Residents upset about proposed 12.5 percent ferry hike

Island residents express frustration about a proposed Maine State Ferry rate increase that state officials say is necessary because of skyrocketing fuel costs. A link to the new rates is included.

Matinicus post office “totaled” by fire

The Matinicus post office and store building burned to the ground on Monday, April 28, as island firefighters struggled to keep flames from spreading to nearby buildings and oil tanks on the waterfront.

Things Look Different There

Our toddler finally made us go west. Record snowfall and a two-year old who didn’t like to wear clothes gave us cabin fever this past winter, so we accepted an invitation from my sister-in-law in Portland, Oregon for a month-long visit.

Wicked Good

More on Pilots

Navigating wakes and shoals, an association protects a river and its resources

Barnaby Porter, who has lived on the Damariscotta River for close to 40 years, tells the story of a day when he, his son and naturalists from the Chewonki Foundation tried to return an young osprey to the nest on a navigational marker that the bird had fallen from.

Writing on Stone: Scenes from a Maine Island Life

Christina Marsden Gillis

Still more…

In Search of Monhegan’s Letters

Boundary surveying on Monhegan includes a lot of the same logistics as most island jobs, such as ferry schedules, housing if the job requires overnight stay and equipment transportation, as the ferries to Monhegan are only passenger ferries. Adding to Monhegan’s charm in the summer months are the always over interested tourists who feel compelled to stop in the midst of their day hike to ask you what you’re doing.

Opposition

Wind, tidal energy work best when out of sight

In a marine ecosystem often referred to as “the Saudi Arabia of wind,” where generation of unlimited amounts of this clean renewable energy are believed possible, some would-be ratepayers seem to care much as much about what’s on their horizons as their utility bills.

A Lifeboat for Fishermen

When congress revised bankruptcy laws a few years ago, they included one major provision that didn’t get media attention: fishermen gained access to Chapter 12.

Map encourages informed use

The Damariscotta River Association (DRA) recently published an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to explore any section of the Damariscotta River Estuary. “A Small Craft Explorers’ Map and Guide” was created through a collaborative effort of DRA and various users and protectors of the river.

Another Hit to the “Working Waterfront”

Many coastal communities and islands will be losing a substantial portion of state education money as a result of the most recent supplemental budget that passed this week.

Five Peaks Island artists to fill GEM Gallery

Chebeague Island appoints temporary administrator, mulls changes to post

After the Town of Chebeague replaced its first town administrator in March, the Board of Selectmen may think again about how the position is structured, according to a selectmen.

Plans for port, recreation drawn for Sears Island

Marine transportation, recreation, education and conservation can coexist on Sears Island, according to members of the Joint Use Planning Committee, who have worked over the last nine months to delineate the island into 600 acres of conservation land and 341 acres zoned for transportation uses.

Island Fellows sought for community projects

The Island Institute’s Island Fellows program is soliciting applications for 2008-2009, seeking to fill up to eight positions. Island Fellow placements address pressing challenges facing Maine’s year-round island and remote coastal communities.

Isle au Haut adopts budget, re-elects officials

Bar Harbor votes to cap number of cruise ship visitors

The Bar Harbor Town Council voted unanimously to cap the number of cruise ship passengers allowed ashore in the town per day. Whereas previous regulations only limited the number of cruise ships in the harbor, the new regulations say between 3,500 and 3,700 people can disembark each day in the summer months and 5,500 people can disembark during the spring and fall shoulder seasons. Cruise ship workers will not be counted toward the cap.

Galleries proliferate on Deer Isle

Going “Green” and Local Knowledge

The Long View: Not All Places Are Created Equal

Exporting our Problems

At the risk of appearing as if we’ve taken sides in a reliably contentious island issue, we’re publishing yet another story on island-based energy development.

North Haven approves comprehensive plan, 80 other articles

SELF conference to engage local food producers, others

The Long View: Cloudy With a Chance of Belief

At their town meeting, Cranberry Isles vote “green”