Articles
Monhegan wind project details aired in Friendship
FRIENDSHIP — Loss of fishing grounds, noise and the industry’s reliance on government subsidies were among the objections raised about a planned wind power project off Monhegan Island. The concerns were aired at the first of three community outreach meetings Nov. 12 on the University of Maine’s wind power project, which would site two floating
It takes an island to keep islanders healthy
SWAN’S ISLAND — Spending in this sector represents one-sixth of the domestic economy and a recent Congressional debate over it shuttered the federal government, but for Donna Wiegle, health care means something less political and more practical. For Wiegle, who operates the island’s Mill Pond Health Center, it’s about taking blood, arranging for practitioners from
Island stores — Balancing year-round, summer needs key to prosperity
ROCKLAND — Most of us don’t give much thought to the value of that place around the corner where you can grab a gallon of milk, a six-pack of beer, fill up on gas and order a pizza to go. In island communities, though, the local store—if there is one—plays a much more critical role,
Fishing ports bragging rights, dearth of oysters in Gulf
Farm-raised fish haven’t been able to earn organic status from the U.S. Department of Agriculture yet, and that marketing boost isn’t likely to come anytime soon, Politico.com reports. The National Organic Standards Board received 900-plus letters after seeking public comment on the use of synthetics by aquaculture operations. Of particular concern for many is the
Friendship legislator tracks JFK killers
FRIENDSHIP — Today, he’s a legislator. Back in 1967, he was a 14-year-old kid sitting in his family’s living room, watching a New Orleans district attorney explain on national TV how the Warren Commission got it wrong. President John Kennedy was not killed by a lone gunman, D.A. Jim Garrison asserted then, but rather by
Voters approve MMA borrowing for new science, technology building
CASTINE — State voters approved borrowing $4.5 million for Maine Maritime Academy to help it construct a new building to house specialized laboratories and interactive teaching facilities. The public funds will be joined with $7 million MMA has already raised. The ABS Center for Engineering, Science and Research will be the first new building constructed
Thirty legislators call for Searsport dredge study
BELFAST — The planned dredging of parts of Searsport Harbor is unprecedented in scope with potentially catastrophic results, a group of coastal legislators and activists said in a press conference on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The group is asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a full environmental impact study before permitting the work,
Smarter systems help islands manage electric needs
BELFAST — It’s a high-tech version of juggling. That’s what islands are doing to become increasingly self-sufficient and free of fossil fuels. Alcatraz, the infamous island prison off San Francisco, now a national monument; the Isle of Eigg off the west coast of Scotland; and Roque Island, a private family owned island off Jonesport: each
Cranberry Isles hire first on-island minister since 1951
CRANBERRY ISLES — The phrase Tom Powell uses to describe his new job is “a ministry of presence.” It’s a phrase used in seminary, he said. But it seems especially appropriate for his job as pastor of churches on Great Cranberry Island and Islesford (Little Cranberry). Powell, 32, was hired recently as an on-island minister,
Two couples choose life on Isle au Haut
ISLE AU HAUT — Island communities can be as fragile as their ecosystems. Without critical mass and essential human infrastructure—schools, health care facilities, churches and coffee shops—they risk becoming enclaves for wealthy retirees and those who can afford seasonal homes. With those fears in mind, the non-profit group Isle au Haut Community Development Corporation, or