Used golf carts are one of the handiest modes of seasonal land transportation in the Cranberry Isles. They are a lot of fun to drive, have a top speed of about 12 mph, use very little gas, and I have wanted one for a very long time. I wrote about how close I thought I
Eastport to ship Maine wood chips to Ireland
EASTPORT — The state’s easternmost deep-water port is gearing up to help the British Isles burn Maine wood. The first shipment of 16,000 tons of wood chips destined for Killybegs, Ireland, is expected to be loaded by early August. E. J. Carrier Inc. of Jackman, a logging company, will coordinate bringing the chips to the
Bar Harbor weighs first deer hunt in decades
BAR HARBOR — A substantial increase in the incidence of Lyme disease, deer/car collisions and property damage is pushing residents here to consider deer hunting for the first time since the 1930s. A task force, convened February 2013 to study the matter, said Lyme disease increased four-fold since 2006. Deer/car accidents are up roughly 2.5
Brunswick Landing poised to take off
BRUNSWICK — The gatehouse is still in place, but these days, no one in uniform stops you from driving down the broad, tree-lined road that leads to the 3,200-acre campus. But it’s not “the former Brunswick Naval Air Station,” Ben Sturtevant stresses. In fact, if you call it that around the offices of the Midcoast
Living the hosteling life
Editor’s note: This series of blogs was written last year by Anneli Carter-Sundqvist about her and her husband Dennis’ adventures homesteading and running a hostel on Deer Isle. The entire year of blog posts are contained in the book A Homesteader’s Year on Deer Isle (see www.deerislehostel.com). I haven’t always been a homesteader on Deer Isle. Once
Cundy’s Harbor seafood restaurant sale led to saved working waterfront
CUNDY’S HARBOR — It had long been expected. But when the “For Sale” sign went up on Holbrook’s Lobster & Seafood Grill in 2005, it was a gut-wrench for both life-long residents and newly settled retirees to Cundy’s Harbor. All they could foresee were condos replacing the worn buildings that had been the center of
Island college grads plan futures around uncertain job market
Editor’s note: The Working Waterfront’s Rachel Thomas, herself a recent college grad, checks in with five islanders who recently graduated college to see how their job search is progressing. In the September issue, Thomas will report on the same group. For recent college graduates, the job market looks uncertain. A recent Accenture study of college
Salt seeks to capture the flavor and community of the Fox Islands
VINALHAVEN — In some ways, it was easier in Paris and New York. Running a restaurant on an island 12 miles out to sea, says John Feingold, executive chef and owner of the newly opened Salt, brings logistical and transportation challenges he never encountered while cooking at world-class restaurants in those cosmopolitan cities. Still, he
The ‘dream’ partnership created ambitious goal
This month the College of the Atlantic and Island Institute are launching the Fund for Maine’s Islands, a joint effort that will focus our collective efforts on working with island leaders to address the greatest threats to island community sustainability. This partnership demonstrates a growing trend for non-profits and philanthropists alike. Did you know that
The view from fifth grade to the future
At the fifth grade celebration ceremony on the last day of school at Peaks Island Elementary School, the students were asked: “Picture yourself at 25; what will you be doing?” The students responded with some big dream ideas: soccer player, professional singer, president, NBA star and video game designer. In that moment, I paused and