Doors to the Piscataquis County Ice Arena on West Main Street were formally opened with a ribbon cutting on Monday, Sept. 30. The $5.5 million project, funded by the Libra Foundation and being managed day-to-day by Foxcroft Academy, had some distinguished guests including Gov. Janet Mills and Hockey Hall of Fame member Ray Bourque who played for the Boston Bruins for more than two decades.

The Piscataquis Observer will be published on Friday each week beginning with the issue of Oct. 11. The change will allow us to provide you with more timely coverage of events occurring early to mid-week.

In 1820 Maine became the 23rd state, separating from Massachusetts, and the Grand Lodge of Masons in Maine was established. The first Governor of the State of Maine, William King, was also the first Grand Master of Masons in Maine. In recognition and celebration of these historic events Chris Russell, District Deputy Grand Master of Maine’s 5th Masonic District, has organized a celebration for Saturday, Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds.

Tour Bissell Brothers Three Rivers Brewery and hear about food fermentation on Tuesday, Oct. 22 from 5–8 p.m. at the Three Rivers Brewery and Taproom, 157 Elm Street. The event is sponsored by the Piscataquis County Extension Association, University of Maine School of Food and Agriculture and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Partners for Peace, the domestic violence resource center serving Piscataquis and Penobscot counties, will be observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a local End Domestic Violence Days event from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3 at Stutzman’s Farm Stand and Bakery in Sangerville.

The nine newest Students of the Month at PCES are fifth-graders Chase Lander and Haylee Marshall, Violet Bolduc and Caleb McKusick representing grade 6; grade 7 students Shyann Dever and Devan Pelkey; and eighth-graders Dominic Cookson, Chy-Leigh Duncan and Emily Easler.

A company that spent years trying to bring two resorts, 1,000 second home lots, a golf course and other tourist attractions to the Moosehead Lake region appears to have finally given up on those efforts amid economic challenges that started with the Great Recession.

Thanks to Anheuser-Busch and the Maine-based Valley Beverage, the Milo Fire Department now has a pallet of emergency drinking water to support relief efforts and hydration. A pallet containing 98 cases of drinking water was dropped off at the station mid-morning on Thursday, Sept. 26.

Traditionally in Maine, the two big fall hunts have been partridge in October and deer in November. That still may be the case, but with so many wild turkeys roaming the Maine woods fall hunters looking for some added hunt challenges might want to give fall turkeys a go. As most sportsmen and back country roamers have begun to realize, turkeys are thriving everywhere in Maine with a staying power that even amazes wildlife biologists.

Now located in The Mill complex, for the last decade Dental Hygiene Associates of Maine, LLC has been providing the community with affordable, quality preventative dental care for all ages in a non-traditional setting. The "spa-like" dental oasis is intended to ease dental anxiety through a relaxing, cozy office.

The flower urn was presented to the town in 1929 in memory of the G.A.R. Restored by Tina Santos of Dexter it has stood at the foot of Dexter’s Civil War monument for 90 years.

Since opening more than a year ago, Head to Tails Family Pet Store proprietor Liz Martin has worked to provide local pet owners with all their needed supplies, saving them a trip out of town, and potential pet owners with additions to their homes. Fish, reptiles, small mammals and birds are available and with all the necessary educational information to ensure everyone is happy after leaving the store.

The parent company of the Bangor Daily News is the new owner of the Penobscot Times, a small weekly newspaper that covers Old Town, Orono and surrounding towns.

With new legislation providing opportunities for municipal solar initiatives, such as federal tax credits and rebates, the Dover-Foxcroft selectmen approved the issuing of a request for qualifications for consulting services for such a project. During a Sept. 23 meeting the board opted to work with ReVision Energy to develop a solar plan.

Former Dover-Foxcroft Police Department Sgt. Todd Lyford, who now is chief deputy with the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office, has been awarded the Carnegie Medal from the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission in recognition of a July 2018 incident in which he risked his life to an extraordinary degree to save the life of another.

Say “Highlands” and people often think bagpipes, kilts, clans, castles and the rugged green hills of northwestern Scotland.

The winners have been announced for a recipe challenge that encouraged Mainers to put their cooking skills to the test while helping parish food ministries in the process.

Difficulty: Moderate. The hike, out and back, is 3.6 miles if you only visit the Middle Summit and viewpoint, and it’s another 0.4-mile if you add the short side trail to the forested North Summit of the mountain. The hike is mostly gradual but includes a few short steep sections and rock staircases.