Articles
Parallel 44: With taxpayer help, science spreads on the Portland waterfront
In Maine’s largest city, the waterfront has seen some hard times. The fish processing plants are gone, the fishing industry is a shadow of its former self, and the Portland Fish Exchange recently leased out part of its refrigerated hall because it just doesn’t need the space. The container port was closed for much of
Parallel 44: Tidal power takes two steps forward
When it comes to renewable energy production in this part of the world, wind has been stealing the show. The governor of Maine and the premiers of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are big boosters and wind farms have been erected from Mars Hill to PEI’s eastern cape using off-the-shelf technology. PEI plans to
Parallel 44: Tidal power takes two steps forward
When it comes to renewable energy production in this part of the world, wind has been stealing the show. The governor of Maine and the premiers of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are big boosters and wind farms have been erected from Mars Hill to PEI’s eastern cape using off-the-shelf technology. PEI plans to
Parallel 44: Inflating repair costs and cruise ship benefits on Portland’s waterfront
If you’ve been following Portland waterfront politics for the past few years, you’re aware of the ongoing controversies surrounding two major pieces of public infrastructure: the old Maine State Pier and the new Ocean Gateway Terminal. Two studies released in July raise serious questions about how city officials went about justifying their development plans for
Parallel 44
If you’ve been following Portland waterfront politics for the past few years, you’re aware of the ongoing controversies surrounding two major pieces of public infrastructure: the old Maine State Pier and the new Ocean Gateway Terminal. Two studies released in July raise serious questions about how city officials went about justifying their development plans for
Parallel 44
Across the water in Nova Scotia, the provincial government has issued treasure-hunting permits to the current owners of the Oak Island Money Pit, site of perhaps the most famous and enduring buried treasure legend. Members of Michigan-based Oak Island Tours have said they will be moving forward with digs in the “very near future.” For
Column: Parallel 44
Those who care about being able to track the relationship between money and politics have something to cheer about. As I reported this winter (“Destroying the Candidate’s Paper Trail,” Working Waterfront, February-March 2009), clerks in Maine’s largest towns and cities have been destroying the campaign finance disclosures of municipal candidates in as little as two
Column Crisis at sea
Updates: Local candidates finance reports, GoMoos still endangered This week I have updates on two stories I’ve been covering that affect life on our coast: stopping the destruction of the means to track the influence of money on elected officials in our bigger towns, and the dismantling of the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System,
Column: Parallel 44
Destroying the candidates’ paper trail Ever wonder if your local elected official is being influenced by contributions from special interests? I do. But then, I live in Portland, where the governor’s brother, Bob Baldacci, and his fellow real estate developers helped defeat the mayor (who was opposed to their $100-plus million project to “rescue” a
Parallel 44
Bleak future for The Cat Last month, The Cat made her last trips from Maine to Nova Scotia before packing it up for the season. There’s plenty of reason to fear the high-speed catamaran won’t be back next year. Our region’s long-haul ferries had a brutal season. Battered by sky-high fuel prices and a downturn in