Like most of us, I suspect, I used to think of this as the time of year when we eagerly open the mailbox to get Christmas cards with family pictures from college classmates and far-flung relatives to remind us of the ineluctable Passage of Time. But now our December mailboxes have primarily become conduits for
Are Clam Shells a Solution to Dead Mud?
Clamming is not glamorous or highly lucrative, but with limited equipment and an easily obtainable license, it still offers a viable income. Red tide, green crabs and areas closed by pollution, however, have negatively impacted dependable flats and harvesting conditions. More recently, a new name has been added to this list. “Dead mud” is how
The Virtues of Virtual
As the world becomes more virtual (but not necessarily more virtuous), many museums and historical societies are moving their collections online. The Maine Memory Network, launched by the Maine Historical Society in 2001, is a model of this cyber museum concept, offering access to materials from archives across the state. This past November, the Penobscot
Science Potpourri for the Holidays
We started Fathoming in an attempt to go deeper into the science behind the news about our coast and the Gulf of Maine. Over the past two years, we have written about everything from offshore wind’s impacts on marine fauna to ocean acidification, oyster disease, whales and the persistent abundance of lobsters. We’ve talked with
Brickmaking
The working waterfront of coastal Maine invites endless possibilities for commerce, from the traditional and time-honored fishing industries, to shipbuilding and other businesses located on the waterfront. In between are industries using the natural resources on the land, such as saltwater farms. On the Damariscotta River in Newcastle, one family farmed their land, and established
Vinal’s News Stand
The sign outside the shop at 18 Main Street, Vinalhaven, features a white-bearded old man reading a newspaper, and the words “The Paper Store,” indicating that one can buy a newspaper here. However, few may realize that The Paper Store’s official name is Vinal’s News Stand, and has been for 140 years. Back in 1871,
Cyber-Not
When it comes to cell phones, I admit to being behind the times. We don’t get a good cell signal on our street on Islesford, so we still need, and use, a landline at our house. I can sit on the wide windowsill in our dining room, with my head against the glass, and get
Islanders Honored for Response to July Emergency
On November 9, Sebastian Arnsdorf, the Commanding Officer of United States Coast Guard Station Rockland, along with Executive Petty Officer Martin and several other members of the Coast Guard arrived on Matinicus Island to offer formal recognition from Coast Guard Sector Northern New England to two Matinicus fishermen. Enjoying the unusually calm seas and pleasant
Innovation and Community at Beech Hill Farm
Beech Hill Organic Farm’s 75 acres enjoy a central location on Mt. Desert Island, replete with sweeping vistas of the Acadia National Park mountains and what has now, with hard work and husbandry, become excellent farmland. Owned for generations by the Carter family and later operated by Donald Carter as a chicken farm until the
Eric Hopkins: Above and Beyond
It is hard not to assume that everyone is familiar with the North Haven and Rockland-based artist, Eric Hopkins. He seems so non-artiste, so accessible; walk into his gallery on the harbor and chances are good you’d bump into him. And his work is accessible. Most of it is “coastal motifs” of Penobscot Bay—the sky,