Vehicle: 1968 GMC Fire Truck Island: Hurricane Island Owner: James P Gaston “In 1999 my father purchased the first, and probably the last, Hurricane Island fire truck,” writes James R. Gaston, whose father owns the island. “He had the intention of actually using it in the event of a fire on the
From the Deck: Hand-lining from a sloop
In the good old days before inshore fishing was strictly regulated, our family used to go fishing in our sloop, Dorothy. We were summer people, cottagers, not tourists. We were my wife, Mary and our three boys: twins Bob and Bill, 14, and John, 12. We sailed out of Newagen on the tip of Southport
The risks of holding lobsters
This year Canadian lobstermen are holding more lobster than ever before. Dealer Bruce Saunders, of Lunenburg Fish, in Lunenburg, N.S., said of the fishermen he deals with, about 30 percent more than usual are holding rather than selling their catch this year. Canadian dealers estimate that between 5 and 8 million pounds of lobster
Planning underway for offshore wind test site
On a recent morning on Monhegan, a team of researchers from New Jersey Audubon showed up to scout potential locations for a study of the island’s bird population. They are the first of many research teams set to begin arriving this month as plans for the offshore wind-testing site get underway. The project is in
Objects in Mirror: Chance, luck and hard work
April is career and/or college month for many, many young people and their families across the length and breadth of this coast, as a new batch of graduates hits the job market. Because I was just asked to submit a “personal statement” for my 40th class reunion report-suggesting respondents summarize reflections and achievements and any
Long View: Presuming to speak for islanders
When Peter Ralston and I-a pair of outsiders (flatlanders, if you like)-started the Island Institute more than 25 years ago, we knew one important thing about island life. The fox is clever and knows many things; but the hedgehog knows one big thing. The one thing we knew is that we would never presume to
Distance learning brings economic promise to Washington County
Coverage of Washington County is made possible by a grant from the Eaton Foundation. Sonja Mingo has lived in Washington County her whole life, but for years she thought the only way she could get a master’s degree was to leave. “I was working full time and had two kids,” she said. She had thought
Commitment to improve school cannot be judged by SAT scores
Deer Isle-Stonington High School has recently been identified by the Maine Department of Education as a “persistently low-achieving” school as part of the state education department’s application for federal Race to the Top funds. The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) identified its list of ten persistently low-achieving schools using data from the last three years
Venturing: Wood that has history
Up the street in my town a group of guys is merrily taking apart an old building. The windows and the siding are already gone; the sheathing boards and the frame are on their way. Everything is being carefully sorted-wide boards of any value in a neat pile, other boards and lots of two-by-fours in
Vinalhaven and Spruce Head lobstermen benefit from working waterfront program
All Maine lobstermen are facing big challenges: new rope requirements intended to reduce risk to North Atlantic Right Whales put a financial strain on lobstermen at the same time that lobster prices plummeted; herring quota cuts threaten to cause bait shortages and cost increases; and development and rising land values are squeezing out traditional working