Is Maine a hotbed of UFO activity?
On a mid-December evening, I’m driving on Route 7 in Brooks, headed for Belfast. Up and down those Waldo County hills. Black sky. Suddenly a knot of white light pops into view over the trees to my left. Distant but bright, I register at the speed of thought. A fireball! But there’s no trail. It
That elusive quality of ‘Maineliness’
Historically, it’s been vitally important to a native Mainer to be able to make a clear distinction between himself and others, particularly those others who live here in Maine but haven’t always and, when push comes to shove—as it often does—to acknowledge the more subtle distinctions that mark the difference between that native and those
Eating ‘out’ on an island is an illusion
There’s no such thing as an intimate dinner out for two on an unbridged Maine island. Here in Penobscot Bay, on Islesboro, there might be someone we don’t know sitting nearby at the Community Center Café, or enjoying a Wednesday night dinner there, or up at the new barbecue place, Seasmoke, but generally anonymity is
Time to ask, ‘How was your summer?’
When September begins I am filled with converse emotions. I am relieved to have a break from being so very busy and I revel in the time alone, while at the same time I bump around my little island life feeling such poignance and thinking, “Now what do I do?” Every year, just before Labor
DOT reverses course on North Haven bridge
NORTH HAVEN — The Pulpit Harbor bridge—or First Bridge, as it’s known to island residents—spans a narrow channel between the harbor and the Mill Stream, a tidal inlet that ultimately feeds the island’s oyster pond. In summer, kids line up to jump off at high tide. The bridge is frequently walked and biked by day-trippers
Seafood processing, and the past and future workforce
I’ve noticed that in Maine we tend to look backward in order to identify our future economy. We work hard to create new ways to finance the future of the fishing industry—more processing, value-added products, more efficient boats, all atop constantly evolving conservation-oriented management practices. At some level, it just makes sense. We love our
North Haven production of ‘House of Broken Ships’ explores island’s dark side
NORTH HAVEN — This summer, the island hosted an original dramatic production written by native Tom Emerson. “The House of Broken Ships,” a Gothic play about the elderly and seldom-seen matriarch of a grandiose house, is drenched in island culture. Set in the 1920s, the play touches on issues like suicide, mental illness, and small
Aging in place on islands: a worthy, but expensive goal
Maine’s population is the nation’s oldest. The median age of its island communities is even higher. Geographically isolated, with the delivery of basic services complicated by limited transportation and increased costs, Maine’s islands are struggling with how to care for their small, aging populations. The best solution is one that enables seniors to remain in
One-time gubernatorial candidate says targeted ‘story telling’ will work
PORTLAND — If Matt Jacobson’s strategies work, Maine lobsters are going to start showing up on plates in cities like Pittsburgh and Charleston, S.C. And when they do, diners may be handed a small card featuring the name and photo of the Maine fisherman who caught that lobster. The newly formed Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative,