Moving through the fog from the barbeque on the church lawn to the municipal building, residents of the town of Frenchboro gathered for their annual town meeting on June 23. The meeting was called to order by the current Select Board at 4:05 p.m. and concluded by 6:00. The meeting opened with elections of town
Swan’s Island opens its health center, upgrades access to care
A crowd of about 100 island residents and summer visitors attended the Open House at Swan’s Island’s new health care facility on July 9. The Mill Pond Health Center, which opened its doors to patients last November, is off to a good start, providing a variety of health and wellness services to island residents and
Islanders by Association
#1. I’d begin with some disclaimer, some heartfelt admission by me that it is always dicey to write about something as if one boasts some insight, because any perspective is, no matter how well informed, limited by being highly individual. And I would confess that, as someone “from away,” it is an honor but no
Adam the King
How to describe this novel, third in Lewis’s “Meritocracy Trilogy”? One way a book gets characterized is through Library of Congress subject headings; in this case, “fiction” about “Jewish men,” “weddings,” “middle age,” “rich people,” “life change events” and “summer resorts.” Well, yes, the book includes all of that. But more importantly, for our purposes
On large and small islands, fighting fires is challenging
On an island everyone fights a fire. It’s a fact. It’s like that with all emergencies on islands. Community residents respond during a time of crisis, and a fire on an unbridged island is definitely a crisis. Response time to a fire call on most islands is generally very good, but on some of the
Olive Kitteridge
What does insight offer us, given the ability to observe oneself or others? Psychologists might answer it supports change and develops empathy and compassion. Yet, even for ourselves, understanding who we are and why is no small achievement. How can we hope, then, to have that understanding of others? And surely, there are some people
Fire destroys Midcoast shipyard
Two partially completed tugboats and a pile of scrap metal were all that remained after a fierce fire destroyed the Washburn & Doughty shipyard in E. Boothbay on July 11. The company, which employed approximately 100 workers before the fire, laid off 65 of them and kept 35 working on a third tug that had
A Novel Approach to Shore Access
A Midcoast group hopes to buy Merchant’s Landing on Spruce Head Island in S. Thomaston. A small marina since 1973, Merchant’s Landing came up for sale last year (WWF July 2007), threatening the shore access of island owners and others who have used the place for years. Sharon McHold, a member of the Dix Island
Canadian federal government helps small ports
According to the Guardian newspaper in Charlottetown, total funds allocated for the 11 fishing ports in Canada’s smallest province is $3,317.800 (Can). It was in the mid-1990s that the federal department of fisheries in Ottawa suggested ports set up their own harbor authorities to take care of daily maintenance of the wharves. Norman Peters, chair
High costs, low prices, economic factors hurt PEI’s lobster industry
In one area of the Northumberland Strait, landings were up and that bodes well for the fall season. However, low prices remained a constant for the 1,100 licensed fishermen, making the season especially difficult in light of high fuel and bait costs. The spring fishery ended in early July and final figures for the season