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.

With each of three bids for building a Piscataquis County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) storage garage coming in multiple times more than the project budget, the county commissioners opted to table a decision during a May 15 meeting.

A Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant who goes above and beyond the call of duty and who gives back in other ways has been honored by the Valley Grange with the organization’s 2018 Community Citizen of the Year honor. Lt. Jamie Kane received the recognition on the evening of May 18 at the Grange Hall.

Four years ago residents approved an ordinance concerning private distribution corridors, including paved highways, pipelines and high-tension transmission lines. The moratorium enacted in 2014 -- meaning permits for these types of development projects cannot be granted during the timeline -- was in effect for 180​ ​days.​ ​The​ ​moratorium​ ​has​ ​since​ ​been​ ​renewed​ ​seven ​times​ ​with​ ​the​ ​current​ ​extension​ ​in​ ​place​ ​through​ ​May 25. During a May 14 meeting, the selectmen approved another 180-day extension which will be in effect from May 26 to Nov. 21.

Visitors young and old were able to learn about the life of Anne Frank and think about how lessons from Europe during World War II can be applied today as the “Anne Frank: A History for Today” traveling exhibit was on display at The Commons at Central Hall from May 2-11.

After a decade of efforts to preserve and rebuild the more than 135-year-old Central Hall on East Main Street, the new look and renamed The Commons at Central Hall was formally opened to the public with a ceremony on the afternoon of May 12. The facility will now house an event center on the upper level and senior center and adult day services center is planned for the future on the first floor.