To the editor: Reading about the “greening” of the town of Cranberry Isles (WWF April 2008) and the area supermarkets was exciting. “Little Things,” the title of the editorial, obviously add up to something much bigger. I would add a credit to Hannaford Brothers: the reusable green bag I bought in the Bangor store last
Scurvy: How a Surgeon, a Mariner and a Gentleman Solved the Greatest Medical Mystery of the Age of Sail
In 1740 a British fleet under the command of Commodore George Anson sailed for the Pacific with instructions to attack a Spanish treasure galleon carrying silver from Acapulco to the Philippines. England and Spain had gone to war in 1739 over “trade rights” and capture of the treasure ship would strike at the heart of
A Coastal Companion: A Year in the Gulf Of Maine, From Cape Cod to Canada
It is mid-April as I write this, flipping pages through this enchanting book, arranged to take us on an ecological, environmental, perceptive creature-journey of a year, from January 1 to December 31, a path touching the rise and receding of seasons and the living forces that harbor planet earth as home. I must watch, I
Writing on Stone: Scenes from a Maine Island Life
In December 1991, Christina Marsden Gillis and her husband, John, suffered two parents’ greatest sorrow: the death of a child. Their son Ben, 26 years old, was killed in Kenya while flying eight European tourists from Mombassa to Little Governors Camp in the Masai Mara game preserve. A large bird flew through the windscreen of
In Search of Monhegan’s Letters
Boundary surveying on Monhegan includes a lot of the same logistics as most island jobs, such as ferry schedules, housing if the job requires overnight stay and equipment transportation, as the ferries to Monhegan are only passenger ferries. Adding to Monhegan’s charm in the summer months are the always over interested tourists who feel compelled
Parallel 44: Book continues a long tradition: ignoring early Maine
Nathaniel Philbrick’s Mayflower is well written, carefully researched, critically acclaimed and enormously popular, a New York Times bestseller that’s helped Americans understand the real story of the Pilgrims. But from where I sit, here on our rocky side of the Gulf of Maine, it’s hard not to be upset by Philbrick’s egregious error of omission:
The Cranberry Report: The Joy of our Lives
There is a lot of good energy around the islands these days. People are coming together more. From yoga classes to island sustainability meetings to weekly literary discussions to establishing a food buying club, several young adults have enthusiastically encouraged the rest of us to consider reducing our carbon footprints and to find more creative
The Long View: Not All Places Are Created Equal
Last year when Maine legislators approved Governor Baldacci’s school consolidation plan in an effort to reduce looming state budget deficits, they quietly carved out exemptions for Indian and island schools, where consolidation is widely regarded as tantamount to ringing the community death knell. What mainland school board, after all, would rationally decide to maintain —
Island early childhood educators hold annual retreat
The end of March brought together committed early childhood educators from the islands for the second Skipping Stones, Island Early Childhood Educators Conference, held at the Country Inn in Rockport each year. Staff and committee members from North Haven, Vinalhaven, Long Island, Chebeague and Islesboro took part. Participants brought with them a variety of experiences
Isle au Haut adopts budget, re-elects officials
On March 31, Isle au Haut residents and visitors gathered for the annual town meeting. By the time voting was underway, over 40 people had settled in, most attempting to gain coveted back-row seats. Though 79 articles were put before the 27 registered attendees, the meeting ran a relatively efficient five and a half