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May 9
On the edge—Seacoast Mission sails into Washington County
In-school, after-school programs in seven towns
Since the early 20th century, the Maine Seacoast Mission’s Sunbeam has called at the state’s easterly islands, providing health care, food, spiritual counsel, and fellowship. More recently, the nonprofit has dropped anchor in Washington County. In fact, 90% of the people the Mission serves are in Washington County, a region often described as one of the most impoverished in New…
May 3
Lubec’s Safe Harbor project back on track
New funding makes protected anchorage plan viable
[caption id="attachment_35660" align="aligncenter" width="875"] A panoramic view of Johnson Bay in Lubec. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING[/caption] Lubec's Safe Harbor project, which has been in the works for more than five…
May 3
Tidal power is not new to Maine
Mills relied on tides in 18th, 19th centuries
Prior to advances in transportation and energy production, industry and commerce across civilizations often relied on proximity to water. In the case of the lumber industry, one of Maine’s largest…
April 26
Multiple approaches to addressing worker shortage
Maine Department of Labor offers employers advice, help
The days of finding large numbers of pre-trained and experienced workers are fast fading. Businesses across Maine—and the nation—have had trouble finding the available, qualified workers they need to operate…
April 26
Fraying family is unwanted ballast
Generational conflict follows star-crossed sailboat
Sailing at the Edge of Disaster: A Memoir of a Young Woman’s Daring Year By Elizabeth W. Garber, Toad Hall Editions (2022) Among the many weird things that were happening…
April 26
Resilience is the response
Communities are facing climate-driven challenges
I was on Great Cranberry Island for a community event recently and encountered a sight that will not be easily forgotten. As I stood on the dock awaiting the mailboat…
April 26
The radical idea of public parks
How we define and understand them is important
I was walking recently along Belfast’s Harbor Walk, a paved trail that follows the shore along a large lawn area where a shuttered poultry plant once stood, past a boat…
April 26
Fog happens—here’s how
Maine is among foggiest place in the world
In the late 1700s, the people who established what today is Belfast at the top of Penobscot Bay first built their homes on what locals call the East Side of…
April 26
New ferries on the way for Maine
Islesboro, Matinicus, and Peaks projects funded
[caption id="attachment_35572" align="alignnone" width="700"] The Margaret Chase Smith on Islesboro. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING[/caption] New ferries, the vital link between Maine islands and the mainland, are in the pipeline. In…
April 18
Defying authority in a Maine mill town
Memoir recalls battles against poison, abuse
And Poison Fell From the Sky: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Survival in Maine’s Cancer Valley By Marie Therese Martin (Islandport Press, 2022) The poison in Marie Therese Martin’s…
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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