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June 15
Summer on the island, when work fever takes hold
Youthful work ethic in full bloom this time of year
By Courtney Naliboff When I was a kid, out in the woods of central Maine, summers were a real vacation. My sisters and I swam and canoed, got ice cream at Gifford's, tried to dam up the stream in the backyard, and picked peas and green beans out of the garden. When we were a little older we went to…
June 15
The faces of My Island tell their stories
New collection by Patrisha McLean features portraits of Maine islanders
Patrisha McLean's My Island is a celebration of summer and year-round Maine island children, with more than 100 duotone portraits. The 160-page book—five years and countless ferry rides in the…
June 15
Thinking like a banker and a fisherman
Treating fish stocks like private property has changed management world
By Rob Snyder Fishermen from 15 U.S. fishing communities recently met in Boston to talk fish and fishing. But if you closed your eyes and listened to the discussion, you…
June 15
Tourism promotion should understand Downeast's needs
Understanding Eastport means doing the math
By Michael Morse In 2004, my wife and I bought an 1887 brick building in downtown Eastport. We knew that it would take a lot of work to turn…
June 15
Vinalhaven's trash collage teaches lessons on litter
'Why Trash Our Treasure?' school project took twist this year
By Kris Osgood Small island schools often struggle to match what bigger mainland schools do: fielding sports teams, filling out bands, casting plays. But small island schools offer opportunities that…
June 3
Swan's Island, Frenchboro face choice between coop and Emera
Rates would drop under merger, but control would be lost
SWAN'S ISLAND — A straw poll in July could determine the future of the island's ratepayer-owned electric cooperative. The approximately 450 ratepayers in the Swan's Island Electric Cooperative will choose…
June 1
Islesboro approves step toward building broadband
Town meeting vote overwhelmingly supports $206,830 expenditure
An earlier version of this story included a wrong first name. ISLESBORO — At their annual town meeting on Saturday, May 30, residents overwhelmingly approved raising and spending $206,830 to…
May 20
A perfectly planned memorial
The meal that marks the end of a life
Judy Coffin perfectly, and cheerfully, planned her memorial service and the reception that followed it. All that we her grieving neighbors, friends and family had to do was follow instructions.…
May 20
Expect record-breaking number of cruise ships in Bar Harbor
Ammonia dumped in Belfast Harbor, Deer Island needs more workers
The cruise ship business must have been hit by the Great Recession, as were other sectors of the tourism economy. So the news, reported by the Mount Desert Islander, that…
May 20
Majestic eagle caught in awkward moment
Surprising a bird after a heavy meal has consequences
Editor's note: This month's Observer is a reprise of an earlier published column. I'm not a bird watcher but I did notice, last week, an Eastern Phoebe light on a…
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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