A Harp Seal on the beach in Lubec, taken on Earth Day! (Photo by Angie Cummings)

A chipmunk. (Photo by Donna Melanson)

Jayna Smith

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Calais Lions Club has been part of the community since it was chartered in 1940, making it one of the city’s longest-running civic organizations.  Although a small group of men, the organization contributes approximately $20,000 annually to local charities.  

Jayna Smith

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The Calais Waterfront Walkway has seen lots of foot traffic in recent weeks.  Many people are taking advantage of the weather to begin some physical exercise, while others are playing a fun game of hide and seek.  This particular hide-and-seek game, however, is not your traditional one.  It is played by kids–and kids at heart–wishing to brighten up the route.

Jayna Smith

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Last Thursday and Friday, volunteers at Irene Chadbourne Ecumenical Food Pantry kept busy providing curbside pickups of food boxes.  

The boxes, according to food pantry director Fr. David Sivret, included a mixture of cereals and canned goods.  Also available were apples, potatoes, chicken, fish sticks, sliced ham, and pork patties, among other items.  The goods were supplied from USDA/Good Shepherd Food Bank.  

What a wonderful surprise! Meg & Moxie Rothberg (PAWS adopter and ME Coon alum) made hand crafted masks for our staff! These colorful animal prints have really brought cheer and hope to everyone, including the kitties who couldn’t understand a word we were saying through our folded bandanas! We can’t thank you enough! (Facebook photo)

By Jayna Smith

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With warmer weather now upon us, many will be spending more time outdoors.  This means it’s an especially good time to get into the habit of checking for ticks, small bloodsucking parasites,  many of which transmit diseases to animals and people.

By Kaileigh Deacon

For many, the only thing that gets them through their day is knowing that when they get home they have their families waiting there for them, especially the furry ones! With a number of businesses changing the way they do things or are forced to close until the gathering restrictions for the COVID-19 pandemic are lifted, PAWS animal shelter in Calais is still open for business, though a bit modified.

Local Border Patrol Agents recently donated 213 pounds of food, along with $150 in cash, to Irene Ecumenical Food Pantry, to assist during the pandemic with the increased number of people using the food pantry.  (Facebook photo)

The Washington County Commissioners yesterday delivered a letter to Governor Janet Mills stating that rural Maine occupies a unique position relative to the coronavirus pandemic, and asking the governor to include the three most rural counties in conversations about how to reopen the state for business. 

The full text of the letter appears here:

To share with students the various roles at Calais Regional Hospital, as well as how patients are taken care of and how staff uses personal protective equipment (PPE), Calais Elementary School nurse Mrs. Heather White created a video with some of the CRH staff.  Mrs. White, who also works at the hospital, shared the video to her Facebook page to give students a better understanding of how the hospital is ready to serve them if needed.  (Facebook photo)

By Natalie Boomer

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The Old School Family Restaurant in Princeton delivered over 200 meals to elderly folks in the area on Saturday, April 11th. 

Calais Regional Hospital (CRH) has lost over 40% of its patient volumes while also assuming additional costs to prepare for a potential influx of COVID-19 patients.    With regular operations coming to an almost halt, there is little revenue projected to cover costs in the coming weeks.   This is a never before seen financial crisis for many hospitals like CRH, that threatens the ability of the organization to provide care and maintain its presence as an economic engine in our community.  

Lunches were delivered to some Methodist Home residents last week by the Easter Bunny!  Pictured are Sue Holmes, Bunny, and Cindy Delmonaco.  Absent from photo, but also helping with deliveries, was Cindy Wartman.  (Submitted photo) 

By Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Bags of fabric are crisscrossing Washington County along a virtual assembly line so precisely orchestrated the people working on it never see each other. Working remotely, the Washington County Covid-19 Mask Sewing Circle has already delivered more than 500 cloth face masks, and taken orders for 1,200 more. 

The Unobskey Scholars Program is proud to announce its 2020 class, selected from ninth graders attending nine different public high schools in Washington County, Maine, and Charlotte County, New Brunswick.

The Maine Unobskey Scholars are:  Lydia DeSchiffart, Emmalee Donahue-Ripley, and Matthew Haire from Narraguagus High School in Harrington; Jacey Barabe and Jaida Case from Machias Memorial High School in Machias; and Hope McGlaughlin from Calais High School.

By Natalie Boomer

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Many of us have noticed ladybugs in our homes recently. These bugs are actually a specific type of ladybug known as the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle, and they become more common in New England homes during times of cold weather.

By Natalie Boomer 

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Schools, parks, and after school activities are still canceled and parents and teachers are starting to come up with creative ways to entertain children.

Throughout the past few weeks, people of Washington County have been placing teddy bears in their windows for children to spot while on “bear hunts.” As Easter approaches, the Calais PTO has introduced the idea of replacing the bears with Easter eggs.

By Jayna Smith

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The home of Jose and Barbara Lara on Calais Avenue always brings smiles to the faces of those who drive or walk by when decorated for the holidays.  

The couple recently decorated for spring.  The décor includes colorful inflatable eggs and bunnies and lots of lights, as well as some giant teddy bears for all to see on their bear hunts.  

Please send us your wildlife photos to [email protected]

Consistent with the ongoing efforts to protect patients, staff, and the community, Calais Regional Hospital Visitors Policy will be restricted beginning Saturday, March 28 as indicated: 

-ONE designated visitor per patient 

-NO visitors with flu-like symptoms 

-NO visitors under the age of 12 

-ALL visitors will be screened 

By Jayna Smith

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that 1 in 54 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, with boys four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls.