The Downeast Institute (DEI) has acquired fifteen paintings depicting the people, places and occupations of Jonesport and Beals by renowned artist Robert Beck. The Jonesport-Beals Collection will be on permanent display in the Downeast Institute’s new conference room.

DEI’s Director of Research Dr. Brian Beal says Beck’s paintings of local trade, people and events are an honest and caring depiction of life in our downeast coastal communities.

by Nancy Beal

As part of the legal process that towns must go through to abandon or discontinue municipal services on a public way, Jonesport selectmen held a public hearing July 25 on removing Ice Hill South from the list of town roads. Expectations were that, based on past conversations with the stakeholders, the hearing would reveal that all were in agreement with the planned discontinuance and that a formal special town meeting would follow, confirming and memorializing the abandonment of that lane.

by Nancy Beal

Public or private? Right or privilege? These questions have arisen in Jonesport’s Sandy River Beach District for the past five years, after the town purchased property in the area to guarantee its citizens the ability to access the mile-long sandy strand as they had done for the past century. Last week, after cottage owners said they experienced violations of decorum on the beach, the issues came back to selectmen again.

by Nancy Beal

The mid-summer offering of Art in the Library at Jonesport’s Peabody Memorial Library, entitled “Artists of the Moosabec,” opened with a reception last weekend featuring artists native to Beals and Jonesport, and some who have made the area their second or retirement home.

The class of 2018 valedictorian is Ivy Robinson, daughter of Patricia and Michael Robinson of Addison. Ivy is a member of the National Honor Society receiving many academic accolades. She has displayed many leadership qualities at J-BHS serving as the class president, and representing J-BHS at the Maine Youth Leadership Conference since 2016. She was also selected as the DAR Good Citizen Award candidate.

The class of 2018 valedictorian is Ivy Robinson, daughter of Patricia and Michael Robinson of Addison. Ivy is a member of the National Honor Society receiving many academic accolades. She has displayed many leadership qualities at J-BHS serving as the class president, and representing J-BHS at the Maine Youth Leadership Conference since 2016. She was also selected as the DAR Good Citizen Award candidate.

by Nancy Beal

by Nancy Beal

Two weeks ago at their May 14 meeting, the board of directors of the Pleasant River Solid Waste Disposal District voted to stop taking plastic, glass and mixed paper as part of their recycling program. The reason: there is no market for glass, the various types of plastic, or the office paper, cereal boxes and other types of printed material that made up the mixed paper category.

by Nancy Beal

What makes elephant toothpaste explode? Do gummy bears “grow” better in water or in soda pop? How many batteries and how many volts does it take to power a light bulb? Does rust come off more quickly in Pepsi or Mountain Dew? Can a rabbit be taught to eat from a blue bowl? Those questions and others were posed—and answered—at the first-ever science fair at Beals Elementary School last week.

by Nancy Beal

Jonesporters will be asked their views on a variety of subjects in the coming days, ranging from allowing the school department to borrow from the town’s surplus fund to reviewing a controversial building permit. A hearing at 5:30 p.m. and a special town meeting afterward are slated for today (April 11) in the town office, while the planning board will revisit a permit it issued last fall for a fisherman’s workshop.