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Greetings from Downeast where even summer heat can’t keep residents from exercising their civic duties. From Bar Harbor and Jonesport, to Machiasport and Lubec, voters turned out in droves to town meetings this week, making sure their voices were heard.
According to one Lubec resident, the town’s selectboard meeting started 30 minutes late because there was such a long line outside. Once inside, it was standing room only as residents debated ordinances around land use permits.
As you can see in some of the stories we’ve highlighted below, the appropriate, best uses of land — and water — are hot topics along the Downeast coast. These vital, treasured resources are in ever-increasing demand and sometimes under threat, often by mother nature herself.
According to this week’s U.S. Drought Monitor, the Downeast region is not officially in a drought, but it is experiencing abnormally dry conditions. Some effects are pretty obvious: brown lawns, wilting gardens, and low surface water levels — just come take a peek at our swamp, uh, I mean, pond. All of this adds up to elevated fire danger.
So, take special care with those backyard weenie and marshmallow roasts — better yet, forgo them altogether, at least until we get a good drenching. |
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While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind paywalls, some newsrooms we link to in this newsletter may. |
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Local food pantries in Hancock County are experiencing an increase in the number of patrons amid cutbacks to food assistance and support for food purchases. | Mount Desert Islander
Bar Harbor planning board chair worries delay in moratorium presentation takes time away from board's housing work. | Bar Harbor Story
The Down East Family YMCA has proposed having the city assume responsibility for managing the General Bryant E. Moore Community Center on State Street. | Ellsworth American
Following a review from an outside consultant the town of Bar Harbor has decided it will no longer pursue the previously announced plans to head for the stormy seas of a full property revaluation. | Mount Desert Islander
Ellsworth has announced that it will transition to a four-day workweek this month. | Ellsworth American
The Mount Desert Island selectboard voiced support for the League of Towns to draft a moratorium that would ban the sale of intoxicating hemp products in the town until the state develops proper regulations. | Mount Desert Islander
Eastport Port Authority and CBP wrangle over office space lease | Quoddy Tides
Median home sale prices in every Maine county have more than doubled in the last decade, housing data show. | Bangor Daily News
Planning continues for new health center in Eastport | Quoddy Tides
A community group based in Blue Hill has bought a scenic blueberry barren from a developer who once wanted to create nine house lots there. | Bangor Daily News
Acadia National Park employs a dedicated team of professionals who work diligently to help with fire prevention efforts and, if necessary, bring potentially devastating fires to heel. | Mount Desert Islander
Land-use ordinance nixed by Lubec voters | Quoddy Tides
Maine’s most vulnerable are at risk from rising summer temps. So far this year, 294 Mainers have gone to the hospital to seek heat-related treatment. | Portland Press Herald
In Maine, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Houlton Sector is on pace for more arrests this year than any year since the Sept. 11 terror attacks. | WABI |
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Have feedback, a correction or know of something we should look into? Send it to our newsroom. If you have feedback or a tip that you want to send to Joyce Kryszak directly, email her at: joyce@themainemonitor.org.
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. |
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