By Will Tuell

Wood has always been in our family. 

By Nancy Beal

The Dutch company that intends to establish a $100 million land-based fish farm in Jonesport on Chandler Bay recently received a huge cash infusion to upgrade the electric infrastructure from Route 1 in Jonesboro to its Mason Bay location. Kingfish Maine, which presented its plans to the Moosabec area nearly three and a half years ago, will receive $4 million in federal money to bring a 34.5-kilovolt line to the nearly 100-acre site north of Greenwood Cemetery.

By Paul Sylvain

Calling Machias Hannaford’s “our community store,” Machias Food Pantry co-directors Nancy Lewis and Ken Warner on Feb. 23 accepted a $12,000 donation for the purchase of a new freezer/cooler from the store’s manager, John Thimlar.

By Nancy Beal

The former welding shop of Ronnie Gray on Route 187 in the Indian River district of Addison burned down in the early morning hours of Feb. 21. Fire crews from three towns -- Addison, Columbia, and Jonesport -- brought the blaze under control in about three hours. Heat from the fire blistered an exposed wall of a nearby dwelling. The former Gray’s welding shop was currently being used by Robbins Construction. No injuries were reported as of press time. The cost of damage related to the blaze is, as yet, unknown.

On Feb. 15, Washington County Commissioners Vinton Cassidy (R-Calais), John Crowley, Sr. (R-Addison), and Chris Gardner (R-Edmunds) awarded a contract to J&J Construction of Jonesboro for the purposes of demolishing the former District Attorney’s Office on 82 Court Street in Machias, the county said in a press release last week. The contract, valued at $22,000, includes the cost of salvaging portions of the 1800s building, which may be repurposed. 

Selectboard Approves Liquor License, Entertainment Permit at Feb. 14 Meeting

By Paul Sylvain

What should have been a routine order of business on Feb. 14, involving a simple selectboard vote to approve an on-premises liquor license and a special entertainment permit in advance of Mason’s Brewing Company’s much anticipated mid-March opening Downeast, evolved into several moments of drama by selectboard member Ben Edwards.

By Paul Sylvain

A scheduled Feb. 15 special town meeting and vote by citizens of Machiasport on whether or not to take a 50-foot-wide strip of land from two property owners in the town’s Starboard district was abruptly canceled by town officials and rescheduled for Feb. 26.

By Phil Stuart

Ten out of 14 Washington County high school girls' and boys’ basketball teams are qualified for post-season play based on the final point standings. Only the Jonesport-Beals girls, Machias boys, and Calais boys got automatic bids to the Cross Center, while the Narraguagus girls, Machias girls, Washington Academy girls, and Woodland girls had to play a preliminary game in order to qualify for the northern tournament along with the Narraguagus, Jonesport-Beals, and Washington Academy boys.

By Nancy Beal

Amanda Smith is the wife of Beals lobster fisherman Richard Smith. She is also the Sunrise County Economic Council’s coastal opportunities advisor. In a recent meeting of the Beals’ Harbor Committee, she brought home something she had learned at work: an opportunity for lobstermen to make some money during the long, cold winters when their traps sit on the bank.

Dr. Reza Namin, Superintendent of Maine Indian Education and former University of Maine Machias chemistry professor, has been selected to serve as a judge for the Future Engineers Program. 

The Future Engineers Program was founded in 2015 by leading engineering associations to address the shortage of students pursuing engineering careers. Through an annual competition, students submit innovative proposals for tackling issues such as climate change, space exploration, and sustainability. Submissions are evaluated by a panel of engineers and STEM experts, including Dr. Namin.