Reading this book reminded me, as it will remind others, what it’s like to explore a magnificent mind. Edward Myers (1917-2002) was an original, to say the least – philosopher, mathematician, aquaculture and fisheries expert, historian, economist, political theorist, sailor, wharfinger, the list goes on and on – who happened to live here on the
Stroke!: Vinalhaven Holds its First Indoor Rowing Race
April is an itchy time of year for islanders. Fishermen are itching to get traps overboard, gardeners are itching to get in the dirt, and kids are itching to get out of school. As the relatively novice sport of rowing continues to grow on the Maine Coast, members of the Vinalhaven Rowing Club found themselves
Turtles and an Island’s Future
It was March and in the high 80s with a searing sun as palm trees waved along a white sandy beach, lapped by turquoise water. No mistaking that for Vinalhaven. Yet we were reminded of Vinalhaven as we visited the two smaller islands off Puerto Rico’s northeast corner, Culebra and Vieques. Culebra is the same
Destroying to Save?
The administration of Washington County Community College announced recently it was suspending its Eastport boatbuilding program. The suspension, said the college president, “is a positive step that will reinvigorate the program.” Reinvigorating it would certainly be a good idea. Whether shutting down the program will accomplish that goal is unclear. College officials cited declining enrollment
Parallel 44: Does Aquaculture’s Future Lie Offshore?
The salmon aquaculture industry in Maine and New Brunswick has been buffeted by environmental, economic and legal challenges in recent years. Things are not likely to get any easier, given some of the ongoing developments in ocean fish farming elsewhere in the world. According to Leroy Creswell, an aquaculture researcher at the University of Florida
Tax Cap
The tax cap that’s headed for a referendum ballot later this year would push homeowners’ valuations back to 1996 and cap property taxes at one percent of those values. Because Maine relies so heavily on property taxes, a cap would necessitate one of two things: drastic cuts in services at the state and local level,
Author’s Query
To the editor: I am researching Virgil Geddes, a former resident of Atlantic. He and his wife, the painter Minna Besser Geddes, lived in a converted schoolhouse, which is now the Swan’s Island library. Geddes was born in Nebraska in 1897, served in the Navy during WWI, then worked for newspapers in Chicago and Paris
PEI Fishermen Don’t Like Government’s Snow Crab Allotment
Canadian Fisheries and Oceans Minister Geoff Regan has announced the 2004 snow crab allocations for Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick fishermen – and made nobody happy. On April 1, Regan set the quota allotted to inshore P.E.I. fishermen 496 tons, up from 185 tons in 2003. Regan explained that the move to increase the
Vinalhaven’s Caucus
To the editor: I have tried mightily to resist but I can’t. A couple of your (our) readers wrote in the last issue complaining about my having reported on Vinalhaven’s “combination” Democratic/ Republican caucus. They had several specific complaints. First, they suggested you consider enforcing your op-ed policy, which quite specifically encourages precisely the sort
Newfoundland Company Buys Polar Foods
Polar Foods, a Prince Edward Island processing company, has been purchased by Ocean Choice of Newfoundland. Polar had been placed in receivership after going bankrupt in February. On the positive side, the deal means that lobster will be processed this spring, and Ocean Choice has agreed to process all the lobster it purchases in the