By Eva Murray

April 1st, 2026

The Registrar of Voters for Matinicus Isle Plantation has notified the State of Maine Bureau of Elections, Office of the Secretary of State, that there are no longer any Republicans or Democrats registered in the small island municipality.

MEMO:

It appears, most unfortunately, that many of our readers think our painstakingly researched Report to Our Community is meant to be “humorous.” Nothing could be further from the truth. We cannot understand how any of our readers could have come to such an outrageous belief. It behooves those readers to take a course in Critical Thinking, so that they may better grasp the profound differences between fact and fiction.

By Sandy Oliver

Drought Continues. Rhubarb showing. Timing seed planting. Pesky blackberries. Daffodils are up. Four and twenty (plus one) Robins.

By Jack Taylor

April 1st, 2026

One of the best parts about my job is that I get to spend extended periods by myself on IIT preserves. Mostly, this time in solitude is very beneficial and reflective; but recently while out in the woods, I have had some…unsettling experiences. Sometimes you find that nature can provide the peace and tranquility that you have been searching for, however periodically I’ve found it to be a bit too quiet. Often, I find that there is no sound at all and an eerie stillness settles. The birds stop chirping, my footsteps have no sound, as if all life has stopped around me. That would be odd enough but this is almost always followed by a deep sense of something watching. This was especially true deep in the winter as I was burning brush piles for hours at a time. I never did see anything, but I swear…

By Dylan Purington

I had considered writing about the importance of Town grange halls and their integral and historic role in strong local politics in rural Maine, especially with some of the concerning posts emanating online from some of the well-meaning well-to-do trying to “help” the people that live on the island.

By Catherine Demchur-Merry

Technology purposely uses recognizable words to help users learn new concepts. Some familiar uses are “desktop,” “folder,” “trash,” and “windows.” Foreign to some people in older generations, younger generations have grown up with technology and quickly understand the new meanings.

By Amy Mulnix

Whether AI needs Islesboro is a complex question; today, my answer is yes. Here’s the TL;DR reasoning: as AI moves beyond simple automation towards complex reasoning, it increasingly requires what Islesboro has in abundance: lived experience, wisdom, and care for community.