Last week’s column described how “merchants of doubt” have perfected modern public relations strategies to delay action on the major issues of the day. When scientists seem to disagree on effects of pesticides on the environment, or the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer or the threat of climate change, the resulting uncertainty contributes
Isle au Haut Throws a Wide Net in a Search for New Community Members
Island life may be more feasible for young families and fishermen than before thanks to new housing opportunities underway on Isle au Haut. The Isle au Haut Community Development Corporation (ICDC) plans to build two affordable housing units with a $350,000 Maine State Housing Authority grant in an effort to attract families with children, more
Crabbing in Chesapeake Bay
A major national and state effort to restore Chesapeake Bay to the health it enjoyed as recently as the 1970s is in its fourth decade now, with most of North America’s greatest estuary and its tidal rivers still receiving grades of “C” and worse in yearly assessments. But a recent and noteworthy bright spot in
Rachel Carson, James Hanson and the Merchants of Doubt
Rachel Carson, who spent many summers on Southport Island, Maine writing about marine life as a scientist and naturalist, was not a biochemist. However, after publishing The Sea Around Us, which won the National Book Award in 1953 and two other books in her ocean trilogy, Under Sea Wind and The Edge of the Sea,
Gratitude
My aunt always told me to write thank-you notes Unsung heroes lurk in the shadows of every community and workplace. Troubleshooters, first responders, sidewalk psychologists, arms to lean on, shoulders to cry on, resourceful MacGyver types, Johnny-on-the-spots, ride-givers, toolbox-carriers and solution-finders help the rest of us poor slobs get through life. While some college kids
The Inaugural Journey of the Valkyrie
In keeping with the island’s boatbuilding tradition, Vinalhaven High School’s vocational technology teacher, Mark Jackson, and his shop students launched Valkyrie, a Scottish Saint Ayles Skiff, on May 25. The Saint Ayles Skiff is a four-seat rowing boat that is meant to be rowed competitively. “The reason we built it,” Jackson said, “is because six
Foreign workers in Lubec
The Inn on the Wharf in Lubec features many trademarks shared by similar places in Maine: a great view, fresh lobster dinners and a lobby with a small gift shop. Listen carefully, however, and something makes this place out of the ordinary. The surrounding voices don’t sound like Downeast accents. They belong to six friendly
The Great Island Cleanup
In the early days of island living, abundant lobsters washed up on the beaches of the Cranberry Islands. Twenty years ago, beer cans washed ashore. Today, the beaches are cleaner than they have been in years. “When we were kids, we took the beaches for granted,” said Eileen Richards, a year-round resident and officer in charge
Antique Quilt Returns to North Haven
A true heirloom has a certain haunting beauty about it. A patina comes with age, care and loving use, creating a subtle but powerful aura to behold in person. The gift that was recently bestowed upon the North Haven Historical Society has that very sense of deep, storied history. The gift is a quilt, dubbed
Vinalhaven Students Reject Cell Phones in School
In anticipation of a time when cellphone service will be available on Vinalhaven, the island’s high school students recently recommended that the SAD 8 Board of Education ban cellular devices from classrooms. This issue may come up sooner rather than later, as Tower Specialist Inc. has built a tower on Vinalhaven and is currently seeking