Connect with us

Maine

Authors, makers, and science labs of Maine Lobster Festival

Published

on

Authors, makers, and science labs of Maine Lobster Festival


ROCKLAND—The seventy fifth Maine Lobster Competition is underway and there may be a lot to see and do that 12 months. Culturally, the Competition is protecting all bases with reside music all day and evening, an Arts and Crafts and Market Tent, cooking demonstrations within the North Leisure Tent, a Maine Heritage Tent, and even a Pirate Tavern. With no admission cost, it’s value testing the entire tents this weekend.

I occurred to be in The Marine Expertise Tent on Friday together with different exhibitors starting from Maine authors and artists to a Lobster Contact Tank.

Writer Ali Farell has illuminated the lobstering life in her fiction and nonfiction books.

“I’ve met so many good folks this week, so many individuals who’ve by no means even seen the ocean earlier than,” she mentioned.

Advertisement

Native lobsterman legend Virginia Oliver, a.okay.a. “The Lobster Woman” is 102 years outdated and nonetheless lobster fishing. Oliver is likely one of the topics featured in Farrell’s e-book Fairly Rugged about feminine lobstermen.

“She’s a celeb,” mentioned Farrell. “Everybody has seen her on TV and thinks she’s superb—and he or she is!”

C. L. Alden, one other native writer, had posters of her books on show.

“Most of my books are impressed by the Midcoast space, so a number of the locations within the books will probably be recognizable,” she mentioned. “Some names have been modified, however for instance, in my e-book Empire is definitely The Strand Theatre.”

Alden, who has been to the Maine Lobster Competition for 4 years seen a much bigger crowd this 12 months.

Advertisement

“The group seems nice,” she mentioned.” I really feel there are lots of people from away this 12 months and all people will get enthusiastic about Maine tales. They see these quaint, New England cities, one thing they don’t see at dwelling.”

Kathy Putzulu is the creator of With The Grain Woodworks, that includes scroll-sawed paintings with a lobster piece completely match right into a cut-out of the state of Maine form.

Cynthia Dean, co-creator of “Paint It Shoreself Ceramics” had nautical and lobster-themed ceramics at her desk, which could be hand-painted.

Two authors, Claire Ackroyd and Robert W. Spencer, representing the hybrid publishing firm, Maine Authors Publishing, have been manning a desk with practically 50 books from Maine authors on show.

Ackroyd, writer Homicide within the Maple Woods, mentioned of her e-book, “It’s fiction, however the setting is actual, providing you with an genuine view of the processing of maple syrup manufacturing.”

Advertisement

In the back of the tent, MLF volunteer Aiden Willis, 13, answerable for The Lobster Contact Tank, recognized varied regionally caught sea creatures within the tank holding them as much as curious guests, together with reside Maine lobsters, starfish, sea cucumbers, scallops, and crabs.

“I grew up on the water, so I’ve no downside touching any of those,” he mentioned of the creatures. “I get to really feel like an skilled for the day.”

Be aware: varied authors and makers appeared within the Maine Leisure Tent all week and never everybody was profiled on this story.

The Maine Lobster Competition continues till Sunday. For extra data go to: www.mainelobsterfestival.com


Kay Stephens could be reached at information@penbaypilot.com

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Maine

7 children at Maine day care hospitalized after carbon monoxide leak

Published

on

7 children at Maine day care hospitalized after carbon monoxide leak


KITTERY, Maine – Seven children were rushed to the hospital after a carbon monoxide emergency inside a Kittery, Maine day care on Wednesday afternoon. 

Twenty-seven children and 10 staff members were inside the Building Blocks day care where carbon monoxide levels reached ten times the acceptable level.

Children felt dizzy, nauseous

Several children started feeling dizzy and nauseous. 

“We found children that were complaining of nausea and headaches and so at that point we had a confirmed CO incident,” said Kittery Fire Chief Craig Alfis. 

Advertisement

Seven children were taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital in ambulances and four adults took themselves to the emergency room.

“It’s unfortunate that children are involved but they’re getting the highest level that we can possibly provide them,” Chief Alfis said. 

Portsmouth Regional Hospital’s Dr. Marc Grossman treated the patients. 

“Anytime we’re dealing with a pediatric emergency with multiple kids that are sick or ill, in this case you always get a little bit nervous,” Dr. Grossman said. 

Everyone involved in the incident is expected to be OK. Dr. Grossman says given the exposure levels; the patients are lucky they called for help fast. 

Advertisement

“Carbon monoxide can be fatal if it’s not treated right away, if it’s recognized right away,” Dr. Grossman said. 

A state inspection shows as of last August, the day care had a working carbon monoxide detector inside. 

Fire marshal investigating

Maine State Fire Marshal Shawn Esler says they’re trying to figure out if it’s still working and where the leak came from. 

“We intend to be here throughout the night, it’s going to be long time, we have a lot of questions that you all may have that we don’t have the answers to right now,” Esler said. “We intend to do our best to find those answers.” 

And from a situation like this, an important reminder about detectors. 

Advertisement

“It’s an unfortunate set of circumstances but it is a good opportunity to remind folks of the importance of carbon monoxide detectors,” Esler said. 

Officials say the day care will likely have to stay closed Thursday as they continue the investigation.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Maine

Opinion: Let’s keep the door closed to nuclear energy in Maine

Published

on

Opinion: Let’s keep the door closed to nuclear energy in Maine


Several bills pending in Augusta are aimed at quietly reviving nuclear power in the state. This follows a national trend to paint nuclear as “clean,” “renewable” and essential — a trend promoted by politicians, more than 30 state legislatures, TikTok influencers, one well-known documentary filmmaker (shame on you, Oliver Stone) and a highly sophisticated, multi-front nuclear industry campaign.

One bill (L.D. 342, sponsored by Rep. Reagan Paul, R-Winterport) would shove nuclear energy into Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). It does not include nuclear in its explicit list of  renewable energy sources.

Nuclear energy is not renewable. A reactor’s fuel rods must be replaced on average every three years and 95% of uranium used comes from Canada or Kazakhstan.

Putting nukes on that list may sound innocuous, but RPS guides Maine’s energy policy, strategy and subsidies. The bill is the proverbial “foot in the door” and risks wasting state money that could be used on real renewable energy sources.

Advertisement

A public hearing on L.D. 342 before the Joint Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Feb. 13, in Room 211 of the Cross Building.

Also to be reviewed at that public hearing is another bill sponsored by Rep. Paul (L.D. 343) that would order the Public Utilities Commission to actively investigate small modular reactors. These reactors are still in the design stage, but basically are the same as older mega reactors, including generating radioactive waste. Their development is widely backed by tech titans who contend that artificial intelligence requires massive amounts of electricity, a claim challenged recently by Chinese AI application DeepSeek.

Home rule is challenged in yet another “foot-in-the-door” pro-nuclear bill. It would prohibit a community’s right to veto construction of a nuclear facility in its backyard. Perhaps this bill is intended to lay the groundwork to revive the 1980s proposal for a permanent radioactive waste facility at the bottom of Sebago Lake? That was a bad idea killed, fortunately, by local — as well as statewide — opposition.

By the way, there still are no permanent disposal facilities for the nation’s more than 90,000 metric tons of nuke-generated radioactive waste. It is held — under guard, at great expense and “temporarily” — in Wiscasset and about 100 other sites around the nation.

Maine, at least since the Wiscasset nuke shutdown in 1996, has resisted nuclear energy. Instead, tapping organizations and individuals across the state, it has developed a robust climate action plan for true renewable energy. Goals are set: 100% renewable by 2050. Progress is significant.

Advertisement

Let’s not let a raft of “foot-in-the-door” bills detour Maine from that path.



Source link

Continue Reading

Maine

More bird flu found in wild birds in Maine as state urges precautions

Published

on

More bird flu found in wild birds in Maine as state urges precautions


Maine state officials on Tuesday reported new cases of bird flu in wild birds and urged precautions to protect chickens and other domestic birds.

Avian influenza has been detected in “four Canada geese, two red-tailed hawks, and a great horned owl in recent weeks.” The cases were in Kennebunk, Kittery, Ogunquit, South Portland and York.

Wild birds can pass the disease to domesticated chickens or ducks, although there have not been any confirmed cases in domesticated animals in Maine since March 2024.

The bird flu epidemic is ravaging domesticated animals in other parts of the country – especially poultry and cows – during the past year, and is the primary reason behind the spike in egg prices. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is reporting a total of 64 human cases nationwide – with one recently confirmed in a Nevada dairy worker.

Advertisement

Maine has not reported a human case of the bird flu, and the Maine CDC considers the current risk to human health from the bird flu as “low.”

Nevertheless, the Maine CDC, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are urging people to take precautions to limit the spread of bird flu.

To help limit the spread of disease, reduce contact between domestic and wild birds, wash hands before and after handling birds, wear clean clothing and sanitize boots and equipment before and after entering coops, provide clean drinking water to domesticated animals, secure food to prevent rodents, and monitor flocks for illness.

To report a sick or dead wild bird, call 287-8000 or (800) 452-4664 or report it online with MDIFW.

« Previous

Advertisement
Toy Fund wraps up a big year
Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending