In embracing everything Maine, Fisher has decided to use only locally grown or organic produce for his restaurant. Last January he sat down with Martha Putnam, of Farm Fresh Connection, to discuss his menu plan, asking her, for example, which Maine potatoes might make the best homemade chips? Fisher, the kind of individualist who grew
New galleries spice up island art scene
The midcoast art scene is booming. Galleries have sprung up everywhere, from downtown streets to unlikely outposts between towns. As more and more art seekers take a detour from Route 1 to visit the Fox Islands, island artists are benefiting. The tried-and-true galleries are experiencing increased foot traffic, and many new ones have opened as
Mainland Security
The Constitution of the United States contains no provision for its arbitrary modification. Fortunately, however, the Framers, apparently recognizing the value of a little interpretive latitude, inserted occasional language allowing for the exercise of broad license now and then. Specifically, for example, the Fourth Amendment guarantees our right to be secure against search, but only
I Am A Teacher
When I was younger, I never thought to live on an island; in fact, I never thought to be a teacher. Yet here I am, living 15 miles offshore, with 56 kids of my own. The question is: what does it take to be an island teacher? I’m not completely sure yet, but I have
COMMENTARYA Breakthrough in Understanding
Once, scientists and lobster harvesters were like the Hatfields and McCoys. They hardly talked to each other at all, and discussions quickly became heated. The same might have been said of lobstermen themselves. But change has come. The hallmark of the First Lobster Town Meeting held in Portland in April (WWF May ’04) was the
Thinking Like an Archipelago
I recently returned from an international islands conference at Rutgers University that I attended with some skepticism. Eric Hopkins, North Haven’s great painter and glass sculptor, and I came from Maine. The conference aimed to bring together a small handful of writers, artists and academic historians and anthropologists from disparate parts of the planet’s islands
The water in April didn’t feel much warmer than it had in March …
T.S. Elliott could have been living in Maine when he wrote, “April is the cruelest month…” The week of April 12 brought rain, wind and more rain. Weather forecasters said we would see sun and warmer temperatures by Friday, but on April 16, it was still 32 degrees and snowing. Not yet time for Dip
Cooke Aquaculture closes Machiasport processing plant
Cooke Aquaculture of St. George, New Brunswick, has announced the closing of its salmon processing plant in Machiasport. Earlier this year Cooke purchased the holdings of the troubled Atlantic Salmon of Maine from Fjord. Besides the Machiasport plant, Cooke took over several farm sits and two hatcheries. “We had to close the plant because there
Snyder picked to head Institute programs
In early May, Robert Snyder was appointed Director of Programs at the Island Institute. Snyder joined the Institute in 2002 as the Grants Manager and became the Development Director in 2004. At the Institute, the Programs Director is responsible for Island Fellows, Marine Programs, the Island Schools program and a community grants program. Snyder has
Island fire departments must deal with isolation and shortage of volunteers
In many ways, an island fire department is like a fire department in any other small community: limited funding, dependency on volunteers, lack of equipment. The major difference, and one that lies behind many of the challenges island departments face, is the isolation. Reinforcements are an ocean away, and there is no back up equipment.