The Winds of War

 

Jon Reisman

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K-9 Memphis to Receive Bulletproof Vest

 

Will Tuell

A member of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, K-9 Memphis, who has been on active duty with his handler, Deputy Toni Bridges, will be receiving some much-needed protection in the form of a bullet- and stab-proof protective vest courtesy of the nonprofit Vested Interest in K-9s later this winter. 

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Missing Maine Women Located Two Hours from Calais

 

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

Two women from Topsham, near Portland, who were reported missing on Wednesday, Feb. 22, were finally located on Sunday, Feb. 26.

According to the Topsham Police Department, Kimberly Pushard and Angeal Bussell were located near Nicatous Lake in East Hancock, about two hours from Calais.

On Wednesday, Feb. 22, Pushard, 51, and Bussell, 50, were reported missing by Topsham police.  

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Dr. Sammis Retires After 38 Years of Practice in Washington County

 

Sarah Craighead Dedmon

She came Downeast intending to stay just a few years, but last Saturday, more than 150 people gathered to celebrate Dr. Cynthia Sammis’s retirement after 38 years of family practice in Washington County.

“I literally grew up with all of you, I came from my residency program to here and was going to stay for four years, but you see how that worked out. It was a little bit longer,” Sammis told the gathering. “I fell in love with the place, the people.”

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Jace Cook Hits 1,000 Point Mark

 

Congratulations to Calais High School basketball standout Jace Cook for scoring his 1,000th career point.  The shot came from beyond the three-point arc during the Blue Devils’ Maine Principals’ Association Class C semifinal 70-47 win over Fort Fairfield played on Friday, Feb. 24. Cook dropped in a game-high 31 points as the Blue Devils advanced to the Northern Maine finals. (Photo by Jayna Smith)

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Locally-made Barbecue Sauce Popping up in Area Stores

 

Jayna Smith

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Many may have been noticing lately a new barbecue sauce–On the Corner BBQ Sauce–on the shelves at local stores.  One thing that sets this particular one apart from the others is that it is made locally, right here in Washington County in Robbinston.

Owners of On the Corner Farm Jason and Heidi Cronister only recently got their sauces in the local stores, but they are not new to creating the deliciousness.

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Young Daisy Scout Sells Girl Scout Cookies in all 50 States

 

Natalie Boomer

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Maddison White, of Waite, is a five-year-old who has her eyes on the prize!

Her goal as a first year Daisy Scout with Troop 2253 in Calais was to sell enough cookies to earn a free week at summer camp, but she didn’t stop there. 

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Dragons Eliminated from Tourney with Heartbreaking Loss

 

Jayna Smith

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It was not the outcome hoped for by the number five seed Woodland Dragons when they met up with the number four seed Fort Fairfield Tigers on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at Bangor’s Cross Insurance Center.  The matchup was a Class C North quarterfinal game in the Maine Principals’ Association Basketball Tournament.

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School Spirit on Full Display at Downeast Cheer Comp

 

Jayna Smith

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Calais High School was the place to be on Saturday, Feb. 25, for the 2023 Down East Cheering Invitational.

According to organizer Calais Cheer Coach Heidi Ryan, this is the tenth year of the competition.  

This year, it drew 10 different teams of various divisions, consisting of cheerleaders in grades pre-kindergarten through eight.

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Number One-Ranked Calais Blue Devils Dominate Class C North Tournament

 

Jayna Smith

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Quarterfinal

Coach Dean Preston’s top-ranked Calais Blue Devils outscored the Penobscot Valley Howlers 46-36 in Maine Principals’ Association Class C North quarterfinal action on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

The Blue Devils had three players in double digits in the victory.  Jacob Sockabasin paced Calais with 14 points, Jace Cook had 12, and Evan Gillespie had 11.

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Tangled up in Wu

 

Jon Reisman

Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive”- Walter Scott

Liar, Liar, pants on fire”- various attributions, most recently credited to anyone exposed to Joe Biden, Adam Schiff, Anthony Fauci, Andrea Mitchell and/or White House spokesweenies.

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Storytime at Lincoln Memorial Library

 

Storytime came at the Lincoln Memorial Library in Dennysville on Tuesday, March 7.  First, we read a winter-themed book called Stranger in the Woods that’s also titled A Photographic Fantasy. Then, we checked out some of the animals that were present to discover the “stranger” in a book called Animals in Winter.

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F.A. Peabody Donates Local Book

 

In honor of last week's Read Across America Day, staff in all 11 FA Peabody branches donated 10-year-old Harleigh Clark's book Can You Teach Me? to local schools.  The company is also conducted a drawing for one of three copies of the book.  Pictured is Kristina Dean of the Calais office, presenting the book to the St. Croix Regional Technical Center early childhood education students and instructor Lauren Gillespie.  (FA Peabody photo)

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Washington County Game Warden Follows Instincts, Locates Missing Topsham Women

 

Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Kimberly Pushard and Angela Bussell had been missing since Wednesday, Feb. 22, when they were last seen in a Springfield, Maine, gas station. The Topsham police department had issued a silver alert the day prior, and Maine law enforcement agencies, including Maine Game Wardens, joined in the search.

Warden Brad Richard of Princeton was brought onto the search on Sunday, Feb. 26, after two days of single-digit and subzero temperatures. 

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Wheels on the Bus Still Go Round and Round, Even as Local Schools Struggle to Find Drivers

 

Joyce Kryszak, 

Maine Monitor

The shortage of school bus drivers has reached a crisis point in Washington County, with school administrators resorting to extreme measures — including driving the bus themselves. 

“When I open the bus door, they look up and see me and say, ‘Oh! Mr. Maker is driving the bus today,’ ” said Tony Maker, principal of Elm Street School in East Machias. “I say, yeah, you never know who you’re gonna see driving the bus.”

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Maine to Commemorate Rich Fishing Heritage with Annual Alewife Day

 

Will Tuell

Representative Ken “Bucket” Davis (R-East Machias) received unanimous approval for his bill to designate the last Saturday in May as Maine Alewife Day during a meeting of the Legislature’s State and Local Government Committee on February 16. Davis, who has taught dozens of seventh and eighth graders about the Down East tradition of cold smoking alewives at one of the last remaining smokehouses on the Maine coast, submitted the bill for another harvester in the Midcoast who is also trying to keep the heritage fishery alive. 

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Young Cheer Teams Shine at States

 

Jayna Smith

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There was lots of cheering to be had at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on Sunday for the 26th annual Maine State Junior High and Elementary Cheering Championships.  

The event is organized and sponsored each year by Calais Recreation Department.

This year’s competition saw 58 teams from across the state take part, up from last year’s 49 teams.  

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Raffle to Benefit Local Young Woman Battling Cystic Fibrosis

 

Natalie Boomer

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A young woman from Perry is in a fight against cystic fibrosis, a disorder that damages one’s lungs, digestive tract, and other organs throughout the body.

Ashley Larose-Kilby has been battling this awful disease for many, many years. She finally qualified for a lung transplant in hopes to improve her quality of life, and received this life-saving operation five years ago.

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City of Calais Welcomes New Police Officer

 

Jayna Smith

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Calais Police Department recently welcomed a new addition to its force.  Officer Chris McCann has joined the ranks from a department in Maryland. 

McCann has spent his entire career in police patrol, most recently the last 14 years with the Cumberland (Maryland) Police Department.  Prior to his transition to Calais, he served as sergeant in charge of Cumberland’s nightshift.

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The Ides of March

 

Jon Reisman

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Ranger News from East Range II School

 

We took our Rangers to Mt. Jefferson in Lee to go tubing. They had so much fun being pulled up the hill with the towing system and then flying back down. We hope to go again next year.

Our peewee basketball players played their end-of-the-season game against their parents. It’s always an exciting game playing against their mothers, fathers, older siblings, and grandparents. The players beat their parents this year and were pretty ecstatic about that!

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High School Students Benefit from Donation of International Culinary Collection

 

Jayna Smith

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Culinary arts students at St. Croix Regional Technical Center (SCRTC) now have an additional collection of recipes at their fingertips, thanks to a donation of the Dr. Suzanne Haines Crawford International Culinary book collection.

According to SCRTC director Stan Sluzenski, Linda Godfrey, of Eastport’s Atlantic Leadership Center, facilitated the donation of over 100 culinary books from Dr. Crawford.  

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What's Up, Calais?

 

Sending deepest condolences to the family of Christina McCarty–her parents Greg and Shirley Hold, who now reside in Florida, and brothers Brett, Trevor, and Jamie, along with Christy’s extended family, many of whom still live locally.  Christy passed away on Sunday, thankfully with her family by her side, after a battle with cancer.  She was a long-time friend of mine who grew up in Woodland.

This Thursday, March 16, Calais United Methodist Church at Main Street is having a take-out supper.  Pickup will be from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.  

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Local Wrestlers Have Impressive Showing at Recent Competition

 

On Sunday, March 12th, Downeast Wrestling Club (DWC) traveled to Bucksport.  There were many teams in attendance for the competition and a packed house.  

Though DWC may be a small group, they are tough and great at putting on a show, with an impressive showing at the competition.

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Huntley Brook Drummers Perform at the State Championship

 

The Huntley Brook Drummers performed at the state championship basketball game on Tuesday in support of the Calais Blue Devils team and their fellow Passamaquoddy tribal members.  The Calais team this year included eight tribal members.  Shown are (front) Muwin Dana, Amuwes Dana, Quoqsis Dana, Lennox Dana, (back) Aaron Dana, Wambli Martinez, Petak Lola, Tony Dana, Daniel Dana, and Matthew Dana II.  (Photo by Jayna Smith)

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CHS Students, Staff Welcome Winter Carnival

 

Calais High School students welcomed the week-long winter carnival last week, postponed from the week before February break due to weather.  The fun is hosted annually by Student Council.  Among the fun were dress-up days, including  “In Your 80s or From the 80s Day,” hall decorating, snow sculpture contests, and various other fun games and events.  Also included was the annual evening bonfire.  (Photo courtesy of Principal Heather Bowles)

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Love in Every Stitch: No Donation too Small to Help with Lap Quilts for Hospice

 

Jayna Smith

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Quilting has long been around, with the sewing technique used in clothing originally believed to have been worn under armor for extra protection.  It is more common–as it has been used for centuries–for added warmth in bedding.

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Lions Club Bookrack Provides Funding for Local Scholarships

 

Jayna Smith

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Many have seen the bookrack in the vestibule of Tradewinds Shop ‘n Save.  What some may not realize is that that bookrack generates over $3,000 annually for the Calais Lions Club.  

According to Lion Ben Knowles, the money allows the club to present $1,000 scholarships to three graduating seniors at Calais and Woodland High Schools each year.  Even more, the club hopes to expand its scholarship offering to include Shead High School.

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New Simulator Prepares Local High School Students for Careers in Law Enforcement

 

Jayna Smith

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Students enrolled in the criminal justice program at St. Croix Regional Technical Center (SCRTC) now have an additional tool to get them prepared for real world situations, thanks to a state-of-the-art police training simulator.

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A Bad Feeling….

 

Jon Reisman

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Wrestling: Tammaro Tanks Bring Hardware Home

 

The Woodland Recreation Tammaro Tanks went to Washington Academy last Saturday and brought home some hardware.  Pictured with their medals are (front) Violet Dineen, first place; Connor Grass, third place; Oliver Bishop, first place; Jordy Collins, fourth place; Alex Laney, second place; Delylah Grass, second place; Jesse Grass, manager; Justin Bishop, third place; Austin Nichols, first place; Mayson Pulk, first place; (back) Noeah Collins, assistant coach; Cliffy Collins, coach; Elijah Niles-Cowell, assistant coach.  (Submitted photo)

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Cook Wins Warner Award

 

Phil Stuart

Jace Cook, of the Northern Maine Class C champion Calais Blue Devils, won the William Warner Award as the Northern Maine tourney’s most valuable player. 

Cook is the 10th Washington County player to win the award and the seventh player from Calais to do so.  

Joining Cook on the all-tourney team this year are teammates Jacob Sockabasin and Evan Gillespie, along with Ethan Daigle, of Fort Kent, and Will Kusnierz, of Dexter. Ethan Monk of Woodland, Lance Gagnon and Micah Daigle, of Fort Kent, were honorable mentions.

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Fire Destroys Baileyville Home

 

Jayna Smith

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A local man is with relatives after a fire tore through his home on Monday, March 20, 2023.

According to Baileyville Fire Chief Bill Delnicki, shortly before 3:30 p.m., crews were dispatched to the residence on Houlton Road.

Upon arrival, fire could be seen coming from the mobile home and “there was extensive heat throughout,” he said.  

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Driver Charged with Drunk Driving after Crash

 

Jayna Smith

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Drunk driving and speed are believed to have been the cause of a crash that occurred on South Street on March 15.

According to Calais Police Department, at around 9 p.m. last Wednesday, Officer McCann responded to a report of a “serious accident” on South Street, in the area of Lincoln Street.  

Upon arrival, the officer found a pickup truck “well off the roadway, severely damaged.”  

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AMHC Opens Warming Center in Calais

 

Jayna Smith

[email protected]

Aroostook Mental Health Services has opened a temporary overnight warming center in downtown Calais.  

According to Downeast Recovery Center Manager Amy Day, who also manages the warming center aspect, as of March 17, the center will be open Friday and Saturday nights through April 30 from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for anyone in need of a place to stay safe and warm.

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Sen. Moore Welcomes Brooke Corbett to the State House

 

On Thursday, March 16th, Senator Moore (R-Washington) was pleased to welcome Brooke Corbett of Robbinston to the State House.  Brooke served as an Honorary Page during the Senate Session. (Submitted photo)

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Washington County Community College to Offer Free EMT Training

 

Will Tuell 

Washington County Community College is moving ahead with plans to offer an intensive three-month course for area residents who want to become emergency medical technicians (EMT) thanks to a partnership with the Kennebec Valley Community College and funding through the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, which allows most enrollees to take the 150-hour course free of charge, according to Nichole Sawyer, WCCC’s Dean of Workforce Development and Community Engagement. 

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The celebrity eagles are at it again!

 

Based on the behavior of the eagle pair, biologist Maurry Mills estimates that they have been taking turns sitting on eggs in the nest by Route 1 since March 16 or 17. If all goes well, the eggs in the nest should hatch around April 18-20, though we don't want to count our eagles before they hatch! According to biologist Ray Brown, there should be plenty of alewives in the nearby St. Croix River and Magurrewock Marsh to feed the eaglets from late April through early June.  (Photo by Ray Brown, USFWS) 

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A Very Bad Feeling

 

Jon Reisman

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Spednic Club Hosts Annual Bowling Tourney for Alzheimer’s

 

On Saturday, March 18th, the Spednic Club in Baileyville held its annual Alzheimer’s Bowling Tournament.  Magnolia Assisted Living was the corporate sponsor with a generous $1000 donation to go to the Alzheimer’s Association.  Pictured above are the winning team members Michelle Sabattus, Opal Seeley, Jackie Martin, Craig Seeley, and Cierra Seeley, all of whom donated their winnings to the Alzheimer’s Association. The Spednic Club thanks all who participated in the worthy event.  (Spednic Club photo)

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Calais City Council

 

Jayna Smith

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The first of two regular monthly Calais City Council meetings was held on March 9.  

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Car Carrier En Route to Pratt Crashes on Route 9

 

Jayna Smith

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A crash on Route 9 in Amherst on Friday, March 24, resulted in road closure most of the day, with traffic forced to detour.

Just before 7:30 a.m., a tractor trailer truck carrying a load of new vehicles went off the road, over an embankment, and caught fire, according to the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department.  

The department also confirmed the crash was caused by icy road conditions.

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CHS Students Compete at Academic Decathlon

 

Jayna Smith

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The rigorous state championship for Academic Decathlon took place on March 18 at Monmouth Academy, and Calais High School students did not disappoint, bringing home four individual medals and a second place overall award.

Five CHS students make up this year’s Academic Decathlon team:  freshman Cameron Harmon, juniors Noah Hart and Kaitlin Morrell, and seniors Danielle White and Josh Cline.  

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DWC Brings Home More Medals

 

Local youth wrestlers took part in another weekend meet, this time at Mount View High School in Thorndike.

Kids from Downeast Wrestling Club did well once again, with the following placements:  Ethan Clark, third; Colton McGouldrick, fourth; Baylee Benson, first; Juniper Davis, fourth; Vercin Davis, third; Bradley Walton, second; Parker Walton, fourth.

DWC invites all to its meet this Sunday, April 2, at Calais High School beginning after the 8:30 a.m. weigh-ins.  Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for students, and concessions will be sold all day.

 

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VFW Awards Essay Competition Winners

 

Jayna Smith

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Every year, local students take part in the VFW-sponsored youth essay competitions – Voice of Democracy (VOD), an audio-essay contest, for high school students in grades 9 through 12, and Patriot’s Pen, for students in grades 6, 7, and 8.  

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Baileyville Seeks Legislative Approval to Disconnect Town Water

 

Will Tuell

Senator Marianne Moore (R-Calais) presented a bill before the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities, and Technology Committee on behalf of the Town of Baileyville that would give the town’s utilities district the authority to disconnect town water for failure to pay local sewer fees during a March 21 public hearing. Moore, who did not testify to the merits of the bill, explained that she had been approached by town officials who were struggling to recoup debt incurred by the town’s sewer district. 

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Community Mourns Passing of Police Officer

 

The law enforcement community is mourning the loss of Cpl. David Claroni, of the Baileyville Police Department, who unexpectedly passed away on Friday, March 24, 2023.  His death was a result of a medical-related condition.  He was 46 years old.

Cpl. Claroni spent his career protecting and serving others as a police officer.  He currently worked part time for the Eastport and the Machias Police Departments, in addition to his full-time position in Baileyville.

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C&E Feeds Transforms into a Year Round Farmers Market

Natalie Boomer

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C&E Feeds was opened by Clyde and Ethel Eldridge in 1982. Their daughter Heather Henry Tenan and son-in-law Glen Tenan bought the store in 2018 and have been keeping the family traditions alive and friendly business going ever since.

This well-known mom and pop shop has changed direction to allow the Tenans to adapt to online shopping, big box store neighbors, and pandemic recovery needs.

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Calais Parishioners to Celebrate Palm Sunday with Passion Journey and Reenactment Through Town

All are encouraged to observe a moving presentation of the Passion journey on Palm Sunday, April 2, in Calais. Men, women, and children of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish will reenact Christ’s journey to the cross, from his condemnation at the hands of Pontius Pilate to his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. The procession will begin at 2 p.m. at 765 Main Street and end at Immaculate Conception Church on 31 Calais Avenue. The whole walk is about ¾ of a mile.

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