VINALHAVEN — Andrew Dorr began work as the interim town manager for Vinalhaven on June 30. Dorr is originally from a small town in New York. He graduated from State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. In his last year of college he was looking for a job and decided to
What’s working on the waterfront–and why
Twenty years ago, as Maine’s beautiful coast was “discovered” for the umpteenth time in the last 150 years, the narrow land perch from which marine resource harvesters worked was in danger of vanishing. The Island Institute launched this newspaper in large part to help protect that perch, the so-called working waterfront. Today, just 20 miles
Our favorite saltwater haunts
Leslie Bowman: “Raccoon Beach on Campobello Island: It is around the corner from Herring Cove Beach, which is really tied for first, as it is in the same local. The rocks, the tide pools and the incredible sky do not disappoint at anytime, year round.” Wanda Curtis: “My favorite saltwater haunt is a small quiet
New England’s last whaling ship returns to the sea
If you are a lover of maritime history, you may want to rearrange your summer plans to fit in a trip to southern New England to catch a rare glimpse of a bygone era of working waterfront. After a five-year renovation at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan will sail to
York River preservation study championed
YORK — Local stakeholders and Maine legislators are lining up to support a bill in Congress that would call on the National Park Service to study whether the York River qualifies as a Wild and Scenic Partnership River. A preliminary survey by the park service seems to indicate that the river could qualify for the
Island store relies on town donation
ISLE AU HAUT — You can’t call the Island Store a convenience store. It’s really more of a necessity store. For the 45 year-round residents of this island town off Stonington, the store is not a typical small-town “Mom and Pop” business. It’s the only place to buy groceries and other essential household items. And
North Haven’s Calderwood Hall restored to year-round role
NORTH HAVEN — In 1908, Harry Calderwood fulfilled his dream of having a community space on the island. The four-story hall he constructed on the corner of Smith Street and Iron Point Road, built into the hill heading out of town, hosted legendary dances, movie screenings, plays and Aunt Ell’s restaurant in the basement. As
Celebrating the Summer Food cookbook… and memories
Summer Food, a grand community cookbook of recipes just published by Islesboro’s Tarratine Club, reminds me how closely food and memory are linked. Add vacation, long-beloved island summer homes, and at least three meals a day, and you are in for a grand wallow in memory and memory-making. Summer at last, there’s time to cook
Parasites on Vinalhaven, and it’s a good thing
VINALHAVEN — The island was just blessed with the arrival of 2,000 parasitic flies (Cyenis albicans). It doesn’t sound like much of a blessing, but islanders hope the flies will help control the winter moth population, which has been defoliating deciduous trees noticeably for the last two years. The release was the result of hard
Bar Harbor’s Jackson Lab: recruiting workers, building on new science
BAR HARBOR — In a weak economy, in a part of Maine that often faces high unemployment, one organization is bucking the trend. And it is working to persuade workers to sign on. Jackson Laboratory, the Down East region’s largest employer, has been airing a radio employment ad featuring testimonials from workers, who offer plugs