When money from Maine’s 2005 Red Tide Disaster Relief Fund was disbursed by mail recently, some shellfish harvesters say they got a surprise in their envelope instead of a relief check. A number of harvesters were reportedly under the impression that because they were issued an application, they were eligible to apply for compensation. Instead,
Islanders rally against school consolidation; Coalition proposes alternatives
When Maine Gov. John Baldacci proposed reducing the number of school districts in Maine from 290 to 26, his proposal was greeted with a firestorm of protest from parents, teachers, superintendents and concerned citizens across the state. Nowhere was that opposition more vocal than in Maine’s year-round island communities, which support 14 multi-grade schools whose
Letter from Chebeague
Four months from now, Chebeague will hold its first town meeting. People have asked if we will be ready. Of course. What choice do we have? We have already chosen a logo for the town seal; the Celebration Committee is hard at work planning a week’s worth of events that will include plays, dances, lectures,
The Long View: Fish and Chips
The two most important cultural events that celebrate working life along Maine’s coastline both happen in the dead of winter – during the first and third weekends of March. You might think this an odd time to celebrate, but the summer is just too busy to have much time to take a break. Besides, who
Old Old Boats
In the second week in January, a replica of a 17th century ketch, Discovery, left Boothbay Harbor with a fair wind, spreading a wide fan of white water ahead of her bluff blows. She was a new boat built by the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard. Her upper spars had been lashed on deck and her stout
THE REVOLUTION STARTS HERE
“Store to send lobsters gently into that good pot: Whole Foods waives ban on live sales in Maine.” — Boston Globe, Feb. 8, 2007 MEMO From: Little Bay Lobster Company To: Vinalhaven lobstermen Please note that we have assured Whole Foods we can deliver lobsters guaranteed to be fresh, healthy, and humanely treated. Therefore, their
Morris Yachts: The goal is to hit the “sweet spot”
At one point when Morris Yacht founder Tom Morris was being interviewed about the company, he said, “We’re in a tricky spot around here, but we’re doing okay.” But he wasn’t talking about the company. At the time, he was negotiating a sailboat through a problematic patch of water near Cape Canaveral, Florida. Actually, the
Riverside Boat Company thrives on tradition
Nat Bryant is the sixth generation of boat builders on the family’s original property on the Newcastle shore of the Damariscotta River. Riverside Boat Company is operated by Nat’s parents, Paul and Linda Bryant, and Nat has joined them, keeping up a family tradition. The yard is busy, even in the depths of winter, and
“Radical Change”Composites promise very different ways to build things
The hum of activity in André Cocquyt’s advanced composites training class increases as the 15 trainees head from classroom to shop floor. There, blackboard theory is put into practice, with all the pitfalls and hazards of real life thrown in. The shop ceiling is festooned with vacuum hose and pressure lines, signaling that the boats
Journal of an Island Kitchen: Carob Cake, Jello and Lydia
Lydia Rolerson, who died on Christmas Day in 2006, served me the first food I ever ate cooked in an Islesboro island kitchen. Jamie and I visited the island in June 1980, my first visit, though Jamie had spent time here earlier, and knew Lydia’s son Darrell. So we visited with her that trip, happening