Eastport Arts Center’s Open Mic Night on Friday, April 12, will be dedicated to Sadi, the Eastport service dog, who is undergoing treatment for liver cancer. Sadi’s owner, Jeanne Katkavich, will bring Sadi for an appearance at the event and share the pair’s tale. Performers and event emcee Dave Grieco, a confirmed 'dog person,' are preparing to offer anecdotes and songs about canines they’ve known and loved.   

On April 16 at 6 p.m. at the Pembroke Library and on Zoom, The Pembroke Historical  Society will host Bill Plaskon, President of the Jonesport Historical Society, who will be presenting Jonesport In the Movies. His presentation tells the background stories of eight movies that were partially filmed in Jonesport, set in Jonesport, show Jonesport folks in the movie, or were assisted by the society or the town in making the movie. 

By Will Tuell

Washington County is in line for upwards of $50 million in federal spending, according to Maine’s Congressional delegation, following the passage of a second round of budget bills approved late last month. Earlier in March, the delegation had secured an estimated $20 million for Washington County projects, a figure which more than doubled with the most recent round of budget bills designed to avert a partial government shutdown. 

By Jayna Smith

In a bid to uphold fading historical narratives, one man stands resolute in his mission to immortalize the past.  Peter Duston, a retired US Army veteran, volunteers as a researcher with the Stories Behind the Stars organization, dedicated to documenting wartime stories of veterans.  With a focus on individuals from Washington County, Duston tirelessly seeks information on those who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II.

By Will Tuell

Schools in the Machias area will be closing early for the total solar eclipse on April 8. The early release, which includes AOS 96 schools only, is set for 1 p.m., according to Superintendent Scott Porter, who confirmed the news on March 29. 

For the Month of April 2024, the StoryWalk® at Porter Memorial Library in Machias will feature the beloved children’s classic, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter. Potter's most popular and well-loved tale follows the story of mischievous young Peter Rabbit as he squeezes under the gate into Mr. McGregor's garden, where he finds himself in all kinds of trouble.

By Nancy Beal

By Wayne Smith

People across Washington County are getting ready for the solar eclipse occurring on April 8. Here are some of their thoughts and reactions as the eclipse is less than two weeks away. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing it,” Jeanne Ireland said. 

“I’ve seen one back when I was a kid,” said John Brooks Jr. “It was pretty cool.”

By Will Tuell

Senator Marianne Moore (R-Calais) and Representative Tiffany Strout (R-Harrington) honored the Class C Volleyball State Champion Narraguagus Lady Knights at the State House in Augusta last week. The team, which defeated the Calais Blue Devils for the title last October in the state championship game, finished the season with only one loss -- to volleyball powerhouse and Class B runners-up, Washington Academy. 

by Jonathan Reisman

You Can’t Sit Here, an original children’s opera from Eastport Arts Center’s Music for Children project, will be presented for 5th through 8th grade students from 15 local schools at the end of this month, followed by an evening performance for the public, Friday, March 29, at 7 p.m., at Eastport Arts Center. The characters are students at a small elementary school who experience loneliness, anger, and frustration in reaction to bullying, isolation, loss of status, and school mores. 

By Will Tuell

Two Washington Academy seniors -- Dakoda Davis of East Machias and Emerson Morris of Charlotte -- were honored at the State House in Augusta on March 14 after being named the school’s valedictorian and salutatorian. The pair received legislative sentiments from Davis’s grandfather, State Representative Kenneth “Bucket” Davis (R-East Machias), and State Senator Marianne Moore (R-Calais), highlighting their academic accomplishments over the past four years. 

By Jayna Smith

On Monday, April 8, 2024, a spectacular celestial event, the total solar eclipse, will dazzle parts of the United States. This eclipse marks the final opportunity to witness a total solar eclipse from the contiguous United States until 2044. The eclipse will commence its journey into the nation from Texas and traverse through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, along with small portions of Tennessee and Michigan.

By Will Tuell

Two men on trial in a Machias courtroom for murdering 17-year-old Brandin Guerrero of Massapequa, New York, on Nov. 4, 2021, were found guilty of the murder on March 15 following nearly two weeks of testimony dominated by witnesses presented by the Maine Attorney General’s Office who implicated both the accused and the victim in a complex web of gang-related drug trafficking that has sent shockwaves throughout coastal Washington County since gunshots echoed throughout downtown Machias nearly two-and-a-half years ago. 

The WA Players are proud to announce their upcoming production of Murder at the Book Club, directed by Washington Academy English teacher Mr. Michael Campbell. 

Murder at the Book Club, by Sam Havens, takes a dark twist when a threatening telephone call sets the Queen Anne Murder Mystery Book Club on edge. Suddenly, all the lights go out, and gentle Nellie is murdered. But who is the killer…and why? Colorful characters and sparkling clues ingeniously hidden in plain sight will keep you enthralled until the final reveal.

Yesterday, Thursday morning, the office of the judge overseeing the ongoing Brandin Guerrero murder trial at the Washington County Superior Court reached out to us. They informed us that the Court Administrative Order for the press issued on February 29th, which initially granted permission for photography, was amended on Monday, March 11th, prohibiting photography in the courtroom. This was very late into our production windows for this week’s issue.  We were unaware of the court's modification to the order until this Thursday.

By Will Tuell

Maine Marine Patrol Officer Alex Michaud received the 2024 Maine Lobstermen’s Association Officer of the Year Award during a ceremony at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum on March 2 in Rockport. Michaud, who is the grandson of former state Senator Joyce Maker of Calais and whose parents Rik and Elizabeth “Liz” (Maker) Michaud are summer residents of Lubec, joined Marine Patrol in 2017. 

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H is offering its Ag Ambassador program in March and April. The program, open to all Maine teens ages 14-18, focuses on career exploration in the local food system through farm and production visits around the state and provides opportunities to build relationships with industry professionals.

by Jonathan Reisman

Bruises often turn purple, which is a much more interesting political color than red or blue. I took a couple of blows on Super Tuesday…what the bruises will look like and the degree to which they will heal remains to be seen.

One of the first lessons learned in life is if you play with fire, you’re going to get burned. The second lesson is that actions have consequences, sometimes deadly ones, as two witnesses in a murder trial in Machias learned the hard way in November 2021.

On trial for murder at Washington County Superior Court are Emanuel “Chepu” Ramos, 32, of Roxbury, Massachusetts, and Juan “Bebo” Ortiz, 29, of Concord, New Hampshire.

By Nancy Beal

Several residents of Jonesport’s Makers Point subdivision attended the Feb. 28 meeting of their town’s selectmen, asking how to convince the town to take over their access road, which is currently a private way. The lane starts at the end of Alexander Avenue (the road to the former town landfill) and leads for .9 of a mile into the subdivision on Indian River.