Jordan‘s Reopens
(Ellsworth) – Even as the temperature plummets and snow is blowing around today, a sure sign of spring – Jordan’s Snack Bar in Ellsworth reopens this morning. The popular take out on Route 1 has been a “must have” for 36-years. Shawn Jordan runs the operation now, taking over from his parents. Last year a worker shortage and health issues forced Jordan’s to close down for a few days, but they eventually reopened without issues. The snack bar plans to offer its Wednesday night Cruise In series later in the year.
Seaweed Case
(Machias) – A Superior Court judge in Washington County has ruled that shorefront landowners can bar people from taking seaweed from the intertidal zone in front of their property. A supreme court appeal is likely. The judge ruled that the seaweed belongs to the property owner and not to the State in public trust. The ruling went against Acadian Seaplants which processes seaweed and contends that the plant is public property. The seaweed industry has grown substantially in the past 15-years. The ruling is a victory for landowners who filed suit against Acadian Seaplants for taking rockweed from their property.
Stockton Springs School Hearing
(Stockton Springs) – Voters in Searsport and Stockton Springs will decide on final closure for the former elementary school in Stockton Springs. Students in grades K-through-8 attend classes in Searsport. The building has been used for a Pre-K program. RSU 20 directors voted to close the school, which they say costs $70-thousand dollars a year just to stay open. A public hearing is set for tonight with the vote coming on April 11th. If approved, the RSU will no longer have to pay for the building. Just what the town of Stockton Springs would do with it has yet to be determined.
Alligators Seized
(Augusta) – Game wardens have seized 5 alligators from an Augusta man who did not have a permit to keep them. Warden Service spokesman John McDonald reports to Star 97.7 they confiscated the small alligators from 20-year old Yifan Sun yesterday. He got a ticket for importing or possessing wildlife without a permit. The alligators, which are a restricted species in Maine, went to the fish and game headquarters for safekeeping.
Prison Vote
(Washington Cty) The Downeast Correctional Facility should stay open after members of a legislative committee voted unanimously to kill a bill that would eliminate funding. Senator Joyce Maker says keeping the minimum security prison in operation benefits the entire region. Maker says it’s not a done deal just yet. It’s now up to the Appropriations Committee to support ending the bill that eliminates funding, which then goes to Governor LePage for final approval.
Maple Sunday
(Maine) This weekend marks the 34th annual Maine Maple Sunday. The annual event is held the 4th Sunday in March every year, though some sugarhouses will hold events on both Saturday and Sunday. Participating sugarhouses are open for visitors to enjoy freshly made maple syrup and candy, view demonstrations of syrup production, and take a sugar-bush tour among other family activities. Maine Maple Statistics show 5-hundred-45-thousand gallons of maple syrup were produced in 2016, worth 17-point-4-million-dollars. For a list of participating sugarhouses log on to: Maine Maple Producers dot Com.
Puppy Mill More
(Skowhegan) More customers are coming forward after the news story broke about a Skowhegan woman facing charges for selling animals illegally and animal cruelty. WVII-TV reports the Skowhegan police department has heard from more than 30 people who bought pets from 32-year-old Nichole Bizier. Some of the animals purchased from Bizier were sick, one man reported buying a cat infested with fleas that died three days later. Eleven dogs seized from Bizier’s home are now at the Somerset Humane Society. Skowhegan police continue to investigate and more charges could be coming against other people who may have helped Bizier run the illegal puppy mill.
Assault & Trespassing
(Waldoboro) One of 3 suspects in an alleged home invasion in Waldoboro is facing charges. Police tell the Bangor Daily News 45-year-old Virgil Cray Senior was arrested Friday and later released from the Two Bridges Regional Jail on bail. Police were called to a home on the Friendship Road around 10 Friday night where victim reported an unknown man came to his house but he refused to let the man enter. The suspect returned about 30 minutes later with two other men who allegedly forced their way in, knocked the victim to the ground and began punching and kicking him. Police haven’t identified the two other men yet and the investigation continues. Cray is charged with aggravated assault and aggravated criminal trespass.
Every 15 Minutes
(Deer Isle-Stonington) The Every 15 Minutes program will debut at Deer Isle-Stonington High School next month. The intense and emotional two-day program teaches the consequences of drinking and driving. Principal Todd West tells the Ellsworth American students need to understand that senseless tragedies happen every day for other driving-related issues such as speeding, failure to use a seat belt, texting while driving, or just being a passenger in a car. The Hancock County Sheriff’s Department will assist with the Every 15 Minutes program at Deer Isle-Stonington High School on April 6th and 7th.
ME Paintings in NY
(New York) A little bit of Maine has come to a Manhattan museum with the opening of “Marsden Hartley’s Maine.” The show of landscape paintings and other works by the Modernist artist Marsden Hartley is on display at The Met Breuer through June 18 before a run at Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville July 8th thru Nov. 12th. For travelers who want to see the places depicted in the paintings, the tourism agency Visit Maine offers an itinerary for visiting places that Hartley depicted, including Mount Katahdin.
Fishy
(Portland) Two lawmakers from Maine want to know what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is doing to address trouble in the Atlantic scallop fishing industry. U.S. Sen. Angus King, an independent, and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, say NOAA should work to ensure sustainability in the high-value fishery.
Sports
- Ottawa Senators 3 Boston Bruins 2
- Celtics host the Indiana Pacers tonight.
- Red Sox beat the Yankees at Spring Training 4-2. Chris Sale got the win, pitching 6-innings.
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