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Eastport Salmon Festival
For 32 years, the end of summer in Eastport, Maine, has been celebrated with a festival, a gathering, an homage to our local resources, especially the Atlantic salmon raised in the cold waters of Passamaquoddy Bay. This year we will mix it up a bit with a Seafood Court on Saturday with crab rolls, seafood chowders, and oysters during lunch time 11:30-1 or until gone. Local restaurants will feature salmon if you can’t wait until Sunday. The Tides Institute will sponsor a self-guided tour of their campus of architectural gems. Paint Eastport Day with an art auction is Saturday, as is the Farmers Market. A Moonlight Movie will be shown at dusk in the Sutherland Amphitheater.
Salmon Sunday! The centerpiece of Salmon Sunday has always been the salmon barbecue. With the purchase of a full dinner, enjoy a boat ride to the salmon pens in Cobscook Bay. We eat under the big tent in a crowd of friends, neighbors and visitors. We look up from our repast and gaze contentedly at the breathtaking view of the Passamaquoddy Bay just a few feet away. Those of us who live here try not to take our stunning surroundings for granted, and we’re happy to share with travelers who are wise enough to step off the beaten path to seek us out. Come for music, arts and crafts, galleries, gift shops and museums, locally brewed beers, (wine too), a farmers’ market, flea market, delicious seafood, and a fabulous salmon barbecue dinner.
Lubec Pirate Invasion
2019 Pirate Invasion Activities Schedule:
Saturday, August 31st:
● 9:00 am - Lubec Restaurants open serving Grub and Grog.
● 9:00 am - Pirate Invasion from the land, sea and air! Please use squirt guns and biodegradable balloons only. Balloons will be supplied. Machias Historical Reenactment troops will help defend Lubec against Eastport Pirates at the Lost Fisherman’s Memorial on Water Street. ... A Sight to be Seen!
● 10:00 am - Tug of War in front of Cohill’s on
Water Street.
● 10:00 am - 12:00 - Lubec Farmer’s Market on Water Street
● 10:30 am - Children’s games -foot races, bag races at the Lubec Elementary School
● 9:00 am - 2:00 pm - Concessions- Duende LLC Taco food truck at Public Wharf on Water Street
● 11:00 - Lobster Boat (and more) Races - contact Danny Fitzsimmons at fitzyshouse4@yahoo.com or call 207- 214-5525 to register.
11:00 am - 2:00 pm - “Digger’s Clam Bake” at Stockford Park - by donation. Funds raised go to Shellfish Conservation Reserve.
● 11:30 am - Children’s Treasure Hunt with Maps for the Mateys and the Lasses on Water Street
● 6:00 pm - Pirates Parade - (anything goes) walkers, floats, ATV’s- line up starts at 5:30 pm at the Lubec Elementary School and ends at the Lubec Boat Ramp on Water Street.
● To Follow Parade - “A Blessing of the Fleet” at the Lubec Fisherman’s Memorial
● 8:00 pm “Pirates of the Caribbean” Movie at the Lubec Elementary School Cafeteria
● 8:00 pm - Pirate Dance at Downeast Dragonfly Restaurant - Pirate specials if you come in costume!
SUNDAY ACTIVITIES:
● 10:00 am Rubber Ducky Race - buy tickets at McFadden’s Variety in Lubec or purchase them at the Lubec Public Boat Ramp just before the race.
1:00 pm - Pig Roast with Coleman Brice and Friends band at Downest Dragonfly Bar and Grill
● 11:00 am Pirate baseball game at the Lubec Elementary school.
● 1:00 pm - Children’s Mud run from Mowrey Beach to Spark-Plug Lighthouse! Bring your boots!
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Walk for Recovery 2019
August 31, 2019 is International Overdose Awareness Day. There will be two events taking place throughout the day.
11-1pm Machias: This event hosted by the Washington County Community Action Team in partnership with Healthy Acadia, Health Equity Alliance, and the Downeast Recovery Support Center. Substance use, recovery, and overdose prevention information will be available. Community members are encouraged to share a picture and/or name of a person lost to overdose on the memory board. Health Equity Alliance will have Naloxone available for distribution with a brief administration training. Machias Chamber of Commerce lawn.
6pm, Downeast Recovery Support Center is hosting a candlelight vigil with speakers. 311 Main St. All community members are welcome to attend.
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Bear Season has Started
AUGUSTA, Maine -- Maine's bear season began on Monday, August 26 throughout the state of Maine, and youth hunters get their own day this Saturday, August 24.
"The abundance of natural foods on the landscape has the greatest influence on hunting success and the physical condition of the bears." said Randy Cross, bear field crew leader for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. A cool wet spring like we experienced generally bodes well for bear foods, and more natural food results in fewer bears visiting bait sites and a lower number of bears harvested.
Maines black bear population is closely monitored by Department biologists through one of the most extensive, longest-running biological studies in the U.S. The study began in 1975 and continues today. Over nearly 40 years, Department biologists have captured and tracked over 3,000 bears to determine the health and condition of Maines bears and estimate how many cubs are born each year.
Over those forty years, its very clear that during years with excellent natural food production of nuts and berries, bears are more reluctant to visit bait sites, said Cross. The good news for hunters is that bears will be actively foraging much later in the season than last year since late season foods such as beechnuts and acorns will keep bears out of their dens. This is good news for deer hunters that would like to harvest a bear during deer season and hunters who hunt in October.
Maines bear season is divided into three segments, as hunters can hunt with bait from August 26 to September 21, hunters can hunt with dogs from September 9 to November 1, and hunters can still hunt or stalk bear from August 26 to November 30. Maine has one of the longest bear seasons in the country since Maine has one of the largest bear population estimated at over 36,000 animals. In addition to a season that starts in August and ends after Thanksgiving, Maine allows hunters to take two bears, one by hunting and one by trapping.
In 2018, hunters harvested 3,314 bears; 2017, 2,897 bears during the three-month season and In 2016, numbers were similar with hunters taking 2,859 bears.
Even with the lengthy bear season, only about 25% of all bear hunters are successful. By contrast, 76% of moose hunters were successful last year, turkey hunters enjoy success rates between 30-35% and deer hunters in Maine are successful 14-18% of the time.
Young hunters will once again get their own day on Saturday, August 24. Youth hunters who have a junior hunting license can hunt bear with a firearm, bow, or crossbow on this day. Youth hunters may hunt bear with the use of bait, or still hunt; however the use of dogs during youth hunting day is prohibited. For more information on youth day, please visit: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/hunting-laws/junior-hunters.html#youthhuntdays.
Over a span of 40 years, Maines bear study has shown that not only does the availability of natural foods drive bear cub survival and bear birth rates, but it also directly influences when bears den for the winter, as well as hunter success rates. In poor natural food years, hunter success is higher than in years when natural food is abundant.
Successful bear hunters are reminded that it is mandatory to submit a tooth from their bear when registering. Tagging agents will provide envelopes and instructions to hunters as to how to remove the tooth. Biologists age the tooth, and the biological data collected help biologists adjust season lengths and bag limits for bears.
Hunters and trappers must have a bear permit in addition to a big game hunting or trapping license to harvest a bear in Maine. However, during the deer firearm season, resident hunters can harvest a bear without a bear permit. Bear hunting is most popular and bear populations are the densest in the northern and downeast regions of the state.
GREY ZONE FISHERMEN CAN HAUL 24/7 STARTING NEXT WEEK
If you are a grey zone fisherman, you will be able to haul traps 24/7 starting next week through the end of October. Marine Patrol is aware of this change, so you should not have any issues as long as you stay within the coordinates below. Please note that this is for 2019 only. In order for this to continue next year, the Legislature needs to extend it. In order for that to happen, we need to have a smooth couple of months on the water and relatively few issues. If you have any questions, please check with Marine Patrol before you go, as it will only take a couple bad apples to ruin this for everyone else.
To be specific, “Gray Zone” means all waters surrounding Machias Seal Island, off of Eastern Washington County, and within the following two boundaries:
Eastern Boundary Coordinates:
- 44° 46' 35.346'' N, 66° 54' 11.253'' W
- 44° 44' 41'' N, 66° 56' 17'' W
- 44° 43' 56'' N, 66° 56' 26'' W
- 44° 39' 13'' N, 66° 57' 29'' W
- 44° 36' 58'' N, 67° 0' 36'' W
- 44° 33' 27'' N, 67° 2' 57'' W
- 44° 30' 38'' N, 67° 2' 38'' W
- 44° 29' 3'' N, 67° 3' 42'' W
- 44° 25' 27'' N, 67° 2' 16'' W
- 44° 21' 43'' N, 67° 2' 33'' W
- 44° 14' 6'' N, 67° 8' 38'' W
- 44° 11' 12'' N, 67° 16' 46'' W
- 42° 53' 14'' N, 67° 44' 35'' W
- 42° 31' 8'' N, 67° 28' 5'' W
- 40° 27' 5'' N, 65° 41' 59'' W
Western Boundary Coordinates:
- 44° 46' 35.346'' N, 66° 54' 11.253'' W
- 44° 45' 44'' N, 66° 55' 4'' W
- 44° 45' 21'' N, 66° 55' 35'' W
- 44° 45' 17'' N, 66° 55' 40'' W
- 44° 45' 5'' N, 66° 56' 2'' W
- 44° 44' 30'' N, 66° 56' 36'' W
- 44° 44' 23'' N, 66° 56' 41'' W
- 44° 44' 7'' N, 66° 56' 54'' W
- 44° 44' 3'' N, 66° 56' 57'' W
- 44° 43' 38'' N, 66° 57' 14'' W
- 44° 43' 22'' N, 66° 57' 27'' W
- 44° 42' 58'' N, 66° 57' 48'' W
- 44° 42' 39'' N, 66° 58' 3'' W
- 44° 42' 17'' N, 66° 58' 26'' W
- 44° 41' 57'' N, 66° 58' 55'' W
- 44° 41' 43'' N, 66° 59' 16'' W
- 44° 40' 38'' N, 67° 0' 12'' W
- 44° 40' 33'' N, 67° 0' 17'' W
- 44° 40' 14'' N, 67° 0' 26'' W
- 44° 39' 44'' N, 67° 0' 44'' W
- 44° 39' 36'' N, 67° 0' 47'' W
- 44° 39' 11'' N, 67° 1' 10'' W
- 44° 38' 31'' N, 67° 1' 42'' W
- 44° 38' 11'' N, 67° 1' 55'' W
- 44° 37' 46'' N, 67° 2' 14'' W
- 44° 37' 27'' N, 67° 2' 22'' W
- 44° 36' 23'' N, 67° 6' 26'' W
- 44° 36' 2'' N, 67° 7' 9'' W
- 44° 34' 57'' N, 67° 9' 27'' W
- 44° 33' 8'' N, 67° 11' 22'' W
- 44° 32' 57'' N, 67° 11' 31'' W
- 44° 32' 34'' N, 67° 11' 47'' W
- 44° 30' 47'' N, 67° 13' 57'' W
- 44° 29' 49'' N, 67° 15' 9'' W
- 44° 29' 47'' N, 67° 15' 11'' W
- 44° 28' 10'' N, 67° 16' 1'' W
- 44° 23' 56'' N, 67° 18' 6'' W
- 44° 23' 36'' N, 67° 18' 16'' W
- 44° 22' 36'' N, 67° 18' 15'' W
- 44° 20' 50'' N, 67° 18' 2'' W
- 44° 12' 6'' N, 67° 16' 56'' W
- 44° 11' 12'' N, 67° 16' 46'' W
- 42° 53' 14'' N, 67° 44' 35'' W
- 42° 31' 8'' N, 67° 28' 5'' W
- 40° 27' 5'' N, 65° 41' 59'' W
Secretary Dunlap: Voter registration mailing is not from State Elections division
AUGUSTA - The Maine Division of Elections is responding to complaints about a recent voter registration outreach mailing that is being sent to Maine households by an independent organization. Link to copy of the mailing https://www.maine.gov/sos/news/images/VoteForwardmailer.Redacted.pdf
"Our office has received numerous complaints from relatives of deceased voters who have received mailings," said Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, and we want to assure the public that our office is not involved in this effort.
The mailing is being sent by an organization called Vote Forward, a volunteer organization based in Alabama that enlists individuals to send handwritten letters to potential Democratic voters, asking them to register and vote. Along with the letters, the organization is sending pre-filled voter registration applications as part of a voter registration drive.
The Maine Division of Elections has no connection to this organization and did not collaborate in any way on the mailing, even though the address of this office is printed on the return mailer. The names and contact information for the individuals receiving the mailings are not being provided to Vote Forward by this office. Thus, both the voter list and Maine Voter Registration Application form they are using is outdated.
While it is very upsetting for family members to receive letters addressed to deceased relatives, accessing public records is legal and no Maine election laws are being broken, said Secretary Dunlap.
Those who receive these mailings addressed to a deceased family member are advised to discard it and do not need to correct any information on file with the Elections Division.
BACK TO SCHOOL
I wanted to close out this week's newsletter with a quick reminder that kids will be going back to school next week -- some of you reading this may already have kids back -- so please remember to use caution on the roads, that there will be kids getting on and off buses, or walking to or from school. Many schools are also accepting backpacks, school supplies, and donations for children who do not have all they need to get the school year started on the right foot. I would encourage anyone who is interested in helping out to contact your local school to see what they need. It all begins in your backyard, and won't take a lot to make a difference in a child's life.
To all families, teachers, and school support staff, have a great start to the 2019-20 school year!
Rep. Will Tuell
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