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July 2
Small business survival means building lifeboats
ART OFFERS HOPE, EVEN AS HARSH ECONOMIC REALITIES DULL COLORS
As a small business owner, particularly one whose business resides on an island overlooking the great Atlantic Ocean, thoughts about sinking ships are probably unavoidable just now. I find myself often comparing my efforts to keep New Era Gallery here on Vinalhaven open to those of the musicians on the Titanic—doing what we know how to do, though the deck is…
July 2
Let's take a break (so we can get back to work)
'Grounding' exercise helps us step back into the world
Reflections is written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. By…
July 1
‘What’s goin’ on?’ is how ‘we’ solve problems
Rhetoric, language, and logic must be refined
By Tom Groening We’ve seen, and maybe experienced first-hand, the conflict that comes when people have different ideas about safe public conduct in light of COVID-19. Recently, the issue was…
July 1
High school seniors undaunted by virus-tinged graduation
Two islanders and a Downeast student have big plans and goals
By Tom Groening Across the state, high school ended this spring with a whimper. Students graduated at the peak, or perhaps post-peak, of an unprecedented pandemic. And with graduation, they…
July 1
They name their boats after their daughters
Fishing isn't for the faint of heart, or the weak of will
By Tom Valleau No one can doubt that our commercial fishing industry is now suffering from a variety of problems, some long in the making and others quite recent. With…
June 24
Casco Bay Lines board votes on new diesel/electric Peaks boat
MAINE STATE FERRY SERVICE ALSO CONSIDERING HYBRID VESSELS
It’s bit more complicated than putting pontoons on a Prius, but hybrid diesel/electric ferries are on the horizon for both the Maine State Ferry Service and the Casco Bay Island…
June 24
Casco Bay Lines board votes on new diesel/electric Peaks boat
Maine State Ferry Service also considering hybrid vessels
By Tom Walsh The board of the Casco Bay Island Transit Authority, which operates Casco Bay Lines, voted 7-5 on June 25 to proceed with detail design for a new car…
June 24
Second, larger cruise ship bound for Eastport
Port authority plans to put Norwegian Sun at shipping port facility
By Tom Walsh A second massive cruise ship—the 11-deck Norwegian Sun—may soon tie up within the Bay of Fundy at a temporary berth being offered by the Eastport Port Authority.…
June 23
The last sardine run—a childhood foretelling
A former EPA lawyer contemplates threats to the ocean
Excerpted from Fighting Pollution and Climate Change: An EPA Veteran’s Guide, How to Join in Saving our Life on Planet Earth,by Richard W. Emory Jr.; www.fightingpollutionbook.com;BookLocker Publishing, December 2019 By Richard Emory…
June 19
'An abundance of awesome' for students in local papers
Educators turn to newspapers for lessons in writing, research
By Christa Thorpe In the past few months, teachers all over the globe have seen their email inboxes flooded with educational resources for remote instruction. One teacher’s Twitter comment received…
Island Postcards
EPISODE 10: Keep the Light Shining
Two ambitious young women swam around the entire Island of Isle au Haut during the summer of 2019 to raise money for crucial renovations to the lighthouse.
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