Maine Yankee was a huge presence on the midcoast waterfront for many years. Now the nuclear plant is gone, leaving behind a lot of high-level waste but something positive as well: an opportunity for the town of Wiscasset to demonstrate how this kind of site can be redeveloped for other uses. In fact, there are
Monhegan Boat Line’s LAURA B. celbrates 50 years as connection to mainland
Monhegan Boat Line’s venerable wood vessel LAURA B, built in 1943 for the U.S. Army, is celebrating 50 years as Monhegan’s principal connection to the mainland. Before going to work for Monhegan Boat Line in the early 1950s she served as a World War II patrol boat and transporter, followed by several years transporting lobsters
Working Waterfront Losses
Between 2000 and 2004, according to a recent study by Coastal Enterprises, Inc., land values in a sample of 25 coastal and island communities increased by an average of 58 percent. The rise (in two of the towns surveyed it was over 100 percent) is caused by an apparently insatiable market for waterfront property, a
Canadian lawmaker: deny passage to LNG tankers
Canadian Member of Parliament Greg Thompson says that the federal government can, and should, block the proposed LNG facility at Sipayik, the Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation. Thompson, whose New Brunswick Southwest riding (district) includes neighboring Charlotte County, said that his decision was the result of talks with fishermen on Deer Island and Campobello and his
New Institute Fellows
The 2004-05 Island Institute Fellows began their fellowship year on Sept. 12 with a weeklong orientation. The goal of the orientation was to provide an opportunity for the Fellows to form a cohort, get to know each other and learn about their projects and the communities in which they will be serving. The Fellows spent
Dry petroleum wells off Atlantic Canada causing concern
Canadian petroleum industry officials are expressing concern over “dry” wells drilled off the coasts Newfoundland, Labrador and Nova Scotia in the past several years. Trying to put the best face possible on the situation Paul Barnes, Atlantic Canada Manger for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said in early September, “While there has been a
The Longview – LURC Islands: Fishing for Trout is Not Like Fishing for Cod
Most islanders have probably never heard of the Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) that operates primarily as a state-level planning board for 10 million acres of unorganized forested townships in northern Maine. But residents of islands such as Monhegan, Matinicus, Criehaven and Eagle, where LURC also acts as their island planning board, know LURC well;
Failure in Bar – Harbor: the missing ingredient was equity
The last privately owned fishing dock was sold out of its traditional fishing use in Bar Harbor this summer despite the best attempts of a group of local fishermen. The property, known as Fishermen’s Wharf, has been providing access to fishermen for at least the past 47 years. During this time various owners/fishermen had allowed
RAWFAITH crew plans trip south
Many said it couldn’t be done, but George McKay’s faith didn’t waver, and it turned out he was right: the 100-foot 3-masted galleon RAWFAITH, designed by McKay to be the first wheelchair accessible large sailing vessel and built by his family and volunteers, floated when she was launched on Aug. 2, and sailed well on
Baby-Sitting for Johnny Bear
The following is a true story. Only the names have been withheld to protect the innocent. My parents were always good neighbors. This was especially true in the summer of 1956 on Vinalhaven. During that summer, however, even their hospitality reached its limits, as illustrated by the following story. One of our neighbors was a