By Jayna Smith

The Maine Warden Service recovered the bodies of two fishermen in Baileyville after their boat was found drifting unattended on Grand Falls Flowage.

Officials were alerted Friday afternoon, Aug. 8, when an unoccupied boat was spotted drifting with its motor running and fishing lines in the water, but no one on board.

By Will Tuell

Maine’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles is warning of a deceptive new scam designed to steal your most personal data, and it is circulating locally. On Saturday, Aug. 9, both publisher Pierre Little and correspondent Paul Sylvain received the text pictured, in which unnamed officials from the “Department of Motor Vehicles” urged them to pay a supposedly outstanding traffic ticket or lose their driver’s license for 30 days, be subject to increased tolls, and have their vehicle registrations yanked. 

Congressman Jared Golden (D-ME-02) is supporting the Securing Ports and America’s Commerce and Economy (CBP SPACE) Act, which would prevent Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from offloading additional costs and responsibilities onto local ports while threatening closure for noncompliance. 

Eastport Port Authority, which Golden says is already shouldering many costs offloaded by CBP, is one of many ports across the country being strained by the agency’s moves.

Judge Finds ‘Free’ Upland Easement Road Offer Anything but, Instead More Costly, Complex

By Paul Sylvain

The eminent domain portion of a years-long lawsuit against the town of Machiasport by Starboard district property owners Carmine and Christine DeFalco, and their neighbor, Paula and her late husband Michael Aschettino, was decided in favor of the town, in a highly detailed, 17-page ruling issued July 30, by Maine Business and Consumer Court Judge Michael A. Duddy. 

By Nancy Beal

Well over 100 Jonesporters filled the bleachers of their elementary school gym last week to select an interim selectman and amend two building ordinances. Newspaper posting errors threatened to derail the meeting, but the crowd voted overwhelmingly to continue.

By Paul Sylvain

It’s still anybody’s guess whether the Town of Machiasport will grant Kenny Faas a resident clamming license, even after the select board’s members revisited the question on July 28, and following a non-binding vote three nights later by the town’s “clam committee”, as the shellfish conservation committee is referred to locally.

By Nancy Beal

Roads and buildings dominated the Jonesport select board’s July 30 meeting, held prior to that evening’s special town meeting to elect a new select board member to fill out the remainder of outgoing selectman Logan Alley’s term.

By Paul Sylvain

What’s in a name? Quite a lot, especially if it’s an award that recognizes public sector employers “who maintain an exemplary safety and health management system, reflecting a strong commitment to workplace safety.”

And it is especially noteworthy when the award’s recipient is entrusted with the assisted living needs and care of up to 30 proud military veterans who served our great nation, oftentimes during periods of conflict, such as during the Vietnam War. Spouses of eligible veterans may also qualify for care at the homes.

Join us from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, for the Walking Tour of Historic Machias Architecture with Porter Memorial Library Board President Allison Paprock. This tour is supported by a Revitalize ME grant from Maine Downtown Center, in partnership with the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.

The library building and Last Page Honesty Bookstore will be closed Aug. 14-16 during our annual book sale. The book sale will be held indoors, at the Machias Savings Bank Community Room, in conjunction with the Machias Wild Blueberry Festival.

By Paul Sylvain

Long overdue record-keeping changes are on the horizon for Machiasport’s advisory boards and committees, thanks to a decision by the town’s select board on July 28.

Town Clerk Marcia Hayward has been pushing groups, like the town’s clam committee, to ensure they make and keep audio recordings or written minutes of their meetings, to include items discussed and any votes or action taken at those meetings. Machiasport’s select board and  planning board already do that, but that hasn’t always been the case with the town’s committees.