Articles
Winter’s work: a tour of four island studios
At this time last year, Henry Isaacs had no idea he would spend the winter living on Little Cranberry Island. Thanks to his wife, Donna, who accepted a teaching position at the Islesford Elementary School last August, Henry is doing something he always wanted to do. Henry’s studio, originally built for summer use, is just
Cranberry Isles Town Meeting votes no on property revaluation
It took eight hours for townspeople of the Cranberry Isles to work their way through 38 agenda items on the warrant at their annual Town Meeting on Monday, March 9. All chairs were filled and some voters stood during the packed morning session held at the Fire House on Great Cranberry Island. The meeting started
Cranberry Report
On cold winter days, people from the Cranberry Isles will still make the three-mile trip to Northeast Harbor so they can go to work, do some grocery shopping, see the doctor, take a class, meet a friend for lunch, go to the dentist, etc. On any day off-island, at this time of year, I will
Cranberry Report
The beauty of November After the pretty days of September and October, November has a different kind of beauty. The angle of the sun is noticeably lower, infusing afternoon light with the glow of brushed pewter. It is the kind of sky that gives bare trees a crisp outline and predicts approaching snow and colder
Cranberry Report
When David Thomas came to Little Cranberry Island to teach in the Islesford School in August 1973, he rented a room from Cathy and Lucien Poulin before he rented Peter Bently’s house. He then lived in the Gifford house, moving to David and Audrey Mill’s little cottage on the ledges for the summer. After his
Cranberry Report
September is a watchful time of year for people in the Cranberry Isles. Fishermen closely monitor the path of hurricanes, ready to shift lobster traps and boats should heavy weather be coming this way. Caretakers are keeping their eyes on a few sailboats and small power boats, left in the water by summer visitors who
Cranberry Report
In the Cranberry Isles, August and September are great months for harvesting things that grow in the wild. Mushrooms and berries reach maturity and people are eager to pick. Chanterelle mushrooms, with their slightly smoky apricot flavor, grow in a number of places on the islands. Not everyone is adventurous enough to gather wild mushrooms,
Cranberry Report
The months of July and August are packed with opportunities for social and educational events on both Little and Great Cranberry Island. There are posters on the mail boat, posters at the town docks, and posters at the post offices advertising a feast of activities from which to choose. On Great Cranberry Island, the Cranberry
Cranberry Report
On June 11, the Islesford community met at the Neighborhood House for a pot luck dinner and a celebration of Ben Stevens’ graduation from the Islesford School. Ben’s mom, Sally Rowan, had gathered slides of Ben to show after the supper. Ben’s dad, Skip Stevens, gathered his wife and musical friends, Bill McGuinness, Hugh Smallwood,
Ready or Not
We wait a long time for spring to come to the Cranberry Isles. This year it finally arrived in May bringing warblers, green grass and the blossom of fall-planted bulbs. By the middle of the month there was so much to do that the long wait for spring was forgotten in the rush to get