by Nancy Beal

Recently, Jonesport town fathers became aware that their ability to apply for most grants would be hampered by the absence of an up-to-date comprehensive plan. Over a decade ago—and after going through several versions—the town adopted one, but it was not renewed after its statutory 10-year life expired. This week, the first step in updating and amending that plan will happen, as residents pull a community public survey from their mailboxes.

by Ruth Leubecker

“What drives us today is this is a very serious problem, and a dangerous one to solve,” said Brian Pfeiffer, an independent architectural historian. “The church doesn’t have enough people or resources to maintain it, so the question is is there a group, or groups, that would recognize a shared community problem.”

by Kaileigh Deacon

Classic cars and trucks are often a source of pride for those who own them, especially those vehicles that are truly well-maintained. What better place to showcase them all together than at a car show. Attendees of the upcoming Down East Cruisers Car Show will certainly be impressed with what they see.

The finale project of Quoddy Voices Spring 2021 Virtual Choir season is here—"Sing Gently." Recorded by Quoddy Voices members participating from their homes in the Zoom-based season and edited together by director John Newell, the choir's rendition of Eric Whitacre's song has been illustrated by EAC Video's Lauren Koss, using a mix of footage created over the past two months with singers from the group.

by Joseph Horn

by Ruth Leubecker

Signing a controversial bill that would shift packaging costs of products from taxpayers to product producers, Gov. Janet Mills has spawned a flux of mixed reactions.

The primary question hovering over the bill: Won’t it eventually be paid for by consumers? 

LD 1541, An Act to Support and Improve Municipal Recycling Programs and Save Taxpayers Money, is facing a profusion of contradictory opinions.

by Nancy Beal

For professional chef and educator Barton Seaver, the three “S”es of public health are “Don’t Smoke,” “Fasten your Seat belt,” and “Eat Seafood.” That, and many other bits of wisdom, were shared June 30 on the lawn of Jonesport’s Peabody Memorial Library by Seaver, who was introduced to the Moosabec area by Kingfish Maine, a Dutch company that intends to establish a $100 million land-based yellowtail fish farm on Jonesport’s Chandler Bay. He brought wisdom—and food.

Here are a few words that rarely go together: relaxed, comfortable, and mammogram. After all, having your breasts compressed tightly between two firm surfaces while you stand there awkwardly half clothed is certainly not the most pleasant of experiences. Down East Community Hospital is now offering our patients a new option in mammograms: the Senographe Pristina™. Designed from the ground up with the input from women, it is the first mammography system to provide women with the “three Cs”: comfort, confidence, and clarity. 

The Canned Sardine, Stage East’s storytelling event, returns to the Sutherland Amphitheater on Saturday, July 24 at 4 p.m. Storytellers of all stripes are encouraged to come share their tall tales, myths, autobiographies, or gut-busters with audience members as a part of the Eastport ArtWalk’s Passport Weekend. 

by Joseph Horn

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

A plan to fix the aging Machias dike will take another step forward when Maine Department of Transportation drones will survey the Middle River and its adjoining properties beginning next week. DOT Chief Engineer Joyce Taylor said the DOT chose drones as a way to survey without entering private land.

“We’re looking at getting elevation levels so that when we assess the alternatives [for] the Machias dike project, we’ll know what might actually get flooded with each alternative,” said Taylor.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Cooper Robicheau started raising money for charity when he was only 8 years old. Now 16, he wants to help other youths learn how to raise money, and hopes they’ll also learn something else in the process.

“I would encourage them to use some of it in some charitable way,” said Cooper.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

According to authority chairman Betsy Fitzgerald, the Washington County Development Authority has been awarded a $500,000 grant to decontaminate and restore a recreation center on the decommissioned Cutler Naval Base. 

Wild blueberries have been part of the Washington County fabric for generations. But something new for the traditional agricultural sector got added to its culture last week: the Maine Wild Blueberry Hall of Honor.

Respected for their decades-long roles in local blueberry history, two men were inducted as the first cohort: Dr. John Gaddis of East Machias, and the late Francis Nicholas, of Pleasant Point.

Eastport Arts Center embarks on its first-ever summer session of Children’s Theater Workshop on Wednesday, July 14 from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Each week through August 18, participants from ages 7 to 18* can join in to play theater games, build skills on stage, and learn the ins and outs of improvisation and sketch comedy. The workshop will culminate in a short performance for participants’ families during the final class. 

LACONIA, NH – Donald McKinnon, 85, of Laconia, founder and former owner of the Ridgewood, N.J. Cycle Shop, died Thursday, July 1, 2021, at Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital in Lebanon.

Mr. McKinnon was born December 15, 1935, in Paterson, NJ, the son of the late John and Bertha (Nyenhouse) McKinnon. He grew up in Ridgewood and attended community schools.

In 1955, he joined the Army and served in Germany. He was honorably discharged in 1957 as a specialist fourth class, specializing in weapons and mechanics.

by Ruth Leubecker

Leveling the broadband playing field has taken a step forward in tackling major hurdles facing rural areas, courtesy of how federal funds will be doled out throughout Maine.

“The town funding will flow through the state, but all towns have to have some kind of a plan in place for this to happen,” says Peggy Schaffer, director of ConnectME. “The treasury is giving out this money, and in order to be unserved, everybody has to be able to get 25/3.” (The definition of unserved is 25 megabits down, 3 megabits up.)

by Nancy Beal

An effort to revise and update Beals’ 2004 Harbor & Coastal Waters Ordinance has been underway for over a year, when Paula McCormack was voted onto the board of selectmen in March 2020. Working with the town’s attorney to make adjustments that accounted for changes in state statute (M.R.S. 30-A), she presented a revision to the town’s harbor committee May 12. Following the committee’s approval, she scheduled a public hearing, followed by an (approving) vote last week (June 29).

by Jayna Smith

On Wednesday, June 30, Maine officials held the last of the scheduled COVID-19 briefings as the state’s civil emergency came to an end.

The state of civil emergency was put into effect by Gov. Janet Mills on March 15, 2020, three days after the first reported case of coronavirus in the state, and extended times.

by Jonathan Reisman

Last week America celebrated our 245th Birthday as an independent nation dedicated to freedom.  One group of Americans has rejected that Birthday and cultural inheritance, arguing the country was actually founded in 1619 and is irredeemably dedicated to racism and oppression. Those dissidents are entitled by our Constitution to their views. My own 1st Amendment-protected (for now) opinion is that the identitarian racist Black Lives Matter/Antifa/ Democrat/ Biden voter/ critical race theory left is an existential threat to freedom. 

by Hazel Stark

by Jayna Smith

Since being closed to all but essential travel back in March of 2020, the border with Canada will finally soon see some restrictions being loosened.

Effective July 5 at 11:59 p.m. EDT, those travelers who are currently able to enter Canada will be able to do so without having to quarantine if they are fully immunized against COVID-19.  Those “eligible” include those with a right of entry, such as Canadian citizens/dual citizens, permanent residents, and people registered under the Indian Act.