State of Maine Releases Infrastructure Adaptation Fund to Support Working Waterfronts: Learn more and download the application | Sign up for news & updates
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.
It’s expensive to live on an island. Energy costs more. Food costs more. Just about everything costs more. Last week, residents of Islesboro found out ferry service will start costing a lot more.
On Monday, new increases in ferry service fees will double the per-trip costs for just about everyone.
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.
The Island Institute held its 8th annual Island Energy Conference in South Portland on May 4. This year’s theme, “Resilient Together,” highlighted what islanders are doing to increase the resilience of their energy systems and communities.
The event brought together energy experts and island leaders from Maine, New England, and around the world to discuss common energy challenges and share solutions for addressing resiliency in the face of an increasingly unpredictable world.
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.
The Island Institute held its eighth annual Island Energy Conference in South Portland May 4, bringing together energy experts and island leaders from Maine, New England, and around the world to discuss common energy challenges and solutions.
This year’s theme, “Resilient Together,” highlighted what islanders are doing to increase the resilience of their energy systems and communities in the face of an increasingly unpredictable world.
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.
It’s inspiring to see what one small community can do to change its future. The Cranberry Isles, a year-round island community off the coast of Mount Desert Island, has finished the first phase of a fiber-to-home broadband network.Just a year ago, residents had internet that was sometimes too slow to send an email.
Upload and download speeds on the Cranberries now exceed 100 mbps, meaning they are able to join the global economy with faster internet than most of the U.S.’s metropolitan areas. Both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the ConnectME Authority were clearly impressed with the ambition of this project. The recently awarded $1.3 million in federal funding will help cover almost all of the construction costs.
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.
Close to 200 people attended the Artists and Makers Conference, Friday, April 6, at Point Lookout in Northport. For artists and crafters in the creative economy, the Archipelago/Island Institute-sponsored event offered a full day of sessions.
Workshops focused on three different tracts of sessions: Foundational, for those just starting a business; Transformational, for those in the process of growing their business; and Inspirational, those who are established but looking for inspiration.
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.
The town of Cranberry Isles has received a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Community Connect Grant Program for construction of its broadband network.
With that support, what was once a community-funded project will now be funded by the USDA grant.
The grant will cover most of the cost of the project involving three of the municipality’s five islands — Islesford and Great Cranberry Island as well as seasonal homes on Sutton Island. Axiom Technologies of Machias is building the network under a contract with the town.
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.
The fifth annual Artists & Makers Conference, offering tips and strategies to help start and grow arts-related businesses in Maine, will take place Friday, April 6, from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Point Lookout in Northport. Hosted by Archipelago and the Island Institute, the conference is open to all artists and makers who live and produce work in Maine.
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.
Early bird registration runs to Saturday, March 17, for the 5th annual Artists & Makers Conference, produced by the Island Institute’s Archipelago gallery/store. The conference is set for Friday, April 6, at a new location, Point Lookout. Artists and makers who live and produce work in Maine are invited to gather for a full day of information, networking and presentations on a variety of topics from professionals and peers. The Artists & Makers Conference offers three themed tracks — Foundational, Transformational and Inspirational — that highlight information for those just starting a business; those looking to take their business to the next level; and those interested in tips for maintaining fulfillment, passion and inspiration in their businesses.
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.
Isle au Haut residents plan to install a sophisticated microgrid this spring that could eventually end their reliance on expensive power and heating fuel from the mainland. As on many of the other 14 Maine islands inhabited year-round, Isle au Haut residents pay at least double the amount a Portland or Bangor resident would for their electricity, kerosene and oil. Compounding matters, an aging undersea electric cable between Stonington and the island could fail any day, according to Jim Wilson, president of Isle au Haut Electric Power Co.
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under In the news.
A proposal for a large-scale solar project on Molokai is on the table and residents are questioning the project’s benefits and whether community ownership of the project down the road is viable or desirable.
With the island’s energy grid on the brink of change, a group of community energy leaders from around the world visited Molokai last Monday to share their perspectives on renewable energy solutions with residents.
