June 15. Foggy weather and 50 degrees at noon. Mildew and mosquitoes are the most common annoyances and lawns are very green. Even with the continued dreary weather, island fishermen are going out steadily with one guaranteed day off each week. The state law that prohibits lobstermen from hauling traps on Sunday is in effect until September. Dan and Cynthia Lief opened the Islesford Dock Restaurant for their 12th season on June 20, Father’s Day. The day was clear and quite breezy with northwest winds of 20 mph and higher gusts. We are fortunate that the restaurant not only serves great food but also provides summer employment for about 23 people.
Lindsay Eysnogle, next year’s teacher for the Islesford School, spent June 21 on the island to work on curriculum with outgoing teachers Rebecca Beal and Jenny Johnson. Originally from Wisconsin, Lindsay taught third grade in Ellsworth last year. She’ll be moving into the apartment above the school on Aug. 19.
A service to celebrate the life of Captain Ted Spurling was held at the Islesford Congregational Church on Sunday, June 27. The altar was decorated with island lupines and one of Ted’s original wire traps and a wooden buoy were placed nearby. It was evident that Ted’s gifts as a journalist, historian and storyteller had been passed on to his son and daughter. Ted Spurling, Jr., and Serena Brumaghim gave wonderful words of remembrance of their father, as did his friends Dale Hadlock and David Mills. Ted’s granddaughters Heather and Marya gave readings and Christy and her mom, Jeri Spurling, played a piece for flute and piano. Over 150 people met at the Neighborhood House after the service, for refreshments and to continue recounting their fond memories of Ted.
The full moon on July 2, known as the “buck moon,” was hidden by clouds and fog. July has a second full moon on the 31st, giving us the only blue moon of 2004. On July 3, Gary Allen, his brother Larry, and their friend Emily Newell organized the revival the Great Cranberry Island 5K, a legendary race that was last held in 1984. For some runners the event was a reunion, but for most it was their first Cranberry race. In its heyday the Great Cranberry 5K had to limit the number of entrants to 500. This year, 83 runners ran and completed the course, including three between the ages of 79 and 87. Congratulations to Islesford runners Kelly Field, Heather Spurling and Jenny Johnson, who finished first, second, and third, respectively, in the women’s division. Other runners from the Cranberry Isles included Mike Westphal, Rolf Westphal, Jamie Wilson, Ned Swain, Dick Sullivan, Jim Gertmenian, Owen Roberts, Patrick Allen, Philippe Donald, Phil Whitney, Dave Weibel, Peter, Elaine, and Matt Buchsbaum, Hal Newell, Philip Newell, Josh Gray, Judah Rome, Amy Russell, Martha Bunker, Martha Gray, Joey and Marie Wedge, Tony Bergquist, Eve Harrison, Daniel Field, Robert Keohane, Frank Newlin, and Jenny Nelson.
Over 300 people attended the July 4 picnic in the town field on Islesford. This traditional meal of lobsters, chicken or hot dogs was started by Jane O’Donnell and Maggie Ritteman in 1976 as a fundraiser for the Islesford Neighborhood House. It is still a great opportunity to catch up with friends who have returned after a long winter away from the island. On Great Cranberry, Ruth Westphal hosted her largest picnic to date with help from her sons Michael and Rolf and their families.
Summer is in full swing on all five of the Cranberry Isles. The few houses on Bear Island and Baker have been occupied and the town “post office,” a galvanized trash can on the town dock at Sutton Island, indicates that Sutton’s summer community is back for another season. Summer houses are full and our town’s population has quadrupled in size. The passenger ferries are packed on every run as residents, summer residents and daytime visitors go back and forth from island to mainland. Rentals are available on both Islesford and Cranberry for longer visits and there are currently two bed-and-breakfasts on Islesford. From 1890 until it was torn down in 1920, the Hotel Islesford was a good option for an overnight visit or a longer stay. Another hotel, the Woodlawn House, was open for guests from 1911 until 1965. Some of Islesford’s summer “cottages” were built in the early 1900s after folks who rowed to Islesford for picnics sought to buy land of their own. Two sets of my great grandparents built houses on the north shore and one remains in our family today, enjoyed and shared by five cousins and their families. When I was a girl, Elmer Spurling would pick us up in Southwest Harbor in the HOBO for our annual summer visit to Islesford. Warren Fernald recalls that when he was a boy, Elmer’s father, Captain Bert Spurling, made the mail run between Seal Harbor and Islesford in the RESTLESS. My father also spoke of his rides on Captain Bert’s boat after having made the trip by train and steamship from Rochester.
I’ve reached the point where I’ve spent more of my life on Islesford as a year-round resident than I did as a summer person. With the responsibilities of daily life it has become easy to lose the magic feeling I had as a child when I first stepped onto the island. Unlike many of my friends in July and August, I am no longer on vacation when I am here. In my hurry to get down the road I am easily frustrated trying to pass the people who are enjoying what I take for granted. Visitors walk more slowly, they have so much more to see and it takes them a little too long to get out of my way. However, with a slight adjustment of my summer attitude, I remember that I am one of the lucky ones who will still be here when September arrives. I am living the dream of many who only get to visit the islands for a day, a week or even a month. My summer life as a year-round resident resembles how I feel about getting older. It’s not always easy, it’s not quite what it used to be, but it is always a privilege.
– Barbara Fernald, Islesford,
July 10, 2004