For the last eight years, a group of students at Camden Hills Regional High School has been raising funds to install a major alternative energy facility on school property. Their purposes have been to teach themselves something about renewable energy, to reduce their school’s reliance on fossil fuels and contribute a bit to the reduction
Gorgeous, Gourmet Breakfast
You might react to this book as I first did, worried that by cooking with Dana Moos’ recipes, I’d get stuck with houseguests who refuse to leave thanks to the amazing breakfasts I’d be serving. Moos’ meals first adorned tables at the Kingsleigh Inn in Southwest Harbor beginning in 2004, when she and her husband
The 37th Annual Maine Fishermen’s Forum
The first weekend in March will find Rockland’s Samoset Resort abuzz with fishermen from all along the coast coming together for the 37th Maine Fishermen’s Forum. Forum organizers expect this year’s event to be a busy one with people coming to discuss the latest developments in the lobster, shrimp and groundfish industries, offshore wind, and
Saving Fuel Doesn’t Have to be a Drag
Serendipity is a common theme in science. Accidents and mistakes lead to fortuitous discovery; questions yield unexpected answers. For Steve Eayrs, a fish behavior and gear technology researcher at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, surprise came about when a study about fishing gear selectivity found new ways for fishermen to save fuel and money,
As Island Schools Shrink, Don’t Panic!
Back in September of 2011, as the school year swung into “full speed” and the annual Inter-Island Event was bringing students from one-room schools all over the coast of Maine together, the students at Matinicus Elementary numbered 10. Three full-time island families, each family including a lobsterman, made up the core group. These children had
What Role Did Recreational Fishing Have in Cod Decline?
As the New England groundfishing community absorbs the shock of the National Marine Fisheries Service cod reassessment in the Gulf of Maine, stakeholders are beginning to sift through the data for unexpected factors that might account for the diminished cod numbers. One surprise they’ve found is the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) assertion that recreational
Why Did Norm Olsen lose the DMR post?
Last month, Gov. Paul LePage appointed Patrick Keliher as the new commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources, nearly six months after the fiery resignation of the previous commissioner, Norman Olsen. Mr. Keliher’s appointment wasn’t surprising; he’s been deputy commissioner since 2007 and acting commissioner since Mr. Olsen’s July 20th departure, and may represent reassuring
Keep the Lights Burning
“It was a dark and stormy night”¦.”so goes the old writer’s cliché. But the night of December 15 really was stormy, and it made for an exciting adventure for Vinalhaven School’s fourth- and fifth-grade girls, all members of a book club named A Girl’s Point of View, as they held their first meeting of the
Reflections from a Chebeague Island Fellow
I had an epiphany while standing on the wharf at Cousins Island last week in the chilly moonlight, waiting to catch a late evening boat back to my home, Chebeague Island. Looking across the ocean at the north side of the island, I noticed that, other than the Stone Pier wharf, the island looked uninhabited;
Avoiding the Mid-Winter Island Blues
Whether fishing or building, running or biking, sailing or kayaking, islanders have many options for staying active in the summer. But once traps are hauled and roads buried under ice and snow, getting exercise becomes more difficult. For some islands, fitness facilities provide important access to indoor exercise in the off-season. For islands in Penobscot