To the editor: I write to you with regard to the article titled “Swan’s Island Electric Co-Op Considers Wind Power” (WWF Aug. 06). I own a year-round cottage on a small lake in Genessee County, New York State. This cottage is in the township of Stafford, NY. Stafford is a very small town — not
Letter from Chebeague
Four months from now, Chebeague will hold its first town meeting. People have asked if we will be ready. Of course. What choice do we have? We have already chosen a logo for the town seal; the Celebration Committee is hard at work planning a week’s worth of events that will include plays, dances, lectures,
New offers worry FPI workers
More offers have been tendered for Newfoundland’s largest seafood company, Fishery Products International Ltd., causing union workers to fear a company breakup. John Risley, a director on the FPI board, declined to name the companies tendering the new offers, but High Liner Foods Inc., the Barry Group, Ocean Choice International and a group from the
Credit Where It’s Due
To the editor: I enjoyed “Resource at Risk: Can Downeast Maine save its dark skies?” (WWF Feb. 06) by Craig Idlebrook. It was produced through the efforts of my colleagues at The Island Astronomy Institute. Peter Lord provided Craig Idlebrook with the photos for the article. Your photo gives credit to Craig and not the
Islanders rally against school consolidation; Coalition proposes alternatives
When Maine Gov. John Baldacci proposed reducing the number of school districts in Maine from 290 to 26, his proposal was greeted with a firestorm of protest from parents, teachers, superintendents and concerned citizens across the state. Nowhere was that opposition more vocal than in Maine’s year-round island communities, which support 14 multi-grade schools whose
Britain presses for seal hunting ban; Newfoundland objects
The premier of Newfoundland and Labrador thought he had warded off a possible ban on the import and sale of seal products by the European Union when he met with a group of foreign journalists to dispel myths about the cruelty of the province’s seal hunt, but a letter delivered to the British Parliament indicates
Setbacks
Developers of new energy projects in the region have had a bad month. First it was the Redington Mountain wind project in western Maine, which got the thumbs-down treatment from the state Land Use Regulation Commission. Opponents convinced all but one of the commissioners that a pristine ridge shouldn’t be defaced with a string of
Spruce Head lobster facilities lacked plans, paid fines
Recently the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that four Spruce Head lobster facilities have agreed to pay $3,000 each for having inadequate oil spill prevention plans. Under expedited settlements, Maine Coast Seafood, McLoon’s Wharf LLC, Spruce Head Fisherman’s Co-op and the William Atwood Lobster Company agreed to create approved Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure
Tied in Knots Regulations can make it harder to free a whale
Out on your boat, you see a North American right whale entangled in fishing gear. You race into action, throwing on your survival suit and diving overboard with a knife in your teeth. The whale senses you’re there to help and waits patiently while you cut away the ropes. Just as you climb back aboard,
Dispute lingers over state’s 2005 red tide fund
When money from Maine’s 2005 Red Tide Disaster Relief Fund was disbursed by mail recently, some shellfish harvesters say they got a surprise in their envelope instead of a relief check. A number of harvesters were reportedly under the impression that because they were issued an application, they were eligible to apply for compensation. Instead,