EAST MACHIAS — Averted environmental disasters rarely make headlines, but they show a community’s priorities. Recently, a pick-up truck rolled over near the Downeast Salmon Federation’s salmon hatchery, and the oil was leaking towards the river, said Dwayne Shaw, the federation’s executive director. Luckily, a volunteer firefighter knew the damage that oil could cause the
College of the Atlantic divests of fossil fuels
BAR HARBOR — In March, College of the Atlantic completed the process of dropping fossil fuel investments from its endowment portfolio, according to school officials. The small school on Mount Desert Island, long known for its green focus, seemingly has become the first college or university in the country to end its investment in fossil
A rant about ‘foodie’ words
The chef in her kitchen is busy drizzling olive oil on healthy kale to pair with sausage that she locally sourced. Yuk. Not the kale or the olive oil or the sausage. It’s the vocabulary that stinks. I know our language is a living thing, that it expands and changes, assigns new meanings to words,
After work, there is life and work
My father was a practical man, shaped by the pressures of the Great Depression and the sudden death of his father that forced my own father to go to work during the late night shift at the cement plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. to keep him, his mother and sister from penury. Forty-five years later when
‘Content’ is how Gaserpini describes his island life
VINALHAVEN — For Eric Gasperini, Vinalhaven is and always will be home. The 27-year-old grew up on the southerly Fox Island and attended public school there as well. His parents came to Vinalhaven as a teacher and a scallop dragger. “[My father] came to the island to pick up nets,” he said. Gasperini acknowledged the
Small cars plus fast race equals big fun
ISLESBORO — Eight years ago when Gilbert Rivera moved from Southern California to Islesboro, he left behind slot car racing and a winning reputation in the sport. But not for long. Now he races on Islesboro, and is mentor to 11-year-old Aiden Randlett, who recently picked up honors in Mount Holly, New Jersey at the
Training ourselves to solve problems
Tug-barge funds aim at boosting Portland shipping
PORTLAND — A new way of shipping container freight along the East Coast is taking shape, at least on a drawing board, thanks to federal funds. McAllister Towing and Transportation, a New York-based firm that builds and operates tugs and barges, has been awarded $150,000 in federal grant funds to design an articulated tug-barge that
Merriment and mayhem on the Third of July
The Fourth of July is always good proof that summer is here—with its picnics, parades and the fireworks that make it the nervous dog’s worst night of the year. Although the Fourth of July has traditionally been a big deal on Swan’s Island, I should admit upfront that I’ve never been around for one. I
Swan’s Island’s ambivalence on the Civil War
To celebrate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, I’ve poked around in the vaults to bring you the Swan’s Island story. The Maine Historical Society is a great source of information for anyone who wants a comprehensive historical account. The rest of you will just have to trust my simplified version, I guess! Economically, Swan’s