CHEBEAGUE ISLAND — It may go down as one of the quickest thefts of a roadway sign in island history. Deborah Bowman, director of the Chebeague Island Library, received a package of cones and signs reading “SLOW” to put in front of the Chebeague Island Hall Community Center on Friday, May 31. She assembled them
Island students are ambassadors for sustainable life
NORTHPORT — In a few months, the scene will play out, as it has for decades, in college dorm rooms across the country. “So where are you from?” one student asks her roommate. “Maine. North Haven.” Or maybe it’s Chebeague or Swan’s or Isle au Haut. Once the student explains that she did indeed grow
The tribal nature of island friendships
The big event this past weekend was the wedding of one of our sons’ long-time island friends. Two of our boys (actually they are young men now) flew in for this epic/epochal event. These days, 23-year-olds don’t get married that often, so it promised to be a special time. The lead-up was like watching the
Enjoying the exclusive, literary life on Vinalhaven
Everyone knows there are many things that set Vinalhaven apart from the rest of the world. The thing that really distinguishes us, however, and pretty much everyone acknowledges this too, is our Gentlemen’s Book Group. Begun about a decade ago by an enterprising lobsterman trying to rise above his station, the book group has grown
The circle will be unbroken: island meetings create strength
I am propelled by days that begin on the water, days that begin with a crossing. Crossings connect news from up the bay with discussions begun a few weeks back, when we met bundled up to avoid the early July chill. These crossings and the island time that follow inform where we are all headed.
Hard times at Burnt Coat Harbor Light
The Burnt Coat Harbor Light, known more commonly on Swan’s Island as “the lighthouse,” is one of our key landmarks. When you’ve got a first-time visitor on your hands and you wonder what you ought to do with them, the lighthouse practically gives off a gravitational pull. Conveniently, it’s also the place you end up
Ultra marathon runners to swarm Great Cranberry
CRANBERRY ISLES — It’s a race unlike any other—31 miles on a 2-mile road. And it’s the last time for the event. Organizers of the Road Runners Club of America’s 2013 National 50K Ultra Championship, which will be held on Great Cranberry Island on July 27, are expecting 192 runners. They will come from 30 states
Leadership in 14 bullet points
Leadership—what a broad, blanket term that is. At Maine Maritime Academy, leadership is an idea we hear about over and over. It makes sense, because each midshipman is training to be an officer in maritime service, and officers by their very definition are leaders. The mission of the regiment is implemented by “providing [men and
Marketing Maine lobster–oil pants optional
My husband Bruce and I combined a recent trip to Portland with a celebration of my 60th birthday on May 4 and a meeting of lobster fishermen and buyers on May 5. No trip to Portland is complete, for me, without a stop to stock up at Trader Joe’s. Consequently, that’s where I spent my
The breakfast bakery just north of Times Square
NORTH HAVEN — It’s a rather incongruous pair of facts, but the islander who knows how to make a New York-style bagel grew up in Vienna, a tiny rural town near Farmington. But Courtney Naliboff, 32, owner and operator of Little Urchin Bakery, comes by her boiled-bagel skills legitimately. Her Jewish family has roots in