by Jen Simone

In times of intense despair, it can seem impossible to have any hope. All of us get caught up in the tragedies occurring all around us and begin to believe that life is a constant struggle without any good in it. Christmas time, though often a time of mourning for people who have recently lost loved ones, also is a time of restored hope for many.

by Nancy Beal

After nearly two decades of educating and encouraging people to separate recyclables from their regular household trash, the Pleasant River Solid Waste Disposal District (PRSWDD) will close all its recycling windows at the Route 1 transfer station as of the first of next year. This change of policy was approved at the board of directors’ December 9 meeting and is the result of technology and economics.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

While blueberries ripened on Downeast barrens, two local fishermen were making their way to Alaska, exchanging the Sunrise County’s wooded waterfront for one even more remote. This summer, Captain Chris Mullen of Machias and Asher Molyneaux of East Machias spent five weeks fishing for salmon in the shallow waters of Bristol Bay, famed for its unspoiled beauty and abundant wildlife.

Mullen said the bay’s remote nature is part of what keeps it pristine.

by Ruth Leubecker

Maine’s rural roads and bridges are among the worst in the nation but the plans to reverse this trend remain elusive and splintered.  

“While all of these plans have their supporters and opponents, it should be noted that the only funding mechanism that gets bipartisan support year after year is bonding,” says Rep. Will Tuell. “I know plenty of people do not like highway bonds, but to my mind, it is the lesser of many evils.”

by Coach Lupe Soto

As the 2019-20 wrestling season begins, the young Washington Academy

wrestling team is making its mark as a solid dual-meet wrestling team. With eight wins under their belt, they’re coming together as good individual wrestlers and are learning to work as a team to win matches.

You can have three of the best wrestlers in the state on the team, but if you don’t have any other team members you can’t win many dual matches. You can, however, score big in tournaments.

by Marci Gaglione

Susan Grant, a local teacher and author, is pleased to announce the release of her first book, “100 Minutes with God.”

EAST MACHIAS - Malcolm Stephen Holmes, passed away December 7, 2019, at home after a hard-fought battle against cancer.  He was surrounded by his family and was loved beyond measure until the very end.

by Nancy Beal

by Tyler Royle

The University of Maine at Machias is hosting a play that will be performed at the Performance Arts Center by the students in Instructor Eustacia Landrum’s class. “The Dollar” is a comedic play about a bunch of lost travelers fighting among themselves over the discovery of a dollar. The play is set to have a bunch of random skits that will be open to the public.

The Machias Savings Bank Foundation awarded 22 organizations with a total of more than $150,000 in Community Development Grants last month. The organizations are located in six different counties with statewide reach and impact.

by Ronie Strout

Another week has flown by, how does that happen? Is it because I am so busy that it flies by so quickly? I suppose that it would be a boring life if the days dragged on with me not doing anything constructive.

On Tuesday the 3rd school was canceled due to the storm that we had. I did get most of my Christmas cards made out and filled up my wood box for the stove. Sometimes it seems that when your usual routine is off a person just cannot get anything done during the day.

Students at the Cobscook Experiential Program invite the community to an all you can eat pizza and music fundraiser on Friday, Dec. 13, from 6 – 8 p.m. Students are raising money to support hands-on learning by building electric guitars. O’McCrelli and friends will entertain with a holiday sing-a-long. The suggested donation for the dinner is $10 per person or $20 per family.

by Tyler Royle

Florence Sturdivant Public Library held a contest back in September in order to track down overdue library books. The contest was that the person who turned in the most overdue library book would win a prize without suffering any repercussions. The contest was advertised in the Machias Valley News Observer in the months of September and October in hopes of bringing in those people who still had overdue books.

by Ruth Leubecker

Describing specific plans in exclusive remarks to the MVNO, Gov. Janet Mills has outlined her intentions for bringing health care to all Mainers.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Bird watchers are made of hardy stock, willing to brave thorn, brush, vine or snow for the sight of one elusive species. This month, though, Downeast bird lovers have easier delights within their grasp. An art show featuring the illustrations of Machias artist Margaret La Farge is tucked warmly within the art gallery at the top of College Hill.

by Wayne Smith

I have interviewed high school basketball players, Red Sox Players, Stephen King, Don Imus (Imus in the Morning), and the average Joes off the street. I’ve covered town meetings, board meetings, had my picture taken with Peter, Paul and Mary, Olympia Snowe, Warren Zevon, a Penthouse Pet Amy Lynn, Roger Clements, Carlton Willey and even went on a lobster boat.

Two films produced by students at the University of Maine at Machias have been selected as finalists for the 2019 University of Maine Film Festival.

“A Journey in Darkness Through Music” and “When the Chevy Breaks (How Small Towns Fix Big Problems)” will be screened at the free public festival in Orono at UMaine’s Corbett Business Building, room 100, from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7.

by Nancy Beal

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

A candlelight vigil planned for Sunday, Dec. 8, will bring bereaved families together to honor the memories of their children. Set to take place at the University of Maine at Machias Performing Arts Center, the Machias event is timed to coincide with a worldwide vigil organized by The Compassionate Friends, a group that offers support to families after a child dies.

“It’s believed to be the biggest candlelight vigil in the world,” said Shelley Roberts, one of the local organizers.

by Tyler Royle

Two Machias men have banded together to bring a new kind of shop to Main Street. Aaron Ackley and Brendon Sohre opened the doors on Bad Little Boards earlier this year, building on their shared love of skateboarding. Ackley has been working with skateboards for the last twenty years and is responsible for building and fixing skateboards. Sohre runs the merchandising side of the company by selling different types of branding, from clothes to gemstones.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Despite last week’s windy weather, representatives of a New England animal welfare organization set up tables around Machias, sharing information about a survey they’re conducting.

“We want to understand what people think about different pet issues, what they’re seeing as problems in the community, and what’s going on with their own pets if they have them,” said Hanna Lentz of Impact by Design, the research firm conducting the Machias Pet Survey.