Magical instruments. A wicked queen. An imprisoned princess. A courageous prince. Will Prince Tamino’s magic flute be enough to protect him on his quest to save the lovely Princess Pamina? So begins the ultimate adventure opera, Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” Through the generosity of an anonymous donor, who began attending the opera with parents at
Mailing Maine shrimp
I empathize with the letter writer of “Made in Maine?” (Working Waterfront, February-March 2009) although I can get Maine lobster out here. It tastes a bit different, though, because no one pronounces it lobstah. My problem was getting Maine shrimp and I had given up, after hearing that they were too delicate for successful shipping
Peaks Island group seeks permission for tower to test wind
Peaks Island is getting closer to testing its wind resources. On March 25, the Peaks Island Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting the testing of the wind on Peaks and asking the Portland City Council for its support as well. Peaks is now awaiting language from Mary Costigan, the City of Portland’s associate corporation counsel,
Homeport licenses for island lobstermen
Every islander knows that lobstering is the lifeblood of nearly all of the state’s 15-year round island communities. It is the engine that drives island economies. It’s one of the few careers left in which young people can earn enough to be able to afford the dramatically higher cost of living on islands. Fathers can
Portland wharf owners seek help with dredging plan
In 2010 or 2011, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects to receive budget approval to dredge 600,000 cubic yards of silt and clay from Portland’s 35-foot Federal Channel. In anticipation a group of harbor wharf owners hope to coordinate their dredge crisis with the scoop-and-dump plans of the federal government. The amount of contaminated
Come celebrate 25th Island Journal
Andrew Wyeth didn’t live to see 25th anniversary of Island Journal, but he would have undoubtedly perused it with the same sharp eye as he did the very first issue in 1984, one for which he and Betsy Wyeth provided funding. It has endured as a celebrated magazine of Maine island life, capturing the essence
Chebeague voters approve turnaround at Cousins Island wharf
Transportation is a big problem for every unbridged island. And every island has, in turn, come up with unique ways of meeting the challenge of getting to and from the mainland. Few arrangements are as complex as those used by those getting to and from Chebeague Island. A wharf on Cousins Island in Yarmouth (which
USS Constitution: A chip off the old block
The ‘chip’ is a piece of oak taken from the hull of USS Constitution. It is about half the size of a brick, yet it feels heavier. With timbers this solid, it is no wonder enemy cannon balls bounced off Constitution, giving the rise to her nickname “Old Ironsides”. The title of this article is
Column Crisis at sea
Updates: Local candidates finance reports, GoMoos still endangered This week I have updates on two stories I’ve been covering that affect life on our coast: stopping the destruction of the means to track the influence of money on elected officials in our bigger towns, and the dismantling of the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System,
Column
Lobster tales As fishermen prepare for the spring lobster-fishing season, a deep sense of unease hangs over Maine’s island and working waterfront communities. We now know that last October’s lobster price collapse ripped a gaping $50 million hole in Maine’s coastal economy-representing the decline in the value of the 2008 lobster season from the previous