by Nancy Beal

How else should an avid hiker mark the 70th year of her life but by walking alone a mile and a half up Cadillac Mountain, especially since she had already done so 10 years prior when turning 60? The answer is found with an enthusiastic, spry-at-70 Nancy Bell, who, with her husband Joe and shelter pets, moved to Beals Island eight years ago.

Town Manager Predicts Project Could Take ‘Years’

By Paul Sylvain

A years-long debate over whether to simply rebuild Machias’s crumbling Civil War-era dike and Route 1 causeway with a new, improved version or remove and replace the dike with a bridge was decided last week by Maine Department of Transportation with news that sections of the existing structure are teetering on the edge of catastrophic failure.

By Paul Sylvain

With a list that included PFAS testing at the Marion Transfer Station, a shellfish management plan review, a dedicated unorganized territories website launch, and plans for expanding broadband access in rural parts of the county, Washington County Unorganized Territories Supervisor Dean Preston had no shortage of topics to brief county commissioners on at the commissioners’ Nov. 9 meeting.

By the Washington Academy Tri-M Music Honors Society       

Washington Academy’s Tri-M Music Honor Society’s mission is to recognize student musicians and provide leadership opportunities for them through music-based service projects in our community.

One of our service project ideas this year is to highlight local musicians who have excelled in bringing music to our Downeast communities. And with this, our Tri-M Lifetime Musician Award has been born.

By Joseph Horn

by Wayne Smith

It was an electrifying night of volleyball at Ellsworth High School on Oct. 30 as the Narraguagus Lady Knights won the Class C State Volleyball Championship, the first volleyball championship in school history, beating Calais in three straight sets. 

By Will Tuell

With one of the highest concentrations of servicemen and women in the country, Washington County schools have historically gone above and beyond to pay homage to those who fought for America’s freedom. Whether it be colorful ‘thank-you’ cards lovingly inscribed by kindergartners, speeches honoring loved ones who fought overseas by junior high students, or rousing renditions of patriotic tunes from high schoolers, the area youth and their teachers have faithfully honored veterans young and old. 

By Will Tuell

The University of Maine at Machias and Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating a reported case of tuberculosis on campus, the university said Oct. 31. Publicist Jackie Leonard stressed in a follow-up inquiry from The Machias Valley News Observer Nov. 1 that the case was isolated at this point in time and that all who may have come in contact with the patient have been notified. 

Community Outpouring for Andy Foss Touches Mass. Ambulance Crew

By Paul Sylvain

The Machias select board on Oct. 25 authorized Machias Ambulance Service Chief Ryan Maker to spend up to $45,000 to equip a recently purchased 2014 Chevrolet ambulance with a heart monitor and other items needed to put the truck in service for emergency calls and patient transfers.

By Paul Sylvain

Toby Lamb and business partner Chris Marley met briefly with the Machias Planning Board on Nov. 1 to get approval for a four-foot by eight-foot--or 32-square-foot--concrete pad for an outdoor freezer at the former Bluebird Ranch Family Restaurant at 78 Main St.

“Mostly, we’re just doing renovations inside,” explained Lamb. “We had not planned on changing the outside footprint, although we would like to pour a four-by-eight pad to put a freezer on right outside where the freezers are now. Basically, it’s right next to those.”