CHEBEAGUE ISLAND — On Aug. 17, the island will be the scene of an unusual jazz concert. Some of the tunes written by the late Charles William (Bill) Whetham, a beloved former resident, will be played for his island friends by a group of five professional musicians to honor his memory. It will be the
Oil, aquaculture, ‘pier’ pressure dominated first issue of newspaper
ROCKLAND — The more things change, the more the news stays the same. In the first issue of The Working Waterfront, published in April 1993, the cover story examined the possibility of an oil spill along Maine’s coast. On July 6 of this year, crude oil in railroad tank cars ignited, causing a horrific explosion
Hamming it up way, way off Broadway
Island life leads you down the most interesting paths. Drawing from a limited population means that people are encouraged—some would say coerced—into doing things that they would never ordinarily do. I wouldn’t exactly say that standards are lower, but they’re a little stretched. One of my favorite examples of this is the Swan’s Island theater
What happens when fish head north and fishermen do not?
As temperatures warm and water cycle patterns change, nearly every living thing on the planet is on the move. Off the U.S. East Coast between New Jersey and Maine, trawl surveys started by the National Marine Fisheries Service in the early 1960s provide one of the richest, longest-term datasets of environmental conditions and marine species
Labels found at the market: GMO labeling debate continues
THOMASTON — The Thomaston Farmers Market draws a faithful crowd of customers. Beneath an overcast sky recently, Angela McIntyre clasped a paper cup containing coffee from one of the eight vendors and joked, “I’m just here for the free samples,” before adding, “No, just kidding. I think it’s really important to know where our food
Maine Yankee musings, 15 years later
No waterfront works harder than the waterfront in front of a nuclear power plant. In the 15 years since I covered the Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant for the Courier Publications newspapers, I have become convinced of that. Each summer as I head off to the beach, I wonder about the state of that shoreline
Lubec for sale
LUBEC — This easternmost coastal U.S. town has undeniable appeal for out-of-staters seeking second or retirement homes—access to salt water, a pretty village and affordable prices. But the town’s tax assessors’ agent, Jim Clark, issues a stern warning to would-be buyers: “If you like to shop at the mall and don’t have a hobby you
From sail to paddle, conquering the Midcoast
Editor’s note: This is the second part of a three-part series in which Bogart Salzberg of Portland chronicles a windsurfing journey from Portland to Bar Harbor after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Whether I was trespassing or not I still don’t know. The tiny Casco Bay islet where I camped, that first night of
Weighing island tourism–capacity vs. potential
It was only mid-May, but the phone was ringing steadily at the front desk at Nebo Lodge on North Haven, a high-end boutique hotel and restaurant where food from an organic farm fills out the menu. The woman fielding the calls took pains to explain that visiting Nebo meant taking a ferry from Rockland, a
Legislature OKs funding for lobster promotion
AUGUSTA — New name, new group, more money. That’s the headline coming from the Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee in the session that ended this early summer. LD 486, which creates and funds a new Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative, replacing the Maine Lobster Promotion Council won final passage and was signed by Gov. Paul LePage. The