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July 24
How a bill becomes law, Maine edition
Hearings, testimony, and work sessions are the process
The other day, I found myself in Augusta attending a legislative committee hearing and conversing about how a bill becomes a law with somebody who was at the legislature for the first time. So here is the short story: Bill ideas, or really just bill titles, need to be submitted in December of even-numbered years. Any member of the legislature…
July 24
Clam ‘garden’ sows sustainable future
Downeast communities must tell their stories
Reflections is written by Island Institute Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working…
July 24
Pondering the poverty question
What is the true price we pay for the poor?
I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood in a small ranch house on a quarter-acre of land in suburban New York. When I was ten, my parents doubled the size…
July 24
Air quality—a tale of two Maines
Portland, Bangor see divergent results
Maine’s air quality is experiencing mixed results since last year’s report, according to the American Lung Association’s 2023 “State of the Air” report. Bangor remains one of only seven cities…
July 18
‘Working the Sea’ is Marine Museum’s summer show
Industry photography captures evolving fisheries
[caption id="attachment_36904" align="aligncenter" width="375"] A dipnet full of scup, or porgies, rests on the trap boat gunwale as Tony Coccoro repeats the endless task of repairing tears in the weir…
July 18
Will lobstermen ever embrace multihulls?
Lower fuel consumption, more comfort are upside
Along the Maine coast, spring arrives with an explosion of daffodils, the sound of peepers, and a pilgrimage of spotted salamanders crossing darkened roads. Life also returns to boatyards that…
July 13
The ‘solastalgia’ of pandemic life
Debut novel describes family’s painful pivot
Pete and Alice in Maine By Caitline Shetterly, HarperCollins (2023) REVIEW BY CARL LITTLE The pandemic interrupted the lives of many families, including the foursome that take center stage in…
July 13
How’s the weather? Arlene Cole will tell you
Newcastle woman recorded data for weather service for 58 years
[caption id="attachment_36880" align="alignnone" width="600"] Arlene Cole has been recording data for the National Weather Service for 58 years.[/caption] Ask Arlene Cole what the weather was on May 13, 1965, and…
July 12
Island crime, battled with humor
Two appetizing novels by Camden resident
Lobsters Without Borders (2022) Don’t Touch My Cocktail! (2023) By Carol Chen Carol Chen, a Camden resident, is debuting as a mystery writer with two books out now, Lobsters Without…
July 12
Sunbeam heads south
Visits to Boothbay Harbor, Falmouth planned
[caption id="attachment_36825" align="alignright" width="600"] Maine Seacoast Mission’s Sunbeam anchored in Cape Split Harbor.[/caption] At the end of July, Maine Seacoast Mission’s flagship vessel, the 74-foot Sunbeam, will host two open…
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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