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November 2
Thinking conservatively about kitchen energy
Avoiding appliance use, thinking ahead can reduce electric bill
It boils down to this: whose energy are you going to use, your own or the energy you buy from the power or gas company? A few weeks ago, we had a half-day conference on Islesboro devoted to energy issues—how to conserve it, how to find alternative sources. While I listened to discussions of window insulation, heat pumps, and municipal…
November 1
Estuary Beat: Red tide, Downeast river quality, and alewives
Red tide of a different shade At the end of September, an unprecendented bloom of the phytoplankton karenia mikimotoi extended from Cape Elizabeth to the New Meadows River. Maine Department…
November 1
Harbor Gawker says goodbye
Founding family of Vinalhaven’s landmark seafood restaurant leave after 40-plus years
PHOTO ESSAY BY COURTNEY MOONEY The Harbor Gawker has been a fixture in Vinalhaven’s village center, just a stone’s throw from the harbor, since 1975. That was the year owners…
November 1
Island teachers share cross-curricular methods at conference
Facing broad responsibilities, limited budgets, teachers learn new approaches at Island Teachers Conference
When you’re teaching in a small island school, the term “cross-curricular” is not a concept; it’s a day-to-day reality. Bill Trevaskis, the sole music teacher for students in the pre-K…
November 1
Restoring wild oyster beds, one acre at a time
Projects underway in New Hampshire, Phippsburg to clean waters
By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. New York City has its Billion Oyster Project, and now New Hampshire's Great Bay has its own 25-acre project, with…
October 31
Wishing for life-changing memories for our youth
Whether they stay in Maine, or leave and return, experience can change identity
A good friend recently introduced me to the work of writer Annie Dillard. She is now an even better friend. In one of Dillard’s short stories, she writes some of…
October 23
'Ben’s Story' personifies Maine’s changing fisheries
Barbara Lawrence’s latest novel is part love story, part marine biology
The stories of Maine fishermen have become an increasingly popular marketing tool in promoting native seafood. Increasingly, fishermen are offering lobster boat tours, where passengers can see trap-hauling demonstrations. The…
October 23
‘Bungalow in a Box’ offers energy efficiency, ease of construction
Woolwich-based business provides Chebeague islander a new home
Patricia Festino has built a number of houses in the course of her 77 years. The Chebeague Island resident knows the ins and outs of working with architects and carpenters,…
October 23
A good read about the early years on Vinalhaven
'From The Beginning' by Ken Reiss covers the late 18th and early 19th centuries
Ken Reiss’ new book, From The Beginning: Vinalhaven from 1760 to 1850, has given me a clearer sense of where I came from and, more importantly, how and why my…
October 23
Compromise possible in rockweed harvesting lawsuit
In midst of court appeal, industry, conservation groups work together
By Merritt Carey, Sean Mahoney, Tim Glidden, and Shep Erhart Lawsuits have a tendency to box parties in; they don’t allow for the nuances, complexities, and compromises that make up…
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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