News

The Allagash is renowned for its uniqueness in areas like music, stories, wildlife and natural beauty. However, few people know that the Allagash has a few ghost stories up its sleeve as well. Just south from the place where the Michaud Inn once stood and past Twin Brook Rapids, you will encounter a high gravel bank. By paddling with the current you see the bank on the right side of the river. The gravel bank is the only visual indication…unless of course you are traveling at night.

FORT KENT  – Quigley's Building Supply in Fort Kent has a new look and reorganization that they have been working on for months, with an additional specialty business office next door, called Quigley's Outdoors.

MONTICELLO - At approximately 2:45 p.m. a report came in of a hit-and-run crash on Route 1, which led to the arrest of a male subject on Monday, March 10 according to a press release from the Maine State Police.

PORTLAND - Bishop Robert P. Deeley designated Wednesday, March 12 as a diocesan-wide day of prayer and penance to seek forgiveness for past harm, while offering prayers for the healing of victims and survivors of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. The day will also reaffirm the Diocese of Portland’s continuing pledge to provide a safe and peaceful environment for children. Deeley will celebrate Mass at 12:15 p.m. on March 12 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.

Over the course of the summer, people ask many questions concerning the history of names, places and campsites that canoeists have encountered along their journey down the Allagash. One of my favorite parts of being an assistant park ranger stationed at the Michaud Farm, is explaining the fascinating local history that has shaped the Allagash region. One of the most common questions is “is there actually a farm here?” Or “what is the Michaud Farm?” (If you haven’t noticed by now, I become pretty excited when people ask me about the history of the Allagash River.)

Last week [Feb. 25], I had the honor of reading George Washington’s Farewell Address on the floor of the United States Senate. Every year a member of the Senate is selected to read the address - a document which holds tremendous significance to American history. The origins of this practice – one of the Senate’s most steadfast traditions – date back over a hundred years to the darkest hours of the Civil War. In the winter of 1862, pursuant to a petition by Sen.

AROOSTOOK COUNTY - County residents have likely noticed a few festive outdoor additions to the Presque Isle area over the last couple of weeks. Earlier in February, the lead partner organizations for the 2014 International Biathlon Union Youth/Junior Biathlon World Championships and the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce challenged businesses, organizations and even families to make creative use of the copious snowfall the area has recently received by creating snow sculptures with an international flair.

PRESQUE ISLE- The Maine Department of Labor's "SafetyWorks!" training and safety consultation program will offer a free training course for March in Presque Isle. It is also offering other courses in Portland, Springvale, Augusta, Calais and Westbrook.

Monday, March 10, 2014 – Sunday, March 16, 2014

AROOSTOOK COUNTY- The Cubby Fund, in collaboration with the Cubby Thriftstores, has recognized Brody Michaud as the January "Cubby Hero of the Month" with a check of $100.

ST. JOHN VALLEY - It may have been unseasonably cold for the first week of March, but, to put a contrary spin on the popular television phrase, Winter is going.

And with the annual exit of the cold season, folks need to set their clocks 60 minutes forward. People usually do this on Saturday night, but the official start for Daylight Saving Time is 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

AUGUSTA– The Maine office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services and the Maine Gambling Control Board have joined together with Hollywood Casino and Oxford Casino to help individuals who think they may have a problem with casino gambling. The result is the expansion of locations for individuals to sign up for a program known as self-exclusion from two to 14 sites.

AROOSTOOK COUNTY- The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency has announced the arrests of five men for Class B trafficking in synthetic hallucinogens and a sixth man for Class B trafficking in Schedule W drugs (oxycodone).

CARIBOU- This morning, March 7, marks the 11th day in a row with a low temperature of below zero at Caribou. This is by far the longest stretch of sub-zero nights at Caribou so late in the winter season. Back in late February and early March in 1980 there was a stretch of seven nights with a low below zero.

FRENCHVILLE– Two students at the Dr. Levesque Elementary School in Frenchville are raising money for the PAWS Animal Welfare Society Shelter in Fort Kent. As part of a service learning project, Caitlyn Chasse and Madysen Picard-with help from Principal Lisa Bernier-chose to organize several fundraising activities to benefit the shelter.

FORT KENT- The Fort Kent Chamber of Commerce's monthly "Chamber Mixer" will be held at 5-6:30 on Friday, March 7 at the new Home Solutions' location. All chamber members are invited, along with spouses, friends, and those looking to become a member.

PRESQUE ISLE— The Northern Maine Community College will host the Third Aroostook Partnership for Progress (APP) Alternative Energy and Biomass Fair on April 5.

FORT KENT – On a bitter cold night in late January, a blazing fire devastated a potato warehouse east of Fort Kent and destroyed much of the equipment and supplies that GB and D Farms kept there. Yet on March 1, on an equally cold evening, a community came together in warmth and friendship for a traditional spaghetti feed fundraiser.

To the Editor,

Yes, we have a young moose in our community. Yes, we are all feeding him. Yes, most of us have spent our lives in this area. Yes, we have all been taught not to touch eggs in a nest and leave wild animals alone and blah, blah, blah, etc., etc. We don't need a biologist or newscasters to enlighten us. The local TV station should have vetted their story a little better. There are always two sides to every story.

FORT KENT- Nearly 20 members were present at the monthly meeting of the Northern Maine Medical Center Guild to hear a presentation on cardiovascular disease in women on Feb. 25.

AROOSTOOK COUNTY - The duties of the Aroostook County Deputy Sheriffs includes the investigation of convicted sex offenders who fail to register with the Maine Sex Offender Registry as required by law. The "Maine Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 1999" created the registry which is maintained by the state. It is updated daily based upon registrations received from offenders living in Maine. Depending on the nature of the conviction, offenders are required to re-register every three or six months. If they do not, law enforcement is notified by the registry.

Maternal grandparents are Robert and Pamela Lozier of Fort Kent. Paternal grandparents are Larry and Jenny Jandreau of St. Francis.

Maternal grandparents are Arthur and Elizabeth Levesque of Waterville. Paternal grandparents are Daniel and Patricia Aldrich of Springfield.

ST. JOHN VALLEY - When Fiddlehead Focus stopped printing the popular weekly paper and switched to a web-based publication, one of the features that people missed was the crossword puzzle. Now, thanks to hard work and innovative thinking, the crossword has returned in a new online rebirth.

FORT KENT – While in the area covering the Junior World Cup Biathlon, famed television show host Bill Green of Bill Green's Maine stopped by Rock's Family Diner in Fort Kent on Tuesday night, 4 March, to interview several of the male models and organizers from the Fort Kent Lion's Club calendar.

PRESQUE ISLE— Two academic programs at the University of Maine at Presque Isle are joining forces this spring to provide the campus and community with an accessible way to explore the world of science. The Environmental Studies and Sustainability and Biology programs are again presenting a lunchtime seminar series that will provide a forum to present scientific research, as well as management and applied science. The series is conducted by UMPI students and faculty, and other local and regional scientists. This is the second time the two groups have hosted the series.

PRESQUE ISLE—The University of Maine at Presque Isle is partnering with two community organizations—the Wintergreen Arts Center and The Aroostook Medical Center—to celebrate Brain Awareness Week in early March.

PLYMOUTH, N.H.- Cassidy Spencer of Saint Francis has earned a spot on the Plymouth State University Dean's List for the fall 2013 semester.

Date/Time: March 10 at 4 p.m.
Place: Superintendent’s Conference Room

FORT KENT– The Fort Kent Knights of Columbus have released the winner of their ongoing lotto fundraiser for the week of March 3.

This week's Super 50 Lotto winner is Bob Plourde of Fort Kent. Plourde won a total of $420.

A QUILT FOR GOOD DOGS - The Northern Neighbors Quilters assemble a piece each year for the Can-Am Crown Sled Dog Races, and this year's quilt is also the jigsaw puzzle. - Photo by Andrew Birden

To solve an easier version of this puzzle, click on this LINK or the image shown here.

MADAWASKA- A small morning fire on Tuesday, March 4 was safely contained and caused no damage, according to Madawaska Fire chief Jim Soucy.

PRESQUE ISLE- The 2014 International Biathlon Union Youth/Junior World Championships competitions slated to take place on Tuesday, March 4 at the Nordic Heritage Center have been delayed due to the extremely cold temperatures from Monday night.

VAN BUREN- GO-Van Buren, host of the spring Aroostook Artisans Craft Fair, has announced that it will be returning this year on Saturday, 3 May. As in previous years, the fair occurs in the Van Buren Community Center on Champlain Street. Doors open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Compiled By Mark Latti with IFW Fisheries Biologists

Madawaska Board of Selectmen 
4:30 p.m. - March 4, 2014 - Madawaska Town Office 

Agenda

Call to order:

Adoption of minutes:
Board of select people minutes dated Feb. 18, 2014

Articles taken out of order:

Items to be signed:
Article 1: Bills and warrants
Article 2: Tax abatement – account # 2984 - $118.14

FORT KENT – On Monday morning, 3 March, firefighters began an all-day battle with a house fire six miles west of Fort Kent on the St. John Road in -10 F weather.

FORT KENT - Music lovers enjoyed the area’s largest jam session and house party at the University of Maine at Fort Kent Annual Fiddlers’ Jamboree on Sunday, March 2 at the UMFK Fox Auditorium.

FORT KENT – The Fort Kent Community High School Boy's Team took first place in the Alpine Championship. The championship consisted of the Giant Slalom Race on Feb. 27, and the Slalom Race on Feb. 28 both at Sunday River in Newry. Below are the individual results for Aroostook County participants from the alpine races along with the top three in each category. Also included are the skimeister results. The skimeister requires participants to ski in all four races in the Class C Championships.

Men’s Giant Slalom Feb. 27, 2014

FORT KENT – The Fort Kent Community High School Girl's Team took second place in the Alpine Championship. The championship consisted of the Giant Slalom Race on Feb. 27, and the Slalom Race on Feb. 28 both at Sunday River in Newry. Below are the individual results for Aroostook County participants from the alpine races along with the top three in each category. Also included are the skimeister results in which Rudy Martin from FKCHS placed second. The skimeister requires participants to ski in all four races in the Class C Championships.

FORT KENT - With temperatures at -7 F, Approximately 60 mushers from the United States and Canada were racing out of the starting area on Main Street, Fort Kent, for the Can-Am Crown Sled Dog Races on Saturday, 1 March.

FORT KENT– In addition to the holiday's historical and religious marking of the day before Lent, people will celebrate Mardi Gras in the Fort Kent area with a dance and a music show prior to the holiday.

FORT KENT –  It's looking a lot like race time in Fort Kent. Can-Am Crown mushers and teams have been rolling into town with their rigs and dog kennels since mid-week.

AUGUSTA- At a time when public libraries play an increasingly important role in local communities, Mainers can now support these institutions through a convenient tax check-off program. Through a program created to help sustain Maine's public libraries as both community and economic development centers, Maine State Income Tax Return filers have the option to conveniently contribute $5 or more by filling out the Schedule CP section of the Form 1040ME.

PRESQUE ISLE- A little over three weeks ago the Maine Winter Sports Center announced a reorganization that would require it to secure a new source of funding for its programs beyond April 30, 2014. Since that time they have been working to secure that new funding and are committed to ensuring the programs continue. Part of that new funding includes a $100,000 donation and a matching grant of $400,000 by Presque Isle native Mary Smith.

FORT KENT – Parking lots around Fort Kent are empty now but – not for long. They will be at full capacity on Saturday during the 22nd Annual Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Races starting this weekend, 1 March.

AUGUSTA—The Maine Department of Labor is launching the Treasury Offset Program, which is a new system to recover unemployment benefit debt from the past 10 years by offsetting federal income tax refunds in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service. The debt resulted from either fraud on the part of the claimant or a claimant’s failure to report earnings while collecting benefits. The department expects to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next year through the program.

This February, I had the opportunity to join my colleague, Sen. Tim Kaine D-Va., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and Central and South Asian Affairs, and fellow member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on a trip to the Middle East. During our time overseas, we traveled to Israel, the West Bank, and Lebanon where we met with embassy staff, foreign dignitaries, military leaders, and others working to provide the region with humanitarian assistance. This was my second trip to the Middle East as a U.S.

NEW ENGLAND– John J. Arvanitis, Special Agent in charge of the New England Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, announced today that the DEA New England Field Division has made an anonymous texting tip line available to the public. “T-I-P-411,” which is powered by Citizen Observer, allows anyone with a cell phone to quickly and easily report drug trafficking, money laundering or related suspicious activity directly to a DEA agent.

FORT KENT – Two accidents occurred within 40 minutes of each other on Thursday morning as cars attempted to navigate down a slippery portion of East Main Street that local folks know as Station Hill.

The first accident occurred when Amy Oakes lost control of her Ford and crashed into Roy Auto Parts building, and the second accident occurred less than an hour later.

(See the story on the first accident by clicking on this link)

FORT KENT - The University of Maine at Fort Kent and the Maine School Administrative District 27 will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the inaugural firing of the Biomass Project at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28 at the former Fort Kent Armory site.

FORT KENT- The University of Maine at Fort Kent Foundation will present its annual dinner and performance fundraising event beginning at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. This year’s musical entertainment will be provided by jazz, blues, and improvisational pianist, David Maxwell of Boston.

AUGUSTA- The 25th Annual Maine Women’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Gala Silver Anniversary Celebration will be observed on Saturday, March 15 at the Richard J. Randall Student Center at the University of Maine at Augusta.