Islands are filled with random, slightly wacky traditions. Each island has its own unique traditions, but certain traditions happen only because you live on an island. For instance, I was told it’s an island tradition that on the last day of school students go dock jumping, marking the end of the school year and the
Enjoying the exclusive, literary life on Vinalhaven
Everyone knows there are many things that set Vinalhaven apart from the rest of the world. The thing that really distinguishes us, however, and pretty much everyone acknowledges this too, is our Gentlemen’s Book Group. Begun about a decade ago by an enterprising lobsterman trying to rise above his station, the book group has grown
The tribal nature of island friendships
The big event this past weekend was the wedding of one of our sons’ long-time island friends. Two of our boys (actually they are young men now) flew in for this epic/epochal event. These days, 23-year-olds don’t get married that often, so it promised to be a special time. The lead-up was like watching the
Island students are ambassadors for sustainable life
NORTHPORT — In a few months, the scene will play out, as it has for decades, in college dorm rooms across the country. “So where are you from?” one student asks her roommate. “Maine. North Haven.” Or maybe it’s Chebeague or Swan’s or Isle au Haut. Once the student explains that she did indeed grow
Ultra marathon runners to swarm Great Cranberry
CRANBERRY ISLES — It’s a race unlike any other—31 miles on a 2-mile road. And it’s the last time for the event. Organizers of the Road Runners Club of America’s 2013 National 50K Ultra Championship, which will be held on Great Cranberry Island on July 27, are expecting 192 runners. They will come from 30 states
Hard times at Burnt Coat Harbor Light
The Burnt Coat Harbor Light, known more commonly on Swan’s Island as “the lighthouse,” is one of our key landmarks. When you’ve got a first-time visitor on your hands and you wonder what you ought to do with them, the lighthouse practically gives off a gravitational pull. Conveniently, it’s also the place you end up
The circle will be unbroken: island meetings create strength
I am propelled by days that begin on the water, days that begin with a crossing. Crossings connect news from up the bay with discussions begun a few weeks back, when we met bundled up to avoid the early July chill. These crossings and the island time that follow inform where we are all headed.
Leadership in 14 bullet points
Leadership—what a broad, blanket term that is. At Maine Maritime Academy, leadership is an idea we hear about over and over. It makes sense, because each midshipman is training to be an officer in maritime service, and officers by their very definition are leaders. The mission of the regiment is implemented by “providing [men and
Little Maine wind, big bad wind
Ben Polito grew up on an island—bridged to the mainland—but at the remote end of Georgetown Island beyond the reach of CMP’s utility poles for the first seven years of his life. “Electricity was this cool thing that I saw in kindergarten and the neighbors had,” he recalled. So he got interested in how electricity
FOR THOSE IN PERIL–
SEARSPORT — For decades, the town has boasted of its sea captains and their voyages to the four corners of the world. If there were any doubt about the truth behind this pride, a visit to the True-Fowler-Ross House, a 19th century residence now part of the Penobscot Marine Museum campus, puts it to rest.