Most Favor DoT Recommended In-Kind Dike, Flapper System Replacement

By Paul Sylvain

The second in a continuing series of public hearings and discussions on the Upper Machias Bay Master Plan was held at the Lee-Pellon Center in Machias on Nov. 3. Its focus was on options for the more than 140-year-old failing Machias Dike and causeway separating the Middle River freshwater ecosystem in Marshfield from the tidal Machias River.

By Paul Sylvain 

Representatives from Manomet Conservation Services, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Portland-based Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), at the urging of Sunrise County Economic Council’s Tora Johnson, met with the Machiasport Selectboard on Oct. 27, to discuss possible research and mapping of the town’s clam flats. 

While the reaction to the proposal was mixed on the three-member selectboard, the town’s shellfish conservation committee chairman was openly skeptical of what such a project would actually accomplish.

Analysis by Paul Sylvain

Washington County voters -- or at least a majority of the 11,015 who cast ballots last week -- sent County Commissioners Billy Howard, Courtney Hammond, and Chairman David Burns a clear message framed in the form of a paraphrased county song title: Take This Bond and Shove It!

By Nancy Beal

At their Nov. 5 meeting, Jonesport selectmen, after addressing several other business items, turned their attention to the current financial crisis facing Washington County and their town’s share of fiscal responsibility for it.

By Paul Sylvain

When it came to last week’s county bond referendum, Machias town officials were clearly prepared for the worst. 

Meeting just hours following the bond’s defeat at the polls, the Shiretown’s selectboard quickly put into motion a plan to deal with a massive jump in the county's 2026 budget, needed to fully repay a 2025 tax anticipation note (TAN) by Dec. 31.

By Paul Sylvain

So, what’s it like being the harbor master for a commercial fishing village in Washington County? Look no further than Machiasport Harbor Master David Cale’s monthly report at the Oct. 27 selectboard meeting.

The University of Maine at Machias has opened a new on-campus food pantry to give students convenient access to groceries and everyday essentials. The pantry officially opened on Monday, Nov. 3, and will be located in the Student Success Center on the second floor of Torrey Hall.

Open during regular building hours, the pantry offers non-perishable food items and common toiletries for any UMM student to access as needed. The initiative was made possible through generous funding from the University Credit Union (UCU) and will be maintained by the Office of Student Life.

Jane Honeck, CPA turned award-winning mystery writer, has released “Double Entry,” the second book in her Ellen Hartmann series, published by Reversing Falls Press. Blending financial intrigue with emotional depth, Honeck continues to explore themes of grief, ethics, and the human side of financial decision-making — inviting readers into a mystery where the clues are emotional, the stakes are personal, and the truth is never just black and white.

By Paul Sylvain

Machiasport Harbor Master David Cale awoke on Oct. 29 with a headache that no amount of Extra Strength Tylenol could have relieved.

His headache was caused by a boat that sank at its Bucks Harbor mooring overnight, after its owner — Anthony Morascini, believed to be from Connecticut — ignored repeated written and verbal warnings from Cale about properly tying up his boat from its bow and not the vessel’s stern. 

By Phil Stuart

The 2025 fall school sports season ended over the weekend, and to nobody’s surprise, both Washington Academy and Narraguagus High School won state divisional volleyball championships.

Washington Academy played in a state volleyball championship for the 12th time and eked out a seat-squirming 3-2 win over a top-seeded York Wildcats volleyball team that shattered their hopes of a perfect second perfect season in a row.