BOOK REVIEW With an expertise as naturalist and artist, Josie Iselin’s books have offered a new eye on the wonders of ocean environments. Beach, Seashells, and Heart Stones each featured close-ups of found treasures in nature, accompanied in varying degrees with explanatory text or more lyrical musings. By photographing objects with a large flatbed scanner,
Vacationland: a tense summer on Penobscot Bay
BOOK REVIEW The native vs. newcomer conflict that was the common dynamic in our public debates for years in the Midcoast seems to be history these days. The détente may be the result of non-natives now being the majority of residents, at least in the towns that touch salt water. And that may mean the
Rockland ’boutique’ hotel will fill need, developer says
ROCKLAND — For Cabot Lyman, it was a simple calculation. The city’s summer festivals, which bring lobster, boating and blues enthusiasts, collectively draw about 100,000. Yet the number of hotel beds in town is about 400. So after buying a small building just off Route 1 in late 2010, Lyman decided to develop a hotel
Promising signs of rebound for the mighty halibut
There has been a lot of excitement this spring around the biggest flat fish in the Gulf of Maine. Atlantic halibut—Hippoglossus hippoglossus—is a large, right-eyed flounder found between New York and Labrador. The largest halibut ever recorded was 620 pounds off of Cape Ann, and a 250-pound fish was landed in Bass Harbor last year.
Dockside oceanography: taking the pulse of the ocean
The sea is a weird potion of invisible magic. I’m a scientist, and a very geeky one at that, and I’m always amazed at what can be learned with simple tools, such as a bucket, seawater, and paying attention. A friend of mine once leaned over a dock and pulled up a bucket of seawater
A modest proposal to help Stonington homeowners
I would like to propose a possible answer to “The mystery of coastal property no one wants—Stonington deals with properties seized for nonpayment of taxes [The Working Waterfront, May 2014]” by Craig Idlebrook. I love Stonington. If I could, I would move there—I love everything about it (except maybe the long, harsh winters, but even
‘Tall Barney,’ a Beals Island legend, lives on
BEALS ISLAND — A bright yellow lobsterboat motors under the bridge that links Beals Island to mainland Jonesport. On a sunny spring day, primary hues are everywhere—a tangerine hull on blocks near a lemon-colored house; multi-striped lobster buoys in rounded heaps resembling flowering bushes. Once a year in July, the bridge is jammed with hundreds
Maine’s tourism economy: the numbers don’t lie
Dugal is president and CEO of the Maine Restaurant Association and the Maine Innkeepers Association. Tourism is undeniably one of the state’s largest industries. It’s $7.7 billion—yes, that’s billion, with a “b”— in direct and indirect economic impact, which puts it up there with health care and pulp, paper and wood products. Tourism is an
Monhegan: ‘The Unfailing Muse,’ opens at Archipelago Fine Arts Gallery
ROCKLAND — Monhegan: The Unfailing Muse, an exhibit of work by more than two dozen Maine artists, is coming to Archipelago Fine Arts Gallery, 386 Main Street, beginning with a reception for the general public on Friday, June 27, from 5 to 8 p.m. Guests at the opening reception will enjoy refreshments, including beer being provided
Balancing act: year-round businesses and summer work
The early morning ferries for the near-shore islands are packed. Dozens of commuters carrying lunch buckets are heading out to the islands to work. While walking down the ramp onto the ferry you might hear a common refrain from visitors: “Why don’t island businesses hire on the island?” Within the answer lies a longstanding dilemma