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STANDING IN FRONT OF HER HOME that was foreclosed on by the city is Tobi McPhail of Eastport. She'll be able to get her deed back after two or three more months of payments, but others in the county may not be able to, as homeowners struggle with mortgage and property tax payments during the prolonged economic downturn. (Edward French photo)
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TAKING A NEW YEAR'S DIP to benefit the Senior Fuel Fund are some Lubec residents. (J.D. Rule photo)
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| TOP STORIES |
| Communities work to avoid foreclosures |
by Lora Whelan |
It has been a long time since the economy in Washington County has meant comfortable living for the majority of its residents. The pressures to meet mortgage payments, property taxes, utility and heating bills and, in some municipalities, sewer and water bills have many homeowners struggling to meet their property tax payments while also putting food on the table or taking care of healthcare issues. Municipalities are working with some success to help homeowners resolve real estate tax foreclosures, but an unknown quantity is the impact that mortgage foreclosures, in particular those held by out‑of‑state institutions, are having on the long‑term community fabric and cultural health of the county.
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| Scallop area closure draws mixed reaction |
| by Edward French |
The Department of Marine Resources' compromise to close part of Cobscook Bay to scallop dragging, because of the lack of legal-size scallops and the large amount of seed, is finding a mixed reaction Downeast, with some fishermen maintaining that the entire bay should have been closed and some favoring opening up the closed conservation areas in the state. Following a December 27 meeting in Whiting with area fishermen, Acting Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher adopted emergency rulemaking because of the risk of imminent depletion of the resource, closing all of inner Cobscook Bay, inside of Birch Point, for the remainder of the 74-day scallop season. The emergency closure took effect January 2.
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by Lora Whelan |
The Friends of The Boat School are busy working to create a smooth transition for the 43‑year‑old school as it changes hands from Husson University to the Friends at the end of this spring. The Friends have a larger vision for the Eastport-based Deep Cove property than just the school and are working to create name recognition for the site as Maine's Marine Technology Center.
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| Family Dollar eyes Lubec town garage site |
| by J. D. Rule |
Speaking at the Lubec selectmen's meeting on January 5, Chairman Bill Daye revealed that the potential suitor for the town garage property is Family Dollar Stores, a publicly traded firm based in Matthews, N.C. Daye confirmed that talks with the firm's local representatives and the real estate company that would actually purchase and develop the site have been rekindled.
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| Locals to face off with NHL legends |
| by Susan Esposito |
The Grand Manan Community Centre ice rink will be packed with hockey fans on Friday, January 20, for a game that evening between the NHL Legends and a group of local hockey players. Rob MacPherson, chief administrative officer for the Village of Grand Manan, says former Boston Bruins Terry O'Reilly and Rick Middleton as well as former New York Ranger Kenny Linseman will be among the former National Hockey League players taking to the ice at 6 p.m.
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