Jayna Smith

[email protected]

Downtown Calais is looking beautiful, with American flags bellowing on some light poles, and banners honoring the high school graduates on others, all while the hanging baskets add bright coloring from their flowers.  

The flower baskets that get hung every summer are all thanks to Calais Downtown Revitalization Coalition (CDRC), and another project brought to the city by that same group is the upkeep of the downtown garden.  

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

President Donald Trump paid Maine a visit last Friday to see Puritan Medical Products in Guilford.  The company is one of only two major companies that manufacture medical swabs needed for coronavirus testing.  The other is in Italy.

By Natalie Boomer

[email protected]

St. Croix Valley Pickleball games have been put on pause since the month of March due to COVID-19. Tennis courts have finally reopened, and the game can be played once again with new rules and regulations. 

Games started back up again on Wednesday, May 27th at the Woodland Jr/Sr High School and the Calais tennis courts. 

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

Road tolls in Calais are huge fundraisers for many organizations, ten of them to be exact.  Each year, groups can apply with the city to hold one, but only ten spots are allowed, per the city’s ordinance.  

Each Calais High School Class of 2020 graduate’s photo is displayed on a banner that now hangs on the downtown light poles, thanks to Calais Public Works Department.  (Photo by Jayna Smith)

Postmaster Debbie Dow recently shared to social media this photo of a postal plant.  She explained that many packages are sitting in plants because of staffing issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but gave assurance that postal and UPS workers are still hard at work, many actually doing the work of two or three people.  Dow added, "So when you think your package is going to arrive [at the Calais post office] at a certain time, please remember there is a pandemic and you might not receive it for a bit."  (Photo courtesy of Postmaster Debbie Dow)

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

Last Saturday at Calais Cemetery, the Veterans buried there were remembered, thanks to the many local volunteers who dedicated themselves to placing flags on each grave.

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

The United States and Canada recently reached an agreement to continue the closure of the border to all non-essential travel, at least until June 21st.  Border restrictions were first announced on March 18th.  

The closure will continue the prohibition of non-essential traffic, allowing only for the flow of trade and commerce, such as truckers, as well as healthcare workers who live and work on opposite sides of the border.

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

Last Friday, the Irene Chadbourne Ecumenical Food Pantry in Calais and the Woodland Community Food Pantry in Baileyville each received a visit from members of the Blue Knights motorcycle club.  Led by David and Sherri Wight, the club distributed to each pantry food packets from a University of Maine Honors College public service project.  

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

Events of Memorial Day 2020 may have been very different from prior years, especially with the exclusion of a parade and the always well-attended ceremony at Memorial Park; however, ceremonies, although modified, were still held in Calais to pay tribute to our fallen heroes. 

By Kaileigh Deacon

Last Thursday’s City Council meeting, held via Facebook Live, was focused on how Calais will continue to operate and move forward. Since Calais Regional Hospital is a big part of the City of Calais, City Manager Mike Ellis proposed that the council and the hospital form a liaison committee. This committee would act much the same way as the liaison committee with the school, which allows for discussion and concerns to be addressed without full boards or councils.

By Natalie Boomer 

[email protected]

The Downeast Coastal Conservancy and nature photographer Paul Powers will be hosting a virtual presentation on Maine’s native turtles on Thursday, May 28th. 

They will be “Bringing Maine’s Native freshwater turtles out of their shells and into the spotlight,” with part two of Powers’ educational series on Maine’s native amphibians and reptiles. 

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

The coronavirus scare has canceled many events across the world, but American Legion Sherman Brothers Post No. 3 Commander Mike McLean said it will not cancel patriotism this Memorial Day, and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice will still be remembered and honored.  “At least it’s something we can do for our veterans,” he said.  “We’ll never let a fallen soldier down.”

VIDEO OF COUNCIL MEETING: 

https://www.facebook.com/CityofCalais/videos/378523716398725/

Will Not Enforce Governor’s Orders, Declares All Businesses Essential

by Jayna Smith, [email protected]

By Natalie Boomer

[email protected]

Michael Chesley Johnson will begin his 16th season hosting painting retreats in Lubec this summer. These quiet workshops are for the plein air painter, or outdoor painter, who enjoys cobblestone beaches, romantic lighthouses, broad meadows, overlooking cliffs, working harbors and more.

If you ask many adults what their greatest fear is, public speaking will top the list for many. The University of Maine Cooperative 4-H Program gives youth an opportunity to overcome those fears by learning the proper way to construct a presentation and present it in front of an audience. 

On March 8th, 4-H youth presented at the Washington County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament held at the Washington County Community College in Calais. 

Here are the presentations and the results:

Cloverbud Division (ages 5-8)

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

Most in the area are familiar with Tom Brennan and his works of art.  From his annual art shows during International Homecoming Festival to his work displayed in the city building, much of his work depicts familiar faces and other images representative of the St. Croix Valley.

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

Vigorous debate erupted last week after Eastport Port Authority Executive Director Chris Gardner announced the possible arrival of the 785-foot Oceania Cruises vessel, Riviera, in the coming days or weeks. If approved, the vessel would arrive in Eastport carrying only crewmembers and could stay docked there for several weeks.

By Jean-Pierre Keikens, covexit.com

When compared to its neighbor Quebec, the Province of New Brunswick shows extraordinary results in its fight against COVID-19.

To date, there have been 118 cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick, and 112 of them, or 95%, have been reported to have recovered. There were no deaths.

Quebec meanwhile is at 24,982 cases. Only 5,517 (or 22%) were declared recovered, and there have already been 1,599 deaths.

By Anav Silverman Peretz

By Natalie Boomer 

[email protected]

Bruce White, of Baileyville, has been using his time while socially distancing the same as he would on any other occasion:  taking old things apart to make them new again.