The Recompense Fund was launched in 1992 by island resident Eldon Mayer. In 2014, management of the fund was transferred to the Maine Community Foundation, though it still exists to benefit nonprofit groups working to sustain the island as a year-round community.
There were hugs, handshakes, and smiles as parents, siblings, and girlfriends joined Maine Maritime Academy students aboard the training ship State of Maine in Searsport on July 30.
“Our goal is to give kids an education that will literally change their lives,” said Peter Harris, president of the Herring Gut Learning Center's board of directors.
Think back to 2008: summer Olympics in Beijing; signs of the Great Recession start to show; Barack Obama is elected president; Celtics beat the Lakers in the NBA finals.