Articles
Going to see the snow in SoCal
Just about every other year my husband and I travel to Southern California to visit his family for Christmas. We leave the island, which is often covered in snow, or if we’re less lucky rain, ice or slush, and take the boat to the mainland and drive to Boston and fly out. This year we
The walking meditation of stacking wood
The potential column fodder is rich this month—candidates and the election, Kaci Hickox and Ebola. But when those stories fade, what remains relevant is the wood stove, and even more importantly, the wood pile. I grew up in central Maine, a little no-man’s-land between Farmington and Augusta. My father, a Jewish guy from Southern California,
Island life promotes raising ‘free range kids’
The news was full of it this summer—articles, blog posts and opinion pieces about the importance of kids playing outside, and then more articles showing the consequences that could occur when parents let their kids do just that. Mothers arrested for allowing kids to walk to the park by themselves, or letting their kids play
Island life: a broadening of opportunities
DOT reverses course on North Haven bridge
NORTH HAVEN — The Pulpit Harbor bridge—or First Bridge, as it’s known to island residents—spans a narrow channel between the harbor and the Mill Stream, a tidal inlet that ultimately feeds the island’s oyster pond. In summer, kids line up to jump off at high tide. The bridge is frequently walked and biked by day-trippers
North Haven’s Calderwood Hall restored to year-round role
NORTH HAVEN — In 1908, Harry Calderwood fulfilled his dream of having a community space on the island. The four-story hall he constructed on the corner of Smith Street and Iron Point Road, built into the hill heading out of town, hosted legendary dances, movie screenings, plays and Aunt Ell’s restaurant in the basement. As
Designing and building gardens for North Haven a growing business
NORTH HAVEN — Down a long dirt driveway on North Haven’s South Shore road, flanked by Mullen’s Head Park, hides Islandscape, an established garden design and plant retail business owned by Eileen O’Connor. “I had been, in graduate school, unhappy. I worked with this great British landscaper Claire Ackroyd for a year and she said
North Haven’s Casino, home to sailing programs, on firmer footings
NORTH HAVEN — Each summer, the North Haven Casino is a hive of activity. Despite the name, nobody gambles or watches over-the-top performances at the Casino. Instead, it’s the hub base for small sailboats that swoop through the Thorofare, piloted by excited junior sailors and overseen by teen instructors. Experienced sailors compete against each other
Negro League star the subject of opera
PORTLAND – Composer Daniel Sonenberg and Portland Ovations are taking a leap of faith together this spring. May 8 will mark the world premiere of Sonenberg’s “The Summer King,” an opera in two acts on the life of Josh Gibson. Gibson was a catcher for baseball’s Negro Leagues in the 1930s and 1940s and is
North Haven electrician grows his business
NORTH HAVEN—Keeping the lights working—and the furnace, water pump and cook stove—on an island means having a reliable electrician. This island has two: Tri-Digit Electric and Goodell Electric. Goodell Electric, which recently expanded to hire a full-time employee, was founded in 2005, when owner/electrician Trenor Goodell moved with his family from Peaks Island to North