In 1952 Santa came to Vinalhaven, to the church, as he did and still does every year, to separate the worthy from the unworthy. ‘Stubby’ Seawell and ‘Free Throw’ Buteau would be found worthy, as would all the girls except Lillian ‘Treetop’ Roberts. ‘Goober’ Pazaloma, who’d been chewing tobacco since the first grade, and ‘Shoal
Catching the Last Fish: In the end, fishery management comes down to politics
In response to Maine fishermen being put out of work, depleted Gulf of Maine groundfish populations, and the crisis of management that is currently affecting the New England groundfish fishery, Maine’s elected federal legislators have many times stepped up to the podium. From proposing and supporting the Sustainable Fisheries Act, appearing at gatherings of threatened
Cranberry Report: Beware the Barbie Doll Lobster!
Ted Spurling decided to retire from writing a monthly column for Working Waterfront in favor of writing occasional pieces. He asked me if I would be interested in taking over for him in his monthly report. Ted’s individual style and historical knowledge of the Cranberry Isles presented me with a daunting challenge. How could I
“Surprise!” Peaks Island Room Transformed for “Reality” Decorating Show
Last August, Peaks Island resident Lynne Richard taped an episode of TLC’s “While You Were Out” at her home. The show, which featured a “pretty flamboyant” redo of her dining room, aired Friday, Oct. 10. For those who don’t know the show, “While You Were Out” operates on the element of surprise. While one homeowner
Reflections on the Cranberry Report
Keepers of diaries are disciplined people, and their reward is a degree of immortality few of us obtain. Samuel Pepys, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt kept at their journals for most of their lives; a great deal of what we know about them today comes from their daily scribblings. So if you want posterity to
After the Blasting: Vinalhaven’s Windfall Festival Heals a community’s Nerves
All the best traditions come in the fall – apple pressing, pumpkin carving, the giving of thanks, the giving of gifts. On Nov. 1, the Vinalhaven community celebrated what islanders hope will become another fall tradition, the Windfall Festival. That afternoon, islanders were invited to Lydia Sparrow’s farm for a “family-style country fair to celebrate
Needs Assessment Makes Recommendations for Island Libraries
“Libraries are vital to island communities,” writes Emily Graham in her introduction to the recently completed 2003 Maine Island Libraries Needs Assessment, conducted by the Island Institute with funding from the MBNA Foundation Library Grants Program. “They not only act as information centers,” she continues, “but as community centers. In many cases these libraries are
O’Leary’s Best Christmas Present
Dark was just approaching that Christmas Eve when 11-year-old James was helping his grandfather and uncle get in some wood for the stove. The three were hurrying to beat the encroaching darkness, because in 1924, Little Travis’s Cove, part of the settlement of Argentia, Newfoundland, had no street lights. In fact, Argentia had no electricity.
Parallel 44:When Downeasters Colonized the Middle East
With war in Iraq, sanctions in Syria, bombings in Saudi Arabia, and an uprising in Israel’s occupied territories, you might have second thoughts about relocating to the Middle East these days. Would it make any difference if someone told you Judgment Day was at hand? It did for some 19th century residents of the Jonesport
History In the Making: Vinalhaven Teacher Recalls a Great Civil Rights March
Each January, around the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, students across the country learn about King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, given on Aug. 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C. Few teachers, however, have the perspective Vinalhaven history teacher Karol Kucinski has, for he was there 40 years ago, and heard the speech