“Islander,” a feature film starring Mainer Tom Hildreth and filmed last summer on Vinalhaven, will have its Maine Coast premiere at Rockland’s Strand Theatre July 15. Not surprisingly, the film and Hildreth’s role in it focus strongly on the lobster fishery and the communities that rely on it; Eben, the island fisherman Hildreth portrays, gets
FLYING HIGH Penobscot Island Air thrives in a difficult environment
As time flies, so grows the story of Penobscot Island Air. Only two years ago last dead of winter, the tale of this feisty new airline began with more chutzpah than capital, more spirit than spreadsheet. Kevin Waters, the former manager of Maine Atlantic Aviation, put up his home and 401K plan as collateral, qualifying
Dogfish Fishermen, scientists see different problems
If you talk to New England commercial fishermen long enough, sooner or later, you¹ll hear their opinion on dogfish. Rarely is it flattering. Distributed from Labrador to Florida, dogfish, known by the scientific name Squalus acantias, migrate northward to the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank in summer. When this happens, they come in droves
Coastal development add a twist of “green”
Picture a summer cottage on a Muscongus Bay island with traditional shingled walls and six-over-six windows. Or picture a woodsy, compact and energy-efficient home near other houses, within walking distance of Tenants Harbor village, where there is post office, store, restaurant, plus a town pier and float for boat access to Penobscot Bay. Nostalgia for
Listening for Change
I am standing on the shores of Timber Lake, a frigid tarn in Alaska’s Brooks Range. I and my team are camped here for two weeks to record the soundscape of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Two other crews are stationed at sites further north in the Refuge. Our goal is to capture the creature
From the Deck: Look, Daddy, A Pirate Ship!
The replica of HMS Bounty lies on the railway at Boothbay Harbor. To any child and to many who should know better, any square rigged ship is a “pirate ship” with its romantic associations of the tropical seas, secret hideaways, and swaggering rascals, patch on eye, wooden leg, cutlass and rum bottle in hand. Actually,
Swan’s Island votes to buy a new fire truck
Residents of Swan’s Island met at the island school for a special town meeting on June 20. Fire chief Robert Gardner and assistant fire chief Joshua Joyce asked voters to approve a request for a new fire truck. Chief Gardner explained to voters that the truck being replaced, a tanker, is almost 30 years old and has been in need
Downeast volunteers keep jail residents connected
Judy Garvey spends a lot of her free time in jail. Since 2001, the Blue Hill resident has coordinated Volunteers for Hancock Jail Residents (VHJR), a program that offers classes and programs to residents of Ellsworth’s Hancock County Jail. Garvey founded VHJR after watching a family member go through the jail system. Since then, she’s
The Long View: What is the Creative Economy?
More than 30 years ago after moving to the remote eastern coast of Maine, a visiting friend wanted to know if Washington County supported an active traditional music scene. Amid all the evident privations of life thereabouts, she evidently conjured up a cultural brew of guitar and banjo pickers like those of rural Appalachia or
Two Ralston shows planned for summer
“Sightings and Beyond” will open in Northeast Harbor’s Shaw Gallery on July 20 and run through August 2. “We are very pleased to present Mount Desert Island’s first comprehensive exhibition of this important artist’s work,” said gallery owner Sam Shaw. “As Dan O’Leary, Director of the Portland Museum of Art, has said, `Ralston proves himself,