Articles
York River preservation study championed
YORK — Local stakeholders and Maine legislators are lining up to support a bill in Congress that would call on the National Park Service to study whether the York River qualifies as a Wild and Scenic Partnership River. A preliminary survey by the park service seems to indicate that the river could qualify for the
New England’s last whaling ship returns to the sea
If you are a lover of maritime history, you may want to rearrange your summer plans to fit in a trip to southern New England to catch a rare glimpse of a bygone era of working waterfront. After a five-year renovation at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan will sail to
St. George residents support High Island purchase bid
ST. GEORGE — Town officials were split on spending $25,000 to help purchase and conserve an island, but residents had the final say, approving the spending at their annual town meeting earlier this spring. The group effort to purchase High Island, off Long Cove on the northeast side of the peninsula, was supported by the
Lobster larvae are missing in action
For lobster in the Gulf of Maine, it may be the best of times and the worst of times. In recent years, lobstermen enjoyed record-breaking landings and relatively strong prices. But now ocean researchers are warning that they can’t find lobster larvae in the usual places. If, as is feared, the number of lobster larvae
COA gets grant to restore Mount Desert Rock
BAR HARBOR — There’s a lot of good conversation that can happen when you’re on a boat in the Antarctic. Sean Todd, chairman of the marine studies program at the College of the Atlantic, was in the Antarctic serving as a tour guide and scientist for a boat tour that doubled as a research expedition
Stonington woman wants to help ‘Chix Who Fish’
STONINGTON — It was one of those cold, miserable days out on the water shortly before Christmas, and Genevieve Kurilec McDonald was fed up with her fishing rain gear. Because she has never been able to find a coat with the right length of sleeve in nine years of lobstering, McDonald was wearing one with
The mystery of coastal property no one wants
STONINGTON — The economy has been slowly picking up steam, say economists, and even the housing market is showing some modest signs of recovery, according to Maine State Economist Amanda Rector, with both values and sales activity growing. If both are true, then why is Stonington is wrestling with a growing number of property owners
Beach access issues remain unsettled following high court action
Court watching may become a statewide pastime this spring as coastal communities await a decision from the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on beachfront access. On April 9, oral arguments are scheduled to be heard on whether the court should reconsider its recent ruling barring public access to parts of Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport. In
Lobstermen take health insurance plunge
Even though the state’s fishermen work in physically demanding and dangerous conditions, a sizable number go without health insurance. The seasonal nature of lobstering and the cost of insurance often make coverage prohibitive. A 2006 Gulf of Maine Research Institute study on the economic well-being of lobstermen found that nearly a quarter carried no health
Boothbay bridge is welcoming again, thanks to sister act
BOOTHBAY HARBOR — In a small seaside town, a footbridge connecting the one side of the harbor to the other can be like the heart of a community. It was that way a century ago in Boothbay Harbor. The most important feature of the wooden footbridge there, which was originally built in 1901 with a