Articles
Mosquitos attack, Cranberry residents fight back
CRANBERRY ISLES — Mosquitoes have been driving residents of the Cranberry Isles crazy for at least a century. Voters will soon consider a renewed effort to control the pests, with the deployment of a naturally occurring bacterium called Bacillus thuringensius israelensis (Bti) in salt marshes, cattail marshes and stagnant waters. Property owner permission would be
Boat launch upgrade reflects Bass Harbor’s vitality
TREMONT — As a busy working waterfront town and recreational boating center, Tremont is completing the next stage of improving its marine infrastructure, with an upgrade to its primary boat launch ramp. The ramp is located at the town wharf, on the Bass Harbor shore in Bernard, one of Tremont’s five villages. Bass Harbor is
MDI school tackles dropout rates
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND — The school district here aims to see that all of its students earn a high school graduation diploma. The issue of secondary students withdrawing from school before earning their diploma landed on the board’s agenda at the beginning of the 2012-2013 year. The issue, in this particular district, is considered to
Lobstermen Debate Tiered Licenses
Hundreds of lobster fishermen turned out for 16 Department of Marine Resources meetings along the coast and islands in January to discuss the industry’s entry system, poor prices and the prospect that, despite record landings, the resource will one day decline. Of the islands, approximately 50 fishermen turned out on Swan’s and 80 on Vinalhaven.
Seafood to Whet Appetites in “Food Deserts”
A new initiative seeks to form “food hubs” that will link Maine’s seafood producers with “food deserts.” The Wiscasset-based Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) and Wholesome Wave, of Bridgeport, Conn., have launched a two-year feasibility study to identify the best ways to integrate Maine seafood into the Northeast regional food hub system and make it more
A Historic School Updated for an Island’s Future
The Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Elementary School is a historic gem valued by residents of Great Cranberry Island. Although school operations were suspended in 2000, the building and grounds continue to see much use by the general community. Having housed classes, going back to 1905, for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, residents now seek to
Lobster Industry Aims Bigger on Marketing
The Maine lobster industry wants to get more people around the world to eat its delicious, nutritious and versatile signature product. To make that happen, the industry is exploring the possibility of committing one percent of the harvest’s landed value, or about $3 million annually once full funding levels are reached, to improve its promotion
Grant Affirms Apprenticeship in Wooden Boatbuilding
At Great Harbor Boatworks in Southwest Harbor, Richard Stanley and his apprentice, Ryan Snow, are standing in back of a half-built, 19-foot daysailer. Stanley hunches forward, one eye closed, observing the alignment of a plumb bob. He steps aside and tells Snow to observe how the bob hangs. “You keep sighting it,” Stanley says. “The
Rural-Urban Medical Collaboration
A three-year collaboration between Mount Desert Island Hospital and an urban medical complex in Philadelphia brings leading technology and techniques to MDI while also providing urban practitioners with experience in rural health care delivery. Now in its second year, the privately-funded collaboration between MDI and the Perelman School of Medicine is viewed as a model
Ferry Terminal Eyed for Thriving Cruise Ship Traffic
The 60-year-old ferry service that connected Bar Harbor with Nova Scotia was discontinued in 2010, but the town and the Maine Port Authority (MPA) still consider the terminal to be a valuable asset for the region. After a study of alternative uses for the four-and-a-half-acre property, the MPA is now looking to acquire the facility,