Attention landowners and foresters!  Do you have a stream crossing in your forest or woodlot? Here is a great opportunity.  There will be a free workshop on Tuesday, May 22, from 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. to get more information and the opportunity  for financial and technical assistance to enhance fish habitat and improve access to your land.  This workshop will be at the Hillgrove Community Hall at 42 South Main Street in the village of Whitneyville.

Maurice L. Caler expects to complete his spring pack of clams this week and will close the factory until the opening of the blueberry season.

The warm days of the past week have started farming operations and every available team is now plowing or otherwise preparing the land for planting.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Editor’s note: This is the second in our series introducing voters to the four candidates running for two seats on the Machias Selectboard. The town will vote on Tuesday, June 12. See our issue dated May 2 for the first article in the series.

Jessica Stewart, Ridgely Fuller and Sharon Dean of East Machias were convicted last week in Federal Court and sentenced to one day in jail for failing to obey a lawful order. The three refused to leave Senator Collins’ Bangor office on December 19, 2017 calling on her to vote against the tax plan. Sharon Dean traveled to Washington, D.C. in December with Mainers for Accountable Leadership and met with Senator Collins, Ady Barkan and Marie Follayttar Smith. 

Early Saturday morning I happened to look out my back window and see a heavy frost on my strawberry plants, early enough to hose them down. Being a spring plant, strawberries likely have what it takes to survive a frost. But being an overeager gardener, I wasn’t willing to take that chance. Hosing the plants down before the sun rises and bursts their frozen cells is one way to save them from frost. Checking the forecast and covering them the night before is one step better.

Accountability is a much-bandied-about word in 2018. 

It sounds good and in practice it’s even better, but it remain an elusive thing to grab onto, and to maintain a hold is actually -- apparently -- next to impossible. At the State House, especially during the recent leave-taking of this 128th session, accountability was nowhere in sight.  

Editor’s note: This letter originally ran in our March 28 edition, but we reprint it here this week  to freshen readers’ memories when they read  the response from the PRSWDD Board of Directors below. 

The Pleasant River Solid Waste Disposal District (PRSWDD) is a quasi-municipal, nonprofit organization that was formed more than 20 years ago because towns were under a State mandate to recycle.  PRSWDD, governed by a board of directors, with representatives appointed by the Selectmen of each participating town (Addison, Beals Island, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Jonesboro and Jonesport has been committed to transparency for more than 20 years. Monthly financials and minutes of all Board meetings are sent to member towns and are available to the public. 

by Nancy Beal

Lucas St. Clair, one of three Democrats vying in next month’s primary election for a chance to go up against Bruce Poliquin for Maine’s second congressional seat in Washington, addressed Washington County Democrats in East Machias May 6. During his hour-long presentation and while answering questions that followed, he talked about climate change, infrastructure and the economy, farming, health care (including opioids) and his mother.

Upcoming events

KinderArts with Tarah Waters, Thursdays,  May 17, 24 and 31, 9:30-10:15 am, for children up to age 5 with caregivers, free, Eastport Arts Center.

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May 18 at 7 pm & May 20 at 3 p.m., Quoddy Voices spring concerts, ‘Something About Love, Eastport Arts Center.

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