Jayna Smith

[email protected]

Despite no longer being formally affiliated, the Calais Lions Club and the Calais Lioness Club share a mutual mission: to aid local residents in need.  Each club supports the other's efforts and participates in various fundraising events throughout the year.

Plans to expand the capacity of the Lincoln Memorial Public Library in Dennysville are moving forward, thanks to Senator Susan Collins’ timely submission of the trustees’ funding request to the Senate Appropriations Committee in Congress this summer.

Children ages 5 to 14 have gathered at the Calais Veterans Center for Craft Camp over the last couple of weeks. Craft Camp encourages and provides an opportunity for children to explore their creativity, imagination, and self-expression. It is also a safe environment for children to discover that it is okay to make mistakes because getting things “wrong” could actually give you a whole new idea. 

During this camp, the children have created garden stepping stones, repurposed recyclable materials, created t-shirts with food coloring, made wildlife suncatchers, and more. 

Jon Reisman

President Biden’s selfless and noble passing of the torch to Kamala (or Obama/Pelosi orchestrated coup, depending on which tribe you belong to) left me marveling at our polarized and post-modern understanding of “Democracy.” “Democracy” is a system of government where the people rule, either directly (like Town Meeting) or through elected representatives (a Republic). Democracy is rule of the many, as opposed to rule of the few (oligarchy) or the one (tyranny). 

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

Starting August 1, 2024, new regulations will be implemented for dogs entering or returning to the United States.  These rules depend on where the dog has been in the past six months and where it received its rabies vaccination, if required, to prevent the entry of rabies-infected canines into the U.S.

The Washington County village of Grand Lake Stream may be just off the beaten path, but it will be well worth the drive to this magical setting as the ballfield comes alive on Saturday and Sunday, July 27 and 28, for the 28th Annual Grand Lake Stream Folk Art Festival.  Local organizers have once again put together a full schedule of activities for young and old, with music, folk art, food, and fun.  The festival runs each day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

Sandra Smith

Saturday was the second Princeton Parks and Recreation’s Community Yard and Craft Sale. The weather was unbelievably perfect, and the wonderful community support was truly appreciated. In addition to the ten vendors, the Princeton Fire Department Association was there with their Weenie Wagon for breakfast and lunch. Also, Lakeside Lemonade was back. 

A new format included six vendors who participated in the event but sold items from their homes. They were advertised and their location was featured on a special map. 

The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation has awarded The Joy Fund, a barrier removal program administered by the Community Caring Collaborative (CCC), $5,500 to support more first-time home buyers scheduling home inspections of their prospective dream home in Washington County.  

The Downeast Salmon Federation (DSF) has announced the grand opening of the Dennys River Sportsman’s Club Pavilion on Thursday, August 8. This event marks a new chapter for the historic clubhouse, now transformed into an open-air pavilion and open to the public.

The story of one Israeli hostage and  his 3-year-old granddaughter

Anav Silverman Peretz

A few weeks ago, I was sitting with my family at McDonald's, on the way back home to our home in the Negev desert after a visit with our in-laws in Raanana. Our kids were munching on French fries, while my husband went to get our order. I watched Israelis, young and old, sitting together in the American fast food chain, quite popular in Israel. 

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

A new foot passenger ferry service between Campobello Island, New Brunswick, and Eastport, Maine, is set to revive a historic transportation link across the Passamaquoddy Bay’s international boundary.  The Eastport Windjammers boating company, in collaboration with the Friar’s Bay Development Association, launched the service last week following a successful trial run last summer.

Paul Sylvain

Washington County Commissioners on July 11 gave the green light to Regional Communication Center Director Josh Rolfe to begin the process of hiring two new full-time dispatchers at the RCC.

The decision follows a June 18 emergency meeting between Commissioners Chris Gardner, Vinton Cassidy, the RCC, and the county budget committee to discuss the need to immediately add the new dispatchers.

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

The American Red Cross is hosting a blood drive at the Calais Knights of Columbus, located at 2 Park Street in Calais, on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, from 12 to 5 p.m.

The need for blood is constant, and only volunteer donors can meet this crucial need for patients in the community. Nationwide, someone requires a unit of blood every 2 to 3 seconds, and most will need blood in our lifetimes. 

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

First National Bank recently announced a $10,000 contribution to the Maine Seacoast Mission toward their Mission Downeast Capital Campaign.

Since 1905, the Maine Seacoast Mission has been committed to the people of Maine’s outer islands and Downeast coastal communities. Based out of their 63-acre Downeast campus in Cherryfield, they operate a host of robust programs focused on education, food security, and community engagement.

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

The guided missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) visited Eastport last week for the city’s Independence Day celebration, bringing with it around 300 sailors, including one local man, Tobias Francis from Sipayik. 

The USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer and part of Destroyer Squadron 28.  It has a displacement of 9,200 tons and measures 509.5 feet in length. 

Many locals and visitors alike attended the annual Grand Lake Stream Fourth of July celebration last week, and the festivities did not disappoint.  (Photos courtesy of Linda Boudreau Woodruff)

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

The Town of Vanceboro is gearing up for a grand celebration on Saturday, July 20, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., to mark the 150th anniversary of its incorporation and the re-opening of the Vanceboro Historical Society.  The festivities will be held at the Vanceboro Community Center, located at 101 High Street.

Jon Reisman

I spent our 248th birthday in Cooper, eschewing parades and politics to marinate in memories, both happy and haunting. This past year of personal bereavement, filial weddings, and political angst has left me both pensive and emotional, occasionally even teary-eyed. I cycled through many years of July 4th memories, searching for solace and optimism.

Down East Hospice Volunteers recently announced the winner of a recent fundraising raffle.  Rhoda Dougherty, of Perry, won a grill, graciously donated by Johnson’s True Value and a canvas tote of grilling goodies put together by DEHV.  

DEHV thanks all who bought raffle tickets and who continue to support its mission.