For the last year in-town Monson has been undergoing many changes through the Portland-based Libra Foundation. The organization has purchased more than 20 properties along Main Street and across town, including the former Monson Elementary School that most recently served as a community center, and many of the buildings have been torn down or are in the renovation process for the purpose of transforming the community into the Monson Arts artists’ colony as part of the foundation’s mission of making contributions to worthy causes across Maine to spur economic and creative growth.

Last month three bids for building a Piscataquis County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) storage garage all came in multiple times more than the project budget. The structure will now be going out to bid again, this time with some revisions to the specs.

A proposed $14,575,628 SAD 46 budget for the 2018-19 academic year was approved at the annual district meeting on June 7 at the Ridge View Community School. The spending package will now go to a referendum in the towns of Dexter, Exeter, Garland and Ripley on Tuesday, June 12 with residents of the four communities voting either “yes” or “no” to make a district-wide decision.

The sound of employees working on the railroad will be increasing in the Derby section of town with the opening of a new multi-million dollar facility in a revitalized building for the cleaning, repair and fleet management of railroad tank cars. Katahdin Railcar Services LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Central Maine & Quebec Railway (CMQ), formally opened for business on May 31 with a ceremony and ensuing tours of the space.

Thanks to the time and talents of five student artists, the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department has a new patch as the design was unveiled during a May 30 selectmen’s meeting.

A proposed $11,559,908 RSU 68 budget for the 2018-19 academic year was approved at the annual district meeting on May 29 at the SeDoMoCha School. The spending package will now go to a referendum in the towns of Charleston, Dover-Foxcroft, Monson and Sebec on Tuesday, June 12 with residents of the four communities voting either “yes” or “no” to make a district-wide decision.

Students across Piscataquis Community Elementary School, including seventh- and eighth-graders for the first time with these grades moved up Campus Drive for 2017-18, spent several months reading as many books as possible in the hopes of winning a brand new bicycle and helmet.

For the sixth consecutive year the town of Dover-Foxcroft recognized Arbor Week, observed in 2018 from May 21-25 or the third full week of the month, with a ceremonial planting on May 23. This year a pair of clethra ruby spice or summersweet shrubs were placed in front of the newly-opened The Commons at Central Hall on East Main Street.

An area of the Eastern Piscataquis Business Park off outer Park Street that once was empty has had several buildings constructed and donated to the Three Rivers Kiwanis Club of Milo/Brownville over the last few years thanks to the generosity of Milo residents Tom and Nancy Harrigan. The Harrigans have provided a Kiwanis Headquarters, auction storage facility, Harris Pond Pavilion and the Harrigan Learning Center and Museum of Fossils, Minerals, and Indian Artifacts.

ATV riders will now have access to a number of downtown businesses as the Dexter Town Council approved an ordinance opening seven town streets to ATVs during a May 17 meeting.