Keepers of diaries are disciplined people, and their reward is a degree of immortality few of us obtain. Samuel Pepys, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt kept at their journals for most of their lives; a great deal of what we know about them today comes from their daily scribblings. So if you want posterity to
Cranberry Report: Beware the Barbie Doll Lobster!
Ted Spurling decided to retire from writing a monthly column for Working Waterfront in favor of writing occasional pieces. He asked me if I would be interested in taking over for him in his monthly report. Ted’s individual style and historical knowledge of the Cranberry Isles presented me with a daunting challenge. How could I
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
In 1952 Santa came to Vinalhaven, to the church, as he did and still does every year, to separate the worthy from the unworthy. ‘Stubby’ Seawell and ‘Free Throw’ Buteau would be found worthy, as would all the girls except Lillian ‘Treetop’ Roberts. ‘Goober’ Pazaloma, who’d been chewing tobacco since the first grade, and ‘Shoal
Island Votes Reflect Statewide Divisions
The Nov. 4 referendum proposal by two Maine Indian tribes to build a casino in Casino lost in all island communities by substantial margins. Peaks Island, which is part of Portland, defeated the Casino 526-317, while Cliff and Great Diamond Islands, also in Portland, voted against it 32-19 and 37-15, respectively. On Chebeague Island, part
Islesboro’s Beacon Project
Four generations of Islesboro’s Boardman family gather with members of The Beacon Project board of directors at the property where an elder care facility will be built in the near future. The Boardman family made the land available to the project at a generously low price to make the six-resident facility possible. Assisted by advice
Regular ferry service to Islesboro was delayed on October 28
Regular ferry service to Islesboro was delayed on Oct. 28 while the island’s ferry was used for the HBO movie production of “Empire Falls.” Moviemakers filled the ferry with 1950s-vintage cars and gave some islanders a surprise when they pulled into line. Camden resident Richard Russo wrote the screenplay based on his Pulitzer Prize winning
Coin of the Realm: How the VICTORY CHIMES Finally Made it Onto Maine’s Quarter
If you were from, say, the Midwest or Colorado or some other state or country and had never seen the Maine coast, you might look at the Maine quarter and say, “Oh, that’s nice.” But if you either live here, have seen the Pemaquid lighthouse, a towering pine or spruce, or were on the state’s
Island Lifeline: Matinicus Depends on its Air Link to the Mainland
If the Grinch wanted to stop Christmas from coming this year to the people of Matinicus, he would probably rub his little gnarly hands together and cook up a plan to shut down Maine Atlantic Aviation. Because without the airline’s three Cessna 206s’ daily service between this remote island’s little gravel airstrip and Owls Head,
Where One Size Doesn’t Fit All; Good News
Recently we’ve had two perfect demonstrations of a maxim most people have known about for years, but which the federal government, apparently, has never understood. The maxim, of course, has its origins in the “one size fits all” message on the inside of an adjustable baseball cap: in public policy the reverse is almost always
Giant Step
To the editor: The selectmen of Harpswell are negotiating a lease with Conoco Phillips and Trans Canada, to use the former fuel farm on Casco Bay to erect a facility and to store natural gas. This is a valuable fishing area, Zone F. A very large tanker will come in every four days to deposit