The Quoddy Tides

06/15/2026

At their June 3 meeting, the Lubec Select Board held several votes to address the health hazard created by the fire‑burned house at 63 Pleasant Street after pleas that the board act promptly, nearly a year after the fire, to address what residents Anita Repp and husband called "an unregulated dump."

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At their June 3 meeting, the Lubec Select Board held several votes to address the health hazard created by the fire‑burned house at 63 Pleasant Street after pleas that the board act promptly, nearly a year after the fire, to address what residents Anita Repp and husband called "an unregulated dump...

06/15/2026

As he gestures at the Whiting Mill Pond dam, fisherman Adam Boutin says, "Forty years ago, this stream was black with alewives. There would be 20 people down there dipping the alewives," a river herring species that swims upriver each spring. "Nothing can get in the nets now."

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As he gestures at the Whiting Mill Pond dam, fisherman Adam Boutin says, "Forty years ago, this stream was black with alewives. There would be 20 people down there dipping the alewives," a river herring species that swims upriver each spring. "Nothing can get in the nets now."

06/15/2026

On a crisp Sunday morning, a small group of birdwatchers stand quietly in a small gravel lot surrounded by secondary‑growth forest at Bog Brook Cove Preserve in Trescott. With not a breath of wind, the scent of wet seaweed and the sound of a lobster boat are the only clues of the rocky coast mere yards away. Cameras, binoculars and fingers are avidly pointed toward numerous warblers and flycatchers flitting in the newly leafed out birches when someone exclaims, "Wilson's warbler 11 o'clock, now 8 o'clock!"

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On a crisp Sunday morning, a small group of birdwatchers stand quietly in a small gravel lot surrounded by secondary‑growth forest at Bog Brook Cove Preserve in Trescott. With not a breath of wind, the scent of wet seaweed and the sound of a lobster boat ...

06/15/2026

While the dispute over the eviction notices sent to six owners of aircraft hangars at the Eastport Municipal Airport appears to be headed toward a resolution, the issue reflects a larger disagreement over differing visions for the airport's future. The answer to whether three of the hangars need to be moved depends on if a proposed expansion of the apron and terminal taxiway is needed to serve the needs of those who use the airport and the community as a whole.

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While the dispute over the eviction notices sent to six owners of aircraft hangars at the Eastport Municipal Airport appears to be headed toward a resolution, the issue reflects a larger disagreement over differing visions for the airport's future.

06/15/2026

A robust and useful housing stock in Washington County plays many important functions for the population's economic and cultural well-being. In the county, a network of factors is blocking the path to an increase in housing that meets all needs: an aging population; a lack of a living wage for many coupled with a significant increase in real estate prices; few to no new construction projects for affordable and workforce housing; and an increase in short‑term rentals for visitors. So explained Charles Rudelitch, executive director of the Sunrise County Economic Council (SCEC), illustrating his points as the keynote speaker for the Washington County Housing Summit: Strategies and Solutions, held on May 21 at the University of Maine at Machias campus.

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A robust and useful housing stock in Washington County plays many important functions for the population's economic and cultural well-being. In the county, a network of factors is blocking the path to an increase in housing that meets all needs: an aging population ...

06/15/2026

The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) has awarded the bid for the Lubec Safe Harbor breakwater project to the lowest of two bidders, Gordon Contracting Inc. of Sangerville, for $25.7 million. The Sargent Corporation of Orono bid a slightly higher amount, $26.7 million. Both bids are significantly less than the amount of funding available for the project, since it was scaled back from its original design. However, the latest version of the project does include nearly 20 floats for berthing boats at the breakwater, which had not been in the design a couple of months ago.

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The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) has awarded the bid for the Lubec Safe Harbor breakwater project to the lowest of two bidders, Gordon Contracting Inc. of Sangerville, for $25.7 million.

06/12/2026

Today's issue - featuring the 2026 Summer Guide insert!

05/26/2026

Benson Seafood celebrated the opening of their new lobster processing facility on Thoroughfare Road, Grand Manan, with an open house on Friday, May 15, drawing a big crowd for a ribbon‑cutting and tours. The company has been in the live lobster business for 50 years and can now expand to more markets. Benson Seafood currently employs about 60 people, and they hope to add 50 more when the plant is at full capacity.

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Benson Seafood celebrated the opening of their new lobster processing facility on Thoroughfare Road, Grand Manan, with an open house on Friday, May 15, drawing a big crowd for a ribbon‑cutting and tours.

05/26/2026

Memorial Day, which sets aside a time to remember those who have died while serving their country in the armed forces, at first was called Decoration Day to honor those killed during the Civil War. The conflict saw the most lives lost of any war in U.S. history. That level of sacrifice was true for Eastport, too, as some 700 men, nearly a fifth of the city's population, took part in the war, with 100 killed in action and almost 200 severely wounded or dying from disease.

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Memorial Day, which sets aside a time to remember those who have died while serving their country in the armed forces, at first was called Decoration Day to honor those killed during the Civil War. The conflict saw the most lives lost of any war in U.S. history.

05/26/2026

The May 13 meeting of the Eastport City Council was a lively and sometimes contentious affair, with a capacity crowd and an agenda featuring a couple of controversial topics – the proposed underwater AI data center and the eviction notices sent to airport hangar owners.

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The May 13 meeting of the Eastport City Council was a lively and sometimes contentious affair, with a capacity crowd and an agenda featuring a couple of controversial topics – the proposed underwater AI data center and the eviction notices sent to airport hangar owners.