House Approves Bill to Rename Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day

By Jayna Smith

A recent vote in the Maine House of Representatives has approved the bill to trade what we know as Columbus Day for a tribute to Native Americans--Indigenous Peoples Day.  The vote count in this initial approval was 88-51.

Columbus Day, recognized as a federal holiday on the second Monday in October, remembers the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival to the Americas on October 12, 1492.  In today’s times, most know that the holiday is a controversial one.

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CMHS Band to Perform at State House

By Jayna Smith  

Just two years ago, the Calais Middle/High School band was without an instructor.  The more experienced students were leading the band, yet the students hung in, a good indication that the group was determined to persevere.  

The band has since progressed well, thanks not only to the students’ dedication, but also to Ms. Christine Proefrock.  Proefrock joined the list of staff as the music director at Calais Middle/High School during the second half of the school year in 2017.  

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Local Airbnb Has Steady Flow of Guests

By Jayna Smith

If you are familiar with Airbnb, you know that, in a nutshell, it is a way for travelers to stay in a home for a fee.  If you are not familiar with Airbnb, pronounced AIR-bee-en-bee, it basically is a way to allow strangers to stay in your home--or a way for you to stay in a stranger’s home--at a pre-determined price.  The stay is all arranged online, just as one would reserve a hotel room online, complete with photos and reviews from prior guests.

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Calais Regional Hospital Welcomes Orthopedic Surgeon Mario Turi, M.D.

Calais Regional Hospital is pleased to welcome Dr. Mario Turi to CRMS Orthopedics.   Dr. Turi will provide orthopedic services at CRMS and CRH three days per week.    He was most recently a surgeon at CA Dean Memorial Hospital in Greenville, ME until the OR was closed approximately 5 months ago.  He has also been providing on call coverage at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center.  

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Princeton Staff Member Receives Crystal Apple

By Kaileigh Deacon

Schools are places where children go to grow and learn, but without outstanding staff and teachers, students often have a hard time finding their potential and going above and beyond. Small schools like those in Washington County provide unique opportunities for staff and students to connect. 

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New Brunswickers Paying Even More at the Pumps

By Jayna Smith

It was no joke in St. Stephen, New Brunswick on Monday, April Fools Day, when consumers were hit with a carbon tax to the tune of almost 4 ½ cents per liter on gasoline, over 5 ¼ cents per liter on diesel and heating oil, and just over 3 cents per liter on propane. 

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Eastport Art Center Hosts Youth Art Exhibit

By Natalie Boomer

The Eastport Arts Center began its annual Youth Art Month Exhibition last Saturday. A reception was held to honor the young artist of the community. This was the 5th year in a row that the Art Center had hosted the exhibit. 

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New Director for Ganong Chocolate Museum

By Natalie Boomer

The Ganong Chocolate Museum in St. Stephen announced a new director recently.  In February, Rebecca Moffatt was hired for the position.  Moffatt graduated from Clemson University in South Carolina with a degree in historic preservation. 

The Chocolate Museum gives guests a chance to learn about chocolate in general, and it also honors the history of Ganong Bros., Ltd. chocolates. The museum is in the building that actually housed the original Ganong Chocolate Factory, right in downtown St. Stephen.

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WCCC Offers Rock Climbing Courses

By Natalie Boomer

Washington County Community College is offering an eight-week rock climbing course for children. This program is for beginners or for children who already have experience. There is an introductory class offered, as well as an intermediate class for those who have already gone through the beginners’ class.

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Locals Pick Up Pickleball

By Natalie Boomer

Pickleball will now be offered at Woodland Elementary School and Calais Recreation Center.  Keith Ramos started the open gym seven weeks ago after playing the sport in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. 

“I never heard of it until last fall. I said, ‘Well, I’m going to try it,’ so I went in November and tried it one day, but they play at 8:00 in the morning. I can’t play that early because I have to work,” said Ramos. 

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First National Bank Supports Greenland Point Center

 

First National Bank recently donated $10,000 towards the purchase and improvements of the new University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Greenland Point as part of a three year contribution totaling $25,000.

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Calais Lioness Club Celebrates 34 Years

 

By Jayna Smith

Last week, the Calais Lioness Club celebrated its 34th annual Charter Night, an event that welcomes new members to the group.  It also pays tribute to the 43 ladies who joined together with the shared purpose of helping their community and its residents back in 1985.

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Three US Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan Last Week

 

CNN reported that three US service members were killed by an improvised explosive device near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on Monday, April 8th, according to the US military. Three other US service members were wounded.

The Taliban claimed credit for the attack, which involved a car bomb targeting a US military convoy near one of America's largest military facilities in Afghanistan.

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Bill Will End Use of Indigenous Mascots in Public Schools

 

By Jayna Smith

Maine could soon be the first state in the nation to make it illegal for public schools to use Native American mascots.

School Administrative District 54, which includes Skowhegan, recently voted 14-9 to stop its use of the “Indian” nickname and mascot for all schools in the district.  This came after a year-long debate over the use of the name for the Skowhegan Area High School teams.

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Baileyville Home a Complete Loss After Fire

 

By Jayna Smith

A structure fire last Thursday, April 4th, resulted in a complete loss of the home of Brian Seavey and family.  The fire was at 648 Houlton Road in Baileyville, across from the garage of VL Tammaro.

According to Baileyville Fire Chief John McPhee, his department was called out at about 2:20 p.m.  He said, “The house is still standing, but is a complete loss.” Chief McPhee said the windy conditions that day made things even more difficult for the firefighters.

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Eastport Arts Center High School Jazz Night

 

By Jayna Smith

Eastport Arts Center welcomed over 30 talented jazz musicians last week for its annual High School Jazz Night.  The concert showcased bands from Calais Middle/High School, Washington Academy, and Shead High School.

The evening allowed for each band to perform in front of a packed house, including in front of the peers from the other schools.  None of the bands disappointed, impressing the audience with their great sounding performances.

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Maine Country Music Hall of Fame Inducts Jane Brooks

 

By Natalie Boomer

The Maine Country Music Hall of Fame will induct Jane Brooks and five others on May 19th. 

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Princeton Childcare Hosts Art Auction

 

By Natalie Boomer

Lots of Tots Child Care in Princeton is hosting an online art auction. All of the proceeds of the auction will go to Nick Gagner and his family to help with his battle against kidney disease. Each child at Lots of Tots will create two paintings to auction off on the Facebook event page. 

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Autism Awareness at Woodland Jr./Sr. High

 

Staff at Woodland Jr./Sr. High School recognized Autism Awareness Month last week by wearing shirts with the quote "In a world where you can be anything, be kind," a good reminder to live by every day. 

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Home Destroyed by Fire, Baileyville Family With an Autistic Son Struggle to Recover

 

On April 4th, a family in Baileyville suffered the loss of their home and nearly all of their belongings.  The home, at 648 Houlton Road, was occupied by residents Brian Seavey, Tasha Jordan, and their children Joshua, age 13, and Conor, age 12, who has autism.  They did not have fire insurance.  

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Second Baptist Church Hosts Free Easter Dinner

 

By Natalie Boomer

The Second Baptist Church in Calais held an early Easter dinner on the 13th. The dinner was free for all who attended. The dinner was hosted by members of the church and by Grampie Bill’s Place. 

“We welcome everybody and anyone to please come. Both sides of the border, or wherever you’re from,” said Bill Gibson of the church. “We hope and pray everybody comes.” 

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Restaurant Not Reopening After Failed Inspection

 

By Jayna Smith

On Thursday, March 7th, Chen Family Garden Restaurant was ordered closed by a state public health inspector until further notice.  According to Emily Spencer, Public Information Officer of Maine’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an “imminent health hazard” (IHH) was found.

The public health inspector who served the IHH notice indicated on the form that the health hazard was “rodents on premise and unable to operate in a sanitary manner.”

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Should We Be Concerned with the City’s Deer Population?

 

By Jayna Smith

A trip around Calais on just about any given day will likely lead to deer sightings.  They can be seen in backyards, behind stores, in fields, and sometimes, roaming the streets.

 It may appear to some that Calais has a considerable number of deer within city limits.  With destruction of gardens, motor vehicle accidents, and ticks and Lyme disease, it does raise the question—should we be concerned about the deer population in Calais? 

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Four Locals Arrested in MA for Illegal Possession of Elvers, Drugs

 

By Jayna Smith

Four local residents were arrested for illegally harvesting eels in Wareham, Massachusetts Saturday night, April 6th.  They also drew additional charges for possessing crack and heroin, as well as for having ammunition for a .45 caliber handgun without proper licensing, according to Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) spokesperson Katie Gronendyke.

 Gronendyke said the vehicle the group was in was spotted in an area known for the illegal harvesting of elvers that night around 11:30 p.m.   

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Alumni Game Supports Graduating Student

 

By Kaileigh Deacon

As the end of the school year winds down and graduating senior start to look at what will come after high school, one thing they have to consider is how they are going to pay for any education that follows. For many that planning includes the help of scholarships they receive in high school. 

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Calais Elementary Celebrates 35,000 Reading Minutes

 

By Natalie Boomer

On Friday morning, the Calais Elementary School held its annual Readathon parade and award ceremony. The Readathon is a fundraiser that raises money for educational assemblies for the students. 

“The Readathon is the only fundraiser the PTO does. The kids are encouraged, for two weeks, to record all of their minutes reading and ask for pledges. We have all kinds of goals set in function of that,” said Margo Puma of the PTO.

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Popular Weed Killer Harms Bees

 

By Natalie Boomer

The popular weed killer known as Roundup may be harming the honey bee population. Glyphosate is a herbicide and the active ingredient in Roundup. This can cause bees to be more susceptible to infection or even death. This is the same chemical accused of causing cancer in humans.

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Historical Society Releases New Book

 

By Jayna Smith

A new book is available highlighting the 100th year celebration of Calais. 

 In the book Calais Centennial:  July 31st, 1909, compiled by the St. Croix Historical Society, readers will enjoy viewing over 80 photographs from the era and of the event itself.  Also included are articles from the time period that were originally published in The Calais Advertiser. 

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Woodland Jr/Sr High School Hosts College Night

 

By Natalie Boomer 

Last Wednesday, the Woodland Jr/Sr High School hosted a college night for the seniors who had questions about their upcoming days as college freshmen. Student teacher Josie Wallace, teacher Carl Ripley, and Mike Boies were there to discuss college life to the students as well as to their parents. 

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Downtown’s Home to New Hydroponic Grow Facility

 

By Jayna Smith

Many do not have the time, space, or know-how required to grow their own fruits and vegetables.  For them, tasting fresh produce harvested only hours before is a rare experience.  

Within the next couple of weeks, however, people will be able to purchase fresh, locally grown produce right from downtown Calais at 283 Main Street, the former location of the candy store.  This is thanks to the knowledge of Mike Lawson, owner of Wicked Green Farm.  What’s more, Lawson’s fresh produce will be available year-round.  

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Community Rallies to Support Local Family

 

By Kaileigh Deacon

On May 4 the East Range II School in Topsfield will host a Benefit Spaghetti Supper and Chinese Auction for a brave little girl and her family who are having a tough time. The benefit is for four-year-old Pheobe Lloyd who is battling a medical condition. Pheobe will require several hospital trips, surgery and hospital stays while she fights to get better. 

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Progress Being Realized with Downeast Broadband Utility

 

By Jayna Smith

Downeast Broadband Utility has been actively moving forward to bring high-speed broadband internet to businesses and households in Calais and Baileyville. 

 In recent weeks, the cable placer vehicle has been seen in Calais, and blue markers have been placed on some poles, an indication that fiber is on those poles. 

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Calais Girls Serve as Honorary Pages in Maine Senate

 

Maggie and Bailey O’Rourke of Calais served as honorary pages in the Maine Senate on Tuesday, April 16. During their visit they met their state senator, Marianne Moore (R-Washington), and participated in Scout Day at the State House. The girls were accompanied by Cheryl Ingersoll and Chrissy O’Rourke.

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Annual Amphibian Walk at Moosehorn

 

By Natalie Boomer

This Saturday the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge will be hosting their Annual Amphibian Walk. The walk will begin at 8 p.m. and last until about 10 p.m. Frederick Gralenski, a group member and longtime friend of the Moosehorn, will be guiding the walk along with Ray Brown of the Refuge. 

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St. Stephen Kiwanis Trade Show Set to Host Over 60 Vendors

 

By Jayna Smith

The Garcelon Civic Center in St. Stephen will again be the setting for the annual Kiwanis Trade Show.  The event, now in its sixth year, takes place the first weekend of May, this year, Friday, May 3rd and Saturday, May 4th.

 As indicative in its title—St. Stephen Kiwanis Trade Show—the event is a major fundraiser for the local Kiwanis.  Vending fees go straight to the organization, directly impacting the club’s ability to fund youth activities in the St. Stephen area.  

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Son Charged in Theft of Mother’s Vehicle

 

By Jayna Smith

Calais Police Department responded to a report last week of a “possible” stolen vehicle from a Winter Street residence. 

According to Sgt. Vinson, on Thursday, April 18th, the department received a call at 5 a.m. from a mother who believed her son had taken her vehicle.  The vehicle, she told the police, was taken some time in the night without her permission.  

The mother advised CPD that her vehicle “was now stuck in a swamp in Indian Township.” 

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Council Looks at City Wide Improvements

 

By Kaileigh Deacon

As spring seems to have finally arrived, the City of Calais Council is starting to look at improvements that can be done around town to help Calais grow and become a better place for citizens and visitors alike. 

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City to Put Leash on Irresponsible Dog Owners

 

By Jayna Smith

The Calais Cemetery is a popular location for folks to get a brisk walk in for exercise. It’s also common for dog owners to bring their four-legged friends along. 

Signs at the cemetery instruct visitors to “keep dogs on a leash” and “scoop the poop,” but at last week’s council meeting, City Manager Mike Ellis said these notices are not being followed by everyone. 

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