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May 21
Remembering the ‘improbable’ Harbor Gawker
Family-run restaurant called it quits last year, but new one opens soon
On Oct. 1 of last year, a man with no legs and just a few fingers put together one of several final meals at one of coastal Maine’s iconic—and most improbable—seafood restaurants. It was a haddock and havarti sandwich, which I enjoyed and with a gusto that I’d reserved over the years for precisely that exquisite sandwich. The “season” had passed,…
May 21
Sisters in recovery
Aquaculture operation for women recovering from addiction is Colleen Francke’s dream
By Kelli Park Planting and maintaining a garden can help those recovering from addiction. The recovering person learns responsibility while cultivating, nurturing, and investing time and effort, during which the…
May 21
Swan’s Island fights ticks with fire
Traditional burning of fields revived as pest control
By Jennifer Helman There is no shortage of information about the trouble ticks bring into our lives. They lay thousands of eggs at a time, live parasitically off animals, spread…
May 21
Swan’s Island motel has new owners
Jennifer Helman, Dale Joyce purchase Harbor Watch Inn
If you visit Swan’s Island for a weekend getaway, don’t expect much nightlife. Unless, that is, your idea of night life is a peaceful early evening stroll down a quiet…
May 21
The history of Maine’s income tax, and why it matters
Current climate couldn’t bring bold policy changes wrought in 1960s
Maine’s current governor spent his second term trying to repeal the income tax, and while he didn’t succeed, the top rate was reduced from 8.5 percent to 7.1 percent during…
May 21
Two views of what Europeans did to Native New England
Barkskins and Our Beloved Kin examine colonial exploitation and dominance of our region
Reviewed By Tom Walsh Engraved in granite near the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance to The National Archives in Washington D.C. is this enduring insight: What is Past is Prologue. It’s a…
May 17
Environment-friendly electric bike finds niche in Bar Harbor
Pedego, a national brand, now can be rented on MDI
Anne Watson tried out a Pedego electric bicycle one summer and loved it. Watson, a former school superintendent in Connecticut, has visited Great Cranberry Island every summer since she was…
May 17
Fournier family continues tug tradition in Belfast
Second generation operating boats in upper Penobscot Bay
If Belfast has an icon representing it to the wider world, it’s probably the three red tugboats docked at the foot of Main Street. As pretty as those boats are,…
May 17
Legendary sea explorer Earle calls for respect for underwater life
Speaking at UMaine, she urges students to see ocean as new frontier
Marine botanist Sylvia Earle opened her April 30 lecture at the University of Maine with a simple, but stunning fact—the surface of Mars, she said, is better mapped than the…
May 16
Ferry service chooses rate increase plan, Islesboro hit hardest
Other islands see reduced rates from mainland prices
A new Maine State Ferry Service rate plan will be implemented beginning May 21. The new fare structure eliminates the on-island discount in favor of a price consistent at both…
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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