DEER ISLE — Recently, a group of Deer Isle-Stonington High School students were at the Maine Maritime Academy pool, performing ocean survival maneuvers. “Take a breath of air, calm yourself down. The water’s cold,” instructed survival trainer John McMillan, demonstrating emergency techniques to support unconscious crewmates and deploy life rafts. The atmosphere was serious, emblematic
Former ‘This Old House’ host has advice for next generation of homeowners
“This Old House” is the mother of all home improvement TV shows. Though in recent years entire networks such as HGTV and DIY are devoted to home design, decorating, renovation, construction and real estate, “This Old House,” debuting on Boston’s public TV station in 1979, was the first. In 1989, original host Bob Vila was
COA gets grant to restore Mount Desert Rock
BAR HARBOR — There’s a lot of good conversation that can happen when you’re on a boat in the Antarctic. Sean Todd, chairman of the marine studies program at the College of the Atlantic, was in the Antarctic serving as a tour guide and scientist for a boat tour that doubled as a research expedition
The mystery of coastal property no one wants
STONINGTON — The economy has been slowly picking up steam, say economists, and even the housing market is showing some modest signs of recovery, according to Maine State Economist Amanda Rector, with both values and sales activity growing. If both are true, then why is Stonington is wrestling with a growing number of property owners
Dock purchase for cruise ships could boost regional economy
BAR HARBOR — Acquiring the old Nova Scotia ferry terminal and converting it to cruise ship use is seen as a potential boon for local, state and even international economies. A coalition that includes the Maine Port Authority, town of Bar Harbor and the local Chamber of Commerce have backed a bill presented to the
Powerless–a kind of March madness
Our stormy winter blended into a wet windy spring in the Cranberry Isles. Like most places, we experienced a few power outages, but throughout the winter they were the result of electricity being cut off on the mainland rather than any island specific damages. When the lights go out on the islands, one of the
Evaporated and condensed is underappreciated
Growing up in the early 1950s, visiting at my gram’s house, I was accustomed to seeing a can of evaporated milk on the table that the grownups put into their coffee. Those days, my gram, Mom and Dad, and lots of my other relatives always used instant coffee. My gram let me have a taste
Stonington woman wants to help ‘Chix Who Fish’
STONINGTON — It was one of those cold, miserable days out on the water shortly before Christmas, and Genevieve Kurilec McDonald was fed up with her fishing rain gear. Because she has never been able to find a coat with the right length of sleeve in nine years of lobstering, McDonald was wearing one with
Maine flavor–local food, wild drinks
Fresh from Maine: Recipes and Stories from the State’s Best Chefs. Text by Michael S. Sanders and photographs by Russell French. Published by Table Arts Media, 2012. Author Michael Sanders attempts the nearly impossible, capturing 24 au courant Maine restaurants in a kind of freeze frame, knowing that “change comes to the business of cooking
Working the land keeps Dan Tutor grounded on Islesboro
ISLESBORO — Busy summers with lots of hard work, quiet winters that offer time for recreation and reflection—it’s the rhythm of island life and it suits Dan Tutor just fine. Tutor, 29, is a sixth-generation Islesboro resident on his mother’s side. He isn’t stuck on the island by chance or circumstance, he explains over a