene to conduct routine housekeeping chores at the Telebusiness Center town office. But meet, they did, at 8:55 p.m.

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Angus, Demi, and ME

by Jonathan Reisman

Thirty years ago, I had an “Angus King for Governor” sign on the big white pine that towers over my mailbox. It was one of very few in Washington County. Angus kept his promise to get rid of car testing, opposed the salmon listing, and pushed $100 million (more than a million a mile) in improvements to Route 9 that significantly reduced both travel time and white knuckles on the airline. Despite that, the Two Maines problem got significantly worse during his tenure in both the Blaine House and the Senate. 

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Creative Financing Spurs Debate, Confusion as Dozens Gather for Machias Town Meeting

By Paul Sylvain

As the saying goes, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And for some residents at the Machias annual town meeting on Sept. 25, it was -- especially after reports of the town’s generous budget proposal surfaced last week. 

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Community Reflects on Life, Legacy of Longtime Physician

By Will Tuell

For the third week in a row, Downeasters struggled to cope with the loss of a beloved community member as news of the passing of Dr. John Gaddis, a lifelong resident of East Machias who practiced family medicine for decades on the banks of the river he grew up on, swept through the greater Machias area.  Known for his folksy Downeast manner and a willingness to treat a wide range of aches and ills, Gaddis was, for many Washington County residents over the span of four-plus decades, the only physician they ever saw.  

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Bronson Edges Brown in Tight Whiting Selectboard Race

By Will Tuell

Janice Bronson and Colleen Brown – the two candidates who vied for a seat on Whiting’s Board of Selectmen – will not soon forget the razor-thin margin that separated them. Bronson, a 23-year veteran of the town’s selectboard, secured 29 votes while Brown, a relative newcomer to local politics, picked up 27 votes on Sept. 23 in one of the closest local races in recent history. 

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Rumors of Asylum Seekers Being Sent to Calais Spark Clarification from City Officials

By Jayna Smith

A recent social media post generated widespread discussion in Calais and surrounding towns, following claims that Governor Janet Mills contacted Calais Mayor Artie Mingo regarding the relocation of asylum seekers to the city.  The post alleged that Governor Mills informed the mayor she would be sending two busloads of asylum seekers to Calais, and that Mayor Mingo responded by stating two buses would be waiting to send them back to Augusta.

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Washington County Safety Building Project ‘a Little’ Behind Schedule, but Still On Budget

By Paul Sylvain

What, for several months, appeared more like a big hole containing only the 40-by-90-foot concrete foundation for the future two-story Washington County Safety Building, began taking shape above ground last week with the addition of the building’s outer walls.

It has been a slow grind since the project’s official groundbreaking ceremony on June 13, at the Court Street site, across from the current Washington County Sheriff’s Office. 

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Maine Schools Rank 16th in Nation New Survey Says

By Will Tuell

Depending on who you ask, Maine schools are either the best in the nation or the worst, which may indicate the truth lies somewhere in between. At least that’s the conclusion WalletHub, a personal finance company based in Miami presented in their latest findings on education in America. Maine, the study shows, ranks 16th out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

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Down East Community Hospital Auxiliary Honors ENT Department

In their continuing effort to recognize the hard-working people of the Down East Community Hospital and its affiliates, the Down East Community Hospital Auxiliary would like to honor the team that makes up the Otolaryngology (ENT) Department to thank them for all they do.

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CORRECTION

On the front page story in the Oct. 9 edition of the MVNO regarding interim town manager Christina Therrien’s salary, it was correctly reported that her hourly rate was set at $43.41 an hour for work to be performed on behalf of the town of Machias. However, because of an error in calculating her pay on an annual basis, it was incorrectly reported she would earn $96,532.80 if she worked 40 hours per week for 52 weeks. The correct amount should have read $90,292.80.

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Interim Manager Therrien to be Paid a Higher Hourly Wage than Late Manager Kitchen

CORRECTION:  It was correctly reported that her hourly rate was set at $43.41 an hour for work to be performed on behalf of the town of Machias. However, because of an error in calculating her pay on an annual basis, it was incorrectly reported she would earn $96,532.80 if she worked 40 hours per week for 52 weeks. The correct amount should have read $90,292.80. The amount Therrien would receive is $224.80 more that what late town manager Kitchen would have earned had he not passed away, and not the $6,672 that was reported in the story.

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Washington County’s Department Heads Give Their Best Sales Pitches at Budget Committee Meeting

By Paul Sylvain

In something of an annual rite of passage each fall, Washington County’s department heads and representatives met with the county’s budget advisory committee on Oct. 3, to present their arguments for a proposed budget that is up even more than first thought.

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Machiasport Selectboard OKs Hunting on Town-Owned Land, Urges Hunter Safety

By Paul Sylvain

Following perhaps the most spirited and at times emotionally charged discussion of the evening, the Machiasport selectboard unanimously voted at its Sept. 30 meeting to allow hunting on all town-owned property, to include a blanket permission for hunters to use trail cameras and tree stands. 

Machiasport owns several pieces of land throughout the town, including a 27-acre lot and a separate-but-adjacent 47-acre lot behind the town office and future town garage site. 

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Washington County Readying for Turkey-a-Thon This Week

By Jayna Smith

Washington County is preparing for a beloved tradition: the 20th Annual Turkey-a-Thon, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 11. 

Classic Hits 92.7/95.3 FM and The Border 102.9 FM, in partnership with Healthy Acadia and generously sponsored by Dunkin’ and V.L. Tammaro Oil Company, have been the driving force behind the Turkey-a-Thon’s continued success. Every dollar raised goes directly to local grocery stores, where gift cards are purchased and distributed to food pantries that serve families in need throughout Washington County.

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Cooke Aquaculture Working with Machiasport to Improve Communication and Community Involvement

By Paul Sylvain 

Cooke Aquaculture USA of Maine Public Affairs Director Steve Hedlund met briefly with the Machiasport selectboard on Sept. 30, to discuss channels of communication between Cooke and town officials and to open the door to Cooke playing a role in supporting community projects in Machiasport. 

“I appreciate the opportunity to address the selectboard,” began Hedlund, noting that he and selectperson Sarah Dedmon had recently met to discuss several issues. 

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Explore Maine’s Aquaculture Industry with New Virtual Field Trips from 4-H

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H announced the launch of virtual field trips, an innovative way for youth learners to explore Maine’s thriving aquaculture industry. These immersive online experiences bring aquaculture to life, offering participants the chance to step inside cutting-edge facilities and learn directly from industry experts. Through the power of virtual reality and accessible browser-based tools, these trips highlight the processes behind sustainable aquaculture—no travel required.

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A Picture Worth 3 Million Acres

by Jonathan Reisman

In the 1990s, Maine adopted a 10% public lands goal (about 2 million acres) and began generously funding the Land for Maine Future’s program to achieve it. The effort was led by Governor Angus King and Senate Majority Leader (and future Congresswoman) Chellie Pingree, who sponsored a $50 million land bond. Twenty-five years ago, that was real money.

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Gusty Winds Spawn Widespread Power Outages Last Weekend

By Will Tuell

Higher than expected wind gusts brought about widespread power outages across coastal Washington County Oct. 12 Versant Power reported. As of 11 a.m. Saturday, some 13,400 Versant customers were without power, the company said, adding that 2200 of those were located in the Sunrise County. 

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Machias to Split Roles, Hire Separate Town Manager, Operations Manager

Town to Advertise Ops Manager Now, Timeline TBD on Town Manager Hire

By Paul Sylvain

In the coming months, Machias residents will see several significant changes in how the town literally manages its day-to-day business.

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Lingering Confusion About the Sept. Machias Annual Meeting Prompts Call for Special Town Meeting, Revote

By Paul Sylvain

Machias residents, upset over how a handful of costly spending articles were handled at the Sept. 25 annual town meeting, will have a chance to reconsider their votes at a future special town meeting.

Interim Town Manager Christina Therrien began her manager’s report at the Oct. 9 selectboard meeting saying many questions had since been raised by residents regarding the town’s recreation department budget, grant funding for various projects, and how certain articles were amended at the town meeting.

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Beals Selectmen Worried about County Budget, Town Share up 77-Percent in Last Decade

By Nancy Beal

Beals selectmen Glenda Beal and Lorena Faulkingham met Oct. 8 and talked about subjects ranging from beauty pageants to county taxes. (Daniel Davis was absent due to illness.)

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Historic Jonesport Building on the Market, Town Invited to Make an Offer

By Nancy Beal

The last Main Street building in what was once a commercial center in West Jonesport is on the market, and the town could become a potential buyer. Originally the Cummings & Norton store, the 134-year-old building today is surrounded by town-owned property: a modern firehouse to the rear and the old firehouse close on the west side, leased to Paul Farnsworth who maintains an auto repair business there.

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An Act to Define and Assess Equity

I am going to have some version of the following submitted next session:

When a state agency advances “equity” in any policy area, “equity” must be defined and a metric must be developed and used to assess and evaluate the “equity” policy. 

This would apply to public K-12 and higher education as well.

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Halloween House in Machias A Spooky Sight to Behold

By Wayne Smith

I caught up with Paul Cunningham of Machias recently. We talked for about 40 minutes about him decorating his house on the corner of West and Water streets with skeletons. He had a graveyard scene that was both spooky and original. He even had a fog machine; a lot of lights and crazy cobwebs danced on the outside of the house. 

Cunningham talked about Halloween and why he decorated his house the way he did. He is 54 years old, and Halloween has been his favorite holiday since he was a little kid. 

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Reisman Gains Commissioners’ Support for Bill Limiting Public Land Grab in Washington County

By Paul Sylvain

Noted economist, policy analyst, and retired University of Maine at Machias professor Jonathan Reisman met with Washington County Commissioners John Crowley and Vinton Cassidy last week to seek their support for a bill to limit the amount of public land being taken in Washington County.

“As I think you know,” began Reisman, “the state developed a climate action plan four years ago. Governor Mills campaigned to do so, and she did.”

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Porter Library’s ‘Storywalk’ Marks First-Year Anniversary

By Paul Sylvain

Thanks to a year-long partnership with Healthy Acadia, Porter Memorial Library marked the first anniversary of its backyard Storywalk on Oct. 18 with pumpkin-themed goodies and tables full of happy, eager kids painting pumpkins and tiny gourds.

And just like the library’s first Storywalk kickoff last year on Oct. 6, 2023, the event was blessed with a picture-perfect autumn day, clear blue skies, a carpet of colorful leaves, and mild temperatures.

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History Comes to Life in Harrington as Local Couple Plans Heritage Weekend, Schools Invited

By Will Tuell

With Maine’s rich past rapidly giving way to the digital age, a Harrington couple and some of their friends are hoping to breathe new life into our region’s past. For the past several years, Arthur Langley and Linda Gray have spearheaded the “Living History HERITAGE Long Weekend” at Hardwood Point in Harrington in mid-September featuring colonial, Revolutionary War era, and Native American exhibits. 

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Illegal Immigrant Crossings Soar Along Maine’s Border

By Paul Sylvain

Forget the Southern border.

Maine, with its mostly heavily wooded and remote 611-mile international land border with the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec, has become an increasingly attractive place for undocumented immigrants to enter undetected into the United States.

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American Lobster Population, Habitat Preferences Shifting, Study Finds

American lobsters along Maine’s coast have relocated to new habitats, while the population simultaneously shrunk in abundance and grew older, according to a new study by University of Maine researchers.

For decades, the vast majority of adult lobsters resided in boulder shelter habitats. This knowledge helped inform longtime conservation efforts and regulations within the more than $740 million fishery. 

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Christian School Walk-A-Thon Raises $10K

By Will Tuell

Students and staff from the Machias Valley Christian School took to the Down East Sunrise Trail Oct. 18 to raise money for their school. Cheered on by parents, community members, and local businesses who helped sponsor the kindergarten-to-seventh graders’ walk-a-thon, the school was able to raise $10,000 towards its budget, board member Ashley Maker said in an interview later that day. 

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Climate Contrarian

by Jonathan Reisman

Maine’s draft climate action plan update is posted at Maine-Wont-Wait-Draft-10.15.24.pdf. 

It doubles down on expensive and unreliable energy (solar and wind), electric vehicles, youth indoctrination (Climate Corps anyone?), damaging rural Maine, moral preening, and refusing to tell the people of Maine how much global warming will be averted (none) and at what cost (bend over).

I will be having at least three bills submitted in response, led by “An Act to Promote Sound Science and Transparency in Climate Change Policy.” 

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Tomah to Give Machiasport Historical Society Talk

The Machiasport Historical Society is honored to have the highly respected Passamaquoddy Dr. Dwayne Tomah provide a significant and impactful presentation on "The Doctrine of Discovery From An Indigenous Perspective" at The Gates House on Monday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. “The Doctrine of Discovery” refers to a principle in public international law under which, when a nation “discovers” land, it directly acquires rights on that land. Dr. Tomah has been involved in repatriation and the Land Back movement and shares insight regarding the Doctrine of Discovery from an Indigenous perspective. 

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DECH Imaging Team Promotes Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, allowing a vital opportunity to shine a light on the impact of breast cancer on individuals and families everywhere. This month serves not only to honor those who have bravely battled the disease but also to advocate for early detection, education, and ongoing research.

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Machias Valley News Observer Honored at Maine Press Association Gala with 21 Awards

Runner-Up in Advertising, Third in General Excellence

By Will Tuell

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Machiasport Selectperson Serving Machias as Interim Operations Manager

Dedmon Sets Sights on Permanently Filling Vacant Town Manager’s Job

By Paul Sylvain

Sarah Craighead Dedmon can add the position of interim operations manager for the town of Machias to an already impressive and growing resumé, following a decision by the town’s selectboard on Oct. 23.

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Brenda Wood, Longtime Hospital Worker, Retires after 49 Years at DECH

By Will Tuell

Down East Community Hospital bid an emotional farewell to one of its own last week. Brenda Wood, of the Hadley Lake district of East Machias, notified hospital officials earlier this month that she would be stepping down from her position in DECH, after nearly five decades serving patients at the Machias hospital.

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Regulators Delay New Lobster Size Regs to July 1

By Will Tuell

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, or ASMFC, which oversees most commercial fishing activity from Maine to Florida, backed off a plan to require lobstermen release bigger lobsters after a year of intense lobbying by fishing industry trade groups, the state’s congressional delegation, and Maine’s Department of Marine Resources, in a vote Oct. 21. That plan, originally set to go into effect in June 2024 was delayed to Jan. 1, 2025, and has now been pushed back again to July 1, 2025. 

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Too Good to Toss Offers ‘A Little Bit of Everything’

By Wayne Smith

Richard Bedard is the volunteer librarian at Too Good to Toss Thrift Shop in Columbia Falls. I caught up with him and a few other people who volunteer there earlier this fall to talk about some of the great things you can find without having to go out of your way. 

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Semi-Random Election Season Notes

by Jonathan Reisman

HVAC Politics

I am not sure whether I get more forced hot air from my heat pump or the political ads. The heat pump at least keeps me comfortable if perhaps a little dry, plus there are Green New Deal virtue signaling points. I am told that laughter and humor are good for the immune system, and given the questionable efficacy of the Covid vaccines, I probably need all the help I can get.

World Series as Election Metaphor

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‘Off the Grid’: Gun Shop Owner, Former Selectman Stephen ‘Smitty’ Smith Dies Unexpectedly after Returning from Moose Hunt

By Paul Sylvain

As he posted in his own words at the start of a weeklong moose hunt on Oct. 13, Stephen J. Smith is “Off the grid.”

Better known to most people simply as “Smitty,” the long-time, well-known, and often colorful owner of Smitty’s Trading Post and former Machias selectman, died unexpectedly on Oct. 19, shortly after returning from that northern Maine moose hunt. He was 70.

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Jonesport Town Fathers Eye Real Estate

By Nancy Beal

Jonesport selectmen spent much of their Oct. 21 meeting discussing two parcels of land on which the town had been invited to make an offer. The first was the so-called “Dow property,” a large clapboarded structure on Main Street in front of the Jonesport Fire Department and adjacent easterly to Paul Farnsworth’s car repair business.

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Harbor Master, Fishermen Pitch in to Make Machiasport Pier Improvements

By Paul Sylvain

Most visitors traveling to Maine think of the seacoast in terms of Bar Harbor or the beaches in York and Cumberland counties. Many leave Maine not knowing that some of the most picturesque coastal towns and villages in places like Washington County make their living from the sea and not from tourism.

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Gone Too Soon: A Community Gathers to Celebrate the Life of ‘Miss Jenny’

By Paul Sylvain

On Aug. 3, scores of family members, friends, and even strangers, packed the Rose M. Gaffney gymnasium in record numbers for a fundraiser to help Jennifer Lee (Green) Fenney in her courageous battle against cancer. Just a short 85 days later — on Oct. 27 — many of those same people filled the Bay Ridge school gym in Cutler to celebrate the life of a much-loved woman, taken much too soon on Oct. 23. She was 49.

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