Articles
Coastal hospital c-section rates climb
According to recent medical data, a higher percentage of Maine women are giving birth by cesarean section than ever before. While some medical officials say the rising c-section rate is nothing to worry about, others call it an alarming trend that may cause unnecessary deaths. And an examination of state data on coastal hospitals reveals
Schoodic “eco resort” stirs controversy
plan to develop a resort community on the Schoodic Peninsula has met with skepticism among conservation groups and guarded enthusiasm among some Winter Harbor officials. The proposal by the Winter Harbor Holding Company calls for the creation of a resort community on some 3,300 acres in Winter Harbor and Gouldsboro, including an undeveloped island and
Coastal communities get creative to get wireless
A war of words broke out this spring between two business partners, the Internet provider RedZone Wireless and the town of Mount Desert. Last year, the town signed an agreement to pay $75,000 to RedZone Wireless in exchange for increased wireless coverage and a small percentage of the subsequent profits from new subscribers. But Mount
Bar Harbor votes to cap number of cruise ship visitors
The Bar Harbor Town Council voted unanimously to cap the number of cruise ship passengers allowed ashore in the town per day. Whereas previous regulations only limited the number of cruise ships in the harbor, the new regulations say between 3,500 and 3,700 people can disembark each day in the summer months and 5,500 people
Things Look Different There
Our toddler finally made us go west. Record snowfall and a two-year old who didn’t like to wear clothes gave us cabin fever this past winter, so we accepted an invitation from my sister-in-law in Portland, Oregon for a month-long visit. I irrationally resisted visiting for years. I blamed my reluctance on a leftover prejudice
Rising Green
While Hannaford Brothers has been the subject of bad-news stories concerning compromised credit and debit card numbers, the supermarket chain has also been showing up frequently in good-news EPA press releases. Amidst the usual EPA blotter of oil spills and hazardous waste fines, the Massachusetts-based grocery chain quietly has been making headlines for being an
Veterinary Shortage On the Maine coast, large-animal doctors are few and far between
It’s tough starting a dairy farm in Washington County; it’s tougher without regular veterinary care. Carly Delsignore and her husband, Aaron Bell, have 100 cows at their four-year old organic Tide Mill farm near Route One in Edmunds. Starting a herd hasn’t always been easy. “We’ve lost probably about eight cows,” Delsignore said. Some of
Missing Skills, Rising Costs Maine’s hunger rate is lower than other states, but still troubling
A recent New York Times article on Downeast poverty quoted a Milbridge woman who described her economic dire straits this way: “I cook a lot of pea soup and baked beans and buy flour to make biscuits.” So does Islesboro writer and food historian Sandy Oliver, but she doesn’t consider it a deprivation. She may
Reporters from Away The lens is different; results may vary
A year and a half ago, the New York Times wrote an article praising the architecture and design of a home on Vinalhaven. It seemed the kind of press islanders would enjoy, except for one problem: The home was built in complete violation of Vinalhaven’s building code, according to Phil Crossman, lifelong Vinalhaven resident. Such
Visa debate creates labor shortage in seafood, tourist industries
Geddy’s Pub in Bar Harbor has an international flair in summer, but not because of the menu. Eastern European workers make up 40 to 50 percent of the summer workforce, said manager Sam Richardson. “We have a very international staff,” Richardson said. His workers come through a visa program known as H-2B, which provides temporary