ELLSWORTH — It’s budgeting season again, and heading into the City Council’s final June 3 workshop it looks likely that taxes will go up again this year, at least slightly. While taxes may increase, officials often argue that Ellsworth’s tax rate compares favorably to other similar cities around Maine, especially service centers whose roads and …
ELLSWORTH− Four Sullivan residents, including a pair of year-and-a-half-old twins, escaped serious injury on Thursday morning when a van driven by 29-year-old Samantha Polchies crash on Route 180, according to Ellsworth Police Officer Jon Mahon. “[Polchies] was headed southbound into town,” just before 9 a.m., said Mahon, “when she swerved to avoid a deer, went …
ELLSWORTH — Call it mind-body, complementary, holistic or alternative, Ellsworth added to its growing reputation as a hub for such medicinal practices this month with the addition of Downeast Wellness Holistic Health Services at 9 Store St., across from City Hall. Ruth Moore, who inspired a federal bill to help sexual assault victims, has turned …
ELLSWORTH — A local building company has stepped up to help the Ellsworth Little Eagles Wrestling Club after a former volunteer allegedly embezzled more than $2,000 from the organization. After reading a story about the theft in The American, Broughman Builders owners Daisy and Mike Wight decided to make a donation to cover the lost …
ELLSWORTH — A Bar Harbor man was charged with theft on May 24 after police finished conducting an investigation that began in March. Timithy Lary, 29, allegedly took $3,777 out of a joint account he shared with his ex-girlfriend. The money was her tax refund, according to police. Turkey and deer cause trouble for drivers …
ELLSWORTH — When Eli Smith sat down next to a pretty, dark-haired woman at a farmers market in California, he thought she looked vaguely familiar, maybe a bit like a movie star. “But everybody’s beautiful in Los Angeles,” Smith said. The woman asked about his backpack and gear; he explained his three-year journey, walking and …
ELLSWORTH — Bob Sewall is an evangelist. Not of God, but of something a bit closer to earth: An apple cider vinegar evangelist. “The list of benefits is probably in the hundreds,” said the Lincolnville apple grower, speaking on the phone in April during a lunch break from tending his 500 trees. Sewall runs Maine’s …
ELLSWORTH — They may not be fighting fires or patrolling the streets, but fun deserves funding too. That’s the message nonprofit directors are trying to send to city councilors wrestling with difficult decisions this budget season. “I don’t have to convince anybody about how vital The Grand is to the community,” Director Nick Turner told …
ELLSWORTH — A 22-turbine, $147.5-million wind farm project is one step closer to breaking ground after receiving approval from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on Friday. “We are really pleased to have a DEP permit for the Weaver Wind project,” said Longroad Energy Partners Chief Development Officer Matt Kearns in an email. “Weaver …
ELLSWORTH — A Mexican restaurant plans to open in the former Bangkok Restaurant building on the Downeast Highway. Mi Sombrero Mexican Restaurant and Bar will offer burritos and tacos along with other traditional Mexican dishes, said owner Zunilda Ayala Escalante. The menu will draw from cuisines around the Caribbean and Central America, but mainly focus …
ELLSWORTH — School Department officials seeking funding for a study to look at renovating or replacing the Hancock County Technical Center (HCTC) got one step closer on Monday evening. City councilors proposed funding a $150,000 feasibility study with money from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) reserves. “When the building first opened there were 75 students,” said …
ELLSWORTH — After some hesitation and more than an hour of discussion, city councilors unanimously approved a $22.60-million school budget on Monday evening, roughly $436,000 less than the School Department had initially asked for. “I don’t believe the taxpayers can afford this budget,” said Councilor Gary Fortier. “You’re telling me you need this to run …
