Mark Stitham, M.

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Two Dover-Foxcroft nonprofits that have been closed since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic — the Center Theatre and Piscataquis County Ice Arena — are bringing drive-in movies to the Piscataquis County seat.

It’s a familiar story for Maine — a once-thriving manufacturing town suddenly in search of a new identity.

The East Sangerville Grange is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Don Hall Scholarship. A first-year scholarship has been awarded to Megan McLaughlin, a 2020 graduate of Piscataquis Community High School in Guilford. In addition, a renewal scholarship has been awarded to Brooke Kujawski, a 2019 graduate of Piscataquis Community High School.

The 29th annual Maine Forest Heritage Days scheduled for Aug. 6-9 has been canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is scheduled to return Aug. 12-15, 2021 at the Greenville Consolidated School campus.

"This was an incredibly difficult decision to make. There were so many factors to consider," explained members of the Milo Garden Club Advisory Board. Because the Summer Fair is a major fundraiser which enables the club to donate to 14 organizations and charities, members will discuss fundraising ideas in September.

The Maine Department of Corrections (MDOC) announced it will begin to ease certain restrictions within correctional facilities. The decision to ease restrictions, such as those related to visitation, community restitution, work release and transfers, have been made in close consultation with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC). Many of the restrictions scheduled to be lifted in the coming weeks have been in place since early March.

Recently Northern Light Health leadership announced their systemwide plan to eliminate racism and other forms of discrimination and promote a strong future for social and medical justice.

The Milo Historical Society art show, which has been held in July in past years, is among a number of 2020 events canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Everyone knows you cannot run elections in Maine without election workers. Yet, in the midst of a public health emergency, as well as during “normal” times, finding people to staff election polls and process absentee ballots is not easy.

Twelve of Maine’s 16 counties are now reporting fewer than 10 active cases of the virus, including three -- Piscataquis, Aroostook and Washington counties -- with zero. The prevalence of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, also seems to finally be dropping in more heavily populated southern Maine counties even as the state has ramped up testing in recent weeks. 

Charles Shaffer of Sebec is announcing his candidacy for Piscataquis County commissioner, District 2, representing Sebec, Atkinson, Dover-Foxcroft, Medford and Orneville. A graduate of Quinnipiac University School of Law, he has a long history of advocacy and service to people with intellectual disabilities as well individuals dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues. Shaffer is currently a community case manager in Bangor.

While creating an arts community along the shore of Lake Hebron has been at the heart of the Libra Foundation’s efforts to revitalize the Monson area, a newly developed health center should serve as an equally important development for the town’s 680 residents. The Monson Health Center, located in the town’s former elementary school, already is home to primary care services for patients of all ages through Northern Light Health, which opened last week.

The Maine Department of Transportation is doing paving work along parts of Route 7 in Dexter, Garland and Dover-Foxcroft. One work area on Route 7 begins in Dexter, north of the intersection with Route 23, and extends north for nearly six miles, through Garland, ending in Dover-Foxcroft. Another work area is south of the intersection with Grove Street in Dover-Foxcroft.

The Center Theatre and Piscataquis County Ice Arena announced that they are partnering to bring a temporary drive-in movie theater to Dover-Foxcroft. The drive-in, which will be in the ice arena parking lot, is scheduled to show its first movie (“Wonder Woman”) on Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20. There will be one showing per night starting at 9. Currently the drive-in is scheduled to show movies for four weeks, but that may be extended depending on demand.

A devoted and dedicated group of hikers is not about to let the current COVID-19 pandemic keep them from honoring fallen soldiers. The 2020 Wilderness Walk for Warriors, created by Houlton resident Chris Robinson to pay tribute to fallen or injured soldiers, kicks off July 11 and features a 10-day, 120-mile journey along the Appalachian Trail to the top of Mount Katahdin.

Bishop Robert Deeley has announced that Fr. Roland Daigle, OFM Cap. has been appointed as a parochial vicar of Our Lady of the Snows Parish (St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Dover-Foxcroft; St. Anne Church, Dexter; SS Francis Xavier & Paul the Apostle Church, Milo) and St. Agnes Parish in Pittsfield.

State environmental officials are looking for a way for 115 communities now sending their trash to landfills after the recent closure of a Hampden waste plant to instead send it to an Orrington facility that burns waste to create electricity.