In May, members of the Peaks Island community formed multiple committees to address the dramatic increase in their property taxes. The summer has been especially busy for the Peaks Island Tax Assistance Committee, or PITA. This committee’s goal is to provide financial assistance to residents so they can remain in their homes despite extraordinary tax
Structures on the Beach – Islesboro explores place-based art
Retired art teacher and artist David Evelyn drew a crowd of 25 summer and year-round residents to Islesboro’s Town Beach on Aug. 23 for a workshop on British artist Andy Goldsworthy. Evelyn, a seasonal resident of Islesboro since 1971, opened with a brief overview of Goldsworthy’s work and had a book and video on hand
A Moment in the Sun
In mid-August we had a phone call from a polite fact-checker at The New Yorker magazine, wondering if we could respond to a few questions about our late columnist Edward Myers of Damariscotta. Would it be accurate to call him a “seafood tycoon”? Not exactly, we replied — “pioneer” or “entrepreneur” would be better, given
Global Warming and the Maine Coast
For decades now, scientists have warned that global warming will result in more frequent and powerful storms, and that rising seas will exacerbate the damage they cause. Unfortunately, it has taken Hurricane Katrina and the destruction of a major metropolitan area to really bring home to the public what that really means: the potential for
Coming Home to Roost
What do Hurricane Katrina, the Jacobshavn Glacier and Saudi oil have in common? The answer is not a clever one line joke; but rather that they are all inter-related pieces of a deadly serious abrupt climate change problem that vast numbers of Americans and virtually all our leaders have chosen to ignore for decades. Now
Stripers and Lobsters – Is there a new predator in our midst?
When it comes to fisheries management, a “balanced ecosystem” is everyone’s goal. In this scenario no single species dominates, and the food chain becomes complex and diverse, so that it is well buffered from fluctuations in individual fish populations. The bad news is, we’re not there yet. The good news is there are plenty of
“Low profile” gear could ease the strain between fishermen and whales
A low profile may be the best solution for lobster fishermen in Maine. The state Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is working to find lobster gear alternatives to new proposed requirements from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as part of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP). This proposal would prohibit the use
Canadian panel recommends dismantling NAFO
A report by the Canadian Advisory Panel on the Sustainable Management of Straddling Fish Stocks in the Northwest Atlantic has called for the dismantling of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). NAFO is an organization that includes Canada, the United States and European countries that have fishing fleets. It is mandated to protect North Atlantic
CONFERENCE: Ecotourism could help Downeast economics
In the midst of the first ecotourism conference held in the United States, Judy East, Director of Washington County Council of Governments, unveiled Hancock and Washington counties’ plans to develop sustainable tourism there. It’s a tall order for the state’s two easternmost counties, both economically stressed. “Hancock County has a 23 percent share of Maine’s
Eastport Boat School – “alive and functioning”
“The Boat School is alive and functioning,” says Dean Pike, the Eastport school’s last remaining faculty member. “We’ve opened with 11 enthusiastic freshmen.” Last spring, citing a funding shortfall, Bill Cassidy, president of Washington County Community College, had announced plans to move the Boat School to the WCCC Calais campus. Pike spearheaded the drive to