By Peter Pinette 

When we contemplate that the divine Christ Child came to earth to become one of us, God tells us by this humility that He wants to share in our humanity without wanting any worldly praise. Christ was born in the most humble setting, coming to earth amongst barn animals and only having a feeding trough as His cradle. All of these godly virtues will be on display in the life of the Christ Child — kindness and compassion and total giving of Himself to offer forgiveness and mercy to all of humanity. 

Former Flea Market Demolished to Make Way for Healthcare, Dental Facility

By Paul Sylvain

All that remains of the former Sandy’s Sales on Route 1 in East Machias is the cement slab it stood on until being crushed into a pile of rubble on Dec. 11. 

Eventually replacing it will be a 7,500-square-foot fully equipped healthcare facility which will serve as the new home for Healthways/East Machias Clinic.

Land Swap with Library A Go

By Nancy Beal

Nearly 50 Jonesporters turned out Dec. 10 for a special town meeting to consider buying real estate. On the warrant were items asking voters’ minds on purchasing the former nine-unit U.S. Coast Guard housing complex on Route 187 north of Greenwood Cemetery and an old store on Main Street in front of the town’s fire department.

By Paul Sylvain

County Commissioners Chris Gardner (R-Edmunds) and Vinton Cassidy (R-Calais) have seen a lot in their combined three decades of service to Washington County. And as Gardner said during this year’s county budget negotiations, a 21-percent budget increase is not the horse he and Cassidy wanted to ride off into the sunset on.

By Will Tuell

Machiasport’s Hannah Maker, a third-year nursing student at the University of Maine in Orono, was recently selected to receive a prestigious fellowship funded by the National Science Foundation. Maker, a graduate of Washington Academy in East Machias and member of the Machias Ambulance Service, received word recently that she would be receiving UMO’s 2024-25 Center for Undergraduate Research Award. 

Public Invited to ‘25 Budget Workshops

By Nancy Beal

Both the boards governing Jonesport and Beals Elementary Schools met last week and, before leaving, were told by Superintendent Joseph Swain that he planned to start each of their next three monthly meetings with a 30-minute workshop, hopefully finalizing each school’s budget in April and submitting them to the voters in May. He said he would encourage interested members of the public to attend the planning sessions once they are set. 

By Paul Sylvain

Machiasport Shellfish Committee Chairman Zack Wood and Town Clerk Marcia Hayward are the newest members appointed to the Upper Machias Bay Project’s Leadership Committee, following a unanimous vote by the town’s selectboard on Nov. 25. 

The appointment followed a presentation by Sunrise County Economic Council’s Sustainable Prosperity Initiative Director Tora Johnson. Selectboard member Sarah Craighead Dedmon already serves on that committee, but for Machias, in her role as the Shiretown’s interim operations manager.

by Jonathan Reisman

My Policy Ronin column on political samurai without masters elicited a number of responses. Two readers sent uniform/wardrobe suggestions. The armored chain mail option would probably protect me from lefty lances, but I am skeptical it would be allowed through the security checkpoints in Augusta. The less martial masked alternative is clearly the post-Covid cosplay of choice.

By Will Tuell

Authorities raided two residences on the East Side Road in Addison Wednesday morning, arresting six people on drug charges, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency said in a press release following the Dec. 4 busts which netted $10,000 in suspected drug proceeds, an estimated 150 grams of fentanyl, over 20 grams of cocaine base, and three handguns.

Town Urged to Keep the State’s Responsibility for Costly Cleanup ‘On the Radar’

By Paul Sylvain

In a proactive move to avoid a repeat of last year’s back-door attempt by Gov. Janet Mills to sell the 9.5-acre former Air Force housing area in Bucks Harbor, District 10 state Rep. Will Tuell (R-East Machias) met with the Machiasport selectboard on Nov. 25 to discuss putting in a bill requiring the state to clean the site up before again offering it for sale.

New $2 Million Long-Term Temporary Span Planned for 2025

By Paul Sylvain

Machias area motorists using the Route 1 dike bridge and causeway can expect an extended period of detours in 2025 and a years-long delay before a permanent span is built to carry traffic into and out of Machias via the dike.

By Nancy Beal

A special town meeting has been scheduled in Jonesport for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, in the elementary school gym. All the articles deal with real estate: the U.S. Coast Guard housing complex on Route 187 north of Greenwood Cemetery, the Dow building (former Cummings and Norton store) on Main Street in front of the firehouse, and the ball diamond.

by Jonathan Reisman

By Paul Sylvain

The Machias selectboard has ordered an immediate stop to all work on a self-storage facility under construction next door to the Machias Market on Route 1/Dublin Street.

Town’s Attorney Accuses Newspaper of Printing ‘Inaccurate, Misleading’ Statements

By Paul Sylvain

The latest volley in a years-long legal battle between the owners of two beach-front properties in Machiasport’s Starboard district and town officials was fired last week at County Wide newspaper and its publisher and editor, Bob Berta, from the pen of the town’s attorney, Stephen Wagner.

By Paul Sylvain

The Machias Public Works Department welcomed a new “baby” to its family this week with the arrival of a shiny, rose-red 2016 Western Star snow plow truck.

The town’s selectboard, at its Nov. 13 meeting, authorized Public Works Director Mike Schoppee to purchase the truck from the Town of Berwick for $77,500. Schoppee had asked the board to forgo the normal bid process since this was a used vehicle being offered to Machias at a price the board agreed was a “rare find.”

The Downeast Food System Partnership (DFSP) is a new 2-year program created by GrowSmart Maine, Healthy Acadia, and Sunrise County Economic Council in collaboration with the Hancock County Planning Commission. The goal of the DFSP is to improve food production and distribution across Washington and Hancock Counties.

On Nov. 13, Governor Janet Mills announced $7 million in grant awards from her Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to help Maine technology companies create jobs and strengthen Maine's innovation economy. Locally, Nautical Farms of Machias received $250,000; Carver Shellfish, Inc. of Beals was awarded $97,500; and Pen and Cob Farm in Pembroke received $20,200. 

By Paul Sylvain

The next phase of a sewer reconstruction project that began before the Covid pandemic, and then was stalled by the increased cost of materials, moved forward again two weeks ago with the arrival of heavy equipment and several large barge-like containers. 

The flurry of activity along the river’s edge at Norman Nelson Park, near the Lee Pellon Center, and at the public boat ramp behind Helen’s Restaurant has left many residents asking, “What’s going on?”

By Paul Sylvain

A 28-year-old East Machias man arrested in connection to a Nov. 11 armed robbery at the Irving gas station and convenience store on Main Street in Machias, is facing additional charges related to counterfeit cash.

By Will Tuell

The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) has notified Cooke Aquaculture of its intent to sue for alleged Clean Water Act violations at 13 active sites in Maine where Cooke grows millions of salmon. Locally, those sites include three locations in Eastern Bay near Jonesport and between Beals Island and Head Harbor Island; four locations in Machias Bay; and three in Cobscook Bay between Lubec and Eastport. 

By Wayne Smith

I caught up with Holly Fraser, the volleyball coach at Narraguagus High School who recently made history by winning a second consecutive state championship in volleyball. She talked about the season and walked me through a historic, unforgettable, unbelievable, and epic championship season, losing only two games.