Addison

Shalbajean "Mammie" Farren age 84 of Addison, fell asleep in the arms of Jesus, surrounded by her family, unexpectedly on December 3, 2023. She was born on August 1, 1939 in Harrington to the late Sidney and Beryl (Seavey) Mitchell. 

Shalba graduated from Harrington High School in 1957. She married her best friend and love of her life, Phillip Farren, on July 2, 1959. She was blessed with a large and loving family.

By Will Tuell

By Paul Sylvain

Look up the definition of “midwife” and most sources online state it is a person trained to deliver babies. Washington County’s only certified nurse midwife does that, of course, but she delivers much more than babies -- she delivers comprehensive women’s care to an area where healthcare professionals are badly needed.  

Licensed master of surgery and certified midwife-nurse Bjarni Thomas has been helping Machias area women meet their obstetrical and gynecological needs locally for more than four years.

By Will Tuell

By Paul Sylvain

The planned closure of the Route 1 dike and causeway between Helen’s Restaurant and Dunkin’ in Machias has been delayed a week by Maine’s Dept. of Transportation. 

The project, which was scheduled to start Nov. 27, has been delayed until Dec. 4 at the request of town officials to allow for a full weekend of Christmas festivities the first weekend in December.

The Machias Arts Council (MAC) will hold its Winter Art Show on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Machias Memorial High School in Machias.  The show will feature local and regional artists along with students from the Machias Memorial High School.   

By Will Tuell

State Senator Marianne Moore (R-Calais) received a “2023 Elected Women of Excellence” Award, the third-term senator’s office said in a media release before Thanksgiving. Moore, who serves as the Senate’s top Republican on the Legislature’s Health and Human Services (HHS) and Marine Resources committees, joined the Legislature in 2018 and has fought to restore funding for Downeast Correctional Facility in Bucks Harbor, reopen the Calais DHHS office, and served as an ex-officio member on the county’s budget committee. 

By Paul Sylvain

A townhouse-style apartment project on Cooper Street that began in earnest this past spring with groundwork and the pouring of a foundation is expected to be completed with its first tenants moving in sometime in January.

That’s according to Northfield developer Justin King, of King Construction and IMK Properties. A sign showed up on the site a few weeks ago advertising “apartments for rent.” King explained that he is accepting applications for the building's six apartment units.

By Joseph Horn

By Paul Sylvain 

Meeting children’s author Tona Mareglia, you quickly discover she has a deep and genuine passion for writing and especially about the characters she creates.

Mareglia, who lives and writes from her home in Robbinston, was on hand at the Machias River General Store Nov. 17 to sign copies of her book, Manny and Lizzy: Friends Forever. The book, published late last year, tells the story about a big, burly moose named Manny, who hears a strange sound coming from a “box” stuck in the rocks on a nearby shore.