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Greetings from far Downeast, where September rewarded us with a string of balmy days. Alas, despite the mercury readings, summer is a flitting memory and it’s back to business. 

In the city of Calais that means sorting out moose, trains and four-wheelers — oh my. Some would like to see the rails removed from the Calais branch of the state's rail corridor and converted into a multi-use trail, providing the missing link in the Downeast Sunrise Trail. 

Advocates say easier ATV access to Calais would be an economic boon. But critters and some humans aren't too wild about the idea. That stretch of rail skirts the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. The proposal will be discussed at a public meeting this Wednesday evening (read the details).

Meanwhile, in Machias, the topic is the housing shortage. Bill Kitchen, the town manager who passed away earlier this month, had invited GrowSmart Maine to hold workshops in Machias to help tackle the problem. The select board, vowing to preserve Kitchen's legacy, is moving ahead with his plans. 

Why is building and renovating schools so expensive? 

The price tag on a new elementary school in Bar Harbor is $63 million. An Auburn high school completed in 2023 came in at $122 million. And at the ballot box this fall, Cape Elizabeth voters will consider a $94.7 million bond that would be used to build a new middle school and renovate the district’s elementary and high schools. 

Maine Department of Education data of state-funded major construction projects shows how construction costs have grown in recent years: In 2015, it cost $270 per-square-foot to rebuild an elementary school. In 2017, it cost $313 and in 2018, $379. In 2023 the cost jumped to $491 and in 2024 reached $661. The cost of building middle and high schools in the state follows the same trend.

Read this Maine Monitor story by Lana Cohen.

While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind paywalls, some newsrooms we link to in this newsletter may. 

ICYMI from The Monitor: ‘The hornet’s nest’: How seven wealthy summer residents halted workforce housing on Mount Desert Island | The Maine Monitor

A Maine Monitor article about a proposed subdivision on Heel Way sparked concern from the Mount Desert Select Board about potential compromises to the project’s design and potential de-prioritization. | Bar Harbor Story

Gun safety coalition launches campaign to get a red flag law on the Maine ballot. | Portland Press Herald 

Former town official to take on interim role in wake of Machias manager’s death. | Bangor Daily News

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has suspended Hancock County Probate Judge William Blaisdell IV from judicial office. | Ellsworth American

ICYMI from The Monitor: Clerks across Maine share their thoughts on election security ahead of November. | The Maine Monitor

The state supreme court hears arguments in the relicensing for Ellsworth Dam. | Ellsworth American

The moratorium on medium- and large-scale solar energy system development in Trenton has been extended another 180 days. | Bangor Daily News

ICYMI from The Monitor: Members of the state Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission wonder whether a public insurance option could protect both the uninsured and the state’s own public infrastructure. | The Maine Monitor

Hancock County eyes new site for Emergency Management Agency and Center. | Ellsworth American

A developer’s plans to divide a blueberry barren in Blue Hill into nine house lots has received backlash. | Bangor Daily News

The Acadia Gateway Center is on track to open in May. | Ellsworth American

The Juniper Ridge landfill gets one step closer to expansion. | Bangor Daily News

The Calais Branch Rail Use Advisory Council is seeking comments on a proposed ATV trail near Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. | Quoddy Tides

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The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization that produces investigative journalism. We believe news is a public good and keep our news free to access. We have no paywall and do not charge for our newsletters. If you value the reporting we do for Maine, please consider making a donation! We cannot do this reporting without your support.