Articles
Cranberry Isles forge ahead on the energy front
“There’s a good vibe out here,” reports Island Institute Fellow Amanda Ravenhill from her home on Islesford. A longtime seasonal resident, Ravenhill recently spent her first winter on Islesford, filling a fellow position that was vacated last spring when Eric Dyer took a full-time position with the Town of Cranberry Isles. Ravenhill is particularly interested
Island Fellows sought for community projects
The Island Institute’s Island Fellows program is soliciting applications for 2008-2009, seeking to fill up to eight positions. Island Fellow placements address pressing challenges facing Maine’s year-round island and remote coastal communities. This cohort of Fellows marks the 10th anniversary of the Island Fellows program, which has significantly changed over the years.The first island fellow,
Swan’s Island as in other communities, the definition of “sustainability” is evolving
Katie Chapman, Swan’s Island Alternative Energy Fellow, describes her position as “thrilling all the way around.” Catalyzed by some of the highest electricity prices in the nation and a cost of raw power that has doubled since 1998, Swan’s Island Electric Co-op is measuring the island’s wind resources and using the collected data to begin
CREST orients new teachers
On Feb. 8 the Island Institute CREST team traveled to Bar Harbor to hold an orientation for teachers and administrators of a new group of schools that is joining in the CREST project. Launched in 2005, Community for Rural Education, Stewardship and Technology (CREST) is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project that provides hands-on Information
CREST to pair students with IT professionals
The CREST Project is targeting the misconception that few high-tech jobs exist in Maine by pairing students with Midcoast professionals who use information technology (IT) skills and applications on a daily basis. On March 21, Midcoast Career Exploration Day will enable participants to “shadow” workers at diverse Midcoast businesses including Lyman-Morse boatyards, Penobscot Bay Medical
Casco Bay affordable housing forum scheduled
Representatives from affordable housing organizations on Cliff Island, Long Island, Chebeague Island and Peaks Island will be gathering for an affordable housing forum on Thursday, March 6 at the Casco Bay Lines Terminal in Portland. The forum will run from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Participants will discuss topics including application and selection criteria for housing
New Island Fellow promotes “living well” on Vinalhaven
“Never say the word `needle.’ ” An atypical response for an Island Fellow, but Peter Levandoski insists that this is the most important thing that he has learned as a public-health outreach coordinator with the Island Community Medical Services (ICMS) on Vinalhaven. The first Island Fellow primarily dedicated to island health care, Levandoski is working
“You can make anything”An artist explores the dilemma the world is facing
After 30 years as a clinical psychologist in Vermont, Sally Loughridge decided to refocus. In 1999, Loughridge and her husband moved to South Bristol, Maine, where she went to work, full-time, detailing and examining marine and coastal landscapes uninfluenced by humans. She insists this current phase of her life is not a “rejection” or a
New Institute fellow to work with Port Clyde fishermen
The Island Institute has hired Laura Kramar as a Senior Fellow in a special collaboration between the Institute and the Midcoast Fishermen’s Association (MFA) based in Port Clyde. The collaboration combines new marketing, economic and fisheries-management strategies with traditional groundfishing practices. Kramar will be assisting the MFA with developing a marketing strategy to promote Port
Institute seeks proposals, applications for island fellowships
The Island Institute is seeking applicants for its island fellows program for 2008-2009. The program is currently seeking proposals from communities or organizations interested in hosting a fellow, as well as applications from individuals interested in serving. Communities interested in hosting a fellow must submit a proposal describing the anticipated project or projects, designating a