by Ruth Leubecker

From the beginning he’s been criticized for not taking a stand on the issues, but Rep. Bruce Poliquin has only lately been charged with his lack of accessibility.

As representative of the largest congressional district east of the Mississippi, Poliquin deals with a variety of critical issues affecting the elderly and the poor, and can often be seen Downeast. He was in Eastport for the Fourth of July where he also attended the breakwater terminal dedication. And he visited Machias several weeks before Independence Day.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Cousins Rob Olson and Jesse Harding spent their childhood summers together in Roque Bluffs. “We spent most of the summer playing cards and board games,” said Harding, who now works as a graphic designer in Omaha, Nebraska. “We never had TV and internet.”

Both Harding and Olson said that fond memories of family game nights in Maine played a role in the creation of their card game “Downeast Dealer: Bid, Bargain and Bluff”.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

In the festival-free period between June’s Margaretta Days and August’s Blueberry Festival, a group of Machias volunteers saw an opportunity to create a new tradition for the community. “We wanted to bring more people into town, but the question was, how were we going to keep them here?” said Bill Burke, who owns Pat’s Pizza in Machias. The answer came in the form of The Bold Coast Sea & Sky Festival, and it happens this weekend.

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

The Machias Police Department arrested Columbia Falls resident Dennis Figueroa-Santos in connection with a home invasion and stabbing that took place in Machias during the early hours of Monday, July 10. 

Figueroa-Santos, age 33,  was arrested on the day of the incident. 

“Figueroa-Santos has been before the court,” said Machias PD Chief Grady Dwelley. “He’s been held in lieu of $15k cash bail.”

On July 14 at approximately 6:32 a.m. the Washington County Regional Communications Center (WCRCC) received a 911 call to report a head-on collision on Rt 1 in Jonesboro near the Blue Bird Ranch.  The caller reported a dump truck and a car were involved, with two people injured, one seriously and trapped in the car.  The WCRCC dispatched police units, area fire departments and an ambulance to the scene. 

by Nancy Beal

At their July 12 meeting, Jonesport selectmen discussed road repair. Local contractor Jim Carver has prioritized the roads that need repair and resurfacing, and marked on the ground where potholes need to be filled and culverts replaced before paving begins. Selectmen agreed to solicit bids for the repair work, with a bid opening date scheduled for August 2.

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King applauded today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Commerce that it has appointed Sebastian Belle, Executive Director of the Maine Aquaculture Association, to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC). As a member of the advisory committee, Belle will advise the Secretary of Commerce and NOAA on all issues related to living marine resources that fall under the purview of the Department of Commerce.

by Nancy Beal

by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Rich Williams said he got his first guitar when he was a sophomore in high school. “I was kind of a late starter, actually. I learned a few chords, then sat around with my friends making some noise,” he said. “It wasn’t too long before I was in my first band, and that was with Phil Ehart.” 

That was 1967, and for most of the years since high school, Ehart and Williams have been playing together as two members of the band Kansas. On Saturday, July 29  they’ll perform at the Balsam Valley Amphitheater in Columbia Falls.

A new threat to ocean health