CAREER LAB
Cohort 2
Career Lab in Action
Calais Middle/High School launches major improvement plan with $150,000 donation
By Melissa Razdrih
CALAIS — Rural schools face tough budget decisions for the coming academic year, but Calais Middle/High School students will play home games on a new gym floor for the first time in nearly 50 years after an ambitious improvement plan launched earlier this month with a $150,000 donation from Downeast Credit Union. The donation lays the groundwork for capital projects in the 2026 Blue Devil Futures Facilities Improvement Plan, which calls for $500,000 in fundraising to improve student sports safety, strengthen Blue Devil community pride and expand opportunities for new electives. Read more
Rain fails to dampen spirits at inaugural Spring Market
By Maggie Raymond
Arts and crafts vendors and shoppers were not deterred by the cloudy sky and drizzle at the Town’s first Spring Market last weekend as they stayed dry under rows of tents and umbrellas, browsing and shopping for hand-crafted items. The market at Shoetown Park featured offerings from handmade knit and crochet arts and original paintings to custom jewelry and personalized tarot card readings. A Moe’s Italian Sandwiches food truck was stationed nearby for hungry shoppers. Read more
Bond to support farm and forestry funding will not be on November ballot
By Melissa Razdrih
Washington County farmers face mounting economic uncertainty, but they will not see a proposal for relief funds on the November ballot. Lawmakers made several attempts to revive L.D. 2094, a bill that would have directed a $45 million bond into existing grant and low‑interest loan programs for farmers and the forestry sector. Read more
Jonesport Planning Board to consider 30‑month extension for Kingfish aquaculture project
By Jessica Brockington
JONESPORT — Residents may soon get another chance to weigh in on a proposed $110 million aquaculture plant in Chandler Bay from The Kingfish Co., a Dutch fish farming firm seeking to build a land‑based facility in town. Many in the area hope the project could bring back jobs reminiscent of the sardine canneries that once lined Moosebec Reach. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has approved draft language from the Jonesport Planning Board that would amend town ordinances to give The Kingfish Co. an additional 30 months to make a substantial start on its project. Read more
Calais teachers question transparency around proposed school schedule change
By Melissa Razdrih
CALAIS — Tension is rising between teachers and administrators at Calais Middle/High School over a scheduling proposal that teachers say is being developed in secret. “I’d like to talk about next year’s schedule, please,” English teacher Lori Ellis said from the back of the room at the end of Wednesday’s Calais School Committee meeting, raising the issue for future discussion. Ellis sat at a library table with math teacher Anne Scott and Jobs for Maine’s Graduates specialist Lisa Brown, who oppose what they describe as an emerging proposal to shift from the current alternating‑day block schedule to a seven‑period day. Read more
Council approves $147,000 more for Town Hall project
By Maggie Raymond
Unanticipated construction expenses – from hazardous material abatement to HVAC overruns – led the Town Council to authorize taking a total of $147,000 from the Town’s contingency fund to keep the Town Hall renovation project on track. The contingency fund, money set aside for unexpected project costs, was tapped on April 28 as officials grappled with a series of budget gaps while at the same time expressing frustration regarding the project’s initial planning and budgeting. Read more
New high school cell phone ban sparks praise, anxiety
By Maggie Raymond
DEER ISLE—Steel Revolution, a steel drum band from George Stevens Academy, brought Caribbean rhythms to Deer Isle on April 15 for an all-school assembly and annual recording session. Held at The Reach Performing Arts Center inside the Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School, the setting provided an ideal atmosphere for students and community members to experience the band’s high-energy sound. Performed on steel pans crafted from 55-gallon metal drums, the group delivered upbeat music that contrasted with the long winter season. Read more
Steel Revolution takes the stage
By Maggie Raymond
DEER ISLE—Steel Revolution, a steel drum band from George Stevens Academy, brought Caribbean rhythms to Deer Isle on April 15 for an all-school assembly and annual recording session. Held at The Reach Performing Arts Center inside the Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School, the setting provided an ideal atmosphere for students and community members to experience the band’s high-energy sound. Performed on steel pans crafted from 55-gallon metal drums, the group delivered upbeat music that contrasted with the long winter season. Read more
Beals voters elect new tax collector at annual town meeting
By Maggie Raymond
Construction on the HVAC system and the structural slab for the Town Hall renovation project will proceed while the Town remains in ongoing negotiations with the contractor on increased repair costs. The Town Council at a special meeting April 7 directed Town Manager Tim Pellerin to sign changes to the contract that will authorize contractors to move forward. The update to the contract, called a construction change directive, is used to prevent construction delays while increased cost approvals are pending. Town officials recently learned that the contractor, Charters Brothers Construction of Danville, N.H., had requested an additional $143,000 for HVAC modifications on the Town Hall. Read more
Beals voters elect new tax collector at annual town meeting
By Jessica Brockington
BEALS — The new tax collector and treasurer for the town of Beals is a retired IRS analyst with a background in identity theft, fraud and data breaches. Residents elected Stacy Trussell in a 43-0 vote Friday at the town’s 101st annual meeting. “I was surprised no one had stepped up for it,” Trussell said of her new role, which had been filled by Terry Beal for the past 20 years. She added, “I didn’t want to see Beals become East Jonesport,” referring to concerns that the neighboring town could absorb Beals if it is unable to conduct essential business. Read more
Applications are open for small business development initiative
By Maggie Raymond
Local entrepreneurs will soon have a chance to grow a business dream into reality, thanks to a partnership between the Town and Northeastern University’s Roux Institute. The Venture Forward initiative is open to residents and others who want to start or expand a business in South Berwick. Applications for training and support, available on the town’s website, are due by 5 p.m. May 4. The eight-week program, which kicks off June 9, will teach entrepreneurs how to develop a new business model, grow an existing business and increase marketing skills, including the use of internet technologies. Read more
Kids visit Deer Isle-Stonington High School
By Jessi Hardy
DEER ISLE—Big kids met little kids during a recent Life Skills class at Deer Isle-Stonington High School. Students received a special visit on April 8 from Malibu, Baylor and ButterScotch, three Nigerian Dwarf goats brought in by their owner and Deer Isle resident Debbie Gerald. The 18-day-old goats, known as kids, came to the classroom as a surprise and students throughout the school flocked to see them. The visit was organized by teachers, Dawn Nault and Kathy Schrader, to give their students who are in the class a new experience. Nault saw a Facebook post from Gerard about the baby goats and reached out. Read more
Towns weigh streaming options for public meetings
By Jessi Hardy
STONINGTON - As Stonington officials mull residents’ requests for town select board meetings to be live-streamed, the issue across the Blue Hill Peninsula shows a mixed bag in terms of using technology to inform the public. Overall, Peninsula towns have been slow to adopt technology that would allow residents to join public meetings virtually. The issue came to the forefront after the Stonington select board voted unanimously on March 16 to delay any immediate decision on virtual meetings until the town can gather more information. Only about a third of Peninsula towns offer online select board meetings, and 27 percent stream their planning board meetings. Only three towns stream their school board meetings. Three towns–Brooklin, Brooksville, Penobscot–stream none of their meetings. Read more
Washington County’s Tristan Singh to represent Maine at the Scripps National Spelling Bee
By Jessica Brockington
MACHIAS — A Machias eighth-grader turned his passion for academic competitions into a trip to Washington, D.C. to represent Maine in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. Tristan Singh, who turns 14 in May, bested 13 other young spellers at the Maine State Spelling Bee at Bowdoin College last weekend. He’ll be one of about 250 young spellers competing for a first-place $50,000 prize at the national event, which is being held at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Read more
With key roles unfilled, is deorganization on the table in Beals?
By Jessica Brockington
BEALS — Terry Beal says she will not run again for tax collector or treasurer — not even to keep the town operating. She has tried to retire for two years, but no one has come forward to succeed her. This time, she insists she is done. “This is my last year,” Beal said. With no funds to offer competitive stipends for these key positions, and with what longtime residents describe as a shifting sense of civic duty among their neighbors, members of the community are wondering what will happen at Beals’ 101st annual town meeting April 10, when the votes must be cast. Read more
Maine DEP recertifies Juniper Ridge Landfill amid Penobscot Nation outcry, allowing expansion
By Melissa S. Razdrih
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection recertified the Juniper Ridge Landfill’s positive public benefit Monday, clearing the way for a controversial expansion of the state-owned facility — its largest since it was established in 1996. For the second time this year, the department has taken steps to expand the Juniper Ridge Landfill — despite public outcry from Penobscot Nation. Read more
Town-owned Railroad Ave. site set to be transformed
By Maggie Raymond
Additional affordable rental housing in town is one step closer. The Town Council last week agreed to seek a developer to transform an abandoned site at 9 Railroad Ave. that once stored chemicals. The Town acquired the former Axton-Cross Chemical Storage Warehouse on Railroad Avenue in a 2020 tax foreclosure and is now seeking a partner to redevelop the site into affordable housing units or mixed commercial residential use. Read more
How gas prices are hitting locals
By Jessi Hardy
In the last three weeks, local gas prices have increased from less than $3 a few months ago to over $3.65 a gallon for regular gas and more than $5.50 for diesel. The increase is closely correlated to military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, and as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to commercial shipping. The Rising Tide asked residents of around the Blue Hill Peninsula how the price hikes are affecting them. Read more
Town to open Main Street shop to artisans and entrepreneurs
By Maggie Raymond
A storefront on Main Street may soon be taken over by the Town and filled with artisans and provide a range of resources for businesses trying to get off the ground. The Town Council gave the greenlight recently to an economic development program that could increase tax revenue by fostering new small businesses. The program, expected to open by the end of March, will be in the heart of downtown in the retail space at 261 Main St. occupied until recently by the UMM Shop: Underground Minerals and More. Read more
Jonesport residents vote to pause spending on historic town building
By Jessica Brockington
JONESPORT — Taxpayers at the annual town meeting Monday voted to stop all work on 46 Main St., a run-down building from the 1800s that the town bought in early 2025. The building sits on one‑tenth of an acre at the southern edge of a 90‑acre parcel that the town owns. The Board of Selectmen received a $25,000 grant from the Maine Redevelopment Land Bank Authority to stabilize the building, patch the roof and remove the chimney while the town conducts an environmental assessment and looks for additional funding to rehabilitate the structure for community use. Read more
Fidium Fiber confirms broadband in Machiasport, quietly hitting the streets to ‘cover the whole town’ with fiber-optic access
By Melissa S. Razdrih
Local residents could soon have the option to contract with Fidium Fiber for faster internet service. The company’s quiet surveying activity in town left the Machiasport Planning Board searching for answers about the project during its meeting Thursday. It all started with a rumor. At last week’s Planning Board meeting, Chair Robert Arseneau said he had heard rumblings that Fidium is “laying down fiber” for broadband in Machiasport. The information came from Planning Board member Michael Hinerman, who confirmed to Monitor Local that he spoke directly with a Fidium surveyor. Hinerman, who was not at the meeting, said he learned that “cable work was to be done.” Beyond that, he said he was not clear on what exactly Fidium is planning. Read more
Machiasport Planning Board drafting short‑term rental ordinance as officials weigh town’s future as a ‘vacationland’
By Melissa S. Razdrih
The Machiasport Planning Board is drafting an ordinance that would require owners of short‑term rentals to register their properties. The board discussed the measure Thursday as the town looks for ways to keep more of its housing stock in local hands. “We are probably going to become a vacationland,” Planning Board Chair Robert Arseneau said at the monthly meeting. He called driving tourism “the best thing we can do,” while acknowledging the need for regulation. Ryan Maker, chair of the Machiasport Board of Selectmen, attended the meeting to represent the board’s interest in understanding the impact of short‑term rentals on the town. Read more
Bill to provide $45 million in farm funding fails House vote
By Melissa S. Razdrih
Farm owners and land stewards in Washington County will have to wait to see whether a $45 million funding package is coming their way after state legislators declined Tuesday to authorize the bond. Proposed in January by Rep. Bill Pluecker, I-Warren, the bill — L.D. 2094 — was drafted to fund agricultural and forestry initiatives statewide through a bond. Among its proposals is $4 million to help farmers install irrigation systems to protect crops from drought conditions. The $45 million bond would “build resilient businesses that help support food access when our supply chains are threatened,” Pluecker, who represents House District 44, told Monitor Local. Read more
Machiasport considers solar streetlights to offset rising electricity costs
By Melissa S. Razdrih
There might be some relief in sight for Machiasport’s soaring municipal electricity costs. In an effort to reduce the town’s estimated $11,000 annual electric bill, the Machiasport Board of Selectmen approved seeking funding for two solar streetlights, signaling long‑term interest in alternative energy solutions.
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Council gets overview of Town Hall cost overruns and delays
By Maggie Raymond
Inadequate fire alarm systems, elevated lead levels and structural deficiencies plague the progress of Town Hall renovation, town officials were told Tuesday during a public review of construction delays and cost overruns. Principals from the project’s design and construction firms, Oak Point Associates and Charters Brothers Construction, answered questions from the Town Council during the review March 31. Also in attendance was a spokesman for Dovetail Consulting, appointed by the council in January to be the Town’s owner representative for the renovation project. Although the workshop initially was convened to address a contractor’s request for an additional $143,000 for HVAC modifications, council Vice Chair Mallory Cook at the session’s start requested a broader overview of cost overruns and schedule delays. Read more
Water rates rise more than 16% over two years for upgrades, demand
By Maggie Raymond
Residents on public water will see an 8% increase in their water rates effective July 1, and another 8% in January 2028, according to an announcement from the South Berwick Water District. Higher operating expenses, more frequent extreme weather events, and aging facilities are all responsible for the hike, the district said. The last increase in rates in 2025 was the first in two decades, according to the district’s website. For 96% of customers, the impact in the first year is estimated to be $5.20 per quarter, or $20.80 per year, explained Water District Superintendent Ryan Lynch, and the second increase will be $5.62 per quarter, or $22.47 per year. Read more
March councilor coffee chat draws small attendance
By Maggie Raymond
A handful of residents attended the third “Coffee with Councilors” Saturday, this one hosted by Town Council members Sam Flinkstrom and Paul Schumacher, both serving their first term on the council. The morning conversation March 28, which lasted an hour, turned to pedestrian safety, the town budget, and new costs projected for the renovation of Town Hall. “Could there be a policy or law that property owners have to clear snow from their own sidewalks?” asked Shirley Jackson of Young Street. “The snow piles this winter were as tall as I am.” “The short answer is no,” replied Schumacher. “That would solve one problem and create new ones.” Read more
A fine over a kid on a lobster boat has fishing families speaking out
By Jessi Hardy
How young is too young to work on a lobster boat? The issue is lighting up the Peninsula after Minority House Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham was charged with violating labor laws by hiring a 14-year-old to work on his lobster boat in 2024. He is facing thousands of dollars in fines for inadequate record keeping while he employed a minor in a "hazardous occupation.” Read more
Stonington votes down sheriff’s office contract and Opera House request
By Jessi Hardy
Voters at Stonington’s town meeting rejected a proposal to continue a contract with the Hancock County Sheriff's Office, ending the town’s law enforcement agreement after concerns over cost and deputy coverage. The contract drew the longest discussion of the meeting, with residents and select board members debating response time, availability and cost of maintaining the town's policing contract. At the annual gathering of voters held March 2, residents of Stonington voted on 57 articles, including the municipal budget, third-party requests, and town position elections. Lawrence “Skip” Greenlaw moderated the meeting. “Please remember that we can all disagree more, but we can’t be disagreeable,” Greenlaw said as the meeting commenced. Read more
Brooklin votes to accept gift of church, hall and $100k
By Jessi Hardy
Brooklin is now the owner of a church, a hall, and $100,000. The town voted on April 3 to accept a $100,000 gift provided by the First Baptist Church, along with the church building itself and its adjacent Bowden Hall on Bay Road. The measure passed by a vote of 180-49. Members of the 1853 Greek revival church hired engineer Andrew McCullough last fall to assess the building and make recommendations for improvements. Read more
Meet Cohort Two
Jessica Brockington
Jessica Brockington is a New York City journalist who landed in Maine as a COVID refugee. She fell in love with the quiet rural communities of Downeast Coastal Maine and stayed. She has a Masters in Social Journalism from the Newmark J-School. Early in her career she published a local newspaper in an underserved area of NYC.
Jessica “Jessi” McVay Hardy
Jessica “Jessi” McVay Hardy grew up in Sedgwick and has always had a passion for writing. She recently completed her MFA in English-Creative Writing and is working on two crime/thriller novels. Hardy has worked as a teacher and at local restaurants on the Blue Hill Peninsula while raising her family. She resides with her husband, daughters, and critters in Sedgwick. When she isn’t at a computer writing, Hardy can be found outside in her gardens or cheering for the Celtics or Patriots.
Maggie Raymond
Maggie Raymond recently retired after a career advocating for the commercial fishing industry, fishing families, and coastal communities. Throughout her tenure, she played a role in shaping fisheries management policies and regulations that strike a balance between conservation goals and the practical needs of maritime safety and economic stability.
Melissa S. Razdrih
Melissa S. Razdrih resides in Downeast, Maine, where she settled in 2021 with her family. Her background includes local reporting for FloridaPolitics, COVID coverage for The Center of Illinois Politics, and news writing for publications like The Quoddy Tides and Tampa Bay Business & Wealth. She is an educator and content marketer with more than two decades of experience in copywriting, account management and marketing, with focus on community services and the arts. Currently, Melissa is a community fellow with The Maine Monitor through a program by Journalism New England.