Crime/Public Safety

NTSB to Investigate Standish Crash That Claimed Life of Student

(Standish)  The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation into the Tuesday morning crash that involved a school bus and claimed the life of a Standish Kindergarten student.  That’s according to the Maine Senate Republican Office. Five year old Simon Gonzalez was struck by the bus in front of the Edna Libby School as the school day was beginning. Gonzalez was the second student struck and killed by a school bus in less than a month.  Twelve-year-old Brayden Callahan died November 21st when he was struck by an RSU 13 bus in Rockland.  

Rockland City Council Members Receive Death Threats

(Rockland)  Two members of the Rockland City Council say they have received death threats after they voted to support a local law restricting municipal employees’ cooperation with federal immigration officials.  Penny York and Kaitlin Callahan detailed numerous threats to the MidCoast Villager, including threats to take York’s son “and raise him right”.  Threats reportedly escalated following an article in the conservative publication Maine Wire. Rockland City Council this month approved 4 to 1 a local ordinance that bars municipal employees from assisting ICE agents unless there is a judicial order.  The two said “no one has the right to claim this as our place and kick people out” and that they would continue to speak openly and lawfully on issues affecting the Rockland community.

Local Politics

Lubec Joins Growing Number of Towns Pitching In to Help County Out of Debt

(Lubec)  The Town of Lubec has joined a growing number of towns authorizing early payment of their share of Washington County’s debt owed on the current Tax Anticipation Note early.  At least twenty-one towns have agreed to do the same, with more town meetings scheduled in January.  Like Penobscot, Waldo, and other counties, Washington County found itself behind on audits, due to a critical shortage of specialized county auditors.  A recently completed 2021 audit led to the discovery that the county was in dire financial straits, due to a series of missteps made under the previous Commissioners, County Manager, and Treasurer.  New County Manager Renee Gray was quick to get her staff on the phones, asking towns to pitch in and pay early – a move that will also save towns thousands in interest on any debt remaining on the current TAN, should the county default.  While Commissioner Billy Howard initially pushed back on the action, saying he did not want the county “begging towns for money”, it has since become clear those early payments will save towns and taxpayers in the long run.

Baileyville Firm on Not Paying County Taxes Early

(Baileyville)  One town that will not be paying early, despite the savings, is Baileyville.  Downeast Digest reached out to Baileyville Town Manager Chris Loughlin, who told us the town has already paid county taxes for this year, and officials did not want to place the burden of next year’s taxes on the town, as well, at this point.  He tells us residents saw a 20% increase in city taxes this year, which also made administrators reluctant to ask for more at present.  When pressed about potential savings of thousands of dollars if those county taxes were paid early, Loughlin said if the town were to take out a loan, it would rack up interest. He agreed that could be avoided by taking the money out of Baileyville’s surplus, as many towns are doing; but said they had several big ticket items coming up in the future and would deal with having to pay more for next year’s County taxes when the time comes.

Penobscot County Cuts Budget Proposal

(Bangor)  Penobscot County officials are working to downsize a budget proposal that will likely result in significant tax increases next year. WABI reports the initial proposal for 2026 came in at more than $36M, a nearly 20% increase over this year.  During a meeting this week, County Commissioners worked to cut a million dollars from the proposal, including making cuts to the Sheriff’s Office, RCC, and IT department, as well as proposing a decrease in contributions to local nonprofits.  The amended budget could still result in about a 16% increase in county taxes to each Penobscot County community.  The budget will be introduced at a public hearing on Tuesday, with a final vote sometime before the end of the year..

Economy

Fancy Plants Seeks Buyer 

(Ellsworth)  Truly sad news for lovers of good vegan food, which is often hard to find in the Downeast area.  Last summer, Fancy Plants Maine opened a plant-based food truck to rave reviews.  All ten reviews on the site Happy Cow gave Fancy Plants five stars for their plant-based tacos, quesadillas, desserts and more.  We especially loved their loaded nachos.  Chef/owner Jeff Tague shares on FB his wife has accepted an offer in Nova Scotia, so they won’t be opening in 2026 … unless someone wants to buy the business!  A lot of us will be very happy if he finds a buyer.  Interested?  Check out Fancy Plants Maine on FB.

Affordable Housing Project in Rockport

(Rockport)  An 1850s dairy farm in Rockport will be converted to workforce housing, thanks to a partnership between Maine Coast Heritage Trust and MidCoast Regional Housing Trust. Village Soup dot com reports the five acres surrounding the parcel will be preserved as part of Erickson Fields Preserve. Housing trusts are an increasingly popular strategy for creating permanent affordable housing.  Similar to land trusts, property placed into an affordable housing trust can only be used for affordable housing and can never be part of the standard real estate market where parcels are sold at market rates.

New Bar and Grill Coming to Ellsworth

(Ellsworth)  The former Margarita’s Bar and Grill in Ellsworth will soon be home to another Bar and Grill – Acadia 876.  A sign posted on the building at 191 Main Street says the restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night, serving up classic American dishes, alongside authentic Jamaican cuisine.  No word yet on an opening date.  

Former Eastport Sardine Cannery Sold

(Eastport)  A building that once served as a cannery for a thriving sardine industry on Eastport’s downtown waterfront has sold. The Bangor Daily News reports the 30K square foot building was listed for $150K, but sold for $50K less to a Colorado company listed as 1018 Mahogany Way, LLC.  The building had for a decade been owned by a group of women who had hoped someone with funds would purchase and renovate the property, but investors proved elusive.  Three years ago, Maine Preservation included the building on its list of most endangered historic properties. No word on future plans for the structure.

Better Milbridge Program Provides Meals for Students

(Milbridge)  Students who learn at Coastal Washington County Tech often travel to the school via long bus rides, which means they miss breakfast and lunch.  While those with resources can bring their meals, many are low-income students who qualify for those meals at their home schools … that is, if they were there, rather than working to learn a trade at the vocational school where breakfast and lunch aren’t available.  Anonymous donors recently gave a new refrigerator/freezer and funding to help Better Milbridge purchase food from Good Shepherd and  establish a small food pantry.  With no other funding available, Better Milbridge spends nearly $2K annually to help purchase simple, healthy items such as fresh fruit, cheese, and crackers, soups and more to provide basic nutrition for those in need.  Richard Bondurant tells Downeast Digest, the non-profit is committed to seeing all children, regardless of socio-economic status, are afforded the same resources.  Contact Better Milbridge on FB to get involved and for a link where you can donate.

Zero Energy Homes Builds Modular Units for Trenton Home

(Trenton)  A new home made of modular units was set on its foundation in Trenton this week.  Zero Energy Homes, a startup that develops affordable modular homes, teamed with design firm Knickerbocker Group to build the home at 12 Fairway Vista Road.  MaineBiz reports Zero Energy Homes, located in Mount Desert, completed its first project earlier this year in Searsport – a two-bedroom, one bath, single family home priced for buyers whose income is 80% of the area’s median income.  The homes can be built year round and combine “net zero energy” principals and energy efficient features priced for the affordable housing market.  The company says a building that operates at net zero energy generates as much power as it uses.  

Health

Northern Light EMMC Receives Favorable Rating from Forbes

(Bangor)  Four Maine hospitals were included on the inaugural Forbes Top Hospitals in America list, including Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, which received a five-star overall rating.  According to WMTW, three other facilities in Maine received four-star overall ratings – St. Mary’s in Lewiston, Maine General Medical in Augusta, and Northern Maine Medical in Fort. Kent, which also received a five-star rating in the best practices and patient experience categories.  The magazine said in assigning the reviews, publishers enlisted health care measurement experts, including an advisory panel made up of clinicians, scientists, researchers, and patient advocates.

Environment

Monarch Butterfly Colonies Increase

(Mexico)  If you visit Gardens Aglow this year at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, you’ll find a wonderful new display of lights that make up caterpillars and butterflies – fitting for some great news that just came out of Mexico.  A report by Spirit Science says Monarch butterfly colonies in that country’s forests have increased by 99% in the 2024-25 monitoring report.  While this near doubling marks an important recovery, they say populations are still below the long-term goal; but that every step forward matters in preserving the incredible creatures, millions of whom fly from eastern North America to overwinter in high altitude fir forests near Mexico City.  The fragile but resilient Monarchs will start their long journey back to Maine beginning in March.

Human Interest

Ugly Sweater Day

(Undated)  Today is Ugly Sweater Day, so pull out your wildest Christmas cozy and post those pics!  The event began in 2011, likely because so many were wearing the gaudy garments, not realizing they were … well, pretty ugly.  It’s since grown to be an international event, happening annually on the third Friday of December.  Even some businesses have gotten into the act, offering discounts for those who come in wearing fashions festooned with lights, ribbons, and other baubles.  We hope you’ll wear and post pics proudly today!

National News

US Announces Massive Arms Sales to Taiwan

(AP)  The Trump Administration Thursday announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan.  The package, valued at more than $10B, further strained relationships with China.  The State Department said the package includes medium-range missiles, howitzers, and drones, drawing an angry response from the Chinese government, which claims Taiwan as a province, though it has not ruled the country since 1949.  If approved by Congress, it would be the largest ever U.S. weapons package to Taiwan.  

Partisan Plaques

(Washington, DC)  President Trump has added plaques to his newly-installed Presidential Walk of Fame, with messages he claims were written by him “to highlight Presidents good, bad and somewhere in between.”  The plaques include references to “sleepy Joe Biden, the worst President in history” and refers to Biden’s “severe mental decline” and “the Biden Crime Family” under a picture of an autopen.  Beneath Presidential portraits, Barack Obama is described as  “the most divisive President in history”.  A plaque placed by a portrait of Ronald Reagan claims he was a fan of the young Donald Trump.  

 

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