by Hazel Stark

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Following Saturday’s meteorite event over Washington County and New Brunswick, Canada, the Maine Mineral and Gem Society is offering a $25,000 reward for the first one-kilogram meteorite recovered.

According to NASA’s Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science (ARES)  lab, radar data picked up almost five minutes of meteorite falls into Washington County and New Brunswick just before noon on Saturday, April 8.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

It was an intriguing afternoon Downeast as eyewitnesses across Washington County, in New Brunswick, Canada, and as far away as Matinicus Isle reported seeing objects falling from the sky midday, Saturday, April 8. 

Marissa Wood of Machiasport said she saw something that came and went very quickly.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Expressions Floral, Bakery, and Unique Gifts opened its new Machias location at 125 Dublin Street in June 2019. Since then, its offerings have grown to include not only gifts, toys, flower arrangements, and local coffee but also gourmet baked goods like croissants and a custom line of personal care products.

So when Jennifer Bunker asked Expressions owner Sandi Malagara if she could spend a leisurely hour or two rearranging her gift shop shelves, Malagara didn’t hesitate to say, “Yes!”

by Nancy Beal

When Beals voters convene to act on the school budget later this spring, there will be more than money for the school on the warrant. They will be asked to consider a windmill ordinance and whether to spend money on a stage for the annual July 4 beauty pageant. They will also face a choice of changing the way two officeholders attain their seats.

by Jonathan Reisman

On August 14, 1935, President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, setting up a system of payroll taxes supporting retirees. The retirement age of 65 exceeded average life expectancy at the time by about a year. August 14th, 1935, was also my father’s 8th birthday, and in 10 years would be V - J Day, marking Japan’s surrender and the end of WWII.

The Trustee Tea has been an annual celebration for over twenty-five years. Each year, the WA Board of Trustees selects a distinguished educator and a distinguished community servant who have made extraordinary contributions to the community in education and community involvement. Community members, family, and friends gather under a traditional white tent to celebrate these award recipients through kind words, fellowship, and light refreshments. It’s a WA tradition synonymous with summer.

by Will Tuell

The State’s plan to sell the former Bucks Harbor Air Force base property received a tepid reception in the Legislature’s State and Local Government committee as lawmakers were left with more questions than answers during a March 21 public hearing featuring representatives from the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS), Representative Ken “Bucket” Davis (R-East Machias) who testified in opposition to the bill, and the Town of Machiasport which attempted to join the public hearing electronically. 

by Nancy Beal

Between 40 and 50 citizens of Beals turned out for their annual town meeting on March 21, including former selectman Daniel Davis, who has been absent in recent years for health reasons, but who attended what would be a marathon three-hour and, at times, a raucous meeting that he was selected to moderate. How to deal with two private roads generated much of the buzz.

by Jonathan Reisman

Washington Academy Head of School Judson McBrine proudly announces senior Isabel Cates as the 2023 Maine Principal's Award recipient. The award, sponsored by the Maine Principals' Association (MPA), is given in recognition of a high school senior's academic achievement and citizenship. Isabel is the daughter of Jeremy and Charlene Cates of Cutler. 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Andy Patterson of Cutler is reported to have died in a plane crash Saturday, March 25, in Johns Island, South Carolina.

Patterson was piloting the small aircraft when it crashed. Initial reports indicated Patterson was traveling with a passenger, but officials later clarified Patterson was alone in the Piper PA-28, according to the Charleston County News.

The Machias Valley Municipal Airport, where Patterson served on the airport committee, today posted about Patterson’s death.

by Will Tuell

A bill sponsored by Representative Ken “Bucket” Davis (R-East Machias) that would have given landowners and their immediate family members along the banks of a section of Middle River in Marshfield the opportunity to fish from their property was unanimously rejected by the Legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee March 15. 

by Will Tuell 

Washington County Community College is moving ahead with plans to offer an intensive three-month course for area residents who want to become emergency medical technicians (EMT) thanks to a partnership with the Kennebec Valley Community College and funding through the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, which allows most enrollees to take the 150-hour course free of charge, according to Nichole Sawyer, WCCC’s Dean of Workforce Development and Community Engagement. 

by Jonathan Reisman

Now that I am retired, I have more time to keep an eye on legislative mischief. I keep an eye on education, energy, and environmental policy, generally tracking four committees: Education and Cultural Affairs, Energy and Utilities, Environment and Natural Resources, and Agriculture and Conservation. Occasionally I will take a flyer on Veterans and Legal Affairs and Judiciary. In this post-Covid age, I generally do not travel to Augusta but instead offer written or zoom testimony when a legislative proposal piques my interest or concern.

by Lupe Soto

The last youth wrestling meet was held in 2015 at Washington Academy.  The youth program had been on and off since the 2015 season due to constrained available meeting space for a few years and the pandemic for two years. 

It was time to hold another meet, so on Saturday, March 18, the youth wrestlers of Washington County came together for a day of family-friendly fun and competition.

by Will Tuell

With the final buzzer sounding on the high school basketball season, the Maine Principals Association has given preliminary approval to a draft reclassification system that could dramatically change the look and feel of high school basketball in rural Maine, particularly in communities where student enrollment has seen a sharp swing. 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

A strong alumni association can boost school pride, enhance a sense of community, create networking opportunities, and help other graduates with scholarship money. Those good reasons and more are behind Wendy Schoppee’s drive to enroll more Bulldogs in the Machias Memorial High School Alumni Association.

“We have between 15 and 20 active members right now. We meet online,” said Schoppee, who serves as the association president. “We span a wide range of ages, from Class of 1969 to some early 2000s graduates.”

by Will Tuell

On Wednesday, March 8, Representative Ken “Bucket” Davis (R-East Machias) presented a bill before the Legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee that would lift limits on bass fishing in most Washington County rivers. The bill, supported by those looking to restore endangered Atlantic salmon Down East, generated widespread testimony from anglers, sportsmen’s groups, guides, nonprofit organizations, and the state itself. 

by Jonathan Reisman

by Hazel Stark