After 18 months of hard work and the involvement of close to half the island population at one point or another, Peaks Island created a comprehensive neighborhood plan that outlines a set of objectives for the island to accomplish. Chris Hoppin, one of the coordinators of the planning process, presented the final plan to the
Cumberland County “Mates” assist Long Islanders
Residents of the Town of Long Island have noticed several improvements to buildings in their community, thanks to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office Community Work Crew. The Community Work Crew is a pre-release program for low risk inmates from the Cumberland County Jail. The inmates (or “mates”, as they are affectionately referred to by the
Islanders gather for affordable housing workshop
Residents of eight islands met at the Island Institute on Sept. 12 to discuss the need for sustained affordable housing initiatives in their communities. The workshop, which was a follow-on to the larger Affordable Coast meeting of October 2002, was convened in order to discuss affordable housing problems and solutions in greater detail, and included
In St. George, it’s plentiful and scarce at the same time
With over 120 miles of coastline, you might think that finding access to the water in St. George would be easy. Residents of the area who work for a living fishing, farming shellfish, digging clams, or who need to find parking for the public dock or the Monhegan ferry, know how difficult it is to
Many tuna visit Maine but most are small
Maine commercial and sport fishermen are reporting few large tuna this year, while at the same time seeing healthy numbers of small fish, which may bode well for the future. Craig Bergeron of Saco Bay Tackle, who supplies the heavy tackle commercial and recreational fishermen need for tuna fishing, reports that his gear business has
Equal Protection Joint research aims to protect the interests of whales, fishermen
“The ocean bottom isn’t like looking down a paved road,” said lobsterman Philip Bramhall, of Friendship. “It’s like looking at a topographical map.” Bramhall went on to explain that unlike any other state on the Eastern seaboard the bottom off Maine’s 3,500-mile coastline is made up of types that range from sand, mud and gravel
Tenants Harbor camp purchase would preserve waterfront, expand Tanglewood programs
A Tenants Harbor children’s camp that closed 20 years ago will be saved as a place for Maine kids to learn about themselves and their environment, if a pending deal goes through. Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center, established 21 years ago in Lincolnville, has signed an agreement to purchase Blueberry Cove from owner Ann
Helping research reach the marketplace
The Lobster Institute of the University of Maine at Orono has for many years partnered with university researchers to develop value-added products and processes that could benefit Maine’s lobster and crab industries. Their projects have included using lobster and crab by-product in seafood snacks and pasta, developing a soy-based lobster bait, and patenting a process
Threatened resources Maine’s bloodworm fishery faces an uncertain future
They’re certainly not the most glamorous of Maine’s marine resources, but last year over $7.9 million worth of baitworms were harvested, making bloodworms and sandworms the state’s fourth-most-valuable fishery – more lucrative even than cod or crab, scallops or sea urchins. But some worm watchers are concerned that a lack of regulations and scientific understanding
At Bigelow Lab, the smallest things are the most important
In his unassuming way, Sandy Sage doesn’t look like the Bigelow Labs boss. But the quiet, friendly manner of this executive scientist mirrors the spirit of this 30-year old research center, where you can wear shorts and flip-flops so long as you rigorously pursue excellence in all things oceanographic. The work includes studies on climate