Editor’s note: On Wednesday, Feb. 28 Melissa Hinerman traveled to Augusta to participate in a public hearing in front of the criminal justice committee. She spoke in favor of two bills put forth by Rep. Will Tuell (R-E. Machias) and Sen. Joyce Maker (R-Calais). Hinerman is the founder of the Facebook page “Save Downeast Correctional Facility” and has a personal connection to the prison’s fate. This is an excerpt of the testimony she gave at the hearing.

Senator Rosen, Representative Warren and Members of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, 

by Sherry Rier

Editor’s note: This is the first of four chapters we will run from  the story of Sherry Rier’s maternal grandmother, Harriet Means of Machias. For the background, see our Threads column on page 8.

A benefit dance was held for the little boy who was injured in a car accident in Hancock earlier this fall. The music was provided by the band called Deep Six. There was a good turnout and not too cold an evening.

Last week’s nor’easter and high tides caused saltwater to backup through storm drains into the bottom of Court Street. Cars were diverted around the flooded area by cones and barrels. Photo by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Ron and Linda have fun at Juskiddin Acres with holidays and for St. Patrick’s Day they have been dressing up goats.  I was laughing so hard it was difficult to get good pictures. 

Went out Sunday morning and picked up $11 dollars worth of bottles on Route 192.  Roads are starting to get rough.  The frost heaves need to be marked.

Visited with Carola on Wednesday the 28th. I can’t believe this month is over. 

Went into Little Seavey Lake to rescue a chicken Ruth Ann wanted me to take because her other chickens were picking on her. 

Rep. Robert W. Alley, Sr., D-Beals, welcomed Dr. Cathleen London of Milbridge to the Maine State House on Thursday, March 1. Dr. London is a family practice physician and she served as the “Doctor of the Day” in the Maine House of Representatives.  Submitted photo

By the end of this week a nor’easter may have brought our snow cover back and frankly, I am okay with it. With the bare, March ground exposed, I can only see the chores it’s too early to begin, all waiting for me on the lawn and in the garden. The minute the ground is ready, I will begin what is sure to be a months-long project of deweeding my neglected garden and flower beds.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

When three college athletes saw a poster about a basketball tournament hanging on their gym doors, they immediately signed up.  University of Maine at Machias Clippers Maurius Turner, Dylan Brown and Dante Ramos took home the trophy on Sunday, Feb. 25, and said they learned a little bit about the tournament’s sponsor, Arise Addiction, Inc. in the process. “They’re a helping hand,” said Brown, who hails from Campobello Island. “Through Jesus Christ they can help people recover from addiction.” 

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Twelve youth basketball teams will come from all over Washington County to compete in the first annual Camron Roberts Memorial Pee Wee Basketball Tournament to be held Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10 at Washington Academy in East Machias.

Shelley Roberts said the tournament will be a positive, light hearted way to remember her son Camron, who passed away in August of 2017. There will be knockout games, skill challenges and throw-for-dough games held between the games, and they’ll play Camron’s favorite music, too.

The Washington County Extension Association (WECA) seeks nominations for the 2018​ Norman W. Duzen Volunteer Award, which honors a Washington County resident whose volunteerism has enhanced the lives of community members.

Bestselling author Bruce Robert Coffin will give a talk and sign copies of his work on Wednesday, March 14 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Porter Memorial Library in Machias.  Coffin’s new novel is entitled  Beneath the Depths,  the second of his Detective Byron series, published by HarperCollins.

 Fellow Maine writer Paul Doiron has called Coffin’s first crime novel, Among the Shadows, “...the best debut I’ve read in ages.” The talk is free and open to the public. Copies of Coffin’s books will be available for sale at the event. For more information, call the library at 255-3933.

Maine State President of Children of the American Revolution, Cameryn Farnsworth, recently began fundraising for the activities department at Maine Veterans’ Homes in Machias. With a great deal of hard work, Cameryn was able to present Maine Veterans’ Homes with a very generous donation of $1,000. Her efforts were driven by compassion, as her donation was made in loving memory of her grandfather, Everett Farnsworth.

Upcoming events

Basketball Clinic at Narraguagus Gym- Intramural Athletics will be offering a free Basketball Clinic on March 4 and March 11 at the Narraguagus Gym for grades K-6. Grades K-2 time is 4 – 5 p.m. and Grades 3-6 time is 5:15 to 7 pm. For more information, call Dan at 461-9090 or Mindy at 461-8878.

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High School One Act Review, $5 admission to benefit schools. March 7, 6 p.m.,

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by Lura Jackson

The first WE Believe event to be held in New Brunswick will be showcasing three young women from the local area. Cassidy Carr of Calais, Brianna Jack of Nackawic, N.B., and Skyla Libby from Jonesport will each be speaking about the volunteering projects they are engaged in at the May 17th event, which will be attended by 7,600 students and teachers.

The University of Maine at Machias has received a $200,000 Davis Educational Foundation grant to improve student retention and academic performance by expanding a program called Supplemental Instruction. SI has been offered at the university in STEM subjects since 2015. The new funding allows the university to expand the program to include courses in all disciplines. The grant was received from the Davis Education Foundation established by Stanton and Elisabeth Davis after Mr. Davis’s retirement as chairman of Shaw’s Supermarkets, Inc.

Principal Leavitt and the faculty of Machias Memorial High School proudly presents the 2017-2018 Quarter 2 honor roll for academic excellence.  

The following students have earned the distinction of being recognized as achieving high honors or honors.

Lissa Nash Mutty, 66, passed away peacefully on February 26, 2018 at D.E.C.H. surrounded by her closest family. She succumbed to her long battle of cancer. She was born in Addison on September 26, 1951 the daughter of the late Betty and Clayton Nash.

There is an opportunity in the Addison area for those who live alone or know someone who does. Neighborhood Helpers (a division of Friends of the Church on the Hill) is planning a program of well-being phone calls to those who desire them. Please call Cathy Fonda at 483-4655 if you or someone you know would like a daily phone call.  There is no cost involved. The program will begin April 1.

Entomologists from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry remind you that now is the time to remove browntail caterpillars from trees that are accessible. Browntail caterpillars cause a poison ivy-like rash and they are impacting a broad swath of Maine. Contact with this caterpillar’s hairs can cause severe reactions for some individuals.

by Phil Stuart

The University of Maine at Machias (UMM) Clippers men’s basketball squad entered the postseason on a high note with a road victory over the Central Maine Community College Mustangs in Auburn on Feb. 9.

The prior evening at Machias, UMM hosted the Bengals from UMFK at the Reynolds Center. The Bengals were dominant in this one with a 56 point first half offensive explosion to go along with 44 more in the second half en route to a 100-66 decision.

The Eastport Arts Center’s KinderArts session for March will be led by artist and educator Fern Hilyard. The free program, held on Thursdays, March 8, 15 and 29 from 9:30-10:15 a.m., is designed to encourage young children to explore the visual and performing arts in a secure and social environment through hands-on experiences. Children up to age five are welcome to attend, but must come with a caregiver. 

Maine State Music Theatre is seeking applicants for its highly regarded Educational Fellowship Program this summer from May 21-August 26, 2018. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2018.

The program serves to bridge the gap between education and the professional world and allows those interested in working in theatre access to the best and brightest casts, crews, and administrators from Broadway, national tours, and regional theatres.

Senior guard Judson Carver clearing the ball after earning a rebound.

The Jonesport-Beals Mariner at the Cross Center in Bangor.

by Phil Stuart

For over two and half decades now, the Calais Lady Blue Devils and Narraguagus Knights have been bitter rivals on the basketball court, and it looks like that may go on for at least a couple more years.

The Calais girls’ program ranks at the very top when it comes to a successful program.  No high school girls’ program can match the success and consistency of the teams produced in the border city from coaches Bob McShane, to Dana Redding, and now Arnold Clark.

by Phil Stuart

Not counting the storm that is descending on us as I write, AOS 96 schools have missed a grand total of three days due to inclement weather this year. I confess that it feels like more to me, though my children surely feel they haven’t had any. That number will climb this week, and already schools are scheduling several installments of Saturday School to ensure students aren’t catching the bus in July.

The recently retired sheriff of Aroostook County, Darrell Crandall of Houlton, has been named the northern commander for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA).  It is a job he previously held until 2013, when he left the drug agency to rejoin to Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office.  Crandall was elected sheriff in 2014 and retired last month.  He succeeds Peter Arno who recently retired from law enforcement after a career with Bangor Police and MDEA.

 Crandall previously served 24 years with MDEA, first as a drug agent, followed by supervisor and northern commander .

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement on the death of Don Collins, the father of Senator Susan Collins:

 “Mary and I are saddened by the passing of Don Collins. Don represented the best of Maine: a dedicated public servant, a pillar of the business community and a loving husband and father. His contributions, in the Country and across our state, will not be forgotten, and our prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”

by  Lura Jackson

In a “significant investment” into the local community, Ian Pratt has announced that his Calais-based dealership will be expanding to include Chrysler products. The expansion – the first fruits of which will be visible within the new few weeks – will involve the construction of a separate 4,000-foot, four car showroom in addition to three more service bays and added parts storage space in the existing building.

by Ellen Hostert

Maine’s land trusts have recently been the subject of scrutiny. As President of Downeast Coastal Conservancy (DCC). I welcome the attention, provided the facts are correctly presented. Unfortunately, public discussion about land trusts is often undermined by misinformation, and the public may not know the facts. 

by  Sherry Rier

Editor’s’ note: This is the second in a four-part series of stories from the life of Harriet Means Johnson of Machias, written by her granddaughter Sherry Rier. (See “Rier’s stories make history come alive,” MVNO, March 7, 2018.) 

At every opportunity, Harriet and Zeke plotted and planned their future. Harriet knew she must defy her parents. She was in love. Given time, they would forgive her. It wasn’t possible to be away from Zeke, no matter what they thought. 

The annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Ephraim Johnson Post #9 Auxiliary will be held on Saturday, March 24 at 11 a.m. The hunt will be held on the lawn of the University of Maine at Machias. 

Children should bring their own baskets or bags. Before leaving, families need to empty the candy into their baskets and return the plastic eggs to the Legion, as they are reused every year.

For questions or to volunteer, call 255-8665 and leave a message.

The Henry D. Moore Library and Community Center in Steuben will host an Easter egg hunt 10 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at the library.

The free event will include lots of eggs and egg-citing activities as well as an Easter basket raffle. The Easter bunny will also visit.

For more information, call 207-546-7301 or visit www.moorelibrary.org/.

An Ecumenical Taizé Service for Lent will be held on Wednesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 36 Dublin Street, Machias. This service is sponsored by St Aidan’s Church; St. Peter the Fisherman Parish; Jacksonville United Methodist Church; and Centre Street Congregational Church, United Church of Christ.  All are invited.

A Taizé service involves singing, meditation, times of silence, Bible readings, and icons. There is no preaching. The style of worship has attracted many worshipers from around the world and from many different denominations.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

It isn’t easy to keep fishery news from Mike Murphy, but the Department of Marine Resources managed to do just that when they presented him with an award at the Fishermen’s Forum in Rockport on March 2.

“I was pretty shocked,” said Murphy. “They got me on that one.”

Get well wishes to Hazel Carter who has been in the hospital for an operation.

Kathy Caler knows now how much people love her and Delbert. She had a celebration of his life on Saturday at the Harrington Elementary school.  The cars filled up the parking lot and both sides of Route 2A. The flowers were beautiful. The service was very moving.

Charlie and I went to Ellsworth to get a few items. It is nice to take a ride on such a beautiful day.

“Memories of North Lubec”, featuring Donnie Alley and Wendell Small, is the first in a series of four monthly, informal get-togethers. On March 17 from 2 -4 p.m. come on in to the Lubec Memorial Library, 55 Water St, Lubec, pull up a chair, learn and share. Meetings will happen once a month to reminisce with long-time residents as they recall the good times and the not so good. Light refreshments. All are welcome. For more information call 733-2491 or visit: www.lubec.lib.me.us.

The H.D. Moore Library and Community Center, Steuben, will hold the third of its 2018 winter concert and art series 2 p.m. Sunday, March 18. This event will feature music by Brian Dyer Stewart and pottery created by Shelly Shapiro.

by V. Paul Reynolds

Most sport fishermen, if they have some years on them, develop a sixth sense about how big a fish is when it is on the line, even when the fish is still fighting deep.

Boy Scout Troop 125 of the Machias area is proud to announce an Eagle Scout Court of Honor to be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 31, at the Fort O’Brien School Gym. This meeting is open to the public. A reception will follow the ceremony. Caleb M. Norton will be recognized for attaining the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America — the Eagle Scout rank. The troop will be conducting a ceremony that explains the fundamental principles of the BSA and that outlines the trail every scout must take to achieve the Eagle Scout rank.

Sally D. Thompson, age 74, passed away peacefully with her husband and daughter by her side at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital on March 3, 2018. Sally was born April 21, 1943 in Machias, Maine to Kenneth and Minnie Driscoll of Columbia Falls. She spent her childhood in Columbia Falls where she attended grade school and graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1961. Sally went on to further her education at Washington County Teachers College graduating in 1965. Education was very important to Sally, she called herself a lifelong learner.

It has been a little over a decade since my brother David passed away. He had just turned 40 years old. He died of a genetic heart condition. The time spent with him was cherished. With every step that David took on this earth, every step that paved the way to greatness, every step turned him into being the best brother that he could be. David’s blond hair would wave in the cool air of a summer’s day, where the sun bleached the sky. His big, blue eyes would glow on a clear day. His muscles showed the evidence of doing all the farm chores over the years.

Andy came over on Sunday morning to cut a tree that was on a sap line. R.Z. helped him move an old gas stove down to the other sugar shack with help of the tractor. Andy took home 15 gallons of sap to boil down at home. I’ve been  boiling down sap for maple syrup for over a week in my kitchen on my new gas stove. Richard is all done making his syrup, which he had been doing for over two weeks, and gave me over 30 gallons.

by Phil Stuart

by Phil Stuart

The second-seeded Lady Dragons of Woodland lived up to their number two ranking with quarter-final and semi-final victories over Schenck of East Millinocket and Deer Isle-Stonington before losing to the top seeded Southern Aroostook Warriors in the Northern Maine Class D championship game.

Narraguagus JMG students Camry Dawes, Lacie Moores and Angelena Drisko displayed their Bulldog Strong handiwork at Machias’ Resilience Day, held on Friday, March 9. MMHS student Tyler Faulkingham created the silkscreen shown printed here. See story, page 11. Photo by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

by Ruth Leubecker

The fight to keep the Downeast Correctional Facility open may still be on a long road, but it’s taken a few new turns.

“It’s an uphill climb,” Rep. Will Tuell reflected on the weekend. “It will be a rollercoaster for the next six weeks, until we adjourn on April 18.”

According to Tuell, those seven critical votes may no longer be needed. “We have a few more roles to play out,” he says. “We may need those seven votes, or not. We won’t need them if it’s not considered an emergency.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

The Machias Valley Swim Club (MVSC) is sending its largest group yet to the Maine Swimming Junior Olympic Championships, to be held at Bowdoin College in Brunswick this week. Seven of the team’s 26 members will compete in the three-day event under the guidance of swim coach Lindsay McMahon.  To qualify, athletes must meet competitive time standards. The team consists of Ava Emery, Zain Fitzsimmons, Caleb Campbell, Carson Prout, Luke Campbell, Lily Campbell and Lucy Lord.