by Nancy Beal

Union 103 Superintendent Lewis Collins announced last winter that he would retire Aug. 31; and a search committee was formed to find a replacement for the post that oversees all three schools in the Jonesport-Beals region. However, there had been no movement over the summer — Collins told this reporter that there had been no applications — until last week when the joint board that handles matters pertaining to all three schools held a meeting at 5:00 p.m. Aug. 9.

By Will Tuell

The Town of Machiasport is looking to develop a mile-long interpretive trail on 27 acres of land behind the town office complex, clerk Marcia Hayward said in a phone interview earlier this month. But first, Hayward says, town officials are asking the public to write letters of support for a $15,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation’s “Conservation for All” program.

By Paul Sylvain

Washington County Commissioners on Aug. 10 reaffirmed an earlier decision green-lighting the District Attorney’s (DA) office to immediately move from its current 82 Court St. location to its new home at the former Talbot Law office building at 24 Center St..

by Joseph Horn

by Nancy Beal

Jarod Farn-Guilette of the Maine Department of Transportation’s (MEDOT) Village Partnership program attended the Jonesport selectmen’s meeting last week and described how the DOT works with towns to bring about improvements to infrastructure. Although most of the talk was general, in which Farn-Guilette described how the Village Partnership program works and what it could help with, the sidewalks that run through downtown Jonesport alongside State Route 187 were the focus.

By Paul Sylvain

Perhaps it was a case of Divine intervention, but after a night of heavy rain and early morning fog, the skies above Sawyer Memorial Congregational Church in Jonesport cleared Saturday morning just in time for the church’s “Summer Fling” steeple restoration fundraiser.

By Will Tuell

Family, friends, and community members paid tribute to beloved Machias Valley Christian School administrator June Ashmore last week as news of her passing after a short illness spread across the tight-knit community Ashmore had served for generations.

By Will Tuell

The Washington Academy (WA) board of trustees on Aug. 5 bestowed their 2023 Distinguished Educator Award on revered English teacher Bill Holmes of Machiasport.  Holmes taught generations of high-school students and coached basketball during his storied tenure at the East Machias-based high school. 

By Paul Sylvain

At approximately 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, Machias police responded to a report of a mysterious oil spill in front of the Machias Valley New Observer (MVNO) office on 41 Broadway.

By Paul Sylvain

Barely a year after an adult-use marijuana ordinance was enacted in Machias, the town’s selectboard is considering taking  up the subject again with the intent of expanding or replacing the town’s current ordinance to include non-medical “recreational,” adult-use stores that could sell so-called “legal” marijuana.

By Paul Sylvain

A warrant article seeking up to $65,000 to fund the town’s share of operating the Machias Bay Area Transfer Station on Broadway easily passed at the July 26 annual town meeting, but not before drawing the longest discussion of the 83-minute meeting.

Past Machias Budget Committee member and retired University of Maine at Machias Business Division Chairman Richard Larson opened the discussion by noting voters can choose to pass or decrease the amount in such enterprise account warrant articles, but cannot increase the dollar amount.

By Will Tuell

by Paul Sylvain

According to Anchor co-owner Kelly Davis, her husband of 36 years, Larry, always wanted to own a bar and be a bartender. On May 29, he got his wish.

That’s the day the Anchor opened its doors for business on 36 Main St., in Machias. “The only thing,” said Davis, with a laugh, “is that I do most of the bar tending.”

The Filthy Casuals band played the Anchor its first Saturday after opening and packed the house. “It was overwhelming,” Davis said, “especially for the first time doing this.”

Washington Academy Head of School Judson McBrine announced Mrs. Colleen Maker has been selected as a 2024 Maine State Teacher of the Year Semi-Finalist. She is one of eight educators the Maine Department of Education chose to move forward in the naming process. Mrs. Maker teaches biology, honors biology, and marine biology classes at WA. 

McBrine said in a press release last week that Maker is one of “the most passionate and enthusiastic teachers” he’s worked with over the course of his 32-year career, 

By Paul Sylvain

The Machias Hannaford store on Dublin Street was evacuated and closed its doors to customers and store associates for nearly five hours Tuesday, Aug. 1, as the Dead River Company investigated the reported odor of gas. 

The evacuation occurred around 10 a.m. and the store remained closed until 2:30 p.m, while shoppers and employees in the store at the time were quickly evacuated. 

By Paul Sylvain

Machias residents will gather this week to consider a 49-article annual town meeting warrant to fund the town’s operation through Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). The current fiscal year began July 1 and ends June 30, 2024. 

The meeting is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 26, at the Rose M. Gaffney School gymnasium.

By Will Tuell

Several area churches are pitching in to hold what has become a mid-summer tradition: Vacation Bible School or VBS at Larrabee Baptist Church in Machiasport during the week of July 31 – Aug. 4 from 9-11:30 a.m. Organizer Paula Maker says the themed weeklong program designed to immerse children aged 4-12 in the Bible has grown so much over the years that this year organizers have worked with Fort O’Brien Elementary School to relieve traffic congestion at Larrabee by utilizing the school’s parking lot as a staging area.

by Jonathan Reisman

I first met Ernie in September of 1975 in the hallway of the Dana dormitory on the Colby College campus in Waterville, Maine. It was not love at first sight or a cute moment. I was a junior visiting a friend and was introduced to a freshman woman. I don’t remember who introduced us or what Ernie said. Four years later, we were married and starting a life adventure together. Now I am the memory for both of us.

By Paul Sylvain

Kazoos, juice harps and ukes, oh my, my, my. If it’s late July in Machias, it can mean only one thing. Music whiz Gene Nichols is leading group rehearsals for this year’s Machias Blueberry Festival musical at Centre Street Congregational Church.

This year’s show, titled The Record of Washington County, was written and is being produced by Nichols. 

By Will Tuell

The family of a missing Steuben fisherman who did not return home from hauling lobster traps in Jonesport July 21 has not given up hope that 18-year-old Tylar Michaud will be found, according to family friend Joline Brown. Brown, who spearheaded a community effort to raise almost $25,000 in two days, said that volunteers will scour air, land, and sea as the likelihood of Michaud’s survival diminishes with each passing day.

Down East Community Hospital and Calais Community Hospital held its annual meeting of the Corporators on Thursday, June 30. During the meeting,  board officers were announced, and Jackie O’Clair, who most recently served as the Vice Chair and Secretary, held her first meeting as Board Chair. 

By Will Tuell

The Machias Board of Selectmen continued discussions on whether to update the town’s adult-use marijuana ordinances during their July 12 meeting.