Articles
Go small and go home
BROOKSVILLE — A small but elegant house overlooks a vast flowered field on one side, a wooded copse and the winding Bagaduce River on the other. On a cloudless summer day, a symphony of crickets fills the air. The scene is one of perfect enjoyment for Chris Noble and his wife, Christine Farrow-Noble, who have
New paradigm: Environmental stewards adapt to climate change
WINTER HARBOR — Climate change is having major impacts on the natural world. At the same time, today’s youth, beguiled by electronics, appear to be tuned out of nature. This leaves older generations with two problems: how to address or at least adapt to climate change; and how to encourage children to re-engage with nature,
Cries of horror: Titanic’s tragedy viewed from Maine perspective
STOCKTON SPRINGS — The story of the Titanic is well known as a tragic icon in the public imagination—the ship, the iceberg, the frozen deaths of hundreds during that long, dark night of April 15, 1912. But who were these suffering individuals? Mainers on the Titanic (Down East Books) by Maine native Mac Smith takes
Bar Harbor weighs first deer hunt in decades
BAR HARBOR — A substantial increase in the incidence of Lyme disease, deer/car collisions and property damage is pushing residents here to consider deer hunting for the first time since the 1930s. A task force, convened February 2013 to study the matter, said Lyme disease increased four-fold since 2006. Deer/car accidents are up roughly 2.5
When national park users collect rocks, they’re committing a crime
SCHOODIC PENINSULA — Most folks are good-natured when caught stealing rocks at Schoodic Peninsula, the mainland section of Acadia National Park. At one beach, park ranger Bill Weidner had a hunch. “The hatch was open on a van, stacks of clean towels in back,” he said. He politely approached the owner. He said to the
Bar Harbor’s Jackson Lab: recruiting workers, building on new science
BAR HARBOR — In a weak economy, in a part of Maine that often faces high unemployment, one organization is bucking the trend. And it is working to persuade workers to sign on. Jackson Laboratory, the Down East region’s largest employer, has been airing a radio employment ad featuring testimonials from workers, who offer plugs
‘Tall Barney,’ a Beals Island legend, lives on
BEALS ISLAND — A bright yellow lobsterboat motors under the bridge that links Beals Island to mainland Jonesport. On a sunny spring day, primary hues are everywhere—a tangerine hull on blocks near a lemon-colored house; multi-striped lobster buoys in rounded heaps resembling flowering bushes. Once a year in July, the bridge is jammed with hundreds
Schoodic Peninsula–adventures on the offbeat track
Puttering along the edges of the Schoodic Peninsula and its various gnarly bulges, the sea breeze freshens, sights abound, and folks stop everything for a friendly hello. Vistas of fields undulating to the rocky shore alternate with dense wooded areas and surprising heaths—located just past the large osprey nest atop a telephone pole—all punctuated by
MMA expansion gives students ‘a path forward’
CASTINE — The recent installation of the “topping-off” beam on Maine Maritime Academy’s new American Bureau of Shipping Center for Engineering, Science and Research signals not just progress on a much-needed facility, but MMA’s essential place in the field of maritime education. “Right now, we have 200-plus students on our training ship, making its way
Passamaquoddy craftsman maintains tribe’s traditions
BAR HARBOR — Master craftsman David Moses Bridges, an award-winning artist receiving national attention for his skill, works with birch bark to make shelters, canoes, traditional containers and adornments as a means of artistic expression and a way to continue the traditions of his Passamaquoddy culture. Originally from the Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation, also known