It should have been the Maine Democratic Party’s finest hour. The Feb. 10 presidential caucus drew a massive turnout. Thousands of party newcomers — young people, independents and dissatisfied Republicans — swamped caucus sites, eager to play a part in the selection of the next leader of the free world, and the ejection of the
Landing School, others team up in Thomaston to teach marine trades
The Landing School in Arundel recently won a marine industry award for its “outstanding contribution to the boatyard and repair industry.” In late January the American Boat Builders and Repairers Association (ABBRA) presented the 2007 Dennis Snow Award to The Landing School for both the education and training provided at the school’s Arundel campus and
Coastal pollution costs $29 million in lost revenue
Once upon a time most of our seafood came from our own watery backyard. But as our population has grown, especially along the coast, more and more local clam, mussel and oyster beds have become off-limits because of pollution. Today, 181,780 acres of Maine’s nearshore shellfish habitat are classified as having impaired water quality. This
“Small, Light and Maneuverable”A Maine-based ROV comes into its own
When Brian Ackerman was working as a chef after graduating from Loyola-Marymount College with a degree in psychology, he lived on a boat moored at Moss Landing, California. Every morning, as he watched the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) Vessel Point Lobos steam out of the harbor, he says he was thinking “I have
Oysters and X-Fish
Two stories this month describe the unique ability of wild creatures to teach kids about their world. At Herring Gut in Port Clyde, oysters teach middle-schoolers elements of math and science, not to mention how the value of a natural resource can be enhanced through cultivation, careful husbandry and hard work. In Portland, fish are
Water quality, conflicts prompt Nantucket harbor planning
There are sweet, succulent bay scallops here like you’ve never tasted — and premium water quality is the reason why. As essentials of life on Nantucket, both were the primary motivators for around 30 islanders to brainstorm and write the island’s first-ever harbor management plan in 1993 and a major revision of it in 2007.
My math teacher’s a mollusk: turning oysters into opportunities
Oysters have their strong points. They’re quiet, independent, and they rarely ever complain. They don’t mind getting dirty, and, perhaps most importantly, they’re tasty with a squirt of lemon juice or Tabasco. Of all the things that oysters are, however, they are rarely thought of as good teachers. Until now. For more than seven years,
“You can make anything”An artist explores the dilemma the world is facing
After 30 years as a clinical psychologist in Vermont, Sally Loughridge decided to refocus. In 1999, Loughridge and her husband moved to South Bristol, Maine, where she went to work, full-time, detailing and examining marine and coastal landscapes uninfluenced by humans. She insists this current phase of her life is not a “rejection” or a
Solving the Mystery of the X-Fish
At the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), teams of 5th grade students from Willard School in Sanford are working out solutions to questions about the X-Fish, a mystery fish they will identify by the end of their hour-and-a-half stay at the Institute, located on Commercial Street in Portland. This program, LabVenture!, is supported by
Boatstruck
Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, August 2002 This is how a day unfolded — my expedition to wooden boat Mecca. The inn I stayed at looked toward the harbor. There, in my view, sat the Gannon and Benjamin boatbuilding shed — luring me ever since I got off the ferry. Got my takeout tea and scone