1. 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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  2. 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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  3. 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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  4. 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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  5. 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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  6. 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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  7. 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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  8. 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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  9. 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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  10. 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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  11. 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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  12. 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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  13. 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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  14. 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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  15. 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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  16. 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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  17. 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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  18. 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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  19. 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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  20. 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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  21. 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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  22. 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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  23. 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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  24. 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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  25. 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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  26. 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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  27. Community Mourns Teen Lost in Auto Accident

    By Will Tuell

    Days after the Machias area was left reeling with the sudden and tragic loss of beloved town manager Bill Kitchen, area residents struggled to come to grips with a second tragedy, that of 18-year-old Joshua “Joshy” Dudley of Whiting, who lost his life in an automobile wreck Sunday, Sept. 15. 

    Officials told WABI TV 5 in Bangor that Dudley crossed the centerline multiple times, resulting in a rollover before striking a utility pole at approximately 5 p.m. He was then ejected from the vehicle, the report continued. 

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  28. From Town Administrator to County Manager, Renee Gray Sees Her Role as Chief Troubleshooter

    By Paul Sylvain

    Renee Gray wrapped up her first year as Washington County manager on July 6. As she explained in an interview at her office in the county courthouse building on Sept. 17, it has been a rewarding, though at times challenging, year. 

    As Gray digs in for her second year as the Sunrise County’s administrator, 2025 may be even more challenging for her, given the uncertainty over a proposed $10.8-million budget currently under scrutiny by the county’s budget committee.  

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  29. County Budget Committee Facing Tough Decision on $10.8-Million ‘Sticker Shock’ Budget

    Dispatchers, Information Technology Top County’s Wish List

     

    By Paul Sylvain

    It is not the best of times for the Washington County budget committee after the county commissioners handed them a proposed 2025 budget that, if fully funded as presented — after subtracting projected revenues from expenditures — would ring in at  $10,845,108. That figure is up by $2.7 million, or approximately 33 percent, over the approved budget of $8,098,215.83 for the current year.

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  30. Jonesport Wind Ordinance Aired, Vote to Follow Next March as Selectboard Preps to Extend Moratorium

    By Nancy Beal

    Last winter, Jonesporters voted to place a six-month moratorium on commercial windmills and a volunteer committee began putting together an ordinance to govern their development after the half-year pause had run its course. Two weeks ago, that panel held a public hearing on their draft proposal that is required before the measure is put to a binding vote of the town. Nine people showed up, the majority of them members of the committee.

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  31. Statewide Home Sale Prices Cross $400K for First Time

    By Will Tuell

    The state’s housing market remains healthy, officials with the Maine Association of REALTORS® said in a news release Sept. 19 detailing the latest home sales and values from across the state.  According to Maine Listings, existing single-family sales were up 1.66 percent in August compared to August 2023. The statewide median, or average, sales price reached $400,000 -- a surge of 7.53 percent over the same period a year ago.   

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  32. Climate Policy, Polls, and Polarization

    by Jonathan Reisman

    September brought a super full moon, a partial eclipse, solar flares, and aurora alerts. The calendar included my late wife’s birthday, our anniversary, Labor Day, Sept. 11th, Constitution Day, and a hermit-ending late summer trip down the airline to Bangor.  All those events are linked to less sleep and strong emotions (alas, Kamala’s “Joy” is not one of them). That may explain a somewhat scattershot column on climate policy, polls, and polarization.

    Climate Policy Anxiety  

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  33. Elm Street’s Student-Staff Assistance Team to Raffle Downeast Dinner

    By Will Tuell

    A small team of staff at Elm Street School in East Machias known as the Student Staff Assistance Team or SSAT is kicking off their fall fundraiser with a Downeast dinner raffle which will help support special activities around the preK-8 school. According to school secretary Tammy Wood, tickets can be purchased directly from the school anytime during regular business hours or from a staff member. They are $1 each or six for $5. The drawing will be held Oct. 23. The dinner includes lobsters, clams, and the fixings. 

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  34. October StoryWalk® at Porter Memorial Library Will Feature Hector Fox and Friends

    The StoryWalk® at Porter Memorial Library in Machias will feature Hector Fox and the Giant Quest by Astrid Sheckles for the month of October. This lovely picture book, the first in a series written and illustrated by Sheckels, highlights the powers of imagination, friendship, and perseverance. Hector Fox and a group of woodland friends set out on a journey far beyond their home in the friendly Green Wood to discover whether rumors of a fairy-tale giant are true, with plenty of surprises along the way.

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  35. Ingrish Sisters Dominate First Cross Country Meet of Season

    By Will Tuell

    Thursday marked the beginning of the cross country season for area schools, and two young ladies from Machiasport who happen to be sisters -- Ellie and Josie Ingrish -- set the pace in their respective divisions. In boys' action, Isaac Holmes of Jonesboro Elementary won the third-to-fifth grade race, while veteran Sean Sprague of Lubec Elementary cruised to victory in the boys’ sixth-to-eighth grade run at Rose M. Gaffney School in Machias. 

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  36. Community Begins Healing, Remembering Bill Kitchen

    By Paul Sylvain

    “Surreal” best describes the mood in Machias following the sudden passing of its beloved town manager, Bill Kitchen, on Sept. 9. He was 65.

    Kitchen served a three-year term on the town’s selectboard, from 2017 to 2020. Then, on May 18, 2021, the selectboard unanimously voted to appoint Kitchen as interim town manager, after previous town manager Christina Therrien resigned, and then vacated her office six weeks sooner than expected. The board made Kitchen’s appointment permanent that October.

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  37. Former Town Manager Christina Therrien Appointed Interim Machias Manager

    Search for a Permanent Town Manager Begins

    By Paul Sylvain

    In what visibly and emotionally was a difficult but necessary meeting for the Machias selectboard on Sept. 11, the five-member panel voted unanimously to appoint Christina Therrien interim town manager to temporarily fill the void left by the sudden passing of Bill Kitchen on Sept. 9.

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  38. Alexander Remembers Sept. 11

    By Will Tuell

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  39. Machias Voters to Debate Nearly 14% Surge in Town Spending Sept. 25

    By Paul Sylvain

    Machias residents will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the Machias Memorial High School gym to act on a 55-article annual town meeting warrant, fueled by a sharp spike in discretionary or non-essential spending. 

    Earlier this year Machias joined a small but growing list of towns that have moved their annual town meeting dates from June and July to late in the first quarter of the new fiscal year. The reason is simple. 

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  40. Raiders Volleyball in a Class of Their Own as Fall Season Gets Underway

    By Will Tuell

    Going into last season’s Class B State Championship game against Yarmouth, the Washington Academy Raiders had not lost a volleyball contest in some sixty matchups, cementing an already impressive program as one of the state’s all-time great squads despite their heartbreaking loss in the state championship. That defeat may serve as the catalyst for Coach Corey Schwinn and his girls in the weeks ahead, but as with years past, the team’s approach, Schwinn said in a recent pre-season interview, has not changed. 

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  41. Greenhouse Gas Lighting

    by Jonathan Reisman

    Maine’s Climate Council, co-chaired by Office of Policy Innovation and the Future Director Hannah Pingree and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Melanie Loyzim is updating “Maine Won’t Wait”, Maine’s climate action plan. The plan seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (principally from transportation), phase out fossil fuels, encourage solar and wind, promote (undefined) “equity,” and have at least 30% of Maine publicly owned and controlled for conservation and carbon sequestration.

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  42. Porter Memorial Library News: A Tribute to Bill Kitchen

    By Porter Memorial Library 

    This week we pause to reflect on and remember the incredible life of library friend Bill Kitchen. 

    “Bill was always a believer in the important services Porter Memorial Library offers our community. But he also believed strongly in the library's contribution to the overall well-being and economic vitality of Machias; we are forever grateful for his faith in us and for his support.” -- Sarah Dedmon, President, Board of Trustees, Porter Memorial Library. 

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  43. Quoddy Voices Community Chorus to Resume

    Weekly rehearsals for the fall season of Quoddy Voices, a community chorus led by Gene Nichols with accompanist Jane Lanctot, will begin Wednesday, Sept. 25, 6-8 p.m., at Eastport Arts Center. Performances are scheduled for Dec. 7 and 8. The group welcomes new singers, with no audition required. 

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  44. ‘The Show Must Go On:’ Machias Selectboard Reflects on Town Manager’s Passing

    By Paul Sylvain

    “The show must go on,” is a well-known saying in the entertainment business. Nobody would probably know that better than late Machias Town Manager Bill Kitchen, who worked professionally in the music and entertainment industry for many years.

    While the daily workings of town government may not equate to being part of the entertainment industry — even though it can be entertaining at times (though usually for the wrong reasons) — a ship doesn’t stop just because its captain dies.

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  45. Community Reels at Loss of Beloved Town Manager Bill Kitchen

    By Paul Sylvain

    Residents in Machias and neighboring communities awoke Tuesday morning to the tragic news of the sudden passing of the Shiretown’s energetic and much loved Town Manager Bill Kitchen. 

    Kitchen, who passed away sometime Monday, Sept. 9,  will be remembered for his tireless devotion and efforts to help promote and grow the town that he so clearly loved. He was Machias’ biggest cheerleader and will be sorely missed.

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