By Jayna Smith 

After serving northern Washington County for many decades, the Waite General Store will officially close its doors for good on March 31, marking the end of an era for the small town of Waite. The store has long been a staple of the community, offering everything from milk and eggs to moose tags and friendly conversation.

This week, the Raider Report is excited to share the news of Rowen Luuring's return to campus! 

Luuring is a Class of 2022 graduate and has served since September as one of the Sustainable Gardening & Agriculture AmeriCorps service members. During her years as a WA student, she was an active member of the Sustainability Club and highly engaged in her science classrooms. As a result, she created and maintained strong relationships with her science teachers, who recommended her for the open WA AmeriCorps service position last summer! 

By Paul Sylvain

“Sell it to Hammond.”

Referring to Hammond Lumber in Machias, those words — uttered half jokingly, but said with an edge of truth by Machias Town Clerk Sandra Clifton at the selectboard’s March 12 meeting — might in fact be the town’s best option for dealing with the shuttered, flood damaged town office building at 7 Court Street.

The Machias Hammond Lumber and hardware store is located at 9 Quoddy Lane, directly behind the 7 Court Street town office building.

by Nancy Beal

It took approximately 50 Jonesporters just over an hour, on March 10, to raise three-quarters of a million dollars to run their town for another year, in what many old-timers claimed was the shortest town meeting they could remember. 

As in previous years, the most expensive categories were public works — $173,900 alone for snow and ice removal — and public safety, at a cost of $100,845 for just the ambulance. 

General government/

By Paul Sylvain

Citing “pretty much old age and health issues,” J. Douglas Guy III is closing the books, so to speak, on 30 years as the Shiretown’s tax assessor.

By Paul Sylvain

Look out Dunkin’, there’s a new coffee shop in town.

Leave it to West Branch Farms in Machias to take a shed that served as the former home of Sugar and Crumbs Bakery in Milbridge, move it to Machias, enlarge it, and open it for business on March 8 as the West Branch Bakery + Café.

Other than purchasing its building, West Branch Bakery + Café is not affiliated with Sugar and Crumbs, which has since reopened in a new, larger building in Milbridge.

By Nancy Beal

Members of the committee that puts on the Moosabec Summerfest celebration on July 4 attended the March 12 Jonesport Selectmen’s meeting to pitch bringing electricity to the town’s ballfield behind the library. 

By Nancy Beal

Beals selectmen have been busy recently preparing the warrant for the upcoming annual town meeting, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, April 7, at Beals Elementary School gymnasium.

The annual report book was at the printer’s last week, and Daniel Davis, who has taken charge of the project, said on March 11 that he expected to be finished putting it together this week. 

University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer a webinar for home gardeners titled “Becoming a Resilient Vegetable Gardener” from 6-7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26. 

By Paul Sylvain 

Former Maine Game Warden and Master Guide David Craven of Bucks Harbor is speaking out against a bill to restrict coyote hunting in Maine, after defeating a similar bill during the last legislative session. 

Craven, now a respected shepherd who has judged international competitions in the field, joined popular talk radio host Ric Tyler on Feb. 28 to discuss LD 716, “An Act to Restrict the Hunting of Coyotes,” prior to a March 3 public hearing on the issue in Augusta.