Paul Sylvain

In a presentation that was part doomsday warning and an IT proposal, Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy and Information Technology Ombudsman Dennis Dorsey told the county’s commissioners that unless a knowledgeable replacement for his position is found before Jan. 1, the county government’s IT systems will begin failing within three weeks of his departure on that date.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension will host the annual Blueberry Hill Farm Field Day on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at Blueberry Hill Farm, 1643 US-1 in Jonesboro. This free event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is open to all wild blueberry growers, agricultural professionals and community members interested in the latest innovations and the basics of wild blueberry production.

Paul Sylvain

Scarcely a week after the last acrid cloud of black powder gunsmoke from last weekend’s Margaretta Days celebration has faded from the mock Revolutionary War battlefields at West Branch Farms, it’s time this weekend for the dust, exhaust smoke, and fun of the 4th Annual Machias ATV Jamboree downtown at the Pellon Center.

The first Machias ATV Jamboree was held in 2022, but organizers last year said the first “real” ATV jamboree was in 2023. The 2024 jamboree was even bigger, with more of the same on tap for next weekend.

Paul Sylvain

The gun smoke has cleared from last month’s Margaretta Days skirmish reenactments, but one of that week’s events that might have been overlooked by visitors enthralled by reenactments, vendors, music, and food involved the digging up and opening of a time capsule buried in an old cemetery behind Rev. James Lyons house on Lower Court Street, across from American Legion Post 9.

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

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.

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.” 

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. 

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.

Nancy Beal

Nearly 100 well-wishers gathered last Friday night in the Beals Elementary School gym to celebrate Beals’ centennial anniversary in what was billed by the event’s organizers as an evening of “Refreshments and Recollections.”

Paul Sylvain

Washington County’s towns and cities, still reeling after getting broadsided with a hefty 22% county tax increase this year, should begin bracing for a replay next year and perhaps beyond.