In 1740, normally temperate Ireland felt the bite of the Ice Age. The River Shannon froze 18 inches deep. Potatoes were locked in the ground and disease spread across the land. Great Britain, which controlled all of Ireland at the time, was at war with France and Spain. This might seem remote from mid-coast Maine,
Sinks, boats and dogsleds
At a sharp curve on the way to Schoodic Point, if you’re not careful, you’ll drive right into a long, nondescript building set almost on Route 186 called Maine Kiln Works and Water Stone Sink. But inside that building, if you don’t get lost going from room to room and from floor to floor, you’ll
The Scottish Islands
Edinburgh: Canongate Books Ltd., 1998 Hardcover, 518 pages A Clear-Eyed View of Islands Imagine there was a book — a not-too-imposing but thorough book on your favorite group of islands. Imagine that this book belonged to an artist, a geologist, a historian and a sailor before it came to you. And that somewhere along the
The Wal-Mart Effect – How the Wold’s Most Powerful Company Really Works and How It’s Transforming the American Economy
Penguin Press, 2006, 304 pages, $25.95 Shopping Ourselves Out of Our Jobs At the recent Island Small Business Forum, I listened to an interesting discussion among three small island business owners about how difficult it is for them to compete against big chains on the mainland. One could argue that there is nothing different in
Clearing Land: Legacies of the American Farm
New York: North Point Press, 2004 208 pages, $20.00 Grieving a Way of Life Loss. Transition. If they’re difficult experiences to write about, they’re also not easy reading. This book reflects on the author’s experience grieving a way of life once vital, now ended. Loved and lost. For Jane Brox, a writer living in Wiscasset,
Island Business owners share challenges, successes
For many participants at the recent Island Small Business Forum, the answer boiled down to two words: customer loyalty. There is increasing unease among many island business owners as more business goes to off-island retailers, contractors and Internet sites. “I don’t think there was more customer loyalty in the past,” said Vinalhaven business owner Phil
Web site helps island businesses prosper
With only the purest of civic-minded intentions, Bev Johnson first started her Chebeague Island website back in 1996. “I just wanted to keep islanders informed about the comings and going of people in our community,” says Johnson. Need to know more about the Polar Plunge and the Chili/Chowder/Soup Challenge? Looking for swimming lessons in the
Frenchboro Community finds a veteran teacher in its midst
Frenchboro’s small school had a vacancy this January. Veteran teacher Lorna Stuart accepted a job off-island and planned to leave as soon as a substitute was found. Finding a mid-year replacement for an island school is often not easy, but in this case a lack of applications wasn’t the problem. School superintendent Rob Liebow says
Affordable Housing Session planned for April
The nuts and bolts of island affordable housing will be the focus of an Island Affordable Housing Symposium planned for April 28-29 at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast. The keynote speaker will be John Abrams of South Mountain Company on Martha’s Vineyard, the author of a recent book. For more information, contact Alyson Mayo at
Cranberry Report: Some days, it’s best not to venture out
Residents of the Cranberry Isles are often asked, “What is it like out there in the winter?” (This is a weather-related question, not to be confused with the activity-related question: “What do you do out there all winter?”) Compared to the mainland, we generally get less snow, more wind and fewer days with below zero