As the eastern waterfront braces for Portland’s brave new world of development, Maine State Pier finds itself at the center of some controversy. Construction on Ocean Gateway, the city’s new cruise ship terminal, is underway, but so is discussion on the Portland City Council’s proposed zoning changes on this Portland-owned pier. More than 600 of
Fishy Family The Wilsons bridge the divide between science and society
In the Wilson clan, fish is a family value. Father, son and daughter all work on fisheries issues in Maine, both biological, economic and social. “We’re like people who grow up in Maine fishing families,” said Carl Wilson, 32, Maine’s lead lobster scientist with the Department of Marine Resources in Boothbay. “We grew up in
All Aboard! Deer Isle offers a variety of lobster boat tours
Visitors to Deer Isle can choose among three people who offer lobsterboat tours of the area. All will take you where you want to go in Penobscot Bay and its islands. All can tell you about the flora and fauna, the history of the region, and the vessels on the water, particularly the passenger schooners.
Frenchboro Lobster Dinner Draws Crowd
The Annual Frenchboro Lobster Festival was held on Aug. 12 and drew a large crowd. On the only day of the year that the ferry makes a return trip to Frenchboro, visitors were treated to a unique day of food and entertainment. The Frenchboro Church put on the event, and served over 400 dinners. The
Efforts are underway to save Saint John-Digby ferry
Bay Ferries Ltd. of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, has announced plans to end ferry service between Saint John, New Brunswick, and Digby, Nova Scotia, on Oct. 31. The year-round service employs 100 workers and has provided transportation for Nova Scotia businesses for more than 50 years, chief among them the fish packing industry. It also
Chebeague kids celebrate Independence Day with old-time fun
Chebeague Island kids celebrated the Fourth of July this year with a return to old-time, homegrown fun. There was a lot to celebrate. For one thing, parents now know that the island school will stay open — Chebeague has won its own independence and will soon become Maine’s youngest town. The under-ten crowd took wooden
David Merriman Stainton, 1932 – 2006
David M. Stainton of Cranberry Isles, community leader and the owner of Cranberry Island Boatyard, whose design for his Western Way 19 delighted many, died July 31. He was 72. He served as a selectman for the Town of Cranberry Isles and as president of The Futures Group, an organization he helped found almost a
Swan’s groups collaborate to entertain, raise money
Three Swan’s Island organizations joined forces Aug. 12 to raise money and create entertainment. The Swan’s Island Educational Society (library), the Lighthouse Committee and the Hockamock Players provided islanders with dinner and a play. The First Annual Chowder Cook-off was held early in the evening as a joint fundraiser for the library and lighthouse. Fourteen
Author-artist visits Swan’s Island Library
Chris Van Dusen, author and illustrator of If I Built a Car, visited the Swan’s Island Library as part of the Book and Author Program on Aug.15. Van Dusen presented his stories and his illustrations to an audience of over 20 children and their parents. Van Dusen showed the audience how books are made, and
“Big Claws” raises money for Islesboro Preschool
On July 30 the Islesboro Preschool hosted a very successful lobster dinner and claw auction. The two-foot-long fiberglass lobster claws, decorated by local artists, were on display throughout town during the month of July. There were one hundred tickets sold for the dinner, which included mussels, corn-on-the-cob and the featured crustacean donated by fisherman JT