By Doss Dennison

The Jacksonville Campground in East Machias is gearing up for its 160th year of hosting its annual week-long Christian camp meeting July 20-25. But before detailing the camp meeting’s schedule of events, I want to share some of the campground’s fascinating history, including events that led up to its beginning.

It doesn’t seem possible that the United States of America could be so divided that it would draw a line, choose sides, and fight the bloodiest war in our history amongst ourselves. Or, does it? 

By Paul Sylvain

Unless someone wants to donate $6,000 to the town so it can build a protective roof over the upper-level stage at Bad Little Falls, that project is definitely off the table for this year’s Kitchen Concert Summer Series at the park.

That’s the estimated cost to put a roof over the stage, but as Machias Town Manager Sarah Craighead Dedmon told the selectboard at their July 9 meeting, a roof might help keep the performers dry, but not necessarily their instruments, amplifiers, and PA gear.

Down East Community Hospital recently added a new GE state-of-the-art Revolution Ascend CT scanner to its arsenal of state-of-the-art diagnostic tools.

This project started in December of 2024 by researching different brands of scanners that would best fit the hospital’s Imaging Department’s needs and which brand would provide the high-quality imaging DECH has grown to expect for our patients. Imaging staff fully researched different CT scanners, then visited a GE facility in Milwaukee in January to see what they had to offer.

By Paul Sylvain

Historic Liberty Hall will open its doors to the public for a grand open house from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at 325 Port Road/Route 92, in Machiasport. The event comes 152 years after the construction of the majestic building, just a stone’s throw from the Gates House, was completed in 1873. 

The event’s organizers say the focus of this year’s open house is on the building’s theatrical history. The group also hopes the event will raise awareness and funds to continue restoration work to return the building to use by the community.

As schools across Maine have closed for the summer, many children face uncertainty about where their next meal will come from. To help address this need, Downeast Credit Union is donating $4,000 to support six organizations providing summer lunch programs throughout the state. The Rose M. Gaffney School in Machias is receiving $500 from DCU to put towards their summer meal program.

This year, the Summer Lunch Program at Downeast aims to deliver an estimated 2,590 meals to children who rely on school lunches during the academic year through the following organizations:

By Paul Sylvain

Machias set a high bar on Friday for next year’s Semiquincentennial Independence Day parade. One visitor to the area from Bangor was overheard saying as the last vehicle passed by, “Wow, what a parade! It’s even better than Bangor’s.” 

By Will Tuell

Machias Area Little League’s Madison Berry was the toast of the town last week as she pounded a bases-clearing home run in the fifth inning of a 4-2 contest against Ellsworth 12U softball to claim the Downeast Acadia district championship for Machias July 1. Despite trailing 2-0 right out of the gate, and for much of the game, Machias plated twelve runs in the final three innings of Tuesday’s contest to secure their second district championship in three years, defeating Ellsworth 13-6 for their first road win of the playoffs. 

Selectmen Approve Feasibility Study

By Nancy Beal

Jared Farn-Guillette of the Maine Department of Transportation has been visiting Jonesport for two years. He periodically makes the rounds of the town’s roads with the selectmen, soliciting suggestions about what the town might want for improvements. 

By Jayna Smith

From Milbridge to Danforth and Lubec to Charlotte, Washington County residents and visitors have a wide array of farmers' markets and farm stands to explore this season. Offering everything from fresh produce and meats to handmade goods, these local markets not only support area farms but also provide convenient access to healthy, locally grown food.

In Milbridge, the Milbridge Farmers’ Market takes place every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to noon, May through September, at Camden National Bank.

By Will Tuell

Residents of Whiting will have a rare opportunity to celebrate a two-hundredth birthday this weekend as town officials prepare for the town’s bicentennial July 11-13.

While the actual two-hundredth birthday of Whiting was Feb. 15, 2025, organizer Mary Alice Look said in a recent interview that locals have been planning a summer celebration for over a year now.