By Dominic Gayton

Being a hospice volunteer is not about being there for someone while they are dying so much as it is about helping someone make the most out of the end of their life. The taboo of death and dying is an obstacle Down East Hospice Volunteers hopes to overcome as it seeks new prospective volunteers to participate in its volunteer training this September.

By Jayna Smith

For 50 years, PCT Communications has been serving the area with a variety of products and services.  For most of those years, the company has been family-owned and operated by Roger Holst, his wife Fran, his daughter Jennifer Brown, and his two brothers Dale and Brett.       

Michael McLean and David Sivret were the first to greet the Canadian group in the middle of Ferry Point Bridge on Wednesday. (Photo by Kaileigh Deacon)

Left: The crowned International Festival Princesses are kept busy during Festival week. Pictures is Carley Waycott Miss International Festival Grand Supreme Queen helping  out at Wednesday’s peanut fair.

Right: The peanut fair is a great way to spend the first afternoon of festival. With games of all sorts there is something for everyone. Pictured are Sophia Rogers and Alizay Mitchell racing.

(Photos by Kaileigh Deacon) 

The Low Tide Trio entertained a good crowd last Tuesday evening during Music on the Green, Triangle Park, downtown Calais. The group was sponsored by The Calais Advertiser. The last concert takes place on Aug. 27 with Pitch Black Ribbons.  You can listen to the concert by visiting The Calais Advertiser Facebook page. (Photo by Pierre Little).

By Kaileigh Deacon

Anyone driving by the Calais Walmart on Saturday would have seen a big yellow school bus parked in front of the store. This was all part of the back to school initiative that the Calais Elementary School has done for the last several years.

By Jayna Smith

McDonald’s in St. Stephen has officially opened, as of Monday, August 12th.  

A soft opening for only a few hours as a “friends and family event” occurred the day prior to allow staff extra training before the big day, according to Ashley Wager, who, along with her husband Gary, is the franchise owner.

By Dominic Gayton

When I arrived at Bohanon’s Garage to interview co-owner Jamie Bohanon for this article on July 26, 2019, he and his uncle and fellow co-owner, Monte Bohanon, were diligently trying to diagnose a problem with a customer’s car. I waited in the office for Jamie to finish. When he finished helping the customer, he apologized for making me wait. There was nothing to apologize for. Taking care of the customer first is why Bohanon’s Inc. has been in business for 50 years.

By Jayna Smith

Many may not realize it, but one of the busiest shops in downtown is the Calais Community Thrift Shop.  It’s so busy, in fact, that more volunteers are being sought to allow for an expansion of its current part-time hours of operation.  

Right now, according to volunteer Linda Howe, the shop’s hours are limited to 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Saturday--“when we have staff,” she said.  Because the shop is run strictly by volunteers, the days and hours sometimes vary.