Jon Reisman

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. 

Jayna Smith

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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.

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.  

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)

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.

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.

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)

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.  

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!

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.

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.  

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.”

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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. 

Preventing Derailment: Conquering Rancor by Building Unity

It has become apparent that there are a lot of hurt feelings and rancor being disseminated on social media in Calais in regard to the current administration of Irene Chadbourne Ecumenical Food Pantry.  This must stop.